provide for and satisfie our fleshly minds when we foster and cherish this Flesh 2. An inordinate love of our Selves Natural when we love that which is our Selves more or otherwise than we ought to love it Our Natural Selves our Bodies and our Souls are to be loved ut supra We ought to love our selves not our Souls only but our Bodies also and so to love them as to seek the good and well-being of our selves not only our Eternal but our Temporal well-being we may love our ease and our freedom from Pain we may love our Credit and our freedom from Reproach and Disgrace we may love our maintenance and freedom from want yea we may love our beauty and comeliness and freedom from Deformity and we may so love as to maintain and provide for our selves in all these respects to maintain our selves in Health to preserve our selves from temporal misery to provide for our temporal necessities but now our sinful self-Self-love is when we love our Selves more or otherwise than we should 1. When we love our selves more than God When we love our selves to the neglect of God as Christ said Mat. 10.37 He that loveth Father or Mother more than me he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me so may it be said he that loveth himself his own flesh his own life more than me is not worthy of me Much more when our self-Self-love makes an abatement of our love to God when Self is lov'd so much that God is lov'd the less when the more Self is minded or cared for by so much the less God is regarded 2. When we love Self as separated from God or otherwise than in subordination to God when our love determines in Self and rises no higher every man should love himself but it must be for the sake of God whose servant he is and whose Image he bears 3. When we love our selves to the prejudice of the love of our Neighbour The word is Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self thou shalt love thy self but so as it may not hinder thee from loving thy Neighbour When self Monopolizes our love when our Love which should be a Common is an Enclosure and is impropriated and confined to our selves when we so intensely love our selves that we love no body else or care for no body else or at least love not others so much as we should when we care not whom we displease so we may but please our selves when we care not whom we neglect so we may provide for our selves when we care not how it be with others let them be in sickness let them be in want let them starve let them die we care not how it be with them so it be but well with our selves when our Self-love is only for the advancing of Self-Interest and will invade and encroach upon and wrong the Interest of others when we can thereby advance our own Lay these things together and therein you may see what sinful self-Self-love is a love of mistaken Self or an inordinate love of our natural Self 2. That sinful self-Self-love is the great Heart-Idolatry and the root of all Rebellion and Disobedience to God 1. It is the great Heart-Idolatry Whatever we love more than God we make it a God yea when we love any thing equal with God or in separation from God and not in subordination to God If we love our Selves only for our Selves we therein deny the God which is above As he that loves Riches only for Riches sake as he that loves his meat and drink only for the Pleasure he hath in eating and drinking so he that loves himself only for selfs sake is an Idolater Whatever we make our last end we make our God Therefore as the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatever ye do so whatever ye love or regard or desire let it be all let it be only for the glory of God Rom. 11.36 To him are all things by him they were made and to him they must be directed O Beloved what an Idolatrous piece is the Heart of man become O what an Idolatrous Heart is there then in every one of us Is self-Self-love Idolatry then who of us can be free from this charge of Idolatry we have every one of us more or less set up this Idol Self in our Hearts Do we not love mistaken Self our sinful flesh do not our Hearts go after our Covetousness our carnal Ease our carnal Pleasures do we not love that carnal Self which should be denyed which should be Mortified and Crucified do none of us so love as to cherish our flesh and make provision for the flesh thou hast a Proud Heart and dost thou not maintain and keep up that Self-esteem thou hast a covetous Heart and dost not thou nourish and feed thy covetousness thou hast a Lust after thy carnal Pleasure and Liberty and thou Indulgest it all thou canst thou lovest to be high thou lovest to be Rich thou lovest thy Pleasure and thy Liberty these things thou lovest and dost thou not love them more than God the more thou lustest after these things and the more thou hast of them is not God so much less loved and regarded Dost thou not know that if thou hadst checked and crossed that proud mind if thou hadst denyd that covetous Heart the Lord God should have had more of thy regard more of thy Love than now he hath had do you not think you should have lov'd God better if you had lov'd the World less or your Ease or your Appetites less behold these things have broken in and encroacht upon Gods right have carried away Gods due this Self for whose sake all these are loved this Self hath stolen into the Heart and carried it away after it O what a woful thing is it that it should be said of any Professor of Religion that this should be said of them it were well for these men or at least better than 't is with them if they loved God but as well as they love their flesh if they served God as heartily as they serve their Covetousness if they were set upon the Pleasing of God but as much as they are set upon pleasing their Appetites if they were delighted in God as much as they are delighted in the World if they could find as much Pleasure in the meditation of God and Exercises of Religion as in the businesses of this life Thou knowest it is not thus with thee thou dost not Love and Delight thy Self in God as thou lovest and delightest thy Self in this earth and flesh Is Communion with God is communing with thy own Heart about the things of God is conversing with God in Prayer in holy Contemplation and Meditation is the exercising thy Faith on God thy Hope on God and thy looking into the Gospel of God and searching out and feeding upon the Blood and Bowels and unsearchable Treasures laid up in Christ is the exercising
this Earth and the Fulness thereof You now that are for Government in your Hearts for the Government of your desires take this course for thus Governing of them desire God and the things above as much as you should desire the good things below no more than you should desire the evil things below not at all get your desires after Lawful things to be moderated your desires after sinful things to be Crucified put Wings to your Holy desires put Clogs and Fetters upon your Natural desires and up to the Cross to the Gibbet with these sinfull desires and herein have you set up the Lord to be the King in your Hearts and brought your very Appetites to be subject to him 3. For our Joys for the due raising and limiting of these I shall shew 1. The Object of Joy is the same with the Object of Love and Desire He that Loves whatever it be if he hath it not he desireth it if he hath it he rejoiceth he that loves God if he can hear such a Word from God I am Thine that 's a joyful Word then he can rejoice in God he that loveth Money or the gains of this World if he hath it not he desireth it if he hath it he rejoiceth his Money is his Joy his Estate is his Joy such a joy as 't is a poor flashy Joy yet Joy there is to him The Woman in the Parable Luke 15.9 that had lost her piece of Silver when She had found it She calls her Neighbours together to rejoice with her sure such a Woman loved Money well Joy arises 1. Originally from its Object or the Thing loved It is God that is the Fountain of Divine Joy thence it springs and comes in therefore the Apostle prays Rom. 15.13 The God of Hope fill you with all Joy There are Three wayes by which our Joy in God is raised 1. By Contemplation by Contemplaâ—ing of God we come to see and find out what matter of Joy there is in God it brings the goodness and kindness the satisfying and ravishing Excellencies of God to our sight those to whom the glorious Lord is as a barren Wilderness or Land of Darkness as the expression is Jer. 2.31 it is either from their Ignorance or their want of Contemplating of God It is a sign thou art a blind Soul and knowest not God or that thou art a Sranger to Divine Meditation Thou lookest little Heaven-ward thou dost not send up thy Thoughts in search for God who yet sayest Where is that Joy Where is that Blessedness Where is that Joy Look more diligently in the Face of God let thy Soul dwell in the Study and Contemplation of his infinite goodness thou hast a glass before thee the glass of the Word wherein his glory shineth look more into that glass and Meditate much upon what that Word revealeth of the Excellencies of God and then thou shalt see his Glory and Taste his Joy 2. Expectation and Hope therefore we Read of Rejoycing in Hope Rom. 5.2 When Contemplation hath discovered the Blessedness that is in God then Hope layes hold on it this Blessedness may be mine saith the Soul and I have good Hope it may be mine and in that Hope I joy What Malefactor that is in fear of Death for his Offences that should be told there is yet hope of thy Pardon hope that thou mayest live but would rejoyce in that Hope What poor Man that is in want that should have Tidings of a Rich Inheritance that was falling to him but his Hope would make him to Sing for Joy Dost thou hear of the unsearchable Riches of Christ of the Treasures of everlasting Joy that that are in the Lord God and hast thou Hope that these will be thy Riches and thy Treasures how canst thou but rejoyce in Hope of the Glory of God 3. Fruition or the enjoying of the Object loved and this is it which brings the fullest Joy Fruition stands 1. In our Actual Possession of the Object when we have what we hoped for and there is a double Possession of God that the Saints have in this Life 1. A Possession by Faith 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life that is he that believeth in Christ hath Christ his Faith puts him into Possession and from this the Possession of Faith Joy followeth Rom. 15.13 The God of Hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing 2. A Possession by Sense when we Taste that the Lord is gracious when we feel the comfortable refreshings of his loving kindness when the beams of his Light and the Streamings of his Love shine upon and warm our Hearts when his Light Shines into our Darkness and gives us the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.8 And when his Love is shed abroad into our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which he hath given us Rom. 5.5 When we see how lovely the Lord is and feel that he loveth us 2. In the satisfaction of our Hearts with this Possession when we are pleased and delighted and satisfied with his goodness A full satisfaction of the Heart will not be till hereafter Psal 17.15 When I awake I shall be satisfied and therefore our fulness of Joy is reserved till then but satisfaction to such a Degree there is upon our present Possession as gives us a kind of present Fruition 2. This Joy arises as from the Object so immediately from the very Act of Loving Joy ariseth from love 1. By way of immediate resultancy there is a great Pleasure in Love as there is bitterness in grief and sorrow so there is sweetness in Love this very Blossom of Love casteth forth such a fragrancy as no Man knows but he that hath it It is a Sweet and a Pleasant thing to live ln the love of God He that loves God and feels that he loves him and he hath him whom he loves cannot but rejoice in him 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love and believing ye rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of glory There we have 1. A Christians love to God whom having not seen ye love 2. His Possession of what he loves believing Believing is as I said before getting Possession and then 3. The Joy that followeth ye rejoice c. 2. By way of Reflection when a Christian upon his review of this his love to Christ perceives that he loves him in sincerity this is to him a Token of Christ's love to him Dost thou see dost thou feel that thou lovest Christ This thy love to Christ is a Token that he hath sent thee into thy Heart to tell thee that he loveth thee And when thine Heart can say I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine the Lord is my God my Saviour my Portion and Inheritance canst thou say so Then thou wilt add with the Psalmist Psal 16.6.9 The Lines are fallen to me in a Pleasant Place and I have a goodly Heritage
hath sealed to you that he will help you and never fail you nor forsake you when your flesh and your heart fail you he will be the strength of your heart When you are in doubts and fears that you are none of the Lords nor can lay any claim to him then remember the Covenant which hath been made between him and you and how you own it and stand to it to this day and that may satisfie you Of such great use will this Covenant of God be to you and therefore your hearts which are the Records where it is kept must be carefully looked to 2. In point of Communion There have been great dealings between Christ and you in a way of Friendly Communion What Correspondencies have there been held betwixt Christ and you what friendly interviews have there been between you Christ hath been often looking down upon you and rejoycing in his portion and you have been often looking up to him and solacing your selves in his love Christ hath been supporting and sustaining your hearts and you have been staying and leaning upon your beloved What mutual entercourses have there been Christ hath been often sending down Messages of love to you telling you Soul I am thine Hath he never sent thee some tokens of his love sent thee thy pardon sent thee his peace hath he never sent thee down some tastes of the hidden Manna and the white stone and the new name Rev. 2.17 and such a comfortable word with it Soul be of good comfort thy sins be forgiven thee thy name is written in heaven And do you never send up to your beloved If you have nothing but a sigh to send or a tear to send yet up it must be sent to your beloved to tell him I am sick of love or at least I am sick for love How often hath thine heart ascended in Prayers and his heart descended in gracious returns what mutual embraces have there been of thy Faith with him and his love with thee There hath been a Jacobs Ladder set up betwixt Christ and thee Christians Such experiences I hope some of you have had of such comfortable Communion with Christ But what becomes of all these blessed Experiences hast thou forgotten them are they lost O how hast thou kept thine heart sure such Mercies should be carefully recorded and the record should be warily kept 4. It is the Cabinet of all our Jewels Christ and all his Graces are kept in the heart 1. Christ and his Graces are jewels Christ is a precious Jewel he is the pearl of great Price which the wise Merchant Mat. 13.46 traded for and is there said to be a Pearl of great price of so great a price that this one Pearl bought the whole World It s intimated Mat. 16.26 that one Soul is more worth than all the World this Pearl is more north than a whole World of Souls It hath bought not only this world below but the World above this one pearl hath bought the whole Kingdom of heaven all the everlasting treasures the everlasting joy and pleasures above that exceeding eternal weight of glory all hath been bought by this Pearl Christ is reckon'd by foolish sinners at a very low rate Judas sold this Pearl for thirty pieces of silver Sinners many of them sell Christ at a lower rate than this for their foolish and fleshly Lusts They tread this Pearl in the dust and take very dung in its stead The very dung of their filthy Pleasures is that which sinners take in Exchange for Christ Whilst the Apostle counted all things dung in comparison of Christ sinners make very dung of Christ for the sake of their sins but whatever sinners count him Christ is a Pearl more worth then all the world and all the Glory and Bravery and Beauty of the World are but Dunghil things in comparison of Christ As Christ so all the Graces of Christ are jewels Faith is a jewel called 2 Pet. 1.1 Precious Faith Meekness and Humility are jewels of great price in the sight of God Love is a jewel and of so great price that it is not to be bought for Money Cant. 8.7 If a man would give all the Substance of his house for love it would be contemned As little reckoning as sinners make of the love of God now though this Grace be offered them and they may have it for the taking an heart to love the Lord is one of the branches of the Covenant which the Lord freely offers to sinners yet now they so slight it that they will not accept it a lust is taken up in stead of this love yet hereafter these very sinners would give all that ever they have for the least grain of the saving love of God As little as you regard the love of God now we can't perswade you to accept it yet when you come to die there 's none of you but would give all that ever you are worth for a little sincere love to Christ O now for a little Faith O now that I could love the Lord Jesus in sincerity I would be content to be a beggar and not to have a Mite left me in all the World all my Farmes all my Oxen all my Houses and Lands all my Money all the substance of mine House they shall all go so that I might now find the saving love of God in me No they will not be bought so If a man would give his house full of Gold for it it would be contemned as a poor and low price to buy love The like may be said of every Grace they are all Jewels and they make those who have them to be Jewels Mal. 3.17 in the day that I make up my jewels Every gracious Soul is a Jewel in the sight of God Sinners tread the Saints under feet make very dirt of them but God will take them into his bosom as his precious Jewels 2. These Jewels Christ and his Graces are all kept in the heart As the Heart is the Seat of Grace Faith dwells in the heart and Love dwells in the heart and Hope dwells in the heart so is it also the seat of Christ Christ dwells in the heart by Faith intimated in that Prayer of the Apostle Eph. 3.17 If Christ hath any dwelling in sinners 't is only in their Mouths and upon their Lips these will talk of Christ and talk of Grace but they have no dwelling in them but upon their Tongues but it is in the heart of the Saints that Christ and his Graces dwell Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of Glory The heart of Saints is as the Heavens all bespangled with these beautiful Stars Christ is the Sun in those heavens his Graces are as so many Stars that have their brightness and lustre from his light The hearts of sinners are meer Dungeons and dark holes in which neither Sun nor Star appears if there be any glimmering light they are but Commets or Torches or stinking Snuffs that
the inward graces thou seemest to haâ—â— but art thou not wanting in others Thou seemeâ—◠〈◊〉 â—ve faith but is not love lacking Art thou not 〈◊〉 â—â—us revengeful quarrelsome Professor thou seemest to have love but is not humility lacking Art thou not proud and haughty and high minded Thou seemest to be humble but is not meekness lacking Art thou not fierce and froward and peevish in thy way Thou seemest to be meek but is not patience lacking How canst thou bear affliction dost thou not murmure and repine and vex thy self in the day of adversity Thou seemest all this but art thou true in thy sayings righteous and exact in thy dealings merciful and compassionate and bountiful to those that are in necessity Thou seemest to have all these inward graces but is not a bold profession of Christ lacking Thou art bold to own Christ and hear his Word even to come in hazard but whatever thou canst say of thy hearing is not Prayer lacking if thou pray in secret is not prayer in thy Family lacking If thou pray in thy family is not secret prayer lacking If Prayer be both in secret and in thy Family is not Family-instruction the teaching thy family the care of their souls lacking If there be some care of others in thee is not the communing with thine own heart lacking Is not self examination lacking Dost thou search thy heart and try thy ways as thou oughtest dost thou make a diligent search a narrow search in fear lest thou shouldest be mistaken If there be self converse and self acquaintance dost thou maintain a converse with God is not holy Meditation lacking How often dost thou look heaven-wards what time dost thou spend dayly in serious meditation of God and the things above If there be such acts exercised the actings of Faith the actings of Love the actings of holy Prayer the actings of holy Meditation What life is there in these actings Are they not all as dead things Sacrifices without an heart Images without life If thou thinkest there be the presence of every Grace a will to every Duty an enmity against every Sin what power is there accompanying them what power in duty what power against every sin Doth not the corruption of thy heart bear down that grace thou thinkest thou hast and â—â—rry thee down the stream of an evil and vain life 〈◊〉 there be some good will to a godly life is not povâ—â—â—â—â—â—ing It is tâ—â—e the best of Christians have much lacking in degree their faith is weak their love is imperfect but is there nothing lacking of the essential parts of a christian Thou not only lackest strength of Faith but it may be thou lackest Faith thou not only lackest strong love but thou lackest love A child though he hath not the understanding of a man or strength of a man yet may be a true child but if he want the soul of a man or the head or the heart of a man he is a monster and no humane child Is not the soul or the life of Christianity the head and the heart of a Christian the life of a Christian lacking in thee If so thou art but a Monster and no Christian Is there not the conscience of a Christian lacking in thee Is not thy Christian covenant lame and imperfect Hast thou covenanted universally for all the parts of christianity for every duty against every sin without any reserve of the least liberty from our duty to any sin And is thy conversation intire according to thy covenant Is there nothing allowedly lacking in thy conversation of all that thou hast covenanted with the Lord Or what ever thou dost Is there not life and soul and heart lacking in all that thou dost Thou prayest but dost thou not pray without an heart Thou hearest but dost thou not hear without a soul Thou seemest a follower of Christ and livest in the practice of his precepts but is there not life lacking in all thy duties O consider over all these particulars and consider how many things are lacking in you 1. Consider and fear lest when you come to be weighed in the ballance you should then any of you be found wanting lest when you come to die and expect entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom Christ should then say to you no you cannot come in one thing is lacking in thee one thing that is necessary to thy entrance one thing lacking in thee of the essence of a Christian all would be lost thy soul lost the everlasting kingdom lost Consider therefore and fear 2. Consider and be humbled and be ashamed that after all the time you have had and all the helps and means you have had and all the tenders and offers the Lord hath made to supply all your lacks be humbled and be ashamed that yet there is so much laâ—king and all this for want of an heart to accept and improve what hath been offered let us be humbled and ashamed friends that if we have any thing of the faith of Gods elect in us yet We are so weak in the Faith that if we have any thing of the love of Christ in us yet that our love is so cold and imperfect that if we are found walking in the way of the Lord it is so slowly and so haltingly This is our shame and matter of great humiliation that we have gotten no more grace that we live no better lives But what shall I say to you that want not onely the strength of Faith zeal of Love a more even and steddy and fruitful life but want Faith and want Love and are not yet come into the ways of the Lord. I say to you as I said before fear and tremble think what it will be to be found thus in the day of the Lord. But to you that have Faith and have no more that do in some degree live by Faith and yet live no better consider and be ashamed consider and be confounded in your selves consider and be humbled under all your wants and haltings 3. Consider and make up what is lacking Get those poor weak souls to be strengthened pray the Apostles Prayer Eph. 3.16 That the Lord would grant unto you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might in the inner man and your hearts may be filled with all the fulness of God Get those poor weak souls to be strengthened and get those halting and barren lives to be established and filled with the fruits of righteousness Take the counsel of the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.6 Giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly-kindness and to brotherly-kindness charity that these things may be in you and abound that ye be no longer barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Brethren whilest heedless and inconsiderate ones are upon the losing oh consider how
not thy recovery and not minding thy recovery hence it is that thou mindest not thy ransom or Redeemer but makest light of Christ and his redemption and makest so light of him that thou wilt not accept and embrace him when offered to thee Well but whatever thou hast done take heed thou do so no more Hast thou yet this price in thine hand is there yet a ransom to be had for that miserable soul of thine Doth Christ yet stand over thee offering thee his bloud offering thee himself to be thy redemption Take heed how thou goest away again neglecting to accept and make him thine own This is one condition upon which redemption may be yours if you will accept of Christ as your ransom 2. To accept of Christ as your Captain To list your self under him as his Souldier to give up your self to be commanded and ordered and governed by him to follow your great Leader when he hath broken the bars and opened the Prison doors and knocked the Goaler in the head and commands you out of Prison and calls to you all Follow me This is another condition of your recovery Follow your Captain There is no man that shall have the benefit of Christs ransom that will voluntarily stay behind in prison Art thou resolved to serve the Devil still to follow thy lust still Dost thou refuse to follow Christ and to be commanded and governed by him Then thou canst have no benefit by his ransom Heb. 5.9 He became the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him Well would you be recovered by Christ then list your selves under him as your Captain be commanded and governed by him 3. To accept of Christ as your Physician This accepting of Christ as your Physician notes three things 1. A willingness to be healed by Christ Some sinners though they will say I accept of Christ for my Physician yet they are not willing to be healed by him they love their disease and do not love their health Sin is their disease and holiness is the health of their souls Sin is their disease and yet they love their sin Drunkards love to be Drunkards the Voluptuous love their pleasures the Covetous love their covetousness and the carnal their carnality Swine do not more love the mud and the mire and to be wallowing in it than swinish sinners do the mire of their lusts and sins Sometimes they pray for recovery pray for repentance pray for new heart and life but they would be loth that God should hear their prayers Sin which is their disease is that they love and holiness which is their health they loath and hate If Christ call to them come to me and I will make a Saint of thee I will fetch thee off from thy drunken Companions I will cure thee of thy Covetousness I will wash thee from thy filthy lusts and make thee one of mine holy ones what would they answer No I desire no such cure I love my pleasures and my company and my covetousness and carnality and for holiness let them hearken to thee that have a mind to it I have no list to be of those holy ones When Christ came to cure bodily diseases the blind and the lame and the lunatick and the possessed of Devils how glad were they to be cured But blind souls and lame and lunatick souls sick and diseased souls are not willing of Christs cure The carnal mind is at enmity against God Rom. 8.7 Psal 50.17 Thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Sinners had rather that Christ would let them all alone as they are they would that he should save them from Hell but they would not that he should turn them from their sins Christ will never save men from wrath who will not be healed of their sins and Christ will not heal till men be willing to be healed 1. Christ will never save men from wrath who will not be healed of their sins Unless he wash thee he will not bless thee Joh. 13.8 If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me Whilest thou art a Sinner thou art a Swine thou art a Viper thou art a Leper thy very nature is swinish viperous and tainted with an hereditary leprosie Christ will make another manner of creature of thee than thou art ere ever thou shalt see his salvation Dost thou think that Christ will drive over these herds of Swine into the Land of Promise Will he people Heaven with a generation of Vipers or with such an unclean leprous brood as the unconverted sinners are Be not deceived nothing that is unclean shall enter in thither That heart of thine must be changed that corrupt nature of thine must be purged of a Swine thou must be made a man and the old man must become a new man or thou wilt never be made a blessed man If Christ do not heal thee he will never save thee 2. Christ will heal none but those that are willing to be healed His first question to those he comes to cure is the same as that which was put to the impotent man Joh. 5.6 Wilt thou be made whole This question Christ is daily putting to you You that are blind will you that I should open your eyes You that are possessed of a Devil of an unclean Devil of a proud Devil of a covetous Devil will you that I should cast this Devil out You whom Sathan hath bound these many years bound under a sensual sinful hardned heart will you be loosed from these bonds You whom the Devil hath been leading on after your pleasures or your carnal liberties by the chain of your evil natures will you that I should cut the chain and put a stop to the Devil and turn you back from your course and never suffer you to be Drunkards any longer or Flesh-pleasers any longer or Covetous any longer Is it thy disease that thou hast been such a vile liver so long wilt thou that I should put a stop to thee that thou be never such any more Christ doth ask such questions of you will you that I should thus cure you of all this And what do your hearts answer Some if they speak their hearts must answer O this curing me would be the killing of me I cannot endure to think of such a change it vexes my heart to think of parting with my beloved sins which are as dear as my life to me But what saist thou sinner for thy part Art thou one of these unwilling souls or art thou willing that Christ should cure thee and cleanse thee from all thy sins O get a willing heart what art thou such a sick soul and not willing of the Physician such a blind soul and not willing to have thine eyes opened such a sensless hardned soul and not willing that Christ should humble thee and break thee such a vile and polluted soul and not willing that Christ should wash thee Art thou not willing that Christ should
ye are mine and I am Gods Thus Christs love to Christians causeth him to say to them I am yours and all that I have so Christians love to Christ helps them to say Lord we are thine and all we have are thine not only our sins are thine our infirmities are thine but our Parts and our Possessions our Graces and our Duties yea our Houses and our Lands and our Possessions all are thine Christians we have been call'd together this day to a Communion of Loves and thereby to an Espousal of Interests betwixt Christ and us we have received the Pledges of his love his Bread and his Wine he hath given us to Eat and to Drink as the tokens he hath sent us down from Heaven of his Love I have brought you tokens every one of you from the Lord this day tokens of his love we have received the Pledges of his love and we have returned the Pledges of our love to him our very accepting of Christ's Tokens hath been our returning of our tokens Your communion together to Eat of Christ's Bread and Drink of his Cup provided it hath been in sincerity a Spiritual Eating and a Spiritual Drinking your Eating and Drinking his Body and Blood Christ hath accepted as a token of your loves and this communion of love hath been an Espousal of Interests Christ hath hereby told you Because I love you I will be yours and all that I have in Heaven and Earth you may henceforth call your own I am your own Jesus my Father is your own Father and my God is your own God and mine Inheritance is your own Inheritance and you have said if you have sincerely accepted of Christ we are thine own thine own Flock thine own Inheritance thy Ransom'd ones thy Redeemed ones and thy peculiar People this hath been the up-shot of the Transaction betwixt Christ and you this day the Sealing to this word I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine And as there hath been an interchangeable communion of loves and Espousal of Interest betwixt Christ and Christians so also betwixt Christians and Christians as we have said to our Lord I am thine so we have therein said one to another I am yours and must therefore walk in that tenderness of love in that dearness of affection one to another in that mutual care of each others good in that mutual Sense of each others afflictions in that mutual delight in each others Societies in that mutual helping and counselling and comforting one another and hearty seeking and rejoicing in each others good studying to please each other for his good to Edification fearing to grieve or offend or wrong or fall out with or quarrel one with another counting the Interest of every Christian to be the common Interest of the whole Body that we hereby may prove that we love one another not in Word and in Tongue but Indeed and in Truth This now is the Nature and these are the Fruits of Divine Love it will unite Hearts and unite Interests this will be the Interest of Christians which will flow from the love of Christ that Christ's Interest prosper in the World that the Name of Christ be exalted and be honourable both in themselves and in the World that Christ be loved that Christ be praised that the Word of Christ the Worship of Christ his Sabbaths his Ordinances be exalted in the World that the Glory and Holy Image of Christ his Humility Meekness Lowliness Heavenliness Righteousness Mercy may shine forth in our Faces and in the Faces and Wayes of all his Saints that we may in our particulars and jointly shew forth the Spirit and Life of serious and poweful Religion and Godliness in all manner of Holy Conversation this we should account our Interest with respect to Christ that he may be thus Honour'd and Obeyed and this will be the Interest of Christians with respect to Christians that we may see one another the whole Vineyard flourishing in the Power of Holiness as living and lively Instances of the Grace of God and as far as the Lord see it good may see one another prospering in this World even as our Souls do prosper O Christians espouse this common Interest and do what you can to promote this Interest in the World Love Christ and lift up the Name of Christ love Christ and shew forth the Image of Christ love Christ and Consecrate your Life to Christ determine to know nothing to value nothing to rejoice in nothing but Jesus Christ and him Crucified And then love one another and study to please one another to profit one another for their good to Edification to cast in your Lot together to rejoice together with them that rejoice to grieve with them that suffer to live together in love forbearing one another forgiving one another comforting one another even as you your selves would be Loved forgiven and comforted of God This now is the nature and the fruit of Divine Love it unites Interests but Self-love sinful Self-love divides Interests and so those that seek the things of Self their carual things seek not the things of Christ 3. Sinful Self-love hath a root remaining in the best Hearts even of the regenerate though in Conversion Self hath lost the Domlnion and be cast down from the Throne yet is there a secret Tabernacle a corner in the Heart where it fortifies it Self and is still aspiring to recover the Throne it hath lost the Dominion yet it retains in some degree an Interest in the affection and by this affection it hath the advantage of us and often recovers too great a Command again How great a Power sinful Self-love hath still in us the experience of Chistians sadly proves for the clearing whereof consider yet again more distinctly that there is as hath been already hinted a threefold Self-love and accordingly a threefold Self-seeking 1. There is a loving or seeking our selves in conjunction with God and in subordination to him This is a loving or seeking Self spiritually a loving or seeking of Self as Christians as the Servants of God and Members of Christ as cloathed with the Image and devoted to the service and aspiring to the Salvation of God This Self-loving and Self-seeking is our duty and our excellency the Interest of Self spiritual and the Interest of God are a conjunct Interest only the Interest of Self is lower and subordinate to the Interest of God When we thus seek our selves our Spiritual and Eternal good we are therein most effectually seeking God we cannot more effectually seek God than in seeking our own Salvation Those that seek Glory Honour and Immortality for themselves do therein seek the Glory and Honour of the Immortal God thereby declaring that they prize and value the Lord as their chief nay the only good He that neglecting these lower things doth seeek God as his onely happiness doth therein take the Crown off the head of all his Idols and set it where it
thine Ease and art nothing troubled at it thou art Rich and hast Money enough at least thou hast an House and hast Bread enough thou art in thy Health and thy Strength and so long thou carest not thou art not troubled about thou wilt not so much as think How is it with my Soul Is not my poor Soul ready to perish and like to be Damned for my Sins And wilt thou yet say thou lovest thy Soul 'T were well for thee better than 't is if thou lovest thy Soul as thou lovest thy Flesh nay as thou lovest thy dirty Pleasures and vile Companions thy Horses in thy Stable thy Pigs at the Trough thy very Dogs thou lovest better than thou lovest thy Soul this is the wickedness of every Sinner among you and where the Soul is less loved God himself is less loved than these vile things yet thou wilt say Thou lovest God no thou dost not love him as thou lovest the Dirt of thy Heels the Lusts of thy Flesh O wonder wonder Sinners and be astonished at your Selves that ever there should be such a vile and wretched Heart within you and yet you should sit here or go up and down the World as well pleased with your selves as well satisfied with your selves as you are Who would think that behold Sinners Faces how merry they look who would think these merry ones should have such a vile and wicked Heart within them How is it with thee Sinner What aileth thee I am well I thank God Well art thou What and have such a Devil in thy Bosome such a wicked Heart as despiseth the Lord and makes a God of thy Belly or thy Money or thy Pleasure The Lord make you deeply sensible of this wickedness for 't is certainly your cases 't were better with you than it is if you had loved God as well as you do the Beasts that perish if you loved your Souls as well as you do those rotting and perishing Carkases And for you that are Christians who do love your Souls more than your Bodies and God more than all yet it is so little that God hath the Preheminence in your Love that you are hard put to it in your Examination to prove whether the love of God hath the Preheminence in you or no whether there be not something that you love more than God It is a shame for us Friends that the love of God is no more perfected in us that there is no more sensible strength of our Love to God that we should be so often put to it to Question which we love best God or our selves God or this present World Well this should be the Order and Measure of your Love as I said before that God be first loved next our Souls then our Bodies and after that the Creatures which are for the Bodily Prosperity that the Creature be loved no farther than it is serviceable to the Health of our Bodies and our Bodies loved in order to the service of our Souls and all so much and no more than conduces to the Honour and Service of God this should be the Order and Measure of our Love and this would be one Fruit of the due Government of our Hearts That I may the more effectually perswade you to set up and keep up this Government in your Hearts let me ask you Quest 1. Can you except against this Order and Measure of your Love Order in the Heart is as necessary as Order in a Kingdom Army or Family and a due Order in our Love is necessary to the keeping up Order in the Heart 1. Consider Order in the Heart is as necessary as Order in a Kingdom c. What is a Kingdom if there be no Order in it What is an Army what is a Family where there is no order in it What is there but Confusion and Ruin All runs into confusion all runs to ruin where no Order is Jam. 3.16 Where envy and strife is there is confusion and every evil work where envy and strife is there is disorder good Order would prevent strife and envying and where no good Order is there is confusion and every evil work O what Tumults and Mutinies are there in our disorderly Hearts there is no good doing and there is every evil work 2. Order in our Love is necessary to the keeping our whole Hearts in Order upon the right Order and Measure of our Love will follow the right Ordering of all our Affections there 's no one of all our Affections but will be in good Order if our Love be in Order if we love what we should love we shall hate what we should hate and fear what we should fear and desire what we should desire and grieve for what we should grieve and be angry only at what we should be angry and when there is a due Measure in our Love where we love as much as we should we shall hate as much as we should and fear and grieve and rejoice as much as we should and no more the motions and workings of all our Affections do follow and flow from the working of our Love as when we love God we shall hate and fear and grieve for all that is contrary to God so when we love God as much as we should that is above all and with all our Hearts we shall desire him above all and hate and grieve for sin which is contrary to God with all our Hearts The Reason why we hate not sin as we should why we fear not sin and grieve not for sin the Reason why we desire no more after God why we desire Grace no more and Holiness no more it is because we have no more love to God and his Holiness The Reason why we love that we should not love and desire and fear what we should not the Reason of our Carnal griefs and Worldly Sorrows those Sorrows that bring Death 2 Cor. 7. is because we duly love not God more love to God would help and heal those inordinate Passions you would never be lovers of this Self of this Flesh of this World of these Pleasures did you duly love God and the things of God you complain of the unruliness of your Passions of your frettings and vexings and the unquietness of your Hearts you complain of the hardness of your Hearts you cannot hate sin as you should nor mourn for sin nor fear it as you should this you say is your Affliction and you know not how to help it why do but get more love to God more intense and ardent love to Him and his Holiness and you will find all these Distempers to fall then you will hate and fear and mourn for sin as you ought to do there will be an end of your complainings of hardness of Heart that you can't fear nor grieve nor mourn for sin there will be an end of your complainings of your over-loving the World of your unreasonable passions and frettings and anger at what
you should not when once you have gotten duely to love the Lord. Well by this you see the Order in the Heart and in special the due Order and Measure of your love that is necessary and how necessary it is Can you therefore except against this Order and Measure of your Love What should be first and chiefly loved Wilt thou not say That God should be he Which should be most in our Love our Bodies or our Souls Will you not every one say O my Soul my Soul is of more worth than my Body and more worthy of my Love Which should be more loved your Bodies or your Estates and the Creatures you enjoy Surely you would all say in this as Christ said Mat. 6.25 The Life is more than Meat and the Body than Raiment what would you think of such a Man that loves his Money more than his own Body that would suffer his Body to Starve and Pine rather than spend his Money upon it you would say This Man is a Monster and is not he as much a Monster who loves his Body more than his Soul or himself more than God as he who loves his Money more than his Body Christians would you not count it well with you if your Love were thus regulated What if you could now feel that which you have so often questioned and doubted whether it be so or no that you can now love God above all that the whole stream of your Love did run into the Ocean If you could feel such strong and such lively and such passionate workings of your Hearts towards God such dearness and such tenderness and such strength and ardency of Affection to the Lord if you could feel your Hearts burning within you with the Divine Love if these Hearts were all flameing Hearts and flaming upwards and that so sensibly and so strongly that there might be a resolving of that doubt and you saâ— it true beyond question and you could say Now I feel who hath mine Heart none but God none but Christ Whom have I in Heaven but thee there 's nothing in the Earth that I love in comparison of thee God is the love of my Heart and my Portion for ever what if you could now feel it thus within you What if from your own sense and experience you could heartily speak out such words Take this Heart to thee O Lord thine it is thou art mine only Love and nothing will I love or regard but in Order to thee would you not bless your selves in such an experience Would it not be Marrow and Fatness to your Souls Would you not rejoyce in the Lord and triumph in Christ and praise his Holy Name that had wrought you to that pass That God should have thus gotten to be the chief in your love and Self and Flesh and the whole World were brought to stoop and stand aside yea and to be trampled on in comparison of him Sure you that are Christians would count it happy with you if it were thus and I dare say concerning you this is it you pray for and hope for and wait and thirst and long after and would count it an infinitely greater matter of joy and praise than if the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl if all the Pomps and Pleasures and Grandeur of the World were increasing unto you and were rolling in upon you and therefore you for your parts have nothing to except against this Order and Measure of your love Qu. 2. But how is it with you If it be an excellent thing if it be a blessed thing to have our Hearts brought into such a Frame and Order what do ye find Are you made partakers of this blessedness O the Lord help me I am far short of it I can feel that I love this World I need no tryal whether I love this Flesh or no whether I love my Credit or no whether I love my Money or my Lands or mine Ease or my Pleasures I feel I love these things but whether I love my Soul as I ought whether I love God as I ought there 's my great doubt and I fear I do not Dost thou fear Dost thou doubt whether thou lovest thy Soul as thou lovest the World Whether thou lovest thy God as thou lovest thy Flesh And is there any thing but need then that thou shouldst be brought to a better pass Canst thou be quiet canst thou be comforted in any thing whilest it is thus with thee Christians would you ever be clearly satisfied concerning your eternal State that you shall hereafter dwell in the eternal Love Would you be comforted touching your present Case that God is your God That Christ is your Jesus That the Covenant and the Promises and the Mercies of God are yours that you are passed from Death to Life that your Names are written in Heaven and that you are Enrolled amongst the Saints and shall have an Inheritance with the Saints in Light Then put hard on for this blessed Frame of Heart let it henceforth be the great thing in your Eye look for it pray for it reach forth towards it down with this World tread upon this Earth and Flesh love nothing but what God would have you love love nothing but in subordination to God Dread the encroachments of the Creatures upon the Right of God despise these carnal Pleasures despise this Money and these Lands or this Credit so far forth as they stand in competition with God set your Foot upon the Necks of them all give your Hearts unto the Lord and let him be your Love and your Delight and your Portion for ever 2. For our Desires in this as in the former we must desire what we should desire and as much as and no more than we should desire it the Object of our desires is the same with the Object of our Love that which is Good Now of all the Good which may or ought to be desired 1. Something is to be desired Absolutely and Vltimately and thus God only is to be desired 2. Other good things are to be desired Absolutely but Subordinately and thus the first Grace is to be desired and the evelasting Happiness of our Souls absolutely but subordinately we are to desire our own blessedness but chiefly that therein God may be glorified 3. Other good things are to be desired in subordination and with submission And thus the higher Degrees of Grace the best and most advantageous Means of Grace Gifts the gift of Prayer gifts for Edification c. these all are to be desired with submission to the will of God the first Grace or saving Grace we are not to desire with submission so as to be content to be deny'd it no not to the will of God for there is no such will of God for us to submit to God would not have any Man to submit to it to be for ever left an Enemy or a Reprobate from God God would not have any Man content to
in these Dayes remember how is it with poor Jerusalem Is our Jerusalem in Prosperity Doth the Church of Christ flourish Is Religion and sincere Christianity countenanced and encouraged Are not the Tents of Jacob smitten and fallen and do they not look Black and all torne and Weather-beaten It was said once though by an evil Tongue Numb 24.5 How goodly are thy Tents O Jacob and thy Tabernacles O Jerusalem But where is their Goodness where is their Beauty Are not the Daughters of Zion all Sun-burnt with Affliction 'T was said once by the Church I am Black but Comely Cant. 1.5 Sun-burnt with Affliction but Beautiful through Grace but may it not now be said We are Black and Deformed not only Sun-burnt but Collied Black as a Coal by Iniquity Is there not only a Marring of our outward Beauty but a failing of the very Spirit and inward Beauty of Christianity Though it were once said Psal 45.13 The Kings Daughter is all glorious within and her Cloathing of wrought Gold must it now be said Our cloathing is in Sack-cloth and we are become Black and Pale and all Withering within Is not Christianity in most Places dead at the Heart May there not an Ichabod be Named among us The Glory the inward Glory is departed from Jerusalem It 's well for us if it be not thus with us if the Pale Horse hath not ridden into our very Inner-man if there be not Death in our Hearts if our Faith and our Love and our Holiness and our Zeal be not dead if we be not grown stark Cold many of us or at least our highest pitch be not Lukewarmness Consider how 't is with your selves but if it be better with us O that it were so O that the Lord had not a Controversie with us even with us for the loss that we are at and the fall that is to be seen among us but if it were better with us in our Particulars than it is yet forget not how it is abroad with the generality of Professors amongst us It is in every Bodies Mouth what a general and lamentable Decay there is every where of the Soul of serious Christianity And is all this nothing with you Is this a Season to rejoice and make Merry in Ezek. 21.9 10. A Sword a Sword is sharpned and is also furbished it is sharpned that it may make a sore Slaughter it is furbished that it may glitter should we than make Mirth Beloved we may Read in our Decayes and Hypocrisies that the Lord may be sharpning and furbishing an outward Sword against us to avenge and to punish an Hypocritical Nation But the Spiritual Sword of the Lord is sharpned already and what a sore Slaughter hath it made What a Slaughter of the Faith and the Hopes and of the Graces and the Comforts of the Love of the Humility of the Meekness of the Self-denial what a Slaughter hath been made of all these already How little of them is there left alive Is there such a Spiritual Sword such a Javelin smitten through the Heart such a sore Slaughter made of the very Spirit of Religion and should we yet make Mirth Is this a Season to be so Merry or so Jolly in What a Woe is there denounced Amos 6.1 6. against those Merry ones and Jolly ones upon this Account that they are not grieved for the Afflictions of Joseph and what should we be Merry and so Merry as to be without Sense of the Afflictions and also of the Sins of Joseph The inward Languishings and Consumptions of the People of God Christians I doubt we have too much forgotten all this we do not consider we do not remember or lay it to Heart how sadly it goeth with the Interest of Christianity among us sure it would change many of our Countenances and abate us our Pleasant Hours were this duly Weighed It is our Fault and our Sin that it is thus with us and 't is a sign that thou art of the Number of those sick Souls thou art one of them there is a sad Slaughter made in thine own Soul thine Heart languisheth and thy Grace is whithered 't is a Sign it is so if thou canst be so Merry and not to be Afflicted with the Whitherings of others O Friends remember these things and whatever Rejoycings you have in outward things let these things be an allay to them Rejoyce as if ye Rejoyced not Weep as if you Wept not saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.30 I cannot say the latter word to you in such a time Weep as if you Wept not but Weep as if you wept Weep in good earnest Weep heartily Weep abundandly let your Eyes run down with Tears I cannot say Weep as if you Wept not but yet rejoyce as if you rejoyced not abate and moderate all your Joy and Mirth 4. For our Fear this is well governed when we fear nothing but what â—e should fear and this we fear as much and no more than we should For the Regulating our fears First We are to keep our Hearts in a due fear of what we should fear 1. God is to be feared The Glory of his Excellent Majesty of his Holiness of his Righteousness of his Omnipotence and all his Glorious Attributes The Attributes are his Glorious and Fearful Name Deut. 28.58 That thou mayest Fear that Glorious and Fearful Name the Lord thy God this fear of God is a Fear of Reverence to Fear God is to stand in aw of his Glorious Majesty but in special there must be a fear of the Indignation of God and the Power of his Wrath. Luke 12.5 I will tell you what you should fear fear him who is able to destroy both Soul and Body the fear of God is the Ground and Reason of all other Fears 2. Sin is to be Feared 2 Sam. 1.14 How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine Hand and destroy the Lords Anointed It was thy Wickedness thy great Sin to do that Act How is it that thou wert not afraid to do it Sin is the most formidable of Evils if Men knew what it were to Sin against God 't would make them tremble not only great sins but little sins not only open but the most secret sins there 's enough in every sin to make Men afraid that Men are so vile and so wicked as they are it is because they fear not sin fear sin and you will fly from it 3. Temptations to sin are to be feared Therefore we are to pray Lead us not into Temptation It is our fear that must bring us on our Knees to make this Hearty Prayer If sin be to be feared then whatever enticeth or leadeth to sin is to be feared Some of our Temptations are to be feared and shunned evil Companions are a Temptation these must be shunned the liberty of unnecessary Sports and Recreations of sumptuous Feastings of curious and costly Apparel c. are Temptations and therefore must be shunned others of our
the cup and sparkles and moves it self aright Look besides it be afraid to look upon it lest it tempt thine appetite beyond its bounds 2. Fear your fine Clothes your Fashions and Ornaments that you delight in hast thou not pride in thine heart and is not thy pride even as tinder that will catch fire of every spark dost thou love to be fine and gallant dost thou love thy fine Fashions and Ornaments let thy love make thee afraid 3. Fear that Money that thou lovest and thy Lands and thy Fields and the increase of thy Substance when riches encrease set not your hearts upon them Psal 62.10 Do you prosper do you grow rich in this world do ye feel the world coming in and your substance increasing upon you fear this prosperity I do not say fear prosperity and shun it or flee from it but fear it and look the better to your selves be jealous of your selves in such a time lest when you prosper and be full you then forget God Have an eye to your hearts in your prosperous estate take heed that your Souls grow not poorer as your outward Man growes richer It was the joy of the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.16 That though his outward man grew to decay yet his inward man was renewed day by day but friends let it be your fear lest as your outward man flourisheth your inward man grow to decay lest your Riches eat up your Religion lest you loose your love to God lest you abate in your care for the things of Christ lest those poor souls wither and suffer loss lest the work of God be at a stand with you lest praying and praising and communing with your hearts and looking into the other World and caring and labouring for those poor immortal Souls be laid aside or but slightly shuffled over Know any of you that are in a prosperous estate that have set your hearts upon getting and find the world increasing upon you know that you are in danger your Souls are in danger your Religion is in danger of sinking and withering your Prosperity is a temptation that will endanger your neglect of God and your Souls Look upon prosperity as a temptation and fear it as a temptation be jealous of your hearts in such a time 4. Fear your vain Company your Societies and correspondencies with your carnal Friends and acquaintance Dost thou love vain company I do not speak of vile company of Drunkards and Rioters of Swearers and Scoffers at Godliness those Sons of Debauchery that are the filth and garbage of the VVorld but even vain company that are nothing but froth and folly complement and merriment the unsavoury salt of the earth that are good for nothing to whom a serious and savoury word put in is as vinegar to the teeth and as smoke to the eyes and who will thereby tempt you to turn out all religion out of doors for the time at least because 't is so unsavoury to the Company Fear to come among them go not out after them thrust not your selves unnecessarily in among them but when God brings you in among such when necessary business brings you in be with them in fear think with your selves now I must look to mine heart here be they that are like else to steal it away from God Friends settle this upon your hearts and really believe it and carry the sense of it upon you that vain acquaintance and companions are a temptation Though they do not tempt you to drunkenness or swearing or lying or riot yet they may tempt you to lukewarmness and indifferency in Religion they will chill and cool your good affections and dull and blunt the edge of your spirits heaven-ward As holy and lively society will quicken and whet our hearts towards what is good even as iron sharpneth iron Prov. 27.17 So are we like to be dulled and blunted by vain company Friends would you keep your hearts in good plight would you keep you clear of the vanities and follies of the world would you keep your selves unspotted from the world would you shine as lights in the world and be a rebuke to their sins do you in good earnest design to maintain the life of God within you then beware of these sons of Vanity and let them henceforth be your fear and not your desire or delight To this let me farther add by the way are vain company Temptations and to be feared then you that are Christians look to it that you be not of such a vain earthly frothy Conversation that we must warn others that are better to take heed of you and be afraid of coming into your company If vain company be a Temptation then take heed that you be not such that even your society should be feared Such a fault there is among professors and it is a greivous thing to consider what a vain and unsavoury and unprofitable conversation there usually is of Chistians with Christians of Professors with Professors What is your discourse how do you use to spend your time when you come together how little of God of Christ of the state of your Souls is to be heard among you you can talk of your Trades of your Business of News and sometimes that which is worse tell evil stories of others behind their backs You can laugh and be merry with carnal Mirth even as others but what do you more than others whose hearts do use to be warned or refreshed by your lips It s said Prov. 10.11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life And ver 21. The lips of the righteous feed many Is it so with us what of the water of life is there proceeding out of those Wells of life If there be a Fountain in you is it not a Fountain enclosed a Well shut up who are there whose Souls are fed from your lips If Christians did meet with no better feeding then they have from some Professors lips they might starve and perish So jejune and unsipid our discourses usually are and withal so carnal and vain that we rather pull down then build up we rather chill and damp then quicken and enliven those that are conversant with us We have too often like the Quakers our silent meetings as to any thing of God that is going among us Friends consider look back and observe how it has been have your mouths been wells of Life doth there not sometimes come forth mudd instead of water have your lips fed many May be your hands have fed poor hungry bodies may be they have had of your bread and of your money but what have they had from your lips Not a word Their Souls may perish for all the feeding that they have had from your lips It is said Mal. 3. Those that feared God spake often one to another that is of the things of God but is it so with us what shall we say to sinners who when we charge others to take heed of their company
do by David who he feared would be King in his roome He did all he could to rid the Country of him He persecuted him from City to City from hold to hold and raised Forces against him to slay David Look with the same evil Eye at Lust as Saul did on him prosecute it from hold to hold seek the Life of this Flesh which is every day undermining your Souls and taking the Government out of your hands O Friends that you were deeply sensible what a mischievous and mortal Enemy this carnal mind this carnal heart these Fleshly Lusts are to you say of these not only as Rebekah of the Daughters of Heth I am weary of my life but I am in danger of my life because of the Daughters of Heth. O it were a comfort might one hear Christians more heartily groaning under their Tyranny Wo is me because of this proud heart wo is me because of this froward pettish angry impatient Spirit O this envy O this Earthliness O this sluggishness wretched man that I am who shall deliver me It would be comfortable to hear you groaning I do not say complaining complaints often come not deep but sighing and groaning and mourning in secret before him who seeth in secret this hearty mourning and affliction under your Lusts is a degree of striving against them and hearty striving is a degree of victory over them When you are once come heartily to say I can never have ease and I will never have peace with this pride or Covetousness or any of my Lusts and if they abide in me they shall never abide in peace in me if I cannot utterly conquer them through the help of God I will never give over fighting against them if they remain in me I hope they shall never again reign in me I will resist them I will pray against them I will watch against them I hope I shall never again resign up to this Pride or this Covetousness but will withstand them in the Name of the Lord will I withstand them to him I resign up the Government of my Soul in hope that he will make my Foes my Foot-stoole Friends such a resolved and effectual striving against Lust is a fair degree of conquest and when your Enemies are thus put under your Feet you may then with the more ease have the Government of your selves upon your Shoulders But O beware of a Flesh favouring Heart beware of a Lust excusing heart The good party Grace must be excited and upheld Christians must hold an hard hand and a straight hand upon Lust upon every Lust there 's no good to be done whilst these are suffered and they must quicken and cherish and encourage every little spark of the Grace of God These are the good Subjects in the Kingdom which must be countenanced and upheld 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which is committed to thee keep by the Holy Ghost Whatever that good thing was that's there meant it is certain that the Grace of God is the great good thing that must be kept keep it safe that it be not lost keep it alive that it grow not to decay keep it in good likeing nourish and cherish the Grace of God Kings must be nursing Fathers Queens nursing Mothers to their good Subjects So must Christians be to the good in their hearts keep Grace in good plight and keep it in good order keep it in action Let your Faith be working Faith let your Love and your Holy desires be working Love and working desires There 's no way to keep Grace in Life without you keep it in action Holy action is both the end of keeping Grace in Life and the means to maintain its life O Christians keep your Graces in constant exercise be busily working for God and Glory do not let these precious Talents rust for want of use whilst Grace lies idle or asleep then Lust Lords it in the Soul If you keep it not in constant action to the crucifying of Lust Lust will be busie a crucifying of Grace VVhat Government will there be when Governours side with and take the part of evil ones and curb and discountenance or take part against them that are good If you would govern your hearts aright take part with the Grace that is in you and take up Arms against Lust Thou hast Pride in thy heart thou hast frowardness thou hast Covetousness but wilt thou take part with these VVilt thou be on the side of thy lusts Tread upon them be glad be thankful for every word for every Friend that will speak against the Pride and Covetousness of thy Heart Be not angry when thou art checked or reproved be thankful for any thing that speaks against them But take part with the good that is in you when the Spirit lusteth against the flesh when Grace rises and resists Corruption when the interest of Christ within thee crosseth and contradicteth the interest of the Flesh take part with Christ and his Grace We are too apt to take part with our Flesh when we do not think we do When the Flesh enticeth us to what we would have this liberty or that gain or pleasure we sometimes to do our Flesh a kindness will study arguments to prove it good and right which Flesh would have Though it be naught or pernicious yet because its pleasing to our Flesh we do what we can to prove it lawful and good This is a taking part with the flesh a siding with and strengthning this Rebel On the other side when Grace calls us to Duties that are contrary to the Flesh to hard and self-denying Duties to more strictness to more Severity then our flesh can bear then we often study Objections against it Christ is not so austere but while we thus take part with the flesh the evil that is in us and thereby take part against the good that is in us what Government is there like to be all the while in those hearts where the Rebels are sided with and the good Subjects discountenanced and opposed 5. In strengthning the sinews of Government Rewards and Punishments What are laws what Government can there be if there were no Rewards and Punishments Who would obey if there were no reward to obedience who would fear to rebel if men should suffer nothing for their rebellion Rewards and Punishments are the Sanction and strength of Laws Now for the strengthning of these sinews of Government consider 1. That there is an eternal World After we have made an end in this World there is another where we must have a being Man dyeth not as a beast dyeth as a Dog or a Swine as a Wiseman dieth not as a Fool dieth so neither do Wise men or Fools die as a Beast dieth there is not an end of us when we die as there is of the Beasts that perish we pass away out of this into another World Eccl. 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth and the spirit to God
have gotten in and devoured our strength whilst we have loytered and slept Friends do not lye down and idly complain I am weak I am a poor feeble soulâ— I cannot do the things that I would I cannot pray I cannot hear I cannot live but at a sad and halting and broken rate God help me 't is a barren and unsavoury and unprofitable life that I live 't is a weariness to me that I can live to no better purpose fain I would be more heavenly and more lively and more fruitful in my Life but woe is me I cannot I cannot obtain thus you complain of your weakness of your unprofitableness but why do ye stand complaining look to your hearts better where your strength lies Hast thou Christ in thine heart hast thou Grace in thine heart and yet complainest thou hast no strength look better to thine heart keep Christ closer to thee get thy Faith increased stir up and kindle that spark of love call up all the Grace thou hast and keep it in action Let not the rust eat up thy strength a little more care and labour about your hearts to get and keep those in better plight will recover and renew your strength and silence those unprofitable complainings 6. In your hearts are preserved all your evidences for heaven This follows from the former What are our Evidences for Heaven but the being of Christ and the Graces of Christ in us your sincerity in the Covenant your having your Conversations in all good Conscience prove that Christ is in you and you thereby prove that you shall hereafter be with him Prove that you have Grace and you thereby prove that you shall have Glory Prove that you are in Covenant with God and walk before him in all good Conscience and that will prove that your names are written in heaven And whether must you look for all this but into your hearts there as I told you is a record kept of your Covenant and your Conscientious Life and these are the Rooms where you must look to find Christ and his Grace The Devil will tell sinners that they shall all to heaven and to make them believe it will provide them evidences such as they are but they are false and deceitful evidences Thou art a Christian thou hast been baptized into the name of Christ thou attendest on the Ordinances of Christ thou goest to hear and to pray c. therefore thou needest not fear but thou shalt to heaven But let sinners look but into their hearts where all good evidences are kept and there they can find nothing there 's no Christ within them no love to Christ none of the holiness of Christ their heart is a meer Hell full of Darkness Ignorance Unbelief Enmity against Christ and his holy ways As Christians Evidences for Heaven so Sinners Evidences for Hell are mostly in their hearts Whatever your hopes are if you would look into if you could see what hearâ— you have these would quickly tell you whether you must There you should find your Covenant with Sin and with â—ea h not disanull'd no Christ no Grace no Conscience but an evil one a guileful one a guilty one and nothing else but that which is vile and abominable Sinners Evidences for Hell are in their hearts and such evidences they might find as would kill all their hopes of Heaven But Christians Evidences for Heaven are in their hearts the Devil â—ill be telling them that they are none of Christs he will say to the Saints as God says to Sinners Psal 50.16 What has thou to do to take my Covenant into thy mouth What hast thou to do with Christ thou art mine thou art none of his Let thine heart be carefully kept and thou mayst answer the Devil None of his whose is this name that is written in my heart whose image are these Graces of my heart I find the Faith of Christ in me the love of Christ in me the very life of Christ in me Christ hath sent me many a token of his love which I still keep by me I remember what hath passed between Christ and me I have given my self to Christ I have laid hold on his Covenant and have bound my self in Covenant to him and I stand to that Covenant to this day And there 's my Conscience also within me bearing me witness that my care and endeavour hath been to walk before him according to the Covenant of my God and therefore go on to lie thus unto me while thou wilt Sathan I will not believe thee I believe God who hath said there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and I will not belâ—e mine own sense and experience of my self this is the Testimony of my Conscience that I have walked not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And therefore Christ is mine and I trust I shall one day be with him where he is Friends if you look well to your hearts and keep the records clear this will be your benefit whatever fears the Devil raises 't is but looking inwards and there you will see that which will turn all your Fears into lively Hopes But if you look not to your hearts and keep them clean you will be at a perpetual loss you will never long know what to make of your selves nor what is like to become of you Assurance necessarily depends on watchfulness never look for a grounded peace without it and never trust to that confidence or assurance you seem to have whilst you are of a careless heart Whatever progress you have hitherto made in Religion whatever experiences you have formerly had of the workings of the Spirit of Grace in you a carelss heedless Spirit will so darken all your Experiences and blot your Evidences and leave you under such uncertainties that for ought you know you may be damned at last As ever therefore you would maintain an abiding Assurance that it s well with you at present and shall be well with you hereafter be watchful over your hearts that Record of all your Evidences The reason why we are at such uncertainties and so full of our doubts and fears it lies all here in our carelesness of our hearts And yet who will take warning O friends stedfastly resolve through the Grace of God I will look better to it Since my heart can never comfort me unless I watch it more narrowly mine eye shall be upon mine heart Night and Day I will commit my self to the keeper of Israel and I will set my self to keep whatever good thing he hath committed unto me 7. It is a sacrifice for God Psal 51.17 The Sacrifices of God are a broken heart 1. It is the heart that is a Sacrifice for God therefore Prov. 23.26 Give me thine heart It is the Sacrifices all the Sacrifices of God is the Sacrifice of the heart There are other Sacrifices but whatever they be 't is
God Prepare him an holy habitation open the doors and let the King of Glory come in and then shut the door and let no unclean thing enter to offend and displease him that so the Lord may take pleasure in you and delight in you and may say concerning you this is my rest here will I dwell for ever 2. How the heart is to be kept under Guard 1. What 't is to be guarded against that is against Theeves Blots Distempers 1. Against Theeves The great Thief is the World and all that is of the World and all that in the World which is purloyning from the heart Its profits or worldly gains its Pleasures and carnal Mirth its Favour and Friendship and Fawnings These all lie in wait for entrance into the heart to the end they may rifle and spoil it of all that it hath The World steals in upon the heart and it never comes there but to steals away its Treasure and therefore 't is to be observed that the hearts of such Christians as are most possessed of the World are ever the most poor and beggarly Never look to find much of Christ or his Grace if any thing at all where the World hath gotten Possession Christ comes into the heart on purpose to carry away the heart from the World his Word is where he comes give me thine heart Prov. 23.26 Love not the world nor the things of the world 1 Joh. 2.15 And the world comes into the heart on purpose to steal it away from Christ again There is never any one that embraceth this present World but 't is to his loss whatever the World brings it takes away better than it brings 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken us and embraced this present world He embrac'd the World and what got he by it the same day he embraced the World he forsook Christ Christian art thou fallen in with the World Are its gains and its pleasures gotten into thy heart doth it fawn and smile upon thee and is thine heart taken and pleased with its fawnings Look to thy self what hast thou within thee hast thou Grace hast thou Peace does thy Soul flourish for ought I know thou hast seen the last of thy good days what time this World is thus embraced by thee O friends set a watch against this Thief set a guard against it Take heed and beware of Covetousness Luk. 12.15 That 's the same Counsel as guard your hearts against this World Covetousness is the opening the door to let the world in nay the world is gotten in already where Covetousness is Thou which hast a Covetous heart thine heart is already possessed of the world May be thou hast yet but a little of it in thine hand but thine heart is already full of it the whole world is gotten in where Covetousness is gotten in Worldly Professors methinks you should be startled at it if you considered what a Theif you have within you Whatever thou seemest to have of Christ or the Treasures of heaven thou art like to be but a poor wretch in a little time And how is it like to be with thee whose heart hath entertained the Pleasures and the merriments of the world or the favours and fawnings of the Men of the world who lovest to be some body with evil men to have their respect and esteem he that would fain be some body with the world is like to be no body with Christ Make the world to know its distance and whatever you have to do in it keep it at a distance from your hearts Never look to thrive in Christianity whilst you venture to be too busie with this world or to dote on its favours or friendship O it were well with us were we yet but sensible what a snare this world is to us what a bane it is to all that 's good in us Never a flower in all our Garden will flourish where these thorns stand so thick about it that little Grace you have will be less dayly it will be choked up and devoured if you keep you not more clear of this world It were happy for us were we deeply sensible of the danger we are in but there 's the Misery of it people will not be sensible nor be warned to take heed of it this Theif steals away mens Reason and Consciences makes them such children and fools that they will not understand what an enemy it is to them How many Sermons have been preached and published to warn you to take heed of a worldly heart and yet how very few hearts are there that do escape it 't is who can be richest and who can be greatest in the world that the most of our hearts are set upon 't is not who can be the holiest or most heavenly 't is not who can improve in the Faith and Hope of the Gospel in the love and fear of the Lord who can get most of Christ and Heaven into his heart and grow rich unto God but who can grow greatest in this present world Is not this too common a Case though the Lord hath been knocking off our fingers from it pulling off our Chariot wheels and making us to drive heavily letting loose the spoilers upon us to catch from some of us what we have gotten fed the Husbandman with short harvests filled the Tradsman with complaints of bad Markets yet all is one how little soever many men can catch of this world yet they will catch after it still and what wonder is it then while this world doth so generally carry our hearts that Christ hath so much lost them You that would save any thing of what you have left in you you that would ever get any more while you live you that would not go down to your graves strip'd and naked of all that should then comfort you get again I say to you take heed of this world take heed of this worldliness 2. Against blots that is against wilful allowed sins Every wilful sin will be a blot upon your hearts Our sins are blots and blemishes upon our lives but every blot upon the life is also a blot upon the heart Blots will Darken and Obscure Defile 1. Blots will darken and obscure the Heart I told you that in the heart is kept all our evidences for heaven our sins that we give way to will be blots upon our evidences will so obscure and blur them that they will not be legible Our sins will do the direct contrary to what the blood of Christ will do the bloud of Christ will blot out the hand writing that was against us Col. 2.14 Our sins will blot out whatever hand-writing there is for us Thou that art a Christian there is an hand-writing upon that heart there is the Covenant of God which is thy Charter for glory written upon thy heart There is the token of the Covenant and thine interest in it the Circumcision of the heart there are the Articles of the Covenant
to be religious but bridle not their tongues they pretend to be of circumcised hearts but are of uncircumcised lips 3. The unbridleness of their tongues is an evidence that their Religion is in vain When is Religion in vain Why when it cannot reach its end when it cannot save the soul and sure that Religion which cannot bridle the tongue cannot save the soul Man in what a case art thou Thou professest Religion and hopest for salvation but if thou art of an unbridled froward tongue thy Religion is vain and cannot save thee III. Frowardness hinders all that little Religion that such men have in the exercise of it it puts them besides Prayer or Reading or Meditation or spending one serious thought upon Eternity all Religion is thrust behind the doors when the froward fit is up Friends pray do not make light of this grievous evil turn every one of your eyes homeward and reflect upon your own spirits and carriages do not presently say I am not guilty or I am not much guilty this way it may be it is for want of observing thy self Look again and again how thou carriedst it at such a time how to such or such persons and you thaâ—â—re guilty do not make light of it do not count it aâ—â—ll fault Is that but a small evil which proves thee an hypocrite Where this evil reigns and is not checked nor controlled by thee is not mourned over nor art thou ashamed of it nor wilt resist it when this evil reigns it is a sign thou art but an hypocrite and thy religion is in vain Christians our Lord Jesus whose Disciples we profess our selves to be and to learn of him was meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11.29 and art thou his Disciple who art of a proud and furious spirit The Apostle tells us that a meek and quiet spirit is an ornament to the Gospel and of great price in the sight of God 1 Pet 3.4 If meekness be an ornament then frowardness is a blot and a blemish and a stain upon our Profession If meekness be pretious then frowardness is odious in the sight of God Wouldst thou make thy self a disgrace to the Gospel an odium and an abomination unto the Lord If thou wouldst not then cease from thy frowardness and study and follow after that gentleness that sweetness and candor and meekness of heart and behaviour which is so grateful both with God and men Friends though I would not say much yet finding it lie in my way I would not pass by this evil without saying something though but thus briefly to it But though I have said but little yet pray let not this little be forgotten especially by any such among you whose Consciences may tell you God hath sent this Word as an Item to me Doctr. from V. 26. Every foot hath his path There are two paths in one of which every one is walking There is the good path or way and there is the evil path These two are distinguished by their ends or term to which they lead that is the good path that leads to Good called the path of life Psalm 16.11 that is the evil path that leads to Evil the way of death and destruction Mat. 7. 2. By their Adjuncts or Qualities The good way is general the way of Holiness in particular the way of Humility Meekness Temperance Patience c. the way of Faith and Love and Prayer The evil way is the way of Sin in general and in particular it is either the way of Lying or the way of Covetousness or the way of Pride or Envy c. But here note â—â—at the good way is made up of all these good Qualities or else it cannot be the good way but any one of the evil Qualities makes the way evil He that is humble and is not temperate he that is temperate and is not patient he that is patient and is not merciful he whose life is not led in universal holiness that hath any one grace wanting is not in the good way one Fly spoils the whole Box. Christians must stand compleat in all the wills of God Col. 4.12 But for the evil way he that walks in any one particular branch of that his way is evil He that is not a Liar if he be a Swearer he that is not a Swearer if he be a Drunkard he that is not a Drunkard if he be Covetous he that is none of all these if he be carnal and walks after the flesh or any one particular Lust thereof he is in the evil way the path of sin if it be but any one sin that is our path or our way wherein we use and allow our selves to walk the path of sin is the way of death Now every one in the World hath his path is either in the good way the way of Holiness or the evil way the way of Sin And of those that are in the way of Sin some are in the way of the Proud others in the way of the Scornful others in the way of Lying others in the way of Covetousness every one hath his way Doctr. 2. Every path must be pondered To ponder our ways is to weigh and consider them the same which is charged Hag. 1.5 Consider your ways spend some deep and serious thoughts upon them Now there is 1. A consideration of the ways that we have hitherto gone on in A bethinking our selves a reviewing our course this is that which the Psalmist did Psal 119.59 I thought on my ways that I had hitherto been walking 〈◊〉 I thought and repented of what I had done I thought and turned And this is that for which Israel was reproved No man said what have I done No man said in his heart no man thought with himself what have I done For the Objects of these thoughts must be 1. The matters that we have done the particular actions of our lives Carnal men never observe or mark what they do they never review or reflect upon their actions How many words do â—â—en speak how many works are men engaged in that they never observe or mark or bestow one thought upon they cannot remember their ways because they do not observe their ways Think what you have been doing all your life long think what you have neglected to do and think what you have done and are doing to this day let your eye be upon the particular actions of your lives 2. The Quality of our ways whether they are good or evil whether they are holy or sinful Thy way hath been the way of Lying the way of Covetousness the way of Pride a carnal careless fleshly way think with thy self Is this a good way or an evil way do these my ways please God or are they contrary to God 3. The end of our ways or whither they tend and to what issue they will come at last Is this my way to God Is this the way of the everlasting Kingdom Is this the path
Counsel be well advised and run not thus headlong upon thine own ruin O hold up such Government in your Spirits that your Hearts may be tractable and flexible plyable Hearts let them be stiff and fast to the concernments of God but loose and easily withdrawn from the interest of Self Stiff against sin stiff against Temptation resolute for Holiness Is thy will brought about for God for Religion for Conscience Stand to it to the Death never be perswaded out of your Religion never be perswaded out of your Consciences or Consciencious walking let your Hearts be resolved for the greatest strictness of Religion and be strict and stiff in such Holy resolutions but never again be so set upon your own wills your Carnal wills here get a pliable Heart never to be perswaded off from God easily to be perswaded back from Self and Flesh It 's Prophesied Isa 11.6 There shall be such a change wrought upon the rough and furious and ravenous Spirits of Sinners by the power of Christ that the Wolf and the Leopard and the Lyon shall be so tamed that a little Child may lead them They shall be so flexible and pliable that they may be easily lead that the least Items or Intimations from God or from Conscience may bring them to any thing that when Lust puts hardest upon them for sin when Self presses most impetuously upon them for minding or pursuing it's Interest or will a Word from God an Item from Conscience may bring them about after the Lord that Self may never be able to fortifie them against Conscience but that Conscience may with ease break the Bands and loose the Cords of Self and command them after their God It was said of Caesar's Souldiers that where his Interest was concerned they were more than Men in their own concernments they were less than Women Let the Servants of Christ learn so much of the Souldiers of Caesar let them be so true so fast to the Interest of Christ and Religion of Holiness that they may be above the Spirit of a Man and so the Spirit of a Christian is above the Spirit of a Man but let them sit so loose from the Interest or the Commands of Self that a Woman or a little Child may bring them back from the pursuance of it that such a word from whatever Mouth it comes what is this Self or this Flesh to thee that thou so hearkenest to it or insistest so upon it Wilt thou obey thine adversary Wilt thou cleave to thy Mortal Enemy Self is no better 't is the worst Enemy thou hast and wilt thou feed thine Enemy Strengthen thine Enemy Fight for thy Enemy That such a word may be enough to countermand the will of the Flesh and to bring the Heart back from obeying it's strongest motions and Lusts This will be the blessed Fruit of a due Heart-government the defeating and subduing of Self-will and the sweet and easie compliance of the Heart with and it's complacency in the will of God and it will be no hard thing for such a Soul to say Not my will but the will of the Lord be done 3. self-Self-love 1. There is a self-Self-love which is our Duty there is an innate Principle of Love planted by God himself in the Nature of Man in his State of Innocency God hath made all Men living lovers of themselves and he would have them so That word Thou shalt love thy Neighour as thy Self evidenceth that we must love our selves The fruits of this Self-love are 1. Self-preservation 2. Self-blessing 1. Self-preservation the securing our selves from Mischief the saving our selves from danger Acts 2.40 Save your selves this generation He that said Save your selves from this evil generation hath therein said much more save your selves from Condemnation To save our selves from sin to save our selves from Wrath to save our Souls this is a great Duty lying on every man in this World and this Self-saving or Self-preservation our self-Self-love will prompt and press us to He that loveth himself will save himself he that duly loveth his Soul will do what he can to save his Soul That men destroy and Damn themselves that men neglect Christ the Author of Salvation that men neglect Religion and Godliness the way of Salvation is for want of a true love to themselves Sinners Christ is Preached unto you and tendred to you and if you lov'd your selves better you would love Christ and accept of him You are exhorted to Repentance to Godliness and if you loved your own Souls you would repent and be holy Thou art an hater of thy Self an Enemy a Murderer of thine own Soul who art not a lover of Christ and of Religion and godliness What a Brute art thou O sinner yea worse than a Brute thou canst love thy Friends thou canst love thy Wife and thy Child thou canst love thy Companions yea thou canst love thy sins and thy lusts only thou hast no love to thy Soul 'T is laid down as a mark of wicked Persons among many others 2 Tim. 3.3 Without natural Affection For a Child to be without natural Affection to the Parents for Parents to be without natural affection to the Child for men to be strangers to their own flesh without natural Affection to their Friends or Relations this is a mark of a wicked man What is it then for men to be without natural affection to their own Souls wilt thou say thou lovest thy Soul when thou so sadly neglectest thy Soul when thou takest no care for thy Soul when for the love of thy Lusts and thy Pleasures and thy Companions thou wilt Damn thy Soul Sinners what have you done for your Souls ever since you were born You have done something for your Flesh you have fed it and cloathed it and wrought hard for it to get a provision and maintenance for it but what have you done for your Souls what pains didst thou ever take that it might be well with thy Soul what knowledge hast thou gotten what Grace hast thou gotten what Peace for thy Soul hast thou gotten Peace with God hast thou done any thing toward the reconciling thy Soul to God thou knowest how little thou hast done thou hast loaden sin upon thy Soul thou hast loaded guilt upon thy Soul thou hast left it like the Soul of a Laodicean Rev. 3.17 Poor and miserable and Blind and Naked that Soul within thee is a miserable Soul a guilty Soul a blinded hardned Soul a polluted naked Soul it would make your hearts ake if you consider'd it in what woful wretched case you have left your Souls to this day If you have so much sense in you think of it and lay it sadly to Heart what a miserable case you have left your Souls in the reason of this is because you are without love to your Souls hence is it that you have had so little care of your Self-preservation 2. Self-blessing Isa 65.16 There is a Self-blessing that is
our Duty Let him that Blesseth himself in the Earth bless himself in the God of Truth He that loveth himself will bless himself There 's a double Self-blessing 1. A seeking our own blessedness self-Self-love will prompt us to seek an happiness for our selves not only to save our selves from Misery but to bring our selves to Blessedness The blessedness which true self-Self-love wisheth and seeketh for Self is in God in the God of Truth He that truly loveth his own Soul can be content with nothing less than God for the blessedness of of it No State no Inheritance no Treasure can satisfie him below Heaven and everlasting glory There 's not a man of you that loves his Soul but he is seeking Glory and Honour and Immortality for it he is taking care and taking pains to get a place in Heaven for his Soul to lay up Treasure in Heaven for it Dost thou love thy self who dost not bless thy Self or seek a Blessing in God for thy Self Dost thou bless thy Self in God who slightest God who carest not for God and who refusest the blessing of God and this for the sake of thy Lusts and Pleasures Sinner lovest thou thy Self lovest thou thine own Soul O seek a Blessing for it a blessing in God a blessing in Heaven for it 2. An enjoying and rejoycing in your own Blessedness Loving our selves aright is part of the fruition and enjoying our selves as loving God is of the fruition of God No man that loves himself but he would enjoy himself and bless himself in the reflection on his own Happiness And this is the self-blessing mentioned let him bless himself in the God of Truth that is let him satisfy himself let him comfort himself let him enjoy and rejoyce over himself upon this account that the God of Truth is his God and his Happness Let him not bless himself in the Earth that Riches are his that Pleasures and Honours are his that he hath the World at will but that the Lord God is his let him not chear himself with the Rich Man's Song Luke 12. Soul take thine ease thou mayest enjoy thy Self for thou hast goods laid up for many Years but let him take up the Psalmist's Song Psal 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my Soul herein thou mayest bless thy Self herein thou mayest comfort thy Self the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee Friends you whose God is the Lord you are the Men that may bless your Selves you are the Men that may enjoy your Selves you may look into your Hearts with comfort you may look upon your States with Joy you may bless your Selves that God hath given you such an Heart you may bless your Selves that God hath given you such a Portion You that have an Interest in God and this witnessed by the Image of God upon your Hearts you may enjoy your Selves and take comfort as often as you look inward and see the Marks and the Prints of Divine Grace stamped upon you your very love to your Selves will make you to rejoice over your Selves as often as you view the blessed Frame into which the Goodness and Grace of God hath brought you Well this Self-love with it's Fruits Self-preservation and Self-blessing is our Duty and the Lord hath planted it in our Hearts on purpose to bring us on upon all our other Duties God makes great use of this innocent Self-love in his Government of the World God Governs by Laws and Laws Govern by their Rewards and Punishments and Rewards and Punishments have their Efficacy by vertue of this love of our selves what would Laws signifie were there no Rewards to the Obedient nor Penalties to the Disobedient These are the Sinews and Strength of Laws and what would Rewards and Penalties signifie to us were we not lovers of our Selves Our self-Self-love prompts us to seek our good and to prevent our misery As far as we love our Selves we desire our own Happiness 'T was Self-love that made those many Psal 4.6 to say Who will shew us any good 'T was the Psalmist's Love to the Church Psal 122.9 that made him say I will seek thy good and hence 't is that we endeavour the prevention of our ruin Self-preservation is the Fruit of Self-love Self-love is the first spring and motive to Religion 't is true when we come to be Religious indeed there are higher motives the love of God the Love of Christ is the great Argument to carry us on in sound Religion when we come to be Christians then the main Motive to Christianity is that which Christ used to Peter John 21.15 to faithfulness in his Ministry Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep Lovest thou me Feed my Lambs If ye love me keep my Commandments Joh. 14.15 But the first Motive to bring us to be Christians is this self-Self-love Lovest thou thy Self Then give thy Self to Christ Lovest thou thy Soul Then be a Christian Christ is the only way to blessedness He that hath the Son hath Life 1 Joh. 5.12 And he that not the Son hath not Life Christ is the only way to blessedness and the only security against misery against Everlasting misery There is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 There is no Name under Heaven by which we must be saved saved from Death from Eternal Death but by the Name of Jesus Acts 4.12 Now when Christ says Come unto me and ye shall have rest Mat. 11. Follow me and ye shall have Treasure in Heaven Mark 10. He that is ashamed of me of him will I be ashamed before my Father that is in Heaven the intent and meaning of all this is if you love your Selves come to me if you love your Souls keep my Commandments if ever you would that those Souls of yours should be happy Souls if you would not that they should be Lost and Burned and Drowned in everlasting Destruction if you love your Souls and wish their good and happiness if you would not be your Destroyers and Murtherers if you have so much love to your Souls that you would they should be Saved and would not that they be Damned then come unto Christ then be followers of Christ then believe then repent and obey the Gospel If you love your Selves be Holy if you love your Selves be Heavenly minded if you love your Selves be humble be painfull be circumspect and walk in all things as becometh the Gospel By the way I exhort you to improve and maintain your true self-Self-love I say not to you only Husbands love your Wives Parents love your Children Christians love one another but every one of you love your Selves If you love your Selves you will love God if you love your Selves you will love Christ if you love your Selves you will love Godliness if you love your Selves you will be the followers of God the Disciples of Christ and will give your selves to live godly in Christ Jesus See therefore that you love your Selves that your poor Souls may grow more dear
to you Be more Zealous for the Salvation of your own Souls be more fearful of their Damnation be more tender of wounding and wronging your Souls Take heed of sin Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth wrongeth his own Soul all they that hate me love Death You that sin against God ye wrong your own Souls Love your Souls better and you will never be such proud Livers or such Worldlings or such Drunkards or Rioters you would be sober and serious and circumspect If you lov'd your Selves better you would take heed of this Lying and these Oaths and this unrighteous Dealing of this hardness of Heart in your sins you would fall upon your Knees you would fall upon your Faces and be ashamed and bewail and repent of your sins and return to the Lord from them all had you more of this true Self-love within you Sinners why come you not in to Christ Why will you not yet be perswaded to repent Why Man hast thou no love to thy Self The Apostle tells us Eph. 5.29 No Man ever yet hated his own Flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it He useth that word to press Husbands to love their Wives who says he are their own Flesh Dost thou not love thy Self What wouldst thou say of a Man that doth not love his Wife but would play the Tyrant and Tygre brawling and snarling yea fighting and beating her You would say This were a Monster among Men rather than a Christian worse than the very Brutes amongst whom it 's seldom seen that the Male snarleth or biteth or pusheth at the Female What then is he that loveth not his own Soul Lovest thou thy Self Lovest thou thine own Soul Then take heed of going on in thy Sins then take heed of standing it out against Christ You hear what a reward there is for the Righteous you hear what an Inheritance Christ hath laid up for his Saints an Inheritance in Light Life Love Joy everlasting Pleasure and everlasting Glory Christ would make those poor Souls blessed Souls joyful Souls glorious Souls partakers of the everlasting Riches of his Glory and Joy But what wilt thou say My Soul shall have no part in it My Soul shall never come there my Lot shall never be with the Saints but shall be without amongst Unbelievers Impenitents amongst Dogs and Sorcerers and Idolaters In refusing to come to Christ to Repent and be made Holy thou sayest in effect my Soul shall never come to Heaven Let it to Hell amongst Dogs and Devils and that vile and wicked Generation of the Damned But Sinner hast thou forgot that thou art a Man Art thou a Monster of Men Hast thou lost all love to thy Self to thine own Soul Doest thou neither love nor pity thine own Soul Wouldst thou that Christ should ever love thee when thou whilt not love thy Self Wouldst thou that Christ should ever pity thee when thou wilt not pity thy self O Sinners love your own Souls pity your own Souls be not so cruel and hard-hearted to your selves Will you for the love of your Lusts for the love of the World sell your Souls to the Devil sell them to Hell to make Faggots for the everlasting Burnings Where are your Bowels O pity pity that poor blind and miserable Soul of thine and bring it to Christ for pity's sake go on in thy evil ways no longer be a Drunkard no longer a Worldling no longer a Lyar a Scoffer no longer be no longer hardned in your sins but come away to Christ and escape for your Lives if you love your Selves come if you have any pity for your Selves come let the dread of the Cruelties of the Devil bring you back from following him and come you in and cast your Selves upon the Blood upon the Bowels and Compassions of Christ who is such an High Priest as can have compassion upon the Ignorant and those that are out of the way and even on the worst of Sinners that will return to him What shall I say more to you I will speak but the same words let every one of you see that he so love himself as Christ loved the Church washing it and saving it by his Blood Love your Selves and save your Selves love your Selves and bless your Selves in the God of Truth Don't bless your selves in the Earth in your Money in your Lands in your carnal Pleasures in your carnal Friends these things are not nor ever think they will be your Blessedness but bless your Selves in the God of Truth bless your Selves in Jesus whom God hath sent to bless you in turning you from your Iniquities Act. 3.26 Turn to Christ and you shall be blessed be Believers and you shall be Blessed come in this day and let your Names be written among the blessed of the Lord come every one of you and put in your Names among the Disciples of Christ Let me be one Lord let me be another write down my Name for one among thy Disciples I am willing to be thine and do solemnly covenant and this very day give my Self to Thee Who of you are there that will thus come in Will you be perswaded to it or must I lose my labour Are there any of you Is there any one of all the Sinners in this Company that will thus come in Come then in the Name of the Lord come get your Names to be thus written in the Lamb's Book and and he will write it in Heaven there it will be found in the last Day written in the Book of Life this do and then you that have been hitherto the Haters and Wrongers and Cruel will hence-forth appear to be Lovers of your own Souls 2. There is a sinful Self-love this is the great Heart Idolatry and the Root of all Rebellion and Disobedience to God Here I shall shew you 1. What this sinful Self-love is 1. It is a Love of mistaken Self of Carnal-self a love of the Flesh and it's Affections and Lusts a love of that Flesh which Christ would have us to hate and deny Mat. 16.24 Himself that is his Flesh or Carnal-self Men are mistaken in themselves and count that their Self which is not their Self as Christ said to the Woman of Samaria John 4. concerning her Husband He that thou hast for an Husband is not thine Husband so may it be said to Sinners That which thou takest for thy Self is not thy Self this Flesh which thou takest for thy Self and lovest as thy Self is not thy Self You that love your Flesh you love your Enemy you that please your Flesh you are pleasing your Enemy you that are working for your Flesh and providing for your Flesh and pampering your Flesh you are working for and feeding your Enemy you count you are seeking of and working for your Self no 't is for your Enemy this Flesh is your Mortal Enemy Now this is one sort of sinfull self-Self-love when we love our Flesh or our corruptions when we love our Selves as Fleshly-minded Men when we love to please and
forth and Self eat them up there was nothing for God Israel was an empty Vine to him her Fruits were to themselves Friends would you not be rejected for Barren empty Vines for false-hearted and rotten Professors Would you not be found rotten at the Core See that it be the Love of God and not this Self-love lying at the Bottom at the Root of your Religion 2. It is the Root of all Vnrighteousness and Vnmercifulness to Men. Self-love will never learn that Lesson to do to others as it would be done by it will catch all it can and keep all it has Self must be advanced Self must be enriched whoever be ruined by it all manner of Frauds and Deceits all manner of Oppressions and Wrongs all Mens underminings all Mens over-reachings of their Neighbours all Mens falshoods in their Words their Promise-breakings their Lyings all their falshood in their Dealings in their Tradings in their deceitful Words in their deceitful Weights and Measures all this Unrighteousness 't is their Self-love that puts them upon it so they may get for themselves and enrich themselves how wicked soever the means or wayes be to it they care not who be impoverished or ruined And where Self will not suffer Men to be Righteous it will less suffer them to be Merciful what they are so much for getting they will be but little for giving the Hunger and Nakedness the pinching and Pining and even Starving of so many poor amongst us the short Alms they can get and that little that it 's so hardly come by the failing of Compassions the shutting up of Bowels against those that are in need this is all from Self-love I shall need it for my self I need it for mine own I cannot spare it that 's often the Word that must go in stead of an Alms. 3. It is the Root of all Brawls and Quarrels and Contentions in the World Whence are there such Multitudes of troublesome Law-Suits What are they but the contendings of Self with Self one says 't is mine own and I will have it whatever it cost me another says 't is not thine but mine and I will have it this Meum and Tuum how hath it set the World together by the Ears Not that there is Unrighteousness in all Suits at Law the Love of God may sometimes put Men to make use of the Law of Man but those unjust or unreasonable contendings about trifles or for that which is none of their own in hope by their Might or their Money to Rob the Poor of their Right these are pernicious Quarrels and 't is Self that sets them on 4. It 's the Root of Self-seeking Holy Self-love is the Root of Holy Self-seeking as the love of God is the Root of seeking God so sinful self-Self-love is the Root of all sinful self-seeking and sinful self-seeking is contrary to the seeking of God The love of God is the Root of our seeking God These two Love of God and seeking God are put both together in one Promise Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me and those that seek me Early shall find me Isa 26.9 With my Soul have I desired thee there 's the love and what follows With my Spirit within me will I seek thee Early the love of God will set us a seeking God 't is in vain that thou sayst I love God if thou canst not say also I seek God and the love of Self will put us on self-seeking and this sinful self-seeking is ever contrary to the seeking of God Phill. 2.31 All seek their own not the things that are Jesus Christ's all seek their own things that is their own Carnal things and those that thus seek their own seek not the things of Christ there is this difference betwixt Self-love and the Love of God Self-love divides Interests Self stands single and hath a separated and divided Interest that 's the Interest of Self which is the Interest of none else and self-Self-love in seeking it's own Interest seeks the Interest of none else neither of Christ nor of Men the love of God unites Interests he that loves God the things of God and his own things are the same he counts nothing his own things but those that are also the things of God and when he is seeking God he is then most seeking his own God is his own and he counts nothing his own but what is also the Lords when he seeks God he therein seeks his own and where he seeks his own he therein seeks God his Soul is his own and the Interest and Prosperity of Soul these are the things of God it 's the Love of the Brethen unites our Interest with the Interest of the Saints 't is the Interest of the whole Body that is the Interest of every Member all the Saints have the same common Interest so the Love of Christ unites the Interest of every Member with the Interest of the Head the love of God makes the things of God our own things and the love of the Saints makes the things of the Church to be all our own It is betwixt Christ and Christians and betwixt Christians one toward another as 't was betwixt the Primitive Christians they have all things common Acts 4.32 None said of ought that he possessed that it was his own but they had all things common Not but that Christians have a real Propriety in their own Estates by virtue of which civil Right their Estates are so their own as that they are not anothers but yet by vertue of the community of Interests what one Man hath should be as there is occas on to the benefit of the Community And whence was this The love of God had united their Interests and the Multitude of them that believed were knit together by that love as one Man they were of one Heart and of one Soul there 's no Meum and Tuum Thine and Mine betwixt Christ and his Saints but all is Mine I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine Cant. 2.17 We are not our own say Believers we are thine and I am not mine own says Christ I am yours and that which I have is yours John 20.17 Tell my Brethen I go to my Father and your Father to my God and your God my Father is yours my God is your God all I have is yours I am yours and and my Blood and my Bowels are yours my stripes my wounds and my Righteousness and my Inheritance is yours 1 Cor. 3.22 23 Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours for ye are Christs and Christ is Gods my Ministers are yours mine Ordinances are yours my Possessions are yours things present and things to come if I have any right in this World the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof if I have any thing in the World to come the everlasting Crown the everlasting Mansions all are yours and
his Love and lost his Life and lost his Zeal for God in his loving and caring and good husbandry for himself Pray consider if this be none of your cases and if this be not a sad case and whether you can take any comfort in it or no Had not those Hearts need to be look'd to that have thus gone a Whoring 't is no better that have gone a whoring from Christ after the World Hast thou govern'd that Heart of thine well which thou hast suffered thus to play the Harlot Hast thou not need of looking better to it Christians do you not see you had need to be more watchful over your Hearts and to hold them in under a closer and severer restraint than you have hitherto done Again if you do not see how far sinful self-Self-love hath prevailed in you above the Love of God consider further for conviction 1. Do you love them that love God as you love them that love your Selves There 's scarce any Man that is so ill natur'd but will love those that love himself Do not even the Publicans the same Mat. 5. They love those that love them and are beneficial to them But do you love those that love God as you love those that love your selves Those that are loving and kind and friendly to you you will love them whether they love God or no and do you find that those that love God you can love them whether they love you or no If they should any of them be unkind and unfriendly to you yet can you love them because they love God If not if you can love them that love you though they do not love God and cannot love them who love God in case they do not love you what think you Is not this an evidence that this Self-love hath greater power in you than the love of God 2. Are you angry with those that offend God as you are with those that offend your Selves The Psalmist could say Psal 139.21 22. Do not I hate them that hate thee am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee Yea I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine Enemies Can you say so I am angry with them that are angry with thee I am grieved at them that sin against God those that are his Enemies I count them mine own Enemies Those that wrong our selves and offend our selves that wrong us in our Names by traducing backbiting or slandering of us that wrong us of our Right by Fraud or Oppression that do but speak an angry or unkind word to us how quickly does the Fire kindle We are too hot and touchy when Self is concerned but are we grieved are we offended at those that sin against God yea even though they be never so kind to our selves Can we not wink at sin in our Friends can we not palliate and excuse it and hide our eyes from the sins of them whom we love and upon whose kindness and friendship self hath some dependance How then canst thou say thou lovest God as thou lovest thy self Touch self-Interest who dare he shall not escape thy wrath let him kick against God sin against Christ and thou art never moved Dost thou love God as thou lovest thy self It was said of Holy Calvin that when he heard that Luther call'd him Devil that he answered But he is the Servant of the most High God 't is said of Lot 2 Pet. 2.8 That Righteous Man living among the Sodomites vexed his Righteous Soul with the filthy Conversation of those wicked Ones Lot had none of the best Neighbours in those wicked Sodomites doubtless he suffer'd many Personal wrongs and unkindnesses from them that Righteous Man could never be Neighbour to such wicked ones without suffering from them himself but yet we read not that he ever fretted or vexed at any thing they did against himself their wickedness against God their filthy Conversation this was it which vexed his Righteous Soul There was a Man that loved God indeed silent at wrongs done to himself only vexed at what is done against God Is it so with thee Is it so with us O how quite contrary are we Vexing and fretting and chafing at whatever is against our selves and silent and quiet and not moved in the concerns of God Is this our love to God Are we lovers of God more than lovers of Self Sure beloved this very thing our being so impatient of Self-offences and so patient of offences against God this very thing if well considered might make the most of our Hearts to ake and draw Tears from our Eyes might set us all a Weeping to think what daily Arguments we have of this kind to prove how powerful this Self-love and how weak the love of God is in us Sure the more dear the Lord grows to us the more will it go to our Hearts that he should be offended by any and the more self-Self-love were mortified the easier should we bear Self-wrongs and Offences And what can we say with respect to our Brethren Neighbours Do we not so love our selves but that we are heartily concern'd for our Neighbours Have we compassions towards them in their afflictions Do we rejoice at their Prosperity Can we grieve with those that grieve suffer with them that suffer and rejoice with them that rejoyce and prosper We can be glad when God prospereth our Selves and can we be glad when he prospereth others O how do Men rake and catch what they can one from another how do Men envy the prosperity of their Neighbours O how do some Men gape after the Possessions of their Brethren wishing even for their Death when they are like to get any thing by it How many Landlords are glad of the death of their Tenants How many younger Brothers are glad at the death of the Heir Yea how do some Children wait for the death of their Parents that the Inheritance may fall to themselves And whence is all this wickedness Is not this from Self-love O what Murtherous desires and hopes doth it sometimes bring forth Though it dare not put upon Murtherous Practices though it doth not make Murtherous hands yet it often makes the Heart a Murtherous heart and fills it with Murtherous desires and practices Mat. 15.19 Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts Murthers Adulteries 'T is this Self in the Heart that is the Original Murtherer and Adulterer You that are Professors of Religion see diligently whether there be no degree of this wickedness to be found in any of your Hearts to hope for to wish for or at least to be well pleased at the death of others when Self doth get by their Death Therefore 4. There is a necessity of keeping the Heart under Government Is Self such an Idol in the Heart Is Self-love Idolatry and the Root of so much wickedness The Rot of Religion The Root of Unrighteousness Unmercifulness Yea and of such Murtherous desires and wishes And is there something of
this Root remaining even in Christians And is it apt to put forth into such Self-exaltings and wicked Self-seeking and will it certainly do so where it is not carefully looked to and held under severe restraint then certainly there 's no Government more necessary than Heart-Government 2. Wherein the Government of the Heart stands and it stands in these Five things 1. In subjecting the lower Faculties the Affections Appetite and Senses to Reason and Conscience 2. In holding the Thoughts upon profitable and pertinent Objects 3. In exercising the Passions or Affections upon their proper Objects and within their due Limits and Bounds and Measures 4. In suppressing and keeping under the Evil and cherishing and encouraging the Good that is in the Heart 5. In strengthning the Sinews of Government 1. In subjecting the lower Faculties the Affections Appetite and Senses to Reason and Conscience Reason must be Dictator in the Heart and must not be controlled or over-born by the inferiour Faculties Conscience is invested with the Authority of God Subjection to Reason and Conscience is subjection to God and Rebellion against these is Rebellion against God The Reason of all the disorders in the Heart is the Usurpation of Sense and Appetite and their rising up against Reason when the People take Head against their Prince what disorders follow God that said Prov. 3.5 Lean not to thine own understanding that is as corrupted and biassed by the Flesh yet requireth us to lean to our Understandings when they are contradicted and opposed by the Flesh The Prophet complains Isa 59.8 There is no Judgment in their goings they have made them crooked Paths no Judgment that is no Understanding no Conscience in their goings and where there is no Understanding nor Conscience there 's nothing but crookedness Sinners Hearts do set up Sense and Appetite to be the Ruler as 't was said of Jeroboam 1 Kings 12.31 He made the vilest of the People to be Priests So sinners make the vilest and lowest of their Faculties to be Rulers they will not be Ruled by Reason they will not be governed by Conscience but Affection and Appetite must bear the sway How comes it to pass that thou art such a Carnal sensual Liver Does thy Reason tell thee that a Carnal Worldly Life is the best Life Does thy Conscience command thee to be Covetous or to be a Libertine to live at thine Ease and thy Pleasure Does thy Conscience tell thee that this is the Life that God would have thee to live That God would have thee to live in the Ale-house to follow thy Companions or thy Covetousness It is not against thy Conscience to be sober and serious and circumspect in thy goings 't is not against thy Conscience to forbear thy Lying or thy Fraud or thy Falshood no it is thine Appetite and thine Affections to whom thou hast resigned thy Self to be governed that lead thee on thus Would you have good Government to be kept within you Set up right Government let reason Govern let Conscience govern make your Senses and your Appetites to know their place and to keep under and to be in subjection to your Understandings and Conscience embrace not any thing meerly because it pleases your Senses seek not any thing because you have an Appetite to it let not your Affections lead you but your Judgments and Understandings It would be well if we were come thus far to live according to the best of our Vnderstandings and so far forth as we do so so far forth we live under Government the Anarchy of domineering Appetites and Senses is no Government Do not your Understandings tell you it is better to live in the love and fear of God than in the Lusts of the Flesh Do not your Judgements tell you that an holy sober serious heavenly Life is better than Viciousness or Vanity Do not your Consciences call upon you Love not the World nor the Wine and strong Drink follow not thy Sports and thy Pleasures Fly youthful Lusts hast thou not a Conscience within thee that calls thus upon thee When thy Lusts call thee after thy Pleasure when thy Covetousness calls thee after the World when thy Sense calls upon thee Take thine Ease take thy Liberty hast thou not a Conscience within thee calling thee back and charging thee to take heed and beware of Living thus When thy Carnal will and thy Lusts call thee from minding Christ and Holiness and Righteousness let it all alone meddle not with such a severe Life yet hast thou not a Conscience within thee telling thee it is best for thee to be a serious Christian It would be better for thee if thou wouldst give thy self to an Holy Humble godly Life than to live such a Libertine It would be better for thee to be a sincere strict diligent active Christian than to be such a trifling lazy Hypocrite and loose Professor Does not thy Conscience tell thee thus and charge thee to be such an one Why let Conscience carry it resign up thy self to the Government of it 2. In keeping the Thoughts exercised upon profitable and pertinent Objects I told you before that the unruliness of the Heart lies much in the unruliness of the Thoughts and how much of the Heart government stands in the Government of the Thoughts the best way to keep the Thoughts well governed is to keep them well exercised Those Legions of Thoughts that are in the Heart are like the Souldiers of an Army if Souldiers be not kept to Action they will hardly be kept under Command when they lie idly and lazily in their Quarters and have nothing to do then they use to Mutiny and to break out into disorders sound an Alarum and bring them to their Arms and that 's the best way to bring them to Order Keep your disorderly mutinous Thoughts to exercise and exercise them upon what they ought to be exercised upon be thinking profitable Thoughts be thinking upon Christ upon the State of your Souls upon the work of your Souls be thinking pertinent Thoughts such as are proper to your present cases such as are proper to the present Season when you are Hearing fix your Thoughts intently upon what you hear when you are Reading think on what you Read when you are Praying think on what you Pray for when at the Table of the Lord think on what 's before you upon your Crucified Lord upon the love and kindness and compassion of Christ to you upon the Covenant you are Sealing c. Afterwards think of what you have Heard and Read and prayed for and received and covenanted c. Do not divert to other good Thoughts that are not pertinent Impertinent Thoughts though the matter of them be good are unprofitable Thoughts Psal 139.18 When I awake I am still with thee my Thoughts are with God as vers 17. How precious also are thy Thoughts to me How great is the Number of them If I should count them they are more
in Number than the Sands of the Sea Thy Thoughts that is either Gods Thoughts towards him or his Thoughts of God and these Observe 1. The gratefulness or acceptableness of such Thoughts how precious how dear are they to me It was a pleasant thing to him to think of God 2. The Multitude of his Thoughts of God how great is the Summ of them God hath many Thoughts of his Saints and Saints have many Thoughts of God 3. A special Season of his thinking of God when I awake these are my Morning Thoughts no sooner am I awake but my Heart is in Heaven and Psal 119.97 O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation all the day where see 1. The matter of his Thoughts the Law of God or those blessed matters those wonderful things contained in this Law to be thinking of the Word of God is to be thinking of God of Christ of Holiness of Heaven of the way to Heaven and the like things that are written in the Word these are the matter of his Thoughts 2. The Seasons of his Meditations and these are every Season he is constantly thus exercised all the day his Morning thoughts are his continual Thoughts 3. The Motive or Spring of his Meditations O how I love thy Law What we love we shall easily be thinking of if we love God we shall be thinking of God if we love our Souls love Holiness love the Word and wayes of God our Thoughts will be upon them Dost thou not think on God and the Law of God 'T is a sign thou lovest them not well this is the right governing our Thoughts and which will prevent the wandrings and straglings and unruliness of them the holding them thus well exercised 3. In holding our Affections and Passions to their proper Objects and within their due Bounds so as that we love only what we should love and as much and no more than we should love it to fear what we should fear and as much and no more than we should fear it to desire what we should desire and as much and no more than we should desire it to be angry with what we should be angry and no more than we should I shall instance only in these Six Passions Our Love Our Desire Our Joy Our Grief Our Fear Our Anger 1. For our Love this is then well Ordered when we love only what we should love and as much and no more than we should love it The Object of Love is good and only good nothing can be loved but that which is good or apprehended so to be and nothing ought to be loved but that which is good God is good the chief and Supream good the Fountain of all goodness infinitely good Good is the Lord Exod. 34.6 Abundant in goodness and truth Our danger here is not of over-loving but of under-loving God is to be loved with all the Heart and with all the Might there is no danger here of erring in the excess our beings are good our Souls and Bodies we are Gods Workmanship and of all Gods works 't is said Gen. 1. he saw that they were good Our well-being and prosperity and happiness is good not only the Prosperity of our Souls our prospering in Grace and Holiness our growing rich unto God but the Prosperity of our Bodies and outward man our Health and our Estates is good Joh. 3. I wish that thou maiest prosper and be in Health even as thy Soul prospereth The Creatures are good our Bread and our Cloaths and our Houses which are for the comfort of our Bodies every Creature of God is good being sanctified by the Word and Prayer 1 Tim. 4.4 The Prosperity of our Neighbours especially those of the houshold of Faith this also is a good that we should love Touching our Souls our danger is that we do not love these according to the price and worth of a Soul which is more than all the World Mat. 16. or else that we do not love them aright so as to seek their good Touching our Bodies and the Creatures that are for the Health and prosperity of our Bodies the great danger is of over-loving them of loving them more than we should and more than they are worth This is the order that should be in well-govern'd Hearts we should love the Creatures for our Bodies we should love our Bodies for our Souls we should love them all and our Neighbours good also for God and we should love love God for himself And this ought to be the Measure of our Love we should love God with all our might we should love our Souls as far forth as serves to the Honour of God we should love our Bodies our Health and bodily Prosperity as far as they are serviceable to our Souls and we should love the Creatures our Houses our Money our Estates as far forth as they may be useful to our Bodies in the Service of our Souls and to our Bodies and Souls in the Service of God and we should love our Neighbour as our selves An Heart that is set right in its love is a well governed Heart this is the orginal of the disorder that is in our lives the disorder of our love Why is it that these Bodies and our Bodily Prosperity is sought more than our Souls why do we seek Riches and Pleasure and Ease and Money more than we seek Grace and Holiness O we love the Creature too much and we love God and our Souls too little O it were well with the sinful World better than it is if they loved God and their Souls as well as they love their Bodies and Estates but Sinner for thy part thou dost not so thou sayest thou lovest God thou sayest thou lovest thy Soul thou sayest these are the gteat things thine Heart is upon no thou dost not love God as thou lovest that Carkass of thine thou doest not love God as well as thou lovest thy Money or thy Pleasures or thy Health thy very Lusts thy Carnal Sports and Merriments thy vile Companions and thy Sins thou art such a vile Brute that thou lovest these more than thou lovest God or thy Soul thou art better pleased thou art better satisfied when the Corn and the Wine increaseth when thou Prosperest in this World than with any hopes thou hast towards God for thy Soul What is the Pleasure of thine Heart When art thou most merry and best contented When is it with thee as thou wouldst have it but when thou art in Health and Prosperest in these outward things God is dishonoured and neglected by thee God is angry with thee and yet thou art well enough contented thy Soul languisheth it is a blind and ignorant Soul it is a sinful and guilty Soul it is a stupid and hardned Soul it is a perishing and dying Soul thy Soul is in the hands of the Devil thy Soul is a dead Soul even dropping into Hell and yet for all this thou sittest there at
be Damned Indeed the worst of Sinners must be silent to God though he Damn them for their sins and not charge God foolishly but acknowledge that he is Righteous in Damning them but they are not required to submit or be contented to be Damned The first grace sincerity in Grace is to be desired absolutely but as to higher Degrees in Grace the gifts of Grace the means of Grace c. these are to be desired but only with submission 4. Other good things must be desired with submission and Moderation thus all Temporal good things are to be desired 1. With submission We may and ought to desire our Bodily Health our Life and our Prospering in the World but this must be put in if it be the will of God and for the honour of God And if it be the will of God to deny us therein we must submit 2. With Moderation We should not desire great things for our selves nor any thing too earnestly we may seek outward good things but with a great indifferency we must not be greedy seekers Greediness notes 1. A desire after much 't is not a little that will satisfie the greedy mind 2. An eager Desire a greedy Appetite is a ravenous Appetite which scarce any thing will satisfie or quench and such an Appetite we must not allow in our selves after these Temporal things We must desire an increase of Grace yea and of the gifts of Grace Earnestly 1 Cor. 14.31 Covet earnestly the best gifts we must not be content with a little Grace though we must submit to Gods dispensation we must not so submit to be of little Faith as not to seek and seek earnestly for an increase yet so far we must submit as to be without murmuring yea and to be thankful for that little we have Reach forth to the things that are before press hard on towards the Mark be zealous in contending for the highest pitch of Grace and Holiness yea and as to the gifts of Grace the Apostle exhorts 1 Cor. 14.12 Seek that ye may excell to the Edifying of the Church Those that do not press on after an increase in Grace 't is a sign they have no Grace in them that 's True here he that is content with a little 't is an Evidence that he hath nothing Let your eye be upon getting up to the highest form of Christians so as to excell and shine forth most gloriously in the Grace of God but if notwithstanding all your endeavours you still fall short and it continue to be low with you murmur not at God Blame your selves that you have no more there 's the fault you are not straitned in the Lord but in your own Bowels in your own narrow Hearts yet still as little as you have be thankful that there is something of the Grace of God in you if ye be some of the lowest of the Servants of the Lord yet bless him that you are his Servants still contending and that earnestly to rise and increase more and more This increase of Grace and of the gifts of Grace is to be desired with submission but yet earnestly but in seeking after Temporal good things there must be not only submission but great Moderation we must neither seek much of them nor be over eager in our desiring of them From what hath been said will follow these Three Directions for governing your desires 1. Quicken and enlarge your desires after God and the good things above and desire them as much as you should 2. Curb and limit your desires after the good things below and desire them no more than you should 3. Crush and crucifie your desires after the Evil and hurtful things below and desire them not at all 1. Quicken and enlarge your desires after God and the good things above and desire them as much as you should Fear not transgressing in the excess you can't desire God or his Grace too much enlarge your desires 1. Desire to have as much as you can Desire as much of God as much Grace as possible seek great things for your selves here the more of God you can get the more blessed are you and the more Grace you have the more of God you have Desire to abound and excell in the Grace of God get as much Likeness to God as much Love to God as much Faith in God as much sence of the Love and Goodness and Kindness of God as your Hearts can hold The Apostle prays for the Colossians Chap. 1.9 That they might be filled with the Knowledge of God in all Wisdom and Spiritual understanding and Vers 11. Strengthned with all Might according to his glorious Power What is his desire for them let be your desires for your selves that you may be filled with the Knowledge and Grace of God that you may be as full of God as Sinners are full of the Devil that you may be as full of Love as Sinners are of Lust that you may be as full of Holiness as they are of Wickedness Sinners are full of sin Acts 13.10 O thou full of all subtilty and guile The Devil fills their Hearts Acts 5. Why hath Sathan filled your Hearts Get your Hearts to be emptied of the Devils fulness and to be filled with all the fulness of God Let this be your desire Christians not to have something of God something of the grace of God let not a little content you seek to have all grace to abound in you let this be your Ambition to get up to be the best of Christians the chiefest of Saints the least and lowest in your own esteems but the highest in the grace of God seek as much grace as possible 2. Desire God and his Grace with as much earnestness and intention of Soul as possible Let your desires be large desires and let them be ardent desires let your Hearts burn in Love and burn in Holy desires after God let this be the one thing you desire Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that I may dwell in the House of the Lord and behold the beauty of the Lord here Note 1. God and all the things of God are but one thing and our desire after all these is our desiring but one thing In desiring God we desire the grace of God and the means of grace and the delights and comforts of God and our desiring of grace and the things of God is our desiring God to desire God and to desire grace is one and the same thing 2. The Saints desiring after God and his grace are strong desires the fixing of the desires upon one thing notes the intention of our desires when the whole Stream runs in one Channnel and towards one point it runs more strongly when the Heart is divided betwixt many things God hath something of the desire and the World also hath its part and share with God its Motions are the more weakly towards him O stir up and quicken your desires after God and
that they may be quickned into the more strong desires unite them let all your desires be after this one thing the grace and good will of the Lord. Christians let me ask you What would you have What is it you desire O let the Lord be my God let me have grace from the Lord but what of God how much of the grace of God would content you It may be some of you would answer O! if it were never so little if I could have Faith though it were but as a grain of Mustard-Seed if I could get any thing of God in my Heart if by the grace of God in me this Heart of mine might be but as a bruised Reed and smoaking Flax if I might get any thing that God would not despise this should satisfie me 'T is true the least degree of saving grace the least Beam of the Divine Light the first springing of the Life of God in us the least Spark of his Holy Image our desires should be so far fixed on this that nothing short of this nothing short of the truth of Grace should in the least suffice us and we should be thankful for the very first grace if we should never have any more or rise no higher But are there not some that would have this and care for no more that bound and limit their desires to the first and lowest degrees of grace This desire is not the desire of the Children of God thou mayest go to Hell with such desires after God he that desires not to be perfectly Holy is not sincerely Holy Do you desire God do you desire grace Stir up and enlarge your desires let those narrow Hearts open their Mouths wide be covetous Christians covet much and covet earnestly these best of giâ—ts say with the Psalmist This one thing I desire nothing but God nothing but grace take Corn and Wine who will take the Gold and the Silver who will let the Lord God be mine and that shall suffice me Desire God only and follow after God fully as Psalm 63.8 My Soul followeth hard after thee Friends you have some Wishes and some weaker desires after the Lord O quicken up these fainty Hearts look oftner before you how worthy the Lord is of all your desires what a Jewel what a Treasure the grace of God is look oftner Heaven-ward get a sight of God and his glorious Treasures live more in the Contemplation of his glory and goodness it is the sight of the Object that must kindle and quicken desires you that have cold Hearts Heaven-ward 't is a sign your Eye is little in Heaven Believe it some clearer views of the Love and Goodness and Holiness and Kindness and Glory of the Lord would whet your Appetites would put Life into those dull Desires would make you hungry Souls and thirsty Souls and longing Souls O look oftner upward dwell in the Mountain of Spices get some Taste and Relish of the goodness of God by being more constantly conversant with him and this will set abroach all your Vessels your Souls would stream forth in the Words and Sighs of the Psalmist Psal 42.1 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 2. Curb and limit your desires after the good things below and desire them no more than you should particularly 1. Desire not over much of them The best Food the best Physick if we take too much of it becomes hurtfull and pernicious when the Stomach is overcharged and so when the Heart is overcharged it surfets and suffereth prejudice by what it hath received That Prayer of Agur Prov. 30.8 should be the desire of Christians Feed me with Food convenient a convenient Habitation a competent Portion of these Earthly things should be the Proportion of our desires O if Men knew what were enough and when they had enough it would prevent the extravagancy of our desires Jer. 45.5 Seekest thou great things to thy self Seek them not Thou canst not bear great things great Possessions are great Temptations Seek no greater things than thou canst bear a Ship that hath more than its Load will sink and drown The Journey or Voyage of the Heart is upwards you are Travelling Heaven-wards this Earth the more you have of it presses you down-ward and hinders your ascending O how much nearer Heaven might some of our Hearts have ascended how much nearer to God and Glory might we have gotten had we not been clogged with the things of this Earth Some Men are too Rich and too Prosperous in this World to be Spiritually-minded Great Estates bring great Cares and encumbring Business so that they cannot be at liberty nor at leisure to think on God or their Souls Desire only so much of the World as is best for you and that proportion is best for you which will help you Heaven-ward and least hinder you know what is a competency and desire no more That 's not a competency which is enough to satisfie your Appetite you will never say you have enough if you will stay till your Appetite say It is enough this is like those two Daughters of the Horse-Leach Prov. 30.15 that still cry Give give Get get and never say It is enough That is not a competency which will satisfie your Appetite but that which will comfortably serve your necessities know what is a competency and desire no more 2. Desire them not over earnestly be not over hungry and greedy Souls desire but a competency and desire it but moderately that you may not over-desire these Earthly good things do not over-prize them Carry it towards the good things below as Sinners carry it towards Christ and the good things above how do Sinners carry it towards Christ They make light of him Isa 53.2 They see no beauty in him that they should desire him See as little beauty in the World as Sinners see in Christ make as light of the good things of the Earth as they do of the good things of Heaven and then your desires will be as cold after these things as theirs are after Christ O if Christians did desire this Earth no more than Sinners desire Heaven how mortified would all their Earthly desires be Mortifie your inordinate desires after the World quench your thirst after the good things thereof or else these desires will mortifie and quench your thirst after God Christians you would fain love God more it is your Affliction that your Affections to things above are so dull and so flat that you have no more strong and working desires Heaven-ward abate your desires to things below and then they will rise more to the things above never look to love God more than you do till you love the World less than you do Do ye mean to hold up at this height in your Carnal desires Will you not set Bounds to your Earthly Appetites Then count upon it God is like to
thou Lord by thy favour hast made my Mountain so strong but what follows The very next Word is Thou didst hide thy Face and I was troubled Security opens the Door to Iniquity and Iniquity will hide us from our Joy It is Matter of Joy that we are at War with Sin and have gotten any little Conquest and have such a Captain to lead us on woe to them that are at Peace or in a Truce with Sin and have nothing to comfort them but only this that there is a present Cessation of Arms and they feel not the buffeting of Sathan against them they will quickly feel the miserable fruits of that Truce Stand to your Arms stand upon your Guard whilest you are Drinking most deeply of your Waters of Joy fear that Wormwood that Sin will cast in to imbitter your Pleasant Waters That Joy which will consist with a sinful Life is no Joy of God the Joy of God is Holy Joy and that Joy of God that leaves us secure and careless is not like to be long liv'd Do you rejoyce in God As ever you would that Joy should continue take heed of Iniquity you go in danger while you live it is not so clear and bright with you now but it may be all Cloudy and Stormy to morrow if the Devil can but lead you out to Iniquity he will quickly raise such Storms as will make you forget your joy forget not this danger if you do once but forget your danger two to one but it presently overtakes you and swallows you up Christians if ever you would live in settled solid Joy you must alwayes have a tender Heart and a tender Eye that will quickly espy and quickly be startled at the Invasion of sin Be Watchful be tender Hearted and then your Hearts shall rejoyce and if you would abide in Peace never live out of Fear Never live out of Fear till you are gotten out of Danger and out of Danger you cannot be till you are got to Heaven 2. Much less not so to rejoyce in the good things of the Earth as to forget our Sins Thou art a Rich Man thou hast a Confluence of all the kindnesses that this Earth can do thee the Sun shineth on thy Tabernacle 't is all fair Weather with thee thou Prosperest in the World and herein thou dost rejoyce But Man thou art a Sinner all this while Hast thou not great guilt lying upon thee Hast thou not unconquered Lusts remaining in thee Or dost thou not go in daily danger of being turned aside from God and led out into Iniquity If thine outward Prosperity make thee glad yet let the Sin that lieth upon thy back or at least lyeth at the Door make thee tremble and so to tremble as to be an allay to thy rejoycing when with the Peacock you spread abroad your Plumes and lift up your Crests look down on your Black Feet when you glitter in your Worldly Glory behold the stain that is upon all your Glory whatever fair Out-side you have what an Inside have you Is there not Poverty within whilest there is such Plenty without What a Poor and Wretched and Blind and Naked Soul hast thou whilest as to thine Outward Man thou art Rich and hast need of nothing Canst thou in the midst of thy Prosperity forget thy sinking and sinful Soul Canst thou remember thy Soul and will not this take thee a Button lower as to thy Carnal Joy The Prosperity of the Soul and the joy that grows up out of it need not be abated in the least by the Poverty of the Outward Man if thou be never so Poor and afflicted without yet an Holy Soul an upright Heart and the Joy of a good Conscience will make amends for all that but will thine Outward Prosperity make amends for thine Inward Poverty You with whom all things go well in this World yet still think on that Rust that 's Eating out your Treasure think on that Moth that 's fretting out your Garments behold the stain that appears upon all your Beauty the stain of Pride the stain of Covetousness and Carnality the Moth of Envy and Contention that 's eating out your Hearts Why shouldst thou be sad would Carnal Comforts say What hast thou wanting to thee What hast thou to trouble thee Thou hast Houses and Lands and Money and Health and Friends What wouldst thou have Why dost thou not rejoyce and make Merry Why why 't is true all things go well with me without I have a good Estate and a good Trade and a good House and am in good Health but O what a Soul have I O what a Wretched Heart have I Do you ask What I have to trouble me O I have Sin to trouble me this Pride and this Covetousness and this Guilt that is upon me God knows I find enough to trouble me and to trouble me more than I am or can be troubled Do you ask me What I want to make me merry O I want God! I want Grace I want more Faith and more love to Christ I want a better Heart matters go not right between God and me whatever I have for this World O how little have I for the Eternal World Can I be Merry and Jocund whilest sin hath made such wasts upon my Inward Man Christians do but thus remember your Sins and this will allay your Carnal Joyes Art thou so Merry that thou forgettest thy Sins Take heed the time cometh when thy Sins shall appear and stare thee so in the Face as to make thee forget all thy days of Mirth and Laughter 2. Not so to rejoyce as to forget our Brethrens Afflictions and Miseries It 's well with thee but how is it with thy poor Neighbours and Friends How many are there that are in Penury whilest thou art in Plenty How many are cloathed in Rags whilest thou shinest in thy gorgeous Apparel How many are ready to Starve and Die for Hunger whilest thou hast thy fulness of Bread and abundance of all things Thou hast enough and thereupon rejoycest but is it nothing to thee that there are so many that would be glad of thy Crumbs of thy Leavings and cannot have them Thy very Dogs it may be have many a better Bit and Warmer Lodging than some of thy poor Neighbours is this nothing to thee When thou blessest thy self in thy Plenty then remember those for whom nothing is provided Forget not in thy Joy how 't is with thy poor Neighbours much less how 't is with the poor Church of God Psol 137.5 6. If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my Right Hand forget her cunning let me never touch the Harp more or rejoice at the sound of the Organ if I forget poor Jerusalem if I don't remember thee Let my Tongue cleave to the Roof of my Mouth let me never sing Song more no nor never speak Word more if I preferr not Jerusalem above my chiefest Joy Friends you that can be Merry and Jolly
's my grief that I am a Worldling or proud or froward but God be merciful to me I can't get rid of these evils if your sorrow whatever it be doth not bring forth Fruit unto Repentance it is not wrought up high enough there must be more load layd on there must be more of its Thorns and Spears and Stings thrust into that hard Heart of thine thou must feel more of its Gripes it must fetch out more Groans and Sighs and Tears out of thee thou must be brought to another manner of trouble for sin then yet thou art e're it reach the due degree of Godly sorrow 2. This sorrow must not be so great as to hinder the exercise of any other Grace or Duty 't is seldom there is an errour in the excess we don't use to sorrow over much no no we are apt to err in the defect we do not usually come up to sufficient sorrow our hearts have but a light hurt upon them our wounds ordinarily are not deep enough 't is this which mostly undoes us we find our sin to be too light a burthen 't were well if our hearts were more sick that we could find them bleeding inwardly and bleeding more abundantly as 't was said of false Teachers Jer. 6.14 They heal the hurt of the Daughters of my People slightly It is seldom that we can now a dayes hear of such a thing as a troubl'd Soul and a wounded Spirit We are even Professors of too whole and unbroken hearts The Sacrifice of God is a broken heart Psal 51.17 but how few such Sacrifices are there any where found for the Lord The work of the Ministry God helps us is seldome that more acceptable work an healing work to heal the wounded Soul to bind up the broken heart to comfort them that are cast down but the main of our work lyes in making wounds in pricking to the heart in casting down the high and hardned hearts Is not there much of this work lying upon our hands to be hammering and humbling and piercing your hearts through with Godly sorrow How few are there of you who can truly say I thank God this work is done upon me the breaking work the afflicting work the affrighting work is done upon me my heart through Grace is brought low and made soft and made sick of my sins so that I am prepared for the healing and comforting work That sharp two edged Sword of the word hath pierced so deep and made such work such wounds in my heart that now the Oyl is more needed and the Balm to heal my wounds O it is matter of trouble and sadness of heart to find no more such sad Souls and sorrow bitten hearts then we can either see or hear of in the World 'T is seldom therefore I say that there is too much of this sorrow that trouble for sin riseth too high but yet sometimes and in some cases it may be so there may be an excess of sorrow for sin Christians may be pressed down over measure they may be swallowed up of overmuch sorrow as the Apostle intimates and would have prevented 2 Cor. 2.7 Comfort such an one lest perhaps he should be swollowed up of overmuch sorrow Therefore in this case there must be Limits set to our sorrow and it must be held within these Limits It must be so much only as may not hinder the exercise of other Graces and Duties it must neither hinder our Hopes nor hinder our Faith nor our Love no nor our Joy in the Lord It should be with Christians in this case as with the Apostle in another case 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowing yet alwaies rejoycing Sorrowing yet believing sorrowing yet hopeing cast down yet comforted It must not hinder our Duties Some Christians have been so overwhelmed with trouble that they have not been able to hear nor pray nor think with any Comfort upon God or the things of God this is an excess of sorrow and must be restrained Sorrow for sin no more then will help you to believe and Hope and Love and praise and serve the Lord. 2. Affliction This is another object of sorrow The Degrees and Limits of this are 1. That we sorrow not so little but that we have a due and a deep sense of the hand of the Lord upon us Otherwise we despise the chastning of the Lord which the Apostle forbids Heb. 12.5 Despise not thou the chastning of the Lord. By afflictions I mean here the sufferings of this Life Crosses and Losses of Estates of Friends Husband Wife Children or near Relations Sufferings in our persons by Sicknesses Pains Languishing and the like these must be grieved for God complaines Jer. 3.5 I have smitten them but they have not grieved 'T was their sin that they did not sorrow 2. That we sorrow not so much as to sink under our sorrows That we be not swallowed up of overmuch sorrow As we may not slight or despise the chastnings of the Lord so we may not faint when we are chastned The Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 7.10 That worldly sorrow the sorrows of worldly-men for their worldly crosses worketh Death It sometimes kills their Bodies some men die of their griefs but it often kills their Hearts sinks them in their Spirits stupifies them and makes them fit for nothing We may not be so depressed with sorrows but that we still keep our Hearts alive and to be of good courage 3. Not as men without hope We must sorrow for all our afflictions but as the Apostle would have Christians sorrow for the dead 1 Thess 4.13 Sorrow not says he as others which have no hope The Righteous hath hope in his Heart and his hope must moderate his sorrow This sad state will not last alwaies there 's hope of an end of his afflictions and that should moderate his sorrow The Righteous hath hope in his Death Prov. 14.32 and hath this double hope 1. That Death will put an end to his sorrows 2. That the end of his Sorrows shall be the beginning of Everlasting Joyes and in this hope he must comfort himself under his sufferings and moderate his sorrows for them 4. Alwaies as men that have worse matters to sorrow for The least sin is a worse evil then the greatest affliction and calls for more of our sorrow Christians must take heed that they do not loose the sense of sin in their excessive sorrowing for affliction When affliction lyes too heavy sin usually lyes too light Jer. 30.15 Why cryest thou for thine affliction because thy sins were increased I have done these things unto thee Why art thou impatient under thy sufferings Whatsoever thou sufferest how hard soever it goes with thee in the World there 's a worse thing then all this that should set thee a crying thy sin thy sin which is the root of all that which thou sufferest 5. Let your sorrow for Affliction never be so great as to hinder your sorrow for sin Sorrow more
subject let me in the name of God ask you what is there that hath been yet done upon you what is there that hath been added to your holy love to your holy desires and joys fears and griefs are there any little sparkes added to you do you love God a little more then you did do you desire after him a little more strongly are your fears of sin your fears of temptations to sin your grief and sorrow for sin a little encreased Is there any abatement of your love to the World of your worldly desires and joys Is there any allay of your fretful angry passion Who of you can say I thank God these words have not been spoken to me in vain I thank God I find this World taken down a little lower I do not love it so well nor desire it so much nor I hope shall ever again seek it so earnestly as I have done are you any thing the more in fear of sin or greiv'd for sin are you in hope that your anger shall henceforth not be without a cause nor above or higher then its cause nor ever last as it has used to do Friends consider in the name of God consider What is there nothing done are you as cold in your love to God as hot in your love to the World as much without fear and greif for sin as if none of all this had been spoken The Lord be merciful to us what shall become of such hearing What serves this Preaching for what serves this hearing for Doth God take pleasure or can you take comfort in your coming together to hear and being a little affected with the word whilst 't is preaching or speaking some words after of your approbation and liking what you have heard when yet the Word doth not work nor leave any standing and abiding impressions upon you It s vain to commend a Sermon in words if the fruit it brings forth commend it not The best commendation of your food is by your eating it and maintaining your health and gathering strength by it O Friends that 's the commendation we would have of our preaching and the only commendation that we can take comfort in that our word reacheth its end that there is some sign of our ministry upon your hearts and in your lives that we may say concerning you as the Apostle concerning the Corinthians 2 Cor. 3.2.8 Ye are our Epistle and are declared to be the Epistle of Christ written not with ink but with the spirit of the living God Those are the best Sermon Notes that are written not with ink and paper but by the Spirit of the living God in the fleshly tables of our hearts These are the best Sermon Notes and these are the best commendation of our preaching Now pray friends consider I do not ask you what there is written of these Sermons in your note books but what is there written of them in your hearts Is there any thing more of the love of God of desires after God of fear of sin c. written or begotten within you Had I ability and opportunity of personal converse with you I should be willing to deal with you in private hand to hand and to ask you these questions man by man but to supply that defect of speaking personally and in private to each one of you take what I speak in my publick Ministry as if it were spoken to thee in particular and I were dealing with thee hand to hand Though thou canst not give me thine answer yet fail not to give answer in thine own heart when I ask thee whither thou hast gotten any more love to God any more desires after God any abatement of thy love to the World any more fear of Sin c. Answer thine own Conscience in this particular I must substitute thy Conscience in my room and let Conscience take thine Answer Speak every man of you iâ— your Consciences how do you find it is there any thâ—ng done upon you by these words or is there nothing 〈◊〉 what do you think of all your hearing these words if thâ—re be nothing done if there be as much love to the World as little love to God or fear of Sin if there be the same touchiness the same pettishness the some angry distemper as if you had kept you at home all this while and never heard any of all that has been said Are not you ashamed are not you afraid that these words of the Lord should have no effect upon you Beloved I have preached to you in hope I have hoped for fruit I have hop'd for some change for the better upon you in all these respects O set your hearts unto all these words remember what you can and recover what you have forgotten look up to God look up to God and pray this prayer to him Lord let the things that have been spoken be written Let them be written not with ink and pen but by the Spirit of the living God not in a book or paper but in the fleshly table of mine heart Look up to God for his help and determine in your selves to set your hearts to it to follow after this blessed Order and Government of your hearts Study within your selves how to get up your affections to things above to get loose your hearts from the World and things below be not content to be thus dead in your hearts towards God thus alive towards the World nor be content to wish for more of the divine love to wish you could abate towards this world but in good earnest make it your business and study so to do Might we once bring you to this that while we are labouring with you in the Word and Doctrine you would labour with us in the Lord to work your hearts to an affectionate compliance with our words if you would be stedfast and unmoveable and abounding in this work then there would be hope that neither our labour nor yours should be in vain in the Lord then should we look to see the death of these Worldly loues and lusts and a spring of the divine love and life and joy and glory this earth and flesh under foot and the Spirit of Glory and of God resting upon you Put on therefore in the fear of the Lord set you close to this Heart-governing-work quicken strengthen encourage your hearts herein with these words Yet further the Government of the heart stands 4. In suppressing all manner of evil and exciting and maintaining the good that is in your hearts There are in the heart as there are in a Kingdom two parties the evil party and the good party The evil party are the Rebellious Lusts of our hearts the good party are the Graces of God The Government of the Heart is to be as the Government of a Kingdom for the suppressing the evil and the encouraging and upholding the good The evil Party are the lusts of the Heart Pride Envy Malice Covetousness c.
and the Torments of them shall make you know what now you will not understand 'T is a foreknowledge by observing and pondering what is written and preach'd of these great things that is necessary to your present Government 3. A feeling of these things I mean now a feeling beforehand a feeling that 's gotten by your fore-knowledge What we believe and understand if they be great things will make impressions upon our senses By the knowledge of God and of the blessedness of Heaven the Saints get some â—orâ—â—â—â—es of that Glory and Blessedness 1 Pet. 2.2 If we have taâ—â—d that the Lord is gracious And by the knowledge of the Wrath and Judgments of God some sinners get a taste of that wrath it makes their hearts to begin to burn above ground There 's an heaven begun in the hearts of Saints and an hell begun in the hearts of some Sinners And this now is that which I mean by a sense of the things to come the getting such a belief of the certainty of these things such an understanding of the greatness of these things that may deeply affect the Heart that may leave powerful impressions on the Senses that the heart may be powerfully moved and deeply affected with them Sinners hearts are as stones and senseless stocks when we have spoken to them of the deep things of God we may say of these eternal things as the Apostle of his temporal Sufferings Acts 20.24 None of these things move them or will in the least work upon them but if we could let in a little more light into their Minds if we could shew them some glimpses of the Glory to some some flashes of the Eternal fire this would make those stocks to feel 2. This sense of the eternal things is the sinews of Government There can be no Government without Rewards and Punishments and if these Rewards and Punishments be not believed known and perceived it s all one as to Government as if there were none at all 'T is the understanding and sense of these Rewards that is the strength of Government Now there is according to the two different Rewards a different sense of them 1. an alluring encouraging and obliging sense A sense of the Magnificence of the Kindness and Mercies of the Lord will encourage to Subjection and obedience to him It will draw forth our love and stir up all our Powers to active Obedience O how would the lively sense of God and the blessedness of Heaven kindle Affection enlarge our desires raise our hopes and fill us with joy What would be loved as God is loved what would be desired as God is desired what would be hoped for as heaven is hoped for what would our love or desires or hopes find too much to be done or suffered where there is a deep sense of these great things that shall be the reward of all And how would such a lively sense of God and of heaven abate our love and cool our desires after earth and the things thereof Who would regard dust and stones and trash that had Gold and Pearles before him what would this money be these Sheep and Oxen be these carnal pleasures and sports be how easily could they be wanted how little would they be loved or desired were that Glory Honour Immortality that is above more before our Eye and upon our Hearts you complain you can't get your hearts loosned and disintangled from these earthly things O 't is because heaven is so much out of sight you have so little sense of the good things to come that hence it is you fall a lusting so after the good things present Get more sense of God into your hearts and you will feel your Affections to fall and abate towards these earthly things Look on the things not seen as the Apostle did 2 Cor. 4.18 Upon the things that are eternal and you will disdain and contemn the things that are seen which are but Temporal 2. The sense of the punishments to come will be an awing sense The severities of the Lord and his dreadful wrath and vengeance would awe the heart into subjection to him O what an influence would this have upon the Governing our fears and our griefs and our anger whom should we then fear but God what would the wrath of man be what would temporal sufferings be how little would they be feared were there a due awe of God upon our hearts your awe of God would say the same to you as the Prophet Isa 2.22 Cease ye from man trust not in him and fear him not and as Christ said Rev. 2.10 Fear none of those things you shall suffer And Luk. 12.5 Fear not them that kill the body fear God who is able to cast into Hell Whom should we then fear but God and what should we then fear but sin against God which maketh so obnoxious to his wrath you that now make light of Sin can lye and defraud and be covetous and do any thing else your hearts lead you to and make nothing of it or but a small matter Get an awe of God on your hearts and your sins would make you tremble and what an influence would it have upon the suppressing your sinful Anger it would take up all our quarrels a sense of Heaven and Hell would make us all friends those great things would swallow up the lesser What do I stand vexing and fretting mv self at every one that crosseth me how stands it with my Soul to God ward how may I escape the wrath to come Is it peace betwixt the Almighty and my Soul Friends 't is a sign that you have little sense of your eternal conceraments where every little thing so excessively moves and disturbs your Spirits 3. How to get and maintain upon our hearts this sense of the eternal things There are two things I have told you are supposed to this sense a believing and an understanding these great things and to the improving of what we believe and understand of them there 's a third thing necessary Meditation and frequent thinking upon them Exercise your thoughts more upon the Eternal World spend more thoughts think oftner upon it and spend more deep thoughts of heart upon them Our thinking and meditating is the same with that looking on the things not seen mentioned before 2 Cor. 4. Look more Heavenward and look more towards hell and this will affect your hearts particularly think these three thoughts 1. Think this thought In this eternal world I must shortly be one of these two Rewards must be my Reward one of these two States Eternal Blessedness or Eternal Misery must be my State That Heaven which I now hear Preach'd of that Hell which I now am warned of I shall be in one of them in a little while As sure as I am alive and here this day so sure shall I be in Heaven or Hell a few days hence What 's become of those many that were alive a few years
Wherefore dost thou doubt so wherefore dost thou drag so O thou of little Faith Where 's our Love to Christ when our work for Christ goes so slowly on 2 Cor. 5.14 The Love of Christ constrains us The Love of Christ will quicken us the Love of Christ will put Life into us we should find our Tongues and find our Hands and find time to be more abundant in service could we feel more of the Love of Christ in us Thou makest nothing of it that thou art such a dull untoward unactive Souls but is it nothing to want Faith Is it nothing to want love to Christ Is it nothing to be without Grace in thy heart Or if thou hast any to have so very little as thou canst not tell whither 't is any or no It is an ill sign that thy Soul is in a very doubtful case at least 't is to be doubted Whether thou hast any Grace in thee Where in ordinary thou art so untoward and listless to the matters of God and the businesses of Religion 3. 'T is of ill consequence 'T is a sign our case is bad and it is an hindrance from our growing better It is the vivacious active stirring soul that 's like to be the thriving Soul Sluggards and Sleepers are never like to come to any thing We may preach to you while our hearts ake we may instruct you and tell you what is your duty while we will and you may hear us while you will but in vain shall we preach and in vain will you hear till we can fire you out of this deadness and whet and set an edge upon those blunted Souls what will it be to be told of your Duty whilst you remain to have so little heart to it what becomes of all the Sermons you hear of all the teaching you what you should do and how you should live what becomes of all the convincing awakening quickning words that are in your ears from day to day what doth all our Preaching and all your hearing bring forth upon you truly friends the little success that is to be perceived of our Preaching among you either to the converting of sinners or improving of professors the small success that does appear what there is within God knows does even make us out of heart But as little success as we have we are never like to have it much better unless we may stir your hearts and awaken you to more diligence and activity When we have done all we can we are I doubt like at last to leave the most of you either quite dead in sin or but very Dwarfes in Religion Sinners is it nothing to you that the enlivening word should leave you still among the dead Christians is it nothing to you that the nourishing and quickning Word should leave you but babes and infants Is it not a trouble to you and a discomfort to you that you get no more that you grow no faster much more that any of you should consume and languish under the hands of your Physicians I must tell you it is a discomfort to us but is it not more a discomfort to you can you continue at this pass and not be troubled at it O what a comfort is it to be a thriving lively Christian Methinks when you see any such before your eyes you should at least sigh out such a wish O that it were so with me and breath out such a groan wo is me that 't is not so methinks it should be an heaviness of heart to you to feel your own soul in Cloggs when you see others upon the wing O that I could make you sensible of your diseases that I could preach you heart sick that I could but make your hearts ake under your distempers that you might no longer be able to go up and down without trouble in this unthriving case Sure friends you whose case this is had need to be troubled and 't would be well for you if your Souls were in pain and refused to be comforted till you be cured To make you yet more sensible of the perniciousness of this untoward dull and listless temper look a little more upon the excellency of the contrary a chearful lively temper 'T is call'd 2 Cor. 8.17 A forward mind 1 Pet. 5.2 A ready mind that need not be spurred and whip'd but goes chearfully and freely on its way What is a sprightful horse to a dull and heavy jade what is a blunted rusty knife to that which is bright and keen what is a consumptive languishing body to one that 's lively and healthful what is a dark and lowring to a Sunshine day what is Winter to Summer yea what are the living to the dead what a pitiful thing is that dead and spiritless heart of thine when thou lookest on them in whom is the life of God Hear O ye sleepy and listless Souls awaken stir up your selves shake off this sloth and sleep work out this untoward spirit What do you mean to hang thus betwixt alive and dead will you hold you at this pass till you come to your Graves Is this all the care and the pains you ever mean to bestow on God and your Souls must the Lord ever find you so unready and untoward to what he calls you to shall the world find a forward mind in you shall your flesh find such a ready mind to whatever it hath for you to do and will you only be unready and unactive for God Wherefore have you Reason and Understandings wherefore have you the Scriptures before you what are Sabbaths and Ordinances and Ministers for must we come hither only to sing you asleep or to rock von in your Cradles Where is that Grace that is in you where is your Faith where is your love to Christ where is your hope if you have any Grace where is it what must all these precious talents be eaten up with rust or laid up in a napkin Remember the slothful Servants doom Mat. 25.30 What are your immortal Souls what is the holy God what is Jesus Christ what are the glorious treasures of Eternity are all these worth no more of your care and industry will none of these things move you will not these great things quicken you Hear them all calling upon you God calls upon you oh my children if you have any respect for me come along come faster after me Christ calls oh my Disciples if you have any love to me if all that I have done for you if all that I will do for you will move you arise and mend your pace Heaven calls upon you if ever you mean to come here gird up your loyns and come on Yea Hell calls look ye down hither what a place is here prepared for Sleepers and Loyterers Your poor Souls call have ye any pity for me must I perish and die for the pleasing this lazy flesh Your poor Families call your poor Children call your poor Neighbours call
you ascend not by Ordinances if you get not up to have Communion with God in them this flesh and this world will be thrusting in upon you and steal your hearts away Christ hath been riding down to you this day as the chariots and horses of fire once were sent down for Elijah 2 Kin. 2.11 The Chariots came down to fetch up the Prophet in them the Ordinances of God that you have been at this day was the Chariot of God that was sent down on purpose that those hearts of yours might ride up in it into Glory I hope some of your hearts got up into the Chariot and are ascended with your Lord who came down to fetch them up What Christian is thine heart yet below where was it when the Chariot came down what are your Souls yet among the Sheep and the Oxen among the grass of the Field and the dust of the Earth what yet among the wormes what yet creeping upon this Earth and feeding upon Ashes do your Soules still dwell in these Tombs and Sepulchres I hope there may be some among you can say I thank the Lord mine heart is no longer here it is risen it is ascended with my Lord who came down for it and hath carried it up with him But man how is it with thee whose heart is left behind Christ hath been here and those that were wise took the Season and got up with him into the Chariot But is thine heart still upon this Earth and must it away again to its old trading to its old feeding on this dirt and trash hast thou been tasting of that Angels Food that hidden Manna the bread of God that came down from heaven and canst thou now return to thy Quailes or thy Husks sure thou hadst not a taste of that heavenly food if thou dost not yet disgust and disrelish thine old carnal Delights But are your hearts any of you yet left below behold yet a Chariot from God is before you this Ordinance of Preaching behold the same Jesus in this Chariot is come down again for those hearts that are not yet gotten up Thy Lord is loth to leave thee here wilt thou yet ascend with him Why is there not a cry among you Lord help me up into thy Chariot Lord take my Soul up with thee Lord let not me be left behind Let Christ hear that voice from you Lord take me up with thee here this poor wretched heart of mine lies at thy feet I can't lift it up 't is too heavy for me it hath weights but no wings yet it groans after thee it would not that thou shouldst go up without it Lord lift me up Lord carry up this poor and wretched heart from Earth to Heaven What must I yet dwell in Meseâ—◠〈…〉 mine heart amongst the tents of Kedar M◠〈…〉 amongst these Theives and Robbers O where 〈…〉 that hath brought thee down again for me 〈…〉 thou me O Lord and wilt thou yet leave me at 〈◊〉 â—â—stance from thee O take pity O take me up that I may from henceforth be with thee where thou art Christians O that I could set you even every one of you a crying thus after the Lord and a bemoaning these earthly and too carnal hearts that they are not yet ascended Let Christ yet hear that voice and let it come deep even from the bottom of thy Soul Let Christ hear not that mouth crying nor those eyes crying but that Soul crying Lord take me up also with thee and he will take thee up O get you into the Psalmists Posture and Spirit Psal 42.1 Psal 84.2 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 Soul longeth yea even fainteth for thee my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God When Lord O let this be the day take me this very hour and carry me up to the mountains of spices Christians be but unfeignedly willing that Christ should carry away those hearts from this Earth be but in good earnest with him when you say Lord take me up and he will not leave you behind Get these hearts to heaven and keep them there Get you up from Earth to Heaven and come not down again from Heaven to Earth Let that blessedness be antedated which is promised to be after the Resurrection 1 Thes 4.17 Then shall we ever be with the Lord. Say to the Lord even from henceforth as he sayes to his Church Psal 132.14 Thou shalt be my rest here will I dwell for ever Let it not be a Visit to Heaven that will satisfie you but a Conversation in heaven Phil. 3.20 Our Conversation is in heaven Let it not be a few heavenly hours or a short heavenly repast but an heavenly life that you design and follow after When you get you once thus near unto the Lord live as much as possible in the constant viewes of his Glory so continually beholding and feeding upon the foretastes and forethoughts of his Goodness and Grace that you may be changed daily from Glory to Glory into the same image Know friends that if there be any security in the world from the Robbers and the Spoilers from your Lusts and Temptations from suffering such losses again in your peace the only security you have is to keep your hearts still above Hast thou gotten thine heart to heaven keep thee where thou art keep you out of harmes way If the Devil can but catch those hearts again below catch you a roving catch you a wandring after your carnal things if he can but meet you declining from an heavenly to an earthly Conversation from a spiritual to a carnal Conversation O what sad spoiles of whatever good days you have had of whatever delights and satisfactions and joyes and comforts you have had what spoiles will he make of them all Christians when ever you can get or do feel your hearts in a better frame most full of the love and life and joy of the Lord O think what pity 't is what a sad fall it will be to make an exchange of this blessed state for the barren and brackish Pleasures of this world think with your selves shall I forsake the sweetness of the Fig-tree and the fulness of the Olive and go and browze upon brambles The design friends of all this is to perswade and invite you to live in constant Communion with God You have been received and entertained this day into special communion with God and the intent and meaning of this solemne communion is that by the sweetness and refreshing you find in it you may be set into a way of ordinary communion with him That your life may be a life of Communion with God a life of faith a life of love a life of Holiness and Joy that so you might prophesie to your selves with the Psalmist Psal 23.6 Surely goodness and mercy
have little of your Hearts of so great consequence is the bounding and abating of your Worldly desires that if ever you would love or desire or seeek God more than you do you must strike Sail and drive on more moderately and more mortifiedly towards the World Love this World less and you will desire it less desire it less and you will seek it less seek the World less and you are like to be in good earnest Seekers of God Quench your thirst Friends quench your thirst after these stollen Waters drink deep Draughts of the Water of Life and you will no longer thirst so after these puddle Waters Joh. 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the Water that I shall give him shall never thirst that is after these Carnal Things You who have such thirsty Souls after the Waters of your own Cisterns 't is a sign that you are little at the Fountain of Living Waters Thou hast not drank of the Rock of the Wilderness who so lustest after the Rivers of Egypt Christians dwell more at the Spring-head drink of the Fountain let out your desires more after God Taste more of the sweetness of Christ let down your Pitchers into the Wells of Salvation fetch in more of that Living-Water lye more at the Breasts desire more the sincere Milk of the Word and suck in that Milk Drink more of the Wine that is prepared in the Kingdom of God my meaning is live more with God feed upon Christ delight your selves more in God solace and satisfie your selves more in Communion with God acquaint your selves more inwardly and experimentally with the sweetness of Religion and this will be the best way to quench your thirst and abate your desires after these Carnal Things Desire them still you may and you will as far forth as they are good for you and as far as your Heavenly Father sees them needful for you but there will be an end of your greedy and ravenous and insatiable desires if you desire God as much as you should you will desire the World no more than you should 3. Crush your desires after the evil and hurtful things below so as not to desire them at all The Pleasures of Sin and the Pomps and Pride of this Life and the Gains of Unrighteousness desire them not at all These can never be good for you and therefore are not to be desired It cannot be good to grow Rich by Fraud or Oppression they are cursed Gains that come in that way the Pompous Pride of the World and the sinful Sports and Pleasures of the World these are the Bane and Poyson of Souls a Cup of Poyson is not more Mortal to the Body than these Cups of Fornication or sinful Pleasures are to the Soul and therefore desires after these must not be limited or moderated but be crushed and crucified I told you before of two Instruments of Government a Spur and a Curb and the needfulness and use of these in the Government of your Desires you have seen in the two former Directions the need of a Spur to quicken our desires after God and his Grace of a Curb to restrain and limit our Desires after the good things of the World and now I shall tell you of a Third Instrument of Government and that is a Cross or a Gibbet to Execute and Crucifie our Desires after the Evils of the World what Government can be without Laws And what are Laws without Penalties And what are Penalties if there be no Execution There must be Gallows and Gibbets set up to cut off Malefactors or there 's like to be but poor Government The desires after these Evil things of the World are Malefactors that must be cut off and Crucified Gal. 6.14 I am Crucified to the World by the Cross of Christ that is my sinful Love of the World my lusting after the World those three Worldly Lusts in special the Lusts of the Flesh the Lusts of the Eye and the Pride of Life these are all Crucified by the Cross of Christ Moderate your Desires after these good things of the World but kill your desires after these Evil things Dost thou desire the sinful Pleasures of the World Art thou for a wanton or voluptuous Life Dost thou desire the Gain of Unrighteousness that comes in by Fraud or Oppression by shortning or detaining the Hire of thy poor Labourers Art thou for growing Rich by straitening or starving or ruining thy poor Workmen Dost thou affect a Proud or a Pompous Life O Kill and Crucifie all such Desires Nail them to the Cross hang up these Malefactors let there not be a Lust left in thee after these wickednesses but bring it forth to Execution let there be no such Desires found alive in your Hearts Leave it to the Epicures and Fornicators of the World to be Sons of Pleasure leave it to the Horse-leaches of the Earth to be Blood-Suckers to thirst after such Gain as is wrung out of the Bowels of the Poor leave it to the Butterflies and Wantons of the World to affect Mimical and Pompous Gaudry let Christians know no such Desires much less allow them and foster them where they feel them working and rising And as I hinted to you but now know that the two last Directions Curb and Crush will be easiest to be Observed if the first quicken Desires after God and Grace be diligently prosecuted And therefore here I in special exhort you to give all diligence enlarge and whet your Appetites after God and the things above Remember what I told you but now acquaint your selves with God live more in the Contemplation of God live more in Communion with God get you into the inside of Religion keep you close by God keep you near to Christ let your desire be to your Father let your desire be to your Husband be able to say with the Church Isa 26.8 9. The desire of my Soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee with my Soul have I desired thee in the Night yea with my Spirit within me will I seek thee early desire the Lord till you can delight in the Lord delight your selves in the Lord and then you will despise those desires of small things that take up the Hearts of Worldlings Shall I forsake my Fatness saith the Olive-Tree Shall I forsake my sweetness saith the Fig-Tree and become King over the Trees Judges 9.9 11. Shall I forsake the Fatness of the Olive the sweetness of the Fig-Tree and feed my Soul on these Brambles and wild Vines which are the Lusts of Foolish Worldlings He that hath drank Old Wine will not desire the New for he saith the Old is better God hath better things for you to desire better Wine better Pleasures better Inheritances for you O live so with God live so upon Christ that you may get you a Taste of his better Wine a Taste of his sweeter Pleasures a Taste of the Fatness of Heaven and then you will the more despise
a bondage to it to be tied up so short The more of this the higher the Disease is and the more to be doubted whether such mens Christianity be sound The strictest Christian is the most healthful and the most evidently a Christian indeed and the greater latitude the heart indulges its self to the more sickly the Soul is if it be not quite dead and no Christian at all Friends You that are Christians indeed if you know what you have done you have vowed the greatness strictness possible That is to press on towards it and to reach out after it You did not Covenant to follow Christ to such a degree and no higher to advance in Religion to such a pitch and no more you did not Covenant for thus much Obedience thus much duty thus much diligence thus much Zeal and no more if ye be Christians indeed you have covenanted to follow the Lord fully to watch to every Duty to watch against every sin to press on to the highest pitch of holiness to do to the utmost to please the Lord. If there were any reserve in your vow to Christ of any little liberty to the Flesh of any limit of your zeal and care if there were any such reserve you are false in your Covenant and but false Christians O friends have you vowed the greatest strictness then watch against the least degrees of looseness Get a settled Judgment of the excellency and necessity of strictness get an hearty love and good liking of it let your Souls be bent upon it let it be your desire and your aim and your hope and your labour to hold you close by Christ and if you would not have licentious practises abound in your life let no licentious Principles no licentious affections nest themselves in your hearts see that there be no lust after any other liberty then Christ hath allowed you Get to be heartily well pleased with all the Laws of Christ with his narrowest ways let that latitude of Religion which is the measure of carnal disciples be your fear and not your desire And if you feel any itch after it look upon it as a disease and distemper of your heart Count thy self but a weakly and sickly Christian whilst is is thus with thee Know that it is your greatest Excellency if Holiness be an Excellency then the more strictly holy the more Excellent Yea and you will find it your greatest Liberty the more holiness the more enlargement of your hearts to all the holy ways of God Psal 119.44 45. I will keep thy law continually c. And I will walk at liberty his meaning was not I will walk licentiously at liberty from thy Laws at liberty from Rule but I will walk freely in thy ways when thou shalt knock off my fetters that hinder me The more we can hold in and inure our selves to be punctual in our Religion the more freedom shall we find and with the more ease and delight shall we run the way of Gods Commands And know this that by how much the more loose you are from the ways of God by so much the more loose from God and what will you have to comfort you what will you have to sweeten Religion to you whilst God is at a distance from you Keep you fast to him and you shall live the more under his reviving and refreshing influences Religion hath its troubles and its harshness and you will have little else then the harshness of it longer then you keep you close to the Lord. The Waters of the Sanctuary will tast but brackish to you longer then the Sun shines upon them a little Sun-shine from above a smile from the Face of God this is the sweetness this is the Blessedness Keep close to God and you shall keep the passage clear between Heaven and your Hearts Religion will be like Ephraims Idolatry Hos 8.7 It will be but a dry stalk the Bud will yield no Meat There will be the Labours of it and the Troubles of it but no Meat for your Souls to feed upon longer then you meet with God in your Duties Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Jam. 4.8 Keep close by God and he will keep close to you May be some of you have never yet tasted how Gracious the Lord is nor will you ever be like to do if you set not in closer in his ways Loose Religion will keep you still in the dark and in a weary and uncomfortable State There 's no such way to make Christ's ways pleasant as by keeping constantly in them no such way to make Christs Yoke easie as by holding it close to your Necks it never so galls and wrings as when it hangs loosely on resolve upon strictness and you shall taste the sweetness Hold you in from running out after the Pleasures of the Flesh and the Face of God will be a pleasure to you which the Distemper of a loose and carnal Heart will certainly deprive you of and hinder you from the relish or finding delight therein 3. Listlesness A dull untoward sluggish unactive lifeless temper where the Edge of our Spirits is blunted insomuch that whatever opportunities we have or whatever calls we have to be doing for God or our Souls we have no list to them but through the way-wardness and and untowardness of our hearts we let them slip and either do nothing or nothing to purpose Opportunities are a price put into our hands but by reason of this sluggish listless untoward temper we have no heart to them but became like the Fool Prov. 17.16 In vain is there a price put into the hands of a Fool which hath no heart to it This is a wretched and pernicious Distemper 2. It proceeds from an evil cause From the carnality of our hearts and our unsuitableness to the work of God It is ungrateful and unpleasing work to us our hearts are so contrary to it we had rather be any where then with God we had rather be about any work then the work of our Souls We can be brisk and sprightful about our carnal and earthly employments but for any thing of Religion there we dragg and go heavily on we are all Soul and Life in what we have to do for our Flesh but our hearts hang backward and come but heavily and untowardly on to do any thing for God This is from the little interest that God hath in our Souls and the little affection we bear to him We are yet carnal and that 's the reason we have so little Edge or so little list to spiritual things 2. It is an ill sign What ill sign is it 'T is a sign of want of Grace either that we have no Grace at all or at least are but very low in the Grace of God that our day is yet but a day of small things Where is our Faith in Christ when we are so backward in the work of Faith As Christ sayd Mat. 14.31