in time thou dying time out-livest They â—ail deceive thee They age dye leave thee Soâ—â— up immortal spirit and mounting fly Into the arms of great Eternity Not Heav'n or Earth He he thy End and Birth Now if in the fulness of all Creature man can find no parcel of his blessednesâ— how much less in any one single creature As first CAP. III. Not in Riches RIches are as Nebuchadnezzars goldeâ— Idol Dan. 3. All people nations anâ— languages fall down and worship this goldeâ— Image but all the honour the most deâ—vout Zelots give it cannot wring from it the least degree of happiness For first it is a meer Idol 1. An Image hath only a name and appearance of what it imageth Thus these outward things are called and to mop-eyed men seem to be riches but are unrighteous Mammon and at best and with the best not true Riches Luk. 16.11 Their very being is no being and when they are they are not Prov. 23.4 True riches are nothing else but plenty of such things as are useful to the person whom they enrich But 1. The principal part of man to which the â—ody is but a servant hath no use of them â—r benefit by them neither of the natural meat drink c. or artificial gold silver c. Nay 2. Even to the body while it is in the short Pilgrimage of this life where only they are current they are â—ather as a little spending money than its â—ortion or inheritance For look as many Cart-loads of Laconian money that iron â—yn could not enrich a Traveler who â—as riding Post through that Region to his â—â—tive Country but were rather a burthen â— an a furtherance to his journey so the â—odies of men flying through this mortal life â— immortality are rather laden than enrichâ—â— by the abundance of these earthly things 〈◊〉 which they shall never have more need or use after this momentary Pilgrimage 2. Images are dead helpless things they have mouths but cannot speak for us eyes but cannot provide for us hands but can do nothing for us feet but in our necessity cannot stir to help us Psal. 115.5 6 7. Such are riches meer Images profit us nothing Prov. 10.2 Are we in trouble visited with sickness in body with distress in spirit c. They cannot relieve us Riches profit not in the day of wrath but righteousness delivers from death Prov. 11.4 They shall cast their silver in the streets and their gold shall be removed their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord Ezek. 7.19 Zeph. 1.18 Are our Friends in danger They cannot redeem a brother nor give a ransome for him Psal. 49.6 7. when we would serve our selves of them they take them to their wings and are gone Prov. 23.4 would we sleep They will not suffer us Eccles. 5.12 and instead of helping hurt us Eccles. 5.13 3. As Idols make their Worshippers like to themselves even Idols Psal. 115.8 thus men idolizing riches become like to their coyn meer images of men they have neither mouths to eat nor hands to enjoy oâ— take part of their labour Eccles. 6.2 They have not so much reason or sense to design some end of all their pains or to discourse with themselves For whom do I labour and bereave my soul of good Eccles. 4.8 2. Secondly whatsoever defect in general excluded the creatures from challenging any part in mans happiness the same in particular barrs out riches 1. It is full of vanity and vexation Eccles. 2.7 8 11. All his dayes the worldly rich eateâ—h in darkness and hath much wrath and sorrow with his sickness Eccles. 5.17 2. It satisfies not nay the more it is loved the less it satisfies Mans eye is not satiate with riches Eccles. 4.8 They shall not satisfie their souls nor fill thâ—ir bowels Ezek. 7.19 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver c. Eccles. 5.10 3. They are not durable they are of no continuance Riches are not for ever Prov. 27.24 They perish Eccles. 5.14 have Eagles wings Prov. 23.4 4. The more we enjoy the less we love them The soul that most dotes on them goes utterly off from what it hath attained and reacheth â—fter that which it would have and yet hath not and so indeed cleaves to that which is â—ot Prov. 23.4 5. They are far below us They have no reason sense life no being â—ut what we give them in our opinion and â—ancy no other end but to drudge for us 6. They are not only in respect of happiness needless so that never any was even on earth so blessed as he that had least of them witness our most blessed Saviour but in their abundance a burthen which sinks the body and soul under them and dangerous stopping the way to Heaven and barring the entrance to our only happiness Luk. 8.14 18.25 I will shut up this Chapter with a story very true and as pertinent Some ten miles from Cambridge dwelt a man old and poor who hid his hoar head under a very mean Cottage with no other companion of his age than his as aged Wife His means rose only from the flock of the Town in which he lived and which he tended Following his sheep it chanced that he found a Portmanteâ— full of treasure And almost distracted with joy he bears it home and acquaints his Consort with this happy adventure After deep consultation they concluded to digg an hole under their bed and there in a grave to conceal it But in the night being now become very wakeful they were suddenly frighted with some noise perhaps the scrabling of their Cat or Dog rose up in great perturbation searched every mousehole and all the remainder of that night neither closed their eyes nor put ouâ— their candel Early in the morning they took further advice and resolved that every night one of them by turns should watch their prisoner lest happily he might break from them and make an escape This they practised so long untill both of them who before were well-near worn up with age were now with care fear and want of sleep even consumed and pined After more mature deliberation they thought expedient to hire some poor neighbours for now they mustered themselves not in so mean a rank every night to guard their Palace and centinel about them Which when it was noised abroad in the Town wrought divers strange surmises though not any yet harped upon the right string nor once dreamed what was the true cause of all this business some laughed others pittied fearing the old Couple would end their dayes in Bedlam About a month after they had intelligence who was the Owner of this money and heard of a competent reward offered to the finder and restorer And now being much more weary than greedy they readily take hold of the offer rendred up their prisoner purchast a Jayl delivery hung up their cares freed
I think is impossible and not to do wrong requires as much wisdom as patience But it is better to suffer an hundred injuries than to do one 1 Cor. 6.7 for God will certainly punish the doer Col. 3.25 but thank the sufferer 1 Pet. 2.20 Take great heed of thrusting God out of his throne and seating your selves in it This you do when you usurp that highest office of God to recompence injuries and to avenge your selves It is Gods Prerogative royal To me belongeth vengeance and recompence Deut. 32.35 Vengeance is mine I will repay â—aith the Lord Rom. 12.19 It is his Regal Title The Lord God of recompences Jer. 51.50 Print upon your hearts that golden rule of Gods blessed Spirit In honour prefer onâ— another Mind not â—igh things but condescend to men of low estate Rom. 12.10 16. In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than himselfâ— Phil. 2.3 There is nothing more hated oâ— scorned by God or man than a proud heart and haughâ—y eye Prov. 6 17. In the house oâ— â—ride Shame waits at the gates Prov. 11.2 Strife and Contention in the hall Pro. 13.10 and at the back stayers Destruction Prov. 16.18 29.23 Put on therefore â—umbleness of mind Col. 3.12 There is no ornament of so great price with God as a low priced spirit 1 Petr. 3.4 nor in the eye of man any thing more lovely than a lowly carriage Humilitie the Queen of virtues is ushered by favour supported by honour Prov. 29.23 and followed by exaltation Iam. 4.10 Observe all men in their degrees Honour Governours and obey them reverence superiours respect equals be courteous to inferiours and to all and above all carry your selves humbly Submit your selves one to another and be clothed with humilitie 1 Pet. 5.5 Thus shall you travel through the world with much peace for certainly as only by pride comes contention Prov. 13.10 so the meek shall delight themselves in abundance of peace Psal. 37.11 As a general motive to all these duties seriously consider All mankind is but one Adam and all men as one man Man the body men the members of that body Adam was the root Eve the stock issuing from the root and we all the branches produced from both She the mother of all living Gen. 3.20 All these numberless branches are united in the root that â—â—rst Adam and all Christians reunited in that Root of Iesse the Second Adam No creatures so united as man united in the bond of humanitie they are one flesh all nations made of one blood Act. 17.26 reunited in the bond of Christianity they are one spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 Eph. 4.4 How strongly then â—rom this union doth our Lord press upon us that unity of affection by love And that uâ—ity of our actions by peace How naturally do all these precepts of righteousness or justice flow from this principle were men not â—nnatural how could they be so full of unrighteousness filled with all unrighteousness c. and without natural affection Rom. 1.29 31â— were we not carnal how could we maintain strife and divisions when there is among you envyings strife divisions are ye not carnal 1 Cor. 3.3 Haters of men cannot be ranked among men we are all one flesh and never any man hated his own â—lesh but cherisheth and nourisheth it Eph. 5.29 We are members one of another all one body Rom. 12.5 Eph. 4.25 yea one spirit and who but Bedlams and Demoniacks wound and destroy themselves Fasten these truths upon your hearts and in all your conversation with men have them in your eyes so will you with ease as your Lord Psal. 11.7 love righteousness and be loved of him who loveth them who follow after righteousness Prov. 15.9 Some thing of this truth that dark light of nature discovered unto that Philosopher who thus sweetly sings it Boetius Libr. 3. Metr 6. I. The stock of man the Root the body Boughs skies Whose breadth or'e-spreads the earth height tops the One Parent hath he Sirâ— and Dam he plowes Plants waters he our birth growth all supplies He fills the Sun with Seas oâ—â—lowing beams Surrounds and drains the Moon with changing streams II. Hé peoples Seas with fish the Heaven with Stars Plants ayer and earth with living Colonies He pounds mans God-like Spirit in fleshly bars And by that spirit earth to himself allies Men are of high descent their Petigree Mortals derive from great Eternitie III. Boast ye oâ— Sires and Grandsires search ye earth For Heaven Heavens Register will shew your race Heavens King your Sire from Heaven in Heaven your birth A noble royal line No man is base But such as â—or base earth Heavens birthright sell By vice cut off â—rom Heaven and grafted into Hell CAP. XIX What is the last branch THe last branch is Godliness which is nothing but the true worship of the true God And how should I more briefly and yet more fully express it than that wise Father to his wisest Son And thou Solomon my Son know the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and willing mind 1 Chro. 28.9 where he comprizes all the inward worship in knowledg and the outward in service Now this knowledg is not here as properly it is confined to the understanding but generally extended to every facultie of the soul. As our senses are said to know when employing their faculties in their several objects they do their office The eye knows the colour it sees the ear the voice it hears So every facultie of our spirit is said to know when exercising it self in its proper office it executes its own dutie In the understanding when the Apprehension discerns and conceives aright it knows 1 Cor. 2.16 when the Judgment highly prizes things that are of high esteem it is said to know 1 Thes. 5.12 Even the choice of the will is called knowledg Amos 3.2 Rom. 8.29 Thus the affections are said to know what they love and delight in Psal. 144.3 expounded Iob 7.17 And this is that excellent knowledg preferred before sacrifice Hos. 6.6 in which consists our eternal life Ioh. 17.3 First therefore you must know God by an act of the understanding that is so conceive of him as himself in his word not in mens dreams hath pictured out himself unto you which is a spiritual and the only warrantable Image allowed by God This you must hang up not in your Hall or parlour but in that true Oratorie the Closet of your hearts There you shall â—ind him pencil'd 1. As he is simply in himself 2. Relatively to us In himself he is a Spirit Joh. 4.24 Incomprehensible glorious merciful gracious strong long-suffering pardoning sin and iniquitie c See Exo. 34.6 7. c. In relation to us our Creatour Isa. 64.8 our Redeemer Deut. 32.6 Psal. 19.14 our Lord Psal. 8.1 in whose service is all our happiness Psal. 144.18 our Portion and Inheritance Psal. 16.5 6. the strength of our heart our only and full comfort
prâ—rogatives are such as never eye saw ear heard or entred into the heart of man 1 Cor. 2.9 such as infinitely transcends our vastest thoughts therefore are they veiled under many similitudes and compared to those things which are most honourable and highest in the eyes of man They are Kings Rev. 1.6 and their Kingdom not fading but unshaken Heb. 12.28 not earthly but heavenly 2 Pet. 1.11 they have their sceptres Heb. 1.8 their Palaces Psal. 45.8 their thrones Rev. 3.21 their crowns 2 Tim. 4.8 God himself their diademe Isa. 28.5 they have their glory even the glory of God 1 Thes. 2.12 Christ himself their glory Luk. 2.32 and they the glory of Christ Isa. 46.13 This eminencie of Saints may be cleerly shewed in an evident demonstration For no creature can stand in competition with them but only other men and Angels For the first their eminencie will easily appear by comparison even in those things wherein men challenge precedencie before others Men are counted more honourable as they go before others in birth estate or end Look then first to that broad difference betwixt the birth of the spiritual and the carnal creature Flesh is born of flesh Joh. 3.3 The natural man is of earth earthy 1 Cor. 15.47 nay of hell and therefore hellish His Father in the flesh is a sinful man his spiritual Father those spiritual wickednesses even Satan Ioh. 8.44 But Spirit is born of Spirit The new man is not born of flesh and blood not of the will of man but of God Joh. 1.13 God his Father who hath begotten him 1 Pet. 1.3 God his Mother also who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conceiving hath brought himforth Jam. 1.18 In their generation or birth there is no comparison 2. For their estate what infinite disparitie 1. in life 2. In things belonging to life The life of Saints is the life of God Eph. 4.18 their nature the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 the blessed Spirit the soul of this life which animates him Rom. 8.9 10. Carnal men have a filthy spirit informing and working in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 In the one God works all their works Isa. 26.12 will and deed Philip. 2.13 in the other Satan and Sin Things belonging to life are as the life temporal or spiritual The Saints spiritual portion in one word is God Christ his Bread and meat Joh. 6.35 55. he the portion of his cup Psal. 16.5 the cup of salvation Psal. 116.13 the drink indeed Joh. 6.55 1 Cor. 10.4 Christ his garment a most royal robe He puts on Christ Gal. 3.27 Christ his house he dwels in him 1 Joh. 4.13 he our everlasting habitation Psal. 90.1 Heaven or rather the God of Heaven his inheritance Psal. 16.5 how contrary is the other his portion for the present is nothing but sin his bread ashes and a deceitful heart Isa. 44.20 and his drink iniquity Job 15.16 and he drunk with it Isa. 29.9 10. his reckoning cup fire and brimstone Psal. 11.6 his garments cursing Psal. 109.18 and his inheritance hell-fire Matth. 25.41 But surely in temporal conveniences thâ—re the men of this world much exceed the other So indeed they boast but lye The little of the righteous is much better than the superfluitie of others Psal. 37.16 Prov. 16.8 The prosperitie of the wicked deadly Prov. 1 32. the troubles of the righteous wholsome Psal. 119.71 The one cursed in blessings the other blessed in curses In a word the one in his best and most comfortable estate a wâ—eful creature the other in his worst ever blessed Luk. 6.20 to 27. 3. For their ends the one shall flourish iâ— never ending peace the other is cut off for ever Psal. 37.37 38. Lastly it hath pleased the Lord of all creatures to prefer them even above the Angels First in our Creation we were made a little inferiour to them but as Princes prefer their Favourites by some honourable office above others who are more nobly descended so our Lord hath advanced us above them in setting the crown upon our heads crowning us with honour and glory and giving to us as his Viceroyes not to Angels dominion over the works of his hands Psal. 8.5 6. appointing even them to be ministring spirits for us who are heirs of salvation Heb. 1.14 our guards to defend us Psal. 34.7 our Guardians in all our ways to keep us Psal. 91.11 2. In the work of Redemption our nature assumed theirs refused Heb. 2.16 we râ—deâ—med they rejected And as our nature is infinitely exalted above the most glorious Angels in the person of Christ so by him many great Prerogatives granted to us who are his members whom he redeems with his blood nourishes with his flesh dwels in us by his Spirit and crowns with his glory Joh. 17.22 In a word Saints are the highest Favourites of the most Highest having fellowship and communion with God 1. Joh. 1.3 nay union with the Father and the Son one Spirit with Christ and one in them as they are one Joh. 17.21 Seeing then our Father is in Heaven our Hâ—ad in Heaven ouâ— life our Country and Portion in Heaven seeing our spirits were born in Heaven and our bodies look to Heaven let our treasure minds and conversation also be in Heaven So shall we even here on earth live in the Suburbs of Heaven and in due time being advanced to that glorious City the heavenly Ierusalem eternally reign with the King of Heaven Amen Amen Let me shut up all in that sweet Poem Boetius Libr. 5. Mâ—tr 5. I. Into what different moulds doth Gods wise hand Cast his wet clay and to their various â—orms Their divers postures fitts some sweep the sand Drawn out at length as tottering boats in storms They mount and â—all dragging their lazy trains They plow long â—urrowes on the dusty plains II. Some light as ayer mounted on liquid sky Spread to the gentle winds their featherd sails Swimming with plumed oâ—rs through Heavens fly Some shod with hoofs some frosted with sharp nails Through woods and forrests plains and mountains trace And set their prints upon th' earths scarr'd face III. Yet though their various shapes and gate betray How â—ar their natures differ each from other All meet in this All gaze upon the clay From which they spring and stâ—re upon their Mother Prest down with earthy Yoke their dullard sight Pores on dark shades they use not view the light IV. Man only rears aloâ—t his honour'd head His body stands and walks upright his eyes Transport his soul where it was highly bred To keep acquaintance with his neer Allies On earth his down-cast look he never places But when he stoops and losty head abases V. Iâ— then thou art not beast or earth if maâ— Thy body guides the soul thy eye the mind Thy flesh looks where it tends not wher't began Oh shall the Heaven-born soul forget his kind Shall heavenly minds mind earth while earthy eyes Eye Heaven soar up my soul transâ—end the skies Else while thy body lives thy spirit dies Books Printed for and Sold by Henry Mortlock at the sign of the White Hart in Westminster-Hall A Rational account of the grounds of Protestant Religion being a vindication of the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterburys Relation of a conference c. from the pretended answer of T. C. Origines Sacrae or a Rational account of the grounds of Christian Faith as to the Truth and Divine Authority of the Scriptures and the Matters therein contained 4 0. Irenicum A weapon salve for the Churches wounds or the Divine right of Forms of Church government Examin'd and discussed 4 0. Six Sermâ—ns with a Discourse Annexed concerning the true Reason of the sufferings of Christ wherein Crellius his answer to Grotius is considered 8 0. large A Sermon preached before the King Ian. 30. all these by Edward Stilliâ—g fleet D. D. Knowledg and Practice or a plain discourse of the chief things necessary to be â—nown believed and practised in order to sâ—lvation by S. Câ—adoâ—k 4 0. The being and well being of a Christian in 3. Treatises The first setting forth the properties of the Righteous The 2. the Excellency of grace The 3. the nature and sweetness of fellowship with Christ by Edward Reyner late Minister at Lincoln published by his Son Iohn Reyner 8 0. The Triumph of Rome over Despised Protesâ—ants by Phil. Hall 8 0. The Morall Philosophy of the Sâ—oicks Translated out of French by Charles Cotton Esq. 8 0. A Word in Season or 3. great Duties of Christians in the worst of times viz. Abiding in Christ thirsting after his Ordinances and submission to his providences by I. C. D. D. To which is added by way of Appendix the Advice of some Ministers to their people for the Reviving of the power and practice of Godliness in their families 8 0. Propugnaculum Pietatis The Saints Ebenezer and Pillar of hope in God when they have none left in the creature or the Godly mans crutch or staff in times of sâ—dning disappointments sinking discouragements shaking desolations by F. E. 8 0. The voice of one crying in a wilderness or the whole business of a Christian both Antecedaneous to Concommitant of and Consequent upon a sore and heavy Visitation represented in several Sermons by S. S. a Servant of God in the Gospel of his Son 12 0. Immanuel or a Discovery of true Religion as it imports a living principle in the minds of men grounded upon Christs discourse with the Samaritaness John 4.14 being the Latter clause of the voice crying in a Wilderness or a Continuation of the Angelical Life by the same Author 12 0. Common Prayers in Welch fol. FINIS
whom only God accepteth Heb. 7.26 28. That blessed Spirit who baptizeth with fire will not only inflame your hearts but kindle also your lips with all fervencie of prayer Prayer is a special sacrifice and sacrifices must burn upon the Altar Prayer is our Incense Psal. 141.2 which till it burneth in the fiery censer yields no odour or sweetness That holy Spirit will quicken you to frequent and continual prayer and doth not only whisper in your ear but draw out your heart to pray always with all manner of prayer Eph. 6.18 to pray without ceasing 1 Thes. 5.17 to continue in prayer and watch in the same Col. 4.2 not to slip any occasion but to improve all opportunities which God offers us in petition thanksgiving intercession deprecation supplication No marvel if the Ancients called it the key of Heaven for it opens all to us It opens the womb Gen. 20.17 18. It opens the prison Act. 12. It opens Heaven when it is bar'd with brass Iam. 5.18 It opens Gods ears when he hath even shut them against us 2 Chro. 7.13 14 15. The Doctours call it the scourge of the Divel It drives away his tentations Matth. 26.41 Nothing in the world so prevalent For it sets even God himself on work in whose hands are all creatures and with whom nothing is impossible Gird up therefore the loyns of your minds and whet your voyces to peirce through the Heavens And oh that I could be the means to put that perpetual motion of praying and crying into your hearts Look about you and you shall see abundant matter of crying of loud crying would we advisedly behold what we see there is hardly one object of our eyes which would not skrue up our voyces a note higher and set us a roaring Look upon the dark places of the earth and they are full of the habitations of crueltie Psal. 74.20 And should not this raise up a crie Remember Lord the enemie hath reproched and foolish people have blasphemed thy name oh deliver not the soul of thy Turtle dove unto the multitude of the wicked oh let not the oppressed return ashamed Psal. 74.18 19 21. when you look into the place of judgment and wickedness is there and to the place of righteousness and inquitie is there Eccl. 3.16 will not so crying a sin force a loud crie from your hearts when you consider all the oppressions under the Sun and behold the tears of the oppressed and they had no comâ—orter and on the side of the Oppressours was power but on their side no comâ—orter Eccl. 4.1 how can you forbear to weep with those that weep when you hear the grones of widowes the sighs of the fatherless the lamentations of the hungry naked distressed can you chuse but bear a part in this doleful musick when you look on the pride wherein the land is disguised in monstrous attires the prodigious excess in riotings the general lightness and impudence of all behaviour when you hear the vollies of blasphemous tongues thundering against Heaven the stench of drunkenness infecting the ayer with plagues poxes c. the ignorance superstition idolatrie profaneness Atheism in the world the hellish contempt of God and all his Ordinances In a word a deluge of corruption overwhelming all degrees sexes ages and the wrath of God flaming in revenge against such execrable provocations where can you find hearts large enough to hold or throats wide enough to utter cries and ejulations to Heaven But had you no eyes to look abroad yet look within and you shall find more matter of crying than possibilitie of expressing See there what ignorance unbelief deadness vanitie securitie pride hypocrisie obstinacie backsliding self-love self-seeking inordinate passion what a world what an hell of wickedness couches it self in a desperately wicked heart it will stretch out your throats and force you to a loud crie and bitter Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Certainly if you have any spirit in you it will fill your hearts with a fountain and your eyes with rivers of tears Were you heathens it would drive you to send out the proclamation of Nineve into every part of body and soul Let man and beast reason and sense flesh and spirit cry mightily unto God Jon. 3.8 Let us whet these things upon our hard hearts to sharpen our dull prayers that they may pierce the Heavens and prevent the birth of that decree which if it once bring forth will prevent all prevention Pour out day and night some such petition when you have prepared your hearts by some such like meditation Oh my drowsie soul canst thou ly down with Ionah and sleep in such a Tempest Seest thou not these waves of wickedness which mount up against Heaven and sink down again into bottomless depths and is not thy spirit melted because of trouble The floods have lifted up the floods of the ungodly have lifted up their voice and canst thou be silent See how that little Bark fraught with Christ and his Spouse is filled with water nay with blood see what a storm is come down into the lake and how the waves dash into the ship whilst thy Lord and Saviour â—s asleep in the stern upon a pillow and wilt thou not with loud cries awake him See what a troubled sea is in thine own heart foming out mire and dirt and canst thou rest Are not the waters come into thy soul Sinkst thou not in the deeps where is no standing Is not the belly of hell ready to swallow thee and canst thou cease crying Heark how sin cries and wilt thou be silent heark how the Saints cry and canst thou hold thy peace If thou hast no words in thy tongue hast thou no grones no sighs in thy heart Oh my soul is thy Lord so ready to hear and art thou so slow to speak Shall his ear stand so wide open to thee and thy mouth and heart so fast shut to him Do not his commands draw thee thy necessities drive thee do not his mercies invite his promises assure thee thy povertie enforce thee Art thou a child and canst not speak He hath provided thee two Almighty Intercessours one his Son to plead for thee the other his Spirit to plead in thee How should the weakest arm faint which hath such supporters such an Hur and such an Aaron to under-prop them Oh thou my gracious Saviour who in the days of thy flesh offeredst up prayers and supplications with strong cries accent my flat heart and voice with thy sharp cryings Thou who helpest the infirmities of our utterance teach my heart to grone beyond all power of utterance And Thou who knowest the mind of the spirit and art ever well pleased in thy beloved hearken graciously to the stammerings of my Infant spirit and accept them in him in whom thou art ever well pleased 4. Lastly for vowes I can give you no better direction than his Spirit to whom
refuse we to do or suffer that we may gain them we long we pine for them we ride we run for them sweat and toyl for them venter limb and life for them but no sooner we obtain but finding their emptiness our heart goes off from them to some other object at least nauseating what we possess we burn in desire of what we suppose is wanting It is with us in these adulterous lusts as with incestuous Amnon whose heart being inflamed with the beauty of Tamar before enjoying could think of no other heaven but her eyes and arms but in cooler blood he more loaths than formerly he loved as was not before so sick for her as after sick of her 2 Sam. 13. 5. Fifthly the Creatures were ever inferiour to us In our first Covenant they were given to us as servants and we to them as Lords Gen. 1.26 Psal. 8.6 In the secondâ— our dominion enlarged rather than any whit empaired All things are ours the world life deâ—th things present and to come all are ours 1 Cor. 3.21 22. And when the Lord of all the World in his wonderful love and special favour chose and espoused us to himself he endowed us with all his goods and gave all his servants to wait upon us in several offices some as Caterers to provide our diet some as Cooks to dress it some as Taylers Weavers to cloath us some as Physitians to cure us some as Musicians to refresh and delight us the very Heavens as Torch-bearers to light us yea even the most glorious Angels of Heaven as our Guard to secure us How then can the creature possibly advance us whose advancement is to serve us how should that put the highest excellency for so is blessedness upon us which is so far inferiour to us 6. Lastly the creature is made unto us as instruments and means of action and therefore in the abundance of it is not only burdensome but dangerous It is like the Spartan Iron-Money as much as would buy one horse would load three As a great sayl to a little boat in rough weather and so is either cumbersome and makes our way heavy or dangerous and unwarily sinks us in destruction Thus Hamans preferment advanced him to the Gallows Ahitophels wisdome Weaved a noose for his own Neck That Rulers wealth in his passage to Heaven loads and sinks him Mark 10. Nay in respect of blessedness they are so needless that we are never so blessed as when we have least of them and least need them It is our highest happiness in Heaven that we shall neither need nor possess food apparel wives husbands land money Sun Moon but God shall be all in all 1 Cor. 15.28 Rev. 22.5 Object But do not the creatures conferr something and help forward our happiness Who can at least comfortably be without them Answ. There is a possibility even in this life of consisting being and well-being without them Moses was never here more blessed than when enjoying the presence of God in the Mount he neither had or wanted food c. when the Apostles had nothing neither money shooes nor scrip they wanted nothing Luk. 22.35 Man lives not by bread but by every word of God a lesson long since taught Gods people when in the Wilderness they neither had nor wanted Corn Wine Oyle or any supply of cloathing c. Deut. 8.3 2. Though in this life we cannot in an ordinary course be without them yet do they not make up any part of our happiness seeing neither it nor any part of it consisteth either of this life or any thing belonging to it Blessed are they none more that dye in the Lord Rev. 14.13 3. Nothing in the Creature but only Gods word and blessing upon them is that which either fits them for us or us to them and so gives us some comfort from them as being all his servants Psal. 119.91 going and coming at his Word Luk. 7.8 They are all in his hand as instruments which he employeth to good or evil as he pleaseth The Assyrian was but the Axe or Staff in his hand to chastise his rebellious Subjects Isa. 10.5 15. when we have it it works not moves not but by his hand If he use not the Axe it cannot hew if he lift not up the staff it cannot stirr In a word it is with all Creatures even the greatest rebells as with that Balaam Numb 22.20 God may say Go but that which I say and will that shalt thou do And therefore they are all ready to say unto thee as that Prophet to Balak If thou wouldst give me thy house full of Gold and Silver I cannot go beyond the Word of the Lord to do either good or bad of mine own mind Numb 24.13 Thy meat will tell thee I cannot nourish thee thy cloaths we cannot warm thee if he command not When the Lord sayes to a Crown Go to Sauls head and from Saul to David it goeth When he adds Go to Ieroboam to Ahab c. fill them with trouble sweep them and all their posterity from the face of the earth as dung so it doth When he sayes Go to Solomon and girt him with power peace honour it fails not to do it When he sayes to the Quails Go to those murmurers cover their tables nay cover the ground two cubits high go and fill their mouths but not their bellies feed them not so it comes to pass Numb 11.31 32. And when he commands the Air neither sow nor Reap yet rain down bread upon my people and nourish them forty years in the Wilderness it executes his charge Seeing then the creature is full of nothing but of emptiness vanity and vexation unsatisfying of short continuance least esteemed where most enjoyed far beneath us and even needless yea in their abundance burthensome and dangerous it is impossible they should constitute any part of mans happiness Now Religion Reason nay even Sense will tell us All this is infallibly true and therefore will conclude that it is irreligious unreasonable sensless to rest or build upon the creature And therefore when in searching our hearts we find too much of this Harlotry in them thus let us correct and direct them I. Fond Soul I is this Thy way to bliss Grasp both the Indies let thy mighty hand The iron North and golden South command Transcend the Moon Fasten thy Throne Above the fixed stars above expressions Above thy â—hought enlarge thy vast poâ—sâ—ssionsâ— Fond soul all this Cannot make up thy bliss II. All these are vain Full but with pain All Creatures have their end to serve not bless thee As Servants they may help as Lords oppress thee They vex in gâ—tting Us'd lost with â—retting Can slaves advance shades â—â—ll can grief give rest That which was curs'd â—or thee can't make thee bleâ—â— They all are vain And bring not bliss but pain III. Fond Soul thy birth Is not of Earth Or Heav'n thou Earth and Heav'n it self survivâ—st Though born
whatsoever God bestows on us is in Christ and we receive it in him and whatsoever he requireth of us Christ doth it in us and we perform it in him so he all in all Col. 3.11 Hence he is often called our Covenant Isa. 42.6 49.8 Observe it in some particulars 1. He promiseth to save us from all our enemies Luk. 1.74 and gives Christ to be our Salvation Act. 13.47 He Covenants to make us blessed and gives him to be what he promiseth to give Gen. 22.18 2. He sees that we are filthy Psal. 14.3 and therefore demands of us that we wash Ier. 4.14 and be pure as he is pure Levit. 11.45 He knows how unable we are to do it For though we wash us with nitre and take much sope yet our iniquity is marked before him Jer. 2.22 As well can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Jer. 13.23 Himself therefore undertakes it and covenants to wash and cleanse us from all our filthiness Ezek. 36.25 Hence he openeth a â—ountain to us even in the side of the Lord Iesus for sin and for uncleanness Zech. 13.1 gives us Christ and Christ washes us in his blood Rev. 1.5 3. He knows our foolishness My people are foolish sottish children Jer. 4.22 Tit. 3.3 that we are beasts and bruitish in our knowledge Jer. 10.14 And his infinite Wisdom can take no pleasure in fools Eccles. 5.4 commands us therefore to be wise Psal. 2.10 and often exhorts us to it Oâ— that they were wise Deut. 32.29 Again Ye fools when will ye be wise Psal. 94.10 but knows it is out of our reach Wisdom is too high for a fool Prov. 24.7 Himself therefore gives it liberally and upbraids not Jam. 1.5 gives Christ his wisdom 1 Cor. 1.24 to be our Wisdom 1 Cor. 1.30 4. The Lord knows we are Captives of Satan taken by him at his will 2 Tim. â— 26 servants or slaves to divers lustâ— Tit. 3.3 commands us to loose our â—elves from our bonds Isa. 52.2 to deliver our selves Zech. 2.7 knows we can never be free till the Son makes us free Joh. 8.36 Himself therefore proffers to be our Redeemer Isa. 41.14 and gives the Lord Iesus to be our Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 In a word we are dead and he our life we hunger-starved and he our food Joh. 6.35 we naked and poor he our cloathing and riches Rev. 3.17 18. Gal. 3.27 we blind and even darkness Eph. 5.8 he our light Joh. 8.12 we excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven he the Door to enter us Ioh. 10.9 we straying lost sheep â— he our way Joh. 14.6 and Shepherd to conduct us 1 Pet. 2.25 we dull he the Quickening Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 we weak and can do nothing Ioh. 15.5 he our strength through whom we can do all things â— Phil. 4.13 we altogether empty no good thing in our flesh Rom. 7.18 he our fountain and fulness of grace Joh. 1.16 Quest. 5. What special benefit do we receive by him being now made the Head and matter of our Covenant Answ. Infinite and specially that fulness even now in him which we cannot yet have in our selves and that perfection whereby our weak persons and failing actions are accepted in himâ— Thus the righteousness of the Law is fulfilleâ— in us though not yet by us Rom. 8.3 4â— for he is the end or perfection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the law for righteousness unto every believer Rom. 10.4 we are in him unblameable in him accepted Ephes. 1.4 6. To which end he is made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Secondly we receive in him a sure and immoveable estate a Kingdom which cannot be moved Heb. 12.28 a life that cannot dye for being grafted in him we cannot â—ut live because he lives we shall live also Joh. 14.19 He dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the same manner are we dead unto sin but alive â—nto God in Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.9 11. And as grafts which are implanted â—n any stock receive continual sap from â—he root and by it live and grow and as â—hey increase in bulk increase also in the nourishment which is supplyed continually unto them through their stock till they come to their fulness so the branches of this â—rue Vine make increase Ephes. 4.16 havâ—ng nourishment ministred they increase with â—he increasing of God Col. 2.19 till we â—ome to a perfect man to the measure of the â—ulness of the stature of Christ Eph. 4.13 This is that great Prerogative of the second Covenant made with the second Adam in which the Saints rejoice triumph and sing Who shall separate c. Rom. 8.35 It was granted to Adam saith August de Correp grat c. 11. that he might persevere if he would but not that he would what he might but to us who are grafted into Christ both thaâ— we may and will persevere And in the next Chapter There is now given to the Saints not only such help as was given unto Adam but such as that perseverance it self is given them not only that without this gift they could not persevere but also that by this gift they cannot but persevere This is that unspeakable comfort to our drooping souls and so strong a prop to our weak faith that being grounded on this Rock we cannot be overthrown Therefore that holy Father writing upon those words of the 88 Psalm I will build up thy Throne to all Generations sets up this Trophy and breaks out into this Triumph Christ saith he sitteth in us reigneth in us and shall reign eternally in his Saints This hath God promised if that be not sufficient this hath God sworn Because therefore the promise iâ— sure not according to our merits but hiâ— mercies we must not Preach that with fear which we must not think of with doubt What an Heaven of joy and consolatioâ— floweth from this blessed estate we indeed in nature are bent to back-sliding Hos. 11.7 and therefore he undertakes to heal our back-slidings Jer. 3.22 Hos. 14.4 In us there is an evil heart of unbelief ready to depart from the living God Heb. 3.12 therefore he Covenants to hold our hearts by his fear that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 we are gadding and changing our wayes Jer. 2.36 but he changeth not and therefore we are not consumed Mal. 3.6 It is a special part of his Royal stile Keeping Covenant Neh. 1.5 Dan. 9.4 Psal. 111.5 The Covenant consists of Promises and Duties but those duties promised for whatsoever Duty God demands of us he promiseth to give and whatsoever he promiseth he â—urely and fully performeth and exhibiteth in Christ so worketh all in us and for us Isa. 26.12 much more perfectly and acceptably than we can Object But if Christ be given us as our Fountain and we replenished from his fulness how then are
every limb is so placed grown and proportioned that it is apted for its office anâ— for the use of the body were the Eyâ— the Spy of the body placed elsewhere thaâ— in the Watch-towre were the hand or foâ—â— turned backward how should they execuâ—â— their office and discharge their duties Buâ— when the eye the ear and every part is 〈◊〉 seated and shaped as that it is most fitted and best enabled for the work unto which it is designed and no work of the body which some part is not able to effect for it then it is seemly and lovely So what is that All-sufficiency and Omnipotency in Christ but that infinite and excellent measure in all his divine Attributes whereby he is able to do and doth all things in Heaven and earth Look then upon the Lord Iesus and behold in him 1. His Almighty eye of Wisdom and providence running to and fro through the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect with him 2 Chron. 16.9 Consider that his Almighty ear of grace and mercy which hears â—rom the ends of the earth Psal. 61.2 and from the belly of Hell Jon. 2.2 Behold that his Almighty mouth which speaks and it is done commands and it stands fast Psal. 33.9 Take a view of the Almighty arm of his â—ower and hand of his justice effectually working and equally distributing whatsoever and howsoever he wills in Heaven and Earth subduing all things to himself and â—isposing all events and Creatures at his â—leasure As therefore it is the Comeliness of â—an that all his limbs are so ordered and â—amed that he can with all facility and agility do every work which concerns the good of the body so that which sets an excellent luster upon Christ in the eye of a Christian is that his Almightiness whereby in all his Attributes he is able perfectly to work whatsoever is necessary or convenient for his Body and Spouse and to do whatsoever he will in all the world 2. As all the limbs of the body are not a little commended to the eye by the fairness of the skin not dryed in the smoak of a burnt constitution nor drowned in the paleness of a phlegmatick complexion but every part drest in those colours of beauty red and white shining in their natural pureness so is there in Christ an excellence of spiritual purity far surmounting the exprâ—ssion of words or comprehension of thoughts in any creature This purity is nothing else but his holiness the beauty and glory of all the restâ— His wisdom is an holy wisdom his mercâ— an holy mercy His mouth aâ—m hanâ— altogether and infinitely holy Wheâ— comely proportions of body march undeâ— those lovely colours of Beauties ensignâ— how easily do they make a breach in thâ— eye conquer and lead captive the heart and swear it a willing servant to fleshly loveâ— But when the Lord Iesus looketh forth of 〈◊〉 Window when he sheweth himself but through a lattise Cant. 2. He wounds the hearts of men and Angels he ravishes the soul captivates the understanding fires the affection with unquenched longings no such hell as to be estranged from him no such Heaven as union with him We have a proverb that love will tune a very harsh and unstringed heart into poetry and singing But when the Creatures though with covered faces for who is able with open eye to behold the full blaze of his beauty look upon the face of his Holiness they are swallowed up in admiration of his excellence and fill their mouths and the world with songs of his beauty They call up one another in their Antiphones or Verses to praise him Psal. 30.4 97.12 and all men and Angels joyn in the Chorus chanting Holy Holy Holy Lord of hosts Isa. 6.3 Rev. 4.8 Clean wayes how easie and pleasant clean linnen how sweet and sightly pure ayer how wholesome pure metals gold or silver how precious what then is that purity of the divine essence how glorious in holiness Exod. 15.11 In this alone see the excellency of it It is a working beauty mightily almightily working on every obâ—ect that looks upon it How long may we behold the fairest Virgin on Earth and yet our selves be no whit the fairer But when we fasten our eyes upon this beauty of Christ it leaves the impression of the same glory and excellency upon us And as it is with that great Light the Sun it guilds the Heaven starrs earth trees and every Creature with which it converses and paints them with his light and luster so that greatest and uncreated Light that Sun of Righteousness when we behold him stamps his divine nature and glorious image upon us If Moses do but see his back only his face shines and glitters so that his Brother Aaron feared to approach him Exod. 34.30 If Christ in his humanity converses with his Father not only his face sparkles as the Sun â— Matth. 17.2 but his very rayment shines and glitters in pure whiteness Mar. 9.3 Luk. 9.29 and hence is it that when we shall see him as he is we shall be as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 Secondly Look to that relative excellency wherein we communicate with him wâ— must know that whatsoever is his is ouâ—â— also by participation when he is ours anâ— we are his He endows us with all his goodsâ— not only with these outward things Paâ—â—â— Apollos Cephas the World life death thingâ— present future all are ours 1 Cor. 3 22.â— but withall those excellencies which are iâ— himself His arm of power his hand of justice his ear of mercy his eye of Providence all is ours he with-holds nothing from us not his glory he will have us to see it and by seeing to have it Ioh. 17.22 24. Nay he so far is pleased to descend unto us that he not only gives himself for us but will himself be to us whatsoever we want We are excluded shut out from God without God in the World Ephes. 2.12 he becomes a Door to let us in Ioh. 10.9 we were strayed sheep wandring in our lost paths Isa. 53.6 he is the Way to bring us back to the Heavenly flocks and solds Ioh. 14.6 when we were darkness Ephes. 5.8 he would be our Light Joh. 8.12 we were harbourless without any continuing City Heb. 13.14 He will be our House we dwell in him 1 Joh. 4.13 for our house or mansion is not Heaven but in Heaven not made with hands but uncreated not temporal but eternal 2 Cor. 5.1 we were hungry and pined feeding on ashes Isa. 44.20 himself will be our Bread from Heaven Joh. 6.35 he our drink indeed Ioh. 6.55 we filthy and even stinking in our filthiness Psal. 14.3 he our Fountain for sin and uncleanness Zech. 13.1 we naked Rev. 3.27 he our cloathing Gal. 3.27 we in debt owed thousands of talents had nothiâ—â— to pay Matth. 18.24 he our Surety Heb. 7.22 who hath cancelled our bonds and blotted out the hand-writing
which was against us Col. 2.14 we were Captives 2 Tim. 2.26 he the Price of our Redemption Matth. 20.28 we were fools Tit. 3.3 he our wisdom 1 Cor. 1.30 we poor Rev. 3.17 he our Riches Col. 1.27 Rev. 3.18 we Vile Job 40.4 he our Praise and Glory Deut. 10.21 Luk. 2.32 we joyless our very joy madness Eccles. 2.2 he our exceeding joy Psal. 43.4 To conclude We dead Ephes. 2.1 he our Life Joh. 14.6 we Vanity at our best Psal. 39.5 and very nothing 2 Cor. 12.11 he All in all Col. 3.11 we empty he our fulness Ephes. 1.23 Oh that the Lord would embrighten our eyes to behold some sparks of this glorious excellency and our happiness in beholding it that the eyes of our understanding being opened we might know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Ephes. 1.18 If our God should create for us as many worlds as we could number what were all these Creatures in comparison of the Creaâ—our a drop of a bucket or the dust of the ballance Isaâ— 40.15 He is the glorious Spouse of ouâ— souls but all the Creatures his servants and in him ours Let him therefore be the Covering of our eyes unto all that are with us and with all others Gen. 20.16 upon him let us fasten our sight with all admiration and burning affection but on them in comparison of him let us look as upon loss and dung Phil. 3.8 A chaste Spouse will respect her servants and behold them in their affliction with pitty in their wants with mercy in their diligence and service with a kind acceptation but in competition with her husband if they would presume to be Rivals in his love and sharers of her heart and his bed with disdain scorn and hatred Let us therefore stir up and quicken our dull hearts with some such meditation I. How is 't my soul that thou giv'st eyes their sight To view their objects yet hast none To see thine own Earths ayers Heav'ns beauties they discern their light Fair flowers admires their several dresses Their golden tresses The Lilly Rose the various Tulip scorning The pride of Princes in their choice adorning II. They joy to view the ayers painted Nations The Peacocks train which th' head out vies With fairer eyes And emulats the heav'nly constellations The Ostâ—ich whose â—air plume embraves Kings Captains Slaves The Halcions whose Triton-bills appease Curl'd waves and with their Eggs lay stormy seas III. Pilots fixt eyes observe the Artick Bear With all her unwasht Starry trains In Heav'nly plains Night-Travellers behold the Moon to steer Her Ship sailing while Eol raves Through cloudy waves Our less Worlds sunns with pleasure view the light Which gives all beauties beauty them their sight IV. Thou that giv'st â—ight to clay to blackness light How â—rt so dull so dimm in duty To view his beauty Who quickens every life lights every light His height those Eagles eyes surpasses Thou wants thy glasses Take up that Perspective and view those streams Oâ— light and fill thy waning Orb with beams V. Then see the flowers clad in his Liveries And from his cheek and lovely face Steal all their grace See Fouls from him borrow their braveries And all their feather-painted dresses From his fair tresses See Starrs and Moon the Sun and all perâ—ection Beg light and liâ—e from his bright eyes reâ—â—ection VI. Look on his lipps heav'ns gate there open lies Thence that grace-breathing Spirit blows Thence honey flowes Look on his hands the Worlds full treasuries Fix all thy looks his heart upon Loves highest Throne And when thy sight that radiant beauty bleâ—rs And dazels thy weak eyes see with thine ears CAP. XII When our hearts are set upon our voyage we shall meet with opposition many rocks and Sirens in our passage BUT in this way to our happiness we shall meet with much opposition we cannot steal such a Nuptial if we will needs be walking in this way of life he that hath the power of death will beat us with many storms assault us with many encounters before we can land in the arms of Christ and be bedded in his bosome That great enemy of man Satan swells with spite and envy to see us presented with such an offer and ready to embrace it and therefore in his inveterate malice will not cease to cross us as he can in this blessed match and high advancement It bursts his gall to see us contracted unto the Lord Iesus us poor worms his captivesâ— pluckt out of his chains and instantly drawâ— into a covenant of marriage with the Goâ— of Heaven to be admitted to such an union and fellowship instated in such a Jointure of divine glory and eternal happiness which he hath utterly lost Oh how can it but grate his heart and be another hell unto him who is so stuffed with malicious envy and envious malice against the Lord Iesus and his Spouse But as it is with those Locusts his venemous armie so is it with their Captain Rev. 9.19 His power is in his mouth and in his tail He is a Serpent more subtil than strong or strong only by subtilty His lying tongue and â—inful stinging tail is his mighty and almost only weapon Therefore in your passage to your Heavenly Spouse he sets many crafty Bauds and painted Harlots to lay wait for you at every corner Prov. 7.12 we have great need then to stand upon our watch and to set a strong and faithful guard at our gates our eyes ears c. lest as he beguiled Eve with his subtilty so he should corrupt our minds and inveigle us by those Strumpets whose hearts are nets and snares and whose hands bands Eccles. 7.26 That old Baud the world and her Pandar Satan have painted and drest up divers Harlots which attired in all deceitfulness of cunning allurements they present to our sight and so draw away the wandring heart and eye after lying vanities The Turks Saraglio is not so furnished with Concubines as this old Baud with filthy Stumpets some enticing the mind some the heart Of the former rank are numberless but beside those Triobolax and obsolete fit now to work only in gross darkness upon blind or mop-eyed creatures she hath newly trimmed up two notable Harlots The first is that State of Rome but so varied in unwonted tires so curiously painted by her last dresses the cunning Iesuits and turchest in new fashions that we have need of purged eyes and much intention to know her and to see her leprous hide plastered with fair colours The second is that daughter of old Pelagius which by abasing the grace of God in Gods election binding his choice to the works of men and advancing the power of man in mans election flattering him with false abilities of an unrenewed will perverts the right wayes of the Lord who hedging and walling us out of our wayesâ— and conducting us only in the way of
take up his Cross and follow him cannot be but very grievous and painful But Love is stronger than death Cant. 8.6 and hath power to sweeten all pain to overcome and triumph over all trouble and grievance The only reason why this way of Crosses is so tedious is because there is none or too little love to sweaten it Why can Saints rejoice in tribulation but because the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts Rom. 5.3 5. For if a little Sugar can sweeten the most bitter things which are decocted in it how much more shall that infinitely sweet love of God with great pleasure relish the most distastful usages of the world when they are digested in it How else did the Apostles rejoyce to suffer shame Act. 5.41 How did Paul take pleasure in reproaches necessities in persecutions distresses for Christs sake 2 Cor. 12.10 And yet what are these things which seem so intolerable to us Certainly had they not more frightfulness in our fancy than in their own nature they could not possibly appear so fearful Take out the worst of them and view them with a quiet and setled judgement and how will we laugh at our vain terrours Scorn derision and contempt of the world how strongly do they work on mens fancies or rather mens fancies on them Who knows not that story of Socrates who when he was contumeliously abused and kicked by a Ruffian and his friends in great anger and disdain asked him why he repayed not the injury soberly demanded what revenge they would prescribe him some counselled to serve a Writ upon him some to return the like and to kick him again He pointing to aâ— Asse not remote from him answered If that Asse had kicked me should I have sued him or vied kicks with him Even moral vertue could lift up this Heathen to such an height of Wisdome that looking down upon the bestiality of such persons he even scorned that the scorn and contempt of a creature so much inferiour should reach so high as to dethrone his reason and cast it down into a bruitish passion How much higher doth Christian wisdom mount up the heavenly spirit and enable it with contempt and pitty to look down upon scorn and scorners despising their insolencies and pittying their seduced and miserable persons as no way able to reach up to that peace which it hath received in Christ and to unsettle the quiet of a soul whose conversation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is already in Heavenâ— In a word all these injuries are but so many gemms in our crown God weighing out to us for these momentary sufferings an excelling excellent eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 May death and the grave the uttermost extent of worldly spite though it look grimm upon a carnal eye yet a spiritual can behold it as a dore of peace as rest in a bed Isa. 57.2 where we sleep in the bosome of Christ 1 Thes. 4.14 as upon an estate much better than life Philip. 1.23 Death to a Chriâ—tian is his his servant 1 Cor. 3.22 as Haman to Mordecai It may set up a gallowes â—egg us to execution but by the power and â—avour of the King of Kings is suffered nay â—ommanded to take us indeed but to divest â—s of our sackcloth our morning flesh Iob â—4 22 to cloath us with the Kings robe his â—â—ining righteousnes to mount us on his carâ—iages who rides on the Cherubims to crown â—s with the royal diadem and so to bring us â—â—to the eternal presence of the King of glory â—he truth is all that Christ asketh of us this â—ay is self denyal that emptying our selves â—f our selves and of all creatures that we â—ay be filled with him even with the fulness 〈◊〉 God oh what in this is to be feared if â—e fear not the height of our blessedness 3. The third dutie with he requires is â—â—at we should be intirely his and keep us â—â—ly unto him And this is nothing else but not to dishonour our selves by debasing our souls which he hath so ennobled to prostitute them to vile lusts and ignoble creatures to use all other things as servants and to enjoy him as our Lord. If a great Prince should set his heart upon some poor Country mayden crown her his Queen give her his subjects some to serve her in her chamber some in the kitchin and skullerie some in higher some in meaner offices what an abject baseness were it in her to take off her heart from such a Spouse and to set it upon some groom of her stable or one of the black-guard Certainly the heart which once hath tasted the kisses of the Lord Iesus is not only ravished with them but looks upon all creatures which are but our servants as dung see Cant. 1.2 Philip. 3.8 and knows well how infinitely it should be debauched by changing his least favour foâ— the highest love of the highest creatures 4. The last is obedience and service This also seems an hard condition to those who never knew what it was Libertie is very sweet How then should this be bitter whicâ— is the only libertie Gal. 5.1 the glorious libertie of the Sons of God Rom. 8.21 For 1. It is an easy nay an easing Yoke it takeâ— off all hateful Yokes and heavy burthens Isaâ— 9.4 10.27 It gives rest Matth. 11.29 Nothing commanded in this service but what the heart chuses loves freely does and delights in doing Psal. 119.45 97. 40.8 nothing but what we prefer before meat and drink Iob 23.12 But service is a great abasement Some service is more honourable than some command This obedience and service renders us Kings Exo. 19.5 6. All this service may be comprized in one word Reign Reign over thy lusts which fight against thy soul by subduing them reign over thy affections and actions by governing them in that royal law Iam. 2.8 In a word all his service is but â—oliness and holiness his likeness and our blessedness nothing but a double Heaven an Heaven within by Heavenly mindednes and â—n Heaven without by an Heavenly converâ—ation an Heaven on Earth by grace walkâ—ng with God and the Heaven of Heavens â—ereafter in glory reigning with God for â—ver Such our match such our conditions our â—oke is holiness and that the glory of God â—e is glorious in holiness Exo. 15.11 our â—oke fellow the most holy God the Prince of glory â—hus then plead with your own spirits and â—onfute the lying sophistry of deceitful flesh I. A grievous heavy Yoke bonds burthens cords Ungrateful Israel his happy reign Heaps plentie peacâ— mirth saâ—ety honour hords Lades you with gold is this your load your Lords Turns to your slaves are these the bonds yea playn Tunes groanes to songs is this your Yoke and chain Was wisest Solomon a Tyrant peace Uâ—grateful Israel thy â—alse grumbling cease Thy wealth his grievous bond his heavy Yoke thy peace II. Lord Solomon was but thy shadow he A peaceful Prince
our whole service to God is holiness This he frequently and straitly charges upon us Be holy as I am holy Lev. 44.45 As obedient children not fashioning your selves according to your former lusts in your ignorance But as he is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.14 15. It must be our daily work set work which we must continually ply and follow until it be perfect 2 Cor. 7.1 Much I desire if it please God to furnish me with means and you with parts to see you bred up in all humane literature that you may not be as too many a burthen only to others meer cyphars in the world to fill it up with idle numbers but much more do I longue to see you trained up in the School of Christ to be taught of him as the truth is in Iesus To put off the old man corrupt in lusts and to be renewed in the Spirit of your mind and that ye put on the new man which is created in righteousness and true holiness Eph. 4.21 22 23 24. Reason gives you a formal difference from other creatures and the polishing of it by humane learning will distinguish you from other almost brutish men but religion and pietie only maketh you Christians perfect and blessed Should I say you cannot be complete men without holiness it might seem a paradox to carnal wisdom but is a sure truth of Gods wisdom For if Philosophie will teach you that a man is a reasonable creature Theologie will assure you that man was an holy creature framed after the likeness of God without which likeness he is not perfect according to his creation It is an amiable sight to behold a mind beautified with all the lovely Ideas of humane knowledg and framed into a pleasant Garden where all the various flowers of earthly literature are planted rooted and fairly flourish But oh what a glorious Paradâ—se is that spirit of man which is grafted with all those fruitful trees of Life It is even Gods garden of pleasure in which his soul delighteth What an Heaven is that soul where all those glorious stars of Prophets and Apostles are fasten'd in the understanding and the Throne of God set up in the heart where the Lord Iesus reigns attended by all Saintly thoughts and Heavenly graces Now that you may willingly nay joyfully yield up your spirits to be this Paradise and third Heaven where God will dwell work and reign let me shew you in briefâ— 1. What holiness is 2. How excellent 3. How necessary For the 1. As it is very easy for us to know the picture if it be well drawn when we are throughly acquainted with the person whose picture it is so it will not be difficult to know what holiness is in man when we are informed what it is in God â— because this holiness in us is nothing else but the image and likeness of the divine holiness Holiness in God is that substantial and incomprehensible purity of the divine nature whereby he is wholly averse from all sinful filthiness and infinitly adverse to all filthiness of sin He is a God of pure eyes that cannot behold evil that cannot look on iniquity Hab. 1.13 nay in this respect he is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 to Hypocrites and sinâ—ers a devouring fire and everlasting burnings â— Isa. 33.14 Answerable in our measure iâ— mans holiness For we are pure as he is pure 1 Ioh. 3.3 In man therefore holiness is that essential property of pureness whereby he is averse from all sinful uncleanness nay contrary to all impuritie of sin 1. Essential I call it only in that respect as being the form differencing the true Christian from other men the spiritual from the carnal And as in that gold with was dedicated for the work of the Temple the form or shape of the golden Cherubims was essential to that piece distinguishing it from the Candlestick snuffers c. framed of the same matter so this renewing of the Spirit of our mind which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness howsoever it be not of the substance either of body or soul yet is it essential to the new man or faithful Christian and of his being by which he is a new creature Secondly this purity or divine nature of man consists of an averse nay adverse disposition to sinful uncleanness It flieth the corruption which is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1.4 hating it Rom. 7.15 loathing the garment stained with it Jude 23. nay themselves polluted with it Ezek. 20.43 And no sooner is this new life brought forth in man but instantly it stands as adverse to sin as life to death accounting it to be as indeed it is nay so feeling and accordingly hating it as death Rom. 7.24 a most cursed wretched divelish hellish death 2. Secondly the excellencie of holiness will clearly appear in this that it is in man Gods likeness To be like the Creatour is the highest pitch of honour to which the most aspiring ambition of the creature can look To be above God cannot enter into a reasonable thought As that excellent Father August so reason will testifie that every creature will contend for the excellencie of God and caâ—not conceive God to be a substance than which any can be better To be equal to God and independent may be the ambition of the divel his Son Antichrist or some transported with the like folly and furie which yet ordinary reason will manifestly evince can never be attained but to be like to God is the supreme honour of the creature and is not only possible to be obtained but obvious to Christians God himself proffering inviting nay intreating us to receive it And surely if any thing in God could be more excellent than other holiness were it For man verily swears by the greater but because God could not swear by a greater he swore by himself Heb. 6.13 16. but when he chuseth out any particular Attribute in himself to swear by it it is constantly his holiness See Psal. 60.6 18.35 Amo. 4.2 Holiness in God is his face and beautie frequently termed the beautie of holiness Psal. 110.3 which the faithful soul most longues after Psal. 90.17 and God stamps upon his beloved Ezek. 16.14 And as in excellent substances their excellence consists in their puritie when they are simple and unmixt with baser natures Thus in corporal substances gold the more pure the more precious and in spiritual only the pure Angels not the impure are glorious so certainly in God his holiness being the puritie of the divine essence is the glory of it He is glorious in holiness Exo. 15.11 a glory farr surpassing all thought or possibilitie of admiration in which regard those blessed Spirits which stand in his presence omitting other excellencies but ravished with the glorious beautie of his holiness cry out in heavenly ecstaâ—ies Holy Holy Holy Lord God! the whole Earth is full of his glory
seen they hate Ioh. 15.24 and all that he loves or love him all his members Mar. 13.13 though they be their own flesh and that even to death Lukâ— 21.16 17. Excellently is this condition expressed in that metaphor wherein carnal men are called spots and blemishes 2 Pet. 2.13 A wicked Father or Childe a wicked Husband or wife a wicked Master or Servant is a spot in a familie a wicked Governour or Subject a spot in the Common wealth a wicked Minister or Professour a spot and blemish in the Church And as a spot or blemish is nothing but filthiness or a filthy nothing so is every man in his corrupted nature 2. Man in the first Adam is a child of the Divel Ioh. 8.44 and a very Divel in flesh Ioh. 6.70 Satan a filthy spirit but he filthy in flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 he a captive of the Divel 2 Tim. 2.26 a servant to sin which is the very dung of Satan Rom. 6.17 fetter'd in the very bond of it Act. 8.23 servant to corruption 2 Pet. 2.19 and to divers lusts Tit. 3.3 the hand serves one the eye another the ear a third the heart a thousand He is even cut out and mangled into a base and cursed slaverie Now the servant is more base than the Master Take good notice therefore of this estate of man Lust is the servant of Satan man the servant of lust the Divels servants servant Sin the corruption and dung of Satan man the servant of sin and corruption In a word a carnal man is the prey of Satan devoured by that roaring Lion who hath digested him into filthiness of flesh and spirit and hell the draught into which he is purged Thus then think in your hearts I. Ayeâ— oâ— her selâ— is dark and hath no light But what Heaven lends her and when angry skies Call in their debt she sinks in dungeon night Nay while she borrowes light oâ—t foggâ— arise Or storms and filch by stealth or rob by might Her lone her day in youth or childhood dies But while the present Suns with conquering ray Dispel the shades and their strong beams display She sparkles all with light and broider'd gold-array II. Such now is Man inform void empty dark A Chaos dungeon grave a starless night Rake all his ashes up ther 's not a spark To tine quencht life or kindle buried light And what he steals from others empty shark Hell with his mists depraves so robbs him quite But when his Life and Light shines in his eyes In him he lives as he and never dies Glittring in light divine he heaven stars Sun out-vies III. For as in earthly sight the bodies eye To the object bent is like the object â—orm'd So when the soul turn'd to the Deitiâ— Receives hiâ— likâ—ness it is soon tranâ—form'd To what it sees death hell and darkness â—â—y And all the spirit to Light and Liâ—â— conform'd Soul of my soul draw my souls eyes to thee Set them upon thy face make me to be By seeing Life and Light the Light and Liâ—e I see You have seen what you are in the first Adam look now on the other side of this picture and see what you may be in the second CAP. XXI Man in Christ is above other men and all creatures next the Creatour IN our selves we are 1. Dead a meer privative a nothing 2. Dead in sin meer corruption corruption of Hell what we are or may be in Christ now consider We are quickned together with Christ. Christ is that overflowing Fountain by whose fulness of grace our empty chanels are not only 1. Scoured from that choking mire which stops all passages but 2. Stored with the water of life with the fulness of God see Hab. 2.14 Eph. 3.19 But how are we quicken'd with Christ raised and sit together in heavenly places with him Eph. 2.6 Not only virtually as the fruit lies in the seed or root but in some kind actually As in the first fruits the whole field and in the Cake of the first dough the whole lump was sanctified and an actual blessing conveyed in it so Christ being raâ—sed is the first frâ—its of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15.20 the first Cake of the new lump 1 Cor. 5.7 and in him even actually in a kind are they quickened who are yet unborn As a wife or child takes possession of that land in the husband or Father which he hath purchased in their name Hence we evidently see first that the only life of man by which he is a Câ—ristian a blessed creature nay indeed by which he is a right man is not that natural and fading but this spiritual and eternal life which we have in Christ hence called the life of God Eph. 4.18 begotten by God Jam. 1.18 the life of Christ 2 Cor. 4.10 he our life Col. 3.4 and liveth in us Gal. 2.20 and the life of the Spirit he gives it 2 Cor. 3.6 And as the vegetative life of plants the sensitive life of beasts the rational life of man is nothing elss but the Act of such a soul giving the creature such a being and enabling it unto such actions so the divine and spiritual life is nothing else but that Aâ—â— of Gods Spirit dwelling in man and giving him a spiritual being a divine nature and enabling to spiritual and Godly actions or to use the Scripture phrase to live and walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 whereby we live in God and to God see Rom. 8.9 10. Gal. 2.20 1 Joh. 5.11 12. For without question the true life of man differs from all other life in inferiour or contrary creatures but in this natural life the faculties and actions of it man differs not from plants in growth from beasts in sense from wicked spirits in reason That form then which gave man his difference doubtless was that Image of God in which he was created perfect by the loss of which he lost the perâ—ection and truth of humane nature He therefore that hath no other but this natural life is but an half-man hath little or nothing of a man but is partly a beast in respect of sense partly a Divel in regard of his perverted and distorâ—ed reason 2. Secondly here we may easily observe that howsoever a carnal man glisters in carnal eyes honoured admired yet is he a very Abject and the skumm of the creatures so a spiritual man contrary though he seem a base thing in the eye of the world and more base in his own a reproch of men and scorn of the people Psal. 22.6 yet is he indeed the most noble and excellent creature in the world and next the great Creatour Hence the Saints in terms are called the Excellent Psal. 16.3 preferred in their excellencie before others whatsoever are their earthly advancements The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour Prov. 12.26 28.6 This is Heavens this is Gods Heraldry Now are they Sons of God and Heirs apparent 1 Joh. 3.1 But because their