this present World but after this Life was over were never to have any more And now I am afraid I am one of them and so there 's an end of my Portion only I must go to my other Portion that will be very dreadfull How can I bear the thoughts Oh I die I perish I am consumed with dying Num. 17.12 13. CHAP. VIII Wherein is endeavoured to mark out who or what manner of persons they are that are like to have all their Good in this present World THe fifth particular proposed in the entrance upon this point and for carrying on the discourse was to endeavour to mark out so far as may be who that man or woman is that in such a condition is like to have all their Good things in this present World For every one is apt to put it off from themselves and to shift the charge whilst in general upon another Every one is ready to go away and say I hope it is not I I hope that God hath a better Portion for me We are unwilling to look upon our selves as the persons in particular to be concerned if the thing spoken of be represented as evil or under the face of danger Fain would we catch at what is good as belonging to us though we have no Title to it and loth are we to apply unto our selves the evil as having nothing to do therewith though the thing it self do immediately concern us And therefore as a narrow impartial search into the state of our hearts and waies is our undoubted duty so help for the carrying on this search and the discovery of our state cannot be but exceeding usefull Now let us endeavour to enquire and search out who that man or woman is that is like to have all his or her Good in this present World that living and dying in such a condition as I am now about to speak of in the present condition wherein he is if there be not a saving change wrought upon him is certainly the man to whom the Lord pronounceth it this day that his Portion is in this present World Now who is he §. I. Answer First That Man to whom God gives nothing in this Life but what meerly belongs to this Life that is the man apparently who is like to have all his Portion here If God give thee an estate and load thee with outward mercies yet if he give thee not somewhat besides thy Estate a Principle that is a seed of Eternal Life in thee here in this World certainly he never intends Good to thee in the World to come If thou hast health and strength of body vigour and ingenuity of the mind with a rare accomplished ripeness of the faculties of the Soul if thou hast Power and Authority in thy hand with an honourable respect from those with whom thou doest converse If a rich and ample confluence of all outward mercies requisite to felicitate the Life of man meet upon thee so as nothing's wanting of all that thy Soul desires yet if by a work of regeneration there be not here a Principle and seed of Eternal Life laid and implanted in thee John 4.14 and a Well of water springing up into everlasting Life but thou livest and dyest in the midst of these enjoyments without the earnest of an Eternal Inheritance upon thy Heart certainly thou art the man who hast all thy good things here and never art to expect any good hereafter For those to whom God intends good hereafter he gives to such an earnest of that Eternal Good here in this World by putting a Principle that is a seed of Eternall Life into them There are many men have a great deal in this World they are rich and fat and full and they say they hope God will be mercifull to them in the World to come Now this is a certain truth that man who is a stranger to Spiritual mercies in this World God will deny Eternal Mercy to him in the World to come The one has an Infallible dependance upon the other Where there is not a work of true saving Grace there shall never be a State of Glory Grace must go before or Glory can never follow after It is against that Divine Order that God has fixed in Order to Eternal things to give Glory to Graceless Souls He gives Glory but Grace too The Lord will give Grace and Glory Psal 84.11 first Grace and then Glory This therefore should be thy care doth God encrease my Estate in this World say oh that the Lord would give me a proportionable measure of Grace too else it is nothing It will be nothing to my advantage to have an Estate unless I have Grace also aright to use it Say Lord thou givest me here a great Estate if thou givest me not a proportionable measure of Grace to use it to thy Glory I had better have been without it Is this your care Let me put it to your conscience Are you as solicitous for Grace to use your Estates aright as you are industrious for the gaining of them As your Estates encrease does your care in like manner grow and are you earnest at the Throne of Grace for the like due improvment of them to the Glory of the Donor If this be your course Luk. 10.42 Phil. 1.6 it is a good argument you have chosen the better part for your Portion and that there is a good work begun in you which will be performed untill the day of Christ And that you have laid up in store for your selves a good Foundation against the time to come 1 Tim. 6.19 that you may lay hold on Eternal Life But now if there be no work upon the Soul in Order to the Life to come it is not all a man's Worldly comforts and enjoyments here that can assure him in the least of an interest in Eternal Mercies but undoubtedly he is the man that has hâ— Good things here §. II. Secondly You may examine bâ— the workings of your Hearts about your present Portions Seâ— the frame and temper of yoâ— Hearts about your Worldly Comforts as whether youâ— Hearts terminate in what yoâ— do enjoy A Carnal Heart takeâ— up with its enjoyments Thâ— Creature is its resting-place â— desires no more can look no further than to the things of thiâ— present World Whereas one that is Godly and hath his Portion beyond these things though he enjoy the Good things of this Creation yet he looks beyond it and God alone is the Adequate Object of his Soul it is God alone that gives his Soul satisfaction When he can taste the Love â—f God in the Creature and see â—he goodness of God therein it â—s so far sweet unto him or else â—t is dry and barren and yields â—o more taste nor relish than â—here is as Job saies in the white â—f an egg Job 6.6 Thus the rich man â—akes up in his riches and speaks â—o his Soul take thine ease Luk.
COSMO-MEROS THE Worldly Portion OR The best Portion of the Wicked and their Misery in the Enjoyment of it OPENED and APPLYED Together with some Directions and Helps in order to a Heavenly and better Portion enforced with many Usefuâ— and Divine Considerations By SETH BVSHELL D.D. Imaginaria in seculo nihil veri Tertul. de Coron Mil. Cap. 3. Omnis mihi copia quae Deus meus non est egestas est Aug. Conâ— lib. 13. cap. 8. LONDON Printed for Will. Thackeray at the Angel in Duck-Lane Anno Dom. 1682. TO THE Honourable and worthy Gentleman Sir Charles Hoghton of Hoghton in LANCASHIRE Baronet Grace and Peace SIR THE Price that Gregory Nazianzen Orat. 1. that famous Divine did set upon all his Athenian â—earning wherein he greatly â—xcelled was no other but only â—his That he had something of Worth to esteem as nothing in â—omparison of Christ Herein imiâ—ating the Example of St. Paul â—ho though he profited in the â—ewish Religion above many oâ—â—ers yet when the Son of God â—as Revealed in him Gal. 1.14.16 Phil. 3.8 laid it all â—de as Loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord. And it was the Devout Profession which St. Austin once made of himself Confess lib. 3. c. 4. when speaking of the great delight which he took in Cicero's Hortensius as containing a most liberal Exhortation to the love of Wisdom without any byass or partiality towards Sects he affirmeth that the heat of this his Delight was by this onely Reason abated because there was not in that Book to be found the Name of Christ without which Name nothing though otherwise never so polite and elaborate could wholly possess those Affections which had been trained up to a nobler study The consideration of which Sacred Affections in those holy men and the like in all such who are principled with the like precious Faith and Grace so as the Loadstone upon their Affections is as Bucer used to say that Aliquid Christi is undoubtedly the strongest Motive and Encouragement emboldning many Persons beyond their proper Inclination and inviting them to the Publishing of those Papers which otherwise might have been shut up and smothered in the confused rubbish of a private Closet So much of Encouragement is contributed unto Christian Labours from a faithful and ready acceptance of them Who amongst men but under a due reflection upon themselves must needs be conscious of their insufficiency especially in matters of such Import for which the Apostle implies None to be suffificient 2 Cor. 2.16 2 Cor. 3.5 The sence whereof could not but shut a man up in silence did not the consideration of that Christian Candor and Love to the least Glimpse of Truth wherewith gracious Hearts are endued on the one part and a desire to help in the building of the spiritual Temple on the other part bear a man out beyond his proper temper and inclination especially in an Age wherein Critical Censure holds an universal judgment 1 Tim. 3.16 Great is the Mystery of Godliness great also is that Natural Blindness that is upon the hearts of men and those who are Enlightned 1 Cor. 13 9 they see but in part and know but in part and if but in part then there is a part they do not know In which respect the best may truly take up the Apology of that good Father Si nihil aliud profecerim saltem Socraticum illud habeo scio quod nescio SIR The many Experiences of your Abundant Favours and of your Family and free Expressions of Love towards me have not only obliged but emboldened me to Prefix your Honoured Name before these poor Pieces of my Labours in God's Church Other Argument in these Papers there is none to procure either your Honours View or Patronage than this One which that good Father could not find in all the Writings of Plato and Cicero That they have for the Subject of them the Discovery of the emptiness and insufficiency of all Creature Comforts and Worldly Enjoyments as to the true satisfactory and saving Enrichment of the Soul and this in order to the advancement of the Kingdom and good Things of that high and holy Person the knowledge of whom is not only our Greatest Learning but our Eternal Life In this Confidence I have presumed to present these Papers to your Honour as a Publick Testimony of my most Humble Duty And that I might with most Hearty Prayers Commend you and yours to the Good of God's Chosen Psa 106.5 â—â—d after a Plentiful Enjoyment of the Blessings of Life here to the full Fruition of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Col. 1.12 hereafter Now that God may be the Strength of your Heart and your Portion for ever is the unfeigned desire of Your Honours Beneficiary In all humble Observance SETH BVSHELL TO THE READER Courteous Reader THe Ensuing Treatise is the Substance of several Sermons under some Abridgments though not altered as to their Method Our Lot is fallen I must confess into a forward age wherein men are rash for and ripe in censure and usually those who are least able to judge we find to be most free in passing sentence I know from what I dayly see that some will presently be ready upon the first view to spend a puff of breath in some sudden and undigested Quaere as to what purpose is this Why this Subject Why in this Form To such and this Preposterous Frame I shall onely say That we live in an Age that 's over Squeamish whose Nauseous Frame through sin and faction is so indisposed that let Divine and Sound Truths thougâ— in what Mould soever cast be presented they shall scarcely find acceptance Sin has filled our Stomachs with bad Humours and wholesomâ— food will not be digested We are loth to stay by Truth till it take hold of us only with Pilate if we have any they are some sudden flashing Quoeres about it as what is Truth Joh. 18.38 And then we turn aside Exceptions enough Treatises of this Nature shall meet withal from men of the World as to matter manner words form method This say some is too flat others too sharp This too high that too low This too plain that too polite Here is too short there is too long Here too concise there it is tedious Thus all men almost as to the Books they meet with pass a d fferent Censure according to the severall sense they have of things and their various fancies Jam. 4.10 Psal 25.9 All become Judges of the Law but the meek humble-hearted learners to whom the promise is made of being taught are but a very few As it was in our Saviours time so 't is now men are hardly gain'd Though there is no net comparable to that of the Gospell as ordered and fitted in all Respects to take yet the men of this World have their cunning shifts to evade
it and cheat themselves by misconstructions into ruin Let John come to them in the way of righteousness in the most Austere Abstemious and Severest way of living and they say â—at 11.18 19. 21.32 he hath a Devil Let the Son of Man come eating and drinking and they say Behold a man gluttonous and a Wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and Sinners The Children of this World will neither be Piped into a Dancing Frame Mat. 11.17 nor Mourned into a Lamenting Temper Oh how wayward men are and hard to be won What subtil shifts have they found out and thereby only to Gull their Souls into Eternal ruin Let the Law be expounded and the Sins therein forbidden and Duties Commanded urged home upon thâ— Conscience then you shall have men start aside like broken bows These say they are hard sayings who can hear them Oh say they here 's nothing to be heard but Hell and Damnation and a heavy Yoke and grievous Burdens which to take up and bear there 's neither delight nor pleasure You shall find them to be of the same Temper with those the Prophet mentions for after you have done all you can they will hold fast their deceit refusing to return Jer. 8.5 Let the Gospell in its excellency and beauty be presented to them and the good things of the Kingdom of Heaven never so freely tendred thereby to win them over and gain them to Christ so as the Word seems to stream out Milk and Hony yet they would rather dye in their Sins Joh. 8.24 than believe and be saved So true is that mournfull complaint of our Saviour over a disobedient and gain-saying people Joh. 5.40 Luk. 13.34 Ye will not come to me that ye might have Life for though I would have gathered you together as a Hen doth gather her brood under her wings yet ye would not Hence it may well be said that there can be but small Hopes of doing much good either by speaking or writing What then Shall any who are entrusted with a talent hide it in a Napkin Luk. 19.20 Shall Mortal Man be more wise than God or shall he confront the Wisdom of the Almighty The Lord Commanded Ezekiel Ezek. 37.4 Mat. 3.9 to Prophesie upon dry bones and the same God is able of stones to raise up Children unto Abraham How easie is it for him that made the Heart to new mould it and to take away the stony Heart and to give an Heart of Flesh Ezek. 36.26 Act. 17.26 And since he hath determined the times before appointed which are so ordered by his over-ruling Providence as may be most Conducent to his own Glorious Ends therefore 't is an excellent Piece of Christian Prudence as well as Duty to employ our selves and laâ— out the Talents we are betrusteâ— with on a good design and to acquiesce in his Dispensations leaving the Issue to the Lord his blessing This is according to that of the Prophet to sow beside all Waters Isa 32.20 And as the wiseman directs to cast our bread upon the Waters Eccles 11.1 Let 's not dispute neither curiously enquire What this Man shall do Or what the other How this will take Or how the other What will become of this Or what the other But let us labour to acquaint our selves with the Kingdom of God and sincerely exercise our selves in the Duties of that Kingdom and this will be Peace in the end We have a Word for it Mark the perfect Man and Behold the upright for the end of that Man is Peace Psal 37.37 Briefly Reader from the Naâ—ure of this discourse and plainness â—f its style which I have endeaâ—oured agreeable thereunto thou â—ayest percieve that the design â—hereof is not by a neat Couch of Words either to feed an aiery fanâ—y or to blandish an itching huâ—or but its intent is to do thy â—oul good and really to settle it upâ—n that better Portion the good â—hings whereof are such as shall never be taken away from thee Thine in all Christian Duty and Service Seth Bushell THE Worldly Portion LUKE 16.25 Son remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things CHAP. I. Containing the Drift and Scope of the Parable with the Observations from the Words Sect. I. THe Scope and Drift of our Saviour Christ in this Parable begun Verse 19 is to be gaâ—hered not from the precise conâ—â—deration of any particular part â—hereof but from a survey of the Series of the whole in generaâ— in the which yet we find the beâ— thereof chiefly and principalâ— inclining towards and so maâ— be resolved into these six partâ—culars which put together 〈◊〉 summ up the whole First To shew the vanity 〈◊〉 confidence reposed in worldâ— things or the placing our felâ— city in the enjoyment of thâ— things of this present life Whâ—â— more of the good things heâ— below could the rich man haâ—â— desired to have rendred hâ— condition happy what moâ— could he have wished to feliâ—tate his estate who had his beâ—ly filled with the best to an oveâ— flow his body clothed in tâ— richest array his Coffers storâ— with a stock of rich Provisioâ— for the future and a large Râ—venue to perpetuate the feliciâ—â— of his Posterity and so migâ—â— say to his Soul in the languaâ—â— of the world Soul take thiâ— ease And yet we see he wâ— truly miserable in the midst of all for ere long if not that night the fool's Soul was required of him Luke 12.19 20. Secondly It is sometimes the lot of those that fear God to be miserable and afflicted in this present World Though no good thing is wanting to them the which is not supplied some other way yet many of those which are accounted the good things of this life they may seem to stand in need of and their worldly supplies are but mean and low Yet under such despicable outsides there lies a treasure of more worth than all the world And under such their contemptible appearances there is a jewel and grain which God will own as his in the day when he makes up his Jewels Mat. 13.30 Mal. 3.17 and gathers the wheat into his barn Thirdly That such as are in misery and afflicted in this world are not to be contemned but compassionately dealt withal They to whom God haâ— given of the good things of this life to enjoy Phil. 4.14 Isa 58.7 Job 31.17 are to communicate with their afflictions and not tâ— hide themselves from their own flesh They are not to eat their morsel alone but with Job to impart it to the needy For whosâ— hath this world's good and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him 1 John 3.17 Fourthly That the Torments of hell are unsufferably grievous extended to the uttermost height and pitch that a creature in Being and without annihilation can undergo They are adequately suited to the uttermost
therâ— with and in nature only fittâ—â— and suited for its service so â— when this Life ends its respâ—ctive service is concluded wiâ— it The men of the world eâ—quire after no more but whâ— shall we eat Mat. 6.31 1 Joh. 2.16 what shall we drinâ— and wherewithall shall we be clâ—thed The lust of the flesh the lâ— of the eyes and the pride of Liâ— fills up the Scene of their lives That 's all they look after the care for no more Now theâ— good being all temporal anâ— wholly so it must needs be bounded with this present Life Sâ— that when their Life ends thâ—â— all their good determines witâ— it CHAP. VII â—f the condition of such men who have all their good in this present Life with respect to the nature of the good things they do here enjoy §. I. THe opening of this subject the Worldy mans good is so â—sefull and the concern thereof â—o general in order to the discoâ—ery of the sin and folly of the â—eceitfull and desperately-wickâ—d heart of man and the awakeâ—ing of it to enquire and look â—ut for a better good that the â—ull improvement of a point of â—his nature cannot be but beneficial if duely considered in the various and distinct respects â—hereof Therefore now in the next place we are to take a view of the condition of such men all whose good is in thiâ— present world and this with 〈◊〉 respect to the nature of the good they do here enjoy which iâ— poor low and mean then accordingly must their condition need be The nature and quality oâ— the good which the person fixes upon does influence the condition of the person so as to render it consentaneous to it self Iâ— the good be true real and lasting then the condition of the person whose good it is is happy joyfull and blessed But if the good be deceitfull perishing and a meer apparent then the condition of the person is wretched miserable and accursed as having nothing to hold by and lean unto but that which is and makes him so And first consider how poor and mean the things are that the men of the World do here enjoy What are their comforts for the most part but imaginary such as tickle and please fancy or sense a while and then â—hey pass away and are gone The things that make such a noise and for which there is â—uch a bustle in the World all the good of them is but such as for a while pleases the imagination or tickles the fancy in the perâ—uit of them and when it should come to be enjoyed and laied â—old on by the embracing and â—etentive faculty of the soul then â—t turns into a Cloud Ixion's Juno and vanishes away The profit about to express Ephraim's vanity upon this account saies That Ephraim feedeth on the wind Hos 12.1 That was but a silly food that Ephraim fed upon light and vain and puffing up like a Witches feast leaving the soul empty and unsatisfied There was no substantial real good in the food that Ephraim fed upon the Objects of his persuit were vain and all his pleasant daintes deceitfull meat It was Isa 29.8 even as when an hungery man dreameth and behold he eateth but he awaketh and his soul is empty or as when a thirsty man dreameth and behold he drinketh but 〈◊〉 awaketh and behold he is faint anâ— his soul hath appetite The imaginary good that is in the thing of this Life may puff up the heart and make it swell with pride anâ— vanity but the soul alas thâ— better part cannot relish or feeâ— upon it Thus a man may havâ— his hearts desire but there 's leaness sent into his soul Psal 106.5 And a when a bladder is filled up wiâ— wind it biggens and swells anâ— seems as though it would provâ— some great solid and substantiaâ— thing but one prick with a piâ—â— makes the whole abortive and le ts out all the wind even sâ— the men of the World they fatten swell grow great looâ— big in their own and otherâ— eyes but when the prick oâ— death comes it lets out all their comforts their Sun sets in â— Cloud Then all darkness shall bâ— hid in their secret places and a fire â—ot blown shall consume them Job â—0 26 And then whose shall those â—hings be which they have provided â—uk 12.20 Adrian the Emperor when about to die and the King â—f terrors drew near unto him and â—e was to bid adieu unto all his Worldly Glory and to launch â—ut into the depth of Eternity How dismal was his condition â—nd how poor and mean did all Worldly Good appear in his â—ye Animula vagula blandula Hospes comesque corporis Quae nunc abibis in loca Pallidula rigida nudula Ne ut soles dabis Jocos The wise Solomon in his dissuasive from the immoderate love and persuit of the things of this Life and more particularly that piercing lust of the eyes riches 1 Tim. 6.10 1 John 2.16 useth this argument and tells us â—hey are not he knows not how to praedicate any thing of substance or reality on them Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that whiâ—â— is not saith he Prov. 23.5 is not there is no reality in All the good you fancy to 〈◊〉 therein it is but imaginary it not true nor real and therefoâ— oh doe not set your heart upoâ— it Psal 62.10 it 's not worthy nor wortâ— the while to adulterate your precious souls therewith Wheâ— Agrippa and Bernice came in greâ— Pomp and State to the Assembly as you may read Acts. 25.23 that which we read Pomp it iâ— in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a great fancâ— However they themselves or others might look upon it yet thâ— Holy Ghost tells us That it was bâ— a fancy there was nothing real iâ— it All the Pomp and Jollity iâ— the World is but a fancy Thiâ— is the nature of all Worldly good it is a good but meerly iâ— imagination having no more worth therein than what the fancy puts upon it Thus as the Earth is hang'd upon nothing Job 26.7 So all the Good of the Worldly Man is doubly hang'd on nothing not only in that it is of the earth earthy but hung upon his own conceit which is vanity and less than nothing §. II. Secondly All worldly good it is of a very low nature so far below â—he soul that better and immorâ—al part of man that it cannot â—each it neither can the soul in â—ts excellent motions hold any â—onverse with it There is no Adequate Proportion between â—n Immortal Soul and all or â—ny earthly good whatever The soul is a spiritual substance â—n eternal Being But Worldly Good is caduce and vain The â—rophet speaking of the Egyptiâ—ns Horses saies Isa 31.3 They are flesh â—nd not spirit So it may be said â—f all Worldly Excellency it is as â—esh vain and fading and not â—f a lasting nature as the immorâ—al
part of man The soul is a spiritual Being high and of a noble extract Worldly good is as flesh low and of the earth earthy The soul requires Homogeneous and similar objects to converse withall whereas all Wordly Good it is but a belly-full if so it but fills the belly according to that of the Prophet Psal 17.14 And hence Worldly minded Men do make their Belly their God whose God is thee Belly saith the Apostle Phil. 3.19 But what is that to the Soul Their Body may be fat the eye stand out with fatness Psal 73.7 when the Soul may be in a pooâ— and wretched condition leanesâ— sent into the soul Psal 186.15 Luk. 12.19 Indeed the ricâ— man in the Gospel did say Soâ— take thine ease for thou hast goâ—â— laid up for many years eat drinâ— c. What 's all this to the Soul S. Ambrose hath such a speech upon the place If the Man saâ— he had the Soul of a Swine wâ—â— could be said otherwise If he 〈◊〉 had the Soul of a Swine this 〈◊〉 course had been suitable to him for these things are agreeing to the Soul of a Swine but greatly below the excellency and dignity of the rational and immortal soul of man These are things whose bounds are here below upon the earth and their course is in the Orbs of this present World whilst the true rest of the soul it is above and its regular and proper motion is upwards though by sin now obstructed to the God of the Spirits of all flesh Num 16.22 the Original and Fountain of its Being And therefore no full and perfect close can there be between the Soul of Man and all his Worldâ—y Good the one in its Nature and Original being so high and excellent and the other so mean and low §. III. Thirdly You shall fâ—nd that no man is a whit the better because of outward things these may render the outward condition of one man in the World better thaâ— that of another but they never make the man a jot the better in reference to that excellency from whence truly Good has its denomination Do we account the man the better because of his fine clothes rich aray sumptuous buildings large possessions ample provisions great retinue stately port and garbe and the like magnificence True it is this is a resplendent piece oâ— glory in the eye of the World amusing it by its dazling lustreâ— but for all this the person wherâ— it is is not a whit the better This may render him the greater man and perhaps may pejorate and undoubtedly wherâ— not satisfied will and does corrupt his conditions more buâ— the better man it can never make him Solomon tells us that the heart of the wicked is little worth Prov. 10.20 His estate may be somewhat worth and so may his house and lands too but his heart it is little worth There 's no true excellency nor worth at all in that part out of which the worth of a man cannot lye and therefore miserably worthless is the man for all the possessions glory and good things of this present World by him enjoyed cannot in the least add unto his worth whilst his heart is so little worth The person whose these enjoyments are may meet with high and suitable entertainment in the World but if we search into the grounds of such respect and examine whence it is we shall find â—t given not upon the account of any intrinsick worth whether natural or acquired of his own but it is for his servants sake his rich enjoyments for otherwise in him there is no worth at all It was the speech of Socrates once to one Achilous who had a fine house and many brave things there saith he There are many come to see thy house tâ— view thy Chambers to walk thy Galleries and to delight themselves in those fine Objects there but no body comes to see thee They know there 's a worth iâ— the fine house and in the fine furniture in thy fruitfull Orchards and pleasant Gardens buâ— they see no worth in thee Thâ— good things of the World makâ— no man truly better they neither give grace nor glory theâ— do not truly enoble and enricâ— the mind man's spiritual condition is not bettered by them but in the fulness of such sufficiencies the condition of the possessoâ— is the same it was as to sin oâ— grace though oftentimes in respect of sin a great deal worse §. IV. Fourthly Suppose the good things of the World were a suitable Object for the Soul yâ— what thou hast here is but a very poor pittance a scanty portion a l that thou hast is but a very little piece of the World If thou hadst the Devills offer at thy command Mat. 4.9 All these things will I give thee thou would'st think that to be a matter of some moment yea but if God should make a thousand Worlds more for thee to command all this were but a poor pittance to put off an Immortal Soul withal An Immortal Soul is more precious than in its worth to be answered by the fulness of all terrene enjoyments But the all thou hast and which thou makest thy boast of is but a little Minnim in the World it is less than a point to the whole Circumference The Prophet Isaiah tells us that All Nations are as a drop of a Bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance Isa 40.15 What is thy dust then what is thy Soul and Land and possessions then If the Nations be but as the small dust of the balance before God then surely thy part how great soever in thine eye is as nothing before him and is counted to him less than nothing and vanity ver 17. As Socrates wittily rebuked the pride of Alcibiades who boasted of his Possessions and Mannors and that he had so much Land lay together he brought unto him his Map of the World and saies Pray shew me where your land lies here one prick of a pen would have described it all Search but for your great estates in the Map of the World and you see what a loss you are presently reduced unto they cannot be found You whose thoughts are raised within you upon the account of your Lands and Farmes and Mannors view but a Map of the World and you see what a little spot Great Brittain is unto the World and wherein then are your Farms and Mannors which you reckon so much upon to be accounted off It was Luthers expression concerning the Turkish Empire so vast and large as it is saies he It is but a crum that the Master of the Family casts to dogs Turcicum imperium quantum quantum est mica est quam paterfamilias canibus projicit Luth. in Genes The whole Turkish Empire in his esteem was but as a crum And when the World began a little to smile upon him and the Gospel through Gods mercy found some entertainment so as
the Opposition and Malignity wherewith he was before infested did seem to begin to cease and there were great gifts sent in to him by many of the great men of Saxony he fearing God would put him off with a present reward and lest here should be his Portion and to shew how little he valued the things of this present World saith he vehementer protestatus si m me nolle sic abeo satiari I did vehemently protest that I would not be put off with these outward good things He should not put me off so that 's his word according to the manner of the man you know the man and his language I did profess saies he the Lord should not put me off so It 's true they that are godly account themselves unworthy of the least mercy they have here in this World but there is this Practicall Maxim and Mistery of Religion that a gracious heart though he thinks himself unworthy of the least crum of bread yet all creatures in Heaven and Earth will not serve him to be his Portion nor give him satisfaction Though he hath an Heart that looks upon the least mercy as beyond his desert and upon himself with Old Jacob as not worthy of the least of all God's mercies Genes 32.10 yet if God should give him Heaven and Earth his Heart could not be satisfied with a l those enjoyments except God gives him himself too Therefore surely all the good thou doest enjoy being but a minute part if we may term it so of the good of the whole World is but a poor pittance and a very scanty Portion §. V. Fifthly The good things thou hast they will quickly vanish and come to nothing they are now ready to take wing and fly away Though at present thou enjoyest them yet thou hast no certainty of them they are things that want a Foundation and therefore it is said of Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he looked for a City that had Foundations Heb. 11.10 As if all worldly excellency here below had nothing certain to stay upon Job tells us that the earth is hang'd upon nothing Job 26.7 And if the earth it self hang on nothing than surely all earthly good must needs have but a vain Foundation There is a worm at the root of every creature and of all creature comfort that in time will consume it Jonâ—h's Gourd flourished fâ—r a short time and he sate under its shadow with great delight buâ— how soon did it fail and whither away It came up in a night and perished in a night Augustus nocturno visu stipem quotannis die certo emendicabat a populo cavam manum asses porrigentibus praebens Sueton in Aug. c. 19. Jonah 4.10 So it is with all creature-excellency it is but short liv'd so soon it passeth away and is quite gone Therefore riches are called uncertain riches 1 Tim. 6.17 neither trust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the uncertainty of riches which soon disappear or which are manifestly uncertain The pleasures of sin are but for a season Heb. 11.25 Nay the World passeth away and the lust thereof 1 Joh. 2.17 Therefore All that is in the World the lust of the flesh the lust of the eies and the pride of Life cannot be of any long continuance but will quickly vanish All that is in the World is but as a morning cloud or as the early dew which passeth away The morning cloud hovers about for a while in the air but by and by as evanid by the motion of the air and â—nfluenced upon by the beams of â—he Sun it is rarified dispersed â—nd gone The early dew lies â—or a while upon the tender grass â—ill the Sun arise and by its â—preading beams not only enâ—ightens but warms the Earth and Heavens and then they dew is â—xhaled dried up and gone How soon is a Garment worne â—ut and so cast by or upon â—he account of Fashion as grown â—ut laid aside 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transversas agit species So the Fashion â—f this World passeth away saith â—he Apostle 1 Cor. 7.31 And â—oon do the things thereof wax â—ld like a Garment and as a Veâ—ture change Psal 102.26 We â—ee that a dream is soon over â—nd a Night Vision quickly pasâ—ed the Dream ends in vanity â—nd the Vision disappears such â—re the good things of the World they are for a while as â—n appearance and anon they disappear again A Christian is made for an Eternal condition and so must leave these things behind him the Soul of Man it is an Immortal Being but aâ—l Worldly Good and comforts are transitory and can never attend their owners into their Eternal States When thou comest to enter upon thy Eternal State if thou shouldest then enquire what shall I have now What is' t of all I have that goes along with me now I have now thus much and thus much so much Lands such Farmes such Commings in such Revenues so much of Power Place Authority and Earthly greatness so much of Renown and Honour wealth in abundance a Multitude of Riches as in Psal 49.6 My Life is full But what shall I have now I come to enter in upon my Eternal State Truly nothing at all ye shall carry nothing away with you ver 17. But naked shall you return to go as you came and shall take nothing of all your labour which you may carry away in your hand Eccles 5.15 How sad will the condition of that man be when â—he is to leave all behind him and has no good of an Eternal Nature to carry with him into his Eternal State If a man were to take a great voyage suppose to the Indies and all the Provision he makes is this he gets an Old leaking Vessel that can make shift to carry him a little way out of the Harbour towards the Ocean and he laies in a little Provision so much as might suffice for a short cut over some creek or to coast the Land to some neighbouring Port this he provides for and so goes on and begins his Voyage towardâ— the Indies and is gotten into the Ocean Alas the Vessell is a rotten Vessell altogether unfit for service and his Provision as poor as his Vessel worthless were not this an unwise man Truly this is the condition of thousands in the World they make no due Provision for their Eternal Estate Know you arâ— made for an Eternal Condition God intends Eternity to everâ— one of us and expects that ouâ— lives should be spent in makinâ— Provision for this our Eternaâ— Estate and we think of nothing but that we may providâ— for a few years here and live iâ— some fashion and be some bodâ— in the World and leave our posterity accordingly this is the whole that takes up our hearts and the thoughts of Eternity anâ— laid aside Oh when you comâ— to launch out into the vast Oceaâ— of Infinite Eternity what a strange alteration shall you find
How will your mindes be changed in you when you come to see that you have provided nothing for Eternal Life have made no Provision for Eternity And now all the Worldly Good you have enjoyed must be left behind you Oh the great difference there is between the same men within a few daies He that now flourisheth in all aâ—undance when he enters upon â—is Eternal Estate sees how he â—ust make his return naked and â—l his good shall go no further â—ith him His thoughts now â—ow are they changed from what â—â—ey were the difference will be 〈◊〉 vast and large that it seems 〈◊〉 bespeak him another man â—o uncertain and deceitfull is all â—is Worldly Good that it will â—ot carry him into another World §. VI. Sixthly All the good thou hast 〈◊〉 this present World it is no â—ther but what may stand with â—â—e Eternal hatred of an Infinite â—od towards thee It is consiâ—ent with God's Eternal hatred â—nd wilt thou rejoyce in this as 〈◊〉 thing of worth It may be â—â—e Portion of a Reprobate â—nd will this serve thy turn â—ill that give satisfaction to thy Soul that a Reprobate may havâ— at large as his Portion Therâ— are many now that are sweltrinâ— under the wrath of the Infinitâ— and Eternal God that have haâ— as much yea much more of thâ— good things of this present Lifâ— than ever you enjoyed The have had greater Estates thaâ— you more Honour and Glory iâ— the World than you lived meâ—rier lives than you and yet aâ—â— now under the wrath of God and like so to continue to all Eternity Will a Reprobates Portion serve thy turn Wilt thoâ— sit down contented with that notwithstanding which the wratâ— of God may abide upon thee Joâ— 3.36 Oh those things sureâ— are very low and mean thaâ— may stand with God's Eternaâ— hatred Consider the having thâ— Dominion of all the World maâ— but to have the least dram of saving Grace cannot stand witâ— God's Eternal hatred What â— difference then is there betweeâ— the having the least dram of true â—aving Grace and the enjoyment â—f all the World What a Goodly Portion is that then â—hat the Men of the World do so much rejoyce in and busie themâ—elves about Surely the straitness of thy heart is the cause why these creature good things seem so large unto thee They would not appear so big and large were not thy heart very strait and norrow As in a little Vessel a thing will appear big and great but in a mighty wide Vessel the same thing appears but small and little So when the Lord shall widen and enlarge thy heart by Grace then all the things of the World will be little to thee When God shall open and enlarge thine eye to see Spiritual things then will the things below comparatively appear to be exceeding small Grace hath the Image of God in it it bears God's likeness Now you know what God saies of himself Isa 40.15 That 〈◊〉 the World is but as a drop of a bucket and as the small dust of the ballance And so through thâ— Image of God in a Graciouâ— Heart the Soul saith thus oâ— the World as God saith of thâ— World that all the World iâ— but as the drop of a bucket and thâ— dust of the ballance to me Thâ— enlargment of the Heart through Grace effects a strange changâ— in the creature when the minâ— is renewed there 's a kind of transformation wrought So the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.2 Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind When the Lord promised to perswade Japhet to dwell is the Tents of Shem. Gen. 9.27 the words that is rendred perswade it signifies also to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dilatet Deus enlarge that he would enlarge the Heart of Japhet And indeed when God doth convert a Soul the Lord doth enlarge that Soul doth enlarge that Heart and therefore all the things of the World are now but little Grace raiseth up mans thoughts on high and so he looks upon that which is below as little Indeed if a man be below here and looks upon that which is next to him that hath any bigness in it it â—hews somewhat great but if a man were advanced on high upon the top of a Pinacle then that which seemed great appears but little to him So the men of the World that lye graveling here below and the curse of the serpent is upon them upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat Gen. 3.14 they think the things of the World to be great matters but Grace â—ifts up the Heart on high to God and Christ mounts it up to Eternity and then they can look upon all these things here below as mean things nay so altogether mean as they are consistent with the Eternal hatred of an Infinite God towards those who do enjoy them §. VII Seventhly All that the wickeâ— have in this World they holâ— but by a weak and feeble tenure they do not hold their good iâ— Capite Alas they have no Interest in the Lord Christ froâ— whom mercies are rightly derived unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Hom. 2. ad pop Antioc and who is the head of whom they do not hold Col. 2.19 They have no right unto the promises upon which the claim does lye They are noâ— within the bounds of the Covenant by vertue whereof they are issued out Yet neither do 〈◊〉 think the men of the World to be usurpers for what they lawfully get in the World I do not think they shall answer meerly for their using what they have meerly for their right to use but they shall answer for their noâ— right using They have some right unto the things they hold but their Tenure is such as may make them quake A right unto â—â—ings is diverse as from Justice â—reation Promise and Donation 1. There is a right from Juâ—â—ice when a claim is laid to a â—hing by Justice when it is no â—ore but what 's just and equal â—hat we enjoy that which we â—ay claim unto This right unto â—ood all mankind has lost by sinâ—ing All have sinned and come â—hort of this Sin has shut up all in â—ustice under Vengeance made men the object of Gods wrath â—nd hatred and the Subjects upon whom his Curse in Justice â—hould be inflicted all to Eternity For the wages of sin is death Rom. â—6 23 2. There is a right from Creation That right man had when first created and in his Innocency it was put into his hands Let them have dominion saith God over the Fish of the Sea and over the Fowl of the Air and over the Cattel and over all the Earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth Thâ— Dominion gives a right by Creation This Dominion is derived from God to Man and 〈◊〉 his right comes by Creation yet not simply by Creation bâ— as so
their share why Ouâ— Saviour tells us plainly Verily â— say unto you saies he they havâ— their reward They have it theâ— have it in this World they havâ— it now What they look for anâ— what falls to their share thâ— have it in hand present paâ— down right and without delaâ— They look for reverence respeâ— and applause amongst men aâ— they have it They would bâ— called of men Rabbi Rabbi 〈◊〉 men call them so They would be fat and shine according to that of the Prophet Jer. 5.28 and have their cup with the good things of this life to overflow and they have their desire This is the reward they look for and they have it Verily I say unto you they have their reward And here is all that ever they are like to have Thus Hypocritical services sometimes meet with Temporal good things here but they never reach Eternal §. X. Tenthly Let me ask the question hast thou been heretofore forward in the profession of Religion having had some works of Conviction and Illumination passed over thy conscience and so hast tasted the good word of God and the powers of the World to come hast thou formerly heard the word preached and with joy received it Heb. 6.5 Luk. 8.13 Isa 58.2 Si quis Christo temporalia praeponat non est in eo fundamentum Christus Aug. de Civit Dei lib. 21. cap. 26. hast thou taken delight in approaching unto God and to know his waies and now art turned back to the old Vomit and hast forsaken the waies of God so as those Ordinances which sometimes were sweet to thee are as unsavoury laid aside and have lost their wonted relish in thy account oh this is a fearfull sign that the World and Lusts thereof have gotten a strong hold in thy heart and sway the Scepter there and that thou art one of those who shall have all their good things here There is â— dreadfull Scripture for this iâ— Jerem. 17.13 O Lord the hoâ—â— of Israel all that forsake thee shaâ— be ashamed and they that deparâ— from me shall be written in thâ— Earth because they have forsakeâ— the Lord the fountain of liviâ—â— waters All that depart froâ— God shall be written in the Earth An heavy Doom is this for all those that have profeâ—â—â—â— the knowledge of God and his wayes and yet turn from the Holy Commandment delivered unto them Oh 2 Pet. 2.21 it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness then after they have known it to turn aside To depart from God after there has been a turning to him is so evil in it's nature Multi amissa charitate propterea non exeunt foras quia secularibus emolumentis tenentur sua quaerentes non quae Jesu Christi non a Christi unitate sed a suis commodis nolunt recedere Aug. de Bapt. Contr. Donat lib. 4. cap. 10. that it is a grievous provocation As in all sin there is a departing from God so this is attended with an extraordinary aggravation Hence the Lord expostulates the case with Israel about this sin in an upbraiding manner Jer. 2.5 Thus saith the Lord what iniquity have your fathers found in me that they are gone farr from me and have walked after vanity and are become vain And threatens them ver 9. Wherefore I will yet plead with you saith the Lord and with your Childrens Children will I plead I will not only plead with you but with your Childrens Children I will remember this your sin to suceeding generations And here they that depart from God and forsake his waies shall be written in the Earth The names of true believers are written in Heaven Luk. 10.20 they are enrolled there in those everlasting records ne'er to be razed nor blotted out They have an everlasting name that shall not be cut off Isa 56.5 But those that depart from the Lord have their names written in the Earth they may take their Portion there their name and substance is lodged in the Earth and after a while shall rot and perish Sad is the sentence of having the name written in the Earth which when it is sought for is blotted out and cannot bâ— found yet thus it will be with all those that depart from God they shall have their names written in the Earth Psal 109.13 He loved the Earth saith God of the worldling and let him take it he had rather have had a great name in the Earth to call his Lands after his own name Psal 49.11 than to have his name written in the Book of Life and so he forsook my waies therefore his name shall be written in the Earth and let him take his good things there But when my People come up in remembrance before me and the Book of remembrance shall be opened Mal. 3.16 to give them Eternal Mercies the memory of this man whose name is written in the Earth shall perish Therefore if thou hast been forward heretofore and now when thou commest to be more antient thou art remiss and dull and careless in the way and work of the Lord here 's a text for thee go home and tremble least thou be the man or woman whose name is written in the Earth and so art never to enjoy the good things of Heaven §. XI In the Eleventh place consider whether God at present do not curse thy blessings so as thou findest that the more thou hast the worse thou growest Thou art not bettter but worse from time to time by the good things of the WorId that are heaped upon thee The outward Portion thou enjoyest it worketh not for the better but for the worse unto thee True it is thou art better as to thy body thine eyes may stand out with fatness Psal 73.7 8. Job 20.6 Job 21.7.12 13. and collops of fat are upon thy flanks as Job has it chap. 15.27 thy head it reacheth unto the Clouds and thy tongue it walketh through the Earth Psal 73.9 thou art mighty in power and thy House is safe from fear thou spendest thy daies in wealth rejoycing at the sound of the Organ Thus thou hast got a belly-full of the good things of this World but how fares it with thy soul all the while Alas it 's poor and lean and thin and bare thy body 's in good likeing but there 's leaness sent into thy soul Psal 106.15 It 's worse with thee now than it was formerly Since thy brests are fashioned and thine hair is grown Ezek. 16.7 't is worse with the than when thou wast naked and bare In former daies thou wast more humble and holy and self-denying more pitifull and compassionate to the needy more upright and conscientious in thy dealings Job 20.23 But now in the fulness of thy sufficiency pride compasseth thee about as a chain and violence covereth thee as a garment Psal 73.7 The more thou hast the worse thou art grown This is a sign that together with thy
Portion thou hast the curse of God along upon thee And if so thou art the man that is likely to have all thy good things here He for whom there is a reservation of eternal mercies in the life to come has the blessing of God going along with his enjoyments here sanctifying them unto him and enabling him through grace to a right improvement of them so as his soul is bettered by them growing more thankfull more holy more heavenly this is the fruit of Gods grace and blessing as well upon a prosperous as adverse condition For all conditions of themselves are equally insufficient for the production of any spiritual good without the concurrence of Gods grace and blessing with them Now this argues something of good reserved in store for us for the time to come where the blessing of God is upon us in our enjoyments here keeping us low humble holy and self denying But where the mercies of God abound and the heart grows worse and worse so as the more that Worldly Good comes in the less of Spiritual Good there 's to be found this aboads the condition evil as having the curse of God upon it As if a man should eat meat at ones table and as soon as he hath eaten it begin to swell he will conclude certainly the meat was poysoned So when thy estate rises and thy heart riseth in pride together with it surely thy corruption poysoneth thy estate unto thee and instead of a blessing thou hast the curse of God upon it And if so thou mayest take the World here for thy portion for thou art the man who art likely to have no good thing hereafter §. XII Twelfthly Whether hath God convinced thee of that which stops the great current of his mercy and of the right way to have it opened What it is that laies as it were a restraint and why upon the current of his choice mercies and how that restraint is to be removed If the choice mercies in Christ be designed for thy portion this he has or will certainly convince thee of Now that which stops the great current of Gods choice mercies is Divine Justice and this by reason of our sin So that untill Divine Justice be satisfied and sin removed and taken away the great current of Gods choice mercies cannot be opened But now the Lord Christ the Son of God and Second Person in the Blessed Trinity he is come into the World and by his Blessed Mediation for us satisfies Divine Justice and is that Lamb of God Isa 53.11 Joh. 1.29 which takes away the sin of the World and in and through him only the great current of Gods Eternal Grace is opened even the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus Ephes 2.7 Now hath the Lord convinced thee of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 20.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 5.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 1.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 2.2 and let thee see thy great need of Christ and that without him thou art undone for ever so that thy heart breaths after him as the great and alone peace-maker between God and thy Soul Doest thou see that wide breach which thy sins have made between God and thee and which by no other means can be made up but only by the Mediation of the Son of God And art thou convinced that the current of Gods Eternal Mercies can flow out no other way towards thee but only through the Golden Pipe of the Lord Christ's Mediation And therefore thou sayest Lord it is not from any righteousness of mine nor from any thing that any Creature in Heaven or Earth can do that I expect to have my Portion but through the Mediation of the Son of God That 's the thing I look after my heart closes with that Mediation I looked upon that as the mean of all my worth and of the conveyance of all my mercies If it be thus with thee then here 's the man indeed that is not like to have his good things in this World He looks for other guess mercies from the Mediation of Christ than any this World can afford and in due time shall have them But now the man that has his Portion in this World looks no further but to Gods general bounty never considers what stops the great current of Gods Grace is not convinced of the indispensable perfection of Gods Justice nor of that infinite breach which sin as made betwixt God and Man is not sensible of the absolute need there is of Christ and of his satisfaction unto Divine Justice and so to pant after Christ for relief and succour through whom alone he may enjoy the pardon of his sin and have the Conduit of Gods choice mercies opened No these are all as Ridles to him he understands not what they mean all he looks after is some overflowings of Gods General bounty here in this World towards him in the enjoyment whereof had he 'em but he could securely acquiesce and sing a requiem to his Soul now Soul take thine ease as if his Soul were no other than of a brute This now is the man that is like to have all his good things here For those to whom God gives Eternal Mercies he convinces them of the evil of their sin of that infinite breach that sin has made between God and their Souls and how that no Creature in Heaven or in Earth could satisfie Divine Justice and make up that breach and open the current of Gods Eternal Grace but only the Lord Christ must come through whom alone there is Peace and Reconcilation to be enjoyed and so lets them see their absolute need of Christ for Salvation and stirs up all the powers of their Souls to breath after him and Eternal mercies in him Now if it be not thus with thee that God has not caused this Conviction-work to pass upon thy Soul and enlarged thy heart after these things through which he carries on his People to a full enjoyment of himself in Glory but thou sittest down under the shade of Gods general bounty and so makest to thy self a fig-leaf covering and there takest up thy rest know that the issues of Gods general bounty are like to be thy Portion and thou hast all thy good things here §. XIII Moreover that man is like to have all his good things in this present life whose days are spent and past away without some fear upon his heart lest God should put him off with the things of this present world He that enjoys a considerable Income of outward mercies and has not his Spirit sometimes touched with a fear and dread least God should put him off so this is very likely to be the man all whose good things are here There is some danger in this respect and
wicked their enjoyments If they have some litle â—efreshing before they dye some lightnings as they say before they launch out into the vast Ocean of dark â—ternity and so take an Eternaâ—â—arewell of all their joy and â—omfort â—hall you be displeased at this When your mercies are crown'd with further mercies Pro. 20.20 their Lamp it's puâ— out in obscure â—arkness when your account â—oncludes with joy theirs is â—umm'd up with a dismal total when your grace shall end in Heavenly Glory their Worldâ—y Glory shall shut up in Eternal woe and misery Oh then why â—hould you envy them their lucida intervalla a little before they dye I have read a story of a poor Souldier that was condemned to dye merely for taking a bunch of Grapes for there was a strict law that whosoever should take any thing from that place they went through should die for it Now this Souldier had taken a bunch of Grapes and was for that condemned to die and as he went to execution he went eating the bunch of Grapes and some came to him and said thou shouldest think of somewhat else he answered I beseech you Sirs do not envy me my Grapes they will cost me dear So may I say of all the men of the World we have no cause to envy them for any thing they have it will cost them dear §. IIII. Fourthly Hath God given you some Evidence of a better good reserved for you than in this world is to be enjoyed oh then study to know this good more and interest your selves therein more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 3.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3.8 This good is incomprehensible the love of Christ passeth knowledge Ephes 3.19 And the riches of Christ they are unsearchable Ephes 3.8 Never think with your selves that you are sufficiently acquainted with your chief good The excellency thereof is such that it will yet be the Object of more study and yet of a further search into it and when you have done all and come to the furthest of your attainments your terme will determine in the admiration of it For any to sit down satisfied with a set measure of Grace argues they know not the Nature of Grace neither have a true work thereof upon their Hearts So to sit down with a knowledge of your Eternal Good and not press forward to know it more more fully more clearly more certainly argues you know it not at all Oh labour to know your Heavenly good things more use all good means for the advance of knowledge in this respect Pray that you may know and not barely to know but to know it as your own and your interest therein more and more to know it practically so as the knowledge thereof may have a full and thorough Influence upon your Hearts and Lives This will sweeten your knowledge to you when you know the thing as good and as your own Knowledge of a good without an interest therein is but of small Influence unless to vex and torment the mind The Devils they know but wanting interest it does but increase their torment The damned Spirits at the last day they shall see and know The rich man 't is said sees Lazarus in Abraham 's bosome Luk. 16.23 Mat. 25.41 And they shall see the Son of Man comming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great Glory all the Holy Angels with him They shall see the Sheep on his right hand They shall hear that a Kingdom is prepared for his sheep whilst they miserable wretches must depart from him Cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25 41. This knowledge of theirs without interest shall gnaw their Souls in Hell Jam. 5.3 and shall eat their flesh as fire But now to know good things and to know them as our own oh this is an healing knowledge this sweetens knowledge to us Now your interest in the good things of Heaven is not so clearly apprehended by you but it may be more clear they are not so sure to you but you may come up to a further assurance of them though they be most sure in regard of promise yet Faith that laies hold upon the promise is capable of some gradual additions for the filling you with All joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 Therefore hath God given some Evidence of Eternal Mercies labour to clear this Evidence both more fully in respect of its Object and more particularly in regard of your personal interest and claim unto it §. V. Fifthly If you have some Evidences of an Eternal Good as your own oh then prize your Portion set a Value on that the worth whereof is beyond all value Heb. 12.16 17. Esau is branded as a prophane Person because for One morsel of meat he sold his Birth-right The Birth-right Gen. 25.34 which was attended with the Blessing he set a low price upon It was of more worth and value than so to have been despised by him But you 'l say it was for his life he was at the point to die Gen. 25.32 What then The Blessing was more worth than his Life should have been unto him he should rather have parted with his life than the Blessing of the first-born which was a Priviledge that led to Christ Afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears Oh let this sad Example of Esau be before your eyes and learn to prize your Blessing prize it above your lives And well you may for this Blessing will be Life in Death it will be unto you eternal life If Esau be called a prophane person and said to despise the blessing for parting with it when sore straited and his life in danger How much more are those justly to be accounted prophane and Despisers of their choicest good who turn their backs upon it as too many do without any necessity or force upon them Never did any Soul lose by sticking to its Portion Tho' a man lay down his life for his eternal good he loseth nothing thereby for he only changes a temporal life for an eternal a momentany and an uncertain good for a good that 's sure and abides for ever Things that are precious we do set a value on and rate them according to their worth Now what can be of more worth with us than that good which is of everlasting concernment for our Souls It is a sad thing to see how slightly the world looks upon eternal mercies what low thoughts men have of true Peace and of the things that belong unto it How are the great things of the Gospel slighted and contemned by them They deal no otherwise with them than as Swine would do with the choicest Pearls whilst in the mean time they hugg their God Mammon Oh let this their vain and wretched carelesness stir you up more seriously to consider
the Price that 's put into your hand and the less they value so much the more do you prize your eternal mercies Let it appear to all the World that your Treasure is in Heaven by directing your hearts thither And that you have something better than your lives in that you value it above your lives We cannot prize that too much which we can never prize enough Now if carnal men do so highly estimate their worldly good which will not long continue much more should gracious hearts prize their heavenly mercies which will endure for ever §. VI. Sixthly You that have some Evidences that God has not put you off with the good things of this World but reserved in store a further and better good for you in the life to come let this teach you to trust God for the Provisions of this present life wait upon God in the use of lawful means for a supply of those things the Lord sees to be needful for you He that has promised Never to leave you Heb. 13.5 nor forsake you will not fail to supply you You give check to those Evidences you have of eternal mercies should your â—houghts be suspended about outward Necessaries Hath God made an Eternal Provision for â—ou through his Son cleared the way and opened the Gate unâ—o Eternal Life Hath he shewed you those blessed Mansions â—hat are in Heaven prepared for â—ou and given you an heart to lose with and embrace them â—s your own Do you proâ—ess to live in expectancy of â—hose Riches that are in reverâ—â—on And yet do you fear the â—ant of outwards This surely â—annot be The Lord that feeds â—he Ravens will take care that â—is Sons and Daughters have â—heir Daily Bread And he â—hose Bounty over-flows to the â—icked will certainly supply â—he Necessities of his Saints â—erhaps you may want some of â—hose Superfluities which the men of the World enjoy buâ— did the Lord see them good foâ— you you should not want them he sees they would turn to sinâ— and therefore you shall noâ— have them He that gives Gracâ— and Glory will withhold no gooâ— thing from them that walk uprightly Psal 84.11 If the Lord have giveâ— you the upper Springs he will noâ— deny the nether Make use oâ— this as the great Argument tâ— strengthen your Faith in Goâ— for the Provisions of this present lifâ— Say has the Lorâ— brought me thus far and noâ— will he cast me off Hath he given me his Son Himself hiâ— Grace his Kingdom and shalâ— I perish with hunger Hath he opened to me the Treasures of the Everlasting Gospel Ephes 3.8 the unsearchable riches of Christ and shall I be forgotten in this world as a dead man out of mind Psal 31.12 This cannot be Argue as Manoah's Wife did If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have shewed us all these things neither â—ould he have told us such things â—s these Judges 13.23 §. VII Seventhly You that have some Evidences of the good things of â—he life to come as yours do â—ou live like such as God hath â—ot put off with the Portion of â—his World Manifest in your Conversations that you look for higher and better things â—han this present World affords How excellent is it when Christians declare their Country by their carriage as did the Fathers of old Hebr. 11.14 when by their heavenly-mindedness their holy Converse their Self-denial and resignation they manifest themselves to be Citizens of the New Jerusalem and shew themselves to be such as believe the Immortality of the Soul by an holy neglect of the body and who have hope of Eternal Life by the contempt of a temporary Many who profess these things surely they do not really believe them for did they believe that their Souls were immortal and that there were a life to come could they steer such a course as they do so unsuitable to an eternal life and the happiness of an immortal Soul as if they were born merely to live and lust and die and so an end But now you that not onely profess to believe a life to come but have some Evidences of an Interest in that life and that you have a Portion there laid up for you to all eternity Oh what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness 2 Pet. 3.11 How suitably to that Interest you profess your selves to have should you endeavour to lead your lives Phil. 3.20 The Apostle's Conversation was in Heavem and that which did influence upon his Converse to render it so divine and heavenly was that he had a Depositum in Heaven his treasure was there There was his Lord and Saviour from thence he look'd for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ His Portion was laid up there the Lord had it in keeping for him So he tells us 2 Tim. 2.12 I know says he whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day You that have such a blessed Portion it becomes you to live up to your Portion Beware of exposing the Portion you profess an expectancy of to scandal by the unsuitableness of your lives neither do you prostitute your hopes to reproach by a disagreeing converse Undoubtedly the glorious Name and Hopes you make a profession of will suffer amongst the men of the World if you live not suitably and up unto them if the frame of your lives be not agreeable to thiâ— nature of your hopes .. Your Portion it is holy heavenly noâ— of this World Oh let youâ— Conversations be holy heavenly and not according to thâ— Course of this World Ephes 2.2 Do not the Sons of Princes anâ— Monarchs and of the greaâ— men of the Earth live suitablâ— to their Enjoyments and Possessions Does not their Porâ— and Granduer make it appear that they are the Great One of the World Shall they live up to their earthly Portion and shall not the Sons of Sion live up to their heavenly Shalâ— earthly Enjoyments raise the heart of man to an higher pitch than the common rate and shall not an Interest in Heaven and a Portion there do it much more Oh shame not your Portion by the baseness of your ways neither reproach your Redeemer by the vassalry oâ— your lives in any evil way As if you were born to sin or redeemed not from but to serve the motions of your flesh or mind Ephes 2.3 Let your Souls enjoy their purchased freedom and your affections work gloriously according to the nature of your Portion You that have the Sun for your clothing and a Crown of twelve Stars upon your beads let the Moon be under your feet How should the holiness and self-denial of your lives evidence to all the World that you are of the number of those whose good things are not of this World but have their Treasure laid up in Heaven You read how it was
in comparison than the length of a Cane or Trunk through which a man looks on the Heavens or some vast country And ever the greater Magnitude or light there is in a body the smaller will the medium or distance seem from it The reason why a Perspective Glass draws remote Objects close to the eye is because it multiplies the Species We then by Faith apprehending an infinite and everlasting Glory must needs conceive any thing through which we look upon it to be but short and vanishing And therefore though the promises were a far off in regard of their own existence yet the Patriarchs did not only see but embrace them their Faith seemed to nullifie and swallow up all the distance Abraham saw Christs day and was glad Joh. 8.56 He looked upon those many ages which were between him and his promised seed as upon small and inconsiderable distances in comparison of that endless Glory into which they ran they were but as a Curtaiâ— or piece of Hangings which divide one room in a House from another Labour therefore to get a distinct view of the height and length and breadth and depth and the unsearchable love oâ— God in Christ and to find in thy own Soul the truth of God in his promises and that his word abideth for ever and that wilâ— make all the Glory of other things to seem but as grass §. IIII. Fourthly Would you have this Eternal good to be your Portion then labour to take off your Hearts from all the outward comforts that are in this present World Let not your Spirits bottom here Men naturally fix upon things that are here below and look no higher The borders of this World are the utmost confines of their thoughts they look no further All their care and study is what they shall eat Mat. 6.31 and what they shall drink and wherewithall they shall be clothed The bent of their Hearts Thoughts and Works is wholly intended to resolve the old doubts which Carnal Men do make how to satisfie the Lusts of the old man by gathering together a stock of Worldly Comforts In this bottom we find all their Hearts imbarqued But now if you have a desire to look upwards and to trade towards Eternity let your Souls loose from these outward Comforts Faith as was told you to see beyond them will loosen your Souls from them shake them off your Hearts as S. Paul did the Viper from his hand Act. 2â— 5 Solatio miserorum non gaudia beatorum Aug. Epist 119. Look upon them no further than as merely serviceable to you in the way towards youâ— journies end whereto yet theâ— can contribute no further but only as a Viaticum for the body If your thoughts entertain them at any higher rate they will prove a snare and clog unto you in the way They that will be rich 1 Tim. 6.9 fall into Temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull Lusts which drown men in destruction and Perdition Know it is not necessary that you should be rich and great and eminent in this World or that you should have great Estates and incomes here that 's not necessary But it is necessary say that I should have my Heart established with grace Heb. 13.9 It is necessary that I have peace with God and that my sins be pardoned and my Soul renewed It is necessary that I should provide for my Soul and look after the things of Eternal moment but how things go here with me in this present World there is no great necessity so much to concern my self or be affected with them Thus if you will have an interest in the better Portion let your Hearts loose from Worldly Comforts Meditate often upon that saying of our Saviour Christ what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Mark 8.36 Pray that the Lord would give you the true sense and understanding of this Text that you may know and inwardly digest the meaning of it and find that vertue in it as may loose your Hearts from this present World §. V. Fifthly Let the whole course of your life be carried on in the fear of God and thence seasoned with a fear lest that here should be the All that ever you are like to enjoy As this was made use of as a sign before so now as a means Let the whole course of your life be steer'd as it were with the fear of God lest that God should put you off with present things Think oftentimes with your selves what if I should never enjoy more good than here I have and that with this present life all my good should end Should God now this night take me away out of the Land of the living and give me my Portion in the Infernal Pit of darkness what would all the good of this present life avail me Had it not been infinitly better that I had never known it nor enjoyed it than thus to be put off with it and for a few transitory hours of fading comforts now to lye howling under the justly deserved wrath of an infinite God in paines unsufferable to all Eternity Often do you meditate and think upon the conditions of those how infinitely forlorn they are to whom it falls out to be their lot to have all their good things here Think with your selves that though they now abound in all wealth and store yet you even see them on slippery ground Psal 73.18 when all their good and jolly thoughts shall perish and they never like to enjoy good hereafter any more Let the course of your life be seasoned with such thoughts as these And especially you that have great Portions in this World and you know that hitherto you have done God his Church or People little or no service you have not served him in the abundance and fulness you do enjoy You know there are many poor People that live upon Almes have done God more service and have contributed more to the Honour of his name than you have done with all your wealth in all your dayes Oh you have great cause to fear lest you be the persons who may take up with this World and for whom there 's no good reserved in the World to come Rulers and governours and the great men of the World had need here be caution'd to consider as having cause to fear lest here should be their All. Oh that amidst their fulness they would mind their latter end Chrysostome on the thirteenth Chapter to the Hebrews speaking of Governours hath such a Speech as this I wonder saith he that any governer should be â—aved We will not say so But they are liable to a great deal of temptations and to assaults that are much more furious and violent to the carrying them away than others are who want those Worldly Comforts and advantages which they do enjoy And our Saviour Christ tells us that a man who has
that life being ended there 's an end so put unto all those good things and all other good things too as thou art never to expect them any more The Words under this explication clearly present their proper drift and purport And also from them may be collected divers particular Observations which as so many several Heads of Fruit do arise and grow out of the particular Branches of the Text. And they are such as these As 1st From that Term or Appellation Son we may Note The sweet temper and blessed frame Obs I of the Saints in Heaven in whom there is no bitterness no reproachful or invective Speech or Carriage no railing Accusations but their whole frame and course made up and carried on in a way of love Jude 9. 1 John 4.7 8. 2ly From the title given to the things of this present life the blessings and comforts thereof are called good things Hence Note That the Mercies and Blessings of Obs II this present life they are good things Though they are often through the corruption of man's heart abused yet in themselves considered they are good things Josh 23.14 Job 22.18 3ly In that these good things are said to be received hence Note That all the Blessings and Enjoyments Obs III of this present life are received as given to us They are not meerly gotten by us as of our own work but chiefly dispensed unto us as of God's mercy Deut. 8.17 18. 4ly In that it is said thy good things the which he called so and did appropriate to himself as his own Hence we may Note Obs IV That the good things of this present life which for a while are but committed to the wicked they do espouse them as their own they hugg themselves in the enjoyment of them as their own they can look upon nothing as theirs but what they have here in this present world and this they câ—ll their own Hos 12.8 It 's the Tempters language of old whereby he prevails to captivate and ensnare the wicked The world and the glory of it is mine and if thou wilt worship me all shall be thine Luke 4.6 7. 5ly In that it is said in thy â—ife-time hence Note That the good things of this present Obs V world in the reception and enjoyment of them are confined to this present life So as when this life is ended they are to be enjoyed no more Eccles 11.7 8. 6ly From the word remember thence we may observe That the wicked though now they Obs VI overlook and inconsiderately let slip the Mercies they do enjoy yet there shall a time come wherein they shall be brought to their remembrance Not a Mercy shall be lost or buried though out of their remembrance but shall be recalled quickened and brought back to mind to the justification of God's goodness the aggravation of their misery and the increase of endless torment Rev. 20.12 13. 7ly Lastly from the Words under an entire consideration yet with some reference had to some of the peculiar Notes foregoing this general Observation may be offered and which in a genuine and proper manner also from the whole contexture does arise Obs VII That there are a generation of men to whom God grants the enjoyment of some good things only in this present life which ended after that they shall have no more Here 's their all of good that ever they are like to enjoy This Seventh and last Point is laid as the Subject and Foundation of this ensuing Treatise and the main that is intended to be insisted on But before we enter upon it there lye some Queries in the way which seem to start out of this Scripture and require a word at least in transcourse CHAP. II. Containing an Answer to some Queries which are briefly touched as offering themselves on the by Sect. I. Quer. Quer. 1 WHether there be any Society or Intercourse of â—ommunion betwixt the Celestial and â—nfernal Inhabitants or the Blessed and Damned Spirits which â—his Parable may seem to hold forth â—nd accordingly has been alledged â—s a choice Pillar for the upholding such a Tenent Answ Thereto it 's answered Answer â—hat there is no intercourse of communion at all betwixt the Spirits of Just Men made perfect and the Damned Reprobates The great Gulph interposed verse 26. quashes the force of â—uch a fancy Isa 63.16 If Abraham be ignorant of his Seed here upon earth and Israel do not acknowledge them as the Prophet telâ— us then much less do the bleâ—sed Saints and Patriarchs coâ—verse or treat with the Damneâ— Souls so as to acquaint theâ— either with their conditions iâ— bliss and happiness or to receive a report from them oâ— their wretched state in woe anâ— torment Therefore we are tâ— look upon the Parable in iâ— main drift and scope and iâ— what it aims at and not to endeavour an establishing of Doctrines thereupon not only tâ— the perversion of a part thereoâ— from its genuine purport buâ— the subversion of the Doctrinâ— and Analogy of the true Chrâ—stian Faith and the Souls thaâ— are builded thereupon as bâ— many Arguments might be eviâ—ced in Scriptures and in thâ— Writings of the Fathers at largâ— laid down Sect. II. Quere How are the good thingâ— which the wicked in this present liâ—◠〈◊〉 enjoy said to be their own â—here they are called thy good â—ngs Answ We are not to look â—on the men of the world as â—er usurpers for what they â—fully get in the world as if â—â—ey were to answer meerly for â—â—eir using what they have as â—t having a right to use True â—s they shall answer for their â—t right using but they shall â—t answer for their right to use â—â—at which they have lawfully â—tten in the World There is â—right unto things upon divers â—counts by which they may be â—d to be our own 1. A right from justice when â—e can lay claim to things upon â—e account of justice and say â—â—at's mine own upon the acâ—â—unt of justice it 's due unto â—e by the rules of justice Thus â—e good things of this life no â—an of himself can lay claim â—to as his own 2. There 's a right from Creation God gave to man a rigâ—â— to things at his first Creation He gave him to be Lord over aâ— the Creatures by Sea and Land He set him over the works of hâ—â— hands and put them in subjectiâ—â— under his feet He made hiâ— Vice-Gerent under him througâ— out the whole Universe Thâ— by Creation he had a right to aâ— the good things of this preseâ— life But this is lost by sin anâ— with a fiery flaming Sword Maâ— being expelled and driven out is hindred from returning to hâ— Paradice of Pleasure his foâ—mer Soveraignty under Goâ— over the Creatures And thâ— his right by Creation's gone Psal 8.6 3. There is a right by promise God has now promise to give good things unto hâ— people and those who are interested in the promises have 〈◊〉 right to
we may more readily â—old on our course not letted â—y the bar of intricacy in the â—anner of the discourse we shall â—onsider the whole under these â—articulars 1. View some Examples recorded in Scripture of such men who have had all their good in this present life From whence the truth of the Assertion is in general evinced to us Chap. IV. 2. We shall enquire into the Reasons Why God will give good things to the wicked in this present life Why there is such a large dole of outward Mercies sometimes given to them Chapter V. 3. Shew that all the good thing they do enjoy are confined to thiâ— present life so as when theiâ— life ends all their good is aâ— an end if it end not before Chap. VI. 4. We shall examin what the condition of such men is who havâ— all their good in this present life with respect to the nature of thâ— good things that they do here enjoy Chap. VII 5. Endeavour to mark out so faâ— as we can being guided by thâ— Notes of Holy Scripture whâ— that man or woman is that iâ— such a condition is like to havâ— all their good in this present life Chap. VIII 6. Conclude the whole in somâ—Vses and Improvements in order to a Spiritual Advantage from the premised Considerations with divers proper Helpâ— to a better Portion Chap. IX X XI XII The Argument that now lies before us calls for a most serious consideration from us for therein is matter of chief concernment to examin our selves about As St. Hierom sometimes spake of that saying Arise ye dead and come to judgment that it was a dreadful Scripture that sounded continually in his Ears he thought he heard a Voice night and day ever and anon proclaiming the same So may this Scripture duely considered strike a trembling into the heart and amuse the stoutest spirit Son in your life-time you had your good things Here you have your reward and after this you are never like to have any more Let none separate themselves or put off this Scripture as if they were out of its reach or that it did not concern them For before we have done you shall find that though true it is this Scripture may be of nearer concernment to some than others yet it is of exceeding great usefulness in thâ— several Notes therefrom anâ— practical Improvements thereabout unto us all CHAP. IV. Containing several Examples recorded in Scripture of sucâ— men who had all their good thing in this present life AS to the first particular proposed in the handling oâ— the Point laid down we are to take a view of some Examples recorded in Scripture of such persons who had all their good in this present life They did enjoy their felicity here in this present world Gen. 27.39 Had not Esau a goodly portion of outward things what an ample blessing was conferred upon him His Cup did even overflow His dwelling was the fatness of the earth and of the dew of Heaven from above The Heavens did as 't were conspire together â—o distil down a blessing upon Esau and to make his soil fat and plenteous Nay Esau had so much that he said He had enough When his brother Jacob did present him with a drove of Cattel to find grace in his sight â—ays he I have enough my brother keep that thou hast to thy self Prov. 30.15 Gen. 33.9 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Polit. l. 1. c. 9. How far â—oth Esau outstrip all the Worldlings of our days who are as the daughters of the Horseleech crying Give â—ive and never say it is enough Brother says he I have enough most rich men are complaining they go not so far as Esau they have their Portion and yet comâ—lain Now Esau hath his Porâ—ion and thought he had enough What a Portion had Nabal of the good things of this life 1 Sam. 25.2 He was very great upon the account of his possessions and blessed himself in his abundance and yet this man void of humane courtesie for he was chuâ—lish ver 14 21. and of Piety for he waâ— evil in his doings and of Pitty for he had no commiseration oâ— David in his distress and oâ— Moral ingenuity for he did noâ— know to requite good to them that had done good to him buâ— railed on David and his men who had been his benefactors and requited evil for good untâ— them And yet we see this maâ— flourished in all abundance haâ— his belly full of worldly treasure but this was all the good thaâ— ever he was to enjoy for he waâ— a man of Belial verse 25. Nabal was hiâ— name and folly was with him and before death utterly smotâ— him his heart died as a stonâ— within him 1 Sam. 25.37 38. The Rich man spoken oâ— Luke 12. whose grounds broughâ— forth so plentifully that he haâ— no room where to bestow hiâ— fruits but might ampliate his Granaries and enlarge his Buildings that so he might house â—is plentiful Crop surely he had a large portion of these outward things and they were good things somewhat adequate â—o his hearts desire too otherwise he would never have cheered up his soul in the enjoyment of them thus saying Soul soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry other than which what could he have said if he had had the soul of a swine Yet these were all the good things that ever he was like to enjoy for the Fool 's Soul that night was required of him And that put an end to all his present hopes of future comfort Luke 12.20 You read of a generation of men Job 22.17 18. who were so drowned in sensuality that they did not only utterly depart from God themselves but bid God himself depart from them too and despighted the Almighty aâ— if there were nothing of gooâ— that he could do unto them They said unto God deparâ— from us and what can the Almighty do for them And yeâ— such were the overflowings oâ— God's bounty towards them that he filled their houses witâ— good things They had a fulâ— portion for a time but presently they were cut down out of time and their foundation was overflowâ— with a flood and so all their good came to an end Job 22.16 Some of Christ's hearers in Luke 6.24 they had their good things in this life Wo unto you for here is your consolation saith our Lord Christ unto them Oh dreadful Speech Wo to thiâ— man wo to these here is their consolation They have and may take some comfort in sensual delights here for a time but these once ended they are never to expect any more The Psalmist tells us of some â—en who have their portion in his life and whose belly God â—lls with his hid treasure Psalm â—7 14 and they leave the rest of their substance to their Babes They have their bellies filled with outward good things and â—he surplus
thereof they store up â—s a substaâ—ce for their Babes Now all 's but a belly-full it is but as meat for their belly and the belly for it both which God will destroy 1 Cor. 6.13 And the men to whom this falls in portion they are but men of the world and so cannot long enjoy these delicious dainties They are mortals and so must yield to the stroke of death which will put an end both to their life and portion after which they shall never enjoy good any more God's mercy it is his own and he will extend the line of it as he pleaseth God so disposeth of his mercy that there are some that shall have Heaven and Earth to be their portion anâ— their portion is indeed a blesseâ— portion There are some thaâ— shall have earth but not heaveâ— and their portion is poor anâ— mean and sad There are others that shall have heaven buâ— not earth and their portion 〈◊〉 good And there are other that shall neither have heaveâ— nor earth and their portioâ— you 'll say is miserable indeeâ— God's mercy is his own to dispose of as he will and to leâ— out as he pleaseth It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a kingdoâ— Luke 12.32 We read of Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 21.3 That he gavâ— to his other sons gifts but thâ— kingdom he gave to Jehoram So Abraham calls for Ismael anâ— Hagar and he gives them â— piece of Bread and a bottle oâ— Water and sends them away There 's an end of them theâ— may go and wander in the wilderness of Beer-sheba Gen. 21.14 So God hath people to whom hâ— gives pieces of bread and bottles â—f water yea some to whom he â—ives great gifts in this world â—ut he keeps the inheritance for â—is Isaac and the kingdom for â—ehoram As for the other who â—ave their good in this present â—â—fe they are as sent away and may take their portion with â—hem for there 's their All. CHAP. V. Containing some Reasons why there is such a large Dole of outward Mercies given to the Wicked in this present world And why the Lord is oftentimes so bountiful towards them ALL the Works of God are rationally carried on I mean there is a spiritual reason in them though because of that darkness that is naturally upon man's understanding and so has clouded the discursive faculty of the soul through sin he cannoâ— so fully apprehend them as theâ— are truly in themselves Noâ— whereas it is the good pleasurâ— of the Almighty to give somâ—times unto the wicked a largâ— Dole of the good things of thâ— present life so as they flouriâ— in all wealth and store doubâ— less the work of God therein â— right and done in truth anâ— there is ground of such his bounty towards them Therefore wâ— will enquire into the Reason that are more obvious Wâ— God will give good things to thâ— Wicked in this present life Whâ— there is such a large Dole of outwarâ— Mercies oftentimes shared out 〈◊〉 those who are Enemies unto Him who is the Author of every gooâ— and perfect Gift which is thâ— second thing offered to enquirâ— in the handling the Point we aâ— upon Sect. I. And first they are all God'â— creatures though sin have depraved and corrupted their naâ—â—res and rendred them traiâ—urs and rebels to their Creaâ—â—r yet they are God's creaâ—â—res still though rebellious â—â—ey are the workmanship of his â—nds though Satan bear sway 〈◊〉 their hearts And upon that â—ry account as being his workâ—anship God has some respect â—r them Luk. 6.35 He is kind to the unâ—â—ankful and to the evil Though â—â—ey have cast him off yet he â—es not utterly cast them out â—om all the good things of this â—â—esent life He owns them as â—s creatures still who disown â—m as their Lord and Sovereign â—hough they will not have him 〈◊〉 rule over them yet he canâ—ot forget the workmanship of â—s hands Saith Jehu concernâ—g Jezabel Go 2 Kings 9.34 take away this â—rsed woman though she be â—nder the execution of the just â—â—ntence of God upon her and 〈◊〉 liable to the uttermost of reâ—roach that can be inflicted yet shew some respect unto her her not lye there in the streeâ— but take her away For she iâ— kings daughter So saith Goâ— Well though these be cursâ— and fuel only fit for the evâ—â—lasting burnings yet they 〈◊〉 my creatures I cannot utteâ— here as yet forsake the woâ— of mine own hands some â—spect they shall have from mâ— some good I 'll communicate them they are men of the worâ— and therefore they shall havâ— belly-full of worldly treasurâ— Whose belly thou fillest with thâ— hid treasure Psal 17.14 Tâ—â— deep vein of silver and the hâ—â—den place of gold those secâ— but rich recesses shall powâ— out abundantly into their â—â—soms and I 'll give them thâ— portion here and that becaâ— though but men of the worâ— yet they are my creatures Bâ— it is not an argument strong â—nough that because you aâ— God's creatures therefore yâ— shâ—ll have eternal mercies that â—â—cause God is your Creator â—erefore he will be your Saviour a peoples title to eternal merâ—â—es be no more than this then 〈◊〉 to them For he thâ—t made â—m will have no mercy on them â—d he that formed them will shew â—em no favor Isa 27.11 Sect. II. Secondly The time of this â—e is the time of God's paâ—â—ence and the day of his long-â—â—fferance Now God waits Isa 30.18 that 〈◊〉 may be gracious and his paâ—â—ence bears long suspending â—â—dgment Rom. 2.4 Now the goodness of â—od is leading men to repentance â—â—m 2.4 And though the riches â—his goodness and forbearance â—â—d long-suffering be despised â—y the wicked yet the time of â—â—is life is the day of his goodâ—ess and patience still And â—erefore the wicked have their â—ercies here In their life-time â—â—ey have their good things God â—nows Oh that they would consider it that there is â—â—ternity before them where to pay them home fully for their sins Deut. 32.42 when there shall be 〈◊〉 time of revenges upon the enemâ— whereof there shall be a begiâ—ning but never end So as tâ—â— time of this life being the dâ— of God's patience and lonâ— suffering therefore he deals oâ— such a bountiful dole unto maâ— of the wicked Says God 〈◊〉 him take his fill and measure 〈◊〉 his sin let him be filthy stiâ—â— since it is his wilful choice 〈◊〉 wallow in his own vomit aâ—â— to defile himself in the mire 〈◊〉 his lusts I shall not envy hiâ— any the good things of this prâ—sent life psal 37.35 Job 21.11 12 13. Let him spread himseâ— as a green bay-tree Let him seâ—â— forth his little ones like a flock aâ—â— let his children dance let theâ— take the timbrel and harp and râ—joyce at the sound of the organâ— Let them spend their days in wealtâ— for this is the time of my long-suâ—ferance but in a moment they sha◠〈◊〉 down
themâ—â—lves and yet fall so as to rise â—o no more They are but set 〈◊〉 slippery places as the Psalmist â—eaks and then cast down into â—â—struction and brought into deâ—â—lation as in a moment they are â—terly consumed with terrours â—sal 73.18 19. Psal 73.18 19. Thus they flatâ—â—r themselves in their own â—â—es until their iniquity be â—â—und to be hateful They say â—â—ey shall die in their nest and â—ultiply their days as the sand â—his was the ground upon which â—ob's friends argued so strongly â—gainst him That surely God â—d not love him because it â—ent so ill with him Thereâ—re they did not speak of God â—e thing that was right measuring his thoughts by outwarâ— providences in this world aâ— modelling all their Argumenâ— according to this Rule Now thâ— is too low a way to measure thâ— mind of God who is infiniâ— in knowledge and of whoâ— understanding there is no reaâ— It is as high as heaven what caâ— thou do deeper than hell whâ— dost thou know the measure theâ— of is longer than the earth aâ— deeper than the sea Job 11. 8 â— Job 11.8 9. The Lord would teach his peopâ—â— from the plenty of outwaâ—â— Mercies the wicked do enjoâ— to look for other evidences 〈◊〉 his love evidences of anothâ—â— nature than these things are 〈◊〉 which the love of God may cleared up unto them Tâ—â— seems to be the carriage of tâ— Almighty in these his works Providence unto his peoplâ— You see how the draff and sâ— of this world is cast befâ—â—â— them and how they wall therein and fill their bellies â—ot you look upon these things â—s arguments of my love to â—hose persons who enjoy them â—or you see what kind of creaâ—ures they are sometimes cast â—mong even amongst my most â—itter and cruel enemies such â—s are and will be so and who â—buse these good things to a furâ—her hardening them in their â—nmity but do not you regard 〈◊〉 envy not their Portion neiâ—her judge their Condition â—herefore happy measure not â—ny Love by outward Mercies â—or I thus promiscuously cast â—hem abroad into the world to â—ive check to such thoughts as â—ould argue either love or haâ—red from them Eccles 9.1 Sect. XII Lastly The Lord gives such 〈◊〉 large Dole of outward Merâ—ies unto the wicked in this preâ—ent world because this is all â—hat ever they are like to have They are never to expect any â—ore The Lord deals with them as Abraham did with tâ—â— Sons of the Concubines whiâ— he had he gave them gifts aâ— sent them away from Isaac his sâ— eastward into the east-countreâ— but he gave all that he had unâ— Isaac Gen. 25.5 6. So tâ—â— Lord gives worldly gifts unâ— the wicked and as it werâ— packs them far away they mâ— have nothing to do with hâ— habitation and his holy placâ— the Heavenly Jerusalem is reseâ—ved for his Isaacs the childrâ— of the Promise These Sons 〈◊〉 the Concubine they may tâ— vail into the East-countrey and there gather their gold aâ—â— silver and precious stones â—mong the smooth stones of the streâ— as the Prophet speaks in anothâ—â— case is their Portion Isa 57.6 And thâ— is all that ever they are like 〈◊〉 have they are to go their waâ— and expect no more Thus deaâ— Jehoshaphat likewise with thoâ— Sons that were not to plead 〈◊〉 Title to his Kingdom intenâ—iâ—g the Throne and Crown for â—ehoram their father gave them â—reat gifts of silver 2 Chron. 21.3 and of gold â—nd of precious things with fenced â—ties in Judah but the kingdom â—ave he to Jehoram because he was â—â—e first-born So God deals wâ—tâ—â—any of the wicked in this â—orld as Jehoshaphat did with â—is other Sons who gave them â—heir Dole before hand in great â—ifts and so committed their â—ortion into their hands and â—hey were not to expect any â—ore the kingdom it was for the â—â—rst-born Thus the wicked have â—reat gifts in this world their â—ortion is put into their hands â—nd they are to expect no more They are not from hence to arâ—ue That because he hath done â—o well for them that therefore â—e will do better and intends â—hem a further good cujus conâ—rarium est verum Nay you may â—ather gather an Argument â—uite the other way because God intends no further good unto you hereafter therefore is you have so much now Thâ— we use to answer men that haâ—â— had their Dole already givâ— them and they will come agaiâ— Why do you come again yâ— have had your Dole alreadâ— So God will answer to maâ— men when they shall cry to hiâ— for mercy at that day Wâ— come you to me for more yâ—â— have had your Dole alreadâ— Have not you had more than 〈◊〉 your work comes to Did nâ—â— your cup overflow in your lifâ— time Psal 73.7 Had not you more thâ— heart could wish Why do yoâ— come again Did not I saâ— God shew my self glorious 〈◊〉 mercy in your day that you bâ—ing so wicked as you were haâ— yet so much of the good thingâ— of the world as you had I diâ— not only spare you and eke oâ— my long-sufferance towards yoâ— but I loaded you then with bâ—nefits and heap'd my blessing on you if so be you would therâ— by have been led to repentance Rom. 2.4 â—nd therefore though you be â—enied eternal mercies hereafâ—â—r yet you have cause to tell â—e Devils themselves and â—mned creatures that shall be â—ur companions That God was â—ry merciful to you while you â—ed in this world You had a â—rge Portion here but here 's â—ur All. Son remember that â—ou in thy life-time receivedst â—y good things thou canst not â—pect them hereafter too CHAP. VI. â—â—at the good things the Wicked do enjoy are confined to this present life and why Sect. I. THE Third Particular propounded in the handling this Point is to shew That 〈◊〉 the good things the wicked do enjoy are confined to this presenâ— life so as when their life ends then all their good is at an enâ— When the wicked man dieth he shall carry nothing away His glory shall not descend aftâ—â— him Psalm 49.17 Naked 〈◊〉 came into the world and nakeâ— he shall return All his goâ— things have their period wiâ—â— him he cannot carry them aloâ—â— into another world when deaâ— seizeth on him then he is parâ—ed from them And then whâ— shall those things be which he hâ— provided Luk. 12.20 Though whiles he â—ved he blessed his soul aâ— his flatterers were about hiâ— and his cogging Parasites aâ— they praised him yet he sâ—â— go to the generation of his fâ—thers Psal 49.18 and shall never see lighâ— and then all his good thiâ— are concluded with him Aâ— it is so that the Portion of tâ—â— wicked cannot outlive bâ— is confined to this present lifâ— because First That there are some men whose names are written in â—he earth Cum homines beati esse volunt si vere volunt profecto esse
no lonâ— than this present life it is 〈◊〉 present pay you may blame yâ—â— selves Oh it is a very seriâ— thing and of no less than eâ—nal import we have now in haâ— How will many a soul lamâ— and howl and curse it self etâ—â—nally that it was not contâ— to trust God for hereafter 〈◊〉 would have present pay Sect. III. Thirdly The good things the â—cked enjoy in this present â—orld are the onely suitable â—â—ings to their hearts and what â—ould they do with any more â—â—reafter The things of this â—orld are the adequate objects 〈◊〉 the frame of their hearts Causâ—s corruptelarum non in illecebris sed in cordibus habemus vitiositas nostra mens nostra est Salvi de Guber l. 6. â—hese things do exceedingly â—ease them and give them all â—ntent they are commensurate 〈◊〉 their desires in these things â—â—ey hugg and bless themselves â—t as for the things that are to â—â—me hereafter the full revelaâ—â—on whereof is reserved to a â—â—me at after this life shall be â—pired these they are utterly â—angers to and as disagreâ—â—le to their genius they mind â—â—em not They desire no more â—t what will suit them now at â—â—esent what is carnal and â—â—rthly so as all their good then â—ds when their life comes to 〈◊〉 end And what would men that are carnal and wicked nâ— do in heaven Could they wâ— their corrupt principles 〈◊〉 wicked hearts have admoâ—â— there for a while which is 〈◊〉 possible there would be nothâ— there agreable to their tempâ— If they be so contrary unto 〈◊〉 now much more would theâ— contrary unto him then If 〈◊〉 they say unto God Job 21.14 Depart fâ—â— us for we desire not the knowlâ— of thy ways How grievâ— would the presence and visioâ— the Almighty be then 〈◊〉 them If they hate and maâ—â— the Saints of God now certâ—ly they would hate them mâ— more then Now the graces 〈◊〉 the faithful are imperfect 〈◊〉 yet they hate them for their â—ces sake much more would â— hate them then when their â—ces shall be perfect Now wicked have some common 〈◊〉 which do a little restrain keep them in and yet now â— hate the godly with a deaâ— hatred how exceedingly then â—ll their hatred rise when as 〈◊〉 the one hand the godly shall glorious in holiness and on 〈◊〉 other all the common gifts the wicked shall be taken aâ—y The portion of the wickâ— must needs end with this preâ—t life the things of a better 〈◊〉 are so unsuitable to their â—arts Their good things perâ—s may run parallel with their â—es holding out as long they live so as they may 〈◊〉 in their full strength Job 21.23 being â—olly at ease and quiet but when â—ath has cut the thread of â—eir lives all their good comes an end Sect. IV. Fourthly The wicked abuse â—e good things which here they 〈◊〉 enjoy and therefore they â—ll have none hereafter They â—nd them upon their lusts â—d sight against God in the â—ength of his own blessings â—s gentleness makes them great and in this their greâ—â—ness they rebell against him Tâ—â— benefits they are loaded wiâ—â— which should teach them thaâ— fulness towards and dependaâ— upon the giver are turned aâ— perverted by them to a quiâ— contrary course to bless theâ—selves in their evil way aâ— burn incense unto their dragg Hab. 1.16 Tâ—â— goodness of God which shoâ— lead them to repentance Rom. 2.4 they dâ—spise and after their hardnâ— and impenitent heart treasureâ— unto themselves wrath against day of wrath and revelation the righteous judgment of Gâ—â— Now if the wicked be thus uâ—faithful as how can they otherwise in the Mammon unrighteousness Luk. 16.11 which as 〈◊〉 them thus abused is rightly 〈◊〉 who shall commit to their truâ— true riches If they be thus aâ—sive and unfaithful in the goâ— things here surely the goâ— things of hereafter they shâ— not meddle with Alass heâ— â—o we see wicked men abuse â—â—eir mercies their riches to â—ide and carnal confidence â—eir pleasures to excess their â—â—fts to ostentation and vainâ—â—ory their preferments to amâ—tion their power to oppresâ—â—on their health to wantonâ—ess their prosperity to vaniâ— and contempt of the Word â—â—d Gospel Psal 69.22 their very table beâ—mes a snare before them and that â—hich should have been for their â—elfare it becomes a trap Now â—e abuse of their portion here â—nd their squandring away Gods â—ercies consuming them upon â—eir lusts Jam. 4.3 so as they serve not â—od at all in the abundance of â—l things shall unavoidably exâ—ose them to a want of all good â—ings hereafter Here they have â—â—d their fill hereafter they shall â—ve no more Sect. V. Fifthly The men of this â—orld they have no interest 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ and therefore though they have a large pâ—â—tion of the good things of tâ—â— world here given out unto thâ— yet being wicked when tâ—â— life shall end all their goâ— comes to an end They haâ—â— not an interest in Christ throâ— whom the rich treasures of iâ—â—â—nite grace are let out to all etâ—â—nity There 's no way or mâ— for the conveyance of eterâ— mercies but through the Lâ— Christ nor through him to aâ— but those that are in him Sâ— as have an Interest in Châ— here by a work of grace upâ— their hearts that interest 〈◊〉 carry on to the enjoyment 〈◊〉 eternal mercies The Condâ— of God's mercies through Chrâ— will eternally flow in glory â—â—wards them God hath diâ— Conduit pipes as I may 〈◊〉 of his grace to let out unto creatures there are some â—ser Conduit pipes and thâ— are opened through God's etâ—nal bounty oil butter aâ— honey the good things of this â—resent World run generally â—hrough these Pipes and so faâ—l â—own as well upon the wicked â—s the godly The Influences of â—od's general bounty the wickâ—d may partake of and sit under â—s distillations but now the â—urrent of God's Eternal Merâ—es is stopt by Justice from them 〈◊〉 as it cannot be opened to have â—y drop of that mercy let out â—pon them in that they have no â—â—terest in Christ by whom aâ—ne Divine Justice is satisfied â—â—d this current opened In the â—ean while the other smaller â—pes they run the general â—unty of God towards them â—ow the work of Jesus Christ â—e Second Person in the blessed â—rinity and that wherein the â—ry mistery of the Gospel lies 〈◊〉 that the Second Person in the â—rinity seeing the children of â—en capable of Eternal happiâ—â—ss and that there are gloriâ—s treasures with God to be communicated to them bâ— through their sin this current 〈◊〉 Divine Justice is stopped aâ— the fiery Flaming Sword of tâ—â— Law is turning every way 〈◊〉 keep the way of the tree of Liâ— so that these treasures cannot enjoyed neither the current 〈◊〉 unless the way be cleared aâ— Justice satisfied he out of pâ— to mankind that mankind 〈◊〉 not be put off with these geneâ— outward comforts comes aâ— satisfies God's
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whilst they are in the midst of their bodies They lye down in care their rest is in unrest sleep departs from their eyes they are fraughted with fears tossed with contrivances hang in suspence and doubt fear to loose care to keep and contrivances how to encrease and augment their Worldly Good is the whole that is acted on the stage of their lives And will not all this exceedingly imbitter their enjoyments The truth is all the good things wicked men do enjoy will scarce answer the charge they will not as we may say bear charges There is so much of trouble and cumber they meet withall here in this World with their Portion that the play is not worth their candle And if so where then lies their Treasure we do not account that as any part of our treasure which is allotted for spending money by the way As if a man goes a voyage that which is to bear charges and to be spent by the way is not reckoned to be part of his Treasure Now all we have here in this World is but spending money to bear our charges whilst we are on our way towards our longer home Secondly There 's a mixture of grief and anguish in and with the Worldly Good of the wicked They meet with manifold crosses and invincible disappointments in their way their designs are frustrated purposes are broken off and their intendments fail and they being void of those Graces and Spiritual Endowments which alone enable with content to undergo cross occurrences hence they are perplexed and stumble and fall and are broken and snared and taken Isa 8.15 They cannot bear their crosses patiently they want the Grace of Patience nor can they take their afflictions humbly they know not what humility means neither can they undergo their disappointments contentedly Phil. 4.11 they â—ave not learned the way of true contentment And so they lye open to all that grief and anguish which any way can be occasionated from affliction without or that can seize upon a Soul that 's void of a Work of true Grace for so their's is within The felicity of the wicked is not therefore to be the Object of any your envy neither is their State desireable Will you envy them the enjoyment of that which is interlarded with so much anguish as imbitters all the sweet and pleasure or desire that State wherewith you must have more gall than gain more grief than glory oh the many Thornes and Briers that are with them I mean the cares and cumber and they dwell amongst Scorpions in the midst of grief and anguish Now there being such a mixture as this in all they have surely their Portion is very poor in the Earth and in their greatest fulness they can never be accounted truely happy Thirdly There 's a mixture of sin and guilt The worst of evils is intermedled with the best good things the wicked do enjoy Sin it is the worst of evils because the cause of all and sting of all There 's nothing properly that can be denominated evil but so far as sin is in it and in its respect to sin There 's sin and guilt in the enjoyments of the wicked though the gifts of God are good in themselves considered and as from him yet so far as their hand as to acquisition is found therein there is a streak that goes along They get and heap together but they heed not how they encrease but it 's that which is not theirs they enrich themselves Hab. 2.9 but it 's by violence and the spoil of the poor is in their houses Isa 3.14 They covet an evil coveteousness to their house that they may set their nest on high that they may be delivered from the power of evil and they sin against their own Soul Hab. 2.9 10. All their work is to make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof Rom. 13.14 They proceed from evil to evil and in their best enjoyments corrupt themselves Idolatry is all their worship and their lust it is their Idol their God is their belly Phil. 3.19 And as they get by wrong so they do not use aright the end of mercies is not aim'd at much less answered by them but all is perverted another way so that their course is evil Jer. 23.10 and their fâ—rce not right And is not here a stream of guilt going with them all along So that let the whole of their race and way be remarked from their first entry upon their portion to the time of their close and parting with it and you find sin and guilt still to attend so as every day adds new sin to the old guilt to the filling up the measure of their sin till they become out of measure sinfull Surely their condition must needs be very miserable when their Portion has sin thus for it's soul and ferment Fourthly There 's a mixture of curse and vengeance in the good things of the wicked The curse runs along with all their enjoyments though the bitterness thereof may not be felt at present yet it is gone out and shall seize at length A Portion full of deadly Poyson drunk off may not presently work so as in the very instant of its reception to put forth its venom but by and by it does appear Suppose a man have a Son that Marries richly he gets an Heir that is a very rich match and he has a large Portion with her and you go and fetch away the baggs of Gold and Silver that are her Portion and he huggs himself in his rich fortune but if it should prove that every bagg of Gold you have of your Wives Portion should have the plague in it it were but a poor Portion Certainly thus it is with all ungodly ones in the World that whatsoever they do enjoy let their comforts be never so delightfull and their enjoyments never so lovely all the while they live and continue wicked they have the curse of God that goes along and makes way for their eternal misery As true believers have a blessing of God in outward things that lead the way of their eternal good unto them So the wicked and impenitent have the curse of God mingled with aâ—l their Worldly Good which makes way for their eternal torment §. IX Ninthly Consider the loss unavoidably incurr'd Thou hast gotten one Portion but thou losest a great deal more Thou hast gotten the bagg of Gold but the Plague therein which shall cost thy live So as there is the loss of life with the wedge of Gold Whilst thou hast been busied about the gain and chaffer of the World Josh 7.21 thou hast lost a bargain worth ten thousand Worlds If a man should go to a Fair or Market and make some bargain about some petty thing and afterwards when he comes home knows that by not buying such a thing he hath lost a bargain that would have made him and his posterity
greatness and Honor is his and from them to extoll him for his grace and goodness Lastly And all this must needs â—e now to all Eternity This â—ortion as it's large and rich â—nd excellent so it 's lasting And this is the property that makes precious things to be of â—rue worth indeed when they are of a lasting Nature and will endure The Transiency of the â—weetest delights and most pleaâ—ant enjoyments is that which â—o much in a serious Judgment derogates from their valâ—e and renders them less desireable in that through their fluidness they will not hold Could the wicked man in the midst of his sinfull yet most pleasing delights propound this Question to himself and rationally take and considerately weigh the answer yea but will these things hold will these sports and pastimes last will this course continue shall it be alwaies thus with mee how would this give check to his full Career and curb the rains let loose before him how would it blast and as a Worme at thâ— root cause all the Harvest of hiâ— joy to whither This would â—â—tedate the Prophets threatninâ— who tells him that his Harveâ— shall be an heap in the day of grieâ— and of desperate sorrow Isaiah 5 11. And that his root shall be roâ—tenness and his blossom go up as dusâ— Isaiah 5.24 And the moâ— when he considers what a Portioâ— he has lost which would have eâ—dured for ever the which â— Moth nor Rust could corrupt Math. 6.20 1 Pet. 1.4 noâ— Thieves break through and stealâ— an Inheritance Incorruptible Vndefiled and that never fades away We read that when Esau did buâ— hear Isaac his Father tell what â— blessing he had given unto Jacob then Esau fell a weeping oh Esau he fell a weeping Genes 27.37 38. when he saw what a blessing he was falleâ— short of Oh that God would now strike upon the Hearts oâ— men that have so little minded any thing but the things of this present World that they may duely consider what a Blessed Portion they hazzard the Eternâ—l loss off Oh. thou hast cause â—o weep didst thou truely know â—hy loss and State That which â—hou hast heard of the good things â—hat the Lord hath reserved to â—ll Eternity for his Saints is but 〈◊〉 scantling hint of what might â—e given and all Infinitly short â—f such an Infinitly Blessed â—ortion Now compare but that â—ith what is thy Portion and â—hat is like to be thy Portion â—nd thou hast cause to weep §. X. Lastly What is like to be thy â—nd thou that hast all thy good â—hings in this present World That 's a matter of momentous â—onsideration If indeed thou â—ouldest ruffle it out and swagâ—er here and enjoy thy hearts â—esire and there an end it â—ere somewhat And alas the â—allantoe's of the World never question but that their day 〈◊〉 endure for ever that to moâ—â— shall be as this day and much mâ— abundant Isa 56.12 Oh bâ— there 's somewhat else remains 〈◊〉 afterwards This their sweâ— must have a sower sauce theâ— vomit up their sweet morselâ— and it proves bitterness in thâ— latter end Take but a view â— some particulars and enter wiâ— David into the Sanctuary of Geâ— and then you shall understand thâ— end 2 Sam. 4.26 Jerem. 2.19 Psal 73.17 And First Oh the perplexity oâ— Spirit that Worldly men havâ— when they come to dye Hâ— that has made Mammon his God when Death Arrests him and hâ— shall see an end of all his Worldly Comforts Quantumlibet delectant jactantia divitiarum tumor bonorum vorago popinarum bella Theatricorum c. Aufert omnia ista una febricula adhuc viventibus totam falsam beatitudinem subtrahit remanet manis saucia conscientia Aug. de Catechiz Rud. c. 16. how wiâ— he then be perplexed when he must bid farewell to all now farewell House and Lands and Friends and Acquaintance and alâ— merry Meetings I shall never have comfort in you any more Oh then Death it will be truely the King of terrors to him Job 18.14 It was so with Adrian the Emperour when he was to die Animula quae nunc abibis in loca c. O thou my Soul my Soul whether art thou going thou shalt never have more Jests nor be jocund any more O my poor pallid Soul where art thou going So a man that has all his Good in this present World may say at his Death whether is this poor Soul of mine a going I have lived here thus many years and I have had many merry Meetings I have eaten the fat and drunk the sweet and gone in the best aray I have had a day and oh that I were as in months past but now my day is gone what shall become of me I am now launching out into the black Ocean of Eternity where 's darkness and dimness of anguish oh what shall become of me what Peace have I now when all is gone Oh the perplexed cogitations confused reasonings and tumultuating thoughts that the Spirit of a Worldly Man shall be tossed withal wheâ— Death shall arrest and dragg him out of his dwelling Oh then what would he not give do or suffer for a little Peace but Death's answer to him wilâ— be like that of Jehu driving furiously to Joram's Messengers what hast thou to do with Peace turn thee behind me Little does he now think of it but the Lâ—rd sees that his day is coming Psal 37.13 Though he see not his day a coming yet the Lord sees that day is coming Latimer hath a story in one of his Sermons that he Preached before King Edward of a rich man 2 Kin. 10.18 that when he lay upon his sick bed there came one to him and told him that certainly by all the reasons they can judge he was like to be a man for another World a dead man As soon as ever he hears but these words they are Latimer's words I onely repeat them as his words and they were before a King and so in due reverence spoke they will not be too broad words nor too rude I hope for us to hear as soon as ever he did but hear this what must I dye saith he send for a Physitian wounds sides heart must I dye and thus he goes on and there could nothing be got from him but such horrid expressions must I dye must I dye and go from all these here was all here 's the end of this man that has all his Good things in this present World Another when he lay upon his sick bed calls for his baggs and laies a bagg of Gold to his Heart and then bids them take it away saith he it will not do Another when he lay upon his sick bed his Friends came to him and said what lack you what would you have would you have any Beer would you be shift to the other side or to some other part of the bed want you any thing oh no
are as you God and your Good and the dâ—sire of your Souls it is an argâ—ment you are the persons 〈◊〉 have all your good things here §. IIII. Fourthly Consider how tâ— loss of the things of this Worâ— doth affect your Hearts Whâ— cross Providences do occur 〈◊〉 you are thwarted in your world designs and hopes how do such dispensations take with you when God takes away from you the desire of your eyes as with a stroke how does it work upon you Do not you count your self undone and are utterly disconsolate Do not you cry out of your selves as comfortless utterly comfortless when you have lost some Worldly Comforts Does not your health and strength and the vigour of your minds abate And is not the joy of your Heart gone and you as an undone man Why what 's the matter I have lost some part of my Estate I am utterly disappointed in that which I thought â— had had most sure Oh this argues your Heart to be exceeding Carnall and that you are strangers to the true riches For one that is Gracious though he may have some crosses yet no â—osses at all because he enjoys all in God whatever may be looked upon as a loss unto him he finds it fully to be made up in God he hath God to make up all his losses There is such a fulness of good in God and this so overflows towards him that his Heart with more than a considerable satisfaction takes up here though crossed in other things As a man travailing in his journey meets with rain and wind and stormes which beat upon him but by and by he takes shelter in his Inn or comes unto his own Mansion House and there he 's at rest and quiet though the weather be tempestuous and season stormy yet there he enjoys a sweet repose and his weather-beaten Spirit is at ease in the comforts of such refreshment Or as the Marriner upon the Alt and open Seas may be tossed by contrary winds and waves yet his desired Haven when safely attain'd fully answers his weary Soul with the incomes of joy and quiet then are they glad because they are quiet So he bringeth them unto their desired Haven Psal 107.30 Even so a Gracious Heart meets with many rubs and crosses in its way but there is a Divine Hospitium ever at hand in which there is a ready entertainment and this gives ease and comfort through Faith at present and there is an Haven of rest which in the end will more than fully pay for all the hopes whereof for the present are so influential that if well grounded they are able to stay and bear up the Heart So that Gracious Souls abide under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91.1 and may safely say Psal 32.7 thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from trouble thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance And the truth is if thou wert truly Godly whatsoever afflictions thou meetest withal as we say a man may put all in his eye so you might put all your crosses in your eyes you are so far from being undone by them But now whereas upon thy Worldly Losses thou art ready to cry out undone undone it is a strong argument thou art the man who hast all thy good things here below §. V. Fifthly Examine the suitableness of the things of the World to your Hearts Whether these be not the things between which and your minds there is a full correspondence whether you bless not your selves in these as it your happiness Many say who will shew us any good Psal 4.6 7. And all the good they enquire after is but corn and wine and oyl and the encrease thereof and this gives joy and gladness to their Hearts and is the only adequate and suitable good they look for The Lord by the Prophet complains against Ephraim that in their assemblâ—es they sought not him but his not the good in him but good things from him Hos 3.5 They did not fear the Lord and his goodness but their corrupt natures did take occasion from his goodness to rebell against him They assemble themselves saith he for corn and wine and they rebell against me Hos 7.14 Corn and wine and oyl were the only suitable things to their Hearts Hos 7.14 Worldly Comforts were the adequate Objects of their Souls These they loved after these they sought these things were the burthen of their solemn services and lay at the root of all their religious duties The Ivy we know will clasp about a rotten tree and cannot be taken from it without tearing So the Heart of a Worldling will clasp about these rotten comforts as the only agreeable thing to it and it is hard to divide between them Sometimes you may hear them tell with joy when they are a chewing the Cud upon their stollen dainties oh we were in such a place and we were so jocund and merry and had the bravest meeting that could be Oh it was a merry meeting And what was there why there was singing and ranting and roaring and cheating and couzening and swearing and drinking and blaspheming the name of God and yet it was the bravest meeting could be Oh say they it was a gallant meeting How do men delight to chew the Cud in contemplative reviews of their unjustly gotten gain Thus stolen waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant to them Prov 9.17 Does not these things evidently argue that a Worldly Good and Sensuall Comforts are the only suitable things to your Hearts When did you ever come from an Ordinance of God and say Oh it was a brave day to me the Lord hath spoken to my Heart this day This day I have tasted that feast of fat things those wines on the Lees well refined Isa 25.6 Did you never come from the Word with as merry a Heart atd could rejoyce for it with as much joy and more as you did from a merry meeting oh then you may fear you are the men that have all your Good things here in this present World §. VI. Sixthly Examine wherein thou doest account the chiefest Good of thy Estate and Worldly enjoyments to consist Thy Estate may be is greater than it was before or it is more than thy brother hath Now what doest thou account to be the good of thy Estate Doest thou thus reason and make these arguments upon thy Estate Now I may live in better fashion than I could before Now I may have more freedom than I had before Now I may have my ease and my own mind and satisfie my sensual appetite more than I did before I may say to my Soul Now Soul thou mayest take thine ease Luk. 12.19 and be merry Now I may have more credit in the World than I had before Are these the reasonings of thy Heart If it be so let me tell thee in the language of the Prophet that thou rejoycest in a
thing of nought Amos. 6.13 And yet alas is not this a truth that some of your Hearts if they were throughly searched this would be the language of them that you rejoyce in your Estates because by them you have fuell ministred unto your lusts Auro parieâ—es auro loquearia fulgent caâ—ita columnarum â—udus atque â—suriens ante fores nostras Christus in paupere moritur Hieron ad Gaudentium A poor man has not so much fuell for his uncleanness as you have nor so much fuell for his lust of pride as you have nor so much fuell for his lust of malice and revenge as you have your Worldly enjoyments give you an advantage to the satisfaction of your lusts beyond what poor men destitute of such enjoyments have Do not many rich men account the blessing the good and happiness of their Estates to consist in this very thing that now they have a more ample mean and opportunity for the venting or answering of their lust than ever they had before or than others have For a poor man cannot lay out so much money on an unclean wretch as you can do a poor man cannot go abroad and drink as you can doe and you rejoyce in this Now if this man have not his Portion here what man hath The Lord in mercy strike such a man's Heart in time But now on the other side a gracious heart when God blesses him in this World with an in-come of outward mercies though there be but a little grace yet it will be working thus The Lord hath raised my condition above my brother and therein the Lord gives me a larger opportunity to do him service than my brother hath or than I had before there is such a poor man he is an honest man but God knows he can do but little in the place where he is he hath but little means but God hath given me means and this enlarges my opportunity to do God service and for this my Soul blesseth God I account the happiness and good of my Estate to consist in this that now I may be of more use and do God more service and bring in a greater income unto his glory in doing good to my needy neighbour than otherwise I could have done or my poor brother can You that are rich men examine the workings of your hearts as to the good of your Estates wherein you account it lies If you find them work in this gracious way and manner it will be a blessed testimony that God gives you a Portion here and intends another Portion for you hereafter in the World to come §. VII Seventhly Observe what that thing is you strive to make most sure and endeavour to guard against these dangers whereto you fear it may be obnoxious What is the thing you labour most to secure your interest in that you may maintain a clear and indisputable title to it That which you strive to make most sure is the thing you count your happiness chiefly to consist in and what you are most industriously bent to secure is your choicest good Now are not your lands and livings your goods and credits the matter of your chief care Do not your thoughts most work about these how to make them sure to your selves your heirs and posterity Are not these the great concerns of your Hearts how to make good and maintain your title to your Possessions and Estates Is not this your inward thought Psal 49.11 that your houses might continue for ever and dwelling places to all generations to call your lands after your own names when in the mean while your precious Souls more worth than Worlds lye by neglected How it fares with them you regard not or at least not so much there 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 misit maciem in anima eorum Psal 106.15 leanness sent into them and you are not affected with it they prosper not and yet you lay it not to Heart Earthly concerns are your great business but your Immortal Souls you overlook and heed not to make sure their Eternal interest You are not solicitous about the pardon of your sin and the assurance of God's love in Christ about renewing and confirming Grace and the great business of your Salvation to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 and to secure your interest in Eternal mercies these are things the farthest off from your thoughts All you have to hold by when these things are spoken of or dinted upon the mind are some faint weary Soul-troubling sighs or cold fruitless wishes or dead liveless hopes that God will be mercifull but how or when or upon what account you know not nor much care so you can but get these more sad and grievous thoughts wiped off and your Hearts acquitted of them the new Moon and Sabbath gone Amos. 8.5 these solemn thoughts away that is your desire But as for the state of your Souls Luk. 13.24 Mat. 11.12 Luk. 16.16 2 Pet. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat animi intentionem i. e. A serious beating ones thoughts about the business of Eternity Jansen Beza Gerhard and their Eternal welfare you never strive about it The Kingdom of Heaven suffers no violence by you you are not of the number of those that press into it and instead of giving all diligence to make sure your Eternal Estate you make sure to give none at all whilst all your care endeavours and strength of your Spirits is laid out about securing your Worldly contents and no pains nor diligence is thought too much or grievous which is employed this way but the interest of your Souls lies by Now if these be not the men that have all their good in this present World what men have §. VIII Eighthly Consider what it is thou doest admire most men for and for which thou lookest upon them as happy Is it because such a man hath so much commings in by the year such possessions houses furniture such goods shop trading such credit esteem and repute in the World that therefore thou accountest him as happy Or he 's a man of great interest power and authority he is also to doe what not and therefore thou doest admire him Never weighing him in the ballance of the Sanctuary nor considering whether or no there be a work of Grace upon his Heart which is the only thing truly valuable but overlooking this accountest him happy for his Worldly income and enjoyments This is an argument that thou art in the dark as to the true spiritual riches to this very time Perhaps the men thou doest admire upon these accounts are vile persons being void of Grace and the true saving knowledge of God in Christ and yet thou doest admire them Art thou not carnall Is not the World thy God Doest thou not herein shew thy self like unto them and one of them Otherwise thou wouldest not admire them thus as
happy and upon meer Worldly accounts call them blessed Certainly God speaks exceeding contemptibly of all ungodly ones in the World though they be never so great in regard of outwards and admired in the eyes of men yet if they be ungodly they are contemptible in his eyes In the 11th of Daniel 21 verse it is said A vile person shall stand up who is this vile person Interpreters generally consent in this that it is meant of Antiochus Epiphanes that was a mighty great Prince such a Prince as when the Samaritans did write unto him they writ Antiocho Magno Deo So the Persian Emperours usurped Religious Worship vid. Brison de Regno Pers. l. 1. p. 8. 14. The like Insolence we find in the Babylonish Monarchs Isa 14.14 47.7 8. to Antiochus the great God and his very name shews him to be a great one it is as much as Antiochus the illustrious or the famous and yet when the Holy Ghost speaks of him it is Antiochus a vile person The wicked are vile in God's eyes notwithstanding all their greatness in the eyes of the World and though there is an honourable respect due to be payed unto them according to the power and place wherein providence has set them in this World which upon that account they may claim yet if they are not gracious they want the Principal ground of true honour the Honour that comes down from Heaven and which will endure for ever But now canst thou look upon even those that are poor and mean in this world that have the least Portion here yet as most happy creatures because the Lord gives them the Grace of his Spirit And think thus well 't is true I have a greater Estate than such a poor man that is my neighbour or than such a poor man But God knows he far outstrips me in inward excellencies I have more of outward riches than he which only serve the body but he has more of the true inward riches which only serve the soul Luk. 16.11 He does God more service than I do he prayes more and more heartily in one day than I doe in a whole year Oh the Lord hath other manner of prayers and sighs come from his poor cottage than ever he had from my brave building it was never so perfumed with praises as his poor cottage is The Churcâ— of God is the better for his prayers Oh I count him happy he lives by Faith he 'll believe in the fire and water Psal 66.12 whereas cannot believe on my bed oâ— down Though he is poor iâ— the World yet he is rich iâ— Faith and God hath more Honour from him than he has from me In my family perhaps there is cursing James 2.5 and blaspheming the name of God wâ—ereas in his cottage there 's blâ—ssing Now consider for what it is thou lookest upon a man as the mosâ— happy in the World §. IX Ninthly Consider the services thou performest to God what they are From the nature of the services that a man offers up the nature of the Portion that will fall to his share and lot may be guessed his services point at his Portion Are your services slight and perfunctory done â—ith eye-service only as men pleasers Col. 3.22 Eph. 6.6 1 Thes 2.4 Isa 28.13 and not in singleness of Heart Is â—ot the will of God done in your services from the Heart Do you â—raw near to God with your lips â—ut your Hearts are removed far â—rom him And think to put off God with the slight services This argues your Portion to be of God's slight mercies If your services are from a Spirit of Bondage and not done with good will Eph. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apost hath it w th a good and ready mind so as the will be engaged in the work but your services are Ishmaell-like of the bond-woman Hagar forced and strained as it were from you having no other rise nor principle but meer compulsion and the bond of natural conscience forcing thereunto so as there is no agreeableness nor inward suitableness between the frame of your Heart and holy things no workings of the Spirit of Adoption no establishment whâ— God's free Spirit Psal 51.12 but bondagâ— all along Then it s more thâ—â— probable a servants Portion is 〈◊〉 you are like to have and not â— childs It will fare with such â— man and his services as it diâ— with Hagar and her Son Câ— out the bond-woman and her son Gal. 4.30 foâ— the son of the bond-woman shall 〈◊〉 be Heir with the Son of the freeâ— woman Genes 21.14 Hager has a loaf of breaâ— given her and a bottle of water these are put upon her shoulder 〈◊〉 may take them for her share and so she is sent away Gen. 21.14 So if thy services be but as of Hagar the work of a meer servant thou shalt not abide for ever Foâ— the servant abideth not in the housâ— for ever Joh. 8.35 but the son abideth evâ—â— Joh. 8.35 Thou mayest go anâ— wander in the Wilderness liâ— Hagar and take thy Portion 〈◊〉 thy shoulder all thou art like tâ— have is but what suits back anâ— belly some clothes for thy bacâ— and bread and a bottel of water for thy belly Hos 10.2 Hos 7.16 and there 's thine all Or if thou art Hypocritical in thy services or commest before God with a divided heart an heart and an heart an heart that seems to be intended and bent towards God but aimes aâ—other way like a deceitfull Bow â—hat shoots the Arrow aside from â—he mark it seems to aime at Hos 7.16 And so seekest the â—raise of men more then the praise â—f God the honour from men Joh. 12.43 1 Thes 2.6 Joh. 5.44 more â—hen the honour that cometh from God onely If this be thy case in â—hy services that the great Prinâ—iple in them is Hypocrisie it 〈◊〉 a sign thou art the man that â—ere shalt have all thy reward We know what our Saviour saies â—oncerning the Hypocrites who â—d all their works to be seen of men â—ey gave Almes but it was beâ—e men to be seen of them Mat. 23.5 Mat. 6.1 Mat. 6.5 They â—ayed but it was standing in the â—nagogues and in the corners of â—e Streets Note by the way â—at their posture as standing in prayer either as arguing the stoutness and unbrokenness of their hearts or else their desire of vain glory and so the more to be taken notice of is expresly by our Saviour pointed at and in them taxed because the frame of their hearts was not right for the praysed standing and it was to be seen of men So they fasted but then they disfigured their faces Mat. 6.16 that they mighâ— appear unto men to fast Noâ— what follows hereupon Vti volunt Deo ut fruantur mundo Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 15. c. 7. what'â— their Portion what is' t thaâ— falls to
Flesh fail yet God is the strength of the Heart and the Portion for â—ver Happy is that People that is in such a case whose God is the Lord. They are not liable to the same grievances or so to be afflicted under their afflictions as others are They may be troubled on every side yet not distressed perplexed but not in despair The reason is they have not their Portion here below 2 Cor. 4.8 but their good things are all above laid â—p there where none can take â—hem away from them We see â—herefore that it is a thing not â—o be wondred at why so many â—re of Baruch's temper sigh and â—aint and grieve and sorrow â—o is me say they for there is â—rief added to my sorrow Jer. 45.3 4 5. I faint â—n my sighing and I find no rest And when 's this when they â—re crossed and disappointed in â—heir Worldly designs and hopes When the Lord breaks down that which they have built and plucks up that which they have planted And why is all this they seek great things for themselves and their Portion is lodged in this present World Jer. 45.4 5. CHAP. X. Containing some instructions expressing the more particular duties of those to whom God has given some Evidences of their Interest in a better Portion than in this present World is to be enjoyed THe foregoing discourse seems to hint some thingâ— more particularly to those whom the Lord has been pleased to endow with a better gooâ— than this World affords whoâ— the Lord has given to see thâ— good of his chosen and who havâ— made choice of that good part which shall not be taken away from them Psal 106.5 Luk. 10.42 God might have put you off with the swill and draff of this present World have given you a belly full and so an end He might have dealt with you as it was with Hagar have given you a Loaf of Bread and a Bottel of Water and so have sent you away but he has not done so he has dealt otherwise with you than as with Slaves and Vassals he has adopted you for Sons and Daughters and given you Childrens Portions the lines are fallen to you in pleasant places you have a goodly Heritage Psal 16.56 for the Lord is the Portion of your Inheritance and of your Cup. Now seeing you have some evidences that God hath given you a better Portion and not put you off with the good things of â—his World it concerns you to â—earn and practise those instruâ—tions that your condition calls â—or As §. I. First Oh Bless the Lord for his goodness to you all your daies Say with the Psalmist Bless the Lord Psal 103.1 O my Soul and all that is within me Bless his Holy Name The Lord hath shewed you better things than these are he might have put you off with some outward Worldly Good and have made it to be your All But your line is fallen in pleasant places and you have a goodly Heritage Oh therefore let your Souls be enlarged in blessing and let the assured happiness of your State and your riches in reversion raise your Hearts The least mercy is in a sort infinitely beyond our deserts if we consider either the infinite excellency of the Author or the Wretched Unworthyness of our own Hearts and so justly engages us unto Blessings praise How much morâ— when we are made the Subjects of Eternal Mercies and are to have the Treasures of Eternity opened unto us as our own Surely our Resolutions should be knit up into that of David While I live will I Praise the Lord I will sing Praises unto my God while I have any Being Psal 146.2 §. II. Secondly If the Lord hath given you some Evidences of a better good stored up for you in Heaven the good of his chosen Psal 106.5 then these Evidences and hopes seem to impress upon you the Doctrine of contentment be contented then with your present state Do not murmure and repine because your condition as to the outwards of this World is not so good as others you perhaps want many comforts which you think others have you are abridged and cut short of many delights which you see others do enjoy Oh be not troubled at it for thou hast that which will make the happy to all Eternity Though thou hast no such a confluence of riches neither art attended with such Worldly Pomp Psal 73.7 doest not suck the blood of the Grape neither art fed with the fat of the Earth as others though thou doest not so swill in the Bowl of pleasures as those who have more than Heart could wish yet thou hast all this made up by inward incomes and thou hast so much in Reversion sure as ten thousand Worlds cannot ballance Take a true believer at his lowest Ebb and put it to him and he would not he cannot he dares not exchange conditions with the greatest Monarch in the World that 's barely so not having a work of Regeneration passed upon him At the very mentioning an exchange his thoughts startle and his Spirit recoils within him For all Worldly Created Comfort cannot give him satisfaction and should he be reversed into the condition of an unbeliever how miserably wretched were he to all Eternity Now should not such be contented with their Lot as it 's cast for them in this present World Why should such repine and murmure as dislikeing their 〈…〉 they will not change conditions with tâ—oâ—e were it put to them from whose felicity their corruption would take the occasion of discontentment Hath God given you Jesus Christ His beloved Son to redeem you Hath he given you the Holy Spirit to Sanctify your Natures Hath he given you himself to be your Portion And are you troubled that you have no more of that sensual delight which a reprobate yea a brute in some respects may have as well as you Oh be ashamed of any murmuring discontentments for want of the comforts of this World §. III. Thirdly Do not you envy any wicked men for their â—â—rtion Psal 37.35 though their Leaf be green and they spread like a Bay tree yet envy them not their good Let not thy Heart envy Sinners but be thou in 〈…〉 lonâ— saith Soloman Prov. 23.17 â—mplying that envy at the feliâ—â—y of the wicked is a great Enemy to the true fear of God expelling and driving it out of the Heart or keeping it from entring in 〈◊〉 that as 〈◊〉 comes in the fear of God goâ— out Envy puts out fear Now this is a startling consideration and strong argument against that bitter root of envy What shall such a worm be harboured in the bosome as preys upon the Vitalls Shall such a Thief be entertained into our inmost lodgings which will rob us of our choisest Treasure The fear of â—he Lord is his Treasure Isa 33.6 Now you to whom God gives Eternal Mercies have the â—east reason in the World to grudge the
with Abraham whose Children according to the Spirit you profess your selves to be though he was in the land of promise yet he sojourned therein as in â— strange Country Hebr. 11.9 'T is strange he should thus over-look the Land of promise â—nd when as it was given to him and to his Seed that yet he should no more stay upon it and take up with it but be as a Sojourner where he should have been as a man at home The reason 's given he did not look upon it as his Portion for he looked for a City which hath foundations whose Builder and Maker is God verse 10. And he and the Fathers of old both by their words and actions did declare plainly that they soughâ— a Country verse 14. Yea perhaps some better Soil more fruitful and so more advantageous for their Cattel and their own benefit No it was not such a Country which theâ— sought but a better Country thâ—â— is an heavenly ver 16. They declared plainly by their course and converse that they werâ— Denizens of the heavenly Jerusâ—lem and that they were but Pilgrims and Sojourners till theâ— came there at home Oh thâ— Lord likes well this frame 〈◊〉 heart and life and therefore is not ashamed to be called their God neither will he let the hopes of such be frustrate For he hath prepared for them a City Heb. 11.16 Blessed therefore are they who have such a Portion and who are influenced upon thereby to live up unto it CHAP. XI Containing an Exhortation to endeavour after an Eternal Good with some Arguments and motives to enforce it THE foregoing Doctrinal Observation seems to speak â—o you all that every one â—ould put on to make more â—â—re of another Good besides â—he Good in this present world There 's no need to put men on â—o make sure an Interest in this â—orld all are forward enough â—hat way But alas how backward and remiss are we to â—â—sue an Interest in Matters of Eternal Moment The spirit of deep sleep is poured out upon this Generation Isa 29.10 We are apt to put all to the venture let it fall as it will and mind not the things of Everlastinâ— Concernment for our Souls Yâ—â— see that there are a generatioâ— of men whose All of Good they ever shall enjoy is laid up in some trash of this presenâ— World and you see furtheâ— that there is a choice Good tâ— be enjoyed the Good of God'â— Chosen Psal 106.5 Were iâ— not now a very sad thing tâ— think it that there should 〈◊〉 such a Good and blessed Portioâ— offered Heb. 4.1 and you to come sleâ—â— of it and only to take up â—ll the Trash and Lumber of thâ— World That you should 〈◊〉 so spiritually mad and in a â—â—ted as to choose Chips insteâ—â— of Pearls Lust before Life 〈◊〉 Grass in rome of Glory Thâ— you should put on so eagerly after shadows and in the mean while let go the substance Oh be wise before it be too late and take the opportunity now offered put on to make sure your Eternal Portion There 's the greatest reason for it if you do but consider §. I. First You are made capable of higher and better things than the things of this World are God hath endowed your Nature with such Principles as do adapt you to converse with Matters of Eternal Moment You are informed with rational and immortal Souls which are capacitated for Communion with the Father Son and Holy Ghost and fitted for Divine Converse with the blessed Deity and that 's another manner of business Exod. 32.6 than to Eat and drink and rise up to play and enjoy a little sensual pleasure here awhile The very Heathens could discern in the Fabrick of Humane Nature another-guess Design couch'd than only to indulge and please the sensual and carnal Appetite They looked upon his erected Countenance as pointing him Heaven-wards Os homini sublime dedit coelumque tueri Jussit erectos ad sydera tollere vultus Do but consider how fearfully and wonderfully you are made according to that of the Psalmist Psal 139.14 I am fearfully and wonderfully made fearfully when you look Godwards wonderfully when you reflect upon your selves fearfully in that the great God should be employed about such a Protoplasm and wonderfully in regard of the Curiousness of the Work When I was curiously wrought vers 15. like a Piece of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Varie compactus sum in imis terrae Psal 139.15 Embroydery Your Souls are precious Jewels and your Bodies are Cabinets in frame and composure excellently fitted for so rich a Treasure Now are you made capable of the Good Things of Eternity and will you take up with the Dross of this World Shall the Glorious End of your High Creation and Wonderful Constitution be thus unworthily disappointed Hath God made your Natures capable of Eternal Glory and will you bury them in the Slime and Mud of this evil World Moses's Complaint is against you Deut. 32.6 Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee Hath he not made thee Oh do not debase you selves and prostitute the Excellency of Humane Nature to Brutish Vanity feed not upon Husks where is Meat enough in your Father's House Remember this Luke 15.2 and shew your selves men bring it again to mind O ye transgressors Isa 46.8 §. II. Secondly Put on to make sure this Eternal Portion for you have trifled long enough in the way You have spent too much of the precious time of life allotted as a space and time for repentance in the pursuit of Vanity Does it not therefore concern you to bestir your selves now Look back upon your by-past-time and consider your former ways weigh the Fruit they have brought forth unto you Rom. 6.21 see whether it be such as in which upon second thoughts you can rejoyce or such which you cannot without shame reflect upon Now if you have the misgivings of Conscience in you as upon an impartial search and judgment it cannot otherwise be unless sin have seared your hearts then think with your selves and say surely it 's now high-time to put on for Eternity considering the Vanity and mispence of my former days I have trifled long enough in the way The night is far spent the day is at hand Rom. 13.12 It concerns me now and now or never to cast off the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light Hos 7.9 Are not gray hairs here and there upon me and yet I have not laid it to heart The time past of my life may suffice me to have wrought the will of the Gentiles 1 Pet. 4.3 when I walked in lasciviousness lusts excess of wine revellings banquettings and the like enormities The flower of my days is over and yet I have not taken one step Heavenwards I have often had some faint thoughts
you may lose the opportunity and yeâ— time be still Opportunity Head is bald behind post est occasio calva and so if you let it slâ—â— by you cannot lay hold on 't to pull it back again Meet opportunity as it comes and take it bâ— the fore-lock if you intend thâ— advantage of it Now you havâ— the offer of mercy and Goâ— calls upon you Now he staâ—â— at the door Revel 3.20 Cant. 5.2 and knocks and 〈◊〉 Head is filled with dew and 〈◊〉 Locks with the drops of the night You know not how long Mercâ— at this wonderfull rate may waâ— upon you and therefore pâ—â— on The Scripture speaks of â— time of Visitation a time of Salvâ—tion a time whilst God may 〈◊〉 found A time when he hold out the Golden Scepter a timâ— wherein the Fountain runneth anâ— the Spirit proclaimeth Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to thâ— waters Luk. 19.44 2 Cor. 6. â—â— Psal 32.6 Est 5.2 Revel 22.17 Isa 55.1 Thus Jerusaleâ— had her time and all the severall Churches in Asia had their time and now we have our time And if we misimprove this time and walk unworthy of this Grace and Gospell of Christ this time will have an â—â—d and this Sun will go down at noon and set upon your heads and so set as to arise no more That dreadfull Oath Sworn by the Angel with such Solemn Circumstance will be clapt upon our heads that there shall be time â—o longer Revel 10.6 A time of Grace no longer a time wherein Gods Patience and Longsufferance shall wait upon us no longer a time wherein the Mercies of the Everlasting Gospell shall be tendred to us no longer This day if you will hear my voice harden not your Hearts said God to Israel but they hardned their Hearts and therefore God sware to them in his Wrath Psal 95.8.11 that they should never enter into his rest If it be so with us as it was with Israel in the Wilderness we do not know but this very day thâ— Lord may clap an Oath upon our Heads that we shall never enter into his rest Therefore take the time now and learn of the Ant Prov. 6.8 Prov. 10.5 that provideth her meâ— in Summer and gathereth her foâ— in Harvest Be as the Wise Soâ— of whom Solomon speaks thaâ— gathereth in Summer Consider the time of Mercy hastes away and we cannot with Joshua bid this Sun stand still There is nâ— Market nor Fair day that lasteth alwaies if the country wâ—â— not come in the Trades-maâ— will at last put up his wares Sâ— the Lords standing may be open and his shop free for sucâ— and such a time but if Soul will not come in and buy without money and without price hâ— will at last put up his wares aâ— his Jewells of Grace and theâ— be gone Oh then do not sleâ—â— in Harvest to the shame and confusion of your Souls but say thiâ— is our time and therefore what we will do for our Souls we will do it now Surely better it is now to accept of the best Mercies offered than in pain and torments to wish for Mercy when the least of Mercies will not be granted even one drop of water to cool the Tongue Luk. 16.24 §. VI. Sixthly Consider the assistance that is now offered you in order to the enjoyment of a Blessed Portion and this will be a great encouragment for you to put on You have assistance offered and such as if you close with will not fail to help you forwards to the obtainment of what 's desired Though the end designed be never so Glorious yet if difficulty obstruct in the way and the helps to carry on the design be slender or none at all this will wonderfully check the undertaking and render the attempter despondent in his hopes What can he do with whom there 's no power and who has no helps as to the effecting matters high and arduous Will not his Spirit fail as the body does succumb and crouch down under a burthen But now if assistance and help comes in and such as may raise the hopes upon account of probability to attain what 's aimed at this revives the man and stirs up strength these hopes and helps do reinforce and give encouragment to put on Thus it is with mortal men in order to the enjoyment of this Eternal Portion When they reflect upon their own weakness and consider the difficulties in the way when the height and dignity of the prize is objected and the lowness of their present state considered their Hearts may well sink down in a despairing despondence and they desist as men out of Heart and Hope But now when â—ssistance and help is offered and â—uch as will undoubtedly if well â—ccepted in the end effectually â—ring forth how will this reâ—ew the strength and engage â—he Heart to more and fresh atâ—emps You need not want help â—hough never so weak in your â—elves to carry on the most Gloâ—ious design for the Eternal Good of your Immortal Souls God himself offers to come in to â—elp The Lord is your helper Psal 72.12 Nehem. 9.20 He offers you his Spirit He â—â—ve his good Spirit unto Israel to â—â—struct them and withheld not his Manna from their mouth The Spirit that proceeds from the Father and the Son is offered â—ou to guide you into all truth Joh. 16.13 Psal 19.105 Psal 119.130 â—nd to shew you things to come You have the Word of God to be a Lamp unto your Feet and a Light unto your Fathâ—â— though you are ignorant yet this word is an enlightning help the entrance of thy word giveth light it giveth understanding unto the simple saith the Psalmist The veâ— Angels are Ministring Spirits seâ— forth to Minister for them Heb. 1.14 who shâ— be Heirs of Salvation Psal 91.12 And thâ— shall bear you up in their hands lest you dash your Foot against stone The Messengers and Mâ—nisters of the Gospell they aâ—â— for your help and you may râ—ckon of them as yours Whethâ— Paul 1 Cor. 3.22 2 Cor. 1.24 1 Thes 2.7 11. Col. 1.28 or Apollo or Cephas thâ— are all yours and are helpers 〈◊〉 your joy they Cherish you as Nurse does her Children they eâ—hort and comfort you as a Fathâ— doth his Children Their endeâ—vours are to present every mâ— perfect in Christ Jesus Eph. 4.12 Eph. 6.11 They aâ— the gifts of Christ unto hâ— Church for the perfecting of 〈◊〉 Saints for the work of the Miâ—stery for the edifying of the beâ— of Christ You have the whoâ— Armor of God which you mâ— put on to fence you against tâ— fiercest Assaults and Encounteâ— of your Spiritual Foes in yoâ— travail towards your Heavenly Canaan This is offered you and it is Armour of proof compleat for the whole man wherein you may defie the Devil and all his Instruments Eph. 6.13 14. and be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked
Consult the Apostle about this Spiritual Armour â—nd the encouragment given by him thereupon and see whether â—his will not put you on You â—ave moreover your Viaticum â—aid in for the way and still in â—eadiness upon occasion the Lord will make you to lye down in â—een pastures Psal 23.2 3 5. and will lead you â—side the still waters he will preâ—are a table before you and your â—p shall overflow If your Souls â—e a fainting by the way he is â—ill ready to restore you he reâ—oreth my Soul saith the Psalâ—st You shall not want the â—st and sweetest of Soul refreshâ—g comforts in your journey toâ—ards your Heavenly Sion Isa 43.2 the â—rd himself will be with you and your Companion Isa 63.9 Though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of Death I will fear no Evill for thou art with me thy Rod and thy Staff they comfort me Surely goodness and mercy shall follow 〈◊〉 all the dayes of my Life and I wiâ— dwell in the House of the Lord foâ— ever Psal 23.5 6. Oh therefore since you have so manâ— helps offered in order to youâ— enjoyment of an Eternal Good let these encourage you witâ— confidence to put on Why dâ— you thus loyter and loose timâ— in the way Oh suffer not theâ— helps any longer in vain to waâ— upon you whilst you triffle aâ— way your own Salvation §. VII Seventhly Consider an interest â—n this Eternal Portion will aâ—undantly make up and answer whatsoever of want and perplexâ—ent your Spirits may meet â—ith or labour under in this preâ—ent World and therefore put â—n for the enjoyment of it â—here cannot any cross nor afâ—ction here befall you but an â—nterest in this Eternal Good â—ill bear up your Hearts This â—ill keep your Heads above waâ—er and still secure you from â—rowning amidst the cross Seas â—nd contrary surges of the trouâ—lesome Ocean of this World â—ou shall not sink whilst you â—ave the Plank of an everlasting â—ood to ride upon And thereâ—ore put on for it Though you â—e troubled on every side yet you â—hall not be distressed though you â—e perplexed yet you shall not be 〈◊〉 despair though you be persecuted yet you shall not be forsaken â— though you be cast down yet you shall not be destroyed Whence is all this Because you have an interest in this Eternal Treasure 2 Cor. 4 7. 8. Nay such is thâ— vertue thereof that it will noâ— only supply the want but it wâ— do more through Christ yoâ— shall not only Conquer but bâ— more than Conquerours sayes thâ— Apostle Rom. 8.37 Whâ— would not be Ambitious of sucâ— a Soveraign remedy still at hanâ— against all distempers of such â— strengthning Cordial against aâ— discouragments and such a sâ— supply against every want â— The Philippians were not onlâ— exposed to wants but probablâ— exercised under many Noâ— the Apostle opens unto them â— Fountain of full supply whereâ— they might have free recoursâ— and by Faith be interested in My God saith he shall supply aâ— your need according to his richâ— in glory by Christ Jesus Phil. â— 19. From hence it was that the Apostle had that excellent Lesson of contentment insculpt upon his Heart in every condition Phil. 4.11 He that hath â—an interest in this Eternal Porâ—ion is the only happy man how miserable soever he appear in â—he World he is the truly rich man how poor and indigent soever as to his outward condition he may seem to be He has â—hat Philosophers stone that turns all to Gold He sleeps as quietâ—y when he has but a stone for â—his Pillow as Old Jacob did Gen. 28.11 when he was on his way to his Uncle Laban His mind is not only brought down to his condition and equalled with his estate wherein the quintessence of contentment lies but his Heart is raised above these things to converse about his Eternal Portion by Divine contemplation and seeing his interest there this gives him satisfaction Jam. 2.5 Thus the poor of this World are said to be rich iâ— Faith being Heirs of the Kingdom which God hath promised tâ— them that love him Oh then puâ— on for an interest in this Inheritance which will be as a Panpharmacon for all your grievances as wherewith you maâ— check your Worldly Fears remove Carnal Doubts and quiâ— your minds under Earthly diâ—contentments from hence yoâ— may fetch a supply adequate tâ— all your wants a Plaister abroad as any of your sores and this you may effectually oppose to the All that may seem tâ— be against you in this World The want of an interest here oâ— of the actual knowledge and application of it is that which destroys Persons and so they cry out as miserable undone creatures when they fall under oâ— are to encounter with any crosâ— Providences in this World §. VIII Lastly Consider if you miss of an Eternal Portion though you have never so much of Outwards you are undone for ever What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Mar. 8.36 says our Saviour Many think they have well provided for themselves their Families and Posterity having got a large Portion of outward good things so as their Cup is full when in the mean while they know not neither much matter it how or what claim they can lay to the things of Eternal Moment wherein yet if you fail all your Externals will yield ye no advantage but you are undone for ever When you are at the point to die and then shall perceive that you have vainly trifled away Eternity for some transient Pleasures or temporary Good Things which now you must utterly part withall you 'l then say of all your worly good as Esau sometimes did of his Birth-right though he from a prophane discontented Spirit and you from deep conviction Behold I am at the point to die and what profit shall the good things of this life do to me Then there is no hope in them nor help from them nor staying by them they all become blasted withered dead and dry The Bud yeilds no Meal Hos 8.7 You shall then find that you have all your life-long but Sowen the wind and now must reap the Whirlwind And 't is Solomon's question what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind Eccles 5.16 Oh therefore lose not the Substance whilst you catch at Shadows neither exchange an Eternal Portion offered and brought to hand for a worldly good flying from you whilst you do pursue it And if it chance you overtake and so be answered in the desires of your hearts yet missing of the true good you shall find your Gain to be your loss and your loss such as is irreparable by all your gain The loss it will be of your Souls and what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul Now these Considerations duly weighed Mar. 8.37 methinks should rouze up and awaken the dull and supine Spirits
of poor Mortals to put on for Eternity now in this their day Let us fear saith the Apostle to the Hebrews lest a Promise being left us of entring inâ—o his rest any of you should seem â—o come short of it Heb. 4.1 The Promise is left to us as well as unto them and it stands sure But now to take up short of this Promise and so to miss of it is â—o deprive our selves of all the Good that 's in it and then though we have never so much of worldly good yet we are utterly undone for ever CHAP. XII WE have divers Arguments to stir us up to put on for an Eternal Portion and to lift up our heads and look beyond present things The door by which an Entrance is to the enjoyment of an eternal Good stands open for all Commers who have an heart to enter There is as fair a way for the poorest sort who have but a little Portion in this World to have the God of Heaven and Earth to be their Portion to have whatsoever Jesus Christ hath Purchased by his Blood to be their Portion to have Heaven and Eternity and immortality to be their Portion as there is for the Greatest Potentate in the World Many poor people are ready to say Alas I am poor I have little I know little I am able to do little I live upon others Charity how shall I ever come to enjoy an Interest in this Eternal Portion My Father is dead and hath left me no Portion and my Friends they are poor and those few of them that are otherwise they overlook me I but for all this you may come to have a Portion It 's possible some poor Wretches may have a Portion in God and Christ and Immortality as well as the greatest and richest of all Raise up therefore your hearts you that are poor and mean and know that you are born for high things How meanly soever you live now you may be glorious Creatures hereafter if so be you have an heart to put upon it and to seek after this Eternal Portion But now you 'l all say Lord what should we do that our Portion may be an higher Portion and our Good a more choice Good than this World is able to vouchsafe unto us Oh says the rich man that 's truly and throughly convinced of the insufficiency of all Worldly Good as to Eternal Satisfaction for though it 's hard for such to be convinc'd yet not impossible and with God most easie What shall I do that I may enjoy this blessed Portion And says the poor man Sith it 's possible for the poorest and meanest Wretches to have an Interest in this Eternal Good I am resolved to cast in my Lot and what shall I do Now the Directions that I would lay before you some whereof may suit all sorts and all of them one or other are these that follow §. I. First If you would have the Good Things of Eternity for your Portion then consider from whom Every good gift Jam. 1.17 and every perfect gift doth come and pray to the Father of Lights that he would vouchsafe you an Interest in that Eternal Portion As Prayer at all times is a Christians duty so when Matters of Great Concernment are before us no less than the Everlasting Welfare of the Immortal Soul surely then this Duty is firstly to be practised Therefore begin with Prayer we ought not to set about any of our lawful and just Callings without a particular addressing our selves to God This was the practice of good Eleazar Abraham's Servant when he was employed in finding out a Wife for his Master's Son O Lord God of my Master Abraham Gen. 24.12 I pray thee send me good speed this day And this also was the practice of good Nehemiah Neh. 2.4 in the distresses of the people I prayed unto the God of Heaven and then I spake unto the King These were but Matters of a temporal concern how much more than is Prayer to lead the way in Matters of Eternal Moment The remisness of Christians in this Duty shall be condemned by the very Heathens who in this Point shall rise up in Judgment against many profane Christians who look oftner upon their Gold than upon their God as Salvian speaks We read often in their Writings that in any general Calamity they did joyntly (a) Morbis grassantibus vel prodigiis nunciatis pacem Deum exposci moris erat vide Brisson de Formul l. 1. pag. 81. Edit 1592. implore the Peace and Favour of their Idolatrous Gods that in any (b) Plin. Panegyr Bene ac sapienter majores instituerunt ut rerum agendarum ita dicendi initium a praecationibus capere c. Sueton. in Aug. cap. 35. Vide Brisson de Form l. 1. p. 42. Et Coquei Comment in Aug. de Civit Dei lib. 2. cap. 8. num 2. matter of Consequence they made their entry upon it by Prayer commending the success thereof to the Power and Providence of those Deities which they believed Insomuch that we read of (c) Livius lib. 26. A. Gell. Noct. Attic. lib. 7. ca. 1. Cujus ab adolescentia vita describitur Diis dedita templisque nutrita Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 3. c. 21. Pub. Scipio a great Roman that he ever went to the Capitol before to the Senate and began all the Businesses of the Common-wealth with Prayer How much more then ought we to do it who have not only the Law and Dictate of Nature to guide us who have not deaf and impotent Idols to direct our Prayers to as their Gods were but have Fiâ—st The Law of Christ requiring it Pray always Ephes 6.18 Pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5.17 In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God Phil. 4.6 Who have Secondly The Example of Christ to enforce it whose custom was to pray not onely Morning and Evening Luke 22.39 Mark 1.35 Matth. 14.23 but upon every other solemn occasion As for Example before his Preaching Mark 1.35 38. before his Eating Mark 6.41 before the Election of his Disciples Luke 6.12 13. before his Transfiguration in the Mount Luke 9.28 29. before his Passion Matth. 26.36 John 17.1 and in his Passion Hebr. 5.7 Who have Thirdly From Christ that legitimate ordinary fundamental Prayer as (d) Tertul. de Orat. cap. 9. Tertullian calls it the Lord's Prayer not only appointed for our use but as a Rule and Directory by him framed to instruct us how to pray and to bound and confine our extravagant and vast Desires And Fourthly Who gave the Altar of Christ to receive the Incense of Christ to perfume the Name and Intercession of Christ to present our Prayers unto God by Who have Christ sanctifying and as I may so speak Praying our Prayers unto his Father for us As we read of the Angel of the Covenant who had a Golden Censer and much Incense to
offer up the Prayers â—f the Saints Rev. 8.3 4. which was nothing else but the Mediaâ—ion of Christ bearing the Iniâ—uity of our holy things as Aaron was appointed to do Exod. 28.38 nothing but his Intercession for us at the right hand of his Father Rom. 8.34 How much then these things considered not only of Reason but Encouragement have we to â—eek to God by Prayer and that â—n the first place and the raâ—her when the things we are about are Matters of Eternal Moment This we shall find to be an efficacious way as of giâ—ing Glory to God so to conâ—ribute to our own advantage â—n bringing to pass the Event in Aime For by this means we do 1. Acknowledge our Dependency on God as the first Cause 2 Chron. 14.11 20.6 and give him the Glory of his Soveraign Power and Dominion over all Second Agents and of effectuallizing all Means in order to the End designed in acknowledging that without hiâ— we can do nothing Mat. 8.2 and this Power of God is the ground oâ— Prayer 2. By this means we put Goâ— in mind of his Promises Isa 43.26 and sâ— acknowledge not our Dependance on his Power only buâ— on his Truth and Goodness too and the Promises and Truth oâ— God are the Foundation of aâ— our Prayer That which encouraged Daniel to set his face tâ— seek unto God in prayer for thâ— restitution of liberty out oâ— Babylon Dan. 9.1 2 3. was God's Truth anâ— Promise revealed by Jeremiaâ— the Prophet that he would accomplish but Seventy years iâ— the desolation of Jerusalem That which encouraged Jehosaphat to seek unto God against the multitude of the Moabites which came up against him 2 Chron. 20.9 was his Promise that he would hear and help those that did pray towards his House in their Afflictions That which encouraged David to pray unto God for the stability of his House was the Covenant and Truth of God Thou hast revealed to thy Servant saying I will build thee an House 2 Sam. 2.27 28.29 therefore hath thy Servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee And now O Lord thou art that God that is the same God in thy fidelity and mercy as thou wert and thy Words be true and thou hast promised this Goodness to thy Servant therefore let it please thee to bless the House of thy Servant c. Excellent to this purpose is that which Saint Austin observes of his Mother who very often and earnestly prayed unto God for her Son Aug. Confes l. 5. c. 9. when he was an Heretick Chirographa tua ingerebat tibi Lord saith he she urged thee with thine own Hand-writing she challenged in an humble and fearful confidence the performance of thine own obligations 3. Moreover by this means we hasten the Performance of God's decreed Mercies as also we retardate yea quite hinder his almost purposed and decreed Judgments The Lord had resolved to restore Israel to their wonted Peace and Honour Ezek. 36.37 Yet for all these things will I be enquired unto by the House of Israel to do it for them saith the Prophet The Lord had threatned destruction against Israel for their Idolatry Psalm 106.23 Had not Moses stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath as the Psalmist speaks And we read of the Primitive Christians Just Mart. Apolog. that their Prayers procured Rain from Heaven when the Armies of the Emperours were even famished for want of Water Tertul. Apolog ca. 5. and that their very Persecuters have begg'd their Prayers All this is to let you see as the Excellency so the Necessity to season your Undertakings with Prayer And now you being to look out after a Matter of so great Moment as an Eternal Good for your Immortal Souls Surely it 's requisite to begin with Prayer When you consider the Excellency and Worth of the Prize desired then in the sense of your inability look up to the Power of God as able to the Truth of God as faithful to accomplish and make good all his Promises Say that he has commanded us to seek him Amos 5.4 to seek his strength and his face and that he has promised Psa 105.4 that those that ask shall have Matth. 7.7 and they that seek shall find And that he hath promised to give that which is good Psa 85.12 and good gifts to them that ask Luke 11.13 him and that he would hasten and speed the Work when he is sought unto about it for before they call Isa 65.24 he will answer and whiles they are yet speaking he will hear And thus as you are to begin with Prayer so by Prayer also you are to carry on and season as the whole of your Christian Life so every of those directions or means that shall be offered to you or embraced by you in order to the obtainment of your desired End §. II. Secondly Imaginaria in seculo nihil veri Tertul. de coron mil. cap. 13. Would you have an Eternal Good to be your Portion endeavour then to yet a true sight and thorow apprehension of the Nature of all Worldly and Created Good See the Vanity that is in it and the Vexation of Spirit issuing from it Consider it in its Insufficiency to satiate the Desâ—res and quiet the Motions of an Immortal Soul Behold it not as it comes but as going from you View not so much its Face and Promises as its Back-parts and Disappointments Lift up and look under the Vizard that is upon all Worldly Good and see it in its Intrinsick Nature and view it fully to its latter end and then your Affections cannot but loosen from it as from a filthy Harlot whose rotten and deformed Carkass is onely set off with a little Paint or some outward Dress and Trimming on purpose to allure the Simple to destruction Nay if there were any solid Good in these Worldly Enjoyments to be found which there is not How fleeting and uncertain notwithstanding are they How short is the time wherein we may hope for not promise to our selves at all a fruition of them The words of the Apostle are very Emphatical to this purpose 1 Corint 7.29 The time is short It remaineth that both they that have Wives be as though they had none and they that weep us though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this World as not abusing it That is as not to be drowned and smothered in the Businesses of this Life as if there were any fundamental and solid Utility in them for saith he The fashion of this World passeth away The Apostle's Exhortation is beset at both ends with a strong Enforcement First The Time is short The Apostle as the Learned conceive useth a Metaphor from Sails or Curtains or Shepherds Tents as Hezekiah
a natural affection by this if it be kept within bounds it is natural if it be out of bounds it is not natural I 'le make use of it in another way when you come to the Service of God if you think to limit God in his Service you will go so far as may be consistent perhaps with ease or profit or credit and there stop this is but a natural Service But if the Service be Supernatural you will let out your Hearts if it were possible Infinitly to God You will propound no bounds no limits to your Service And this is indeed the truth of Grace when it hath the impression of Gods Infinitness upon it that the Soul sets no limits nor bounds in the way of Grace but desires to answer God if it were possible by an infinite way as he is without all bounds and limits so the Soul would set no bounds nor limits to Grace in Service This is a Choice Service in a Supernatural way §. IX Ninthly If you would not have your Portion in this world then be willing to part with and freely cast away from you whatever of your Portion you have sinfully gotten Let not the riches of iniquity abide with you neither what you have sinfully gotten load conscience any longer You bear about with you a secret and inward witness which is privy to all your ways and takes Cognizance of all your dealings The Spirit of Man is the Candle of the Lorâ— says the wise man searching all the inward parts of the belly Prov. 20.27 Now if you are conscious to your selves of any unjust or unrighteous dealing or that you have wrongfully gained by oppression cousnage extortion or fraud or by any other unjust or unwarrantable way and means sleep not with it lye not down one night with the wages of iniquity in your bosom do not any longer maintain a War with conscience about it neither take part with Carnal Reasonings to stop the course of good Convictions but yield and deliver up your selves in obedience to the revealed will of God Know that all such sweet Morsells which you have delightfully swallowed down and now perforce withhold they must up again And therefore be rather willing to part with them now Resolve upon it whatsoever thou hast gotten wrongfully never to keep â—t against thy will but do it willingly else thou canst have no comfort in thy present Portion nor an interest in the blessed Portion of the World that is to come If there be any true Divinity in the World this is â—rue and yet it is hard to convince any covetous Worldly minded men who have gotten much this way It 's an old rule but a true that all the Repentance you have in this World Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum August all your fasting and sorrow for your sin will never obtain Pardon without restitution if you be able Unless you do what you are able to restore you can never quit your conscience take comfort nor have the pardon of that sin Consider the Doctrine of our Saviour Christ Mat. 5.23 24. If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy gift The Sacrifice of Repentance or of a sorrowfull Heart which yet is but Hypocriticall where there is not Restitution will not come up with acceptance upon Gods Altar if you do not first what you are able to restore and so sincerely to be reconciled to your Brother Notable for this is the example of Zacheus the truth of whose Repentance was fully evidenced and that he was one of those whose treasure was laid up in the good things of Eternity when he does ingeniously profess saying Lord if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation I restore him fourfold Luk. 19.8 Zacheus was freely to part with and cast away from him whatever of his Portion he had sinfully gotten he was willing to make Restitution for the wrong he had done Behold here a true Son of Abraham a man to whose house Salvation was come And Jesus said unto him this day is Salvation come to this house for so much as he also is the Son of Araham §. X. Tenthly If you would have your Portion in the good things of Eternity then keep the eye of your Soul fixed upon the good things of the Life to come A stedfast fixing of the eye upon an Object will greatly influence upon the Soul to change Fugiendum est ad clarissimam patriam ibi pater ibi omnia Aug. de Civit. Dei assimilate or conform it to the nature of that Object fixed upon so as the Soul shall become united with it interested in it or shall embrace it as its interest A man that is Worldly minded and whose converse is with terrene Objects to these he looks and in these he lives This Soul-converse with the things of this World will so work upon him as to assimilate and conforme him to the nature of the World his Heart shall be worldly his affections Worldly his Meditations and Reasonings Worldly nay he looks upon his interest as embarqued in the things of this World Thus shall he be blinded as to his choice concerns and this from a keeping the eye of his Soul as 't were fixed upon things below So it is with a Gracious Heart in its motions according to its temper by fixing its eye upon Spiritual and Eternal Objects and conversing there it becomes assimilated conformed and as it were changed into the Nature of such Objects and so becomes Heavenly in its Affections Reasonings and Meditations and apprehends its interest to lye in these things so Divinely raised and spiritualized shall the due fixing the eye upon Eternal Mercies render the Heart to be The ignorance or want of Practice of this Piece of Divinity renders Christians to the shame of their Professiion so terrene and earthly in their courses so mean and low in their Performances so deficient and deceived as to the fixing their proper interest so impatient under Afflictions unsteady in their motions and their conversations so below the Gospel of Christ that there appears little or no difference betwixt them and the mere Morall Heathen unless in their falling short of him in walking up to the Principles of true Morality which is matter of great Lamentation The Apostle expresly sets down the Influence and Efficacy that such an open fixing the eye will have upon the Soul in 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all saies he with open face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. The beholding Gods glory in the Glass of the Gospell is Influential by the Spirit of the Lord upon the beholder so fixing his eye to change him into the