Life of the world with Eternal Life who shall wooe him for me who can win him to me Let me satisfie you in this doubt To conclude this match we have more use of our ears than of our mouths He oh incomprehensible mercy oh unconceivable goodness He wooes us He offers treaties nay entreaties of marriage with us He employes Embassadours purposely to beseech us and they pray us in Christs stead 2 Cor. 5.20 nay he gives us Liegers who daily negotiate and sollicite this marriage that we would be espoused as a chaste Virgin to Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 Stay here awhile and wonder Let us take a better view of this strange love and dealing of our Lord let us ravish our hearts with admiration of his goodness Shall the King of Kings beseech a Traitor to be reconciled Shall the Creatour descend to wedd nay to wooe the Creature the clay of his hands Shall the Lord of Angels he is no less offer himself in union and communion with Devils we are no better Ioh. 6.70 children of Satan Ioh. 8.44 Children of hell Matth. 23.15 nay Captives of the Devil 2 Tim. 2.26 Shall God the Father give his Son shall God the Son give his life shall both give their blessed Spirit to such hellish cursed enemies Oh the infinite miracles of this mercy And yet is his mercy more miraculous or our madness more prodigious We will not come Joh. 5.40 we must be drawn to this happiness Ioh. 6.44 The traitour stripped for execution rejects mercy the Creature scorns the Creatour and worse than Devils who have no such offer refuses to be restored to Heaven and reunited to the Lord of Heaven and yet he after many denyals waits to be gracious unto us Isa. 30.18 and we after so long gracious waiting persist in our denyal and yeâ— he persisteth still in his gracious purpose and never leaveth us till overcoming our stony hearts with his soft love and tender mercies he wins us to be happy in his grace and for ever blessed in his glorious embraces Is not he a God of purer eyes than to behold iniquity Hab. 1.13 And what are we but sinful dung and corruption Is not he a consuming fire to sinners Heb. 12.29 And what are we but stubble and fuel for everlasting burnings How then is it that we have found favour in his eyes How is it that we are as that burning bush unconsumed Certainly because he is God and not man Hos. 11.9 nay because he is God and Man delighting in mercy Mic. 7.18 Now that we may be the more willing and ready with all humility and thankfulness to entertain and with all confidence of faith to expect this high and happy advancement let us stedfastly fasten our eyes first upon our selves secondly upon him and take a right view for a full we here cannot as well of our misery as his mercy by his own hand exquisitely pencil'd out to us Let us set up the picture of it being a piece very excellent in the best room of our hearts that it may be continually in our sight and remembrance we shall have it Ezek. 16. from the 2 to the 15 vers First Therefore Gods Spirit there presents to our eyes in gross and shews us our abominations ver 2. And hence so frequently in the world the Lord culls out the most abominable and loathsome things as parallels for us our very sacrifices and service infected with our contagion abominable Prov. 15.8 our very Incense which should sweeten all our service meer abomination Isa. 1.13 our very beauty abhorred Ezek. 16.25 and our excellency hateful and loathsome Amos 6.8 2. In particular 1. Our Birth abominable as cursed Canaanites ver 3. whom the Land as a loathsome vomit spewed out Lev. 18.27 28. we are born enemies Rom. 5.20 haters of God Rom. 1.30 2. We are unwasht filthily polluted in our own blood v. 4 6. and even wallowing in our mire and death rejoycing in evil and delighting in froward wickedness Prov. 2.14 3. In all this misery unpittyed ver 5. No creature not our selves had any compassion of our poor souls helpless hopeless senseless 4. Lastly we were Cast-awayes despised scorned the Refuse of the Creatures v. 5. As some strumpets cast out their misbegotten births and are ashaâ—ed of their fruit so the earth was abashed to look on us her mishapen Off-spring we were the shame of our Mother And what could now be added to this misery but the end and last act of this Tragedy even hell fire and brimstone into which we were posting without stop with all our might by wilfull rebellion and stubborn wickedness Turn now and fix your eye upon that miracle of Gods love and mercy He whom we had provoked despised he whom we hated he only he pitties us so pitties us that even when we were dead and buried in the belly of hell he gives us life v. 6. the life of himself our God even his Son the life of the world eternal Life 2. With life he gives us growth and increase v. 7. the increase of God Col. 2.19 to which end he giveth â—s also faithful Pastours to build us up till we attain to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes. 4.11 12 13. 3. He enters into Covenant with us swears and vows his love unto us his conjugal love v. 8. sends messengers to wooe win and espouse us to himself 2 Cor. 5.20 11.2 4. He washes throughly washes us from all filthiness Ezek. 36.25 and anoints us with Oyl v. 9. neither thought he any Laver pure enough till he had opened a Fountain for us in his own side and washed us in his heart blood Zech. 13.1 Rev. 1.5 no Oyle he thought precious enough till he had powred out his own Spirit to anoint us 1 Joh. 2.27 5. He cloathes us as becomes the Spouse of such a Majesty v. 10 11 12. Neither could any Creature in Heaven or earth give him content in fitting us with ornaments His own hand must frame our vesture his own righteousness must apparel us his own glory Crown us Yea he divests himself to cloath us with himself he puts on Christ upon us Gal. 3.27 6. He furnisheth a rich Table for us v. 13. feasts us with fat things full of marrow of wines on the lâ—es well refined Isaâ— 25.6 No Bread â—avoury and fine enough for us in his love but the true Manna the Bread of Heaven no Wine pleasant enough but that fruit of the true Vine prest and wrung out on the Cross even his own Body and Blood Ioh. 6.35 53 55. 7. Lastly He deforms our deformity and conforms us to his own likeness sets his own beauty upon us v. 14. transforms us to the image of his own Son Rom. 8.29 who is the Brightness of his glory Heb. 1.3 Know then never did any passionate lover so deeply affect and affectionately wooe his desired Spouse as he the union of our souls with himself A lover watches diligently
obedience and service to our heavenly Spouse And leâ—t our dimm eyes which are easily taken up with the empty shew and vain name of liberty might be frighted as with Bug-bears when they look upon a yoke he hath laid open the nature and manner of this service concerning which I shall say more in the next so that the spirit of man sees in it the glorious liberty of the sons of God Rom. 8.11 and no liberty but in this bond no rest joy or comfort but in this sweet service Most true it is that no man can come unto Christ unless the Father draw him and as true that every man who hath learned of the Father cometh unto Christ Joh. 6.44 45. The cords therefore by which the Father draws us unto his Son are those lessons whereby he teacheth us 1. In God his love which passeth knowledge Ephes. 3.19 the love of the Father giving us his Son that we might not perish but have everlasting life in him Ioh. 3.16 and the love oâ— the Son giving his life for us Ioh. 15.13 when enemies Rom. 5.10 2. In us ouâ— extream necessity of him being of all Creatures the most miserable without him and infinitely blessed with him These are those cords of a man for the will of man cannot be drawn by violence of compulsion the bands of love Hos. 11.4 Thus our heavenly Spouse wooes us thus he speaks comfortably unto our hearts Hos. 2.14 and allures us Then the Will cheerfully consents calls him Ishi my husband not Baali Lord Thus our Saviour betroths us to himself for ever betroths us in righteousness in judgement in loving kindness and we know the Lord Hos. 2.16 19 20. This is that root of faith Col. 2.7 which springing from the incorruptible seed of Gods Word Rom. 10.17 sends up the stalk of love and working by love Gal. 5.6 brings forth the ear fruitful in every good work increasing in some thirty in some sixty in some an hundred fold Matth. 13.23 This is that hand of faith whereby when the Lord Iesus is offered unto us we receive him Joh. 1.12 1. In the understanding by conceiving aright of him learning Christ as he is taught us Ephes. 4.20 21. 2. In the will by embracing him Heb. 11.13 This is that grace of the Spirit by which when we are questioned in the Church after those wooings of Christ in his word Wilt thou have the Lord Iesus Christ to thy wedded Husband wilt thou love honour obey serve him and keep thee only unto him the soul answers I will and so gives it self to Christ and by the seal of baptism becomes the sealed fountain of the Lord Iesus See Cant. 4.12 with Prov. 5.18 and is tyed unto him in an indissoluble knot of those everlasting espousals so that neither death nor life nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate from the love Rom. 8.38 39. from the boord and bed of the Lord Iesus And is this all which is required in such a match doth he ask neither portion nor beauty nor honour nay gives all these nothing but our hearts filthy hearts that he may cleanse them dead hearts that he may quicken them beggarly and empty hearts that he may enrich store and fill them with the fulness of God Oh then shut not the door against such a Suiter Open your heart for him give it to him where can you so well bestow it how graciously will he receive it how lovingly will he cherish it how sweetly will he embrace it and oh how infinitely happy and blessed will you be in his sweet embraces But is there nothing else demanded but the heart and will in this spiritual match and union with Christ Nothing more to make the match but after the marriage those conjugal duties are required which will soon make us feel and confess how happy we are in such an espousal Hearken then willingly to his suit and thus in your hearts cheerfully answer him Behold behold me view search every part Let beauty wooe thy eyes thy eyes thy heart Thou dost Lord what thou speak'st I somewhat see That I see nothing nor my self nor thee ' Noint thee what seest thou now What tongue can tell In thee ten thousand heav'ns in me an hell How lik'st thy self poor soul how lik'st thou me Lord I am dung and all things dung to thee I made thee first and come now new to make thee Iâ— then thou lik'st stretch â—orth thy hand and take me Take thee Lord thou more rich than heav'n can make theeâ— I poor tak'st thou no portion but to take thee Lord I am naked foul thou can'st but loath me thee Ask'st thou no beauty but to cleanse and cloath me Oh I am base my self my self disdain Wilt thou no honour but with thee to reign Is this thy whole demand to leave mine own And take thee for my portion beauty Crown A glorious offer madness to refuse it An easie choice yet wretch I cannot chuse it Maim'd wretch I see my bliss yet till thou make it I have no will to chuse no hand to take it Let th' hand which thee which all thy glory proffers Give me an hand to take thy glorious offers Form draw mine eyes so shall I still behold theeâ— Make hold my hand so shall I take grasp hold thee CAP. XV. What are the duties of a Soul married to Christ THat humble Widow esteemed it no little grace that a man so mighty aâ— Boaz should take any notice or shew the least favour to her so poor a stranger Ruthâ— 2.10 13. No doubt but looking upon her self in her Widow-hood and desolate condition in a low ebb of poverty and on her Nation branded by God and shut out of his Congregation Deut. 23.3 she could see nothing in her self worthy of his eyes and acceptance Yet had she many commendable endowments such as might preferr her to a very honourable espousal Her wifely kindness to her former Husband Rutâ— 1.8 her obedient fast love to a Mother-in-law her strength of youth and no question beauty but above all virtue and holiness known and famed All these meeting in one might make up a worthy portion when the Judgement held a right ballance and weighed things not as they seemâ— but are How then should we humble our abject souls before our heavenly Spouse She was a Widow we as our Proverb is Grass-widows neither Wives nor Maids we had prostituted our selves to sin and lust and had played the harlots with many lovers Jer. 3.1 2. She was poor we miserable and wretched poor blind and naked Rev. 3.17 She a stranger we Aliens from the common-wealth of Israel without God without hope Ephes. 2.12 a corrupt and corrupting seed Isa. 1.4 She had many excellent endowments we had none No good in our flesh Rom. 7.18 She a kind wife we not only unkind but treacherous Ier. 3.20 She obediently loving to a Mother in law we hatefully
glittering of rotten wood in the night hold when the Creatour is in the other scale The third Stale is Pleasure a wanton petulant luxurious pack which in respect of your youth if God keep you not will easily draw away your hearts from the love of Christ. She hath all the properties of an Harlot By means of a whorish woman shall a man be brought to a piece of bread Prov. 6.26 and he that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man Prov. 21.27 they that live in pleasure are dead while they live 1 Tim. 5.6 stinking coarses buried in living bodiesâ— Oh take heed of this perfumed piece of Carrion Perhaps she will send in her Brokers voluptuous vain persons nay perhaps shâ— will have your own hearts to plead for heâ— What should you bury the April of youâ— years in a Winter of sullen melancholyâ— May you not specially in youth enjoâ— some pleasure and refresh your selves witâ— the delights of the Sons of men Truly oâ—â— gracious Lord is far from interdicting us anâ— lawful or true pleasure To wallow as Swine in the mire to pollute our souls which he hath washed in that precious fountain opened in the side of Christ for sin and for uncleanness as a Dog to lick up our vomit as that Demoniack to dwell among the Tombs Mar. 5.3 and converse with the dead in their graves this if this be pleasure our Lord hath prohibited But surely whosoever account these things delightful must needs also rank themselves with hoggs doggs and demoniacks Your Father alloweth you a sober and wholsome use of all his creatures for your comfort and refeshing and lest this should be too little gives himself to be your Pleasure and joy bidds you â—o rejoice in him and again to rejoice Phil. â—4 4 he allows and gives you joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 provides for you fulness of joy and everlasting pleasures Psal. 16.11 He will be to you a fountain â—f life and will make you to drink and abunâ—antly satisfie you with rivers of his pleasures Psal. 36.8 9. The Lord of glory offers himself and his â—onjugal love unto you to endow you with â—ll his goods with himself the supream the â—nfinite Good Are there no pleasures in his â—mbraces If you sit down under his shadow â—ou will find great delight and his fruit will 〈◊〉 most sweet unto your taste Cant. 2.3 If a man who hath married some fair lovely and loving Spouse should yet doat upon a stinking but perfumed and painted Harlot who scorns not his folly who detests not his perfidious and perjurious wickedness who looks on him but as a man impotioned and with strong sorceries bewitched God proffers himself to you as a Father offers the Son and Heir of his glory into your bosome and shall we leave this glorious Spouse to follow those dirty Prostitutes sinks of all uncleanness and filthiness The good Lord keep our hearts from such a witchery Now therefore fence your hearts from such inchantments with these thoughts No other passage what no way but this Can bring my Pilgrim soul to rest and bliss Proud Seas in Gyant waves 'gainst Heaven riâ—e And casting mounts fight with loudâ—thundring Skies Skies charge their double Cannons and let fly Their fires and bullets waters hizz and fry How shall my tir'd Bark climb those mounts how shâ—â— It fall and not than hell much deeper fâ—ll How shall a Potsheard stand one Volly how Shall glass cut through such storms with brittle prow Were sails as wings to mount me o're those hills Who could secure me in those lesser rills Where Sirens fill the ear and eye with wonder I more fear calm than storms more songs than thunder Lend to the Latine Siren eyes and ears Her face will seem an Angel voice the Spheres The Belgian melts the soul with sugred strains Drops Wine and loosness into swilling veins A third Gold Plenty Wealth abundance sings And binds the captive car with â—ilver strings A fourth guilds all her notes with Thrones and Crownâ—â— So Heav'n in earth glory in honour drowns The last powrs honey from her pleasant Hive So stings and kills and buries men alive Lord steer my Bark draw thou mine eye and ear From those vain frights thy Word and thee to fear Lord tune my heart to hear in Saintly throngs More musick in thy thunders than their songs Make me to think in all these storms and charms In Sirens notes and thundring Worlds alarms Thy presence is my guard my Port thy Bed and armsâ— But is such a match feasable CAP. XIII There is no impossibility or very much difficulty to attain it TRue it is that Satan as an old and expert Pandar with exquisite art and cunning labours both to obscure the radiant beams of that Sun of Righteousness lest that great Light the Image of God and Brightness of his glory Heb. 1.3 should shine forth unto us 2 Cor. 4.3 4. and in dark shadows to kindle those rotten sticks of superstition errour profit pleasure preferment so with these glistering shews of false light to draw away our eyes and hearts from our Lord and true Spouse to the adulterous love of these painted Sâ—rumpets And truly it is with us as with some silly children we are more taken with the glaring dust of rotten wood than with those glittering beams of that great Light of Heaven yet were not these eyes and heart as wicked and as if not more deceitfuâ— as he deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17.9 he could not sâ— â—asily bewitch us with those false blazings of plaistered and painted beauties But when he without and our hearts within are cunning to deceive hence it comes that these loathsome Harlots seem altogether lovely which indeed are sheer vanity and he who in truth is altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 hath his visage so marred more than any man and his form more than the Sons of men that he hath in our eyes no form or comeliness and when we see him there is no beauty why we should desire him Isa. 52.14 53.2 I have therefore before as I could weakly endeavoured to uncover as well the loathsome deformity of those hellish Stales as also the glorious beauties of our gracious Lord. But who is suâ—â—icient 2 Cor. 2.16 and who less sufficient than am I Blessed be the Father of lights who hath in any measure purged and cleered our dimm and abused eyes to discern the abhorred filthiness of the one and the excelling excellency of the other Now if our poor souls enamoured on his perfections should say Blessed indeed is the hand that weds and the heart that beds him But I am a worm and no man what hope to match with so greaâ— a Lord I am a dead Coarse dead in sins and trespasses a painted Sepulchre a grave full of dead Corpses what possibility for such a wretch to rise up to so high an advancement How should such a Body of death be espoused and match with the
and thou the Prince of peace The world is Israâ—ls type who blinded see Freedom in bonds and bonds in libertie Thee they proclaym an hard man hard to pleaseâ— Thy easy easing Yoke lades with disease But murthering Satan lust the soul oppressing The cheating world by pleasing most distressing These are their gentle Lords their cursed Yokes â—heiâ— blessingâ— III. Poor souls have you no eyes your eyes no light These old eyes nothing seeâ— see nothing true Get Perspectives oh help your feeble â—ight Blind eyes make night as day and day as night Turn to the light and your old eyes renew Shake off hells spectacles and better vieu Your Lords and service had you light and eyes How could you hate the truth and love these lies Despise what you admire admire what you despise IV. Their Kings are servants but his servants Kings Their rest an Iron Yoke his Yoke your rest His wounds are salves their salves are wounding stings His death brings life their liâ—e death surely brings Their â—east a pining â—ast his â—ast a feast His servants blest when curst theirs curst when bleâ—â— Poor souls be wise but if ye fools disdein To serve this Lord in rest serve those in payn Serve them in Hell who scorn with him in Heaven to reign CAP. XVI What kind of service it is which his Spouse gives unto Christ. THe hand is the bodies Steward and Faith the souls hand Both have a double office either to take in or give out to receive or distribute what God offers faith takes and gives what he demands There is a bargain driven betwixt God and man when God himself and his Kingdom is assured upon man and man and all his is passed and made over to God by way of exchange or sale Our Lord hath not only laid down a price for us even himself Tit. 3.14 and bought us as we say out and out 1 Cor. 6.20 but hath also set a price upon himself and we must come up to his full price or never have him We must buy that milk hony and feast of fat things the sure mercies of David Isa. 55.1 c. That gold tried by the fire whereby we are made rich that white raiment that eyâ— salve the riches of the Gentils the robe of righteousness the light of the world the Lord Iesus must be bought Rom. 3.18 We must buy the truth Prov. 23.23 The treasure in the field is bought and that Merchant sells all that he hath to buy the goodly pearl Matth. 13.44 46. Hence there is a mutual vouching The Lord openly voucheth us for his people and we vouch him for our Lord Deut. 26.17 18. And to make the bargain sure and infallible large and precious Earnest is given even that blessed and Holy Spirit 2 Cor. 1.22 Eph. 1.14 which binds both seller and buyer to stand to the bargain But what is the price at which God rates himself to us 1. He challengeth the soul. All souls are his Ezek. 18.4 he must have the heart Prov. 23.26 all the soul all the heart all the might Deut. 6.5 The whole body must be presented to him as a living sacrifice Rom. 12.1 He hath payd for all and so now we are no more our own 1 Cor. 6.19 20. If he call for health wealth life all must be given him Luk. 14.26 else we as that Ruler Mar. 10 goe away empty sad and hopeless But this seems to imply a contradiction for to sell for a price and to give freely are contraries Now Christ is given us Ioh. 3.16 eternal life is the gift of grace Rom. 6.23 Salvation is by gift and grace Eph. 2.8 We are freely loved Hos. 14.4 freely justified Rom. 3.23 Certain is it and cannot be denied that never any thing was more freely or bountifully given We were poor Rev. 3.17 able to give nothing unable to pay due debts and our debts infinite Math. 18.24 25. The Lord Iesus our Surety hath purchased this whole possession for us and us for God but he also most freely given us and all things with him Rom. 8.32 Nay even that which hereafter God demands of us of which only here we speak our trust in him love to him fear of him working for him all these his most free gifts He works all in us and for us Isa. 26.12 Will and deed Phil. 2.13 That therefore which we give him is his own and we cannot but confess with that holy Prophet All things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee 1 Chro. 29.14 Indeed he commands us to buy yet asks he neither mony nor mony-worth Isa. 55.1 Our righteousness bringeth him neither profit nor pleasure Iob 22.2 3. and 35.7 No good we can do reacheth to him Psal. 16.2 when we give our selves what give we but vanitie Psal. 39.5 and nothing 2 Cor. 12.11 The truth is God receives no benefit from us neither are they if we speak properly gifts to him from us but rather from him to us not only because we first receive what after we give but specially because it is a great grace and next to himself the greatest gift he can bestow on us that he will receive us or any thing from us It is our infinite blessedness and his infinite goodness that he is ours and how much less is it certainly next to that that we are his Cant. 2.16 He calls for our bodies and spirits and are they out filthy polluted abominable how unworthy of him But he calls for them to wash and cleanse them from all filthiness Ezek. 36.26 they are dead in sins he would have them to quicken them to put his Spirit into them Ezek. 36.27 they are old corrupt in lusts Eph. 4.22 he would have them to renew them Ezek. 36.26 where can they be safe but under his wings and how secure under his protection How miserable and wretched when banished from his sight but in his house how infinitely blessed Psal. 65.4 How empty in his absence but in his presence is fulness of joy and everlasting pleasures Psal. 16.11 And yet God calls it buying as well because he is pleased not only to demand it but accept it as our reasonable service and testimonie of our thankfulness As great persons lease out to some special servant or favorite a fair land for the annual payment of a pepper-corn so deals our most gracious God with us gives us Heaven and Earth and himself the Lord of both because we have found favour in his eyes and desires no other rent but our poor selves and service whose only riches it is to be his inheritance and servants Thus the same hand of faith receives from our Lord himself and his grace and gives to him our selves and service takes from him what he graciously offers and works for him by love what he justly commands Now our work and service to our Lord is by himself sometime contracted into one head or body sometime parted into three members That which in one word comprizes
in time thou dying time out-livest They â—ail deceive thee They age dye leave thee Soâ—â— up immortal spirit and mounting fly Into the arms of great Eternity Not Heav'n or Earth He he thy End and Birth Now if in the fulness of all Creature man can find no parcel of his blessednesâ— how much less in any one single creature As first CAP. III. Not in Riches RIches are as Nebuchadnezzars goldeâ— Idol Dan. 3. All people nations anâ— languages fall down and worship this goldeâ— Image but all the honour the most deâ—vout Zelots give it cannot wring from it the least degree of happiness For first it is a meer Idol 1. An Image hath only a name and appearance of what it imageth Thus these outward things are called and to mop-eyed men seem to be riches but are unrighteous Mammon and at best and with the best not true Riches Luk. 16.11 Their very being is no being and when they are they are not Prov. 23.4 True riches are nothing else but plenty of such things as are useful to the person whom they enrich But 1. The principal part of man to which the â—ody is but a servant hath no use of them â—r benefit by them neither of the natural meat drink c. or artificial gold silver c. Nay 2. Even to the body while it is in the short Pilgrimage of this life where only they are current they are â—ather as a little spending money than its â—ortion or inheritance For look as many Cart-loads of Laconian money that iron â—yn could not enrich a Traveler who â—as riding Post through that Region to his â—â—tive Country but were rather a burthen â— an a furtherance to his journey so the â—odies of men flying through this mortal life â— immortality are rather laden than enrichâ—â— by the abundance of these earthly things 〈◊〉 which they shall never have more need or use after this momentary Pilgrimage 2. Images are dead helpless things they have mouths but cannot speak for us eyes but cannot provide for us hands but can do nothing for us feet but in our necessity cannot stir to help us Psal. 115.5 6 7. Such are riches meer Images profit us nothing Prov. 10.2 Are we in trouble visited with sickness in body with distress in spirit c. They cannot relieve us Riches profit not in the day of wrath but righteousness delivers from death Prov. 11.4 They shall cast their silver in the streets and their gold shall be removed their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord Ezek. 7.19 Zeph. 1.18 Are our Friends in danger They cannot redeem a brother nor give a ransome for him Psal. 49.6 7. when we would serve our selves of them they take them to their wings and are gone Prov. 23.4 would we sleep They will not suffer us Eccles. 5.12 and instead of helping hurt us Eccles. 5.13 3. As Idols make their Worshippers like to themselves even Idols Psal. 115.8 thus men idolizing riches become like to their coyn meer images of men they have neither mouths to eat nor hands to enjoy oâ— take part of their labour Eccles. 6.2 They have not so much reason or sense to design some end of all their pains or to discourse with themselves For whom do I labour and bereave my soul of good Eccles. 4.8 2. Secondly whatsoever defect in general excluded the creatures from challenging any part in mans happiness the same in particular barrs out riches 1. It is full of vanity and vexation Eccles. 2.7 8 11. All his dayes the worldly rich eateâ—h in darkness and hath much wrath and sorrow with his sickness Eccles. 5.17 2. It satisfies not nay the more it is loved the less it satisfies Mans eye is not satiate with riches Eccles. 4.8 They shall not satisfie their souls nor fill thâ—ir bowels Ezek. 7.19 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver c. Eccles. 5.10 3. They are not durable they are of no continuance Riches are not for ever Prov. 27.24 They perish Eccles. 5.14 have Eagles wings Prov. 23.4 4. The more we enjoy the less we love them The soul that most dotes on them goes utterly off from what it hath attained and reacheth â—fter that which it would have and yet hath not and so indeed cleaves to that which is â—ot Prov. 23.4 5. They are far below us They have no reason sense life no being â—ut what we give them in our opinion and â—ancy no other end but to drudge for us 6. They are not only in respect of happiness needless so that never any was even on earth so blessed as he that had least of them witness our most blessed Saviour but in their abundance a burthen which sinks the body and soul under them and dangerous stopping the way to Heaven and barring the entrance to our only happiness Luk. 8.14 18.25 I will shut up this Chapter with a story very true and as pertinent Some ten miles from Cambridge dwelt a man old and poor who hid his hoar head under a very mean Cottage with no other companion of his age than his as aged Wife His means rose only from the flock of the Town in which he lived and which he tended Following his sheep it chanced that he found a Portmanteâ— full of treasure And almost distracted with joy he bears it home and acquaints his Consort with this happy adventure After deep consultation they concluded to digg an hole under their bed and there in a grave to conceal it But in the night being now become very wakeful they were suddenly frighted with some noise perhaps the scrabling of their Cat or Dog rose up in great perturbation searched every mousehole and all the remainder of that night neither closed their eyes nor put ouâ— their candel Early in the morning they took further advice and resolved that every night one of them by turns should watch their prisoner lest happily he might break from them and make an escape This they practised so long untill both of them who before were well-near worn up with age were now with care fear and want of sleep even consumed and pined After more mature deliberation they thought expedient to hire some poor neighbours for now they mustered themselves not in so mean a rank every night to guard their Palace and centinel about them Which when it was noised abroad in the Town wrought divers strange surmises though not any yet harped upon the right string nor once dreamed what was the true cause of all this business some laughed others pittied fearing the old Couple would end their dayes in Bedlam About a month after they had intelligence who was the Owner of this money and heard of a competent reward offered to the finder and restorer And now being much more weary than greedy they readily take hold of the offer rendred up their prisoner purchast a Jayl delivery hung up their cares freed
glittering As our houses some â—â—e dawbed with plain lome others plaistered â—ith lime and washed over Now as in our houses we look first to the materials secondly to the form the one giving strength the other beauty to our buildings so in the Body strength and beauty are the special endowments of it Beauty is but the flower of grass 1 Pet. 1.24 not all out so fair full out as fading blasted with the wind seared with the Sun smitten with every worm and if it had no outward enemy rotting in the ripening and ever slubbered in the using Sickness turnâ— it into dust death into dung the one makeâ— it untoothsome the other loathsome Favour therefore is deceitful and beauty vaiâ— Prov. 31.30 nay often dangerous Aâ— it hath cords to draw a lusting affection sâ— hath it snares to intangle us in these cords It is a fire that may scorch others and consume our selves How then should Beautâ— make happy when many thousands aâ— Absolom and his Sister Tamar might havâ— been much more happy if they had beeâ— much less beautiful 2. Secondly What is there in bodilâ— strength were it equal to Sampsons in thâ— latitude and in the longitude to Calebs Josâ—â— 14.10 11. what can the fullest dimensioâ— of strength bring with them to make 〈◊〉 happy By strength shall no man prevaiâ— 1 Sam. 2.9 The battel is not to the stronâ— Eccles. 9.11 It is not worth a smile Ier. 9.23 An Ague unbends and Age bends the strongest back It fills us with vain confidence drives us to rash attempts fails us in the execution and betrayes us to destruction Nay if we travel further into this lesser world of man and search into the bowels of it we shall find nothing in the Head or Heart City which will help to build up our happiness True indeed it is Wisdom excelleth folly as far as light darkness yet though the wise mans eyes be in his head he cannot keep off the event of fools what happens to the fool happens to the wise Eccles. 2.13 14 15. If it dwell with poverty it is followed with scorn Eccles. 9.16 It is ever married to pain and sorrow the issue of the match and grows up with it Eccles. 1.18 Some foolishness is wiser than it and utterly out-wits it 1 Cor. 1.25 And as our natural wisdom most oâ—ten perverts us Isa. 47.10 bladders and swells us oft to bursting Isa. 10.13 1 Cor. 8.1 so when it grows up in a carnal mind it turns foolishness 1 Cor. 3.19 enmity to God Rom. 8.7 and devilish Iam. 3.15 We see it ordinarily that those subtile heads which are â—utored in that Florentines universiâ—y soon commence Batcheler Machiavils and Master Devils And truly I think no wise man can discern how that can merit the name of wisdome which must necessarily first proceed fool before it can have the grace to go out wise 1 Cor. 3.18 But to help it a little joyn with this natural wisdome moral honesty and stretch them both to the uttermost extent yet will they still fall short and never reach to happiness They are like that Scribe who answered discreetly he was not far from the Kingdom of God Mark 12.34 but stopping there was never in it Morality in those ethick Sages is like the rings and jewels of running cheaters brass but fairly gilded fair stones but counterfeit They oft deceive never enrich the Owner precious to the view but bring them to the Touch of no value And as some Phidian statue exquisitely formed may seem to live breath c. yet is but a stone so lifeless is all their morality for he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5.12 If some old Image gnawn with Rats be trickt up again with a new dress and garnished with choice colours yet are colours indeed dead as the rotten stock Such were those old heathen Philosophers Images of Virtue or rather as the Apostle speaks of Sacrifices shadows of good things Heb. 10.1 They were as all other in nature dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2.5 And how shall the hand be living when the heart is dead the fruit good when the Tree is evil The best of them professing themselves wise became fools Rom. 1.22 Neither the wisdom of Socrates the justice of Aristides could in this life secure them from earthly calamities death banishment c. How should it help them in that other with that Judge where the Saints and their righteousness not washed in the blood of the Lamb Rev. 7.14 are all as an unclean thing and as filtâ—y raggs Isa. 64.6 As one speaks all their fair shews were splendida peccata glistering â—ins And truly sin glistering is no less filthy but more dangerous brass as all other but better polished All the former discourse let me shut up with another Poem of that Platonick Philosopâ—er Boâ—tius Libr. 3. Metr 8. When Ignorance leads fools both blind they stray How should they hitt or miss their â—nd or way We seek not grapes on thornsâ— on thistles figgs Who gathers pearls â—rom Vines or gold from twiggsâ— He that would feast his guests with Lenten dishes Draggs not dry Mountains nor thin Ayeâ— fishes He that with Ven'son would his palate please Swims not his Hounds in Brooks or hunts the Seaâ— Tethis black Closets hid with dark deep floods Men search know rifle ransack all her goods Where brightest Pearls she hoords in Oyster cells Where Coral grafts where stores her purple shells They know her Markets Fairs where when to buy Each kind of Fish where Crabs where Lobsters lye But where that good which makes man blessed lyes They have no ears to hear to see no eyes On earth â—ools hunt which far transcends the poles They tear dig delve oh are they men or moles What curse deserve such Bedlams blindâ—old wretches Tir'd let them still pursue their honours riches And prest with fâ—lse goods give them eyes to view The dross of false the glory oâ— the true If then in none of these CAP. VII Where lies the Portion of Man THE Portion or Inheritance of man which makes him blessed lies not so low as the highest creature His Treasure is not buried in earth but bagg'd up in Heaven Luk. 12.33 Heaven indeed is his Store-house but not his Portion He that is infinitely higher than the Heavens Heb. 7.26 he whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain 2 Chron. 6.18 he and he alone is mans Inheritance Man is the great Favourite of Heaven and of the King of Heaven and though he were made a little lower than the Angels yet his Lord most highly advanced him set the Crown upon his head crowned him with glory and honour Psal. 8.5 6. and gave him dominion over the works of his hands The gift was very great but not proportionable to the love or person of the Giver Therefore our gracious Lord after he had bestowed all his creatures upon us to be our servants gave us himself to
be our Lord a gift fully and only answerable to his love Some service is more honourable than some command A greater dignity to serve the King than to command sheep Whosoever hath tasted how good this Lord is Psal. 34.8 counts all things dung â—nd loss in comparison of his service Phil. 3.8 They prefer his livery and the meanest place in his house before their Princely Robes or any earthly honour Psal. 84.10 Even in our Creation when he gave himself to Adam to be his Lord he took Adam unto himself to be his Son Luk. 3.38 therefore formed him after his own Image Gen. 1.26 And to what higher dignity can the most vast ambition of the Creature aspire than to be like his Creator his Son and Heir Now that our gracious Lord offers himself to be our Portion himself frequently testifies He often takes upon himself this title the Portion of his people Ier. 10.16 51.19 their exceeding great Reward Gen. 15.1 And as frequently his people with glad hearts acknowledge The Lord is the Portion of my inheritance The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places Psal. 16.5 6. I have a goodly heritage Thou art my â—ortion oh Lord Psal. 119.57 Even in the deeps of bitter affliction when they are drunken with Worm-wood this upholds and strongly props them up The Lord is my Portion saith my Soul Lam. 3.15 24. A portion so full and saâ—isfying that even here the Saints utterâ—y reject all things in earth or Heaven as any way accessary or needful to make up any part of their happiness Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none in earth â—hat I desire besides thee My heart and my flesh faileth but God is the strength oâ— my heart and my Portion for ever Psal. 75.25 26. In this Portion lies all the the blessedness of man which who can more fully assure us than those blessed Saints who filled with his most blessed Spirit out of their experience and overflowing joy pour out abundantly such expressions Blessed is the man whom thou chusest oh Lord and causest him to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy house we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house even of thine holy Temple Psal. 65.4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will ever be praising thee Psal. 84.4 He is only blessed and all Nations blessed in him only Psal. 72.17 Nay himself our Blessedness teacheth us Blessed is the man that hearetâ— me watching daily at my gates and waiting at the posts of my doors for who so findeth me findeth life Prov. 8.34 35. Saints sometime when either they are pressed down with afflictions or newly lifted up from their earthly burthens are ready to think and say Happy are the people who aâ—â— in such a case that is whose garners aâ—â—full whose sheep grounds fruitful no leadâ—ing into captivity no complaining c. buâ— they soon reclaim themselves and upon better thoughts recant yea happy is the people who have the Lord for their God Psalâ— 144.15 This will be yet much more clearly manifested if we look upon God first as our fulâ— defence Secondly as our full reward Thuâ— he Covenants to be unto us Gen. 15.1 Psalâ— 84.11 For the first God is a full and entire defence to all those who are under hiâ— protection They have indeed very many very strong and subtile yet more maliciâ—ous enemies some without some withinâ— but the Lord their Shield beareth off from them all their force frustrateth all theiâ— spite and turneth all their mischief to thâ— furtherance of his people and confusion oâ— their enemies Not an hair of them shall peâ—rish Luk. 21.17 18. I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee witâ— my right hand Behold they that were incenseâ— against thee shall be ashamed they shall be as noâ—thing As many as strive with thee shall perishâ— Isa. 41.10 11. No weapon that is formeâ— against thee shall prosper and every tongue thaâ— riseth against thee in judgement thou shalt conâ—emn This is the heritage of the Servants of â—he Lord and their righteousness is of me saith â—he Lord Isa. 54.17 See it in particularsâ— All Adversaries exercise a double enmity â—ither hostile in assaulting or civil in acâ—using Principalities and Powers wrastle â—gainst us in a dangerous conflict armed with â—ery darts and therefore we are charged with an whole armour of God Ephes. 6.11 â—2 16. 2. They are importunate Accuâ—ers Rev. 12.9 10. Even when God himself â—ad not only justified but so highly commended his servant Iob that shameless Spirit was not ashamed to tax him for an Hypocrite that served for hire not love Iob 1.8 9 10. 2. The World is an unreconcileable enemy warring not only within us by earthly lusts Iam. 4.1 but without persecuting oppressing and consuming Psal. 119.61 87 157 161. 2. Accusing also and pleading against us by contradiction slandering mocking c. Psal. 119.23 51 69. Lastly the Flesh warreth against our souls 1 Pet. 2.11 Rom. 7.23 and accuseth Rom. 2.15 Against all their assaults all their weapons and accusations the Lord is our full protection In war there is a twofold defence 1. Natural in situation as impassable Rocks Mountains Rivers Coverts or Shelters 2. Artificial made by hand and some morâ— distant walls towers fortresses and somâ— nearer shields and other armours Thâ— Lord is all these unto his servants 1. Mounâ—tains round about them Psal. 125.1 2. â— 2. The only Rock 2 Sam. 22.32 3. Broaâ— rivers where no ship can pass Isa 33.21 4. A Covert or hiding place Psal. 32.7 119.114 5. A Wall and that of fireâ— Zech. 2.5 6. A Tower Prov. 18.10 â— 7. A Fortress Psal. 18.2 8. A Shield â— Prov. 30.5 a compassing shield Psalâ— 5.12 like the Cherubims flaming sword turning every way for our protection 9. Our Advocate 1 Ioh. 2.1 to whom all the Saints confidently repair upon all occasions to plead their cause Psal. 35.1 119.124 10. Neither is he only our defensive but offensive armour also both Shield and Sword Deut. 33.29 He bears down our foes and plagues them that hate us Psa. 89.23 In a word he is our Foreward he our Rereward Isa. 52.12 compassing and enclosing us with his Almighty arms as with two invincible Armies This is his promise and the deed fully answers it Look upon it in some instances The Lord Covenants with Abraham Isaac and Iacob to be their shield They were few Pilgrims in strange and Heathen Counâ—reys What but this Almighty Shield could â—ave given them protection when it was in â—â—e power of Labans hand to have hurt Jacob â—od held his hands and lips also Gen. 31.29 â—hen he was not a little nor without cause â—ighted the Lord made his enemies more â—fraid of him than he of his enemies Gen. â—5 5 when he was to pass by Esau's Counâ—â—ey God gave him a royal convoy two â—â—mies of Angels to guard him Gen. 32.1 2. â—elted into tears the
shed his beams not only through the skies and ayer but down to the earth and every earthly Creature It gilds every weed and dung-hill and though it lends so bountifully to all yet it is self still as full as ever Such a reward is our Lord unto us Seeing theâ— he is first infinitely great and all Nations nothing before him and to him less than nothing Isa. 40.17 and secondly infinitely and incomprehensibly good abundantly surrounding the most vast desires in his goodness commanding us to open our mouths wide that is to enlarge our hearts in thirsting our mouths in asking and promises to fill them Psal. 81.10 certainly they can want nothing â—o whom he is all things And this is it which draws out the hearts of his servants to all thankfull acknowledgement The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want Surely mercy and goodness shall follow me all dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Psal. 23. It is altogether impossible for any Creature to think that God can be any such thing which can possibly be better'd or excell'd by any thing as being a good without limits which the more we know and enjoy the more we esteem and affect It cannot therefore be denyed that the highest and only happiness of man consists in the getting and enjoying him Hearken then to that sweet invitation of that so often before mentioned Philosopher and Poet. Boetius Libr. 3. Metr 10. Come hither come poor Captives you whose minds â—ith dust cast in your eyes Lust cheating blinds â—nd to base earth with willing â—etters binds Come weary souls here reâ—t here quiet bide Come anchor here 's your Port here safely ride Your guilt in this close Sanctuary hide Nor Golden Tagus nor bright Hemus streams Nor India's sâ—lf whose womb Sols hotter beams Fill with rich seed red white green glittering gems No sparkling Pearls your quenched snuff can tine The more ye cleave to their deceitâ—ul shine The more y' are buried in their Dungeon mine Their glistering rayes which kindle fond desire Are earthly and beget but â—atuous fire Shine but in night they rise and set in mire But this Eternal Sun whose splendour bright Rules quickens all gives you both life and light The eye that wistly views with fixed sight Will swear the Starrs the Moon the Sun it self is night But you will say How shall we possibly meet God is in Heaven we on earth Eccles. 5.2 he of purer eyes than to behold evil thaâ— cannot look upon iniquity Hab. 1.13 We all an unclean thing and our righteousness a filthy rag Isa. 64.6 He higher than the Heavens Heb. 7.26 we as low as Hell Observe therefore CAP. VIII How we attain this Portion SUch is the high favour which we poor dust have found in the eyes of our glorious Creatour that he hath not only set us out our Portion in himself but tyed himself to us and us to himself in the sure bond of an everlasting Covenant in which he hath passed himself to us and purchast us to himself he ours as before and we his Portion Deut. 32.9 Zech. 2.12 He our King Hos. 13.10 we his Kingdom Exod. 19.5 6. He to us a Father 2 Cor. 6.18 in love and providence Hos. 14.4 Matth. 6.26 we to him Children in love and obedience Deut. 10.12 Ier. 7.28 This his Covenant he hath frequently enâ—grossed for us that we might have it ever in our eyes not only in his word Gen. 17.7 Ier. 31.31 c. but in our hearts also Ier. 31.33 As Ionathan because he delighted in David 1 Sam. 19.2 and loved him as his own Soul regarded not the disparity of their condition but divested himself of his Princely robes to adorn his servant and having given and tyed his heart to him before now gives his hand and binds himself to him in a sure knot of a friendly Covenant 1 Sam. 18.1 2 3. so our most gracious Lord having his delights with the Sons of men Prov. 8.31 loving us beyond knowledge Ephes. 3.19 so far descended in the depth of his love from the height of his Majesty that he even bound himself to the clay of his hands Perhaps the learned Heathen might have some dimm sight of this great Mystâ—rie and veiled it under the Fable of Pâ—gmalion who having framed a curious statue in the form of a Woman fell into love with it and when he had gotten it enlivened married it Love even desires unionâ— and communion with the beloved This incomprehensible goodness of God and great Mysterie of Godliness will be best opened unto us by way of Question and Answer Quest. 1. Hath God never made more Covenants with man than one Answ. God hath made divers Covenants as Gen. 9.9 c. but specially two the Old and New Jer. 31.31 or the first and second Covenant Heb. 8.7 Quest. 2. With whom did God make these Covenants Answ. With the two Adams the first with the first Adam and his seed the second with the second Adam and his seed the first made with a servant and therefore a Covenant of works in this tenure Do this and live Gal. 3.12 The second made with the Son and therefore a Covenant of Grace wherein God giveth what he asketh and worketh what he commandeth bids us Live and so gives us life Ezek. 16.6 commands his Covenant Psal. 111.9 and so writes it in our hearts Jer. 31.33 Thus our new Covenant is made first and immediately with Christ our Redeemer and mediately with us through him our Mediatour See Isa. 59.20 21. Gal. 3.16 Quest. 3. Was then that first Covenant broken Answ. By the first Adam it was utterly broken Gen. 3. and so by all mankind Ier. 31.32 And hence with the root dyed all the branches Rom. 5.12 And certainly never can we sufficiently admire or bless that miracle of Gods mercy in which after that by our treacherous revolture and rebellion we had broken Covenant and were utterly fallen into eternal death and misery he hath taken advantage by our breach of Covenant to make a better Covenant with us and by our sin and rebellion to glorifie his grace in doing us more good than ever that seeing we so waveringly fell in the first we mighâ— invincibly stand in the second Adam and having lost our selves and all our blessedness in the one we might regain and eternally reâ—ain iâ— in the other And hence the first is called the figure of the second Adam Rom. 5.14 because as the first was the Head and Root of our first Covenant in whom we were all blessed if he stood and cursed if he fell so the second is the Head of our second Covenant with whom because he cannot dye our liâ—e is hid up in God Col. 3.3 in whose eternal blessedness we are everlastingly blessed Quest. 4. What is our new Covenant and the matter of it Answ. In a word as Christ Iesus is the Head so is he also the matter of our Covenant For
we so empty when he so full and overflowing how are we full of nothing but wants when he so abundantly replenished with an unexhausted plenty Answ. 1. There are some nourishing some starving wants want of meat without sense of want pines the body wants breeding hunger drive to food and food yields strength and growth were our wants without feeling we could not hunger for the Lord Iesus and his righteousness 〈◊〉 we are sensible of them and therefore hunger and thirst for Christ we are blessed and shall certainly be satisfied Matth. 5 6â— when therefore we find thirst and hungerâ— why should we fear to repair with all assurance to this full Fountain What Well denies us water how freely doth light lend and give light He that is the Sun of Righteousness and Fountain of living Waters invites thee to come and when thou comest gives freely Rev. 22.17 He draws thee to himself Ioh. 12.32 poureth out his Spirit unto thee Prov. 1.23 satiates the weary soul Ier. 31.25 and will surely make it to flow with Rivers of living water Joh. 7.38 This passage also may we conclude with that excellent Poet. Boetius Libr. 3. Metr 12. Thrice happy soul that turns his Sphere of sight To that greaâ— Sun and Fount of goodness bright Thence fills his waining Orb with true eternal light Happy who loosing his clogg'd feet and hands From pressing earths and hells oppressing bands Mounts soaring up to Heaven and at that haven lands Once Orpheus plaining at his Spouses bier Gave Rocks a weeping eye and listning ear Brooks staid their hasty stream woods left their roots to hear But when no Muse his wounded heart could plaister Songs fann'd his fires and flames brake out the faster His verses pleasing all but easing not their Master Weary of life to hell he desperate flings There fits his sweetest voice to sweeter strings And into pitty Lords of Shades and darkness sings There what his Mothers spring there what his eyes Griefs double fountain what which both out-vies Lost-longing love affords he to stern Ghosts applyes Hells bauling Dog pricks up his thrice two ears To houl to bark to snarl to whine he fears Haggs still their hissing snakes and Furies melt in tears Then first Ixion and his wheel take rest Tantale neglects his tast his ear to feast The Vulture full of verse scorns Titius loathed brest Diâ— yields and with this law restores his Love Till hell be left his sight back must not move Who gives Love laws alasâ— Loves only law is love Now past black Stix near to the verge of Skies Forc'd by desire turning his longing eyes Euridice at once he saw he loâ—â— he dies This Fable looks to thee who tir'd with night Desir'st to draw thy soul to life and light On that Eternal Sun set â—asten fix thy sight If you turn back on hellish Shades to pore Thou ever losest what thou wan'st before Thy soul more barr'd from Heav'n in hell implunged more Seeing then this Covenant is all our salvation and desire 2 Sam. â—3 5 in the next place Observe CAP. IX What is required of us to be entered into this Covenant ALL that our gracious God demands of us is only to Seek himâ— Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face continually 1 Chron. 16.11 Seek the Lord while he may by found Isa. 55.6 Naturally in this â—abour we are notorious sluggards ready to project vain and imaginary dangers There is a Lyon in the way and when Gods gracious hand is stretched forth reaching out his Covenant to us we hide our hand in our bosome and will not draw it out to receive his ofâ—er when he puts and even thrusâ—s thiâ— Bread of Heaven into our hand it grievâ—â—s â—o bring it again unto our mouth Prov. 26. â—3 15. Therefore our Lord who desires â—ot our death Ezek. 18.32 presseth hard â—his duty upon us Seek the Lord and ye â—hall livâ— Seâ—k me and ye shall live Seek â—im that makes the seven starrs and Orion â—hat turneth the shadow of death into the mornâ—ng and maketh the day dark with night â—mos 5.4 6 8. And because this Wisdom is the principal thing Prov. 4.7 therefore he commands us that it should be the first of our thoughts and wayes Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness Matth. 6.33 This is his way and we must walk in it So do his Saints With wy whole heart have I sought thee Oh let me not wander from thy Commandments Psal. 119.10 Conscious of their starting nature they enter into Covenant and bind themselves with an Oath and penalty of death to seek the Lord with their whole desire 2 Chron. 15â—12 13 14 15. Even half servants and such who have nothing to shew of his Service but a Coat and Livery and that so worn torn and thread-bare that men may see their nakedness through it even these confess sometime the necessity of it and in their manner set themselves to this duty and when they do oh mercy they lose not all their labour Those hypocrites whose hearts were not upright with him but flattered him with their tongue yet in their extremity sought him and enquired early after God so he forbore them and destroyed them not Psal. 78â—34 36 37 38. Iehoash in the life of Jehojadah 2 King 12.2 and Uzziah in thâ— time of Zechariah meer temporisers 2 Chron. 26.5 sought the Lord and prospered And truly there is an absolute necessity which will enforâ—e and drive us to this search with all diligence For there are two things which compell the most slothful heart to labour with all industry 1. The great need of a thing when he cannot subsist without it 2. The extream want when he hath nothing of it Both here meet and that in the highest degree First We are in our nature wholly without him Without Christ without God in the world strangers to the Covenant of Promise and therefore without hope Ephes. 2.12 we have utterly lost him As the Gileadites dealt with Iepthah Judg. 11.2 we have driven him from us thrust him out of our doors shut our gates upon him and even defied him as they Job 21.14 Depart from us or those in the Gospâ—l We will not have this man reign over us Luk. 19.14 we have compelled him by our sins to forsake us and to separate from us Isa. 59.2 We have broken him with our whorish hearts in departing from him Ezek. 6.9 and so forced him to leave us Isa. 2.6 2. Our need of him is palpable We can have nothing do nothing be nothing without him for In him we live move and have our being Act. 17.28 Our wants are innumerable and he the only Fountain that supplies them Our enemies also numberless strong subtile malicious and he our only Sheild that defends us Our weakness notorious Of no strength Rom. 5.6 All our strength hope comfort lies only in him Get him therefore we must or perish and seek him we must or never get him
stormy ayers quiet stay Can Heavens find in swiftest raptures ease Has only man no Centre none to lay His weary soul to rest no place to â—ase His boundless thoughts Me thinks I see a ray A glorious bâ—â—â— break through Heav'ns Canopy Me thinks I hear a voice Come Soul and see Come here here lies thy rest rest in my word me V. It is thy lovely voice great Love oh where Where Lord of love where should I seek to find thee In every place I see thy footsteps cleer Yet find thee not what are the miâ—â—s that blind me I know Lord where thou art and seek thee there Yet there I find not thee before behind me On every side I see yet seeing blind I find not what I see but heark my mind He speaks again Soul seek seek thou and I will find A great encouragement which will much hearten us in this quest is that CAP. X. We shall certainly find when we rightly seek IF worldly and carnal men so zealously affect and hotly pursue their earthly objects the ambitious straining for honour till they crack their estates and brains in reaching after it and yet are often over-reached and lose their prize the covetous as horses drawing iniquity with Cartâ—ropes of vanity defrauding oppressing piercing their souls with many sorrows yet often put all their gains into a bag with holes Hag. 1.6 or at the least in their end are stript and turned out naked voluptuous persons hunt after pleasures till they run themselves off their leggs and are brought to a morsel of bread and yet commonly either lose their game or as that Huntsman are eaten up by their doggs how cheerfully should a Christian â—un his course in seeking that immortal honour of being a Son and Heir to the King of Kings those durable riches treasures laid â—p in Heaven those incorruptible pleasures which are at Gods right hand and press hard toward the â—â—rk for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ which following he shall surely obtain and having obtained shall never lose Never did our gracious Lord command his poor creatures Seek ye the Lord in vain Isa. 49.15 he hath past his word that in seeking him we shall certainly find and iâ— finding him shall be ever blessed His word is his deed what he speaks is done what he commands stands fast Psal. 33.9 Be assured therefore if thou seek him â—e will be found of thee 1 Chron. 28.9 2 Chron. 15. â—â— Matth. 7.7 If you seek for honour glory immortality you shall find eternal life Rom. 2â—7 Thus hath he frequently promised and all his promises are Yeâ— and Amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 Iudah sought â—im and found him 2 Chron. 15.15 Even Hypocrites find him and some favour with him when they seek even as much and as far as they seekâ— Aâ—abs temporal humiliation obtained an answerable mercy 1 King 21.29 As long aâ— Vzziah sought God so long he prosperedâ—â— Chron. 26.5 It is an infallible dispensation of his Providence in general to give every man what he seeks He that seeketh good shall have favour and â—e that seeketh mischieâ— it shall come unto him Prov. 11.27 It cannot be otherwise For 1. 〈◊〉 â—st sui diâ—â—usivum Good iâ— oâ— a spreading nature It cannot but comâ—unicate it self proportionably to the power which it hath and to the object which iâ— finds He is good and doth good Psal. 119.68 He is infinitely good and therefore infinitely communicates himself as well to the 〈◊〉 by generation as to the Holy Ghost by procession yeâ— finitely as they are capable to all his Creatures as well in their Creation making them very good Gen. 1.31 as in his providence and dispensation his open hand fills them with good Psal. 104.28 and man being created after his own image and after his â—all capable of the divine nature he offers and imparts it to them who takes his offer 2 Pet. 1.4 Secondly He is Love 1 Iohn 4â—16 gracious Exod. 34.6 loving before above contrary to our deservingâ— Thiâ— love our Saviour thinks best to express in the relation of a Father Luk. 11.11 12 13â— so loving that he waits to be gracious unto us Isa. 30.18 that he is found of those that seek him not and makes himself manifeâ—â— to those that ask not after him Rom. 10.20 so unexpressably and unconceivably loving that when he had bestowed all his Creatures upon us he yet satisfied not his love till he had given a gift fully proportionable to his incomprehensible love the Son of his love his only begotten that we being destroyed by our selves Hos. 13.9 mighâ— through him never perish being dead in our selves might have eternal life in him Ioh. 3.16 being enemies in our nature might be reconciled in him Rom. 5.10 Thirdly He is the Truth Joh. 14.6 How frequently hath he promised that if we seek we shall find as before and faithful is he that promiseth who will also do it 1 Thes. 5.24 Thus Mercy and Truth meet together Psal. 85.10 And to this purpose are they met fully to assure us of success in seeking Deut. 4.25 to the 32. And observe that when for their rebellion the Lord had scattered his revolting people among the Heathen and given them up to their whorish hearts to serve wood and stone yet even from thence when they shall seek the Lord they shall find him And what is the reason that after such bitter provocations he will be found of them in their deepest misery 1. His mercy for the Lord thy God is a merciful God he will not destroy thee 2. His truth and faithfulness nor forget the Covenant of thy Fathers which he swore unto them ver 31. How then should any poor soul that seeks with loâ—ging miss in finding Thou lovest him he more infinitely loveth thee Thou seekest him he first seeketh thee Thou wouldst find him he will surely find thee thou desirest to meet him doth not he promise to meet thee Isa. 64.5 nay thou goest to meet him but he runneth to meet thee Luk. 15.18 20. But that cunning and lying Serpent and our own unbelieving hearts will put in a barr and lay a notable stumbling block in our way concerning this truth They will object It is not only apparent that many have not found the Lord who yet have earnestly sought but the Lord himself plainly testifies that many shall seek and not find Luk. 13.24 They shall go with their heards and with their flocks to seek the Lord and shall not find him Hos. 5. â— but we must know that as in other actions so in this that which is not right indeed is not It may seem to be but is not what it seems A lip-love is indeed no love 1 Ioh. 3.17 18. A dead faith no faith so that seeking which is not right is indeed no seeking What then is that right seeking to which God hath annexed this promise of finding Three things are necessarily required in seeking to make it
his doors he will certainly opeâ— the door let you in give you life anâ— make you blessed I will also finish this Chapter with a verse borrowed from divers of those Poetical Prophets Vast Ocean of light whose rayes surround The Universe who know'st nor ebb nor shore Who lend'st the Sun his sparkling drop to store With overflowing beams Heav'n ayer ground Whose depths beneath the Centre none can sound Whose heights 'bove heav'n and thoughts so loâ—ty soar Whose breadth no feet no lines no chains no eyes survey Whose length no thoughts can reach no worlds can bound What cloud can mask thy face where can thy ray Find an Eclipse what night can hide Eternal Day Our Seas a drop of thine with arms dispread Through all the earth make drunk the thirsty plains Our Sun a spark of thine dark shadows drains Guilds all the world paints earth revives the dead Seas through earth pipes distill'd in Cisterns shed And power their liver springs in river veins The Sun peeps through jet clouds and when his face Are maskt his eyes their light through ayers spread and gleams Shall dullard earth bury life-giving streams Earths â—oggs impound heav'ns lightâ— hell quench heav'n kindling beams How miss I then in bed I sought by night But found not him in rest nor rest without him I sought in Towns in broadest streets I sought him But found not him where all are lost dull sight Thou canst not see him in himself his light Is maskt in light brightness his cloud about him Where when how he 'l be found there then thus seek thy love Thy Lamb in flocks thy Food with appetite Thy Rest on reâ—ting dayes thy Turtle Dove Seeâ— on his cross there then thus Love stands nail'd with love For surely know that Eternal life even CAP. XI All Blessedness is found only in the Lord Iesus Christ. THE whole Portion of man all treasures and true riches which fill man with true blessedness are stored up in Christ Riches and honour are with him yea durable riches and righteousness Prov. 8.18 In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 He is full of grace and truth and from his fulness we all receive and grace for grace Joh. 1.14 16. and so are we filled with the fulness of God Ephes. 3.19 It will therefore be not more needful than delightful to take a further view of this glorious inheritance so to kindle and inflame our dull hearts with more love and longing after him to drive us to seek and quicken us in seeking that â—o we may find him Of all the Artifices devised and practised by that envious and subtle Serpent this is the principal to draw a Curtain before this express Image of Gods person who being the Brightness of his glory Heb. 1.3 if we could behold with open eyes his Divine beauty would wonderfully ravish our enamoured spirits and so attract win and hold our eyes and hearts that he would utterly raze out all other vain loves and washy colours and cause us wholly to despise all those painted flowers of counterfeit beauties which grow not in his face and shine not in his eyes As therefore that our heavenly Father the Father of lights in his gracious wisdom to draw us to Christ commands his light to shine out of darkness and opens for it a window in our hearts to give us knowledge of the glory of God in no other object but the face of the Loâ—d Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 so this Prince of darkness imployes all his Engines with all diligence to obscure that light of the Gospel lest in it this Image of God should shine out unto us 2 Cor. 4.4 And as he by his false Apostles deceitful workers labours to distort those amiable lineaments and darken the radiant beauties of the Lord Iesus so our God sets his servants of the Ministry on work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3.3 to limb out Christ in all his love and excellency to us Now it is he who hath committed that pencil of his Gospel into my weak hand I desire therefore as I can a poor Apprentice in my trade and as I have learnt of him to describe him to you you know well as other Princes so this King of Kings wooes by picture He sends here unto you drawn by a rude hand his pourtrait which as dimm as it is by reason of my unskilfulness is able through his working to enflame your hearts with love with sickness of love with ardent desire and restless longings after him As in the Creature there is a double quality which kindles affection either simple whereby it self is perfect or relative whereby others are bettered so is there in our Lord and Creator a double excellency â—imply considered wherein himself is incomprehenâ—ibly blessed in his most glorious perfections relative in his infinite both goodness and fulness to supply our imperfections and fill us with blessedness For the first because our infirm eyes would soon be dazeled with the rayes of that Sun of Righteousness if in open light and full view he were presented to us therefore the Lord is pleased to mask the face of â—hat glorious lustre with shadows of earthly comparisons and to let us here see the â—ight of it as through a cloud Now as corporal beauty consists 1. Of a â—omely feature when the whole body and â—very limb is cast into a due frame keeping â—ust proportions and every one fashioned in â— right mould neither excessive nor defeâ—tive and 2. Of an amiable colour dispread â—ver the whole body and every member â—hen each part is dressed and tired in such â—livery as most commends it to the eye of the â—eholder so also doth the spiritual view 〈◊〉 curiously drawn Cant. 5. from the 10. v. 〈◊〉 the end There may you behold our beâ—â—ved excellently pourtrayed by the hand of 〈◊〉 own Spirit as well in all his excellencies 〈◊〉 head locks eyes cheeks lipps hands leggs 〈◊〉 countenance mouth as also in his most â—â—vely colours white and ruddy c. The meaning is Look as a person excellently comely in all the lineaments and proportions of every member and exquisitely fair in the natural tapestry of a pure complexion is a most ravishing object to an eye of flesh so in that second Adam the quickning Spirit could we lift up our eyes to take a full view of his dazeling beauties which now are veiled from our imperfect sight for no man can see him and live could we behold in their measures those his most glorious Attributes and then clearly discern that infinite purity shining and sparkling in every one of them it would as once it certainly shall fill our spirits with heavenly raptures and ravishing extasies in contemplation of those divine beauties Take a more particular and distinct view of these most glorious perfections Look what comeliness is in man that in Christ is Omnipotency or All-sufficiency Comeliness iâ— nothing else but that form of body whereby
which was against us Col. 2.14 we were Captives 2 Tim. 2.26 he the Price of our Redemption Matth. 20.28 we were fools Tit. 3.3 he our wisdom 1 Cor. 1.30 we poor Rev. 3.17 he our Riches Col. 1.27 Rev. 3.18 we Vile Job 40.4 he our Praise and Glory Deut. 10.21 Luk. 2.32 we joyless our very joy madness Eccles. 2.2 he our exceeding joy Psal. 43.4 To conclude We dead Ephes. 2.1 he our Life Joh. 14.6 we Vanity at our best Psal. 39.5 and very nothing 2 Cor. 12.11 he All in all Col. 3.11 we empty he our fulness Ephes. 1.23 Oh that the Lord would embrighten our eyes to behold some sparks of this glorious excellency and our happiness in beholding it that the eyes of our understanding being opened we might know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Ephes. 1.18 If our God should create for us as many worlds as we could number what were all these Creatures in comparison of the Creaâ—our a drop of a bucket or the dust of the ballance Isaâ— 40.15 He is the glorious Spouse of ouâ— souls but all the Creatures his servants and in him ours Let him therefore be the Covering of our eyes unto all that are with us and with all others Gen. 20.16 upon him let us fasten our sight with all admiration and burning affection but on them in comparison of him let us look as upon loss and dung Phil. 3.8 A chaste Spouse will respect her servants and behold them in their affliction with pitty in their wants with mercy in their diligence and service with a kind acceptation but in competition with her husband if they would presume to be Rivals in his love and sharers of her heart and his bed with disdain scorn and hatred Let us therefore stir up and quicken our dull hearts with some such meditation I. How is 't my soul that thou giv'st eyes their sight To view their objects yet hast none To see thine own Earths ayers Heav'ns beauties they discern their light Fair flowers admires their several dresses Their golden tresses The Lilly Rose the various Tulip scorning The pride of Princes in their choice adorning II. They joy to view the ayers painted Nations The Peacocks train which th' head out vies With fairer eyes And emulats the heav'nly constellations The Ostâ—ich whose â—air plume embraves Kings Captains Slaves The Halcions whose Triton-bills appease Curl'd waves and with their Eggs lay stormy seas III. Pilots fixt eyes observe the Artick Bear With all her unwasht Starry trains In Heav'nly plains Night-Travellers behold the Moon to steer Her Ship sailing while Eol raves Through cloudy waves Our less Worlds sunns with pleasure view the light Which gives all beauties beauty them their sight IV. Thou that giv'st â—ight to clay to blackness light How â—rt so dull so dimm in duty To view his beauty Who quickens every life lights every light His height those Eagles eyes surpasses Thou wants thy glasses Take up that Perspective and view those streams Oâ— light and fill thy waning Orb with beams V. Then see the flowers clad in his Liveries And from his cheek and lovely face Steal all their grace See Fouls from him borrow their braveries And all their feather-painted dresses From his fair tresses See Starrs and Moon the Sun and all perâ—ection Beg light and liâ—e from his bright eyes reâ—â—ection VI. Look on his lipps heav'ns gate there open lies Thence that grace-breathing Spirit blows Thence honey flowes Look on his hands the Worlds full treasuries Fix all thy looks his heart upon Loves highest Throne And when thy sight that radiant beauty bleâ—rs And dazels thy weak eyes see with thine ears CAP. XII When our hearts are set upon our voyage we shall meet with opposition many rocks and Sirens in our passage BUT in this way to our happiness we shall meet with much opposition we cannot steal such a Nuptial if we will needs be walking in this way of life he that hath the power of death will beat us with many storms assault us with many encounters before we can land in the arms of Christ and be bedded in his bosome That great enemy of man Satan swells with spite and envy to see us presented with such an offer and ready to embrace it and therefore in his inveterate malice will not cease to cross us as he can in this blessed match and high advancement It bursts his gall to see us contracted unto the Lord Iesus us poor worms his captivesâ— pluckt out of his chains and instantly drawâ— into a covenant of marriage with the Goâ— of Heaven to be admitted to such an union and fellowship instated in such a Jointure of divine glory and eternal happiness which he hath utterly lost Oh how can it but grate his heart and be another hell unto him who is so stuffed with malicious envy and envious malice against the Lord Iesus and his Spouse But as it is with those Locusts his venemous armie so is it with their Captain Rev. 9.19 His power is in his mouth and in his tail He is a Serpent more subtil than strong or strong only by subtilty His lying tongue and â—inful stinging tail is his mighty and almost only weapon Therefore in your passage to your Heavenly Spouse he sets many crafty Bauds and painted Harlots to lay wait for you at every corner Prov. 7.12 we have great need then to stand upon our watch and to set a strong and faithful guard at our gates our eyes ears c. lest as he beguiled Eve with his subtilty so he should corrupt our minds and inveigle us by those Strumpets whose hearts are nets and snares and whose hands bands Eccles. 7.26 That old Baud the world and her Pandar Satan have painted and drest up divers Harlots which attired in all deceitfulness of cunning allurements they present to our sight and so draw away the wandring heart and eye after lying vanities The Turks Saraglio is not so furnished with Concubines as this old Baud with filthy Stumpets some enticing the mind some the heart Of the former rank are numberless but beside those Triobolax and obsolete fit now to work only in gross darkness upon blind or mop-eyed creatures she hath newly trimmed up two notable Harlots The first is that State of Rome but so varied in unwonted tires so curiously painted by her last dresses the cunning Iesuits and turchest in new fashions that we have need of purged eyes and much intention to know her and to see her leprous hide plastered with fair colours The second is that daughter of old Pelagius which by abasing the grace of God in Gods election binding his choice to the works of men and advancing the power of man in mans election flattering him with false abilities of an unrenewed will perverts the right wayes of the Lord who hedging and walling us out of our wayesâ— and conducting us only in the way of
disobedient and obstinate against an heavenly and most gracious Father Isa. 48.4 Tit. 3.3 She youthful beautiful we full of the old man corrupt in lusts Eph. 4.22 Filthy even to stinking Psal. 14.3 and loathsome Prov. 13.5 She vertuous and holy we out of measure sinful and vicious And he our Spouse the true Boaz that is strength the mighty the Almighty How uneven a yoke yet our Will in all these defects received willingness in his unutterable grace and unconceivable mercy being accounted and accepted as our portion and beauty and we in the day of our espousals endowed with all his goods adorned with his beauty and crowned with his glory But is it possible that when the Husband is so rich great excellent nothing should be demanded but heart and will To make the match nothing else but after it is made all Conjugal duties required And what are they 1. Love to cleave to him in all dear affection 2. Constancy to hold us to him in all estates better worse 3. Chastity to keep our selves only to him 4. Subjection to obey and serve him But this seems a very hard and heavy burthen It is only so in seeming and to some only As in the night many things seem very terrible which in the day are very delightful to the eye As to a sick palate that meat seems very iâ—ksome which in health is sweet and pleasing so men that sit in darkness and look on these things with dimm eyes imagine rather than see many Buggs to fright and scare them when their hearts are surfeted with sinful lusts this most sweet yoke is very distastful and bitter but where there is a new Creature and the sense uncorrupted no soul is able to comprehend either the full excellency of it or to utter in any measure that little it doth comprehend Let us thereâ—ore draw nigher and take a better view of â—hese things And 1. Love is as the object very sweet â—or very bitter sometimes excessively grieâ—ous sometimes exceedingly pleasant If â—he object be loathsome love is burthenâ—ome Seven years for beauteous Rachel â—eemed but a few dayes but a few dayes for â—lear-eyed Leah would have been many years 2. Be the object very lovely but not at all loving such love is full of vexation and anguish Thus Amnons fair Sister Tamar afflicted him to sickness and leanness 2 Sam. 13.2 3. 3. If the object be worthy and reflecting our love yet if it prove unfruitful it brings often more grief than comfort Sarah's and Rebecca's beauty yielded their husbands less content than their barrenness trouble The extraordinary kindness of Hannah's husband could not in barreness so sweeten the bitterness of her soul but that all meat was distastful and no drink relished but tears 1 Sam. 1. But when all these meet when our hearts are pitched upon an object 1. Lovely and amiable 2. Kind and loving 3. Fruitful and beneficial our affection will rather need a bridle than a spur not a switch but a snaffle If then we look upon our Heavenly Spouse we shall see 1. That he is fairer than the Children of men Psal. 45.2 altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 his beauty the longing of Saints Psal. 27.4 the ravishment of Angels Isa. 6.3 from whose beams the whole world borrows its spark of beauty 2. His Love is first preventing ours 1 Ioh. 4.19 passing all not only love but expressions nay knowledge of all Creatures Eph. 3.19 3. The fruit of this mutual love exceeding much and glorious It lifts up from a despised condition Cant. 8.1 makes us honourable Isa. 43.4 It prefers uâ— from the basest drudgery in the world from the Skullery of Satan to the bed of Heaven to the union and glory of the Lord of Heaven and earth Ioh. 17.21 22. In a word it gives us perfection elevates our abased nature above the Heavens and exalts it to the uttermost extent of which a Creature is capable and therefore justly termed the bond of perfectness Col. 3.14 To love therefore him who is above measure lovely above apprehension loving whose love â—ully perfects the beloved Lover can be a burthen to none but those who hate their rest and love their burthens yet were it a burthen justly might he expect and exact of us cheerfully to bear itâ— For will not all bonds of gratitude and equity tye us to it were it a burthen for us to love him our glory life heaven it were far greater for him to love us his death hell abasement He loved us when dead and no way but by his death to be revived he loved us when sunk into hell children of wrath and Satan and never but by his descent into hell even suffering that wrath to be rescuâ—d He loved us when we were utterly fallen thrown down from the highest honour to the bottomless pit when filthy loathsome stinking and never but by his abasement from the form of God to the form of man and of a servant to be restored never to be washed but by his blood never to be reformed but by his deformity If then not for love yet for shame how should we deny to be pressed for his who was oppressed for our sake to bear his cross who hath borâ— our curse to carry the heavenly burthen if any were of his life who hath undergone the hellish load of our death and misery 2. Secondly We are enjoyned to hold us close to him in all estates better and worse This condition affrights many and makes them shrink But only flesh and blood is startled at it Christ even to a carnal eye is beautiful in his crown of glory but in his crown of thorns they think he looks not like himself they have no pleasure in him lovely on his Throne loathsome on his Cross. Alas poor souls Is it another Sun which shines in his brightness and is shadowed in a cloud The Moon interposing may ecclipse the beams of the Sun to usâ— but can it stain or diminish his glory and excellence A mask may hide but empairs not beauty Is Christ less lovely where he shews most love Look better upon himâ— eye him at the whipping post on the Cross. How do those dying looks set out to life that incomprehensible love Our wordsâ— our thoughts fall infinitely short of itâ— Here only it stands out pencild to life in full expression and offers it self to our view in just proportion How do those fires â—â— love burn in his quenched eyes what seâ—â— of love flow in every drop of that precious blood How many fountains of love and life streaming from his hands feet side open the very Cataracks of Heaven anâ— surround the World with floods of love wâ— have no eyes if we stand not dazeld witâ— this Sun of righteousness more brightlâ— shining forth in the beams of his love froâ— the Axel-tree of his Cross than from the sphere of his glory Some perhaps will confess that Christ never more manifested his love than on hiâ— Cross but yet to
the longest wing too sluggish to clip away to it But oh this disgrace scorn contempt We know not how to bear that No do wâ— not see the Lord Iesus despised rejected Isa. 53.3 Oh the base works scoffs derisions which the Lord of glory suffered only for us to bring us to glory It were a prodigious pride to desire that we might bâ— glorified by Christs sufferings but never suffer for his glory Nor let the contrary practice of men wise in their way and learned divert you Yoâ— know your calling Not many wise not many learned c. 1 Cor. 1.26 A wiser than the wisest the Eternal wisdom of God calls us to zeal Be zealous Rev. 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be zealous for things spiritual 1 Cor. 14.1 He that looks to the buâ—ning love of Christ toward his soul flaming out even unspeakable sufferings and thinks his love to Christ and his glory too hot and fiery proclaims to all the world his gross hypocrisie or rather palpable Atheism Let that sentence ever sound in your ears He that is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels Mar. 8.38 But that blasphemy whereby sin and Satan would perswade us that holiness is the very damp and death of all mirth the barr that stopps our way to profit or honour is a notorious slander of that Father of lies a loud ly that of all the rest deserves the whetstone When our Father commands us to be holy as he is holy doth he interdict us pleasure riches honour Is there any so holy as our God and doth his holiness extinguish his joyes and the pleasures at his right hand Doth his holiness impoverish him dispossesse him of Heaven and Earth doth holiness dethrone him or embase his glory nay is it not his glory Exo. 15.11 where did he forbid us pleasure profit honour Indeed if the drudgery to sin and Satan be honour such honour he hath interdicted if bartering Heaven for Earth our Angel-like souls for dust if this be profit such profit hath he forbidden If the hoggish wallowing in the mire of sinful filth the dog-like licking up of an hellish vomit the lying of our living souls rotting and stinking in a grave of lust if this be pleasure such pleasure Hell affordeth he denieth No no our gracious God hath not only permitted us to use all creatures for our good and comfort but hath straitly commanded us to set our hearts upon and to covet and that most earnestly the best gifts 1 Cor. 12.31 He hath purchased the rich portion of grace and inheritance of glory for us He hath stored up for us durable riches Pro. 8.18 and exhorts us to provide and fill everlasting baggs with never failing treasures Luk. 12.33 He hath conâ—erred upon us most glorious honour to be heirs of his Kingdom and gives us command to unbridle our ambition and with the most vast desires of our heartâ— to seek this glory and promises to fill us Psal. 81.10 Matth. 6.33 Rom. 2.7 Thaâ— fountain of life pours out rivers of pleasure and commands us to drink abundantly Psal. 36.8 9. Cant. 5.1 Beside other numberless objects of joy he hath given us himself the greatest the only the infinite good and commands us again and again to rejoice in him Phil. 4.4 Let us therefore fire our hearts with earnest longuings after this divine nature follow hard toward it and never faint in the pursuit Be not ashamed of Christ and of his truth in this hypocritical age which profess Christ and serve the world give to him the Title of Lord but heart and hand to every lust Think no age unripe to be Gods Child no estate too great to be Gods Heir The service of Princes how much more of God are great preferments Beware of that hellish proverb A young Saint an old Divel Those young Saints Ioseph Samuel Daniel Ieremie Iohn Baptist c. how glorious were they once in the militant Church and now and ever in the triumphant Seek for earthly literature and knowledg studie and labour for it but thirst for holiness longue for it strive sweat for it Let it be all your ambition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5.9 to please God and to be accepted with him And thus commune with your own hearts I. Is this the Yoke which fools abhor to be Great Lord made like to thee Is this a burthen Cannot flesh indure To be as thou art pure Is this so scorn'd so loathsome a condition Poor swinish soul canst thou desire To be an Hog daub'd cas'd in mire Is this the height of thy deep â—alâ— ambition II. This all the service which thou dost dâ—sire To wash me â—rom my mirâ— This all the burthen which thou laist upon me To set thy beautie on me That beautie which those glorious Spirits viewing Are rapt in heavenly ecstasies Drink healths and making drunk their eyes Sing drencht in amorous joyes thy praise renewing III. How beauteous is thy house thy spangled Court Yet to thy beautie durt How glorious is the Sun the spring of light Yet to thy glory night How bright thy Angels in their spritely â—eature Yet to thy brightness smoke to fire How then should we poor souls admire Thy beautie glory brightness in thy creature IV. Oh what am I my Lord without thy likeness But a dull dying sickness Stript of thy Image and that God-like â—eature I less than any creature The meanest sensless liveless overgits me And goes beyond me stones last longer Flowers are saireâ— trees are stronger The beasts out-sense the Divels self outwits me V. Let Swine then serve their muddy lusts and ly Mir'd in their stinking sâ—ie Doggs serve the ravening world devour be sick Spew and their vomit lick But oh let me renew my first condition Conâ—orm'd unto thy glorious beautie Serve thee in every holy dutie This my whole honour this my sole ambition Holiness is the body of our service CAP. XVII What then are the branches HOliness spreads it self into three mayâ— branches Sâ—brietie Righteousness and â—odliness Tit. 2.12 Sobrietie or Temperance may be thus described It is that fruit of the Spirit whereby we are enabled to moderate our selves our affections and actions in the use of the creature 1. It is wrought in us by the holy Ghost and is his fruit Gal. 5.22 23. It is taâ—ght us by the word of grace the Gospel Tit. 2.11 12. And thus it differs from that moral virtue with which we may observe many heathens fairly to glister Have ye never seen dishes of fruit stand out upon some shops composed oâ— wax and curiously painted How much more fair and lovely do they seem to the eye than the same natural fruit which you pluck from the tree But if you weigh them in your hand or much more if you taâ—â— them what a palpable difference do ye find between
or wantonness less dangerous or loathsome The more ye grow up to youth the more closely cleave to the guide of your youth Prov. 2.17 See Psal. 119.9 Lay neer to heart nay lock up in the midst of your heart all those precious counsels of that Eternal wisdom and your heavenly Father My Son give me thy heart and let thine eyes observe my wayes for a whore is â— deep ditch and a strange woman a narrow pitt Prov. 23.26 27. Read and even get by heart Prov. 2.23 to the end and 7. ch Were it possible to cut off your arm and to graft it into a Bear and the Bears leg into your shoulder how would your soul abhorr such an exchange How much worse is it to take the members of Christ and make them members of an harlot 1 Cor. 6.15 Be careful also and very watchful with all instance I charge you to avoid all single uncleanness Onans sin Gen. 38. which is the more dangerous as it is less regarded Give up your hearts day and night in prayer to God and put them into his hand importunately beseech him who keeps his Israel to watch over you and to fence you from tentation and looking up unto his gracious providence timely as God shall provide for you retire unto his Ordinance of marriage if the Lord endow you not with the gift of continence Remember your boâ—dies and souls are espoused to Christ and the wife hath not power over her own body but tâ—e husband 1 Cor. 7.4 Offer up therefore your bodies to him as a living sacrifice Rom. 12.1 and glorifie him both in your bodies and spiâ—its for they are Gods 1 Cor. 6.20 Lastly in your estate this virtue will â—each you to pray as Agur Give me neither â—overtie nor riches â—eed me with food convenient for me lest I be full and deny thee and â—ay who is the Lord or lest I be poor and steal â—â—d take the name of my God in vain Prov. â—0 8 9. A great sayl to a little boat is more â—angerous than helpful That Philosopher in â—is Poetrie will teach you Boetius Libr. 2. Metr 4. If safe thou wouldst and quiet dwell Reâ—use a Palace chuse a cell Wouldst thou burn out thy fenced light In peace when winds storms tempests fight Wouldst thou despise the curl'd-head waves And laugh when gaping Neptune raves Let not thy house on mountains soar Trust not the swilling spewing shore There envious winds and spiteful blasts Reign rage and tear there nothing lasts Here sinking earth and bibbing sands Bâ—tray the weight here nothing stands Climb not aloft to seek fâ—esh ayer Or pleasant seat build sure not fair The lowly Rock make thy foundation A strong a lasting situâ—ation When thundring storms with ruins fill The pleasant shore and mounting hill Lodgd in thy trenches safely lying Fierce winds and â—oming seas defying Safe maist thou mock the angry skie And quiet live and quiet dy This was the first branch of holiness Sobrietie CAP. XVIII What is the Second THe second branch is Righteousness or Iustice that grace whereby We render to all their dues Rom. 13.7 not only which Civil but divine laws prescribe And the fulfilling of all righteousness in one word is love Read Rom. 13.7 8 9 10. The object of love is general All men eâ—en enemies not excluded Matth. 5.44 The â—ubject or seat of love is not the mouth in â—omplement 1 Ioh. 3.18 but the heart â—ithout dissimulation Rom. 12.9 The meaâ—ure or quantitie must be dispensed accorâ—ing to those relations in which God hath â—ed us Some must have an higher place in â—ur hearts than others 1 Thes. 5.13 The â—ruit of love is doing good which must be â—rdered and distributed generally to all â—en specially to the houshold of faith Gal. â— 10 To handle all these particulars would â—k a large volume For that referring you 〈◊〉 your best Father and his divine instruâ—â—ions fully set out unto you in his doubleâ— â—estament I desire to cull out some few dâ—â—rections and commend them to your practice and his blessing In conversing with men look first to your heart secondly to your actions Cease from anger and forsake wrath Psal. 37.8 put it off Col. 3.8 Be not hasty in spirit to be angry Eccl. 7.9 for discretion in a man deferreth his anger Prov. 19.11 In anger siâ— not Eph. 4.26 Be sure the cause be just Matth. 5.22 and the extent justifiable for it rests in the bosome of fools Eccl. 7.9 and where it lodgeth all night it hath the Divel for a bedfellow Eph. 4.26 27. Hate nothing in any man but sin and his hate of God and therefore hate the sin because ye love the man and love the man to cast out that hate and plant in the love of God Fall not out with any man but so as to reconcile him to God See Lev. 19.17 Above all beware of repaying hate for love Psal. 109.5 and tremble to hate whom God loves Psal. 38.20 It is the brand and seal of Satan upon his cattel Have nothing at all to do with Envie Anger and Hatred may be and often are evil but Envie cannot be good Love can bâ— angry and love can hate but love cannot envie 1 Cor. 13.4 The mouth is the dore of life Prov. 13.3 â—â—ep it therefore under lock and key Helâ— it self is not a more proper shop of the Divel than a wicked mouth His special warehouse is a sinful heart and an evil mouth his shop where he readily vents his wares Thither he brings that fire of hell Jam. 3.6 Wicked lips are a burning fire Prov. 16.27 The tongue his hammer by which he frames those hellish weapons lies slanders mocks to sadd the hearts of the righteous to arm and strengthen the hands of the wicked Psal. 109.2 Remember the tongue is an unruly and untamed evil Jam. 3.8 Deal with it as that man after Gods own heart He watches it keeps it as with a bridle Psal. 39.1 But finding his own hand too weak he calls in better help Set a watch oh Lord before my mouth and keep the dore of my lips Psal. 141.3 Learn that excellent lesson Speak evil of no man Tit. 3.2 Iugde no man Rom. 14.13 Neither only keep your tongues from wounding other mens ears but barricado your ears also and keep out wicked tongues The ear is the hearts factour Prov. 18.15 and if the ear be naught neither heart nor hand is good for a wicked doer gives heed to false lips and a Lier gives ear to a naughty tongue Pro. 17.4 Love peace Zech. 8.19 follow peace with all men Heb. 12.14 yea all things which concern peace Rom. 14.19 If it be possible as much as lies in you have peace with all men Rom. 12.18 And if you dwell with them that hate peace be you for peace when they are for war Psal. 120.6 7. The world will advise you to take no wrong but God commands you to do none Ier. 22.3 Not to take wrong here
you vow Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy spirit be hasty to utter any thing before God Eccl. 5.2 Be very sparing and slow in making but sure and timely in paying vows Psal. 67.11 Eccl. 5.4 Let your vowes promise some warrantable service as Iacob Gen. 28.21 22. General vowes made in Baptism pay daily Psal. 61.8 particular seasonably Deut. 23.21 Let your vowes be ever conditional if God will help and assist you then looking to his gracious promises beg strength and stirr up your selves to a diligent and cheerful performance Pay them not grudgingly or of necessity for God loveth a cheerful giver 2 Cor. 9.7 Frequently thus meditate Great Fount of light whose overflowing streams Lend stars their dimmer â—parks Suns brighter beams Thy mouth spoke light thy hands at first did shed it Along the skie and through the ayer did spred it So shadedst earth with curtains of the night And drewst those curtains to give days their light Then gathering all that scattered light compactedâ—t In one vast burning Lamp and strait enactedst That all less lights should beg their borrowed beams And from that â—ountain fill their narrow streams So that more spiritual and sacred ray Which riâ—ing from thy mouth gave spirits day In those first ages had no certain sphere But breath'd by thee shin'd forth from mouth to ear Aâ— length collected by thy gracious Spirit Fills all the world with light with life and spirit There I behold thy self thy Lamb and Dove Shining in grace burning in heavenly love There I my death and thine thy power my duty See and by seeing change into thy beautie Lord let thy light draw off my wandring eyes From empâ—y forms and lying vanities Oh fix them on thy self and make me see My Light in all things nothing all in thee Thou boughtâ—t me all oh make me all thine own Be all in me I all in thee alone CAP. XX. Man as man is not man but Vanitie THere is but one end to which all men aym all their thoughts desires and actions even Blessedness and but one way leading to this end knowledg but this way hath two periods 1. The knowledg of our selves 2. Of our God a truth so palpable that even heathens in their midnight without eyes could feel something of it and not only find it themselves but commend and prove it to others The whole scripture was penn'd by the Holy Ghost to this very end to be our light and guide in this way yet as far as I conceive no where so briefly and cleerly doth this Guide point out this way unto us as in that short but full sentence Eph. 2.5 Even when we were dead in sins he hath quicken'd us together with Christ. Look as it is with some double-faced pictures if ye view them on the one â—ide you shall see a beautiful pourtrait of some lovely virgin or such like if ye change your place and look on the other side ye see an Owl Ape or some deformed creature so hath Gods blessed Spirit as in Tableture drawn the picture of man If you behold him in himself in his own and old nature he is but a body oâ— death if you look on him in his new nature and in the second Adam full of glorious life One side no better than a Divel if not worse the other no worse than an Angel if not better In the first he is dead dead in sin the death of hell In the second he is alive quickned with Christ in the life of God Let this piece therefore be the last Legacie which in the conclusion of this Testament I bequeath to every one of you that you may hang it up in the best room of your heart where you may have it ever in your eye and there behold your selves 1. In your tombs dead in sins and buried in the graves of lust 2. In your resurrection quickned in and with the Lord Iesus Christ. Death consists 1. In the privation of life when life is not or is now nothing 2. In the consequents of this privation corruption putrefaction stench loathsomness Consider then the picture of your old man 1. In the rude draught the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. In the full pourtrait when all the colours and complements are added In the former Man in the first Adam howsoever magnified by himself or others considered not physically or civilly but spiritually is a base abject creature hardly to be called a creature a very privative and therefore nothing He is as we say a may be possibly he may be some thing but as yet in this estate a sheer vanitie and a meer nothing He is but Somnium hominis a dream and so are all his actions Though he mount up in exâ—ellencie unto the Heavens and his head reach unto the clouds he shall fly away as a dream and not be found chased away as a vision in the night Joh. 20.6 8. As when an hungry man dreams and behold he eats but he awakes and his soul is empty and a thirsty man dreams and behold he drinks but he awakes and behold he is faint and his soul hath appeâ—ite Isa. 29.7 8. voluptuous men in their feasts and riots do but dream that they eat drink and are merry worldlings do but dream that they find treasures and very joyful they are in gathering pocketing and chesting it but they awake and in their hand is nothing Eccl. 5.14 As a dream when one awaketh so oh Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their glory Psal. 73.20 Mâ—n is like to vanitie Psal. 144.4 A very small but very like and lively picture so like that as it is spoken of the blind man Ioh. 9. we may say this is he others he is very like him but himself when he hath his eyes will fully confess I am he I am a meer dream and a sheer vanitie Attentively observe that fuller picture Psal. 39.5 Mine age is as nothing before thee and verily every man in his best estate is altogether vanitie Where this emptiness of man is excellently set out in divers propositions 1. Man is vanitie You may say perhaps some men the poor are despised nay 2. Every man Indeed take him at his worst in sickness trouble c. nay 3. In his best estate In some respects it may be as subject to losses crosses death c. nay 4. In all respects Altogether vanitie But is not this an hyperbole more spoken than intended No it is an infallible truth which the Spirit of truth hath bound with an asseveration Verily Verily every man in his best estate is altogether vanitie Nay the Lord proceeds yet further and to convince our self-conceit and fond pride assures us that as men of low degree are vanitie so men of high degree are worse a lie so that high and low weighed in a true ballance are lighter than vanitie it self Psal. 62.9 A lie what great men glittering in their pomp admired by some feared by others are