disobedient and obstinate against an heavenly and most gracious Father Isa. 48.4 Tit. 3.3 She youthful beautiful we full of the old man corrupt in lusts Eph. 4.22 Filthy even to stinking Psal. 14.3 and loathsome Prov. 13.5 She vertuous and holy we out of measure sinful and vicious And he our Spouse the true Boaz that is strength the mighty the Almighty How uneven a yoke yet our Will in all these defects received willingness in his unutterable grace and unconceivable mercy being accounted and accepted as our portion and beauty and we in the day of our espousals endowed with all his goods adorned with his beauty and crowned with his glory But is it possible that when the Husband is so rich great excellent nothing should be demanded but heart and will To make the match nothing else but after it is made all Conjugal duties required And what are they 1. Love to cleave to him in all dear affection 2. Constancy to hold us to him in all estates better worse 3. Chastity to keep our selves only to him 4. Subjection to obey and serve him But this seems a very hard and heavy burthen It is only so in seeming and to some only As in the night many things seem very terrible which in the day are very delightful to the eye As to a sick palate that meat seems very iâ—ksome which in health is sweet and pleasing so men that sit in darkness and look on these things with dimm eyes imagine rather than see many Buggs to fright and scare them when their hearts are surfeted with sinful lusts this most sweet yoke is very distastful and bitter but where there is a new Creature and the sense uncorrupted no soul is able to comprehend either the full excellency of it or to utter in any measure that little it doth comprehend Let us thereâ—ore draw nigher and take a better view of â—hese things And 1. Love is as the object very sweet â—or very bitter sometimes excessively grieâ—ous sometimes exceedingly pleasant If â—he object be loathsome love is burthenâ—ome Seven years for beauteous Rachel â—eemed but a few dayes but a few dayes for â—lear-eyed Leah would have been many years 2. Be the object very lovely but not at all loving such love is full of vexation and anguish Thus Amnons fair Sister Tamar afflicted him to sickness and leanness 2 Sam. 13.2 3. 3. If the object be worthy and reflecting our love yet if it prove unfruitful it brings often more grief than comfort Sarah's and Rebecca's beauty yielded their husbands less content than their barrenness trouble The extraordinary kindness of Hannah's husband could not in barreness so sweeten the bitterness of her soul but that all meat was distastful and no drink relished but tears 1 Sam. 1. But when all these meet when our hearts are pitched upon an object 1. Lovely and amiable 2. Kind and loving 3. Fruitful and beneficial our affection will rather need a bridle than a spur not a switch but a snaffle If then we look upon our Heavenly Spouse we shall see 1. That he is fairer than the Children of men Psal. 45.2 altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 his beauty the longing of Saints Psal. 27.4 the ravishment of Angels Isa. 6.3 from whose beams the whole world borrows its spark of beauty 2. His Love is first preventing ours 1 Ioh. 4.19 passing all not only love but expressions nay knowledge of all Creatures Eph. 3.19 3. The fruit of this mutual love exceeding much and glorious It lifts up from a despised condition Cant. 8.1 makes us honourable Isa. 43.4 It prefers uâ— from the basest drudgery in the world from the Skullery of Satan to the bed of Heaven to the union and glory of the Lord of Heaven and earth Ioh. 17.21 22. In a word it gives us perfection elevates our abased nature above the Heavens and exalts it to the uttermost extent of which a Creature is capable and therefore justly termed the bond of perfectness Col. 3.14 To love therefore him who is above measure lovely above apprehension loving whose love â—ully perfects the beloved Lover can be a burthen to none but those who hate their rest and love their burthens yet were it a burthen justly might he expect and exact of us cheerfully to bear itâ— For will not all bonds of gratitude and equity tye us to it were it a burthen for us to love him our glory life heaven it were far greater for him to love us his death hell abasement He loved us when dead and no way but by his death to be revived he loved us when sunk into hell children of wrath and Satan and never but by his descent into hell even suffering that wrath to be rescuâ—d He loved us when we were utterly fallen thrown down from the highest honour to the bottomless pit when filthy loathsome stinking and never but by his abasement from the form of God to the form of man and of a servant to be restored never to be washed but by his blood never to be reformed but by his deformity If then not for love yet for shame how should we deny to be pressed for his who was oppressed for our sake to bear his cross who hath borâ— our curse to carry the heavenly burthen if any were of his life who hath undergone the hellish load of our death and misery 2. Secondly We are enjoyned to hold us close to him in all estates better and worse This condition affrights many and makes them shrink But only flesh and blood is startled at it Christ even to a carnal eye is beautiful in his crown of glory but in his crown of thorns they think he looks not like himself they have no pleasure in him lovely on his Throne loathsome on his Cross. Alas poor souls Is it another Sun which shines in his brightness and is shadowed in a cloud The Moon interposing may ecclipse the beams of the Sun to usâ— but can it stain or diminish his glory and excellence A mask may hide but empairs not beauty Is Christ less lovely where he shews most love Look better upon himâ— eye him at the whipping post on the Cross. How do those dying looks set out to life that incomprehensible love Our wordsâ— our thoughts fall infinitely short of itâ— Here only it stands out pencild to life in full expression and offers it self to our view in just proportion How do those fires â—â— love burn in his quenched eyes what seâ—â— of love flow in every drop of that precious blood How many fountains of love and life streaming from his hands feet side open the very Cataracks of Heaven anâ— surround the World with floods of love wâ— have no eyes if we stand not dazeld witâ— this Sun of righteousness more brightlâ— shining forth in the beams of his love froâ— the Axel-tree of his Cross than from the sphere of his glory Some perhaps will confess that Christ never more manifested his love than on hiâ— Cross but yet to
shed his beams not only through the skies and ayer but down to the earth and every earthly Creature It gilds every weed and dung-hill and though it lends so bountifully to all yet it is self still as full as ever Such a reward is our Lord unto us Seeing theâ— he is first infinitely great and all Nations nothing before him and to him less than nothing Isa. 40.17 and secondly infinitely and incomprehensibly good abundantly surrounding the most vast desires in his goodness commanding us to open our mouths wide that is to enlarge our hearts in thirsting our mouths in asking and promises to fill them Psal. 81.10 certainly they can want nothing â—o whom he is all things And this is it which draws out the hearts of his servants to all thankfull acknowledgement The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want Surely mercy and goodness shall follow me all dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Psal. 23. It is altogether impossible for any Creature to think that God can be any such thing which can possibly be better'd or excell'd by any thing as being a good without limits which the more we know and enjoy the more we esteem and affect It cannot therefore be denyed that the highest and only happiness of man consists in the getting and enjoying him Hearken then to that sweet invitation of that so often before mentioned Philosopher and Poet. Boetius Libr. 3. Metr 10. Come hither come poor Captives you whose minds â—ith dust cast in your eyes Lust cheating blinds â—nd to base earth with willing â—etters binds Come weary souls here reâ—t here quiet bide Come anchor here 's your Port here safely ride Your guilt in this close Sanctuary hide Nor Golden Tagus nor bright Hemus streams Nor India's sâ—lf whose womb Sols hotter beams Fill with rich seed red white green glittering gems No sparkling Pearls your quenched snuff can tine The more ye cleave to their deceitâ—ul shine The more y' are buried in their Dungeon mine Their glistering rayes which kindle fond desire Are earthly and beget but â—atuous fire Shine but in night they rise and set in mire But this Eternal Sun whose splendour bright Rules quickens all gives you both life and light The eye that wistly views with fixed sight Will swear the Starrs the Moon the Sun it self is night But you will say How shall we possibly meet God is in Heaven we on earth Eccles. 5.2 he of purer eyes than to behold evil thaâ— cannot look upon iniquity Hab. 1.13 We all an unclean thing and our righteousness a filthy rag Isa. 64.6 He higher than the Heavens Heb. 7.26 we as low as Hell Observe therefore CAP. VIII How we attain this Portion SUch is the high favour which we poor dust have found in the eyes of our glorious Creatour that he hath not only set us out our Portion in himself but tyed himself to us and us to himself in the sure bond of an everlasting Covenant in which he hath passed himself to us and purchast us to himself he ours as before and we his Portion Deut. 32.9 Zech. 2.12 He our King Hos. 13.10 we his Kingdom Exod. 19.5 6. He to us a Father 2 Cor. 6.18 in love and providence Hos. 14.4 Matth. 6.26 we to him Children in love and obedience Deut. 10.12 Ier. 7.28 This his Covenant he hath frequently enâ—grossed for us that we might have it ever in our eyes not only in his word Gen. 17.7 Ier. 31.31 c. but in our hearts also Ier. 31.33 As Ionathan because he delighted in David 1 Sam. 19.2 and loved him as his own Soul regarded not the disparity of their condition but divested himself of his Princely robes to adorn his servant and having given and tyed his heart to him before now gives his hand and binds himself to him in a sure knot of a friendly Covenant 1 Sam. 18.1 2 3. so our most gracious Lord having his delights with the Sons of men Prov. 8.31 loving us beyond knowledge Ephes. 3.19 so far descended in the depth of his love from the height of his Majesty that he even bound himself to the clay of his hands Perhaps the learned Heathen might have some dimm sight of this great Mystâ—rie and veiled it under the Fable of Pâ—gmalion who having framed a curious statue in the form of a Woman fell into love with it and when he had gotten it enlivened married it Love even desires unionâ— and communion with the beloved This incomprehensible goodness of God and great Mysterie of Godliness will be best opened unto us by way of Question and Answer Quest. 1. Hath God never made more Covenants with man than one Answ. God hath made divers Covenants as Gen. 9.9 c. but specially two the Old and New Jer. 31.31 or the first and second Covenant Heb. 8.7 Quest. 2. With whom did God make these Covenants Answ. With the two Adams the first with the first Adam and his seed the second with the second Adam and his seed the first made with a servant and therefore a Covenant of works in this tenure Do this and live Gal. 3.12 The second made with the Son and therefore a Covenant of Grace wherein God giveth what he asketh and worketh what he commandeth bids us Live and so gives us life Ezek. 16.6 commands his Covenant Psal. 111.9 and so writes it in our hearts Jer. 31.33 Thus our new Covenant is made first and immediately with Christ our Redeemer and mediately with us through him our Mediatour See Isa. 59.20 21. Gal. 3.16 Quest. 3. Was then that first Covenant broken Answ. By the first Adam it was utterly broken Gen. 3. and so by all mankind Ier. 31.32 And hence with the root dyed all the branches Rom. 5.12 And certainly never can we sufficiently admire or bless that miracle of Gods mercy in which after that by our treacherous revolture and rebellion we had broken Covenant and were utterly fallen into eternal death and misery he hath taken advantage by our breach of Covenant to make a better Covenant with us and by our sin and rebellion to glorifie his grace in doing us more good than ever that seeing we so waveringly fell in the first we mighâ— invincibly stand in the second Adam and having lost our selves and all our blessedness in the one we might regain and eternally reâ—ain iâ— in the other And hence the first is called the figure of the second Adam Rom. 5.14 because as the first was the Head and Root of our first Covenant in whom we were all blessed if he stood and cursed if he fell so the second is the Head of our second Covenant with whom because he cannot dye our liâ—e is hid up in God Col. 3.3 in whose eternal blessedness we are everlastingly blessed Quest. 4. What is our new Covenant and the matter of it Answ. In a word as Christ Iesus is the Head so is he also the matter of our Covenant For
we so empty when he so full and overflowing how are we full of nothing but wants when he so abundantly replenished with an unexhausted plenty Answ. 1. There are some nourishing some starving wants want of meat without sense of want pines the body wants breeding hunger drive to food and food yields strength and growth were our wants without feeling we could not hunger for the Lord Iesus and his righteousness 〈◊〉 we are sensible of them and therefore hunger and thirst for Christ we are blessed and shall certainly be satisfied Matth. 5 6â— when therefore we find thirst and hungerâ— why should we fear to repair with all assurance to this full Fountain What Well denies us water how freely doth light lend and give light He that is the Sun of Righteousness and Fountain of living Waters invites thee to come and when thou comest gives freely Rev. 22.17 He draws thee to himself Ioh. 12.32 poureth out his Spirit unto thee Prov. 1.23 satiates the weary soul Ier. 31.25 and will surely make it to flow with Rivers of living water Joh. 7.38 This passage also may we conclude with that excellent Poet. Boetius Libr. 3. Metr 12. Thrice happy soul that turns his Sphere of sight To that greaâ— Sun and Fount of goodness bright Thence fills his waining Orb with true eternal light Happy who loosing his clogg'd feet and hands From pressing earths and hells oppressing bands Mounts soaring up to Heaven and at that haven lands Once Orpheus plaining at his Spouses bier Gave Rocks a weeping eye and listning ear Brooks staid their hasty stream woods left their roots to hear But when no Muse his wounded heart could plaister Songs fann'd his fires and flames brake out the faster His verses pleasing all but easing not their Master Weary of life to hell he desperate flings There fits his sweetest voice to sweeter strings And into pitty Lords of Shades and darkness sings There what his Mothers spring there what his eyes Griefs double fountain what which both out-vies Lost-longing love affords he to stern Ghosts applyes Hells bauling Dog pricks up his thrice two ears To houl to bark to snarl to whine he fears Haggs still their hissing snakes and Furies melt in tears Then first Ixion and his wheel take rest Tantale neglects his tast his ear to feast The Vulture full of verse scorns Titius loathed brest Diâ— yields and with this law restores his Love Till hell be left his sight back must not move Who gives Love laws alasâ— Loves only law is love Now past black Stix near to the verge of Skies Forc'd by desire turning his longing eyes Euridice at once he saw he loâ—â— he dies This Fable looks to thee who tir'd with night Desir'st to draw thy soul to life and light On that Eternal Sun set â—asten fix thy sight If you turn back on hellish Shades to pore Thou ever losest what thou wan'st before Thy soul more barr'd from Heav'n in hell implunged more Seeing then this Covenant is all our salvation and desire 2 Sam. â—3 5 in the next place Observe CAP. IX What is required of us to be entered into this Covenant ALL that our gracious God demands of us is only to Seek himâ— Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face continually 1 Chron. 16.11 Seek the Lord while he may by found Isa. 55.6 Naturally in this â—abour we are notorious sluggards ready to project vain and imaginary dangers There is a Lyon in the way and when Gods gracious hand is stretched forth reaching out his Covenant to us we hide our hand in our bosome and will not draw it out to receive his ofâ—er when he puts and even thrusâ—s thiâ— Bread of Heaven into our hand it grievâ—â—s â—o bring it again unto our mouth Prov. 26. â—3 15. Therefore our Lord who desires â—ot our death Ezek. 18.32 presseth hard â—his duty upon us Seek the Lord and ye â—hall livâ— Seâ—k me and ye shall live Seek â—im that makes the seven starrs and Orion â—hat turneth the shadow of death into the mornâ—ng and maketh the day dark with night â—mos 5.4 6 8. And because this Wisdom is the principal thing Prov. 4.7 therefore he commands us that it should be the first of our thoughts and wayes Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness Matth. 6.33 This is his way and we must walk in it So do his Saints With wy whole heart have I sought thee Oh let me not wander from thy Commandments Psal. 119.10 Conscious of their starting nature they enter into Covenant and bind themselves with an Oath and penalty of death to seek the Lord with their whole desire 2 Chron. 15â—12 13 14 15. Even half servants and such who have nothing to shew of his Service but a Coat and Livery and that so worn torn and thread-bare that men may see their nakedness through it even these confess sometime the necessity of it and in their manner set themselves to this duty and when they do oh mercy they lose not all their labour Those hypocrites whose hearts were not upright with him but flattered him with their tongue yet in their extremity sought him and enquired early after God so he forbore them and destroyed them not Psal. 78â—34 36 37 38. Iehoash in the life of Jehojadah 2 King 12.2 and Uzziah in thâ— time of Zechariah meer temporisers 2 Chron. 26.5 sought the Lord and prospered And truly there is an absolute necessity which will enforâ—e and drive us to this search with all diligence For there are two things which compell the most slothful heart to labour with all industry 1. The great need of a thing when he cannot subsist without it 2. The extream want when he hath nothing of it Both here meet and that in the highest degree First We are in our nature wholly without him Without Christ without God in the world strangers to the Covenant of Promise and therefore without hope Ephes. 2.12 we have utterly lost him As the Gileadites dealt with Iepthah Judg. 11.2 we have driven him from us thrust him out of our doors shut our gates upon him and even defied him as they Job 21.14 Depart from us or those in the Gospâ—l We will not have this man reign over us Luk. 19.14 we have compelled him by our sins to forsake us and to separate from us Isa. 59.2 We have broken him with our whorish hearts in departing from him Ezek. 6.9 and so forced him to leave us Isa. 2.6 2. Our need of him is palpable We can have nothing do nothing be nothing without him for In him we live move and have our being Act. 17.28 Our wants are innumerable and he the only Fountain that supplies them Our enemies also numberless strong subtile malicious and he our only Sheild that defends us Our weakness notorious Of no strength Rom. 5.6 All our strength hope comfort lies only in him Get him therefore we must or perish and seek him we must or never get him
stormy ayers quiet stay Can Heavens find in swiftest raptures ease Has only man no Centre none to lay His weary soul to rest no place to â—ase His boundless thoughts Me thinks I see a ray A glorious bâ—â—â— break through Heav'ns Canopy Me thinks I hear a voice Come Soul and see Come here here lies thy rest rest in my word me V. It is thy lovely voice great Love oh where Where Lord of love where should I seek to find thee In every place I see thy footsteps cleer Yet find thee not what are the miâ—â—s that blind me I know Lord where thou art and seek thee there Yet there I find not thee before behind me On every side I see yet seeing blind I find not what I see but heark my mind He speaks again Soul seek seek thou and I will find A great encouragement which will much hearten us in this quest is that CAP. X. We shall certainly find when we rightly seek IF worldly and carnal men so zealously affect and hotly pursue their earthly objects the ambitious straining for honour till they crack their estates and brains in reaching after it and yet are often over-reached and lose their prize the covetous as horses drawing iniquity with Cartâ—ropes of vanity defrauding oppressing piercing their souls with many sorrows yet often put all their gains into a bag with holes Hag. 1.6 or at the least in their end are stript and turned out naked voluptuous persons hunt after pleasures till they run themselves off their leggs and are brought to a morsel of bread and yet commonly either lose their game or as that Huntsman are eaten up by their doggs how cheerfully should a Christian â—un his course in seeking that immortal honour of being a Son and Heir to the King of Kings those durable riches treasures laid â—p in Heaven those incorruptible pleasures which are at Gods right hand and press hard toward the â—â—rk for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ which following he shall surely obtain and having obtained shall never lose Never did our gracious Lord command his poor creatures Seek ye the Lord in vain Isa. 49.15 he hath past his word that in seeking him we shall certainly find and iâ— finding him shall be ever blessed His word is his deed what he speaks is done what he commands stands fast Psal. 33.9 Be assured therefore if thou seek him â—e will be found of thee 1 Chron. 28.9 2 Chron. 15. â—â— Matth. 7.7 If you seek for honour glory immortality you shall find eternal life Rom. 2â—7 Thus hath he frequently promised and all his promises are Yeâ— and Amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 Iudah sought â—im and found him 2 Chron. 15.15 Even Hypocrites find him and some favour with him when they seek even as much and as far as they seekâ— Aâ—abs temporal humiliation obtained an answerable mercy 1 King 21.29 As long aâ— Vzziah sought God so long he prosperedâ—â— Chron. 26.5 It is an infallible dispensation of his Providence in general to give every man what he seeks He that seeketh good shall have favour and â—e that seeketh mischieâ— it shall come unto him Prov. 11.27 It cannot be otherwise For 1. 〈◊〉 â—st sui diâ—â—usivum Good iâ— oâ— a spreading nature It cannot but comâ—unicate it self proportionably to the power which it hath and to the object which iâ— finds He is good and doth good Psal. 119.68 He is infinitely good and therefore infinitely communicates himself as well to the 〈◊〉 by generation as to the Holy Ghost by procession yeâ— finitely as they are capable to all his Creatures as well in their Creation making them very good Gen. 1.31 as in his providence and dispensation his open hand fills them with good Psal. 104.28 and man being created after his own image and after his â—all capable of the divine nature he offers and imparts it to them who takes his offer 2 Pet. 1.4 Secondly He is Love 1 Iohn 4â—16 gracious Exod. 34.6 loving before above contrary to our deservingâ— Thiâ— love our Saviour thinks best to express in the relation of a Father Luk. 11.11 12 13â— so loving that he waits to be gracious unto us Isa. 30.18 that he is found of those that seek him not and makes himself manifeâ—â— to those that ask not after him Rom. 10.20 so unexpressably and unconceivably loving that when he had bestowed all his Creatures upon us he yet satisfied not his love till he had given a gift fully proportionable to his incomprehensible love the Son of his love his only begotten that we being destroyed by our selves Hos. 13.9 mighâ— through him never perish being dead in our selves might have eternal life in him Ioh. 3.16 being enemies in our nature might be reconciled in him Rom. 5.10 Thirdly He is the Truth Joh. 14.6 How frequently hath he promised that if we seek we shall find as before and faithful is he that promiseth who will also do it 1 Thes. 5.24 Thus Mercy and Truth meet together Psal. 85.10 And to this purpose are they met fully to assure us of success in seeking Deut. 4.25 to the 32. And observe that when for their rebellion the Lord had scattered his revolting people among the Heathen and given them up to their whorish hearts to serve wood and stone yet even from thence when they shall seek the Lord they shall find him And what is the reason that after such bitter provocations he will be found of them in their deepest misery 1. His mercy for the Lord thy God is a merciful God he will not destroy thee 2. His truth and faithfulness nor forget the Covenant of thy Fathers which he swore unto them ver 31. How then should any poor soul that seeks with loâ—ging miss in finding Thou lovest him he more infinitely loveth thee Thou seekest him he first seeketh thee Thou wouldst find him he will surely find thee thou desirest to meet him doth not he promise to meet thee Isa. 64.5 nay thou goest to meet him but he runneth to meet thee Luk. 15.18 20. But that cunning and lying Serpent and our own unbelieving hearts will put in a barr and lay a notable stumbling block in our way concerning this truth They will object It is not only apparent that many have not found the Lord who yet have earnestly sought but the Lord himself plainly testifies that many shall seek and not find Luk. 13.24 They shall go with their heards and with their flocks to seek the Lord and shall not find him Hos. 5. â— but we must know that as in other actions so in this that which is not right indeed is not It may seem to be but is not what it seems A lip-love is indeed no love 1 Ioh. 3.17 18. A dead faith no faith so that seeking which is not right is indeed no seeking What then is that right seeking to which God hath annexed this promise of finding Three things are necessarily required in seeking to make it
his doors he will certainly opeâ— the door let you in give you life anâ— make you blessed I will also finish this Chapter with a verse borrowed from divers of those Poetical Prophets Vast Ocean of light whose rayes surround The Universe who know'st nor ebb nor shore Who lend'st the Sun his sparkling drop to store With overflowing beams Heav'n ayer ground Whose depths beneath the Centre none can sound Whose heights 'bove heav'n and thoughts so loâ—ty soar Whose breadth no feet no lines no chains no eyes survey Whose length no thoughts can reach no worlds can bound What cloud can mask thy face where can thy ray Find an Eclipse what night can hide Eternal Day Our Seas a drop of thine with arms dispread Through all the earth make drunk the thirsty plains Our Sun a spark of thine dark shadows drains Guilds all the world paints earth revives the dead Seas through earth pipes distill'd in Cisterns shed And power their liver springs in river veins The Sun peeps through jet clouds and when his face Are maskt his eyes their light through ayers spread and gleams Shall dullard earth bury life-giving streams Earths â—oggs impound heav'ns lightâ— hell quench heav'n kindling beams How miss I then in bed I sought by night But found not him in rest nor rest without him I sought in Towns in broadest streets I sought him But found not him where all are lost dull sight Thou canst not see him in himself his light Is maskt in light brightness his cloud about him Where when how he 'l be found there then thus seek thy love Thy Lamb in flocks thy Food with appetite Thy Rest on reâ—ting dayes thy Turtle Dove Seeâ— on his cross there then thus Love stands nail'd with love For surely know that Eternal life even CAP. XI All Blessedness is found only in the Lord Iesus Christ. THE whole Portion of man all treasures and true riches which fill man with true blessedness are stored up in Christ Riches and honour are with him yea durable riches and righteousness Prov. 8.18 In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 He is full of grace and truth and from his fulness we all receive and grace for grace Joh. 1.14 16. and so are we filled with the fulness of God Ephes. 3.19 It will therefore be not more needful than delightful to take a further view of this glorious inheritance so to kindle and inflame our dull hearts with more love and longing after him to drive us to seek and quicken us in seeking that â—o we may find him Of all the Artifices devised and practised by that envious and subtle Serpent this is the principal to draw a Curtain before this express Image of Gods person who being the Brightness of his glory Heb. 1.3 if we could behold with open eyes his Divine beauty would wonderfully ravish our enamoured spirits and so attract win and hold our eyes and hearts that he would utterly raze out all other vain loves and washy colours and cause us wholly to despise all those painted flowers of counterfeit beauties which grow not in his face and shine not in his eyes As therefore that our heavenly Father the Father of lights in his gracious wisdom to draw us to Christ commands his light to shine out of darkness and opens for it a window in our hearts to give us knowledge of the glory of God in no other object but the face of the Loâ—d Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 so this Prince of darkness imployes all his Engines with all diligence to obscure that light of the Gospel lest in it this Image of God should shine out unto us 2 Cor. 4.4 And as he by his false Apostles deceitful workers labours to distort those amiable lineaments and darken the radiant beauties of the Lord Iesus so our God sets his servants of the Ministry on work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3.3 to limb out Christ in all his love and excellency to us Now it is he who hath committed that pencil of his Gospel into my weak hand I desire therefore as I can a poor Apprentice in my trade and as I have learnt of him to describe him to you you know well as other Princes so this King of Kings wooes by picture He sends here unto you drawn by a rude hand his pourtrait which as dimm as it is by reason of my unskilfulness is able through his working to enflame your hearts with love with sickness of love with ardent desire and restless longings after him As in the Creature there is a double quality which kindles affection either simple whereby it self is perfect or relative whereby others are bettered so is there in our Lord and Creator a double excellency â—imply considered wherein himself is incomprehenâ—ibly blessed in his most glorious perfections relative in his infinite both goodness and fulness to supply our imperfections and fill us with blessedness For the first because our infirm eyes would soon be dazeled with the rayes of that Sun of Righteousness if in open light and full view he were presented to us therefore the Lord is pleased to mask the face of â—hat glorious lustre with shadows of earthly comparisons and to let us here see the â—ight of it as through a cloud Now as corporal beauty consists 1. Of a â—omely feature when the whole body and â—very limb is cast into a due frame keeping â—ust proportions and every one fashioned in â— right mould neither excessive nor defeâ—tive and 2. Of an amiable colour dispread â—ver the whole body and every member â—hen each part is dressed and tired in such â—livery as most commends it to the eye of the â—eholder so also doth the spiritual view 〈◊〉 curiously drawn Cant. 5. from the 10. v. 〈◊〉 the end There may you behold our beâ—â—ved excellently pourtrayed by the hand of 〈◊〉 own Spirit as well in all his excellencies 〈◊〉 head locks eyes cheeks lipps hands leggs 〈◊〉 countenance mouth as also in his most â—â—vely colours white and ruddy c. The meaning is Look as a person excellently comely in all the lineaments and proportions of every member and exquisitely fair in the natural tapestry of a pure complexion is a most ravishing object to an eye of flesh so in that second Adam the quickning Spirit could we lift up our eyes to take a full view of his dazeling beauties which now are veiled from our imperfect sight for no man can see him and live could we behold in their measures those his most glorious Attributes and then clearly discern that infinite purity shining and sparkling in every one of them it would as once it certainly shall fill our spirits with heavenly raptures and ravishing extasies in contemplation of those divine beauties Take a more particular and distinct view of these most glorious perfections Look what comeliness is in man that in Christ is Omnipotency or All-sufficiency Comeliness iâ— nothing else but that form of body whereby
glittering of rotten wood in the night hold when the Creatour is in the other scale The third Stale is Pleasure a wanton petulant luxurious pack which in respect of your youth if God keep you not will easily draw away your hearts from the love of Christ. She hath all the properties of an Harlot By means of a whorish woman shall a man be brought to a piece of bread Prov. 6.26 and he that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man Prov. 21.27 they that live in pleasure are dead while they live 1 Tim. 5.6 stinking coarses buried in living bodiesâ— Oh take heed of this perfumed piece of Carrion Perhaps she will send in her Brokers voluptuous vain persons nay perhaps shâ— will have your own hearts to plead for heâ— What should you bury the April of youâ— years in a Winter of sullen melancholyâ— May you not specially in youth enjoâ— some pleasure and refresh your selves witâ— the delights of the Sons of men Truly oâ—â— gracious Lord is far from interdicting us anâ— lawful or true pleasure To wallow as Swine in the mire to pollute our souls which he hath washed in that precious fountain opened in the side of Christ for sin and for uncleanness as a Dog to lick up our vomit as that Demoniack to dwell among the Tombs Mar. 5.3 and converse with the dead in their graves this if this be pleasure our Lord hath prohibited But surely whosoever account these things delightful must needs also rank themselves with hoggs doggs and demoniacks Your Father alloweth you a sober and wholsome use of all his creatures for your comfort and refeshing and lest this should be too little gives himself to be your Pleasure and joy bidds you â—o rejoice in him and again to rejoice Phil. â—4 4 he allows and gives you joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 provides for you fulness of joy and everlasting pleasures Psal. 16.11 He will be to you a fountain â—f life and will make you to drink and abunâ—antly satisfie you with rivers of his pleasures Psal. 36.8 9. The Lord of glory offers himself and his â—onjugal love unto you to endow you with â—ll his goods with himself the supream the â—nfinite Good Are there no pleasures in his â—mbraces If you sit down under his shadow â—ou will find great delight and his fruit will 〈◊〉 most sweet unto your taste Cant. 2.3 If a man who hath married some fair lovely and loving Spouse should yet doat upon a stinking but perfumed and painted Harlot who scorns not his folly who detests not his perfidious and perjurious wickedness who looks on him but as a man impotioned and with strong sorceries bewitched God proffers himself to you as a Father offers the Son and Heir of his glory into your bosome and shall we leave this glorious Spouse to follow those dirty Prostitutes sinks of all uncleanness and filthiness The good Lord keep our hearts from such a witchery Now therefore fence your hearts from such inchantments with these thoughts No other passage what no way but this Can bring my Pilgrim soul to rest and bliss Proud Seas in Gyant waves 'gainst Heaven riâ—e And casting mounts fight with loudâ—thundring Skies Skies charge their double Cannons and let fly Their fires and bullets waters hizz and fry How shall my tir'd Bark climb those mounts how shâ—â— It fall and not than hell much deeper fâ—ll How shall a Potsheard stand one Volly how Shall glass cut through such storms with brittle prow Were sails as wings to mount me o're those hills Who could secure me in those lesser rills Where Sirens fill the ear and eye with wonder I more fear calm than storms more songs than thunder Lend to the Latine Siren eyes and ears Her face will seem an Angel voice the Spheres The Belgian melts the soul with sugred strains Drops Wine and loosness into swilling veins A third Gold Plenty Wealth abundance sings And binds the captive car with â—ilver strings A fourth guilds all her notes with Thrones and Crownâ—â— So Heav'n in earth glory in honour drowns The last powrs honey from her pleasant Hive So stings and kills and buries men alive Lord steer my Bark draw thou mine eye and ear From those vain frights thy Word and thee to fear Lord tune my heart to hear in Saintly throngs More musick in thy thunders than their songs Make me to think in all these storms and charms In Sirens notes and thundring Worlds alarms Thy presence is my guard my Port thy Bed and armsâ— But is such a match feasable CAP. XIII There is no impossibility or very much difficulty to attain it TRue it is that Satan as an old and expert Pandar with exquisite art and cunning labours both to obscure the radiant beams of that Sun of Righteousness lest that great Light the Image of God and Brightness of his glory Heb. 1.3 should shine forth unto us 2 Cor. 4.3 4. and in dark shadows to kindle those rotten sticks of superstition errour profit pleasure preferment so with these glistering shews of false light to draw away our eyes and hearts from our Lord and true Spouse to the adulterous love of these painted Sâ—rumpets And truly it is with us as with some silly children we are more taken with the glaring dust of rotten wood than with those glittering beams of that great Light of Heaven yet were not these eyes and heart as wicked and as if not more deceitfuâ— as he deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17.9 he could not sâ— â—asily bewitch us with those false blazings of plaistered and painted beauties But when he without and our hearts within are cunning to deceive hence it comes that these loathsome Harlots seem altogether lovely which indeed are sheer vanity and he who in truth is altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 hath his visage so marred more than any man and his form more than the Sons of men that he hath in our eyes no form or comeliness and when we see him there is no beauty why we should desire him Isa. 52.14 53.2 I have therefore before as I could weakly endeavoured to uncover as well the loathsome deformity of those hellish Stales as also the glorious beauties of our gracious Lord. But who is suâ—â—icient 2 Cor. 2.16 and who less sufficient than am I Blessed be the Father of lights who hath in any measure purged and cleered our dimm and abused eyes to discern the abhorred filthiness of the one and the excelling excellency of the other Now if our poor souls enamoured on his perfections should say Blessed indeed is the hand that weds and the heart that beds him But I am a worm and no man what hope to match with so greaâ— a Lord I am a dead Coarse dead in sins and trespasses a painted Sepulchre a grave full of dead Corpses what possibility for such a wretch to rise up to so high an advancement How should such a Body of death be espoused and match with the
Isa. 6.3 Herein then consists the eminency of holiness above all other qualities in man that he is not only by it and by it only like unto God but like him in that in which God is most excellent even in his glory The Heathens themselves could discern a ravishing beautie in virtue if men had but eyes to behold it but oh if God open to us an eye to discern these heavenly features of the divine nature and the bright beams of his holiness â—he very Sun will seem but durt to it and all the excellencies of all creatures meer dross and tinsoyl Certainly the comely proportions of a perishing body an earthly flower decked with the ornaments of some pleasing colours are able to ravish a fleshly eye and winn unto it a carnal heart But were the mind cleered to behold a spirit man or Angel shining in the divine beautie of Gods own Image how would that sight attract the soul and strike it with amazement and wonder of that glorious luster 3. Thirdly as there is nothing in man or Angel so excellent so nothing so necessary as holiness For 1. This only gives us preeminency above other creatures Consider it well and you shall easily find that every creature will justly challeng precedence and outgo man without holiness There is no qualitie in us this only excepted but other creatures in it farr surpass us If we boast of longer time and durance than some other the very stones in this outgo us If we plead but with age we have life even plants and trees outlive us If we say we have sense also how many beasts c. in hearing seeing smelling c. go farr beyond us Some perhaps will object we have understanding and discourse of reason of which these are incapable but in this alas the worst of all creatures the Divels claym a large superioritie and wonderfully exceed us Know it certainly without holiness you are inferiour to every creature even the most abject and miserable 2. All the blessings of God and all his actions for our blessedness have this mayn end to make us holy We are elected by God in Christ that we should be holy Eph. 1.4 redeemed by Christ that we should serve him in holiness Luk. 1.74 75. called by the Spirit not to uncleanness but holiness 1 Thes. 4.7 Therefore hath God begotten us to himself by the word of truth that we should be as the first fruits of his creatures Jam. 1.18 that is sanctified and separated to his holy service And as children cannot be but of the same kind and naâ—ure with their Parents else are they monsters so must we as obedient children be holy as he is holy 1 Pet. 1.14 15 16. Therefore hath the Lord Iesus espoused us and given himself for us that he might wash and Sanctifie us Eph. 5.26 Therefore the holy Ghost dwells in us as his Temples that we should â—e holy 1 Cor. 3.16 17. To the same end are all Gods ordinances given us the word Prayer Sacraments even to Sanctifie us Joh. 17.17 Be assured you can never have right to God â—s a Father to Christ as a Saviour to the blesâ—ed Spirit as your Comforter without holiness All these actions of God for our good are â—rustrate to us all his Ordinances unfruitful â—â—us without holiness what soever Title or â—steem we have with men in the world yet â—ith Christ and Christians without holiness â—e are meer Infidels and very ecchoes of â—hristians 3. There is no hope nor possibilitie of glory and that beatifical vision of God without holiness Without holiness no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 nay no man without it can possibly behold him An inferiour cannot possibly reach to a nature transcendent nor we without participation of this Godly nature see him as God there is no hope of this highest beatitude unless we are thus qualified 4. Lastly whatsoever we seem to men our selves or others what better are we indeed than those cursed and damned spirits without it me thinks rather worse A wicked Angel is a sinful filthy spirit but a wicked man is both a sinful spirit and sinful flesh filthy in both The truth is and upon serious consideration we cannot deny it an unholy man is nothing else but an incarnate fâ—end a Divel in flesh Ioh. 6.70 Now though even nature it self will in general strongly incite the heart to seek with all diligence such things as are for use most necessary and mosâ— excellent for our advancement yet for thiâ— particular of holiness even when our beâ—â— Judgment upon sound deliberation hath subâ—scribed to these manifest truths and we havâ— seen and acknowledged the necessitie anâ— eminencie of this divine puritie yet thâ—â— craâ—ty Enemie by the assistance of those twâ— his special helpers namely our own wickedness within us and the world without us will eaâ—ily either disswade us for ever enterprizing such a quest or at least cool and dishearten us in the pursuit of it Whensoever Gods blessed Spirit hath opened you an eye to behold with delight the beauties of holiness and drawing your heart to cleave unto it in love hath set your face resolutely to a constant following it Satan will not fail to hinder by sending in some worldly person yet under the pretence of a friend and welwisher who shall counsel you not to be too forward and shall tell you none are more despised than these hot zealous fellows that they are the table talk and scorn of great ones that such and such wise and learned men who hope to come to Heaven with the first laugh at this preciseness and take to themselves much more â—ibertie that it is good to use moderation and so under the pretence of temper if â—ou take not good heed they will bring you â—o that abominable distemper of a luke-warm Christian of whom Christ is sick and vowes â—o vomit them out of his mouth Rev. 3.16 â—ay he will get your own heart to speak for â—im and that will plead hard and tell you Oh! this strictness this Yoke of holiness is a â—ur sad melancholy life no comfort no joy no solace in it and you are in your Spring what will you blast all these fair blossoms of youth with such an austere and sullen course Nay take your time while you may use your youth and pleasures while the season and April of your age invites you But take great heed and stop your ears against these Sirens bind your selves to that word of God which will hold you fast and keep you safe from these strong inchantments Open your ears to that best Counseler the Lord Iesus who will tell you that in the best of your service you are unprofitable Luk. 17.10 If you could run but we hardly creep yea could ye add wings to your feet to fly toward Heaven yet could ye never be forward enough when the Goal is Heaven and God himself and his glory the Crown the swiftest foot is too slow to run and
or wantonness less dangerous or loathsome The more ye grow up to youth the more closely cleave to the guide of your youth Prov. 2.17 See Psal. 119.9 Lay neer to heart nay lock up in the midst of your heart all those precious counsels of that Eternal wisdom and your heavenly Father My Son give me thy heart and let thine eyes observe my wayes for a whore is â— deep ditch and a strange woman a narrow pitt Prov. 23.26 27. Read and even get by heart Prov. 2.23 to the end and 7. ch Were it possible to cut off your arm and to graft it into a Bear and the Bears leg into your shoulder how would your soul abhorr such an exchange How much worse is it to take the members of Christ and make them members of an harlot 1 Cor. 6.15 Be careful also and very watchful with all instance I charge you to avoid all single uncleanness Onans sin Gen. 38. which is the more dangerous as it is less regarded Give up your hearts day and night in prayer to God and put them into his hand importunately beseech him who keeps his Israel to watch over you and to fence you from tentation and looking up unto his gracious providence timely as God shall provide for you retire unto his Ordinance of marriage if the Lord endow you not with the gift of continence Remember your boâ—dies and souls are espoused to Christ and the wife hath not power over her own body but tâ—e husband 1 Cor. 7.4 Offer up therefore your bodies to him as a living sacrifice Rom. 12.1 and glorifie him both in your bodies and spiâ—its for they are Gods 1 Cor. 6.20 Lastly in your estate this virtue will â—each you to pray as Agur Give me neither â—overtie nor riches â—eed me with food convenient for me lest I be full and deny thee and â—ay who is the Lord or lest I be poor and steal â—â—d take the name of my God in vain Prov. â—0 8 9. A great sayl to a little boat is more â—angerous than helpful That Philosopher in â—is Poetrie will teach you Boetius Libr. 2. Metr 4. If safe thou wouldst and quiet dwell Reâ—use a Palace chuse a cell Wouldst thou burn out thy fenced light In peace when winds storms tempests fight Wouldst thou despise the curl'd-head waves And laugh when gaping Neptune raves Let not thy house on mountains soar Trust not the swilling spewing shore There envious winds and spiteful blasts Reign rage and tear there nothing lasts Here sinking earth and bibbing sands Bâ—tray the weight here nothing stands Climb not aloft to seek fâ—esh ayer Or pleasant seat build sure not fair The lowly Rock make thy foundation A strong a lasting situâ—ation When thundring storms with ruins fill The pleasant shore and mounting hill Lodgd in thy trenches safely lying Fierce winds and â—oming seas defying Safe maist thou mock the angry skie And quiet live and quiet dy This was the first branch of holiness Sobrietie CAP. XVIII What is the Second THe second branch is Righteousness or Iustice that grace whereby We render to all their dues Rom. 13.7 not only which Civil but divine laws prescribe And the fulfilling of all righteousness in one word is love Read Rom. 13.7 8 9 10. The object of love is general All men eâ—en enemies not excluded Matth. 5.44 The â—ubject or seat of love is not the mouth in â—omplement 1 Ioh. 3.18 but the heart â—ithout dissimulation Rom. 12.9 The meaâ—ure or quantitie must be dispensed accorâ—ing to those relations in which God hath â—ed us Some must have an higher place in â—ur hearts than others 1 Thes. 5.13 The â—ruit of love is doing good which must be â—rdered and distributed generally to all â—en specially to the houshold of faith Gal. â— 10 To handle all these particulars would â—k a large volume For that referring you 〈◊〉 your best Father and his divine instruâ—â—ions fully set out unto you in his doubleâ— â—estament I desire to cull out some few dâ—â—rections and commend them to your practice and his blessing In conversing with men look first to your heart secondly to your actions Cease from anger and forsake wrath Psal. 37.8 put it off Col. 3.8 Be not hasty in spirit to be angry Eccl. 7.9 for discretion in a man deferreth his anger Prov. 19.11 In anger siâ— not Eph. 4.26 Be sure the cause be just Matth. 5.22 and the extent justifiable for it rests in the bosome of fools Eccl. 7.9 and where it lodgeth all night it hath the Divel for a bedfellow Eph. 4.26 27. Hate nothing in any man but sin and his hate of God and therefore hate the sin because ye love the man and love the man to cast out that hate and plant in the love of God Fall not out with any man but so as to reconcile him to God See Lev. 19.17 Above all beware of repaying hate for love Psal. 109.5 and tremble to hate whom God loves Psal. 38.20 It is the brand and seal of Satan upon his cattel Have nothing at all to do with Envie Anger and Hatred may be and often are evil but Envie cannot be good Love can bâ— angry and love can hate but love cannot envie 1 Cor. 13.4 The mouth is the dore of life Prov. 13.3 â—â—ep it therefore under lock and key Helâ— it self is not a more proper shop of the Divel than a wicked mouth His special warehouse is a sinful heart and an evil mouth his shop where he readily vents his wares Thither he brings that fire of hell Jam. 3.6 Wicked lips are a burning fire Prov. 16.27 The tongue his hammer by which he frames those hellish weapons lies slanders mocks to sadd the hearts of the righteous to arm and strengthen the hands of the wicked Psal. 109.2 Remember the tongue is an unruly and untamed evil Jam. 3.8 Deal with it as that man after Gods own heart He watches it keeps it as with a bridle Psal. 39.1 But finding his own hand too weak he calls in better help Set a watch oh Lord before my mouth and keep the dore of my lips Psal. 141.3 Learn that excellent lesson Speak evil of no man Tit. 3.2 Iugde no man Rom. 14.13 Neither only keep your tongues from wounding other mens ears but barricado your ears also and keep out wicked tongues The ear is the hearts factour Prov. 18.15 and if the ear be naught neither heart nor hand is good for a wicked doer gives heed to false lips and a Lier gives ear to a naughty tongue Pro. 17.4 Love peace Zech. 8.19 follow peace with all men Heb. 12.14 yea all things which concern peace Rom. 14.19 If it be possible as much as lies in you have peace with all men Rom. 12.18 And if you dwell with them that hate peace be you for peace when they are for war Psal. 120.6 7. The world will advise you to take no wrong but God commands you to do none Ier. 22.3 Not to take wrong here
Psal. 73. vers 25 26. The heathens were not altogether ignorant of God his eternal power and Godhead Rom. 1.19 20. but our redemption by his Son our communion with him by his Spirit and consequently our salvation and blessedness by our union with him was wholly hid from them The necessity of this knowledg appears 1. By the miserie of ignorance without it the wisest are fools very Sots of no understanding Ier. 4.22 All sin and disobedience flows from want of this knowledg Ier. 9.3 Hos. 4.1 2 c. 2. By the happiness that follows it All grace attends it Faith Psal. 9.10 the whole new man Col. 3.10 2 Pet. 1.2 3. and all blessedness Ioh. 17.3 Certainly if the studie of men be above other natural studies oh what is the studie of God how pleasant how profitable Prov. 2.10 when sin affrights us how sweet the knowledg of his pardoning mercie Psal. 86.4 5. 103.11 when men are oppressed by tyrants how sweet the knowledg of his Justice Rev. 15.3 16.5 nay even in our humiliations for sin how doth the knowledg of his Justice and faithfulness refresh us 1 Ioh. 1.9 upon all occasions how comâ—ortable the knowledg of his power In temporal distresses Dan. 3.17 in spiritual as pardon Num. 14.17 subduing iniquities Mic. 7.18 19. in protecting from all evil and keeping us to eternitie Ioh. 10.29 1 Pet. 1.5 2. Secondly we must know him in our Judgments to prize him as he is even all things less than nothing in comparison of him Isa. 40.17 For him Abraham despises his Country Moses the treasures and pleasures of Egypt David regards nothing in Heaven or earth with him Psal. 73.25 26. Paul esteems all things dung and loss for the excellent knowledg of Christ Phil. 3.8 Hence all the Saints deny themselves and all for him and exalt him by their own abasement Kings will be vile to honour him 2 Sam. 6.22 Iohn Baptist contented to wane that he may appear in fulness Ioh. 3.13 Paul will be a servant to every man for his sake who is Lord of all 2 Cor. 4.5 They make their honour wait upon his Prov. 4.8 For they know He is their praise Deut. 10.21 They will cheerfully buy him with loss of all buy him at any price sell him at none Matth. 13.44 Prov. 23.23 If he calls for their pleasures profits credit life they part with all If he will have body and soul they will give him all and when they have done all and given all look upon this all as a very nothing The will also must know him to chuse take embrace him as he offers himself to us He proffers himself to be our Lord Exo. 6.6 to redeem us from all Usurpers to his service Luk. 1.74 75. to be our King Hos. 13.10 to govern us under his holy and wholesome laws He offers himself to be all to us our portion inheritance shield our exceeding great reward Ier. 10.16 Gen. 15.1 More particularly he offers himself in his persons to be to us 1. A Father Deut. 32.6 2 Cor. 6.17 18. 2. An Husband 2 Cor. 11.2 Hos. 2.19 20. the Saviour of his Spouse Eph. 5.23 3. To be our Quickner and Comforter Joh. 16.13 1 Cor. 15.45 Thus he offers himself to us and thus must we receive him as a child the Father to obey him as a wife her Husband to be subject unto him as a Body the Soul to be informed by him and in all things conformed to him Chuse him therefore as your support without him you can do nothing Ioh. 15.5 without him we are nothing at our best sheer vanitie Psal. 39.5 The very plants will teach us The weak Ivie and wood-bine c. conscious of their infirmitie clasp about the strong which may bear them up even dint the trees with their close embraces He is a Lord that in our service looks not to his own but his servants profit He needs not us but we him But why then doth he call and draw us to his service To make us blessed He taketh pleasure in the prosperitie of his servants Psal. 35.27 he delights to do us good Ier. 32.40 and to give us the Kingdom Luk. 12.32 Men grosly ignorant fouly misconceive of his service they look on it as cords and bonds but indeed there is nothing so blessed as it no blessedness but it Psal. 84.4 Oh the incomprehensible love in which he hath chosen us what was there in us worthy of his choice were we wise no we were foolish Tit. 3.3 were we strong no we were of no strength Rom. 5.6 were we noble no we were servants to lust to corruption to filthiness and most filthy in that â—ervice Tit. 3.3 2 Petr. 2.19 Psal. 14.3 were we any thing no we were very nothing â—nd to him less than nothing 2 Cor. 12.11 â—sa 40.17 yet hath God chosen the foolish â—hings of the world to confound the wise God â—ath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty and the base things of the world and things despised hath God chosen yea and things that are not to bring to nought things that are 1 Cor. 1.27 28. But in him what is there which is not infinitely excellent infinitely desireable delectable sâ—all he then chuse such dung to be his children heirs his peculiar inheritance and should not we when he offers himself chuse him the glory of all glory to be our Father our Lord our Portion 4. The Affections also are said to know that which they love in which they delight and for which they longue we therefore must know God to love fear him delight in him and longue after him Frequently in every page of scripture me meet not only with Gods precepts in these duties but the Saints practice To provoke our hearts to love we must consider him 1. In himself He is good Psal. 100.5 only good Matth. 19.17 abundant in goodness Exo. 34.6 he is Love 1 Joh. 4.16 altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 2. In relation to us He is our Father Husband Life c. as before 3. in his dealing with us He hath manifested his love to us above all the works of his hands In our creation advanced us above all crowned us with glory Psal. 8.5 6. In our redemption preferred us above the Angels assuming ours and refusing their nature Heb. 2.16 Now then take great heed that your love be true Relative affection is not right if the measure be not right An Husband loved as another man is not loved as an Husband Admit no rival or partner in his love no creature not our selves must be preferred before him or equal'd to him we must love him more than life for his love is better than life Psal. 63.3 He our quickning Spirit we his body he our head we his members why should not the hand prefer the head or the body the soul before it self As we may love him for his gifts so much more for himself Stir up your unthankful nature to this
these a lie How can it be The reason because nothing more deceives Greatness makes great promises but performs nothing Let the Apostle expound it If any man seen to be some thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being indeed nothing he deceives himself Gal. 6.3 He is a lie to his own soul hence that great Apostle confesses that himself is nothing 2 Cor. 12.11 And as man himself so all that belongs to him is meer vanitie made for him and suited to him For when man had transformed himself into vanitie the Lord fitts the creatures to him which were made for him and subjects them unto vanitie Rom. 8.20 His life vain Eccl. 6.12 His age nothing Psal. 39.5 His beautie vanitie Prov. 31.30 His riches Prov. 23.6 His mirth Eccl. 2.2 All his works all his delights meer vanitie Eccl. 2.11 Object But men do not think so Answ. So much the more are they so For while they think better of themselves than they are they do but deceive themselves and are a lie 2. Though in their words they deny it yet in their works they loudly speak it and evidently discover that they do thus think For we will sell nothing under the price we value it but men sell themselves for vanitie for very nothing They sell themselves foâ— trash they lay out their mony for that which is not bread and their labour for that which satisfies not Isa. 55.2 Object But yet they are men and therefore something Answ. We speak not of man in natural respects as he consists of soul and body or in Civil as he is a Father Goâ—ernour c. but in spiritual in which regard he rather seems than is man rather a worm Psal. 22.6 as other Brutes flesh also Gen. 6.3 and that flesh but grass Isa. 40.6 the very spirit fleshly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iude 9. animals not having a spirit when in Ierusalem there was none that sought the truth there was no man among them Ier. 5.1 Observe how evidently and fully Gods Spirit concludes this argument I beheld and â—here was no man even among them no Counsellor that when I asked could answer a word They are all vanitie and their works nothing â—sa 41.28 29. He is dead and therefore not â—ruly but falsly and in appearance called â— man Man if we look upon him in his Creatiâ—n is a creature not only composed of soul and body which both are but the matter of which he is framed but made after Gods imâ—ge which is his form and differs him from other creatures Now as it ceaseth to be an â—ouse when the materials stone timâ—er c. are all safe but the form destroyâ—d so though body and soul in the matter â—f them remain intire yet when that speciâ—â—cal difference and form of man Gods image 〈◊〉 defaced he ceases to be what first he was now not man but the ruines and carkass of man In a word look as it is with childrens Babies they have a gorgeous appearance in their eyes but all is copper cast clouts torn raggs and a painted rotten stick so is it with us Our bodies and souls have some raggs and old clouts of our creation and drest with beautie learning c. are no small babes in a simple mans eye but all this shew is nothing what it shews but a very mock-man a meer vanitie and sheer nothing 2. Secondly seeing man is not only dead but dead in sin as a dead man shut up and closed in a loathsome grave we are plainly taught by God that man is not only nothing but a miserable abominable nothing He is miserable wretched poor blind and naked Rev. 3.17 supposing himself full but only swell'd with wind and indeed wholly empty conceiting himself well adorned and set out with goodly endowments but shameful in nakedness dreaming of an Eagle sight and sharpness of wit but not a blink of an eye in him a meer flash and in and with all these wants when he is most bladder'd up with a dream of happiness extremely miserable and wretched In all his pomp anâ— glory he is but as his own dung Iob 20.6 7. stinking Psal. 14.3 not the baseness buâ— excellence not of heathens but of Iacob not despised only but abhorred Amos 6.8 And lest we might think it an hyperbolical speech the Lord takes a solemn oath and swears by himself that he abhors the excellencie of Iacob Hence is it that God culls out the most loathsome creatures to be as parallels to us that in them as in a glass we might see our filth and abhor our selves we are resembled to hoggs doggs serpents to dead carkasses to sâ—pulchres full of rotten carkasses Matth. 23.27 so abominable that we infect all the creatures with which we deal all the actions that proceed from us The creature is not only subject to vanitie but to a curse for our sakes Gen. 3.17 our very blessings cursed Mal. 2.2 not our want but store not our barreness but fruit accursed Deut. 28. vers 17 18. Our days not only few but evil Gen. 47.9 our very life not only grievous but hateful Eccl. 2.17 nay our prayers our service abomination Prov. 15.8 28.9 Object If the estate of men were so loathsome it is strange that they should not see nor feel it Answ. They who have sense know and acknowledg it They loath themselves Ezech. 20.43 they abhor themselves Job 42.6 they lament themselves Rom. 7.24 But such as are blind and sensless how should they discern it And this the depth of their miserie which makes it incurable yet some glimps they have of this truth for in that they sell themselves to work wickedness and abomination 1 King 21.25 Rom. 7.14 sell themselves for oaths so vain a filthiness for drunkenness so filthy vanitie they openly testifie at what rate they prize themselves This our dead vain loathsome condition will more cleerly be manifested unto us if 1. We consider our contrarietie to God who is both the supreme Being the most pure Essence and the only Life So adverse is the corrupt nature of man to God that he hates him all that belongs to him all that he loves and all that love him Hence called enemies Rom. 5.10 haters of God Rom. 1.30 they hate his wisdom and counsel Prov. 1.29 his power Rev. 16.9 his truth Isa. 30.11 his word Jer. 6.10 his light Joh. 3.19 And as the holiness of God is his pureness glory beautie excellencie which passeth through all and to us is above all his Attributes so above all they hate this his holiness wheresoever they see any stamp or print of it His holy word his holy days his holy children As the Panther so hates man that wheresoever he sees his picture he flies upon it and with his teeth and nayls rents and tears it so these wild creatures wheresoever they see any spark of Gods image shine in man tear and devour Psal. 7.2 35.15 That Eternal wisdom Power Love Life their Saviour after they have
seen they hate Ioh. 15.24 and all that he loves or love him all his members Mar. 13.13 though they be their own flesh and that even to death Lukâ— 21.16 17. Excellently is this condition expressed in that metaphor wherein carnal men are called spots and blemishes 2 Pet. 2.13 A wicked Father or Childe a wicked Husband or wife a wicked Master or Servant is a spot in a familie a wicked Governour or Subject a spot in the Common wealth a wicked Minister or Professour a spot and blemish in the Church And as a spot or blemish is nothing but filthiness or a filthy nothing so is every man in his corrupted nature 2. Man in the first Adam is a child of the Divel Ioh. 8.44 and a very Divel in flesh Ioh. 6.70 Satan a filthy spirit but he filthy in flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 he a captive of the Divel 2 Tim. 2.26 a servant to sin which is the very dung of Satan Rom. 6.17 fetter'd in the very bond of it Act. 8.23 servant to corruption 2 Pet. 2.19 and to divers lusts Tit. 3.3 the hand serves one the eye another the ear a third the heart a thousand He is even cut out and mangled into a base and cursed slaverie Now the servant is more base than the Master Take good notice therefore of this estate of man Lust is the servant of Satan man the servant of lust the Divels servants servant Sin the corruption and dung of Satan man the servant of sin and corruption In a word a carnal man is the prey of Satan devoured by that roaring Lion who hath digested him into filthiness of flesh and spirit and hell the draught into which he is purged Thus then think in your hearts I. Ayeâ— oâ— her selâ— is dark and hath no light But what Heaven lends her and when angry skies Call in their debt she sinks in dungeon night Nay while she borrowes light oâ—t foggâ— arise Or storms and filch by stealth or rob by might Her lone her day in youth or childhood dies But while the present Suns with conquering ray Dispel the shades and their strong beams display She sparkles all with light and broider'd gold-array II. Such now is Man inform void empty dark A Chaos dungeon grave a starless night Rake all his ashes up ther 's not a spark To tine quencht life or kindle buried light And what he steals from others empty shark Hell with his mists depraves so robbs him quite But when his Life and Light shines in his eyes In him he lives as he and never dies Glittring in light divine he heaven stars Sun out-vies III. For as in earthly sight the bodies eye To the object bent is like the object â—orm'd So when the soul turn'd to the Deitiâ— Receives hiâ— likâ—ness it is soon tranâ—form'd To what it sees death hell and darkness â—â—y And all the spirit to Light and Liâ—â— conform'd Soul of my soul draw my souls eyes to thee Set them upon thy face make me to be By seeing Life and Light the Light and Liâ—e I see You have seen what you are in the first Adam look now on the other side of this picture and see what you may be in the second CAP. XXI Man in Christ is above other men and all creatures next the Creatour IN our selves we are 1. Dead a meer privative a nothing 2. Dead in sin meer corruption corruption of Hell what we are or may be in Christ now consider We are quickned together with Christ. Christ is that overflowing Fountain by whose fulness of grace our empty chanels are not only 1. Scoured from that choking mire which stops all passages but 2. Stored with the water of life with the fulness of God see Hab. 2.14 Eph. 3.19 But how are we quicken'd with Christ raised and sit together in heavenly places with him Eph. 2.6 Not only virtually as the fruit lies in the seed or root but in some kind actually As in the first fruits the whole field and in the Cake of the first dough the whole lump was sanctified and an actual blessing conveyed in it so Christ being raâ—sed is the first frâ—its of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15.20 the first Cake of the new lump 1 Cor. 5.7 and in him even actually in a kind are they quickened who are yet unborn As a wife or child takes possession of that land in the husband or Father which he hath purchased in their name Hence we evidently see first that the only life of man by which he is a Câ—ristian a blessed creature nay indeed by which he is a right man is not that natural and fading but this spiritual and eternal life which we have in Christ hence called the life of God Eph. 4.18 begotten by God Jam. 1.18 the life of Christ 2 Cor. 4.10 he our life Col. 3.4 and liveth in us Gal. 2.20 and the life of the Spirit he gives it 2 Cor. 3.6 And as the vegetative life of plants the sensitive life of beasts the rational life of man is nothing elss but the Act of such a soul giving the creature such a being and enabling it unto such actions so the divine and spiritual life is nothing else but that Aâ—â— of Gods Spirit dwelling in man and giving him a spiritual being a divine nature and enabling to spiritual and Godly actions or to use the Scripture phrase to live and walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 whereby we live in God and to God see Rom. 8.9 10. Gal. 2.20 1 Joh. 5.11 12. For without question the true life of man differs from all other life in inferiour or contrary creatures but in this natural life the faculties and actions of it man differs not from plants in growth from beasts in sense from wicked spirits in reason That form then which gave man his difference doubtless was that Image of God in which he was created perfect by the loss of which he lost the perâ—ection and truth of humane nature He therefore that hath no other but this natural life is but an half-man hath little or nothing of a man but is partly a beast in respect of sense partly a Divel in regard of his perverted and distorâ—ed reason 2. Secondly here we may easily observe that howsoever a carnal man glisters in carnal eyes honoured admired yet is he a very Abject and the skumm of the creatures so a spiritual man contrary though he seem a base thing in the eye of the world and more base in his own a reproch of men and scorn of the people Psal. 22.6 yet is he indeed the most noble and excellent creature in the world and next the great Creatour Hence the Saints in terms are called the Excellent Psal. 16.3 preferred in their excellencie before others whatsoever are their earthly advancements The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour Prov. 12.26 28.6 This is Heavens this is Gods Heraldry Now are they Sons of God and Heirs apparent 1 Joh. 3.1 But because their