Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	good_a	jesus_n	lord_n	6,127	5	3.5800	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09977	Life eternall or, A treatise of the knowledge of the divine essence and attributes Delivered in XVIII. sermons. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, D. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Ball, Thomas, 1589 or 90-1659.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.	1631 (1631)	STC 20231; ESTC S115069	220,964	434

that sinne and will sinne they are told of their particular faults of their idlenesse c. and they are so and will be so still but let them consider that which is spoken in 1 Cor 10.22 Doe we provoke the Lord to jealousie Are we stronger than he He speakes it to them that receive the Sacrament unworthily as if hee should say Both in this and in all other sinnes that you doe commit you doe as it were contend with the great God which is a vaine thing if you consider his greatnesse for are you stronger then he So Psal. 90. Who knowes the power of his wrath And so should we doe in regard of his goodnesse Hos 3. vlt Men shall feare his goodnesse that is if his goodnesse be so great and infinite as himselfe then the losse of it is a losse above all things in the world Whatsoever is precious to us that we feare the losse of as our liberties and lives and as things are more precious to us the more we feare the losse of them Now the goodnesse of God is greater than all other things it is beyond all these as having all these in it therfore wee are to feare the losse of it as the greatest evill in the world Therefore if we could see the extension of his wrath and goodnesse the losse of the one would be the greatest losse and the other the greatest crosse the enjoying of the one the greatest good and the 〈◊〉 of the other the greatest evill in the world and the consideration of this would helpe us to guide our hopes and feares aright for a great cause of misleading us in our wayes are the vaine hopes and feares that we are subject to we feare the losse of friends and losse of lives and liberties but these in comparison are not to be feared This use Christ makes of it Feare not those that can kill the body but feare the great God that can destroy both body and soule The greatnes of his wrath wee should feare as the greatest evill and his goodnesse as the chiefest good and our thoughts and intentions being taken up about these two it would set our hopes and feares aright and worldly things as credit and profit c. would seeme nothing to us and prevaile nothing with us Vse 3 If GOD be so exceeding great then there is no love enough no affection no desire answerable to him If our love were perfect yet it could not reach to him whose greatnesse doth farre exceede it but being imperfect as it is it falls exceeding short of him Therefore let no man feare that he can goe too farre that there can be too much holinesse and strictnesse in our wayes but let him remember the great GOD of heaven and earth and what is due to him and then thinke how farre thou fallest short of that which thou shouldest doe to him It is an expression of CHRIST Luke 14.26 Mat. 10.37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me That which I would have observed out of these places is He is not worthy of me that is if men considered my greatnesse and excellency they would easily see me worthy of more love than this of friends and except you can doe so except you can prize my love above these things yea even hate them all if they come into competition with me you are not worthy of me Consider therefore how much love he is worthy of and see if there be not reason for the commandement where we are commanded to love the Lord with all our strength that is if you would love God with that love that he is worthy of you would love God with all your strength that is whatsoever strength a man hath his love should put it forth to doe service to God If a man be rich he is able to doe more for God than a poore man if he be a Magistrate he can doe more than a private man if he hath learning and knowledge he hath much more strength than another now the improvement of these to the glory of God this is to love him with all our strength And if you consider how great a God he is you will see great reason why you should love him thus with all your strength Therefore we should check our selves when we see the dulnesse of our hearts how ready and how apt wee are to bestow our love upon any besides him we should observe all those riverets wherein our love goes out and runnes to other things and bring them backe againe into the right channell For if you consider the greatnesse of God you will see that there is no love to spare Object But may wee not love him and love other things also Answ. You cannot with an ordinate but with a subordinate love you may that is you cannot love him and the world for they are opposed 1 Iohn 2.15 Love not the world neither the things of the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him So Iam. 4.4 Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is an enemy to God All our love must be bestowed upon him as most worthy of it there is not one particle to be bestowed upon any other thing But then hee gives us our love againe and then we may disperse it here and there As for example he hath commanded hee to love father and mother and friends and the ground that thou hast to doe it is because he hath commanded thee and gives thee leave to it So he hath given thee leave to love recreations and other things that are sutable to our desires but you must remember that the end is that you may be made more serviceable to him to quicken and strengthen you to doe his service and thus it may be bestowed upon other things But that which we have in hand and commend to your consideration is this that if he be so exceeding great in goodnes that therefore he deserves thy whole love 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha Paul comes with indignation considering the great good that Iesus Christ had done for us if any man love not him he is worthy to perish let him be accursed even to death I say if we consider the greatnesse that is in him you shall see some reason for that curse that indignation of the Apostle whereby hee expresseth it and so farre as wee fall short we should goe to Christ and beseech him to make it up that our defects may be supplied and that we may be accepted in him Vse 4 Againe If he be so great then wee should learne to reverence to him to come before him with much feare when wee performe any duty to him According as a man is great so wee feare him This use is made of it in Mal.

all men Such ingenuous simplicitie lodged in depth of wisedome Holinesse of life so set in honour and esteeme and immoveably settled with evennesse of vvalking in midst of all vanities Such humilitie in height of parts gratiousnesse of heart in greatnesse of minde So rare fixt and happy a conjunction in an house so eminent doth not fall out without a generall observation To your Name and Honour therefore wee present it most Noble LORD as the last Legacie bequeathed by him to the Church as a pledge of our service and a counterpane of your Lordships most raysed thoughts and resolutions And likewise unto others as honoured vvith your Lordships name that those vvho studie either men or bookes may reade these SERMONS together with your Lordships VERTVES each as the coppie of the other to invite them to the imitation of the same And that the VVorld which like that Indian Monarch accounts such true Pictures of the beauty of Holinesse as this to bee but counterfeit because not tawnie like their owne and looke upon so high Principles of Godlinesse as emptie notions raised up by art and fancie to make a shew may see and know in you the true reall uniform subsistence of them and that God hath indeede some such living walking Patternes of his owne Great Holinesse and more transcendent Graces VVhich Graces Hee who is the God of all Grace increase and perfect in your Lordship here that hereafter you may be filled with all the fulnesse of him So pray Your Honours ever to be commanded THOMAS GOODWIN THOMAS BALL THat there is a God proved Page 5 1 By the Creation Ibid. By the law written in mens hearts Page 13 By the Soule of man Page 15 VSE 1. To strengthen faith in this Principle Page 22 VSE 2. What consequences to draw hence Page 28 Objections against this Principle Page 30 2 That there is a God proved by faith Page 19.45 The Scripture proved true by foure things Page 48 VSE 3. To confirme us in this Principle Page 61 Difference in the assent of men to this Page 62 4 Meanes to confirme our Faith in this Page 68 Three Effects of a firme assent to this Principle Page 70 3 That there is no other God but GOD. Page 75 Five Arguments to prove that there is no other God Page 76 The gods and religion of the Heathens false proved three wayes Page 80 Religion of Mahomet false Page 82 VSE 1. To beleeve that our God is God alone and to cleave to him Page 85 VSE 2. To comfort us in this that God will shew himselfe the true GOD in raising the Churches Page 87 VSE 3. To keepe our hearts from Idolatrie Page 88 Three grounds of Idolatrie Page 89 What God is Page 94 Doctrine God only and properly hath being in him Page 97 What the being of God is explained in five things Ibid. VSE 1. There is something in Gods Essence not to be inquired into Page 100 VSE 2. To strengthen our faith and incourage us in wants and crosses Page 103 VSE 3. To give God the praise of his being Page 112 VSE 4. To learne the vanitie of the creatures and the remedie against it Page 116 Attributes of God of two sorts Page 119 The First ATTRIBVTE The perfection of God Page 120 Five differēces between the perfection of God and the creatures Page 121 VSE 1. All that wee doe cannot reach to God to merit Page 123 VSE 2. To see the freenesse of Gods grace Page 125 VSE 3. To goe to God with faith though wee have no worth in us Ibid. VSE 4. God hath no need of any creature Page 126 VSE 5. Though many perish it is nothing to God he is perfect Page 127 VSE 6. Gods commands are for our good hee is perfect Ibid. VSE 7. To give God the honour of his perfection Page 129 Foure signes of exalting Gods perfection Ibid. The creatures of themselves can doe nothing for us in three respects Page 137 The Second ATTRIBVTE God without all causes Page 140 Reason 1. Else something should bee before him Ibid. Reason 2. That which hath a part receiveth it from the whole Page 141 Reason 3. All other things have a possibility not to bee Page 142 VSE 1. God wills not things because they are just but they are just because he wills them Page 143 VSE 2. God may doe all things for himselfe and his owne glorie Page 144 VSE 3. We should doe nothing for our owne ends but for God Page 146 Eight signes to know whether a man make God or himselfe his end Page 148 The Third ATTRIBVTE Doctrine God is eternall Page 156 Five things required in Eternitie Page 157 Reasons why God must be Eternall Page 158 Foure differences betweene the Eternitie of God and the duration of the creatures Page 159 Consect 1. God possesseth all things together Page 159 Consect 2. Eternitie maketh things infinitely good or evill Page 160 VSE 1. To minde more things Eternall Page 161 Motives to consider Eternity Page 167 VSE 2. Not to be offended with Gods delaying he hath time enough to performe his promises being Eternall Page 168 VSE 3. To consider Gods love and enmitie are eternall Page 171 VSE 4. To comfort us against mutabilitie of things below Page 172 VSE 5. God is Lord of time Page 174 PART II. The Fourth ATTRIBVTE God is a SPIRIT Page 2 Foure properties of a Spirit Ibid. VSE 1. Gods eye chiefly on our spirits therefore they must be kept fit for communion with him Page 4 How to fit our spirits for communion with God Page 6 Directions for cleansing the spirit Page 10 VSE 2. Gods government chiefly on the spirits of men Page 25 Proved by 3 Demonstrations Page 28 VSE 3. To worship God in spirit Page 32 Which consists in three things Page 33 What necessity of the gestures of the bodie in Gods service Page 38 How to conceive of God in prayer Page 44 The Simplicitie of GOD. Gods simplicity proved by sixe reasons Page 48 Consec 1. To see what a stable foundation faith hath Page 51 Consec 2. God cannot be hindred in his workes Page 52 Consec 3. The Attributes of God are equall Page 53 VSE 1. To labour to bee content in a simple condition Page 54 VSE 2. To labour for singlenesse of heart Page 59 Two things in simplicitie Page 60 VSE 3. To goe to God rather than to the creatures Page 67 The Fifth ATTRIBVTE Gods immutability Page 72 Five Reasons of Gods immutability Page 73 Two Objections against Gods immutability Page 76 Consec 1. How to understand severall places of Scripture Page 78 Consec 2. Love and hatred in God eternall Ibid. VSE 1. Take heede of provoking him to cast us off Page 80 The time of Gods casting off a man unknowne Page 83 VSE 2. Gods gifts and calling without repentance Page 84 How to know vvee are in Covenant vvith God Page 85 The unchangeablenesse of God takes not away endevour Page 93 The occasion end and

the waters move though the ship stand still there is motion but God stands still and all things stand still to him likewise Doe not wonder therefore that the Churches lye so long in misery that the injuries of the Saints are so long unrevenged doe not accuse God doe not mistake him doe not thinke amisse of him doe not thinke that hee is forgetfull and doth not remember that hee is slacke and doth not regard that hee cannot or will not helpe Beloved it is not so you shall see the very same use made of it 2 Pet. 3. if you compare vers 4 and 8 9. together In the latter dayes there shall come scoffers c. saying where is the promise of his comming for since the Fathers fell asleepe all things continue as they were from the creation vers 8 9. But be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the LORD as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day The LORD is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is long suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance It is not slacknesse in God For saith the Apostle a thousand yeares with him are as one day We thinke it a great matter that the Church should lye so long and cry How long LORD and yet no remedie saith the Apostle thinke not much at it For a thousand yeares with him are but as one day Vse 3 If God be eternall then consider with whom you have to doe even with him whose love and enmity are eternall with him whose soveraignty and power is eternall if a man be angry we regard it the lesse if we know it is but for a fit but consider what it is to have to do with him whose love and enmitie are eternall Therefore learne not to regard men as wee doe but to regard the Lord only and that in these three respects 1 Learne to trust the Lord and not man for God is an everlasting refuge Psal. 146.3 4. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man in whom there is no helpe c. that which they can doe for you is but for this life at most trust in him that is able to defend you for all eternitie for he that made heaven and earth hee continues for ever This use you have made of it in Psa. 90.1 LORD thou hast beene our habitation for ever and ever as if hee should say Lord thou wast an habitation that is a refuge as our house is to the Churches thou wast so in Abrahams time in Pharaohs time Consider that God is not onely an habitation to his Church from generation to generation but also from everlasting to everlasting 2 Learne from hence likewise to feare him feare him that can cast body and soule into hell for ever his eternity should make us to feare him Feare not man Isai. 5.13 14. Why because he is of short continuance and if he can do you any hurt it is but for a short time for he shall be made as the grasse but feare the Almighty GOD who laid the heavens and stretched the foundations of the earth Vse the Lords arguments they are the arguments that can work on the soule it is the holy Ghosts argument why we should feare him because he is eternall as the opposition in that place shewes 3 Labour to serve him 1 Ioh. 2.17 The world passeth away and the lusts thereof but hee that doth the will of the LORD abides for ever that is the world cannot make you to abide for ever it passeth away if you fulfill the lusts thereof if you fulfill your owne will you are not able to continue your selves but you will passe away what should wee doe then why fulfill the will of the Lord consider what he would have you doe and so you shall abide for ever Vse 4 If God be eternall then we should learne hence to comfort our selves when we looke upon the mutabilitie that we and all creatures are subject unto in this vale of misery it is a thing that may comfort us exceeding much if wee serve him who is constant without change who is eternall that can make up the changes that we are subject unto it is the use that is made of it in Psal. 102.11 12. My dayes are like a shadow that declineth and I am withered like grasse but thou O LORD shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance unto all generations Why doth he put these two together thus my shadow and Gods enduring for ever c. as if he should say this is my comfort that though I am of short continuance yet God with whom I shall live for ever hee is eternall and abides for ever It is as if the beame should reason thus though I am brickle and fading yet the Sun that maintaines me abides for ever or if the streame should reason thus though I may be dried up in Summer yet the fountaine that maintaines me continues for ever So though men be subject to change yet the Lord that maintains them is immutable and abides for ever You that have the life of Christ in you have the beginning of this eternity and though the old building be pulled downe yet you have a building not made with hands eternall in the heavens even as when one skin fals off another comes on and what though the outward man perish yet the inward man growes daily more and more till it come to perfection This is not only a comfort to us but also it is a great motive and we should use it as a great argument to God that because we are subject to change yet because hee is immutable therefore he should helpe us Psal. 102.26 27. The heavens shall wax old as doth a garment but thou endurest for ever and ever therefore cast me not off in the midst of my dayes as if he should say Lord thou hast Time enough to bestow thou art full of eternitie the heavens that seeme to be of long continuance yet are nothing to thee therefore I pray thee to fill up my wants and make me eternall with thee so because thou inhabitest eternity therefore comfort mee Isai. 57.15 Seeing God is eternall learne hence to know that he is the Lord of all Time Vse 5 Doe not thou looke upon Time as belonging to thee but to him he overflowes all it is the phrase used in Psal. 90.5 Thou carriest them away as with a floud they are as sheepe c. that is all times are subject to him he over-reaches them and makes them long or short as it pleaseth him he is not only in himselfe eternall but hee is the lord of all and hee disposeth all times and appoints the seasons to every thing if hee be thus then take heed of looking upon future times as thine owne thou breakest in now upon the Lords

contrary Therefore in 2 Tim. 4.22 Paul prayes The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirit as if hee should say this is the greatest mercy that I can wish thee and the greatest good that God can doe thee and therefore he wisheth God to be with his spirit Now to set on this point a little further and to make this plaine to you you shall see it in these three things 1. Because all other things as riches poverty health sicknesse c. he dispenseth these promiscuously so he gives riches to wicked men c. because as it is Eccles. 9.1 His love or hatred cannot be knowne by these things Whence I reason thus That wherein the love and hatred of God is most seene therein his providence chiefly exerciseth it selfe but in the fashioning of the spirits of men there and there chiefly is his providence seene for other things come alike to men to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not 2. The disposing of other things is much in the power of men A Prince or a man hath power to kill or to save he can give riches and honor and take them away at his pleasure But to rule the spirits to compose and guide the apprehensions and affections of the soule that belongs to God alone a man is no more able to doe it than to rule the raging sea For as it is proper to God alone to compose the winde and to rule the waves so it is proper to him alone to rule the turbulent affections to compose and guide them If there be any disordered affection in the heart as an immoderate love of any thing or an impatient desire to any thing who is able to remove it but the Lord who is a Spirit So who can implant holy affections in thee but he alone as for example to thinke a good thought a man cannot do it without him who is the Father of spirits so to perswade a man no man can doe it it must be the Lord as Noah saith God shall perswade Laphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. So to see the hainousnesse of sinne and the evill of it no man can doe it but by the spirit of God as it is said Iohn 16.9 The Spirit convinceth men of Sinne. So to wil this or that which is good it is he that workes both the will and the deed A man cannot choose but bee swallowed vp with worldly griefe except God keepe him he cannot chose but feare the face of man except God assist him for this is one of Gods prerogatives royall to rule in the affections and apprehension of men 3 Because the guiding of a mans spirit is of the greatest consequence of all other things else Now God is a wise commander and therefore he will not exert and put forth his power but in things of greatest moment but the guiding of our affections is all in all to us For in a mans outward estate what things soever befall him all are nothing but what his apprehension is of them and how he is affected to them makes them crosses or comforts if a mans spirit be whole the greatest crosse is nothing and the least is intolerable if his spirit be broken As againe what are all pleasant things if a man hath not a heart to apprehend them As to Paul what was all his persecution as long as his spirit was whole within him he carried it out well and what was Paradise to Adam and a kingdome to Ahab when their spirit was broken It is the apprehension that makes every thing to a man heavy or unheavy pleasant or unpleasant sweete or sower and therefore this is the use to be made of it to behold Gods providence cheifely on our spirits and not onely in our owne spirits but what he doth vpon the spirits of others also It is a thing we stumble at when we see a wicked man prosper and carry all things in the world before him we should not say where is Gods providence and the truth of his promise but see what he doth upon the spirit of that man If thou seest such a man more malicious to the Church and children of God growing more carnall and abominable in his courses therein is Gods curse seene more than in all the dispensation of outward curses for that treasure of sinne which he layes up for himselfe will draw on a treasure of wrath which will be executed in due season Therefore beholde your spirits alwayes and Gods providence upon them Lament 3.65 Give them sorrow of heart thy curse upon them the words signifie which is thy curse upon them Therefore if you see an obstinate heart in a man that is the greatest curse of all As in receiving the Sacrament there wee doe pronounce a curse to him that receives it unworthily and prophanes the Lords body but it may be he goes on and sees it not but now looke upon his spirit and see how GOD deales with that whether his heart doth not grow harder and more obdurate which is the greatest curse You may observe this every where If thou seest one that hath a vaine and idle spirit that cannot studie that cannot pray that cannot choose but be carried away by an unruly lust to this or that thing believe it this is a greater judgement than all the diseases in the world than all shame and disgrace that wee account so much of than poverty and crosses as it is the greatest mercy on the other side when a man is able to serve GOD with an upright heart and to be sincere in all his carriage Thus it is with men and this thou shouldest observe in thy selfe also from day to day Let us not observe so much what accidents befall us what good is done to us or what crosses wee have it is true indeed GOD is seene in all these things but chiefly looke what GOD hath done to our spirit what composing of minde or what turbulency of affections or what quietnesse what patience or what impatience and for this be chiefly humbled or be chiefly thankfull for to take away from Christ the praise of sanctification is as much as to take away the praise of his redemption Herein thou shalt see his love or hatred manifested to thee his greatest judgement shewed to thee or his greatest mercies The Third Vse is that which the Scripture makes of it Iohn 4 24. If God be a Spirit then worship him in Spirit and truth What it is to worship God in spirit and truth you shall see if you compare this place with that in Rom. 1.9 For God is my witnesse whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospell of his Sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers The meaning of it is this When Paul had taken a solemne asseveration GOD is my witnesse c. doe not thinke saith hee that I have done this feignedly I am no such man

Therefore if this be the cause of it there is no way to helpe it but to get this corruption mortified to be cleansed from all pollution of flesh and spirit as much as may be Take a man that sayes hee will amend his course that intends to be diligent in his calling and thinkes not to turne to such evill courses but to serve God with a perfect heart observe now what is the reason that this man breakes his purposes and falls off againe it is because there is some strong lust that comes like a gust of a contrary winde and breakes him off from his course Therefore the first way is to cleanse thy heart if thou wilt be constant The second cause of unconstancy is weakenesse if a man were free from that inward corruption yet weakenesse would make a man to bee unconstant so much weakenesse so much unconstancy and so much strength as a man hath so much constancy he hath For what is the reason that man is so fickle Because the banks of his resolution are so weak to hold out against temptations when they assault him he giues over because he is not able to resist them And this ground I take out of 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not repent for he is not as man that hee should repent By repenting is meant a change now you see the reason given why the Lord is not subject to change he is the strength of Israell For you shall allwayes finde in the Scripture that such attributes are given to GOD according to the nature of the worke that he hath in hand Now the reason why the Lord will not repent is because he is strong To make this appeare to you you must know that three things must concurre to make a resolution strong First there must bee some reason that must move him Secondly there must bee an inclination of the will to it Thirdly It must be often renewed First I say there must be some reason that must move him but if that were all he would not resolue therefore hee must have an inclination of the will to it both these when they concurre they make the resolution up when the understanding is convinced and the will inclined the understanding saith there is reason for it and the will saith it is good then this makes up the resolution As first when a man hath any reason to move him to any action and it is a strong reason so that hee answers all objections that hee meets with now the resolution continues firme but if his reasons be not sufficient but he meete with objections that are stronger then the first principle being taken away the resolution growes flaggy and weake And so is it in the other also when a man hath a desire to any thing if it be so strong that nothing is stronger then it that can overtop and over-rule it then he goes on without any impediment but if it bee weake so that a stronger desire can come and overballance it then the second principle is demolished and there is an end of this resolution So that let the reason on which wee fixe it bee strong and let the inclination which must concurre be fix't and strong and then the resolution will be accordidg But I adde the third that there must be a renewing of this for though the resolution bee well built yet to make it constant it must still be renewed For there are some workes which must have a third and fourth hand to goe over them or else they will fall and moulder away And this is the nature of our resolution also it is not the resolution of a day or two that will serue the turne for the nature of man is subject to such weakenesse that except our resolutions bee gone over and over againe they shrinke and come to nothing Therefore the thing that caseth unconstancy is one of these three either weakenesse of reason that sets thee on worke or weakenesse of the inclination and desire or else not renewing of this Now when you have found out the causes of weaknesse you may easily finde out the meanes to make you resolute in well doing As First Labour to get strong reasons for what you resolve on The want of this was the cause of the mutability of the second ground It wanted depth of earth that is the seed was good and the earth was good but it was not deepe enough and the strength of the Sunne caused it to wither away So when we shall have good purposes and resolutions and they have not root inough that is when he hath not well examined the thing so as to bee fully convinced of the thing that he undertakes he is apt to be inconstant in it And this was the reason of Eves inconstancy because shee considered not the bottome that she was built upon On the other side the Woman of Canaan when she had fixed her faith upon a good ground she would not be beaten off though she could not answer the objection yet she would not bee plucked off Thou art the Messias and therefore thou wilt shew mercy and then she had neede of mercy for her daughter was sicke and weake and therefore she would not be driven off shee would take no deniall So is it with all our resolutions when they have this depth of earth Therefore the best way is to consider and forecast the worst So our Saviour counselleth to suspect the worst How canst thou that hast but two hundred goe against him that hath a thousand so is it in this case When you shall undertake a good course and you goe out but with weake reasons if Sathan or a lust come and object stronger reasons this will make thee give out Therefore the best way is to forecast the worst and to outbid the Devill in every temptation Therefore when hee shall come and say that thou shalt have favour with men say to him that the favour of GOD is better if he shall tell thee of riches and wealth say that thou shalt have a treasure in heaven if hee say to thee that thou shalt have rest and pleasure in sinne say to him that the peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost is farre beyond that rest and pleasure whatsoever it be So in all the temptations one the other hand it is good to ponder them well that wee may bee able to outbid him therein Whatsoever he doth object it is one of these two either some good that thou shalt have or some evill Now consider that as the love and favour of GOD is a greater good then all the world can give thee So his wrath is a greater evill than any the world can doe to thee Secondly If thou wouldest have thy resolution strong to breake through all impediments labour to get vehement desires to over-toppe all other that whatsoever comes yet this may overballance them Quest. But how shall I come to get such a