Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	child_n	kingdom_n	little_a	10,781	5	6.9696	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02741	Tvvo treatises I. The purchase of Grace, shewing the excellency of Christ, and the graces of his spirit. II. The soules delight in Gods tabernacles, shewing the excellency of time, spent in duties of God's solemne service. Instances in the chiefe, viz. prayer, word, and sacraments. Motives and directions for right performance. Lastly, the chiefe usurpers of time discovered, with apt remedies against each of them. The contents of the booke are methodically exprest in the margent, which to the diligent reader may serve instead of a table. By William Harrison, Mr. of Arts, and minister of the Gospell at Canwicke neare Lincolne.	Harrison, William, minister at Canwick.	1639 (1639)	STC 12871; ESTC S103879	208,196	400

every Nation not he that is rich and full of gold and silver but he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him See here that righteousnesse and the true feare of God are farre better then gold and silver in this respect Indeed among men riches prevaile much gold and silver are in great esteeme for men looke onely upon the outward appearance but the Lord seeth not as man seeth but beholdeth the heart if that be well qualified there is hope of acceptance with God but otherwise all the gold and silver in the world will not doe it 1 Sam. 16. 6. 7. Lastly A man may have great store of gold and silver and yet perish eternally and loose his soule for ever but so cannot he doe that hath true saving grace as faith and such like and persevereth therein unto the end He that beleeveth shall never perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3. 16. As he that beleeveth not is condemned alreadie so he that truely beleeveth shall never be condemned but hath alreadie passed from death to life Oh the precious excellency of saving grace in this regard it saveth the soule Heb. 10. last We are not of them that draw backe to perdition but of them that beleeve to the saving of the soule What were a man better if he had all the gold and silver in the world if he loose his soule according to that of our Saviour Mat. 16. 26. What is a man profited if he should gaine the whole world and loose his own soule as the rich Glutton Luk. 16. and the Churle Luk. 12. 19 20. but God sayd unto him Thou foole this night shall they fetch away thy soule and then what art thou the better for all thy gold and silver c But rather giving all diligence adde to thy faith vertue and to thy vertue knowledge c. for so an entrance shall be made unto thee exceeding abundantly into the everlasting kingdome of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 5. with v. 11. Grace therefore is farre better then gold also in this respect it is able to save a soule from death and cover a multitude of sinnes Jam. 5. 20. Secondly Is true saving grace so fitly resembled unto gold This sheweth the worth and excellency of all true Christians such as have store of true saving grace they are the excellent upon earth Psal. 16. 3. In a word they are golden persons they weare cloth of gold for their apparell their cloathing is of wrought gold Psal. 45. 13. they are even golden persons Job 23. 10. He knoweth the way that I take and when he hath tryed me I shall come forth like gold golden Job So that in these cases most true is that of Salomon Prov 12. 26. The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour I tell you there is as much difference as betweene gold and drosse Psal. 119. 119. Thou shalt cast away the wicked like drosse Drosse is scarce good enough for the dunghill when the gold is layd up in the chest So that in this case it is evident that every godly poore man is better then any ungodly rich man whatsoever See upon what ground and warrant I speake it Pro. 28. 6. Better is the poore that walketh in his integritie then he that is perverse in his wayes although he be rich there is as much difference betweene them as betweene the chaffe and the wheat Psal. 1. 3. and what is the chaffe to the wheat sayth the Prophet Ier. 23. 20. Yea as betweene gold tryed in the fire and drosse golden David though in the poore barren wildernesse but drossie Nabal though in rich and plenteous Carmel drossie Dives but golden because godly Lazarus By this we see who are the noblest and richest persons in the world even they that are most godly and religious Grace ma●eth a man more precious then gold even more precious then the golden wedge of Ophir Isa. 13. 12. Gods people are precious persons they are even the Lords jewels Mal. 3. 17. And they shall be mine sayth the Lord in the day that I make up my Jewels Seest thou a man that feareth God that hath true saving grace thou mayest say oh there goeth a jewell of God a golden person there is a soule worth gold yea farre more precious So that the estate of Gods people is farre more glorious if well considered then the estate of the wicked how full of pompe and bravery soever they may seeme to be Give me leave to shew you this briefly in foure particulars 1. They come of farre more glorious and golden parentage they have the God of heaven and earth for their Father Matth. 6. 9. they can truely say as Isa. 63. 16. Doubtlesse th●u art our Father though Abraham know us not and Israel be ignorant of us yet thou art our Father But as for the wicked it is not so with them they come of base and unworthy parentage their Father is an Amorite and their mother is an Hittite yea worse then so they are children of wrath yea children of Sathan the Devill is their father see how expresly Christ himselfe doth avouch this to the Jewes Ioh. 8. 44. Ye are of your father the Devill and the lusts of your father ye will doe But oh the golden parentage of such as are religious and beleeve in Christ To them he giveth power to become the Sonnes of God which are borne not of flesh and blood nor of the will of man but of God Joh. 1. 11 12 13. Even Christ himselfe and all true beleevers have all but one Father the father of our Lord Iesus Christ is also the father of all true beleevers Marke that sweet speech of our Saviour immediately before his ascension But goe and tell my brethren behold I ascend unto my Father and your Father and unto my God and your God Ioh. 20. 17. So that Gods people are most noble persons because they come of most noble parentage 2. They are borne to a farre better inheritance then any ungodly person whatsoever they have a golden inheritance they are the members of Christ and children of God and inheritours of the kingdome of heaven whereas all ungodly persons they have but worldly and earthly houses and inheritances unlesse they repent they can never inherite the kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6. 9. But oh the blessed inheritance that is reserved for such as are godly and religious they inherite no lesse then a kingdome Luk. 12. 32. Feare not little flocke for it is my Fathers pleasure to give you a kingdome yea a kingdome which they have by inheritance as being the co-heires with Christ Mat. 25. 34. Come ye blessed children of my Father inherite the kingdome which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world It is a most excellent inheritance 1 Pet. 1. 3. 4. Blessed be God c. which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope c.

seales of righteousnesse In what esteeme have we the Word faithfully read and preached which is called The Word of Gods grace Acts 20. 32. And now brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build you up farther c. He that is carelesse and disregardfull of this can have little assurance of the worke of true grace being wrought in his heart They are scarce new borne that love not the meanes and instruments of their new birth or regeneration Looke upon all those golden persons recorded in Scripture and you shall finde what a singular affection they have ever borne to the Word read and preached Iob esteemed it more then his necessary foode Iob 23. 12. Ieremiah saith It was to him the very joy and rejoycing of his heart Ier. 15. 16. and David's affection in this case was admirable and extraordinary Oh how I love thy law It is my meditation continually Psalme 119. 97. It was dearer to him then thousands of gold and silver sweeter then honey and the honey combe c. So that hee that despiseth God's holy Ordinances and the meanes which God hath appointed for the begetting and increasing of true grace in the hearts of his people out of doubt he hath not the spirit of David in him hee is rather empty and destitute of the golden graces of Gods Spirit then filled with the fruits of righteousnesse Let us therefore try our selves impartially and faithfully by these signes that wee have heard that we may be assured the gold of grace which we have or seeme to have is true gold and not counterfeit and such as will deceive us You that finde your selves stored with this precious commodity blesse God for it and bee thankefull for true saving grace is like Gold tryed in the fire pure and precious And thus much shall serve for the first point CHAP. V. Containing t●e second generall point ANd so I come to the second point which is to be observed in these words sc. this That the gold of true saving grace is the onely way and meanes to make us truly and spiritually rich Buy of me gold that thou mayest be rich saith our Saviour Loe here the chiefe way and meanes to become truly and spiritually rich this is durable riches and righteousnesse saith the Wise man Proverbs 3. 15. Yea true grace is the meanes to make a man rich towards God it is the speech of our Saviour Luke 12. 21. So is he that gathereth riches for himselfe and is not rich towards God where we see that it is possible for a man to be plentifully furnished with worldly riches and yet bee a poore man in the Lords account 2. That true saving grace is a Iewell of such excellent and precious worth that it is able to make a man rich towards God truly and spiritually rich indeed And there is also great reason for it For 1. Because true saving grace doth entitle a man to the Lord Iesus Christ with all his inestimable wealth and riches 1 Cor. 3. 21 22. where speaking to such as were religious and had true grace he saith All is yours whether it bee Paul or Apollos or Cephas c. All is yours and yee are Christ's and Christ is God's Yea the very unsearchable riches of Christ doe belong to such as have true saving grace Ephes. 3. 8. Oh the unsearchable riches of Christ ô the infinite fulnesse of grace that is in Christ In him dwelleth the fulnesse of the God-head bodily yea there is all fulnesse in Christ for ever in him it dwelleth Colos. 1. 19. Now all this belongeth directly to such as feare God and are truly religious Of his fulnesse wee have all received and grace for grace Iohn 1. 14. Yea the Lord Iesus Christ became poore on purpose to make us truly rich 2 Cor. 8. 9. Yee know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who though he was rich yet for your sakes hee became poore that wee through his poverty might become rich saith the Apostle He that hath speciall interest in Christ with all his riches must needs be most truly and spiritually rich but he that hath true saving grace hath this speciall interest in the unsearchable riches of Christ and therefore such an one must needs be most truly and spiritually rich 2. He that hath true saving grace hath the God of heaven for his portion Now how can he be poore that hath such a portion This is the very case of every man that hath true saving grace sc. that hee hath the God of heaven for his portion Lament 3. 24. The Lord is my portion saith my soule therefore will I hope in him So Psalme 16. 5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup where we see that such as have true grace have the Lord himselfe for their portion yea they may be assured that he is so Psal. 142. 5. I cryed unto the Lord and said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living He that is assured in his soule that he hath the God of heaven and earth for his portion is most truely and spiritually rich even towards God But he that hath true saving grace may be assured that hee hath the God of heaven and earth for this portion and such a man is most truly and spiritually rich Thirdly this precious gold of true saving grace doth entitle a man to heaven for his inheritance Hee that hath true grace may be sure when he dyeth he shall goe to heaven 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know that when this earthly house of this tabernacle shall bee dissolved we have a building of God not made with hands eternall in the heavens Hence is that speech of the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ c. which hath begotten us againe to an inheritance immortall and undefiled that fadeth not away c. To the same purpose is that speech of our Saviour Matth. 25. 34. Come yee blessed children of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world This is the very case of every man that truly feareth God and hath true saving grace they are the members of Christ the children of God and inheritors of the kingdome of heaven observe it Psalm 24. 3 4. Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord and who shall dwell in his holy place who shall bee a member of the Church militant on earth and also a member of the Church Triumphant in heaven He that hath cleane hands and a pure heart c. See here the description of that man that hath interest in heaven for his inheritance So also Revel 22. 14. Blessed are they that doe his Commandements for they shall enter in through the gates into the City sc. of the New Jerusalem c. Yea how poore or despicable soever their condition and outward estate may

abuse of the Kings broad seale extendeth to his Majesty Secondly There is none of us but may receive much good by this Sacrament of Baptisme whensoever it is administred if the fault be not in our selves for hereby we shall not onely testifie our due respect to Gods Ordinance and consequently to his owne Majestie but besides hereby we shall be put in minde of our owne Baptisme and our participation in this blessed Sacrament and of those admirable benefits which we then received as sc. the remission of our sins our spirituall new-birth and regneration being borne of water and of the Holy Ghost Ioh. 3. 5. Yea hereby we become the members of Christ the children of God and inheritours of the kingdome of heaven as we have it in our Catechisme And how can we be put in minde of these benefits without being in some measure stirred up unto praise and thankfulnes for the same when we have such a lively commemoration of our being ingrafted into the body of Christ and of our originall sins being washed away in the bloud of Christ Now if any wonder or thinke it strange how any such benefits should hereby be conveyed unto us let him consider that Gods ordaining of any thing doth make it effectuall to the end for which it is appointed although in it selfe it seeme never so improbable or wholly impossible See 2 Kings 5. Naaman the Syrian comming to the Prophet to be cured of his leprosie he sendeth him to wash seven times in Iordan and he should be cleansed this seemed a very incredible thing in the eyes of this great man goe wash in Iordan here a likely course to cure a man of his leprosie if washing in a river would have served the turne I need never to have come hither for saith he Are no Abanah and Pharpar rivers of Damascus better then all the waters of Israel c. and so he began to goe his way in a rage saith the Text verse 12. yea and if some of his servants had not better considered of the matter hee had gone backe againe as uncleane as he came for say they My father if the Prophet had bidden thee doe some great matter wouldest thou not have done it How much more when he saith unto thee Wash and be cleane What hurt can it doe thee if thou wash in Iordan Besides it may happily prevaile beyond all expectation And see the sequell ver 14. He went downe and dipped himselfe seven times in Iordan according to the saying of the Man of God and his flesh came againe like unto the flesh of a little childe and hee was cleane So let no man say What likely-hood or probability is there that the washing or besprinkling the face of an Infant with baptisme should bee the instrument of regeneration Or that a bit of bread and a small sup of wine should be of such admirable efficacy as to make us partakers of Christ with all his merits For certainely the Ordinances of GOD make a thing admirably effectuall above and beyond all imagination What an admirable passage to this purpose is that which we have Numbers 21. 9. Where being stung with fiery Serpents in the Wildernesse God commandeth them as a remedy that they should make a Serpent of brasse and set it upon a Pole Now in the eye of carnall reason this was an unlikely thing to doe any good at all and yet the Text sheweth how admirably effectuall it was so that he that could looke towards the brasen Serpent was healed immediatly and so whosoever can look at Christ with an eye of faith in his Ordinances shal surely be healed So that here is the first benefit that we may receive and the ground of it Secondly So often as we see this Ordinance of Baptisme administred so often we may be put in minde of our duty and the solemne vow and promise that we made to God in that Sacrament sc. that wee would forsake the Devill and all his works c. and that we would believe in God and keepe his Commandements and so approve our selves to be Christs faithful servants and Souldiers unto our lives end And is it not of singular use to bee put in minde of our duty And how can we choose but remember it when we see and heare the like nay the same vow and promise made to God in the behalfe of another This is another speciall benefit Thirdly Hereby we may be put in mind of that which we undertake as solemne Witnesses in the behalfe of our God-children or our children in God that so we may put them in minde of what we promised for them and see that they be vertuously brought up and to this end call upon them to heare Sermons c. all which all promise but few performe This will minde us of this duty Fourthly and lastly Hereby we have a fit opportunity of performing a good office in respect of the present infant baptized sc. to pray unto God for it that it may be made a lively member of Christ a true child of God and hereafter an inheritour of the kingdome of heaven In which respect it would be a good point of wisedome in Parents if they would provide as much as may be that their children may be baptized on the Sunday or holy day for solemne assembly of Gods people that by this meanes their children may have the benefit of the joynt prayers of the whole Congregation Secondly The excellency of the other Sacrament of the Lords Supper and the benefits which we receive thereby is another strong motive to perswade us not only to delight in the exercises of Gods publike worship and service our selves but also to exhort and stirre up others hereunto For this blessed Sacrament doth fitly succeed and follow after the former for first we live and then we are nourished So that as the Sacrament of Baptisme is a Sacrament of initation or implantation into Christ So the other is a Sacrament of our continuance and growth in Christ. By the first the life of grace is begun and by the second continued or preserved in us This also is an Ordinance of Christ's owne instituting for the Apostle telleth us expresly that he received it of the Lord Iesus who the same night that he was betrayed tooke bread c. So that this blessed Sacrament is no lesse excellent then the former let us as in the former consider what benefits wee may receive so often as this Sacrament is celebrated among us and received of us 1. Hereby the Lord Iesus Christ with all his precious and soule-saving merits are graciously offered unto all and bestowed effectually upon the soules of all worthy receivers a matter that is fitter to be admired and faithfully believed then curiously disputed for the manner of it this is enough for our satisfaction to believe according to the doctrine of our Church that by the Bread and Wine in the

thus wee are children of wrath and in the state of nature as the Apostle sheweth Ephes. 2. 3. All the while wee live thus we can looke for nothing but the wrath of God to come upon us as it doth upon the children of disobedience as the Apostle speakes Ephesians 5. 6. The wrath of God is even revealed from heaven against such Romans 1. 18. See a notable place for this purpose in Romans 2. 8 9. But unto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse marke the condition of all such indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doth evill upon the Iew first c. See here the estate of such as spend time in the devils service instead of Gods Secondly Consider that all such have cause to feare that God will deny to helpe and succour them when they stand in the most need of it and seeke for it with greatest earnestnesse If I regard wickednesse in my heart God will not heare my prayer saith David Psalme 66. 18. Yea we know that God heareth not sinners saith the blind man Iohn 9. 31. and therefore if God doe not heare wicked mens prayers in their extremities but lets them perish in their sinnes it is not for want of power or mercy in God but onely for want of piety and repentance in them according to that excellent place which wee have to this purpose in Isa. 59. 1 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save neither is his eare heavie that he cannot heare where is the fault then that you shall see in the next verse verse 2. But your iniquities have separated betweene you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that he cannot heare Oh the wofull estate of all such as cry unto God in their extremities and are nothing at all regarded Yea God hath told them already that hee will not heare them observe it Proverbs 1. 28 29. Then shall they call c. that is in their extremity but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not finde mee because they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. Yea the Lord hath sent them word before hand that he will not helpe them Iob 8. 20. Behold God will not cast away a perfect man neither will hee helpe the evill doers saith the Text there O the wofull estate of all such when sicknesse comm●n or troubles come or death then they are glad to cry out Helpe Lord or else I am damned for ever Not I may the Lord say I will helpe no evill doers such as you are and therefore thou art now like to perish and dye in thy sinnes Iohn 8. 20. Yea the Lord is so farre from regarding the prayers of such people in such cases that he rather refuseth them see upon what warrant I speake it Proverbs 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord. The sacrifice what is that Surely his prayers as appeareth by the Antithesis in that place for so it followeth But the prayer of the upright is his delight God hateth and abhorreth the prayers of all such as live in their sinnes and hate to be reformed Hee that turneh away his eare from hearing the Law even that mans prayer shall be an abomination saith the Wiseman Prov. 28. 9. O wofull estate If men had but eyes to see it and hearts to consider it aright the Lord takes no pleasure in the very best services which they can doe him And no marvell for in the third place So long as men live in their sinnes without repentance and spend time in the Devils service instead of Gods there is a direct and an expresse enmity betweene God and them If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne saith the Apostle Romans 5. 10. Yea especially those that live and goe on in their sinnes have just cause to be assured of this and that they shall smart for it accordingly See a place or two to this purpose Psalme 37. 20. But the wicked shall perish why so surely because they are Gods enemies And the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of Lambes easily melted into smoke shall they consume away Where we see first that the wicked are Gods enemies Secondly that they shall consume away like smoke and the fat of Lambes So in that Psalme for the Sabbath Psalme 92. 9. For lo thine enemies O Lord lo thine enemies shall perish and who are they that yee shall see in the same verse All the workers of iniquity shall bee scattered where we see both the description and the condition of wicked men They are Gods enemies there is their description dissipation and perishing there is their condition But above all to this purpose is that of Psalme 68. 21. God will surely wound the head of his enemies and the hairie scalpe of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses O consider this ye that forget God and live in your sinnes lest God teare you in peeces and there be none to deliver you Psal. 50. 22. What estate can be more dangerous then an estate of enmity against God The adversaries of the Lord shall bee broken in peeces out of heaven shall be thunder upon them saith Hannah Samuel's Mother 1 Samuel 2. 10. Mee thinkes I have said enough if effectuall to afright men out of their service of sinne and Sathan especially if I shall adde but one thing more which shall be the fourth and the last remedy that I purpose to propound Fourthly Therefore consider that the devill is the worst master that any man can serve and giveth the most wofull and accursed wages What baser Master then the devill that great red Dragon Revelations 12. 12. That roaring Lion that goeth about continually seeking whom he may devoure A murtherer from the very beginning Iohn 8. 44. and the most damnable liar that ever was yea the very father thereof What baser Master then the Devill Yea and see what base wages he giveth Romans 6. 23. For the wages of sinne is death spirituall temporall and eternall both the first and the second death They that spend time in the devils service must goe to hell with the Devill for company Psalme 9. 17. The wicked shall be turned into hell and all that forget God They are utterly deceived that thinke to live like devils upon earth and yet for all that become glorious Saints in heaven when they dye that thinke they shall get into the new Ierusalem hereafter without being New Creatures for the present No no God hath revealed the contrary already as is evident Revel 22. 14 15. Blessed are they that doe his Commandements that spend time in Gods service for they shall enter in through the gates into the City of the new Ierusalem But without shall be dogges and Inchanters and Whoremongers and

a foole to doe wickedly saith Salomon Prov. 10. 23. To take pleasure in swearing in excessive drinking or making others drunke or pernicious and uncivill jestings this mirth is wholly earthly sensuall and devilish this is like him of whom Salomon in Prov. 26. 19 20. that casteth firebrands arrowes and death and saith Am I not in sport Here is wofull sport Bee sure thy delights be lawfull and honest Secondly Seasonable If never so lawfull yet if they be followed unseasonably they are deadly and dangerous Bowleing shooting leaping these are lawfull in themselves but these may be made unlawfull if used unseasonably that is in time of divine Service or Sermon on the Lords day Here is Wine turned into Vinegar or in time of any publike calamity when Gods Church is in misery This was their fault in Amos his dayes They dranke wine in bowles c. but did not regard the affliction of Ioseph Amos 6. 6. So Isaiah 22. 12. In that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and mourning c. and behold joy and gladnesse slaying Oxen and killing Sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine These were things lawfull in themselves but unseasonable now because at this time God called for the contrary This is the second rule or Remedy Thirdly Moderate and sober and not excessive when wee are even too much bent upon pleasures and set our hearts upon them continually Here was the Rich mans fault that hee fared deliciously every day Luke 16. 19. when we love pleasures more than God when wee spend more time in carnall delights then in the duties of Gods service nay can finde no time to give over Some spend day by day in pleasures like their resolution in Isa. 56. 12. Come ye say they I will fetch wine and we will fill our selves with strong drinke and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant This was excessive Fourthly And therefore the fourth and last Remedy consisteth in holy meditation concerning the vanity and danger of carnall delights if followed immoderately To withdraw our affections from them consider 1. The vanity and vacuity of these delights and pleasures especially if wee seeme to place our happinesse and felicity in the enjoyment of them they cannot satisfie the minde of man but the more he doteth upon them the lesse hee findeth in them See what Salomon pronounceth of them all when he had sifted them to the bottome All is vanity and vexation of spirit That which he saith of silver is as true of pleasures He that loveth them especially too well shal not be satisfied with them Eccles. 5. 10. See what the Holy Ghost pronounceth of all worldly things and consequently of carnall and worldly pleasures Isa. 55. Wherefore doe ye spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not These cannot satisfie nor bring any true content with them But as in case of a burning fever the poore thirsty creature cryeth out for a cup of cold water but the cup is scarce gone from his mouth when he cryeth out for more as being more enflamed and farre more thirstie then before so it is with these carnall pleasures they doe bewitch us so that the more wee enjoy them the more we dote upon them Let us stay and moderate our selves this way with this consideration He that thinketh to satisfie himselfe with carnall delights may as well take in hand to fill a sive with water which would bee an endlesse labour Secondly If they could satisfie which they cannot doe yet dote not upon them because they are so fickle uncertaine and momentany Alas they are but for a season they betake them to their wings like riches and flye away as an Eagle towards Heaven they are of a fading nature and a perishing condition they endure but for a season That made wise Moses care little for them and so lightly to esteeme them preferring the afflictions of Gods people before them Heb. 11. 25. Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season Thirdly Consider how hurtefull and dangerous Carnall mirth doth ever end in heavinesse and bitternesse Woe unto you that laugh now saith our Saviour for yee shall wayle and weepe Luke 6. 25. i. e. Hearken to this yee merry blades that spend all your dayes in mirth and jollity you will have one day the heaviest hearts of any people under heaven in the meane time it stealeth away the heart Like as continuall whetting spendeth time and spoyleth the sithe so excessive sporting spoyleth the minde indisposeth to good and maketh a man even a prey to his lusts and to Sathan yea and we may assure our selves that it will be bitternesse in the later end for it is sure to end in heavinesse either of godly sorrow if we doe repent or of desperate griese and sorrow in hell lest thou mourne at last saith Salomon Prov. 5. 11. when thy flesh and body are consumed c. So Iob 21. 13. They spend their dayes in wealth or in mirth saith the margent And in a moment goe downe to hell A fearefull end a wofull conclusion Sixth chiefe Let or impediment is vaine speeches which the Apostle fitly calleth tatling and speaketh of it as a fault somewhat worse than idlenesse and a thing most incident unto Women 1 Tim. 5. 13. And not only idle but tatlers also and busie bodies which is the babling out of vaine and frothie speeches the prosecuting of an idle tale which hath neither head nor foote This is a very great consumer of much precious time and a great impediment The Remedies whereof consist partly in Meditation Practice 1. Consider that God Almighty is a most curious observer and an exact eare-witnesse of all our speeches We cannot so much as whisper a thing even secretly but the Lord taketh notice of it See an excellent speech of David for this purpose Psalme 139. 3 4. Thou art acquainted with all my wayes for there is not a word in my tongue but loe ô Lord thou knowest it altogether Had we not need to take heed what we speake as well as what we doe for the Lord hearkeneth and lendeth a listning eare to all our speeches whether they bee right or wrong Ier. 8. 6. I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented himselfe of his owne wickednesse saying What have I done That as God heareth so he will call us to a strict account for our very speeches for God will not only bring every worke but also every idle word into judgment Mat. 12. 36. But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speake they shall give an account thereof at the day of judgement For by thy words thou shalt bee justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Secondly Keepe not only thy heart but