not here 't is only to be found hereafter They as earnestly Desire the Happyness of Heaven as a Hart long hunted thirsts for Water T is a Duty indispensably incumbent upon all true Christians to Desire it above All Things Hear S. Austin Ibid. Ch. 21. He who finds himself at Ease on Earth who is contented to live always Here And finds his greatest Joy Satisfaction in this world will never enter Heaven If you ask the Reason He replys because He has not in his Heart the Love of God whoever dos not Sigh above all things Wish for the Enjoyment of Eternall Life Examine well your Heart If God should promise you a long Life upon Earth tell you You shall here enjoy whatever you can wish for Riches Pleasures Honours Health Prosperity what you please besides shall every where attend you Only You shall never See me You shall never have a Share with Me in Heaven would you be Content whoever is in such a Disposition dos not yet begin to Love Him above All Things Hear the Royall Prophet Ibid. Ch. 22. Hear the Language of his Love As the Hart pants after water Ps 42.1.2.3 so my Soul pants after Thee My God My Soul is thirsty for Thee O Thou Living God the only Life Comfort of my Soul My Tears have been my Entertainment Day Night t is the only Ease of my impatient Grief to have the Liberty of weeping in thy Absence VVhen shall I appear before my God When once that happy Day approaches Ps 17.15 when I once Behold thy Face I shall be Satisfyd but never shall be satisfyd till then T is this Ps 27.4 only this One Thing I always have Desir'd of Thee that I may Dwell in thy House for ever behold thy Beauty All God's Children say the same Ibid. they dayly pray to their Eternall Father that his Kingdom come And their Desire of Everlasting Life though sometimes out of Mind is always in their Heart By this they Pray incessantly By this they are attentive to God's Presence in the midst of those Employments Affairs which otherwise would easily divert them from the Thought of Him By This they frequently Recall their wandring Thoughts Renew their decaying Fervour Enflame their cooling Love Encourage their desponding Hearts March a great deal faster towards Heaven VVhen the Scripture commands us says S. Austin to Pray Always we are not therefore oblig'd to be always on our knees or always singing Psalms in Choire we only are oblig'd to have continually in the Bottom of our Heart a true Desire to leave this Earth enter into Heaven This continuall Desire must still persever in our Heart VVe always must lament sigh and say I am a Captive a Pilgrim I am far from Home I am not with my God T is true S. Austin adds a Just Man may divert himself sometimes spend some hours in such Employments as appear quite different from Gaining Heaven T is alas the Servitude of his Captivity which thus obliges him to work for the Egyptians whilst he is a Slave to Pharaoh But however in the midst of all his Slavery He never can forget the Land of Promise He laments He sighs He always wishes to be There And Thus He always Prays to God that He will please to grant him the Possession of that Souvereign Good which only can Suffice to make Him truly for ever Happy THE CONTENTS Motives of Love § 1. How much it imports us to Love God above All Things pag. 1 § 2. That the Love of God is our Greatest Duty 3 § 3. That the Love of God is our Greatest Good 20 § 4. That the Love of God is the chief Grace of the Holy Ghost 40 § 5. That we ought to prepare our Hearts for this great Grace 57 Motives of Fear § 1. How much it imports us to remember the Day of Judgment 71 § 2. That our Last Day is the fatall End of all our transitory Happyness 75 § 3. That our Last Day is the sad Beginning of our Everlasting Misery 90 Motives of Hope § 1. How unreasonable a thing it is for any Sinner to Despair 109 § 2. That God can help us if He will 115 § 3. That God will help us if we please 130 Danger of Delay § 1. How apt we are to Differr Repentance 149 § 2. How dangerous it is to Differr Repentance 153 § 3. Reasons why Delay is so Dangerous 161 § 4. That we ought to begin immediatly without Delay 172 A Contrite Heart § 1. Sorrow for our Sins 189 § 2. Resolutions of Amendement 193 An Humble Heart § 1. The Necessity Advantages of Humility 201 § 2. First Degree of Humility 213 § 3. Second Degree of Humility 219 § 4. An Objection answer'd 233 § 5. Third Degree of Humility 242 § 6. First Reason why the greatest Saints are the most humble 249 § 7. Second Reason why the greatest Saints are the most Humble 262 I. The Enormity of Sin 273 II. The Treachery of a Sinner 285 III. The Disloyalty of a Sinner 296 IV. The Impiety of a Sinner 303 V. The great Ingratitude Presumption Pride Insolence of every Sinner 311 VI. Our Saviours Idea of Sin the Impression it made upon Him 319 VII The Saints Idea of Sin How much it humbles them 335 The Character of a Good Christian § 1. The Perfection of his Duty 352 § 2. His Contempt of the VVorld 362 § 3. His Desire of Heaven 372 FINIS
criminall if our Hearts are divided betwixt Heaven Earth we must before we Die Repent and Mend or we are lost for ever Luke 12.3 Vnless we repent we shall All perish This we agree upon Our difficulty lies not in the knowing but in the performing of our Duty When we discourse with our Selves in generall terms what it is we ought to do the Debate soon comes to an Issue But as we descend to the particulars of when and how We come not so easily to a Resolution about the Time We suppose that we are able at our pleasure to change our Hearts subdue our Passions reform our Lives But our Hearts at present are otherwise engag'd our Passions are youthfull and very importune our way of Life though none of the best is suitable to the common Maxims of the World And what hast I pray to do just now what may be done as easily another time when ever we please Besides the present Circumstances are very particular An abrupt Disengagement would now go very much against the hair We had better for a time content our Passions bring them to a composition When this or that Business is over that we may more freely attend to the work of our Salvation when our Company changes when we meet with a Conjuncture of more favourable circumstances O! then we 'l begin the New Man bid Adieu to the follies of this World from that instant date the beginning of our journey towards Heaven Thus the Colour of Piety gives a reputation to the Delusion We cover the popular Cheat with an agreable disguise And betwixt gratifying our Inclinations on the one side with a criminall condescendance pacifying the remorses of our Conscience on the other side with a plausible pretence of future amendment at a more convenient time We make Virtue in appearance subscribe to our Vices counterfeit God's Hand to one of the worst Temptations of the Divel SECT II. How dangerous it is to differ Repentance T Is clear we are not Masters Disposers of our Time only He who was the first Author of Time who now conserves it who will one day put a finall period to all Time He I say only He disposes of it as he pleases Besides the Changing of our Hearts is far above our single strength we are not able by our selves so much as to begin so great a Work how then shall we be able to perform it at our leisure whensoever we please S. Gregory assures us we know it well enough that God who promises to PARDON us Ho. 12. in Ev. if we Repent has never promis'd us the TIME of our Repentance T is true we cannot but confess to the great shame of our Ingratitude that our Creator loves us far above our merit If we look back from hence as far as the first Creation carry our serious thoughts through all the steps of Providence we meet with nothing but remarkable instances of his good wishes towards us Nay if we yet look farther back from the first moment of this World into Eternity We find Him before the beginning of all Time entertaining his Thoughts with the premeditation of our wellfare And in the first page of his Eternall Accounts we find the great Design of Man's Redemption that stupendious Mystery of Mercy Justice the Incarnation of our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ who held nothing so dear no obligation so important as our Sanctification even to the degree of laying down his Life for the advantage of that sacred Interest See here the Motives which we have to think He loves us Yet give me leave to tell you He is not so fond of us but that He can be angry at us when He finds his Love neglected Witness all those miserable Christian Souls who once were happy in the same Testimonies of his Affection Who thought as we do to reform their lives at a more convenient season Who suppos'd as we do that God's extraordinary Grace would never fail to be at hand when ever they pleas'd to have occasion for it Alas poor Souls they now are lodg'd in the flames of Hell for all Eternity and know too late that though God never fails to bestow his extraordinary Graces where He finds a faithfull correspondency of our Endeavours with his mercifull Assistance yet He often shuts his Hand if we withdraw ours He dos not first desert us Yet if deserted by us 't is no wonder if He treat us upon equall terms so desert us Wonder not that God who is so infinitely good can find in his heart to Abandon thus a Sinner who stifles the remorses of his Conscience who resists the frequent inspirations which invite him to Repentance who has always something else to do when he thinks of his Duty always is so rude so scornfully uncivill in receiving all the Embassys of Peace which Heaven sends him that every trifling Object which salutes his Fancy every miserable creature which a silly Passion recommends to him is sure to have the preference be the first admitted How often dos God court us when we are alone as it were carefully managing that favourable occasion when it may be presum'd we are at leisure for his entertainment But alas we are perhaps never less alone than when we are alone The Common Enemy of Mankind is then most busy to prevent the advantage of such a happy circumstance How often dos He apply himself to us when any suddain Accident has cross'd our inclinations when we have been dissappointed in our intrigues when we begin to find our labour lost in the pursuit of what we hunted after when we sit down angry affronted at the confusion of our mistake almost ready to fall out with the World for having cheated us then it is that He takes hold of this conjuncture begins in a loving manner to expostulate with us to exprobrate to us how treacherous a Friend we find the World to be on the contrary how constant faithfull a Friend He has been to us from all Eternity to this moment how ready He is notwithstanding all that 's past to receive us with open arms into favour again if we return sincerely to Him And how do we hearken to all this Why truly it passes away like a little Fit of melancholy we were then in an ill humour we are now glad 't is over so we think no more on 't What ever God speaks to our Hearts is all out of doors Our Hearts are shut against him Apoc. 3.20 all the time He stands at the door and knocks and we neglect Him letting Him stand wait our leisure We approve the Friendship of the World before his And though we may have some slight thoughts of hearing Him some other time yet for the present we flatly deny Him Entrance refuse Him Audience Let us now Consider a little What pittifull Worms we are who thus contemn the Almighty Who He
for what they have But nevertheless how hard soever it may be to gouvern a man's Passion in some occasions 't is certainly a very poor excuse when there is nothing but the Temptation to attone for the Sin Let a Man lose what he will a judicious Stander by never likes Him the worse for being VVise enough to hold his Tongue And when we have made the best we can of the matter t is but an unbecoming thing to be so much transported as some are A Man's Reputation in this point is as much at stake as his Money and of the two 't is better to save one than lose both Vpon such Thoughts as these I have ever been reserv'd moderate in speaking of the Times I hold my Tongue as an Honest man may a VVise man ought I submitt to Providence as many a better Man dos And whatever my Thoughts may be I keep them to my self For this Reason also although it be no affront to the Creation to speak ill of the Chaos which preceded it I have even in those Affairs which were forerunners of the * 92. present Settlement taken care to say nothing of my own The Allusion is totally Theirs whom I dispute with The Application only is Mine I pretend to silence them by their own Principles therefore am oblig'd to give them fair Play I pretend not to argue from my own Ideas of things but from theirs should be very disingenuous if I did not represent them their own way according to their own liking All this while I know well enough what to think of these matters but is it not my business at present to tell any man my Thoughts VVhatsoever any man may deserve I accuse no man I endeavour to entertain my self with such Considerations as become a Contrite an Humble Heart I accuse my self in the Sight of God And as for Those who so violently accuse their Neighbours in the Sight of Men I have so much Zeal as to wish They would please to call home their Thoughts find them better Employment Mean time there 's nothing but the Grace of God can calm the Spirits of Men And One might as well pretend to chide the VVinds and the VVaves in a Storm as advise people in some occasions to be Silent The only way of Dealing with such Persons is to let them run on quietly till the Humour begins to be out of breath They take it kindly that they are not contradicted are afterwards more willing to hear Reason Let them alone Let them say what they please of the Mote in their Brother's eye Never interrupt them VVhen they have done Then is the Time even then 't is hard enough without Offence to mind them of a Beam in their own According to this Method I have in the Allusion given the Losers leave to talk And afterwards in the Application I make a Parallel which plainly shews Their Crimes are greater in the Sight of God than ever any Man 's were in the Sight of Men. VVhen our Saviour heard the Clamours of the People against the VVoman whom they loudly accus'd of Adultery He knew well enough what to think of the matter but however He kept his Thoughts to himself He saw how violent they were their stones ready in their hands themselves in great hast to execute the sentence of her Death All the while the Scripture says He seem'd as if he heard them not Jo. 8. v. 6. He contradicted nothing question'd nothing whatsoever they objected He gave all for granted In the end when they continued asking him v. 7. would not be quiet without an Answer He said He that is without Sin amongst you Let him first cast a stone at her And now pray give me leave to ask Had the VVoman any reason to take it ill of our Saviour because he said nothing in her defence Or had the People any just cause to be offended at him because he minded them of their Duty VVithout doubt She was pery well pleas'd to hear him say nothing against her And as for the People they were confounded by their own principles went away quietly one by one as soon as our Saviour had putt them in mind of being greater Sinners themselves In a word Both Parties were pleas'd The Design of his Argument was a Charity to the One And his VVay of Arguing was no Injury to the Other If I have not the same good Fortune in pleasing both Parties 't is none of my fault My VVay of Arguing and the Design of my Argument are Both exactly the Same VVhatsoever my Success may be My Comfort is I have done what I can to draw Good out of Evill and He who sees my Heart I hope will reward my Endeavours My Matter led me to it whether I would or no And 't would have been an uncharitable thing to step out of the way when I thought my self in such a fair one of Doing Good Page 67. line 18. way read may p. 91. l. 22. witten r. written p. 140. lin 11. r. p. 141. l. 7. have r I have p. 202. l. 10. Sprituall r. Spirituall p. 203. l. 10. dedepends r. depends p. 216. l. 10. has dishonour r. has dishonour'd p. 225. l. 23. his r. is p. 235. l. 22. not r. not for p. 280. l. 18. if we once r. if once p. 301. l. 14. bids always r. bids us always p. 331. l. 6. All is r. All his MOTIVES OF LOVE SECT I. How much it imports us to Love God above All Things WHen the Pharisee askt our Saviour VVhat is the Great Commandement in the Law Math. 22.36 Our dear Redeemer who came to perfect the Old Law who came to change the Law of Fear into a Law of Love who brought down fire from Heaven to enflame our Hearts replyd Thou shalt Love thy Lord thy God with all thy Heart v. 37. with all thy Soul v. 38. with all thy Mind This is the Great Commandement I fear that many of us litle think how Great it is We litle reflect on the one side how great our Obligations are to Love our God on the other side how great are the Advantages which cannot fail to attend this Love We litle consider how great our Ingratitude is if we omit our Greatest Duty How great our Folly is if we neglect our Greatest Good SECT II. That the Love of God is our Greatest Duty TO make it plainly appear that the Love of God above all things is the Greatest Duty of a Christian One would think it were enough to shew that 't is a Duty which comprises all our other Duties that it is the Total Sum of Christianity that without the least hyperbole it is the VVhole Duty of Man because all other Precepts whatsoever only are so many Branches of this Great Commandement which is the Root of all the rest Serm. de Orat. Domin S. Cyprian calls it the Grand
Epitome of all our Obligations And were it necessary it were easy to demonstrate that as God is therefore infinitely Perfecter than all his Creatures because He really contains in his own Essence all Perfections whatsoever so our Obligation to Love him is incomparably greater than all other obligations because it eminently comprehends them all together This is enough to give us a confus'd Idea of our Duty at a distance If we draw the prospect nigher we shall find an infinite variety of pressing motives which enforce our Obligation Every single Excellency of the Object we adore is all Divine No shadow there of any Blemish to obscure those Charms which challenge our Affection Nothing in our God but what is infinitely amiable deserving infinitely more than All the Love that we are able to return Since therefore All and every one of his innumerable Excellencies are unlimited boundless since they All every one deserve a suitable Esteem since they command our Love as much as they deserve it hence it follows clearly that our Duty is as boundless as their Merit that as S. Bernard says There is no other Measure of our Love than Loving without Measure Amongst the numberless variety of those divine Perfections which the Eye has not seen 1. Cor. 2.9 nor the Ear heard nor have enter'd into the Heart of any man there is One which we are more acquainted with there 's One which in a manner makes the rest our own which of all is the most apt to make a sensible impression in a Generous Heart I mean that of a True Friend We read in Ecclesiasticus 6.15 that There is nothing comparable to a True Faithfull Friend and that in the ballance of the Wise He weighs much more than all the Gold Silver in the world As there is nothing Better upon Earth than a True Friend so there is nothing more pretended to And as the world deceives us most where we expect it least so there is hardly any thing in which it more deceives us than in this Of all that read these lines perhaps there is not one who has not been already very much mistaken in a Friend and 't is no wonder if we always 〈◊〉 so till we raise our hearts above this World fix them there where we are sure to find a True Faithfull One who Loves us gratis Always Lov'd us Lov'd us even when we were his Enemies and will for all Eternity continue the same Love unless we prove Vngratefull refuse to Love Him above all things as He very well deserves He Loves us gratis Not for any Good He gains by it or any litle Service we can do him He cannot stand in need of any of those Goods which every moment He bestows upon us 16.2 Thou art my God says the Psalmist My Goodness extends not to Thee When we have done all we can Luke 17.10 we are unprofitable Servants We have done our selves the greatest good we can imagine but our God is not a jot the better for 't Lib. 10. de Civ The Fountain says S. Austin is not better for our drinking at the Stream nor the Sun the better for our walking by his Light If I may use S. Paul's expression 2. Cor. 12.14 He seeks not what is Ours but Vs He seeks for nothing but our Love even this Command he lays upon us meerly for our Good Deut. 10.12.13 And Now says He what dos thy Lord thy God require of thee but to Love Him with all thy Heart vvhich I command thee this Day for thy Good Behold dear Christians a True Faithfull Friend and see how you can answer it to your Good Nature if you do not Love Him He always Lov'd us always thought of us not only all of us in generall but every one of us Lov'd us with a Love Eternall as Himself He says in the Prophet Jeremy 13.3 I have Lov'd Thee with an Eternall Love therefore with loving Kindness have I drawn Thee And what more powerfull Attractive can there be to draw us to Him than that Loving Kindness which from all Eternity took care of our Concerns contriv'd our future Happyness drew a Scheme of all the necessary means to bring us to it Except himself He hardly thought of any thing but Us Our first Creation our Redemption our Salvation were always in his Eye they were the Eternall Entertainment of his mind they were the Great Design which gave occasion to the first Production of this World which we ungratefully preferr before Him though He made it for us Never forsake your Old Friend Eccli 9.14 your New one will never be like Him Alas who can help it if we will be so ungratefull forsake so ancient a Friend we may be sure it is impossible to find a New one comparable to him He Lov'd us even when we were his Enemies T is true The first Production of the Universe was Proof enough no man can deny but that so Great a Gift bestowd upon us for our Use aboundantly sets forth the Greatness of his Love But yet the whole Creation of the World is nothing to the constant Conservation of it for our sakes who have so long so much abus'd it If the first bestowing of a more than ordinary favour without any previous merit on our side be such an argument of more than ordinary Love What is the constant repetition continuation of the Same so long a time although the longer we enjoy it we demerit more more are as obstinate in our Ingratitude as He is constant in his Kindness Was there ever any true hearty Love like this S. Paul expresses some ressemblance of it in a second Letter which he writes to the Corinthians declares his readyness to serve them though says he the more aboundantly I love you 1. Cor. 12.15 the lesse I am lov'd We read it in the 12. chapter which relates his Rapture into the third Heaven and without all doubt this Love of his was copyed there from the divine Originall If one small Spark of this celestial Love had such a wonderfull effect in the Apostle's breast What can we say or think of that immense boundless Fire of Everlasting Love which no Ingratitude of Man was ever able to extinguish Though our God foresaw how much it was in vain to court our Love although He was not ignorant that his Affection for so base so unworthy Creatures would be more despis'd the more he labour'd to endear us to him though He knew before hand the unparallelld Ingratitude of Man Nevertheless He sent his only Son to save us He could not hold his Hand He could not deny himself the Satisfaction of being infinitely Kind Be astonisht Jerem. 2.12 O ye Heavens at this S. John discoursing of this Love takes notice of no other motive of it than our Gratitude our indispensable
or a VVise Pilot a Wise Statesman or a Wise Generall because he may be Prudent in the choice of Proper Means well fitted to the Purpose Design of such Employments But 't is impossible to be a VVise Man without being VVise in order to the Proper End of MAN the great Design of his Creation which is nothing but the Knowledg the Love of God A Magistrate who is created meerly for the Publick Peace whatever he may be in other things if he be not VVise in order to that End He is not a VVise Magistrate And since All Mankind was created to be happy in an Everlasting Union with God Whatever a Person may be in other Affairs if he be not Wise in order to this End He may be a Wise VVhat you please but he is not a VVise MAN As for Justice I would gladly know how any Man is thoroughly truly Just who is perpetually Guilty of the most notorious injustice we can think of Such is the Man whoêre he be that dos not Love his Maker as he ought T is true He only is injust to God He only wrongs Himself he never wrong'd his Neighbour may be all his Life But what would you say of a Steward who only cheats his Master Would you think him a Just Man because he never cheats his Fellow-Servants As for Power I Confess it may be Great in some particular respects but never can be Absolute without the Love of God I may say the same of Power that S. Thomas says of Wisdom A Man without this Love may be a Powerfull Prince a Powerfull VVarriour or the like because without it He may have all Power necessary for the main Design of Gouvernment or VVar c. But since without this Love he neither can Command his Passions nor Himself 't is evident He has not all the Power necessary to attain the proper End of Man's Creation in a word He is no Powerfull MAN who is not Master of Himself Thus you may plainly see how these three Characters of VVise Just Powerfull which are the most esteem'd Honour'd in the World are only Shadows imperfect Semblances if separated from the Love of God You plainly see that it not only is the Greatest Excellence of Man most Honourable most Deserving our Esteem but that without it there is hardly any Thing which truly is so 2. As it is our Greatest Honour so it is our Greatest Profit S. Paul was so sensible of this that though the Fervour of his Zeal appears in all his Writings yet he never speaks with greater Emphasis than when he has a fair occasion to discourse upon this subject Though I speak 1. Cor. 13. says he with the Tongues of Men Angels have not CHARITY I am become like sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal And though I have the Gift of Prophecy understand all Mysteries all Knowledg and though I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains have no Charity I am Nothing And though I bestow all my Goods to feed the Poor though I give my Body to be burn'd have not Charity it PROFITS me nothing He has reckon'd up the greatest Gifts best Advantages that he could call to mind yet he says They All are Nothing to our Purpose without Love On the other side the same Apostle teaches us that All things else are Profitable with it though they never can be so without it VVeknow Rom. 8.28 says he that All things work together for GOOD to those who LOVE God The Secret of changing all things in to Gold has in vain long time been sought for but the mystery of changing all the meanest of our Actions in to more than Gold is much more easy to be found 1. Cor. 10.31 VVhatever ye do says S. Paul Do all to the Glory of God every thing you do will have more value in his sight than all the Gold Silver in the World The least Degree of Love the coldest Act of Charity Math. 10.42 even the Giving a Cup of cold water for the Love of God our Saviour tells us shall in no wise loose its Reward So true is that of S. Austin All things else are Profitable with it Nothing else is truly so without it 3. As it is our Greatest Profit so it is our Greatest Pleasure There is Nothing so Delightfull even in this World as to Love God with all our Heart with all our Soul with all our Mind T is hard enough I know to make the World beleeve it Because although the Truth be in it self as clear bright as the Meridian Sun Our Passions raise a cloudy Mist before our Eyes which intercepts the Sight of it All Persons whose Affections are fixt upon the Pleasures of this World can hardly ever be persuaded but that the Love of God is the Dullest the most Insipid Thing imaginable They easily conceive that Nothing is so Honourable as to be a Saint And that it is but very litle Profit for a Man to gain the VVorld Math. 16.26 loose his Soul The Honour the Profit are agreed upon But where 's the Pleasure All that can be said upon this subject They are unacquainted with They understand it not He preaches in an unknown Tongue who preaches the Love of God to those who never Lov'd Him The Language of Love says S. Bernard is Barbarous to those who Love not As soon as ever they begin to turn their back upon these rotten Pleasures look towards Heaven presently these Darlings of their Heart begin as it were Conf. lib. 8. to pull them by the sleeve as Saint Austin words it whisper in their Ear Do you Forsake Vs And from this moment shall we have your Company no more FOR EVER Shall we NEVER see you more Thus they sollicite Thus they importune tempt them to differr the time of their Conversion Do you think it possible to Live without the Pleasures of this World Ah Christians T is not only possible it is the Greatest Pleasure in the World to Live without them T is true The very Thoughts of Separation are like Thoughts of Death But then we ought to reflect that as we feel no pain when we are Dead but all our pain is only whilst we are in Dying So we feel the pain of leaving worldly Pleasures whilst we are Deliberating what to Do But we are Dead We feel no pain at all when once we are Resolv'd upon 't You are Dead 3.3 says S. Paul to the Colossians and your Life is hidden with Christ in God I am Dead 2.19.20 says the same Apostle to the Galatians the Life which I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who Lov'd me See the powerfull Effects of Love It makes us as insensible to all the Pleasures of this World as if our Inclinations were already Dead quite Extinguisht
in Us. Love is as Strong as Death Cant. 8.6 T is this Victorious Love which frees us from the Tyranny of all those Passions which divide the Kingdom of our Heart Math. 12.25.26 a Kingdom brought to Desolation where Satan casts out Satan How can this Kingdom stand How is there any true Content and Satisfaction to be found in it A Man who places all his Happyness in Humouring his Passions can never please himself till he has pleas'd them All And since it is impossible to please two Masters how is' t possible for any Man to please so many I might here appeal to each Man 's private Conscience for a farther Testimony of this Truth But if a Sullen Conscience even when it is upon the Wrack refuses to Confess We have the Word of God the best clearest Evidence we can desire The VVicked Isai 57.20 21. says He are like the troubled Sea when it cannot Rest whose VVaters cast up Mire Dirt There is no PEACE says my God to the VVicked On the other side when once the Love of God has full possession of our Heart when Christ Gouverns it by Faith the Holy Ghost by Charity Gen. 1.2 Math. 8.26 when the Spirit of God begins to moue upon the face of the VVaters it presently Commands the VVinds the Sea there succeeds a Great Calm In a word As much as Liberty is more agreable than Slavery As much as Unity is better than Division As much as Peace Content Ease are more Delightfull than perpetuall Disturbance Discontent Pain so much the Pleasure which attends the Love of God is Greater than the Pleasures of this VVorld Had it been possible for our Creator to oblige us All to Love Him gratis we might then have had more Colour for our Crime And yet it would have been no more than what He very well deserves He Lov'd us gratis without any possibility of Recompence He humbled himself to repair our Honour He quitted Heaven to promote our Interest He sufferd torments to procure our Ease And it would only be a Suitable Return if we preferr'd his Honour Interest Pleasure far before our own But as our Kind Gracious God has order'd it to our advantage we are All oblig'd to seek our Own True Honour Interest Pleasure despise the False Appearances of Honourable Profitable Delightfull which the World endeavours to delude us with When we have made the most we can of such an Obligation 't will amount to neither more nor lesse than What we dayly see before our Eyes Consider how the Ambitious the Covetous the Voluptuous love their Honours Riches Pleasures Is it not plain They Love them above all things And why should not we Love God as well as Worldlings Love the VVorld They Love it with all their Heart They desire nothing else but to enjoy it with all their Soul They have no passion for any thing else with all their Mind They think of nothing else but how to make a Figure in it Has God less charms than the VVorld Or is a Flattering Friend well known to be our Greatest Enemy more amiable than the Best of Friends most True most Ancient most Constant who has always Lov'd us better than we Love our selves Is it a Greater Honour for a Man to be the Divel's Slave than be a Favourite of God Is it a Greater Profit to be cheated in the End than be Eternally Rewarded Or are those Pleasures which are always mixt with intervalls of discontent anxiety pain greater than those Delights which are unchangeable immortall divine which even in this Vale of Misery begin our Heaven upon Earth Ah Christians We have litle reason to dispute the terms of such an Obligation where the whole Advantage is entirely on our Side So great Advantage that we cannot truly Love our selves Math. 22.38 unless we Love our Lord our GOD with all our Heart with all our Soul with all our Mind This is not only our Greatest Duty but our Greatest Good SECT IV. That the Love of God is the chief Grace of the Holy Ghost I Am come Luke 12.22 says our Saviour to Send Fire on the Earth what do I desire but that it may be Kindled This He desires for This He came and This we pray for in the Service of the Church Come Holy Spirit Fill the Hearts of thy Faithfull Kindle in them the Fire of thy Love The Holy Ghost came visibly at first prov'd his Presence by the Miracles He did But yet a Spirit is not naturally sensible when He comes invisibly He comes more like Himself nor have we any reason when He dwells within us to suspect that He is lesse at home because He lesse Appears abroad Although we do not see the Fire descend rest upon our Heads yet if the Love of God enflame us if it burn within our Hearts if it appear in our Devotion in our Conversation in our Actions 't is enough we then may hope we have receiv'd the Holy Ghost that our Saviour verifies in us his Promise which He made us when He said He shall be IN YOU Jo. 14. v. 17. He did not come in to the World to visit the Apostles only and abandon their Posterity Our Saviour did not send him to us that he might immediately forsake us but that He might remain with us for ever to the End of the World Jo. 14. v. 16. I will pray my Father says He that He may abide with you for ever The Spirit of God shall be in Vs T is a solemn Promise of our Saviour himself we cannot doubt of it although we cannot but admire it with profound astonishment Kings 3.8.27 like that of Solomon VVill God dwell with us on the Earth will the Spirit of God not only dwell here with us but within us If Heaven says he and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain Thee How much lesse this House which I have builded If we find that Salomon was thus transported when he lookt upon his Temple compar'd it with the Majesty of God to whom he built it may not we admire much more the living Temple of the Holy Ghost If the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain the Spirit of God How much lesse this litle House of clay Can we imagine that this litle Heart of ours is more capacious than Heaven Or can our Heart contain our God if Heaven cannot Oh no our God is infinite He cannot be contain'd in either yet He dwells in both Hear the Psalmist 122.1 To Thee I lift up my Eyes O Thou that Dwellest in the Heavens Hear S. Paul 1. Cor. 3.16 You are the Temple of God the Spirit of God Dwells in You. Compare both Testaments the Old and New if you seriously beleeve them both conclude we have the same assurance that God dwells in Virtuous Souls as that He dwells in
Heaven The Kingdom of God is within you Luke 17.21 Wheresoever Majesty resides the Court is there wheresoeuer the King gouverns there his Kingdom is If the Almighty gouvern all the Passions Motions Affections of our Souls if once He be the Souvereign Monarch of our Hearts if the Love of God give Law to all our Inclinations the H. Ghost is then as truly in us as a King is in his Kingdom He is no otherwise in Heaven This is that Heaven upon Earth which none can understand but those devout pious Souls who by experience Tast See how sweet God's Kingdom is Ps 33.9 where Christ gouverns by Faith the Holy Ghost by Charity or as S. Austin says whose King is Truth whose Law is Love A Spirit having no proportion with Place if we beleeve Philosophers is neither here nor there nor any where of its self but only by its Operation in a Body which is in some Place When Angels formerly appear'd with airy bodies they were truly substantially present in those human Forms which they inhabited by operating there Whatever the Airy Body seemd to do the Angel truly did the Angel mov'd the Angel walkt the Angel spoke discourst converst with men The Holy Ghost is likewise truly substantially present in the Soul of a devout pious Christian He dwells in his Heart by operating there His Heart becomes a Paradise on Earth The Love of God now planted in the middle of it is the Tree of Life Gen. 2.9 The Holy Ghost himself becomes the Angel Guardian of the Place like the Cherubin defends it with a Flaming Sword Gen. 3.24 Gal. 5. v. 25. He gives him Life we Live by the Spirit He gives him Motion we VValk by the Spirit He gives him Speech T is not You that Speak Math. 10.20 says our Saviour to his Apostles but the Spirit of God that Speaks in You. So far you see the Parallell betwixt the Presence of an Angel dwelling in an airy Body the Presence of the Holy Ghost inhabiting in us Only this difference there is Philosophers are puzzled to explain the Virtue the Operation by which an Angel moves the Body it assumes But Christians by the light of Faith have this Advantage over them They plainly read understand in Scripture that the Virtue of the Holy Ghost by which He moves gouverns us is Charity that the Operation which with us He produces in us is the Love of God above all things God the Holy Ghost is Charity 1. Jo. 4.8 He is the Consubstantiall Love of God the Father the Son If Charity inspire us if the Love of God direct us gouvern us influence the principall Designs Actions of our Life we then may reasonably hope 1. Cor. 2.12 we have not receiv'd the Spirit of this VVorld but the Spirit which is of God That Inclination which is predominant gouverns all the rest is usually call'd the Spirit of a man If this be Love of Honours Riches Pleasures of this World T is an Ambitious a Covetous a Carnall or to speak them all at once a VVorldly Spirit But if it be the Love of God above all things without any competition of Creatures 't is a Virtuous a Divine a Holy Spirit Then it is that the Love of God is diffus'd in our Hearts Rom. 5.5 by the Holy Ghost the HOLY SPIRIT which is given to us S. Paul Acts. 19.1.2 when he came to Ephesus and found certain Disciples demanded of them Have ye receiv'd the Holy Ghost since ye beleev'd And I am apt to think it would not be amiss to put the Question to the Christians of our Age. You in whose Minds Christ dwells by Faith dos the Holy Ghost dwell in your Hearts by Charity Is your Love suitable to your Creed Do you Love God as you Beleeve He deserves Do you Love Him above all things Your greatest Care is it to please your God Your greatest Grief is it to have displeas'd Him In all things which deserve Deliberation do you first consult his Law make it the Rule of all your Measures Examine well the whole Course of your Life your Actions Humours Designs What is it that employs your Mind the most What Thoughts are those which close your Eyes at Night open them next Morning Are they fixt upon the Only Necessary Do they tend to Heaven All things else what are they Are they Nothing in comparison of That If so you have receiv'd the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God Io. 14. v. 17. whom the VVorld cannot receive But if the Souvereign Inclination of your Hearts be Love of Honours Riches Pleasures if your greatest Grief Trouble be your disappointment of Success in these if upon all occasions you consult your Inclinations the Maximes of the World You then may answer as the Ephesians did Alas we are but litle acquainted with this Holy Spirit we have scarce heard of him we know not what He is A VVorldly Spirit we have more acquaintance with But as for the Spirit of God He is a Stranger to us We say our Prayers we frequent the Sacrements we are in the common road of customary Duties But our Ambitious Spirit our impatient Love of Honour is such that we are more concern'd for an Affront than for a Mortall Sin Our Avaritious Spirit our insatiable Love of Riches is so violent that we had rather hazard the loss of all the Heaven we pretend to than expose the Treasure we possess Our Carnall Spirit our incontinent Love of Pleasure is so passionate that we had rather quitt our Right to all the Eternall Joys above than any way deny our selves the rotten satisfaction we seek for here below In short we love this World so much that if we might but always have it at Command 't is All we ask We wish no more VVe have receiv'd the Spirit of this VVorld 1. Cor. 2.12 I hope I may be pardon'd if I am a litle importune in pressing home this Question Acts. 19.2 Have you receiv'd the Holy Ghost Eternity depends upon 't Your Choice of Heaven or Hell Your being Children of God or of the Divel Your being Sav'd or Damn'd for ever All This what is All if This be not All This depends upon the Answer to this necessary Question Rom. 8.16 As Many as are led by the Spirit of God says Saint Paul They are the Children of God Compute your Actions Words Thoughts from Morning to Night from Day to Day Dos the Spirit of God direct lead you Or the Spirit of this World If the Spirit of God You are the Children of God If not Hear what the Apostle says If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ He is none of his Rom. 8.9 He is not a Brother of Christ He is not an adoptive Son of his Eternall Father He has a Father in Hell
away the difficulty Whatsoever the Occasions are Ibid. He roundly answers that our Charity begins at home that if it inclines us to desire our Neighbour's spirituall good with much more reason it inclines us to desire our Own that if our Reputation may be usefull to our neighbour our Disgraces Humiliations incurr'd without our fault may prove more beneficiall to our selves If when I preach says he or when I practise any virtue which is edifying I am pleas'd with praises which endanger my Salvation because their good Opinion of me helps them to improve by my instruction example How much reason have I for my own sake to rejoyce a great deal more when having done my best I still am undervalued despis'd because by this means I my self am more acceptable to God and more secure of my Eternall Happyness Our Saviour himself See R. ch 29. whose Charity inclin'd him to descend from heaven to sacrifice his life for Sinners knew that many unbelieving Souls were lost by undervaluing despising him He knew that many millions of them would have been converted if they had admir'd honour'd him as he deserv'd yet He never sought for wordly Honour as a means to save them but although though their Souls were dear to Him his honour was not Jo. 6.38 As He came from heaven not to do his own will but the will of him that sent him So He came to seek the Honour of his Father not his own I honour my Father Jo. 8.49.50 says He I seek not my own glory T is enough that whilst I only seek his Honour He takes care of mine that although I never seek my own v. 50. yet there is One that always seeks judges it always will be sure to do me justice Let us follow the Example of our Saviour Let us make it the cheif Business of our life to do the will of him that sent us not our own Let us honour our Father in Heaven Let his Honour only be the Object of our care never let us mind our own but rest content that He himself takes care of it Let no appearance of our Neighbour's Profit cheat us into an Ambition of being popular but let us faithfully in all things do our Duty for the Love Honour of our God as for mens opinion of us let us leave it to his Providence His Honour here below is left as I may say to our discretion He committs it to our care He forces not our Liberty but only offers the assistance of his Grace lets us Honour him serve him as we please Shall God thus trust his honour in so bad a hand as ours shall not we be satisfied to trust our honour in so good a hand as His SECT V. Third Degree of Humility THe Third Rodr. ch 30. Last Degree is the Humility of Saints who are most humble in the sight of God when they are most esteem'd celebrated by the World When a Person full of faults imperfections has a mean opinion of himself esteems himself no better than he is is content to be reputed such as he esteems himself We may commend him says S. Bernard but have little reason to admire him Who admires to see a poor man have a mean opinion of his riches think himself no richer than he is rest content that others think so too but if a Rich man rank himself amongst the poor treat them with respect as if he were the least considerable of them all This very well deserves our admiration By this description of the third Degree we plainly see that the Humility of Saints the Humility of Sinners is the same in Substance though they differ in Perfection T is true we wonder not to see a man stand steddy upon even ground But when we see the same man stand as firm upon a lofty pinnacle we gaze wonder at him All this while the Man 's the same though we admire him more because the place is higher the difficulty greater So 't is in our present case Humility is either of the Judgment or the Heart The third Degree is comprehended in the First Second But however we admire much more an humble Saint because his eminent degree of Sanctity is higher the difficulty of his being humble therefore seems much greater I say seems greater because I am not apt to think it is so upon second thoughts My reason in short is This. Humility of judgment of heart are chiefly grounded in the Knowledg of our selves Love of God The First induces us to have a mean opinion of our selves the more we know our selves the more we think our selves contemptible the more we judge that we deserve to be despis'd by all the World The Second makes us glad to be neglected desire to be contemn'd And as the Love of God encreases in our hearts the more we have scorn the transitory honour of this world the more we love to follow the Example of an humble God the more we heartily desire to be agreable to none but him as being every day more sensible of this great Truth He only is approv'd 2. Cor. 10.18 whom God commends Let us only lay these notions right together 1. The Knowledg of our selves Love of God is that which makes men Saints No Person ever was a Saint without them No man ever was a Sinner with them And the more this Knowledg and this Love encrease the Greater is the Sanctity 2. This Knowledg this Love is that which makes men Humble Knowledg helps them to be humble in their Judgments Love assists them to be humble in their Hearts The more they Know Love the greater is the assistance of God's Grace which is the only means of making all things easy to us Why then may we not conclude Whoever is a Saint the greater Saint he is the easyer 't is for him to be humble Sinners indeed have much more matter for Humility to work upon Their Weakness their Corruption the Misery of their deplorable condition are incomparably worse But which is worst of all they are so miserably blind as not to know their misery A Beggar in his drink imagines he 's a Prince is as proud as if he were T is true he 's miserably poor but since he knows it not what signifies it He 's as proud as if he were the richest man alive T is so with Sinners They are drunk with Self-love Pride Vanity They little know much less think how Poor how Miserable how Contemptible they are And we may very well apply to them those words of the Apocalypse Because Thou sayst Ch. 3.17.18 I am rich have need of nothing knowst not that thou art wretched miserable poor blind naked Therefore I counsell thee to annoint thy eyes that thou mayst See This is
the generall Reason why Humility is harder to be found in Sinners than in Saints The First have more to humble them but the more they have the blinder they are the less they know it The Second have less to humble them but the less they have the more their eyes are open by God's Grace the more clearly they discover what 's enough to make them fear tremble all their life SECT VI. First Reason why the greatest Saints are the most humble I Shall only add two Reasons more because all Saints I speak of such as are now living are compris'd in these two Classes They are either such as have been Sinners heretofore or such as may be so hereafter The first Reason is so universall that it comprehends them both but more particularly Those who have preserv'd the Innocence of their Baptismall Grace D. Sp. ch 26. T is gatherd from that Oracle of Scripture work out your Salvation with Fear Trembling Philip. 2.12.13 For it is God who works in you to will to do according to his pleasure See the unsearchable Abyss of the Almighty's Judgments where t is dangerous to dwell too long search too curiously lest it cast us into an excess of Fear T is enough that none are sav'd but who persever to the End that the greatest Saints can never be assur'd of their Perseverance T is a speciall Gift which the Apostle chiefly points at when he says Rom. 9.18.16 God has mercy on whom he will have mercy It is not of him that wills or him that runs but of God that shews Mercy And again Ephes 2.8.9 By Grace you are sav'd that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Not of works lest any Man should boast Alas how is it possible for any Saint to be assur'd of his condition for the future since he is not certain even of his present State Who can sound the bottom of our Heart Or rather Who can sound the Heart of God tell us what He thinks of our condition Who is He that can assure us We are good enough to be Rewarded by Him wo be to that Life how innocent soever says S. Austin Psal 19.12 which He Judges without Mercy VVho is He says David that can understand his failings Cleanse me from my secret faults Psal 143.2 O Lord and enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified if once Thou judgest him according to the utmost rigour of thy Justice Who is there that dos not tremble when he hears the Just Holy man whom God himself was pleas'd to praise confess that all his life time God was such a Terrour to him Job 31.23 he was hardly able to endure it Who can without trembling hear the Prophet Isaiah tell us 64.6 we are all unclean all our righteous works like filthy Rags Or hear S. Hierom in the life of S. Hilarion tell us how that blessed Saint was terrified at the approach of Death to encourage his departing soul said to himself Go forth my Soul what are thou Now afraid of Thou hast serv'd thy God these threescore ten years dost thou tremble Now to appear before him Let us therefore fear tremble in the way to Heaven Never let us fancy we are so advanc't in Virtue that we need not fear The greatest Saints were never so Presumptuous as to banish from their thoughts the Fear of God Philip. 2.12 They workt out their Salvation with Fear Trembling They were always full of Fear this Fear always Humbled them They were not Blinded as we are with Passion Humour but as they improv'd in Grace they every day discover'd more more their secret Imperfections The Property of Grace is to enlighten the Understanding as well as to enflame the Heart It makes us Know our Misery Love our God who only can deliver us These two Effects of Grace were lively represented on the Day of Pentecost by that mysterious Fire which rested on the heads of the Apostles Fire gives Light Heat as the Fire encreases it affords more Heat greater Light So Grace Enlightens and Enflames the Minds Hearts of Saints with Knowledg of themselves Love of God as their Grace improves this Heat and Light encrease They discern more clearly the innumerable dangers that surround them become more Humble under the Almighty Hand of God 1. Pet. 5.6 S. Paul compares the different States of Sin Grace to Light and Darkness Night and Day Rom 13 12.13 The Night says he is spent the Day is at hand Let us cast of the works of Darkness put on the armour of Light Let us walk honestly as in the Day A Traveller benighted walks he knows not where He hardly sees his Hand much less his Feet He sees perhaps some Stars shine through the clouds whose sparkling light serves only to amuse him mislead him to a Precipice But when the rising Sun appears the Stars immediatly vanish out of sight our Traveller no longer gazes there but has a much more usefull prospect of the Earth below him where he plainly sees the Ground he go's upon the Risings the Descents the Inequalities Precipices of it Sinners like benighted Travellers march blindly on mind little what they Do much less where they Go. However now then they practise some good actions either out of custom or good nature amuse themselves with some few semblances of virtue whose dim lustre seems perhaps more sparkling in the Darkness of that Night which hides them even from themselves But t is not so with Saints Their Night is spent their Day appears The Sun of Justice Rises in their Hearts 2. Pet. 1.19 Their Virtues like the Stars which only shine in Darkness disappear immediatly The Clay which they are made of the Corruption of their Nature the Enormity of Sin the Power of their Passions the Weakness of their Reason These are Motives of Humility which Now they clearly see dayly have before their eyes Besides all This they plainly see an infinite variety of Artifices Disguises of Self-love which easily assumes all shapes counterfeits all Virtues even Charity it self And therefore they suspect the best of all their Actions trembling at the very thought of them for fear they may be secretly corrupted by Self-love But above all the importunity of Pride which never ceases to attack them but continually endeavours to surprise them notwithstanding all these motives of humility is that which seems the most extravagant of all their faults humbles them the most Behold the Misery of Man And what can be more miserable if the Sight of so much misery suffices not to humble him the greatest Saint who is not conscious to himself of any forfeiture of his first Innocence has no Assurance of his being justified D.
the clear full Idea He had of it was proportion'd to his Beatifick Vision of God's Essence by consequence the perfectest that ever was His clearest Sight ardent Love of God were in a manner infinite So were his Knowledge his Hatred of all Mortall Sin And the Impression this Idea made upon him was the chief if not the only Reason why our Saviour could not hold from telling his Disciples My Soul is exceeding Sorrowfull Math. 26.38 even unto Death His Soul was overwhelm'd with such a Deluge of Affliction that his Grief not being able to contain it self within the Bounds of Nature violently forc'd it self through all his Pores in Tears of Bloud Ah my dear Jesus when shall I be able to make such a perfect Act of true Contrition for my Sins as Thou hast made for mine When shall I be able to say My Soul is exceeding Sorrowfull even unto Death When shall I lament my grievous Sins in Tears of Bloud Give me at least Jerem. 9.1 water to my Head Fountains to my Eyes No Contrite Heart but Thine bleeds otherwise than at the Fyes and 't is I hope enough for me if I can be so sorry for my Sins as to lament them all the days I have to live rather Die than ever Sin again VII The Saints Idea of Sin How much it humbles Them THere 's Nothing but the Grace of Jesus Christ can make us Saints There 's Nothing else can make us clearly See and heartily Detest the Malice of our Sins The greater share we have of this great Grace the more we see it detest it so much more we fear and tremble at the very thought of it as our Grace encreases we grow every day more humble by remembring it To make this out I need not write the lives of all the Saints A Pattern is enough to judge of all the Piece especially such a one as S. Deg. 5. John Climacus an ancient Father of the Church has left behind him He assures us Ar. 20. his Relation is no Fable He affirms that what he says Art 2. He saw with his own eyes that He was a whole month in their Company Ar. 27. Draw near says he all You who have provok't the wrath of God by your Offences Come Hear the Wonders He was pleas'd to let me See for my Edification Be attentive to my words all You who have a mind to reconcile your selves to God by a sincere Conversion When I was says he in the Monastery of Penitents I saw Men so extremely humbled with the grievous weight of their Offences that their cries prayers to God would even move the stones themselves With heads bow'd down eyes upon the ground I heard them say we confess O Lord we confess that we deserve to suffer all chastisements afflictions because our Sins are such that should we Summon all the Vniverse to weep for us the Tears of all the world would never make sufficient Satisfaction There remains one only thing we ask one only thing we pray for that Thou never mayst correct us in thy Anger Ps 6.1 nor chastise us in thy great displeasure but a little spare us through thy infinite Mercy T is enough O Lord that Thou deliver us from those inexplicable Torments hidden in the Center of the Earth VVe dare not ask a full perfect Pardon we who have not kept the holy Laws of our Profession but have broken them again when Thou hadst given us the most endearing Marks of Love Mercy in forgiving of our Sins Who ever saw them Laugh Who ever heard amongst them any idle Talk Who ever could observe that any Passion transported them Or any Anger mov'd them Alas they hardly knew what Anger was their great Affliction and continuall Grief had now extinguisht in them all Emotions of Resentment There was never known the least appearance of Dispute the least lashing out in Discourse the least Sign of Vainglory There was no Jollity of Feasting no Concern for the body no Love of ease pleasure no Thought of Wine no Use of fruits no Care for delicacies pleasing to the palate The Desire of all such things was quite extinct And after all there was not to be found the least Censoriousness or least appearance of an Inclination to Judge their neighbours Some of them now then would knock their breasts and as if they were already at the Gate of Heaven Open us said they O Judge of Mankind Open us the Gate of Happyness which we have shat by Sin Others would say Luke 1.79 Give light to us O Lord who sitt in Darkness in the Shades of Death guide our steps into the way of Peace Others again will the Almighty look upon as any more Is' t possible to pay our Debts satisfy for our Offences will our God once more afford us any Comfort we are laid in chains of Sin And shall we one day hear him say Come forth They always had their Hour of Death before their eyes sometimes they would say to one another what will then become of us what Sentence will our God pronounce upon us what will be our End shall we be then call'd home from Banishment to which we have been hitherto condemn'd for our Offences Shall such Criminalls as we find any favour then Such Sinners as we are Such miserable wretches coverd with Confusion Darkness Have our Prayers mounted to the Throne of God Or have they been rejected as they well deserve If well receiv'd how far have they prevail'd Have they obtaind a full Discharge or only Part Alas they could not have much force proceeding from such mouths so sinfull so impure as Ours At other times They thus discourst their fears doubts what think you Brethren Do you think that we advance Do you think that we obtain the effect of our Demands Do you think that God will once again receive us Do you think He 'l open us the Gates of Heaven VVho can tell said the Ninivites who knows but God may change the Sentence which He has pronounc't against us Though perhaps He will not free us from the rigorous Chastisements which we have deserv'd However Let us labour all we can Do whatever we are able If He open us the Gate of Heaven we are Happy if He dos not He is Just therefore never let us cease to bless Him Doubtfull as we are of what may be our Destiny we must continue all our life still knocking at the Door Perhaps our Importunity our Constancy our Perseverance may find Admittance in the End Behold the Language of the Saints Consider how their Fear Trembling humbles them in Presence of their angry God Consider the Idea which They have of Sin how different it is from what we generally have Consider the Impression which it makes upon them compare it with our Stupidness our Hardness our Insensibility