indure any thought of mixture of other things with Christ thereby to make him more sufficient and compleate for our joy to rest on Obedience to his lawes for joy stirres up chearfulnesse to every duty and makes all duties acceptable to God and man for the want hereof many are dead and dull in good duties and where a large portion of this joy is it will remove all lets and delayes to dutie It doth not only inable us to but in dutie Cain no doubt came cheerfully to a good duty to sacrifice but for want of this cheerfull and joyfull spirit what was his behaviour in the performance thereof His countenance was cast downe this God espies sodainly and so hee doth in all our dull performances for he looks things should be done cheerfully and reason too for he hath left us a treasure of excellent promises to incourage us We see it in men they love when a thing is done cheerfully they know it betokens love in the partie that doth it and can we then thinke it strange that God requires it Againe if we can fashion our selves to this dutie God hath promised to increase our joy more abundantly And he performed it to Hezekiah 2. Chron. 29. end He will give delight as a reward to him that delighteth in his worke And therefore we ought to labour to bring our selves to this dutie to the obtaining of which observe these directions First consider that joy comes from Faith For it is the sense of our reconciliation with Christ that makes us rejoyce Rom 5. and 1 Pet. 1.6 Now therefore whatsoever strengthens Faith strengthens also our joy and contrarily what weakens the one must of necessitie weaken the other Furthermore joy comes from peace Whatsoever therefore disturbs our peace must needs disturbe our joy Therefore Sathan to despoile us of our joy he spoiles our faith through our sinnes and by them he weakens our hope and our comfort What is to be done then Surely repaire to the fountaine of health the well of joy the Word of God Isa. 12.3 And from thence must we draw all our comfort Use therefore the ordinances of God but use them as in the Lord in obedience to his commandement and expect the issue with patience Many there are that use the meanes but take no joy at all in them why they doe it not as in obedience to Gods command but they rest in the deed done and they thinke God is bound to give them joy God justly denies such that which they presume of In the second place Pray that your joy may bee full See this in most of Davids Psalmes at the first he complaines for the want of Gods presence of Gods wrath and anger but comes off with a large portion of comfort Depart from me yee wicked for the Lord hath heard my prayer Psal. 6. In the use of all meanes therefore joyne prayer pray for faith for hope and such graces as may bring joy Though at first thou findest thy selfe to bee cold to have little or no comfort at all yet give not over thou shalt at length find plentie thereof Remember the woman of Canaan at the first despised and called dogge but what did her constancy gaine A gracious answer O woman great is thy faith bee it to thee as thou desirest In the third place Remember former times as David did Psal. 77.6 hee was so oppressed his sore ranne in the night and ceased not as hee saith But then I remembred the daies of old c. Consider thou also in thy deepest affliction times were once when thou hadst the cleare and comfortable light of Gods spirit present with thee he will not leave thee his nature is unchangeable c. In the fourth place Have societie with the Saints and keepe company with those that are good and as the two Disciples hearts did burne when they talkt with Christ so verily thou shalt finde this heate of comfort by little and little to increase For God blesses the communion of Saints and such as are discerning Christians can tell us more and opportunely bring things to mind which thou thy selfe remembrest not and can informe our judgments when they are blinded with griefe and melancholly Use therefore the company of the good when thou findest doubts arise and make thy griefs knowne to some wise and judicious Christian for the divell is too strong for any one alone hee will prevaile against thee thou wilt be too weake too wrestle with him hand to hand It is no wonder therefore that Melancholy persons are so destitute of comfort Q. It will be asked May we not rejoyce in friends societie deliverance from dangers and the like good things of this world A. I answer yes and yet joy in the Lord also for when as whatsoever we have we receive it as a token of Gods particular love to us in Christ who both gives us our daily bread and the word of life comforts both heavenly and earthly These outward things then I say doe strengthen the faith of a Christian and thereby our joy is strengthened wherefore wee may thus joy in them nay it is our duty to do it The wicked they indeed receive them but onely as from Gods care of the generall good of the world or race of mankinde And therefore can take no joy truely from them as the child of God doth who in the right use of them first rejoyceth that he is the child of God and is reconciled to him in Christ that Christ is his and then that he having the field hath also the pearle all blessings belonging to this life and a better are in Christ made his and he so rejoyces in them as he referres the comfort and strength that he receiveth from them to the honour of God Gods children receiving good things from him are threatned for not rejoycing in them Deut. 28.47 in the 45. verse he saith The curses shall be upon thee for that thou servest not the Lord thy God with joyfulnesse and gladnesse of heart for the abundance of all things And it is expresly commanded Deut. 26.11 Thou shalt rejoyce in everie good thing which the Lord thy God hath given thee and thine house Q. But it may be questioned Why if this be true are Gods children so disconsolate none are so much troubled in conscience as they I answer Their sorrow proceeds not from their good estate in that they are Christians but from the want of the perfections to make them absolute Christians indeed 2 They either doe not know themselves or if they doe because they glorifie not God nor adorne their profession God justly suffers his joy to be hid by â—iding the comfortable presence of his spirit 3 Gods childrens joy though it be great yet is not discerned of the world it is a hidden joy the feast is kept in the conscience it is not seene of the world which discernes all things carnally carnall joy is alwayes outward and easie to expresse
sought not his owne it was his communicative goodnesse that drew him from Heaven to take our nature Thirdly he is present and ready to doe all good for us he is present with us to the end of the world nay Fourthly we are his members he is in us we are his wife nay we are him Saul why persecutest thou me 1 Cor. 12. We are all one body with Christ. Fifthly We are even whiles we are here glorified with Christ he is our husband if hee be honoured we his spouse also are advanced if he be our King we are his Queene if the head be crowned the body is honoured and Sixthly all this is from God and freely comes from him Christ is anointed by the spirit and sent from the father 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption to us And Ioh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father who hath sent me draw him and it is further said that God sealed him So that we may rejoyce in Christ because that thereby we come to joy in God for he reconciles us to God who called him to this office which was witnessed at his baptisme when as the whole Trinity bare witnesse thereof But it may be questioned What may wee not joy in any other thing else but in Christ. I answer there may be two causes of our joy One principall the other lesse principall We must onely rejoyce in Christ as the maine and principall cause of our happinesse But we may rejoyce in creatures so farre forth as they are testimonies of Christs love and in peace of conscience as comming from Christ and in the word of God as it is the Gospell of the revelation of Christ to us For use We may observe this doctrine as a ground of the necessitie of particular faith For none can boast but the boasting must arise from a particular faith which onely is the true ground of every mans particular assurance Secondly let it serve as a direction to every Christian that will rejoyce let him goe out of himselfe and rejoyce in Christ his King his Priest and his Prophet let him observe what he hath done for him and what he will doe for him and thereby see himselfe perfectly happy and In the third place Let us first boast that we have Christ and then in his benefits and blessings that folloâ— him First rejoyce that we have the field then rejoyce in the pearle And therefore the Apoâ—tle sayes not rejoyce in faith or in obedience but in Christ who being once mine how shall I not have all things with him Those that are burdened with sorrow for their sinne let them consider Why doe they grieve doe their sinnes trouble them Christ hee came to dye for sinne he is their high-Priest he came to save sinners Doth the devill accuse them let them know Christ chose them he pleades for them who can lay any thing to their charge Christ he is dead risen nay he is ascended into Heaven Are they troubled with crosses That is the best time to rejoyce in Christ. We joy in tribulation Rom. 5.3 When nothing comforts us then hath Christ sweetest communion with our hearts St. Steven when the stones â—lew about him and Paul in the dungeon had the most sweet consolation and comfortable presence of Gods spirit that upheld them Nay in death wee may glory most of all it lets us into that state into that sweet society with our Saviour and the Saints the very hope whereof doth now sustaine us and cause us to glory here as in Rom. 5.2 And death now is but a droane the sting is gone all enemies are conquered In the fifth place See wherein the glory of a man of a nation of a kingdome consists it is in Christ and that which exhibites Christ. What made the Iewes rejoyce marke the prerogatives they had Rom. 9.3 Adoption covenant promises and Christ. What made the house of Iuda so famous and Mary so blesse her selfe All generations shall call me blessed Christ that vouchsafed to proceed out of her loynes and from that stocke Abraham rejoyced to see Christs day though he saw it a farre off by the eye of faith And what should we glory in above the Iewes above other nations but in this the vaile is taken away Christ shines and we have the Gospell in its puritie This the Apostle lookes for in the Corinthians 2 Cor. 2.3 Having confidence that my joy is the joy of you all Now what was Pauls joy God forbid saith he that I should rejoyce but in the crosse of Christ Gal. 6.14 Let us not therefore rejoyce in peace or plenty fortified places or the like No if we had not Christ to rejoyce in we were no better than Turkes Happy is the people whose God is the Lord for in him shall we have fulnesse of joy and comfort make use of this in time of temptation When the divell would robbe us of our joy fly to Christ oppose him against all oppose the second Adam against the first he came to doe what ever the other did undoe Learne to see the subtilty of the divell and thine owne heart and fill thy heart with the Scriptures and with meditations of the promises and they will cause our love to be so fervent as all our service of God will seeme to be easie to us As the time that Iacob served seemed nothing for the love he bare to Rachel But how shall wee know whether wee rejoyce in Christ or not I answer by these signes First when we glorie see the ground whence it arises whether from God reconciled to us or not If otherwise remember that of Ier. 9.23 Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength all such rejoycing is evill But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord. Secondly If we glory in the Lord it will stirre us up to thankes What we joy in we will praise if we joy in Christ we shall like the Spouse in Canticles ever be setting forth the praises of our beloved Thus did Paul Ephes. 1.3 and Peter 1 Pet. 1.3 and therefore where deadnesse and dulnesse is it shewes no true Christian joy Thirdly Our glorying will be seene in dutie delight ever implies the intention to doe any good worke and diligence Fourthly if we glory in Christ aright we shall not indure any addition to Christ and therefore we shall abhorre that Popish Tenent which puts so many additions to Christ in the meritorious worke of our salvation A true rejoycer in Christ sees such all-sufficiency in Christs merits and worke that he abhorres purgatorie and such trash and so much the more by how much his glorying in Christ is the more fervent and sincere Christ is our husband we are his spouse if we cleave to any other than
doe hereafter is because the manner of making Christ knowne to us is by revelation 1 Cor 13. We behold him here but as it were in a glasse in the glasse of his Word and Sacraments which cannot represent him to our understanding so cleerely as hereafter we shall behold him in the beatificall vision Take heed therefore of a selfe conceipt of perfection when we begin to be unwilling to grow better we begin to waxe worse there is no stay in Christianitie It is the sight of our imperfection that makes us strive to perfection and the more we see into our miserie the more earnestly we strive on to be freed from it VERS 13. But this one thing I doe forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching forth to those things that are before SEe what is the Apostles unum necessarium to grow more and more to the fulnesse of the knowledge of Christ. All other things he counts as dung and losse So as we may hence observe that the spirit of God in a Christian heart subjects all things to one Christ. One thing have I desired of the Lord said David Make this therefore a rule to difference our estates by What is the thing wee intend chiefly is it riches or pleasures or honours this one thing will be the utter overthrow of all religion in us Christ will be supream or he will not be He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of mee saith Christ of himselfe There is none so wicked but would be religious till religion comes to crosse that one thing their darling sinne And thus have they base limitations which must needs prejudice their growâ—h in religion for where religion is it will crosse their base affections and lusts Therefore whosoever we are that intend to be true Christians indeed resolve first to preferre the peace of conscience and the fruite of of religion above all and resolve to abhorre all things that will crosse this one thing of St. Paul VERS 14. I presse towards the marke BEhold an excellent description of a Christian course borrowed from the exercise of running a race being a man-like and commendable exercise fitting men and inabling them for warre The very heathen herein condemne us whose ordinary chiefe exercises what are they but good company as wee call them continuall lying at Tâ—vernes to the impoverishing of our estates and weakning our bodies the kinde I condemne not but the excesse is such as the Heathen would be ashamed of for which they shall even rise up in judgement against us and condemne us But from the similie wee may gather thus much That Christianitie is a race the beginning of this race is at the beginning of our conversion it should begin at our baptisme the first thing we should know ought to bee God the race is the performance of good duties concerning our generall calling and concerning our particular For the length of our races some are longer some shorter but the end of every mans race is the end of his life some mens wayes are plainer some rougher the prize is fulnesse of joy the lookers on are heaven earth and hell God is the instituter of this race and the rewarder the helpers are Christ good Angels and the Church which helpes by prayer the hinderers are the devill and his instruments who hinder us by slanders persecutions and the like For ground of this race in us we are to know that man is created with understanding directing him to doe things to a good end and scope other creatures are carried to their end as the shaft out of a bow only man fore-seeing his end apprehends meanes thereto his end is to receive reconciliation and union with God to which hee aymes by doing some things suffering others and resisting others And this race is also ordered by lawes for every runner is not crowned there is a running ill that shall never procure the prize The lawes hereof concerne either preparation or the action it selfe for preparation First we are to know that there is a dieting requisite as those that runne in a race have a care hereof to use such diet as did strengthen not cloy and such apparell as might cover them not clog them so ought it to bee in our spirituall race we must cast aside all heavie loads every weight and sinne which doth so easily beset us as it is Heb. 12.1 If God cast on us any place or riches let us use them for a good end but not make them our end and therefore with them take up dayly examination of our selves how we behave our selves towards these worldly things It were a madnesse in a runner in his race to take up a burthen and not to thinke it will be a sore trouble to him and why doe we not think thus in our spirituall race Cast we off therefore originall corruption and the corruption of our place time and calling which in time will grow unsupportable to us Let us desire no more than God gives and what afflictions God sends us let us take assuring our selves they are for our good A second law is to consider the wayes that we are to runne in what dangers wee are like to meet with forecast and resolve against the worst and withall promise we our selves God 's assured protection in our worst estate the want of this is the seminarie and ground of all Apostacie when men promise to themselves in Christianitie such things as God never promised Christ therefore promiseth and sheweth the worst first but the devill to deceive us keepes the worst out of our eyes and shewes a sort of vaine delights and pleasures but the sting of them through his subtiltie and craft he suffers us to feele before we see it A third law is that we enter the race betimes it s the devils tricke to put off the care of this telling us we need not yet enter we are but yong and have many yeares to live as they did that hindered the building of the Temple but consider wee the uncertainty of our life that wee may die suddainly and that its just with God to take us away after that manner if wee neglect our selves and him and we must know also we shall lose no pleasure nor delight but we shall finde such sweet delights in those wayes as we shall with St. Augustine be greeved that we enjoyed them no sooner And besides those that begin betimes get a great advantage of others and through continuall custome come at length to a habit of Religion In the next place we are to take heed of hinderances of us in our preparation as First of all hope of long life whereby we are besotted thinking life and death is in our command that we shall have time enough and need not so soone enter upon good duties Secondly a conceit that when wee have once given up our names to Christ that presently we bid adieu to all delight mirth and
pleasure when alas we are farre deceived God denies not pleasure to us but will give us whatsoever is good for us we shall delight and rejoyce but with a joy spirituall and wee shall see nothing in this world that may any way deserve our delight therein A third hinderance is a dispaire of ever going through this race this settles upon some strangely making them cast away all care and desperately trust to Christs mercie This made Cyprian to complaine of his corruptions saying they were bred and brought up with him and therefore feared they would hardly give place to grace being but a stranger while men consider how great and powerfull their corruption is they with the Israelites despaire of ever entring into the land of Canaan these sons of Anak doe so terrifie them But consider we withall that God is above all our corruptions that he can make of a Lion a Lambe and that if wee will trust upon him in his time he will helpe us and wee shall overcome these Giant-like corruptions Christ he hath conquered them already and though while we live wee cannot wholly overcoâ—e them yet Davids house shall grow stronger and stronger and Sauls house weaker we shall have grace sufficient for us God will sweeten Religion to us that wee shall delight therein and Christ will not leade us into temptation till he hath fitted us to it by his grace and then we shall rejoyce as the Apostles did Acts 5. that we are accounted worthy to suffer Contrary to this humour some thinke it so easie a matter to runne this race as they thinke they cannot be out of it or tired therein when as indeed they never set foot therein let such looke to themselves if they be in this race they shall finde it no easie matter But thus much concerning rules or lawes for preparation to this race now there are lawes to be observed of those that are in the race as First they must resolve to hold on without discontinuance of their course of good duties for some by omitting good duties now and then upon slight occasions do come through Gods just sufferance to leave them off and never take them up againe and thereby whiles they are not getting ground by continuing their course they doe lose thereby even as water-men rowing against the streame if they doe not row but rest never so little the streame carries them backe againe and they cannot recover themselves but with great difficultie so it is in this Christian race a little interruption of dutie causes thrice so much paines to recover our former estate therefore we are to take up a holy resolution not to be interrupted in good duties The next law is that wee must looke to gaine ground still to grow from grace to grace It s the Apostles ayme still to grow better than himselfe contrary to this many forsake their first love they thinke themselves wise but are fooles such as the Lord will spew out of his mouth as he threatens the Church of Laodicea And indeed the most men at the best are but civill and doe but provide for their owne ease and can indure any mixture of religion or company and the ground of this coldnesse is a selfe-conceit whereby men thinke well of themselves and their estate Paul he was of another spirit ever pressing forward A third law is that we doe things with all our might that we runne this race with all our earnest indeavour there is no bodily exercise that profiteth but it must be with putting forth of our strength so our Christian actions should shew even outwardly that we doe things as if we intended thereby to honour God indeed and to this end wee are to depend on God by prayer that he would give us strength and mindes to put forth our strength for gaining most honour to his Majestie and this will bring great assurance and comfort to us in time of need A fourth rule is that wee are to runne this race with a cheerfull and speedie course a dead performance of duties is no part of our race yea as many goe to hell by ill performance of good duties as by committing sinnes that are scandalously evill for this resting in the work done is the cause of hardnesse of heart and there by of despaire and at the best never brings any sound comfort at all to us and therfore we are injoyned to doe good duties and to doe them in a good manner Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup and so runne that you may obtaine It s no lingring we know not how long we shall live how soone we shall die and therefore let us make haste to doe our worke before God takes away time from us by taking us out of the world And those especially are to look to this that have lived long in their owne courses and are but lately reclaimed they are much behinde and had need make haste the journey is long their time but short And to this end looke we not what wee have done and how farre we have gone but looke what remaines to be done and know we have done nothing till we have done all But it will be asked what may wee not thinke of duties that are past I answer we may thinke of them by way of defence and to give God the glorie and also to incourage us on but not to rest or solace our selves on them till we have done all But men may say what is there no pause is there no Sabboth I answer yes when we are dead Blessed are the dead in the Lord it s they that rest from their labours heaven is a sufficient reward for all the paines we can any way take here besides the comforts that wee have here are many which none knowes but them that injoy them And God hath promised the continuall assistance of his blessed spirit that shal incourage us and leade us into all truth alas what comfort have we of all that we have done if we continue not but sit down and take up our rests here what good got they that came out of Egypt and died in the wildernesse it may be even in the border of the land of promise yet never saw it It will assuredly fall out with us as it did with them if wee harbour any infidelitie in our hearts we shall be cast out that we shall never see this good land the spirituall Canaan In the next place take we heed of such hinderances as may make us eyther slacke or intermit this race of ours As first wee must take heed of idle scruples and temptations these are no other than as dust cast in the eyes of the runners and as stones that gaule their feet interpret them to bee the subtilties of the devill and therefore shake them off and intend thy dutie thou art about and pray for wisedome to discerne aright of
they shall bee free from all weaknesse from ill compâ—nie from temptation the lambe shall be all in all glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God Fifthly they speake one language the language of Canaan the language of the beast they abhorre And lastly their carriage is alike grave like Citizens of heaven their faces are still as they were going to Ierusalem their continuing and abiding Citie for while they are in this life they are still as it were in the Suburbs Hence we may gather divers grounds that while we live in this world a Christian is but a Pilgrim and stranger heaven is his home and this life is but a way and he a passenger And thus David accomptâ—d of himselfe though a King yet but a stranger both himselfe and his fathers and therefore as a passenger hee provides for his journey he stands not for ill usage cares not to looke after delights in the way but uses them as advantagious to his journey And secondly hee is inquisitive after the way fearing he should goe amisse and furnisheth himselfe with cordials to cheere him and strengthen him in his journey he inquires after the guide of Gods spirit to be as the pillar of fire to guide him in the darknesse of this world Thirdly Hee is well provided of weapons against such enemies as hee shall meet with in the way he hath the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God The second ground that arises hence is that a Christians indeavours are of a high nature his looke is high his soule and minde are ever upward casting all burthens of earthly cares and delights from him that hee may freely mount up in the presence of his maker Thirdly this carriage of a Christian is not by fits but it is his trade his conversation and course of life in all things he lookes to heaven his course is by rule and by law whatsoever he does he does as in obedience to God chiefly with all his power as approving himselfe to God in whose sight he ever sets himselfe briefly hee doth all things as a Citizen of heaven Fourthly we may also ground hence that a Christian may have his conversation in heaven even while he is here alive for hee is borne anew having received the life of grace God requires not impossibilities but alwayes gives abilitie to the discharge of that which hee injoynes But in particular how may a Christian bee said to be in heaven or to have his conversation in heaven I answer a Christian may be said to bee in heaven first as in his head Christ Iesus who is in heaven already beeing gone to prepare a place for us Secondly he is there by faith which makes things absent as present and so it is that Abraham saw Christs day and was glad and therefore is faith called The evidence of things not seene Heb. 11. Thirdly a Christian is in heaven by his hopes Fourthly he is there by his desires animus est ubi amat Fifthly a Christian is in heaven when as his meditations are there when his thoughts are thereon continually busied as St. Paul was when in admiration of those joyes he crieth out O the depth both of the riches and wisedome of God! Rom. 11.33 Sixthly hee is there when by continuall prayers to God he hath an inward admittance to the throne of grace where hee may freely open his heart to his God and therefore it is that those that are Christians indeed are often in this dutie Fifthly hence we may gather that the glorious estate in heaven is of the same kinde with this life of grace onely differing in degrees of happinesse both estates are free there onely a freedome of glory here a freedome of grace both are estates of redemption there wee are redeemed from sinne and death and the divell here we are onely redeemed from the power of them there have we the full harvest here we have the first fruits here wee are heires by faith there by full possession to all of us Christ is all in all onely there hee rules immediately here he rules by meanes by his deputies There they have communion with the Saints here we also have communion though we live amongst the wicked There they praise God continually here we indeavour it continually There they have communion with the beatificall vision here wee have communion with the ordinances which will bring us to it And therefore let such as intend to be Saints hereafter be Saints here and live by the lawes that are given us from heaven and that they live by in heaven for the kingdome is in such sort one and the same the kingdome of grace the preaching of the word is called the kingdome of heaven as well as the kingdome of glorie and men doe thinke in vaine ever to enter into glorie without comming in at the gates of grace as appeareth out of the Apostles argument 2 Pet. 1.10 11. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure for so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. And to this end amongst many other observe with me these following directions First for a preparation heare the word of God for by this wee are in heaven in part already for where the word is preached there is the presence of the blessed Trinitie and the holy Angels bringing downe heaven it selfe to us teaching us in the lawes of that Kingdome Vse reading also for even thereby wee talke with the Saints who wrote those things for our instruction and that spirit that guided them in writing will also guide thee in reading Receive the Sacraments often for these ordinances are the heavenly Manna to us and and strengthen us in our way to the spirituall Canaan Secondly Rejoyce in often communicating with the Saints these earth moles that are delighted in Coeno not in Coelo all companie is alike to them but a Christian will here converse with such as hee shall be with hereafter and the Saints have found much helpe this way even Saul in the companie of Prophets became a Prophet and the most earthly man that is amongst good men in good discourse will sute himselfe to them and indeed good discourse is of much availe this way if it bee frequent as it should be I inforce it not as a dutie to be done at all times but it should be oftner than it is Thirdly Vse such meanes as are of force to subdue the hinderances of this disposition such as are lusts of youth which ought to be tamed by fasts and such watchfulnesse that may make us at the length wise for so â—acre as wee overcome our lusts so farre we have our conversation in heaven and therefore wee must often in private watch and in private pray as the Scripture saith we must watch unto prayer Fourthly Vse much meditation bee ever setting our
things regard not the golden apples of the profits and pleasures of this life that lye in thy way to divert thy steps and sweepe off evermore the dirt of these worldly cares which we gather in our race and by little and little grow to clog us In the second place beware of sinnes against conscience they take away joy and make our hearts dead there are many that seeing diverse of their sinnes before them concerning which they finde no peace in themselves are soone out of breath and quite out of heart and so by little and little runne into despaire and without hope ever to attaine the price Thirdly take we heed of ill and dull companie that are cold in religion that cannot away with good religious duties for as it is in our ordinary travels good companie makes time and way passe away speedily and with comfort so is it in this race good and gracious company by exhortation and example doe wonderfully incourage us and ill companie contrarily doe dishearten us disswade us and clog us and draw us backe from every good dutie we take in hand But many mens conceits are they need not all this adoe they are well enough though they be not thus holy all cannot come to the high pitch of mortification surely there is hardly any beginning of grace in such who allow themselves in a dead course for where the love of God is it will constraine men to shew their thankfull and loving hearts to him in walking before the Lord with all their might In the fourth place take heed how we suffer our mindes to wander in this race let us not looke at the lookers on the world and the devill and wicked men passe not for their censures we may assure our selves before we enter this race we shall have no applause from them let a slow dull jade come by like Dogges they let him passe none regards but if another comes by a pace every man runnes barking and slandering and backbiting after him and if they can they will bite too shall a man care for such as these no wee must resolve before hand to have the world the devill and all the enemies he can make to bee against us let us therefore set our eyes onely on him that has our reward in his hand that observes us and is ready to crowne us and let us beg courage and strength from him and spirituall wisedome how we should performe every action with what intention or remission of heart and affection how to sanctifie his name in the performance of the duties of our callings how to make every action yea our recreations a furtherance in this our Christian race Secondly let us dayly search and trie our hearts and wayes see how we profit or go back how we grow like or unlike Christ particularly examine we how the pompe of the world seemes to us whether base and contemptible if so then the further wee are runne in this Christian race for as in objects of sight the further we are from them the lesse they seeme to us and the nearer we are to them they appeare the greater so it is in the object of our mindes doth heaven appeare full and beautifull to us it s a signe we are neare to it and wee are come a good way in our race but contrarily if it be mean and of no esteem or account it s farre from us we are at the most but comming towards it Secondly examine what doth take up dayly the powers of our soules and affections doe wee delight in the best things and with Marie chuse the better part which shall not be taken away from us or contrarily are our delights here below and our rest set up here then we have our reward here and the price is not prepared for us but God will spew us out for our coldnesse and therefore if we finde coldnesse creeping on us let us take heed of it it is a dangerous estate God cannot indure it for while we allow of good things but shew not intention of spirit in the performance of them wee do even judge them and tell the world they be things not worthy of our paines and indeavours let us therefore not allow of this coldnesse though it be in us bâ—t strive against it meditate of such things as may inflame us and pray against it VERS 14. For the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus I Presse forth It s a word of vehemencie signifying to set forth his utmost bent and indeavour both of the inward man and of the outward and all is to heaven so as a Christians ayme is alwayes to Ierusalem his lookes is that way his tongue speakes the language thereof his carriage will tell he seekes another Citie Heb. 11. But for these words observe there is first a price Secondly it s a price of a calling Thirdly this calling is high Fourthly this calling we have here in part Concerning this word price it s a metaphor taken from the reward of victory gotten in some exercise God hereby brings heaven downe to us Because wee cannot goe to it he insinuates into our affections by pleasing things and teaches faith by sense And therefore we must not rest in these borrowed words but ever know that the thing that is described goes beyond the description by any earthly similitude From the thing observe that God hath reserved a happie estate for such Christians as are elected to runne in this race that are fitted to it and that are preserved to it And this should teach us to magnifie Gods goodnesse that whereas by nature death with his pale horse and hell should follow us now the course is altered a holy life in Gods commandements is given to us here and then glory shall be heaped upon us God hath begotten us to a lively hope but hath passed by the Angels and left them without hope of recoverie Secondly observe this happie price is to bee given after running God keepes this order to exercise his graces in us that we might bee a meanes to gaine others and that wee might value happinesse the more If we did not suffer here we could not taste heaven so sweetly after labour sleepe and rest is sweet And its fitting that we should be followers of Christ to fill up the measure of his sufferings hee did first runne and then was crowned and this order we must keepe if we meane ever to be with him And let us bee comforted herein though the race be long and painfull yet there is an end it will not continue for ever and with the end there comes a price The world runnes in a mase here and there they have their reward and their happinesse will end soone but a Christians happinesse will never end In the next place observe that it is expedient and usefull to have an eye to this priceâ— it made Paul and it will make us runne