to sow See how thou canst answer Christs question Can you drinke of the cup I am to drinke of and bee baptized Mat. 20. 22. with that Baptisme that I am to bee baptized with Before you expect hee should answer your desire to sit at his right hand in his Kingdome Resolve first that it is a strait way or gate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a narrow Mat. 7. 14. and steep passage as that of Jonathan and 1 Sam. 14. 4. 13 his Armor-bearer climbing up on their hands and knees between the two sharp Rocks of Bozez and Seneh And that it will cost thee much labour and paines And then resolve further that it is a narrow way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a way full of affliction There are Lions and Anakims and Amalakites in the way all along and through tribulations is the way into the Kingdom of heaven Therefore as the Lord commanded when his people were to go out to battel they should make proclamation that if any was fearfull and faint-hearted hee should depart least his Deut. 20. 8. brothers heart should faint as well as his So doth Christ prolaime if any man come after mee Let him resolve to take up the Cross and to forsake father mother brother sister yea his owne life also or hee is no Luke 14. 26. 3◠Disciple for mee 2 If thou wouldest go through with thy work having purged thy heart from that former base and slavish fear Get thy heart ballasted and filled with holy and Religious fear Salvation is not to be wrought out but with fear and trembling Nor is Phil. 2. 12. holiness to bee perfected but in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. Blessed is hee that Prov 28. 14. feareth alwayes in this sense Never fear him that feareth himself Fear God fear Satan fear sin fear the world fear thy own self bee jealous of thy own heart Omnia tuta time fear pride security decayes fear some secret sin spiritual sin tepidity luke-warmness ossitancy presumption non-proficiency fear taking cold leaving thy first love fear thy station and examine it fear and try thy profession fear and question thy faith thy comforts But above all feare security self-sufficiency hypocrisie and Apostacy 3 Keep a continuall watch and constant guard 1 Cor. 16. 12. Watch and stand fast are put together Watch in duty watch out of duty in prayer Watch and pray watch in hearing watch in thy Calling watch when alone watch in company Thy enemies are many mighty subtil and restless thy dangers are many great and for the most part unsuspected no place business imployment duty company secure therefore ever watch 4 Bee sure to keep conscience tender and pure tender as the Apple of thy eye to bee sensible of the least mote or dust where conscience is kept tender 1 It will not admit of the least sin it will not say of any sin Is it not a little one 2 It will not exempt and shelter any beloved sin to say Deal gently with my Absolom 2 Sam. 18. 5. 3 It is very sensible of and gives great heed to the private admonitions and smitings of his own heart as David when upon a small occasion 4 It dares not sleight 1 Sam. 24 5. a reproof from any hand Even a childe may lead such Isa 11. 6. 5 It dares not intermit any duty 6 Nor dare it performe any duty sleightly or cursorily offering 2 Sam. 24. 24. to God that which costeth nothing 2 Conscience is to bee kept pure And where it is so 1 All gross sin is forsaken and detested 2 All secret sin is shunned and avoyded 3 Vnknown and unavoidable sin is bewayled 5 Take heed again and look as much to thy self lest there should bee found in thee an evil heart of unbeleef in departing Heb. 3. 12. from the living God It is an evill that hath caused many a one to fall yea the mighty have been wounded by it Moses and Aaron were for one act of unbeleef kept Numb 20. 12. out of Canaan Take heed of questioning Gods power faithfulness truth love mercy protection assistance especially of with-drawing thy whole dependance upon Christ In quietness and confidence thou wilt finde safety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In hoc vinces This is Isa 30. 15. to bee strong in the Lord and in the power Epl. 6. 10. of his might When in our feares wee flye to Christ and awake him as the Mat. 8. 25. Disciples did or call upon him as the Gibeonites did on Joshua slacke not thy Josh 10. 6. hand wee have put our selves under thy protection then hee holds his honour truth and Covenant engaged for thee When I am weake I am strong saith the 2 Cor. 12. 10. Apostle What time I am afraid I will trust in thee Whither should the Bird flye but Psal 56. 3. to her hill and the Cony but to the Rock Then wee have not onely the Armour of the Lord on us But the Arme of the Lord stretched out for us Scanderbegs Sword and his Arme the one without the other could do little Let thy military word bee the sword of the Iudg. 7. 20. Prov. 18. 10. Psal 60. 12. Ex. 17. 15. Lord and of Gideon The Name of the Lord is my strong Tower through God I shall do valiantly Jehovah Nissi the Lord is my Banner or in God I will set up my Banners This faith made the people of God valiant and victors in sharpest conflicts and put to flight all Armies of men and Devils How heroically was that spoken by Luther If I knew there were as many Devils to oppose mee as there bee Tyles on the houses at Wormes in the Name of Christ I would go on 6 Learn to prize and to submit to a plain powerfull quickning sin-discovering and heart-searching Minister and take heed of forsaking the Assemblies as the manner of too many now adayes Heb. 10. 25. is and whither have wee seen such arrive at length but to make a fearful shipwracke of faith and a good conscience And learn to prize such acquaintance and Christian friends as will strengthen thy hand in God 1 Sam. 23. 16. And flye as out of Sodome from such a companion whose example or counsel may corrupt thee and stop thine ears against such Charmers and Seducers as under pretence of New Lights would draw thee from the old pathes and take heed as much of a detestable Neutrality or utrality a halting between God and Baal lest wanting love zeal Ier. 6. 16. and courage for the truth God should give thee over to strong delusions to beleeve a 1 King 18. 21 2 Thes 2. 10. 11 lye 7 Learn conscientiously to make use of the holy Ordinances of God 1 By holy preparations before Jam. 1. 21. and stirring up quickning desires and affections 1 Pet. 2. 2. that you may grow thereby 2 With an awfull and religious acknowledging and sanctifying
the broadest that ever were yet came Jer. 51. 53. to bee made a heap of Nettles So the new and mystical Babylon that hath sate so long a Queen and hath set her Throne as the Throne of God must come down and bee burnt to ashes 2 So it is in Spirituals they who are now in an imaginary heaven of Gospel-happiness may bee thrown down to the lowest hell And on the other side the godly whose beginning was small and their present condition sad may bee lifted up in due time so was Jacob Joseph David Mordecai Job and others lifted up from poverty the dunghil and the dungeon and set among the Princes And which is better the Church which is at present afflicted and tossed but not comforted shall have her stones laid with fair colours and her foundations with Saphires Isa 54. 11. And which is better yet the soul that now sits in darkness walks in distress being deserted tempted discouraged may come to enjoy beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the Es 61. 3. garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness and shall come to Sion with songs and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing Es 35. 10. shall bee done away And which is yet better best of all They who nâ—w sow in tears and mingle their drink with weeping being in much heaviness at present through manifold temâ—tations are smitten into the place of Dragons and covered with the shadow of â—eath yea are in continual bondage all their life and wade through great tribulations shall at length bee â—et on Thrones cloathed with long white Robes and shall have their Palmes in their hands and glorious Crowns on their heads Observ 2. It is not the past or present state wherein men now are whereby they may bee denominated happy or miserable but the eternal state which they must abide by Capernaum had been lifted up to heaven The Apostate Angels had been possessed of heaven but neither the happier Woe to you that are full now that laugh now that are at ease in Sion now Go to now yee rich worldlings yee secure Professors Weep and howl your present delights shall end in eternal miseries After a short heaven a long hell After a short reign as Zimries of seven 1 King 16. 15. dayes a dreadful end after a sumptuous revel and riotous feast a terrible hand-writing on the waâ—l as to Belshazzar after a merry sitting down a sudden and confused taking away as Adonijah from his usurped Crown after the second 1 King 1. 49. Banquet of wine a shamefull and unexpected execution as to Haman The Ester 7. 2. 10. joy of the hypocrite is short his sorrows to come not so his triumphing is but for a moment but his destruction is not Job 20. 5. for a moment They shall bee destroyed with an everlasting destruction from the 2 Thess 1. 9. presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power But as for you that are godly though you now lye among the pots and mourn as Doves in the valleyes Psal 68. 13. lift up your heads you shall bee as the wings of a Dove covered with silver and her feathers like gold You do weep and lament and the world doth rejoyce but your sorrow shall be turned Jo. 16. 20. into joy and their joy into bitterness It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest when the 2 Thes 1. 7 8 9 Lord shall bee revealed from heaven in flaming fire with his mighty Angels when hee shall be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that beleeve For your shame you shall have double after a sour breakfast a sweet supper after a short hell a long heaven Here is the faith and patience of the Saints Observ 3. It is most dangerous living and dying in the best places if wee live unfruitfully It is better to live and dye in Sodome than at Capernaum Propius Joâ—i propius fulmini It is worst living in a land of righteousness if wee work Iniquity A weed is safer in a hedge than in the Garden a stone in the high way than in the Vineyard They next the Sanctuary are nearest danger God will bee sanctified in such as are near to him or hee will get himself glory in their just destruction CHAP II. The chief Doctrine raised cleared and made good by many Iustances BUt the Point wee shall insist upon is this Jamjam tacturum sidera summa-Jamjam tacturum Tartara â—igra A formal Professor may go far flye high and seem to bee in a very fair way for heaven and salvation above all others yet is his last state woful fearful desperate Lifted up to heaven thrown down to hell Babylon was in an Allegorical heaven Es 14 14 15. yet tumbled down and some Expositors suppose our Saviour alludes to that speech in this place Tyre was in the highest terrestrial heaven in the highest region of an imaginary heaven Thy heart was lifted up and thou Ezek. 28. 2 3. 12 13 14. hast said I am a God I sit in the seat of God thou hast set thy heart as the heart of God Thou art wiser than Daniel Thou sealest up the summe full of wisdome perfect in beauty Thou hast been in Eden the Garden of God thou art the anointed Cherub c. who could bee higher yet thou shalt bee brought down to the pit and dye the vers 8. 10. vers 19. death of the uncircumcised yea thou shalt bee a terror and never bee any more Here is a sad conclusion after such an Exaltation Lucifer was in a real heaven lifted not up to but into heaven yet is now in chains of darkness Hypocrites and formal Professors may bee in a high place and form in the Ecclesiastical-heaven in a Scripture-heaven the visible Church is often called the Kingdome of heaven they may bee lifted up three stories high yet fall from this third loft with Eutichus 1 They are really lifted up by the hand of God are as vessels in his hand in a fair way to heaven vessels of honour they are planted in the choysest Vineyard 2 They are higher lifted up by the general acclamation of all that know them And 3 They are lifted up higher yet too too high in their own proud conceit and false opinion of themselves yet after all this miscarry Matth. 8. 12. Many shall come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of heaven but the children of the Kingdome the Kingdome of heaven reputedly shall bee cast into utter darkness there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Religio nunquam Periclitatur nisi inter Reverendissimos Luther said well and I may allude Salus nunquam adeo Periclitatur ac inter sanctissimos Religion is in most hazard of being
Lords prayer 1 Hee separates the Conclusion or Doxology from the Preface hee saith Our Father with all his heart and is willing to take acquaintance of God so far as to have a Father in heaven But when hee should come to the Doxological conclusion hee hath no Praise Kingdome power Glory Majesty Dominion to ascribe to God hee is better in the beginning of his duties worse in the end better at prayer than at praises Now this is the proper work of Saints yea of heavenly Saints and Angels to bee full of praises and to close their duties with highest admiration of God and hearts brim full of his excellencies apprehended The sincere worshipper is best at last hee begins full of self ends full of God His heart the longer hee hath been at duty is like the water that hath been over the fire grows hotter and hotter at length it boyls and runs over the poor narrow vessel cannot hold it while the fire burns so the godly say their heart hath burnt within them and even boyled over Psal 45. 1. Ebullivit cor c. their hearts have been in heaven when in praises and admirations of God 2 Hee separates the Petitions an hypocrite may say the three last Petitions no hypocrite doth say the three first Petitions with his spirit and understanding 1 An hypocrite may with all his heart say Give mee this day my daily bread Give mee Lord health peace plenty give thy blessing to mee my children my labours state stock bless my going out coming in adventures c. Here hee lefts up the voyce and weeps Hast thou no blessing for mee Bless mee even mee Oh my Father 2 Hee may pray with all his heart Forgive mee my trespasses forgive both guilt and punishment restore mee to thy favour as though I had never offended though hee doth but faintly promise to forgive others that trespass against him 3 He may pray with all his heart Deliver mee from evil i. e. from the evil one from Satan from his hands malice mischief Good Lord deliver mee but from tentations of Satan motions to sin occasions of sin departure from God unbeleef hardness of heart hee prayes not against them hee saith but faintly Lead us not into temptation 2 But for the three first Petitions hee cannot pray them at all 1 To pray that Gods Name may bee hallowed and Gods glory may bee exalted in every thing and take the precedence of his own name honour interest peace comfort so that God may bee magnified by his life or death what cares hee this is onely the frame of the truly gracious soul Father save mee from this hour but why should I pray to bee saved from this hour Father glorifie thy Joh. 12. 27 28 Name Let mee rather want my daily bread than thy Name want his glory Let come on mee what will or can so that thy Name may get glory let mee decrease so it may increase here in sincerity 2 No hypocrite doth pray Thy Kingdome come Come Lord Jesus come quickly but rather stay a while noli modo come not yet yet a little sleep and a little more slumber no hypocrite doth pray that the Kingdome of God should come into him in his life it is enough for him to come into the Kingdome of God at his death The hypocrite comes to God as a poor man to his neighbour when hee knows not what in the earth to do Sir I am come of a great errand I pray lend mee such a summe of mony so saith hee Lord lend mee thy helping hand and relieve mee in such a case and hee doth to God as Saul to his Unkle tells of his business his way and his Asses not a word hee speaks of the Kingdome 1 Sam. 10. 16. the childe of God comes and sayes Lord I have a great errand to thee it is about a Kingdome I come and not a Kingdome for my self but thee I have a rebellious untoward heart of my own Lord subdue it Blessed bee the Kingdome Lake 19. 38. that comes in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest Let thy Kingdome come let it come to day before to morrow Bee like the Roe and like the Hart upon the Mountains of Spices Hee came Cant. 8. 14. to God of the same great errand Israel came to David with Behold thou art 2 Sam. 5. 1 2 3 our bone and our flesh wee want a good King wee come to offer thee a Kingdome to set up thy Kingdome and to anoint and chuse thee to bee King over us say us not nay make a League and Covenant with us 3 No hypocrite can pray Thy will bee done c. Onely the sincere soul saith that Petition Let thy will bee done not mine what thou commandest let it bee obeyed what thou imposest let it bee born give strength patience peace support rather than deliverance out of affliction It is written of mee that I should do thy will Agreed I would it might bee saith hee to God as Laban to Jacob according Gen. 30. 34. to thy word Lord with all my heart I had rather serve God than reign over men rather have the grace of obedience than the gift of working miracles Thy minde to mee a Kingdome is Da quod Jubes Jube quod vis Command first a Mallem obedire quam si possem miracula operari Luther willing minde then command whatsoever thou wilt I would Lord thy will should bee done in every thing yea I would have it done as well on earth as it is in heaven no grumbling repining questioning gain-saying no halving no halting or imperfect obedience to God no faint cold dead performing of any holy service but let thy will in every part of it bee observed punctually readily cheerfully universally let thy commands bee obeyed continually totally inwardly holily conscientiously and let thy worship bee performed purely spiritually livelily heavenlily Angelically Divinely perfectly with all the heart and minde and soul and strength and joy and delight Thus much for Prayer 2 For hearing I will not say but an hypocrite may hear much and often but hee doth not take heed how hee hears Hee is one of Ezekiels hearers or comers who Ez. 33. 31 32. say Come let us hear what is the word that cometh from the Lord they come and sit and hear as my people but they will not do my words for with their mouths they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness But he is none of Isaiahs hearers or comers who say Come let us go to the house of the Lord and hee will Isa 2. 3 4. teach us of his wayes and wee will walk in his pathes An hypocrite may bee a great Sermon-hearer cannot bee called a Sermon-follower hee hath the ear tipt or the tongue tipt but hath not as the Priests in the day of their Consecration and the Leper in the day of his Purification had their ear and the
wings a peece they had also hands under their wings and feet besides And it is said their appearance was like burning coals and their motion was like a flash of lightning Here was nothing but activity and readiness for service with the greatest expedition Let mee quicken you with a few Motives 1 Look you faile not of grace for if you do you will faile of glory and faile of Heaven Heb. 12. 15. you read of failing of the grace of God Rom. 3. 23. you read of failing or falling short of the glory of God It is the same word faile of grace and faile of salvation By grace you are Eph. 2. 5. saved The Schollar must bee at School fitted for the University or hee cannot bee admitted there is not the place to learn his A B C or his Eight parts of Speech and the Christian must bee in the School of the Church trayned up and made fit or meet for that heavenly society here practise the singing the Songs Psal 137. 4. Rev. 14. 1. 3. of the Lord in a strange land that hee may sing them the readier upon Mount Sion The childe usually lives not when borne that had not his due time and growth before borne if wee dye before the time before wee have had our due formation and qualification for our translation Christ formed in us there is no possibility of living there The stroke of death and bar of judgement fit no man for heaven There is not the time and place of conversion The stone and timber was hewed and fitted in Lebanon there was no hammer to be used in the building You must get your 1 King 6. 7. work done here in the Grave is no place of opportunity 2 If you faile of True grace the grace of God it is all one you will faile of salvation There is no base mettal currant in heaven but such as hath the Image or superscription of God upon it It must have solidity and weight The Lord weigheth the spirits They must have their weight Thou Lord hast pleasure in uprightness requirest truth in the inward Prov. 16. 2. 1 Chron. 29. 1â— Psal 51. 6. 1 Tim. 1. 5. Rom. 12. 9. Eph. 4. 24. 2 Cor. 1. 12 parts It must not bee the Kings stamp upon Adulterate Coyne It must bee faith unfained love without dissimulation holiness of Truth sincerity of God or nothing 3 If you shall faile in the number and measure of growth and degrees in grace I will not say but you may bee saved that is it is possible but you will have a hard bargain of it to bee as Peter saith Scarcely saved 1 Pet. 4. 18. or as Pauls phrase is to come off with some loss or difficulty and bee saved yet so as by fire 1 Cor. 3. 15. Whereas as Paul saith If you come behinde in no gift of grace you may with comfort wait for the appearing of Christ 1 Cor. 1. 7. And Peter saith If these bee in you and abound an abundant or open and easie entrance will bee granted to you into 2 Pet. 1. 8 11. the Kingdome of God 4 On the other side True Grace attained and maintained gives True peace of conscience and security to the soule in whatsoever distresses If pressed above measure even to despair of life the conscience is full of rejoycing upon the testimony of simplicity and godly sincerity that 2 Cor. 1. 12. not in fleshly wisdome but by the undoubted grace of God such have had their conversation in the world Such may say with holy Job Though hee kill mee I will trust in him but I will maintaine my wayes Job 13. 15 16. before him hee also shall bee my salvation for an hypocrite shall not come before him Such may as Peter saith When the heavens shall pass away with a hideous noise and the elements melt with extremity of heat and the 2 Pet. 3. 10 13. earth with all therein bee dissolved then mâ—y they according to the promise of God expect a new and better heaven and a new earth Yea such shall have a heaven on earth such shall see the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven Yea saith Rev. 21. 2. Christ to such I will make him a Pillar in the Temple of my God and hee shall go no more out And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of Rev. 3. 12. my God the New Jerusalem which cometh down from my God out of Heaven and I will write upon him my new name 5 Which is more This is the onely way to glorifie God and his glory is much more to bee prized than our glory yea than our salvation To seek our own glory is no glory especially in competition with Gods glory Prov. 25. 27. and it is less sincerity Joh. 7. 18. God hath no glory at all upon earth but from a few sincere gracious souls of whom God saith This people have I formed Isa 43. 21. for my selfe they shall shew forth my praise And the godly have learnt to set a higher price on Gods glory than their own salvation as did our Saviour Joh. 12. 27 28. When hee first prayed for himself My soule is troubled Save mee c. hee gives that over with submission Thy will bee done I came therefore to this houre But bee I saved or not saved Father glorifie thy Name and in the Lords Prayer we are taught to pray first Hallowed bee thy Name and then Thy Kingdome come A godly soule like his Saviour Jo. 17. 4. Desireth first to glorifie God then that God should glorifie him True Grace doth not onely procure to the soule an heaven upon earth but to God an heaven on earth And hee doth seem to rejoyce more and so do the heavenly Rev. 11. 15. 12 10. host when the Kingdomes of the earth are become the Lords by a considerable increase and addition of new godly Converts then that the Kingdome of heaven is the Lords I read that Israel in the day of their solemn Thanksgiving and Rejoycing Exod. 15. 2. did proclaime God to bee their God and did promise to prepare for him an habitation It is more piety to prepare the heart for an habitation for God than to desire God to prepare heaven for an habitation for us 6 Lastly Bee diligent to get to keep to exercise to increase and improve Grace you will live usefully cheerfully fruitfully you will dye hopefully joyfully heaven-fully and enter into heaven with full assurance by a free and open passage 2 Pet. 1. 11. Now to conclude the Use with a few Directions 1 If thou wouldest not meet with Capernaums sad disappointment in the end Luke 14. 28. when thou first makest entrance begin and count the cost and resolve to goe through or never begin Resolve to regard neither winds nor clouds or never lay thy hand to the Plough nor go out Eccles 11. 4.
Jo. 17. 6. 10 â—â— declared thy Name and these though Babes are children they have thy Spirit and Grace and Image on them Christs weaker ones are called Babes in a three-fold respect 1 They are the worlds Babes very children and weak in outward things compared with the men of the world who are much wiser in their Generations than these children of light their wisdome is foolishness to the men of the world who Luke 16. 8. through wisdome know not God They are above the Gospel and these acknowledge 1 Cor. 1. 21. the Gospel far above them yea look upon every man almost in the world as excelling them Wee are in their sight as Grashoppers and so were wee in our own Num. 13. 33. sight 2 They are God Almighties Babes who confess with Jeremy and with Solomon O Lord I am a childe a very Babe Ier. 116. â— King 3. 7. Teach mee to know thee They go to God and say as the Greeks to Philip Wee would faine see Jesus Reveal thou Father of lights thy Son to us children of darkness wee cannot know him except thou Io. 12. 21. reveal him 3 They are Christs Babes who like those children that followed Christ with Hosannaes of Acclamations when the Mat. 21. 15. great Rabbies refused and disdained him these cleave to Christ in simplicity Surgunt indocti of faith and obedience and catch away the Kingdome of heaven from the wise and prudent These bewayling their own ignorance and untractableness come to Christ as Philip once Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us Except Jo. 14. 8. the Son reveal the Father wee can never know him Mat. 11. 27. Now the least of these Babes is much safer than the highest flown hypocrite in the world It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones should perish Matth. 18. 14. saith out Saviour 3 Whosoever hath Jesus Christ revealed to him so divinely immediately and prevailingly that hee is convinced of his undone condition without him happiness by enjoying him acknowledgeth him the Son of God relieth on him as an All-sufficient Saviour able to save to the utmost all that come unto God through him Heb. 7. 25. This man is safe for flesh and blood doth not reveal these things to the soul but the Mat. 16. 17. Father and all that have heard and learned this of the Father come to him and such will not hee ever cast out No man knoweth the Son but the Father neither Jo. 6. â—5 the Father but the Son and hee to whom hee shall reveal him As some man hath it may bee some rare receit which hath cost him dear and hee will not part with it for any mony and none knows it but himself hee hath some especial friend that is dangerously ill and to him hee saith I have that will do thee good and I will give thee my Receit which I will not impart to any other So is Jesus Christ Gods rarest Receit as I may say an unknown secret and mystery to the world But God saith of every Elect as hee did of Abraham Abraham is my Jam. 2. 23. especial Friend hee is not every body Shall I hide from Abraham any thing I intend Gen. 18. 17. to do So hee saith I have that will do every poor beleever good I will tell this poor soul of my Son I will give him my Receit I will reveal my Son to him I will tell him how hee is to use and apply this Remedy and hee shall bee safe 4 Such as are cast down and kept low by hard labour for their soules who are even weary spent and tired out in seeking the Kingdome of heaven these are called by Name vers 28. Come to mee all yee that labour c. I will give you rest It is meant of soul-labour Many have been brought up to sore labour all their dayes who are strangers to soul-labour The worldling all his labour is for his Belly saith Solomon The godly all his labour for Eccl. 6. 7. his soul and all little enough the one labors for the bread that perisheth the other for that which endureth to eternal life The Jo. 6. 27. one saith What shall I do to bee rich What shall I eat or drinke The other What shall I do to bee saved These who do not wish for heaven but worke and labour Act. 16. 30. and wait for heaven that do not play and idle away their salvation Phil. 2. 12. but worke out their salvation with feare and trembling These shall be safe 5 Such as are over-born and laden with the burden of sin Come to mee yee that labour and are heavy laden neither bodily-labor nor body-burden is here intended but both spiritual Hee that is laden with worldly cares or hee that is pressed down by bodily pains and hath his load of worldly crosses is not the man here called but hee whose back or heart rather is ready to break under the burden of sin the wrath of God sense of guilt that cryes out I have had my part of worldly cares and I have felt the burden of pains diseases reproaches c. These to some are heavy to mee light afflictions Sin is the burden Affliction I have 2 Cor. 4. 17. Psal 38. 4. born and had comfort under it I have been laden with reproaches and could rejoyce under them But my sin is greater than I can bear I am oppressed Lord undertake for mâ—e or ease mee as Hezekiah said Isa 38. 14. 6 And lastly Thou must know it is not all thy labouring be it never so hardly nor thy feeling thy burden bee it never so heavey that makes thee happy but coming unto Christ finding the disease and feeling pain is not health or the way to it but going to the Physitian and using the remedy In the last place therefore I say I shall secure and exempt all such poor soules out of this danger as do come unto Christ Jesus in a right manner which I shall a little more particularly infist upon after I have shewed how many miss of life by not coming to Christ or not coming in a right manner You will not come to mee Jo. 5. 40. that you may have life hee sadly complains 1 There are some that say flatly Wee will not come to thee for life upon thy termes as they say Jer. 2. 31. or as Corah Num. 16. 12 13 14 and his companions to Moses Wee will not come to thee Thou wilt put out our eyes Wilt thou if wee follow thee and wee must look for somewhat future and invisible Wee know not what that Land of Promise is wee shall have no present advantage of inheritances and estates And thou wilt bee a Prince over us to command us too No no Wee will not come up 2 There bee many that come to as little purpose 1 That come to him in words
lost among the great Rabbies said hee where his Grace and his Holiness are their ordinary Titles and salvation is no where in such danger as among Christians Professors Saints The children of the Kingdom As when the Conqueror comes the children of the Kingdome go to the pot when Plebeians and vulgars escape so when the Lord comes to Judgement it will go better with Pagans and Infidels Sodome and Gomorrah than with unsound Professors The last shall bee first and the first and for most shall bee last was a Proverbial speech our Saviour much used The smartest storms follow the hottest gleams usually This I shall further clear by Instances first and after by Arguments confirme it 1 Instance Was not Balaam lifted up on high of whom it is said The Spirit Num. 24. 3 4 15 16. of God came upon him that hee had had his eyes shut but now open that hee heard the words of God that hee saw the visions of the Almighty falling into a trance but having his eyes open all the while and after hee that had the knowledge of the most High and saw the vision of the Almighty There is never an Enthusiast alive never a Quaker of them all can speak of more Visions and Apparitions and extraordinary Revelations then hee yet a notorious Impostor 2 Was not Saul highly exalted when the Spirit of the Lord came upon 1 Sam. 10. 6 9 12. him as it did that hee prophesied and was turned into another man not a new man and God gave him another heart yet not a new humble holy and soft heart of flesh hee prophesied to admiration all the talk was now Town and Country of Saul What is this that is come on the son of Kish yea hee had such extasies and such actions as none of all the company of Prophets hee stript himself lay naked all day and all night on the ground and brought in a new way of Prophesying into the world 1 Sam. 19. 24. 3 What shall wee say of the Pharisee who so highly applauded himself I am Luke 18. 11 12 14. not one of your Extortioners I fast twice in the week c. yet is hee after his self-justifying left under a sentence of condemnation 4 Magus was not hee high flown of a sudden hee heard beleeved wondered Act. 8. 13. was baptized stuck close to the Preacher Philip was in an extasie was ready to give any mony for spiritual gifts hee wanted nothing so much now as the Holy Ghost hee would bee an eminent Saint or nothing yet a rotten Hypocrite What shall wee say of Judas who had received part with the first Apostles not the latter seventy Disciples and did partake of the same spiritual endowments with the other Apostles to preach the Gospel heal diseases cast out devils and had the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven committed to him equal to Peter and the rest of the Disciples and the bag above all the rest hee was lifted up to heaven indeed when hee had commission to let others in yet went hee not in himself Hee was Legatus a latere Christi Hee was Angelus in Penna Re latro corde Gehenna Were not those Virgins fair for the Kingdome who had been called became Professors were furnished with Lamps Vessels and Oyle yet were shut Mat. 25. out I will say nothing of Sardis who had Rev. 3. 1. an Angel to her Minister and was her self a Golden Candlestick who had onely a name to live and was really dead But the Church of Laodicea bare the bell from them all There were the Saints indeed Shee was rich increased with goods and wanting nothing at all yet was indeed and truth poor miserable blinde and naked But above all what shall wee say to that startling place Heb. 6. 4 5 6. where such as were Enlightned and had tasted of the heavenly gift and were made paâ—takers of the Holy Ghost and had tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come and did seem to have been in heaven already yet fall away and utterly perish Here are five high steps leading towards heaven of which more hereafter 1 They were enlightned they had been darkness but now might say they were light in the Lord This the lowest step 2 They had their taste and relish as well as light and notion they had something in them inwardly they had a taste and relish they were savoury persons yea 2 tasted of gifts eminent gifts 3 Yea they are called heavenly gifts such as come from heaven lead others to heaven and you would think even go to heaven they make the possessors of them to bee heavenly Christians Such heavenly and gifted Saints may perish 3 They are partakers of the Holy Ghost in those extraordinary acts and gifts of it to speak with Tongues cast out Devils expound Scripture utter Prophesies not partakers of the renewing sanctifying regenerating heart-sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost 4 Tasted of the good word of God Herein three things 1 They have had some work upon their hearts and conscience by the word 2 They have looked upon it as Gods word and been affected as if God himself had spoken to them 3 They have had their part in the good word all the word is good but some part seems to bee more good and delightful viz. the Promise these have tasted the sweet of the promise are able to speak great things of the goodness of the word 5 And have tasted of the powers of the life to come wherein three things too 1 They may speak contemptibly of the things of this world and discourse much of the vanity of all sublunary things and speak highly and admiringly onely of Eternity the life to come 2 They have had sad apprehensions of hel wrath and damnation to know the Terrors of the Lord and they have at other times been taken up into the third heaven but neither in the body nor out of the body but onely in imagination 3 And they have felt the power and force of both mightily to terrifie or to comfort above any thing in the world Powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the power of the one and the glorious joyes of it and the power of the other to tremble under the horror of it There is much contained in the word Powers and so again in the word Tasted Some conceive it signifies no more but a light smack and small rellish as in the fourth verse tasted the good word of God h. e. as Cooks who dress great feasts for others taste a little of every thing but sit not down at table with the Guests so may unfound Ministers or Professors But I conceive there is more in it to taste is to experiment to bee under the power of it so as to know perfectly what the thing is So Jesus told his Disciples They should not taste of death till they had seen Matth. 16. 28. the Kingdome of God come with
confessing him in heart hating him and in deeds disclaiming him as the evill spirits who said Wee know thee who thou art the Mar. 1. 24 34. holy One of God yet say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What have we to do with thee We know thee better than to trust thee love serve thee Wee acknowledge thee to bee the Lord and the Son of God Wee acknowledge thee not to bee our Lord. This is the coming of Satan 2 There bee some who come to Christ in Ordinances and seem to love his presence they follow him eat and Mat. 26. 49. drink with him kiss his lips and pretend to more than ordinary love and service call him Master as Judas did whose heart is not perfect with him but for thirty peeces of silver will deliver up Christ and all his Disciples and all the interest of Religion into they care not what hands This is Judasses coming 3 There bee that come to Christ full of their own righteousness and they resolve Mat. 19. 16. to learn no more nor to become new Schollars to take out any new and harder lessons This is the young mans coming 4 There bee some that come Capitulating if Christ will humour them so far as to work some miracle to confirm their faith they will become Christians Thus did the Pharisees come to him Mat. 16. 1. And thus the High Priests when they had crucified him professed they would then beleeve in him and become Proselites to the Christian Religion if hee would to satisfie their unbeleef come down from the Cross This kinde of Mar. 15 32. faith is less than the faith of Devils who professed to beleeve wihtout a miracle but as the Jews of old required a signe 1 Cor. 1. 22. So do the Anabaptist and the Quaker put us now to prove our Doctrine by miracles or they will not beleeve 5 There bee some who come to Christ with intreaties strange intreaties that hee will not put forth his divine and gracious power over them but let them still alone quietly and peaceably as they are Thus did the Legionist beseech him Mar. 5. 7. to let him alone untormented and the Gadarens besought him to leave them Mat. 8. 34. as hee found them they feared there was more losse and expence than gain and benefit by the Gospel Thus do the voluptous and the worldling come to Christ 6 There is a lazy coming to Christ which is to no purpose By night in my bed I sought him whom my soule loved I sought him but I found him not Cant. 3. 1. This is the vain coming of a negligent and secure sinner 7 There is a late coming is as bad and hopeless Master I will follow thee when Lâ—ke 9. 58 59. I have got my friends good-will and consent or when I have got the estate I look for after my fathers decease give mee leave first to acquaint my friends and bid them farewel said one to our Saviour and another in the same place Suffer mee first to go bury my father This is the coming of such as never mean to come 8 There bee some who would come to Christ if they could come by night that they might not bee observed as Nicodemus did at first as if Religion were a work of darkness which they were to bee shie and ashamed of But indeed it was Io. 3. 2. more suitable to Judas to come by night to take Christ a work not fit to be seen by the Sun than for Nicodemus to come by night to bee taken by Christ a work not fit to bee hid from the Sun Hee that is ashamed of mee Christ saith in this adulterous and sinful generation of him will the Mâ—r. 8. 38. Son of man bee ashamed when hee cometh in his glory Who feares to doe ill sets himself a Taske Who feares to doe well sure should wear a Mask Herbert 9 It must not bee a coming for an houre as John Baptist had many such Io. 5. 35. hearers as could hear him for one houre but could not hold out two Herod had enough of John and of Christ too after hee had been one houre in his presence Luke 23. 8. Thus came many Disciples to Christ for a while and after went away offended and never came to him more They came to him to have their bellies filled with his miraculously multiplied Loaves but when hee spake to them of other bread of life labouring for it and of another eating of his flesh they had heard their belly full and away they went From that time it is said Many of his Disciples went backe and walked no more with him Joh. 6. 66. 10 Lastly It must bee no selfish base or sinister coming for selfish and private ends 1 To gain any bodily ease or cure in our pains and distress This was all the errand many came for Matth. 4. 24. Luke 17. 13. 2 For worldly commodity to follow him for Loaves Jo. 6. 26. 3 Or out of curiosity as Herod longed to see Christ and to bee acquainted with him that hee might know what hee was Luke 23. 8. and that hee might say hee had seen him and spoke with him of whom there was so much talke Such was the coming and climbing of Zacheus at first all his ambition was but to see Jesus Luke 19. 4. 4 Nor to make one for Company sake because there is such a fame goes of him and so many go after him as they did Mat. 4. 24 25. 5 To conclude It must not bee for any Licentious or ambitious ends 1 Licentious many would come to Christ upon those termes that they propounded who came saying Master wee would have thee do for us whatsoever wee Mark 10. 35. do desire Good servants were they not Let us have what wee would and doe what wee list and do thou what wee would have thee do and thou shall bee our Master There bee many such sons of Zebedee who would have a Christ and they know not what else But yee know not to whom yee speak nor what you aske 2 Or Ambitious so they may have higher honours and wealthier offices to sit at the right hand or the left in a Kingdome Mar. 10. 37 and to bee the men in place This woâ—ld please them better than to partake with Christ in either of his holy Sacraments either to bee baptized with his Baptisme or drink of his cup. But there is a better coming than any of these to bee described and let mee say this to thy comfort thou who comest aright whatsoever thou art and whatsoever thou hast been thou shalt bee happy Hee is able to save to the uttermost all Heb. 7. 25. that come to God by him the Apostle saith and hee himself hath said Whosoever Io. 6. 37. cometh to him hee will in no wise cast out Bee thou never so much in thy own sense unworthy never so full of fears and doubts never so much legally