when he withdraws but rejoyce exceedingly when they enjoy his presence and see his face who is altogether lovely They should value his Word and Ordinances in which he is to be found and delight themselves in the contemplation of his fulness and that great and everlasting Salvation whereof he is the Author Their very Souls should love him Cant. 3. 4. which expression intimates both the truth and the strength and fervency of affection and truly our Lord is so excellent that there is no danger or possibility that Love to him should be excessive 2. The Members of Christ should endeavour to promote his Honour and Glory They should be very zealous that their Head may be advanced and have the preeminence over all things Their tongues should be shewing forth his praises commending him to the World as the best of Princes as the only Saviour and declaring the unreasonableness of the Worlds prejudices against his yoak and burthen which are so easie and so light Mat. 11. ult They should earnestly desire that Christ their Lord may be the Worlds Universal Monarch and that all Earthly Kings and Emperors may cast down their Crowns before him and willingly submit to his Scepter and Government 3. The Members of Christ should obey all his Commands Joh. 14. 15. If ye love me keep my Commandments And v. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me It is a monstrousness in Nature if any of the Members should not be placed under the Head Surely then all the Members of Christ should readily be subject to him Thus to be Subject is to Reign Obedience is the great Sacrifice to be offered under the New Testament the Saints are styled Priests Kings as well as Priests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2. 9. So that to obey the Lord Jesus contains in it no less than a Regal Honour He should be reverenced all his Commands performed He that hears Christs sayings and doth them is the wise Builder whose House shall never fall is indeed the blessed man and is in the right way to Life and Immortality Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the gates into the City 4. The Members of Christ should live by faith upon him They are to expect the Remission of sin and deliverance from wrath to come no other way when they have done their best and most they must look unto Jesus that they through him may be accepted For there is no way to be accepted but in the Beloved Eph. 1. 6. In all their Temptations Sorrows Sufferings they are to depend upon him for succour joy and Grace sufficient The Body is secured and in the Spiritual Warfare has both conduct and conquest by acting Faith in Christ the Head Every Member therefore should imitate the Apostle who said Gal. 2. 20. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me 5. The Members of Christ should do nothing unbecoming his Members The Glory and Name of Christ and the Credit of the Gospel should be very dear to them and they ought to be blameless and harmless without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation and shine as lights in the World Phil. 2. 15. They should manifest that they abide in Christ by walking as he walked they should he patient meek and lowly as Christ was contemn the world as he contemn'd it count it their meat and drink to do the will of God as he did and since Christ endured the contradiction of sinners against himself so should they Though the Foes of Christ are numerous and oppose his interest with never so great force and fury yet his members must never be ashamed to own their Head nor afraid to follow him It becomes them and it concerns them to cleave to him with full purpose of heart Acts 11. 23. For to leave him is to be lost for ever and to bid farewell to blessedness and life eternal USE II. Let the Members of this Body the Church consider the relation they have one to another They are indeed very near and should look upon themselves as very near one to another And this Relation should be of mighty efficacy to perswade them to perform those mutual Duties which are incumbent upon them In the general All particular Members should consult the good of the whole Church They believe the Holy Catholick Church and their Love should run parallel with their Faith and care will be an effect of true Love A private Spirit is very prejudicial to the Body of Christ whilst only one part is minded and not another 'T is just as if there should be an endeavour to make one member of the Body natural great and strong with an unconcernedness how weak and feeble and small soever the other Members remain 'T is lamentable that there are so many Parties in the Christian Church but 't is more to be lamented that these Parties are so selfish and so little mind the common interest which being neglected their private interest cannot be regarded so truly as it should be For if a whole Town be burnt down to the ground no particular house escapes the fury of the flames No mans Cabin can be secured if the Ship be cast away and sinks to the bottom of the Sea There are several Counsels which I would intreat the Members of the Church to follow that it may be the better with the Church and with themselves 1. Let not the higher Members despise the lower You that are higher what have you that you have not received why then should you glory as if you had not received it 1 Cor. 4. 7. That 's a Scripture whose sharp point should prick the bladder and let out pride and self-conceitedness Phil. 2. 3. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves Moses the holiest and most useful man in his time was the meekest man upon earth Numb 12. 3. The Apostle Paul though he laboured more abundantly than all the Apostles to spread the Gospel and Faith of Christ yet in what an humble style does he write of himself and surely his Heart and Pen went together 1 Cor. 15. 9. I am the least of the Apostles that am not worthy to be called an Apostle Nay he abases himself beneath all Saints as well as all Apostles and ventures the Critick's scoff in coyning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew how low he was in his own thoughts Eph. 3. 8. Vnto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ 2. Let not the lower Members of the Church be discontented Every Member is highly favoured highly honoured every
12. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life They that by faith receive the Lord Jesus are purified are regenerated and shall live for ever but as many as through unbelief reject him remain dead in sin and doom'd to Hell Union with Christ is a most necessary a most happy union The Churches life from this has its beginning and continuance unto consummation 2. The Head has a mighty influence upon the Body There is a powerful influence from Christ upon his Church and what good it does is done by vertue of this influence He is said to be exalted far above all Heavens that he might fill all things Eph. 4. 10. Whatever grace and strength and comfort is communicated to believers it is really and all from Christ He fills Ordinances with efficacy mercies with sweetness afflictions with light and usefulness and Souls with greater degrees of Grace and Holiness out of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all-fulness it has pleased the Father should dwell in him Col. 1. 19. Our Lord tells his Disciples they must abide in him for separated from him they can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. No wonder the Apostle professes That Christ is all and in all Col. 3. 11. Though the Body the Church should be never so much increased a deficiency in the Head Christ need not be feared neither is it indeed possible for in him there is all the fulness of the Godhead And consequently his Rightousness and Grace must needs be sufficient for the whole 3. The Body has many Members and these members have different Offices The Church likewise has various members and their different stations relations callings diversify their work and duties and yet the doing of these duties is both comely and advantageous and the more every one does his own work the more all are benefited Rom. 12. 45. the Apostle tells us That as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office so we being many are one body in Christ And from thence infers that All should use the gifts they have received which are differing according to the grace and good pleasure of God the Giver It would be unreasonable for the Ear to attempt to speak like the Tongue or the Hand to see like the Eye The several members have their uses and work proper to them All are not Apostles all are not Prophets all are not Teachers all are not Governours 1 Cor. 12. 29. There are many indeed most in the Church that have need to be taught and governed and those that think themselves wise enough to instruct and govern themselves and so despise their spiritual Guides usually are the most ignorant and unruly and hugely need the help and conduct of others The members must abide in their place and calling Masters Servants Parents Children Husbands Wives Magistrates Subjects Pastors People doing their duties which the Scripture in their several stations and relations calls for 4. The Body is fitly joyned and thus fitly joyned is the Church of Christ The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies that there is a congruous order among the members of Christ Without Order an Army would be a Rout and not an Army a Kingdom would become a confused self-destroying multitude The Churches God is the God of Order and not of confusion 1 Cor. 14. 33. There is a rule for Order and Government and a subordination in the Church 't is not a body of levellers if there were a perfect parity all would affect to rule none would care to be ruled The reproof of two or three is more than the reproof of one the Churches admonition and censure is still with greater authority The flock is to submit themselves â—o their Pastors who are over them in the Lord. Heb. 13. 17. and both Pastors and people are to submit especially unto Christian Magistrates who are prophetically promised in the Old Testament that they should be Nursing Fathers to the Church under the New A right Order in Churches and Families will have a mighty influence to make believers stedfast against temptations both to Error and Wickedness The Apostle rejoyced in the Colossians chap. 2. 5. when he beheld their order and the stedfastness of of their faith in Christ 5. The Body is compact together so is the Church of Christ the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shews that the Church is firmly knit unto Christ the Head and the members one unto another The hypostatical Vnion between the Natures of Christ shall never be dissolved neither shall the mystical union between him and his members and if so then his true members must needs remain closely knit together There are ligaments joynts bands whereby the Body of Christ is held together The Spirit of Grace and Love unites the body to Christ and members to members The Ministers of Christ are subservient unto this union and ought to be preaching and commending love which is a grace of an uniting nature The Apostle had a concernedness for the Colossians which he expresses by a great conflict and that which he wisht so vehemently for was this that their hearts might be comforted beingknit together in love Col. 2. 1 2. Where is the member of the natural Body that grows weary of its fellowship and is willing to be cut off The Arms the Hands the Leggs the Feet are desirous to keep their places and and nature makes them abhor to be severed True grace makes the members of the Church to dislike separation As they believe so they very well like and are desirous of the communion of Saints A very black mark is set upon them who are of a contrary inclination 1 Joh. 2. 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest they were not all of us 6. God hath set the Members in the body as it pleased him the different gifts and graces which are in the Church of Christ and the members of it are according to Gods will and pleasure He bestowes larger gifts upon some and less upon others and yet those that have less are not unuseful Some Saints receive greater measures of Grace others smaller but all have that grace which is true and which at last will end in glory Some members of the Church are higher others lower and yet they should not envy or despise one another for God has assigned their place unto both the higher may direct the lower the lower may serve the higher The eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of thee nor the head to the feet I Have no need of you and those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary 1 Cor. 12. 21 22. By the grace of God the members of Christ are what they are They have nothing but what they have received and the more
extraction and born of God himself All her true members are new Creatures they are beautified with the image of God and resemble him in Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness As Sin is the greatest deformity so Holiness is the truest beauty 't is this which makes the Angels shine nay 't is the glory of God himself Exod. 15. 11. Who is like unto thee O Lord among the Gods who is like thee glorious in Holiness How certain is it that the Righteous man is more excellent than his Neighbour Now the Church is called the Generation of the Righteous The Church is likened to a Woman because the Woman excells the man in beauty but she is such a Woman as the like is not to be found Rev. 12. 1. She is cloathed with the Sun the Moon is under her feet and upon her head a Crown not of Gold and Diamonds but better a Crown of twelve Stars What can equal this Glory of the Church All flesh is grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the field which soon withers and fades away She is said to be cloathed with the Sun because justified by Christ the Sun of Righteousness the Moon is said to be under her feet because all changeable things are below her spiritualized and raised Affections the twelve Stars which are her Crown signifie the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb whereby she is inlightned and brought at length to that light which is everlasting 5. The Church is a Body of great strength for this Body is strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Sinners are without strength they cannot please God they cannot profit themselves but the Churches members are strengthened with might by the Spirit in their inward man so that they can do things beyond the power of Nature they can see the invisible God they can believe against hope they can overcome and deny themselves they can wrestle with the Almighty and as Princes prevail with him they can foil the Principalities and Powers of darkness they can fight the good fight of Faith and lay hold of eternal life and all these are mighty acts indeed too great to be performed by any that are Hypocrites and ungodly The Church is most opposed and yet is most victorious and will still abide in the world notwithstanding all the worlds rage like the Immortal Regiment among the Persians that never was destroyed till the Empire was destroyed for if any Souldier was killed another presently was listed in his room This bush of the Church is unconsumed in a flame nay it has been most green and flourishing when the flame has been fiercest God has strengthened and preserved her and her preservation may be look'd upon as one of the greatest Arguments and Miracles of a Providence 6. The Church is a Body to whom the whole world is beholding It should be the joy for it is the security of the whole earth How soon would the Tares be pluck'd up bound in bundles and cast into the fire if it were not for the Wheat which grows among them Mat. 13. 29. The Church is a Friend and wishes well to Mankind 't is her Prayer that Gods way may be known on earth and his saving health among all Nations that the Kingdoms of the World may become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ And like a Mother she is in travel for the conversion and salvation of a greater multitude of Souls Why should the World be angry and recompense evil for good they should all be wise at length and desire to be incorporated into the Church and be resolved to go with her for they may be well assured that God is with her Zech. 8. 23. 7. The Church is a Body that will at length by many degrees be made more glorious than 't is at present Now 't is truly sanctified 't is highly dignified but it does not yet appear what it shall be 1 Joh. 3. 2. But when Christ the Head shall appear the second time without sin to salvation what a glorious Church will appear with him Col. 3. 4. Every member will shine as the Sun in the Fathers Kngdom Mat. 13. 43. And what a glorious spectacle will that be to behold all the Saints together in a company and every one of them shining forth as the Sun and the Son of God at the head of them all How with our cries and groans and serious diligence in preparing for it should we continually be hastning the coming of that day of God! Christs Body the Church has its defects and blemishes while it sojourns here below but at the last day all the spots will be off all the wrinkles smoothed and the end of Christs death will be fully attained Now the Apostle tells us He gave himself for his Church that he might sanctify and cleanse it and present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Eph. 5. 26 27. How gorgeously apparrel'd how richly adorned how amiable and lovely will the Lamb's Bride at last be when Satan shall be quite vanquisht Death swallowed up in Victory and sin shall cease to have a being when light shall be without any darkness joy without sorrow purity without the least mixture of defilement When Christ does put the Crown of Life upon his Churches Head then that Scripture will be fully verified Cant. 4. 7. Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee I come now to the Application USE I. Let the Church and all the members of it consider their relation unto Christ their Head and doe that duty which such a relation calls for They are Christ's and not Mammons they are Christs and not their own they are his purchase his Spouse nay parts and pieces and Members of him which he has bought and united to himself 'T is highly against all reason that they should seek or please themselves in a sinful and self-destroying manner Their Duty towards Christ their Lord and Head is in several Particulars 1. The Members of Christ should love him in great sinoerity The Apostle wishes that the grace of God may be with all such sincere Lovers Eph. 6. 24. Dissembled and seeming Love is really none at all and in several respects worse than none Christs Love to his Church was most real How exceeding low was his humiliation that she might be advanced how great his Sufferings for her eternal Redemption The Apostle speaks as one amazed at the height and length and depth and breadth of this love of Christ which passes knowledge Eph. 3. 18 19. And if the Head be so full of love to all the Members certainly the Members will be in the worst sence unnatural if they return not love to their Head and Saviour they should prize him most highly counting all things but loss and dung that they may win him Phil. 3. 8. They should mourn
is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. USE III. Of Advice unto the Church of Christ and all her true Members 1. Let their imperfection keep them humble There is not a Soul without a stain nor a Grace without a mixture nor a Duty without a failing nor a Saint without some sin remaining All therefore nay the very best of all have reason to be low in their own eyes The more humble we are the more our hearts are suited to our present imperfect state and the more of Gods reviving Presence notwithstanding our imperfection will be vouchsafed For thus saith the High and Lofty One who inhabiteth Eternity whose Name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Isa 57. 15. 2. Let the Churches Members hunger and thirst after a greater measure of righteousness Those that to do so are blessed for they shall be filled sayes he in whom all Fulness dwells Mat. 5. 6. This is an hunger truly sacred that never ends in starving but in satisfaction We should long more for the Waters of Life the Soul should thirst more vehemently for the living God desiring to behold his glory and to be changed more fully into his glorious Image Such kind of desires widen the Souls capacity and make it meet for a larger participation both of Grace and comfort 3. Let the Church believe and long for that enlargement and glory that is promised in the latter dayes but especially to be translated unto those Mansions above which her Head is gone to prepare for her Let her long that her Warfare may be well accomplished her course faithfully finished and the Crown of Life and Righteousness received And to this end let all her Members tear the Air and pierce the Heavens with their cryes Come Lord Jesus come quickly Rev. 22. 20. Thus of the Second Proposition That the Body of Christ is imperfect in this World and therefore continually should be encreasing Proposit III. The Third Proposition follows That the Body of Christ should diligently endeavour the edifying of it self Before the Apostle had used the Metaphor of a Body now he uses another Metaphor of an Edifice or Building The Church is to edify it self but the Power to do this is from God and her Lord who acts and strengthens her in this action lays a just claim to all the glory The Church is an Edifice or an House but a Spiritual one therefore called a Temple Eph. 2. 21 22. In whom that is Christ all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord In whom you also are builded together for an habitarion of God through the Spirit This Temple is holy for God hath set apart such as are godly for himself The Stones are lively for all Saints are quickened to live to God and act for him In this Temple Sacrifices are offered but they aâ—e spiritual Prayers Praises other Duties and the Heart of him that performs them And though these Sacrifices are never so spiritual yet they are not accepted upon their own account but they are acceptable unto God througâ— Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 5. In the further handling of this Proposition I shall First Shew upon what foundation the Church is to Edify it self Secondly To what end this Edification must be Lastly Make Application In the first place I am to shew upon what foundation the Church is to edify it self 1. The Knowledge of God is styled a Foundation 2 Tim. 2. 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his God has from eternity foreknown and chosen his Church in Christ that she should be holy and without blame before him in love Eph. 1. 4. This is a Foundation laid before the Foundation of the World and will endure infinitely longer than the World shall The Churches Members should give all diligence to make their calling and Election sure for if they do these things they shall never fall but an abundant entrance shall be administred to them into the everlasting Kingdom 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Now Election is made sure by hearkening to and obeying the call of the Gospel and departing from Iniquity 2. Christ the Rock is called a Foundation 1 Cor. 3. 11. Other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ. Though he was set at nought by the Jewish builders yet he is the head Stone of the Corner neither is there Salvation in any other The Churches Faith must be firmer in Christ her hope in him more and more abundant and she may build without fear for the Foundation will never fail the Superstructure 2. The Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is also styled a Foundation Eph. 2. 20. Both were inspired by the Holy Ghost and the harmony and agreement between Apostles and Prophets between the Old Testament and the New makes the Foundation more sure The Church that she may edifie her self is to eye the Scripture then she will build according to the right rule Vnwritten Traditions that would impose upon her Faith what the Scripture has not revealed are to be rejected and that light within that would lead her away from the written Word is no more to be followed than a foolish Night-fire If she has Scripture for her Faith and Practice she has good ground for both and both may be justified before the Judge of all the World 4. Obedience and good Works are called a Foundation 1 Tim. 6. 19. Laying up in store for themselves a good Foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on Eternal life This is done by doing good by being rich in good works Though good works are not meritorious for Eternal Life is the Gift of God yet they are necessary to evidence out Faith and that the Promises may be fulfilled Glory and Immortality is promised to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for it Rom. 2. 7. He builds firm that builds his house upon a Rock and he builds thus who hears the Words of Christ and does them But he that hears and does them not is a foolish man and builds his house upon the sand and when the rain descends and the winds blow and the floods come and beat upon his house it will fall and great will be the fall of it Mat. 7. 24 25 26 27. In the second place I am to tell you to what end this Edification of the Church must be 1. The Church must Edifie it self that it may grow Stronger The stronger her Faith is the more will she Glorifie that God in whom she believes Rom. 4. 20. 't is said of Abraham He staggered not at the Promise of God through Vnbelief but was strong in Faith giving glory to God The stronger her Love the more it will constrain her to labour in
things wherein they agree than of those wherein they differ And be sure to deafen your ears to Tale-bearers whose business is to destroy Love and sow Discord The words of a Tale-bearer are as Wounds and how deep do they go Where no Wood is the Fire goeth out and where there is no Tale-bearer the Strife ceaseth Prov. 26. 20. 6. Let this be your frequent Petition That you may be taught of God to love one another Pray that the Word which commands Love may be more deeply engraven in your Hearts and rule there at all times and that all exasperating thoughts and surmises all unruly passions which are contrary to Love as enemies to you to the Church to God himself may be brought into Captivity unto Christ the Prince of Peace USE V. Of Consolation to the distracted drooping desponding Church of Christ and all the sincere Members of it The grounds of Comfort are these 1. The Church of Christ shall be upheld noâ—withstanding all her Divisions What heats what Heresies in the Primitive times If one reads the Catalogue of Errours in Epiphantus and St. Augustine which men professing Christianity embraced and what rents these Errours made it will be just matter of wonder that the Church was not torn to pieces by her own Members Satan has been striking at Faith and Charity and yet still there is a Church and when he has done his worst there will be one 2. The Love of Christ towards his Church is unchangeable The Members may fail in their duty one towards another but the Faithfulness of the Head never fails His care is constant he is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. 'T is said Joh. 13. 1. That Jesus having loved his own that were in the World he loved them to the end And this love secured them to the end 3. There will be no want of love in Heaven Though Christians may not fancy to travel in one anothers company yet they are all going towards the same Countrey and place of eternal rest and when they are once come thither they shall rest from sin and contention as well as from trouble and affliction In that glorious place and state there will be no errour no culpable ignorance remaining both light and love will be in their perfection and because perfect love is there perfect peace and joy will be there also Jerusalem above is a City indeed that is compact together strongly founded for its builder and maker is God Heb. 11. 10. and 't is to last for ever and is built accordingly The triumphant Saints that inhabit there how near are they brought unto God who is all in all How closely and inseparably are they knit together in love St. Paul and Barnabas will no more fall out being both in Heaven and Luther and Zuinglius are perfectly agreed When St. Augustine as he tells us in his Confessions had been discoursing with his Mother concerning Heaven the Crown the Joys the Peace the Pleasures there his Mothers heart grew warm with Sacred Fire and that warmth at length was heightned into an Heavenly Rapture making her cry out Quid hic faciam What shall I do here below How shall I with patience stay in a vale of fears who have had such a sight of the glory such a taste of the joyes of the New Jerusalem Certainly it should make sincere Christians long to be above and it should comfort them that it will not be long ere they are above when they behold the Church on Earth so rent and torn by Pride and Ignorance and unruly Lusts and Passions and when withall they remember that among the innumerable Company of Angels and all the glorifyed Saints there is not the least discord but a compleat and everlasting Harmony I have finished my Discourse concerning Love and the Churches Edification I shall add a few Verses which I made when Prisoner in the Marshalsed I find that Musick relieved Saul when the Evil Spirit came upon him and composed the Spirit of a Prophet when it was ruffled and out of order and perhaps Poetry may have an effect of the like nature The Versâ—s are these Now use thy liberty my Mind Who art not in the least confin'd The whole Earth over thou may'st go And view the All that it can shew And that great All which thou can'st see Is not enough to satiate Thee From Gades to Ganges thou may'st run Thy thought 's much swister than the Sun And in thy travel nothing spy But what is vexing Vanity The greedy Worldling spares no pains The morâ— he has the less he gains To profit others does refuse Nay locks up all from his own use Sensual pleasures mixed be With an inward Anxiety The brutish part they only please But are the Mind's snare and disease Th' Ambitious Man strives to climb high That he may stand more slippery The glist'ring Crowns which Monarchs wear Have less of Honour than of Care Vain World produce even all thy store Thou art indeed a thing but poor Nay Heavens Heirs have felt thy rage In this as every former Age. If not by an excessive love An Idol made of thou do'st prove A Hell or Shambles unto them Who dare thee with thy all contemn The Church is too much like the World Into a strange confusion hurl'd Envy and Wrath and Pride and Strife Imbittering this present life By all is plain enough exprest Arise depart here 's not thy Rest Trample on Earth then take thy flight Immortal Soul Things out of sight Above the Sun or any Star Are worthy'st of thy thoughts by far Let not thy Senses Jaylors be Nor what suits them infatuate thee Open thy eyes behold thy God Rise with thy Lord that thy abode May be with him that 's Light and Love Nay All in all that are above The Persecution most fierce Can no way hinder thy Converse With Heaven Though in a Dungeon deep As the Earth's Centre Foes should keep The Body close yet thou art free And thy best Friend to visit Thee The joyful tokens of his Love Prisons are Palaces do prove Nay Paradises of Delight Although they silly Nature fright Sorrow is Joy and Pain is Pleasure Disgrace is Honour Loss a Treasure The World when worst is best of all To those God does to suffer call The New Jerusalem comes down Is clearly'st seen when Men most frown And with the sharpest Thorns thee Crown Take up thy Cross which is thy Tryal And taste the Sweets of Self-denial God is thy Father and thy Rest Abide with him and thou art blest The Following Poem was more lately Composed A Welcome to Disesteem I. THe World 's a Syren and its sweetest Song The greatest Wrong Th' Applause of Men the Prais'd endangereth Like poysonous breath The Wings of Fame like those of Icarus Pernicious He that Ambitious is of Estimation Shews himself fond of Peril and Temptation II. I' th most of Men a change is seen as soon As him i' th' Moon A word a look can quench the hottest Love And anger move The fondest Friend oft turns the worst of Foes And fury blows Whoso does think to make men alwayes kind He may as well attempt to hold the Wind. III. On Mountains high the Tempests fiercest are And nothing spare The tops of loftiest Buildings in a Town Are soonest down He that 's Above is envied to Death By those beneath Ambition does prove a fatal Charm And makes a man expose himself to harm IV. Vnconstant World how low should wise men deem Thy high esteem To better bad men Honour has no force Makes good men worse Honour is fitly styl'd the Foolish Fire That flies desire But fondly follows such as scorn and fly it That they may be misled and ruin'd by it V. What peace and safety is in being low The Prudent know Christs Head did fly the Circle of a Crown And great Renown The whole World offered He did refuse And Meanness chuse To follow Wisdoms Pattern can't be folly Dishonour's no just ground of Melancholy VI. False World thy ill report I 'le not deserve It shall me serve Thy frowns and slanders shall a kindness do Not make me rue When Friends turn Foes and Foes more Foes I see It weaneth me From things below and kills excessive Love Where doating my destruction might prove VII I will the Rage of Froward Men and Spight With Love requite It troubles me to see Professors Ire Burning like Fire I wish I were all Tears to check the Flame And quench the same If Wrath shut ears against my Ministry I will to God for all the louder cry N. V. THE END