which bringeth Salvation teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously c. Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 16 18. For the which cause we faint not while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen Before he had declared how hard 't was with them troubled perplexed persecuted cast down always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus c. Notwithstanding saith he we faint not while we look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen Brethren look on the things not seen and take from them both direction in your way and encouragement to go in it 1. Take Direction from Heaven when you are travelling and see the place before you whither you are going your eye will tell you your way When you are entring upon any Course then look up and consider Is this my way to God When you are eagerly and greedily pursuing the world ask your hearts Is this my way to Heaven Am I now working out my salvation When you are walking in the way of carnal pleasure or liberty then look up to the Lord and look in upon your heart and say if you can Now Lord I am hastening to thee now Soul I am taking care for thee my sports and my pleasures and my lusts are the way to mak God sure and Heaven sure to me Can you say so Will not your own heart tell you that is not the way If Heaven be it that I intend if Salvation be it I mind sure then I am not out of my way 2. Look Heaven-ward and take encouragement thence to go on View the glory that is above and consider what happy men you would be if you were once safely there and let such thoughts press you to hasten on and encourage you against all the labours and difficulties you must first pass through Think with your selves when you are setting upon any duty If I can get well through this duty I shall be one step nearer Heaven When you come to the beginning of every day well I shall this evening be gotten one dayes journey nearer home when you are falling into any trouble or affliction if I can cut my way well through this wave I shall be so much nearer Harbour Every new degree added to your grace is another stone laid up upon the building of glory every holy Duty you have rightly performed you are gotten one round higher in Jacob's Laddeâ— look how many dayes you have walked with God so many dayes journey you are nearer your rest Look how many troubles and temptations you have gotten Christianly through so many gulfs have you shot so many rocks have you passed by towards your harbour Oh! if such thoughts and considerations were continually upon your hearts and before your eyes how strangely would they quicken you and encourage you on your way Consider Christians and thence take courage after a few dayes more a few duties more a few wayes more you will be safely landed in your Countrey Lift up your eyes and see and then lift up your heads and rejoyce to see how by every duty and difficulty your redemption draweth nigh A traveller in his journey that 's almost spent and tired if he once comes within sight of home and be almost there this adds new strength and life and on he goes again amain Let your eye be more on your home and there will be less loytering or weariness in your way II. Walk on your way in the name of Christ Or live by faith Gal. 2. 20. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God The strength of a Christian is his Faith the strength of Faith is Christ the strength of Christ is put into the Promises If you would live to God live by Faith if you would live by Faith go often to the Promises 1. Study the Promises the freeness of them there 's Grace in the Promise The fulness of them there 's Christ in the Promise and with him all things there 's wisdom righteousness strength there 's bread and cloaths and lands and friends and safety study the sureness of the Promises there 's an Yea and Amen set to them All the Promises of God are Yea and Amen 2. Set thy Seal to them Believe that God is true 3. Clear up thine interest in them and thereby make it out that they are sure to thee 4. Treasure up in thy memory a stock and store of particular promises which may answer every case of thy life that so thou may'st have a word alwaies at hand to rely upon And then 5. Upon the credit of that word venture on after thy Lord in any duty through any sufferings he calls thee to whatsoever difficulty thou seest in thy work whatsoever danger thou seest in thy way whatsoever want or weakness thou seest growing upon thee go on resting upon Christ for success in thy duties and support under thy trouble and supply of thy wants according to his Word It may be when thou lookest before thee upon an holy life thou wilt say This is indeed a beautiful and blessed life if I could attain to it but oh I see there is so much to be done and so much to be born that I am in great doubt how I shall ever be able to go through it The Lord requires me if I will come after him to deny my self This first step puts me to a stand I doubt I shall stumble and fall at the very Threshold of Christianity Deny my self Alas I cannot deny my friend or companion I cannot deny mine Enemy that entices me to sin If Satan do but speak a word to me to draw me aside to iniquity he presently prevails and must I yet deny my self when I see how unable I am to deny mine enemies I cannot I câ—â—not do it Why here thy faith if thou wilt conâ—lit with it will furnish thee with this encouragement Though thou art able to do nothing of thy self yet though may'st be able to do all things through Christ which strengtheneth thee Phil. 4. 13. Again thou sayest The Lord requires me to make me a clean heart to purge my conscience to crucifie my lusts But who am I that ever I should think of doing such great works I could as easily make a new world as a new heart I can as well stop the Sun in its course as stop my lusts in theirs I can as easily dry up the fountains of the great Deep as cleanse the fountain of my corrupt heart and purge my self from an evil conscience I but now thy faith will tell thee He that bids thee cleanse thy heart hath said to thee Ezek. 36. 25. That he will sprinkle clean water upon thee and thou shalt be clean from all thy filthiness Thy faith will carry
within me says Amen Brethren will you yet again say your Lord nay shall Christ have his wish shall your Servant for Jesus sake shall I have my wish will you now at last conâ—ent to be â—anctified and to be saved let me have this wish and I dare promise from the Lord you shall have yours even whatever your Soul can desire Brethren this once hear this once be prevailed upon be content that your lusts be rooted out and your Lord planted into your Souls Be content to be pardoned content to be converted content to be saved This once hear lest if ye now refuse ye no more be perswaded with oh that they would but be for ever confounded with oh that they had Lest all our wishes and wooings of you be turned into weepings and mournings over you this once hear Oh that you would I heartily thank you for your good wishes and good will towards me for your willing and chearful entertainment of my person and attendance on my Ministry and particularly for your passionate desire of my longer stay among you Which desire if God had not my Soul could not have denied you Though the Almighty to whose pleasure it 's meet that we all submit hath said nay to that wish of yours yet let your Souls say Amen to this last of mine that the Lord God would dwell among you and in you both now and for ever And having thus finished my Labours among you I shall now close up with this double account 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry in this place 2. Of my deprival And shall so commit you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to huild you up and to give you an Inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry What my Doctrine and manner of life hath been is known to you and what my aim and intent hath been is known to God The searcher of hearts knows that 't is the salvation of Souls that hath been the mark at which I have levelled My way hath been to use all plainness that I might be made manifest in your Consciences Weaknesses and infirmities both natural and sinful the Lord pardon it I have had many I am sensible that much more might have been done both in publick and in private had it not been for a weakly body and a sloathful heart I repent that I have had no more zeal for God no more compassion to Souls I repent that I have been no more constant and importunate with you about the matters of Eternity Oh Eternity Eternity that thou wert no more in the heart and Lips of the Preacher in the hearts and ears of the hearers But while I thus judge my self for my failings Blessed be God for any sincerity to his name and good will to your Souls that he hath seen in me Blessed be God I have a witness in my Conscience and I hope in yours also that I have not shunned to declare to you the whole Counsel of God Brethren I call Heaven and Earth to witness this day that I have set before you life and death good and evil and have not ceased from day to day to warn you to choose life and that good way that leads to it and to escape for your lives from the way of sin and death Oh remember the many instructions I have given you the many Arguments whereby I have striven with you the many Prayers that have been offered up for the guiding and gaining your Souls into the path of life and the turning your feet out of the way of destruction Oh might I be able to give this Testimony concerning you all at my departure they have trodden in the right path they have chosen the good part that shall not be taken from them Beloved Brethren with whom I have travelled in birth that Christ might be formed in you I must shortly give up my account in a more solemn Assembly will you help me to give it up with joy by shewing your Souls before the Lord as the Seal of my Ministry Every sincere Convert among you will be a Crown of rejoycing to me in that day So let me rejoyce and let my joy be the joy of you all What shall I say more If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love any bowels and mercies if the Glory of the Eternal God the Honour of the everlasting Gospel the safety of your immortal Souls the incorruptible Crown the exceeding eternal weight of glory weigh any thing with you then once more let me beseech you by all this to hearken to that word of the Gospel which God hath spoken to you by me 2. Of my deprival The most glorious morning hath its evening the hour is come wherein the Sun is setting upon not a few of the Prophets the shadows of the evening are stretched forth upon us our day draws our work seems to be at an end Our Pulpits and our places must know us no more This is the Lords doing let all the earth keep silence before him It is not a light thing for me Brethren to be laid aside from the work and cast out of the Vineyard of the Lord and it must be something of weight that must support under such a severe doom I know there are not a few that will add to the affliction of the afflicted by telling the world t is their own fault they might prevent it if they would whether this be so or no God knoweth and let the Lord be Judge Blessed be God whatever be this is not laid to our charge as the reason of our seclusion either insufficiency or scandal You are not ignorant what things there are imposed on us as the condition of our continuing our Ministration which how lawful and expedient soever they seem in the Judgment of many yet have the most specious Arguments that plead for them left me utterly dissatisfied in my Conscience about them I must profess before God Angels and Men that my non-submission is not from any disloyaltie to Authoritie nor from pride humour or any factious disposition or design but because I dare not contradict my light nor do any thing concerning which my heart tels me the Lord says do it not After all my most impartial Enquiries after all my seeking counsel from the Lord after all my considering and consulting with men of all perswasions about these Matters I find my self so far short of satisfaction that I am plainly put to this choice to part with my Ministry or my Conscience I dare not lie before God and the World nor come and tell you I approve I allow I heartily consent to what I neither do nor can but must choose rather that my Ministry be sealed up by my Sufferings than lengthned out by a Lie Through the Grace of God though men do yet my heart shall not reproach me while I live If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things But however though I must now no longer act as a Minister I shall through the Grace of God endeavour peaceably and patiently to suffer as a Christian I should to testifie my Obedience to Authority have become all Things to all Men to the uttermost that I could with any clearness of heart But since Matters stand so that I must lose my place or my peace I chearfully suffer my self to be thrust off the Stage And now welcome the Cross of Christ welcome Reproach welcome Poverty Scorn and contempt or whatever else may befall me on this account This Morning I had a Flock and you had a Pastor but now behold a Pastor without a Flock a Flock without a Shepherd This Morning I had an House but now I have none This Morning I had a living but now I have none The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Beloved I am sensible of my Weaknesses and Disadvantages I am under which may render a suffering state the harder to be born help me by your Prayers and not me only but all my Brethren also with whom my Lot must fall Pray for us for we trust that we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Pray 1. That God would make our Silence speak and preach the same holy Doctrine that we have preached with our Lips 2. That he would give Supports answerable to our Sufferings that he who comforteth those that are cast down will also comfort his Servants that are cast out 3. That according to our earnest expectation and our hope as always so now also Christ may be magnified in us whether it be by Life or Death And thus Brethren I bid you farewel in the words of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally Brethren farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of Peace and Love shall be with you And that God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever AMEN FINIS The Terms of our Communion are either from which or to which The Terms from which we must turn are sin Satan the World and our own Righteousness which must be thus renounced The Terms to which we must turn are either ultimate or mediate The ultimate is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who must be thus accepted The mediate terms are ei-Principal or less principal The principal is Christ the Mediator who must thus be embraced The less principles are the Laws of Christ which must be thus observed
Vindiciae Pietatis OR A VINDICATION OF Godliness In the greatest Strictness and Spiritualitâ— of it From the Imputations of FOLLY FANCY Together with Several Directions for the Attaining and Maintaining of a Godly Life By R. A. London Printed in the Year 1665. To my dearly Beloved in Christ the inhabitants of the Parish of B. in the County of S. My dearly beloved Brethren THe ensuing Sermons as they had their Birth for your sakes so are they now offered into your hands and they come unto you upon the same important errand upon which their Authour hath been sent among you viz. to shew you the Path of life and to bring you into and establish you in that holy state and way that leads to everlasting Blessedness The chief hindrances of Sinners eternal Happiness next to that innate enmity against God and Godleness which is rooted in their hearts are their prejudices against and their ignorance of the good wayes of the Lord. Sathan and his Instruments have made it their businesse by those vollies of reproaches and unreasonable calumnies which they are continually discharging against holinesse to render it in the judgement of the World an empty and contemptible thing Two things there are amongst many others which they lay to the reproach of it The one that it is folly whatever there may be in this Godlinesse yet it is attended with so many difficulties dangers and hazards and will be such an unsufferable prejudice to all that will have much to do with it that it is a foolish thing upon such hazards and disadvantages to adventure upon it If this will not do but the consciences of Men whilst they apprehend the real worth and excellency of it stand convinced that it is not Folly but wisdom to adventure on any difficulties to run any hazards for so glorious a prize then comes in the second reproach That it is but a device a specious contrivance to take up eager heads to amuse and divert the busie and keep in awe weak souls when if it be enquired into notwithstanding its glorious pretences it will be found nothing else but imagination meer fancy and no reality at all in the heart of it These impressions I have endeavoured according to my might to wipe away from your hearts and the hearts of such as read what you have heard in the ensuing discourses where I hope you will see both sufficient reason whence to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men to establish your hearts in the firm belief and resolved embracing of it and abundant encouragement to hold on your holy course to the end The other hindrance of a Godly Life is mens ignorance They walk not in the way of the Lord because they know not the way of the Lord some rude and dark notions of Religion possibly they may have but wherein the Spirit and life of Godliness stands and how to set upon an holy and heavenly course they cannot tell This hindrance I have in part prevented in that Description I have given of a godly man and more fully removed in those Directions which I have subjoyned for the obtaining and carrying on a godly Life Brethren my hearts desire and Prayer for you is that what I have done may be successful to your souls that you may be saved as the Apostle speaks that you may be brought into and established in the way of truth and may be found walking in the way of Righteousness And if the Lord shall be pleased so to follow these my endeavours with his Blessing that they may contribute any thing to this end if the Lord shall so animate these otherwise dead words by his quickening Spirit that any souls of them that are without may be added to the Church that any cubits may be added to the stature of those that are within it shall be a Crown to me and exceeding Cause of rejoycing Let the Lord Almighty have the praise for ever as from all such who shall reap any benefit hereby So from the soul of Your Servant in the Gospel R. A. The Contents of the Sermons on Ephes 5. 15. THe Text opened Page 2 The Doctrine propounded Precisians are no fools ibid. The Doctrine explained 1. Precisians are described 1. Negatively to be 1. No Pharisee 3 2. No Phanatick ib. 3. No Phrenetick ib. 2. Positively 1. By their make or constitution They are formed after the image of God 5 2. By their way or conversation Where is considered 1. The end of their conversation Where they are described to be men that are travelling to another world 8 2. Their course I. They take the right way Which is 1. Described to be The Old and Good The New and Living The Strait and Narrow Way ib. 2. Proved to be the most excellent Way It is 1. The way of Truth 14 2. The way of Holiness 15 3. The way of God 16 4. The way of the Kingdom 17 II. They are upright in the way 19 Their uprightnesse is considereed as it hath respect To the Commandement To Conscience 21 Their uprightness as it respects the Commandment stands 1. In their having respect to every Command 23 2. In having respect to the most spiritual and in ward part of every Command 24 3. In the endeavour to observe every Command to the utmost 25 1. They endeavour to get up to the highest pitch of affection care and activity ib. 2. They study and seek out after opportunities for service 26 3. They shun occasions and temptations to sin 27 4. They obstain from all appearance of evil 28 Two things added 1. When they have done all that they can they acknowledge themselves unprofitable servants 30 2. Whatever they have done they dare not trust upon it or be found in their own righteousness 32 Their uprightness as it respects Conscience exprest in two particulars 1. They take great care of Conscience 34 1. About the instructing and informing conscience ib. 2. About keeping Conscience tender 35 2. They give good heed to Conscience hearkning to and following in without turning aside 1. To the right hand either 1. By putting Religion in those things wherein God hath put none 43 2. By putting more Religion in any thing than God hath put in it ibid. 2. To the left hand 45 1. By making sins no sin duties no dutie ib. 2. By making bold with known sins and duties ib. III. From this way they will not be drawn aside by any fears or dangers on the one hand or by any flatteries or advantages on the other 46 1. A Summary description of these Precisians 51 2. Precisians are proved to be no fools from four Reasons Reas 1. God accounts them no fools 54 Reas 2. They will not be accounted fools at last neither by God nor men 55 Reas 3. The properties of wise men are found in them 58 1. They understand themselves aright They understand 1. Their Interest ib. 2. Their way 60 2. They build sure 64 Reas 4.
lodge within them 2. As there are outward duties to be performed as praying hearing works of mercy c. so there are spiritual duties purely spiritual as the internal acting of faith and love and hope and the fear of God the souls choosing of God cleaving to God rejoycing delighting in God meditating of him c. Exact Christians have a special respect to those spiritual duties in the exercise whereof stands chiefly their living in a holy fellowship communion and acquaintance with God and for outward duties their care is to perform them spiritually they pray with the mouth and pray with the spirit they praise the Lord with their lips and offer up their hearts as a spiritual sacrifice they hear with their ears and with their understanding also they labour to bring their souls under the Word to pour forth their souls in prayer to draw forth their souls in their very alms Isa 58. If thou draw forth thy soul to the hungry Psal 69. 10. I chastened my soul with fasting Oh Brethren if this be to walk exactly then how much loosenesse doth this â—iscover in us loosenesse in our very Duties men do not only 〈…〉 like Libertines and swear like Libertines aud neglect duties like Libertines but perform duties like Libertines thou that usest to pray in thy Closet or in thy Family or in the Congregation in an outward formal way and dost not pour out thy Soul in prayer thou prayest like a Libertine thou that fastest and doth not chasten thy Soul with fasting thou fastest like a Libertine thou that hearest and dost not bring thy soul under the word thou hearest like a Libertine this is loose praying and loose hearing loose from the Rule which requires the exercising of the inner man as well as the outward 3. In observing the command to the utmost and here I shall give a fourfold further description of them 1. They endeavour to get up their hearts to the highest pitch of affection care and activity They would be the best Christians the most humble the most mortified the most patient the most exemplary and active Christians not slothful in businesse but fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. 2 Cor. 7. Yea what care yea without clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what vehement desire yea what zeal c. A sincere Christian would be a zealous Christian in his sincerity stands the height of it Zeal is not a distinct grace but the height of every grace Love in the height of it Desire in the height of it Care and Resolution to follow God in the height of it A zealous Christian exercises every grace performs every Duty and doth it with all his might he is not willing to spare or to favour himself but will spend and be spent in the work of the Lord the flesh will be pleading for a little ease for moderation it will be solliciting the Sobl as Peter did Christ Pitty thy self favour thy self thou wilt never hold out at this rate thou wilt pull all the Country about thine ears if thou beest thus hot and forward but the Soul returns the same answer as Christ did to him Get thee behind me Satan hold thy peace slothful heart let me alone for I will speak for God while I have a tongue to speak while I have an heart while I have an hand while I have an eye while I have a soul while I have a being I will follow on after the Lord I will serve him I will praise him I will sacrifice all I am and have to him and then come on me what will 2. They are studying and seeking out opportunities for service Such Christians are of strict lives but of large hearts of strict consciences but of large desires and aims Grace sets limits to their consciences but none to their holy affections they never do so much for God but they are studying how they may do more Isa 32. 8. A liberal Man deviseth liberal things a merciful man deviseth merciful things a righteous man deviseth righteous things he doth not only exercise Liberality and Mercy and work Righteousness when he hath an opportunity put into his hands but he sits down and considers what great things the Lord hath done for him what marvellous loving kindnesse the Lord hath shewed to him and thereupon studies and casts about what greater things then yet he hath done he may do for the Name of God as it is said of the wicked Proverbs 6. 14. He deviseth mischief continually And Psalm 64. 6. They search out iniquity they accomplish a diligent search search out for every opportunity to work wickednesse to satisfie their lust So Righteous men search out and make a diligent seach after opportunities to work Righteousnesse 2 Sam. 9. 3. Is there not yet a man left of the house of Saul saith David to whom I might shew the kindness of God Is there not yet a poer Sool in distresse to whom I might shew kindness for the Name of God Is there not yet a poor Family in misery to whom I might shew mercy Is there not yet a poor sinner to whom I might give counsel Is there not yet a poor Saint to whom I might administer comfort for the sake of my God As it is said of the Devil He goeth up and down seeking whom he may devour So may it be said of such they go up and down seeking whom they might save and recover out of the snares of the Devil other men what good soever they do it is as little as may be their consciences will not let them be quiet but something must be done when they have done so much as will but keep conscience quiet thy have done A sincere Christian hath his love to satisfie his desires to satisfie as well as his conscience he loves much and it is not a little duty that will satisfie strong love 3. They shun occasions and temptations to sin they would keep at as great a distance from sin as possible they are careful to keep far enough within their line they dare not venture to their utmost border lest they go beyond it ere they are aware A wary Christian having observed what things have proved snares and temptations to him and have drawn him aside to iniquity formerly will take heed how he comes nigh them again If carnal society hath cool'd and damp'd his heart and left a fleshly savour upon his Spirit he will take heed how he comes into such company again If going to his utmost liberty in the use of the Creatures either Meat Drink or Apparel hath inticed him beyond his bounds he will be wary how he allows himself the like liberty and will deny himself the freedom he might use rather than again run himself upon danger he is sensible of his weaknesse to stand against a temptation and thereupon is the more watchful that he run not into temptation men that are bold to venture into temptation to venture into
peremptorily resolved against hearkening to any farther Treaties about this thing casting them off with the greatest scorn and indignation I must be bold to tell you from God That if you live and die in this mind God must cease to be true the Scriptures must be proved to be a lye the Doctrine of the Gospel a meer forgery or faâ—shood or you will be shut for ever out of the Kingdome of God And do you not yet see enough to perswade you to come in and be of this number Are you not yet convinc'd that 't is your duty that 't will be your wisdome to be such That none but Fools and Brutes will continue to be Libertines Whilst you charge folly on the Saints will you at last prove your selves to be the onely fools And will you verifie that Proverb Bray a fool in a Mortar and yet his folly will not depart from him Shall it be said of you Let them be instructed let them â—e convinced let them be warned yet still all 's â—â—ne fools they are and fools they will be Oh ye â—ools when will ye be wise Search the Scriptures â—nd learn of them come unto Christ and learn of him and if he do not speak the same things which here have been spoken if he do not teach you the same Lesson which here you have been taught then go on and take your liberty still but if Christ sayes Be holy if Christ sayes be circumspect if Christ sayes Be perfect and you still refuse to hearken then carry this inscription upon your foreheads We have rejected the Word of the Lord and what wisdom is there in us John 1. 47. Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there iâ— no guile VVE need not go far back to find ouâ— the sense of these words which they fully enough contain within themselves â—he occasion of them was this Philip calls Nathaniel to come to Christ Nathaniel being called comes and coming to Christ our Lord gives his Judgment of him In the words we have 1. A note of Observation Behold This hints to us two things 1. That a Nathaniel a true Israelite is a worthy Sight worth the observing Behold an Israelite 2. That a Nathaniel is a rare Sight We do not use to put a Behold on that which we see every day 2. A Description of Nathaniel and in him of aâ— sincere godly man 1. He is an Israelite Israel was the first name of Jacob who upon his wrestling and as a Prince prevailing with God in Prayer had this new name given him of God and was thenceforth called Israel from him afterwards the whole generation of the Jewes were called Israel in the new Testament all the People of God were called Israel Gal. 6. 16. Both 〈◊〉 the Old Testament and the New Israelites weâ—â— such as had the account of the People of God whom God hath separated and set apart for himself as his peculiar people out of all the rest of the world so that an Israelite here notes one that belongs to God a good man 2. An Israelite indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that 's truely an Israelite not after the flesh but after the Spirit not in shew and appearance not in conceit or his own or others Opinions but in reality 3. An Israelite without deceit in whom is no guile who is no Jugler or crafty Dissembler that did only personate bear the face and act the part of an Israelite but an honest down-right plain-hearted Israelite In all this we have a full description of a sincere godly man â—e is an Israelite one separated to God an Israelite indeed not in conceit or fancy but in truth not in deceit or guile but in singleness of heart That which I intend for the foundation on which to build my discourse is An Israelite indeed Thence let the Doctrine be Doct. A sincere godly man is no Phanatick or Godliness is no fancy As there is an Israelite in conceit so there is an Israelite indeed as there is Godliness in shew so there is Godliness in truth Godliness is no fancy The great design of Satan and his Instruments is against Godliness to resist it disgrace it and if it were possible to root it out from under Heaven And because whilst Godliness appears to be what indeed it is in its own lustre glory and excellency all such attempts against it are like to be â—â—ain and ineffectual therefore the plot is to cast â—mist before the eyes of this Pur-blinde World and to make them believe that there is no such â—hing or that it is not what it is that 't is a meer fancy there is nothing in it That which Men call Godliness is but a conceit a meer dream of some brain-sick persons who thinking themselves wiser and holier than the rest of the World and being strongly opinionated of their ways aud intoxicated with their own imaginations whilst they would perswade others that they are in the dark and under strong delusions are most of all mistaken and deluded themselves Now because this is such a mischievous Engine to hinder the propagation of the Gospel and to hold men back from that true Godliness which is necessary to salvation and without which they perish everlastingly I shall through the gâ—â—ce of God prove and make as evident as the light the truth of the Doctrine proposed That Godliness is no fancy and that the sincerest and strictest Godly men are most unjustly and unreasonably termed Fanaticks of any persons in the World By Godliness I mean that sincere and strict profession and practice of Religion which is above the size and beyond the measure of the common sort of people who call themselves Christians that which the Scripture calls pure Religion the power of Godliness walking with God walking in Spirit living in all good conscience By a sincere godly man accordingly I understand the same person which I in the foregoing Discourse meant by a precise or circumspect Christian one that will not adventure his soul on that cheap easie outward careless way of Religion which the most do but labours to make sure and thorow work by setting himself to live up to the height and exactness of those principles of Religion which he hath received from the Scriptures When I say That Godliness is no fancy by a Fancy I mean that which hath no being but in the imagination that which hath no foundation in the Scriptures but is a meer conceit or airy Notâ—on a figment of mens owns brains This is the reproach that the prophane world caâ—â— upon strict godliness That it is a meer fiction or a dream of mens own hearts that the inward likeness to God the exact walking with God living in fellowship and communion with God the joy of God the life of faith the Souls exercising it self upon God and the Lord Jesus and the like are meer conceits there are no such things but they are mens own dreams and delusions Now this is that which I
making they were intended to good works this was Gods minde and meaning he fore-ordained that they should walk in them He did not set up such a light in man to be put under a bushel he bestowed not such a talent on man to be bound up in a Napkin 2. That in their new making they were fitted to good works created to good works that is they were brought forth in such an holy nature indued with such a Divine light such holy principles powers affections dispositions and inclinations as fitted them for an holy active life And this Divine and excellent structure of this new creature do both signifie what life it is intended to and that this life to which it is intended is indeed an excellent life there is something sure in this godly life God did not new make men for nothing and something of worth and real excellency or else he would not have been at such cost in preparing men for it if there were no other godly life than that which the carnal world count godliness there needed no new Creation to fit men for it What is there in the whole frame of the Religion of the vulgar but a carnal man may reach to For the devotional part of it Saying or hearing of a prayer observing of dayes rites and customes c. What great difficulty is there in that May not a Publican do the same Yea may not a Harlot a Drunkard an Idiot do the same Such devotions will neither disturb their lusts nor yet will their lusts distate or disable such devotions and for the righteousness of it to love those that love them to be good neighbours to be no Extortioners no Adulterers c. there is not so very much in that do not even the Pharisees do the same What do you more than others said Christ to his Disciples What singular or excellent thing do you God hath done singularly well by you you are fearfully and wonderfully made as 't is true of the natural so much more of your new birth and curiously wrought not in the lower parts of the earth but in the highest heavens you are born from above God hath done more for you than for others what do you more than others Some it may be would have answered What do you more than others Why there 's no more to be done all that 's done more than others do is meer fancy or conceit But beloved when you look upon that sapless lifeless empty way of Religion which others are content with methinks your reasons should demand What hath God new-made me made me partaker of the Divine Nature of the life of God for no more but this hath God given such a glorious Gospel raised up such a mighty Saviour who hath shed such precious blood sent forth such a glorious spirit given commission to such multitudes of heavenly Ambassadors to Preach perswade beseech exhort to travel in birth with me till Christ hath been formed in me and all this to bring me to no better a life than this Surely there is something farther that the Lord hath been at all this cost and built this structure for Study this new birth study the new Creation more throughly and if you see not the most holy heavenly spiritual conversation that is pleaded for radically and seminally in the bowels of it then let godliness pass for a fancy for ever Let the Regenerate but live according to their new nature and if that be not the very godly life we contend with you about then call us what you will 5. Faith is no fancy Hebr. 11. 1. Faith is the ground or the subsistence of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen It hath a sure foundation on which it 's bottom'd that sure word of promise 2 Pet. 1. 19. To the which saith the Apostle ye do well that ye take heed There is a believing on Christ for Salvation and a believing that we shall be saved by Christ the former is called the direct act of faith and is the Souls accepting of Christ for Lord and Saviour and an adventuring anâ— resting upon him for life this is founded on the Rock of Ages on the veracity and faithfulnesse of that God that cannot lye who hath said John 3. 16. Whâ—soever believeth on his Son shall not perish but have everlasting life The latter in the Saints is called The Râ—flex of Faith and hath its Foundation partly on the Word of God without them partly on the Work of God within them And this Faith or rather this Act of Faith if the former hath been first put forth is such also as will never deceive As those that trust in God because they have the Word and Oath of God in which two immutable things it is impossible for God to lye shall not be confounded but have strong consolation So those that believe they shall be saved because they find their hearts purified who believe that their names are written in Heaven because they find the Law and Image of God written and engraven in their hearts who believe that they shall not come into condemnation because they are in Christ and walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit who believe they shall overcome death because they have overcome the World that they shall reap in mercy because they have sown in righteousnesse that they shall reap in joy because they have sown in tears that they shall receive the inheritance of Sons because they have received the Adoption of Sons who finding themselves firmly knit and joyned to the Lord are perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus their Lord. Those that on such grounds as these believe they shall be saved it shall certainly be unto them according to their faith if it be thus with them indeed if they be in Christ if they walk not after the flesh but after the Spâ—â—it if their hearts be purified c. The Word of the Lord stands good and sure to them that they shall not come into condemnation and they shall as infallibly be saved as if their particular names had been written in the promises The veracity of God stands as firmly engaged to make good conditional promises where the condition is fulfilled as if the promise had been absolute There is a faith which is a meer fancy The faith of Enthusiastsâ— who believe upon unscriptural Revelation who believe above and besides what is â—ritten the fâ—ith of Ignorants whose belief is according to the Athenians workship on the unknown God the faith of Idlers who believe they shall rest with Christ though they never laboured with him The faith of the profane who believe they shall be saved though they be not sanctified such faith is meer fancy opinion or presumption you may call
worship to be the Soul and the Soul to be nothing Be not conceited that the outward part is the worship and the inwaâ—â— but a conceit Brethren the living God will have living services the God of our spirits will have the service of our spirits the worshipping God in spirit this is the true worship God will not be and take heed you be not cheated with shews When all the men of the world with their wits parts and interists have commended garnished and magnified the carcass of Religion and decryed and disgraced its soul and life yet this shall still stand as an irrefragable Truth They are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh 2. Worshipping God through the spirit through the help and assistance of the Spirit of God as to instance in prayer Jude 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit it self helpeth our infirmities The Spirit of God affords a three-fold help in prayer 1. He indites our requests suggests matter of Prayers to us who as the Apostle there tells us Know not what we â—â—â—uld pray for as we ought Carnal mens lusts do often make their Prayers and then no wonder they ask amiss when they should be seeking the death of their lust they ask meat for their lusts we often not knowing what we ought to ask do ask we know not what we ask a stone a Serpent a Scorpion somtimes when we think we ask bread If God should alwaies give his people their prayers their prayers would undo them When we are poor we ask riches and it may be if God should give us them our riches might undo us Somtimes we ask ease or credit or liberty and if we had what we ask it might be our ruine the Spirit of God knows what 's fit for us and accordingly guides our prayers He helps us to understâ—â—â— our sins and so teaches us what confession to make carnal men will confess sins but any sins rather then their own He helps us to understand our wants and so teaches us what to ask He helps us to understand our mercies and so teaches us what to give thanks for carnal men often come before the Lord with mock praises give thanks for their election justification sanctification hope of glory when it may be the power of sin and the wrath of God abides upon them and they remain without Christ and without hope and without God in the world the Spirit of God if they had him would make their devotions more reasonable and regular 2. He excites and quickens and enlarges their hearts in prayer The Spirit of God comes in and influences upon the heart and draws forth the soul and this is the import of the following words The Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered that is he sets up a groaning and sighing after the Lord. Groaning notes the strentgh and ardency of desire which through the servency of it puts the Soul to paine and an holy impatience till it be heard in which sence it s used verse 21. For we our selves who have received the first fruits of the spirit groan within our selves waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our body It works such groanings as cannot be uttered it sometimes makes the hearts of Christians too big for their mouths their desires more larger then their expressions as much warmth and life and strength of affection as there does appear without there 's more withinâ—t Oh how flat and dead are our hearts oftentimes how much are we straitned in our prayers we stand as men struck dumb when we come before the Lord or if there be words in our mouths there is scare any word in our hearts sometimes we cannot speak and if we can speak we cannot groan the Spirit doth either put words in our mouths or else supply the want of words by kindling and enlarging inward desires helping us to groan out a prayer when we cannot speak it out and silent groans will sound in the ears of the Lord when the loudest cryes may not be heard 3. He encourages and emboldens the heart in prayer enables us to call God Father to pray to him to cry to him to be confident of audience and acceptance with him upon this ground Gal. 4. 6. God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father And hereby he furnisheth us with a mighty Argument to plead with God Father hear me Father forgive me Father pity me Father help me Am not I thy childe thy Son or thy Daughter To whom may a childe be bold to go With whom may a child have hope to speed if not with his Father Father hear me The Fathers of our Flesh are full of bowels and full of pity to their Children and know how to give good things to them when we ask them when they ask Bread will they deny them when they ask cloaths or any thing they want will they deny them And is not the Father of Spirits more full of bowels more full of bounty than the Fathers of our Flesh Father hear me This is praying in the Spirit and if this be a fancy with you I must tell you sinners that it is such a fancy as experienced Christians that have most proved it would not lose for all your substance But will you stand to it Is this Fanatical praying indeed then bring your Index expurgatorius and expunge these Textâ— out of the Scriptures or else if you let them stand and look over them again you will next say Their Bible is as Fanatical as themselves But let me add one word to convince you from your own judgement if you understand what you doe that praying in the Spirit is no fancy and this by putting this one Question to you Dare any of you all when you goe to God in Prayer deliberately refuse to begge the assistance of his Spirit Whether you use a Form or Pray without a Form that is not so material The assistance of the Spirit is needed as well of those that use a Form as of those that pray without it Nor dare you I say when you goe to pray deliberately refuse to beg the assistance of the Spirit Dare you say Lord I need not nor desire any such assistance I will not ask it of thee that thy Spirit may be given into me to help mine infirmities If you beg the assistance of the Spirit you hope to have it and if you have it there is that praying in the Spirit which you cry down for a fancy Judge now whether you do not condemn the things which your selves allow and in your Judgement and Practice justifie the reallity of that Duty which with your mouths you decree for Fanatical Will you also be his Disciples Will you also be Fanaticks 2 Walking in 〈◊〉 Spirit this is no fancy Gal. 5. 25. If we live in the Spirit let
Heart thine own Soul and according to it remember me 2. His glorious Name The Lords Nature is to be gracious and according to his Nature such is his Name Exod. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth This is an Argument which the Lord puts into the mouths of his People telling them Ezek. 36. 21 22. I had pity for my Holy Name this I do not for your sakes but for â—y Holy Names sake And upon this we find them frequently pleading with him Psal 31. 3. For thy Names sake lead me and guide me Jer. 14. 21. Do not abhor us for thy Names sake do not disgrace the Throne of thy Glory remember break not thy Covenant with us Go you and do likewise 2 On Christ And there are four things from which you may plead with God upon this account 1 The Lords giving of Christ to you as your Lord and your Saviour Upon which gift you may call him your own 2 The Purchase of Christ who hath bought from the hands of the Father all that you stand in need of He hath bought your Lives 1 Cor. 6â— Ye are bought with a price He hath bought you a livelihood hath purchased an Inheritance and Possession for you 1 Pet. 1. 3 The Interest that Christ hath in the Father being the Son of God the Son of his Love the Servant of God in whom his soul delights Isa 4â— 1 Behold my Servant whom I have chosen mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth whose Name is so precious and powerful with the Father that it will carry any suit obtain any request Job 16. 23. Whatever you ask the Father in my Name he will give it you 4 The Interest that you have in Christ As he is precious to his Father so you are precious to him as the Father can deny him nothing so he can deny his nothing John 14. 13 Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my Name I will do it He gives you Commission to put his Name upon all your requests and whatsoever prayer comes up with his Name upon it he will procure it an answer Now when you are praying for any mercy especially for any Soul-mercie make use of all these arguments Lord Hast thou given Christ unto me and wilt thou not with him give me all things I stand in need of Hast thou given me the Fountain and wilt thou deny me the Stream When I beg pardon of sin when I beg power against sin when I beg Holiness c. Is not all this granted me in thy gift of Christ to me Is Christ mine and is not his bloud mine to procure my pardon his Spirit mine to subdue mine iniquities Are these mine and wilt thou with-hold them from me Oh shall this guilt lie upon me these sins live in me these losts rule over me when by giving me in hand that whereof thou hast already given me a grant all this would be removed from me Look upon Christ Lord Thou hast said to me Look unto Jesue and give thy servant leave to say the same to thee Look thou upon Jesus and give out to me what thou hast given me in giving of him to me Look upon the purchase of Christ Do I want any thing or desire any thing but what my Lord hath bought and paid for and thou hast accepted of the price Look upon the Name of Christ which thou mayest behold written upon every prayer I make Though thou mayest sâ—y for thy own sake thou shalt have nothing not a drop not a crumb yet wilt thou say nor for his Name sake neither Is not that Name still a mighty Name a precious Name before the Lord c. By these hints you may learn how to plead with God from any other arguments drawn from his promises your experience c. Quest But of what use is this our pleading with God and in what stead doth it stand us in order to our prevailing with him Ans 1 It is not of use to change the purpose of God to prevail with him to do that for us which before he resolved not to do but to bring forth his purposes into performance We may say concerning the purposes of God what himself says concerning the accomplishing of his Promise Ezek. 36. 37. Yet will I be euquired of by the House of Israel to do this for them Such praying fetches out those mercies which were in the heart of God and puts them into our hand 2. By pleading with God for audience we plead our selves into credence or the more firm belief the Lord acceps and will answer And if by all these Arguments we can plead our selves intoâ—a stronger faith our faith will certainly bring us down a fuller answer Quest 2. These Arguments the Saints may use In Prayer but is there no plea for poor natural men that are yet in their sins to make use of What may they say themselves when they come before the Lord Have you never a word to put in their mouths They have more need of Arguments then any What shall they say Answ 1. I shall premise That its the duty of meer natural men to pray For 1. Prayer is a part of Gods Natural Worship If there were no positive Law requiring it yet the Law of Nature enjoynes it and no man is exempted from the Obligation of the Law of Nature 2. Otherwise it were none of their sin to neglect and restrain Prayer where no Law is there is no Transgression Now we finde in Scripture that neglect of Prayer is reckoned up amongst wicked mens sins Psal 14. 3. 4. They are altogether become filthy c. they call not upon God Sin though it doth disable yet it doth not disoblige to Duty Object That which is usually objected against this is God heareth not sinners The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord Now no man is bound to offer up to God an abominable thing better offer up nothing than an abomination Sol. In answer to this consider There are two sorts of sinners Resolved Sinners and Returning Sinners and accordingly there are two sorts of Prayers made by Sinners 1. Dissembling prayers mocking and lying Prayers Hos 11. 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes lying Sacrifices lying Devotions makes as if he had a minde to know me and serve me when it is not in his heart and such prayers are made use of either as râ—vail to hide and cover their wickedness and to make them appear to men to be righteous or else as an Engine or Device to quiet and pacifie their consciences in a course of sin They make confessing of sin to serve instead of forsaking of sin praying to serve instead of repenting their prayers help them to sin the more freely They think they may go out with any thiâ—g if when they have done iniquity they do but pray for forgiveness Such prayers are an abomination to God and a desolation
to sinners Bring me no more vain Oblations Incense is an abomination to me Sinners not onely your wickedness but your very prayers will undo you If you make them a shelter for sin your very prayers will be turned into sin 2. Returning Prayers When a Sinner being struck with a sense of his sin and of his necessity of changing his way and of his utter inability to turne of himself under the fears and troubles of his heart goes to God and cryes out Lord what shall I do I see I am in an evil case my soul is running on in sin and they curse and wrath I behold running on upon me Lord save me Lord help me Lord pardon Lord convert me break me off from my sins break me off from my sinful companions I cannot get loose my heart is too hard my lusts are too strong my Temptations are too many for me to overcome of my self Lord help me turn me and I shall be turned pluck my foot out of the snare that I be not utterly destroyed forgive mine iniquity make me a clean heart make me thy childe make me thy servant that I may never again yield up my self a servant to sin Such a prayer as this if it be hearty and and in earnest if there be no promise of audience yet at least there is an half promise Who can tell Or it may be the Lord may hear Though it cannot be properly said the Lord doth accept neither can any man say he will reject it as an abominable thing This being premised 2. I answer to the question That sinners if they have but anâ— heart to it have also a price in their hand God hath put arguments into their mouths also to plead with him for mercy As 1. The grace of God or his gracious Nature his readiness to shew mercy this even strangers may lay hold upon Benhadad's encouragement to beg his life of the King of Israel may be the sinners plea in the begging of his We have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings Go Sinner to the Lord and speak thus in his ears Lord I have heard that the King of Glory is a merciful King Thy name is the Lord merciful and gracious and thy Nature is according to thy Name It is thy Nature to pity and in thy heart there is plenteous compassion Oh I am a miserable creature a poor undone helpless wretch do for me according to thy Nature do for me according to thy Name will the God of mercy send away such a wretch that comes for mercy will the God of Grace send me away without Grace The God of Mercy hear me the God of Grace grant me to find grace in his eyes 2 Gods Call or gracious Invitation Isa 55. Ho every one that thirsteth come to the Waters and he that hath no Money come ye buy and eat buy Wine and Milk without Money and without â—rice Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth Come unto me all that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Rise sinner he calleth thee Go to the Lord and when thou goest tell him Lord thou hast bid me come and behold here I am I come Lord at thy Word I come for a little Water I come for thy Wine and thy Milk I have brought no price in my hand but thou hast bid me come and buy without Money and without Price Though I have no grace yet behold at thy word I come for Grace though I have no Christ yet I come for Christ though I cannot call thee Father yet being called I come to thee as Fatherless With thee the Fatherless shall finde mercy And is it only those that want the Fathers of their Flesh is it not also those that want the Father of Spirits Shall earthly Orphans find pity and onely Spiritual Orphans be left Orphans If I am not thy child may I not be made thy Child Hast thou not a childs Blessing left yet to bestow upon me Thou hast bid me come come for a Blessing bless me even me also O Lord. Wherefore hast thou sent for me Shall I be sent away as I came I come at thy word do not say again be gone be gone out of my fight I cannot go at thy Word I will not go for Whither shall I go from thee Thou hast the Words of Eternal life Since thou wilt have me speak Lord answer Though I dare not say Be just to me a Saint yet I do say I will say I must say Lord be merciful to me a sinner 3. Christ And there are two things in Christ upon which sinners may plead with God 1. His Sufficiency There is enough in Christ in his obedience and death to save the worst of sinners to save the whole World of Sinners There is a fulnesse in Christ Col. 1. 19. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell There is a fulnesse of Merit to obtain pardon to make reconciliation for whoever comes a fulnesse of the Spirit to Sanctifie and cleanse them from their sins He 's able to save unto the uttermost all those that come unto God by him From this Sinners may reason thus with the Lord. O Lord I do not come to beg that of thee that cannot be had Thou hast enough by thee Look upon Jesus that sits at thy right hand 〈◊〉 there not Righteousnesse enough in him to answer for all my uâ—righteousnesse Are there not riches enough in him to supply my povertie Oh shall I die for want of a pardon when there is such blood continually before thee pleading for pardon Oh shall I lie down in my own vomit and wallow in the mire of my filthie lusts when there is such a Fountain by thee that 's still open for sin and for uncleannesse Oh sprinkle me with this blood O wash me in this Fountain Hear Lord send me not away without an Almes when hast it by thee 2. His Office which is to bring sinners to God to make reconciliation for sinners to make intercession for Transgressors Isa 53. Psal 68. 18. Thou hast received gifts for men yea even for the rebellious also What a strange and mighty Plea is here for poor sinners Oh it is true Lord I am a Transgressor and have been from the Womb I have played the Traytor and been a Rebel against thee all my dayes But is there none in Heaven that will iâ—tercede for a Transgressor Hath the Lord Jesus received no gift for this poor Rebel that falls down before thee Though I am a Rebel Lord yet I am a returning Rebel Though I am a Rebel yet let me recieve a Rebels gift not a Rebels reward Lord that would be dreadful but some of those gifts which Christ received for the Rebellious Doth Christ make intercession for Transgressors and shall not he be heard If thou wilt not hear me who am a sinner yet wilt thou not hear him that speaks for sinners
whose blood speaks whose bowels speak whose spirit speaks Doth he speak for sinners and yet not for me 4. Their own necessity Sinners are necessitous Creatures they have nothing of value left them In the fulnesse of their sufficiency they are in straits As a sinner of an hundred years is but a child so a sinner of thousands by the year is but a beggar poor miserable blind and naked He can want nothing and yet doth want every thing that is good Sinne hath stript him to the skin stabâ—d him to the heart the iron hath entred into his Soul it hath left him nothing but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores Is this thy case sinner and hast thou nothing to say Spread thy wants and necessities before the Lord and let these speak for thee Learn of Beggars that come to thy door who if they have ever a sore or malady about them a blinde eye a lame leg a burnt hand a broken arm that they will be sure to open to move pity and procure an Alms. Their pinching hunger their parching thirst their naked backs their cold lodging thy door shall be sure to ring of Never a peâ—ny in my purse never a morsel of bread have I had for this long time their necessity will both make them to speak and help them to speak Sinner spread thy necessities before the Lord spread thy wants open thy wounds and thy sores tell him how desperately sad thy case is tell him of the guilt that is upon thy head the curse that is on thy back the plague that is in thy heart God of Bowels look hither behold what a poor blind dead hardned unclean guilty creature what a naked empty helplesse creature I am Look upon my sin and my misery and let thine eye affect thine heart One deep calls to another a deep of Misery cries out to a deep of Mercy Oh my very sins which cry so loud against me speak also for me My misery speaks my curses the woe and the wrath that lies upon me my bones speak my perishing Soul speaks and all cry in thine ears Help Lord God of pity help help and heal me help and save me Come unto me for I am a sinful man O Lord I dare not say as once it was said Depart from me for I am a sinful man Come Lord for I am a sinful man Thou couldst never come where is more need Who have need of the Physitian but the sick Come Lord I have too often said Depart from me but if thou wilt not say Depart to me I hope I shall never again say Depart to thee My misery saith come my wants say come my guilt and my sins say come and my soul saith come Come and pardon come and convert come and teach come and sanctifie come and save me Even so come Lord Jesus Thus you have the sinners plea. Poor Sinner Art thou willing to return from thy sins fear not to go to thy God Take thee some such words as these and go and tell the Lord that one of his poor Ambassadors told thee from him that he expects thee before the Throne of Grace and is ready if it be not thine own fault to grant thee mercy Go and the Lord help thee give thee thy hearts desire and fulfil all thy mind and for thy encouragement take along with thee this Scripture Isa 55. 6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for be will abandantly pardon 4. Pray in Faith James 1. 6. But let him ask in Faith You will here enquire What Faith is it that is necessary to our prevailing in prayer I answer Not onely the Faith mentioned by the Apostle Heb. 11. 6. He that cemeth to God must believe that God is Nor onely a perswasion that he is able to performe our petitions or that he is ready to answer those that seek him aright nor onely a perswasion concerning prayer that this is Gods Ordinance appointed by him as a means whereby we may obtain mercy from him Though all this be included in it yet this is not all The same faith is necessary to the acceptance of our prayers which is required to the acceptance of our persons That faith which gives a person interest in Christ will alone procure the acceptance of his prayers Now this faith puts forth in prayer a three-fold Act. 1. It presents and offers up the prayer in the Name of Christ Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered his Sacrifice Faith carries our Prayers to our Mediator the great Master of Requests for his hand to be put to them without which they will not be regarded yea it puts them into his hand it saies unto Christ Lord Jesus take thou this prayer what infirmities there are in it do thou cover what sinnes thou findest in them do thou hide Mingle thy blood with my Sacrifice let thine incense ascend with my offering and thus let it be carried before the Throne of Grace where that it may speak for me let thy blood speak for it 2. It depends and relies upon God through Christ for acceptance and performance It eyes and leans upon the Promise of God which in Christ is Yea and Amen and setting to its seal that God is true upon this it stayes it self 3. It works the heart to a confidence or a confident perswasion that God for Christs sake will hear and answer 1 John 5. 14. This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us But here consider that this confident perswasion that God doth hear and accept us however it ar gues an higher degree of Faith and brings in much Peace and Comfort to the heart and if it be well grounded is a good Argument that the Lord intends to fulfil our desires yet is it not so necessary to the acceptance of our Prayers but that they may be heard where this is wanting If the former Acts have been put forth if there hath been a presenting them in the hands of our Mediatour joyned with some little staying of our hearts upon the Promise though there be a great fear upon the spirit that God doth not regard them yet for all this they may not be rejected I fear saith a doubting Saint I fear the Lord will not hear me nor regard my prayers there is so much sin in them so many weaknesses wandrings distrâ—sts distractions that I much doubt whether the Holy God will ever have respect to them but such as they are there I leave them in the hands of my Advocate I leave mine Offering on the Altar as poor as it is it is the best I have and though I much question whether it will be accepted yet there I leave it waiting what answer the
lying in wait to steal it away whatever you have built you have adversaries lying in wait to pull down again I have heard of some inchanted places where what men built in the day the Devil pull'd down at night and this danger you are continually in what 's built at one prayer the Devil labours to pull down before the next Let your eye be much upon your hearts observe diligently how they hold up or sink that if there be the least damp or decay growing upon you you may espie it before it be gone too far 'T is no wonder we lose all upon such a sudden when ordinarily as soon as ever our duties are done away we goe and think no more where we have been or what we have been about as if we were well content to take our leave of our duties and our God together When you depart out of your Closets leave your hearts behind you Worldlings seldom bring theit hearts thither when they come to pray they leave their hearts behind them Let Christians never carry them thence when you have done praying and must abroad to your earthly affairs let your hearts stay behind with your God Let your thoughts be much upon the entertainment you have had see to it that the temptations you meet with do not so easily divert you from minding what you have been begging or wrestling for 2. Make present use of what you have obtained God gives Grace and Strength and Life for use and use will preserve it Hath the Lord warm'd thy heart goe warm thy Brothers heart and that will keep thine from cooling Hath God spoken comfortably to thy soul goe and speak of thy God and what he hath done for thee to others Hath God inclined and thereby fitted thee for action take the season thou may'st do more for God and for thy soul in such an hour than in many dayes beside be doing with what thou hast received and thou need'st not fear losing it when we are idle then we fall asleep and grow cold Instruments do not rust while they are in use We never more spend our strength than when we spare our labour 3. Life up your hearts to the Lord often every hour in some short Ejaculations No business no company can hinder this duty and this will be of special advantage to you therefore neglect it not every sigh or breathing of your souls Heaven-wards will fetch down fresh influences from Heaven upon you 4. Charge this whole course actually upon your selves every morning and examine every evening how you have kept to it 5. If you cannot otherwise bring or hold your selves 〈◊〉 this course bind your selves to it for some time by special vow till being a while inured to it it may become at length more easie Being thus entred upon and prepared for a godly life I shall give you some directions 3. How to carry it on and for your help herein take these following counsels I. In your whole course pursue and as much as possible eye your end God and your own salvation Consider often wherefore you live and what it is you would have and if this be it that God may be honoured and your souls saved let this be pursued and prosecuted in all the parts of your life Take not that course do not that action that hath not some tendency that way and that which hath a tendency let it be directed to that glorious end Let every arrow be levell'd at your mark The reason why the end is no more attained is because it is more intended 't is no wonder we shoot short or beside our mark when our eye is not upon it The eying our end will both direct our course and quicken and encourage us on Set the Lord much before your eyes dwell upon the contemplation of his Glory and glorious Excellencies consider how worthy the Lord is to be exalted and what an honour it is to poor creatures to be any way serviceable to his Honour what pity it is that any of your time any of your strength should be spent upon vanity which might be so improved to so worthy aud high an end Begrutch every minute of your time that is not bestowed on God Consider the blessedness of living for ever in the presence and enjoyment of God Look towards the holy City enter by faith into the Holy of Holies set your selves before the Throne of God view as much as at this distance you are capable that everlasting light those blessed and glorious joyes those rivers of pleasure that exceeding eternal weight of glory which is there possessed by the Saints And then say to your hearts Come on soul come on here 's that thou art praying for here 's that thou art labouring for here 's the Country the Kingdom the Crown that thou art fighting for and wrestling for and running and suffering for The setting this glory before your eyes will both quicken and sweeten your holy course and take off your hearâ—â— from any other courses The end puts a beauty upon the means and a blackness upon all the hinderances of its attainment A sight of Heaven will make a holy life a beautiful life There are two things that make an holy life beautiful 1. That it 's the Image of an Heavenly life 2. That it 's the way to it All the labours difficulties sufferings of a godly life are therefore pleasant and beautiful because they are the way of the Kingdom And on the other side a sight of Heaven will make the wayes of sin to be unpleasant to be dark and black wayes There are two grounds upon which sin is odious to the Saints 1. It 's Opposition and unlikeness to God it bears the Image of Hell upon it not of Heaven 2. It 's Interposition betwixt them and their end Nothing else can ever keep them from God There 's no danger of their falling short of Everlasting blessedness but by sin This is the only Gulf that 's fixed between them and Glory And hence 't is that the way of sin with all its pleasures ease and delights is to the Saints a dark and dismal way The pleasures of sin are black pleasures the gains of sin are black gains the jollity and liberty and prosperities of sin are all dark and black in their eye These clouds whatever brightness there seems in them do keep the Sun from shining on them Oh! what progress might you make in the way of Life where Holiness with all its difficulties become beautiful and Sin with all its delights become odious What would there then be wanting that might encourage you on what would there be then left to hinder you Why let God and Glory be more in your eye and then Sin will be more odious Holiness will be more precious in your eye you would then neither want encouragements to lead you on nor be incumbred with such temptations as now keep you back Tit. 2. 11 12 13. The Grace of God
weights The rich men thereof are full of violence and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lyes and their tongue is deceitfull in their mouth Shall I count those pure Are these my People What holy and not honest religious and not righteous What sincerity without truth a single heart with a double tongue What grace where there is no peace nor mercy nor temperance What railers and revilers and quarrellers and yet religious James 1. 26. If any man seems to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans Religion is vain A dreadfull word There are many Professors of Religion in whom an unbridled tongue is found How many light and vain words how many false and deceitful words especially how many bitter and angry words do we ordinarily hear out of such mouths what biting and devouring what cutting and provoking what reproaching and reviling language doth often break forth at the same mouths whence at other times we hear praying and blessing But can such consider his Scripture withouâ— a trembling heart This mans Religion is vain Vain notes two things 1. Empty Whatever Religion such men seem tâ— have there is nothing in it 2. Ineffectual That is vain that falls short of and doth not reach its end nor brinâ— about thaâ— for which it is The end of our Religion is salvation Whatever Religion such men have it will do them no good nor stand them in any stead it will never save their souls they may die and be damned and lie in hell for ever notwithstanding all the Religion they have All the conclusions that men make from such Religion that they are in a state of grace and salvation are false and deceitful that faith and that hope and those prayers which will consist with the raiging evils of the tongue will never be any good evidence of a good state That which cannot drive the Devil out of the Tongue will never prove Christ to be in the heart And all the expectations that are hence raised of future blessedness will undoubtedly deceive them That Religion which will not tame the Tongue will never save the soul I incist the more on this because however those evils mentioned injustice unmercifulness intemperance c. may possibly be as common and some of them as pernicious and the prevailing of them as certainly concluding men in an evil state as this yet these evils of the tongue being but words are more apt to be passed lightly over and notwithstanding all the mischievous consequences of them to be less regarded But can you make a light matter of that which proves you damnable Hypocrites Hast thou spit â—ut all thy Religion in thy furious fits and yet â—ilt thou make nothing of them By this biting â—nd devouring tongue you do not only consume â—ne another but you consume every man himself our own peace your own Comfort your own â—opes your Religion and Salvation You see by â—xperience how it devours all the exercises of Religion what duties are we fit for whilst our â—ongues are on fire Prayer must be laid aside Reading or Conference of God or of Souls are turned out of Doors God himself cannot be heard conscience cannot be heard Souls cannot be minded while those noises and tumults last And that which doth destroy the exercises of Grace cannot but destroy its evidences and bring us at least to question it if not to conclude it a nullity I confess some evils of the tongue may consist with Grace in the Heart but if this Scripture be true an unbridled tongue cannot Grace cannot hold this unruly member under such constant Government but it will too often break â—oose but where it is not brought under government at all where the Heart puts spurs to the Tongue but no bridle where persons looking upon â—ll this a matter of nothing allow themselves in 〈◊〉 and letting loose the Reins to their Tongues â—o ordinarily surrender them up to their Lusts and â—assions to use at pleasure and to vent themselves â—â—eely by such men must first disprove the Scripture before they can prove the truth of theâ—â— Religion Christians you that have been sick of this disease of an evil mouth bless the Lord if the cure be begun but rest not till it be perfected It will stiâ—â— defile where it doth not destroy It will defile youâ— names your evil words will recoil he that spits against the wind his spittle is driven back in his owâ— face It will defile your consciences your hearts never send forth an evil breath but there is some thing of it sticks behind It will defile your duties there will be a tincture on your prayers of that foulness of your mouth which your evil words have left behind them It will defile your profession that will hardly be spoken well of which will bear evil speaking It will disturb where it doth not devour it will disturb you in your holy course if it doth not quite divert you never look to prosper in holinesse or to be fruitful in good works whilst you break forth into such evil words these lean kinâ— and thin ears of envy and contention will eat up all your good fruit I rather wonder to see any thing green in those Gardens where such Locusts lodge than that there is no more Oh Brethren let us no longer excuse but judge our selves for this let our bitterness become bitter to us let us weep over it let us watch against it let us quench those fires within that there be no more such flames and smoak without let us be sensible of those inward inflammations of that unquietnesse and unpeaceableness of our spirits whence all our outward paroxisms arise they are our foul stomacks that fuâ— our tongues We lay the blame of all upon temptations and provocations but they are our lusts our lusts that are in fault which war in our members Let us be more sensible of these let us be humbled let us be ashamed that we that profess our selves sons of peace should harbour such sons of contention in our hearts Let the experiences we have had of the loss we have sustained the guilt we have conâ—racted the wounds that we have given to our â—rethren to our own souls to the Gospel of our Lord already let these set us a purging out this â—our leaven Let salt be cast into the fountain that â—he streams may become sweeter and when the fountain is healed then let us sweep the Channel let there neither be war any longer in our hearts nor a sword in our mouths Let us beat our Swords into Plough-shares and our Spears into pruning hooks Let our words plough up the hearts and not break the heads let them pare off and reprove the sins and not reproach the faces of our brethren Let us counsel and admonish and comfort one another and provoke to love and good works but let there be no more bitterness or strife or envying or quarrellings found among us let us
true heart Heb. 10. Let us be undâ—filed or upright in the way of the Lord Psal 119. 1 Let our works be found perfect before him Let us love in truth let us speak the truth in love let all our paths be mercy and truth Let our hearts be in every word in every step of our lives let the heart do all let the heart pray let the heart hear let the heart give and lend and forgive Let the grace of our hearts do all Let Faith pray and Obedience hear and Repentance celebrate our Fasts Let wisdom guide let Truth speak let Mercy give let Love forgive let Patience bear and Long-suffering forbear let Temperance feed us Humility cloath us and integrity preserve us Let Grace do all and let God have all let Pride have nothing Covetousness nothing and Envie nothing let Lust neither bear a part in our doings nor eat any of the fruit of our doing Let there be written on all we have or do Holiness to the Lord. Let us be more desirous to be holy than to be acounted so to be merciful and just and humble and patient than to be accounted such to have a good conscience in the sight of God than to obtain a name amongst the best of men If we be not reckoned amongst the ablest Christians for Gifts for Parts and Endowments let it content us that we are Christians If we be not the most skilful Christians if our fruits be not the fairest and most beautiful yet let them be fruits brought forth unto God the right fruit sound fruit If what we do be weakly done yet let it be â—onestly done Let us be Nathaniels Israelites indeed in whom is no guile So plain-hearted and single-hearted in all our ways that though our Adversaries do yet neither our God nor our consciences may call us Hypocrites Let us be able to appeal to God as the witness of our integrity Lord thou knowest that I love thee thou knowest that my heart is with thee Let us be able to commit our selves and our waies unto the Lord as he that shall plead for us against all the slights and censures of men My God shall plead my cause my God shall answer for me Brethren Sincerity will give us boldnesse before the Lord We shall be able to lift up our faces in his Presence and look in his Face in peace and he that can be bold with God may be bold with all the world He that can look God in the Face may look his accusers in the face his Despisers and Persecutors in the face He that can freely appeal to God can boldly appear before men The sinners in Sion are afraid fearfulness surprizeth Hypocrites The sense of their guilt and guile sides with every danger that they are in strengthen 〈◊〉 very feer that comes upon them makes their own hearts to fall upon themselves puts a sting into every cross starves them out of all their comforts To God they dare not look to Conscience they dare not remember they are forsaken of all their supports and left to shake and sink under every trouble that comes upon them 'T is innocency that hath boldness dare to be upright and fear nothing Go thy way ear thy bread with joy drink thy wine with a merry heart for God accepteth thy works II. Be steady and even in all your goings Be not off and on in and out Prov. 4. 24 26 27. Prov. 33 17. Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long Alone in company at home abroad in thy duties in thy business in thy recreations all the day and every day let tomorrow be as this day and next day as to morrow In this evenness and equality of our lives stand the beauty and comlinesse of them when all the several parts of them bear their due proportion each to other Let your wayes be conform to the Canon and let them be uniform be like unto God and then be ever like your selves be unchangeable We appear almost so many men as we live daies or come into companies We have more of the Moon than of the Sun little light but many changes and spots Let not your conversation be so checker'd let not Christians be speckled birds let there not be so many black among your whites sometimes something of God sometimes as much of the flesh What a deformitie is it to a new Garment to have here and there a companie of old rotten patches Now a little of God and then as much of the Devil now serious in the Spirit and then in the flesh now serious and savourie by and by frothie and vain this hour in a Divine Rapture and the next in a fleshly frolick now a little of Godliness and then a patch of sensualitie Be Christians â—â—nd be ever your selves do not change your Hearts with your Companie Be not of those vain ones who can cast themselves into any shape can suit themselves to any Times or Companies Who can weep with those that weep and mourn with them that mourn and pray with them that pray and can also laugh and be merry and jolly with those that are so Let all your goings be established be ever in the fear of the Lord. III. Be fruitful That ground is counted fruitful which bringeth forth good Fruit and which bringeth forth much Fruit. I have alreadie directed you how to bring forth good Fruit now let me presse you to see to it that your Fruits do abound 1 Cor. 15. 58. Alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord. Jam. 3. 17. The wisdom which is from above is pure and peaceable c. and full of good fruit John 15. 18. Here in is my Father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit Rom. 6. 19. As you have yeilded your members servants to uncleannesse and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yield your members servants to Righteousnesse unto Holiness You have been the servants of sin be ye now the servants of Righteousnesse and be ye as free and as forward and as fruitful in the service of righteousnesse as ever you have been in the service of sin You have added sin to sin unrighteousnesse to uncleaness iniquity to inquity A sin hath abounded and multiplied its fruits sâ—â— let grace also abound and bring forth its fruits abundantly Let your lives be as much filled up with the works of righteousnesse and mercie and holinesse as they have been with the works of the flesh Brethren time was when a little sin could not suffice you a little sporting a little pleasure would not serve your turn you thought you would never have enough of the world and the lusts and vanities of it why prove your selves now to be as heartily the servants of Christ as ever you were the servants of sin by being fruitfully his as ever you were fruitful to sin If Christ be a better Master and a better Pay-Master let him have more and more chearful services Bring forth good fruits and
This may comfort and support thee much under thy failings and miscarriages in some particular duties but if this be thy case in ordinary in the main of thy life that to will is all thou hast thou art not a Christian He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his And he that hath the Spirit of Christ it is in him as the living power of God actually carrying him on in an holy life Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them I will not only command perswade incline you but cause you It shall be done my Spirit shall bring you on and help you through Yâ— shall keep my Staâ—utes and do them Where-ever the Spirit of God hath breathed in the life of grace there are more than breathings out after a gracious life Sincere grace hath more in it than wishings and wouldings than attempts and overtures Life is a power to act Phil. 2. 12 13. Work out your salvation for it is God that workeâ—h in you to will and â—o do Where-ever God worketh the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velle he works also the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operari Where-ever God works in he gives us a power to work out the works of Christiâ—nity Oh rest not till thou find thy self endued with this power from on high inabled to go through with thy work They are not thy Attempts but thy Atchievements they are not thy Offers at an holy life but thy acting it that must prove thee a Christian He that doth rightâ—ousness is righteous Be it thus with thee be all to Christ let Christ be all to thee let all Christ be accepted and improved by thee heartily accept the merit of Chrisâ— Righteousness submit to the light and authority of his Law get thy self possest with and live in the power of his Spirit be it thus with thee come up hither and then thou art safe Thy almost is now come to altogether and if I must now leave thee thou wilt be the better able to spare me These things do and the God of peace shall be with thee Thou art gotten into Sanctuary and now what-ever Tossings and Tumblings whatsoever unpleasing or afflicting changes may be thy lot in this World thou may'st sing that Requiem to thy self Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Gothy way eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy Wine with amerry heart for God now accepteth thee Though thou walkest through the shadow of Death thou may'st now sit thee down under the shadow of thy Lord with great delight and with great security whose fruit shall be ever sweet to thy taste Though thou dwellest in Mesech and hast thy Habitation among the Tents of Kedar yet thou may'st lay thee down in peace and take thy rest for the Lord doth the Lord will make thee to dwell in safety 2. To the Godly Happy Souls The God of Peace is with you all things shall work for good to you only that he may continue with you continue you with him in the obedience of that Gospel to which you have delivered up your selves My Exhortation to you shall be 1. General Respecting the whole course of your Lives 2. Particular Respecting your daily Walk My general Exhortation shall be bottomed on that of the Apostle Phil. 1. 27 28. Let your Conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may hear of your Affaires that you stand fast in one Spirit with one Mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel In nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of Salvation and that of God Let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel Walk worthy of the Gospel let your lives be suitable and answerable to the Holy Gospel which yoâ— profess 1. Let your lives answer the ends of the Gospel the exaltation of the Name and glorious Grace of God in Christ live an humble self-denying self-abasing this is a Christ exalting life 2. Let your life answer â—he Dignities and Honours the Gospel invests you with You are the children of God the Heirs of Glory the Spouse of Christ the Bride the Lambs Wife You are a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people know your priviledges and do not live below your selves defile not your glory by stooping to a Carnal and Earthly Life a Jewel is not more unbecoming a Swines snout than fleshly Husks a Saints Palate 'T is below you who are peculiar people to your God to live in common with the Men of â—his World humble your selves into the least of Saints but do not humble your selves into Bruits a Live in the Spirit converse with God be dealing for Glory Honour and Immortality 3. Let your Lives answer the Names which the Gospel puts upon you Doves Lambs Lillies be harmless peaceable gentle beautiful fragant sending forth a precious savour in the World 4. Let your Lives answer the Riches the Reward the Crown the Kingdom which the Gospel sets before you Live a contented life be satisfied be well pleased with what you have here be it little or much disgrace not your portioâ— the Gospel allots you as if it â—re a poor insufficient portion Let your souls â—â—y How small an handful soever you have of this Earth it is enough Christ is mine A discontented Christian says Christ is not enough Heaven is not enough Let the Contentation of thy Spirit declare before the World that the Lines are fallen to thee in 〈◊〉 pleasant place and that thou hast a goodly heritage Do not put this Scorn upon God and Glory that thou must be beholding to the Devil to mend thy portion Christian either thou art within the Promise or a stranger from it Either thou hast the God of Peace with thee or not If not me-thinks thou shouldst find other matter to take up thy thoughts and not have leasure to perplex thy self with every trivial want that thy meat or thy drink or thine house or the carriage of thy friends towards thee are not according to thy mind thy Soul thy Soul man thy life is in danger Oh what an Eternity art thou like to have of it Canst thou want a God a Christ an Heaven and thine heart never stir at it And is the dissatisfaction of thy vain mind or appetite such a Burthen Is the Devil in thy heart and it never moves thee and shall an ill neighbour be a vexation to thee Canst thou feel a Feather when thou hast a Talent upon thee The Curse the Curse of God is upon thee I cannot wonder thou shouldst be discontent but me-thinks these small matters by a man in thy case should not be minded If Christ and the Promise be thine is not that enough Are not all things enough God is all
It holds up Christ for a shield it holds up the Promises for a Shield the very Commands and Institutions of God for a Shield and Safe-guard to the Soul Sometimes the sense of guilt assailes and weakens the heart It is not so much any thing without us as something within us that raises our fears How small a matter will fright a guilty Soul Guilt will make every stroke a stab It 's the barb of the arrow the venome on the dart or the sore of the heart that makes every stroke formidable and terrible 'T is the guiltless Soul that hath courage and boldness Hic murus ahoeneus esto Now against this dreadful dart Faith holds up a Buckler with a Crucified Jesus upon it and so that 's quenched Sometimes darkness and uncertainties about the way that we are in raises our fear A Christian that knows himself in his duty in his way is out of fear Clearness gives boldness Whilst we question the warrantableness of the way we are in every shadow of danger will shake us Against such feares Faith holds up a Buckler with this inscription Have not I commanded thee It shews the Command and in that our warrant and in our warrant our security When we question whether our Worship for which we are like to suffer be right or no Faith holds up an Institution for our Shield If this Fear oh I shall not hold our I shall deny my Lord and his faith if put to it assailes the Soul here faith holds up the Promise for a Buckler He hath said I will not fail thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper 2. Formally Faith not only lifts up a shield but is our shield The very believing in a crucified Jesus the very believing the Command the Justification the promise stays and supports the heart against whatsoever may befall it I had fainted but that I believed Christians whatever your duties difficulties despondencies straits temptations afflictions weaknesses are believe and you shall be carried through believe and you shall be established Believe in Christ and you shall dare to follow Christ believe in Christ and you shall go through with Christ and hold out to the end Believe and you shall neither fear faint nor fall Your Faith will both keep you faultless and save you harmless and thereby secure you from sinking and fainting in your minds If this be not enough let me add that Faith will yet farther scatter all your fears by this double Act 1. It will put your reward into your hands 2. It will put all your troubles to a present end 1. It will put your reward into your hand it will set the Crown on your head even whilest the Cross is on your back Faith makes things to come present Heb. 11. 1. It is the subsistence or being of things hoped for it gives being to the good things promised before they are Hope carries the eye to the object looks on things to come as to come Faith bâ—ings the object to the eye looks on things to come as comâ— it looks on distance of time as God looks on it on a thousand years but as one day It looks on Gods saying and doing on Gods promising and performing as all one It antidates Glory and gives a kind of present possession of it in hand Rom. 8. In all these things we are more than Conquerors In Tribulation in Perâ—ecution in Famine in Nakedness In all these things we are more than Conquerors Not only afterwards we shall be but in all these things even whilest we are under them we are more than Conquerors The conquest is obtained in the very entrance of the Combat This is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Believe Christian and thy Faith will be thy Victory thy Shield will be thy Palm 2. It will put all our troubles to a present end Faith looks on things to come as present and thereby on things present as past It looks on all things according as they will be in their issue and end It looks on things to come according to what they will be when they are come It looks on things present according to what they will be when they are past It sees all passing and considers it as past already It sees all passing the World upon its wing the Fashion of it passeth away It sees the Riches of the world upon their wings the Pride and the Pomp and the Gallantry and the Glory of the World upon their wings And it sees the Poverty of the world the Troubles of the World all upon the wing It looks on the blackest Clouds as flying Clouds and it considers all as gone already It looks on the clear that is beyond the Clouds it says as God says Babylon is fallen is fallen Not only it shall fall but it is fallen and shall not be able to rise Aed what place can there be then left for fear or fainting Was the Red Sea a Terrour to Israel when they saw themselves gotten to the other side Did Sampson's dead Lion fright him Will the Remembrance of what you have suffered be a Terrour to you when you are gotten through and are come out of Tribulation Why open the Eâ—e of your Faith and see the Coast already clear You will see the Red Sea behind you the Wilderness behind you Jordan behind you and your selves gotten safe on the banks of Canaan Come on Soul what should hinder thee May be thou supposest thou hast a great fight of affliction to endure grant thou hast yet fear none of those things thou shalt suffer till thou canst fear those things thou hast suffered Though thou be now putting on thy Armour believe and thou maiest boast as if thou hadst put it off Death where is thy sting Grave where is thy victory Where is the Fury of the Oppressor Thine enemies are already under thy feet man Death it self is swallowed up in Victory Christians Cherish improve increase your Faith and this will clear your way of all youâ— fears Wherefore didst thou doubt oh thou of little faith Oh 't is a sign our faith is but low when our fears are so high The day the Lord hears you in this Prayer Lord encrease our Faith he delivers you from your fears Wax strong in faith and you will wax bold in your God 3. Be humble 't will be your advantage that you stand on the lower ground he whose heart hath already laid him in the Dust will not fear how low his enemies can lay him 4. Be peaceable your Preces Lachrymae will be your best weapons the guilt of your unquiet and unwarrantable resistance will weapon your hearts more than all your partakers will strengthen your hands Prov. 20. 22. Say not I will recâ—mpence evil wait on the Lord and he will save thee Patient and peaceable suffering will be the best way to abash your Persecutors and embolden your Souls Now gather up â—ll these
yet for the discharge of my duty and for your own necessity bear with me I am afraid that whilst I have been preaching to you of an incorruptible Crown of an everlasting Rest a Kingdom of Joy and Glory I am afraid there are many of you That have no part nor lot in this matter but are still in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity If the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost And are there none among you from whom this Gospel is hid hid as to the light of it hid as to the saving power and efficacy of it I am afraid there are too many I am afraid there 's many a blind eye many a hard heart many a Spirit still in Prison under the Power of their Lusts and Bruitish Sensuality I am afraid there are many such among you and are not you afraid so too Oh that you were 2. I have a greater fear than this I am afraid of some of you that not only all my past Labour but this last will be lost also Those that stand it out to their last day do usually stand it out in their last day Blessed be God that there are amongst you those over whom my Soul is comfoâ—ted To whom I can speak in the words of the Apostle Rom 6. 17. God be thanked that ye were the Servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that from of Doctrine that hath been delivered unto you and being now made free from sin you are become the Servants of Righteousness Oh that I could thus speak Oh that I could thus rejoyce over you all But as the Apostle said to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12. 20. I fear left when I come I shall find you such as I would not So must I say with a grieved hearâ— I feaâ— that now I am going I shall leave you such as I would not I would not leave one blind person one vain person one loose liver not one unbeliever or impenitent amongst you an Oh what a good day would this day of my departure be what Light would there be in this dark Evening were it thus with you If I might see you all recovered out of the Snares of the Devil every man's Eyes open'd every man 's Fetters off every man's Prison broken and his Soul escaped from that deadly bondage if every poor deadly Creature among you who yet lies bound hand and foot in his Grave Clothes might now at last stand up from the Dead and live the Life of God this would be mine and your great rejoycing But oh I fear with this Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 21. My God will humble me and grieve me and afflict me to see in what a woful plight I must leave divers of you Oh ye sons of the Night you poor ignorant and dark Souls upon whom the Light hath shined but your Darkness comprehendeth it not Oh you poor obstinaâ—e hardned Souls upon whom I have been ploughing as upon Rocks hewing as upon Adamants who still remain under as great hardness as if no Dew nor Rain had ever fallen on you Oh you poor half-bakâ—ed almost Christians that have taken up your stand in your present Attainments my Soul is under great fears and must weep in secret for you whilst my Tongue must be henceforth silent Oh every Soul that is without fear of himself my Soul is afraid for you the fearless Soul is in a fearful state Sinners let my fears be your fears What is there such astonishing guilt upon you and yet not afraid Such a dreadful Roll writ against you and yet not afraid So many Sabbaths Sermons Warnings lost and never to be recalled nor any Assurance left of one Sermon or Warning more and yet not afraid Such a subtil Devil such a deceitful heart such a tempting world that you have to deal withall such a black and bottomless Pit into which you are falling and yet not afraid Oh what Stocks and Stones hath the Gospel to deal withalâ— Beloved have laboured much with you both publickly and from house to house to bring you under a due fear and jealousie of your selves but hitherto your hearts have been too hard for me Oh yet for trembling hearts tremble and sin not fear and pray fear and hope fear and repent Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling Oh if my fears were once become your fears your fears would become my hopes Oh what a Day-spring of hopes would arise from the shaking of secure hearts These fears would be as the thicker Darkness forerâ—nners of break of Day 2. My parting wishes and desires for you are 1. That the good Seed which hath been sown amongst you were well rooted in every heart I wish that my Twenty years Ministry among you may not be lost labour to any of your souls 2. I wish that your next Seeds-man may be more skilful and successful that the good Lord will provide you a man that may teach you in wisdom gain you in Love lead you on to life by an holy Example and if the Lord grant you this mercy I wish that such a one may be dearly priz'd and chearfully accepted by you God keep this Flock from a Ravening Wolf and a deceitful Shepherd 3. I wish that there may be no Root of Bitterness springing up amongst you that there be no Divisions or Contentions but that you may live in peace and love that the God of peace and love may be with you 4. I wish that this place where so much good Seed hath been sown may become a fruitful Field that the Fruits of Faith and Repentance the Fruits of Righteousness and Holiness may be in you and abound that you may be neither barren nor unfruitful that Religion in the power and practice of it may so visibly flourish in the several persons in the several Families of this Congregation that they that go by may see and say This is the Field which the Lord hath blessed 5. I wish that whatever Clouds may at any time gather over you may not fall down in a withering Storm or a sweeping Floud but may pass away in a Mist or dissolve into a fruitful Dew that no Persecutions or Temptations may ever carry you down the Stream with evil men nor blight any hopeful beginnings that are budding forth in any of your Souls If Tribulation should be any of your Lots I wish that it may not be to you as the Hail of Egypt but as the Dew of Hermon 6. I wish you a joyful Harvest that you may reap in Eternity what hath been sown in time may you now sow in Righteousness and therefore reap in Mercy May every one of you that is now sowing in Tears for ever reap in joy May you that go on your way weeping bearing pretious Seed return with joy and bring your Sheaves with you May the Showers of this day be the watering of your Seed that it may spring up to Eternal Life Brethren My
The treasures of wisdom are found with them they have gotten great treasure 66 1. The Pearl 67 2. The white Stone 68 3. The white Robe 69 4. The Adoption 71 5. The Inheritance 73 Use 1. Advising the profane world to forbear censuring or reproaching them 77 Use 2. Perswading them to come in and be of this number 80 The absolute necessity of precise godliness is evidenced 1. From Scripture 82 2. From Reasons drawn from Scripture in six Propositions 1. The Gospel requires as indispensably necessary to Salvation inward Holiness 86 2. This inward Holiness which the Gospel requires is an holy frame or habit 87 3. This inward habitual holiness stands in an universall compliance of the heart with the whole will of God 88 4. This inward habitual holinesse is such as bears the sway and hath the preheminence in the soul 89 5. This inward habitual prevailing holinesse where-ever it is will infallibly bring forth a precise and circumspect life 90 Therefore 6. Whosoever is not a person of a precise life is undoubtedly in the state of damnation The Contents of the Sermon on John 1. 47. THe Text opened 94 The Doctrine propounded Godliness is no Fancy 95 The Doctrine explained 96 The Doctrine confirmed ib. I. The Principles or Doctrines of Godliness are no Fancies Instanced in the Doctrines 1. of God his Being and Holinesse 97 2. Of Sin 100 3. Of Redemption 109 4. Of Regeneration 115 5. Of Faith 123 6. Of Good Works 126 7. Of Judgment 140 II. The Duties and Comforts of Godlinesse are no fancies 151 Instanced in the Duties of 1. Worshipping God in the Spirit ib. 2. Walking in the Spirit 1. What is meant by the Spirit 157 2. What by walking in the Spirit 158 1. Living under the conduct of the Spirit 160 2. Living in the power of the Spirit ib. 3. Living a spiritual life 161 The Life of the Saints evidenced to be a spiritual and Heavenly life by three things 1. Their chief dealings are about spiritual and heavenly things 162 2. Their delights are in spiritual and heavenly things 3. By their spiritual dealings and delights themselves grow dayly more and more spiritual and heavenly 166 3. That walking in the spirit is no fancy 167 Proved from four damnable absurdities that would otherwise follow viz. If there be no such thing really as walking in the Spirit 1. Then the Spirit of God is unfaithful in his Office 170 2. Then God himself is false in his promise 171 3. Then the Devil does more to the damning than the spirit of God doth to the saving of souls ibid. 4. Then God hath no people in the world 173 An exception against the reality of the delights joys and comforts of godliness answered 174 The Application Use Of Direction 1. To the ungodly in order to the bringing them to a godly life 194 Direct 1. Get these three Principles fixed in your hearts 1. That things Eternal are unspeakably more considerable than tâ—ings temporal 195 2. That things not seen are as infallibly certain as the things that are seen 198 3. That according to your present choice must be your eternal lot 202 Direct 2. Make your choice 203 Direct 3. Imbarque with Christ 204 Direct 4. Resign up your selves to Christ 210 Direct 5. Confirm and compleat all by solemn Covenant 215 2. To the Godly in order to the carrying them on in a Godly Life 227 To whom are given Directions 1. Concerning holy Duties 2. Concerning the leading an holy life Four things premised concerning the influence of holy duties on an holy Life 1. Holy Duties are the exercise of Grace 228 2. In holy Duties we have communion with God ibid. 3. By holy duties we obtain new and fresh supplies from God 229 4. Holy Duties are our conflicting with corruption 232 The Directions concerning holy Duties are such as have respect 1. To the right performance of them 2. To the right improvement of them Directions for the right performance of the duty of Prayer 1. Be constant in the exercise of daily Prayer 233 2. Come to pray with actual and great expectation 237 3. Learn the skill to plead with God in Prayer 238 Four special arguments from which the Saints may plead with God in prayer viz. from 1. God himself his Gracious Nature 239 Glorious Name 241 2. Christ 1. Gods gift of Christ ibid. 2. Christs purchase ibid. 3. The Interest which Christ hath in the Father 242 4. The interest the Saints have in Christ ib. 3. Promises 4. Experiences The use and benefit of the Saints pleading with God in prayer 243 Four special arguments from which Sinners may plead with God in prayer 244 1. God Gracious nature 246 2. Gods call and invitation 247 3. Christ his Sufficiency 248 Office 249 4 Their own necessity ib. 4. Prayer in Faith 251 Directions for performing the Duty of holy meditations Page 239 1. The chief matters to be meditated on reduced to seven Heads 1. God 240 2. Sin 244 3. Christ 247 4. The vanity and misery of a worldly life 251 5. The nature excellency and necessity of a godly Life 254 6. Death and Judgment 257 7. Eternity 263 Some particular advice for the better managing of this duty 269 Directions for the right performance of the Duty of Self-Examination 271 The matters to be examined 1. Whether you be in a state of grace or in a state of Sin 273 There are three marks for the tryal of that 274 2. Whether you are in a languishing or flourishing state 286 Three helps for the finding out that 287 Several causes of languishing or hindrances of flourishing in grace 1. Overly performance of Christian duties 289 2. Vnprofitable converse with Christian Friends ibid. 3. Vnnecessary converse with carnal friends ib. 4. Overmuch business in the world 290 5. The remaining guilt of some unrepented sin ib. 6. Some unmortified lust ib. 7. Sloathfulnesse 291 8. Contentednesse with a poor and low condition ib. Directions for the renewing your Covenant Four things pâ—emised 1. Every sincere Christian is entred into Covenant with God 309 2. Christians do often break Covenant ib. 3. Breaches of Covenant do weaken the obligation of the Covenant and how 311 4. The renewing of your Covenant doth revive the obligation of it 312 Directions 1. For the time when Four special times when this Duty is to be performed ib. 2. For the manner how Directions for the right improvement of holy Duties 1. When ever you set upon Duty resolve to put hard for it to obtain such sensible communion with God in it that you may come off with some lively impressions of God upon your hearts 315 2. What holy lively frame you have attained to in duty be careful to maintain afterwards from duty to duty 317 Directions for the carrying on a constant holy course I. In your whole course pursue and as much as possible eye your End God and your own Salvation 322 II. Walk on in the Name of the
himself from the Fellowship Fashions and Lusts of the World and denying himself the sinful Liberties thereof doth exercise himself to keep a good conscience towards God and men This is the person against whom the great hate and envy and severe censures and calumnies of ungodly men are chiefly intended under what colour or disguise soever they are carried the enmity is not betwixt sinners and Hypocrites but betwixt Sinners and Saints the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the woman not the pretended but the true seed Israelities indeed are the Men whom the Ishmaelites persecute Gal. 4. 29. He that was born after the flesh persecuted him not that pretended to be but was born after the Spirit Of this Person or of this sort of people I shall give you a more full description in these two Particulars 1. By their Make or Constitution 2. By their Way or Conversation 1. By their Constitution they are made and cut out exactly according to the pattern they are born of the Spirit born of God and they bare the express Image of their Father upon them Col. 3. 10. Renewed after the Image of Him that created him they are of a new Make from what they were there is a mighty change wrought in and upon them 2 Cor. 3. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are changed into the same image In our first birth we were brought forth in the Image of our first Father Genesis 5. 3. Adam begat a Son in his own Image that is a fleshly and earthly Image The first man was of the Earth earthly and such are all his natural Progeny an earthly seed an earthly Generation he that is born of the Spirit is brought forth in a spiritual frame John 3. 6. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit He that is born from above is of an Heavenly Nature as well as Original The change that Religion makes on men is not such a low and inconsiderable thing as some Men make it standing only in some little Reformation of the Life but it consists chiefly in the renewing of the Sonl after the Image of God the forming of Christ upon the heart of Inner Man As that second change which shall be at the Resurrection will be the transforming of our vile bodies into the likenesse of Christs Glorious Body so this first change is a transforming of our vile souls into the likenesse of his glorious Spirit Christians are the Temples of the Lord and as Moses made the Tabernacle exactly according to the pattern shewed him in the Mount so these spiritual Temples are made exactly according to their pattern 2 Cor. 3. 3. They are the Epistles of Christ written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of stone but in fleshly Tables of the heart Carnal Men plead hard for their Christianity they are all Christians all Disciples all the people of God though they be ignorant Unbelieving Earthly Sensual yet some kind of Profession such as it is there is among them a profession of Faith a profession of Repentance which though it amount to little more than bare saying I believe I repent I am sorry for my Sins yet this must passe for Christianity But as Christ once said to the tempting Jews whose is this Image and superscription Where is the Divine Stamp and Impress Where is your likenesse to Christ Is there not still the Visage of the Old man Is there not the old Pride the old Envy the old Enmity against Holinesse the old Guile and Falshood and Lust still spread over you Is this the Image of Christ Christians that are truly such are precisely formed according to this pattern they have Face for Face Limb for Limb Grace for Grace all the Grace that is in Christ is truly though not yet perfectly coppied out upon them though the Characters may be something blotted and obscured by reason of the remainders of corruption yet there they are the same mind the same heart that was in Christ is in them A true Christian is a Transcript of Christ As he is so we are in the World This inward change this forming of Christ upon the heart is the very Soul and Life of Christianity you may as well call him a Man whose Soul is not in him as you may call him a Christian who hath not the Spirit of Christ in him Let no man count himself a Christian from any outward priviledges much less from any outward Paint of Christianity but from the inward Prints of it upon his heart Thou hopest thou art a Christian but where is the Image and superscription of Christ upon thy heart Dost thou not find not only an unlikenesse to Christ but a dislike of Christ an inward loathing of the holinesse of Christ and a rising of heart against the strictnesse of that holy life which he requires Dost thou not find a favour of earthlinesse and fleshlinesse beating the sway and rule in thine heart Dost thou not find principles tending altogether to loosenesse and licenciousnesse Is this thy likenesse to Christ Dost thou not find an emptinesse of the Light Life Love Grace of Christ in thy Soul Whatever thou hast of Christ without thou hast nothing of Christ within Deceive not thy self God is a Spirit and his eye is first upon the spirits and souls of men he loves truth in the inward parts he loves holinesse in the inward parts He is a Jew which is one inwardly and he is a Christian which is one inwardly He is not a Christian who is only outwardly so Nay further as he is not a Christian which is not inwardly so so neither he that hath something of the inwards of a Christian and hath not radically all the Graces of Christ in him he that hath faith and hath not Charity he that hath the light of a Christian and not the love he that hath the desires of a Christian and not the conscience of a Christian he that wants any one of the vital parts of Christianity hath nothing at all a thorow Christian is throughout conform to the pattern And thus you have a description of Scripture Precisians by their Make or Constitution II. I shall describe them by their Conversation and that 1. By the end of their Conversation 2. By their course or Motion to this end 1. By the end of their Conversation What is it that these Men would have or whither are they bound They cannot be content to go along with their Neighbours to live and do as others whither is it that they are going or what is it that they would have Why this is it they are travelling Heaven-ward trading to another Country they are bound for the holy Land for the holy City they are going towards Sion or Jerusalem which is above Jerem. 58. 5. They shall ask the way to Sion with their faces thitherward Sion was the ancient seat of Gods residence among his People the place of Gods solemn service
brings him low he abhors himself the more and abaseth himself the lower for that he hath exalted himself so high and the constant desire and labour of his Soul is to bring himself to and hold himself in such lowliness of heart and life that whatever he be oâ— hath done the excellency of the power may apperr to be of God and not of him 2. Whatever they have done they dare not trust upon it or be found in it they dare not be found in their own righteousness but count all things nothing so that they may win Christ and be found in him They labour as zealously in the works of righteousness as they would have done if this must have been their righteousness â—n which they must have stood before the Lord and yet they depend as singly upon Christ and his righteousnesse as if they had never done any thing Before I proceed any further let us a little consider what it is of all this which hath been spoken of these men wherein their folly lies are they fools for making so wise a choice for choosing the better part those true riches that enduring Substance those everlasting Treasures which are laid up in another world that they will not be cheated nor be beguiled by the Devil of that better inheritance by those toyes and fooleries the pleasnres honours and other vanities of this present world that is are they fools that they are not brutes Are they fools that they have taken the right way to the obtaining and possessing that blessedness which they have chosen that they do not content themselves with idle wishings and hopings for that Heaven and promise to themselves they shall not fail of it though they never take that course that leads to it that is are they fools that they be men and will hearken to their reasons and understandings which tell them that the end cannot be attained without the means Are they fools that they will be upright that they will not lye nor swear nor curse nor drink nor riot nor defraud nor oppress but are willing to walk in all the commands of the Lord blameless that is are they fools that they are honest men Is this their folly that they will not content themselves with a formal outside Religion with outward Reformation but will take care of the heart and inside as well as the outside will perform spiritual duties purge themselves from spiritual wickedness will make sure work by laying the Axe to the root of that wickedness which breaks forth in their lives those lusts that war in their members that is are they fools that they are not Hypocrites Is this their folly that are so free and forward and zealous in that which is good that is are they fools that they will love God so much and fear God so much and go on so far and so fast in obedience to him their hearts the vigour of their affections and care and labour to the Divel and their lusts and reserve only some little for God and their Souls Anâ— they fools that they will be so wary and watchful against sin and temptations to it that they will keep themselves so far out of danger as may be that is Is it their folly that they are not fools Stand forth ye wise men of the World that charge the Saints with folly read over all the particulars of that true description I have given you of them and tell us in good earnest if you can in which of the particulars their folly lies is it that they are not brutes that they are men that they are honest men that they are not hypocrites or that they are not fools that you account them such Men are fools that they are so precise 't is all one as if you should say if they were wise they would be brutes knaves and fools Behold here the wisdom of this World Hath not God made the wisdom of the World foolishness Thus we have seen what this exact and upright walking is as it respects the Commandment Now shall we consider it 2. As it respects Conscience And thus I shall give this double description of thesâ— circumspect Christians 1. They take great care of Conscience 2. They give good heed to Conscience 1. They take great care of Conscience and take great pains about their Conscience Their care they take is twofold 2. About the informing and instructing Conscience 2. About the keeping Conscience tender 1. They take great care about the informing and instructing their Consciences Conscience is to be made the inward guide of their way As the word is to be their guide without them so Conscience is to be their inward guide Their care therefore is that it may not be a blind guide Hence it is that they are so much in searching and studying the Scriptures they are much conversant in their Bibles they are observed to be frequent in hearing Sermons diligent in Nothing and Repeating what they hear are often putting their doubts and opening their difficult cases to those that are able to resolve them and all this to get their Consciences enlightned and instructed in the will of God Though there are many things that they are ignorant of yet there is nothing that they are willingly ignorant of their desires and prayers to the Lord are the same with the Psalmists Psal 119. 19. Hide not thy Commandments from me and with Elihus in Job What I know not teach thou me 2. They take great care to keep their consciences tender Tenderness of conscience is sometimes taken for weakness of conscience a weak conscience is that which is both weak-sighted and is not able to discern between things that differ but is very subject to mistakes it mistakes good for evil lawful for unlawful and it s also full of troublesom and unreasonable fears and endless scruples which as the crudities abounding in a weak stomack do make it keck and rise not only at that which is hurtful but sometimes at that which is wholesom enough it often fears where no fear is this tenderness their endeavours are to cure and not to cherish True tenderness of conscience is the perfection of it a truly tender conscience is a sound conscience which is quick of sense and presently feels and smarts and is put to pain with any thing that is really an offence to it A tender conscience is as the eye the least dust that 's blown into it will make it smart and this not from soreness but wickedness of sense The dim-sighted world look upon all tenderness as weakness and count all such whose consciences cannot down with any thing as a company of sickly weakly brain-sick spirits and all their Doubtings and Dissatisfactions to be humor and conceit and peevishness and causless fears but this tenderness is so far from being the sickness that it is the health and soundness of the heart it was the commendation and not the reproach of King Josiah 2 King 22. 19. That
fear no reprover but conscience let us be tender not only of committing sin but of any omissions or neglects not only of our neglects of duties but our negligences in duties and that deadness formality cursoriness coldness hypocrisie distractions which hence arise of the neglects or negligent performances of our duty to God of our duty to men to our families to our friends to our enemies our not pittying them nor praying for them nor wishing them well not doing them good for their evil endeavouring by our soft meek inoffensive and loving carriage towards them to win and gain upon their hearts Oh Brethren we have much 〈◊〉 blame our selves for though evil men have little or if they have more they are so unhappy as not to hit upon the right judging us condemning us not for our faults but for the good that is found in us But however we have much to blame our selves for the Lord help us we have many haltings and many failings Oh it were well for us if our hearts had no more to say against us then men can say what unevenness and inequality is there in our goings what intermissions of our care and watchfulness what ever our aims and desires are what an universal regard soever we have to the will of God yet when we come to practice in how many things do we go awry It may be we dare not wholly neglect a duty not a praying season not a hearing season but our hearts will presently be upon us and smite us for it but are we not often remiss and negligent in our duties and go out with it without any trouble may be we take some care in the matters of our own souls but what do we for our families our friends and acquistance may be we dare not conform to evil men nor have fellowship with them in their evil wayes but do we not coâ—nive at them may be we do not render evil for evil railing for railing but do we good foâ— evil do we pitty them pray for them labour by all lawful means to gain upon their hearts may be we dare not be unrighteous or unjust in our dealings but are we not unmerciful unpeaceable unquiet we dare not lye nor sweaâ— or curse but are we so watchful as we should be against idle and vain talkings frothy unsavoury discourses may be we cannot suffer any rooted malice to abide in our hearts but are there not many sudden and furious fits of passion anger breaking forth much bitter provoking language are we not fretful and impatient without eâ—er laying it much to heart doth conscience check us for and make resistance against every evil Let us be universally tender universally careful Oh that our consciences were but as tender as our lusts our pride will not bear any thing that reflects upon our reputation our covetousness will not bear any thing that is an hindrance to our gains our passions will hardly bear the least cross or unpleasing word how touchy are we at every little thing that does offend us Oh if conscience were in every thing as tenderas lust what Christians should we be but woe to us whatever we should be how short do we fall how unequal are our goings how unsteady are our tempers sometimes tender sometimes hard sometimes watchful sometimes heedless in some things careful in some things carelâ—ss how do we too much justifie the wicked harden them in their reproaches of us Let us press on with so much earnestness to this evenness exactness in all our ways that it may be seen that however we have not yet attained yet we are following after though we have not reached to yet we are reaching towards it though through infirmity we fall into many iniquities yet we allow not to our selves a liberty in any such a conscience as this such a course as this will plead for its self against all the calumnies of the World 2. By belying your integrity that is the sence in which Job speaks in the fore-mentioned Scripture I will not remove my integrity that is I will never belye my integrity call you me an hypocrite or what else you please God forbid that I should justifie you by belying my self saying as you say Brethren do not out of any base fear or to make your peace with sinners do not say of your tenderness watchful walking this was my pride or my hypocrisie or my bumor or self-will but stand upon your own uprightness Till I dye I will hold fast my righteousness will not let it go mine heart shall not reproach me while I live v. 6. 2. They give great heed to conscience they will hearken to follow conscience the voice of a well instructed conscience is the voice of God to this voice they will hearken without turning aside in any thing either to the right hand or the left By turning aside to the right hand I mean the same which Solomon does by being righteous overmuch Eccles 7. 16. Be not righteous overmuch the imposing upon ourselves such strictness and those severities which God hath not imposed the making those things to be sins which God hath not made to be sins and hereby making the narrow way narrower than the Lord hath made it and this may be done 1. By putting Religion in such things in which Cod hath put none laying other bonds and burthens on our necks then those which the Holy Ghost hath laid on us the abridging and cutting our selves short of that Christian liberty which the Lord hath not only allowed but commanded us to maintain and stand fast in 2. By putting more Religion in any thing then God hath put in it by laying a greater weight and stress upon the lesser and smaller thingsâ— of Religion than God hath layed on them By the lesser duties of Religion I mean not any moral duties the lowest of these the lowest duties of mercy justice charity truth c. are to be reckoned among the weighty matters of the law wherein we â—annot erre by being too strict we cannot be too just or too true or too merciful nor too zealous for truth justice and mercy Mat. 5. 19. He that breaketh the least of these Commandments and teacheth them so shall be called the least in the Kingdom â—f Heaven but by the lesser things of Religion I mean the circumstantials of the worship of God the outward forms of worship the gestures c. to be used in it This is a being righteous overmuch to put more in these circumstantials then the Scripture hath put to be so zealous for or against them as if Religion stood or fell with them 1 Cor 7. 19. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the Commandments of God some there were that did hotly contend for Circumcision and did put much of their Religion in that others were as hot against it this was much of their Religion both these the
Scripture and withdraw themselves from the loose and vain wayes of the wicked spending much of their time in praying and hearing and meditating of God exercising themselves in holy watchfulness over their hâ—â—rts and all their wayes labouring in all things that both here and hereafter they may be accepted and approved of God The other sort live at their ease and their pleasuâ—â— minde their Farms and Oxen and bellies hope they shall do well enough here-after but do not much trouble themselves nor take any care or pains about it Let every man ask his own heartâ— thus Which of these two sorts do I think in my conscience will be found fools and which wise in the day of Judgment Beloved will you speak your consciences in this thing if it were put to your choice amongst which of these two sorts you would be found and take your portion at last what choice do you think you should make whether would you be found amongst those that spend their dayes in ignorance or those that seek after the knowledge of God amonst those that labour and strive to make sure the love and favour of God or amongst those that take no care about it but leave it at uncertainties Amongst the vain or the serious the diligent or the sloathful the heavenly minded or the earthly minded Dare any of you say let my soul stand amongst the drunkards and gluttons and gallants and good-fellows among the covetous and proud and loose and careless ones of the earth Among the formalists the mockers and scoffers at the pure wayes of the Lord let my portion be with them my place be with them let my sentence be according to their sentence If you dare not make this your choice or desire to be found amongst such at that day you thereby may perceive what the verdict of your own conscience is in this case whatever you say of them now your conscience tells you that these will be found the only fools in that day and those only wise amongst whom you would choose to stand Reas 3. The properties of wise men are found in them I shall instance but in two 1. They understand themselves a right 2. They build sure 1. They understand themselves aright for 1. They understand wherein their interest lies we say of a wise Man the is a Man that understandâ— himself that understands what he hath to do Christians are men of understanding they understand what that one thing is for which they live in the pursuit and security whereof if they prosper they know they shall be happy whatever else they miscarry in and upon their miscarriage wherein they know they are undone whatever else they prosper in they know there is but one thing needful and that that one thing is their eternal interest the blessedness to come the happiness of the other world the obtaining and enjoying of God for the portion of their Souls be thou mine and I have what I look for either in Heaven or Earth Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and in Earth there is none that I desire in comparison of thee Psal 4. 6. There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired Phil. 3. 13. This one thing I do Christians have but one thing wherein they are concerned God is all they have to regard this one thing they have in their eyes they see before them where their happiness lies and they are able to say Whom have I or what have I but thee This one thing is in their hearts one thing have I desired That I may dwell in the House of the Lord for ever and this one thing is in their hand too the work and the business they mind to carry oâ— This one thing I do forgetting that which is behind and reaching forth to that which is before I press to the mark for the price of the â—high calling of God in Christ Jesus Sinners you that take your selves to be so wise you are a company of poor mistaken Creatures mistaken in your interest you are in the world you know not for what you know not what you have to do here you are those men upon whom God is said Psal 14. To look down from Heaven to see if there were any among them that did understand and seek God That did understand that is that knew that their great business they had here to do and their only happiness which they had to seek lay in God and that thereupon applyed themselves to the seeking of God but behold they were all out of the way there were none amongst them that understand this that this was their great concernment and thereupon they were all out of the way quite off from that work that they were sent hither about it is no wonder you shoot so wide when you mistake your mark it is no wonder you do you know not what when you know not what you should do Is this the work you came into the World for to Eat and Drink and Sleep and Buy and Sell and Marry and bring forth Children and load your selves and them with burthens of thick Clay to Sport and Play and Riot and Laugh and spend your dayes in meer Vanity and Foolery are there no higher things than these which God hath set before you and more worthy your choice and labour Have you no Souls to mind that are of an immortal being and are there not lasting Riches abiding Pleasures an enduring substance that may be had that must be had for these souls of yours tâ—â—ive upon or else they will be eternally miserabâ—â— and do you noâ— understand that your souls are of more value than your perishing Carkasses and that the making provision for your souls is of far higher consequence than the pampering of your bodies Will the loss of your souls be recompenced by all your bodily pleasures and plenty VVill not the saving your souls ballance and make amends for any losses crosses miscarriages in your fleshly interest If you do not understand this yet do not judge them fools that do 2. They understand their way Prov. 14. 8. The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way The wisdom of a Merchant lies not only in his skill to choose and deal in the right and richest commodities which will bring in the greatest and most certain gain but in his understanding the mystery of his Trade whereby he may upon the best and surest terms procure these commodities to know the best way of dealing and traffiquing for them Christians by their being acquainted with the Scriptures and having been trained up in the School of Christ are come to understand their Trade the mystery of godliness they have not only learn'd to prize the salvation of God and the glory and blessedness of the world to come but are well acquainted with the way that leads to it
preaching to others I my self should become a cast-away For Scripture-promises consider these Blessed are the poor in spirit bessed are the meek the merciful they that hunger and thirst after righteousness the pure in heart they that are persecuted for righteousness sake for they shall see God theirs is the Kingdom of heaven they shall be comforted filled and great is their reward in heaven For Scripture-prayers consider these The God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body may be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Now the God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight Multitudes of such like Scriptures might be added but these may suffice Now wherefore are all these things written Wherefore are these strict commands given these holy lives of Saints left upon Record these promises made and these prayers kept upon the file Are they not all written for our learning to let every man and woman understand what manner of persons they must be what manner of Lives they must live if they will be saved If less or a lower Religion would serve to what purpose is this waste If it be so People may forbear to charge Precisians with keeping more ado than needs and lay in their charge against the Scriptures for requiring more than needs But do you think indeed that the Scriptures have spoken these things in vain If it be not in vain if all this be comprehended under the one thing needful if all this do but shew us the one and only way of Life if we must be thus renewed and changed in our minds and must thus holily and unblameably order our Lives or else we cannot be saved as the Scriptures mentioned many of them expresly affirm then what will become of that poor confident multitude we are now dealing with Does all this amount to no more than keeping your Church saying your prayers learning and saying over the Creed and the Ten Commandments living peaceably with your Neighbours paying every man his own crying to God for mercy when you have committed a fin and the like Can you call this cold lifeless way your striving to enter in at the strait gate Is this your working out your salvation with fear and trembling Is this all that is meant by fighting the good fight of Faith by wresting against Flesh and Blood against Principalities and Powers by being instant in Prayer fervent in Spirit watching and running and pressing towards the mark Brethren if there be one way of Life if all this which hath been represented to you out of the Scriptures be to shew you from the Lord what â— strait way this one way of life is and if you will compare your way you depend upon with it methinks you shall need no more to convince you of your dangerous mistake hitherto and to leave you more ready to embrace the exhortation I am pressing upon you namely To come in among the number of and take upon the holy course of these circumspect Christians But if this be not sufficient I shall yet make it more evident by Reasons drawn from the Scripture which I shall give you in these Six Propositions 1. The Gospel requires as indispensably necessary to salvation inward holiness or the renewing of the heart or inner-man Needs this any proof to them that understand the Scriptures There must be another Spirit Numb 14. 24. A new heart Ezek. 36. 26. A clâ—an heart Psal 73. 1. A true heart or an upright heart sprinkled from an evil Conscience Hebr. 10. 22. Ezek. 18. 31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye dye Jer. 4. 14. Oh Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved What do these Scriptures especially the addition in the two last For why will ye dye And that thou mayest be saved What do these import less than this That there is no salvation possible there is nothing but certain death and destruction to those whose hearts are not washed and made new John 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Except ye be converted ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God What is the product of this new birth or this conversion but a new creature Some there are it is true that interpret this Conversion which is made so necessary to Salvation to be nothing else but the coming of persons from Judaism or Paganism to Christianity to the owning and embracing the Christian Faith But if this be true then all that believe Christ to be the Messiah and are baptized and live in the profession of the Christian Faith shall be saved Come ye Drunkards come ye Adulterers Lyars Covetous with all the profane Root of Nominal â—â—ristians and keep an Holy-day to the memory of these two Doctors who bring you such a large and easie Gospel as will carry you all to Heaven with all your lusts and lewdness upon your backs But is this true Is this Gospel Is this all the conversion that is necessary to Salvation It cannot be For First There are many that embrace the Christian Faith that are Hypocrites and shall Hypocrites be saved Secondly There are many such Converts that walk disorderly whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who minde earthly things Phil. 3. 18. Of whom the Apostle here tell us that their end is destruction 2. This inward Holinesse which the Gospel requires stands not in some sudden and unconstant good thoughts or some transient good affections but is an holy frame or habit thus much is intimated in the fore-mentioned expression Another Spirit a new Heart a new Creature An holy thought a good desire is another thing from a new heart they cannot so much as evidence that the heart is renewed as in a renewed heart there may be some evil thoughts and evil lusts arising and working so some good thoughts and affections may spring up in an evil heart true holiness is not a fit but a frame there may be fits of passion or of pride or of envy too often in a Saint and yet in the main he may be a Saint still There may be fits of devotion fits of zeal sometimes in a â—inner and yet he is a sinner still Holiness is the temper and constitution of a Christian his new nature that abideth in him 3. This inward â—â—bitual Holiness stands in an universal compliance of the heart with the whole Will of God the heart that is formed after the Image of God is conformed to the Will of God Psal 40. Thy Law is within my heart not a piece but the whole every word and tittle of it The Law is within me The Law is said to be within the heart of a Saint in a double senâ—e First It is published and revealed and made known in the heart it is understood
by the soul there is the light of the Word shining in every Christian Secondly It is embraced approved consented to there is the love of the Law in the heart of a Christian the heart closes with it and all that it requires as a good word and worthy of all acceptation A Christian doth not only accept the Promises of the Gospel as good words and comfortable words but can heartily write Good is the Word of the Lord upon every precept he likes his Duties as well as his Priviledges his work as well as his reward This cowardliness of heart is set forth in those expressions of a willing mind a ready mind a forward mind And as his heart is towards his works so is it for any work the Lord calls it to he hath respect to all the Commandments he would not be without one leaf no nor one line of the whole Word of God he is ready to every good work he would not have one duty abated to him of all that God hath required he would not have one sin allowed to him of all that God hath forbidden him He that sayes concerning any one word in the whole will of God This I must have struck out or be dispensed within it ere I can be a Christian his heart is not upright He that would have any one sin to be no sin any one duty to be no duty any one sin to be allowed him or any one duty to be abated him is no Christian 4. This inward habitual Holiness is such as beares the sway and hath the perheminence in the heart though sin be there still yet where there is true Grace sin is an underling and brought into captivity it hath lost that power and interest which it had in the Sould before and the heart is now given up to God the stream runs Heavenward the stream of the thoughts the stream of the affections run that way God and the way of Holinesse hath a greater share and greater power in the heart than all the world there is more love to God stronger resolutions for following God than can be ballanced by the highest interest of the flesh God and the World stand as two suâ—tors for the heart but God carries it from the world so that as before it followed the world with the neglect of God now it will follow God with the neglect of the World before it would it may be mind God and godliness as far as it could without prejudice to its worldly interest so far as it could with honour or ease or safety but now it will mind the world and its â—leâ—hly interest so far only as is consistent with godliness and a good conscience this is sincerity and the clearest and most certain evidence of it Can we imagin that we love God sincerely when we love the World better wheâ—â— we love our ease or credit or pleasures or carnaâ—â— friends better When these can do more with us and command farther than God and golry Matth. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me Luke 14. 33. Whosoever he be of you that forsake not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple If there be any certain unquestionable Truths in the whole Doctine of the Gospel this is one of them That whosoever hath true saving Grace hath more love to God and holiness than to all things else whatsoever Though it be controverted Whether common grace and saving grace do not differ more than indegree yet this is without controversie That saving grace doth contain in it an higher degree of love to God than to all things else 5. This inward habitual prevailing holiness where ever it is will infallibly bring forth this strict precise and holy life For First That holiness in the heart will bring forth holiness of life is as naturally certain as that he that hath the life and reason of a man will act as a man as that a root will bring forth such branches and fruit as partake of the kind and nature of the root as that a fig-tree will bring forth figs that an olive-tree wil bring forth olives Secondly It is as certain that according to the proportion of holiness in the heart such will be the proportion of it in the life if holiness bear the sway in the heart it will bear the rule in the life if that little good that is in the heart be held as an underling in the Soul thereafter will the â—ife be this is as certain as that the Soul governs â—he Body Thirdly It 's no less certain that the lowest deâ—ree of prevailing holiness in the heart will â—â—ring forth this precise holy life In the sense I â—ave described it that is though there be not â—erfect holiness brought forth though he that â—ath a lower degree of true grace fall much shorâ—er of that perfection than he that hath an highâ—er degree though there be many failings and wandrings and weaknesses and turnings aside to â—niquity through corruption and temptation yet thus far the lowest of Saints have arrived That his â—ims desires endeavours are after a perfectly holy â—ife he hath a respect to every Commandment â—o every Duty he doth not habitually allow himself in any iniquity there is some change in his course actually appearing and this he purposes to himself and sets his heart upon it to grow up dayâ—y to a more thorow and universal conformity to all the principles of godliness laid down before him â—n the Scriptures and made manifest in his consciâ—nce This is as certain as the two former He that is â—incere would be perfect in the true love of holiness is necessarily included a love and longing for it in the perfection of it He that loveth holiness for it self will love it most when it is most it self in its perfection and love and longing will infallibly bring forth labouring and following after Therefore 6. Whosoever is not truely a person of a precise life is certainly in the state of damnation This so clearly follows from the former Propositions that it needs no further proof He that is not inwardly habitually universally sanctified he that loves any thing more than God or godliness that is he that is not converted and new born and so beâ—come a new Creature is actually in the state of damnation and he who is not a precise walker is not thus converted new born or sanctified for whoever is made this new Creature will infallibly make it appear as hath been proved by this newness of life You see Beloved to what issue this matter is brought either you must take up this strict way of holiness or be reprobates from God Whosoever there be amongst you that have the most rooted enmity in your hearts against this holiness of life and have cast the greatest slight and contempt on it and those that thus live and as Michael did David do despise them in your hearts whoever among you are most
shall prove and make good to you That this godliness in its greatest purity preciseness and spirituality is not such an empty thing but is fully and really that which it asserts it self to be and hath clear foundations in and an evident conformity to that good and acceptable and perfect will of God revealed in the Scriptures The proofs which I shall bring in shall be such as have respect to the special parts of it where I shall make it manifest 1. That the Doctrines and principles of godliness are real Truths 2. That the Duties and comforts of godliness are real Duties and comforts 1. That the Doctrines and principles of godliness are real Truths Wisdom hath her pillars Godliness is not a Castle in the air but is a building which hath foundations Hebr. 6. 1. I shall instance in some of the chief of their principles and shew you 1. Concerning the Being of God and His Holiness That this is a certain truth that there is a God and that he is an holy God and a friend to Holiness If there be any real and evident truth in the world this is a truth that there is a God Aut Deus est aut nihil est Either there is a God or there is nothing We may as well say when we see the Sun and the Moon and Stars and the motions of them when we set the Earth and the several Creatures upon it when we see our selves Men and Women walking up and down thereon that all this is but conceit that our eyes deceive us that our selves and all the things we see are but phantasâ—s and apparitions as wâ— may question whether there be a God Rom. 1. 20. The invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead And to question whether God be an holy God is the same in effect as to question whether there be a God to conceive that there is a God without Holiness is to imagine that there is a God that is no God Sin is such a defect and imperfection as is utterly inconsistent with such an infinitely perfect Being and to question whether God be a Friend to holiness is to question whether he be a Friend to himself Atheisme whatever the foolish World ignorantly talk is the greatest and most notorious Fanaticism Psal 14. 1. The Fool sayes in his heart there is no God he fancies there is not and Prophaneness that causes men to conceive of God as not so holy and righteous as he is is next to Atheisme Psal 50. 21. These things thou hast done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes These things thou hast done Thou hast done wickedly hast been a lyar a slanderer a drunkard a partaker with adulterers And I kept silence I let thee alone and did not presently testifie my dislike or displeasure against thee hereupon thou couceitedst because thou wert let alone in thy fin and didst not presently smart for it that I liked it well enough and was altogether such a one as thy self That thou hadst a God after thine own heart after thine own soul that was never the less a friend to thee for that thou wert so great a friend to thy lusts and wickedness Thou thoughtest this such a fooâ—ish conceit thou hast in thy heart I but it was but a conceit I will make thee know that I am another manner of God than thou vainly imaginest I will have my time for thee when I will reprove thee for all thy wickedness and convince thee of thy folly and set all thy sins in order before thee Sinners You that either think that there is no God or because he keeps silence lets you alone in your sins lets you flourish and prosper in your wickednesse thereupon conclude He is a Friend one that favours loosenesse and ungodlinesse he will have his time for you to convince you and reprove you out of these vain conceits and make you know that he hates and detests both you and your wayes and that he loves that holinesse and is a Friend to those holy Ones which for a time he may suffer you to despise and trample upon Rev. 3 9. Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews and are not but do lye behold I will make them to come and worship at thy feet and to know that I have loved thee You will not now be perswaded but God will make you know whether you will or not that these are they whom he hath loved Please your selves with your own wayes and blesse your selves in your own hearts while you will continue your confidence that God is no such enemy to you that he is not so hard and severe against ungodlinesse as men speak that God is a friend to ignorance formality licentiousnesse and counts such his best Subjects And as for those which make such a talk and such a shew and keep so much ado about holinesse and strictnesse make your selves believe that God is as much against them as you and that he doth not like that men should be so fearful of sin and watchful against sin and zealous for holinesse that he likes those best that will take their ease and their liberty and their pleasure Yet know that God will have his time for you to make you of another mind when he shall come to reckon with you to reprove you and â—â—t your sins in order before you 2. The Doctrines concerning Sin are certain Truths I shall mention but these four 1. That man is a Sinner 2. That sin is the greatest of evils 3. That spiritual sins are the greatest of sins 4. That sin is the root of all misery 1. That Man is a sinner A sinner by nature a Sinner by practice in a sinful state 1 John 5. 10. The whole world lyeth in wickednesse Running on in a sinfuli course Psal 14. They are all gone out of the way that he is universally sinful this sowre leav◠〈◊〉 hath leavened the whole lump every part of man head heart hands and inside outside all are full of wounds and bruises and putrifying sores Isa 1. 6. That man is a great sinner Jer. 17. 9. The heart of a man is desperately wicked it is become like those bad figs which Jeremiah speaks of those that were good were very good and those that were bad were very bad Psal 5. 9. Their inward part is very wickewness 'T is expressed in the abstract not wicked but wickedness and in the plural number wickednesses There is a complication of all sorts of wickednesses and sin is so rooted and as it were incorporated into the hearts of men as if their natures were even transubstantiated into a Mass of corruption Is all this but conceit Gen. 6. 5. God saw that the wickedness of
man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually God saw Gods eye cannot be deceived men may think they see what they see not and may not see what is before their eyes But can Gods eyes fail him 2. That sin is the greatest of evils The Apostle to set forth the formidable appearance that sin had by the Law expresses it thus Rom. 7. 13. That sin might appear to be sin He could find out nothing more evil and odious to express it by than it self If he had said that sin might appear to be a snare a Serpent a Viper a Devil an Hell that had been much but yet not enough to set forth this evil of evils Sin never is seen in its perfect odiousness but when it shews its own naked face and looks like it self We can never know how great an evil sin is till we know how good the Lord is how precious Christ is how precious the Soul of man is to all which sin is so contrary and destructive Rom. 8. 7. It is said to be enmity against God God hath no â—nemy in the world but sin and those whom sin hath made him Sin hath set all the earth against the God of glory From this enmity which sin hath filled the hearts of men with arise all their rebellions against his word and government all their unwillingness and averseness from his ways their weariness of his service their frowardness murmurings impatiences frettings and insurrections of heart against his dispensations providence The unruliness and stubbornness of the wills of men the distemper and disorders of their passions and affections the vanity vileness and confusion of their thoughts the defilement and deadness of their consciences the ebulition of so many hellish lusts setting mens hearts upon all mischief Whence is all this but from sin that dwells in them Sin hath made men very Devils set upon all manner of mischief Devils against God hating reproaching blaspheming cursing fighting against God There should quickly be no God nor Heaven nor Being left if the wickedness of mans heart had power answerable to its malice Devils against themselves set upon the destruction and damnation of their own souls there needed not another Devil to attempt and devour them if God should but let them alone they would quickly make their distruction sure of themselves Devils one against another There is not one sinner but if God should pull up the fluces and let his wickedness have its full course would do his utmost to damn all the World enemies friends husbands wives children all should be destroyed And can there now be a greater evil then this imagined I you will say if all this be true it is a great evil indeed But may be for all these great words there may be no such great matter in it Why do but consider what sin hath done and cannot be envied and then you will see reason to believe all that hath been said Go to Mount Calvary and see what it hath done there What was it that slew the Lord of glory that put Châ—â—st to death Was it not those sins that were laid upon him These were his betrayers and murtherers These were the thorns the nails the spear that wounded him the gall and vinegar that was given him to drink Let the sweat the cries the groans the blood the soul that were pressed and poured out by sin let these speak if too much hath been saâ—d Turn aside from Mount Calvary and go down to the Valley of Hinnon lay your ear to the mouth of Tophet and hearken what work sin hath done there What is it that hath filled Hell so full already that hath sent down Cain and Judas Ananias and Saphira with those millions of damned Souls that are already tormented in those flames Did God damn so many Souls for nothing or for a trifle inflict so great a torment for a small offâ—â—nce What is it that hath cast them in thither Was it their righteousness was it not their iniquities If you could step down into those Chambers of Death and ask those wretched creatures Friends How came you in hither What would they answer Oh it is our sins that brought us into this place of torment Oh! it was my covetousness brought me hither would one say Oh! it was my lying brought me hither saies another Oh! it was my pride or my passion or my wantonness or my sloathfuness that brought me hither saies a third Oh sin sin this is it for which we burn we roar we rave we dye we dye eternally Can there be too much said of the evil of sin that hath done all this mischief 3. Spiritual sins are the greatest of sins Soul pollutions are the most foul pollutions By how much the more excellent the soul is above the body in its nature by so much the more vile and mischievous being depraved with sin The soul of man is the prime subject of the image of God in man there was much of God to be seen in the body or externals of man but the face of God the glory of God was stamped upon his soul the soul being corrupted it became the express image of the Devil Satan is rudely limb'd and some darker shadows of him drawn on the outward man but he is drawn out to the life in the soul the very face the heart of Satan his pride malice envy falshood is engraven on the heart A proud heart hath more of the Divel than a proud look a wanton heart is more vile â—â—an a wanton eye a murtherous or adulterous heart is worse than a murtherous or adulterous act It is true when Sin is committed without it is worse than when it sleeps in its causes within and sin in its birth is worse than in its bare conception and the reason is because when sin is committed there are both parts the outward and the spiritual together there is the sin of the hand and the sin of the heart too to make up the murther But then if you should distinctly consider that which the heart hath done towards the murther and that which the hand hath done the hearts part would appear to be incomparably the worst The sins of the heart are the root sins the spring that sets all the wheels a going the fountain that sets all the streams a running the fire that sets the furnace a smoaking Carnal men make little of outward sins nothing of spiritual If they would not be Extortioners or Oppressors oâ— Swearers or Cursers some of them yet evil thoughts may lodge in them Lust may bear the rule in them Pride Envy Ignorance Atheism Heart-blasphemy these are scarcely accounted evils What are Thoughts a little inward discontent anger and the like that we should trouble our selves with these Oh! You do not know what there may be in a Thought or a secret lust there may be a Thousand evil Words and actions in the
the defect is not in the will God hath the heart and wheresoever God hath the heart there is certain acceptance with God where the heart is ingaged against any particular lust and is resolved upon it this lust I must mortifie and through the help of God will seek its destruction though it cannot yet compass it yet this resolution evidences that the heart is on Gods side it doth not side with lust against God but â—â—des with God against lust and so in all other the like cases 2 Cor. 8. 11. If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to what he hath not He that gives according to what he hath he that does according to what he hath and does it heartily shall be accepted undoubtedly It may be thy case may be such sometimes that to will may be all thou hast towards a Duty As for instance when thou hast a will to shew mercy to give an Almes if thou hast nothing to give thy will is all thou hast 'T is true there may be mistakes and we are too apt to such mistakes to impute our failings in duty to want of ability when they are from want of will How ordinarily do men thus excuse their grossest neglects even when they yield themselves over to an universal careless and idle life wherein there is not the least care or pains taken to please or follow God Why I do what I can I can do no more than I can â—ould live a better life but I cannot when yet the will is onely in fault though you can do 〈◊〉 than you can yet if you had a good will to it you â—ight do more than you do But still the great question â—â—â— be How may I knovv in case of failings of persâ—â—â—ance whether my will be so fully set upon my duty that there would be performance if it were not hindred if it were not for vvant of povver or opportunity I answer 1. There is no pleading want of ability to excuse a total neglect of godliness if the pretence be of want of ability to live a godly life in general I am willing to live a godly life but cannot there 't is certain the defect is in the will the Spirit of Sanctification is a Spirit of power and where the will is once savingly renewed by that mighty Spirit there is certainly such a power communicated as will infallibly bring on the soul to follow God in a course of Godliness whatever particular weaknesses and failings there may be 2 Tim. 1. 7. God hath not given us a spirit of feâ—r but of power and of love and of a sound mind Jer. 42 20 21. Ye dessâ—mble in your hearts when you sent me to the Lord your God saying pray for us and whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak we will do it Here was a fair promise what could be said more whatever the Lord shall say we will do and like enough they might have some intention to it but sayes the Prophet Ye dissemble with me all the while why how does that appear why in the next verse sayes he I have this day declared it to you but you have not done any thing for which the Lord your God sent me to you If your hearts had been right there would have been something done but you have done nothing Beloved you that say you fain would follow God but cannot you would fain live a godly life but do nothing towards iâ—â— you would willingly leave off your worldly lifeâ— or your fleshly life or your idle life you would fain leave off your drinking and gaming and wantonness and betake your selves to praying and repenting and denying your selves and minding your souls and the things of eternity but you are not able the meaning is this you are not willing you cannot find in your hearts to take up such a course you have some velleities some wishes and weak inâ—linations to godliness but no will to it if there were a willing mind within doubtless there would be some sign of it in your course without 2. For particular duties when we are willing to them and yet fall short of performance we may know that the will would bring forth the acts were it not for some great impediments 1. When the non-performance of duty brings forth sorrow and trouble of heart when it is a grief of mind to us that we cannot doe what we would Rom. 7. 18 19 24. To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I finde not the good that I would doe c. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death That which hindred him was a sore â—urthen to him under which he groans and pasâ—ionately wishes for his redemption and deliverance from it those who in case of â—ailings are quiet and well enough contented much more those who are glad of an excuse as too often 't is to be observed in many who when they are put upon â—ifficult or displâ—asing Duties are glad they have so much to say for themselves that they are not able or have not opportunity 't is â—n argument that little would have been done â—ad they had never so great ability 2. When if we cannot doe the duty we do what we can towards it A man that â— poor and can't give an alms to his Brethren in distresse yet he can pitty them pray for them make their case known to others that can relieve them if he do not what he can if he do not open his bowels to them though he cannot open his hand though he had never so much his poor brother would be like to be little the better The poor Widow that cast in her Mite into the Treasury which was all she had 't was a sign she had a large heart though she gave so small a gift 1 King 8. 17. David had it in his heart to build an House for God and yet did it not the Lord hindred him How may it be known that David would indeed if he might have built it why by this it appeared though he might not do it yet he did what he might towards it though he might not build yet he prepared materials for the building If thou art but a babe in Christ hast had but a little time hast yet but a little understanding a little strength though thou canst not follow the Lord in such exactnesse not attain to such a fruitful life as those that are grown and experienced Christians have attained to yet if whilst thou art but a child thoâ— dost follow the Lord as a child according to the measure of thine understanding and ability thou art yet unskilful and performest thy duties in a broken manner but yet thou dost perform them thou art weak as a child but yet art tractable as a child willing to be led where thou canst not go if it be thus with thee thou netdst
Christs Sheep that hear his voice and follow his steps and keep by the Shepherds Tents Is this a conceeist that it shall fare better with the Friends of Christ then with his Enemies or that those are the friends of Christ who are the friends of Holiness Is this a conceit that it shall fare better with the servants of Christ then with strangers Or are those the best servants who waste their Talents or bind them up in a Napkin Will Christ say in that day Away thou faithful Servant away from me ye workers of Righteousness You have loved me too much you have pleased me too well you have followed me too close you have given your selves to too much praying too much praising too much fasting you have been too conscientious too tender too watchful too holy you would not be merry and idle and vain you would not go along with your Neighbours to their sporting to their Revellings to their Pleasures but must needs deny your selves and take up your Cross and follow me you could not be content with an Earthly happiness but you must have Glory and Honour and Immortality you could not be content to venture on a groundless hope of Glory but you must needs make sure of it by patient continuance in well-doing Away from me you workers of Righteousness you that have followed me in the Regeneration get you gone get you down to everlasting destruction Will this be the voice of the Judge at that day Will he call to sinners Come ye wantons come ye Wine-bibbers come ye Swearers Lyars Scoffers Whore-masters come ye blessed Crew inherit the Kingdome All this must be so if godliness be but a fancy and do you not yet see Sinners what men of Reason what men of Judgement you are and how much truth or weight there is in your charge against the Saints Oh Christians you see I hope sufficiently how little ground you have to take the least notice of or discouragement from these confident Adversaries who in proclaiming you Phanaticks must proclaim themselves either Infidels or Ideotâ— Thus I have shewed that the principles of Godliness are not Phanatical 2. The Duties and Comforts of Godlinesse are no fancies I shall instance in such duties and those parts of duties which are most obnoxious to this censure the most spiritual duties the most spiritual parts of duties which being most out of fight and above the reach of the carnal world are most of all thus censuted by them I shall mention onely two which indeed are comprehensive of all 1. Worshiping God in the Spirit 2. Walking in the Spirit 1. Worshiping God in the Spirit If this be a fancy the Apostle Paul with the Christians his Contemporaries were the great Phanaticks of their time who saies thus of himself and them Phil. 3. 3. We are the Circumision who worship God in the spirit We are the Circumcision that is We are the People of God we are they who are circumcised with the Circumcision which is without hands circumcised in heart which is all one as if he had said we are Christians who worship God in the spirit Worshipping God in the spirit notes 1. The worship of the soul or heart-worship 2. The worshipping God through his Spirit or in the Holy Ghost 1. The worship of the soul or inward worship and that 1. As it stands in opposition to meet bodily worship I say not as it is oppos'd to bodily worship but to meer bodily worship 2. As it stands in opposition to the Antiquated Jewish worship which was more external pompous and ceremonious We worship God in the spirit that is we worship God in the heart and in the simplicity and plainness of Gospel-worship Heart-worship is the true worship the worship of the soul is the soul of worship The body without the soul is dead and bodily worship without spiritual iâ— dead worship John 4. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth The latter word Truth is exegitical of the former Spirit signifying that worshiping in Spirit is worshiping in Truth This is the true worship worship indeed The worship of the body the uncovering of the head the bowing the knee the lifting up of the hands or voice these are but the outside and carcase of worship and so far only capable of being accounted worship as they are helpful to and expressive of the devotions of the soul As bowing of the knee signifies the bowing of the heart as the uncovering of the head either expresses or helps toward the inward reverence of the soul so far as they worship and no farther and even then but improperly so câ—lled But as they stand single and separated from the inward worship they are no worship no more then a carcase is a man but are meer shadows and fansies There is no such Phanatick as the Formalist who whilest with those Heathens Mat. 6. 7. He thinks to be heard for his much speaking doth but play the hypocrite and Lyar Look what the Courtiers Complements are such are the Formalists devotions smooth words tongue-courtefies flâ—ttering salutes fawning cringes Your servant Sir your servant command me what you please I am ready to serve you Here is a great shew of respect and kindness but what is there in it What wise man will regard it And what more is there in the Formalists devotions What is it but meer complementing with the Holy God Very devout and lowly as to all appearance and a great noise is there that such Devotion makes but what is there in it What awe and Soul-reverence of God what heart-striving and wrestling with God what heart-elevation or lifting up the Soul to God is there in all this Is there no such thing as heart-striving and Soul-reverence required in the Worship of God or are these but shadows of worship and is the soul of it onely in the Lips or Knees Doth he whose Soul is poured out in prayer whose Spirit strives with the Lord doth he but pray in conceit worship God in conceit and those whose Eyes and Tongues and Hands onely pray have they gotten the substance are these the true Worshippers Beloved be not deceived God sees not as man sees he sees what is within man he sees what is within our duties they are not shews or sounds that can blinde hiâ— Eye or please his Ear. Ephes 5. 19. Be ye filled with the Spirit speaking to your sâ—lve in Psalmes and Hymns and Sriritual Songs singing and making Melody in your hearts to the Lord. Believe it Christians Heart-musick is the best Church musick Heart-praying and Heart-singing makes the best Melody in the Eares of the Lord of Sabbath My work and intent is not to decry all external worship as useless or unacceptable We must glorifie God in our bodies as well as in our spirits Our Lips must bear their parts in our praises and practises but I would not that you should take the body of
of the Lord shining forth in his Face and should declare to you the wonderful things that his Eyes had seen and his Heart had been satisfied and ravished with in the presence of God If you should see another coming up out of the Deep with his Chaines of Darkness upon him with the smell of that Infernal Fire and Brimstone about him with the print of the Dragons clawes appearing in his Flesh and the blackness of that smoaking Furnace stricking on his Face and hidgeously roaring out the anguish he felt burning in his Bowels should tell you This is the state of them that know not God If you should see to such sights appearing this hour here in the midest of you would you not think you had reason to believe there were an Heaven and an Hell This word which is before you is a far greater and a more certain Evidence then if Tidings were thus brought to you by persons rising from the Dead And if you will not give credit to this Testimony of God neither would you give credit to any such Testimony Sinners believe God and believe him who was once on Earth and now daily speaks to you from Heaven believe that Word which is before you in which appear such Beames of Divine Light such an impress of Divine purity which hath been so attested by a Divine power in mighty Signes and Wonders that you may as well question Whether the Sun hath light as whether his Word hath truth believe this Word to be certain and then question if you can whether the things not seen are certain or no. Let these two things sink into your hearts Sinners be once setled and established in your hearts about the importance and about the truth and certaiâ—â—ty of these Eternal things and then you are goâ—ten fairly onwards in your way towards Christ and a Godly life If men were as sure that there is an Heaven and an Hell such unspeakable Glory and such intollerable misery and an Eternity of both if men were as sure of this and did as verily believe it as they are sure of what their Eyes have seen and their Ears have heard and their hands have handled What a flying would there be out of the way of Death and Hell and what a flocking would there be into the way of Life Half the work of Preachers and the hardest half their perswading work would then be at an end There would be as much knocking at their doors for counsel as now there is at sinners doors for their acceptance Oh Brethren if you were once brought to this pass if your unbelief were removed your darkness taken away your Souls awakened your Eyes opened to see these marvellous things as unquestionable Truths would you then scoffe at pureness would you then mock at godliness would you then slight reproofs or need any further conviction of your folly You would have an Admonisher within you a Remembance within you a Reprover within you your own Consciences would plead with you for your entertaining of Christ and embracing his Word and would continually cry in your Ears What meanest thou O fool Doest thou not see a Kingdome before thee which may be thine and art thou willing to lose it Dost thou see that Gulf of Misery and Perdition with open mouth gaping for thee to devour thee Arise sluggard look to thy self least thou be undone before thou art aware 3. That according to your choise in this World your lot must be for ever in the world to come Your chusing or refusing Christ and his holy ways is that which doth determine your Eternal state chuse Christ and you make Heaven sure to you refuse Christ here and you will be rejected of him for ever God doth offer you this choice either the strait and the narrow way with that life of blessedness which is at the further end of this way Or the broad way with that Death and Destruction to which it leads Christ with his Yoak his Cross and his Eternal Crown or the Devil with his golden mines his Paradise and eternal Prison and all the parts of each of these offers are linked together Chuse the Devils golden Mines and fleshly Paradise and you must have his Prison too Take Christs Yoak and his Cross and you shall have his Crown you cannot take the Devils Paradise and Christs Crown if you will have his Pleasures you must have his Prison You cannot obtain life but you must chuse the narrow way that leads to it Here is the choise sinners that God puts you to this is the business of this World to choose for Eternity And that which is the business of this life is the business of this hour This very little piece of your time and the choice you make now may be it that will give a final determination what your Eternal state shall be If you make an evil choice now you may never have a minutes time to choose again for ever Oh if your hearts were sensible of this that there is so much depending upon every houre of your lives as Life or Death Heaven or Hell Eternity sure you could not but reason thus with your selves Is it a time for me to stand all the day idle To be laughing or sporting or to be drudging and scraping for the muck of this Earth Is this a time for me to stand trifling with Christ and the Gospel to make so many delayes to make so many excuses The tearms are too high the way is too strait the yoak is too heavy this I cannot part with that I cannot bring my heart to subscribe to Is this the business that is now under debate what my everlasting state must be In which of the two Regions of Eternity my Lot shall fall whether I shall be a Saint or a Devil a vessel of honour or a vessel of wrath whether my dwelling shall be in everlasting blessedness or in everlasting burnings which way the scales do turn now either for Christ or the world Do they turn for everlasting Sure if matters stand thus I had need be serious and consider what I do This is the first direction get these three principles fixed in your hearts that things Eternal are much more confiderable then things Temporal that things not seen are as infallibly certain as the things that are seen that upon your present choice depends your Eternal lot Chuse Christ and his wayes and you are blessed for ever refuse and you are undone for ever And then II. Make your choice Put your hearts to it to turn either to the right hand or to the left lay both parts before you with every link of each Christ with his Yoak his Cross and his Crown or the Devil with his wealth his pleasure and his curse And then put your selves to it thus Soul Thou seest what is before thee what wilt thou do Which wilt thou have either the Crown or the Curse If thou chuse the Crown remember that the day
of the soul Reading of the word is not the exercise of the eye onely but of the understanding Prayer is not an exercise of the tongue onely but of the heart it sets all the faculties of the soul on work it sets the several graces on work iâ— sets faith on work it sets hope and holy desires on work and grace kept in action will be by so much the more active and powerful in the whole course 2 In Duties we have an intimate converse with God Therefore they are sometimes called Our drawing â—igh to God Lev. 10. 3. I will be sanctified in them them that come nigh me Sometimes Our meeting with God Amos 4. 12 Prepare to meet thy God O Israel to meet with a Present as Jacob met his angry Brother to meet him with a Prayer and supplication Exod. 25. 32. There will I meet thee when the Saints go up to meet the Lord the Lord comes down to give them a meeting Sometimes Our visiting of God Isay 26. 16. In their trouble they have visited thee When God visiteth his people with a Rod they visit him with a Prayer when we come to Duty as we ought we put our selves under Gods eye we set the Lord before our face it 's necessary to the right performance of Duties that we have right and clear apprehensions of God deep impressions of the Majesty of God of his Omnipotence Omnipresence Holiness Goodness and Faithfulness upon our hearts This is required in that forementioned expression I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me Now what an influence will this have upon the upholding and carrying on the life of God in us to have daily such a sight of God before our eyes and such a sense of God upon our hearts 3 In Duties we obtain new supplies and fresh influences from God The flourishing state of a Christian is set forth Isay 58. 11. by a well-watered Garden and Jer. 31. 12. it is promised They shall come and flow together to the goodness of the Lord for Wheat and for Corn and for Wine and for Oyl And their soul shall be as a well-watered Garden Where observe these three things 1 That the watering of the soul is from the goodness of the Lord all the dews and showers of Grace are from above our Springs do not rise in our own Gardrns All my Springs are in thee 2 All the influences of the grace and goodness of the Lord are gotten down by your applying your selves to him in duty That is the meaning of that expression They shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord they shall assemble and come together to seek the Lord. 3 The People of God in their addresses to him in Duty though it be but for a supply of things temporal do get something for their souls They shall come for Wheat and for Wine c. And their souls shall be as a well-watered Garden We never come to pray for any temporal mercy and pray as we should but our souls are gainers thereby A Christian cannot come near the Throne of Grace for any thing bot his heart hath a share in the Blessing And there are three Reasons for it 1 A Christian never prays for temporal mercies but he hath some words or other to speak for his soul 2 Prayer whatever it be for is the souls drawing nigh to God and exercising it self on God And the soul never goes to God but it brings back something of God upon it even then when it may be denied the temporal mercy it seeks As when a Saint is praying for a Sinner and God will not hear him for that Sinner yet he loses not that Prayer but hath it returned into his own bosome So when the soul is praying for the concernments of the outward man though it be denied in its particular request yet its prayer shall not be lost to it self 3 Temporal merâ—ies obtained as a return of prayer are soul-blessings But now when the matter of our requests is particularly for our souls When Grace is that we come for when love and life and zeal and spiritual strength is that we come for when the watering of a dry and barren and the refreshing of a weary heart is that we seek for shall our souls then be sent bâ—rren and weary and empty away Our hearts are as Cisterns which however sometimes they may be full of water yet if there be not a supply from the Well the waters and the Cistern will waste and mud and at length dry away Duties are our labouring at the Pump which will keep the Cisterns full Isa 12. 3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the Wâ—lls of Salvation Christian thou complainest thy heart is barrâ—n and dead and dry and fit for nothing Why is there not a Well by thee where there is water enough to refresh and fill thee Why doâ—st thou no oftner let down thy Pitcher or labour at the Pump why art thou no oftner with thy God Thy heart wants watering get thee oftner to the Well more praying more fasting more conversing with Christ studying the Gospel searching and sucking the Promises would quickly get thee into a better plight He that is much with God is rich in grace Thou art not so much straâ—â—ned thou canst not be brought so poor and Iean and out of case but thou knowest where there is enough to fetch thee up again thou knowest where there is a Well that hath not onely water enough healing water but Wine and Milk and Honey enough but thou must go oftner for it if thou wilt have the benefit of it Go therefore and let down thy Pitcher and thou needest not fear its coming up empty Onely in exercising thy self in duty take heed thou mistake not the Pitcher for the Well take heed thou fix not thine eye on duty as if this were thy Christ thy Fountain out of which thou mayest be supplyed Duties are but the pipes it is the Lord that is the Fountain from whence all the water comes 4 Duties are our conflicting with corruption or striving against sin When ever we are striving with God we are thereby striving against sin Duty and sin contend for the Victory whilest Duty holds up sin goes down when Duty flags sin gets up Holy Prayer will make us weary of iâ—â—quity or our iniquity will quickly make such praying a weariness unto us it is not for the interest of the flesh to suffer the heart to be much in prayer or other duâ—ies and therefore we find for the whole Generation of carnal men a little of it must serve their turn There is no such way for Christians to be revenged on sin and to see their desires on this Enemy as to bring it before the Lord. They never fight against it with greater zeal or with more success then upon their knees When the sinner kneels in earnest before his God his lusts must quickly kneel to him our confession of sin
The Lord calls thee this day calls thee to return and repent that thine iniquities may be blotted out bethink thy self what answer thou wilt return Wilt thou hearken or not III. Head concerning Christ Direct 1. FIrst Consider what the Scriptures speak 1. Concerning the Excellencie of his Person John 1. 14. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Heb. 1. 3. Who being the brightnesse of his Glory and the expresse Image of his Person 2. Concerning the Glorie of the Mystery of Christ Crucified Isa 53. throughout He is despised and rejected of men a man of Sorrowes and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him He was despised and we esteemed him not Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrowes yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God But he was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisements of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like Sheep have gone astray and have turned every on to this way and God hath laid on him the iniquities of all He was oppressed and afflicted yet he opened not his mouth Col. 1. 27. To whom God will make known what is the riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of Glory Phil. 2. 6 7 8. Who being in the Form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the forme of a Servant and was made in the likenesse of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross The Gospel is a Mystery full of wonders 1. There is a wonder of Righteousnesse and Severitie That God should not spare but punish Sin though upon his own Son 2. A Wonder of wisdome That God should being Light out of Darknesse Life out of Death that God should bring about the Rising of the World by the Fall of the Lord the Riches of the Word by the Povertie of their Lord the Fulnesse of the Saints by the emptinesse of the King of Saints 3. A Wonder of Mercy That God should harden his Heart against the Crie of his Son and open his Bowels to the cry of Sinners 4. A Wonder of Love Love in the Father in giving his Son Love in the Son in giving himself his blood his life his Soul a Ransom for sin and all this for Worms Traytors Enemies Direct 2. Ask thy heart these Questions Quest 1. Oh what monster is sin What an Hell what a bottomless pit is it of malignity and wickednesse that none but God can expiate or purge it away that God cannot do it but by taking flesh that God manifested in the flesh could not purge away sin but by suffering that no suffering would serve but Death that no death could serve but such a cruel and cursed death Oh what a Monster is Sin that must have such blood the blood of God to take it away Quest 2. What strange Love is the Love of Christ 1. Strange in regard of the fruit and benefit of it All that Holinesse and Beauty that my Spirit is cloathed with all that peace and joy that possesses my heart all my glorious hopes and expectations for hereafter all that difference that is betwixt my state and the state of Cain Judas and the whole reprobate World this is the Love of Christ Where had I now been had it not been for the Love of Christ 2. Strange Love in regard of the fervency and ardency of it and that not onely to the whole generation of the Elect but to my Soul in particular To expresse this ask this one Question farther What if Christ had done and suffered all this for me alone What if there had been but one Sinner in the World and I had been that Sinner and Christ should have come down from Heaven cloathed himself with flesh giving himself to death given such a glorious Gospel sent forth such a multitude of Ambassadours to preach to to convert and save this one Soul this my Soul this had been strange love Such is the love of Christ to every Elect person that if there had been but one Sinner Christ would have done and suffered all this for one sinner rather then he should have perished Quest 3. Is Christ mine Have I a share in the Gospel is my name written in the Lambs Book All are not Israel though Christ died for all yet all are not made alive by him There are many from whom the Gospel is hid there are many that have rejected the Gospel that have put from them the Word of Life Whilest there are such multitudes that are lost and perish for ever is my Soul found found in Christ Hath he that hath died for me drawn me to himself Hath he that hath given me a liberty to lay hold on him given me a heart to lay hold on him Hath he given me his Spirit in my heart to sanctifie and cleanse me from my sins If I have not the Spirit of Christ in me I am none of his Vnless I wash thee thou hast no part with me If he be not mine then Quest 4. What may I doe to get Christ to be mine May I have him without seeking him Can I live by Christ without coming to Christ believing repenting and following of Christ is this ignorance this idleness is this earthly this Carnal course I take is this loose and vain life I live is this the way to get an interest in Christ if Christ be mine then Quest 5. How may I walk worthy of Christ Is it not by being made conformable to him Conformed to his image by being holy humble and meek Conformed to him in his obedience chearfully and readily doing the Will of God Conformed to him in his sufferings by being content to be brought down and laid low and made vile for his Name Conformed to his Resurrection and Ascension that this poor Soul which hath descended with Christ may also ascend with him Ascend in holy desires and affections ascend in holy praises and acknowledgements confessing to him Worthy is the Lamb that waâ— slain to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing for thou hast redeemed my Life from Death and Crowned me with loving Kindness and tender Mercies IV. Head concerning the vanitie and miserie of a worldlie life BY a Worldly life understand any course or way of life which is short of a godly life That which the Apostle calls Ephes 2. 2. The course of this World Such a life the main business care and delight whereof lies in the managing our Worldly affairs and interests in buying selling working trading to get together this worlds good The main comfort whereof stands in
adulterers or drunkards doth not the Scriptures tell me who they are Psalm 15. throughout He that walketh uprightly and worketh Righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart he that back-biteth not with his Tongue nor doth evil to his Neighbour in whose eyes a vile person is contemned c. Matth. 5. 3. to the 12. The poor in Spirit they that mourn the meek they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness the merciful the poor in heart the peace-makers These are they that shall ascend into the Holy hill Quest 2. Who shall descend into the Deep Rev. 20. 15. And whoâ—oever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire Chap. 22. 15. For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Adulterers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie 2 Thes 1. 8. 9. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Quest 3. Am I in the way to this rest of God Quest 4. Is my Title to this rest sure Is my name written in the Book of Life am I sealed with that Spirit of promise which is the earnest of my inheritance have I gotten an assurance that Christ is mine and Heaven is mine is not this assurance to be had is there not a promise left unto me of entring into the Rest May not this promise by my believing and accepting and adventuring upon it be made sure to me what mean I to sit down so quietly short of this assurance am I content to leave my earthly inritance under such uncertainties that I cannot tell what to call my own I cannot tell whether I have any thing or nothing Do I refuse any labour cost counsel that may secure my worldly interest and what is it onely Heaven and everlasting glory this is not worth the securing Quest 5. What if I should fall short of this Rest If at last I should see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets sit down in the Kingdome of Heaven and my self be thrust out I have made profession of Religion I have some good will to the waies of God born some affection to the People of God had some communion and fellowship with them had a namâ—â—nd good opinion amongst them I have gone to the House of God with them joyned in Prayers Fastings Sacraments with them I have attained to some probable Evidences of Grace But what if notwithstanding all this I should be found at last to be short of sincerity and of true saving Grace I have complained often of an carthly heart of a slothful heart of a carelesse heart of a lingring delaying heart I have had some motions and stirrings in me to shake my self out of this sloth to awaken and rouze my self out of these delayings and triflings I have been thinking often of taking more care and pains I have been wishing often for a diligent heart I have been hoping that it will not be thus alwayes with me but that one time or other I shall attain to more life and seriousness But what if after all this complaining and thinking and wishing and hoping it will be better I should still run on thus from one day to another from one year to another till I be surprized and should be taken away before I have gotten my heart to a thorow closing with God in Christ Quest 6. How joyful will my state be when that day comes if I may then be counted worthy to enter into this Rest When the voice shall sound in mine ears Well done good and faithful Servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord When all these filthy garments and ragges of the Flesh shall be but off when all these bitter teares shall be wiped aâ—ay when all the clouds of darkness doubts feares sorrows afflictions shall be blown over when I shall be brought into the presence of the King of Saints and see all those glorious things that have been spoken of the city of God When mine head shall wear that Immortal Crown and my heart shall taste and drink of those everlasting pleasures at Gods right hand When I shall be brought into that general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven to an innumerable company of Angels to God the Judge of all men to Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament to the Spirits of just men made perfect when my heart shall acknowledge Now I know indeed whom I have believed and see for what I have laboured When this poor Soul that in its travel towards Sion hath passed through a Wilderness lyen among the Pots been fed with Tears cloathed with Reproaches clog'd with Infirmities discouraged with fears and dismayings shall after all this be set down in the Kingdome of God and be lodged in the armes and bosome of the Lord of Glory and bear a part in those everlasting praises and Hallelujahs before the Throne of God for ever when mine eyes shall come to see all this and my heart to possess it will it not be a joyful day Quest 7. Can mine heart endure to think of being shut out from this blessedness forever Can I burn Can I endure the vengeance of Eternal fire VVill boyling Oyl burning Brimstone scalding Lead a glowing Oven a scorching Furnace be an easie Lodging for me Thou wilt not oh my soul be perswaded to repent there is too much pain in that Thou canst not bear a cross or an affliction a scoffe or a reproach talk to thee of crucifying the flesh of denying thy self of parting with thy fleshly Insts thy worldly companions of entring in at the strait gate of walking strictly and precisely according to the Gospel thou cryest out Oh these are hard sayings who can bear them But how wilt thou do to dwell with the devouring fire How wilt thou dwell with everlasting burnings Whatsoever it seems to thee now think what Hell will be to thee when the day comes that thou must descend into it Now thou lookest at it as a scare-crow or a bug-bare thou canst drink away or laugh away the fear of it but what will it be to thee when thou feelest thy self wrapt up in the flames of it and not a drop of water left to cool thy tongue Think on Hell oh my soul and then think on Christ and confider if a Redeemer from such misery be not worth the accepting think on Hell and then think on Sin then think on thy carnal pleasures and delights and consider how they will relish with thee when thus salted with everlasting fire Are these the things for which I dye Are these the price for which I sell my soul to Hell Away away from me all my lusts and pleasures away from me my companions in sin I confess I love you too well but I must not burn
Grace there is an hearty willingness to part with every sin The first work of the sanctifying Spirit upon the soul is the discovering of sin making it appear to be an enemy and the first saving work is the dividing betwixt sin and the soul making an utter breach betwixt them The Spirit of God makes us first to look on sin as an enemy and then to deal with it as an enemy to hate it to fear it to be impatient at the presence of it Rom. 7. 24. Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death When the good Spirit enters into the heart from that day forward the Soul looks on sin as Saul look'd on David when the evil spirit fell upon him It 's said he eyed David from that time forward he looked on him with an evil eye with an envious eye Oh! that I were once well rid of this David Oh! saith a Convert that I were once well rid of this Lust It 's now become to the Soul as the Daughters of Heth were to Rebeccah Gen. 26. 35. A grief of mind to it a weariness to it I am weary of my life because of these daughters of Heth. When there is this breach made betwixt sin and the Soul it 's grace that hath made it when sin hath lost the will it hath lost the man when Christ hath gotten the will he hath gained the man The will is the heart give me thy heart is the same as be willing to be mine the will is the strong hold of the soul this is it that holds out last against God when this is won all is won Sin may have lost the understanding and lost the conscience these may plead for God and for holiness and may cry out against sin Away with it away with it Crucifie it crucifie it there is Death and Hell in the bowels of it away with it But as long as sin hath the will for it it still hath the man Reason saith I ought to tura Conscience saith I must turn but yet nothing follows but when the heart sayes I will turn then the work is done Reason saith these Idols ought not to stand Conseience saith these Iusts must be subdued these my sinful pleasures these my sinful wayes these my sinful companions must be left but when the will sayes to them Get you hence there 's a work of Grace begun But now this willingness to part with or turn from sin that it may infallibly prove grace to be in us must be 1. Universal A willingness to be rid of all sin The enmity against sin that 's wrought by grace is against the whole kind against all sin Root and Branch Body and Members A true Israelite would not have one Canaanite left in the Land would have the whole generation rooted out Psal 119. I hate every false way Psal 139. Search me O Lord and see if there be any wickedness in me 2. Habitual It must not be onely for the time that the heart is set against sin when it is under some terrour or trouble but there must be an abiding willingness Pharaoh when the Thunder and the Hail and the Fire and the Frogs and the Flies were upon him for the time was willing to let Israel go but presenrly after he meant no such thing 'T is not what thou art in a fit in a fright or sudden passion in sickness or under the apprehensions of death that will give thee any certain light by which thou mayest judge of thy state but what thou art in the standing and abiding disposition and bent of thy soul A Godly man is never unwilling when he is himself to be rid of every sin 3. Prevalent The willingness must be greater than the unwillingness A gracious heart is more willing to be rid of sin than to continue in sin He had much rather if it were put to his choice live without all sin than to be allowed to live in any sin Whatever the pleadings and reasonings of his flesh are for an indulgence to any particular sins whatever the advantages of yielding to the flesh herein mîght be whatever dammages or prejudices might follow upon his parting with them yet he had much rather whatever comes of it be freed from them all If the Lord should come to such a soul and give him as large â—grant as he did to Solomon Ask what I shall give thee ask what I shall do for thee write down what thou wilt and thou shalt have it this is that which he would have Lord take away mine iniquittes 'T is not the lives of mine enemies or a revenge upon them that I desire 't is not freedom from trouble or affliction that I desire make me a clean heart O Lord purge me from my sins let my lusts die my corruptions die and then though mine enemies live and their malice lives and my troubles live yet if my sins be once dead I have my desire And this willingness will discover it self to be prevailing by bringing forth 1. Resolution 2. Resistance against sin 1. Where a man is truly willing to be rid of sin there will be resolution against it he will not only be patient and content to give God leave to crucifie all his beloved lusts and darling corruptions and give the world leave to hew and strike home at the root of them without hiding them or warding off the blow or wishing they might be spared to him but stands stedfastly on Gods side and taking part with him against sin resolves to use all his means for the conquering and overcoming of them 2. This resolution will bring forth resistance An heart that 's weary of sin will fall to striving against sin Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for these two are contrary the one to the other Contraries are naturally expulsive each of other Such a pair as a Jacob and an Esau such Twins as an Isaac and an Ishmael cannot lie quietly togethâ—â— in the same womb no nor live quietly together in the same house but there will be a mutual prosecuting and persecuting each of other fire and water may as well agree in the same vessel as grace and sin in the same heart A gracious heart will be restraining curbing and withstanding it in all its workings It 's a mere vanity for men to talk of being willing to be rid of sin when they let it live and work and rule and run in its course without ever laying the hand to the bridle to restrain it Let me add one word more if you strive against sin and your striving be attended with success if you have gotten any degree of victory the evidence will be much more full and clear This now is the first Mark by which you may try your selves whether there be the truth of grace in you or not He that is willing to be freed from all sin habitually willing prevailingly willing
own mouths do testifie against us When we love to speak in our own praise or if we have more wit than to be vainlie boasting of our selves yet we love to hear our selves commended by others When we are envious at those that out-shine us and so stand in the way of our reputation When we are so impatient of being contradicted that those that are not of our mind are not for our company Do not our habits our looks our company or behaviour our distances which we keep from those below us sadly discover what there is in our hearts Oh Brethren how is it that our hearts tremble no more to behold this monstrous devilish sin appearing in us How can we take pleasure How can we take comfort in the best of all our parts or duties or enjoyments which are so stain'd with this pride Which is even as great an Ornament to any true worth that is in us or in any thing we do as a blister or a carbuncle to a beautiful face How is it that we do not oftner question whether such a measure of pride as we find in our selves can stand with true grace How is it that we are no more asham'd to draw nigh unto God when our hearts tell us how false we have been to him in all our sevices What an Image of jealousie have we set up another God besides the Lord which must at least divide with him in all the fruits that are growing up out of any thing we have received from him Christian Labour to know thy self more thoroughly and amongst all the lusts of thy heart which might if understood bring thee low take particular notice of this thy self-exalting Spirit and if this do not abase thee and shame thee and lay thine honour in the dust thou art proud indeed 5. Be Temperate In the use of Creatures I mean beware of Excesse Eat and Drink for service nor barely for pleasure Let not your Lord be a loser by his bounty to you lose not a dutie in a Dinner A full Meal makes many a drowsie and short duty If you be given to Appetite take heed give not to your Appetite all it craves let not Appetite but Conscience be your measure Eat not your Souls into leanness let not your Table become your Snare and that which is given you for your Health become your Disease When you are at your meat remember your work and let that limit you be only so free in your food as may make you more fit for service He that hath such a race to run such a warfare before him must be temperate in all things or he may lose the goal and the battel not only Drunkards and Gluttons but even Christians that are accounted sober are more peccant this way than they are ordinarily sensible of Their spirits would be more free their services would be more lively their work would be more easie and their way more pleasant if they were but more temperate Christians let this Scripture meet you at your Tables as well as elsewhere Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever else you do do all to the Glory of God 6. Be moderate Phil. 4. 5. Let your moderation be known unto all men The Lord is at hand Maintain such a tranquility and serenity of mind let all be quiet and in such a due and equal composure within you that it may appear in your carriage without Let there be no noises nor tumults but as much as possible let there be a constant silence and calm upon your Spirits Moderate your cares moderate your fears moderate your passions Say to your Spirits when they begin to swell as Christ to the Wind and Waters Peace be still Get the Command of all within you and keep them under constant discipline be careful for nothing fear nothing be impatient at nothing that whatsoever happens to you without you may be able to say with the Apostle None of these things move me Be not like those weakly bodies whose temper changes with the weather Be able to bear whatever changes happen from abroad without any perturbations or perplexing commotions at home In your patience possess ye your souls Christians if you can but keep your temper whatever happens you may keep your way and hold on your course whatever happens An heart our of quiet will put your whole Man out of course If you can but be quiet and patient you may be any thing you may do any thing that God will have you be or do Let your fears and your passions and your impatiencies loose and whither will they carry you When you should be denying your selves you will then be shifting for your selves when you should be following Christ you will then be running from Christ when you should be working out your salvation all your care will be taken up how to save your selves in a whole skin Let these be well laid and you will have nothing to do but to follow your work and to run your Race which God hath set before you V. Carry your selves well towards others A Christians work doth not lye all about himself Though your own Souls be concerned in all you have to do yet your care must not be confin'd to your selves alone you must have a due respect and a due câ—rriage towards others also Carry your selves well 1. Towards all men Let your Conversations be as in all things so towards all men as it becometh the Gospel I must contract and here give you only some short hints 1. Be True 2. Be Just 3. Be Merciful 4. Be Peaceable 5. Be Courteous 1. Be True Take heed of the way of lying Let sinners know that a lye is of their Father and not of yours Let the Word of a Christian be Sacred Make sinners say of Saints the same which God sayes of them They are children which will not lye let their experience force them to acknowledge This spot is not the spot of Gods Children Be true A Lye is 1. Contrary to God who is a God of Truth and cannot lie 2. Conform to the Devil the Father of Lies 3. Destructive to Society there can be no trust where there is no truth and no commerce with those that cannot be trusted Temptations to Lying are many and men are especially tempted to it in these Twâ— Cases 1. In case of any faults committed What can't be excus'd must be conceal'd and for want of a better covering they must hide it under a Lye 2. In their dealings in the world In their buying and selling and trading The trade of lying gets into every Trade as if there were no living but by lying The Seller must have his lyes there must be lye to set off the Wares It s special good the best of its kind when may be 't is stark nought A lye to set up the price It stood me in so much I cannot abate when it may be the next word is a lower price The buyer must have his
lye a lye to bring down the price It s naught it s naught saith the buyer A lye to bring down the seller I will not give your price and yet give it Oh how common an evil is this and how little considered How few are there that have great dealings in the world that can altogether acquit themselves of it How many are there that live upon lies that feed themselves with lieâ— â—hat cloath themselves with lies their unlawful gains that their trade of lying hath brought them in Christians especially you that are most ordinarily under such temptations be sensible of this evil and avoid it be resolved and watchful Resolve to be true be true though it be to your loss be losers rather than lyars Sell not Conscience with your commodities for a penny or two pence profit extraordinary Resolve to be true and be watchful Consider what you say before you speak that you be guilty of falshood neither purposely nor unwarily 2. Be Just Observe that Rule of Righteousuesse Do to others as you would they should do to you And let this Rule be observed in all your words yea and your thoughts also as well as actions If you would not be wronged do not wrong if you would not be oppressed do not oppress if yâ—u would not be defrauded do not defraud and so if you would not be defamed or reviled do not defame or revile if you would not upon everie report or groundlesse surmise be evil thought of do not think evil of others You that professe Christianity are you altogether faultless upon this account Would you that all should come upon you which by you hath fallen upon others Would you that all the world should be to you what you have been to any in the world If you have been knowingly unjust in your dealings yet have you neither been injurious in your words Would you that your faults and iâ—firmities should be the ordinary discourse and table-talk and merriment of others and have not yet others infirmities or faults been yours Would you not be causlâ—sly suspected condemned or despised in the thoughts of others and have you never dealt thus by others Is this not too common and yet little considered When you are together everie evil report that 's going either for want of other discourse or from a worse cause must be brought in to fill up the time and evil reports quickly beget evil thoughts surmises Do as you would be done by if you would not be thus dealt with by others deal not so with others 3. Be Merciful Luke 6. 36. Be ye merciful as your Father is merciful You have a Merciful Father you have a Merciful High-Priest be ye also merciful As you have received mercy as you look for mercy be careful to shew mercy Give to him that asketh lend to him that would borrow visit relieve refresh the bowels of him that is in misery Be cheerful in shewing mercy let your hearts give as well as your hands Be liberal be bountiful He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly He that is merciless to the bodies of men is therein cruel to their souls Hardness and niggardliness in Professors of Religion will disgrace their Profession and harden the hearts of sinners from entertaining the Gospel Can you perswade me that this is the way of God that this is true Religion What a merciless Religion a merciless Profession God keep me from such a Religion Your feeding of hungry bellies your cloathing of naked backs may be a means to save many a soul from death The penny besides that it may gain thee many pounds a plentiful reward it may gain many a soul to thy Lord. 4. Be peaceable Mark 4. 50. Have peace one with another Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men The Lord is a God of peace Christians are sons of peace The wisdom which is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated Peaceableness stands 1. In an unwillingness to provoke or offend A peaceable man will not break the Peace is not quarrelsome or contentious will not stir up strife forbears all provoking carriage hath no provoking tongue he hath peace in his heart and that brings forth peaceable language and carriage 2. In an unaptness to be proved A peaceable spirit is a patient spirit 3. In a readiness to be reconciled James 3. 17. Easie to be intreated A peaceable spirit is hardly provoked easily pacified 1. In a forwardness to reconcile those that are at variance A peaceable spirit is a peace making spirit such an one is both a blessed man Mat. 5. Blessed are the peace-makers and a blessing to those he lives amongst Our angry quarrelsome spirit may be a plague and one peaceable and healing spirit may be a blessing to a whole society 5. Be Courteous Sweet and affable in your carriage towards all 1 Pet. 3. 8. This will much win upon the hearts of those you converse with and beget their good liking of whatever good they behold in you This will both mollifie their spirits towards you and make them more willing to hearken to you Morosity and sourness will fright them out of your company and harden them against your Counsel Your candor will be the sugar that will help to convey-down any pill of admonition or reproof you give them which otherwise their stomacks would rise against and spit out in your faces Carry your selves so to all that you may convince them that you are their friends the friends of their souls whilst you appear the enemies of their sins that your counsels are the counsels of a friend that your reproofs are the wounds of a friends which are better than the kisses of an Enemy But still take heed that your courtesie to sinners do not lead you in a compliance with them in their sins that what you intend as a Net to take their Souls become not a Trap to take yours Whilst you are a friend to their persons beware you be not drawn aside to have fellowship with them in their wickedness It is better to be uncivil than ungodly Be as courteous as possible yet so far only that your courtesie be neither a snare to you nor an encouragement to them in their sins Be wise as well as kind Christians do not pass over these second-Table duties which I have for brevities sake packed up into a narrow room as the lower things of Religion wherein you may be excused or dispenced with which a little praying or confessing will make up and so you may go on Truth and Temperance and Justice and Mercy c. are to be reckoned among the weightier matters of the Law there is so much Religion in them that there can be no Religion without them Though there may be morality where there is no true Religion yet there can be no Religion where there is not Morality Micha 6. 11 12. Shall I count them pure with the wicked ballances and the bag of deceitful
that it might have the same good speed as Peter's last had Luke 5. 6. It would then pay the Charges though the Net break God hath sent me among you as an Husbandman to plow and to sow and I am now come to cover what hath been sown What is my aim in Preaching let be yours in Hearing Oh that both Preacher and Hearers might heartily joyn in this Desire This once more God speed the Plow In this Desire and hope I drive on In the Text observe A Precept A Promise An Entail of the Promise on the Precept In the Precept we have 1. An Act Do. 2. An Object The things that ye have learned received heard and seen The Promise is in these words The God of Peace shall be with you The Entail of the Promise on the Precept you have in the Connective Particle And which knits them up together Do the Work and have the Reward Obey the Precept and enjoy the Promise Do what you have received and heard and the God of Peace shall be with you Be careful of the former and be not careful about the latter If the Precept be performed the Promise shall be made good Doct. 1. Christians must be Learners before they can be Doers What you have learned that do Doct. 2. He hath learned well that hath learned to do well Doct. 3. Christians Eyes as wel as their Ears 〈…〉 Religion Or The Holy Examples 〈…〉 should be living Sermons to peopleâ— What you have seeâ— in me Therefore the Apostle â—xhorts Phil. 3. 17. Mark them which so walk as you have us for an example and 1 Cor. 11. 1. Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ that is either I have been a Follower of Christ be ye therefore Followers of me or else Be ye Followers of me as far â—orth as I have been a follower of Christ Those Ministers may go off the Stage with Honour and Coâ—â—â— who have left behind them the good Seed of â—ouâ—d Doctrine and the good savour of an Holy Example For mine own part what my Doctrine and manner of life hath been among you you are witnesses and God also And however I have great reason to judge and condemn my self before the Lord and to bewail it that my Conversation hath been less exemplary and useful than oh that it had been yet I go off from you with this Testimony upon my heart that I have not been of those who bind heavy Burthens and lay them on other mens shoulders but will not touch them with one of their fingers but my endeavour hath been to press on mine own Soul and to hold out in my own practice that Word of Life which I have preached to you and therefore am bold in this sence to exhort you in the words of the Apostle Be ye followers of me as far forth as you have seen me a follower of Christ Doct. 4. Godly Ministers when they are parting from their People would fain leave God behind them Though it be not unusual when the Lord sends them away he goes with them God and his Messengers do not seldome take their farewel of people together yet their earnest desire is that though they must away yet the Lord would stay Doct. 5. Faithful Ministers would be Messengers of Peace going as well as coming As the Apostles first words were to be Peace be unto you Math. 10. so some of this Apostles last words were The God of peace shall be with you Doct. 6. When-ever Ministers part with their People if they can but leave Godliness in them they shall certainly leave God with them Or Those that obey the Gospel whatsoever or whomsoever they want shall ever be in a peaceful and blessed condition These things do that is live in the practice and power of that Doctrine of Godliness which you have received and heard and then fear not the God of Peace shall be with you This Doctrine I shall fully prove to you after I have premised That the Doctrine which I have preached to you is the Doctrine of Godliness the sum whereof take in these four particulars 1. That Jesus Christ who came into the VVorld to save sinners came also to sanctifie and purge them from their sins 2. That those that believe in Jesus must be careful to maintain good works or to live a Godly Life That this Godlinesse is not such a flight and easie and empty thing as the mistaken VVorld imagine but stands in an exact conformity of the whole Man Heâ—â—â— and Life to the whole VVill of God 4. That as whosoever believeâ— not in Jesus so whosoever is short of this true sincere Godliness cannot be saved This is the summe of that Doctrine which I have preached unto you which being the eternal Truth of God I herein imbarque my own Soul and Life desiring to be found in that same Jesus and to be found walking in that same way of Righteousness which I have declared unto you 2. That my Design and Aim in preaching this Doctrine to you hath been to beget in you and through the influence and assistance of the Eternal Spirit to bring you to this true Godliness I have travelled in birth with you that Christ might be formed in you that I might leave you possessors and partakers of that Grace which accompanies Salvation that your Faith might stand not in the VVisdome of men but in the power of God That your Repentance might be Repentance unto Life not to be repented of that you might obey from the heart that Form of Doctrine that hath been delivered unto you that you might stand compleat in all the VVill of God that you might be holy and harmless the Children of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked Generation amongst whom you must shine as Lights in the VVorld holding forth the VVord of Life that being rooted and grounded in love you might comprehend with all Saints what is the height and depth and length and breadth and might know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and be filled with all the fulnesse of God To this end have I taught every one and warned every one that I might present you perfect in Christ Jesus 3. That as far forth as the success hath answered my Design and aim upon any of your Souls so far forth stand you entitled to this glorious Promise in the Text The God of peace shall be with you Look how many Souls there are amongst you that live in the power and obedience of those Truths you have received to so many can I with confidence give this Farewel of the Apostles without Its or And 's the God of peace shall be with you To whomsoever the Lord hath been a God of Grace to them will he be a God of Peace Whoever amongst you have this God of Grace dwelling and ruling in you shall certainly find this God of peace dwelling and abiding with you As for all others though I can heartily make this my
hath cost them so dear but shall prize it the more and be the more wary and tender how they pollute and turn aside from it God hath adventured deep on you make not him a Liar the devil his instruments will be ready to say concerning you as once he did to the Lord concerning his Servant Job Put them into our power let us have the handling of them a while and thou shalt quickly see what truth there is in them or what trust there is to them they 'l curse thee to thy face they 'l deny thee to thy face they 'l eat their own words they 'l be ashamed of their God their Godliness and Confidence Let God be true Christians and the Devil a Lyar be living Commentaries on this blessed Text Let the World and their black Prince see that they cannot make you miserable because they cannot make you sinners like themselves That you are still the more upright for falling into the hands of a crooked Generation Let them see that though your God will not suffer you yet you are contented to serve him for nothing That though his Hedge be removed from you yet your Heart is not removed from him Be able to say Though all this be come upon us Our heart is not turned back neither have we declined thy way Let our standing and encreasing in the Grace of God and abounding in the works of Righteousness be a standing VVitness for God in the VVorld and a Seal to his Scriptures and in special to the glorious Truth of this Text. 4. The evil things of the Saints prepare better things for them their Sufferings go into their Reward As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Every suffering comes with a comfort in its Belly and the sweet is so great as swallows up the bitter 't is a hundred fold that the Saints gain by all their Losses in this Life but how great shall their Reward be in Heaven 2 Cor. 4. 17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding Eternal Weight of Glory They shall not only have weight for weight measure for measure their Load of Glory for their Load of Sufferings but they shall have over-weight over-measure good measure pressed down heaped together and running over shall then be given unto them According to their deep poverty shall be the height of their riches according as their blackness hath been in their Houses of Bondage shall be their brightness in the Land of Promise for all thy shame thou shalt have double The double of thy Reproach in Renown the double of thy Tears in Triumphs all thy bottled Tears shall be returned in Flagons of Joy yea in Rivers of Eternal Pleasure By this time Christians you see what glory there is in this good word All things shall work together for good to them that love God And that none may have the face to say all this is but conceit I shall in the next place bring in clear and undeniable Evidence that it is certainly and unquestionably so as hath been said And therefore know 5. That all things do and shall certainly work for good to them that love God This besides the Testimony of this Scripture I shall make evident from these three Propositions 1. There is a Divine Providence that governs the VVorld 2. The Design of Providence is the accomplishment of the good purpose and promise of God 3. The Providence of God shall never fail of accomplishing its end 1. There is a Divine Providence which governs the VVorld the Epicureans who deny Providence and leave all on Chance and Fortune may as well deny that there is a God which yet they are asham'd to stand to Of Epicurus himself it was said Quem nihil pudendum pudet pudet tamen Deum negare It can be no way reconcilable to the infinite Wisdom of God who made this Glorious Fabrick with the various Creatures therein either not to determine them to their Ends or else to take no care for their accomplishing those Ends they are determined to The whole Current of Scripture is so plain in these matters that he that runs may read Let the following Scriptures amongst others be considered Psal 97. 1. The Lord reigneth let the Earth rejoyce let the isles be glad Psal 67. 15 16. The Eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their Meat in due season Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desires of every living thing Psal 36. 6. Thou preservest man and beast Psal 75. 6 7. Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South but God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another Amos 3. 6. Shall there be Evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it Psal 17. 13 14. Deliver my Soul from the wicked which is thy Sword from Men which are thy Hand The confessions of those Infidels Nebuchadnezzar and Darius speak the same Dan. 4. 35. All the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his Will in the Army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his Hand or say unto him What dost thou Dan. 6. 26. I make a Decree that in every Dominion of my Kingdom Men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel for he is the Living God and stedfast for ever and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his Dominion shall be even unto the End He delivereth and rescueth and he worketh Signes and Wonders in Heaven and Earth who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the Lions But more distinctly the Lord governs all inanimate and sensitive Creatures in their actions he orders the Stars in their courses The Stars in their courses he made to fight against Sisera He governs the Winds and the Floods he bringeth forth the Winds out of his Treasures he rides upon the wings of the Wind. He maketh the Clouds his Chariots he sitteth on the Floods the Thunder and the Hail and the Rain and the Frosts are all at his Command He giveth Snow like Wool and scattereth the hoar frost like ashes He casteth forth the Ice like morsels he sets bounds to the Sea which it shall not pass the Birds of the Air the Beasts of the Field the Fishes of the Sea yea the stones and dust of the Earth are all at his beck More especially he rules and governs the men of this World He sits in all the Counsels of men though they see him not he orders all their Decrees there 's no Decree can pass unless God gives his Vote He rules in all the actions of men even those things that are acted through our improvidence come not to pass without the providence of God He rules in all the changes that are in the world he changes the times and the seasons he changes Kingdomes and Governments he removeth Kings and
that befals I might be happy but this stands in my way If you would give God leave to be wiser than you you would say where-ever you are its good for me to be here this is my way to my â—est 3. The Providence of God hath faithfulness with it Psal 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keep his Covenant and his Testimonies Psal 111. 8. His Works are done in truth Gods works may be said to be done in truth in a double sence In Reality In Fidelity 1. In Reality not in specie or in shew only but indeed Gods Comforts are Comforts indeed Gods Salvation is Salvation indeed The Devil will come with his gifts with his comforts and deliverances but they are for the most part but spectra like himself shews and apparitions quite another thing than what they seem to be sinners comforts deliverances enjoyments wherewith the Devil feeds them do leave them in as poor a case and worse than they found them you will never thank the Devil for his kindnesses when you have prov'd them what they are If you do not find your selves as fast bound in the midst of all your liberties if you be not wrapp'd up in as many sorrows after all the joys he hath procured to you if the glittering glories the glorying pleasures he entices you by and entertains you with prove not trash and dirt and meer lies in the end then say the Devil hath forgotten his trade of lying the Devils works will be even like himself false and deceitful But God is true and all his works are done in truth 2. In Fidelity his Works are according to his word 1 King 8. 24. Thou hast spoken with thy mouth hast fulfilled with thine hand In thy faithfulness thou hast afflicted me Psal 119. Not only in thy faithfulness thou hast saved me in thy faithfulness thou hast comforted me in thy faithfulness thou hast succoured me but in thy faithfulness thou hast afflicted me in thy faithfulness thou hast humbled and broken me and cast me down The promise of God is that we shall want nothing we shall neither want his Staffe nor his Rod neither comforts nor crosses neither joys nor sorrows we cannot well want either and we shall want neither because God is faithful You may not only write down with the Apostle God is faithful and will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able to bear but you may write also God is faithful and will not suffer you to want a temptation When 't is seasonable your hearts shall be glad and if need be for a season you shall be in heaviness God is faithfull he will ever be true to himself and therefore to you 2 Tim. 2. 9. He abideth faithful he cannot deny himself Should he be false to his people he cannot be true to himself to his purpose and promise his Word is not yea and nay God is not as man that he should lye or the Son of man that he should repent that he should say and unsay that he should say and not do you may write Gods name upon every word he hath spoken you may write his Name I Am upon all that he hath said It shall be Now Christians put these three Particulars together and if you cannot spel out the conclusion out of them the Providence of God will certainly accomplish his good Purpose and Promise concerning you You are of little understanding as well as of little Faith If God governs the World and nothing comes to pass but by his Providence if Providence governs according to Gods Purpose and promise if Providence cannot fail of accomplishing both If God be Almighty and can if God be Wise and knowes how if God be Faithfull and true let the Devil if he can with all his Sophistry evade the Conclusion That he will certainly do all that good for you which he hath purposed and promised If God be not able to perform he is not good if he mistake his way if he use impertinent improper means he is not the All-wise God If he do not actually perform what he is able and knows how to do when he hath said it he ceases to be the true God So that the matter is brought plainly to this Issue If God be God if God be the All-wise God if God be the true and faithful God this word which he hath spoken All things shall work together for good to those that love God shall not fail of its accomplishment in its season Having thus proved the Doctrine I shall after I have added a few words by way of Caution and answered an Objection or two against the Sence I have given of this Promise and subjoyned a few particular Inferences descend to the general Application 1. By way of Caution 1. Limit not the Lord to your time and way God will make good his word but you must give him leave to take his own season He that believesh shall not make hast believe God but do nor prejudge nor precipitate least you fall into temptation Put no more into the promise neither for matter nor circumstance then God hath put in it put not that into the Promise which God hath not put in it lest you miss and come short of that which God hath put in it Let others mistakes and miscarriages be warnings to you till God hath manifestly said do not you say This is the time build not your confidence on conjectures your Faith on the strongest Presumptions lest your Faith prove but a fancy and your confidence your confusion make not the promise of God of none effect by looking for its effect out of season Believe not your selves into Infidelity Consider Acts 1. 7. It is not for you to know the times and the seasons which God hath put in his own Power Study the Word and its commentary the Works of God but be sober in your Conclusions This you may safely depend upon and this will be enough if you have no more God will make good his good Word to you sooner or later in one time or other in one way other in the best time in the best way in the appointed time the Vision shall speak and shall not lye Habak 2. 3. Though it may tarry wait for it because it will surely come and will not tarry At least at the end of the days When you shall stand in your lott when you shall be gotten on the banks of Canaan and shall thence look back on the Promises and Providences of God ye shall see and say God is faithful there hath not failed one word of all that he hath promised Now I understand though once I could not how every Wheel was turning every Instrument was moving every event was working toward my good and everlasting welfare 2. Let not your expectation cause an abortion Let not your looking for mercy hinder the working of your affliction It is not seldom and
God see it good to fall into such a calamity He hath little of a Saint that would deliberately refuse it Doubtless a sincere Christian who would count his usefulness to the good of the whole Body to be his good would say even concerning such a Message were it brought to him Good is the word of the Lord And that which afore-hand he would judg to be good for him to submit to may it not be good for him to be under 2. It may also be more directly for his particular personal good For 1. It may do him the same good which Death will do for him Concerning which the Apostle says it is yours 1 Cor. 3. that is it is for your advantage It may take him from the evil to come from those sorrows and that trouble of heart which God might fore-see falling upon him by any calamities coming either on the Church in general or himself or Family in particular which being deprived of his Reason and power to reflect on he cannot feel or in the least be afflicted by If you reply But the Remedy is worse than the Dâ—sease To be useless and unserviceable is less eligible than to be sorrowful and afflicted Will any man chuse to fall into a Lethargy or Apoplexy because 't will secure him from the torment of a Feaver If there be any weight in this Reply I shall add a further Answer which if I mis-judge not will cut off all Replyes 2. Who knows what Sins and Temptations he might have fallen into and fallen by had not the Lord by this means prevented it he might possibly have been a back-slider have fallen into gross sin by which he might have been a Terrour to himself and a Scandal to the Gospel and is it not good for him that this is prevented Is not that affliction a mercy which secures from such iniquity Who can say it is not thus that the Lord foresaw he would have fallen into sin and for prevention brought him into this affliction Who can say it is not thus If none can then this is no Objection If you Reply You say it may be this is the case and I may as well say it may be not there might be no such thing that God fore-saw as the Reason of this Providence 'T is but a Conjecture and an uncertainty when you have made the most of it Be it so yet it will fully answer my end I am not now proving that all things work for good to the Saints that 's sufficiently done already But you are objecting against it and till you prove your Objection which you can never do unless you prove that this is not the case you must give me leave again to tell you your Objection comes to nothing And so at length you see this Blessed Glorious Comfortable Truth stands its Ground and Triumphs over whatever hath any shadow of Contradiction to it By the way learn hence two things 1. Rejoyce in this Promise of God Hath the Lord put in thy name here let thine heart say It is enough Be more joyful in this that God hath thus undertaken the Care of thee than if God had wholly put thee to thine own hand giving thee power to help and liberty to chuse for thy self In what wilt thou rejoyce if not in this that the whole Creation are ingaged to do thee a kindness to help thee into the possession of thy God Thou maist now not onely submit to but thankfully embrace every Providence knowing upon what Errand it comes to thee for good and not for hurt Thou maist now triumph not onely in the Consternations but in the Triumphs of thine enemies Whether they ride over thy back or thou tread on their neck 't is all one the issue will be the same Thy Troubles and thy Consolations differ only in their Countenance with what ever Grim face thy afflictions look there are smiles under learn to see through them and thou maist see light on the further side Believe this Word thou maist read it written upon every thing that befals thee there 's no Messenger that comes but brings this promise in his hand Even this shall work for good Read it and rejoyce 2. Lay thy self down quietly under it No more perplexing or distracting cares what shall become of thee no more unwarrantable shifting for thy self Let God alone Shift not for thy self lest God leave thee to thine own shifts Let not the violence of evil men disturb thy Peace or provoke thee to unpeaceableness What-ever provocations thou maist have avenge not thy self neither give place unto wrath murmuring or fears In thy patience possess thy Soul thy God and his good Word Thy strength is to sit still Stand still and see the Salvation of God thou hast nothing to do but to be Holy let that be thine only care thy God will see to it thou shalt be happy he is faithful that hath promised Love God and leave thy self and thy whole Interest in this blessed Word All things shall work to thee for good By this time you see something of the Riches of this Promise God is in the Promise the God of Peace the God of Power the God of Patience the God of Hope the heart of God the help of God the presence of God by vertue whereof all that ever befals them shall work for their good Methinks the hearing of this Promise opened should set your souls and all that is within you a crying our Oh that this were my portion Where-ever my Lot do fall as to outward things though in a Prison though in a Desert though on a Dunghil let the lot of my Soul lye in this Promise The God of Peace shall be with you Why Brethren will you take up with Godliness you have learned and recâ—ived and heard the Word of the Lord the Word of Faith the Word of Righteousness and Holiness will you hearken to will you obey these words These things do and the God of peace shall be with you Oh what foolish Creatures are we that ever we should be afraid of Religion afraid of Holiness afraid to own obey and follow God and his holy wayes What unreasonable fears are these to those that believe the Scriptures If the Scriptures be true this is the only way this following God in holiness to put your selves out of all danger to put your selves into the heart arms presence protection of the Almighty God of Heaven and Earth Oh that I could perswade you in thither and there leave you if you are once in the Lords Arms you are safe enâ—ugh into whatever hands you fall Vse By way of Application let me once more speak a few words 1. To the Ungodly 2. To the Godly 1. To the Ungodly my work with them shall be to perswade and direct them how to get into this peaceful and blessed state Amongst the ungodly 1. There are some who are far from the Kingdom of Heaven as 1. Those upon whom the Ministry of
the Gospel hath done nothing at all that miserable forlorn multitude of the grosly ignorant who as they were born blind have had all their dayes such a mist of thick darkness abiding upon them that they are uncapable without a miracle of being savingly wrought upon Speak unto them of Faith in Christ of Repentance unto life of obeying the Gospel in the plaineâ—t way possible and you will be as a Barbarian to them as one of a strange Language they know not what you say if you should speak Greek or Latine to them they would understand it as well as the plainest truths of the Gospel A poor Minister of Christ may break his heart and rend his bowels in mourning over them may draw forth his Soul in the most melting expressions of his compassions to them may break his brains in studying how to convey a little light unto them and yet cannot help them cannot make them to understand so much as that they understand nothing Their minds are so wholly blinded by the God of this world that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ though it shine round about them cannot find so much as a crany into their hearts but being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them they give up themselves to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness walking in the lusts of their hearts after the course of this World in riot luxury excess of Wine revellings banquettings covetousness lying blasphemies and abominable adulteries and Idolatries and yet remain without any conscience of sin or fear of their danger being as natural bruit Beasts as if they were made for slaughter and destruction Are there none such in this place Doth not the Earth every where groan our Land mourn our Congregations travel in pain Is not this Congregation black'd and burthen'd with such miserable creatures who after all the instructions counsels wooings warnings threatnings and Judgments of God which have been in their ears and before their eyes remain to this day a stupid blockish brutish generation without the least sense of their sin or wish to be delivered from it Oh you blind and dark Souls consider and understand if it be possible these two Scriptures 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to those that are lost In whom the god of this World hath blinded the minds of those that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel should shine unto them This darkness is from Hell the Prince of darkness hath held you under your blindness and this darkness leads to bell to the blackness of darkness for ever You are lost you are lost Souls lost for ever if the Gospel leave you in this state of blindness in which you have so securely continued to this day Isa 27. 11. It is a people of no understanding therefore â—e that made them will not have mercy on them he that formed them will shew them no favour 2. Those upon whom the Gospel hath seemed to have done its work but it is its strange work There are two works which the Gospel doth some it enlightens others it smites with blindness some it softens others it seals up under hardness some it gains over to Christ others it gives up to the unbelief and impenitence of their hearts Isa 6. 10. Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes c. Go and preach to this people but preach them into hardness and blindness because they refused to see or hear let the light put out their eyes let the joyful sound strike them deaf and stop their ears never leave hammering them till thou hast hammered them into rocks or anvills Some there are that have so trifled with Convictions baffled Conscience and suffer'd their lusts so to resist and bear down their light that have had so many heats and colds so many thawings and freezings that have taken up so many purposes and made so many promises and yet all comes to nothing that the Gospel hath received a Charge from the Lord to make an end of its work Go sayes God and make an end with these men I 'le be mocked by them no more I 'le be trifled and dallied with by them no longer wound them no more fright them no more peâ—swade them no longer make their hearts fat their ears heavy and shut their eyes and give them up to their hearts lusts that they may walk in their own counsels and fill up the measure of their iniquities you that after all the warnings you have received from the Lord and after some workings of them sometimes upon your Consciences are yet going after your lusts prostituting your selves to your belluine and sensual pleasures filling up daily the measure of your iniquities Oh tremble and consider sadly whether this be not likely to be your case that the Gospel hath even done with you and given you over unto an impenitent heart and reprobate mâ—â—d In hope that how near soever you are to this dreadful state you may be yet one step at least short of it I shall this once more adventure a few words upon you together with them that I have already mentioned And first let me reason a â—ittle with you 1. Art thou one of them that obey the Gospel or not Art thou one of them that love God one of the called according to his purpose or not Art thou not an Alien an adversary against God a Rebel against his Word Let thy Conscience speak set thy ways speak let thine Oaths and thy Drunkenness and thine Adulteries thy scoffing at God and his holy ways thy hating his Instructions and kicking at his Reproofs thy hardnings against his Calls thy treacherous dealings in his Covenant and the Vows of God that are upon thee let these speak what thou art Is this that which God hath chosen and called thee to Are these the Things thou hast learned and received and heard of him Did he ever say These things do the God of peace shall be with you Thou needest no other Conviction than that of Israels Jer. 2. 23. How canst thou say I am not polluted See thy way in the valley know what thou hast done How canst thou say that thou art not a Wretch With what Face canst thou deny but thou art an Enemy of God and of all Righteousness See thy way in the Valley trace the Foot-steps of thy Life behold thy practices and thy course Sure thou art very blind if thou behold thy self in this Glass and doest not see thy Face as the Face of a Devil There are some whom it may be harder work to convince who have the Face of a Christian the Tongâ—e of a Saint but within the heart of a Beast Hypocrites are as hard to be convinced as Hypocrisie is hard to be detected But thou who carryest thy wicked Heart in thy Forehead upon thy Tongue upon
at last have a TEKEL written for your doom and hear that cutting word pronounced upon you Thou art weighâ—d in the ballance and art found wanting With you also would I leave a few words 1. Lose not both Worlds this World thou hast lost already by leaving them so much behind thee lose not that which is before for want of coming on a little farther think not of hanging always betwixt Heaven and Hell In the other World there 's no middle either go back or come on turn thee to the right hand or to the left 2. Mistake not almost for altogether such a mistake may be mortal Do not too â—â—ily conclude thou hast already attained if thou takest something of Christianity to be all thy all is nothing 'T is a wonderful thing to see how easily men satisfie themselves in a matter of such weight and intricacy Thine heart is deceitful try it thoroughly before thou trust it One grain too light and thou art undone God Glory Soul Eternity all lie at stake one tittle short of sincerity and all lost Be jealous of thy self never give over suspecting thy State till thou hast put it past suspition Conclude not till thou hast thoroughly disputed the case give not over the dispute till the matter be no longer disputable Canst thou be too sure the least mistake is as wide as Heaven and Hell the bottomless Gulf reaches home to the Threshold of glory thy tantum non will be as much as the Devil looks for only not in though never so near will be thy eternal perdition 3. Beware that this thought one time or other I shall have more power slacken not thy present care and labour Let not thy hopes undo thee Lose not a present opportunity in hopes of future ability Labour each day to bring the matter to a present Issue and that with no less earnestness than if this day were to give a final determination and thou wert sure that thou wert just come to thy now or never 4. Let not a small matter part Christ and thee Heaven may not cost thee half so much more as it hath cost thee already Art thou come within one peny of thy Lords price and shall that break the bargain 5. Let not thy Oyl thou hast gotten serve only for fewel for thy fire Let not thy common grace thou hast obtained here be of no other use but to add to thy confusion hereafter every beam of light that hath shined to thee here will add to the horrour of thine everlasting darkness Every drop of Honey thou hast tasted in Religion will be thy Gall and Worm-wood in the day of thy condemnation Be not more miserable hereafter for that thou hast been less wicked here the remembrance how fair thou wert once for Glory will be one of the sharpest Teeth of thine everlasting Worm 6. Lastly Be all or nothing come up hither or get thee down to thy lot particularly 1. Be all unto Christ 2. Let Christ be all to thee 3. Let all Christ be accepted and improved by thee 1. Be all unto Christ have none to please but Christ and for Christ have nothing to seek but Christ and for Christ resolve against Reserves and limits give up all and keep back nothing say not thus much I can spare and no more hitherâ—o I wiâ— go and no farther Divide not thy self thy love thy care thy aims betwixt Christ and any thing else Let thy whole Soul run in one Channel Rest not short of a full resignation and when thou hast resigned repent not 2. Let Christ be all to thee say not I must have an Estate too my Friends too my pleasures and my ease too let Christ be enough and all to thee Father Mother House â—â—nds Portion say conâ—â—ing all thou hast else Be thou mine Lord and let these go their way 3. Let all of Christ be accepted and improved by thee Divide not thy self and divide not Christ leave not any thing of thy self for any but Christ refuse not any thing of Christ for thy self Think not thy all too much for thee to give nor Christ's all too much for thee to embrace Thy half will not satisfie Christ nor will half of Christ suffice thee Thou must give and have and therefore resolve to give and take all or none Let all Christ be accepted and improved by thee 1. The merit of his blood 2. The light and Authority of his Law 3. The Power of his Spirit 1. Accept the merit of his blood renounce thinâ— own and rely on his righteousness as God hath so do thou lay on him all thine iniquities Think not of Sanctification without satisfaction Think not to satisfie in the least by ought that thou canst do let that lye upon him Judg thy self but seek to be justified alone through Faith in his blood Say unto the Lord what I owe to thee put it upon his account my Christ must answer for me 2. Accept and submit to the light and authority of his Law Think not he is thy Priest unless he â—e thy Prophet and thy King If he must answer for thee let him instruct thee and be thou willing to learn of him since he hath bought thee let him govern thee say not of any thing he requires this is too much to do since he said not to thee 't is too much to dye Count not thy self Christian whilst thou art unwilling to receive the utmost light or to submit to the utmost of thy duty say not of any one thing of all that Christ requires This I must have abated and then I will be his 3. Accept and exert the power of his Spirit the Spirit of the Lord is a Spirit of Power The same Argument which the Apostle uses to prove himself a Minister of Christ is necessary to prove thee a Christian 2 Cor. 13. 3 4. Since ye seck a proof of Christ speaking in me which to you ward is not weak but is mighty in you Though he was crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God for we also are weak in him but we shall live with him by the power of God Ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me ye put me to prove that I am a Minister of Christ why here 's the proof of it My preaching hath not been weak but mighty in you It hath been followed and attested by the power of Christ which hath wrought mighâ—â—ly in you as weak as we are yet the power of Christ hath been manifested and magnified in us Doest thou seek a proof of thy Christianity why here must be the proof that though thou art weak of thy self yet thou livest in the power of God which is mighty in thee Though thou canst do nothing of thy self yet thou art able to do all things through Christ which strengthens thee Thou sayst thou art willing but thou art weak thou desirest to be and to do what God would have thee but thou canst not perform
things He that hath the son hath not only with him but in himâ— all things Are all things nothing with thee What wouldst thou have more than all Thâ— Heathens acknowledged That vertue is sufficient Iâ— was a Maxime among the ancient Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vertue is self-sufficient A vertuous Man hath no need to be beholding either tâ— Friends or Fortune He hath enough in himself The Apostle tells us That Godliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with its self-sufficiency is great gain 1 Tim. 6. 6. Solomon tells us Prov. 14. 14. A good man is satisfied from himself He hath that within him out of which his satisfaction grows A Christian hath the whole Gospel within him He hath Christ the Promise the everlasting God Heaven Glory within him As rich as he is he may truly say Omnia mea mecum porto He carries his All in his heart and can thence get out a living a Sufficiency for all Times Cases and Wants Cast him naked out of his Habitation out of his Countrey yet he carries all with him he leaves not an Hoof behind him Christians leave it to the poor of the Earth to carnal men the Riches of them is poor enough leave it them to be discontent A carnal Man hath so many to be beholding to to parch up his contentment that 't is no wonder he falls short of it the Sun the Clouds his Fields his Folds his Friends his Enemies his Honours his Pleasures his Meat his Drink his House his Mony yea the Devil all his lusts every Creature must come in with their part to contribute to his contentment if but one thing fails him there 's somthing wanting to make it up Nay if none fail but they all do their best to please him yet all will not do in the fulness of his sufficiency he is in straits When he hath all he can have his still hungring Heart cries out of what it hath Vanity of Vaâ—â—ties all is Vanity Leave it to these Christians who â—ave nothing but emptiness to fill their Souls withâ—â— leave it to them to be discontented Will you â—ay the same imputation upon the God of Glory The Discontent of a Christian is a kind of Blasphemy it proclaims concerning God also and all the Glory of the Gospel This also is Vanity Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity Christians study your Riches more count over your Treasures dwell more in your God and his Gospel Read over your Priviledges Promises and Hopes feed more on that Bread of Life drink more freely of those Living Springs which are broken forth to you Prove more what Godliness hath in it Get out the sweetness and the Pleasure of it none in the World live such a voluptuous Life as he that lives mâ—â—t with God get out the pleasure of Godliness lie more at the Breasts suck harder press the Clusters and the Wine and Milk will come make the most of Religion and you will have enough never blame it for empty or unsatisfactory while there is more to be had Gad not into other Pastures run not from Flower to Flower keep you Home Let not your God find you in another Field If you keep with God the less you have of Creature-vanities the more full will your Contentment be Christian Honour thy God and his Gospel let his Breasts satisfie thee and err thou alwayes in his Love Let the World read the Gospel-sufficiency in thy Souls pleasure and satisfaction with it alone 5. Let your Conversations answer the supports of the Gospel and its succours Live a patient life Jam. 5. 7. Be patient brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Patience is a Grace suited to our present Gospel state I will call it a Friend that 's born for the day of adversity If you are Christians you have need of Pâ—tience and if you have Patience you need no more Jam. 1. 4. Let Patience have her perfect work that you may be entire lacking nothing Patience is a submitting sedate and calm frame of spirit whereby a Christian from Gospel grounds it born up under all his Troubles and born through all his Duties Betwixt Patience and Contentedness there is this difference Contentedness is the quiet of the heart and its satisfaction with its smallest portion of good things Patience is the quiet of the heart under the greatest pressure of evil things A patient spirit is a submitting spirit It s heartily content that God should have his Will With whatsoever God is pleased it will not be displeased It 's the Lord lâ—â— him do whatsoever seems good in his Eyes What seems good in God's eyes shall not seem evil in mine It is a Calm and quiet spirit It will not strive noâ— cry nor lift up its voice in the streets it can mourn but it does not murmur it can feel but it will not fret at the hand of God A patient person is ever compos mentis has the command and government of his spirit keeps it sober and in due order doth not rave and rage Impatience is a kind of frenzy such persons are besides themselves In our patience we possess and by our impatience we lose our Souls we lose the rule and government of them the peace and the use of them An impatient man is besides himself both as a Man and as a Christian 1. He is besides himself as a Man Impatience turns Reason out of doors and for the Affections they are all in an uproar and will know no command or government 2. He is besides himself as a Christian turned quite out of course Duties Comforts Experiences Hopes all are laid aside Keep you quiet keep the peace in your heart and you keep your heart In this calmness and quietness it bears up under troubles Patience hath Fortitude in it it neither frets nor faints under all its burthens Christians must bear and patient Christians can bear any thing that comes on them The proper exercise of patience is enduring he endures not that suffers only but that can bear what he suffers It bears through its Duties The passion of a patient person doth not hinder his action He holds his course keeps on his way whatever load he hath on his back He runs with patience the race which is set before him he is not discouraged nor diverted from his holy course by any suffering it costs him And indeed Christian Patience stands not in a bare forced quiet in a biting in or keeping down our fretting aestuations from venting themselves in word or carriage or in a sullen silence or stupidity but in the maintaining such a tranquility of spirit under all we suffer as that we can still both enjoy and serve the Lord. He is a patient Christian that is as much a Christian in a storm as in a clam that can pray believe love bless God follow God and keep his way when he smites as when he smiles Lastly in all this a Christian is upheld and carried on from
Gospel Grounds 'T is not a natural hardiness or apathy 't is not the Spirit of a man that does sustain his infirmities 't is upon the everlasting Gospel that he stands There are three Things especially that bear him through His viewing The Hand of the Lord. The End of the Lord. The Help of the Lord. 1. He sees the hand of the Lord in all that befalls him Whence was Davids patience Psal 39. 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth Because thou Lord didst it Whence was Eli's patience 1 Sam. 3. It is the Lord let him do what seems him good Whence was Job's patience Job 1. 21. The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. By the way note That a godly man is not only patient under his afflictions but thankful He is not only thankful for Mercies but for Chastisements 'T is not only the Lord hath given blessed be his Name the Lord hath built me up the Lord hath filled me the Lord hath hedged me blessed be his Name but also The Lord hath taken away the Lord hath humbled me broken me undone me left me naked left me nothing blessed be the Name of the Lord. This by the way 2. He sees the end of the Lord that God intends his good by all that comes upon him He knowes that all things and therefore this which is upon him whatever it be shall work to him for good 3. He feels the help of the Lord. When the hand of the Lord is upon him he feels also the hand of the Lord under him underneath the everlasting Arms Deut. 32. 27. The Gospel as it hath allotted him many Tribulation◠so it hath allowed him mighty supports A mighty God who is the Rock of Ages Isa 26. a merciful High-Priest who being tempted himself is able also to succour those that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. Precious Promises 2 Pet. 1. Gracious experiences Rom. 5. 4. Patience worketh experience This last support experience hath all the rest in it Experience is the whole Gospel proved A patient experienced Christian hath proved all things what they are hath proved the World and what it is and the worst it can do hath proved the Word and what there is in it hath proved what God is what Christ is what grace and peace and a good Conscience are Tribulation often takes away God and his Gospel and we never so well prove what God is as when we have him alone what grace is what a good Conscience is as when we have nothing else left us Our Religion never shews so much what is in it as when it 's most put to it When the Adversary hath gotten the greatest advantage of us of the Sun of the Wind of the Ground when he presseth with most violence with most fury upon us then we best know what the weapons of our Warfare are The comforts and supports of Religion are not known either of what strength or of what sweetness they are till they are thus proved Hezekiah had never such a tast of his integrity as when he received the Message of death Stephen had never such a sight of Heaven as through a storm of stones Christ is never so sweet as in a prison When God meets his Saints in a Wilderness then he speaks comfortably to them A patient Christian hath more or less experience of all this and hence is he supported keeps quiet under all his sufferings and carried with courage on in his way Be patient therefore Brethren unto the coming of the Lord. You have need of patience and no excuse for your impatience The sufferings of the Gospel call for patience and the supports of the Gospel will condemn your impatience If you will be godly count upon it that you have a great fight of afflictions to endure Venture not into the fight without your Armour An impatient creature is a naked Soldier How easily will Sathan destroy whom he hath once disarmed The more you can the less you shall suffer Secure your spirit and you save your self from harm There 's no Dart shall hurt you that does not hit your heart Keep your heart whole and the Devil loses all his shot Be patient and you possess your Souls keep your Souls and the enemy loses the day Christians 'T is of great consequence to you to be of a patient spirit and 't is a great Duty there 's much more in it than every eye observes When I perswade you to Patience know That 't is no small thing that I am perswading you to 'T is no less than 1. To the whole of Christianity 2. To the height of Christianity 1. To the whole of Christianity To be truly Patient hath as much in it as to be a Christian To be holy humble meek mortified self-denying crucified to the world heavenly minded all this you must be or you cannot be patient Patient and proud patient and peevish patient and unmortified earthly minded a self-seeker This is as great a contradiction as to be proud and humble fleshly and spiritual earthly and heavenly a Christian and no Christian If ever you will be possessors of this grace you must be partakers of all grace Get a believing broken self-denying heart get your spirits furnished with the love of Christ the hope of the Gospel the contempt of the World live above in the other World Let Christ Glory Honour Immortality be the portion of your Souls and the pleasure of your lives if ever you would be truly patient 2. To Christianity in the height of it In pressing you to patience I am herein pressing you to get Assurance Without assurance though patience be possible yet you 'l find it both difficult and very imperfect What Patience when I question whether my sins be forgiven whether God be reconciled and be not dealing with me as an enemy What Patience when I doubt whether my afflictions be not the pension of a bastard rather than the portion of a Son when I am not sure but my present sufferings are sent to carry me down to eternal sufferings I am in misery and perpetual torments never a day without 〈…〉 it may be never shall this or worse may last for ever 〈◊〉 if I were sure it would be well at last I could be quiet but for ought I know the Furnace I am in may be the very mouth of Hell The diseases the wounds I am under may be sent to let out my Soul into everlasting burnings how can I be patient under such doubts and fears Make God sure Christian make Heaven sure once and then thou may'st set thine Heart at rest then thou may'st almost as easily exercise as thine Enemies find thee Exercise of thy patience Christians if you will be patient you must be painful give diligence be diligent in making your Calling and Election sure be diligent in duty be vigilant against iniquity If you will be patient be impatient of sin and you will be
come upon them without taking part with them in their sufferings then lust is conquered Lust no longer lives nor maintains its power and interest in us than whilest in all its afflictions we are afflicted when we feel its sufferings as our sufferings its disappointments and dissatisfactions as our own and flie out against whatsoever falls upon it as it fell upon our Souls When we can say 't is my passion that suffers but not I 't is my Covetousness that suffers my pride that suffers but not I and let them suffer for me let them be pinch'd and pain'd and starv'd and die none of all this shall move me nay herein I do and I will rejoyce There 's Patience Patience is Lust conquered Christians you complain of Corruption you tell one another sad stories what a burden what a bondage 't is you are under whilest Lust hath such power in you whar Briars and Thorns what plagues and stings they are in your hearts You pray and you mourn and groan and sigh in your selves waiting for your redemption from this bondgae and misery Oh for an humble heart Oh for a broken mortified spirit oh this earthliness this envy this peevishness this sloathfulness I am weary of my life because of these Daughters of Heth. Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Why would you be delivered Be patient under Afflictions they are the Executioners sent from God to slay your Enemies the Medicines sent from your Physician to cure your Diseases Never quarrel with Affliction unless you resolve to befriend Corruption What will you be so foolish as not to be patient of your Disease nor your Remedy either bear the Cross or else never make your selves believe but you can bear your sins well enough Whatever your complaints are 't is a sign they come not very deep 'T is an Argument that sin sits light where the Cross lies so unsupportably heavy 4. Your patient suffering will be your Triumph over Temptation A patient Christian is a Conqueror over all the World By this alone naked Job overcame the Devil When Sathan and his Instruments have persecuted you into patience they have therein brought their Necks under your Feet This Brazen wall will make their shot recoil on their own heads and hearts Your Patience will be a Shield to yours and a Sword in your Enemies Souls Be patient and you have won the field and gotten the day They will have no hope to drive you to sin where they see you can suffer This was Job's Triumph and shall be yours In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly You may now make your boast in the words of the Apostle Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword In all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us 5. Your patient suffering will be the improvement of your sanctification Heb. 12. 9 10. We have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them Reverence Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live For they verily for a few dayes chastened us after their pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness The Fathers of our flesh corrected us and so doth the Father of Spirits they at their pleasure he for our profit You 'l say it may be for what profit What profit is there in our Blood in our Bonds in our poverty Why there is this profit we are hereby made partakers of his holiness There 's seldome any towardliness in a child till it be whipt into him Gods School of affliction is a Nursery for Heaven Were it not for his House of Correction Sion would quickly become as Sodom Seldom does any come out thence but their complexion shews where they have been 'T is with them that feel the Hand of the Lord as 't was with him that saw his Face his Face did shine his very spitting in their Faces doth wash them the cleaner Of all Saints there are none raised so high towards the third Heaven as those that have been in the Deep No Providences give such a lift to the soul as those that most humble Christians What-ever pains you travel under believe it the Births may be such as will make you forget your sorrow I have heard of an holy woman who used to compare her afflictions to her children they both put her to great pain in the bearing but as shew knew not which of her children to be without notwithstanding her trouble in the bringing forth so neither which of her afflictions she could have wanted notwithstand the sorrow they put her to in the bearing Heb. 12. 11. No chastning for the present is joyous but grievous but afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable Fruit of Righteousness to them that are exercised thereby Oh when you see the Fruit where then will your Sorrow be John 16. 21. A Woman when she is in Travail hath Sorrow because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of the Child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a Man-child is born into the world If the Joy of the Birth will make you forget why should not the hope of the Birth make you to bear the pain Beloved would you bring forth fruit unto God and will you not bear the Plow and the Harrow Will you expect an Harvest and yet must God let you lye fallow and still sow among Thorns Let me ask you and answer deliberately would you be more holy than you are more fruitful than you are or would you not If you would not you are no Christian Si dixeris sufficit defecisti If you would is that desire conditional You would increase so it cost you not over-much labour and pain that desire comes to just so much as no desire at all Or is your desire of an increase absolute would you be more holy what-ever it cost you Do you so prize and love an holy and fruitful life that you are heartily content that God should take his own course with you should take any course that 's needful to bâ—ing you on to it Can you freely say O Lord I am weary of this trifling I am weary of this dead and barren life Lord quicken me Lord enlarge me Lord perfect thy work and fulfil in me all the good pleasure of thy will So thou wilt but hear she in this thing I freely put it into thy hand to take thine own way and use thine own means Use the Word or the Rod. Command me or chastise me spare not this flesh for all its crying strip me of what thou wilt inflict on me what thou wilt throw me whither thou pleasest let me not want the most bitter Pill that 's needful any thing any thing Lord I hope I can be poor if thou wilt have
to have no Assurance that he hath any at all If thou wouldest have power over Corruption if thou wouldest stand in the Day of temptation if thou wouldest not starve in the day of Famine if thou wouldest have the comfort of the Grace thou hast let it grow up to its fuller stature Grace when it is come to Age will speak for it self and shift for it self the better which whilest it is in its Infancie neither knows nor can help it self Christians let your Grace grow and let the Fruits of it increase Let your Fields ripen to the Harvest I may say concerning Sinners not as our Lord said Behold the Fields are already white to the Harvest but behold the Fields are already black to the Harvest The Word is ready to be given Come put in thy Sickle the Harvest is ripe the wickedness is great The Fields of Tares are already black to the Harvest But oh when shall it be said of you Behold the fields are white to the Harvest shall evil weeds grow so fast and shall only the good Corn be at a stand Brethren Let your Fruits grow more plentiful and more perfect daily Let that Scripture be verified in you Pro. 4. 18. The path of the Just is a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Let your hearts be so filled with the fulness of God that your pathes may drop fatness Let it be said of you as of the Spouse Cant. 4. 18. and Chap. 5. 5. Her lips dropped as the Honey Comb and her hands dropped sweet smelling Myrrh Let your lips drop as the Honey Comb as you have drunk in the Milk and Honey that comes down from above so be ever droping it down to others Let something of the fatness something of the fatness that you have received from above be alwayes dropping down Be dropping according to what you have drank as you see sinners of whom 't is said They drink iniquity to be alwayes dropping iniquity dropping Oathes dropping Lies dropping Scoffs and reproaches So let it be said of you They drink the Dew of Heaven and this they are dropping down Let no Child no Servant no Friend come into your Company and go away without some sweet drops from your lips A word of heavenly instruction a gracious admonition a word of encouragement or a quickening word let them have or lift up a prayer and drop down a blessing upon them Something or other of the Dew of Heaven let them feel flowing from your Lips Let your lips drop as the Honey Comb and your Hands drop sweet smelling Myrrh Let your Holy Practises your holy Examples second and set on your wholsom counsels and instructions Let your words be savoury and your works be gracious Let lip and life speak the same things and lead on the same way Christians By your nursing up the Souls and Fruits of others you will ripen and encrease your own If you should look on all the Fruit as little which your selves have brought forth to God you will have this to comfort you That you have born more upon your Brethrens knees the Fruits of those Fields which you have planted or watered will abound to your account Bring forth much Fruit unto God and be much in immediate converse with God Phil. 3. 20. Our Convetsation is in Heaven Be more elevated and raised in your Spirits daily above things sensual and carnal Above Carnal Delights Above Carnal Discouragements 1. Above Carnal Delights live more purely in the Spirit let your Hearts be wrought up to such a spiritual frame that all the joyes pleasures and comforts of your lives may be spiritual Let the Lord be all your delight Psal 37. 5. Let it be with you as much as may be as it is with the Saints already in glory to whom God is all who being changed into his Image and dwelling in his presence are satisfied in him Let God alone be as much to you as God and all the world Let the Fashions and Pleasures and delights of this world be so much beneath your Spirits that it may neither be an abatement of your joy to want nor an addition to your content to possess them Let the light of all these lower sparks be swallowed up in God when the Sun shines all the Stars dis-appear and are not needed Lift up thine eyes Christian and see what pleasures there are within the Veil Come drink thy fill of this new wine let thy Faith draw the Curtains of Eternity and take a view of those heights and depths and lengths and breadths of that Glory and Joy which there it may discover Look on him that fits on the Throne and those everlasting Treasures of Light Holiness Goodness and Mercy which are streaming from his Face on those over-flowing Bowels of kindness and compassion on those Rivers of pure and eternal Pleasures Rest Peace that rise from that glorious Throne and run through the City of God Behold the Tree of life and feed thy Soul on its precious fruit whose very leaves are for the healing of Nations Hearken to and fill thine Ears and Heart with those Tryumphs and Exultations those Raptures and Extasies of unspeakable and glorious joyes those blessings and praisings those Hallelujahs that are tuned upon the hearts and tongues of the Heavenly Chore the glorious Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect by the vision and fruition of thy God the God of Glory Look on and possess this Joy and Glory say to thy Soul as God to Abraham Gen. 13. 14. Lift up thine eyes and look from the place where thou art Northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward through all the Coasts and all the Dimensions of the blessed Land of Promise and holy City and then say Come Soul take up thy rest here all this is thine Look and love love and long long and hope hope and rejoyce in hope of this glory of God Look on thy God and never leave looking till thou art changed into his Image and satisfied with his Image And here let thy delight and thy dwelling be 2. Above all carnal discouragements from any adversaries or dangers wherewith you are baited and affrighted as you walk in the Lord let the joy of the Lord be your strength let your Sun be your shield let your hope be your confidence and fear not your dutie nor danger Look to your hope and you will laugh at fear Dwell in your reward and you will not be afraid to dwell in your dutie But of this a word more by and by Thus much for general Directions 2. I shall next give you some special Directions for you daily work General necessarilie depend on and subsist in particulars As there can be no Religion in a Kingdom unlesse it be first in particular Families nor none in Families unlesse it be in particular persons so a general course of Christianity there cannot be unless it be supported in our particular daily walk The advice I
the Gospel and the more necessary and weighty Duties of Religion sufficiently understood and practised Are your Souls safe Is your Calling and Election sure Is the Love and Life and zeal of God grown up to that maturity that you need not mutual help this way Have you any spare time from those things to spend in perplexing controversies Build up one another in your most Holy Faith provoke one another to Love and to good works encourage establish and strengthen one another in the known wayes of holiness and if you find not this both better work and work enough for you then take your liberty These things do live in peace and love and the God of peace shall be with you Hear Oh â—ye freinds of Christ by what oblique Names soever unhappily distinguished will you come and be Friends one with another Are you for peace Your God is the God of Peace Your Jesus is the Prince of Peace Your Gospel is the Gospel of Peace and will you not be perswaded to be Sons of peace Your God is one your Mediator is one your Faith one your Baptism one your Hope one you are one Bodie one Spirit and will you not yet be one Soul Oh how hopeful would our condition be were our hearts generallie set upon peace We should certainly obtain did we more resolvedlie pursue it and what should hinder have you not yet enough of your contentions and quarrellings have not your Souls been sufficiently neglected your Lusts strengthened your Faith weakened your Love withered your comforts wasted your names blemished your holy Profession blamed Hath not your God been sufficiently provoked and the Devil sufficiently gratified are your bellies so filled with gall and your mouths with gravel and have you not yet enough of your contentions Christians Slight not these Counsels and Warnings As you would prove your selves the Friends of Christ be ye followers of peace Studie oh studie these things that make for peace Follow peace with all men as much as in you is but especially with the houshold of Faith Let there be no longer strife betwixt us for we are brethren Yet alwaies remember I am pressing you to an holy Union whilst I perswade you to follow peace I must still add and holiness I perswade you not to pursue peace upon tearms dishonourable or prejudicial to Truth They must have both together that will be blessed in either Truth without Peace is as a Jewel without its Cabinet Peace without Truth is as a Cabinet with nothing in it Peace without holiness is as a fair and promising shell with a rotten or worm-eaten kernel holiness without peace is as a pretious kernel under a crack'd and broken shell They that have peace without truth have nothing worth the securing they that have truth without peace have little security for what they have Peace without truth is beauty without worth Truth without peace is worth with its beauty marred Let both go together and then they will be both the Columina Ecclesiae the Pillar of the Church rendring it consistent within it self and the Corona Ecclesiae its Crown rendring it comely and glorious before the World Be it thus wiâ—h us and then Sathan look to thy self thy Kingdom shall down amain when thou canst no longer hold up division thou losest thy dominion Then Saints lift up your heads your Communion shall be sweet your glory shall be great your light shall shine your fruit shall abound the smell of your spices shall flow forth your adversaries shall envy and your King shall greatly delight to see your beauty Oh may this Grace this Peace be granted us from the Lord and let all that love the prosperity of Sions say Amen 2. In an an united Contention Striving together saith the Apostle for the Faith of the Gospel Unite but strive strive not one against another Christian against Christian but strive together Let your Contention be in Communion Strive together against sin and unbelief against Hypocrisie and earthliness strive against strife and debate and envyings and judgings strive together with God in your prayers and supplycations We often pray but our prayers do not agree by keeping at such distance we know not one anothers hearts and are so many men so many minds every one prayes according to his single apprehension and affections What one prayes another unprayes insomuch that we should put the Lord to do contradictions if he must give particular answer to all our prayers And possiblie that may be the reason why the Lord defers his answer so long he will stay till we are better agreed what we would have Matth. 18. 19. If two of you agree on earth touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven Strive together in all holy and united endeavours to comfort confirm and establish one another in the Faith of the Gospel Keep up the Communion of Saints and an united contention against sin and unbelief Remember Heb. 10. 25. 3. In an holy boldness in nothing terrified by your Adversaries In nothing that is either in no degree not at all terrified or else in nothing that you have to do be frighted out of no part of your duty or else at nothing that they do or threaten to do against you Be not afraid to be holy Tell your Adversaries when they have said and done their worst you must and you will make bold to serve your God Fear them not and they cannot hurt you they never hurt you unless they divert you from your duty To establish your hearts in this holy boldness and against your carnal fears 1. Consider That 1. By how much the more you fear God by so much the less you will fear men 2. By how much the more you fear sin by so much the less you will fear trouble 3. By how much the less your adversaries fear God by so much the less need you to fear them 2. Believe Psal 27. 13. I had fainted but that I believed Faith is a buckler against fears and faintings Ephes 6. 16. Above all take the shield of faith whereby you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Devil The shield of faith A shield is a wall of partition interposed betwixt a person and harm 'T is only our apprehensions of harm that raise our fear Faith will save a Christian harmless and thereby preserve him fearless The shield is ordained for a security to all parts and against all assaults Some pieces of our armour are appropriated to one part only the Helmet is for the head the Breast-plate for the brest the Girdle for the loins the Shooes for the feet but the shield is a moveable that is to be lifted up where-ever the blow comes Faith is an universal security Faith may be said to be a Shield 1. Instrumentally As it provides us of a shield as it lifts up a sheild and sets a guard upon the Soul to secure it
hearts desire for you all is that you may be saved and if there be any persons that bear evil will to me my particular wish for them is The Good-will of him that dwelt in the Bush be those Men's Portions for ever These are some of my Wishes for you will you joyn your Wishes with mine will you turn your Wishes into Prayers and let this be your prayer The Lord grant thee thine hearts desire and fulfill all thy Mind Brethren do I wish you any harm in all this If not if it be to be wished that the word of Christ were rooted in your hearts and your Souls thereby rooted in the Grace of God if it be to be wished that your Lusts were rooted out your sins dead and dried up your foot gotten out of the Snare your Souls brought into the Fold your fruits of righteousness and holiness abounding and growing up unto eternal life If all this be to be wished then give in your votes with mine wish and pray pray and press on press on and wait for the accomplishment of this grace in you all I tell you again I wish you well and not only I but the Lord God that hath sent me to you The Lord Jesus wishes you well he wishes and wooes woes and weeps weeps and dyes that your Souls might live and be blessed for ever He hath once more sent me to you even to the worst amongst you to tell you from him that he 's unwilling you should perish that he hath a kindness for you in his heart if you will accept it He hath Blood and Bowels for your Blood to expiate you guilt to wash away your filth and Bowels to offer you the benefit of his Bloud with this wish Oh that it were theirs Oh that they would hearken and accept Only I must add That the Lord hath two sorts of Wishes concerning sinners The first is Oh that they would hearken Oh that they would come in be healed and be saved Deut. 5. 29. This wish is an Olive Branch that brings good â—idings and gives great hopes of Peace and Mercy His last Wish is Oh that they had hearkened that they had accepted Ps 81. 13. O that my People had hearkened to me Luk. 19. 42. Oh that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that concern thy peace This Wish hath nothing but Dread and death in it it is the Black Flag hung out that proclaims External Wars The sence is Israel had once a fair time of it a time of Love a time of Grace a time of Peace Oh that they had hearkned then that they had known the things that concern their peace But wo wo to them 't is too late the door is shut the Season is over the Day is past But now they are hid from thine Eyes There are three deadly darts in this Wish oh that thou hadst it includes in it these three cutting words Thou hast not Thou mightest Thou shalt not for ever 1. There is this in it Thou hast not What have I not why thou hast not known the things that belong to thy peace Thou hast had the door of Glory the Gate of Heaven open to thee and hast been call'd for and invited in but thou hast lost the opportunity Thou knewest not when thou werâ— well offered nor would'st take notice what a day was before thee what a price was in thine hand thy peace the Gospel of peace the Prince of peace a Kingdome of peace was set open offered and brought home to thy doors but thou hadst so many other matters to look after that thou tookest no notice of it but hast let it slip There 's one Dart. Thou hast not known There 's a Gospel gone there 's a Christ gone there 's a Soul a Kingdom lost 2. There is this in it Thou mightest Oh that thou hadst why Might I Ye thou mightest if thou wouldst thou mightst Thy God did not mock thee when he preach'd peace to thee he was willing and wish'd it thine if thou wouldst thou mightst have made it thine own but whilst he would thou wouldest not There 's another Dart. I might have known I have none to thank but my self for the loss mine undoing was mine own doing There are no such torments as when the Soul flies upon it self and takes revenge on it self oh the gashes that such self reflections make Soul how camest thou in hither into all this misery oh 't is of my self my self that my destruction is The door was open and I was told of it and was bid come in but I would not That I am lost and undone was not my Fate which I could not avoid but my Fault and my folly It seems to give some ease of our torment when we can shift off the fault It was not I but the Woman said Adam It was not I but the Serpent said the Woman if it had been true it would have given ease as well as serve for an excuse This thought 'T was mine own doing tears the very caul of the heart Oh I have none to blame but my self mine own foolish and froward heart This is my ignorance this is my unbelief this is my willfulness my lusts and my pleasures and my Idols that I was running after that have brought me under this dreadful loss 'T was my own doing 3. There is this in it Thou shalt not for ever Oh that thou hadst why may I not yet Is there no hope of recovering the opportunity not one word more not one hour more may not the Sun go one degree backward No no 't is too late too late thou hast had thy day from henceforth no more for ever There 's the last Dart Time 's past there 's the death the Hell the anguish the Worm that shall gnaw to eternity This one word Time 's past sets all Hell a roaring and when it s once spoken to a sinner on Earth there 's Hell begun Go thy way wretch fill up thy measure and fall into thy place The Gospel hath no more to say to thee but this one word Because I have called and thou refusedst I have stretched out my hand and thou regardedst not but hast set at nought all my Counsels and wouldst none of my reproofs I also will laugh at thy calamities and mock when thy fear cometh when thy fear cometh as desolation and thy destruction cometh as a whirle-wind when distress and anguish cometh upon thee then shalt thou call but I will not answer thou shalt seek me early but shalt not find me Beloved my hopes are and I am not able to say but that you are yet under the first wish Oh that they would Christ is yet preaching you to faith and sends his Wish along with his Word Oh that they would believe Christ is yet preaching Repentance and Conversion to you and wishes O that they would repent that they would be converted and to this wish of my Lord my Soul and all that is
for you I must not damn my soul to please my flesh Touching the practice of this Duty take these two further Directions 1. Every day morning and evening set apart sometime for secret prayer and when you go to pray do not rush inconsiderately upon it but first sit down and take one of those Heads meditate on what the Scriptures speak upon them and then propose the several questions to your hearts and when you find your hearts affected and warmed by these Meditations then fall to prayer 2. Let each mornings Meditation be ordinarily matter for your thoughts to work on and for discourse that day unless providence cast in and calls you to some other profitable subjects The matter of Meditation is purposely divided into seven Heads to the end you may take one of the Heads for each dayes Meditation and so in every week you may go over the whole being the chief things of Religion And thus continuing from day to day from week to week you will be both more thorowly acquainted and more deeply affected with the things of God and will find through his blessing more liveliness and enlargement in Prayer and more comfortable successe Only take heed of formalitie of resting in the work done of going on in a round of Duty without a due regard to the end of Duty Let this be your aim in all to get your hearts more fixed upon and affected with the things of the world to come more enlarged and quickned and more effectually carried on in that course of holy and heavenly walking the end whereof is everlasting life But now least any should complain that this course is too tedious and that which they cannot have time daily for or that by reason of ignorance or want of helps they cannot perform it I shall adde this that such persons who are weaker in their understandings and thence unable to go through with this course and all others at such seasons as they are unavoidably straitned for time nay instead of the larger take this shorter course When ever thou settest upon the Duty of prayer sit down and ask thy heart these Questions Quest 1. What am I am I a Believer or an unbeliever converted or unconverted do I think in my Conscience I belong to God or do I not fear I am yet the child of the Devil Quest 2. What do I what are my wayes are they such as please the Lord and tend to the Salvation of my Soul or are they the wayes of death and damnation Quest 3. Before whose presence do I now stand Is it not before the Lord the Almighty God who is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him and the avenger of those that slight or rebel against him Quest 4. What am I come before the Lord about Is it not to plead with him for my soul to beg my life at his hands to beg my pardon and redemption from everlasting death and to obtain grace for the salvation of my Soul This short and 〈◊〉 course would be some advantage thou 〈…〉 that are able and can redeem so much 〈…〉 would commend the constant use of 〈…〉 â—rections THe third special Duty I shall direct you in is Self-examination It is of great use to the carrying us on in an holy course to know our state For By the knowledge of our state we shall the better know our work when we know what we are we shall the better know what we have to do If the question be What must I do to be saved The answer of that will depend upon another question How far forth am I come already Am I converted or unconverted in a state of sin or in a state of grace Let that question be first answered and the answer of the other will be easie 2 By the knowledge of this that we are in a good estate we shaâ—l have much encouragement to hasten on Assurance will quicken and encourage us on in the way of holyness Those that aâ—firm that the Doctrine of assurance is a licentious Doctrine and serves for nothing but to maintain men in a loose lazy and idle life understand not what they say nor whereof they affirm 'T is all one as if they affirmed That the more assurance any person hath of the love of God the less he will love God or that the more he loves God the less care he will take to serve or please him Those that know no other motive to Duty but fear may preach such Doctrine but those that have found the quickning and constraining power of love must lay down both their reason and sense too before they can believe it The way to know our selves is to search and examine our selves 1 Cor. 13. 4. Examine your selves prove your selves know ye not your own selves Now to help you in this duty of Self-examination I shall give you these two Directions 1. When you set to examine your selves by any marks or signs In the first place examine your Marks that you would try your selves by If you would prove your selves whether you have true grace or no by any mark that 's given examine that Mark by the Scriptures whether it be a certain and infallible sign of grace so that you may be bold to conclude that if you can find this Mark in you you are undoubtedly in the state of grace That 's a proper mark of true grace which whosoever hath it hath grace and whosoever hath it not hath not grace If you take that for a mark of true grace which is common to Saints and Sinners you may take your selves to have grace when you have none And if you take a mark to try your selves by which is proper to Saints but is not common to all Saints you may take your selves to have no grace when you have The former mistake may lose you your peace this may lose you your souls therefore Christians be wary here try your marks before you try your selves by them 2. For the matter of your enquiry let it be 1. Whether you are gotten into the way of life or not or whether you are translated out of a state of sin and death into a state of grace and salvation And if so then 2. Whether you be in a thriving or flourishing state or in a languishing or decayed state To help you in the former tryal I might only send you back to those directions formerly given concerning your closure with Christ whence it will not be difficult to gather some certain marks to try your selves by but I shall add two or three more wherein let it not be offensive to any that I follow that light which I have received from the worthy labours of that faithful Servant of Christ Mr. Baxter whence I confess my self to have through mercy grown into the fuller acquaintance with mine own heart and which I shall therefore the rather make use of for the help and benefit of others 1. Mark 1. Wheresoever there is true