Love and consequently of being too Religious art thou afraid of being too much enamoured with this Jesus art thou afraid that the sight of his broken Body will break thy Heart too much art thou afraid that the sight of his effused Bloud will make thee pour out too many Tears and Prayers and Praises of his Love considering how dull how dead thou art thou hadst need come frequently to the Cross to have thy Affections suppled and softned with this precious Bloud how frail is thy memory and hadst not thou need of refreshing it often with the sight of Christs incomprehensible love art thou afraid of renewing thy Repentance thy Faith thy Hope thy Charity too often The oftner thou dost resort to this blessed communion the greater will be thy acquaintance with thy best of friends the greater sense thou wilt get of the need and want of him the greater encouragement thou wilt find to imitate him in his Holiness Meekness Patience and Humility and the greater assurance thou wilt get of his Love and Favour and Pardon and everlasting Mercy and are these Blessings to be scorn'd and undervalu'd thou pretendest want of preparation but whose fault is it that thou art not prepar'd what can hinder thee from preparation but love to sin and shall love to a sensual careless life hinder thee from laying hold of the greatest Treasure will this Plea hold when thou shalt appear before the great Tribunal O my Soul this is to excuse sin by sin and to despise God's Ordinance because thou despisest his commands and how will this aggravate thy folly one day and fill thee with shame and horror O play not with everlasting mercy let not business hinder thee from advancing thy Spiritual and Eternal interest Remember what became of the men that pretended they had Farms to see and Oxen to try and Wives to marry when they were invited to the Supper of the Lamb canst thou think of the protestation of the Master of the Feast against these stubborn wretches and not conclude thy fate by their being excluded from Gods Favour forever if it be a sense of thy own vileness and unworthiness that keeps thee away thou mistakest and misrepresentest the goodness of thy Lord and Master No persons more welcome at this Table than the humble and broken-hearted none meet with a more favourable reception than the poor in Spirit these the Crucified Jesus prays for on his Cross Father forgive them and the everlasting Father hears and saith to them Be of good chear your sins are forgiven you V. It prepares a man for an Angelical life here on Earth for he that frequently considers and contemplates the Joyes the Triumphs the Scepters the Crowns the Diadems of yonder Kingdom the everlasting Love and Peace and Satisfaction which Angels and glorified Saints enjoy cannot but think himself during that consideration in Heaven and participating of that content and happiness which is possessed by the general Assembly of the First-born which are written in Heaven Indeed this is to make Earth a Heaven and to change this Wilderness into a Paradise a Closet into the Seat of Glory and a Desart into those Regions of Bliss and Happiness How like an Angel may that Man live that is often engaged in such considerations as these Heaven what do I hear Heaven the harbor of all laden and wearied Souls Heaven the end of all my sorrow and miseries Heaven the Port I have been sailing to these many years Heaven the inheritance of those that keep themselves uspotted from the World Heaven the rest of Gods Servants and the habitation of the Mourners in Sion Heaven the great mark of my Desires the anchor of my Hope the foundation of my Confidence Heaven the University where we shall know even as we are known how undisturb'd how quiet do all the Inhabitants of those blessed Mansions live there rest those Saints who were made as the filth of the World and as the off-scouring of all things how different are the thoughts of God from those of the World these men the world regarded not behold God remembers them and when he makes up his Jewels spares them as a man would spare his own Son that serves him There rests that Mary Magdalen that stood behind Christ at his feet weeping and washed his Feet with her Tears and did wipe them with the hair of her Head and kiss'd them and anointed his Head with ointment There rests that Lazarus who desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich mans Table There rest that David that made his Bed to swim and water'd his Couch with his Tears There rests all the Prophets of old who through Faith subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousness obtain'd Promises stopp'd the mouths of Lions quench'd the violence of the Fire escap'd the edge of the Sword out of weakness were made strong wax'd valiant in fight turn'd to slight the Arms of the Aliens There rest all those Souls that look'd for the blessed hope and the glorious appearance of their Saviour Jesus Christ. There rests all those Martyrs and Confessors that were ready not only to suffer but to dye also for the name of the Lord Jesus There they rest encircled with an Eternal calm There they rest incompass'd with an innumerable company of Angels There they rest surrounded with the Gracious Presence of a merciful God There they rest from all the calumnies and slanders of this poor envious world There they rest from all Darkness in Eternal Light and in the beams of the Sun of Righteousness forever Awake O my Soul awake advance into yonder regions of Glory retire into yonder Paradise leave this world and goe higher let thy thoughts transcend the Sun and Moon and Stars get before the Throne of God take a view of the still waters whereof the vast Armies of Glorified Spirits drink where they are there are no Wolves no Tygers no Bears no Lions as in this barren wilderness in those happy shades is no noise but that of Halelujahs no discontent no War no dissentions inhabit there there all agree there Ephraim is no more against Manasse nor Manasse against Ephraim nor they both against Juda but all are delighted with the everlasting Glory and Love of God there they hunger and thirst no more Wonderful change Here O my Saul thou art ever thirsting after God as the dry Land thirsteth after water there thou shalt be satisfied with him to all Eternity here thou longest after the hidden Manna there it will never be taken from thee here like Solomons Bride by night on thy Bed thou seekest him who is altogether lovely there his Beauty and Presence will ravish thee for ever Here though thy desires after the Blessings of Gods left hand be subordinate to thy desires after spiritual Mercies and thy esteem of God preponderates and is higher than thy esteem of any outward felicities yet while so nearly allied to Sense thou canst not so abandon Nature as to
in the mire and pit thou didst advance me into thy Fathers bosom I lay trembling under the jaws of the hellish Dragon thou gavest me a place in the heart of God I was unworthy of thy gracious Aspect and thou hast made me capable of being embraced by the Great and Terrible God I lay in a Dungeon thou didst promote me to a Throne thou hast done that for me which I durst not have hoped or wish'd for it had been enough to have deliver'd me from Hell but that would not content thee except I were raised above the Heavens and above Angels too it had been favour enough when my condition was so desperate if thou hadst parchas'd for me a suspension or forbearance of thy Fathers Anger but thou didst go further and didst purchase me a Pardon too and not satisfied with that thou didst incline thy Fathers love to me and as if that had not been enough thou didst procure me Gifts and Blessings too and not only Blessings in general but the greatest Blessing imaginable even thine own Kingdom and thine own Heritage How unworthy have I lived of this incomprehensible Love O that I might not be able to reflect upon my life without indignation Thou art the way the truth and the life direct me and I 'll strive to enter in at the strait Gate purify my Spirit wash my Soul with thy Bloud that 's the Eye-salve which will make me see that 's the Medicine which will cure my blindness O cleanse me and I shall be whiter than Snow O thou inexhausted Fountain of Goodness let me not goe away dry from thee let the light of thy countenance always shine about me and by that light let me discover not only my grosser sins but my more secret corruptions Draw me after thee and I shall run hide me in thy wounds be my Advocate and plead my Cause thou spreadest open thy Arms to all that desire Rest behold I come receive me Graciously love me Freely teach me to relye on thee My Joy my Treasure my Sovereign Comfort cause all the fruits of the Spirit to grow in my Soul O help me or else I perish O assist me or else I faint my Conscience terrifies me O do thou speak peace unto it the roaring Lion threatens to devour me O shew thy gliterring Sword and drive him away Gods anger burns against me O throw some drops of thy Bloud into that fire and it will goe out Let me be content to sell all for thee let me not scruple to part even with the best things I have for thy service set me as a seal upon thy Heart stream down the waters of Life upon me I 'll open my mouth wide O do thou fill it I will live to my self no more possess all my faculties and unite them to thee make me truly acquainted with my self let those joys thou hast promised to thy Saints support me in all my tribulations Come Lord Jesus come quickly O Thou Blessed and Eternal Spirit vouchsafe to breath upon me blow upon my Garden that the Spices may flow move powerfully upon my Soul that it may bring forth fruits meet for Repentance Let me be truly afraid to resist thy suggestions Sanctify and give success to all my attempts to make my Calling and Election sure when my stubborn heart would baffile thy designs to save me let thy Grace overcome and conquer me represent the love of God to me in that Glory that I may instantly throw down all I have at the feet of Christ O let my Soul be so dazled with its beams that I may desire and breathe after nothing so much as after a Glorious enjoyment of God Break the chains of my sins command the Fetters I have been bound in to fly asunder whatever good thoughts I have of God increase them enlarge my Soul that I may truly delight in thinking of thee let me feel the sweetness of Holiness let me taste those joys which thou dost vouchsafe to those that improve thy motions tempt me by a foretaste of Heavens Glory to lay force upon it Give me a glimpse of yonder Paradise that I may not faint in my journey give me arguments against my self that I may be deliver'd from my self Fill all the channels of my Soul with thy gifts while I sojourn here on Earth let my heart be in Heaven let not self-love in me hinder me from loving thee Take my heart away and give me thy self be thou my heart and all my delight wherever I am be thou my Director let thy word be my rule and enable me to live according to that rule O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity one God thou immense Sea of happiness make me to know what it is to be one with thee O thou everlasting Goodness O thou everlasting Wisdom O thou everlasting Sweetness grant I may see thee seeing may love thee loving may admire thee admiring may imitate thee and imitating thee may enjoy thee enjoying thee may never be separated from thee but live in thy Light and Love and Glory to all Eternity FINIS Acts 14.11 * Aen. Sylvius Psal. 18.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hagg. 1.5 7. 1 Sam. 15.14 * Tertullian Apolog. c. 50. * Id. Ibid. * Tertull. lib de patientia c. 14. Erumpentes bestiolas in eosdem specus pastus foraminosae carnis ludendo revocibat 1 Pet. 5.8 Matth. 4.3 Eph. 6 12. Sucton in Calig vid. Euseb. Nierem de ador lib. 1. c. 〈◊〉 seq
Soul Is this giving all diligence to make my calling and election sure when I am infinitely more concerned how to secure a small sum of Money than I am to secure those Treasures which fade not away Will God give a reward to Men that stand yawning and stretching themselves in his Vineyard unresolv'd whether they shall work or no A reward indeed they shall have but such a reward as hypocrites receive a reward from which Good Lord deliver us And am I so stupified that nothing of all this can move me neither the Glory of God nor the interest of my Soul nor all that can be said against my want of Zeal and fervency of Spirit Were these reason laid home by serious consideration it would rowze the Soul from her slumber and make her see how dangerous her rest is and how deer that sleep will cost her she is for the present lull'd in if it be not suddenly dispell'd and scatter'd but want of consideration makes the careless sinner fancy God such a one as himself one that is pleas'd with his indifferency in Religion as well as himself this is it makes him entertain very gross absurd and unreasonable conceits concerning that all Wise most Excellent and most lovely Being despise a Treasure of infinite value trample on the pearl of price and forget what the hope of God's calling is and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance is in the Saints Had the Covetous but a Heart to think with himself vain foolish man How loath am I to confess my self guilty of this vice How do I deceive my self with the fair names of good Husbandry and Frugality but will these delusions stand the fire Will these Paper Walls be proof against everlasting burnings if there be such a sin as covetousness and that sin so odious to God and his Holy Angels as Christ and his Apostles make it and so great an impediment to everlasting happiness as the Scripture represents it it must needs be worth knowing whether I am infected with this plague especially since my behaviour and actions look as if I were why should the Apostle call this sin Idolatry but because it makes men set their affections on the World more than upon that which is to come and more on their Riches Estate or Incomes than upon God and everlasting Glory whereby God is robb'd of his Honor and that high Esteem and Love which is God's due as he is God is given to be creature which in Gods sight is Lighter than nothing and vanity and is not this my case How is my Soul fix'd upon this World How close doth my heart stick to the profits and advantages it affords How is my Soul bound up with my Corn and Wine and Oyl How do I fancy that all my happiness is gone when these outward comforts are gone Did sin ever grieve me a quarter so much as a temporal loss Did offending a Gracious God ever cost me the tenth part of the Tears I shed for being deprived of a little shining Clay How hearty is my joy under the blessings of Gods left hand How little am I affected with the blessings of his right How far greater satisfaction doth my thriving in the world give me than my thriving in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ How loath am I to honour God with my substance How unwillingly how grudgingly do I part with any thing considerable for Charitable uses How loath am I to part with any of this worlds Goods for Gods service How happy do I count my self when Religion doth cost me nothing How loath am I to be any at charges for Heaven How doth it grieve me when I spend any thing upon Religion How do I dote upon these sublunary vanities How far greater pains do I take to be rich than to be happy for ever How can I dispense with a sin for profits sake How little of my desires and breathings hath God and a bleeding Saviour How dull am I under the most lively descriptions of the joys of Heaven How dull under the stupendous offers of Grace and Mercy How dead under the joyful message of pardon How dull when tempted by all the ravishing arguments of Gods love to love him above all What means my unwillingness to take God for my greatest portion What means that quickness sagacity and wisdom when my Riches Plenty or worldly prosperity is concerned and that strange dumpishness when God courts and beseeches my Soul to lay hold on Eternal Life Are not these evident signs that the World draws and attracts my Heart most powerfully God sees my Heart is not upright with him he sees I am afraid to take up with him alone he sees how covetousness hath possess'd my Soul and can I cherish this root of an evil in my Breast and not tremble at the danger my Soul is in Am I by the Apostles verdict an Idolater and do I make light of so great a guilt if no Idolater must expect a Crown of Glory alas what can I look for but Eternal Darkness when I read that it 's easier for a Camel to enter through the eye of a Needle than for a rich man who sets his heart on his Riches to enter into Heaven am not I frighted with the expression I find how this sin deprives me of a Holy communion with God and shall I loose my greatest comfort and support and satisfaction for it If any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him and can I be contented without the love of God if God be not my friend what doth the friendship of the whole World signify When my Soul must leave this Tabernacle and appear before Gods Barr O God I shall have so many witnesses against me that I shall not know what to say or whether to betake my self for refuge the Poor will accuse me because I have not open'd my Hand and Heart to them my own Conscience will accuse me because I have not been a good Steward of the means God gave me the Ministers of God will accuse me because whatever was laid out upon my Pride and Lust was thought too little and the least kindness I shew'd to those that wait at Gods Altar too much The Devils will accuse me because having a Soul so great so noble so precious I did employ it chiefly in scraping a little Dross and Dung together nay the Lord Jesus will accuse me because his example of contentedness and Heavenly mindedness would not allure me into imitation God will accuse me because having furnish'd me with all the motives and encouragements imaginable to mind Heaven more than Earth I preferr'd this Earth before all the joyes of Heaven and how shall I bear up under all this weight Would the poor deluded Worldling but let such thoughts sink into his Heart what a damp would it strike on his strong desires after the World and how would it make his immoderate love
but purifies it doth not straiten the Soul but elevates it doth not clog it but refines it doth not confound it but sublimes it destroys the dross but preserves the Gold and burns away all unclean and inordinate passions and all immoderate cares of this world but raises the Soul above the world and engages it to fly above those things which serve only to fill mens hearts with anguish and vexation Let this object rest a little O my Soul and look upon that Earth thou walkest on this is the place our Bodies must necessarily rest in but when thou seest that center of of all heavy Bodies forget not to think who it is that is thy proper Center and Resting-place This is a groaning bleeding dying Saviour think O my Soul on Solomon what pains that Monarch took to find Rest for his Soul He gave himself to Wine laid hold on folly made him great Works built him Houses planted him Vineyards made him Gardens and Orchards and planted trees in them of all kind of Fruits got him Servants and Maidens procured great possessions of great and small cattel gather'd Silver and Gold got him Men-singers and Women-singers and all the delight of the Sons of Men and whatsoever his eyes desired he kept it not from them Eccl. 2 3 4. c. He withheld not his heart from any joy yet behold when he looked on at the works his hand had wrought he found it was nothing but vanity and vexation of Spirit in all this his Soul found no rest till it came to learn this great lesson Fear God and keep his Commandements and then Peace and rest did flow in upon his Soul with a Spring-tide God is thy rest indeed O my Soul and when thou canst hide thy self in the wounds of thy Great Redeemer then then thou art safe and the Gates of Hell are not able to prevail against thee Canst thou see how plentifully the Earth provides for Mankind and forget what provision God makes for thee that thou may'st not miss of the Crown of Righteousness hereafter and when thou seest how all things the Earth produces praise their Creator in their way and shew forth his Glory canst thou be silent or forbear to be perpetually extolling the goodness of that God that hath given thee a tongue on purpose to speak those praises whereof other creatures make but a dumb shew thou seest how this Earth produces Gold and Silver and if this Earth be so Glorious what will Heaven be if the House which God vouchsafes to his enemies be so splendid what will his own Palace be where none but himself and his Servants shall dwell for ever if the outward Court be so magnificent what must the Presence-Chamber of the King of Kings be if Gold and and Silver by their glittering dazle the eyes of spectators here what will the beatifical Presence of Almighty God doe which is beyond all the shine and luster that Gold and precious Stones afford From the Earth 0 my Soul launch out into the Waters how useful are the Lessons suggested to issue by this Element canst thou look upon water and not reflect on the grace of God which hath appear'd to all men how this washes the Souls of Believers from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit how it quenches the fire of sinful Lusts in men how it takes away mens thirst and greediness after there sublunary comforts how it cools the Soul under the greatest heat of misery how it makes many of one mind as the innumerable Atomes of Flower goe together in water to make up one loaf of Bread and unites millions of Men under one Head the Lord Jesus Christ. Behold the Springs and Fountains which like Pearls adorn the curious Fabrick of the Earth canst thou call them Fountains and doth not that name put thee in mind of the Fountain of life the Fountain of Wisdom the Fountain of living Waters and the Fountain open'd for the House of Juda and Jerusalem for Sin and for Uncleanness doe but think what riches flow from that everlasting Spring Thy God is the very Fountain of all Beings in him and to him and through him are all things he depends on no Causes he hath need of no assistance nothing can hurt him but all things depend upon him he is the beginning of all things without a beginning the end without end the great Cause without a cause infinite unlimited immense and incomprehensible Refresh thy self O my Soul in this never-fading and inexhaustible Fountain admire him serve him love him desire him despise all other things in comparison of him for he alone can supply all thy wants and necessities content thy affections here and fill thee with everlasting comforts hereafter III. It wonderfully supports men under afflictions for our impatience lies in our minds and when the disease begins then its fit the cure should begin but which way should the mind be cur'd but by Consideration it's this must answer all the objections that Flesh and Bloud suggest to the mind it 's this must silence all the arguments which seem to justify our murmures against the dismal providence we meet withal and the thoughts which cause our discontent must be expell'd by thoughts of our demerits and Gods justice and without all peradventure that man shall be able to bear his tribulation better that thus reasons the case with himself why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me hath thy God a hand in this affliction or hath he not if he hath not where is his Providence if he hath why dost thou grumble Doth not thy God know better what is expedient for thee than thy self Is he all wise and doth not he know what medicines are fittest for thee thou art his creature and may not he do with his own what he pleases thou hast sinn'd against him and must not he correct thee thou hast affronted him and must not he use his Rod thou hast forsaken him and must not he shew his displeasure against thy ingratitude dost not thou correct thy Child when he is stubborn and dost thou let thy Servant goe without chiding that doth neglect the business thou hast recommended to his care may be thou hast serv'd thy God and led a sober life but was it a life so blameless that it had no defects and must not those defects endure that fiery Tryal that they may be burnt away Hast thou receiv'd the good at the hand of the Lord and shalt not thou receive the evil also how long hath God spared thee who might long ago have poured out the vials of his wrath upon thee hast not thou reason to thank him for chastising thee but now who might have done it much sooner Alas why shouldst thou think he doth thee wrong by sending this cross upon thee who hast deserved no less than damnation are not Rods gentler than Scorpions and drops of Gods anger more tolerable than flouds of his
it if thou art not heartily resolv'd to part with it why dost thou complain what makes thee cry out O wretched creature that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death what makes thee wish that what thou hast done against God were undone what makes thee afraid of offending God why dost thou weep why dost thou watch against thy corruptions what makes thee angry with thy self for displeasing God what makes thee breathe and pant after Christ as the wounded Hart pants after the Water-brooks what makes Christ so sweet and sin so bitter to thee what makes thee asham'd of looking up to Heaven whence is it that all the preferment and riches of this World cannot tempt thee to sin wilfully whence is it that thou delightest not in the company of sinners but thy delight is chiefly in them that fear the Lord If these be not signes of Grace what character of mercy wouldst thou have hath not thy God said that he 'l love those that do love him if thou lov'st him not why art thou restless till thou enjoyest him if thou lovest him not why dost thou desire him why art thou willing to follow him through misery and the greatest troubles to be forever with him thou hast infirmities to wrestle withal but hath not thy God promis'd thee that he 'll bruise Satan under thy feet shortly thou canst not totally master such a corruption but dost not thou fight against it thou meetest with temptations but dost not thou grapple with them Satan follows thee but dost not thou resist him thy Conscience terrifies thee but hast not thou the Cross of Christ to fly to if God had a mind to kill thee would he have shewn thee all these things if God were gone from thee would not his Spirit be gone too if thou hast not the Spirit of God what mean thy longings after God what means thy love to a Spiritual life why dost thou pray so earnestly for the fruit of the Spirit why art thou altogether for a clean Heart and for renewing of a right Spirit within thee are not these signs that Gods Spirit warms thy affections and makes intercession for thee with groanings which cannot be uttered God seems to go away that thou mayst cry more earnestly after him and clouds his comforts that thou mayst sue for them with greater importunity he lets thee sink a little that thou mayst cry with a louder voice Lord save me or else I perish and falls asleep in the Ship that thou mayst take the greater pains to wake him He sees thou grow'st weary of his favour he therefore darkens it that thou mayst be at some trouble to recover it and having recover'd it set a greater price upon 't he withdraws himself for awhile that at his return thy joy may be fuller and bids his gracious influences stop awhile that when they flow in upon thee again they may fill all thy faculties with greater gladness thou canst not perform thy Duties with that alacrity and chearfulness thou desir'st but hast not thou reason to bless God that thou dost in good earnest desire to doe better was Heaven purchas'd in a moment or Sin conquer'd in an hour is not the way to life a race where men must run on till they reach the mark Go on O my Soul go on the farther thou proceedest in Gods ways the sweeter thou wilt find them the more thou strivest the more thou'lt conquer and the oftner thou dost address thy self to God the more thy dullness and weariness will vanish and the more thou lookest upon the everlasting recompence the greater mind thou wilt have to go on from strength to strength O my Soul hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God IV. It disposes a man to be a worthy receiver of the Lords Supper Indeed I doe not see how without it a man can receive any benefit by that blessed Sacrament for it being an Ordinance designed chiefly to impregnate the Soul with very strong longings and breathings after a crucified Saviour with a deep sense of the incomprehensible 1ove of God in Christ Jesus and with earnest resolutions to love and to obey him before all the dictates of Flesh and Bloud and of our carnal Interest it is not to be conceiv'd which way the Soul should arrive to all this without considering the end nature and advantages of this Sacrament and its probable a man may then be affected with this sublime mystery when he rowzes his Soul some such way as this Dost thou rightly understand O my Soul what this great and tremendous Ordinance means Behold thou art going to feast with that God who stretches out the Heavens like a Curtain and layes the beams of this chambers in the waters and makes the clouds his chariot and rideth upon the wings of the wind What Feast with so Glorious a God and come without a Wedding-Garment What Sup with him who dwelleth in the Heavens and not purify thy self even as he is pure Can two walk together except they be agreed what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness What concord hath Christ with Belial What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols This is the great Ordinance O my Soul which must either promote thy everlasting happiness or aggravate thy everlasting condemnation how happy mayst thou be if this Sacrament charms thee into a fervent love to thy dear Redeemer but how wilt thou escape if thou neglect so great a Salvation Here are the greatest engagements the greatest motives to a life as becomes the Gospel of Christ here God adjures thee to use the words of the Church By Christs agony and bloody sweat by his cross and passion by his death and burial to bury thy unclean desires and inordinate affections and to dedicate thy self and all thou hast to his service Here is represented the greatest love that ever was vouchsafed to men here the Son of God appears all bloudy to fright thee from thy sins here Christ is as it were crucified before thine eyes that looking upon him whom thou hast pierc'd Thou mayest mourn as one that mourns for his onely Son Here Christ appears laden with all the blessings of Heaven here the ever-blessed Trinity seems to use its utmost endeavours to perswade thee into a Heavenly conversation here the desert of sin is discover'd in the wounds and torments of an infinite God and hither thou comest O my Soul to renew thy Baptismal vow hither thou comest to enter into a solemn Covenant with God and faithfully to promise him to resign thy self entirely to him to fall out with him no more to defile thy Garments no more to dishonour to betray him no more to be faithful to him to vindicate his Glory to esteem his friends as thy friends and his enemies as thy enemies and to live up to those laws which he hath sealed with his
own Bloud to this end thou eatest of his Bread and drinkest of his Wine and thus thou sealest the Covenant Dost not thou remember O my Soul how the world Was lost by eating of the forbidden Tree Behold by eating of this Tree of Life thou shalt be saved for ever in the breaking of the consecrated Bread thou seest how Christs Body was broke for thee in pouring out of the Hallow'd Wine thou seest how Christs Bloud was spilt for thee when the Holy Bread is reach'd out to thee thou seest Christ reaching out his crucified Body to thee that thou mayest see in his hands the print of the nails and put thy finger into the print of his nails and thrust thine hand into his side and shelter thy self under that wounded and mangled Body against the wrath and indignation of God When the sacred Wine is given thee thou seest how Christ offers thee his Bloud for the remission of thy sins canst thou behold so great a love and not loose thy reason in the admiration of its greatness when thou seest such condescension such kindness such compassion O canst thou forbear crying out O my Lord what do I see what mean these longings of Almighty God after my happiness what means this industry of that incomprehensible Being to be at all this charge and pains to make me blessed God that might sport himself with my everlasting groans what need he have cared whether I were saved or no God Who can be happy without company and needs no society but his own whence is it that this mighty God humbles himself thus to dust and ashes layes aside his Robes of Glory and wooes me to be content to lye for ever in his Arms and Bosom would no other remedy serve turn to recover me but the death of the Son of God God on whose Laws I have trampled Whose Authority I have slighted whose promises and threatenings I have undervalued that he should be thus concern'd for my welfare and contrive how to advance me unto Glory and contrive it by such stupendious means too will God suffer that I may not will the Eternal dye that I may not fall a prey to the second Death will God be crown'd with Thorns that I may wear an incorruptible Crown of Glory will God be affronted abus'd and scorn'd that I may inherit Glory and Honor and immortality what manner of love is this where is the spring of it what 's the impulsive cause of it how full of miracles is every circumstance here how pleasant is this contemplation What! God love a little slime and earth O my God! how wonderful is thy love it is all Ocean here is no shore to set my feet on be astonish'd at it O ye Heavens and tremble O thou Earth the Eternal the Immense Creator of Heaven and Earth stoops to a miserable creature the God who fills Heaven and Earth with his Presence bows down to a poor inconsiderable worm he that sits on the circle of the Earth and before whom all the Inhabitants of the Earth are as Grashoppers humbles himself to take notice of a poor forlorn wretch Here is love indeed Stay me with flaggons comfort me with apples my Head grows giddy with the Precipice here is an abyss of Love which I cannot fathom my head swims at the sight of it Sense can furnish me with nothing like it I am silenc'd here is a love answers all arguments that are brought for going on in sin Help me O thou blessed Spirit Help me O thou who art fairer than the Children of Men Help me thou who art all Love and Life Help me to admire thy Love In this Love are a thousand charms in this Love are omnipotent enforcives to love God above all the world Run O my Soul run into this Banqueting-house the Banner whereof is Love Is it so and must thou have perish'd and been undone for ever if the Son of God had not come in the Flesh and expiated thy crimes and doth not that Almighty love deserve thy Love see how the ambitious love the applause of men and wilt not thou love him who is brighter than the Sun see how the rich man is enamour'd with his stately Pallace and canst not thou love him who hath done that for thee which no Friend no Money no Gold no Silver could have purchas'd viz. reconciled thee to an offended God wilt thou slight this Love and hope to go unpunish'd wilt thou make this Love a refuge for wilful sins and hope for the light of Christs countenance will not he who loved thee beyond all presidents and examples double and treble his indignation upon thee if this Love cannot melt thee into a truly Spiritual life could the Devils but have such an offer of being partakers of the love of Christ how would they rejoyce and triumph and Love and Honour and Obey their God again as once they did when they were inhabitants of Heaven and wilt thou beworse than a Devil and spurn at that Love which Angels stand astonish'd at were it thine own case O my Sou wouldst not thou revenge such ingratitude with all the severity imaginable and doom the wretch that should affront such condescension to the direst Flames Be wise O my Soul and provoke not that God to swear in his wrath that thou shalt never enter into his rest who flees unto thee on the wings of mercy to embrace thee thou canst never have a more glorious sight of Gods love on this side Heaven than is discovered to thee in this Sacrament and if ever thou wouldst be perswaded to resign thy self entirely to thy Blessed Redeemer make his Will thy Will and desire what he desires and hate what he hates and love what he loves O come hither to the cross and see the Son of God weeping for thy sins come hither and see him sweat drops of Bloud for thy iniquities and offering thee pardon and reconciliation and peace with God and access to the Throne of Grace and union and communion with him and if this be not enough a title to Eternal Happiness or a right to that Throne himself doth sit on But why so backward O my Soul to come to the Table of thy Lord where thou mayst drink Wine and Milk without Money and without Price where thou mayst be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and eat of the living Bread whereof whoever eats shall live for ever hast thou forgot the peremptory command of Christ Do this in remembrance of me Is this remembring thy dearest friend to think of him solemnly but once or twice a year shouldst not thou remember him as often as thou hast an opportunity should thy Saviour remember thee no oftner than thou dost his death and passion how fearful would thy condition be canst thou represent his Love too often to thy mind and affections canst thou remember thy sins that brought him to the Cross too often art thou afraid of thinking too much of this
consider the evil of thy courses the beauty of Gods ways and the sad consequences of sensuality thou deniest thy own Being deniest Gods Favour to thy Soul deniest the Glory of thy Creation deniest the most visible and the most apparent thing in the world if thou deniest thy ability in this point and if thou art able to consider so much what injustice can it be in God to demand an account of this consideration wherein doth he do thee an injury if he doth ask what thou hast done with this power wert thou in Gods stead wouldst not thou require the same account of thy servant on whom thou hadst bestow'd such a Talent if thou art able and wilt not take thy faithfulness into serious consideration can there be any thing more just in the world than thy damnation how easy were it for thee to lay home the danger thou art in and seeing it is so easy how just is it with God to let thee perish in that danger thou art resolv'd in despight of all Gods endeavours to the contrary to fall and sink into O Christian how dreadful will it be for thee when Christ shall depart from thee with this doleful exclamation How often would I have gathered thee as a Hen doth gather her Chickens under her wings and thou wouldst not wouldst not This is it that makes thy everlasting torments just O Sinner that God should invite thee to Heaven and thou put him off with this answer I will not that God should carress thee to become his Darling and thou voluntarily and freely list thy self in the Catalogue of the Devils favourites and votaries that God should leave no means untried to melt thy stuborn heart and thou desperately fight against his Heaven and when he would thrust thee into it violently to break loose from him and lay force upon damnation How inexcusable will this make thee What Man what Angel can or dares plead for thee after such horrid wilfulness by it thou shutst up all mens compassion against thee were thy error an infirmity or had invincible ignorance caused thy folly some or other possibly might be moved to speak in favour of thy concerns but that thou knowing the will of God and having power to think what the end of thy courses will be and power to avoid the danger and power to pray for help a gracious God to encourage thee a glorious reward to entice thee Eternity to fright thee the everlasting gulph to startle thee shouldst in despight of all these motives wilfully and maliciously shun thine own cure this is a malady which no creature can justly shed a Tear or frame an apology for Be astonish'd O ye Heavens and tremble O thou Earth ye Angels that rejoyce at a sinners conversion here on Earth O all ye that pass by behold and see whether there be a sorrow as such a sinners sorrow is We have read of men that have eaten their enemies of Monsters that have devour'd their own Children but here is one devours himself inhumane to a prodigy one that contrives how to shut himself out of Heaven plots how to undermine his everlasting Salvation and studies how to sink into the dungeon of desperation Sirs what is it that we are exhorting you unto is it to dig down Mountains is it to exhaust the Sea is it to pull down the Sun from his Orb is it to reverse the course of Nature is it to work miracles is it to unhinge the Earth or to stop the flux and reflux of the Ocean one would think by the earnestness and vehemency of expressions we are forced to use that it must be something beyond the power of man but no all that we keep this stir for is only that you would consent to be happy contrive how to inherit an incorruptible Crown and think seriously how to escape your own torment and needs there any intreaty for this one would think you should run to us break down the doors of our Habitations pull us out of our studies interrupt us though we were never so busy and importune us as that Widdow did the Judge and follow us day and night to be satisfied the thing is of that importance And O did you but believe an Eternity you would do so Believe why what should hinder you from believing it what arguments can you desire that you have not can there be any thing surer than the word of God can there be a greater witness than the Son of God God cannot deceive you he cannot impose upon you he cannot delude you dare to believe him though you have not look'd into Hell yet certainly there 's one though you have not seen the joys above yet such joys there are and to consider to study to ponder how to arrive to them is the great thing we press upon you as being sensible of your danger sensible that death will arrest you before you are aware of it sensible that many thousands are for ever miserable for neglecting such exhortations O Sirs we do not envy your worldly happiness we dare assure you that it is not any grugde we have against your prosperity that makes us put you in mind of these unwelcome Lessons we have a God calling upon us to stop you in your earnestness for the world woe to us if we give you no warning woe to you if you take no warning If making provision for the Flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof would make you happy if rioting and drunkenness chambering and wantonness and rouling in all the pleasures that your flesh does promise and your fancy pay could contribute any thing to your felicity if solacing your selves in the wanton streams of sensual delights would lead you into Paradise we promise you we would not molest or disturb you in your ways nay if you had not Souls to be saved did your Spirits dye with your Bodies we would not stint you in your jollities But oh can we read how the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men and see you fall a prey to that indignation Can we read how tribulation and anguish shall certainly fall upon every Soul that doth evil and not speak to you to prevent it Can we read how the Lord Jesus will e'r long come from Heaven in flames of Fire to take vengeance of those who have continued to disobey his Gospel and to punish them with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his power and not call to you Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Can we read how the unprofitable Servant that made no use of his Talent but buried it under ground and would not watch or make himself ready to meet his Master shall be thrown into outward darkness where there is howling and gnashing of Teeth and not beg of you to trim your Lamps and arise from the dead that Christ may give you Light Can we remember how many
thou putst upon thine own Soul and is thy Soul so inconsiderable a thing that thou makest nothing of deluding and circumventing it What thinkest thou Sinner suppose thou didst see a Senate or Parliament made up of very grave wise sober judicious men who should unanimously give their verdict in a Cause and determine it and while these men after serious deliberation give their judgement in the case propos'd to them in comes the malefactor against whom they have given sentence accuses the Decree of the Senate of injustice charges their Vote with a lye and takes a great deal of pains to make the world believe a tale of his own making whom wouldst thou believe that grave wise judicious Senate or the Malefactor the Senate sure and then when God Angels and Men the wisest the gravest the learnedst of them do all unanimously determine that without a serious consideration of thy Spiritual concerns thou canst not arrive to any sincere reformation of life canst never know the danger thou art in or what thou must do to escape unquenchable fire and that without it thou art a truly miserable man and dost take the way that leads to destruction hast thou the impudence to oppose thy sickly opinion which arises from a distemper'd ed head and a more distemper'd conscience to the grave sound and orthodox judgement of Men infinitely wiser than thy self when all with one consent affirm that thou art sick to death and nothing but consideration can recover thee wilt thou cancel their verdict by prescribing to thy self medicines of thine own making all cry out against thy inconsiderate course of life God doth not justify it Angels do condemn it the Preachers of the Gospel confute it Philosophers arreign it thy Reason hath arguments against it thy Conscience chides thee for it thy sober neighbors reprove it and wilt not thou subscribe to their sentence what insolence is it to think thy self more knowing than he that knows all things Behold sinner here lies the way to Heaven God is intreating thee to walk in it the Devil is busy to discourage thee from it God saith Here I will be found the Devil suggests that the Sons of Anack dwell there God wishes thou wouldst yield and live the Devil that thou wouldst stand out and dye God seeks to crown thee the Devil to rob thee of thy Diadem God assures thee that this is the Garden where thy Graces must grow the Devil argues that nothing but Weeds and Thistles grow there All the dispute is who shall have thy Soul God or the Devil think sinner for God's sake think who is the Rewarder and who is the Tormenter who is the King that can save thee and who is the Executioner that studies only to ruine thee shall not God prevail wilt not thou give him thy heart and shall Satan goe away with thy Soul shall he possess that Treasure which Angels are ambitious of for shame let not God goe away empty think what a condescension it is in God to be willing to accept of so inconsiderable a Present as thy Heart what is thy Soul to him what benefit doth he receive by offering thee his bosom if thou hast such a mind to be the Devils slave what need God take pains to rescue thee from that bondage dost thou think he cannot live without thee dost thou think thy being in his Heaven doth add any thing to his felicity cannot he as well be glorified in thy Torments as he can in thy Salvation cannot he make his Justice triumph over such a stubborn wretch as thou art wherein doth his advantage lye may not he be God and Great and Glorious and admired by Angels while thou friest in Hell thou hast very highly obliged him indeed that he need be at all this trouble to make thee in love with his ways shouldst not thou stand amazed at his Favour shouldst not thou wonder that this immense and infinite Majesty will vouchsafe a gracious look to so vile a worm as thou art and canst thou see a God court thee and grow coy doth God offer to kiss thee with the kisses of his Lips and dost thou scorn his embraces canst thou see him carress thee and turn away thy face wilt thou prefer the motions of a lying Devil before the Oracles of the Great God of Heaven hadst thou rather goe along with him that will murther thee than accompany him that will encircle thy Head with a Crown of Glory shall God magnify his Mercy upon thee and wilt thou fall in love with his enemy doth God intend by making love to thy Soul to give a character to the world of his infinite goodness and compassion and darest thou be so bold as to lessen that character by thy contempt and ingratitude Behold sinner God is willing to lay aside his Flaming Sword thou shalt hear of him no more in the Earthquake or in the Storm or in the mighty Wind that breaks the Rocks in pieces but in the still small voice the voice of Boanerges shall sound no more in thy ears he 'll blow his Trumpet of War no more all his frowns shall be done away he 'll fright thee no more with Hell-fire if his Grace his Mercy his Compassion can but allure thee to bethink thy self and close with him and so to consider the concerns of thy Soul as to resign thy self altogether to his guidance and direction his Aspect shall be kind his Countenance shall be nothing but smiles his Face shall be a perpetual Sunshine if by consideration of thy ways thou wilt become sensible of thy former folly and throw it away and take up with him alone if his kindly Beams can thaw thy frozen Heart if his calm can win thee and make thee prostrate thy self before the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Heaven and Earth shall be no longer in conspiration against thee and thou shalt not need to look any more for Thunders and Lightnings from that Heaven stand still sinner and see the Salvation of God behold Grace and Mercy lies weeping at thy Feet the free the soveraign the extensive the attractive Grace of God comes wooing to thy Soul and doth bespeak thee in this manner Hold Hold thou poor besotted creature whither dost thou run Hear hear I bring thee the joyfullest tidings that ever were brought to the ears of Men God will be thy Father the Lord Jesus thy Saviour the Holy Ghost thy Comforter the Angels thy Companions thy Life shall be a perpetual Holyday thou shalt be a friend of God an Heir of Heaven and Coheir with Christ thy sins shall all be done away thy iniquities shall be remembred no more all the promises of the Gospel shall be thine God will vouchsafe to live with thee the Holy Ghost will make thy Soul his Temple thou shalt have strength to overcome Hell and Devils Flames and Swords and be more than a Conqueror through him that loved thee the Lord Jesus Christ ask a Heaven and
apparently dangerous Thus it is with me why should I deny it Why should I call light darkness and darkness light put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Whom do I cheat all this while is it not my own Soul And what shall I gain by it in the end Shall I think my self sufficiently holy when I am so little acquainted with the first rudiments of Holiness Shall I think my self a Child of God when that which I do is fitter for a Child of the Devil than for a Favourite of Heaven Conversion or turning to God which the Holy Ghost doth so often and with that vehemence and earnestness inculcate implies an universal change of my disposition and inclinations And where is that alteration that renovation of the Mind Will and Affections My Affections are carried out after Froth and smoke as much as ever My Love is set on Trifles and is regardless of the highest and chiefest good as much as ever I hate Seriousness and delight in childish impertinent Gayeties as much as ever The promises of the Gospel are as inconsiderable in my eyes and the riches of this World as glorious and ravishing as ever and I can dispense with the want of spiritual consolations while I have but my share in these outward comforts My feet run in the wayes of destruction and my eyes are dazled with external pomp and grandeur as much as ever An amorous Song is more pleasing to me than the most harmonious Psalm The Word of God is but a dead Letter to me while a Romance or a Book that Treats of Folly and Vanity Transports me into more than ordinary content and satisfaction And what I must eat And what I must drink And wherewithall I shall be cloathed Are questions I have a far greater desire to be resolved in than to know what I must do to please God and to be happy for ever If I have made light of the Thunders and Threatnings of Scripture I do so still If I have prefer'd my secular Interest before Gods Honour and Glory I do so still If I have feared Men more than God I do so still If I have been loth to do good with the Temporal blessings God hath confer'd upon me I am so still And what Sins I leave it 's more because I have no inclination to them or because I am afraid they 'll spoil and blemish my Reputation in the World than because I love that God who made me and hath obliged me by a thousand Favours to esteem and prize him above all And is this the Coat of the Sons of God Is this the Livery of a Christian indeed Is this done like a Man that lives upon Gods Bounty is fed by his Charity supported by his Alms and maintain'd from his Store-house and cannot subsist one moment without his Concourse and hath not a better Friend in all the World than him who is the Fountain of living Waters Consideration one great design of it being to know how the case stands between God and our own Souls such a Self-examination must of necessity be the Corner stone of this spiritual Building and comparing our Lives with the Rules of the Gospel and the proper characters of such as are in a likely way to enjoy God for ever may justly challenge the first Seat in this intellectual Paradise But then as building of a stately Gate without a House answerable to it doth but expose the Builder to derision and contempt so Self-Examination without a serious Expostulation with our own hearts is but to make the Accuser of our Brethren laugh at our vain attempts and God scorn the endeavour that could be crusht in the Bud and tired before half its Race is run II. Expostulation rouzes the Soul from her Slumber and drives it away from the soft Doune it would have rested and repos'd it self upon and gives the first blow for Self-Examination only threatens it to that Tree of Death I mean to the reigning power of Sin and I see not how Sin can shelter it self any longer or what excuses it can make for its stay and continuance where the Soul doth summon it to appear before the Bar of Conscience and enters into such reasonings and interrogations as these Are these things so and do I stand trifling with my salvation Do I run the hazard of everlasting flames and do I lie playing in the Suburbs of destruction Either I believe an eternity of Torments that shall attend a careless sinful life or I do not If not why dare not I profess my denial Why do I play the Hypocrite and make the World think I do believe it What 's the reason that I cannot shake off the fears of it if I would never so fain Why does something within me check me when I would be so profane as to deny it Can I ever be serious and not believe it But then if I believe it what a mad Man am I to loyter when the Candle I am allow'd to work by is almost burnt out and I know not how soon it may please my great Master to extinguish it Do I lead a life which is the readiest way to eternal Vengeance and shall I not step back and prevent it Can I imagine God will blow out that everlasting Fire to gratifie my vicious temper or destroy that Tophet out of tenderness to my Lusts and Corruptions Can I conceive it possible that God will go from his Word to please a stubborn Sinner or prove a Lyar that I may go with greater ease to Heaven Do I know that I shall be miserable if I continue in that course I have held on in hitherto and am I in love with eternal ruine Am I certain that Iniquity will be my confusion and am I resolv'd to dye I have all the reason in the World to believe that it was the Son of God that was the Author of those Threatnings and Comminations I find in the Gospel Do I believe him to be the Son of God and can I imagine that the least tittle of his words will perish I have run up and down in the World these many years and hunted-after those Vanities which sensual Men do dote upon But will these save me when I dye Will not the remembrance of my eager pursuit after these Butterflies and Gaudes fill me with anguish and sorrow Have I liv'd in the World all this while and am not I nearer Heaven than I was some years ago Must my body engross all my endeavours and must my Soul be starved I have a Soul that cannot dye and must not dye and must shortly appear before Gods Tribunal and shall not I study its safety and happiness as much as I am able Lord God! should Death arrest me before I have made my Calling and Election sure how fearful how wretched would my condition be should it fall to my share to howle in outward Darkness how should I curse the day that ever I was born should those Tortures the
never tasted of the shameful death of the Cross for me and shall I flie into his Arms How often hath he disappointed me in my hopes and desires and shall I fawn upon the Enemy lay force upon his Kingdom of darkness in despight of all the Bars and Bolts and Guards which the great King of Heaven puts between me and Damnation I have been abused and cheated by Sin these many years and shall I be cheated still Does not my blood rise at the very thoughts of it I that will not be cheated in my Trade or Dealings with men shall I suffer my self to be imposed upon by a lying Devil And when I study how to be revenged on him that hath sold me a Peble for a Pearl a Bristol stone for a Diamond and endeavour to prevent the like deception for the time to come shall I in these great concerns of my Soul where the Cheat is so apparent where to discover it I need do no more but open my eyes where God and his holy Angels and all the Ministers of the Gospel assure me of the fallacy where the Cheat is of that dangerous consequence too borders upon eternal Damnation shall I be so disgenerous so base so low-spirited as to suffer my self to be thus grosly abused and deceiv'd O Monster Why so cruel to my own Soul Why so barbarous to my immortal part Why so inhumane to my spiritual interest Why so mad to run into the fire Why such an enemy to my own good Have not I enemies enough but I must make my self my greatest Foe Shall I join with that roaring Lyon and teach him how to devour me Shall I give him advantages against my self first let him deceive me and then laugh at me first let him seduce me into the Net and then punish me for being taken I believe my Children if they tell me that they have seen such a House on fire and believe my Neighbors if they assure me there are Thieves broke into my House and believe a Physitian who affirms That such a Powder or Herb is perfect Poyson and shall not I believe that God who hath prepar'd and fore-ordain'd these everlasting burnings I hear and read of and must needs know the terror of them shall not I believe him when he tells me and protests upon the word of a God that if I do not betake my self betimes to another course of life I shall assuredly fall a Prey to those endless burnings Shall not I believe that God that feeds me and protects me and knows all things and can do all things and never intended me any harm but hath given me such evidences of his kind inclinations to me that I must deny my own Being if I question his willingness to have me come to the knowledge of the truth I choose a present Agony to keep off an After-evil and am content to prolong torment so I may but prolong this mortal life and shall not I to avoid those endless tortures mortifie a silly Lust subdue my extravagant Desires and inflict so much Pennance on my self as to cashier all darling and bosome iniquities What means my Conscience it 's not quiet under all the pleasures of sin it 's ready to accuse me when it gets me alone it twitches me I find it is a hard matter to rock it asleep and when I think it 's fast like a Gyant it awakes again and frights me with flashes of the next Worlds flames and shall I break through all those Funeral Torches to invade Damnation Such Expostulations if the heart be not all Rock and Adamant cannot but startle the Sinner in his Licentiousness make him stamp with his feet and force him into other resolutions which is the third ingredient of this great Art Consideration III. Strong Resolution This is the necessary consequent of the preceding Expostulations if they be serious and not used only out of formality and the Soul that is by this time stung into a sense of its danger and cryes out Lord what have I done will soon fall from thence into such resolutions as these Does the case stand thus and must my sinful life expire into the Worm that dies not must my Frolicks dye into endless howlings and must my sport of sin be crusht into never dying anguish and my wilful contempt and neglect of Gods Will be turned into Chains of Darkness for ever Is it so as God hath told me And why should he tell me so if it were not so Why should he fright me with painted fire And how could it consist with his Wisdom and Integrity to deceive me with Bugbears and Chimera's If this be the fate of a sinful life then tell me no more of Dalila's tell me no more of Impediments or Excuses or Delays If this be the fearful Exit of Sensuality and Irreligiousness there is no dallying with sin I 'll get rid of it whatever it cost me I 'll hearken to its soft Airs no longer I 'll be charm'd no more with the lovely looks of that Harlot its curious Dresses its trcacherous Glances shall commit a Rape upon my Affections no longer I will not for a few jolly hours neglect my eternal safety Eternity is not a thing to be made light of I believe there is such a thing and why should I be such a Changeling as not to provide for it with all imaginable care and industry I am gone Farewell Applause and Greatness of the World Farewell ye little shooting flames of sensual pleasures which serve only to delude not to revive or enlighten an immortal Soul Farewell my old Acquaintance that cocker'd and helpt to please those Lusts I now abhor Farewell ye dangerous Friends that would have drag'd me into Hell and would have had me kind to you even into eternal fire Farewell unhappy men who would have had me venture on that burthen of Gods anger which Devils cannot bear and tempted me to be miserable for companies sake I must either have no peace with God or none with you The friendship of God and the World are incompatible and would you have me leave my God my happiness my joy my comfort my refuge my hiding place my riches my treasure to follow you to a place of endless torments I see I see what all your follies will come to I am convinc'd that if there be a happiness hereafter as I am persuaded there is the course ye take cannot be the way to that Paradise Molest me no more I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep Gods righteous judgments I see a City which hath foundations whose Builder and Maker is God I behold afar off a House made without hands eternal in the Heavens Farewell temptations farewell corrupted deceitful heart I 'll believe thy false suggestions no longer I have a surer word of Prophecy to lay hold of How often hast thou taught me to cover my sins with plausible names that I might not be forc'd to leave them
the gates against a good Angel Keep out a Messenger that brings glad tydings Darken the Room that I may not see the Sun Consideration that directs me how I may be a Friend of God get room in his bosome sing with Angels triumph with Seraphins sit at the right hand of a glorified Jesus stand before the Throne of God serve him day and night in his Temple and be freed from all possibility of sin and misery from all discontent and vexation of Spirit Is it possible a messenger of that worth and beauty and excellency can want a lodging Is it possible it should fare no better than the GREAT JESUS be destitute of a place where to lay its head Does not every man desire to be happy Did ever any man hate his own flesh Was ever any man in love with torment Is it not every mans interest to study how to prevent it And then sure Consideration cannot but have the love and embraces of all persons that do not make sport with casting fire-brands and death and arrows Prov. 26.18 19. So an impartial serious man would think yet to our grief and sorrow we find that men run away from it as from the Plague and do as carefully avoid it as they would do Rats-bane or Sublimate or Night-shade This will oblige me in the next place to enquire what are the Remora's or Impediments that make men neglect this Panacaea and like mad Dogs shun the water that would cure them and slight the remedy that would infallibly recover them It 's natural for men to enquire into the reasons of any decay If a Tree do not thrive if Flowers do wither in the Bud if a Child do not grow or if the water of a River fails the first thing we do is to enquire where the stop is and what the causes of the defect are and why things do not prosper according to expectation And he that hath a Vineyard in a very fruitful hill and fences it and gathers the stones out of it and plants it with the choicest Vine and builds a Tower in the midst of it and makes a Wine-press therein may well ask the question Wherefore when I look'd that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wild grapes Isa. 5.1 2 3 4. The clogs and impediments of Consideration are numberless for indeed it 's the Devils study and contrivance day and night which way to prevent it Where a person dares extricate himself from the snares of sense and venture upon this work the enemy justly fears he shall lose a Subject and a Soul will be snatcht out of his clutches and he shall not be able to hold the sinner in his Egypt or hinder him from sacrificing to the Lord his God And being a spirit that lives upon Envy enjoyes his malice and finds his greatest satisfaction in destroying mens Souls we must suppose he leaves no stone unturn'd no stratagem untry'd no means unattempted to hinder men from a serious recollection of their thoughts and imaginations There is such beauty such loveliness in the wayes of God notwithstanding the coarse outside that should a person by serious Consideration be tempted to lift up the vail and see what is behind it remove the Sackcloth and Ashes and take a view of that which is underneath open the Iron gate and behold the Gold within unlock the Cabinet and see the jewels there he would most certainly be ravish'd with the sight and not stay one hour longer in the chambers of death This the Devil knows he is sensible that Consideration is a Tree of life therefore least men put forth their hands and take of the Tree and eat and live for ever we may rationally believe he 'll cross their endeavors to the uttermost so that we may suppose as many impediments of Consideration as the Devil can invent stumbling blocks to throw in the way to this Duty however let 's take a view of some of the principal I. The fancied difficulty of it I say fancied for there is not that hardship in 't men imagine But such enemies are the generality of men to their own happiness that they will fancy difficulties in things they are loth to do and they therefore cry out That they are hard and not to be compassed but with infinite deal of trouble because they would be excus'd from the performance or practice of them It 's ordinary for School-boyes to plead difficulty of the Task their Master sets them when they have a greater mind to play than to learn much like Solomon's sloathful man Proa 26.13 There is a Lion in the way there is a Lyon in the streets Vain man there are no Lions but in his own brain no considerable difficulties but what are of his own making So here men fancy that this serious Consideration of their wayes is a thing which none but Scholars and men of Learning can reach and none are obliged to mind but men of Letters and such as are Bookish and read much and have large capacities are men of great judgment and can wholly give or dedicate themselves to this study a conceit as false as God is true and which we cannot reflect upon without indignation There is no man that 's sensible that Gold is better than Glasses and Rattles or that Pearls ought to be priz'd and valued more than Pebles There is no man that is capable of apprehending that three and three makes six or can contrive and plot which way a dangerous Pond or a dreadful Fire may be avoided but may consider whether the things the Scripture speaks of be true or no whether the promises and threatnings of the Gospel are things that belong to him or no whether he lives up to the precepts of Christ or no and what will be the consequence of his contempt of mercy and what may be the means of escaping the wrath to come and whether an endless glory be not infinitely better than a few hours Pageantry and everlasting enjoyment more satisfactory than momentary pleasures and eternal rest more desirable than a transitory titillation What difficulty is there in this Consideration what Rocks what Precipices are there here that must be ventur'd on to bring it about I see a whole street on fire and am struck into amazement and cannot I consider how dreadful everlasting fire must be I consider it 's worth sitting up late and rising early and running up and down to get a livelihood and cannot I consider how far more rational it is to sweat and toyle and labour for an everlasting inheritance I can consider with delight how much ease and content I shall enjoy when such an Estate I have the reversion of doth fall And cannot I consider how happy those must be that after their patient continuance in well-doing shall be possess'd of glory and honour and immortality and eternal life I can consider how pleasant how glorious a thing it is to live in the good opinion of my Prince
milk and butter swimming in a Lordly dish enter into a Tent where they will certainly meet with a nail and hammer and yet are afraid of that which would assuredly prevent their being pierc'd and stricken through their temples Mourn over them lament their wretchedness grieve for them that will not grieve for themselves call for Rivers of Tears wish for a fountain of Water Behold sin hath blinded them Consideration would open their eyes but they love darkness better than light Sin doth expose them naked to the contempt and scorn of God and his holy Angels and they rejoyce under that weight Sin deprives them of the bread of life and their souls are ready to die for want of the hidden Manna and they laugh under their want and misery What Changelings doth sin make men Lord how it doth unman them how much below themselves doth it make them live unto God and his holy Angels they appear perfectly distracted as the poor Wretches in Bedlam seem to us only herein their wretchedness exceeds the others misery that they may be releas'd of their distractedness and will not the other if they would cannot the former deliration is voluntary the other forc'd the former hath malice in 't the other weakness only and whereas the latter challenges pity and compassion the former deserves nothing but wrath and indignation IV. Impediment IV. Ignorance of the pleasure of Consideration is another Impediment It 's ignorance of the price of Pearls that makes the Idiot slight them It 's ignorance of the worth of Diamonds that makes the Fool choose a Peble before them It 's ignorance of the satisfaction learning affords that makes the Peasant despise and laugh at it and we see very ordinarily how men tread and trample on those Plants which are the greatest restoratives because they know not the virtue of them and the same may justly be affirm'd of Consideration the reason why men meddle no more with it is because they are not acquainted with the pleasantness of the task There is certainly such a thing as pleasure of the mind and all delight consisteth not in sensual satisfaction We see with what pleasure men spend their time in the study of the Mathematicks the Professors of it could live and dye in those studies and desire no greater satisfaction on this side Heaven their minds are so pleas'd with that Harmony Symmetry Order Proportion they spie in things that they could dispense with the coarsest dyet so they might but have leave to enjoy that mental pleasure And indeed if knowledge be a pleasure if to be acquainted with our selves be satisfactory if to discover the impostures falshood designs and ambuscadoes of a dangerous enemy be delightful Consideration must needs be so for this gives us an insight into our hearts let 's us see what we are points at the Nets which are spread for us and manifests the temptations of the Devil which like Lime-twigs are design'd to catch us into death and ruine That the Devil or rather his Emissaries the evil spirits that are under his power and dominion are daily walking to and fro and observing our actions and designs and behaviour the company we converse withall the circumstances we are under our constitutions complexions and dispositions and seeking whom they may devour the Holy Ghost hath made so evident and our own experience does so clearly demonstrate that he that doubts of it must be a man that 's altogether guided by sense and takes notice of things no more than the Beasts that perish these evil spirits whenever they tempt they tempt with a design to hurt they try men to do mischief and provoke them to actions as may pull down the wrath of God upon their heads And as the instruments or engines they make use of in their temptations are various sometimes prosperity sometimes adversity sometimes our own corrupted hearts giving them advantage to spur us on to sin so the temptations vary according to the several degrees and conditions and tempers of men for it 's certain all men will not be dragged or seduced into Hell the same way and a temptation which will fit one will not fit another and a motion which one will contentedly swallow will not go down with another several constitutions must have several suggestions and according as men change the temptation changes and the Devil takes other measures David cannot be persuaded the same way that Saul is wrought upon and the arguments which prevail with the former are of no great force with the latter Paul is not tempted the same way that Judas nor Peter the same way that Herod The Drunkards temptations differ from those of the Abstemious and the Adulterers from the suggestions of him that 's dull and phlegmatick and hath not inclination to vices of that nature The melancholy man is oppress'd with imaginations different from those which the merry and jovial meets withall and we cannot suppose that the Prodigal is tormented with the same suggestions that the Covetous acts by 'T is true in the end all these Temptations agree the intended end being destruction and offending God but still they are of different kinds and complexions and how pleasant must it be to see through all these wiles and devices of the Devil a prospect which Consideration alone can afford There are many Temptations which seem to sollicit to good when indeed they provoke to evil as when a man who wallows in sin and uncleanness is prompted to trust to Gods mercy and to lay hold on the merits of Christ and to apply to himself the comforts of the Gospel The things he is tempted to are good in themselves but the design of the Temptation being to render the Sinner secure and presumptuous and careless of a serious life it cannot but be a pleasure to any man that 's sensible of his spiritual interest to discover the cheat and this discovery is made by Consideration of the nature design and tendency of the flattering motion Men are not only provoked to commission of Sin but too often to neglect of their duty towards God and toward man And he that is not tempted to Murther to Theft to Adultery to Fornication to contempt of his Parents to bearing False Witness against his Neighbour is yet enticed to Idleness to Flesh-pleasing to neglect of Prayer of Meditation of Charity of Faith of Hope of Confidence in God of Zeal of Fervency of speaking for Christ of vindicating his Honour when abus'd of improving his time to Gods glory and his own eternal good The young man rejoyces in his youth and lets his heart cheer him in the dayes of his youth and walks in the way of his heart and in the sight of his eyes hates gravity and seriousness and admits of such motions as these The precepts of the Gospel sure were not intended for me who have youth and blood and spirit to fit me for recreations I have heard young Saints make old Devils and
robbers who strip him of all and leave him miserable Luc. 10.30 Evil Companions are the Devils Agents whom he sends abroad into the world to debauch Virtue and to advance his Kingdom these are his Factors and by these he draws men into eternal darkness By these he pecks up all the good seed that 's sown in us and infuses bad qualities into our better part These laugh men into destruction and damn them in kindness These fawn men into misery and tickle them into an eternity of torments These turn Religion into Jests and make the Precepts of the Gospel matter for Raillery These are true Devils that delight in the murther of Souls and sinking into the bottomless Pit pull down their Adherents with them And what likelihood is there That a man should consider the interest of his Soul that consorts with persons who do as much as lies in them depretiate the value of it and strive to put all serious contemplations out of his head What probability that a man should sit down and set before him the terror of the Lord and be transformed by the renewing of his mind who when the Holy Ghost exhorts him to prove what is the holy acceptable and perfect Will of God to be fervent in spirit serving the Lord to rejoyce in hope to be patient in tribulation to continue instant in prayer to bless them which persecute him Rom. 12.2 11. gets presently after into company where all those Lessons are derided where the contrary Vices are commended where Consideration how to be Master of these Graces is exploded as a thing fit only for Almsmen and Hospital Boyes where these serious Exhortations are drown'd in laughter and such things suggested as render a man wise onely for the world and for the flesh and make him sagacious how to gratifie his head-strong passions and inordinate affections He that considers his wayes and yet frequents such Society imitates a foolish Gardener that after he hath sown his Seed and sees it come up le ts in Hogs to devour and tear it away Consideration as I shall prove in the Sequele requires separation and when God calls Come out of Babylon O my people it is not only that they may not participate of their punishment but that they may not share in their sin and consequently that they may be at leisure to consider how to prevent and avoid both I do not deny but men may deal and traffick with men of a loose Conversation and not lose their seriousness nor be discouraged from a holy preparation for a better life but there is a great difference between Travelling through Aethiopia and dwelling there the former may not change the complexion but the latter will infallibly do it I wrote unto you in an Epistle not to company with Fornicators yet not altogether with the Fornicators of this world or with the Covetous or Extortioners or with Idolaters for then you must needs go out of the world but now I have written to you not to keep company if any man that is call'd a Brother be a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolater or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such an one not to eat saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.9 10 11. It 's one thing to converse with a man as with a Stranger another to converse with him as with a Brother one thing to pay the duty of Civility to him another to admit him into the number of my Friends one thing to be necessitated to discourse with him another to delight in it one thing to go into such company with cautiousness and circumspection another to rush into it without fear or wit the former doth not import a necessity of pollution the other makes the infection inevitable Society in sin strangely takes off from the heinousness of it it makes the sin appear with a fainter red it doth not look so dreadful when men have companions in their offences they think there is some comfort in having Associates in misery and dare to sin more freely when the are not alone in the transgression They are afraid their single Valor will never be able to dwell Gods wrath and indignation but having others join'd with them they may make a shift to weather out the tempest of his anger They hope God will not damn a multitude of poor creatures together and fancy the great number of sinners may fright the Almighty into compassion if they suffer they think they shall not fare worse than their Neighbors and if they smart for their Rebellion they shall be able to bear it as well as their Confederates in the iniquity Ill example draws out the inward corruption into action and the inbred evil concupiscence may be would lie quiet or dye if such patterns did not put it into fermentation Many Children would be modest did not their Parents behavior seduce them into love of their Vices Some servants have ingenuity in them and durst not venture so far into sin as they do did not their Masters example encourage them Adam sins for companies sake and it 's like would have continued stedfast in his innocence if he had not seen the Woman eat of the forbidden Tree and been sollicited to imitate her desperate enterprize The Israelites being mingled among the Heathen learn their works and having convers'd long with the Egyptians who were great worshippers of Oxen erect a Calf in the wilderness of Sina Joseph comes to be familiarly acquainted with Pharaoh's Courtier and an Oath By the Life of Pharaoh goes down with him without bogling or reluctancy Lot had lived among men who made nothing of the vilest uncleannesses imaginable and soon after consents to an incestuous Copulation Solomon by his intimacy with his Concubines learns to worship Devils and his son Rehoboam by making the young Gallants at Court his Familiars grows rash even to his own destruction Had not Peter gone into the High Priests Hall it 's like he would never have been persuaded into Cursings and Imprecations Converse with Drunkards by degrees causes approbation of the sin and at last delight in it And thus it must needs be in the case before us Inconsiderate men make others as supine and negligent as themselves and he that lets his acquaintance with them grow into familiarity will be apt to think that sure he may neglect Consideration of his wayes as well as they if they venture why may not he And if they think not the omission prejudicial to their spiritual interest why should he terrifie himself with counterfeit thunder If they hope to do well after all this why may not he And if they fear no revenging Arm why should he make his Life miserable by thinking of punishment Imprudent men indeed you may have seen others hang or drown or burn themselves but is this a Temptation to you to follow them Because such a man ruines himself and his Family have you a mind to do so too Because such a one doth not
a heart that hath any sense of Religion or Honesty nor do I see that people believe me any whit the more for swearing but I render my self ridiculous and make people think me dishonest unfaithful and treacherous who make so little conscience of what I say How can any man trust me that hears me abuse the best and deerest friend I have or what credit can any man give to me that sees me so treacherous to God to whom I owe all I have Can there be greater ingratitude in the World than I am guilty of by this sin the Air I breathe in the Earth I tread upon the Ground which nourishes me the Fire that warms me are all the Gift of God and is this the return I make to take his Name in vain that supports and maintains me Do I make nothing of God's threatenings How often doth he manifest his displeasure against this sin in his Word and can I think I am not concern'd in the commination what hope can I have that Christ's Bloud will save me when I swear it away and thrust it from me with both Arms how justly may God damn me that do so often wish for it and is there any thing in nature so barbarous to it self as I am in praying to God as it were to deliver me up into the clutches of the Devil No Devil would wish himself so ill as I do my own Soul and is there nothing in the inhumanity and horror of the sin to discourage and terrify me from it Did the Swearer but ruminate on these disswasive arguments how would it cool his courage but neglecting that he neglects his restorative and speaks as if he would be revenged on his Maker for giving him a Tongue How soon would the bladder of Pride break did the proud man but consider that he is Dust and what a wretched sinful creature he is and how much worse than other men and how much he forgets the Humiliation of the Son of God who being in the Form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation becoming obedient to the death of the Cross how odious this lofty Spirit is in the sight of God how amiable Humility how God detests the one and embraces the other how pride keeps out the operations and influences of God's Spirit and how the Holy Ghost refuses to come and lodge in that Soul that swells with vain conceits of its own worth how pride keeps him a stranger to himself how it makes his neighbor hate him raises him enemies and makes him an object of contempt and scorn how all the gifts and blessings and priviledges he enjoyes are but the effects of God's charity how the stately Fabrick which his Soul doth animate must shortly return to the earth from which it was taken what condescension God uses towards him how God who commands Heaven and Earth becomes an humble suitor to his Creatures and instead of consuming courts them to yield to his requests and injunctions how noble and generous it is to imitate him who is eternally happy in himself how in the Grave all distinctions dye how unfit that person is to be a Christian that is a stranger to meekness and humility how those that have domineer'd in this World and trampled upon Men and have thought it their interest and glory to despise their equals and inferiors are now roaring in the burning Lake and how they would now be contented to be the poorest meanest and most contemptible creatures in the World provided that they might be but freed from that never-dying Worm that gnaws their Souls and how shortly this pride and haughtiness if not seriously and timely repented of will end in weeping and gnashing of Teeth Were but these things rightly and seriously ponder'd it would cause a very strange alteration in the lofty censorious Man's designes and resolutions but while these observables are passed by as things out of his element no marvel if he idolizes himself and like a Hedgehog wraps himself up in his own soft Down and turns the Prickles to all the world besides Let the Soul that 's careless of God's service and lukewarm neither hot nor cold but try it and reflect Lord And is this a service fit for him that is of purer Eyes than to behold iniquity Is this slovenly Devotion a sit Present for him who searches the Hearts and the Reins should my Servants serve me as I do God how ill should I resent it and dare I offer the blind and the lame to God which I would scorn to accept of from my Slaves and Vassals I would have my Prayers heard and answer'd but how can I hope they 'l pass for acceptable sacrifices in Heaven when they want the fire of the Sanctuary to give them Flame will God mind a Supplication in which I do not mind his Greatness Majesty and Holiness or can I think God is so fond of answering my requests that he matters not with what frame of Heart I approach his Throne when the Primitive Christians that certainly knew best what was to be done in order to Salvation as having converse with the Disciples and Apostles of our Lord when they consecrated that time when their spirits were most lively to pious exercises and look'd upon that Religion as dead that had not fervency for its ingredient shall I hope to come off at a cheaper Rate Is the King immortal invisible blessed for evermore to be put off with the chips and shavings of Devotion should not I give him the cream and marrow of my endeavours that hath greater power over me than my Master my Father or my Prince so great a God and so mean a Sacrifice so infinite a Majesty and so pittiful a Present How deliberate how circumspect am I in my addresses to my King and is not God a greater Prince than he what is my careless devotion but mocking of God and my drowzy Prayer what is it but playing with him at whose Presence the Mountains tremble Am not I afraid of vengeance or can I think God will suffer a wretch that lives upon his mercy and makes no better return go unpunished How justly may he deny me his Grace and assistance who do not seek it more earnestly How justly may he say Depart from me I know thee not who am so indifferent whether I enjoy the light of his countenance or no How justly may he refuse to be found by me who seek him as if his favour deserved no pains or trouble Strive as it were for your lives to enter in at the strait Gate saith the Great Redeemer of Man and is this taking the Kingdom of Heaven by force when I look upon it as a thing that may be had at any time upon a Lord have mercy upon me Is this wrestling and striving when I suffer any outward worldly concern though never so slight and trivial to take me off from minding the great concern of my
to these sublunary Riches break into longings after a nobler Inheritance but neglecting this he Serpent-like feeds on Dust and prepares for anxiety discontent and vexation of Spirit and for a miserable death like a Hog lies rooting in the Earth and buries his Soul in a Chest of Money despises all admonitions to Charity and like the Smiths Dog can hear the hammering and beating of his Master and endure the sparks flying about his ears without being stirr'd or concern'd at it Hypocrisie is a sin which the painted Christian does not easily part withal yet would he reflect like a person that hates to sow pillows under his own Elbows can I read Christ's discourses against the Pharisees and not ask my own heart whether the Pharisees temper be an emblem of my complexion Have I no self-end in any Religious Duty What is it puts me many times upon doing good applause from Men or the love of God Do not I pretend God's Glory sometimes when I aim at nothing but mine own Do not I draw nigh to God with my Lips when in my heart and conversation I deny him Do not I by pretending to please God neglect my Duty to my neighbor Am not I more severe in pressing the lesser concerns of Religion than I am in urging the greater Doe not I commend that in a rich or great man which I can reprehend in my inferiors or meaner persons Do not I require those Duties of other men which my self am loath to practise Do not I applaud my self for my own sanctity while I despise others whom I fancy not so Holy as I am Am not I more curious to know other mens conditions than mine own Am not I more zealous in publick than I am in private Am not I Religious for filthy lucre's sake Do not I make a gain of Godliness and use Religion as a cloak to cover my secret sins Do not I make Devotion a scaffold to erect my own credit and profit by What is hypocrisie if this be not Though I can hide it from the sight of Men can I conceal it from him who knows my down-sitting and my up-rising and understands my thoughts afar off Can I remember the fate of Judas and not think of a serious repentance Can I hear the Son of God call so often Woe Woe to ye Hypocrites and hug the sin in my bosom Shall I harbor a Snake there which will sting me into endless gnawings of Conscience How shortly will all these delusions be discover'd Before I am a few days older God may summon me and lay open all my deceits and juglings in Religion Do I think to blind the Eyes of him in whose Book all my Members are set down Is the portion of Hypocrites no discouragement What promise in the Gospel can I lay hold of during this condition They all run to the upright in heart and must I go without these Cordials Must I see others run away with these Treasures while my self can expect nothing but Gods curse and anger Must I see others go to possess the Promis'd Land while I must stay behind in a Wilderness Must I see others gather Manna and feed upon the rich clusters of Canaan while my own Soul must perish for want of that Bread of Life Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in thy Holy Hill He that walks uprightly and works righteousness and speaks the Truth in his Heart And must I have no seat in yonder Mansion No House in that Jerusalem which is above No habitation in that City which hath foundations whose Maker and Builder is God O my Soul stay not here in Mesheck dwell no longer in the Tents of Kedar Away and hate this Garment spotted by the Flesh. Such serious thoughts would check Hypocrisie but the vain man hardens his Heart against them locks them out will give them no entertainment and that makes him serve God to please the Devil and turn Religion into a meer shew and formality burn in Words and freeze in Deeds and like that Son in the Gospel say I goe Sir but he goes not From the Premisses we may easily guess what to think of other sins viz. that the great cause of them is want of consideration and therefore the Holy Ghost likens men that live in any sin or indulge themselves in any transgression to a Horse that rushes into the Battel and considers not what he doth ventures among Swords and Arrows and the greatest dangers without recollecting what will be the issue of it Jer. 8.6 Consideration is the Bridle that must govern our sense and appetite take that away and the Beast runs away with the Rider and hastens him into a thousand inconveniences CHAP. VI. Of the various advantages of serious consideration it 's that which makes a man master of all Christian Duties it helps a man to improve sublunary Objects into Heavenly Contemplations It 's the greatest support under afflictions disposes a man to be a worthy receiver of the Lords Supper Prepares him for an Angelical Life on Earth makes him prudent and discreet in Secular affairs and businesses THough in the preceding Chapters we have already in a great measure discover'd what Men may hope for from Consideration and of what use it is to a truly serious and Christian life yet we must not leave so rich a subject thus without giving an account of some other positive advantages which do render it very desirable to a rational man And 1. It hath most certainly a very great influence upon all Christian Duties whatever qualification Christ or his Apostles require or recommend it 's by consideration of the excellency and dignity of that Duty that Men must expect to arrive to it The first and great Commandment is Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and will all thy Soul and with all thy mind But he shall never be master of this Duty that doth not frequently and seriously consider the immense and stupendous love of God to him and indeed then I may hope to be acquainted with a sincere and cordial love to God when I give leave to such considerations as these to impregnate my understanding O my God can I think of so great so holy so infinite so merciful so munificent a Being and forbear to be enamour'd with thee whence are all my Mercies but from thee thou art the Spring the Fountain of them all Whatever Blessings are convey'd to me by the hands of Second Causes they come originally from thee and thou mov'st and order'st those Second Causes to come in to my assistance By thee have I been upheld ever since I was born when I lay in the shades of nothing thou didst awake me into a Being gavest me a rational Soul a Soul capable of admiring adoring and worshiping thee and ever since thy mercies have follow'd me and thou hast been a pillar of a Cloud unto me by day and a pillar of Fire by night what Parts
Gifts or Abilities I have they are thy Gifts and Characters of thy Compassion Thou order'st my steps thou art about my bed and about my paths and dost preserve me in all my ways many a time should I have stumbled and fallen and perish'd irrcoverably but that thou hast supported me and given charge to thy Holy Angels to be my Guardians O my God! how often have I deserv'd thine anger and yet in the midst of thy wrath thou thinkest upon mercy What judgements mightst not thou have inflicted on me for my wilful sins but thou hast sent none as yet and all to magnify thy mercy every morning thy mercies are renew'd upon me and with the natural there rises upon me the Sun of righteousness with healing under his wings Thou prosper'st my endeavours givest success to all my lawful undertakings thou preserv'st me from those disasters which befall other men How wisely dost thou order my affairs How often dost thou bring light out of darkness and turnest my affliction into the greatest joy How wonderufl are thy Providences to me and mine How often have I fear'd such an accident would be my ruine and God hath turn'd it into the greatest good How wisely hast thou many times denied me temporal mercies because thou hadst a mind to enrich me with spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places What Friends what Benefactors hast thou rais'd me How miraculously hast thou turn'd the hearts of Men many times into mercy and compassion for my good How often hast thou heard my Prayer and granted me the request of my Lips When I have been in the greatest straits how hast thou shewn me a way to escape How strangely hast thou wheel'd things about for my deliverance How hast thou allur'd me by the various tokens of thy Love to love thee better than the World How great hath been thy care of my temporal concerns but how far greater thy care of the weighty concerns of my Soul How strong have been the convictions thou hast vouchsafed me How great the light thou hast imparted to me How bright that knowledge thou hast revealed to me How numerous the checks of my own conscience which thou hast sent me How frequent the motions of thy spirit thou hast shed into my Soul How often hast thou reason'd the case and expostulated with me and as the Angel did to Balaam stood in a narrow way where there was no turning neither to the right nor to the left and all because thou wouldst not have me stand out any longer against thy most Gracious offers of Salvation How hast thou adjur'd me by the bowels of Jesus by the wounds and agonies of the Son of God to dye unto sin and to live unto righteousness How strange hath been thy condescension and doth not all this deserve my love Is not here enough to warm my affections towards thee False stubborn heart What canst thou plead for thy averseness from God after such a prospect of his favours Notwithstanding my long contempt of these loving kindnesses of the Lord I am alive yet and on this side Hell How may I stand amazed at this prodigious long suffering of my God Had any man but shewn me the ten thousandth part of that love which God hath manifested to me how should I love him how should I adore his Name How should I study to please him What pains should I take to manifest my gratitude How should I revere his memory How should I speak of his favours How should I praise his munificence Can mans kindnesses be so prevalent and shall not the goodness of God fire my Soul into a practical love to his Name Can I do less than love him to whom I owe all I have To love him is my happiness my interest my greatest felicity O my God shall I love a little shining Clay a little Dust a little Earth and not love thee who art worth more than ten thousand worlds Shall I love Father and Mother and not love thee who hast been better to me than my Parents and when my Father and Mother have forsaken me hast taken me up and with everlasting kindness visited me Shall I love my Friend and shall not I love thee my Joy my Treasure my Hiding-place But how can I love thee except I keep thy Commandments How can I be thy Friend except I doe whatsoever thou commandest me Shall I love thee in words only who hast loved me in Deeds Shall I flatter thee with my Lips and hate thee in my Heart Shall I Judas like kiss thee and betray thee love thee and love my sins which are thy greatest enemies did I but love thee as I do a dear friend how easy would all thy Precepts seem How little reason should I have to complain of the tediousness of thy Yoak What great what noble what generous actions would thy love put me upon Should I pretend to love my Prince and affront his Law how soon would my love be accused of a lye How can I be said to love thee while I hate to conform my self to thy Will and Pleasure How vain will my love appear in the last day if it hath been a stranger to obedience here The Angels love thee and they have no other way to demonstrate their Love but by running at thy commands Doe I hope to be like unto the Angels of God hereafter and shall not I take pattern by their obediential love while I sojourn here O my God thou art the proper object of my love I rob thee of thy Honour and commit Sacriledge if I love any thing here below better than thee I am married to thee and I must love nothing above thee When no eye pittied me to have compassion upon me when I was cast into the open field to the loathing of my Person Ezek. 16.5 6 7 8. thou didst pass by me and sawest me polluted in mine own Bloud and saidst unto me when I was in my Bloud Live thou didst cause me to multiply as the bud of the field and when it was the time of Love thou didst spread thy skirt over me and coveredst my nakedness and swearest unto me and entredst into a Covenant with me and I became thine and shall my Soul be married to so great a Prince and play the Harlot O my Lord hast thou united me so close unto thee and shall I defile my self by setting my love on trifles What Man what Devil can hurt me while I love thee without whose command no creature dares stir or move What should discourage me from loving thee when I have all the promises of the Bible to prompt me to it If I loose in this World by loving thee hast not thou Treasures enough to recompence my losses If men despise me for loving thee hast not thou Honour and Glory enough to crown me withal If I do not thrive in outward Riches by loving thee hast not thou who art rich in mercy a pearl of price to bestow upon me
thou delightst in a curious Picture why not in him that 's altogether lovely Thou delightest in a delicate shape why not in him that 's fairer than the Children of Men Thou delightest in a pleasant Garden in well-ordered Walks in flowry Meadows why not in him whose Gracious Presence can make a Dungeon a Paradise Hoise up thy Sails O my Soul let thy desires crave all that 's rich good and magnificent why in God thou hast it all in a most eminent manner while others delight in their plenty thou canst delight in him who is plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon him while others delight in knowledge thou canst delight in him in whom are all the treasures of wisdom while others delight in the protection of their friends thou canst delight in him who is a present help in the time of trouble while others delight in a stately Seat thou canst delight in the Secret place and in the shadow of the Almighty O my God thou satisfiest the hungry Soul and fillest the thirsty Soul with goodness They that cannot delight in thee have strange brutish Souls they see not how thou goest how thou my God goest in the Sanctuary they never felt thy Holy influences they know not what peace thou speakest unto thy People they are not sensible how thou dost encourage those that serve thee they are not sensible how great the rewards are thou hast laid up for Men that forget what is behind them and seek first thy Kingdom and its righteousness O my God I see how all the pleasant things of the World perish but thou art the same and thy years doe not fail and thou endurest from one generation to another here therefore I 'll fix my delight on this Rock I 'll build my joy while others delight in numbring their bags I 'll delight in numbring the loving kindnesses of my God while others delight in their preferment I 'll delight in being adopted into the glorious liberty of Gods Children while others delight in the greatness of their Relations I 'll delight in having the great Saviour of the World for my Elder Brother while others delight in their Farms and Oxen I 'll delight in my Title to the Tree of Life while others delight in Kingdoms and Principalities I 'll delight in him who hath made me a King and Priest unto God and to his Father I will delight my self in the Lord and he shall give me the desires of my heart Psal. 37.4 Did the man who is almost perswaded into Charity but seriously consider what a stress the Gospel lays upon this Pious liberality how Christ in the last day is resolv'd to insist more upon this Duty than upon any other how he is but a Steward of those blessings he enjoyes and how God gave him that Estate he hath with this very intent that he should be beneficial to those whom providence hath made objects of his Bounty how great an impediment his extream fondness of this worlds Goods is to his future happiness how it darkens his Graces clouds his Comforts hardens his Heart fears his Conscience enslaves him to the Devil how difficult nay how impossible it is for a man that dotes on these outward Comforts to become a true Disciple of Christ with what earnestness all the Prophets and Apostles of old have recommended this honouring of God with our Substance and with the First Fruits of our Increase how kindly God hath declared himself to this Duty how great Gods condescension is in being willing to accept of that as done to himself which is done to his servants or Christs distressed Members how signally he blesses this Virtue how all Faith is dead without it how vainly that man hopes for Heaven that hath no bowels of compassion I say would the man that is unresolv'd whither he shall deny himself and give away considerably to Pious uses but ponder all these arguments by the assistance of God it would make him resolve to lay by such a portion of all his gain and in-comes for Gods service and keep to it and stop his ears against all the suggestions of the Devil to the contrary and resign himself entirely to God's Providence and leave it to God how and when and where to make him amends for it and believe that it will most certainly be recompenc'd to him in the resurrection of the just Meekness in so great a Duty of the Gospel that Christ makes it the distinguishing character of his Disciples and indeed none is more likely to arrive to it than he that makes it his business to consider how famous some of the Heathens were for this Virtue how unworthy of a Christian it is to do less with all the helps of Grace than the other by the assistance of Nature only how this is to have the same mind which was also in Christ Jesus what mischiefs sudden anger hurries men into how severely the Great Redeemer of the World checks his Disciples that call for fire from Heaven to consume the Men who had denied their Master Lodging how great the conquest is to subdue those passions which would engage us to wrath and fury how discreetly that man can act that curbs those unruly affections how this excellent quality adorns the Gospel of our Saviour how it disposes Men for a satisfactory discharge of their Duty towards God how great evils and inconveniences it prevents how many times it melts the offender if there be any ingenuity in him and wins more upon him than all the fierce proceedings we call use how great a preparative it is for a good name and how Men who understand what self-conquest means cannot but commend and celebrate it how Heaven cannot but applaud it to see men strive to be perfect as their Father in Heaven is perfect how great wisdom it argues to be zealous in Gods cause when his Glory is affronted and meek in our own concerns and injuries what peace what satisfaction it causes in the Soul what blessings are entail'd upon it how comfortably those who have endeavour'd to be masters of this temper may leave this World and dye as the Jews say of Moses the meekest of men at the kiss of God into Eternal Glory Sanctification of the Lords day or which is all one consecrating that day to Gods service or spending it in publick and private Religious exercises in meditating hearing the Word praising of God good Works and Spiritual Conferences is a thing which devout Christians have in all ages thought themselves obliged to observe and certainly he will find great reason to follow them that shall engage his Soul seriously to consider some such circumstances as these How Holy is this day How should my Soul rejoyce at the dawning of it this is the day which the Lord hath made and which is to put me in mind of the greatest mercy that was ever vouchsafed to Mankind Can there be any thing more costly than the redemption of
Earth they enjoy a perpetual Sun-shine we are allow'd no more but Moon-light we see as it were through a Glass darkly they face to face their light like that of the Sun never lessens ours like that of the Moon is sometimes greater sometimes less and sometimes we have none at all How often doth the afflicted Beleever walk in darkness God hides the Light of his countenance from him and he is troubled sometime he is all joy by and by all darkness again sometimes he is like St. Paul wrapt up into the third Heaven sometimes like Men that see God's wonders in the deep he goes down again to the depths and his Soul melts because of trouble how cleer are the apprehensions sometimes he hath of the love and mercy of God! and he seems to be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the depth and breadth of the love of God how often on the other side is a vail drawn over all these bright Conceptions and he groveling in the dust What flouds of Consolation doth God sometimes pour out upon his Soul whereas at other times those comforts come down in drops which use to come in showers how great sometimes is his strength against temptations how weak his courage at another how chearfully sometime can he cry out I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me how mournfully is he forced to express himself at another I see a Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of Sin Behold O my Soul the vast number of the Stars and Lamps of Heaven how wise how powerful is that God that made them who can look upon those curious Lights without admiring their Creator Behold they rise and goe down at his command and do not fail one minute of their appointed time how should this teach thee obedience how chearfully shouldst thou run at the command of thy God these glorious Stars though their number be vastly great yet they never clash or disagree one with another how should this engage thee to unfeigned charity and peaceableness how should this put thee upon promoting peace and concord and agreement among thy neighbors and doe not these Stars put thee in mind how e're long thou shalt shine as the Stars in the firmament for ever Happy hour Blessed day when thou shalt be cloathed with splendor and immortatity when thou shalt see night no more and shalt need no candle neither light of the Sun but the Lord shall give thee light and thou shalt reign with him for ever Come down lower O my Soul I have not done yet with Gods wonderful Works reflect upon the Air in which all sensitive Creatures breathe without this Air the whole Creation would dye it 's this that keeps Men and Beasts and all Plants and Herbs alive and is not the Holy Spirit of God O my Soul the very same to thee that the Air is to all creatures without this spirit of God to enlighten to move and to direct thee thou hast the name that thou livest but thou art dead it 's this spirit must give thee life it 's he that must warm thee into a practical Love to God it 's he must teach thee how to pray it 's he must help thy infirmities and bear witness with thy Spirit that thou art a Child of God beg this rich gift at the hands of God and thou shalt have it seek it and thou shalt find it knock at Heaven Gate for it and God will open and grant thee thy hearts desire Behold O my Soul how vain and foolish these men are that will not believe the Being of Angels or of Spirits because they never saw any can they see the Air and why do not they question whether there be such a thing as Air or no this Air supports all Creatures so doth thy God much more The Eyes of all do wait upon him and he gives them their meat in due season he opens his hand and fills the desire of every living thing Psal. 145.15 16. When this Air yields to all gross Bodies and lets them pass without opposition how doth it read to thee Lectures of Patience and Humility in that flexibility thou mayst see the sinfulness of thy inexorable temper the odiousness of thy revengeful desires and reviling again when thou art reviled and giving the offender as good as he brings the Air reproves thee when thou art deaf to all entreaties to be reconciled to him that hath injured thee when thou wilt not yield to the humble supplication of distressed creatures and when thou opposest thy own humour to all the rational perswasions of wiser men than thy self Look upon the Fire 0 my Soul and behold how differently it acts upon Bodies it meets withal how it consumes the Hay and Stubble and cleanseth and purifies Gold and Silver doest thou not see here as in a Glass how thy God destroys the workers of iniquity and advances and encreases and purifies the desires and affections of a devout and religious Soul thou seest how hard and black Iron is when it is not near the Fire and how bright and tractable it becomes in the fire and is not this the true picture of a sinner while he is a stranger to the Law of God he hardens his heart as Flint and Adamant no threatenings pierce him no promises prevail with him no judgements fright him no providences move him no mercies melt him he feeds upon Gods Blessings as Swine do upon Acorns without minding the hand that throws them down he hears Sermons but they awake him not he is intreated and he slights the invitation he is reproved and laughs at the reprehension but when that Holy Fire the love of God enters into his heart how flexible how tractable doth he grow how doth the love of God constrain him to avoid sin and to bid defiance to all the works of Darkness he that before scorn'd to hear the glad tidings of the Gospel how doth he now submit to Christs easy yoak he that before thought such a duty unfit and improper for a person of his quality how cheerfully doth he now bow and yield to it he that before had a thousand excuses why he could not do what Christ enjoyns him how doth he now lay all those idle apologies by he that before was churlish becomes now affable and courteous he that before was apt to be very angry at the least affront now bears it more quietly he that before put off the Eternal God with the meanest of his endeavours now is willing to give him the fat and strength of his affections he that before could hear Ministers call to him and call again without effect now cries out Sirs what must I do to be saved he that before could not be perswaded to walk in the strait way now runs in the way of God's Commandments Blessed Fire which consumes not but illuminates never suffers the heart to be harden'd
Hosts my Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my Heart and my Flesh cryeth out for the living God when shall I come to appear before thee when shall I shake off this clogg of the flesh and praise thee day and night in thy Temple when shall I be freed from this Earth and Dross and do thy Will O my God without Lett or Interruption O my Soul dost thou believe such a Heaven where no good shall be absent and canst thou be hunting after the husks and empty shells of sensual pleasure how little do the Inhabitants of that New Jerusalem mind the pomp and grandeur of this world they have nobler objects to mind and more delightful employments to take up their minds and thoughts didst thou live more in this Heaven O my Soul how wouldst thou look down upon this Earth as an inconsiderable trifle how little wouldst thou regard what man can do unto thee how contentedly mightst thou part with all that the world counts dear and precious for Christ his sake as knowing that there is laid up for thee the Crown of Righteousness which the Righteous Judge will give to thee one day and not only to thee but to all those that love his appearance Look upon the Primitive Martyrs O my Soul they broyled in Flames but loo'kd upon that Heaven and smiled St. Stephen hath a thousand Stones flying about his Ears but looks upon that Heaven and the Glory of God appears upon his face Abraham sojourns in the Land of Promise as in a strange Countrey dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob but looks for a City which hath foundation and goes on triumphing Moses suffers affiiction with the people of God but hath respect unto the recompence of reward and esteems the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the Treasures of Egypt The Apostles are scourged and beaten for the testimony of Jesus but look upon this Heaven and depart from the Council rejoycing because they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord Jesus St. Paul five times of the Jews receives forty stripes save one thrice is he beaten with rods once he is stoned thrice he suffers shipwrack a night and a day he is in the deep in journeyings often in cold and nakedness but what ails the Man he sings his heart dances for joy under all these troubles O my Soul he saw he saw that his light affliction which was but for a moment would work for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory O my God give me but my portion in this Heaven and I desire no more Come what will come Sword Fire Imprisonment Hunger Thirst Nakedness Disgrace Reproach Perils by Sea and Perils by Land Enemies Devils Friends Poverty Sickness Exile c. Here is a Jewel will counterballance all O give me but a room in that great House made without hands Eternal in the Heavens and then cut burn torture and afflict let storms and tempests come I 'll fight against them with my Title to that Inheritance which fades not away this shall quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil this shall bear up my Head above water this shall hush all my discontented thoughts this shall be my refuge in a storm my hiding place in flames my portion in poverty my pillow in great anguish my liberty in prison my cordial in temptations my Elixir in a swound my prop when I stumble my Laurel when it thunders my Rock in persecution my Safeguard in destruction my Light in the midst of darkness my Goshen in this Egypt my Ship under the fiercest Billows my Shield when I am assaulted my Helmet when I am in danger my encouragement when I do resist my Crown when I conquer my Manna in the Wilderness my Food in the Desart my Rose to smell to in a Dungeon my Guide in my journey my Pole-Star in my voyage my Staff in my Pilgrimage my Song in my misery my All when Death and Hell conspire unto my ruine VI. It makes a man prudent and discreet in secular affairs and businesses Consideration as it is a very great improvement of Mans Reason so it cannot but be very useful to him in governing his secular affairs with discretion Consideration makes a man master of his Reason and that man must needs act more wisely that hath his reason at command than he that makes it a slave to every flattering passion and since it is confessed that the fear of God hath that influence upon all humane affairs that it disposes a man to a wise and prudential management of them Consideration must of necessity be of the same Virtue and Efficacy for this fear of God is the immediate product of Consideration I deny not but men wise in Spiritual are not always so in Temporal concerns for either their scrupulous Consciences or fear of having their hearts carried out too much after the world or their giving themselves wholly to Heavenly employments may make them careless and unmindful of things belonging to this world but still in its nature and tendency this circumspection in things which concern a Christians Soul is able to shed wisdom and discretion into his carriage and behaviour to things which appertain to this present life hence from a man who seriously considers he hath a Soul to be saved you may expect great order in his Family a prudent foresight of dangers and a moderate care to shun them great temper in discourse and exact justice in his dealings and rendring to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear Honor to whom Honor as the Apostle's phrase is Rom. 13. 7. In all probability it was the attentive consideration of his Spiritual concerns that made David both valiant and prudent in matters as he is call'd 1 Sam. 16. 18. and to what can we ascribe Joseph's and Daniel's discreet Government of themselves and their secular affairs but to that Piety and Goodness which by long and serious consideration they had setled in their Breasts When 〈◊〉 mans wayes please the Lord he makes even his very enemies to be at peace with him i. e. He doth not only by an extraordinary providence turn their hearts towards him but infuses wisdom and discretion into his Soul so to behave himself towards his enemies that they cannot but bury their hatred and return to their former friendship and civility Prov. 16. 7. He that considers his ways with reference to his Eternal state and condition his ways cannot but please the Lord and such wisdom if he stand not in his own light will surely fall to his share and hereof we need no other proof but common experience The man who truly minds his everlasting interest and so considers the account he must give to God when this life is ended as to provide for that great and dreadful Audit thinks himself obliged to use what cautiousness he can that he may not wrong
thou shalt have it a Crown and it shall be thrown into thy bosom a Kingdom and it shall be thine ask all the Treasures of Glory and they shall not be denied thee from this time forward thy name shall be inrolled among the Favourites of Heaven and in thy Soul as in Jacob's Ladder the Angels shall be continually ascending and descending and thy Head like Gideon's Fleece shall be water'd with the dew of Heaven while the unbelieving World shall be dry and all this shall be thine if my Love my Mercy my Kindness can prevail with thee and engage thee to think seriously what thou must do to please God and to be happy for ever O sinner had those who now lye sweltring under the burning wrath of Almighty God such an offer as this how would they leap and triumph and agree to so reasonable a condition and thank God upon their bended knees day and night and praise him without intermission that he will vouchsafe to receive them on no harder terms than these O sinner is thy heart of stone that it doth not dissolve at this Gracious Message Can the Rock hold out against these bowels of compassion poor stubborn wretch were not thy Heart all steel were not thy Conscience seared how couldst thou forbear being prick'd at the heart hadst thou but the least spark of good nature left in thee what might not these Golden Chains these Silken strings these Cords of Love doe with thy immortal Soul The only reasons that the Servants of Benhadad had to humble themselves to the King of Israel was this We have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings Sinner hast not thou both heard and seen and seest it to this day that the true King of Israel is a merciful King and will not this prevail with thee to throw thy self down at his feet and kiss his Scepter and consider thy imprudence in deviating so long from the end of thy Creation and Redemption and make thee contented to part with all the strong holds of iniquity within thee and with all imaginations that exalt themselves against the obedience of Christ Jesus O doe not tell me that thou wilt most certainly bethink thy self sometime hereafter when sickness and approaching death shall take thee off from thy worldly businesses Vain foolish man How dost thou know thou shalt live till tomorrow for What is thy life even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away How many thousands are cut off as they are going up the hill in the noon of their days before half their race be run and what Patent hast thou from Heaven that it shall not be thus with thee God laughs at that repentance which men begin when they can keep sin and the world no longer he sees it is forc'd and squeez'd and weak and feeble and will God accept of thy Devotion when thou hast exhausted the cream and marrow of thy Bones in the Devils service How sinner consider thy ways upon thy death-bed Mad man dost thou know what Consideration means the Soul must be in its full strength that considers the sinfulness and sad consequences of her life Doest not thou see how in sickness the Soul sympathizes with the Body how the Mind languishes with the Flesh how weak how feeble the thoughts are upon a Death-bed how the mind is employed with thinking of the pain and anguish and uneasiness of the Body how Mens weakness scarce gives them leave to repeat the Lords Prayer intire without interruption how setling their Estates and disposing of their worldly affairs and sorrow and vexation that they have not managed their secular concerns with greater prudence takes up their cogitations and how transitory and superficial mens thoughts of sin and of another world are except they have gotten a habit of Heavenly-mindedness by a long and constant practice of Holiness in the time of their health and liberty before And doth Salvation deserve no more but a few slight and skin deep reflexions when thou liest a dying Canst thou have such low thoughts of everlasting Glory as to let Consideration of it come behind all the satisfactions of thy flesh Canst thou entertain such pittiful sneaking conceits concerning that mighty Heaven God out of his singular and unparallell'd mercy hath condescended to promise to his Saints as to delay thy contemplations and thy taking a view of it till thy Heart-strings break and thy throat begins to rattle and the House is falling Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Alas when men are a dying the time of working is past that 's the night wherein no man can work that 's the time indeed to reap comfort of our former conscientious practises but not the time to work out our Salvation in that 's the time of rejoycing because our redemption draws nigh not the time of setting out from the Gates of Hell that 's the time to finish our course with joy not the time to begin a Holy life Alas the strength and vigor which must be used in a Heavenly conversation is then gone and men are just upon the point of reckoning with God their accounts must then be ready not to make up so that if thou art not ready now to take thy Spiritual concerns into serious consideration thy heart will be hardened every day more and more and the longer thou livest the less mind thou wilt have to set about it and if thou dost not think it worth thy trouble to spare now and then an hour from thy worldly businesses to mind this one thing necessary thou doest as good as tell God that thou wilt have none of his Heaven and judgest thy self unworthy of Eternal life O Sinner the present time is the day of Salvation this is the acceptable time now strike and thy sins will fall now strive and the Crown will be thine now fall to work and promise thy self Eternal Rest thou canst call no time thine own but the present time that 's only in thine hands make use of that and save thy self from this untoward Generation Extricate thy self from the delusions of the flesh take courage and be gone stay not in Sodom now accept of Mercy now lay up thy Treasure and secure thy right to the Tree of Life now remember thy Creator and God will remember thee when he makes up his Jewels and spare thee as a man would spare his own Son that serves him Hear then this Men Fathers and Brethren the God of your Fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath sent us to you to tell you that his Supper is ready and the doors are open and the Guests are come and yet there is room and that you may fill the room which is left is the message we come to acquaint you withal from him who delights not in the death of a sinner but would have him turn and live Hear this ye
made it but as Christ made sometimes a Mountain sometimes a Ship sometimes a Cross his Pulpit so a man may make a Meadow a Field a Wood a Garret any corner in his House a place fit to retire in to consider seriously how the case stands between God and his own Soul I know what Men do commonly object the very same thing they object against Consideration it self and whereof we have sufficiently spoke in the second impediments viz. That they have a great deal of business and they can spare no time for this retirement Business no doubt must be done but there is a time for every thing and a season for every purpose under Heaven and then sure there must be a time for this Spiritual retirement too if there be not we are obliged to find time for it he that cannot or rather will not had as good say he hath no time to be saved and he that cannot sometimes neglect the concerns of his Body or Estate for the concerns of his better part derides Salvation and does not believe that there is such a thing or if there be that it is of so much value as the dirt and dung he grovels in It 's true Manasses retirement was forced much against his will yet still it was privacy that contributed much to his amendment for while he was encompass'd with his Courtiers and Flatterers and his fawning crew he thought Religion a thing below him and a New Creature but a canting term but being alone none but God and his calamity about him having nothing 〈◊〉 take off his thoughts from reflecting o◠his Apostacy behold how Consideration melts him his Conscience sets upon him makes him ashamed of his unfaithfulness to his God makes the Tears stand in his Eyes and so great is his change that he who had exceeded all the Nations round about him in Idolatry and lewdness immediately takes away all the strange Gods and the Idols out of the House of the Lord and all the Altars that he had built on the mount of the House of the Lord and in Jerusalem and cast them out of the City and commanded Judah to serve the Lord. 2 Chron. 33.15.16 So pleasing is this retirement to God that he doth expresly call himself Our Father which sees in secret Matth. 6.4 When Christ had a mind his Disciples should see his Glory he doth not carry them to Jerusalem leads them not into the Market-place doth not mingle them with the multitude bids them not attend him at Herod's Court for he knew these places would rather distract than help their Devotion but he summons them to goe up with him into a high Mountain apart bids them retire from secular businesses leave their sensual affections at home separate themselves from such worldly employments as were apt to take up their minds that their thoughts might be more at liberty to contemplate his Glory and the transfiguration might affect them more and make the deeper impressions upon them For indeed we find that as a mans reason is more free in such retirements so God is the readier to meet him as the Angels did Jacob in this privacy and to display to him the vanity of that world he hath doted on the Scarlet dye of those sins he hath delighted in and that miraculous love he hath undervalu'd and trampled on with the vengeance he hath procured and been greedy of for now it appears that the man is in good earnest to be sav'd and to such God never denies his favour for most men play with Religion goe about it as if it deserved no pains and therefore here God doth no mighty work as being loath to cast his pearls before Swine He that retires to consider what he must do to be saved makes Religion his business and those that seek me thus shall find me saith the Eternal Wisdom Prov 8.17 Such mens minds he is willing to over-shadow with the power of the Highest such men prepare to meet their God and God certainly will not fail them And Christians say you what you will either the Gospel is no Gospel or you 'll find by woeful experience that without you are at some trouble about your everlasting concerns and deny your selves in your time profit ease pleasure and punctilio's of greatness to mind your Spiritual interest and without Heaven doth cost you something more than ordinary God hath no Heaven for you He that retires and sets aside his worldly business and makes bold with the company he is in and leaves them to take a view of his duty to God and Man that Man lays force upon the Kingdom of Heaven I am sure offers violence to his carnal interest violence to Flesh and Bloud The Heathen could say that the gods fell all their Gifts and Riches for diligence and industry and we find it to be true of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and that person who retires and takes pains with Zachans to see Christ may expect the same gracious return which was made to that Publican This day Saivation is come into thy House The truth is should God discourse sinner that is in company with other men or going about his secular affairs he would find him yawn and gape and stretch himself and gain as much attention as he that tells a story to a man whose mind is employ'd about other objects he seems to give him the hearing but when a great part of the tale is told he starts up and asks What do you say but in private where there is none but God and his own conscience God can best answer the sinner's objections against a serious consciencious life and the sinner is most likely to attend to God's proposals for here if his Flesh and Bloud doth plead that the sin he is to leave is sweet and pleasing and profitable God can presently argue with him Dost thou call that sweet which is most bitter and grievous to thy God and must expire into the bitterest groans is that so pleasing to thee which offends and grieves thy blessed Redeemer who descended into Hell to snatch thee out of it and can any profit here counterpoise the Eternal loss of thy Soul so if he plead that the sin he harbors is but a little one his Conscience can immediately dash the Plea and reply How can that be little which offends an infinite Majesty Can that be little which nailed Christ to his Cross since thou knowest that this little sin is injurious to God's Holiness what delight canst thou take in affronting him in whose power it is either to save thee or to damn thee the less it is the greater shame it is that thou shouldst plead for keeping it the less it is the sooner it may be parted withal O flatter not thy self thy great love to this sin makes the sin it self great and canst thou be said to love God that canst hug that which thou knowest runs counter to his Honour and Glory In