fools he convinceth the soule of the folly of it's own wisdome and of a necessity to be taught and causeth the soule to see that it is not in it's own power to attaine true wisdome Those God teacheth he meekeneth their spirits and humbleth the soule to make it teachable and causeth them to have right ends in desiring knowledge and in using meanes to attaine it and makes them content to be at Gods disposing for the manner and measure of his teaching Gods teaching humbleth the soule the more they know the more vile they are in their own eyes Gods teaching causeth the soule to trust in God also their knowledge is sutable to their soules wants and strengthens them against temptations and preserveth them from many evills others fall into So much as we are taught of God so much we practice Gods teaching attaines the end of it which is practice therefore if thou art taught of God thy conversation shall shew it the wisdom from above is full of good fruits so it causeth them to be afraid to sin and to hate all false wayes Gods teaching causeth and raiseth the affections it 's no cold businesse the more they know the more they love God and doe act more for him as our knowledge is so is our practice He that is taught of God he never thinkes he hath knowledge enough but still thirsts after more and is thankfull for that he hath Toleration Where persecution is there is no toleration where there is toleration in differing opinions in Religion there is no persecution Those who make others causes their own plead for toleration It is but hypocrisie to professe another Religion then that which is in their heart Talent He that useth not or abuseth his talent looseth it Teares The apprehension of Gods love will cause teares freely Trouble There is nothing but trouble under the Sunne It 's in vaine to expect to live in this world without trouble The lesse trouble men expect the more they oft meet withall We should not be so troubled in trouble if we did look more to God in his promise and lesse upon the trouble God removes great troubles from his or giveth them strength to beare them There is no trouble so great as the trouble of an evill conscience Selfe cannot stay or check it selfe much lesse recover it selfe out of sinfull trouble A soule cast down by selfe or Satan rests 〈…〉 God but in trouble To say in great troubles be content and joyfull it is easie but to be so is hard So much as a Christian is stored with promises he is able to beare troubles In trouble we are prone to forget that which makes for our comfort He that is little in his own eyes will not be troubled if he seeme so to others A troubled soule is not fit to doe or receive good Weake mindes seek ease in changes There are but a few that in trouble expresse a free spirit and an inlarged heart to God Few in trouble expresse faith wisdome patience humility contentednesse comfort joy and thankfulnesse Trialls Those who are least exercised with tryalls have the least wisdome and experience Thoughts Our evill thoughts are many All actions are nourished by thoughts Thoughts kindle and inflame affections A mans most worst sins are his thoughts The most of our thoughts are vaine and come to nothing oh the vanity of the minde Evill thoughts defile our soules and spirits A childe of God loaths himselfe for the evill and vanity of his thoughts If one sinfull thought be admitted concerning the sweetnesse and pleasure of sin the will is ready to consent to the motion and the understanding to forecast the accomplishment and the affections to adde heat and strength then the heart travels with iniquity and by time and opportunity sin is brought forth Where our treasure is there are our thoughts The more our thoughts are above the more we injoy God and the more we avoid the soares below He whose thoughts are exercised in the things above injoyeth content sweetnesse and delight Temptations Temptations tryeth mens strength He is wise and strong that stands in strong temptations When temptation is absent a foole is wise and strong and the froward patient Every person hath his speciall temptation against which he ought to watch God lets Satan tempt his to keepe downe their pride Strong and lasting temptations are to shew us our selves and our pride God takes men off their pleasant lusts by hideous temptations Ranke affections are eaten out by strong temptations Satan tempts that he may tempt and he tempts not that he may tempt Those temptations are most dangerous that most sute with holy ends An over much fearing a temptation and a weake purpose to resist it weakeneth us and incourageth Satan to tempt Such as slight temptations are most like to fall by them The more of the fruits of the Spirit any hath the more they need to pray against Satans temptations When we are tempted it 's not best to stand reasoning with the temptation but immediatly shun the occasion and fall to prayer We cannot withstand the least temptation without the helpe of God Tongue Rule the tongue and rule all The tongue no man can tame Thankfullnesse Our natures are averse to it The sence of want of one mercy steales from us the remembrance of many and all thankfulnesse for them Thirst Spirituall thirst is as strong as naturall if not stronger Unbeliefe Impatience and discontentednesse with our estates immoderate care and desire of the world are the fruits of unbeliefe Unbeliefe is the cause we depend no more on God for soule and body Of Unwillingnesse What men doe unwillingly they doe not effectually Of Unthankfullnesse The more spirituall any are the more thankfull they are to God and man Ignorance forgetfulnesse and pride cause unthankfulnesse The not observing the severall passages of Gods providence to us is a cause of unthankfullnesse The beholding and minding the things of heaven provided for the Saints causeth them to be content and thankfull in any condition and straight Of Usury Usury is and is like to be in request because to lend without is out of fashion Who oppresseth most he that lendeth upon use or he that can lend freely but doth not To be tyed to pay use when the profit is uncertain is a meanes to fill men with care trouble distrust if not with oppression Vertue Some pretend a vertue to cover a vice this is base Vanitie Every man at his best state is altogether vanitie The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vaine Of Want Some have little and want little many have much and want much He that can beare outward want contentedly is a strong man It 's a sin and a great dishonour to a childe of God to say or thinke he shall want or to say what shall I doe If hands state and friends faile God will supply some other way A childe of God never is in want though
As a mans end is in his eye proportionably he useth the meanes to attaine it When the chiefe end is apprehended and minded nothing can divide between the soule and it The more God is intended the more he is desired When God is chiefly desired no bounds nor limits is set to the desires and endeavours to attaine it Every thing rests in it's proper place the attaining the end quiets the heart Unlesse we know and minde our end we cannot have the comfort of our obedience The chiefe end beareth the greatest power in us Such as a mans principle is such is his end The end declares to us the goodnesse of our action The end rules the meanes and is above them We may know what is our chiefe end by the place and power of it A man is constant to that which is his end and acts freely to attaine it Wee are strongly inclined and moved to our end willingly diligently patiently constantly to attaine it As we attaine our end so are we contented so farre as we intend God we desire him The end is first in the intention and last in execution A beleever is true to his end however he may faile in the meanes The place of the end is in the intention and affection Not the endeavour but the ground of it discovers the end whether it be God or selfe Error Ignorance is the foundation of error It is the property of all men to erre and be deceived When errors prove profitable many will imbrace them It 's common for error to be called truth and truth to be called error One way to suppresse errors is silence for by this meanes they will dye alone whimsicall persons that affect novelty will lay them downe as fast as they took them up if you will let them alone Excuses It is easie to frame an excuse for any evill To cover an evill with an excuse is to cover à lesser evill with a greater When we have sinned Satan and our corruptions will helpe to cover it with excuses Such things as we cannot justifie we oft excuse Extremities No extremitie holds long It 's common to run from one extremitie to another It 's hard to be angry without sinning to grieve for sinne without despairing to feare without doubting to be merry without lightnesse to be sad without heavy and unprofitable dumpishnesse Most men love extreames men eate too little or too much and worke too little or too much Of education Good education doth oft cause an outward Reformation Evill education is a great provocation to evill Election The doctrine of election and appointment unto wrath and how much the first cause causeth all actions the certainty of the event the certainty of the state of every person and the like doctrines cause a corrupt heart to be more loose and carelesse therefore to teach these to the world is to cast holy things to dogs witnesse experience Examples The worst examples are most observed The examples of men are forcible when they are universall An evill example of a good man is very dangerous The examples of the best men ought not to be a Rule for us to walke by Excesses Most men are drowned in adversitie or drunke with prosperity The drinking healths is an excessive wast To drinke others healths is the way to loose our own Effects Effects are in order to second causes not to God who most certainly necessarily and wisely hath willed them nothing falls out accidentall to him whose knowledge and purpose reacheth every thing The eye Davids roving eye caused him to fall greatly and procured him much sinne shame vexation and griefe who would have thought an idle glance could occasion so much mischiefe Fancy will take fire before we be aware It 's in vaine to expect better fruit if we suffer our hearts to run after our eyes Experiences By observation we get experience Experience makes men wise because it gives understanding Experience teacheth what doth helpe or hinder a gracious temper in us Experience strengthens faith Without experience we know not where our strength and weaknesse lieth Things imaginary historicall traditionall will vanish in time of need Envie Envie torments the minde and dryeth the bones No good man can escape the envie of others Expressions Such as leave the Scripture expressions will soone loose the faith of Christ and receive error in stead of truth Extraordinary To doe to all as we would be done unto is extraordinary For men not to seek themselves is extraordinary For a man to deny himselfe is extraordinary To practice the truth against great oppositions is extraordinary To imbrace disgrace poverty prison and paines rather then to deny any truth is extraordinary To be more humble by knowledge and to goe against custome is extraordinary To be more humble when exalted is extraordinary For the rich to take reproose willingly and profitably from their inferiors is extraordinary For to refuse to joyn house to house when he can is extraordinary To part with riches as freely as they were received is extraordinary For man to seek not his own but others welfare is extraordinary To tell great persons of their faults in love wisely is extraordinary A minde that cannot be provoked is extraordinary To be willing to leave the world and to be zealous for God in prosperity is extraordinary Eternity Untill we have some serious thoughts of eternity we minde not our soules Serious thoughts of eternity will weane us from the world The favour of men The favour of some is much desired The favour of men is a vanity The favour of men is uncertain oft soone got and sooner lost The more some desire the favour of men the more God denieth them to exercise their faith or to weane them from the world or because we performe not our duties to them Folly It 's folly to meddle with other mens businesse and neglect our own Many never see their folly untill it be too late A fooles minde is all for thingâ— below and present but the wise prize most the things above they look beyond this life A foole multiplieth words Feares We feare what we should wish and wiâ—h that we should feare Feares make the understanding weake and the judgement dull Of all passions anger and feare doth most disquiet the heart The feare of an evill doth more afflict then the evill it selfe To be alwayes in feare is to be alwayes in misery it 's painfull to dwell upon the expectation of evill Feare betrayes care and hinders reason of affording it's help Feares hinder faith Feares multiply evills but faith diminisheth them Feares make dangers greater and helpes lesse then they are Feares present too many wayes of helpe So much as we feare men so much we slight and forget God Faith Faith is the staying of the minde upon God Faith quiets comforts and strengthens the soule Faith excludes not all doubting but fights against it Faith is under God the supporter of the Saints under many
shews himselfe what he is Reproach What men will not follow that they will reproach Reproofe for sin Such as are wise count Reproofe a priviledge Poore persons have a priviledge above the rich in that they are reprooved Those that complaine because they are reprooved for sin shew their folly Those that are angry because they are reproved for sin hate not sin Reprove a wise man and he will love thee Riches As thornes pierce the body so Riches pierce the soule Riches are the thornes that choak the good seed and hinder the growth of good things The more Riches a man hath the more he desires The greedinesse is more sharpened by the having them then in their want There are but few that are drawn the neerer to God by Riches Rich men commonly doe the least good to others Rich mens purses and poore mens hearts would doe well together God turnes many out of their Riches because they abused them Riches insnare many and are the destruction of many Riches are thornes which if not heedfully handled will wound us before we be aware A rich man that is not liberall is unworthy the name of a Christian Riches and all outward things sooner or later will be as a lier and waters that faile and be as nothing to us Riches hath made many afraid to consesse Christ and his truth God bestows abundance of outward things upon some not for themselves for they need them not but that they might supply the wants of others and they keep them for themselves Outward things make themselves wings and fly away If Riches doe not leave us we must quickly leave them God is the Saints best Riches Religion oft payeth for mens getting Riches and oft suffers most by them He that hath riches and doth not freely part with them to good uses his heart is stollen away by them Reports No good man can escape evill and false Reports of the wicked Oft times the best suffer the worst Reports because they will be no worse Such as are much joyed at good Reports are much grieved at ill Such as cannot with patience beare ill Reports cannot live a comfortable life Rest Most men thinke and endeavour to attaine Rest Rest is deâ—ireable but it is not here attainable Scriptures Reading the Scriptures helpeth the judgement memory and affections confâ—rmes faith and fits us to answer the temptations of Satan Such as deny and slight the Scriptures will quickly become abominable in their understandings hearts words and actions When men refuse to be bounded within the bounds of Gods Word they have fallen into great errors and heresies Security When we thinke we are safest from danger the danger is greatest Satan watcheth most when we watch least Strength God is the strength of his people When men are confident of their own strength then they are weakest God deales out strength to his people walking in his way Snares Snares lie not above but below Sin Every sin is not alike mortified in a Saint Sin is wounded by prayer and a temptation by resistance A lesser sin will make way for a greater if yee give way to a little a great deale â—ill follow Sin is deceitfull it hath many wayes and colours to beguile a man by degrees it steales the heart from God and settles it in evill The want of a true sight of sin is the cause men love fin and sleep so securely in it â—gnorance and unbelieâ—e want of confideration and meditation and not shunning the occasions of sin cause much â—in The way to subdue a lust is not to satisfie it and to beleeve it shall be subdued assurance of pardon is a good help against sin if the hatred of sin continue and griefe for it use the meanes and pray in faith against it such as doe so shall overcome it Sin is easier kept out then thrust out When the motions of sin doe rage it 's best quickly to take the sword of the Spirit the Word of God and fight against them Custome in sin takes away the sense and feeling of sin A man may sin by omission and commission at one and the same time and yet know of neither Some sins of omission may exceed some of commission We oft sin more and are in greater danger in lawfull things then in unlawfull because we feare grosser evils more then secret insnarements in lawfull things To be delivered from sin is a great good To desire sin is a misery and to injoy the pleasure of sin is a greater misery Those sins are most dangerous which seeme vertues and tend to make vertue a sin Few oppose sin and fewer consider the ground and reason why they oppose it Every childe of God hath some sin that easily besets him which to escape he had need to fly A beleever is as subject to commit as great sins now as those before Christ came It 's possible for a childe of God to commit a sin that he hates hath truly repented of The flesh loveth great sins as well as small ones According as a mans fight and sense of sin is so he hateth it and himselfe for it If a professor of the truth commit a scandalous sin woe to his peace and comfort for if he belong to God it shall vex and grieve him more then all the sins that ever he committed he shall finde that it 's no small matter to dishonour God it will lie heavie on his heart and make him weary of his life it will fight against hiâ— soule it will deprive the soule of peace and fill it with horror it shall cut his heart to consider that he hath disgraced the truth and people of God grieved the Saints and hardened others in their sin Sin defiles insnares distracts and streighteneth the soule it is the thiefe that stealeth from the Saints much of their strength and comfort Did we know what bitter paines our sweet sins will cost us we would more feare them then now we desire them we would fly from them as from the Devill God sometimes cureth sin by sin and by the bitternesse of sin God weanes his from it Sin will tire him at last that loves it best The knowledge and consideration of the end of sin chaseth away sin The lesse sensiblenesse of sin after it is committed the more hardnesse of heart there is The more there is of the will in sin the greater is the sin to forecast evill is a great evill The more deliberation and the weaker the temptation is yet sin the greater is the sin To sin against knowledge is of dangerous consequence The lesse feare we have of sinning the lesse care we have of well doing the lesse zeale in praying the lesse fruitfull under the meanes Because sentence against an evill worke is not presently executed therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to doe evill he thinkes he scapes now therefore ever Of solitarinesse It is not good for weake beleevers to affect
of meditations objects Wee meditate to know God and contemplate to love him To contemplate on the things above is pleasant to those who have tasted of the sweetnesse of it The contemplation of Gods free love and the soules interest in it doth much revive raise and enlarge the soule Divine contemplation makes us high in thoughts and rich in expectation Conversation A disordered conversation doth hinder spirituallnesse in holy duties and causeth trouble and sadnesse Commands The command of God is the most powerfullest thing in the world to a Saint There is not any of the commands of God needlesse If men did know the Majesty and Authority and infinitenesse of God no man neither would nor could doe what he forbids or neglect his command Many when convinced of a duty consult with flesh and bloud whether they had best to obey God or no. Deadnesse Deadnesse of heart argueth disaffection Deadnesse of heart is the grave of many good gifts Deadnesse of heart is an enemy to action One cause of our deadnesse and dulnesse in the things of God is unbeliefe and consulting with flesh and bloud Spirituall deadnesse is a great griefe to a childe of God When we are dead and dull the meditation of the love of God will revive us Delayes in good things Delayes be dangerous by delayes many a good motion dyeth and comes to nothing Delayes arise from sloath Delayes coole us and cause the affections to fall downe The more we delay the more we may When we are to doe good Satan cryeth hereafter and that is never to morrow to morrow cosens many a man By delaying we presume upon that we have not and neglect that we have Declining It is easie to decline in good things A declining heart will catcâ— at that which may plead for declining Even Gods own people are subject to decline from him Difficulties Difficulties are discouragements and handsome excuses are welcome to a sloathfull heart Love will carry on through all difficulties and all manner of torments Distractions Multitude of businesse causeth distraction especially when there wants a wise ordering and dispatch of them Distraction of minde in duties is either from a minding other things or resting upon our own strength or in not seriously setting our minds on the things propounded by us for on that the heart is throughly set upon it 's so attentive to it that on that instant it can be present at no other thing especially to hinder the thing in hand Of doubts and discouragemâ—nts It 's the nature of sin to raise doubts in the soule There is no good got but discouragements Ignorance is the cause of doubts and discouragements So much discouragements we admit of so much sight and comfort we loose in our life and happinesse Discontents A small matter occasioneth discontent All our discontents arise from disappointment frustration of expectation is the ground of vexation There is no man that is without discontents It 's folly and madnesse to be discontent at trifles There is the most difference between them that are one and most alike Disposition It 's the disposition of a wretch to be cruell A milde and loving disposition is amiable and desireable Duties A dead man lives upon duties It 's no wonder the Papists doe as they doe because they expect heaven for it The more a Saint doth for God the more he enjoyes God A Saints desire is to doe all for God A meanes not to sin is not to omit duties A man may do duties from convincement of understanding and not from a principle of life and love Such duties as flow not from faith and love are slavish Many will own and confesse their dutie in generall and wholy deny it in particular especially when it concernes them When a childe of God hath performed duties best immediately he is tempted by the Devill and his own heart To be streightned in a duty may doe us more good then if we had been much enlarged in it Of selfe-deniall So farre as we are spirituall or live by faith so much we deny our selves Selfe is content to be a little denied in one kinde to be pleased much in another Unlesse a man can deny himselfe in his will honour credit state relations wife life he cannot follow the profession of Christ There are but few that deny themselves but many deny Christ and his truth Such as cannot deny themselves cannot endure the troubles and indignities of an angry world They live the sweetest lives that most deny themselves If we could deny our selves every thing that befalls us would be easie and sweet unto us for all things are so farre under us as we are above our selves Of dreames God speaketh in a dreame in a deep sleep in slumber and man perceiveth it not By dreames we may know what sin we are in danger to fall into which we are not aware of An evill dreame doth shew some evill that prevailes in the heart Delight Such as delight not in God delight in finâ— The more we delight in worldly things thâ— more they sting and vex us when they part Fleshly delights are earnestly desired anâ— acted with great willingnesse Despaire Despaire can doe no good Ignorance is a cause of despaire Despaire is not commanded nor commended but condemned Distempers To be disquieted or cast downe arguerh a distemper of heart Distempers hinder us in our trust and delight in God Distempers hinder us in our spirituall and temporall callings Death We choose life with sorrowes rather then death without them I have heard that a porter being spent with his burden was forced to throw it downe oh death saith he come death welcome death death comes in a visible apparition what wouldst thou have with mee saith death oh nothing nothing but helpe me up with my burden By life we have a being but a better being is by death The day of death is the first day of life He whose hopes are in heaven is not much afraid of death Death is to him no misery whose hopes are in eternitie When death seemes to dispossesse a Saint of all it possesseth him of all The Saints have cause to welcome death Wise men desire death yet are content to live As loath as we are to dye God by death delivers his from all sorrowes at once and makes them happy for ever Death fully freeth the Saints from all crosses burdens and infirmities why should I feare that I would not escape what hurt is it to enter into glory I cannot have my happinesse unlesse I goe unto it Many good men at their death have feares and paines Death hath something to say to every man and would be heard but men are not at leisure If it were not for the miseries that attend this life many would lesse welcome death Concerning our ends The end is the ground and rule of our actions A man fully seeks to attaine his end nothing contents a man till he finde that which he apprehends he needs
Consider God hath forbidden it Rom. 6. Consider sin in the nature of it in the root and fruit of it It 's the price of bloud there is no true sweetnesse in sin no contentment no satisfaction in it why you should desire it it fills the soule with wounds sorrow bitternesse shame let experience speake Rom. 6. 21. Pro. 23. 8. Avoyde the occasions of sin evill company Psal 119. 63. Pro. 13. 20. 6. 9. Places and provocations of sin idlenesse excesse in eating and drinking order your steps by the Word and get others to watch over you receive reproofe willingly and profitably know the more you yeeld to Satan the more you may he useth to double his temptations when resisted but give no place to the Devill if yee yeeld it will be harder to resist the next time consider thy relation art thou a childe of God an heire of heaven it 's unsutable for thee to serve Satan to doe his druggery Eph. 4. 20. Yee have not so learned Christ Eph. 4. 17. I say and testifie in the Lord that yee henceforth walke not as the Gentiles walke in the vanity of their minds Christ gave himselfe for â—is that they might be holy Titus 2. 14. Rom. 6. 10. 1 Joh. 3. 2. 2 Cor. 6. 18. If tempted answer I am chosen to be holy I may not sinne Rom. 8. 29. Consider the eye of God is ever upon you Heb. 4. 14. Pro. 15. 3. 16. 6. Can you consider that and sin in so holy a presence Remember Christs love nourish the motions of the Spirit Walke in the Spirit and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5. 16. Nourish zeale and hatred against sin every sin Keepe your heart as your life Pro. 4. 23. Reforme the inside and Satan shall not prevaile Job 14. 4. Consider the time yee are to live is but short and the pleasures of sin are but for a season and a short one Heb. 11. 25. Hearken to the voyce of Conscience least it be silent and yee hardened When the pleasure of sin is presented to thee present to thy selfe the sting it will leave behinde it also present to thy selfe a greater and better pleasure and sweetnesse to be injoyed with God minde home and the pleasures there that are for evermore Set your affections on things above where your Crowne and glory is 1 Cor. 9. 24. Watch and pray for strength against â—in at the first approach of sinne change the object and fall to prayer be not discouraged if foiled still resist beleeve against experience God will helpe thee against it Eph. 6. 16. 4. 12 13. Apply sutable promises against sin consider Eph. 5. 5 6 7. Rom. 6. 11. Psal 119. 6. doe as Mat. 17. 21. Reprove sin in others in case none else doe Consider by silence when sin is committed we have â—ellowship with it and breake Gods command defile our soules loose comfort incourage and harden others in sin 1. It 's Gods command that who sin Rebuke before all 1 Tim. 5. 20. Pro. 28. 23. 29. 25. 24. 25. Thou shalt reprove 〈◊〉 Levit. 19. 17. 2. The Saints have done so with great zeale Acts 13. 16. 10. Ezra 9. 2 3 4. Psal 119. 139. Num. 15. 11 12 13. Can we heare false things spoken and Gods truth his way and people condemned and be silent where is our zeale 3. God commends it for a vertue in his people that they could not beare with them that are evill Rev. 2. 2. To see and heare sin committed with silence is to beare it if Ely sinned in doing it coldly 1 Sam. 2. 3. 13. what shall we say to them that doe it not at all that neither love to God his truth his people the good of others soules their own peace will move them to doe it doth a friend love as he ought and heares his friend abused and is silent offer not this to God 4. Reproofe of sin is a meanes to prevent the contagiousnesse of sin 1 Cor. 5. 6. 1 Tim. 5. 20. Spare none if we must take care for the Oxe or Asse of an enemy as appeares Exod. 23. 4 5. then much more for the good of the soule of an enemy 5. It was Jobes comfort that nothing could cause him to keepe silent Job 31. 34 If he might have been silent and not sinned his silence was but a poore comfort 6. God esteems presence and silence a doing of the action 1 Cor. 11. 4 5. with â—4 24 that is by consent for they did not all speak God charged Ahab with murder when Jezabel did it and he onely by consent 1 King 18. 19. with 7 8 9 10. Silence is confirmation as appeares Numb 30. 14. He confirmed them because he held his peace when he heard them So it was not enough that they shâ—d not innocent bloud but that they did not see it Deut. 21. 7. God deales with those that were present and silent at the committing of sin as if they had done it see Lev. 5. 1. 20. 4 5. 7. toâ—ave â—ave fellowship with it Eph. 5. 11. Hag. 2. 13. Rev. 2. 20. Jâ—sh 22. 18 19 20. Hence the Saints are called to come out of Babylon that they might not be partâ—kers of their sinnes Rev. 18. 2. 4. 2 Cor. 6. I was almost in all evill in the midst of tâ—e Congregation Pro. 5. 14. Lastly God saith He shall dwell on high that stoppeth his eares from hearing of bloud and shutteth his eyes from seeing of evill Isa 33. 15 16. Which shews they can by no meanes indure it Of speech 1. When thou speakest of thy selfe speak modestly without vanity and boasting 2. Heare much but speake little 3. Speake not hastily consider before you speake see that in all your words there be truth fitnesse in respect of time place persons profitablenesse choicenesse sobernesse and moderation in them 4. If you teach matters of Religion see that yee prudently understand and faithfully dispense the word of the Lord be short and fruitfull and preach against fleshly lusts doe not affirm or maintain things that are doubtfull if the Scripture speake it not be yee silent 5. If you speak to such as are troubled in minde consider what knowledge they have whether they be strong or weake whether more or lesse wounded and for what whether they be troubled because they are troubled or for feare of punishment or for the evill of their sin observe the persons age state and condition of life whether they be naturally fearfull and melancholy whether they be lost or no and what hinders their beleeving be not too hasty nor stay not too long observe a fit season to comfort Of Suretiship Be not thou one of them that strike hands and of them that are sureties for debts Pro. 22. 26. Give not thy selfe to Suretiship Saints O deare and precious soules feare not death love one another be obedient to God make much of his word rest satisfied in the Scripture That which
55. 25. Obs 11. All wayes besides Jesus Christ are by pathes aside out of the way I am the way Joh. 14. 6. Obs 12. Gods way and mans way are contrary each to other Christs way leads the soule to Christ mans way leads to himselfe to deliver himselfe 13. We should not be led aside from Christ by any thing in the world hearken then onely to Christ Nor say Is there not a lie viz. he cannot aske the question 14. The meanes of deliverance are so hid from him that he cannot use them a lie 15. All that man doth rest upon while he is in the state of nature is nothing but a lie He is miserably deluded 16. The strength and confidence of a deluded man may be so great that it may seeme to him unreasonable once to question it 17. A deluded mans confidence of salvation may be greater and stronger then the faith of some that are the Lords and yet be false a meere delusion of Satan and a deceived heart 18. The greatnesse or strength of any mans confidence cannot assure him that hath it that it is not a delusion but it may be proved true or false by the ground of it the cause and foundation of it for If it be built or caused by any qualifications in us either abstinence from sin or doing good or from inward peace or joy c. it 's all false but if it be founded upon Christ alone in his free grace in the word and promise of God Rom. 15. 4. If we can truly say In his word doe I hope Psal 130. 5. But I hope in thy Word Psal 119. 81. It is well if thou wert lost and fatherlesse Hos 14. 3. and wert perswaded he had mercy for thee and didst hope in him for it as Psal 33 18. 21 22. it is no delusion 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God c. THese words shew the excellency and necessity of the Scriptures and their exceeding majesty and authority over us The Apostle in the 14. verse exhorts Timothy and so the Saints to continue in the knowledge and practise of the things he had learned of the Scriptures and backs his exhortation with two strong arguments one is because all Scripture is given by inspiration of God As if he should say if the Scripture were but the inventions of men in stead of learning and observing them you might slight them but seeing they came from God by inspiration of God wee may not contradict nor slight the inspirations of God but submit unto them The other is from the excellency necessity and usefulnesse of the Scriptures unto us in that they are able to make us wise unto salvation to instruct us in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto every good worke vers 15 16 17. Whence wee learne 1. That God is the Author of the Scripture that it is originally from him God inspired it into them they received it from him it is the saying of the holy Spirit Heb. 3. 7. 2. That there is a necessity for men to know and beleeve that the Scripture is the inspiration of God for 1. Else they can have no power and authority over the conscience seeing nothing can binde the conscience but the authority of God truly or so apprehended 2. Else men will not observe the commands thereof but slight and jeere at it as those doe who deny the Scriptures to be from God 3. Unlesse we know and beleeve they came from God we have no ground of peace and comfort for if they be not from God how shall I be assured of the truth of them then what hope have I but in this life which tends to make us most miserable 4. If they be not Gods word and will we cannot honour God to observe it 5. To deny the Scriptures to be from God is to open a gap to all evill and prophanesse for how will you prove any action to be evill or unlawfull but by the Scriptures if yee set aside the Scriptures yee will soone judge it lawfull to doe what yee please Use Information seeing the Scriptures are of divine inspiration it must needs be a very great evill and a most horrible sin to contemn or slight the Scriptures for in so doing they slight the inspirations of God Use Exhortation To all that feare God to look upon the Scriptures to be as they are the very inspirations of God that so you may honour it and obey it Alas into what times are we fallen that men need to be exhorted to beleeve this truth which is fully declared in the word of God These are the last times wherein iniquitie doth so abound as men are not afraid nor ashamed to professe they doe not beleeve it one saith they are not from God but mens experiences another denieth the truth of them and saith they concerne him not and so they are nothing to him but I trust all that feare the Lord will prize his truth keep close unto it and contend earnestly for it for if we let this goe then farewell all Religion yea God Christ and Heaven and all for if the Scriptures be not true there are no such things It 's in vaine to alledge Scripture to these men to prove the Scriptures to be from God because they question the truth of the Scriptures It 's necessary to give some Reasons to satisfie the Reason of such as are not unreasonable that the Scriptures called the Bible are from God inspired from him Demonstrations that the Scriptures are of God and from God The Scriptures are either from God or from men they are not from men for these Reasons 1. Because neither the folly nor wisdome of man can effect such a worke to compose the Scriptures for men as men cannot understand the meaning of them if they had originally been from men the same wisdome that invented them could understand them but seeing men cannot understand the meaning of them nor agree upon any meaning of them it appeares they are a mystery above the reach of nature 2. They are not from men because it condemnes that which is most excellent in nature as it condemnes the wisdome of man to be foolishnesse in that it cannot understand it and seing they cannot know it they could not cause it also it is against reason for any thing to condemne it selfe is it not quite contrary to nature to condemne that which is most excellent in nature the wisdome of man is most excellent in nature therefore the wisdome of nature was not the Author of the Scripture also mans wisdome esteemes the wisdome of it to be foolishnesse contraries cannot agree 3. The Scriptures are not from men because the whole scope and drift of the Scriptures tend wholy to destroy that which the nature of man loveth most as the way and will of man yea it requires him to deny himselfe what is more contrary to nature then this
to our sensiblenesse of fin but to Christ 6. Our greatest measure of sensiblenesse of sin is not free from sin it deserves nothing but death 7. If thou didst see thy selfe lost and fatherless so as not any thing could satisfie thee but Christ this is a great and sweet worke of the Gospel this none have but such as shall be saved by thy renouncing thy own sufficiency it doth appeare there is a better sufficiency come in place 2. Disâ— I feare my faith is not the faith of Gods Elect because I have so many doubtings 1. I grant feares and doubtings are the fruits of unbeliefe and as feares and doubts increase the stronger unbeliefe is yet by the Scriptures it appeares Gods people that have beleeved yet had many doubts and feares as appeares Joh. 13. 1. Mark 9. 24. Unbeliefe was so strong in Thomas that he said he would not beleeve Joh. 20. 24 25. It may be the case is so with thee therefore take heed least yee say you have no faith least yee deny the worke of God and call little faith no faith and light darknesse and one of the fruits of the Spirit sinne for to doe so is very evill Woe unto them that call evill good and good evill that put darknesse for light and light for darknesse that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Isa 5. 20. Those that put faith for unbeliefe doe so 2. Use meanes to remove such things as strengthen unbeliefe and hinder the sight of thy faith ignorance is one cause of doubting also an over-sensiblenesse of infirmities slighting Gods meanes neglect of duty or formall performance or nourishing sin pâ—onenesse to sin hearkening to Satan to sense carnall reasonings nourishing feares and unbeliefe c. Know that means are means not causes of the increase of the fruits of the Spirit look to God 3. Indeavour to strengthen thy faith know the happinesse of a beleever in Christ seed thy faith with sutable promises live upon Christ above pray in faith Aske his Spirit and thou shalt have it see Luk. 11. 23. Which will revive and fill thy soule with joy and peace in beleeving in the same measure God reveales his love to a soule in the same measure doubts and feares are cast out Perfect love casts out feare 3. Dis I feare my faith is presumption Presumption may be understood in a twofold consideration first for a confidence without the Word or secondly against the Word for the first 1. He that presumes he hath no ground for his confidence he can neither give you any Scripture or good reason for his confidence the ground of his confidence is his own conceit and not from the Word and promise of God but he that beleeves in Christ his confidence is in the Word We through the Scriptures have hope Rom. 15. 4. No hope without a word In his word doe I hope Psal 130. 5. But I hope in thy Word Psal 119. 81. He that beleeves in Christ receives no promise of life but in and through Christ in the riches of his grace but 2. He that presumes if he receive a promise he receives it upon his own qualifications without respect to Christ he gathers conclusions of life from what he is and what he can doe his own righteousnesse was never drosse and dung to him as Phil. 3. 8. So they depend upon their faith and not upon Christ the cause of their confidence is because they are so good and not so bad like the proud Pharisee he never received the sentence of death in himselfe 2 Cor. 1. 9. And as they were ever confident so it was ever easie for them to beleeve He that beleeves his hope and trust is onely in God they hope in his mercy The eyes of the Lord are upon them that hope in his mercy Psal 33. 18. 21. 22. It is Gods worke to perswade the heart to rest upon the free mercy of God in Christ Psal 13. 5. I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever Psal 52. 8. With the Lord there is mercy Psal 130. 7. God is rich in mercy Eph. 2. 4. Presumption cannot doe so Joh. 12. 37. 1 Pet. 19. 20. John 6. 28 29. Also his confidence is contrary to the word of God the word of God protests against them and their confidence as appeares Jer. 9. 9. 15. So their presumption hardens them and imboldens them to venture upon sinfull practices as lying stealing drunkennesse swearing uncleannesse c. He that truly beleeves abhorres that which is evill and cleaves to that which is good Rom. 12. 9. Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe as he is pure 1 Joh. 3. 3. see Titus 2. 11 12. They count all things but losse for Christ for him they will suffer the losse of all things Phil. 3. 8. Those who have tasted of Gods free love admire it are thankfull for it and doe loath with the greatest indignation what soever shall intrench upon the free love of God although it were but in the least degree 4 Dis If I had grace I should grow in grace but I doe not my life is not holy nor am I like unto the Lords 1. Art thou a childe a young man or a father there is a great difference betwixt a childe and a man in nature so great is the difference between a babe in Christ 1 Cor. 3. 1. and a man in Christ see 1 Joh. 2. 12 13. Also consider are you a babe in the wombe or borne he is a babe that is unskilfull in the word of Righteousnesse see Heb. 5. 13. As a childe is begotten and alive it s in the wombe before it be borne so a soule may be alive begotten from above before it be borne Christ must be formed in us before we can be new-borne babes Gal. 4. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 2. When thou art delivered out of bondage darknesse and feares concerning thy soule thou art borne and brought forth for as the wombe is a place of bondage so is a doubting condition and therefore such cannot do that which others doe Also in case thou art new borne there cannot be that expected from thee as from a man in Christ you know there is a difference to be put between a childe and a man 2. Learne to distinguish between the fruits of the Spirits and the exercise of them it s not the having of the fruits of the Spirit but the exercise of them that attaines to a holy conversation 3. Know that the time of doubting is a barren time men cannot fight and work at one and the same time when a soule is delivered from its enemies Satans terrors then the soule begins to serve Being delivered we serve Luk. 1. 47. Yee see deliverance is before working therefore the time of doubting of bondage is not the season of growing in holy services 4. Know it s one thing to be the Lords and another thing for God to convey his power into the soule by which it