the converse that Jesus Christ hath with the soules of his people is compared to that converse that friends have one with another in their walkings together in their galleries Cant. 7. 5. The King is held in the galleries hee doth not only walk with his Beloved there but is as it were bound he is kept there by the bands of love and when death comes then the soule is called up to the upper roome to heaven there to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth Wee reade of a notable speech that Hilarion had when hee was to die Goe out goe out my soule why dost thou feare why dost thou doubt almost these seventy yeares hast thou served Christ and dost thou now feare death And if the end of our way at death hath so much good in it how much good will there be in the end of our way that we shall enjoy when we come to heaven As the consideration of the full reward in heaven was made use of before as an encouragement to those who doe fully follow the Lord so now wee make use of it as a strong motive to draw up our hearts to the full following after him It was S. Pauls motive to the Corinthians 1 Epistle 15. 58. perswading them to hee stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as they knew that their labour was not in vaine in the Lord. We doe not follow after shadowes and phancies in following the Lord but wee seek for glory honour immortality wee follow after an incorruptible crowne a glorious kingdome an eternall inheritance the glory of heaven the treasures of the riches of God himselfe are set before us to draw up our hearts fully to him It was the argument that S. Paul used to worke upon his owne spirit withall Phil. 3. 14. I presse toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus How full is the worke of many mens spirits in their working after some poore little scant good in this world whereas if they had all the world they had but an empty husk in comparison of that glory that is set before us They pant after the very dust what cause is there then that our hearts should pant in the strong workings of them after those high and glorious things that are reserved in heaven for us It was the goodnes of the land of Canaan that was a strong motive to draw Caleb and Ioshuahs heart fully after the Lord through many difficulties Canaan was but a darke Type of the glory of Heaven which God hath promised to reward the full followers of himselfe withall It was once a speech of Anselme If a man should serve God zealously here a thousand yeares yet should hee not thereby deservedly merit to bee one halfe day in heaven Let us bee as forward let our hearts bee as strong and zealous in Gods wayes as possibly they can be yet I may say as Abigail did to David in that particular case it shall not repent my Lord when he comes into his Kingdome so it shal never repent you of any thing that ever you have done for the Lord when you come into your Kingdome But if it were possible there could be sorrow in heaven you would be sorry that you did no more It was a speech of one Gordius a Martyr that the threats of his enemies were but as seedes from which he should reape immortality and eternal joyes so all the hardship and troubles that we meet with all in our way here in following the Lord are but increasers of that glory that is to be revealed why then should any thing hinder us or stop us in our way And thus I passe to the second thing propounded in this Use namely to shew what are the Causes that hinder men from following the Lord fully and they are five especially which I shall but name First low apprehensions that men have of God they see not God in his glory in his greatnesse surely they know not God and therefore it is that their hearts work so poorly after him Ier. 9. 3. They are not valiant for the truth upon the earth and what is the reason For they know not me saith the Lord. As if he should say Did they know me certainly they would be valiant for my trruth They that know thy Name saith the Psalmist Psal 9. 10. they will put their trust in thee so they that know Gods Name will love him will feare him will be zealous for will fully follow after him The knowledge of all truthes concerning Heaven and hell ven and hell or any other thing that can bee knowne can never raise can never inlarge the hearts of men so after the Lord as the knowledge of God himselfe and therefore where God is little knowne no marvell though he be so little followed Secondly unsound beginnings in the profession of Religion are the cause why men doe not fully follow after the Lord their hearts are not throughly broken not deepely humbled the truths of God not deeply rooted at first their soules not well principled the foundation not well laid If men be not well principled at first in their entrance into the wayes of God they are like to prove but shufflers and bunglers in Religion all their dayes If cloth bee not wrought well at the first though it shews faire in the Loome yet it will shrinke when it comes to wetting the cause why many doe so shrinke in the wetting when they come to suffer any thing in the wayes of Religion it is because their hearts were not well wrought at first A third cause is the strength of ingagements their hearts are so wrapped in them so glued to them as it is exceeding painfull to get them loosened from them they are so near and deare to a corrupt heart As it is said of Esau hee looked on the Pottage and it was so red so they looke upon their ingagements and they are so full of content it is so grievous to be taken off from them that they rather suffer their hearts to bee taken off from God himselfe when engagements have taken possession of the heart then how hard is it to work any thing upon the judgements of men it is hard to get the minde to view the truths of God to get it to search into them to consider of them it is ready to close with the least objection against them to catch hold of the least advantage to cast them off and if truths bee so cleare as a man cannot but see them as conscience for the present is over-powred with them yet if the heart bee not taken off from ingagements it will fetch about againe to see if something may not bee gotten against those truths to breake the strength of them but where the heart is taken off from ingagements how easily do the truths prevaile how soone is the heart brought fully to close with them 2 Sam. 22. 33.
the compasse of its own nature and was to enjoy this and the fuller it doth enjoy it the more perfected it is Now then there are required principles of life accordingly to carry these creatures higher than their owne natures to have the fruitiō of that good they were made for and to bee blessed in the enjoyment of it Now these are the principles of Grace with which this other spirit is indued higher above the principles of reason than the principles of reason are above the principles of sense and thus it is another spirit Secondly it works by another rule every thing is guided to its end by some rule which is a beame of Gods wisedome no creature under the reasonable knowes either its end or rule but is acted by God to that it was made for but the reasonable creature is of such a nature as is capable of the knowledge of both and therefore cannot bee happy without the knowledge of both and working accordingly Now it is a great mercy not to mistake in the rule that leades to eternall life to see it and act by it most of the world mistake here their spirits are led by false rules they goe according to sense according to their own carnall apprehēsion of things accordings to their owne wils would have the rule of their actions from their own spirits or else according to the common course of the world as Eph. 2. 2. That which men blesse themselves in that they goe according to the common course is one of the most apparent arguments that is that yet they are strangers from the way of life but the godly they make the Word their rule they looke up to the minde of God to see the beame of Divine wisdome let down from heaven to guide them in their way they looke to it for direction give up themselves to it dare venture their comforts estates safeties soules upon it Thou shalt guide mee by thy counsell sayes David and so bring mee to thy glory Psalm 73. 24. A godly man thinkes it a most dishonorable thing to make the examples of men his rules it is for beasts to follow the Herd Examples of men cannot satisfie his conscience A godly man workes for eternity and therefore is carefull to worke by rule as a man when hee workes in a worke that concernes his life erects a frame that must be for continuance he makes sure of his rule layes often his rule to his worke When God erected the frame of the world which was to last but for a sew yeares hee made all by waight and measure The frame of mans actions here must be for eternity and therefore a godly man dares venture upon no other rule but that which is divine hee lookes at the Word not only at the notions of it and that excellency and beauty he sees in it shining a great way off but as a light to his feet a Lanterne to his steps holds it close to his feet to guide him in his going knowing that every step he goes is either to hell or to heaven and this doing he may look up with comfort for that blessing of God upon his servants 1 Sam. 2. 9. He keeps the feet of his Saints His way is like the way of the Mariner guided by the heavens 3. Thirdly another spirit that is imployed about other things it is not for meane base services but set on worke about high and honourable employments As men of place and dignity have or ought to have other spirits differing from ordinary spirits they cannot endure to be employed in mean and dishonorable workes no those fit for meane base spirits While other mens spirits are busied about low poore things and are content in these minding nothing higher they are busied about great affaires of State the high things of the Kingdome consultations about and transactions of the great businesses of the Common-wealth It was the basenesse and dishonor of Domitians spirit who though a great Emperor yet busied himselfe and spent great part of his time in catching of flies and so of Artaxerxes his spirit who spent a great deale of time in making hafts of knives of Boxe Thus godly men account it too mean a thing for their spirits to bee busied about low base employments while the spirits of other men are busied about meat drink clothes play money lust and are taken up in these poore things the spirits of the godly are taken up in contemplation of the glory of the blessed God the beauty and high excellency of Jesus Christ the great Counsels of God in the greatest worke that ever he did the worke of mans Redemption the great mysteries of the Gospell the glorious things of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ the great things of eternity the interest they have in all the good in God Christ Heaven about the setting out the glory of the blessed God in the World lifting up his Name working together with God in glorifying himselfe observing Gods wayes in his glorious workes of Creation and Providence preparing and fitting themselves for the glorious appearing of the great God joyning with those blessed creatures the Angels and Saints in heaven magnifying praising worshipping and adoring the Lord of all these are things fit for the spirits of the godly they are not suteable to the spirits of the world as Psal 92. 6. A brutish man knowes not neither doth a foole understand this A godly man sometimes may be busied in meane low things but his spirit not contented not taken up not satisfied in those things as adequate objects for him as the spirits of the world are they are objects adequate to any principles they have A man sometimes that is understanding may condescend to sport with children in low things but these take not up his spirit as adequate objects to what hee hath in him if indeed hee should take content and satisfaction in such things it would argue a childish spirit in him So here Fourthly this spirit is carried to other ends the spirit of the world looks at ease pleasure honour gaine and Selfe in all it is a low spirit in an ill sense subjecteth not only ordinary actions but the best things it doth even the duties of Gods worship to base low unworthy ends At the highest the most excellent of the Heathen who had the most brave spirits the World had in their time aimed no higher than to work according to reason to satisfie the dictates of rationall principles and a naturall conscience knew not what it was to honour God to aime at God in all they did but the spirit of the godly is a raised spirit looks at God and eternity in all it doth carries things up to the highest good restlesse till it gets through all creatures and closes with God it accounts the excellency of what it is and what it hath to be in order to God and directs what it doth to him and in this comes as neere the working of
yeares after this promise was made there were but seventy soules that came out of Abrahams loynes namely when Iacob went down into Egypt which if we compute the time wee shall find to bee just two hundred and fifteene yeares for Abraham was seventy and five yeares old when the promise was made hee was an hundred yeares old when Isaac was borne Isaac was forty yeares old before he married and hee continued twenty yeares without a child and Iacob was one hundred and thirty yeares old when he went into Egypt so that the time fals to bee just two hundred and fifteene yeares which was just halfe the time from the promise till the people of Israels comming out of Egypt which S. Paul saith Gal. 3. 17. was foure hundred and thirty years Now observe that whereas God halfe this time did but little for Abraham in the fulfilling of this his promise yet because Abraham followed him fully ventured himselfe wholly upon the faithfulnesse of the Lord see how fully God came in with his mercy at the last for in the second two hundred and fifteen yeares hee so encreased his seed that from seventy soules they were growne up to bee sixe hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty Num. 1. 45 46. and these onely from twenty yeares old and upward such men as were able to goe to warre there was thus many of these besides all children and women which it is like were far the greater number yea and the Tribe of Levy was not numbered amongst this number there were two and twenty thousand and upwards of them besides Thus you see how fully God comes in at the last in his mercy and making good his word of promise to such who follow him fully Be you as full as you can in following the Lord the Lord will bee as full towards you in doing good unto you Gods mercy shall be every as full as your obedience can bee 2 Sam. 22. 26. with the upright thou wilt shew thy selfe uprigh The words are in the Originall With the strong and perfect thou wilt shew thy selfe strong and perfect God will goe on strongly to his perfection of mercy towards them who doe goe on strongly in their perfection of obedience towards him Psal 11. 7. The Lord loveth righteousnesse and his countenance doth behold the upright The words translated word for word are thus The Lord loveth righteousnesses and his faces shall behold the upright Righteousnesses that is when all the duties of righteousnesse are together And his faces shall behold that is all the severall kindes and manners of the blessed comfortable manifestations of his love the upright shall have The great difficulties thou meetest with in Gods wayes if thou beest not discouraged but goest thorow them they shall turne to thy greatest comforts As Caleb who was not discouraged by the Anakims those great Gyants and the strong places they lived in which so much discouraged the rest Therefore Hebron the place of the Gyants was given unto him for a possession Iosuah 14. 12 13 14 and 15 verses God certainly will remember the kindnesse of those who are willing to follow him through the wildernesse of difficulties and discouragements Ierem. 2. 2. You who doe thus shall die without staine without any blur which few doe your memories shall be sweet and blessed when you are dead and gone You shall have an entrance ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 11. This is promised not onely to those that are godly but abound in it as verse 8. They shall be as a ship comming gloriously into the Haven with full saile Thus S. Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. with much confidence and full assurance concludes That seeing hee had fought the good fight and finished his course and kept the faith henceforth there was laid up for him a crowne of righteousnesse which the righteous Iudge should give him at that day hee challengeth it upon the righteousnesse of God When the soules of these who have followed God fully are to enter into heaven the everlasting doores shall stand wide open for them as when great men come to a house the great gates are set open for their entrance and in Heaven oh how full a reward shall there be there for them as 2 Ep. Ioh. 8. vers There is fulnesse of joy at Gods right hand Psalme 16. ult So full as shall bee more than can enter into them they must enter into it because it cannot enter into them there they shall not taste of joy and happinesse but shall bee filled up with them This Christ encouraged his Disciples withall Luke 22. 28 29. Yee are they which have continued with mee in my temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed unto mee With this S. Paul encouraged himselfe in all his afflictions hee met withall while hee was following the Lord 2 Cor. 4. ver 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding eternall waight of glory First it is glory and this word alone implies that there is exceeding much in it but further it is a waight of glory yea an eternall waight of glory and more than that an exceeding eternall waight of glory as if yet it were not exprest fully enough hee addes further a farte more exceeding eternall waight of glory and what expression can bee fuller than this This was that likewise that incouraged Moses in his full following the Lord forsaking the pleasures the riches the treasures of Egypt that hee migh follow the Lord fully For hee had saith the Text a respect unto the recompence of reward Hebrewes 11. 26. And you whose hearts and wayes are fully after the Lord have the more cause to rejoyce in this your blessednesse because it it is the blessednesse but of a few Iniquity shall abound saith Christ and the love of many shall waxe cold but hee that endures to the end shall bee saved It is but a hee in the singular number that endures to the end Let these encouragements then fill your hearts with joy and your spirits with renewed resolutions and vigour to fill up your course let them fill your sailes that you may goe on with strength and prosper and be for ever blessed in your way I conclude this Vse with that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 7. 1. Seeing we have these promises these incouragements let us labour to perfect our holinesse in the feare of God And thus I passe to the last Vse which is of Exhortation CAP. V. An Exhortation to follow the Lord fully NOw the Lord carry our hearts fully after himselfe As the two blinde men Matth. 20. vers last as soone as their eyes were opened they followed Christ so were our eyes opened wee would certainly follow after the Lord were they fully opened our hearts would follow fully Many of you have some convictions