Grace there is an hearty willingness to part with every sin The first work of the sanctifying Spirit upon the soul is the discovering of sin making it appear to be an enemy and the first saving work is the dividing betwixt sin and the soul making an utter breach betwixt them The Spirit of God makes us first to look on sin as an enemy and then to deal with it as an enemy to hate it to fear it to be impatient at the presence of it Rom. 7. 24. Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death When the good Spirit enters into the heart from that day forward the Soul looks on sin as Saul look'd on David when the evil spirit fell upon him It 's said he eyed David from that time forward he looked on him with an evil eye with an envious eye Oh! that I were once well rid of this David Oh! saith a Convert that I were once well rid of this Lust It 's now become to the Soul as the Daughters of Heth were to Rebeccah Gen. 26. 35. A grief of mind to it a weariness to it I am weary of my life because of these daughters of Heth. When there is this breach made betwixt sin and the Soul it 's grace that hath made it when sin hath lost the will it hath lost the man when Christ hath gotten the will he hath gained the man The will is the heart give me thy heart is the same as be willing to be mine the will is the strong hold of the soul this is it that holds out last against God when this is won all is won Sin may have lost the understanding and lost the conscience these may plead for God and for holiness and may cry out against sin Away with it away with it Crucifie it crucifie it there is Death and Hell in the bowels of it away with it But as long as sin hath the will for it it still hath the man Reason saith I ought to tura Conscience saith I must turn but yet nothing follows but when the heart sayes I will turn then the work is done Reason saith these Idols ought not to stand Conseience saith these Iusts must be subdued these my sinful pleasures these my sinful wayes these my sinful companions must be left but when the will sayes to them Get you hence there 's a work of Grace begun But now this willingness to part with or turn from sin that it may infallibly prove grace to be in us must be 1. Universal A willingness to be rid of all sin The enmity against sin that 's wrought by grace is against the whole kind against all sin Root and Branch Body and Members A true Israelite would not have one Canaanite left in the Land would have the whole generation rooted out Psal 119. I hate every false way Psal 139. Search me O Lord and see if there be any wickedness in me 2. Habitual It must not be onely for the time that the heart is set against sin when it is under some terrour or trouble but there must be an abiding willingness Pharaoh when the Thunder and the Hail and the Fire and the Frogs and the Flies were upon him for the time was willing to let Israel go but presenrly after he meant no such thing 'T is not what thou art in a fit in a fright or sudden passion in sickness or under the apprehensions of death that will give thee any certain light by which thou mayest judge of thy state but what thou art in the standing and abiding disposition and bent of thy soul A Godly man is never unwilling when he is himself to be rid of every sin 3. Prevalent The willingness must be greater than the unwillingness A gracious heart is more willing to be rid of sin than to continue in sin He had much rather if it were put to his choice live without all sin than to be allowed to live in any sin Whatever the pleadings and reasonings of his flesh are for an indulgence to any particular sins whatever the advantages of yielding to the flesh herein mîght be whatever dammages or prejudices might follow upon his parting with them yet he had much rather whatever comes of it be freed from them all If the Lord should come to such a soul and give him as large â—grant as he did to Solomon Ask what I shall give thee ask what I shall do for thee write down what thou wilt and thou shalt have it this is that which he would have Lord take away mine iniquittes 'T is not the lives of mine enemies or a revenge upon them that I desire 't is not freedom from trouble or affliction that I desire make me a clean heart O Lord purge me from my sins let my lusts die my corruptions die and then though mine enemies live and their malice lives and my troubles live yet if my sins be once dead I have my desire And this willingness will discover it self to be prevailing by bringing forth 1. Resolution 2. Resistance against sin 1. Where a man is truly willing to be rid of sin there will be resolution against it he will not only be patient and content to give God leave to crucifie all his beloved lusts and darling corruptions and give the world leave to hew and strike home at the root of them without hiding them or warding off the blow or wishing they might be spared to him but stands stedfastly on Gods side and taking part with him against sin resolves to use all his means for the conquering and overcoming of them 2. This resolution will bring forth resistance An heart that 's weary of sin will fall to striving against sin Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for these two are contrary the one to the other Contraries are naturally expulsive each of other Such a pair as a Jacob and an Esau such Twins as an Isaac and an Ishmael cannot lie quietly togethâ—â— in the same womb no nor live quietly together in the same house but there will be a mutual prosecuting and persecuting each of other fire and water may as well agree in the same vessel as grace and sin in the same heart A gracious heart will be restraining curbing and withstanding it in all its workings It 's a mere vanity for men to talk of being willing to be rid of sin when they let it live and work and rule and run in its course without ever laying the hand to the bridle to restrain it Let me add one word more if you strive against sin and your striving be attended with success if you have gotten any degree of victory the evidence will be much more full and clear This now is the first Mark by which you may try your selves whether there be the truth of grace in you or not He that is willing to be freed from all sin habitually willing prevailingly willing
the life to come on godliness of life here Quest 4. Can I be too godly Can I have too much likeness to God too much care of my ways too much fear of sin Can I be too sure that God is mine Can I have too much peace too much joy and inward comfort I may be too rich to be happy too great to be good too merry to be wise but I cannot be too gracious too humble too watchful too circumspect Let me ask of dying persons whether they have taken more care then needs whether they have more grace then needs Let me ask of those who when they come at last to be weighed in the ballance are found wanting whether there were any fear of making too sure or being too busie and diligent and painful about the work of their Souls Quest 5. Shall I now without any longer delay set upon a godly Life If it be necessary to take up this holy course When shall I begin Shall I this day resolve upon it Can I begin too soon Can I look after God too soon I may defer too long till it be too late and what if I should What if I should stay so long in Sodome till it be too late to escape to Zoar What if I should dwell in the Tabernacles of Wickedness till it be too late to return into the way of Righteousness Awake O my Soul awake from thy worldiness and sensuality away from thy carelesness To day to day if thou wilt hear his voice give thy self to God give thy self up to the power of his Spirit and government of his Word Hitherto I have been a fool hitherto I have been a Servant of Sin and the World Oh that from henceforth I might yield my self to God as one made alive from the dead VI. Head concerning Death and Judgement Direct 1. THink on what the Scriptures speak concerning The Dread Death of Death 1 Concerning the Dread of Death Rev. 6. 8. It is set forth by a pale Horse an horse for strength there is no resistance of it an horse for its swiftness an horse for its office and use to carry away a pale-Horse for its gaâ—â—â—iness Death hath a grim and gastly countenance that strike terrour into all hearts and paleness into all faces Job 18. 14. It is called the King of terrours the Black Prince the Prince of Clouds and Darkness as some render it Darkness hath its terrour in it and the King of Terrours that notes the highest and most terrible of Terrours The terrour of death arises 1 From its Office or Errand upon which it comes which is 1 To arrest the guilty sinners and commit them to custody to be reserved to Judgment 2 To revenge the quarrel of an angry God By sin death entered Death came into the world not onely as the Per dissequa peccati one of its Retinue or Attendants but as the vindex peccati By sin man provoked God by death God takes vengeance on man 3 To cut off and carry us away to our place Death is the door betwixt the two worlds the parting point where sinners take their leave for ever of their pomps and their pleasures of their Houses and Lands and their Friends so as never to return to them again It is dreadful to be carried away from our habitations and acquaintance we know not whither sad was the death of him who dying said Anxius vixi dubius motior nunc quo vado nescio I have lived in care I die in doubt but whither I am going I cannot tell but to them that understand whither death is carrying them as it is the case of self-condemned sinners into the place of darkness and eternal misery This is it that make Death indeed the King of Terrours 2 From its Armour Death is furnished 1 With a Dart this notes the stroke of Death wheâ—â—by it dissolves this Tabernacle divides betwixt Soul and Body This dart of Death is such against which there is no Armour of Proof can secure us from which no quality or condition can exempt us neither King nor Captive neither Rich nor Poor neither evil Men nor good Men can escape this Dart whomsoever Death strikes it strikes sure and strikes home and never fails of doing Execution 2 With a Sting 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of Death is sin A sting doth two things 1 It pierces 2 It poysons Hence follow those rumours and inflamations and that anguish that a sting puts men to But what is the sting of Death 'T is Sin This is the Poyson upon the Dart of Death that makes it so full of torment an evil heart an evil conscience an evil life this is it that makes Death so terrible A guilty Conscience often stings a sinner in his life in his health in the midst of all his prosperity but when Death and a guilty Conscience strike in together then it stings with a witness 2 Concerning the Death of Death or its destruction This Enemy is to be destroyed Hos 13. 14. Yea it is in part destroyed already 2 Tim. 1. 10. Christ by dying and rising again hath overcome Death and this not for himself but for his Members on whose behalf he hath disarmed Death and taken away its sting so that though it strike them yet it cannot sting them Death aâ— an hornet hath stung our Lord and in him hath lost his sting Hereupon the Apostle in the persons of all Believers triumphs over Death 1 Cor. 15. 55 57. O Death where is thy sting Thanks be to God who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christians that through Christ have conquered sin by the same Jesus have conquered Death so that now it is possible for thee to live above the fear of Death some natural fears there may be some shrinkings back of the flesh but the great fear is over the bitterness of Death is past 2 Consider what the Scripture speaks concerning Judgement Consider these two Scriptures 2 Cor. 5. 10. For we must all appear before the Judgement-Seâ—â— of Christ Mat. 25. 34. to the end Theâ— shall the King say unto them on the right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world c. Direct 2. Ask thy heart these questions Quest 1. Must I not dye Quest 2 Whither will my death carry me In which of the two Regions of the other world is my death like to land me Either in the Region of Everlasting Light or in the Region of Everlasting Darkness To which of those two Regions am I now travelling By this I may guess whither my death will transport me Quest What a strange change will Death make upon me What a change of my Judgment and Opinion With what a different eye shall I look on all things then from what I do now Shall I look on God on Christ on Holinesse on peace of Conscience with such a slighting and undervaluing eye
compassionately that I might the better win upon them 3. Concerning Providences Q. 1. Have I diligently observed all the remarkable Providences of God towards me especially such as have come in as the returns of Prayer 2. Have I been thankful for my daily mercies 3. Have I born this dayes crosses 14. Concerning the use of your Liberty Q. Have I kept my self far enough within my bounds In Sum Q. 1. What have I done for God or my Soul this day have I not lost one day more 2. Have I led this day A Diligent Watchful Self-denying Life Directions for the Morning 1. If through necessity or carelesness you have omitted the reading and weighing these Questions in the Evening be sure to do it now 2. Ask thy self What Sins have I committed What duties have I omitted Against which of these Rules have I offended the day fore-going And renew thy repentance and double thy watch 3. Examine whether God were first and last in thy Thoughts Morning and Evening 4. Be careful to set thine ends right for all the day An Advertisement If you want time to make daily enquiry upon every one of the fore-mentioned particulars they being so many set a mark upon or write out such of them as most especially concern your case and let not them be forgotten Think not thy self excused from this course because 't is too long when if need be thou mayst thus make it shorter Better cut short than wholly give out For the help of the weaker I shall gather out these few of the chief Interrogatories which when they are straitned for time they may only use and to which they may add more as they have occasion and opportunity Q. 1. Was I serious and had I any sensible Communion with God this day in my secret and Family Duties 2. Hath it been my care to keep mine heart in an holy Frame from Duty to Duty 3. Have I been much in holy Ejaculations 4. Have I not given liberty to the working of Pride sinful Anger Discontent or Impatience nor so much as to vain thoughts 5. Have I not inordinately minded earthly things 6. Have I kept me from Mine iniquity and not lived in any known sin 7. Have I wronged no man in word nor deed 8. Have I been temperate and self-denying in the use of the Creatures 9. Hath the Law of the Lord been much in my mouth 10. Have I not sent Christ away without an Alms when I had it by me 11. Have I not lost an opportunity of doing or receiving good 12. Have I not neglected nor done any thing against my duty to my Relation 13. What have I done for God or my Soul this day have I not lost one day more 14. Have I been diligent and watchful Christian here is a course prescribed which by the ordinary assistance which the Lord doth not deny you may take up if you will and which if you conscientiously observe will be without doubt through the blessing of God attended with great success And those that do not take up this course or some other equivalent to it let them never think to ease their hearts by idle complaints I can't attain to such a holy even fruitful heavenly life as I desire I would but I cannot God will abhor such lazy complaints and look upon them as they are a meer device to keep you quiet under a slothful heart Set your whole Duty daily before your eyes charge it upon your hearts take an account of your selves how you discharge it set upon it as that which is no other than you have vowed to the Lord commit your selves and your wayes to him for success and if this doth not mightily conduce to advance you in point of holiness and establish you in point of peace then say that both the Precepts and Promises of the Gospel have deceived you And thus I have set before you that holy conversation which becometh the Gospel Take up this holy course let this be your Life you mean to lead and let it be carried on In an holy Union In an United Contention In an Holy Boldness 1. In an holy Union So the Apostle there adds stand fast in one spirit with one mind Never look to thrive in Grace if you do not live in peace The decays of Christianityly much upon the score of the divisions of Christians The Devil hath also taken up that Maxim Divide Impera Rent them and ruine them The reason why our Love is so cold is because our Differences are so hot The reason of so little zeal against sin hath been the great strife among Brethren The combinations of Sinners have not so much prejudiced the power of holiness as the contentions of Saints There are not a few who go under the name of Saints that have maintained disputes about Religion so long till they have disputed themselves out of all Religion their searching for truth hath been the loss of both love and life Christians if ever you would be any thing be one be of one heart of one mind holding the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace It were greatly to be desired that the people of God were both of one heart and of one way But if this may not be if there cannot be Vniformity yet let there be Vnity betwixt all that fear the Lord in truth A few words I shall leave with you for your direâ—â—on herein 1. Divide not from the Head to unite with any pretended Members hold not with them that hold not with the Head Sell not Truth clear fundamental Truth to buy Peace 2. Divide not from real Members lest you hereby prove your division from the Head Christ hath but one body if you be not in union with the body you are divided from the Head 3. See the Head in every Member see Christ in every Saint 4. Prize Christ where-ever you see him Love Christ and love his Image if you will not slight Christ slight not any Saint See'st thou an humble mâ—â—â— patient broken-hearted self-denying mortified Christian in whatsoever unpleasing form as to matters circumstantial he appears despise him not reject him not 5. Prize Peace and Union aâ— the strength and honour of the body 6. Pursue Peace and Union with the utmost strength of thy soul And that you may obtain it 1. Let all parties that are named of Christ be humbled under former Divisions What peace so long as God is angry Oh how have we provoked the Lord by provoking one another Let him only who hath been without sin in this matter be without sorrow and shame Sure they are hard hearts who are not broken under such breaches Let us not mistake our selves nor mis-call that zeal for God which God will call pride and peevishness I speak not against our being offended either with errour or iniquity we may not call evil good or darkness light for peace sake but at our unreasonable passions against whom we suppose erring Brethren If
man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually God saw Gods eye cannot be deceived men may think they see what they see not and may not see what is before their eyes But can Gods eyes fail him 2. That sin is the greatest of evils The Apostle to set forth the formidable appearance that sin had by the Law expresses it thus Rom. 7. 13. That sin might appear to be sin He could find out nothing more evil and odious to express it by than it self If he had said that sin might appear to be a snare a Serpent a Viper a Devil an Hell that had been much but yet not enough to set forth this evil of evils Sin never is seen in its perfect odiousness but when it shews its own naked face and looks like it self We can never know how great an evil sin is till we know how good the Lord is how precious Christ is how precious the Soul of man is to all which sin is so contrary and destructive Rom. 8. 7. It is said to be enmity against God God hath no â—nemy in the world but sin and those whom sin hath made him Sin hath set all the earth against the God of glory From this enmity which sin hath filled the hearts of men with arise all their rebellions against his word and government all their unwillingness and averseness from his ways their weariness of his service their frowardness murmurings impatiences frettings and insurrections of heart against his dispensations providence The unruliness and stubbornness of the wills of men the distemper and disorders of their passions and affections the vanity vileness and confusion of their thoughts the defilement and deadness of their consciences the ebulition of so many hellish lusts setting mens hearts upon all mischief Whence is all this but from sin that dwells in them Sin hath made men very Devils set upon all manner of mischief Devils against God hating reproaching blaspheming cursing fighting against God There should quickly be no God nor Heaven nor Being left if the wickedness of mans heart had power answerable to its malice Devils against themselves set upon the destruction and damnation of their own souls there needed not another Devil to attempt and devour them if God should but let them alone they would quickly make their distruction sure of themselves Devils one against another There is not one sinner but if God should pull up the fluces and let his wickedness have its full course would do his utmost to damn all the World enemies friends husbands wives children all should be destroyed And can there now be a greater evil then this imagined I you will say if all this be true it is a great evil indeed But may be for all these great words there may be no such great matter in it Why do but consider what sin hath done and cannot be envied and then you will see reason to believe all that hath been said Go to Mount Calvary and see what it hath done there What was it that slew the Lord of glory that put Châ—â—st to death Was it not those sins that were laid upon him These were his betrayers and murtherers These were the thorns the nails the spear that wounded him the gall and vinegar that was given him to drink Let the sweat the cries the groans the blood the soul that were pressed and poured out by sin let these speak if too much hath been saâ—d Turn aside from Mount Calvary and go down to the Valley of Hinnon lay your ear to the mouth of Tophet and hearken what work sin hath done there What is it that hath filled Hell so full already that hath sent down Cain and Judas Ananias and Saphira with those millions of damned Souls that are already tormented in those flames Did God damn so many Souls for nothing or for a trifle inflict so great a torment for a small offâ—â—nce What is it that hath cast them in thither Was it their righteousness was it not their iniquities If you could step down into those Chambers of Death and ask those wretched creatures Friends How came you in hither What would they answer Oh it is our sins that brought us into this place of torment Oh! it was my covetousness brought me hither would one say Oh! it was my lying brought me hither saies another Oh! it was my pride or my passion or my wantonness or my sloathfuness that brought me hither saies a third Oh sin sin this is it for which we burn we roar we rave we dye we dye eternally Can there be too much said of the evil of sin that hath done all this mischief 3. Spiritual sins are the greatest of sins Soul pollutions are the most foul pollutions By how much the more excellent the soul is above the body in its nature by so much the more vile and mischievous being depraved with sin The soul of man is the prime subject of the image of God in man there was much of God to be seen in the body or externals of man but the face of God the glory of God was stamped upon his soul the soul being corrupted it became the express image of the Devil Satan is rudely limb'd and some darker shadows of him drawn on the outward man but he is drawn out to the life in the soul the very face the heart of Satan his pride malice envy falshood is engraven on the heart A proud heart hath more of the Divel than a proud look a wanton heart is more vile â—â—an a wanton eye a murtherous or adulterous heart is worse than a murtherous or adulterous act It is true when Sin is committed without it is worse than when it sleeps in its causes within and sin in its birth is worse than in its bare conception and the reason is because when sin is committed there are both parts the outward and the spiritual together there is the sin of the hand and the sin of the heart too to make up the murther But then if you should distinctly consider that which the heart hath done towards the murther and that which the hand hath done the hearts part would appear to be incomparably the worst The sins of the heart are the root sins the spring that sets all the wheels a going the fountain that sets all the streams a running the fire that sets the furnace a smoaking Carnal men make little of outward sins nothing of spiritual If they would not be Extortioners or Oppressors oâ— Swearers or Cursers some of them yet evil thoughts may lodge in them Lust may bear the rule in them Pride Envy Ignorance Atheism Heart-blasphemy these are scarcely accounted evils What are Thoughts a little inward discontent anger and the like that we should trouble our selves with these Oh! You do not know what there may be in a Thought or a secret lust there may be a Thousand evil Words and actions in the
born of the Spirit is a spiritual man and those that are led by the Spirit walk on in a spiritual course that is they live a more noble and raised life then the rest of the world Carnal men who are governed and ruled by that evil spirit that is in the world live an evil and carnal life worldly spiritual men a worldly life sensual men a sensual life Ephes 2. 2 3. Wherein in time past ye walked after the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Air the spirit that now worketh in the children of Disobedience among whom we also had our conversations in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind Whilest we were in the common state we took the common road whilest we were in the flesh fleshly men we lived a fleshly life To serve ouâ— bellies to serve our appetites to serve our pride and covetousness and other lusts this was our life And this life was sutable to that Spirit which was within them and that evil Spirit the Prince of this world without them that govern'd and steer'd their course Accordingly the Saints having a new heart within and a new leader without do lead a new life as the flesh and the Devil carry evil men on in a course sutable to their leaders so the Spirit and Grace of God carry on the Saints in a course sutable to theirs an holy spiritual and heavenly lifâ— So that this is to walk in the Spirit to live holily and spiritually this is that life which is called The life of God Ephes 4. 19. The Conversation in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. Our Conversation is in Heaven And a Spiritual and Heavenly Life this may be called upon a three-fold account 1 Their dealings are about Spiritual and Heavenly things 2 Their delights are Spiritual and Heavenly 3 By these Spiritual dealings and delights themselves become daily more Spiritual 1 Their dealings are about Spiritual and Heavenly things God and Heaven and everlasting Glory and those spiritual Exercises whereby God is served and Glory obtained these are the matters about which this life is spent They live with God they hold daily intelligence with Heaven they are much in the contemplating and admiring and adoring the infinite beauty and incomprehensible perfections of God and his unspeakable love and gracâ— and goodness towards them They are searching into the Mysteries of Christ studying out the riches of the glory of the Mystery of the Gospel They live amongst Angels their hearts and their eyes are dayly in that general Assembly and Church of the first-born When they sleep they lay them down under the wings of their Lord no sooner are they awake but they get them up to the top of Pisgah to take a view of the Promised Land When I awake I am ever with thee says the Psalmist When the covetous man awakes he is with his God when the Epicure awakes he is with his God when the Adulterer awakes he is with his Goddess Christians are presently above the clouds above the stars falling down before the Throne of the Almighty Their work is to seek and serve and praise and please the Lord to carry themselves so that they may be accepted to God to be washing their robes and making them white in the bloud of the Lamb to be minding their souls consciences affections thoughts that these may all in their several capacities exalt and enjoy the Lord Their Trading is for the Pearl whilest the Merchants of the Earth are trading for Gold and Silver and Spices whilest the Muck-worms of the world are dealing in Corn and Sheep and Oxen and Asses whilst the vâ—luptuous wantons of the earth are dealing about fashions and feasts and sports trading in Toyes Feathers Apes and Peacocks Christians are trading in Promises and Prayer in Faith and Repentance in Patience and Humility in Mercy and Charity that by these they may make their Calling and Election sure and so an entrance may be administred unto them abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ These are the businesses of Christians lives their dealings are about spiritual things 2 Their delights are in spiritual things The Lord is the delight of their hearts Delight thy self in God sayes the Psalmist Psal 37. 4. And what he bids others do he does himself Psal 16. 8 9. I have set the Lord always before me therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth The thoughts of God are dear and precious to them The Word and Law of God is their delight Psal 1. His delight is in the Law of his God The Courts of the Lord his Ordinances Worship Sabbaths are their delight Psal 84. 1. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts Their work is their delight Psal 40. I delight to do thy will Their hardest works Fasting and Watching and Wrestling and Fighting against Sin and Temptations crucifying and mortifying their own flesh denying themselves mourning for sin there is much sweetness they find in their very travels and tears and sorrowings as sorrowing sayes the Apostle yet alwayes rejoycing As Solomon speaks of Carnal Mirth Prov. 14. In the midst of laughter the heart is sad so it may be said of spiritual Mourning in the midst of sorrow the heart is joyful the heart of a Saint is never in so sweet a frame as when it is melted into godly sorrow but especially Christ is their deleght he is the deliciae Christiani orbis Canticleâ— 2. 3. I sate down under â—is shadow with great delight Carnal men are ready to say to them as the Daughters of Jerusalem to the Spouse Cant. 5. 9. What is thy beloved more â—en another beloved What beauty is there in him that thou shouldest thus desire him or take such pleasure in him They see no beauty in him he hath no Form nor comeliness in their eye and therefore they think there is none Oh Sinners you do not know Christ you have had no acquaintance with him you have not tâ—sted of the fruits of this Tree of the clusters of this Vine I sate me down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweeâ— to my taste Saints have tasted of the sweetness of Christ tasted that the Lord is gracious and therefore can take great delight in him The delight they take in Christ is that which puts such a delight into every Ordinance into every Duty therefore Praying and Reading is so pleasant to them because there they meet with their Beloved Christ appears to them in his Word Christ meets his Saints in their Prayings and Fastings and this makes all sweet to their souls Carnal men think the life of Saints to be an heavy a sad and most troublesome life they count that themselves have the onely merry and pleasant lives that their Hawks and Hounds their Carding and Dicing and Drinking and Dancing their Seews and Plays that these are the onely Heaven This
or on the Glory and Pleasures and Lusts of the World with such an admiring and doting eye when Death comes as now I do A godly Life a good Conscience the promises and priviledges and hopes of the Gospel I can now look on as follies and fancies and trifles shall I count them so then Sin and guilt I make a matter of nothing now shall I have the same thoughts at death It I could speak with any soul that 's gotten one step beyond the Grave and should ask him What do you think of sin and the pleasures of sin now What an answeâ— might I then expect What a strange change will Death make upon my person When if I be a Saint this poor Soul that hath had its habitation in Meshech hath been imprisoned in a sinful body mourning and sighing and labouring under the burthen of sinnes and lusts and temptations and doubts and fears and scotts and scornes shall in an instant be set at liberty from all this and be lodged in the armes and bosome of the Lord of Glory Or if I be a sinner when I shall be taken from all my glory and greatnesse from all my delights and dalliances from all my hopes and confidence and be thrown down like Lucifer Son of the Morning from all my brightnesse into the blacknesse of darknesse for ever When though I lie down in hopes and confidence that I shall have rest yet within a minute after Death hath closed mine eyes I shall awaken in everlasting flames How will my undone soul then cry out Oh where am I Is this my place Must this be my dwelling for ever Are all my hopes and confidences come to this Is all my mirth and my pleasures come to this Wo wo wo to me miserable Wretch how am I deceived whether am I fallen Quest 4. How dreadful will this day of Death be to sinners when it is come Whilst its only preached or thought of at a distance it affects but little but when the day of darkness is come and they shall feel their house of Clay falling when their last Sand is running their last breath drawing their miserable souls lanching into the depth of Eternity when a few minutes will lodge them in the place of darkness and everlasting torments What a black day will it appear then Quest 5. On which hand am I like to stand in the Judgment Am I like to stand on the right hand or on the left Among the Sheep or among the Goats On which hand do I stand now Have I my Conversation among the Goats my fellowship with the Goats here and can I expect to have my sentence with the Sheep Quest 6. What may I do to get above the fear of death and Judgment How blessed is the state of those Christians that are gotten beyond this fear They may well be content to bear the Cross they may well be patient in tribulation they need fear none of those things they shall suffer here their great fear is over Death is swallowed up in victory But how may I upon good grounds be out of this fear How I be fit to die to stand in the Judgement and not may thence be afraid Oh if I could get the Sting of Death out this sin crucified this guilt removed Oh if I could get such a Life over which Death can have no power if I could get Christ to be my Life my Judge to be my Friend then welcome Death and the Grave welcome the Great Day then that black hour will become the blessed hour then that dark and gloomy day at the approach wherof this sinful world will call to the Mountains to cover 〈◊〉 and the Rocks to fall on them would be to me a glorious day wherein I should lift up my head with joy because my Redemption is so nigh So let me live that I may be fit to die and then let my Lord comâ— whenever he pleases Yea then I may say Whâ—â— are the wheels of his Chariot so long a coming Make haste my Beloved and be thou like to a Roe on the Mountains of Spices VII Head concerning Eternitie or the World to Come THere is a two-fold Eternity Of Blessednesse and of Misery The ones the portion of the Saints the other the reward of all the ungodly of the Earth Direct 1. Consider what the Scriptures speak 1. Concerning the Eternity of Blessednesse Heb. 4. 9. There remaineth therefore a Rest to the People of God Psal 16. ult At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Whence note that the state of the Godly in another World is 1. A State of Rest 2. A State of Joy 3. A State of Glory 4 That the Joy of this Rest is unspeakable and unconceivable Therefore called the Rest of God the Joy of the Lord When a King makes a Feast he makes a Royal Feast When a King gives Gifts and Favours he gives like a King God will save like a God reward like a God such shall be the reward of the Righteous that men shall say Verily he is a God that Judgeth Psal 58 11 5. that this Joy is Eternal 2 Cor. 4 18. The things which are not seen are Eternal 2. Concerning the Eternity of Misery Isa 30. 33. For Tophet is ordained of old Tophet is a place lying in the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem where the Idolatrous Jewes burnt their Children in Sacrifice to Molock And it is used as a Type to signifie Hell or the place and Punishment of the Damned hereafter Whereof this is the Description He hath made it deep and large the Pile thereof is Fire and much Wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it Matth. 8. 12. But the Children of the Kingdome shall be cast into utter darknesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth Mark 9. 44. Where their Worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched Whence note That the torments of the ungodly in another world shall be 1. Intollerable It is the wrath of the Lord that will lie upon them the breath of the Lord shall kindle and feed their flames As the Lord will save like a God so he will punish like a God The Wisdome Power Severity and Justice of God shall be exercised in compounding such a deadly Draught such exquisite Torments that the ungodly World shall feel that he is a God with whom they have to do 2. Eternal That shall never have an end This makes Hell to be Hell indeed a Pit without bottome a night that hath no day following it a Grave from which there is no Resurrection Oh the heighth and depth and length and breadth of this one word Eternity Direct 2. Ask thy Heart Quest 1. Who shall ascend into the Holy hill Shall the unclean enter in thither Or the Ignorant or unbelievers or
for you I must not damn my soul to please my flesh Touching the practice of this Duty take these two further Directions 1. Every day morning and evening set apart sometime for secret prayer and when you go to pray do not rush inconsiderately upon it but first sit down and take one of those Heads meditate on what the Scriptures speak upon them and then propose the several questions to your hearts and when you find your hearts affected and warmed by these Meditations then fall to prayer 2. Let each mornings Meditation be ordinarily matter for your thoughts to work on and for discourse that day unless providence cast in and calls you to some other profitable subjects The matter of Meditation is purposely divided into seven Heads to the end you may take one of the Heads for each dayes Meditation and so in every week you may go over the whole being the chief things of Religion And thus continuing from day to day from week to week you will be both more thorowly acquainted and more deeply affected with the things of God and will find through his blessing more liveliness and enlargement in Prayer and more comfortable successe Only take heed of formalitie of resting in the work done of going on in a round of Duty without a due regard to the end of Duty Let this be your aim in all to get your hearts more fixed upon and affected with the things of the world to come more enlarged and quickned and more effectually carried on in that course of holy and heavenly walking the end whereof is everlasting life But now least any should complain that this course is too tedious and that which they cannot have time daily for or that by reason of ignorance or want of helps they cannot perform it I shall adde this that such persons who are weaker in their understandings and thence unable to go through with this course and all others at such seasons as they are unavoidably straitned for time nay instead of the larger take this shorter course When ever thou settest upon the Duty of prayer sit down and ask thy heart these Questions Quest 1. What am I am I a Believer or an unbeliever converted or unconverted do I think in my Conscience I belong to God or do I not fear I am yet the child of the Devil Quest 2. What do I what are my wayes are they such as please the Lord and tend to the Salvation of my Soul or are they the wayes of death and damnation Quest 3. Before whose presence do I now stand Is it not before the Lord the Almighty God who is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him and the avenger of those that slight or rebel against him Quest 4. What am I come before the Lord about Is it not to plead with him for my soul to beg my life at his hands to beg my pardon and redemption from everlasting death and to obtain grace for the salvation of my Soul This short and 〈◊〉 course would be some advantage thou 〈…〉 that are able and can redeem so much 〈…〉 would commend the constant use of 〈…〉 â—rections THe third special Duty I shall direct you in is Self-examination It is of great use to the carrying us on in an holy course to know our state For By the knowledge of our state we shall the better know our work when we know what we are we shall the better know what we have to do If the question be What must I do to be saved The answer of that will depend upon another question How far forth am I come already Am I converted or unconverted in a state of sin or in a state of grace Let that question be first answered and the answer of the other will be easie 2 By the knowledge of this that we are in a good estate we shaâ—l have much encouragement to hasten on Assurance will quicken and encourage us on in the way of holyness Those that aâ—firm that the Doctrine of assurance is a licentious Doctrine and serves for nothing but to maintain men in a loose lazy and idle life understand not what they say nor whereof they affirm 'T is all one as if they affirmed That the more assurance any person hath of the love of God the less he will love God or that the more he loves God the less care he will take to serve or please him Those that know no other motive to Duty but fear may preach such Doctrine but those that have found the quickning and constraining power of love must lay down both their reason and sense too before they can believe it The way to know our selves is to search and examine our selves 1 Cor. 13. 4. Examine your selves prove your selves know ye not your own selves Now to help you in this duty of Self-examination I shall give you these two Directions 1. When you set to examine your selves by any marks or signs In the first place examine your Marks that you would try your selves by If you would prove your selves whether you have true grace or no by any mark that 's given examine that Mark by the Scriptures whether it be a certain and infallible sign of grace so that you may be bold to conclude that if you can find this Mark in you you are undoubtedly in the state of grace That 's a proper mark of true grace which whosoever hath it hath grace and whosoever hath it not hath not grace If you take that for a mark of true grace which is common to Saints and Sinners you may take your selves to have grace when you have none And if you take a mark to try your selves by which is proper to Saints but is not common to all Saints you may take your selves to have no grace when you have The former mistake may lose you your peace this may lose you your souls therefore Christians be wary here try your marks before you try your selves by them 2. For the matter of your enquiry let it be 1. Whether you are gotten into the way of life or not or whether you are translated out of a state of sin and death into a state of grace and salvation And if so then 2. Whether you be in a thriving or flourishing state or in a languishing or decayed state To help you in the former tryal I might only send you back to those directions formerly given concerning your closure with Christ whence it will not be difficult to gather some certain marks to try your selves by but I shall add two or three more wherein let it not be offensive to any that I follow that light which I have received from the worthy labours of that faithful Servant of Christ Mr. Baxter whence I confess my self to have through mercy grown into the fuller acquaintance with mine own heart and which I shall therefore the rather make use of for the help and benefit of others 1. Mark 1. Wheresoever there is true
I mean that especially concern your own persons keep your own hearts with all diligence look well to your own wayes Gal. 6. 4. Le every man prove his own work and then shall he havâ— rejoycing in himself and not in another Keep a strict and severe eye upon your selves hold a strict hand upon your selves be more severe towards your selves than towards all the World It 's an ill sign to see Professors of Religion severe in their observing imposing upon and censuring others and more remiss towards themselves Be more can did and charitable towards others but exercise more severity at home In the right ordering your selves take great care that you 1. Allow not your selves in the least know Sin 2. Live not in the neglect of any known Duty 3. Take heed of the World 4. Be Humble 5. Be Temperate 6. Be Moderate 1. That you allow not your selves in the practice of the least known sin Do not look on this as any Apology for sin or your easier entertaining of it That it is but a little one There is no sin that can properly be termed little The least iniquity will cost either the Blood of Christ or the blood of your own Souls Little Sins are spreading sins a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Elijahs Cloud out of the bignesse of a Mans hand in a few hours cloathed the whole Heavens in black You will find it something in your Repentance which you counted as nothing in the Commission Little sins are leading sins the child conveighed in at the Window will open the door to let all the great Thieves in When Gad came into the world his Mother said Behold a Troop cometh 2 King 6. 32. When the Messenger of the King of Israel came to the Prophet Shut the door hold him fast sayes he at the door Is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him Shut the door against every sin for whose Messenger is it Look behind and see who comes after Is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him The Devil is not far off whenever Sir knocks for admission and the door being opened to the Messenger it 's like to stand open for the Master to enter Take heed Brethren that you do not give a tolleration to any sin little sins allowed become great sins The allowance of sin is that which makes the great wast upon Conscience and the great spoil upon our peace I will not say what grace there may be in the heart but sure there is but little tendernesse in the conscience that doth not bid defiance to the least of Sins Beloved if Sin doth get the possession at any time of your hearts let it be rather upon surprize than surrender be so watchful that if it be possible you may not be surpriz'd by sin or taken at unawares but whatever you do see you do not surrender your selves to it be so jealous that if it may be Sin may not steal in upon you in a disguise but when you see what it is beware of it as of the Devil Will you let a known Enemy lodge within you Brethren do not shut your eyes against sin nor open your doors to it Shut not your eyes against it be willing to know it do not go about to perswade your selves concerning any thing you have a mind to that it is not sinful that it may be lawful enough for ought you know but examine it and look through it impartially and if you find it to be sin receive it not in I cannot well say whether of the two be in the worse case those that are not willing to know they do or those that do what they know to be evil but this I can say that neither the one nor the other if there be any thing of God in them are like to know whether there be or no such winkings will blind their eyes and such walkings will blot their Evidences and both hinder that progress in holinesse which is necessary to build them up in comfort If you would be sure the Lord is yours keep close to him if you would keep close by God keep clear of sin and if you would keep clear of sin keep your Windows open but your doors shut see who 't is that knocks before you let them in An open eye and a tender conscience will be the best security to both your grace and peace 2. Live not in the neglect of any known duty The Devil may be served not only by your doing evil but by your doing nothing We obey the will of the flesh when we only neglect to obey the will of God As our Commissions stab so our Omissions starve our souls God will not and our souls cannot want a duty our lamenesse in our practise will quickly appear in the leannesse of our Souls O missions will be reckoned for a Judgment and therefore must be reckoned and repented of now Do not content your selves with a negative holiness that you do not harm do not think it enough to be able to say I know nothing by my self no hurt that I have done suppose you do not yet thereby are you not justified God will judge you and may condemn you for what you have not done If you had nothing to answer for but your neglects The neglects of one day of one hour will undo you for ever if you have not a Christ to answer for you To be holy hath more in it than to be harmless There must be doing your duty as well as departing from iniquity Isa 1. 16. Cease to do evil learn to do well Nor is it a little now and then that will serve There must be continuance in well-doing a readiness to every good work a fruitfulness in good works a faithfulness in good works Well done good and faithful Servant That 's a faithful servant that hath done his best that hath not voluntarily neglected any thing of his Masters work nor wasted any of his Masters talents that 's able to say though I have not done what I ought yet I have endeavoured to do what I can Everie neglect is a degree of unfaithfulness If ye will be the servants of Christ be faithful servants and that you may be so 1. Neglect not any kind of Duty One thing lacking may be the losse of all You can hear it may be but you cannot pray you can pray in secret but you cannot pray in your Families you can instruct your Families but you cannot govern them you can love the Saints you say but you neglect the communion of Saints you can be just in your dealings but you cannot be charitable you can give an Alms to an hungry bodie but you cannot give counsel to a sinful soul you can give Counsel but you cannot give a reproof this or that you cannot bring your heart to but take heed though you cannot bring your heart to it yet neglect not to be working your heart to it to be perswading and
lye a lye to bring down the price It s naught it s naught saith the buyer A lye to bring down the seller I will not give your price and yet give it Oh how common an evil is this and how little considered How few are there that have great dealings in the world that can altogether acquit themselves of it How many are there that live upon lies that feed themselves with lieâ— â—hat cloath themselves with lies their unlawful gains that their trade of lying hath brought them in Christians especially you that are most ordinarily under such temptations be sensible of this evil and avoid it be resolved and watchful Resolve to be true be true though it be to your loss be losers rather than lyars Sell not Conscience with your commodities for a penny or two pence profit extraordinary Resolve to be true and be watchful Consider what you say before you speak that you be guilty of falshood neither purposely nor unwarily 2. Be Just Observe that Rule of Righteousuesse Do to others as you would they should do to you And let this Rule be observed in all your words yea and your thoughts also as well as actions If you would not be wronged do not wrong if you would not be oppressed do not oppress if yâ—u would not be defrauded do not defraud and so if you would not be defamed or reviled do not defame or revile if you would not upon everie report or groundlesse surmise be evil thought of do not think evil of others You that professe Christianity are you altogether faultless upon this account Would you that all should come upon you which by you hath fallen upon others Would you that all the world should be to you what you have been to any in the world If you have been knowingly unjust in your dealings yet have you neither been injurious in your words Would you that your faults and iâ—firmities should be the ordinary discourse and table-talk and merriment of others and have not yet others infirmities or faults been yours Would you not be causlâ—sly suspected condemned or despised in the thoughts of others and have you never dealt thus by others Is this not too common and yet little considered When you are together everie evil report that 's going either for want of other discourse or from a worse cause must be brought in to fill up the time and evil reports quickly beget evil thoughts surmises Do as you would be done by if you would not be thus dealt with by others deal not so with others 3. Be Merciful Luke 6. 36. Be ye merciful as your Father is merciful You have a Merciful Father you have a Merciful High-Priest be ye also merciful As you have received mercy as you look for mercy be careful to shew mercy Give to him that asketh lend to him that would borrow visit relieve refresh the bowels of him that is in misery Be cheerful in shewing mercy let your hearts give as well as your hands Be liberal be bountiful He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly He that is merciless to the bodies of men is therein cruel to their souls Hardness and niggardliness in Professors of Religion will disgrace their Profession and harden the hearts of sinners from entertaining the Gospel Can you perswade me that this is the way of God that this is true Religion What a merciless Religion a merciless Profession God keep me from such a Religion Your feeding of hungry bellies your cloathing of naked backs may be a means to save many a soul from death The penny besides that it may gain thee many pounds a plentiful reward it may gain many a soul to thy Lord. 4. Be peaceable Mark 4. 50. Have peace one with another Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men The Lord is a God of peace Christians are sons of peace The wisdom which is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated Peaceableness stands 1. In an unwillingness to provoke or offend A peaceable man will not break the Peace is not quarrelsome or contentious will not stir up strife forbears all provoking carriage hath no provoking tongue he hath peace in his heart and that brings forth peaceable language and carriage 2. In an unaptness to be proved A peaceable spirit is a patient spirit 3. In a readiness to be reconciled James 3. 17. Easie to be intreated A peaceable spirit is hardly provoked easily pacified 1. In a forwardness to reconcile those that are at variance A peaceable spirit is a peace making spirit such an one is both a blessed man Mat. 5. Blessed are the peace-makers and a blessing to those he lives amongst Our angry quarrelsome spirit may be a plague and one peaceable and healing spirit may be a blessing to a whole society 5. Be Courteous Sweet and affable in your carriage towards all 1 Pet. 3. 8. This will much win upon the hearts of those you converse with and beget their good liking of whatever good they behold in you This will both mollifie their spirits towards you and make them more willing to hearken to you Morosity and sourness will fright them out of your company and harden them against your Counsel Your candor will be the sugar that will help to convey-down any pill of admonition or reproof you give them which otherwise their stomacks would rise against and spit out in your faces Carry your selves so to all that you may convince them that you are their friends the friends of their souls whilst you appear the enemies of their sins that your counsels are the counsels of a friend that your reproofs are the wounds of a friends which are better than the kisses of an Enemy But still take heed that your courtesie to sinners do not lead you in a compliance with them in their sins that what you intend as a Net to take their Souls become not a Trap to take yours Whilst you are a friend to their persons beware you be not drawn aside to have fellowship with them in their wickedness It is better to be uncivil than ungodly Be as courteous as possible yet so far only that your courtesie be neither a snare to you nor an encouragement to them in their sins Be wise as well as kind Christians do not pass over these second-Table duties which I have for brevities sake packed up into a narrow room as the lower things of Religion wherein you may be excused or dispenced with which a little praying or confessing will make up and so you may go on Truth and Temperance and Justice and Mercy c. are to be reckoned among the weightier matters of the Law there is so much Religion in them that there can be no Religion without them Though there may be morality where there is no true Religion yet there can be no Religion where there is not Morality Micha 6. 11 12. Shall I count them pure with the wicked ballances and the bag of deceitful
serious Question But what am I all this while Let this thought sawce thy sweet Morsel spice thy pleasant Cups be the Burthen of thy merry Songs After this Hell Snares Fire and Brimstone the Vengeance of Eternal Fire Oh an Heaven a Paradise oh my dear pleasures oh my sweet Laughter oh merry dayes what Mortal can part with you I but what comes after What is there at the bottom Look a little before thee and if that sight turn not thy stomack sure thou art sufficiently hardy Study thy case and tremble and when thou tremblest there 's hope thou wilt turn Think not of Repentance or escaping from thy sinful staâ—e till thou see and fear it We read Isa 42. 7. that Christ was sent to open the blind eyes and to bring out the Prisoners out of Prison If the Prisoners eyes be shut 't is to little purpose that the Prison doors be open Their Eyes must be first open'd not only that they may see their way out but that they may see themselves in Prison Open thine Eyes Sinner if ever thou wilt escape open thine Eyes and see where thou art Thy Fools Paradise wherein thou blessest thy self is thy Souls Prison where thou art like to be held under Eternal Bondage 2. Give a present Bill of Divorce to every sin hug not Death one minute longer in thy Bosom If thou lovest thy Life say not of any one sin Nothing but Death shall part thee and me No not so much as this Yet a little while and I will let thee go Today to day if your will hear his voice hearden not your hearts 4. Dread it as Hell that thy hope in Christ should lessen thy fear of sin Let not thy hope of a Saviour be thy damnation Make not Christ the Pandor of sin continue not in sin because Grace hath abounded 4. Break off from thy Companions in sin wilt thou love them to the death Christ and thy Soul can never be married till thy Soul and Sinners be parted Escape for thy life get thee up from the Tents of these men linger not Thou art held under the power of the Devil by cords and by knots by the cords of thy sinnes and by the knots of thy Companions There 's no hope that the cords of sin will be broken till the knots of evil Companions be loosed Sinner these binding Cords will if thou look not to it become whip cords to torment thee Oh take heed thou never come to be lashed with such knotted cords Thy Companions in sin as they now heighten thy pleasures so will they hereafter sharpen thy plagues Sinners comfort their hearts with this thought That if they be damned they shall have store of company but let them know That the fire of Hell will burn just so much the cooler for the multitudes that are there as the fire of their Chimney does for the store of fewel When thou art charmed with the roaring of thy Companionâ— in the Ale-house think what musick their roaring with thee will make when you shall all meet in your eternal Prison Away from evil company you will remember hereafter when â—is too late how much and with how little success I have laboured with you in this thing 5. Baffle not Conscience once more Awakened Sinner Charm not thy Conscience into silence nor dash it out of countenance Thy Conscience is the only Friend that God or the Soul hath left within thee Thy will and thy affections and thine appetite are all gone the Devil hath stoln them away and hired them all against thee thou hast nothing but poor Conscience left Thy Conscience hath been often upon the pleading with thee for God and for pity to thy Soul It hath warned thee reproved thee and often whisper'd thee in thine Ear What dost thou mean whither art thou going when wilt thou return Away with thy sins have done with thy Companions no more of this drunkenness this riot this covetousness Thou art a lost man thy Soul is lost if thou go on Thus Conscience hath warned thee and thou hast sometimes hearkned to it and spoken it fair The throbs and the pangs and the wounds thou hast felt and received from it have wrung from thee now and then a promise Well through the Grace of God I 'le hearken to Conscience I 'le be a new man Away from me ye sinners I will keep the Commandments of my God And yet shortly after when thy Temptations return thy Companions come all 's forgotten and along thou goest as a fool to the Stocks or an Ox to the slaughter and this hath been thy way and thy mannâ—r from time to time Now and then Conscience draws a sigh or a â—ear from thee and by and by receives a kick or a stab Beware Sinner Conscience will not alwayes be thus us'd If ever it speak again say it not Nay It 's next word may be it's last if ever thou weariest it into perpetual silence then farewel all for ever Conscience is the only Friend thou hast left Convinced Soul How wilt thou bear the revenges of an awakened abused Conscience all thy bâ—fflings of it here will be repeated over in eternity How will all this look when it shall meet thee before thy Judge Save thy self from that hour Baffle nor Conscience once more 6. Let not the gâ—eatness of thy sins nor the difficulty of Christs terms hinder or discourage thee from making a present close with Christ Say not his Yoke is too heavy his Cross is too grievous for me to bear or my sins are too great for him to bear Set the Throne against the Yoke the Crown against the Câ—oss infinite Merit and Mercy against mighty sins and go unto Jesus cast thy self on his bloud and bowels and put thy self under his Yoke and Scepter If he will give Life to thee be content that he give Laws to thee and as ever thou expectest to live by him be resolved to live to him and no longer to thy self Go to Jesus and when thou goest take with thee these two Scriptures Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn of me and you shall find rest unto your Souls Joh. 6. 37. Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out 7. Fall close to Duties and keep close to Ordinances 1. Let secret and Family Prayer be thy daily exercise Count not thy self a Christian till thou give thy self to prayer 2. Let not reading the Word Catechising c. be strangers in thy house 3. Prize improve and sanctifie the Sabbaths The Lord on those dayes comes down upon his Mount to meet thy Soul to commune with thee to bless thee to feed thee and fill thee with whatsoever thy Soul desireth or wanteth Get thee up to meet thy God But remember when thou goest leave thy staff behind thee 4. View often and take an account of thy self of the
This may comfort and support thee much under thy failings and miscarriages in some particular duties but if this be thy case in ordinary in the main of thy life that to will is all thou hast thou art not a Christian He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his And he that hath the Spirit of Christ it is in him as the living power of God actually carrying him on in an holy life Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them I will not only command perswade incline you but cause you It shall be done my Spirit shall bring you on and help you through Yâ— shall keep my Staâ—utes and do them Where-ever the Spirit of God hath breathed in the life of grace there are more than breathings out after a gracious life Sincere grace hath more in it than wishings and wouldings than attempts and overtures Life is a power to act Phil. 2. 12 13. Work out your salvation for it is God that workeâ—h in you to will and â—o do Where-ever God worketh the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velle he works also the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operari Where-ever God works in he gives us a power to work out the works of Christiâ—nity Oh rest not till thou find thy self endued with this power from on high inabled to go through with thy work They are not thy Attempts but thy Atchievements they are not thy Offers at an holy life but thy acting it that must prove thee a Christian He that doth rightâ—ousness is righteous Be it thus with thee be all to Christ let Christ be all to thee let all Christ be accepted and improved by thee heartily accept the merit of Chrisâ— Righteousness submit to the light and authority of his Law get thy self possest with and live in the power of his Spirit be it thus with thee come up hither and then thou art safe Thy almost is now come to altogether and if I must now leave thee thou wilt be the better able to spare me These things do and the God of peace shall be with thee Thou art gotten into Sanctuary and now what-ever Tossings and Tumblings whatsoever unpleasing or afflicting changes may be thy lot in this World thou may'st sing that Requiem to thy self Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Gothy way eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy Wine with amerry heart for God now accepteth thee Though thou walkest through the shadow of Death thou may'st now sit thee down under the shadow of thy Lord with great delight and with great security whose fruit shall be ever sweet to thy taste Though thou dwellest in Mesech and hast thy Habitation among the Tents of Kedar yet thou may'st lay thee down in peace and take thy rest for the Lord doth the Lord will make thee to dwell in safety 2. To the Godly Happy Souls The God of Peace is with you all things shall work for good to you only that he may continue with you continue you with him in the obedience of that Gospel to which you have delivered up your selves My Exhortation to you shall be 1. General Respecting the whole course of your Lives 2. Particular Respecting your daily Walk My general Exhortation shall be bottomed on that of the Apostle Phil. 1. 27 28. Let your Conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may hear of your Affaires that you stand fast in one Spirit with one Mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel In nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of Salvation and that of God Let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel Walk worthy of the Gospel let your lives be suitable and answerable to the Holy Gospel which yoâ— profess 1. Let your lives answer the ends of the Gospel the exaltation of the Name and glorious Grace of God in Christ live an humble self-denying self-abasing this is a Christ exalting life 2. Let your life answer â—he Dignities and Honours the Gospel invests you with You are the children of God the Heirs of Glory the Spouse of Christ the Bride the Lambs Wife You are a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people know your priviledges and do not live below your selves defile not your glory by stooping to a Carnal and Earthly Life a Jewel is not more unbecoming a Swines snout than fleshly Husks a Saints Palate 'T is below you who are peculiar people to your God to live in common with the Men of â—his World humble your selves into the least of Saints but do not humble your selves into Bruits a Live in the Spirit converse with God be dealing for Glory Honour and Immortality 3. Let your Lives answer the Names which the Gospel puts upon you Doves Lambs Lillies be harmless peaceable gentle beautiful fragant sending forth a precious savour in the World 4. Let your Lives answer the Riches the Reward the Crown the Kingdom which the Gospel sets before you Live a contented life be satisfied be well pleased with what you have here be it little or much disgrace not your portioâ— the Gospel allots you as if it â—re a poor insufficient portion Let your souls â—â—y How small an handful soever you have of this Earth it is enough Christ is mine A discontented Christian says Christ is not enough Heaven is not enough Let the Contentation of thy Spirit declare before the World that the Lines are fallen to thee in 〈◊〉 pleasant place and that thou hast a goodly heritage Do not put this Scorn upon God and Glory that thou must be beholding to the Devil to mend thy portion Christian either thou art within the Promise or a stranger from it Either thou hast the God of Peace with thee or not If not me-thinks thou shouldst find other matter to take up thy thoughts and not have leasure to perplex thy self with every trivial want that thy meat or thy drink or thine house or the carriage of thy friends towards thee are not according to thy mind thy Soul thy Soul man thy life is in danger Oh what an Eternity art thou like to have of it Canst thou want a God a Christ an Heaven and thine heart never stir at it And is the dissatisfaction of thy vain mind or appetite such a Burthen Is the Devil in thy heart and it never moves thee and shall an ill neighbour be a vexation to thee Canst thou feel a Feather when thou hast a Talent upon thee The Curse the Curse of God is upon thee I cannot wonder thou shouldst be discontent but me-thinks these small matters by a man in thy case should not be minded If Christ and the Promise be thine is not that enough Are not all things enough God is all
Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God Seemeth it a small thing unto you said David to be the Son in Law of a King Why what King was it It was one that was none of the best and yet he was a King and that was a great thing for such a poor man as David was to be Son in Law to a King But what is it to be Sons and Heirs to the King of Glory The Lord sayes to all his Sons as the Father of the Prodigal said to his eldest Son Luke 15. 31. Son thou art ever with me all that I have is thine Son Daughter saith the Lord thou shalt be ever with me all that I have in Heaven and Earth all is thine Mat. 5. Blessed are the Peace-makers why so they are the Children of God Gods children are blessed Children not one of them shall go without their Fathers blessing The Lord hath not only as Isaac a blessing for one of his Children but as Jacob he hath a blessing for every child If thou be Gods child God even thy God will give thee his blessing 5. The Kingdom Mat. 5. Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Luke 12. 32. Fear not little Flock for it in your Fathers pleasure to give you the Kingdom To whom is the Kingdom given To the little flock not to the herds of Swine the droves of wild Beasts the prophane multitudes of this Wilde and wicked World but to the little Flock of Christ those few that he hath called out of the World who follow him theirs is the Kingdom What Kingdom Why the Kingdom of Heaven a Kingdom of Glory a Kingdom of Righteousness a Kingdom of Peace a Kingdom of joy and blessedness the everlasting Kingdom And here we are fallen upon that heighth and depth and length and breadth which cannot be fathomed or measured here is the wisdom of Christians they have gotten the birth-right and the blessing the Sonship and the inheritance theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven here is the faith and patience and hope and prayers and sufferings and labours of the Saints the riches of their faith the fruit of their patience the matter of their hope the return of their prayers the reward of their sufferings the end of their labours the everlasting Kingdom Now judge upon all this which hath been said whom will ye account the wise men shall those be accounted wise whom the world or those whom God accounts such Shall those pass for fools now who will be found wise at last Are those the wise men who never understood what they had to do here and so never minded nor heâ—ded that necessary work for which they were sent into the World Are our Infants and Children that mind nothing else but their play and their meat and their cloaths are those the wise ones of the World Are they the Wise Builders who have laid their foundation on the Sand When the Winds and the floods and the waves have broken down and blown away all that you have been Building will You then boast of Your Wisdom You that count your selves such Wise Men and demand what the Saints have gotten tell us what you have gotten by all your Wisdom The Saints have something to shew for themselves as Witnesses of their prudence Christ the hidden Manna that living bread that they have laid up for themselves against a time of need that peace which they have gotten to support them in a time of trouble these are some things to shew they have not foolishly lost their time every grace that they have gotten every comfort that they have treasured up there is something more to shew every dead lust pleads for them Sampson's dead Lyon was not a greater proof of his strength than Christians dead lusts are of their Wisdom they have gotten the birth-right and the blessing who was the wiser of the two Esau that sold the birth-right and lost the blessing or Jacob that got both they have gotten the Kingdom too theirs is the Kingdom of heaven whilst others have been dividing the spoyles here below scrambling for shadowes and fancies sharing the Dominions and Dignities and Preferments and Pleasures of this world amongst them these have been laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come doth this speak them such a foolish company as you would make them Have they made such a wise choice and taken such a wise course and yet must they go for fools Is this your serious and sober judgment Do you in earnest think that in that change which the Gospel hath made upon them they are changed for the worse that in the choice which they have made of God rather than the world of Christ in stead of their lusts of things eternal before things temporal that they have herein chosen to their loss Is this your thought will you write down this as your judgment and put your hand to it and be content that this writing should be produced at the last Judgment as the Test by which you will be tryed whether you are wise or foolish Are you Christians and do you believe the Scriptures and are you not yet ashamed that any such thoughts should come into your hearts Will you say The Devil is the best Master and he 's a fool that will not be his servant but Christ is an â—ard Master and none that 's wise will venture after him Will you say that Moses was a fool in refusing to be called the son of Pharoah's Daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin form season that the Apostles and the Disciples were fools that Peter and Paul and John and James were fools with the rest of those holy Men and Women who denied themselves took up their Cross and followed Christ and that the Scribes and Pharisees and Publicans and Harlots and Drunkards and Gluttons that made a mock and a scorn of him and them had more wit than they Is not this the very thing you say in charging folly upon those whose aim and desire is to walk in the same steps that those primitive Christians walked in before them Is this your Christianity Is this your reason and Religion and honesty speak out your hearts in plain termes No man would hearken to Christ unless he were a fool no man would be holy unless he were a fool no man would leave his lusts and his pleasures and his liberties and his vanities unless he had first lost his wits Or at least no wise man would take up more of Christianity than the name and the shell and the shadow none but a fool would make sure work for his soul would go through with Christ and Christianity would be an inward hearty resolved universal sincere Christian Would any wise man put it out of doubt that Christ is his put it out of doubt that his soul is
safe that he 's passed from death to life and shall never come â—â—to condemnation What do your bruitish hearts and wayes speak less or rather than this Sinners is this all the wisdom or honesty you have thus to speak or think If it be Be it known unto you all that these foolish Saints have more wit than to count the reproaches of such bruitish spirits to be any disparagement to them or their profession and therefore if you will mock on and go on to admire your selves and the oaks which you have chosen and the gardens which you have desired whilst you despise these and their wayes but however whilst they have this assurance that God doth not count them what you call them that You will not call them at last what you call them now you must give them leave though they think never so meanly of themselves yet still to have the same high thoughts of their God of their Gospel of that holy profession and way that they have chosen Vse 1. Let the ungodly World hence learn to have a better opinion of these men and to forbear reproaching them think with your selves upon what hath been said These men may be wiser than we are aware of they may be honest men we may be mistaken these may be the Israel of God those Nathaniels of whom Christ saith Joh. 1. 47. Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile these may be the little Flock on whom it is the Fathers pleasure to bestow the Kingdom these may be those litâ—le ones whom whosoever offends it were better that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the midst of the Sea And what if they should be so In what case are you then that have reproached and persecuted them but I must be bold to tell there 's no May be in the matter I question not but if you would impartially weigh what hath been spoken and what shall yet farther be spoken you will see that if God hath any people in the world these are they and therefore my advice is that you refrain from these men and let them alone lest if you do go on you be sound fighters against God Obj. But where be there any such There be some that make a fair shew and make specious pretences to the strictness of Religion but they are hypocrites and deceivers and these are they that we only speak against Sol. 1. Let this be granted That such men as have been described if there be any such are truely wise men that men of such Principles that men of this profession if they really be what they profess and live according to their principles that these are men of wisdom do but grant that godliness is wisdom and the fear of the Lord is understanding I would that I could bring you thus far heartily to grant that godliness hath an excellency in it and that a life led according to those Principles of godliness which have been laid before you is the most excellent life Hence these two things will unavoidably follow 1. That by how much more exactly and strictly any persons live according to the Principles of godliness by so much the more have they attained to of true wisdom If Godliness be our wisdome and excellency then by how much the more precisely godly any persons are by so much the more wise and excellent by how much the more precise a Christian or godly man is by so much the more he is a Christian or a godly man and therefore let never any man be blam'd for that he is so much but that he is no more precise 2. By how much the more loosely any persons live from the Rules of Religion by how much the more liberty they take to walk after the flesh by so much the more foolish they are and so you may without controversie conclude that whatever these precise people be you that are Libertines to be sure are fools 2. Are there none such What hath God no people in the world hath the Devil gotten all God hath a people somewhere and a peculiar people whom he hath chosen to salvation whom he hath redeemed and called and justified and sanctified and set apart for himself from the rest of the world all are not Israel all are not Disciples but there are some whom God hath peculiarly set apart to himself from â—he rest of men and where are these to be found if not among these precise walkers the peculiar people of God are as hath been sufficiently proved an holy people an hearing people a praying people a zealous people a watchful gainful industrious sober meek merciful patient people and all this in sincerity Now where shall we look to find out such a people Must we rake the kennels and search the sinks of the earth Must we seek in the Ale-houses or Taverns or Play-houses Shall we take out the drunkards and riotous the swearers and lyars the covetous and oppressors the vain ones of the earth the blind People that bruitish generation that knows not nor mind not the Lord or his wayes and say of any of these surely here they be these are the people of God here be the men that are no hypocrites these are that Royal Priesthohd that holy Nation that peculiar people whom God hath called to shew forth his praise before the world Sinners if you have so much reason or conscience as to conclude that none of these are they then tell us farther who or where they are or else at last acknowledge that if God hath a people any where 't is amongst those that you have reproached 3. If you say there be hypocrites among them and these are they that you speak against and not gainst those that are upright let me give you this double advice 1. Take heed you mistake not the mark do not shoot at Saints indeed under the name and disguise of hypocrites do not count that hypocrisie which God accounts sincerity you may be mistaken as I told you before and what if you should be mistaken what if it should prove not only that the men which you reproach for hypocrites God should account sincere but if the very thing which you call their hypocrisie the Lord counts their excellency what if it should be so Then you have shot a fair shot every reproach which you have thus cast out is as so much dirt which you have thrown into the Face of God so many darts which you have shot into the Apple of God's Eye You who are so free in reproaching Professors take heed that it be not found that the ground of all your evil language against them and evil usage of them be not for that they are but for that they are not hypocrites 2. If they be hypocrites and only such that you speak against take heed you mistake not your Arrow do not cast that upon them for a reproach which is good do not take good names to reproach