come and make a Saint of thee Hath Sin made a very Devil of thee and art not thou willing that Christ should make thee a Saint What wouldst thou do in Heaven if thou wilt not be made a Saint or dost thou think thou mayest continue a Devil whilest thou livest on the earth and yet at last be a Saint in Heaven What say you sinners There be some it may be of you that have made a mock at holiness that have despised the saints that are on earth and made them the objects of your scorn rather than your desire but speaks man art thou yet willing that Christ should come this day and make thee a saint Wilt thou that he should humble thee and bring thee to repentance Wilt thou that he should wash thee and bring thee to holiness Wouldst thou who camest hither an ignorant sinner an hardned sinner an impenitent sinner be glad at thine heart if thou mayst r turn an enlightned a convinced yea a converted sinner a beleiver a sincere christian Wouldst thou carry home another heart than thou broughtst hither a new heart transformed and changed into the image of him that created thee or art thou content to go home as thou camest such an ignorant hardned polluted creature as thou camest hither If thou be heartily willing of such a change as this that is a great part of thy cure Art thou willing to be cured willing to be cleansed Then bring forth that leprous soul of thine lay it at the feet of Christ and speak to him as the leper did Mat. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean As vile a state as this soul of mine is in as deadly as my diseases are as very a Leper as my soul is become yet Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Let Christ hear such a word from thee Lord help me Lord heal me if thou wilt thou canst And then there is hope that thou maiest hear the same words from Christ as that poor Leper did I will be thou clean And immediately his Leprosie was cleansed 2. Take Christs medicines To what purpose is it that the physitian comes to a sick man and prescribes to him and adviseth him to what will recover him if he will not take what he prescribeth Christ hath medicines to recover sick souls but his medicines must be taken or they will not recover them Christs medicines are 1. His bloud His bloud is purging and cleansing bloud Heb. 9 14. 1 Joh. 1.7 Therefore he is said to wash us in his bloud By the bloud of Christ is meant the same with the death of Christ There is vertue in the death of Christ to destroy the life of sin Our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed Rom. 6.6 It is the body of sin that must be first laid at The inward pravity of our natures our original corruption Christs physick must be firstly applyed to the root and fountain of our disease those sinful natures those depraved habits and sinful dispositions within you must be changed The inward enmity must be slain and there is nothing will do that but the bloud of a crucified Iesus That is the soveraign medicine that must help and heal you But how must this medicine the bloud of Christ be taken 1. Christ himself must be taken Christ offers himself to you to be yours and you must accept of him for your own Your hearts must by faith consent unto Christ to put your selves into his hands to put your life into his hands expecting and depending upon him trusting your selves with him for your recovery It is Christ alone with whom I lay up all mine hopes upon whose sufficiency and faithfulness I will venture my soul If I die I le die under his hand and if I live I look for life only from him Put your selves thus into the hands of Christ and take Christ into your hearts Take him as your own he gives himself to you to be your own Christ offers to every sinner among you I will be thine own thine own Jesus thine own Saviour if thou be willing to have me Take him at his word Since he says to thee I will be thine own if thou wilt let thy heart lay hold on this blessed word and say content Lord since thou wilt thou shalt be mine own I accept thee with all my heart Now if Christ be once yours his bloud shall be yours his death shall be yours and all the benefits of his death Whereas nothing of Christ can be yours nor any fruit of his death if he be not first yours Let Christ be once imbraced by you and if there be any purging or cleansing or sin-killing ver ue in his bloud your sins shall be purged away If all that the bloud of Christ can do for thee will recover thee thou shalt be recovered 2. You must have frequent recourse to the bloud of Christ by renewed acts of faith Look up to this crucified Jesus Cast thy polluted soul into the fountain of his bloud Zach. 13.1 He is a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness His bloud is the fountain cast thy soul into it You are come into the bloud of sprinkling Heb. 12.24 Christians are so and they may freely lay hold on it for their cleansing 1. Believe that there is such vertue in him to cleanse thy soul Say with the woman Mat. 9.21 If I may but touch him I shall be made whole 2. Believe that it is free for theâ— Thou mayst come with boldness to him Christ would have thee to be bold with him and to lay thine help upon him Believe that it is free for thee to lay hold on the bloud of Christ and 3. Come and lay hold upon it Lean upon him for his help and trust him for it 4. Lift up a prayer to him Lord here is a polluted dying soul that is even lost and choaked up in the mud and mire of my sins there is no help for me but I must die and perish in them if thou wilt not look upon me and save me In thy bowels I have hope in thy bloud I have hope and that is all the hope I have O sprinkle me with thy bloud wash me in thy bloud and my soul shall live Wherefore Lord didst thou die Wherefore didst thou shed that precious bloud Was it not for the recovery of lost souls for the cleansing of polluted souls Is not my poor soul one of the number of those for whom Christ died Have not I as great need of of thee as any Is it not thou thy self that hast brought this my soul to thy door crying for thine help Lord Jesus hear let some drops of that bloud some of the vertue of thy death be shed abroad upon my sinful heart and it shall live My sins must die Lord or my soul will never recover I must get this lust destroyed this enmity slain this proud and hard and stubborn
mischief and bring forth vanity or a lie May it not be said of you I have conceived Truth conceived good I have had many hopeful conceptions and yet at last I bring forth a lie I am utterly frustrated and dâ—sappointed of all my good Hopes Desires and Aims But how comes this to pass that you are thus disappointed that your desires succeed not that your labours prosper not that you are brought to no better a pass O this is your evil hearts that hinder you when you would do good evil is present with you so that you cannot do the good that you would 't is that evil Law in your Membets that evil heart that does you all this mischief that spoils all your Prayers that distracts all your holy Meditations that breaks all your holy Purposes that defeats and frustrates all your good designs for a more holy and fruâ—tful life this heart is that which hinders you that you cannot do as you would you cannot pray as you would nor hear as you would nor live as you would and thus it will serve you as long as you live if you do not get those evil hearts into and keep them in better order 2. It tempts and turns us aside after that which is Evil. As our hearts hinder us in that which is good so they betray us and entice and tempt us to that which is naught Jam. 1.14 Every man when he is tempted is drawn aside by his own lust his hearts lust and enticed You that have given up your Names to Christ and count your selves the People of God sometimes turn aside after the Lusts and ways of the World and instead of having your Conversation in Heaven live as men that are written in the Earth mind earthly things live a worldly greedy life and like those 2 Pet. 2.20 who after they seem to have escaped the pollutions of the World through the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are again entangled therein and overcome Are there none of you Professors with whom 't is thus hath not the world return'd upon you the love of the World and the cares of the World and the inordinate minding and following of the World are you none of you again entangled by the World encumbred by the world and even overcome of those encumbrances 'T would make a tender heart to shake and bleed to consider how sadly this worldly mind and Life hath grown upon Professors and hath eaten out the very heart and life of their Religion O how many Demas's are there amongst the followers of Christ that have forsaken him and embraced this present World Christians in the name of the Lord I warn you I charge you before God and his holy Angels to consider if it be thus with none of you Is it thus with thee How comes this to pass this is a mischief that thine own heart hath done thee Ezek. 33.31 32. Their hearts go after their Covetousness They hear the Word thou art to them as a lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant voice they will hear a good Minister they seem to love a good Sermon the Doctrines of God and his Gospel the Doctrines of Christ and his Redemption and the most enlivening and affectionate discourses of the Righteousness Holiness Kindness Compassion of God in Christ and of the hopes and joyes of his Saints these have a pleasant sound to them they are taken and pleased at the hearing of them but for all this they are gone they have embraced this present World their hearts are gone after their Covetousness And as some mens hearts carry them after their Covetousness so others hearts carry them after their vain company others after their slothfulness others after their carnal Pleasures their hearts have tempted them and by their hearts lusts they are thus drawn aside and enticed Consider these two sorts of mischiefs mens hearts do them their heart hinders them from what 's good and tempts and carries them away after that which is evil and then you will understand what a necessity there is that such mischievous hearts should be carefully kept under government 2. It is an unruly heart It 's said concerning the Tongue Jam. 3.8 It is an unruly evil but whence is the unruliness of the Tongue but from the unruliness of the heart 'T is the heart that is the Lord of misrule Prov. 16.32 He that ruleth his own Spirit is better than he that taketh a City There 's need of more Wisdom of more Watchfulness of more care and skill to rule the heart than to rule a whole City or Countrey Governours of Kingdoms do not find it so hard to rule their numerous People as to govern their own hearts To shew the unruliness of the heart I shall instance 1. In the Thoughts of the heart Who can rule his own Thoughts Who is there that hath such command of his Thoughts that can think of nothing but what he should think of What rovings and stragglings and wanderings are there of the Thoughts Prov. 17.24 The eyes of fools or his Thoughts are in the ends of the Earth running about every where to sin to vanity to impertinencies Consider your selves in your praying or hearing or any of the most serious and important Exercises of Religion your thoughts then most especially should be composed and fixed should be fix'd upon God should be all giving their attendance upon the work of God Those most weighty things the eternal things that you are dealing about should take up all your thoughts But how do we find it at such times what distractions and wandrings and runnings off of our thoughts do we then find We can't hold our selves in to think what we pray for to attend on what we hear and this is the great reason of the deadness of heart in Prayer of the inefficacy and unfruitfulness of our hearing we that preach to you should have more hope of Success upon you if we could but fix your hearts and get you to think more intently on what we speak but when the thoughts are gadding we may to as good purpose speak to Stones as to Souls How is it with you now and how does it use to be with you when you come to the Worship of God where have your thoughts been since you came here how many things have you been thinking of that you should not It may be thy thoughts have been at home all this while or abroad in the Fields upon thy Business or upon thy Pleasures or thou knowest not where Who are there of us that do use to gird up the loyns of our minds and to keep them close to the work we are upon and whether do your thoughts run at other times how little room is there left for the thoughts of God or of our Souls or of the things Eternal amongst those crowds and swarms of worldly thoughts of wicked and vile thoughts of vain and impertinent thoughts which are still thronging in upon us
that they may be quickned into the more strong desires unite them let all your desires be after this one thing the grace and good will of the Lord. Christians let me ask you What would you have What is it you desire O let the Lord be my God let me have grace from the Lord but what of God how much of the grace of God would content you It may be some of you would answer O! if it were never so little if I could have Faith though it were but as a grain of Mustard-Seed if I could get any thing of God in my Heart if by the grace of God in me this Heart of mine might be but as a bruised Reed and smoaking Flax if I might get any thing that God would not despise this should satisfie me 'T is true the least degree of saving grace the least Beam of the Divine Light the first springing of the Life of God in us the least Spark of his Holy Image our desires should be so far fixed on this that nothing short of this nothing short of the truth of Grace should in the least suffice us and we should be thankful for the very first grace if we should never have any more or rise no higher But are there not some that would have this and care for no more that bound and limit their desires to the first and lowest degrees of grace This desire is not the desire of the Children of God thou mayest go to Hell with such desires after God he that desires not to be perfectly Holy is not sincerely Holy Do you desire God do you desire grace Stir up and enlarge your desires let those narrow Hearts open their Mouths wide be covetous Christians covet much and covet earnestly these best of giâ—ts say with the Psalmist This one thing I desire nothing but God nothing but grace take Corn and Wine who will take the Gold and the Silver who will let the Lord God be mine and that shall suffice me Desire God only and follow after God fully as Psalm 63.8 My Soul followeth hard after thee Friends you have some Wishes and some weaker desires after the Lord O quicken up these fainty Hearts look oftner before you how worthy the Lord is of all your desires what a Jewel what a Treasure the grace of God is look oftner Heaven-ward get a sight of God and his glorious Treasures live more in the Contemplation of his glory and goodness it is the sight of the Object that must kindle and quicken desires you that have cold Hearts Heaven-ward 't is a sign your Eye is little in Heaven Believe it some clearer views of the Love and Goodness and Holiness and Kindness and Glory of the Lord would whet your Appetites would put Life into those dull Desires would make you hungry Souls and thirsty Souls and longing Souls O look oftner upward dwell in the Mountain of Spices get some Taste and Relish of the goodness of God by being more constantly conversant with him and this will set abroach all your Vessels your Souls would stream forth in the Words and Sighs of the Psalmist Psal 42.1 As the Hart panteth after the Water Brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God 2. Curb and limit your desires after the good things below and desire them no more than you should particularly 1. Desire not over much of them The best Food the best Physick if we take too much of it becomes hurtfull and pernicious when the Stomach is overcharged and so when the Heart is overcharged it surfets and suffereth prejudice by what it hath received That Prayer of Agur Prov. 30.8 should be the desire of Christians Feed me with Food convenient a convenient Habitation a competent Portion of these Earthly things should be the Proportion of our desires O if Men knew what were enough and when they had enough it would prevent the extravagancy of our desires Jer. 45.5 Seekest thou great things to thy self Seek them not Thou canst not bear great things great Possessions are great Temptations Seek no greater things than thou canst bear a Ship that hath more than its Load will sink and drown The Journey or Voyage of the Heart is upwards you are Travelling Heaven-wards this Earth the more you have of it presses you down-ward and hinders your ascending O how much nearer Heaven might some of our Hearts have ascended how much nearer to God and Glory might we have gotten had we not been clogged with the things of this Earth Some Men are too Rich and too Prosperous in this World to be Spiritually-minded Great Estates bring great Cares and encumbring Business so that they cannot be at liberty nor at leisure to think on God or their Souls Desire only so much of the World as is best for you and that proportion is best for you which will help you Heaven-ward and least hinder you know what is a competency and desire no more That 's not a competency which is enough to satisfie your Appetite you will never say you have enough if you will stay till your Appetite say It is enough this is like those two Daughters of the Horse-Leach Prov. 30.15 that still cry Give give Get get and never say It is enough That is not a competency which will satisfie your Appetite but that which will comfortably serve your necessities know what is a competency and desire no more 2. Desire them not over earnestly be not over hungry and greedy Souls desire but a competency and desire it but moderately that you may not over-desire these Earthly good things do not over-prize them Carry it towards the good things below as Sinners carry it towards Christ and the good things above how do Sinners carry it towards Christ They make light of him Isa 53.2 They see no beauty in him that they should desire him See as little beauty in the World as Sinners see in Christ make as light of the good things of the Earth as they do of the good things of Heaven and then your desires will be as cold after these things as theirs are after Christ O if Christians did desire this Earth no more than Sinners desire Heaven how mortified would all their Earthly desires be Mortifie your inordinate desires after the World quench your thirst after the good things thereof or else these desires will mortifie and quench your thirst after God Christians you would fain love God more it is your Affliction that your Affections to things above are so dull and so flat that you have no more strong and working desires Heaven-ward abate your desires to things below and then they will rise more to the things above never look to love God more than you do till you love the World less than you do Do ye mean to hold up at this height in your Carnal desires Will you not set Bounds to your Earthly Appetites Then count upon it God is like to
have little of your Hearts of so great consequence is the bounding and abating of your Worldly desires that if ever you would love or desire or seeek God more than you do you must strike Sail and drive on more moderately and more mortifiedly towards the World Love this World less and you will desire it less desire it less and you will seek it less seek the World less and you are like to be in good earnest Seekers of God Quench your thirst Friends quench your thirst after these stollen Waters drink deep Draughts of the Water of Life and you will no longer thirst so after these puddle Waters Joh. 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the Water that I shall give him shall never thirst that is after these Carnal Things You who have such thirsty Souls after the Waters of your own Cisterns 't is a sign that you are little at the Fountain of Living Waters Thou hast not drank of the Rock of the Wilderness who so lustest after the Rivers of Egypt Christians dwell more at the Spring-head drink of the Fountain let out your desires more after God Taste more of the sweetness of Christ let down your Pitchers into the Wells of Salvation fetch in more of that Living-Water lye more at the Breasts desire more the sincere Milk of the Word and suck in that Milk Drink more of the Wine that is prepared in the Kingdom of God my meaning is live more with God feed upon Christ delight your selves more in God solace and satisfie your selves more in Communion with God acquaint your selves more inwardly and experimentally with the sweetness of Religion and this will be the best way to quench your thirst and abate your desires after these Carnal Things Desire them still you may and you will as far forth as they are good for you and as far as your Heavenly Father sees them needful for you but there will be an end of your greedy and ravenous and insatiable desires if you desire God as much as you should you will desire the World no more than you should 3. Crush your desires after the evil and hurtful things below so as not to desire them at all The Pleasures of Sin and the Pomps and Pride of this Life and the Gains of Unrighteousness desire them not at all These can never be good for you and therefore are not to be desired It cannot be good to grow Rich by Fraud or Oppression they are cursed Gains that come in that way the Pompous Pride of the World and the sinful Sports and Pleasures of the World these are the Bane and Poyson of Souls a Cup of Poyson is not more Mortal to the Body than these Cups of Fornication or sinful Pleasures are to the Soul and therefore desires after these must not be limited or moderated but be crushed and crucified I told you before of two Instruments of Government a Spur and a Curb and the needfulness and use of these in the Government of your Desires you have seen in the two former Directions the need of a Spur to quicken our desires after God and his Grace of a Curb to restrain and limit our Desires after the good things of the World and now I shall tell you of a Third Instrument of Government and that is a Cross or a Gibbet to Execute and Crucifie our Desires after the Evils of the World what Government can be without Laws And what are Laws without Penalties And what are Penalties if there be no Execution There must be Gallows and Gibbets set up to cut off Malefactors or there 's like to be but poor Government The desires after these Evil things of the World are Malefactors that must be cut off and Crucified Gal. 6.14 I am Crucified to the World by the Cross of Christ that is my sinful Love of the World my lusting after the World those three Worldly Lusts in special the Lusts of the Flesh the Lusts of the Eye and the Pride of Life these are all Crucified by the Cross of Christ Moderate your Desires after these good things of the World but kill your desires after these Evil things Dost thou desire the sinful Pleasures of the World Art thou for a wanton or voluptuous Life Dost thou desire the Gain of Unrighteousness that comes in by Fraud or Oppression by shortning or detaining the Hire of thy poor Labourers Art thou for growing Rich by straitening or starving or ruining thy poor Workmen Dost thou affect a Proud or a Pompous Life O Kill and Crucifie all such Desires Nail them to the Cross hang up these Malefactors let there not be a Lust left in thee after these wickednesses but bring it forth to Execution let there be no such Desires found alive in your Hearts Leave it to the Epicures and Fornicators of the World to be Sons of Pleasure leave it to the Horse-leaches of the Earth to be Blood-Suckers to thirst after such Gain as is wrung out of the Bowels of the Poor leave it to the Butterflies and Wantons of the World to affect Mimical and Pompous Gaudry let Christians know no such Desires much less allow them and foster them where they feel them working and rising And as I hinted to you but now know that the two last Directions Curb and Crush will be easiest to be Observed if the first quicken Desires after God and Grace be diligently prosecuted And therefore here I in special exhort you to give all diligence enlarge and whet your Appetites after God and the things above Remember what I told you but now acquaint your selves with God live more in the Contemplation of God live more in Communion with God get you into the inside of Religion keep you close by God keep you near to Christ let your desire be to your Father let your desire be to your Husband be able to say with the Church Isa 26.8 9. The desire of my Soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee with my Soul have I desired thee in the Night yea with my Spirit within me will I seek thee early desire the Lord till you can delight in the Lord delight your selves in the Lord and then you will despise those desires of small things that take up the Hearts of Worldlings Shall I forsake my Fatness saith the Olive-Tree Shall I forsake my sweetness saith the Fig-Tree and become King over the Trees Judges 9.9 11. Shall I forsake the Fatness of the Olive the sweetness of the Fig-Tree and feed my Soul on these Brambles and wild Vines which are the Lusts of Foolish Worldlings He that hath drank Old Wine will not desire the New for he saith the Old is better God hath better things for you to desire better Wine better Pleasures better Inheritances for you O live so with God live so upon Christ that you may get you a Taste of his better Wine a Taste of his sweeter Pleasures a Taste of the Fatness of Heaven and then you will the more despise
thou Lord by thy favour hast made my Mountain so strong but what follows The very next Word is Thou didst hide thy Face and I was troubled Security opens the Door to Iniquity and Iniquity will hide us from our Joy It is Matter of Joy that we are at War with Sin and have gotten any little Conquest and have such a Captain to lead us on woe to them that are at Peace or in a Truce with Sin and have nothing to comfort them but only this that there is a present Cessation of Arms and they feel not the buffeting of Sathan against them they will quickly feel the miserable fruits of that Truce Stand to your Arms stand upon your Guard whilest you are Drinking most deeply of your Waters of Joy fear that Wormwood that Sin will cast in to imbitter your Pleasant Waters That Joy which will consist with a sinful Life is no Joy of God the Joy of God is Holy Joy and that Joy of God that leaves us secure and careless is not like to be long liv'd Do you rejoyce in God As ever you would that Joy should continue take heed of Iniquity you go in danger while you live it is not so clear and bright with you now but it may be all Cloudy and Stormy to morrow if the Devil can but lead you out to Iniquity he will quickly raise such Storms as will make you forget your joy forget not this danger if you do once but forget your danger two to one but it presently overtakes you and swallows you up Christians if ever you would live in settled solid Joy you must alwayes have a tender Heart and a tender Eye that will quickly espy and quickly be startled at the Invasion of sin Be Watchful be tender Hearted and then your Hearts shall rejoyce and if you would abide in Peace never live out of Fear Never live out of Fear till you are gotten out of Danger and out of Danger you cannot be till you are got to Heaven 2. Much less not so to rejoyce in the good things of the Earth as to forget our Sins Thou art a Rich Man thou hast a Confluence of all the kindnesses that this Earth can do thee the Sun shineth on thy Tabernacle 't is all fair Weather with thee thou Prosperest in the World and herein thou dost rejoyce But Man thou art a Sinner all this while Hast thou not great guilt lying upon thee Hast thou not unconquered Lusts remaining in thee Or dost thou not go in daily danger of being turned aside from God and led out into Iniquity If thine outward Prosperity make thee glad yet let the Sin that lieth upon thy back or at least lyeth at the Door make thee tremble and so to tremble as to be an allay to thy rejoycing when with the Peacock you spread abroad your Plumes and lift up your Crests look down on your Black Feet when you glitter in your Worldly Glory behold the stain that is upon all your Glory whatever fair Out-side you have what an Inside have you Is there not Poverty within whilest there is such Plenty without What a Poor and Wretched and Blind and Naked Soul hast thou whilest as to thine Outward Man thou art Rich and hast need of nothing Canst thou in the midst of thy Prosperity forget thy sinking and sinful Soul Canst thou remember thy Soul and will not this take thee a Button lower as to thy Carnal Joy The Prosperity of the Soul and the joy that grows up out of it need not be abated in the least by the Poverty of the Outward Man if thou be never so Poor and afflicted without yet an Holy Soul an upright Heart and the Joy of a good Conscience will make amends for all that but will thine Outward Prosperity make amends for thine Inward Poverty You with whom all things go well in this World yet still think on that Rust that 's Eating out your Treasure think on that Moth that 's fretting out your Garments behold the stain that appears upon all your Beauty the stain of Pride the stain of Covetousness and Carnality the Moth of Envy and Contention that 's eating out your Hearts Why shouldst thou be sad would Carnal Comforts say What hast thou wanting to thee What hast thou to trouble thee Thou hast Houses and Lands and Money and Health and Friends What wouldst thou have Why dost thou not rejoyce and make Merry Why why 't is true all things go well with me without I have a good Estate and a good Trade and a good House and am in good Health but O what a Soul have I O what a Wretched Heart have I Do you ask What I have to trouble me O I have Sin to trouble me this Pride and this Covetousness and this Guilt that is upon me God knows I find enough to trouble me and to trouble me more than I am or can be troubled Do you ask me What I want to make me merry O I want God! I want Grace I want more Faith and more love to Christ I want a better Heart matters go not right between God and me whatever I have for this World O how little have I for the Eternal World Can I be Merry and Jocund whilest sin hath made such wasts upon my Inward Man Christians do but thus remember your Sins and this will allay your Carnal Joyes Art thou so Merry that thou forgettest thy Sins Take heed the time cometh when thy Sins shall appear and stare thee so in the Face as to make thee forget all thy days of Mirth and Laughter 2. Not so to rejoyce as to forget our Brethrens Afflictions and Miseries It 's well with thee but how is it with thy poor Neighbours and Friends How many are there that are in Penury whilest thou art in Plenty How many are cloathed in Rags whilest thou shinest in thy gorgeous Apparel How many are ready to Starve and Die for Hunger whilest thou hast thy fulness of Bread and abundance of all things Thou hast enough and thereupon rejoycest but is it nothing to thee that there are so many that would be glad of thy Crumbs of thy Leavings and cannot have them Thy very Dogs it may be have many a better Bit and Warmer Lodging than some of thy poor Neighbours is this nothing to thee When thou blessest thy self in thy Plenty then remember those for whom nothing is provided Forget not in thy Joy how 't is with thy poor Neighbours much less how 't is with the poor Church of God Psol 137.5 6. If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my Right Hand forget her cunning let me never touch the Harp more or rejoice at the sound of the Organ if I forget poor Jerusalem if I don't remember thee Let my Tongue cleave to the Roof of my Mouth let me never sing Song more no nor never speak Word more if I preferr not Jerusalem above my chiefest Joy Friends you that can be Merry and Jolly
life of Christ begotten in them O what multitudes of lost souls are there among us if every soul be lost that makes light of sin What account dost thou make of it Thou sinnest dayly thou livest an idle and a careless and a sinful life thou art proud or covetous or a sensual flesh-pleaser and is not all this this sin Thou art a Liar a Promise-breaker a defrauder and is not this thy sin Thou art perverse and peevish and of a froward heart and is not this thy wickedness But what account dost thou make of all this Is it an heavy thing to thee to be thus sinful No not at all thou makest light of thy pride and light of thy covetousness and light of thy frowardness thou makest just nothing of them or at least but small matters Thou dost not feel them to be such a weight and burthen to thee but thou canst bear them and go out with them well enough Or if thou dost sometimes feel some smart or pain by them yet it is but such a light touch that what ever thou thinkest at present thou wilt quickly after them again at thy lying again at thy swearing again at thy froppish and froward carriages again It is such a deep sense of sin as will make us beware of it for the future that wil prove our recovery What shall we then think of them that make a mock of sin that make a sport of sin that take pleasure in iniquity Without all controversie these are lost souls and those that make but little reckoning of it that pass by their sins as small matters that are either not toucht at all or but lightly toucht for them so lightly that their sin hath still the power and dominion over them thou that art but such a one thou art a lost soul thy soul is lost and not recovered 4. Th sâ— that make light of Christ their recoverer Christ that is sent down as the Physitian of souls to seek and to save them that are lost hath ordinarily the same entertainment as the King in the Parable had amongst the Guests that he invited to his Feast Mat. 22.5 but they made light of it Here 1. There are some sinners that do make light of Christ Jesus Christ is worthy of all acceptation What is Jesus Christ He is the Son of God full of grace and truth Joh. 1. God equal with the Father the brightness of his Fathers glory the express image of his person and upholdeth all things by the word of his power Heb. 1.3 He is the Head of all Principalities and Powers the Prince of the Kings of the earth Rev. 1 5. What is Jesus Christ to sinners He is the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Is 9.6 his name shall be wonderful What comes this Jesus into the world for To reconcile them to God to save them from their sins to die for the sins of the World and to wash them in his own bloud And to what end comes he to particular sinners wherefore is he preached to them wherefore is he offered to them To what end is it that sinners are so importunately invited to entertain and accept of him to be willing that he that was the Saviour might become their Saviour that he that was the Reconciler might become their Recoverer to recover them from the snare of the Devil and to bring them into the everlasting Kingdom This is that Jesus that by the Gospel is preached unto you Who could imagine that such a great and mighty and glorious one who is the everlasting King the God of all the earth who would think but he should be reverenced where-ever he come They will reverence my son said the King in the Parable Mat. 22.37 It might be well presumed they would however it proved in the issue Who could imagine that one that came upon such a gracious design to reconcile poor Rebels unto God to redeem poor Prisoners out of Prison to recover and raise the dead to life and ransom them from the Pit and give them an entrance into the everlasting kingdom who would think but Christ coming upon such a gracious and glorious design should have wonderful chearful entertainment Who would think but that the whole World should ring with acclamations of joy and praise at his appearing amongst them Who would think but when Christ comes to particular sinners and makes a free offer of himself to them to be theirs their Redeemer their Saviour but such an offer should be greedily catched at and readily embraced Doth the King of Glory come unto me Hast thou shed thy bloud and poured forth thy soul and laid down thy liâ—e and purchased pardon and an interest in Heaven for me And dost thou now come to give thy self and all that thou hast purchased to be mine What answer would any one think would be given by lost souls to such questions Wilt thou be mine Shall I be thine Art thou willing to be redeemed to be washed from thy sins to be healed of thy diseases Shall my bloud which is shed for the salvation of sinners shall my bloud be thine and the peace and reconciliation it hath made be thine Shall I come into that miserable soul of thine and dwell there and rule there and cast that Devil out that hath been thy destroyer and murderer Shall I love thee and delight in thee and bless thee with my salvation What answer would any one think that undone lost sinners should give to such questions What wilt thou come unto me love and bless me With all my soul Lord come in thou blessed Lord all that is within me shall rejoyce that thou wilt thus enter upon me and take me for thy possession and habitation This one would think should be the answer that sinners would give But behold such miserably foolish souls are sinners become that they make light of all this A cup of drink a carnal companion a lust a sensual pleasure is made more reckoning of than Christ and all his love As it is said of those Builders the Scribes and Pharisees Acts 4.11 It is true of all sinners this stone this pretious stone this corner stone this foundation stone upon which alone their hopes of salvation might be built this stone is set at nought by them Is 53.3 He was despised and rejected of men they made no account or reckoning of him but even tread under foot the Son of God And this is the general entertainment that Christ hath among the sinners of the earth so light do they make of him he comes to them but they will not receive him How often says he would I have gathered you Mat. 23.37 but you would not And what is the common case of sinners is it not thy case Art not thou one that makest light of Christ He hath been preached unto thee he hath come and tendered himself to thy soul That vile heart of thine sinner that dark hole where the Devil and Lust
Families are destroyed Our houses are become Sepulchres places of the dead But why should we mourn over lost souls 1. Because there are such multitudes of them Come where you will into what Country into what Family into what Congregation you will and you may see almost as many dead men as you may see men It is but here and there one living soul is to be found such a great slaughter as sin hath made calls for great lamentation 2. Because they are in such a pitiful and lamentable case What is it to be a dead and lost soul where shall we have them a little while hence Those that are under the power of death are under the power of the Devil and those that are under the power of the Devil you may look to find them shortly in the place of the Devil At present they seem to be in a paradise they live at ease and in plenty and in peace there are none seem to be so much alive as the sinners of the earth as Mal. 3.15 We call the proud happy and the prophane and flesh-pleasers and the covetous these are counted happy ones They are far they shine they glitter who but sinners These are the only men the only happy men as the world counts them but what ever there be upon their backs or in their bellies their poor hearts are dead and where shall we find these flourishing and prospering ones a few days hence It would pity ones heart to think where What if you should see all these dead buryed buryed in Flames cast into the Pit of everlasting darkness and everlasting burning You cannot but foresee that there they will be shortly thither they are travelling their way is the way of death and their steps lead down to hell and how suddenly may they be swallowed up of the Pit O pity these lost souls have you any bowels Parents have you any bowels for your sinning children Friends have you any bowels for your sinning Friends Draw forth your bowels in sighs and lamentations pour forth your hearts at your eyes and fall a weeping over them look upon the ignorant and sottish ones look upon the loose and prophane ones the lying children the swearing and cursing and drinking and unruly children among you and let your eye affect your heart Yea weep not for them only but as Luke 23.28 Weep for your selves and for your children 3. Because they will not mourn for themselves They are not sensible of their own misery nor will lay it to heart These lost souls are men besides themselves distracted ones out of their wits ut supra The prodigal was out of his wits whilst he was running his wild course he was not himself What sense have mad men of their misery They count themselves to be wise and happy men and all others to be fools but themselves How shall we hear distracted souls talking of their lands and inheritances boasting some of them that they are Kings and Lords and Gentlemen though they be even stark naked half starved bound with Thongs and chains yet still they have high thoughts and make great boastings of themselves Such mad souls are the miserable souls of sinners Job 11.12 Vain man would be wise though he be as a wild Asses colt These wild men that run a wild course that have lost their reasons it their lusts they would be taken for wise men and they will not be perswaded out of their vain conceits of themselves Bray a fool in a mortar Prov. 27.22 Yet will not his foolishness depart from him Now this is cause of great lamentation that these lost souls are such stupid and sensless souls that will not mourn for themselves nor be brought to understand that they are objects of pity and lamentation they think they are wiser than their teachers that they have more wit than to become sober and serious Christians that they have no need of the Physiâ—ian no need of counsel and instruction and thereupon are ready to fall a laughing at those that mourn over them and mock at repentance and conversion Surely those that are in such a miserable case and have not the heart to mourn for themselves or to count themselves mournful and pitiful spectacles there is the more reason we should take up a lamentation over them Let us lament therefore that there are such multitudes of miserable souls that there are so few amongst those multitudes of lost ones that we ever see to be recovered O how few are the Converts to Christ How seldom do we hear of any lost sheep brought into the Fold You that are brought in pity those that are left without mourn for them let fall a tear over them lift up a prayer for them that though they have gone astray like lost sheep yet at length they may return to the Shepherd and B shop of their souls And you that are these lost souls how is it that you are noâ— yet come so far to your selves as to see what pitiful case you are in Sinners will you yet go away conceited that it is well enough with you Is it better with you than if you were Converts Are the Bâ—ick-kilns of Egypt as long as you can eat of the Leeks and On ons and Melons better than the freedom of Canaan Do the pleasures of sin make your chains pleasant to you Is it better to go on to serve the Devil and your Lusts than to come about and be the servants of the Lord Or whether it be better or worse wisdom or folly discretion or madness are you resolved however to continue as you are Have you not the sense in you as to be able to say it is a sorry case I am in Or do you see it is bad enough with you and yet have not the power to make out after a recovery Hast thou not pity upon that poor soul of thine but thou wilt give it up to be racked and torn and burned forever rather than for its sake thou wilt deny thy will or thy lust or thine appetite Art thou still so mad as to say live or die heaven or hell what ever be the issue I will not turn out of my course I will not come unto God and be his servant If there be a God I will venture his wrath if there be an Hell I will venture on its flames rather than not enjoy my will or mine ease or my pleasure Is this thy case Judge then if thou be not a pitiful and lamentable thing and an object of mourning and if thou canst get so much of a man in thee so much of the reason and understanding of a man so much of the heart and compassion of a man O pity thy self pity thy poor soul pity and mourn over it mourn and repent repent and pray that if it be possible thou mayest recover thy self out of the snare of the Devil who art thus held captive by him at his will 2. Let us take up a
are so for being thorough-Converts this will require time this will require pains and constant exercising your selves to repentance as long as you live You must continue repenting as long as you continue sinning you must confirm and establish your hearts against all returns to the old state and course as long as there is danger of relapsing What if you should begin well and then give off or make a stand What if you should lay by your sorrow for sin lay down your fear of sin and run into temptations to sin without fear if you should give off your watch and your warrings against sin What do you think would become of you if you should How would you tumble back into the Pit from which you seemed to be delivered Do what you can Friends to make sure work Have you gotten any sense of sin and of the necessity of turning Exercise your thoughts and your hearts upon this thing while you live You will never whilst you live here see to the bottom of the evil that is in sin Hast thou by thinking and searching found out something of the evil of sin Think again search again and thou shalt yet see greater abominations greater malignity in it You may as easily see to the height of heaven or to the depth of hell as to the bottom of sin Sin can never be thoroughly known till God be thoroughly known It is an abuse of God an abuse of infinite grace and goodness and holiness as often as thou sinnest thou affrontest and abusest the God of heaven and earth Thou thinkest it a small matter to tell a lie or to pilfer and purloin if it be but trifles thou stealest but is it a small matter to abuse the Almighty God to tread upon his authority who hath said lie not thou shalt not steal thou shalt not covet Is it a small matter to spit in his face to slight his bowels to tread upon his mercy and to throw it back upon him and refuse it when he offers it Such and much more malignity is there in sin than all this and therefore be thinking and searching out the evil of sin more and more as long as you live Study much the evil of sin and the preciousness of Christ and give not over till you can no longer either make light of sin or make light of Christ and when sin is become grievous and Christ is become pretious when sin is so grievous that you cannot bear it when Christ is so pretious that you cannot want him that is a sign of a recovered soul 1 Pet. 2.7 To them which believe he is pretious And where Christ is pretious it is sure there sin is odious O if Christ hath once recovered you how dear will he be to you You will prize him in your very hearts you will love him while you live you will be afraid how you grieve or offend him And when you are recovered from sin how will you look back upon it will you love will you lust after your old ways again Will you wish your selves Worldlings again Sensualists again Will you bethink the ease you have lost the pleasures you have lost the companions you have lost Will you not thank God that you are come out from among them and have escaped that misery that is coming upon the World The more you live in the constant exercise of repentance the more you will admire the recovering grace of God and the more you will abhor to return to folly Repentance is your recovery if God give you repentance you may recover and your continuing in the exercise of repentance is your maintaining and perfecting and confirming your recovery You are not gotten so far off from the state of sin but your continued exercise of repentance will get you farther off daily Your repentance is your getting upon sure ground and your continued repentance is your standing your ground your giving off at your repenting work will be your relapse and it may be into a worse case than before Joh. 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee Behold thou art made whole O what a word is that How do you think that poor impotent man that had been so 38 years was ravished at that word What if the Lord should now speak the word to any sinner among you that had been even astonished with the sense of his sin and his guilt that had lien as long at the Ordinances as the poor man at the Pool expecting and hoping for a saving change and could find none If Christ should come to thee this day and say Behold thou art made-whole thy sins are forgiven and thy soul is cleansed from them If that word should be spoken to thee this day how would thine heart leap for joy What should we hear from thee but praises and thanksgiving Well but yet consider the words that follow sin no more stand thy ground lest a worse thing come to thee thy case hath been very sad formerly but as sad as it hath been look to find it worse if thou return to folly Psal 85.8 God will speak peace but let them not return to folly at their peril let them look to it that they do not return But of this more in the next Now Sinners will you yet at last be persuaded to set upon this work of repenting Will you say you cannot Why then you must die of your disease die eternally But why can you not O it is a painful life it is contrary to me I have found such ease and such pleasure and such gain in mine old ways that I cannot part with them what not for the saving of thy life Is thine ease better than Christ Are thy gains more worth than thy soul Wilt thou to hell rather than turn As sure as thou livest thither thou must if thou repent not Luke 13.3 Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish God hath said the soul that sinneth shall die Ezek. 18. and God will never repent of that word as to thee unless thou repent of thy sins What art thou resolved for hell Art thou resolved to sacrifice that flesh and those bones of thine to the fury of the Devil Art thou a captive to the Devil and wilt thou never recover out of his snares Shall he carry thee with him to his home Shall be that hath had the leading of thee have the burning of thee O why will ye die Turn and live count upon it there is but one way with you every one of you either turn or die 3. Exercise your selves to the keeping a good conscience Acts 24.26 Herein do I exercise my self This is an hard exercise and will hold us in continual work There are many things required to the keeping a good conscience all which must be well looked to Amongst others 1. Get a good conscience or get conscience recovered from those evils it labours under There are two special evils in and
things honestly in all things and at all times This exercise of keeping to conscience is a painful exercise you can never live a conscientious life unless you will be content to live a painful life to take pains with your hearts to take pains with your thoughts and affections to take pains with your tongues and all your members to hold them close to the rule of conscience this painful exercise will get you an heat will beget warmth in those cold and careless hearts The most conscientious Christians are the most warm and lively Christians and according as you get and keep your hearts warm so will your diseases waste the health of your souls return into you Remember what I have said if ever you would recover your lost souls recover conscience if ever you would recover conscience get the guilt the guile of conscience purged away by the bloud of Christ and water of repentance keep the eye of conscience open let conscience be the Supervisor of all your ways let the book of conscience be kept clear from blots and blurs and let there be a faithful record kept there of all your ways let the tongue of Conscience have leave to speak and warn you from day to day and submit to its Scepter and government be no longer govern'd by Will or by appetite or by lust or by the fashions and customs or examples of men but be govern'd by Conscience Do not give Conscience a Kiss and a Stab hearken to it in some things and wound it in other things but study to live in all good Conscience on your Sabbath-dayes on your working-dayes in the House of the Lord in your own houses in the houses of your Friends in the Field in the Market in the matters of God in the matters of the World when you are alone when in company when you are in good company when you are fallen into evil company wherever you are whatever you are a doing still have an eye upon Conscience an ear open to Conscience and let Conscience prescribe to you what you should do and how you should carry it in every affair 3. Beware of taking cold That 's a special rule Physicians use to give to the recovering Patient when Persons are upon recovery of their bodily diseases how ordinary is it that upon a little cold they relapse and sometimes die of their disease Is thy Soul upon recovery take heed of Colds Soul such there are who when they begin to be wrought upon and brought to any sence of Religion there appears a great heat and fervour of spirit upon them 't is with them as with the Prophet Jer. 20.9 Thy Word was in me like fire their love and desire and zeal for God seem all in a flame O what warm affections have they how warm in their Duties how warm in their converses they seem to be all Life and Soul and then after a time they grow stark cold and little life is left in them and some of them never recover again while they live Hath thy Spirit gotten an heat hath the Word heated thee and those Exercises of Prayer Repentance and keeping Conscience gotten thee into an heat then take heed of growing cold keep you constant to those Exercises that have begotten an heat in you Keep you in the Sun-shine all your heart-warmth is begotten and must be maintained from above live in the beholding the face of God live under the Sun-beams of the Sun of righteousness keep you close to God keep you near to Christ live in intimate communion with God Take heed of those clouds your sins that will obscure the Sun Isa 59.1 Take heed of an Eclipse see that this Earth do not interpose betwixt your Souls and Heaven take heed of the damp Influences of the dead that you live amongst We live in a cold World a cold Age that Age has overtaken us which Christ Prophesied of Mat. 24.20 Wherein the love many of should wax cold Those that are grown cold themselves will serve for nothing but to chill and damp the Spirits of others Be not unnecessarily conversant with this cold World trust not your selves in their Company have you never found how much your Souls have lost by carnal Correspondencies Professors how is it with you Do you still retain your first vigour as when you began to be recovered May not the Lord complain over some of us as of Israel Jer. 2.2 I remember the kindness of thy Youth and the love of thine Espousals I remember it as a thing that is past that now is not or as Ephesus Rev. 2.4 Thou hast lost thy first Love and what follows from this decay Hence is it that we are become a Company of sickly Professors of Carnal Professors of Earthly Professors the World hath return'd upon us the Flesh hath gotten head again in us the things that are Eternal and the influences of them upon us are even lost and swallow'd up of things Temporal our Stocks and our Businesses and our Trades how have they even choak'd up our Religion Friends it 's matter of astonishment to consider how very few lively Christians there are to be found amongst us Thus we every one talk what a General decay of Religion there is among us has not thine own Mouth complain'd of the coldness of this Age But whilst thou complainest of the Age how is it with thee Art not thou sick of the same Disease Look homeward look inward into thine own House into thine own Heart what Spirit of Religion is there going in thine own Family Hast thou not by thy negligence let all run to decay there What Life of Religion is there maintain'd in thine own Heart Friends feel you every man his own Pulse lay your hand every Man upon his own Heart and feel how faintly it beats Heaven-wards Sure Friends if we should examine our own Cases we should find enough to set us all a Weeping over our own decays and she should hear that voice within us Weep not for others but weep for thy self and thine own Children O take heed lest such of you as are fallen back among the Sick do not also return among the Dead and make your recovery again more hopeless at last than 't was at first You that stand be warn'd by those that are fallen stand with your Loyns girded and your Lights burning and you that are fallen fallen to decay fallen to a dead and flat and lifeless State you that are fallen remember whence you are fallen remember and repent remember and recover strengthen the things that remain if there be any sparks left blow off your Ashes blow up the Coals Let the Life of God and the love of Christ and a Zeal for Holiness be again kindled in you and if ever the Lord should recover you again there 's great hazard whether he may thou mayest die of the Cold thou hast taken the Consumption that hath Eaten up so much of thy Vitals may be unto
in an Army what would an Enemy desire more than to have the Army he was to fight against to be in a Mutiny amongst themselves the Devil will not doubt his Conquest whilst he can but keep all within you in disorder Mens Damnation does frequently begin in Thoughts evil Thoughts corrupt the Affections evil Affections corrupt the Manners and practice and evil works have their end in Destruction Never again make a light thing of Thoughts how many men are there who by giving themselves leave to be thinking of their Pleasures and thinking of their Gains and thinking of their Lascivious lustful Objects do think themselves into very Beasts first and then into Devils Job 31.1 I made a Covenant with mine eyes why then should I think upon a Maid The next to looking is thinking the eyes let in Fuel for the Thoughts the next to thinking is lusting the Thoughts provide Fuel for Lust the next to Lusting is Whoring and the next to Whoring is Death and the like in other Cases For the World the next to thinking is loving the next to loving is lusting and inordinate desiring the next to lusting is seeking and progging the next to seeking is getting and heaping up and loading our selves with thick Clay and the next to this is sinking and drowning our selves in Perdition and Destruction 2. These are the Evidences of what we are in respect to our Eternal State Men may judge themselves and come to know themselves by the Thoughts and Affections Rom. 8.7 To be carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace Those that are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh and those that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit Where art thou Friend art thou in the way of Life or the way of Death why how may I tell that why where are your minds what are they running upon where are your Thoughts your most serious and delightful Thoughts are they in Heaven or on Earth on things Spiritual or on things Carnal where are your Affections working upwards or downwards Such as thy Thoughts and Affections are such is the State of thy Soul To be Carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace It 's true many serious Christians have too many Carnal Thoughts Vain and Wandring Thoughts but 't is their Affliction and 't is their care and endeavour to give check to such Thoughts but when the allowed Stream runs towards Earth and sin 't is a sign thou art an Earthly Fleshly Man and in the State of the Dead 3. There are Idols set up in the Heart after which if it be not well looked to it 's apt to go a Whoring It is true more or less of all men what is said of the Elders of Israel Ezek. 14.3 These men have set up their Idols in their Heart Whatsoever the Heart loves more than God whatever the Heart serves or seeks more than God yea whatever the Heart loves or serves or seeks ultimately for it self without respect to any higher end this is an Idol set up in the Heart those very men that abhor those Idols that are set up in the House or the Church that detest Saint-Worship or Image-Worship the Worshipping of Stocks or Stones or Pictures the work of mens hands yea that call that an Idol or Idolatry which God never called so that cry out Idolatry Idolatry against every thing that is not according to their own Minds even these very men may have set up their Idols in their Hearts The Heart hath multitudes of Idols set up in it there are in the Heart as the Apostle said 1 Cor. 5.8 there are in the world Gods many and Lords many The World is an Idol some men make their Lands and their Money their Gods though Job would not chap. 31.24 yet some mens Hearts will say to their Gold Thou art my God Others there are who make their Belly their God Whose God is their Belly Phil. 3.19 Others make their Honours and their Pleasures their God and these may be said to be as those 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God The Heart hath many Idols set up in it but the great Heart-Idol to which all the rest must stoop and serve is Self the World is served Honours are sought Pleasures are loved but all for the sake of Self Whatever Idol there be the great Idol is Self which is set up in the room of God Mans original Apostacy was his falling from God to Self and mans recovery to Christ is his bringing back from Self to God Therefore he tells the World that whoso will come along with him and be his disciple must deny himself Mat. 16.24 If any man Christ suffered that he might bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 And that he cannot do unless he come back from Self he departed from God when he declined to himself and he must deny himself that will return to the Lord. God and Self divide the whole world The most are for Self and there is not a man of all these for God some few are for God and every one of these have denyed and departed from Self Mens recovery by Christ is their returning from Self unto God but this Recovery is but imperfect this Self carnal Self I mean hath a Seat higher or lower in the best hearts There is a sinful Selfishness wherewith we still remain infected and there is still a danger even after our recovery of Apostacy to this Self again The great Idoll set up in the heart is self and the great Idolatry or going a whoring after this Idol the great heart Idolatry stands in these three things 1. Self-conceit 2. Self-will 3. Self-love 1. Self-conceit The magnifying our own Opinions the Idolizing our own apprehensions the growing wise in our own eyes and the resigning up our selves to the conduct and government of our own carnal Reasons or Understandings This Solomon intimates is an encroaching upon God yea denying of God he sets these two as Opposites one to another the acknowledging of God and the leaning to our own understandings Prov. 3.5 6. Lean not to thine own understanding in all thy wayes acknowledge him Intimating that whilest we lean to our own understandings we deny and do not acknowledge God It belongs to God as God to be the Supreme Guide and Dictator to us but when men take upon them to be so wise as that their own Opinions and Conceits must be their Guide they therein deny the God that is above Take heed of being self-conceited The worst of Sinners as blind as they are yet they are wise in their own eyes they think their Way is good and their State is good they have a conceit that their own way is best they have taken up conceits against the ways of God this strictness of Religion this Preciseness of Holiness they have a conceit 't is all but Nicety and Hypocrisie and that
our Duty Let him that Blesseth himself in the Earth bless himself in the God of Truth He that loveth himself will bless himself There 's a double Self-blessing 1. A seeking our own blessedness Self-love will prompt us to seek an happiness for our selves not only to save our selves from Misery but to bring our selves to Blessedness The blessedness which true Self-love wisheth and seeketh for Self is in God in the God of Truth He that truly loveth his own Soul can be content with nothing less than God for the blessedness of of it No State no Inheritance no Treasure can satisfie him below Heaven and everlasting glory There 's not a man of you that loves his Soul but he is seeking Glory and Honour and Immortality for it he is taking care and taking pains to get a place in Heaven for his Soul to lay up Treasure in Heaven for it Dost thou love thy self who dost not bless thy Self or seek a Blessing in God for thy Self Dost thou bless thy Self in God who slightest God who carest not for God and who refusest the blessing of God and this for the sake of thy Lusts and Pleasures Sinner lovest thou thy Self lovest thou thine own Soul O seek a Blessing for it a blessing in God a blessing in Heaven for it 2. An enjoying and rejoycing in your own Blessedness Loving our selves aright is part of the fruition and enjoying our selves as loving God is of the fruition of God No man that loves himself but he would enjoy himself and bless himself in the reflection on his own Happiness And this is the self-blessing mentioned let him bless himself in the God of Truth that is let him satisfy himself let him comfort himself let him enjoy and rejoyce over himself upon this account that the God of Truth is his God and his Happness Let him not bless himself in the Earth that Riches are his that Pleasures and Honours are his that he hath the World at will but that the Lord God is his let him not chear himself with the Rich Man's Song Luke 12. Soul take thine ease thou mayest enjoy thy Self for thou hast goods laid up for many Years but let him take up the Psalmist's Song Psal 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my Soul herein thou mayest bless thy Self herein thou mayest comfort thy Self the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee Friends you whose God is the Lord you are the Men that may bless your Selves you are the Men that may enjoy your Selves you may look into your Hearts with comfort you may look upon your States with Joy you may bless your Selves that God hath given you such an Heart you may bless your Selves that God hath given you such a Portion You that have an Interest in God and this witnessed by the Image of God upon your Hearts you may enjoy your Selves and take comfort as often as you look inward and see the Marks and the Prints of Divine Grace stamped upon you your very love to your Selves will make you to rejoice over your Selves as often as you view the blessed Frame into which the Goodness and Grace of God hath brought you Well this Self-love with it's Fruits Self-preservation and Self-blessing is our Duty and the Lord hath planted it in our Hearts on purpose to bring us on upon all our other Duties God makes great use of this innocent Self-love in his Government of the World God Governs by Laws and Laws Govern by their Rewards and Punishments and Rewards and Punishments have their Efficacy by vertue of this love of our selves what would Laws signifie were there no Rewards to the Obedient nor Penalties to the Disobedient These are the Sinews and Strength of Laws and what would Rewards and Penalties signifie to us were we not lovers of our Selves Our Self-love prompts us to seek our good and to prevent our misery As far as we love our Selves we desire our own Happiness 'T was Self-love that made those many Psal 4.6 to say Who will shew us any good 'T was the Psalmist's Love to the Church Psal 122.9 that made him say I will seek thy good and hence 't is that we endeavour the prevention of our ruin Self-preservation is the Fruit of Self-love Self-love is the first spring and motive to Religion 't is true when we come to be Religious indeed there are higher motives the love of God the Love of Christ is the great Argument to carry us on in sound Religion when we come to be Christians then the main Motive to Christianity is that which Christ used to Peter John 21.15 to faithfulness in his Ministry Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep Lovest thou me Feed my Lambs If ye love me keep my Commandments Joh. 14.15 But the first Motive to bring us to be Christians is this Self-love Lovest thou thy Self Then give thy Self to Christ Lovest thou thy Soul Then be a Christian Christ is the only way to blessedness He that hath the Son hath Life 1 Joh. 5.12 And he that not the Son hath not Life Christ is the only way to blessedness and the only security against misery against Everlasting misery There is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 There is no Name under Heaven by which we must be saved saved from Death from Eternal Death but by the Name of Jesus Acts 4.12 Now when Christ says Come unto me and ye shall have rest Mat. 11. Follow me and ye shall have Treasure in Heaven Mark 10. He that is ashamed of me of him will I be ashamed before my Father that is in Heaven the intent and meaning of all this is if you love your Selves come to me if you love your Souls keep my Commandments if ever you would that those Souls of yours should be happy Souls if you would not that they should be Lost and Burned and Drowned in everlasting Destruction if you love your Souls and wish their good and happiness if you would not be your Destroyers and Murtherers if you have so much love to your Souls that you would they should be Saved and would not that they be Damned then come unto Christ then be followers of Christ then believe then repent and obey the Gospel If you love your Selves be Holy if you love your Selves be Heavenly minded if you love your Selves be humble be painfull be circumspect and walk in all things as becometh the Gospel By the way I exhort you to improve and maintain your true Self-love I say not to you only Husbands love your Wives Parents love your Children Christians love one another but every one of you love your Selves If you love your Selves you will love God if you love your Selves you will love Christ if you love your Selves you will love Godliness if you love your Selves you will be the followers of God the Disciples of Christ and will give your selves to live godly in Christ Jesus See therefore that you love your Selves that your poor Souls may grow more dear
forth and Self eat them up there was nothing for God Israel was an empty Vine to him her Fruits were to themselves Friends would you not be rejected for Barren empty Vines for false-hearted and rotten Professors Would you not be found rotten at the Core See that it be the Love of God and not this Self-love lying at the Bottom at the Root of your Religion 2. It is the Root of all Vnrighteousness and Vnmercifulness to Men. Self-love will never learn that Lesson to do to others as it would be done by it will catch all it can and keep all it has Self must be advanced Self must be enriched whoever be ruined by it all manner of Frauds and Deceits all manner of Oppressions and Wrongs all Mens underminings all Mens over-reachings of their Neighbours all Mens falshoods in their Words their Promise-breakings their Lyings all their falshood in their Dealings in their Tradings in their deceitful Words in their deceitful Weights and Measures all this Unrighteousness 't is their Self-love that puts them upon it so they may get for themselves and enrich themselves how wicked soever the means or wayes be to it they care not who be impoverished or ruined And where Self will not suffer Men to be Righteous it will less suffer them to be Merciful what they are so much for getting they will be but little for giving the Hunger and Nakedness the pinching and Pining and even Starving of so many poor amongst us the short Alms they can get and that little that it 's so hardly come by the failing of Compassions the shutting up of Bowels against those that are in need this is all from Self-love I shall need it for my self I need it for mine own I cannot spare it that 's often the Word that must go in stead of an Alms. 3. It is the Root of all Brawls and Quarrels and Contentions in the World Whence are there such Multitudes of troublesome Law-Suits What are they but the contendings of Self with Self one says 't is mine own and I will have it whatever it cost me another says 't is not thine but mine and I will have it this Meum and Tuum how hath it set the World together by the Ears Not that there is Unrighteousness in all Suits at Law the Love of God may sometimes put Men to make use of the Law of Man but those unjust or unreasonable contendings about trifles or for that which is none of their own in hope by their Might or their Money to Rob the Poor of their Right these are pernicious Quarrels and 't is Self that sets them on 4. It 's the Root of Self-seeking Holy Self-love is the Root of Holy Self-seeking as the love of God is the Root of seeking God so sinful Self-love is the Root of all sinful self-seeking and sinful self-seeking is contrary to the seeking of God The love of God is the Root of our seeking God These two Love of God and seeking God are put both together in one Promise Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me and those that seek me Early shall find me Isa 26.9 With my Soul have I desired thee there 's the love and what follows With my Spirit within me will I seek thee Early the love of God will set us a seeking God 't is in vain that thou sayst I love God if thou canst not say also I seek God and the love of Self will put us on self-seeking and this sinful self-seeking is ever contrary to the seeking of God Phill. 2.31 All seek their own not the things that are Jesus Christ's all seek their own things that is their own Carnal things and those that thus seek their own seek not the things of Christ there is this difference betwixt Self-love and the Love of God Self-love divides Interests Self stands single and hath a separated and divided Interest that 's the Interest of Self which is the Interest of none else and Self-love in seeking it's own Interest seeks the Interest of none else neither of Christ nor of Men the love of God unites Interests he that loves God the things of God and his own things are the same he counts nothing his own things but those that are also the things of God and when he is seeking God he is then most seeking his own God is his own and he counts nothing his own but what is also the Lords when he seeks God he therein seeks his own and where he seeks his own he therein seeks God his Soul is his own and the Interest and Prosperity of Soul these are the things of God it 's the Love of the Brethen unites our Interest with the Interest of the Saints 't is the Interest of the whole Body that is the Interest of every Member all the Saints have the same common Interest so the Love of Christ unites the Interest of every Member with the Interest of the Head the love of God makes the things of God our own things and the love of the Saints makes the things of the Church to be all our own It is betwixt Christ and Christians and betwixt Christians one toward another as 't was betwixt the Primitive Christians they have all things common Acts 4.32 None said of ought that he possessed that it was his own but they had all things common Not but that Christians have a real Propriety in their own Estates by virtue of which civil Right their Estates are so their own as that they are not anothers but yet by vertue of the community of Interests what one Man hath should be as there is occas on to the benefit of the Community And whence was this The love of God had united their Interests and the Multitude of them that believed were knit together by that love as one Man they were of one Heart and of one Soul there 's no Meum and Tuum Thine and Mine betwixt Christ and his Saints but all is Mine I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine Cant. 2.17 We are not our own say Believers we are thine and I am not mine own says Christ I am yours and that which I have is yours John 20.17 Tell my Brethen I go to my Father and your Father to my God and your God my Father is yours my God is your God all I have is yours I am yours and and my Blood and my Bowels are yours my stripes my wounds and my Righteousness and my Inheritance is yours 1 Cor. 3.22 23 Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours for ye are Christs and Christ is Gods my Ministers are yours mine Ordinances are yours my Possessions are yours things present and things to come if I have any right in this World the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof if I have any thing in the World to come the everlasting Crown the everlasting Mansions all are yours and
ye are mine and I am Gods Thus Christs love to Christians causeth him to say to them I am yours and all that I have so Christians love to Christ helps them to say Lord we are thine and all we have are thine not only our sins are thine our infirmities are thine but our Parts and our Possessions our Graces and our Duties yea our Houses and our Lands and our Possessions all are thine Christians we have been call'd together this day to a Communion of Loves and thereby to an Espousal of Interests betwixt Christ and us we have received the Pledges of his love his Bread and his Wine he hath given us to Eat and to Drink as the tokens he hath sent us down from Heaven of his Love I have brought you tokens every one of you from the Lord this day tokens of his love we have received the Pledges of his love and we have returned the Pledges of our love to him our very accepting of Christ's Tokens hath been our returning of our tokens Your communion together to Eat of Christ's Bread and Drink of his Cup provided it hath been in sincerity a Spiritual Eating and a Spiritual Drinking your Eating and Drinking his Body and Blood Christ hath accepted as a token of your loves and this communion of love hath been an Espousal of Interests Christ hath hereby told you Because I love you I will be yours and all that I have in Heaven and Earth you may henceforth call your own I am your own Jesus my Father is your own Father and my God is your own God and mine Inheritance is your own Inheritance and you have said if you have sincerely accepted of Christ we are thine own thine own Flock thine own Inheritance thy Ransom'd ones thy Redeemed ones and thy peculiar People this hath been the up-shot of the Transaction betwixt Christ and you this day the Sealing to this word I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine And as there hath been an interchangeable communion of loves and Espousal of Interest betwixt Christ and Christians so also betwixt Christians and Christians as we have said to our Lord I am thine so we have therein said one to another I am yours and must therefore walk in that tenderness of love in that dearness of affection one to another in that mutual care of each others good in that mutual Sense of each others afflictions in that mutual delight in each others Societies in that mutual helping and counselling and comforting one another and hearty seeking and rejoicing in each others good studying to please each other for his good to Edification fearing to grieve or offend or wrong or fall out with or quarrel one with another counting the Interest of every Christian to be the common Interest of the whole Body that we hereby may prove that we love one another not in Word and in Tongue but Indeed and in Truth This now is the Nature and these are the Fruits of Divine Love it will unite Hearts and unite Interests this will be the Interest of Christians which will flow from the love of Christ that Christ's Interest prosper in the World that the Name of Christ be exalted and be honourable both in themselves and in the World that Christ be loved that Christ be praised that the Word of Christ the Worship of Christ his Sabbaths his Ordinances be exalted in the World that the Glory and Holy Image of Christ his Humility Meekness Lowliness Heavenliness Righteousness Mercy may shine forth in our Faces and in the Faces and Wayes of all his Saints that we may in our particulars and jointly shew forth the Spirit and Life of serious and poweful Religion and Godliness in all manner of Holy Conversation this we should account our Interest with respect to Christ that he may be thus Honour'd and Obeyed and this will be the Interest of Christians with respect to Christians that we may see one another the whole Vineyard flourishing in the Power of Holiness as living and lively Instances of the Grace of God and as far as the Lord see it good may see one another prospering in this World even as our Souls do prosper O Christians espouse this common Interest and do what you can to promote this Interest in the World Love Christ and lift up the Name of Christ love Christ and shew forth the Image of Christ love Christ and Consecrate your Life to Christ determine to know nothing to value nothing to rejoice in nothing but Jesus Christ and him Crucified And then love one another and study to please one another to profit one another for their good to Edification to cast in your Lot together to rejoice together with them that rejoice to grieve with them that suffer to live together in love forbearing one another forgiving one another comforting one another even as you your selves would be Loved forgiven and comforted of God This now is the nature and the fruit of Divine Love it unites Interests but Self-love sinful Self-love divides Interests and so those that seek the things of Self their carual things seek not the things of Christ 3. Sinful Self-love hath a root remaining in the best Hearts even of the regenerate though in Conversion Self hath lost the Domlnion and be cast down from the Throne yet is there a secret Tabernacle a corner in the Heart where it fortifies it Self and is still aspiring to recover the Throne it hath lost the Dominion yet it retains in some degree an Interest in the affection and by this affection it hath the advantage of us and often recovers too great a Command again How great a Power sinful Self-love hath still in us the experience of Chistians sadly proves for the clearing whereof consider yet again more distinctly that there is as hath been already hinted a threefold Self-love and accordingly a threefold Self-seeking 1. There is a loving or seeking our selves in conjunction with God and in subordination to him This is a loving or seeking Self spiritually a loving or seeking of Self as Christians as the Servants of God and Members of Christ as cloathed with the Image and devoted to the service and aspiring to the Salvation of God This Self-loving and Self-seeking is our duty and our excellency the Interest of Self spiritual and the Interest of God are a conjunct Interest only the Interest of Self is lower and subordinate to the Interest of God When we thus seek our selves our Spiritual and Eternal good we are therein most effectually seeking God we cannot more effectually seek God than in seeking our own Salvation Those that seek Glory Honour and Immortality for themselves do therein seek the Glory and Honour of the Immortal God thereby declaring that they prize and value the Lord as their chief nay the only good He that neglecting these lower things doth seeek God as his onely happiness doth therein take the Crown off the head of all his Idols and set it where it
ought to be on the Head of the most High By our seeking of God above all we thereby evidently declare that we Prize him and Honour him above all our thus seeking of God is trampling into dirt all those Idols the Vanities of the World which stood in Competition with God 2. There is a Loving and Seeking our selves in separation from God This is our loving and seeking Self natural the good of our Persons our Bodies and Souls without considering them as bearing a respect to God Our seeking our well-being as meer men our bodily well-being our Health and Strength and natural Activity the well-being or perfecting our Souls our seeking Wisdom and Knowledge and Learning c. these things are all good and worth our seeking in their place our bodily health and strength are good Wisdom and Knowledge and Learning are good Health is better than Sickness Strength than weakness Wisdom is better than Folly and Knowledge than Ignorance he hath more of the excellency of a man who is a Learned man than he that is but an Idiot but now the seeking these good things as separate from God the seeking Health and not for God the seeking Strength and not for God the seeking Wisdom and Learning and not for God this is a sinful Self-seeking As the Lord spake Jer. 9.23 24. Let not the wise man glory in his Wisdom neither let the mighty man glory in his Might let not the Rich man glory in his Riches but let him that glorieth Glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me So may it be said Let not this Might be sought this Wisdom be sought but in order to the understanding knowing and serving of me Those that seek only Lawful things for themselves and in Lawful and Honest ways that seek Health and Strength that seek Estates that seek Wisdom and Knowledge and all these in Lawful and Honest ways yet if they seek these good things these Lawful things only for themselves and not with respect to God if they seek not God in seeking their Health and Estates if they do not seek God in their seeking Wisdom and Understanding this is a Sinful and Idolatrous Self-seeking It may be thou mayest not be an Epicure or a Drunkard or a Glutton in thy Eating and Drinking thou art sober and temperate and eatest only for thy Health It may be thou mayest not be Unjust or an Oppressor in seeking an Estate for thy self yet for all this thou mayest be an Idolater and an Idolater thou art if thou seekest any of these things for thy self and not God 3. There is a loving or seeking of our selves in opposition to God a seeking Self-carnal 'T is true seeking our selves in Separation is seeking our selves in Opposition to God but this seeking Self-carnal is in an higher and more direct Opposition to God Self-carnal is an Enemy to God and seeking Self thus is the maintaining and cherishing that Enmity he that inordinately seeks his Ease or the satisfaction of his Appetite and Senses does therein do what he can to feed and pamper that Enemy his flesh that it may wax wanton and head-strong and kick against God Now however every Convert hath decreed and determined to seek himself only in conjunction and subordination to God to seek himself in the Lord and for the Lord yet this sinful Self-love hath a Root remaining in him which will be putting forth in sinful self-seeking That word Phil. 2.21 All seek their own was spoken of Christians there were such declinings and such corruptions gotten into the Churches into the very Hearts of Professors as unhappily engaged them in this Self-seeking All that is the most 't was a too general Disease there were many Sick of it And not the things of Christ that is not so heartily not so zealously not so Naturally as 't was said of Timothy Phil. 2.20 He did Naturally care for the things and state of the Church and of God but says the Apostle However it was with him I have no Man like minded I find few Timothies among you whilest he is seeking the things of Christ most of you are seeking your own things and not the things of Christ How much of this self-love and self-seeking is to be found amongst Christians we have sad experiences enough to prove we need not go to Scripture for proof we find too evident Proofs in our own Hearts and Lives if we have not totally gone back from Christ to Self yet have we not suffered this Idol to divide with Christ O let us enquire a little 1. Do we seek our selves and our own Interests only in conconjunction with Christ and in subordination to Christ Do we count nothing our own things but what are the things of Christ Have we heatily espoused the Interest of Christ as our own Interest Do we seek nothing in this World so but that we can truly call it seeking of Christ Do we seek our Healths and our Estates and our safety as the Servants of Christ Can we call our labouring in our Callings our aiming at Thriving and Prosperity in our Affairs can we call this and call it truly so our Serving of Christ If we would have Health and Strength is it for Christ we would have it If we would have Estates in the World and be Rich is it for the sake of Christ that we would be Rich That we may as Prov. 3.9 Honour the Lord with our Substance Do we mark up all we can get and all we have do we mark it up for Christ Is there Holiness to the Lord written upon all our Houses and Possessions This House is the Lords and these Lands are the Lords 't is for him I have gotten them and for him I will use them 2. Do we not rather Seek these things in separation from God Seek them for themselves for the love we have to them for the sake of Self to whose service we devote them do we not seek these things with the neglect of Christ Is not Christ sought the less and the more grieved for that the World is sought so much Is not Christ the less minded the less loved the more seldom thought on by this means Does not our Thriftiness and good Husbandry for the World our Eating and Feeding upon our taking the Pleasure of what we have here does not this make an abatement upon our Christianity Do we not lose much of the Life and Spirit and Soul of Christianity in our Carnal things and delights Do we not so bless our selves in this Earth that we so much the less bless our selves in Christ or in the God of Truth Christians pray consider it how do ye find it Hath not this Selfishness and Earthliness spoyled you for Christians Of how many Mens Prospering in the World of how many Mens labouring for the World may it be said This is the Fruit of these Labours this is the Fruit of this Prosperity it hath even spoyled a good Christian he hath lost
you should not when once you have gotten duely to love the Lord. Well by this you see the Order in the Heart and in special the due Order and Measure of your love that is necessary and how necessary it is Can you therefore except against this Order and Measure of your Love What should be first and chiefly loved Wilt thou not say That God should be he Which should be most in our Love our Bodies or our Souls Will you not every one say O my Soul my Soul is of more worth than my Body and more worthy of my Love Which should be more loved your Bodies or your Estates and the Creatures you enjoy Surely you would all say in this as Christ said Mat. 6.25 The Life is more than Meat and the Body than Raiment what would you think of such a Man that loves his Money more than his own Body that would suffer his Body to Starve and Pine rather than spend his Money upon it you would say This Man is a Monster and is not he as much a Monster who loves his Body more than his Soul or himself more than God as he who loves his Money more than his Body Christians would you not count it well with you if your Love were thus regulated What if you could now feel that which you have so often questioned and doubted whether it be so or no that you can now love God above all that the whole stream of your Love did run into the Ocean If you could feel such strong and such lively and such passionate workings of your Hearts towards God such dearness and such tenderness and such strength and ardency of Affection to the Lord if you could feel your Hearts burning within you with the Divine Love if these Hearts were all flameing Hearts and flaming upwards and that so sensibly and so strongly that there might be a resolving of that doubt and you saâ— it true beyond question and you could say Now I feel who hath mine Heart none but God none but Christ Whom have I in Heaven but thee there 's nothing in the Earth that I love in comparison of thee God is the love of my Heart and my Portion for ever what if you could now feel it thus within you What if from your own sense and experience you could heartily speak out such words Take this Heart to thee O Lord thine it is thou art mine only Love and nothing will I love or regard but in Order to thee would you not bless your selves in such an experience Would it not be Marrow and Fatness to your Souls Would you not rejoyce in the Lord and triumph in Christ and praise his Holy Name that had wrought you to that pass That God should have thus gotten to be the chief in your love and Self and Flesh and the whole World were brought to stoop and stand aside yea and to be trampled on in comparison of him Sure you that are Christians would count it happy with you if it were thus and I dare say concerning you this is it you pray for and hope for and wait and thirst and long after and would count it an infinitely greater matter of joy and praise than if the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl if all the Pomps and Pleasures and Grandeur of the World were increasing unto you and were rolling in upon you and therefore you for your parts have nothing to except against this Order and Measure of your love Qu. 2. But how is it with you If it be an excellent thing if it be a blessed thing to have our Hearts brought into such a Frame and Order what do ye find Are you made partakers of this blessedness O the Lord help me I am far short of it I can feel that I love this World I need no tryal whether I love this Flesh or no whether I love my Credit or no whether I love my Money or my Lands or mine Ease or my Pleasures I feel I love these things but whether I love my Soul as I ought whether I love God as I ought there 's my great doubt and I fear I do not Dost thou fear Dost thou doubt whether thou lovest thy Soul as thou lovest the World Whether thou lovest thy God as thou lovest thy Flesh And is there any thing but need then that thou shouldst be brought to a better pass Canst thou be quiet canst thou be comforted in any thing whilest it is thus with thee Christians would you ever be clearly satisfied concerning your eternal State that you shall hereafter dwell in the eternal Love Would you be comforted touching your present Case that God is your God That Christ is your Jesus That the Covenant and the Promises and the Mercies of God are yours that you are passed from Death to Life that your Names are written in Heaven and that you are Enrolled amongst the Saints and shall have an Inheritance with the Saints in Light Then put hard on for this blessed Frame of Heart let it henceforth be the great thing in your Eye look for it pray for it reach forth towards it down with this World tread upon this Earth and Flesh love nothing but what God would have you love love nothing but in subordination to God Dread the encroachments of the Creatures upon the Right of God despise these carnal Pleasures despise this Money and these Lands or this Credit so far forth as they stand in competition with God set your Foot upon the Necks of them all give your Hearts unto the Lord and let him be your Love and your Delight and your Portion for ever 2. For our Desires in this as in the former we must desire what we should desire and as much as and no more than we should desire it the Object of our desires is the same with the Object of our Love that which is Good Now of all the Good which may or ought to be desired 1. Something is to be desired Absolutely and Vltimately and thus God only is to be desired 2. Other good things are to be desired Absolutely but Subordinately and thus the first Grace is to be desired and the evelasting Happiness of our Souls absolutely but subordinately we are to desire our own blessedness but chiefly that therein God may be glorified 3. Other good things are to be desired in subordination and with submission And thus the higher Degrees of Grace the best and most advantageous Means of Grace Gifts the gift of Prayer gifts for Edification c. these all are to be desired with submission to the will of God the first Grace or saving Grace we are not to desire with submission so as to be content to be deny'd it no not to the will of God for there is no such will of God for us to submit to God would not have any Man to submit to it to be for ever left an Enemy or a Reprobate from God God would not have any Man content to
over much in any of the good things below we may rejoice in our outward good things James 1.9 Let the Brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted that is let the Poor rejoice when he is made Rich Poverty is an Affliction and Riches are a Mercy and such a Mercy as we may rejoice in But though we may rejoice in every outward Mercy yet we may not rejoice overmuch in them particularly for the limits of this Joy they must be such as these 1. Joy not in any of these good things as if they were your happiness they may be Means to our happiness but must not be made the Matter of our happiness to make our Estates our happiness is to make them our God and the way to make us miserable he is a miserable Rich Man who maketh his Riches his Happiness 2. Joy not so much in them as to rejoyce ever the less in God You have so much need of God in the greatest Plenty and Prosperity as you have when you have nothing and you should so much thirst after the Joy of God in your greatest Worldly Joy as in your Sorrow Take not your Worldly Joy in stead of Joy in God think not to supply your want of Joy in God by the abounding of Worldly Joy You may as well feed your Souls with Meat and Drink you may as well provide for your Souls by your Money or Estates as comfort them by that Joy that ariseth out of these Earthly things Souls must have a God the Comfort of God the Joy of God to refresh them and support them that Soul is a Carnal Soul that can feed upon Carnal Joys you nevertheless need the Joy of God for any Worldly Joy and you must look to it that your Worldly Joys be never to that height as to lessen your esteem of the Joy of the Lord. The Joy of God will quench your thirst after the World and then the Joy of the World exceedeth it's Bounds when it quencheth your thirst after God and the light of his Countenance Thou art Rich thou art full and prosperest in the World thy Bull gendreth and faileth not thy Cow calveth c. thy Oxen are strong to labour thy Sheep bring forth Thousands and ten Thousands in the Streets and now thou hast Hearts Ease and rejoycest in thy Portion but how standest thou now in respect to God Is God ever the less needed Is God ever the less loved Is the Joy of God still thy chief Joy Or dost thou not even forget that thou hast a God or a Soul and leave it to them that have nothing below to rejoyce in God that is above What thinkest thou of thy self Hath this Earth eaten up Heaven Hath the Joy of this Earth swallowed up the Joy of the Lord Sure it hath transgressed its Bounds It may be thou wilt say as the Prophet Hab. 3.17 18. and it is well if thou canst say so Although the Fig-Tree doth not Blossom c Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord and Joy in the God of my Salvation When thou art Poor and in Want and hast nothing left thee in the World to comfort thine Heart in then thou wilt look to the Lord and he shall be thy Joy and thy Comfort but how is it with thee when the Fig-Tree doth Blossom when thou livest in the abundance of all things Dost thou then feel thou hast as much need of a God dost thou then take as much Joy in God canst thou say of all here below These are miserable Comforters if God be not my Comfort these are miserable Pleasures if God be not my Joy This is something and thus it should be 3. Rejoice with Trembling That 's the Psalmist's Counsel Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with Fear and rejoice with Trembling in allusion to that let me say Seek the World with Fear and rejoice in the World with Trembling let fear be a Bridle to prevent the excess of your Worldly Joy Fear what should we fear Why fear lest you should forget God lest that which is your Joy become your Snare and turn you aside from God lest your Joy in the World should prove Worldly Joy and serve for nothing but to feed and heighten your Worldly Lusts fear lest this Joy of the World should do the same by you as sometimes the Sorrows of the World do which the Apostle says 2 Cor. 7. Worketh Death fear lest it kill your Souls there is nothing that does more corrupt and endanger the Soul than Carnal Mirth Eccle. 11.9 Rejoice O young Man in thy Youth c. but what followeth Know that for all these things God will bring thee to Judgment that is to Condemnation These Joys drag the Soul to the Bar of Justice and thence to Execution in the Fire There is scarce any thing that does Ripen Men faster for Ruin than the Mirth of the World Job 21.10 11. Their Bull gendreth and faileth not there 's the matter of their Joy their Children Dance they take the Timbrel and the Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ there 's the Measure and Expression of their Joy they are so lifted up that they must have the Musick and their Dancing to heighten their Mirth but what 's the end In a Moment they go down to the Grave and thence into the Bottomless Pit O the Madness of this Merry World That can see nothing in God to Joy them in and yet can rejoice in a thing of nought that undo themselves by their own Felicity their Joy and Mirth Joy is the sweetest Flower that grows in that Garden the Heart of Man and this Flower must be the Poyson to kill them and is never sweet to them but when it growes up out of a Dung-hill out of their Fleshly Lusts What Multitudes have surfeited and Died of their Carnal Mirth and yet foolish Souls will never fear it but this must be their only Heaven which leads to Hell what do these Carnal Joys serve for but to corrupt Men first and then to confound Men Worldly sorrow it 's said worketh Death but it may be said of Worldly Sorrow and Mirth as of David and Saul Saul hath slain his Thousands and David his ten Thousands Worldly Sorrow hath slain many but nothing so many as Carnal Mirth whilest that Saints wade through their Temporal Sorrows to everlasting Joy Sinners pass through their Worldly Joy to everlasting Sorrows Isa 50.11 Behold ye that kindle your Fires c. Here 1. Sinners have their Fires that is to comfort and chear and warm their Hearts these their comforting Fires are their Joy and Jollities 2. Sinners Fires are of their own kindling their comforts come not from God but they raise them up to themselves they comfort themselves and chear themselves but are not comforted of God 3. Sinners Fires are all but Sparks a Spark will not warm and will not last the Triumphing of the Wicked is short and the Joy of the Hypocrite is
Rejoyce not so as to forget your own Sins or your Brethrens Afflictions 1. So as not to forget your Sins 1. Rejoyce not so in the Lord as to forget your Sins against God Your Joy must arise from this that God hath forgotten them but though God hath forgotten you must remember them they must still stand written in your own Book though God hath blotted them out of his 1. Forget not in your Joy the Sins that you are guilty of that so you may rejoyce with Mourning we are apt in our rejoycing to forget our sins if we do not remember our sins when we are lifted up in Joy we are too apt to be puffed up with Pride Godly sorrow will be of the same use to us in our rejoycing as Paul's Thorn in the Flesh 2 Cor. 12.7 to prevent our being exalted above Measure That Joy which killeth Godly Sorrow whilest we are here what a Divine Tincture soever it seems to have 't is suspicious that it is not the right Joy the more solid Joy of the Saints hath it's Foundation in Godly Sorrow When we consider what great things the Lord hath done for our Souls how he hath Regenerated reconciled and called us by his Grace pulled us as Brands out of the Burning and raised us as Worms out of the Dunghill and made us sit together with Christ in Heavenly Places cloathed with Garments of Salvation and made us to shine forth in his Image when we remember what the Lord is to us our Rock our Refuge our Father our All-sufficient Portion all Love and Life all Bowels Compassions and everlasting Consolation when we remember this and therein do rejoyce we must then consider But what have I been to him What have I done against him who hath done so great things for me What an unworthy Wretch what a sinful Polluted and unthankful Creature am I God hath loved me God hath saved me the Lord God is become my God and herein I do and I will rejoyce but woe is me I have sinned against the God of my Mercy and therefore I will rejoyce with Mourning whilest I Joy in the Lord I will weep over my sinful unworthy and guilty Soul Whilest you say with the Psalmist Psal 66.16 Come unto me all ye that fear the Lord and I will tell you tell you with Joy tell you with Praise what he hath done for my Soul what a gracious God what a Compassionate Merciful God I have found him to be to me whilest you say thus Come and I will tell you what God hath done for me you must say also Come and I will tell you tell you with shame tell you with sorrow what my Soul hath done against God O how vile have I been How Proud and how false to God How many wayes guilty before him of neglecting of abusing of walking unworthy of his wonderful Love The Lord is my God therein I will rejoyce I have sinned against God and for these things I weep and lament 2. Not so as to forget the sins that have been Conquered by us that we may rejoyce in Triumph the Victories that we have gotten over sin will be both an advance to our Joy in God and the Evidence of the sincerity of that Joy Those that are still in the Chains and Fetters of Lust in whom their Pride or their Covetousness or their Frowardness doth still Lord it over them and can yet rejoyce in God it is to be doubted that their Joy is false and foolish Joy a Light of their own Sparks and no Divine Sun-beam fear that Joy and trample upon it which will consist with a Slavery to Lust as the Apostle sayes concerning Death 1 Cor. 15.57 so should we concerning Sin Thanks be to God that hath given us the Victory this is Matter of Praise this is Matter of Joy When the Israelites saw the Egyptians Dead upon the Sea-Shore Exod. 14.30 then they Sang a Song of Joy and Praise Luke 10.20 Rejoyce not that the Devils are subject to you that is that you have Power to cast the Devils out of Possessed Bodies Rejoyce not that is not so much in this but rather rejoyce that your Names are written in Heaven and that 's the same with this Rejoyce not that the Devils are cast out by you but that your sins are Conquered by you Victory over sin is an Evidence of our Title to Glory next to the Blood of the Lamb the Blood of our mortified sins is the best Ink to write our Names in the Book of Life Rev. 3.12 Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the House of my God and I will write upon him the Name of my God and the Name of the City of my God c. Christians what have you done in your War against Sin What work have you made with those Lusts which War in your Members Can you tell of any Conquest you have gotten Where be the Persons among you that can say This Heart was once a Proud Heart but now through the Grace of God 't is more humble this Heart was once a froward Heart but now through Mercy it 's become meek the Lion is become a Lamb this Heart was once a Covetous Heart an Hungry greedy Heart all Earth and Earthy clogged and chained to this World by its Worldly Lusts but now through Grace the Cloggs are knocked off the Chain is broken and my Soul is gotten loose from this Earth and can now despise it in comparison of God and the things above Friends have you any of you experiences of any such Victories Forget them not keep them by you and in the day of your rejoycing in God let your Eye be upon these your Conquests of Sin and this will be a means that your joy will be the more full then will you Triumph in Christ Jesus when with your Conquering Captain you have your Enemies in Chains 3. Not so as to forget the Sins that we are in danger of but to rejoyce with trembling we are still in our Warfare and how far forth soever we have Prospered in it we have Enemies still before us that we are in perpetual danger of therefore as it is said let not him boast so let not him rejoyce that 's putting on his Armour as if he were putting it off The Canaanite is still in the Land sin lies at the Door and will be upon you if you stand not upon your guard Christians must build up themselves in their Holy joy as the Jews built the Wall of Jerusalem Nehem. 4.17 They must have a Trowel in one Hand and a Sword in the other they must Build and Watch Build and Fight there is an evil Worm that is apt to grow out of our Joy which will overthrow and devour it and that is Security or secure Confidence It was this that spoiled the Psalmist's Joy who was a better Man and a Wiser than any of us Psal 30.6 7. I said in my Prosperity I should never be moved
and the Torments of them shall make you know what now you will not understand 'T is a foreknowledge by observing and pondering what is written and preach'd of these great things that is necessary to your present Government 3. A feeling of these things I mean now a feeling beforehand a feeling that 's gotten by your fore-knowledge What we believe and understand if they be great things will make impressions upon our senses By the knowledge of God and of the blessedness of Heaven the Saints get some â—orâ—â—â—â—es of that Glory and Blessedness 1 Pet. 2.2 If we have taâ—â—d that the Lord is gracious And by the knowledge of the Wrath and Judgments of God some sinners get a taste of that wrath it makes their hearts to begin to burn above ground There 's an heaven begun in the hearts of Saints and an hell begun in the hearts of some Sinners And this now is that which I mean by a sense of the things to come the getting such a belief of the certainty of these things such an understanding of the greatness of these things that may deeply affect the Heart that may leave powerful impressions on the Senses that the heart may be powerfully moved and deeply affected with them Sinners hearts are as stones and senseless stocks when we have spoken to them of the deep things of God we may say of these eternal things as the Apostle of his temporal Sufferings Acts 20.24 None of these things move them or will in the least work upon them but if we could let in a little more light into their Minds if we could shew them some glimpses of the Glory to some some flashes of the Eternal fire this would make those stocks to feel 2. This sense of the eternal things is the sinews of Government There can be no Government without Rewards and Punishments and if these Rewards and Punishments be not believed known and perceived it s all one as to Government as if there were none at all 'T is the understanding and sense of these Rewards that is the strength of Government Now there is according to the two different Rewards a different sense of them 1. an alluring encouraging and obliging sense A sense of the Magnificence of the Kindness and Mercies of the Lord will encourage to Subjection and obedience to him It will draw forth our love and stir up all our Powers to active Obedience O how would the lively sense of God and the blessedness of Heaven kindle Affection enlarge our desires raise our hopes and fill us with joy What would be loved as God is loved what would be desired as God is desired what would be hoped for as heaven is hoped for what would our love or desires or hopes find too much to be done or suffered where there is a deep sense of these great things that shall be the reward of all And how would such a lively sense of God and of heaven abate our love and cool our desires after earth and the things thereof Who would regard dust and stones and trash that had Gold and Pearles before him what would this money be these Sheep and Oxen be these carnal pleasures and sports be how easily could they be wanted how little would they be loved or desired were that Glory Honour Immortality that is above more before our Eye and upon our Hearts you complain you can't get your hearts loosned and disintangled from these earthly things O 't is because heaven is so much out of sight you have so little sense of the good things to come that hence it is you fall a lusting so after the good things present Get more sense of God into your hearts and you will feel your Affections to fall and abate towards these earthly things Look on the things not seen as the Apostle did 2 Cor. 4.18 Upon the things that are eternal and you will disdain and contemn the things that are seen which are but Temporal 2. The sense of the punishments to come will be an awing sense The severities of the Lord and his dreadful wrath and vengeance would awe the heart into subjection to him O what an influence would this have upon the Governing our fears and our griefs and our anger whom should we then fear but God what would the wrath of man be what would temporal sufferings be how little would they be feared were there a due awe of God upon our hearts your awe of God would say the same to you as the Prophet Isa 2.22 Cease ye from man trust not in him and fear him not and as Christ said Rev. 2.10 Fear none of those things you shall suffer And Luk. 12.5 Fear not them that kill the body fear God who is able to cast into Hell Whom should we then fear but God and what should we then fear but sin against God which maketh so obnoxious to his wrath you that now make light of Sin can lye and defraud and be covetous and do any thing else your hearts lead you to and make nothing of it or but a small matter Get an awe of God on your hearts and your sins would make you tremble and what an influence would it have upon the suppressing your sinful Anger it would take up all our quarrels a sense of Heaven and Hell would make us all friends those great things would swallow up the lesser What do I stand vexing and fretting mv self at every one that crosseth me how stands it with my Soul to God ward how may I escape the wrath to come Is it peace betwixt the Almighty and my Soul Friends 't is a sign that you have little sense of your eternal conceraments where every little thing so excessively moves and disturbs your Spirits 3. How to get and maintain upon our hearts this sense of the eternal things There are two things I have told you are supposed to this sense a believing and an understanding these great things and to the improving of what we believe and understand of them there 's a third thing necessary Meditation and frequent thinking upon them Exercise your thoughts more upon the Eternal World spend more thoughts think oftner upon it and spend more deep thoughts of heart upon them Our thinking and meditating is the same with that looking on the things not seen mentioned before 2 Cor. 4. Look more Heavenward and look more towards hell and this will affect your hearts particularly think these three thoughts 1. Think this thought In this eternal world I must shortly be one of these two Rewards must be my Reward one of these two States Eternal Blessedness or Eternal Misery must be my State That Heaven which I now hear Preach'd of that Hell which I now am warned of I shall be in one of them in a little while As sure as I am alive and here this day so sure shall I be in Heaven or Hell a few days hence What 's become of those many that were alive a few years
they take for Star-light Sinners whatever brightness or beauty there be in any of your Faces whatever Gaudy or merry Outsides you have yet what an inside have you your hearts are all dark holes where dwells every abominable thing Toads and Serpents Zim and Jim Owles and Satyrs and every unclean thing dwells within you Thou that hast the fairest outside there are Toads and Serpents and Worms crawling and breeding in thine heart You would every one of you be afraid of your selves you would loath your selves and you would tremble at your selves you would if you knew how run away from your selves in a fright if you knew what were in your hearts Sinners care not to look into their hearts and some of them are afraid to look inwards and well enough you may you would see such ugly and monstrous Sights as might even scare you out of your Wits Saints have all their Riches within them they have a treasure in their hearts A good man out of the good treasure of his heart Mat 12.35 There may be and often is poverty without but there 's a treasure within the richest of sinners they have all their Treasures without them in their houses in their Purses in their shops in their Chests but all the while there 's poverty and beggery in their hearts Thou art a very beggar Sinner with all thy load of Wealth 't is a poor beggarly Soul thou hast how richly soever thy Carcase be provided for 'T is the heart of the Saints where God bestows all his Riches Christians Look to your hearts you carry more riches in you then the whole World is worth you loose all that ever you are worth if you loose your hearts He that hath a Treasure in his house will look more carefully to the locking of his doors especially the room where his Riches lye must be most fortified with Bolts and Bars You have more to loose than the Princes of the Earth and therefore have the more reason to keep those hearts wherein all your riches lye Not only your graces but your good works are all kept in your hearts If ever you have done any good in all your lives whereof you hope for a reward in the other World all your Duties the holiness and fruitfulness of your Conversation your works of Righteousness your works of Mercy these are all kept in your hearts Conscience is the keeper of them the Conscience of an honest holy gracious heavenly life is a precious Treasure kept within you 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing the Testimony of a good Conscience All your Duties arise from your hearts all your Holiness and Fruitfulness and activity for God are so many holy streams flowing from an holy heart and all these streams return into the heart there they must be kept against the day of Accounts 5. It is the Ark of your strength Some mens strength lies in their heads in their Wisdom and Counsel and Policy a wise man is a strong man Other mens strength lies in their hands a Princes strength lies in his Armies in his Forts and Castles and strong Towers but a Christians strength is in his heart The Lord is in his heart and Psal 73.26 Thou art the strength of mine heart Eph. 6.10 Be ye strong in the Lord and in the power of his might The weakest Christians have a strong God and hence it is they are strong and of good courage Christians have need of strength 1. Of Strength for their Work there are great things they have to do they have much work hard service the life of a Christian is not a toying but a toyling life You shall never get to Heaven by play or by Idleness you have much business lying upon you and great business The working out your Salvation is hard work The Soules of Sinners lye idle as if they had nothing to do What pains dost thou use to take for thy Soul What hast thou done all thy life long towards the working out thy Salvation Sinners you live as if God should throw in Heaven upon you and cloath you with Glory and immortality whilst your Souls are fast asleep no you must work if you will live you must labour for the meat that endures to eternal life Joh. 6.27 if ever you will have the eating of it You must pray and watch and strive to enter in at the strait gate if ever you will get in This should be your work and it is the work of Christians and for this their great work they have great strength given them and all their strength is in their hearts 2. Christians have need of strength for their burthens Christians have hard work and heavy burthens lying upon them Besides the Care that is upon them for their Souls which is a great and weighty burthen and their fear of miscarrying in the matters of their Souls which is another burthen they have burthens of Sufferings and Afflictions ordinarily upon their backs All the hatred and malice all the scorns and reproaches of this Evil World light and lie upon the backs of poor Christians and how shall they bear their burthens if they have no strength 3. They have need of Strength against their Enemies Christians live in the midst of Enemies Enemies without the Devil and his Instruments Enemies within their own Lusts and Corruptions and they must be in continual fight against these Enemies and their Enemies being so many and so strong they have need of strength to resist them Christians have need of strength and strength they have and all their strength is in their hearts There their Armour lies The shield of Faith the breast-plate of Righteousness the helmet the hope of Salvation and there their Captain dwells the Captain of their Salvation lodges in their hearts Lose your hearts and lose your strength and what will you do at your Work how will you bear your burthens how will you stand against your Enemies when your strength is lost What became of Sampson when he was deprived of that wherein his strength lay what weakly Souls are careless Christians every little duty is too hard them how quickly are they weary weary of Praying weary of Hearing weary of Meditation weary of a watchful Life a little work will make them weary How little can they do and how little can they bear every little cross sinks their spirits and what resistance can they make against Enemies every lust is apt to carry them away every Temptation overcomes them O Christians by how slow a pace do we keep on our way how little sign do we make at our work we have been Christians some of us of twenty years standing or more how little good have we done how little treasure have we gotten in how little execution have we done upon our sins and lusts what poor weakly lifeless half-starv'd Souls have we to this day sure we have been ill keepers of our hearts the ark of our strength hath been laid waste strangers
you ascend not by Ordinances if you get not up to have Communion with God in them this flesh and this world will be thrusting in upon you and steal your hearts away Christ hath been riding down to you this day as the chariots and horses of fire once were sent down for Elijah 2 Kin. 2.11 The Chariots came down to fetch up the Prophet in them the Ordinances of God that you have been at this day was the Chariot of God that was sent down on purpose that those hearts of yours might ride up in it into Glory I hope some of your hearts got up into the Chariot and are ascended with your Lord who came down to fetch them up What Christian is thine heart yet below where was it when the Chariot came down what are your Souls yet among the Sheep and the Oxen among the grass of the Field and the dust of the Earth what yet among the wormes what yet creeping upon this Earth and feeding upon Ashes do your Soules still dwell in these Tombs and Sepulchres I hope there may be some among you can say I thank the Lord mine heart is no longer here it is risen it is ascended with my Lord who came down for it and hath carried it up with him But man how is it with thee whose heart is left behind Christ hath been here and those that were wise took the Season and got up with him into the Chariot But is thine heart still upon this Earth and must it away again to its old trading to its old feeding on this dirt and trash hast thou been tasting of that Angels Food that hidden Manna the bread of God that came down from heaven and canst thou now return to thy Quailes or thy Husks sure thou hadst not a taste of that heavenly food if thou dost not yet disgust and disrelish thine old carnal Delights But are your hearts any of you yet left below behold yet a Chariot from God is before you this Ordinance of Preaching behold the same Jesus in this Chariot is come down again for those hearts that are not yet gotten up Thy Lord is loth to leave thee here wilt thou yet ascend with him Why is there not a cry among you Lord help me up into thy Chariot Lord take my Soul up with thee Lord let not me be left behind Let Christ hear that voice from you Lord take me up with thee here this poor wretched heart of mine lies at thy feet I can't lift it up 't is too heavy for me it hath weights but no wings yet it groans after thee it would not that thou shouldst go up without it Lord lift me up Lord carry up this poor and wretched heart from Earth to Heaven What must I yet dwell in Meseâ—◠〈…〉 mine heart amongst the tents of Kedar M◠〈…〉 amongst these Theives and Robbers O where 〈…〉 that hath brought thee down again for me 〈…〉 thou me O Lord and wilt thou yet leave me at 〈◊〉 â—â—stance from thee O take pity O take me up that I may from henceforth be with thee where thou art Christians O that I could set you even every one of you a crying thus after the Lord and a bemoaning these earthly and too carnal hearts that they are not yet ascended Let Christ yet hear that voice and let it come deep even from the bottom of thy Soul Let Christ hear not that mouth crying nor those eyes crying but that Soul crying Lord take me up also with thee and he will take thee up O get you into the Psalmists Posture and Spirit Psal 42.1 Psal 84.2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for thee my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God When Lord O let this be the day take me this very hour and carry me up to the mountains of spices Christians be but unfeignedly willing that Christ should carry away those hearts from this Earth be but in good earnest with him when you say Lord take me up and he will not leave you behind Get these hearts to heaven and keep them there Get you up from Earth to Heaven and come not down again from Heaven to Earth Let that blessedness be antedated which is promised to be after the Resurrection 1 Thes 4.17 Then shall we ever be with the Lord. Say to the Lord even from henceforth as he sayes to his Church Psal 132.14 Thou shalt be my rest here will I dwell for ever Let it not be a Visit to Heaven that will satisfie you but a Conversation in heaven Phil. 3.20 Our Conversation is in heaven Let it not be a few heavenly hours or a short heavenly repast but an heavenly life that you design and follow after When you get you once thus near unto the Lord live as much as possible in the constant viewes of his Glory so continually beholding and feeding upon the foretastes and forethoughts of his Goodness and Grace that you may be changed daily from Glory to Glory into the same image Know friends that if there be any security in the world from the Robbers and the Spoilers from your Lusts and Temptations from suffering such losses again in your peace the only security you have is to keep your hearts still above Hast thou gotten thine heart to heaven keep thee where thou art keep you out of harmes way If the Devil can but catch those hearts again below catch you a roving catch you a wandring after your carnal things if he can but meet you declining from an heavenly to an earthly Conversation from a spiritual to a carnal Conversation O what sad spoiles of whatever good days you have had of whatever delights and satisfactions and joyes and comforts you have had what spoiles will he make of them all Christians when ever you can get or do feel your hearts in a better frame most full of the love and life and joy of the Lord O think what pity 't is what a sad fall it will be to make an exchange of this blessed state for the barren and brackish Pleasures of this world think with your selves shall I forsake the sweetness of the Fig-tree and the fulness of the Olive and go and browze upon brambles The design friends of all this is to perswade and invite you to live in constant Communion with God You have been received and entertained this day into special communion with God and the intent and meaning of this solemne communion is that by the sweetness and refreshing you find in it you may be set into a way of ordinary communion with him That your life may be a life of Communion with God a life of faith a life of love a life of Holiness and Joy that so you might prophesie to your selves with the Psalmist Psal 23.6 Surely goodness and mercy
this Earth and the Fulness thereof You now that are for Government in your Hearts for the Government of your desires take this course for thus Governing of them desire God and the things above as much as you should desire the good things below no more than you should desire the evil things below not at all get your desires after Lawful things to be moderated your desires after sinful things to be Crucified put Wings to your Holy desires put Clogs and Fetters upon your Natural desires and up to the Cross to the Gibbet with these sinfull desires and herein have you set up the Lord to be the King in your Hearts and brought your very Appetites to be subject to him 3. For our Joys for the due raising and limiting of these I shall shew 1. The Object of Joy is the same with the Object of Love and Desire He that Loves whatever it be if he hath it not he desireth it if he hath it he rejoiceth he that loves God if he can hear such a Word from God I am Thine that 's a joyful Word then he can rejoice in God he that loveth Money or the gains of this World if he hath it not he desireth it if he hath it he rejoiceth his Money is his Joy his Estate is his Joy such a joy as 't is a poor flashy Joy yet Joy there is to him The Woman in the Parable Luke 15.9 that had lost her piece of Silver when She had found it She calls her Neighbours together to rejoice with her sure such a Woman loved Money well Joy arises 1. Originally from its Object or the Thing loved It is God that is the Fountain of Divine Joy thence it springs and comes in therefore the Apostle prays Rom. 15.13 The God of Hope fill you with all Joy There are Three wayes by which our Joy in God is raised 1. By Contemplation by Contemplaâ—ing of God we come to see and find out what matter of Joy there is in God it brings the goodness and kindness the satisfying and ravishing Excellencies of God to our sight those to whom the glorious Lord is as a barren Wilderness or Land of Darkness as the expression is Jer. 2.31 it is either from their Ignorance or their want of Contemplating of God It is a sign thou art a blind Soul and knowest not God or that thou art a Sranger to Divine Meditation Thou lookest little Heaven-ward thou dost not send up thy Thoughts in search for God who yet sayest Where is that Joy Where is that Blessedness Where is that Joy Look more diligently in the Face of God let thy Soul dwell in the Study and Contemplation of his infinite goodness thou hast a glass before thee the glass of the Word wherein his glory shineth look more into that glass and Meditate much upon what that Word revealeth of the Excellencies of God and then thou shalt see his Glory and Taste his Joy 2. Expectation and Hope therefore we Read of Rejoycing in Hope Rom. 5.2 When Contemplation hath discovered the Blessedness that is in God then Hope layes hold on it this Blessedness may be mine saith the Soul and I have good Hope it may be mine and in that Hope I joy What Malefactor that is in fear of Death for his Offences that should be told there is yet hope of thy Pardon hope that thou mayest live but would rejoyce in that Hope What poor Man that is in want that should have Tidings of a Rich Inheritance that was falling to him but his Hope would make him to Sing for Joy Dost thou hear of the unsearchable Riches of Christ of the Treasures of everlasting Joy that that are in the Lord God and hast thou Hope that these will be thy Riches and thy Treasures how canst thou but rejoyce in Hope of the Glory of God 3. Fruition or the enjoying of the Object loved and this is it which brings the fullest Joy Fruition stands 1. In our Actual Possession of the Object when we have what we hoped for and there is a double Possession of God that the Saints have in this Life 1. A Possession by Faith 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life that is he that believeth in Christ hath Christ his Faith puts him into Possession and from this the Possession of Faith Joy followeth Rom. 15.13 The God of Hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing 2. A Possession by Sense when we Taste that the Lord is gracious when we feel the comfortable refreshings of his loving kindness when the beams of his Light and the Streamings of his Love shine upon and warm our Hearts when his Light Shines into our Darkness and gives us the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.8 And when his Love is shed abroad into our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which he hath given us Rom. 5.5 When we see how lovely the Lord is and feel that he loveth us 2. In the satisfaction of our Hearts with this Possession when we are pleased and delighted and satisfied with his goodness A full satisfaction of the Heart will not be till hereafter Psal 17.15 When I awake I shall be satisfied and therefore our fulness of Joy is reserved till then but satisfaction to such a Degree there is upon our present Possession as gives us a kind of present Fruition 2. This Joy arises as from the Object so immediately from the very Act of Loving Joy ariseth from love 1. By way of immediate resultancy there is a great Pleasure in Love as there is bitterness in grief and sorrow so there is sweetness in Love this very Blossom of Love casteth forth such a fragrancy as no Man knows but he that hath it It is a Sweet and a Pleasant thing to live ln the love of God He that loves God and feels that he loves him and he hath him whom he loves cannot but rejoice in him 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love and believing ye rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of glory There we have 1. A Christians love to God whom having not seen ye love 2. His Possession of what he loves believing Believing is as I said before getting Possession and then 3. The Joy that followeth ye rejoice c. 2. By way of Reflection when a Christian upon his review of this his love to Christ perceives that he loves him in sincerity this is to him a Token of Christ's love to him Dost thou see dost thou feel that thou lovest Christ This thy love to Christ is a Token that he hath sent thee into thy Heart to tell thee that he loveth thee And when thine Heart can say I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine the Lord is my God my Saviour my Portion and Inheritance canst thou say so Then thou wilt add with the Psalmist Psal 16.6.9 The Lines are fallen to me in a Pleasant Place and I have a goodly Heritage