own Bloud to this end thou eatest of his Bread and drinkest of his Wine and thus thou sealest the Covenant Dost not thou remember O my Soul how the world Was lost by eating of the forbidden Tree Behold by eating of this Tree of Life thou shalt be saved for ever in the breaking of the consecrated Bread thou seest how Christs Body was broke for thee in pouring out of the Hallow'd Wine thou seest how Christs Bloud was spilt for thee when the Holy Bread is reach'd out to thee thou seest Christ reaching out his crucified Body to thee that thou mayest see in his hands the print of the nails and put thy finger into the print of his nails and thrust thine hand into his side and shelter thy self under that wounded and mangled Body against the wrath and indignation of God When the sacred Wine is given thee thou seest how Christ offers thee his Bloud for the remission of thy sins canst thou behold so great a love and not loose thy reason in the admiration of its greatness when thou seest such condescension such kindness such compassion O canst thou forbear crying out O my Lord what do I see what mean these longings of Almighty God after my happiness what means this industry of that incomprehensible Being to be at all this charge and pains to make me blessed God that might sport himself with my everlasting groans what need he have cared whether I were saved or no God Who can be happy without company and needs no society but his own whence is it that this mighty God humbles himself thus to dust and ashes layes aside his Robes of Glory and wooes me to be content to lye for ever in his Arms and Bosom would no other remedy serve turn to recover me but the death of the Son of God God on whose Laws I have trampled Whose Authority I have slighted whose promises and threatenings I have undervalued that he should be thus concern'd for my welfare and contrive how to advance me unto Glory and contrive it by such stupendious means too will God suffer that I may not will the Eternal dye that I may not fall a prey to the second Death will God be crown'd with Thorns that I may wear an incorruptible Crown of Glory will God be affronted abus'd and scorn'd that I may inherit Glory and Honor and immortality what manner of love is this where is the spring of it what 's the impulsive cause of it how full of miracles is every circumstance here how pleasant is this contemplation What! God love a little slime and earth O my God! how wonderful is thy love it is all Ocean here is no shore to set my feet on be astonish'd at it O ye Heavens and tremble O thou Earth the Eternal the Immense Creator of Heaven and Earth stoops to a miserable creature the God who fills Heaven and Earth with his Presence bows down to a poor inconsiderable worm he that sits on the circle of the Earth and before whom all the Inhabitants of the Earth are as Grashoppers humbles himself to take notice of a poor forlorn wretch Here is love indeed Stay me with flaggons comfort me with apples my Head grows giddy with the Precipice here is an abyss of Love which I cannot fathom my head swims at the sight of it Sense can furnish me with nothing like it I am silenc'd here is a love answers all arguments that are brought for going on in sin Help me O thou blessed Spirit Help me O thou who art fairer than the Children of Men Help me thou who art all Love and Life Help me to admire thy Love In this Love are a thousand charms in this Love are omnipotent enforcives to love God above all the world Run O my Soul run into this Banqueting-house the Banner whereof is Love Is it so and must thou have perish'd and been undone for ever if the Son of God had not come in the Flesh and expiated thy crimes and doth not that Almighty love deserve thy Love see how the ambitious love the applause of men and wilt not thou love him who is brighter than the Sun see how the rich man is enamour'd with his stately Pallace and canst not thou love him who hath done that for thee which no Friend no Money no Gold no Silver could have purchas'd viz. reconciled thee to an offended God wilt thou slight this Love and hope to go unpunish'd wilt thou make this Love a refuge for wilful sins and hope for the light of Christs countenance will not he who loved thee beyond all presidents and examples double and treble his indignation upon thee if this Love cannot melt thee into a truly Spiritual life could the Devils but have such an offer of being partakers of the love of Christ how would they rejoyce and triumph and Love and Honour and Obey their God again as once they did when they were inhabitants of Heaven and wilt thou beworse than a Devil and spurn at that Love which Angels stand astonish'd at were it thine own case O my Sou wouldst not thou revenge such ingratitude with all the severity imaginable and doom the wretch that should affront such condescension to the direst Flames Be wise O my Soul and provoke not that God to swear in his wrath that thou shalt never enter into his rest who flees unto thee on the wings of mercy to embrace thee thou canst never have a more glorious sight of Gods love on this side Heaven than is discovered to thee in this Sacrament and if ever thou wouldst be perswaded to resign thy self entirely to thy Blessed Redeemer make his Will thy Will and desire what he desires and hate what he hates and love what he loves O come hither to the cross and see the Son of God weeping for thy sins come hither and see him sweat drops of Bloud for thy iniquities and offering thee pardon and reconciliation and peace with God and access to the Throne of Grace and union and communion with him and if this be not enough a title to Eternal Happiness or a right to that Throne himself doth sit on But why so backward O my Soul to come to the Table of thy Lord where thou mayst drink Wine and Milk without Money and without Price where thou mayst be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and eat of the living Bread whereof whoever eats shall live for ever hast thou forgot the peremptory command of Christ Do this in remembrance of me Is this remembring thy dearest friend to think of him solemnly but once or twice a year shouldst not thou remember him as often as thou hast an opportunity should thy Saviour remember thee no oftner than thou dost his death and passion how fearful would thy condition be canst thou represent his Love too often to thy mind and affections canst thou remember thy sins that brought him to the Cross too often art thou afraid of thinking too much of this
and promis'd all my Estate to after some few years service and should that Servant instead of honouring me despise me where ever he comes instead of obeying me laugh at my reasonable commands instead of Working play his time away instead of going to the place I send him to run to Brothel-Houses or Taverns instead of loving me hate me and affront me slight both my actual kindesses and my future smiles and notwithstanding my continual exhortations to another course of life continue wilfully in the way he hath begun meerly to gratify his foolish Lusts and when he is convinc'd too of the unreasonableness of his doings knows it is Ingratitude in the highest Degree and yet will be guilty of it and when he might do otherwise only out of malice and to vindicate his own humour resolves against it what punishment can there be too great for such a wretch Were this mine or my neighbors case we should certainly doom such a monster to all the Tortures that severity can invent or inflict and why should I have any hard thoughts of God for punishing the sinners Ingratitude with eternal pain and loss an ingratitude so great all things consider'd that the worst returns one man can make to another cannot sufficiently express the horror and vileness of it God for ought I see in condemning wilful sinners to Eternal misery gives them but their own choice and if that old saying be true Volenti non fit injuria To him that 's willing can be done no injury God certainly cannot be accus'd of cruelty for he gives the stubborn sinner but that which he deliberately pitcht upon and affected and though no man doth ordinarily chuse punishment much less everlasting calamity for its own self yet as long as they do with vehement affection long after that which hath this calamity inseparably annext we justly suppose that they agree to suffer the calamity as well as to enjoy the thing which is the others inseparable companion He that is certain that the smell of such an Herb or Flower is poisonous and will kill him if notwithstanding this conviction he will smell to it its apparent he makes choice of his death and ruine There is not a sinner that lives under the Gospel but he must know that he who doth not practically believe the Gospel or which is all one lives in wilful contempt of the Laws of the Gospel shall certainly be damn'd for the Gospel is so full of these threatenings that he that doth but come to any place where this word of life is preach'd if he be not deaf he must necessarily hear it nay if he will but make the least enquiry and set himself to consider seriously whether that Gospel be of God or no he cannot but find that it is the Son of God even he who can assoon loose his being as tell a lye that hath with all the protestations imaginable threatened this everlasting condemnation to Men that are resolv'd to prefer satisfaction of their Lust before all his wisest and wholsomest Precepts This being known by all that have any reason or understanding as much as that Felony or Burglary is death by the Law if in despight of this knowledge and perswasion the hard-hearted wretch will venture upon a life of disobedience and contempt to which damnation is inseparably annext What can I think but that the vain Man is in Love with his own Eternal destruction In Love with it So one would think that sees him drive to everlasting death as furiously as Jehu did to Jezreel and make more haste to invade the Gates of Hell than Elijah for all his fiery Chariot did to get to Heaven The Man that runs through Swords and Daggers breaks down Walls and Fences poisons the principles of Sobriety Providence hath lodg'd in his Breast strangles the kind suggestions of his own Conscience cracks the Bolts and Barrs of a virtuous Education seeks out Dangers and precipitates himself into them and with the noise of his riot strives to overcome the calls of the Holy Ghost within defies all present convictions dis-regards the Groans and Cryes and Tears and Wounds of a crucified Saviour that would keep him from being undone vanquishes Gods methods to catch him into Repentance breaks through all the prohibitions of the Gospel through Vows and Promises and Sacraments and most solemn Engagements charges all the threatenings of a jealous God and fights his way through Rocks of oppositions and all to get to Hell and Damnation sure makes that his choice and if so God doth him no injury in giving him his own hearts desire A Sheep or a Horse certainly can never counter-ballance the life of a Man yet he that knows he shall be hanged if he steal either and will in despight of the penalty venture meerly to gratify his sickly fancy justly suffers the punishment which seems to bear no proportion with the things he stole the justice of the punishment is founded in the malefactors choice And so we find it in the case before us the Blessing and the Curse is laid before the sensual Man Life and death are proposed to him he 's put to his choice which of these he 'l have He freely and willfully chuses Death and the Curse maugre all that God or his Angels or his Ministers can say to the contrary and it 's but just since he thus fights against God and seems resolved to cross all God's endeavours to purify and turn him and will have his wrath and indignation and scorns his Mercy God should let him have that Fire and Brimstone which is the portion of the Sinners Cup and which he is so very greedy after as if he were afraid he should never be so happy as to obtain or be master of it Indeed the more I think of it the more I find that it s not God so much that condemns him to Eternal misery as the sinner himself 'T is he that 's thus barbarous to his own Soul and adjudges himself to that worm which dies not He kisses that consuming Fire as if it were the Light of God's Countenance and seems to envy the Devils their unhappiness he doth so long to be a sharer of it He snatches Damnation out of the hands of God's Justice and while God offers to keep it from him makes a long Arm to reach it God alas doth what he can to save him his bowels yearn over him and nothing would please him more than to see his penitential Tears He is ready with the good Father Luk 15.20 To run and to have compassion on him as soon as he doth but resolve to leave the Kingdom of Darkness even that God who would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth He waits to be gracious and justly expects that the Vineyard on which he hath bestowed great cost and pains should bring forth Grapes He doth not afflict the Children of Men willingly he delights not in their tortures he
and indignation against all those that obstinately prefer their foolish desires before all the Dictates and Oracles of thy Holy Spirit O have not I reason to fear that thou wilt say of me Cut down this barren Tree why doth it cumber the ground and yet how free how full are thy promises to the truly penitent how full of Sweetness and Love are all thy Gracious Engagements to those that will have no more to doe with Idols that will cleave to thee alone that will renounce themselves and follow thee O my Lord these thy promises are my refuge were it not for these desperation would be my portion I doe in some measure see my folly I see what a gracious tender patient long suffering God I have offended I see how my Soul hath leaned on broken reeds what a sandy foundation I have trusted to how the world hath beguiled me how I have shunn'd thy company been glad when God hath been farthest from my thoughts rejoyced when I have been least of all reflecting on thy goodness I have nothing to plead for my self I have no apology to make the greatest charity cannot excuse my misdemeanors I have had light and darkened it convictions and smother'd them knowledge and abused it reason and perverted it heard thy word and scorn'd it enjoy'd the means of Grace and continu'd blind and hard under them Thy Mercy is my Sanctuary I am weary of my burthen I loath my transgressions I am willing to be rid of them I desire to abhor them but though I am thus willing my flesh is weak my understanding dark my will dull my affections to goodness faint my resolutions in constant Come O my Lord come down into my Soul come quickly O thou great preserver of Men teach me to answer all the reasons of Flesh and Bloud against a serious conversion arm me with arguments to beat down my carnal interest furnish me with motives to a truly Heavenly life motives which may break through all the devils suggestions motives which may invalidate and weaken the prophane motions of my Lusts. Come down thou Sun of Righteousness thou mighty Star of Jacob dispel the Clouds and Mists which are upon my Reason cleer the eyes of my understanding and enable me to see the arts of Sin the wiles of the Devil the snares of the World the stratagems of the Flesh and all the mischief that 's plotted against my Soul by my Spiritual enemies Convince me throughly that to follow thee is my greatest interest that to resist these enemies is my greatest safety that to watch against their charms is my greatest felicity O let me apprehend sin as it is the greatest evil let it appear very terrible to my mind represent unto me Heaven and thy Love and all that thou hast done for me in such lively colours that neither death nor life neither good report nor evil report may separate me from thy love O let thy kindness and the benefits of thy Sons death and passion and resurrection appear to me in such characters that I may long to be fill'd with all the fulness of God Thy Spirit is perfect Light and there is no darkness with him O let that glorious Light dissipate that gloominess those foggs that confusedness that is in my intellectual part make me conceive clearly and distinctly what I must do to inherit Eternal life and how I must carry myself to God and Man Give me such a sight of thy Glory as may lift me up above the world and engage me to have my Conversation in Heaven Bow my Will to conform entirely to thy Will I would not be mine so much as thine Come Lord and take the government of my Soul into thy hand I have too long suffer'd my self to be guided by merciless Tyrants art thou not my Master my Prince my Father thou hast the greatest right to rule me Incline my Will unto thy Testimonies and not to Covetousness when my Will would wander from thy Precepts cross it and put a stop to it that it may not goe beyond the limits of thy Law O heal my affections they hanker too much after this Earth O make them in love with Heaven chide them for deserting their highest and their chiefest good let my hatred pitch upon no other object but sin let my Love be carried out after nothing so much as thee and if I love any thing besides let me love it only for thy sake let my hopes be fixed upon immortality engrosse thou my desires let me fear none but thee let my chief delight be in thy ways and ordinances strengthen my resolutions O deliver me from that fickleness I have so long been guilty of make my purposes firm let them be as the Mountains of God which can never be moved let nothing be able to weaken my good intentions give me courage to fight the good fight O Lord in thy strength I 'll resist by thy Power I will conquer my heart hath lock'd the out O knock again and if it will not yield break open the door and let all my corruptions vanish at thy Presence O Lord I beg no Riches no Honours no Preferments if I have but Food and Raiment I will learn therewith to be contented it s thy Grace I want establish me with thy free Spirit give me spiritual Wisdom even that wisdom which makes me wise unto Salvation thou art nigh unto them that call upon thee yea unto all such as call upon thee faithfully O cast me not away from thy Presence I am thine O save me order my steps according to thy word when I read it let me read it with that attention as to observe and take notice of what thou dost command when I hear it let me hear it as if it were the last time that ever I should hear it let thy Oracles make deeper impressions on me than ever dash all those evasions and excuses I used to alleage when I have had no mind to obey thee let the good motions of thy Spirit prevail O that there should be such difficulty in conquering a poor sinner O that God should be forced to carress me to my happiness O that Heaven should attract me no more O that God should need to send out messengers to entreat me to come to the Supper of the Lamb Lord take away this dulness make me mount up with wings as Eagles Let me not be able to goe out of thy Presence till I have fully and unfeignedly resolved to give my self up to thy service O Jesu the light of the world who enlightenst every man that comes into the world where thou dwellest there Mercy dwells O dwell in my Soul and Mercy and Truth will kiss each other there teach me to hate my self not only for the hurt I have done to my self but for the injuries and indignities I have offer'd thee I was a horrid monster thou by thy death madest me a pleasing spectacle in the sight of Heaven I lay
apparently dangerous Thus it is with me why should I deny it Why should I call light darkness and darkness light put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Whom do I cheat all this while is it not my own Soul And what shall I gain by it in the end Shall I think my self sufficiently holy when I am so little acquainted with the first rudiments of Holiness Shall I think my self a Child of God when that which I do is fitter for a Child of the Devil than for a Favourite of Heaven Conversion or turning to God which the Holy Ghost doth so often and with that vehemence and earnestness inculcate implies an universal change of my disposition and inclinations And where is that alteration that renovation of the Mind Will and Affections My Affections are carried out after Froth and smoke as much as ever My Love is set on Trifles and is regardless of the highest and chiefest good as much as ever I hate Seriousness and delight in childish impertinent Gayeties as much as ever The promises of the Gospel are as inconsiderable in my eyes and the riches of this World as glorious and ravishing as ever and I can dispense with the want of spiritual consolations while I have but my share in these outward comforts My feet run in the wayes of destruction and my eyes are dazled with external pomp and grandeur as much as ever An amorous Song is more pleasing to me than the most harmonious Psalm The Word of God is but a dead Letter to me while a Romance or a Book that Treats of Folly and Vanity Transports me into more than ordinary content and satisfaction And what I must eat And what I must drink And wherewithall I shall be cloathed Are questions I have a far greater desire to be resolved in than to know what I must do to please God and to be happy for ever If I have made light of the Thunders and Threatnings of Scripture I do so still If I have prefer'd my secular Interest before Gods Honour and Glory I do so still If I have feared Men more than God I do so still If I have been loth to do good with the Temporal blessings God hath confer'd upon me I am so still And what Sins I leave it 's more because I have no inclination to them or because I am afraid they 'll spoil and blemish my Reputation in the World than because I love that God who made me and hath obliged me by a thousand Favours to esteem and prize him above all And is this the Coat of the Sons of God Is this the Livery of a Christian indeed Is this done like a Man that lives upon Gods Bounty is fed by his Charity supported by his Alms and maintain'd from his Store-house and cannot subsist one moment without his Concourse and hath not a better Friend in all the World than him who is the Fountain of living Waters Consideration one great design of it being to know how the case stands between God and our own Souls such a Self-examination must of necessity be the Corner stone of this spiritual Building and comparing our Lives with the Rules of the Gospel and the proper characters of such as are in a likely way to enjoy God for ever may justly challenge the first Seat in this intellectual Paradise But then as building of a stately Gate without a House answerable to it doth but expose the Builder to derision and contempt so Self-Examination without a serious Expostulation with our own hearts is but to make the Accuser of our Brethren laugh at our vain attempts and God scorn the endeavour that could be crusht in the Bud and tired before half its Race is run II. Expostulation rouzes the Soul from her Slumber and drives it away from the soft Doune it would have rested and repos'd it self upon and gives the first blow for Self-Examination only threatens it to that Tree of Death I mean to the reigning power of Sin and I see not how Sin can shelter it self any longer or what excuses it can make for its stay and continuance where the Soul doth summon it to appear before the Bar of Conscience and enters into such reasonings and interrogations as these Are these things so and do I stand trifling with my salvation Do I run the hazard of everlasting flames and do I lie playing in the Suburbs of destruction Either I believe an eternity of Torments that shall attend a careless sinful life or I do not If not why dare not I profess my denial Why do I play the Hypocrite and make the World think I do believe it What 's the reason that I cannot shake off the fears of it if I would never so fain Why does something within me check me when I would be so profane as to deny it Can I ever be serious and not believe it But then if I believe it what a mad Man am I to loyter when the Candle I am allow'd to work by is almost burnt out and I know not how soon it may please my great Master to extinguish it Do I lead a life which is the readiest way to eternal Vengeance and shall I not step back and prevent it Can I imagine God will blow out that everlasting Fire to gratifie my vicious temper or destroy that Tophet out of tenderness to my Lusts and Corruptions Can I conceive it possible that God will go from his Word to please a stubborn Sinner or prove a Lyar that I may go with greater ease to Heaven Do I know that I shall be miserable if I continue in that course I have held on in hitherto and am I in love with eternal ruine Am I certain that Iniquity will be my confusion and am I resolv'd to dye I have all the reason in the World to believe that it was the Son of God that was the Author of those Threatnings and Comminations I find in the Gospel Do I believe him to be the Son of God and can I imagine that the least tittle of his words will perish I have run up and down in the World these many years and hunted-after those Vanities which sensual Men do dote upon But will these save me when I dye Will not the remembrance of my eager pursuit after these Butterflies and Gaudes fill me with anguish and sorrow Have I liv'd in the World all this while and am not I nearer Heaven than I was some years ago Must my body engross all my endeavours and must my Soul be starved I have a Soul that cannot dye and must not dye and must shortly appear before Gods Tribunal and shall not I study its safety and happiness as much as I am able Lord God! should Death arrest me before I have made my Calling and Election sure how fearful how wretched would my condition be should it fall to my share to howle in outward Darkness how should I curse the day that ever I was born should those Tortures the
dearest and tenderest love Doth it work by charity too by good works And doth it make me cast my bread upon the water give away freely and chearfully though I have no prospect and see no probability of a recompence here on earth Doth it make me despise the World and overcome it and use it only as my Servant while God alone is my Master Doth it make me resist the Devil and grapple with powers and principalities with the Rulers of darkness and with spiritual wickednesses in high places Eph. 6.12 Doth it make me pray with fervency and importunity Doth it transport my Soul into ravishments upon the sight of yonder glorious things God hath laid up and prepared for those that love him Doth it make me rejoyce in that Saviour I have not seen with joy unspeakable and full of glory Does it make me trust God in Adversity even then when the Fig-tree doth not blossom when there is no fruit in the vines when the labour of the Olive fails and the Field does yield no meat when the flock is cut off from the fold and when there are no herds in the stalls Hab. 3.17 Doth it make me take notice of Gods gracious Dealings and Providences and admire Gods wisdom and greatness and power and goodness in all Doth it make me prize the promises of the Gospel above all riches and doth it make me willing to suffer for Christ Rejoyce O my Soul if Faith hath thus warm'd thy heart and if thou findest these footsteps of God within thee These are ornaments sit for thee to appear in before the great Tribunal On the other side what ease what quiet canst thou enjoy if thy faith be dead and dull and unactive if it doth not touch thy tongue with a Coal from the Altar and doth not make thee break forth into celebrations and admiration of the height and breadth and length and depth of the love of God If thou feelest no holy force in thy Soul to shake off every weight and every sin which doth so easily beset thee If thy faith does not make thee stand upon thy watch and break through all discouragements and oppositions to obtain the end of thy faith even thy salvation If it doth not make thy corruptions abate and thy extravagant desires and passions fall If it doth not chase Discontent in a great measure from thy thoughts and doth not give thee bowels of compassion to Ministers to the Servants of God to Christs distressed members If it doth not drive thee into Heaven into contemplations of a glorious Eternity which shall make amends for all the losses troubles perils miseries and difficulties thou undergoest here If it doth not make thee prefer Christs honour and will before the vain allurements of flesh and blood and the society of those who delight in God before familiarity with the richest and greatest who cast Gods Laws behind them If it works no patience in Afflictions no humility no self-denial no meekness under curses and injuries and persecutions no courage to stand up for God and for his glory no delight in the Word and wayes of God no sincere endeavors to practise what thou hearest no relish in spiritual things no holy revenge upon thy corruptions no indignation against thy former sins no carefulness to please God no vehement desires after him who is fairer than the children of men Faith thus consider'd if it be but a painted fire will quickly betray it self and this Consideration will soon give an item to the sinner that this is no good foundation to build eternal salvation on In this manner we are obliged to proceed in our prayers and supplications Consideration must acquaint us whether it be the desires of our hearts or the desires of our lips only that we offer unto God whether it be a deep sense of our spiritual wants and necessities and of the Greatness Majesty Purity Holiness Mercy and Goodness of God that makes us pray or Custom and Education and Civility to our unruly Consciences So in our Distributions to the Necessities of others Consideration must acquaint us whether we give enough or no whether we fulfill those Rules Christ and his Apostles have deliver'd concerning it and whether it be vain glory and the applause of men that makes us both liberal and speak of our liberality or an honest design to advance the glory of God and the good of our Neighbour So in Fasting Consideration must acquaint us whether it be the outward performance we do regard more than the inward frame of the Soul whether it be a real sincere resolution to mortifie sin that engages us to this severity or an intent of giving God satisfaction for the affronts we have offer'd him and whether the austerity makes sin truly bitter to us and works an eternal detestation of it in our hearts or whether it disposes us to fall on afresh and tempts us upon the credit of that piece of Mortification to venture into new sins and enormities So in our zeal for God Consideration must acquaint us whether we are more passionate in things which concern the honour of God than in promoting of our own interest whether it be a zeal according unto knowledge and kindled by the Sun of Righteousness or furious and lighted by the flames of the burning Lake and whether we are zealous for the greater as well as for the lesser matters of the Law for Judgment Faith and Mercy as well as for paying tythe of Mint and Cummin and Anise Without Consideration our Souls must necessarily remain under very great darkness and mistakes and consequently run the hazard of being cheated in the work of Conversion How should these Cheats be discover'd but by our reason How shall our reason judge of them but by Consideration For Consideration calls them to an account layes them open examines their rise and progress discovers them to be dross and spies out the danger they involve the Soul in and by that means works it into a faithful resolution to take another course CHAP. IV Of the various impediments and remora's of Consideration Men fancy greater difficulty in 't that there is indeed Are continually employ'd about sensual objects Loth to part with their sins Ignorant of the pleasure of Consideration Reflect upon the danger of losing their unlawful gain Fear they shall fall into melancholy or go distracted with so much seriousness Are of opinion that Conversion in that sense the Scripture speaks of it is needless Mistake the nature of Consideration Are discouraged by evil company Neglect consulting with Ministers about this necessary work Delude themselves with the Notion of Christ's dying for the sins of the world COnsideration a Duty so great so noble so necessary one would think should find sutable entertainment with all men that pretend to reason or wisdom or discretion the Guest being so beneficial who can imagine to the contrary but every man will spread open his doors and let it in How Lock
under the smiles and gracious looks of my Benefactor And cannot I consider what a felicity doth attend them that enjoy the light of Gods countenance Here is but changing the object And I that can consider how disingenious and sordid a thing it is to act against a man that hath rais'd me out of dust and advanc'd me to great dignity and preferment cannot I consider what baseness and disgenerous ingratitude it must be to provoke that God who maintains me and preserves me and without whom I cannot breathe or move I that can consider the reasonableness of sorrow and grief where I have offended and done a signal injury to my Superior cannot I consider how just and equitable it is when I look on that Saviour whom my sins have pierc'd to mourn as heartily as one that mourns for his onely Son Why should not my understanding serve me to consider the one as well as the other Spiritual things are the most adequate and most proper objects of my understanding They are the proper fuel for that flame which cherish and feed it and make it rise and soar to Heaven Whatever concerns provision for the flesh or for this present life is but a secondary object more by favour and permission than by design For Gods design in giving us understandings was that they might be receptacles of spiritual Truths storehouses of invisible Treasures Contrivances how we may get our bodily wants and necessities supplied for ought I know may be perform'd and order'd by sense alone without reason without this sublime faculty of understanding as we see in Beasts and ignobler Animals which being strangers to this priviledge and directed only by sense furnish themselves with necessaries conveniencies and superfluities Go to the Ant thou sluggard consider her wayes and be wise which having no Guide Overseer or Ruler provideth her meat in the Summer and gathereth her food in the Harvest Prov. 6.6 7 8. But what will not men call difficult if they are unwilling to do what they should And who sees not that this is but a shift to satisfie their Consciences that they may not twitch them for the omission and they must have some plea left they should sin bare-faced and seem to affront God without cause or instigation And indeed this plea is a true stroke of the Devil for though the way to destruction be far more craggy and infinitely fuller of precipices than the way to life witness mens breaking through infamy the hatred of their Friends the displeasure of their Relations the fences of Modesty the scorn of Angels the indignation of a consuming fire to get at sin witness their venturing sometimes their Fortunes sometimes their Lives sometimes their Reputation sometimes the ruine of their Families to please the Devil yet the broad way being down whereas the strait is up the hill his persuasion prevails the sooner that the former is infinitely more facile and easie and thus he brings an evil report upon the good Land particularly upon Consideration the great Ladder whereby we must climb to Heaven and hard it must be though nothing be more easie it 's a thing portable and is alwayes to be had it 's alwayes in season always at hand alwayes within call no Burthen in a Journey no Load in a Voyage men may carry it with them wherever they go when they are travelling when they stay at home in company and out of company when they are walking when they are sitting down when they go to Bed when they rise they need not run beyond Sea to fetch it nor evolve many Books to be Masters of it they need not fail to the Antipodes to compass it nor dig under-ground to find it they need not ransack the Indies to enrich themselves with it nor venture shipwracks to bring it home they need not sell Lands and Houses to purchase it nor run the hazard of Sword and Fire to secure it they need not clamber Mountains to possess it nor wade through Rivers to inherit it They carry this Treasure in their hearts and it must be meer sluggishness if they let it lie there and make no use of it The fire is hid under the ashes and they need but stir it and blow it and it will soon flame out and God hath made the duty so easie on purpose that men might not be deluded by the Devil into a belief of its impossibility Strange stupidity they do not think it hard to carry Talents of Lead or Mountains of Sin on their backs and yet they think Consideration hard even that Consideration which like a faithful Friend would tell them how to be rid of that heavy Load they bear a Load which would immediately sink them into Hell but that the Devil puts under his shoulder and helps them to carry it and so they feel it not They do not think it hard to dig into Hell and yet they think Consideration hard which would teach them a way how to quench that fire They do not think it hard to be oppress'd by a most bloody Usurper and yet they think Consideration hard which would shew them how they might shake off that yoke which neither they nor their Forefathers were ever able to bear They do not think it hard to obey every little Slave every silly Lust every common Soldier in that Camp of which themselves might be the Generals and yet they think Consideration hard which would free them from that Tyranny and acquaint them with a way how they might be Kings and Priests unto God and shine as the stars in the firmament for ever O men unwise and flow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken you that have courage to meet an Army in the field and to use Job's expression have confidence to laugh at the glittering spear and the shield Job 39.23 you that have courage to plough the Sea to face a Cannon to mock a shower of Arrows to stand under a volley of shot to fight Duels to expose your Lives to lay Siege to a Fort to endure the noise of Guns to hear the clashing of Swords to lie on the cold ground many nights together or to have an Arm or Leg cut off to preserve the founder parts of your bodies you that have courage to do all this and do not think it hard shall you think Consideration hard even that Consideration that would make you live like men and free you from the â—ubbish the lapsed posterity of Adam lies groaning under you that do things every day almost much harder and much more difficult than Consideration is will you scruple that which may be perform'd with greater ease and which you are more obliged to than adventuring on the Dangers I have mention'd II. Impediment II. Love of the World and being continually employ'd about sensual objects This is another impediment of Consideration And indeed we need not wonder to see men neglectful and careless of this great and necessary work when the
ivory or to be clad like Dives with silk and purple It doth not maintain their great Retinue nor present them with soft Airs It doth not provide for their Families nor keep up their pomp and grandeur were it such a powerful thing as the Philosophers Stone is fabled to be and did it enable them to turn their Iron into Gold and did it make their Trade to flourish and did it make their garners full affording all manner of store and cause such fruitfulness among their flocks that their sheep might bring forth thousands and ten thousands in their streets Did it raise them to the power of Senacherib to the magnificence of Nebuchadnezar to the pleasures of Solomon Did it promise a Kingdom and whisper in their ears that they should enjoy ease and plenty without all peradventure nothing should have so much of their care or hearts as Consideration of their wayes But having none of these baits and their hearts being fix'd on the world they can find no time for this exercise Cannot did I say They will not allow themselves time to retire and consider that they have such things as souls or that these souls are capable of punishment and glory when they shake hands with their old companions their bodies They think that time mispent that is bestow'd upon Consideration of another world and what minutes or hours are taken from their fleshly satisfactions or from prosecuting their worldly concerns they look upon as flung away By worldly concerns I do not only mean businesses which an Estate or Trade or Family or office or sensual pleasures cause but business of study and learning too and one may be as much taken up with his study as another is with his Trade and consequently be very loth to allow any time for this Consideration we speak of To be studious and yet inconsiderate implies no contradiction and a man may contemplate God and Heaven and the whole Creation and yet not contemplate them in order to a holy preparation for another life or with an intent to mortifie his sins and corruptions and to imitate God in holiness without which it cannot be Consideration and the best name we can give it is an empty Speculation so that a spiritual Meditation may be but a worldly business if that which puts me upon it be my profession whereby I get a livelihood if that which makes me study and meditate be temporal profit or honour or applause if it be not undertaken with an intent to edifie my own soul as well as the souls of others if it be done either to please the fancy or to please the gentle Reader by publishing it to the world And indeed where worldly concerns fill all the channels of the soul there can be but very little employment for serious Consideration A continunl hurry of business sheds darkness upon the soul thrusts out that eye whereby it should reflect upon it self and makes it intent only on things which tickle and please the flesh and like Felix when any motions to serious Consideration arise replies Go thy way for this time and when I have a convenient season I will call for thee Acts 24.25 It fares much with Consideration as with that Princes invitation Luc. 14.16 worldly cares and businesses like those guests when the soul feels any suggestions or invitations to Consideration are presently ready with excuses and a thousand things are pretended why they cannot come or stoop to the gracious message or vocation and these bryars and thorns choak the good seed that 's thrown among them Thus earth keeps out Heaven and the world like shutters of a window excludes the light that would irradiate the room not but that the business of our worldly callings may lawfully be performed and follow'd and men ought to work with labour and travel night and day rather than be chargeable to others 2 Thess. 3.8 But where the World is made God and fills mens minds as well as their hands and all the time that can be got is spent in embracing and grasping of it it 's impossible Consideration should find entertainment there it 's like a heartless prayer may for that can be hudled up and requires not much time and leaves them as worldly as it finds them and doth not hinder or cross them in their fondness to the world which they are afraid Consideration will do And indeed they guess aright for Consideration would shake their love make them unquiet in their amours and unsettle their affections pull down that high esteem they have of the world and make them see that there is not that beauty that glory or that happiness in things below which their sickly fancy dream'd of before it would shew them that all these Gaudes are but a Pit cover'd with curious flowers where people may irrecoverably perish if taken with the treacherous flowers they smell on them and admire their odour and fragrancy It would shew them the vanity of heaping up riches when they know not who shall inherit them and represent unto them â—he folly of flattering their souls with an Ede Bibe Lude Soul take thine ease eat drink and be merry thou hast much goods laid up for many years It would shew them how false how perishable all these outward comforts are and that they have something more than this deceitful world to look after Consideration like a faithful Counsellor would undeceive them in their fond opinions of this treacherous friend discover to them his base designs the mischiefs he drives at under all his smiles the Serpent that lies under those green herbs and bid them beware of him But such is the love they bear to the world that they are jealous of all things that would subvert their love and hate Consideration as an enemy because they are afraid it will discompose those embraces and break the league between them and these earthly satisfactions and put their hearts that lie close to the world out of their place dispossess them of their earthly mindedness and prompt them to lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come and lay hold on eternal life A strange fondness this which doth not only marry the heart unto the world and makes them two one flesh but sends out Spies to watch against all the endeavors of this faithful Monitor viz. Consideration that it may not break the match or dissolve the bond or make the heart sensible of its adulteries O God! How is thy similitude in Man defaced How is that glorious Image thou didst once shed into his breast blotted and defiled Is this the Man that receiv'd a Soul to mind Heaven most Is this the Man over whom thou didst spread thy skirts whose nakedness thou didst cover and with whom thou didst enter into an everlasting Covenant whom thou dost draw by cords of love whose soul thou didst betroth unto thee for ever in righteousness and in judgment and in loving kindness and in
for them riches flow insensibly upon them and every thing they undertake doth prosper insomuch that themselves cannot but wonder at their increase This would convince them that many men who during their ungodly Conversation could not thrive have signally prospered in the world as soon as they have applied themselves to a serious life and that a serious man is best qualified for getting profit and encreasing an Estate and that the generality of men had rather deal with a conscientious man than with a person who is careless of all things but his own interest as knowing that being conscientious he dares not cheat or deceive them but will think himself obliged to deal justly and honestly with them and do by them as he would have others do by him and that this is the great misfortune of ungodliness and the glory of a serious life in that one wicked man dares not trust another but both good and bad dare trust him who stands in awe of God and makes it his great care and study how to please him This would shew them that the serious man in being charitable takes the readiest way to prosper in his secular Concerns and that as great a Paradox as it may seem to sensual men there is not a greater truth in the world than that which Solomon speaks of Prov. 11.24 There is he that scattereth and yet encreases This would lay before them the Examples of men who by consecrating a great part of their Estate and Incomes to pious and charitable uses have enlarged their fortunes and by casting their bread upon the water have found it again with interest after many dayes who have denied themselves in their superfluities and yet are grown rich given away and gotten more than they had in times past This would lead them into the pleasant field of Gods Providence and shew them how that wise and gracious God wheels and turns things about for the good of those that dare trust him for a recompence and makes that money which was laid out for the use of the Needy return with advantage and usury Consideration would let them see how various Gods temporal blessings are which very often light on the head of a serious religious man and though he hath no Trade which stands in need of augmentation but a standing revenue how yet God may watch over him so that he shall lose little and all he undertakes shall prosper that his houses shall be preserv'd from fire and his Cattle from decay that his fields shall bring forth plentifully and his lands be as the garden of the Lord that he shall see his posterity advance in wealth and honour and his childrens children grow as the lillies and spread their branches as the Cedars in Lebanon Consideration would let them see how a whole Kingdom thrives where seriousness and the fear of God is encourag'd with vigor and sincerity What a darling a serious Prince is to his Subjects how well they love him how highly they esteem him and how plentifully and contentedly they live under his shadow This would refresh their memories how upon a publick humiliation God hath been entreated and the judgments under which a Nation groan'd have been averted and the Heavens which before were turn'd into brass have visited the Earth again with showers and the former scarcity hath been transform'd into plenty and abundance and how God hath seen their works that they turn'd from their evil ways and hath repented himself of the evil he had said he would do unto them and hath not done it Consideration would let them see that though a serious man should decay in the world and his conscientiousness be the cause of his ruine yet he would have more to support him under his losses than another man and it could not but be a very great satisfaction to him that it was not any vice of licentiousness that broke him but a good Conscience which is its own reward and the best preservative against murmuring repining and despair and very often a presage That God will set him up again and as it was in Job's case make the latter part of his life more prosperous than the former By such representations as these Consideration would scatter this suggestion of the Devil That a sinful life is the onely gainful and advantageous life But what argument can prevail against Experience and where men have found already that their sins have prov'd profitable and that their carelesness of Religion hath procur'd them no small advantages Their great care and study now must be that they do not put themselves into a way of losing them and therefore exhort them to consider what the end of these things will be and whether this be a likely course to get a title to the inheritance incorruptible reserv'd in Heaven for Believers they 'll be ready to reply What part with my livelihood Quit that which must support my Family Would you have me starve and perish Will your Religiousness give me bread Would you have me precipitate my self into ruine Will nothing less serve the turn than leaving all and following Christ Why should I despair when God blesses me and think ill of my way of living when God by prospering my endeavors declares his approbation of my deportment My gain is his mercy and if he did not allow of what I did he would with-hold his benediction His giving success to what I do shews his love and I have reason to believe he is not angry with me for taking this course because he never cross'd it by his thunders God would have me live in the World and since I have no other way to thrive but this I must suppose it 's that which God hath call'd me to My industry is in obedience to his command and why should I fright my self with his indignation when my prosperous fortunes speak his smiles and sun-shine Consideration would let them see that God doth not bless them for their sins but doth it to invite them to amendment Nay this would suggest to them that it may not be God that blesses them but the Devil and that he that is permitted to shew them all the Kingdoms of the world and the glories of them in a moment hath power also to reward iniquity and that prosperity which is acquir'd by sin cannot be of Gods making but is an effect of the Devils bounty who never gives but with an intent to murther and makes Presents for no other end but to make the Soul a prey to his fury who gives like the Grecians onely to overcome and seems kind onely to get an interest in the sinner and to take advantage against him when there shall be occasion who blesses with a design to curse and rewards to harden men in their contempt of the Almighty who lets men reap profit that they may venture confidently on sin and is contented they should have something for their pains that they may dedicate themselves more entirely to
share in that reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ but those that turn to God with all their hearts and with all their souls and are weary of sin and heavy laden with the sense of it and in sober sadness resolv'd to submit to Christs yoke and government for though all mankind share in the possibility of enjoying this reconciliation and the Pardon may be truly said to be purchas'd for them and for their use yet all are not made partakers of the actual possession of it because all men will not consent to fulfill the conditions upon which that reconciliation is offer'd them viz. unfeign'd repentance and sincere obedience for the time to come Shimei was a man condemn'd to death 1 Kings 2.36 it 's like some Courtiers of Solomon got him his Pardon the King grants it but requires this one thing of him that he shall build him a house in Jerusalem and dwell there and go not forth thence any whither and fulfilling this condition without all peradventure he might have liv'd happy and safe as the best of his Neighbors but when he must needs be running after his servants and prefer a small advantage before perpetual safety he justly suffers the punishment the King appointed for him The Son of God by the blood of his Cross hath in truth gotten all Christians their Pardon but is resolv'd none shall enjoy it but those that will forsake their sins and resign themselves to his guidance and direction A reasonable demand a condition so equitable so just so easie that no man in his wits but must say as Shimei unto Solomon The saying is good As my Lord the King hath said so will thy servant do But then if the Pardon the Son of God hath obtain'd for them appear so inconsiderable a thing in their eyes that they do not think it worth enjoying and certainly they do not think it worth enjoying that will not agree to so reasonable a condition no marvel if they fall a prey to that wrath from which the Son of God is ready to deliver them and if their blood be upon their heads that do despight unto the Spirit of Grace and count the blood of the Covenant wherewith they were to be sanctified an unholy thing So that although a true Believer and a sincere Penitent may boldly say with the Apostle That Christ hath redeem'd him from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for him Gal. 3.13 And that ChriSt hath wash'd him from his sins with his own blood Rev. 1.5 And that he hath an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for his sins 1 John 2.1 And that Chris't hath made his peace with God Col. 1.20 Yet men that are strangers to the sanctifying work of Gods Spirit cannot be said to have at present during their unregenerate estate any other benefit by the death and passion of Christ but a possibility of all those great and glorious advantages and it 's possible for them to be freed from the Curse of the Law to be admitted into the number of those that shall be sav'd to enjoy remission of sins to escape the wrath to come and to see God face to face in Heaven and all this by virtue of Christ's death if they will but shake hands with their darling Vices and agree to a practical love of their Maker and Redeemer and Sanctifier To think that unconverted sinners do actually enjoy these benefits is to contradict Scripture and to give the Apostles of our Lord the Lye who unanimously tells us That these mercies are not effectually apply'd to the Soul till the Soul by sincere repentance and reformation of life applies herself to Christ Jesus And indeed this is the prodigious mercy of the second Covenant that God for Christ's sake will accept of sincere repentance in stead of perfect obedience which was the great condition of the first agreement between God and man and looking upon the precious blood of his Son will pass by whatever Men have done before if they will be in love with sin and destruction no longer and sincerely endeavor to please him in those commands which design nothing but our interest and happiness These things are not very hard to be understood but the generality of Christians seem resolv'd not to understand them that they may not be obliged to take their ways into serious Consideration This Doctrine That Christ hath freed them from the wrath of God in their sense makes Religion sit soft and easie upon them and doth not disturb them in their sensual enjoyments It 's a comfortable Doctrine to flesh and blood never could any thing have been invented more agreeable to their Lusts and if God had studied to do them a kindness he could not have done them a greater than to let his Son suffer all that is to be suffer'd by them and so after their delights and sinful satisfactions here conduct them into a far more glorious Paradise If it be so truly Consideration is Vanity and the Preachers are Fools and mad Men to press it upon their Auditors But who sees not that this is an invention of the Devil first to darken the sinners understanding and when the Candle is out to rob him of his everlasting happiness And Sirs will you be rob'd thus quietly of your bliss and glory Will you suffer yourselves to be stript of all you have without the least opposition Is it possible for you to believe That the Son of God came down from Heaven to encourage you in offending God and made himself of no reputation for you that you might render your selves contemptible in the sight of the Almighty and dyed for you to give life to your sins and follies How absurd how impertinent how contradictory is this Belief Love God and encourage sin Holiness itself and find out a way to promote iniquity Can there be any thing in Nature more silly or ridiculous This is abusing the Cross of Christ not trusting to it and you that make it an occasion of sin take heed it do not prove a stumbling block unto you and instead of Crucifying sin in you do not harden you in it It is a thing not unusual with God to punish sin with sin and if Men will be filthy in despite of all endeavors to purifie them from their filthinesses to doom them to continue filthy still and to make that their judgment which at first was only their transgression so great a love and written in such legible characters too slighted and abused and made a help to sin improved into licentiousness may justly be supposed to draw down that judgment we read of Isa. 6.9 10. Go and tell this People Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this People fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert
Soul Is this giving all diligence to make my calling and election sure when I am infinitely more concerned how to secure a small sum of Money than I am to secure those Treasures which fade not away Will God give a reward to Men that stand yawning and stretching themselves in his Vineyard unresolv'd whether they shall work or no A reward indeed they shall have but such a reward as hypocrites receive a reward from which Good Lord deliver us And am I so stupified that nothing of all this can move me neither the Glory of God nor the interest of my Soul nor all that can be said against my want of Zeal and fervency of Spirit Were these reason laid home by serious consideration it would rowze the Soul from her slumber and make her see how dangerous her rest is and how deer that sleep will cost her she is for the present lull'd in if it be not suddenly dispell'd and scatter'd but want of consideration makes the careless sinner fancy God such a one as himself one that is pleas'd with his indifferency in Religion as well as himself this is it makes him entertain very gross absurd and unreasonable conceits concerning that all Wise most Excellent and most lovely Being despise a Treasure of infinite value trample on the pearl of price and forget what the hope of God's calling is and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance is in the Saints Had the Covetous but a Heart to think with himself vain foolish man How loath am I to confess my self guilty of this vice How do I deceive my self with the fair names of good Husbandry and Frugality but will these delusions stand the fire Will these Paper Walls be proof against everlasting burnings if there be such a sin as covetousness and that sin so odious to God and his Holy Angels as Christ and his Apostles make it and so great an impediment to everlasting happiness as the Scripture represents it it must needs be worth knowing whether I am infected with this plague especially since my behaviour and actions look as if I were why should the Apostle call this sin Idolatry but because it makes men set their affections on the World more than upon that which is to come and more on their Riches Estate or Incomes than upon God and everlasting Glory whereby God is robb'd of his Honor and that high Esteem and Love which is God's due as he is God is given to be creature which in Gods sight is Lighter than nothing and vanity and is not this my case How is my Soul fix'd upon this World How close doth my heart stick to the profits and advantages it affords How is my Soul bound up with my Corn and Wine and Oyl How do I fancy that all my happiness is gone when these outward comforts are gone Did sin ever grieve me a quarter so much as a temporal loss Did offending a Gracious God ever cost me the tenth part of the Tears I shed for being deprived of a little shining Clay How hearty is my joy under the blessings of Gods left hand How little am I affected with the blessings of his right How far greater satisfaction doth my thriving in the world give me than my thriving in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ How loath am I to honour God with my substance How unwillingly how grudgingly do I part with any thing considerable for Charitable uses How loath am I to part with any of this worlds Goods for Gods service How happy do I count my self when Religion doth cost me nothing How loath am I to be any at charges for Heaven How doth it grieve me when I spend any thing upon Religion How do I dote upon these sublunary vanities How far greater pains do I take to be rich than to be happy for ever How can I dispense with a sin for profits sake How little of my desires and breathings hath God and a bleeding Saviour How dull am I under the most lively descriptions of the joys of Heaven How dull under the stupendous offers of Grace and Mercy How dead under the joyful message of pardon How dull when tempted by all the ravishing arguments of Gods love to love him above all What means my unwillingness to take God for my greatest portion What means that quickness sagacity and wisdom when my Riches Plenty or worldly prosperity is concerned and that strange dumpishness when God courts and beseeches my Soul to lay hold on Eternal Life Are not these evident signs that the World draws and attracts my Heart most powerfully God sees my Heart is not upright with him he sees I am afraid to take up with him alone he sees how covetousness hath possess'd my Soul and can I cherish this root of an evil in my Breast and not tremble at the danger my Soul is in Am I by the Apostles verdict an Idolater and do I make light of so great a guilt if no Idolater must expect a Crown of Glory alas what can I look for but Eternal Darkness when I read that it 's easier for a Camel to enter through the eye of a Needle than for a rich man who sets his heart on his Riches to enter into Heaven am not I frighted with the expression I find how this sin deprives me of a Holy communion with God and shall I loose my greatest comfort and support and satisfaction for it If any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him and can I be contented without the love of God if God be not my friend what doth the friendship of the whole World signify When my Soul must leave this Tabernacle and appear before Gods Barr O God I shall have so many witnesses against me that I shall not know what to say or whether to betake my self for refuge the Poor will accuse me because I have not open'd my Hand and Heart to them my own Conscience will accuse me because I have not been a good Steward of the means God gave me the Ministers of God will accuse me because whatever was laid out upon my Pride and Lust was thought too little and the least kindness I shew'd to those that wait at Gods Altar too much The Devils will accuse me because having a Soul so great so noble so precious I did employ it chiefly in scraping a little Dross and Dung together nay the Lord Jesus will accuse me because his example of contentedness and Heavenly mindedness would not allure me into imitation God will accuse me because having furnish'd me with all the motives and encouragements imaginable to mind Heaven more than Earth I preferr'd this Earth before all the joyes of Heaven and how shall I bear up under all this weight Would the poor deluded Worldling but let such thoughts sink into his Heart what a damp would it strike on his strong desires after the World and how would it make his immoderate love
Gifts or Abilities I have they are thy Gifts and Characters of thy Compassion Thou order'st my steps thou art about my bed and about my paths and dost preserve me in all my ways many a time should I have stumbled and fallen and perish'd irrcoverably but that thou hast supported me and given charge to thy Holy Angels to be my Guardians O my God! how often have I deserv'd thine anger and yet in the midst of thy wrath thou thinkest upon mercy What judgements mightst not thou have inflicted on me for my wilful sins but thou hast sent none as yet and all to magnify thy mercy every morning thy mercies are renew'd upon me and with the natural there rises upon me the Sun of righteousness with healing under his wings Thou prosper'st my endeavours givest success to all my lawful undertakings thou preserv'st me from those disasters which befall other men How wisely dost thou order my affairs How often dost thou bring light out of darkness and turnest my affliction into the greatest joy How wonderufl are thy Providences to me and mine How often have I fear'd such an accident would be my ruine and God hath turn'd it into the greatest good How wisely hast thou many times denied me temporal mercies because thou hadst a mind to enrich me with spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places What Friends what Benefactors hast thou rais'd me How miraculously hast thou turn'd the hearts of Men many times into mercy and compassion for my good How often hast thou heard my Prayer and granted me the request of my Lips When I have been in the greatest straits how hast thou shewn me a way to escape How strangely hast thou wheel'd things about for my deliverance How hast thou allur'd me by the various tokens of thy Love to love thee better than the World How great hath been thy care of my temporal concerns but how far greater thy care of the weighty concerns of my Soul How strong have been the convictions thou hast vouchsafed me How great the light thou hast imparted to me How bright that knowledge thou hast revealed to me How numerous the checks of my own conscience which thou hast sent me How frequent the motions of thy spirit thou hast shed into my Soul How often hast thou reason'd the case and expostulated with me and as the Angel did to Balaam stood in a narrow way where there was no turning neither to the right nor to the left and all because thou wouldst not have me stand out any longer against thy most Gracious offers of Salvation How hast thou adjur'd me by the bowels of Jesus by the wounds and agonies of the Son of God to dye unto sin and to live unto righteousness How strange hath been thy condescension and doth not all this deserve my love Is not here enough to warm my affections towards thee False stubborn heart What canst thou plead for thy averseness from God after such a prospect of his favours Notwithstanding my long contempt of these loving kindnesses of the Lord I am alive yet and on this side Hell How may I stand amazed at this prodigious long suffering of my God Had any man but shewn me the ten thousandth part of that love which God hath manifested to me how should I love him how should I adore his Name How should I study to please him What pains should I take to manifest my gratitude How should I revere his memory How should I speak of his favours How should I praise his munificence Can mans kindnesses be so prevalent and shall not the goodness of God fire my Soul into a practical love to his Name Can I do less than love him to whom I owe all I have To love him is my happiness my interest my greatest felicity O my God shall I love a little shining Clay a little Dust a little Earth and not love thee who art worth more than ten thousand worlds Shall I love Father and Mother and not love thee who hast been better to me than my Parents and when my Father and Mother have forsaken me hast taken me up and with everlasting kindness visited me Shall I love my Friend and shall not I love thee my Joy my Treasure my Hiding-place But how can I love thee except I keep thy Commandments How can I be thy Friend except I doe whatsoever thou commandest me Shall I love thee in words only who hast loved me in Deeds Shall I flatter thee with my Lips and hate thee in my Heart Shall I Judas like kiss thee and betray thee love thee and love my sins which are thy greatest enemies did I but love thee as I do a dear friend how easy would all thy Precepts seem How little reason should I have to complain of the tediousness of thy Yoak What great what noble what generous actions would thy love put me upon Should I pretend to love my Prince and affront his Law how soon would my love be accused of a lye How can I be said to love thee while I hate to conform my self to thy Will and Pleasure How vain will my love appear in the last day if it hath been a stranger to obedience here The Angels love thee and they have no other way to demonstrate their Love but by running at thy commands Doe I hope to be like unto the Angels of God hereafter and shall not I take pattern by their obediential love while I sojourn here O my God thou art the proper object of my love I rob thee of thy Honour and commit Sacriledge if I love any thing here below better than thee I am married to thee and I must love nothing above thee When no eye pittied me to have compassion upon me when I was cast into the open field to the loathing of my Person Ezek. 16.5 6 7 8. thou didst pass by me and sawest me polluted in mine own Bloud and saidst unto me when I was in my Bloud Live thou didst cause me to multiply as the bud of the field and when it was the time of Love thou didst spread thy skirt over me and coveredst my nakedness and swearest unto me and entredst into a Covenant with me and I became thine and shall my Soul be married to so great a Prince and play the Harlot O my Lord hast thou united me so close unto thee and shall I defile my self by setting my love on trifles What Man what Devil can hurt me while I love thee without whose command no creature dares stir or move What should discourage me from loving thee when I have all the promises of the Bible to prompt me to it If I loose in this World by loving thee hast not thou Treasures enough to recompence my losses If men despise me for loving thee hast not thou Honour and Glory enough to crown me withal If I do not thrive in outward Riches by loving thee hast not thou who art rich in mercy a pearl of price to bestow upon me
Man or can I spend too much time in commemorating so glorious a Favour when God allows me six dayes in the week to follow the business of my lawful Calling cannot I allow one day entire for his service Are the concerns of my Soul so trivial that they do not deserve one day in the week or is Salvation so easy a thing that to spend much time in the contrivance of it is altogether needless I can allow a whole day sometimes two or three for the recreation of my Body and must my Soul have none to feast it self upon God and endless Glory Alas how little do those flashes of contemplating God in the week days which are so often interrupted by worldly businesses warm the Soul how little are mens affections wrought upon by those sits of Devotion except they take a whole day to warm their Souls at the beams of the Sun of Righteousness Alas How little seriousness doe I see in those Families where this day is not Religiously spent where every person is permitted to use their liberty and where the publick Exercises in the Church are not seconded by private Discourses and Prayers and Celebrations of the goodness of God where is my self-denial if I cannot deny my self in my worldly discourses or thoughts one day how can I hope my Spiritual wants and necessities should ever be discover'd to me except I do in my closet apply what I have heard in the House of God and water the incorruptible Seed that is sown in my Heart by self-examination that it may grow and sprout and bear Fruit O the joy the comfort the satisfaction I might reap from the sincere sanctification of this day how quietly might I lye down at night after so sweet a converse with God all day how soft would my rest be having worked in God's Vineyard so many hours how joyfully might I rise next morning and comfort my self with the happy remembrance of the blessings my Soul hath receiv'd the day before Thus to observe and to improve this day would be a Prologue to my everlasting rest a Preface to my Eternal repose in Abraham's bosom a Presage that I should e'r long rest from all Tears and sorrow and pain and anguish and from all the temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil and be admitted into the Quire of Angels to praise him day and night who lives for ever and ever In this manner all other Duties may be compass'd the Beauty Glory usefulness of them thus spread before the Understanding Will and Affections are apt to work upon these Faculties and they being prevail'd upon the Eyes the Ears the Hands the Feet will quickly do their part and shew their readiness to obey the commands of their superior Officers II. It helps men to improve external objects into very comfortable contemplations When I take a view of the Sun and Moon and Stars or reflect on the Air Fire Earth and Water Consideration may furnish me with very excellent Truths and the noblest Lessons of Religion Consideration can metamorphose objects and spiritualize them and find out the secret designs of the Almighty in those Creatures which the sensual man looks upon and like a Beast passes by without any admiration for after this manner it may argue Take wings O my Soul fly up to yonder Heaven where the Almighty hath set a Tabernacle for the Sun which is as a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber and rejoyces as a Giant to run his race Behold how this glorious Planet when he rises revives every living thing with his kindly beams and will not the increated Sun from whom this bright star borrows his shining rays when he shall rise unto the Spirits of Men made perfect in the last day fill them all with unspeakable joy and gladness and as a dismal uncomfortable darkness succeds when this created Sun doth leave our Hemisphere so think how dreadful how full of horror and disconsolateness that darkness must be which must unavoidably fall on wretched impenitent sinners that would take no warning when the increated Sun shall withdraw from them his beatifical Presence for ever behold this created Sun how many thousand kindnesses it bestowes upon Mankind and doth not this put thee in mind of the Father of Lights from whom every good and perfect Gift descends how much bigger is this shining Body than the whole Earrh and dost not thou remember how before thy God all Mankind are as Grashoppers or rather as the dust of the Ballance nay lighter than nothing and vanity The Sun that he may enlighten the whole World is forced to go from one place to another but thy God at one and the same time without moving his station can fill Heaven and Earth with his Glory Behold O my Soul the next great Light the Moon which the nearer it approaches the Sun the brighter it grows in that part which looks toward Heaven though it becomes darker in that part which looks towards the Earth and when it is opposite to the Sun looses all that brightness it had in its conjunction with the Sun and is only clouded in that part which respects this lower World and dost not thou see a very lively emblem of a converted and an unconverted sinner in this luminary Behold the nearer thou approachest the Sun of Righteousness in purity and holiness the greater luster and the greater happiness thou receivest the Inhabitants of Heaven behold thy brightness and Innocence and applaud it though sensual Men may be think thee all darkness all obscurity because thou dost not wallow in Works of darkness with them they may be look upon thee as mad and distracted because thou art so busy so earnest so zealous to please thy God and spendest so much time in praising and magnifying and glorifying of him but those that dwell in yonder Region of Light and Bliss know that then and not till then thou art master of thy Reason and dost act like a person that 's capable of being made partaker of the Divine Nature On the other side when thou turnest thy back upon God walk'st opposite and contrary to him whatever respect and credit thou may'st have from the World God and his Holy Angels look upon thee as darkness thy understanding which is that part which properly looks towards Heaven looses all its brightness and no marvel for God alone can satisfy it and he being gone that part must needs be perfect night and no marvel if upon this darkness thy love runs altogether for the world and thy affections are altogether carried out after the dross and Dung of this transitory Earth if thy thoughts are all engaged about the World all thy Speeches employ'd about the World and thou becom'st Wise for the World and loosest all thy wisdom for God and for Salvation O my Soul canst thou look upon the Sun and Moon and not remember how differently God deals with Triumphing Saints in Heaven and his militant Church here on
displeasure thou art in pain but what is this to Hell-fire thou art in torments but what is this to the Agonies the unhappy Spirits in the burning Lake endure how great a mercy is it that it is not worse with thee The Waters of Marah which are but to the Ancles now how soon might God increase them to the Knees and make them a River that could not be pass'd over and he that doth but frown now how easily might he thunder Consider O my Soul thou art not call'd to Persecution to Gibbets to Fire to the Sword to Grid-irons to wild Beasts as the Martyrs of old were if thou complainest now what wouldst thou do if thou wert call'd to Martyrdom Look upon Jesus the Author and Captain of thy Salvation who was made perfect through sufferings art thou better than the Son of God look upon the Apostles look upon the Primitive Saints that were torn assunder stoned slain with the Sword wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins were destitute tormented afflicted and art thou a greater Saint than they why shouldst thou expect better dealing at Gods hands than they thou art not alone in misery thou hast whole Armies of Holy Men to bear thee company canst thou look upon yonder Heaven and repine canst thou behold that Glory which God hath prepared for thee and think much of these fiery Trials the hopes of a Kingdom makes a Captive Prince merry though he is in prison and shall not the hopes of yonder joys keep thy heart from sinking when a Socrates can chearfully submit to the unjust Sentence of the Athenians upon no other account but this because it was God's will shalt thou who art a Christian lye fretting at thy trouble as if thou meanst to resist and controul God's will wilt not thou give God leave to use that priviledge in his great House the World which every Peasant uses in his Cottage and lay what burthens he pleases on his Servants Shall he say Suffer thou this affliction and wilt thou answer with that ill-natur'd Son in the Gospel I will not Look O my Soul look upon the benefit thou wilt receive by this providence thou wast proud before stay awhile and this calamity makes thee humble thou didst despise thy God before have a little patience and this trouble will drive thee hence to thy Fathers house thou didst play with the bread thy Father gave thee this cross will teach thee how to prize it thou didst trust too much to thine own strength this calamity will make thee relye altogether upon him who hath promis'd not to leave us nor forsake us God knows what thou wantest and how thy wants must be supplyed He prosperity would undo thee he therefore takes it away and like a tender Father cries Do thy self no harm He sees such a blessing would make thee surfeit he therefore wisely prevents thy disease by depriving thee of that mercy He sees such a comfort would be but a Knife or Sword in thy hand and kill thee he therefore snatches it away because he would preserve thee from Eternal ruine he sees thou art too much in love with this world he therefore embitters thy sweet morsels to make thee weary of this barren wilderness and in love with that Kingdom which fades not away Dost thou blame a Physitian because he gives his Patient a bitter potion and wilt thou blame thy God for not pleasuring thy pallate with dainties which would encrease thy distemper wouldst thou followthy Saviour in Sun-shine only and not go with him into the Garden of Gethsemane wouldst thou inherit his Crown of Glory without wearing his Crown of Thorns here wouldst thou be with him on Mount Tabor only and not accompany him to Golgotha wouldst thou be about him only when he rides in triumph into Jerusalem and forsake him in the Desart wouldst thou follow him only while the loaves doe last and abandon him when he wants bread for the multitude wouldst thou own him only when men cry Hosanna and run away from him when they cry out Crucify him wilt thou eat of the same Bread he doth and not drink of his Cup too God would save thee by that burthen which lies upon thee and dost thou prefer a little froth before an Eternal weight of blessedness hadst thou rather enjoy thy good things here than lye with Lazarus in Abrahams bosom God sees thou canst not be happy without this affliction and wilt thou prefer living deliciously for a few days before the rich Banquet God hath prepar'd for his favourites in Paradise O my Soul it s but a little while yet and thy Prison will be changed into a Palace thy Poverty into Eternal Riches thy Bondage into perfect Liberty thy Persecution into endless Joys thy mourning Songs into Halelujahs thy Sorrow into Rivers of Delight Alas what is a Prison God's Presence can make it a Heaven Walls cannot keep out the Smiles and Glory of the Highest What is poverty it may consist with being a Favourite of God and he that hath nothing in this world to boast of may have an incorruptible Crown to lay hold of and be really richer than the weakliest of Mankind What are slanders and reproaches they cannot hurt the Soul whatever injury they only do the Body they come sometimes from Men whose tongue is no slander and this may consist with honour from God and reputation in the Court of the Almighty What is persecution a Cloud which soon passes away and he that chearfully endures it great is his reward in Heaven Despair not O my Soul thou hast to deal with a God who will lay no more upon thee than thou art able to bear but with the temptation will make a way to escape that thou mayst be able to bear it one that doth not afflict the children of men willingly one that will certainly if thou obstruct not his operation by thy unbelief cause all these troubles to work together for thy Eternal good May be thy troubles are altogether Spiritual and thou dost not complain so much because thou art destitute of outward conveniences as because thy God is departed from thee a deep sense of thy sins afflicts thee thou seest the wrath of God hovering over thee and God hides his face from thee thou art afraid thou dost not belong to him thou seest not thy former tokens nor feel'st those Gracious influences which formerly water'd and enriched all thy faculties but hast thou such low conceits of the everlasting kindness of thy God O my Soul why shouldst thou believe he hath forsaken thee when he doth give thee daily testimonies of his Love what greater assurance canst thou have of Gods love to thee and of Christs kind thoughts towards thee than thy weariness of sin Hast not thou heard thy Saviour call Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy loaden and I will give ye rest Art not thou weary of iniquity hadst not thou rather be rid of that burthen than keep
it if thou art not heartily resolv'd to part with it why dost thou complain what makes thee cry out O wretched creature that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death what makes thee wish that what thou hast done against God were undone what makes thee afraid of offending God why dost thou weep why dost thou watch against thy corruptions what makes thee angry with thy self for displeasing God what makes thee breathe and pant after Christ as the wounded Hart pants after the Water-brooks what makes Christ so sweet and sin so bitter to thee what makes thee asham'd of looking up to Heaven whence is it that all the preferment and riches of this World cannot tempt thee to sin wilfully whence is it that thou delightest not in the company of sinners but thy delight is chiefly in them that fear the Lord If these be not signes of Grace what character of mercy wouldst thou have hath not thy God said that he 'l love those that do love him if thou lov'st him not why art thou restless till thou enjoyest him if thou lovest him not why dost thou desire him why art thou willing to follow him through misery and the greatest troubles to be forever with him thou hast infirmities to wrestle withal but hath not thy God promis'd thee that he 'll bruise Satan under thy feet shortly thou canst not totally master such a corruption but dost not thou fight against it thou meetest with temptations but dost not thou grapple with them Satan follows thee but dost not thou resist him thy Conscience terrifies thee but hast not thou the Cross of Christ to fly to if God had a mind to kill thee would he have shewn thee all these things if God were gone from thee would not his Spirit be gone too if thou hast not the Spirit of God what mean thy longings after God what means thy love to a Spiritual life why dost thou pray so earnestly for the fruit of the Spirit why art thou altogether for a clean Heart and for renewing of a right Spirit within thee are not these signs that Gods Spirit warms thy affections and makes intercession for thee with groanings which cannot be uttered God seems to go away that thou mayst cry more earnestly after him and clouds his comforts that thou mayst sue for them with greater importunity he lets thee sink a little that thou mayst cry with a louder voice Lord save me or else I perish and falls asleep in the Ship that thou mayst take the greater pains to wake him He sees thou grow'st weary of his favour he therefore darkens it that thou mayst be at some trouble to recover it and having recover'd it set a greater price upon 't he withdraws himself for awhile that at his return thy joy may be fuller and bids his gracious influences stop awhile that when they flow in upon thee again they may fill all thy faculties with greater gladness thou canst not perform thy Duties with that alacrity and chearfulness thou desir'st but hast not thou reason to bless God that thou dost in good earnest desire to doe better was Heaven purchas'd in a moment or Sin conquer'd in an hour is not the way to life a race where men must run on till they reach the mark Go on O my Soul go on the farther thou proceedest in Gods ways the sweeter thou wilt find them the more thou strivest the more thou'lt conquer and the oftner thou dost address thy self to God the more thy dullness and weariness will vanish and the more thou lookest upon the everlasting recompence the greater mind thou wilt have to go on from strength to strength O my Soul hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God IV. It disposes a man to be a worthy receiver of the Lords Supper Indeed I doe not see how without it a man can receive any benefit by that blessed Sacrament for it being an Ordinance designed chiefly to impregnate the Soul with very strong longings and breathings after a crucified Saviour with a deep sense of the incomprehensible 1ove of God in Christ Jesus and with earnest resolutions to love and to obey him before all the dictates of Flesh and Bloud and of our carnal Interest it is not to be conceiv'd which way the Soul should arrive to all this without considering the end nature and advantages of this Sacrament and its probable a man may then be affected with this sublime mystery when he rowzes his Soul some such way as this Dost thou rightly understand O my Soul what this great and tremendous Ordinance means Behold thou art going to feast with that God who stretches out the Heavens like a Curtain and layes the beams of this chambers in the waters and makes the clouds his chariot and rideth upon the wings of the wind What Feast with so Glorious a God and come without a Wedding-Garment What Sup with him who dwelleth in the Heavens and not purify thy self even as he is pure Can two walk together except they be agreed what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness What concord hath Christ with Belial What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols This is the great Ordinance O my Soul which must either promote thy everlasting happiness or aggravate thy everlasting condemnation how happy mayst thou be if this Sacrament charms thee into a fervent love to thy dear Redeemer but how wilt thou escape if thou neglect so great a Salvation Here are the greatest engagements the greatest motives to a life as becomes the Gospel of Christ here God adjures thee to use the words of the Church By Christs agony and bloody sweat by his cross and passion by his death and burial to bury thy unclean desires and inordinate affections and to dedicate thy self and all thou hast to his service Here is represented the greatest love that ever was vouchsafed to men here the Son of God appears all bloudy to fright thee from thy sins here Christ is as it were crucified before thine eyes that looking upon him whom thou hast pierc'd Thou mayest mourn as one that mourns for his onely Son Here Christ appears laden with all the blessings of Heaven here the ever-blessed Trinity seems to use its utmost endeavours to perswade thee into a Heavenly conversation here the desert of sin is discover'd in the wounds and torments of an infinite God and hither thou comest O my Soul to renew thy Baptismal vow hither thou comest to enter into a solemn Covenant with God and faithfully to promise him to resign thy self entirely to him to fall out with him no more to defile thy Garments no more to dishonour to betray him no more to be faithful to him to vindicate his Glory to esteem his friends as thy friends and his enemies as thy enemies and to live up to those laws which he hath sealed with his
have no longings at all after external comforts and conveniencies but in Heaven all perishing sublunary objects are forgotten there those Friends and Relations those Children those Honours those Riches which too often made too great an encroachment on thy Love will be no attractives there thou wilt be contented without Bread satisfied without Drink the want of Cloaths will not trouble thee thou wilt have nobler friends than Father and Mother and Brethren and Sisters to converse withal nobler Food than the Delicacies of this world nobler attire than Silk or the softest Down can make there will be no need of contriving how to get a livelyhood Palaces will not tempt thee Gardens will not entice thee Gold will not dazle thee the greatness of the world will affect thee no more than Pebles the glittering Diamond will make no impressions on thee and all thy wants and necessities will be fully supplyed by an immortality of Joy and Glory Here the warm Sun of Prosperity makes thee sometimes forget and neglect the great work of thy Salvation makes thee apt to grow weary of Fasting and Prayer and mortification and self-denial and apt to yield unto Satans temptations but there the tempter must tempt thee no more he dares not fully those Christalline Walks with his steps he dares not come near that Holy place it 's past his skill how to incommode or molest a glorified Spirit Here often like Jonas thou fittest rejoycing under the Gourd or Vine and while thou art solacing thy self the Gourd withers and the Sun scorches thy Body and thou growest faint there this annoyance will have an end there thou wilt live above the Sun and that which is now thy Ceiling shall be then thy Footstool On Earth when Christ is pleased to communicate himself unto thee it s here a little and there a little and he gives thee but sprinklings of his Grace for while thou art in this Tabernacle of Flesh thou art not capacious enough to receive or entertain that stupendious Light in its full vertue and Power and Majesty but when thy Vessel of Clay thy Body shall be shatter'd into Dust and Atomes and thou shalt be freed from thy Prison and live like thy self all Understanding all Intellect all Spirits the Sun that shines in the highest Heavens and irradiates the Throne of God even the Lord Jesus Christ will then reveal himself to thee in his full splendor and Glory thine Eyes will then be strong enough to look upon that glorious and immense Globe of Light and thou shalt be like unto the Angels of God thy extravagant passions will then cease forever thy grief thy sorrows will have no admittance into those Seats of Bliss thou 'lt be refined then from all those turbulent motions which do now so often discompose thy rest Here the death of a near Relation troubles thee there thou wilt be above all trouble and vexation here thine anger like that of Moses doth often wax hot because thou seest thy God dishonoured and his Commands trampled upon there thou wilt see no such dismal sights here a sin thou fallst into against thy will makes thee wish for rivers of Tears there thy grief will be buried in eternal exultations there thy passions will all be calm'd and like water after a storm look smooth and quiet there will be no disorder in thy affections but like a Quire of tuneable Voices they 'l meet in everlasting harmony there no affliction must come after thee Here with Moses thy Body may be thrown into the Water with Joseph cast into prison with Shadrach Meschek and Abednego flung into a fiery Furnace with Daniel hurried into a Lions Den stoned with the Prophets crucified with St. Peter thrown down from a Precipice with St. James cast into a Kettle of boyling Oil with St. John thrust through with a Lance as St. Thomas bound to a tree with St. Andrew flead with S. Bartholomew burnt with Polycarp torn by wild Beasts with Ignatius in all which afflictions thou canst not but sympathize with thy individual companion for it 's by thee that thy Body feels the torments it endures but in that Heaven that glorious Heaven no Enemy can reach thee no Devil fright thee no storm surprize thee no Monarch frown on thee no sickness break thee no distemper crush thee no age waste thee no danger shake thee no Tyrant threaten thee no Lions meet thee no Tyger tear thee no Sword pierce thee no publick commotions startle thee the Sun shall not light on thee nor any heat for thou art secure under the shadow of the Almighties wings for ever The Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed thee by his everlasting saciety here it is A little while and you shall not see me and again a little while and you shall see me but there with open face and without a glass thou wilt look upon his Majesty for ever here Christ comes and departs there he will never remove out of thy sight there his everlasting love will support thee there his kindness will be subject to Clouds and Eclipses no more there thou wilt not be able to turn thy Eyes away from him This is that Lamb that will give thee to drink of his everlasting Springs Springs which can never be drawn dry Springs which can no more decay than the Son of God decays he is the everlasting Fountain of Delight and in this Fountain thou shalt bathe and recreate thy self forever his Attributes his Kingdom his Beauty shall charm and ravish thee for ever there thou shalt be in an everlasting extasie of joy there thou wilt not need to cry out with St. Bernard Hold Lord for my heart is not able to contain those joys which thou dost so liberally pour out upon me that everlasting Fountain of joy and content and satisfaction shall both fill and enable thee to bear that fulness of joy and light which shall then appear unto thee the remembrance of Christs merits and benefits and what Christ hath done for thee will then transport thee into everlasting Praises and Celebrations of his Goodness Songs as endless as thy duration will be The Rivers that water that Garden of God shall be a perpetuum mobile running and flowing to all Eternity In this Paradise are living no standing waters when millions of ages are past thy Glory shall be still green and lively and after many thousands of years thy happiness like Aaron's Rod shall bud and blossom and bear Fruit. O my Soul when that inexhaustible Fountain fades then and not till then need'st thou be afraid that thy delights will fade there God will put an end to all thy Tears what Rhetorick can reach the favour the Tears thou didst shed for sin the Tears which a deep sense of thy Spiritual poverty did force from thee the Tears which Tribulation and Anguish did command from thine Eyes these will all then be wash'd away How amiable are thy Tabernacles Lord God of
thou putst upon thine own Soul and is thy Soul so inconsiderable a thing that thou makest nothing of deluding and circumventing it What thinkest thou Sinner suppose thou didst see a Senate or Parliament made up of very grave wise sober judicious men who should unanimously give their verdict in a Cause and determine it and while these men after serious deliberation give their judgement in the case propos'd to them in comes the malefactor against whom they have given sentence accuses the Decree of the Senate of injustice charges their Vote with a lye and takes a great deal of pains to make the world believe a tale of his own making whom wouldst thou believe that grave wise judicious Senate or the Malefactor the Senate sure and then when God Angels and Men the wisest the gravest the learnedst of them do all unanimously determine that without a serious consideration of thy Spiritual concerns thou canst not arrive to any sincere reformation of life canst never know the danger thou art in or what thou must do to escape unquenchable fire and that without it thou art a truly miserable man and dost take the way that leads to destruction hast thou the impudence to oppose thy sickly opinion which arises from a distemper'd ed head and a more distemper'd conscience to the grave sound and orthodox judgement of Men infinitely wiser than thy self when all with one consent affirm that thou art sick to death and nothing but consideration can recover thee wilt thou cancel their verdict by prescribing to thy self medicines of thine own making all cry out against thy inconsiderate course of life God doth not justify it Angels do condemn it the Preachers of the Gospel confute it Philosophers arreign it thy Reason hath arguments against it thy Conscience chides thee for it thy sober neighbors reprove it and wilt not thou subscribe to their sentence what insolence is it to think thy self more knowing than he that knows all things Behold sinner here lies the way to Heaven God is intreating thee to walk in it the Devil is busy to discourage thee from it God saith Here I will be found the Devil suggests that the Sons of Anack dwell there God wishes thou wouldst yield and live the Devil that thou wouldst stand out and dye God seeks to crown thee the Devil to rob thee of thy Diadem God assures thee that this is the Garden where thy Graces must grow the Devil argues that nothing but Weeds and Thistles grow there All the dispute is who shall have thy Soul God or the Devil think sinner for God's sake think who is the Rewarder and who is the Tormenter who is the King that can save thee and who is the Executioner that studies only to ruine thee shall not God prevail wilt not thou give him thy heart and shall Satan goe away with thy Soul shall he possess that Treasure which Angels are ambitious of for shame let not God goe away empty think what a condescension it is in God to be willing to accept of so inconsiderable a Present as thy Heart what is thy Soul to him what benefit doth he receive by offering thee his bosom if thou hast such a mind to be the Devils slave what need God take pains to rescue thee from that bondage dost thou think he cannot live without thee dost thou think thy being in his Heaven doth add any thing to his felicity cannot he as well be glorified in thy Torments as he can in thy Salvation cannot he make his Justice triumph over such a stubborn wretch as thou art wherein doth his advantage lye may not he be God and Great and Glorious and admired by Angels while thou friest in Hell thou hast very highly obliged him indeed that he need be at all this trouble to make thee in love with his ways shouldst not thou stand amazed at his Favour shouldst not thou wonder that this immense and infinite Majesty will vouchsafe a gracious look to so vile a worm as thou art and canst thou see a God court thee and grow coy doth God offer to kiss thee with the kisses of his Lips and dost thou scorn his embraces canst thou see him carress thee and turn away thy face wilt thou prefer the motions of a lying Devil before the Oracles of the Great God of Heaven hadst thou rather goe along with him that will murther thee than accompany him that will encircle thy Head with a Crown of Glory shall God magnify his Mercy upon thee and wilt thou fall in love with his enemy doth God intend by making love to thy Soul to give a character to the world of his infinite goodness and compassion and darest thou be so bold as to lessen that character by thy contempt and ingratitude Behold sinner God is willing to lay aside his Flaming Sword thou shalt hear of him no more in the Earthquake or in the Storm or in the mighty Wind that breaks the Rocks in pieces but in the still small voice the voice of Boanerges shall sound no more in thy ears he 'll blow his Trumpet of War no more all his frowns shall be done away he 'll fright thee no more with Hell-fire if his Grace his Mercy his Compassion can but allure thee to bethink thy self and close with him and so to consider the concerns of thy Soul as to resign thy self altogether to his guidance and direction his Aspect shall be kind his Countenance shall be nothing but smiles his Face shall be a perpetual Sunshine if by consideration of thy ways thou wilt become sensible of thy former folly and throw it away and take up with him alone if his kindly Beams can thaw thy frozen Heart if his calm can win thee and make thee prostrate thy self before the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Heaven and Earth shall be no longer in conspiration against thee and thou shalt not need to look any more for Thunders and Lightnings from that Heaven stand still sinner and see the Salvation of God behold Grace and Mercy lies weeping at thy Feet the free the soveraign the extensive the attractive Grace of God comes wooing to thy Soul and doth bespeak thee in this manner Hold Hold thou poor besotted creature whither dost thou run Hear hear I bring thee the joyfullest tidings that ever were brought to the ears of Men God will be thy Father the Lord Jesus thy Saviour the Holy Ghost thy Comforter the Angels thy Companions thy Life shall be a perpetual Holyday thou shalt be a friend of God an Heir of Heaven and Coheir with Christ thy sins shall all be done away thy iniquities shall be remembred no more all the promises of the Gospel shall be thine God will vouchsafe to live with thee the Holy Ghost will make thy Soul his Temple thou shalt have strength to overcome Hell and Devils Flames and Swords and be more than a Conqueror through him that loved thee the Lord Jesus Christ ask a Heaven and
Son of God when he was on Earth would have joyned himself to one particular man and would have never departed from him What a priviledge then must it be for one who is Gods friend to have the Divinity always present with him not only as a companion but as an inhabitant for he dwells in us by his spirit Did ever any Father love his Son so as never to part company did ever any Mother love her Child as never to suffer it to goe from her Arms But God is continually embracing his friends Among Men a Father cannot be always there where his Son is but God knows not how to be from him that is his friend and though God be in all creatures by his Essence Presence and Power yet that is because he is God with a Gracious Soul he is because that Soul is his friend and if God were not immense and infinite and could not be with his other creatures yet he would be with such a Soul with whom he is one Spirit and if he could forget things yet he could not forget such a Soul or lay aside the thoughts of his prosperity and welfare and if he could forsake his other creatures yet he could not forsake such a Soul but would work always some good or other in her for Gods love being strong it s always active and where God bears a good Will to a Soul he cannot but communicate goodness to her And shall I after all this repine because I am not a Favourite of Kings and Princes when I have God for my constant guide and associate How should I stand amazed at the strangeness of the favour if God should charge all the Angels of Heaven all the ten thousand times ten thousand Spirits which wait upon him to goe and attend such a man with all the Grandeur and Majesty imaginable yet what is all this but a desart to Gods society in having him for my associate I enjoy more Dignity more Majesty more Pomp and Glory than if I had all the Armies of Heaven waiting upon me and can I think God is always with me and will not provide for me If I should neglect all things in the world and mind nothing but the things of God and my Fathers business I might he confident that he would feed me and support me because so Great so Good so Almighty so kind a friend could not see me perish The Son of God hath not honoured any Angel with the name of Brother and yet if I am united to him by Grace and by his Spirit I enjoy this priviledge and as Mothers love those Children most for which they have suffered and endured most so I may be confident that God loves me most fervently because he hath suffered for me on the Cross and endured most bitter tortures and agonies for me How may I exult how may I triumph in this love O my God! the Angels for the least drop of that Grace thou hast bestowed on them are more beholding to thee than all other creatures for all their natural gifts and for the creation of the whole world but for the least degree of Grace thou hast conferred on me I am more beholding to thee than all the Angels in Heaven for that I might live by Grace thou delivered thine own Son the Son of thy Bosom the brightness of his Fathers Glory to be crucified and to dye for me which is more than thou hast done for all the Angels in Heaven and thus thou hast obliged me more than thou hast done the Heavenly Cherubins and Seraphins Farewel ungrateful treacherous World I have seen enough of thy deceitful Presents I 'll follow thy weak judgement no longer I 'll esteem no Riches but what my Saviour hath counted so In following him I cannot erre self-denial and doing the Will of God were the Treasures he studied to be master of why should not I judge that to be Riches which God hath judged so why should not my mind agree with the verdict of the Most High Nay when God doth love me so entirely why should not I for love of him conform my understanding to his judgement I see those that love the world at the same time confess that they ought to love the everlasting Riches more for if the fading things deserve their love things permanent and solid and eternal ought to be loved much more I will not think much of afflictions now for I find that God by them would make me weary of my fondness to perishable trash and elevate and raise my Soul to embrace those Treasures which neither Men nor Devils can steal away Physitians I see when they would cure a sick man make him sicker than he is by enjoyning him abstinence by adustions by vomitives by putting him to greater torments I know my Soul is sick God would make it perfectly well but such is my sickness that God must put me to pain and anguish and great trouble before I can be well my Heart is all Flint but when this stone is struck sufficiently it will then send forth Holy Fire when my Flesh is weak my Strength will retire more to my Mind and Understanding and I shall be fitter for Heaven The glorified Bodies of Saints in the last day will be the more splendid and illustrious the more they have been afflicted and tortured here and shine the more the more dismal the Dungeon was they were kept in during their abode in this valley of Tears Why should I weep when God takes away from me the cause of weeping How many thousands are now weeping in Hell because they enjoyâ—d so much of the worlds comforts and made them occasions of affronting their Creator Shall I count that loss which is my gain and call my want of Riches a misfortune when it is the greatest remedy to fit my Soul for Heaven what is impudence is it in me to desire that of God which I ought to hate at the most love but with fear and trembling What inhumanity to my self is it to beg poison of the Father of Lights and to murmure that he gives me not that Viper which will sting me into endless tortures My love of the world is Adultery and shall I desire that wherewith I have committed Adultery Is it not all one as if a woman should entreat her Husband to let her enjoy the pleasure of an unlawful Bed the Husband doth shew great mercy to her in that when he might punish her more severely he only removes the Adulterer and shall I count that mercy an injury In wishing for the Riches and Greatnesses of this world I do as much desire God to give me that whereby I may offend him Shall I be angry with a Chirurgeon who to prevent the spreading of my Cancer cuts off a Member to preserve my life and shall I take it ill of God for wounding my Flesh to draw out the Arrows that stick in my heart and would fester and kill me if not
pull'd out betimes How shall I be crown'd if I strive not How shall I strive if I have no temptation I cannot strive without an enemy and without striving there can be no victory the Workman doth not pull the Gold out of the fire till sufficiently refined and shall I murmur that God lets the Fiery Trials continue upon me when it is certain that my Gold is not yet fit to be receiv'd into the Sanctuary I am full of dangers but my greatest danger is security Men fear and quake and tremble if they are in the midst of an hundred enemies I have all the Devils in Hell against me and a whole Army of Lusts bent to ruine me and am not afraid And when there is nothing can rouze me from my security but affliction ought not I to kiss the rod In the greatest troubles I may be assured that God loves me and that it is not his Anger but his Love that follows me with chastisements and why should I fret under the yoak especially when fretting and strugling to shake it off before Gods time doth but make my neck more sore and the yoak far more uneasy I brought the cause of suffering with me into the world which is sin and how can I expect I shall be freed from suffering till I am freed from sin God might have placed me in Heaven immediately upon my coming into the world without any of these outward troubles he could as easily produce Bread out of the Earth as he doth the Ears of Corn but that man may sweat and labour and relish his bread the better he causes only the Ears of Corn to spring and of them Bread must be made so by labour and suffering God leads me unto Glory that I may the better relish his bounty and liberality and my rest may be the sweeter after my toil and tempests here Affliction I know cannot hurt me for my Saviour hath been my taster there can be no bitterness in these herbs when my God hath season'd them Why should I love God less than dogs do their Masters These poor brutes are beaten and struck and chid and pelted with stones and yet the more they are beaten the more they love their owners and cringe and bow and humble themselves before them shall I be worse than a beast and shall I carry a rational Soul in my Breast and kick against those pricks which God hath set to guard me from Eternal Flames All my sorrows and bitterness will shortly be poured out into an ocean of sweetness and how little of it shall I perceive then it will then be all lost in a Sea of Glory and I shall forget that I was poor and wretched and naked and miserable when I shall be Eternally enriched with God bounty enamoured with his perfection decked with his Majestick Robes comforted with his Consolation delighted with his love enriched by his wisdom and satisfied with his beauty in whose Presence there is fulness of joy and pleasure at his right hand for evermore These are some descants upon that Picture of Retirement with such consolations can he that retires refresh himself while the man that wearies himself with the vanities of this world finds no solid peace and when he comes to dye must look back upon his former life with horror and anxiety But II. Another great help to Consideration is Prayer this is the Ambassador that must goe to Heaven and fetch the assistance of Gods Spirit from thence Consideration shews me my danger and my happiness but it 's the Spirit of God must blow upon my affections that they may actually shun the one and reach after the other and this Spirit must be had by Prayer not by Lip-labour not by Prayer unto which the heart is a stranger and knows not what the tongue means in making such a noise but by Prayer which expresses the real desires of the heart by Prayer that flows from a deep sense of the absolute necessity of the grace of God and hath Fire and Flames enough to bear it up into Heaven For if you which are evil can give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him saith Christ Luc. 11.13 and what kind of asking this is appears from the parable immediately preceding for which of you saith Christ v. 5. shall have a friend and shall goe to him at midnight and say unto him Friend lend me three loaves for a friend of mine in his journey is come unto me and I have nothing to set before him and he from within shall answer and say Trouble me not for the door is now shut and my children are with me in bed I cannot rise and give thee I say unto you though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs And then it follows immediately Ask and it shall be given you i. e. Ask for Gods Holy Spirit with the same importunity with the same fervency and earnestness that this man did the Loaves follow God with incessant cryes resolve not to be denied and it shall most certainly be given you The truth is importunate and fervent Prayer shews a man is in good earnest and that he doth not come to God out of formality or meerly to satisfy the motions of a fearful Conscience but that a great sense of the goodness and mercy of God and of his Spiritual wants and necessities puts him upon Prayer and such Prayers God cannot despise because he hath promised to hear them and of this the Evangelist gives us a very illustrious example in the woman of Canaan crying unto Christ Lord help me the answer is rough It is not meet to take the Childrens bread and give it unto dogs yet this doth not terrify her she doubles her cryes and seems to catch our Saviour in his own words Truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters Table and now God can hold no longer but from his mouth drops the joyful word O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Matth. 15.25 26 27. Prayer sanctifies Consideration and where the Soul begs hard of God that God would set home the reflexions she hath had and work her into a willingness to close with his Will that he would increase that light which Consideration hath given her give that light fire too to warm as well as cleer her and drive and force those Convictions Consideration hath afforded her into a serious conversion terrify her so with that sight of sin which Consideration hath darted into her that she may remain no longer in the suburbs of Hell but come out of Sodom and so allure her with that beauty of Holiness which Consideration hath let her have a view of that she may not be able to resist the splendor but submit to the power
mercies Hos. 2.19 False treacherous Man Is the world become his Master Is his servant become his Sovereign And is that which was intended for his footstool become his Throne whereon he braves all the messages of grace and pardon Shall so great a Soul be married to so mean a slave So great a Spirit join'd to so pitiful a vassal And shall that which was design'd for him to trample on and despise domineer and use him like a Prisoner put fetters about his feet and shackle his Soul that it may not return to that husband to whom it hath sworn fidelity and promised allegiance and subjection How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer son of the morning and thou who hadst once power given thee to ascend into Heaven and without a metaphor to exalt thy Throne above the stars of God to ascend above the heights of the clouds and to be like unto the most High How art thou brought down to Hell to the sides of the Pit How art thou cut down to the ground How is thy pomp brought down to the grave Isa. 14.11 12 13. III. Impediment III. Vnwillingness to part with their sins This certainly is the greatest Impediment of Consideration and the chief cause of Mens neglecting this most useful work Their consciences or their hearts give them that Consideration will discover the deformity and odiousness of their vices and will put them upon forsaking their darling lusts they are afraid it will raise doubts and jealousies in their heads about their present condition disturb them in their slumber discompose them in their golden dreams drive them from their softs and ease and make their Candle burn dim and blew which for the present gives a very delightful shine and therefore they are loth to apply themselves to it I have heard of some rude and savage Indians who being decently cloathed by our Merchants for in their own Countrey it seems they knew no other ornaments but dung and guts of Beasts about their naked bodies and brought over into England with an intent to civilize them and make them instruments upon their return to teach their own Nation modesty and decency as they were walking about the streets of London and beholding the stately houses that adorn'd that goodly City they were observed to sigh and groan and to look very melancholy those that took notice of them charitably believ'd that their dejected looks were no other but characters of their mourning at their unhappy Countreymen who were strangers to such Edifices such Pomp such Glory such Plenty such Magnificence and Gallantry But being sent over into their own Countrey again they quickly betray'd the reason of their sighs and soon discovered that their melancholy was caused by their being delivered from their nastiness and beastly way of living For they were no sooner come to shore but they tore off their cloaths with indignation fell about the necks of their Countreymen with joy and betook themselves to their dung and guts again and in these ornaments they came triumphing to the English There cannot certainly be a fitter emblem of Sin where Men are enamor'd with it They delight in their Plague-sores rejoyce in their wounds and bruises wounds not bound up nor mollified with oyntment They are afraid of Plaisters and do so desire to be let alone in their misery that they are jealous of a Cure and dread a Physitian Their filth is so pleasing to them their itch so amiable that he that offers to free them from it attempts tearing of their bowels from them and that 's it makes them afraid of Consideration For indeed Consideration would anatomize their sin shew them the venome that 's spread through every part shew them who that God is who professes himself offended at it shew them that he who is provok'd by it is that God who breath'd into their Nostrils the breath of life and gives them the meat they eat the drink they drink and the cloaths they put on that hath the same power over them which the Potter hath over his Vessel and can create and destroy them at his pleasure that sits on the circle of the earth and before whom all Nations are as a drop of a Bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance before whom they are as nothing yea less than nothing and vanity from whom all their spiritual and temporal mercies do descend without whom they could not be one moment out of Hell who is their best their greatest and most constant Benefactor who lets his Sun shine upon them and his Rain drop down on their fields and pastures who sends his holy Angels to watch their steps and to keep them in their wayes who hears the Heavens for them and makes the Heavens hear the earth and the earth to hear the Corn the Wine and the Oyl and commands all these to relieve them who preserves them from danger prevents their being hurt and charges all the elements to spare them who keeps them by his Providence supports them by his Wisdom protects them by his Power and thinks nothing too good for them if they will but approve themselves obedient children and live like persons who are sensible of the obligations of the Highest Consideration would let them see that this God who could undo them wooes them to Repentance and that there is nothing in the world God hates more than sin and that this is it his Soul abhors being holiness it self and of infinite purity Consideration would let them see that their sin controlls the will and wisdom of that God who feeds them sets up Laws of its own making in opposition to those commands which the holy Angels dare not mention without trembling This would let them see the majesty and glory of that God whom they do affront a God who charges his Angels with folly and on whose brightness those blessed Ministers cannot look without covering their faces with their wings and crying out in amazement Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Consideration would represent to them the various mercies and opportunities they do slight and how hard it will be for them to kick against the pricks this would shew them what resisting their own mercies means and what fighting against their own happiness imports how blessings slighted will turn to a curse and mercies abus'd will aggravate their gâ—ilt how stubbornness makes God weary of shewing mercy and how refusing to come in while the gates are open provokes the Master of the house to protest That the invited Guests shall neuer taste of his Supper how opportunities of being serious if neglected may be snatcht away and the Scepter of grace if look'd upon with contempt and scorn may never be stretcht forth again Consideration would let them see what grief their sins do cause in Heaven how they make the eternal God complain how loathsom how abominable they make them in the sight of God and how they treasure up unto the owners wrath against