to vs. There was neuer such a meeting neuer a more indigent begger than man nor a more liberall giuer than God If as wee are great beggers in pouertie so also in importunitie of suting we shall finde his fulnesse running ouer to our superaboundance and his All-sufficiencie turne our necessitie in sufficiencie It is helpfull in the nature of it in that it is good contrare to our euill and for the disposition of it in that it is liberall to communicate it selfe to our helpe But hee commeth nearer to vs in that hee hath made the fulnesse of his goodnesse to dwell in Christ that is neare to vs that is come to our nature All Grace is treasured in Christ our Head Beside this approching of Grace in him it is neare to our possession when as hee hath it so hee hath procurred by his merits the right of it to vs by his intercession obtaineth it by his dispensation distributeth it daylie Heere are groundes sufficient both for suting and confidence of obtaining I find him neuer more readie to giue than when I haue new receiued neither is my Soule more desirous to craue of him than when it is yet warmed with the sense of his mercie in his new receiued blessing Hee will neuer cease to giue till wee cease to craue perfection is his last gift and our greatest measure Wee neede no more nor can containe no more when once his bountie hath perfected vs in glorie 73. Good motions are of God WEE are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any good 2. Cor. 3. 5. As euery good gift so euer good motion commeth of God Heereby wee vnderstand not fleeing motions of his common and tâ—mporarie giftes but the constant worke of his indwelling Spirit who after our sealing by him abideth in vs That sealing is not so much in any motion as in himselfe for wee aâ—e scaled by the Spirit of promise for the day of Redemption as the earnest of our Inheritance Infused habits of Grace are his great work gift but they wil remaine habits still or rather decay and neuer produce actions without his operation His Spirit is free and worketh where he listeth and in them whom hee possesseth hee worketh not aye to their feeling but when he will His working as his Kingdome come not by obseruation The waters of Bethesda had their tyme of wholesome troubling and so the holie Spirit hath his owne dyet of powerfull operation Occasion may bee offered outwardlie but the inward power can not stirre it selfe without his hand who gaue it It is a great blessing to haue that vertue and power of infused Grace and good occasions and holy necessities in our callings are great prouocations but aboue all the holy Spirite dwelling in the heart is to bee sought when hee kythes himselfe small gifes will vtter themselues excellently according to their Nature When hee lurketh great Graces are on a sleepe they can neither moue themselues nor the Soule that hath them The Soule is the life of the body and giftes and Graces are the life of the Soule But the holy Spirit is the life of them all Both they and wee are dead without him But in his mightie operation we are quickned and that to our feeling So long as I find God in mine heart I am sure of a timous and fruitfull stirring vp of his gifts his owne worke assureth mee of his Presence and his presence perswadeth mee of his worke His time I leaue to himselfe who is as wise to choose the opportunitie as he is able to work the work If I grieue not the Spirit of promise and bee not lacking to his working I will finde tymous and powerfull operation in my necessitie Euery life hath its own naturall actions whereby it is both manifested discerned and so hath the life of God and it is a speciall worke of it to keepe it selfe in vs but to bee carelesse of it is a worke of the flesh and not of the Spirit 74. The right use of obseruing of our neighbours infirmities OBseruation is a Commentarie of euerie occurrent but that Commentar is written in the heart of the obseruer It is wisedome to obserue at all times but there is no necessitie to vtter all our obseruations to other There is as great wisedome in some cases to suppresse as to marke them If wee see God offended wee ought not then to be silent when wee see him dishonoured it is our part as louing Children to pleade zealouslie his cause and to admonish the offender according to our calling But if we obserue our self injured by meÌ„ it is better to misken that wrong and suppresse our owne obseruation Hee who trauelleth through a rough Forrest should not rubbe on euerie thorne and brier that will both rent his garments and flesh and stoppe him in the way Hee is more wise who draweth his garments hard to his body and shifteth the touch of thornes And if they fasten on him softlie freeth himselfe off them It is a safe course through this thornie world to haue no medling but necessar And then not to prouoâ—ke mens infirmities Or if they will rubbe vpon vs wisely to decline or passe them ouer Hee who carpeth at euery thing breedeth much needlesse and endlesse labour But he who passeth by tollerable things without challenge prouyded great peace to himselfe Obseruation is the eye that seeth these thornes Patience and Prudence are the two hands the one to decline them the other to loose them when they fasten in vs. This is not a politicke Dissembling but a Christian disgesting of wrongs The first is a craftie smoothering of anger which will arise to reueng at the owne occasion the second is a buriall of it neuer to reviue or bee remembred The worke of obseruation in it selfe is a good degree of wisedome but the right vse of it is greater wisedome If wee shall euer communicat all our remarkes to men wee could not haue peace in the world men are not so sanctified as to suffer themselues to bee challenged of that whereof they are guiltie Passions in their hearts when they are touched by obseruation are as Lyons in the denne and Serpents in their holes To shew that wee see them prouocketh a greater irritâ—tion It is better to let a Dogge sleepe than to waken him It is sufficient to know hee is a Dogge and wiselie to decline his barking and byting The particular directions of this point would bee many but this is the summe of all to make such vse of obseruation that GOD bee not dishonoured Our Neighbour be not offended Our peace with God our Neighbour and our selues bee not broken 75. Hardnesse of Heart DOubtlesse the heart is naturally hard and accidentallie soft as yron holden in the fire is hotte and soft but out of it turneth cold hard wheÌ„ God warmeth it with a spirituall motion and sense of his loue then it is soft as wax but atonce it becommeth as a stone
of vs in our tyme Hee fulfilled the Law tooke away Sinne satisfied Gods Iustice and so brak the jawes of Death Shall I then feare to follow such a Captaine Hee hath made Death but a carcase of an enemie I haue neither to feare in it Sinne which is pardoned nor Law which is fulfilled nor Iustice which is satisfied It is a Serpent without the Sting a Gyant without bones or armes though it swallow mee vp in a naturall dissolution it shall cast mee out as the Whale did Ionah in an immortall condition when this mortalitie shall bee swallowed vp of life When Dauid had killed Goliah the Israelites ranne as fast to see him as they fledde before from him beeing aliue Doubtlesse they contemned that sometimes terrible Gyant they trod vpon him with their feete and cut him with there swords They did that securelie because hee was dead Hee who was euen now the matter of their feare his lifeles carcase is turned a matter of their contempt and his death a cause of their joye Death may separate thee from this Bodie but neither from God nor his life in thee it shall the more vnite thee to him this Bodie that dyeth by thy departing shall liue in Death It dyeth as a creature the part of such a one but it liueth as a member of Christ and the Temple of the holie Spirit both because it is separate from all spirituall corruption of Sinne and quickened spirituallie by the holy Ghost who departeth not from it and in the Spirit of Iesus who remaineth our Head euen in Death And lastlie because thou my best part shall bee in libertie with God Death may destroy naturall life but not the Spirituall neither in Grace nor Glorie It can sease on no more than I had when I sinned in Adam I got nothing then but a sinfull body but now in Christ I haue a new bodie created to his Image who is Life it selfe so farre is it from either destroying mee or dissoluing my union with him that it both saueth mee setting mee at libertie from sinne and perfecteth mine union absolutelie with him It rusheth indeede furiouslie on mee but grippeth nothing but my shaddow I am in God in Christ as I am beloued and chosen called and sanctified As I am such Death cannot finde nor grippe mee While hee grippeth nothing but this bodie of dust as Potiphars wife laying hold on Ioseph I goe to God and leaue my garment in his hand I am dead to the world and sinne and my life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ my Life shall appeare then shall I in Soule and Bodie appeare with him in Glorie Resent thine owne estate and thou shalt finde what I say Hast thou not dyed to the world and left it before it left thee And hast thou not left the bodie before it leaue thee If thou had not come to God till the world had forsaken thee and the bodie chased thee out hee had found just cause to forsake thee and send thee backe in disdaine to these thy beloued false friends But now since in thy prosperitie thou renounced the worlde and in thine health and strength thou went daylie to God choosing rather to bee in him than in the bodie Surelie hee will welcome thee That is a token of thy liuing in him and his liuing in thee Marke how thou hast euen in this life preuented the buriall of thy bodie Hast thou not with Ioseph of Aramathea hewen thee a Sepulchre in the Rock And cropen in by the holes of that Rocke that was pearced for thee How oft hast thou gone in by these wounds of Christ to his heart by his suffering to his loue and the loue of God in him and washen thy selfe in the blood of his satisfaction Hast thou not also prepared the fine Linnen and wrapped thy selfe in the winding-sheete of his righteousnesse Thy sinnes are buried in the Seas of his mercie and thy selfe is hid in him before euer thy bodie be layed in the dust And hast thou not prouided Oyle for thy Lampe that when thou goest out of this bodie thou wander not in darknesse but enter streight way in Heauen All thy care in this life hath beene to get Oyle and to make it shine to find light and walke in that light The Rock thy Sepulchrie hath inclosed thee the Linnen of his Righteousnesse couered thee and that burning Oyle in thy Lampe shall not waste till thou enter in Heauen Since God euen thy God hath anointed thee with some measure of the Oyle of gladnesse hee hath prepared thee for his Heauenlie buriall and the smell of his Oyntments powred out on thee hath wrought a distaste of all worldlie pleasures Foure speciall thinges bring solemne joyes in this life and if we bee in Christ they all meete in vs at Death Birth Mariage Triumph and Coronation Death is my best Birth day If the childe in the wombe knew that hee were comming foorth to a free light hee would not weepe at his birth but Nature in him taketh his deliuerie for destruction so maketh him mourne at the just cause of his joye My first birth brought me out of the prison of the wombe My second brought mee out of Nature and Sinne This third and last shall bring mee perfectlie out of the world and all miserie It is my Mariage day with Christ mine Husband he hath loued mee with euerlasting loue and betrouthed mee to himselfe in righteousnesse and trueth And our Bandes are daylie proclaimed in his worshippe his Gospel preached is the signification of his loue on his part and our Prayers and desires are the signification on our part since I am glad of the Match and rejoyce at the proclaiming of these Bannes why should I fray at the solemnizing of the Mariage God sendeth out Pastors as Abraham did his seruant to choose a wife to Isaak These Messengers haue found me continuallie about the well of liuing waters The sight of Abrahams riches euen the chose Graces of God haue wone mine heart to Isaak and I haue gladlie condescended to forsake all and goe to him Though I finde him at the Euening and Sun-sette of my life I shall enjoy with him an euerlasting day of heauenlie contentment Esther was not sorrowfull but rejoyced to be takē by Ahashuerosh to wife and should not I rejoyce when the Lambe of God Christ Iesus sendeth for mee It is an glorious triumph Dauid was glad whē he heard the people sing of his victorie ouer Goliah shall I not rejoyce when God hath stramped all mine enemies vnder my feete when the deuils are howling for their defeate and the good Angels◠and Spirits doe welcome mee with joyfull Acclamations It is more seemelie that I put in my part with the glorious Spirits in the heauenly harmonie than with the euill ones in howling To bee dashed in Death is to let the present victorie goe out of mine hands Sathan shall then ouercome mee when
desires of a breathing and the dimensions of a breathlesse VVretch So small an hole will hold his corps whose hopes deuoured all the Earth It is good for them in their life to take the just measure of their bodie Little will containe it why should they trouble the world with their idle and endles desires What although hee could accomplish his hopes and possesse all the Earth yet were hee but earth on earth and beeing loden with that thicke clay when he goeth to dust shall make as small addition to the Earth in quantitie as the possession of it addeth to his worth Surely their spirit in this case is more lifelesse than their carcase it is a just punishment for their wormish heart to bee cast backe in the dust which they so much affected Let them desire as they will in the end Death will deuoure them Mankynde is as glad to want him as the Earth is to haue him As a pest hee troubled men continually and laboured to turne their lottes in his bosome but now both rejoyce in his death While his friendes lament him both mankynde and Earth rejoyce that their trouble is cast out 18. Wise expounding of Gods wayes â—Ee haue no greater griefes than these of our owne procurement and the foolish expounding of Gods wayes is a great one Wee looke to some particular of his proceeding and sticke on it and rather vpon a crosse than vpon a blessing And if wee goe further wee judge thereby both his purpose and end The worke in our judgement importes both simple anger present and destruction to follow This is a great errour and is shortlie auenged on vs It maketh vs doubt of his good purpose and almost dispaâ—e of the good end But God chooseth for the best end the hardest way both to proue his owne power and to try our faith It is better to expound his wayes by his purpose and end than these by his wayes Though hee should draw vs through Hell yet let vs still bee assured of Heauen His decree is sure as his end certaine they are in him fixed and the way betwixt them lying through many occasions and actions haue difficulties and bad appearance but alongst all these thorters his good-will slideth soft and sure And if our heart bee settled anent his purpose of our election and haue pledges of his end of our glorification wee shall both ouer come the difficulties of the way and resting on the decree shall obtaine the end What albeit the middle linkes of this chaine of our Saluation doe shake on the Earth Since both the ends of it are in Gods hand yea fastened in his heart And hee hath so joyned the linkes of it among themselues that they can neither slippe nor breake and it selfe as fast as hee is vnchangeable His heart must bee pulled out of him before he change his purpose he will denie himselfe ere hee delate his inacted decree All our considerations of our present eternall state are but loose and slipperie till our heart bee fixed in the heart of God 19. The tryall of our time A Wise Traueller considereth in what part of his journey hee is and a wise disposer of his dyet noteth his age temper of his body so a good Christian marketh the tyme of the world and in what periode of the tyme hee liueth All tymes turne in the Circle 1. of Prosperitie in aboundance of Gods blessing 2. Profanesse in the abuse of these blessings 3. Punishment for that abuse 4. Repentance vnder punishment that wee may enter againe in prosperitie as the beginning of that Circle It auaileth greatlie to know in which of these foure wee are if wee bee in the time of Peace and Prosperitie to know the time of our visitation and to use aright the things that concerne our peace If in the tyme of profannesse to eschew sinne and keepe vs from the wickednesse of our tyme If vnder punishment that wee repent tymouslie Doubtles this tyme of the reformed Churches is the tyme of punishment we haue had long Prosperitie the cleare light of the Gospel and offer of Saluation but haue abused it and now God is reuenging on vs the quarrell of his Couenant Leuit. 26. 25. Let euerie one mourne for his owne sinnes and the sinnes of his tyme that hee may haue his Soule for a prey He is voide both of the feare of God and the care of his owne Saluation who now turneth not to God when his Word and Workes of justice about vs and our owne conscience within vs call vs to teares it is tyme to afflict our Soules for our sinnes If wee cannot deprecate common calamities yet wee shall receiue the Murners marke on our forehead Ezech. 9. for our owne saftie And God who had the Arke for Noah and Zoar for Lot shall bind vp our Soule in the bundell of life 1. Sam. 25. 26. Since wee haue not used our former tymes well it is not good to lose the tyme of Repentance also If wee doe there will bee no more regresse to peace but vtter exterminion But if wee returne to God with all our heart when he hath purged his Church by his fierie tryall hee will cast the rod of his anger in the fire and turne our mourning in a pleasant peace O Lord wee waite for thy Saluatioâ— Gen. 49. 20. Short care for a short life THe workes of the most part of men tell that they thinke not of Heauen or that such a heauen as they minde is on earth They seeke earthly thinges and compt their happinesse by their obtaining and their miserie by their want Riches Honour Fame Pleasure c. are the hight of their reach and that not in a small measure as passengers for the way but excessiuelie as possessors of their end No care of another life because no minde of it Or if the thought of Heauen bee forced vpon them it is soone banished by the strength of earth-delights Their desires are as base as the beasts worse for the beast can doe no more and ought no more But men are reasonable and called to Heauen They may reckon on many branches with wormes they come of the earth liue on it creepe on it and in end creepe in it and more wormish than they being more affected with the dungue of the Earth digged out of the bowels of it than with the Heauen What priuiledge their body hath in beeing liuing earth they loose it in seeking lifelesse earth for their happinesse Both doe heere agree an earthly life and an earthly spirit spent in the cares of the Earth But a friend of the life of God lifteth vp the renewed Spirit to heauenlie things It cannot be so basely abject as to mynde and glutte the baggage of the Earth But as it is from aboue so it is all sette on things aboue and turneth euen the necessar and moderate cares of this life to an heauenlie temper by that reference that it hath in their use
safetie God by his Spirit is our best Guarde When he keepeth our heartes in his hand then wee are secured from all dangers It is not good to sleepe securely wheÌ„ a Serpent is in the house or to be carelesse wheÌ„ a mad dog is tyed with a loose roppe Such carelesnesse is an infalible precedent of some grosse fall Dauid at rest in his owne place fell worse than when hee was chased as a Patridge in the Wildernesse If we cannot escape Sathans supprysings we should turne them against himselfe God maketh these out-breakings in his Saintes as a staffe to breake the heade of Sathan in their corruption They are as the borrowing of a Baire hee houndeth out our corruption to foyle vs but God sendeth it home as a carcase to him againe Beside the former exercises it entertaineth Humilitie and the sense of Gods mercie who beareth with our faults Pride as a Page attendeth excellent Spirit But the slippes and buffets of our corruption layeth these feathers Pride goeth before a fall and an hautie heart before destruction 57. Gods best Gifts THere is no maÌ„ who receiueth not of Gods Liberalitie but not all of that same kinde and that measure Some as Keturahs sonnes get common gifts and goe away from him Other as his Isaac get the Inheritance and abide with him Some haue the giftes of body and minde and Fortune as they call them gifts in themselues but no sure pledge of his sauing loue But to the godly with his gifts he giueth himselfe a spirituall beeing by Renouation a spirituall life by his Sonne a spirituall mouing by his Spirit Our disposition will tell vs his affection If wee take his gifts runne away with them and use them without and against him then wee haue gotten his gift but not himselfe But if they lead vs to him and make vs seeke him aboue them all then wee haue himselfe with his gifts These are best giftes which are most excellent in their kinde Greatest in measure and most profitable for use What is better than GOD Himselfe And amongst his gifts none is better thaÌ„ sauing Graces They bring with theÌ„ the Image and warming power of a speciall loue and stamppe the heart of the receiuer with a re-louing of him For measure they are sufficient to our greatest necessitie of Saluation For use they leade vs through the Valley of this life through the foorde of Death And exalt vs aboue all use euen to the fruitioÌ„ of God And so in this life are the immediate matter of our contentment Common gifts come out naked but sauing Graces are guarded that same choosing loue of God where from they flow sendeth out a secrete vertue with them to pull that heart to God that receiueth them Though they come out from him yet they are not separate from him neither suffer they vs to stand abacke from him That his loue in Christ that giueth them quickneth vs with the sense of it selfe that as by him wee liue so wee cannot liue but in him This is a sweet intercourse botweene God vs in his sauing blessings in Christ I count more of his smallest grace with himselfe than of all the world without him 58. Discerning of Flesh and Spirit HOw profitable were it for vs to discerne betweene the flesh and Spirite But this discerning hath a great difficultie and that because both parties are within vs And both of them in euery parte and power of vs Their likenes also one to another and the readinesse of our mistaking and most of all because wee incline more to the flesh which is natiue to vs than to Grace which is a stranger Flesh is first in vs by Nature and soonest at worke And so forestalling our mindes purchaseth our allowence to it selfe Confusion of our minde maketh them as Rebekahs twinnes wee finde them stirring within vs but cannot discerne them Passions and Selfe-loue make vs judge wrong wee take that for Spirit which is Flesh and cherish it And that for Flesh which is Spirit and neglect it That coueting one against another is sensible but we know them not particularlie And more easilie can we discerne them in another than in our selfe The worke is then manifest and wee are not prejudged by our selfe-loue It is a great part of the worke of conscience to marke this difference The Apostle excelleth in this who said I finde another Law in my members The best way to try them is not to leaue them to the event but to bring them to the rule The true knowledge of Gods Law will tell vs That is Spirit which agreeth with it and that is Flesh which agreeth not with it At diuerse times wee haue contrarie thoughts of one thing the one must bee flesh and the other Spirit what sauoureth of pride and vanitie is flesh What sauoureth of Humilitie and feare is Spirit As the descerning of them argueth a great degree of Grace so to doe according to that discerning proueth a greater degree of it When the motions of the flesh are broken as a Cockatrice egges before they bee hatched and the motions of that Spirit are intertained Both these workes are noysome to the flesh but they are more profitable in that they grieue it He hath a painefull task who pondereth all his thoughtes in the ballance of the Sanctuarie but the fruite of that labour in puritie and holinesse is greater than all the paines Iustice is painted with a ballance in her hand and the practice of a good Conscience in this discerning is a continuall pondering Where this discerning is exact particular it is a singular preseruatiue to keepe vs from yeelding to temptation a spurre to Repentance when we are fallen He who is so exercised shall either not fall in sinne or come soone out of it 59. Gods mercifull presence GODS Presence in mercie is aboue all things in this life to bee sought and keeped But euery one knoweth not what it is or how to keepe it As Creator hee is with euery one sustaining maintaining and directing them in their wayes The greatest A thiest cannot shift himselfe of that sort of presence But wee seeke his presence as Redeemer in Christ. In this hee seeth vs and maketh vs see him Hee sheddeth abroad his loue in our heart and maketh vs to loue him and by his working in loue maketh vs both sensible and conscious of him and carefull to walk worthie of that his presence His couÌ„tenance both humbleth vs in our peace and comforteth vs in aduersitie Our well and woe are judged by his smyling and frowning If hee lift vp the light of it aboue vs nothing can gâ—ieue vs If hee hide it from vs wee are swallowed vp It hath both a changing and augmenting power Thereby aduersitie is changed in prosperitie and prosperitie is doubled by that Blessing of blessings euen as the lacke of it changeth prosperitie in aduersitie and doubleth aduersitie by that crosse of crosses His eye is more to vs than all
warrand of their doing or comfort in their trouble And I wonder at many Châ—istians whoÌ„ God hath blessed with this Booke but they know not their blâ—ssing hereein they find more delight in other books thaÌ„ in this And some affect such Treatises as may be instrumeÌ„ts of their vncleannesse or ambition and trifling complementing Filthie and obscene Pamphlets are bought and reade more greedilie than this sacred VVryte But this is a discouerie of mens profane disposition It is a token of profannesse to loath Scripture but a note of true Grace to delight into it And of a growing grace to grow in that delight The happie man that walketh not in the way of the wicked nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seate of the scornefull commeth to all this blessednesse because his delight is in the Law of God and hee meditateth therein night and day Let good Christians choose our these Pearles while the Swine eat vp their husks It seasoneth the heart with an heauenly taste and inducth it with diuine pâ—operties If the Iewes did receiâ—e an odde temper of body and Spirite because of Manna shall wee not haue a greater excellencie by this heauenlie Manna and Iesus Christ in it If wee would be sure of the life of God in vs let vs continually drink in these heauenly Oracles The daylie seasoning of our Soules by holy Scripture keepeth in vs the vigour of that life and fostereth our Soule constantlie in a spirituall taste 66. The fearfull calamitie of Warres AS the Earth-quake to Earth so is VVarre to Mankinde a fearefull commotion The calamities of it destroyeth Ciuilitie Libertie Lawes Religigion and Humanitie it selfe It is a grieuous thing to see man made for the good of man so earnestly to destroy his neighbour and that with the hazard of himselfe For the desire of the life and blood of his Brother to be prodigal of his own And for the opinion of most manfull men to turne beastes voyd of humanitie in destroying their owne kynde and deuils in defacing the Image of God God commanded man to increase and multiplie but they turne it in diminishing of mankynde and make a craft of it to destroy one another I cannot thinke but mankinde mourne more to finde such rent in her bowels than the persons so disposed It is one worke but hath diuerse respects in it Some thereby ambitiously seeketh preferment some avaritiouslie hunt for gaine Others cruelly seeke the sythment of a reuengfull heart and others in that loosing of all order seeke a licence to all wickednesse But God both intendeth and worketh his good ends into it It is his Chirurgrie to draw some superfluous blood of mankynde And his discipline to such as are dissolute Doubtlesse God hath some as Cornelius warriours fearing God but it is as sure that many are voyde of the feare God they initiate themselues for warres in the Aile house and Bordell And so soone as as they are girded with the Souldiers girdle they loose themselues to all profannesse God disciplineth them with the Muscat Canon and Sword in the fielde who would neither abide the admonition nor censure of Pastors at home It is his ehastening of his Church she abuseth her peace in warring against him by sin therfore he maketh maÌ„ to war against her to bring her to repentance No warres are so cruell as these for Religion In ciuill jarres it is but as one Deuill smiting another the strokes will bee soft But heere Sathan is smiting the Light and the bearers of it and that with certaine victorie to Gods enemies so long as Gods quarell remaineth against his Church It is a parte of his processe against her and his enemies are a scourge in his hand therefore they must preuaile till his Church be sufficiently humbled Heere the case of the victor is worse than of these who are ouercome for the one are corrected in a wrath mixed with mercie but the other is imployed in that seruice in a simple wrath And while they are Gods instruments to punish the sinnes of his Church they are filling vp the cup of their owne sinnes that full vengeance may ouertake them It is our best not to fight against God in our peace and if hee bring warre on vs not to rest till wee bee at peace with him The rage of Warre is bounded if wee bee one with him hee will either giue vs our Soule for a prey or take vs to a better life All deaths are sanctified to the Elect and to die for Religion is a most glorious death Souldiers call it the bedde of honour to die in the battell though many of them bee dead in sinne but to die in the Lord is the bedde of honour indeede to lay downe our life for his cause who gaue it and to turne the naturall debt of Death in so glorious a sacrifice It is a token of Gods honourable accompt of vs to charge vs with such a seruice of his presence with vs in so triumphing a Grace and a pledge of the greatest degree of Glorie in Heauen 67. God seeth the heart THat GOD seeth the secretes of our heart is a point terrible to the wicked but joyfull to the godly The wicked are sorie that their heart is so open It is a boyling potte of all mischiefe a fornace and Forge-house for euill It grieueth them that man should heare and see their wordes and actions But what a terrour is this that their Iudge whom they hate seeth their thought If they could deny this they would But so many of them as are convinced and forced to acknowledge a God are shaken bee times with this also that hee is All-seeing Other proceed more summarlie and atonce deny a God-heade in their heart and so destroy this conscience of his All-knowledge But it is in vaine the more they harden their heart on this godlesse thought the more feare in them while they chock and charme their conscience that it crow not against them It checketh them with fore-sight of fearefull vengeance and for the present conuinceth them of the conscience of a God-head the more they preasse to suppresse it But the godly rejoyce heerein it is to them a rule to square their thoughtes there is no libertie of Thinking VVilling VVishing Affecting in the heart where that candle shineth all are framed as worthie of him and his sight whom they see seeing their heart This worke is all secrete and knowne of them alone in whom it is The stranger shall not meddle with the joye of that Soule It seeth GOD All-eye looking on it and layeth it selfe open both to see him and to bee seene of him And that not onely for to bee directed but to bee allowed The first is the warrand to doe The second is the seale that it is well done It is their comfort against man traducing their words and actions When man that seeth not their heart expoundeth them contrare to their heart they solace themselues in
more they can procure both the intermission of his worke a temporall desertion though hee neuer depart simplie from the Elect. Wee can not fore-see his comming but wee may feele his working The worke it selfe telleth vs that hee is in the worke When hee lurketh what confusions in the minde and disorder in the heart In great businesse we make but slow speed all is in a manner forced and nothing doeth promise the desired successe But when hee showeth himselfe O what a change in the Soule Illumination is great in the varietie and the clearnesse of light and euerie power hath the owne seale stamping the heart all goeth then so easelie as the Soule sufficeth not to take vp particularlie his working In that diuine worke it findeth the power of a diuine Nature no creature can either worke so mightily in vs or affect vs in that kinde or degree It hath more increase of light affection sense and sweetnesse in one houre than in some other moneths As the Soule moueth the bodie so hee moueth his giftes and graces in vs which are as a carcase without him Hee is both the worker teacher of his own operations moueth vs to mak due use of them his desertions are grieuous but his felt operations doe largely recoÌ„pence that grief It is good both to feare eschew his desertioÌ„ but when we find it to comfort our selfe in the remembrance of his bygone and assurance of his future working to our former joys His work is euer powerful but not euer seÌ„sible We know that the hand of the Horolodge hath moued when it commeth to the houre but our sight discerneth not the mouing of it His worke is oft-ten secret to vs and yet forcible Thereby our condition is changed to the better though we obserue not aye the progresse of that bettering When hee both worketh in vs sauing Graces and a feeling of his worke so that his worke and our sense of it doe meete together that is our vnspeakable Ioye 3. The fruitfull worke of our thoughts AS our thoughts are called light so is our accompt of their worke They are restlesse and wee are carelesse what and how they worke no man can hold them within both outward things draw them out and themselues are giuen to wandring euen while wee are musing to hold them in order as water they slide away In their going out they carrie the soule with them and at their returne report some fruite of the matter which they considered But many doe neither obserue their going out nor their returne they let them out on euerie thing mak use of nothing some are worse in a profaine libertie they send them out on impious and naughty matters and take them home fraughted with pernicious and sinfull reports God hath giuen vs our Soule for a better use as he hath set it in the bodie to quicken and moue it so also to keepe a fruitefull intercourse with outward things If it went simplie out of the bodie death would follow If it remained inclosed in it there could bee no intercourse with outward things God hath appointed a midde way that the substance of it shall abide in the bodie but it sendeth out the thoughts as fearchers and intercommers Our best in this kinde is to follow Gods appointment not to let our thoughts wander rackelessie but to send them in order not on euerie trifle but on good things and at their returne to receiue their worke in order A wise Soule in this Thought-work is as a Bee-hyue all the powers are in labour a continuall going out and returning no power idle and none returne emptie and all their obseruations as Honie laid vp for use It gathereth and disgesteth in it selfe a substance masse of purified knowledge and that for affection and action and all of them for the obedience of God and union with him Fixed endes make an well ordered and fruitfull course It is good to intend the good of our callings and then to set our Thoughts to worke about the way Painters draw first the lines theÌ„ fill vp the spaces compleat the portrate And Frost turneth first the face of water in hard lines and then equalleth all with yce And the bodie of a childe in the wombe hath first the noble partes framed then all is filled vp to the comelie proportion of a bodie So the bodie of profitable knowledge hath first the noble partes framed in our fixed designes then the enterjected spaces are filled vp by the Minds daylie labour A ball striken in the open fielde goeth straight out from vs but in a Tinnice the wall maketh it returne to our hand So if our thoughts goe out rackleslie they â—uanish But if wee hem them within the compasse of fixed intentions of our calling and particular taske therein they come home with pertinent obseruations In the first case they are as the Rauen fleeing about the Arke of Noe but not entring in it In the next they are as the Doue returning wearie at Euening with the fatnesse and peaceablnesse of the Oliue 4. Gods peace a sweete Vade-mecum HEalth of Bodie and peace of Conscience are two substantiall blessings Without them other blessinges are not pleasant to vs and this Peace is better than Health as the Soule is better than the bodie The ground of it is Gods free loue the price of it Christs satisfaction the worker of it Gods owne Spirit the mettell vpon which he stampeth it is a good Conscience the fruite of it the joye of the holie Ghost It cannot bee keeped but by great circumspectnesse Sathan cannot endure such a Iewell in the midst of his kingdome It is vineger to his teeth and smoak to his eyes to see Gods children full of this peace in the midst of all his snares wee haue it in the world but not of it neither can the world know it nor giue it nor take it from vs. It sweetneth the bitternesse of our afflictions and doubleth the sweetnesse of prosperitie Goe with it whither wee will we haue a better jewell in our heatrs than all the treasures on earth O what comfort is it when wee lift vp our heartes to GOD and hee meeteth vs with softnesse of heart and joye in Spirit when hee maketh the beames of his face in Christ to strike on our Soule to warme and quicken them and doubleth his grace in vs in the conscience of these things It is Gods seale in the godlie but the wicked neither haue it nor care for it A wonder it is howe men can liue in the world without this Peace Non can well liue in a Kings Court or Countrie without his Peace And how shall they liue in the world his great familie and not care for his fauour And yet men vnder their Kinges wrath may lurke in their Dominions but no place can hide them from God There is small appearance that they who care not for this Peace doe know God strangers taste
yet vnder the Conscience or at least vnder a fresh remembrance of God Such a disposition is both a virtuall supplie of feeling bygone and a seale of our eternall fruition of him to come GOD hath promised a blessing to his worship the neglect of it is punished with profannesse and hardnesse of heart It is good to keepe acquaintance with God And there is none houre wherein wee haue not an businesse to him and hee neuer sent away an holy heart from him without some comfort hee needeth none exhortation to the woâ—ke who findeth the daylie fruite of it Seuen times a day doe I praise thee Lord because of thy righteous judgements Psal. 119. 164. 38. Mans securitie in GOD. TWo thinges greatly trouble vs in this life sudden Accidents and vncertaine Events The first shaketh vs because they are vncertaine When we looke to the present dint of trouble wee cannot gather our Spirites and when wee wander or sticke on second causes wee cannot light vpon the certaine end There is but one remeed for both to make the Lord our Habitation Ps. 91. 1. So loÌ„g as our Soules remaine beneath amoÌ„g the creatures wee are tossed with euerie thing but when wee rest on God wee find Peace The conscience of his Working the assurance of his Wisedome and sense of his Loue lifteth vs aboue these troubles and maketh vs partake that rest which is in him and is himselfe Though hee moue all yet hee is not moued and impartes this rest in some measure to them who rest in him What wonder is it that his prouidence shake vs finding vs downe among the creatures but if wee abide in him wee shall bee free of stormes Hee shall giue vs rest while these calamities passe ouer Psal. 57. 1. Who so dwelleth in his secret looketh downe securelie on all the toyles of the worlde The Doue abiding in the cliftes of the Rocke Cant. 2. 14. And the Chicken vnder the winges of the Henne that hatcheth it doe neither feare the stormes nor the Eagle So the Soule that by the woundes of Christ creepeth to his bowels and is warmed with Gods electing loue is sure of his protecting power His absolute power is able to doe more than hee will And his limited power is set to worke to doe his will And that both in producing of thinges and sustaineing them This is a maine decreete of his will committed to the executing of his power to bring his Elect through all difficulties to their appointed happinesse 39. Holy Meditations Difficultie and Profite HOlie Meditation is pleasant to God and profitable to vs and that Sathan knoweth and preasseth to stay wee may close our selfe in secret from men but no doore nor locke can hold him out Wee can shift our dearest Friendes but not him and the more wee thrust him out the more he throngeth in It is a well fenced minde wherein hee will not breake by fansies and suggestions and while wee are thinking of his debarring by that same thought hee either enters in turning our barre in his key or maketh vs to evanâ—sh and what difference is there betweene his inbreaking or our evanishing and out-running None can for a few moments urge a deepe and a sensible Meditation of God but either the minde is to call home or the heart to seeke It is good when wee goe to Meditation to pull in all our Spirites to God and thrust out all distractions to fixe our minde on him and holde it at that stay without diuerting to set our conscience on worke to checke that watch and aduertise vs both of Sathans suggestions the wandering of our mind And most of all to pray in the entrie for such a diuine vertue as may draw our minde to God and unite it to him till hee communicate himselfe to vs in that measure he thinketh meete for the time It is a fruitefull Meditation when the heart receiueth such stampe of God as maketh it to taste how good hee is and so thirst for more Grace that wee earnestly seeke vp these sweete streames to the fountaine euen God himselfe where that perfection dwelleth Such Meditation bringeth out some point of liuelie and affectuous knowledge and with these holy conceptions worketh a greater puritie and holinesse of the mind that conceiueth it The soule in that case it is not simple actiue but passiue also and is changed to the nature of these heaueÌ„ly things that it conceiueth 40. Spiritualitie of the bodie OUr bodies are earthly and yet haue a promise of Spiritualitie It is as easie to God to make them so as is to cleanse them from sinne this is alreadie practised in our kinde in Christ Iesus Our nature in his Body is spiritualized to tell vs that for possibilitie it may be and for certaintie it shall be so in vs Hee is our Brother therefore we may be like him he is our Head therefore wee must bee like him in a conformitie with his glorious Bodie Philip. 3. So soone as the Soule liueth by the faith of these promises it beginneth to feele this spritualitie Wee loue our body by Nature and oft-ten idoll it But Grace maketh vs loue it lesse as it is naturall and more as it shall be fullie spirituall in Heauen This is a seale and token of that spiritualitie that the body is disabled for sinfull actions The worke of the Soule and the satietie of spirituall influence bringeth for the tyme a deadnesse to sinne on it Scarcelie can the minde strengthen it selfe in any spirituall delight but the bodie is thereby weakned The Soule marking that disposition is confirmed by it and the bodie it selfe though the first and onely loser is content of that weakning because it is assured of the owne spiritualitie When our Soule shall bee full of glorie in Heauen it shall turne the body to the like estate I care not how weake my body bee for the workes of sinne I haue then most delight in it when it is beaten downe and brought in subjection 1. Cor. 9. 27. not to hinder but to helpe the workes of the Spirit 41. Credulitie and Confidence are weake attendants of a weake Spirit CRedulitie and Confidence are usuallie found together the one for taking in of reports is an euill porter the other a lavish out-giuer The first admitteth both others reportes and the owne imbrede suspitions The second giueth them out boldly as vndoubted truthes In one instant their heart is both at the roote of the eare hearing greedilie and in the toppe of the tongue talking looslie the one tryeth nothing and the other spareth nothing Credulitie putteth no difference betweene mans report Gods word their owne apprehension and diuine reuelation Confidence resteth on them all alike and venteth all with the like assurance It knoweth no degrees of perswasion but layeth the same degree of trust vpon humane rumours as vpon the Articles of the Creede They are the two wings of Calumnie without which it cannot flee abroad When Sathan
nothing in respect of God The godly now see him more than maÌ„ and therefore preferre him to all men and runne that course to offend and lose all men rather than him This is a course whereof hee shall neuer neede to repent It is grieuous indeede to loose our friendes or familiars And he is foolish who loseth any that hee may brooke with God But it is a great triumph of Grace when for conscientious and faithfull seruice to GOD wee lose them They are not worth the keeping who cannot be brooked with him And hee is not worthie of God who will not forsake Father and Mother for him All the hurt that these selfe-pleasing men bring to the God-pleasing Sainctes is the greater increase of the fruites the scales and sense of Gods loue in them Since I cannot please all I will take mee to please One and that one who is better than all for Counsell Approbation and Reward So long as God draweth all my thoughts to him and calmeth them in him by sweete contentment I will not buy a torture from foolish man While hee answereth my desires communicateth himselfe more to me than I can conceiue I will not vex my selfe in courting of man VVhom haue I in Heauen but thee and there is none on the Earth that I desire beside thee Psal. 73. 25. 51. Rare accidents make many Prophets STrange Accidents breed vs many Prophets Before they fall foorth all men are silent but when they are seene many clame a propheticall fore-sight of them It is sure speaking of them when they are come to passe but to boast then of their fore-sight argueth lack of judgment how shal he be a good fore-seer who seeth not his owne present folie in boasting idlely of that which he hath not maketh none use of that which is done or doeth not see that that his vaine boasting maketh him ridiculous Hee is as loude a proclamer of his owne folie as hee clameth commendation from that foresight This is a sure note of such Spirites to make none other use of Accidents than astonishment and broad talking Euery one they meete with euery dinner supper must patientlie heare the arguments of their fore-sight at euery occasion they haue a new edition and a new discourse of it and by long and oft pratling they giue some life to that which hath none other beeing than of their owne humour and breath When such things fall out as cannot bee particularlie foreseene of man it is better to ponder them seriouslie and to see the worke of God in them And for our selfe to draw neare to him in Faith and Repentance and to draw other to him also in a religious reuerence of him who ruleth all to the good of the Saints To spend our owne Spirit and wearie the eares of others in idle babling is the worke of an emptie braine 52. Damnable selvishnesse SElfe is both a neare and a deare word to man It draweth all our thoughts to it setting all to worke that is in vs turneth them home againe to it selfe It is both the Idole and idolater the exacter caruer and receiuer the doer and sufferer in all dueties A fountaine sending out all and a Center sucking backe all that it sent out And so selvish in this Selfe that it accompteth euen God to be a stranger And is yet more foolish parteing it selfe against it selfe and is the owne greatest enemie So a mans greatest enemie is not onely they of his owne house but of his owne heart Blind loue in the Ape maketh it thrust oâ—t the enterals of the own brood while it embraceth them too straitly The blindnesse of Selfe-loue maketh it in preposterous safetie to destroy it selfe What more friend-like masters in vs than Selfe-love Selfe wit Selfe-will yet what greater foes The hatred craft power of our open enemies doe not so hurt vs as these I feare and suspect no Creature more than my selfe and that euen when I most respect my selfe I will professe and practise hostilitie against Seluishnesse and render my selfe to bee guyded by a forraine Witte-and Will euen the New-man created and directed of God This is a better Selfe than that naturall Seluish One there is no saftie for mee but in hateing and destroying that euill One By that sauing ouerthrow of my selfe I shall saue my selfe This is the fruite of mine ingraffing in the natiue Oliue The juice of that stocke changeth mee to that Selfe-destroying and Selfe-sauing worke the more I seeke mine owne Saluation the more I abhore my seluish corruption I abhorre my selfe as I am of the first Adam but loue and seeke my well as I am in the second Adam Iesus Christ. The holie Apostle maketh this perfect Anatomie of himselfe Not I but sinne that dwelleth in mee Rom. 7. 17. There is the olde and corrupt Selfe like the first Adam in him By the grace of God I am that I am yeâ— not I but the grace of God which is with me 1. Cor. 15. 10. There is the new Selfe of Grace by the second Adam in him in both places himselfe as hee is Gods creature is the common Subject of both these Selfes Hee is a stranger in himselfe who doeth not marke this distinction of himselfe And hee is his owne greatest foe who destroyeth not the olde Selfe in Adam that hee may saue himselfe in the new Adam Iesus Christ. 53. The wise and foolish Merchant EVerie man playeth the Merchant in his greatest businesse Wee change lose something for gaining another The godly with God haue most care to saue their Soule They care not to losse their goods their name their bodie for that end If labours waste their body and afflictions bruife their Spirit all is well bestowed in their count if so bee their Soule bee safe The wicked mak their own conquesh with witte like themselues they care not to losse their Soule for keeping of their body and estate their course is justifiable in their owne judgement no man can build better vpoÌ„ their grounds or see better with their eyes They see not their Soule and as little care they for it as they know it They see their body and state and doe thinke that their soule is giuen for their body True godlinesse ouerthoweth these grounds and giueth better light It teacheth that all is for man and the body for the soule and himselfe for God This maketh vs to secke our safety more than our state our Conscience more than our fame our Soule more than our bodie And GOD more than all Nature in worldlie thinges condemneth our brutishnesse in spirituall It teacheth men to buy the best thinges of best use of most gaine and at the lowest pryce But in spirituall MerchaÌ„dice wee buy the worst thinges that are of no vse of lesse gaine and at the dearest rate VVee spend our money on that that is no bread and our labour on that which satisfieth not Isa. 55. 2. Such is
By day euen vnder spirituall exercise it stealeth it selfe away from sensiblenesse And in the night though wee close our eyes vnder a strong spiritual sense and softnesse yet in the morning wee shall finde it hard in our breast It can bee hardened not by Commission of euill onely but also by omission of good and that while wee are labouring to soften it Next to the pleasing of God I neuer found an harder taske than to keepe the heart in tendernesse There is no pleasure to the softnesse of it and no griefe to the felâ— hardnesse of it and yet when I grieue for that hardnesse I shal rejoyce if it were incurable it would bee vnfelt The Conscience of my endeuouring to flie sin giueth some comfort the vnspeakable griefe for the hardnesse of it mitigateth that griefe An heart fullie deserted of God and judiciallie hardened can neither feele that hardnesse nor grieue for it If I feare it and feele it I haue it not griefe for it is a softning and loosing of hardnesse Hee hath neede to dwell in his heart and in these thoughts continuallie who would keepe his heart in a tendernesse and affectuousnesse to God The best way to keepe hardnesse out of our heart is to intertaine an heauenly heat of Deuotion in it The Altar of God had alwayes the fire that came downe from heauen If wee keepe our heart vnder the sense of Gods loue to vs and the worke of our loue to him that warmnesse shall preserue our heart in that temper that God at no tyme shall want a sacrifice nor wee a comfort 76. Gods worship done as his worship MAny exercise themselues in the worke of Gods worshippe but not as his worship The Hypocrite doeth it to be seene of men and to purchase a name of pietie the Politicke to bee counted a professor and eschew the suspition of Atheisme And the Atheist himselfe to feede his curiositie It is a good worke in it selfe but to them who doe it with by respects it is sinne Their life doe proue how profanelie they act it they are neuer one whit better but goe on in their profannesse they obtaine the end that they intend and can sute no further Their ende is not edification in the Grace of God but other base respects the desire whereof cerieth them to the worke and in it they find their satisfaction further they looke not and finde not The end of Gods worshippe is our union with him to partake his forgiuing goodnesse in the pardon of sinne and his giuing goodnesse in all sauing Grace The forme of it is in giuing diuine homage honour to him But they minde none of these If they can purchase the name of zealous professors suters of Sermons though indeede they bee but naturallie or ciuillie disposed in all the worke and seekers of nouelties they haue all their desire But to doe the worke of Gods worshippe as his worship hath vnspeakable profite wee doe it so when the loue of God and his Grace allureth vs and the griefe of our miserie forceth vs to him when we preasse not to please men but God seeke not any base respect but his Glorie the rest comfort of our Soules in Christ Wee take time occasion place Texts all as Gods prouidence doth offer them to vs in all we seeke him find him rest on him We may both please men and our selfe and deceiue vs both therein in such by-respects Yet God will not bee deceiued what euer his secrete goodnesse worke in man yet no spirituall fruite is due to so fleshly a disposition 77. Gods stamppe in the Soule and Bodie GOD hath reserued the immediate search and knowledge of the heart to himselfe But so as hee hath left some indices for others to obserue it GODS Image is principally seated in the Soule yet it is not inclosed there but the body hath the owne part in it Election Iustification Sanctifiation pertaineth to both Soule Bâ—die though the soule be both more capable seÌ„sible of them Gods treasure of Grace in his owne is so laide vp in the Soule that it may bee seene in some measure in the body and that not onely as the Soules Instrument but as a Companion That fellowship in partaking Grace with the Soule doeth more affect the bodie than a naked Instrument The countenance conuoy of businesse gesture and wordes giue some notice how the heart is sette Though man by Education Letters Religion and Grace be subject to a change from his naturall disposition yet there is euer some Characteristicke thing in Nature to bee seene in euery one Hypocrisie the fittest visorne for deceat cannot hyde that from the discerning eye As the colour of people testifieth the soyle their language the Nation their accent of speach their Prouence as a Galilean from an Iew So euerie mans Character telleth his disposition hee must cast off himselfe before hee cast it off It is the Soules lineaments in the body words and deeds if wee find it wee haue found out the predominant both in its â—eate and chiefe instrument It is matter for our circumspectnesse to eschew mens euill and of our hope to look for their good What either good or euill can bee remarkable in them is marked by and tasteth of that stamppe It is good when the naturall Character is stamped with Grace when God reneweth me to his Image in righteousnesse and holinesse sure I am hee will make mee a signet on his arme and his heart when hee filleth all the heart with his Grace his Name will bee written in the forehead so that they who can may read Holinesse to the LORD Courtlie attendance giueth men a courtlie countenance And Sathans slaues by their deuilish consulting with him drawe on their face a sterne rasednesse the horrour of that vncleane Spirit deformeth his familiars And shall not the heauenlie familiaritie with God giue an holy impression to his daylie attendants Familiar conuersing with God made Moses face to shine The Soule is naturallie both affected with and affecteth the body with the things that it most loueth And what is more excellent or giueth stronger impression in it than God If wee come seldome to him we are but lightlie touched of him but if our Soules by continuall mynding of him bee sub-acted by these thoughtes and kned in them doubtlesse as our Spirit within so our body without shall giue some testimonies of a diuine disposition 78. Of great naturall Spirits I Saw neuer greater folie than in these named greatest naturall Spirits odde wits haue as odde gaddes no great ingyne without some mixture of madnes and their vyce oft-ten doeth equall or rather exceede their vertues No moderate thing can coÌ„tent them but al their worke is in excesse and that in the worst sense their end in intending their practise in plotting and they choose rather to hunt an vncertaine and imaginate contentment than to enjoye a certaine and present estate I doe
just matter of Ioy. I wish curious Spirits who neglect their owne calling as too narrow a taske for their large hearts and busie themselues on the by to take this cure of their corruption to heart Though they had the power of seuen Soules in one there is here matter of worke for all But in the godly it is a worke of Grace preuailing against Nature when they so curbe their corruptions that the first motions of it are choaked as the Cockatrick egges are broken before they bring out that serpent 91. The godlie heart hath both constant warre and certaine Peace THe heart in which God dwelleth hath both continuall Warre and Peace Warre with sinne both in others and in it selfe The world compasseth vs with euill and is sette on one of two workes either to infect vs or to injure vs. It allureth vs with the owne vanitie to be like it and if that succeed not it afflicteth vs and God moueth vs to renounce it and it cannot disgest that injurie at our hand it hath the owne peace in it selfe with its owne but the godly renouncers of it are noysome to it it hath no rest but in their separation or destructioâ—n As Grace in the godlie maketh them withdraw from the world so Satan in the world maketh it to cast them out God caÌ„not abide the wickednes of it His Spirit moueth them whom hee possesseth to please him aboue all heere are the grounds of perpetuall warring As though that were not enough our owne corruption within molesteth vs wee may shune the wickednesse of men but wee are neuer out of the grippes of our owne corruption and that as an aduersarie and on the worlds part Wee are no more bitterlie assaulted of the world than checked and vexed by our owne corruption for not following the world the outward world hath the owne inward extract in vs working vs to a conformitie to the owne paterne But all this warre troubleth not our Peace To bee so exercised is a just matter of peace vnspeakable God by his Grace guardeth vs from the worlds sin and by his prouidence secureth vs from their injurie And that same grace that maketh vs ouercome the world defeateth also our corruption When the inward euill is subdued the outward hath no strength against vs. The sense conscience of this batteling is our Peace It is better to endure the worlds violence in wronging vs than to bee like them in sinne And better to finde our corruption in a daylie stur than in a false calmnesse God is good to his owne who by such dealing both maketh them daylie to warre and yet keepe a solide Peace There can bee no greater joy to the godlie than to finde outward and inward corruption readie to destroy them and God deliuering them from both This is the shame of the outward and destruction of the inward corruption The glorie of God in both these works and our securitie in all The worlde thinketh that they vndoe the godlie by trouble but they worke them to their grace Their troubles chase them to God and God embraceth them louinglie who are troubled for his cause When Babes are affraied they cast themselues in the Armes and bosome of their mother Both these troubles are fortold and the blessing is promised As we feele the one wee shall finde the other In the world yee shall haue trouble but in me yee shall haue peace bee of good comfort for I haue ouercome the world Ioh. 16. 33. 92. Religious Religion IT is good to professe true Religion and to practise the exercise of it but the most part goe no further and so are voide of Religion it selfe and the fruits of it To stand on the outward worke of praying preaching praising c. is to offer the carcase of our seruice to God To worshippe God onely with our body is an irreligious worship our bodie may bee busie but they will neuer fasten vpon God in such a superficiall worke Hee is a Spirit and will bee worshipped in Spirit else none union with him When hee sendeth out his Vertue to our Soules and our Soules doe meete him answerablie that is inward Religion and our binding to him hee is most true wee trust in him Hee is most gracious good and mercifull wee loue him withall our heart Hee is moste powerfull wee feare to offend him and confide in his protection Hee is most wise wee quite our owne will and reuerence him Hee is most holy wee adore admire and imitate his holinesse It is a mocking of God if hee could bee mocked to professe an union with him and yet bee loose from him This Union is the end and Religion the way to it The end of Gods infusing of sauing Grace in vs is to bring vs to him and bind vs to him But he is pitifully selfe-deceiued who contenteth himselfe with a profession of Religion and neither knoweth nor careth for this Union Hee who is not fastened to God in this life shall haue no fellowshippe with him heereafter It is a religious Religion when wee become one Spirit with God in Christ. These and other points make vp our inward Religion God reuealing himselfe in his diuine properties our Soules affecting and adhering to him in their answerable powers this tyeth vs not onlie for the space wee are in the worke of his worshippe but by deth constantlie in vs The worke of Preaching or Praying or Praising doe end in their time but these inward baÌ„ds are neuer loosed This inward Religion doeth both set vs on worke and quickneth in vs the outward exercise of it There is more fruite of one houres seruice in such a disposition than in yeares businesse without it Hee who keepeth his heart vnder this religious disposition lacketh neuer a manifest object to worshippe nor a sacrifice to offer He is sensible of God and the verie mouing of his Soule in the Conscience and sense of these bands is a sacrifice most acceptable to God and profitable to himselfe The fleshlie minded doe wonder at the constant labour of the godly in Gods worshippe but if they knew these religious bands they would not wonder Naturall actions oft repeated bring habits and these become another Nature Shall not the work of Grace which hath both infused and acquired habits turne in a constant disposition This is not obtained in our beginning of Christianitie but after long labours in the Lord. The daylie tasting of his good nesse bringeth our heartes to such a temper that religious disposition turneth to bee our element for place and our dyet for refreshment It is our meat and drinke to conuerse with God and doe his will When God bringeth vs to this degree of continuall minding louing and delighting in him and to the sense of these religious bonds with him then our diuorce with the world and marriage with God are neere their perfection 93. Predominant vice and vertue COrruption is spred ouer the whole man and all in man there
prouidence wee would relieue our selues both of wearisome labour and disappointment following They spend our spirit more than serious thoughtes and their end is at the best repentance of that fruitlesse labour They are indeede but fansied errors yet they bring a reall hurt They bereaue vs of the vse and comfort of our present lotte vpon the imagination of a better and so at once worke a double discontent One present in not resting on our present Lotte Another to come in counting our Lotte as a losse in respect of that other Lotte which we fansied to our selfe He who taketh libertie to desire much and then deuoureth that large desire by as large an hope will neuer rest content with his present Lotte though it were too good for him Hee hath escaped the tyrannie of fansie who is full of Trueth and Humilitie Hee seeketh nothing but true good and hath drawne the portrate of true happinesse in God that his fantasies can no more abuse him His minde cannot fansie so much seeming or conceated good as hee findeth true good in himselfe alreadie by the Grace of GOD To bee a Childe of GOD an heire of Heauen and a fellow-heire with Christ is more than all the forged birth of out-racked fansies of earthlie things They may breake in and scanne some odde excellencies for him but at once he dasheth out these lines Hee resteth so on God and the worke of his Spirit that fantasies are choaked in their beginning Whom haue I in Heauen but Thee and and on Earth I haue desired none with Thee Psal. 73. 95. The Christians refuge WEe liue in a dangerous tyme the full measure of former sinnes and the rypenesse of Gods wrath maketh euery houre a time for calamities Craft and policie in Sathan wickednesse in the world and nothing in vs but weakenesse to resist them driueth vs all to a necessitie of refuge The most part put the euill day farre from them and are surprysed by it they are nearest to it who put it farrest away Other prouide for it but doe it amisse They runne to the bruised reede of Egypt and not to the Lord of Hostes. It is indeede a tempting of God to neglect lawfull meanes but it is a forsaking of him to trust in them There is no sure refuge in the day of trouble but vnder the shaddow of the Almightie Psal. 91. 1. Many seeke suretie for their goods and life but neglect their Soule If the Soule bee well secured all the rest shall bee disponed off by a mercifull prouidence It is foolishnesse to guard them and leaue the heart guardlesse if it bee chocked with feares what comfort haue wee in the saftie of these thinges Wee will haue no comfort but rather griefe of them vnder such astonishment The more the heart goe out to outward thinges it is drawen the more from it selfe and from God and more guardlesse than if it had no guard at all As necessities try our disposition so danger discouereth our refuge because we are readie to deceiue our selues with conceate of confidence in God alone Therefore GOD sendeth oft-times trouble to try our heartes Rumours of trouble are as the Hunters horne and the trouble it selfe as the noise of Dogs in the Forrest What euer wee runne to in our danger that is our refuge The Soule that hath God for a refuge runneth the first way to him and abideth in him This is our best at all times to dwell in God and finde him dwelling in vs If we bee in his secret wee shall bee secured hee shall deliuer vs from outward troubles and inward feares God is our guard and the peace of a good Conscience is our lurking vnder his shaddow Though all turne vp-side downe Ps. 46. 2. yet he will giue rest to his beloued Ps. 127. 2. I know whom I haue beleeued and am perswaded that hee will deliuer that to mee which I haue committed to him 2. Tim. 1. Hee is a faithfull dispositar will restore it better than it was committed we committed to him a fraile and a mortall body and an infirme Spirite but he shall render it to vs a perfect glorious Soule and body 96. Mankinds threefold degree MAnkind is one spece of Creature but Gods wisedome hath disposed them with three considerable degrees The first in naturall gifts and abilities and so euerie man hath his owne naturall and humane priuiledges as gifts of bodie of mind and of estate The second is ciuill and so euery man hath his particular calling Some are as the Head in this Body as Kings And other as the Breast some as the Hand and Feete of this great Bodie The third is spirituall whereby man is the mysticall Body of Christ wherein some are as the eyes directing as Pastours Some the other parts of this Bodie according to their spirituall gifts It is both profitable and comfortable to take vp this triple respect Euerie man hath some place in euery of them God hath so disposed that diuersities of gifts callings and graces serue all to make vp a comelie proportion and so a beautie in mankind in euerie respect all naturall gifts though diuerse in kinds and degree make vp a comelie beautie in the first respect All callings from the King to the grinder at the Mill haue in their varietie and diuersitie a comelie ciuill beautie euery one filling his own place and looking to other with the respects both of necessitie and helpe As the meanest calling hath neede of the greater so it helpeth it againe in some necessitie And all spirituall gifts in Christ make vp the heauenly proportion of Christs mysticall Body Though mankind bee the subject of this wise ranking yet the most part of men consider it not They see no more in man than Soule and a Body and outward respects in prosperitie or aduersity Their sight is so short that they neither see these diuerse degrees nor the Harmonie which is among them all Euery one answering another and all making vp that beautie Their thoughts heerein are grosse and confused and their carriage is all for confusion They disturbe the order established of God and deface the beautie that commeth of it And so defraude other and themselues of that fruite that God offereth in the wise ranking of mankind But there is some in-equalitie in them for naturall giftes are sufficient Furniture for the ciuill callinges but both the naturall and ciuill giftes doe not so rule the spirituall calling God in things naturall hath a more presse course to lay callinges on men as they are naturally gifted But in Christianitie his worke is more free therein both the gift and their place in Christ goe together and they haue no ground nor reason from man but onelie Gods most free disposing Consider your calling not manie mightie not many noble according to the flesh are called 1. Cor. 1. The beste fruite of this consideration is to know our place in all these three respects and to vse it to the
shall bee a fountaine in our bellie springing vp to life eternall How can it in our bellie spring vp to life eternall but because it lifteth our heartes to GOD in Heauen The Soule which so adhereth to God is more in him than in the body which it quickneth both because it goeth gladlie out of it selfe to bee all in him and next because it cannot dwell in it selfe but because of him it can better dwell among Monsters in the desert that in it selfe without him And thirdlie because when it is lost in sinne and securitie it seeketh and findeth it selfe more in him than in it selfe When we may say to him O thou whom my Soule loueth All these sorts and degrees of union with him are found The bosome of the mother is a kindlie rest to the Babe both for sleepe in health recouerie in sweruing that naturall heate wherein it was formed doth kindlie cherish that life that proceedeth of it WheÌ„ we lye alwayes in the bosome of God and are warmed by the sense of that sauing loue in Christ wee are both sensible of the vertue of our beginning and of the first fruites of our end The Needle of the Dyall standeth not but towards the Pole so doeth the godlie Soule to God If the secret vertue of a small stone can so moue yron shall not the Rocke of Syon Christ Iesus the Miracle of loue drawe our tender louing hearts vnto him How securlie shall wee contemne all other things and rest sweetlie content in him vnder the sense of this his drawing and vniting vertue expecting that happines which his sauing Loue procureth to his Beloued Returne now O my Soule to thy Rest and abyde in it for GOD hath beene and will bee for euer beneficiall vnto thee Psal. 116. 7. AMEN FINIS A RESOLVTION FOR DEATH written vnder the sentence of Death in the time of a painfull Disease And now published for their comfort who studie to approue themselues to God And to assure all that liue the life of the Righteous that they shall die the death of the Righteous By the same Author M. W. S. I desire to bee dissolued and to bee with CHRIST Philipp 1. 23. EDINBVRGH Printed by the Heires of Andro Hart. Anno Domini 1628. Philipp 1. 21. Christ is to mee both in Death and in Life aduantage Luke 2. 29. 30. Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in Peace according to thy Word For mine eyes hath seene thy Saluation 1. Cor. 15. 55. 56. 57. O Death where is thy Sting O Graue where is thy Victorie The sting of Death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thankes bee to God which giueth vs the victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. A Table of the following Treatise THe proposition of the Resolution Num. 1. The first ground from present misery 2. The miserie of our Bodie 3. The miserie of the Soule 4. The miserie of our Lott 5. The second ground from our Happinesse 6. The happinesse of our Soule 7. The happinesse of our Body 8. The happinesse of our Lotte 9. The third ground from Gods worke in vs concerning our miserie and happinesse 10. Sense of miserie in the Bodie 11. Sense of miserie in the Soule 12. Sense of miserie in our Lotte 13. Sense of Glorie in Heauen 14. Resolution it selfe 15. The godlie man dyeth not 16. But ouercometh Death in Christ. 17. Hee preuenteth Death in his Life 18. Hee preueneth his Buriall in Life 19. Foure ioyfull solemnities 20. Ioy at Birth 21. Ioy at Mariage 22. Ioy at Triumph 23. Ioy at Coronation 24. They are all at the death of the Godly 25. IncouragemeÌ„ts against Death from them 26. The noyse at Death 27. Fearefull cryes to the wicked 28. Comfortable cryes to the godly 29. A glorious change at Death 30. Manie unions with the Bodie 31 Necessitie of separation 32 Documents of the sentence of Death 33. 1. Mortalitie of the Body 34. 2. Immortalitie of the Soule 35. 3. Gods loue sauing vs from Hell 36. 4. That his loue standeth with affliction 37. Experience of Death 38. Eight comforâ—able contraries in Death 39 The VVicked tremble at it 40. But the godlie reioyce 41. Incertaintie at Death is fearefull 42. Certaintie is comfortable 43. It is obtained by Faith 44. By Prayer 45. And conuersing daylie with God 46. Our light clearer in Death than in Life 47. Acquaintance with Death 48. Sentence of Death 49. Lawfull desires of Life 50. Hope of glorious Resurrection 51. Hope of eternall Glorie 52 Hope of the Lords Rest. 53. Our Rights to that Rest. 54 A Catalogue of GODS speciall blessings to strengthen these our hopes 55. The fearefull Death of the Wicked 56. The ioyfull Death of the Godlie 57. The remainders of feare in the best men 58. But they are soone ouercome 59. The godlie mans Testament 60. A Prayer for an happie Death 61. And for the sight of Christ at Death 62. Confidence to obtaine them both 63. And glorie thereafter 64. The last and greatest desire 65. And last an eternall delight of the godly Soule 66. Reuel 14. 13. Blessed are the Dead which die in the LORD for they rest from their labours and their workes followeth them A RESOLVTION FOR DEATH written vnder the sentence of Death in the time of a painfull Disease Decemb. 1627. And now published for their comfort who studie to approue themselues to God WHY should I feare Death when it approacheth It is the way that I desire to goe I passe Natures necessitie in Adam that hath subjected me to mortalitie come to the priuiledge of Grace in Christ which hath deliuered mee from the curse of it I say not I make mee for Death because I must die but because I would die Long haue I thought on it and earnestlie longed for it if I stagger and feare at his reproach my desire hath either beene foolish or my Spirit is faint The grounds of my desire are 1. Present miserie 2. Next future Glorie 3. And the worke of God in mee concerning them both My Miseries are great in the weaknes of a mortall body a lumppe of earth busying it selfe and mee about it selfe For Eating Drinking and Clothing and Resting it spendeth the Tyme and it selfe and wearieth the Spirit Fraile is this lump that hath an hourelie necessitie of so fraile things and the necessitie so great that the paine of it is intolerable the easing of it by meanes conuenient is wearisome and that ease beginning with ending and ending in the beginning Scarcelie is it refreshed when it hungreth and wearieth againe One necessitie sendeth it to another and the satisfying of one bringeth on another and that same that was now eased returneth shortlie If I satisfie Hunger and Thirst. Drowsinesse calleth for Sleepe if I refresh it by Sleepe Nakednesse must bee couered and scarce haue I couered Nakednesse when new Hunger calleth for Refreshment and Refreshment sendeth me to Sleepe againe Weake is that Life that needeth so
chase Thee from the Earth O my Soule Miseries made Pegans to desire death but they saw not a Glorie to come God hath enlightned thee in the face of Christ thou knowest that there is Glorie layed vp for thee in the Heauen thou belieuest it hopest for it thou hast tasted it and is vnder a longing desire of it Call thy selfe to minde of the dayes of olde when either a sense of mercie or more usuallie affliction sent thee to God did hee not then allure thee to the wildernesse and speake to thine heart Hosea 2. 14. Wast thou not then vnder his liberall hand as a small vessell vnder a large Fountaine Did not his joyes so abound in thee that thou could neither receiue them all nor keep them in the measure that thou receiued them Tell me what was then thy comfort Thy God so sensible to thee in that diffusion of his loue that thou wast in a sort drawen out of thy selfe at least drawne out of mee Could thou either holde thine affection off God or containe it when it returned to thee Could thou lodge it or God that it brought with it or that sense of him and joye that it reported to thee Did not thy bodie partake of that thy joy with a sweete complacence it rested on that sense and was glad to bee so honoured as to bee a lodging of a Spirit which had so sweete and friendlie an intercourse with God When his loue shed abroad in thee could not abid in these boundes whither was thy griefe greater that so good a God should bee at any time displeased by thee or thy joye because hee was then reconcealed to thee Then atonce were the deepe groanes both of griefe and joy but more of joye than griefe and of joye for that holy griefe for offending so good a Father If thou remember these excessiue joyes why doest not thou mak good use of them They were not giuen thee for that time only but for this that is now What were these tastes first fruits but as the wine grapes that the Spyes broght out of Canaan They were so great that they could not beare them in their hand but were a burden to two men When these two senses of spirituall joy Sonlie griefe reported their burthen of an excessiue sweetnesse was not that a taste of the fruite of Canaan If a Cluster of that Land be so sweete so great to thee What shall thou finde when thou enters in that Land How can thou but loue that Land that hath such fruits long for the fulnesse of that fruite that is so sweete to thy taste when thou wast vnder that sens◠thou was more in God than in thy selfe and more in Heauen than on Earth Since the remembrance of it doeth both present the Image of it and waken it selfe againe in thee Be of good courage enter and possesse the Land God hath discouered it to thee off the toppe of Nebo and Pisgah Thou hast tasted the fruite of it by the report of the Spyes Lay hold on it by the hand of thy loue longing desire God hath cast downe the walles of Iericho before thee and hath wounded the world the sonnes of Anake at thy conuersion and daylie is killing the sonnes of Harapha in thy daylie battells Bee strong and goe fordward for God is before thee Consider by the satietie of the tastes how great a satietie thou shalt haue in Heauen when the smallest blinke of Gods face made thee patientlie to beare forget thy greatest affliction what shall that full presence worke in thee In his presence is fulnes of joy and at his right hand are pleasures for euermore Psal. 16. If thy taste bee vpright thou cannot but long for that fulnesse thou must welcome the Messenger that calleth thee to it How can I but long for a change betwixt two so contrare estates present miserie grieueth mee and future Glorie gladeth me in hope The Earth thrusteth mee from it and the Heauen allureth and draweth mee to it Who can indure such a violence of an out thrusting earth and alluring Heauen Sathans snares doe vex mee heere beneath and the sweetnesse of Christ pulleth mee aboue Naturall miseries made naturall men to desire Death and shall I not desire it more who haue an hope and sight of Glorie which they knew not I will not bee as a Meteor in the Aire betweene them two but I resolue to leaue the Earth that I may goe to Heauen Who can either delight to abide in such an Earth or refuse to goe to such an Heauen All things here inforce a remouing Our life a weariesome journey our walking in it laborious and it selfe a way and not our end And while wee are heere we are absent from God But in Heauen all is contrare our life shall bee pleasant without labour It is our end and not the way Our home in the presence of God This is sufficient to chase thee from Earth and sette thy desires on Heauen Art thou walking in the valey of the shaddow of Death yet feare not euill for God is with thee and in thee and thou in him Can a man that is in God die the death No more than Life can die can that man die that liueth in God As wee are in Christ wee are in life and that life of his euen himselfe can not die so farre art thou from dying in him at death that thou liueth more by death and in it than before it None can take that frō me on the Earth which God is keeping for mee in Heauen My life is not in this bodie nor in the world but in God in heauen It is hid with Christ in God Coloss. 3. 3. And the life that I liue I liue by the Faith of the Sonne of God Galat. 2. 20. My death commeth not so much of paines thrusting mee out of this bodie as of that life and fountaine of it in God sucking and drawing my Soule to it and that not to slay or destroy it but to quicken and perfect it Consider thy selfe art thou not dwyning and dying in this life when sinne liueth in thee and stayeth thee from good and compelleth thee to euill The Bodie though an helpe as it is boared through by the windowes of fiue Senses yet it is an hinder to thy proficiencie perfectiō of knowledge doing A Cage suffereth the Bird to looke through the wyres yet it is a prison to keepe it from libertie When thou art loosed from that cage thou shalt haue greater light in libertie As Christ himselfe ouercame Death so will he doe in mee Sathan did hound it at him as his last and most fearefull mastiue but he destroyed it they went together in others grippes to the Graue but Christ did strangle it in the owne dungeon Hee arose and left it behind him as a conquered and triumphed Enemy he did not that for himself but for vs his owne Bodie will doe it in euerie one
I am triumphing ouer him And while I am breaking his power his policie supplanteth mee if I bee dejected for that which is my glorie It is my Coronation day why should I be ashamed of it Ioseph and Mordecay were not so base minded as to sorrow at their preferment and why should I not rejoyce at this my greatest exaltation to bee taken vp to Heauen and honoured to an equalitie with Angels and conformitie with Christ. Arise therefore O my Soule and make thee for thy last birth day Come foorth of this Bodie wherein thou dwellest and out of this greater Tabernacle from this visible worlde and goe to God So long as thou art inclosed in the straite bounds of the creature thou cannot enjoy freely thy Creator Arise and mak thee readie to meete thy Bridegroome hee is comming to thee and his reward is with him prepare thy Lampe powre out thine Oyle make thee to meete him who is comming to thee and hath wooed thee to himselfe Lift vp thine eares and heare the howling of euill spirites triumphed and subdued and the encouraging shouting of the glorious Spirites how all that Queere of Heauen doe gladlie desire to take thee in their number to keepe thy part of their harmonie of the new Song to the praise of God And lift vp thine head now full of hope to receiue that Crowne of Glorie which Christ hath purchased to thee and is readie to set vpon thee O Lord I haue foughten my fight I haue finished my race and keeped the Faith hencefoorth is laide vp for mee the Crowne of Righteousnesse which God the Righteous Iudge will giue to mee and not onelie to mee but also to all that loue his glorious comming 2 Timoth. 4. Will thou know what is this noyse about thee it is the hand of thy Lord softlie loosing the pinnes and slakening the coards of thy Tabernacle it is the noyse of his Chariots that hee hath sent from Heauen to bring thee to him Olde Iakob reuiued when he saw Iosephs Chariots to bring him to Egypt though his posteritie were thereafter in thrall shall thou not bee glad to goe vp in these Coaches to Heauen where thou shalt euer bee with Ioseph and vnder a good King who knoweth Ioseph and will neuer die This noyse is nothing but the sound of Christs key opening thy prison and fetters Lift vp thine head and rejoyce for thy Redemption is at hand hee that is to come will come and not delay Behold hee commeth and his reward is with him Thou shall heare in due time the voyce of thy beloued crying Arise my spouse my beloued arise and come away for the winter of thy calamitous life is gone the raines of thine affliction are passed Cant 2. Fearefull indeede are the cryes which torment the wicked at Death The cry of their sinnes accusing them the Law condemning them the Conscience tormenting them the Gospel testifying their contempt of it Sathan insulting ouer them and of a craftie tempter become a cruell tormenter The creature cursing them for wearying it with sinne and vanitie The Heauen debarring them and the hells gapping for them But I thanke God in Christ I haue a better cry in some measure and hope to heare it more at the last My Conscience comforting mee in the peace of God The Law absoluing mee because it is satisfied for mee in Christ my Cautioner The Gospel testifying my delight in it and care to beleeue and obey it Sathan and his Angels lamenting their disappointment The Heauens opened to receiue my Soule and Angels readie to carie it to Heauen So long as thou hearest these sweete voyces the noyse of Death shall not trouble thee All this noyse of a decaying bodie is for thy libertie as it decayeth thou shalt increase as it goeth to the Earth thou goest to Heauen You came from diuerse beginnings the bodie of the Earth and God put thee in it in your loosing you seeke backe to these beginnings the bodie to the dust and thou to God that gaue thee thou wilt bee stronger freer cleanner when thou can not vtter thy selfe to man than euer thou was before The Ballance are well casten when the more the body returneth to dust the more thou ascendest to God thy Sauiour I finde a change whereof I neuer thinke to repent a great change without losse My bodilie eyes waxe dimme but my minde seeth God more cleerely Mine eares are slow of hearing men but my Spirit quicke in hearing the consolations of the holy Spirit My taste distasteth meate but the delight in tasting the sweetenesse of God increaseth All my naturall powers are failing but my Spirit is more vigorous in affecting and more peaceable in resting vpon God and his happinesse It it a fearefull change which goeth all to the worse and in end to destruction but this change is all to the better and shall end in Saluation This is a sure token that as I haue not enjoyed mine happinesse heere so I haue not lost it heere But liuing in the hope and beginnings of it I am now going to the possession of it This my change tendeth to happinesse though the body by dissolution seeme to goe farre about yet it is in the way to its owne perfection And thy change is directlie for it from Faith to sight from hope to possession and both Soule and bodie in their seuerall perfections shall bee in the last day conjoyned to make vp my compleatest perfection There shall neither bee sinne nor paine in bodie or Spirit all miseries of both shall bee gone and happinesse of both shall bee compleate That worke of Gods Grace perfected in glorie and his hand crowning my desires with enjoying himselfe Many unions hath thou with the bodie and but one separation In our creation in Adam an union in innocencie in my birth an union in vncleannes I am begotten and borne according to the image of Adam fallen and sinfull in the resurrection I shall haue a glorious union in Christ and but onelie one separation in Death This separation is now needefull it was threatned in Paradice if wee offended and now I cannot enter in Heauen without it except I either liue till the last day and be changed or be translated as Enoch and Elias To hold all mankind aliue till the last day is against GODS appointment who hath drawne our dayes to an hand-breadth To bee translated is the priuiledge of a few and cannot bee the lot of all Therfore the separation is in mercie that the Soule may enter in Glorie and the bodie rest in hope for a time It is not casten away but laide vp and God hath a speciall care of the dust of it to raise it vp againe When our friends and neighbours haue laide it in the cold clay they leaue it there but God leaueth it not but keepeth it till the last day Since there can neither goodly be an holding of Soule and bodie together till the last day neither a translating
of the whole man God hath chosen the mid way to translate the Soule the best part to dissolue the bodie so Gods threatning is keeped thou shalt die and thou shalt returne to dust the example of Christ in death is followed our best part is translated for our happinesse and the assurance of the bodies reunion and a way to all Death in this respect is not penall but premiall in a sort not of Gods anger for our sinne to punish vs but of his mercie for our well to perfect vs. Oft-times God giueth vs plaine documents heereof if wee would obserue them euery twenty foure hours we haue cleare proofes of foure things 1. Our Life in the day time when we are busied in our Calling 2. Our Death at Euen when wee rest from our labours 3. Our Buriall when wee goe to bedde wee are not casten in them nor our garâ—ments pulled off but wee goe in quietnesse and lay our garments downe in order intending to take them vp againe 4. Our Resurrection when wee rise in the morning more vigorous to our Calling than when we lay downe then wee shall behold his face in righteousnesse and when wee awake shall bee satisfied with his Image Psal. 17. The sentence of Death in bodilie paines hath taught mee many thinges 1. The mortalitie of my body which must once bee ouercome and yeelde to them and so turne to dust this Cottage of clay so oft and so hardlie beaten must once fall Many haue a strong desire to liue long and turneth this naturall desire in a conceate that as they would and may so they shall liue longer Though there bee necessitie of Death in a decaying bodie and the spending of the life yet that desire and hope of life groweth euen with the decay of life But the holie desire of Immortalitie will eate out that fleshlie desire and the sense of daylie mortalitie will cut off that false hope 2. The immortalitie of my Soule in that vnder such paines it can haue the own free working on God If in a body so diseased it can seeke him and finde rest in him shall it not beeing separate from the bodie haue a more free working 3. The loue of God in deliuering mee from damnation How often haue I cryed in the midst of my paines O how farre am I bound to thee my Redeemer who hath deliuered mee from the fire of Hell If a short and light paine vnder thine hand in loue bee so heauie how intollerable is that paine of soule and bodie eternallie vnder thy wrath 4. That thy loue can stand well with affliction thou hast made light to arise to mee in darknesse and caused thy countenance to shine on mee in Christ and giuen me great peace in my Conscience in my greatest extremitie O what a Iewell is a good Conscience in affliction Though no man want his slips and infirmities yet he may eschew the grossest sinnes though none can attaine to a legall perfection yet hee may haue an Evangelicall perfection in Faith Repentance and begunne obedience When the Soule darre attest God as witnesse and appeale him as Iudge to its sinceritie In intending nothing but his Glorie In inquiring his will as the way to that Glorie And endeuouring to doe according to his knowledge for that good end Then in some measure wee may say with Ezechiah Remember O Lord how I haue walked before thee in trueth and with a perfect heart The conscience of these things haue so taken vp my Soule that my paines at the greatest are mitigate that holy and heauenly diuerting of my Spirit by so sweet and spirituall influence sometimes beguyleth my bodilie sense that it doeth but tolerablie affect mee The present sense of thy loue in mine acceptation in Christ and assurance of Glorie to come are strong ingredients to temper the greatest paines in this life And it is a profitable paine in the bodie that both occasioneth the seeking and bringeth out the feeling of the health of the Soule in thy sensible loue It hath also giuen mee a new Experience of Death surelie Death to the Sainctes is not as the most part take it 1 not a destruction but a deliuerie 2 It is both my last affliction and my last deliuerance from all miseries 3 It is both an end of this life and the beginning of my life of Glorie in Heauen 4 In it selfe it is a curse but to the Sainctes a blessing in him who hath ouercome it 5 I finde it both a dissolution from the world and of Soule and body and of euerie part of the bodie from other and my first great union with GOD the Sainctes and Angels 6 It is both my death and perfect birth day I haue now a seeming life but I liue not perfectlie till I die the New man shall then come foorth to a glorious libertie in the face of God 7 It is my last and greatest pollution my bodie is sometimes and by partes affected with weaknesse and Death turneth all in a lumppe of vyle and lifelesse clay and yet it is my first and greatest purgation Many purgations spirituall hast thou giuen mee in this life in Baptisme the Laver of Regeneration from sin in euerie act of Faith purifying the heart in euerie act of Repentance washing mee in the blood of Christ in euerie exercise of spirituall worship clensing mine handes in innocencie to compasse thine Altar But this is the great and last purgation when I am cleansed from all sinne In that same instant when my Soule and body doe separate all spiritual blemishes are separated from mee That is the worke of thy Spirit in mee hee knoweth no vncleane thing can enter in Heauen and therefore at my last breath he will giue me the last full cleansing and last degree of sanctification I tremble not at the fire of Purgatorie The enemies of the crosse of Christ are justlie so punished by that their errour when Christs Blood hath cleansed mee from all guiltinesse of all sinne and his sanctifying Spirit hath purged out the nature of it And his perfect obedience hath relieued mee from all punishment there is neither place nor use for that purging or rather tormenting fire after this life 8 Death is in it selfe the most terrible of all terrors but I find it in Christ most desireable The wicked doe tremble at the thoughts of it they see it onelie in the fearefull respects as a destructioÌ„ a curse an end a death a dissolution a pollution Therefore they abhorre it and the mention of it is to them as the hand-write on the wall was to Beltashar But thou shewest to mee these pleasant respects of death as a deliuerie a blessing a beginning a birth an union a purgation They haue none but fearefull grounds they are yet in Nature vnder the Law vnder sinne without Christ and vnder an euill conscience but thou hast layed better grounds in mee and put mee vnder Grace and vnder the Gospel vnder remission of
none other than a cutting off from that experienced but forsaken good and to be compassed by that prouen but not forsaken euill Experience is an oft repeating of sense and euery such repetition reneweth and augmenteth the affections Not to bee moued by Experience is either to proue wee are senslesse that feele not or wiâ—â—lesse that make not use of our feeling 15. Companie is usuallie hurtfull SCarcelie can wee enter in a societie and come off it without offence Our humours doe either breake out to offend other or taketh offence of them many affect a quicknes of wit in breaking jests on their neighbour but are thin skinned when they are touched themselues They take not the law of friendlie comporting which they giue to others It is Sathans policie to turne Companies the meane of concord in an occasion of discord Hee bloweth at the coale of euery mans corruption a part and finding them in a societie preaseth to kindle them altogether and turne our Tables into snares Men on the other part turne their Christian libertie in a fleshly licence not sparing to refresh their owne myndes with the griefe of others The usuall matter of speech in such meeting is detracting of the absents and scoffing at the faultes of these who are present Or if Grace Wisedome make them beare off these seene blemishes their speech runnes vpon some indirect taxing Societies are Gods blessing to mankynde to sweeten the griefes of this life and mutually to sharpen our wittes for our Callings but that meanes of mutuall good is turned in mutuall hurt and the common benefite of all is ouerthrowne by the passions and indiscretion of some particular ones in a companie Wee canâ—ot eschew all societies but we should make wyse choyse of theÌ„ with whom wee conuerse Some are so dangerous that they cannot bee haunted without certaine inconuenient It is a just thing with God to make men offend other who make it their merriment to offend him When wee are going or byding euen in the best societies secret ejaculations to God for an holy disposition is a good meanes to eschew that euill Happie is hee who commeth better from them than when he went to them Who keepeth him from the offence of God and his neighbour And if their corruption doeth injure him giueth them not a fleshly meeting If we grieue not the holy Spirit by loosing our minds and tongues to the abuse of our ChristiaÌ„ libertie he will secure vs from these mutuall offences They are not as the strife betwixt flesh and Spirit but betwixt flesh flesh If the holy Spirit did ouerrule all in these companies they would not either contest idlie or offend in contesting The domage of societies made some to turne Eremites It were good to haue the Heremites reteerdnes in the noyse of societies 16. The godly Traueller is euer at home EVery one seeketh some delight in trauel that according to their disposition The curious man seeketh rare conceats The proude man respects of honour The bellie-god for odde meates and their following pleasures The Polititian for intelligence as the matter of his plotting and negotiating The Tippler and complementer for purposes of discourse But the good Christian seeketh for heauenly delights His choyse commeth neither through the hands of Cookes nor Venteners nor Merchants nor from the mouthes of Stats-men he can take all these thinges as hee findeth them and use them by the way But his maine care is for God and all his Obseruation runne vpon Gods fauourable presence with him What a pleasure is it to finde all the places of our Trauell and Rest marked with the tokens of his loue our bed with his secret instructions and in the day when wee with-drawe our selues from our Companie and powreth out our heart to him hee answereth vs to our heart that his presence in an vncouth land is as neare and sweete to vs as at home To finde him euery where marking the places of our abode as Bethell the house of God and Peniel the face of God This is GODS calling of vs to the wildernesse to speake to our heartes Hee will tell vs that neither hee nor his working is tyed to one place at home But that all places are for the presence of God to them who are at peace with him The Altar is soone erected and the sacrifice offred on it in the heart that hath a constant Deuotion The Couâ—taines of our Tabernacle are no lesse thaÌ„ the vaile of heauen No man yet sought God truelie but hee knoweth that God is more easie to hec found than his owne heart If wee finde it in an holy disposition then both hee and the furniture for his worshippe are at hand in euerie place Surelie that man may bee from his house but hee is not from God hee carieth his home abroad with him and God whom hee serueth in his house trysteth him in the fieldes This Soule is ordained for heauen that at home and abroad is euer with God Heauen attendeth him on earth and while hee is abroad on earth hee is at home in heauen by that heauenly disposition Other men prouyde bodilie necessars for their journey and the godlie aboue that prouyde for the fauour of God This sacred prouision goeth with vs it carieth vs it keepeteh vs and bringeth vs backe lodened with fruites of it self Heereby in a short journey wee make more true gaine than Solomons Navie did from Ophir 17. The combat betwixt the Earth the Wretch THe Earth groaneth vnder all grosse sinners but hath a particular combat with the Wretch Other sinners burthen it with their vanitie but hee would swallow it vp hee wearieth it in furnishing his desires and hopes And yet is not content His desires augment his hopes and his equalled hopes increase his desires they are the two daughters of the Horse leach which cry Giue giue and mis-contentment comming after saith neuer It is enough To ryse vp from a good Table as hungrie as one sitteth downe is of a doggish appetite so is the Wretch in all his riches Sufficiencie and aboundance doe but inflame and not quench his desire Hee gapeth on the Earth to take it all in his possession though hee joyne Land to Land and house to house yet hee is poore in his owne accompt so long as hee lacketh his neighbours lotte Hee entreth in strife with the earth an vnnaturall Sonne with his Mother and it is hard to knowe which of them is more earthly He desieâ—th all and disgesteth nothing no not the crudities of his owne desire but in end is disgested of his owne aduersarie With what triumph doeth the Earth embrace the dust of her foolish competiture All her superfice and fruits and treasures of her bowels could not satisfie him beeing aliue but seuen foote length of her bosome closeth in his carcase While hee breathed hee would take Iorden in his mouth but beeing dead a small box holdeth his worthlesse ashes O what oddes betwixt the