the Faithfulness of this friend to me be so infinitely ungrateful as to be thus abominably unfaithful to him Shall I that have forfeited my Life and Soul and instead of Hell have received Heaven instead of Damnation Salvation shall I instead of thankfulness again rebell because the Grace of God abounds shall sin abound God forbid To argue from mercy to sin is the Devils logick To argue from mercy to duty is true Christianity One that is acquainted with God can expostulate the case with his own Soul and say What meanest thou O my Soul to stand parlying with Satan hast thou known what that hath cost thee already look back to Eden Who was it that dispossessed thy Grand Father of that brave seat What did Eve get by discoursing with such a Cheater have you not lost enough already but you must be venturing still was it nothing for God of a friend to become a stranger and enemy was it a slight matter to be divested of all that glory that once thou didst shine in but that now again after thou art brought into some favour thou must be tampering with that gamester who had like to have robbed thee of all art thou talking of returning again to Egypt what hast thou so soon forgotten the Iron and the Clay Is this all the thanks that you give the Lord for his unspeakable mercy Doth he that hath done such things for you deserve no better at your hands Is this your kindness to your friend What was it O my soul that that undone Creature said unto thee Did he say it is a little one and thy Soul shall live what did he ask a few merry hours that I should spare my self that I should not be righteous overmuch Did he so a special Friend I Thank you for nothing and why didst thou not answer the Tempter as Solomon did Bathsheba when she ask'd a small thing as she thought for A donijah and why dost thou not ask the Kingdom also and why did not Satan ask thee to part with heaven and thy interest in Christ and those favours as the Lord liveth as small a request as thou thinkst his was that word was spoken against thy life thy Soul A vertuous man or as the Stoick calls him Auton One that hath God for his friend when temptations are presented he remembers who he is and how he stands related to God and how little grateful such an action would be to his Friend And thus he doth resist the Temptation with a great deal of gallantry when he remembers himself Nay sometimes Temptations to sin do make Grace more to abound the water which was intended to cool divine love proves oyl and makes that noble flame to burn more vehemently Cant. 8.6 7. He desires to exercise that Grace which is contrary to the vice which he is tempted to with more then ordinary vigour He stands like a rock in the midst of the Sea unshaken he is steadfast and unmovable like a pillar in the Temple of his God He is much of the same mind in that point with that brave Heathen who spake thus to himself when Temptation was strong Ar. Epist 1.2 c. 18. Deliberate man yield not rashly t is a great work that lies upon thy hands t is a divine work 't is for a Kingdom the Kingdom of God Now remember thy God let 's see what thy love to thy God is remember his presence he beholds how thou standest deliberating whether thou shouldest fight for him or against him for shame shew not thy self so basely disingenious Remember what thy God thy Friend did for thee at such and such a time Remember how kindly you were entertained by him the last time you were at his house Whose Sword is that you wear by your side who gave you it did not God give it you to fight against his enemies and will you draw it against himself Remember from whence you had all that you do enjoy and can you find in your heart to take Gods mercies Gold Silver and Food and bestow them all upon that which he hates will you quarter keep in pay with Gods coyn his greatest enemy And if you feel your heart still staggering and scarce able to keep it's ground then remember God stands by Christ looks on and sees how gallantly any Champion of his will demean themselves on his quarrel that there is not a more lovely sight upon the Earth then to behold one of his Friends rather venturing their lives then they will bare that the least indignity or affront should be put upon their God! O happy are they that can always act as in the sight of God! and if the Soul can have but a constant fresh sence of it's relation to God and his eye it is impossible but that it should hate sin which is so directly opposite to him happy are those who by the thoughts of God are inraged against sin Is it not enough saith that heavenly Soul that is acquainted with God that I have done such and such things against God when I knew him not but that I should again ingage against him after I have been obliged by a thousand mercies after I have tasted and seen how good the Lord is is it a light matter that I did so long fight against him then and shall I now renew my rebellions when I have had so much experience of the folly madness of such a war where I shall be as surely conquered as I draw my sword and hath God kept me by a miracle of mercy out of Hell and after I had run out so wretchedly and undon my self set me up again after I had plaid the prodigal received me again into favour and shall I after all deal thus basely by him No I 'le die a thousand deaths before I will willingly yield to any thing that may be in the least offensive to him whom my Soul hath such an infinite reason to love above the whole world The knowledg of Gods service and Satans too makes a Soul to distinguish he that knows what it is to be made free by Christ abhors his old Master he remembers full well the great hardship that he then underwent when he had nothing to live upon but Husks he calls to mind the Clay and Morter he can't forget the cruel vassalage that he served under Garlick and Onions were his dainties and truly he can't desire to leave his Manna for such kind of Food he is not in love with the Whip and Scourge he doth not dote upon the fetters the Iron which went into his Soul but he is glad with all his heart to be free from those Task-masters which made him to serve with rigour he hath no mind to return to his old Work My meaning in all this is he that was a servant and a drudg of Satans and a slave to his lust when he once comes to taste the sweetness of Spiritual liberty to â—â—â—â—de free by Christ he
no need of repentance that mans condition is sase enough already and that he may do well enough though he be never reconciled to God Do you think that we take delight in vexing men and women Do you conceive that it pleaseth us to displease you and to get your hatred Do you not believe that a great many of us if it might consist with Gods honour and your welfare had not far rather be excused Can any man imagine that so many thousands of Prophets Apostles and Ministers in such distant ages and in such distant places should all agree in this to impose a falsity upon the world Would any man be so mad as to invent such things as these which are so contrary to mens dispositions if he had not abundant warrant from God himself Is it possible that men should make such complaint and shed so many tears and be in such agonies about these things if there were nothing at all in them Are all the experiences of so many thousands of Saints but meer fancies Speak Christian speak What do you say to this Are all thy joys thy answers of Prayers those sweet dishes that thou hast sometimes fed upon but dreams Doth not thy very blood stir in thee at the very putting such a question to thee Canst thou not say that thou hast seen that thou hast felt and that thou hast known undoubtedly that Spiritual things are realities the greatest realities in the world and that thou hast been as much affected with them as ever thou wert with the things of sense Let me the meanest of ten thousand tell the stiffest Athiest in the world that I have seen these things so realized that I shall sooner believe that I am turned to a stone or am dead then believe that Spirituals are nullities and fancies I am confident if there be any credit to be given to both eyes and ears then these things are true and had you seen but what I have seen in dying Saints and heard what I have heard you would easily have been convinced that there is something in communion with God something in spiritual Joys I am sure if there be any truth in the Scriptures if the word of God be true if Christ and the Apostles were not all mistaken then these things are true If I should tell you a business that did concern your House or your Children or Body or any worldly thing whatever upon my own personal knowledg would you not readily assent to what I say I am perswaded you would be far from suspecting the truth of what I affirmed I am ready to think that there is none of you all that think that I dare tell you that which is false O then Why will you not believe me in a business of sar greater consequence And if you ask me to what purpose do I spend so much time for nothing What need I speak at this rate What will I make Infidels of you all What do I think that you are such Atheists as not to believe that the word of God is true Well then you your selves are witnesses that the word of God is true and that you do believe all that is contained in it and by rational inferences deduced from it I shall therefore take it for granted that you give your assent to these things if you be Christians in profession your very Name speaks as much Now my next Question shall be this Quest 2. Are these things of weight and importance or are they not You hear that they are matters that concern your eternal life or death Soul affairs and are not these matters of the greatest consequence If acquaintance with God the happiness or misery of a Soul your making or undoing for ever be inconsiderable things What then are great things Is it a matter of greater importance to lose the sight of a lascivious Play Is it an affair of greater weight to have the frowns of a wanton mistriss or the frown of a God You said even now that the word of God was true if you will stand to that I desire no more How is it written Read a verse or two turn to Matthew 5.20 Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And John 3.3 Except a man be born agian he cannot see the Kingdom of God And God will pour out his wrath upon the Heathen and upon the Families that call not upon his Name Doth not the Scripture say that is the one thing necessary Are not these things called by the Lord Christ the weightier things Mat. 23.23 I hope you will not say that God is mistaken and that the Scripture speaks more of these matters than needs What are you gone from your word so soon did you not say that the word of God was true and are you now of another mind because you find that it requires more strictness you are willing to submit to But are you ashamed of that and are you convinced of this also that the Doctrine of Reconciliation Acquaintance and Peace with God are affairs of the highest importance in the world And do you indeed believe this and will you stand to it well then my next Question shall be this Quest 3. What do you mean then to mind such things as you acknowledge to be most unquestionably true and of the greatest consequence with so much indifferency and coldness what reason have you then for your strange neglect in your prosecuting of them what say they are the greatest things in the world and will you say they are least to be looked after Is it any Prudence and Wisdom to be very serious about trifles and to triflle about the most serious things Are Heaven the love of God and the like by your own confession the most weighty and will you make light of them O folly and Hyprocrisie Out of thy own mouth thou shalt be condemned Dost know that Heaven and Hell are before you dost thou know that the one is unspeakably glorious and the other unspeakably dreadful and yet for all this dost thou stand demurring which of these thou shouldest choose and darest thou for all this venture on in a way which leads to the region of Eternal Darkness and though those that know the way better then you and see you ride on so hastily and merrily call after you with earnestness yet dost thou still turn thy back upon them Consider whether you act in these affairs like one that is well in his wits Is God the best friend in the world and yet his kindness least to be regarded Man what hast thou to say for thy self O What bruits and how irrational are men in their spiritual matters how do they contradict themselves how do they say one thing and do the quite contrary O let me in a word or two renew my Expostulation with them which are loath to be accounted fools What reason hast thou to
Do but search diligently turn over the Bible consult the experiences of wiser men and see whether things be not as I tell you And how doth the matter stand now poor heart what must the Devil be believed before God what is God a hard master still of all the Creatures in the world some of you have little reason to say so Hast thou not been fed cloathed and delivered a thousand times by him Who is it that provided so richly for you Who filled your barns Who restored your health at such such a time when the Doctor gave you over Was that one of his unkindnesses Are these the things for which you slight him God himself makes a challenge in Jer. 25 What iniquity have your fathers found in me that they are gone far from me have walked after vanity and become vain neither said they where is the God that brought us out of the land of Egypt and let us through the wilderness through a land of desert and pits through a land of drought and of the shadow of death where no man dwelt and I brought you into a plentiful country to eat the fruit thereof the goodness thereof and yet you know not me saith the Lord. Was there ever such ingratitude heard of Pass ye over the Isles of chittim and send unto Kedar and consider diligently and see if there be such a thing hath a nation changed their gods but my people hath changed their glory for that which doth not profit And what sayst thou O ungrateful Israel have the Heathens more reason to cleave to their idols Are the Pagans more beholding to their stocks and stones then thon art to the living God And now what hast thou got by all this hast thou increased thy riches Are thy barns more full of Corn Are there ever the more Cattel in thy Pastures Are thy Presses more full of Grapes Art thou not now grown poor Is not the Heaven become as Brass and the Earth as Iron Do not thy Catten groan for want of food Are not thy Vines and Fields grown barren Why you may thank your selves for all this you did not know when you were well Return therefore O backsliding Israel and thou shalt know the difference between my service and the service of Devils Jer. 2.30 31. Let me therefore again plead with thee O God-despising sinner If for all this thou wilt not be perswaded let me expostulate the case with thee as God did with Israel Did not God bring thee into a world every way furnished for thy use Hath he not subjected the Creatures of the world to thee Who waters thy Fields out of his treasuries Who opens the clods of the Earth and sends thee out of his store-house provisions year by year What would quickly become of thee if thou hadst not a fresh suppy from him every year nay every moment O is this his unkindness for which thou hatest him And it is for this that thou hast such sower thoughts of him And if all this were too little he would do greater things then these hath he not sent his Son out of his bosom Doth he not offer thee Heaven and Glory What canst thou in reason ask that is good for thee that he would deny thee if thou wouldst but be acquainted with him And if this be an unkind friend I do not know who is kind if this be not love I know not what is What could he have done more to express his love to the world then he hath done Isa 44. Ask David what he thinks of God he was well acquainted with him he dwelt in his house and by his good will would he never out of his more immediate presence and company enquire I pray what he found amiss in him That you may know his mind the better he hath left it upon Record in more then one or two places what a friend he hath had of God Psal 16.6 The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage Why what is that you boast of so much O David have not others had Kingdoms as well as you No that 's not the thing a Crown is one of the least Jewels in my Cabinet The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup. So in Psal 23. quite through Nay doth he not sometimes come out and beckon to the poor beggarly starved world to come and eat their fill of the same dish O taste and see that the Lord is good Psal 34.8 If you will give any credit to his word he will tell you No friend like to God Psal 73.25 26 27 28. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none in earth that I can desire besides thee My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever For lo they that are far from him shall perish Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee but it is good for me to draw near to God Let others think or do as they please as for him he values the light of Gods countenance above corn and wine and oyl Psal 4.6 7.1 Joh. 3.1 Cant. 1.4 And what sayst thou now poor creature Art thou still of the same mind Wilt thou have God for thy God and Friend or no Is he good and kind or not Is his favour worth the desiring and seeking after Psal 94.8 Vnder stand O ye brutish among the people and ye fools when will you be wise If God himself may not be believed if David his servant may not be credited hear what one of your brethren a Heathen I mean saith in this case I shall translate his words into English they are as follows The goodness and providence of God to man is so great that if he were well in his wits he would do nothing publickly or privately but praise God and speak well of his name Ar. Epic. l. 1. c. 16. Doth it not become man while he his plowing and digging and eating c. to be singing Great is that God that hath given us land to till instruments to work with great is that God who hath given us hands and feet and other members above all that he hath given us an understanding soul And seeing most men are blind in these things is it not fit that some that are more wise and able should publickly praise God for all these things and now I am a lame old man but partaker of Reason God is to be praised by me this is my work and this I will do and I will not leave this station as long as I live and I wish that all the world would joyn with me in singing a song of thankfulness to this good God Hear what a testimony he gives of the goodness of God Hark how he invites you to joyn in that sweet consort of singing praises to your Maker hark at what a rate he talks that never read a Bible or heard of
lives for him some of them were willing to quench his thirst though with their blood and yet for all that in all his life he never met with so faithfull a friend as his God Psal 89.8 O Lord God of hosts who is a strong God like unto thee or to thy faithfulness round about thee He had rather trust his God then any of them all God is a real true faithful Friend he tells us things as they be he doth not speak of more things then the nature of them doth require he doth not tell the best and hide the worst he doth not speak all of Heaven and nothing of suffering but saith plainly all that will live godly in Christ Jesus they must suffer persecution and Christ saith Those that will be his Disciples must take up their Cross and follow him and that through many tribulations they must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven He speaks of sowing in tears as well as reaping in joy of fliction as well as glory And when he speaks of the glory of another world he doth not too highly advance his excellency When he speaks of his Wrath or Hell or Sin he doth not make them greater evils then they be The Lord is faithful in all his dealings and that they which love him know right well Whatsoever doth happen in the world doth happen justly and faithfully and so if thou wilt but well observe thou shalt find And what sayest thou after all this thou who hast tried many and many a friend so called and hast by sad experience first or last found them all unfaithfull and art almost ready to say of all men that they are lyars and that truth and reality are rarities thou thinkest there is scarce a man upon the earth to be trusted and wilt thou never be affraid of such a friend wilt thou at last be wise and be acquainted with a friend that never proved unfaithfull behold such a one that would be glad with all his heart to entertain you would you but forsake your old treacherous acquaintance Here here 's one that never fails nor forsakes those that put their trust in him The Heavens shall depart and the Hills be removed out of their places but his faithfulness his love shall never depart from his and wilt thou not think such a friend after all this worth the having Come come never stand fretting thy heart out with discontents men will be men that is unfaithful as long as the world lasts Do you expect as long as sin reigns in mens souls that as long as Satan doth so much act therein that they should forget to be selfish covetous deceitful but now God will alway be like himself a God faithful true holy just and if any one in Heaven or in Earth can condemn God justly of the least unfaithfulness my mouth shall soon he stopped In this thing I confess my self to be of Antoninus his mind who said That if there be a God as there is most certainly why that God must necessarily be most faithful most wise most good but if there be no God it is not worth the while to live in a world in which there is nothing but sin confusion disorder and no hopes of a redress the excellency of our being our Reason would make our misery more exquisite and our lives less desirable But blessed be God it is not come to that pass that we should need question the being of a God for as one saith wisely Thou hast far more reason to question thy own being then Gods Now I say again methinks he that hath been so oft perplexed with many unfaithful unworthy carriages from them which he called friends should be at last perswaded to try what this one friend would do for him O what abundance of sorrow would it prevent if men would but trust God more and men less This this is the friend sick and well rich and poor living and dying always the same Make sure of this Friend and thou art safe thy All is then in safe and faithful hands Seventhly He is a rich Friend the earth is the Lords and the Fulness thereof cattel upon a thousand hills is his He it is that hath the absolute disposal of Crowns and Scepters he it is that can easily raise all his Favourites to a high estate if the world and all its glory can do his any good if Kingdoms and vast Dominions can advantage them he can with better reason then he did to Christ say All this is mine and if thou wilt love me and worship me I will give you as much of it as will do thee good and who would account it a kindness to be given that which will do one hurt but these are but toys and trifles in comparison of what God hath to bestow upon his friends List up thine eyes and behold those glistering Stars look upon that stately Canopy that hangs over thy head why all this is nothing almost to the glory which shall be revealed there is a far greater disproportion between what we see and enjoy at the best here below then there is between the footstool and the Crown O could you but by faith draw the curtain and see what is within O did you but know what 's behind those hangings which you see wrought so curiously the work of his fingers O that that 's the place there 's a house indeed there 's a palace couldst thou but by faith and meditation take a view of it could you but make a voyage into that far Country and see that City of God and discourse with the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem what discoveries should you then have of the Riches State and Granduer of that Princes Court shouldst thou but see those Treasuries opened and know the worth of Gods Jewels thou wouldst wonder what men and women meant that they should need so much perswading to be acquainted with him that had such things to bestow you would judge him worse then mad who should not joyfully embrace any Overtures of this nature in a word they would reckon that person besotted that should not with all possible gratitude close with such kind of proposals Come along therefore with me poor soul thou that art not worth a groat and hast never a friend that can or will give you any thing to speak of come along with me and take a short prospect of the Territories of this mighty Monarch let 's get up to mount Pisgah make a survey of that goodly land let 's take a turn or two in the Courts of his place consider well the pleasantness of this seat how rarely it is accommodated the richness of the furniture the nobleness of the inhabitants the sweetness of that harmony that founds night and day in that Temple the unconceivable costliness riches glory and excellency of every thing Do but look a little about thee are not thine eyes even dazelled at the sight do you see what building that is
whose walls are Jasper and the City is all of pure Gold like unto clear glass and the foundation of the walls of that City are garnished with all manner of precious stones Rev. 21 c. And what think you now where is the Prince upon earth that ever was master of such an estate what are his attendants the the meanest of those that stand in his presence is no less then a King the least of his servants is more rich and glorious then the mightiest Potentate that ever trod upon earthly mold that was a stranger to God This God doth not grudge to give that which is more worth then a thousand Kingdoms to his Darlings I might tell also at what a rate they live who are fed always at his Table and what dainty dishes they feed upon I might speak of their Cloathing and Robes all which speak the riches of that Lord which maintains his servants so highly But what am I doing Can I Grasp the heavens in my arms or take up the Sea in the hollow of my hands Can I measure the heaven of heavens or weigh the mountains in scales or the hills in a ballance Could I do all and a thousand times more yea could not give you an account of the Estate of him who would be your Friend your husband at the best I can but give you a superficial gross relation of it and when I have said all that I can speak of and all the men in the world with all their tongues have spoke what they can too nay let Angels with their heavenly Rhetorick do what they can to set out the glory of his Kingdom I say when all this is done you must remember all falls short of what it is and that since the beginning of the world men have not heard neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive what a God is worth what a friend you may have of him if you will but speedily be acquainted with him His Kingdom hath no bounds and his Dominions reach futher then both the Indies The small love-tokens that he sends now and then to his Beloved into a far country are of infinitely more value then all the Lockets of Diamonds and richest Pearls and Jewels in the world Pro. 8. Behold how merrily Rebeccah looks upon a sorry Jewel or two presented by Eliezer from his Master how soon is her heart conquered and why should we not be more taken with things of far greater worth What is all this as much as nothing with you Methinks your hearts should be all in a fire methinks you should quickly say O that I could but see him who will bring me acquainted with him he shall have my heart my dearest love Methinks should I ask you the same question that they did Rebeccah Wilt thou go a long with me to such a friend you should readily without any further dispute say yea with all my heart and think long to be up and going Why then do you talk of a year a mouth longer O what ail poor Creatures to make us stand waiting so long for an answer Do you ever expect a better offer Do you look to advance your selves somewhere else Can you hope for a better a richer match Go thee and search out among all thy Lovers which make suit to thee which of them can feed thee with such costly viands which of them can cloath you in such Royall Apparel which of then can make you such a Joynture Consider wisely and speedily that I may turn to the right hand or the left What saith thou canst thou amongst them all better thy self Is there any one like him Is there any of the Sons of the mighty comparable to him Are any of the Kings or great ones of the Earth able to make you such an offer or should they can any of them make it good What have you yet resolved upon the point or not What it is you stand for I pray do you question the truth of what I speak Do you make account I speak of the highest and make the best of things Why then let me tell you further I have not I cannot tell you the half of what you will find to be true if you would come to be throughly resolved or of what you will believe hereafter to your sorrow if you still refuse him And I must further add to what I said before that whatever riches God possesses he will joynture you in as soon as you shall in good earnest be willing to accept him for your Friend all that I can speak of and more too you may call your own Ask and it shall be given without prescribing how much more then you can ask or think shall be given you Your Lord and husband is not so niggardly as Ahashuerus who said What is thy request and what is thy petition Queen Esther and it shall be given thee to the half of my Kingdom But God saith what is thy request and what is thy petition poor Soul and it shall be granted to the whole of my Kingdom what is it thou wantest what attendants dost thou lack to wait upon thee to my Court are they Prophets Apostles Ministers Angels they shall be given 1 Cor 3.21 Do but try him he bids you ask and you shall have Let me give you this one memento Ask like one that hath to do with a rick King who hates to do any thing below himself remember it is he that delights to give like a God widen therefore thy desires as large as Heaven be bold and speak a great word and I warrant thee thou shalt not be denied tell God that seeing in his infinite goodness and condescention he hath been pleased to give thee leave to ask without restraint thou dost humbly request his Son for thy Lord and Husband himself for thy Father God and Friend his Kingdom for thy Dowry the Righteousness of his Son for thy Ornament Cloathing and Beauty the comforts of his Spirit and abundance of his grace to bear thy charges handsomly till thou comest to his house This is high indeed but thy great and noble Lord loves dearly to hear such covetous Petitioners who will be put off with nothing but such great things When do any of these go sad from his Court When do any of the seed of Jacob seek his face in vain This this is the generation of thriving ones who seek for life immortality and glory who seek thy face O God of Jacob. And now what do you say will you believe all this Dare you take my word I am perswaded none of you all think I dare tell you a lye and do you any wrong but for all that I do not desire you should take my word nor the word of any man living in a thing that concerns Eternity but take his word who cannot lye Psal 8.18 Riches and honour are with me yea durable riches and righteousness vers 19. My fruits is better then gold
the matter for accepting or looking after I believe I need not spend ten years in earnest begging and intreating you to look after such a thing Should I offer to bring you to the place and person of whom you might buy it should I not soon have your company should not your necessaries be quickly made ready for such a journey would you not be up betimes in the morning nay would you not travel all night and think it no folly nor madness both to lose some rest and to take some pains so you might but come to possess what I speak of Nay were there but a possibility of obtaining of it at least a probability I perswade my self you would not fail to look after it the very first thing you did I am ready to think you would neither spare for pains or costs so that after all you might but make sure of enjoying it Why what then is the matter that I can do no more in the business that I am about I am sure I bring you tidings of a better bargain a braver purchase and surer inheritance and what need I then spend so much time in arguing with you Good Lord what mean people Are they out of their wits and quite beside themselves What is a Feather better then a Crown Brass then Gold Is a Glass to be preferred before a Diamond finite Enjoyments before everlasting Riches Darkness before Light the World before God O how is man sunk below himself What hath sin made men and women If this be not folly and madness what is Such may go for wise men in the worlds account that makes such choices and it 's possible a man in Bedlam may say his neighbour that tore all his hair off from his head is well in his wits O that this were not the condition of the far greater part of the world And what meanest thou O my soul that thou art no more affected to see such vast multitudes of brain-sick frantick sinners that make light of the tender of the Gospel that take them for their enemies who would do their utmost to make them happy for ever I must profess I am even ashamed of my own heart that I do not mingle my words with tears that I should speak for God and souls with so indifferent a spirit Well now you have heard of a great match by which you may be made for ever are you for all this of the same mind you were Well then complain not if you be a beggar Remember how you were offered remember you might have been worth more then a world O that inconsiderate souls did but know and indeed know what an offer this is O that they would not carelesly undervalue such a proposal O what shall I do How shall I perswade you What Arguments will prevail O thou great and mighty God give men and women but a spiritual understanding of these things make them deeply apprehensive of their excellency and reality and then I should soon have them with thankfulness complying with these tenders which thou commandest me to make unto them O when shall it once be How long shall the Devil and an unbelieving heart undo so many millions How long shall Satan triumph over souls and cheat them thus miserably of their All O pity pity dear Lord the besotted foolish world and give me more compassion to souls that I may with incomparably greater earnestness and tenderness plead thy cause with them and resolve to give them no rest till I have perswaded some of them in good earnest to look after the great and weighty affairs of Eternity and the making sure of this Friend Eighthly He is a sympathizing Friend It goes to his heart with Reverence be it spoken when any injuries are done to any of his when his friends are wronged it touches him to the quick He is as tender of them as of the apple of his eye Again He that despiseth you despiseth me Never was tender hearted Mother more pitiful over her only Child then God is to them which love him never was any friend so much concerned for another as God for his What else mean those high expressions of pity in Isa 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the days of old It was not once or twice that God did so by them but in all their afflictions he was afflicted which was not expressed in some cold formal words such as these Alas poor creatures they are quite undone their enemies are very barbarous but he shew'd it in that most real demonstration by saving of them by the Angel of his presence A verbal kindness costs little and helps little But suppose his friends are carried Captive are they not quite out of the reach of his help No his love pity and power will find them out in any place under Heaven and if they be slaves he will redeem them though he gives Kingdoms and Nations for their Ransom In his love and in his pity he redeemed them and when by hard usage they are grown so weak and feeble that they can scarce go nor creep why he will carry them in his arms and bare them And thus he did of old and his affections are rather greater then lesser now then they were then The mother can be weary of carrying a dirty screaming child she thinks it less trouble to whip him or to let him lie till he hath cried himself weary she is loath to lug such a troublesome thing up and down all the day long But yet such is the tenderness of this Father that he carries his all the day long though they be so heavy so unquiet so dirty But of that presently How oft do you read of strange pity in the book of the Judges when they had by their own folly more then once brought themselves into calamity how do his bowels yern over them and when any of his are groaning under any trials or temptation what sending and running is there how many Cordials are prepared for them what calling to this servant and that servant to attend them with all the care that may be and to comfort them in this state and in case of abuse how doth he shew his love to them If you should ask Pharaoh he would tell you that Gods Friends are edge tools why else doth the Lord lay about him with so much indignation when they are oppressed Nay for their sakes he rebukes Kings saying Touch not mine Anointed and do my Prophets no harm if they do be it on their peril How did he bare the afflictions of his people Israel in Egypt did he stand still as if he were unconcerned did he shut his eyes not see or did he stop his ears to their cries No no he sees he sees the sufferings of his in Egypt and that both enemies and friends too
his Son a Kingdom a Crown behold the Father meets he makes hast to meet his returning prodigal behold the King hath sent to invite thee to the feast nay he will give thee his only Son in marriage the wedding garment is made ready the Bridegroom is coming the wheels of his Chariot run-apace the friends of the Bridegroom are come to bid you make ready up deck your self put on your glorious Apparel make hast make hast ye Virgins your companions are ready all stay for you the Bridegroom is at the door Behold he is at the door and will you still let him knock What! Father Husband a Kingdom What words are these Wilt thou O mighty Jehovah be my Father Wilt thou O blessed Jesus be my Husband shall I have a Kingdom What me a Child a Spouse for the King of glory an Heir of glory Grace Grace Amen Hallelujah Be it to thy servants according to thy word but who are we and what is our fathers house that thou hast brought us hitherto and now O Lord God what shall thy servants say unto thee for we are silenced with wonder and must sit down with astonishment for we cannot utter the least tittle of thy praises What meaneth the highth of this strange love O that the God of heaven and earth should condescend to enter into Covenant with his dust and to take into his bosom the viperous brood that have often spit their venome in his face We are not worthy to be as the hand-maids to wash the feet of the servants of our Lord How much less to be thy Sons and Heirs and to be made partakers of all those blessed Liberties and Priviledges which thou hast setled upon us but for thy goodness sake and according to thy own heart hast thou done all these great things Even so Father because so it seemed good in thy fight Wherefore thou art great O God for there is none like thee neither is there any God besides thee what nation on earth is like thy people whom God went to redeem for a people to himself to make him a name to do for them great things and terrible for thou hast confirmed them to thy self to be a people unto thee for ever and thou Lord art become their God Wonder O Heavens and be moved O Earth at this great thing For behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Be astonished and ravished with wonder for the infinite breach is made up the offender is received and God and man are reconciled and a Covenant of peace entred and Heaven and Earth are agreed upon the tearms and have struck their hands and sealed the Indentures O happy conclusion O blessed conjunction Shall the Stars dwell with the dust Or the wide distant Poles be brought to mutual embraces and cohabitation But here the distance of the tearms is infinitely greater Rejoyce O Angels shout O Seraphims O all the friends of the Bridegroom and Bride prepare an Epithalamium be ready with the marriage Song Lo here is the wonder of wonders for Jehovah hath betrothed himself for ever to his hopeless Captives and owns the marriage before all the world and is become one with us we with him he hath bequeathed to us the precious things of the earth beneath with the fulness thereof and hath kept back nothing from us And now O Lord thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servants and hast left us nothing to ask at thy hands but what thou hast already freely granted Only the word which thou hast spoken concerning thy servants establish it for ever and do as thou hast said and let thy Name be magnified for ever saying The Lord of Host he is the God of Israel Amen Hallelujah And how do you like this musick O ye the lost Sons and Daughters of Adam how do you relish these Dainties what do you think of this march Some you see have been so wise as with the greatest gratitude they can for their souls to close with those happy offers of grace You hear how bravely such and such have bestowed themselves and now they are made for ever And what do you say to the same proposals have they so much reason to bless the day that ever such a motion was made have they cause to rejoyce for ever for those blessed overtures or are they all to be slighted by you will Christ be worse to you then them is Heaven and happiness less necessary for you then them will the loss of a Soul be more inconsiderable to you then it would have been to them Will not Heaven Christ an Glory be as well worth your acceptance as theirs What are you willing to be shut out when the Bridegroom comes to fetch his Spouse home Can you bare it to see such as you thought your inferiours advanced and your self despised What shall I say what words shall I use what shall I do to prevail O that I could pity you a thousand times more than I do O that my eyes might weep in secret for thy folly O that you also might do as some have done before you though indeed they be but few that be so wise O that you would also bestow your heart upon Christ give him your heart-love or he will have your heart-bloody Do not make your self miserable to please any living do not slight Christ because must do so go not with them to Hell for company But that if it be possible I might perswade you I shall add some more motives to prevail with you to get acquainted with God which I am certain will either work that blessed effect or rise up against you to the aggravation of your confusion in that great and terrible day II. HEAD OF MOTIVES The next Head of Motives which I shall insist upon for the inforcing of this Duty of acquainting your selves with God I shall take from the glorious effect of this acquaintance with God 1. The first effect of this acquaintance with God is it makes the soul humble and consequently fits the soul for greater communications from God still and to do God the greater service but of that particular afterwards Acquaintance with God it makes the Soul humble When God comes into the Soul he brings such a glorious light along with him that he makes the Soul to see not only his beauty but it s own deformity Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy word giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple Before the Soul was acquainted with the word of God and by that had some discoveries of God made to it out of the Word why it was in the dark and saw nothing at all of its own vileness it took no notice of that Sink that Hell that was within it consider not its own Treason against the Lord of Heaven
be men of a deeper reach and a larger understanding then others because they made it their business to get acquainted with God and thus to make their interest as large as Heaven and their peace and prosperity as sure as the oath of a God could make it Do you think that all these men were mistaken did their wisdom lie only in a prudent management of their worldly affairs to their best advantage what then did they mean some of them to leave all that they had so chearfully upon the command of God dare you say that they prized the favour of God at too high a rate as for their parts they thought they could never value such a friend as God too much What else was the meaning of their longing panting and breathing after him Why else are they so glad of his company his presence How loath were they to do any thing that might be in the least displeasing to him What bitter moans did they make if he did but withdraw a while if he did but a little absent himself from them how wonderful desirous were they of enjoying communion with him how earnest to live in his house for ever Dare you say that there were all fools and mad men for refusing the embraces of this present world for slghting its smiles and undervaluing its greatest kindnesses and choosing that favour of God though with the scorns and reproaches of the world rather then to hazard his anger whose wrath burns to the bottom of Hell Behold what a glorious company of these stand upon mount Zion with Harps in their hands with those hundred and forty and four thousand and the Lamb with an innumerable multitude of all Nations People and Languages Why all these were of the Friends and Acquaintance of God or else they had never had those Crowns Robes and Palms in their hands Now why should not our souls be as dear to us as theirs were to them Will not Heaven be as good for us as them is it not as needful for us to get a friend of God as them Will not God do as much for us as them if we will but do as they did walk with him The truth of it is the number of them which are saved is but few in comparison of the multitudes of them which know not God and go the broad way yet for all that take them absolutely they are abundance so many that the Scripture saith they are innumerable Do but read over the History of some of their Lives turn over the holy Records look sometimes into those Sacred Chronicles and behold how chearfully they served God how actively they followed the Lamb wheresoever he goes through thick and thin Hear what their language is now they are got home fafe now Christ hath brought them to glory and they are at their Friends house What do they talk of what is their discourse about do they complain what a sad journey they had of it through a howling wilderness after they had passed the Red Sea through a thousand sorrows and trials do they say that now they are at their journeys end they are weary and wish they had never taken so long and tedious a journey do they not rather speak the quite contrary and that if it were to go again they would do it with far more speed and chearfulness then they did Lissen hark methinks I hear them from the walls of the New Jerusalem crying out Come away come away fall on bravely follow your business gallantly but a little while longer and the City is your own fetch your scaling ladders run up apace mount the rampiers fear nothing though the Devil play his Artillery upon them yet it is but powder he shall never give you a mortal would resist him and he will flee and the field is yours the Spoil the Crown the Honour will pay for your pains bloud and danger Fall on brave souls fall on the valianter you be the more safe you are Methinks I hear those noble Saints encouraging of you to get acquaintance with God and saying to you that are yet afar off come near Come away poor souls come away what do you mean thus to delay O little do you think what a friend we now find of God it was but a little a very little that was told us of the excellency of Christ and the glories of this place to what we experience It was no false report that we heard when we was upon earth of the happiness of Heaven O here 's a prize worth the running for a Kingdom a Crown worth the fighting for an Estate worth the looking after We have not now our stint we are not dieted with those Spiritual Dainties we have not now and then a sip a draught a bit in a corner but we are at the fountain we are daily feasted with infinite pleasures our hearts are full brim full they run over we swim in an ocean of spiritual enjoyments these things are beyond your capacity now to understand Were we to live upon earth again and did we know what we do now know we should ever pine with our earnest longing for God the living God to be in his immediate presence and to be at that angelical work of praising serving and loving him for ever Wherefore brethren let us encourage one another Come let us go up to the house of the Lord his dwelling is in Salem his palace is upon mount Zion Why should not we go on as merrily in the paths of Wisdom as the wicked in the road of Hell How do the Devils Champions encourage and hearten one another up How do they laugh sing and roar as if their life were the only life for shame let 's tell them they lye in their teeth Who hath the best company they or we the Patriarchs and Prophets the Apostles and thousands of Martyrs are gone finging before some of our dear Relations Fathers Brethren and Sisters are newly welcomed by Christ to his Fathers house and they are blessing that rich mercy that hath conducted them to such a place to such a friend we have many thousands of Saints Militant that are going along with us as fast as they can and God himself will bear us company and why do we yet linger O that we were upon the wing O that our souls were like the Chariots of Aminadab O that the Lord would strengthen poor short-winded Creatures O that we could run and not be weary and walk and not faint O that we might have now and then a hearty meal and that in the strength of them we could travel to the mount of God! O that that acquaintance might now be happily begun which may never have an end O that God would visit us oft and get into our hearts O that he that gave those Worthies in former times so much grace would pour out of the same grace in abundance upon our souls O that he would shed abroad his love in our hearts O
stirring up of the Soul and awakening all it's strength to wrestle with God to lay hold upon God and to prevail with the Almighty and where are such as these to be found who is this that engages his heart in the service of God It is one thing to engage the tongue and another thing to engage the heart Men come to pray with a common Spirit and are many times weary of the work before they have well begun it what they do they do it lifelessly They can follow their worldly Imployments with life and delight They have Male in their flock but that 's too good for God a lame blind starved weak thing must serve his turn And is this the way to have the blessing Are such as these like to have any thanks for their kindness Let them try how any of their Friends would take such a present Now would you have the Blessing of Acquaintance with God you must wrestle for it and not let God go without it You must be Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord you must fight the good fight of Faith and lay hold on Eternal Life You must grasp about Christ as a man that is a drowning would grasp any thing that were thrown out to save him You must use all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure You must work out your Salvation with fear and trembling You must seek for Wisdom as for Silver and search for her as for hid Treasure Then shall you understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledg of God What excellent thing is there that is got without pains Whoever came to be an Exquisite curious Artist in any skil whatever that never served an Apprentiship to it nor at the least gave his mind to it where is there a famous Physitian that never studied in his life Who gets a Victory by sleeping and carelesseness Who expects to have riches drop into his mouth when he goes all the ways that can be to make himself a beggar Doth the Husbandman look for a good Crop without plowing or sowing Why then should we expect such great things as Heaven Eternal happiness and the favour of God without out looking after them Whatsoever the lazy formal professor may say the Kingdom of Heaven is not obtained thus there must be running watching fighting conquering holding fast holding out and all little enough it requires all the strength of thy soul to engage in this great work it requires some resolution to do such a work as every Christian must do or else his Religion signifies little Further it calls for some time too it is not a thing to be minded now and then by the by between sleep and wake when the Devil and the World have had as much service as they call for Were it for your bodies that I were now pleading were you like to get any great matter in the world by following of my directions could you be shew'd a way how to get a great estate honours and long life I am verily perswaded a few words might prevail much Why if you will believe the word of God I am telling you of other kind of things then these be greater matters by far and yet how little are Men and Women affected As if we spoke but in jest always when we spoke about things that did concern Souls How little time do men spend in their inquiry into these things Ask Epictetus Ench. c. 63. And he will tell you that it is a sign of a low Soul to bestow much time upon thy body and the thoughts of it and little upon the Soul to be long eating and long drinking and long a dressing and short in prayer short in the thoughts of the Soul and short in the service of God and that it is a sign of a base degenerate Spirit to be very curious about toys and inconsiderable trifles and to be negligent about matters of the greatest importance to slubber over the great works of Religion with the greatest slightness Remember O man thy great work it is to take care of thy Soul to look after a Companion a Friend for thy Soul to get food and cloathing for thy Soul that that famish not with hunger and cold To be indifferent in all externals is the greatest prudence but to be indifferent about Spirituals and Eternals is the greatest madness We are all Soudiers and must fight in such a War wherein we must never lay down our Arms. The favour of God is worth the striving for it is as much as Heaven and Glory is worth If your estate or life lay at stake would you not be willing to use all the interest you could to make the Judg your friend would you go up and down laughing as if you had nothing to do would you eat and drink as merrily as ever and say it is but dying it is but being a beggar it is but the undoing of my wife and children would you not look upon a man that should argue at this rate to be little better than frantick and I pray which is most considerable the death of the body or the death of the soul the loss of a temporal or the loss of an eternal inheritance Most mens diligence in Temporals will condemn their negligence in Spiritnals Christ said Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven the righteousness thereof but most men say I will seek first the Earth and the glory thereof and if God will give me Heaven and happiness after I have served the Devil and the world as long as I can I shall be contented to have it No such matter never expect it God must sooner cease to be than to gratifie you in this Wherefore do you think did David follow his work so close Why did all those Noble Worthies in the Church of old take so much pains Why should they not much stick to venture estates and lives too Will you condemn them all as guilty of too much curiosity and unnecessary preciseness Do you think that their labour was in vain Are all those disappointed who willingly parted with present things for future things I must tell you if you expect to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven you must do as they did Heaven will not be obtained now upon any lower Term than then Your Souls are as precious as their's and Heaven will be as well worth your minding as theirs and God will look upon you as well as upon them if you will value his favour as they did Never look to have God give you that which you will not thank him for What do you say after all this will you sit down before your work is done open thine eyes and consider what thou hast to do and then tell me if it be not the greatest folly imaginable to be slight in these Affairs O how can'st thou eat or drink or sleep whilst thou hast such a great work to do which is undone O give