all his work and lyeth not only in the heat of the brain or rigid opinions or heat of speech 10. It is not a sudden flash but a constant resolution of the soul Like the natural heat and not like a Feaver Though the feeling part is not still of one Gal. 4. 15 18. degree Therefore it concocteth and strengtheneth when false zeal only vexeth and consumeth § 5. Direct 2. When you are thus acquainted with the nature of true zeal consider next of its excellency Direct 2. and singular benefits that there may be a love to it and an honour of it in your hearts To that The excellency of zeal and diligence end consider of these following commendations of it § 6. 1. Zeal being nothing but the fervour and vigour of every grace hath in it all the beauty and excellency of that Grace and that in a high and excellent degree If Love to God be excellent then zealous fervent Love is most excellent § 7. 2. The nature of holy Objects are such so great and excellent so transcendent and of unspeakable consequence that we cannot be sincere in our estimation and seeking of them without zeal If it were about riches or honours a cold desire and a dull pursuit might serve the turn and well beseem us But about God and Christ and Grace and Heaven such cold desires and endeavours are but a contempt To love God without zeal is not to Love him because it is not a loving him as Psal. 69. 10. Joh. 2. 17. Gal. 4. 18. 2 Cor. 7. 11. Tit. 2. 14. Rev. 3 15 16 19. God To seek Heaven without Zeal and Diligence is not to seek it but contemn it To pray for salvation without any zeal is but hypocritically to babble instead of praying For no desire of Christ and Holiness and Heaven is saving but that which preferreth them before all the treasures and pleasures of the World And that which doth so hath sure some zeal in it so that some Zeal is essential to every Grace as life and heat is to a man § 8. 3. The integrity and honesty of the heart to God consisteth much in zeal As he is true to his friend that is zealous for him and not he that is indifferent and cold To do his service with zeal is to â—am 5. 16. Rom. 12. 11. do it willingly and heartily and entirely To do it without zeal is to do it heartlesly and by the halves and to leave out the life and kernel of the duty It is the Heart that God doth first require § 9. 4. Zeal is much of the strength of duty and maketh it likelyest to attain its end The Prayer Mat. 11. 12. Rom. 15. 30. Luk. 13. 24. 2 Tâ—m 2. 5. 1 Cor 9. 24 25 26. Heb. 12. 1. Deut. 6. 5. Mat. â—2 37. 2 Cor. 5. 14. Prov. 10. 4. of the faithful that 's effectual must be fervent Jam. 5. 16. Zeal must make us importunate suiters that will take no denyal if we will speed Luk. 18. 1 8 c. The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force We must strive to enter in at the strait gate for many shall seek to enter and not be able Not every one that striveth is crowned nor every one that runneth wins the prize but he that doth it effectually so as to attain No wonder if we be commanded to Love God with all our heart and soul and might which is a Zealous Love For this is it that overcometh all other love and will constrain to dutiful obedience As experience telleth us it is the zealous and diligent Preacher that doth good when the cold and negligent do but little so is it in all other duties The diligent hand maketh rich And God blesseth those that serve him heartily with all their might § 10 5. Zeal and diligence take the opportunity which sloth and negligence let slip They are up Joh. 9. 4. Isa 55. 6. Luk. 19. 42. Heb. 3. 7 15. Mat. 25. with the Sun and work while it is day They seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near They know the day of their Visitation and Salvation They delay not but take the accepted time When the slothful are still delaying and trifling and hear not Gods voice while it is called to day but harden their hearts and sleep with their lamps unfurnished and knock not till the door be shut They stand and look upon their work while they should do it They are never in readiness when Christ and Mercy are to be entertained They are still putting off their duty till some other time till time be done and their work undone and they are undone for ever § 11. 6. Zeal and diligence are the best improvers of Time and mercy As they delay not but take the present time so they loyter not but do their work to purpose As a speedy Traveller goeth farther in a day than a slothful one in many so a zealous diligent Christian will do more for God and his soul in a little time than a negligent dullard in all his life It is a wonder to think what Augustine and Chrysostome did among the Ancients what Calvin and Perkins and Whittaker and Reignolds and Chamier and many other Reformed Divines have done in a very little time And what Swarez and Vasquez and Iansenius and Tostatus and Cajetan and Aquinas and many other Papists have performed by diligence when Millions of men that have longer time go out of the World as unknown as they came into it having never attained to so much knowledge as might preserve them from the reproach of Bruitish ignorance nor so much as might save their souls from Hell And when many that had diligence enough to get some laudable abilities had never diligence enough to use them to any great benefit of others or themselves Zeal and diligence are that fruitful well-manured soil where God soweth his seed with best Mat. 13 8 23. Prov. 26. 14. success and which return him for his mercies an hundred fold and at his coming giveth him his own with usury Mat. 25. 27 20. But sloth and negligence are the grave of mercies where they are buried till they rise up in judgement against the despisers and consumers of them Aristotle and Plato Galen and Hippocrates improvers of nature shall condemn these slothful neglecters and abusers of nature and grace yea their Oxen and Horses shall be witnesses against many that served not God with any such diligence as these beasts served them yea many gallants of great estates never did so much service for the common good in all their lives as their very beasts have done Their parts their life and all is lost by them § 12. 7. Zeal and diligence are the victorious enemies of sin and Satan They bear not with sin They are to it as a consuming fire is to the thorns and bryars Zeal burneth up
your salvation Take heed lest it turn into carnal security and a perswasion of your good estate upon ill grounds or you know not why 4. Have you the Hope of glory Take heed lest it turn into a careless venterousness of your soul or the meer laying aside of fear and cautelous suspicion of your selves 5. Have you a Love to them that fear the Lord Watch your hearts lest it degenerate into a carnal or a partial Love Many unheedful young persons of different Sexes at first love each other with an honest chaste and pious Love but imprudently using too much familiarity before they were well aware it hath turned into a fleshly Love which hath proved their snare and drawn them further into sin or trouble Many have honoured them that fear the Lord who insensibly have declined to honour only those of them that were eminent in wealth and worldly honour or that were esteemed for their parts or place by others and little honoured the humble poor obscure Christians who were at least as good as they Forgetting that the things that are highly esteemed among men are abomination in the sight of God Luke 16. 15. and that God valueth not men by their places and dignities in the world but by their graces and holiness of life Abundance that at first did seem to Love all Christians as such as far as any thing of Christ appeared in them have first fallen into some Sect and over admiring their party and have set light by others as good as them and censured them as unfound and then withdrawn their special Love and confined it to their party or to some few and yet thought that they loved the godly as much as ever when it was degenerate into a factious Love 6. Are you zealous for God and truth and holiness and against the errors and sins of others Take heed lest you lose it not while you think it doth increase in you Nothing is more apt to degenerate than zeal In how many thousand hath it turned from an innocent charitable peaceable tractable healing profitable heavenly zeal into a partial zeal for some Party or Opinions of their own and into a fierce censorious uncharitable scandalous turbulent disobedient unruly hurting and destroying zeal ready to wish for fire from Heaven and kindling contention confusion and every evil work Read well Iames 3. 7. So if you are meek or patient take heed lest it degenerate into stupidity or contempt of those you suffer by To be patient is not to be meerly insensible of the affliction but by the power of faith to bear the sense of it as over-ruled by things of greater moment § 3. How apt men are to corrupt and debase all duties of Religion is too visible in the face of the far greatest part of the Christian world Throughout both the Eastern and the Western Churches the Papists the Greeks the Armenians the Abassines and too many others though the Essentials of Religion through Gods mercy are retained yet how much is the face of Religion altered from what it was in the dayes of the Apostles The ancient simplicity of Doctrine is turned into abundance of new or private opinions introduced as necessary Articles of Religion and alas how many of them â—alse So that Christians being too proud to accept of the ancient test of Christianity cannot now agree among themselves what a Christian is and who is to be esteemed a Christian and so they deny one another to be Christians and destroy their Charity to each other and divide the Church and make themselves a scom by their divisions to the Infidel world And thus the Primitive Unity Charity and Peace is partly destroyed and partly degenerate into the Unity Charity and Peace of several Sects among themselves The primitive simplicity in Government and Discipline is with most turned into a â—orâ—â—ble Secular Government exercised to advance one man above others and to satisfie his will and lusts and make him the Rule of other mens lives and to suppress the power and spirituality of Religion in the world The primitive simplicity of Worship is turned into such a Masque of Ceremony and such a task of formalities and bodily exercise that if one of the Apostolical Christians should come among them he would scarce think that this is the same employment which formerâ—y the Church was exercised in or scarce know Religion in this antick dress So that the amiable glorious face of Christianity is so spotted and defiled that it is hidden from the Unbelieving world and they laugh at it as irrational or think it to be but like their own And the principal hinderance of the conversion of Heathens Mahometans and other Unbelievers is the corruption and deformity of the Churches that are near them or should be the instruments of their conversion And the probablest way to the conversion of those Nations is the true Reformation of the Churches both in East and West which if they were restored to the ancient spirituality rationality and simplicity of Doctrine Discipline and Worship and lived in charity humility and holiness as those whose hearts and conversations are in Heaven with all worldly glory and honour as under their feet they would then be so illustrious and amiable in the eyes even of Heathens and other Infidels that many would flock in to the Church of Christ and desire to be such as they And their light would so shine before these men that they would see their good works and glorifie their heavenly Father and embrace their faith § 4. The commonest way of the degenerating of all Religious duties is into this dead formality or lifeless Image of Religion If the Devil can but get you to cast off the spirituality and life of duty he will give you leave to seem very devout and make much ado with outward actions words and beads and you shall have so much zeal for a dead Religion or the Corpse of Worship as will make you think that it is indeed alive By all means take heed of this turning the Worship of God into lip-service The commonest cause of it is a carnality of mind Fleshly men will think best of the most fleshly Religion or else a slothfulness in duty which will make you sit down with the easiest part It is the work of a Saint and a diligent Saint to keep the soul it self both regularly and vigorously employed with God But â—o say over certain words by rote and to lift up the hands and eyes is â—asie And hypocrites that are conscious that they are void of the life and spirituality of Worship do think to make all up with this formality and quiet their consciences and delude their souls with a hansome Image Of this I have spoken more largely in a Book called The Vain Religion of the Formal Hypocrite § 5. Yet run not here into the contrary extream as to think that the Body must not worship God as well as the soul or that the
genuine 1. There is a zeal and activity meerly Natural which is the effect of an active temperature of body 2. There is an affected zeal which is hypocritical about things that are good when men speak and make an outward stir as if they were truly zealous when it is not so 3. There is a selfish zeal when a proud and selfish person is fervent in any matter that concerneth himself for his own opinions his own honour his own estate or friends or interest or any thing that is his own 4. There is a partial factioâ—s zeal when errour or pride or worldliness hath engaged men in a party and they think it is their duty or interest at least to side with the Sect or Faction which they have chosen they will be zealous for all the Mat. 23. 15. Opinions and wayes of their espoused Party 5. There is a superstitious Childish carnal zeal for small indifferent inconsiderable things Like that of the Pharisees and all such hypocrites for their Washings and Fastings and other ceremonious Observances 6. There is an envious malicious zeal against those that have the precedency and cross your desires or cloud your honour in the World or that contradict you in your conceits and ways such is that at large described Iam. 3. 7. There is a pievish contentious wrangling zeal that is assaulting every man who is not squared just to your conceits 8. There is a malignant zeal against the Cause and Servants of the Lord which carryeth men to persecute them See that you take not any of these or any such like for holy zeal § 3. If you should so mistake these mischiefs would ensue 1. Sinful zeal doth make men The mischiefs of false zeal doubly sinful As holy zeal is the fervency of our grace so sinful zeal is the intention and fervency of sin 2. It is an honouring of sin and Satan as if sin were a work and Satan a Master worthy to be fervently and diligently followed 3. It is the most effectual violent way of sinning making men do much evil in a little time and making them more mischievous and hurtful to others than other sinners are 4. It blindeth the judgement and maketh men take truth for falshood and good for evil and disableth Reason to do its office 5. It is the violent resister of all Gods means and teacheth men to rage against the truth that should convince them It stops mens ears and turns away their hearts from the Counsel which would do them good 6. It is the most furious and bloody persecutor of the Saints and Church of Jesus Christ It made Paul once exceeding mad against them Act. 26. 10 11. and shut them up in Prison and punish them in the Synagogues See Jam. 3. and câ—mpel them to blaspheam and persecute them even unto strange Cities and vote for their death Thus concerning zeal he persecuted the Church Phil. 4. 6. 7. It is the turbulent disquieter of all Societies A destroyer of Love a breeder and fomenter of contention and an enemy to order peace and quietness 8. It highly dishonoureth God by presuming to put his name to sin and errour and Rom. 10. 2. Act. 21. 20 22. to entitle him to all the wickedness it doth Such zealous sinners commit their sin as in the Name of God and fight against him ignorantly by his own pretended or abused authority 9. It is an impenitent way of sinning The zealous sinner justifieth his sin and pleadeth reason or Scripture for it and thinketh that he doth well yea that he is serving God when he is murdering his Servants Ioh. 16. 2. 10. It is a multiplying sin and maketh men exceeding desirous to have all others of the sinners mind The zealous sinner doth make as many sin with him as he can Yea if it be but a zeal for small and useless things or about small Controversies or Opinions in Religion 1. It sheweth a mind that 's lâ—mentably strange to the tenour of the Gospel and the mind of Christ and the practice of the great substantial things 2. It destroyeth Charity and peace and breedeth censuring and abusing others 3. It dishonoureth holy zeal by accident making the prophane think that all zeal is no better than the foolish passion of deceived men 4. And it disableth the persons that have it to do good even when they are zealous for holy truth and duty the people will think it is but of the same nature with their erroneous zeal and so will disregard them § 4. The signs of holy zeal are these 1. It is guided by a right Judgement It is a zeal for The signs of holy zeal Truth and Good and not for falshood and Evil Rom. 10. 2. 2. It is for God and his Church or cause and not only for our selves It consisteth with meekness and self-denyal and patience as to our own concernments and causeth us to prefer the interest of God before our own Numb 12. 3. Exod. 32. 19. Gal. 4. 12. Act. 13. 9 12. 3. It is always more careful of the substance than the circumstances It preferreth great things before small It contendeth not for small Controversies to Mat. 23. 22 23. Tit. 2. 14. the loss or wrong of greater truths It extendeth to every known truth and duty but in due proportion being hottest in the greatest things and coolest in the least It maketh men rather zealous of good works than of their controverted Opinions 4. Holy Zeal is alway charitable It is not cruel 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. â—â—â—â—k 9. 4. 1 Cor. 5. and bloody nor of a hurting disposition Luk. 9. 55. but is tender and merciful and maketh men burn with a desire to win and save mens souls rather than to hurt their bodies 1 Cor. 13. Zeal against the sin is conjunct with Love and pity to the sinner 2 Cor. 12. 21. 5. Yet it excludeth that foolish pity which cherisheth the sin Rev. 2. 2. 1 King 15. 13. 6. True zeal is tender of the Churches Unity and Peace It is not a dividing tearing zeal It is first pure and then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits Jam. 3. 17. 7. True zeal is impartial and is Gâ—n 38. 24. 2 Sam. 12. 5. as hot against our own sins and our Childrens and other relations sins as against anothers Mat. 7. 4. 8. True zeal respecteth all Gods Commandments and is not hot for one and contemptuous of another It aimeth at perfection and stinteth not our desires to any lower degree It maketh a man desirous to be like to God even Holy as he is Holy It consisteth principally in the fervour of our Love to God when false Zeal consisteth principally in censorious wranglings against other mens actions or opinions It first worketh towards good and then riseth up against the hindering-evil 9. It maketh 2 Cor. 8. 3. Act 18. 25. Exod. 36. 6. a man laborious in holy duty to God and diligent in
hope they are in a penitent pardoned state Even the haters of God will say they love him and the scorners at godliness will say that they are not ungodly and that it is but hypocrisie and singularity that they deride And it were well for them if saying so would go for proof and he that will be their Judge would take their words But God will not be deceived though foolish men are wise enough to deceive themselves Wickedness will be wickedness when it hath cloathed it self with the fairest names God will condemn it when it hath found out the most plausible pretences and excuses Though the Ungodly think to bear it out in pride and scorn and think to be saved by their hypocritical lip-service as soon as the most holy Worshippers of the Lord yet shall they be like chaff which the wind driveth away they shall not be able to stand in judgement nor sinners in the Congregation of the righteous Psal. 1. 4 5 6. And if God know better than foolish men then certainly the flock is little to whom the Father will give the Kingdom Luke 12. 32. And wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Matth. 7. 13. When Christ was asked Lord are there few that be saved he answered Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Luke 13. 23 24. But alas we need no other information than common experience to tell us whether the greatest part of men be Holy and Heavenly and Self-denying that seek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and Love God above all and will forsake all they have for the sake of Christ And undoubtedly none but such are saved as you may see Heb. 12. 14. Matth. 6. 20 21 33. Luke 14. 33. § 2. Seeing then the Godly are so few and the Ungodly so many and that God will take nothing for Holiness that is not such indeed and seeing it is so terrible a thing to any man that hath his wits about him to live one day in an unconverted state because he that dyeth so is lost for ever methinks it should be our wisdom to be suspicious of our selves and careful lest we be deceived in so great a business and diligent in searching and examining our hearts whether they are truly sanctified or not because it can be no harm to make sure work for our salvation whereas presumption carelesness and negligence may betray us to remediless misery and despair § 3. I do not here suppose the Reader to have any such acquaintance with his heart or care of his salvation or obedient willingness to be taught and ruled by Jesus Christ as is proper to those that are truly sanctified For it is Ungodly persons that now I am speaking to And yet if I should not suppose them to have some capacity and disposition to make use of the Directions which I give them I might as well pass them by and spare my labour I tell thee therefore Reader what it is that I presuppose in thee and expect from thee and I think thou wilt not judge me unreasonable in my suppositions and expectations § 4. 1. I suppose thee to be a Man and therefore that thou hast Reason and Natural-free-will that Presupposed 1. That â—â—â—â— are a man is the natural faculty of Choosing and Refusing which should keep thy sensitive appetite in obedience and that thou art capable of Loving and Serving thy Creator and Enjoying him in Everlasting Life § 5. 2. I suppose that thou knowest thy self to be a man and therefore that thy sensitive part or 2. That thou knowest this and what a man is flesh should no more rule thee or be ungoverned by thee than the Horse should rule the Rider or be unruled by him And that thou understandest that thou art made on purpose to Love and Serve thy Maker and to be happy in his Love and Glory for ever If thou know not this much thou knowest not that thou art a man or else knowest not what a man is § 6. 3. I suppose thee to have a Natural self-love and a desire of thy own preservation and happiness 3 Thaâ— thou hast self-self-love and a â—â—sâ—re to be happy and that thou hast no desire to be miserable or to be hated of God or to be cast out of his favour and presence into Hell and there to be tormented with Devils everlastingly Yea I will suppose that thou art not indifferent whether thou dwell in Heaven or Hell in Joy or Torment but wouldst fain be saved and be happy Whether thou be Godly or Ungodly wise or foolish I will be 4 That thou madâ—st not thy selâ— and that the first cause of aâ—l the Bâ—iâ—g Power Wisdom and Goodness of all the creatures haâ—h formally oâ—â—minenâ—ly more than all they And therefore that there is a God Cum despâ—â—â—â—râ— câ—â—iâ—us â—â—â—â—tire quid siâ—us quid ab animantiâ—us caeteris differamus tum ea iâ—sâ—qui incipiâ—mus ad quâ— nati sâ—mus Câ—cero 5. de finâ—â— See the proof of the God-head and that God is the Governour of the world and that there is another life for man in the beginning of my Holy Common-wealth Chap. 1 2 3. Commoâ—a qâ—ibus â—â—ioâ—â— lucem quâ—â—râ—imur spâ—â—iâ—um quem ducimus à Deo nobis dari impartiâ—i videmus Cicero pro Ros. Qâ—is â—st taâ—â— vâ—coâ—s qui cum sâ—speâ—erâ—â— in coeluâ— dâ—os esse non sâ—ntiat â—a quae tanta meâ—te fiunt ut vix quisquam arte ulla ordinem rerâ—m â—tqâ—e viâ—issitâ—diâ—em perâ—eqâ—i possit caâ—u fieri puteâ— Cicero de Resp. Arusp. Read Gaâ—en'â— Hymnâ— to the Creator Li. de usâ— partium pâ—aecipuè l. 3. cap. 10. Nâ—lla gâ—ns est tam immansâ—â—ta neque tam â—eâ—rea quae non etiamsâ— ignoret qualem Deum habere deceat tamen habendâ—m sciat Cicero 1. de Leg. Omâ—ibus â—nnatum quasi iâ—scâ—â—tâ—m est esse Dâ—os Id. de Nat. Deor. Agâ—â—â—â—imus Deum â—x opeâ—ibus â—jus Cicero 1. Tusâ—ul Nullâ—m est aâ—imal â—raetâ—â— hâ—minâ—m quod habet ullam notitiam Dei Cicero 1. de Legib. Nulla gâ—â—s tam sâ—ra cujus meâ—tem non imbâ—eâ—it dâ—orum opinio Cicero 1. Tuscul. I had rather believe all the Fables in the Legends Talmud Alcoran than that this universal frame is without a mind Lord Bacon Essay 16. A little Philosophy inclineth mans mind to Atheiâ—m but depth in Philosophy bringeth mens minds about to Religion Lord Bacon Essay 16. Stoâ—ci dicunt uâ—um Deum esse iâ—sâ—mque mâ—ntâ—m â—atum Iovem dicunt Principio illum cum esset aâ—ud se substantiam onnem per aerem in â—qâ—am coâ—vertisse Qâ—od aâ—â—em faciat Vâ—â—bâ—m Deum esse quod in ipsa sit Hunâ—
to hear an Atheist proving that there is no God You may believe the Scripture to be the Word of God and Christ to be the Saviour and the soul to be immortal long before you will be fit to manage or study Controversies hereupon For nothing is so false or bad which a wanton or wicked Wit may not put a plausible gloss upon And your raw unfurnished understandings will scarce be able to see through the pretence or escape the cheat When you cannot answer the Arguments of Seducers you will find them leave a doubting in your minds For you know not how plain the answer of them is to wiser men And though you must prove all things you must do it in due order and as you are able and stay till your furnished minds are capable of the tryal If you will need read before you know your Letters or pretend to judge of Greek and Hebrew Authors before you can read English you will but become ridiculous in your undertaking § 2. II. When you do come to smaller Controverted points let them have but their due proportion of your time and zeal And that will not be one hour in many dayes with the generality of private Christians By that time you have well learned the more necessary truths and practised daily the more necessary duties you will find that there will be but little time to spare for lesser Controversies Opinionists that spend most of their Time in studying and talking of such points do steal that time from greater matters and therefore from God and from themselves Better work is undone the while And they that here lay out their chiefest zeal divert their zeal from things more necessary and turn their natural heat into a Feavor § 3. III. The Essential necessary Truths of your Religion must imprint the Image of God upon your hearts and must dwell there continually and you must live upon them as your bread and drink and daily necessary food All other points must be studied in subserviency to those All lesser duties must be used as the exercise of the Love of God or man and of a humble heavenly mind The Articles of your Creed and points of Catechism are fountains ever running affording you matter for the continual exercise of Grace It is both plentiful and solid nourishment to the soul which these great substantial points afford To know God the Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier the Laws and Covenant of God and his Judgement and Rewards and Punishments with the parts and method of the Lords Prayer which must be the daily exercise of our desires and Love this is the Wisdom of a Christian and in these must he be continually exercised You 'l say perhaps that the Apostle saith Heb. 6. 1. Leaving the Principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on to perfection not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works c. Answ. 1. By leaving he meaneth not passing over the practice of them as men that have done with them and are past them But his leaving at that time to discourse of them or his supposing them taught already Though he lay not the foundation again yet he doth not pluck it up 2. By Principles he meaneth the first points to be taught and learnt and practised And indeed Regeneration and Baptism is not to be done again But the Essentials of Religion which I am speaking of contain much more especially to live in the love of God which Paul calls the more excellent way 1 Cor. 12. 13. 3. Going on to perfection is not by ceasing to believe and Love God but by a more distinct knowledge of the mysteries of salvation to perfect our Faith and Love and Obedience The points that Opinionists call Higher and think to be the principal matter of their growth and advancement in understanding are usually but some smaller less necessary truths if not some uncertain doubtful questions Mark well 1 Tim. 1. 4. 6. 4. 2 Tim. 2. 23. Tit. 3. 9. compared with Iohn 17. 3. Rom. 13. 8 9 10. 1 Cor. 13. 1 Iohn 3. 1 Cor. 1. 23. 15. 1 2 3. 2. 2. Gal. 6. 14. Iames 2. 3. 1. Direct 5. BE very thankful for the great mercy of your Conversion but yet overvalue not your Direct 5. first degrees of knowledge or holiness but remember that you are yet but in your infancy and must expect your growth and ripeness as the consequent of Time and Diligence § 1. You have great reason to be more glad and thankful for the least measure of true Grace than if you had been made the Rulers of the Earth it being of a far more excellent nature and entitling you to more than all the Kingdoms of the world See my Sermon called Right Rejoycing on those words of Christ Rejoyce not that the Spirits are subject to you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven Luke 10. 20. Christ will warrant you to Rejoyce though enemies envy you and repine both at your victory and triumph If there be joy in Heaven in the presence of the Angels at your Conversion there is great reason you should be glad your selves If the Prodigals Father will needs have the best Robe and Ring brought forth and the fat Calf killed and the Musick to attend the Feast that they may eat and be merry Luke 15. 23. there is great reason that the Prodigal Son himself should not have the smallest share of joy though his Brother repine § 2. But yet take heed lest you think the measure of your first endowments to be greater than it Fear is a cautelous preserving grace I aâ—rt saith of Cleanthes Cum aliquando probro illi daretur quod esset timidus At ideo inquit parum pecco is Grace imitateth Nature in beginning usually with small Degrees and growing up to maturity by leisurely proceeding We are not new born in a state of manhood as Adam was created Though those Texts that liken the Kingdom of God to a grain of Mustard-seed and to a little leaven Matth. 13. 31 33. be principally meant of the small beginnings and great encrease of the Church or Kingdom of Christ in the world yet it is true also of his Grace or Kingdom in the soul. Our first Stature is but to be New born babes desiring the sincere milk of the word that we may grow by it 1 Pet. 2. 2. Note here that the new birth bringeth forth but babes but growth is by degrees by feeding on the Word The Word is received by the heart as seed into the ground Matth. 13. And seed useth not to bring forth the blade and fruit to ripeness in a day § 3. Yet I deny not but that some men as Paul may have more Grace at their first Conversion than many others have at their full growth For God is free in the giving of his Own and may give more or less as pleaseth himself But yet in Paul himself
head-strong Horse that must be kept in at first and is hardly restrained if it once break loose and get the head If you are bred up in temperance and modesty where there are no great temptations to gluttony drinking sports or wantonness you may think a while that your natures have little or none of this concupiscence and so may walk without a guard But when you come where baits of lust abound where Women and Playes and Feasts and Drunkards are the Devils snares and tinder and bellows to enflame your lusts you may then find to your sorrow that you had need of watchfulness and that all is not mortified that is asleep or quiet in you As a man that goeth with a Candle among Gunpowder or near Thatch should never be careless because he goeth in continual danger so you that are young and have naturally eager appetites and lusts should remember that you carry fire and Gunpowder still about you and are never out of danger while you have such an enemy to watch § 2. And if once you suffer the fire to kindle alas what work may it make ere you are aware James 1. 14 15. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Little knoweth the Fish when he is catching or nibling at the bait that he is swallowing the hook which will lay him presently on the bank When you are looking on the cup or gazing on alluring beauty or wantonly dallying and pleasing your senses with things unsafe you little know how far beyond your intentions you may be drawn and how deep the wound may prove how great the smart or how long and difficult the cure As you love your souls observe Pauls counsel 2 Tim. 2. 22. Flee youthful lusts Keep at a full distance Come not near the bait If you get a wound in your consciences by any wilful heinous sin O what a case will you be in How heartless unto secret duty afraid of God that should be your joy deprived of the comforts of his presence and all the pleasure of his wayes How miserably will you be tormented between the tyranny of your own concupiscence the sting of sin the gripes of conscience and the terrors of the Lord How much of the life of faith and love and heavenly zeal will be quenched in a moment I am to speak more afterwards of this and therefore shall only say at present to all young Converts that care for their salvation Mortifie the flesh and alwayes watch and avoid temptations Direct 15. BE exceeding wary not only what Teachers you commit the guidance of your souls unto Direct 15. Nam si falsi solo nomine tumidi non modo non consulendi sed vitandi sunt quibus nihil est importunius nihil insu siâ—s c. Pâ—tâ—a câ— Dâ—al 117. li. 2. but also with what company you familiarly converse That they be neither such as would corrupt your minds with error or your hearts with viciousness profâ—neness lukewarmness or with a feavorish factious zeal But choose if possible judicious holy heavenly humble unblameable self-denying persons to be your ordinary companions and familiars but especially for your near Relations § 1. It is a matter of very great importance what Teachers you choose in order to your salvation In this the free grace of God much differenceth some from others For as poor Heathens and Infidels have none that know more than what the Book of Nature teacheth if so much so in the several Nations of Christians it is hard for the people to have any but such as the Sword of the Magistrate forceth on them or the stream of their Countreys Custom recommendeth to them And it is a wonder Scientiâ— est posse dâ—cere Provâ—â—b Sub indocto tamen doctus evadâ—re potes â—fflaâ—u aliquo divino ut Ciâ—â—ro loquitur Augustinus de seipso testatur cui non omnia credere nefas est quod Aristotelicas Categorias quae inter difficillima numerantur artes liberales quas singulas a praeceptoribus didicisse magnum dicitur nullo tradeâ—te omnes intellexit â—â—â—â—ardus item vir doctrina sanctitate clarissimus omnes suas literas quarum inter cunctos sui temporis abundantissimus fuâ—â— in sâ—lvis in agris didicit non hominum magisterio sed meditando orando nec ullos unquam alios praeceptores habuit quam quercus sagos Pâ—trâ—â—ch li. 2. Dialog 40. if pure Truth and Holiness be countenanced by either of these But when and where his mercy pleaseth God sendeth wise and holy Teachers with compassion and diligence to seek the saving of mens souls so that none but the malignant and obstinate are deprived of their help § 2. Ambitious proud covetous licentious ungodly men are not to be chosen for your Teachers if you have your choice In a Nation where true Religion is in credit and hath the Magistrates countenance or the Major Vote some graceless men may joyn with better in preaching and defending the purity of doctrine and holiness of life And they may be very serviceable to the Church herein especially in expounding and disputing for the truth But even there more experienced spiritual Teachers are much more desirable They will speak most feelingly who feel what they speak And they are fittest to bring others to faith and love who believe and love God and holiness themselves They that have life will speak more lively than the dead And in most places of the world the ungodliness of such Teachers makes them enemies to the Truth which is according to godliness Their natures are at enmity to the life and power of the doctrine which they should preach And they will do their worst to corrupt the Magistrates and make them of their mind And if they can but get the Sword to favour them they are usually the cruellest persecutors of the sincere As it is notorious among the Papists that the baits of Power and Honour and Wealth have so vitiated the body of their Clergy that they conspire to uphold a worldly Government and Religion and in express contradiction to Sense and Reason and to Antiquity and the judgement of the Church and to the holy Scriptures they captivate the ignorant and sensual to their tyranny and false worship and use the seduced Magistrates and multitude to the persecuting of those that will not follow them to sin and to perdition Take heed of proud and worldly Guides § 3. And yet it is not every one that pretendeth Piety and Zeal that is to be heard or taken for a Teacher But 1. Such as preach ordinarily the substantial Truths which all Christians are agreed in 2. Such as make it the drift of their preaching to raise your souls to the Love of God and to a holy heavenly life and are zealous against confessed sins 3. Such as contradict not the
to fight against his cause and work which is by fighting against the World and the Flesh and for the glory of God § 13. In opening to you this holy War I shall 1. Shew you what we must do on the Offensive part The Mâ—â—â—â—d 2. What on the Defensive part And here I shall shew you I. What it is that the Tempter aimeth at as his End II. What matter or ground he worketh upon III. What are his Succours and Assistants IV. What kind of Officers and Instruments he useth V. What are his Methods and actual Temptations 1. To actual sin 2. Against our duty to God § 14. 1. Our offensive arms are to be used 1. Against the power of sin within us and all its advantages and helps For while Satan ruleth and possesseth us within we shall never well oppose him without 2. Against sin in others as far as we have opportunity 3. Against the credit and honour of sin in the world As the Devils Servants would bring Light and Holiness into disgrace so Christs Servants must câ—si disgrace and shame upon sin and darkness 4. Against all the Reasonings of sinners and their subtile fallacies whereby they would deceive 5. Against the passions and violent lusts which are the causes of mens other sins 6. Against the holds and helps of sin as false Teachers prophane Râ—vilers ignorance and dâ—câ—it Only take heed that on this pretence we step not out of our ranks and places to pull down the powers of the world by rebellions For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal 2 Cor. 10. 4. § 15. 2. As to our Defence I. The ends of the Tempter which must be perceived are these 1. In general his aâ—m is at our utter ruine and damnation and to draw us here to dishonour God as much as he can But especially his aim is to strengthen the great heart-sins which are most mortal and are the root and life and spawners of the rest Especially these 1. Ignorance which is the friend and cloke to all the rest 2. Error which will justific them 3. Unbelief which keeps off all that should oppose them 4. Atheism prophaneness unhâ—liness which are the defiance of God and all his Armies 5. Presumption which emboldneth them and hides the danger 6. Hardness of heart which fortifieth them against all the batteries of Grace 7. Hypocrisie which maketh them serve him as Spies and Intelligencers in the Army of Christ. 8. Disaffection to God and his wayes and servants which is the Devils colours 9. Unthankfulness which tends to make them unreconcileable and unrecoverable 10. Pride which commandeth many Regiments of lesser sins 11. Worldliness or love of money and wealth which keepeth his Armies in pay 12. Sensuality Voluptuousness or flesh-pleasing Animi molles aetate fluxâ— doâ—â—s hâ—ud dâ—fficulter câ—pâ—untur which is the great Commander of all the rest For selfishness is the Devils Lieutenant General which consisteth chiefly in the three last named but especially in Pride and Sensuality Some think that it is outward sins that bring all the danger but these twelve heart-sins which I have named to you are the twelve Gates of the infernal City which Satan loveth above all the rest § 16. II. The Matter and Grounds of his Temptations are these 1. The Devil first worketh upon the outward sense and so upon the sensitive appetite He sheweth the Cup to the Drunkards eye and the bait of filthy lust to the fornicator and the riches and pomp of the world to the covetous and proud The Glutton tasteth the sweetness of the dish which he loveth Stage-playes and tempting sports and proud attire and sumptuous buildings and all such sensual things are the baits by which the Devil angleth for souls Thus Eve first saw the fruit and then tasted and then did eat Thus Noah and Lot and David sinned Thus Achan saith Josh. 7. 21. I saw the Garments Silver and Gold I coveted them and I took them The sense is the door of sin § 17. 2. The Tempter next worketh on the Fantasie or Imagination and prints upon it the loveliest image of his bait that possibly he can and engageth the sinner to Think on it and to rowl it over and over in his mind even as God commandeth us to Meditate on his Precepts § 18. 3. Next he worketh by these upon the Passions or affections which fantasie having enflamed they violently urge the Will and Reason and this according to the nature of the passion whether fear or hope sorrow or joy love or hatred desire or aversation but by none doth he work so dangerously as by Delight and Love and Desire of things sensual § 19. 4. Hence he proceedeth to infect the Will upon the simple apprehension of the understanding to make it inordinately cleave to the temporal good and to neglect its duty in commanding the understanding to meditate on preserving objects and to call off the Thoughts from the forbidden thing It neglecteth to rule the Thoughts and Passions according to its office and natural power § 20. 5. And so he corrupteth the understanding it self first to omit its duty and then to entertain deceit and to approve of evil And so the servant is put into the Government and the commanding powers do but serve it Reason is blinded by sensuality and passion and becomes their servant and pleads their cause § 21. By all this it appeareth 1. That Satans first bait is ordinarily some sensible or imaginary good set up against true spiritual good 2. That his first assault of the Reason and Will is to tempt them into a sluggish neglect and neutrality to omit that restraint of Sense Thought and Passion which was their duty 3. And that lastly he tempteth them into actual complyance and committing of the sin And herein 1. The bait which he useth with the understanding is still some seeming Truth And therefore his art and work is to colour falshood and make it seem Truth For this is the deceiving of the mind And therefore for a sinner to plead his mistake for his excuse and say I thought it had been so or so I thought it had been no sin or no duty this is but to confess and not to excuse It is but as much as to say my Understanding sinned with my Will and was deceived by the Tempter and overcome 2. And the bait which he useth with the Will is alwayes some appearing good And self-love and love of good is the principle which he abuseth and maketh his ground to work upon as God also useth it in drawing us to good § 22. III. The Succours and Auxiliaries of the Devil and his principal means are these 1. He doth what he can to get an ill tempered Body on his side For as sin did let in bodily distempers so do they much befriend the sin that caused them A cholerick temper will much help him to draw men to passion malice murder cruelty and revenge A sanguine and bilious
observest thy danger Nor perceivest that this very desire to have the Power to do evil sheweth a degree of the evil in thy heart and that thou art not yet sâ—t so far from it as thou must be if thou wouldst be safe Contrive thy self if thou be wise and love thy self into the greatest difficulties of sinning that thou canst Make it Impossible if it may be done The Power is for the act Desire not to be able to sin if thou wouldst not sin Not that Natural power to do goâ—d should be destroyed because it is also a power to do evil but cast as many blâ—cks in the way of thy sinning as thou canst till it amount to a moral impossibility Desire the strictest Laws and Gâ—vernâ—rs and to be still in the eye of others and contrive it that thou maist Psal 101. 3. have no hope of secrecie Contrive it so that it may be utter shame and lâ—ss to thee if thou sin If thou be tempted to fornication never be private with hâ—r or him that is thy snare If thou be tempted to deceive and rob those that trust thee avoid the trust or if ever thou have done it restore and confess that shame may preserve thee § 37. Tempt 7. Next the Tempter importunately soliciteth ouâ— Thoughts or fantasies to feed upon Tempt 7. the tempting thing That the lustful person may be thinking on the objects of his lusts and the ambitious man thinking on his desired honour and the coveteous man of his desired wealth his house or lands or gainful bargains and the malitious man be thinking of all the real or imaginary wrongs which kindle malice § 38. Direct 7. Keep a continual watch upon your thoughts Remember that this is the common Direct 7. entrance of the greatest sins And if they go no further the searcher of hearts will judge thee for the adultery murder and other sins of thy heart But especially see that your thoughts be so employed on better things that sin may never find them vacant § 39. Tempt 8. The Tempter also is diligent to keep the end from the sinners eye and to perswade Tempt 8. him that there is no danger in it and that it will be as good at last as at first He cannot endure a thought a word of death or judgement unless he can first fortifie the sinner by some presumptuous hope that his sons are pardoned and his case is good either he will make them believe him that there is no such danger to the soul as should deterr them or else he keepeth them from thinking of that danger He is loth a sinner should so much as look into a grave or go to the house of mâ—urning and see the end of all the living lest he should lay it to heart and thence perceive what worldly pleasure wealth and greatness is by seeing where it leaveth sinners If one do but talk of death or judgement and the life to come the Devil will stir up some scorn or weariness or opposition against such dâ—scourse If a sinner do but bethink himself in secret what will become of him after death the Devil will either allure him or trouble him and never let him rest till he have cast away all such thoughts as tend to his salvation He cannot endure when you see the pomp and pleasure of the world that you should think or ask How long will this endure And what will it prove in the latter end § 40. Direct 8. Go to the holy Scriptures and see what they foretel concerning the end of Direct 8. Psal. 1. 15. Mat. 25. Godliness and sin God knoweth better than the Devil and is more to be believed You may see in the word of God what will come of Saints and sinners Godly and ungodly at the last and what they will think and say when they review their present life and what Christ will say to them and how he will judge them and what will be their reward for ever This is the infallible Prognostication where you may foresee your endless state In this glass continually foresee the end Never judge of any thing by the present gust alone Ask not only how it tasteth but how it worketh and what will be the effects Remember that Gods Law hath inseparably conjoyned Holiness and Heaven and sin unrepented of and Hell and seeing these cannot be separated indeed let them never be separated from each other in your thoughts Otherwise you will never understand Christ or Satan When Christ saith wilt thou deny thy self and take up the Cross and follow me his meaning is shall I â—eal thy carnal worldly heart and life and bring thee by grace to the sight of God in endless Glory You will never understand what prayer and obedience and holy living mean if you see not the End even Heaven conjoyned to them When the Devil saith to the Glutton eat also of this pleasant dish and to the Drunkard take the other cup and to the Fornicator take thy pleasure in the dark and to the Voluptuous go to the Play-house or the Gaming-house come play at Cards or Dice his meaning is Come venture upon sin and fear not Gods threatnings and refuse his word and spirit and grace that I may have thy company among the Damned in the fire which never shall be quenched This is the true English of every temptation Open thy ears then and when ever the Devil or any sinner tempteth thee to sin hear him as if he said I pray thee leap into the flames of Hell § 41. Tempt 9. If the Tempter cannot quickly draw men to the sin he will move them at least to Tempt 9. abate their resolution against it and to deliberate about it and hear what can be said and enter into a dispute with Satan or some of his instruments telling them that it is a sign of falshood which will not indure the trial and that we must prove all things And while the sinner is deliberating and disputing the vâ—â—â—â—me is working it self into his veins and sense is secretly undermining and betraying him and deceiving his mind brâ—bing his reason and seducing his will Iust as an enemy will treat with those that keep a Garrison that during the treaty he may send in spies and find out their weakness and corrupt the souldiers So doth the Devil with the sinner § 42. Direct 9. Remember that it is Christ and not Satan that you are to hear Truth is strong and Direct 9. can bear the tryal before any competent judge but you are weak and not so able to judge as you may imagine Ignorant unskilful and unsetled persons are easily deceived be the cause never so clear If it be a cause untryed by you it is not untryed by all the godly nor unknown to him that gave you the holy Scriptures If it be fit to be called in questim and disputed take the help of able godly Teachers or friends and hear what they
our passions are and therefore that it is some Idol of the imagination that is so loved But 1. If they mean that his pure Essence in it self is not the immediate object of a passion they may say the same of the Will it self For man at lâ—ast in flesh can have no other Vâ—litiâ—n of God but as he is apprehended by the Intellect And if by an Idol they mean the Image of God in the mind gathered from the appearances of God in creatures man in flesh hath no other knowledge of him For here we know him but darkly aenigmatically and as in a glass and have no formal proper conception of him in his essence So that the Rational powers themselves do no otherwise knâ—w and will Gods essence but as represented to us in a glass 2. And thus we may also love him passionately it being God in his objective being as apprehended by the Intellect that we both Will and passionately Love The Motion of the soul in flesh may raise passions by the instrumentality of the corporeal Spirits towards an immaterial object which is called the object of those passions not meerly as Passions but as the Passions of a Rational Agent it being more nearly or primarily the object of the Intellect and Will and then of the Passions as first apprehended by these superiour powers A man may Delight in God or else how is he our felicity and yet we know of no Delight which is not Passion A man may love his own soul with a passionate Love and yet it is immaterial when I passionately love my friend it is his immaterial soul and his wisdom and holiness which I chiefly love § 5. 3. It is not only for his Excellencies and Perfections in himself nor only for his Love and benefit to What 〈◊〉 God 〈…〉 Love us that Grace doth cause a sinner to Love God But it is for both conjunctly as he is good and doth good especially to us in the greatest things § 6. 4. Our first special Love to God is orderly and rationally to be raised by the belief of his Goodness What is the 〈◊〉 of our first â—â—â—â—e to God in him self and his common Love and Mercy to sinners manifested in his giving of his Son for the world and giving men the Conditional promise of pardon and salvation and offering them Christ and life eternal and all this to us as well as others and not to be caused by the belief or perswasion of his special peculiar electing redeeming or saving love to us above others that have the same invitations and offers It is the knowledge of Common Love and Mercy and not of special Love and Mercy to us as already possessed that is appointed to be the motive of our first special Love to God Yet there is in it an apprehension that he is our only possible felicity and that he will give us a special interest in his favour if we return by faith in Christ unto him For 1. Every man is bound to Love God with a special Love but every man is not specially beloved by him And no man is bound to Love God as one that specially Loveth him but those that indeed are so beloved by him For else they were bound to believe a falshood and to Love that which is not and grace should be an error and deceit The object is before the act Gods special Love must in it self be before its Revelation and as Revealed it must go before our belief of it and as believed it must go before our Loving it or Loving him as such or for it 2. The first saving faith is inseparably conjunct with special Love For Christ is believed in and willed as the Way or Means to God as the End otherwise it is no true faith And the Volition of the End which is Love is in order of nature before the choice or Vse of the Means as such And if we must Love God as one that specially Loveth us in our first Love then we must Believe in him as such by our first faith And if so it must be to us a Revealed Truth But as it is false to most that are bound to believe so it is not Revealed to the Elect themselves For if it be it is either by ordinary or extraordinary revelation If by ordinary either by Scripture directly or by Evidences in our selves which Scripture maketh the Characters of his Love But neither of these For Scripture promiseth not salvation to named but described persons And evidence of special Love there is none before Faith and Repentance and the first Love to God And extraordinary Revelations from Heaven by inspiration or Angel is not the ordinary begetter of faith For faith is the Belief of God speaking to us now by his written Word So that where there is no Object of Love there can be no Love And where there is no Revelation of it to the understanding there is no object for the will And till a man first believe and Love God he hath no Revelation that God doth specially Love him Search as long as you will you will find no other 3. If the wicked were condemned for not Loving a false or feigned object it would quiet their consciences in Hell when they had detected the deceit and seen the natural impossibility and contradiction 4. The first Love to God is more a Love of Desire than of Possession And therefore it may suffice to raise it that we see a possibility of being for ever happy in God and enjoying him in special Love though yet we know not that we possess any such Love The Nature of the thing proclaimeth it most Rational and due that we Love the Infinite Good that hath done so much by the death of his Son to remove the impediments of our salvation and is so far Reconciled to the world in his death as by a message of Reconciliation to intreat them to accept of Christ and pardon and salvation freely offered them 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. and is himself the offered Happiness of the soul. He that dare say that this much hath not an Objective sufficiency to engage the soul in special Love is a blind under-valuer of wonderful mercy 5. The first special Grace bringeth no new Object for faith or Love but causeth a new act upon the formerly revealed object § 7. 5. But our Love to God is greatly increased and advantaged afterwards by the assurance or perswasion of his peculiar special Love to us And therefore all Christians should greatly value such assurance as the appointed means of advancing them to greater Love to God § 8. 6. As we know God here in the glass of his Son and Word and Creatures so we most sensibly Love him here as his Goodness appeareth in his Works and Graces and his Word and Son § 9. 7. The nearer we come to perfection the more we shall Love God for himself and his infinite Natural Goodness and perfections not casting away
that giveth me all Life is not for meat or drink or play but these are for Life and Life for the higher Ends of Life § 16. 2. Look unto thy Redeemer drowsie soul and consider for what end he did Redeem thee Was it to wander a few years about the earth and to sleep and sport a while in flesh Or was it to crucifie thee to the world and raise thee up to the Love of God He came down to Earth from Love it self being full of Love to shew the Loveliness of God and reconcile thee to him and take away the enmity and by Love to teach thee the art of Love His Love constrained him to offer himself a Sacrifice for sin to make thee a Priest thy self to God to offer up the Sacrifice of an enflamed heart in love and praise And wilt thou disappoint thy Redeemer and disappoint thy self of the benefits of his Love The Means is for the End Thou maist as well say I would not be Redeemed as to say I would not Love the Lord. § 17. 3. And bethink thy self O drowsie soul for what thou wast Regenerated and sanctified by the Spirit Was it not that thou mightst KNOW and LOVE the Lord What is the Spirit of Adoption that is given to Believers but a Spirit of predominant Love to God Gal. 4. 6. Thou couldst have loved Vanity and doted on thy fleshly friends and pleasures without the Spirit of God It was not for these but to destroy these and kindle a more noble heavenly fire in thy breast that the Spirit did renew thee Examine search and try thy self whether the Spirit hath sanctified thee or not Knowest thou not that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his 2 Cor. 13. 5. Rom. 8. 9. And if Christ and his Spirit be in thee thy Love is dead to earthly vanity and quickned and raised to the most Holy God Live then in the Spirit if thou have the Spirit To walk in the Spirit is to walk in Love Hath the Regenerating Spirit given thee on purpose a new principle of Love and done so much to excite it and been blowing at the Coals so oâ—t and shall thy carnality or sluggishness yet extinguish it As thou wouldst not renounce or contemn thy Creation thy Redemption and Regeneration contemn not and neglect not the Love of thy Creator Redeemer and Regenerater which is the End of all § 18. Direct 2. Think of the perfect fitness of God to be the only Object of thy superlative Love Direct 2. and how easie and necessary it should seem to us to do a work so agreeable to right Reason and uncorrupted Nature and abhorr all temptations which would make God seem unsuitable to thee O sluggish and unnatural soul Should not an object so admirably â—it allure thee Should not such attractive Goodness draw thee Should not perfect amiableness win thee wholly to it self Do but know thy self and God and then forbear to love him if thou canst Where should the fish live but in the Water And where should Birds flye but in the Air God is thy very Element Thou dyest and sinkest down to brutishness if thou forsake him or be taken from him What should delight the smell but odours or the appetite but its delicious food or the eye but Light and what it sheweth and the ear but harmony And what should delight the soul but God If thou know thy self thou knowest that the Nature of thy Mind inclineth to knowledge and by the knowledge of effects to rise up to the cause and by the knowledge of lower and lesser matters to ascend to the highest and greatest And if thou know God thou knowest that he is the cause of all things the Maker Preserver and Orderer of all the Being of Beings the most Great and Wise and Good and Happy so that to know him is to know all to know the most excellent independent glorious being that will leave no darkness nor unsatisfied desire in thy soul. And is he not then most suitable to thy mind If thou know thy self then thou knowest that thy will as free as it is hath a natural necessary inclination to goodness Thou canst not Love evil as evil nor canst thou choose but Love apprehended goodness especially the chiefest good if rightly apprehended And if thou know God thou knowest that he is Infinitely good in himself and the Cause of all the good that is in the world and the giver of all the good thou hast received and the only fit and suitable good to satisfie thy desires for the time to come And yet shall it be so hard to thee to Love so agreeably to perfect Nature so Perfect and full and suitable a good even goodness and Love it self which hath begun to Love thee Is any of the Creatures which thou Lovest so suitable to thee Are they good and only Good and Perfectly Good and unchangeably and eternally Good Are they the spring of comfort and the satisfying happiness of thy soul Hast thou found them so Or dost thou look to find them best at last Foolish soul Canst thou love the uneven defective troublesome creature if to some one small inferiour use it seemeth suitable to thee and canst thou not Love him that is all that rational Love can possibly desire to enjoy What though the creature be near thee and God be infinitely above thee He is nearer to thee than they And though in glory he be distant thou art passing to him in his glory and wilt presently be there Though the Sun be distant from thee it communicateth to thee its Light and Heat and is more suitable to thee than the Candle that is nearer thee What though God be most Holy and thou too earthly and unclean Is he not the fitter to purifie thee and make thee Holy Thou hadst rather if thou be poor have the company and favour of the Rich that can relieve thee than of beggars that will but complain with thee And if thou be unlearned or ignorant thou wouldst have the company of the wise and learned that can teach thee and not of those that are as ignorant as thy self Who is so suitable to thy Desires as he that hath all that thou canst wisely desire and is willing and ready to satisfie thee to the full Who is more suitable to thy Love than he that Loveth thee most and hath done most for thee and must do all that ever will be done for thee and is himself most lovely in his infinite perfections O poor diseased lapsed soul if sin had not corrupted and distempered and perverted thee thou wouldst have thought God as suitable to thy Love as meat to thy hunger and drink to thy thirst and rest to thy weariness and as the earth and water the Air and Sun are to the inhabitants of the world O whither art thou fallen and how far how long hast thou wandered from thy God that thou now drawest
basest of the people whose poverty might tempt them to discontent nor set thee upon the pinnacle of worldly honour where giddiness might have been thy ruine and where temptations to pride and lust and luxury and enmity to a holy life are so violent that few escape them He hath not set thee out upon a Sea of cares and vexations worldly businesses and encumberances but fed thee with food convenient for thee and given thee leisure to walk with God He hath not chained thee to an unprofitable profession nor used thee as those that live like their beasts to eat and drink and sleep and play or live to live But he hath called thee to the noblest and sweetest work when that hath been thy business which others were glad to taste of as a recreation and repast He hath allowed thee to converse with Books and with the best and wisest men and to spend thy dayes in sucking in delightful knowledge And this not only for thy pleasure but thy use and not only for thy self but many others O how many sweet and precious truths hath he allowed thee to feed on all the day when others are diverted and commonly look at them sometimes a far off O how many precious hours hath he granted me in his holy Assemblies and in his honourable and most pleasant work How oft hath his Day and his holy uncorrupted Ordinances and the communion of his Saints and the mentioning of his Name and Kingdom and the pleading of his cause with sinners and the celebrating of his praise been my delight O how many hundreds that he hath sent have wanted the abundant encouragement which I have had When he hath seen the disease of my despondent mind he hath not tryed me by denying me success nor suffered me with Ionas according to my inclination to overrun his work but hath ticed me on by continued encouragements and strowed all the way with mercies But his mercies to me in the souls of others have been so great that I shall secretly acknowledge them rather than here record them where I must have respect to those usual mercies of believers which lye in the common road to Heaven And how endless would it be to mention all All the good that friends and enemies have done me All the wise and gracious disposals of his providence in every condition and change of life and change of times and in every place whereever he brought me His every dayes renewed merciâ—s His support under all my languishings and weakness his plentiful supplies his gracious helps his daily pardons and the Glorious Hopes of a blessed Immortality which his Son hath purchased and his Covenant and Spirit sealed to me O the mercies that are in One Christ one Holy Spirit one Holy Scripture and in the Blessed God himself These I have mentioned unthankful heart to shame thee for thy want of Love to God And these I will leave upon record to be a witness for God against thy ingratitude and to confound thee with shame if thou deny thy Love to such a God Every one of all these mercies and multitudes more will rise up against thee and shame thee before God and all the world as a monster of unkindness if thou Love not him that hath used thee thus Here also consider what God is for your future good as well as what he hath been hitherto How all sufficient how powerful merciful and good But of this more anon § 24. Direct 7. Improve the vanity and vexation of the Creature and all thy disappointments and Direct 7. injuries and afflictions to the promoting of thy Love to God And this by a double advantage First By observing that there is nothing meet to divert thy Love or rob God of it unless thou wilt Love thy trouble and distress Secondly That thy Love to God is the comfort by which thou must be supported under the injuries and troubles which thou meetest with in the world And therefore to neglect it is but to give up thy self to misery Is it for nothing O my soul that God hath turned loose the world against thee That Devils rage against thee and wicked men do reproach and slander thee and seek thy ruine and friends prove insufficient and as broken Reeds It had been as easie to God to have prospered thee in the world and suited all things to thy own desires and have strawed thy way with the flowers of worldly comforts and delights But he knew thy proneness to undo thy self by carnal loves and how easily thy heart is enticed from thy God And therefore he hath wisely and mercifully ordered it that thy temptations shall not be too strong and no creature shall appear to thee in an over-amiable tempting dress Therefore he hath suffered them to become thy enemies And wilt thou love an enemy better than thy God What! an envious and malicious world A world of cares and grief and pains a weary restless empty world How deep and piercing are its injuries How superficial and deceitful is its friendship How serious are its sorrows What toyish shews and dreams are its delights How constant are its cares and labours How seldome and short are its flattering smiles Its comforts are disgraced by the certain expectation of succeeding sorrows Its sorrows are heightned by the expectations of more In the midst of its flatteries I hear something within me saying Thou must dye This is but the way to rottenness and dust I see a Winding-sheet and a Grave still before me I foresee how I must lye in pains and groans and then become a lothesome corpse And is this a world to be more delighted in than God What have I left me for my support and solace in the midst of all this Vanity and Vexation but to look to him that is the All-sufficient sure never failing good I must love him or I have nothing to love but enmity or deceit And is this the worst of Gods design in permitting and causing my pains and disappointments here Is it but to drive my foolish heart unto himself that I may have the solid delights and happiness of his Love O then let his blessed will be done Come home my soul my wandering tired grieved soul Love where thy love shall not be lost Love him that will not reject thee nor deceive thee nor requite thee as the world doth with injuries and abuse Despair not of entertainment though the world deny it thee The peaceable region is above In the world thou must have trouble that in Christ thou maist have peace Retire to the harbour if thou wouldst be free from storms God will receive thee when the world doth cast thee off if thou heartily cast off the world for him O what a solace is it to the soul to be driven clearly from the world to God and there to be exercised in that sacred Love which will accompany us to the world of Love § 25. Direct 8. Labour for the truest
Heaven and audience with God and is dearly beloved by him in Christ. Thou seest in flesh a companion of Angels and one that hath the Divine Nature and must shortly be above the Stars in glory and must be with Christ and must love and magnifie God for ever And is not the amiableness of God apparent in such mercy bestowed upon sinful man And should we not now begin to admire him in his Saints and glorifie him in believers who will câ—me with thousands of his Angels to be glorified and admired in them at the last 2 Thess. 1. 10. O the abundant deliverances preservations provisions encouragements which all his servants receive â—â—â—â— God! Who ever saw the just forsakâ—n even while they think themselves forsaken For the Lâ—rd 〈…〉 h judâ—â—ment and forsaketh not his Saints they are preserved fâ—r ever The Law of his God is in â—â—s heart none of his steps shall slide Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end â—â— that man is peace Psal. 37. 25 28 31 37. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psâ—lm 116. 15. Ye that love the Lord hate evil he preserveth the souls of his Saints be delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked Light is sowen for the righteous and gladness for the upriâ—ht in heart Psal. 97. 10 11. O love the Lord all his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the prâ—ud doer Psal. 31. 23. § 32. Direct 11. Insist not so much on your desires after vision as to undervalue the lower apprehensions Direct 11. of Faith but love God by the way of Faith as in order to the Love of Intuition We are exceeding â—pt to be over-desirous of sight and to take nothing as an object fit to affect us which sense perceiveth not When we have the surest evidence of the truth of things unseen it hardly satisfieth us unless we may see or feel And hereupon our Love to God is hindered while we think of him as if he were not or take the apprehensions of faith as if they were uncertain and little differed from a dream Yea it proveth the ground of most dangerous temptations to Infidelity it self While we take that knowlâ—dge which we have of God in the way of Faith the Love and Communion which is exercised thereby to be as nothing we are next tempted to think that there is no true knowledge of God and communion with him to be attained And when we have been searching and striving long and find that we can reach no more we are tempted to think that the soul oâ— man is made but as the beasts for present things and is uncapable of those higher things which are revealed in the Gospel and that if there were indeed a life to come and man were made to enjoy his God we should get nearer to him than we are and know him more and love him better But is it nothing O presumptuous soul to see God in a Glass in order to a nearer sight Is it nothing to have the Heavenly Ierusalem described and promised to thee unless thou see it and possess it Wilt thou travel to no place but what thou seest all the way Wouldst thou have no difference betwixt Earth and Heaven What canst thou have more in Heaven than immediate intuition Wouldst thou have no life of tryal in the obedience of faith before the life of fruition and reward Or canst thou think that a life of sight and sense is fit for tryal and preparation to shew who is meet for the rewarding life Unthankful soul Compare thy state with that of bruits Is it nothing for thee to know thy Maker in the Works of his Creation and Providence and in the revelations of grace and the belief of promised immortality unless thou presently see him in his glory When these thy fâ—llow creatures know him not at all Compare thy self now with thy self as heretofore in the dayes of thy ignorance and carnality Hadst thou then any such knowledge of God as thou now undervaluest or any such communion with him as thou now accountest next to none When the Light first shined in thine eyes and thou hadst first experience of the knowledge of God thou thoughtst it something and rejoycedst in the light If then thou couldst have suddenly attainâ—d but to so much as thou hast now attained wouldst thou have called it Nothing Would it not have seemed a greater treasure to thee than to have known both the Indies as thine own O be not unthankful for the little which thou hast received when God might have shut thee out in that darkness which the greatest part of the world lyeth in and have left thee to thy self to have desired no higher knowledge than such as may feed thy fansie and pride and lust Art thou so far drowned in flesh and sense as to take Intellectual apprehensions for dreams unless thy sense may see and feel Wilt thou take thy soul thy self for nothing because thou art not to be seen or felt Shall no Subjects honour and obey their King but they that have seen his Court and him Desire the fullest and the nearest sight the purest and the strongest Love and desire and spare not the liâ—e where all this will be had But take heed of being too hasty with God and unthankful for the mercies of the way Know better the difference betwixt thy travail and thy home And know what is fit for passengers to expect Humbly submit to an obedient waiting in a life of faith And make much of the Testament of Christ till thou be at age to possess the inheritance Thou must live and love and run and fight and conquer and suffer by saith if ever thou wilt come to â—â—â—â— and to possess the Crown § 33. Direct 12. It is a powerful means to kindle the Love of God in a believer to foresee by faith Direct 12. the glory of Heaven and what God will be there to his Saints for ever And thus to behold God in his Read 〈…〉 his Prognostiâ—on Si in â—â—â—â—lis sâ—de 〈…〉 haâ— sâ—â—vatur â—aeâ—editus 〈…〉 quaedam tâ—pida pâ—oserunâ— aliqui putantes eam se percipere in teâ—rena Jerusalem Mille ann's existimant esse deliâ—iarum praemia proprietatâ— recâ—pturâ—â— Qui iâ—â—rrogandi sunt quomodo astruant delicias corporales dum dicatur hanc haereditaâ—em nec corrum â—i posse nec marcesceâ—e Didymâ— Alexand. i. Petr. 1. câ—â—â—â— Millâ—nar GLORY is the use of GRACE Though the manner of knowing him thus by faith be far short of what we there expect yet it is the same God and glory that now we believe which then we must more openly behold And therefore as that Apprehension of Love will unconceivably excel the highest which can be here attained so the fore-thoughts of that doth excell all other arguments and means to affect us here and will raise us as high as means can raise us The greatest
me Denyal of our grace may seem to be humility but it tendeth to extinguish Love and Gratitude § 57. But you 'l say I must avoid soul-delusion and Pharisaical ostentation on the other side and few reach assurance how then should we keep up the Love of God Answ. 1. Though I am not come to the point of Trying and Discerning Grace I shall give you this much help in the way because it is so useful to the exercises of Love 1. If you have not Enjoying delighting Love yet try whether you have not Desiring seeking Love Love appeareth as truly in deâ—iâ—â—ng and seeking Good as in delighting in it Poor men shew their Love of the world by Desiring and seeking it as much as rich men do in delighting in it What is it that you most desire and seek 2. Or if this be so weak that you scarce discern it do you not find a mourning and lamenting Love You shew that you loved your money by mourning when you lose it and that you loved your friend by grieving for his death as well as by delighting in him while he lived If you heartily lament it as your greatest unhappiness and loss when you think that God doth cast you off and that you are void of Gracâ— and cannot serve and honour him as you would this shews you are not void of Love 3. If you feel not that you Love him do you feel that you would fain Love him and that you Love to Love him If you do so it is a sign that you do Love him When you do not only desire to find such an Evidence of salvation in you but when you desire Love it self and Love to Love God Had you not rather have a heart to Love him perfectly than to have all the riches in the world Had you not rather live in the Love of God if you could reach it than to live in any earthly pleasure If so be sure he hath your hearts The Will is the Love and the Heart If God have your Will he hath your Heart and Love 4. What hath your Hearts if he have them not Is there any thing that you prefer and seek before him and that you had rather have than him Can you be content without him and let him go in exchange for any earthly pleasure If not it is a sign he hath your Hearts You love him saâ—ingly if you set more by nothing else than by him 5. Do you love his holy Image in his word Do you delight and meditate in his Law Psalm 1. 2. Is it in your hearts Psalm 40. 8. Or do you pray Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies Psalm 119. 36. If you love Gods Image in his word the wisdom and holiness of it you love God 6. Do you love his Image on his Children If you Love them for their heavenly wisdom and holiness you so far Love God He that loveth the Candle for its light doth love the light it self and the sun He that loveth the wise and holy for their wisdom and holiness doth love wisdom and holiness it self The word and the saints being more in the reach of our sensible apprehensions than God himself is we ordinarily feel our Love to them more sensibly than our Love to God when indeed it is God in his word and servants that we love 1 Iohn 3. 14. Psalm 15. 4. 7. Though for want of Assurance you feel not the delights of Love have you not a heart that would delight in it more than in all the riches of the world if you could but get assurance of your interest Would it not comfort you more than any thing if you could be sure he Loveth you and could perfectly Love him and obey him If so it is not for want of Love that you delight not in him but for want of Assurance So that if God have thy heart either in a delighting Love or a seeking and desiring or a lamenting mourning Love he will not despise it or reject it He is â—igh to them that be of a broken heart Psalm 34. 18. A broken and contrite heart is his sacrifice which he will not despise Psalm 51. 17. The good Lord will have mercy on every one that prepareth their hearts to seek him though they do it not according to the preparation of the sanctuary 2 Cor. 30. 18 19. By these Evidences you may discern the sincerity of Love in small degrees and so you may make Love the occasion of more Love by discerning that Goodness of God which is manifested to you in the least § 38. 2. But suppose you cannot yet attain assurance Neglect not to improve that Goodness and Mercy of God which he revealeth to you in the state that you are in Love him but as Infinite Goodness should be loved who so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. Love him as the most blessed merciful God who made you and all things and hath given to the world an universal pardon on condition of their penitent acceptance and offereth them everlasting life and all this purchased by the blood of Christ Love him as one that offereth you reconciliation and intreateth you to be saved and as one that delighteth not in the death of the wicked but rather that they turn and live and as one that would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth though he will save none but the penitent that do acknowledge the truth And when you love him sincerely on these accounts you will have the evidence of his special Love to you § 39. Direct 16. Improve thy sense of natural and friendly love to raise thee to the Love of God Direct 16. When thou seest or feelest what Love a parent hath to children and a Husband to a wife or a Wife to a Husband or faithful friends to one another think then What Love do I owe to God O how inconsiderable is the Loveliness of a child a wife a friend the best of Creatures in comparison of the Loveliness of God Unworthy soul Canst thou love a drop of Goodness in thy friend And canst thou not Love the Ocean of Goodness in thy God Is a spark in the creature more amiable than the fire that kindled it Thou canst Love thy friend for all his blemishes his ignorance his passions and manifold imperfections And canst thou not love thy God who hath none of these nor any thing to discourage or damp thy love Thou lovest and deservedly lovest thy friend because he loveth thee and deals friendly with thee But O how much greater is the Love of God Did ever friend Love thee as he hath loved thee Did ever friend do for thee as he hath done He gave thee thy being thy daily safety and all the mercies of thy life He gave thee his Son his Spirit and his Grace He pardoned thy sins and
took thee into his favour and adopted thee for his son and an heir of Heaven He will glorifie thee with Angels in the presence of his Glory How should such a friend as this be loved How far above all mortal friends Their love and friendship is but a token and message of his Love Because he Loveth thee he sendeth thee kindness and mercy by thy friend and when their kindness ceaseth or can do thee no good his kindness will continue and comfort thee for ever Love them therefore as the messengers of his Love but Love him in them and love them for him and love him much more § 40. Direct 17. Think oft how delightful a life it would be to thee if thou couldst but live in the Direct 17. Love of God And then the complacencie will provoke desire and desire will turn thy face towards God till thou feel that thou lovest him The Love of a friend hath its sweetness and delight and when we Love them we feel such pleasure in our Love that we Love to Love them How pleasant then would it be to Love thy God O blessed joyful life if I could but love him as much as I desire to love him How freely could I leave the ambitious and the covetous and the sensual and voluptuous to their doting delusory swinish love How easily could I spare all earthly pleasures How near should I come to the Angelical life Could I love God as I would love him it would fill me with continual pleasure and be the sweetest feast that a soul can have How easily would it quench all carnal love How far would it raise me above these transitory things How much should I contemn them and pitty the wretches that know no better and have their portion in this life How readily should I obey And how pleasant would obedience be How sweet would all my Meditations be when every thought is full of Love How sweet would all my prayers be when constraining Love did bring me unto God and indite and animate every word How sweet would Sacraments be when my ascending flaming love should meet that wonderful descending love which cometh from Heaven to call me thither and in living bread and spiritful wine is the nourishment and cordial of my soul How sweet would all my speeches be when Love commanded them and every word were full of Love How quiet would my Conscience be if it had never any of this accusation against me to cast in my face to my shame and confusion that I am wanting in Love to the blessed God O could I but Love God with such a powerful Love as his Love and Goodness should command I should no more question my sincerity nor doubt any more of his Love to me How freely then should I acknowledge his grace and how heartily should I give him thanks for my justification sanctification and adoption which now I mention with doubt and fear O how it would lift up my soul unto his praise and make it my delight to speak good of his name What a purifying fire would Love be in my breast to burn up my corruptions It will endure nothing to enter or abide within me that is contrary to the will and interest of my Lord but hate every motion that tendeth to dishonour and displease him It would fill my soul with so much of Heaven as would make me long to be in Heaven and make death welcome which is now so terrible Instead of these withdrawing shrinking fears I should desire to depart and to be with Christ as being best of all O how easily should I bear any burthen of reproach or loss or want when I thus Loved God and were assured of his Love How light would the Cross be And how honourable and joyful would it seem to be imprisoned reviled spit upon and buffeted for the sake of Christ How desirable would the flames of Martyrdom seem for the testifying of my love to him that loved me at dearer rates than I can love him Lord is there no more of this blessed life of Love to be attained here on earth When all the world reveals thy Goodness when thy Son hath come down to declare thy love in so full and wonderful a manner When thy word hath opened us a window into Heaven where afar off we may discern thy Glory yet shall our hearts be clods and ice O pitty this unkind unnatural soul This dead insensible disaffected soul Teach me by thy spirit the art of Love Love me not only so as to convince me that I have abundant cause to Love thee above all but Love me so as to constrain me to it by the magnetical attractive power of thy Goodness and the insuperable operations of thy omnipotent Love § 41. Direct 18. In thy Meditations upon all these incentives of Love preach them over earnestly to Direct 18. thy Heart and expostulate and plead with it by way of soliloquy till thou feel the fire begin to burn Do not only Think on the Arguments of Love but dispute it out with thy Conscience and by expostulating earnest reasonings with thy heart endeavour to affect it There is much more moving force in this earnest talking to our selves than in bare cogitation that breaks not out into mental words Imitate the most powerful Preacher that ever thou wast acquainted with And just as he pleadeth the case with his hearers and urgeth the truth and duty on them by reason and importunity so do thou in secret with thy self There is more in this than most Christians are aware of or use to practise It is a great part of a Christians skill and duty to be a good preacher to himself This is a lawful and a gainful way of preaching No body here can make question of thy call nor deny thee a License nor silence thee if thou silence not thy self Two or three sermons a week from others is a fair proportion but two or three sermons a day from thy self is ordinarily too little Therefore I have added soliloquies to many of these Directions for Love to shew you how by such pleadings with your selves to affect your hearts and kindle Love § 42. And O that this might be the happy fruit of these Directions with thee that art now reading or hearing them That thou wouldst but offer up thy flaming Heart to Jesus Christ our Great High-Priest to be presented an acceptable sacrifice to God! Or if it flame not in Love as thou desirest yet give it up to the Holy Spirit to increase the flames Thou little knowest how much God setteth by a Heart He calleth to thee himself My son give me thy heart Prov. 23. 26. Without it he cares not for any thing that thou canst give him He cares not for thy fairest words without it He cares not for thy lowdest prayers without it He cares not for thy costliest alms or sacrifices if he have not thy heart If thou give all thy goods to
they say we take down all Religion so because we would call men from their bruitish pleasures they say we would let them have no pleasure For the Epicure thinks when his luxury lust and sport is gone all is gone Call a sluggard from his bed or a glutton from his feast to receive a Kingdom and he will grudge if he observe only what you would take from him and not what you give him in its stead When earthly pleasures end in misery then who would not wish they had preferred the Holy durable Delights DIRECT XIV Let Thankfulness to God thy Creator Redeemer and Regenerater be the very Gr. Dir. 14. For a life of Thankfulness temperament of thy soul and faithfully expressed by thy Tongue and Life § 1. THough our Thankfulness is no benefit to God yet he is pleased with it as that which is suitable to our condition and sheweth the ingenuity and honesty of the Heart An unthankful person is but a devourer of mercies and a grave to bury them in and one that hath not the wit and honesty to know and acknowledge the hand that giveth them But the Thankful looketh above himself and returneth all as he is able to him from whom they flow § 2. True Thankfulness to God is discerned from Counterfeit by these qualifications 1. True Thankfulness having a just estimate of mercies comparatively preferreth spiritual and everlasting mercies before those that are meerly corporal and transitory But carnal Thankfulness chiefly valueth carnal Mercies though notionally it may confess that the spiritual are the greater 2. True Thankfulness inclineth the soul to a spiritual rejoycing in God and to a desire after more of his spiritual mercies But carnal thankfulness is only a delight in the prosperity of the flesh or the delusion and carnal security of the mind inclining men to carnal empty mirth and to a desire of more such fleshly pleasure plenty or content As a Beast that is full fed will skip and play and shew that he is pleased with his state or if he have ease he would not be molested 3. True thankfulness kindleth in the heart a love to the Giver above the Gift or at least a Love to God above our Carnal prosperity and pleasure and bringeth the heart still nearer unto God by all his mercies But carnal thankfulness doth spring from Carnal self-love or love of fleshly prosperity and is moved by it and is subservient to it and Loveth God and Thanketh him but so far as he gratifieth or satisfieth the flesh A child-like Thankfulness maketh us love our Father more than his gift and desire to be with him in his arms But a Dog doth love you and is thankful to you but for feeding him He loveth you in subordination to his appetite and his bones 4. True Thankfulness inclineth us to obey and please him that obligeth us by his benefits But carnal thankfulness puts God off with the hypocritical complemental thanks of the lips and spends the mercy in the pleasing of the flesh and makes it but the fewell of lust and sin 5. True thankfulness to God is necessarily transcendent as his mercies are transcendent The saving of our souls from Hell and promising us eternal life besides the giving us our very beings and all that we have do oblige us to be totally and obsolutely his that is so transcendent a Benefactor to us and causeth the thankful person to devote and resign himself and all that he hath to God to answer so great an obligation But carnal thankfulness falls short of this absolute and total dedication and still leaveth the sinner in the power of self-love devoting himself really to himself and using all that he is or hath to the pleasing of his fleshly mind and giving God only the tythes or leavings of the flesh or so much as it can spare lest he should stop the streams of his benignity and bereave the flesh of its prosperity and contents § 3. Directions for Thankfulness to God our Benefactor Direct 1. Understand well how great this duty is in the nature of the thing but especially how the Direct 1. very design and tenour of the Gospel and the way of our salvation by a Redeemer bespeaketh it as the very complexion of the soul and of every duty A creature that is wholly his Creators and is preserved every moment by him and daily fed and maintained by his bounty and is put into a capacity of life eternal must needs be obliged to uncessant Gratitude And Unthankfulness among men is justly taken for an unnatural monstrous vice which forfeiteth the benefits of friendship and society 2 Tim. 3. 2. The unthankful are numbred with the unholy c. as part of the monsters which should come in the last times and which we have lived to see exactly answering that large description of them But the Design of God in the work of Redemption is purposely laid for the raising of the highest Thankfulness in man and the Covenant of Grace containeth such abundant wonderous Mercies as might compell the souls of men to Gratitude or leave them utterly without excuse It is a great truth and much to be considered that Gratitude is that general duty of the Gospel ☜ which containeth and animateth all the rest as being Essential to all that is properly Evangelical A Law as a Law requireth Obedience as the general duty and this Obedience is to be exercised and found in every particular duty which it requireth And the Covenant with the Jews was called The Law because the Regulating part was most eminent and so obedience was the thing that was eminently required by the Law though their measure of mercy obliged them also to thankfulness But the Gospel or New Covenant is most eminently a history of Mercy and a tender and promise of the most unmatchable benefits that ever were heard of by the ears of man so that the Gift of Mercy is the predominant or eminent part in the Gospel or New Covenant and though still God be our Governour and Gratitude is to the Promise much what Obedience is to the Law the New Covenant also hath its Precepts and is a Law yet that is in a sort but the subservient part And what obedience is to a Law that Thankfulness is to a Benefit even the formal answering of its obligation so that though we are called to as exact obedience as ever yet it is now only a Thankfull Obedience that we are called to And just as Law and Promises or Gifts are conjoyned in the New Covenant just so should Obedience and Thankfulness be conjoyned in our hearts and lives one to God as our Ruler and the other to him as our Benefactor And thâ—se two must animate every act of heart and life We must Repent of sin but it must be a Thankful Repenting as becometh those that have a free pardon of all their sins procured by the blood of Christ and offered them in the
20. Insomuch as it sâ—â—mâ—th one of the greatest impediments to the Conversion of the Heathen and Mahomâ—tan world and the chiefest means of confirming them in their Iâ—â—â—â—delity and making them hate and scorn Christianity that the Romish and the Eastern and Southern Churches within their view do worship God so dishonourably as they do as if our God were like a little Child that must have pretty toyes bought him in the Fair and brought home to please him Whereas it the unreformed Churches in the East West and South were Reformed and had a Learned Pious Able Ministry and clearly preached and seriously applyed the Word of God and worshipped God with understanding gravity reverence and serious spirituality and lived a holy heavenly mortified self-denying conversation this would be the way to propagate Christianity and win the Infidel world to Christ. § 43. Direct 12. If you will glorifie God in your lives you must be above a selfish private narrow Direct 12. mind and must be chiefly intent upon the publick good and the spreading of the Gospel through the world A selfish private narrow soul brings little honour to the cause of God It s alwayes taken up about it self or imprisoned in a corner in the dark to the interest of some Sect or Party and seeth not how things go in the world Its desires and prayers and endeavours go no further than they can see or travel But a larger soul beholdeth all the earth and is desirous to know how it goeth with the Cause and Servants of the Lord and how the Gospel gets ground upon the unbelieving Nations and such are affected with the state of the Church a thousand miles off almost as if it were at hand as being members of the whole body of Christ and not only of a Sect. They pray for the Hallowing of Gods Name and the coming of his Kingdom and the doing of his will throughout the Earth as it is in Heaven before they come to their own necessities at least in order of esteem and desire The prosperity of themselves or their Party or Countrey satisfieth them not while the Church abroad is in distress They live as those that know the Honour of God is more concerned in the welfare of the whole than in the success of any party against the rest They pray that the Gospel may have free course and be glorified abroad as it is with them and the Preachers of it be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men 2 Thess. 3. 1 2. The silencing the Ministers and suppressing the interest of Christ and souls is the most grievous tydings to them Therefore they pray for Kings and all in authority not for any carnal ends but that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 3. Thus God must be glorified by our Lives DIRECT XVI Let your life on Earth be a conversation in Heaven by the constant work of Gr. Dir. 16. Faith and Love even such a faith as maketh things future as now present and the unseen world as if it were continually open to your sight and such a Love as makes you long to see the glorious face of God and the glory of your dear Redeemer and to be taken up with blessed Spirits in his perfect endless Love and Praise MY Treatise of The Life of Faith and the fourth Part of The Saints Rest being written wholly or mostly to this use I must refer the Reader to them and say no more of it in this Direction DIRECT XVII As the soul must be carried up to God and devoted to him according to all the Gr. Dir. 17. foregoing Directions so must it be delivered from carnal selfishness or flesh-pleasing I pass not this by as a small matter to be passed by also by the Reader For I take the Love of God kindled by Faith in Christ with the full Denyal of our carnal selves to be the sum of all Religion But because I would not injure so great a duty by saying but a little of it And therefore desire the Reader who studieth for Practice and needeth such helps to peruse the mentioned Books of Self-denyal and Crucifying the World which is the grand enemy to God and Godliness in the world and from the three great branches of this Idolatry viz. the Love of sensual pleasures the Love of worldly wealth and the proud desire and Love of worldly honour and esteem And the mortifying of these must be much of the labour of your lives OF this also I have written so much in a Treatise of Self-denyal and in another called The Crucifying of the World by the Cross of Christ that I shall now pass by all save what will be more seasonable anon under the more Particular Directions in the fourth Tome when I come to speak of Selfishness as opposed to the Love of others I Have now given you the General Grand Directions containing the very Being and Life of Godliness and Christianity with those particular sub-directions which are needful to the performance of them And I must tell you that as your life and strength and comfort principally depend on these so doth your success in resisting all your particular sins And therefore if you first obey not these General Directions the more particular ones that follow will be almost useless to you even as branches cut off from the Stock of the Tree which are deprived thereby of their support and life But upon supposition that first you will maintain these Vital parts of your Religion I shall proceed to Direct you first in some particulars most nearly subordinate to the forementioned duties and then to the remoter branches APPENDIX The true Doctrine of LOVE to GOD to HOLINESS to OUR SELVES and to OTHERS opened in certain Propositions Especially for resolving the Questions what self-love is lawful What sinful Whether God must be loved above our own felicity And how Whether to Love our felicity more than God may stand with a state of saving grace Whether it be a middle state between sensuality and the Divine nature to Love God more for our selves than for Himself Whether to Love God for our selves be the state of a Believer as he is under the promise of the New Covenant And whether the spirit and sanctification promised to Believers be the Love of God for himself and so the Divine nature promised to him that chooseth Christ and God by him out of self-love for his own felicity How God supposeth and worketh on the principle of self-love in mans Conversion With many such like To avoid the tediousness of a distinct debating each Question THough these things principally belong to the Theorie and so to another Treatise in hand called Methodus Theologiae yet because they are also Practical and have a great influence upon the more Practical Directions and the right understanding of them may help the Reader himself to determine a multitude of Cases of Conscience the
have a false imperfect notion of God and Holiness as being the felicity of man and though not to deny yet to leave out the essential superlative notion of the Deity And it is more common to confess all this of God and Holiness notionally as was aforesaid and practically to take in no more of God and Holiness but that they are better for us than temporary pleasures And some go further and take them as better for them than any though perpetual meer sensual delights And so make the perfection of mans highest faculties practically to be their ultimate end And desire or Love God and Holiness defectively and falsly apprehended for themselves or their own felicity and not Themselves and their felicity and Holiness ultimately for God Which sheweth that though these men have somewhat overcome the sensual concupiscence or flesh yet have they not sufficiently overcome the SELFISH disposition nor yet known and Loved God as God nor Good as Good 75. Yet is it not a sin to Love God for our selves and our own felicity so be it we make him not a meer Means to that felicity as our absolutely ultimate End For as God indeed is 1. The efficient of all our Good 2. The Dirigent Cause that leadeth us to it 3. The End in which our felicity truly consisteth so is he to be Loved on all these accounts 76. If God were not thus to be Loved for our selves subordinated to him Thankfulness would not be a Christian duty 77. Our Love to God is a Love of Friendship and a desire of a kind of Union Communion or Adherence But not such as is between creatures where there is some sort of equality But as between them that are totally unequal the one infinitely below the other and absolutely subject and subordinate to him 78. Therefore though in Love of Friendship a Union of both parties and consequently a conjunct interest of both and not one alone do make up the ultimate End of Love yet here it should be with an utter disproportion we being obliged to know God as Infinitely Better than our selves and therefore to Love him incomparably more though yet it will be but according to the proportion of the faculties of the Lover 79. The purest process of Love therefore is first thankfully to perceive the Divine Efficiencies and to Love God as communicative of what we and all things are and have and shall receive and therein to see his perfect Goodness in Himself and to Love him as God for that Goodness wherein is nothing but the final Act which is our Love and the Final Object which is the Infinite Good so that the Act is mans from God but nothing is to be joyned with God as the absolutely final Object For that were to joyn somewhat with God as God 80. And though it be most true that this Act may be made the object of another Act and as Amesius saith Omnium gentium consensu dicimus Volo Velle so we may and must say Amo Amare I Love to Love God and the very exercise of my own Love is my Delight and so is my Felicity in the very Essential Nature of it being a complacency and being on the highest objective Good And also this same Love is my Holiness and so It and I are Pleasing unto God yet these are all consequential to the true notion of the final Act and circularly lead to the same again We must Love our Felicity and Holiness which consisteth in our Love to God but as that which subordinately relateth to God in which he is first glorified and then finally pleased and so from his Will which we delight to please we ascend to his total perfect Being to which we adhere by perfect Love In a word our Ultimate End of Acquisition and Gods own so far as he may be said to have an End is the pleasing of the Divine Will in his Glorification And our ultimate End of Complacency objectively is the Infinite Goodness of the Divine Will and Nature 81. There is therefore place for the Question Whether I must Love God or my self more or better as it is resolved But there is no place for the Question Whether I must Love God or my self Because God alloweth me not ever to separate them Though there is a degree of just self-lothing or self-hatred in deep Repentance Nor yet for the Question Whether I must seek Gods glory and pleasure or my own felicity for I must ever seek them both though not with the same esteem Yea I may be said to seek them both with the same Diligence because by the same Endeavour and act that I seek one I seek the other and I cannot possibly do any thing for one that doth not equally promote the other if I do them rightly preferring God before my self in my inward Estimation Love and Intention 82 Though it be essential to Divine Love and consequently to true Holiness to Love God for Himself and as Better than our selves or else we Love him not as God as is before said yet this is hardly and seldom perceived in the beginning in him that hath it Because the Love of our self is more Passionate and raiseth in us more subordinate passions of fear of punishment and desires of felicity and sorrow for hurt and misery c. Whereas God being Immaterial and Invisible is not at all an object of our sense but only of our Reason and our Wills and therefore not directly of sensitive Passionate Love Though consequently while the soul is united to the body its acting even on Immaterial objects moveth the lower sensitive faculties and the corporeal spirits Also God needeth nothing for us to desire for him nor suffereth nothing for us to grieve for though we must grieve for injuring him and being displeasing to his Will 83. I cannot say nor believe though till it be searched the opinion hath an enticing aspect that the Gospel faith which hath the promise of Iustification and of the Spirit is only a Believing in Christ as the Means of our felicity by Redemption and Salvation out of the principle of self-love alone and for no higher end than our said Felicity Because he is not believed in as Christ if he be not taken as a Reconciler to bring us home to God And we take him not to bring us to God as God if it be not to bring us to God as the Beginning and End of all things and as infinitely more Lovely than our selves And our Repentance for not Loving God accordingly above our selves must go along with our first justifying faith Therefore though we are Learners before we are Lovers and our Assent goeth before the Wills Consent yet our Assent that God is God and better than our selves must go together with our Assent that Christ is the Mediator to save us by bringing us to him And so must our Assent that this is salvation even to Love God above our selves and as better than our selves And
accordingly our Consent to these particulars must concur in saving faith 84. He therefore that out of self-love accepteth Christ as the Means of his own felicity doth if he know practically what felicity is accept him as a means to bring him to Love God perfectly as God above himself and to be perfectly Pleasing to his Will 85. Yet it is apparent that almost all Gods preparing Grace consisteth in exciting and improving the Natural Principle of self-love in man and manifesting to him that if he will do as one that Loveth himself he must be a Christian and must forsake sin and the inordinate Love of his sensuality and must be Holy and Love God for his own Essential as well as Communicated Goodness And if he do otherwise he will do as one that hateth himself and seeketh in the event his own damnation And could we but get men Rationally to improve true self-love they would be Christians and so be Holy 86. But because this is a great though tender point and it that I have more generally touched in the Case Whether Faith in Christ or Love to God as our End go first and because indeed it is it for which I principally premise the rest of these Propositions I shall presume to venture a little further and more distinctly to tell you how much of Love to God is in our first Justifying faith and how much not and how far the state of such a Believer is a middle state between meer Preparation or common Grace and proper Sanctification or possession of the Holy Ghost And so how far Vocation giving us the first faith and Repentance differeth from Sanctification And the rather because my unriper thoughts and Writings defended Mr. Pemble who made them one in opposition to the stream of our Divines And I conceive that all these following Acts about the point in question are found in every true Believer at his first faith though not distinctly noted by himself 1. The sinner hath an Intellectual notice that there is a God for an Atheist is not a believer and so that this God is the First and Last the best of beings the Maker Owner Ruler and Benefactor of the world the just end of all created being and actions and to be Loved and Pleased above our selves For all this is but to believe that there is a God 2. He is convinced that his own chief Felicity lyeth not in temporary or carnal pleasure but in the Perfect Knowing Loving and Pleasing this God above himself For if he know not what true salvation and felicity is he cannot desire or accept it 3. He knoweth that hitherto he hath been without this Love and this felicity 4. He desireth to be Happy and to escape everlasting misery 5. He repenteth that is is sorry that he hath not all this while Loved God as God and sought felicity therein 6. He is willing and desirous for the time to come to Love God as God above himself and to Please him before himself that is to have a heart disposed to do it 7. He findeth that he cannot do it of himself nor with his old carnal indisposed heart 8. He believeth that Christ by his Doctrine and Spirit is the appointed Saviour to bring him to it 9. He gladly consenteth that Christ shall be such a Saviour to him and shall not only justifie him from guilt and save him from sensible punishment but also thus bring him to the Perfect Love of God 10. He had rather Christ would bring him to this by sanctification than to enjoy all the pleasures of sin for a season yea or to have a perpetual sensitive felicity without this perfect Love to God and Pleasing of him 11. God being declared to him in Jesus Christ a God of Love forgiving sin and conditionally giving pardon and life to his very Enemies as he is hence the easilier Loved with Thankfulness for-our selves so the Goodness of his Nature in himself is hereby insinuated and notified with some secret complacency to the soul. He is sure Good that is so merciful and ready to do Good and that so wonderfully as in Christ is manifested 12. So that as Baptism which is but explicite Justifying faith or the expression of it in covenanting with God is our Dedication by Vow to all the Three Persons to God the Father as well as to the Son and Holy Ghost so faith it self is such an Heart-dedication 13. Herein I dedicate my self to God as God to be Glorified and Pleased in my Justification Sanctification and Glorification that is in my Reception of the fruits of his Love and in my Loving him above all as God or to be Pleased in me and I in him for ever 14. In all this the understanding acknowledgeth God to be God by Assent and to be Loved above my self and the Will desireth so to Love him But the object of the Will here directly is its own future Disposition and Act It doth not say I do already Love God as God above my self but only I would so Love him and I would be so changed as may dispose me so to Love him I acknowledge that I should so love him and that I do Love him for his mercies to my self and others Nor can it be said that Volo Velle or Volo amare a desire to Love God as such is direct Love to God Because it is not all one to have God to be the object of my Will and to have my own Act of Willing or Loving to be the object of it And because that a man may for other ends as for meer fear of Hell Will to Will or Love that which yet he doth not Will or Love at least for it self 15. In this case above all others it is manifest that every conviction of the understanding doth not accordingly determine the Will For in this new convert the understanding saith plainly God is to be Loved as God above my self But the Will saith I cannot do it though I would I am so captivated by self-love and so void of the true Love of God that I can say no more but that Propter me vellem amare Deum propter se I love my own felicity so well that I love God as my felicity and Love him under the notion of God the perfect Good who is infinitely better than my self and desire a heart to Love him more than my self but I cannot say that I yet do it or that I love him best or most whom I acknowledge to be best and as such to be loved 16. Yet in all this there is not only semen amoris a seed of divine love to God as God but the foundation of it laid and some obscure secret conception of it beginning or in fieri in the soul. For while the understanding confesseth God to be most Amiable and the Will desireth that felicity which doth consist in loving him above my self and experience telleth me that he is Good to me and
therefore good in himself it can hardly be conceived but that in all this there is some kind of secret love to God as better than my self 87. In all this note that it is one thing to Love God under the notion of the Infinite Good better than my self and all things and another thing for the will to Love him more as that notion obligeth 88. And the reason why these are often separated is because besides a slight intellectual apprehension there is necessary to the Wills just determination a clear and deep apprehension with a right disposition of the Will and a suscitation of the Active Power 89. Yea and every slight Volition or Velleity will not conquer opposing Concupiscence and Volitions nor is every Will effectual to command the life and prevail against its contrary 90. Therefore I conceive that in our first believing in Christ even to Justification though our Reason tell us that he is more Amiable than our selves and we are desirous so to Love him for the future and have an obscure weak beginning of Love to God as God or as so conceived yet 1. The strength of sensitive self-love maketh our Love to our selves more passionately strong 2. And that Reason at least in its Degree of Apprehension is too Intense in apprehending our self-interest and too remiss in apprehending the Amiableness of God as God And so far even our Rational Love is yet greater to our selves though as to the Notion God hath the preheminence 3. And that in this whole affair of our Baptismal Covenanting Consent or Christianity our Love to our own felicity as such is more Powerful and effectual in moving the soul and prevailing for our resolution for a new life than is our Love to God as for himself and as God 91. And therefore it is that Fear hath so great a hand in our first Change For all that such Fear doth it doth as moved by self-love I mean the fear of suffering and damnation And yet experience telleth us that Conversion commonly beginneth in Fear And though where self-love and fear are alone without the Love of God as Good in and for himself there is no true grace yet I conceive that there is true grace initial in those weak Christians that have more Fear and self-love in the passionate and powerful part than Love to God so be it they have not more love to sin and to any thing that stands in competition with God 92. Therefore he that hath a Carnal self-love or inordinate inclining him to the creature which is stronger in him than the Love of God is Graceless Because it will turn his heart and life from God But he that hath only a necessary self-love even a love to his own spiritual eternal felicity operating by strong desire and fear conjunct with a weaker degree of Love to God as Good in himself I think hath grace and may so be saved Because here is but an unequal motion to the same End and not a competition 93. If any dislike any of this decision I only desire him to remember that on both hands there are apparent Rocks to be avoided First It is a dangerous thing to say that a man is in a state of grace and salvation who loveth not God as God that is better than himself And on the other hand the experience of most Christians in the world saith that at their first believing if not long after they Loved God more for themselves than for Himself and Loved themselves more than God though they knew that God was better and more amiable and that the fear of misery and the desire of their own salvation was more effectual and prevalent with them than that Love of God for himself And I doubt that not very many have this at all in so high a degree as to be clear and certain of it And if we shall make that necessary to salvation which few of the best Christians find in themselves we either condemn allmost all professed Christians or at least leave them under uncertainty and terrors Therefore Gods Interest speaking so lowd on one hand and mans experience on the other I think we have need to cut by a thred and walk by line with greatest accurateness 94. By this time we may see that as Christ is the way to the Father and the Saviour and recoverer of lapsed man from Himself to God so â—aith in Christ as such is a Mediate and Medicinal Grace and work And that faith is but the bellows of Love And that our first Believing in Christ though it be the regenerating work which generateth Love yet is but a middle state between an unregenerate and a regenerate Not as a third state specifically distinct from both but the initium of the latter or as the embrio or state of Conception in the womb is as to a man and no man Faith containeth Love in fieri 95. As the Love of our selves doth most powerfully though not only move us to close with Christ as our Saviour so while hereby we are united unto Him we have a double assistance or influx from him for the production of the purer Love of God The one is Objective in all the Divine demonstrations of Gods Love in his Incarnation Life Death Resurrection in his Doctrine Example Intercession and in all his benefits given us in our pardon adoption and the promises of future Glory The other is in the secret operations of the Holy Spirit which he giveth us to concur with these means and make them all effectual 96. The true state of sanctification as different from meer vocation and faith consisteth in this pure Love of God and Holiness and that more for himself and his Infinite Goodness than for our selves and as our felicity 97. Therefore when we are Promised the spirit to be given to us if we Believe in Christ and sanctification is promised us with Justification on this condition of faith this is part of the meaning of that promise that if we truly take Christ for our Saviour to bring us to the Love of God though at present we are most moved with the Love of our selves to accept him he will by his word works and spirit bring us to it initially here and perfectly in Heaven even to be perfectly Pleased in God for his own perfect Goodness and so to be fully Pleasant to him And thus besides the extraordinary gifts to a few the spirit of holiness or Love which is the spirit of Adoption is promised by Covenant to all Believers 98. Accordingly this promise is so fulfilled that in the first instant of time we have a Relative Right to Christ as our Head and the sender of the spirit and to the Holy Spirit himself as our sanctifier by undertaking according to the terms of the Covenant But this doth not produce allwaies a sensible or effectual Love of God above our selves in us at the very first but by degrees as we follow the work of faith
have it No nor with any perfection of your intellectual nature meerly as such and for your selves without the Pleasing and Glorifying God in it If you practically perceive that every thing is therefore and so far Good and Amiable as God shineth in it as its cause or as it conduceth to Glorifie him and Please his Will If accordingly you Love that person best on whom you perceive most of God and that is most serviceable to him though not at all beneficial to your self If you Love the wellfare of the Church the Kingdom the World and of the Heavenly society Saints Angels and Christ as the Divine Nature interest Image or impress maketh all Lovely in their several degrees and would rather be annihilated were it put upon your choice than Saints Angels Kingdoms Church should be annihilated If your hearts have devoted themselves and all that you have to God as his own to be used to his utmost service If your chief desire and endeavour in the world be to please his blessed will and in that will and the comtemplation of his infinite perfections you seek your rest If you desire your own everlasting happiness in no other kind but as consisting in the perfect sight of Gods Glory and in your perfect Loving of him and being pleasant or beloved to him and this as resting more in the Infinite Amiableness of God than the felicity which hence will follow to your selves though that also must be desired If now you deny your own glory for his Glory if your chief desire and endeavour be to Love him more and more and you Love your selves best when you Love him most In a word If nothing more take up your care than how to Love God more and nothing in the whole world your self or others seem more Amiable to your sober practical judgement and your wills than the Infinite Goodness of God as such If all this be so you have not only attained sincerity which is not now the question but this Divine nature and high confirmed Holiness Though withall you never so much desire your own salvation which is but to desire more of this Love And though your Nature have such a sensitive selfish desire of Life and Pleasure as is brought into subjection to this Divine Love If any be offended that so many propositions must be used in opening the case and say that they rather confound mens witts than inform them I Answer 1. The matter is high and I could not ascend by a shorter ladder Nor have I the faculty of climbing it per saltum stepping immediately from the lowest to the highest part If any will make the case plainer in fewer words and with less ado I shall thankfully accept his labour as a very great benefit when I see it 2. Either all these particulars are really diverse and really pertinent to the matter in question or not If not it is not blaming the number that will evince it but naming such particulars as are either unjustly or unnecessarily either distinguished or inserted And if it be but repeating the same things that is blamed I shall be glad if all these words and more would make such weighty cases clear and do confess that after all I need more light and am allmost stalled with the difficulties my self But if the particulars can be neither proved false nor needless but the Reader be only overset with multitude I would intreat him to be patient with other men that are more laborious and more capable of knowledge And let him know that if his difficulties do not rather engage him in a diligent search than tempt him to impatience and accusation I number him not only with the slothful contemners but therefore also with the enemies of knowledge even as I reckon the neglecters and contemners and accusers of Piety among its enemies But ere I end I must answer some Objections Object 1. Some will say Doth not every man Love God above himself and all while he knoweth him to be Better and so more Lovely For there is some Act of the will that answereth this of the understanding Answ. 1. You must know that the carnal mind is first captivated to carnal self and sensuality And therefore the most practical and powerful apprehensions of Goodness or Amiableness in every such person doth fasten upon Life and Pleasure or sensual prosperity And the sense having here engaged the mind and will the contrary conclusions that God is Best are but superficial and uneffectual like dreams and though they have answerable effects in the will they are but uneffectual velleities or wishes which are born down with far stronger desires of the contrary And though God be loved as one that is notionally conceived to be Best and Most to be Loved yet he is not loved Best or Most Yea though ordinarily the understanding say God is Best and Best to me and for me and Most to be loved when it cometh to volition or choice there is a secret apprehension which saith more powerfully hic nunc this sensible pleasure is Better for me and more eligible Why else is it chosen Unless you will say that the motion is principally sensitive and the force of the sensitive Appetite suspendeth all forcible opposition of the Intellect and so ruleth the Locomotive facultie it self But whether the Intellect be Active or but Omissive in it the sin cometh up to the same height of evil However it be it is most evident that while such men say God is most to be Loved they love him not most when they will not leave a lust or known sin for his Love Nor shew any such love but the contrary in their lives Object 2. But do not all men practically Love God best when they Love Wisdom Honesty and Goodness in all men Even in strangers that will never profit them And what is God but Wisdom Goodness and Greatness it self Answ. They first Idolize themselves and their sensual delights and then they Love such Wisdom Goodness and Greatness as is suitable to their self ish sensual lust and interest And it is not the Prime Good which is above them and to be preferred before them which they love as such but such Goodness as is fitted to their fleshly concupiscence and ends And therefore Holiness they Love not And though they love that which is never like to benefit them that is but as it is of the same kind with that which in others nearer them may benefit them and therefore is suitable to their minds and interest And yet we confess that the mind of man hath some principles of virtue and some footsteps and witnesses of a Deity left upon it But though these work up to an approbation of Good and a dislike of evil in the General notion of it and in particulars so far as it crosseth not their Lust yet never to prefer the Best things practically before their Lust And God is not Loved Best nor as God
than they are 11. He is one that is not subject to the passions of men which blind their minds and carry them to injustice 12. He is one that will not be moved by tale-bearers whisperers or false-accusers nor can be perverted by any misinformation § 61. Consider also the Benefits of taking up with the Pleasing of God 1. The Pleasing of him is your Happiness it self The matter of pure and full and constant comfort which you may have continually at hand and no man can take from you Get this and you have the end of man Nothing can be added to it but the perfection of the same Which is Heaven it self § 62. 2. What abundance of disappointments and vexations will you scape which tear the very hearts of man-pleasers and fill their lives with unprofitable sorrows § 63. 3. It will guide and order your cares and desires and thoughts and labours to their right and proper end and prevent the perverting of them and spending them in sin and vanity on the creature § 64. 4. It will make your lives not only to be Divine but this Divine life to be sweet and easy while you set light by humane censures which would create you prejudice and difficulties When others glory in wit and wealth and strength you would glory in this that you know the Lord. Jer. 9. 23 § 65. 5. As God is above man thy heart and life is highly ennobled by having so much respect to God and rejecting inordinate respect to man This is indeed to walk with God § 66. 6. The sum of all graces is contained in this sincere desire to please thy God and contentedness in this so far as thou findest it attained Here is faith and humility and love and holy desire and trust and the fear of God concentered You sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself and make him your fear and dread and Sanctuary Isa. 8. 13 14. § 67. 7. If humane approbation be good for you and worth your having this is the best way to it for God hath the disposal of it If a mans wayes please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him Prov. 16. 7. Appeasing their wrath or restraining them from intended evil or doing us good by that which they intend for hurt § 68. See therefore that you live upon Gods approbation as that which you chiefly seek and will suffice Signs you Which you may discover by these signs 1. You will be most careful to understand the Scripture to know what doth please and displease God 2. You will be more careful in the doing of every duty to fit it to the pleasing of God than man 3. You will look to your Hearts and not only to your actions To your ends and thoughts and the inward manner and degree 4. You will look to secret duties as well as publick and to that which men see not as well as unto that which they see 5. You will reverence your consciences and have much to do with them and will not slight them When they tell you of Gods displeasure it will disquiet you When they tell you of his approbation Non est idonâ—uâ— Philosopâ—â—ae discipuluâ— quâ— sâ—ultum pudâ—â—em nâ—n possit contemnâ—re Id. ioâ—d p. 728. it will comfort you 6. Your pleasing men will be charitable for their good and pious in order to the pleasing of God and not proud and ambitious for your honour with them nor impious against the pleasing of God 7. Whether men be pleased or displeased or how they judge of you or what they call you will seem a small matter to you as to your own interest in comparison of Gods judgement You live not on them You can bear their displeasure censures and reproaches if God be but pleased These will be your evidences PART V. Directions against Pride and for Humility § 1. PRIDE being reputed the great sin of the Devil by which he sell is in the name and Of this subject read the preface to my Book of self-denial and Chap. 41. to Chap. 51. general notion of it infamous and odious with allmost all but the nature of it is so much unknown and the sin so undiscerned by the most that it is commonly cherished while it is commonly spoke against Therefore the chief Directions for the conquering of it are those that are for the full discovery of it For when it is seen it is shamed and to shame it is to destroy it § 2. Direct 1. Understand aright the nature of Pride that you may neither ignorantly retain it nor Direct 1. oppose your duty as supposed to be Pride Here I shall tell you 1. What Pride is and what commandment it is against And what Humility is which is its contrary 2. Some seemings or appearances like Pride which may make men censured as Proud for that which is not Pride 3. The counterfeits of Humility which may make a Proud man seem to himself or others to be Humble § 3. I. PRIDE is an inordinate self-exalting or a lifting up our selves above the state or degree Pride what appointed us It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is an appearing to our selves and a desire to appear to others above what we are or above others of our quality It is a branch of SELFISHNESS and containeth man-pleasing as before described and produceth Hypocrisie and is its original and life It containeth in it these following acts or parts 1. A will to be higher or greater than God would have us be 2. An overvaluing of our selves or esteeming our selves to be Greater Wiser or Better than indeed we are 3. A desire that others should think of us and speak of us and use us as greater or wiser or better than we are 4. An endeavour or seeking to rise above our appointed place or to be overvalued by others 5. An ostentation of our inordinate self-esteem in outward signs of speech or action Every one of these is an act of Pride The three first are the inward acts of it in the Mind and Will and the two last are its external acts § 4. As the Love of God and man are the comprehensive duties of the Decalogue expressed most Against what Commandment in the first and last Commandment but yet extending themselves to all the rest so SELFISHNESS and PRIDE which is a principal part of it are the opposite sins forbidden principally in the first and last Commandment as contrary to the Love of God and man but so as it is contrary to the rest They are sins against the very Relation it self that God and man do stand in to us and not only against a particular Law They are against the very constitution of the Kingdom of God and not only against the Administration It is Treason or Idolatry against God and a setting up our selves in some part of his prerogative And it is a monstrous extuberancie in the Body and a rising of one
member above and so against the rest either superiors and so against the fifth command or equals against the rest § 5. HUMILITY is contrary to pride and therefore consisteth 1. In a contentedness with Humility what that degree and state which God hath assigned us 2. In mean thoughts of our selves esteeming our selves no Greater Wiser or Better than we are 3. In a willingness and desire that others should not think of us or speak of us or use us as greater or wiser or better than we are that they should give us no more honour praise or Love than is our due the redundancie being but a deceit or lie and an abuse of us and them 4. In the avoiding of all inordinate aspiring endeavors and a contented exercise of our assigned offices and doing the meanest works of our own places 5. In the avoiding of all ostentation or appearance of that greatness wisdom or goodness which we have not and fitting our speeches apparel provisions furniture and all our deportment and behaviour to the meanness of our parts and place and worth This is the very Nature of Humility The more particular signs I shall open afterwards § 6. II. Pride lying in the heart is oft mis-judged of by others that see but the outward appearances The Inward se â—â—nâ—â— of Pride that are noâ—â—â— and sometime by the person himself that understandeth not the nature of it The inward appearances that are mistaken for pride and are not it are such as these 1. When a man in power and Government hath a spirit suitable to his place and work This is not Pride but vertue 2. When natural strength and vigor of spirits expelleth pusillanimity especially when faith beholding God expelleth all inordinate respect to men and fear of all that they can do this is not pride but Christian magnanimity and fortitude and the contrary is not humility but weakness and pusillanimity and cowardize 3. When a wise man knoweth in what measure he is wise and in what measure other men are ignorant or erroneous and when he is conscious of his knowledge and delighted and pleased in it through the love of truth and thankful to God for revealing it to him and blessing so far his studies and endeavours all this is mercy and duty and not pride For truth is amiable and delectable in it self And he that knoweth must needs know that he knoweth as he that seeth doth perceive by seeing that he seeth And if it be a fault to know that I know it must be a fault to know at all Bâ—t some knowledge is necessary and unresistible and we cannot avoid it And that which is good â—â—â—â—t be vâ—lued and we must be thankful for it Humility doth no more require that a wise man think â—â—â—â— knowledge equal with a fools or ignorant mans than that a sound man take himself to be sick â—â— When a wise man valueth the useful knowledge which God hath given him above all the glory and vanities of the world which are indeed of lower worth this is not Pride but a due estimation of things 5. When a wise man desireth that others were of his mind for their own good and the propagating of the truth this is not Pride but Charity and love of truth Else preachers were the 〈…〉 Hâ—mâ—lâ—aâ— enim ut reliquae virâ—utes opus est voluntatis Nam sicut virtutes per ra ionem cognoscimus ita per di 〈…〉 nobis sâ—â—â—â—unt Tâ—â—â—â—â— â—â—â—â— c. 7 p 103 104. prâ—udest men and Paul had done ill in labouring so much for mens conversion and saying to Agripâ—a Aâ—â—s 2â— 29. I would to God that not only thou but also all that hear me this day were both allmost aâ—d allâ—â—â—â—ther such as I am except these â—onds 6. When an innocent man is conscious of his innocency and a holy person is conscious of his holiness and assured of his state in grace and rejoyceth in it and is thankful for it this is not Pride but an excellent priviledge and duty If Angels rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner Luke 15. the sinner hath reason to rejoyce himself And iâ— it be a sin to be unthankful for our daily bread much more for grace and the hope of Glory 7. When we value our good name and the honour that is indeed our due as we do other outward common mercies not fâ—r themselves but so far as they honour God or tend to the good of others or the promoting of truth or piety among men desiring no more than is indeed our due nor over-valuing it as that which we cannot spare but submitting it to the will of God as that which we can be without this is not Pride but a right estimation of the thing § â— The outward seemings which are oft mistaken for the signs and fruits of Pride by others are The outward appâ—aâ—anâ—eâ—â—â— Pride that are not it such as these 1. When a Magistrate or other Governour doth maintain the honour of his place which is necessary to his succesful Government and liveth according to his degree When Princes and Rulâ—rs and Masters and Parents do keep that distance from their subjects and servants and scholars and children which is meet and needful to their good it is usually mis-judged to be their Pride 2. When a sinner is convinced of the necessity of Holiness in a time and place where it is rare and infidelity or prophaness and ungodliness is the common road the necessary singularity of such a one in giving up himself to the will of God is commonly charged on him as his pride As if he were proud that cannot be contented to be damned in Hell for company with the most or to despise salvation if most despise it and to forsake his God when most forsake him and to serve the Devil when See 〈◊〉 Tâ—act How a man may â—â—aâ—se himself without 〈◊〉 bâ—ame 〈…〉 304. most men serve him If you will not swear and be drunk and game and spend your time even the Lords day in vanity and sensuality as if you were afraid of being saved and as if it were your busyness to work out your damnation the world will call you proud and singular and think it strange that you run not with them to excess of riot speaking evil â—f you 1 Pet. 4. 4. You shall quickly hear them say What will you be wiser than all the Town What a Saint What a holy precisian is this When â—â—t was grieved for the filthiness of Sodom they scorn him as a proud controller Gen. 19. 9. This one fellow came in to sâ—journ and he will needs be a Iudge And what thought they of Noaâ— that walked with God in so great singularity when the world was drowned in and for their wickedness When David humbled his soul with fasting they turned it to his reproach Psalm 69. 10. 35. 13. Especially when any of the servants of Christ do press towards the highest degree of holiness
through a Needles eye than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God And they that heard it said Who then can be saved And he said The things which are impossible with men are possible with God So Luke 6. 24 25. But wo unto you that are rich for you have received your consolation Wo unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Make but sense of these and many such like Texts and you can gather no less than this from them that Riches make the way to Heaven much harder and the salvation of the ☜ rich to be more difficult and rare proportionably than of other men And Paul saith 1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called And the Lovers of riches though they are poor must remember that it is said 1 Tim. 6. 10. That the Love of money is the root of all evil And 1 John 2. 15. Love not the world nor the things that are in the world For if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Do you believe that here lyeth the danger of your souls and yet can you so love and choose and seek it Would you have your salvation more difficult and doubtful and impossible with men You had rather choose to live where few dye young than where most dye young and where sicknesses are rare than where they are common If you were sick you had rather have the Physicion and Medicines and Dyet which cure most than those which few are cured by If the Countrey were beset with Thieves you had rather go the way that most scape in than that few scape in And yet so it may but please your flesh you will choose that way to Heaven that fewest scape in and you will choose that state of life which will make your salvation to be most hard and doubtful Doth your Conscience say that this is wisely done I know that if God put Riches into your hand by your Birth or his blessing on your honest labours you must not cast away your Masters talents because he is austere but by a holy improvement of them you may further his service and your salvation But this is no reason why you should ovâ—r-love them or desire and seek so great a danger Believe Christ heartily and it will quench your Love of Riches § 28. Direct 7. Remember that the more you have the more you have to give account for And Direct 7. â—f the day of Judgement be dreadful to you you should not make it more dreadful by greatning your own accounts If you desired Riches but for the service of your Lord and have used them for him and can tâ—uly give in this account that you laid them not out for the needless pleasure or pride of the flâ—sh but â—o furnish your selves and families and others for his service and as near as you â—â—uld employ them according to his will and for his use then you may expect the reward of good and faithful servants But if you desired and used them for the pride and pleasure of your selves while you lived and your posterity or kindred when you are dead dropping some inconsiderable â—râ—ms for God you will then find that Mammon was an unprofitable Master and Godliness with content Pâ—â—v 3. 14 1 â—â—m 6 â— 6. would have been greater gain § 29. Direct 8. Remember how dear it costeth men thus to hinder their salvation and greaten their Direct 8. danger and accounts What a deal of precious Time is lost upon the world by the Lovers of it which might have been improved to the getting of Wisdom and Grace and making their calling and election 〈…〉 2 sure If you had believed that the gain of holy wisdom had been so much better than the gaining of Gold as Solomon saith Prâ—v 3. 14. you would have laid out much of that time in labouring to understand the Scriptures and preparing for your endless life How many unnecessary Thoughtâ— have you cast away upon the world which might better have been laid out on your greater concernments How many â—ares and vexations and passions doth it cost men to overload themselves with worldly provisions Like a foolish travellâ—r who having a dayes journey to go doth spend all the day in gathering together a load of mâ—at and clothes and money more than he can carry for fear of wanting by the way or like a foolish runner that hath a race to run for his life and spends Saith Plutarâ—h 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—n Alexanâ—er wept because he was not Lord of the world when Câ—atâ—s having but a Wall â—â— and a thred-bare Cloke spent his whole life in mâ—râ—h and joy as if it had been a continual festival holy-day Psal. 37. 16. Prov 16. 8. the time in which he should be running in gathering a burden of pretended necessaries You have all the while Gods work to do and your souls to mind and judgement to prepare for and you are tiring and vexing your selves for unnecessary things as if it were the top of your ambition to be able to say in Hell that you dyed rich 1 Tim. 6. 5 6 7 8 9 10. Godliness with contentment is great gain For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out And having food and raiment let us be therewith content But they that will be Rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred or been seduced from the â—aith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows Piercing sorrows here and damnation hereafter are a very dear price to give for money For saith Christ himself What shall it profit a man to gain all the world and lose his own soul Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul that is What money or price will recover it if for the love of gain he lose it Mark 8. 36 37. Prov. 15. 27. He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house but he that hateth gifts shall live Do you not know that a godly man contented with his daily bread hath a far sweeter and quietter life and death than a self-troubling worldling You may easily perceive it Prov. 15. 16. Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith § 30. Direct 9. Look much on the life of Christ on earth and see how strangely he condemned worldliness Direct 9. by his example Did he choose to be a Prince or Lord or to have great possessions lands or money or sumptuous buildings or gallant attendance and plentiful provisions His housing you â—uke 9 58. may read of Matth. 8. 20. Fâ—xes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay
a continual suâ—vitv affording still fresh delights though thou meditate on him a thousand years or to all eternity Thou maist better say that the Ocean hath not water enough for thee to swim in or that the Earth hath not room enough for thee to tread upon than that there is not matter enough in God for thy longest Meditations and most delighting satisfying thoughts The blessed Angels and Saints in Heaven will find enough in God alone to employ their minds to all eternity O horrid darkness and atheism that yet remaineth on our hearts that we should want matter for our thoughts to keep them from feeding upon air or filth or want matter for our delight to keep our mindâ— from begging it at the creatures door or hungring for the husks that feed the Swine when we have the Infinite God Omnipotent Omniscient most good and bountiful our life and hope and happiness to think on with delight § 3. Direct 3. If you have but an eye of faith to see the things of the unseen world as revealed Direct 3. in the sacred Word you cannot want matter to employ your thoughts Scripture is the glass in which 3. The world to come you may see the other world There you may see the Antient of Dayes the Eternal Majesty shining in his Glory for the felicitating of holy glorified Spirits There you may see the humane nature advanced above Angels and enjoying the highest Glory next to the uncreated Majesty and Christ reigning as the King of all the world and all the Angels of God obeying honouring and worshipping him you may see him sending his Angels on his gracious messages to the lowest members of his body the little ones of his flock on earth you may see him interceding for all his Saints and procuring their peace and entertainment with the Father and preparing for their reception when they pass into those mansions and welcoming them one by one as they pass hence There you may see the glorious celestial society attending admiring extolling worshipping the Great Creator the Gracious Redeemer and the Eternal Spirit with uncessant glorious and harmonious Praise you may see them burning in the delicious flames of holy Love drawn out by the Vision of the face of God and by the streams of Love which he continually powreth out upon them you may see the magnetick attraction of the uncreated Love and the felicitating closure of the attracted Love of holy Spirits thus united unto God by Christ and feasting everlastingly upon him you may see the ravishments of joy and the unspeakable pleasures which all these blessed Spirits have in this transporting Sight and Love and Praise You may see the extasies of Ioy which possess the souls of those that are newly passed from the Body and escaped the sins and miseries of this world and find there such sudden ravishing entertainment unspeakably beyond their former expectations conceivings or belief You may see there with what wonder what pity what lothing and detestation those holy glorified souls look down upon earth on the negligence contempt sensuality and profaneness of the dreaming and distracted world You may see there what you shall be for ever if you be the holy ones of Christ and where you must dwell and what you must do and what you shall enjoy All this you may so know by sound believing as to be carried to it as sincerely as if your eyes had seen it Heb. 11. 1. 2 Cor. 5. 7. And yet can your thoughts be idle or carnal or worldly and sinful for want of work Are your meditations dry and barren for want of matter to employ them Doth the fire of Love or other holy affections go out for want of fuell to feed it Is not Heaven and Eternity spatious enough for your minds to expatiate in Is not such a world as that sufficient for you to study with fresh and delectable variety of discoveries from day to day or that which is more delightful than variety Would you have more matter or higher and more excellent matter or sweeter and more pleasant matter or matter which doth nearlier concern your selves Get that faith which all that shall be saved Live by which makes things absent as operative in some measure as if they were present and that which will be as if it now were and that which is unseen as if it were now open to your eyes and then your Thoughts will want neither matter to work upon nor altogether an actuating excitation If this were not enough I might tell you what Faith can see also in Hell which is not unworthy See in my Tract on Heb 11. 1. called The Life of Faith of your serious Thoughts What work is there what direful complaints and lamentations what self-tormentings and what sense of Gods displeasure and for what But I will wholly pass this by that you may see there is delightful work enough for your thoughts and that I set you no unpleasant task § 4. Direct 4. Get but the Love of God well kindled in your Heart and it will find employment Direct 4. even the most high and sweet employment for your Thoughts Your selves shall be the Judges whether 4. The work of Love your Love doth not for the most part rule your thoughts assigning them their work and directing them when and how long to think on it See but how a lustful lover is carried after a beloved silly piece of flesh Their thoughts will so easily and so constantly run after it that they need no spur Mark in what a stream it carrieth them how it feedeth and quickneth their invention and elevateth an ordinary fancy into a Poetical and passionate strain What abundance of matter can a Lover find in the narrow compass of a dirty Corpse for his thoughts to work on night and day And will not the Love of God then much more fill and feast your thoughts How easily can the Love of money find matter for the thoughts of the worldling from one year to another It s easie to think of any thing which you love O what a happy spring of Meditation is a rooted predominant Love of God Love him strongly and you cannot forget him You will then see him in every thing that meets you and hear him in every one that speaketh to you If you miss him or have offended him you will think on him with grief If you taste of his Love you will think of him with Delight If you have but hope you will think of him with Desire and your Minds will be taken up in seeking him and in understanding and using the Means by which you may come to enjoy him Love is ingenious and full and quick and active and resolute It is valiant and patient and exceeding industrious and delighteth to encounter difficulties and to appear in labours and to shew it self in advantageous sufferings and therefore it maketh the mind in which it reigneth exceeding busie and findeth the
the Holy Ghost to lead men by obedience to felicity Behold it with reverence as a Letter or Message sent from Heaven and as a thing of grand importance to your souls When you meditate of any Grace think on it as a part of the Image of God implanted and actuated by the Holy Ghost to advance the soul into communion with God and prepare it for him When you meditate on any Duty remember who commandeth it and whom you are chiefly to respect in your obedience and what will be the end of obeying or disobeying When you meditate on any sin remember that it is the defacing or privation of Gods image and the rebell that riseth up against him in all his attributes to depose him from the Government of the soul and of the world and foresee the End to which it tendeth Take in God if you would feel Life and Power in all that you meditate on § 21. Direct 7. Let your ordinary Meditations be on the Great and Necessary things and think Direct 7. less frequently on the less Necessary matters Meditation is but a means to a further end It is to work some good upon the soul Use therefore those subjects which are most powerful and fit to work it Great truths will do great works upon the heart They are usually the surest and most past controversie and doubt There is more weight and substance and power in one Article of the Creed or one Petition in the Lords Prayer or one Commandment in the Decalogue to benefit the soul than in abundance of the controverted opinions which men have troubled themselves and others with in all ages As one purse of Gold will buy more than a great quantity of Farthings Meditating on Great and weighty truths makes Great and weighty Christians And meditating inordinately on light and controverted opinions makes light opinionative contentious professors Little things may have their time and place but it must be but little time and the last place except when God maketh any little thing to be the matter of our lawful calling and employment as all the common matters of the world are little And then they may have a larger proportion of our time though still they must have the lowest place in our estimation and in our hearts § 22. Direct 8. When ever you are called to meditate on any smaller truth or thing see that you Direct 8. take it not as separated from the greater but still behold it as connexed to them and planted and growing in them and receiving their life and beauty from them so that you may still preserve the life and interest of the greatest matters in your hearts and may not mortifie the least and turn it into a deceit or idol We are to climb upwards and not to descend downwards and therefore we begin at the body of the Tree and so pass up to the few and greatest boughs and thence to the smaller numerous branches which as they are hard to be discerned numbred and remembred so are they not all strong enough to bear us but are fitted rather to be looked on than trodden and rested on But if you take them not as growing from the greater boughs but cut them off they lose their life and beauty and fruitfulness If all the Controversies in the Church had been managed with due honour and preservation of Holiness Charity Unity Peace and greater truths and if all the circumstantials in Religion had been ordered with a salvo and due regard and just subsâ—rviency to the power and spirituality of holy Worship the Christian world would have had more Life and strength and fruitfulness and less imagery unholy ludicrous complement and hypocrisie § 23. Direct 9. Let the end and order of your meditations be first for the setling of your judgements Direct 9. and next for the resalving and setling of your wills and thirdly for the reforming and bettering of your lives and but in the fourth place after all these for the raising of your holy passions or lively feeling which must have but its proper room and place But indeed where some of these are done already they may be supposed and we may proceed to that which is yet to do As if you know what is sin and duty but do it not your meditation must be not to make you know what you knew not but first to consider well of what you know and set the powerful truth before you and then labour hereby to bring your wills to a fixed Resolution of obedience But if it be a Truth whose principal use is on the Will and Affections as to draw up the heart to the Love of God by the meditating on his attractive excellencies then the most pains must there be taken Of which see Chap. 3. Direct 11. § 24. Direct 10. Turn your cogitations often into soliloquies methodically and earnestly preaching Direct 10. to your own hearts as you would do on that subject to others if it were to save their souls As this will keep you in order from rambling and running out and will also find you continual matter Of this see the third part of my Saints Rest more fully For method is a wonderful help both to invention memory and delight so it will bring things soonest to your affections An earnest pleading of convincing reasons with our own Hearts is a powerful way to make the fire burn and to kindle desire fear love hatred repentings shame sorrow joy resolution or any good effect Convictions upbraidings expostulations reprehensions and self-perswasions may be very powerful when a dull way of bare thinking is but like a dull way of preaching without any lively application which little stirs the hearers Learn purposely of the liveliest Books you read and of the best and liveliest Preachers you hear to preach to your hearts and use it orderly and you will find it a most powerful way of meditating § 25. Direct 11. Turn your meditations often into ejaculatory prayers and addresses unto God For Direct 11. that will keep you reverent serious and awake and make all the more powerful because the more Divine When you meditate on sin turn sometimes to God by penitent lamentation and say Lord what a wretch and rebell was I to entertain such an enemy of thine into my heart and for nothing to offend thee and violate thy Laws O pardon O cleanse me O strengthen me Conquer and â—ast out this odious enemy of thee and me So when you are seeking to excite or exercise any grace send up a fervent request to God to shew his Love and power upon thy dead and sluggish heart and to be the principal agent in a work which is so much his own Prayer is a most holy duty in which the soul hath so nearly to do with God that if there be any holy seriousness in the heart it will be thus excited A dull and wandring mind will bear some reverence to God and therefore
1 Pet. 2. 21 22 23 24. Isa. 53. cast down who never despised or envied man nor never feared man who never was over-merry or over-sad who being reviled reviled not again but was dumb as a lamb before the shearers § 21. Direct 17. Keep as far from all occasions of your passions as other duties will allow you And Direct 17. contrive your affairs and occasions into as great an opposition as may be to the temptation Run not into temptation if you would be delivered from evil Much might be done by a willing prudent man by the very ordering of his affairs God and Satan works by means let the means then be regarded § 22. Direct 18. Have a due care of your bodies that no distemper be cherished in them which causeth Direct 18. the distemper of the soul. Passions have a very great dependance on the temperament of the body And much of the cure of them lieth when it is possible in the bodyes emendation § 23. Direct 19. Turn all your passions into the right chanel and make them all Holy using them for Direct 19. God upon the greatest things This is the true cure The bare restraint of them is but a palliate cure like the easing of pain by a dose of opium Cure the fear of man by the fear of God and the Love of the creature by the Love of God and the cares for the body by caring for the soul and earthly fleshly desires and delights by spiritual desires and delights and worldly sorrow by profitable godly sorrow § 24. Direct 20. Controul the effects and frustrate your passions of what they would have and that Direct 20. will ere long destroy the cause Cross your selves of the things which carnal Love and desire would have Forbear the things which carnal mirth or anger would provoke you to and the fire will go out for want of fewel Of which more in the particulars Tit. 2. Directions against sinful Love of Creatures § 1. LOve is the Master Passion of the soul because it hath the chiefest Object even Goodness which Solus Amor facit hominem bonum vel malum Paul Sâ—aliger Thes. p. 721. is the object of the will And simple Love is nothing but Complacencie which is nothing but the simple Volition of Good And it is a Passionate Volition or Complacencie which we call the Passion of Love When this is Good and when its sinful I shewed before But yet because the one half of the cure here lieth in the conviction and it is so hard a thing to make any Lover perceive a sinfullness in his Love I shall first help you in the tryal of your Love to shew the sinfullness of it when I have first named the objects of it § 2. Any creature which seemeth Good to us may possibly be the object of sinful Love As Honor Greatness authority praises money houses lands cattle meat drink sleep apparel sports friends relations and life it self As for Lustful Love I shall speak of it anon Helps for discovering of sinful Love § 3. Direct 1. Make Gods interest and his word the standard to judge of all affections by That Direct 1. which is against the Love of God and would abate or hinder it yea which doth not directly or indirectly tend to further it is certainly a sinful Love And so is all that is against his word For the Love of God is our final act upon our ultimate end and therefore all that tends not to it is a sin against our very end and so against our nature and the use of our faculties § 4. Direct 2. Therefore whatever creature is Loved ultimately for it self and not for a higher end Direct 2. even for God his service his honour his relation to it or his excellencie appearing in it is sinfully loved For it is made our God when it is Loved ultimately for it self § 5. Direct 3. Suspect all Love to creatures which is very strong and violent and easily kindled and Direct 3. hardly moderated or quieted Though you might think it is for some spiritual end or excellencie that you Love any person or any thing yet suspect it if it be so easie and strong Because that which is truly and purely spiritual is against corrupted nature and comes from Grace which is but weak we find no such easiness to Love God and scripture and prayer and holiness nor are our affections so violent to these It s well if all the fewel and blowing we can use will keep them alive It s two to one that the flesh and the Devil have put in some of their fewel or gunpouder if it be fierce § 6. Direct 4. Suspect all that Love which selfishness and fleshly-interest have a hand in Is it some Direct 4. bodily pleasure and delight that you love so much Or is it a good book or other help for your soul We are so much apter to exceed and sin in carnal fleshly mindedness than in Loving what is good for our souls that there we should be much more suspicious If it be violent and for the body it s ten to one there is sin in it § 7. Direct 5. Suspect all that Love to creatures which your Reason can give no good account of nor Direct 5. shew you a justifiable cause If you Love one place or person much more than others and know not why but Love them because you cannot choose this is much to be suspected Though God may sometime kindle a secret Love between friends from an unexpressible unity or similitude of minds beyond what reason will undertake to justifie yet this is rare and commonly fansie or folly or carnality is the cause However it is more to be suspected and tryed than Rational Love § 8. Direct 6. Suspect all that fervent Love to any Creature which is hasty before sufficient tryal for Direct 6. commonly both persons and things have the best side outward and seem better at the first appearance than they prove Not but that a moderate Love may be taken up upon the first appearance of any excellency especially spiritual But so as to allow for a possibility of being deceived and finding more faultiness upon a fuller tryal than we at first perceive Have you dwelt in the house with the persons whom you so much admire and have you tryed them in their conversations and seen them tryed by crosses losses injuries adversity prosperity or the offers of preferment or plenty in the world you would little think what lurketh undiscovered in the hearts of many that have excellent parts till tryal manifest it § 9. Direct 7. Try your affections in prayer before God whether they be such as you dare boldly pray Direct 7. God either to increase or continue and bless and whether they be such as Conscience hath no quarrel against If they endure not this tryal be the more suspicious and search more narrowly The name and presence
against or perswading you to mortifie § 17. Direct 5. Look on the worst of the creature with the best and foresee what it will be when it Direct 5. withereth and what it will appear to you at the last I have applyed this against worldliness before Chap. 4. Part 6. and I shall afterwards apply it to the lustful love Bring your beloved creature to the grave and see it as it will appear at last and much of the folly of your Love will vanish § 18. Direct 6. Understand well the most that it will do for you and how short a time you must Direct 6. enjoy it and flatter not your selves with the hopes of a longer possession than you have reason to expect If men considered for how short a time they must possess what they dote upon it would somewhat cool their fond affections § 19. Direct 7. Remember that too much Love hath the present trouble of too much care and the future trouble of too much grief when you come to part with what you love Nothing more createth Direct 7. care and grief to us than inordinate Love You foreknow that you must part with it and will you now be so glued to it that then it may tear your flesh and heart Remember you caused all that your selves § 20. Direct 8. Remember that you provoke God to deprive you of what you overlove or to suffer it Direct 8. to grow unlovely to you Many a mans horse that he over-loved hath broke his neck And many a mans child that he over-loved hath dyed quickly or lived to be his scourge and sorrow And many a Husband or Wife that was over-loved hath been quickly snatcht away or proved a thorn or a continual grief and misery § 21. Direct 9. If there be no other means left prudently and moderately embitter to thy self the creature which thou art fond on which may be done many ways according to the nature of it By Direct 9. the seldomer or more abstemious use of it or by using it more to benefit than delight or by mixing some mortifying humbling exercises or mixing some self-denying acts and minding more the good of others c. § 22. Direct 10. In the practice of all Directions of this nature there must abundance of difference be made between a carnal voluptuous heart that is hardly taken off from sensual Love and a mortified Direct 10. melancholy or over-scrupulous person who is running into the contrary extream and is afraid of every bit they eat or of all they possess or wear or use and sometime of their very children and relations and ready to over-run their mercies or neglect their duties suspecting that all is too much loved And it is a very hard thing for us so to Write or Preach to one party but the other will mis-apply it to themselves and make an ill use of it All that we can write or say is too little to mortifie the fleshly mans affections And yet speak as cautelously as we can the troubled soul will turn it into gall to the increase of his trouble And what we speak to his peace and settlement though it prove too little and uneffectual yet will be effectual to harden the misapplying sensualist in the sinful affections and liberty which he useth Therefore it is best in such cases to have still a wise experienced faithful guide to help you in the application in cases of difficulty and weight Tit. 3. Directions against sinful Desires and Discontent § 1. I Shall say but little here of this subject because I have already treated so largely of it in my Read Mâ— â—â—â—â—roughs excellent â—reat called Tâ—â—â—â—â—â— of Coâ—tâ—ntâ—â—â—â—t And that excellent Tract of a Heathen Plutarch de tranquillitate animi Book of self-denyal and in that of Crucifying the World and here before in Chap. 4. Part 6. 7. against worldliness and Flesh-pleasing and here against sinful Love which is the cause § 2. How sinful Desires may be known you may gather from the discoveries of sinful Love As 1. When you Desire that which is forbidden you 2. Or that which will do you no good upon a misconceit that it is better or more needful than it is 3. Or when you desire it too eagerly and must needs have it or else you will be impatient and discontented and cannot quietly be ruled and disposed of by God but are murmuring at his providence and your lot 4. Or when you desire it too hastily and cannot stay Gods time 5. Or else too greedily as to the measure being not content with Gods allowance but must needs have more than he thinks fit for you 6. Or speciall when your desires are perverse preferring lesser things before greater desiring bodily and transitory things more than the mercies for your souls which will be everlasting 7. When you desire any thing ultimately and meerly for the flesh without referring it to God it is a sin Even your daily bread and all your comforts must be desired but as Provender for your Horse that he may the better go his journey even as Provision for your bodies to fit them to the better and more cheerful service of your souls and God 8. Much more when your desires are for wicked ends as to serve your lust or pride or covetousness or revenge they are wicked desires 9. And when they are injurious to others § 3. Direct 1. Be well acquainted with your own Condition and consider what it is that you have Direct 1. most need of and then you will find that you have so much grace and mercy to desire for your souls Meâ—â—em nullis imaginibus depâ—ctam habeat Nam si corde mundus ab universis imaginibus liber esse cupit nil penitus cum amore possidere nulli hommi per voâ—â—ntarium affectum singulaâ—â— familiaritatâ— nulluâ— ipsi adhaerâ—re debet Omnis namque familiaritas aut conversatio pure propter Dei amorem non inita variis imaginibus inficit perturbat hominum mentes cum non ex Deo sed ex carne originâ—m ducat Quisquis in virum spiritualem divinum proficere cupit is carnali vitâ penitus renunciata Deo â—oli amore adhaereat eundemque interiori homine suo peculiariter possideat quo habito mox omnis multiplicitas omnes imagines omnis inordinaâ—us erga creaturas amor fortâ—ter ab eo prostigabuntur Deus quippe per amorem intus possesso protinus ab universis homo imaginibus liberatur Deus spiritus est cujus imaginem nemo proprie exprimere aut â—ffigiare potest Thaulerus flor pag. 79 80. without which you are lost for ever and that you have a Christ to desire and an endless life with God to desire that it will quench all your thirst after the things below This if any thing will make you wiser when you see you have greater things to mind A man that is in present danger of his life will
eternity This is the Apostles method 1 Cor. 7. 29 30 31. But this I say brethren the time is short It remaineth that both they that have Wives â—e as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not and they that buy as though they pâ—ssessed not and they that use the world as not abusing it or as if they used it not for the fashion of this world passeth away So you will Desire as if you desired not when you perceive well how quickly the thing desired will pass away § 16. Direct 14. In all your Desires remember the account as well as the thing desired Think Direct 14. not only what it is now at hand but what account you must make to God of it For to whom men give or commit much of them they require the more Luk. 12. 48. will you thirst after more power more honour more wealth when you remember that you have the more to give account of Matth. 25. Have you not enough to reckon for already unless you had hearts to use it better § 17. Direct 15. Keep your selves close to the holy use of all your mercies and let not the flâ—sh Direct 15. devour them nor any inordinate appetite fare ever the better for them when you have them and this will powerfully extinguish the inordinate desire it self We are in little danger of being over eager after things spiritual and holy for the honour of God Resolve therefore that all you have shall be thus sanctified to God and used for him and not at all to satisfie any inordinate desire of the flâ—sh and then the flâ—sh will cease its suit when it finds it fares never the better for it You are able to do much in this way if you will If you cannot presently suppress the Desire you may presently resolve to deny the flesh the thing desired As David would not drink the water though he longed for it 2 Sam. 23. 15 17. and you may presently deny it the more of that you have If you cannot forbear your thirst you can forbear to drink If you cannot forbear to be hungry you can forbear to eat whatever is forbidden or unfit If Eve must needs have an appetite to the forbidden fruit yet she might have commanded her hand and teeth and not have eaten it If you cannot otherwise cool your Desire of curious Apparel wear that which is somewhat homelyer than else you would have worn on purpose to rebuke and controul that desire If you cannot otherwise quench your Covetous desires give so much the more to the poor to cross that desire You cannot say that the outward act is out of your power if you be but willing § 18. Direct 16. When your Desires are over-eager bethink you of the mercies which you have Direct 16. received already and do possess Hath God done so much for you and are you still calling for more even of that which is unnecessary when you should be giving thanks for what you have This unthankful greediness is an odious sin Think what you have already for soul and body estate and friends and will not all this quiet you even this with Christ and Heaven unless you have the other lust or fansie satisfied and unless God humour you in your sick desires § 19. Direct 17. Understand how little it will satisfie you if God should give you all that you Direct 17. carnally desire When you have it it will not quiet you nor answer your expectations You think it will make you happy and be exceeding sweet to you but it deceiveth you and you promise your selves you know not what And therefore desire you know not what It would be to you but Isa. 29. 8. like a dreaming feast which would leave you hungry in the morning § 20. Direct 18. Remember still that the greatest hurt that the Creature can do thee is in being Direct 18. overloved and desired and it is never so dangerous to thee as when it seemeth most desirable If you remembred this aright you would be cast into the greatest fear and caution when any thing below is presented very pleasing and desirable to you § 21. Direct 19. Consider that your desires do but make those wants a burden and misery to you Direct 19. which otherwise would be none Thirst makes the want of drink a torment which to another is no pain or trouble at all The lustful wanton is ready to die for love of the desired mate which no body else cares for nor is ever the worse for being without A proud ambitious Haman thinks himself undone if he be not honoured and is vexed if he be but cast down into the mean condition of a farmer When many thousand honest contented men live merrily and quietly in as low a condition It is mens own Desires and not their real wants which do torment them § 22. Direct 20. Remember that when you have done all if God love you he will be the chooser Direct 20. and will not grant your sick desires but will correct you for them till they are cured If your child cry for a knife or for unwholesom meat or any thing that would hurt him you will quiet him with the rod if he give not over And it is a sign some rod of God is near you when you are sick for this or that or the other thing and will not be quiet and content unless your fansie and concupiscence be humoured Tit. 4. Directions against sinful Mirth and Pleasure § 1. MIrth is sinful 1. When men rejoyce in that which is evil as in the hurt of others or in mens Stoici dicunâ— severos esse â—apâ—entes quod neque ipsi â—oquantur ad voluptatem nâ—que ab aliis ad voluptatem dicta admittant Esse autem alios severos qui ad rationem acris vini severi dicantur quo ad medicamenta potius quam ad propinationeÌ„ utuntur Laert. in Zenone sin or in the sufferings of Gods servants or the afflictions of the Church or the success or prosperity of the enemies of Christ or of any evil cause This is one of the greatest sins in the world and one of the greatest signs of wickedness when wickedness is it that they rejoyce in 2. When it is unseasonable or in an unmeet subject As to be merry in the time and place of mourning to feast when we should fast or for an unsanctisied miserable soul to be taken up in mirth that is in the power of sin and satan and near to Hell 3. Mirth is sinful when it tendeth to the committing of sin or is managed by sin as to make merry with lies and fables and tempting unnecessary time-wasting dances plays or recreations or with the slander or abuse of others or with drunkenness gluttony or excess 4. Mirth is sinful when it is a hinderance to our duty and unfitteth
reason when we mourn not for sin as sin but as one sin hindereth another or as it marred some ill design 2. And by the effect when it doth but sink men in despair or torment th 〈…〉 and not at all separate them from the sin 3. When it cometh not at all from any love to God or care to please him but only an unwillingness to be damned and so it is lâ—mented only as a means of damnation which though it be a sorrow positively neither good nor â—â—il yet it is evil privatively § 5. But it is the Passion of Grief as in its excess that I am now to speak against And it is in 〈…〉 maâ—h 〈…〉 and heaviness â—â— an enemy to Christianâ—ty and to the Spirit of God excess 1. When we grieve for that which we ought not at all to grieve for that is either for some gâ—od or for a thing indifferent that is neither good or bad Both which come from the error of the mind a. When we grieve too much for that which we may grieve for lawfully in some measure that is for our own afflictions or penal suffering 3. When we grieve too much for that which we are bound to grieve for in some measure As 1. For our sin 2. For our loss of the favour of God or of his Grace and Spirit 3. For other mens sin and suffering 4. For the sufferings of the Church and calamities of the world 5. For Gods dishonour § 6. Though it is not easie to have too much sorrow for sin considering it Estimatively that is we can hardly take sin for a worse evil than it is and accordingly grieve for it yet it is oft too easie to have too much sorrow for sin or any other evil intensively as to the greatness of the Passion And thus sorrow for sin is too great 1. When it distracteth the mind and overturneth reason and maketh us unfit for the ends of sorrow 2. When it so cloudeth and clotheth the soul in grief that it is made unfit to see and consider of the promise to rellish mercy or believe it to acknowledge benefits or own Grace received or be thankful for it to feel the Love of God or love him for it to praise him or to mind him or to call upon him when it driveth the soul from God and weakneth it to duty and teacheth it to deny mercy and sinketh it towards despair all this is too much and sinful sorrow and so is all that doth the soul more hurt than good For sorrow is not good of it self but as it doth good or sheweth good § 7. Direct 1. Keep your hearts as true and close to God as possible and make sure of his love Direct 1. that you may know you have not an unregenerate miserable soul to mourn for and then all other grief is the more curable and more tollerable Be once able to say that God is on your side that Christ and the Spirit and Heaven is yours and then you have the greatest Cordial against excessive grief that this world affords If you say How should this be done I answer that is opened in its proper place No marvail if sorrow overwhelm that soul that is in the chains of sin under the Curse of God as soon as awakened conscience comes to feel it And it is most miserable when it hath the smallest sorrow there being some hope that sorrow may drive it home to Christ. Therefore it thou have been a secure unhumbled carnal wretch and God be now beginning to humble thee by shewing thee thy sin and misery take heed as thou lovest thy soul that thou drive not away necessary healing sorrow and repentance under precence of driving away melancholy or over much sorrow Thy smart tendeth to thy hopes of Cure § 8. Direct 2. Renew not the wounds of Conscience by renewed willful gross sin For sin will bring Direct 2. sorrow especially if thou have any life of grace to feel it Even as falls and breaking the bones brings pain Obey carefully if thou wouldst have peace § 9. Direct 3. Be well acquainted with the General grounds of hope in the Mercy of God the Office Direct 3. and Death of Christ and the free universal offer of pardon grace and life in the New Covenant Abundance of grief doth dwell in many humbled souls through the ignorance of these General grounds of comfort which would vanish away if these were known § 10. Direct 4. Know well the true nature and use of godly sorrow how it is but a means to higher Direct 4. grace and a thing which may exceed and not a thing that we should stop in or think we can never have too much of it Desire is but in its place and to its proper ends § 11. Direct 5. Know well the nature and excellency of those higher graces which sorrow tendeth Direct 5. to Even Love and Thankfulness and Delight in God and fruitful Obedience And then you will be carried after these and will learn to hate the sorrow that hindereth them and to cherish that sorrow which leadeth you up to them and to value it but as a means to them § 12. Direct 6. Manage all your affairs especially those of your souls with prudent foresight and Direct 6. look not only on things as they appear at hand Judge not by Sense but by Reason for Sense cannot 〈◊〉 sâ—ntentiâ—â—â—â—â— Pruâ—â—n â—â—m viroâ—um esse prius quam adversa câ—ntingant praeviâ—â—re â—â— venâ—â—nt â—â—â—â—iuâ— vero cum iâ—â—a contigeâ—â—r aequo animo sâ—râ—e I aâ—â—t in Pâ—ttaâ— fâ—resee but pleaseth it self at present with that which must be bitterness in the end Thus carnal delight is the common way to overwhelming sorrow He that would not have the pain and sickness of a Surfeit to morrow must not please his appetite against reason to day Poyson will gripe and kill nevertheless for tasting sweet You must fore-know how that which you take will work and what will be the effects of it and not only how it tasteth if you would escape the pain The Drunkard thinketh not of his vomiting and poverty or shame or sickness and therefore causeth them There is no sorrow so intollerable as that of a guilty soul that 's passing in terror to the Bar of God and thence to everlasting pain Foresee this sorrow in your most pleasant sin and remember that when you are tempted to sin you are tempted to sorrow and then you may prevent it And in all your particular actions use a foreseeing judgement and ask what is like to be the end before you enter on the beginning Most of our sorrows come for want of this and express themselves by Had I known or Had I thought of this I had prevented it Do nothing which you may foresee must be repented of for Repentance is sorrowful and the weightier the case the deeper the sorrow How easie and comfortable a life and death might men attain if
I remember so much to grudge at Gods natural ordering of man in any thing as that we are fain to waste so much of our little time in sleep nor was I ever tempted to grudge at my weakness so much on any account as this that it deprived me of so much pretious time which else might have been used in some profitable work The pretiousness of Time makes excessive sleeping to be a great sin according to the measure of the excess § 8. 2. It is a neglect of all our powers and parts which should all that time be exercised Reason is idle and buryed all that while All your wisdom and knowledge is of no use to you All the Doâ—mâ—ens nemo uâ—lius pretâ—i est Plato in Laert. learning of the greatest Scholar in the world is of no more service than if he were illiterate nor all the prudence and pollicy of the wisest than if they were meer Ideots All the strength and health or the strongest is of no more service than if they were sick nor the skill of the greatest artist than if he had never learnt his art nor any of your limbs or senses than if you were lame or blind of deaf or senseless And I leave it to any mans consideration and judgement whether if Drunkenness be so odious a sin because it depriveth a man voluntarily of the use of his Reason and parts it must not be a very great sin to do the same by sleeping by frequent voluntary excessive sleeping For no man I think is Drunk so often as the sluggard is dead in sleep Sluggards quite kill their Reason when most Drunkards do but maim it or make it sick Sluggards bury their wits and parts usually ten times as long in the year as the filthiest drunkards do And hath God given you Reason and parts and strength for no better use than to bury it for so considerable a part of your lives § 9. 3. Excess of sleep is guilty of all the omissions of those Duties which should all that time have been performed Of the omission of every holy thought and word and deed which should have been then exercised And of the omission of all the duties of your Callings Of the omission of every prayer you should have then prayed and every Chapter you should have read and all the good which you should have got to your selves or done to others to Wife Husband Children Parents Servants Neighbours And you know that omissions are one half and the greater half of the sins of the world And that God will condemn the wicked at last for their omissions Matth. 25. for not feeding the poor not clothing them not visiting and that he requireth the improvement of all his talents and that it is his terrible sentence Matth. 25. 26 30. Thou wicked and slothful servant c. Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth What then shall we think of the wilful omission not of one duty but of all duty whatsoever not now and then but constantly for an hour or two or three once in four and twenty hours No Love of God no desires towards him no good is exercised all that time § 10. Quest. Can the Love of sleep alone be the mortal reigning sin in any one The reason of the Quest. Whether love of sleep may be a mortal sin doubt is because that the mortal sin is a sin of mistaken interest that is such as hath a mans chiefest Love and is preferred before God which it seems so small a thing as sleep or ease cannot be but it seems a meer neglect or remisness in the way of duty and not to be chosen as any mans felicity Answ. The sin that is set up against the Love of God as a mans ultimate end and happiness is Answ. flesh-pleasing in the General or Carnal self-love And he that is guilty of this can hardly be imagined to exercise his sensual desire only in the way of sloth and sleep It is certain that he preferreth the greatest Pleasure of his flesh which he can attain before the less and therefore as to the Habit or Inclination he is as much addicted to Covetousness Gluttony Ambition or other wayes of sensuality And if they are within his reach that he can hope to attain them he will actually desire such greater pleasures more than this For there is no man that is an unregenerate sensualist that hath mortified Covetousness Luxury and Pride and yet is captivated only by sleep or sloth The same grace which truly mortifieth the Greater would mortifie the less But it is possible that a Beggar or some such person that hath no other sensual pleasure but Idleness in view or hope may exercise his sensuality principally this way Not but that radically he preferreth riches and honour before his beggarly sloth and ease but those desires having no matter to work upon do not stirr in him because he hath no hope of reaching such a thing The sum is 1. Carnal self-self-love is the great opposite to the Love of God 2 This self-love worketh towards carnal pleasure and to the greatest most 3. Habitually therefore the Love of Riches honour and voluptuousness is stronger than the Love of ease 4. Actually the love of ease may be the strongest in some 5. But if those persons were as capable of the higher fleshly pleasures they would love them actually more 6. It is not the omitting of some particular duties through the love of ease which proveth such a sensual unsanctified state of soul but the preferring of mens ease before a Holy life in the main As when men so far love their ease that they will not make it the chief of their desires and employments to seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness Matth. 6. 33. The overcoming of excessive sleep is easie if you be but throughly willing § 11. Direct 1. The first thing to be done is to correct that sluggish flegmatick temper of body Direct 1. which inclineth you to it which is chiefly to be done by such an abstinence or temperate dyet as I gave directions for before A full belly is fit for nothing else but sleep or lust Reduce your dyet to that measure which is needful to your health and eat not any more to please your appetites And let fasting cure you when you have exceeded § 12. Direct 2. Labour hard in your Callings that your sleep may be sweet while you are in it Direct 2. or else you will lye in bed on pretence of necessity because you cannot sleep well when you are there Then you will say you must take it out in the morning because you sleep not in the night But see that this be not caused by Idleness Weary your bodies in your daily labours For the sleep of the labouring man is sweet Eccles. 5. 12. § 13. Direct 3. See that thou have a Calling which will find thee
on to Heaven All your labour must be as the labour of a traveller which is all for his journeys end And all your respect or affection to any place or thing in your way must be in respect to your attainment of the end as a Traveller loveth a good Way a good Horse a good Inn a dry Cloak or good Company But nothing must be loved here as your end or home Lift up your hearts to Heaven and say If this work and way did not tend thither directly or indirectly it were no work or way for me Whatever you do do all to the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. § 8. Direct 8. Follow the labours of your calling painfully and diligently From hence will follow Direct 8. many commodities 1. You will shew that you are not sluggish and servants to your flesh as those that cannot deny its ease And you will further the mortification of all fleshly lusts and desires which are sed by â—ase and idleness 2. You will keep out idle thoughts from your mind which swarm in the minds of idle persons 3. You will scape the loss of pretious Time which idle persons are daily guilty of 4. You will be in a course of obedience to God when the slothful are Eph. 4 28. Prov. 10 4. 12. 24 27. 13 4. 21. 5. 22. 29. 18. 9. 21. 25. 24. 30. in a constant sin of omission 5. You may have the more time to spare for holy exercises if you follow your labour close when you are at it when idle persons can have no time for Prayer or Reading because they lose it by loitering at their work and leave their business still behind hand 6. You may expect Gods blessing for the comfortable provision for your selves and families and to have to give to them that need when the slothful are in want themselves and cast by their want into abundance of temptations and have nothing to do good with 7. And it will also tend to the health of your bodies which will make them the fitter for the service of your souls When flothfulness wasteth time and health and estate and wit and grace and all § 9. Direct 9. Be throughly acquainted with your Corruptions and Temptations and watch against Direct 9. them all the day especially the most dangerous sort of your corruptions and those Temptations which Antequam domo quit exeat quid acturus sit apud se pertractâ—â— Rursus â—â—m redier â—â— quid â—gâ—â—i recogâ—et Câ—eobulus iâ— Laâ—t p. 59. your company or business will unavoidably lay before you Be still watching and working against the master radical sins of Unbelief Hypocrisie Selfishness Pride Sensuality or flesh-pleasing and the inordinate Love of earthly things Take heed lest under pretence of diligence in your Calling you be drawn to earthly mindedness and excessive cares or covetous designs for rising in the World If you are to trade or deal with others take heed of selfishness which desireth to draw or save from others as much as you can for your selves and your own advantage Take heed of all that savoureth of Injustice or Uncharitableness in all your dealings with others If you converse with vain talkers be still provided against the temptation of Vanity of talk If you converse with angry persons be still fortified against their provocations If you converse with wanton persons or such as are tempting those of the other Sex maintain that modesty and necessary distance and cleanness of speech which the laws of Chastity require If you have servants that are still faulty be so provided against the temptation that their faults may not make you faulty and you may do nothing that is unseemly or unjust but only that which tendeth to their amendment If you are poor be still provided against the Temptations of Poverty that it bring not upon you an evil far greater than it self If you are Rich be most diligent in fortifying your hearts against those more dangerous temptations of Riches which very few escape If you converse with flatterers or those that much admire you be fortified against swelling Pride If you converse with those that despise and injure you be fortified against impatient revengeful Pride These works at first will be very difficult while sin is in any strength But when you have got an habitual apprehension of the poisonous danger of every one of these sins and of the tendency of all Temptations your hearts will readily and easily avoid them without much tiring thoughtfulness and care even as a man will pass by a house infected with the Plague or go out of the way if he meet a Cart or any thing that would hurt him § 10. Direct 10. When you are alone in your labours improve the time in practical fruitful not Direct 10. speculative and barren meditations especially in Heart-work and Heaven-work Let your chiefest meditations be on the Infinite Goodness and perfections of God and the life of Glory which in the Love and praise of him you must live for ever And next let Christ and the mysteries of Grace in mans Redemption be the matter of your thoughts And next that your own hearts and lives and the rest before expressed Chap. 16. Dir. 6. § 8. If you are able to manage meditations methodically it will be best But if you cannot do that without so much striving as will confound you and distract you and cast you into Melancholy it is better let your Meditations be more short and easie like ejaculatory prayers But let them usually be operative to do some good upon your hearts § 11. Direct 11. If you labour in company with others be provided with Matter Skill Resolution Direct 11. and Zeal to improve the time in profitable conference and to avoid diversions as is Directed Chap. 16. § 12. Direct 12. Whatever you are doing in company or alone â—â—eâ— the day be spontâ—in the inward Direct 12. excitation and exercise of the Graces of the soul as well as in external bodily duties And to that end know that there is no external duty but must have some internal grace to animate it or else it is but an image or carkass and unacceptable to God When you are praying and reading there are the Graces of Faith Desire Love Repentance c. to be exercised there when you are alone Meditation may help to actuate any Grace as you find-most needful when you are conferring with others you must exercise Love to them and Love to that truth about which you do confer and other Graces as the subject shall require When you are provoked or under suffering you have patience to exercise But especially it must be your principal daily business by the exercise of faith to keep your hearts warm in the Love of God and your dear Redeemâ—â— and in thâ—â—â—ipâ—m and delightful thoughts of Heaven As the means are various and admit of deliberation and châ—ice because they are to
among those that cannot pray Iohn and Christ taught their Disciples Mat. 6. Luk. 11. to pray Tit. 4. Special Directions for secret Prayer § 1. Direct 1. LET it be in as secret a place as conveniently you can that you may not be Direct 1. disturbed Let it be done so that others may not be witnesses of it if you can avoid it and yet take it not for your duty to keep it unknown that you pray secretly at all for that will be a snare and scandal to them § 2. Direct 2. Let your voice be suited to your own help and benefit if none else hear you If it be Direct 2. needful to the orderly proceeding of your own thoughts or to the warming of your own affections you may use a voice But if others be within hearing it is very unfit § 3. Direct 3. In secret let the matter of your prayers be that which is most peculiarly your own Direct 3. concernment or those secret things that are not fit for publick prayer or are there passed by Yet never forgetting the highest interest of Christ and the Gospel and the World and Church § 4. Direct 4. Be less sollicitous about words in secret than with others and lay out your care about Direct 4. the heart For that 's it that God most esteemeth in your prayers § 5. Direct 5. Do not through carnal unwillingness grow into a neglect of secret prayer when you Direct 5. have time Nor yet do not superstitiously tye your selves to just so long time whether you are fit or at leisure from greater duties or not But be the longer when you are most fit and vacant and the shorter when you are not To give way to every carnal backwardness is the sin on one side and to resolve to spend so long time when you do but tire your selves and sleep or business or distemper maketh it a lifeless thing is a sin on the other side Avoid them both § 6 Direct 6. A melancholy person who is unfit for much solitariness and heart-searchings must be much Direct 6. short if not also seldomer in secret prayers than other Christians that are capable of bearing it And they must instead of that which they cannot do be the more in that which they can do As in joyning with others and in short ejaculations besides other duties but not abatâ—ing their piety in the main upon any pretence of curing melancholy CHAP. XXIV Brief Directions for Families about the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. OMitting those things which concern the publick administration of this Sacrament for the Reasons before intimated Tom 2. I shall here only give you some brief Directions for your private duty herein § 1. Direct 1. Understand well the proper ends to which this Sacrament was instituted by Direct 1. Christ and take heed that you use it not to ends for which it never was appointed The true ends Q. What are the Ends of the Sacramâ—nâ— Matth. 26. 28. Mar. 14. â—4 Luâ— â—2 â—0 1 Cor. 11. 25. Heb. 9. 15 16 â—â— 1â— 1 Cor. 10. 16 24. Joh. 6. 32 35 51 58. are these 1. To be a solemn commemoration of the Death and Passion of Jesus Christ to keep it as it were in the eye of the Church in his bodily absence till he come 1 Cor. 11. 24 25 26. 2. To be a solemn renewing of the holy Covenant which was first entred in Baptism between Christ and the Receiver And in that Covenant it is on Christs part a solemn delivery of Himself first and with Himself the Benefits of Pardon Reconciliation Adoption and right to life eternal And on mans part it is our solemn acceptance of Christ with his Benefits upon his terms and a Delivering up our selves to Him as his Redeemed ones even to the Father as our Reconciled Father and to the Son as our Lord and Saviour and to the Holy Spirit as our Sanctifier with Professed Thankfulness for so great a benefit 3. It is appointed to be a lively objective means by which the spirit of Christ should work to stir up and exercise and increase the Repentance Faith Desire Love Hope Ioy Thankfulness and new-obedience of Believers by a lively Representation of the evil of sin the infinite Love of God in Christ the firmness of the Covenant or promise the greatness and sureness of the mercy given and the blessedness purchased and promised to us and the great obligations that are laid upon us And that herein Believers might be solemnly called out to the most serious exercise of all these 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29 31. 1 Cor. 10. 16 17 â—1 1 Cor. 11. 25 26. 2 Cor. 6. 14. Act 2 42 46. 20. 7. graces and might be provoked and assisted to stir up themselves to this Communion with God in Christ and to pray for more as through a sacrificed Christ. 4. It is appointed to be the solemn profession of Believers of their Faith and Love and Gratitude and obedience to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and of continuing firm in the Christian Religion And a badge of the Church before the world 5. And it is appointed to be a signe and means of the Unity Love and Communion of Saints and their readiness to communicate to each other § 2. The false mistaken ends which you must avoid are these 1. You must not with the Papists think that the end of it is to turn Bread into no bread and Wine into no wine and to make them Really the true Body and blood of Jesus Christ. For if sense which telleth all men that it is still Bread and wine be not to be believed then we cannot believe that ever there was a Gospel or an Apostle or a Pope or a man or any thing in the world And the Apostle expresly calleth it Bread three times in three verses together after the consecration 1 Cor. 11. 26 27 28. And he telleth us that the use of it is not to make the Lords Body really present but to shew the Lords death till be come that is As a visible representing and commemorating sign to be instead of his bodily presence till he come § 3. 2. Nor must you with the Papists use this Sacrament to sacrifice Christ again really unto the Father to propitiate him for the quick and dead and ease souls in Purgatory and deliver them out Rom. 6. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Heb. 9. 26. 10. 12 26. Heb. 9. 24. of it For Christ having dyed once dyeth no more and without killing him there is no sacrificing him By once offering up himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and now there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin Having finished the sacrificing work on earth he is now passed into the Heavens to appear before God for his Redeemed ones § 4. 3. Nor is it any better than odious impiety to receive the Sacrament to
that you must there exercise II. What there is objectively presented before you in the Sacrament to exercise all these Graces III. At what seasons in the administration each of these inward works are to be done § 47. I. The Graces to be exercised are these besides that holy fear and reverence common to all Worship 1. A humble sense of the odiousness of sin and of our undone condition as in our selves and a displeasure against our selves and loathing of our selves and melting Repentance for the sins we have committed as against our Creator and as against the Love and Mercy of a Redeemer and against the holy Spirit of Grace 2. A hungring and thirsting desire after the Lord Jesus and his Grace and the favour of God and communion with him which are there represented and offered to the soul. 3. A lively faith in our Redeemer his death resurrection and intercession and a trusting our miserable souls upon him as our sufficient Saviour and help And a hearty Acceptance of him and his benefits upon his offered terms 4. A Ioy and gladness in the sense of that unspeakable mercy which is here offered us 5. A Thankful heart towards him from whom we do receive it 6. A fervent Love to him that by such Love doth seek our Love 7. A triumphant Hope of life eternal which is purchased for us and sealed to us 8. A willingness and resolution to deny our selves and all this world and suffer for him that hath suffered for our Redemption 9. A Love to our Brethren our neighbours and our enemies with a readiness to relieve them and to forgive them when they do us wrong 10. And a firm Resolution for future obedience to our Creator and Redeemer and Sanctifier according to our Covenant § 48. II. In the naming of these Graces I have named their Objects which you should observe as distinctly as you can that they may be operative 1. To help your Humiliation and Repentance you bring thither a loaden miserable soul to receive a pardon and relief And you see before you the sacrificed Son of God who made his soul an offering for sin and became a Curse for us to save us who were accursed 2. To draw out your Desires you have the most excellent gifts and the most needful mercies presented to you that this world is capable of Even the Pardon of sin the Love of God the Spirit of Grace and the hopes of Glory and Christ himself with whom all this is given 3. To exercise your Faith you have Christ here first represented as crucified before your eyes and then with his benefits freely given you and offered to your Acceptance with a Command that you refuse him not 4. To exercise your Delight and Gladness you have this Saviour and this Salvation tendered to you and all that your souls can well desire set before you 5. To exercise your Thankfulness what could do more than so great a Gift so dearly purchased so surely sealed and so freely offered 6. To exercise your Love to God in Christ you have the fullest manifestation of his attractive Love even offered to your eyes and taste and heart that a soul on earth can reasonably expect in such wonderful condescension that the greatness and strangeness of it surpasseth a natural mans belief 7. To exercise your Hopes of Life Eternal you have the price of it here set before you you have the Gift of it here sealed to you and you have that Saviour represented to you in his suffering who is now there reigning that you may remember him as expectants of his Glorious Coming to judge the world and glorifie you with himself 8. To exercise your self-denyal and resolution for suffering and contempt of the world and fleshly pleasures you have before you both the greatest Example and Obligation that ever could be offered to the world when you see and receive a Crucified Christ that so strangely denyed himself for you and set so little by the world and flesh 9. To exercise your Love to Brethren yea and enemies you have his example before your eyes that Loved you to the death when you were enemies And you have his holy servants before your eyes who are amiable in him through the workings of his Spirit and on whom he will have you shew your Love to himself 10. And to excite your Resolution for future Obedience you see his double Title to the Government of you as Creator and as Redeemer and you feel the obligations of Mercy and Gratitude and you are to renew a Covenant with him to that end even openly where all the Church are witnesses So that you see here are powerful objects before you to draw out all these Graces and that they are all but such as the work requireth you then to exercise § 49. III. But that you may be the readier when it cometh to practice I shall as it were lead you by the hand through all the parts of the administration and tell you when and how to exercise every grace and those that are to be joyned together I shall take together that needless distinctness do not trouble you 1. When you are called up and going to the Table of the Lord exercise your Humility Desire and Thankfulness and say in your hearts What Lord dost thou call such a wretch as I What! me that have so oft despised thy mercy and wilfully offended thee and preferred the filth of this world and the pleasures of the flesh before thee Alas it is thy wrath in Hell that is my due But if Love will choose such an unworthy guest and Mercy will be honoured upon such sin and misery I come Lord at thy call I gladly come Let thy will be done and let that mercy which inviteth me make me acceptable and gratiously entertain me and let me not come without the wedding garment nor unreverently rush on holy things nor turn thy mercies to my bane § 50. 2. When the Minister is confessing sin prostrate your very souls in the sense of your unworthiness and let your particular sins be in your eye with their heinous aggravations The whole need not the Physicion but the sick But here I need not put words into your mouths or minds because the Minister goeth before you and your hearts must concurr with his Confessions and put in also the secret sins which he omitteth § 51. 3. When you look on the Bread and Wine which is provided and offered for this holy use remember that it is the Creator of all things on whom you live whose Laws you did offend and say in your hearts O Lord how great is my offence who have broken the Laws of him that made me and on whom the whole Creation doth depend I had my Being from thee and my daily bread and should I have requited thee with disobedience Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son § 52. 4. When the
advantage of a Tempt 1. Christians bodily weakness to shake his faith and question his foundations and call him to dispute Hic labor extremus longaâ—um haec meta viarum est Virgil. over his principles again Whether the soul be immortal and there be a Heaven and a Hell and whether Christ be the Son of God and the Scriptures be Gods Word c. As if this had never been questioned and scanned and resolved before It is a great deal of advantage that Satan expecteth by this malitious course If he could he would draw you from Christ to infidelity But Christ prayeth for you that your faith may not fail If he cannot do this he would at least weaken your faith and hereby weaken every grace And he would hereby divert you from the more needful thoughts which are suitable to your present state and he would hereby distract you and destroy your comforts and draw you in your perplexities to dishonour God Away therefore with these blasphemous and unseasonable motions Cast them from you with abhorrence and disdain It is no time now to be questioning your foundations You have done this more seasonably when you were in a fitter case A paiâ—ed languishing body and a disturbed discomposed mind is unfit upon a surprize to go back and dispute over all our principles Tell Satan you owe him not so much service nor will you so cast away those few hours and thoughts for which you have so much better work You have the witness in your selves even the Spirit and Image and Seal of God You have been converted and renewed by the power of that word which he would have you question and you have found it to be owned by the Spirit of grace who hath made it mighty to pull down the strongest holds of sin Tell Satan you will not gratifie him so much as to turn your holy heavenly desires into a wrangling with him about those truths which you have so often proved You will not question now the being of that God who hath maintained you so long and witnessed his being and goodness to you by a life of mercies nor will you now question the being or truth of him that hath Redeemed you or of the Spirit or Word that hath sanctified guided comforted and confirmed you If he tell you that you must prove all things tell him that this is not now to do you have long proved the truth and goodness of your God the mercy of your Saviour and the power of his Holy Spirit and Word It is now your work to live upon that Word and fetch your hopes and comforts from it and not to question it § 10. Tempt 2. Another dangerous Temptation of Satan is when he would perswade you to Tempâ— â— Despair by causing you to mis-understand the tenour of the Gospel or by thinking too narrowly and unworthily of Gods mercy or of the satisfaction of Christ. But because this Temptation doth usually tend more to discomfort the soul than to damn it I shall speak more to it under Tit. 3. § 11. Tempt 3. Another dangerous Temptation is when Satan would draw you to overlook your Tempt 3. sins and overvalue your graces and be proud of your good works and so lay too much of your comfort upon your selves and lose the sense of your need of Christ or usurp any part of his office or hiâ— honour I shall afterward shew you how far you must look at any thing in your selves But certainly that which lifteth you up in pride or incroacheth on Christs Office or would draw you to undervalue him is not of God Therefore keep humble in the sense of your sinfulness and unworthiness and cast away every motion which would carry you away from Christ and make your selves and your works and righteousness as a Saviour to your selves § 12. Tempt 4. Another perillous Temptation is by causing the thoughts of death and the grave Tempt 4. and your doubts and fears about the world to come to overcome the Love of God and not only the comforts but also the desires and willingness of your hearts to be with Christ. It will abate your Love to God and Heaven to think on them with too much estrangedness and terror The Directions under Tit. 3. will help you against this Temptation § 13. Tempt 5. Another dangerous Temptation is fetcht from the remnants of your worldly Tempt 5. mindedness when your dignity or honor your house or lands your relations and friends or your pleasures and contentments are so sweet to you that you are loth to leave them and the thoughts of death are grievous to you because it taketh you from that which you over-love and God and Heaven are the less desired because you are loth to leave the world Watch carefully against this great Temptation Observe how it seeketh the very destruction of your grace and souls and how it fighteth against your Love to God and Heaven and would undo all that Christ and his Spirit have been doing so long Observe what a root of matter it findeth in your selves and therefore be the more humbled under it Learn now what the world is and how little the accommodations of the flesh are worth when you perceive what the end of all must be Would you never dye Would you enjoy your worldly things for ever Had you rather have them than to live with Christ in the Heavenly glory of the New Ierusalem If you had it is your grievous sin and folly And yet you know that it is a desire that you can never hope to attain Dye you must whether you will or not What is it then that you would stay for Is it till the world be grown less pleasant to you and your Love and minds be weaned from it When should that rather be than now And what should more effectually do it than this dying condition that you are in It is time for you to spit out these unwholsome pleasures and now to look up to the true the holy the unmeasurable everlasting pleasures Tit. 2. Directions how to Profit by our Sickness WHether it shall please God to recover you or not it is no small Benefit which you may get by his Visitation if you do your part and faithfully improve it according to these Directions following § 1. Direct 1. If you hear Gods call to a closer tryal of your hearts concerning the sincerity of your Direct 1. conversion and thereby are brought to a more exact examination and come to a truer acquaintance with your state be it good or bad the benefit may be exceeding great For if it be good you may be much comforted and confirmed and fitted to give thanks and praise to God And if it be bad you may be awakened speedily to look about you and seek for a recovery § 2. Direct 2. If in the review of your lives you find out those sins which before you overlookâ— or Direct 2. perceive
we are here on earth They were compassed with temptations and clog'd with flesh and burdened with sin and persecuted by the world and they went out of the world by sickness and death as we must do and yet now their tears are wiped away their pains and groans and sears are turned into unexpressible blessedness and joy And would we not be with them Is not their company desirable and their felicity more desirable The glory of the new Ierusalem is not described to us in vain Rev. 21. 22. God will be all in all there to us as the only sun and Glory of that world and yet we shall have pleasure not only to see our Glorified Redeemer but also to converse with the Heavenly society and to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of God and to Love and Praise him in consort and harmony with all those holy blessed spirits And shall we be afraid to follow where the Saints of all Generations have gone before us And shall the company of our best and most and happiest friends be no inducement to us Though it must be our highest joy to think that we shall dwell with God and next that we shall see the Glory of Christ yet is it no small part of my comfort to consider that I shall follow all those holy persons whom I once conversed with that are gone before me and that I shall dwell with such as Henoch and Elias and Abraham and Moses and Iob and David and Peter and Iohn â—nd Paul and Timothy and Ignatius and Polycarpe and Cyprian and Reader bear with this mixture For God will own his image when piâ—vish contenders do deny it or blaspheam it and will receive those whom faction and proud domination would cast ouâ— and vilifie with scorn and slanders Naziaâ—zene and Augustine and Chrysostome and Bernard and Gerson and Savonarola and Miraâ—dula and Taulerus and Kempisius and Melancthon and Alasco and Calvin and Bucholâ—zer and Bullinger and Musculus and Zanchy and Bâ—cer and Paraeus and Grynaeus and Chemnitius and Gerhard and Chamier and Capellus and Blondel and Rivet and Rogers and Bradford and Hooper and Latimer and Hildersham and Amâ—sius and Langley and Nicolls and Whitaker and Cartwright and Hooker and Bayne and Preston and Sibbes and Perkins and Dod and Parker and Ball and Usher and Hall and Gataker and Bradshaw and Vines and Ash and millions more of the family of God I name these for my own delight and comfort it being pleasant to me to remember what companions I shall have in the heavenly joyes and praises of my Lord. How few are all the Saints on earth in comparison of those that are now with Christ And alas how weak and ignorant and corrupt how selfish and contentious and froward are Gods poor infants here in flesh when above there is nothing but Holiness and Perfection If Knowledge or Goodness or any excellency do make the creatures truly amiable all this is there in the highest degree but here alas how little have we If the Love of God or the Love of us do make others Lovely to us it is there and not here that these and all perfections flourish O how much now do I find the company of the wise and learned the godly and sincere to differ from the company of the ignorant bruitish the proud and malitious the false-hearted and ungodly rabble How sweet is the converse of a holy wise experienced Christian O then what a place is the new Ierusalem and how pleasant will it be with Saints and Angels to See and Love and Praise the Lord. § 8. Direct 8. That sickness and death may be comfortable to you as your passage to Eternity Direct 8. take notice of the seal and earnest of God even the spirit of grace which he hath put into your hearts That which emboldened Paul and such others to groan after immortality and to be most willing to be absent from the body and present with the Lord was because God himself had wrought or made them for it and given them the earnest or pledge of his spirit 2 Cor. 5. 4 5 8. For this is Gods mark upon his chosen and justified ones by which they are sealed up to the day of their redemption Ephes. 4. 30. Ephes. 1. 13. In whom also after ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise 2 Cor. 1. 21 22. God hath annointed us and sealed us and given us the pledge or earnest of his spirit into our hearts This is the pledge or earnest of our inheritance Ephes. 1. 14. And what a comfort should it be to us when we look towards Heaven to find such a pledge of God within us If you say I fear I have not this earnest of the spirit Whence then did your desires of holiness arise what weaned you from the world and made you place your hopes and happiness above whence came your enmity to sin and opposition to it and your earnest desires after the Glory of God the prosperity of the Gospel and the good of souls The very Love of Holiness and holy persons and your desires to know God and perfectly Love him do shew that heavenly nature or spirit within you which is your surest evidence for eternal life For that spirit was sent from heaven to draw up your hearts and fit you for it And God doth not give you such natures and desires and preparations in vain This also is called The witness of the spirit with or to our spirit that we are the children of God and if Children then heirs heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ Rom. 8. 15 16 17. It witnesseth our adoption by evidencing it as a seal or pledge doth witness our title to that which is so confirmed to us The nature of every thing is suited to its use and end God would not have given us a heavenly nature or desire if he had not intended us for Heaven § 9. Direct 9. Look also to the testimony of a holy life since grace hath imployed you in seeking after Direct 9. the heavenly inheritance It is unlawful and perillous to look after any works or righteousness of So Hezektah your own so as to set it in whole or in part instead of Christ or to ascribe to it any honour that is proper to him As to imagine that you are innocent or have fulfilled the Law or have made God a compensation by your merits or sufferings for the sin you have committed But yet you must judge your selves on your sick beds as near as you can as God will judge you And he will judge every man according to his work and will recompense and reward men according to their works Matth. 25 39 40 c. Well done good and faithful servant Thou hast been faithful over a little I will make thee ruler over much Come ye blessed of my father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you for I was hungry
and dead formality and offer God a Carrion for a Sacrifice and yet their Consciences are so far from checking them for this heynous sin that they are much pleased and quieted by it as if they had deserved well of God and proved themselves very godly people and by this sin had made him amends for the common sins of their lives Is it God himself and his sanctifying grace that those men seek after in his Worship who hate his grace and scorn sanctification and can leave God to be enjoyed by others if they may but enjoy their fleshly pleasures and riches and honours in the world Even the Haters of God and Holiness are so blinded as to perswade themselves that in his Worship they are truly seeking that God and Holiness which they hate And O what a deal of pains is many a formal Hypocrite at to little purpose in spending many 2 Tim. 3. 5. 1 Tim. 4. 7. hours in outside heartless lifeless worship while they never thirsted after God nor after a holy conformity to him communion with him or fruition of him in all their lives O what a deal of labour do these Pharisees lose in bodily exercise which profiteth nothing for want of a right end in all that they do because it is not God that they seek when Goliness is profitable to all things 1 Tim. 4. 8. And what is Godliness but the souls devotedness to God and seeking after him We have much adoe to bring some men from their diversions to Gods outward worship But O how much harder is it to bring the soul to seek God unfeignedly in that Worship where the Body is present When David in the Wilderness was driven from the Sanctuary he cryeth out in the bitterness of his soul As the Hart panteth after the water Brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God My tears have been my meat day and night while they continually sâ—y unto me where is thy God You see here that it was God himself that David thirsted after in his Worship Alas what is all the outward pomp of Worship if God be not the end and life of all Without him how vain a thing would the words of prayer and preaching and the administration of the Sacraments be It is not the dead letter but the quickening spirit that maketh the dead in sin to live that convinceth or comforteth the soul or maketh the worshipper holy or happy Nay it is some aggravation of your misery to be destitute of true Communion with God Isa. 29. 13. Matth. 15. 8. Matth. 11. â—3 Matth. 10. 15. Matth. 11. 23 24. 2 Sam. 15. 25 28 29. while you seem to worship him and to be far from him in the Heart while you draw so near him with the lips To boast of the Temple of the Lord and be forsaken by the Lord of the Temple That Capernaum shall be cast down to Hell that is but thus lift up to Heaven And it will be easier for Sodom in the day of judgement than for such as had the publick ordinances without God David left the Ark with Absalom at Hierusalem but God was not with Absalom but with David No marvel if such Hypocrites grudge at all that is costly in Gods service even the necessary maintenance of the Ministers For if they have only the shell of Ordinances without God it will scarce requite them for their cost No marvel if they think all their pains too much when they take up with the chaff which is scarcely worth their pains No wonder if they find small pleasure in Gods Service For what pleasure is there in the husks or chaff or in a deaf nut No wonder if they grow no better no holier or stronger by it For what strength will chaff and shadows breed No marvel if they are quickly weary and if a little of such Religion seem enough when the life and spirits and strength and sweetness is neglected O sinners remember that God desireth not yours but you and all your wealth and service is as nothing to him if he have not your selves when yet you are so little worth the having Nay how earnestly doth he sue to have you How dearly hath he bought you he may challenge you as his own Answer this kindness of God aright Let no ordinance nor no common mercy satisfie you if you have not God himself And to encourage you let me further tell you § 24. 10. If it be God himself that thou seekest in his worship sincerely thou shalt find him Because thou hast chosen the better part it shall not be taken from thee Because thou hungrest and Luk. 10. 42. thirsteth after him thou shalt be satisfied What joyful news is this to the thirsty soul 2. Thou art most welcome to God with these high desires This holy ambition and aspiring of Love is only acceptable to him If all ordinances be nothing to thee without God he will see that thou understandest the true use of ordinances and put down thy name among his Lovers whom he cannot despise He loveth not to see men debase their souls to feed on husks and chaff with hypocrites no more than to feed on filth and dirt with sensualists and worldlings As he accepted Solomons prayer â— Chron. 1. 11 12 13. because he asked not for little things but for great so he is very much pleased with the soul that is unsatisfied with all the world and can be content with nothing lower or worse than God himself 3. Nay because thou seekest God himself thou shalt have all things with him that are worth the having Matth. 6. 33. Rom. 8. 28. When hypocrites have but the carkass and shadow it 's thou that shâ—lt have the substantial food and joy As they that were with Paul when he was Converted did hear the voice but saw no man Act. 9. 7. so others shall hear the sound of the word and the name of God but it is thou that shall see him by faith that is invisible and feel the power and efficacy of all Thou shalt hear God speak to thee when he that sitteth in the same seat with thee shall hear no more than the voice of man It is he that seeketh after God in his Ordinances that is Religious in good sadness and is employed in a work that is worthy of an immortal rational soul. The delights of Ordinances as they are performed by man will savour of his imperfections and taste of the instrument and have a bitterness often mixed with the sweet when the delight that cometh from God himself will be more pure Ordinances are uncertain You may have them to day and lose them to morrow when God is everlasting and everlastingly to be enjoyed O therefore take not up short of God in any of his worship but before you set upon it call up your souls to mind the end and tell them
Make sure of the sincerity of your Charity and hold it fast and then no error that you hold will be destructive to you But if you know more than others and use your knowledge to the weakning of your Love you are but as our first Parents deceived and destroyed by a dâ—sire of fleshly uneffectual knowledge Such knowledge puffeth up but charity edifieth 1 Cor. 8. 1. To contend for Truth to the lâ—ss of Love in your selves and the destruction of it among others is but to choak your selves with excellent food and to imitate that Orthodox Catholick Physicion that gloried that he killed his Patients secundum artem by the most accurate method and excellent Rules of Art that men could dye by § 11. Direct 10. Pretend no Truth against the power and practice of Godliness For this also is Direct 10. its prâ—pâ—â— End Iâ—â—â— be not Truth that is accâ—rding to Godliness it is no truth worthy our seeking or 1 Tim. 6 3. Tâ—â— 1. 1. 1 Tiâ— 4. 7 8 1 Tim. 6. 5 6 11. câ—ntending â—or And if it be contrary to Godliness in it self it is no truth at all Therefore if it be used agaiâ—st Godliness it is used contrary to the Ends of Truth Those men that suppress or hinder tâ—e 〈◊〉 Knowledge and Holiness and Concord and Edification under pretence of securing dâ—â—â—â—nding or propâ—gating the Orthâ—dâ—x belief will find one day that God will give them as 2 Pet. 1. â— 3. 11. little thanks for their blâ—â—d prâ—posterous zeal â—oâ— truth as a tender Father would do to a Physicion that killed his Children bâ—câ—usâ— they distasted or spit out his Medicines It is usually a pitiful defence of Truth that is made by the Enemies of Godliness More near and particular Directions against Error § 12. Direct 1. Begin at the Greatest most Evident Certain and Necessary Truths and so proceed Direct 1. orderly to the knowledge of the less by the help of these As you climb by the Body of the Tree unto See Ch. 2. D. 3. the branches If you begin at those truths which spring out of greater common truths and know not the premises while yoâ— plead for the conclusion you abuse your Reason and lose the Truth and your labour both For thâ—re is no way to the branches but by ascending from the stock The Principles wâ—ll laid must bâ— your help to all your following knowledge § 13. Direct 2. The two first Things which you are to learn are what man is and what God is Direct 2. the Nâ—ture and Relâ—tion of the two Parties is the first thing to be known in order to the knowledge of the Câ—venant it self and all following transâ—ctions between God and man One error here will introduce abundance A thousand other points in Natural Philosophy you may safely be ignorant of bâ—t if you know not what Man is what Reason is what Natural Free-will is and what the inferiâ—ur sensitive U Deum noâ—is etâ—â— ignâ—â—â—â—s â—cum faâ—iem 〈◊〉 â—bi â—â—â—â—â—â— noâ—um eslâ—â—◠〈◊〉 etiamsi â—gâ—oreâ— â—â—cum 〈…〉 Direct 3. Nulla â—â—ga Dâ—â—â—â— pâ—â—â—â—â— est nisi hâ—nâ—stâ—â—â— nâ—mâ—nâ— Dâ—oâ—â—m ac 〈…〉 o Plaâ—â— facultiâ—s are as to their Uses it will lay you open to innumerable errors In the Nature of man you must see the foundation of his relations unto God And if you know not those Great Relâ—â—iâ—ns the duties of which must take up all our lives you may easily foresee the consâ—quents of such ignorance or error So if you know not what God is and what his Relations to us are so far as is necessary to our living in the duties of those Relations the consequents of your ignorance will bâ— sad If learned men be but perverted in their apprehensions of some onâ— Attribuâ—e of God as those that think his Goâ—dness is nothing but his Benignity or proneness to do good or that he is a Nâ—â—â—â—sâ—â—ry agâ—â—t dâ—ing good ad ultimum posse c. what abundance of hoâ—rid and impious consequâ—nts will follow § 14. Direct 3. Hâ—ving sâ—undly understood both these and other Principles of Religion try all the subsequent truths â—erâ—â—y and receive nothing as truth that is certainly inconsistent with any of these principles Even Principles that are not of sense may be disputed till they are wâ—ll râ—ceived and with those that have â—â—t received them But afterward they are not to be called iâ— question for then you wâ—uld never proceed â—or build higher if you still stand questioning all your grounds Indeed no truth is inconsistent with any other truth But yet when two dark or doubâ—ful points are compared together it is hard to know which of them to reject But here it is easie Nothing that contradicteth the trâ—e Nature of Gâ—d or man or any Principle must be hâ—ld § 15. Direct 4. Bâ—lieve notâ—ing which certainly contradicteth the End of all Religion If it be of a Direct 4. naâ—â—râ—l or necessary tendency to ungodliness against the Love of God or against a holy and heavenly mind and conversation it cannot bâ— truth what ever it preâ—end § 16. Direct 5. Be sure to distinguish well betwixt revealed and unrevealed things And before you Direct 5. dispute any question search first whetâ—er thâ—â—â—solution be Revealed oâ— not And if it be not lay it ☞ by and take it as part of your necessary submission to be ignorant of what God would have you ignorant as it is part of your obedience to labour to know what God would have you know And when some things unrâ—veâ—lâ—d are mixed in the controversie take out those and lay them by before you go any further and see that the resolution of the râ—st be not laid upon them nor twisted with them to â—ntangle the whole in uncertainty or confusion Thus God instructed Iob by convincing him of Job 38. 39. 40. 41. Non 1 sumu quâ—bâ—s nihil vâ—rum essvâ—dâ—aâ—uâ— sâ—d ii qui â—â—â—â—bâ—s â—â—â—â—â— faâ—sae â—â—aeâ—am adjunâ—â—â—â— est 〈◊〉 camuâ— â—an â simâ—â—â—â—â—â—â— uâ— c. Ciâ— dâ— Nat. Dâ—or p. 7. his ignorance and shâ—wing him how many things were past his knowledge Thus Christ instructed Nic dâ—mus about the work of Regeneration so as to let him know that though the Necessity of it must be known yâ—t the manner of the Spirits accâ—sses to the soul cannot be known Iohn 3. 7 8. And Paul in his discâ—urse of Election takes notice of the unsearchable depths and the creatures unfitness to dispute with God Rom. 9. When you find any dispuâ—es about Predetermination or Predestination resolved into such points as thâ—se Whether God do by physical premoving influx or by concourse or by moral operation ut finiâ— determine or spâ—cifie moral acts of man Whether a Positive Decâ—ee quoad actum be necessary to the Nâ—gation of effects as that such a one shall not have grace given him or be câ—â—verted or saved that all the millions of possible persons names and things shall not be
them greater Love and Honour than you ow 〈…〉 ny Saints on Earth Eph. 3. 15. The whole â—â—â—â—ly in Heaven and Earth is named of Christ. Those are the happiest and noblest paâ—â—s that are most pure and perfect and dwell in the highest and most glorious habitations nearest unto Christ yea with him If Holiness be lovely the most Holy are the most lovely We have many obligations therefore to Love them more than the Saints on earth They are more excellent and amiable and Christ Loveth them more And if any be Honourable it must especially be those spirits that are of greatest excellencies and perfections and advanced to the greatest Glory and nearness to their Lord. Make Conscience therefore of this as your duty not only to Love and Honour blessed souls but to Love and Honour them more than those that are yet on Earth And as every Duty is attended with Benefiâ— so we shall find this exceeding great benefit in the performance of this duty that iâ— will incline our â—earts to be the more Heavenly and draw up our Desires to the society which we so much Love and Honour § 2. Direct 2. Remember that it is a part of the life of faith to see by it the Heavenly Society of Direct 2. the blessed and a part of your Heavenly Conversation to have frequent serious and delightful thoughts Heb. 11. 1. of thâ—se Crowned souls that are with Christ. Otherwise God would never have given us such descriptions of the Heavenly Ierusalem and told us so much of the Hosts of God that must inhabit it for ever that must come from the East and from the West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God When it is said that our conversatiâ—n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. the meaning extendeth both to our Relation Priviledges and Converse We are Denizâ—ns or Citizens of the Heavenly Society and our title to their happiness is our highest Priviledge and Honour and therefore our daily business is there and our sweetest and most serious converse is with Christ and all those blessed spirits Whatever we are doing here our Eye and Heart should still be there For we look not at the temporal things which are seen but at the eternal things which are not seen 2 Cor. 4. 18. A wise Christian that hath forsaken the Kingdom of darkness will be desirous to know what the Kingdom of Christ is into which he is translated and who are his fellow Subjects and what are their several ranks and dignities so far as tendeth to his congruous converse with them all And how should it affect us to find that we are come unto Mount Zion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of Iust men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant Heb. 12. 22 23 24. Live then as the members of this society and exclude not the chief members from your thoughts and converse though our local visible communion be only with these rural inferiour inhabitants and not with the Courtiers of the King of Heaven yet our Mental Communion may be much with them If our home and treasure be there with them our Hearts will be there also Mat. 6. 21. § 3. Direct 3. It is the will of God that the Memory of the Saints be honoured on earth when they are Direct 3. dead It is some part of his favour which he hath promised to them Prov. 10. 7. The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Matth. 26. 13. Verily I say unto you wheresoever this Gospel shall be Preached in the whole world there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memorial of her The history of the Scripture recordeth the Lives of the Saints to their perpetual honour And God will have it so also for the sake of his abused servants upon earth that they may see that the slanders of malicious tongues shall not be able to obscure the glory of his Grace and that the lies of the ungodly prevail but for a moment And God will have it so for the sake of the ungodly that they may be ashamed of their malicious enmity and lyes against the godly while they perceive that the departed Saints do leave behind them a surviving testimony of their sanctity and innocency sufficient to confound the venemous calumnies of the Serpents Seed Yea God will have the Names of his eminent servants to be honoured upon earth for the honour of their Head and of his Grace and Gospel so that while malice would cast dishonour upon Christ from the meanness and failings of his servants that are alive the memory of the dead who were once as much despised and slandered shall rise up against them to his honour and their shame And it is very observable how God constraineth the bitter enemies of Holiness to bear this Testimony for the honour of Holiness against themselves that many who are the cruelest persecutors and murderers of the Living Saints do honour the Dead even to excess How zealous are the Papists for the multitude of their Holy dayes Concil Later sub Innoc. 3. can 3. and the honouring of their Names and Relicts and pretending many Miracles to be wrought by a very touch of their Shrines or Bones whilest they revile and muder those that imitate them and deprive Temporal Lords of their Dominions that will not exterminate them Yea while they burn the living Saints they make it part of their crime or Heresie that they honour not the Dayes and Relicts of the Dead so much as they To shew us that the things that have been shall be and that wickedness is the same in all generations Matth. 23. 29 30 31 32 33. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites because ye build the Tâ—mbes of the Prophets and garnish the Sepulchres of the righteous and say If we had been in the dayes of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets wherefore ye be witnesses to your selves that ye are the Children of them which killed the Prophets Filâ— ye up then the measure of your fathers Ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell I know that neither did the Pharisees nor do the Papists believe that those whom they murdered were Saints but Deceivers and Hereticks and the troublers of the World But if Charity be the grace most necessary to salvation then sure it will not keep any man from damnation that he had malice and uncharitableness sufficient to perswade him that the members of Christ were Children of the Devil But thus God will force even the persecutors and haters of his Saints to honour them And
hold their own mercies upon the condition of their own continued fidelity And let their Apostasie be on other reasons never so impossible or not future yet the promise of continuance and consummation of the personal felicity of the greatest Saint on earth is still conditional upon the condition of â—his persevering sidelity 6. Even before Children are capable of Instruction there are certain duties imposed by God on the Parents for their sanctification viz. 1. That the Parents pray earnestly and believingly for them Second Commandment Prov. 20. 7. 2. That they themselves so live towards God as may invite him still to bless their Children for their sakes as he did Abrahams and usually did to the faithful's seed 7. It is certain that the Church ever required Parents not only to enter their Children into the Covenant and so to leave them but to do their after duty for their good and to pray for them and educate them according to their Covenant 8. It is plain that if there were none to promise so to educate them the Church would not baptize them And God himself who allowed the Israelites and still alloweth us to bring our Children into his Covenant doth it on this supposition that we promise also to go on to do our duty for them and that we actually do it 9. All this set together maketh it plain 1. That God never promiseth the adult in Baptism though true believers that he will work in them all graces further by his sanctifying spirit let them never so much neglect or resist him or that he will absolutely see that they never shall resist him nor that the spirit shall still help them though they neglect all his means or that he will keep them from neglecting the means Election may secure this to the Elect as such but the Baptismal Covenant as such secureth it not to the baptized nor to believers as such 2. And consequently that Infants are in Covenant with the Holy Ghost still conditionally as their Parents are And that the meaning of it The Holy Ghost is promised in Baptism to give the Child grace in his Parents and his own faithful use of the appointed means is that the Holy Ghost as your sanctifier will afford you all necessary help in the use of those means which he hath appointed you to receive his help in Obj. Infants have no means to use Answ. While Infants stand on their Parents account or Wills the Parents have means to use for the continuance of their grace as well as for the beginning of it 10. Therefore I cannot see but that if a believer should apostatize whether any do so is not the question and his Infant not be made anothers Child he forfeiteth the benefits of the Covenant to his Infant But if the propriety in the Infant be transferred to another it may alter the case 11. And how dangerously Parents may make partial forfeitures of the spirits assistance to their Children and operations on them by their own sinful lives and neglect of prayer and of prudent and holy education even in particular acts I fear many believing Parents never well considered 12. Yet is not this forfeiture such as obligeth God to deny his spirit For he may do with his own as a free benefactor as he list And may have mercy freely beyond his promise though not against his word on whom he will have mercy But I say that he that considereth the woful unfaithfulness and neglect of most Parents even the Religious in the Great work of holy educating their Children may take the blame of their ungodliness on themselves and not lay it on Christ or the spirit who was in Covenant with them as their sanctifier seeing he promised but conditionally M. â—â—istoâ— pag. â—3 As Abraham as a single person in Covenant was to accept of and perform the conditions of the Covenant so as a Parent he had something of duty incumbent on him with reference to his immediate seed And as his faithful performance of that duty incumbent on him in his single capacity so his performing that duty incumbent on him as a Parent in reference to his seed was absolutely necessary in order to his enjoying the good promised with reference to himself and his seed Proved Gen. 17 1. 18. 19. He proveth that the promise is conditional and that as to the continuance of the Covenant state the conditions are 1. The Parents upright life 2. His duty to his Children well done 3. The Childrens own duty as they are capable to give them the sanctifying Heavenly influences of his Life Light and Love in their just use of his appointed means according to their abilities 13. Also as soon as Children come to a little use of Reason they stand conjunctly on their Parents Wills and on their own As their Parents are bound to teach and rule them so they are bound to learn of them and be ruled by them for their good And though every sin of a Parent or a Child be not a total forfeiture of grace yet both their notable actual sins may justly be punished with a denyal of some further help of the spirit which they grieve and quench 11. And now I may seasonably answer the former question whether Infants Baptismal saving grace may be lost of which I must for the most that is to be said referr the Reader to Davenant in Mr. Bedfords Book on this subject and to Dr. Sam. Ward joyned with it Though Mr. Gatakers answers are very Learned and considerable And to my small Book called My Iudgement of Perseverance Augustine who first rose up for the doctrine of perseverance against its Adversaries carried it no higher than to all the Elect as such and not at all to all the Sanctified but oft affirmeth that some that were justified sanctified and Love God and are in a state of salvation are not elect and fall away But since the Reformation great reasons have been brought to carry it further to all the truly sanctified of which cause Zanchius was one of the first Learned and zealous Patrons that with great diligence in long disputations maintained it All that I have now to say is that I had rather with Davenant believe that the fore-described Infant state of salvation which came by the Parents may be lost by the Parents and the Children though such a sanctified renewed nature in holy Habits of Love as the adult have be never lost than believe that no Infants are in the Covenant of Grace and to be baptized Obj. But the Child once in possession shall not be punished for the Parents sin Answ. 1. This point is not commonly well understood I have by me a large Disputation proving from the current of Scripture a secondary original sin besides that from Adam and a secondary punishment ordinarily inflicted on Children for their Parents sins besides the common punishment of the World for the first sin 2. But the thing in question is
Consider the great temptations of the Rich and great and pity them that stand Direct 16. in so dangerous a station instead of murmuring at them or envying their greatness You little know what you should be your selves if you were in their places and the world and the flesh had so great a stroke at you as they have at them He that can swim in a calmer water may be carryed down a violent stream It is harder for that bird to fly that hath many pound weights tyed to keep her down than that which hath but a straw to carry to her nest It is harder mounting Heaven-wards with Lordships and Kingdoms than with your less impediments Why do you not pity them that stand on the top of barren mountains in the stroke of every storm and wind when you dwell in the quiet fruitful vales Do you envy them that must go to Heaven as a Camel through a needles eye if ever they come there And are you discontented that you are not in their conâ—â—tion will you rebel and fight to make your salvation as difficult as theirs Are you so unthankful to God for your safer station that you murmur at it and long to be in the more dangerous place § 40. Direct 17. Pray constantly and heartily for the spiritual and corporal welfare of your Governours Direct 17. And you have reason to believe that God who hath commanded you to put up such prayers will not suffer them to be wholly lost but will answer them some way to the benefit of them that perform the duty 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 3. And the very performance of it will do us much good of it self For it will keep the heart well disposed to our Governours and keep out all sinful desires of their hurt or controll them and cast them out if they come in Prayer is the exercise of Love and good desires And exercise increaseth and confirmeth habits If any ill wishes against your Governours should stâ—al into your minds the next time you pray for them conscience will accuse you of hypocrisie and either the sinful desires will corrupt or end your Prayers or else your prayers will cast out those ill desires Certainly the faithful fervent prayers of the Righteous do prevail much with God And things would go better than they do in the world if we prayed for Rulers as heartily as we ought § 41. Obj. For all the prayers of the Church five parts of six of the World are yet Idolaters Heathens Object Infidels and Mahometans And for all the prayers of the Reformed Churches most of the Christian part of the world are drowned in Popery or gross ignorance and superstition and the poor Greek Churches have Mahometane or tyrannical Governours and carnal proud usurping Prelates domineer over the Roman Church and there are but three Protestant Kings on the whole earth And among the Israelites themselves who had Priests and Prophets to pray for their Princes a good King was so rare that when you have named five or six over Judah and never a one after the division over Israel you scarce know where to find the rest What good then do your Prayers for Kings and Magistrates Answ. 1. As I said before they keep the hearts of subjects in an obedient holy frame 2. Were Answ. it not for prayers those few good ones would be fewer or worse than they are and the bad ones might be worse or at least do more hurt to the Church than they now do 3. It is not to be expected that all should be granted in kind that believers pray for For then not only Kings but all the world should be converted and saved For we should pray for every one But God who knoweth best how to distribute his mercies and to honour himself and refine his Church by the malice and persecution of his enemies will make his peoples prayers a means of that measure of good which he will do for Rulers and by them in the world And that 's enough to encourage us to pray 4. And indeed if when Proud ungodly worldlings have sold their souls by wicked means to climb up into places of power and command and domineer over others the Prayers of the faithful should Obj. Si id jâ—ris obâ—ineat status religionis eâ—â—t instabilis Mutato regis animo religio muta bitur presently convert and save them all because they are Governours this would seem to charge God with respect of persons and defect of Justice and would drown the world in wickedness treasons bloodshed and confusion by encouraging men by flatteries or treacheries or murders to usurp such places in which they may both gratifie their lusts and after save their souls while the godly are obliged to pray them into Heaven It is no such hearing of prayers for Governours which God hath promised 5. And yet I must observe that most Christians are so cold and formal in their Prayers for the Rulers of the world and of the Church that we have great reason to impute the unhappiness Resp. Unicum hic solatium in Divina est providentia Omnium animos Deus in potestate sua habet sed speciali quodam modo Cor Regis in manu Domini Deus per bonos per malos Reges opus suum operatur Interdum tranquillitas interdum tempestas ecclesiae utilior Nempe si pius est qui imperat si diligens lector sacrae scripturae si assiduus in precibus si Ecclesiae Catholicae reverens si peritos attente audiens multum per illum proficit veritas Sin distorto est corrupto judicio pejus id ipsi cedit quam ecclesiae Nam ipsum grave manet judicium Regis ecclesiae qui ecclesiam inultam non sinet Grotius de Impeâ— p. 210. Joh. 18. 36. of Governours very much to their neglect Almost all men are taken up so much with their own concernments that they put off the publick concernments of the world and of the Church and State with a few customary heartless words and understand not the meaning of the three first Petitions of the Lords Prayer and the Reason of their precedency or put them not up with that feeling as they do the other three If we could once observe that the generality of Christians were more earnest and importunate with God for the Hallowing of his name through all the world and the coming of his Kingdom and the obeying of his will in Earth as it is in Heaven and the Conversion of the Kings and Kingdoms of the world than for any of their personal concernments I should take it for a better prognostick of the happiness of Kings and Kingdoms than any that hath yet appeared in our dayes And those that are taken up with the expectations of Christs visible reign on earth would find it a more lawful and comfortable way to promote his Government thus by his own appointed officers than to rebell against Kings and seek
think their own understanding and stability is sufficient to preserve them do shew by their pride that they are near a fall 1 Cor. 10. 2. The company of sensual persons at Stage-playes Gaming inordinate playes and wanton dalliance For this is to bring your Tinder and Gunpowder to the fire And the less you fear it the greater is your danger § 24. Direct 7. Look more at the good that is in others than at their faults and falls The Flye Direct 7. that will fall on none but the galled ulcerous place doth feed accordingly Is a professor of Religion Covetous Drunk or other wayes scandalous Remember that it is his Covetousness or drunkenness that is bad Reprove that and fly from it and spare not But Religion is good Let that therefore be commended and imitated Leave the Carrion to Dogs and Crows to feast upon But do you choose out the things that are commendable and mind and mention and imitate those § 25. Direct 8. Lastly Think and speak as much against the sin and danger of taking-scandal as Direct 8. against the sin and danger of giving it When others cry out These are your religious people Do you cry out as much against their malignity and madness who will dislike or reproach Religion for mens sins Which is to blame the the Law-makers or Laws because they are broken or to fall out with Health because many that once were in health fall sick or to find fault with eating because some are lean or with clothing because some are cold Open to your selves and others what a wicked and perillous thing this is to fall out with Godliness because some are ungodly that seemed godly Many cry out against Scandal Scandal that never think what a heinous sin it is to be scandalized or to suffer mens sins to be a scandal to you and to be the worse because that others are so bad No one must differ from them in an opinion or a fashion of apparel or in a mode or form of Worship but some are presently scandalized Not knowing that it is a greater sin in them to be scandalized than in the other by such means supposing them to be faulty to give them the occasion Do you know what it is to be scandalized or offended in the Scripture sense It is not meerly to be displeased or to dislike anothers actions as is before said But it is to be drawn into some sin or hindered from some duty or stopt in the course of Religion or to think the worse of truth or duty or a godly life because of other mens words or actions And do you think him a good Christian and a faithful or constant friend to godliness who is so easily brought to quarrel with it Or is so easily turned from it or hindered in it Some pievish childish persons are like sick stomachs that no meat can please you cannot dress it so curiously but they complain that it is naught or this ayleth it or that ayleth it when the fault is in themselves Or like children or sick persons that can scarce be toucht but they are hurt Do you think that this sickliness or curiosity in Religion is a credit to you This is not the tenderness of Conscience which God requireth to be easily hurt by other mens differences or faults As it is the shame of many Ladies and Gentlewomen to be so curious and troublesomely neat that no servant knoweth how to please them so is it in Religion a sign of your childish folly and worse to be guilty of such proud curiosity that none can please you who are not exactly of your mind and way All men must follow your humours in gestures fashions opinions formalities and modes or else you are troubled and offended and scandalized As if all the world were made to please and humour you Or you were wise enough and great and good enough to be the rule of all about you Desire and spare not that your selves and all men should please God as exactly as is possible But if the want of that exactness in doubtful things or a difference in things disputable and doubtful among true Christians do thereupon abate or hinder your Love or estimation of your brethren or communion with them or any other Christian duty or tempt you into censoriousness or contempt of your brethren or to Schism Persecution or any other sin it is you that are the great offenders and you that are like to be the sufferers and have cause to lament that sinful aptness to be thus scandalized CHAP. XIV Directions against soul-murder and partaking of other mens sins THE special Directions given Part 3. Ch. 22. to Parents and Masters will in this case be of great use to all others But because it is here seasonable to speak of it further under the sixth Commandment and the matter is of greatest consequence I shall 1. Tell you how men are guilty of soul-murder 2. And then give you some General Directions for the furthering of mens salvation 3. And next give you some special Directions for Christian Exhortation and Reproofs § 1. 1. Men are guilty of soul-murder by all these wayes 1. By preaching false soul-murdering doctrine such as denyeth any necessary point of faith or holy living such as is opposite to a holy life or to any particular necessary duty such as maketh sin to be no sin which call good evil and evil good wich putteth darkness for light and light for darkness § 2. 2. By false application of true doctrine indirectly reflecting upon and disgracing that holiness of life which in terms they preach for By prevarication undermining that cause which their office is appointed to promote As they do who purposely so describe any vice that the hearers may be drawn to think that strict and Godly practices are either that sin it self or but a Cloak to hide it § 3. 3. By bringing the persons of the most religious into hatred by such false applications reflections or secret insinuations or open calumnies Making men believe that they are all but Hypocrites or Schismaticks or seditious or fanatical self-conceited persons Which is usually done either by impudent slanders raised against some particular men and so reflected on the rest or by the advantage of factions controversies or Civil Wars or by the falls of any professours or the crimes of Hypocrites whereupon they would make the World believe that they are all alike As if all Christs family were to be judged of by Peters fall or Iudas falshood And the odious representation of Godly men doth greatly prevail to keep others from Godliness and is one of the Devils most successful means for the damnation of multitudes of souls § 4. 4. The disgrace of the persons of the Preachers of the Gospel doth greatly further mens damnation For when the people think their Teachers to be Hypocrites Covetous Proud and secretly as bad as others they are very like to think accordingly of their doctrine
you should perform your trust or would discharge you of it If it be some great and unexpected dangers which you think upon good grounds the Parent would acquit you from if he were living you fulfill your trust if you avoid them and do that which would have been his will if he had known it Otherwise you must perform your promise though it be to your loss and suffering Quest. 16. But what if it was only a trust imposed by his desire and will without my acceptance or promise Quest. 16. to perform it Answ. You must do as you would be done by and as the common good and the Laws of love and friendship do require Therefore the quality of the person and your obligations to him and especially the comparing of the consequent good and evil together must decide the case Quest. 17. What if the surviving kindred of the Orphane be nearer to him than I am and they censure Quest. 17. me and calumniate me as injurious to the Orphane may I not ease my self of the trust and cast it upon them Answ. In this case also the measure of your suffering must first be compared with the measure of the Orphanes good And then your Conscience must tell you whether you verily think the Parent who entrusted you would discharge you if he were alive and knew the case If he would though you promised it is to be supposed that it was not the meaning of his desire or your promise to incur such sufferings And if you believe that he would not discharge you if he were alive then if you promised you must perform But if you promised not you must go no farther than the Law of love requireth Quest. 18. What is a Minister of Christ to do if a penitent person confess secretly some heynous or Quest. 18. capital crime to him as Adultery theft robbery murder Must it be concealed or not Answ. 1. If a purpose of sinning be antecedently confessed it is unlawful to farther the crime or give opportunity to it by a concealment But it must be so far opened as is necessary for the prevention of anothers wrong or the persons sin Especially if it be Treason against the King or Kingdom or any thing against the common good 2. When the punishment of the offender is apparently necessary to the good of others especially to right the King or Countrey and to preserve them from danger by the offender or any other it is a duty to open a past fault that is confessed and to bring the offender to punishment rather than injure the innocent by their impunity 3. When Restitution is necessary to a person injured you may not by concealment hinder such Restitution but must procure it to your power where it may be had 4. It is unlawful to promise universal secresie absolutely to any penitent But you must tell him before he confesseth If your crime be such as that opening it is necessary to the preservation or righting of King or Countrey or your Neighbour or to my own safety I shall not conceal it That so men may know how far to trust you 5. Yet in some rare cases as the preservation of our Parents King or Countrey it may be a duty to promise and perform concealment when there is no hurt like to follow but the loss or hazard of our own lives or liberties or estates And consequently if no hurt be like to follow but some private loss of another which I cannot prevent without a greater hurt 6. If a man ignorant of the Law and of his own danger have rashly made a promise of secresie and yet be in doubt he should open the case in hypothesi only to some honest able Lawyer enquiring if such a case should be what the Law requireth of the Pastor or what danger he is in if he conceal it that he may be able farther to judge of the case 7. He that made no promise of secresie virtual or actual may caeteris paribus bring the offender to shame or punishment rather than fall into the like himself for the concealment 8. He that rashly promised universal secresie must compare the penitents danger and his own and consider whose suffering is like to be more to the publick detriment all things considered and that must be first avoided 9. He that findeth it his duty to reveal the crime to save himself must yet let the penitent have notice of it that he may flye and escape unless as aforesaid when the Interest of the King or Countrey or others doth more require his punishment 10. But when there is no such necessity of the offenders punishment for the prevention of the hurt or wrong of others nor any great danger by concealment to the Minister himself I think that the Crime though it were capital should be concealed My reasons are 1. Because though every man be bound to do his best to prevent sin yet every man is not bound to bring offenders to punishment He that is no Magistrate nor hath a special call so to do may be in many cases not obliged to it 2. It is commonly concluded that in most cases a capital offender is not bound to bring himself to punishment And that which you could not know but by his free Confession and is confest to you only on your promise of concealment seemeth to me to put you under no other obligation to bring him to punishment than he is under himself 3. Christs words and practice in dismissing the Woman taken in Aduâ—tery sheweth that it is not alwayes a duty for one that is no Magistrate to prosecute a capital offender but that sometime his repentance and life may be preferred 4. And Magistrates pardons sheweth the same 5. Otherwise no sinner would have the benefit of a Counsellor to open his troubled Conscience to For if it be a duty to detect a great crime in order to a great punishment why not a less also in order to a less punishment And who would confess when it is to bring themselves to punishment 11. In those Countries where the Laws allow Pastors to conceal all crimes that penitents freely confess it is left to the Pastors judgement to conceal all that he discerneth may be concealed without the greater injury of others or of the King or Common-wealth 12. There is a knowledge of the faults of others by Common â—ame especially many years after the committing which doth not oblige the hearers to prosecute the offender And yet a crime publickly known is more necessarily to be punished lest impunity embolden others to the like than an unknown crime revealed in Confession Tit. 2. Directions about Trusts and Secrets Direct 1. BE not rash in receiving secrets or any other trusts But first consider what you are thereby Direct 1. obliged to and what difficulties may arise in the performance and foresee all the consequents as far as is possible before you undertake the trust that you cast not
nature of Carnal-selfishness and it is no better § 4. 3. SELFISHNESSE is the corruption of all the faculties of the soul. It is the sin of the mind by self-conceitedness and pride It is the sin of the will and affections by self-love and all the selfish passions which attend it Selfish desires angers sorrows discontents jealousies fears audacities c. It is the corruption of all the inferiour faculties and the whole conversation by self-seeking and all the forementioned evils § 5. 4. Selfishness is the commonest sin in the world Every man is now born with it and hath it more or less And therefore every man should fear it § 6. 5. Selfishness is the hardest sin in the world to overcome In all the unregenerate it is predominant For nothing but the sanctifying Spirit of God can overcome it And in many thousands that seem very zealous in Religion and very mortified in all other respects yet in some way or other selfishness doth so lamentably appear yea and is so strong in many that are sincere that it is the greatest dishonour to the Church of Christ and hath tempted many to infidelity or to doubt whether there be any such thing as true sanctification in the world The persons that seemed the most mortified Saints if you do but cross them in their self-interest or opinion or will or seem to slight them and have a low esteem of them what swellings what heart-burnings what bitter censurings what proud impatience if not Schisms and separations will it cause God hath better servants but too many which seem to themselves and others to be the best are no better How then should every Christian abhor and watch against this Universal Evil § 7. Direct 2. Consider oft how amiable a creature man would be and what a blessed condition the Direct 2. world and all societies would be in if selfishness were but overcome There would then â—e no pride no covetousness no sensuality no tyranny or oppressing of the poor no malice cruelty or persecution no Church-divisions no scandals nothing to dishonour Religion or to hinder the saving progress of the Gospel no fraud or treacheries no over-reaching or abusing others no lying noâ— deceit no neglect of our duty to others In a word no injustice or uncharitableness in the world § 8. Direct 3. Iudge of good and evil by sober Reason and not by bruitish sense And then oft Direct 3. consider whether really there be not a more excellent end than your self ish interest Even the publick good of many and the pleasing and glorifying of God And whether all mediate good or evil should not be judged of principally by those highest ends Sense leadeth men to selfishness and privateness of design But true Reason leadeth men to prefer the publick or any thing that is better than our self-interest § 9. Direct 4. Nothing but returning by converting Grace to the true Love of God and of Man for Direct 4. his sake will conquer selfishness Make out therefore by earnest prayer for the Spirit of Sanctification And be sure that you have a true apprehension of the state of Grace that is that it is indeed The Love of God and Man Love is the fulfilling of the Law Therefore Love is the Holiness of the soul Set your whole study upon the exercise and increase of Love and selfishness will dye as Love reviveth § 10. Direct 5. Study much the self-denying example and precepts of your Saviour His life and Direct 5. doctrine are the liveliest representation of self-denyal that ever was given to the World Learn Christ and you will learn self-denyal He had no sinful selfishness to mortifie yet natural-self was so wonderfully denyed by him for his Fathers Will and our Salvation that no other Book or Teacher in the world will teach us this lesson so perfectly as he Follow him from the Manger or rather from the Womb to the Cross and Grave Behold him in his poverty and contempt enduring the contradiction and ingratitude of sinners and making himself of no reputation Behold him apprehended accused condemned crowned with thorns clothed in purple with a reed in his hand scourged and led away to execution bearing his Cross and hanged up among Thieves forsaken by his own Disciples and all the world and in part by him who is more than all the world And consider why all this was done For whom he did it and what lesson he purposed hereby to teach us Consider why he made it one half the condition of our salvation and so great a part of the Christian Religion to Deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow him and will have no other to be his Disciples Luke 14. 26 31 33. Were a Crucified Christ more of our daily study and did we make it our Religion to learn and follow his holy example self-denyal would be better known and practised and Christianity would appear as it is and not as it is misunderstood adulterated and abused in the world But because I have long ago written a Treatise of Self-denyal I shall add no more CHAP. XXVII Cases and Directions for Loving our Neighbour as our selves Tit. 1. Cases of Conscience about Loving our Neighbour Quest. 1. IN what sense is it that I must love my neighbour as my self Whether in the kind of Quest. 1. love or in the degree or only in the reality Answ. The true meaning of the Text is You must love him according to his true worth without the diversion and hinderance of selfishness and partiality As you must love your self according to that degree of Goodness which is in you and no more so must you as impartially love your neighbour according to that degree of Goodness which is in him So that it truly extendeth to the reality the kind and the degree of love supposing it in both proportioned to the goodness of the object But before this can be understood the true nature of Love must be well understood Quest. 2. What is the true Nature of Love both as to my self and neighbour Quest. 2. Answ. Love is nothing but the prime motion of the Will to its proper object which is called Complacence The object of it is simple Goodness or Good as such It ariseth from suitableness between the Object and the Will as appetite doth from the suitableness of the appetent faculty and the food This GOOD as it is variously modified or any way differeth doth accordingly cause or require a difference in our Love Therefore that Love which in its prime act and nature is but one is diversly denominated as its objects are diversified To an object as simply Good in it self it followeth the Understandings Estimation and is called as I said meer Complacence or Adhesion To an Object as not yet attained but absent or distant and attainable it is called Desire or Desiring Love And as expected Hope or Hoping Love which is a conjunction of Desire
and Expectation To an object nearest and attained it is called Fruition or Delight or Delighting Love To an object which by means must be attained it is called seeking love as it exciteth to the use of those means And to an object missed it is by accident Mourning Love But still Love it self in its essential act is one and the same As it respecteth an object which wanteth something to make it perfect and desireth the supply of that want it is called Love of Benevolence denominated from this occasion as it desireth to do good to him that is loved And it is a Love of the same nature which we exercise towards God who needeth nothing as we rejoyce in that perfection and happiness which he hath though it be not to be called properly by the same name Goodness being the true object of Love is the true measure of it And therefore God who is infinitely and primitively good is the prime and only simple object of our absolute total Love And therefore those who understand no Goodness in any being but as profitable to them or to some other creature do know no God nor Love God as God nor have any Love but selfish and Idolatrous By this you may perceive the nature of Love Quest. 3. But may none be loved above the measure of his Goodness How then did God love us Quest. 3. when we were not or were his enemies And how must we love the wicked And how must an ungodly person love himself Answ. If only Good as such be the object of Love then certainly none should be loved but in proportion to his Goodness But you must distinguish between meer natural and sensitive Love or appetite and Rational Love and between Love and the Effects of Love and between Natural Goodness in the object and Moral Goodness And so I further answer 1. There is in every man a natural and sensitive love of himself and his own pleasure and felicity and an averseness to death and pain and sorrow as there is in every Bruit And this God hath planted there for the preservation of the creature This falleth not under commands or prohibitions directly because it is not free but necessary as no man is commanded or forbidden to be hungry or thirsty or weary or the like It is not this Love which is meant when we are commanded to Love our neighbour as our selves For I am not commanded to feel hunger and thirst nor to desire meat or drink by the sensitive appetite for my neighbour Nor sensitively to feel his pain or pleasure nor to have that natural aversation from death and pain nor sensitive desire of life and pleasure for him as for my self But the Love here spoken of is that Volition with the due affection conjunct which is our Rational Love as being the act of our highest faculty and falling under Gods command As to the sensitive Love it proceedeth not upon the sense or estimate of Goodness in the person who loveth himself or any other as Beasts love their young ones without respect to their excellency But it is Rational Love which is proportioned to the estimated Goodness of the thing beloved 2. Physical Goodness may be in an object which hath no Moral Goodness and this may contain a capacity of moral goodness And each of them is amiable according to its nature and degree 3. Beneficence is sometimes an effect of Love and sometime an effect of wisdome only as to the object and of Love to something else but it is never Love it self Usually benevolence is an act of Love and beneficence an effect but not alwayes I may do good to another without any love to him for some ends of my own or for the sake of another And a man may be obliged to greater beneficence where he is not obliged to greater Love And now to the instances I further answer 1. When we had no being God did not properly love us in esse reali unless you will go to our co-existence in eternity For we were not in esse reali But only as we were in esse cognito which is but to love the Idea in himself But he purposed to make us and to make us lovely and to do us good and so he had that which is called Amor benevolentiae to us which properly was not Love to us but a Love to himself and the Idea in his own eternal mind which is called a Loving us in esse cognito and a purpose to make us good and lovely That which is not Lovely is not an object of Love Man was not Lovely indeed when he was not Therefore he was not an object of Love but in esse cognito The same we say of Gods loving us when we were enemies He really loved us with complacency so far as our Physical goodness made us lovely And as morally lovely he did not love us otherwise than in esse cognito But he purposed to make us morally lovely and gave us his mercies to that end and so loved us with a Love of benevolence as it is called which signifieth no more than out of a complacence or Love Apology against Dr. Kendall to himself and to us as Physically good to purpose to make us morally good and happy As to the incident difficulty of Love beginning de novo in God I have fully resolved it elsewhere 2. So also we must Love a wicked man with a Love of benevolence which properly is but to love him in his physical worth and his capacity of moral goodness and happiness and thereupon but especially through the Love of God to desire his happiness 3. And as to the loving of our selves Besides the sensitive Love before mentioned which respecteth self as self and not as Good a wicked man may rationally love himself according to his physical goodness as a man which containeth his capacity of moral goodness and so of being holy and serviceable to God and to good men and happy in the fruition of God But beyond all such Goodness which only is amiableness no man may rationally love himself or any other with the true formal act of Love which is complacence Though he may wish good to himself or another beyond the present goodness which is in them nay he wisheth them good not because they have it but because they have it not And he may be bound to do good not because they are good but because they want good And though some define Loving to be bene velle alicui ut illi bene sit to desire anothers welfare But if any be resolved to call meer benevolence by the name of Love I will not contend about a name yet indeed this may be without any true formal Love at all As I may desire the welfare of my Horse without any proper love to him even for my self and use When God from eternity willeth to make Paul and to convert and save him ut illi bene sit it is
visit or relieve them Tit. 2. Directions for Loving the Children of God Direct 1. ONce get the Love of God and you cannot choose but love his Children Therefore first set Direct 1. your hearts to that and study the Directions for it Tom. 1. God must be first loved as God before the Godly can be loved as such Though perhaps this effect may sometime be more manifest than the cause Fortifie the cause and the effect will follow Direct 2. Get Christ to dwell in your hearts by faith Eph. 3. 17. and then you will love his members Direct 2. for his sake The study of the love of God in Christ and the belief of all the benefits of his love and sufferings will be the bellows continually to kindle your love to your Redeemer and to all those that are like him and beloved by him Direct 3. Cherish the motions of Gods spirit in your selves For he is a spirit of Love And it is Direct 3. the same spirit which is in all the Saints Therefore the more you have of the spirit the more Unity and the more Love you will have to all that are truly spiritual The decays of your own holiness containeth a decay of your love to the holy Direct 4. Observe their Graces more than their infirmities You cannot love them unless you take Direct 4. notice of that goodness which is their loveliness Overlooking and extenuating the good that is in others doth shew your want of love to goodness and then no wonder if you want love to those that are good Direct 5. Be not tempters and provokers of them to any sin For that is but to stir up the worser Direct 5. part which is in them and to make it more apparent and so to hide their amiableness and hinder your own love They that will be abusing them and stirring up their passions or oppressing wise men to try if they can make them mad or increasing their burdens and persecutions to see whether there be any impatiency left in them are but like the Horseman who was still spurring his Horse and then sold him because he was skittish and unquiet or like the Gentleman that must needs come as a Suitor to a beautiful Lady just when she had taken a Vomit and Purge and then disdained her as being unsavoury and lothsome Direct 6. Stir up their Graces and converse much with them in the exercises of grace If Aristotle Direct 6. or Socrates Demosthenes or Cicero stood silent by you among other persons you will perceive no difference between them and a fool or a vulgar wit But when once they open their lips and pour out the streams of wisdom and eloquence you will quickly perceive how far they excell the common world and will admire love and honour them So when you converse with Godly men about matters of trading or common employments only you will see no more but their blamelesness and justice But if you will joyn with them in holy Conference or Prayer or observe them in good works you will see that the spirit of Christ is in them When you hear the longings of their souls after God and their Heavenly desires and hopes and joys and their love to piety charity and justice express themselves in their holy discourse and prayers and see the fruits of them in their lives you will see that they are more than common men Direct 7. Foresee the perfection of their Graces in their beginnings No man will Love a seed or Direct 7. stock of those plants or trees which bear the sweetest and most beautiful flowers and fruits unless in the seed he foresee the fruit or flower which it tendeth to No man loveth the egg aright who doth not foreknow what a â—iâ—d it will bring forth Aristotle or Cicero were no more amiable in their infancy than others except to him that could foretell what men they were like to prove Think oft of Heaven and what a thing a Saint will be in Glory when he shall shine as the Stars and be equal to the Angels and then you will quickly see cause to love them Direct 8. Frequently think of the Everlasting union and sweet agreement which you must have with Direct 8. them in Heaven for ever How perfectly you will love each other in the Love of God How joyfully you will consent in the Love and Praises of your Creator and Redeemer The more believingly you foresee that state and the more you contemplate thereon and the more your Conversation is in Heaven the more will you love your fellow Souldiers and Travellers with whom you must live in blessedness for ever Tit. 3. Motives or Meditative helps to love the Godly Mot. 1. COnsider what Relation all the Regenerate have to God They are not only his Creatures Motive 1. but his Adopted Children And are they not honourable and amiable who Gal. 4. 6. are so near to God Mot. 2. Think of their near Relation to Jesus Christ They are his Members and his Brethren Motive 2. and the purchase of his sufferings and coheirs of everlasting life Rom. 8. 16 17. Ephes. 5. 26 27. Mot. 3. Think of the excellency of that spirit and holy Nature which is in them Regeneration Motive 3. hath made them partakers of the Divine nature and hath indued them with the spirit of Christ and hath by the incorruptible seed made them new Creatures of a Holy and Heavenly mind and life and hath renewed them after the Image of God And what besides God himself can be so amiable as his Image Mot. 4. Think of the precious price which was paid for their Redemption If you will estimate Motive 4. things by their price if the purchaser be wise how highly must you value them Mot. 5. Remember how dearly they are beloved of God their Creator and Redeemer Read and Motive 5. observe Gods tender language towards them and his tender dealings with them He calleth them his Children his beloved yea dearly-beloved his jewels the apple of his eye Deut. 33. 12. Psal. 60. 5. 127. 2. Col. 3. 12. Ier. 12. 7. Mal. 3. 17. Zech. 2. 8. Deut. 32. 10. Christ calleth the least of them his Brethren Matth. 25. Judge of his love to them by his incarnation life and sufferings Judge of it by that one heart melting message after his resurrection Joh. 20. 17. Go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God And should we not love them dearly who are so dearly beloved of God Mot. 6. They are our Brethren begotten by the same father and Spirit of the same holy seed the word Motive 6. of God and have the same nature and disposition And this Unity of nature and neerness of relation is such a suitableness as must needs cause love Mot. 7. They are our companions in labour and tribulation in our duty and sufferings They
shut-up the bowels of his compassion from him how dwelleth the Love of God in him 1 Iohn 3. 17. Surely if the love of his brother were in him the love of God had been in him But he hath no true love to his brother that will only love him on terms that cost him little and cannot give and suffer for his love All these are deceiving Counterfeits of Love to the children of God Tit. 6. Cases and Directions for intimate special Friends Quest. 1. IS it lawful to have an earnest desire to be Loved by others Especially by some one person Quest. 1. above all other Answ. There is a desire of others Love which is lawful and there is a desire which is unlawful I. It is lawful 1. When we desire it as it is their duty which God himself obligeth them to perform and so is part of their integrity and is their own good and pleaseth God So Parents must desire their children to love them and one another because it is their duty and else they are unnatural and bad And Husband and Wife may desire that each other discharge that duty of Love which God requireth and so may all others 2. It is lawful also to desire for our own sakes to be loved by others so be it it be 1. With a calm and sober desire which is not eager peremptory or importunate nor overvalueth the Love of man 2. According to the proportion of our own worth not desiring to be thought Greater Wiser or Better than indeed we are nor to be loved erroneously by an overvaluing Love 3. When we desire it for the benefits to which it tendeth more than to be valued and loved our selves As 1. That we may receive that edification and good from a friend which Love disposeth them to communicate 2. That we may do that good to our friends which Love disposeth them to receive 3. That we may honour and please God who delighteth in the true Love and Concord of his Children II. But the unlawful desire of others Love to us is much more common and is a sin of a deeper malignity than is commonly observed This desire of love is sinful when it is contrary to that before described As 1. When we desire it over eagerly 2. When we desire it selfishly and proudly to be set up in the good opinion of others and not to make a benefit of it to our selves or them bt our own Honour is more desired in it than the honour of God 3. When we desire to be thought Greater Wiser or Better than we are and to be loved with such an overvaluing Love and have no desire that the bounds of Truth and Usefulness should restrain and limit that love to us which we affect 4. When it is an erroneous fanciful carnal or lustful esteem of some one person which maketh us desire his love more than others As because he is higher richer fairer c. This eager desire to be over-loved by others hath in it all these aggravations 1. It is the very sin of Pride which God hath declared so great a detestation of For Pride is an over-valuing our selves for Greatness Wisdom or Goodness and a desire to be so over-valued of others And he that would be over-loved would be over-valued 2. It is self-idolizing When we would be loved as better than we are we rob God of that Love which men should render to him who can never be over-loved and we would fain seem a kind of petty Deities to the world and draw mens eyes and hearts unto our selves When we should be jealous of Gods interest and honour lest we or any creature should have his due this proud disposition maketh people set up themselves in the estimation of others and they scarce care how Good or Wise they are esteemed nor how much they are lifted up in the hearts of others 3. It is an injurious ensnaring the minds of others and tempting them to erroneous opinions of us and affections to us which will be their sin and may bring them into many inconveniences It is an ordinary thing to do greater hurt to a friend whom we value by ensnaring him in an inordinate Love than ever we did or can do to an enemy by hating him Quest. 2. Is it lawful meet or desirable to entertain that extraordinary affection to any one which Quest. 2. is called special friendship or to have an endeared intimate friend whom we love far above all others Answ. Intimate special friendship is a thing that hath been so much pleaded for by all sorts of men and so much of the felicity of mans life hath been placed in it that it beseemeth not me to speak against it But yet I think it meet to tell you with what Cautions and limits it must be received and how far it is good and how far sinful For there are perils here to be avoided which neither Cicero nor his Scipio and Laelius were acquainted with I. 1. It is lawful to choose some one well qualified person who is fittest for that use and to make him the chief companion of our lives our chiefest counsellor and comforter and to confine our intimacy and converse to him in a special manner above all others 2. And it is lawful to love him not only according to his personal worth but according to his special suitableness to us and to desire his felicity accordingly and to exercise our love to him more frequently and sensibly because of his nearness and presence than towards some better men that are further off The Reasons of such an intimate friendship are these 1. No man is sufficient for himself and therefore Nature teacheth him to desire an helper And there is so wonderful a diversity of temperaments and conditions and so great a disparity and incongruity among good and wise men towards each other that one that is more suitable and congruous to us than all the rest may on that account be much preferred 2. It is not many that can be so near us as to be ordinary helpers to us And a wiser man at a distance or out of reach may be less useful to us than one of inferiour worth at hand 3. The very exercise of friendly love and kindness to another is pleasant And so it is to have one to whom we may confidently reveal our secrets to bear part of our burden and to confirm us in our right apprehensions and to cure us of wrong ones 4. And it is no small benefit of a present bosome friend to be instead of all the world to us that is of common unprofitable company For man is a sociable creature and abhorreth utter solitude And among the common sort we shall meet with so much evil and so little that is truly wise or good as will tempt a man to think that he is best when he is least conversant with mankind But a selected friend is to us for usefulness instead of many without these common
this pernicious vice is as destructive to good works as almost any in the World That God who hath said that he is worse than an Infidel who provideth not for his own Family will judge many thousands to be worse than Christians and than any that will be saved must be who make their families the devourers of all which should be expended upon other works of Charity Direct 6. Take it as the chiefest extrinsecal part of your Religion to do good and make it the trade or Direct 6. business of your lives and not as a matter to be done on the by Jam. 1. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world If we are created for good works Ephes. 2. 10. and redeemed and purified to be zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. and must be judged according to such works Matth. 25. then certainly it should be our chiefest daily care and diligence to do them with all our hearts and abilities And as we keep a daily account of our own and our servants business in our particular Callings so should we much more of our employment of our Masters Talents in his Service And if a Heathen Prince could say with lamentation Alas I have lost a day if a day had past in which he had done no one good how much more should a Christian who is better instructed to know the comforts and rewards of doing good Direct 7. Give not only out of your superfluities when the flesh is glutted with as much as it desireth Direct 7. but labour hard in your Callings and be thrifty and saving from all unnecessary expences and deny the desires of ease and fulness and pride and curiosity that you may have the more to do good with Thriftiness for works of Charity is a great and necessary duty though Covetous thriftiness for the love of riches be a great sin He that wasteth one half his masters goods through sloathfulness or excesses and then is charitable with the other half will make but a bad account of his Stewardship Much more he that glutteth his own and his Families and retainers fleshly desires first and then giveth to the poor only the leavings of luxury and so much as their fleshly lusts can spare It is a dearer a laborious and a thrifty charity that God doth expect of faithful Stewards Direct 8. Delay not any good work which you have present ability and opportunity to perform Delay Direct 8. signifieth unwillingness or negligence Love and Zeal are active and expeditious And delay doth frequently frustrate good intentions The persons may dye that you intend to do good to or you may dye or your ability or opportunities may cease That may be done to day which cannot be done to morrow The Devil is not ignorant of your good intentions and he will do all that possibly he can to make them of no effect And the more time you give him the more you enable him to hinder you You little foresee what abundance of impediments he may cast before you and so make that impossible which once you might have done with ease Prov. 3. 28. Say not to thy Neighbour Go and come again and to morrow I will give when thou hast it by thee Prov. 27. 1. Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Direct 9. Distrust not Gods providence for thy own provision An unbelieving man will needs be a Direct 9. God to himself and trust himself only for his provisions because indeed he cannot trust God But you will find that your labour and care is vain or worse than vain without Gods blessing Say not distrustfully what shall I have my self when I am old Though I am not perswading you to make no provision or to give away all yet I must tell you that it is exceeding folly to put off any present duty upon distrust of God or expectation of living to be old He that over-night said I have enough laid up for many years did quickly hear Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee and whose then shall the things be which thou hast provided Luk. 12. 20. Rather obey that Eccl. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might For there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest Do you think there is not an hundred thousand whose estates are now consumed in the flames of London who could wish that all that had been given to pious or charitable uses Do but believe from the bottom of your hearts that he that hath pity on the pâ—or lendeth to the doâ—d and that which he layeth out he will pay him again Prov. 19. 17. And that Matth. 10. 40 41 â—2 He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous mans reward and whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only i. e. when he hath no better in the name of a Disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward I say Believe this and you will make haste to give while you may lest your opportunity should overslip you Direct 10. What you cannot do your selves provoke others to do who are more able Provoke one Direct 10. another to love and to good works Modesty doth not so much forbid you to beg for others as for your selves Some want but information to draw them to good works And some that are unwilling may be urged to it to avoid the shame of uncharitableness And though such giving do little good to themselves it may do good to others Thus you may have the reward when the cost is anothers as long as the Charity is yours Direct 11. Hearken to no doctrine which is an enemy to Charity or good works nor yet which Direct 11. teacheth you to trust in them for more than their proper part He that ascribeth to any of his own works that which is proper to Christ doth turn them into heynous sin And he that ascribeth not to them all that which Christ ascribeth to them is a sinner also And whatever ignorant men may prate the time is coming when neither Christ without our Charity nor our Charity without Christ but in subordination to him will either comfort or save our souls CHAP. XXXI Cases and Directions about confessing sins and injuries to others Tit. 1. Cases about confessing sins and injuries to others Quest. 1. IN what cases is it a duty to confess wrongs to those that we have wronged Quest. 1. Answ. 1. When in real injuries you are unable to