spirit Second Vse by way of Exhortation to all Christians Would you have sweet Support under all your Discouragements and sinking Troubles then stedfastly and fixedly look upon invisible eternal things Labour to live in the believing views and prospects of and in a serious hearty minding and meditating upon invisible eternal things Oh that we could draw off our Thoughts and Affections from visible temporal things and that we could set them upon things above Oh what Peace and Sweetness should we find in our Spirits Q. But how shall we be able to do this A. I. By looking to God in all our Mercies II. By resigning up our Wills to God in all our Miseries III. By aiming at Communion with God and Conformity to him in all our Actions I. Let us look to God in all our Mercies He is the God of our Lives and of all the Comforts of Life The power vertue and comfort of all created good comes from the Created good even GOD alone for in him we live and move and have our being This Health Ease Liberty Relations Rest Sleep that we have and all those comfortable Accommodations that we enjoy are from the Lord. It was truly said of one That many love the Creature in opposition to God Most love it in competition with him and almost All love the Creature in a way of separation from him But more particularly let us labour 1st To look unto and acknowledge with Heart and Tongue that our Heavenly Father in Christ is the Author and Giver of all the Mercies we enjoy When we have Health Ease Liberty Rest or any other Mercy we should look to him from whom they come and to him through whom they come we should eye the hand of a Father the heart and love of a Father and consider also that all these Mercies come to us through the Blood of a Redeemer this will make every morsel every drop and crumb to be sweet and pleasant to us A Dinner of green Herbs Barley-bread and cold Water with the Love of God will be sweet Q. But when shall we know that we have these from the Love of God and with the Love of God Ans Then we may conclude these outward Mercies come from the Love of God to us when we are truly thankful for the least Mercy we receive and are stirred up to love God more and to be more careful to serve please and trust God the more Let us look thorough our visible Comforts to the invisible giver of them and to that eternal Love from whence they come 1 Chron. 29. 12 13 16. It is our great evil that we love the gifts of God for themselves and not for the giver of them if we could see and taste Divine love and goodness in our Relations Health Estate c. Oh how sweet would they be unto us But this is our Folly and Fault we overlook and forget God and look no further than our visible sensible temporal Comforts even when we speak of God with our Mouths our Hearts are but too far from him Our Hearts hang loose from him and lye at too great a distance from him our Hearts are not engaged with Love and Desire and Delight in him nor enlarged after him and so we miss the Comfort and Sweetness which we might find in him To delight in the God of Mercy more than in the Mercies of God is a true Christian frame and an high pitch of Grace and a special way of enjoying sweet Communion with God a thing wholly strange to most and experienced but by few Q. But how shall I know when I do this Ans 1. By real practical hearty acknowledgment and owning God's Propriety in all our Mercies These Relations Friends this Health Ease Liberty Safety c. these are all the Lords as Jacob said Gen. 33. 5. These are the things that the Lord hath graciously given me We should always look on God as the proper owner of us and them and all that we have are but lent to us and we are but Tenants at his will 2. By labouring to draw up our Hearts and Loves to God by those Mercies we receive from God to make them as Cords and Bands of Love to draw our Hearts nearer to God and to bind our Hearts faster and closer to God by them to make those Mercies as steps to raise up our Souls higher towards God in all the ways of obedience and holy confidence we should pant and pray thus Oh that this Creature-comfort may draw my Heart nearer to God and not lye as an Idol between my Heart and God oh that this temporal Blessing may raise my Heart some degrees higher towards God oh that it may help me to advance God more Oh that it may not divide my Heart from God nor make me forgetful of him nor hinder me in my Duty to him but oh that every Mercy I receive from God may endear God to me and engage my Heart more to him Such pantings and breathings of Soul should be in us then we shall enjoy God in our Mercies and then they will be sweet unto us 3. By labouring to use and improve all our Mercies for God our Health Ease Liberty Estate and all for God to lay all out for his Service If we have any Talent let it be improved for God if any Candle of Comfort lighted in our Habitation let it burn for God if any Ease after Pain any Strength after Weakness lay it out for God Let us be thinking and studying what use and service we can put our Mercies to for God Let us spend Time Health Strength and all for God 4. By labouring to be willing to part with all our outward Mercies when God calls for them As we should desire and wish for no Comfort otherwise than as we may have it with the love of God and as it may help us and not hinder us in our way to God so likewise we should not desire the continuance of any outward Comfort any longer than with the Love of God and when he is pleased to call for them willingly to surrender them to him This is not to love any thing above God nor in competition with him nor in separation from him 1 John 2. 14 15. For he that loveth any thing in the world otherwise the love of the Father is not in him And in so doing we evidence that we love the God of Mercies more than the Mercies of God And this way we may enjoy and maintain much sweet communion with God here in this Life namely by our hearty acknowledgment of God our Father in Christ to be the Author of all our Mercies looking to his Love in them owning his Propriety in them all making them as Cords of Love to draw up our Hearts to God using them for God and willing to part with them at his call This is to look to God in all our Mercies Secondly Let us labour to look unto and live upon God
may be poor in this World yet rich in Faith and an Heir of the Kingdom as James 2. 5. and a man may be rich in this World yet poor in Soul and an Heir of Hell as we see in Dives 6. Faith is a powerful a victorious conquering Grace This is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith Stephen was full of Faith and Power Acts 6. 8. The work of faith with power 2 Thess 1. 11. Faith brings all visible temporal things under the Believer's Feet it gives the Believer power to use the World and not to abuse it not seeking Rest and Contentment in it to use it moderately without damage and detriment to the Soul to use it for God's honour it s own spiritual advantage and the good of others and power to keep it out of the Heart Christ dwelling there by Faith to use the World and not losing our Hearts our Peace nor our Consciences in it Faith gives the Soul power to withstand the Threats and Temptations of the World and power to be willing to leave it and to go to a better World Oh the mighty power of Faith and by the Power of this Faith gracious Souls are taken off from those visible temporal things And so much for the Doctrinal Part. The Application follows First for Information If it be the Character and Duty of gracious Souls because visible things are temporal therefore they must not they do not much mind or regard them I. It follows then that Earthly-mindedness worldliness is a great Evil and very unbecoming true Christians for their minds and conversations are it Heaven Phil. 3. 19 20. There is the discriminating Character both of the gracious and ungracious a vast difference between them the one mind Earthly things the otherâ— have their conversation it Heaven Most People look on those things which are seen all seek their own things those that they count their own and those are mostly â—hiefly and principally minded as appears manifestly thus 1. By the stream of their Thoughts which runs steddily upon visible temporal things having vain Minds 2. By the common current of their Discourses their Talk is all of the World 3. By the tide of their Affections Love Joy Fear Sorrow Delight all run strongly Worldâ—â—rd 4. By the course of their Actions their Time Pain Care all is spent about the World rising early going to Bed late eating the Bread of Carefulness and all about the World This is a great Evil because expresly forbidden Matth. 6. 19. Lay not up for your selves treasures on earth Joh. 6. 27. Labour not for that meat which perisheth Col. 3. 2. Set your affections upon things above and not upon things below And this Worldly-mindedness is contrary to the Practice of true Christians as in the Text We look not on those things which are seen So Phil. 3. 20. And it is the Character of such as are in a state of Nature and that cannot please God Rom. 8. 5 8. They that are after the flesh do mind in things of the flesh Such are not crucified to the World but conquered and captivated by it yea crucified by it conquered by the Profits Honours and Pleasures of it and meer Slaves to these and crucified by the Crosses and Losses of the World their Hearts and Spirits lye under the Feet of these and are at the beck of these their Hopes and Comforts lye all at the Courtesie of the World and this is a woful Bondage Remember this we can never conclude that we are truly gracious until we have Grace enough to keep God and our Hearts together and to keep the World and our Hearts asunder 1 John 2. 14 15. Love not the world nor the things of the world for he that loveth the world the love of the Father is not in him Woe to them that have their Portion in this World Psal 17. 14. who have their good things here who have laid up their Treasures upon Earth and there have their Heart That Text Phil. 3. 19. is enough to terrifie aâ— such Their end is destruction who mind earthâ—â— things Inf. II. It follows from the Premises that Contentment with our Condition and with any portion of visible temporal things is a great Virtue and well becoming Christians Discontent proceeds from our over-minding and over-valuing and over-loving earthly things and it is a very great Evil for it practically denies God's All-sufficiency his Wisdom Soveraignty Faithfulness and Mercy it disgraceth the Gospel and Godliness and is in it self a great Plague Q. But how shall I do to be content content to be deprived of my dear Relations Estate Health Liberty c A. Read Mr. Burroughs's Book of Christian Contentment Take also these Directions 1. Labour to make God your own and then you will have a full and sufficient Ballance to all your Losses He is God All-sufficient Weigh well those two Scriptures 1 Sam. 30. 6. 2 Sam. 23. 5. 2. Labour to make Christ your own he offers himself to you in the Gospel with all he is and with all he hath And in him dwelleth all fulness he is all in all Psal 23. 1. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want said David 3. Search the Scriptures and be acquainted with the many exceeding great and precious Promises that are there suitable to every Condition you can be in Act your Faith on them and apply them lye upon and suck those full Breasts of Consolation 4. Pray for Contentment and pray earnestly for the manifestation of God's Love to your Souls and that will so satisfie and content you that any measure of earthly things will content you 5. Be much in Heavenly Meditations look upon invisible and eternal things spend serious frequent fixed Thoughts on them 6. Consider your Deserts No person in the World how little soever he hath of the good things of the World but hath much more than he deserveth and more than he doth well improve and how much soever he hath of the evil things of the World he hath infinitely less than he deserved for every thing out of Hell is a Mercy It 's of the Lord's Mercy we are not consumed 7. Consider if you be true Christians you have the Spirit of Christ in you Rom. 8. 9. Jesus Christ had a most contented Spirit Contentment is the inseparable Companion of true Godliness 1 Tim. 6. 8. Having food and raiment let us be content Let us that are Christians who have the Great GOD for our Portion and Blessed Jesus for our Treasure and Heaven for our Inheritance having Food and Raiment any Food any Raiment though never so coarse let us be content content with such things as we have Heb. 13. 5. Inf. III. Thirdly hence it follows also that great is the Folly of all by Nature and great is their Blindness which appears in this that they value prize mind and follow after visible temporal things much more eagerly and earnestly than after invisible eternal things
heed that our hearts be not at any time over-charged with the Cares of this Life but let us labour to keep the World and our Hearts asunder for those things that are visible and temporal will darken our sight of God if we let them into our hearts and they will drive God out of our hearts if we entertain the inordinate love of them Covetousness is Idolatry because it sets up the Creature for a God in the Heart 1 John 2. 14 15. He that loveth the world the love of the Father is not in him Keep a strong Watch then against this present evil World and suffer it not to get into your Hearts if you will maintain your Communion with God in Christ 5ly Be much in the acting of Faith Love Hope Joy in the Lord Be much in praising God By the exercises of these graces we enjoy God and God communicates himself to us Oh labour to live in the lively exercise of Faith Christ dwells in the Heart by Faith Eph. 3. 17. Gal. 2. 20. Labour to believe the Love of God in Christ to your Souls in giving his Son to be a Sin-offering for us John 3. 16. 2 Cor. 5. 21. And this believing it will warm and enflame your Hearts with Love to God again and so you may enjoy much sweet Communion with God and Christ John 14. 21 23. In the Actings of our Love to God we shall meet with more Manifestations of God's Love to us Where and when we open our Hearts to God and Christ and give them our Loves there and then will God and Christ open their Hearts to us and give us their Loves Cant. 1. 2 3. Cant. 7. 10 11. There is a mutual Manifestation of Love to each other no Love is lost between Christ and his Spouse If any man open to me saith Christ I will come in unto him and sup with him and he with me Rev. 3. 18. Now by the exercise of Faith and Love we open to Christ he is always ready to come in Open your everlasting doors that the king of glory may come in Ps 24. 6ly Be very watchful Watch and keep your hearts with all diligence Prov. 4. 23. Take heed let not the World nor Vain Thoughts lodge there Take heed of wandring from God watch your words watch your steps take heed grieve not quench not resist not the Holy Spirit for by him God communicates himself to your Souls carefully observe all his Motions and still beg his assistance in all your Duties and rest upon his Aid without which you can do nothing 7ly And lastly If we would maintain our Communion with God which is our Heaven upon Earth we must look well to our whole Conversation that that be ordered aright for to such God will shew his salvation Psal 50. 23. God looks for a well-order'd Conversation a Life order'd by the Rule of his Word setting narrow Steps to our Feet looking straight on not turning aside to the right or left hand Prov. 4. 25 26 27. nor wickedly departing from his way Psal 18. 21 22 23. but to be righteons just honest saithful upright charitable in all our dealings with Men and carefully performing all our Duties to GOD and Man in singleness and integrity of Heart This is a well-order'd Conversation Also in our Conversation we must mind two things 1. That we have no fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness Ephes 5. 11. that is no more than need no intimate Familiarity and Communion with them lest thereby we lose our Communion with God no more Communion with the Wicked than Piety Charity and Necessity will allow Too many have lost Communion with GOD by their too intimate Communion with the Wicked Away from me saith holy David all ye workers of iniquity 2. That we break not Fellowship with nor withdraw Communion from the People of God from those that bear his Image although differing from us in some circumstances In the Communion of Saints we may have Communion with God Psal 16. 2. God is among his People he walks in them and dwells in them Our Love must be not only to those of our own Opinion but to all Saints and professing Christians and must hold Communion with all those with whom we may charitably judge that Christ holds Communion were this well minded it would do much to heal our sad and sinful Breaches Heb. 10. 24 25. And thus we have seen how that our looking unto invisible eternal things especially unto God in Christ and maintaining our Communion with them we may be sweetly born up and comfortably supported under all our Troubles O Most holy most merciful most gracious Lord God Father Almighty and my most loving and tender-hearted Father in my most dear and sweet Redeemer Jesus Christ I render Thee my most humble and hearty Thanks and Praise for lengthning my days and for supporting me with thy Special Goodness in this poor Work for giving me sometimes hours sometimes half-hours and sometimes days of some Strength and Ease between those many sad and painful Distempers upon me since I began it And I most humbly beseech thee to write these Truths on my Heart and keep them there that by the assistance of thy good Spirit they may be effectual to spiritualize raise and fix my poor cold dead carnal Heart upon thy blessed Self in Christ and be pleased to vouchsafe me sweet sensible and constant Communion with thy self in Christ for thy Mercies sake that thereby I may glorifie thee in this my day of thy Visitation and may be throughly sanctified by and comfortably supported under all my Troubles Amen TO ALL MY Christian Friends IN DARTMOVTH Or elsewhere That desire to know the true state of their never-dying Souls In order to their making clear and sure their Interest in the Lord Jesus Grace and Peace BEfore I had finish'd the foregoing Treatise there came to my hands by God's good Providence some Papers of very great concernment to all our Souls for Eternity being the Conclusion of a Discourse by that Eminent Learned and Pious Servant of the Lord Jesus Mr. John Flavel whose Works praise him and of whose Presence and Labours we that knew him by Face or Works have continual cause to lament our Loss which Discourse was from 2 Cor. 13. 5. concerning Self-examination about a Man's Interest in Christ Which Papers when I viewed and reviewed I bless God I felt so much power in the Contents of them and so much sweetness that I thought not fit to eat my Morsels alone but was strongly imprest to make them publick which here by the consent of his dear Relations I presume to do hoping it will awaken those that did hear those close-trying Truths to be more exact in their trying Work and may also excite others to due diligence in that so profitable and too much neglected Duty of Self-examination Those Characters in this will help us against Self-deceiving Do not read only but pray earnestly for
blood of Jesus obtains Pardon of them and by the Spirit of Jesus obtains power against them and so the Soul being pardoned and healed recovers and is renewed day by day whereas before it lay pining and laâ—â—â—ithing this blessed fruit is produced by the blessing of our most gracious God upon the perishings and wastings of our outward man Fifthly By disingaging and weaning the Hearts of God's People from all the things of this World mortifying and crucifying their Affections to things below drawing off the Heart from Creature-comforts weaning the Soul from those dry Breasts In Prosperity the best of us think little on Mortification and on crucifying the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts of it although the very Life and power of true Christianity lies in these as Rom. 8. 13. Galat. 5. 24. but then we are for pleasing and gratifying the flesh Oh how tender are we of our flesh and how loth to be cross'd how deeply are our Affections engaged to the Vanities of the World how do our Hearts cleave and cling to the Creature even as our Skin to our Body how seldom do we think seriously of parting with our Relations our Health c. or of putting off our earthly Tabernacles and of our â—ying down our Heads in the dark Grave How are we afraid of Dangers to our outward man and troubled at evil tydings how thoughtfully careful to preserve our Creature-comforts with us not taking so much care to enâ—oy God in them and to enjoy them for God as to enjoy them our selves and for our selves How â—ear do they lie to our Hearts Now our loving Father seeing all this he takes it very ill at our â—ands that the Creature should be so near and â—ear to us and have so much room in our Hearts and therefore in love to our Souls blasts and wastes these our Comforts to draw off our Hearts from them that we may not set our Affections upon them Sixthly The perishing of the outward man furthers the flourishings of the inward man not only by bringing our Sins to our remembrance as was shewed but now but also as being a means of God's appointment and blessing both to purge away Sin past and to prevent Sin for the future as Isa 27. 9. the Lord speaking of Afflictions there upon the Church saith By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his Sin O blessed design of our good and gracious God O blessed fruit So Job 33. 17 18. To withdraw man from his purpose and to hide Pride from Man Are not many of God's People sensible of this how that be their Afflictions they have been kept from many Sins that without their Afflictions they haâ—â— been liable to have fallen into and committed Surely they will acknowledge it and give Goâ— thanks Sin is the Sickness and plague of the Souâ— which corrupts the Spirit wounds the Conscience weakneth Grace now in time of Prosperity wheâ— there is no Plague nor Sickness in Town or Couâ—try but all things belonging to the outward mâ—â— flourish even then is the very Air most spiritual infectious and most places then and most peoples breath then most infectious then the conâ—gion of Sin spreads most let a man then go in what place he will into what Company almost I will his Soul is in danger of Infection by Siâ— what Contentions Pride Envy Censuring Bad biting unjust Dealing and at best but vain idiâ— unprofitable Discourse is to be heard among most and how little of promoting the power of Godliness or mutual edification Now in such a time the poor Soul gets falls and wounds gets many a disease and Spiritual distemper which it perceives not now it gathers much Rust much Dross and it may carry the infection of sin a long time and is weakned and wasted by it which it may be others see by him more than himself his Passions and Corruptions get ground upon him and he pines day by day he grows more worldly froward proud c. and yet perceives it not and thus the inner Man is much damnified by the advantages of the outward All this the wise God seeth and observeth and out of his pity and tender compassion to the precious Souls of his poor Servants seeing them thus captivated by their Corruptions and diseased with so many spiritual Distempers and that they stand in great need of Physick lest they should perish thinks fit to break their worldly prosperity to give them the bitter purge of affliction to cast them into the Furnace that they may be purified and purged and so recovered and saved Zachar. 13. 9. Thus God ordereth the fire of affliction as a means to cleanse and purify his people from their filthiness and to make them pure and white Dan. 11. 35. Seventhly By exercising the Graces of God's people which in time of their prosperity were as it were laid asleep and for want of use and exercise did decay and scarce appear for it is not Grace â—n the habit that doth so much comfort the Soul â—s Grace in exercise now Adversity serves to draw â—ut Grace into act and exercise as Faith Repentance Hope Patience and other Graces now if ever the Christian labours to put forth his faith on God in Christ and on the Covenant and Promises Oh! now God and Christ and the Covenant and the promises signify something indeed to the Soul to these the poor Soul now flies as it was with Micah 7. 7. When all outward Comforts failed then he acted his Faith Hope and Patience I will look unto God I will wait for the God of my Salvation my God will hear me So Habb 3. 17. 18. Then also God's People renew their Repentance search their Hearts and Ways and turn to God as Ephraem Jerem. 31. 18 19. And then they act their Hope upon the promises of future Glory and then their Patience appears and standâ— them in great stead and their tender-heartedness their love to God his Word and People their contempt of the World yea every Grace is exercised mostly in time of affliction and this is the rare and special excellency of true Grace that â— thrives most and prospers best in the worst time for the most part Grace is strengthned and faâ—ned when sensible Comforts are withered anâ— starved and thus the inner man is renewed wheâ— the outward doth decay and perish Eightly The perishings of the outward Man he forward the flourishing of the inward by makit room and place and preparation in the Souls oâ— God's People for the gracious Communications Spiritual Mercies to them as is evident from thaâ— Scripture Hos 2. 6. and 14 compared Theâ—â— Creature-enjoyments stood in the way before fillâ— up all the room in the Hearts now these must bâ— removed to make way for better Mercies the too-well-beloved guests must be discarded that thâ— King of Glory may come in Other lovers had thâ— heart before these must be divorced that
Fruits of the Spirit in us as the Work of true and sound illumination true Conviction of our Sin and Misery and of the Creatures Vanity of our own impotency and utter insufficiency to help 〈…〉 our selves and of Christ's Excellency All-sufficiency and willingness to save all such as come unto him and are heartily willing to take him for their onely Lord and Saviour all this is the work of the Spirit As also sound Conversion from all Sin unto God as the chief good the Spirit enabling the Soul to repent and turn to God and also working in the Soul the Grace of Faith enabling it to come to Christ to receive him accept of him rest upon him and to resign it self up sincerely to him and to his Government by his Word and Spirit The Spirit works Sanctification in the Soul destroying the old corrupt Principles of Nature and implanting new Principles of spiritual Life making it partaker of the Divine Nature mortifying in it the lusts of the flesh and quickning it to newness of life repairing the Image of God upon it and working all those other Graces which are the Conditions of Pardon and Justification as true love to God and Christ to his Word and People true Fear of God sorrow for and hatred of Sin producing those Fruits mentioned Galat. 5. 22 23. as Patience Meekness Humility and the like Also the Spirit helps the Soul to act those Graces and to perform those Duties required of us in order to our Salvation It guides and leads and teacheth us helps our Infirmities teacheth us to pray and carrieth on the whole work of Sanctification in us And this I take to be the Seal of the Spirit when those saving Impressions and Habits of Grace and Holiness are wrought in and upon the Soul whereby the Soul is made in some measure like unto Christ Jesus being by the Spirit united to him planted and grafted in him and by vertue of its union with him made partakers of his Life and Grace whereby it lives and grows until it come to the State of Perfection in the other World This Spirit thus savingly working is God's Seal upon our Hearts the Seal of his everlasting love to our Souls and of his everlasting Covenant which he hath entred into with us which he will never deface or blot out and it is also the Earnest of our Inheritance that thereby we may confidently conclude to our great comfort that as sure as he hath given us his Spirit thus savingly to work in us those gracious Works this gracious Change this true Repentance and Faith and Love and Holiness and other Graces even so sure he will give us the Inheritance in Heaven at last as surely as he hath sanctified us so surely he hath justified us and will glorifie us For this is the Seal this is the Earnest And upon this account saith the Apostle Having this Seal this Earnest this comfortable Assurance of a better state and of a better life after this we groan earnestly to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven That we may possess that glorious purchased Inheritance of which we now have the earnest we long to enjoy the full Harvest of which we have received the First-fruits and consequently we that have received these First-fruits this blessed Earnest have no cause to be troubled or disquieted when these our earthly Tabernacles begin to decay and perish because we are wrought by God's Spirit for a better state and as was said not only the Spirit of God worketh this willingness to die by working those Graces in the Soul as you see but also accompanying Afflictions and blessing them to crucifie our Affections to earthly things and helps to Holiness in order to our eternal Happiness and therefore also ought the more patiently to be endured Seventhly Then it is the chiefest wisdom in the World for every one of us to labour to become real Saints to get into a state of saving Grace and often to search and try our selves and never to give over searching and trying until we come to some well-grounded Assurance That we are indeed truly Regenerated and that we have a real Interest in Jesus Christ for this Assurance may be attained and we are commanded to give all diligence to attain it 2 Pet. 1. 10. It is not bare wishes or desires will serve the turn but we must labour and strive after it and be much in self-examination 2 Cor. 13. 5. How is it possible we can have any true comfort living or dying if we have no Assurance of a better Life and so long as we know not whether we shall go to Heaven or Hell when we die We all have been too negligent in labouring after this Assurance let us lament it and let us all now begin to bestir our selves and in God's strength lay out our utmost care and pains in the use of all means to get the clear evidences of our peace with God and that we are in a pardoned and reconciled state for upon this Assurance we shall have this Advantage above all others that we shall not be troubled nor much disquieted when our outward man doth decay and perish our earthly comforts fail us our bodily Members wither because all these decays and wastings do but make way and prepare us for the happiness of our Souls Whereas on the contrary it must needs be an uncomfortable thing to look upon a decaying Body and be altogether uncertain what will become of the Soul when it leaves this Body It must needs make Death terrible But when we know that our Souls at death shall enter into our Master's joy we shall bid Death welcom The Eighth Inference From what hath been said we may draw one Rule of Tryal to us all whereby we may know whether we be true real Christians or no or only nominal and but formal Professors viz. by the real good to our Souls that our Afflictions have done us we all have had Afflictions of one kind or other let us examine what spiritual good we have got by them look over the former Particulars and apply them It is a true sign of a Child of God to be the better for Prosperity and Adversity and commonly more the better for Adversity than or Prosperity But lest we should be mistaken I grant that Affliction may work some good in the hypocritical Professors as on Ahab and Nineveh But note these Differences First On the Godly Afflictions work good mostly on their inward man on their Souls although they work good also on their Conversations the sweet fruits of Afflictions appear also in their Lives But on others if Afflictions do work any good at all it is mostly on their outward man they may by them be outwardly reclaimed and reformed but not inwardly renewed and sanctified Now there is a vast difference between outward Reformation and inward Renovation 2dly The fruit of Affliction on the Godly is continually increasing and growing
cases God and his Service must be preferred before all visible temporal things But when earthly things so fill up our Heads Hearts Minds Thoughts Hands Time and all that we have none left to spend or bestow on heavenly things then we mind visible things immoderately 2. When our minding visible temporal things unfits and indisposeth us for minding invisible and eternal things when earthly things have so entred our Hearts and so engaged our Minds that they deaden and dull clog and cloy our Spirits so entangle and perplex our Thoughts as that thereby we are put out of frame and temper and made unfit to mind or meddle with Divine and Heavenly things Luke 21. 34. Take heed lest at any time your hearts be over-charged with surfeiting und drunkenness and cares of this life saith our Lord. 3. When we are less tired and wearied in the thoughts of visible temporal things than in the thoughts of invisible eternal things When we can plot study cark care think muse ponder upon freely talk of earthly things without weariness but with much delight as being very suitable to our Minds and therefore very pleasing and grateful to us we can think and speak of earthly things from morning till night without weariness but are soon weary of the study and meditation of heavenly things nay are meer Strangers to heavenly Meditation and heavenly Discourse Mal. 1. 13. When we are in company where there is heavenly talk we are soon weary of such company and of such talk and are willing to break off such Discourse and to entertain the talk of worldly things 4. When we are more attentive unto more intent upon more seriously affected with and more strongly impressed by those visible temporal things than we are with and by invisible and eternal things When good News from Sea or Land a good bargain good success in our Worldly business doth more heartily affect us and rejoyce us thâ—â— good News from Heaven or any spiritual Mercy then we do immoderately mind earthly things It was far otherwise with holy David Psal 4. 6 7. Many say Who will show us any good any visible temporal good but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance upon us Thou hast put more gladness into my heart than when their corn and wine encreased And so it is with all gracious Souls 5. When the gain of visible temporal things brings more joy and the loss of them breeds more sorrow than the gain or loss of invisible eternal things when the gain of an Estate of Honour of the Favour of a great person doth more rejoice the Heart than the gain of the Pearl of Price and the loss of an Estate or Friend doth more cast down than the loss of God or a good Conscience 6. When we are more afraid of Suffering than of Sin and would rather venture the loss of invisible eternal things than the loss of visible temporal things Surely it was not thus with the Apostles and Primitive Christians they looked not on those visible temporal things they did not mind them unseasonably inordinaiely immoderately and so comparatively they are said to mind them not at all The Proof of this 〈◊〉 will appear I by express Precept H. bâ— the 〈◊〉 of Gospel-Christians III. by solid Reasons I. By express Precepts besides 〈…〉 before John 6. 27. 1 Cor. 7. 31 〈…〉 that in Col. 3. 1 2 3 5. Set your affections 〈…〉 things above and not on things below and 〈…〉 inordinate affections 1 John 2. 〈…〉 would nor the things of the 〈…〉 the love of the father is 〈…〉 〈◊〉 in lay that to Heart the love 〈◊〉 World is utterly inconsistent with the love of 〈…〉 that in Jam. 4. 4. He that is 〈…〉 is the Enemy of God the 〈…〉 is enmity to God It is a dangerous 〈…〉 to be the Enemy of God nothing is so dangerous See Nahum 1. 2. God is jealous and the Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and reserveth wrath for his enemies What a dreadful Text is this And who are the Lord's Enemies Why those that are the friends of the world saith the Spirit of God Although but few think or believe so yet so it is and it is a most dreadful thing to be the Enemies of God for then God is our Enemy and that is most dreadful Now he that is a friend to the world is the enemy of God World in that place I take to be the same that is here in my Text called Visible temporal things the good things of this World Such as are the friends of these things saith the Apostle are the enemies of God and this is no small matter let us all therefore look well to it that we be not such Q. But who are the friends of this World you will ask A. First All such as love this World and the things of it more than God and Christ and Heavenly things this is most clear So Matth. 10. 37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me saith our Lord. 2 Tim. 3. 4. Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God What do most People mind most and think most upon and speak most of Is it not the World things that are seen What is most in their Thoughts Mornings soon and Evenings late Where are their Hearts and Affections most Let our Consciences speak Whom do we serve most follow and pursue most God or the World Christ or the Creature Who hath the precedency and supremacy in our Hearts What Interest is uppermost in our Souls This is a plain Rule of Tryal and if we will suffer our own Consciences to speak plainly and tell us the truth we may know whether we be Friends of the World or no. Let us deal faithfully with our selves in this great Case and not flatter and deceive our selves as most do and so mistake our selves by taking our selves to be the Lord's Servants when indeed we are his real Enemies because we are Friends of the World and by this mistake may we ruine our selves for ever Secondly All such as covet desire seek after the World the Profits and Pleasures and Favours of it more than after God and Christ after Grace and Glory Such as pant after the Dust of the Earth that make haste to be rich that load themselves with yellow Clay such are Friends of the World Whereas gracious Souls are like those in Isa 26. 8. Yea in the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our 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 So Psal 73. 25 26. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever So Psal 42. 1 2. As the hart panteth
I could converse more with God and have my Conversation more above Thus holy Souls pant and breath after God and Heavenly things 4. In esteeming prizing valuing those invisible eternal things above all earthly temporal things Psal 30. In God's favour is life Psal 63. 3. His loving-kindness is better than life Psal 4. 6. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us This will put gladness into our hearts more than the encrease of corn and wine 5. In applying and appropriating these invisible eternal things to our own Souls My Lord and my God my Jesus The kingdom prepared for me the crown belongs to me 6. In frequent conversing with them by meditation contemplation consideration spreading and spending our most serious Thoughts and our most fixed and deepest Cogitations on them and never leave thinking and thinking pondering musing ruminating and dwelling on them until our Hearts be warmed and our Affections kindled our Desires enlarged and our Delights raised Psal 37. 5. Delight thy self in the Lord. Psal 104. 34. My meditation of him shall be sweet Alas we have so few and such short and inconstant and unfixed Thoughts of God and Christ of Heaven and Glory that our Hearts are not affected nor raised and enflamed 7. And lastly In a conversation suitable to those invisible eternal things Phil. 3. 20. the Apostles and Primitive Christians had their Conversations in Heaven This alone is true real minding of and conversing with those Heavenly things when we live the life of God live like God like Jesus walk in the Spirit to be holy in all manner of conversation 2 Pet. 3. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. To be like Christ in Meekness and Humility Matth. 11. 28. and in Purity 1 John 3. 3. in contempt of the World and Vanities of it in Heavenly-mindedness And thus we ought to look unto and mind invisible and eternal things and this will bring true Joy and perfect Peace Isa 26. 3. Psal 112. 6 7. Moreover I conceive that the Apostle and Primitive Christians did look also unto the invisible eternal Evil things and spent some Thoughts upon them as The Terrour of the Lord Everlasting Destruction Eternal Death the Wrath to come c. These things they minded two ways 1. By way of Praise and Thanksgiving admiring the Love and Grace of God in Christ by which they were delivered from those invisible eternal Miseries which their Sins had deserved as we find often in their Praises 2. In their Diligence to escape those eternal Evils labouring for the assurance of their full deliverance from them constantly exhorting all men to give all Diligence that they might not fall short of their Everlasting Rest But principally I think they looked unto those invisible eternal Good things to secure their Title to them and Interest in them and so minding them as still to press forward towards the Mark of the Price of the high Calling and with the fore-thoughts and fore-sights of them did support their Spirits under their Troubles and sweeten their passage through this present evil World So much for the Doctrinal part The Application First For Information 1 Inference Hence appears the extream Folly and Madness of People by Nature who look at mind and aim only at visible temporal things but totally neglect Invisible eternal things God Christ Heaven is not in all scarce in any of their Thoughts Lovers of themselves of their own things of Profits and Pleasures more than of God Phil. 1. 21. 2 Tim. 3. 4. that make themselves the Mark they aim at but the Glory and Honour of God the pleasing and enjoying him are strange things to them things they never minded never thought on God complains of this against the Jews Hos 8. 12. I have written to them the great things of my Law but they counted them as strange things So may Jesus Christ justly complain of Men under the Gospel I have revealed the great and glorious Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven the Mysteries of Salvation the unsearchable Riches of the Grate and Love of God in the Gospel Life and Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel the true and only way to Heaven and Eternal Life to Everlasting Happiness is clearly made known in the Gospel the only Means to get an Interest in the great God in Jesus Christ in the New Covenant how to get Pardon of Sin Peace with God how to be justified saved and glorified for ever All these things are fully and clearly revealed in the Gospel The invisible eternal things of the World to come which are the greatest Realities and Excellencies the choicest greatest and best things But woe and alas how little are those things minded It is Corn Wine and Oyl Who will shew us any good any visible temporal good Now is not this extream Folly and Madness for reasonable Creatures made for God made capable of enjoying God and all those invisible eternal good things for them thus to labour and pant after the Dust of the Earth to spend their Thoughts Minds and Strengths upon that which cannot satisfie which will not endure but thus to waste precious Time and Breath and Spirits for perishing fading things and neglect invisible eternal things the incorruptible Crown that fadeth not away the undefiled Inheritance the everlasting Kingdom eternal Life and Salvation not to look on those nor mind them nor labour for them Yet this is the common neglect of the World It is amazing Madness astonishing Folly Thus God expresseth Jer. 2. 11 12 13. Be astonished O ye heavens at this be ye horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord For my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water Prov. 1. 20 21 22. Yet such is the Madness of all by Nature and it is greatly to be lamented This shews also the blindness and darkness of Men by Nature that they cannot see the excellency of those invisible eternal things nor their own absolute necessity of them and concernment in them The God of this World hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine into them This glorious light shines upon them and shines into many of their Heads this Light they cannot resist but it shines not into their Hearts to transform and change them as it doth into the Hearts of God's Elect and it 's greatly to be lamented 2 Cor. 4. 4. 2. Inf. Secondly Hence appears the beguiling bewitching nature of the World that it should so strangely win and gain the Hearts and Affections of Men and Women and so easily prevail with them while God and Christ are offered to them and are not embraced Heaven gates are opened to them and they invited entreated perswaded by Promises by Threatnings commanded to come and enter but they will not they make light of it no
the Reality of those things Who hath believed our Report Isa 53. 1. and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed to make Souls believe and to work effectual Faith in them Surely to very few A very bare historical Faith is wanting but much more a cordial practical Perswasion of those things for by true Faith we come to have an Interest in all these eternal good things and if we had an Interest in them we should mind them more Those invisible eternal things spoken of in the holy Scripture signifie no more to most of us than those Mountains of Spices and Mines of Gold do that are in the Indies which we never hope to see or possess and for which none of us will part with our poor Cottages Alas alas it were impossible if we did really believe those things above and that they may be had by us but that we should take more pains to get a Title to them and having once got a Title surely we should mind them more than we do Now the grand Reasons why we that profess that we know and believe those great things of the other World yet take so little pains to be assured of our Right to them are these viz. our false Faith our false Hope and our inordinate Love of the World Cou'd we get these three Thieves out of our hearts it wou'd be otherwise with us 1. Our False Faith building our Faith on the Mercy of God and Merits of Christ in general not considering whether those Conditions are wrought in us to which the Mercy of God is promised and to which the Merits of Christ do belong Isa 1. 16. 55. 7. Rom. 8. 9. 2 Cor. 5. 17. 1 Cor. 6. 17. Heb. 5. 9. Matth. 11. 28 29. 16. 24. 10. 34. By all which places we shall find that the Mercy of God belongs to the penitent returning Sinner and that those only can truly claim an Interest in Christ that submit to his Yoke that have his Spirit that are new Creatures that deny themselves and give up themselves to the Government of Christ 2. Our False Hope that deceived those eminent Professors in Matth. 7. 21. and the foolish Virgins Matth. 25. and which deceives all Hypocrites and formal Christians that build their Hopes upon outward Profession Priviledges the performance of religious Duties outward Reformation c. not minding that express word in 1 John 3. 3. Every one that hath this hope that is to see Christ in Glory and to be made like unto him purifieth himself even as he is pure Col. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory Not Christ without you professed by you but Christ in you formed in you dwelling in your Hearts by Faith living and reigning in you by his Word and Spirit that is the Hope of Glory the true and only ground of true Hope of Glory 3. Inordinate Love of the World 1 John 2. 14 15. If we be friends of this world we are enemies to God Too much love of Life Liberty Ease Relations c. our Hearts are let out strongly after these therefore our good God doth oftentimes strip his dearest Children of these in love to their Souls to take off their Affections from them that they may place them on better things where they are better bestowed III. It is Lamentable also that those invisible eternal great and glorious things should be no more minded thought upon considered and spoken of by Professors that hope shortly to enjoy them God Christ Glory Heaven are seldom in mens Minds and Thoughts What are most Peoples Morning and Evening Thoughts Psal 49. 11. What vain Thoughts lodge in our Hearts Jer. 4. 14. Oh how little talk is there of these things amongst us Is God our Father Is Christ our Head and Husband Is the Holy Ghost our Counsellour and Comforter Is the Word of God our Rule and Guide our spiritual Food and Nourishment our Comfort and Consolation Are the Promises our great Charter Heaven and Glory our Inheritance And do we indeed hope to enjoy all these things for ever and ever and yet think no more and speak no more of them Can this be so Can our hopes be good and well grounded Let us not deceive our selves IV. It is Lamentable that those great things should be no more laboured after Joh. 6. 27. Labour not for that meat which perisheth but for that which endureth to eternal life Prov. 2 2 3 4. Isa 55. 2 3. We labour for that which is not Bread not Bread for our Souls and spend that which is better than Mony our Spirits and Time for that which doth not cannot satisfie Why should visible temporal things have so much of our hearts heads tongues hands time strength and all and those invisible eternal things have so little Is there any colour of Reason for it Are not those invisible eternal things infinitely better than the other Certainly it is because they are not known nor believed nor minded that they are no more laboured after How do we dishonour God and Christ and the Promises how do we undervalue Christ's Purchase and Eternal Life when we lay out our selves so much for the World and so little for these How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2. 3. V. It 's lamentable also that the loss of the means of the discovery of those invisible eternal things should no more affect and trouble us Lam. 1. 7. Jerusalem remembred in the days of her affliction all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old A Famine of the Word is the worst Amos 8. VI. And it is lamentable that those who know believe desire and labour after those things themselves should be no forwarder and readier to commend those things to others and should take no more pains to perswade and draw others to look after them Oh how few cry out to others with holy David Come and I will tell you what God hath done for my soul VII And no less lamentable is it that those who claim an Interest in all those great and glorious good things and hope to enjoy them hereafter that those persons should no more express the power of them in their Lives that they should no more rejoyce in them and be no more raised in their Spirits and gladded in their Hearts with the fore-thoughts of them and that they should live no more comfortably upon them It 's sad that those thus interested in God and Christ and Glory and that are the Expectants of that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory should not live better lives more exemplary shining profitable joyful lives We that look for such things what manner of persons ought we to be in all manner of holy conversation It 's sad also that such should bear up with no more strength holy courage and confidence in the midst of the Troubles of this short Life seeing they hope for such glorious things in the other World
24. They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Gal. 2. 20. Christ liveth in me 4. Hence we may know the true cause and ground of Discouragement and Despondency under our Troubles to wit our want of Faith in and our not minding of eternal invisible things They that believe not the Crown can never comfortably bear the Cross The way to forget our Misery is seriously and believingly to remember and consider our Felicity Rom. 8. 17. The sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us Our Burdens would not be so heavy as they are if our Hearts were more heavenly than they are If we could get more above and converse more with God our Troubles would not be so troublesome as they are Nil sentit in Nervo cum anima sit in Coelo Oh let us pray for more acquaintance with God and thereby good all good shall come unto us Let us cry out with the Divine Poet O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee Converse with God and Christ will sweeten every bitter Cup and lighten every heavy Burden 5. Hence also we may inferr the Necessity of Patience under all our Afflictions which are designed to prepare us for Glory and that no otherwise than as we do by Faith and Patience live in the expectation of that Glory Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life Heb. 10. 36. Unless we patiently bear our Troubles they are not like to produce those blessed effects it is only through Faith and Patience that we inherit the Promises 6. The Misery of all Unbelievers then is very great whatever they posse's in this World for they must needs meet with Troubles also in this Life and must meet with the King of Terrors at last And what possibly can support them having no interest in God and Christ and no good grounds of hope that they shall enjoy those invisible eternal good things hereafter Part they must with all visible temporal good things and that for ever and cannot look on God and Glory and Heaven as theirs because not regenerated not united to Christ not effectually called surely their case is most sad for then also all their vain hopes and groundless confidences shall perish 7. The mischief of Earthly-mindedness also appears hence Inordinate minding earthly things whether Friends or Foes Ease or Pain Loss or Gain c. this very much hinders our Comfort and Support Oh pray against it watch against it Now to take us off from this inordinate minding of these Earthly things let us take these Helps 1. Let us urge and press the express Command of God upon our Hearts Col. 3. 1 2. Set your affections upon things above and not upon things below Let this sway with us It is as much our Duty as any other and there is as much Divine Authority in this Command as in any other and as much of the Power of Religion and Truth of Grace lies in the Practice of this as of any other Duty and by the consciencious performance of this Duty we do as much evidence the sincerity of our Love and Obedience as by any other 2. If we be true Christians we are of an high noble heavenly extraction and original begotten and born of God Jam. 1. 17 18. John 3. 3 5. born from above Heaven-born therefore we should mind heavenly things As is the heavenly such are they that are heavenly 3. If we be true Christians we have an invisible eternal Life in us Christ is our Life and our Life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3 4. We have invisible eternal Principles of Life in us Christ formed in our Hearts Phil. 4. 19. The incorruptible Seed of God in us the Spirit of Jesus in us the Divine Nature in us all which dispose and encline us to look upwards and to mind invisible and eternal things 4. Your Hopes are grounded and fixed on invisible eternal things 1 Cor. 15. 19. If our hope were only in this life we should be of all men most miserable Our hopes are not here we hope for what we see not Rom. 5. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 13. 1 John 3. 3. It is invisible glory the glory that is to be revealed at the Coming of Christ That when Christ shall appear you may appear with him in glory and may see him as he is and may be like him You hope for infinitely better things than this World can afford Tit. 2. 13 14. Phil. 3. 21. You look for the Coming of Jesus in glory who shall make your vile bodies like unto his glorious body and then you that look for such things in Heaven surely you should have your Conversations in Heaven 5. Your Actings and Workings here in this life are for invisible ends and purposes not to be seen of Men not to have your Reward here but you seek Honour and Glory and Immortality and Eternal Life Rom. 2. 7 8. Your sowing here is to reap Life everlasting Gal. 6. 8. It is an invisible incorruptible Crown an everlasting Kingdom an Heavenly Inheritance that you are seeking 1 Pet. 1. 4 5. You labour not for that meat which perisheth but for that which endureth to everlasting life John 6. 27. You are seeking a City which hath foundations and travelling home to your Father's House therefore needs must your thoughts and affections be set upon things above 6. Let us consider that all our best Friends and dearest Relations are above invisible and unseen to us here below There is our Heavenly Father there our dear Redeemer sitting at his right hand there are all our pious Friends and dear Relations that dyed in Christ there they are together praising and enjoying God 7. If you be true Christians you have enlightned Minds Eyes of Faith Spiritual Understandings given you to discern and apprehend those invisible eternal things 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. you are spiritual persons 8. You esteem value and love those heavenly things most and best if you be true Christians your Hearts are in Heaven for there is your Treasure 1 Pet. 1. 8. 9. You have invisible Supports Influences and Experiences a Well of Living Water springing up in you unto eternal life John 4. 14. which no others but you have and from those spiritual Principles which the Spirit of Christ plants in his People good thoughts and heavenly Meditations are continually bred and fed 10. You are in Heaven already in Christ your Head Ephes 2. 6. Risen with Christ And this Heavenly-mindedness the Apostle makes the true evidence of our being risen with Christ Col. 3. 1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above Set your affections on things above And it is the very distinguishing Character of one in Christ Rom. 8. 1. They that are in Christ walk not after the flesh but after the
we minded and loved them â—o much and lived so much upon them and that â—e lived so little upon God in them and enjoyed â— little of God and his Love in them and this â—ill be the Sting and Burthen of our Souls then â—ut now to live on God and his Love in our â—njoyments will prevent this Trouble of Troubles â—nd support us under all our Troubles because our God and his Love which we lived upon before remain still God is everlasting and his Love unchangable The Foundation remains the â—pring of all our Mercies remains But woe and â—as what Strangers are we to this living upon God and his Love in Christ David lived enâ—rely upon God Psal 73. 24 25 26. Whom have â—in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that desire besides thee My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever 2dly By this we may begin our Heaven upon Earth out of Heaven even in the Hell of the Troubles and Miseries of this World for this is the â—ery Happiness of Heaven to be continually with God and to live upon God that God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15. 28. This is Heavens Happiness to live upon that infinite Fountain of goodness and to live with God And so far as we can thus live upon God by Faith Love Meditation Holy Confidence and Dependance Holy Resignation of our selves and all our concerns to him so far we are entred into Heaven and Heaven is entred into us already The kingdom of Heaven is within you said our Lord. And what support will this be to us in all our Afflictions 3dly This is the way to lose nothing of all our Earthly Comforts for what we lose in the Creature we shall find in the Creator If we enjoyed God in the Creature in Relations Friends Estate Liberty Health c. we may enjoy him as well when these Creature-comforts are gone and it may be better than before for the Fountain it self is purer than the Streams All the little good the small comfort the slender and short satisfaction the little mixed sweetness that we have in or from any Creature comes not from the Creature it self distinct from God for then all that enjoy the Creature would have that Comfort and Content the bad as well as the good which we know is not so for many have had large Portions of the best of the Creatures that have had no comfort or contentment in them Solomon himself is a Witness But that very little Comfort or Content that any one hath in the Creature it is distilled and derived to him through the Creature from God and from him alone It God put sweetness into any Creature-comfort and bless it to us it shall be sweet to us If He convey any goodness or content to us through any Creature-chanel we shall have it not else But if he put bitterness into any Creature-comfort and with-hold his Blessing it will yield us no content at all This is a most experienc'd Truth That it is God's Love his Blessing in a Mercy that is The Mercy and it is that only which brings any Comfort or Content to us that have it What Content had Ahab in his Kingdom or Haman in his Honour Surely none at all Prov. 10. 22. The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and he adds no sorrow with it The Blessing of the Lord maketh the Poor in this World rich and with this Blessing comes no Sorrow as there doth with all other Blessings This is the Blessing that goes with The Blessing the inward Blessing that goes with the outward Blessing whether little or much the love of God is in it to his People and that maketh rich that contents the Soul and yields sweetness to it and this Contentment is the Blessing without which Godliness it self is not Gain Now when the outward Blessing is gone the Creature-blessing gone the inward Blessing may be continued the Love of God and inward Contentment may be continued when the Cabinet is worn out the Jewel may be as good as ever And if this continue with us namely the Blessing which is the Love of God if that remain towards us when the outward Blessing is taken away we have no cause of Disquietment But this remains always to the true Christian for it is God's Covenant which cannot be broken Psal 89. 34 35. My loving-kindness I will not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My covenant will I not break c. Oh that we could look more at the invisible eternal Blessing the sure Mercies of David in all our outward Blessings which remains when all the visible temporal things are gone Yea further this invisible everlasting Blessing doth not only remain with us when all other Blessings are gone but which is wonderful then even then our everlasting Father doth usually communicate and manifest more of his Love which is the Blessing indeed to the Souls of his People than when they had the enjoyment of their outward Blessings When had Ezekiel and John such glorious Visions of God but in Captivity and Exile When God brings his People into the Wilderness then he speaks comfortably unto them then he speaks to their Hearts Hos 2. 14. as in the Wilderness in the absence of Creature-comforts the Spouse leans on her Beloved Cant. 8. 5. fixeth her Loves and Desires most intimately and heartily upon him so even then her Beloved manifests most of his tender love to her and when the World frowns he smiles upon her So that this looking up to God in all our Enjoyments living upon Him and enjoying all in him and for him will wonderfully support us under all our Trouble because by this means we shall lose nothing but what we lose in the Stream we shall find in the Fountain what we want in the Creature we shall find in God yea and in all our losses for Christ and his Truths we are assured to have an hundred fold Matth. 19. 29. So much for the first Counsel Look to God in all our Enjoyments II. The second Counsel Resign up your wills entirely to the will of God in all your Afflictions It is an Argument of an excellent Spirit when all Self-respects are drowned in the Will of God and there is nothing lost therein for our best safety is in the Will of God our Happiness is more in God than in our selves and His Will is infinitely better than ours We may be sure of this that a man shall never have setled Peace and Comfort until he have cordially committed and resigned up all his Will and Way all his Concerns and Interests and Ends to the holy Will of God Psal 37. 5 7. Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him Prov. 16. 3. Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established
God's Almightiness and All-sufficiency will work in us an holy awe and filial fear of Him Who would not fear such a God Luke 12. 5. And also it will breed an holy confidence in him Psal 9. 10. They that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee O my Soul look up to God's All-sufficiency He can in a moment turn thy Darkness into Light thy Sorrow into Joy He can make dry Bones live He that breaks can bind up He that takes can give This is the best way to glorifie God in the day of our Visitation to trust in him and relye upon him though He kill all our Comforts yet to believe He can supply He can provide as said Abraham so Psal 107. 33 35. Whatever our case be let us take heed that we despond not nor cast away our confidence but rest upon God's All-sufficiency Trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Isa 26. 2 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee 6ly Let us eye and own the infinite Wisdom of the invisible eternal God He that sends and orders all our Afflictions is the Wise God the Only-wise God the very Fountain of all Wisdom 1 Tim. 1. 17. He shews his Wisdom not only in his general Providence governing the whole World but in all his special Providences towards his People and that in respect of their Afflictions For 1. God knows best how to order our Afflictions to us and that 1. as to Time when to send them 2. as to Kind what sort of Affliction to send 3. as to Measure how much to send 4. as to Duration how long to continue them Rev. 2. 10. and to what end and purpose He is a most wise God 2. He knows best how to support and comfort his People under all their Afflictions and when to comfort them He knows their Frame He knows their Souls in Adversity He knows their Need and their Strength and hath regard to all this 2 Cor. 1. 4. He is the God of all consolation 3. He knows best when to deliver even then when it shall make most for his own glory and his Peoples greatest good 2 Pet. 2. 9. and surely that must be the best time 4. He knows best how to make Afflictions work most for our good how to bless them and to make them Blessings to us that we may have cause to bless him for them Now we eye and own the Wisdom of God in our Afflictions when by the consideration of it we are kept from maligning and fretting at the Instruments or Causes of our Afflictions saying in our Hearts and Tongues Let Shimei curse let Enemies persecute and plunder c. All these are but Swords Staffs Rods in our most wise and loving Father's Hand These Losses Sicknesses c. do but execute the Will and Wisdom of God and when we make no haste to get out of our Troubles nor use any unlawful means but quietly and contentedly referr all to the Holy Will and Wisdom of God and when we can wait with Patience upon God and stay his time and hope in Him only for an happy issue resigning up our Wills to his Will and Wisdom to do with us to dispose of us and of all our Comforts as He pleaseth By so doing we shall be sweetly supported under all our Troubles Lord God of thy abundant Grace and by thy Almighty Power work in us this blessed frame and keep us in it till Death that thou maist be glorified by us 7ly and lastly Let us eye and own the love and goodness of God in all our Afflictions We are apt to look mostly to the Anger and Displeasure of God in our Troubles which indeed we ought to be sensible of and deeply affected with because we have sinned against Him and therefore ought we patiently to bear the effects of his indignation Mic. 7. 9. and to humble our selves under his mighty Hand to repent of and turn from our evill ways Lam. 3. 40. This we must do but this is not all our Duty but we must also look up to the love of God and to his goodness from which our Afflictions come Psal 89. 33. Heb. 12. 6. Whom the Lord loveth he chastneth Psal 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth For as our Afflictions have a bad Cause as bad as may be even our Sins Lam. 3. Wherefore doth the living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins Yet they proceed from a good Root even the Love of God As many as I love I rebuke and chasten saith our loving Lord Jesus Rev. 3. 19. He loves when he takes as well as when he gives He takes in love and this believed and considered will very much sweeten every bitter Cup The believing consideration that the love of our Father the love of the Mediator is in every Affliction that every Cup that comes to us passeth first through his Hands who loved us and gave himself for us for through him are all things this consideration will support us Lord encrease our Faith So much of the second Counsel viz. To resign up our Wills to the Will of God in all our Miseries III. The last Counsel to Christians in order to their support and comfort in their Afflictions is this Aim at Communion with God and Conformity to him in all your Actions Look unto the invisible eternal God and labour for Communion with him and conformity to him It is conformity to God that fits us for communion with him The more conformity to him to his holy Nature and to his holy Will the more communion we shall have with him and the more we are like him the more will he manifest himself unto us and the more we obey him the more fellowship we shall have with him John 14. 21 23. And also the more communion we have with him the more communications we have from him the more conformable we shall be to him and the more we shall be like him 2 Cor. 3. 18. Communion with God will transform and change us into his Image more and more and the more we have of his Image the more pleasure will he take in us and the more delight will he take to communicate himself to us The more holy heavenly humble meek patient loving merciful peaceable we are the more like him we are and the more we are like him the more of his love and likeness will he continually work in us and manifest unto us This is the Life of true Religion this is to live the Life of God to live in communion with him panting and longing after constant Influences and Communications of his Life Spirit Love Grace Peace and Comfort from him and giving up surrendring up of our Hearts and Souls to him spending our best thoughts desires affections hopes trust joy and
delight upon him Always minding that it is God in Christ that we must thus look unto and mind in all these particulars God in Christ not God singly considered but God in Christ for God cannot be comfortably thought upon out of Christ our Mediator in whom alone he is well pleased No Communion with God but in Christ no Communication of any good from God to us but in Christ and by his Spirit It is the invisible eternal God by the invisible eternal Son of God and through the invisible eternal Spirit that we must make all our Addresses unto and expect all Communications of good from It is Christ alone that must bring God and the Soul together In Christ we are reconciled to him even by the Blood of his Cross 2 Cor. 5. 19. Col. 1. 21. And being reconciled to God by him we have Peace with God and then have Communion with him In Christ God's Nature becomes lovely to us and ours to God otherwise there is an utter Enmity betwixt his pure and our impure Nature Christ hath made up the vast gulf between God and us He drank of the brook in the way Psal 110. last Aim at and thirst after Communion with God in Christ in all your receipts of Mercies from him and in all your returns of Duty to him Pray and pant that all that you receive from him may come to you from his Love in Christ Oh that this Mercy that this Affliction may proceed from God's Fatherly Love in Christ Jesus so in all your Approaches to God in Ordinances and Duties pray and pant after Communion with God in Christ Oh that I may meet with God in this Ordinance and in this Duty without which we should not be satisfied in any Ordinances and Duties and all outward Blessings are but visible temporal things we must look beyond them and above them unto God in Christ for the invisible eternal love and grace and blessing of God in them So holy David Psal 63. 1 2 3. That I may see thy power and thy glory saith he And Vers 8. My soul followeth hard after God to see God's power and love and grace in Ordinances So Psal 42. 1 2. My soul thirsteth for God for the living God This is the marrow and fatness of God's Ordinances and this is that will satisfie the Soul therefore this is the thing that our Souls should long and breath after that we may have sights sweet sights of the invisible eternal God in Christ in Ordinances and Duties and tasts of his love and goodness in them And if we have Communion with God in our Mercies we shall be able thankfully to receive them and fruitfully to improve them for God And also we shall be enabled patiently and comfortably to bear all our Afflictions and profitably to improve them Now if we would have Communion with God in Christ we must look well to these things viz. 1st We must labour to be pure in Heart for such as are pure in Heart and they only shall see God God in his Son God in his Ordinances in his Providences and in Glory at last If we regard Iniquity in our Hearts God will not hear our Prayers nor afford us any Communion with him Mat. 5. 8. A pure Heart is a new Heart an Heart purged by the Blood of Christ from the guilt of Sin and purified by his Spirit Acts 15. 9. An Heart renewed and sanctified a single sincere and upright Heart that hath pure Principles planted in it the Spirit of God the Fear of God the Love of God Faith in God and Christ Christ formed there the Image of God stamped there the Kingdom of God set up there These are the true Principles of Purity of Heart and Life and also an Heart set and bent by the Rules of God's pure Word that pure Rule and that acteth for pure ends to please God to bring Glory to him to do good to others and to enjoy God in our Salvation Such may expect sweet Communion with God 2 Cor. 6. 16 17. the Lord God Almighty will walk and dwell with such 2ly We must labour to be poor in Heart poor in Spirit Mat. 5. 3. broken in Heart contrite in Spirit Isa 57. 15. O the wonderful condescension of the high and lofty one who dwelleth in the Heavens that He should stoop so low as to dwell in the broken Heart to revive such Hearts such Spirits O the Revivings of God they are Soul-satisfying things The Consolations of God are not small Happy indeed are those Souls in whom the great and glorious God dwells Blessed Souls that are the Temple of the holy God Habitations of God by the Spirit 1 Cor. 3. 16. Eph. 2. 22. Isa 66. 2. To the man will God look that is poor and of a contrite Spirit and God's looks on such are sweet looks Love-looks such shall have much communion with God and Christ for Christ was sent to bind up the broken hearted Luke 4. 18. What a comfortable support is this to a poor afflicted Christian that is poor in this World destitute of Friends and earthly Comforts restrained and shut up in Prison or otherwise confined to Chamber or Sick-bed and withal is poor in Spirit is content in this condition Yet now in this his desolate condition he may have Communion with the great God he may enjoy the blessed and sweet Company of the Lord Jesus by day and by night even when Lover and Friend is put far from him even then his God is near him his everlasting Father is with him his dear Lord and Redeemer his â—â—eet Saviour and loving Husband is with him Psal 25. 15 16 17. Psal 102. 17. He will regard â—e prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer He will never leave them nor forsake them Yea He will then speak most comfortably to their poor Souls Hos 2. 14. He will speak to their Hearts He knows their Souls best in Adversity and their Souls know him best then Jesus Christ will then â—hew them his Love and manifest it unto them and support them 3ly If we would have Communion with God â—n every condition we must labour to be upright in Heart Psal 125. The Lord is nigh unto them that call upon him in truth they shall have Communion with him He loveth truth in the inner parts He that walketh uprightly shall dwell in God's tabernacle and abide in his holy hill Psal 15. 1 2. God hates Hypocrisie Oh the guile and falshood of our hearts let us bewail it and cry to God with David Make my heart sound in thy statutes 4ly Be heavenly in heart be heavenly-minded such shall have sweet Communion with God such as have their Conversation in Heaven have converse with God Phil. 3. 20. We must be very watchful that the World do not lye too near our hearts nor lodge too long in our hearts for that will steal away our hearts from God and hinder our Communion with him We must take