of his mouth more than your necessary food Can you be content to let your own things sit that you may seek the things that are Christ's and sit at his feet when others are in the market-place and abroad in the croud of their earthly affairs Are you alone with Christ in a corner If so your Mercy is singular and your Obligations strong to be entirely the Lords to be no more your own but wholly devoted to his fear to live a life of praise and welpleasingness uno God to think well of Christ and bear his pleasure to be patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer to long for the Well-head of your mercies and to be beginning a life of glory while you are here in a life of grace I shall close up this Discourse with a few words of general Advice to you all First lay the foundation sure on which you build all your Temporary labours and your Eternal hopes You cannot be too certain in that on which depends your all Consider how often Satan hath battered down yea your own hearts have disputed away those Evidences on which you could sometimes have adventured your Souls and yet the strongest Assaults are to come and the greatest Forces of Hell reserved for the last Battel Bottom not your hopes on any thing short of a Crucified Christ not on your Frames but on his Favour not upon your Duties but his Righteousness nor upon any kindnesses received from him short of a saving union with him rest not till your Convictions be clear deep and distressing such as discover sin to be the greatest evil in its nature and fruits and its residence and indwelling in you a burden intolerable such Convictions as will not admit of after favour or reconciliation to the least known or most beloved sin that can make your heart to bleed afresh upon every new touch of it and never at rest till the whole kind of it be destroyed out of your Souls Labour to see such a Beauty in Christ as may render all Created Glory as dross and dung in your Eye stop not till you come to the Excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ as your Lord till you can discern such a worth in the Person as well as Purchase of Christ as will make you content to throw all over board to take in him and be sick of love till you enjoy him be sure your close with Christ be right with his whole Person Will and Designs to be one with him upon all his own terms And that this union be not in Judgment and Consent onely but in Heart and Will from your whole Souls finding an inward likeness and love to him in your renewed nature 2ly Go on towards perfection press after nearer and more compleat Conformity to the Nature and Will of Christ every day Think how short your highest measures do come of perfect holiness in the sight of God set the Pattern before you every day that you may be the more ashamed at your present attainments in Grace and more provoked to higher Aims and Atchievements compare your selves with them that are above you with the Rule of Righteousness and with all your Obligations Time Means and Mercies to keep you humble in your own eyes look upon your Wants as well as Enjoyments that you may be as poor in spirit as in condition that which is wanting in you cannot be numbred Who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort 1 Chron. 19. 14. Keep low thoughts in your selves under the greatest services you do for God and the highest honour you receive from God Alas said the Lord Du-Plessis to one that commended him for the improvemt of his Talent What is there of mine in that Work say not that it was I but God in me I know more saith another by my self to abase me than any man could know to extol me So much humility a man hath so much grace he hath and worth and no more Dr. Har. 3ly Keep up a life of faith upon Christ in the promises As the first quickening of a Christian is by faith so his whole life is maintained by believing no longer than you believe can you live Gal. 2. 20. Your life is hid with Christ in God Draw fresh Influence thence by faith upon your Hopes Comforts and Graces under every want fears and deaths within you make not your graces or duties the grounds of believing but encouragements to Faith study more the nature freeness fulness and unchangeableness of redemption grace and get acquaintance with the promise and perswasions of the truth of them in Christ To live onely by faith saith Dr. Harris and a bare Promise without a pawn and to give all to free grace and to Christ alone are mighty works and some of those things he found most difficult 4ly Walk in Love as Christ hath loved you This is the life of Heaven and beginning of that Excellent glory which shall never be removed there is nothing does make thee more like to God more near and dear to him and more fit for his use than this Grace of Love Let your Affections be extended as large as the objects of them unto God his Word Ways and People love God to obey him his Ways to walk in them his People to delight in them to sympathize with them to mourn over them in their sufferings to help them in their necessities to rejoyce with them in their consolations counting their mercies your own which is no easie part of your duty It is far harder saith one to adopt anothers Comforts than his Sorrows and to hold ones self exalted in anothers exaltation 5ly In the enjoyment of the World get above it and while you live in it be daily dying to it so much as you get above the World so near are you to God and Glory and no nearer Covet not anothers Goods the World is none of your Portion if God be your part Oh how much beneath the Extraction Dignity and Duty of Saints is the love to and life upon this low and dirty World leave not Childrens bread to feed on such Carrion doggs-meat and filthy excrements with which Satan feeds his Labourers But having spoke largely of this matter in the Book I advise your Eye and Heart thither for Conviction and Counsel herein 6ly Make much of the Time and Means of Grace while you have them your Glass runs your Sun hastens and the Wind blows when and where it listeth O make use of Time while you have it God who made nothing in vain hath work for every hour of your short Day work as hard as you can you will find something to do when you come to die Loss of time saith Dr. Harris on his Death-bed sits very near upon me work work apace assure your selves nothing will more trouble you when you come to die than that you have done no more for that God which hath
thousands enjoy not And there are Publick Priviledges of access to God communion of Saints a place within the walls of God's House with variety of soul-provisions an interest in the promises of God the prayers and graces of his people things of infinite worth and purchased at no lower rate than the blood of Christ You that are interested in those come under great obligations to behold them with wonder to hold them with trembling and to use them with diligence and faithfulness You that are planted in the Courts of the Lord Psal 92. 13 14. be fat and flourishing content not your selves with bare priviledges with dogs to feed on dry bones but get the marrow juice and fattening vertue of all your advantages Do not with Lazarus lye at the door of your rich Lord the Dogs licking your sores when you may go in and be healed Secondly Ordinances are another thing which Believers should be getting spiritual good from These are the golden pipes through which the Lord pours in the Oyl of grace into his golden Candlesticks and Gospel-Churches Zach. 4. 12. Showres of Manna to feed his people in the wilderness and on this side their own Countrey Deut. 8. 16. These are the Churches breasts to fill and nourish her children unto life eternal Isa 66. 11. Gen. 2. 6. 10. Ordinances are the Mist the River of Eden by which God waters his Garden Scriptures are the Mines Ordinances are the opening of them to such as dig for Wisdom A considerable part of this Heavenly Trade is driven about these commodities ply them well that you may get large incomes of spiritual blessings through them Take heed of sleeping at these breasts or playing with them lest the Lord put them up or put you off lie at the pool side wait at the wells of salvation and not onely come but draw out waters of life thence for your needy souls For which four things are needful Preparation Attention Retention Obedience First Prepare before you hear get the room emptied swept and garnished For those provisions of Christ you are called to bring your pitchers empty and clean that God may fill them Come not to clean food with a soul stomach but get your hearts purged by sound repentance and wash'd from an evil conscience and renewed by the Spirit for the new wine of the Gospel 1 Pet. 2. 1 2 3. They must be new born babes that receive the sincere milk of the Word so as to grow thereby Mat. 9. 17. If a dead Christ must be laid in a new tomb Mat. 27. 60. surely a living Jesus will not come into an old heart and rotten sepulchre Spend some time before you go to hear in searching your hearts and reviewing your waies in geting a deep sense of their vileness and the exceeding sinfulness of your sins that the fallow field of your hearts may be plowed up and you sow not among thorns Take heed you bring not a hard heart to hearing When Thrasamund the Arrian read Fulgentius's defence of the truth he praised his wisdom wondered at his eloquence commended his humility yet had his heart so hardened that he could not submit to the truth To help you herein set prayer on work to beg down the Spirit 's of assistance bring your hearts to Christ by prayer that he would make them clean If he say I will be thou clean thy Leprosie shall be cleansed Prayer also helps you to suitable provision and a blessing on it Hearers prayers help Ministers to preach and themselves to hear 2 Thes 3. 1. Souls never thrive better than when Ministers and Hearers be much in prayer for the Word of the Spirit and Spirit with the Word To pray well is to study well a Bene orasse est bene studiisse Prayer saies one is a messenger to fetch that holy seed out of the garner above Prayer is the former and latter rain to make it grow beneath pray continually if thou would'st grow continually After Christ had fed the multitude he went up into a Mountain apart to pray Matth. 14. v. 23. Secret prayer saith Mr. Trap fats the soul as secret morsels feed the body therefore it is said to be the banquet of grace where the soul may solace her self with God as Esther did with Ahashuerus at the banquet of wine and have whatsoever heart can wish or need require Secondly Take heed how you hear hear as for your lives with holy attention with fear and trembling Ministers saith Mr. Latimer should preach as if Hell were at their backs and hearers should hear as if life or death were in every word Hear with holy affection many were given up to believe a lye because they loved not the truth nor received the word in the love thereof 2 Thes 2. 10. Hear believingly the Word preached did not profit being not mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4. 2. 'T is by faith the Gospel becomes the power of God to salvation Rom. 1. 17. The Arm of God was not revealed on Israel because his report was not believed by them Isa 53. 1. The Spirit is given out through the hearing of faith Never expect to profit by hearing till you joyn faith with hearing Thirdly Keep the Word you do hear take heed of letting slip the things you have received Heb. 2. 1. Hold fast the truth that no man take your Crown Rev. 3. 11. Be not forgetful hearers but doers of the Word Jam. 1. 25. Forgetful hearers will never be doers Israel's disobedience was the fruit of their forgetfulness Psal 78. 10 11. The reason of the Disciples trouble at the sepulchre of Christ was said to be their forgetfulness they had forgotten what he had said to them when he was in Galilee Luke 24. 6. Bad memories have many times barren lives Be much in after-prayer for the Comforter's help to keep the Word for you and bring it to your remembrance Prayer opens the heart to take in the Word and prayer shuts the heart to keep in the Word keep up meditation of the Word Psal 111. 91. This chews the cud and gets out the sweetness and nutritive virtue of it unto the heart and life This way the godly come to be as trees planted by the waters side that bring forth much fruit in their season Psal 1. 3. Fourthly Obedience of the Word helps to profiting The worth of Divine Truths is never fully known until they are liv'd upon nor its virtue felt till we cleave to it in our conversation Prov. 4. 6. Forsake her not and she shall preserve problem love her and she shall keep thee Vers 12. When thou goest thy steps shall not be straitned and when thou runnest thou shalt not stumble O the sweetness the pleasure the strength the blessedness that they lose who onely look on truth but do not live it Strangers to a holy life meddle not with the joy that is wrapt up in the Word and Waies of God Prov. 3. 17. Her waies
to the Lord Jesus A flock of Sheep whereof every one beareth twins and not one is barren Cant. 4. 12 13 14 16. Ch. 4. 2. 'T is compared to the Palm-tree the Cedar the Vine the Fig-tree a green Olive plants famous for flourishing growth clusters of fruit constant fruitfulness 't is said of the Fig-tree it bears fruit all the year long and in many places they shall always find green figs on it Such is the Spouse of Christ compared with the world and hypocrites fruitful and flourishing A good tree bringeth forth good fruit Mat. 7. 17. The root of the righteous yieldeth fruit Prov. 12. 12. Where-ever the grace of God is received in truth there it brings forth fruit Col. 1. 6. As sin brings forth fruit unto death so doth grace unto life Rom. 6. 22. No sooner doth the Lord Jesus espouse a Soul but he heals it of its barrenness He maketh the barren Woman to keep house Psal 113. 9. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away Joh. 15. 2. A barren Christian is a monster in Religion no living member of Christ's body indeed there are Winter-seasons when fruit may not appear but even then 't is in the seed and sap and there is a preparative for fruit which appears in the season but to be always without the fruits of the Spirit love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance Gal. 5. 22 23. is a sign of one that never had marriage-union and intimate communion with Jesus Christ but is the certain mark of a fruitless Fig-tree in danger of cutting down and the character of that ground which is cursed and nigh to burning Luke 13. 7. 9. Heb. 6. 8. Souls try your state 't is for your lives your All depends upon your marriage-union with Christ Had you never any special acquaintance with Christ Have you no conjugal love to Christ Cannot you consent to leave all for Christ Do you usually live and stay on other things for life and salvation and not on Christ Have you been ever barren souls that never brought forth the fruits of the Spirit unto God then were you never married to Christ nor have any true title to heavenly treasures Mark 2. Secondly your interest in heavenly things is known by the naturalness and supremacy of your love to them Where the treasure is there will the heart be Mat. 6. 21. If heavenly things be yours your heart is there worldly men have the World set in their hearts Eccl. 3. 11. Their heart is but the World copied out so heavenly souls have Heaven set in their hearts which are but the counterpane of Heaven every thing hath a natural love to his own the World will love his own Joh. 15. 19. No man ever hated his own flesh Eph. 5. 29. What affections have brute beasts for their young and will venture their lives to defend and maintain them 'T is storied of the Storks when the Town of Delph in the low Countreys was on fire and the Storks perceived the fire to come near their nests they endeavoured to carry away their young but when they could not remove them they flutter'd over them with their wings covering them from the flames till they all perished together Belg. Com. wealth So strong is natural affection to its interest and the natural issues of it self much stronger should gracious affections be to their interests O how I love thy Law saith David 't is my meditation all the day long Psal 119. 97. Whence came this affection it was from his interest in those great and lovely truths Psal 119. 111. Thy testimonies have I chosen as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart Souls risen with Christ and born to the inheritance above will set their affections on things above Col. 3. 1 2. Where is thy heart Christian in Heaven or Earth what things are dearest to thee and sweetest to thy taste canst thou prize the light of God's countenance better than life had'st thou rather be a door-keeper in God's House than dwell in the Pavilions of this World Is a little of Heaven better than a great deal of Earth and can thy heart consent to be at any loss in the World to enjoy God in his Ordinances and to be enriched with spiritual blessings in heavenly places Then heavenly things are thine Mark 3. Thirdly if heavenly things be yours it will appear by your heart-cares for them and vigorous pursuits of them how careful are men of their interests to secure and enlarge them Phil. 2. 21. All men seek their own If the things of Heaven be yours your greatest care will be to get and keep them when Kish thought his Son Saul was lost he left caring for the Asses sorrowing for him saying What shall I do for my Son 1 Sam. 10. 2 Christians if heavenly things be yours they will lie nearer your hearts than all the World besides the sense or fear of losing them will more trouble you than all losses besides the world relations creature-comforts will be forgotten when you apprehend a death on your heavenly interests you will do more and part with more to get Heaven than the World and dearest comforts of it Many will pretend desires for Heaven as the young man in the Gospel but Christ will say to them as to his Hearers Mat. 5. 47. What do you more than others Souls you would have Christ here and Heaven hereafter but what do you for it what do you more than hypocrites and common professors whose portion is in this life can you leave the world for God can you deny your self for the pleasing of Christ and part with your right eye and right hand throw away your Idols of gold and silver the world and fleshly lusts and honour God with your time strength and substance Can you let your Plough stand still to follow God's and stick at no pains and hardships to enjoy the least spiritual good Then are heavenly things yours Mark 4. Fourthly Then are you interested in Heavenly Treasures when your hearts and spirits are suited to them when the Lord hath let in a heavenly tincture on your hearts and inlaid your spirits with heavenliness and a mind that answers to heavenly things as face answers face in the water When God intends men for Heaven he doth in time fit them for it and where he gives a title to mercy he gives a capacity also where he makes over the riches of glory he makes that soul a vessel fit for glory Men do not purchase Pearls for Swine and build Schools for brute beasts God did not make the Heavens for fishes and the Sea for beasts but suited every creature to its element They that are his Adoption are his new Creation also Ephes 2. 10. and when they are designed to a blessed end they are principled for it and have a disposition put into them to move towards it They that are set apart for Heaven hereafter do
before your enemies will down and more strokes at your work before your interests will come in Running striving wrestling in labours more abundant in weariness and painfulness in watchings What pains will men take for the World She riseth also while it is night Her candle goeth not out by night That neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes Ye compass Sea and Land and should they not much more for Heaven The most diligent soul is the most thriving soul Always abounding in the work of the Lord instant in season and out of season taking every opportunity for Heaven And what their hand finds to do to do it with all their might this is the way to soul-thriving 1 Cor. 9. 24 25. Heb. 12. 4. Eph. 6. 12. 1 Cor. 11. 23 27. Prov. 31. 15. 18. Eccles 8. 16. Matth. 23. 15. Eccles 9. 10. Thirdly Driving a secret Trade of holiness is soul-thriving Men that have some peculiar art and unknown mystery in their Trade which is not ordinary and common usually get greatest custom and advantage So is it in this heavenly Trade the more men are taken up in the mysteries of Godliness 1 Tim. 3. 16. the more they thrive in Religion There 's a secret in holiness which no stranger intermeddles with Prov. 14. 10. There 's a way within the veil the hidden part in which souls are made to know wisdom Psal 51. 6. Hidden riches of secret places which thriving Christians meet with Isa 45. 3. If you would prosper in Godliness be sure to maintain the secret duties of piety The religion of most men lies in the Market place and in the view of others their hearts their closets are not privy to any secret transactions between God and their souls and in the praise of men they have their reward but the thriving trade of Christianity is the secret trade Christians be most in those duties which men least observe and chiefly excellent in the invisible part of your visible work Publick duties are most honourable but secret duties the most gainful Matth. 6. 4. And thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Fourthly The blessing of God maketh rich Prov. 10. 22. Promotion cometh not from the East nor from the West nor prosperity from mens fingers ends but from God's hand Deut. 28. 8 10 11 12. The Lord shall command his blessing upon thee in thy store-houses and in all which thou settest thy hand unto The Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods The Lord shall open to thee his good treasures the Heavens to give thee rain to thy Land in his season and to bless all the work of thy hand and then comes riches And thou shalt lend udto many Nations and thou shalt not borrow Prosperity both spiritual and temporal comes at God's sending Psal 118. 25. O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity Psal 18. 32 33. He restoreth my Soul he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness Psal 23. 3 5. Thou anointest my head with Oil Thou blessest the springing thereof thy paths drop fatness Psal 65. 10 11. The Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfy thy soul in drought and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a watred Garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not Isa 58. 11. I will be as the dew to Israel he shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his root as Lebanon Hos 14. 5. Secure an interest in the promises and get your souls brought under the showers of blessing if ever you think to thrive in godliness Improve thriving graces and take prosperous courses these are under a promise of blessing though every grace and duty do in their measure help on soul-prosperity yet there are some graces and duties have a more special influence on spiritual thrivings First Faith is a soul-prospering grace 2 Chr. 20. 20. Believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper Eph. 6. 16. Above all take the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall quench all the fiery darts of Satan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insuper Bez. Every grace is useful in the spiritual warfare but Faith especially other graces may with Saul slay their thousands but Faith with David slays its ten thousands Some darts may be quenched by other graces but Faith quenches fiery darts yea all the fiery darts of Satan which does wonderfully further thriving The just shall live by Faith Heb. 10. 38. Faith will maintain the soul's life in the greatest straits and exigences Faith is a receiving grace it takes in whatever is laid up in the promise and that 's thriving Gal. 3. 22. That the promise by Faith might be given to them that believe A soul-enriching grace rich in Faith Jam. 2. 5. A working grace And the work of Faith with power 2 Thes 2. 4. A powerful grace it gives the soul experience of the mighty power of God Eph. 1. 19. 20. What is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead 1 Thes 2. 13. 'T is a strengthning grace Out of weakness were made strong Heb. 11. 34. through it doth the Lord let out his abundant grace And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 1. 14. It doth exceedingly nourish the soul in grace and edify it to salvation 1 Tim. 4. 6. Nourished up in the words of Faith 1. Tim. 1 4. Which minister questions rather than edifying which is in Faith One reason why souls prosper no more in piety is their unbelief they are full of doubtings fears and questionings upon every turn still wavering as a wave of the Sea such cannot receive much at the hand of God but are still weak and going back in Religion Be much in believing the promises against hope and above fears if ever you think to prosper in Religion Secondly Love to God his Name ways and interest is a Soul-prospering Grace Let them that love him be as the Sun that goeth forth in his might Judg. 5. 31. They shall prosper that love thee Psal 122. 6. Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee for thou Lord wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a Shield Psal 5. 11 12. Love to God must needs be a prospering Grace because it brings the Soul under the blessing of God and within the compass of his securing Shield Love is a Soul-strengthning and establishing Grace Eph. 3. 17 Being rooted and grounded in Love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set in a firm ground not easily shaken from God or their integrity Love makes a growing Soul Eph. 4. 15 Speaking the truth in love may grow up in him who is the head in all things It helps on edification in Grace ver 16. maketh encrease of the body unto the edifying of it self
not yet supremely set on God Fifthly Lothness to part with thy earthly comforts and interests tells thee thy heart is too much upon them Jacob's unwillingness to part with Benjamin was a sign his heart was too much set upon him Judah tells the Governour of Egypt That his Father's life was bound up in the Lad's life Gen. 44. 30. The Spouses affection to her Beloved was seen in this that when she found him she held him and would not let him go Cant. 3. 4. I found him whom my soul loveth I held him and would not let him go Such is the testimony that if mens hearts are on the things of this life they hold them fast and will not let them go Most men are too tenacious of their interests to be dead to them close hands argue cleaving hearts to the world Alas with what reluctancy do men that have the abundance of this worlds goods lay them out again for God! how hard is it to draw any proportions of charity from them that have this worlds goods what arguments and reasons will men be pleading for their sparingness in parting with the Mammon of this world and how much beneath their measure do most men expend their earthly things upon the calls that God gives them This shews plainly their heart is bound up in the fruition of these things Covetous men will sooner part with their flesh than their gold saith Augustine shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men whom I know not whence they be 1 Sam. 25. 11. saith covetous Nabal Covetous persons cannot endure to part with what they have a Avarus tenendo divitias tenetur a divitiis dum vult esse praedo fit praeda Aug. The covetous man while he holds fast his riches is held fast by them and in preying on others he himself becomes a prey August They are like a net which takes in all the fish that comes at it but le ts out none again except some small ones that are little worth Earthly minds are seen in nothing more than in their tenacity and close keeping of what they have like dying men whatever they take hold of they let not go This is the temper of many they cannot scatter for God nor honour him with their substance There is that withholdeth more than is meet Prov. 11. 24. That 's the character of one whose heart is on the world b Non solum avarus est qui rapit aliena sed ille avarus est qui cupide servat sua Aug. He is not onely covetous that takes away other mens goods saith Augustine but he that covetously withholds his own and will not let them go when God hath use for them Certainly if Believers themselves are not their own then they will one day know their estates and interests are not their own but the Lord's and to be at his dispose How will the owner of that Colt Christ sent for rise up in judgment against many no sooner did the Disciples say The Lord hath need of him but straightway they let him go Luk. 19. 33 34 35. Shall one that pretended not so much to Christ for ought we know readily part with so much at the first request and they that profess much love to Christ refuse to lay out lesser things for him This doth manifest the world is dearer to such than Jesus Christ Lastly Then are mens hearts upon the world when their trust and dependence is upon earthly things We are apt to put confidence in friends and therefore the Lord cautions Israel against such dependencies as false deceiving things Trust not in a friend put ye not confidence in a guide c. Micah 7. 5. The Spouse came leaning upon her Beloved in the wilderness Cant. 8. 5. No sooner had the rich man store of goods but he places his confidence in them Luke 12. 19. I will say to my soul soul thou hast goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry 'T is natural to men that chuse the world for their treasure to chuse it also for their trust They that dare adventure their supreme affection on things dare also take up their dependency on them Men chuse not a tree they think will rot Isa 40. 20. If riches be thy choice thou thinkest them worthy of thy relyance or thou actest irrationally Men that have wealth have inward thoughts that their houses shall continue for ever and their dweling places to all generations they call their Lands after their own names Psal 49. 11. 'T is hard to have the good things of this life and not to expect too much from them so inviting is their appearance to a dependency on them Earthly things are fair in promise but false in performance like quagmires covered with grass men think them firm ground but when they tread upon them they soon become their graves The Evangelist calls all that glorious pomp with which Agrippa so amus'd spectatours but a meer show Acts 25. 23. When Agrippa was come and Bernice with great pomp 't is with much fantasie and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 external show All the glory of this world is but a pompous shew that cheats beholders and allures them to a deceived expectation They that have much visible comfort in creatures live little by faith How rare is it for men that have estates and riches for their posterity to commit them to divine care by an act of pure recumbency on the promise and to believe upon a naked word for all their supplies and needed comforts Such is our expectation whither we flee for help Isa 20. 6. An earthly heart is known by carnal trust and dependency on earthly things Ah souls put your hearts into this scale and see whether they do not press down to this present world Speak soul who shalt shortly be weighed for eternity in the ballance of the Sanctuary are not thy desires thy thoughts thy restless labours thy delights thy close adherence to and dependency all engaged about the things of this life with the neglect of God and heavenly things thine own heart being Judge And if so then Thy State is dangerous And thy Folly great First Thy State is dangerous thou hast not a dram of true grace in thee Love not the world nor the things of the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2. 15. Do not flatter thy soul into perdition if thou lovest the world thou dost not love God For the friendship of this world is enmity against God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God James 4. 4. He whose heart and mind is set after the world he that will be rich the bent and design of the heart is for it that 's the Butt he levels at whatever he professes That 's his great business and project Thine
professing Christians which draw down their lofty meditations when they are in chase of things above as the Fowler allures down the towring Lark when hovering aloft in the gentle air The Devil deals with earthly men as Naturalists say men do with Bees when they swarm and are flying away they throw up dust and they scatter again So doth Satan when their thoughts are up upon heavenly things he casts in the dusty thoughts of this world and they scatter them again Demas hath forsaken us having loved this present world 2 Tim. 4. 10. Earthly things draw away the heart from God his work and interest How often do those interrupt if not countermand the most serious thoughts of gracious souls and where they cannot as a Master command they will as neighbours be often coming in and hinder the soul in its most weighty business if the door be not lockt against their unseasonable visits Worldly lusts must be denied as well as ungodliness by those that intend to live righteously soberly and godly in this present world Tit. cap. 2. v. 11 12. Earthly things are good servants but bad Masters useful in their place as fire in the hearth is profitable but in the thatch dangerous and as unruly Servants and untamed Colts are serviceable when reduced to their place and kept under government Worldly thoughts are as some roots that must be often trod down or they will spill up and seed in our hearts Christians have a special strong guard against the encroachments of your earthly affairs if ever you will secure the thrivings of a heavenly spirit Take heed also of grieving the Spirit of Grace which maintains and relieves this heavenly spirit As the spring is to the streams so is the holy Spirit to this heavenly spirit in Believers that feeds and supplies it from his own nature Now to grieve this Spirit is to provoke him to withhold his gracious communications to the soul Ephes 4. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption Which implies that this Spirit of Grace being grieved suspends its comforting sealing influences towards the souls of Believers This Scripture is taken from Isa 63. 10. But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and he fought against them They grieved his Spirit as the word signifies and this broke that amicable accord between the Spirit and them that he became their enemy and cut off all succours from them yea comes forth against them And that which grieved the Spirit of God was the the abuse of its kindness V. 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the daies of old Nothing does more grieve the Spirit of God than the abuse of his kindness and tender mercy to his people when the Lord hath been opening the bowels of his pity to souls in saving and redeeming-mercy and hath been shedding abroad his love upon them bearing with and carrying of them for a long time and all this is slighted and contemned and the soul takes no notice of all this grace but still perseveres in its evil course this grieves the Spirit and causeth him to withhold his tender mercy and quickening influence from the soul and it becomes weak as water and withers in all the leaves of her spring Ezek. 17. 9. Psa 104. 29. As the member languishes when it can no longer receive influences from the head and the branch withers when the root communicates no sap to it so is it with the soul when the spirit ceases from all its gracious communications as it does when grieved by those he loves and labours with not as if the Divine Spirit could be capable of passions and perturbations as creatures are But then may the holy Spirit be said to be grieved when gracious souls do that which is enough to grieve one that tenderly affects us and by all means seeks our eternal good Now two things usually grieve such a one First Injuries from a friend Secondly The sufferings of a friend Unkindness from those we love does usually sit nearer our hearts than any injuries from strangers or enemies we usually expect more regard from such and therefore are more troubled at disappointments And such is the tenderness of the Spirit to Believers that want of love or injurie from such is more abusive and carries in it all that which in its nature is grieving Again we usually grieve at the evils of those we love and such are the sins of Believers they are injurious to themselves and enemies to their own souls This the Spirit of God sees that gracious souls by their carnal affections and sensual passions by their corrupt communications and fleshly lusts do not onely resist him and frustrate his work in them but these also injure and endanger their own souls by these they lose many a mercy and draw upon them many afflictions and fatherly displeasure from God against them and this grieves the Spirit to see and this removes his presence and hinders his comforting quickening operations by reason of which their spirits fail and become cold and weak to every heavenly action Your work Christians is to be tender of the Spirit to take heed you be not unkind to his person that you do not undervalue his gracious communications or resist his internal operations Take heed of unthankfulness for his kindnesses of slighting his counsels of unsuitable walking to his rules and mercies if you would not grieve him and so deprive your selves of his quickening influences on your spirits That 's the first Beware of those things that weaken this heavenly Spirit Secondly If you would maintain a Heavenly Spirit get all the nourishment you can for it As the body is nourished by food and the animal spirits by contributions of joy and contentment so is this Heavenly Spirit by all the means and helps God hath appointed to this end 1 Tim. 4. 6. nourished up in the word of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith and of good doctrine whereunto thou hast attained The Word and Ordinances are to the inner-man as nourishing food to the outward which strengthens the spiritual part and maintains its vigour and activity Timothy had imbibed the Doctrine of the Gospel together with his milk saith Calvin and had made continual progresses in the same to that day which did so greatly strengthen and nourish him in his faith and graces The Word of God is suited sent and commissioned to the service and advantage of your graces 't is the way by which the Lord Jesus maintains and encreases spiritual life and growth in the new-born soul 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Attend upon all the Ordinances of God where they are purely
better than other Beloveds There 's never a soul that 's married to Christ but hath his time when he makes out some special discoveries of his love and self to it and it can tell some stories of what Christ did once say and do unto her what slights she hath had of him and gifts from him such a soul can tell how when he was dead Christ quickened him when he was lost Christ found him when he was in prison Christ set him free he washed him when in his blood and poured in Oyl into his wounds healed his backslidings and loved him freely He can say with Rebekah to her Brother Laban Thus the man spake to me and shewed the ear-rings and the bracelets Gen. 24. 30. And with Judah brings forth the signet bracelets and staff Gen. 38. 25. and tells with the blind man how Christ opened his eyes and what he said to him Joh. cap. 9. ver 15 35 37. And though by his sin and unbelief he may lose the sight of him for a time and be under a suspense of his discover'd kindness yet if the Believer would be true to his experience he can discover such an acquaintance with Christ as no Hypocrite ever had Answ 2. Secondly Another thing that will prove your marriage to Christ is your conjugal-love to him Jer. 2. 2. I remember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thy espousals when thou wentest after me in the wilderness in a Land not sown The Lord convinceth Israel of the great decay and change of their Love to what it once was there was a time when their affections were high towards God when he call'd them out of Aegypt took them from the Iron-furnace and married them to himself then nothing was too hard for them they could follow God in a wilderness where there was nothing but God alone to satisfie them creatures were wanting to allure them and yet they could stick at nothing no difficulties should part God and them Whence came this warmth of their affection why it was their neerness to God that created them The Lord had taken them into a marriage covenant and carried them in his bosome and this inflamed their hearts after him When the Lord brings a soul into an espousal-state he gives them espousal-love and that is the greatest love O sweet saith Rutherford were that sickness to be soul-sick for him and a living death it were to die in the fire of the love of that Soul-lover Jesus The Apostle makes this an essential duty of a married state to have conjugal affections The Husband to love his Wife as his own flesh and the Wife to love her own Husband as her self Eph. 5. 28. Tit. 2. 4. And the Prophet reckons this love to God as the certain fruit of their Covenant-relation to him Isa 56. 6. That joyn themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the Name of the Lord. As soon as Paul had espoused the Lord Jesus it appeared in his supreme love to him he valued none like Christ He counted all things dross and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ his Lord Phil. 3. 8. To be found in him not having his own righteousness v. 9. To know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death v. 10. Conjugal love is a personal love pure love to Christ is set on Christ himself for himself not for his gifts that come from him but for those excellencies that reside in him 't is love to his person not to his patrimony onely 't is love springing from his love 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us True affections to the Lord Jesus are the births of his own love to us a coal kindled from his fire Conjugal love is also peculiar as well as personal love so far as 't is conjugal 't is to him and none but him or if to others 't is for his sake Espousal love to Christ affects none like him If there be any person or thing thou lovest more than Christ or equal with him thy affections to him are whorish not conjugal He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me He that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me Mat. 10. 37. Yea he that doth not hate Father or Mother or any thing so far as it is inconsistent with love to Christ cannot be his Disciple Luke 14. 26. True love to Christ will let none in all the world share in that love which Christ hath 't will take none into his bed but himself 't is chaste love Again Conjugal-love is not onely to Christ but 't is such a love as longs to be found in Christ not in himself it would have all his glory and excellency in Christ it reckons Christ for all that 's truly honourable as to him it would get as near to Christ as possible yea it never rests till in him To be found in him 'T is also such a love as conforms to Christ Love is of an assimilating spirit it would be like to its peculiar object The affectionate wife conforms as much as may be to her Husband so 't is with the Spouse of Christ she would in every thing that is imitable resemble him and 't is her great trouble she is not more like him what would such a soul give if his heart was like Christ's heart if he had such a spirit and life as the Lord Jesus had on Earth it would be holy as Christ is holy and cannot set up a stand short of that 'T is true the soul hath not such a spirit as Christ had 't is too proud vain carnal passionate earthly selfish and that troubles him but it can never be quiet till he comes nearer to the pattern in Heaven and to a full resemblance of his well-beloved Jesus Answ 3. Thirdly A soul espoused to Christ will leave all for Christ that 's the condition of marriage between Christ and his Bride Psal 45. v. 10 11. Hearken O Daughter and consider and incline thine ear forget also thine own people and thy Father's house so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty for he is thy Lord and worship thou him As if he should say weigh and consider the terms on which this match is to be concluded between Christ and you If you will be his you must leave all for him you must forsake all your other lovers friends interests comforts for Christ so far as these hinder your love to Christ your communion with and serviceableness unto him When the woman comes to be married she leaves her friends Father's house Countrey and all to come and live with him that shall be her Husband Rebekah left her Father Brother Friends and Country to go to Isaac Gen. 24. 58. And they called Rebekah and said unto her wilt thou go with this man and she said I will go That soul that
cannot consent really and considerately to part with all for Christ never yet came up to marriage-terms The treaty between Christ and that soul never went far enough for a conclusion and if it go no farther if thy soul cannot seal to this to part with all thy interests thy dearest comforts yea thy self for Christ the match must after all be broken and Christ and thee part at last yea part for ever O soul try thy heart in this here lies the knot the vertical point this is the most difficult of all Christ's proposals and that the soul is longest consenting to even the letting go all for Christ His person may please well enough his estate is desirable for a reversion but now to take leave of and to go with Christ this is the hard saying Persons would have Christ and the world too Christ and friends too Christ and reputation peace liberty pleasure and self too and if this will not be granted break the bargain but if ever Christ and you have closed and you are his and he yours you cannot count any thing too dear to part with for him or to let go at his bidding If Christ calls for Estate Husband Wife Children an Isaac a Benjamin a right Eye a right Hand all must go and you must part with them freely and chearfully as Abraham did with Isaac Gen. 22. 3. Abraham rose up early in the morning and sadled his Asses and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his Son and clave the wood for the burnt offering and went unto the place of which God had told him Not as Jacob did part with Benjamin by constraint and grudgingly Gen. 43. 11. If it must be so now do this c. He was almost starv'd before he would consent to part with Benjamin and when he did het lets him go last of all he parts with the best fruits of the Land Balm Honey Spices Myrrh Nuts Almonds double money any thing first at last Benjamin was screwed out too Many must have their comforts wrench'd out of their hands before they will let them go but this is not love to Christ A soul married to Christ will say with Mephibosheth concerning his Land Let Zibah take all for as much as my Lord the King is come again in peace to his own house 2 Sam. 19. 30. So let God take all my estate strength liberty comforts seeing the Lord Jesus is come home to my soul in peace Houses Lands Friends Credit Peace Life may be dear but Christ will be dearer if he and you are one flesh All Bavaria said George Carpenter is not so dear to me as my Wife and Children yet for Christ's sake I will forsake them chearfully Do you think me such a fool said Ogvier to one that tempted him with life and preferment that I should change eternal things for temporal Loss of goods is great saith Hooper but loss of God's grace and favour is greater Love is never throughly seen till it comes to parting O the tuggings holdings shifts and reasonings that men will have before they will part with that they dearly love Now it will appear saith Philpot what we love best for to that we love we will stick If Christ have most of your hearts you will let fall every thing out of your hands to hold fast Christ I have said Mr. Bale exil'd my self for ever from mine own native Countrey Kindred Friends Acquaintance which are the great delights of this life and am well contented for the sake of Christ .. Answ 4. Fourthly A Soul married to Christ stays and lives on Christ The Wife casts her self upon her Husband's love and care for her supplies and lives on his allowance for all her provisions 't is suspitious for a married Woman to be maintain'd by strangers and to live on other men for what she needs 't is the Husband's duty to provide for his own and to nourish and cherish his Wife as the Lord the Church Eph. 5. 29. and 't is the Wives duty to go to and rely on his faithfulness for it So 't is with the Soul that hath espoused Christ it is to live on Christ for all it needs they that take Christ aright take him for their All not for better or worse for richer or poorer as Women take their earthly Husbands for Christ is always best of all always exceeding rich and full of unsearchable treasures but to take him for their only and sufficient portion at all times and in all estates Lam. 3. 24. The Lord is my portion saith my Soul therefore will I trust in him Lord said Paulinus when his City Gold and Silver was taken away let not the loss of these things trouble me for thou art all and more than all these to me Shaw's Tombstone p. 33. Christ is the Believer's All in the way and God his All in All at the end It hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell and under him all things should be put 2 Col. 1. 19. Heb. 2. 8. And this is for the supply comfort and blessedness of those that are his Eph. 1. 23. Which is the body the fulness of him who filleth all in all Whatever Christ hath as Mediator is the Churches for her use and profit If men have plenty of liquors they fill their vessels with them if they have much riches they place them in their treasury so doth Christ dispose of his fulness for his Churches good hence 't is the Spouse of Christ comes leaning on her Beloved from the Wilderness Cant. 8. 5. and dares adventure her All on the love and sufficiency of her loving and lovely Lord she is full of failings but she lives on him for righteousness many are her weaknesses but she goes to Christ for strength Isa 45. 24. Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength She is sensible of many wants but casts her self on the promise My God shall supply all your wants Phil. 4. 19. Her backslidings temptations dangers troubles and fears are many but she stays on the Lord Jesus whom she hath chosen for her only friend in Heaven and Earth and there she lays her self down in his bosome when wearied with difficulties and doubts and embarques her self in his faithfulness for all she stands in need of for life and godliness for grace and glory Answ 5. Fifthly Fruitfulness to Christ proves Marriage to Christ Hence the Spouse is set forth by metaphors that express fruitfulness a Garden not a wilderness a well watered Garden which is usually most fruitful where the Spices flow out where the Graces of the Spirit are more operative and abundant and Souls become more fruitful in manifested holiness An Orchard planted with choice and pleasant fruits Camphire Spikenard Saffron Calamus Cinamon with all trees of Frankincense Myrh and Aloes with all the chiefest Spices which signify the preciousness variety and abundance of grace and holiness in those who are savingly united
bear the image of their heavenly Father here 1 Cor. 15. 49. There is a stamp of glory upon the Heirs of glory though it may be so covered with dirt and worn out with the rust of corruption as not to be easily seen at all times Whose is this image and superscription Matt. 22. 20. Caesar's coin hath Caesar's stamp and the Children of Heaven have their Father's mark upon their foreheads Rev. 14. 1. If Christ's Treasures be yours you are his Treasury though earthen vessels yet treasures vessels and bags that wax not old Do you hope for spiritual blessings what manner of spirits are you of Do you savour heavenly things What things do best suit and please your spirits the things of Heaven or the things of the world grace or goods righteousness or riches spiritual things or carnal What goes down easiest or when down sits easiest on your stomacks The Heirs of Heaven are Non-conformists to this world but transformed into the Spirit of Heaven and the renewing of their minds to their new estate blessedness and glory Rom. 12. 1. That 's a second thing wherein this Heavenly Trade lies in securing and clearing up your interest in heavenly things Thirdly Another thing wherein this Heavenly Trade lies is this in getting in of heavenly goods This is a great part of Traders business to be furnishing themselves with wares fit for their employmeat and advantage the Artificer in making the Merchant in buying in goods that are vendible and will turn to profit So must Wisdom's Merchants get themselves stor'd with Wisdom's wares that they may be able to drive on her Trade Onely in this lies the difference earthly goods are either the products of mens labours and effects of their industry or else the purchase of their money and treasures But heavenly goods come not in this way as the proportionable reward of their labours or return of their money Indeed heavenly bread must be laboured for but when all is done the Son of man gives it to them Joh. 6. 27. Salvation must be wrought out as if it lay at their fingers end and yet this very will and power to work wrought in them Phil. 2. 12 13. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure No sufficiency is found in the creature before saving grace helps to embrace its overtures no more than a dead body to receive life Ephes 2. 1. You have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit Joh. 15. 16. The soul's choice of Christ is the effect of Christ's first chusing him and its love to God the product of God's first loving him 1 Jo. 4. 19. and the soul's fruitfulness is the effect of Christ's purposing and appointing it thereunto No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him Joh. 6. 44. Not onely morally by perswading the will with potent arguments but physically by working to will by a powerful inclining and disposing the will to come to and chuse Christ through the irresistible operation of the Spirit So then 't is not of him that wileth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9. 16. Salvation-grace both of righteousness and holiness is freely given to the thirsty soul through and with Christ Rev. 20. 6. and the inclination and power to receive as freely bestowed also Phil. 1. 29. To you it is given in the behalf of Christ not onely to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake Faith it self is the gift of God both the power and will to believe not given to every man alike For all men have not faith 2 Thes 3. 2. because the Father was not pleased effectually to bestow it Deut. 29. 4. The Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear to this day Who hath made thee to differ or what hast thou which thou didst not receive 1 Cor. 3. 7. If the differencing of one man from another as to his improvement of grace lay in his own inclinations and natural freedom of his own will then there was something in the creature that made this difference contrary to this Scripture and a foundation laid in a man to glory which wholly overthrows the design of Redemption-grace which is to take off all boasting 1 Cor. 1. 29. Rom. 3. 27. and to lay all the praise and glory of man's salvation on special grace Eph. 1. 5 6. neither is the first grace onely freely given but more grace also alsufficiency after conferred for every good word and work yea for every thought that is good comes from the same grace that first called you which must also perfect every good work to the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 3. 5. our sufficiency who have grace to think or do the least spiritual good is deriv'd from the same fountain-fulness that is in Christ Jam. 1. 16. Eternal life with whatever leads thereto is the gift of God Rom. 6. v. 23. As Christ so all things with him are freely given Rom. 8. 32. not onely the seed of grace but the growth of grace not onely the habit but the act of grace all comes from Christ in the way of Redemption-grace Get your hearts well established with this grace that nothing in you or done by you can merit or procure any thing of the Father but upon the account of Christ and his grace and promise in him to all that by the Son do come unto him Goods you need for a daily Trade but no money and price will pass for them Isa 55. 1. they are freely given and yet you may boldly come for them Go you must with empty sacks your friend in Heaven will fill them and return your money in your sacks mouth Christians a considerable part of your work and that which laies the foundation to all your Trade lies in getting your souls furnish'd with heavenly wares You will drive but a poor Trade for Heaven if you do not often receive goods from Heaven Alas what can you do in Christianity without continual supplies from Christ Laodicea could not do any good in Religion for want of goods from Christ She had none of his tryed gold and therefore grew soon poor and miserable If goods fail trade falls and livelihood with it What advantages doth the Tradesman miss and what losses doth he sustain by wanting goods to furnish his Customers So do Christians when they want grace to serve their occasions necessities temptations and duties what advantage might souls get had they but grace when they come under Ordinances and Duties and what losses do they meet with for want of grace under afflictions trials and employments how pitifully do they carry it under troubles and providential exercises and are oft-times sadly foil'd for want of grace and wisdom to manage such trials You have daily
without works and love without labours will signifie nothing towards salvation Will Opinion make a man an Artist or imagination enrich him or hunger fill him or reading the way to a place bring him thither No more will affection knowledge and profession help men to Heaven unless they work out their salvation and carry on the duties of Religion that lead to it Phil. 2. 12. First Consider a Christian hath much work and a little time great work and small strength necessary work and many diversions excellent work none like it persons that set about salvation in earnest will find much to do and the farther they go in Religion the more busie their employment will be every day brings its work with it new instructions new mercies new afflictions and temptations every day which calls for much exercised grace and duty A child of God hath no time for idleness or impertinent business O the many things that must be dispatched within the compass of this little inch of time for eternity Soul if thou diest and thy work undone when thou diest thy soul 's undone there 's no rising from thy grave to do neglected work or dispensation at the Bar of God for the omission of Salvation-duties This work is necessary also as well as great some duties are necessary to secure thy salvation all duties are necessary to maintain thy comforts and greaten thy glory Men plead necessity for this and th' other thing to do this work and take that journey to omit this duty and absent from such a priviledge but who is sensible of the necessity of working the work of God and attending soul-concerns It may not be necessary you should have peace credit plenty riches comforts that you should have so much estate preferment and contentment in the world but 't is absolutely necessary thy soul should be saved and that God should be obeyed that spiritual concerns should be attended whatever is neglected that thy debts should be paid thy peace with God obtained thy hungry soul be fed and refreshed thy title to Heaven clear'd the presence of God enjoy'd and thy seed-time for glory improv'd 'T is promised-work too and that makes it necessary you have engag'd to be the Lord's if you are Christians and have given up your selves to be his and not your own your time is his your capacities his 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. what you are and have is from him and for him this you have devoted to the use and service of God when you took him to be your God 2 Cor. 8. 5. and many a time since you have engag'd to obedience of his commands There are sick-bed-vows affliction-promises engagements under conscience-troubles yea every day and in every duty you tell God you will mend your waies redeem your time do him more and better work and how can you stand before him with such flattery and dissimulation and under the guilt of so much falshood and treachery while your work lies still undone Yea your work Christians is excellent work also above all the employments of the world 't is supernatural work yea Angelical work yea such work as Angels cannot do to believe in love converse with and obey Christ as your Redeemer and Saviour Phil. 3. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 7 8 9 12. to suffer for Christ and be baptized into a conformity with his death and resurrection 'T is suitable work also you are called to in this Heavenly Trade work suited to your natures If you are Saints you have received a heavenly spirit and are partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. 'T is as natural for you to do heavenly work if you are Christians as for the world to do earthly work there being a disposition and propensity put into your renewed natures to new and heavenly work as there is a disposition in the seed to its proper fruit 1 Joh. 3. 9. For his seed remaineth in him 'T is work suited to your hopes which are laid up in Heaven Col. 1. 5. For the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven whereof you have heard before in the word of Truth That is the blessedness those great and glorious things you hope for which are laid up for you in Heaven as a Treasure safely kept for you Called hope by an Antonomasia saith Davenant a Beatitudo promissa dicitur spes nostra id est illâ—â— quod speramas per Antonomasiam neque hoc praemium dicitur tantum oblatum nobis propositum nam hâ—c spem nostram infirmaret si certitudo rerum speratarum penderet ex nobis dispositione nostra ita ut vel daretur nobis vel negaretur promerito operum nostrorum sed dicitur se positum nobis id est quasi in deposito reconditum apud Deum Patrem nostrum Daven This reward is not said to be onely offered and proposed to us for that would weaken our hope if the certainty of those things hoped for did depend on us and our disposition so that it should be given or denied us according to the worth of our works graces and duties but 't is said to be laid aside for us as that which is deposited and safely laid up in God our Father for us A Christian's choicest Treasures lie in hope not in hand beyond their present view and enjoyment and yet secured to their use and propriety 1 Pet. 1. 4. Reserved in Heaven for you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kept as it were in custody and with watch and ward for you sure and certain on which the hopes of Believers are firmly laid and to which their present work is suited heavenly work bears a proportion and agreement in its nature though not in worth to heavenly and eternal things 't is work suited to your inheritance and wages in its kind though not in degree and that 's excellent work which is of the same nature with your eternal blessedness Suited also to your present priviledges who sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 6. Gracious souls though in habitation they are on the Earth yet in point of priviledge they sit in Heaven Through their union with Christ they may be said b Sedere fecit nos in coelestibus in persona Christi inque novam vitam excitavit ut Spiritu in coelis versemur efficit Zanch. saith Zanchy to sit where he sits as a husband or Brother absent from his Wife and Brethren doth possess a Kingdom for them they though absent may be truly said relatively to possess it in him as members in the head they sit in Heaven in the person of Christ and as the lump is sanctified in the first fruits Neither do they sit onely relatively through their union with Christ but spiritually through their communion with him In that sense saith Bucer as the Apostle speaks Phil. 3. 20. They have their conversation in Heaven This is a glorious priviledge the Saints onely enjoy in this life to converse in Heaven and to
have their life above above the world and things below and such should their work be also How pleasant should heavenly work be to heavenly souls which Believers are and should be Secondly Christians set upon heavenly work for as is your work so will your maintenance be They who do that work which the world cannot have that meat and drink which the world knoweth not Joh. 4. 32 34. The Lord hath dainties and peculiar refreshments for those who are single and faithful in his work they have joyes which strangers intermeddle not with Prov. 14. 10. Whoever go without his labourers shall not lack He keeps a good table for his work-men In keeping of his Commands there 's great reward Psal 19. 11. They eat the fat and drink the sweet Neh. 8. 10. The marrow the spiced wine the hidden Manna is their meat and drink so far as they have need of it O the sweet bits and pleasant sips they miss of who are idle in God's Vineyard They that will not work shall not eat 2 Thes 3. 10. Would you live high in your spiritual comforts then work hard in your spiritual work Thirdly As is your work so will your company be They that do earthly work have earthly companions to labour with them As is mens Trade such is their company The children of the night have their fellowship with unfruitfull works of darkness Ephes 5. 11. and gracious souls are companions with them that fear God Psal 119. 63. Wicked workers have wicked men and devils casting in their lot with them Prov. 1. 14. And so have heavenly Traders heavenly company they have the presence of God with them 2 Chron. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while you are with him They have the Comforter with them Joh. 14. 16. He shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Rom. 8. 11. By his Spirit that dwelleth in you No company like the Comforter friends may leave you but if you keep with God and do his will the Spirit of God will abide with you for ever though he may not alwaies be seen of you yet he will alwaies reside with you At the best friends can but stay with you but the Spirit of Christ will dwell in you and give you the nearest and most intimate acquaintance with himself if you obey his voice and follow him God's labourers have the company of Angels also they are ministring spirits to the heirs of salvation Heb. 1. 14. They pitch their tents about them that fear God Psal 34. 7. and have it given in charge to take care of the Children of God and to carry them in their arms that they dash not their feet against a stone Psal 91. 11. Those are lovely company indeed such as will never hurt you but do you good you shall be the better for them Prov. 13. 20. Fourthly As is your work so will your wages be to all eternity though not for your work yet according to it Rom. 2. 6. Who shall render to every man according to his deeds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to not for their works The Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noting here saith Paraeus c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non meritum significat sed mensuram ceu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae praemia distribuentur indebita poenae irrogaountur promeritae Paraeus Non propter quid sed quibus sit danda docetur Idem not the merit but the measure analogy or rule by which undeserved rewards shall be distributed and just punishments shall be inflicted as the word is used Mat. 9. 29. ch 23. 3. And so as it refers to glory saith he it rather describes the person to whom this glory shall be given then shews the cause why it is given as Mat. 25. 34 35. Also the word rendered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for a free reward that hath no respect to desert Mat. 20. 8. The same reward being given to him that wrought one hour as to those that bore the heat and burden of the day So that the word according notes the kind of work not the cause of reward reward as it refers to salvation Suitable to that of Christ Rev. 22. 12. Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indeed evil works have their causality and desert of punishment but not good works of reward Gryner gives three reasons of the difference First Because good works proceed from God and are the fruits of his Spirit in us but evil works proceed from man and are the effects of his own spirit and will Secondly good works are imperfectly good as to degrees and therefore cannot merit but evil works are perfectly evil and therefore deserve death Thirdly Good works are commanded and so are but our duty and cannot merit payment of debts are not purchase but sins are forbidden and so are a breach of the Law of God and deserve death Luke 17. 10. The gift of God is eternal life but the wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. Death is wages due but life is a gift altogether free By grace ye are saved Ephes 2. 5. There can be no desert of glory in the most spiritual duties of man Because First They are not man's work but God's in him John 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Holiness is called the fruit of the Spirit Ephes 5. 9. Now the reward is due by way of debt to him that worketh but to him that worketh not 't is of grace Rom. 4. 4 5. and therefore reward is not due to Saints who work not but by strict way of justice rather to the Spirit that worketh in them Secondly They are no way proportionable to the reward and so not meritorious Their work is imperfect they know but in part and do but in part 1 Cor. 3. 9. Phil. 3. 12. The best duties as they come from the Saints here are spotty and as sweet waters that come from an evil vessel they savour of the cask through which they come but glory is perfect omnibus modis and hath no defect in it Our works also are finite being created and creature-actions but the reward is infinite the love and glory of an infinite God Thirdly Though our Holiness were perfect yet it could not merit because it is due to God from that relation we bear to him as his creatures and redeemed ones and from our promise and covenant with him to love obey and serve him Ephes 2. 10. 2 Cor. 8. 5. Duties are but debts not acts of favour to God We owe God our selves and our all and are indebted to Christ for his Redemption-grace more than we can ever pay we cannot though we do all we possible can requite the blood of Christ and love of Christ and till we are out
sparks to come near to gun-powder as opportunity to corruption Eighthly Impenitency in sin strengthens the habit of sin Jer. 8. 6. No man repented him of his wickedness saying what have I done every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel They run on furiously in sin as the horse doth into the battel who runs till he sweats saith Theodoret. So they have no end or satiety of sin and b Talis cogitatio causa fuit pertinacis nequitiae Idem this impenitency in sin was the cause of all their pertinacy in sin Impenitency hardens the heart and heaps up sin on sin unto the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. Take heed then of all those things that may in the least maintain and keep up sin in your souls as ever you think to bring it down That 's the first Advice Direct 2. Secondly Not onely shun whatever might strengthen sin but take heed you go not out in your own strength against sin if ever you think to mortifie it He that would mortifie sin must be able to master Devils Ephes 6. v. 12. But humane strength is no match for Devils If man in his pure estate were too weak for such an adversary then much more impotent is impure and imperfect man 'T is not the woman but the womans seed must bruise the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. The Saints victory is through him that hath loved them and given himself a sacrifice to God for them Rom. 16. 20. Rom. 8. 37. Ephes 5. 2. It must be his armour and arm too must bring salvation from spiritual enemies Without me you can do nothing John 15. 5. 'T is this makes souls to fail in their attempts against sin that they set about it in a strength inferiour to sin When Augustine after all his strivings vows and duties to bring down his corruptions found them still too hard for him he heard a voice saying to him c In te stas non stas Thou standest in thy self and therefore thou dost not stand Whereupon he betook himself to prayer and faith in the blood of Christ and so got some victory over them When the Exorcists Act. 19. v. 15 16. went to cast out Devils by the bare Name of Christ without the Power of Christ both they and their attempts soon miscarried Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are ye and the man in whom the evil spirit was leapt on them and overcame them and prevailed over them so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded Creature-strength is too weak to master that enemy which hath the power of Hell to guard it O go not out against sin In the strength of your purposes and promises Peter to his own cost found that too weak to secure him in an hour of temptation Go not out in the strength of your frames and affections How easily can Satan beat the Saints from these posts and cast in a flood to drown their warmest affections The Galatians that were high in frames and affections and could talk of a blessedness while spiritual soon felt an alteration when they became carnal Gal. 4. 15. chap. 3. 3. Go not out in the strength of your duties and performances these are too weak without faith and the arm of Christ to charm these Serpents and disarm spiritual adversaries Go not out in the strength of your graces these are not Christ nor have an Almightiness in them to bring down sin and Satan 'T is not grace in Believers but grace in Christ that is sufficient to guard the soul from Satan's buffetings and to rescue it from his temptations 2 Cor. 12. 9. Direct 3. Thirdly Get the union between thy heart and sin broken The life of sin lies in that union it hath with the heart if that be broken sin dies as a man then ceaseth to live when the union between the soul and body is dissolved Sin hath too great a part even in a Believer's heart which moves for some respect and indulgence towards it When the enlightened mind saies Crucifie it the carnal affections cry Spare it is it not a little one And the heart like the City of Iconium about Paul and Barnabas is divided Act. 14. 4. And the multitude of the City was divided and part held with the Jews and part with the Apostles So 't is with the gracious soul sin hath too great a potency in the carnal mind which must be broken or sin will never die Get the Spirit 's interest in thy heart strengthened and sins party weakened every day There are seven things that have a great tendency to weaken the heart's union with sin and withdraw its affections from it First An abiding sense of the great Love of Christ towards it that he should pity him when pitied of none left of all love him when wallowing in his blood and altogether unlovely in himself love him while an enemy to God yea to his own soul love him so as to give himself for him to leave his Father's glory and take up shame yea taste of death for him love him and pass by others call him and leave others the serious consideration of this hath a great constraint on the gracious heart to hate sin which Christ so hates and in love to the soul came to destroy Secondly A due apprehension of the unconceivable sufferings of the Lord Jesus and all procur'd by sin He was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities he was oppressed and afflicted and that which gave an extremity to all these sorrows it pleased the Lord to bruise him to put him to grief and to make his soul an offering for sin This made the blows the heavier that they came from a Father's hand Had an enemy done it it might have been easier born though his torments were unimaginable but mine equal mine acquaintance my familiar friend Psal 55. 12 13. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matt. 27. 46 and all this the fruit of sin This makes a gracious soul to hate sin that hath been so cruel to his best and only friend Thirdly A believing sight of the excellency and holiness of Christ hath a mighty power to draw off the heart from sin when the Prophet had got a view of the Lord in his holiness he hath presently unlovely and troublesome thoughts of sin Isa 6. ver 1. to 7. Wo is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the mid'st of a people of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts A sight of Christ's holiness will make sin seem exceeding vile and loathsome and the soul restless till delivered from it 'T is unacquaintedness with the holiness and beautiful perfections of Christ that makes men fall in love with that deformed monster
sight having a warrant for every action you perform both civil and religious this will be your comfort now and your peace in the day of your accounts Thirdly Drive on his interest not your own Rom. 14. 7. For none of us liveth to himself God can more justly say what Laban did to Jacob concerning his children and goods These daughters are my daughters and these children are my children and these cattel are my cattel and all that thou seest is mine Gen. 31. 43. The cattel on a thousand hills are his Psal 50. 10. with the corn wine wooll and flax Hos 2. 9. Both the improvement as well as principal are his Mat. 25. 27. He hath right to the exercise and fruit of your graces and duties with all that you enjoy and do Put Christ's mark on all your goods whatever you gain by his talents put on his account and let your disbursments be expended to his use Seek not your own things your credit peace comfort interest but in subordination to him If the Lord by his Word calls for any of your enjoyments you must let them go If by his Providence he takes off any comfort murmure not say 't is the Lord Let him do what he will with his own Mat. 20. verse 15. Advice 5. Fifthly Follow your Trade better than you have done remember how former carelesness formality sloth hypocrisie have undone you and amend The slothful soul is as the door on his hinges Prov. 26. 14. that never makes any progress in Religion or comes to any excellency in grace No Christian saith Mr. Sedgwick is so able in the habits of grace as he who is conscienciously frequent in the practice or exercise of grace Christ's Counsel to his languishing Church Would you recover your state and come to any eminency in godliness then make Religion your business That sleightiness of spirit in the way of God which lost you at first will never restore you The recovery of a faint soul saith the same Author will never be effected by faint workings You did fall into your decayed state by remissive actings and think you that which was not able to keep up your graces from sinking can now quicken and raise them being sunk Christ's Counsel to his languishing Church p. 148. If negligence did cast you back diligence must help to recover you Take more pains with your hearts follow your work of godliness every day and in every place Be early and late in your shops of duty and in the warehouse of your hearts Beware of spiritual sloth and soul-losses take heed of unfaithfulness with God conscience or others keep touch with your Creditour be tender of your vows to God and men keep from prodigality live not above your condition waste not precious time parts and grace in vain walk strictly in the whole course of your life keeping your selves from iniquity and in the Love of God Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Jude v. 21. Tit. 2. 13. 5th Branch of Exhortation to good Traders in Religion Lastly You whoever you are that drive on this Heavenly Merchandise and have any good Trading in Religion be you exhorted Advice 1. First To bless God for good trading Is it well with your souls Doth the South-wind blow upon your Garden and the Spices flow out Cant. 4. 16. Doth the Fig-tree put forth her green Figs and the Vine with the tender Grape give a good smell Cant. 2. 13. What reason have you then to be always giving thanks you whose trading turns to any spiritual advantage thou canst say 'T is good to draw nigh to God in keeping his commands is great reward The Lord is not a barren wilderness to thy soul but peace is within thy Walls and prosperity within thy Palaces Psal 122. 7. Thy glory is fresh in thee and thy bow renewed in thy hand thy root spreadeth out by the waters and the dew lying all night between thy branches Job 29. 19 His ways are pleasantness and his steps drop fatness to thy soul and he commands his blessing upon thee and thy faith and love do grow Is it thus in any measure with thee O then bless the Lord with thy soul let all that is within thee bless his holy Name Make the Lord thy glory and triumphing praise Thou hast abundant reason to be admiring grace and exalting divine glory Because First Soul-thriving is a great mercy at all times a little spiritual goods is beyond all the World's treasure one piece of Christ's tried Gold weighs down all the Pearls and Diamonds on earth and whatever can be found below grace cannot be compar'd with it Job 28. 11 12 16. or named the same day with it The light of God's countenance pardon of sin participation of the spirit fulfilling of Promises fellowship with the Father Son and Spirit heart-breathings after love to and delight in God are things of inestimable worth if you weigh them in themselves or with other things or if you consider the grace from whence they come or price which they cost Spiritual thrivings are an evidence of sincere love to God Judg. 5. 31. Let them that love thy Name be as the Sun that goeth forth in his might and of special love in God to that soul Tit. 3. 4 6. Eph. 1. 3 5 7. God may prosper in the World those he hates Esau had his fat things here but grace and peace are new-covenant-blessings which spring from eternal love in the heart of God to that soul Heb. 8. 10. Zech. 8. 11 12 15. Secondly 'T is a singular mercy at this time a mercy that few enjoy in the day we live in What a rare thing is it in this long winter to see a green Olive a tender Grape appear or Pomgranate bud Cant. 7. 6. or one Berry in the uppermost branch Isa 24. 13. It was a peculiar glory put upon the head of Thyatira that she was thriving when other Churches were decaying She had works and works and the last were more than the first Rev. 2. 19. Ephesus had lost her first love Sardis had decayed and wasted her first strength and was ready to die Laodicea was luke-warm ready to be spued out by the Lord Jesus Rev. 3. 1 8 16. only Thyatira flourished exceedingly and grew in the winter and this honour she had to have it recorded by the Spirit for a monument in after-ages 'T is not the lot of every one to thrive in evil times few Thessalonians whose faith and love did grow 2 Thes 1. 3. A single Timothy who had flourishing affections to the things of Christ I have no man like minded Phil. 2. 20. One Gaius whose soul out-prospered his body 3 Ep. Joh. v. 2. A flourishing Christian this day is like a flower in winter an Apple-tree amongst the trees of the wood Surely if there be a Soul who this day flourishes to any heighth of Christianity who lives in intimacy with
in love Love constrains the Soul after God makes his commands pleasant and quickens the heart to make hast in the way to Glory the more you love God the more will you prosper in Godliness Thirdly Humility is a Soul-prospering Grace and under a promised Blessing Prov. 29. 23 Honour shall uphold the humble in spirit k Sustentat Munst 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall bear him up from falling and bring him unto honour saith Montanus Prov. 15. 33 By humility are riches and honour The humble Soul must needs be a thriving Soul for God giveth Grace to it Jam. 4. 6. yea dwelleth with the humble to revive the Spirit of the humble Isa 57. 15. There 's a great deal of Pride in most Christians and that hinders Soul-thriving proud of Parts and Grace proud under seeming humility proud of humility Low Valleys are fruitful when lofty Mountains are barren The rich sit in a low place Eccl. 10. 6 Such as are rich in wisdom l Divites quibus adsit sapientia saith Mercer they sit in a low place they come down and lie low in themselves m In ipsa abjectione Jun. Trem. folly is set in great dignity Poor foolish empty Creatures they are high in conceit as well as place many times but the most rich and thriving Souls these are poorest in Spirit and lowest in their own eyes the richer the Metal the heavier Gold weighs down Silver and Tin the fuller of fruits branches are the more they bow He sendeth the springs into the valleys Psal 104. 10. Psal 65. 13. They are covered over with Corn Vineyards thrive best in low places One branch of Grapes from the Valley of Eshcol was said to be a burden for two men Numb 13. 23. would you flourish in Grace take heed of Pride Pride in the Soul saith one is like the spleen in the body when that swelleth all the other parts languish 't is poison at the root of the tree which corrupts the sap 'T is so dangerous a poison that of another poison there was confected a counterpoison to preserve Paul from it would you prosper in Godliness be persons of low humble spirits Mr. Adams on 2 Pet. 2 Cor. 12. 7. Exalt him that is low and abase him that is high Ezek. 21. 26. Fourthly Another choice fruit of the Spirit which will further Soul-thriving is sincerity Prov. 14. 11 The tabernacle of the upright shall flourish They shall have good things in possession Prov. 28. 10. they shall not only be preserv'd from evil and escape the pit into which the wicked fall but shall be sure to meet with good Blessings good things shall be given to them as their inheritance as Aquila and Theodosius interpret it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shewest mercy to thy Servants that walk before thee with all their heart 2 Chron. 6. 14. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his Soul to vanity nor sworn deceitfully he shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his Salvation Psal 24. 4 5. Upright Souls must needs prosper they dwell in the presence of God Psal 140. 13. He will withhold no good thing from them Psal 84. 11. His countenance beholds them Psal 11. 7. God engages his alsufficiency for their good Gen. 17. 1. They shall hold on their way and wax stronger and stronger Job 17. 9. and shall surely prosper 2 Chron. 31. 21 In every work that he began in the service of the house of God and in the Law and in the Commandments to seek his God he did it with all his heart and prospered 't is not thy many Duties before God but the Oneness of thy heart with God nor the bulk of thy Services but the sincerity of thy Soul which will make thee profperous in thy heavenly interests Again Take thriving courses prosperous ways as well as prospering Graces these are under a promised Blessing also Not to multiply particulars There are four thriving ways in which Christians may attain to a prosperous Trade in Christianity The way of 1. Self-Examination 2. Prayer 3. Enjoyment of God 4. Obedience First Be often examining and calling your selves to an account how matters stand with your Souls Traders that would be thriving will be often viewing their Books and trying their Accompts and have some set days when they survey their Goods cast up their Books and try whether they gain or lose and so must Christians that would profit in Religion they must be often judging themselves that they be not judged 1 Cor. 11. 31. they must cast up their accompts and try their state whether they go forward or backward Hag. 1. 5. Consider your ways try how the case stands with you whether you get or lose and what 's the cause of all those blastings that are upon you Psal 4. 4 Commune with your hearts upon your beds and be still 2 Cor. 13. 5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates The neglect of this examination is one cause of that great mistake of persons about their Soul-state some thinking themselves better Rev. 3. 17. others judging themselves worse than they are which begets security in some discouragement in others error and floth in all A right estimate of thy spiritual capacity either poverty or riches gain or loss is absolutely needful to regulate thy duty unto a right affecting of thy heart and advance of thy spiritual interests Look over the Day-book of thy heart and life every night posting all thy accompts on the large book of thy Conscience and take some special time for a more full survey of thy Soul and state for Eternity this will be of good use to further Soul-thriving Secondly If you would prosper in your Souls be much and mighty with God in Prayer 'T is said of Vzziah that he sought God in the days of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions of God and as long as he sought the Lord God made him to prosper 2 Chron. 26. 5. Right Prayer is a wonderful way to Soulenrichings He saith one can never be poor that can pray well One reason why this King prospered as long as he sought the Lord was by this means he came to the visions of God and that help'd him to take a right way to prospetity By Prayer you advise with God what course to take towards mercy 't is your Ephod by which you ask counsel of God where to go to shun danger and what to do to carry on Duty and obtain Mercy 2 Sam. 23. 6. 9. Chap. 30. 7. and by Prayer you procure and get out the Graces and Supplies you need 1 Chron 4. 10 And Jabesh called on the God of Israel saying O that thou wouldst bless me indeed and enlarge my coasts and that thine hand might be with me and that thou wouldst keep
O King according to thy saying I am thine and all that I have If you are not your own much less any thing you have is absolutely yours God gives his people But a conditional interest in all things beneath himself so far as it sutes his pleasure use and glory To keep back any part of your capacities and interests from God when by his Word and Providence he calls for it for his service name and people is hypocrisie lying fraud and rebellion and contrary to the Lord 's undoubted interest both by creation redemption and your own grant Hos 2. 8. 2 Cor. 7. 20. Besides you receive not your mercies as Owners but as Stewards to keep and use them for him and according to his instruction 1 Pet. 4. 10. As every one hath received the gift whether of grace or gifts of grace inward or outward gifts spiritual or temporal 't is all one if he have received it so let him administer the same as good Stewards of the manifold grace of life Your interests are God's gifts your abundance his Bounty and trust to be bestowed to his use and pleasure for which you must give an account Secondly 'T is pleasing work to lay out for God Paul counted not his life dear to lay out for Christ Acts 20. 24. Peter and John rejoyced that they were counted worthy to part with their name and to undergo reproach for Christ Acts. 5. 41. Nazianzen was glad that he had something of value to wit his Athenian learning to part with for Christ The Mother of William Hunter the Martyr rejoyced that ever she was so happy as to bear such a child as could find in his heart to lose his life for Christ's Name sake Acts and Mon. p. 13. 96. Nothing seems burdensom to do or part with for Christ to a soul that loves him How willingly did Jonathan strip himself of the Robe that was upon him and gave it to David and his garments even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle because he loved him much more pleasing will it be to a soul loving Christ to part with his All for Christ 1 Sam. 18. 4. Thirdly 'T is honourable work also to lay out for God He that gives to the poor lendeth to the Lord Prov. 19. 17. And is not this honourable to make God a debtor and to get him who is over all blessed for ever to become bound to his creature O what honour is this that the Giver of All should seem to be beholding to his creatures who have their All from him Have you any thing you can part with for Christ think what honour 't is that God entrusts you with the bestowing of such gifts for him the Lord might have made you beggars not givers who hath made you to differ why is grace gifts strength estate time put into thy hand and not into others it shews a good opinion God hath of thy faithfulness and so bespeaks honour O let not God have cause to revoke this estimation Fourthly 'T is profitable work The more you lay out for God the more you get for your selves there 's no such way to gather as to scatter for God your improvements of mercy to God's end are but as sowing of seed which will come in again with greater encrease 2 Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully Laying out for God is Trading secur'd not liable to hazards as earthly undertakings are but under a promise of sure and great returns as hath been proved and that is profit Laying out for God is lending to God upon interest Mat. 19. 29. where both principal and interest are sure Prov. 19. 17. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth to the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again The Lord takes it as done to himself and will repay with large use x Tibi a Domino etiam cum amplissimo faenore reddendum Mercer he lends to the Lord upon bond for use as the Hebrew imports 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he will surely repay it God is bound for it and therefore the debt is sure T is a great mistake in men and that which starves their expensiveness for God to think the more they give the less they have whereas laying out for God brings in principal and use it sanctifies what is left and brings it under a promise of encrease As the pouring out of the Widows Oil fill'd her vessels the more she poured out the more she had 2 Kings 4. 5 6. And as the Widow of Zarephath by giving first to the Prophet secur'd her own provision in a time of famine 1 Kings 17. 13 14. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel the barrel of meal shall not waste neither shall the cruse of Oil fail until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth Mal. 3. 10. Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house that there may be meat in my house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hosts if I will not open you the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it 'T is mens niggardliness to God and close-handedness to the poor and pious uses is one reason doubtless of the wasts and blastings on their outward interests this day Prov. 11. 28. The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself Cartwright and Baine think this is meant of spiritual gifts as the former verse is of external good things But as Mercer well observes the sentence is general and takes in any supplies that are given to such as are needy y Qâ—i rigat i. e. qui de suo erogat in egenos Such shall be made fat he shall be so far from being impoverished thereby as it shall encrease his substance He shall be watered as with showres in Autumn The latter rain which is fruitfulizing The streams of charity are not like running water that passeth away but as fruitful showres that come again with encrease Prov. 3. 9 10. Honour the Lord with thy substance so shall thy barns be filled with plenty Multitude of promises might be heaped up which give in a joynt-testimony to this truth as Mat. 25. 29. Eccles 11. 1. Prov. 28. 27. Prov. 22. 9. Isa 58. 7 8 10 11. with many others and are abundant security for the blessing to such as lay out for God Besides this is a proof of your love to God 2 Cor. 8. 24. Wherefore shew ye to them and before the Churches the proof of your love 1 Joh. 3. v. 17. Whoso hath this worlds goods and seeth his Brother hath need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him 1 John 4. 20. For he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen By true charity
chargeable not only for violating the royal righteous law of Christ but for being guilty of subverting his Government Crown and Dignity and endeavouring in his measure the ruining his interest of hindering the conversion and edification of souls and whatever damage hereby comes to the spiritual or eternal welfare of souls it will be laid on their heads in the day of the righteous judgment of Christ Another greatly concerning duty contain'd in this Scripture is charitable communications feed the poor feed the hungry clothe the naked relieve the oppressed Bede Alapid This is to honour God with your substance not to spend it on your lusts to live high to fare deliciously to build your nests on high but to make your abundance a supply for the good of those that are in wants 2 Cor. 8. 14. Isa 58. 7. 10. Mat. 5. 42. Jam. 1. 27. Heb. 13. 16. Luke 14. 12 13. Otherwise First All your Religion is in vain James 1. v. 26 27. Your knowledge desires affections frames tasts enjoyments marks experiences seeming graces duties are all nothing and can never prove the truth of your grace the safety of your estates and goodness of your religion if you are found defective in this great duty of Charity Psal 112. 4 5. Vnto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness he is gracious and full of compassion and righteous A good man sheweth favour and lendeth Let men say what they will if they be covetous hard-hearted have no compassion to them that are in wants have no heart to give or lend to needy ones they have no true grace in them Verse 9. He hath dispersed he hath given to the poor his righteousness endureth for ever Men may talk and pray and seem to be eminent Christians profess love to God and their neighbours and yet all the while be deceived and have not a jot of grace in them while their hearts are cruel their hands shut to their poor Brethren Remember the young man in the Gospel and fear thine own estate if thy heart be glued to thy possessions How dwelleth the Love of God in him 1 Joh. 3. 17. He loves not God and God loves not him that shuts up the bowels of his compassion from his poor and afflicted Brother That 's pure Religion and undefiled before God to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world Jam. 1. 27. Shew me thy faith by thy works Jam. 2. 18. Religion saith one is not onely contemplative but the greatest part of it like the Mathematick's bargains how will they stand for a penny in chacharity how cold are they how hard is it to screw an alms out of their hands if this be Religion the Lord keep me from such Religon This begets an odium in the men of the world against Religion and the waies of God But woe to that man by whom offences come it had been better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drown'd in the midst of the Sea Mat. 18. 6 7. Fourthly Acts of Charity purely done will evidence your right to glory Mat. 25. 34 35. 36. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came to me The enquiry in that great day will not be after mens profession light frames and duties of Worship but after the fruits of their faith and love as evidential not causal of their right to glory Here is held out saith one not the b Non causa salutis sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testimonium credentius his verbis innuitur cause of their salvation but the sign and testimony of them that believe c. c Opera quae Christus praedicaturus est non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respectu fidei finis ejus vitae aeternae Glass The Kingdom is obtained by way of Inheritance Come inherit the Kingdom aad prepared for them as a portion for children not purchased by them as the procurements of their works The reward is freely bestowed on all interested in Adoption-grace of which title the bearing proof in that day will be the fruits of love to those that are Christ's words will not be sufficient to demonstrate this love then it will not serve mens turn to say they loved Saints except it were extended to all yea the least of Saints and proved by acts of love and communications to all their necessities and that not some small pittance of their abundance which they valued not but it must be such portions and kinds of relief which their necessities call for in visiting feeding cloathing owning comforting receiving into their houses and whatever help they were capable to express and this as readily and heartily expended to them as they would lay them out to themselves and theirs that being the rule of Charity Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Matt. 22. 39. The want of this evidence whatever else may be pretended will finally and eternally cast souls in that last and terrible day Mat. 25. 41. to the end Do not deceive thy soul with false hopes of glory not one mark will pass for Heaven where there is a hard heart and close hands towards poor and distressed Saints For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy Jam. 2. 13. There is no room for you in Divine bowels if you shut up your own bowels against them that are in misery See in that Parable Mat. 18. 33 34 35. the dreadful end of those who are any way cruel to their fellow-servants having themselves tasted the mercy of their Lord. The liberal distributions of your estates to the poor is the onely way to make them truly serviceable to your souls whiles this becomes the occasion of your reception into everlasting habitations Luke 16. 9. Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations d Opus hoc receptionis in aeterna habitacula solius Dei est tribuitur autem pauperibus quia ipsi sententiam Christi Judicis de salvatione piorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 approbabunt beneficentiae quae fidei fructus est testes erunt Glas The mammon or riches of this world is called the riches of unrighteousness because they are unrighteously gotten or unrighteously kept to the detriment of those that need them or unrighteously spent to the hurt of those that have them but the way to change their nature and to make them profitable is to lay them out to the poor who will receive you or witness for you in that day to prove the truth of your love by