them Although God takes it well at the hands of those whom hee hath raised in the things of the world higher than others when hee seeth them forward in setting out his praise yet he would not have them thinke that he is beholding to them as if the honour of God depended so upon them as it would faile did not they put to their helpe No God can raise his honour by other meanes he can glorifie himselfe and get himselfe a great name by low meane and contemptible things It is not because God hath need of honour from you but because he delights to honour you that he is pleased to use you in his service It is an advancement to whatsoever greatnesse you have in the world to bee imployed for God were it but in the meanest service he hath to doe Where the heart is right even in that it gloryeth more than in all the dignity that earth can put upon it But yet the greater Instruments the Lord raiseth up for his glory the greater services he cals them unto the greater things may wee hope he intends for his Church When S. John saw the Elders casting downe their crownes before the Throne saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power Apoc. 4. 10. soone after S. John heard every creature in heaven and on earth and sea saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for evermore cha 5. 13. And soone after that hee saw Christ with his Crowne upon him going forth conquering and to conquer Chap. 6. 2. What great mercies might we expect did we see God raysing up truely noble and generous spirits more generally in the great ones of the earth did we see the Elders and Nobles casting downe their Crownes before the Throne of the Lambe willing to deny all their glory and excellencies and estates for the raising up the glory of Iesus Christ Certainly God hath great things to doe in this latter age of the world and hee is a God with whom there is as great abundance of spirit as ever when his time comes how soone will such a thing bee as the raising mens spirits to higher and more noble designes than now we can imagine The observing the frame and work of your most pretious noble spirit Right Honourable put mee upon the thought of this Argument The chiefest book that I made use of for the inlarging 〈◊〉 Meditations in it next the Scripture was that which I joyfully beheld in you 〈…〉 selfe and your Noble and much honorred Lady highly honoured and lov 〈…〉 and that deservedly in the esteeme and hearts of all who know her and the truth John Ep. 2. ver 1. Such gracious principles appeared in your spirits such divine rules by which yee were guided those high and noble employments in which yee delighted those blessed qualifications which as so many Diamonds in their lustre and beauty sparkled that light that freenesse that strength that publikenesse that holinesse c. Those comsorts of a higher nature than the common drossie comforts of the world that yee chose to your selves to satisfie your spirits in and found contentment in the enjoyment of that caused the dilating of my thoughts about these things and now making knowne themselves publikely they crave patronage from your Lordship who have beene the originall from whence they came And here I humbly present them to your Honour and to your vertuous and noble Lady as a glasse wherein your selves and others may see the frame and workings of your spirits I dare say that all who know you and know that I had the happinesse to bee so neare unto you and to have excited to look about thee if false Art thou indued with such a spirit as here thou maist find nothing in the world in hell or in thy flesh shall be able to conquer thee as Christ himself thou shalt indure such crosses and contradiction of sinners as these times are big with thou shalt despise the shame and be able to resist to bloud if God should call thee to that honour What excellency of spirit was in S. Paul when he took it ill that they diswaded him from going up to Jerusalem where he was to meet with sharp afflictions What mean you to weepe and break my heart saith he for I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Moses refuses to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter though himselfe or some of his posterity might happily have come to the Kingdome by it and chuses afflictions rather with the people of God c. He would not become an Egyptian though of the Royall Stem but abide an Hebrew who were abomination to the Egyptians He knew that the reproach of the Members did redound to the Head and would bee well recompenced by him and therefore he will suffer afflictions and esteeme the reproaches of Christ above all the treasures of Egypt a greater patrimony saith Ambrose So base are many spirits in this age that they had rather censure than trace his practice Scaliger tels of a Tree to which when a man cometh Ramos constringit but when he departs ramos pâ—dit Too many are like this tree when any Ministers or Christians that have the reproach of Christ upon them come neare them and have to deale with them let relations promises ingagemeÌ„ts be what they wil they shrink up themselves are troubled sadded and perplexed thinking it disgrace unto theÌ„ to have to do with such but when they are gone then their hearts dilate again their faces grow pleasant such an adulterous generation there is that are ashamed of Christ in any of his poore reproached despised Members not only ashamed but like that Plant called the Tartarean Lamb which in shape and proportion answers the Lambe but grazeth and eateth up the grasse round about it suffering no green thing to be neare and these men are Lambes in shape but eating up every green thing that is neare unto them Psa 14. 4. They eate up my people as bread they are the food their malice feeds upon It is observed the Pope was so busie and hot against Luther that he neglected to look to all Christendome against the Turk such basenesse was in a Popes brest that he could easier have digested Mahumetisme than Lutherdnisme may we not think the Alcoran would be welcome to those Confessors who have enjoyned their burthened in conscience to burne their Bibles for Pennance this some living know to be a truth There is much basenesse in the spirits of men and upon little occasion it vents it selfe Doeg haead 〈◊〉 malicious murderous spirit in him spared not those that ware the Linnen Ephod The rich man Luk. 12. 19. was all for earth nothing for heaven A great man finding his sicknesse encreasing caused his bed to be made between or upon his Coffers
a mans selfe is his soule Hence whereas in Matth. 16. 26. it is said What shall it profit a man if hee gaine the whole world and lose his soule it is said in another Evangelist Luke 9. 25. What shall it prosit a man if hee gain the world and lose himselfe Surely spirituall excellencies are the highest excellencies as First these spirituall excellencies have this propriety in them they make a man a better man wheresoever they are which bodily excellencies doe not nor all the riches nor honours in the world A man is not the better man because he hath money cloaths honours better dyet than others these are but outward things added to him no intrinsecall excellencies Secondly these spirituall excellencies are the beginnings of eternall lise the same life we shall have in heaven and hence the work of Gods Spirit in the soule is called The Earnest of the Spirit not a pawne but an Earnest for a pawne is to be returned againe but an Earnest is part of the whole summe that is to follow That which we have of Gods Spirit is part of the same glory we shall have fully in heaven it is not onely an evidence unto us that there is glory comming but it is a beginning of the glory the fulnesse whereof is to come afterward Such a spirit as hath this life lives a life farre above the common life of the world even the life of heaven the same life that Angels and Saints do live in heaven the life of those blessed spirirs there Wee mistake if wee thinke eternall life is only in heaven eternall life is in this world in the excellent frame of the spirits of Gods servants 1 Iohn 3. 15. Life is the chiefe excellency communicated to the Creature and the highest life the highest excellency There is more distance between the excellency of the meanest weakest godly man in the world and the most eminent man for parts common gifts onely than betweene the meanest and weakest godly soule and the most eminent glorified Saint in the highest heavens the weakest godly man excels him that is most eminent in common gifts more than the most eminent Saint in heaven excells him for the glorified Saint is onely higher in some degrees in the same excellency which in the principles yea and in some lustre the meanest Saint on earth hath hee hath that which will at last grow up to heavens glory but the distance betweene him and the man who onely hath the excellencies of parts learning common gifts it is essentiall All parts and common gifts in the world can never grow up to this Thirdly yea this is not onely the life of Angels the life of heaven but the life of God himselfe for so it is called by God himselfe Ephes 4. 11. Seneca sayes of Reason that it is part of the Divine Spirit in mans body it is much more true of Grace it enables the soul in some resemblance to come the nearest that can be to live as God lives to work as God works it represents God in his highest glory and therefore it is called The lynage of God This shewes more to the world what God is than all the frame of Gods creation besides It is not as an Image which hath only the dead lineaments drawne though there be some beauty in this but as the Image in a glasse which presents the motion as wel as the lineaments yea and not only so but as the sonne that beares the Image of the father and this represents the life or as if a glasse had life in it and so could enjoy the sweetnesse the good of that Image it represents unto it self This Spirit is such a living glasse of the blessed God that it enjoys the good and sweetnesse of that Image of God it hath in it Yea one degree higher it is called the very Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. as if it were nothing else but a sparkle of the Deity it selfe Seneca has a strong speech concerning mans soule What can we call the soule sayes he but God abiding in an humane bodie If a soule that hath only naturall excellencies comes so neare God how neare then comes it to him when raised by those spirituall and supernaturall excellencies we have spoke of Yea yet there is an higher degree than this It is called the glory of the Lord Rom. 〈◊〉 3. yea a higher degree than all the former the excellencie of this spirit is such as it is one spirit with God himselfe 2 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit It was the excellencie of Ioshua that hee had the spirit of Moses upon him of Elisha that hee had the spirit of Eliah what is it then to have the Spirit of God himselfe yea to be one spirit with him Put all these then together godlinesse by which this other spirit is raised higher than common spirits it is the life of God the Image of God the divine Nature the glory of God yea one spirit with God and is not here an high and glorious excellencie Fourthly this makes him wheresoever it is fit to glorifie God in the world and so the soule thus endued is not onely a glasse to represent a living glasse to enjoy the comfort of what it doth represent but as a glasse to reflect upō the face of God himself the glory of his own Image and that by a principle within it self Other glasses can reflect upon the thing whose image it hath if acted by a hand externally but this by an inward living principle and so gives God his glory actively which no other creature can doe but Angels and mens soules who have these spirituall excellencies in them Were it not for a few of these spirits what glory would God have in the world how little would he be minded or regarded But these are they who have high thoughts of God who have trembling frames before him who do reverence feare adore love cleave to trust in magnifie the Name of the great God in the world these sanctifie his Name in his worship they worship him as a God they worship him in spirit and truth and such worshippers God seeks Ioh. 4. 23. as these he highly esteemes of and much rejoyces in these take notice of him in all his creatures in the wayes of his providence and use the creatures for him from whom they are the glory of God is deare and pretious to these this is the excellencie of their spirits they are not sunke in the dregs of the world but being kept in some measure in their purity they worke up to God doe as it were naturally flow to God as to their Center Fiftly these are such as are fit to stand before the Lord to have converse and enjoy communion with him Dan. 1. 4. we reade that those that were judged fit to stand in the Kings pallace before King Nebuchadaezzar they must have no blemish they must
some others if they have been faire and ingenuous if you have beene of sweet natures and tractable dispositions you have cause to blesse God in some respects so much the more for the change hee hath wrought in them for his mercie towards you that you did not rest in those naturall excellencies and mistake them for saving graces as many doe with much danger to their soules and when you see the base corrupt spirits of other men as those who have any thing to doe in the world shall meet with exceeding vile corrupt spirits not onely in the worst sort of men but in those who seeme to be faire in whom a man would never have thought to have met with such base workings of spirit that would make a man wonder Oh Lord what are the spirits of men Then I say when you see this blesse the Lord let your spirits and all that is within them blesse his name who hath put such difference betweene your spirits and theirs as you cannot but acknowledge except you should be exceedingly injurious to the grace of God in you Cap. IX Communion and converse with men of such excellent spirits is a most blessed thing IF the godly be of such excellent spirits then converse and communion with them is a most blessed thing no greater heaven upon earth than this for here you may see the beauty and lustre of Gods graces shining the brightnesse of which darkens all the beauty and glory of the world to a spirituall eye Seneca saw so much excellency that Moralitie put upon a man that hee sayes that the very looke of a good man delights one The very sight of such servants of God who walke close with God who are carefull to keep their spirits clear and shining truly it is very delightfull it hath much quickening in it the uprightnesse holines spirituall enlightnings that their soules have will guide them to advise for God in safe and good wayes The advise of godly men in things concerning God is much to be prized It was a good speech of Shechaniah to Ezra Chap. 10. 3. Now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God c. according to the counsell of the Lord and of those that feare the Commandement of our GOD. It was good to follow their counsell The spirits of these are favory in their discourse in their duties in all their carriage their example exceeding powerfull and profitable The blessing of Abigail upon David was The Lord binde up his soule in the bundle of life Enjoyment of communion with Gods people is the binding up of our soules in the bundle of life for every one of them hath life in him Doctor Taylor the Martyr rejoyced that ever he came into prison because he came there to have acquaintance with that Angel of God Iohn Bradford as he cals him If the society of one sweet heavenly spirited man bee enough to make a prison chearfull what a blessing then is the enjoyment of cōmunion with many All my delight saith David is in the Saints in them that excell in the earth It is the blessing of the Gospell to come to the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12. 23. when we are amongst them we may in the beholding the worke of their spirits come to see many failings in our own that we saw not before and so be humbled for them and be put on to seeke helpe We may see the same graces shining in them that we feele in our owne hearts and so be strengthened and encouraged in them and stirred up to blesse God for them and the sutablenesse betweene their spirits and ours if ours be right will cause such a closing and mingling as from thence there will arise an unspeakable delight and incomparable sweetnesse No society under heaven hath that pleasantnesse sweetnesse in it as the society of the Saints no mens spirits close so fully one with another as theirs no mens spirits bound so firmly by such indissoluble bonds together as theirs they know the excellency of one anothers spirits so as they can freely open themselves unbosome their hearts one to another and venture their lives one upon another and it is the most honourable society in the world for it is the association of the most excellent and glorious creatures God himself delights to joyne himselfe with them to be amongst them as 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will dwell among them saith the Lord and walke there and I will be their God and they shall be my people But the words are more significant in the Originall they expresse Gods delight not onely to dwell among them and walke with them but to dwell in them and walke in them And hence that expression of Tertullian that wee made use of before in another case is very pertinent for our purpose here likewise When good men meet sayes hee when godly men are gathered together this is not to bee called a faction but a Court What place is accounted so honourable and excels in more delights than the Courts of Princes The society of Gods Saints communion with Gods people hath more honour is filled with more delights than any Court in the world where this is wanting the society of the wicked that is unsavory and tedious because their spirits are so vile and corrupt like the slime and filth there is congealed when many Toades and venomous filthy creatures doe joyne together How abominable is their breathings together to a gracious spirit how loathsome is the mixture of their spirits Zach. 13. 2. we have a promise that God will in his due time take away the uncleane spirit out of the Land and oh what a blessed time will that bee How happy would Gods servants thinke themselves if they might bee delivered from the noysomnes of corrupt unclean spirits Let us keep our selves what we can now from mingling with them wee shall within a while be for ever delivered from them CAP. X. That all those whose spirits God hath thus differenced should improve this Mercy by walking not as other men IF God hath beene mercifull to you in giving you another spirit improve this mercy shew in all your wayes that you are acted by another spirit let the renewed spirit guide you let the beauty and excellency of it appeare If wee live in the spirit let us walke in the spirit sayes the Apostle Gal. 5. 25. The works of the flesh are manifest Gal. 5. 19. Why should not the works of the spirit be so too God hath beautified your spirits with his owne Image in this hee hath honoured you that you might honour him in holding forth the beauty and excellency of his Image he hath made you a peculiar people to that end that you might shew forth the vertues of him who hath called you out of darknes into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. It is a dishonor to a parent or any special friend to hang his picture in some
all rationall men approve of and if God would require a man to follow him in no other duties but these it were fine but there are some others that will make him to be observed some in which if he followes the Lord hee shall be reckoned amongst such kind of men of whose number hee doth not like to bee accounted one hee knowes they are discountenanced and despised and this hee cannot beare and therefore those are duties hee hath no minde unto and then thinketh with himselfe Why may not my obedience in other things serve the turne 3 And yet further one that is willing to follow God fully in all duties hee will follow him in those where he sees no reason but the â—are command of God it is enough to him that they are commanded of God it is not for the Lord to give account of his wayes to his creatures it is enough for us that hee bids us follow him absolute obedience is that which is our dutie there is alwayes reason enough in Gods will but whether we see it or see it not if we can but see the Commandement it is enough for us we take too much upon us to dispute about the reason of things with God wee must not be Judges of the Law but doers of it Saul could see no reason why he might not spare the best of the cattle especially when he did it to keep them for sacrifice but it cost him his Kingdome God rejected him for it and told him Obedience was better than sacrifice Luther saith He had rather obey than work miracles And Cassianus reports of one Iohannes Abbas who when hee was young was willing for a whole yeare together to fetch water every day neare two miles to water a drie sticke because hee was commanded so to doe hee thought it reason enough to doe things unreasonable to shew his obedience unto man whose will is many times unreasonable how much more reason is there then that we should shew our obedience to God in duties where through our weaknesse we cannot see the reason when we may be sure that there is alwayes reason enough if we were able to see it Fourthly and yet further the soule that is willing to follow God in all duties wil follow him in Commandements that are accounted little Commandements God expects faithfulnesse in little things God prizes every tittle of his Law more worth than heaven and earth howsoever wee may sleight many things in it and think them too small to put any great bond upon us Christ saith that Heaven and earth shall passe away but not one jot or tittle of his Word As if he should say If Heaven and earth were in one ballance and any jot or tittle of my Word in another and if one of them must needs perish I had rather that Heaven and earth should perish than that one jot or tittle of my Word should faile The Authority of Heaven puts weight on things that are never so little in themselves If mans authority doe this how much more Divine Man cannot beare disobedience in little things though the things be very small in themselves yet if commanded by Authority it is justly expected that they should be much regarded Shall mans authority make small things to be accounted great and shall Gods Authority doe nothing Obedience in small things is due to Magistrates much more to God Give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods Matth 22. 21. It is observable in that place the Article is twice repeated in the Greeke Text when hee speaks of God more than when he speakes of Caesar shewing that our especiall care should be to give God his due Fiftly and lastly not to instance in more particulars the soule that followes God fully in all duties is willing to follow him in duties wherein it must go alone it is willing to follow God in folitary paths Many men were it that they might have company in the way in following the Lord they would be content but to go all alone in such solitary wayes wherein they can see none goe before them wherein they can have none along with them few or none are like to follow after them this is tedious But a childe of God thinkes he hath enough in that he hath God with him that he walkes along with God this is company enough let the way be what it will be As David Psal 23. 4. Though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death yet thou art with me God promises that he will goe before his people that is enough though there be none else It is true company in Gods wayes is delightfull and it is a sad thing that there is so little a tract in Gods paths It was the complaint of Gods people Lam. 1. 4. that the wayes of Sion did mourne because none came in them But if company cannot be had it is enough we have the Lord. 2 Tim. 4. 16. At my first answer saith S. Paul no man stood with me but all men forsook me notwithstanding the Lord stood with me Elijah thought he was left alone he could see no man goe that way hee did yet he continues in his fervour and zeale following the Lord. Indeed we should the rather follow the Lord because we see so few follow him What shall he have none to follow him as Christ said to his Disciples when many forsook him Will you also forsake me Thus you see by these severall instances in difficult duties in discountenanced duties in duties wherein we can see no reason but a bare command in duties that seeme to be small and little and in duties wherein if we follow God we must follow him alone that the soule that followes God fully will follow him in these and so by the same reason in all other duties that God shall require to follow him in And this is that pretious choice spirit we spake of before which shewes it in this that it is thus willing to follow God fully You know it is requir'd of us to be perfect as God himself is perfect to bee holy as God is holy yea this the Gospell requires of us but how can that be Yes thus Gods perfection and holinesse is made known to us in his will in his Commandements now look how large they are set forth to us in these so large must our obedience be though we cannot attaine to the degree yet our hearts must inlarge theÌ„selves to the things to what ever part of Gods will God makes knowne his perfection and holinesse by Thy Commandement is very broad saith David yet godlinesse inlargeth the heart to every duty it cals for there is a grace within the soule sutable to every duty the law requires It may be this is indeed may some thinke in those who are eminent in grace upon whom God hath bestowed a great measure of his Spirit but is this in
all the workings of God in the waies of his Providence they are mercy unto such they work mercifully for their good And further observe they are not onely mercy but mercy in truth God hath ingaged his truth that they should thus worke for them God hath tyed this mercy to them by his truth See here the difference between Gods mercy to his people and his mercy to other men First some of Gods pathes may be mercy to other men but not all or some particular acts of God rather than his pathes God doth not ordinarily goe on in a track and course of his mercies with them as hee doth with his people As their obedience is onely in some particular acts and no continued course so Gods mercy to them which comes from his generall bounty is manifested onely in some particular acts of his and not in any constant course But it is otherwise in his dealings towards his people they goe on in a constant course of obediēce they make Gods Commandements their pathes and therefore God goes on in a constant course of loving kindnesse towards them hee makes his mercy to them the ordinary pathes wherein hee walkes As Psalm 36. 10. O continue thy loving kindnesse to them that know thee and thy righteousnesse to the upright in heart The word in the Originall is Draw out thy loving kindnesse Gods mercies to his owne are a continued Series they are drawne out from a constant Spring they come forth from a never-failing Fountaine there is a connexion betweene one mercy and another but as for others God now and then onely casts his favours on them And observe a second difference all Gods paths are mercy to his people not some few there are none of Gods dealings but ayme at good towards them if God should cause one favour to follow another towards some wicked man out of the fulnesse of his bounty yet it cannot be said of any wicked man in the world that all the pathes of God are mercy towards him God hath his pathes of wrath and judgement wherein he is comming towards him though hee bee little aware of it But this blessing of all the pathes of God being mercy is a peculiar blessing to such as follow the Lord fully in the uprightnesse of their hearts in all the pathes of service and obedience And thirdly observe yet a greater difference than the former All the pathes of God are not onely mercy but mercy and truth to his people though God may shew mercy to others yet he hath not tyed his mercy to them by his truth they cannot challenge mercy from him by vertue of his truth if they have mercy it is more than they could have expected they cannot be sure of the continuance of it one houre they have nothing to shew for their mercy they doe not hold their mercy upon that Tenor of Gods truth which his people doe Nay when God comes to make good his truth to give his truth the glory of it then there is an end put to their mercy it is cut off from them but there is a blessed connexion between Mercy Truth in the good which Gods people doe enjoy according to the like expression in the forenamed 36. Psa 10. the loving kindnesse and the righteousnesse of God are put both together as the portion of an upright heart And hence the mercies they have are no other than such as they may expect as they may build upon before they come such as are made over to them by the truth of God and when they are come they may bee sure to hold them because they hold them upon such a blessed Tenure as GODS owne truth And hence the Scripture calls them sure mercies See how confident David was of holding Gods mercies Psalm 23. 6. Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow mee all the dayes of my life And further all that God hath is for their good the heavens and earth and all Creatures are theirs and worke continually for them Hosea 2. 21. 22. I will heare the heavens and they shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare the Corne and the Wine and the Oyle and they shall heare Iezreel 1 Cor. 3. 22 23 The world life death things present things to come all are yours and yee are Christs and Christ is Gods Rom. 8. 28. And we know that all things worke together for good to them that love God This is a mysterie that the world is not acquainted with but we know it saith the Apostle The world may thinke that things worke against us yea all things in the world seeme to work against us but we know that all things doe work for good they work together for good though some particular things considered apart may worke for good to other men yet take all together and they worke their ruine but altogether workes for good to us although the good doth not seeme yet to come forth yet it is a working for us stay but till the worke bee done and it will appeare Good it will bee though it may bee not the same good that wee thinke of yet a good that will bee better for us a greater good than we imagined or desired Now then if all that is Gods bee for thee and workes thus fully for thee is there not reason then that all that is thine should be for God and worke as fully for him Thine did I say the truth is there is nothing thine for all is Gods God hath a greater propriety in and right to whatsoever thou art and hast than thy selfe but God is pleased to let it bee called thine that thou maist freely give it to him and if it bee his owne why should hee not have it fully If he thus inlargeth himselfe towards thee how unequall is it that thou shouldest be scant in thy service to him and in thine honouring of him Fifthly wicked men doe fully follow after that which is evill an infinite shame confusion then would it be to us an infinite dishonour likewise unto God if wee should not as fully follow the Lord in that which is good Ecclesiastes 9. 3. The heart of the sonnes of men is full of evill and Chap. 8. 11. The heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe evill The Seventy translate this The heart of man hath a Plerophorie to evill it is set upon it without any doubt or suspition there is a plerophorie of boldnesse to sinne in them why should there not bee a plerophorie that is a full perswasion of faith in Gods servants to that which is good Micah 7. 3. the Scripture saith that wicked men doe evill with both hands earnestly Esay 57. 5. Idolaters there are said to inflame themselves with their Idols and Ieremy Chap. 8. 2. they are said 1. To love their Idols 2. To serve them 3. To walke after them 4 To seek them 5. To worship them all these 5. expressions together in one
to the soule but how pleasant then is the fruit when it comes to ripenesse The more fully we follow on in Gods wayes the more full will the testimony of the witnesses both in heaven and earth bee in witnessing our blessed estate unto us Those three witnesses in heaven the Father Word and Holy Ghost and those three on earth the spirit water and the blood of which S. Iohn in his 1 Epistle 5. 7 8. they will all come with their full testimony to that soule which followes God fully By following the Lord fully wee keep our evidences cleare sinne blots and blurs our evidences that oftentimes wee cannot reade them but when the heart keeps close to God and walks fully with him then all is kept faire The Kingdome of God consists in righteousnesse peace and joy the more fully wee are brought into his Kingdome the more fully wee are under his government as there will bee the more righteousnesse so the more peace and joy Es 9. 7. Of the encrease of his government and peace there shall bee no end saith the Text. The more encrease there is of Christs government in the soule the more full it is the more peace will be there Seventhly there is great reason that wee should walke fully after the Lord because the way that God cals us to walke in is a most blessed and holy way In the 21. Revelation 21. verse The streets of Ierusalem that is the wayes of Gods people in his Church wherein they are to walke they are said to bee of pure gold and as it were transparent glasse they are golden wayes they are bright shining wayes Prov. 3. 17. The wayes of wisdome are the wayes of pleasantnesse and all her paths are peace There is not any one Command of God wherein hee would have us to follow him but it is very lovely there is much good in it God requires nothing of us but that which is most just and holy as God is holy in all his workes so he is holy in all his Commands they are no other but that which if our hearts were as they ought wee would choose to our selves A righteous man is a law to himselfe he sees that good that beauty that equity in all Gods Lawes as hee would choose them to himselfe were hee left at his owne liberty What one thing is there in Gods Law that could bee spared What is there that thou couldst bee glad to bee exempted from It may bee in the strength of temptation when some lust is up working the flesh would faine have some liberty but upon due serious thoughts looking into the bottome of things a gracious soule closeth with the Law and loveth it as gold yea fine gold and breakes for the longing it hath not to the reward of obedience to Gods Statutes and Judgements but to the Statutes and Judgements of God themselves as David saith his soule did Howsoever our path in following the Lord may seeme rugged and hard to the flesh in regard of the afflictions and troubles it meets withall in it yet where there is a spirituall eye the way of holinesse appeares to it exceeding lovely and beautifull Though David Psa 23. supposed the worst that might befall him in his way as that he might walke through the valley of the shadow of death yet he cals his way greene pastures and saith Godwill leade him by the still waters It is true the wayes of God are grievous to the wicked but very good and delightfull to the Saints because they are the wayes of holinesse as Esay 35. 8. And a high-way shall be there and it shall bee called the way of holinesse The uncleane shall not passe over it Eightly the consideration of the end of our way should bee a strong motive to draw our hearts fully after the Lord in it the entrance into it is sweet the midst of it more as before we have shewed but the end of it most sweet of all there is that comming that will fully recompence all Consider of the sweetnesse of the end of our way 1 In that period of it that will be at death and 2 In that glorious reward we shall have in heaven That sweet and blessed comfort that the full following of the Lord brings at death is enough to recompence all the trouble and hardship that wee meet withall in our way while we are following of him This hath caused many Saints of God to lie triumphing when they have been upon their death-beds blessing the Lord that ever they knew his wayes that euer he drew their hearts to follow after him in them When Hezekiah received the message of death Esay 38. 2 3 he turned his face to the wall and said Remember O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight and Hezechiah wept sore O the sweetnesse that possessed the heart of Hezekiah which did flow from the testimony of his conscience that hee had fully walked after the Lord with a perfect heart the verbe there I have walked is in that Mood in the Originall that addes to the signification of it It signifies I have continually without ceasing walked Thus Luther who was a man whose spirit was exceeding full in his love unto and walking after the Lord Jesus Christ while hee lived and when hee came to die his spirit was as full of comfort and joy as before it was full of zeale and courage these expressions brake from him O my heavenly Father O God the Father of the Lord Iesus Christ the God of all comfort I give thee thanks that thou hast revealed thy Sonne Iesus Christ to mee whom I have beleeved whom I have professed whom I have loved whom I have honoured whom the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the rout of wicked men have persecuted and contemned and now I beseech thee O my Lord Iesus Christ receive my soule my heavenly Father although my body is to be laid downe yet I certainly know that I shall for ever remaine with thee neither can I by any be pulled out of thy hands The grace of Gods Spirit oftentimes appeares most in the glory of it when death approacheth because grace and glory is then about to meet That soule that hath followed God fully here when it comes to depart out of the body it onely changeth the place nor the company which was the speech of a late reverend holy Divine of ours a little before his death I shall change my place saith hee but not my company meaning that as he had conversed with God and followed after the Lord here in this World hee was now going to converse with him and to follow after him more fully in a better World Death to such a soule it is but Gods calling of it from the lower gallery of this World to the upper gallery of Heaven to walke with him there Here