might have denyed thee Christ peace and pardon also and then thy case had been â—oful indeed You know God hath done so to millions in the World how many such wretched objects may your eyes behold every day that have no comfort in hand nor yet in hope are miserable here and will be so to eternity that have a bitter cup and nothing to sweeten it no not so much as any hope that it will be better But it is not so with you though you be poor in this World yet rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which God hath promised Iam. 2. 5. O learn to set spiritual riches over against temporal poverty Ballance all your present troubles with your spiritual priviledges Indeed if God had denied your souls the Robes of Righteousness to cloath them the hidden Manna to feed them the heavenly Mansions to receive them if your souls were left destitute as well as your bodies you might well be peâ—sive but this consideration hath enough to bring the considering soul to rest under any outward strait 'T was bravely said by Luther when waâ—t began to pinch him let us be contented with our hard fare said he for do we not feast wiâ—h Angels upon Christ the bread of Life And blessed be God saith Paul who haâ—h abounded unto us in all spiritual blessings Eph. 1. 3. 4. Consid. This afliction though great is not such an affliction but God hath far greater with which he chastises the dearly beloved of his soul in this World and should â—e remove this and inflict those you would account your present state a very comfortable state and blesse God to be as now you are What think ye Sirs should God remove your present troubles supply all your outward wants give you the desire of your hearts in Creature-comforts but hide his face from you shoot his arrows into your souls and cause the venom of them to drink up your spirits Should he leave you but a few dayes to the buffeâ—ing of Satan and his blasphemous injections should he â—old your eyes but a few nights waking with horrors of Conscience tâ—ssing to and fro till the dawning of the day should he lead you through the Chambers of death Shew you the visions of darkness and make his terrors set themselves in array against you then tell me if you would not count it a choice mercy to be back again in your former necessitous condition with peace of Conscience and count bread and water with Gods favour a happy state O then take heed of repining Say not God deals hardly with you least you provoke him to convince you by your own sence and feeling that he hath worse Rods than these for unsubmissive and forward Children 5. Consid. If it be bad now it will be better shortly O keep thy heart by that Consideration the Meal in the Barrel is almost spent well be it so why should that trouble me If I am almost beyond the need and use of all these things The Traveller hath spent almost all his money but a shilling or two left Well saith he though my money be almost spent yet my journey is almost finisht too I am near home and then shall be fully supplied If there be no Candles in the house yet 't is a comfort to think that it s almost day and then there will be no need of Candles I am afraid Christian thou mis-reckonest thy self when thou thinkest my provision is almost spent and I have a great way to travel many years to live and nothing to live upon it may be not half so many as thou supposest in this be confident if thy provision be spent either fresh supplies are coming though thou seest not from whence or thou art nearer thy journeys end than thou reckonest thy self to be Desponding soul doth it become a man or woman travelling upon the Road to that heavenly City and almost arrived there within a few days journey of his Fathers house where all his wants shall be supplyed to take on thus about a little meat drink or cloaths which he fears he shal want by the way It was a noble saying of the 40 Martyrs famous in the Ecclesiastical Story when turned out naked in a frosty night to be starved to death with these words they comforted one another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the winter indeed is sharp and cold but Heaven is warm and comfortable here we shiver for cold but Abrahams bosome will make amends for all Obj. I. But I may dye for want Sol. 1 Who ever did so where were the Righteous forsaken 2 If so your journey is ended and you fully supplied Obj. 2. But I am not sure of that were I sure of Heaven it were another matter Sol. Are you not sure of that then you have other matters to trouble your selves about than these Methinks this should be the least of all your cares I do not find that souls perplexed and troubled about the want of Christ pardon of sin c. are usually very anxious or sollicitous about these things He that seriously puts such questions as these what shall I do to be saved how shall I know my sin is pardoned doth not usually trouble himself with what shall I eat what shall I drink or wherewithall shall I be cloathed 6. Consid. Doth it become the children of such a Father to distrust his all-sufficiency or repine against any of his Dispensations Do you well to question his care and love upon every new exigence say have you not been ashamed of this formerly hath not your Fathers seasonable provisions for you in former straits put you to the blush and made you resolve never to question his love and care any more and yet will you renew your unworthy suspicions of him again Dis-ingenious Childe reason thus with thy self if I perish for want of what is good and needful for me it must either be because my Father knows not my wants or hath not wherewith to supply them or else regards not what becomes of me Which of these shall I charge upon him not the first for Mark 6. 32. My Father knows what I have need of my condition is not hid from him Nor the second for the earth is the Lords and the fulness of it Psalm 24. 1. His Name is God All-sufficient Gen. 17. 1 Not the last for as a father pities his children so the Lord pities them that fear him Psalm 103. 13. The Lord is exceeding pitiful and of tender mercy James 5. 11. He â—ears the young Ravens when they cry Job 38. 41. and will he not hear me Consider saith Christ the fowls of the ayr Matth. 6. 26. Not the fowls at the door that are every day fed by hand but the fowles of the ayr that have none to provide for them Doth he feed and clothe his enemies and will he forget his children He heard the very cry of Ishmael in distress Gen. 21. 17. O my unbelieving heart dost
liberty or esâ—ate are hunâ—ed after and I cannot secure them O let me leave them in thy hand the poor leaveth himself with thee and doth his God fail him no Thou art the helper of the fatherless Psalm 10. 14. that is thou art the helper of the deâ—â—â—ute one that hath none to go to but God And that is a sweet Scripture Psalm 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord he doth not say his ear shall be priviledged from the report of evil tidings he may hear as sad tidings as other men but his heart shall be priviledged from the terrour of those tidings his heart is fixed 11. Rule Consult the honour of Religion more and your personal safety lesse Is it for the honour of Religion think you that Christians should be as timerous as Hares to start at every sound will not this tempt the World to think that whatever you talk yet your principles are no better than other mens O what mischief may the discoveries of your â—ears bâ—fore them do 'T was a noble saying of Nehemiah Chap. 6. 11. Should such a man as I flee and who being as I am would flee Were it not better you shâ—uld dye than that the World should be prejudiced against Christ by your example for alas how apt is the World who judge more by what they see in your practises than by what they understand of your principles to conclude from your timâ—râ—usness that how much soever you commend Faith and talk of Assurance yet you dare trust to these things no more than they when it comes to the tryal O let not your fears lay such a stumbling-block before the blind World 12. Rule He that will secure his heart from fear must first secure the eternal interest of his soul in the hands of Iesus Christ. When this is done then you may say now World do thy worst You will not be very solâ—citous about a vile body when you are once assured it shall be well to all eternity with your precious souls Fear not them saith Christ that can kill the body and after that have no power that they can do The assured Christian may smile with contempt upon all his enemies and say is this the worst that you can do what say you Christians are you assured that your souls are safe that within a few moments of your dissolution they shall be received by Christ into everlasting habitatious Well if you be sure of that never trouble your selves about the instruments and means of your dissolution Object O but a violent death is terrible to Nature Answ. But what matter is it wâ—en thy soul is in Heaven whether it were let out at thy mouth or at thy throat whether thy familiar friends or barbarous enemies stand about thy dead body and close thine eyes alas it is not worth the making so much ado about nihil corpus sentit in nervo cum anima sit in coelo thy soul shall not be sensibâ—e in Heaven how thy body is used on earth no it shall be swallowed up in life 13. Rule Learn to quench all slavish Creature fears in the reverential fear of God This is a cure by diversion 't is a rare piece of Christian Wisdom to turn those passions of the soul which most predominate into spiritual Channels to turn natural anger into spiritual zeal natural mirth into holy chearfulness and natural fear into an holy dread and awe of God This method of Cure Christ prescribes in that fore-mentioned place Mat. 10. like to which is that in Isa. 8. 12 13. Fear not their fear But how shall we help it Why sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and your dread Natural fear may be allayed for present by natural reason or the removal of the occasion but then 't is but like a Candle blown out with a puff of breath which is easily blown in again but it the fear of God extinguish it then 't is like a Candle quencht in water which cannot easily be re-kindled 14. Rule Lastly Pour out those fears to God in Prayer which the Devil and your own unbelief pour in upon you in times of danger Prayer is the best out-let to fear where is the Christian that cannot set his probatum est to this direction I will give you the greatest Example in the World to encourage you in the use of it even the example of Jesus Christ Mark 14. 32. when the hour of his danger and death drâ—w nigh he gets into the Garden separates from the Disciples and there wrestles mightily with God in Prayer even unto an Agony in reference to which the Apostle saith Heb. 5. 7. Who in the dayes of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and tears to him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared he was heard as to strength and support to carry him through it though not as to deliverance or exemption from it Now Oh that these things might abide with you and be reduced to practise in these evil dayes that many trembling souls may be established by them 5. Seas The fifth Season to exert this diligence in keeping the heart is the time of straits and outward pinching wants although at such times we should complain to God and not of God the Throne of Gracâ— being erected for a time of need Hâ—b 4. 16. yet when the waters of relief run low and wants begin to pinch hard how prone are the best hearts to distrust the Fountain When the Meal in the Barrel and oylin the Cruse are almost spent our faith and patience are almost spent too Now 't is difficult to keep down the proud and unbelieving heart in an holy quietude and sweet submission at the foot of God 'T is an easie thing to talk of trusting God for daily bread while we have a full Barn or Purse but to say as the Propher Hab. 3. 17. Though the Fig-tree should not blossome neither fruit be in the Vine c. yet will I rejoyce in the Lord. Sure this is not easie The fifth Case therefore shall be this 5. Cafe How a Christian may keep his heart from distrusting God or repining against him when outward wants are eithâ—r felt or feared This Case deserves to be seriously pondred and especially to be studied now since it seems to be the design of Providence to empty the people of God of their creature-fulness and acquaint them with thâ—se straits which hiâ—herto they have been altogether strangers to Nâ—w to secure the heart from the fore-mentioned dangers attending this condition these follâ—wing Consiâ—erations through the blessing of the Spirit may prove effectual And the first is this 1. Consid. That if God reduce you to straits and necessities yet he deals no otherwise therein with you than he hath done with some of the choicest and holiest men that ever lived Your
profession turn aside and desert the cause of Christ 2 Tim. 2. 19. 5 When God hides his face in a suffering hour Ier. 17. 17. 6 When Satan falls upon us with strong temptations to question the grounds of our sufferings or the Souls interest in Christ Now t is heard to keep the heart from turning back and the steps from declining Gods ways The eleventh question then shall be this 11. Case How the heart may be kept from relapsing under the greatest sufferings for religion If the bitterness of sufferings at any time cause thy Soul to distaste the way of God and take up thoughts of forsaking it stay thine heart under that temptation by propounding these 8. questions solemnly to it 1. Quest. What reproach and dishonour shall I pour upon Christ and religion by deserting him at such a time as this This will proclaim to all the world that how much soever I have boasted of the promises yet when it comes to the tryal I dare hazard nothing upon the credit of them and how will this open the mouths of Christs enemies to blaspheme O better I had never been born then that worthy name should be blasphemed through me shall I furnish the triumphs of the uncircumcised shall I make mirth in Hell O if I did but value the name of Christ as much as many a wicked man values his own name I would never endure to see it exposed to such contempt will proud dust and ashes venture death yea Hell rather then a blot upon their name and shall I venture nothing to salve the honour and reputation of Christ 2. Quest. Dare I violate my conscience to save my flesh who shall comfort me when conscience wounds me What comfort is there in life liberty or friends when peace is taken away from the inner man when Constantius threatned to cut off Samosatenus his right hand if he would not subscribe somewhat that was against his conscience he held up both his hands to the messenger that was sent saying he shall cut off both rather then I will do it farewel all peace joy and comfort from that day forward â—ad Zimri peace that slew his master said Iezebel so say I here had Iudas peace had Spira peace and shall you have peace if you tread in their steps O consider what you do 3. Quest. Is not the publick interest of Christ and religion infinitely more then any private interest of my own T is a famous passage that of Terentius Captain to Adrian the Emperour he presented a petition to Adrian that the Christians might have a temple by themselves to worship God apart from the Arrians the Emperour tore his petition and threw it away bidding him to aske somewhat for himself and it should be granted but he modestly gathered up the pieces of his petition again and told him if he could not be heard in Gods caâ—se he would never ask any thing for himself Yea even Tully though an Heathen could say ne immortalitatem quidem contra rem publicam he would not accept even of immortality it self against the Common-wealth O if we had more publick we should not have such cowardly spirits 4. Qu. Did Iesus Christ serve me so when for my sake he exposed himself to far greater sufferings than can be before me His sufferings were great indeed he suffered from all hands in all his offices in every member not only in his body buâ— in his Soul yea the suffâ—rings of his Soul were the very Soul of his sufferings witness the bloody sweat in the garden witness the heart melting and heaven rending outcry upon the crâ—ss My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and yet he flinched not he endured the cross despising the shame Alas what are my sufferings compared with Christs he hath drunk up all that vinegar and gall that would make my suffeâ—ings bitter When one of the Martyrs was asked why he was so merry at his death Oh said he it is because the Soul of Christ was so heavy at his death did Christ bear such a burden for me with unbroken patience and constancy and shall I shrink back for momentary and light affictions for him 5. Qu. Is not eternal life worth the suffering of a moments pain If I suffer with him I shall raign with him O how will men venture life and limb for a fading crown swim through seas of blood to a throne and will I venture nothing suffer nothing for the Crown of Glory that fadâ—th not away my dog will follow my horses heels from morning to night take many a weary step through mâ—re and dirt rather then leave me though at night all he gets by it is but bones and blows If my Soul had any true greatness any sparks of generosity in it how would it despise the sufferings of â—he way for the glory of the end how would it break down all difficulties before it whilâ—st by an eye of faith it sees the forerunner who is already entred standing as it were upon the walls of Heaven with the Crown in his hand saying he that overcometh shall inherit all things come on then my Soul come on there is eternal life laid up for them that by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory honour and immortality Rom. 2. 7. 6. Qu. Can I so easily cast off the socieâ—y and company of the Saints and give the right hand of fellowship to the wicked How can I part with such lovely companions as these have been how often have I been benefited by their counsels Ezra â—0 3. how oâ—ten refreshed warmed and quickned by their company Eccles. 4. 10 11. How often have I fasted and prayed with them what sweet counsel have I taken with them and gone to the house of God in company and shall I now shake hands with them and say farewell all ye Saints for ever I shall never be among you more come drunkards swearers â—â—asphemers persecutors you shall be my everlasting companions O rather let my body and Soul be rent a sunder then that ever I should say thus to the excellent of the earth in whom is all my delight Quest. 7. Have I seriously considered the terrible Scripture Comminations against back-sliders O my heart darest thou turn back upon the very points of such threatnings as these Ier. 17 5 6. Thus saith the Lord cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord for he shall be like the Heath in the Desart and shall not see when good cometh i. e. the curse of God shall wither him root and branch And Heb. 14. 26 27. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for of Iudgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries And again verse 38. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him as if he should say take
him World take him Devil for your own I have no delight in him O who dare draw back when God hath hedged up the way with such terrible threats as these Quest. 8. Can I look Christ in the face at the Day of Iudgment if I desert him now He that is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful Generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels Mark 8. 38. Yet a little while and you shall see the sign of the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with Pâ—wer and great Glory the last Trump shall sound the dead both small and great even all that sleep in the dust shall awake and come before that great white Throne on which Christ shall sit in that day And now do but imagine thou saw'st the trembling knees and quivering lips of guilty sinners imagine thou heardest the dreadful sentence of the Judge upon them Go ye cursed c. and then a cry the weeping wailing and wringing of hands that there shall be wouldst thou desert Christ now to protract a poor miserable life on earth If the word of God be true if the sayings oâ— Christ be 〈◊〉 and â—aithful this shall be the portion of the Apostaâ—e 'T is an easie thing to stop the mouth of Conscience now but wilâ— it be easâ—â— to stop the mouth of the Judge then Thus keep thy heart that it depart not from the living God Seas 12. The twelfth season of looking diligently to our hearts and keeping them with greatest care is the time of sickness When a Child of God dâ—aws â—nigh to eternity when there are but a few sands more in the upper part of his Glass to run down Now Satan busily bestitâ—s himself of him it may be said as of the natural Serpent nunquaem nisi moriens producitur in longum he is never seen at his full length till dying and now his great designe since he cannot win the soul from God is to discourage and make it unwilling to go to God though the gracious soul with Iacob should then rouse up its self upon a dying bed and rejoyce that the marriage day of the Lamb is now almost come though it should then say with dying Austen Vivere renuo ut Christovivam I despise life to be with Christ. Or as dying Milius when one asked him whether he were willing to dye O said he Iâ—â—ius est nolle mori qui nolit ire ad Christum let him be unwilling to dye who is unwilling to go to Christ. But O! what shrinking from death What loathness to depart may sometimes indeed too frequently be observed in the people of God How loath are some of them to take Death by the cold hand If such a liberty were indulged to us not to be dissolved till we dissolve our selves when should we say with S. Paul I desire to be dissolved Well then the last Case shall be this Case 12. How the people of God in times of sickness may get their hearts loose from all earthly ingagements and perswade them into a willingness to dye And there are seven arguments which I shall urge upon the people of God at such a time as this to make them cheerfully entertain the messengers of death and dye as well as live like Saints and the first is this 1. Argu. First the harmlesness of death to the people of God Tâ—ough it keep its dart it hath lost its sting a Saint to allude to that Isai. 11. 8. May play upon the hole of this aspe and put his hand into the Cockatrices den Death is the Cockatrice or Aspe the grave is his hole or den a Saint need not fear to put his hand boldly into it it hath left and lost its sting in the sides of Christ 1 Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting why art thou afraid O Saint that this sickness may be thy death as long as thou knowest that the death of Christ is the death of death indeed if thou didst dye in thy sins as Ioh. 8. 21. If death as a King did reign over thee Rom. 5. 14. if it could â—eed upon thee as the Lyon doth upon the prey he hath taken as Psal. 49. 14. If hell followed the pale horse as it is Rev. 6. 8. Then thou mightest well startle and shrink back from it but when God hath put away thy sins from thee as far as the East is from the West Psal. 103. 12. As long as there is no other evil left in death for thee to encounter with but bodily pain as long as the Scriptures represent it to thee under such harmless and easy notions as the putting off thy cloaths 2 Cor. 5. 2. And lying down to sleep upon thy bed Isai. 57. 2. Why shouldest thou be afraid there is as much difference betwixt death to the people of God and others as betwixt the Unicorns horn when it is upon the head of that fierce beast and when it is in the Apothecaries shops where it is made salubrious and medicinal 2. Arg. Thy heart may he kept from shrinking back at such a time as this by considering the necessity of death in order to the full fruition of God Wheâ—her thou art willing to dye or no I assure thee there is no other way to obtain the full satisfaction of thy Soul and compleat its happiness till the hand of death do thee the kind offiâ—e to draw aside the curtain of flesh thy Soul cannot see God this animal life stanâ—s betwixt him and thee 2 Cor. 5. 6. Whilest we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. Thy body must be refined and cast into a new mould else that new wine of heavenly glory would break it Paul in his highest rapture 2 Cor. 12. 4. when he heard things unutterable was then but as a stander by a looker on not admitted into the company as one of them but as the Angels are in our assemblies so was Paul in that glorious assembly above and no otherwise and yet even for this he must as it were be taken out of the body uncloathed for a little time to have a glimpse of that glory and then put on his cloathes again O then Who would not be willing to dye for a full sight and enjoyment of God Methinks thy soul should look and sigh like a Prisoner through the Grates of this Mortality O that I had wings like a Dove then would I fly away and be at rest Most men need patience to dye but a Saint that understands what death admits him to should rather need patience to live methinks he should often look out and listen on a death-bed for his Lords coming and when he receives the news of his approaching change should say The voice of my Beloved behold he cometh leaping over the Mountains skipping over the Hills Cant. 2. 8. Arg. 3. Another Argument perswading to
this willingness is the immediate succession of a more excellent and glorious life 'T is but wink and you shall see God your happiness shall not be deferred till the Resurrection but as soon as the body is dead the gracious soul is swallowed up in Life Rom. 8. 10 11. When once you have loosed from this shore in a few moments your souls will be wafted over upon the wings of Angels to the other shore of a glorious eternity Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Did the Soul and body dye together as Beryllus taught or did they sleep till the resurrection as others have groundlessly fancied it had been a madness for Paul to desire a dissolution for the injoyment of Châ—ist For if this were so he injoyed more of Christ whilst his Soul dwelt in its flâ—shly Tabernacle then he should out of it There are but two waies of the Souls living known in Scripture viz. the life of faith and the life of vision 1 Cor. 5. 5. those two divide all time both present and future betwixt them 1 Cor 13. 12. If when faith fails Sight should not immediately succeed what should become of the unbodied Soul but blessed be God this great heart-establishing truth is evidently revealed in Scripture Luke 23. 43. â—ou have Christs promise Iohn 14. 3. I will come and receive you to my self O what a change will a few moments make upon your condition rouse up dying Saint when thy Soul is come out a little farther when it shall stand like Abraham in its tent door the Angels of God shall soon be with it the Souls of the elect are as it were put out to the Angels to nurse and when they dye these Angels carry them home again to their fathers house if an Angel were caused to fly swiftly to bring a Saint the answer of his prayer Dan. 9. 21. How much more will the Angels come post from Heaven to receive and transfer the praying Soul it self 4. Arg. Farther It may much conduce to thy willingness to dye to consider that by death God oft times hides his people out of the way of all temptations and troubles upon earth Rev. 14. 13. Write from henceforth blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord. T is Gods usual way when some extraordinary calamities are coming upon the world to set his people out of harms way before hand Isai. 57. 1. Merciful men are taken away from the evil to come So Mich. 7. 1 2. When such an evil time comes as is there described That they all lye in wait for blood and every man hunts his brother with a net before that God by an act of favour houses his people before hand dost thou know what evil may be in the earth which thou art so loath to leave thy God removes thee for thy great advantage thou art disbanded by death and called off the field other poor Saints must stand to it and endure a great fight of afflictions T is observed that Methusala dyed the very year before the flood Augustin a little before the sacking of Hippo. Paereus just before the taking of Heidelberg Luther observes that all the Apostles dyed before the destruction of Ierusalem and Luther himself before the wars brake out in Germany it may be the Lord sees thy tender heart cannot endure to see the misery or bear the temptations that are coming and therefore will now gather thee to thy 〈◊〉 in peace and yet wilt thou cry O spare me a little longer 5. Arg. If yet thy heart hang back consider the great advantage you will have by death above all that ever you enjoyed on earth And that 1 As to your communion with God 2 As to your communion with Saints 1. For your communion with God the time of perfecting that is now come thy Soul shall shortly stand before the face of God and have the immediate emanations and beamings forth of his glory upon it here thy Soul is remote from God the beams of his glory strike it but obliquely and feebly but shortly it will be under the line and there the sun shall stand still as it did in Gibeon there shall be no cloudings nor declineings of it O how should this wrap thy Soul with desires of being uncloathed 2. As for the injoyment of Saints here indeed we have fellowship with them of the lower form but that fellowship is so dissweetened by remaining corruptions that there is no satisfaction in it as it is the greatest plague that can befall an hypocrite to live in a pure Church so t is the greatest vexation to the Spirit of a Saint to live in a corrupt and disordered Church But when death hath admitted you into that glorious assembly of the Spirits of just men made perfect you shall have the desire of your hearts here you cannot fully close one with another yea you cannot fully close with your own Souls O what discords jarrings censurings are here what perfect blessed harmony there in Heaven each Saint loves another as himself thâ—y are altogether lovely O my Soul hast thee away from the Lyons dens from the mountains of Bether from divided Saints to those mountains of Myrhe and hill of Frankinsense thou art now going to thine own people as the Apostles phrase imports 2. Cor. 5 8. 6. Arg. If all this will not doe Consider what heavy burdens death will ease thy shoulders of In this Tabernacle we groan being burdened 1 With bodily distempers how true do we find that of Theophrastue the Soul pays a dear rent for the tenement it now lives in but glorified bodies are clogged with no indispositions death is the best Physician it will cure thee of all diseases at once 2 With the indwelling of sin this makes us groan from the very bowels Rom. 7. 24. But he that is dead is free from sin Rom. 6. 7. Hath justification destroyed its damning power and sanctification its Raigning power so glorification destroyes its very being and existence 3 We groan under temptations here but as soon as we are out of the body we are out of the reach of temptation when once thou art got into Heaven thou mayest say now Sathan I am there where thou canst not come for as the damned in Hell are malo obfirmati so fixed in sin and misery that their condition cannot be altered so glorified Saints are bonâ— confirmati so fixed in holiness and glory that they cannot be 〈◊〉 4 Here we groan under varioâ—â— trâ—ubles and afflictions but then the days of our mourning are ended God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes O then let us hast away that we may be at rest 7. Arg. If still thou linger like Lot in Sodom then lastly examine all the pleas and pretences for a longer time on earth Why art thou unwilling to dye 1. Object O I have many relations in the World I know not what will become of them when I am gone Sol. 1. If
thou art troubled about their bodies and outward condition why should not that word satisfy thee Ier. 49. 11. Leave thy fatherless children to me I will keep them alive and let thy Widows trust in me Luther in his last Will and Testament hath this expression Lord thou hast given me wife and children I have nothing to leave them but I commit them unto thee O Father of the fatherless and judge of widows nutri serva doce nourish keep and teach them or art thou troubled for their Souls thou canst not convert them if thou shouldst live and God can make thy prayers and counsels to live and take place upon them when thou art dead 2. Obj. I would fain live to doe God more service in the world Sol. Well but if he have no more service for thee to doe here why shouldst thou not say with David if he have no delight to use me any farther here am I let him doe what seemeth him good in this world thou hast no more to doe but he is calling thee to an higher service and imployment in Heaven and what thou wouldest doe for him here he can doe that by other hands 3. Obj. I am not yet fully ready I am not as a bride compleatly adorned for the bridegroom Sol. 1. Thy justification is compleat already though thy sanctification be not so and the way to make it so is to dye for till then it will have its defects and wants 4. Obj. O but I want assurance if I had that I could dye presently Sol. 1. Yea there it sticks indeed but then consider that an hearty willingness to leave all the world to be freed from sin and be with God is the next way to that desired assurance no carnal person was ever willing to dye upon this ground And thus I have finished those cases which so nearly concern the people of God in the several conditions of their life and taught them how to keep their hearts in all I shall next apply the whole I. Vse of Information YOU have heard that the keeping of the heart is the great work of a Christian in which the very Soul and life of Religion consists and without which all other duties are of no value with God hence then I shall infer to the consternation of hypocrites and formal Professors 1. That the pains and labours which many persons have taken in religion is but lost labour and pains to no purpose such as will never turn to account Many great services have been performed many glorious works are wrought by men which yet are utterly rejected by God and shall never stand upon record in order to an eternal acceptation because they took no heed to keep their hearts with God in those duties this is that fatal rock upon which thousands of vain professors split themselves eternally they are curious about the externals of religion but regardless of their hearts O how many hours have some Professors spent in hearing praying reading conferring and yet as to the main end of religion as good they had sate still and done nothing for all this signifies nothing the great work I mean heart work being all the while neglected tell me thou vain professor when didst thou shed a teare for the deadness hardness unbelief or earthliness of thy heart thinkst thou such an easie religion can save thee if so we may invert Christs words and say wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to life and many there be that goe in thereat hear me thou self deluding hypocrit thou that hast put of God with hartless duties thou that hast acted in religion as if thou hadst been blessing an Idol that could not search and discover thy heart thou that hast offered to God but the skin of the sacrifice not the marrow fat and inwards of it how wilt thou abide the coming of the Lord how wilt thou hold up thy head before him when he shall say O thou dissembling false hearted man how couldst thou profess religion with what face couldst thou so often tell me thou lovedst me when thou knewest all the while in thine own conscience that thine heart was not with me O tremble to think what a fearful judgment it is to be given over to a heedless and careless heart and then to have religious duties in stead of a rattle to quiet and still the Conscience 2. Hence I also infer for the humiliation even of upright hearts that unless the people of God spend more time and pains about their hearts then generally and ordinarily they do they are never like to do God much service or be owners of much comfort in this World I may say of that Christian that is remiss and careless in keeping his heart as Iacob said of Reuben Thou shalt not excel It grieves me to see how many Christians there are that go up and down dejected and complaining that live at a poor low rate both of service and comfort and how can they expect it should be otherwise as long as they live at such a careless rate O how little of their time is spent in the closet in searching humbling and quickning their hearts You say your hearts are dead and doe you wonder they are so as long as you keep them not with the fountain of life if your bodies had been diated as your Souls have been they would have been dead too never expect better hearts till you take more pains with them qui â—ugit molam fugit farinam he that will not have the sweat must not expect the sweet of Religion O Christians I fear your zeal and strength hath run in the wrong chaâ—nel I fear most of us may take up the Churches complaint Cant. 1. 6. They have made me the keeper of the Vineyards but mine own Vineyard have I not kept Two things have eaten up the time and strength of the Professors of this Generation and sadly diverted them from heart work 1 Fruitless controversies started by Sathan I doubt not to this very purpose to take us off from practical godliness to make us puzzle our heads when we should be searching our hearts O how little have we minded that of the Apostle Heb. 13. 9. T is a good thing that the heart be established with Grace and not with meats i. e. with disputes and controversies about meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein O how much better is it to see men live exactly then to hear them dispute subtilly these unfruitful questions how have they rendred the Churches wasted time and spirits and called Christians off from their main business from looking to their own vineyard what think you Sirs had it not been better if the questions ventilated among the people of God of late days had been such as these how shall a man discern the special from the common operations of the Spirit how may a Soul discern its first declineings from God how may a backsliding
have the sweet and saving impressions of Gospel-Truths feelingly and powerfully conveighed to your hearts then only to understand them by a bare ratiocination or a dry syllogistical inference Leavetrifling studies to such as have time lying on their hands and know not how to imploy it Remember you are at the door of Eternity and have other work to do those hours you spend upon heart-work in your closets are the golden spots of all your time and will have the sweetest influence into your last hour Never forget those Sermons I preached to you upon that subject from 2. Kings 20. 2. 3. Heart work is weighty and difficult work an error there may cost you your souls I may say of it as Augustine speaks of the Doctrine of the Trinity Nihilo facilius aut periculosius erratur a man can erre in nothing more easily or more dangerously O then study your hearts 2. My next request is that you will carefully look to your Conversations and be accurate in all your waies hold forth the Word of life be sure by the strictness and holiness of your lives to settle your selves in the very consciences of your enemies Remember that your lives must be produced in the great day to judge the world 1 Cor. 6. 2. Oh then what manner of persons ought you to be You have many eyes over you the Omniscient eye of God that searches the heart and reins Rev. 2. 23. The vigilant eye of Satan Job 1. 7 8. The envious eyes of enemies that curiously observe you Psal. 5. 8. The quick and observant eye of Conscience which none of your actions escape Rom. 9. 1. Oh then be precise and accurate in all manner of conversation keep up the power of godliness in your Closets and Families and then you will not let it fall in your more publick imployments and converses in the world I have often told you that it is the honour of the Gospel that it makes the best Parents and Children the best Masters and Servants the best Husbands and Wives in the world My third and last request is that you pray for me I hope I can say and I am sure some of you have acknowledged that I came at first among you as the return and answer of your Prayers And indeed so it should be see Luke 10. 2. I am perswaded also I have been carried on in my work by your prayers 't is sweet when 't is so see Ephes. 6. 18 19. And I hope by your prayers to receive yet a farther benefit even that which is mentioned Heb. 13. 18 19. Philem. 22. And truely 't is but equal you should pray for me I have often prayed for you Let the Pulpit Family and Closet witness for me and God forbid I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you Yea Friends your own interest may perswade to it what mercies you obtain for me redound to your own advantage if God preserve me it is for your use and service the more gifts and graces a Minister hath the better for them that shall wait on his Ministry the more God gives in to me the more I shall be able to give out to you I will detain you no longer but to entreat you to accept this smal testification of my great love and have recourse to it according as the exigencies of your condition shall require Read it consideringly and obediently Iudge it not by the dress and stile but by the weight and savour of what you read 'T is a good rule of Bernard in legendis libris non quaeramus scientiam sed saporem i. e. in reading Books regard not so much the science as the savour That it may prove the savour of life unto life to you and all those into whose hands it shall come is the hearty desire of Your loving and faithful Pastor JOHN FLAVELL From my Study at Ley in Slapton Octob. 7. 1667. Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of Life THe Heart of man is his worst part before it be regenerate and the best afterwards It is the seat of Principles and fountain of Actions The eye of God is and the eye of the Christian ought to be principally fixed upon it The greatest difficulty in Conversion is to win the heart to God and the greatest difficulty after Conversion is to keep the heart with God Here lies the very pinch and stress of Religion here 's that that makes the way to life a narrow way and the Gate of Heaven a straight Gate Direction and help in this great work is the scope and summe of this Text wherein we have 1. An Exhortation Keep thy he are with all diligence 2. The Reason or Motive inforcing it For out of it are the issues of Life In the Exhortation I shall Consider 1. The Matter of the Duty 2. The manner of performing it 1. The Matter of the Duty Keep thy Heart Heart is not here taken properly for that noble part of the Body which Philosophers call the primum vivens ultimum moriens the first that lives and the last that dies but by Heart in a Metaphor the Scripture sometimes understands some particular noble facultie of the Soul in Rom. 1. 21. it is put for the understanding part their foolish Heart i. e. their foolish understanding was darkened And Psal. 119. 11. It is put for the Memory Thy Word have I hid in my Heart And Iohn 1. 3. 20 It is put for the Conscience which hath in it both the light of the Understanding and the recognitions of the Memory If our heart Condemn us i. e. if our Conscience whose proper Office it is to condemn But here we are to take it more generally for the whole Soul or inner Man for look what the Heart is to the Body that the Soul is to the Man and what Health is to the Heart that Holiness is to the Soul Quod sanit as in corport id sanct it as in corde The state of the whole Body depends upon the soundness and vigour of the Heart and the everlasting state of the whole man upon the good or ill condition of the Soul And by keeping the Heart understand the diligent and constant use and improvement of all holy Means and Duties to preserve the Soul from sin and maintain its sweet and free communion with God Lavater in loc will have the word taken from a besieged Garrison begirt by many Enemies without and in danger of being betrayed by treacherous Citizens within in which danger the Souldiers upon pain of death are commanded to watch and whereas the expression keep thy heart seems to put it upon us as ourwork yet it doth not imply a sufficiency or ability in us to do it we are as able to stop the Sun in its course or make the Rivers run backward as by our own skill and power to rule and order our hearts we may as well be our own Saviours as
pains of soul to represse the outward acts of sin and compose the external part of thy life in a laudable and comely manner is no great matter even carnal persons by the force of common principles can do this but to kill the root of corruption within to set and keep up an holy Government over thy thoughts to have all things lye straight and orderly in the heart this is not easie 2. 'T is a Constant work the keeping of the heart is such a work as is never done till life be done this labour and our life end together It is with a Christian in this business as it is with Sea-men that have sprung a Leake at Sea if they tug not constantly at the Pump the water encreases upon them and will quickly sink them 't is in vain for them to say the work is hard and we are weary There is no time or condition in the life of a Christian which will suffer an intermâ—ssion of this work It is in the keeping watch over our hearts as it was in the keeping up of Moses his hands whilst Israel and Amalek were fighting below Exod. 17. 12. No sooner do Moses his hands grow heavy and sink down but Amalek prevails You know it cost David and Peter many a sad day and night for intermitting the watch over their own hearts but a few minutes 3. 'T is the most important business of a Christians life without this we are but Formalists in Religion all our Professions Gifts and Duties signifie nothing My Son give me thine Heart Pro. 23. 26. God is pleased to call that a gift which is indeed a debt he will put this honour upon the Creature to receive it from him in the way of a gift but if this be not given him he regards not what ever else you bring to him there is so much only of worth and value in what we do as there is of Heart in it Concerning the Heart God seems to say as Ioseph of Benjamin If you bring not Benjamin with you you shall not see my face Among the Heathens when the Beast was cut up for sacrifice the first thing the Priest lookt upon was the Heart and if that were unsound and naught the Sacrifice was rejected God rejects all duties how glorious soever in other respects offered him without a heart He that performs duty without a heart viz. heedlesly is no more accepted with God then he that performs it with a double heart viz. hypocritically Isa. 66. 3. And thus I have briefly opened the nature of the Duty what is imported in this phrase Keep thy heart 2. Next I shall give you some rational account why Christians should make this the great business of their lives to keep their hearts The importance and necessity of making this our great and main business will manifestly appear in that 1. The honour of God 2. The sincerity of our profession 3. The beauty of our conversation 4. The comfort of our Souls 5. The improvement of our graces and 6. Our stability in the hour of temptation are all wrapt up in and dependent on our sincerity and care in the management of this work 1. The Glory of God is much concerned therein heart-evils are very provoking evils to the Lord. The Schools do well observe that outward sins are majoris infamiae sins of greater infamy but heart-sins are majoris reatus sins of deeper guilt How severely hath the Great God declared his wrath from Heaven against heart-wickedness The great Crime for which the old World stands indicted Gen. 6. 5 6 7. is heart-wickedness God saw that every imagination or fiction of their heart was onely evil and that continualiy for which he sent the dreadfullest Judgment that was ever executed since the World began And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth both man and beast and the creeping things and the fowls of heaven for it repenteth me that I have made man v. 7. We find not their murders adulteries blasphemies though they were defiled with these particularly alledged against them but the evils of their hearts yea that which God was so provoked by as to give up his peculiar Inheritance into the enemies hand was the evil of their hearts Ier. 4. 14. O Ierusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee The wickedness and vanity of their thoughts God took special notice of and because of this the Caldean must come upon them as a Lion from his thickets v. 7. and tear them to pieces For the very sin of thoughts it was that God threw down the faln Angels from Heaven and keeps them still in everlasting chains to the judgment of the great day by which expression is not obscurely intimated some extraordinary judgment to which they are reserved as prisoners that have most irons laid upon them may be supposed to be the greatest Malefactors and what was their sin Why onely spiritual wickedness for they having no bodily Organs could act nothing externally against God Yea meer heart-evils are so provoking that for them he râ—jects with indignation all the duties that some men perform unto him Isa. 66. 3. He that killeth an Oxe is as if he flew a man he that sacrificeth a lamb as if he cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines blood he that burneth incense as if he blessed an Idol In what words could the abhorrence of a Creatures actions be more fully expressed by the holy God Murder and Idolatry are not more vile in his account than their Sacrifices though materially such as himself appointed and what made them so the following words inform us Their soul delighteth in their abominations To conclude such is the vileness of meer heart-sins that the Scriptures sometimes intimate the difficulty of pardon for them So in the case of Simon Magus Acts 8. 21. his heart was not right he had vile thoughts of God and the things of God the Apostle bids him repent and pray if perhaps the thoughts of his heart might he forgiven him O then never slight heart-evils for by these God is highly wronged and provoked and for this reason let every Christian make it his work to keep his heart with all diligence 2. The sincerity of our profession much depends upon the care and conscience we have in keeping our hearts for it 's most certain that a man is but an hypocrite in his profession how curious soever he be in the externals of Religion that is heedless and careless of the frame of his heart you have a pregnant instance of this in the case of Iehu 2 King 10. 31. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the ways of the Lord God of Israel with his heart That Context gives us an account of the great service perform'd by Iehu against the house of Ahab and Baal as also of a great
grace are planted in the heart and the deeper they are radicated there the more thriving and flâ—urishing grace is in Eph. 3. 17. we read of being rooted in Grace Grace in the heart is the root of every gracious word in the mouth and of every holy work in the hand Psal. 116. 10. 2 Cor. 4. 13. 't is true Christ is the root of a Christian but Christ is Origo originans the originating root and grace Origo originata a root originated planted and influenced by Christ according as this thrives under divine influences so the acts of grace are more or less fruitful and vigorous Now in a heart not kept with care and diligence these fructifyâ—ng influences are stopt and cut off multitudes of vanities break in upon it and devour its strength the heart is as it were the pasture in which multitudes of thoughts are fed every day a gracious heart diligently kept feeds many precious thoughts of God in a day Psal. â—39 17. How precious are thy thoughts to me O God! how great is the sum of them if I should count them they are more in number than the sand and when I awake I am still with thee And as the gracious heart seeds and nourishes them so they refresh and feast the heart Psal. 63. 5 6. My soul is filled as with marrow and fatness whilest I think upon thee c. But in the dis-regarded heart swarms of vain and foolish thoughts are perpetually working and justle out those spiritual Idea's and thoughts of God by which the Soul should be refreshed Besides the careless heart makes nothing out of any Duty or Ordinance it performs or attends on and yet these are the Conduits of Heaven from whence Grace is watred and made fruitful a man may go with an heedless spirit from Ordinance to Ordinance abide all his dayes under the choicest teachings and yet never be improved by them for heart neglect is a leak in the bottom no heavenly influences how rich soever abide in that Soul Matth. 13. 3 4. The heart that lies open and common like the high-way free for all passengers when the Seed fell on it the fowls came and devoured it Alas it is not enough to hear unless we take heed how we hear a man may pray and never the better unless he watch unto prayer In a word all Ordinances Means and Duties are blessed unto the improvement of Grace according to the care and strictness we use in keeping our hearts in them 6. Lastly The stability of our Souls in the hour of temptation will be much according to the care and Conscience we have of keeping our hearts the careless heart is an easy prey to Satan in the hour of temptation his main Batteries are raised against that Fort-royal the Heart if he win that he wins all for it commands the whole man and alas how easy a Conquest is a neglected heart 't is no more difficult to surprise it than for an enemy to enter that City whose Gates are open and unguarded 't is the watchful heart that discovers and suppresses the temptation before it come to its strength Divines observe this to be the method in which temptations are ripened and brought to their full strength there is 1 The irritation of the Object or that power it hath to work upon and provoke our corrupt nature which is either done by the real presence of the object or else by Speculation when the object though absent is held out by the phantasy before the Soul 2 Then follows the motion of the sensitive appetite which is stirred and provoked by the phantasy representing it as a sensual good as having profit or pleasure in it 3 Then there is a consultation in the mind about it deliberating about the likeliest means of accomplishing it 4 Next follows the election or choice of the Will 5 And lastly The desire or full engagement of the Will to it all this may be done in a few moments for the debates of the Soul are quick and soon ended when it comes thus far then the heart is won Satan hath entred victoriously and displayed his Colours upon the Walls of that Royal Fort but had the Heart been well guarded at first it had never come to this height the temptation had been stopt in the first or second act and indeed there it 's stopt easily for it is in the motions of a tempted Soul to sin as in the motion of a stone falling from the brow of an Hill it 's easily stopt at first but when once it 's set a going Vires acquirit eundo and therefore it 's the greatest wisdom in the world to observe the first motions of the heart to check and stop sin there the motions of sin are weakest at first a little care and watchfulness may prevent much mischief now which the careless heart not heeding is brought within the power of temptation as the Syrians were brought blindfold into the midst of Samaria before they knew where they were By this time Reader I hope thou art fully satisfied how consequential and necessary a work the keeping of thy heart is it being a duty that wraps up so many dear interests of the Soul in it 3. Next according to the method propounded I proceed to point out those special Seasons in the life of a Christian which require and call for our utmost diligence in keeping the heart for though as was observed before the Duty binds ad semper and there be no time or condition of life in which we may be excused from this work yet there are some signal seasons critical hours requiring more than a common vigilance over the heart And the first 1. Season Is the time of prosperity when Providence smiles upon us and dandles us upon her knee Now Christian keep thy heart with all diligence for now 't will be exceeding apt to grow secure proud and earthly Rara virtus est humilitas honorata saith Bernard to see a man humble under prosperity is one of the greatest rarities in the World Even a good Hezekiah could not hide a vain glorious temper under this temptation and hence that Caution to Israel Deut. 6. 10 11 12. and it shall be when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware to thy fathers to Abraham Isaac and Jacob to give thee great and goodly Cities which thou buâ—ldest not and houses full of all good things which thou filledst not c. Then beware lest thou forget the Lord and indeed so it fell out for Iesurun waxed fat and kicked Deuâ— 32. 15. Now thâ—n the first case will be this viz. 1. Case How a Christian may keep his heart from pride and carnal security under the smiles of providence and confluence of Creature comforts There are seven choice helps to secure the heart from the dangerous snares of prosperity the first is this 1. To consider the dangerous insnaring temptations attending a
pleasant and prosperous Condition few yea very few of those that live in the pleasures and prosperity of this world escape everlasting perdition Matth. 19. 24. 't is easier saith Christ for a Cameâ— to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and security in a prosperous state Heaven and 1 Cor. 1. 26. not many mighty not many noble are called It might justly make us tremble when the Scripture tells us in general that few shall be saved much more when it tells us that of that rank and sort of which we are but few shall be saved When Ioshuah called all the Tribes of Israel to lot upon them for the discovery of Achan doubtless Achan feared when the Tribe of Iudah was taken his fear increased but when the family of the Zarhites was taken it was time then to tremble So when the Scripture comes so near us as to tell us that of such a sort of men very few shall escape 't is time to look about miror sâ— potest servari ali quis rectorum saith Chrisostome I should wonder if any of the Rulers be saved Oh how many have been Coached to Hell in the Chariots of earthly pleasures whilest others have been whipt to Heaven by the rod of affliction How few like the daughter of Tyre come to Christ with a gift how few among the rich intreat his favour 2. It may yet keep us more humble and watchful in prosperity if we consider that among Christians many have been much the worsâ—for it How good had it been â—ot some of them if they had never known prosperity when they were in a low condition how humble spiritual and heavenly were they but when advanced what an apparent alteration hath been upon their spirits 't was so with Israel when they were in a low condition in the Wilderness then Israel was Holiness to the Lord Ier. 2. 23. but when they came into Canaan and were fed in a fat pasture then We are Lords we will come no more unto thee ver 31. outward gains are ordinarily attended with inward losses as in a low condition their civil imployments were wonâ— to have a tang and savour of their duties so in an exalted condition their Duties commonly have a tang of the World He indeed is rich in Grace whose Graces are not hindred by his Riches there are but few Iehosaphats in the World of whom it s said 2 Chron. 17. 5 6. He had silver and gold in abundance and his heart was lifted up in the way of Gods commands Will not this keep thy Heart humble in prosperity to think how dear many godly men have paid for their Riches that through them they have lost that which all the World cannot purchase Then in the next place 3. Kâ—ep down thy vain heart by this Consideration That God values no man a jot the more for these things God vaâ—ues no man by outward excellencies but by inward Graces they are the internal ornaments of the Spirit which are of great price in Gods eyes 1 Pet. 3. 4 he despises all worldly glory and accepts no mans person but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him Acts 1O 35. Indeed if the Judgment of God went by the same rule that mans doth we might value our selves by these things and stand upon them but as one said when dying I shall not appear before God as a Doctor but as a man tantus quisquis est quantus est apud Deum So much every man is and no more as he is in the judgement of God Doth thy heart yet swell and will neither of the former considerations keep it humble 4. Then Fourthly Consider how bitterly many persons have bewailed their folly when they came to dye that ever they set their hearts upon these things and heartily wish that they had never known them What a sad story was that of Pius Quintus who dying cryed out despairingly when I was in a low condition I had some hopes of Salvation but when I was advanced to be a Cardinal I greatly doubted it but since I came to the Popedome I have no hope at all Mr. Spencer also tells us a real but sad story of a rich oppressour who had sâ—taped up a great estate for his only Son when he came to dye he called his Son to him and said Son do you indeed love me the Son answered That nature besides his paternal indulgence obliged him to that then said the Father express it by this hold thy finger in the Candle as long as I am saying a Pater noster the Son attempted but could not endure it upon that the Father brake out into these expressions Thou canst not suffer the burning of thy finger for me but to get this wealth I have hazarded my soul for thee and must burn body and soul in Hell for thy sake thy pains would have been but for a moment but mine will be unquenchable fire 5. The Heart may be kept humble by considering of what a clogging nature earthly things are to a soul heartily engaged in the way to Heaven they shut out much of Heaven from us at present though they may not shut us out of Heaven at last If thou consider thy self under the notion of a stranger in this world traveling for Heaven and seeking a better Country thou hast then as much reason to be taken and delighted with these things as a weary Horse hath with a heavy Cloakbag there was a serious truth in that Atheistical scoff of Iulian when he took away the Christians estates and told them it was to make them fitter for the Kingdome of Heaven 6. Is thy Spirit for all this flatulent and lofty then urge upon it the consideration of that awful day of reckoning wherein according to our receipts of Mercies shall be our accompts for them And methinks this should awe and humble the vainest heart that ever was in the breast of a Saint Know for certain that the Lord records all the mercies that ever he gave thee from the beginning to the end of thy life Micah 6. 5. Remember O my people from Shittim unto Gilgal c. Yea they are exactly numbred and recorded in order to an account and thy account will be suitable Luke 12. 48. To whomsoever much is given of him much shall be required You are but Stewards and your Lord will come to take an account of you and what a great account have you to make who have much of this world in your hands what swift witnesses will your mercies be against you if this be the best fruit of them 7. It is a very humbling consideration That the Mercies of God should work otherwise upon my Spirits than they use to do upon the Spirits of others to whom they come as sanctified Mercies from the love of God Ah Lord what a sad consideration is this enough to lay me in the dust
thou yet doubt Remember Hagar and the Childe 7. Conâ—id Your poverty is not your sin but your affliction only if by sinful means â— oâ— have not brought it upon your selves and if it be but an affliction it may be born the easier for that 'T is hard indeed to bear an affliction coming upon us as the fruit and punishment of sin when men are under trouble upon that account they use to say O! if it were but a single affliction coming from the hand of God by way of tryal I could bear it but I have brought it upon my self by sin it comes as the punishment of sin the marks of Gods displeasure are upon it 't is the guilt within that troubles and galls more than the want without But it is not so here and therefore you have no reason to be cast down under it Object But though there be no sting of guilt yet this condition wants not other stings as first the discredit of Religion I cannot comply with mine engagements in the world and thereby Religion is like to suffer Sol. 'T is well you have an heart to discharge every duty â—et if God disable you by Providence 't is no discredit to your profession because you do not that which you cannot do so long as it is your desire endeavour to do what you can and ought to do and in this case Gods will is that lenity and forbearance be exercised towards you Deâ—t 24. 12 13. 2 Object But it grieves me to behold the necessities of others whom I was want to relieve and refresh but now cannot Sol. If you cannot it ceases to be your duty and God accepts the drawing out of your soul to the hungry in compassion and desire to help them though you cannot draw forth a full purse to relieve and supply them 3. Obj. But I find such a condition full of temptations a sore clog in the way to Heaven Sol. Every condition in the World hath its clogs and attending temptations and were you in a prosperous condition you might there meet with more temptations and fewer advantages than you now have For though I confess poverty hath its temptations as well as prosperity yet I am confident prosperity hath not those excellent advantages that poverty hath for here you have an opportunity to discover the sincerity of your love to God when you can live upon him find enough in him and constantly follow him even when all external inducements and motives fail And thus I have shewed you how to keep your hearts from the temptations and dangers attending a poor and low condition in the World when want pinches and the heart begins to sink then improve and bless God for these helps to keep it 6. Season The sixth Season of expressing this diligence in keeping the heart is the Season of Duty when we draw nigh to God in publick private or secret Duties then 't is time to look to the heart for the vanity of the heart seldome discovers it self more than at such times How oft doth the poor soul cry out O Lord how fain would I serve thee but vain thoughts will not let me I came to open my heart to thee to delight my soul in communion with thee but my corruptions have set upon me Lord rare off these vain thoughts and suffer them not to prostitute the soul which is espoused to thee before thy face The sixth Case then is this 6. Case How the heart may be kept from distractions by vain thoughts in the time of Duty There is a two-fold distraction or wandring of the heart in Duty 1 voluntary and habitual Psalm 78. 8. They set not their hearts aright and their spirit was not stedfast with God This is the case of Formalists and it proceeds from the want of an holy bent and inclination of the heart to God their hearts are under the power of their lusts and therefore 't is no wonder they go after their lusts even when they are about holy things Ezek 33. 31. 2 Involuntary and lamented distractions Râ—m 7. 21 24. I finde then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me O wretched man that I am c. This proceeds not from the want of a holy bent and aim but from the weakness and imperfection of grace And in this case the soul may make the like câ—mplaint against its own corruptions that Abijah did against Ieroboam 2 Chro. 13. 6 7. Yet Ieroboam the son of Nebat is risen up against his Lord when Reâ—oboham was young and tender-hearted and could not withstand them and there are gathered unto him vain men the children of Belial Grace hath a dominion but lusts are mutinous and seditious during the infancy thereof But it is not my business to shew you how these distractions come into the heart but rather how to get and keep them out of the heart in order whereto take these ten following Helps 1. Help Sequester your selves from all earthly imployments and set apart some time for solemn preparation to meet God in duty you cannot come seeking hot out of the world into Gods presence but you will find a tang of it in your duties it is with the heart a few minutes since plunged in the world now at the feet of God just as with the sea after a storm which still continues working muddy and disquiet though the wind be laid and stâ—rm over thy heart must have some time to settle There are few Musicians that can take down a lure or viol and play presently upon it without some time to tune it there are few Christians can presently say as Psal. 57. 7. O God my heart is fixed it is fixed O when thou goest to God in any duty take thy heart aside and say O my Soul I am now addressing my self to the greatest work that ever a Creature was imployed about I am going into the awful presence of God about business of everlasting moment Oh my Soul leave trifling now be composed watchful serious this is no common work 't is God work Soul work Eternity work I am now going forth bearing seed which will bring forth fruit to life or death in the world to come pause a while upon thy sins wants troubles steep thy thoughts a while in these before thou address thy self to duty David first mused and then spake with his tongue Psal. 39. 3 4. So Psal. 45. 1 my heart is enditing c. 2. Help Having composed thy heart by previous meditation presently set a guard upon thy senses how often are poor Christians in danger of loosing the eyes of their mind by those of their body for this Iob covenanted with his senses Chap. 31. 1. for this David prayed Psal. 119. 37. turn away mine eies from beholding vanity and quickâ—n thou me in thy way this may serve to expâ—und that mystical Arabian proverb which advises to shut the windows that the house may be light 't were excellent if
majestick beams of holiness shining from their heavenly and serious conversations shall awe the world and command reverence from all that are about them when they shall warm the hearts of those that come nigh them so that men shall say God is in these men of a truth Well such a time may again be exspected according to that promise Isai. 60. 21. The people shall be all righteous But till we fall closer to this great work of keeping our hearts I am out of hopes to see those blessed daies I cannot exspect better times till God give better hearts doth it not grieve you to see what a scorn religion is made in the world what objects of contempt and scorn the professors of it are made in the world Professors would you recover your credit would you again obtain an honourable testimony in the Consciences of your very enemies then keep your hearts watch your hearts t is the loosness frothiness and earthliness of your hearts that â—ath made your lives so and this hath brought you under contempt of the world you first lost your sights of God and communion with him then your heavenly and serious deportment among men and by that your interest in their Consciences O then for the credit of religion for the honour of your profession keep your hearts 7. Mot. By diligence in keeping our hearts we should prevent and remove the fatal scandals and stumbling blocks out of the way of the world Wo to the world saith Christ because of offences Matth. 18. 7. doth not shame cover your faces doe not your hearts bleed within you to heare of the scandalous mâ—scarriages of many loose professors could you not like Shem and Iaphet goe backward with a garment to cover the shame of many professors how is that worthy name blasphemed 2 Iames 7. 2. Sam. 12. 13 14. the hearts of the righteous sadned Psal. 25. 3. Ezek. 36. 20. by this the world is fearfully prejudiced against Christ and religion the bonds of death made fast upon their Souls those that had a general love and likeing to the ways of God staâ—tled and quite driven back and thus Soul bloud is shed wo to the World Yea how are the Consciences of fallen professors plunged and even overwhelmed in the deeps of trouble God inwardly excommunicating their Souls from all comfortable fellowship with himself and the joys of his salvation infinite are the mischiefs that come by the scandalous lives of professors And what is the true cause and reason of all this but the neglecting of their hearts were our hearts better kept all this would be prevented had David kept his heart he had not broken his bones a neglected careless heart must of necessity produce a disorderly scandalous life I thanke God for the freedome and faithfulness of a reverend brother in shewing professors their manifold miscarriages and from my heart doe wish that when their wounds have been throughly searched by that probe God would be pleased to heal them by this Plaister O professors if ever you will keep religion sweet if ever you hope to recover the credit of it in the world keep your hearts either keep your hearts or lose your credit keep your hearts or lose your comforts keep your hearts least ye shed Soul bloud what words can express the deep concernments the wonderful consequences of this work every thing puts a necessity a solemnity a beauty upon it 8. Mot. An heart well kept will fit you for any condition God casts you into or any service he hath to use you in He that hath learnt how to keep his heart lowly is fit for prosperity and he that knows how to use and apply to it Scripture promises and supports is fit to pass through any adversity he that can deny the pride and selfishness of his heart is fit to be imployed in any service for God such a man was Paul he did not only spend his time in preaching to others in keeping others vineyards but he lookt to himself kept his own vineyard 1 Cor. 9. 27. Least when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast away and what an eminent instrument was he for God he could turn his hand to any work he could dexterously manage both an adverse and prosperous condition I know how to abound and how to suffer want let the people deifie him it moves him not unless to indignation Let them stone him he can bear it if a man purge himself from these saith he 2 Tim. 2. 21. He shall be a Vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the masters use and prepared unto every good work First the heart must be purged and then t is prepared for any service of God when the heart of Isaiah was purified which was the thing signified by the touching of his lips with a coal from the Altar Isai. 6. 7. then he was fit for Gods work here am I send me v. 8. a man that hath not learned to keep his heart put him upon any service for God and if it be attended with honour it shall swell up and overtop his spirit if with suffering it will exanimate and sink him Jesus Christ had an instrumental fitness for his fathers work above all the servants that ever God imployed he was zealous in publick work for God so zealous that sometimes he forgat to eat bread yea that his friends thought he had been besides himself but yet he so carried on his publick work as not to forget his own private communion with God and therefore you read in Matth. 14. 23. that when he had been labouring all day yet after that he went up to a mountain apart to pray and was there alone O let the keepers of the vineyards look to their own vineyard we shall never be so instrumental to the good of others as when we are most diligent about our own Souls 9. Mot. If the people of God would more diligently keep their hearts how exceedingly would the communion of Saints be thereby sweetnedâ— How goodly then would be thy tents O Iacob and thy tabernacles O Israel then as t is prophesied of the Jews Zech. 8. 23. Men would say we will go with you for we have heard that God is among you T is the fellowship your Souls have with the Father and with the Son that draws out the desires of others after fellowship with you 1 Ioh. 1. 3. I tell you if Saints would be perswaded to take more pains and spend more time about their hearts there would quickly be such a divine lustre upon the face of their coversations that men would account it no small priviledge to be with or near them T is the pride passion and earthliness of our hearts that hath spoiled Christian fellowship whence is it that when Christians meet they are often jarring and contending but only their unmortified passions whence are their uncharitable censures of their brethren but only from self ignorance why are they so rigid
I wish many Christians could truly say what a Heathen once did I doe not give but only lend my self to my business T is said Germanicus reigned in the Romans hearts Tyberius only in their Provinces though the world be in your hands let it not justle Christ out of your hearts Take heed Christian least thy shop steal away thy heart from thy closet God never intended earthly imployments for a stop but rather for a step to heavenly ones O let not Aristippus the Heathen arise in judgement against thee who said he would rather neglect his means then his mind his farm then his Soul 〈◊〉 thy ship be overladen thou must cast some over-bord more business then thou canst well mannage is like more meat then thou canst well digest which will quickly make a sickly Soul 4. Mea. He that means to keep his heart must carefully observe its first declinings from God and stop it there He that will keep his house in good repair must stop every chinke assoone as discovered and he that will keep his heart must not let a vain thought be long neglected the serpent of heart Apostasâ—e is best killed in the egge of a small remission O if many poor decayed Christians had lookt to their hearts in time they had never come to that sad pass they now are we may say of heart neglects as the Apostle doth of vain bablings that they increase to more and more ungodliness nemo repentè fit turpissimus little sins neglected will quickly become great and masterless the greatest Crocodile once lay in an egge the greatest oake was once but an acorn the firing of a small train of powder may blow up all by leading to a greater quantity men little think what a proud vain wanton or worldly thought may grow to behold how great a matter a little fire kindles 5. Mea. Take heed of loseing the liveliness and sweetness of your communion with God least thereby your hearts be loosed off from God The heart is an hungry and restless thing it will have something to feed upon if it enjoy nothing from God it will hunt for something among the creatures and there it often loses it self as well as its end there is nothing more engages the heart to a constancy and evenness in walking with God then the sweetness which it tasts therein as the Gauls when once they tasted the sweet wine of Italy could never be satisfied till they conquered the countrey where it grew T is true Conscience of duty may keep the heart from neglecting it but when there is no higher motive it drives on deadly and is filled with distractions that which we delâ—ght in we are never weary of as is evident in the motions of the heaâ—t to earthly things where the wheels being oyled with delight run nimbly and have often need of trigging the motions of the heart upward would be as free if its delight in heavenly things were as great 6. Mea. Habituate thy heart to spiritual meditations if thou wouldst have it freed from thosâ— burdensome diversions By this means you will get a facillity and dexterity in heart work t is pity those smaller portions of our time betwixt solemn duties should lye upon our hands and be rendred useless to us O learn to save and be good husbands upon your thoughts to this purpose a neat Authour speaks these Parentheses which happen to come between the more solemn passages whether business or recreations of humane life are wont to be lost by most men for want of a due value for them and even by good men for want of skill to preserve them for though they doe not properly despise them yet they neglect or lose them for want of knowing how to rescue them or what to doe with them but although grains of sand and ashes be a part but of a â—eâ—picable smalness and lyable to be scatâ—â—red and blown away yet the skilful artificer by a vehement fire brings numbers of these to afford him â—hat noble substance glass by whose help we may both see ourselves and our blemishes lively represented as in looking glasses and discern caelestial objects as with Tellescopes and with the sun beams kindle disposed materials as with burning glasses so when these little fragments or parcels of time which if not carefully lookt to would be dissipated and lost come to be managed by a skilful Contemplator and to be improved by the caelestial fire of devotion they may be so ordered as to afford us both looking glasses to dress our Souls by and prospectives to discover heavenly wonders and incentives to inflame our hearts with zeal thus far he Something of that nature I have under hand for a publick benefit if God give life to finish and opportunity to produce it certainly this is a great advantage for the keeping of the heart with God IV. Vse for Consolation I Shall now close the whole with a word or two of consolation to all dilligent and serious Christians that faithfully and closely ply heart work that are groaning and weeping in secret over the hardness pride earthliness and vanity of their hearts that are fearing and trembling over the experienced deceitfulness and falsness of them whilest other vain professors eyes are abroad their time and strength eaten up by fruitless disputes and earthly imployments or at best by a cold and formal performance of some heartless and empty duties poor Christian I have three things to offer thee in order to thy support and comfort and doubtless either of them alone mixed with faith is sufficient to comfort thee over all the trouble thou hast with thine own heart 1. Comfort This argues thy heart to be upright and honest what ever thy other gifts and abillities are T is uprightness of heart will comfort thee upon a death-bed 2 Kings 20. 2 3. Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord saying remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart c. I am really of his mind who said si mihi daretur optio eligerim christiani rustici sordidissimum maxime agreste opus prae omnibus victoriis triumphis Alexandri auâ— Caesaris might I have my wish I would prefer the most despicable and sordid work of a rustick Christian before all the victories and triumphs of Alexander or Cesar. Yea let me adde before all the elaborated duties and excellent gifts of vain professors before the tongues of men and Angels it will signifie more to my comfort to spend one solitary hour in mourning before the Lord over heart corruption then many hours in a seeming zealous but really dead performance of common duties with the greatest inlargements and richest embellishments of parts and gifts By this very thing Christ distinguishes the formal and serious Christian Matth. 6. 5. The one is for the street and Synagogue for the observation and applause of men but the other is a closet