Divine Meditations OR A Honey-comb To Refresh Weary Travellers BEING A Collection of Divine Sayings out of the Holy Scriptures of Truth Gathered by G. L. The Second Edition Corrected Psal 19.10 11. Thy Statutes are more to be desired than much fine Gold and sweeter also than Honey from the Honey-comb and in keeping of them there is a great Reward LONDON Printed for Iohn Marshall at the Bible in Grace-Church-Street 1700. Where you may be supplied with most of Dr. Owen's Mr. Mead's and Mr. Bunyan's Work and Effigies Books Newly Printed and Sold by John Marshall at the Bible in Grace-Church-Street GOod Company or Sudden Thoughts on Things past present and to come Price 2 d. A Funeral Sermon Preached at the Merchants Lecture at Pinners-Hall Broad-street upon the Death of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Gouge who Deceased Jan. 8. 1699. By John Nesbitt Price 6 d. The Young Man's Remembrancer and Youth's Best Choice in Two Anniversary Discourses By M. M. Price bound 1 s. An Elegiack Essay on the Pious Memory of Mr. Matthew Mead Minister at Stepney c. also most of his Works and his Effigies Engraved c. The Regular Architect or The general Rule of the Five Orders with a New Addition by John Leake for the Benefit of Free Masons Carpenters Joiners Carvers Painters Bricklayers and Plaisterers in general for all Ingenious Persons in the Art of Building The Art of Defence in which the Guards Passes Enclosures and Disarms are Represented by proper Figures The Pens Dexterity or Mr. Rich's Short-hand Improved or the Readiest Way to attain the Art of Short-writing as also Mr. Rich's Testament and Psalms in the same Character England's Golden Treasure or The Compleat Miner or A Discovery of Rich Mines laying on of Hands proved a Gospel Ordinance The Bands of Love and Peace or The Duties of Christians one to another together with their Duty to their Pastor or Minister and his Duty to them A Honey-comb c. CHAP. I. 1 O That great and glorious Work of God in Conversion of a Sinner Angels and Saints Rejoices to have the number of their Heavenly Company increase 2 The Enjoyment of God experimentally is the Life of all our Joys whatever our Condition be that 's our good Chear and Welfare 3 For no less will satisfie a Gracious Heart than that either God may be with him on Earth or he may be with God in Heaven 4 O then let us Labour to see and enjoy God in all things and all things in God! 5 It 's no Sin to show our Righteousness but it 's a Sin to have nothing but a show of Righteousness 6 Though God hath promised to give to them that ask him yet many ask and miss because they ask amiss 7 Wicked Men are Dead while they Live but the Godly Live while they are Dead 8 The Tie of the Covenant is sure where Christ is the Surety of the Covenant 9 They who Glory in their shame without Repentance will be ashamed of their Glory hereafter 10 To be very Great and very Good is a very great Goodness 11 Men we Try before we Trust but God we may Trust before we Try 12 Nothing engages a Saint to love God so much as this that God loves him so much 13 The Saints shall not be tempted above what they are able or at most not above what God will enable them to 14 The Saints fare better yea are far better for one anothers Prayers 15 If Men did consider that the Milk of the Word is the Food of the Soul they would rather their Bodies be without Soul 's than their Churches without faithful Preachers 16 No Man is more hated of God than the Hypocrite for a counterfeit Religion shall find a real Hell 17 The greatest earthly Pleasures are but Pains in their Loss 18 some Men find the Want of Comforts and some find Comforts in Wants 19 The means of Grace is but a mean thing in Comparison of Grace which is the main thing 20 The great Good and Means which God affords his People here is but little to what he minds to give them hereafter 21 Sathan knows not the Thoughts of a Maâ— Heart for it's God's peculiar Treasure 22 Afflictions are the Touch stone and great Discoverer of Sincerity David 23 It fills the Soul with unspeakable Joy to Remember whilst it suffers the Will of God is a doing 24 Men are not happy in having more Good than others but in doing more Good than others 25 Some go a Fishing with Holiness and when they have their Ends there is an end of their Profession 26 When Religion and Profession goes together it 's hard to say which a Man follows but when separate the true Professor's Mettle is shown 27 It 's not always a Token of God's Love to have one's desires granted for we may ask amiss 28 Sathan nor none of his Instruments can meddle with the Person or the Estates of Men without God's Permission Job 29 It 's the Part of a good Man to Reprove Vice though his Reproof should not be taken in good Part. 30 God may as soon cease to be God as cease to be Good Assoon cease to Live as cease to Love 31 By Reason of our Sins we have Cause to be Sorrowful in the midst of our Prayers but by Reason of God's Mercy we have Reason to Rejoice in the midst of our Sorrow 32 Carnal Men love the God's they make and forsakes the God that made them 33 It 's a Christian's Comfort though he have a fearful and unruly Heart yet he hath a faithful God to flee to to rule it 34 They that have no true Grace in their Life can have no true Peace in their Death 35 The things of this Life have not the Promise of Godliness but Godliness hath the Promise of the things of this Life 36 What we are afraid to do before Men we should be afraid to think before God 37 Riches Honours and Pleasures cannot give one Christ but Christ can give one Riches Honours and Pleasures 38 Death hath nothing Terrible in it but what our Lives hath made so by Sin 39 They who have no Trâ—asures in Heaven cannot but be enraged when the Hope of their Gain is gone on Earth 40 A Christian that has his Faith awake cannot Sin without a Check in his Conscience 41 There is more of the Power of God seen in bringing us into the World than in bringing us out of any Trouble in the World 42 The Study of the Vanity of the Creatures is of an excellent use to bring us to the Knowledge of the Creator 43 Wicked Men thrive often but seldom blessed their Prosperity proves often their Curse 44 Men may put their Riches in the Grave with them but their Riches cannot keep them one Moment out of it 45 The Favour of God goes out for nothing in Man but the Wrath of God goes out for some Rebellion in Man 46 A Saint does not only look for Heaven
from Christ but also for Christ from Heaven 47 God will give a Saint better Content without Heaven than Heaven without God 48 God's Faithfulness does more for us than our Faith is able 49 A Saint would not give that which he gains by his Sins for a World yet he would not commit one Sin willingly for all the World 50 Scarlet Sinners may by Grace be made Milk-white Saints Saul and Manassah 51 The vilest Sinners once converted become the strictest Saints Mary Magdalen 52 Grace makes a Man more a Man and more than a Man 53 God expects that Saints should do more for him than others because he has done more for them than all the World 54 We should use that for God's Glory which God gives us to use for our Good 55 Though a Saint is sad he is not better yet he is glad he is not worse 56 All worldly Troubles cannot overcome a true Heavenly Peace 57 It 's a Mercy to have a Portion in the World but to have the World for our Portion is a Misery 58 Grace is Glory begun here and Glory is Grace perfected hereafter 59 In Prayer when Men are on the Knee then the mind ought to be on the Wing 60 Nature teacheth a Man to Value his Life above the World and Grace teacheth him to Value his Soul above his Natural Life 61 The best of Men are but Men at the best and they find it so 62 A Prayerless Man is a Token of a Godless Man 63 He that Reproves other Mens Faults and not his own is a Hypocrite 64 When a Saint comes to Die his greatest Grief is that he 's done no more for God and his greatest Joy is that God has done so much for him 65 The Sin of Man filleth the Creature with Vanity and the Vanity of the Creature filleth the Man with Vexation of Spirit 66 There are many Poor in this World Rich in Faith and many Rich in this World Poor in Faith 67 Christ by drawing near to the Saints draws them nearer to himself 68 To be Sick of Love for God is Soul-saving Health but to be Sick of Love for the Creatures doth often destroy the Health both of Body and Soul 69 Saints should labour to please God in all they do and to be pleased with God in all he doth 70 The World seeth not a Saint though they look him in the Face for the Saints the hidden Man of the Heart or the Man in the Spirit 71 Success is the Blessing of God in a good Cause and his Curse on a bad 72 The Wicked in the fulness of their Plenty are in Straights but the Godly in the fulness of their Straights has Sufficiency 73 The Joy of the Holy Ghost is so that there is Want in Words and of Words to express it for it's Joy unspeakable and full of Glory 74 There are many Convictions without Conversion but there is no Conversion without Convictions 75 Men that make gain their Godliness will never gain Godliness unless they make Godliness their greatest Gain 76 God made Man his own Image and Man should not rest till he be holy or partake of the divine Nature 77 A Saint hath the Law of God in his Heart and a hearty Willingness to obey the Law of God 78 It 's an unspeakable Mercy to be one of Christ's though of his little ones 79 Man turns natural Food into his Nature but spiritual Food turns Man into its Nature 80 In the World the Body was made first and then the Soul but in Heaven the Soul is first and then the Body 81 Some Men instead of acting godlity in this World acts rather like the God of this World 82 Though we may pray God to glorifie himself in our Deliverance from Trouble yet we should be very Submissive unless he get Glory by it but rather beg Grace to bear it 83 God in this World hath glorified Faith above all other Graces and above all other Graces Faith glorifies God in this World 84 Let us not love any earthly thing too much for too much affection causes too much affliction at parting 85 None feel more Experience of God's-Providence than those that are resolute in their Obedience 86 To have a thankful Heart for all God's Blessings is a great Blessing 87 The worst of Men have the best earthly Things and yet miserable the best of Men may want them and yet happy 88 Many use to frequent the Ordinances that makes not good use of them for all the Gain and Sweetness is in using them aright 89 It 's a good part of the Comfort of our Lives to be much amongst the Society of the Godly and good Friends 90 Hell being such a Night that shall never see Day is a double Torment to the damned 91 In things that we cannot understand let us adore God's unsearchable Wisdom for his Paths are in the deep Waters 92 One that labours by Faith and Patience to bear his Cross hath the height of Affection and the deep of Submission to Christ 93 We see it commonly the Character of a wicked Man to be a troubler of the People and Place where he lives 94 The only Way to have our Will is to bring it to God's Will 95 If we would learn of Patient bearing trouble let us keep closs to our Duty and Calling and commit the Success to God 96 A good Christian under Trouble hath a God a Promise a former Experience to run to for Support of Relief 97 There will be no end of a Christian's Desires till he come to the end of his Desire and that 's Heaven 98 None should despair because God can help none should presume because he can cross 99 When the Godly Dies he leaves all his Bad behind him when the Wicked Dies he leaves all his Good behind him 100 He doth not enjoy much of God who walks not much with God nor can he walk much with God who doth not enjoy much of him CHAP. II. 1 THE Groans of an humble and contrite Heart are more Love-forceable in the Eyes of the Lord than all the shoutings of Baal's Priests tho' gathered in one 2 It 's Wisdome and Prudence to prepare for Adversity in time of Prosperity for Showers may come after Sun Blinks 3 Rejoice Believers God is your Father Christ your Head Husband and Brother Heaven your Inheritance Angels your Guard to minister to the Heirs of Salvation 4 We must not mingle our Passions with our Crosses like foolish Patients shewing the Pill when they should swallow it whole 5 It 's much better to have Crosses and Grace to bear them than to be without both which is the Fate of many Worldlings 6 For a Believer in the State of Grace for all his Crosses is in a fafer Condition than Adam was in Innocency for he fell or the unconfirmed Angels was in Heaven for they fell but he stands on the Foundation of God being confirmed by the Blood of Christ which the
Gates of Hell cannot prevail against 7 God's Thoughts is and has been Thoughts of Peace to his own from all Eternity and in sending the only Begotten Son of his Bosom to to work out the Work of our Redemption 8 O how Delightful are those spiritual and eternal Imbraces which Saints have and shall have in the Arms of God's Everlasting Love 9 It 's a Joy next unto the Joys of Heaven for one to know that he 's within the Covenant of Grace Devils and Men may sooner pull the Sun out of the Firmament at Noon-day than him from his God for he is kept by his Power to Salvation 10 It 's to be afraid that those that Loves not the Company of Saints on Earth shall not be admitted to their Company in Heaven 11 A Saint will part with any thing for Christ but will not part with him for all things 12 When our Affections and Conversations are in Heaven we enjoy Heaven upon Earth 13 Nothing Disgraces a Man so much as Sin and nothing Honors him so much as Grace 14 They that think as Hypocrites do to deceive God will find they deceive themselves at the last 15 Let Christians do their Best in drawing near unto God and let the Devil and the World do their Worst no matter 16 A gracious Heart desires not only to Walk holily but also so wholly with God 17 He that 's Prayerful before Mercy is received it 's a Token he shall be Praiseful when received 18 A Saint's Care is to keep himself in God's Way yet he leaves the Care of himself and his Ways to God 19 Believers are all for Christ and Christ is all for Believers 20 Means without God can do nothing but God without means can do any thing 21 Some Men make their Lusts their Gods on Earth but they 'll be their Devils in Hell without Repentance 22 He is not so much a Fool that hath no Wit to use as he that abuses the Wit he hath by playing the Fool. 23 Christ's Voice is Sweet to Saints and their Voices is Sweet to him 24 Our Sins delivered Christ to Death for us and his Death delivers us from Sin 25 Faith is like the Neck Knits the Head and the Body together in time of Persecution That 's Christ and a Believer 26 The holiest Christians hath some Stains and evitable Failings which does not deface nor disessence them 27 The great Love that Christ had to us from Eternity made him not mind the Wounds of the Cross for his Delight was and is with the Sons of Men. 28 All the World is but a Wilderness in Comparison of the Church of God which is as a Garden inclosed full of Flowers and Fruits 29 The Excellency of God and the Sweetness of his Ways are the Ways and Joys of the dear Saints 30 The more Spiritual and Temporal Blessings we receive the more Thanks and Service God's looks for at our Hands 31 If thou thinks God be better to others nor thee yet since he is better to thee nor thou deserves thou has no Cause to complain 32 It 's a greater Virtue to forgive one an Injury than to do many Courtesies for it goes harder against Nature and many will do for their Friends but will not suffer for them 33 Corn Wine and Oyl is the Worldlings Happiness and when they are at an End their Happiness is Eat up 34 Let none despair for the Depths of our Miseries are far from the Depths of God's Mercies 35 The glorious Sun has its Morning of Resurrection how much more the Sons of Glory 36 That Man 's full of Grace who is composed in Word and Thought under Affliction and to be Good and Patient when we suffer Evil is the height of Goodness 37 It 's a Woful Thing to put off Repentance and a good Life till a Death Bed and Pained Body for then there is enough ado with it self to disquiet the Mind 38 Yet wicked Men thinks Death is an end to all their Troubles when indeed it only begins 39 That Man is never thankful to God who is unthankful to or for the Means of Grace 40 Great is the Affection of a Convert to a Minister who hath been the Means of his Conversion 41 Our Love to God is best known by our Respect to his Ambassadors and Love to the Brethren 42 Some Friends are like the Swallow to come and sit and sing with us in the Summer of Prosperity but when the Winter of Affliction comes they seek for a hotter Climate 43 A good suitable End is the Grace and Beauty of all our Undertakings 44 If God give thee Grace there 's presently a Chain leading thee to Triumph and Glory to all Eternity which I am perswaded Devils and Men cannot Break. Rom. 8. 45 The Inward Peace which Saints feel is not in Freedom from Trouble but in Freeness with God in the midst of Troubles 46 A Fool 's Heart is in his Tongue but a Wise Man's Tongue is in his Heart 47 They who are most full of Faith have most Experience of God's Faithfulness to them 48 As there is a Vanity lyes hid in the best worldly Good so there is a Blessing lyes hid in the worst worldly Evil to his own 49 God usually brings sudden Destruction upon Surfeiting and Drunkenness Palate-pleasers and Belly-Gods as on the old World on Sodom and Job's Children and Belshazar and Nabal 50 Oh it 's much more glorious to serve God who made the World and will Crown his Servants with Glory than your slavish Lusts which will bring Torment in the End 51 A faithful Christian can Trust and Rejoice in his God when all Worldly Things not only crosses him but flies in his Face to destroy him Moses at the Red Sea Daniel in the Den David at Zilphag 52 Christ was made like unto us Sin excepted that he might be tempted and he permits us to be tempted that we may fly unto be like unto him 53 Heaven is the only place of Joy and Rest Hell is the only place of Sorrow and Torment on Earth we have weary Toil by Sin 54 He that 's tender of his Conscience will not be Prodigal of his Credit for a good Conscience cheers his Heart and Countenance 55 Worldly Men are Demetrius-like crying great is the Goddess Diana whom Asia and all the World worshipped and brings us all our Gain 56 We should fear none but God and be afraid of nothing but Sin But blessed is he that feareth him always 57 Ministers may teach us as a Prophet but it 's God only that teacheth us only to Profit 58 The Tongue blessing God without the Heart is like a tinkling Symbol and sounding Brass but both together is delightful to Heaven and Earth 59 When there is no Doctrine in a Man's Life it 's a Token there 's but little Life in his Doctrine 60 A Christian should be Watchful to and in Prayer seeing his Enemy watched him where and when he prays
never spoke Good of me 9 By our good moral Life and Conversation Man may chuse us into the Church Membership but let us not rest on that so was Judas but upon God only who chuseth us to Eternal Life 10 He hath all things who hath God and he that hath not God though he hath all other things hath but Shadows 11 One Grain of Grace is more worth than many Pounds of Gifts or Gifts of Pounds Peter's answer to Simon Magus 12 In Creation God gave us to our selves but in Redemption he gave himself to us 13 Though Christians sit in Darkness and have no Light yet Job and Heman-like let them trust God on the Faith of Adherance for God may withdraw his Communion from his People for a time but never his Union for Heaven is the only Place of eternal Comfort not Earth 14 The Toyl of getting the Care of keeping and the Fear of losing takes away a great deal of the Comfort of Riches and yet for all that they often take the Mornings Wings like Job's 15 There be many People that looks not on a Bible or bows not a Knee to God from one Sabbath to another but at the Church for fashion I would have such to mind that VVord If our Gospel be hid it is hid from them that are lost the God of this VVorld hath blinded their Eyes 16 To have a broken Heart for Sin and a broken Christ meet in the Sacarament is Joy unspeakable none can tell but them that tastes 17 Life is a tempestuous Sea-voyage but Death brings a Believer to his Harbour of Rest 18 Every Step of our Life stands in need of a Step of God's Protection and Mercy to us 19 Commonly Men Chuse the poorest Ground for the richest Mines so does God the Poor of this World rich in Faith 20 Afflictors and Afflictions are grievous for the present to People of God as the sweetest Roses has their Prickles so the best of Christians has their Afflictions 21 A Dog may bark at a Sheep but a Sheep cannot bark again Shemi to David Tobias and Sanballat to Nehemiah 22 O let us press forward and launch forth till we drown our selves in God's bottomless Ocean of Love to all Eternity 23 Let us learn Wisdom from the Birds of the Air the Eagle Falcon and Raven are so quick-sighted as to build upon such Rocks as they scorn the Horse and his Rider ought we not much more to build upon our Rock Christ that the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against 24 Whatever our Guiltiness be yet when it falleth into the Sea of God's Mercy it 's but like a drop of Blood into the great Ocean 25 They that would be Christ's Ambassadors must set their Faces as Flint against the Devil's Bagagers as Paul going to Jerusalem Daniel facing the Lions the three Children the Fiery the Furnace and Luther going to Worms 26 O how Pleasant is it to the Earth to have the Sun rising on it But how much more Pleasant and Sweet is it to us to feel the Son of Righteousness shining on our Souls 27 When I do see the Birds of the Air the Beasts of the Field the Fish of the Sea all as they were Finger-fed from God what needs me then mistrust that has an Immortal Soul 28 God is that great Rock that supporteth Heaven and Earth and the Godly are Pillars hewen out of that Rock for Support to the Earth and at their removal down it comes Witness when Noah went into the Ark and Lot out of Sodom 29 The Palm-tree and the Camomile the more they are pressed the richer they grow so Christians the more sanctified Afflictions on Earth the richer Crown of Glory in Heaven 30 Behold the Larks by the dawning of the Day sings Praise to their Maker O how much more should Christians that has the Day-Star from high arisen on their Hearts 31 God's tender Love and Kindness never fails in giving us and our tender Love and Kindness ought not to fail in giving to his 32 Regeneration is a greater and glorious Work than the whole Creation for many that were created are in Hell but all regenerate are and shall be in Heaven 33 It 's good to call upon God in the Day of Trouble as Jacob did when Laban was behind him to Rob him and Esau before him to Kill yet God made the one to Bless him and the other to Kiss him 34 A good Wife and Children are the best earthly Blessings as Jacob said to Esau these are Wives and Children God has Blessed me with 35 O how becoming it is to see Christians kind to one another It 's like the dew of Heaven and Christ shews a Patern of it to his Disciples desiring them to Love one another 36 It 's good to be in Company with the kind Godly and to desire them to be in yours as the two sorrowful Disciples sound going to Emaus they constrained Christ to stay with them and he opened their Eyes 37 We may safely expect God in his Way of Mercy to us when we are in his Ways of Obedience 38 O let us give God our Morning Thoughts For the Comfort and Success of every Day depends on the Blessing of God 39 O let us not weary in Well doing For Religion's Wages is above its Work and its Pay above its Pains Heaven for ever 40 The Gospel of Peace is a great Blessing but the Peace of the Gospel is a greater Blessing 41 The Way to have any earthly Thing taken from us and not Blessed is to set our Hearts too much on it 42 The only Way to have our own Wills fulfilled is to submit to God's Will say Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven 43 He that repelleth the Temptation of unlawful Gain Gains by that Temptation 44 Many time God suffers his own to mourn cry and reflect on themselves not finding Rest till they come back like Noah's Dove to the Ark of Refuge 45 Saints are many times least alone when most alone when Jacob was left alone he wrestled with God 46 VVhen we are weak we see what we are in our selves when we are strong in Faith we see what we are in God 47 Nothing deforms a Man so much as Sin and nothing reforms and adorns so much as Grace 48 Christ's Kingdom is not of this VVorld nor yet is a Christian's Happiness 49 Since the Fall it has been our Fault not to VVeep yet too much weeping may be turned into Sin in not looking to our Saviour for Comfort 50 Natural Men are Earthly in the use of Heavenly Things but Spiritual Men are Heavenly in the use of Earthly Things 51 Any that would Ride the Post-road to Hell then let them venture upon the Bosses of his Bucklers by Persecuting the People of God O then haste Human mount your Gallows of 50 Cubits O haste Achitophel and Judas to your Halters Haste Ahab and Jezebel to your hungry Dogs Haste Pharaoh and Herod to the hungry VVorms and Fishes 52 God is good to us many Times in sending us Crosses because he makes them work together for our good 53 It is the Fate of many Christians to be troubled with vain Thoughts but let them beg Grace to drive them away as Abraham did the Fowls from the Sacrifice 54 Believers must Labour to keep themselves from Sin unspotted of the VVorld for Heaven it a holy Place unto which no unclean Thing can enter 55 To Sin is Heathen-like to Grieve and Forsake is Saint-like to Persevere and Boast is Devil-like 56 A Man may conceive in his Mind Rocks of Diamonds Mountains of Gold Heaps of Pearl in a Moment but none is able to conceive the good Things that God will give to them that Love and Fear him This finishes 1000 Proverbs and 500 Songs by G. Liddell FINIS