shall pay dear for their great Grandieur Dignities and Offices How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer Son of the Morning Isa. 14. 12. Temptation V. The Thief on the Cross saith Satan though a Sinner during his whole Life yet Repenting was saved So saith Satan if thou canst but Repent or Reform an Hour before thou Diest doubt not but God will have Mercy on thee Reply It is true the Thief Repenting and Believing in Christ was saved at the very Last But was not this Miraculous Did not Christ now upon a special Occasion to shew the Effect of his Blood the Power of his Passion and to demonstrate unto the World his Deity even now at his lowest Ebb of Humiliation shew his Power in the Conversion of the Thief Must this Extra-ordinary Example now be propounded as a President for ever that was but once Miraculous and Wrought upon special Occasion But further consider First It is not Impossible but that this was the First Time of the Call of this poor Thief that he never heard Christ's Sermon before or had any Outward Call before this time and so his Sins being of Ignorance might excuse in part as Paul speaketh of his The Lord shewed Mercy because I did them Ignorantly 1 Tim. 1. 13. But now thou canst not plead this Ignorance in-as-much as thou hast lived under the Gospel and hast had an Outward Call by the Preaching of the same Secondly This Example of the Penitent Thief as it was Extraordinary so we see it Singular the Scriptures not leaving us one Example more of the like Now Particular Examples are not to be urged for a General Practice especially in so weighty a Thing as the Salvation of the Soul is If therefore Satan doth suggest unto thee of Repenting at thy own Pleasure tell him from me That it is a Thousand-fold more probable that thou shalt Die as thou hast lived and so be Damned rather than to have such a Singular Grace given thee and Mercy shew'd at the last Hour Many more Temptations of Satan probably there are unto Security but I shall add no more SECT VI. The Third thing that Satan Tempts unto is The Love of the World Ah! saith Satan All these things the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and Worship me Here are fine and brave things Grandeur and Gallantry Pleasures Pomp and Profit Here are the Lusts of the Eye the Flesh and Pride of Life And thus Satan doth in making poor Souls fall in Love with the World Now there are several Antidotes that might be prescribed to expel this Poison which Satan would fain invenom poor Souls with Consider the World in its Honour Pleasures and Profits and you shall find abundance of Deceit in all these 1. What is the Honour and Glory of this World but fading and dying Is it not a Gilded Misery a secret Poyson a hidden Plague the Engineer of Deceit Mollerus on Psal. 73. 20. tells the World Honours and Dignities are but as idle Dreams Splendid Braveries and Lucid Phantasies St. Matthew calls the World's Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Opinion St. Luke calls â—…grippa's Pomp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Phantasie or Vain Shew And St. Paâ—… calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mathematical Figure which is a meer Notion and nothing in Substance How many have been blown to Hell while they have failed with the Wind of Popular Applause Doth the Honour of this World make a Man really the Better Surely no but often the Worse Is it not Magnum Nihil a Great Nothing and a Glorious Phantasie What is become of Proud Haman and Pharaoh And what will become of thy Honour when thou art in the Grave when Death makes its Approach towards thee Will the Glory and Honour of this World stand thee instead at the Day of Iudgement Will not Heaven's Glory â—…en transcend it Wilt thou not â—…hen be mad with thy self to think â—…hat Heaven's Glory was once offered â—…nto thee but thou to chose the World's refusest Heaven 's Secondly Consider this World in the Pleasures of it And what are they Be they Satisfying No And are they not Killing Yea. Some of the Philosophers did place Men's Happiness in the Pleasures of this World which are but the sad Transformations of Men into Bruits sayes that Worthy Gentleman Mr. Polhil And yet how many are there that cannot refrain themselues from these ‖ Sensual Pleasures but whose Delight in them is Inordinate singing the Epicurean's Divinity Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas Let us Eat Drink and be Merry for to Morrow we shall Die Carnal Man is for the Things of the Flesh pleasing his Flesh and loving that which is Fleshly But consider O vain Man that pursues so hotly after the Pleasures of this World these three things Death Iudgement and â—…ternity Let the Remembrance of Him that was Crucifyed Crucify in thee all the Desire of Pleasures Let the Remembrance of Hell-fire quench in thee all the Fire of Lust. Compare the short Moment of Pleasure with Eternal Punishment Pleasures do but Captivate our Hearts that they cannot be free in the Love of God Thirdly Consider this World in that which they call the Profits of it and you may easily understand the Vanity of them This Life is the Way to our Eternal Country What then do much Riches profit They do rather burden the Traveller Christ the King of Heaven is the Riches of God's Servants The true Treasure must be within a Man and not without him That is the True Treasure which thou canst carry away with thee to the General Iudgement but all these outward Goods are taken from us in Death Riches do but take themselves Wings and fly away Nothing more uncertain than they Fading Dying and Perishing they are For their Transitoriness they may be compared unto a Shadow a Ship a Bird an Arrow a Post that passeth by Comforts here below are no Comforts though supposed and so eagerly pursued after by Faithless Men and Women Luther did solemnly protest God shouldnot put him off with these things here Below Things present may be Pleasing but then they are not Permanent SECT VII The Fourth thing that Satan Tempts unto is Hypocrisie Oh! saith Satan if thou art resolved to be Serious rather than so get a Shew of it Paint thy self and play the Hypocrite and so thou mayest go amongst Men for a Good Christian. Reply But hereunto the Soul may Answer in this Form First Thou may'st tell the Devil That it is true by having the Form of Godliness thou may'st seem Holy Pious and Religious among Men in the Sight of Men but not in the Sight of God Thou may'st indeed deceive Men but thou canst not deceive God He is privy to all thy Treachery though thou keeps it under Lock and Key Thy Heart he
his Blessing which alone maketh Rich may be on your Head and that you may see the Fruit of your Loins in a good Old Age to â—…ample Satisfaction and Comfort God heard your Prayers in the â—…ame Case as he did Abraham of Old Now Sir you know Mercy calls for Duty If God hâ—… had an Ear to your Voice 〈◊〉 Prayer I hope you will not 〈◊〉 fuse an Ear to God's Voice 〈◊〉 his Commandments 'T is bâ—… reasonable That those whoâ—… God has done much for shouâ—… be much in doing for him agaâ—… My Prayer shall be that as yâ—… do out-strip many in Mercy 〈◊〉 you may out-shine in Life aâ—… Conversation I shall conclude with a Woâ—… of Counsel or two being as fâ—…loweth First Let nothing lie so neâ—… your Heart to delight you 〈◊〉 God and his Glory Christ aâ—… his Merits Grace and the Meaâ—… of Grace the Soul and its Saâ—…vation Let God be your chieâ—… est Good and his Glory thâ—… Scope you level at in all yoâ—… Actions Natural Civil and Religious For this you were Born and New-Born and this is the End of Life Natural Spiritual and Eternal Next to this Let many of your spare Hours be spent in considering the Preciousness of the Soul together with the necessity of Salvation The Soul is a Precious Substance for it is of a Spiritual Nature and the Principal Part of the Man The Body is but a Casket the Soul is the Jewel and yet the greatest Care usually is to gratify the Body The Wise-man saith All a Man's Labor is for the Mouth But Sir I hope better Things of you and that you know who ever are concern'd so with the Body as to neglect the Soul are like such that trim the Scabbard and let the Sword rust Man is in part an Angel and in part a Beast Why should we please the Beast that is in us rather than the Angel Our greatest Fear should be for the Soul and our greatest Care should be for the Soul Your greatest Fear Matth. 10. 28. Fear not him that can Kill the Body but Fear him that can Cast both Soul and Body into Hell There is a double Argument The Body is but the worser Part and the Body is alone But on the other side the Soul is the more Noble Part and the State of the Body dependeth upon the Well-or Ill-being of the Soul He is able to Cast both Soul and Body c. And therefore it is the greatest Imprudence in the World out of a Fear of the Body to Betray the Soul But in the next place Your greatest Care should be for the Soul Matth. 16. 26. What is a Man profited if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul 'T is but a sorry Exchange Sir God has Honoured you with the Bona Throni and the Bona Scabelli The Good of the Throne and the Good of the Foot-Stool But I suppose you look upon all Earthly good Things to be but Conveniencies for the Body and such as will not profit when you shall be laid in a Cold and Silent Grave But Salvation How Excellent is it How Sweet is it as being that without which the Soul cannot be Happy Now Christ and his Merits procures this Salvation for the Soul Grace and the Means of Grace together will confer Grace on that Soul that it may be Happy But my last Word of Counsel is this As I would have you to let nothing lie so near your Heart as those Four Things afore-said to Delight you so I would that you let nothing lie so near your Heart as these Four Things to Humble you First Your Sins You and I and all of us have our Sins notwithstanding our Regeneration A Saint and a Sinner in some sense may stand together The Best have the Remainders of Corruption in them And tho we are Renewed we are but Renewed in part Have we been Humbled for Sin Why yet we have cause to be more Humbled Secondly The Hiding of God's Face is another thing that calls for Humiliation The Face of God is the Favor of God The shining of his Face and the lifting up of his Countenance is the Manifestation of his Favor but the hiding of his Face is the loss of the Sense of his Favor Now the Shinings of God's Face no Soul on Earth alwayes Enjoyes but at sometime or other he is a Child of Light walking in Darkness he hath but his Lucid Intervals No perfect Settledness can be attained to in this Life Our Day will have a Night our Sun-shine will have its Eclipses Suavis hora brevis mora hath been an Old Saying But Thirdly The Imperfection of Grace Grace while on Earth is Militant and not Triumphant till it arrives to Heaven Sir Your Faith is not so perfect but there is Unbelief enough to humble you and your Love is not so perfect but there is Luke-warmness enough to humble you and your Patience is not so perfect but there is Impatience enough to humble you and your Humility is not so perfect but there is Pride enough to humble you Sir In speaking this to you I speak it also to my self and all that may Read these Lines Lastly The Affliction of the Church should lie very near our Hearts O Sir that you and I could but weep when we â—…emember Zion Psal. 137. vers 〈◊〉 We Wept when we remembred Zion If we are Members of the Body Mystical there will be â—…ome kind of Simpathy But Oh the Paucity of them that zhew themselves to be Members of the Body Mystical by making Zions Troubles their own Oh the Miseries of many Christians in Germany the Dukedom of Savoy and other Forreign Parts of the world who have been driven from their Habitations because they would not Desert the Protestant and Espouse the Popish Religion Besides the Oppression of the Church of God in Scotland has been great for some considerable Time When we consider these Things our Eyes should be bedewed with Tears God's Church is a Bleeding Vine and the Spouse of Christ has now her Garments rowled in Blood which is enough to make a Tender Heart to bleed So that Sir you may by this time see what should lift up the Heart of a Saint and what should cast it down Pray God direct us both that our Tears may alwayes run in the right Channel and our Rejoycing may be alwayes in the Lord. Sir May You and your Consort and your young Son live long that God may have the Glory of all you have do and hope for Humbly begging your Perusal of this Treatise in which you will find these Things more at large And so you will oblige him that is From my Study in Bartholomew-Close London May 16. 1678. SIR Yours in all due Observance Thomas Powel TO HIS Most Honored Uncle Mr. William Cawthorne OF LONDON Gent. My Dear and Honored Sir ALthough I know not well how you may Resent
things â—…ither with Means without Means or â—…ontrary to Means and against all Opâ—…osition what-so-ever And do you think there is any Existing so Almighty Why is it then that the Interest of God which you call it is so opposed in the World as it is Answ. To which the Soul may Answer That God is Almighty I do firmly Believe and that he can do Things either with Means without or contrary to Means is a Verity that 〈◊〉 do not at all question And thaâ—… God's Interest in the World is oftentimes opposed is not but that he caâ—… Advance his own Interest withoâ—… Opposition but he permits it to be opposed that the Glory of his Omnipotency and Wisdom in effecting such and such things notwithstanding Opposition may shine forth more Perspicuously And thus I have giveâ—… you a Sight of the Wiles of Satan especially those that he makes use oâ—… in Tempting to Atheism abusing 1. The Invisibility of God 2. The Trinity of Persons in One Diuine Essence 3. Several of his Incommunicable Attributes SECT V. I have already shew'd something of Satan's Subtilty in Tempting unto Atheism I now come to speak of Satan's Subtilty in his Temptations unâ—…o Security being such as follow Temptation I. One way that Satan hath to make â—…oor Souls Secure is by presenting God unto them as a God only of Mercy O! saith the Devil why â—…rt thou so concern'd about thy Salvaâ—…ion Dost thou think God that Made â—…hee will be so Cruel to Damn thee â—…nd He who Form'd thee will not Save â—…hee Alas God is more ready to Pardon than to Punish Mercy is his â—…areling Attribute but Judgement is his Strange Work And thus Satan doth to make Souls Careless and Fearless Careless of their Salvation and Fearless of their Damnation Reply To Repel this Temptation must be by considering that as God is Merciful so he is Just Just in himself and so will Punish all Sin Merciful in the Face of Christ and so will Punish no Sin he having in our stead born the Punishment A Just God towards an hard-Hearted Sinner a Merciful God towards an Humble Sinner God is not all Mercy and no Justice nor all Justice and no Mercy Submit to him his Mercy embraceth thee Resist him his Justice pursues thee Do not the Devils themselves and all the Howling Reprobates in Hell shew that God is ‖ Just Is not Hell and Sodom a Monument of God's Iustice And are not all the Crosses Losses Sicknesses and Diseases that be in the World Tokens of God's Displeasures Besides Doth not the pouring-out of his Wrath upon Iesus Christ his dearly Beloved Son shew that our God is a Just Iudge More-over to argue from Grace to Sin from Love to Lust from Mercy to Iniquity from Immunity to Impiety is the Dialect of Hell and the Sophistry of the Prince of Darkness To sin I say because Grace abounds is the Devil's Logick and who-so-ever useth such kind of Language you may write THIS SOUL IS LOST In fine The Apostle Rom. 12. 1. and the Saints all a-long have made God's Mercy the greatest Motive to Repentance Temptation II. Another way that the Devil maketh use of to make poor Souls Secure is by telling them That all the World are Sinners as well as them and they may make as good a Shift as the rest What if you do go to Hell You shall not go alone you shall have others with you Reply Here is Audacity and Absurdity One would think that the Devil should be ashamed to argue thus considering what a Scholar he is in Logick Philosophy and School-Divinity and yet by Raciocination of this kind doth he prevail upon dark Souls Such kind of Reason if it may be called Reason in effect is thus much Some have Cut their Throats I must do it also because in it I shall do no more than what others have done before me A great Multitude of People are resolv'd to run into the River of Thames to see how they can tread Water and Dance upon it therefore I must do the like because with me I shall have Company though in the Close I shall lose my Life I 'le leave you to apply it Temptation III. The next thing that Satan doth to make poor Souls secure is by telling them That Christ is a Saviour and what though they do sin Christ has Dy'd and is Risen again for their Justification Reply It is true Christ is a Saviour but if He is not My Saviour may the Soul say what doth this argue for me Christ hath Dyed but if I cannot believe his Death and Sufferings will be of little Advantage unto me He is Offered but if I do not Receive Him I shall not be Sav'd There may be Vertue enough in a Plaister to Heal a Sore but if it be not Applyed it will not Heal my Sore So there is Vertue enough in Christ to Wash and Cleanse but if it be not Applyed to my Soul by Faith it won't Wash or Cleanse me Temptation IV. Surely saith Satan God loves thee or else he would not Bless thee in thy Outward Estate as in thy Corn Children Calling and Friends Reply Seriously consider O Soul that God's Love is Two-fold Common and Special God's Common Love I reckon is that which all partake of viz. Good Men and Bad Men. Now for any to have a great Estate and to Prosper therein together with his Wife and Children is that which is common to all some only excepted Now it is not Common Favour but Special Favour that must save thee and a Token or Evidence of it will Comfort thee but this thy Prosperity in the World is not being that which is more ordinary to those who go to Hell than such who go to Heaven And therefore let not the Children of God grudge and repine at the Wicked Man's Prosperity because all the Wicked shall have Misery enough Hereafter for the little present Pleasure that they enjoy Here. They that have their Heaven Here are in danger to lose it Here-after God seldom gives his Children Heaven and Earth too Nihil infelicius felicitate peccantium saith St. Augustine The Wicked Man's Felicity is great Infelicity Doubtless hence it was that David prayed Deliver me from the Wicked who have their Portion in this Life only Psal. 17. 14. Nothing is so great a Signe of God's Curse as the Prosperity of the Wicked The Lord will proportion Torment to all the Pleasure the Wicked have had Revel 18. 7. How much She hath lived Deliciously so much Torment and Sorrow give Her That Story of the Roman who was by the Court-Marshal Condemned to Dye for breaking his Rank to steal a Bunch of Grapes is pregnant to our purpose For as he was going to Execution some of the Souldiers envyed him that he had Grapes and they had none Saith he Do you envy me for my Grapes I must pay dear for them So Wicked Men
deeper Purple than thy Sins There is as much Vertue in the Blood of Christ as there can be Venom in thy Sins Tell the Devil O poor Soul That though thy Sins have been against an Infinite God yet there is Infinite Mercy to Answer thy Sins God can easily drown and swallow up all thy Sins in the Ocean of his Mercy When the Tempter Magnifies thy Sins do thou then Magnify thy Saviour and Physician That I am a Sinner it is true but who else doth Christ Save That I am Ungodly it is true but who else doth God Justify Pore not so much upon thy Sins as quite to forget thy Saviour The Devil tells thee of thy Disease do thou tell him of thy Remedy Thou art Miserable by reason of Sin but thou may'st be Happy and Restored again by the Grace of God There is no Misery on this side of Hell and the Grave but God out of his Infinite Free Grace hath appointed some Means proper for the same viz. Hearing and Reading the Word for the Unconverted Prayer and Receiving of the Sacrament for the Weak in Gifts and Graces and Christ unto all in general who will Receive Him by Faith Mat. 11. 28. Let thy Sins be never so great Confess them but Humbly and Brokenly and thou shalt find Mercy David used the Aggravations of his Sins as an Argument with God to Pardon them Pardon my Sins because they are very great SECT IV. Secondly Satan Tempts to Despair by causing the Soul to make a wrong Use of God's Anger God is Angry saith Satan and therefore what wilt thou do Behold how he Looks how he Chides and how he Strikes Dost thou think that he will ever be Reconciled Remedy The only way to give Satan the Fall in this Respect is by Answering him in this wise God may Chide bitterly Look sowerly and Strike heavily even when and where he Loves most dearly And moreover That God is not so Angry but while thy Soul is on this side of Eternity thou may'st Pacify him by what he hath appointed as the Means whereby those who have sin'd against him may now be Reconciled unto him viz. The Sufferings of the Lord Iesus which have satisfied Divine Iustice to the full God is Love and he writes not Injuries in Marble SECT V. Thirdly Satan Tempts to Despair by causing the Soul to study that which it should not viz. God's Secret Will Thou art not Elected sayes the Devil and therefore all thy Praying and Reading and taking Pains with thy Heart will be but in vain Remedy The only way to invalidate Satan's Arguings in this Respect is by considering that he hath no Skill in the Black Book of Reprobation Neither Good nor Evil Angels can look into the Book of God's Decrees Therefore thou canst not for thou needst not Hast thou not the Book of thy Heart look into it and see what is Written therein He that finds the Bible Copied out into his Heart his Nature Transform'd the Byass of his Will turned the Signature and Engravings of the HolyGhost upon him looks not like a Reprobate When you see the Fruits of the Earth spring up you conclude the Sun has been there 'T is hard to climb up into Election but if we find the Fruits of Holiness springing up in our Hearts we may conclude the Sun of Righteoâ—…sness hath Risen there By our Sanctification saith one we must Calculate our Election The Infaâ—…lible Signes of Election in my Opinion should satisfy any one touching his Election Why now Hast thou not the Saving Graces of Faith Love and Repentance What are these but the Infallible Signes of Election Being not unsensible of the Intricacy which attends this Subject of Election and how the Devil puzzles many poor Souls by some Nice Questions resulting there-from Something already I have said of it But I do find much thereof for Substance Elegantly treated by the Elegant Culverwel in his White-Stone the Reading of which did exceedingly refresh my Soul and therefore hoping that it may have the like Effect upon thee I shall here insert it knowing that I cannot mend it my self what-ever others may be able to do The Lines are these That Astrologer sayes he was deservedly Laught at that was so intensly gazing upon the Stars so admiring their Twinkling Beauties as that unawares he tumbled into the Water where-as before if he had been but pleased to look so low as the Water he might have seen the Stars there represented in that Crystal-Glass Such as will needs be prying into Stars that will Ascend up into Heaven and gaze upon Election they do but dazle thine Eyes and sometimes by this are over-whelm'd in the Depths of Satan where-as they might easily see the Stars in the Water they might see Election in Sanctification Now Vocation does plainly and easily appear by that great and eminent Alteration which it brings along with it It is a powerful Call 't is an audible and quick'ning Voice the Voice of the First Trumpet that awakens Men out of the Graves and makes them Happy by having their Part in the First Resurrection great and sudden Alterations they are very Discernable Now here 's a most notorious and signal Change made Old things are past away and all things are become New Here 's a Change from Death to Life from Darkness to Light and what more Discernable than this A Living Man may know that he is Alive and that without any further Proof or Demonstration what-ever the Scepticks Old or New would perswade us to the contrary Will you not allow a Man to be certain that he Lives till a Iury of Life and Death hath past upon him Could not the Blind Man in the Gospel think you perceive when his Eyes were opened Could he not easily tell that now he could see and discern Variety of Objects or must he only conjecture that he sees and guess at a Sun-Beam Must he still at Noon-day go groping in Uncertainties And is there not an easie and sure Difference between those thick Veils and Shadows of the Night between those Dark and AEthiopick Looks and the Virgin-Blushes of the Morning those Beautiful Eye-lids of the Day The Smilings and Flow'rings out of Light much more the Advancement of Light to its Zenith and Noon-day-Glory And why then cannot an Intellectual Eye discern as well that now it sees that now it looks upon God with an Eye of Love with an Eye of Faith with an Eye of Confidence and that now God looks upon him with an Eye of Tenderness and Compassion with an Eye of Grace and Favour with an Eye of Delight and Approbation Who but an Anaxagoras will go about to perswade a Man to disbelieve his Eyes And if a Corporal Eye deserve such Credit why may not a Spiritual Eye then expect as much Say not then in thine Heart Who shall Ascend into Heaven to bring down Assurance from Above Who shall Unclasp the Book of
Affections and Predominant they are nothing else but so many Fire-Brands of Confusion Land-Floods exceeding all Reason yea Deluges to bear down our Graces What Euripides spake of Sorrows is as true of all Inordinate Affections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As in a sudden Fray many a Man is wounded so by Tumultuous Affections many a Sin is increased and the Devil like Thieves in Uproares is most diligent about us when our Affections are Distempered within us He can Master us most easily when we can most difficultly Master our selves But if the Affections be rightly set and composed they are then the sweetest Spring of Duty the gentlest Hand-Maids of Grace our best Sails for a Course of Piety the Activest Weapons against Iniquity our Flames in Prayer and Wings to Heaven Therefore Watch these Affections They are a Cole quickly Kindled but not so quickly Extinguished Your Safety lies much in this How they are Set and how they Work The same Strings may make Pleasant Musick or a Jarring Discord All is as they are Set and Fingred Your Affections may be either your Pleasant Garden or your Turbulent Ocean Therefore Watch them for Rectitude of Motion for Measure of Motion and for Order of Motion If your Love which is the General of the Affections should be set not on God but the World or Sin If your Hatred should be directed not against Sin but Good Men or which is worse against Goodness it self If your Zeal should not be pure Flames for Divine Glory but a burning Rage against his Truth If your Fear should not be a Flight from Evil but an Apostasie from Christ If your Anger should be a Displeasure at another's Eminencies and not at your own Exorbitances If your Hope should not be a well-ballanced Expectation of Happiness but a blind and venturous Presumption of Mercy And if your Grief should be Trouble that you cannot be and do more Evil Ah! how Vile how Irregular how Dangerous are Affections thus Routed and Dis-ordered But if Love and Hatred be lookt unto to Keep their Right Centers to Move towards their Proper Objects to Love nothing but Good to Hate nothing but Evil Now there is Rectitude and now there will be Peace and Comfort But stay not here Watch likewise your Affâ—…ctions for their Order and Measure it is difficult to keep and observe these O! How much Holiness of Heart and how large an Influence of Spiritual Wisdom is required to Guide the Affections with an even and befitting Pulse to keep those Mettals in an Expedient Heat That I should utterly Hate and Abhor the Sin and yet Mercifully Pity and Love the Person Be at the same time throughly Zealous and yet abundantly Meek Contend earnestly for the Faith yet all this Contending to be carried without any Contentiousness Beat down Errors and yet not Revile Persons Patiently bear Afflictions and Injuries with Silence and yet not Slight any Suffering with Unsensibleness That when I do Behold much Mercy yet I should Fear And when I Feel much Sin yet I should Hope Not Presume nor yet Despair But temper Faith and Fear Grief and Hope together This is the Orderly Composure of our Affections and the Exercise of it is very Difficult though very Necessary And therefore Watch The last Bull-Wark or Fort which you must keep Watch on is Conscience Solomon calls it the Heart which must be kept with all Diligence There is much to be said why it is to be Watched that I will say but little Is it not God's Vicegerent in Man The Spy up on us Our Great Counsellour Our Best Friend or Worst Enemy Our Heaven of Peace or Hell of Torment Our Wall of Brass or Prison of Iron Know ye not the Vigorous Supports of its Excusing Testimony What Confidence it gave to the Martyrs at the Bar and what Rejoycing even in the Flames Have ye not heard the Terrible Affrightments and Amazements of its Condemning Power How when it hath been awaken'd and stir'd it hath so Imprinted on the Proud Sinner the Wrath of the Great God that he hath been driven to Great Consternation Well! be Advised in time Great Sins will make Great Wounds in Conscience yea and Little Sins Committed against the Light of Conscience will occasion great Stirs and Troubles Speak no more against Conscience Write no more against Conscience Flatter no more against Conscience Live not in any Sin do nothing against Conscience Remember what befel Francis Spira who adventured against the strong Dictates of his Conscience he could not Recover Peace to his Dying-Day Remember what besel Origen who consented to Sacrifice But Lord What Horrors what Confusions what Lamentations what Despairs what Extream Exigencies in Conscience did attend him for Sinning thus Remember Iudas also who Sold his Master to the High-Priest He Sold his Master indeed but Sold his Peace too Instantly is he Arrested and Charged by Conscience and the Guilt of his Sin Crucified Him before the Rage of the Souldiers could Crucify his Master No Rest no Hope He chose Death rather than Life and hastened to Hell it self for some Ease O therefore Watch to Conscience Get it Renewed and Purged from Dead Works Obey it when it brings Light from Heaven to Command Wound it not by Corrupt Errors and Practioâ—…s Keep it Undefiled and Resolute Farewel Peace farewel Comfort Hope God Heaven Happiness if you Sell your Consciences But if you would Live in Life Enjoy your Selves Live in Death Enjoy your Hopes Live after Death Enjoy God and Christ As you desire Comfort from God from the Creatures from your Selves Watch keep Conscience Right and Sound No not for all the World make Shipwrack of Conscience Thy Ark is Lost if Conscience be Split Secondly The Ports or Gates to be Watched and Guarded by which We Go out and an Enemy may Come in These Ports are our Outward Senses by which the Soul Goes out and Objects Come in I cannot so distinctly Prescribe for these as for the rest only this we know That Sensible Objects have great Force to actuate and excite Peculiar Corruptions and Vile Temptations usually slip in and Co-operate with Outward Representations Satan by the Goodly Fruit deceived the Eye of Eve and Corrupted her to Transgression David's wandring Eye occasioned two Horrid Sins one of Adultery the other of Murder Therefore set a Strict Watch upon this Port or Sense of Seeing Iob did so He made a Covenant with his Eyes And Solomon Advises the Iunker not to Look on the Wine when it gives its Colour in the Glass And also not to Come near the Doors or Presence of the Strumpet Epiphanius saith That in the Old Law when any Dead Body was carryed by any House they were enjoyned to shut their Doors and Windows And in a Moral Sense the same Counsel were good for us When any Objects are apt to come in at the Windows of our Eyes Entising Alluring us to Sin shut the Windows presently lest Death should Enter by
with the Devil And art thou a Stander by and a Spectator of them but do'st not so much as put thy Hand to help art no wise Affected thy Bowels within thee not at all moved How Dis ingenuous is this Does it not argue either Ignorance or Ingratitude Ignorance in that thou hast not been so Tried thy self and therefore knowest not how to Pity others Ingratitude in that it was once thy own Case but thou hast forgotten it or at leastwise would if thou couldst and therefore takest not Notice of Souls thus Tempted Tried Afflicted I shall only add this I am verily perswaded there is as little Compassion shewed to Weak Desponding Tempted and Oppressed Believers as ever if not less The Consideration whereof I must needs tell you that are my Hearers this Day grieves me as much as any thing and puts me much upon Prayer untó God That he would be pleased to continue my Condoleing Heart towards the Tempted which through Grace I can say is much Yet still I would rather have it Increased than Diminished SECT V. Fifthly and Lastly Those whom God has done much for should be much in doing for others by Praying with and for others Although God will have but One Intercessor in Heaven yet he requireth Many on Earth Here we may yea we must be Trading one with another viz. Prayers for Prayers Ministers with People and People with their Ministers and one Saint with another Oh! What a Trade did Paul Drive this way I have sometimes thought what a Catalogue of Churches and Saints he had to Commend to God in his Dayly Prayers How many Churches did he usually Pray for He saith to the Church of Rome in these Words God is my Witness That without Ceasing I make mention of you always in my Prayers The like for the Church at Ephesus I cease not to give Thanks for you making mention of you in my Prayers So for the Church at Philippy I remember you alwayes in every Prayer of mine for you all making Request with Ioy. So the Church at Thessalonica We give Thanks to God alwayes for you all making mention of you in our Prayers Remembring without ceasing your Work of Faith Labor of Love and Patience of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. And doubtless had he Written Epistles to all other Churches we should have heard of his Prayers for them Neither did he Pray only for Churches but also for several Saints in Particular For he saith That he Prayed for Timothy Night and Day that is Morning and Evening the Whole put for the Part. And as for Philemon he saith That he made mention of him alwayes in his Prayers To conclude The least we can do for one another is to be Earnest at the Throne of Grace CHAP. XXIV A Brief Application of the Point SECT I. Use of Information THe First Use that this Doctrine affords us is a Use of Information If it be so That those whom God hath done much for should be much in doing for others Then hence we may learn That such who are defective and wanting herein are Guilty of the Highest Ingratitude against God Wherefore O Man has God done so much for thee but that thou shouldst do something for Him And wherein canst thou better manifest a Doing much for Him than doing much for his Members Mercy calls for Duty Let some-thing be done by way of Retaliation though Retaliation in our strict and proper Sense cannot be made unto God To be Ungrateful for Mercy is like Absolom who as soon as David Kissed him and took him into Favour Plotted Treason against him Ingratitude puts an Accent upon Sin and makes it out of Measure Sinful If so be you cannot Lay your Selves out for the Good of Others what then do you in Testimony of Thankfulness to that God who has done so much for you O Ungrateful Worse than the very Beasts for they are wrought upon with Kindness Isa. 1. 3. This is dealing with God as we do with the Thames The Thames brings us in our Riches our Gold Silks Spices and we throw all our Filth into the Thames c. If Mercy be not a Load-Stone to Draw thee to Duty Iudgment shall Compel thee Methinks God's Goodness should be a Whet-Stone Do for others If thou askest me why the Reason is plain Because God has done for thee Therefore not to do any Good argues want of a Deep Sense and Impression of God's Signal Favours on us Beware therefore of going on any more in a Dissolute Course SECT II. Use of Caution Secondly By way of Caution Take heed of Persisting in this Cursed Sin of Ungratefulness Though God has been Patient for a great while yet the Lease of his Patience will at last be Run out Nothing so Cold as Lead yet nothing more Scalding when it is Melted The Sweetest Wine degenerates into the Sharpest Vinegar Nothing Blunter than Iron yet when Sharpened it hath an Edge that will cut Mortally Nothing Smoother than the Sea yet when stir'd into a Tempest nothing Rageth more Just so is it with the Patience and Goodness of God What Sweeter than the same Yet the Abuse of them turns them to Fury and sore Wrath. SECT III. Use of Comfort Thirdly By way of Comfort to such that do Testify their Thankfulness to God for his Bounties in being Useful in their Places and Generation You do but Oblige God to do more for you And without doubt the more you do for God the more God will do for you If God heaps the Coals of his Mercy upon the Heads of his Enemies What then would he do for you that should walk Thankfully As we commonly do follow them with our Compensations that are most * Thankful So God doth vouchsafe his Benefits most where he thinks they may be Acknowledged And as we will not bestow our Alms on a Mendicant that can neither Cringe nor Bow So God will not bestow his Favours on any but what shall Worship Him and give Thanks unto him If therefore our Lives be singularly Convincing and Converting Exemplary and Gratulatory you will thereby the more attract Divine Indulgence unto you Therefore Who would not but be Comforted with this namely That if any express their Thankfulness unto God by Usefulness in their Places they shall not be Guilty of that Monstrous Word INGRATITUDE But not only so They who manifest their Thankfulness shall more infinitely oblige God unto them for the Future Finally God will Reward them according to their Works SECT IV. Use of Counsel Fourthly Be Exhorted unto Thankfulness and Acknowledgement of the manifold Mercies of God Has the All-Merciful God been Merciful to thee Express then thy Thankfulness for the same in being Merciful unto others Has the Gracious God done much for thee Express then thy Thankfulness unto Him by doing much for others Motives here-unto are these and pray observe them Motive 1. First 'T is Equity