this Earth and the Fulness thereof You now that are for Government in your Hearts for the Government of your desires take this course for thus Governing of them desire God and the things above as much as you should desire the good things below no more than you should desire the evil things below not at all get your desires after Lawful things to be moderated your desires after sinful things to be Crucified put Wings to your Holy desires put Clogs and Fetters upon your Natural desires and up to the Cross to the Gibbet with these sinfull desires and herein have you set up the Lord to be the King in your Hearts and brought your very Appetites to be subject to him 3. For our Joys for the due raising and limiting of these I shall shew 1. The Object of Joy is the same with the Object of Love and Desire He that Loves whatever it be if he hath it not he desireth it if he hath it he rejoiceth he that loves God if he can hear such a Word from God I am Thine that 's a joyful Word then he can rejoice in God he that loveth Money or the gains of this World if he hath it not he desireth it if he hath it he rejoiceth his Money is his Joy his Estate is his Joy such a joy as 't is a poor flashy Joy yet Joy there is to him The Woman in the Parable Luke 15.9 that had lost her piece of Silver when She had found it She calls her Neighbours together to rejoice with her sure such a Woman loved Money well Joy arises 1. Originally from its Object or the Thing loved It is God that is the Fountain of Divine Joy thence it springs and comes in therefore the Apostle prays Rom. 15.13 The God of Hope fill you with all Joy There are Three wayes by which our Joy in God is raised 1. By Contemplation by Contemplaâ—ing of God we come to see and find out what matter of Joy there is in God it brings the goodness and kindness the satisfying and ravishing Excellencies of God to our sight those to whom the glorious Lord is as a barren Wilderness or Land of Darkness as the expression is Jer. 2.31 it is either from their Ignorance or their want of Contemplating of God It is a sign thou art a blind Soul and knowest not God or that thou art a Sranger to Divine Meditation Thou lookest little Heaven-ward thou dost not send up thy Thoughts in search for God who yet sayest Where is that Joy Where is that Blessedness Where is that Joy Look more diligently in the Face of God let thy Soul dwell in the Study and Contemplation of his infinite goodness thou hast a glass before thee the glass of the Word wherein his glory shineth look more into that glass and Meditate much upon what that Word revealeth of the Excellencies of God and then thou shalt see his Glory and Taste his Joy 2. Expectation and Hope therefore we Read of Rejoycing in Hope Rom. 5.2 When Contemplation hath discovered the Blessedness that is in God then Hope layes hold on it this Blessedness may be mine saith the Soul and I have good Hope it may be mine and in that Hope I joy What Malefactor that is in fear of Death for his Offences that should be told there is yet hope of thy Pardon hope that thou mayest live but would rejoyce in that Hope What poor Man that is in want that should have Tidings of a Rich Inheritance that was falling to him but his Hope would make him to Sing for Joy Dost thou hear of the unsearchable Riches of Christ of the Treasures of everlasting Joy that that are in the Lord God and hast thou Hope that these will be thy Riches and thy Treasures how canst thou but rejoyce in Hope of the Glory of God 3. Fruition or the enjoying of the Object loved and this is it which brings the fullest Joy Fruition stands 1. In our Actual Possession of the Object when we have what we hoped for and there is a double Possession of God that the Saints have in this Life 1. A Possession by Faith 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life that is he that believeth in Christ hath Christ his Faith puts him into Possession and from this the Possession of Faith Joy followeth Rom. 15.13 The God of Hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing 2. A Possession by Sense when we Taste that the Lord is gracious when we feel the comfortable refreshings of his loving kindness when the beams of his Light and the Streamings of his Love shine upon and warm our Hearts when his Light Shines into our Darkness and gives us the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.8 And when his Love is shed abroad into our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which he hath given us Rom. 5.5 When we see how lovely the Lord is and feel that he loveth us 2. In the satisfaction of our Hearts with this Possession when we are pleased and delighted and satisfied with his goodness A full satisfaction of the Heart will not be till hereafter Psal 17.15 When I awake I shall be satisfied and therefore our fulness of Joy is reserved till then but satisfaction to such a Degree there is upon our present Possession as gives us a kind of present Fruition 2. This Joy arises as from the Object so immediately from the very Act of Loving Joy ariseth from love 1. By way of immediate resultancy there is a great Pleasure in Love as there is bitterness in grief and sorrow so there is sweetness in Love this very Blossom of Love casteth forth such a fragrancy as no Man knows but he that hath it It is a Sweet and a Pleasant thing to live ln the love of God He that loves God and feels that he loves him and he hath him whom he loves cannot but rejoice in him 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love and believing ye rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of glory There we have 1. A Christians love to God whom having not seen ye love 2. His Possession of what he loves believing Believing is as I said before getting Possession and then 3. The Joy that followeth ye rejoice c. 2. By way of Reflection when a Christian upon his review of this his love to Christ perceives that he loves him in sincerity this is to him a Token of Christ's love to him Dost thou see dost thou feel that thou lovest Christ This thy love to Christ is a Token that he hath sent thee into thy Heart to tell thee that he loveth thee And when thine Heart can say I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine the Lord is my God my Saviour my Portion and Inheritance canst thou say so Then thou wilt add with the Psalmist Psal 16.6.9 The Lines are fallen to me in a Pleasant Place and I have a goodly Heritage
shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Brethren do you in good earnest desire to get you up to such a life as this do you heartily wish it might be thus with you have you any hope that you shall obtain and will you follow after it will you go hence as men and women designing any such thing shall we that have been with the Lord together this day now agree together in the Name of the Lord to be reaching forward with one heart and with one soul towards such an heavenly life shall we help one another and quicken one another and set examples one to another of such spirituality and heavenliness what do ye think would be the fruit of our appearance before the Lord this day might we return to our houses with our hearts full of such holy Resolutions with our hearts flaming in such holy desires Oh be impatient of thinking to return again to your old carnal and sensual and worldly frames to your cold and indifferent and lukewarm and lifeless way of Religion Let not the Devil catch you again wandring or carelesly jogging on at your wonted rate if he do look for it that whatsoever of the Divine Life or Love of the Divine Hope or joy hath been kindled in you this day you will be quickly spoiled and robbed of it all and those poor and weakly hearts will fall into a worse condition then before If you would keep any thing about you that might comfort you if you would secure your Souls from being rifled of all that you have received if you would not return to be dark and dead and barren Souls then remember this Counsel you have received from the Lord to whom my Prayer is for you which was Davids for Israel 1 Chron. 29.18 O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel our fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of this people and prepare their heart unto thee Keep these thoughts fresh upon your hearts and you shall thereby keep your hearts after the Lord hath spoken Grace unto you from returning again to folly Lastly Commit the keeping of your hearts to the keeper of Israel Commit them to God Psal 127.1 Except the Lord keep the City the watchmen waketh but in vain The keeping of the heart is a greater trust than the keeping of a City and therefore had need be put into safe hands G d is able to keep it 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him unto that day God is able and God is faithful faithful is he that hath called you and will do it But it may be you will say O I shall never be able to keep mine heart in heaven keep up the love and life and joy of God in my Soul keep my self pure keep me close to God that the Devil never catch me wandring abroad Why I see he may catch me every hour mine heart is given to wandring and I cannot hold it in It would be an ease and a joy and a great delight to me could I get to be raised to such a pitch to be all spiritual and heavenly and there to fix and be ever with the Lord. O what a joy it would be to me had I but hope I might get to such a pitch but wo is me I shall never be able Why do your duty and for such a comfortable success let that care lie on the Lord. Commit it to him both to help you into such a frame and to keep you in it he hath said he will not fail you He hath sealed to you this day that he will help you that he will keep you trust upon him and he will do it But what is it to commit the keeping of our hearts to the Lord 1. To give them to the Lord. God will keep nothing but what is his own Wilt thou give thine heart to the Devil and then commit it to God to keep it for him give your hearts to the Lord give them to him for his Servants and then commit them to his Custody 2. To trust him with the keeping of them Psal 143.9 Deliver me O God from mine enemies for I flee unto thee to hide me I have many enemies that lie in wait for my Soul I dare not trust to my self for security God is my trust and my refuge I flee unto thee to hide me I will trust under the shadow of thy wings Psal 36.7 Therefore brethren my Exhortation to you shall be the same with Peters Exhortation to suffering Christians 1 Pet. 4.19 Commit the keeping of your Souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful creatour Observe it commit but in well doing Do not neglect your duty and think to make it up with this I have committed the care of my self to God I say do not neglect your hearts be not idle and careless of your own duty do not leave your selves open to the Usurpation of lust or the invasion of the Devil do not suffer your hearts to lead you on in your carnal ways leave not that heart of thine to be a blind house a dark hole and filthy Dungeon full of Abominations and then think to make up the matter with this to say I have committed it to the Lord to wash it and cleanse it and keep it I trust God with my Soul he I hope will preserve it commit the keeping of your Souls in well doing do your duty keep your hearts under Government keep them under Guard be washing your hearts daily be watching your hearts daily though God be also yet you are every one your own keepers do your part to keep that which God hath committed to you and then fear not but God will do his part he will keep whatever you have committed to him And thus I have at length run through this great duty of keeping the heart The Lord knows how great need there is of every word that hath been spoken O that none of it might be lost Our poor hearts God knows have hitherto found us but poor heart-keepers The case they are in is Evidence sufficient to prove how sadly they have been look'd to Some of them continuing in a lost state to this day others of them but half recovered others relapsed and fallen back from what they were once hopefully recovered to none of our hearts but have often been among Thieves where we have suffered great loss and how many have been the heart distempers and diseases we have fallen into O what slight what licentious what listless dull and lazy Souls have we been sure these hearts have found us but bad keepers O what shall be the success of these many words that have been spoken what say you Christians is there any hope that your hearts shall be better look'd to for the future what say you will you now be faithful will you keep this charge of the Lord keep this heart with all diligence who is there among you that will say I confess my faults and my great neglects this day I confess I have been careless the sad frame mine heart is in is a witness against me but through the Grace of God I will look better to my self and hope I shall not forget this word as long as I live I hope I shall leave medling with other mens matters and leave censuring of other mens ways and from henceforth keep mine eye more close and constant upon mine own Soul This do be more faithful in keeping your selves and then you may be bold to commit your selves to the Lord as unto a faithful Creator What hath been my design and desire in this whole work But 1. To prepare your hearts for the Lord that he may accept them 2. To bring them over to the Lord that they may become his own 3. To keep them for the Lord to keep them pure that he may take pleasure in them O let this be done and then you may commit them to the Lord to keep them safe Will you be perswaded will you be prevail'd upon thus to prepare and bring over your hearts to the Lord thus to preserve and keep them pure and faithful to him and so trust to his faithfulness Might I prevail with you in this I had done my work and having put you thus into safe custody should there be bold to leave you in this Confidence that you should be thenceforth all kept by the mighty power of God through faith unto Salvation FINIS
an increase to set you a running and striving and fighting against all that hinders Oh what might be said to get those creeping souls upon the wing to quicken your motions heaven-ward O how might I help you off with those weights that hâ—ng on those weights of earth and flesh of cares and lusts and sins that you might run with patience and run with alacrity and joyfulness the race that is set before you O consider the imperfect state you are in consider and lament it lament and make on forgetâ—ing the things that are behind reach forth unto those things which are before 2. Are sinners yet recoverable Oh lose not the present season but seek your recovery as Is 55.6 Seek the Lord whilst he may be found So seek your souls whilst they may be found seek recovery while it may be had But what shall I do to recover 1. Get you to be heart-sick of the misery that is upon you If ever God recover you he will first smite you he will wound you that he may heal you Micah 6.13 I will make thee sick in smiting thee said God in another case The Devil smites with a deadly wound but Gods wounds are healing wounds Hos 6.1 Come let us return to the Lord for he hath smitten and he will heal us The Devil smites with blindness the Devil smites with hardness and insensibleness of heart What is the reason thou art such a blind and hardned and sensless soul O the Devil hath smitten thee into this blindness and hardness Gods smiting of the heart is like Moses his smiting of the rock Exod. 17.6 He smote the rock and water issued out God will so smite these rocks as to fetch a stream of tears and sighs and groans out of the hard heart he will make those stones to feel The Devils work is to put sinners past feeling and O how successful hath he been at this work Poor sinners the Devil hath been at work with you smiting you into insensibleness and what sensless souls hath he made you Though the word of the Lord which is shâ—rper than a two edged sword and pierceth to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit of the j ints and marrow hath been driven home upon you yet you feel it not The Devil hath made thâ—e such a stupid sensless soul that thou canst feel nothing but God smites to recover your feeling he will make you sick in smiting you He will â—o so if ever he means to heal you O sinner do not resist bur help forward this work of God upon you Do what you can to recover your own sense do not harden your hearts against the word do not harden your hearts in your sins pray that God would make you sick at the heart under all your misery It would be some encouragment to Ministers to bring an healing word unto you if we could once find you to be sick If we could but recover your sense we should have hope to save your lives but here it is that our work sticks we cannoâ— by all that we can say recover you to sense to a sense of your lost estate Wo is me for I am undone said the Prophet in another case Is 6.5 O might we hear such a word from sinners mouths Wo is me for I am undone I am an undone soul I am a lost soul You are undone you are lost souls and before ever you be soundly recovered you will by the sense and sickness of your hearts be forced to acknowledge it Wo is me for I am undone Sinner dost thou think thy self well art thou whole and ailest nothing This is thy senslessness and this senslessness is the most deadly part of thy disease a sick man that is grown sensless is the next step to a dead man if his sense be recovered there is more hope of his life What a word of hope would it be might we hear this word running through all the company of hardned sinners here wo is me for I am undone what shall I do what will become of me I am a lost soul dead in trespasses and sins held under the power of the Devil dragging on to destruction I am well enough as to my body and my outward condition but O my poor soul my poor blind soul my poor hardned soul my poor guilty soul in what a woful case is it Could we perceive such a sense of your case could we hear such bemoanings and complainings of your misery this were hopeful we should then hope you were upon recovery if we could by any means work you to such a sense of your estates But how is it with you sinners Is there any such good token to be found upon you Sinners here be God knows enough of you but where be the smitten sinners Where be the sensible sinners the broken sinners the fearing sinners where be the men that the word of God hath made them sick in smiting As it is with some Physick for the body so it is with Gods Physick for souls it never worketh kindly but it makes men sick in the working Where be the sick sinners In one sense you are all deadly sick but were be the sinners whom Gods Physick hath made sick Whom the word hath made sick whom conscience hath made sick that is hath made them feel their sickness No no the Lord be merciful to you your Soul-physick will not work it leaves you at your ease under the hardness and senslesness of your hearts as if you were indeed sound men and needed nothing But sinners know that till you are wrought to a sense of the misery you are in there is no hope of your recovery Do but â—enture on a while longer in this stupid hardened state and you will be past recovery You are at present without feeling but if you once be past feeling you are past recovery for ever O get you broken hearts O cry unto the Lord that he would smite you and make you sick in smiting you That he would set you a trembling that he would affright you and afflict you for your sins O stir up and awaken those sleepy souls O study and consider and get a little understanding what a woful case you are in Believe God he tells sinners that they are sons of death sons of perdition under condemnation Beheve God before the Devil and your own hearts these have agreed together to tell you a lie to tell you your case is not so bad you shall do well enough you shall escape well enough believe not the Devil believe not your deceitful hearts believe God believe the scriptures read over that word and see how dreadfully it speaks of the case of sinners and know that all this it speaks to thee all the plagues and terrours of the Lord which you read or hear out of the Scriptures these words belong to you who are yet in your sins Sinners I would fain preach you to Christ and preach you to
are so for being thorough-Converts this will require time this will require pains and constant exercising your selves to repentance as long as you live You must continue repenting as long as you continue sinning you must confirm and establish your hearts against all returns to the old state and course as long as there is danger of relapsing What if you should begin well and then give off or make a stand What if you should lay by your sorrow for sin lay down your fear of sin and run into temptations to sin without fear if you should give off your watch and your warrings against sin What do you think would become of you if you should How would you tumble back into the Pit from which you seemed to be delivered Do what you can Friends to make sure work Have you gotten any sense of sin and of the necessity of turning Exercise your thoughts and your hearts upon this thing while you live You will never whilst you live here see to the bottom of the evil that is in sin Hast thou by thinking and searching found out something of the evil of sin Think again search again and thou shalt yet see greater abominations greater malignity in it You may as easily see to the height of heaven or to the depth of hell as to the bottom of sin Sin can never be thoroughly known till God be thoroughly known It is an abuse of God an abuse of infinite grace and goodness and holiness as often as thou sinnest thou affrontest and abusest the God of heaven and earth Thou thinkest it a small matter to tell a lie or to pilfer and purloin if it be but trifles thou stealest but is it a small matter to abuse the Almighty God to tread upon his authority who hath said lie not thou shalt not steal thou shalt not covet Is it a small matter to spit in his face to slight his bowels to tread upon his mercy and to throw it back upon him and refuse it when he offers it Such and much more malignity is there in sin than all this and therefore be thinking and searching out the evil of sin more and more as long as you live Study much the evil of sin and the preciousness of Christ and give not over till you can no longer either make light of sin or make light of Christ and when sin is become grievous and Christ is become pretious when sin is so grievous that you cannot bear it when Christ is so pretious that you cannot want him that is a sign of a recovered soul 1 Pet. 2.7 To them which believe he is pretious And where Christ is pretious it is sure there sin is odious O if Christ hath once recovered you how dear will he be to you You will prize him in your very hearts you will love him while you live you will be afraid how you grieve or offend him And when you are recovered from sin how will you look back upon it will you love will you lust after your old ways again Will you wish your selves Worldlings again Sensualists again Will you bethink the ease you have lost the pleasures you have lost the companions you have lost Will you not thank God that you are come out from among them and have escaped that misery that is coming upon the World The more you live in the constant exercise of repentance the more you will admire the recovering grace of God and the more you will abhor to return to folly Repentance is your recovery if God give you repentance you may recover and your continuing in the exercise of repentance is your maintaining and perfecting and confirming your recovery You are not gotten so far off from the state of sin but your continued exercise of repentance will get you farther off daily Your repentance is your getting upon sure ground and your continued repentance is your standing your ground your giving off at your repenting work will be your relapse and it may be into a worse case than before Joh. 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee Behold thou art made whole O what a word is that How do you think that poor impotent man that had been so 38 years was ravished at that word What if the Lord should now speak the word to any sinner among you that had been even astonished with the sense of his sin and his guilt that had lien as long at the Ordinances as the poor man at the Pool expecting and hoping for a saving change and could find none If Christ should come to thee this day and say Behold thou art made-whole thy sins are forgiven and thy soul is cleansed from them If that word should be spoken to thee this day how would thine heart leap for joy What should we hear from thee but praises and thanksgiving Well but yet consider the words that follow sin no more stand thy ground lest a worse thing come to thee thy case hath been very sad formerly but as sad as it hath been look to find it worse if thou return to folly Psal 85.8 God will speak peace but let them not return to folly at their peril let them look to it that they do not return But of this more in the next Now Sinners will you yet at last be persuaded to set upon this work of repenting Will you say you cannot Why then you must die of your disease die eternally But why can you not O it is a painful life it is contrary to me I have found such ease and such pleasure and such gain in mine old ways that I cannot part with them what not for the saving of thy life Is thine ease better than Christ Are thy gains more worth than thy soul Wilt thou to hell rather than turn As sure as thou livest thither thou must if thou repent not Luke 13.3 Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish God hath said the soul that sinneth shall die Ezek. 18. and God will never repent of that word as to thee unless thou repent of thy sins What art thou resolved for hell Art thou resolved to sacrifice that flesh and those bones of thine to the fury of the Devil Art thou a captive to the Devil and wilt thou never recover out of his snares Shall he carry thee with him to his home Shall be that hath had the leading of thee have the burning of thee O why will ye die Turn and live count upon it there is but one way with you every one of you either turn or die 3. Exercise your selves to the keeping a good conscience Acts 24.26 Herein do I exercise my self This is an hard exercise and will hold us in continual work There are many things required to the keeping a good conscience all which must be well looked to Amongst others 1. Get a good conscience or get conscience recovered from those evils it labours under There are two special evils in and
our Duty Let him that Blesseth himself in the Earth bless himself in the God of Truth He that loveth himself will bless himself There 's a double Self-blessing 1. A seeking our own blessedness Self-love will prompt us to seek an happiness for our selves not only to save our selves from Misery but to bring our selves to Blessedness The blessedness which true Self-love wisheth and seeketh for Self is in God in the God of Truth He that truly loveth his own Soul can be content with nothing less than God for the blessedness of of it No State no Inheritance no Treasure can satisfie him below Heaven and everlasting glory There 's not a man of you that loves his Soul but he is seeking Glory and Honour and Immortality for it he is taking care and taking pains to get a place in Heaven for his Soul to lay up Treasure in Heaven for it Dost thou love thy self who dost not bless thy Self or seek a Blessing in God for thy Self Dost thou bless thy Self in God who slightest God who carest not for God and who refusest the blessing of God and this for the sake of thy Lusts and Pleasures Sinner lovest thou thy Self lovest thou thine own Soul O seek a Blessing for it a blessing in God a blessing in Heaven for it 2. An enjoying and rejoycing in your own Blessedness Loving our selves aright is part of the fruition and enjoying our selves as loving God is of the fruition of God No man that loves himself but he would enjoy himself and bless himself in the reflection on his own Happiness And this is the self-blessing mentioned let him bless himself in the God of Truth that is let him satisfy himself let him comfort himself let him enjoy and rejoyce over himself upon this account that the God of Truth is his God and his Happness Let him not bless himself in the Earth that Riches are his that Pleasures and Honours are his that he hath the World at will but that the Lord God is his let him not chear himself with the Rich Man's Song Luke 12. Soul take thine ease thou mayest enjoy thy Self for thou hast goods laid up for many Years but let him take up the Psalmist's Song Psal 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my Soul herein thou mayest bless thy Self herein thou mayest comfort thy Self the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee Friends you whose God is the Lord you are the Men that may bless your Selves you are the Men that may enjoy your Selves you may look into your Hearts with comfort you may look upon your States with Joy you may bless your Selves that God hath given you such an Heart you may bless your Selves that God hath given you such a Portion You that have an Interest in God and this witnessed by the Image of God upon your Hearts you may enjoy your Selves and take comfort as often as you look inward and see the Marks and the Prints of Divine Grace stamped upon you your very love to your Selves will make you to rejoice over your Selves as often as you view the blessed Frame into which the Goodness and Grace of God hath brought you Well this Self-love with it's Fruits Self-preservation and Self-blessing is our Duty and the Lord hath planted it in our Hearts on purpose to bring us on upon all our other Duties God makes great use of this innocent Self-love in his Government of the World God Governs by Laws and Laws Govern by their Rewards and Punishments and Rewards and Punishments have their Efficacy by vertue of this love of our selves what would Laws signifie were there no Rewards to the Obedient nor Penalties to the Disobedient These are the Sinews and Strength of Laws and what would Rewards and Penalties signifie to us were we not lovers of our Selves Our Self-love prompts us to seek our good and to prevent our misery As far as we love our Selves we desire our own Happiness 'T was Self-love that made those many Psal 4.6 to say Who will shew us any good 'T was the Psalmist's Love to the Church Psal 122.9 that made him say I will seek thy good and hence 't is that we endeavour the prevention of our ruin Self-preservation is the Fruit of Self-love Self-love is the first spring and motive to Religion 't is true when we come to be Religious indeed there are higher motives the love of God the Love of Christ is the great Argument to carry us on in sound Religion when we come to be Christians then the main Motive to Christianity is that which Christ used to Peter John 21.15 to faithfulness in his Ministry Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep Lovest thou me Feed my Lambs If ye love me keep my Commandments Joh. 14.15 But the first Motive to bring us to be Christians is this Self-love Lovest thou thy Self Then give thy Self to Christ Lovest thou thy Soul Then be a Christian Christ is the only way to blessedness He that hath the Son hath Life 1 Joh. 5.12 And he that not the Son hath not Life Christ is the only way to blessedness and the only security against misery against Everlasting misery There is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 There is no Name under Heaven by which we must be saved saved from Death from Eternal Death but by the Name of Jesus Acts 4.12 Now when Christ says Come unto me and ye shall have rest Mat. 11. Follow me and ye shall have Treasure in Heaven Mark 10. He that is ashamed of me of him will I be ashamed before my Father that is in Heaven the intent and meaning of all this is if you love your Selves come to me if you love your Souls keep my Commandments if ever you would that those Souls of yours should be happy Souls if you would not that they should be Lost and Burned and Drowned in everlasting Destruction if you love your Souls and wish their good and happiness if you would not be your Destroyers and Murtherers if you have so much love to your Souls that you would they should be Saved and would not that they be Damned then come unto Christ then be followers of Christ then believe then repent and obey the Gospel If you love your Selves be Holy if you love your Selves be Heavenly minded if you love your Selves be humble be painfull be circumspect and walk in all things as becometh the Gospel By the way I exhort you to improve and maintain your true Self-love I say not to you only Husbands love your Wives Parents love your Children Christians love one another but every one of you love your Selves If you love your Selves you will love God if you love your Selves you will love Christ if you love your Selves you will love Godliness if you love your Selves you will be the followers of God the Disciples of Christ and will give your selves to live godly in Christ Jesus See therefore that you love your Selves that your poor Souls may grow more dear
thy self in these things as great a Pleasure to thee and dost thou find as great a delight in them as thou findest in eating and drinking in buying and selling and getting gain dost thou love to be Praying or to be Praising the Lord as thou lovest to be getting Money dost thou love to be sending thine Heart to Heaven and there to solace it in the thoughts and joyes of the Lord as thou lovest to be thinking of thy Corn or thy Cattel or thy Income by thy Trade Thou knowest thou dost not Canst thou say with the Psalmist Psal 84.1 2. How amiable are thy Tabernacles Oh Lord my Soul longeth yea even fainteth for thy Courts mine Heart and my flesh cryeth out for the liveâ—ng God A day in thy Courts is better than a thousand a door in thine House is better than all the dwellings of the World Lord lift up thy Countenance upon me and that shall put more gladness into mine Heart than when their Corn and Wine encreased Let the Corn and the Wine be whose it will so that the Lord God will be mine let this World go cross and frown upon me as it will so that the Face and Countenance of God do but shine upon me let me be poor rather than a Stranger from God let me want an House or want Money or want bread rather than want the presence of God canst thou say so heartily say so thou knowest that thou canst not the good things of the earth the Riches and the Pleasures of the Earth are the Riches thou lovest and the Pleasures thou lovest and thou couldst be content to be straitned in the Lord so that thou mightest abound in these carnal things Is it so with thee O what a Heart hast thou what dost thou think of thy Self art not thou an Idolater a lover of Money more than a Lover of God a lover of Pleasures more than a lover of God a lover of thy Self and flesh more than a lover of God and yet art thou not an Idolater doth thine Heart go a Whoring after thine Idols run away from God after thy Money run away from God after thy Pleasures run away from God after thy Self and flesh and yet not an Idolater art thou an Idolater then an Idolatrous Christian an Idolatrous Professor O! how is it that such a thought does not fill thy Face with shame and set thy Soul a weeping and cause trembling and astonishment to take hold upon thee what Friends is it nothing with you to be Idolaters to have Idolatrous Hearts whoring Hearts whoring from God and whoring after your flesh and the Lusts thereof sure Friends it would make the best of our Hearts to ake if we were sensible what degrees of this Idolatry there were to be found in every one of us and many of us I fear it would convince that they are Idolaters to so high degree that there is nothing of true and real love to God in them 2. It 's the root of all Rebellion and Disobedience Self-love 2 Tim. 3.2 is put in the Head of a black-troop of Lusts and Wickednesses Men shall be lovers of themselves there 's the ring-leader and what follows behold a troop cometh covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy without Natural affection Truce-breakers false Accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good Traitors Heady High-minded lovers of Pleasure more then lovers of God what a Regiment of sins is here led on by Self-love And observe it lovers of themselves lead on the Van and lovers of Pleasures bring up the Rear Heart-sins are Root-sins and Self-love is the Root of these Roots Pride is the Root of Contention Malice is the Root of Revenge Covetousness is the Root of Oppression and self-love is the Root of them all The Apostle says 1 Tim. 6.10 The love of Money is the Root of all Evil and Self-love is the Root of the love of Money particularly that you may know what a mischievous evil this Heart-sin of Self-love is and how pregnant of all other wickedness consider that it is 1. The Rot of all Religion 2. The Root of all Vnrighteousness and Vnmercifulness 3. The Root of all sinful Brawls and Quarrels 4. The Root of sinful Self-seeking 1. It is the Rot of all Religion that is where it is predominant and carries the main stroak in our Religion It is the rottenness of the Heart under all its most specious Religious pretences or performances All sincere Religion is animated by the love of God the love of God is the Soul of Religion If there be no love to God in our profession of Religion if no love to God in our practices of Piety if no love to God in our Prayers no love to God in our Fastings and Alms all our Religion is rotten at Heart Self-love which is it's only Root is it's rotteness Self-love will 1. Limit our Religion 'T will limit it by self-Interest no more nor no other Religion will it allow than will serve our Carnal turns no farther may we go in it than will consist with this love of our selves whatever part or exercise of Religion will pinch upon the Flesh the self-denying part the self-abasing part the Flesh-mortifying part of Religion unless it be to some further Ends Self-love will never bear it So much professing so much Praying and Hearing as will consist with our Ease and our safety as will not put us to too much pains or expose us to too much danger and reproach so much Religion as will not hold us in too strictly and severely and closely Self-love will bear it but where the Yoak of Christ wrings and galls there it must be thrown off 2. It will corrupt our Religion and turn it into Hypocrisie Selfish Professors are Hypocrites and all their Religion is Hypocrisie and Hypocrisie is the rottenness of the Heart You that are Professors see to it that ye be not self-loving Professors if ye be whatever there be in your Tongues or your Looks or your Religious performances you are rotten at the Core rotten in your Hearts It is love to God wherein our sincerity lies Self-love is our Hypocrisie and where this rotten Self-love hath tainted your Hearts your Hearts will taint and corrupt all your Duties it will pervert and corrupt all that ever you do and turn it into quite another thing your Religion is no Religion your Christianity is no Christianity your Praying is no Praying your Spirituality is but fleshliness your Heavenly-mindedness is but Earthiness your seeming fruitfulness is but Emptiness and barrenness Israel is an empty Vine he bringeth forth his Fruits to himself Hos 10.1 Israel seemed to be a fruitful Vine that had her Clusters upon it there were Clusters of Prayers and Clusters of Sacrifices and Clusters of Alms Israel had their Fruits and yet they were but a Barren and empty Vine how so Why whatever Fruits they had they were all brought forth to Self Self brought them
forth and Self eat them up there was nothing for God Israel was an empty Vine to him her Fruits were to themselves Friends would you not be rejected for Barren empty Vines for false-hearted and rotten Professors Would you not be found rotten at the Core See that it be the Love of God and not this Self-love lying at the Bottom at the Root of your Religion 2. It is the Root of all Vnrighteousness and Vnmercifulness to Men. Self-love will never learn that Lesson to do to others as it would be done by it will catch all it can and keep all it has Self must be advanced Self must be enriched whoever be ruined by it all manner of Frauds and Deceits all manner of Oppressions and Wrongs all Mens underminings all Mens over-reachings of their Neighbours all Mens falshoods in their Words their Promise-breakings their Lyings all their falshood in their Dealings in their Tradings in their deceitful Words in their deceitful Weights and Measures all this Unrighteousness 't is their Self-love that puts them upon it so they may get for themselves and enrich themselves how wicked soever the means or wayes be to it they care not who be impoverished or ruined And where Self will not suffer Men to be Righteous it will less suffer them to be Merciful what they are so much for getting they will be but little for giving the Hunger and Nakedness the pinching and Pining and even Starving of so many poor amongst us the short Alms they can get and that little that it 's so hardly come by the failing of Compassions the shutting up of Bowels against those that are in need this is all from Self-love I shall need it for my self I need it for mine own I cannot spare it that 's often the Word that must go in stead of an Alms. 3. It is the Root of all Brawls and Quarrels and Contentions in the World Whence are there such Multitudes of troublesome Law-Suits What are they but the contendings of Self with Self one says 't is mine own and I will have it whatever it cost me another says 't is not thine but mine and I will have it this Meum and Tuum how hath it set the World together by the Ears Not that there is Unrighteousness in all Suits at Law the Love of God may sometimes put Men to make use of the Law of Man but those unjust or unreasonable contendings about trifles or for that which is none of their own in hope by their Might or their Money to Rob the Poor of their Right these are pernicious Quarrels and 't is Self that sets them on 4. It 's the Root of Self-seeking Holy Self-love is the Root of Holy Self-seeking as the love of God is the Root of seeking God so sinful Self-love is the Root of all sinful self-seeking and sinful self-seeking is contrary to the seeking of God The love of God is the Root of our seeking God These two Love of God and seeking God are put both together in one Promise Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me and those that seek me Early shall find me Isa 26.9 With my Soul have I desired thee there 's the love and what follows With my Spirit within me will I seek thee Early the love of God will set us a seeking God 't is in vain that thou sayst I love God if thou canst not say also I seek God and the love of Self will put us on self-seeking and this sinful self-seeking is ever contrary to the seeking of God Phill. 2.31 All seek their own not the things that are Jesus Christ's all seek their own things that is their own Carnal things and those that thus seek their own seek not the things of Christ there is this difference betwixt Self-love and the Love of God Self-love divides Interests Self stands single and hath a separated and divided Interest that 's the Interest of Self which is the Interest of none else and Self-love in seeking it's own Interest seeks the Interest of none else neither of Christ nor of Men the love of God unites Interests he that loves God the things of God and his own things are the same he counts nothing his own things but those that are also the things of God and when he is seeking God he is then most seeking his own God is his own and he counts nothing his own but what is also the Lords when he seeks God he therein seeks his own and where he seeks his own he therein seeks God his Soul is his own and the Interest and Prosperity of Soul these are the things of God it 's the Love of the Brethen unites our Interest with the Interest of the Saints 't is the Interest of the whole Body that is the Interest of every Member all the Saints have the same common Interest so the Love of Christ unites the Interest of every Member with the Interest of the Head the love of God makes the things of God our own things and the love of the Saints makes the things of the Church to be all our own It is betwixt Christ and Christians and betwixt Christians one toward another as 't was betwixt the Primitive Christians they have all things common Acts 4.32 None said of ought that he possessed that it was his own but they had all things common Not but that Christians have a real Propriety in their own Estates by virtue of which civil Right their Estates are so their own as that they are not anothers but yet by vertue of the community of Interests what one Man hath should be as there is occas on to the benefit of the Community And whence was this The love of God had united their Interests and the Multitude of them that believed were knit together by that love as one Man they were of one Heart and of one Soul there 's no Meum and Tuum Thine and Mine betwixt Christ and his Saints but all is Mine I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine Cant. 2.17 We are not our own say Believers we are thine and I am not mine own says Christ I am yours and that which I have is yours John 20.17 Tell my Brethen I go to my Father and your Father to my God and your God my Father is yours my God is your God all I have is yours I am yours and and my Blood and my Bowels are yours my stripes my wounds and my Righteousness and my Inheritance is yours 1 Cor. 3.22 23 Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours for ye are Christs and Christ is Gods my Ministers are yours mine Ordinances are yours my Possessions are yours things present and things to come if I have any right in this World the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof if I have any thing in the World to come the everlasting Crown the everlasting Mansions all are yours and
his Love and lost his Life and lost his Zeal for God in his loving and caring and good husbandry for himself Pray consider if this be none of your cases and if this be not a sad case and whether you can take any comfort in it or no Had not those Hearts need to be look'd to that have thus gone a Whoring 't is no better that have gone a whoring from Christ after the World Hast thou govern'd that Heart of thine well which thou hast suffered thus to play the Harlot Hast thou not need of looking better to it Christians do you not see you had need to be more watchful over your Hearts and to hold them in under a closer and severer restraint than you have hitherto done Again if you do not see how far sinful self-Self-love hath prevailed in you above the Love of God consider further for conviction 1. Do you love them that love God as you love them that love your Selves There 's scarce any Man that is so ill natur'd but will love those that love himself Do not even the Publicans the same Mat. 5. They love those that love them and are beneficial to them But do you love those that love God as you love those that love your selves Those that are loving and kind and friendly to you you will love them whether they love God or no and do you find that those that love God you can love them whether they love you or no If they should any of them be unkind and unfriendly to you yet can you love them because they love God If not if you can love them that love you though they do not love God and cannot love them who love God in case they do not love you what think you Is not this an evidence that this Self-love hath greater power in you than the love of God 2. Are you angry with those that offend God as you are with those that offend your Selves The Psalmist could say Psal 139.21 22. Do not I hate them that hate thee am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee Yea I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine Enemies Can you say so I am angry with them that are angry with thee I am grieved at them that sin against God those that are his Enemies I count them mine own Enemies Those that wrong our selves and offend our selves that wrong us in our Names by traducing backbiting or slandering of us that wrong us of our Right by Fraud or Oppression that do but speak an angry or unkind word to us how quickly does the Fire kindle We are too hot and touchy when Self is concerned but are we grieved are we offended at those that sin against God yea even though they be never so kind to our selves Can we not wink at sin in our Friends can we not palliate and excuse it and hide our eyes from the sins of them whom we love and upon whose kindness and friendship self hath some dependance How then canst thou say thou lovest God as thou lovest thy self Touch self-Interest who dare he shall not escape thy wrath let him kick against God sin against Christ and thou art never moved Dost thou love God as thou lovest thy self It was said of Holy Calvin that when he heard that Luther call'd him Devil that he answered But he is the Servant of the most High God 't is said of Lot 2 Pet. 2.8 That Righteous Man living among the Sodomites vexed his Righteous Soul with the filthy Conversation of those wicked Ones Lot had none of the best Neighbours in those wicked Sodomites doubtless he suffer'd many Personal wrongs and unkindnesses from them that Righteous Man could never be Neighbour to such wicked ones without suffering from them himself but yet we read not that he ever fretted or vexed at any thing they did against himself their wickedness against God their filthy Conversation this was it which vexed his Righteous Soul There was a Man that loved God indeed silent at wrongs done to himself only vexed at what is done against God Is it so with thee Is it so with us O how quite contrary are we Vexing and fretting and chafing at whatever is against our selves and silent and quiet and not moved in the concerns of God Is this our love to God Are we lovers of God more than lovers of Self Sure beloved this very thing our being so impatient of Self-offences and so patient of offences against God this very thing if well considered might make the most of our Hearts to ake and draw Tears from our Eyes might set us all a Weeping to think what daily Arguments we have of this kind to prove how powerful this Self-love and how weak the love of God is in us Sure the more dear the Lord grows to us the more will it go to our Hearts that he should be offended by any and the more Self-love were mortified the easier should we bear Self-wrongs and Offences And what can we say with respect to our Brethren Neighbours Do we not so love our selves but that we are heartily concern'd for our Neighbours Have we compassions towards them in their afflictions Do we rejoice at their Prosperity Can we grieve with those that grieve suffer with them that suffer and rejoice with them that rejoyce and prosper We can be glad when God prospereth our Selves and can we be glad when he prospereth others O how do Men rake and catch what they can one from another how do Men envy the prosperity of their Neighbours O how do some Men gape after the Possessions of their Brethren wishing even for their Death when they are like to get any thing by it How many Landlords are glad of the death of their Tenants How many younger Brothers are glad at the death of the Heir Yea how do some Children wait for the death of their Parents that the Inheritance may fall to themselves And whence is all this wickedness Is not this from Self-love O what Murtherous desires and hopes doth it sometimes bring forth Though it dare not put upon Murtherous Practices though it doth not make Murtherous hands yet it often makes the Heart a Murtherous heart and fills it with Murtherous desires and practices Mat. 15.19 Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts Murthers Adulteries 'T is this Self in the Heart that is the Original Murtherer and Adulterer You that are Professors of Religion see diligently whether there be no degree of this wickedness to be found in any of your Hearts to hope for to wish for or at least to be well pleased at the death of others when Self doth get by their Death Therefore 4. There is a necessity of keeping the Heart under Government Is Self such an Idol in the Heart Is Self-love Idolatry and the Root of so much wickedness The Rot of Religion The Root of Unrighteousness Unmercifulness Yea and of such Murtherous desires and wishes And is there something of
therefore mine Heart is glad and my Glory rejoiceth Thou wilt shew me the path of Life in thy presence is fulness of Joy and at thy Right hand there are Pleasures for evermore And as it is with Divine Joy the Object whereof is God so is it in a poor and pittiful manner with Earthly Joy the Object whereof is the good things below This Joy is raised from our Contemplating of Worldly things and those Carnal Delights they will yield and thereby sucking out such Juice as they have for our Carnal hearts to feed upon by expectation and hope that these things that we may get get Money get us Estates and the comforts of them and also by our Fruition of them when we get them our loving and taking the delight and contentment of them and according to what we have of these things and the Degree of our Love to them such is the joy that ariseth to us from them 2. I shall give you some Directions for the right raising and due limiting of your Joy 1. Rejoice in the Lord and let your joy in the Lord 1. Bear some Proportion as much as those narrow Hearts can reach to to that fulness and those Everlasting Treasures of infinite Love and Goodness which are in God for you I could tell you something of that satisfaction and rest which your Souls shall one day enjoy in God from the Word of God and the Experiences of some of his Saints will tell you much more but when your Eyes shall come to see God then you will say That one half was not told me If some drops of this Joy let fall upon the Saints here on Earth have sweetned all the Waters of Marah turned their Prisons into Pallaces yea their very Stakes and Gibbets into Triumphal Chariots if a few drops of that Joy have been so sweet and so powerful what will the Rivers of his Pleasures be As the Apostle 1 Joh. 1.4 These things I write so these things I speak that your Joy may be full Rejoice in the Lord and let the Joy of the Lord be your Strength let this Joy be the Strength of your Hearts and the Strength or Top of all your Joyes 2. Let your Joy in God be raised 1. From the Evidence of your Interest in God at present from your sincerity in the grace of God and your Union with Christ You must be in Christ ' ere ever you can rejoyce in Christ Jesus what will it be to Joy in God if God be none of yours Satisfie not your selves with mistaken Joyes There is the Joy of the Hypocrite some there are who upon some light touches of the Word of God upon them and some little change it makes are all on a sudden wrapt up into Extasies of Joy though still they remain short of the grace of God yet they seem to be transported with the Joy of God such Joy often proves to be but as a Flash of Lightning which comes in on a sudden and then vanisheth into greater Darkness Job 20.5 The Joy of the Hypocrite is but for a Moment it comes on a sudden and in a great Flash and on a sudden it is gone again The Joy of the Saints is not so sudden but it is lasting it is not such a glorious Flash but is solid and substantial like a deep River that makes no great Noise when the shallow Brooks make a greater Bubling See that the Foundation of your Joy be laid in Peace and the Foundation of your Peace be laid in Grace Get an Interest in Christ soundness of Heart towards God and sincerity of Love to Christ see to it that you be his own that you be not Hypocrites and Hangby's upon Christ but his real Members and Hearty Disciples Thou rejoicest in God thou rejoicest in Christ Jesus but art thou of the Circumcision Of a Circumcised and Sanctified Heart Dost thou worship God in the Spirit as the Apostles expressions are Phil. 3.3 Is thine Heart with the Lord Dost thou love him with thine Heart and cleave to him with thine Heart and serve him in thy Spirit in thine Inwards and all the Powers of thy Soul If thou art of the Circumcision and thus worshippest God in the Spirit which are the Properties of sincere Disciples then thou mayest rejoice Beware of trusting to the most Elevated Joyes that you seem any of you to have felt in Religion and the Exercises thereof you may seem to have much of the Joy of God who have nothing of the Grace of God Thou mayest carry such Joyes with thee to the Grave and they may drop down with thee into Hell and be swallow'd up of everlasting Sorrow judge not of your Religion by your Joyes but judge of your Joyes by your soundness in Religion See then that thou art gotten beyond an Hypocrite before thou meddle with the Joy of the Saints 2. From your Hope of the Glory of God Rejoice in Hope of the Glory of God Rom. 5.2 Thou that art a real Christian it may be thou hast little sense of the sweetness of Religion thou goest heavily under thy Burthens the Burthen of thy Corruption and Infirmities thou livest much in the Dark the Light of the Lord is within the vail and thou canst perceive but very small glimmerings of it thou goest heavily on thy way hungring and thirsting and fearing and fainting and mourning over thine uncomfortable condition yet lift up the Hands that hang down yea lift up your Heads you disconsolate ones though the Light and the Love and the Comforts and the Kindnesses of God be vailed from thine Eye yet let thine Hope enter into that within the vail Psal 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul Why art thou disquieted within me Why how can it be otherwise wherewithal may I be cheared and comforted Why Hope in God Hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the Light Let these two Directions go both together 1. Let the Foundation of Joy be laid in sincerity of Grace I can never bid thee rejoice till thou be perswaded to be an Hearty Christian 2. Let your supply of the want of Joy in Sense be made up from the Joy of Hope If thou art a Stranger to all present Joy yet if thou art not a Stranger from Love thou hast this Hope to chear thee that thou shalt verily see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living 3. From your Increases in the Grace of God They are ordinarily the Stronger and more grown Christians who can sincerely rejoice in God Younger Christians are often Mourners and do but go on lamenting after God It 's true there are some Young Converts or that seem to be such whose Joyes meet them at the very entry of Christianity who at the very first being wrought upon seem to be all in a Flame of Love and Joy Jer. 2.2 I remember the kindness of thy Youth and the Love of thine Epousals who have a bright Morning of
subject let me in the name of God ask you what is there that hath been yet done upon you what is there that hath been added to your holy love to your holy desires and joys fears and griefs are there any little sparkes added to you do you love God a little more then you did do you desire after him a little more strongly are your fears of sin your fears of temptations to sin your grief and sorrow for sin a little encreased Is there any abatement of your love to the World of your worldly desires and joys Is there any allay of your fretful angry passion Who of you can say I thank God these words have not been spoken to me in vain I thank God I find this World taken down a little lower I do not love it so well nor desire it so much nor I hope shall ever again seek it so earnestly as I have done are you any thing the more in fear of sin or greiv'd for sin are you in hope that your anger shall henceforth not be without a cause nor above or higher then its cause nor ever last as it has used to do Friends consider in the name of God consider What is there nothing done are you as cold in your love to God as hot in your love to the World as much without fear and greif for sin as if none of all this had been spoken The Lord be merciful to us what shall become of such hearing What serves this Preaching for what serves this hearing for Doth God take pleasure or can you take comfort in your coming together to hear and being a little affected with the word whilst 't is preaching or speaking some words after of your approbation and liking what you have heard when yet the Word doth not work nor leave any standing and abiding impressions upon you It s vain to commend a Sermon in words if the fruit it brings forth commend it not The best commendation of your food is by your eating it and maintaining your health and gathering strength by it O Friends that 's the commendation we would have of our preaching and the only commendation that we can take comfort in that our word reacheth its end that there is some sign of our ministry upon your hearts and in your lives that we may say concerning you as the Apostle concerning the Corinthians 2 Cor. 3.2.8 Ye are our Epistle and are declared to be the Epistle of Christ written not with ink but with the spirit of the living God Those are the best Sermon Notes that are written not with ink and paper but by the Spirit of the living God in the fleshly tables of our hearts These are the best Sermon Notes and these are the best commendation of our preaching Now pray friends consider I do not ask you what there is written of these Sermons in your note books but what is there written of them in your hearts Is there any thing more of the love of God of desires after God of fear of sin c. written or begotten within you Had I ability and opportunity of personal converse with you I should be willing to deal with you in private hand to hand and to ask you these questions man by man but to supply that defect of speaking personally and in private to each one of you take what I speak in my publick Ministry as if it were spoken to thee in particular and I were dealing with thee hand to hand Though thou canst not give me thine answer yet fail not to give answer in thine own heart when I ask thee whither thou hast gotten any more love to God any more desires after God any abatement of thy love to the World any more fear of Sin c. Answer thine own Conscience in this particular I must substitute thy Conscience in my room and let Conscience take thine Answer Speak every man of you iâ— your Consciences how do you find it is there any thâ—ng done upon you by these words or is there nothing 〈◊〉 what do you think of all your hearing these words if thâ—re be nothing done if there be as much love to the World as little love to God or fear of Sin if there be the same touchiness the same pettishness the some angry distemper as if you had kept you at home all this while and never heard any of all that has been said Are not you ashamed are not you afraid that these words of the Lord should have no effect upon you Beloved I have preached to you in hope I have hoped for fruit I have hop'd for some change for the better upon you in all these respects O set your hearts unto all these words remember what you can and recover what you have forgotten look up to God look up to God and pray this prayer to him Lord let the things that have been spoken be written Let them be written not with ink and pen but by the Spirit of the living God not in a book or paper but in the fleshly table of mine heart Look up to God for his help and determine in your selves to set your hearts to it to follow after this blessed Order and Government of your hearts Study within your selves how to get up your affections to things above to get loose your hearts from the World and things below be not content to be thus dead in your hearts towards God thus alive towards the World nor be content to wish for more of the divine love to wish you could abate towards this world but in good earnest make it your business and study so to do Might we once bring you to this that while we are labouring with you in the Word and Doctrine you would labour with us in the Lord to work your hearts to an affectionate compliance with our words if you would be stedfast and unmoveable and abounding in this work then there would be hope that neither our labour nor yours should be in vain in the Lord then should we look to see the death of these Worldly loues and lusts and a spring of the divine love and life and joy and glory this earth and flesh under foot and the Spirit of Glory and of God resting upon you Put on therefore in the fear of the Lord set you close to this Heart-governing-work quicken strengthen encourage your hearts herein with these words Yet further the Government of the heart stands 4. In suppressing all manner of evil and exciting and maintaining the good that is in your hearts There are in the heart as there are in a Kingdom two parties the evil party and the good party The evil party are the Rebellious Lusts of our hearts the good party are the Graces of God The Government of the Heart is to be as the Government of a Kingdom for the suppressing the evil and the encouraging and upholding the good The evil Party are the lusts of the Heart Pride Envy Malice Covetousness c.
that gave it Man though he hath a mortal body yet he hath an immortal Soul The Spirit of a man is the Candle of the Lord and when this Candle is once lighted it shall never go out It s carried away hence but it s carried to God that gave it The Souls of all men good and bad when they die do all go to God even those that go to the Devil are first carried to God by him to receive their Sentence to their everlasting state Sinners when they die go not to God as their Reward or Blessedness but to God as their Judge Sinners will say as Christ did Luke 23.46 Father into thy hands I commend my spirit but God will say to them who are ye away from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not Mat. 7.23 I am none of your Father ye are of your Father the Devil get you down to him Commend your Spirits to me what have you given up your Souls to the Devil and all your life long have they been serving of him and he been corrupting and depraving of them blinding them hardning them made them such a filthy and unclean thing and now do ye think to come off so to commend these filthy and unclean Souls to me away with them I 'le none of them If those that are sanctified by my Spirit and serve me with their Spirit come to me when they die I 'le take them to me I will acknowledge my self their Father they shall dwell with me but those that have served sin and the Devil while they lived let not them think to commend their Spirits to me when they die I 'le none of them Well but whether we must dwell with God or the Devil into the other World all Souls good and bad must pass when they go hence 2. There is an eternal Judgement So the Apostle tells us Heb. 6.2 of the Doctrine of eternal Judgment It is call'd an Eternal Judgement not as if the day of Judgment should last for ever in how long or how short a time that judgment shall be dispatched no man certainly knows the glorious God can make short work and will do so in that great and dreadful day It s called Eternal Judgment because it sentenceth men to their everlasting state and its the last judgment there shall never be another to all Eternity but the sentence of this Judgment shall stand for ever 2 Cor. 5.10 We must all stand before the Judgment Rom. 2.6 Who will render to every man according to his works to them that by patient continuance in wel-doing do seek for glory honour and immortality eternal Life but to them that are contentious and obey not the truth indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish to every Soul of them that do evil 3. In the Judgment to come the secrets of the heart shall be opened and judged Men shall be judged for their words men shall be judged for their deeds but not for these only but for the secrets of their hearts Eccl. 12.14 God shall bring every work to Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or evil The Judgments of men are only over our Bodies and outward Acts they know not our hearts and therefore cannot be our hearts Judges But 1. God sees the heart I the Lord search the heart and try the reins Jer. 17.10 He seeth in secret and he that seeth in secret will reward openly Mat. 6.4 1. He seeth the good that is in secret the love and fear of his Name our inward desires and thirstings and breathings after him every holy thought every holy purpose the inward mournings of the heart under sin and temptation the inward strivings wrestlings of the heart against temptation and corruption our self-loathings and self abasings the integrity and uprightness of our hearts whilst men are censuring or reproaching or punishing us as hypocrites God sees the integrity that is in our Souls O Friends get an honest upright heart in the sight of God you shall never loose the benefit and blessedness of it God sees the sincerity of the upright and will certainly reward it 2. He seeth the evil that is in secret the proud heart the false and guileful heart are open before him Beware of playing the Hypocrite of satisfying your selves with Hypocritical Duties hypocritical Praying hypocritical Hearing or Professing God sees what that heart of thine is a doing while thy tongue is a praying or thine ear hearing thou mayst deceive men and thine own self but God cannot be deceived 2. The secrets of the heart shall be opened and judged in that Judgment of God 1 Cor. 4.5 Judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the Counsels of the heart and then shall every man have praise of God 1. The things of the heart are hidden and dark things The thoughts of the heart dark thoughts the Counsels of the Lord dark Counsels even the good things that are in the heart are to all others but dark things 2. In the day of Judgment these things of darkness shall be all brought to light the secrets shall be all made manifest What a sight will there be in that day when the hearts of all the World shall be seen as it were at one view What a blessed sight will there be when all the Beauty and inward Glory of the Saints all their Graces shall be seen What a black sight also will there be when all the filth and garbage that is in sinners hearts all the venemous brood all the Cockatrices eggs that ever have been hatch'd in those unclean hearts when all the wicked Counsels and Devices of their hearts all the Curses and Blasphemies all the Couzenage and Fraud of the heart all the wicked Plots and Contrivances of the heart against God or his Saints all the Adulteries and Filthiness of the heart all the Madness and Follies of the heart all the Malice and Spite and Rage of the heart when all these shall be presented at one view O what an odious sight will there be Sinners do not cheat your selves in your sinful ways with hopes of Secrecy for all must be brought to light If all that wickedness and hypocrisie if those filthy lusts and unclean thoughts that are in your hearts should be now seen by all this Congregation how would you be ashamed and how would you blush to look any body in the Face but because thy naughty heart and its naughty thoughts and desires cannot be seen thou mayest be a proud fellow of a froward heart of a dissembling lying heart and no body the wiser therefore thou lettest thy self alone to be as thou art as long as thou hast a secret covering for all thy ugly Conditions 't is well enough but do not cheat thy self thus all these hidden things of darkness must be brought to light thou must be turned inside outward and all the shame of
and the Torments of them shall make you know what now you will not understand 'T is a foreknowledge by observing and pondering what is written and preach'd of these great things that is necessary to your present Government 3. A feeling of these things I mean now a feeling beforehand a feeling that 's gotten by your fore-knowledge What we believe and understand if they be great things will make impressions upon our senses By the knowledge of God and of the blessedness of Heaven the Saints get some â—orâ—â—â—â—es of that Glory and Blessedness 1 Pet. 2.2 If we have taâ—â—d that the Lord is gracious And by the knowledge of the Wrath and Judgments of God some sinners get a taste of that wrath it makes their hearts to begin to burn above ground There 's an heaven begun in the hearts of Saints and an hell begun in the hearts of some Sinners And this now is that which I mean by a sense of the things to come the getting such a belief of the certainty of these things such an understanding of the greatness of these things that may deeply affect the Heart that may leave powerful impressions on the Senses that the heart may be powerfully moved and deeply affected with them Sinners hearts are as stones and senseless stocks when we have spoken to them of the deep things of God we may say of these eternal things as the Apostle of his temporal Sufferings Acts 20.24 None of these things move them or will in the least work upon them but if we could let in a little more light into their Minds if we could shew them some glimpses of the Glory to some some flashes of the Eternal fire this would make those stocks to feel 2. This sense of the eternal things is the sinews of Government There can be no Government without Rewards and Punishments and if these Rewards and Punishments be not believed known and perceived it s all one as to Government as if there were none at all 'T is the understanding and sense of these Rewards that is the strength of Government Now there is according to the two different Rewards a different sense of them 1. an alluring encouraging and obliging sense A sense of the Magnificence of the Kindness and Mercies of the Lord will encourage to Subjection and obedience to him It will draw forth our love and stir up all our Powers to active Obedience O how would the lively sense of God and the blessedness of Heaven kindle Affection enlarge our desires raise our hopes and fill us with joy What would be loved as God is loved what would be desired as God is desired what would be hoped for as heaven is hoped for what would our love or desires or hopes find too much to be done or suffered where there is a deep sense of these great things that shall be the reward of all And how would such a lively sense of God and of heaven abate our love and cool our desires after earth and the things thereof Who would regard dust and stones and trash that had Gold and Pearles before him what would this money be these Sheep and Oxen be these carnal pleasures and sports be how easily could they be wanted how little would they be loved or desired were that Glory Honour Immortality that is above more before our Eye and upon our Hearts you complain you can't get your hearts loosned and disintangled from these earthly things O 't is because heaven is so much out of sight you have so little sense of the good things to come that hence it is you fall a lusting so after the good things present Get more sense of God into your hearts and you will feel your Affections to fall and abate towards these earthly things Look on the things not seen as the Apostle did 2 Cor. 4.18 Upon the things that are eternal and you will disdain and contemn the things that are seen which are but Temporal 2. The sense of the punishments to come will be an awing sense The severities of the Lord and his dreadful wrath and vengeance would awe the heart into subjection to him O what an influence would this have upon the Governing our fears and our griefs and our anger whom should we then fear but God what would the wrath of man be what would temporal sufferings be how little would they be feared were there a due awe of God upon our hearts your awe of God would say the same to you as the Prophet Isa 2.22 Cease ye from man trust not in him and fear him not and as Christ said Rev. 2.10 Fear none of those things you shall suffer And Luk. 12.5 Fear not them that kill the body fear God who is able to cast into Hell Whom should we then fear but God and what should we then fear but sin against God which maketh so obnoxious to his wrath you that now make light of Sin can lye and defraud and be covetous and do any thing else your hearts lead you to and make nothing of it or but a small matter Get an awe of God on your hearts and your sins would make you tremble and what an influence would it have upon the suppressing your sinful Anger it would take up all our quarrels a sense of Heaven and Hell would make us all friends those great things would swallow up the lesser What do I stand vexing and fretting mv self at every one that crosseth me how stands it with my Soul to God ward how may I escape the wrath to come Is it peace betwixt the Almighty and my Soul Friends 't is a sign that you have little sense of your eternal conceraments where every little thing so excessively moves and disturbs your Spirits 3. How to get and maintain upon our hearts this sense of the eternal things There are two things I have told you are supposed to this sense a believing and an understanding these great things and to the improving of what we believe and understand of them there 's a third thing necessary Meditation and frequent thinking upon them Exercise your thoughts more upon the Eternal World spend more thoughts think oftner upon it and spend more deep thoughts of heart upon them Our thinking and meditating is the same with that looking on the things not seen mentioned before 2 Cor. 4. Look more Heavenward and look more towards hell and this will affect your hearts particularly think these three thoughts 1. Think this thought In this eternal world I must shortly be one of these two Rewards must be my Reward one of these two States Eternal Blessedness or Eternal Misery must be my State That Heaven which I now hear Preach'd of that Hell which I now am warned of I shall be in one of them in a little while As sure as I am alive and here this day so sure shall I be in Heaven or Hell a few days hence What 's become of those many that were alive a few years
not the Lord Psal 115.17 The living the living he shall praise thee Is 38.19 That is spoken of the naturally dead and living and must we not say the same of the spiritually dead and the living Souls dead Souls can't praise the Lord they can't pray nor believe nor hope nor serve the Lord the living the living Soul it shall praise thee it shall pray unto thee and serve thee Hypocrites are all dead at heart and therefore all their services are but dead services they make a shew and keep a stir in the outward parts of Religion they can talk as Christians and walk and move but it is with these dead Souls as with those dead bodies which we call walking Ghosts they look like men and speak like men and go up and down like men but still they have no Soul in them It is the Devil that acts in them and speaks in them and carrieth them up and down none of all their actions or motions are vital actions the devil can make them speak and walk and look like living men but he cannot make them live such is the Hypocrites Religion he can pray and hear and sing and speak as Christians do but he is dead at heart and thereupon all his duties are but dead duties Friends you are as much concerned to keep your hearts as you are to be able to do any thing that will please God or save your Souls What is the intent of your Religion why do ye come together to pray and hear and partake of the Table of the Lord You will say I come to perform these duties to please the Lord I come in order to the saving of my Soul Do you so then look to your hearts better see that there be the root of Religion within you see that your praying be the praying with the heart that your hearing be not the opening your ear but the opening of your heart to the Word see that whatever you do that hath any shew of Religion in it you do it heartily watch your hearts when you come into the house of the Lord watch your hearts when you set upon any work for God lest they give you the slip and so make all your Services to be but bodily exercises which as 1 Tim. 4.8 profit little Bodily exercises that is the outward part of our Religion Ear Religion Tongue Religion Knee Religion these bodily Exercises where there is not an heart at the bottom of them profit nothing at all they will do nothing to the pleasing of God or the saving our Souls Friends beware of Hypocrisie take heed lest any of you be found hypocrites that your faith you seem to have be not the faith of hypocrites that your hope be not the Hypocrites hope that your praying and fasting and almes be not all the Sacrifices of hypocrites and such sacrifices they are if they be Sacrifices without an heart Come not before the Lord with hollow Vessels which will make a sound but have nothing in them We that look upon you can't tell what there is within you we see your faces and hear your voices but what is under God knows look you to it that it be not all hollow and empty within he that seeth the heart seeth what there is within and will accept or reject according to what he finds of the heart in all you do Friends What do ye here this day have you brought with you ever a Sacrifice for God ever a living Sacrifice the living God will regard none of you if you bring not a living Sacrifice He doth not require of you as he did of old a Bullock or a Ram for a Sacrifice No nor a Dove nor a Lamb for a Sacrifice it is a Soul for a Sacrifice a living Soul that is quickned and sanctified by the Bloud and Spirit of Christ And upon this account farther are you concerned to look to and to keep your hearts as ever you would do any thing in Religion that is acceptable with God or of any avail to your own Salvation The heart is the spring of all vital Actions and they are only our vital Actions our living and lively duties that will be accepted of the living God Would you not be rejected for hypocrites would you not compass the Lord about with lies as Ephraim did Hos 11.12 would you not come before the Lord with lies and comfort your selves with lies then see that you bring your hearts with you before him Is there any life begotten in your hearts is Christ formed upon you is the Spirit of Christ poured forth into you is there the life of God in your hearts and is this the spring of all your acceptable services then as you love your lives as you fear to serve the living God with dead service set a careful guard upon your hearts that neither these be stolen away from God nor that life which is within you be stolen out of your hearts Brethren I would not that any of you be found hypocrites therefore do I labour with you therefore do I preach to you and warn every one of you that you may be presented perfect and upright in the day of the Lord. I would not that you be found hypocrites in that day nor would I that your Religious actions be found hypocritical actions in your present day 'T is said of the limbs of Antichrist 1 Tim. 4.2 That they speak lies in hypocrisies I would have Christians not only none such as speak lies in hypocrisie no nor to speak truth in hypocrisie to do good in hypocrisie and therefore 't is that I have spent so much time among you upon this Subject of looking to your hearts that these may be right with God in all that you do I fear there are hypocrites among you I fear that much of the Religion of some of you may be but hypocritical Religion but look to your selves and as you would be loth to have no better acceptance than hypocrites as you would dread to have your portion with hypocrites so dread it to satisfie your selves with hypocritical duties serve the God of your hearts with an hearty service serve the true God with an heart and with a true heart serve the living God with living hearts see that there be the life of God in your hearts and let the life within you be the Spring of all your Performances that all that ever you do in Religion be the issues of life 3. It is the record of all the transactions which have been betwixt Christ and your Soules If ye be Christs there have been great dealings betwixt Christ and your Souls Christ hath been dealing with you dealing with you by his word dealing with you by his Spirit instructing and enlightning your Souls convincing and awakening your Hearts perswading and alluring your hearts after him Christ hath been dealing with you about your repenting and turning to the Lord about your Reconciliation and making peace with God God hath been in
and so shift for thy self hope for the Victory hope in God for his help hope in Christ for his strength and in that hope stand against Temptations 3. The girdle of Truth ver 14. Having your loyns girt about with truth Look especially to this that you be armed with truth and uprightness of heart Whatever other Armour you seem to have what ever faith you have whatever hope you have whatever word you have to support you whatever Prayer you make to help you there 's no armour will hide an hypocritical heart from God or the Devil God strikes his dart into the false heart through the joints of thine armour And for the Devil he is gotten in already the Devil is already in thine heart if it be a false and hypocritical heart O get sincerity and uprightness before the Lord see that there be truth in your inward parts A sound heart will be the best shelter both against the Accusations and Temptations of all your adversaries whereas if there were no enemies from without a rotten heart will be its own ruine That rust and that moth which is bred within will eat thee out though there should be no Theif to assault thee from abroad 4. The breastplate of Righteousness Put them both together Truth and Uprightness of heart and righteousness of Life will be a mighty security against the Devil and all his whole Party The Psalmist would trust to no other Armour without that Psal 25.21 and that he will trust to Let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee Faith without Truth Hope without Righteousness or Uprightness will never secure us Sincerity and Uprightness of heart is our best heart Armour the Hypocrites Faith will not save him the Hypocrites hope will perish with him 't is sincerity that will carry the day Be honest and plain hearted towards God Let there not be Guile and Unrighteousness found in you Prov. 10.4 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely Hic murus ahaeneus esto A good Conscience is a wall of brass against all the darts that are cast against us 5. The Sword of the Spirit Ver. 17. which is the word of God This was the weapon by which Christ conquered the Devil when he fought him hand to hand Mat. 4.3 It is written man shall not live by bread onely It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God It is written thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God Be well versed in the Scripture and you have a sword by you to resist every Temptation Art thou tempted to Pride Remember it is written God resisteth the proud Art thou tempted to a Covetous worldly Life it is written take heed and beware of Covetousness Art thou tempted to Anger and the bitter expressions of it it is written if ye bite and devour one another ye shall be consumed one of another Art thou tempted to a carnal vain sensual Life it is written if ye live after the flesh ye shall die Art thou tempted to a cold Lukewarm indifferent temper or way it is written because thou art neither hot nor cold I will spue thee out of my mouth And so whatever the Temptation be have a particular word ready at hand which may be a sword to strike through it 6. The spirit of prayer Ver. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit Meet every Temptation with the Sword in your mouth and with a Prayer in your heart Believe and Pray Hope and Pray be True be Upright and pray the Lord rebuke thee The Lord strengthen and uphold me pray to him be true to him hope in him who was tempted himself and is able to succour them that are tempted Put on all this Armour and stand to your Armes be always up in Armes be alwayes ready to receive the Alarm Let that word be for an alarm to you and be ever in your ears Rise Sampson the Philistines are upon thee Rise Soul Sin is upon thee the World is upon thee thy Company are upon thee or that Word of Christ Mat. 26.46 Arise he is at hand that betrays me that ease that thou lovest those Pleasures that thou lovest that Money thou lovest that carnal Acquaintance that thou lovest whom thou never suspectest to be Enemies they have a design to betray thee of thy life to take away thine heart from God and they are ever at hand to betray thee however thou thinkest thou art armed take heed of being secure of what use is Armour to him that is asleep Remember Saul and his whole Army when they were asleep David came upon them and had them at his mercy for all their Arms and if he had hearkned to Abishai had smitten him dead in the place be never secure stand upon your Watch or you never stand to your Armes Never think you are out of danger you are in jeopardy every hour your Enemy the Devil is ever walking up and down and watcheth to devour you Therefore that Counsel is needful 1 Pet. 5.8 Be vigilant be sober for your adversary c. Be alwayes as the besieged in a Town that have their Enemy close at the Gates and the Walls they are upon their Guard night and day especially let the main fort the heart be still well watched and guarded Set fear for your Sentinel live in constant fear of a surprize fear will keep the Soul waking be conversant in the World in fear be amongst your carnal friends and acquaintance in fear eat and drink in fear pass the time of your whole warfare here in fear O this fearless secure heart how often hath it betray'd us into Mischief How often have our hearts been even choked up of the World and surfeited of carnal Pleasures and rob'd of its peace and spoil'd of its Treasuries and we have exchanged a sprightful lively chearful healthful Soul for a flat leaden earthly senseless frame before we were aware and all because we were secure and without fear Live in fear daily and in constant jealousie be jealous of your friends be jealous of your enemies be jealous of this world be jealous of every sin be jealous of your selves Let an holy jealousie dwell in your eye and let it keep you waking and watching After all your professing and praying and believing and hoping would you not loose your hearts at last and loose all you have hoped and laboured for then beware of Security if you would be in safety then be never secure but always stand with your loins girded and your lights burning Stand upon your watch Tower keep your doors shut but your windows open Let your eye observe the approaches and be ready and prepared for the assaults that your enemies are making daily upon you I never look you should be flourishing or conquering Christians till you will be perswaded to be jealous Christians fearing and watchful Christians and therefore what I said to you before I say to you again and again stand upon your guard
of life Have I been all this while in the strait and narrow way that leads to life or have I not hitherto been travelling in the broad way that leads to destruction This worldly way this fleshly way it is that which hath pleased me at present but whether will it bring me at last Sinners bethink your selves thus Whither is it that I am going What is like to be the end of this course I am taking Either to God or the Devil either to Heaven or Hell every one of you have been going and which of the two have you been making towards Is lying the way to God Is Drunkenness and carnal mirth and pleasure is this the way to Heaven Is hardness of heart in your way Is impenitence in your sin is this the way to blessedness Do not your own hearts tell you I must turn out of these evil paths I must take a new course ere ever I can be saved Be so wise as to spend some such thoughts This is sinners great folly and their great misery that they run on in their ways and we cannot perswade them to think whither they are going But what is it of so little weight with you whether you are saved or damned that it is not worth a few serious thoughts Sure you could never go on at that sensless rate you do if you did think whither you were going We come and preach Christ and righteousness and holiness to you as the only way of life you have been often told that Christ is the way and that no man cometh to the Father but by him Jo. 14.6 And you have been told that there is no coming to God by Christ to Heaven by Christ unless there be a coming to Christ a joyning your selves to him as his disciples and followers Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Jo. 6.37 but will bring him to Life you have been often told that without holiness no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 That this way of Faith in Christ and this way of holiness is the only way of life this hath been told you this hath been preached to you over and over again and yet we cannot perswade you into this way The reason is because you will not consider what we preach you will not consider what it is to be damned and perish for ever you will not consider whether you can think of any other way by which it is possible to escape damnation but this way of faith and holiness If you did consider and understand what an Hell it is whither your neglect of Christ and running on in your ways is leading you how hot that furnace is into which you are like to fall within a few days how dreadful it will be when you are in once and shall feel the scorching of those flames What think you would not such scalding and burning thoughts make you weary of your sins and willing of Christ Would they not awaken you would they not affright you out of this secure and vain course that you are now going on in Where do you think your fellow-Swearers and fellow-Drunkards and fellow-Worldlings that have been cut off in their sins and carried away into the other world in there impenitence that were laughing with you and mocking and scoffing with you a few years ago where do you think they are now What do ye think they are doing at this hour O it would make an heart of stone to tremble and quake to think what their companions that are dead in their sins do now see and feel Think with thy self man those that were a while agone drinking with me and laughing with me making a mock of Christ and of sin as I do O where are they now It would make thine eyes stare and thine hair stand on end and thy bones shiver to think where they are O consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you from that place of the dead that place of Pitch and burning Brimstone where you have reason to fear your companions in sin are frying at this hour Whilst Christ is preaching to you whilst God is yet a warning you to fly from the wrath to come Oh how are they tearing their hair and biting their tongue and wringing their hands to consider that preaching of Christ to them shall be no more that all their warnings are over that they must for ever feel and faint and perish under that wrath which is now too late for them to fly from or escape Bestow some thoughts upon your companions that are dead and gone and then consider your self whether if you keep on the ways you are walking in you must not shortly be with them in the same condemnation and if yet you will not consider it presently as Jer. 23.20 in your latter end you shall consider it perfectly Therefore yet again I say to you and charge you from the Lord consider your present evil ways and to what a fearful end they will certainly bring you if you speedily turn not out of them 2. Considering the ways that are before us that we should for the future go on in God hath given sinners there choice whether to continue as they are in the same way or to take up a new and a better way of life Think what you have done and how you have lived and think what you have now to do for the future let thine eyes look straight on c. What course do you think it is best for you to take for the future Dost thou think it is best to continue as at present to hold on your worldliness in your drunkeness in your lying in your carnal careless course or is it not best for you to hearken to Christ and to turn from your sins and to betake your self to a serious godly and holy life Which of the two is best May be it never came into your thoughts to put the question to your self but you have run on from one day to another without asking What were I best to do Why now here is that I would perswade you to to look before you and consider What is best for you from henceforth to resolve upon What would a wise man do in this case what choice would a wise man make Sure methinks a little consideration should bring you to this If I be wise I should turn and knock off from my wonted ways I shall be a fool and a mad man if I go on thus What doth God offer to pardon my neglects of Christ my neglects of my soul and all my sins if I will yet but turn to him What doth Christ yet offer to bring me to God and to save me from the Eternal Dungeon if I will yet come unto him and become a new creature What will my going on as I have hitherto done my spending the remainder of my life as I have spent that which is past in sin and
vanity will this a running on upon mine own death and a shutting up the door of mercy forever against me and yet shall I continue as I am Is there a way of life yet before me is there a door of mercy yet open to me and shall I not get into the Way and be making towards the door Consider sinners what is the best the wisest and the only safe course to take from henceforth and do accordingly 2. Why must we ponder our paths 1. God pondereth them Is 26.7 Thou weighest the path of the just 2. The devil pondereth them Luke 22.31 That he may sift you as wheat 3. Wicked men our enemies ponder them 4. Our way may be right in our own eyes for want of consideration when yet upon consideration it may appear to be the way of death Prov. 14.12 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death 1. There is a way of some men that is not so much as right in their own eyes who as little as they do consider it do see their way to be the way of death and not of life the way of the openly Prophane the way of the Drunkard and Adulterer the way of the Swearer and Blasphemer Prophanness doth not pretend to be the way of life Drunkards and Adulterers know they are out of the way their consciences tell them this is not the way of God this is not the way to heaven their conscience tells them I must turn I must repent and take up a better way ere I die I must not die a Drunkard I must not die a Blasphemer or a Scoffer I must repent or I am lost and hopes they have that they shall repent and this their hope hardens them The consideration that such men should take up is not to convince them that they are out of this way of life that they know already but to convince them of the necessity of a present turning and changing their way Darest thou not to die a Drunkard or a Libertine or a Licentious Liver how then darest thou to live so a day longer Art thou sure but that death may meet thee before thy turning day comes And how if it should thou knowest that then there is no hope of thee but Everlasting wrath must be thy portion Thou countest upon turning and repenting but consider what is the reason thou dost not repent at present that thou dost not this day give a divorce to all thy wickedness shake hands with all thy companions and forthwith become a new man Why not now O I cannot bring mine heart to it And dost thou in good earnest think that it will be easier hereafter Hath the Lord been perswading thee to a change all thy life long and thou seest his word cannot prevail thou seest it doth not after all thy convictions and fears and threatnings of the Word and checks of thy conscience hitherto thou goest on thy lust is too hard for thy conscience or convictions and dost thou think in thy heart that this is the way to make it easy to repent to continue longer in thy sin A course of sin hardens thee sinner Thine heart is not so hardned against repentance this year but look for it thou art like to find it harder the next year The farther thou goest on in sin the farther off art thou from repentance 2. There are others whose ways are right in their own eyes which consideration would make appear to be the way of death and not of Life I shall instance in two sorts 1. The ways of moral unbelievers These are they that are sober and temperate and harmless and just in their dealings with men and courteous and good natured this is their way and this way seems right unto them in this way they hope to come to heaven though whatsoever they have of morality they have nothing of Christianity in them Conversion or Regeneration are as strange things to them as they were to Nicodemus Jo. 3.3 who when Christ told him except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God he answered how can these things be And they have need to ask as Pilate did what is truth So they what is this new birth what is this new creature what is this conversion Consider man what dost thou think of this plea at last when this is all thou canst say I am an honest man but God help me no good Christian I am no drunkard but yet an unbeliever I am no Lyar nor Swearer but yet no convert to Christ Consider those scriptures Jo. 3.3 except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God â—â—d Mat. 18.3 Except a man be converted he cannot enter into the kingdom of God And dost thou bless thy self in thy harmless and less vitious way when thou hast never felt any such thing as Regeneration upon thee This thy way is thy folly and though it be right in thine own eyes yet it is and thou will find it to be the way of death 2. The way of hypocritical professors some hypocrites know themselves hypocrites and the way seems not right to them others are hypocrites and yet take themselves to be sincere and the deceit of their hearts may be so deep that there is need of deep consideration to discover it They pray and they hear and have some face of Religion upon their ways they will speak of God and the things of God with some affection and live in the visible communion of the church with good approbation they are it may be well reputed and well reported among all men and yet for all that the root of the matter may not be in them they may be unsound and rotten at heart and neither themselves know it and others suspect it there may be some secret reigning lust in their hearts they may be lovers of the world lovers of their ease or their pleasures more than lovers of God Whatever they have there may be one thing lacking as it was the case of the young man Mar. 10.21 whose life was commendable in many things yet says Christ one thing lackest thou and that one lack was loss of heaven And have we not all need to consider our selves and to consider deeply how it is with us A sincere Christian is an entire christian psal 119.1 Blessed are the undefiled that is the entire in their way that labour to be entire lacking nothing and sure we had need consider whether we are or no. Some Professors are so lame and halting in their way that they lack many things almost all things of serious Christianity Thou hast the profession of christianity but is not the power of it lacking Thou dost some of the works of righteousness but may not the Lord complain of thee as of Sardis Rev. 3.2 I have not found thy works perfect before me thou dost some of the works of Christians but are not the inward graces lacking Some of
expecting and looking for such a gracious work We may say concerning this first coming of Christ into the heart as is said concerning his coming to Judgment Heb. 9.28 To them that look for him shall he appear without sin unto salvation So to those that look for him shall he appear to their sanctification Look to meet with Christ this day in his word look for Christs coming down to meet with you this day desire that he would pray that he would and expect and look for his coming down and appearing to you This is the hope wherein I would exhort you to attend on the means of grace with desires and expectations of the gracious success of them upon you And if you would thus come to hear in hope it would much encourage us to preach in hope to you and to pray in hope for you Well to conclude this let every sinner of you know that whilst the word of reconciliation is continued to be preached to you so long there is hope concerning you that you may be recovered There is hazard great hazard a great doubt whether you may be saved a great fear that many of you may never be converted and saved but though there be hazard yet there is hope 3. The great care that lies upon every sinner in the world should be that he get to be recâ—vered out of his lost state 2 Tim. 2.25.26 Instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will Here observe 1. That lost sinners are in the hands of the Devil taken captive by the Devil held in the snares of the Devil That is a lost souldier that is fallen into the hands of his enemys That is a lost sheep that is fallen into the paw of the Wolf That is a lost soul that is fallen into the snares of the Devil and in those hands are every lost soul How art thou so secure sinner how so merry how so much at ease Dost thou know where thou art Thou art in the hands of the Devil that soul of thine is taken captive by the Devil and lies bound in his snares the Devil hath taken thee and the Devil hath bound thee that thou canst not get loose O it were well if sinners understood their case and in whose hands they lye There is never a one of all the sinners among you but the Devil hath him in custody Whither ever thou goest the Devil goes with thee to watch thee that thou mayst not escape him If thou goest to read the Devil goes with thee to thy Bible to hinder it from working upon thee if thou goest to pray the Devil goes with thee to hinder thy praying and now thou comest hither to hear the Devil comes to Church with thee to harden thine heart against the Word Thou dost not see the Devil here and thou dost not think he is here but thou mayest know by the effect that he hath been here with thee every day and at every Sermon thou mayst know it by this that the Devil hath been here with thee that the Word hath prospered no more with thee to the rescuing thee from his snares and he that hath been here is now come again and he is now watching thee that thou hearken not to the recovering Word 2. That lost sinners oppose themselves against their own recovery Instructing those that oppose themselves that is that resist the word of grace that Deafen their ears and harden their hearts against it Acts 7.51 Ye have always resisted the holy ghost The word of God comes and the spirit of God comes to convert sinners but they resist their own mercy The enmity that is in their hearts opposes it self against the Word and spirit Mat. 23.37 How often would I have gathered you but you would not 3. The end of preaching the gospel to sinners is to recover their lost souls Instructing them c. that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the Devil To open the blind eyes to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Sathan unto God Acts. 26.18 We are sent as Christ was to preach deliverance to the captives and the opening the prison to them that are bound and not only so to preach upon the prison doors but to perswade the prisoners to come out of prison Is 46.9 That thou mayst say to the prisoners come forth God hath sent us with this word to you that are imprisoned under Sathan come forth poor prisoners come forth out of prison Sinners give no better entertainment to us than if our word to them were come into prison come into bondage they take that word come into Christ as if it were the same with come into into prison come into bondage that christianity which we perswade sinners to they look upon it as meer bondage but what ever sinners think our business is to perswade them out of their house of bondage Come shake off your chains knock off your fetters break that yoke of the Devil which is upon your necks get you loose from those sins and those lusts wherewith the Devil hath held you and come unto Christ it is no bondage to be a Christian Christs servants are all free-men you are all bond-men already in the bond of Iniquity Acts. 8.23 But who among you would be set at liberty What do you mean sinners will ye die Bondmen We may say concerning you as Christ concerning the woman Luk. 31.16 Whom Sathan hath bound these 18 years You are the men whom Sathan hath bound not only these 18 years but some of you these 38 years nay some it may be those 60 years or more Have you been bound so long bound by the Devil and are you not willing to be loosed will you go prisoners to the Grave From this upper prison shall the Devil carry you down into the eternal prison O sinners that is our business from God to you to perswade you to make an escape and to be recovered out of the snares of the Devil 4. Sinners recovery begins in their repentance If God give them repentance that they may recover They are only the penitent that are recovered souls As long as thou art an impenitent sinner thou art a lost soul Acts. 28.27 Lest they should be converted and be healed a converted sinner is an healed a recovered sinner 5. It is God that recovers lost souls If peradventure God may give them repentance that they may be recovered It is the Devil that takes sinners captives but it is God that rescues the prey from his teeth It is the Devil that leads men to sin and holds them under sin but it is God that gives them repentance Is thine heart hardned in thy sin Is thy heart hardned against repentance Canst thou not turn Canst thou not repent Go to God poor sinner it is he that must give thee
and every abomination dwells Christ hath come and called to thee open to me let me come and dwell there and cast the Devil out How many knocks hath he given at thy door How many Messengers hath he sent to thee with this word Open those wretched hearts open the everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in And hast not thou slighted all this and put a contempt and a scorn upon an offered Jesus Who I God forbid I adore and honour that worthy name I acknowledge him to be the Son of the living God and the Saviour of the World and worthy of all acceptation I but hast thou accepted Hast thou opened unto him Hast thou received Christ Jesus the Lord Is Christ within thee Is the light of Christ the love of Christ the holiness of Christ in thee Hast thou resigned up the throne and dominion of thy soul to him and given him hearty leave to put all that is within thee in subjection to himself and to cast out what ever is an offence to him to cast the World out to cut the flesh down and the lusts thereof Hath he new made thee and new molded thee Is there another Spirit begotten in thee a new heart bestowed upon thee Hath he made a Christian of thee a sincere inward Christian not in word nor in tongue but in deed and in truth Art thou become his hearty Disciple and his follower in holiness Hath he given thee the understanding of a Christian Dost thou know God and art thou now acquainted with the mystery of the kingdom of God Dost thou know Christ and the mystery of Christ crucified Hath he given thee the heart and affections of a Christian Hath the World lost thine heart have thy companions lost thee thy carnal pleasures lost thine heart Is thine heart set upon Christ and upon all his holy ways Art thou now brought about from sinful pleasing of men or affecting to live in their good repute and good will to be all for pleasing God Is thy soul that was bent upon earth and the vanities thereof now bent for God and for heaven and for holiness the way to the Kingdom of heaven Sinner If thou hast received Christ into thy soul there are all these works begun there is such a change as this wrought upon thee 2 Cor. 5.17 He that is in Christ is a new Creature and if there be no such change if thine old ignorance thine old worldliness thine old delights in the lusts or friendship or fellowship of the World remain if thou hast not the inwards of a Christian an holy heart an heavenly mind yea and something of the outwards of a Christian an holy conversation an heavenly life If there be not such a change wrought in thee but thou art of the same life and the same spirit thou wert of thou hast not received Christ he hath been offered thee but thou wouldst none of him he hath come unto thee but thou hast refused him And what ever honour thou hast in thy mouth for Christ if thou hast refused to receive him thou art one of those that hast made light of Christ yea and set him at nought That which is rendred refusing Psal 118.22 The stone which was refused by the builders is exprest Acts 4 11. to be setting at nought This is the stone which was set at nought Sinners every one of you that have not received Christ into your hearts you have set Christ at nought you have despised and trampled him under your foot and if you go away from his word to day as you have used to do other days and return home without accepting of him you go on to set Christ at nought You that hear Christ preached and will not receive him if you should be asked when you come home what you have done at Church to day You must answer I have put a slight and contempt upon Christ he was preached to me and I was told of his wonderful excellencies and his worthiness but I have despised and neglected it all I have been at Church but to mock Christ and to set him at nought This do every one of you to whom Christ is preached and yet you will not receive him 2. Those that make light of Christ are not recovered by him This is so evident from what hath been said that I shall add no more concerning it but this if Christ be the only recoverer of lost souls then those that refuse him are not recovered He is our Redeemer and there is no other saviour He is our Physitian and there is no other helper neither is there salvation in any other Act 4.12 If there be no other Saviour but Christ Jesus the Lord if there be none recovered by Christ but those that prize and put such an high value on Christ as to embrace and accept of him then those that make light of Christ and refuse him are lost souls to this day These are the negative marks which evidence souls still lost If you are not grosly ignorant but have understood somthing of the doctrin of Christ If you have somthing of conscience If some prizing of Christ yet you may not be recovered but if not thou art a grosly ignorant soul and of no conscience to be sure thou art a lost soul to this day 2. Affirmatively 1. The man whose eyes are opened that is who hath recovered his understanding and the saving knowledge of God The first step towards the conversion of a sinner is the recovery of his sight Acts 26.18 To open blind eyes c. And it is not every little opening the eyes and the getting in a little knowledge that is a sure sign of conversion There are knowing sinners knowing hypocrites It is an enlightning of the mind and a renewing of the mind Rom. 12.2 Be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds The mind of the Convert doth not only see other things than it saw before but looks upon them with another eye as he hath another heart so he hath another eye a renewed mind a sanctified understanding that perceives the beauty and excellency of God and his ways of Christ and his graces that sees wisdom and goodness and an excellency and desirableness in them the carnal mind what ever it perceives of the things of God yet they are foolishness to him 1. Cor 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them Where see 1. What account carnal men have of spiritual things they look on them as foolish things poor and weak and contemptible things and look upon them all as a company of fools and giddy brain-sick folks that will have any thing to do with them 2. That whilst he looks on the things of God as foolishness as such contemptible and unworthy things he doth not know them nor can he know them whilst he continues to be such a foolish soul Thou takest upon thee to
Families are destroyed Our houses are become Sepulchres places of the dead But why should we mourn over lost souls 1. Because there are such multitudes of them Come where you will into what Country into what Family into what Congregation you will and you may see almost as many dead men as you may see men It is but here and there one living soul is to be found such a great slaughter as sin hath made calls for great lamentation 2. Because they are in such a pitiful and lamentable case What is it to be a dead and lost soul where shall we have them a little while hence Those that are under the power of death are under the power of the Devil and those that are under the power of the Devil you may look to find them shortly in the place of the Devil At present they seem to be in a paradise they live at ease and in plenty and in peace there are none seem to be so much alive as the sinners of the earth as Mal. 3.15 We call the proud happy and the prophane and flesh-pleasers and the covetous these are counted happy ones They are far they shine they glitter who but sinners These are the only men the only happy men as the world counts them but what ever there be upon their backs or in their bellies their poor hearts are dead and where shall we find these flourishing and prospering ones a few days hence It would pity ones heart to think where What if you should see all these dead buryed buryed in Flames cast into the Pit of everlasting darkness and everlasting burning You cannot but foresee that there they will be shortly thither they are travelling their way is the way of death and their steps lead down to hell and how suddenly may they be swallowed up of the Pit O pity these lost souls have you any bowels Parents have you any bowels for your sinning children Friends have you any bowels for your sinning Friends Draw forth your bowels in sighs and lamentations pour forth your hearts at your eyes and fall a weeping over them look upon the ignorant and sottish ones look upon the loose and prophane ones the lying children the swearing and cursing and drinking and unruly children among you and let your eye affect your heart Yea weep not for them only but as Luke 23.28 Weep for your selves and for your children 3. Because they will not mourn for themselves They are not sensible of their own misery nor will lay it to heart These lost souls are men besides themselves distracted ones out of their wits ut supra The prodigal was out of his wits whilst he was running his wild course he was not himself What sense have mad men of their misery They count themselves to be wise and happy men and all others to be fools but themselves How shall we hear distracted souls talking of their lands and inheritances boasting some of them that they are Kings and Lords and Gentlemen though they be even stark naked half starved bound with Thongs and chains yet still they have high thoughts and make great boastings of themselves Such mad souls are the miserable souls of sinners Job 11.12 Vain man would be wise though he be as a wild Asses colt These wild men that run a wild course that have lost their reasons it their lusts they would be taken for wise men and they will not be perswaded out of their vain conceits of themselves Bray a fool in a mortar Prov. 27.22 Yet will not his foolishness depart from him Now this is cause of great lamentation that these lost souls are such stupid and sensless souls that will not mourn for themselves nor be brought to understand that they are objects of pity and lamentation they think they are wiser than their teachers that they have more wit than to become sober and serious Christians that they have no need of the Physiâ—ian no need of counsel and instruction and thereupon are ready to fall a laughing at those that mourn over them and mock at repentance and conversion Surely those that are in such a miserable case and have not the heart to mourn for themselves or to count themselves mournful and pitiful spectacles there is the more reason we should take up a lamentation over them Let us lament therefore that there are such multitudes of miserable souls that there are so few amongst those multitudes of lost ones that we ever see to be recovered O how few are the Converts to Christ How seldom do we hear of any lost sheep brought into the Fold You that are brought in pity those that are left without mourn for them let fall a tear over them lift up a prayer for them that though they have gone astray like lost sheep yet at length they may return to the Shepherd and B shop of their souls And you that are these lost souls how is it that you are noâ— yet come so far to your selves as to see what pitiful case you are in Sinners will you yet go away conceited that it is well enough with you Is it better with you than if you were Converts Are the Bâ—ick-kilns of Egypt as long as you can eat of the Leeks and On ons and Melons better than the freedom of Canaan Do the pleasures of sin make your chains pleasant to you Is it better to go on to serve the Devil and your Lusts than to come about and be the servants of the Lord Or whether it be better or worse wisdom or folly discretion or madness are you resolved however to continue as you are Have you not the sense in you as to be able to say it is a sorry case I am in Or do you see it is bad enough with you and yet have not the power to make out after a recovery Hast thou not pity upon that poor soul of thine but thou wilt give it up to be racked and torn and burned forever rather than for its sake thou wilt deny thy will or thy lust or thine appetite Art thou still so mad as to say live or die heaven or hell what ever be the issue I will not turn out of my course I will not come unto God and be his servant If there be a God I will venture his wrath if there be an Hell I will venture on its flames rather than not enjoy my will or mine ease or my pleasure Is this thy case Judge then if thou be not a pitiful and lamentable thing and an object of mourning and if thou canst get so much of a man in thee so much of the reason and understanding of a man so much of the heart and compassion of a man O pity thy self pity thy poor soul pity and mourn over it mourn and repent repent and pray that if it be possible thou mayest recover thy self out of the snare of the Devil who art thus held captive by him at his will 2. Let us take up a
rejoicing over the recovered souls Our great joy should be every man over the recovery of his own soul With what joy should this word be spoken this my soul was dead and is alive and we should rejoice over any other recovered souls It is matter of rejoicing when we can say this my Child or this my Brother or this my Neighbour was dead and is alive What joy is it to a travailing woman when she is safely delivered of a living child J h. 16.21 A wâ—man when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of thâ— chilâ— she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man child is born into the World Sinners your deliverance may cost you pain and travel but when you are once delivered and recovered you will forget all this pain then you will and then you ought to rejoice What joy is the day of victory to the triumphing Souldier What joy was the year of Jubilee to the indebted or the servants when they were to go out free from there debts and service What joy to the Mariner who hath been tossed with tempests to have gotten safe to shore Hast thou shot the gulf and gotten safe to land Hast thou gotten death and hell under thy feet Is death destroyed and is life and immortality brought to light in thy soul Art thou passed from death to life O what a day of joy what a day of praise should this be to thee Rejoice in the Lord O ye righteous and again I say Rejoice Phil 4.4 Stand Christian stand and look back on that death that was lately feeding on thy soul stand and look down into the hole of the pit from whence thou art delivered Remember how it was with thee not long since when thou wert without Christ and without hope and without God in the World when thou wert a slave to every lust in thy heart to every vile companion when thou wert by led by the Destroyer and posting on to destruction When thou Wert without fear and without sense of that danger and misery which was running upon thee like a floud Remember how it was with thee when God first open'd thine eyes and thy fears came upon thee How did thy soul cry out I am lost I am undone when thou sawest what a gulf there was fixed between thy natural estate and the state of grace When thou sawest a necessity of conversion and yet wert astonished at the difficulty of obtaining it When thy proud heart would not stoop thine hard heart would not break nor yield unto the Lord When thou wert afraid that thou shouldst have perished in the birth and never have seen life remember how it hath been with thee and how it is now What hath the Lord delivered thee from thy fears conquered to thee thy difficulties Is thine heart broken and brought about to the Lord Is the day broken and the day star risen in thine heart art thou passed from death to life What s y st thou now Is it not meet thou shouldst rejoice Is not this birth day the day of thy new birth a day of joy and praise Dost thou not bless thy self that it is not with thee as it hath been Does not thine heart shake to think what if I had been let alone let to go on in the way that I was going I went with the Drunkards I was among the Lyars and Swearers and Covetous and the Scoffers I was one of them As much against a new heart and new life as any of them as true a drudge to my flesh and this world as the worst of them How is it that the Lord God singled my soul out of that wicked crowd and brought me up out of that state of the dead and brought me into the light of life and hath written me amongst the living in Jerusalem Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Magnifie the Lord O my soul and let my spirit rejoice in God my Saviour He that is mighty hath done for me great things and holy is his name 3. Let us again take up a lamentation over the imperfection of our recovery Rejoice in the Lord but rejoice with trembling Psal 2.11 Rejoice that the work is begun that thou art come to the morning of the day of redemption that the day is dawned that the Sun is risen upon thee yet lament that there are still such clouds yea so much of the darkness of the night remaining upon thee Rejoice that thou art born again but yet lament that thou art but as a new born Infant so imperfectly washed from thy pollution in thy bloud and that so much of the shame of thy nakedness is yet appearing that though thou art made a child of light yet there is so much of thine old darkness of thine old ignorance and unbelief abiding upon thee that though thou art born from above yet thine heart should be so much below that though thou art risen with Christ thy affections should be so little set on things above that though thou art born of the Spirit the Flesh should still have such power in thee Lament and bewail it that thou art no more perfectly recovered that it can yet hardly be discerned whether thou be alive or dead or if it appear thou art alive lament that thou art such a a dwarf still or such a sickly and unthriving child that thou art such a froward and unruly child Lament that thy recovery is so imperfect and be growing up towards perfection be working out those remains of thine old corrupt state be working out this carnality and this earthliness and working up thine heart to more spirituality and heavenliness and let both thine heart and thy life be as the path of the just which shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4.18 Christians whilst I have hope of many of you that you are passed from death to life and in this hope do rejoice over you yet I have sorrow in mine heart for you that you that have life have it no more abundantly that you are yet so imperfectly recovered from among the dead and that you are not which I doubt is the case of too many among you contending and reaching forwards towards perfection How many living Christians soever there be of you yet I can see but few growing Christians among you Pray Friends look inwards what sensible improvement have any of you made of late years Yea how many of us are there that do not lay it to heart that do not lament it that they are improved no more Who of you can say that you are breathing and thirsting after an increase or if you thirst for more grace how very few are reaching forth and labouring and that in so good earnest that they are impatient in their spirits and restless till it may be better with them O what might I do to whet your appetites after
life I would do mine utmost to save and recover your lost souls and O let me help you to Christ let me be a means of your recovery But that I have no hope of unless vâ—â—n will so fâ—r heed and believe the word that I prâ— â—nd â—â—vâ—â— so close and so home upon your hearts 〈…〉 no longer be hardned through the deceit◠〈…〉 might be said concerning you up◠〈…〉 â—ords as concerning them Acts 〈…〉 heard this they were pricked at their 〈…〉 Brethren what shall we do 〈…〉 so concerning thee Hath this 〈…〉 heart Dost thou feel thy heart 〈…〉 art thou afraid and in that fear dost thou cry out Men and Brethren what shall I do Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me Hath it made thee so sick that thou art calling after the physitian Is there such a cry in thy soul Help Lord save Lord or I perish Wo is me I am undone what must I do to be saved If the Lord hath made thee thus sick in smiting thee sick of thy covetousness sick of thy wickedness and of that bondage thou art hitherto held under If the word of the Lord hath pricked thee to the heart and put thee to pain so that nothing but a deliverance from thy wretched state can ease thee or satisfie thee if it be thus with thee if thou art thus sick thus pricked at the heart then be of good comfort it is an hopeful sign that thou art upon recovery there is now good hopes concerning thee that though thou art dead thou mayest be made alive 2. Vnderstand what Christ hath done and must do for your recovery Christ is our only Reedemer and Reconciler and Christ redeems 1. By price 2. By power 1. Christ redeemeth by price 1. Cor. 6.20 Ye are bought with a price Christ himself was that price and he laid down his life as a price for us In this respect he is called our ransom Mat. 20.28 He gave his life a ransom for many And his redeemed ones are called his ransomed ones Is 35.10 We by sin are become prisoners and captives Prisoners to the justice of God to whom by sin we had forfeited our lives and Justice took hold of us as a company of Traitors and Malefactors whom it condemned to death Now Christ paid himself to divine justice gave himself to die that he might ransom us from death Let me stand in these Sinners stead let thine hand be upon me and let them escape death is the wages of sin let my death says Christ pay that wages 2. Christ redeemeth by power Sinners were prisoners to divine justice and captives to the Devil 2 Tim. 2 26. By price he redeems them from the revenging justice of God and by power be redeems them from the Devil In the former sense he redeemed us as a purchaser he bought our lives in the latter sense he redeemeth as a Conquerour the Devil held us and Death held us too death reigned over all Christ conquereth both Death and the Devil He overcame death and him that hath the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2.14 Having spoiled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in himself Col. 2.15 He brake the Serpents head as it was promised he should Gen. 3. that he could no longer hold his captives The Devil tempted him to sin but he overcame the temptation and sinned not The Devil set the Jews to slay him but he overcame death by his resurrection from the dead The Devil got him among the dead but he could not hold him he rose from the dead by which it was impossible for him to be holden beyond the time appointed And as Christ conquered the Devil and conquered Death so he conquereth Sin too He conquered the Devil as our Captain so called Heb. 2.10 The Captain of our Salvation he broke the power of the Devil and led out his captives as a Captain doth his recovered prisoners He conquers sin as a Physician healing all those wounds and diseases which the Devil had brought us under he is therefore called a Physician Mat. 9.12 The whole have no need of a Physitian This now is that which Christ hath done and hath to do for our recovery to give himself a price or ransome to the justice of God by laying down his life for sinners to break the power of the Devil and rescue us from his captivity and to heal us of our sins and thereby destroy the works of the Devil 2. Vnderstand what sinners have to do towards their own recovery that they may obtain the benefit of what Christ hath done and performed This I shall sum up in this one word To perform the conditions of their recovery What are those conditions 1. To accept of Christ as your ransom to give off all other hopes of recovery and to take him as our only Redeemer Some sinners reject Christ and will none of him they care not for a ransom nor will mind any such thing as their recovery but are content to be slaves to Sin and the Devil for ever like those slaves under the Law who when they might would not go out from their Masters but would have their ears bored to the threshold that they might not depart for ever How many such desperate wretches are there among sinners Sinners they are and sinners they will be slaves to the Devil they are and they will not accept of deliverance Christ is preached to them a Redeemer and tendered to them as their ransom and liberty is offered to these captives but they will not accept him they say in their hearts as that servant I love my old Master I love my sins I love my lusts those very chains by which the Devil holds them and reject Christ who comes to ransom them How is it sinner that thou art yet a captive to the Devil and a slave to thy sins How is it that thou art left out from among the redeemed ones of the Lord There is a ransom paid there is a price laid down to buy out that soul of thine from the wrath of God and this ransom hath been offered thee and thou hast been persuaded to come out of the prison but yet there thou art yet thou art a bond-slave to the Devil and thy sin Why is it thus with thee Why onely because thou wilt not accept of thy ransom thou wilt not accept of Christ who would redeem and recover thee Thou art such a stupid sensless soul that thou dost not mind any such thing as thy recovery or redemption thou mindest thine ease or thy pleasure thou mindest thy trade and thy gains and thy business in the World but thou never mindest the redemption of thy soul never hast such a thought how shall I escape out of the hands of the Devil How shall my soul be delivered from sin and everlasting wrath When dost thou use to mind seriously any such thing Not being sensible of thy misery thou mindest
day Am not I concerned in it Was not this word spoken to me Am not I one that committeth sin Do not I live after the flesh Was I ever regenerated or born again What then Why then think farther Is it nothing to be of the Devil Is everlasting death nothing Is it nothing to be shut out of the kingdom of God Awaken O my sleepy soul yet break and melt and tremble oh mine hardned heart awaken escape for thy Life there is but a step betwixt thee and everlasting death Consider this now whilst the day of adversity comes nor but if thou shouldst be so unwise as not to consider at present yet at least in the day of thy distress consider Then think how little the word hath done to the breaking and awakening of thee What a stock what a senseless stone hath it left thee Then think now God is using one means more to cure me of this sleepy hardned heart God hath laid this sickness upon me or this poverty upon me to humble me and awaken me And now I am come to my last remedy if affliction if distress if sickness if the sight of death and the grave do not work upon me nor cause the word which I have heard to work yet upon me what then Why then I am undone forever I am within a step of the Pit just dropping in and then this lost soul of mine will be past recovery forever O sinners how does this word sit upon your hearts Are not you greatly concerned in it Does not thy life lie at stake thy soul lie at stake upon thy considering or slighting thy warning O consider let present consideration prevent the great necessity of sickness consideration of death-bed consideration At least when any of you shall come to be in distress when pains shall come upon you or poverty come upon you or death make its approach to you then remember the warning of this day In the day of adversity consider 3. Take your physitians counsel and follow his rules Physitians besides their medicins do usually give rules to their Patients for their well ordering themselves and these rules they must observe or they are never like to recover and there are these three rules which ordinarily Physitians give which our great Physitian of souls gives also to them that will be recovered by him 1. Keep a good diet 2. Vse good exercise 3. Take heed of taking cold 1. Keep a good diet Abstain from all such things as will nourish and feed your diseases What is it that hath brought thee to this wretched pass That hath made thee this sick and miserable soul Thou hast been with the prodigal Luk. 15. Feeding upon husks Thou hast been with Israel Is 44 20. Feeding upon ashes Thou hast been with Ephraim Hos 12.1 Feeding upon wind These husks and these ashes and this wind have been all thy poor soul hath been feeding upon the vanities of this world the lust and the pleasures the carnal delights and the profits of this world these are but windy food for thy soul these are the very ashes and husks that have filled thee with such sore diseases thou hast fed thine heart so long with these carnal things thy soul hath been eating these ashes and drinking this wind so long that it is even turned into ashes and wind it is becom an earthly soul a fleshly soul a vain frothy soul and never think to be recovered to a better case till thou feed upon better food Wouldest thou be recovered and get thee a new heart and a new soul Then abstain from thy old feeding Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 1. Pet. 2.11 Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Rom. 13. ult Deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 My meaning plainly is this If ever you would recover allow not your fleshly appetites the liberty as formerly Come off from your carnal pleasures which have been such a band to you Come off from your carnal companions drink no more with the drunken run not with them to their excess of Riot No more such vain sportings and revellings Not in chambring and wantonness not in Riot and Drunkenness Come off from this greedy worldly life feed not your souls upon your lands or your monies or your trades Though you must have something of these for your bodies yet feed not your hearts with them Set not your hearts upon them that is the advice of the Psalmist Psal 62.10 If riches increase or whether they do increase or no set not your hearts upon them Let not your souls be drudges to your flesh to gather in provision for it nor let them feed with your flesh at the same trough You have better things for your souls to feed upon you have God to feed on you have the bloud of Christ the Covenant of grace the hope of Salvation the joys of the spirit the pleasures of Eternity the bread that comes down from Heaven the wine that makes glad the city of God Let these be the food of your souls feed your thoughts upon them Think often of God of his infinite goodness and grace of his eternal treasures and everlasting pleasures Think of Christ what he hath done for you what he hath purchased for you how he hath loved you and washed you in his bloud and saved you by his death Feed your affections on God and his Glory to come feed your desires upon him let this be your voice Js 26.8.9 The desire of my soul is to thy name Enlarge your desires here you cannot be too greedy and of too eager an appetite Delight your selves in the Lord get the savour and relish of things spiritual taste the pleasures of religion taste the sweetness of Christianity Do not onely spend now and then a sudden thought upon God and the things above but live in such frequent and serious meditation that you may get down something of the sweetness and fatness of heaven and digest holy meditations into holy affections Never count you have thought of God to any purpose till you can love and taste and get out good nourishment for your souls by which you may thrive and flourish and with which you may be so delighted as to wean you from the Love and Lusts of this world Believe it friends as loth as you are to let go your pleasant morsels the stolen waters of your own Cisterns as hard as you find it to diet your souls so as to deny your selves the pleasures and contentments of a worldly fleshly life as strongly as your hearts lust after ease and lust after the world and the contentments thereof get but once to be so inwardly acquainted with religion as to taste the pleasure thereof and you will be able to despise this carnal life and all its advantages and wonder at your selves that ever you should find out contentment in such a life as you have lived And now your souls are like
you from henceforth to do Will you hear conscience when it speaks Will you be guided and governed by conscience I will not henceforth please my self but will endeavour to please God and conscience to live a consciencious life that is the best way to recover thy conscience to recover its speech Thy conscience is ready to die if it become speechless When sick men are come to be speechless we count them dying That conscience of thine that hath so long lien speechless it will die if thou take not some sudden course to recover its speech O get you a stirring lively conscience that will not hold its peace 4. A Scepter Conscience is to be the Governour in the soul God hath said to Conscience as he said to Christ Psal 110.2 Be thou ruler in the midst of thine enemies Thou livest in the midst of enemies all within the carnal mind the carnal will the carnal affections every lust of the heart these are all enemies to conscience but yet God says to it conscience be thou ruler in the midst of thine enemies Those that are under the government of God he puts them all under the government of Conscience as Isaac said to Esau when he came for a blessing after Jacob had been blessed before him I have says he made him thy Lord and thou shalt be his servant though thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck So God says to the heart and all within it I have made conscience your Lord you will break its yoke from off your necks you will all conspire to rebel and to resist conscience to blind and to muzzle and destroy conscience Lust is Consciences deadly enemy but yet I have said to conscience be thou ruler in the midst of thiâ—e enemies All the World are governed by God or the Devil and both these Governours have their Viceroys Conscience is the Viceroy of God and Lust is the Viceroy of the Devil Now these two Viceroys contend who shall have the dominion who shall have the government in the soul Lust cannot endure that Conscience should bear any sway Carnal earthly minded men will rather mock at conscience than be governed by it Lust will not endure that Conscience should bear the sway and Conscience can never be safe or successful in its government till lust be trodden under foot Whilest Conscience is kept as an underling and is checked and controlled and put to silence by Lust so long it is in an evil case Conscience is never recovered till it hath recovered its authority and dominion God that hath given the dominion to Conscience and under Christ laid the government upon its shoulder hath also put a Scepter into its hand to execute its government withal and hath given to Conscience a twofold Scepter 1. An Iron Scepter and he hath said to it concerning Sinners obstinate sinners as he said concerning his enemies Rev. 2.27 Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron This iron Scepter put into the hand of Conscience hath teeth in it hence do sinners who will not hear the commands sometimes feel the bitings of Conscience and the teeth of a provoked Conscience will bite worse than the teeth of a Lion or a Bear Thou that rebellest against Conscience that abusest and wrongest Conscience take heed of the bitings of Conscience thy conscience is a Lion and though now it be a sleeping Lion and thou darest play with it or use it at thy pleasure yet look to it when this sleeping conscience is awakened then thou wilt feel the teeth of this Lion As it is said of Wine Prov. 23.32 In the end it biteth like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adder So it is true of every sin every sin will bite those carnal pleasures those worldly gains that look upon you with a pleasant fawning face all your sins and sinful pleasures will bite bite like a Serpent with â— poisonous deadly biting sin will thus bite and sin bites with the teeth of Conscience O the gripes that some sinners feel the deadly gripes when they fall under the teeth or talons of a sin-provoked Conscience Sinners I warn you to take heed of ever slighting Conscience again Come under the dominion of Conscience let Conscience govern thee let Conscience rule thee or look for the Iron Scepter to fall upon thee the teeth whereof will bite thee as a Serpent and sting thee as an Adder 2. A Golden Scepter Conscience doth not onely enforce its authority and our submission to it by the terrors of its iron Scepter but encourages submission by the comfort of holding to us its Golden Scepter King Ahâ—suerus his holding out the golden Scepter to Esther was in token of his favour and her acceptance with the King Esth 5.2 She found favour in his sight and the King held out to her the golden Scepter Those that find favour with Conscience as all those that observe and obey and live under the government of Conscience do those that find favour with Conscience Conscience will hold out the golden Scepter to them will speak peace will speak comfortably to them and to have Conscience speak peace an upright Conscience is the same as to have God speak peace to be able to stand comfortably before Conscience is the same as to be able to stand with comfort and boldness before the face of God 1 Joh. 3.20 21. If our hearts condemn us If our hearts our consciences condemn us for falshood and unfaithfulness God will condemn us but if our hearts condemn us not if conscience acquit us and say to us well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful if our upright consciences acquit us then have we confidence and boldness before God The comfort and the rejoicing that flows into the heart from the testimony of a good conscience see in the 2 Cor. 1.12 Friends how would you have your Conscience to deal with you Would you that it hold out the golden Scepter Would you that Conscience speak peace that Conscience should say well done thou hast been faithful would you have this testimony from conscience that you have had your conversation in simplicity and godly sincerity Is the peace of conscience the joy of that peace the sweetness and calmness and serenity of heart which is the fruits of consciences speaking peace Is this peace is this rejoicing of any value with you Whilest others are under the checks and rebukes under the terrours and the sting of an abused conscience whilest conscience bites them and worries them with the teeth of its iron Scepter whilest conscience affrights and terrifies them whilest conscience judges them and condemns them for their following their lusts whilest it is so dreadful with men of an abused griping conscience if you would prize and desire and rejoice in the peace and the comforts of conscience then hearken to conscience and be governed by conscience in all your ways And if conscience may but govern you it will certainly comfort
Death Eternal Death but if ever God should recover thee again and revive his work and enliven that almost Dead Carkass then at last learn from thine own miserable experience to take heed of taking Cold again as long as thou livest Thus much for the recovering the Heart which is pre-supposed to the keeping of the Heart The Heart thus recovered out of its lost State must be kept and well look'd to that it fall not back again and here 2. Now I shall shew you what it is to keep the heart or how it must be kept and so 1. It must be kept under Government 2. It must be kept under Guard 1. It must be kept under Government here I shall shew 1. The necessity of keeping the Heart under Government 2. How the Heart must be Governed 1. The necessity of keeping the Heart under Government that will appear by considering what an Heart it is and because the Heart is recovered in part and there is much of its Old and Original pravity remaining in it which will be apt to boil up and break forth again I shall a little open the wretched temper and disposition of it which will evidence how great a necessity there is to keep it under Government 1. It is a wicked mischievous heart Jer. 17.9 Desperately wicked Psalm 5.9 Very wickedness Rom. 8.7 Enmity against God It is the Fountain whence all the filthy streams that pollute and defile our lives do flow and are cast forth It is the Furnace whence all the stinking fumes and smoaks that annoy the World are sent forth It is the Nest where all the Cockatrices Eggs are Hatched It is the Sink that gathers in all manner of filth into it and then sendeth it abroad to do mischief Psal 41.6 His Heart gathereth iniquity to it self as the Sinks gather in all the filth of the Town and when he goeth abroad he telleth it only there is this difference between this and other Sinks other Sinks gather in the filth but 't is in order to the conveying it and carrying it away Into this evil evil Sink of the Heart all the filth is gathered and there it stops and stinks and casts it self back in its annoying streams Out of the Heart comes evil Thoughts Murthers Adulteries c. Mat. 15.19 All this Filth and Mudd all this Wickedness and Malignity as it Naturally dwells in every Heart so there 's much of it remaining even in renewed Hearts and will if there be not constant care to keep down and by degrees to cast it out will rise and swell and work up again in them Christians you may thank God that there is Salt cast into these filthy Fountains for the healing these muddy waters that there is a Spring of Living Waters broken in your Hearts by degrees to drain out your Dirt that there is Grace begotten in you to resist and repell the contagion of Lust but this little Grace will be choak'd up again if Lust be not kept under And as it is a Wicked so 't is a Mischievous Heart it 's set upon mischief Wickedness will be doing wickedly as 't is said of the Workers of Iniquity so 't is true of all as far forth as they are unrenewed Mischief is in their Hearts Psal 28.3 There 's the same Reason of keeping our Hearts under restraint as of keeping Mad-men in they will be doing mischief if they have their liberty Besides the mischief that our evil Hearts will be doing to others they will be mischiefing themselves Mad Men will tear their own Flesh will cut and wound themselves if they be let alone and there is no such danger of evil Hearts as in regard of that mischief they do themselves 1. Our evil Hearts will hinder us from doing good to our Selves or of receiving or laying up good for our Selves Rom. 7.19 The good that I would I do not why what hinders See Vers 21. I find a Law the Law of Sin in the Heart When I would do good evil is present with me Gal. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit so that we cannot do the things that we would Sometimes good Counsel is given us from the Lord but we do not take it How many good Counsels have you heard from the Ministry of the Word that are lost and forgotten and come to nothing Sometimes a good motion comes into the Heart to repent and amend our ways to pray or to Meditate or to search out Hearts to cease from this Earth and Flesh from serving our Sense and minding only the present and to lay up Treasure in Heaven and provide for the time to come have you never such motions Do you never hear such a voice within you Get you Baggs that wax not Old a Treasure in Heaven that faileth not Choose the good part lay hold on Eternal Life give your self to Praying keep a good Conscience take heed and beware of Covetousness use more diligence live with more heedfulness have your Conversation in Heaven and keep your self unspotted of the World keep your self in the love of God set the Lord alway before your Eyes behold his Face in Righteousness study to shew thy self approved of God and to walk so in all things that thou mayest be accepted of God are there not such motions as these come into your hearts You that are Christians sure you have many such good motions But how do they take What do they bring forth If you had obeyed all the good motions that you have sometimes felt within you O what manner of Christians would you have been What mortified what circumspect what raised and Heavenly minded Christians had you been But how do your good motions take What success are they attended with Do not you see that they are often strangled in the Birth and die away and come to just nothing Or at least do you not meerly halt and trifle in the pursuace of them If you Pray or hear or set your Hearts to humble your selves before the Lord how are you Distracted and Diverted and Deadned and all your duties spoiled in the doing so that you can have little comfort or real advantage by what yo do Do you not often mourn over your Prayers and Sermons and Sabbaths as meerly lost to you When you would work up your Hearts Heaven ward and fix above when you would love and del ght your selves in the Lord and Solace your selves in the contemplation of the Divine Love and Goodness when you would fain set your Hearts to live such a Godly Conscientious Circumspect Self-denying Life and comfort your selves with such thoughts I hope I shall never live such a Careless Carnal Useless Unsavory Earthly Life again I hope you have many such Thoughts Desires Hopes and Aims you are lamentable Christians if you have not but how do they succed What do they bring forth Do they not often prove Abortive and bring forth nothing May it not be said of you as of those Job 15.35 They conceive
they are the wisest men who meddle least with it at least they have a strong conceit they shall to Heaven without so much troubling themselves about it Let the Lord God speak never so clearly and never so closely of the danger of the way they are in of the damnableness of their state of the necessity of a Change of their State and Life of their becoming new men and giving themselves to a new Life yet their self-conceit carries it against all the Convictions and Demonstrations of the Lord They will not be beaten out of their own Conceits they will believe their own blind and sottish mind before they will believe God Sinners is not this true how many times hath the Lord God preached to you of the necessity of Regeneration and your being born again of the necessity of Sanctification your being made his holy ones pure and undefiled ones How much hath he spoken to convince you that you are the Sons of death and that your ways are the ways of death that you can never see the Kingdom of God but must undoubtedly perish and be destroyed for ever without such a great and effectual change as may bring you in amongst his holy ones How often hath this been preached how plainly hath this been proved and yet after all how is it with you why behold you have a conceit you shall do well enough and get to Heaven at last and upon this conceit you will adventure your Souls What do you herein but Idolize your own Understandings and deny the God that is above Thus saith the Lord is nothing with you nor will perswade you to any thing if your own hearts do but tell you 't is well enough already Sinners if you will not be beaten out of this conceit if we cannot break down your carnal Confidence if we cannot deliver your Souls out of the hands of these Lies and Delusions if you will not be brought to see that these your self-conceits are your self-deceivings I have thought foolishly I have thought falsly in thinking well of my case if we cannot save you from your vain Conceits and Confidence we shall never set up the Authority of God in you nor ever bring you to God or to Heaven O to hear such words as these from you I have been deceived mine Heart hath deceived me the Devil hath deceived me I could never have had a good Thought of my â—sent state I could never have good hope of my future state if I had not been deceived into it I have been meerly gull'd and cheated into this good Opinion I am lost I perish I die for ever if I escape not suddenly out of this case I can be confident no more I can have a good conceit of my self no longer I am an undone Wretch God tells me so the Word tells me so and if ever mine Heart tell me yet again 'T is well enough I 'le never believe it again might we see such a sence upon you might we hear such words from you then there were hope that you were coming back from Self to God For you that are Professors have not you also something of this self-conceitedness upon you some are conceited of their own Opinions whatever Opinion they take up in the matters of God it must be right because it 's right in their own eyes and many of their Brethren that are contrary minded they are in the wrong and in the dark and so become the objects of their censure and reproach Lean not to your own understandings be so humble and so modest as to think that others may see more than you see suspect your selves when you differ from other Christians that you may be in the mistake Others are conceited of their Gifts and Attainments though they yet be but among the young ones and the weak ones of the Flock yet through that pernicious Pride of their Hearts they are apt to be puffed up with high Conceits of any little that they have Christians must be lowly like their Master Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in Heart They must think soberly of themselves Others are Conceited of their Conditions and the State of their Souls who though they have little acquaintance with their own Hearts little understanding and experience of Religion and have spent as little time in the examining their States yet are grown to a confidence that their Hearts are right in the sight of God when this Confidence may be nothing else but Conceit they do but conceit themselves to be Converts conceit themselves to be Believers and and this conceit must carry it against all Convictions to the contrary Examine the grounds upon which your good Opinion of your self is built Search the Scriptures where are certain Evidences of Conversion search your Hearts whether the marks of real Believers be found in you suspect your selves whether you be not in a mistake a mistake here to have a strong conceit that you are Believers when you are but Hypocrites that you are come to Christ when it may be not come half way such mistakes may be your damnation your Everlasting loss and undoing Let the fear of Self-deceiving be the cure of Self-conceitedness 2. Self-will That Brand which is put upon false Teachers and their followers 2 Pet. 2.10 is upon the Heart of every Sinner they are Self-willed and this brand is more or less remaining upon the Heart of every Saint There 's too much of Self-willedness in the best Hearts Here I shall shew you 1. That the great Controversy betwixt God and Self is whose Will shall stand 2. That in the Conversion of a Sinner the Power of Self-will is broken 3. But yet the Will is not so broken but Self hath still a root remaining which will be putting forth again 4. That therefore there is a necessity of keeping the Heart under constant Government 1. The great controversie betwixt God and Self is whose Will shall stand God will have his Will Isa 45.23 I have Sworn by my Self the Word is gone forth of my Mouth and shall not return that unto me every knee shall bow In one way or other first or last I 'le make them all to stoop God will have his Will but Self also will have its Will what is said concerning the Wisdom of the Flesh Rom. 8.7 is true of the Will of the Flesh The Wisdom of the Flesh is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be the Will of the Flesh is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed will be What is the Will of God This is the Will of God even your Sanctification 1 Thes 4.3 He hath said Be ye holy for I the Lord your God am holy 1 Pet. 1.16 This is the Will of God to sinners their Salvation 1 Tim. 2.4 He will have all men to be saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth The reason why so many are damned is not because God will have them
in Number than the Sands of the Sea Thy Thoughts that is either Gods Thoughts towards him or his Thoughts of God and these Observe 1. The gratefulness or acceptableness of such Thoughts how precious how dear are they to me It was a pleasant thing to him to think of God 2. The Multitude of his Thoughts of God how great is the Summ of them God hath many Thoughts of his Saints and Saints have many Thoughts of God 3. A special Season of his thinking of God when I awake these are my Morning Thoughts no sooner am I awake but my Heart is in Heaven and Psal 119.97 O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation all the day where see 1. The matter of his Thoughts the Law of God or those blessed matters those wonderful things contained in this Law to be thinking of the Word of God is to be thinking of God of Christ of Holiness of Heaven of the way to Heaven and the like things that are written in the Word these are the matter of his Thoughts 2. The Seasons of his Meditations and these are every Season he is constantly thus exercised all the day his Morning thoughts are his continual Thoughts 3. The Motive or Spring of his Meditations O how I love thy Law What we love we shall easily be thinking of if we love God we shall be thinking of God if we love our Souls love Holiness love the Word and wayes of God our Thoughts will be upon them Dost thou not think on God and the Law of God 'T is a sign thou lovest them not well this is the right governing our Thoughts and which will prevent the wandrings and straglings and unruliness of them the holding them thus well exercised 3. In holding our Affections and Passions to their proper Objects and within their due Bounds so as that we love only what we should love and as much and no more than we should love it to fear what we should fear and as much and no more than we should fear it to desire what we should desire and as much and no more than we should desire it to be angry with what we should be angry and no more than we should I shall instance only in these Six Passions Our Love Our Desire Our Joy Our Grief Our Fear Our Anger 1. For our Love this is then well Ordered when we love only what we should love and as much and no more than we should love it The Object of Love is good and only good nothing can be loved but that which is good or apprehended so to be and nothing ought to be loved but that which is good God is good the chief and Supream good the Fountain of all goodness infinitely good Good is the Lord Exod. 34.6 Abundant in goodness and truth Our danger here is not of over-loving but of under-loving God is to be loved with all the Heart and with all the Might there is no danger here of erring in the excess our beings are good our Souls and Bodies we are Gods Workmanship and of all Gods works 't is said Gen. 1. he saw that they were good Our well-being and prosperity and happiness is good not only the Prosperity of our Souls our prospering in Grace and Holiness our growing rich unto God but the Prosperity of our Bodies and outward man our Health and our Estates is good Joh. 3. I wish that thou maiest prosper and be in Health even as thy Soul prospereth The Creatures are good our Bread and our Cloaths and our Houses which are for the comfort of our Bodies every Creature of God is good being sanctified by the Word and Prayer 1 Tim. 4.4 The Prosperity of our Neighbours especially those of the houshold of Faith this also is a good that we should love Touching our Souls our danger is that we do not love these according to the price and worth of a Soul which is more than all the World Mat. 16. or else that we do not love them aright so as to seek their good Touching our Bodies and the Creatures that are for the Health and prosperity of our Bodies the great danger is of over-loving them of loving them more than we should and more than they are worth This is the order that should be in well-govern'd Hearts we should love the Creatures for our Bodies we should love our Bodies for our Souls we should love them all and our Neighbours good also for God and we should love love God for himself And this ought to be the Measure of our Love we should love God with all our might we should love our Souls as far forth as serves to the Honour of God we should love our Bodies our Health and bodily Prosperity as far as they are serviceable to our Souls and we should love the Creatures our Houses our Money our Estates as far forth as they may be useful to our Bodies in the Service of our Souls and to our Bodies and Souls in the Service of God and we should love our Neighbour as our selves An Heart that is set right in its love is a well governed Heart this is the orginal of the disorder that is in our lives the disorder of our love Why is it that these Bodies and our Bodily Prosperity is sought more than our Souls why do we seek Riches and Pleasure and Ease and Money more than we seek Grace and Holiness O we love the Creature too much and we love God and our Souls too little O it were well with the sinful World better than it is if they loved God and their Souls as well as they love their Bodies and Estates but Sinner for thy part thou dost not so thou sayest thou lovest God thou sayest thou lovest thy Soul thou sayest these are the gteat things thine Heart is upon no thou dost not love God as thou lovest that Carkass of thine thou doest not love God as well as thou lovest thy Money or thy Pleasures or thy Health thy very Lusts thy Carnal Sports and Merriments thy vile Companions and thy Sins thou art such a vile Brute that thou lovest these more than thou lovest God or thy Soul thou art better pleased thou art better satisfied when the Corn and the Wine increaseth when thou Prosperest in this World than with any hopes thou hast towards God for thy Soul What is the Pleasure of thine Heart When art thou most merry and best contented When is it with thee as thou wouldst have it but when thou art in Health and Prosperest in these outward things God is dishonoured and neglected by thee God is angry with thee and yet thou art well enough contented thy Soul languisheth it is a blind and ignorant Soul it is a sinful and guilty Soul it is a stupid and hardned Soul it is a perishing and dying Soul thy Soul is in the hands of the Devil thy Soul is a dead Soul even dropping into Hell and yet for all this thou sittest there at
it and a beautiful and fair Sun-rising 't were well if it would hold but after a while Clouds gather and it is darker with them at Noon than it was in the Morning their Joy sinks and their Love sinks Clouds of Corruption overspread both their Joyes and their Hopes However it may be with some Beginners and it is never so well as they think if it do not hold however it may be with some Beginners yet ordinarily they are only the grown Christians who are Partakers of solid substantial Joy for a great part of their time it is as Zech. 14.7 It is neither Light nor Dark with them neither Night nor perfect Day but in the Evening there shall be Light In our first time it must be said only as Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the Righteous and joyful gladness for the upright in Heart this Joy is sown in Sorrows and sown in Tears but as we grow up what was sown in our Infancy breaks forth and shines in our Age. Friends dote not too much on your Morning Infant Joyes they may vanish into Darkness It is the solid Joy of the grown Christian that is usually the abiding Joy therefore if you would not be put off with some short fits of Joy if you would have that standing Joy which no Man can take from you set your Hearts to it to increase in the grace of God be thriving Christians grow in Grace and grow in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and then your Joy shall abound and abide Friends you now go on drooping and doubting and fearing you have many a sad day of it but would you see good dayes would you have your Cloudy to become clearer Dayes Would you have more Sun-shine upon your Hearts Then get the Sun of Righteousness to rise higher in you Misty Mornings as the Sun riseth higher the Mists are dispelled and the Day groweth clear at Noon which was so Dark in the Morning Christians how many Arguments have I used with you to perswade you to press on after an Increase in Grace after a more Spiritual and Heavenly Frame of Heart and Life What success have former perswasions had Are you grown Are you improved Or do you set your Hearts upon it Are you reaching forward or do you not contentedly keep at a stand and seem to grow backward and lose your former Life and Vigour What shall I say to you What may I do for you to Nurse you up to higher Statures We live in a declining Age every where there are sad complaints that Rel gion is at a stand and growing to decay How is it with you Are there any lively Souls among you Do you get ground does your Light break forth Do your ways as the Path of the Just Prov. 4.18 Shine more and more toward the perfect Day Friends pray inquire one by one Is it thus with me It it thus with me If I might but prevail with you to set your Hearts to it O what a Goshen might we be in comparison of the Dark places of the Earth Whilest there is such sad Darkness in most places of the Land yet in this Goshen there would be Light O might we see more of the Light of Grace in you we should surely see much of the Light of Joy If the Soul of Hearty Christianity might gather more strength within you and bring forth more Fruit without if you would tread upon this Earth blow off these Ashes blow up the Coals shake off this sluggish sleepiness of Heart if we could get these cold Hearts to be warmed once would it not be a Joy and rejoycing to us Be perswaded Friends to set to sowing more joy for your Selves Whilest Sinners are Sowing Tears for themselves and Sorrows and Lamentations this they do in their Carnal Merriments Carnal Mirth is but the Seed of Sorrow and Misery as Light is Sown for the Righteous Mourners so Darkness is Sown for rejoicing Sinners and their rejoicing is the Seed of that Darkness and when they come to suffer everlasting Misery they do then but Reap the Fruit of their sinful Jollity whilest Sinners are Sowing Tears let Christians set to Sowing Joy to themselves Do what you can to make your last Days your best Days and every Day brighter than other Do not barely wish it were better and hope for better but work for better Days desire more earnestly pray more heartily look more wishtly and labour more painfully for a visible and sensible improving and advancing in the Power and Spirit of Religion and Godliness and then your Hearts shall rejoice and your Joy shall no Man take from you Beloved I have but two Works to do among you all whereunto I labour and strive with you in the Gospel but these two works I have to do to fetch in those that are without and to fetch up those that are within Sinners you that are yet without without Christ without the Covenant of God that are yet in your Sins in your Ignorance in your Impenitence and hardness of Heart Strangers from Christ and Aliens from the Life of God my work with you is to Preach you into Christ to Preach you in by Repentance I travail in Birth with you that Christ may be formed in you might I prevail in this Work might any more among this Company of poor Sinners of you be brought to Repentance and be Converted O what Joy would there be in this Luke 15. There 's Joy in Heaven over one Sinner that repenteth and there would be the Foundation of Joy laid in your own Hearts Come Sinners come to Christ the Fountain of your Joy and your Hopes come and be humbled with Christ and you shall be exalted with him come and mourn with Christ and you shall be comforted come and Repent and you shall also rejoice But if I should not prosper in this work if Sinners should continue to be hardned and refuse any more of them to come in if I should not fetch more in yet let me fetch up those that are within you that are come in come up higher Stand not always at the Threshold content not your selves with the lowest place Friends sit up higher ascend ascend ascend in your Aims ascend in your Desires get to be better Christians daily more experienced Christians more mortified Christians more lively and Active and fruitful Christians and then look for it you shall be more joyful Christians get you to be more strong in the Lord and the Joy of the Lord shall be your Strength 2. Rejoyce not in Iniquity Charity doth not and therefore Christians must not rejoice in Iniquity 1 Cor. 13.6 Let not your sin make you Merry if it does that which now makes you merry will shortly make you mad with anguish and indignation at your own folly Merry Sinners are all Fools and some of these Fools will be always laughing but we must say with Solomon Eccles 2.2 I said of such laughter thou art madness 3. Rejoice not
who will reply why they were even as good come amongst us as amongst some of your selves and as much they are like to get and as little harm by us as by you Friends I have more than once provoked you to be more Spiritual and more Heavenly in your Converses but what hath been the fruit Is it better then it hath been O that you could tell me it was I thank God it is a little better I have set mine heart upon it I have put my self to it to bring forth something of what I have learned for others benefit I must tell you this unprofitableness is an ill sign as to your selves as well as it may be a snare to others barren lips are a sign of barren hearts 't is to be feared there is not so much of Christ within you when there is so little coming forth that there is but little truth in your hearts when there is so little Grace in your lips O Friends that you would yet check your selves for this neglect that you would yet charge it upon your hearts to be more fruitful this way To what purpose are you preach'd unto to what purpose do I warn you if you will not amend I 'le tell you one way to help it Let your own hearts be more set upon God get more spiritual savour more life and power of holiness in your own spirits and it will find an easier vent More divine Communion will be the best help to more holy Communication But this by the way 5. For our Grief or Sorrow I shall shew here 1. That the Object of our Sorrow is evil The Evils we are to greive for are 1. Sin 2. Misery or Affliction 2. What are the due degrees and just limits of our Grief 1. Sin This is the great and special object of Sorrow and sorrow for Sin is the best and most necessary of sorrows Sin is a grievous evil and it most calls for grief of heart He loves neither God nor himself that grieves not for sin Sin is the abuse of God and the wrong of our own Souls How canst thou say thou lovest God if thou canst abuse him or see him abused without sorrow how canst thou say thou lovest thy self when thou canst wrong thy self and not be grieved what wilt thou grieve for if not for that which is so provoking to God and so distructive to thy self Sin seems good in the eyes of sinners and therefore it seldom troubles them 't is that which pleaseth them and suits with their tempers 't is that which profits them and brings them in all their gains Sinners that must hereafter die for their sins do at present live by their sins they are beholding to their sins for their livelihood Some men live by lying and stealing and defrauding by Coveteousness and oppression 't is that which brings them in their Estates they had been some of them but poor men if their sin had not gotten them Estates Others live by their Pleasures and carnal merriments 't is their mirth and their pleasure that keeps them alive Sorrow and Melancholy they think would kill their hearts Sinners live upon their sins and therefore will not be grieved at them But though thou thinkest thou livest by thy sins thou must die for thy sins thy sins are making a grave for thee and carrying thee to it thy sins are preparing an Hell for thee and leading thee down to the chambers of Death Thy sin spoils thee at present of all that is good and makes thee good for nothing but to be fuel for the fire Holiness prepares the Saints and makes them meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 and sin prepares sinners and makes them meet for the inheritance of everlasting darkness fit to serve none but the Devil fit to dwell with none but the Devil Sinners you that go on in your sins you are herein but fitting and preparing you for the Devil This Pride that you live in these Pleasures that you live in this Covetousness that you live in by all these the Devil is preparing you for Hell There is a fire prepared for you Mat. 25.41 Everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels there is an Hell prepared for you and your sin is as fast as it can preparing you for that place of Torment Your going on in your sin is your ripening for wrath thou art almost ripe already and art ripening every day and as soon as thy sin hath but made thee fully ripe thou droppest as ripe fruit uses to do down thou droppest to rottenness into the grave and into the darkness of the pit Thou art grown to that height in sin that thou mayst be ripe before to morrow and as soon as thou art ripe thou wilt be rotting thy Body in the dirt thy Soul in Hell This is the fruit that sinners get and shall get at last by their sins Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death But yet because at present they live by their sins their sins make them merry their sins make them Rich they get money by them they get Estates by them therefore they are not troubled though they sin they will not sorrow Thou hast smitten them but they have not grieved Jer. 5.3 'T is said with respect to the punishment of sinners and it might be said concerning them they have smitten themselves and yet have not grieved Sin seems good in the eyes of sinners and therefore it doth not trouble them but sin seems to be sin to Saints Rom. 7. that is the greatest and worst of Evils for so sin when it appears to be sin doth appear to be the worst of Evils and therefore to them its matter of Sorrow When sin appears to be exceeding sinful as the Apostles Expression is before then the heart will be exceeding sorrowful the degrees which by the right Government of the heart this sorrow for sin is held up to and the bounds and limits it is held within are these 1. This sorrow must be so great as to answer the ends and bring forth the proper fruits of it The end of this sorrow and the fruits it must bring forth the Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 7.9 is Repentance I rejoyced that ye sorrowed unto Repentance And ver 11. This self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly manner what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves c. What ever trouble for Sin what ever sorrow any of you have in your hearts if it doth not bring forth Repentance a forsaking and turning from sin if this sorrow doth not work a fear of falling back into sin if it doth not work a care of preventing your fall if it do not work to Indignation and Zeal against Sin if it leave you the Friends of sin still the followers of sin still if this be all you can say I am troubled at it but I cannot help it it 's my trouble that I am a Drunkard it
's my grief that I am a Worldling or proud or froward but God be merciful to me I can't get rid of these evils if your sorrow whatever it be doth not bring forth Fruit unto Repentance it is not wrought up high enough there must be more load layd on there must be more of its Thorns and Spears and Stings thrust into that hard Heart of thine thou must feel more of its Gripes it must fetch out more Groans and Sighs and Tears out of thee thou must be brought to another manner of trouble for sin then yet thou art e're it reach the due degree of Godly sorrow 2. This sorrow must not be so great as to hinder the exercise of any other Grace or Duty 't is seldom there is an errour in the excess we don't use to sorrow over much no no we are apt to err in the defect we do not usually come up to sufficient sorrow our hearts have but a light hurt upon them our wounds ordinarily are not deep enough 't is this which mostly undoes us we find our sin to be too light a burthen 't were well if our hearts were more sick that we could find them bleeding inwardly and bleeding more abundantly as 't was said of false Teachers Jer. 6.14 They heal the hurt of the Daughters of my People slightly It is seldom that we can now a dayes hear of such a thing as a troubl'd Soul and a wounded Spirit We are even Professors of too whole and unbroken hearts The Sacrifice of God is a broken heart Psal 51.17 but how few such Sacrifices are there any where found for the Lord The work of the Ministry God helps us is seldome that more acceptable work an healing work to heal the wounded Soul to bind up the broken heart to comfort them that are cast down but the main of our work lyes in making wounds in pricking to the heart in casting down the high and hardned hearts Is not there much of this work lying upon our hands to be hammering and humbling and piercing your hearts through with Godly sorrow How few are there of you who can truly say I thank God this work is done upon me the breaking work the afflicting work the affrighting work is done upon me my heart through Grace is brought low and made soft and made sick of my sins so that I am prepared for the healing and comforting work That sharp two edged Sword of the word hath pierced so deep and made such work such wounds in my heart that now the Oyl is more needed and the Balm to heal my wounds O it is matter of trouble and sadness of heart to find no more such sad Souls and sorrow bitten hearts then we can either see or hear of in the World 'T is seldom therefore I say that there is too much of this sorrow that trouble for sin riseth too high but yet sometimes and in some cases it may be so there may be an excess of sorrow for sin Christians may be pressed down over measure they may be swallowed up of overmuch sorrow as the Apostle intimates and would have prevented 2 Cor. 2.7 Comfort such an one lest perhaps he should be swollowed up of overmuch sorrow Therefore in this case there must be Limits set to our sorrow and it must be held within these Limits It must be so much only as may not hinder the exercise of other Graces and Duties it must neither hinder our Hopes nor hinder our Faith nor our Love no nor our Joy in the Lord It should be with Christians in this case as with the Apostle in another case 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowing yet alwaies rejoycing Sorrowing yet believing sorrowing yet hopeing cast down yet comforted It must not hinder our Duties Some Christians have been so overwhelmed with trouble that they have not been able to hear nor pray nor think with any Comfort upon God or the things of God this is an excess of sorrow and must be restrained Sorrow for sin no more then will help you to believe and Hope and Love and praise and serve the Lord. 2. Affliction This is another object of sorrow The Degrees and Limits of this are 1. That we sorrow not so little but that we have a due and a deep sense of the hand of the Lord upon us Otherwise we despise the chastning of the Lord which the Apostle forbids Heb. 12.5 Despise not thou the chastning of the Lord. By afflictions I mean here the sufferings of this Life Crosses and Losses of Estates of Friends Husband Wife Children or near Relations Sufferings in our persons by Sicknesses Pains Languishing and the like these must be grieved for God complaines Jer. 3.5 I have smitten them but they have not grieved 'T was their sin that they did not sorrow 2. That we sorrow not so much as to sink under our sorrows That we be not swallowed up of overmuch sorrow As we may not slight or despise the chastnings of the Lord so we may not faint when we are chastned The Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 7.10 That worldly sorrow the sorrows of worldly-men for their worldly crosses worketh Death It sometimes kills their Bodies some men die of their griefs but it often kills their Hearts sinks them in their Spirits stupifies them and makes them fit for nothing We may not be so depressed with sorrows but that we still keep our Hearts alive and to be of good courage 3. Not as men without hope We must sorrow for all our afflictions but as the Apostle would have Christians sorrow for the dead 1 Thess 4.13 Sorrow not says he as others which have no hope The Righteous hath hope in his Heart and his hope must moderate his sorrow This sad state will not last alwaies there 's hope of an end of his afflictions and that should moderate his sorrow The Righteous hath hope in his Death Prov. 14.32 and hath this double hope 1. That Death will put an end to his sorrows 2. That the end of his Sorrows shall be the beginning of Everlasting Joyes and in this hope he must comfort himself under his sufferings and moderate his sorrows for them 4. Alwaies as men that have worse matters to sorrow for The least sin is a worse evil then the greatest affliction and calls for more of our sorrow Christians must take heed that they do not loose the sense of sin in their excessive sorrowing for affliction When affliction lyes too heavy sin usually lyes too light Jer. 30.15 Why cryest thou for thine affliction because thy sins were increased I have done these things unto thee Why art thou impatient under thy sufferings Whatsoever thou sufferest how hard soever it goes with thee in the World there 's a worse thing then all this that should set thee a crying thy sin thy sin which is the root of all that which thou sufferest 5. Let your sorrow for Affliction never be so great as to hinder your sorrow for sin Sorrow more
thy Nakedness and thy Naughtiness be made appear and be laid open before God Angels and Men. 4. There are eternal Rewards and Punishments that in this Judgment of God shall be awarded to every soul What ever the state of your Souls shall then be found to be they shall receive a due recompence of reward and eternal recompence Therefore this Judgment as I told you before Heb. 6.2 is call'd an eternal Judgment because it appoints to every man an eternal reward To the repenting and renewed and upright hearts it appoints Eternal Blessedness for their Reward to the impenitent wicked and unrenewed Hearts it appointeth Eternal Torment for their Reward Mat. 25.48 These the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal O what a weight is there in the Crown of Glory that shall be the reward of the righteous The Apostle calls it an exceeding eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 And O what a weight is there in that Curse and that wrath that shall be the reward of the Wicked how will it break the backs and crush the bones and tear the bowels and burn the Souls of every wicked one Sinners a fire a fire is prepared for you What Torment is like the Torment of fire and what fire is like the fire of Hell But O that word Eternity Eternity that 's the scalding and scorching Word Everlasting Fire that shall never be quenched How weary are the days how long are the nights to a sick man that 's tormented in his bed but what will an eternal night be that shall never know morning Who can dwell with the devouring fire who can dwell with everlasting burnings Isa 33.14 It is fire that you must have your dwelling in It is devouring fire that will devour all your former gâ—ins and pleasures of sin as the lean kine in Pharaohs dream did eat up the fat ones This fire shall eat up all your pleasant dayes and merry nights Ye will devour your selves these Bodies and Souls it will devour it will devour by burning a tormenting burning O dreadful sinners do not your hearts yet tremble what not to think of burning devouring burning how do ye think that ye shall look upon sin when these Bodies and these Souls of yours shall be all on a light fire when those Eyes and that Tongue and those Hands and every Limb shall be all glowing fire as red hot iron in a Furnace how do ye think ye shall endure it but yet you have not all the worst is yet behind 't is Everlasting burnings fire that shall never be quenched O that word Never never never an end what a burning Dagger will it be in the Souls of those damned ones think what it hath already been to Judas who hath been burning in this fire above 1600 years think what it hath been to Cain that hath been burning there almost ever since the World began above 5000 years and yet are burning still at this day what a long and dismal time have they had of it already but all this is not so much as a minute or a moment to those Everlasting Ages of Torment that are still to run out and will never be expired Such are the Rewards of the Wicked Torment Torment in extremity and Torment to Eternity and the upright heart shall be rewarded with a weight of Glory and Joy and this shall be an exceeding and eternal Glory 5. A sense of these eternal Rewards is the very strength and sinews of Government Where I shall shew 1. What I mean by a sense of these eternal things There are three things in it 1. A believing these things That there is such an Eternal Judgment and Eternal Reward These things are certain Psal 58.11 Verity there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that Judgeth in the earth And as verily as there is a reward for the righteous so verily there is a reward for the Sinner These things are certain and these things must be believed Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him And as he must be believed a Rewarder of them that seek him so a Revenger of them that slight him and disobey him He that cometh to God and will obtain this Reward and escape this vengeance must believe this or he will never come The reason of the Rebellion of mens hearts against God is their unbelief believe the Judgment of God and that will bring you under his Government When you come to say verily 't is so this is no sable or delusion 't is certainly so 't is undoubtedly so such a Judgment there shall be such rewards there shall be given as verily as if I saw it done then your hearts will be govern'd and never till then 2. An understanding what these rewards shall be What great and wonderful Rewards they are Things to come must be known ere they will affect Heady sinners However they say they believe yet they little know what 't is to believe They know not what 't is to be saved they know not what 't is to be damned Psal 92.6 7. A bruitish man knoweth not neither doth a fool understand this When the wicked spring up as the grass and all the workers of iniquity do flourish it is that they should be destroyed for ever A brutish man understandeth not this neither that sinners shall be destroyed nor what a dreadful destruction their destruction shall be It s true these things to come cannot be perfectly known here we know but in part we understand but imperfectly 1 Cor. 13.9 1 Joh. 3 2. It doth not yet appear what we shall be Now are we Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be And so of sinners now are they the children of the Devil but it doth not yet appear what they shall be Sinners that are brands prepared for the burning do little think what that burning is that is prepared for them and they shall never know it perfectly till they come there But yet such a knowledge of these great and astonishing things may be had here as may work mightily towards the governing of the heart and a knowledge there must be of them or they will never work There is a fore-knowledge that 's gotten by believing and meditating of these things Psal 107.43 Who so is wise will ponder these things and they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord and as his loving kindness so his Wrath and indignation and there is an after-knowledge or an experimental knowledge Some sinners will never know what hell is till they know it by experience till they fail into the pit and the sense of that wrath when they come to be preyed upon and wrap'd up in the devouring Flames teach them what a dreadful wrath it is Beware sinners of such an experimental knowledge of Hell wherein your flesh and your bones
prosper if it hath not your constant care 'T is true we are not to speak the same words in all Companies and our behaviour is not to be alike in its particular Circumstances in all Companies but in the general a serious and holy behaviour the carrying our selves so as men that are in a journey heavenwards the owning and propagating serious Religion the behaving our selves so that others may evidently see the spirit of Glory and of God resting upon us and may be both convinced that God is in us of a truth and if it be possible be gained to God or at least made ashamed of their own sinful and carnal ways Such a temper should we be in and such a carriage should we be of in what Company soever we be we are alwayes in the sight of God and we should be no where but upon business for God and we should carry our selves as such What the Apostle speaks of his Ministry should be exemplified in the practise of Christians 2 Cor. 2.17 As of sincerity as of God in the sight of God so speak we in Christ Wherever you are behave your selves in sincerity in simplicity whatever you speak speak it as in the sight of God be faithful approve your selves to God in all that you do O friends this even this steady this sincere course of life this universal approving your selves to God in all you do will be the fruit of such an abiding sense of God upon your hearts This will be the poise that will make you move swiftly this will be the Ballast that will make you sail steadily And this swift and steady motion heavenward will both make you appear to be Christians indeed and mightily improve and advance your souls in that grace of God that bringeth Salvation O beloved that this now might be the fruit of these many words that I have spoken to you that you would every one of you set your hearts to it to get and to hold such a deep sense of the eternal things upon your spirits as might have influence to the carrying you on in this even and steady course Do not every one of you need some establishment more settledness more fixedness in an heavenly frame do not you feel your selves so up and down so off and on that you can hardly fix Would it not be more comfortable for you if you could get to be more like the unchangeable God that as he is the same God so you might be the same Christians of the same Spirit of the same way so fixed and composed in your Spirits that you might not be moved from the hope nor from the holiness of the Gospel would it not be comfortable to you were it thus with you would it not be much to the honour of the Gospel and to the joy of your own Souls then once again I exhort you by the Lord Jesus get this sight of God in your eye keep this sense of God upon your hearts which will have its fruit unto this settled and even course of holiness the end whereof will be everlasting life This is that which I strive for and am reaching towards in mine own Soul and I must say with the Apostle Phil. 3.12 I press these things upon you not as though I had already obtained but I follow after if I may obtain through Christ Jesus And what I seek and wait and hope for in mine own Soul my hearts desire is that you also may follow after and be partakers of the same Grace that my Soul is in pursuit of that you and I may rejoyce together in the day of the Lord. Thus much for the keeping the heart under Government 2. Keep the Heart under Guard Keep it and all the good that 's in it in safety that it be not lost Christians must keep their Hearts as Worldlings keep their Money and their Jewels and their writings by which they hold their Estates If they have any stronger or safer place than other there they lay them up and whatever else they have to look to their special eye and their strictest Watch is upon their treasure And here I shall shew you 1. Why Christians must especially guard their hearts 2. How Christians must guard their hearts 1. Why Christians must especially guard their hearts They must set a guard upon their tongues they must watch their words and all their carriages but above all keeping they must keep their hearts So the word in the Text is rendred and interpreted by some keep the heart with diligence above all keepings Keep the heart but why so because the heart is 1. The fountain of Life 2. The spring of all vital actions 3. The record of all our sacred Transactions 4. The cabinet of our Jewels 5. Our box of evidences 6. The ark of our strength 7. A sacrifice for God 8. The temple of the Lord. 1. Because the heart is the fountain of Life It is the reason urged in the Text for out of it are the issues of Life The issues that is the streams or rivuâ—ets of life The heart is the fountain from whence all our living streams do flow Christ is our life and the seat or habitation of Christ is in the heart therefore that expression Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of Glory The hope of the Saints is a living and lively hope the life of our hope is from Christ and from Christ within us Eph. 3.17 Christ dwells in the heart by Faith The heart Natural is the fountain of Natural Life it is the primum vivens and the heart Spiritual is the fountain of Spiritual Life we begin to live from within as death begins in the heart so life Death Natural ends in the heart the heart is the last that dieth but death spiritual begins in the heart the heart is the first that dies Sinners dead works do all arise from their dead hearts the root dies first and then the branches and fruit wither and fall off the Devils great design is firstly upon the heart when he hath slain the good that is within he can with ease destroy whatever good is without the fruit will fall off of it self when the root is dead The heart is the first that dies in a spiritual sense and 't is the first that lives It is there the seed of God his immortal Seed is first received and takes its root so that there is the same reason to set a guard upon our hearts as to preserve our life if you would keep your selves alive if you would not fall down among the dead then look well to your hearts which are the fountain of life 2. It is the spring of all our vital actions and operations This is included in the former the heart is the fountain of life and life is the fountain of action A dead man cannot see nor hear nor speak nor move he must live before he can speak or move And what can the spiritually dead do The dead praise
Christ reconciling you to himself 2 Cor. 5.19 You have not had us dealing with you in the name of Christ who are the Ministers of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.18 but he who is the great Reconciler Christ himself hath been dealing with you and hath reconciled you to God So sure as the Devil hath been dealing with sinners he hath drawn them away from God drawn them to sin and wickedness against God hath been hardning them against God you could never have been so wicked you could never have been so hardned against God as you are hardned against conversion hardned against repentance if the Devil had not been dealing with you You see what hard hearts you have we cannot humble you we cannot perswade you to repent and turn our words do nothing with you you will not be perswaded to return but you go on your way and remain stupid and sensless of your sin and misery you will not be perswaded 't is so bad with you We cannot for our hearts make you sensible of your wretched cases nor put a stop to you in your sins You may see well enough who hath been dealing with you that you continue so sinful still and so hardned in your sins It is the Devil that hath had to do with you thus to deprave you and to harden you as sure as the Devil hath been dealing with sinners so sure hath Christ been dealing with his Saints 'T is not Ministers that have awakened you that have convinced and humbled you and brought you about to the Lord 't is Christ that hath done these things for you We could never have humbled you we could never have perswaded nor turned nor reconciled you to God if Christ himself had not done it You were once foolish and disobedient led about with diverse lusts you were once Drunkards Liars Covetous and Prophane and you had been amongst this uncircumcised Crew to this day if Christ had not fetched you off 't is with him you have had to do as 't is said Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and open before his eyes with whom we have to do You have to do with Christ Christ hath been dealing with you that are Christians or you had never come to this you had never been these living Souls you had never known what you do of God nor known what you do of Sin nor been washed from your sins your had never been here praying and hearing and praising the Lord and become followers of the Lamb if Christ had not had to do with you Particularly you that are Christians there have been great transactions betwixt God and your Souls 1. In point of Covenant Behold you that are Christians you are in Covenant with the Lord by reason whereof I may say concerning you as Moses concerning Israel Deut. 26.17 18. Thou hast avouched the Lord to be thy God to walk in his ways and keep his statutes And the Lord hath avouched thee to be his peculiar People You have avouched the Lord to be yours and the Lord hath avouched you to be his a solemn and mutual Covenant hath there passed between the Lord and you he is become your Covenant God you are become his Covenant People How came this to pass how is it that you are not still as poor sinners are in Covenant with Death and Agreement with Hell how comes it to pass that when poor sinners are in Covenant with the Devil you are in Covenant with God O you may thank Christ for this he hath been effectually dealing with you in this thing He hath not only procured such a gracious Covenant a Covenant of Mercy a Covenant of Pardons a Covenant of Peace but he hath also 1. Made offer of this Covenant of God to you inviting you to come and joyn your selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall never be forgotten 2. He hath made void your Covenant with Death and disanull'd your Agreement with Hell He hath given you an heart to break and make void that wicked Covenant to break with the Devil to break with Sin and the World and to come out from among them 3. He hath effectually perswaded you into this Covenant of God He hath brought you into the bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20.37 He hath sprinkled you with the Blood of the Covenant and hath gained your hearty acceptance of all this You have opened your Mouth to the Lord you have vowed your selves you have sworn your selves his Covenant Servants not with your Mouths only not in profession only but you have engaged your hearts to the Lord. Jer. 30.21 Your Hearts are no longer your own you have given them to the Lord to be his for ever So that you can now say through Grace to the Lord what he said to Israel Is 54.20 The Mountains shall depart and the Hills shall be removed but through the help of God my faithfulness shall not depart nor shall the Covenant of my peace ever be removed His I am and through his Grace I am determined to be the Lords for ever Friends such a solemn and sacred Covenant transaction hath there been in those very Hearts of yours betwixt the Lord and you He hath avouched himself to be yours and you have avouched your selves to be his own and those Hearts of yours are the Records wherein this Transaction is registred and kept Remember and look back and consider if there have not been such mutual engagements passed betwixt the Lord and you Look into your Closets and remember what of this kind hath passed between him and you in secret look back to your Sacraments and remember what Covenanting have been between the Lord and you at his Table and what solemn sealing there hath been God sealing to you and you sealing back to him Your Hearts are the Records wherein these Sacred Transactions have been Registred look into thine Heart doth not this testifie for thee how thou hast bound thy self to be the Lords for ever and hast accepted of his Bond to thee The remembrance of this Covenant Transaction will be of use to you as long as you live will be of use to comfort you in the day of your doubts and fears to confirm you in the day of Temptations to hold you close to the Lord according to the Vows that are upon you to quicken you and hold you on in that way of holy and lively Obedience which you have covenanted for When you grow cold and careless and remiss in your way of Religion then remember Is this the Life I covenanted with God to live When you are tempted to decline to a worldly life or a fleshly life then remember I have promised to the Lord that I will never return to such a life again When you are out of heart and complain of weaknesses and want of strength and so are discouraged and disheartned I shall never be able to hold to such an industrious life then remember the Covenant of the Lord with you who
they take for Star-light Sinners whatever brightness or beauty there be in any of your Faces whatever Gaudy or merry Outsides you have yet what an inside have you your hearts are all dark holes where dwells every abominable thing Toads and Serpents Zim and Jim Owles and Satyrs and every unclean thing dwells within you Thou that hast the fairest outside there are Toads and Serpents and Worms crawling and breeding in thine heart You would every one of you be afraid of your selves you would loath your selves and you would tremble at your selves you would if you knew how run away from your selves in a fright if you knew what were in your hearts Sinners care not to look into their hearts and some of them are afraid to look inwards and well enough you may you would see such ugly and monstrous Sights as might even scare you out of your Wits Saints have all their Riches within them they have a treasure in their hearts A good man out of the good treasure of his heart Mat 12.35 There may be and often is poverty without but there 's a treasure within the richest of sinners they have all their Treasures without them in their houses in their Purses in their shops in their Chests but all the while there 's poverty and beggery in their hearts Thou art a very beggar Sinner with all thy load of Wealth 't is a poor beggarly Soul thou hast how richly soever thy Carcase be provided for 'T is the heart of the Saints where God bestows all his Riches Christians Look to your hearts you carry more riches in you then the whole World is worth you loose all that ever you are worth if you loose your hearts He that hath a Treasure in his house will look more carefully to the locking of his doors especially the room where his Riches lye must be most fortified with Bolts and Bars You have more to loose than the Princes of the Earth and therefore have the more reason to keep those hearts wherein all your riches lye Not only your graces but your good works are all kept in your hearts If ever you have done any good in all your lives whereof you hope for a reward in the other World all your Duties the holiness and fruitfulness of your Conversation your works of Righteousness your works of Mercy these are all kept in your hearts Conscience is the keeper of them the Conscience of an honest holy gracious heavenly life is a precious Treasure kept within you 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing the Testimony of a good Conscience All your Duties arise from your hearts all your Holiness and Fruitfulness and activity for God are so many holy streams flowing from an holy heart and all these streams return into the heart there they must be kept against the day of Accounts 5. It is the Ark of your strength Some mens strength lies in their heads in their Wisdom and Counsel and Policy a wise man is a strong man Other mens strength lies in their hands a Princes strength lies in his Armies in his Forts and Castles and strong Towers but a Christians strength is in his heart The Lord is in his heart and Psal 73.26 Thou art the strength of mine heart Eph. 6.10 Be ye strong in the Lord and in the power of his might The weakest Christians have a strong God and hence it is they are strong and of good courage Christians have need of strength 1. Of Strength for their Work there are great things they have to do they have much work hard service the life of a Christian is not a toying but a toyling life You shall never get to Heaven by play or by Idleness you have much business lying upon you and great business The working out your Salvation is hard work The Soules of Sinners lye idle as if they had nothing to do What pains dost thou use to take for thy Soul What hast thou done all thy life long towards the working out thy Salvation Sinners you live as if God should throw in Heaven upon you and cloath you with Glory and immortality whilst your Souls are fast asleep no you must work if you will live you must labour for the meat that endures to eternal life Joh. 6.27 if ever you will have the eating of it You must pray and watch and strive to enter in at the strait gate if ever you will get in This should be your work and it is the work of Christians and for this their great work they have great strength given them and all their strength is in their hearts 2. Christians have need of strength for their burthens Christians have hard work and heavy burthens lying upon them Besides the Care that is upon them for their Souls which is a great and weighty burthen and their fear of miscarrying in the matters of their Souls which is another burthen they have burthens of Sufferings and Afflictions ordinarily upon their backs All the hatred and malice all the scorns and reproaches of this Evil World light and lie upon the backs of poor Christians and how shall they bear their burthens if they have no strength 3. They have need of Strength against their Enemies Christians live in the midst of Enemies Enemies without the Devil and his Instruments Enemies within their own Lusts and Corruptions and they must be in continual fight against these Enemies and their Enemies being so many and so strong they have need of strength to resist them Christians have need of strength and strength they have and all their strength is in their hearts There their Armour lies The shield of Faith the breast-plate of Righteousness the helmet the hope of Salvation and there their Captain dwells the Captain of their Salvation lodges in their hearts Lose your hearts and lose your strength and what will you do at your Work how will you bear your burthens how will you stand against your Enemies when your strength is lost What became of Sampson when he was deprived of that wherein his strength lay what weakly Souls are careless Christians every little duty is too hard them how quickly are they weary weary of Praying weary of Hearing weary of Meditation weary of a watchful Life a little work will make them weary How little can they do and how little can they bear every little cross sinks their spirits and what resistance can they make against Enemies every lust is apt to carry them away every Temptation overcomes them O Christians by how slow a pace do we keep on our way how little sign do we make at our work we have been Christians some of us of twenty years standing or more how little good have we done how little treasure have we gotten in how little execution have we done upon our sins and lusts what poor weakly lifeless half-starv'd Souls have we to this day sure we have been ill keepers of our hearts the ark of our strength hath been laid waste strangers
have gotten in and devoured our strength whilst we have loytered and slept Friends do not lye down and idly complain I am weak I am a poor feeble soulâ— I cannot do the things that I would I cannot pray I cannot hear I cannot live but at a sad and halting and broken rate God help me 't is a barren and unsavoury and unprofitable life that I live 't is a weariness to me that I can live to no better purpose fain I would be more heavenly and more lively and more fruitful in my Life but woe is me I cannot I cannot obtain thus you complain of your weakness of your unprofitableness but why do ye stand complaining look to your hearts better where your strength lies Hast thou Christ in thine heart hast thou Grace in thine heart and yet complainest thou hast no strength look better to thine heart keep Christ closer to thee get thy Faith increased stir up and kindle that spark of love call up all the Grace thou hast and keep it in action Let not the rust eat up thy strength a little more care and labour about your hearts to get and keep those in better plight will recover and renew your strength and silence those unprofitable complainings 6. In your hearts are preserved all your evidences for heaven This follows from the former What are our Evidences for Heaven but the being of Christ and the Graces of Christ in us your sincerity in the Covenant your having your Conversations in all good Conscience prove that Christ is in you and you thereby prove that you shall hereafter be with him Prove that you have Grace and you thereby prove that you shall have Glory Prove that you are in Covenant with God and walk before him in all good Conscience and that will prove that your names are written in heaven And whether must you look for all this but into your hearts there as I told you is a record kept of your Covenant and your Conscientious Life and these are the Rooms where you must look to find Christ and his Grace The Devil will tell sinners that they shall all to heaven and to make them believe it will provide them evidences such as they are but they are false and deceitful evidences Thou art a Christian thou hast been baptized into the name of Christ thou attendest on the Ordinances of Christ thou goest to hear and to pray c. therefore thou needest not fear but thou shalt to heaven But let sinners look but into their hearts where all good evidences are kept and there they can find nothing there 's no Christ within them no love to Christ none of the holiness of Christ their heart is a meer Hell full of Darkness Ignorance Unbelief Enmity against Christ and his holy ways As Christians Evidences for Heaven so Sinners Evidences for Hell are mostly in their hearts Whatever your hopes are if you would look into if you could see what hearâ— you have these would quickly tell you whether you must There you should find your Covenant with Sin and with â—ea h not disanull'd no Christ no Grace no Conscience but an evil one a guileful one a guilty one and nothing else but that which is vile and abominable Sinners Evidences for Hell are in their hearts and such evidences they might find as would kill all their hopes of Heaven But Christians Evidences for Heaven are in their hearts the Devil â—ill be telling them that they are none of Christs he will say to the Saints as God says to Sinners Psal 50.16 What has thou to do to take my Covenant into thy mouth What hast thou to do with Christ thou art mine thou art none of his Let thine heart be carefully kept and thou mayst answer the Devil None of his whose is this name that is written in my heart whose image are these Graces of my heart I find the Faith of Christ in me the love of Christ in me the very life of Christ in me Christ hath sent me many a token of his love which I still keep by me I remember what hath passed between Christ and me I have given my self to Christ I have laid hold on his Covenant and have bound my self in Covenant to him and I stand to that Covenant to this day And there 's my Conscience also within me bearing me witness that my care and endeavour hath been to walk before him according to the Covenant of my God and therefore go on to lie thus unto me while thou wilt Sathan I will not believe thee I believe God who hath said there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and I will not belâ—e mine own sense and experience of my self this is the Testimony of my Conscience that I have walked not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And therefore Christ is mine and I trust I shall one day be with him where he is Friends if you look well to your hearts and keep the records clear this will be your benefit whatever fears the Devil raises 't is but looking inwards and there you will see that which will turn all your Fears into lively Hopes But if you look not to your hearts and keep them clean you will be at a perpetual loss you will never long know what to make of your selves nor what is like to become of you Assurance necessarily depends on watchfulness never look for a grounded peace without it and never trust to that confidence or assurance you seem to have whilst you are of a careless heart Whatever progress you have hitherto made in Religion whatever experiences you have formerly had of the workings of the Spirit of Grace in you a carelss heedless Spirit will so darken all your Experiences and blot your Evidences and leave you under such uncertainties that for ought you know you may be damned at last As ever therefore you would maintain an abiding Assurance that it s well with you at present and shall be well with you hereafter be watchful over your hearts that Record of all your Evidences The reason why we are at such uncertainties and so full of our doubts and fears it lies all here in our carelesness of our hearts And yet who will take warning O friends stedfastly resolve through the Grace of God I will look better to it Since my heart can never comfort me unless I watch it more narrowly mine eye shall be upon mine heart Night and Day I will commit my self to the keeper of Israel and I will set my self to keep whatever good thing he hath committed unto me 7. It is a sacrifice for God Psal 51.17 The Sacrifices of God are a broken heart 1. It is the heart that is a Sacrifice for God therefore Prov. 23.26 Give me thine heart It is the Sacrifices all the Sacrifices of God is the Sacrifice of the heart There are other Sacrifices but whatever they be 't is
the heart that makes them such Prayer is a Sacrifice Psal 141.2 Let my prayer come before thee as incense and the lifting up of mine hands as an evening sacrifice Praise is a Sacrifice Psal 50.14 Offer up to God thanksgiving Almes are a Sacrifice Heb. 13.16 With such sacrifices God is well pleased But what maimed Sacrifices are all these if offered up without an heart What is Prayer without an heart what is Praise what are Alms when the heart is not offered up with them they are heart Prayers and heart Praises and heart Alms that are such Sacrifices with which God is well pleased 2. What kind of heart it is that is a Sacrifice to God A broken or a wounded heart The broken heart is the only sound heart The wounding of the heart is as the lancing of the Impostume it lets out the corruption and leaves it a sound heart The hard heart is a Sacrifice for the Devil with such Sacrifices with hard and unbroken hearts the Devil is well pleased Is thy heart an hard heart and wilt thou thus give it up to God Get it to be broken or thou mayest as well carry it to the Devil for a Sacrifice The Devil loves an hard heart but it is an abomination to the Lord. An hard heart is an unclean beast which is not for Sacrifice All the filthiness and rottenness of the heart lies baked up together in an hard heart 't will never be gotten out 'till the heart be broken In the Law the Sacrifices were to be without blemish Lev. 22.20 21 22. Whatsoever hath a blemish that shall ye not offer It shall be perfect and without blemish Whatsoever is blind or maimed or having a Wenn or Scurvy or Scabed ye shall not offer The unbroken heart is an heart full of Blemishes Wens and Ulcers a Scurvy and a Scabed heart 't is the wounded or broken heart that is the perfect heart or an heart without blemish Now herein you see both the necessity of looking to your hearts and what it is that you must secure your hearts against from all things that may be a blemish to the heart from all those Malladies and Diseases that will be a blemish to the heart that so you do not Sacrifice to God a corrupt thing Mal. 1.14 He that sacrificeth to God a corrupt thing cursed be that deceiver A sacrifice without an heart is a lame and maimed thing a sacrifice from a polluted heart is the sacrifice of a corrupt thing Beloved you come with your offerings to the Lord but what have you to offer O you have prayers and praises to offer up but is there an heart in your prayers an heart in your Praises and is it a perfect and upright heart an heart without blemish A perfect heart an heart without blemish who can bring such an heart who can â—y mine heart is perfect who can say mine heart is clean Lord be merciful to me mine heart is the worst thing within me all sores and all blemishes and corruption Obj. My mouth must be stopped for ever my tongue must be silent for ever If I must never pray nor praise God till mine heart is a clean and a perfect heart Sol. There is a double perfection a double cleanness of heart 1. Legal and so that only is a perfect heart that fully answers the Righteousness of the Law or first Covenant that only in this sense is a perfect heart which hath nothing of Evil or Hypocrisie no spot or blemish at all in it that the strictest Justice could be offended at thus there 's not a man in the World can say mine heart is perfect mine heart is a clean heart 2. Evangelical Such a perfection which the new Covenant accepts uprightness a sincere heart is in a Gospel Sense a perfect heart An heart that hath been broken by the Word of Christ and been purged by the bloud of Christ an heart that is a purging and cleansing daily that hath its great spots and blemishes of unbelief and impenitence purged away and hath no spots but are begun to be purged and are cleansing dayly Now an heart that hath been thus initially purged and cleansed will unless it be carefully looked to contract new spots the imposthume will gather and fester again the Leprosie will fret and eat deeper and deeper into it longer than the purging work is carried on the corrupting work will be carrying on If the wounds of the heart be not carefully kept open the Devil will quickly heal it up his hardning is his healing the heart He will be searing the heart so as that though there be never so much wickedness in it it shall not be felt and perceived and when we cease to feel our sores when the heart grows senseless of its sins then is a time when iniquity is like to abound And there 's no way in the World to prevent this increase of our corruptions and hardning our hearts under it but by keeping a constant Guard upon them the Devil will be doing sin will be working and growing upon us if there be not a constant watch kept And what will ye do then for a Sacrifice for God wherewithal will you come before the Lord and bow your selves before the most high God if you have not an heart a clean heart a perfect and upright heart that he will accept As you would be loth that God should meet you in all your Duties your praying and hearing and praising his Name and say unto you as to Israel Isa 1.11 To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices when you come to appear before me who hath required this at your hands to tread my Courts Bring no more vain Oblations your incense is an abomination to me Your Sabbaths your coming to the Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even your solemn meeting Your meetings my Soul hateth they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them and when you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you Yea when you make many prayers I will not hear Friends would you have the Lord thus to speak to you Is this all the entertainment and acceptance you would have when you come together to pray and to hear would you have the Lord to say I am weary of this People I am weary of these meetings my Soul hateth this praying and this hearing Doubtless this will be all the entertainment you will have whilst you come hither and bring not your hearts for a Sacrifice yea and that broken hearts hearts without guile sincere and perfect in the sight of God and such hearts you will never bring unless you will take more care and pains about them and therefore I exhort you as the Prophet goes on ver 16. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings so also watch ye keep ye clean prevent the return of your evils upon you And then I should be bold to add as ver 18. to
God The people of God are said to be the People that worship God in spirit Phil. 3.3 There are great thoughts of heart and many Scruples arising about the outward Worship of God about the keeping that pure about the clearing and securing of that against the Superstitious Inventions and corrupt mixtures of humane Impositions And 't were happy if the Houses of God in the Land were swept cleaner and kept cleaner from these than they are But the main of our care lies not here these are not the great things we are concern'd to take care about If outward Ordinances were never so purely administred and kept never so free from adulterating mixtures there 's a greater thing then this that lies upon us that the inner Temple be kept pure that the heart Worship be kept pure and intire The heart also is to be an house of Prayer and shall we make this house of Prayer a den of Theeves or an house of Merchandize O what droves of unclean beasts are let in to these hearts of ours what houses of Merchandize are these houses of prayer become these Sanctuaries of the Lord are become meer shops of buyers and sellers Whilst they should be employed in those spiritual excercises of loving and fearing of praying and praising God offering up living and spiritual Sacrifices to the Lord behold how our money is brought into our hearts our sheep and Oxen buying and selling and trading and getting gain these are the inhabitants and these are the exercises of our hearts It is a very grievous thing to consider how much the hearts of Christians are taken up with these things we cannot love the Lord as we should we cannot mind Glory and Immortality as we should It is miserable praying lamentable praising or meditating on God that is to be found in us we are so disordered distracted and confused in these spiritual exercises there is such a mixture of Carnal thoughts such carnal Affections worldly Projects and Cares are thrusting in that corrupt and spoil and enervate all our spiritual Duties that we can find nothing but blind and broken and maimed Sacrifices to offer up unto the Lord. Friends How do you find it when you set your selves to pray or meditate on God Is not the World presently thrusting in are not your carnal Friends or your businesses or pleasures thrusting in and do not your thoughts and affections fall a gâ—â—â—â—ing and a wandring after these and do you not hereby loose many a Prayer and loose many a Sermon and sadly complain of your selves that whatever duty you perform it s all spoil'd in the doing so that you can take no comfort in them What help is there for it but setting a better guard upon your hearts Sure friends we had every one of us need to be mo e vigilant and watchful to prevent these sad matters of our complaints It is not complaining how bâ—d 't is that will make amends or make up the matter po â—ibly your complaints of your selves may seem to give you â—ome ease but consider the same complaints that you make of your selves God also makes of you The Lord God hath complaints against you for the same things Think 〈◊〉 that more than you do God complains of you do you say I am weary of such a distracted divided worldly heart and I am weary too says the Lord Ah I will ease me of them Isa 1. I am weary of these halting trifling distracted hearts these cold Prayers these hypocritical Praises these maimed broken confused Services I am weary of them saith the Lord. If you go on thus to Worship God come hither as often as you will God will be weary to meet you here he hath been waiting from week to week from Sabbath to Sabbath to see if it may be better if he could meet with such Sacrifices here such hearts here as might be pleasing to him he hath waited thus so long and still finds so little of what he likes so few living Sacrifices he hath waited so long and found so little that 't is to be doubted if we continue thus we may come hither to meet one another but our God will be weary to give us a meeting Friends if you would not that the things that offend in your hearts should drive God away then take more heed how you suffer these offences or things to come in or to lodge any longer in you 4. God himself is in his Temple 2 Cor. 6.16 Ye are the Temple of the living God God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them The hearts of the Saints are the house of God and the house of God is his Habitation The holy God will have none but an holy habitation Will you let sin in and the Devil in to Gods habitation These will darken and defile your hearts Those hearts are but blind houses and dirty holes where Sin and the Devil dwells and is this the best habitation you can afford to the Almighty what place do you think God will prepare for you if you prepare no better a place for him How long will the Lord stay with you how certainly will he withdraw and forsake you if you let lust in with him Sure Friends if you had a due and a deep sense upon your hearts of the Holiness of the Glory of the Majesty of the Jealousie of the holy God If you did verily believe that of a very truth this Holy and Glorious God had a mind to come and take up those very hearts of yours for his own habitation that he would come and dwell in you and walk in you and make those hearts his Chambers of Presence and the Thrones of his Glory If you had such respect for God and such affection that you would have him pleas'd with his habitation and not meet with that which is an offence and a loathing to him in you were you sensible did you verily believe all this you could not but take more care to keep these hearts cleaner and more free for him If you had a great Friend a Lord or a Knight that would come but to lodge a Night in your house what would you do How would you prepare your house for the entertaining of such a friend what sweeping and washing and rubbing and scouring and adorning would there be every Vessel would be brighted every room would be beautified Would you let it lie all dirty and dusty hang'd with Cobwebs and Spiders would you let it lie nasty and filthy and every thing out of its place and order Sure you would not and when he were come in would you set open your doors to let in a rabble of sordid Beggars or common Rogues or Drunkards to come and drink and roar and spue in the very room where your friend were entertained no you would sweep all within and set a Porter at your doors to keep the unclean rabble out O what is the greatest friend in the World to the great and holy
God Prepare him an holy habitation open the doors and let the King of Glory come in and then shut the door and let no unclean thing enter to offend and displease him that so the Lord may take pleasure in you and delight in you and may say concerning you this is my rest here will I dwell for ever 2. How the heart is to be kept under Guard 1. What 't is to be guarded against that is against Theeves Blots Distempers 1. Against Theeves The great Thief is the World and all that is of the World and all that in the World which is purloyning from the heart Its profits or worldly gains its Pleasures and carnal Mirth its Favour and Friendship and Fawnings These all lie in wait for entrance into the heart to the end they may rifle and spoil it of all that it hath The World steals in upon the heart and it never comes there but to steals away its Treasure and therefore 't is to be observed that the hearts of such Christians as are most possessed of the World are ever the most poor and beggarly Never look to find much of Christ or his Grace if any thing at all where the World hath gotten Possession Christ comes into the heart on purpose to carry away the heart from the World his Word is where he comes give me thine heart Prov. 23.26 Love not the world nor the things of the world 1 Joh. 2.15 And the world comes into the heart on purpose to steal it away from Christ again There is never any one that embraceth this present World but 't is to his loss whatever the World brings it takes away better than it brings 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken us and embraced this present world He embrac'd the World and what got he by it the same day he embraced the World he forsook Christ Christian art thou fallen in with the World Are its gains and its pleasures gotten into thy heart doth it fawn and smile upon thee and is thine heart taken and pleased with its fawnings Look to thy self what hast thou within thee hast thou Grace hast thou Peace does thy Soul flourish for ought I know thou hast seen the last of thy good days what time this World is thus embraced by thee O friends set a watch against this Thief set a guard against it Take heed and beware of Covetousness Luk. 12.15 That 's the same Counsel as guard your hearts against this World Covetousness is the opening the door to let the world in nay the world is gotten in already where Covetousness is Thou which hast a Covetous heart thine heart is already possessed of the world May be thou hast yet but a little of it in thine hand but thine heart is already full of it the whole world is gotten in where Covetousness is gotten in Worldly Professors methinks you should be startled at it if you considered what a Theif you have within you Whatever thou seemest to have of Christ or the Treasures of heaven thou art like to be but a poor wretch in a little time And how is it like to be with thee whose heart hath entertained the Pleasures and the merriments of the world or the favours and fawnings of the Men of the world who lovest to be some body with evil men to have their respect and esteem he that would fain be some body with the world is like to be no body with Christ Make the world to know its distance and whatever you have to do in it keep it at a distance from your hearts Never look to thrive in Christianity whilst you venture to be too busie with this world or to dote on its favours or friendship O it were well with us were we yet but sensible what a snare this world is to us what a bane it is to all that 's good in us Never a flower in all our Garden will flourish where these thorns stand so thick about it that little Grace you have will be less dayly it will be choked up and devoured if you keep you not more clear of this world It were happy for us were we deeply sensible of the danger we are in but there 's the Misery of it people will not be sensible nor be warned to take heed of it this Theif steals away mens Reason and Consciences makes them such children and fools that they will not understand what an enemy it is to them How many Sermons have been preached and published to warn you to take heed of a worldly heart and yet how very few hearts are there that do escape it 't is who can be richest and who can be greatest in the world that the most of our hearts are set upon 't is not who can be the holiest or most heavenly 't is not who can improve in the Faith and Hope of the Gospel in the love and fear of the Lord who can get most of Christ and Heaven into his heart and grow rich unto God but who can grow greatest in this present world Is not this too common a Case though the Lord hath been knocking off our fingers from it pulling off our Chariot wheels and making us to drive heavily letting loose the spoilers upon us to catch from some of us what we have gotten fed the Husbandman with short harvests filled the Tradsman with complaints of bad Markets yet all is one how little soever many men can catch of this world yet they will catch after it still and what wonder is it then while this world doth so generally carry our hearts that Christ hath so much lost them You that would save any thing of what you have left in you you that would ever get any more while you live you that would not go down to your graves strip'd and naked of all that should then comfort you get again I say to you take heed of this world take heed of this worldliness 2. Against blots that is against wilful allowed sins Every wilful sin will be a blot upon your hearts Our sins are blots and blemishes upon our lives but every blot upon the life is also a blot upon the heart Blots will Darken and Obscure Defile 1. Blots will darken and obscure the Heart I told you that in the heart is kept all our evidences for heaven our sins that we give way to will be blots upon our evidences will so obscure and blur them that they will not be legible Our sins will do the direct contrary to what the blood of Christ will do the bloud of Christ will blot out the hand writing that was against us Col. 2.14 Our sins will blot out whatever hand-writing there is for us Thou that art a Christian there is an hand-writing upon that heart there is the Covenant of God which is thy Charter for glory written upon thy heart There is the token of the Covenant and thine interest in it the Circumcision of the heart there are the Articles of the Covenant
which have been consented to between the Lord and thee recorded in thine heart whilst thou keepest thine heart clean there thou may'st read thy Title to Glory thou wilt find that within thee which will comfort thee concerning thine everlasting state There are the very Prints and Marks of the Lord Jesus his image formed upon thy soul which mark thee out for an heir of life but what wilt thou do for comfort when these writings and this holy image are all blotted when thy Circumcision is become as uncircumcision will blotted evidences Satisfie thee will a defaced image prove thy Title to Christ goâ—d Set a guard against Sin allow not your selves in any iniquity fear what sad work it will make upon your inner man Hath the bloud of Christ blotted out the hand-writing that was against you hath the Spirit of Christ engraven a new hand-writing for you O watch against iniquity which will renew the old hand-writing and blot out the new Have you any comfortable Title to Glory any comfortable evidences for heaven O sin them not away Whatever comfortable evidences you have never look that they should speak comfortably to you longer then you keep your watch against sin nor never trust to that comfort which will hold up the head whilst thou allowest thy self in sin Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayer And what comfort canst thou have when thou art become such a one as God will not hear when thou prayest Thou art a Professor of Religion and thou hast comfort in Christ and confidence thou shalt be saved through him and yet for all this thou canst lie for thy advantage or to cover a fault thou canst drink if not to down right drunkenness yet to intemperate excess and make thy self a fool if not a down-right beast or at least be a companion of Drunkards in their drunkenness Thou canst defraud or do wrong put off false wares use deceitful ballances thou canst defame or backbite thou canst be peevish and give rope to thy fretful passions and let thine anger rest upon thee thou canst prophane the Sabbath by Working or Travailing or Loytering thou canst live in an ordinary neglect of thy Family and the Souls of them without instructing them or praying with them and the like and thou canst let thy self alone in these evils or some of them or some other such like But how dost thou hold up thine head under these things when thou lookest into thine heart how dost thou find it there dost thou not find thy sins to be blots within thee dost thou not find the writing blotted thine evidences blurr'd the image of Christ defaced thy comforts vanished If thou dost not if thou canst be of good comfort still if thou art of good chear and confident still this comfort this confidence is not the comfort of God but false and deceitful Thou may'st comfort thy self and speak peace to thy self still but mistake not thy self God speaks not a word of comfort to thee in such a case if thou hadst any real comfort before that thou wilt find all blotted and the true sense of it utterly lost If thou hast peace in thine heart 't is none of the peace of God that is broken by thy returning to have peace with sin Psal 85.8 God will speak peace but let them not turn again to folly 2. Blots will defile They are stains upon all our Glory The coming in of Sin upon the heart is as the breaking in of the Heathen upon Gods inheritance Psal 79.1 O God the heathen are come into thine inheritance thine holy temple have they defiled The heart of a Christian is as is said the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord is holy Holiness becometh thine house Psal 93.5 't is only a clean heart that is a fit habitation for God God hath been at great cost to make the hearts of his people clear that they may be a fit habitation for him He hath washed them with bloud with the bloud of his Son hath washed out those original blots and stains that were upon them 1 Joh. 1.7 The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth He hath washed them with water The Sanctifying work of his Spirit God hath made him a clean habitation and he looks that we should keep it clean 1 Cor. 3.17 If any man defile the Temple of the Lord him shall God destroy God will depart from God will pull down that house and make a dunghil of it which sin is suffered to defile we had need take heed of such blots and stains upon our hearts lest they drive out the holy One of Israel from us Whilst we keep our selves pure the Lord God will delight to take his abode with us Who is it Christians you would have to dwell in you O let me be an habitation for the Lord let the holy Jesus let the holy Spirit dwell in me none but God none but Christ thou Lord art mine inhabitant let me be thy habitation Where God dwells there light dwells there peace dwells there hope and joy dwells I count upon nothing I have no joy no hope no peace all that I have is lost all that I have to comfort me all that I have to stay or support me all that I have to delight and refresh me all is lost yea I have lost my self when God is departed from me Do you indeed look upon it as so miserable a case when the Lord hath forsaken you then take heed how you defile his habitation Let wilful sin in and that will certainly drive the Lord out and if you would keep sin out of the heart keep it out of your lives Life sins are heart blots Jer 2.22 Their iniquity is marked before me And 't is the heart that bears its black marks upon it O friends what sad marks have we upon us what speckled and spotted souls have we how miserably are our insides defiled Minds defiled Affections defiled Consciences defiled 't is a sign what Lives we have lived 't is a sign how well we keep our Garments how well we keep us from practical iniquity our heart stains our heart defilements shew sufficiently how much iniquity hath abounded in us Friends look inward see what work sin hath made within you what a Conscience hath it left you what affections hath it left you how hath it dimm'd and defaced the Image of God in you Do you complain that God is withdrawn from you that you have lost his quickning presence his comforting presence that you have lost your Acquaintance lost your Communion with God that your only friend and portion and hope is become a stranger to you learn to keep you cleaner if you would have it better count upon it there is no hope that God should take pleasure in you or give you any pleasure in him that God should be a comfort to you longer then you keep you more pure Oh get your hearts washed anew we
a bondage to it to be tied up so short The more of this the higher the Disease is and the more to be doubted whether such mens Christianity be sound The strictest Christian is the most healthful and the most evidently a Christian indeed and the greater latitude the heart indulges its self to the more sickly the Soul is if it be not quite dead and no Christian at all Friends You that are Christians indeed if you know what you have done you have vowed the greatness strictness possible That is to press on towards it and to reach out after it You did not Covenant to follow Christ to such a degree and no higher to advance in Religion to such a pitch and no more you did not Covenant for thus much Obedience thus much duty thus much diligence thus much Zeal and no more if ye be Christians indeed you have covenanted to follow the Lord fully to watch to every Duty to watch against every sin to press on to the highest pitch of holiness to do to the utmost to please the Lord. If there were any reserve in your vow to Christ of any little liberty to the Flesh of any limit of your zeal and care if there were any such reserve you are false in your Covenant and but false Christians O friends have you vowed the greatest strictness then watch against the least degrees of looseness Get a settled Judgment of the excellency and necessity of strictness get an hearty love and good liking of it let your Souls be bent upon it let it be your desire and your aim and your hope and your labour to hold you close by Christ and if you would not have licentious practises abound in your life let no licentious Principles no licentious affections nest themselves in your hearts see that there be no lust after any other liberty then Christ hath allowed you Get to be heartily well pleased with all the Laws of Christ with his narrowest ways let that latitude of Religion which is the measure of carnal disciples be your fear and not your desire And if you feel any itch after it look upon it as a disease and distemper of your heart Count thy self but a weakly and sickly Christian whilst is is thus with thee Know that it is your greatest Excellency if Holiness be an Excellency then the more strictly holy the more Excellent Yea and you will find it your greatest Liberty the more holiness the more enlargement of your hearts to all the holy ways of God Psal 119.44 45. I will keep thy law continually c. And I will walk at liberty his meaning was not I will walk licentiously at liberty from thy Laws at liberty from Rule but I will walk freely in thy ways when thou shalt knock off my fetters that hinder me The more we can hold in and inure our selves to be punctual in our Religion the more freedom shall we find and with the more ease and delight shall we run the way of Gods Commands And know this that by how much the more loose you are from the ways of God by so much the more loose from God and what will you have to comfort you what will you have to sweeten Religion to you whilst God is at a distance from you Keep you fast to him and you shall live the more under his reviving and refreshing influences Religion hath its troubles and its harshness and you will have little else then the harshness of it longer then you keep you close to the Lord. The Waters of the Sanctuary will tast but brackish to you longer then the Sun shines upon them a little Sun-shine from above a smile from the Face of God this is the sweetness this is the Blessedness Keep close to God and you shall keep the passage clear between Heaven and your Hearts Religion will be like Ephraims Idolatry Hos 8.7 It will be but a dry stalk the Bud will yield no Meat There will be the Labours of it and the Troubles of it but no Meat for your Souls to feed upon longer then you meet with God in your Duties Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Jam. 4.8 Keep close by God and he will keep close to you May be some of you have never yet tasted how Gracious the Lord is nor will you ever be like to do if you set not in closer in his ways Loose Religion will keep you still in the dark and in a weary and uncomfortable State There 's no such way to make Christ's ways pleasant as by keeping constantly in them no such way to make Christs Yoke easie as by holding it close to your Necks it never so galls and wrings as when it hangs loosely on resolve upon strictness and you shall taste the sweetness Hold you in from running out after the Pleasures of the Flesh and the Face of God will be a pleasure to you which the Distemper of a loose and carnal Heart will certainly deprive you of and hinder you from the relish or finding delight therein 3. Listlesness A dull untoward sluggish unactive lifeless temper where the Edge of our Spirits is blunted insomuch that whatever opportunities we have or whatever calls we have to be doing for God or our Souls we have no list to them but through the way-wardness and and untowardness of our hearts we let them slip and either do nothing or nothing to purpose Opportunities are a price put into our hands but by reason of this sluggish listless untoward temper we have no heart to them but became like the Fool Prov. 17.16 In vain is there a price put into the hands of a Fool which hath no heart to it This is a wretched and pernicious Distemper 2. It proceeds from an evil cause From the carnality of our hearts and our unsuitableness to the work of God It is ungrateful and unpleasing work to us our hearts are so contrary to it we had rather be any where then with God we had rather be about any work then the work of our Souls We can be brisk and sprightful about our carnal and earthly employments but for any thing of Religion there we dragg and go heavily on we are all Soul and Life in what we have to do for our Flesh but our hearts hang backward and come but heavily and untowardly on to do any thing for God This is from the little interest that God hath in our Souls and the little affection we bear to him We are yet carnal and that 's the reason we have so little Edge or so little list to spiritual things 2. It is an ill sign What ill sign is it 'T is a sign of want of Grace either that we have no Grace at all or at least are but very low in the Grace of God that our day is yet but a day of small things Where is our Faith in Christ when we are so backward in the work of Faith As Christ sayd Mat. 14.31
Wherefore dost thou doubt so wherefore dost thou drag so O thou of little Faith Where 's our Love to Christ when our work for Christ goes so slowly on 2 Cor. 5.14 The Love of Christ constrains us The Love of Christ will quicken us the Love of Christ will put Life into us we should find our Tongues and find our Hands and find time to be more abundant in service could we feel more of the Love of Christ in us Thou makest nothing of it that thou art such a dull untoward unactive Souls but is it nothing to want Faith Is it nothing to want love to Christ Is it nothing to be without Grace in thy heart Or if thou hast any to have so very little as thou canst not tell whither 't is any or no It is an ill sign that thy Soul is in a very doubtful case at least 't is to be doubted Whether thou hast any Grace in thee Where in ordinary thou art so untoward and listless to the matters of God and the businesses of Religion 3. 'T is of ill consequence 'T is a sign our case is bad and it is an hindrance from our growing better It is the vivacious active stirring soul that 's like to be the thriving Soul Sluggards and Sleepers are never like to come to any thing We may preach to you while our hearts ake we may instruct you and tell you what is your duty while we will and you may hear us while you will but in vain shall we preach and in vain will you hear till we can fire you out of this deadness and whet and set an edge upon those blunted Souls what will it be to be told of your Duty whilst you remain to have so little heart to it what becomes of all the Sermons you hear of all the teaching you what you should do and how you should live what becomes of all the convincing awakening quickning words that are in your ears from day to day what doth all our Preaching and all your hearing bring forth upon you truly friends the little success that is to be perceived of our Preaching among you either to the converting of sinners or improving of professors the small success that does appear what there is within God knows does even make us out of heart But as little success as we have we are never like to have it much better unless we may stir your hearts and awaken you to more diligence and activity When we have done all we can we are I doubt like at last to leave the most of you either quite dead in sin or but very Dwarfes in Religion Sinners is it nothing to you that the enlivening word should leave you still among the dead Christians is it nothing to you that the nourishing and quickning Word should leave you but babes and infants Is it not a trouble to you and a discomfort to you that you get no more that you grow no faster much more that any of you should consume and languish under the hands of your Physicians I must tell you it is a discomfort to us but is it not more a discomfort to you can you continue at this pass and not be troubled at it O what a comfort is it to be a thriving lively Christian Methinks when you see any such before your eyes you should at least sigh out such a wish O that it were so with me and breath out such a groan wo is me that 't is not so methinks it should be an heaviness of heart to you to feel your own soul in Cloggs when you see others upon the wing O that I could make you sensible of your diseases that I could preach you heart sick that I could but make your hearts ake under your distempers that you might no longer be able to go up and down without trouble in this unthriving case Sure friends you whose case this is had need to be troubled and 't would be well for you if your Souls were in pain and refused to be comforted till you be cured To make you yet more sensible of the perniciousness of this untoward dull and listless temper look a little more upon the excellency of the contrary a chearful lively temper 'T is call'd 2 Cor. 8.17 A forward mind 1 Pet. 5.2 A ready mind that need not be spurred and whip'd but goes chearfully and freely on its way What is a sprightful horse to a dull and heavy jade what is a blunted rusty knife to that which is bright and keen what is a consumptive languishing body to one that 's lively and healthful what is a dark and lowring to a Sunshine day what is Winter to Summer yea what are the living to the dead what a pitiful thing is that dead and spiritless heart of thine when thou lookest on them in whom is the life of God Hear O ye sleepy and listless Souls awaken stir up your selves shake off this sloth and sleep work out this untoward spirit What do you mean to hang thus betwixt alive and dead will you hold you at this pass till you come to your Graves Is this all the care and the pains you ever mean to bestow on God and your Souls must the Lord ever find you so unready and untoward to what he calls you to shall the world find a forward mind in you shall your flesh find such a ready mind to whatever it hath for you to do and will you only be unready and unactive for God Wherefore have you Reason and Understandings wherefore have you the Scriptures before you what are Sabbaths and Ordinances and Ministers for must we come hither only to sing you asleep or to rock von in your Cradles Where is that Grace that is in you where is your Faith where is your love to Christ where is your hope if you have any Grace where is it what must all these precious talents be eaten up with rust or laid up in a napkin Remember the slothful Servants doom Mat. 25.30 What are your immortal Souls what is the holy God what is Jesus Christ what are the glorious treasures of Eternity are all these worth no more of your care and industry will none of these things move you will not these great things quicken you Hear them all calling upon you God calls upon you oh my children if you have any respect for me come along come faster after me Christ calls oh my Disciples if you have any love to me if all that I have done for you if all that I will do for you will move you arise and mend your pace Heaven calls upon you if ever you mean to come here gird up your loyns and come on Yea Hell calls look ye down hither what a place is here prepared for Sleepers and Loyterers Your poor Souls call have ye any pity for me must I perish and die for the pleasing this lazy flesh Your poor Families call your poor Children call your poor Neighbours call
which all need the utmost you can do for them Where are your Bowels to usward for our sakes awaken for our sakes arise and be doing we die if you will not give us a better example we die if you sleep on who should awaken and save us The whole Interest of God in the World calls upon you for his names sake for the Gospels sake for the Churches sake for Religions sake which sinks which decays for the sake of all these recover your Souls and your Life O friends what shall all these loud cryes do upon you shall all leave you such lumps and loyterers Christians be yet awakened call up all the Grace you have whet those dull and blunted Spirits get you a better edge upon them Why may not this word give a whet to you If you come hither sleepy Souls what a Mercy would it be if you might return home awakened if you came hither dead and dull and listless Souls what a comfort would it be if you might return home quickned and enlivened what if you should feel that this word had kindled a fire in you had made your hearts burn within you burn with holy Love and Life what a mercy would this be to you what if you might be sent hence with ready minds forward minds bent upon a more active and useful and heavenly life And what if after all this you should go away just as you came hither though the Bellows have been blowing yet your ashes are not purged away though the fire hath been kindled yet it will not burn would you like it if all this should be lost and do nothing upon you if this untoward and dull temper of Soul should be too hard for the Word and you should return from the Physician of Souls with your diseases uncured Do what you can friends every one of you to help to your own recovery to get up to this lively active frame and if you can obtain it then look to your hearts as long as you live that if it be possible this wretched distemper of a leaden unuseful lifeless listless unactive heart may never return upon you 2. How the heart must be guarded This I shall answer in these 5 particulars 1. Set a constant watch upon it 2. Keep all your Powers up in Armes 3. Keep close by your Captain and Physician 4. Carry up your Hearts where your Enemies can't come 5. Commit the keeping of them to the keeper of Israel 1. Set a constant Watch upon it That 's a word that is given to every Christian Mark 13.37 What I say unto you I say unto all Watch. And of all things we have to watch the heart is it that must chiefly be watched Our eyes must be chiefly there whether ever else we have to look we must especially look upwards and look inwards We must look upwards our eye must be upon Gods eye that all seeing eye that seeth in secret Whether our eye be or no Gods eye is ever upon our hearts I the Lord search the heart and try the reins Jer. 10 18. The eye of rhe Lord is a searching eye there is no secret of the heart but he espieth and searcheth it out and 't is a jealous eye that will not wink at nor allow nor indulge to the least heart evils The sense of that jealous eye would awe us into more watchfulness over our selves The reason of our neglect of self inspection is that we forget that the Lord looks upon us We cannot look upwards but we shall behold the very eye of God upon us If an hundred men stand looking upon us and we do not look upon them we cannot tell whether they look upon us or no but if we look stedfastly upon them we may see in their very eye that they are looking upon us Look up to God and you will plainly see that his eye is upon you And the observing of Gods eye upon you will turn your own eyes upon your selves What is it that the Lord looks thus upon me for what is it that he sees in me Is it any thing he likes that he looks upon Is it his approving eye that is upon me Is it a look of love or of kindness or is it that which he is offended at or disliketh Is there Jealousie is there Displeasure or Anger in that holy eye that is upon me is it a smiling look or a frowning and angry look that he casteth upon me Look on me I see he doth His Eye is never off me let me look upwards when I will I see that God looks downwards and his Eye is directly upon me and his Eye is a piercing Eye it pierceth to my very entrailes he beholds the very bottom of my heart I had need look carefully to mine own Soul when there is such an Eye upon it Night and Day Thus look upwards and set the Lord before your sight as the Psalmist did Psa 16.8 And then look inwards and set your hearts before your selves There is an Expression 2 Kings 8.47 If they shall bethink themselves which may be interpreted if they shall return into themselves the Eye of the Body can't see it self but the eye of the Soul may and must be chiefly upon its self You that are looking about this way and that way you had more need look homewards There are men that are of great acquaintance in the world but yet have no acquaintance with their own hearts VVhither their Souls be in safety or among Thieves VVhither their Hearts be clean or all bespotted and defiled whether they be healthful or sickly Souls whether they be alive or dead 't is more then they can tell where they be or in what case they are How is it with your Souls Friends How fares it with you in your inner Man VVho is there within with you Are there none but Friends Is Christ there Is the Spirit of Grace there Is there a good Conscience or are there not Robbers within Is not thine heart an houseful of Thieves Is not the world gotten in are not the pleasures of the Flesh within Is not the Devil within that unclean Spirit hath he not defiled and defaced the Image of God Is he not sowing his Tares in thee Is not thine heart a defiled diseased distemper'd heart Is it not a slight and frothy and vain heart Is it not a loose and licentious heart Is it not an untoward wayward listless heart Look inward Christians and look often inward and see what hearts you have and how 't is with them Psal 4.4 Commune with your own hearts Look into them and talk with them and take an Account how it fares with them If I should ask you how is it with your hearts are they alive or dead Are they clean Hearts holy Hearts tender Hearts heavenly Hearts lively and strong and working upwards Or are they hard Hearts polluted defiled hearts dull and slow and listless Hearts If I should ask you thus what account
could you give I doubt this is the account the most of you would give I cannot tell God knows how 't is with me for my part I know not how ' t is That Heart hath been well look't to mean while hast thou carried it like a wise man the while Thou hast great acquaintance in the world thou takest upon thee to know other mens hearts and wilt judge and censure them as thou listest what man and yet hast so little acquaintance with thy self Be thou thine own judge hast thou been a wise man the while to be such a stranger to thy self that thou dost not know thine own heart Thou wilt say the word tells me Jer. 17.9 The Heart is deceitful and who can know it how then should I know it I answer 1. The more deceitful the Heart is and the harder 't is to know it the more it had need be looked into 2. Though it cannot be perfectly known yet there may be much of it known the heart of man is a great deep 't is true and though thou canst not easily see to the bottom of it yet if thou wilt but look down into the deep thou must see a great way 3. If thou canst not see thorow thine heart with thine own Eyes yet with Gods eyes thou mayest Take the help of the Eyes of the Lord and thou mayest understand even all that is in thine heart God that sees the Heart reveals the heart and he hath given thee such discoveries of thy very heart in his word he hath made the Scriptures such a Looking-glass for thee that if thou wouldst look into that more there thou mightest see thy self and all that is in thee Heb. 4.12 The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the Heart Christians if you would secure your hearts from danger know them and be acquainted more throughly with them if you would know your hearts better look oftner inward commune with your hearts go down dayly into your own Bosoms take an account of your selves question with your selves how fares it with my Soul is there any real saving Grace in me If there be how fares it with that Grace I have Does it thrive doth it flourish is it kept up in Life and Activity Doth my light shine doth my Love flame do my thoughts and my affections climb and are they working upwards how is it with my Conscience Is it kept pure Doth it speak peace Doth it deal faithfully Doth it check me doth it smite me for the least Evils Doth it comfort me when 't is better Have I a good Conscience Have I the Testimony of a good Conscience Doth my Conscience witness for me that I have been faithful that my Desire and my care and endeavour is and hath been in all things to approve my self to the Eye of God and to be sincere and upright before him O Beloved What a Mercy to us would it be if we would be perswaded to be much in such heart inspection and much in such heart communing The Devil would find the harder work to get in there 's no Disease or Distemper would then grow upon your hearts but it would be espyed in the beginning and so the more easily removed Friends let me prevail with you in this thing I beseech you in the name of the Lord set more upon this Heart-study Of all the business you have to do in the world there 's nothing more necessary nothing more advantageous and yet I doubt nothing more neglected Friends if you have been strangers at home be no longer strangers never say again I cannot tell how it is with my Soul study it til you can tell and study it diligently and you shall be able to tell The Lord will help you to understand your selves if you will but more diligently commune with your own Hearts will you be perswaded to it will you resolve upon it to make this a great piece of your every days work Never look for Soul prosperity never look for Soul security without a serious and frequent discharge of this great Duty You may hear all your days and pray for a better heart as long as you live and all in vain if you will not Watch as well as Pray O that the Lord would so strike home this word upon your hearts that you might feel this charge of the Lord sensibly abiding upon you to keep your Hearts by Heart-Acquaintance and Heart-watchfulness My Soul is exceedingly concern'd about the bringing you upon this Duty and I am in great doubt that the most of us are very deficient herein either neglecting it or but slightly or seldom being conversant in it Sure Friends our Tongues would be better employed our Speech would be with Grace seasoned with Salt we should have more savoury words coming from us we should commune one with another more about the concerns of our souls were there more faithful communing with our Hearts our whole conversations would savour more of it We should be more Spiritual and Heavenly more active for God more fruitful and abounding in every good work our work for our Souls would be carried on with more Life and with more Power we should live a more self-denying a more circumspect a more heedful and a more watchful Life were there a due watchfulness over our Hearts What shall I say more in this thing Be diligent be careful be diligent to know the state of your hearts If I should say with Solomon Prov. 27.23 Be diligent to know the state of thy Flocks and look well to thine Herds would you not hearken to me If I should say be diligent to look well to your Trades and to your Money would you not hearken to me in this if I should say be diligent to take care for your Healths and look well to your Bodies would not this Counsel be accepted by you How much more then should you hearken to me in this Be diligent to know the state of your Souls O Friends be diligent to know and be diligent to get your Souls into a good state and to secure them in it be diligent to know what 't is that hurts you and what 't is that hinders you and what it is that endangers your Souls and take heed of it and then be diligent to know what 't is that will help you and further you and advance you and stablish your Souls in peace and build them up in holiness that you may take those advantages and improve those helps that are before you Such watchfulness as this what an heart reviving what an heart flourishing what an heart rejoycing would follow upon it to your selves And what abundant Praise Glory and Honour would grow up to the Name of God and our Lord Jesus Christ Then should those Hearts of yours which are now too much Dens of Thieves Shops of Vanity Fountains of folly Nests of Lusts and Houses of Merchandize become the sacrifices of the Lord and the Temples of
the Living God and he would dwell in them and walk in them and say of them these are my rest here will I abide for ever 2. Keep all your powers up in armes Our Enemies will fight for our Heaâ—ts Sin the World and the Devil are like Absalom 2 Sam. 15.6 at first he used fair and flattering Speeches and complemented and kissed them that came nigh him saying O that I were made Judge in the Land his meaning was O that I were King what a King would I be to you So he stole the hearts of the Men of Israel Afterwards he takes up Armes and fights against those whose hearts he could not steal from David Our Spiritual Enemies deal a like by us at first they attempt to steal away our Hearts from God Sin smiles upon us and fawns upon us and promiseth what it will do for us O that you would hearken to me how happy should ye be if you will follow me It doth not pretend to be King but to be our Servant if you will love this world all that is in the world will be your Servants but if this will not do our Enemies will fight for us our Fleshly Lusts will war against our Souls to take them Captives 1 Pet. 2.11 and the World and the Devil will side with Lust The Devil will buffet the world will rage and bluster against those that will still continue the Servants of Christ Hereupon Christians are said to be Souldiers 2 Tim. 2.3 their state here is a warring and warfaring state they are to fight 1 Tim. 6.12 fight the good fight of Faith they are to wrestle Eph. 6.12 against flesh and bloud against principalities and powers against the Rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickednesses or wicked Spirits in high places Gal. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth that is fighteth against the Spirit and the Spirit must lust or fight against the Flesh and all this fighting what is it for 't is for our hearts The Devil and the World are fighting and our Souls lie at stake He that overcometh there 's a Soul gained a Soul saved he that is overcome there 's a Soul lost When Men fight for their lives when this must be the issue kill or be killed how desperately do they fight we mannage our warfare against sin and the Devil as if there were no great matter lying upon it Men count not themselves any great loosers if they be overcome and hereupon 't is that we leave our selves so open to Temptations and stand as so many naked men against our Adversaries and entertain such Truces and Treaties with them and make such weak resistance against them as if our contention were about a Flea or a dead Dog Men do not consider that it is for their precious life the Devil and the World is fighting but that 's it that sin and this world would have of you they would have your hearts they fight for your Souls Now hereupon Christians must be alwayes up in Armes and stand to their Armes As the Devil rallies up Armies against us so the Lord provides us of Armour and requires us Eph. 6.13 to put on our Armour and to stand to our Armes Take unto you the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand We may neither stand unarmed nor put on our Armour to sleep in put on your Armour and stand in your Armour especially we must keep close about us these 6 pieces of Armour 1. The Shield of Faith v. 16. wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil The Devil is shooting his Darts at us and every Dart is levelled at the heart The Devils Darts are fiery Darts burn when they hit that will burn up all the good in the Soul Darts will stick and fiery Darts will burn When you see one Man burn in Lust there 's a Dart of the Devil that burns in his Heart when you see others flame in anger and fury there 's a fiery Dart of the Devils in his Heart his Tongue is set on fire of Hell Jam. 3.6 Think on this you that are apt to be thus set on fire the next time you are in such an heat that your hearts burn with fury and your Tongue spits fire in venting furious Language then think with your selves I feel my Soul in a flame the fire comes out at my Mouth Lord whence comes all this O I had need look to my self sure there is a fiery Dart from the Devil in mine Heart these angry hot and hasty words are no other but the smoak of that Fire which the Devil hath kindled within me Such a Thought as this might be as water to quench that Fire But if such a thought won't do it then take the Shield of Faith by which you may quench these Fires We are therefore exhorted 1. Pet. 5.9 to resist the Devil stedfast in the Faith Trust upon Christ for your help stand against the Devil as David against the Philistine 1 Sam. 17.45 thou comest against me with sword and Spear saies David but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of Hosts that is I come trusting in the Lord of Hosts This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand There 's his Faith and that 's his best Weapon Resist the Devil and trust in God fight against sin and trust in Christ for the victory Isa 26.4 Trust ye in the Lord Jehovah for in him is Everlasting strength 2. The helmet of hope which is called the helmet of Salvation ver 17. Rom. 8.24 Ye are saved by hope Hope will strengthen the heart and hold up the head Christians should withstand Temptations and assaults as men of hope whatever your Tempations are whatever buffetings of Satan you may be encountred with how furiously soever the world falls on threatning you thundring against you persecuting you for your faithfulness to Christ or fawning upon you or flattering you away from your integrity how thick soever the suggestions of your hearts lusts come upon you enticing you urging and pressing you Do not undo thy self by thy Religion do not ruine thy self by thy Conscience come about after this World save thy self from its rage and accept of its kindnesses how hard soever you may be thus tempted and set upon and how apt soever thy faint heart may be to fear and doubt thou shalt never be able to stand hold fast thine helmet hope in God who will be thy helper and deliverer Psal 43. ult Why art thou cast down O my Soul Hope in God Strive against sin but strive in hope resist Temptations but resist in hope withstand this evil world withstand its flatteries withstand its furies and withstand in hope Do not say as once David did 1 Sam. 27.1 I shall one day or other perish by the hand of Saul I shall one day or other fall by Temptation I shall never hold out
thine Ease and art nothing troubled at it thou art Rich and hast Money enough at least thou hast an House and hast Bread enough thou art in thy Health and thy Strength and so long thou carest not thou art not troubled about thou wilt not so much as think How is it with my Soul Is not my poor Soul ready to perish and like to be Damned for my Sins And wilt thou yet say thou lovest thy Soul 'T were well for thee better than 't is if thou lovest thy Soul as thou lovest thy Flesh nay as thou lovest thy dirty Pleasures and vile Companions thy Horses in thy Stable thy Pigs at the Trough thy very Dogs thou lovest better than thou lovest thy Soul this is the wickedness of every Sinner among you and where the Soul is less loved God himself is less loved than these vile things yet thou wilt say Thou lovest God no thou dost not love him as thou lovest the Dirt of thy Heels the Lusts of thy Flesh O wonder wonder Sinners and be astonished at your Selves that ever there should be such a vile and wretched Heart within you and yet you should sit here or go up and down the World as well pleased with your selves as well satisfied with your selves as you are Who would think that behold Sinners Faces how merry they look who would think these merry ones should have such a vile and wicked Heart within them How is it with thee Sinner What aileth thee I am well I thank God Well art thou What and have such a Devil in thy Bosome such a wicked Heart as despiseth the Lord and makes a God of thy Belly or thy Money or thy Pleasure The Lord make you deeply sensible of this wickedness for 't is certainly your cases 't were better with you than it is if you had loved God as well as you do the Beasts that perish if you loved your Souls as well as you do those rotting and perishing Carkases And for you that are Christians who do love your Souls more than your Bodies and God more than all yet it is so little that God hath the Preheminence in your Love that you are hard put to it in your Examination to prove whether the love of God hath the Preheminence in you or no whether there be not something that you love more than God It is a shame for us Friends that the love of God is no more perfected in us that there is no more sensible strength of our Love to God that we should be so often put to it to Question which we love best God or our selves God or this present World Well this should be the Order and Measure of your Love as I said before that God be first loved next our Souls then our Bodies and after that the Creatures which are for the Bodily Prosperity that the Creature be loved no farther than it is serviceable to the Health of our Bodies and our Bodies loved in order to the service of our Souls and all so much and no more than conduces to the Honour and Service of God this should be the Order and Measure of our Love and this would be one Fruit of the due Government of our Hearts That I may the more effectually perswade you to set up and keep up this Government in your Hearts let me ask you Quest 1. Can you except against this Order and Measure of your Love Order in the Heart is as necessary as Order in a Kingdom Army or Family and a due Order in our Love is necessary to the keeping up Order in the Heart 1. Consider Order in the Heart is as necessary as Order in a Kingdom c. What is a Kingdom if there be no Order in it What is an Army what is a Family where there is no order in it What is there but Confusion and Ruin All runs into confusion all runs to ruin where no Order is Jam. 3.16 Where envy and strife is there is confusion and every evil work where envy and strife is there is disorder good Order would prevent strife and envying and where no good Order is there is confusion and every evil work O what Tumults and Mutinies are there in our disorderly Hearts there is no good doing and there is every evil work 2. Order in our Love is necessary to the keeping our whole Hearts in Order upon the right Order and Measure of our Love will follow the right Ordering of all our Affections there 's no one of all our Affections but will be in good Order if our Love be in Order if we love what we should love we shall hate what we should hate and fear what we should fear and desire what we should desire and grieve for what we should grieve and be angry only at what we should be angry and when there is a due Measure in our Love where we love as much as we should we shall hate as much as we should and fear and grieve and rejoice as much as we should and no more the motions and workings of all our Affections do follow and flow from the working of our Love as when we love God we shall hate and fear and grieve for all that is contrary to God so when we love God as much as we should that is above all and with all our Hearts we shall desire him above all and hate and grieve for sin which is contrary to God with all our Hearts The Reason why we hate not sin as we should why we fear not sin and grieve not for sin the Reason why we desire no more after God why we desire Grace no more and Holiness no more it is because we have no more love to God and his Holiness The Reason why we love that we should not love and desire and fear what we should not the Reason of our Carnal griefs and Worldly Sorrows those Sorrows that bring Death 2 Cor. 7. is because we duly love not God more love to God would help and heal those inordinate Passions you would never be lovers of this Self of this Flesh of this World of these Pleasures did you duly love God and the things of God you complain of the unruliness of your Passions of your frettings and vexings and the unquietness of your Hearts you complain of the hardness of your Hearts you cannot hate sin as you should nor mourn for sin nor fear it as you should this you say is your Affliction and you know not how to help it why do but get more love to God more intense and ardent love to Him and his Holiness and you will find all these Distempers to fall then you will hate and fear and mourn for sin as you ought to do there will be an end of your complainings of hardness of Heart that you can't fear nor grieve nor mourn for sin there will be an end of your complainings of your over-loving the World of your unreasonable passions and frettings and anger at what
you should not when once you have gotten duely to love the Lord. Well by this you see the Order in the Heart and in special the due Order and Measure of your love that is necessary and how necessary it is Can you therefore except against this Order and Measure of your Love What should be first and chiefly loved Wilt thou not say That God should be he Which should be most in our Love our Bodies or our Souls Will you not every one say O my Soul my Soul is of more worth than my Body and more worthy of my Love Which should be more loved your Bodies or your Estates and the Creatures you enjoy Surely you would all say in this as Christ said Mat. 6.25 The Life is more than Meat and the Body than Raiment what would you think of such a Man that loves his Money more than his own Body that would suffer his Body to Starve and Pine rather than spend his Money upon it you would say This Man is a Monster and is not he as much a Monster who loves his Body more than his Soul or himself more than God as he who loves his Money more than his Body Christians would you not count it well with you if your Love were thus regulated What if you could now feel that which you have so often questioned and doubted whether it be so or no that you can now love God above all that the whole stream of your Love did run into the Ocean If you could feel such strong and such lively and such passionate workings of your Hearts towards God such dearness and such tenderness and such strength and ardency of Affection to the Lord if you could feel your Hearts burning within you with the Divine Love if these Hearts were all flameing Hearts and flaming upwards and that so sensibly and so strongly that there might be a resolving of that doubt and you saâ— it true beyond question and you could say Now I feel who hath mine Heart none but God none but Christ Whom have I in Heaven but thee there 's nothing in the Earth that I love in comparison of thee God is the love of my Heart and my Portion for ever what if you could now feel it thus within you What if from your own sense and experience you could heartily speak out such words Take this Heart to thee O Lord thine it is thou art mine only Love and nothing will I love or regard but in Order to thee would you not bless your selves in such an experience Would it not be Marrow and Fatness to your Souls Would you not rejoyce in the Lord and triumph in Christ and praise his Holy Name that had wrought you to that pass That God should have thus gotten to be the chief in your love and Self and Flesh and the whole World were brought to stoop and stand aside yea and to be trampled on in comparison of him Sure you that are Christians would count it happy with you if it were thus and I dare say concerning you this is it you pray for and hope for and wait and thirst and long after and would count it an infinitely greater matter of joy and praise than if the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl if all the Pomps and Pleasures and Grandeur of the World were increasing unto you and were rolling in upon you and therefore you for your parts have nothing to except against this Order and Measure of your love Qu. 2. But how is it with you If it be an excellent thing if it be a blessed thing to have our Hearts brought into such a Frame and Order what do ye find Are you made partakers of this blessedness O the Lord help me I am far short of it I can feel that I love this World I need no tryal whether I love this Flesh or no whether I love my Credit or no whether I love my Money or my Lands or mine Ease or my Pleasures I feel I love these things but whether I love my Soul as I ought whether I love God as I ought there 's my great doubt and I fear I do not Dost thou fear Dost thou doubt whether thou lovest thy Soul as thou lovest the World Whether thou lovest thy God as thou lovest thy Flesh And is there any thing but need then that thou shouldst be brought to a better pass Canst thou be quiet canst thou be comforted in any thing whilest it is thus with thee Christians would you ever be clearly satisfied concerning your eternal State that you shall hereafter dwell in the eternal Love Would you be comforted touching your present Case that God is your God That Christ is your Jesus That the Covenant and the Promises and the Mercies of God are yours that you are passed from Death to Life that your Names are written in Heaven and that you are Enrolled amongst the Saints and shall have an Inheritance with the Saints in Light Then put hard on for this blessed Frame of Heart let it henceforth be the great thing in your Eye look for it pray for it reach forth towards it down with this World tread upon this Earth and Flesh love nothing but what God would have you love love nothing but in subordination to God Dread the encroachments of the Creatures upon the Right of God despise these carnal Pleasures despise this Money and these Lands or this Credit so far forth as they stand in competition with God set your Foot upon the Necks of them all give your Hearts unto the Lord and let him be your Love and your Delight and your Portion for ever 2. For our Desires in this as in the former we must desire what we should desire and as much as and no more than we should desire it the Object of our desires is the same with the Object of our Love that which is Good Now of all the Good which may or ought to be desired 1. Something is to be desired Absolutely and Vltimately and thus God only is to be desired 2. Other good things are to be desired Absolutely but Subordinately and thus the first Grace is to be desired and the evelasting Happiness of our Souls absolutely but subordinately we are to desire our own blessedness but chiefly that therein God may be glorified 3. Other good things are to be desired in subordination and with submission And thus the higher Degrees of Grace the best and most advantageous Means of Grace Gifts the gift of Prayer gifts for Edification c. these all are to be desired with submission to the will of God the first Grace or saving Grace we are not to desire with submission so as to be content to be deny'd it no not to the will of God for there is no such will of God for us to submit to God would not have any Man to submit to it to be for ever left an Enemy or a Reprobate from God God would not have any Man content to