nothing to put it off Be thy Case better oâ— worse labour to know it and come to a Conclusion what it is 5. Lastly see that thy Soul be affected with the discovery thou hast made Take it to heart that thoâ— may'st be prepared for what further work is before thee Thus proceed orderly Direct 4. Remember that a great deal of patience and constancy is ordinarily requisite for the right carrying on this great Work of Self-Examination Do not think that so weighty a Point is like to be resolved all on a sudden Ye must search and search again 〈◊〉 a Work that must be done and therefore do not 〈◊〉 down in Discouragement What tho ye long continâ—â— in Doubt the case is not singular many good Christians are kept a great while in suspense betwixt Hope and Fears as to their Sincerity and that many time for want of Constancy and Judgment in the management of this Duty of Self-Reflection and even those who have arrived to a more comfortable assurance iâ— this Matter do yet see reason to be often renewing thâ— Tryal and to look over their Evidences again as weâ—â— knowing what need there is to go upon solid Ground and what a treacherous thing the Heart of Man is The truth is it should be accounted part of our daâ—ly Business as Christians to commune with our owâ— Hearts by way of Self-Examination not that we should be always calling in question our State as to the main yet even that should sometimes be done so far as to review the Discoveries which we have formerly made and to try the Grounds upon which we have proceeded especially upon some particular occasions as when Temptations arise or when we are called to any extraordinary Duty or Office yea or after some unusual falls into Sin or when Distempers threaten our Dissolution as also before we approach the Lord's Table 't is but fit that we examin the Evidences of our Sincerity not so as to give way to unjust Doubts and Jealousies but to quiet compose and support our Souls in Peace Direct 5. Lastly see that this Work be rightly circumstantiated both as to Time and Place As for the latter of these Withdraw your selves from the noise and hurry of worldly Business that ye may attend upon this Work without Distraction Enter into your Closets shut the Door upon you set your selves as in the Presence of the great God remember that he is the most reverend Witness of all your Proceedings who stands by and judgeth you while you are judging your selves A due Sense of this or nothing will over-awe your Minds and make you impartial and serious in the Business As for the circumstance of Time Have a care of needless delays in this Matter yet do not rush precipitantly upon it when you are unfit for such an undertaking Take such a season for it as soon as possible when your Spirits are lively your Heads clear your Affections calm and composed Otherwise if ye set about it when your Heads are confused your Spirits dejected or oppress'd with Melancholly c. and so your Passions tumultuous and afloat ye will make nothing of it And therefore ye shall sometimes find that Satan himself tho the greatest Enemy to this Work of Self-Examination will transform himself into an Angel of Light and put a poor-trembling Soul upon this work when he knows it is unfit for it and as ready will he be to triumph over such Persons and coâ—tempt them to despair when he sees they are baffled and confounded in their search Thus I have endeavoured to direct you in this Point I hope I need not tell you that in all this 't is necessary to implore the Divine Assistance humbly begging of him who is the Searcher of Hearts that he would lead you into your own Souls and not suffer you to be mistaken in a Matter of such consequence Tell him ye cannot be satisfied to hang in suspence but do sincerely desire to know the truth of your Case be it better or worse and that he himself his commanded you to search and try your selves that the work is difficult and ye dare not undertake it in your own strength In short that ye are resolved to rely upon him who is not wont to fail them that seek him and put their trust in him according to his own appointed way Say with the Psalmist Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my Heart Try me and know my Thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting CHAP. X. Sundry Questions proposed by which to examin the State of our Souls THese general Directions being premised we now come to offer you some fuâ—ther help or to lead you by the Hand through the Duty it self that so ye may at length discover how the case stands with you in reference to Eternity And here let me first tell you that the main Point to be enquired into is how your Souls are affected towarâ—s the glorious blessed God himself This is the grand comprehensive Question the Rule and Measure of all â—he rest which are intirely subordinate to it Observe it will stop a little and consider it 'T is this which must help you to understand remember and truly to resolve what further Enquiries shall be offered to you as being the Center wherein they all meet the End whereunto they are all design'd If as to the main ye be right here viz If your Souls be duly affected towards God all 's your own you may then conclude that you are wrought for Heaven indeed ye shall not miss of Happiness if there be enough in the infinite Aâ—l-sufficient God to mâ—ke you happy Luk. 15.31 Son thou are ever with me and all that I have is thine Well then iâ— in your most serious â—eliberate Judgment ye do highly esteem him as infinitely good in himself and the most sutable good for you Again if your Wills and Hearts do sincerely cleave to him love him rest in him resolve for him as such And then if the stated Couâ—se of yâ—ur Lives be in the main agreeable to such Apprâ—hensions and Resolutions Ye may then go yâ—ur wâ—y eat your Bread with Joy and drink your Wine with a merry Heart because God accepteth you Eccles 9 7. Yet let me fuâ—ther add there 's a great deal goes to prove that this is reâ—lly and truly your case Most Men will be ready to say that they esteem and love God above all With their Mouth they shew much Love Ezek. 33.31 Nor would any have been more forward in so professing than those very Persons to whom our Lord speaks John 5 42. I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you Let me therefore help you to find out the Truth of your Case by the following Questions Question 1. How do ye relish the notion of an Happiness which consists in the enjoyment of God I beseech you deal truly and faithfully with your Souls
perishing by Multitudes round about you and not once open your Mouths to help them Is this to love your Neighbours as your selves 3. In a word I tell you 't is your duty to take all opportunities wherever you come or with whomsoever you converse to do good to Souls I do not mean that sacred Things should be exposed by rashness indiscretion or imprudent management nor Pearls cast before Swine who will turn again and rent you But one thing I will tell you as bad as the World is the Names of Holiness Justice Purity Religion c. are still honourable among Men and the contrary Vices are accounted odious No Man would be look'd upon as an impious profane unrighteous Villian Now this gives you some advantage and a willing Mind may find many ooportunities to bring in good Discourse and that in such a way as the woâ—st of Men should scarce dare to contradict it There is somewhat in serious Religion which commands Awe and Reverence even from them that hate it Herod feared John the Baptist knowing that he was a just Man and an holy Mark 6.20 As for those that are civilized or moralized as some speak the difficulty is next to nothing to bring in some edifying Discourse among them and to leave some good savour behind you Christians should be the Salt of the Earth Mat. 5.13 And to let them know that the Life of Religion is somewhat more than they seem to place it in Can you not gently and prudently reprove the Sins of others where you think it may do good I know that this is a Duty that goes as much against the Grain as almost any but the Scripture is plain Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine Heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin to the upon him Or as the words may be rendered that thou bear not Sin for him you make your selves Partakers with other Men in their Sins if you endeavour not to prevent them In short God will own those that own him and stand up for his Cause and if that be not enough see where you can find a better Patron Moreover as for those that are poor and low in the World you might make way for doing good to their Souls by shewing Kindness to their Bodies if you thought it worth the while to be at any expence for the interest of Christ in the World I say no more than this if it were possible that Grief could have any place in Heaven this sure would be the matter of it to remember how little we had done for God on Earth Direct 6. Be much in the exercise of those Graces and Duties which tend most directly Heaven-ward and are nearest a kin to that blessed State This is the way to make you ripe for Glory You need not stay for all of Heaven till you come thither there are great Foretasts of it to be enjoyed on Earth if you be not wanting to your selves You may feast your Souls upon the Provisions which Christ hath made for your present support and more especially upon those discoveries which he has given you of the Glory intended for you and you have need so to do lest you faint by the way I may say to you as the Angel to Elijah 1. King 19.7 Arise and eat because the Journey is too great for thee 1. Live by Faith upon the great Promises of the Gospel whereby the Heavenly Glory is made sure unto true Believers realize those Promises there remaineth a Rest for the People of God Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord c. If any Man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be If any Man serve me him will my Father honour These are the true Sayings of God Rev. 19.9 How comes it to pass that they are no more considered and lived upon What tho at present we have not the satisfaction of immediate intuition know ye not that Faith is to be instead of sight till we come to Heaven Heb. 11.1 But alas how apt are we to take up with some dark dreaming confused Notions and Thoughts instead of the lively Exercise of such a Faith 2. Labour to stir up in your selves earnest Longings after this blessed State How can we say we love our Lord if our Hearâ—s be not with him Should we not set our Affections on things above where Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God Col. 3.1 2. Ouâ— Lord is there our Inheritance is there many of our Friends and Acquaintance are gone before how ill doth it become us to suffer our Hearts to flag as if we were indifferent whether we followed them or no Surely we should groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our House which is from Heaven 2 Cor. 5.2 Do but observe how eager and intent Worldlings are upon empty Vanities things that cannot profit And shall we be so cold and heartless in the Tendencies of our Souls towards that Happiness which is solid and substantial Were our Hearts more set upon Heaven it would put Life and Savour into all our Duties it would support us under Afflictions and enable us to baffle Temptations it would be an Evidence of our Sincerity and raise us above the slavish Fears of Death But I proceed 3. Be much in the exercise of a lively well grounded Hope Faith presents the heavenly Glory to the view of the Soul Desire reacheth forth towards it Hope lays hold upon it To this we are begotten again 1 Pet. 1.3 By this we are saved Rom. 8.24 See first that your Hopes be rightly grounded and then that they be duly exercised 4. And now it is time that your Souls should be affected with spiritual Joy Faith and Hope must both contribute to this Thus we read of Joy in believing and of rejoicing in Hope Read Psal 32.11 Phil. 4.4 1 Thess 5.16 You are over and over commanded to rejoice 't is not left to you as a Matter indifferent 'T is as truly a Duty in its place as Godly Sorrow Humiliation and Repentance are in theirs And 't is more noble as appertaining to the primitive and principal Part of Holiness whereas the other belong to the medicinal healing part thereof 5. Above all things strive to keep up the Warmth and Vigour of holy Love to God and your Redeemer Let every other Grace do its part to promote this Labour still to get nearer to God more inward with him and that your Hearts may move more naturally towards him God is Love Direct 7. Observe narrowly the Temper and Behaviour of those Persons who seem ripest for Heaven and take them for your Examples Converse much with such He that walketh with the Wise shall be wise In such you may observe manifold Appearances of those inward gracious Principles by which they are acted In them you may observe great Humility and Condescension toward such as are their Inferiours Great tenderness for the Honour and Interest of God in the World Great delight in making mention familiarly of those that are gone to Heaven before them An excellent composure of Gravity and Chearfulness a weighty Seriousness and Warmth in the Duties of Gods holy Worship In a word you may see plainly enough whither they are going and how beautiful a thing Holiness is thus growing up towards its Perfection FINIS
Praeparatio Evangelica OR A Plain and Practical DISCOURSE CONCERNING The SOUL'S Preparation FOR A Blessed Eternity Being the Substance of several SERMONS Preach'd at LEEDS By TIMOTHY MANLOVE Minister of the Gospel Heb. 12.14 Follow Peace with all Men and HOLINESS without which no Man shall see the LORD 1 Joh. 4.16 God is LOVE and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation LONDON Printed for Nevill Simmons Bookseller in Sheffield Yorkshire And sold by George Coniers at the Ring in Little Britain 1698. To the Diligent and Serious READER CVstom obligeth me to say something by way of Preface and the weight of the Subject before us is such as requires the utmost Diligence to press the serious Consideration of it upon all to whom it is presented That the Soul of Man is in its own Nature fitted for Immortality being capable of subsisting and acting in a state of separation from the Body and therefore designed thereto is a Truth commonly acknowledged amongst Christians yea and amongst Pagans too as I have proved at large in a former Treatise Now if this be a Truth 't is certainly a very important one how little soever considered by the unthinking World Must we live for ever Surely it highly concerns us to examinâ— whither we are going what State wâ— are like to enter upon when the uncertain Term of our present Life shall be at an end Shall it be well or ilâ— with us to all Eternity The Resolution of this great Question depends upon our Behaviour whilâ— we are in the Body for accoraing to that we must be judged whether it bâ— good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 The Goodness or Wickedness of ouâ— Actions is to be measured by their agreeableness or disagreeableness to thâ— Divine Law which is norma officiâ— judicii a Rule to live by and by which we must be judged The Duties which God hath enjoinâ— are such as in their own Nature do manifestly tend to qualify and fâ—â— us for that eternal Blessedness which he hath prepared for his holy ones It is therefore of great consequence to understand in some competent measure the Nature of the Heavenly Felicity because the more clear and distinct our Apprehensions are in this Matter the more will our Hearts be raised to desire it and our Endeavours quickened in the pursuit of it and the better we shall understand the way that leads to it The absolute necessity of Holiness in order to our everlasting Happiness is rather confessed than well understood by the generality of those that bear the Christian Name and this not for want of sutable Means and Helps in order to such Knowledg but for want of Hearts to use them Prov. 17.16 Men's thoughts are otherwise taken up and their carnal Minds are averse from Considerations of this nature That Holiness is necessary because God hath commanded it is a very great Truth and nothing but the Truth but yet it is not the whole Truth neither For besides this legal Necessity of it there is also a natural Necessity in the case it being as impossible in the nature of the thing that we should be happy without being holy as that a blind Man should be delighted with Colours or one that is deaf with Sounds and Harmony And this will appear if we consider what it is that must make a rational immortal Spirit compleatly blessed namely the enjoyment of the most holy glorious blessed God whereunto an unholy Soul is utterly indisposed and disaffected and therefore cannot be happy till its Temper be altered and made sutable to the Object that is holy The Saints in Glory are taken up with God admiring loving praising and delighting in him as their chief Good their only Soul-satisfying Portion yea and as infinitely and amiably good in himself and withal injoying the most sweet and refreshing sense of his Love to them without any Clouds Darkness or Interruptions Now this kind of Happiness is no way sutable to the Genius and Disposition of an unsanctified Heart and how should a Man be happy while his very Soul is averse to and at Enmity against that which alone can make him so This is the woful case of the far greater part of the World which loudly calls for our deepest Lamentations over it and our utmost Endeavours to redress it To this purpose I have thought meet to publish the following Discourse wherein I have laboured to lay open our Way and our End beginning with the latter according to the order of intention I have therefore first laid down a short plain scriptural Account of that blessed State reserved in Heaven for true Believers and then proceeded to open the Nature of that great Work of Grace whereby we must be prepared wrought or made meet for that State Each of these gives Light to the other the End and Way are so near a-kin that they differ rather in degree than in kind Grace is Glory begun Glory is Grace perfected If these things were well weighed and compared together the advantage would be very great every way Give me leave to mention some few Particulars 1. This would effectually put to silence the ignorant Cavils of foolish Men who complain that the ways of Holiness are too strict and precise for them Did they but better know what the Bless'd Above are doing and what they are enjoying they would quickly see reason to conclude that the greatest Diligence and Care we can use is all little enough to ripen us for so holy so glorious so perfect a State 2. It would certainly pull down the groundless Presumptions of Self-deceiving Hypocrites who promise to themselves Heaven at last tho they be utter Strangers to that vital Power of Religion without which there 's no coming thither No wonder that Men who hope for they know not what hereafter live they know not or care not how while they are here But whatsoever a Man sows that shall he also reap Gal. 6.7 3. This would also shew us what way and manner of religious Worship is like to be most acceptable to God and advantagious to our selves viz. That which tends most to refine and spiritualize our Hearts and so to fit them for Heaven 4. And consequently what ends we ought to propose to our selves in every religious Duty Namely that we may get as near unto God and be as inward with him as possibly we can till we come to the State of full and perfect Communion with him 5. And what need there is of Divine Grace to elevate and raise our Hearts to such high and holy things as these Alas what poor work shall we make with spiritual things if we be left to our selves 6. This will greatly support the People of God under the difficulties of their present State and Work Their spiritual Conflicts will soon be over and Heaven will make amends for all The end to which the dispised ways of
better Frame 'T is past doubt that true Grace tends in its own Nature to heal all the Diseases of the Soul to rectify all its Faculties and Powers and so the Passions and Affections amongst the rest That is to take them off from wrong Objects to moderate their Excesses to turn them into a right Channel nor are these tendencies fruitless the Effect is in part accomplisht So far as this great Change takes place and prevails in the Soul the Affections of Love Desire Joy Delight Hatred Sorrow Fear and the rest will be moving towards their proper Objects and Ends. We shall hate and abhor what is displeasing to God mourn that we have so often offended earnestly desire to be accepted with him and to enjoy more of him hunger and thirst after Righteousness And therefore we shall strive to love God more seelingly and so to rejoice and delight in him and tho many Impediments and Difficulties arise in our way yet still Grace will be tending to these things And we are greatly wanting to our selves if we do not daily endeavour to stir up the Grace of God that is in us that all the Powers of our Souls may be quickened more and more in their Motions by it If we stay till our Affections stir of themselves we may wait long enough 'T is our part actively to concur with and by that gracious Help which is afforded us in order to the quâ—ckening and spiritualizing of them and bringing them more under the command of the Will till at length they be accustom'd and inured to move more naturally freely and strongly Heaven-ward Nor must we faint or be discouraged tho we find our Hearts sluggish and averse to such work as this We must persist in duty notwithstanding this Indisposition And wait for God's Help in his own way Yea we must cast our selves into his Arms tho he may seem as it were to shut up himself from our Prayers and to withhold the sweet Influences of his Grace It may be he withdraws to see how we will take it shall we not lament and follow so much the harder after him what tho we have not sensible Comfort let us stay our selves on him and against Hope believe in Hope Rom. 4.18 Duties are sweet when recovered out of the Hand of Temptations and Difficulties we are bound but God is free What you want as to the seeling of Affection make out in deep and rational Resolutions for God and ye will get ground even while ye think ye lose it 5. Even the Body it self must be sanctified that is presented or devoted unto God and used for him This is the Will of God that every one of us possess his Vessel in Sanctification 1 Thess 4.3 4. That Sin reign not in our Mortal Body but that we yield our Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God Rom. 6.12 13. Our Bodies are for the Lord they are Members of Christ c. 1 Cor. 6.13 15. Temples of the Holy-Ghost vers 19. The Body must be used as a Servant to the Soul and both employed in the Service of God 1 Cor. 6.20 Glorify God in your Body and in your Spirit which are God's 'T is true indeed that bodily Exercise profiteth little without or in comparison of that which is spiritual 1 Tim. 4.8 To bow the Knee while our Spirits remain stubborn and unbroken To lift up our Eyes Heaven-ward if our Souls be not also lifted up To draw nigh to God with our Lips when our Hearts are far from him is an Addition of Hypocrisy to all the rest of our Iniquity But on the other hand 't is as true that if our Souls be for God our Bodies will be subservient to them and their Members accordingly used by them The Eyes will be opened to behold the wonderful Discoveries which he hath made of himself in his Works and in his Word The Ears to hear the Instructions of Wisdom The Lips to praise and magnify Him and by spiritual Discourse to edify others feed many and minister Grace to the Hearers Therefore tho our Hearts must be first look'd at in the Service of God Yet care must also be taken that our Words and Deportment be also sutable and becoming because outward Worship is expressive of that which is inward and reflects back again upon the Heart it self As Habits are strengthened and increased by the Acts which flow from them so are internal Affections by correspondent Expressions and Behaviour in Duty Tho we must not so cry up and magnify the Externals of Worship as to overlook the inward Life and Soul of it as Hypocrites who love to be seen of Men are wont to do So on the other Hand we ought not to pretend our good Meanings or Spirituality in Divine Worship to excuse us from befitting Gestures or outward Demeanour therein Nor must we be forward to judg and censure others as if they were meer Ceremonious Hypocrires because they seem to put Religion into a more fine or formal dress than we our selves have been used to In short let us neither be rude nor antick in Matters of this Nature but let the Frame of our Spirits as also our Words and Gestures be reverent grave and serious lest we be found guilty of prophaning holy things God is to be worshipped by the whole Man Thus ye see that our intellectual and sensitive Faculties yea and our Bodies too must according to their several Capacities be all sanctified and devoted unto God Which is fully comprehended in those Words of the Apostle 1 Thess 5.23 And the very God of Peace sanctify you wholly And I pray God your whole SPIRIT and SOVL and BODY be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Thus much for the first Head viz. That this great Change consists in turning unto the Lord from whom we have so deeply revolted II. Since it is only in and through Jesus Christ that God is reconcilable to fallen Man 't is highly necessary that we have a due regard to him in this Matter Joh. 14.6 No Man cometh unto the Father but by me So vers 19. of this Chapter God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself Neither is there Salvation in any other Acts 4.12 As God himself is our ultimate End so Jesus Christ is the principal means and way to bring us to that End The Will of God is so fully declared in this Point viz. That we can have no access to the Father but by the Son that it would be insolent daring Presumâ—ption for us to attempt it any other way Never think of approaching the Presence of God transacting with him presenting your selves or services to him or of expecting any Favour from him but in and through Christ Joh. 5.23 He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him 'T is therefore requisite that we set an high value upon this great Mediatour that we dearly love him and sincerely commit our selves to
the performance of religious Duties yea and sometimes fall into great Sins besides those of daily Infirmity and therefore are often called to Repentance Humiliation and Amendment and to renew their Covenant with God in Christ and to act Faith upon his Merits and Satisfaction for Pardon and Peace and to double their Watch and Diligence for the future when in the mean time they are not perhaps obliged at all to call in question their Foundation nor to perplex themselves with Doubts and Fears as to their State in the main Indeed as for those who oft fall into groffer Sins and lie long in them even such Sins as they might easily forbear if they were truly willing such have great reason to question their own Sincerity But as for the common Infirmities of the Godly yea or their greater falls through Inadvertency Surprize or the violence of some sudden Temptation the Case here is quite different If a Workman when he has laid his Foundation and is proceeding forward in the Building should upon evevy lesser or some few greater mistakes in the Superstructure pull down all again and question the Foundation it self he would make very little progress and so have but little comfort in his Work So here true Believers who are in a justified State have still need to beg daily Pardon for their daily Sins yet ought they not to give way to needless Doubts or misgiving Thoughts as to their State in the main For if any Man sia we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous 1 John 2.1 He that is washed needeth not save to wash his Feet but is clean every whit John 13.10 When David had sinned so grievously in the matter of Vriah and Nathan the Prophet was seâ—â— to him to expostulate with him about it and bring him to a greater Sense of the Evil he had done c. we find that he humbly acknowledgeth his Transgression earnestly implores the Divine Mercy prays hard that the Holy Spirit of God may not be taken away from him but we do not find that he was called to doubt of his State in the main nor can we prove that he did so but encouraged himself in the Mercy of God Psal 51.17 The Sacrisices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise There are says a great Divine some Sins which every one that repenteth of them doth so forsake as to cease committing them and there are some lesser Sins which they that repent of them do hate indeed but yet frequently renew as our defective degrees in the exercise of Repentance it self Faith Love Trust Fear Obedience our vain Thoughts and Words some sinful Passions c. many such Sins are fitly called Infirmities because they consist with Life and are forgiven It is of great use to the peace of our Consciences to discern the difference between these two for one fort require a Conversion to another State and the other require but a particular Repentance and when they are unknown are forgiven without a particular Repentance because our general Repentance is virtually though not actually particular as to them One sort are cause of judging our selves ungodly and the other sort are only cause of Filial Humiliation Baxter's Directory part 1. pag. 299. Direct 11. Though you cannot yet attain to the â—uller comforts of Assurance do not therefore underâ—â—lue any thing that looks hopefully or hath a likely endency thereto Great things are not usually atâ—â—ined but by degrees and through many difficulâ—ies 't is no small matter to be certain that we are 〈◊〉 a justified State nor is such a certainty so common among true Believers themselves as perhaps you imagine who yet have considerable Support â—nd Comfort from hopeful Probabilities in the case Now as 't is necessary to pull down the vain Hopes of presumptious Sinners so it also is to strengthen and help the Joys and Hopes of weak Christians Well then let me ask you Are you not grieved or the many Offences you have committed against God at least Is it not your trouble that you can nourn for Sin no more that your Hearts are no nore tender and relenting Is it not your desire and in some measure your endeavour to renounce your Sins and to mortify your Corruptions Could you bear the thoughts of parting with Christ or quitting your Interest in him for all your Doubts and letting go your hold of him for any thing that could possibly be offered you in exchange Would you not even loath and abhor the Proposal Is it not your endaavour to love him more and serve him better Put such Questions as these are to your own Souls and then judge whether in all this there be not something that appears to be more then like special Grace And though you are not yet certain that it is so yet let thus much support you till you can see further And as I said before be thankful for what you have and strive for more Grace and then you shall find that spiritual strength and comfort will increase together And all along be sure to remember that God and the Redeemer are as willing to accept you upon Gospel-terms as you can be to desire it yea and infinitely mâ—â—â— willing as loving Holiness better than you do 〈◊〉 the March break between Christ and you it shall 〈◊〉 through your own refusal Never was any poâ—â— Sinner before-hand with him he is the first in coâ—senting and is a Suitor to us for our full 〈◊〉 hearty consent nor will he despise the least tendecies thereto He will not break the bruised Reed oâ— On his part all is safe and clear prevail but withy own Heart to hold on and go thorow with the work and All 's thine own Direct 12. Be sure that you exercise the moâ—â— deep and entire Self-resignation to the soveraign Pleasure of the Divine Will in this matter Leave it unto God to measure out your Comforts for you and to determine the Time and Season thereof Lay your Souls at his Feet with the profoundest Reverence Humility and Submission say as David in another Case It may be the Lord will look upon my Affliction But if he say he have no delight in me behold here am I let him do as seems good unto him 2 Sam. 15.26 O learn to wait upon the Lord and look for him when he seems to hide his Faâ—â— Isa 8.17 It is not possible that you should be Losers by thus resigning your Souls and your All into his Hand 't is your certain Duty so to do and it will be a mighty evidence of that Sincerity which you are seeking after And there are many comfortable Promises made to such actings of Soul as these and encouraging Examples set before us Blessed are all they that wait for him Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine Heart Wait I say on the Lord. Psal 20.14 Methinks that such a
fleshly Prosperity and Ease Search after those Sins which do most easily beset you those Corruptions which do most frequently foil you and single them out to run them down Spare them not but deal with them as Samuel with Agag hew them in pieces before the Lord. Fortify your selves with Arguments against them keep a strict watch go not to the utmost extent of your Christian Liberty resist the first stirrings of them the least tendencies towards them Prov. 30.32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thy self or if thou hast thought evil lay thine Hand upon thy Mouth Avoid as much as possible the occasions of Sin especially of your beloved Sins Habituate your selves to frequent serious Thoughts of the Presence of God Set the Lord always before you Psal 16.8 2. Make not a light Matter of the least decays in Grace or Tendencies toward backsliding What tho it should be granted that a regenerate Person cannot or rather shall not Jer. 32.40 fall away finally yet it is past all Doubt that such an one may fall very fouly so as to grieve the Holy Spirit to wound his own Conscience to blemish his Profession and to obscure his Evidences ' And is not all this sad enough Moreover 't is certain Men usually decline by degrees and therefore the least Degrees or Tendencies thereto are not to be slighted If therefore you find that Conscience begins to grow less tender than formerly it was if Sin sit lighter and the sense of remaining Corruption is less grievous to you than heretofore If you grow more customacy and careless in religious Duties and less regardful to keep up the Life of holy Communion with God in Christ If you can more easily let slip spiritual Opportunities and find less relish and sweetness in them than formerly if the Interest of the the World and Flesh begin to grow more prevalent with you and you are ready to phancy that 't is good to be here while in the mean time your Thoughts of Heaven grow cold and languid and your Desires or Longings to be with Christ do abate If you find it thus with you you had need bestir your selves in good earnest to recover your first Love and to strengthen the things which remain and are ready to die Otherwise you little know how far the Spirit of God may be provoked and what considerable Degrees both of Grace and Comfort may quickly be lost I need not tell you that Satan will do his worst to hinder you in your way to Heaven your own Corruptions and the Snares of the World will get Ground upon you You had need row hard against the Stream which of it self will carry you back if you press not forward Noâ— progredi erit regredi 3. Labour to grow in due proportion as to the several parts of Holiness and Duty The beauty of Holiness as of every thing else consisteth much in the due symmetry and proportion of the several parts of it Labour to exercise each Grace and Duty in its proper Order and Place so that one may not interfere with nor exclude another See that your Judgments be well settled as to the great Principles of Religion that your belief of them be firm deep and solid To this end labour to study and digest well the Articles of the Creed let your Thoughts dwell much upon them that you may understand the right meaning and due improvment of every Article Take care also that your Wills and Affections be full-fraught with becoming Resolutions and Inclinations that the Purposes and Desires of your Souls be rightly ordered and placed To this end study well the Lords Prayer both as to the matter and order of the seâ—eral Petitions and endeavour to form and settle the Inclinations and Tendencies of your Souls accordingly Especially that the Glory of God be first and last in all your desires highest in your esteem and all things else desired in full Subserviency thereto Here lies the Life of Religion and this we should be still contending and striving to raise our Hearts more towards that they may move more naturally easily and delightfully therein that God's Interest may be of all others the nearest and dearest to us And then for the direction of your Practice labour to understand the true sense and extent of the ten Commandments to see the Amiableness Righteousness and Perfection of the Divine Law that you may heartily approve thereof love it and live accordingly Delighting in the Law of God after the inner Man Rom. 7.22 The whole Frame of Christian Principles Graces and Duties is beyond measure lovely in the harmonious connexion of the several parts thereof Labour therefore that this Frame may be more and more deeply imprinted upon your Hearts and expressed in your Lives That ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing Jam. 1.4 If you be maimed in one part all the rest will fare the worse for that Remember Integrity is the Glory of a Christian viz. that no part be lacking 2 Cor. 7.1 Perfecting Holiness in the fear of God That is let us see that no part of Holiness be wanting in us and that we be not wanting to any part of Holiness but still pressing forward towards Perfection even in degrees Take care for example that your Zeal be guided by Knowledg lest it set all on Fire and prove mischievous to your selves and others or at best no better than an Ignis fatuus And again let your Knowledg be improved into holy Zeal and Fervency that you be not luke-warm or indifferent in Matters of Religion which most justly challenge our whole Hearts Rev. 3 1â— 16. Let godly Sorrow Repentance and Humiliation for Sin be so exercised as not to exclude humble Confidence in the Mercy of God spiritual Joy c. Again if God give you a large share of Assurance and Comfort do not therefore think your selves above the fore-mentioned humbling Exercises which will be a means to preserve your Purity and Peace Moreover let not the Duties of the first and second Table justle out each other but let both be duly and carefully observed in the several Branches of them Think it not enough to be just and upright or as they call it morally honest in your dealings with Men except you be also serious hearty and sincere in the Service of God and in the devotedness of your Souls to him And again think not that any Worship of Service you perform to God will be accepted while second-Table-duties are wilfully neglected It is the design of Religion to make us better and more useful in every Relation and Capacity wherein we stand 1 Pet. 2.16 17. 2 Pet. 1.5 c. Tit. 2.12 We are enjoined to live SOBERLY RIGHTEOVSLY and GODLY in this present World viz. We must be Sober in the Government of our Senses Appetites Affections c. Righteous in our dealings with Men doing to others as we would that they should do to us Godly in the Tendency and Inclination of
our Souls towards God and the serious Discharge of Religious Duties To conclude this Head Be not so intent upon any one part of Duty as to overlook the rest Then shall we not be ashamed when we have respect unto all God's Commandments Psal 119.6 I esteem thy Precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way vers 128. 4. Continue instant in Prayer The People of God are called in Scripture a Generation of Seekers Psal 24.6 So Psal 27.8 When thou saidst Seek ye my Face my Hâ—aâ—t said uâ—to thee Thy Face Lord will I seek How 〈◊〉 do we find this Duty press'd upon us Pray always pray and faint not watch unto Prayer Pray to your Father which seeth in secret Pray every where pray without ceasing c. Yea we find the holiest Persons frequently employed in this holy Duty Psal 55.17 Evening and Morning and at Noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my Voice Psal 109.4 I prayer so it is in the Hebrew As if he were made up of Prayer It were easy to heap up more Examples but I forbear O Sirs it is on our Knees that we must get Strength to walk with God The actuating of holy Desires and presenting them to God must needs tend in its own Nature to strengthen those Habits of Grace from which such Desires proceed Besides as it is the performance of an undeniable Duty should not a People seek unto their God a most reasonable piece of Service so an answerable Blessing may be expected upon it God is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Open thy Mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81.10 Ask for great things and with great Earnestness come not with mean poor narrow thoughts of the Divine Goodness be not cold nor lazy in your Requests Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Mat. 5. A learned Divine mentions secret Prayer in the fore-front of those Duties to which our Souls are naturally most backward Mr. Baxter Now one would think our own Necessities should even constrain us to it Alas how should we live without it and how much doth it concern us to strive against our Indisposition to it How sweet is a Duty when rescued out of the Hands of Difficulties O Sirs whence is it that God hears no oftner from us and with no greater fervency Surely frequent and earnest Approaches to the most holy God would be a great means to make us more like him Remember God has ways enow to bring you to your Knees What if dark Clouds should arise upon you or some sharp Affliction befal you then 't is likely you would come crying after him and seek him early Hos 5.15 But why not without so much ado why should not gentler Methods prevail with you Be but acquainted with your own Hearts and you need not want either Matter or Motives for this great Duty Never expect to grow in Grace without keeping up Life and Fervency in Prayer Give me leave to shut up this Head with a Passage which I lately met with in the Life of the Excellent Mr. Philip Henry To the Publisher whereof I here return my most humble Thanks 'T is as follows Pag. 75. Be sure you look to secret Duty keep that up whatever you do the Soul cannot prosper in the neglect of it Apostacy generally begins at the Closer-door secret Prayer is first neglected and carelessly performed then frequently omitted and after a while wholly cast off and then farewel God and Christ and all Religion 5. Learn the Art of holy Meditation 'T is by this that we draw in Life Strength and Sweetness from those great Gospel-Truths which inconsiderate Persons lay by as if they were dead or useless things 'T is this that enlargeth our Knowledg and clears our Apprehensions in spiritual Matters and sets on work our Resolutions Affections and all the Faculties and Powers of our Souls 't is a Soul-improving Duty indeed Nor can you want Matter for such Meditation if you will but see your Thoughts at work and keep them close to it Meditate upon the glorious Excellencies and Perfections of the blessed God his Power Wisdom Goodness Holiness Truth All-sufficiency Think I say on these and think again till becoming Impressions be wrought upon your own Spirits changing you from Glory to Glory 2 Cor. 3.18 Think not upon God in a slighty or ordinary manner but with the greatest Reverence and Admiration lest you take his Name in vain whereof you may be guilty in thought as well as in words Let every Thought of God be mighty upon you and participate in some sutable Measure of the greatness of its Almighty Object Think much on your blessed Redeemer who he was what he did what he suffered and why as also what he has further promised to do Thus let Christ dwell in your Hearts Think on the Holy Spirit of Grace call to mind his Influences and Operations upon your Souls how infinitely you are obliged to him how much you have still to do with him How direct and explicite you ought to be in your actings of Faith upon him as well as upon the Father and the Son And how careful you should be to carry becomingly towards him Think on the Holiness Purity and Perfection of the Divine Law how sweet how reasonable how advantageous that Obedience is which God has required of us O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation all the Day Psal 119.97 Think on the Heavenly Perfection what the Saints in Glory and the blessed Angels are doing what they are enjoying till your Souls be on the Wing longing to be joined to that holy and happy Society Think on the Graces wherein you are most defective consider the reasonableness and necessity of them and how ill you can live without them or without greater degrees of them Plead the cause of every Grace with your own Hearts and in the midst of your Meditations lift up your Eyes and your Souls to Heaven for help therein O that you would be perswaded to try this Course to engage your selves in the frequent and solemn Exercise of this great Duty of Meditation the advantage would be great every way And that you may be the fitter for this more stated Exercise of Meditation it will be very useful in the midst of your Employments and Business in the World to be often sending up a Thought or Ejaculation towards Heaven Direct 3. If your Endeavours thus far prove successful so that you find more Grace and Strength coming in thereby lay out your selves so much the morâ— for God Much is expected from them to whom much is given Your Talents are to be traded with noâ— hidden in a Napkin As the Goodness of God abounds toward you you must endeavour to abound in the Work of the Lord that so it may appear that the Grace bestowed upon you is not in vain 1 Cor. 15.10.58 Surely 't