While we below groan at our Ichabod Vnder his burned Church his body lies But shall it self a Glorious Temple rise May his kinde Flock when a new Church they make Call it St. Edmundsbury for his sake Mr. Caryls PALM-TREE CHRISTIAN THe wicked and the righteous those two divide the world The wicked flourish as the grass they spring but they shall spring but like grass which quickly withers The Righteous shall flourish but how not like the grass but like the Palm-tree He shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon The Palm-tree is an excellent Tree and often the praises of God are resembled by it This Tree grows in the purest soil It will not grow in filthy places in dungy places but it loves a very pure soil The Righteous are planted in Christ they grow in Christ and they grow in the Church they are planted in the House of God not in the World the unclean polluted World which lies in wickedness and smells like a Dung-hill The Palm-Trees Branches grow all upward there 's none grow out of the side as other Trees The Righteous their affections are set upon things above they grow up Heaven-ward They do not shoot out their Branches this way or that way to the World The Palm-Tree is always green green in Winter as well as Summer It doth not cast its Leaf nor fade The Righteous hold-up their Profession in Summers Prosperity and in the very Winter of Adversity The Palm-Tree it is a Tree that is full of Fruit good Fruit pleasant Fruit sweet Fruit a kind of cordial Fruit. The Righteous have the Green of Profession and the fruitfulness of their conversation and 't is pleasant Fruit Fruits of Righteousness Fruits of Faith Fruits of Love and the Fruits of the Spirit The Palm-Tree grows most when it is most press'd down by weights When the World would crush the Righteous and press them down to the Earth yea press them down to Hell yet they grow up more and more Pharaoh puts weights of very heavy oppression upon Israel but they multiplied and grew not onely in company but also in their lives The good Seed falling upon good Ground brought forth in some an hundred-fold They fall into trouble God helps them up they are purged and made white the fire shall not burn but refine them Afflictions strengthen Tribulation works Patience and then Patience Experience and Experience Hope Affliction will make us the fitter for Heaven Grace improved is very near to Glory The weights upon the Righteous do wean them from the World Now when the Soul is delivered from this world this evil world it must needs flourish up to the other world The School of the Cross is the School of Light Which discovers the worlds vanity baseness and wickedness And lets us see more of Gods mind Out of the dark of affliction there comes a spiritual light We see the worth of Grace and of an Interest in Christ. And the excellencie of Jesus Christ himself as of an interest in so of the person of Christ how glorious how choice This knowledge is not notional a Brain-knowledge but experimental These weights draw them to converse more at home to be acquainted more with their own bosomes How it is with grace what Faith what Love what Patience When the world is kind to us fair with us and flatters us and hugs us and embraces us we begin to forget and to slight Communion with Jesus Christ. But when the worlds weights are upon us we have promises of more of the presence of God and of the presence of his Spirit The purpose of the world when they hang their weights upon the Palm-Trees is to keep them down that their graces multiply not To discourage to turn them quite aside to renounce to forsake and apostatize But they have fail'd in it and the truth flourished more this hath been rather a furtherance to it The Lord hath a Flail of Tribulation to separate the Chaff from the Wheat The wicked mans plentiful Table shall be a Snare to him But the righteous mans Table shall be a Table to his inward man where his Graces shall come and feed and grow fat and flourish and increase This we are to bless the Lord for that our Afflictions do not snare us but are a Table to our graces It is a very great Question whether they that were not bettered by Affliction were ever good Mr. Caryl's Practical and Experimental CONSIDERATIONS AND CHARACTERS OF The Real Christian. WHite Garments are matter of Honour this Honour all the Saints shall have They shall walk in white Christ will honour them because they have kept their Garments undefiled They that are good indeed shall have a good name they shall walk in white To keep the Conscience clean is to keep the Credit clean and they who are careful not to blot their conversations Christ will take care of their reputations that they be not blotted The Old Worthies kept their Garments undefiled and it was by the power of Faith keeping themselves from the pollutions of the World they kept themselves a good report This honour and good report which we get by keeping our Garments undefiled is sure Sometimes God's people are not onely honourable in Gods eyes but they sometimes walk in white in the eyes of the men of the World He can give his people room in the opinions of men he moves their hearts to think well of them and he opens their mouths to speak well of them It is not much to us what the wicked World judge of us yet God doth sometimes raise a Testimony of Honour for his people amongst Carnal men of the World Ioseph would not defile his Garments he walked in white amongst men True he was cast into Prison what of that he was respected by the Keeper of the Prison and afterward he walked in white in the whole Egyptian Court. Daniel was one that walked in white with common men of the World With the Prince of Eunuchs he had tender favour he told him he would not disobey God to please man yet he did not rail against him and call him a stubborn fellow because he would not bow to Baal And afterwards Daniel as great a man as any in that Province he walked in white God hath created Testimonies of honour for his people from some men of the world yea they many times put white Garments upon them God doth sometime keep up their honour in the World who will not defile their Garments This may teach us the readiest way to the White Robe to the Robe of Honour It is to keep our selves from sinful practises Certainly they who please God he can make the World to honour them If God approve of us he can make the World to approve of us too If God see our Garments in the dirt and spotted with the filth of the World it will spoil the Honour we should
well applied Ye are troubled with many things but one thing is necessary Oh that men would consider this Vnum necessarium that they might shun and forsake the immoderate trifles of a Transitory world and that they would e're the time be far spent find out those paths that will lead them to their Souls rest which Lesson is taught them in the Holy Scriptures and not onely there but by a Heathen who said Tempus est de illa perpetua Iam non de hac exigua vita cogitare It is now high time not to think of this Life but of Life Eternal In this present world we can study how to provide for our Temporal Estates contriving a settlement for our maintenance and preservation and shall we be so stupid as to neglect the Eternal happiness of our Souls in that other world Where there are pleasures for evermore To do which we should begin betimes we should like wise builders lay a good Foundation and seek the Lord while he may be found We should day and night meditate upon the Lord. We should love honour obey him and devote our selves wholly to his service And this our duty bindes us to for these respects For the excellence of his Divine perfection Being defective not in any thing He is perfect in Knowledge He is past finding out Be perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect And although no Heart can comprehend or Tongue fully can express this perfection yet we may esteem it by his Attributes of some whereof take this following account It appears how admirable it is since no Tongue can express it nor any Heart conceive it The Transcendencie of the God-head exceeds not onely the usual strength of Eloquence but of Understanding likewise He is Absolute He is all Eye and seeth All things He is all Ear and heareth All things He is all Hand and worketh All things He is Infinite Whither saith the Psalmist shall I go from thy presence Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord He is Immortal I live for ever He only hath Immortality Solus Deus est Immortalis quia non est per Gratiam sed per Naturam God alone is Immortal being so by Nature not by Grace He is Eternal Without beginning Thou art God from everlasting Without end Thou art the same and thy years shall not fail He is called the Ancient of days He is Immutable God is not to be changed 1. In his Nature Thou shalt endure I am the Lord I change not Every good and perfect gift cometh from the Father of Lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of changing 2. In his promises and decrees The Counsel of the Lord shall stand My Counsel shall stand God hath promised who cannot lie He is Wise. Nothing is hid from him The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man His Wisdom is Infinite Loe thou knowest all things O the depth of the riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! He is Holy In him is no Iniquity Who is like unto thee O Lord Glorious in Holiness None Holy as the Lord. He is True 1. In himself Whatsoever is in him is Truth It is Life Eternal to know thee the true God Let God be true and every man a Lyar. 2. In his works Righteous in all his works 3. In his words The Words of the Lord are pure The Truth of the Lord endureth for ever Good Absolutely Without the help of any 1. In himself There is none good but God 2. He is the Author of all Good to others Every good and perfect gift cometh from the Father of Lights The Earth is full of his goodness He is Glorious Ye shall see the Glory of the Lord. The sight of his Glory was like consuming fire The whole earth is full of his Glory His Glory is above the Heavens He is Powerful I am the Almighty God saith the Lord. In the Creation of the World In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth The Heavens are beautified with Stars The Earth is spacious and splendid plentifully stored with its Fruits Beasts of the field and Fowls of the Air. The Sea abounds with variety of Fish for the use of man And all were made of nothing but by his word 1. Wherefore Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright 2. Praise the Lord with harp sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings 3. Sing unto him a new song play skilfully with a loud voice 4. For the word of the Lord is right and all his works are done in truth 5. He loveth righteousness and judgement the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap he layeth up the depth in store-houses 8. Let all the earth fear the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him DIVINE SENTENCES COLLECTED From the VVorks of Mr. EDMVND CALAMY Lately deceased GOd requires we should mortifie our lufts for prayer without that is the service of a Hypocrite Let not any one despair and cry out I am undone but let him trust in God and use his just endeavours For any man may be happy if he please Sin is a Christians greatest Sore and Repentance his surest Salve Who then would want the rare Jewel of Repentance since if ye seek ye shall find Sin bringeth shame and sorrow and Piety a portion of everlasting Joys Miserable is that man whose heart is too hard to pray He that truly repents of his sin shall never repent of his repentance for repentance is as the Hammer of the heart knocking at the Gate of Heaven and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Let us cloath our selves with Righteousness it is the safest Armour against the Darts of Satan If troubles or afflictions shall befall thee say as a late Reverend Divine said I will go and bless God for I believe this will be for my good There are two Gospel-Graces which require your special heed viz. Faith and Repentance for though many go to Hell by despair more go thither by presumption It was the saying of the Learned Sir Thomas Moore I will never pin my Faith upon the sleeve of another man for he may carry it where I would be unwilling to follow You must serve God for his sake as well as Heaven 's A faithful servant of God may have an eye to the recompence of reward as Moses had but he must have but one eye and that the left for our chief and last aim must be at the Glory of God The true way of serving God
Praise him ye heavens never fade Praise him for ye by him were made Praise ye the Lord ye Dragons fell Praise him ye Deeps his wonders tell Praise him Fire Hail Vapour and Snow Praise him ye Stormy Winds that blow Praise him ye Cedars Beasts o' th' Field Praise him all things can Praises yield Praise him ye Kings of highest birth Praise him ye Iudges of the Earth Praise him ye Rulers whom he rais'd Praise for he 's greatly to be Prais'd Praise ye the Lord both great and small Praise him that did Create us all Praise him within his Holy Tower Praise him for his Almighty Power Praise him for what he to us gave Praise Iesus Christ that did us save Praise ye the Holy Spirit too Praise each with all Devotions due Praise all strive who shall praise the most Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost Praise each with pious Harmony Praise ye the blessed Trinity Praise ye the Lord with Trumpets sound Praise him that heal'd us with his Wound Praise him with Harp's loud Melody Praise him with Song and Psaltery Praise him with Timbrel let the flute Praise him with Organ Pipe and Lute Praise him with instrumental String Praise him with Cymbals loudly sing Praise him with Ioy and skilful Voice Praise with new Songs the chief and choyce Praise him that is our Guide our Light Praise him because his Word is right Praise him whose works are done in truth Praise him that no injustice doth Praise him all people great and less Praise him that loveth Righteousness Praise him whose goodness fills the earth Praise him with Zeal and pious Mirth Praise him the Antient is of days Praise him that gives us pow'r to praise Praise him whose Word the Heavens made Praise him whose Breath requir'd no Ayd Praise him that doth the Wind command Praise him that makes the Waters stand Praise him whom Sun and Moon obey Praise him doth Heavens Scepter sway Praise him that doth the Heathen awe Praise him whose ev'ry word 's a law Praise him who doth from Heav'n behold Praise him ye Rich Poor Young and Old Praise him that fashions all our hearts Praise him alone can heal our smarts Praise him that is the King of Kings Praise him in grief that comfort brings Praise him that governs Sea and Coasts Praise him that is the Lord of Hosts Praise him who can the Lyon tame Praise him that mighty is by Name Praise him that guards us day and night Praise him the God of Peace and Fight Praise him that makes the stoutest yield Praise him that is our help and shield Praise him both with the heart and mouth Praise him in Age in Strength and Youth Praise him who are with sorrows sad Praise that the humble may be glad Oh let the Nations all accord To Praise and Magnifie the Lord. BLESSINGS of the Righteous As they are denoted in the HOLY SCRIPTURES HEarken unto the Lord thy God His Covenants observe So will he kindly spare his Rod And not afflict a Nerve Blest shalt thou in the City be Thy God will blessings yield At home abroad at bed at board And likewise in the field Blessed shall be thy bodies fruit And that upon the ground The wicked be they lowd or mute Shall neither of them wound Thy Cattle shall enrich thy store The increase of thy Kine And Sheep shall still wax more and more Thy Grapes shall yield thee Wine Blest shall thy store and basket be Blessings shall thence accrew Comings and goings shall agree To make thee blessed too The Lord shall smite thine enemies And put them to disgrace The chiefest he will make to flie And that before thy face Thy foes one way shall thee attempt But flee before thee seven From Iudgment none shall be exempt But as the Wind be driven Thy store-houses the Lord will bless And all thou tak'st in hand And give to thee a large increase Of plenty in the land The Lord as he himself hath sworn He shall establish thee And farther to exalt thy horn His people ye shall be Keep thou the Lord's Commandements And all the earth shall see That thou art great in Innocence And stand in fear of thee The Lord he shall his treasures ope The Heav'ns shall give thee Rain If head or hand with business cope It shall be for thy gain No discontent shall thee attend As free from grief or sorrow To many Nations thou shalt lend But have no need to borrow Blessed are they that in him trust He will them bless with speed For do they hunger do they thirst He is their help at need Blessed is he whose sin is hid He may with gladness smile Whose errours all are covered Whose spirit hath no guile Blessed are they that now lament As being poor in spirit For they are promis'd by the Lord His Kingdom to inherit Blessed are they that now do mourn Thinking their joys are fled For though as yet they seem forlorn They shall be comforted The meek are blessed too for they That love not strifes increase Shall on the earth bear happy sway Delighting much in peace The hungry too and they that thirst For Righteousness as Meat They shall be fill'd when those accurst Shall nothing have to eat Blest be the merciful to those Whom they observe in pain For he that mercily bestows Shall mercie reap again Thrice-blessed are the pure in heart Whose Souls and hands are free From Vanity and wicked Oaths For they their God shall see Blest the peace-makers are for they His Children shall be call'd And he that loves and doth obey Shall never be enthrall'd Blessed are they for Righteousness Do persecution bear Their great reward none can express But Heav'n it lieth there Blessed are they that are revil'd Because they seek the Lord Let them not fear although exil'd His Grace will strength afford Rejoyce and be exceeding glad For great is your reward The Prophets by such usage bad Did get into regard Curses of the VVicked He that doth hear a poor man's cry Shall never fare the worse But whoso turneth back his eye Shall never want a curse He that himself hath others curst His Servant curseth him The blessings of his flowing purse Shall him to ruine swim He that blasphemeth God his Lord Ought to be ston'd to death And cursed be that man abhorr'd Serves other God beneath Cursed be he that setteth light By Father or by Mother The people shall him daily slight And none his curses smother Cursed be he that doth remove His Neighbours Land-mark then The people shall him curse none love But each one cry Amen Cursed be he that leads the blinde In an erroneous way The Lord for him will torments finde And be the blind man's stay Cursed be he that doth pervert The Widow Fatherless Or Stranger from an upright heart Curses shall him oppress Cursed thrice cursed shall he be Covets his Father's Breast And that man curst shall be as he That lieth with a
God Christianity is a clear Demonstration of invisibles witness the many earnests of their Profession What warm refreshing Rays of Divine love break in upon their Souls what Joy what Experiments and blessed Intercourses have past betwixt God and such Souls the fire hath burnt and of a sudden the Soul hath e're it was aware been carried above the world The Spirit of Truth will not witness to a lye neither will Goodness it self put a cheat upon poor creatures Balaam's wish may throughly convince sinners that Holiness is no Madness Piety no Fancie and Religion no Delusion I am perswaded that all the Reprobates in Hell will one day justifie the Children of God for their seriousness and wish a thousand times that they had had their Scorns Losses and Torments Well then our Enemies themselves being Judges an Israelite indeed is a person of true worth and without controversie his Estate is and shall be comfortable blessed and glorious O Christian as long as God is true you shall not be deceived as long as he is happy you shall not be miserable you are well enough go on resolutely 't is but a little while and you shall see all this and more than this a thousand times Death will shortly tear off Ioshua's rags and present him before the Lord without spot or wrinkle Sin indeed accompanies the wicked to another world he rests from his pleasures and his wicked works follow him But it is far otherwise with the godly sin was his burden and death shall unload him Sin shall be confin'd to Hell Heaven entertains no such deformity This Tyrant shall no more inslave any of Christ's Subjects The house of Saul and the house of David shall no longer contend that sad conflict between the Flesh and the Spirit shall then be determined by a full Victory Death sets the Soul out of the Devils reach This Angel hath nothing to do in Heaven this Serpent shall not come into the higher Paradise nor Satan creep into this Eden O happy day when will it come when the Devil shall be as unlike to tempt as our hearts to close When we are got once safe to rest the Devil shall as easily shake God's Throne as our Happiness Death turns the key and bolts and bars this Enemy out then O then thou shalt see this Pharaoh cast dead on the shore Christian expect not as long as any of that Cainish Generation breath that thou shouldest be long secure What though the world speak great words thou shalt e're long ride in state to Glory and then let them do their worst When thou art in Heaven they may curse and encrease their own misery but they shall not in the least diminish thy tranquillity The beauty of this inferiour world will be darkned by the brightness of that light which Death leads thee into Death blows the dust out of our eyes it plucks off the vail and shews us quickly the glory of both worlds What Pen can describe the Honour and Dignities of the Sons of God! A Lazarus in stead of Beggers Cripples and Dogs had a guard of Angels waiting upon him These Chariots and Horse-men of Israel shall carry up Ioseph to his Fathers house The Souls of Believers are made perfect in Holiness at Death O then how glorious shall the Kings Daughter be when her beauty is made perfect O my Soul when will the shadows flee away when will days and nights be all at an end When will time be spent and the curtain drawn How should we think our selves if our hearts were always as God would have them Well be of good chear in Mount Zion there shall be deliverance and holiness Who that understands this would not bid death welcom That good Old Saint Simeon thought it a heaven upon earth to see Christ when his Majesty was vail'd This was but a small thing compared to the sight which they shall see when their graces shall be compleat How will the Heavens eccho of joy when the Bride the Lambs Wife shall come to dwell with her Husband for ever Christ is the desire of Nations the joy of Angels the delight of the Father What solace then must that Soul be filled with that hath the Possession of him to all Eternity Is not his Love better than Wine and a look of his Countenance to be preferred above Corn and Oyl Is not all the Glory of Heaven wrapt up in him I see now it is not for nothing that the Virgins did love him What mean the world sure they are dead blinde or mad Saints blessedness lies in this that they shall meet with all the Children of God and have communion with just men made perfect Death will bring you acquainted with all those famous Worthies of whom the world was not worthy This Porter opens the door and lets the Saints Soul into that Palace where all the favorites of that great Prince reside What would I give to see Enoch that walked with God How glad should I be to be acquainted with Elias How joyful if I might have some discourse with Paul Would it not make one couragious in the cause of God if one could hear Daniel or the three Children tell the Story of their deliverance How should one be pleased to have it from the mouth of Moses Ioshuah and Caleb what God did for Israel in the fields of Ham the Red-Sea and the Wilderness and how he brought them into the Land of Canaan Why as formidable as death looks it 's he that brings us to the speech of all these How loth are we now to part when a knot of us have got together to talk about the things of another world Heaven hath in it none but Saints and Angels and the blessed God O what acclamations of joy will there be when all the children of God shall meet together without fear of being disturbed by the Antichristian and Cainish Brood Is there not a time coming when the godly may ask the wicked What profit they have in their pleasures what comfort in their greatness and what fruit of all their labour They shall shortly know that nothing was lost which was spent for their Souls and Heaven If you would be better satisfied what the Beatifical Vision means my request is That you would live holily and go and see A further Addition is that there is no fear of loosing of it his Enemies can't rob him If the Grave were but lookt on as a chamber to rest in And if Faith could but take death to be but an undressing to put on better Raiment how contentedly then should we be uncloath'd that we might be cloathed with Immortality And if the case be so what a good condition is the dead Saint in Lazarus his Resurrection was no cheat many of the Saints arose and Christ is risen O what kinde of Greeting will these two old Companions have when they see one another in another world Never let any grutch to serve God chearfully They which
is to obey him as a Servant and honour him as a Son Strive to be good in all concerns to be good Subjects good Governours good Dealers good Husbands good Masters and good Neighbours so will God love you and bless you and the rest respect you Account sin the evil of evils and rather embarce the greatest sorrow than the least sin If God hath bestowed Graces on thee communicate them to others in your convenient conversations for true Grace is of a spreading nature affectual Grace will labour to convert others There are but two Roads that lead to Heaven the one is called Innocence the other is Repentance If God hath conferr'd more gifts either of Grace or Nature upon thee than upon another thou must study to improve them for as thou expectest more light from the Sun than from a Candle so will God expect more duty in Service than from a lesser light For the better the Wages is the better should the service be Holy Wisdom mixt with Honour are like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver To disobey God in a little is no small disobedience for no sin can be said to be little since the least sin without Repentance and the mercie of God is big enough to damn a man A Sword can but kill a mouse and a Bodkin may kill a man Humiliation without Reformation will not shew a man the way to Heaven Despise not the Ministers of Christ for it is Christ that is the Word and they are his Ambassadors To make you the more capable of serving God be frequent in Spirit Consider the Great God whom ye serve alters not neither must his Servants Thou mayst safely serve the Devil if thou canst find out a corner that is secret from the all-seeing eye of God To flatter thy self is to cheat thy Soul Labour first for the Kingdom of Heaven and all other things shall be given We say in temporal affairs delays are dangerous how much more dangerous in spiritual when thy everlasting Peace is concerned Defer not your Repentance till you are old shall the Devil have the Flower of your age and God the Bran The Spirit of Prayer is more pretious than Treasures of Gold and Silver If thou art marryed beware of Cares and Strifes let your Cares be which shall be most zealous in the service of God and your Strifes be which shall love the other best so will your Cares and Strifes be turned into a comfortable pleasure If there be want of mutual affection between man and wife and the one suffer vaxations and affronts for a time yet do thy obedience to the Lord and thou shalt find comfort in the end Beware of immoderate Cares lest you dishonour or deny God for such Cares are 1. Needless 2. Bruitish 3. Bootless 4. Heathenish 1. Needless What need we care when Our heavenly Father knoweth we have need of these things and saith Be careful for nothing but cast our cares on him for he careth for us 2. Bruitish Consider the Fowls of the Air and Ravens that he feeds they toyl not 3. Bootless and in vain Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature or penny to his estate Take no thought for the morrow for that will take thought for it self 4. Heathenish For after all these things the Gentiles seek As the Waves of the Sea are troublesome and unfixt so are the Thoughts and Actions of a wicked man If thou risest from a low estate to a great one it is but like stepping from a Boat or Barge into a Ship thy dangers continue for thou art still upon the Sea The way to be either lov'd or envy'd is to serve God betimes so shall God and good men love thee and wicked men envy thy Glories If thou art afflicted remember afflictions are Gods Potions which thou mayst sweeten by Faith and Prayer but take heed of Impatience and Unbelief for those two ingredients will make them bitter as Gall. To be a servant to sin is to be a shameful and an unfruitful slave But in the service of God is perfect freedom Blessed are those that receive the Word of God into their hearts as well as into their ears For formal service is but an outward shew of Devotion and only an act of dissembling with him that will not be mocked The name of Christianity without a real Practice is but an empty Title and a dead Faith It can be but a small satisfaction to a Christian to seem to go to Heaven But to go neer Heaven and at last miscarry is as fatal as a double Hell Be merciful and charitable as well as pious as you freely receive freely give If thou art rich be pious too if both be rich in good works God doth not delight in the niggardly Christian. Beware of Apostacie the craft of which sin is to deprave your judgments from the truths of Christ your affections from your love to Christ and your conversations from a zealous walking with Christ. Meditate frequently on the four last things Heaven Hell Death Judgment The meditation of Heaven will be so inviting to you that your mind will more and more affect it The Meditation of Hell will teach you to abhor the place and the torments of the Damned The meditation of Death will direct you in your preparations for death The meditation of Judgment will draw you neerer to God and teach you to avoid sin Nothing separates God and man but sin and the only way to remove that Wall of separation is by a true and hearty Repentance and Reformation Sin not only makes a difference betwixt God and Man but betwixt Nation and Nation and sets the whole World at Variance Repentance carrieth with it a Divine Rhetorick and perswades Christ to forgive multitudes of sins committed against himself It is the only glorious Star that leads us to the everlasting Son It is impossible to dive into the secrets of Almighty God no man hath a key to his Closet nor knows the length of his Patience The old world had one hundred and twenty years Ierusalem's destruction forty years Nineveh had but forty days and Lot had but one nights warning for the destruction of Sodom Some there are and not a few that abuse the Mercies bestowed upon them that may justly be compared to Dung-hills that the oftener they receive the Sun-shine of Blessings the more apt they are to be corrupted Many there are that enjoy Health Wealth and Honour yet attribute all to their good fortunes and forget to thank that bountiful hand that bestows them Like Swine they drink of the Waters of Canaan and look not up to the Fountain from whence they flow But he that regardeth not those Mercies he receives mindeth not his own interest and despiseth his best Friends A Meadow affords no pleasure to a Swine but the Mire doth even so an ungodly man that only pretends to Christianity is as a fish
upon the shore that lives a while but with no delight because out of its own Element Afflictions and miseries happen by Gods permitment and whom he loveth he chastiseth those griefs are for the good of them that love God therefore beware of sin that makes your sorrows bitter and minde not the Rod so much as him from whom the Rod comes lest that teach you both to fret and faint As Sheep make every place the better where they come and Goats make every place the worse so is it with a Saint and with a Sinner the first bringeth sweetness along with him and the other leaves a stink behind him Win what thou canst by Prayer with comfort thou shalt enjoy the purchase Instructions for the keeping of the Sabbath Make the Lords day the Market-day for thy Soul let the whole day be spent in Prayer Repetitions or Meditations lay aside the affairs of the other part of the week let the Sermon thou hast heard be converted into Prayer Shall God allow thee six days and wilt not thou afford him one Observations for the Week-days 1. When thou risest in the morning consider thou must dye 2. Thou mayst dye that minute 3. What will become of thy Soul Pray often At night consider what sins thou hast committed 2. How often thou hast Prayed 3. What hath thy mind been bent upon 4. What hath been thy dealing 5. Thy conversation 6. If thou callest to mind thy errours of the day sleep not without a Confession to God and a hope of Pardon Thus every Morning and Evening make up thy Accounts with Almighty God and thy Reckoning will be the less at last Say not with thy self To morrow I will repent for it is thy duty to to do it dayly And if thou dost delay repentance Satan hath an opportunity to incroach and will bring thee to make it a custom which is hard to break Repent and seek the Lord betime lest thou too suddenly art accosted with shame and death The sinner is always grinding at the Devils Mill and the Devil is no less busie in supplying the Hopper lest his Mill should stand still A piece of dry Bread with Water a good Conscience and devout Thoughts is a noble Feast As the Potter fashioneth the clay so doth the Lord dispose of man as liketh him best wherefore fear thou the Lord. Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker Shall the clay say to him who fashioneth it what makest thou Be diligent to observe the Commandments of God for he is a Master cannot erre and what he willeth must be done If thou art Great be likewise Good for as if you were a Looking-glass others dress themselves by looking upon you God is the Fountain of Felicity converse with him and you shall be filled with Joy The first that named Gods Name in Scripture was the Devil and he likewise confess'd our Saviour to be the Son of God however he was the Devil notwithstanding that If you will not follow the example of your Saviours life you will merit nothing by his death God will not be perswaded to save us if we will not be perswaded to serve him Be careful to frequent the Church for publike Worship is the Pillar of Religion and a devout Service of Almighty God In the Church be careful to serve God for you are before the eyes of God and Man It is not only a scandal to man but a defiance to the Deity to be careless of our duties in the Congregation of those that come to seek his face A Congregation zealous at the Worship of God on Earth is an exact Picture of the Saints with God in Heaven Laugh not in the Church lest it be suspected thou art tickled by the Devil Well may he be punished that misbehaves himself in the Church when the Devils misbehaviour cast him out of Heaven If thou art poor neither wonder nor despair God will pay them that serve him and the less Wages thou receivest now the more thou shalt have hereafter You have a Crown set before you which Crown he that wins may wear it and that is Mercie It is dangerous to be rich for riches tempt men to be covetous and to delight in Gold besides Riches have wings and flie away by loss at Sea or Land by fire or some other accidents which lead men to discontentments and finally to despair If a wicked man be never so rich his whole Estate cannot ransome him for eternal torments for God is no esteemer of Riches A poor mans morsel with content and grace is better than the dainties of a Dives Many there are that to improve their own Estates care not how many Families they undo so true is that of the Holy Writ They that will be rich fall into temptations And how much to be admired is the Vanity of those that delight in Riches for when the covetous man dyes he can carry nothing with him but while living hazards his Soul to heap up Riches and knoweth not who shall enjoy them What are the Honours and Riches of this World when compared to the Glories of a Crown of life What can be a more certain token of a Reprobate than to receive large Wages in this World and yet do little or no service for it There are a sort of men that may be truly called Time-servers whose Religion is like Wax to be moulded to any fashion Discretion teacheth us to observe those times that are lawful and necessary especially in reference to the performance of our duties to Almighty God but it is an horrid piece of Impiety to serve the Times and neglect God Think not thy self Good because thou seest another worse but endeavour to mend him and make thy self better Imagine not thy life to be good because thy heart is honest but strive to run that thou mayst win the Race To avoyd Hypocrisie is good and likewise to shun the sin of profanation but to be active in the service of God is better An outward shew of goodness is Good for example-sake to others but an inward Holy zeal is better Do not conclude thy self good because thou art so sometimes 'T is a Habit of Holiness a Garment of Righteousness that makes a Saint God doth take notice of our steps but will judge us by our wayes Thou art not good because thou dost believe the Devils do believe and tremble but a good belief a good conversation acts of piety and charity are the ingredients of a good man To what end should a man fancy himself a Saint when his heart lies open to the eyes of the Lord He may be Gods Reprobate though his own Elect. If thou hast sinned and dost repent do not conclude that thou art well and mayst return to thy former Vomit for Justice when offended will be severe against those that abuse a Mercie Thou mayst hear Sermons often and do well in practising what thou hearest but thou must
let Religion be your business for he is most capable of rejoycing in the evening that watcheth his words thoughts and deeds in the day To despise the world is the way to enjoy heaven and blessed are they who delight to converse with God by Prayer What folly can be greater than to labour for the meat that perisheth and to neglect the food of Eternal Life God or the World must be neglected at the parting-time for then is the time of Tryal then shall the Righteous continue Righteous and be Blessed To seek your self in this world is to be lost and to be humble is to be exalted First study to believe there is a life of Blessedness hereafter then will you be the better strengthned to hunger and thirst after Righteousness If you would have the Lord receive you into Heaven you must give your self unto Prayer Prayer is defined by Gregory Nyssen to be a Discourse between the Soul and God it is of two sorts Vocal and Mental that is outward expressions of the Voice and an inward lifting up of the Mind to the Throne of Grace Before you enter into Prayer ask your Conscience these Questions with a resolution to return an Answer 1. To what end O my Soul art thou retired into this place 2. Art thou not come to discourse with the Lord in Prayer 3. Is he present will he hear thee 4. Is he merciful will he help thee 5. Is thy business slight is it not concerning the welfare of thy Soul 6. What words and reverence wilt thou use to move him to Compassion Let these Interrogatories be considered Discoursing with thy self will prepare thee the better to discourse with God To make thy preparation compleat consider thy condition thou art but dust and ashes and he the great God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that cloatheth himself with Light as with a Garment Remember these or such like devout expressions O let my Prayer enter into thy presence Let my Prayer be set before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hands as the Evening Sacrifice As the clay is in the Potters hand to fashion it at his pleasure so man is in the hand of him that made him to render to them as liketh him best I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart I will shew forth thy marvellous works The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise Let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord. If your hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things Such Expressions as these from a devout Soul open the windows of Heaven and prevail with God to hear its Prayers In your Prayers or Meditations beware of Satan's devices of which these are some He endeavours to intice sinners to presumption by lessening a sin and making it seem to be slight On the other side he studies to betray some to the sin of despair insinuating such a crime is Haynous and beyond pardon But thus saith the Lord Though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow Though they be red as Crimson they shall be as Wooll He shewed to our Parents a golden Cup but discovered not the Poyson hid therein when he said God doth know in the day that ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Thus he attempted to betray Christ when he tempted him with the glories of the World saying All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me He hath likewise the art to put false glosses on particular sins as Pride that he pretends is Neatness Covetousness is good husbandry Drunkenness he calls good fellowship and Extravagancies the effects of a liberal Spirit He extenuates sins by whispering to the credulous wretch To be Drunk to Swear c. are but little sins and repentance is no hard task it is but to ask pardon and cry Lord have mercie upon me He insinuates these delusions into the sinner You may walk by the Harlots yet not enter you may drink with the Drunkard yet not be drunk you may handle a bag of Gold yet not steal it He assures the Soul that the wicked man is happier than the devout Soul for the former enjoys all the delights of the world whilst the others are Persecuted Imprisoned and oftentimes undone One chief designe of Satan to delude the Soul is to conduct him into evil company Beware of false Teachers that lead your Judgment astray They reproach the Embassadors of Christ so did Korah Dathan and Abiram to Moses and Aaron Good Michaiah was likewise aspersed by Ahabs false Prophets They are devisers of false Prophesies The Lord said The Prophets prophesie lies in my name I sent them not neither have I commanded them neither spake I unto them they prophesie unto you a false Vision and Divination a thing of nought and the deceit of the heart They are stiled blind guides That strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel They are counterfeit and unclean Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites that make clean the outside of the cup and platter but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness They endeavour to delude men to their opinions rather to carry on their own Interests than to better their Conversations Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye compass Sea and Land to make one Proselyte and when he is made ye make him twofold more the Child of Hell than your selves Wo unto you blind guides which say Whosoever shall swear by the Temple it is nothing but whosoever shall swear by the Gold of the Temple he is a debtor Ye fools and blind whether is better the Gold or the Temple that sanctifieth the Gold He that sweareth by the Temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth therein False Prophets privily bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction Since then Satan is so busie what remains but that we Arm our selves with spiritual Weapons Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day For the Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal but Mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds David said to the Philistin Thou comest to me with a Sword and with a Spear and with a Sheild but I come unto thee in the Name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel whom thou hast defied Let a Christian keep his Faith firm for that will carry his Heart through many difficulties Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God prepareth for them that love him The
thy Saviour is willing to save thee but it is thy sin and Satan that studieth to destroy thee When Satan's malice had produced mischief in our first Parents mischief brought forth misery and misery cried to heaven for mercie The God of mercie promised mercie unto mankind The seed of the woman shall break the Serpent's head When the fulness of Grace was come he that was covered in the Law became discovered in the Gospel When the fulness of time was come God sent his Son made of a woman made under the law that we might receive the adoption of Sons The Son of man had sinned against God and the Son of God satisfies for the sin of man Let admiration produce amazement that God should send his Son to suffer death for sinners that rebelled against him But man must dye unto Eternity unless the Son of Eternity would dye for him Therefore Christ the Messiah was slain but not for himself He was delivered to death for our offences He was delivered by his Father in Mercie by himself in Compassion by Iudas for Covetousness and by the Jews in Malice And all this to the end that God might effect what the Jews could not conjecture The Redemption of his people Israel He that was typified by the brazen Serpent is exalted on the Cross between two Thieves with this Title superscribed Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iews Thus Christ the immaculate Lamb refused no shame that he might purchase Glory to his faithful ones He that was the God of Glory becomes the Son of shame He that is the Righteous Redeemer was counted an Unjust Usurper He that is the Lord of Life was condemned to Death He that is honoured with the Acclamations of Angels was dishonoured with the Exclamations of Jews Pilate disgracefully shewed him to the people with an Ecce Homo Behold the man Stand O my Soul and with admiration bless the Author of all Blessedness Christ who to prevent thy shame suffered himself to be numbred among the wicked He was accounted sinful to purchase thy Salvation Adam by eating of the forbidden Tree made thee accursed had not Christ by dying on the cursed Tree restored thee to blessedness Christ's Cross is thy Comfort his dishonour is thy honour Christ's Cross is to the Iews a stumbling-block to the Gentiles foolishness But to thee O my Soul it is the power and the wisdome of God Then if Christ hath done this for thee follow thy Redeemer with a Cross at thy back and say with Paul God forbid that I should glory in any thing but in the Cross of Christ. But wo unto us sinners we run on in a course of pride though he humbled himself unto death even the death of the Cross. Pilate could not add to our Saviour's honour or dishonour in calling him Iesus for it was a name given him from Heaven for the Angel said unto Ioseph Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sins It was a sweet saying of an Antient Father The name of Jesus is Mel in Ore Melos in Aure Iubilus in Corde Honey in the Mouth Melody in the Ear and a Jubily or Joy in the Heart Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved This name is light unto the Soul Ye were darkness saith the Apostle but now ye are light in the Lord. This name is health to the Body In the name of Iesus of Nazareth rise up and walk All spiritual food is dry saith the aforesaid Father if this Oyl be not poured into it if it be not seasoned with this Salt There are several Titles that proclaim Christ's Glory but the name of Iesus imports our Redemption By others we know him to be God by this we know him to be our Mediator It is great misery to see man so proud and greater mercie to see God so humble God was the Creditor man was the Debtor but he that was both God and man the Pay-Master Wherefore Let Israel hope in the Lord for with him there is plenteous Redemption There is no sinner so great but after conversion he makes as great a Saint Though his sins be red as Scarlet Grace makes them white as Snow Come let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll There is more pleasure in suffering than in sinning for a Saint of God may suffer and not sin but he cannot sin and not suffer If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalf To walk as a Heathen walks only by the light of the Rush-candle of Nature is no better than to walk in darkness If a man walk in the day he stumbleth not but if he walk in the night he stumbleth because there is no light in him God never made a good promise but he made good that promise For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen We should prize mercie if we knew its price Thy mercie O Lord is great unto the Heavens and thy truth unto the Clouds 'T is true that Christ is every where Then Hell 's no Hell if Christ be there In his presence is fulness of joy at his right hand are pleasures for evermore A Righteous man hates sin because it is opposite to God and Goodness Fools make a mock at sin but among the Righteous there is favour That Saint that grows in grace grows more a man and more than a man For with him Where sin aboundeth grace doth much more abound A rich man is poor without God but with him a poor man is rich Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you The pride of self-love is a folly in ones self For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted If a man would be ever good he should believe he was never good There is none good but one that is God God takes care of his Saints and they take care to be be cared for by him Cast your care upon him for he careth for you He that hath God hath all things for God is all in all A grain of Grace is of more value than many pounds of Gold God Created us and left us to our selves afterwards he Redeemed us and left himself to us Take heed of being self-conceited For the way of a fool is right in his own eyes True Christians are all for Christ and Christ is all-sufficient for them and their salvation It is the saying of holy Paul For me to
live is Christ but to dye is gain The children of this World may be cast out but the heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven shall be as Olive-plants about the Table of the Lord. To commit sin is the part of an humane Nature to lament for sins committed is Christian-like but to continue in sin bidding defiance to the Divine powers is Diabolical There are three sorts of Faith the Faith of Sence which is seeing the Faith of Reason which is knowing and the Faith of Revelation which is believing And this last is properly called the Gospel-Faith Believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper We ought seriously to consider two things the sin of our Nature and the Nature of our sin The Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neican he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man Let us follow after Christ he is our guide and will not shake us off but if we do not follow him we despise him and our own salvation Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children If the heart of man be hard and stony it makes the softer cushion for the Devil to sit on To day if ye will hear the voice of the Lord harden not your hearts as in the provocation Since the days of mans life are as a shadow our suffering will be sudden and our sinning short We are but of yesterday and know nothing because our days upon earth are a shadow If man be for us God may be against us but if God be for us who can be against us If we are among our friends without God we are in continual danger but with God a man is safe though in the midst of enemies Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell The Saints ought to do more for God than others because as they are expected to be the best servants they are like to have the better wages The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is Eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord. A modest behaviour and a portion of Morality without Holiness is but a golden Incredulity But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear Let young Women put on Piety instead of Paints Sanctity instead of Sattin Modesty for their Morning and dayly dress so shall God and every good man love them more and more Let Women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shame fac'dness and sobriety not with broidred hair or gold or pearls or costly array But which becometh Women professing godliness with good works As God made man without the help of man so will he likewise save them that come unto him by his own Almighty power Hear how familiarly he invites them Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest And ye shall finde rest unto your Souls If we endeavour for Salvation it is God must give it but if we do not endeavour he will shorten his own hand though we cannot do it For thus saith the Psalmist with thee is the Fountain of Life in thy light we shall see light How lovely is God in all his Creatures how much more lovely in his Ordinances but most lovely in Christ who is the God of love Brethren be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you The Christian hopeth for the world to come but the sinner feareth it For every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour Not to be chastened is an ill signe but not to bear a chastening is a worse Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law He that hath a tender Conscience will not be prodigal of his Credit for a good Conscience is a continual Feast to a chearful heart So likewise he that hath a good name hath the savour of a pretious Oyntment which gives a chearfulness to his countenance He that detaineth a penny from the poor puts a Plague into his own purse He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker but he that honoureth him hath mercie on the poor Let the precepts of God be neer to our hearts lest he stop his ears to our Prayers Who so stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor he also shall cry himself and shall not be heard In prosperity we forget the threatnings of God and in adversity we are apt to forget his promises The prosperity of fools shall destroy them If we intend to suffer evil for God's sake in the day of Adversity let us do good for God's sake in the day of Prosperity Here lies the true point of Gentility to fear God scorn the World and conquer Sin Nay in all these things we are more than conquerours through him that loved us Doth any man fear to dye it's an easie thing to live slaves and beasts do so but it ought to be every mans study to live and dye well Man's life is more full of grief than glory and it is a seasonable time to dye in when to live is rather a burthen than a blessing Be obedient and do good they are the works and the wages of a Christian and he will delight in doing good though he doth it only for his delight Gathering of Riches is a pleasant torment the trouble of getting the charging of the conscience the care of keeping and the watching over them when gotten takes away a great part of the expected enjoyment Wherefore if Riches increase set not your heart upon them A gratious person is usually as apt to desire to understand what he is to do as what he is to enjoy The work of a Christian while he lives in the body is to crucifie the body of death Man is God's creature God formed man of the dust of the ground Sin is man's creature Man is like to vanity his days are as a shadow which passeth away Misery is sins creature The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is Eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord. God made man in his own likeness man hath made sin in his likeness and sin hath made misery in his own likeness Adam who was the Father of mankind was of earth and therefore earthy Our Saviour who was the Redeemer of mankind and the second Adam was from Heaven and therefore Heavenly As is the earthy such are they
the other Oh who knows the Power of God's Wrath None but damned ones Damnation is a denial of good to and inflicting of evil upon sinners Woe unto you says God when I depart from you but woe woe woe will it be when sinners depart from God! Sinner's company are the Devil and his Angels tormented in everlasting fire with a curse Neither shall the sinner nor the fire know an end When once a man is damned he may bid adieu to all good Stately Houses spread Tables full Cups soft Beds pleasant Walks delightful Gardens fill'd with fragrant and odoriferous Fruits and Flowers none of these will descend with them When Devils fetch away their Souls whose shall all these things be To have a Portion of this world may be a Mercie but to have the world for a Portion is a Misery To have all good things in this life and but for this life is a Misery indeed The impenitent sinner goes from all his good to all evil but the Saint goes from all his evil and but from a little good to all good Who would not part with Counters for Gold with a World for Heaven This the Saint doth and 't is a good exchange I trow The wicked spend their days in mirth and have a brave time on 't as they think they sing Care away all the day long Heaven will not hold any of the wicked nor shall Hell have any of the righteous to hold The wicked must be not onely without their hopes of Heaven but without Heaven which they hoped for They gloried in their shame in this world and they shall have shame enough but no glory in the world to come They must suffer the loss of God himself who is the Heaven of Heaven All good things are but as a drop to the Ocean in comparison of him The sinner's estate is unalterable when once damned the door is shut 't is in vain to knock the day offers and means of grace is at an end God's long-suffering will suffer no longer though thou should'st weep out thine eyes in Hell 't will stand thee in no stead What think you sinner now is not sin exceeding sinful that separates from all good past present and to come Who that hath not been in Hell can tell what Hell is Who would go thither to try what ' t is Take the dregs of all the Miseries of this life and it will fall infinitely short of this misery Damnation A burning Feavour is nothing to burning in Hell Hell would be a kinde of Paradise if 't were no worse than the worst of this world The life that Saints obtain sinners go without and the misery that Saints are delivered from sinners are deliver'd to As different as grief is from joy as torment is from rest as terrour from peace so different is the state of sinners from that of Saints in the world to come 'T will be punishment without pity misery without mercie sorrow without succour crying without comfort and torment without ease Conscience accuses Devils torment Hope is departed and Time is for ever Hell is a place and state of Sorrow A place and state of Pains and Pangs To be in Hell is to be destroy'd 'T is a place and state of fire Damnation is in it 'T is the place of torment Hell is all these and much more Hell is call'd a Prison and the worst Hell is call'd the bottomless Pit into which sinners will be ever falling for there 's no bottom Hell is call'd a Furnace of fire they that are sin-makers by Trade shall be cast into it It 's call'd a Lake with fire and brimstone Hell is a place of darkness those flames will administer heat of Wrath but no light of Comfort Hell is a state of Damnation Hell is a place of Destruction Hell is an accursed State Damnation is call'd the second Death a living Death a Death that never dyes Hell-Torments will be exceeding great None but damned Souls know the power of God's Wrath. Hell is the Centre of all punishments Sorrow and Pain Wrath and Vengeance Fire and Darkness all are there The damned will be universally tormented not one or two parts but all and all over both Soul and Body the Eye with sight of Devils the Ear with hideous Cries the Smell with the sent of unsavoury Brimstone the Tast with the Dregs of the Cup of God's Wrath the Feeling with burning Flames The Soul and all its faculties will speed no better the Understanding will be tormented with Truth the Conscience with a gnawing Worm the Will that men think here a princely thing there they 'll finde it a devilish thing Hell-Torments will be without intermission there 's no sleeping there Needs there any more sinner to fright thee from sinning which is the way to damnation For thy Soul's sake hear and fear and do no more wickedly Oh if thou should'st go from reading of Hell into Hell thou would'st say there was a Prophet I would not believe it but now I feel it Praise the ALMIGHTY PSAL. 65.1 Praise waiteth for thee O God in Zion PRaise the most high Oh clap your hands Praise him for he the world commands Praise him Mount Zion praises sing Praise him that is your Cities King Praise him with loud and silent Air Praise ye the Lord that heareth Pray'r Praise him makes Morning hear his voice Praise him makes Ev'ning to rejoyce Praise him that doth prepare our Corn Praise him all ye that are Forlorn Praise him that duly sends us Rain Praise him for Fruits Herbs Flowr's and Grain Praise him for his refreshing Showrs Praise him for recreating Bowrs Praise him that doth our Pastures fill Praise and rejoyce each little Hill Praise him ye Birds and ev'ry Tree Praise him that did divide the Sea Praise him for Waters from the Fount Praise him for Grass grows on the Mount Praise him that gives and nothing owes Praise him with Sacrifice and Vows Praise him that form'd us in our Womb. Praise him that guides us to our Tomb. Praise him that makes us blest in Heaven Praise him from whom all Food is given Praise him his Holy Name adore Praise him O Praise him more and more Praise God the Father of the Iust Praise him that raiseth Poor from Dust. Praise him that makes the Barren bear Praise him with Duty Love and Fear Praise ye the Lord for dayly Food Praise ye the Lord for it is Good Praise him who gives success in Wars Praise him who numbereth the Stars Praise him that builds Jerusalem Praise him whose Word is more than Iem Praise him that lifteth up the Meek Praise him that doth support the Weak Praise him who doth the Ravens feed Praise him our meetly help at need Praise him causeth his Winds to blow Praise him that makes the Waters flow Praise him in his Angelick Coasts Praise him all ye his Mighty Hosts Praise ye his Name both Sun and Moon Praise him ye Lights that shine at Noon
and of greater value than Gold Wherefore let it be thy business and the delight of thy Soul to seek and to serve God To seek and to serve here is the way to be glorified in rejoycing and enjoying hereafter Wherefore begin betimes and be not weary of well doing for great is your reward Take hold of this present opportunity lest the sloath of your heart or the cares of this world cause you to neglect and forget the prize that is set before you Unhappy are those poor Souls whose Portion is only in this world If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable The Cross of Christ is the Christians Crown the Reproach of Christ is the Christian's Riches and the Shame of Christ is his Glory God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world In all your actions let it be your practice to have a respect to your ends Talk not proudly let not arrogancie come out of your mouth for the Lord is a God of Knowledge and by him actions are weighed Strive to live above this lower Region that no accidents may put you out of frame nor disquiet your Soul Set your affections on things above and not on the earth If I had the wings of a Dove I would flie from the Winds the Storms and Tempests of this wicked world and rest my self in the bosom of my Father There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest To disparage Sin and to incourage Holiness is none of the least Works of a Minister of Christ. The wicked may drink roar and swagger and sell their pretious Souls for a moments joy and make light of Damnation but let them know for all these things God will bring them to Iudgment an eternity of intolerable sorrows must pay for their short pleasures Hence it is that the serious Christian makes it his business to avoid this dreadful misery let the wicked please themselves in their sorrows he knows 't is but a little while and all will be mended and their minds changed He is willing to stay for his happiness and joys till he come to another world and he doth not envy the wicked what they do enjoy let them make the best of it The unseen world which most forget is always in the Christians eye and if he may but live happily there he passeth not if he run through reproaches injuries and a thousand Deaths to that glorious and endless Life This is the grand Reason of the Christians patience this makes him judge it no folly but the greatest wisdom to keep the commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus Those which live like Devils are not like to dye like Saints that count all their time lost they do him no service in which make a jest of Damning and are as merry within a step of Hell as if it and a Tavern were alike And yet how well are wicked men pleased and contented with their own condition and laugh at the Godly as if it were a dangerous and mad thing to go to Heaven and the truest happiness to be miserable for ever The Devil himself may as well expect to shake off his chains and be restored to his lost glory as they O be not deceived as you sow so you must reap God gives this world oftentimes to his greatest Enemies he gives glory in another world to none but his Friends and Children Nay let me speak it freely They which gain this world with their negligence of Heaven shall at their death lose both Many that would be counted wise drive a great Trade for that which is next to nothing and that lay in no better provisions than Gravel Clay or Dung when they are bound for Eternity They think they make a very wise Bargain when they sell their Conscience God and Heaven for a little of that which some call Riches O that I could but bring down the price of sublunary things and raise the things of that other world to their true worth Think not meanly of Holiness it 's the most excellent thing it is the greatest Riches and man's highest Dignity He that knows the worth of Christ and the nature of his own Soul let him not envy those that swell like bladders upon water for a moment and God puffs them off and where are they How can they look for Heaven when they dye that thought it not worth their minding whilst they lived Whatsoever men pursue below Christ will yield them but little happiness and comfort in another world Not every one that wears Christ's Livery shall have his Wages How many seeming Saints shall gain nothing at Death but a thorow knowledge of their own folly O please not your self with fancies Sickness and Death is coming and then you will know better the reason of my earnest pleading with you in this matter He that hath not got more than ever any Hypocrite could attain or shall will miss of Heaven The best of God's Children are most suspicious of themselves and afraid of their own deceitful hearts and their great request is that God would deliver them from mistakes in matters of everlasting consequence It 's a common thing for wicked men to carry their false peace along with them to the Grave How many thousands are there that dye like Lambs that are but Swine and have the Devils brand upon their foreheads Many are carried very quickly to Hell and fear nothing till they feel and are not brought to their sences till unspeakable horrour and anguish doth it It hath not a little puzled some as well as David to see the wicked dye quietly and the godly to have a strange death but God will shortly resolve this Riddle That Soul which hath seen the death of Sin is a person fit for death That man is like to be a gainer by Death who contemns Earth and makes Heaven his choice He that counts nothing worth the having except Christ and for Christ cannot be miserable when he is lodged safe in his imbraces God is oftentimes better but never worse than his word The running Christian shall at last obtain the Prize and the Crown he fights for he shall wear What though the Vessel be tost and broke it shall come safe with its rich Lading to the desired Harbour O you foolish world condemn not these spiritual wise Merchants till you know what their returns are when their burden is delivered He that is willing to dye for Christ shall live as long as Christ lives in happiness and rest Those Souls are out of Gun-shot that are instrumental for the shaking the Kingdom of Satan and weakning the interest of Hell in the world Who would not be a Christian in good earnest sure none but a mad-man or a fool The highest Worldlings are below the meanest and lowest Child of