Yet how many professors are there in our dayes who though they pretend much love to Christ yet by their practice it appears that their love of riches is greater and stronger than their love of him 1. For how are their thoughts more upon the World and the things thereof than on Christ No sooner are they awake from their sleep but the World presently takes possession of their hearts and their thoughts are upon their estate how they may encrease the same and that with unwearied care and labour when every little that is done for Christ is a weariness to them 2. How do their discourses run out more upon their riches than on Christ Yea with what freedom and delight do they talk of their wealth and of the means of getting and increasing the same And scarce a word of Christ all the day long Which doth clearly discover the covetousness which lyeth in their hearts for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh As the door-keeper said unto Peter Thou art surely of Galilee for thy speech bewrayeth thee So whosoever shall make the World the whole matter and subject of his discourse it may be truly said of him He is a Citizen of the World for his speech bewrayeth him 3. How eager and keen are their desires after the riches of this World or at least after a further portion and provision for themselves Wives and Children 4. How do they toyle and labour spending their sweat and strength in seeking after riches thinking no care and study too much nor pains too great for encreasing their wealth and store How do they rise earlyer for their Worldly businesses than for their Prayers or any spiritual exercises 5. How do they suffer the World to take up so much of their precious time that they can scarce find any leisure either for closet devotions or family Prayers but make their Religion give place to their Worldly businesses And when at any time they fall upon the performance of holy duties how are their hearts in that very time taken up with Worldly thoughts and imaginations So that insteed of conversing with God in his holy Ordinances and enjoying communion with him therein they converse with the World and hold communion with the Devil O what a shame is it for such as are brought out of darkness into marvelous light having their understandings inlightned with the knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ and are able to discern the mysteries of Godliness that they should set their hearts and affections upon base and transitory things that they should lay out themselves so much in the pursuit of them and never think they have laid up sufficient of these earthly treasures What a shame is it for such as profess themselves the Sons of God to live like Sons of men as if their portion and happiness were only in this life That they who profess themselves Heirs to an Heavenly inheritance should so much dote upon earthly things what a shame is it for such as have reasonable souls capable of an everlasting life and of communion with God both here and hereafter should so far debase their natures as to live like Moles and Worms in the Earth and to root like Swine in mudd and dung Oh how doth it concern you daily to humble your selves for this sin and to loath and abhorr it and watch against it for the time to come For as every evill is to be abhorred so especially such as are disgracefull to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to the Religion which you profess Let us all therefore who have given our names unto Christ labour to mortifie this sin in us Let us use this World and the things thereof as if we used them not neither in our judgements esteeming nor in our hearts affecting nor in our practice seeking them before spiritual grace and Heavenly glory That we may be the better quickned up thereunto let us oft consider the manifold mischiefs that do usually follow and accompany this sin of covetousness I. It is the Root of all Evil. There is no evil which a covetous man will forbear his covetousness will put him upon the acting and committing all manner of sin that will serve his greedy design It will make a man turn the day of Sacred rest into a day of bodily labour It will make him use wicked ballances and deceitfull weights For this they are full of violence and lyes saith the Prophet Micah It oft-times raiseth Warrs and sets the World together by the ears It occasioneth the neglect both of our own and others souls It enticeth us into Hell for the sake of living plentifully on earth It causeth Parents to neglect the souls of their Children and Children to wish the death of their Parents It maketh people to hate their Ministers and Ministers to neglect their People II. Covetousness alienates the soul of man from God and that several wayes as 1. From the thought of God For God is not in all his thoughts When he awakes in the night his mind is wholly taken up with worldly matters without a thought of God or of any good thing When he is following the works of his calling how is he wholly drowned and swallowed up therein 2. It alienates the soul of man from the love of God For if any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him 3. It alienates the soul of man from attending upon God in his Ordinances As you may see in the invited guests in the Parable whose eager desire after the things of this World kept them from coming to the wedding feast III. Covetousness makes a man unthankfull for his present state and condition though in it self an estate very full and comfortable His mind is so much upon what he hath not that he neither takes notice nor tastes the sweetness of what he hath His full vessel in his own apprehension is an empty bottle Finding no contentment in what he hath he is full of murmuring and repining that he hath not what he would have Many a gracious poor man that hath little of this Worlds goods hath oftentimes more satisfaction and contentment in his little than he that hath the greatest earthly revenews in all his abundance IV. Covetousness works the heart to a mean and low esteem of things spiritual and heavenly From such as love the World and the things thereof over-much Christ to be sure hath love little enough Their eyes are so blinded that they see not his beauty and their pallat so distempered that they taste not his sweetness And therefore with Esau preferr a mess of pottage before a birth-right and with the men of Shechem preferr the bramble before the Vine the Olive and the Figg-tree Worldly men preferr these poor empty things the Brambles of the World before Jesus Christ the true and living Vine yea and above the blessed birth-right of Gods new-born Children Covetousness
resolve for Christ resolve for holiness and henceforth bid adieu to all thy vain and sensual wayes which are hastily carrying thee down to that place of darkness from whence there is no redemption CHAP. XI Shewing the miserable and dreadfull condition of the Vnregenereate after the day of Iudgement HAving shewed you the miserable estate of the unregenerate at the day of Judgement I shall proceed to shew you their dreadfull estate after the day of Iudgement Which in general is most cursed and therefore saith our Saviour unto them Depart from me ye cursed That cursed estate is manifest 1. By privation of all felicity 2. By subjection to all misery Which misery is set out 1. By sundry resemblances 2. By the place where they abide 3. By the perpetuity thereof Of these in their order I. The miserable and cursed estate of the unregenerate consists in their privation of all that happiness which believers do enjoy in the presence of God in whose presence there is fulness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore Were there no positive sensible misery this privation of Gods presence were enough if they understood it to make the damneds future estate most accursed to make Hell to be Hell without any other fire For as fulness of joy and pleasure is had by the enjoying of Gods presence so fulness of grief and sorrow doth possess the hearts of all those who are deprived thereof Couldst thou but for one moment be wrapt up into Heaven and see a glimpse of that infinite glory which God hath prepared for all that love and fear him thou wouldst soon acknowledge as much Now I know thou art little affected with the apprehension of loosing Gods presence and all the happiness the godly do enjoy in Heaven But then thine understanding will be more cleared and thine apprehension more enlarged to conceive so much of the glory of that happiness which thou hast lost as will exceedingly increase and aggravate thy misery and torment especially when thou shalt call to mind the fair opportunity which once thou hadst of obtaining that heavenly happiness and on what easie terms it was tendred to thee only upon the abandoning thy lusts and the accepting of Christ for thy Lord and Saviour and thy submitting to his gracious government walking in the wayes of holiness and righteousness It is said of Enoch that he walked with God and it is immediately added that he was no more seen for God took him into his presence If thou in like manner wilt walk before God in the wayes of holiness and righteousness thou shalt be taken up into Heaven with Enoch there to enjoy fulness of happiness in the presence of God with the blessed Saints and Angels to all eternity It is the judgement of many Divines both ancient Fathers and modern Writers that this privation of happiness is the greatest of Hells misery that the pain of loss is greater than the pain of sense I mean the loss of happiness is greater than the positive torments Sure I am that the loss of all that this World affords is not comparable to the loss of the least degree of the future bliss Oh what a foolish and mad bargain art thou now making who art selling such blessedness for bubbles of vanity II. Besides this privation of felicity there is a subjection to all misery Besides the pain of loss there is a pain of sense which the damned endure which is in it self intolerable unutterable and unconceivable It were misery enough to be tormented with the gout collick stone tooth-ache or the like but should all these together with the most exquisite tortures that the wit of man could invent meet together in one man at one instant yet would they come infinitely short of these All pains and torments all racks and tortures whatsoever which men are capable of suffering here are but sparks in comparison of the flames of Gods wrath and flea-bits to the stings and scorpions beneath where there is torment without ease sorrow without solace darkness without light horrour without comfort justice without mercy wrath without pitty misery without end There are no sorrows like to the sorrows of the damned wherewith the Lord afflicteth them in the day of his fierce wrath when he will pour out all the Vials of his fury upon them and will make them at once to pay for all the wrongs they have done to his name for the contempt of his mercy their affronts to his justice for the abuse of his patience and long-suffering for their mispent time for their swearing and cursing for theâ—â— whoring and drinking for their prophaning his Sabbaths for their hating and persecuting his people Oh! What weeping and wailing what sighing and groaning what cursing and banning will there then be heard The extremity of the torments of hell further appeareth in this that they are universal Not only this or that part of thy body shall be tortured and tormented but every part and member thereof As all have joyned in sin so must they all partake of the torment Thy wanton eyes which were wont to please themselves in beholding beautiful objects shall then see nothing but what is dreadful and terrible If thou look above thee what canst thou behold but an angry judge and Saints and Angels whose bright beauty will make thy deformity more ugly and loathsome If thou look beneath thee what canst thou behold but the bottomless pit into which thou art fallen and still falling lower If thou look round about thee what canst thou behold but Devils and hellish furies vexing and tormenting thee Thine ears which took great delight in pleasant songs and melodious sounds shall then hear nothing but cursing and banning howling and blaspheming Thy nostrils which were wont to be filled with sweet perfumes shall then be filled with the noysome stench of fire and brimstone Thy throat which was too much delighted with strong drink even to excess or was an open Sepulchre to give vent to the filth of thine heart shall then be parched with unquenchable thirst so that with Dives thou wouldst give a World if thou hadst it for one drop of water to asswage thy thirst and canst not obtain it The pain which men here endure is for the most part particular some pained in their head some in their back and some in their feet And some of these pains are oft-times so extream as thou wouldst not willingly undergo them to gain a World But for a man to be tortured and tormented in every part and member of his body at once must needs be very grievous which is the condition of all the damned in Hell By this you may a little conceive the extremity of their torments But if I had the tongue of Men and Angels I could not express it to the full For as in Heaven there is such a fulness of joy as the heart of man is not able to conceive much less the
prophane men to be uncomfortable because all the causes of uncomfortableness are found on them as guilt of sin death in sin enmity against God alienation from Christ and therefore lyableness to all judgements and plagues here and to eternal death and condemnation hereafter Surely if carnal men understood themselves throughly they would find all both within and without them like Ezekiels roul nothing but lamentation mourning and woe CHAP. XVII The second branch of the Vse of Exhortation unto the Regenerate HAving done with the first branch of the Use of Exhortation unto the Unregenerate Come we now unto the second which concerneth the Regenerate and consisteth of divers heads 1. Admire and adore Gods special mercy and goodness in thy Regeneration Let thine heart be ravished with the consideration of his love to thee in Christ Jesus the bottom whereof cannot be fathomed by any Angel in Heaven And therefore well maist thou cry out Oh the heighth and the depth the length and the breadth of the love of God unto thy soul If David upon the consideration of the goodness of God to man in his Creation cryed out so affectionately Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Surely upon the consideration of Gods mercy unto thy soul in this work of new Creation hast not thou cause to say the like Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Lord what am I among the Sons of men that thou shouldest have respect to me That the Lord should pluck thee as a brand out of the fire that he should take thee into his special grace and favour when he left many millions of Men and Women to perish in their sins that he should make thee an heir of Heaven when he left so many to be fire-brands of hell that thy nature should be renewed and sanctified when others are left in their filth and pollution hast not thou unspeakable cause to sit down and admire the freeness of Gods grace and riches of his mercy towards thee Surely nothing but free Grace hath put this honour upon thee and put such a difference between thee and others For what did God see more in thee than in others to move him to set his special love on thee Oh cast thine eyes round about thee look upon thy neighbours who live under the same Ministery partake of the same Ordinances as thou dost and yet never felt the power and sweetness of them in their souls Let the abominable wickedness which thou daily seest in others fill thee with wonder at the loving kindness of the Lord to thee That the dew of his free Grace should fall upon thy soul when the hearts of so many about thee should be dry not having one drop of that dew upon them is not this a mercy to be admired Oh consider it and adore it and say Lord how is it that thou shouldst bestow thy grace on me and deny it to so many who in many respects are better than I That thy heart may be the more raised up in admiration of the mercy and goodness of God unto thee herein take notice of the manifold priviledges which do follow and accompany such as are Regenerated 1. The love and favour of God wherewith they are embraced Love is weighty and falleth downward from Father to Child Yea love in God is as a Fountain and spring-head and the channel or pipe in and through which it runneth is Christ now that spring continually floweth forth through that pipe to every Regenerate person Observe the love of earthly Parents to their Children how great how constant it is withall consider how far God exceeds them in his love even as far as he doth in greatness which is infinitely So as every Regenerate person may with assurance rest on the love of God his Father which cannot be but most sweet to the soul and exceeding comfortable For in Gods fatherly favour consisteth our happiness II. Union with Christ. For Christ is the head and by Regeneration we are his members The Apostle writing to the Corinthians who were born again by the Spirit saith Now are ye the body of Christ and members in particular meaning of the mystical body of Christ. This Union of the Regenerate with Christ is one of the great mysteries of our Christian faith and it is a Mysterie of an unspeakable comfort and consolation For by vertue of our Union with Christ God is our Father Christ is our Brother and our Husband and Head Heaven is our inheritance Angels are our attendants and guardians who are sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation These Angels are those Horses and Chariots of fire which were round about Elisha and which are also round about every member of Christ in all their dangers though they see them not If the eyes of the Regenerate were but opened to see their glorious attendants how would their hearts be comforted and cheered in all their distresses III. Adoption Such as are Regenerated are thereby the adopted Sons of God Whereas by natural propagation they were the children of wrath by this Regeneration they are the Children of grace being translated out of the Family of Satan into Gods own Family and in and through Christ they are made the adopted Sons of God Oh that the Lord would open our eyes to see this priviledge Behold saith St. Iohn what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the Sons of God The Apostle not being able to express the greatness of Gods love to us therein he breaks forth into an admiration thereof And truly well might he say Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us For here is not only love but love to admiration that we vile wretched sinfull creatures who were dead in sins and trespasses enemies to God by wicked works yea and children of wrath as well as others that we should be thus advanced in and by Christ as to be accounted not only servants which is much nor only friends which is more but also Sons and consequently heirs and co-heirs with Christ which is most of all IV. Christian freedom As it is the great unhappiness of the unregenerate that they are in a state of vasalage so it is the great happiness of the regenerate that they are in a state of freedom being freed 1. From Satan Though not from the assaults and temptations of Satan yet from the power of Satan For our Saviour Christ by his death hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devil He hath now broken the Serpents head so that though he may hiss against us yet he cannot sting us though he may assault us yet he cannot overcome us and though he goeth about like a roaring Lion sâ—â—king whom he may devour yet Christ hath him in a
faithfull is he that promiseth We read how under the Law God commanded by Moses concerning him that voweth or promiseth any thing to the Lord that he shall not break his word but shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth And shall the Lord say and not do it Shall he promise and not perform it Surely it is as possible for him not to be as not to keep his word and not to perform what he hath promised Indeed the Lord many times maketh his Children wait long for the accomplishment of his promises Yet he never faileth to be as good as his Word Which duly considered cannot but strengthen our faith in the firm expectation of all good things promised and enable us quietly and contentedly to rest and repose our selves in God for the accomplishment of what he hath promised and not to doubt thereof though he seem long to deferr the performance of them 3. His infinite Wisdom whereby he dispenseth the good things contained in his promises in their fitest time and season whenas they shall make most for his own glory and his Childrens good Farr be it therefore from us to prescribe unto God the time and season for the performance of his promises But let us rather resolve with patience to wait his appointed time and season who is infinite in Wisdom and so knoweth what is best and convenient for us even better than we our selves Thus did the Church Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy upon us Therefore as the Lord speaketh by the Prophet Isay He that believeth shall not make haste because he is assured by faith that though he have not the thing he desireth at his own time yet he shall have it in that time which God in his Wisdom knoweth to be best for him whenas it shall make most for his good II. Consider the good success believers have found upon their living by faith how things have fallen out according to their hope and expectation It is recorded of Abraham that he lived by faith in Gods promise to him of a Son being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform And God accordingly did perform the same unto him Look into the Histories of the Kings of Iudah and Israel and you shall find that according to their trust in God and faith in his promises was their success and deliverance Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them they trusted in thee and were not confounded And saith David of himself The Lord is my strength and my Shield my heart trusted in him and I was helped What an encouragement must this needs be unto us to trust in God and live by faith in his promises Seeing he never failed such Faith in the promises being like the bow of Ionathan and Sword of Saul which never returned empty but allwayes finds what it seeks and enjoyes what it desires III. Take notice of the particular fruits of living by faith recorded in Scripture some whereof are these 1. Protection from things hurtfull Though Daniel was cast into a Den of Lyons yet it is said that no manner of hurt was found in him And this reason is rendred thereof Because he believed in Gods Word by faith relying on his power whom he knew was able to deliver him 2. Provision of needfull good things Therefore the Apostle exhorteth to trust in the living God and that on this ground he giveth us richly all things to enjoy namely all such things as he in his Wisdom seeth to be needfull for us And to set out Gods bounty in providing for such as live by faith in his promises the Wise man faith He that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat that is he shall not only have such a competency as is absolutely necessary to preserve life or to keep body and soul together but also such plenty and abundance as will make him fat and well-liking 3. Comfort in every condition is another fruit of living by faith in Gods promises The promises of God in his Word are the Christians Cordials to cheer up his fainting spirits when he is ready to sink They are his aqua-vitae to revive him when he is ready to swound They are breasts of consolation full of sweet nourishment for the faint and weak They are Sacred and sure Anchors in the tempestuous seasons of trouble and affliction to stay and six believers amidst all tossings whatsoever They are roses that blow in the Winter which with their fragrancy revive drooping and dejected souls in the sad Winter of their desertion when the verdure of all other comforts wither and drop like leaves that are bitten with the frost This David found in his own experience for faith he thy promises are my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickned me Whereas the best of the Worlds comforts are only applicable to some particular condition the comforts of the promises are universal such as agree with every estate and suit every malady and therefore apt to relieve the soul of a believer in every condition though never so sad and disconsolate So that the Christian who lives by faith in Gods promises many times walks more cheerfully under sore fiery troubles than others in the Sun-shine of Worldly prosperity The three Children walked to and fro with more joy in the fiery Furnace than Nebuchadaezzar in his stately Pallace 4. Contentment in our present state and condition is another Fruit of living by faith A Believer is like a dye that hath four squares throw it which way you will it falls upon a bottome Let God cast a Believer into what condition he pleaseth he still falleth upon his bottom of contentment he will be contented with his present state believing it to be ordered by God as in Wisdom so in much mercy and goodness unto him CHAP. XXIV Of Heavenly-mindedness ANother singular duty incumbent upon the Regenerate is to be spiritually minded by a frequent contemplation of spiritual and Heavenly things It is not some few slitting transient thoughts on God or Heaven wherein this duty consists but thoughts resting and fixing on some spiritual subject The truth is the thoughts of all men fly up and down like birds in the aire or chaff in the wind and some of these may light sometimes on God or Heaven but they are soon off and fixed on some worldly matter or some impertinencies or other and therefore cannot denominate a man to be spiritually-minded which is another manner of business than many are aware of It 's a thinking with thought upon thought a reiteration and multiplication of the thoughts of the mind upon God and the things of God and this in order to the affecting the heart deeply with them It is not sufficient to think and think oft of the love and goodness of God but we must labour to get our hearts inflamed
bring in all their strength object what they can either the justice of God or the number and hainousness of my sins what are all these Seeing Christ hath dyed who is he shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect whom shall condemn It is Christ that dyed As if he had said seeing Christ the beloved Son of God hath offered up his life as a Sacrifice and satisfaction to the justice of God for my sins I will not fear the accusations of Satan nor the objections of mine own carnal heart Q. What hath Christ done for our Redemption A. 1. He performed that obedience which we did owe to the Commandments of God 2. He suffered that punishment which was due unto us for our sins The former is called Christs active obedience the latter his passive obedience Christs active obedience was most absolute and perfect for he perfectly performed whatsoever the Law of God did require which himself intimateth in that speech of his to Iohn Baptist Matth. 4.15 It becometh us to fulfill all Righteousness And as we were made unrighteous by the first Adams disobedience So are we made righteous by the obedience of the second Adam Christ Jesus This the Apostle expresly noteth Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience meaning Adams many were made sinners So by the obedience of one namely Christ shall many be made righteous that is all who belong unto him And as Christ subjected himself unto the Law and fulfilled the same for us in our stead whereby he purchased eternal life and salvation for us So likewise he suffered that punishment which was due to us for our sins and thereby redeemed us from death and hell For as the Prophet Isay speaketh Isa. 53.6 The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all that is the punishment due to all our iniquities And verse 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carryed our sorrows The sorrow and anguish that was due to us for our sins he hath born it all and every jot of it And so having made full satisfaction to the justice of God for us we are discharged Therefore saith the Apostle Eph. 1.7 we have redemption through his blood that is through the bloody death and passion of Jesus Christ we are redeemed from all our sins But yet this is not so to be understood as if we were redeemed from the curse by Christs passive obedience and had the inheritance of glory purchased for us by his active obedience separately considered but by his active and passive obedience joyntly considered we are both redeemed from the curse and entitled to glory Q. What offices did Christ undertake to make us partakers of the benefit of that which Christ did and sâ—ffered A. Christ undertook three Offices he became a a King a b Prophet and a c Priest a Act. 5.31 b Deut. 18.18 c Psal. 110.4 Q. What are the parts of Christs Kingly Office A. 1. To govern his Church Christs governing his Church is partly External and partly Internal 1. External by his Word wherein his Laws are revealed And by his Officers and Ministers which he hath appointed to stand in his room to whom he hath committed not only the word of reconciliation but also the power of the Keyes or a power to put his Laws and Orders in execution 2. Christ doth Internally govern his Church by his Spirit whereby he so powerfully works upon them that he makes them willingly to submit to him Q. What other part is there of Christs Kingly Office A. 2. To provide for his Church Christs providing for his Church extends to all things needfull for soul and body even to all spiritual and temporal blessings He provides spiritual blessings for the souls of his members by furnishing them with all needfull saving graces He likewise provides temporal blessings for their bodies so far as he seeth to be good for them The young Lyons do lack and suffer hunger but they that fear the Lord shall not want any good thing Psal. 34.10 Q. What other part is there of Christs Kingly Office A. 3. To protect his Church Christ protects his Church and Members from all enemies Her enemies are Visible and Invisible Her Visible Enemies are all manner of wicked men Her Invisible enemies are the Devil and his Angels Christ either keepeth these enemies from assaulting his Church as Gen. 35.5 or weakneth their power and restraineth it as 2 Sam. 3.1 Or delivereth his out of their clutches as Exod. 14.39 Or destroyeth their enemies as 2 King 19.35 Q What is the chief work of Christs Prophetical Office A. To teach and instruct his Church Q. How doth Christ instruct his Church A. 1. Outwardly by his Word 2. Inwardly by his Spirit First Christ instructs his Church outwardly by making known his Fathers will which he did by his own mouth when he lived upon the earth And by his Ministers after his Ascension into Heaven by their writings and Preaching Obj. Some may Object and say Gods will was made known before Christ was born Ans. 1. It was indeed made known but not so clearly nor so fully as by Christ. It was obscured by Types 2. It was not then made known altogether without Christ. For though Christ of old did not so visibly shew himself a revealer of his Fathers will as after he was born and lived on Earth yet did he reveal Gods will to the Children of men in those dayes For wheresoever God is said to speak the Son of God the second person in the Trinity is there meant And when God is said in any visible shape to appear to men the same person the Son of God appeared Yea that which Angels or Prophets made known to men was first made known to them by the Son of God Act. 7.38 In this respect among others Christ is often called the WORD as Iohn 1.1 c. For as men by word of mouth ordinarily declare their mind and meaning So did God declare his will and mind by his Son 2. Christ instrúcts his Church inwardly by causing his Spirit to work with the outward Ministry which he hath ordained upon the souls of men Christ speaketh now in Ministers as he did in Paul 2 Cor. 13.3 though not in the same measure yet in the same manner Thus in and by those Ordinances which he hath prescribed to his Church he enlightneth the mind mollifieth the heart comforteth the Conscience yea and worketh faith hope love patience new-obedience and all other needfull graces Q. What are the parts of Christs Priestly Office A. 1. Satisfaction 2. Intercession These two were thâ— principal works of the High-Priest under the Law 〈◊〉 did by offering Sacrifice The other by entring into the most holy-place with Incense Both these are joyned together and applyed to Christ Rom. 8.34 Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that ' is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Here we have
with a love unto him again It is not sufficient to think and think often of sin and the misery it hath implunged as in but we must so think thereof as to work our hearts to an hatred of sin and a fear of that wrath of God it hath exposed us and made us lyable to and to a looking after Jesus Christ who alone can free us from the guilt of our sins and from the punishment due unto us for the same This is a work of so great concernment and advantage as none can truly apprehend but such as have made tryal therein David who was a man full of Holy and Heavenly affections was full of Heavenly meditation And from the experience of that abundant sweetness and comfort he found therein doth often in his book of Psalms commend it unto others and pronounceth that man blessed who meditates in the Law of God day and night Let thy soul full often soar aloft upon the wings of divine contemplation Let not any solitary season pass away without some spiritual meditation and conference with thy God Either take a sorrowfull survey of thy manifold sins which may draw from thee as hearty grief for the same so hearty ejaculations for the pardon and forgiveness of them Or take a view of Gods blessings and favours towards thee and let this inlarge and raise up thine heart in praises and thanksgivings unto him Or bath thy self in an admiring commemoration of the meritorious blood of the immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus which was abundantly shed for the washing of thy body and soul from the filthy spots and stains of sin Seriously think what he hath done and suffered for thee how he hath fullfilled the Law and undergone the punishment due to thy sins and now in Heaven maketh intercession for thee by presenting himself an allsufficient Sacrifice unto his Father for thy sins Oh think with thy self what thou must have suffered for thy sins if he had not suffered for them What thou hadst been if he had not redeemed thee even a bondslave of Satan and fire-brand of hell Especially let thy soul full often meditate on the glorious things which the Lord hath reserved in Heaven for such as here do sincerely serve him and obey the Gospel of Iesus Christ. Oh think with thy self what a blessed thing it will be to live in the vision and fruition of God himself in whose presence there is fullness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore As also what an happiness it will be to behold the glorious body of Iesus Christ shining there with such incomprehensible beauty as shall infinitely delight the eyes of the beholders and that to all Eternity without satiety for the longer the Saints behold Christ the more they will be ravished with joy and delight Ponder likewise as on the excellent qualities wherewith thy soul and body shall be adorned in Heaven so on the excellency of that place which is set forth in Scripture by Pearls and precious stones And the more to set off this glory and blessedness oft consider with thy self the deplorable state of the damned in hell who feel nothing for the present but wrath and vengeance and can expect nothing for the future but the fuller Vials of Gods indignation to be powred on them to all Eternity Such considerations as these will serve as notable helps to draw and keep thine heart Heaven-ward and to turn all the streams of thy desires and longings towards the God of glory But oh how many Christians are there who having an hope towards God and some confidence of their interest in things above do notwithstanding converse but very little with them Their thoughts are seldome on Heaven or Heavenly things that notwithstanding all their confidence they may well question whether their treasure be there Consider Reader As before the Lord whether this be not thine own case Thou canst not be ignorant that an heart estranged from Heaven hath little evidence that he hath any part or place therein And wilt thou yet perswade thy self that God is thine when thou carest no more for him Dost thou highly prize an Heavenly mind and account them the best and the happiest Christians that are much in Heaven and yet is it not grievous to thee to find that thou didst never in all thy life it may be or but very seldome fix thy thoughts thereon for a quarter of an hour together but hast many and many a time suffered the Devil to run away with thy thoughts and to detain them on this dunghill below Certainly it were better the Devil had power to run away with thine estate than with thy thoughts and to order their motions at his pleasure Oh the multitude of Worldly and covetous thoughts of wanton and unclean thoughts of proud and ambitious thoughts of wicked and prophane thoughts yea of blaspheamous and atheistical thoughts that lodge in the hearts of most of us and there Revel it day and night Oh the speculative filthiness and contemplative uncleanness that not only harbours but likewise find hearty wellcome and entertainment there Surely friend thou hadst best look to thy self and get thy heart cleared of these evill guests thy vile and vain thoughts drive away these birds of prey and then the thoughts of God will be more familiar and precious to thee That thou maist get up to this Heavenly-mindedness take these directions 1. Humble thy self unfeignedly for thy great strangeness to God and Heaven that thou hast so rarely set thine heart on things above And for the time to come let it be thy special care and endeavour to habituate thy self to Spiritual and Heavenly Meditations frequently to steep thy soul in Heavens delights 2. When thou findest thy mind and thoughts to be ridden by the Devil and carryed away from God lift up thine heart by earnest and fervent prayer unto him who is the Father of Spirits and hath power over Devils and begg of him that as by his permission he hath suffered the unclean Spirit to enter into thee so he would command him speedily to depart from thee that thy mind might be free for its proper work For he only can cast down imaginations and every thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 3. Work thy heart to a perfect detestation of all vain and wicked thoughts that thou maist be able to say with David I hate vain thoughts This will highten thy resolutions to a greater watchfulness against them for the time to come and to use thine utmost endeavour to drive them away so that though they may arise in thine heart yet they may not lodge there And know this for thy comfort that those vain and wicked thoughts which thou dost from thine heart hate and detest shall not be laid to thy charge at the great day of account 4. Above all things keep a watch over