thine Ease and art nothing troubled at it thou art Rich and hast Money enough at least thou hast an House and hast Bread enough thou art in thy Health and thy Strength and so long thou carest not thou art not troubled about thou wilt not so much as think How is it with my Soul Is not my poor Soul ready to perish and like to be Damned for my Sins And wilt thou yet say thou lovest thy Soul 'T were well for thee better than 't is if thou lovest thy Soul as thou lovest thy Flesh nay as thou lovest thy dirty Pleasures and vile Companions thy Horses in thy Stable thy Pigs at the Trough thy very Dogs thou lovest better than thou lovest thy Soul this is the wickedness of every Sinner among you and where the Soul is less loved God himself is less loved than these vile things yet thou wilt say Thou lovest God no thou dost not love him as thou lovest the Dirt of thy Heels the Lusts of thy Flesh O wonder wonder Sinners and be astonished at your Selves that ever there should be such a vile and wretched Heart within you and yet you should sit here or go up and down the World as well pleased with your selves as well satisfied with your selves as you are Who would think that behold Sinners Faces how merry they look who would think these merry ones should have such a vile and wicked Heart within them How is it with thee Sinner What aileth thee I am well I thank God Well art thou What and have such a Devil in thy Bosome such a wicked Heart as despiseth the Lord and makes a God of thy Belly or thy Money or thy Pleasure The Lord make you deeply sensible of this wickedness for 't is certainly your cases 't were better with you than it is if you had loved God as well as you do the Beasts that perish if you loved your Souls as well as you do those rotting and perishing Carkases And for you that are Christians who do love your Souls more than your Bodies and God more than all yet it is so little that God hath the Preheminence in your Love that you are hard put to it in your Examination to prove whether the love of God hath the Preheminence in you or no whether there be not something that you love more than God It is a shame for us Friends that the love of God is no more perfected in us that there is no more sensible strength of our Love to God that we should be so often put to it to Question which we love best God or our selves God or this present World Well this should be the Order and Measure of your Love as I said before that God be first loved next our Souls then our Bodies and after that the Creatures which are for the Bodily Prosperity that the Creature be loved no farther than it is serviceable to the Health of our Bodies and our Bodies loved in order to the service of our Souls and all so much and no more than conduces to the Honour and Service of God this should be the Order and Measure of our Love and this would be one Fruit of the due Government of our Hearts That I may the more effectually perswade you to set up and keep up this Government in your Hearts let me ask you Quest 1. Can you except against this Order and Measure of your Love Order in the Heart is as necessary as Order in a Kingdom Army or Family and a due Order in our Love is necessary to the keeping up Order in the Heart 1. Consider Order in the Heart is as necessary as Order in a Kingdom c. What is a Kingdom if there be no Order in it What is an Army what is a Family where there is no order in it What is there but Confusion and Ruin All runs into confusion all runs to ruin where no Order is Jam. 3.16 Where envy and strife is there is confusion and every evil work where envy and strife is there is disorder good Order would prevent strife and envying and where no good Order is there is confusion and every evil work O what Tumults and Mutinies are there in our disorderly Hearts there is no good doing and there is every evil work 2. Order in our Love is necessary to the keeping our whole Hearts in Order upon the right Order and Measure of our Love will follow the right Ordering of all our Affections there 's no one of all our Affections but will be in good Order if our Love be in Order if we love what we should love we shall hate what we should hate and fear what we should fear and desire what we should desire and grieve for what we should grieve and be angry only at what we should be angry and when there is a due Measure in our Love where we love as much as we should we shall hate as much as we should and fear and grieve and rejoice as much as we should and no more the motions and workings of all our Affections do follow and flow from the working of our Love as when we love God we shall hate and fear and grieve for all that is contrary to God so when we love God as much as we should that is above all and with all our Hearts we shall desire him above all and hate and grieve for sin which is contrary to God with all our Hearts The Reason why we hate not sin as we should why we fear not sin and grieve not for sin the Reason why we desire no more after God why we desire Grace no more and Holiness no more it is because we have no more love to God and his Holiness The Reason why we love that we should not love and desire and fear what we should not the Reason of our Carnal griefs and Worldly Sorrows those Sorrows that bring Death 2 Cor. 7. is because we duly love not God more love to God would help and heal those inordinate Passions you would never be lovers of this Self of this Flesh of this World of these Pleasures did you duly love God and the things of God you complain of the unruliness of your Passions of your frettings and vexings and the unquietness of your Hearts you complain of the hardness of your Hearts you cannot hate sin as you should nor mourn for sin nor fear it as you should this you say is your Affliction and you know not how to help it why do but get more love to God more intense and ardent love to Him and his Holiness and you will find all these Distempers to fall then you will hate and fear and mourn for sin as you ought to do there will be an end of your complainings of hardness of Heart that you can't fear nor grieve nor mourn for sin there will be an end of your complainings of your over-loving the World of your unreasonable passions and frettings and anger at what
that they may be quickned into the more strong desires unite them let all your desires be after this one thing the grace and good will of the Lord. Christians let me ask you What would you have What is it you desire O let the Lord be my God let me have grace from the Lord but what of God how much of the grace of God would content you It may be some of you would answer O! if it were never so little if I could have Faith though it were but as a grain of Mustard-Seed if I could get any thing of God in my Heart if by the grace of God in me this Heart of mine might be but as a bruised Reed and smoaking Flax if I might get any thing that God would not despise this should satisfie me 'T is true the least degree of saving grace the least Beam of the Divine Light the first springing of the Life of God in us the least Spark of his Holy Image our desires should be so far fixed on this that nothing short of this nothing short of the truth of Grace should in the least suffice us and we should be thankful for the very first grace if we should never have any more or rise no higher But are there not some that would have this and care for no more that bound and limit their desires to the first and lowest degrees of grace This desire is not the desire of the Children of God thou mayest go to Hell with such desires after God he that desires not to be perfectly Holy is not sincerely Holy Do you desire God do you desire grace Stir up and enlarge your desires let those narrow Hearts open their Mouths wide be covetous Christians covet much and covet earnestly these best of giâ—ts say with the Psalmist This one thing I desire nothing but God nothing but grace take Corn and Wine who will take the Gold and the Silver who will let the Lord God be mine and that shall suffice me Desire God only and follow after God fully as Psalm 63.8 My Soul followeth hard after thee Friends you have some Wishes and some weaker desires after the Lord O quicken up these fainty Hearts look oftner before you how worthy the Lord is of all your desires what a Jewel what a Treasure the grace of God is look oftner Heaven-ward get a sight of God and his glorious Treasures live more in the Contemplation of his glory and goodness it is the sight of the Object that must kindle and quicken desires you that have cold Hearts Heaven-ward 't is a sign your Eye is little in Heaven Believe it some clearer views of the Love and Goodness and Holiness and Kindness and Glory of the Lord would whet your Appetites would put Life into those dull Desires would make you hungry Souls and thirsty Souls and longing Souls O look oftner upward dwell in the Mountain of Spices get some Taste and Relish of the goodness of God by being more constantly conversant with him and this will set abroach all your Vessels your Souls would stream forth in the Words and Sighs of the Psalmist Psal 42.1 As the Hart panteth after the Water Brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God 2. Curb and limit your desires after the good things below and desire them no more than you should particularly 1. Desire not over much of them The best Food the best Physick if we take too much of it becomes hurtfull and pernicious when the Stomach is overcharged and so when the Heart is overcharged it surfets and suffereth prejudice by what it hath received That Prayer of Agur Prov. 30.8 should be the desire of Christians Feed me with Food convenient a convenient Habitation a competent Portion of these Earthly things should be the Proportion of our desires O if Men knew what were enough and when they had enough it would prevent the extravagancy of our desires Jer. 45.5 Seekest thou great things to thy self Seek them not Thou canst not bear great things great Possessions are great Temptations Seek no greater things than thou canst bear a Ship that hath more than its Load will sink and drown The Journey or Voyage of the Heart is upwards you are Travelling Heaven-wards this Earth the more you have of it presses you down-ward and hinders your ascending O how much nearer Heaven might some of our Hearts have ascended how much nearer to God and Glory might we have gotten had we not been clogged with the things of this Earth Some Men are too Rich and too Prosperous in this World to be Spiritually-minded Great Estates bring great Cares and encumbring Business so that they cannot be at liberty nor at leisure to think on God or their Souls Desire only so much of the World as is best for you and that proportion is best for you which will help you Heaven-ward and least hinder you know what is a competency and desire no more That 's not a competency which is enough to satisfie your Appetite you will never say you have enough if you will stay till your Appetite say It is enough this is like those two Daughters of the Horse-Leach Prov. 30.15 that still cry Give give Get get and never say It is enough That is not a competency which will satisfie your Appetite but that which will comfortably serve your necessities know what is a competency and desire no more 2. Desire them not over earnestly be not over hungry and greedy Souls desire but a competency and desire it but moderately that you may not over-desire these Earthly good things do not over-prize them Carry it towards the good things below as Sinners carry it towards Christ and the good things above how do Sinners carry it towards Christ They make light of him Isa 53.2 They see no beauty in him that they should desire him See as little beauty in the World as Sinners see in Christ make as light of the good things of the Earth as they do of the good things of Heaven and then your desires will be as cold after these things as theirs are after Christ O if Christians did desire this Earth no more than Sinners desire Heaven how mortified would all their Earthly desires be Mortifie your inordinate desires after the World quench your thirst after the good things thereof or else these desires will mortifie and quench your thirst after God Christians you would fain love God more it is your Affliction that your Affections to things above are so dull and so flat that you have no more strong and working desires Heaven-ward abate your desires to things below and then they will rise more to the things above never look to love God more than you do till you love the World less than you do Do ye mean to hold up at this height in your Carnal desires Will you not set Bounds to your Earthly Appetites Then count upon it God is like to
subject let me in the name of God ask you what is there that hath been yet done upon you what is there that hath been added to your holy love to your holy desires and joys fears and griefs are there any little sparkes added to you do you love God a little more then you did do you desire after him a little more strongly are your fears of sin your fears of temptations to sin your grief and sorrow for sin a little encreased Is there any abatement of your love to the World of your worldly desires and joys Is there any allay of your fretful angry passion Who of you can say I thank God these words have not been spoken to me in vain I thank God I find this World taken down a little lower I do not love it so well nor desire it so much nor I hope shall ever again seek it so earnestly as I have done are you any thing the more in fear of sin or greiv'd for sin are you in hope that your anger shall henceforth not be without a cause nor above or higher then its cause nor ever last as it has used to do Friends consider in the name of God consider What is there nothing done are you as cold in your love to God as hot in your love to the World as much without fear and greif for sin as if none of all this had been spoken The Lord be merciful to us what shall become of such hearing What serves this Preaching for what serves this hearing for Doth God take pleasure or can you take comfort in your coming together to hear and being a little affected with the word whilst 't is preaching or speaking some words after of your approbation and liking what you have heard when yet the Word doth not work nor leave any standing and abiding impressions upon you It s vain to commend a Sermon in words if the fruit it brings forth commend it not The best commendation of your food is by your eating it and maintaining your health and gathering strength by it O Friends that 's the commendation we would have of our preaching and the only commendation that we can take comfort in that our word reacheth its end that there is some sign of our ministry upon your hearts and in your lives that we may say concerning you as the Apostle concerning the Corinthians 2 Cor. 3.2.8 Ye are our Epistle and are declared to be the Epistle of Christ written not with ink but with the spirit of the living God Those are the best Sermon Notes that are written not with ink and paper but by the Spirit of the living God in the fleshly tables of our hearts These are the best Sermon Notes and these are the best commendation of our preaching Now pray friends consider I do not ask you what there is written of these Sermons in your note books but what is there written of them in your hearts Is there any thing more of the love of God of desires after God of fear of sin c. written or begotten within you Had I ability and opportunity of personal converse with you I should be willing to deal with you in private hand to hand and to ask you these questions man by man but to supply that defect of speaking personally and in private to each one of you take what I speak in my publick Ministry as if it were spoken to thee in particular and I were dealing with thee hand to hand Though thou canst not give me thine answer yet fail not to give answer in thine own heart when I ask thee whither thou hast gotten any more love to God any more desires after God any abatement of thy love to the World any more fear of Sin c. Answer thine own Conscience in this particular I must substitute thy Conscience in my room and let Conscience take thine Answer Speak every man of you iâ— your Consciences how do you find it is there any thâ—ng done upon you by these words or is there nothing 〈◊〉 what do you think of all your hearing these words if thâ—re be nothing done if there be as much love to the World as little love to God or fear of Sin if there be the same touchiness the same pettishness the some angry distemper as if you had kept you at home all this while and never heard any of all that has been said Are not you ashamed are not you afraid that these words of the Lord should have no effect upon you Beloved I have preached to you in hope I have hoped for fruit I have hop'd for some change for the better upon you in all these respects O set your hearts unto all these words remember what you can and recover what you have forgotten look up to God look up to God and pray this prayer to him Lord let the things that have been spoken be written Let them be written not with ink and pen but by the Spirit of the living God not in a book or paper but in the fleshly table of mine heart Look up to God for his help and determine in your selves to set your hearts to it to follow after this blessed Order and Government of your hearts Study within your selves how to get up your affections to things above to get loose your hearts from the World and things below be not content to be thus dead in your hearts towards God thus alive towards the World nor be content to wish for more of the divine love to wish you could abate towards this world but in good earnest make it your business and study so to do Might we once bring you to this that while we are labouring with you in the Word and Doctrine you would labour with us in the Lord to work your hearts to an affectionate compliance with our words if you would be stedfast and unmoveable and abounding in this work then there would be hope that neither our labour nor yours should be in vain in the Lord then should we look to see the death of these Worldly loues and lusts and a spring of the divine love and life and joy and glory this earth and flesh under foot and the Spirit of Glory and of God resting upon you Put on therefore in the fear of the Lord set you close to this Heart-governing-work quicken strengthen encourage your hearts herein with these words Yet further the Government of the heart stands 4. In suppressing all manner of evil and exciting and maintaining the good that is in your hearts There are in the heart as there are in a Kingdom two parties the evil party and the good party The evil party are the Rebellious Lusts of our hearts the good party are the Graces of God The Government of the Heart is to be as the Government of a Kingdom for the suppressing the evil and the encouraging and upholding the good The evil Party are the lusts of the Heart Pride Envy Malice Covetousness c.
and the Torments of them shall make you know what now you will not understand 'T is a foreknowledge by observing and pondering what is written and preach'd of these great things that is necessary to your present Government 3. A feeling of these things I mean now a feeling beforehand a feeling that 's gotten by your fore-knowledge What we believe and understand if they be great things will make impressions upon our senses By the knowledge of God and of the blessedness of Heaven the Saints get some â—orâ—â—â—â—es of that Glory and Blessedness 1 Pet. 2.2 If we have taâ—â—d that the Lord is gracious And by the knowledge of the Wrath and Judgments of God some sinners get a taste of that wrath it makes their hearts to begin to burn above ground There 's an heaven begun in the hearts of Saints and an hell begun in the hearts of some Sinners And this now is that which I mean by a sense of the things to come the getting such a belief of the certainty of these things such an understanding of the greatness of these things that may deeply affect the Heart that may leave powerful impressions on the Senses that the heart may be powerfully moved and deeply affected with them Sinners hearts are as stones and senseless stocks when we have spoken to them of the deep things of God we may say of these eternal things as the Apostle of his temporal Sufferings Acts 20.24 None of these things move them or will in the least work upon them but if we could let in a little more light into their Minds if we could shew them some glimpses of the Glory to some some flashes of the Eternal fire this would make those stocks to feel 2. This sense of the eternal things is the sinews of Government There can be no Government without Rewards and Punishments and if these Rewards and Punishments be not believed known and perceived it s all one as to Government as if there were none at all 'T is the understanding and sense of these Rewards that is the strength of Government Now there is according to the two different Rewards a different sense of them 1. an alluring encouraging and obliging sense A sense of the Magnificence of the Kindness and Mercies of the Lord will encourage to Subjection and obedience to him It will draw forth our love and stir up all our Powers to active Obedience O how would the lively sense of God and the blessedness of Heaven kindle Affection enlarge our desires raise our hopes and fill us with joy What would be loved as God is loved what would be desired as God is desired what would be hoped for as heaven is hoped for what would our love or desires or hopes find too much to be done or suffered where there is a deep sense of these great things that shall be the reward of all And how would such a lively sense of God and of heaven abate our love and cool our desires after earth and the things thereof Who would regard dust and stones and trash that had Gold and Pearles before him what would this money be these Sheep and Oxen be these carnal pleasures and sports be how easily could they be wanted how little would they be loved or desired were that Glory Honour Immortality that is above more before our Eye and upon our Hearts you complain you can't get your hearts loosned and disintangled from these earthly things O 't is because heaven is so much out of sight you have so little sense of the good things to come that hence it is you fall a lusting so after the good things present Get more sense of God into your hearts and you will feel your Affections to fall and abate towards these earthly things Look on the things not seen as the Apostle did 2 Cor. 4.18 Upon the things that are eternal and you will disdain and contemn the things that are seen which are but Temporal 2. The sense of the punishments to come will be an awing sense The severities of the Lord and his dreadful wrath and vengeance would awe the heart into subjection to him O what an influence would this have upon the Governing our fears and our griefs and our anger whom should we then fear but God what would the wrath of man be what would temporal sufferings be how little would they be feared were there a due awe of God upon our hearts your awe of God would say the same to you as the Prophet Isa 2.22 Cease ye from man trust not in him and fear him not and as Christ said Rev. 2.10 Fear none of those things you shall suffer And Luk. 12.5 Fear not them that kill the body fear God who is able to cast into Hell Whom should we then fear but God and what should we then fear but sin against God which maketh so obnoxious to his wrath you that now make light of Sin can lye and defraud and be covetous and do any thing else your hearts lead you to and make nothing of it or but a small matter Get an awe of God on your hearts and your sins would make you tremble and what an influence would it have upon the suppressing your sinful Anger it would take up all our quarrels a sense of Heaven and Hell would make us all friends those great things would swallow up the lesser What do I stand vexing and fretting mv self at every one that crosseth me how stands it with my Soul to God ward how may I escape the wrath to come Is it peace betwixt the Almighty and my Soul Friends 't is a sign that you have little sense of your eternal conceraments where every little thing so excessively moves and disturbs your Spirits 3. How to get and maintain upon our hearts this sense of the eternal things There are two things I have told you are supposed to this sense a believing and an understanding these great things and to the improving of what we believe and understand of them there 's a third thing necessary Meditation and frequent thinking upon them Exercise your thoughts more upon the Eternal World spend more thoughts think oftner upon it and spend more deep thoughts of heart upon them Our thinking and meditating is the same with that looking on the things not seen mentioned before 2 Cor. 4. Look more Heavenward and look more towards hell and this will affect your hearts particularly think these three thoughts 1. Think this thought In this eternal world I must shortly be one of these two Rewards must be my Reward one of these two States Eternal Blessedness or Eternal Misery must be my State That Heaven which I now hear Preach'd of that Hell which I now am warned of I shall be in one of them in a little while As sure as I am alive and here this day so sure shall I be in Heaven or Hell a few days hence What 's become of those many that were alive a few years
Counsel be well advised and run not thus headlong upon thine own ruin O hold up such Government in your Spirits that your Hearts may be tractable and flexible plyable Hearts let them be stiff and fast to the concernments of God but loose and easily withdrawn from the interest of Self Stiff against sin stiff against Temptation resolute for Holiness Is thy will brought about for God for Religion for Conscience Stand to it to the Death never be perswaded out of your Religion never be perswaded out of your Consciences or Consciencious walking let your Hearts be resolved for the greatest strictness of Religion and be strict and stiff in such Holy resolutions but never again be so set upon your own wills your Carnal wills here get a pliable Heart never to be perswaded off from God easily to be perswaded back from Self and Flesh It 's Prophesied Isa 11.6 There shall be such a change wrought upon the rough and furious and ravenous Spirits of Sinners by the power of Christ that the Wolf and the Leopard and the Lyon shall be so tamed that a little Child may lead them They shall be so flexible and pliable that they may be easily lead that the least Items or Intimations from God or from Conscience may bring them to any thing that when Lust puts hardest upon them for sin when Self presses most impetuously upon them for minding or pursuing it's Interest or will a Word from God an Item from Conscience may bring them about after the Lord that Self may never be able to fortifie them against Conscience but that Conscience may with ease break the Bands and loose the Cords of Self and command them after their God It was said of Caesar's Souldiers that where his Interest was concerned they were more than Men in their own concernments they were less than Women Let the Servants of Christ learn so much of the Souldiers of Caesar let them be so true so fast to the Interest of Christ and Religion of Holiness that they may be above the Spirit of a Man and so the Spirit of a Christian is above the Spirit of a Man but let them sit so loose from the Interest or the Commands of Self that a Woman or a little Child may bring them back from the pursuance of it that such a word from whatever Mouth it comes what is this Self or this Flesh to thee that thou so hearkenest to it or insistest so upon it Wilt thou obey thine adversary Wilt thou cleave to thy Mortal Enemy Self is no better 't is the worst Enemy thou hast and wilt thou feed thine Enemy Strengthen thine Enemy Fight for thy Enemy That such a word may be enough to countermand the will of the Flesh and to bring the Heart back from obeying it's strongest motions and Lusts This will be the blessed Fruit of a due Heart-government the defeating and subduing of Self-will and the sweet and easie compliance of the Heart with and it's complacency in the will of God and it will be no hard thing for such a Soul to say Not my will but the will of the Lord be done 3. self-Self-love 1. There is a self-Self-love which is our Duty there is an innate Principle of Love planted by God himself in the Nature of Man in his State of Innocency God hath made all Men living lovers of themselves and he would have them so That word Thou shalt love thy Neighour as thy Self evidenceth that we must love our selves The fruits of this Self-love are 1. Self-preservation 2. Self-blessing 1. Self-preservation the securing our selves from Mischief the saving our selves from danger Acts 2.40 Save your selves this generation He that said Save your selves from this evil generation hath therein said much more save your selves from Condemnation To save our selves from sin to save our selves from Wrath to save our Souls this is a great Duty lying on every man in this World and this Self-saving or Self-preservation our self-Self-love will prompt and press us to He that loveth himself will save himself he that duly loveth his Soul will do what he can to save his Soul That men destroy and Damn themselves that men neglect Christ the Author of Salvation that men neglect Religion and Godliness the way of Salvation is for want of a true love to themselves Sinners Christ is Preached unto you and tendred to you and if you lov'd your selves better you would love Christ and accept of him You are exhorted to Repentance to Godliness and if you loved your own Souls you would repent and be holy Thou art an hater of thy Self an Enemy a Murderer of thine own Soul who art not a lover of Christ and of Religion and godliness What a Brute art thou O sinner yea worse than a Brute thou canst love thy Friends thou canst love thy Wife and thy Child thou canst love thy Companions yea thou canst love thy sins and thy lusts only thou hast no love to thy Soul 'T is laid down as a mark of wicked Persons among many others 2 Tim. 3.3 Without natural Affection For a Child to be without natural Affection to the Parents for Parents to be without natural affection to the Child for men to be strangers to their own flesh without natural Affection to their Friends or Relations this is a mark of a wicked man What is it then for men to be without natural affection to their own Souls wilt thou say thou lovest thy Soul when thou so sadly neglectest thy Soul when thou takest no care for thy Soul when for the love of thy Lusts and thy Pleasures and thy Companions thou wilt Damn thy Soul Sinners what have you done for your Souls ever since you were born You have done something for your Flesh you have fed it and cloathed it and wrought hard for it to get a provision and maintenance for it but what have you done for your Souls what pains didst thou ever take that it might be well with thy Soul what knowledge hast thou gotten what Grace hast thou gotten what Peace for thy Soul hast thou gotten Peace with God hast thou done any thing toward the reconciling thy Soul to God thou knowest how little thou hast done thou hast loaden sin upon thy Soul thou hast loaded guilt upon thy Soul thou hast left it like the Soul of a Laodicean Rev. 3.17 Poor and miserable and Blind and Naked that Soul within thee is a miserable Soul a guilty Soul a blinded hardned Soul a polluted naked Soul it would make your hearts ake if you consider'd it in what woful wretched case you have left your Souls to this day If you have so much sense in you think of it and lay it sadly to Heart what a miserable case you have left your Souls in the reason of this is because you are without love to your Souls hence is it that you have had so little care of your Self-preservation 2. Self-blessing Isa 65.16 There is a Self-blessing that is
our Duty Let him that Blesseth himself in the Earth bless himself in the God of Truth He that loveth himself will bless himself There 's a double Self-blessing 1. A seeking our own blessedness self-Self-love will prompt us to seek an happiness for our selves not only to save our selves from Misery but to bring our selves to Blessedness The blessedness which true self-Self-love wisheth and seeketh for Self is in God in the God of Truth He that truly loveth his own Soul can be content with nothing less than God for the blessedness of of it No State no Inheritance no Treasure can satisfie him below Heaven and everlasting glory There 's not a man of you that loves his Soul but he is seeking Glory and Honour and Immortality for it he is taking care and taking pains to get a place in Heaven for his Soul to lay up Treasure in Heaven for it Dost thou love thy self who dost not bless thy Self or seek a Blessing in God for thy Self Dost thou bless thy Self in God who slightest God who carest not for God and who refusest the blessing of God and this for the sake of thy Lusts and Pleasures Sinner lovest thou thy Self lovest thou thine own Soul O seek a Blessing for it a blessing in God a blessing in Heaven for it 2. An enjoying and rejoycing in your own Blessedness Loving our selves aright is part of the fruition and enjoying our selves as loving God is of the fruition of God No man that loves himself but he would enjoy himself and bless himself in the reflection on his own Happiness And this is the self-blessing mentioned let him bless himself in the God of Truth that is let him satisfy himself let him comfort himself let him enjoy and rejoyce over himself upon this account that the God of Truth is his God and his Happness Let him not bless himself in the Earth that Riches are his that Pleasures and Honours are his that he hath the World at will but that the Lord God is his let him not chear himself with the Rich Man's Song Luke 12. Soul take thine ease thou mayest enjoy thy Self for thou hast goods laid up for many Years but let him take up the Psalmist's Song Psal 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my Soul herein thou mayest bless thy Self herein thou mayest comfort thy Self the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee Friends you whose God is the Lord you are the Men that may bless your Selves you are the Men that may enjoy your Selves you may look into your Hearts with comfort you may look upon your States with Joy you may bless your Selves that God hath given you such an Heart you may bless your Selves that God hath given you such a Portion You that have an Interest in God and this witnessed by the Image of God upon your Hearts you may enjoy your Selves and take comfort as often as you look inward and see the Marks and the Prints of Divine Grace stamped upon you your very love to your Selves will make you to rejoice over your Selves as often as you view the blessed Frame into which the Goodness and Grace of God hath brought you Well this Self-love with it's Fruits Self-preservation and Self-blessing is our Duty and the Lord hath planted it in our Hearts on purpose to bring us on upon all our other Duties God makes great use of this innocent Self-love in his Government of the World God Governs by Laws and Laws Govern by their Rewards and Punishments and Rewards and Punishments have their Efficacy by vertue of this love of our selves what would Laws signifie were there no Rewards to the Obedient nor Penalties to the Disobedient These are the Sinews and Strength of Laws and what would Rewards and Penalties signifie to us were we not lovers of our Selves Our self-Self-love prompts us to seek our good and to prevent our misery As far as we love our Selves we desire our own Happiness 'T was Self-love that made those many Psal 4.6 to say Who will shew us any good 'T was the Psalmist's Love to the Church Psal 122.9 that made him say I will seek thy good and hence 't is that we endeavour the prevention of our ruin Self-preservation is the Fruit of Self-love Self-love is the first spring and motive to Religion 't is true when we come to be Religious indeed there are higher motives the love of God the Love of Christ is the great Argument to carry us on in sound Religion when we come to be Christians then the main Motive to Christianity is that which Christ used to Peter John 21.15 to faithfulness in his Ministry Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep Lovest thou me Feed my Lambs If ye love me keep my Commandments Joh. 14.15 But the first Motive to bring us to be Christians is this self-Self-love Lovest thou thy Self Then give thy Self to Christ Lovest thou thy Soul Then be a Christian Christ is the only way to blessedness He that hath the Son hath Life 1 Joh. 5.12 And he that not the Son hath not Life Christ is the only way to blessedness and the only security against misery against Everlasting misery There is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 There is no Name under Heaven by which we must be saved saved from Death from Eternal Death but by the Name of Jesus Acts 4.12 Now when Christ says Come unto me and ye shall have rest Mat. 11. Follow me and ye shall have Treasure in Heaven Mark 10. He that is ashamed of me of him will I be ashamed before my Father that is in Heaven the intent and meaning of all this is if you love your Selves come to me if you love your Souls keep my Commandments if ever you would that those Souls of yours should be happy Souls if you would not that they should be Lost and Burned and Drowned in everlasting Destruction if you love your Souls and wish their good and happiness if you would not be your Destroyers and Murtherers if you have so much love to your Souls that you would they should be Saved and would not that they be Damned then come unto Christ then be followers of Christ then believe then repent and obey the Gospel If you love your Selves be Holy if you love your Selves be Heavenly minded if you love your Selves be humble be painfull be circumspect and walk in all things as becometh the Gospel By the way I exhort you to improve and maintain your true self-Self-love I say not to you only Husbands love your Wives Parents love your Children Christians love one another but every one of you love your Selves If you love your Selves you will love God if you love your Selves you will love Christ if you love your Selves you will love Godliness if you love your Selves you will be the followers of God the Disciples of Christ and will give your selves to live godly in Christ Jesus See therefore that you love your Selves that your poor Souls may grow more dear
to you Be more Zealous for the Salvation of your own Souls be more fearful of their Damnation be more tender of wounding and wronging your Souls Take heed of sin Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth wrongeth his own Soul all they that hate me love Death You that sin against God ye wrong your own Souls Love your Souls better and you will never be such proud Livers or such Worldlings or such Drunkards or Rioters you would be sober and serious and circumspect If you lov'd your Selves better you would take heed of this Lying and these Oaths and this unrighteous Dealing of this hardness of Heart in your sins you would fall upon your Knees you would fall upon your Faces and be ashamed and bewail and repent of your sins and return to the Lord from them all had you more of this true Self-love within you Sinners why come you not in to Christ Why will you not yet be perswaded to repent Why Man hast thou no love to thy Self The Apostle tells us Eph. 5.29 No Man ever yet hated his own Flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it He useth that word to press Husbands to love their Wives who says he are their own Flesh Dost thou not love thy Self What wouldst thou say of a Man that doth not love his Wife but would play the Tyrant and Tygre brawling and snarling yea fighting and beating her You would say This were a Monster among Men rather than a Christian worse than the very Brutes amongst whom it 's seldom seen that the Male snarleth or biteth or pusheth at the Female What then is he that loveth not his own Soul Lovest thou thy Self Lovest thou thine own Soul Then take heed of going on in thy Sins then take heed of standing it out against Christ You hear what a reward there is for the Righteous you hear what an Inheritance Christ hath laid up for his Saints an Inheritance in Light Life Love Joy everlasting Pleasure and everlasting Glory Christ would make those poor Souls blessed Souls joyful Souls glorious Souls partakers of the everlasting Riches of his Glory and Joy But what wilt thou say My Soul shall have no part in it My Soul shall never come there my Lot shall never be with the Saints but shall be without amongst Unbelievers Impenitents amongst Dogs and Sorcerers and Idolaters In refusing to come to Christ to Repent and be made Holy thou sayest in effect my Soul shall never come to Heaven Let it to Hell amongst Dogs and Devils and that vile and wicked Generation of the Damned But Sinner hast thou forgot that thou art a Man Art thou a Monster of Men Hast thou lost all love to thy Self to thine own Soul Doest thou neither love nor pity thine own Soul Wouldst thou that Christ should ever love thee when thou whilt not love thy Self Wouldst thou that Christ should ever pity thee when thou wilt not pity thy self O Sinners love your own Souls pity your own Souls be not so cruel and hard-hearted to your selves Will you for the love of your Lusts for the love of the World sell your Souls to the Devil sell them to Hell to make Faggots for the everlasting Burnings Where are your Bowels O pity pity that poor blind and miserable Soul of thine and bring it to Christ for pity's sake go on in thy evil ways no longer be a Drunkard no longer a Worldling no longer a Lyar a Scoffer no longer be no longer hardned in your sins but come away to Christ and escape for your Lives if you love your Selves come if you have any pity for your Selves come let the dread of the Cruelties of the Devil bring you back from following him and come you in and cast your Selves upon the Blood upon the Bowels and Compassions of Christ who is such an High Priest as can have compassion upon the Ignorant and those that are out of the way and even on the worst of Sinners that will return to him What shall I say more to you I will speak but the same words let every one of you see that he so love himself as Christ loved the Church washing it and saving it by his Blood Love your Selves and save your Selves love your Selves and bless your Selves in the God of Truth Don't bless your selves in the Earth in your Money in your Lands in your carnal Pleasures in your carnal Friends these things are not nor ever think they will be your Blessedness but bless your Selves in the God of Truth bless your Selves in Jesus whom God hath sent to bless you in turning you from your Iniquities Act. 3.26 Turn to Christ and you shall be blessed be Believers and you shall be Blessed come in this day and let your Names be written among the blessed of the Lord come every one of you and put in your Names among the Disciples of Christ Let me be one Lord let me be another write down my Name for one among thy Disciples I am willing to be thine and do solemnly covenant and this very day give my Self to Thee Who of you are there that will thus come in Will you be perswaded to it or must I lose my labour Are there any of you Is there any one of all the Sinners in this Company that will thus come in Come then in the Name of the Lord come get your Names to be thus written in the Lamb's Book and and he will write it in Heaven there it will be found in the last Day written in the Book of Life this do and then you that have been hitherto the Haters and Wrongers and Cruel will hence-forth appear to be Lovers of your own Souls 2. There is a sinful Self-love this is the great Heart Idolatry and the Root of all Rebellion and Disobedience to God Here I shall shew you 1. What this sinful Self-love is 1. It is a Love of mistaken Self of Carnal-self a love of the Flesh and it's Affections and Lusts a love of that Flesh which Christ would have us to hate and deny Mat. 16.24 Himself that is his Flesh or Carnal-self Men are mistaken in themselves and count that their Self which is not their Self as Christ said to the Woman of Samaria John 4. concerning her Husband He that thou hast for an Husband is not thine Husband so may it be said to Sinners That which thou takest for thy Self is not thy Self this Flesh which thou takest for thy Self and lovest as thy Self is not thy Self You that love your Flesh you love your Enemy you that please your Flesh you are pleasing your Enemy you that are working for your Flesh and providing for your Flesh and pampering your Flesh you are working for and feeding your Enemy you count you are seeking of and working for your Self no 't is for your Enemy this Flesh is your Mortal Enemy Now this is one sort of sinfull self-Self-love when we love our Flesh or our corruptions when we love our Selves as Fleshly-minded Men when we love to please and
forth and Self eat them up there was nothing for God Israel was an empty Vine to him her Fruits were to themselves Friends would you not be rejected for Barren empty Vines for false-hearted and rotten Professors Would you not be found rotten at the Core See that it be the Love of God and not this Self-love lying at the Bottom at the Root of your Religion 2. It is the Root of all Vnrighteousness and Vnmercifulness to Men. Self-love will never learn that Lesson to do to others as it would be done by it will catch all it can and keep all it has Self must be advanced Self must be enriched whoever be ruined by it all manner of Frauds and Deceits all manner of Oppressions and Wrongs all Mens underminings all Mens over-reachings of their Neighbours all Mens falshoods in their Words their Promise-breakings their Lyings all their falshood in their Dealings in their Tradings in their deceitful Words in their deceitful Weights and Measures all this Unrighteousness 't is their Self-love that puts them upon it so they may get for themselves and enrich themselves how wicked soever the means or wayes be to it they care not who be impoverished or ruined And where Self will not suffer Men to be Righteous it will less suffer them to be Merciful what they are so much for getting they will be but little for giving the Hunger and Nakedness the pinching and Pining and even Starving of so many poor amongst us the short Alms they can get and that little that it 's so hardly come by the failing of Compassions the shutting up of Bowels against those that are in need this is all from Self-love I shall need it for my self I need it for mine own I cannot spare it that 's often the Word that must go in stead of an Alms. 3. It is the Root of all Brawls and Quarrels and Contentions in the World Whence are there such Multitudes of troublesome Law-Suits What are they but the contendings of Self with Self one says 't is mine own and I will have it whatever it cost me another says 't is not thine but mine and I will have it this Meum and Tuum how hath it set the World together by the Ears Not that there is Unrighteousness in all Suits at Law the Love of God may sometimes put Men to make use of the Law of Man but those unjust or unreasonable contendings about trifles or for that which is none of their own in hope by their Might or their Money to Rob the Poor of their Right these are pernicious Quarrels and 't is Self that sets them on 4. It 's the Root of Self-seeking Holy Self-love is the Root of Holy Self-seeking as the love of God is the Root of seeking God so sinful self-Self-love is the Root of all sinful self-seeking and sinful self-seeking is contrary to the seeking of God The love of God is the Root of our seeking God These two Love of God and seeking God are put both together in one Promise Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me and those that seek me Early shall find me Isa 26.9 With my Soul have I desired thee there 's the love and what follows With my Spirit within me will I seek thee Early the love of God will set us a seeking God 't is in vain that thou sayst I love God if thou canst not say also I seek God and the love of Self will put us on self-seeking and this sinful self-seeking is ever contrary to the seeking of God Phill. 2.31 All seek their own not the things that are Jesus Christ's all seek their own things that is their own Carnal things and those that thus seek their own seek not the things of Christ there is this difference betwixt Self-love and the Love of God Self-love divides Interests Self stands single and hath a separated and divided Interest that 's the Interest of Self which is the Interest of none else and self-Self-love in seeking it's own Interest seeks the Interest of none else neither of Christ nor of Men the love of God unites Interests he that loves God the things of God and his own things are the same he counts nothing his own things but those that are also the things of God and when he is seeking God he is then most seeking his own God is his own and he counts nothing his own but what is also the Lords when he seeks God he therein seeks his own and where he seeks his own he therein seeks God his Soul is his own and the Interest and Prosperity of Soul these are the things of God it 's the Love of the Brethen unites our Interest with the Interest of the Saints 't is the Interest of the whole Body that is the Interest of every Member all the Saints have the same common Interest so the Love of Christ unites the Interest of every Member with the Interest of the Head the love of God makes the things of God our own things and the love of the Saints makes the things of the Church to be all our own It is betwixt Christ and Christians and betwixt Christians one toward another as 't was betwixt the Primitive Christians they have all things common Acts 4.32 None said of ought that he possessed that it was his own but they had all things common Not but that Christians have a real Propriety in their own Estates by virtue of which civil Right their Estates are so their own as that they are not anothers but yet by vertue of the community of Interests what one Man hath should be as there is occas on to the benefit of the Community And whence was this The love of God had united their Interests and the Multitude of them that believed were knit together by that love as one Man they were of one Heart and of one Soul there 's no Meum and Tuum Thine and Mine betwixt Christ and his Saints but all is Mine I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine Cant. 2.17 We are not our own say Believers we are thine and I am not mine own says Christ I am yours and that which I have is yours John 20.17 Tell my Brethen I go to my Father and your Father to my God and your God my Father is yours my God is your God all I have is yours I am yours and and my Blood and my Bowels are yours my stripes my wounds and my Righteousness and my Inheritance is yours 1 Cor. 3.22 23 Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours for ye are Christs and Christ is Gods my Ministers are yours mine Ordinances are yours my Possessions are yours things present and things to come if I have any right in this World the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof if I have any thing in the World to come the everlasting Crown the everlasting Mansions all are yours and
ye are mine and I am Gods Thus Christs love to Christians causeth him to say to them I am yours and all that I have so Christians love to Christ helps them to say Lord we are thine and all we have are thine not only our sins are thine our infirmities are thine but our Parts and our Possessions our Graces and our Duties yea our Houses and our Lands and our Possessions all are thine Christians we have been call'd together this day to a Communion of Loves and thereby to an Espousal of Interests betwixt Christ and us we have received the Pledges of his love his Bread and his Wine he hath given us to Eat and to Drink as the tokens he hath sent us down from Heaven of his Love I have brought you tokens every one of you from the Lord this day tokens of his love we have received the Pledges of his love and we have returned the Pledges of our love to him our very accepting of Christ's Tokens hath been our returning of our tokens Your communion together to Eat of Christ's Bread and Drink of his Cup provided it hath been in sincerity a Spiritual Eating and a Spiritual Drinking your Eating and Drinking his Body and Blood Christ hath accepted as a token of your loves and this communion of love hath been an Espousal of Interests Christ hath hereby told you Because I love you I will be yours and all that I have in Heaven and Earth you may henceforth call your own I am your own Jesus my Father is your own Father and my God is your own God and mine Inheritance is your own Inheritance and you have said if you have sincerely accepted of Christ we are thine own thine own Flock thine own Inheritance thy Ransom'd ones thy Redeemed ones and thy peculiar People this hath been the up-shot of the Transaction betwixt Christ and you this day the Sealing to this word I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine And as there hath been an interchangeable communion of loves and Espousal of Interest betwixt Christ and Christians so also betwixt Christians and Christians as we have said to our Lord I am thine so we have therein said one to another I am yours and must therefore walk in that tenderness of love in that dearness of affection one to another in that mutual care of each others good in that mutual Sense of each others afflictions in that mutual delight in each others Societies in that mutual helping and counselling and comforting one another and hearty seeking and rejoicing in each others good studying to please each other for his good to Edification fearing to grieve or offend or wrong or fall out with or quarrel one with another counting the Interest of every Christian to be the common Interest of the whole Body that we hereby may prove that we love one another not in Word and in Tongue but Indeed and in Truth This now is the Nature and these are the Fruits of Divine Love it will unite Hearts and unite Interests this will be the Interest of Christians which will flow from the love of Christ that Christ's Interest prosper in the World that the Name of Christ be exalted and be honourable both in themselves and in the World that Christ be loved that Christ be praised that the Word of Christ the Worship of Christ his Sabbaths his Ordinances be exalted in the World that the Glory and Holy Image of Christ his Humility Meekness Lowliness Heavenliness Righteousness Mercy may shine forth in our Faces and in the Faces and Wayes of all his Saints that we may in our particulars and jointly shew forth the Spirit and Life of serious and poweful Religion and Godliness in all manner of Holy Conversation this we should account our Interest with respect to Christ that he may be thus Honour'd and Obeyed and this will be the Interest of Christians with respect to Christians that we may see one another the whole Vineyard flourishing in the Power of Holiness as living and lively Instances of the Grace of God and as far as the Lord see it good may see one another prospering in this World even as our Souls do prosper O Christians espouse this common Interest and do what you can to promote this Interest in the World Love Christ and lift up the Name of Christ love Christ and shew forth the Image of Christ love Christ and Consecrate your Life to Christ determine to know nothing to value nothing to rejoice in nothing but Jesus Christ and him Crucified And then love one another and study to please one another to profit one another for their good to Edification to cast in your Lot together to rejoice together with them that rejoice to grieve with them that suffer to live together in love forbearing one another forgiving one another comforting one another even as you your selves would be Loved forgiven and comforted of God This now is the nature and the fruit of Divine Love it unites Interests but Self-love sinful Self-love divides Interests and so those that seek the things of Self their carual things seek not the things of Christ 3. Sinful Self-love hath a root remaining in the best Hearts even of the regenerate though in Conversion Self hath lost the Domlnion and be cast down from the Throne yet is there a secret Tabernacle a corner in the Heart where it fortifies it Self and is still aspiring to recover the Throne it hath lost the Dominion yet it retains in some degree an Interest in the affection and by this affection it hath the advantage of us and often recovers too great a Command again How great a Power sinful self-Self-love hath still in us the experience of Chistians sadly proves for the clearing whereof consider yet again more distinctly that there is as hath been already hinted a threefold Self-love and accordingly a threefold Self-seeking 1. There is a loving or seeking our selves in conjunction with God and in subordination to him This is a loving or seeking Self spiritually a loving or seeking of Self as Christians as the Servants of God and Members of Christ as cloathed with the Image and devoted to the service and aspiring to the Salvation of God This Self-loving and Self-seeking is our duty and our excellency the Interest of Self spiritual and the Interest of God are a conjunct Interest only the Interest of Self is lower and subordinate to the Interest of God When we thus seek our selves our Spiritual and Eternal good we are therein most effectually seeking God we cannot more effectually seek God than in seeking our own Salvation Those that seek Glory Honour and Immortality for themselves do therein seek the Glory and Honour of the Immortal God thereby declaring that they prize and value the Lord as their chief nay the only good He that neglecting these lower things doth seeek God as his onely happiness doth therein take the Crown off the head of all his Idols and set it where it
you should not when once you have gotten duely to love the Lord. Well by this you see the Order in the Heart and in special the due Order and Measure of your love that is necessary and how necessary it is Can you therefore except against this Order and Measure of your Love What should be first and chiefly loved Wilt thou not say That God should be he Which should be most in our Love our Bodies or our Souls Will you not every one say O my Soul my Soul is of more worth than my Body and more worthy of my Love Which should be more loved your Bodies or your Estates and the Creatures you enjoy Surely you would all say in this as Christ said Mat. 6.25 The Life is more than Meat and the Body than Raiment what would you think of such a Man that loves his Money more than his own Body that would suffer his Body to Starve and Pine rather than spend his Money upon it you would say This Man is a Monster and is not he as much a Monster who loves his Body more than his Soul or himself more than God as he who loves his Money more than his Body Christians would you not count it well with you if your Love were thus regulated What if you could now feel that which you have so often questioned and doubted whether it be so or no that you can now love God above all that the whole stream of your Love did run into the Ocean If you could feel such strong and such lively and such passionate workings of your Hearts towards God such dearness and such tenderness and such strength and ardency of Affection to the Lord if you could feel your Hearts burning within you with the Divine Love if these Hearts were all flameing Hearts and flaming upwards and that so sensibly and so strongly that there might be a resolving of that doubt and you saâ— it true beyond question and you could say Now I feel who hath mine Heart none but God none but Christ Whom have I in Heaven but thee there 's nothing in the Earth that I love in comparison of thee God is the love of my Heart and my Portion for ever what if you could now feel it thus within you What if from your own sense and experience you could heartily speak out such words Take this Heart to thee O Lord thine it is thou art mine only Love and nothing will I love or regard but in Order to thee would you not bless your selves in such an experience Would it not be Marrow and Fatness to your Souls Would you not rejoyce in the Lord and triumph in Christ and praise his Holy Name that had wrought you to that pass That God should have thus gotten to be the chief in your love and Self and Flesh and the whole World were brought to stoop and stand aside yea and to be trampled on in comparison of him Sure you that are Christians would count it happy with you if it were thus and I dare say concerning you this is it you pray for and hope for and wait and thirst and long after and would count it an infinitely greater matter of joy and praise than if the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl if all the Pomps and Pleasures and Grandeur of the World were increasing unto you and were rolling in upon you and therefore you for your parts have nothing to except against this Order and Measure of your love Qu. 2. But how is it with you If it be an excellent thing if it be a blessed thing to have our Hearts brought into such a Frame and Order what do ye find Are you made partakers of this blessedness O the Lord help me I am far short of it I can feel that I love this World I need no tryal whether I love this Flesh or no whether I love my Credit or no whether I love my Money or my Lands or mine Ease or my Pleasures I feel I love these things but whether I love my Soul as I ought whether I love God as I ought there 's my great doubt and I fear I do not Dost thou fear Dost thou doubt whether thou lovest thy Soul as thou lovest the World Whether thou lovest thy God as thou lovest thy Flesh And is there any thing but need then that thou shouldst be brought to a better pass Canst thou be quiet canst thou be comforted in any thing whilest it is thus with thee Christians would you ever be clearly satisfied concerning your eternal State that you shall hereafter dwell in the eternal Love Would you be comforted touching your present Case that God is your God That Christ is your Jesus That the Covenant and the Promises and the Mercies of God are yours that you are passed from Death to Life that your Names are written in Heaven and that you are Enrolled amongst the Saints and shall have an Inheritance with the Saints in Light Then put hard on for this blessed Frame of Heart let it henceforth be the great thing in your Eye look for it pray for it reach forth towards it down with this World tread upon this Earth and Flesh love nothing but what God would have you love love nothing but in subordination to God Dread the encroachments of the Creatures upon the Right of God despise these carnal Pleasures despise this Money and these Lands or this Credit so far forth as they stand in competition with God set your Foot upon the Necks of them all give your Hearts unto the Lord and let him be your Love and your Delight and your Portion for ever 2. For our Desires in this as in the former we must desire what we should desire and as much as and no more than we should desire it the Object of our desires is the same with the Object of our Love that which is Good Now of all the Good which may or ought to be desired 1. Something is to be desired Absolutely and Vltimately and thus God only is to be desired 2. Other good things are to be desired Absolutely but Subordinately and thus the first Grace is to be desired and the evelasting Happiness of our Souls absolutely but subordinately we are to desire our own blessedness but chiefly that therein God may be glorified 3. Other good things are to be desired in subordination and with submission And thus the higher Degrees of Grace the best and most advantageous Means of Grace Gifts the gift of Prayer gifts for Edification c. these all are to be desired with submission to the will of God the first Grace or saving Grace we are not to desire with submission so as to be content to be deny'd it no not to the will of God for there is no such will of God for us to submit to God would not have any Man to submit to it to be for ever left an Enemy or a Reprobate from God God would not have any Man content to
this Earth and the Fulness thereof You now that are for Government in your Hearts for the Government of your desires take this course for thus Governing of them desire God and the things above as much as you should desire the good things below no more than you should desire the evil things below not at all get your desires after Lawful things to be moderated your desires after sinful things to be Crucified put Wings to your Holy desires put Clogs and Fetters upon your Natural desires and up to the Cross to the Gibbet with these sinfull desires and herein have you set up the Lord to be the King in your Hearts and brought your very Appetites to be subject to him 3. For our Joys for the due raising and limiting of these I shall shew 1. The Object of Joy is the same with the Object of Love and Desire He that Loves whatever it be if he hath it not he desireth it if he hath it he rejoiceth he that loves God if he can hear such a Word from God I am Thine that 's a joyful Word then he can rejoice in God he that loveth Money or the gains of this World if he hath it not he desireth it if he hath it he rejoiceth his Money is his Joy his Estate is his Joy such a joy as 't is a poor flashy Joy yet Joy there is to him The Woman in the Parable Luke 15.9 that had lost her piece of Silver when She had found it She calls her Neighbours together to rejoice with her sure such a Woman loved Money well Joy arises 1. Originally from its Object or the Thing loved It is God that is the Fountain of Divine Joy thence it springs and comes in therefore the Apostle prays Rom. 15.13 The God of Hope fill you with all Joy There are Three wayes by which our Joy in God is raised 1. By Contemplation by Contemplaâ—ing of God we come to see and find out what matter of Joy there is in God it brings the goodness and kindness the satisfying and ravishing Excellencies of God to our sight those to whom the glorious Lord is as a barren Wilderness or Land of Darkness as the expression is Jer. 2.31 it is either from their Ignorance or their want of Contemplating of God It is a sign thou art a blind Soul and knowest not God or that thou art a Sranger to Divine Meditation Thou lookest little Heaven-ward thou dost not send up thy Thoughts in search for God who yet sayest Where is that Joy Where is that Blessedness Where is that Joy Look more diligently in the Face of God let thy Soul dwell in the Study and Contemplation of his infinite goodness thou hast a glass before thee the glass of the Word wherein his glory shineth look more into that glass and Meditate much upon what that Word revealeth of the Excellencies of God and then thou shalt see his Glory and Taste his Joy 2. Expectation and Hope therefore we Read of Rejoycing in Hope Rom. 5.2 When Contemplation hath discovered the Blessedness that is in God then Hope layes hold on it this Blessedness may be mine saith the Soul and I have good Hope it may be mine and in that Hope I joy What Malefactor that is in fear of Death for his Offences that should be told there is yet hope of thy Pardon hope that thou mayest live but would rejoyce in that Hope What poor Man that is in want that should have Tidings of a Rich Inheritance that was falling to him but his Hope would make him to Sing for Joy Dost thou hear of the unsearchable Riches of Christ of the Treasures of everlasting Joy that that are in the Lord God and hast thou Hope that these will be thy Riches and thy Treasures how canst thou but rejoyce in Hope of the Glory of God 3. Fruition or the enjoying of the Object loved and this is it which brings the fullest Joy Fruition stands 1. In our Actual Possession of the Object when we have what we hoped for and there is a double Possession of God that the Saints have in this Life 1. A Possession by Faith 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life that is he that believeth in Christ hath Christ his Faith puts him into Possession and from this the Possession of Faith Joy followeth Rom. 15.13 The God of Hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing 2. A Possession by Sense when we Taste that the Lord is gracious when we feel the comfortable refreshings of his loving kindness when the beams of his Light and the Streamings of his Love shine upon and warm our Hearts when his Light Shines into our Darkness and gives us the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.8 And when his Love is shed abroad into our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which he hath given us Rom. 5.5 When we see how lovely the Lord is and feel that he loveth us 2. In the satisfaction of our Hearts with this Possession when we are pleased and delighted and satisfied with his goodness A full satisfaction of the Heart will not be till hereafter Psal 17.15 When I awake I shall be satisfied and therefore our fulness of Joy is reserved till then but satisfaction to such a Degree there is upon our present Possession as gives us a kind of present Fruition 2. This Joy arises as from the Object so immediately from the very Act of Loving Joy ariseth from love 1. By way of immediate resultancy there is a great Pleasure in Love as there is bitterness in grief and sorrow so there is sweetness in Love this very Blossom of Love casteth forth such a fragrancy as no Man knows but he that hath it It is a Sweet and a Pleasant thing to live ln the love of God He that loves God and feels that he loves him and he hath him whom he loves cannot but rejoice in him 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love and believing ye rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of glory There we have 1. A Christians love to God whom having not seen ye love 2. His Possession of what he loves believing Believing is as I said before getting Possession and then 3. The Joy that followeth ye rejoice c. 2. By way of Reflection when a Christian upon his review of this his love to Christ perceives that he loves him in sincerity this is to him a Token of Christ's love to him Dost thou see dost thou feel that thou lovest Christ This thy love to Christ is a Token that he hath sent thee into thy Heart to tell thee that he loveth thee And when thine Heart can say I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine the Lord is my God my Saviour my Portion and Inheritance canst thou say so Then thou wilt add with the Psalmist Psal 16.6.9 The Lines are fallen to me in a Pleasant Place and I have a goodly Heritage
not thy recovery and not minding thy recovery hence it is that thou mindest not thy ransom or Redeemer but makest light of Christ and his redemption and makest so light of him that thou wilt not accept and embrace him when offered to thee Well but whatever thou hast done take heed thou do so no more Hast thou yet this price in thine hand is there yet a ransom to be had for that miserable soul of thine Doth Christ yet stand over thee offering thee his bloud offering thee himself to be thy redemption Take heed how thou goest away again neglecting to accept and make him thine own This is one condition upon which redemption may be yours if you will accept of Christ as your ransom 2. To accept of Christ as your Captain To list your self under him as his Souldier to give up your self to be commanded and ordered and governed by him to follow your great Leader when he hath broken the bars and opened the Prison doors and knocked the Goaler in the head and commands you out of Prison and calls to you all Follow me This is another condition of your recovery Follow your Captain There is no man that shall have the benefit of Christs ransom that will voluntarily stay behind in prison Art thou resolved to serve the Devil still to follow thy lust still Dost thou refuse to follow Christ and to be commanded and governed by him Then thou canst have no benefit by his ransom Heb. 5.9 He became the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him Well would you be recovered by Christ then list your selves under him as your Captain be commanded and governed by him 3. To accept of Christ as your Physician This accepting of Christ as your Physician notes three things 1. A willingness to be healed by Christ Some sinners though they will say I accept of Christ for my Physician yet they are not willing to be healed by him they love their disease and do not love their health Sin is their disease and holiness is the health of their souls Sin is their disease and yet they love their sin Drunkards love to be Drunkards the Voluptuous love their pleasures the Covetous love their covetousness and the carnal their carnality Swine do not more love the mud and the mire and to be wallowing in it than swinish sinners do the mire of their lusts and sins Sometimes they pray for recovery pray for repentance pray for new heart and life but they would be loth that God should hear their prayers Sin which is their disease is that they love and holiness which is their health they loath and hate If Christ call to them come to me and I will make a Saint of thee I will fetch thee off from thy drunken Companions I will cure thee of thy Covetousness I will wash thee from thy filthy lusts and make thee one of mine holy ones what would they answer No I desire no such cure I love my pleasures and my company and my covetousness and carnality and for holiness let them hearken to thee that have a mind to it I have no list to be of those holy ones When Christ came to cure bodily diseases the blind and the lame and the lunatick and the possessed of Devils how glad were they to be cured But blind souls and lame and lunatick souls sick and diseased souls are not willing of Christs cure The carnal mind is at enmity against God Rom. 8.7 Psal 50.17 Thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Sinners had rather that Christ would let them all alone as they are they would that he should save them from Hell but they would not that he should turn them from their sins Christ will never save men from wrath who will not be healed of their sins and Christ will not heal till men be willing to be healed 1. Christ will never save men from wrath who will not be healed of their sins Unless he wash thee he will not bless thee Joh. 13.8 If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me Whilest thou art a Sinner thou art a Swine thou art a Viper thou art a Leper thy very nature is swinish viperous and tainted with an hereditary leprosie Christ will make another manner of creature of thee than thou art ere ever thou shalt see his salvation Dost thou think that Christ will drive over these herds of Swine into the Land of Promise Will he people Heaven with a generation of Vipers or with such an unclean leprous brood as the unconverted sinners are Be not deceived nothing that is unclean shall enter in thither That heart of thine must be changed that corrupt nature of thine must be purged of a Swine thou must be made a man and the old man must become a new man or thou wilt never be made a blessed man If Christ do not heal thee he will never save thee 2. Christ will heal none but those that are willing to be healed His first question to those he comes to cure is the same as that which was put to the impotent man Joh. 5.6 Wilt thou be made whole This question Christ is daily putting to you You that are blind will you that I should open your eyes You that are possessed of a Devil of an unclean Devil of a proud Devil of a covetous Devil will you that I should cast this Devil out You whom Sathan hath bound these many years bound under a sensual sinful hardned heart will you be loosed from these bonds You whom the Devil hath been leading on after your pleasures or your carnal liberties by the chain of your evil natures will you that I should cut the chain and put a stop to the Devil and turn you back from your course and never suffer you to be Drunkards any longer or Flesh-pleasers any longer or Covetous any longer Is it thy disease that thou hast been such a vile liver so long wilt thou that I should put a stop to thee that thou be never such any more Christ doth ask such questions of you will you that I should thus cure you of all this And what do your hearts answer Some if they speak their hearts must answer O this curing me would be the killing of me I cannot endure to think of such a change it vexes my heart to think of parting with my beloved sins which are as dear as my life to me But what saist thou sinner for thy part Art thou one of these unwilling souls or art thou willing that Christ should cure thee and cleanse thee from all thy sins O get a willing heart what art thou such a sick soul and not willing of the Physician such a blind soul and not willing to have thine eyes opened such a sensless hardned soul and not willing that Christ should humble thee and break thee such a vile and polluted soul and not willing that Christ should wash thee Art thou not willing that Christ should
day Am not I concerned in it Was not this word spoken to me Am not I one that committeth sin Do not I live after the flesh Was I ever regenerated or born again What then Why then think farther Is it nothing to be of the Devil Is everlasting death nothing Is it nothing to be shut out of the kingdom of God Awaken O my sleepy soul yet break and melt and tremble oh mine hardned heart awaken escape for thy Life there is but a step betwixt thee and everlasting death Consider this now whilst the day of adversity comes nor but if thou shouldst be so unwise as not to consider at present yet at least in the day of thy distress consider Then think how little the word hath done to the breaking and awakening of thee What a stock what a senseless stone hath it left thee Then think now God is using one means more to cure me of this sleepy hardned heart God hath laid this sickness upon me or this poverty upon me to humble me and awaken me And now I am come to my last remedy if affliction if distress if sickness if the sight of death and the grave do not work upon me nor cause the word which I have heard to work yet upon me what then Why then I am undone forever I am within a step of the Pit just dropping in and then this lost soul of mine will be past recovery forever O sinners how does this word sit upon your hearts Are not you greatly concerned in it Does not thy life lie at stake thy soul lie at stake upon thy considering or slighting thy warning O consider let present consideration prevent the great necessity of sickness consideration of death-bed consideration At least when any of you shall come to be in distress when pains shall come upon you or poverty come upon you or death make its approach to you then remember the warning of this day In the day of adversity consider 3. Take your physitians counsel and follow his rules Physitians besides their medicins do usually give rules to their Patients for their well ordering themselves and these rules they must observe or they are never like to recover and there are these three rules which ordinarily Physitians give which our great Physitian of souls gives also to them that will be recovered by him 1. Keep a good diet 2. Vse good exercise 3. Take heed of taking cold 1. Keep a good diet Abstain from all such things as will nourish and feed your diseases What is it that hath brought thee to this wretched pass That hath made thee this sick and miserable soul Thou hast been with the prodigal Luk. 15. Feeding upon husks Thou hast been with Israel Is 44 20. Feeding upon ashes Thou hast been with Ephraim Hos 12.1 Feeding upon wind These husks and these ashes and this wind have been all thy poor soul hath been feeding upon the vanities of this world the lust and the pleasures the carnal delights and the profits of this world these are but windy food for thy soul these are the very ashes and husks that have filled thee with such sore diseases thou hast fed thine heart so long with these carnal things thy soul hath been eating these ashes and drinking this wind so long that it is even turned into ashes and wind it is becom an earthly soul a fleshly soul a vain frothy soul and never think to be recovered to a better case till thou feed upon better food Wouldest thou be recovered and get thee a new heart and a new soul Then abstain from thy old feeding Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 1. Pet. 2.11 Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Rom. 13. ult Deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 My meaning plainly is this If ever you would recover allow not your fleshly appetites the liberty as formerly Come off from your carnal pleasures which have been such a band to you Come off from your carnal companions drink no more with the drunken run not with them to their excess of Riot No more such vain sportings and revellings Not in chambring and wantonness not in Riot and Drunkenness Come off from this greedy worldly life feed not your souls upon your lands or your monies or your trades Though you must have something of these for your bodies yet feed not your hearts with them Set not your hearts upon them that is the advice of the Psalmist Psal 62.10 If riches increase or whether they do increase or no set not your hearts upon them Let not your souls be drudges to your flesh to gather in provision for it nor let them feed with your flesh at the same trough You have better things for your souls to feed upon you have God to feed on you have the bloud of Christ the Covenant of grace the hope of Salvation the joys of the spirit the pleasures of Eternity the bread that comes down from Heaven the wine that makes glad the city of God Let these be the food of your souls feed your thoughts upon them Think often of God of his infinite goodness and grace of his eternal treasures and everlasting pleasures Think of Christ what he hath done for you what he hath purchased for you how he hath loved you and washed you in his bloud and saved you by his death Feed your affections on God and his Glory to come feed your desires upon him let this be your voice Js 26.8.9 The desire of my soul is to thy name Enlarge your desires here you cannot be too greedy and of too eager an appetite Delight your selves in the Lord get the savour and relish of things spiritual taste the pleasures of religion taste the sweetness of Christianity Do not onely spend now and then a sudden thought upon God and the things above but live in such frequent and serious meditation that you may get down something of the sweetness and fatness of heaven and digest holy meditations into holy affections Never count you have thought of God to any purpose till you can love and taste and get out good nourishment for your souls by which you may thrive and flourish and with which you may be so delighted as to wean you from the Love and Lusts of this world Believe it friends as loth as you are to let go your pleasant morsels the stolen waters of your own Cisterns as hard as you find it to diet your souls so as to deny your selves the pleasures and contentments of a worldly fleshly life as strongly as your hearts lust after ease and lust after the world and the contentments thereof get but once to be so inwardly acquainted with religion as to taste the pleasure thereof and you will be able to despise this carnal life and all its advantages and wonder at your selves that ever you should find out contentment in such a life as you have lived And now your souls are like
to flourish amain when you are come to this once to disrellish your old delights and to feed your thoughts and feed your affections on things above and to forbear and come off from the love and lusts and companions and pleasures of this world then you will live and thrive and flourish in the House of the Lord and grow up before him as his peculiar children whom the Lord hath saved The sum of this direction I shall give you in short in these three particulars If ever you would recover 1. Abstain from that carnal worldly life in which hitherto you have lived 2. Abstain from those carnal companions in whose converse you have delighted 3. Delight your selves in God feed your thoughts and affections upon things above 2. Vse good exercise Stir your selves out of your lazy humours and keep doing Idleness breeds diseases exercise will help to the cure Particularly exercise your selves 1. To prayer 2. To repentance 3. To the keeping a good conscience 1. Exercise your selves to prayer The prayer of the faithful shall save the sick Jam. 5.15 The sick soul as well as the sick body Prayer is a stirring exercise that if performed as it ought sets all the powers of the soul on work it is a striving with God it is a wrestling with God it is the lifting up of the heart and the pouring out the soul to God When thou settest thy self to praying it is both a sign that thy recovery is begun and an hope it will be perfected Set your selves to praying Sinners stir up your selves to prayer There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee Is 64.7 Pray and stir up your selves in prayer It is not sleepy lazy cold formal praying but stirring prayer that must do the cure Stir up your desires in prayer be passionate and affectionate seekers stir up your fears in prayer consider what if I should not prevail What if the cry of my sins should be louder than the cry of my prayers I come for the pardon of my sins I come for power against sin I am begging my life and the saving my soul from going down into the Pit my very life my soul lies at stake if God should not hear me I am lost for ever Awaken oh my soul and pour forth strong cries bow thy self with thy might before the Lord. Plead with God poor sinner for that poor miserable soul of thine plead with him upon his mercies upon his bowels upon his promises upon the bloud of Christ Take unto thee words Lord I am a miserable sinful soul I am a lost creature I am sick unto death I am bound in the chains of my sins and cannot get loose I am a blind hardned defiled creature these eyes must be opened this heart must be broken this filth and pollution must be washed away or I shall be swallowed up of the pit Where are thy bowels O Lord Art thou a God of pity and hast thou no pity for me Where is thy promise Lord Thou hast said Ask and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you To whom hast thou spoken this word Is it not to me as well as to others Where is the bloud of Christ doth it not speak for sinners Doth it not make intercession for transgressors It doth Lord thou hast said it doth And what doth this bloud speak Lord forgive this poor sinner that comes to thee for pardon Lord purge him with thy bloud Lord heal him with thy bloud Lord give him that new heart and life which he comes for O doth this precious bloud speak thus for me and wilt thou not hear Sinners if ever you would be recovered set upon this exercise and keep you to it Go to God this night be with him again to morrow morning and again in the evening and every day as duly as the day comes go alone and retire your selves into the presence of God fall upon your knees and pour forth your souls in your requests to him Beware you neither neglect it and beware you do not trifle at it do not deceive your selves with the shadow or image of Prayer in stead of Prayer Consider thou art upon a matter of life and death when thou goest to prayer and let that awaken and stir up all thy powers in it Friends I doubt either that you do not pray or that it is but mock-praying that too many of you satisfie your selves withal O what pitiful hasty short dead praying is it that thou satisfiest thy self with Trace thy self into thy praying corners consider how seldom thou art there how quickly thou hast done how miserably thou shufflest over thy duties without life or affection what is this but mock-prayer will such praying recover thy lost soul No thou seest it will not thou art the same man of the same spirit running the same course from one week to another from one year to another without any change for the better It may be said of such praying as it was said of the false Prophets preaching Jer. 6.14 They heal the hurt of my people slightly Slight praying is attended but with slight healing something it seems to do it skins over the wound that it smart not for the time it keeps people quiet for the time but it will never work a thorough cure Your wound is deeper your disease is eaten into your flesh and your bone to your heart and your soul and your medicine must go as deep as your disease There must be deep sighs and groans and deep desires that must come up from the bottom of your hearts or they will never reach the bottom of your disease Be ashamed of your slightness be ashamed of your folly that you should ever think that God would help you the sooner for such trifling and mocking prayers Oh pray and exercise your selves in prayer Stir up all within you to this work look to your selves I am afraid that this duty which is a means of recovery may prove the loss of your souls I am afraid lest the Lord the jealous God that will not be mocked I am afraid that he may damn you for your prayers your trifling mocking prayers Dare not to trifle any longer dare not for thy life that the Lord ever again meet thee in thy closet meet thee on thy knees with nothing but the sacrifice of Fools a few heartless words upon thy lips Beloved I can hardly pass over this word thus there being so much weight lying upon it and yet there being so much hardness of heart under this soul-deceiving and soul-damning practice shuffling in prayer What say you Have I said enough yet Are you yet made sensible how much you are many of you concerned in this word Are you yet sensible how greatly guilty you are of this miserable hypocrisie Will all that I have said yet do to bring you to be serious and in good earnest in every prayer you make Are you come
provide for and satisfie our fleshly minds when we foster and cherish this Flesh 2. An inordinate love of our Selves Natural when we love that which is our Selves more or otherwise than we ought to love it Our Natural Selves our Bodies and our Souls are to be loved ut supra We ought to love our selves not our Souls only but our Bodies also and so to love them as to seek the good and well-being of our selves not only our Eternal but our Temporal well-being we may love our ease and our freedom from Pain we may love our Credit and our freedom from Reproach and Disgrace we may love our maintenance and freedom from want yea we may love our beauty and comeliness and freedom from Deformity and we may so love as to maintain and provide for our selves in all these respects to maintain our selves in Health to preserve our selves from temporal misery to provide for our temporal necessities but now our sinful self-Self-love is when we love our Selves more or otherwise than we should 1. When we love our selves more than God When we love our selves to the neglect of God as Christ said Mat. 10.37 He that loveth Father or Mother more than me he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me so may it be said he that loveth himself his own flesh his own life more than me is not worthy of me Much more when our self-Self-love makes an abatement of our love to God when Self is lov'd so much that God is lov'd the less when the more Self is minded or cared for by so much the less God is regarded 2. When we love Self as separated from God or otherwise than in subordination to God when our love determines in Self and rises no higher every man should love himself but it must be for the sake of God whose servant he is and whose Image he bears 3. When we love our selves to the prejudice of the love of our Neighbour The word is Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self thou shalt love thy self but so as it may not hinder thee from loving thy Neighbour When self Monopolizes our love when our Love which should be a Common is an Enclosure and is impropriated and confined to our selves when we so intensely love our selves that we love no body else or care for no body else or at least love not others so much as we should when we care not whom we displease so we may but please our selves when we care not whom we neglect so we may provide for our selves when we care not how it be with others let them be in sickness let them be in want let them starve let them die we care not how it be with them so it be but well with our selves when our Self-love is only for the advancing of Self-Interest and will invade and encroach upon and wrong the Interest of others when we can thereby advance our own Lay these things together and therein you may see what sinful self-Self-love is a love of mistaken Self or an inordinate love of our natural Self 2. That sinful self-Self-love is the great Heart-Idolatry and the root of all Rebellion and Disobedience to God 1. It is the great Heart-Idolatry Whatever we love more than God we make it a God yea when we love any thing equal with God or in separation from God and not in subordination to God If we love our Selves only for our Selves we therein deny the God which is above As he that loves Riches only for Riches sake as he that loves his meat and drink only for the Pleasure he hath in eating and drinking so he that loves himself only for selfs sake is an Idolater Whatever we make our last end we make our God Therefore as the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatever ye do so whatever ye love or regard or desire let it be all let it be only for the glory of God Rom. 11.36 To him are all things by him they were made and to him they must be directed O Beloved what an Idolatrous piece is the Heart of man become O what an Idolatrous Heart is there then in every one of us Is self-Self-love Idolatry then who of us can be free from this charge of Idolatry we have every one of us more or less set up this Idol Self in our Hearts Do we not love mistaken Self our sinful flesh do not our Hearts go after our Covetousness our carnal Ease our carnal Pleasures do we not love that carnal Self which should be denyed which should be Mortified and Crucified do none of us so love as to cherish our flesh and make provision for the flesh thou hast a Proud Heart and dost thou not maintain and keep up that Self-esteem thou hast a covetous Heart and dost not thou nourish and feed thy covetousness thou hast a Lust after thy carnal Pleasure and Liberty and thou Indulgest it all thou canst thou lovest to be high thou lovest to be Rich thou lovest thy Pleasure and thy Liberty these things thou lovest and dost thou not love them more than God the more thou lustest after these things and the more thou hast of them is not God so much less loved and regarded Dost thou not know that if thou hadst checked and crossed that proud mind if thou hadst denyd that covetous Heart the Lord God should have had more of thy regard more of thy Love than now he hath had do you not think you should have lov'd God better if you had lov'd the World less or your Ease or your Appetites less behold these things have broken in and encroacht upon Gods right have carried away Gods due this Self for whose sake all these are loved this Self hath stolen into the Heart and carried it away after it O what a woful thing is it that it should be said of any Professor of Religion that this should be said of them it were well for these men or at least better than 't is with them if they loved God but as well as they love their flesh if they served God as heartily as they serve their Covetousness if they were set upon the Pleasing of God but as much as they are set upon pleasing their Appetites if they were delighted in God as much as they are delighted in the World if they could find as much Pleasure in the meditation of God and Exercises of Religion as in the businesses of this life Thou knowest it is not thus with thee thou dost not Love and Delight thy Self in God as thou lovest and delightest thy Self in this earth and flesh Is Communion with God is communing with thy own Heart about the things of God is conversing with God in Prayer in holy Contemplation and Meditation is the exercising thy Faith on God thy Hope on God and thy looking into the Gospel of God and searching out and feeding upon the Blood and Bowels and unsearchable Treasures laid up in Christ is the exercising
thy self in these things as great a Pleasure to thee and dost thou find as great a delight in them as thou findest in eating and drinking in buying and selling and getting gain dost thou love to be Praying or to be Praising the Lord as thou lovest to be getting Money dost thou love to be sending thine Heart to Heaven and there to solace it in the thoughts and joyes of the Lord as thou lovest to be thinking of thy Corn or thy Cattel or thy Income by thy Trade Thou knowest thou dost not Canst thou say with the Psalmist Psal 84.1 2. How amiable are thy Tabernacles Oh Lord my Soul longeth yea even fainteth for thy Courts mine Heart and my flesh cryeth out for the liveâ—ng God A day in thy Courts is better than a thousand a door in thine House is better than all the dwellings of the World Lord lift up thy Countenance upon me and that shall put more gladness into mine Heart than when their Corn and Wine encreased Let the Corn and the Wine be whose it will so that the Lord God will be mine let this World go cross and frown upon me as it will so that the Face and Countenance of God do but shine upon me let me be poor rather than a Stranger from God let me want an House or want Money or want bread rather than want the presence of God canst thou say so heartily say so thou knowest that thou canst not the good things of the earth the Riches and the Pleasures of the Earth are the Riches thou lovest and the Pleasures thou lovest and thou couldst be content to be straitned in the Lord so that thou mightest abound in these carnal things Is it so with thee O what a Heart hast thou what dost thou think of thy Self art not thou an Idolater a lover of Money more than a Lover of God a lover of Pleasures more than a lover of God a lover of thy Self and flesh more than a lover of God and yet art thou not an Idolater doth thine Heart go a Whoring after thine Idols run away from God after thy Money run away from God after thy Pleasures run away from God after thy Self and flesh and yet not an Idolater art thou an Idolater then an Idolatrous Christian an Idolatrous Professor O! how is it that such a thought does not fill thy Face with shame and set thy Soul a weeping and cause trembling and astonishment to take hold upon thee what Friends is it nothing with you to be Idolaters to have Idolatrous Hearts whoring Hearts whoring from God and whoring after your flesh and the Lusts thereof sure Friends it would make the best of our Hearts to ake if we were sensible what degrees of this Idolatry there were to be found in every one of us and many of us I fear it would convince that they are Idolaters to so high degree that there is nothing of true and real love to God in them 2. It 's the root of all Rebellion and Disobedience Self-love 2 Tim. 3.2 is put in the Head of a black-troop of Lusts and Wickednesses Men shall be lovers of themselves there 's the ring-leader and what follows behold a troop cometh covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy without Natural affection Truce-breakers false Accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good Traitors Heady High-minded lovers of Pleasure more then lovers of God what a Regiment of sins is here led on by self-Self-love And observe it lovers of themselves lead on the Van and lovers of Pleasures bring up the Rear Heart-sins are Root-sins and Self-love is the Root of these Roots Pride is the Root of Contention Malice is the Root of Revenge Covetousness is the Root of Oppression and self-love is the Root of them all The Apostle says 1 Tim. 6.10 The love of Money is the Root of all Evil and Self-love is the Root of the love of Money particularly that you may know what a mischievous evil this Heart-sin of Self-love is and how pregnant of all other wickedness consider that it is 1. The Rot of all Religion 2. The Root of all Vnrighteousness and Vnmercifulness 3. The Root of all sinful Brawls and Quarrels 4. The Root of sinful Self-seeking 1. It is the Rot of all Religion that is where it is predominant and carries the main stroak in our Religion It is the rottenness of the Heart under all its most specious Religious pretences or performances All sincere Religion is animated by the love of God the love of God is the Soul of Religion If there be no love to God in our profession of Religion if no love to God in our practices of Piety if no love to God in our Prayers no love to God in our Fastings and Alms all our Religion is rotten at Heart Self-love which is it's only Root is it's rotteness Self-love will 1. Limit our Religion 'T will limit it by self-Interest no more nor no other Religion will it allow than will serve our Carnal turns no farther may we go in it than will consist with this love of our selves whatever part or exercise of Religion will pinch upon the Flesh the self-denying part the self-abasing part the Flesh-mortifying part of Religion unless it be to some further Ends Self-love will never bear it So much professing so much Praying and Hearing as will consist with our Ease and our safety as will not put us to too much pains or expose us to too much danger and reproach so much Religion as will not hold us in too strictly and severely and closely Self-love will bear it but where the Yoak of Christ wrings and galls there it must be thrown off 2. It will corrupt our Religion and turn it into Hypocrisie Selfish Professors are Hypocrites and all their Religion is Hypocrisie and Hypocrisie is the rottenness of the Heart You that are Professors see to it that ye be not self-loving Professors if ye be whatever there be in your Tongues or your Looks or your Religious performances you are rotten at the Core rotten in your Hearts It is love to God wherein our sincerity lies Self-love is our Hypocrisie and where this rotten Self-love hath tainted your Hearts your Hearts will taint and corrupt all your Duties it will pervert and corrupt all that ever you do and turn it into quite another thing your Religion is no Religion your Christianity is no Christianity your Praying is no Praying your Spirituality is but fleshliness your Heavenly-mindedness is but Earthiness your seeming fruitfulness is but Emptiness and barrenness Israel is an empty Vine he bringeth forth his Fruits to himself Hos 10.1 Israel seemed to be a fruitful Vine that had her Clusters upon it there were Clusters of Prayers and Clusters of Sacrifices and Clusters of Alms Israel had their Fruits and yet they were but a Barren and empty Vine how so Why whatever Fruits they had they were all brought forth to Self Self brought them
his Love and lost his Life and lost his Zeal for God in his loving and caring and good husbandry for himself Pray consider if this be none of your cases and if this be not a sad case and whether you can take any comfort in it or no Had not those Hearts need to be look'd to that have thus gone a Whoring 't is no better that have gone a whoring from Christ after the World Hast thou govern'd that Heart of thine well which thou hast suffered thus to play the Harlot Hast thou not need of looking better to it Christians do you not see you had need to be more watchful over your Hearts and to hold them in under a closer and severer restraint than you have hitherto done Again if you do not see how far sinful self-Self-love hath prevailed in you above the Love of God consider further for conviction 1. Do you love them that love God as you love them that love your Selves There 's scarce any Man that is so ill natur'd but will love those that love himself Do not even the Publicans the same Mat. 5. They love those that love them and are beneficial to them But do you love those that love God as you love those that love your selves Those that are loving and kind and friendly to you you will love them whether they love God or no and do you find that those that love God you can love them whether they love you or no If they should any of them be unkind and unfriendly to you yet can you love them because they love God If not if you can love them that love you though they do not love God and cannot love them who love God in case they do not love you what think you Is not this an evidence that this Self-love hath greater power in you than the love of God 2. Are you angry with those that offend God as you are with those that offend your Selves The Psalmist could say Psal 139.21 22. Do not I hate them that hate thee am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee Yea I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine Enemies Can you say so I am angry with them that are angry with thee I am grieved at them that sin against God those that are his Enemies I count them mine own Enemies Those that wrong our selves and offend our selves that wrong us in our Names by traducing backbiting or slandering of us that wrong us of our Right by Fraud or Oppression that do but speak an angry or unkind word to us how quickly does the Fire kindle We are too hot and touchy when Self is concerned but are we grieved are we offended at those that sin against God yea even though they be never so kind to our selves Can we not wink at sin in our Friends can we not palliate and excuse it and hide our eyes from the sins of them whom we love and upon whose kindness and friendship self hath some dependance How then canst thou say thou lovest God as thou lovest thy self Touch self-Interest who dare he shall not escape thy wrath let him kick against God sin against Christ and thou art never moved Dost thou love God as thou lovest thy self It was said of Holy Calvin that when he heard that Luther call'd him Devil that he answered But he is the Servant of the most High God 't is said of Lot 2 Pet. 2.8 That Righteous Man living among the Sodomites vexed his Righteous Soul with the filthy Conversation of those wicked Ones Lot had none of the best Neighbours in those wicked Sodomites doubtless he suffer'd many Personal wrongs and unkindnesses from them that Righteous Man could never be Neighbour to such wicked ones without suffering from them himself but yet we read not that he ever fretted or vexed at any thing they did against himself their wickedness against God their filthy Conversation this was it which vexed his Righteous Soul There was a Man that loved God indeed silent at wrongs done to himself only vexed at what is done against God Is it so with thee Is it so with us O how quite contrary are we Vexing and fretting and chafing at whatever is against our selves and silent and quiet and not moved in the concerns of God Is this our love to God Are we lovers of God more than lovers of Self Sure beloved this very thing our being so impatient of Self-offences and so patient of offences against God this very thing if well considered might make the most of our Hearts to ake and draw Tears from our Eyes might set us all a Weeping to think what daily Arguments we have of this kind to prove how powerful this Self-love and how weak the love of God is in us Sure the more dear the Lord grows to us the more will it go to our Hearts that he should be offended by any and the more self-Self-love were mortified the easier should we bear Self-wrongs and Offences And what can we say with respect to our Brethren Neighbours Do we not so love our selves but that we are heartily concern'd for our Neighbours Have we compassions towards them in their afflictions Do we rejoice at their Prosperity Can we grieve with those that grieve suffer with them that suffer and rejoice with them that rejoyce and prosper We can be glad when God prospereth our Selves and can we be glad when he prospereth others O how do Men rake and catch what they can one from another how do Men envy the prosperity of their Neighbours O how do some Men gape after the Possessions of their Brethren wishing even for their Death when they are like to get any thing by it How many Landlords are glad of the death of their Tenants How many younger Brothers are glad at the death of the Heir Yea how do some Children wait for the death of their Parents that the Inheritance may fall to themselves And whence is all this wickedness Is not this from Self-love O what Murtherous desires and hopes doth it sometimes bring forth Though it dare not put upon Murtherous Practices though it doth not make Murtherous hands yet it often makes the Heart a Murtherous heart and fills it with Murtherous desires and practices Mat. 15.19 Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts Murthers Adulteries 'T is this Self in the Heart that is the Original Murtherer and Adulterer You that are Professors of Religion see diligently whether there be no degree of this wickedness to be found in any of your Hearts to hope for to wish for or at least to be well pleased at the death of others when Self doth get by their Death Therefore 4. There is a necessity of keeping the Heart under Government Is Self such an Idol in the Heart Is Self-love Idolatry and the Root of so much wickedness The Rot of Religion The Root of Unrighteousness Unmercifulness Yea and of such Murtherous desires and wishes And is there something of
this Root remaining even in Christians And is it apt to put forth into such Self-exaltings and wicked Self-seeking and will it certainly do so where it is not carefully looked to and held under severe restraint then certainly there 's no Government more necessary than Heart-Government 2. Wherein the Government of the Heart stands and it stands in these Five things 1. In subjecting the lower Faculties the Affections Appetite and Senses to Reason and Conscience 2. In holding the Thoughts upon profitable and pertinent Objects 3. In exercising the Passions or Affections upon their proper Objects and within their due Limits and Bounds and Measures 4. In suppressing and keeping under the Evil and cherishing and encouraging the Good that is in the Heart 5. In strengthning the Sinews of Government 1. In subjecting the lower Faculties the Affections Appetite and Senses to Reason and Conscience Reason must be Dictator in the Heart and must not be controlled or over-born by the inferiour Faculties Conscience is invested with the Authority of God Subjection to Reason and Conscience is subjection to God and Rebellion against these is Rebellion against God The Reason of all the disorders in the Heart is the Usurpation of Sense and Appetite and their rising up against Reason when the People take Head against their Prince what disorders follow God that said Prov. 3.5 Lean not to thine own understanding that is as corrupted and biassed by the Flesh yet requireth us to lean to our Understandings when they are contradicted and opposed by the Flesh The Prophet complains Isa 59.8 There is no Judgment in their goings they have made them crooked Paths no Judgment that is no Understanding no Conscience in their goings and where there is no Understanding nor Conscience there 's nothing but crookedness Sinners Hearts do set up Sense and Appetite to be the Ruler as 't was said of Jeroboam 1 Kings 12.31 He made the vilest of the People to be Priests So sinners make the vilest and lowest of their Faculties to be Rulers they will not be Ruled by Reason they will not be governed by Conscience but Affection and Appetite must bear the sway How comes it to pass that thou art such a Carnal sensual Liver Does thy Reason tell thee that a Carnal Worldly Life is the best Life Does thy Conscience command thee to be Covetous or to be a Libertine to live at thine Ease and thy Pleasure Does thy Conscience tell thee that this is the Life that God would have thee to live That God would have thee to live in the Ale-house to follow thy Companions or thy Covetousness It is not against thy Conscience to be sober and serious and circumspect in thy goings 't is not against thy Conscience to forbear thy Lying or thy Fraud or thy Falshood no it is thine Appetite and thine Affections to whom thou hast resigned thy Self to be governed that lead thee on thus Would you have good Government to be kept within you Set up right Government let reason Govern let Conscience govern make your Senses and your Appetites to know their place and to keep under and to be in subjection to your Understandings and Conscience embrace not any thing meerly because it pleases your Senses seek not any thing because you have an Appetite to it let not your Affections lead you but your Judgments and Understandings It would be well if we were come thus far to live according to the best of our Vnderstandings and so far forth as we do so so far forth we live under Government the Anarchy of domineering Appetites and Senses is no Government Do not your Understandings tell you it is better to live in the love and fear of God than in the Lusts of the Flesh Do not your Judgements tell you that an holy sober serious heavenly Life is better than Viciousness or Vanity Do not your Consciences call upon you Love not the World nor the Wine and strong Drink follow not thy Sports and thy Pleasures Fly youthful Lusts hast thou not a Conscience within thee that calls thus upon thee When thy Lusts call thee after thy Pleasure when thy Covetousness calls thee after the World when thy Sense calls upon thee Take thine Ease take thy Liberty hast thou not a Conscience within thee calling thee back and charging thee to take heed and beware of Living thus When thy Carnal will and thy Lusts call thee from minding Christ and Holiness and Righteousness let it all alone meddle not with such a severe Life yet hast thou not a Conscience within thee telling thee it is best for thee to be a serious Christian It would be better for thee if thou wouldst give thy self to an Holy Humble godly Life than to live such a Libertine It would be better for thee to be a sincere strict diligent active Christian than to be such a trifling lazy Hypocrite and loose Professor Does not thy Conscience tell thee thus and charge thee to be such an one Why let Conscience carry it resign up thy self to the Government of it 2. In keeping the Thoughts exercised upon profitable and pertinent Objects I told you before that the unruliness of the Heart lies much in the unruliness of the Thoughts and how much of the Heart government stands in the Government of the Thoughts the best way to keep the Thoughts well governed is to keep them well exercised Those Legions of Thoughts that are in the Heart are like the Souldiers of an Army if Souldiers be not kept to Action they will hardly be kept under Command when they lie idly and lazily in their Quarters and have nothing to do then they use to Mutiny and to break out into disorders sound an Alarum and bring them to their Arms and that 's the best way to bring them to Order Keep your disorderly mutinous Thoughts to exercise and exercise them upon what they ought to be exercised upon be thinking profitable Thoughts be thinking upon Christ upon the State of your Souls upon the work of your Souls be thinking pertinent Thoughts such as are proper to your present cases such as are proper to the present Season when you are Hearing fix your Thoughts intently upon what you hear when you are Reading think on what you Read when you are Praying think on what you Pray for when at the Table of the Lord think on what 's before you upon your Crucified Lord upon the love and kindness and compassion of Christ to you upon the Covenant you are Sealing c. Afterwards think of what you have Heard and Read and prayed for and received and covenanted c. Do not divert to other good Thoughts that are not pertinent Impertinent Thoughts though the matter of them be good are unprofitable Thoughts Psal 139.18 When I awake I am still with thee my Thoughts are with God as vers 17. How precious also are thy Thoughts to me How great is the Number of them If I should count them they are more
in Number than the Sands of the Sea Thy Thoughts that is either Gods Thoughts towards him or his Thoughts of God and these Observe 1. The gratefulness or acceptableness of such Thoughts how precious how dear are they to me It was a pleasant thing to him to think of God 2. The Multitude of his Thoughts of God how great is the Summ of them God hath many Thoughts of his Saints and Saints have many Thoughts of God 3. A special Season of his thinking of God when I awake these are my Morning Thoughts no sooner am I awake but my Heart is in Heaven and Psal 119.97 O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation all the day where see 1. The matter of his Thoughts the Law of God or those blessed matters those wonderful things contained in this Law to be thinking of the Word of God is to be thinking of God of Christ of Holiness of Heaven of the way to Heaven and the like things that are written in the Word these are the matter of his Thoughts 2. The Seasons of his Meditations and these are every Season he is constantly thus exercised all the day his Morning thoughts are his continual Thoughts 3. The Motive or Spring of his Meditations O how I love thy Law What we love we shall easily be thinking of if we love God we shall be thinking of God if we love our Souls love Holiness love the Word and wayes of God our Thoughts will be upon them Dost thou not think on God and the Law of God 'T is a sign thou lovest them not well this is the right governing our Thoughts and which will prevent the wandrings and straglings and unruliness of them the holding them thus well exercised 3. In holding our Affections and Passions to their proper Objects and within their due Bounds so as that we love only what we should love and as much and no more than we should love it to fear what we should fear and as much and no more than we should fear it to desire what we should desire and as much and no more than we should desire it to be angry with what we should be angry and no more than we should I shall instance only in these Six Passions Our Love Our Desire Our Joy Our Grief Our Fear Our Anger 1. For our Love this is then well Ordered when we love only what we should love and as much and no more than we should love it The Object of Love is good and only good nothing can be loved but that which is good or apprehended so to be and nothing ought to be loved but that which is good God is good the chief and Supream good the Fountain of all goodness infinitely good Good is the Lord Exod. 34.6 Abundant in goodness and truth Our danger here is not of over-loving but of under-loving God is to be loved with all the Heart and with all the Might there is no danger here of erring in the excess our beings are good our Souls and Bodies we are Gods Workmanship and of all Gods works 't is said Gen. 1. he saw that they were good Our well-being and prosperity and happiness is good not only the Prosperity of our Souls our prospering in Grace and Holiness our growing rich unto God but the Prosperity of our Bodies and outward man our Health and our Estates is good Joh. 3. I wish that thou maiest prosper and be in Health even as thy Soul prospereth The Creatures are good our Bread and our Cloaths and our Houses which are for the comfort of our Bodies every Creature of God is good being sanctified by the Word and Prayer 1 Tim. 4.4 The Prosperity of our Neighbours especially those of the houshold of Faith this also is a good that we should love Touching our Souls our danger is that we do not love these according to the price and worth of a Soul which is more than all the World Mat. 16. or else that we do not love them aright so as to seek their good Touching our Bodies and the Creatures that are for the Health and prosperity of our Bodies the great danger is of over-loving them of loving them more than we should and more than they are worth This is the order that should be in well-govern'd Hearts we should love the Creatures for our Bodies we should love our Bodies for our Souls we should love them all and our Neighbours good also for God and we should love love God for himself And this ought to be the Measure of our Love we should love God with all our might we should love our Souls as far forth as serves to the Honour of God we should love our Bodies our Health and bodily Prosperity as far as they are serviceable to our Souls and we should love the Creatures our Houses our Money our Estates as far forth as they may be useful to our Bodies in the Service of our Souls and to our Bodies and Souls in the Service of God and we should love our Neighbour as our selves An Heart that is set right in its love is a well governed Heart this is the orginal of the disorder that is in our lives the disorder of our love Why is it that these Bodies and our Bodily Prosperity is sought more than our Souls why do we seek Riches and Pleasure and Ease and Money more than we seek Grace and Holiness O we love the Creature too much and we love God and our Souls too little O it were well with the sinful World better than it is if they loved God and their Souls as well as they love their Bodies and Estates but Sinner for thy part thou dost not so thou sayest thou lovest God thou sayest thou lovest thy Soul thou sayest these are the gteat things thine Heart is upon no thou dost not love God as thou lovest that Carkass of thine thou doest not love God as well as thou lovest thy Money or thy Pleasures or thy Health thy very Lusts thy Carnal Sports and Merriments thy vile Companions and thy Sins thou art such a vile Brute that thou lovest these more than thou lovest God or thy Soul thou art better pleased thou art better satisfied when the Corn and the Wine increaseth when thou Prosperest in this World than with any hopes thou hast towards God for thy Soul What is the Pleasure of thine Heart When art thou most merry and best contented When is it with thee as thou wouldst have it but when thou art in Health and Prosperest in these outward things God is dishonoured and neglected by thee God is angry with thee and yet thou art well enough contented thy Soul languisheth it is a blind and ignorant Soul it is a sinful and guilty Soul it is a stupid and hardned Soul it is a perishing and dying Soul thy Soul is in the hands of the Devil thy Soul is a dead Soul even dropping into Hell and yet for all this thou sittest there at
the cup and sparkles and moves it self aright Look besides it be afraid to look upon it lest it tempt thine appetite beyond its bounds 2. Fear your fine Clothes your Fashions and Ornaments that you delight in hast thou not pride in thine heart and is not thy pride even as tinder that will catch fire of every spark dost thou love to be fine and gallant dost thou love thy fine Fashions and Ornaments let thy love make thee afraid 3. Fear that Money that thou lovest and thy Lands and thy Fields and the increase of thy Substance when riches encrease set not your hearts upon them Psal 62.10 Do you prosper do you grow rich in this world do ye feel the world coming in and your substance increasing upon you fear this prosperity I do not say fear prosperity and shun it or flee from it but fear it and look the better to your selves be jealous of your selves in such a time lest when you prosper and be full you then forget God Have an eye to your hearts in your prosperous estate take heed that your Souls grow not poorer as your outward Man growes richer It was the joy of the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.16 That though his outward man grew to decay yet his inward man was renewed day by day but friends let it be your fear lest as your outward man flourisheth your inward man grow to decay lest your Riches eat up your Religion lest you loose your love to God lest you abate in your care for the things of Christ lest those poor souls wither and suffer loss lest the work of God be at a stand with you lest praying and praising and communing with your hearts and looking into the other World and caring and labouring for those poor immortal Souls be laid aside or but slightly shuffled over Know any of you that are in a prosperous estate that have set your hearts upon getting and find the world increasing upon you know that you are in danger your Souls are in danger your Religion is in danger of sinking and withering your Prosperity is a temptation that will endanger your neglect of God and your Souls Look upon prosperity as a temptation and fear it as a temptation be jealous of your hearts in such a time 4. Fear your vain Company your Societies and correspondencies with your carnal Friends and acquaintance Dost thou love vain company I do not speak of vile company of Drunkards and Rioters of Swearers and Scoffers at Godliness those Sons of Debauchery that are the filth and garbage of the VVorld but even vain company that are nothing but froth and folly complement and merriment the unsavoury salt of the earth that are good for nothing to whom a serious and savoury word put in is as vinegar to the teeth and as smoke to the eyes and who will thereby tempt you to turn out all religion out of doors for the time at least because 't is so unsavoury to the Company Fear to come among them go not out after them thrust not your selves unnecessarily in among them but when God brings you in among such when necessary business brings you in be with them in fear think with your selves now I must look to mine heart here be they that are like else to steal it away from God Friends settle this upon your hearts and really believe it and carry the sense of it upon you that vain acquaintance and companions are a temptation Though they do not tempt you to drunkenness or swearing or lying or riot yet they may tempt you to lukewarmness and indifferency in Religion they will chill and cool your good affections and dull and blunt the edge of your spirits heaven-ward As holy and lively society will quicken and whet our hearts towards what is good even as iron sharpneth iron Prov. 27.17 So are we like to be dulled and blunted by vain company Friends would you keep your hearts in good plight would you keep you clear of the vanities and follies of the world would you keep your selves unspotted from the world would you shine as lights in the world and be a rebuke to their sins do you in good earnest design to maintain the life of God within you then beware of these sons of Vanity and let them henceforth be your fear and not your desire or delight To this let me farther add by the way are vain company Temptations and to be feared then you that are Christians look to it that you be not of such a vain earthly frothy Conversation that we must warn others that are better to take heed of you and be afraid of coming into your company If vain company be a Temptation then take heed that you be not such that even your society should be feared Such a fault there is among professors and it is a greivous thing to consider what a vain and unsavoury and unprofitable conversation there usually is of Chistians with Christians of Professors with Professors What is your discourse how do you use to spend your time when you come together how little of God of Christ of the state of your Souls is to be heard among you you can talk of your Trades of your Business of News and sometimes that which is worse tell evil stories of others behind their backs You can laugh and be merry with carnal Mirth even as others but what do you more than others whose hearts do use to be warned or refreshed by your lips It s said Prov. 10.11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life And ver 21. The lips of the righteous feed many Is it so with us what of the water of life is there proceeding out of those Wells of life If there be a Fountain in you is it not a Fountain enclosed a Well shut up who are there whose Souls are fed from your lips If Christians did meet with no better feeding then they have from some Professors lips they might starve and perish So jejune and unsipid our discourses usually are and withal so carnal and vain that we rather pull down then build up we rather chill and damp then quicken and enliven those that are conversant with us We have too often like the Quakers our silent meetings as to any thing of God that is going among us Friends consider look back and observe how it has been have your mouths been wells of Life doth there not sometimes come forth mudd instead of water have your lips fed many May be your hands have fed poor hungry bodies may be they have had of your bread and of your money but what have they had from your lips Not a word Their Souls may perish for all the feeding that they have had from your lips It is said Mal. 3. Those that feared God spake often one to another that is of the things of God but is it so with us what shall we say to sinners who when we charge others to take heed of their company
since that I knew and was acquainted with and did eat and drink with and buy and sell with that now are no more seen Where are they all they are all passed over and gone into the other World They are gone and I am following after I must shortly be with them The Saints that are dead and gone they are entred into their Reward they are gone to Christ they are entred into the joy of their Lord and if I be one of them partaker of the same Faith walking in the same holy steps I also shall have the same reward The sinners that are dead and gone they are entred into their Reward shut out from the Presence and Joy of the Lord and shut up under Chains of darkness and burning in the Furnace of Fire and if I follow them in their sins and be impenitent therein a little while hence I shall I shall overtake them I shall have my chain with them my furnace with them Well let this be one thought of your hearts how nearly you are all concern'd in the other World and how certainly you shall be there As sure as you have a being for a time in this World so sure shall you every one of you have an Eternal being in the other World either in the everlasting pleasures above or the everlasting pangs and plagues below 2. Think much this thought Which of these two states in Eternity must be my state is determining every day It is thy present life thine every days course here that must determine the Case whither thou must when thou goest hence Rom. 2.7 8. Thy reward must be according to thy work thy reaping must be according to thy sowing Gal. 6.7 8. Think with your selves I am every day working for Eternity sowing for Everlasting what would you reap what would you should be your reward in the other world I know what you would answer here I would reap in Mercy I would be rewarded in Joy and Glory But what must you reap where must your reward be why that you are every day determining Look what your ways and your works are such your reward must be Sow in Righteousness and you shall reap in mercy Hos 10.12 Sow in tears and you shall reap in j y. Psal 126.6 But if you sow in Tares sow to your flesh sow Sin and Vanity I leave it to your selves to judge what your reaping must be Were such thoughts abiding upon our hearts what manner of Persons should we then be Is this the business of my life Is this the great debate of every day where mine everlasting dwelling must be whether in the Paradiâ—e of God or in the dungeon with Devils whether in everlasting Blessedness or Burnings Is this the great question to be resolved and determined what I shall be hereafter by what I am every day O no more sinning against God O no more neglecting of Christ O no more hardness and impenitency of heart O no more of this worldliness or wantonness or drunkenness mine heart shakes to think whither these are carrying me and where they will lay me Arise O my Soul shake off these Lusts shake thy self out of sleep 't is high time to awaken stop stop this evil course cast off the works of darkness least thou be suddenly swallowed up of Everlasting darkness 3. Think this thought The state and the way of mine heart is the great thing that must determine what mine eternal state must be My works must determine what my reward must be and the state of mine heart will determine what my works will be Well now exercise your selves to such thoughts dwell in such Meditations and think not that you have done any thing to purpose till your thoughts have begotten strong impressions upon your hearts and you are wrought to a sense of those great things and let your sense of them be an abiding sense O what even and steady lives should we then live the evenness of our lives will be both the beauty of our Conversations when there is a due proportion of our dayes one to another this will make our lives beautiful and 't will be the evidence of our integrity Fits of Devotion fits of holy Affections will prove little to us of our uprightness our deadness and dumps when those fits are overs will weaken all our hopes and confidences and call all into question It is our standing holy Affections that will be our standing Comfort O friends how uneven and unsteady are we what unstable Souls what wandring stars are we how sadly different are we from our selves sometimes in our secret duties or at publick Ordinances our hearts seem full of God full of heavenly Affections What movings what meltings what enlargements of heart do we feel all spirit and love and joy and then shortly after behold all is lost our Sun dips into a Cloud the stars fall to the Earth our Spirits sink and flag and the flesh gets up again O if we could but hold in the serene temper we sometimes are in what a life should we have of it but it doth not hold we are given to Changes the temper of our hearts often change with our business and employments when we are busying our selves about the things of God then we are spiritual and heavenly 't were well if it were so always when we are called forth about our earthly employments we become as earthly as other men Do you none of you find it so do you not complain 't is so Lord help me it is even too true I even find it so with me sometimes our tempers change with our company when we are conversant with those that fear God there is some Spirit and some savour in our Converses O it were well if it were alwayes so sometimes and too often we are barren and carnal and dead in the best Society our conversing with Christians is too often an useless and carnal and unsavoury Converse But if it be better with us when in good company how doth it use to be when we fall into carnal company or vain company we seem to have even quite lost our God and our Religion our eternal concernments are laid by and our care about them is intermitted our God and our Souls are thrust behind the door or trodden under foot Whence is all this O our sense of eternal things is for the time worn off Brethren God is the same God Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not There 's the same eye of God upon you wherever you be he that looks how you carry it in your Duties looks upon you in your businesses looks upon you in every company Where-ever you are and as God is the same God so your everlasting concernments are still the same Heaven is as much to be desired Hell as much to be feared your Salvation is to be as carefully wrought out you have as important business lying upon you every where as you have any where and this work will never
hath sealed to you that he will help you and never fail you nor forsake you when your flesh and your heart fail you he will be the strength of your heart When you are in doubts and fears that you are none of the Lords nor can lay any claim to him then remember the Covenant which hath been made between him and you and how you own it and stand to it to this day and that may satisfie you Of such great use will this Covenant of God be to you and therefore your hearts which are the Records where it is kept must be carefully looked to 2. In point of Communion There have been great dealings between Christ and you in a way of Friendly Communion What Correspondencies have there been held betwixt Christ and you what friendly interviews have there been between you Christ hath been often looking down upon you and rejoycing in his portion and you have been often looking up to him and solacing your selves in his love Christ hath been supporting and sustaining your hearts and you have been staying and leaning upon your beloved What mutual entercourses have there been Christ hath been often sending down Messages of love to you telling you Soul I am thine Hath he never sent thee some tokens of his love sent thee thy pardon sent thee his peace hath he never sent thee down some tastes of the hidden Manna and the white stone and the new name Rev. 2.17 and such a comfortable word with it Soul be of good comfort thy sins be forgiven thee thy name is written in heaven And do you never send up to your beloved If you have nothing but a sigh to send or a tear to send yet up it must be sent to your beloved to tell him I am sick of love or at least I am sick for love How often hath thine heart ascended in Prayers and his heart descended in gracious returns what mutual embraces have there been of thy Faith with him and his love with thee There hath been a Jacobs Ladder set up betwixt Christ and thee Christians Such experiences I hope some of you have had of such comfortable Communion with Christ But what becomes of all these blessed Experiences hast thou forgotten them are they lost O how hast thou kept thine heart sure such Mercies should be carefully recorded and the record should be warily kept 4. It is the Cabinet of all our Jewels Christ and all his Graces are kept in the heart 1. Christ and his Graces are jewels Christ is a precious Jewel he is the pearl of great Price which the wise Merchant Mat. 13.46 traded for and is there said to be a Pearl of great price of so great a price that this one Pearl bought the whole World It s intimated Mat. 16.26 that one Soul is more worth than all the World this Pearl is more north than a whole World of Souls It hath bought not only this world below but the World above this one pearl hath bought the whole Kingdom of heaven all the everlasting treasures the everlasting joy and pleasures above that exceeding eternal weight of glory all hath been bought by this Pearl Christ is reckon'd by foolish sinners at a very low rate Judas sold this Pearl for thirty pieces of silver Sinners many of them sell Christ at a lower rate than this for their foolish and fleshly Lusts They tread this Pearl in the dust and take very dung in its stead The very dung of their filthy Pleasures is that which sinners take in Exchange for Christ Whilst the Apostle counted all things dung in comparison of Christ sinners make very dung of Christ for the sake of their sins but whatever sinners count him Christ is a Pearl more worth then all the world and all the Glory and Bravery and Beauty of the World are but Dunghil things in comparison of Christ As Christ so all the Graces of Christ are jewels Faith is a jewel called 2 Pet. 1.1 Precious Faith Meekness and Humility are jewels of great price in the sight of God Love is a jewel and of so great price that it is not to be bought for Money Cant. 8.7 If a man would give all the Substance of his house for love it would be contemned As little reckoning as sinners make of the love of God now though this Grace be offered them and they may have it for the taking an heart to love the Lord is one of the branches of the Covenant which the Lord freely offers to sinners yet now they so slight it that they will not accept it a lust is taken up in stead of this love yet hereafter these very sinners would give all that ever they have for the least grain of the saving love of God As little as you regard the love of God now we can't perswade you to accept it yet when you come to die there 's none of you but would give all that ever you are worth for a little sincere love to Christ O now for a little Faith O now that I could love the Lord Jesus in sincerity I would be content to be a beggar and not to have a Mite left me in all the World all my Farmes all my Oxen all my Houses and Lands all my Money all the substance of mine House they shall all go so that I might now find the saving love of God in me No they will not be bought so If a man would give his house full of Gold for it it would be contemned as a poor and low price to buy love The like may be said of every Grace they are all Jewels and they make those who have them to be Jewels Mal. 3.17 in the day that I make up my jewels Every gracious Soul is a Jewel in the sight of God Sinners tread the Saints under feet make very dirt of them but God will take them into his bosom as his precious Jewels 2. These Jewels Christ and his Graces are all kept in the heart As the Heart is the Seat of Grace Faith dwells in the heart and Love dwells in the heart and Hope dwells in the heart so is it also the seat of Christ Christ dwells in the heart by Faith intimated in that Prayer of the Apostle Eph. 3.17 If Christ hath any dwelling in sinners 't is only in their Mouths and upon their Lips these will talk of Christ and talk of Grace but they have no dwelling in them but upon their Tongues but it is in the heart of the Saints that Christ and his Graces dwell Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of Glory The heart of Saints is as the Heavens all bespangled with these beautiful Stars Christ is the Sun in those heavens his Graces are as so many Stars that have their brightness and lustre from his light The hearts of sinners are meer Dungeons and dark holes in which neither Sun nor Star appears if there be any glimmering light they are but Commets or Torches or stinking Snuffs that