be grateful unto thee for every mercy that I do or shall receive of thee and suffer me not to forget either it or my self and to seek my self and mine own glory in any thing I do or shall do for thee I humbly and ardently beseech thee The eighth Conference Wherein the believing Soul maketh use of Christs overcoming of the world against the world BEliev. O Lord my God who being the eternal Son of the eternal God hast given thy self for me to deliver me a servant and wast made man that I a man might be made a child of God being free from sin which dwells in every man Ro. 7.20 thee God and man exempted who art only without sin Heb. 4.15 Yea didst therefore overcome it in thee who art God and man John 16.33 deliver me I pray thee from sin even from this Luciferian pride feral passion and this Soul-wasting envy and self destroying self-love and from this evil covetousness and from these unruly lusts Christ Dost thou not believe that I am able to do it Mat. 9.28 29. Believ Yea Lord Christ Then according to thy faith be it unto thee Believ O my most sweet and blessed Saviour how great is thy mercy For when I silly wretch did but call thou didst hear me by and by and when I was in fight thou didst corrobrate me and when I was ready to sink thou didst support and sustain me and when I did even despair in my self thou didst lift me up above my self Blessed be thy holy name for thy great and unspeakable mercy The ninth Conference Wherein the believing Soul maketh use of the love of Christ against sin SOul O thou Heavenly fire which alwaies shinest and O my dear love which alwaies burnest shine I pray thee from Heaven into me and inflame me with thy great love so as that nothing in this world may be so dear unto me as thou my dear Saviour yea let the world it self be as dead unto me as it was to thy servant Paul who now liveth and shines with thee in glory Gal. 6.14 and do thou which art life it self live in me as thou livest in him that I also may live in thee with him Gal. 2.20 Christ * Cant. 2.14 O my dove thou art thus in the clefts of the Rock even in me who am thy Rock and desirest nothing more than me be of good cheer for thou shalt both love me more than ever thou didst and I 'le express my love toward thee more than ever I did and I will so stupifie thy senses within thee as that the world shall be as crucified unto thee and I 'le even live in thee and work mightily by thee Col. 1.29 and thou shalt live in me and with me here and hereafter eternally John 6.56 Soul O how sweet how ravishing and how comfortable are these words which I hear sweet Jesus more to be desired are they than Gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also than the honey and the honey-comb Psal 19.10 for by them thy servant is now assured that the world shall be subdued in me that thou also thy self my most glorious Redeemer wilt be my exceeding great and all-sufficient reward living in me and with me now and eternally O that this love and good affection which thou O my Love hast diffused in me might now be like that holy fire which in the time of the Law was to burn alwaies and never to go out upon thine Altar and that no waters of affliction might quench it and that no flouds of Satannical temptations drown it Cant. 8.7 O do thou who art Love it self alwaies preserve it that it may ever burn and never go out I humbly obsecrate and pray thee The tenth Conference Wherein the believing Soul maketh use of Christs intercession BEliev. O my Soul as thou hast done in times past so cease not now to invocate thy dear Saviour that he will save thee more and more foom thy sins For he is thy Lord and therefore worship thou him Psal 45.11 Soul So I will by Gods help O most fair Psal 45.2 Most holy most gracious most merciful Saviour intercede for me that I may be kept from this evil world Rom. 8.34 Christ I have prayed for thee John 17.25 and I even ever live to make intercession for thee Hebr. 7.25 wherefore doubt not but assure thy self for certain that thou shalt be kept from the evil which thou fearest and overcome the world which thou hatest for he that is my Father and my God is also thy Father and thy God John 20.17 and I know that he heareth me alwaies John 11.42 and there fore hath heard me in this thing also that I have prayed for when I desired him to keep thee from the evil John 17.15 Soul I doubt not but God thy Father and my Father hath heard thee interceding for me and me praying for my self for thy sake and will hear me for thou hast said whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it unto you John 16.23 O sweet name how pleasant how delectable how amiable and how prevalent therefore must thou needs be in the mouth of him that prayeth and in the ears of him that heareth such prayers as are so sweetned with thy sweet savour as with ointment poured forth Cant. 1.3 O blessed be thy sweet holy name sweet Jesus in the which thou causest me to trust by this thy sweet and precious promise The eleventh Conference Wherein the troubled believing Soul maketh use of Christ's Prophetical Office BEliev. It should seem that thou art not yet nor canst be altogether quiet Soul Quiet No No as long as I have this body of sin about me I do not look for it Believ But yet thou must not be so much disquieted and dejected Soul Dejected how can I chuse seeing that God is still so much by me offended Believ But this is not the way to peace which thou goest Soul Which way then would you have me to go Believ That way which is the best way Soul The best way which is the best way Believ Christ who hath said of himself that he is the way it self John 14.6 Soul You say true and I had almost forgotten my self forgetting the way it self and pleasing my self with grief and sorrow for my sins which though it be good and laudable when it is moderate and seasonable leading the pensive and perplexed sinner to Christ yet is it not sufficient or available when it goeth alone and is separated from Christ for he it is who must perfume sweeten all such tears and sorrows as shall be unto God acceptable he must free us also from sin without which freedom no grief for sins past can be profitable Believ Then go to Christ O my soul having been estranged from him by reason of sin which caused thee to absent thy self from him being so dejected and to count thy self unworthy of him being so polluted Soul So I
how good is then the life creating if Salvation wrought be sweet how sweet and delicious is Salvation it self which worketh all Salvation if wisdome be amiable when we do but think on things created how amiable is that wisdom which produced all things of nothing Lastly if many and great delights be in things delectable and pleasant what and how much delectation must needs be in him who made all things so delightful And therefore why doest thou range so here and there O my Soul to find out what may do thee good among things created which cannot satisfie thee possess thy self of God in whom is every good thing and let him fill thee desire that which is only good and then thou shalt have enough and desire no more for in that good which is God thou shalt find far greater joy greater delight greater profit greater glory than all the world can possibly yeild thee Soul I do not only believe it that I shall find it so but I do partly find it already and therefore O my sweet and gracious God who art only good turn thou all sinful joy and carnal pleasure into gall and betterness in me that nothing may be so sweet dear pleasant and amiable unto me as my Lord and my God who art sweetness pleasantness and amiableness it self and be thou my joy who hast also promised to be my reward I humbly pray thee The fifth Conference Wherein Christ's aid is implored against Satans temptations in a time of desertion BEliev. I perceive O my Soul that thou canst not be long quiet for thou beginnest to be as turbulent as ever thou hast been Soul So I am and I cannot be otherwise disposed now Believ Why so Soul Because he that should comfort and sustain me is far from me and the tempter whom I wish farther off is nigh me raises such storms against me as that I know not what to do that he may not sink me For I am like that little ship Matth. 8.24 covered with the impetuous waves of his tempestuous and grievious temptations beating upon me without any cessation or intermission Believ Let not this dismay thee O my Soul for thus Christ is wont to trie his best * Nunquam in veni aliquem tam religiosum devotum qui non habuerit interdum gratiae subtractionem Tho. a Kempis de imit Chr. l. 2. c. 9. beloved Soldiers withdrawing himself from them for a season that they may both see what need they have of him and what they are without him even * Vnde fit illud quod cogitationes bonae carae Deo placentes mentem veluti deficiant Basil in Reg. brev interrog 80. barren dead and dull unable to do any thing and that they may likewise seek him the more thirstingly who seeks them even by such desertions most lovingly and therefore wrestle thou with him O my Soul this being not a * Gregor Moral l. 5. c. 4. sign of reprobation but only of probation thy beloved hath sufferd thee a great while suffer thou also and sustain thy beloved and withall seek him Soul O sweet love dear Saviour where art thou that thou absentest thy self so long from me when wilt thou return again unto me O my Lord and my God * Bern. Serm. 54. carest thou not that I perish Lo Satan that grand adversary of mine seeketh to sink me in a * Mark 8.38 sea of misery O save me for thy names sake * In mari turbulente versamur c Aug. Saliloq c. 35. Christ Why art thou so fearful O thou Christian Soul having but little faith Mat. 8.26 Believe only that I can and will save thee and all will be well with thee for all things are possible unto him that believeth Mar. 9.23 Soul I believe Lord help thou mine unbelief Christ Then be safe and let Satan cease to make a noise and raise tempests * Ma. 54.11 that this poor soul tossed with tempests may be calmed and sweetly comforted Soul Oh the ease and oh the peace and joy that I feel and find in thee and by thee sweet Saviour oâ— what a mighty Christ is this my Christ that even Satan that strong man himself must and doth obey him The sixth Conference Wherein use is made of Christ's incarnation by faith against sin BEliev. how dost thou now O my Soul Soul I should do well enough were it not for sin that abominable thing Believ We may not expect an absolute perfection here sin will ever * Heb. 12.1 cleave even to God's dearest children as long as they live and therefore let not that dismay thee Soul If one did not give way to it it would not trouble me so but now I cannot but be troubled and much perplexed being conscious of too much yieldingness and complying Believ Though this be an heavy case yet pray and trust in God O my soul who will not therefore withdraw his mercies from thee nor forsake thee but rather assist thee for after times so that sin which is such a grievous burden unto thee shall be diminished demolished in thee more and more that it may not reign over thee Rom 6.14 Soul I fear that I have even so wearied God with sin that he will not hear me though I should make never so many prayers because I am so full of sin for so it is written Isa 1.15 When you make many prayers yet I 'le not hear you your hands are full of blood Believ What a strange complaint is this that I hear where is thy faith O my Christian soul that thou makest such a fearful conclusion God speaks there against irrepentant sinners who lay nothing to heart and revolt more and more v. 3.5 but thou on the contrary art not only sensible of fin and the danger of it but also strivest against it more and more and therefore that place concerns not thee so as that thou may est boldly come to the Throne of grace in the time of need * Si forte ex humana infirmitate labimur non ideo desperemus sed iterum recurramus ad clementem medicum c. Bern. in Scala parad c. 12. notwithstanding thiâ— thy sad condition Heb. 4.16 Soul Do you say so theâ— I 'le adventure it again and say with the good * Mat. 15.22 23 24 25 26. woman of Canaan have mercy on me O Lord thou Son of David for I am grievously vexed with the Devil Christ I am not sent to be a Saviour but to those that obey me who also may only expect salvation Heb. 5.9 but thou hast been disobedient and rebellious against me Soul Yet Lord help me Christ It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs Soul Truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the erumbs which fall from their masters table therefore if I may not obtain so much mercy and grace as others who have been more obedient and dutiful than I who
am like a dog returning to his vomit in that I have recommitted so many sins which I should have omitted yet let me find but some crumbs of mercy crumbs are not denyed to dogs and that I may not be such a dog returning to my former disobedience help me I pray thee and save me from sin for therefore thou camest into the world that thou mayest save sinners of whom I a poor sinful soul am chief Christ O dear Soul great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Soul Oh the comfort and oh the quietness and tranquility which I find in thee and by thee sweet Saviour for now I am perswaded that neither Satan nor sin shall prevail against me to separate me from my dear love Christ who saves me from evils past fuscitates and raises me from the present and fortifieth me against those which are to come O Lord Jesus if thou didst not thus preserve me there is no sin in the world which I might not commit against thee for I know that there is no evil perpetrated and done by any man which may not also be acted by another man if the Creator be wanting who made man But now thou hast done that for me which hath kept me that I might not do what I would have done against thee and that I might abstain thou didest prohibit me and that I might believe thou didst infuse grace into me unto thee therefore be all honour and glory The seventh Conference Wherein the troubled believing Soul maketh use of Christ's death to work the death of sin and promises to be more thankefull BEliev. How is it with thee now O my soul Soul Not very well Believ Not well Soul No. Believ Why so Soul I am not so well comforted as I have been in times past and sin begins to gather strength and I am not able to master it as I do desire Believ It may be thou hast drawn this misery upon thy self by not being * Tho. à Kemâ— pis de Imit Chr. l. 2. c. 10. thankful enough for mercies comforts formerly distilled upon thee or by some secret pride which if it be so the cause must be first removed then Faith must be rightly used and all will be well Soul You have spoken as right as may be I am such an unthankful creature and so high spirited by nature and therefore it is just with God to bereave me both of comforts and strength to resist the common Adversary who goeth and goeth continually seeking whom he may davour 1 Pet. 5.8 and whom by no other means I shall be able to resist but only by Faith and therefore I promise both to be more grateful for the future by God's help and also more humble and lowly denying my self in all things and aforibing all honour and glory unto him of whom are all things yea * Sileat sibi ipsa anima transeat se mon cogitâ—ndo se sed de te Deus mous â— c. Aug. Man c. 12. passing by my self so in my thoughts as that I may not think of my self but of God who is my only hope and confidence and that I may overcome for the future both sin and Satan who is the Author of sin I 'le by the grace of God set faith a work eye especially the bitter * Nullum tam potens est tam efficax contra ardorem libidinis medicamentum quam mors redemptoris mei Id. cap. 23. death passion of my dear Saviour who loved me and gave himself for me that he might mundify me redeem me from * Tit. 2.14 all iniquity perswading my self that I shall be delivered in his own good time even from these sinful lusts and passions which now do so molest me yea I 'le also call upon him even now forthwith desiring his heavenly highness that he will by the power of his death work the death of my sins and free me from Satans power and tyranny Believ Well said this is the course thou must take O my soul and therefore call thou upon the Lord in this time of need for he hath said Call upon me in the day of trouble I 'le deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50.15 Mark this golden sentence O my soul for here is both a Precept for thee to bind thee and a promise to assure thee the Precept is call upon me yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clama cry unto me and spare not as if thou durst not speak being afraid but rather lift up thy voice and cry aloud as being commanded to be so bold the Promise is and I will deliver thee or I 'le loose thee from thy bonds for so much the original * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports even a solution from bonds for troubles are as bonds and so are sins and thou shalt glorify me note how the Lord doth here promise not only to free thee from troubles but also to cause thee to glorify him being freed out of troubles as which of thy self thou canst not do though but even now thou didst promise and vow to do it Soul Are not these thy words O my Lord my God who must help me didst not thou dictate them into David's pen and leave them recorded in thy book even for me to excite and to secure me Lo I am in trouble O Lord being fast bound and captivated as it were of sin Rom. 7.23 and I cannot unite my self of my self but thou canst who art omnipotency it self and therefore I call even to thee to help me For thou hast said call upon me in the day of trouble and I assure my self that thou wilt not leave me because thou hast promised me that thou wilt deliver me saying I will deliver or loose thee Loose me therefore O thou who art most free and unbounded and yet bound to free me having bound thy self by a promise to succor me O let not sin let not Satan keep me bound whom thou Lord Jesus hast redeemed by thy precious blood but free me O free me by thy power from the power of the one and tyranny of the other that I may freely serve thee being comforted in thee Yea Lord when thou hast enlarged me then enable me also and cause me to glory fie thee For thou hast promised that also unto me saying and thou shalt glory fie me taking that saying to be a promise as well as a precept For else if thou shouldst but command me that I must glory fie thee and shouldst not also cause me to do what thou commandest I should never be able to do what I ought and so consequently thou shouldest never have the glory which is due to thy holy name And therefore blessed be thy holy name O my God and Saviour who in one word hast both injoyned and promised me that I shall glorifie thee O inexhaustible Fountain of all grace and glory cause me therefore to glorifie thee and to
my breasts Cant. 1.13 And my beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand Can. 5.10 O my beloved be not far from me Psal 37.21 at any time but let thy mercy truth and love alwayes preserve guide and accompany me and whensoever thou givest any good thing unto me give thy self also as well as other things above all other things * Quoniam si cuncta qua fecisti mihi dederis nam sufficit servo tuo nisi teipsum dederis Aug. Man c. 3. for without thee they are all worth nothing and therefore if thou shouldst give me all that thou hast made it would not yea could not content me if thou shouldest not give thy self withall who madest all Believ I must needs interrupt thee O my Soul because I see that thou art not so thankful as thou shouldest be for this great mercy which the Lord hath even now shewed toward thee saying bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who heals all thy diseases who redeems thy life from destruction who crowns thee with loving kindness and tender mercies Ps 103.1 2 3 4. I add who hath given himself in part already and hath promised thee that he will impart himself yet more unto thee Soul Well said for * Qui gratiam Dei retinere desiderat sit gratus pro gratia data Tho. Ã Kempis de imit Christi l. 2. c. 10. whosoever will retain grace must be thankful for grace received and therefore while I live will I praise the Lord I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being Ps 146.2 Believ Yea Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Alleluia Psal 150.6 The fifteenth Conference Wherein the troubled believing Soul craves the promised hidden Manna that it may be the more couragious to fight the fight of Faith BEeliev Why art thou sad O my Soul Soul How can I be merry being destitute of that true comfort which I was wont to find Believ Thou must look to the hand of God in it who 1. doth so castigate and correct thee for having been too jovial and vain in a carnal manner 2. doth see that thou now art not fit for such joy comfort not being soundly dejected for though thou grievest now and then even beyond measure yet at other times thou art as foolish and outward and careless and fearless as if thou hadst never known the practise of Godly sorrow which is ever to be renewed even day by day Ps 51.3 Soul All this is true and therefore I do resolve that by Gods help I 'le never be so vain and outward and foolishly merry as I have been but rather sober grave moderate awful careful and constant in the daily renewing of godly sorrow Believ So do and then look for joy and comfort in the Lord who is said to comfort such as are so cast down 2 Cor. 7.6 and then forget not to use faith whereby thou mayest feed on the word of promise as for instance that in Rev. 2.17 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna even joy unspeakable to be found in me who am that bread of life that manna which came down from Heaven Soul So I purpose and therefore O thou ever-living bread of life who feedest others and yet never failest thy self nor art either diminished or consumed feed me also and refresh me and comfort me as thou doest others and hast comforted me in time past sweet Jesus let me tast but of the crums that fall from thee and let me feel but some of those ravishing joyes which I was wont to feel in thee O Lord my God thy very name is as sweet as hony and thou thy self art sweetness it self therefore as Samson found * Jesus â—melinore â—in aure â—melos in â—corde juâ—bilus sed â—est Medicina c. Bern. Serm. 15. super Cant. hony in the dead Lion which he flew so let me find some sweetness also in thee who art that * Judg. 14.8 Lion of the tribe of Juda whom the Jewes flew yea who is * Rev. 5.5 risen again having overcome death and is ascended up into Heaven from whence also I look for comfort and joy to drop and to descend upon me even as manna whose tast was like * Rom. 8.34 waffers made with hony Exo. 16.13 did come * Scilicet miraculose Non enim fuit cadem cum Manna illa naturali quae nascitur in Arabia Danaeus Phys Christ tract 2. cap. 26. out of Heaven John 6.31 to fill and to feed the people of God upon earth O Lord dear Saviour who art the very bread of God which cometh down from Heaven and givest life unto the world John 6.33 give me I pray thee this hidden manna that I believing on thee may rejoyce in thee with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Christ Thou art too greedy and too eager after comfort which for its continued fruition thou shouldest rather expect in Heaven than from Heaven for now is the time of fighting and hereafter will come the time of tryumphing when the fight is ended and therefore why dost thou desire that in this world which is reserved for another world Dost thou think to have a Heaven here and a Heaven hereafter too that is too much Soul Truth Lord it is too much for me who deserve not the least of thy mercies yet seeing thou hast promised both Heavens even a Heaven in Heaven and a Heaven upon earth joy here and joy hereafter therefore I look for both even for a tast now and for full fruition hereafter and I 'le not leave thee till thou bless me with such joy crown me with such comforts as may refresh strengthen and encourage me so as that like Jonathan I may with new supplied fortitude and valour reassault my spiritual enemies having tasted how sweet thou art O Lord my God even sweeter than that most sweet and pleasant hony which Jonathan had tasted when his * 1 Sam. 14.27.31 eies were inlightened himself so corroborated and enlivened as that he was able to discomfit a host of men Nor am I the first that crave this Heaven for thy servant David who was a man after thine own heart did request thee for the very same thing before me saying restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation Psal 81.12 and therefore let not my Lord be displeased with me who follow such an approved pattern saying after him who said so first O Lord restore unto me also the joy of thy Salvation which I have found wanting a long time after the spouse in Cant. 2.5 Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples For I am sick of love Christ I see thou wilt not be denied and I cannot deny my words and therefore as one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort thee and thou shalt be comforted Isa 66.13 Believ As the Apple-tree among the trees of the wood so is my Beloved among the Sons For lo Now I sit down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit is sweet unto my tast Cant. 2.3 and therefore return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee and now what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the Cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord because he hath inclined his ears unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live Psal 116.2 3 12 13. Alleluia FINIS