be put upon it to finde out Arguments to prove Will to be Reason and to determine that what the Will would have done ought to be done facile credimus quod nimis volumus We easily bring our Opinion to our Affection bring our selves to believe that to be right which we are unreasonably willing to have to be tight But if it cannot prevail thus far to gain Conscience to say that 's right which it would have to be right then it will put hard for it to carry it whether it be right or wrong And this rebellion of the Will and so of the Passions against the Reason is the great reason of the souls rebellion against God When Conscience hath lost its Authority Gods Authority is gone Whilest the Understanding and the Conscience are maintained in their due Authority where the Will and Affections are held in their due subjection there the Lord reigneth While Conscience rightly inform'd hath its due God shall have his due Where the Will and the Passions have no more then their due he shall have his own God shall be will'd the more where nothing else is will'd too much God shall be loved the more and feared the more where nothing else is lov'd and fear'd too much The more Anger the more Hatred the more Grief will be spent upon sin if it be not inordinately spent elsewhere Oh how much service might be done and how much quiet would be enjoyed in the heart were this Authority and Subjection maintained and held up We may say of our Affections as men say of Fire and Water They are the worst Masters but the best Servants How much should the Lord have of us were these onely the Executioners of his will If Conscience be commanded by the word and the Will and Affections would be commanded by Conscience what would there then be wanting We should then not onely be abundantly serviceable but all would be serene and sweet and comfortable within us If nothing were will'd but what should be will'd we should ever have our will If nothing were desired but what should be desired and no more then it should be lov'd or desired we should ever have what we love If we were not angry or grieved or afraid but where we ought and no more then we ought what a calm would there be upon our spirits even in such cases wherein the spirits of others are like a troubled Sea that cannot be at rest whose waters cast forth mire and dirt But where there is such disorder such rebellion of the Inferiour against the Superiour Faculties there we are at a perpetual loss both in point of duty and comfort This therefore is necessary if we will be obedient And those that have prov'd what there is in it do understand that this is hard work 2. I shall instance in some few particular duties that are harder then others He that will be entirely obedient must stick at nothing that God will have There 's scarce any thing that God requires but Lust will be quarrelling at as too hard but there are some duties harder then others It shall suffice onely to name them The denyal of our selves The disobliging our nearest friends The loving our Enemies The disobeying all the world in their unrighteous commands Obeying God rather then men returning good for evill Reproving men for sin especially if they be Sâ—periours or such on whom we have dependency The sacrificing our Isaacs yea parting with all that we have Well this also must be considered ere you resolve you will obey But are you for any thing for every thing the Lord requires 4. Circumspection and care Ephes 5.15 See that ye walk circumspectly A little labour will go far with care but will be nothing without it 'T is not he that is hot and busie and active at all adventures he that keeps to his Line and his Rule hee 's the obedient Christian 'T is not so much Action as regular Action wherein the life of Christianity lies He that lives by rule peace be on him and mercy Activity without care is Extravagancie 'T is care that keeps within compass He that is all Action has the more need of caution A Christian must have his eyes in his head as well as a soul in his body He that resolves well in Generals and comes not off in Particulars does but build Castles in the Air. What we ordinarily are pro hic nunc in Particulars will best prove what we are He that is for any thing but this any time but now is for nothing Circumspection notes two things Taking notice Taking heed He that will be circumspect must eye and observe what 's before him must have his eye upon his End his Rule and his Goings must eye duty and sin opportunities and temptations his times and seasons he must take heed as well as take notice must keep a strict eye on himself and hold a strict hand on himselfe that he leap not over a duty nor turn aside to iniquity must set a guard upon himself upon his tongue upon his eyes upon his appetite upon his company upon his habit upon his thoughts upon his passions upon all the motions of his soul and the actions of his body This will require something What not a word but must be weighed Not a look but must be look'd to Not a thought but must be examined Not a sin to be allowed Not a duty to be abated Not a circumstance to be neglected Must all be in Weight and in Measure by Line and by Rule and this alwais too If something might serve if sometimes might suffice it might be borne but to keep touch in every point and that every day this is an hard saying indeed But thus it must be to live as a Christian and to walk exactly accurately precisely is the same thing Duty and sin though they be as far distant as Heaven and Hell yet there is but an hair betwixt them The least latitude is a transgression either all this that is as to the purpose of the heart either all this or nothing Well all this must be considered You will be Obedient but will you be circumspect 5. Spirituality This Obedience must be the Obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 .. It is the very life of Jesus made manifest in our mortal flesh I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God Christians Obedience is their walking in Christ Coloss 2.6 All the Acts of it are exerted and performed in the strength of Christ I will go in the strength of the Lord without him they can do nothing but can do all things through Christ which strengthneth them I live yet not I bur Christ liveth in me I work I wrestle I run yet not I but Christ in me as the Apostle speaks of his sins It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me 'T
the nostrils feel and smell So knowledge is involved in every grace Faith knows and believes Charity knows and loves temperance knows and abstains patience knows and suffers humility knows and stoops repentance knows and mourns obedience knows and does compassion knows and pitties hope knows and expects confidence knows and rejoyces And therefore wee believe and love and obey and hope and rejoyce because we know God gives us this knowledge as the eye of our souls and by that eye hee enters with all his power and Glory Ephes 3.19 That ye may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and bee filled with all the fulness of God Day-light is not that light wee receive by reflection from the Moon and Stars at second hand when the Sun is risen and come in among us then it is day When the Sun of Righteousness is risen in the heart there 's the light of life God is and God dwells in this light and where God dwells every unclean thing vanishes can Darkness dwell with the Sun can Death dwell with Life according to the measure of the manifestation of God in us so far forth is sin necessarily vanished Thou art but the carkasse of a Christian the light that is in thee is darkness the life that is in thee is death if thou bee not in the whole man renewed after the Image of him that Created thee If Christ bee not formed in thy heart if the Love the humility the meeknesse the patience the compassion the holiness of the Lord Jesus be not begotten in thee whatever thou knowest thou knowest nothing as thou oughtest to know if thou hast all knowledge and hast not charity and so if thou hast all knowledge and hast not humility meekness holiness thou art nothing thou art but as sounding brass or a tinkling Cimbal Doubting Christian that complainest of and bewailest thine ignorance and fearest that thou knowest not God look upwards where his Glory dwells lift up thine eyes and see or if thou canst not see lift up thy heart for eyes Lord where dwellest thou let mee see thy Face shew mee thy Glory pitty thy blinde let the eyes of this blinde bee opened and the tongue of this dumb shall bee loosed and speak forth thy praise Look upward and if yet thou seest not thy God look inward canst thou see his Face in thy soul canst thou see his Image on thy heart canst thou behold in this Glasse the Glory of the Lord and finde thy self changed into his Image Comfort thine heart how short sighted soever thou seemest to bee how dimme soever thy Candle burns how weak soever in the Knowledge of God thou complainest thou art thou hast seen God thou hast seen his Face in peace God that commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined into thine heart and given thee the Knowledge of his Glory in the face of Jesus Christ 2. A Fructifying Power this Sun-shine makes a fruitful soil Colos 1.9,10 my desire for you saith the Apostle is that you may bee filled with the Knowledge of his Will in all Wisdome and Spiritual understanding That yee might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful unto every good work and encreasing in the Knowledge of God Strengthened with all might according to his glorious Power unto all Patience and long suffering with joyfulness and Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the Glory and praise of God Full of Light and full of Love of Faith of Patience of Humility and fruitful in every good work Mat. 12.35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things A good man hath a good treasure within him a treasure of Heavenly Wisdome of Divine Truth a treasure of Light God hath shined into his heart Hee 's filled with all the fulness of God And what is laid up within hee brings forth without An evil man hath an evil treasure Satan hath been filling his heart Act. 5.3 Why hath Satan filled thine heart the treasures of darkness are there a treasure of lust and lies Falshood and folly are found with him these treasures of darkness within bring forth darkness dark souls lead dark lives their way is dark their deeds are darkness O how fruitful are sinners in their unfruitful works filled with all unrighteousness fornication wickednesse covetousness maliciousnesse envy murther debate deceit malignity c. Rom. 1.29,30 Their hearts are full and thereupon their mouths full their eyes full their hands full mouths full of cursing eyes full of adultery hands full of violence filled with all unrighteousness O Generation of Vipers how can yee being evil having such hearts speak good things all is evil that comes from you and how can it bee otherwise Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks And in like manner O Generation of Believers How can yee being good but bring forth good things Or how can you say or think there is a treasure of Grace a fountain of light within when no streams spring forth Penury in the life speaks no great plenty in the heart the Truths of God within you are the Seed of God the good seed that hee sows in his fields where there 's good seed sown in good ground you will expect a fruitful Harvest a barren crop speaks a barren soil or no good seed sown there 1 John 2.3 Hereby we do know that wee know him if wee keep his Commandements We know God but are you sure of it are you not mistaken No wee are not mistaken wee know that wee know him But how do you know it Why how are trees known By their fruits ye shall know them How do yee know that this is indeed the Tree of Knowledge Why see what fruits are hanging upon it wee keep the Commandements Here 's Obedience growing here 's Holiness and Righteousness and Mercy Doubtless this is the right Tree for behold all the Commandements the two Tables hanging upon the boughs of it and not broken but kept and observed Wee may as well say Obedience is no Obedience Duty is no Duty Faith and Love and Humility and Patience are not what they are as that the Tree that brings forth this fruit is not the Tree of Knowledge Wee know that wee know him because wee keep his Commandements Yea and the Tree of Life too both in one a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her Prov. 3.18 Where these fruits are not found where are nothing but shews and sounds painted fruits where are nothing but the fruits of unrighteousness contention strife covetousness sensuality and the like he 's very ignorant indeed that is not able to say what ever I am ignorant of this one thing I know that I know not God Christian boast not of what thou hast but consider what thou doest try thy head by thine heart and thy
not thou have a little patience he for the fruits of the Earth but thou for the joyes of Heaven He upon meer probabilities but thou upon infallible certainties He for a Crop of Corn but thou for a Crown of Glory Were he but sure that every Corn would bear a Crow how plentifully would he sowe how joyfully would he wait Why such is thy harvest As sure as the Summer delights do follow the Winters severities as sure as the wisht-for Harvest doth follow the toilsome and costly Seeds-time so sure shall thy Lord return and bring thy reward with him Revel 22.12 Therefore my soul love and long for the approaching Jubile and wait all the daies of my appointed time until my change shall come O blessed state that my Lord hath translated me into O happy change that he hath made I was a stranger and he took me in and made me an heir and preferred me from the Dunghill to the Throne and from a Hewer of wood and Drawer of water to attend his Court and know his Counsels and do his pleasure Happy am I that ever I was born to partake of this endless dignity Hebr. 12.22,23,24 O my Lord it is no little thing thou hast given me in hand I am already come to mount Zion and the City of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born and to God the Judge of all and unto the Spirits of Just men made perfect and unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and unto the blood of sprinkling Gal. 4.6 Luke 5.20 My heart reviveth as Jacobs when I behold the tokens which thou hast sent me the spirit of Adoption the pardon of my sins my patent for Heaven the chain of thy Graces the Son of thy Bosome and the New Testament in his blood 1 Cor. 11.25 Luk. 12.32 Cant. 1.10 Joh. 3.16 Joh. 14.21,23 and the Letters of his love My Lord hath said that he will love me and manifest himself unto me and that the Father will love me and both will come unto me and make their abode in me But is it true indeed Will the Lord dwel on Earth Or if he will shal so foul a Stable so unclean a Stye as my heart hath been shal this be the place that the Lord of life will take up his lodging and keep his Court in Will he indeed come with all his Train of Graces and live and walk in me How can these things be But he hath said it and I do and I will believe it Psal 31.19 Yet all this is but the earnest of what is to come Oh how great is thy goodness laid up for them that fear thee Yet a little while and my warfare shal be accomplished and the Heavens must receive me till the time of the restitution of all things 2 Pet. 1.14 It is but for a short term that I shal dwel in this dirty flesh in an earthen Tabernacle Joh. 12.26 My Lord hath shewed me that where he is there shal his servant be Now the living is tyed to the dead and my Soul is a Stage of strife and a Field of war 1 Cor. 13.10 But t is but a little moment and that which is perfect shal come perfect Holiness and perfect Peace eternal Serenity and a Serene Eternity O my sins Rev. 21.27 I am going where you cannot come where no unclean thing shal enter nor any thing that defileth Methinks I see all my Afflictions and Temptations all mine infirmities and corruptions falling off me as Elijah's Mantle at his translation O my Soul dost thou not see the Chariots of fire and the Horses of fire come to take thee up Luk. 16.22 Be thou as poor as Lazarus yet God will not disdain to send a Party of Angels to conduct thee home How canst thou doubt of ready reception who hast such a friend in Court who will lead thee with boldness into his Fathers presence Gen. 45.16 If there were Joy in Pharaoh's Court when it was said Joseph's Brethren are come surely it will be welcom newes in Heaven when it s told Jesus his Brethren are come My Soul fear not to enter though the Lord be clothed with Terrour and Majesty For thy Redeemer will procure thee favour and plead thy right Joh. 16.27 I am sure of welcom for the Father himself loveth me I have tasted and tryed his love Luke 15. and when I had played the wicked Prodigal yet he despised not my Raggs but fell on my neck and kissed me and Heaven it self made merry over me Much more will he receive me gladly and let out his loves upon me when presented to him by his Son in his perfect likeness as a fit Object for his everlasting delight Fear not O my Soul as if thou wert going to a strange place Why Heaven is thy Countrey and thy home wilt thou doubt of leave or fear of welcome when it is thine own home Why my Soul thou wast born from above and here is thy Kindred and thy Fathers House and therefore thou shalt surely be admitted And then shall I see the glorious preparations of Eternal Love and the blissful Mansions of the Heavenly Inhabitants Doubtless it shal be thus These are not sick-mens Dreams or childrens hopes The living God cannot deceive me and may not I certainly promise my self what the Lord hath promised me I will sooner think that all my senses are deluded and what I see and feel and taste is but a fancy then think that the living God will deceive me or that his unchangeable Covenant will fail 1 Joh. 3.2 Now I am a son of God but it doth not yet appear what I shal be but this I know I shal be like him and see him as he is I know it shal be thus Why what security should I ask of God He hath given me all the assurance in the world And though the word of God be enough yet he willing to shew more abundantly to the Heits of Promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath Heb. 6.17 that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye I might have strong consolation O unreasonable Unbelief What shal not the Oath of a God put an end to thy strife O my God I am satisfied it is enough Now I may be bold without presumption and boast without Pride And will no more call my Duty Arrogance nor my Faith a Fancy O my Soul There is but a short life betwixt thee and Glory where holy Angels and glorified Saints shal be mine onely Associates and Love and Praise mine onely employment Job 38.7 Methinks I hear already how the Morning-stars sing together and all the sons of God shout for joy O that I could come in for one But it was said unto me I should rest yet for a little
nothing but love to restrain us from sin and constrain and quicken us to duty Christians have wee but one thing to do in all wee do sometimes wee are busie in doing nothing Though there bee a Prayer in our mouths the praises of God in our mouths Christ heaven holiness glory a new heart a new life upon our tongues there 's nothing within no prayer no praise no Christ nor heaven what have we been often doing in the closet in the family in the congregation when wee seemed to have been praying nothing nothing but sowing wind and good words Sometimes we have too many things in our hearts what a world of carnal devices and fleshly projects have wee wrapt up in the garment of our Religion Peter's sheet had not a more heterogeneous miscellany of creatures four-footed beasts wilde beasts creeping things and fowls of the air than our religious duties have of designes and ends Wee have men to please our pride our bellies to offer sacrifice to wee bring our farms and our oxen and our trades before the Lord are not our hearts which should bee the houses of prayer the houses of merchandise are wee not talking or pursuing or in a journey or a sleep or driving bargains O Christians if wee were privy to one anothers hearts as God is privy to them what abominations should wee see brought into the holy places What monsters would our most sacred services appear VVhich whilst the out-side is onely viewed are applauded and admired Is this our singleness of heart Oh! for shame and blushing and confusion of face Oh! for a Vail to hide such hearts from the jealous eyes of the holy God a varnish a fair out-side hides all from men but nothing but a dark Vail of shame and sorrow and tears and repentance a Vail dipt in Blood in the blood of Christ will hide them from the eyes of the Lord. Oh how little plainness and singleness of heart is there in our ordinary course in our dealings and conversings in the VVorld how little faith or truth is there in us how little trust is there to us what doubling what deceitful dealing defrauding over-reaching undermining are wee guilty of how false are wee in our promises how insignificant are our words what an uncertain sound do they give our yea may often stand for nay and our nay for yea Psal 12.2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour with flattering lips and a double heart do they speak trust yee not in a friend put not confidence in a guide Blessed bee God the Lord hath a Generation on whom this cannot bee charged Children that will not lye nor deceive though Satan and this evil world binde up all in a bundle they are all naught they are all false vain boasters and deceitful workers there 's none up-right no not one but thanks bee to God Satan is a lyer the accuser of the Brethren is a false accuser God hath his children that will not lye But woe bee to those professours by reason of whom the offence cometh Christians hath God promised to give you one heart Let it bee once said this day is this Scripture fulfilled O may you bee the accomplishment of this good word Hath God promised to give you one heart Do not you say but I will not take it two are better than one I have found so much the sweet of deceit that there 's no life like it Hath God said I will give one heart let not any one among you say But I fear he will not Make not the promise of God of none effect either by your impiety or unbelief Doth God promise to give this one heart hee that promised it doth also require it Bee thy self Christian Let it bee said thou art what thou art bee true bee but one have but one heart and let thy one heart have but one tongue but one face and but one thing to do Beware of hypocrisie beware of carnal policy make not thy God to serve thy flesh call not the serving of thy flesh a serving of God and make not thy serving of God to bee a serving of the flesh Bee not divided betwixt God and the World O how easie would our lives bee did we finde our whole souls running one way taking up w th God as the adequate object of all our powers the marke of all our motions and the reward of all our labours did all our streams empty themselves into this Ocean and all our lines meet in this one center Did God onely draw and allure our hearts and the sincerity of our hearts give motion to all our wheels Guide our eyes govern our tongues order our steps animate our duties direct and quicken us in all our goings Oh how sweet oh how beautiful were such a life the Sympathy betwixt our hearts and end there 's sweetness the harmony of our hearts and waies there 's beauty O how sweet are the drawings of love the free and full closure of our Spirits with God dissolving themselves into his Will acquiessing resting satisfyed in his goodness is a sweetness which no man knows but hee that tastes it the harmony of the power of the soul within its self of its motions and actions in the life there 's the beauty which will eclipse the glory of the world Christian bee it thus with thee and thou hast the blessing that covenant blessing which the Lord hath promised in saying I will give them one heart CHAP. XII An Heart of Flesh 4. AN Heart of Flesh Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an Heart of Flesh The old heart is a stone cold as a stone dead as a stone hard as a stone but I will take away the stone and give an heart of flesh An heart of flesh is a soft and tender heart Flesh can feel any thing that 's contrary to it puts it to pain Sin makes it smart it cannot kick but it is against the pricks by its rebellion and resistance against the Lord it receives a wound it cannot hit but it hurts it self A soft hand gets nothing by laying on on an hedge of thorns A soft heart when it hath been medling with sin is sure to smart for it It can neither escape the pain nor yet endure it and what it cannot bear 't will take warning to avoid it Flesh will bleed A soft heart will mourn and melt and grieve when hard hearts are moved at nothing Flesh will yield It s apt to receive impressions The power of God will awe it his justice fear it his mercy melt it his holiness humble it and leave the stamp and image of it upon it And as the Attributes so the Word and Works of God will make sign upon it Who sets a seal upon a stone or what print will it receive upon the wax the print will abide God speaks once and twice but man hardned man will not regard it Neither his
of thy spirits that thou daily layest out upon it What means so much hunting after and heaping it up for thy self What hast thou been hunting all this while after shadowes Heaping up vanities No no thou mistakest thy self these shadowes are thy substance these vanities are the God whom thou adorest If thou didst not prize thou wouldst not venture so deeply for them And so on the other side when so little is done for God When any thing must suffice to be spent on souls or eternity what cheap things do we count them I love God above all with all my heart with all my soul he is all my hope and all my desire what a miserable creature were I if it were not for my hope in God What would all the world be to me should I lose my soul But dost thou speak in earnest Dost thou think what thou speakest What and so very a Drone in seeking of God What and so indifferent so cold and so spiritless in thy enquiries after him in thy motions towards him So sparing of thy labour so negligent of duty so seldom at it so soon weary so many delayes so many excuses How many times hath God called thee after him and all thine answer hath been an excuse An excuse instead of an Ordinance an excuse instead of a Prayer an excuse instead of Action an excuse instead of an Alms an excuse instead of an Admonition or a Reproof if he will be served with excuses he shall have service enough but little besides I am weary or t is too late or t is cold and and so a short and hasty Prayer must serve or none at all I have much business upon me a Family a Farm and the cares and trouble of it that I cannot have so much time nor freedom to attend upon God as others have and so a Sermon lost a Sacrament lost I live amongst ill neighbours if I should be so forward and so active for God so zealous and so spiritual in my Discourse in my way I should be but a scoff and a reproach and it may be a prey to evill men I want ability to speak to the edification of others I have not the boldness as others have to reprove or admonish I pray thee have me excused Wise men indeed an Excuse instead of a Duty 'T is all one as if when the Lord calls to thee Come to me and be saved thy Answer should be I pray thee excuse me I must to the Devil and be damned But is this thy love Is this thy zeal Is this thy valuing of God above all Tremble Sluggard whatever excuses thou findest out ro substitute in the room of duty this is that thou canst never excuse nor acquit thy self of a slighting of God Thy very excuses will accuse thee for a sloathful servant and this for a slighter of God Whilest the Apostle sayes I reckon that the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed But I reckon saist thou that all that glory to come is not worthy to be compared with the present labour But now Activity and Industry puts a great price upon God this is written upon all our labours He is worthy for whom I do all this some of the most humble watchful laborious Christians do sometimes complain Oh I fear I love not God his Favour his Honour is little set by me but whence then is thy care to please God Whence are all thy labours of love Do'st watch and pray and work and run Can'st spend and be spent for God and yet not love him Do'st live to God can'st dye for God and yet not prize him What greater proof can'st give of love then such labour 2. Activity is necessary It is a vain thing to think of making any thing of Religion without it the work of it is too great to be done by lying still the comforts of it lye too deep to be gotten out by a wish There 's many a poor man in this world that would be the richest man in the Countrey if riches may be gotten by a wish he may assoon with himself into wealth as thou into grace and comfort This one thing mens not being able to bear the labour of Religion is a Rock at which many a soul hath split and suffered an eternal wrack He that hath some love to holiness and yet not so much as to carry him through the work of holiness is short of sincerity and short of sincerity short of salvation He that sticks not at labour will not stick at suffering He that sluggs at doing will shrink back from suffering Say not There 's a Lion in the streets overcome the Lion and you will not fear the Bear Get over Difficulties and there 's but one still more Distress betwixt thee and glory Pass the first and thou wilt be the more bold to venture the latter Holy Activity will be a witness of thy sincerity carry this witness in thine heart and then which way ever the world does go and what storms soever may fall thou wilt have this to uphold thee Integrity and uprightness shall preserve me and eternity reward me Where Sincerity is the root and holy Activity the blossom an eternal weight of glory shall be the fruit Lye idle and all will be lost Take heed of Soul take thine easie lest the next word thou hear be This night shall thy soul be required of thee Well this is a second thing included in Obedience Activity and this also must be considered ere thou resolvest I will Obey but can I Labour 3. Integrity The Obedience which God expects must be entire Obedience not onely the Obedience of the whole man but to the whole will of God Psal 119.8 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandements 1 Pet. 1.14,15 As obedient children be ye holy in alâ— manner conversation Matth. 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you But of this having spoken more largely elswhere it shall suffice to give some short hints 1. Of one comprehensive duty wherein all the rest are included and on which they depend and that is The holding up and maintaining Gods Authority in the soul As God hath set up his Authority over the soul his word which is to have the government of it so hath he set up an Authority in the soul the Understanding and the Conscience These Powers as they are under Authority under the Authority of the word so they are set in Authority over the subordinate and inferiour faculties the Will and the Passions or Affections But sin now hath made a mutiny and Insurrection the Will rises against Reason and will not be guided the Passions rebell against Conscience and will not be governed nay they do not onely resist but take upon them to command and impose upon Conscience What the Will would have Conscience must say t is Reason it should have must
is sin that sins so may it be said of duty It is no more I that do it but Christ that dwelleth in me Though both be the act of the Person both the sin and the duty yet the Principle of the one is Lust the Power of the other is of Christ Christians cannot go through and they dare not set upon a duty without looking up to Christ and leaning upon him for assistance They cannot go through and therefore they will not set forth but it the strength of the Lord. All tâ—eir Acts of Obedience are exhibited and offered up in the name of Christ Their services are their sacrifices to God and Christ is their Altar What is a sacrifice without an Altar Christ is our Altar which sanctifies our gift God looks on all and so do they as nothing worth without Christ God will not accept and therefore they will not offer other then the Lamb for their sacrifice All their acts of Obedience are acknowledged to the praise of Christ It is no more I that do it but the grace of God which was with me Grace does the work and Grace shall carry away the praise Christ is all in the race and therefore on his head the Crown is set Not unto us Lord not unto us but to thy Name be the pra se Not of us and therefore not unto us of him and therefore unto him If I am any thing what others are not if I have done any thing more then others no thank to me and therefore no praise To him be all who is All in all to me Christians Obedience is their walking in Christ Christians Obedience is their walking in the Spirit They have received the Spirit and they walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 they have not received the spirit of this world their spirit is not flesh but the Spirit which is of God 1 Cor. 2.12 They are dead to things carnal the spirit of the world is departed they have given up this ghost 'T is the Spirit of the living God that lives in them and in this they live and walk They walk in the Light of the Spirit in the Power of the Spirit the Spirit of the Lord steets their Course and fills their Sails is their Pilot and their Star and their Wind that carries them on When they pray they pray in the Spirit when they hear they hear in the Spirit through the Spirit they mortifie the flesh are crucified to the world they obey they suffer they fight they overcome through the Spirit of the living God that is in them They live in fellowship with the Spirit and by him with the Father and the Son They dwell in the invisible world their acquaintance and converse is in Heaven thither they have access and there they have acceptance thither they have their recourse and thence they have their returns Duties and comforts are the tokens that are passing betwixt Heaven and Earth Their life is Love and Joy and Praise these are the most noble acts of their Obedience and these give Wings to their hearts carry them on more swiftly and more sweetly through all their course Oh how heavily do we drive on how slowly do our Wheels move when the Spirit of the living God is not in the Wheels Oh how dead are our Duties how lame are our walkings what low and poor spirited creatures are we How weak are our hearts how unripe our fruits we do but half do what we do there is no heart in our life we are as bodies without souls whilest our soul is without a Spirit Oh how sad is it with many of us upon this account By our estrangement from God we have even lost our selves we are not what we are because we are no more where he is By our distances from Heaven we are even choaked with the damps of the Earth We are fit for little we prosper in nothing God takes no pleasure and we take no comfort in any thing we do our spirits are so chil'd and benummed within as that we neither make sign in our work not ridance of our way And what are we in our Societies To how little profit do we meet How little heat do we get yea how much do we lose at our brethrens fires We serve often but to damp and cool each others spirits as if it might be no longer said Wo to him that is alone but wo be to him that is in company alone hee 's more warm Christians I solemnly profess I am ashamed of my self and my heart is pained within me to observe how insipid how spiritless how carnal our converses are how often may we meet How long may we sit Christian with Christian ere any thing that savours of the spirit of a Christian comes from us Oh how hard must we strain for a few gracious words How little does come How heartless when it comes How very few of us are there whose ordinary converse speaks us to be men of another world whose business and whose delight lyes above and are in good earnest pressing on towards Heaven How seldom and how short-breath'd are our spiritual discourses How little must suffice How quickly are we diverted to things carnal and sensual Sure 't is our little communion with God that hath thus incarnated and communion of Saints Oh let us live more in the fellowship of the Spirit and we shall have fellowship one with another to better purpose Le ts warm our selves at the Sun le ts dwell more in his Beams and we shall get and give more Light and Heat Thus must it be considered ere we resolve what there is in this Obedience 2. It must be considered What it is like to be attended withall from without What suffering it may cost us what scorn and contempt and reproaches and persecutions of all sorts it 's like to set Earth and Hell upon our backs if carnal counsels and fleshly policies if all the powers of darkness if might and malice can do it this way will be made too hot and too hard for thee Tribulation great tribulation thou must expect and canst not escape and the more strict and circumspect the hotter must thou look thine Assaults will be Professors of Religion that are of the largest size that are not so strict to their Rule but they can dispence with Duty nor so forward in point of Zeal and Activity but they can remit and abate as occasion serves may escape this persecuting world the better but he that will be faithful who ever escape is sure to be made a Prey This also must be well considered I will follow Christ but can I drink of the Cup that he drank of Can I be baptized with the Baptisme the Baptisme of Blood that he was baptized with There are persons who sometimes take up the profession of Religion and resolve all on a sudden they will follow Christ not understanding what there is in it or what Christianity may stand them in who by
will they not prove themselves so to be but specially graces will be their own evidence Things outward fall alike to all No man knowes love or hatred by ought that befalls him Eccles 9.1 Thou mayest be a son or a bastard notwithstanding all that thou enjoyest or sufferest here but not one of the fore-mentioned graces but is a childes portion Gods mark upon the heart to distinguish children from strangers Prove that thou truly knowest the Lord hast one heart a tender heart c. and thou therein provest thy self to be a child of Promise Read over the descriptions that have been given of these graces observe diligently where the main differenâ—e lyes betwixt common and special grace compare thine heart with it and thereby thou mayest give a judgement of thy state If it be yet questionable whether it be sound or no sit not down till thou hast obtained but having obtained 2. Keep your evidences clear Have you peace maintain it carefully The hidden Manna will never breed worms by long keeping Content not your selves that you once had peace 't will be but a poor livelihood you will get out of what 's wasted and lost Get you good evidences that God is yours and keep them by you till you need them no more Grace is your best evidence cherish and preserve it Get a seeing eye and keep your eye open get a single heart and let it not be again divided get a tender heart and keep it tender let the love and fear of God be acted in holy Obedience An obedient gracious watchful active life will keep grace in heart and flourishing grace will speak for it self and you Look not that the Lord should so far countenance your declinings to a more fleshly careless state as to smile upon you in such a state God will not be an Abettor to sin Count upon it that your grace and peace your duty and comfort will rise and fall together suspect those comforts that accompany you into the tents of wickedness and forsake you not when you forsake your God Keep up your spirits and then lift up your heads keep heedfully on your way and your joy shal no man take from you Particularly 1. Keep close by God 2. Keep hold on Christ 3. Keep touch with the Spirit 4. Keep in with Conscience 1. Keep close to God Keep thy self under his eye and influences Both thy grace and thy comforts as they had their birth so must they have their nourishment from Heaven Lose the sight of the Sun and darkness follows Let thine eyes be towards the hills Let divine love be the pleasure of thy life Let it be thy Lords cord upon thine heart let it binde thee to him be loves Captive let thine ear be bor'd to the threshold be familiar in Heaven keep thine acquaintance there and be at peace chide back thy gadding heart Soul whither art thou going who hath the words of eternal life let the interviews of love betwixt thy Lord and thee be constant let them not be onely on some few holy days of thy life Count not thou hast lived that day in which thou hast not liv'd with God Keep close to God by keeping close to duty Keep close to duty and keep close to God in duty Call not that a duty which thou canst not call communion with God Make not duty to do the work of sin to take God out of sight Let not Prayer or Hearing or Sacraments be instead of a God to thee Such praying and hearing there is amonst many but know not thou any thing for Religion wherein thou meetest not with God Behold the face of God but behold his face in righteousness Psal 17.15 'T is ill looking on God with a blood-shot eye Guilt upon the heart will be a cloud that will make the Sun as darkness to thee Walk in the light of the Lord. Walk in the light as he is in the light In thy light the holiness of thy life thou shalt see his light The light of his holiness in thee will be attended with the light of his countenance upon thee By the light of his countenance thou wilt both see thy self in thy way to thine hopes and learn thy way more perfectly Psal 119.135 Make thy face to shine upon thy Servant and teach me thy statutes God hath many ways of teaching he teaches by Book he teaches by his Finger he teaches by his Rod but his most comfortable and effectual teaching is by the light of his Eye Send forth thy light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me to thy holy Hill 2. Keep hold on Christ He is thy peace Appear not before God but in the blood of the Lamb let him carry up thy duties and own not that for a comfort which is not brought thee by his hand Let him be thy way to the Father and thy Fathers way to thee Keep fresh upon thine heart the memory of his death and satisfaction and let that be thy life and thine hope Hast thou cast Anchor on this Rock lose not thy hold hang upon the horns of the Altar Thou canst not live but there if thou must dye say but I will dye here Put forth fresh Acts of faith everyday and hour Believe believe believe and thou shalt be established Fall not into Unbelief then thou art gone thou departest from the living God Heb. 3.12 3. Keep touch with the Spirit Observe and obey his motions when he excites get thee on when he checks get thee back know the holy from the evil spirit by its according or differing with the Scriptures reject that spirit in the heart that is not the same with the Spirit in the word Try the Wind what and whence it is by thy Card and Gompass To the Law and to the Testimony And when thou perceivest it s from above hoise up thy sails and get thee on Quench not the Spirit Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby thou art sealed to the day of Redemption 4. Keep in with Conscience Make not thy witness thine enemy Deal friendly with it thou wilt need its good word which thou canst not have if it receive blowes from thee it will not learn this Lesson to speak good for evil or if thou shouldest beat it into it thou art undone if an abuse conscience speak peace it becomes thy Traytor Give due respect to Conscience Let it abide with thee in Peace and in Power Keep up its Authority as Gods Vicegerent Next under God commit the keeping of thy soul to conscience as the Lord hath so do thou make it superintendent in thy soul the Judge and Over-seer of all thy motions and actions Let conscience counsell thee and tell thee thy way let conscience quicken thee and put thee on in thy way let conscience watch thee that thou turn not out of thy way let conscience check thee and reduce thee into thy way Whither ever thou goest carry conscence along with thee carry
up your hearts with all your heart grudge not that the Lord requires but bless God that he will accept of an offering this hath a comfortable signification If the Lord had meant to destroy us he would not have accepted an offering at our hands Judg. 13.23 2. A Thank-offering Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most High Offer up your selves in token of yuor thankfulness to the Lord. Be ye both the Priests and the Lambs for the sacrifice Present your selves to the Lord as the accomplishments of his Covenant as the fruits of the death of your Redeemer as the Trophies of his Victory as the spoils which he hath recovered from Death and Hell making a shew of them openly that it may be seen that the promise of God is not of none effect and that Christ did not die in vain Let your Lord Jesus when he comes down into his Garden where he left his blood reap his pleasant fruits and carry up your purified Souls as the signals of his glorious atchievement Offer up your sins to the Lord these unclean beasts will be an acceptable sacrifice There 's more real honour growing up to the Lord from one mortified Saint then from ten thousand Anthems from the most seraphick tongues Offer up your duties to the Lord your obedience for a sacrifice To obey is better then sacrifice then thousands of Rams and ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle Let your whole life be this sacrifice let every day be a Sabbath every duty an Eucharist every member a Cymbal sounding out the praises of God Offer up the calves of your lips unto the Lord. O let your souls be filled with wonder and your mouths with praise Whence in this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me Oh whence is this to us that the Lord our Father should come and come so near to us Oh whence is it That the Mighty God should indent and come into bond with sinful man that he who was free from all men should make himself debtor to any That the high and lofty One that inhabits Eternity should dwell in Houses of Clay and pitch his Tabernacle in the Dust That he who humbleth himself to behold the Heavens should come down into the earth and after what is he come down but after a dead Dog or a Flea that he should make a league with the stones of the gâ—ound with the beasts of the field and creeping things should espouse dust and ashes and gather up vile worms into his bosome should set his heart upon shadows and adopt the refuse of the earth for Sons and Daughters to himself should raise the poor out of the dust and the beggar from the Dunghil should do such great things and should choose the foolish and the weak and the base and the contemptible and bostow on them among all the world these high honors should make them the Head and the honourable whom the world hath made the Tail the filth and the off-scouring of all things should give himself to be the portion his Son to be the ransome his kingdome to be the heritage of bankrupts prisoners and captives Lord what is man that thou art thus mindful of him Soul what is God that thou shouldst be yet unmindful of him How is it that the tongue of the dumb is not yet loosened that the feet of the lame do not leap as an Hart Oh what is that love whence this strange thing hath broken forth This this is the womb that bare thee hence hath thy righteousness sprung forth hence have thy dignities thy astonishing hope and joys arisen to thee this is it that yearned upon thee in thy mercy that reprived thee from death redeemed thee from darkness rescued thee as a brand out of the burning that pitied thee in thy blood washed thee from thy blood spared thee pardoned thee reconciled thee and brought thee an enemy a rebel a traitor into a Covenant of peace with the God of glory Ah contemptible dust that ever there should be such compassionate contrivements and such astonishing condescentions of the eternal Deity towards so vile a thing O love the Lord all ye his Saints O bless the Lord ye beloved ye people near unto the Lord. Alas that our hearts should be so narrow that the waters should be so shallow with us where are our eyes if we be not yet filled with wonders what hearts have we if we have not yet filled our lips with praise Open all thy springs O my soul let them flow forth in streams of love and joy let every faculty be tuned and strained to the height let heart and hands and tongue and eyes lift up their voice be astonished O heavens be moved ye strong foundations of the earth fall down ye Elders strike up ye heavenly Quires lend poor mortals your Notes to sing forth the high praises of God who rideth on the heavens and hath caused us to ride on the high places of the earth and made us sit together in hevenly places shewing forth the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus Awake up my Glory awake Psaltery and Harps I my self wil awake right early My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour for he that is mighty hath done for me great things and holy is his Name Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemed his People who hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David who hath laid help on one who is mighty and exalted one chosen among the People and hath given him for a Covenant to them Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name who hath redeemed thy life from death and crowned thee with loving kindness and tender mercies Salvation to our God that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lamb. Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and glory and honour and blessing for thou livedst and wast dead and art alive for evermore Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made us Kings and Priests unto our God for ever Hallelujah Hallelujah FINIS