I know thou hast prescribed for the Death and utter Destruction of all my Corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and idolatrously let out my affections upon the World I do here resign my Heart to thee that madest it humbly protesting before thy Glorious Majesty that it is the firm resolution of my heart and that I do unfeignedly desire Grace from thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practice this my resolution through thy Assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this World rather then to turn from thee to the wayes of sin and that I will watch against all its Temptations whether of Prosperity or Adversity least they should withdraw my Heart from thee beseeching thee also to help me against the Temptations of Satan to whose wicked Suggestions I resolve by thy Grace never to yield my self a Servant And because my own righteousness is but menstruous Rags I renounce all confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone creature without righteousness or strength The Terms to which we must turn are either ultimate or mediate And forasmuch as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercy offered most Graciously to me wretched sinner to be again my God through Christ if I would accept of thee I call Heaven and Earth to record this day that The ultimate is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who must be thus accepted I do here solemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God and with all possible veneration bowing the neck or my Soul under the feet of thy most sacred Majesty I do here take thee the Lord Jehovah Father Son and Holy Ghost for my portion and chief good and do give up my self body and soul for thy servant promising and vowing to serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of my life The mediate terms are either principal or less principal The Principal is Christ the Mediator who must thus be embraced And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the onely means of coming unto thee I do here upon the bended knees of my Soul accept of him as the onely New and Living Way by which Sinners may have access to thee and do here solemnly joyn my self in a marriage covenant to him O blessed Jesus I come to thee hungry and hardly bestead poor and wretched and miserable and blinde and naked a most loathsome polluted wretch a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord much more to be solemnly married to the King of Glory But sith such is thine unparallel'd love I do here with all my power accept thee and do take thee for my Head and Husband for better for worse for richer for poorer for all times and conditions to love honour and obey thee before all others and this to the death I embrace thee in all thine Offices I renounce mine own unworthiness and do here avow thee to be the Lord my Righteousness I renounce mine own wisdome and do here take thee for mine onely Guide I renounce mine own will and take thy Will for my Law And since thou hast told me that I must suffer if I will reign I do here covenant with thee to take my lot as it falls with thee and by thy grace assisting to run all hazards with thee verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me The less Principles are the Laws of Christ which must be thus accepted And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy holy Laws as the Rule of my life and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdome I do here willingly put my Neck under thy Yoke and set my Shoulder to thy Burden and subscribing to all thy Laws as holy just and good I solemnly take them as the rule of my words thoughts and actions promising that though my flesh contradict and rebel yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction and will not allow my self in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty Onely because through the frailty of my flesh I am subject to many failings I am bold humbly to protest That unallowed miscarriages contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart shall not make void this Covenant for so thou hast said Now Almighty God searcher of hearts thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation bebeseeching thee that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood therein thou wouldest discover it to me and help me to do it aright And now glory be to thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon as my God and Father That ever thou shouldest find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners Glory be to thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my sins in thine own blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory be to thee O God the holy Ghost who by the finger of thine Almighty Power hast turned about my heart from sin to God O dreadful Jehovah the Lord God Omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art now become my Covenant-friend and I through thine infinite Grace am become thy Covenant-servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on earth let it be ratified in Heaven CHAP. XX and Last An exhortation to the Saints COme ye People beloved you that are highly favoured The Lord is with you Blessed are you amongst men and women The Likes are fallen to you in a pleasant place yea you have a goodly heritage Come and enter upon your Lot let your hearts be glad let your glory rejoyce but that your joy may be full hearken to these following counsels Make sure your interest in the Covenant Rejoyce not in that that 's none of thine Make sure all lies upon this Your life all the comforts and concernments of it both your eternal safety hereafter and your success in all the parts of your Christian course here depend on your interest in the Covenant VVhat have you if Christ be not yours and what have you in Christ if you be not in Covenant whence are your hopes either of mercy at last or of prospering in any thing at present but from the Covenant of Promise And what have you thence if your name be not in it Oh give not rest to your selves till this be put out of doubt what ever duties you perform what ever ease or hope you finde hereupon what ever transportation of affection you feel in your hearts in the midst of all enquiry But am I in Covenant How shall I know that you 'll say why make a strict and narrow enquiry whether those special graces already mentioned be wrought upon you Common mercies though even these be Covenant mercies to the Saints yet
not thou have a little patience he for the fruits of the Earth but thou for the joyes of Heaven He upon meer probabilities but thou upon infallible certainties He for a Crop of Corn but thou for a Crown of Glory Were he but sure that every Corn would bear a Crow how plentifully would he sowe how joyfully would he wait Why such is thy harvest As sure as the Summer delights do follow the Winters severities as sure as the wisht-for Harvest doth follow the toilsome and costly Seeds-time so sure shall thy Lord return and bring thy reward with him Revel 22.12 Therefore my soul love and long for the approaching Jubile and wait all the daies of my appointed time until my change shall come O blessed state that my Lord hath translated me into O happy change that he hath made I was a stranger and he took me in and made me an heir and preferred me from the Dunghill to the Throne and from a Hewer of wood and Drawer of water to attend his Court and know his Counsels and do his pleasure Happy am I that ever I was born to partake of this endless dignity Hebr. 12.22,23,24 O my Lord it is no little thing thou hast given me in hand I am already come to mount Zion and the City of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born and to God the Judge of all and unto the Spirits of Just men made perfect and unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and unto the blood of sprinkling Gal. 4.6 Luke 5.20 My heart reviveth as Jacobs when I behold the tokens which thou hast sent me the spirit of Adoption the pardon of my sins my patent for Heaven the chain of thy Graces the Son of thy Bosome and the New Testament in his blood 1 Cor. 11.25 Luk. 12.32 Cant. 1.10 Joh. 3.16 Joh. 14.21,23 and the Letters of his love My Lord hath said that he will love me and manifest himself unto me and that the Father will love me and both will come unto me and make their abode in me But is it true indeed Will the Lord dwel on Earth Or if he will shal so foul a Stable so unclean a Stye as my heart hath been shal this be the place that the Lord of life will take up his lodging and keep his Court in Will he indeed come with all his Train of Graces and live and walk in me How can these things be But he hath said it and I do and I will believe it Psal 31.19 Yet all this is but the earnest of what is to come Oh how great is thy goodness laid up for them that fear thee Yet a little while and my warfare shal be accomplished and the Heavens must receive me till the time of the restitution of all things 2 Pet. 1.14 It is but for a short term that I shal dwel in this dirty flesh in an earthen Tabernacle Joh. 12.26 My Lord hath shewed me that where he is there shal his servant be Now the living is tyed to the dead and my Soul is a Stage of strife and a Field of war 1 Cor. 13.10 But t is but a little moment and that which is perfect shal come perfect Holiness and perfect Peace eternal Serenity and a Serene Eternity O my sins Rev. 21.27 I am going where you cannot come where no unclean thing shal enter nor any thing that defileth Methinks I see all my Afflictions and Temptations all mine infirmities and corruptions falling off me as Elijah's Mantle at his translation O my Soul dost thou not see the Chariots of fire and the Horses of fire come to take thee up Luk. 16.22 Be thou as poor as Lazarus yet God will not disdain to send a Party of Angels to conduct thee home How canst thou doubt of ready reception who hast such a friend in Court who will lead thee with boldness into his Fathers presence Gen. 45.16 If there were Joy in Pharaoh's Court when it was said Joseph's Brethren are come surely it will be welcom newes in Heaven when it s told Jesus his Brethren are come My Soul fear not to enter though the Lord be clothed with Terrour and Majesty For thy Redeemer will procure thee favour and plead thy right Joh. 16.27 I am sure of welcom for the Father himself loveth me I have tasted and tryed his love Luke 15. and when I had played the wicked Prodigal yet he despised not my Raggs but fell on my neck and kissed me and Heaven it self made merry over me Much more will he receive me gladly and let out his loves upon me when presented to him by his Son in his perfect likeness as a fit Object for his everlasting delight Fear not O my Soul as if thou wert going to a strange place Why Heaven is thy Countrey and thy home wilt thou doubt of leave or fear of welcome when it is thine own home Why my Soul thou wast born from above and here is thy Kindred and thy Fathers House and therefore thou shalt surely be admitted And then shall I see the glorious preparations of Eternal Love and the blissful Mansions of the Heavenly Inhabitants Doubtless it shal be thus These are not sick-mens Dreams or childrens hopes The living God cannot deceive me and may not I certainly promise my self what the Lord hath promised me I will sooner think that all my senses are deluded and what I see and feel and taste is but a fancy then think that the living God will deceive me or that his unchangeable Covenant will fail 1 Joh. 3.2 Now I am a son of God but it doth not yet appear what I shal be but this I know I shal be like him and see him as he is I know it shal be thus Why what security should I ask of God He hath given me all the assurance in the world And though the word of God be enough yet he willing to shew more abundantly to the Heits of Promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath Heb. 6.17 that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye I might have strong consolation O unreasonable Unbelief What shal not the Oath of a God put an end to thy strife O my God I am satisfied it is enough Now I may be bold without presumption and boast without Pride And will no more call my Duty Arrogance nor my Faith a Fancy O my Soul There is but a short life betwixt thee and Glory where holy Angels and glorified Saints shal be mine onely Associates and Love and Praise mine onely employment Job 38.7 Methinks I hear already how the Morning-stars sing together and all the sons of God shout for joy O that I could come in for one But it was said unto me I should rest yet for a little
HEAVEN OPENED OR A Brief and plain DISCOVERY OF THE RICHES OF Gods Covenant OF GRACE By R. A. London Printed Anno Dom. 1665. To The Reader Reader THe Providence of God hath led mee on to the publication of the ensuing Treatise much beyond my first intentions There came to my hands A Synopsis of the Covenant of Grace on Gods part with a Soliloquie annexed both penned by the worthy Authour of that form of Mans Covenanting with God inserted in my Vindiciae Pietatis attended with the Authours desires and of divers other Christians that this also might bee incorporated into the same book These desires neither being able to resist nor willing to deny I prepared some meditations to bee premised with a purpose to have put forth another Edition of that Book with this addition but finding it to grow into too great a bulk to bee there incerted both this on Gods part and the former on mans part come into thy hands in this distinct Treatise followed with my Prayers that the good Land whereof some Clusters are here presented to thee may be thine Inheritance See and take Thine because the Lords Covenant servant R. A. July 8. 1665. The Contents THe Introduction pag. 1 Chap. 1 God himself granted in the Covenant p. 3 To bee our Friend Portion Sun Shield Chap. 2. Christ in the Covenant 22 As The Light of life The Lord our righteousness Our Lord and King Our head and Husband Chap. 3. The Spirit in the Covenant 35 As a Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation Holiness and Sanctification Truth and Direction Comfort and Consolation Chap. 4 The earth in the Covenant 51 The good things of the Earth The evil things of the Earth 1. The Covenant hath its Cross 2. By vertue of the Convenant the Cross is a blessing The Blessing of the Cross stands 1. In its being separated from the earth 2. In its being sanctified to its ends 3. In its being proportioned to our needs and strength 4. In the special comforts annexed to it Chap. 5. The Angels of light in the Covenant 74 Chap. 6. The powers of darkness delivered over in the Covenant 78 Chap. 7. Death in the Covenant p. 84 Chap. 8. The Kingdome in the Covenant 87 Chap. 9. All the means of salvation in the Covenant 88 1. External means 2. Internal means In special a new heart Chap. 10. An heart to know the Lord. 96 Chap. 11. One heart 114 Chap. 12. An heart of flesh 141 Chap. 13. An heart to love the Lord. 166 Chap. 14. An heart to fear the Lord. 193 Chap. 15 An Obedient heart 221 Chap. 16. Perseverance in the Covenant 249 Chap. 17. A Synopsis of the Covenant of Grace on Gods part by another hand 262 Chap 18. A Soliloquie representing the Believers Tryumph in Gods Covenant and the various conflicts and glorious conquests of faith over unbelief 316 Chap. 19. An exhortation to sinners with directions for their entring into Covenant 342 Chap. 20. A form of words expressing mans covenanting with God 365 Chap. 21. An Exhortation to the Saints 369 Heaven Opened OR A brief and plain discovery of the Riches of Gods Covenant of GRACE The Introduction GOod news from Heaven the day-spring from on high hath visited this undone world after a Deluge of sin and misery behold the bow in the Cloud the Lord God hath made and established a new Covenant and this is it that hath cast the first beam on the dark state of lost and fallen man and hath brought life and immortality to light This Covenant is the hope of Sinners The riches of Saints the Magna Charta of the City of God The forfeited Lease of eternity renewed Gods Deed of Gift wherein hee hath on fair conditions granted sinners their lives and settled upon his Saints an everlasting Inheritance Hear O yee forlorn Captives who have sold your selves to eternal bondage spoiled your selves of all your glory sealed your selves up under everlasting misery you are dead in your sins guilty before God under wrath under a curse bound over to eternal vengeance But behold there is yet hope in Israel concerning this thing the Lord God hath taken compassion upon you hath opened a way for you to escape out of all this misery and bondage Lift up the hands that hang down comfort the trembling knees An Ark an Ark hath God prepared in which is salvation from the Flood A Covenant a new Covenant hath hee made and established which if you lay hold on it will recover all you have lost ransome you from death redeem you from Hell and advance you to a more sure and blessed condition than your original state from which you have fallen This is the hope of sinners This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. Glorious tydings good news indeed but what is this Covenant or what is there that is given and granted therein Why in summe there 's all that Heaven and earth can afford all that can bee needed or desired and this by a firm and irrevokable Deed made over and made sure to all that will sincerely embrace it Particularly God hath in his Covenant granted and made over 1. Himself 2. His Son 3. His Spirit 4. The Earth 5. The Angels of Light 6. The Powers of Darkness 7. Death 8. The Kingdome 9. All the means of Salvation CHAP. I. God in the Covenant 1. THe Lord God hath made over himself in this Covenant That 's the great and comprehensive promise Jer. 31.33 I will be their God I am God and what I am 't is all theirs my self my glorious incomprehensible essence all my glorious attributes my omnipotence my omniscience my wisdome my righteousness my holiness mine all-sufficiency my faithfulness c. I will make over my self to them to be henceforth and for ever theirs Their Friend Portion Sun Shield 1. Their Friend I was angry but mine anger is turned away I was an adversary I had a controversie with them but I am reconciled I have found a ransome the quarrel is composed my wrath is appeased I am friends with them I will forgive their iniquity and their sin will I remember no more I will take away their iniquity and receive them graciously I will heal their back-sliding I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from them Jer. 31.34 Hos 14.4 Glory be to God on high on earth peace good will towards men Fury is not now in me favour and friendship love and good will is all they may henceforth expect from me Sinners what is there to be feared what is there dreadful but an angry provoked God Thence is sorrow and anguish thence is famine and pestilence and sword thence is death and hell he doth not know what the wrath of God means that doth not see in the bowels of it all the plagues above ground and all the vengeance of eternal fire Whatever terrors or torments have seized upon thee upon thy body upon thy soul whatever losses crosses
this world these shall not be thine hire the everlasting God will be thy reward thine exceeding great reward exceeding not thy work only but thy very thoughts also A little is too much for thy earnings but the whole world is too little for his bounty less than nothing might satisfie for thy labours but less than himself will not satisfie for his love the eternal God will be thy reward Oh the unsearchable riches of the poorest of Saints Onimium foelices bona si sua nôrint Poor what and yet hast a God! In want what and yet hast all things Is he a God that is thine and art thou still in straits Would a few sheep and oxen vineyards and olive-yards make thee a rich man and can a God leave thee a beggar Is not a pearl more than pebbles Milk and wine than mud and water Men use to say Money is all things meat and drink and clothes and friends and lands virtually all things And is not God more than money Sure he hath said to his Gold thou art my god that cannot say Let God be mine and then go thou thy way Hast thou a God and yet poor Nay farther would the fatness of the earth and the fulness of heaven if thou hadst both be enough for thee Would corn and wine and houses and lands and pleasures here and eternal life hereafter suffice thee And is not God alone as much as all this Dost thou want Star-light when thou hast the Sun Is the Ocean more full for the Rivers that run into it Or would there be any want there if all these were stopp'd and dry Can they contribute to it which have their rise from it Hath the almighty God a self-sufficiency and hath he not enough to satisfie a poor worm Is he blessed in himself and mayest not thou be blessed in him He that thinks any thing less then God will suffice understands not a soul and he that wants any thing more understands not God God alone is as much as God and all the world and this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord God is their portion If enough be not yet said look a while and consider whence thou art taken up into this blessedness What hast thou left What an exchange hast thou made Thou wert taken with the Prodigal from the trough with the beggar from the dunghil yea as a brand out of the burning there thy lot was fallen Oh where hast thou left the rest of the world Blessing themselves in vanity pleasing themselves with shaddows and apparitions feeding on ashes warming themselves at their painted fires sporting themselves with the wind rejoycing in a thing of nought their crackling thorns their glozing pleasures their drinkings and dancings and riotings their horses and their dogs and their hawks and their harlots making a shift a while to make merry with these whilst they are hasting to the pit To that fire and brimstone which is the portion of their cup. Consider man what is the chaffe to the wheat What is a Comet to the Sun What is the night to the day What are bubbles and childrens toyes to â—…e durable riches What are things that are noâ— to hâ—m whose name is I am But oh what is death and wrath and the curse which was once all thine heritage to that life and love and peace and joy and glory which thou now possessest in that God that is thy portion What a poor wretch wert thou once when thou hadst nothing but sin and shame and misery that thou couldst call thine own these thou mightest call thine sin was thine woe was thine death and the grave and the curse and the pit were thine own but that was all thou hadst thy good things thou livedst upon had they been of never so great value were none of thine thine house and thy lands are none of thine thy gold and thy silver and thy substance are none of thine they are all but borrowed or committed to thee as a Steward and all to be given up upon demand and what thou hast spent of them thou must be brought to a reckoning for a poor wretch thou wert and hadst just nothing all that thou hadst was none of thine But now God is thine own all that he is all that he has is thine never couldest thou lay such a claim to any thing thou possessedst to house or wife or childe or body or soul as now thou mayest to thy God God is as surely thine as thou art thy self as sure as thou art a man thou hast a God Come Christian here 's now thy poâ—tion the light of thine eyes the lifting up of thinehead the joy of thine heart the strength of thy bones thy stock thy treasure thy life thy health thy peace thy rest thy all Whom have I in heaven but thee and in the earth there is none that I desire besides thee My flesh and mine heart faileth but God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever Psal 73.25,26 Here is thy portion know it for thy good take it for thine own live upon it and live up to it 1. Live upon thy portion Here thou mayest feed herein thou mayest rejoyce herein thou mayest bless thy self for ever Let him that blesseth himself on the earth bless himself in the God of Truth Let him that rejoyceth in the earth rejoyce in the God of truth Let the strong man live upon his strength let the wise man live upon his wits let the rich man live upon his lands come thou live upon thy God come enjoy God and thy soul enjoy God in thy soul enjoy thy soul in God Thou hast possession what should hinder thy fruition In fruition the Schools tells us there are three things which go to the making it up Cognitio Delectatio Quietatio 1. Knowledge according to the clearness or cloudiness of our apprehensions of any good we more or less take the pleasure or comfort of it and therefore the full fruition of God is not till at last when we shall know as we are known Here we see but as in a glass and darkly we know but in part and while we know but in part we love but in part and joy but in part the dimness of our sight makes an abatement upon our joy When the vail shall be taken away when we shall come to see face to face then we shall fully feel what it is to have a God Christian know thou the God of thy Fathers the more thou knowest the more thou hast The carnal world enjoy not God at all God is not known in their Tabernacles In Jewry is God known his Name is great in Israel at Salem is his Tabernacle and his Dwelling in Zion But what of God in Edom or Ammon or Amaleck or Aegypt those dark Regions wherein neither Sun nor Star appears Leave them to their dunghil gods to the gardens which they have desired and the Oaks which they have chosen The
iniquity to bring in everlasting righteousness and so to bring us to God What-ever difficulties there appear in thy way what-ever doubts arise in thine heart from thy sins from thy guilt from thy poverty from thy impotence what-ever objections thy fears may hence put in there 's the blood of the Lamb that will answer all Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us 2. As a merciful and faithful high Priest Heb. 2.17 who hath made an attonement for us in the earth and appears for us in heaven who hath made reconciliation for us and makes intercession for us Heb. 9.24 to appear in the presence of God for us we read Exod. 28.12.29 That Aaron as the type of Christ was to bear the names of the children of Israel engraven in stones upon his shoulders and upon his breast-plate when he went into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually Our Lord is entred into the Heavens to appear in the presence of God with our names upon his shoulders and upon his heart for a memorial before the Lord there is not the least of Saints but there his name is engraven Here 's my ransome Lord and behold my ransomed ones Here 's my price and my purchase my redemption and my redeemed What-ever accusers there be what-ever charge be laid against them what-ever guilt lies upon them here are the shoulders that have born all that was their due and payd all that they owe and upon these shoulders and in this heart thou mayest read all their names and when thou readest remember what I have done for them and acquit absolve and let them be accepted before thee for ever Remember the tears of these eyes the stripes on this back the shame of this face the groans of this body the anguish of this soul the blood of this heart and when thou remembrest what-ever name thou findest engraven upon this heart and upon these shoulders they are the persons whose all these are and what-ever these are what-ever acceptance they have found with thee what-ever satisfaction thou hast found in them put it upon their account never let me be accounted the accepted if they be rejected never let me be accounted righteous if they lye under the imputation of wicked If they be not righteous in my righteousness I must be guilty under their guilt What-ever I am what-ever my satisfaction is all is theirs for them they plead for them they pray my tears stripes wounds groans anguish soul blood they all cry and say Father forgive them Father accept them Of all cryes there are no such strong cries as the cry of blood and that whether it be against or for the guilty its voice shall be heard on high Thy brothers blood cryeth unto me from the ground Gen. 4. and what followed Wo to those persons against whom blood cryeth but where blood such blood cries for them for pardon for mercy blessed are those souls Christian this blood is for thee it speaks better things than the blood of Abel Heb. 12. it pleads sues presses for thy discharge from all that is upon thee Thou hast many cries against thee Sathan cries thy sins cry thine own heart thy conscience cries against thee and thou art amazed at the dreadful noise they make but behold the blood of the Lamb the blood of God cries for thee Thou hast an accuser but thou hast an acquitter thou hast adversaries but thou hast an advocate An Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for thy sins 1 John 2. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.33,34 Nay farâ—her thou hast not onely a righteous but a merciful high Priest that is provided of a Sacrifice and hath an heart to offer it for thee thy name is in his heart as well as on his shoulders in his bowels as well as on his back He hath blood for thee precious blood and he hath bowels for thee pitiful bowels He can have pity and compassion on the miserable Heb. 5.2 if he can finde no other he can finde arguments enough from thy wo and thy misery to draw forth his soul towards thee He is merciful and his mercies are tender mercies he is pittiful and his compassions are tender compassions thou art not so tender of the wife of thy bosome of the childe of thy bowels thou art not so tender of thine own flesh of the apple of thine eye of thine own soul as thy Lord is of thee His spirit is moved for thee his soul melts over thee he bleeds in thy wounds he suffers in thy sorrows his eye weeps his heart breaks over thy broken and undone state fear not his forgetting thee his bowels will remember him of thee He is a merciful and a faithful high Priest No dignity to which he is exalted above thee no distance to which he is removed from thee can make him forget his friends He is gone into the heavens and there exalted far above all Principalities and Powers and set down at the right hand of God He is gone but he hath carried thy name with him as a perpetual memorial for thee Thou art unfaithful shame to thee thou forgettest thy Lord at every turn every business that comes every trouble that comes every pleasure that comes every companion that comes in makes thee forget thy Lord forget his love forget thy duty Oh how small a matter will steal thy heart from him yea stir up tumults and rebellions against him Thy comforts thy hopes thy needs thou hast daily of him will not all prevail to hold him in remembrance with thee Thou forgettest thy Lord but he will not forget thee though thou hast been unfaithful in many things yet he is in nothing 2 Tim. 2.13 Yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself he should not be true to himself if he be not faithful to thee his interest lies in thee thou art his his possession a member of his body fear not if he should be unfaithful to thy soul he is therein unfaithful to his own body If thy case be such that he can help thee if there be any thing wherein he can stead thee if all that he hath his blood his righteousness his interest with the Father will be sufficient for thy help he hath undertaken to procure it for thee and secure it to thee Faithful is he that hath called you and will do it This now is that Jesus that is given unto us as our propitiatory Sacrifice as our merciful and faithful high Priest who suffered on the earth and is gone into the heavens for us standing in his red robes garments rolled in blood with those glorious whites upon the red pardon peace absolution acceptance with the names of his ransomed ones engraven
from falling by the presence of his Grace till he present them faultless before the presence of his Glory O its good being with Christ any where Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest and causest thy flocks to rest at noon Where thou feedest yea where thou art whether feeding or fasting whether rejoycing or mourning where thou causest thy flocks to rest at noon yea and where thou sufferest thy flocks to be scattered in the night Where thy flocks are thou art not far away tell mee where thou feedest tell mee where thou art My beloved that feedeth among the lillies feedeth sometimes among the thorns When his love is a lilly among thorns there hee feedeth Hee feedeth among the thorns he feedeth with his sheep he feedeth with his Lambs where ever they feed when darkness and desolation and devils and death feed upon them even then he feedeth them and takes his feeding with them O where ever my Lord is there let my lot fall Let me dwell amongst the thorns so my dwelling be with my Lord amongst the lillies Let me wander amongst the mountains whilest he is with me telling all my wandrings Let me be scourged so he will wash my stripes let me weep so he will wipe off my tears I would not want wounds whilest I have such oyl to pour in Come all yee thieves and robbers I fear you not my dear Samaritan comes by come yee bulls of Bashan yee boars of the forest let my beloved kiss mee with the kisses of his mouth and I regard it not though you kick me with the heel O my Lord bring me where thou feedest let me live in thy face let me feel thy smiles upon my heart let me love thee tell me thou lovest me remembrest pittiest acceptest takest care for me and then chuse my condition my dwelling and entertainment for me Fainting Christian lift up thine eyes comfort thine heart here 's that thou fearest and tormentest thy self withall Here is the inside of that formidable cross the light side of those dark clouds the sunny side of that shady thorny hedge that so wounds and afflicts thine heart Fear not bee strong and of a good courage Thou still sayest woe is me I can find no such thing Ah Lord God doth he not speak parables O that I were assured it might be thus with me why art thou in Covenant believe and all is thine I believe and therefore have I spoken believe and thou shalt see the salvation of God as sure as the cross is thine all the comforts of the cross are setled upon thee Read over all the gracious words thou hast before thine eyes view over all the instances of suffering Saints that have gone before thee on whom these good words have been made good in conspicuous increases of divine grace in the signal discoveries of divine love in the clearest and fullest revelation of divine glory in the intimate sense of the divine presence quickning enlarging encouraging supporting their spirits in the darkest dens in the sharpest conflicts with reproaches mockings bonds banishments torments and deaths and know that all these things are written for thy learning that thou through patience and comfort of the Scriptures maist have hope Read over Isa 51. Hearken to mee yee that follow after righteousness yee that seek the Lord look unto the Rock whence ye are hewen and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged for the Lord shall comfort Zion hee will comfort all her wast places hee will make her wildernesse like Eden and all her desarts like the Garden of the Lord joy and gladness shall bee found therein thanksgiving and the voice of melody lift up your eyes to the Heavens c. Verse 7 8 12 13. Hearken unto me ye that know righteousness the people in whose heart is my Law fear yee not the reproach of men neither bee ye afraid of their revilings for the Moth shall eat them up like a Garment and the worm shall eat them like wool but my Righteousness shall bee for ever and my salvation from Generation to Generation I even I am hee that comforteth you who art thou that thou shouldest bee afraid of a man that shall dye and of the Son of man which shall bee made as grass and forgettest the Lord thy maker that hath stretched forth the heavens and layd the foundations of the earth and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressour as if he were ready to destroy and where is the fury of the oppressour I even I am he c. and where is the fury of the oppressour where is the fury of the oppressour where is it not rather is it not in the house and in the field is it not in the City and in the Villages is it not upon my Cattel upon my Purse upon my body upon my Children upon my friends where is not the fury of the oppressour I but when thou remembrest the Lord thy maker the Oath the Promise and Covenant of God the Presence Protection and Comfort of thy God when thou remembrest this then where is the fury of the Oppressour CHAP. V. The Angels of Light in the Covenant 5. THe Angels of Light are in the Covenant Heb. 1.14 are they not all Ministring Spirits sent forth for them who shall bee Heirs of Salvation Whilest our Lord himself was sent down to Minister behold his servants are to bee ministred unto the Angels are made their Ministers Psal 91.11 Hee shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy waies they have received a charge and they have great advantages for the keeping the charge of the Lord. 1. They are mighty Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord yee his Angels that excel in strength an Angel is more than an Armie what slaughters have the Angels made in the Armies of the Aliens an hundred fourscore and five thousand Assyrians are slain by one Angel of the Lord when encamped against Judah Isa 37.36 It is hard service indeed that is too hard for an Angel 2 They are numerous there are great multitudes of them Psal 68.17 Thousands of Angels a multitude of the Heavenly Host Luke 2.13 An Angel is more than an army but what then are an Army of Angels 3. They are faithful They can do much for the Saints but will they do it yes they are faithful They do the Commandements of God Psal 103.20 God bids them keep and they are faithful they will keep his sheep wee are taught to pray that the will of God may bee done on earth as it is in Heaven that men may bee faithful as the Angels of God 4. They are Favourites they behold the face of God they dwell in his presence they are admitted to stand before his Throne they can bee heard they have favour in Heaven and therefore such power on earth Mat. 18.10 Take heed yee despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in Heaven
it Rule till it hath put all thine Enemies under thy feet till every thought imagination every high thing be made low and brought into captivity to Christ Let not the light of the Lord help thee to do the Devil's Work Let it not bee fodder for thy flesh lest it bee fuel for thy flames Let it not repent thy God nor thee that ever thou hadst such a talent committed to thee Let it neither be loss to God nor the eternal loss of thine own soul Hee that hath appeared on earth in beams of light will bee revealed from Heaven in flames of fire rendering vengeance to all that Know God and obey not the Gospel of Christ Woe to those that neither know nor obey but Oh! what to those that obey not though they Know Christians know the Lord but know and fear know and serve know and honour thy God Know God and know thy self thy sinne and thy misery thy dangers and thy temptations Know and mourn know and bee ashamed know and fear and watch and fight and overcome Know God and know his Will thy duty and thy way thy priviledges and opportunities thy Race and thy Crown Know and do and run and suffer and wait and hope and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God Know God but God in Christ God reconciled pardoning absolving accepting through him Know and believe accept adventure upon resign commit thy self to him Know thy God and behold him look upon thy God in his power in his wisdome in his holiness in his goodness in his loving-kindness in his mercy Behold him in his Word in his Works in his Providence in his Saints in thy Soul in his Son Set him before thine eyes look upon thy God and never leave looking till thou art changed into his Image and satisfied with his Visage and when thou art brought up to this then hee hath done for thee what he hath said I will give them an heart to know mee CHAP. XI One Heart 3. ONe Heart Ezek. 11.19 I will give them one Heart Wee read Hos 14.11 Ephraim is like a silly Dove without an Heart Hath no heart at all none for his God that 's as good as none and Psal 12.2 Wee read that Israel had a double Heart an Heart and an Heart more hearts than one but saies the Lord I will give them an Heart and it shall bee but one and no more For the opening of this to let passe the signification it hath as it respects Christians collectively as it respects each particular Christian This one Heart may bee taken as opposed To A wavering A divided A double Heart 1. As opposed to a wavering unstable Heart Jam. 1.6.8 VVavering minded men have almost as many hearts as they live daies or meet with cases An heart that changes with the weather and tacks about with every winde that resolves and repents that chuses and changes that like a wave of the Sea is tossed about with every VVinde This you may call either many hearts or no heart as you will Thus this one heart is a fixed established resolved heart Heb. 13.9 It is good that the heart bee established with grace Grace fixes and establishes the heart brings it to a consistency in it self which before was any thing or nothing 2. As opposed to a divided Heart Hos 10.2 An Heart cut in two as it were some talk that the Devil hath a cloven foot but what-ever the Devils foot bee to bee sure his Sons have a cloven heart one half for God the other for sin one half for Christ the other for this present World God hath a corner in it and the rest is for sin and the Devil Thus this one heart is an entire heart all the powers of it are united within it self and go the same way God hath the whole heart Psal 103.1 Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name All its springs are in him and thither do all its streams bend their course 3. As opposed to a double heart or an hypocritical heart properly so called Psal 12.2,3 that 's it which is called an heart and an heart an heart in the breast and another in the tongue Our outside is presum'd to be an expression of our inside what wee speak wee pretend to bee our very hearts 'T is the heart in the tongue that speaks the heart in the eye that weeps the heart in the hand that works the heart in the foot that walks no 't is not so with the Hypocrite he shews another heart in his tongue in his waies than that which is within him He hath an heart and an heart one in his tongue or life and quite another in his breast His course speaks him another man than hee is and thus one heart signifies a single or a plain heart To summe up all together this one heart is such as 1. Pitches on one end 2. Has but one thing to do 3. Does what it does 1. Pitches on one end God is its end There it wholly bestows it self I am thine Psal 119. And there only it takes up its rest Psal 39.7 And now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee God is both its work and its wages To please God this is its whole business and to enjoy God this is its happiness This is the mark it hath in its eye this is the scope of all its motions to honour and enjoy God This it wills this it loves this it desires designs hopes labours for that the Lord may possess and be the possession of it Particularly it gives God the place the power of the end 1. The place of the end God is its first and last Hee 's first in the eye and it looks no farther It makes him not onely the chief but in a sense its onely aim It will have no other God and therefore no other end but the Lord. It makes all things else not onely to stoop and stand by but to serve to him Get you hence stand off is its language to all that stands up in his room or stands in his way Evil men what-ever honour they pretend to have for the Lord they do but make him a servant to their other Gods Religion they will take up but 't is onely to serve their own turns to bring about their carnal ends they serve not the Lord but their own bellies saith the Apostle Rom. 16.18 Phil. 3.19 Nay they make the Lord their fellow-servant They serve and their Religion must serve their sensual appetites Hee that will have so much religion onely as he may live upon which is the measure of the most makes the Lord no longer his God but his servant A sincere Christian will set God upon the throne and makes all things else his servants or his foot-stool What-ever will not be serviceable must bee trodden in the dirt Nothing will bee loved and embraced but what will set God higher or bring God nearer to his
temptations they shut their eyes and stop their ears they wil not see they will not believe Oh what losses do they sustain how many Sabbaths are lost how many Sermons are lost how many reproofs counsels corrections are lost a Gospel lost and souls thereby like to bee lost for ever oh what prodigies are they become under all this sin and misery and yet merry jolly laughing and singing and sporting and feasting and braving it out as if nothing ail'd them Feeling nothing of all that is come upon them and fearing nothing of all that is coming Warn them reprove them beseech them 't is all but preaching to a stone It may bee you have sometimes wondred to see a company of thieves in prison to bee drinking and carousing and milking merry when they know that in a few daies they must bee brought out and hanged When thou wondrest at these wonder at thy self What bitter complaints do wee sometimes hear even from the best of Saints oh this hard heart oh this stubborn spirit I cannot mourn I cannot stoop I cannot submit Isa 63.17 Why hast thou hardned our heart from thy fear Or why hast thou left us or given us up to an hard heart why hast thou not softened and humbled and broken us thou hast humbled us and wee are not humbled broken us and wee are not broken thou hast broken our land broken our peace broken our backs but the stone is not yet broken oh for one breach more Lord our hearts our hearts let these bee once broken our streets mourn the Cities of our solemnities mourn the wayes of Sion mourn oh when wilt thou give us a mourning spirit Oh what sorrow-bitten souls are the Saints for want of sorrow I mourn Lord I lament I weep but 't is because I cannot mourn or lament as I should If I could mourn as I ought I could bee comforted if I could weep I could rejoyce if I could sigh I could sing if I could lament I could live I die I dye mine heart dies within mee because I cannot cry I cry Lord but not for sin but for tears for sin I cry Lord my calamities cry my bowels cry my bones cry my soul cries my sins cry Lord for a broken heart and behold yet I am not broken The Rocks rent the Earth quakes the Heavens drop the Clouds weep the Sun will blush the Moon bee ashamed the foundations of the earth will tremble at the presence of the Lord but this heart will neither break nor tremble O for a broken heart If this were once done might my soul have this wish thenceforth my God might have his Will what would bee hard if my heart were tender Labour would bee easie pains would bee a pleasure burthens would bee light Neither the Command nor the Cross would bee any longer grievous nothing would bee hard but sin Fear where art thou come and plough upon this Rock Love where art thou come and thaw this Ice come and warm this dead lump come and enlarge this straitned spirit then shall I run the way of his Commandements Oh Brethren how little how very little of this tenderness is there to bee found amongst the most of Christians The sacrifice of God is a broken heart Oh how far must the Lord go to finde himself such a Sacrifice wee do but cast stones up to Heaven when wee lift up our hearts 'T is a wonder that such hearts as wee carry do not break themselves that our marble weeps not that if nothing else will do it our hardness doth not make us relent that wee should so labour under and complain of and yet not bee sick of the Stone Broken hearts yeilding and relenting spirits tender consciences Oh where are they afraid of sin tender of transgressing or mourning under it when shall it once bee our lusts no more broken our pride our passion our envy our earthliness no more broken So venturous on temptation so bold on sin such liberty taken to transgress such mincing and palliating and excusing of sin as wee finde Is this our brokenness wee are tender 't is true but of what of dishonouring God of abusing Grace of neglecting Duty of defiling Conscience of vvounding of our Souls No 't is of our flesh that wee are so tender tender of labour tender of trouble tender of our carkasses of our credits of our Names and reputations a tender shoulder a tender hand a tender foot they can bear nothing nor do nothing nothing can touch our flesh nothing can touch our Idols our ease or our estates but wee shrink and smart and are put to pain God may bee smitten and wee feel it not the Gospel may bee smitten the Church may bee smitten conscience may bee smitten and it moves us not Wee can fear an affliction fear a reproach Oh did wee so much fear a temptation or a sin wee cannot want bread but wee feel it wee cannot want cloathes or an house or a friend but wee feel it Wee cannot want our sleep our quiet our pleasure our respects from men but wee feel it any thing that pinches upon our flesh pierces our hearts Wee cannot pine or languish in our bodies but wee feel it a feaver or an ague or a consumption or a dropsie or any bodily sickness Oh it makes us sick at heart a froward yoak-fellow an unthrifty servant an ill neighbour a scoffe a sleight cannot bee born but Oh! how much sin can bee born while our flesh will bear nothing Oh! how can conscience bear and never complain Christians consider when our flesh must be thus tendred what ever come of it must be tenderly fed must have soft rayment soft lodging soft usage deal gently with it though to maintain it Conscience must bee racked and wracked and wasted When our Wills cannot bee crossed our appetites cannot bee denied but a tumult follows the soul is in an uproar and conscience mean while must be denied rated and must go away in silence When the Word works no more when the prints of it are not received the power of it is resisted when the rod works no more when our stripes make no sign when the lashes on our backs fall all besides our hearts when wee remain so vain and so wanton so wilful and so carnal and so earthly after the Lord hath been preaching and whipping of us into a better frame when wee stand upon our terms keep our distances our animosities our heats and heighths of spirit our censurings our quarrellings one with another Christian with Christian Professour with Professour after the Lord hath been beating us together to make us friends and all to learn us more humility and charity Is this our brokenness is this our tenderness when upon any the Lords rougher dealing with us spitting in our faces throwing us on our backs trampling us in the dirt wee are yet no more brought on our knees Is this our brokenness when the Lord hath been awakening us out of sleep putting his
their cups amongst their Harlots or in their houses It is good for mee to bee here No wonder Christians that carnal hearts are such strangers to the Word can so well fit out at Duties and can want Ordinances Preaching and Praying and Sabbaths they can spare and not feel their want what wonder What is Heaven to Earth what is God to flesh these Chariots would carry them away from their Gods carry them out of their own Country into a strange Land where they have neither possession nor acquaintance But oh what a sad wonder is it that Saints should go up so often into the Chariots and yet be gotten no nearer home that they should be still so much on the Earth that have been so often mounted for Heaven that those hearts should still bee on the dunghils whose feet are so often on the mountain of the Lord that the Wagons should bee so often sent down and go up empty scarce an heart sent up in them yea that they should be so far from God when God is among them Where 's your love Christians how is it that it is still below what have you here your City is above your home is above your God your Jesus your treasure is above oh how is it that where your treasure is your hearts bee not also hear from God and not God with the messenger send up to heaven your eyes your hands your prayers your complaints your promises and still leave your hearts below send up hearts to heaven and let them return again down to this earth remain earth and flesh and filth and vanity after so much converse or pretence to it with the holy God of spirits lovest thou God when thou canst so often go where hee is and not care to see him or if thou meet him canst let him go without a blessing or if he bless thee canst go presently and exchange thy Fathers blessing for a mess of pottage canst lose a duty in a dinner the comforts and revivings of a Sermon of a Sacrament of a Sabbath in an hours carnal converse in the world did wee love our God more certainly wee should bee more with him and to better purpose His meetings would bee more precious and the fruits of them more lasting Wee should neither go away without his blessing nor throw it away when wee had gotten it Thus much for the object of love 2. It s Act. Love is a natural Affection The love of God is the souls clasping or closing with the Lord. It is the expansion or going out of the heart in its strength after God the uniting or knitting of the soul vvith God vvith a complacency and acquiescence in him There are three things included in this love 1. The strength of the heart making out after God This is that vvhich is commonly called our amor desiderii or our love of desire the breathing or thirsting or panting of the heart after God Psal 42.1 The hearts vvorking God-vvards with its might loving him above all things desiring him above all things and that both Intensivè vvith the greatest vigour and intention and adaequatè as its compleat and adequate object God is its All. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee 2. The uniting of the soul with God Our cleaving to him By love heart cleaves to heart soul cleaves to soul It s said of Shechem Gen. 34.3 that his heart clave unto Dinah Hee loved her vvith his heart shee vvas gotten into his heart and there his heart holds her Acts 11.23 Barnabas exhorts the Church that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. It is the knitting of the soul vvith God Its said 1 Sam. 1.18 That the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul And of Jacob Gen. 44.30 to express his tender love to Benjamin 't is said his life was bound up in the lads life Of the multitude of believers wee read Act. 4.32 that they were all of one heart and of one soul Their love had knit them up all into one By love wee are one with God and hee with us It is the souls willing of God as I may so speak Willing of God to it self and willing it self and all to God All praises all honour all blessedness to him Bee thou mine Lord nothing less nothing else Bee thou mine I need no less I desire no more Let mee bee thine be to thee bee for thee thy servant thy sacrifice or what thou wilt and let all mine bee thine mine heart and my hand and my tongue and my time and mine interest Let all thine bee to thee thy heavens and thy earth with every person with every creature in them Let every heart every mouth every limb every creature bee a praise to the Lord. Let the Lord live and blessed bee my rock let the God of my salvation bee exalted Let every knee bow let every tongue confess unto God This is the amor unionis our love of union as 't is called And 't is the heart the very essence of saving love wherein are included both our accepting of God and our surrender or resignation of our selves unto God Amor non est nisi donum amantis in amaetum And our wishing and willing all glory dominion and blessedness to him And so here also is our amor benevolentiae our love of benevolence All these may bee included in that opening of the heart mention'd Acts 16.14 It s there said that the Lord opened Lydia's heart The heart is then savingly opened when it freely lets out it self upon God all its streams run in to the Lord and when it takes in and takes down God into the depth of the soul The heart thus opened to the Lord when God is come in will close upon him Abide with me thou hast entred upon thine habitation oh let this bee thy dwelling for ever Onely this must bee farther added that with God it takes in all the things of God his Word his Ordinances his waies and all his dispensations With his love his laws with his comforts his counsels with his counsels his corrections with thee I accept of all that 's thine both thy staff and thy rod both thy yoke and thy cross thy self Lord thy love Lord and what thou wilt with thee 3. The souls talking pleasure and taking up its rest in him This is call'd our Amor complacentiae Where wee love there will bee a delightful stay or immoration of the mind upon God Ubi amor ibi oculus The object dwells in the eye we are still looking where we love Anima est ubi amat When I awake I am still with thee there his thoughts are of him is his meditation all the day long My meditation of him shall bee sweet Hee that loves dwelleth in God I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever And why there why there his
of Canticles whose whole language is all love her heart is so full that her lips overflow with the mention of the excellencies of Christ My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest amongst ten thousand His head fine gold his eyes Dove's eyes his cheeks a bed of spices his lips are lillies his hands are gold-rings his legs pillars of marble his countenance excellent his mouth sweet yea hee is altogether lovely this is my beloved and this is my friend O Daughters of Jerusalem Cant. 5. Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of our God Thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds Thy righteousness is like the great mountains thy judgments are a great deep How excellent is thy loving kindness O Lord therefore the sons of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings I will speak of the glorious honour of thy Majesty and of thy wondrous works the Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Let all thy works praise thee O Lord let thy Saints bless thee let them speak of the glory of thy kingdome and talk of thy power Let them abundantly utter the memory of thy goodness and sing of thy righteousness O my God thou art all love all goodness all grace all glory O let thy servant bee all praise Let this heart bee an altar and every service a sacrifice let this mouth bee a trumpet and every word a Psalm let my breath bee as incense and every member a censer Let all that is within mee my soul with all its powers let all that is without me my body with all its members shout for joy and sing forth the high praises of God This is the voice of Love And now you have another excellency of the new heart laid open to your view Love An heart to love Christians prize this precious grace prize it and you will write down this word also among the great and precious Promises and if you would prize it aright take your estimate of it from its worth and its want as we use to prize Jewels from their excellencie rarity 1. Prize it according to its worth and excellency Why what is the worth Cant. 8.7 If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would bee contemned The whole world is not of that value to bee a price for love no it must come by gift it 's not to bee bought for money love is worth as much as a soul and that 's more than all the world What shall it profit a man to win the whole World and lose his own Soul love is as much worth as all Religion 't is the soul and the substance of all Religion all the Graces the Duties and Exercises of it are onely valued according to the love that is in them what is knowledge faith hope patience without love what is prayer fasting alms without charity They are worth nothing shall I say nay they are nothing If I had all knowledge and all faith and were all prayer and all labour and all suffering and had not charity I were nothing Love is worth as much as Heaven is worth as Christ as God is worth to us God is love and God is not if love bee not in us Dost thou prize thy substance Is thy house or thy mony or thy lands any thing to thee Dost thou value thy soul Is Religion is Heaven is Christ is God himself of any account with thee Then prize the love of God Without love God is no God to thee Christ is no Christ to thee Heaven is no Heaven for thee better thou hadst no soul no being than no love O prize the Love of God prize and seek prize and pray pray as for thy life as for thy soul as for thy everlasting Kingdome Lord let mee love thee Get love and get all love and thou wilt bee holy love and thou wilt be humble love and thou wilt bee fruitful love and thou wilt please praise and enjoy thy God love and thou wilt fear serve suffer and die for him love and thou shalt live prize love prize it according to its worth And 2. Prize it according to its rarity Things excellent are rated something the more for their scarcity scarcity raises the Market the VVord of God was precious in those daies 1 Sam. 3.1 that is when there was a Famine of the Word when there was no open Vision O were the love of God as precious as 't is rare what a spiritless carkass is the Religion of many Professours what 's become of the soul of it Oh! we freeze in our Duties we freeze in our Devotions wee are almost frozen out of them all if vvee have a Sacrifice left vvhat fire is there to offer it up The God that answereth by fire let him bee God said Elijah the heart that asketh by fire that ascendeth in fire let that bee the heart for God Behold the wood and the fire but where is the Lamb for the Sacrifice Wee may say behold the wood and the sacrifice but where is the Fire to offer it up our Spirits have taken a cold the chill of them appears in all our duties Rabbi where dwellest thou Love where dwellest thou Zeal of God where is thy abode how many houses must wee search how many hearts must wee walk through e're wee finde thine Habitation The Apostle tells the Romans Rom. 10.2 that they have a Zeal of God but not according to Knowledge wee have the Knowledge of God but oh where is the Zeal the Zeal of thine house saith the Psalmist hath eaten mee up but is not that eater eaten The house hath burnt up the fire or if there be any fire left is it not strange fire not the fire of Love but of Lust of Pride or Covetousness or that wilde fire of envy and contention that heats our spirits Jehu was all on fire against the house of Ahab Come see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts That fire was fury not love or if 't was love 't was self-love not the love of God that made all that flame such hearts are like the evil tongue James 3. set on fire of Hell Such heats are not from above but are earthly sensual devilish wee freeze still while wee thus fry our praeter-natural heats have extinguished the super-natural O! how little kindly warmth do wee find in our spirits do wee feel our hearts working upwards ascending in our flames wee all pretend to love but consider are our hearts making out in their strength after God Wee wish well to his Name and Interest wee wish hee were ours wee wish our selves his O if wishing were loving what Christians should wee be But doth the Kingdom of God suffer violence
the Lord He that did this what can he not do His wrath is a dread Jer. 10.10 At his wrath the earth shall tremble and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation Yea his Holiness his Truth his Righteousness and all his Name Deut 28.58 That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearfull Name the Lord thy God The Lord God is a dreadful God 2. The Lord God hath put the dread of himself upon the hearts of all the earth Not the best onely but the worst of the sons of men I am a great King saith the Lord and my Name is dreadful among the Heathen This dread of the Lord breaks forth upon them 1. From the impress of God upon the natures of all men As the Law so the being of God is written in their hearts he hath his witness in their Consciences If the Atheists of the Earth could answer all the Arguments from without proving that there is a God yet they can never confute their own Consciences If the works of God do not their Reins shall instruct them If they will not see whether they will or no they shall feel that there is a God and where ever God is felt he is feared Even when their mouth speaketh proud things their heart shall meditate terror and when nothing else is they shall be a terror to themselves 2. It is increased by the great works of God his Wonders that he doth in the world his Thunder and his Hail his Wind and his Waves and his Earth-quakes make an Earth-quake in hearts 3. It s further heightned by his Judgments which he executeth on the Earth The Judgements of God are God revealing himself from Heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men and do then strike most terror 1. When he smites suddenly and makes quick work with sinners as when Herod was smote by an Angel of God Nadab and Abihu consumed by fire from God immediately upon their sin Sudden strokes shake secure hearts 2. When he executes strange judgments makes a new thing as in the case of Korah and his company he made the Earth to open her mouth upon them and swallow them up so he made the flies and the froggs and the lice c. to be the Executioners of his Wrath on Pharaoh 3. When he executes great Wrath for little Sins as men account them as in the case of Uzzah whom he struck dead for but touching the Ark when it shook 4. When he exercises great severity on his own on those that are near him If he spareth not his Sons what will he do with his Enemies If these things be done on the green Tree what shall be done on the dry 4. Yet further By their Conscience of guilt and their binding over to the judgment to come The sin of Judah is written with a Pen of Iron with the point of a Diamond it is graven upon the tables of their heart The sin of Judah is written yea and the sin of the Gentile also Rom. 2.15 Their Conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing And where their sin is written there their judgment is written which even nature it self will teach doth inevitably follow upon sin and this is the great dread that is upon them The very mention of judgment to come made a Felix tremble at the face of a poor Prisoner This is the terror of the Lord mentioned by the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.10,11 We must all appear before the Judgment-seat Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men Death is said to be the King of terrors and this is the terror of death after that the judgment All these the impress of God upon their hearts the wonders of God in the worâ—d the vengeance of God executed on sin the sence of guiâ—t and of a judgment to come do preach to the Consciences of sinners that It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God 3. Yet by sin the heart of man is much hardned from the fear of the Lord. Sin blinds the eye and hardens the heart brings into danger and puts out of fear Who in such danger and yet who so bold as the blind sinner When the understanding is darkned the next word we read is Past feeling Eph. 4.19 There is included in the very nature of sin a slighting of God and by once slighting we learn to slight him more Slight the Command and you will quickly slight the Curse Laugh at duty and 't will not be long ere you laugh at tear And when sin hath thus hardned God will also harden le ts the sinner alone suspends his judgments smites the sinner with judicial blindness and gives him up to a Reprobate mind Rom. 1.28 And when once they come to this then Hell is broke loose For what follows ver 29. Being filled with all unrighteousness fornication wickedness covetousness malitiousness and what not Psal 36.1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart there is no fear of God before his eyes Gen 20 When Abraham had such a thought Surely the fear of God is not in this place what thought he was there then Murther Adultery Rapes all manner of villany What sawest thou amongst us that thou hast done this thing What hurt what evill didst thou see among us What evill Evill enough to make me afraid I thought the fear of God was not here and there needs no more to make me afraid Say of any Person The fear of God is not in this man and you therein say The Devil is in him here dwels sin and all manner of wickedness Say of any place The fear of God is not in this place and if you find it an Egypt or Sodom for abominations you will not wonder Psal 19.9 The fear of the Lord is clean That is not only Formaliter but Effectivè it cleanseth Where this is not every unclean thing may dwell The reason why this world is such a world as 't is such a wicked world such a treacherous deceitful ungodly world why there is so little Faith or Truth or Mercy or Charity or Sobriety is because there is so little of the fear of God Sin hath cast out fear and this hath brought forth sin in abundance The Law is nothing Threatnings are nothing Conscience is nothing God is nothing to men because he is not their fear Wickedness is as righteousness villany as honesty prodigality debauchery as temperance and sobriety yea and hath gotten the start of it it faceth the Sun it lifts up the head it wears the Garland it paints it self Vertue Generosity Gallantry the beauty and ornament of the World where the fear of God is departed God may promise threaten command Hearken to my voice turn at my reproofs cast away your transgressions Awake from your wine be chaste sober be humble let your merriment be turned into mourning your jollity into heaviness Remember your Creator remember your souls why
of the heart This is the very nature of sin The hearts departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 And therefore this is the great wrong of God There is but one thing in the world that God respects and this sin steals away Sin is the insurrection and rebellion of the heart against God it turns from him and turns against him it runs over to the camp of the enemy and there takes up arms against God Sin is a running from God and a fighting against God it would spoil the Lord of all the Jewels of his Crown It opposeth the Soveraignty of God A sinfull heart would set up it self in Gods Throne it would be King in his stead and have the command of all Sinners would be their own Gods Our tongues are our own who is Lord over us God shall not be God where sin is gotten up as Lord. It assaulteth the wisdom of God Vain man would be wise wiser then his Maker It charges the Lord with folly and proclaims it self the onely wise Sinners pretend to know how to choose for themselves and order themselves to their advantage better then God If God would let me alone to my self to be at mine own finding at mine own ordering it should quickly be better with me If every thing might be with me as I would have it my case would be well mended from what 't is now that every thing must go as God will have it All our quarrellings at Providence all our murmurings and discontents at our Lott are our hearts charging the Lord with folly It casts dirt on the holiness of God it disparages the goodness of God it abuseth mercy violates his Justice despises his Power In summe it disgraceth the Throne of his glory and layes his honour in the dust sets the Almighty below the lowest of his creatures Every companion shall be respected more then God every pleasure shall be loved more then God the Devil shall be feared more then God Where is his love VVhere is his fear VVhere is his Honour Nay where were the Lord might sin carry it Sin is the wrong of God and this wrong is the especial Object of this abhorrence A gracious heart would do no wrong he would not wrong his Neighbour he would not wrong his Servant his Enemy no not his Beast that he possesses But Oh should I wrong my God Hath he ever done me any wrong Hath he not been just to me Yea hath he not been ever good to me Kinde pityful patient bountiful Who hath fed me cloathed me kept me succoured me comforted me What friend have I in all the world What Father what Portion what Hope but the Lord What were I What had I but vanity but woe and misery had I not a God I cannot wrong my God but I wrong my self Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul But if I did not if my Arrowes would not recoil could I go out with all this injury and suffer nothing by it Yet he is God whom I wrong he is holy he is righteous he is good he is glorious he is excellent he onely is God and shall I be injurious to him He is worthy he is worthy of all that I have of all the service I can do of all the respect I can give of all the Praise I can offer up if I had a thousand tongues if I had a thousand hands if I had a thousand lives if I had a thousand soules if I had all the Earth for an offring to the Lord all would be nothing to shew forth the praise that is due to his Name as he is God and I his creature and when I owe so much and have nothing to pay shall I steal from him Shall I rise up against him Wast thou not afraid to lift up thy hand against the Lords Anointedi 2 Sam. 1. Shall I not be afraid to lift up mine hand against the Lord himself To kick against God to fight against God Oh the Lord forbid What art thou O my soul What servest thou for If thou canst not tremble if thou dost not turn within me if thou dost not start back at the very thought of so great wickedness 2. The loss of God As was said before He that finneth against God wrongeth his own soul His loss is thy loss and more thine then his though no thanks to thee the Lord will be no loser at last when sinners have done their worst he can get up his Honour out of Dishonour he can recover his spoils out of the ashes if he had lost all the world he had lost nothing he is all things in himself When Earth and Hell have spent all their malice God will be God Holy Wise Glorious blessed for ever Though such be the malignity of sin that it would not give over till God ceaseth to be God yet God is above too high for sin to reach its Darts fall short of its Mark God cannot God will not sit down a loser by all that sin can do But what dost thou suffer what dost thou lose that sinnest against God The carnal world understand not what nor would make much reckoning of it did they understand it The loss of two pence goes often nearer them then the loss of God But now a Christian knows no other fear fears no other loss let God be secure and all is well Sin will be the wrong of God and the loss of God it may be a total and eternal loss for ought he knows at least if not assured God lost is the soul lost the Kingdom lost this is Hell the loss of God Better have no being better be a Dog or Toad then a man without a God or if he be not utterly lost yet to his present sence 't will be all one as if he had no God his peace is lost his comfort is lost and his soul is often given for lost from whom God is departed though but for a season he can take pleasure in nothing he can find rest no where whose God is out of fight He knows not what a God means who can spare him till Death or Judgment A Christian cannot live a day without him 't is night 't is all dark he knows no day while the Sun is set upon him How grievous do they find this loss who have proved what it is What wilt thou do for me whilest I go childless What can be done for me whilest I go Fatherless Here is my house here are my friends and my lands but where is my God My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now I see what this Earth is without an Heaven now I see what ease and pleasure and carnal friends are and how little they can do for me Yea what is prayer What are Sabbaths What are Sermons Sacraments Promises whilest God looks not down Oh I was wont to meet with God here these glasses were my Windows into Heaven and then how pleasant were they to me
trust to it trust everlasting truth trust to everlasting strength Fear not for there shall not fail one word of all that I have spoken by all my servants the Prophets If you should hear the Lord speaking thus to you from Heaven what would you say Would not this satisfie you Why search the Scriptures that more sure word of Prophecy 2 Pet. 1.19 Read them diligently understond what thou readest and then say if thou doest not there finde the Lord speaking fully to thee the following words CHAP. XVII God speaking from Mount Gerizim Or the Gospel in a Map being a short view of the exceeding great and precious Promises * Mr. I. A. by another hand The voyce of the Herauld O All ye Inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the Earth Come see and hear gather your selves together unto the Proclamation of the great King Hear you that are farr off and you that are near He that hath an ear to hear let him hear I am the voyce of one crying in the Wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Let every Valley be exalted and every Mountain made low for the glory of the Lord is to be revealed Go thorow go thorow the Gates prepare the way Cast up cast up the High-way gather out the Stones lift up the Standard for the people for the Lord proclaimeth salvation to the ends of the Earth Tydings tydings O ye Captives Hear all ye that look for salvation in Israel behold I bring you glad tydings of great joy which shall be unto all people Blessed newes Prepare your ears and hearts the Lord hath commanded me saying Go unto the people and sanctifie them lâ—t them waâ—h and be ready for the Lord is coming down upon Mount Sion in the sight of all the Nations Not in Earthquakes and Fire not in Clouds and Darkness not in Thundrings and Burnings rending the Mountains and breaking the Rock in pieces He speaks not to you out of the Blackness and Darkness and Tâ—mpest you shall say no more Let not God speak to us lest we dye He cometh peaceably he Law of kindness is in his mouth he preacheth Peace peace to him that is far off and to him that is near Behold how he commeth leaping upon the Mountains he hath passed Mouth Ebal no more wrath or cursing he is come to Mount Gerizim where he standeth to bless the people As Mordecai to his Nation he writeth the words of truth and peace seeking the welâ—are of his people and speaking peace to all his Seed Behold how he cometh clothed with flames of Love with bowels of Compassion plenteous Redemption and multiplyed Pardons O how pregnant is his Love O the rollings of his Bowels Oh how full are his Breasts even aking till they are eased by the sucking of his hungry Children Hearken therefore O ye Children hearken to me To you it is commanded O People Nations and Languages that at what time you hear the joyful sound the Trump of Jubile the tydings of peace in the voyce of the everlasting Gospel that you fall down before the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever Arise and come away Prepare prepare you Hear not with an uncircumcised ear you are not upon a common thing Behold the Throne is set the Throne of grace where Majesty and Mercy dwell together from thence will the Lord meet you from thence will he commune with you from the Mercy-seat from between the Cherubims upon the Ark of the Testimony Lo the Lord cometh out of his Pavilion the mighty God from Sion Selah His glory covereth the Heavens the Earth is full of his praise A fire of love goeth before him mercy and truth are round about him righteousness and peace are the habitation of his Throne he rideth on his Horses and Chariots of Salvation the Covenant of life and peace is in his mouth Rejoyce ye Heavens make a joyful noise to the Lord all the Earth Let the Sea roar the Floods clap their hands and the multitudes of the Isles rejoyce Stand forth the Host of Heaven prepare your Harps cast down your Crowns be ready with your Trumps bring forth your golden Vials full of Odours for our voyces will jarr our strings will break we cannot we cannot reach the note of our Makers praise Yet let them that dwell in the dust arise and sing Bear your part in this glorious service but consider and attend Call out your souls and all that is within you Lift up your voyces fix your eyes enlarge your hearts intend all their Powers here is work for them all Be intent and serious you cannot strein too high Come forth ye graces beset the way be all in readiness Stand forth Faith and Hope flame O Love come ye warm desires and break with longing Let fear with all veneration do its Obeysance Joy prepare thy songs call up all the Daughters of Musick to salute the Lord as he passeth by Let the generations of the Saints appear and spread the way with Boughs and Garments of Salvation and songs of Deliverance Deut. 29.10 to the 13. Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captains your Elders your Officers with all the men of Israel your little Ones your Wives and the stranger that is within thy Camp from the hewer of Wood to the drawer of Water That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God and into his Oath which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself and that he may be unto thee a God as he hath said unto thee and as he hath sworn I have done my errand The Messenger of the morning disappeareth when the Orient Sun cometh forth out of his Chambâ—rs I vanish I put my mouth in the dust The voice of the Lord The soft and still voice O my soul wrap thy face in the mantle and bow thy self to the ground and put thee in the clif of the Rock while Jehovah proclaimeth his Name and maketh all his goodness to pass before thee The voice of the LORD HEar O ye ends of the Earth The mighty God the Lord hath spoken Gather my Saints unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice a a Psal 50.1,5 Behold I establish my Covenant between me and you b b Gen. 17.7 By my holiness have I sworn that I will be your Covenant-friend I lift up my hands to heaven I swear I live for ever and because I live you shall live also c c Ioh. 14.19 I will be yours d d Jer. 32.38,40 Yours to all intents and purposes Your refuge and your rest e e Jer. 50.6 Psal 90.1 Psal 46.1 your Patron and your Portion f f Psal 73.26 Esay 25.4,5 your Heritage and your Hope your God and your Guide g g Psal 48.14 While I have you shall never want and
be your Advocate to endite your prayers and make intercession for you and shal fill your mouths with the Arguments that he knows will prevail with me n n Rom. 8.26.27 He shal be Oyl to your Wheels and Strength to your Ancles Wine to your Hearts and Marrow to your Bones and Wind to your Sails He shal witness your Adoption o o Rom. 8.16 He shal seal you up to the day of Redemption and be to you the earnest of your Inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession p p Eph. 4.30 and 13,14 2 Cor. 1.22 He giveth all things with himself both present and to come And as I give you my self so much more all things with my self q q Rom 8.32 Earth and Heaven Life and Death things present and things to come r r 1 Cor. 3.22 Things present ours Things present are yours Lo I give you Calebs blessing The upper Springs and the neather Springs I will bless you with all Spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ Å¿ Å¿ Eph. 1.3 The upper springs or blessings spiritual as Adoption Access Audience Peace Perseverance c. To you pertaineth the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the Service of God and the Promises t t Rom. 9.4 To you will I give the white Stone and the new Name u u Rev. 2.17 access into my presence w w Eph. 3.12 the acceptation of your Persons x x Eph. 1.6 the audience of your Prayers y y 1 Joh. 5.14,15 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you z z Joh. 14.27 I will undertake for your perseverance and keep you to the end and then will crown mine own gift with eternal life a a Jer. 32.40 Joh. 10 28,29 1 Pet. 1.5 Phil. 1.6 I have made you heirs of God and co-heirs with your Lord Jesus Christ and you shal inherit all things b b Ro. 8.17 Rev. 21.7 I have granted you mine Angels for your Guardians The Protection of his Angels The Courtiers of Heaven shal attend upon you they shal be all ministring spirits for your good c c Heb. 1.14 Behold I have given them charge over you upon their fidelity to look after you and as the tender Nurse to bear you in their arms and to keep you from coming to any hurt d d Psal 91.11,12 These shal be as the careful Shepherds to watch over my Flock by night and to encamp round about my Fold e e Psal 34.7 The Inspection of his Ministers My Ministers I give for your Guides f f Eph 4.11 Paul Apollos Cephas all are yours g g 1 Cor. 3.22 I am alwaies with them and they shal be alwaies with you to the end of the world h h Matt. 28 20. Eph. 4.13 You shal have Pastours after mine own heart i i Jer. 3.15 and 23.4 and this shal be my Covenant with you that my Spirit which is upon you and my words which I have put into your mouth shal not depart out of your mouth nor the mouth of your seed nor of your seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever k k Esay 59.21 The Rod of his Discipline In short All my Officers shal be for the profiting and perfecting of you l l Eph. 4.12 All mine Ordinances shal be for edifying and saving of you m m Act. 20.32 Rom. 1.16 The very severities of my house Admonitions Censures c. And the whole Discipline of my Family shal be for preventing of your infection curing of corruption procuring your salvation n n 1 Cor. 5.5,6,7 Matt. 18.15 The light of his Word My WORD have I ordained for converting your souls enlightning your eyes rejoycing your hearts cautioning you of your dangers cleansing your defilements and conforming you to mine Image o o Psal 19 7,8,9,11 Eph. 5 26. 2 Cor. 3.18 To you I commit the Oracles of God p p Rom. 3.2 Here you shal be furnished against Temptations q q Matt. 4.4,7 Eph. 6.17 hence you shal be comforted under Distresses and afflictio s. r r Psal 119 92,93 Here you shal finde my whole Counsel Å¿ Å¿ Act. 20.27 This shal instruct you in your way correct you in your wandrings direct you into the truths to be believed detect to you the errours to be rejected t t 2 Tim. 3.16 Psal 119.105 The pledges of his Sacraments My Sacraments I give you as the Pledges of my love You shal freely claim them they are childrens bread Lo I have given them as Seals to certifie all that I have here promised you u u Rom. 4.11 and when these sacred signes are delivered unto you then know and remember and consider in your hearts that I therein plight you my troth and set to my hand and do thereby ratifie and confirm every Article of these Indentures and do actually deliver into your own hands this glorious Charter with all its Immunities and Priviledges as your own for ever w w 1 Cor. 11.25 Gen. 17.10 The Nether-springs or Mercies Temporal And having sowed to you so largely in Spiritual blessings shal you not much more reap the Temporal Be you not of doubtful mind all these things shal be added unto you x x Luk. 12.29,31 The supply of his Creatures My creatures I grant for your servants and supplies y y Psal 8.3 to the end Heaven and Earth shal minister to you All the stars in their courses shal serve you and if need be shal fight for you z z Jud. 5.20 And I will make my Covenant for you with the Beasts of the field and with the fouls of Heaven and you shall be in league with the stones of the field and all shal be at peace with you a a Job 5.23 Hos 2.18 I will undertake for all your necessities Do I feed the Fowles and clothe the grass and do you think I will neglect my children b b Matt. 6.25 to the end I hear the young Ravens when they cry shal I not much more fulfil the desires of them that fear me c c Psal 145 19. with the 147.9 Fear not you shal be sure to want no good thing d d Psal 34. ver 10. and you would not your selves desire riches pleasures or preferment to your hurt I will give meat to them that fear me I wil be ever mindful of my Covenant e e Psal 111 5. The Cooperation of his Providences My Providences shal cooperate to your good f f Rom. 8.28 The cross winds shal blow you the sooner and swifter into your Harbour Yâ—u shal be preferred when you seem most debased and then be greatest gainers when you seem to be deepest losers and most effectually promote your good when you seem most to
hand crown you t t Rev. 2.10 and set you in Thrones u u Rev. 3.21 Mat. 19.28 and you shal judge men and Angels w w 1 Cor. â— 2,3 and you shal have power over the Nations x x Rev. 2.26,27 and you shall set your feet upon the necks of your enemies y y Psal 49.14 Lo I have set the very day for your enâ—aiment z z Acts 17.31 I have provided your Crowns a a 2 Tim. 4.8 I have prepared the Kingâ—om b b Mat. 25.34 Wherefore do you doubt O you of little faith These are the true sayings of God c c Rev. 19.9 Are you sure that you are now on Earth so surely shal you be shortly with me in Heaven Are you sure that you shal die so surely shal you rise again in glory Lo I have said it and who shal reverse it You shal see me face to face and be with me where I am and behold my glory d d 1 Cor. 13.12 Ioh. 17.24 For I will be glorified in my Saints and admired in all them that believe e e 2 Thess 1.10 and all flesh shal know that I have loved you f f Rev. 3 9. For I will make you the instances of my grace g g Eph. 1.5 6. and 2.7 in whom the whole world shal see how unutterably the Almighty God can advance the poor Worms-meat and dust of the ground And the despisers shal behold and wonder and perish h h Act. 13.41 for they shal be witnesses to the riches of my magnificence and exceeding greatness of my Power * * Luk. 16.23 They shal go away into everlasting punishment but you into life eternal i i Mat. 25.46 Our Triumphant Ascension into heaven For no sooner shal their doom be past but the Bench shal rise k k Mat. 25.41,46 and the Judge shal return with all his glorious Train with sound of trumpet and shouts incredible shal he ascend and shal lead you to your Fathers house l l Psal 45.14,15 Mat. 25.23 Joh. 14.2 with 2 Cor. 5.1 Then shal the triumphal Arches lift up their heads and the everlasting Gates stand open and the heavens shal receive you all and so shal you be ever with the Lord. m m Joh. 12.26 1 Th. 4.17 And now will I rejoyce over you with singing and rest in my love n n Zeph. 3.17 and Heaven shal ring with joyes and acclamations because I have received you safe and sound o o Luk. 15.10,23,25,27 And in that day you shal know that I am a Rewarder of them that diligently seek me p p Heb. 11.6 and that I did record your words q q Mal. 3.16 and bottle your tears and tell your wandrings r r Psal 56.8 and keep an account even to a cup of cold water of whatever you said or did for my Name Å¿ Å¿ Mat. 10.42 Blessed Eternity You shal surely finde that nothing shal be lost t t 1 Cor. 15.58 but you shal have full measure pressed down and running over thousands of years in Paradise for the least good thought and thousand thousands for the least good word and then the reckoning shal begin again till all Arithmatick be non-plust For you shal be swallowed up in a blessed Eternity and the doors of Heaven shal be shut upon you and there shall be no more going out u u Dan. 12.2,3 Rev. 3.12 Luk. 16.26 Glorious company The glorious Quire of mine holy Angels the goodly fellowship of my blessed Prophets the happy society of Triumphant Apostles the royal Hosts of victorious Martyrs these shal be your Companions for ever w w Mat. 8.11,12 Heb. 12.22,23 And you shal come in white Robes with Palmes in your hands every one having the Harps of God and golden Vials full of Odours and shal cast your Crowns before me and strike in with the multitude of the heavenly Hosts glorifying God and saying Hallelujah the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth x x Rev. 7.9,10,11,12 and 19 5.6 Blessing honour glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever y y Rev. 5.13 In short I will make you equal to the Angels z z Luk. 20.36 of God and you shal be the everlasting Trumpets of my praise a a Rev. 7.10,11,12,15 You shal be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of my House and I will make you drink of the Rivers of my pleasures b b Psal 36.8 You shal be an eternal Excellency c c Esay 60.15 and if God can die and Eternity run out then and not else shal your joyes expire Beatifical Vision For you shal see me as I am d d 1 Joh. 3.2 and know me as you are known e e 1 Cor. 13 12. and shal behold my face in righteousness and be satisfied with my likeness f f Psal 17.25 And you shal be the vessels of my Glory whose blessed use shall be to receive the overflowings of my Goodness and to have mine infinite Love and Glory poured out into you brimfull and running over for evermore g g Rom. 9 23. 2 Tim. 2,20 Rev. 22.1 And blessed is he that hath believed for there shall be a performance of the things that have been told him h h Lu. 1.45 The Lord hath spoken it you shall see my Face and my Name shall be written in your foreheads and you shall no more need the Sun nor the Moon for the Lord God shall give you light and you shall reign for ever and ever i i Rev. 22.3,4,5 He taketh us for his people And as I give my self to you for your God and all things with my self so I take you for my Covenant-people k k Heb 8.10 Esay 43 1. and you shall be mine in the Day when I make up my jewels saith the Lord of hosts and I will spare you as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him l l Mal 3.17 The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people Surely they are my children m m Psa 87 6 Esay 63.8 I do not onely require you to be mine if you would have me to be for you but I do promise to make you mine Lev. 20.26 Ezek. 36. 28. and to work in you the conditions which I require of you I will circumcise your hearts to love me o o Deu. 30.6 I will take out the heart of stone p p Ezek. 36.26 My Laws will I write within you q q Jâ—… 31.33 Yet you must know that I will be sought unto for these things r r Eze. 36,37 and as ever you expect to partake of the mercies I charge you to lie at the Pool and wait for my Spirit and be diligent in the use of the meanss
conscience into thy Closet let it watch thee how thou behavest thy self there carry conscience into thy shop let it eye thee what thou dost there carry conscience into the fields into the market amongst thy friends amongst thine enemies let it observe how thou behavest thy self amongst them carry conscience with thee to thy recreation to thy bed to thy table whither ever thou goest there 's like to be but sad work if conscience be not with thee Commit the keeping of thy Covenant to conscience let it be the Ark in which the Tables of the Testimony are kept and preserved let it be the Executor of thy Testament Conscience is bound by thy Covenant the Covenant layes hold on it let it lay hold on thee Is thy conscience bound seek not to be loosed is thy conscience bound give it leave to bind thine whole man let it bind thy thoughts and bind thy will and bind thy affections and hind thy tongue and thy whole practice thou never livest as a man in Covenant longer then thou livest as a man of Conscience VVhat becomes of the Covenant when a breach is made upon Conscience Oh what is there in the world when conscience is not what faith or truth or peace is there left alive what are Vowes and Covenants and Promises what are our duties to the Lord our dealings with men when there is no conscience towards God Keep thy conscience and thou keepest thy soul keep thy Conscience and thou keepest thy Covenant keep thy Covenant and thou keepest thy Peace let that go and all 's lost Let conscience govern what God hath put under its power and let it resist all adverse Power Let it resist temptations When ever Satan and thy flesh fall upon thee and tempt thee Pity thy self spare thy self take thy liberty take thine ease take thy pleasure provide for thy safety what need is there of so much adoe Why canst not take the same liberty and allow thy self the same latitude as others do they have souls as well as thou and they have dangers as well as thou and they have hopes as well as thou and they have reasons and understandings to know what they do as well as thou and why canst thou not he content to do as they Why let this be thy answer But what conscience is there for it With what conscience can I be idle when I have said I will be doing With what conscience can I take mine ease when I have said I will take pains With what conscience can I serve my flesh when I have said I will crucifie it With what conscience can I love this world when I have said I will renounce it With what conscience can I walk at liberty when I have said I will walk circumspectly If all this were more then needs far be it from me to have such a thought till the serving my God and the saving my soul be more then needs But if it were more then needs yet is it any more then I am bound to Are there any such liberties put into my Indentures Was there any exception made of this duty or that duty was there any limitation made to this measure or that measure hitherto I will go and no further this little I will do and no more Was there any such proviso put in I will serve the Lord Provided I may with ease or with safety Have I not solemnly engaged to the Lord to obey him in all things to follow him fully to love him and serve him with all my heart with all my soul with all my strength and this to the death And Oh shal I lye unto God Is it more then needs to be righteous and to keep my faith Come O my soul come on thou hast opened thy mouth to the Lord and thou must not go back Be true be honest be honest though thou must swear for it be honest though thou suffer for it Remember what thy mouth hath spoken and see that thou fulfil it with thine hand Keep conscience pure It s the book in which all thy Records are written let no blot be upon thy Book Beware of sinning against conscience Every sin against conscience is a blot upon conscience and blots upon conscience are blots upon thy Covenant-evidence thou wilt not be able to read whether there be any thing written there for thee or not Ah foolish soul what art thou doing Dashing out all thy hopes with thine own hand Beware thou content not thy self with blotted evidences Christians forget not this counsel keep your Evidences clear He who hath his whole estate in bonds or writings how charily will he keep them If these be torn or lost or so blured that they cannot be read hee 's undone What ever else be lost if his money be gone if his goods be lost if his house be burnt yet if his writings be safe hee 's well enough Oh take heed and keep your writings safe and fair keep your Title to your God clear and you can never be poor or miserable Whatever earth or hell can do against you till they can tear the Covennnt of your God or make you blot out your own names they have left you abundantly enough even when they have left you nothing O how highly are we concern'd to be tender of conscience and yet how little care is there taken of it What 's become of the authority of conscience when thy thoughts and thy passions when thines eyes and thine ears and thine appetite and thy tongue are left unbridled and unconquered when every Servant is set up to be Master and bears rule in thee where is thy Conscience what 's become of its authority When thy s ul hath been no better kept what poverty and leanness is there grown upon it what a starveling is it become both in grace and peace eaten out with lust evaporated into vanity sunk into sensuality thy spirit even transubstantiated into flesh ready to perish and die away for want of good looking to When thy Soul hath been no better kept where is thy Conscience when thy covenant hath been no better kept when thy duties thou hast vowed to perform are so hastily and heedlesly shuffled over if not totally thrust aside when thy hours of prayer are such short hours thy Sabbaths such Winter dayes so short and so cold too when thy God is so shamefully neglected can never hear of thee but when thou hast nothing else to do no nor it may be then neither when thy spare hours are hardly spared for God when this earth thy corn and thy cattel and thy pleasures and thy friends which thou hast vowed to renounce are let in again upon thine heart and have stollen it away from Heaven where is thy Conscience When thou sleepest so and hast let the enemy come in and sowe his tares in thy field when thou art such a busie-body in other mens matters and thine own vineyard thou hast not kept but hast let it
up your hearts with all your heart grudge not that the Lord requires but bless God that he will accept of an offering this hath a comfortable signification If the Lord had meant to destroy us he would not have accepted an offering at our hands Judg. 13.23 2. A Thank-offering Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most High Offer up your selves in token of yuor thankfulness to the Lord. Be ye both the Priests and the Lambs for the sacrifice Present your selves to the Lord as the accomplishments of his Covenant as the fruits of the death of your Redeemer as the Trophies of his Victory as the spoils which he hath recovered from Death and Hell making a shew of them openly that it may be seen that the promise of God is not of none effect and that Christ did not die in vain Let your Lord Jesus when he comes down into his Garden where he left his blood reap his pleasant fruits and carry up your purified Souls as the signals of his glorious atchievement Offer up your sins to the Lord these unclean beasts will be an acceptable sacrifice There 's more real honour growing up to the Lord from one mortified Saint then from ten thousand Anthems from the most seraphick tongues Offer up your duties to the Lord your obedience for a sacrifice To obey is better then sacrifice then thousands of Rams and ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle Let your whole life be this sacrifice let every day be a Sabbath every duty an Eucharist every member a Cymbal sounding out the praises of God Offer up the calves of your lips unto the Lord. O let your souls be filled with wonder and your mouths with praise Whence in this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me Oh whence is this to us that the Lord our Father should come and come so near to us Oh whence is it That the Mighty God should indent and come into bond with sinful man that he who was free from all men should make himself debtor to any That the high and lofty One that inhabits Eternity should dwell in Houses of Clay and pitch his Tabernacle in the Dust That he who humbleth himself to behold the Heavens should come down into the earth and after what is he come down but after a dead Dog or a Flea that he should make a league with the stones of the gâ—ound with the beasts of the field and creeping things should espouse dust and ashes and gather up vile worms into his bosome should set his heart upon shadows and adopt the refuse of the earth for Sons and Daughters to himself should raise the poor out of the dust and the beggar from the Dunghil should do such great things and should choose the foolish and the weak and the base and the contemptible and bostow on them among all the world these high honors should make them the Head and the honourable whom the world hath made the Tail the filth and the off-scouring of all things should give himself to be the portion his Son to be the ransome his kingdome to be the heritage of bankrupts prisoners and captives Lord what is man that thou art thus mindful of him Soul what is God that thou shouldst be yet unmindful of him How is it that the tongue of the dumb is not yet loosened that the feet of the lame do not leap as an Hart Oh what is that love whence this strange thing hath broken forth This this is the womb that bare thee hence hath thy righteousness sprung forth hence have thy dignities thy astonishing hope and joys arisen to thee this is it that yearned upon thee in thy mercy that reprived thee from death redeemed thee from darkness rescued thee as a brand out of the burning that pitied thee in thy blood washed thee from thy blood spared thee pardoned thee reconciled thee and brought thee an enemy a rebel a traitor into a Covenant of peace with the God of glory Ah contemptible dust that ever there should be such compassionate contrivements and such astonishing condescentions of the eternal Deity towards so vile a thing O love the Lord all ye his Saints O bless the Lord ye beloved ye people near unto the Lord. Alas that our hearts should be so narrow that the waters should be so shallow with us where are our eyes if we be not yet filled with wonders what hearts have we if we have not yet filled our lips with praise Open all thy springs O my soul let them flow forth in streams of love and joy let every faculty be tuned and strained to the height let heart and hands and tongue and eyes lift up their voice be astonished O heavens be moved ye strong foundations of the earth fall down ye Elders strike up ye heavenly Quires lend poor mortals your Notes to sing forth the high praises of God who rideth on the heavens and hath caused us to ride on the high places of the earth and made us sit together in hevenly places shewing forth the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus Awake up my Glory awake Psaltery and Harps I my self wil awake right early My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour for he that is mighty hath done for me great things and holy is his Name Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemed his People who hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David who hath laid help on one who is mighty and exalted one chosen among the People and hath given him for a Covenant to them Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name who hath redeemed thy life from death and crowned thee with loving kindness and tender mercies Salvation to our God that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lamb. Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and glory and honour and blessing for thou livedst and wast dead and art alive for evermore Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made us Kings and Priests unto our God for ever Hallelujah Hallelujah FINIS
faith let not that man think he shall receive any thing of the Lord Jam. 1.7 And can he think to receive any thing that neither believes nor prayes That neither prayes in faith nor prays at all Phil. 2.12,13 It 's God works in you both to will and to do What then Therefore sit you still and do nothing No such matter therefore work out your salvation with fear and trembling saith the Apostle The promise of God was never intended to make the command of God of none effect God in promising grace promises a power for duty and as he doth not give so we must not receive â—hat power or grace of God in vain Whilst he gives what he requires he still requires what he gives That promise of God ye shall be my people though he undertake to make it good yet it is also the matter of our stipulation And in this promise wherein the Lord assures us what de facto we shall be is included a Precept wherein we may understand what de jure we ought to be In undertaking to give us a new heart a tender and obedient a persevering heart the Lord doth promise both to make us what we should be and to help us in what we are bound to do and gives us at once a clear hint both of our mercy and our duty This is the sence and summ of that Promise The Lord will work all that in us and will help and cause us to perform all that which is required unto salvation and so the Promissum on Gods part doth not make void but establish the Debitum on ours Do we then make void the Law through Faith Nay we establish the Law Though it be certain as to the event that all that 's necessary to salvation shall be accomplished in us God hath undertaken that yet it is altogether as certain that God hath made our loving him fearing him obeying his whole will and our sincerity and perseverance herein so necessary that we cannot otherwise be saved Christians mistake not nor abuse the grace of the Gospel The Lord never meant your mercy should make void your Obligation to duty Redemption from sin was never intended as a toleration of sin He gives not his Spirit in favour of the flesh What he undetakes to work for you was never with a mind to maintain you in idleness Tit. 2.11,12 The grace of God that bringeth salvation teacheth us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Though you are saved by grace yet you are still in a sense debtors to do the whole Law Perfect Obedience to the whole Law even to the utmost Iota is still due from you and if it be not in your hearts to pay all that you owe that is if there be any duty commanded in the whole book of God that you must be dispensed with that you will not set your hearts to observe and obey if there be any one sin that you must be excused in and will not part with if there be any the highest pitch of holy Care Activity Industry Zeal for God and Holiness that you will not be perswaded to press hard after this is an evidence of such an unsound heart as hath no part in the Gospel or the salvation thereof Perfection is still due though sincerity will be accepted Sincerity shall be accepted but what is sincerity less then an hearty willingness to be perfect attested by a striving and pressing on to that mark which is set before us O admire and bless the Lord the Lord for grace but do not turn the grace of God into licentiousness Shall we continue in sin because grace that abounded Will ye thus requite the Lord Will ye thus deceive your selves O foolish people and unwise Will you slight him because he hath loved you Kick at him because he hath cared for you Shake off his Yoke because he hath secured you the Crown Will you serve his enemies because he hath saved you from them Will you nourish your diseases because he hath said he will cure you Will you live and not eat Reap and not Plough Will you not eat because he hath given you meat Will you not run because he hath given you Leggs Nor work because he hath given you hands Nor watch because he hath given you eyes Or will you tempt the Lord and call that your trust in him Awake from such madness Christians say not If God will I shall whether I take care or no believe or no repent or no be obedient or rebellious whether I wake or sleep work or be idle my unbelief my disobedience my negligence shall not make the faith of God of none effect But rather since God hath said you shall let thine heart answer I will walk in his statutes Arise O my soul up and be doing work out thy salvation because its God that worketh in thee to will and to do Shake off thy sloth set to thy work run out thy race since God hath said thou shalt not run nor labour in vain And look to it for however thy Idleness or greatest Unfaithfulness will not make void the Covenant of God yet will it make manifest that thou hast no part nor lot in it But to all these glorious things that have been spoken possibly some will reply O if all this be so then happy Saints indeed Happy are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. But will the Lord indeed do all these things for Mortals Will he take notice of Worms Shall such dry bones live Will he set such vile dust as the Apple of his eye Is not this too good to be true Too great to be believed Are we not all this while but in a Dream or a fools Paradise Oh that I were sure the one half were as it hath been told me Too great to be believed As if it must be questioned whether the Sun light because it dazles our eyes But what certainty would you have Is all this too great for the great and Almighty God to do who hath said Isa 55.9 As the Heavens are higher then the Earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Can he not do it who can do all things Will he not do it when he hath said he will Will the Lord mock Can God deceive Shall his Word yea and his Oath too those two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye can these fail If you should hear the Lord himself speaking to you from Heaven with audible voice My Covenant I make with thee and it is my intent and purpose to perform every word that is written in it according to the plain import and meaning thereof there shall not a tittle fail neither will I alter the thing that is gone forth of my lips Heaven and Earth shall fail but my word shall not fail
the Promise should be a sure Foundation yet thou mayest not build upon another mans ground What though the grace and mercies of God are infinite yet Doggs may not catch at the Childrens bread Thou hast not right nor title to the Promise therefore cease thy pretended claim The Triumph of Faith in the clearness of the Bâ—lievers Evidences But O my soul wherefore shouldst thou doubt Whose Image and Superscription is this Dost thou not bear upon thee the marks of the Lord Jesus I have given up my name to him and taken hold of his Covenant and therefore may claim an interest Esay 56.4 I have accepted the matter and closed with the Mediator and subscribed to the conditions of the Covenant and therefore cannot question but it is mine The Lord hath offered to be my God and I have took hold of his offer Psal 73.25,26 I have taken him as God and given him the supremacy O my soul look round about thee in Heaven and in Earth is there any thou dost esteem or value in comparison of God Phil. 3.8 Is there any thou dost love like him or take that content or felicity in that thou dost in him Phil. 1 20 Are not thy chief desires and designes to glorifie and enjoy him Thou canst not deny but it is truly thus Psal 26.8 and 84 1,2,3 Psal 27.4 and 119.57 Psa 119 38 2 Cor. 5.8 Act. 24.16 with Rom. 6.19 Luke 14.33 Psal 16 5,6 I am sure nothing but God will content me I am never so well in all the world as in his company My soul seeketh him above all and rests in him alone as my satisfactory Portion He offereth to take me as one of his people and I have resigned my self accordingly to him as his and have put both my Inward and Outward man under his Government and given up All to his dispose and am resolved to be content with him as my Allsufficient happiness John 1.12 Besides I have taken him in his own way through Christ whom he hath tendered to me as my Head and Husband and I have accordingly solemnly and deliberately taken him Luke 14.26 to the end Matth. 11.29 Phil. 3.9 2 Tim. 1.12 O my soul dost not thou know thy often debates hast thou not put Christ and all the world into the ballance hast thou not cast up the cost and reckoned upon the Cross and willingly put thy neck under Christs yoke and ventured thy salvation upon Christ alone and trusted him with all thy happiness and all thy hopes hast thou not over and over resolved to take him with what comes and that he shall be enough though in the loss of all things 1 Cor. 1.20 Thou canst not but know that these have been the transactions between Christ and thee and therefore he is thine and all the Promises Yea and Amen to thee through him Act. 20.21 Rom. 2.7 And for the terms of the Covenant I love and like them my soul embraceth them neither do I desire to be saved in any other way then by repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ and sincere obedience to his Goâ—pel Phil. 3. â— to the 10. 2 Cor. 5.7 2 Cor. 4.18 1 Thes 1.9 10. Tit. 2.13 Heb. 10 34. 11.35 I am willing to go out of my flesh and do look unto Jesu for righteousness and strength and trust my salvation wholly in this bottome I am content to deal upon trust and venture all in hopes of what is to come and to tarry till the next world for my preferment I am willing to wait till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and have laid up my happiness on the other side the Grave Rom. 7.24 Gal. 5.17 And though my sins be many yet I should belye mine own knowledge if I should say they were not my constant trouble and burthen and the enemies against which I daily watch and with whom my soul hath no peace Psal 39.1 17.3 Mine own heart knoweth that I hate them and desire and endeavour their utter destruction and do resolve against them all and am willing to use all Gods means that I know to mortifie them Psal 119.101,104 Rom. 7.15,16 c. 1 Cor. 9.26,27 1 John 1.9 Rom 6.16 Psal 119.6 Psal 119.5 30,173 Mat. 6.33 2 Cor. 5.9 'T is too true that I often fall and fail yet my conscience beareth me witness that I confess and bewail it and do not ordinarily and deliberately allow my self in any sin whatsoever against my knowledge And though my obedience be miserably lame yet O Lord thou knowest that I have respect unto all thy commandments and do strive to come up to what thou requirest The Holy Ghost is witness and my conscience also that I first seek the Kingdome of God and the righteousness thereof and that it is my chief care to please God and keep from sin Psa 18.23 19.13 119.133 Matt. 5.6 Speak Oh my soul Is not holiness thy design dost thou not thirst for it and follow after it dost thou not in thy setled choice prefer the holy wayes of God before all the pleasures and delights of sin Psal 119.14,15,16 111,112 Thou knowest it is thus and therefore no more disputing thou hast sincerely taken hold of Gods Covenant and without controversie it must be thine O my God I see thou hast been at work with my soul I find the prints I see the footsteps Surely this is the finger of God I am thy Servant O Lord truly I am thy Servant Psal 116.16 Psal 16.2 and my soul hath said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord. It must be so Wouldst thou ever set thy mark upon anothers goods or shall God disown his own workmanship My name is written in Heaven Thou hast written thy Name upon my heart and therefore I cannot question but thou hast my name on thine heart I have chosen thee O Lord as my happiness and heritage and therefore I am sure thou hast chosen me 1 John 4.19 for I could not have loved thee except thou hadst loved me first O my Lord discern I pray thee whose are these the signet the bracelets and the staffe I know thou wilt acknowledge them 1 Pet. 1.3 And now blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who of his abundant mercy hath begotten me again to a lively hope Faith makes its claim to all the benefits of the Covenant and stirs up the soul to joy and thankfulness in sequentib And thou my soul believe and wait look through the window and cry through the lattice and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God a a Hab. 2.3 The Vision is for an appointed time wait for it It will come in the end will not tarry b b Jam. 5 7. Behold the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the Earth Be thou also patient He hath long patience and wilt
season but I shal stand in the lot at the end of the daies Dan. 12.13 It is well Lord thy word is enough Thy Bond is as good as ready payment The holy Ghost tells me that life and glory abide me Luk. 23.43 that look what day I loose from the body the same day I shal be landed in Paradise Amen It is as I would have it But this is not all When my body hath slept a short Nap in the dust Christ will call to it Come up hither Ah true Yoke-fellow it will be hard parting but welcome meeting I could not leave thee but to live with Christ Col. 3.4 But he will raise thee a glorious Temple and when he shal appear will bring me with himself in glory and then I shal re-enter thee as a Royal Mansion wherein I shal abide with the Lord for ever For as we have served our Redeemer together so we must be glorified together with him And when the Lord hath married us both together again then will he marry us both unto himself For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shal stand at the last day over the Earth And though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shal see God Whom I shal see for my self and mine eyes shal behold and not another though my Reines be consumed within me My Lord hath already told me how it shall be He hath set down the time and shewed me the Robes of immortality and the Crown of life that I must put on and the Throne of glory and the Seat of judgement that I must sit in He hath told me the manner in which I shal be presented to him and espoused by him He hath told me where he will set me and what he will say to me and how he will acknowledge my mean services and remember what I have forgotten Mat 25.35,37 how he will praise the works that I have been ashamed of and reward me openly for what I have buried in secrecy Mat. 6.4 and not forget the poorest Almes that I have given for his Name Then will he confess me before his Father and before the Angels of God Thus saith the true and faithful witness and we know that his Testimony is true 1 Joh. 5.10 Ah my Soul see that thou make not God a Lyar. O my God I have believed thy report and do look for all these things according to thy Promise I know thou intendest me but for a very little while for this lower Region This world is but the house of my Pilgrimage and my soul now is but like a Bird in the shel but when the shel is crackt then shal she take wings like a Dove and soar aloft to thee and flee away and be at rest Yet I doubt not thy care for my despicable dust I know that nothing will be lost Joh. 6.39 I know not where they will lay me but thy wakeful eye observeth and will not be to seeking at what door to knock nor at what grave to call for me I believe and am sure that I shal come a glorious piece out of thy hands fair as the Moon clear as the Sun crowned with honour and glory And when my Absolution is read and sentence past upon the world then must I be taken up to dwell with thee Let not my Lord be angry that thy dust and ashes speaketh thus unto thee Thou Lord hast raised my expectations and haste made me to look for all these great things from thee In vain haste thou written all these things unto me if I should not believe them and a distrustful diffidence would put a high dishonour upon thy Truth O Lord it repenteth me it repenteth me of my jealousies and my doubtful thoughts about thee I know thou lovest an humble confidence and delightest in nothing more then to see thy children trust thee I know the building of my hopes lies not an hairs breadth over the foundation of thy Promises yea 't is sure my expectations are infinitely short of what I shal find Joh. 3.33 Eph. 2.20 Mat 7.25 Psal 39.7 O my God my heart trusteth safely in thee and I here set to my seal that thou art true Christ is my Bottom in which I venture and the Corner-stone on which I build and therefore my fraught is ensured and my building shall challenge the winds and floods And now O Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee O my blessedness let me enjoy thee O my life let me possess thee O desire of mine eyes let me see thy face and hear thy voice for thy voice is sweet and thy countenance is comely I ask but what thou hast promised Matth. 5.8 for thou hast told me that I shall see God and thou wilt speak to me mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches and the similitude of God shall I behold 1 Cor. 13.9 â—0 So shall my knowledge be perfected and I shall see the inaccessible light and my tender eye shall not water nor my sight dazle but I shall with open face look stedfastly on the Son of Righteousness and behold his glory Then shall Faith be turned into fruition and Hope into Possession and Love shall arise like the full Moon in her brightness and never wax nor wane more O thou God of my hopes I look for a new body and a new soul for new Heavens and for a new Earth according to thy promise when my whole soul shall be wholly taken up with thee and all mine affections strained to the highest Peg and all the Wheels of my raised powers set in most vigorous and perpetual motion towards thee still letting in and still laying out and thus shall there be an everlasting communication of joy and glory from thee and of love and praise from me O my soul thou art rich indeed and increased in goods Thou hast no reason to envy the glory nor grandeur of the mightiest on earth Psa 49.14,17 For their glory shall not descend after them like Sheep shall they be laid in their graves and Death shall feed upon them and there 's an eternal end of all their pomp and excellency But my Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome My Robes shall never wear my Crown shall never totter my Throne shall never be vacant My Bread shall never mold my Garland shall never wither my House shall never moulder my Wine shall never sowre but everlasting joy shall be upon my head and sorrow and sighing shall flie away O my God how happy hast thou made me It is better then I could have wished Thou hast done all things well Thou hast setled them for ever The whole Earth cannot shew any such heritage or Tenure The world can state out her possessions but for years nor can she make a good title for that neither But mine Inheritance is for ever and none can put me out of possession The thing is
established in Heaven and in the Volume of the Book it is written of me My evidence cannot be lost It is recorded in the Court above and enrolled in the sacred leaves of the Word and entred upon the Book of my Conscience and herein I do and will rejoyce Now my soul wipe up thine eyes and go away with Hannah and be no more sad What though mine House be not so with God so happy so prosperous as I could wish What though they be encreased that trouble me and my temptations and afflictions be like the rolling Billows riding on one anothers backs for haste Yet shall my soul be as a rock unmoved and sit down satisfied in the security and amplitude of my portion For God hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure and herein is all my salvation and all my desire And now what remaineth O Lord but that I should spend the remainder of my daies in loving praising and admiring thee But wherewith shall I come before the Lord or bow my self to the most High God What shall I give thee to express my thankfulness though not to requite thy bounty Alas my poor little soul Alas that thou art so little How narrow are thy capacities How disproportionate are thy powers Alas that my voice can reach to no higher a note But shall I do nothing because I cannot do all Lord I resign to thee With the poor Widow I cast my two mites my soul and body into thy Treasury All my powers shall love and serve thee All my members shall be weapons of Righteousness for thee Here is my good will Behold my substance is thy stock mine interest is for thy service I lay all at thy feet There thou hast them they are thine My Children I enter as thy Servants My possessions I resign as thy right I will call nothing mine but thee All mine are thine I can say My Lord and my God and that is enough I thankfully quit my claim to all things else I will no more say My House is mine or my Estate mine I my self am not mine own Yet it is infinitely better for me to be thine then if I were mine own This is my happiness that I can say my own God my own Father And O what a blessed exchange hast thou made with me to give me thy Self who art an infinite Sum for my self who am but an insignificant Cypher And now Lord do thou accept and own my claim I am not worthy of any thing of thine much less of thee But sith I have a Deed to shew I bring thy Word in my hand and am bold to take possession Dost thou not know this hand wilt thou not own this name wilt thou not confirm thine own grant It were infidelity to doubt it I will not disparage the faithfulness of my Lord nor be afraid to averre and stand to what he hath said and sworn Hast thou said Thou art my God and shall I fear thou art mine enemy Hast thou told me Thou art my Father and shall I stand aloof as if I were a stranger I will believe Lord silence my fears and as thou hast given me the claim and title of a Child so give me the confidence of a Child Let my heart be daily kept alive by thy promises and with this staffe let me pass over Jordan May these be my undivided companions and comforters When I go let them lead me when I sleep let them keep me when I awake let them talk with me And do thou keep these things for ever upon the imaginations of the thoughts of the hearts of thy people and prepare their hearts unto thee And let the heart of thy Servant be the Ark of thy Testament wherein the sacred records of what hath passed between thee and my soul may for ever be preserved Amen Thus far my Friend So be it CHAP. XIX An Exhortation to Sinners O Earth earth earth hear the word of the Lord Ye men of this world ye spirits that are in Prison held captive to iniquity under the Prince of this world in a Covenant with Death at an agreement with Hell without Christ Alians from the Commonwealth of Israel strangers from the Covenant of Promise having no hope without God in the world who have said We will not have this man to rule over us let us break his Bonds asunder and cast his Cords from us who are joyned to Idols have chosen you other gods are following after other Lovers who walk after the course of this world according to the Prince of the Power of the Ayr the spirit that now worketh in the children of Disobedience having your conversation in the Lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and being still as you were by nature the children of Wrath in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity O ye sons of death ye children of the night and of darkness Hear and your souls shal live to you also is the word of this salvation sent even the strangers and those that are afar off that will lay hold on the Covenant and chuse the thing that pleaseth God these also shal have a name in his house even the glorious name of Sons and Daughters The Lord hath sent a word into Jacob and it shal light upon Edom and Amaleck and the uncircumcised Philistines even as many of them as the Lord our God shal call Act. 2.39 Hearken O people you that are polluted in your blood written in the Earth free among the dead come in let your Covenant with death be made void and your agreement with Hell be disanulled strike a League with the Almighty and your names also shal be written amongst the living in Jerusalem Stand ye before the Lord come and let us reason together Where are you What is your Portion and Inheritance Ye are cursed with a Curse Fire and Brimstone and an horrible Tempest this shall be the portion of your cup Psal 11.6 What are you seeking whither are you travelling After a few years of your vanity are over where must your dwelling be Who can dwell with the devouring fire Who can dwell with everlasting burnings Look before you behold that smoaking Furnace that burning Lake that bottomless Pit that 's gaping for you and at your next step may swallow you up Escape for your lives why will ye dye Turn and live Do you believe the Resurrection from the dead the Judgment to come and the invisible World Is it to the spirit of a man as to the spirit of a beast Doth it perish with his carkase Dieth a Man as a Dogg dieth Dieth a wise man as a fool dieth Fall all things alike to all just and unjust good and bad after this life as well as in it Do you believe the Scriptures Are they but a Fable If you hope they are are you sure they are Dare you venture your souls upon it Whilest the Saints