the body than to enjoy bodily comforts and have none for the soul Jobs friends could do no less than come to comfort him yet when they came they did nothing less than comfort him 'T is very rare that God takes outward comforts from them who are not taken with their comfort but if he take them that shall be their Comfort Company Many are pleased with the company of them who are good that are not pleased with the good of the company 'T is to be feared that they that love wicked men doe not hate the wickedness of men or That they that love the company of the wicked do not hate the wickedness of the company He that loves ill company will learn it if not the ill of the company No man should do ill for company nor good onely for company Communion Communion with God is more in conversation with God than in contemplation with God That God might have communion with us Christ was made partaker of the humane nature and that we might have communion with God we are made partakers of the divine nature Complement Compleat speech is no Complement if men speak as they intend and intend as they speak Complaint Saints have not such often occasion to complain that what they have done is ill as that what they have done is ill done Many complain of their sufferings without a cause wherein they should rather rejoyce for 't is better to suffer without a cause than that there should be a cause for our sufferings Confusion That which is confusion to us is no confusion to God for God hath the ordering of and an order in all confusion Commandements All Gods Commandements are alike holy just and good and therefore we should like them all Condemnation If that servant was condemned that gave God his own what will become of them that rob God of his own Conscience A good conscience without a good name is better than a good name without a good conscience A Saint will hazard his credit to save his conscience rather than hazard his conscience to save his credit Contentation We should be so content with every condition as to think the present best yet many times it 's best to think it so but for the present Contentment without the world is better than the world without contentment The lowest condition in the world with the love of God is better than the highest condition in the world without the love of God A Saint is content not onely that the will of the Lord should be done but that it should be also done to Gods content How little soever we injoy there is great reason we should be contented and how much evil soever we undergo there 's no reason we should be discontented Conversion Before conversion men are willingly willing to sin but after conversion men are willingly unwilling to sin There are many convictions without conversion but there is no conversion without convictions Before conversion sin hath dominion over us but after conversion we have dominion over sin and we lead that into captivity which did before lead us captives Covetous Usually covetous men need money least yet most affect it and prodigals who need it most do least regard it Covenant The tie of the Covenant is sure for Christ is the surety of the Covenant In the Covenant of works God did first accept of the works and then of the person but in the Covenant of grace God doth first accept the person and then the work Contradictions It seems to many that there are contradictions in the Scriptures but they are not but so many seeming contradictions Creation In creation God gave us to our selves but in redemption he gave himself to us Creature-Comforts When we take comfort in Creatures without God he takes away the Creatures or the comfort of it Crosse Christ did bear the curse and therefore 't is but reason that we should bear the cross Crosses See Afflictions Changes of conditions are but exchanges of mercy to a gratious soul Crucified If we be not crucified with Christ Christ being crucified will not deliver us from death for we may die in our sins and be damned notwithstandihg if we do not rise with Christ Christs resurrection will not save us it is not Christ without us but Christ within us who is our hope of glory Col. 1. 27. D Death That man can never die an evill death at least no kind of death can be evill to that man who hath lead a good life Death comes in by sin and sin goeth out by death The death of the body frees us from the body of death Death hath nothing terrible in it but what our life hath made so When Saints die they leave all their bad behind and carry all their good with them but when a Sinner dieth he leaves all his good carries all his bad the one goes from evil to good the other from good to evill Our sin delivered Christ to death and Christ's death delivers us from our sin It s appointed for all men once to die and to some men its appointed to die but once the rest shall have their share in a second death wherein they shall find no rest The natural death is the separation of the soul from the body the spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God and the eternal death is the eternal separation of the soul and body from God Think of death as a thing thou must meet with and of life as a thing thou must part with and therefore not to love that life too well that keeps thee if a Saint from a better nor at all to fear that death that leads thee to a better life Deeds That deed is ill done wherein God is no sharer No evill action can be well done but a good action may be ill done Debts paying While we are paying Gods due debts we make our selves the more his debtors Lord let me be thus in debt The more we pay God the more we owe him seeing we give nothing to him but what he first gives to us Last Dayes A Christians last dayes should be his best dayes and his fruits at last more than at first Defie Deifie Many defie the devil sin and the world with their mouthes but deifie them in their lives Die He that 's fittest to die is fittest to live and he that 's fittest to live is fittest to die When a Saint comes to die his greatest grief is that he hath done no more for God and his greatest joy is that God hath done so much for him Dead-living Some are alive and dead at the same time for they that live in sin and the pleasures of sin are dead while they live Saints are living dead men Gal. 2. 19. 20. and sinners are dead living men Ephes 2. 1 2. yea they are both dead and alive alive and dead at the same time Delayes Denials Delayes are not denials and denials are not alwayes refusals
unwilling to do good that 's worst but some are willingly willing and that 's best 'T is not so much a mercy to have wherewithall to do good as to do good with what we have No man but he hath received more good than he hath done and hath done more evill than he hath first suffered and therefore should be content though he receive but little good and not discontent though he suffer much evill The good which we receive is not for our own sake and the good which we do is not by our own power it s the mercy of God that moves him to do any thing for us and that enables us to do any thing for him A man should not omit good when he hath nor commit evil though he have an opportunity to do it Inward goodness without an outward shew of it is like a tree without fruit useless And outward shews of goodness without inward sincerity is like a tree without heart liveless Goods Wicked men have their goods from the will of God but the Saints have theirs from the good will of God Men are not more happy in having more goods but in doing more good than other men Godliness a Mystery Though the mystery of godliness be not without great controversies yet great without controversie is the mystery of godliness Men that resolve to make gain their godliness will never gain godliness unless they resolve counter to make godliness their gain Some men instead of making godliness their greatest pleasure and gain make gain and pleasure their greatest godliness Gold a vanity Gold is a solid well compacted and weighty metall and yet gold not onely leaf gold or light gold but gold that 's weighty is lighter than vanity Glory In this life the glory of heaven is but revealed to us but in the life to come it shall be revealed in us The glory of all our hereafter glory will be an oneness of communion with the Father Son and Spirit Angels and one another in God who is one in all and all in one Glorifie We cannot be said to glorifie God though we do the things that glorifie him unless we do the things to glorifie him Gospel The Gospel discovers a just God to be a friend to unjust man without being unjust either to himself or man The Gospel of peace is a great blessing but the peace of the Gospel is a greater blessing The Gospel breaks hard hearts and heals broken hearts Grace One grain of grace is more worth than many pounds of gifts or a gift of many pounds Grace makes a man more a man and more than a man Grace is glory begun and glory is grace made perfect Seeing God will turn grace into our glory hereafter we should turn grace into his glory here The motions of grace are abundantly more excellent than the notions of grace That can never be a grace to the body which is a disgrace to the soul There are promises of grace and there are promises to grace The promises of grace are made good by working the grace of the promise in the soul But the promises to grace are not made good till the grace to which the promise is made be acted by the soul Grace out-works and works out sin in Saints Grace is the best wear for it wears not out in wearing all other things perish in the using The God of all grace and all the grace of God is engaged to keep the Saints to eternal life We may well wait for the Lords grace seeing the Lord waits to be gratious 'T is one thing to be wanting in grace 't is another thing to want grace All Saints have all grace in some degree but few have all grace in an high degree Going on in grace is a kind of growing in grace for growing in grace is not so much a new thing as the same thing renewed 't is acting the same graces over and over and better and better Abounding is growing in grace What could God do more for us than accept us of his grace and what less could God require of us than to accept of his grace Men may speak of grace unto us but God onely can speak grace into us Saving grace is everlasting grace A Saint feels the grace which he cannot express an Hypocrite expresseth the grace which he doth not feel The meanes of grace is but a mean thing if compar'd with grace which is the main thing There may be an omission but never an amission of grace A Saint doth not desire grace onely that he may be glorified but that he may glorifie God not onely that he may be saved but that he may be sanctified Greatness and goodness Goodness without greatness is better than greatnsss without goodness 'T is not mans goodness but Gods goodness which makes a difference betwixt man and man To be very great and very good is a very great good H Heart A thankful heart for all Gods blessings is the greatest of all blessings That mans heart can be but seldome pure whose tongue is often impure for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Some men set their hearts on that on which God would that they set onely their feet viz. the earth We have alas but too often our hearts to seek when we come to seek God whom we should seek and serve with all our hearts When the heart is upright with God he accounts all as well done as if all were not well done yea he looks on that as done which was never done The hearts of Saints are larger than their words but the words of Hypocrites are larger than their hands God brings his people into various conditions that they may know what is in their hearts towards him and what is in his heart towards them Worldly Happiness Corn and Wine and Oyle is the worldlings happiness and but a worldly happiness for when the world is at an end happiness it at an end with them Hatred Love The Devil doth not nay the Devil cannot hate a Saint so much as God loves a Saint Heaven While the Saints are on earth Christ is preparing heaven for them and them for heaven If we doe not find that in heaven which we did imagine yet we shall find more than we did imagine Helping-hand It many times falls out that that hand is farthest off from helping that is neerest at hand to help the helpless Holy Saints strive to be holy as God is holy they know they cannot be as holy as God is holy Holiness Our holiness causeth not Gods love but Gods love causeth our love A Christian should not onely be perfecting holiness but we should also be perfect in holiness He that loves not holiness in the seed time of his life cannot expect to reap happiness in the harvest of eternity Hope Patience A Christian should possess his soul in the patience of hope untill his soul possess that which he hath patiently hoped for Honour To deserve
you or else you are utterly lost and undone everlastingly Luke 19. 10. 3. Gods free and general offer of Christ to any that will take him by faith Iohn 3. 16. manifold promises to this purpose The ground of all Gods offers and donations of Christ being free Grace rich mercy underserved love Ephes 2. 4. to 8. Tit. 3. 4. to 7. 4. Christs sweet and gracious invitation of such to come to him as are weary of sin Matt. 11. 28. to buy as have no money no righteousness to commend them to Christ Isa 55. 1. no worth or desert in themselves 5. As sinfull vile wretches as you are have been bought of Christ and found in Christ see 1 Cor. 9. 9. to 12. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Phil. 3. 7. to 10. why may not you the more clearly you discern upon what grounds you take Christ the more clear is your title to Christ III. By surveying and observing in what manner you take Christ dayly and this by five resolves as 1. Whether you do wholly renounce all opinion and conceit of your own righteousness and desert Matt. 8. 34. Phil. 3. 7 to 10. So that you come to Christ empty of your self very vile yea nothing in your own eyes unworthy to receive Christ 2. Whether you lay hold on Christ alone with an empty hand of faith joyning nothing with Christ in the matter of salvation 3. Whether you find the Father drawing your heart after Christ Iohn 6. 44. in hungring panting desires that will never be satisfied without Christ So that the stream both of your judgment Phil. 37. 8. and affections 1 Cor. 2 2. Gal. 6. 14. run towards Christ 4. Whether you take Christ as a Lord to rule you as a Jesus to save you Col. 2. 6. As one that is all to your all your wisdom your righteousness your sanctification and redemdemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. your spiritual food Iohn 6. 36. Raiment Rom. 13. 14. Strength Phil. 4. 13. Life Col. 3. 3. Gal. 2 10. 5. Whether you seek and wait for Christ out of the sence of your spiritual penury sacraments prayer meditation conference not as they are your own works of sanctification but as they are Gods ordinances appointed of purpose for the manifestation communication of Christ to the soul frequent perusal hereof will clear to you your manner of taking Christ which wil evidence to you your right in Christ CHAP. III. LAbour to draw and derive from Christ by the pulling attractive force of faith ability sufficient for the day I. To perform all duties Phil 4. 12. II. To exercise all the graces 2 Cor. 3. 5 III. To resist and overthrow all temptations and corruptions Rom. 8. 37. IIII. To undergo all the trials afflictions thereof Phil. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Iohn 1. 16. Thus make your provision of grace and strength from Christ every morning fetch so much as you have occasion to use all the day long yea and upon all occasions that fall out in the day Go to Christ still for the wisdom that must direct you for the holiness that must character you for the souldier that must bear them if they be crosses for that strength that must resist them if they be temptations for ability to performe them if they be duties To this end act your faith dayly in the promises of grace and strength as Iohn 1. 16. Ezek. 36. 26 27. Isa 44. 3 Zack 10 12. which are both security given you by God that you shall receive grace and conduit-pipes or instruments of conveying the same from Christ unto you Loe this is the manner to do all in the strength of Christ and to take forth a great deal of Christ into the soul that not you but Christ may live in you Gal. 2. 20. CHAP. IV. Perform daily duties in family and closet especially these three Prayer Meditation Reading all with serious affection heat of affection deligence and delight Ier. 48. 10. Mal. 1. 14. 2 Chron. 21. 24. these three waies I. Watch to these duties H. E. keep thy heart in a good frame for them Ephes 6. 18. undefiled with sin untainted with the world II. Take the fittest time for the performance of them all when you are the least evil and sluggish Begin the day constantly with thoughts of God III. Be very reall serious and substantial with God in them IV. Indeavour to feel all duties in your heart inlivening enlarging infleming your affections These be duties of most importance and consequence commodity and comfort to the soul because they properly appear at and reach at the souls good and caelestial happiness to train up a soul of a Believer for heaven CHAP. V. FOrtifie your self every morning against your special lusts to which you are by nature most prone or shall be most tempted be it pride passion covetousness c. This must be done four waies As I. By arguments and holy reasonings within your selves drawn fom the sad effects thereof as disprofit discomfort disgrace c. to discover the unreasonableness of your sin and make your soul ashamed of it For instance Shall I be proud Then I am sure to fall and God will count me for his enemie for God resisteth the proud â—am 4 6. Shall I be angry If I let passion in I cannot keep satan out Ephes 4 26 27. I shall grieve thereby the holy spirit of God Ephes 4 30 31. Shall I be covetous I cannot but be very sinful sith the love of money is the root of all evil 1 Tim 6 10. II. By pondring in your minds precepts in the Book of God against such sins judgments threatned or inflicted Prov 6 23 24. on proud Herod Acts 12 23. voluptuous Dives Luke 16 28. churlâ—â—h Naâ—aâ— 1 Sam 25 38. III. By applying promises of mortification close to your hearts as a plaister to the sore for subduing your iniquity Mic 7 19. Rom 6 14. IV. By drawing vertue from Christs death into the soul which hath in it a killing force of sin Rom. 6 4 107. Phi. 4 10. CHAP. VI. GEt your heart strongly fixt on God by trusting on him Psal 112 7. and submitting to him 1 Sam 3 18. against all the fears cares double trialls affliction of every day for sufficient to the day is the evill thereof Mat 6 34. This must be done five waies I. Be prudent to foresee your personal tryals and troubles what ever they are like to be Prov 22 3. II Go hide and lay up your self in God run unto his name for God is a work of habitation to which a poor soul may continually resort God will give commandment to save him Psal 71 3. 1 â—et 4 19. III. Especially commit that ver thing to God put it into his hands whatsoever you desire to keep or fear to loose 2 Tim 1 12. be it life liberty name friends maintenance c. what you would have resolved if it be a doubt Psal 37 5. or supply'd if it be a want removed if it be a
Lord chuse my heritage for me Losses A Christian gaines by all his losses Love He doth not faithfully love who loves not faithfulness Gods love God loves his people even in their sinful estate though not with a love of well-liking in them yet with a love of well-willing to them True love is not onely pleas'd with the beloved but seeks also how to please the beloved The love of God is better than wine and his loving kindness better than life and wine yea life is the better for the love and the loving kindness of God Sick of love To be sick of love for God is soul-saving health but to be sick of love for creatures doth oft destroy the health both of body and soul Lovely There is nothing lovely but what is in Christ and there is nothing in Christ but what is lovely Self-Love Self-love makes a man lovely in his own eyes but loathsome in Gods eyes M Magistrates What gain will it be to men to save themselves here and to lose themselves for ever To live and raign like Gods on earth and not to live and raign with God in heaven Many men seek other mens goods more than other mens good and the wealth of the Commons more than the Common-wealth but such should consider that other mens goods will never be good to other men When Magestrates hearts are not towards the people the peoples hearts will not be towards the Magestrates It cannot be expected that they will be careful of others good who are careless of their own good Men should order their reason of state by religion and not religion by reasons of state Civill honours are very necessary in a State for thereby the State it self becomes more honourable 'T is a sad thing when State-men grow richer but the states of men and mens estates grow poorer thereby Such Statesmen should rather follow the noble example of the Aelian family who chose rather to live poor in a rich Common-wealth than to live rich in a poor Common-wealth 'T is but reason that they who bring gain to a State should gain by the State provided that what they gain by it prove not a loss to it Some men when God lifts them up are lifted up and whereas advancement should make men lowly it usually makes them or rather they make themselves lofty but men in high places should not be high minded least he that advanced them up to heaven throw them down to hell Ministers Ministers should not preach sounding words so much as sound wordâ— least sound preaching be turned into a sound of preaching They can but badly make God known who know not God or they teach Christ who have not learned Christ Men may speak of grace unto us but God onely can speak grace into us If the feet of them that bring glad tidings are so beautiful how beautiful are the glad tidings which their feet bring Many men yea alas too many good men do the Lords work negligently but many others bad men do altogether neglect to doe the Lords works Every man should serve God in his vocation and some whose vocation it should be to serve God as all should do it so some should do nothing else It s a great shame if all that are Prophets are not the Lords people Rom. 10. 15. but its a grosser error to think that all the Lords people are ministerially Prophets Their being the Lords people makes them fit to hear but not fit to preach fit sheep but not fit shepherds Heb. 5. 4 5. It was Jeroboam's sin to make Priests of the lowest and basest of the people 1 King 12. 3. but it is a greater sin to make Priests the lowest and basest of people Man made saved God that made man without himself will not save man without himself Indeavours without God cannot God without indeavours will not save any man Marriage They that marry where they do not love will love where they do not marry Man of Sin Though the man of sin pray to others yet the man of God will pray to none but to the God of man Men. The best of men are but men at best Eccles 4. altogether vanity Men are not onely heathenish but hellish also by nature Meanes Meanes without God can doe nothing but God without meanes can doe any thing To trust in meanes is to neglect God to neglect meanes is to tempt God The great meanes which God affords his people here is but little to that which he means to give them hereafter Malice Love Love excuseth what is ill done in another but malice accuseth what is well done in another Meats Meats were not forbidden because they were unclean but were unclean because they were forbidden Masters If Masters take none or but a small account of their Servants their Servants will make but a small or none account of their Masters Living Martyrs How many living Martyrs have willingly suffered the losse of all things and yet have suffered nothing in their sufferings but have taken joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing that they have in heaven a better and an induring substance Misery of great ones This is the misery of the great ones that their greatness will not let them see how little how nothing both they and their greatness are Meetings Christian meetings are things meet for Christians Mercy The price of mercy is to prize mercy He can never truly relish the sweetness of Gods mercy who never tasted the bitterness of his own misery The depths of mans misery are not so deep as the depth of Gods mercy Many men take much mercy from God who are but little taken with the mercies of God and with the God of mercies Such men have no mercy upon their own souls who will not receive Gods mercy into their souls God doth not shew mercy to his Creatures because they please him but because mercy pleaseth him the pleasuring of them is the pleasing of himself 'T is a choice mercy to have the choice of mercies as Solomon had Riches of mercy are not revealed to encourage men to the commission of sin but that they may be incouraged to hope for the remission of sin Whosoever brings mercy both the mercy and the bringer are both of Gods sending They that will not in the day of mercy receive mercy without judgement shall in the day of judgement receive judgement without mercy God should be the dearer to his people for their mercies and dearer than their mercies Almost all or most of all Gods justice is but mercy and all our mercy is but justice for we are all mutual debtors to one another but God to none Mercies We then seek mercies right when we seek them more to please God with them than to pleasure our selves with them If mercies that come from God are so sweet how sweet is God from whom the mercies come or if mercies that are sweetned by God are so sweet how sweet is God by whom the mercies
are sweetned God doth not any time put off his people because he is not in a capacity to give mercy but doth many times put them off because they are not in a capacity to receive mercy Mercifull He that is mercifull to the Saints for Christs sake shall be rewarded by Christ for the Saints sake Miracles God doth not alwayes bind miracles to faith nor faith to miracles God will sometimes be beleived without them and sometimes spends them upon unbelievers Money Onely money well and lawfully gotten is good and lawful money Morality See Civility Mourning A godly man doth not onely mourn in secret for his publick sinnes but he also mournes in publick for his secret sinnes N Nature Grace Nature teacheth us to prefer our lives before the world and grace teacheth us to prefer our souls before our lives Naturall Spiritual Natural men will not do all they can spiritual men cannot do all they will We call fools naturals but we may and more truly call natural men fools Natural defects Natural defects are not the Creatures fault but the Creators pleasure and therefore he that finds fault with them finds fault with God That man hath a very ill nature who would have others be good to him but he himself loves not to be good to others Nothing There is a time when nothing a time when something but no time when all things are to be spoken That man hath nothing who wants Christ and that man who hath Christ wants nothing O Obedience 'T is obedience to disobey parents when we cannot obey them without disobeying God Offring The Offrings did not nor doe sanctifie the Altar but the Altar did and doth sanctifie the Offring Vain Offrings are offered in vain or they that worship God vainly do worship God in vain 't is to no purpose 't is nothing worth Omission Commission Omission of good is comission of evill One of Christs 'T is a great mercy to be one of Christs though but one of his little ones Orders of Men. In all orders of men the greatest part are out of order Ordinances Many use the Ordinances of God who make no use of them 't is indeed good to use them but the gain and sweetness is in making good use of them Christ certainly speaks to men in that ministry which speaketh men into Christ 'T is to be feared that they who turn their backs upon the Ordinances of God will at last turn their backs upon the God of Ordinances Opinion Most men have a good opinion of their own opinion though the opinion be not good To maintain an opinion because it s thine and not because it is true is to maintain thy self not the truth and so to prefer thy self above the truth Opportunity 'T is better to want opportunities for our hearts to improve than to want an heart to improve our opportunities Over-valuing self He that over values himself is usually undervalued by others Old New Testament In the old Testament the new was vailed in the new the old is revealed P Pardon God doth not onely give pardon to them that believe but he also gives faith to believe pardon Parentage See Vice Parts 'T is not the best part of a Christians excellency that he is of excellent parts Pass-time That is the best pass-time wherein the time is best passed Peace holding 'T is better to hold ones peace than by speaking to offend or to give an offence Physicians Physicians of greatest value are of no value in some cases but one may say of them miserable comforters are ye all Pleasing God As what Saints have pleaseth not God if offered without themselves so what they have from God doth not please them without himself The best way to please all or displease any with least danger is to please him who is all in all There is nothing so sweetly pleasing and pleasantly sweet to a gratious heart as to please God A Saint doth not onely seek to please God but also to be pleased with God not onely that his doings may be acceptable to God but also that all Gods dealings may be acceptable to him Passionate When others are passionate towards Saints Saints should be compassionate towards them Passion makes them fools which otherwise are not so and shews them to be fools which are so Poor Rich. 'T is the misery of the poor to be neglected of men 't is the misery of the rich to neglect God Pride God will stain the pride of all glory for indeed all pride will stain his glory Prayer Prayers not felt by us are seldome heard by God In prayer a Christian must not tell God what he shall give but ask God what he will give A Christian should watch unto prayer because of his adversary the Devil who watcheth him when and wheresoever he prayes Prayer is like Jonathan's bow which sent out the arrows but faith is like Ionathan's boy which fetcht back the arrows The Saints fare the better yea are far the better for one anothers prayers Christ doth not dehort us from speaking much but from much speaking in prayer A Christian sometimes prayeth to have what he wants and other times yea often at the same time he prayeth to want that he hath Wordless Prayers An heart without words is better than words without an heart in the duty of prayer Prayerful Praiseful He that is prayerful before mercy is received should be praiseful when he hath received mercy The returns of prayer call for the return of praise Prayerless The prayerless man is a godless man Praise A man should not praise his works but his works should praise him 'T is more a mercy to praise God for the mercies we have than to have mercies to praise God for Practise 'T is good to profess but practise is better yea of the two practise without profession is better than profession without practise Men cannot practise unless they know but as good they knew not unless they practise Precept Example Precepts without examples bind more than examples without precepts though examples are more prevailing than precepts Proud God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to that is assisteth the humble Portion The Lords portion is his people and the Lord is his peoples portion Promises God makes good all the good promises which he makes Wicked men may apply themselves to the promises but godly men may apply the promises to themselves God doth not onely give his people promises to believe but doth also give them to beleive the promises Many good promises are made which are not made good Profession 'T is not the onely profession of a Christian to make onely a profession 'T is not the profession but possession of Christ which is our hope of glory Prophet See Minister A Prophet may teach us but onely God can teach us to profit Providence Providence is creation continued or a creation in a new edition Q Quarrell not with God If God be better to others than he is to
Saint is not so far above the lowest as the lowest Saint is above the highest of men Every Saint is like God in a degree though not in a perfection and yet he is like God in a perfection of sincerity though not of degrees God expects that Saints should do more for him than for others because God hath done more for them than for others Though it sads us that he is no better yet it glads him that he is no worse The world sees not a Saint though they look him in the face for the Saint is the hidden man of the heart or the man in the Spirit Seeking Though that which thou seekest for be good yet while the way by which thou seekest for it be evill thou shamest the end by the way and by the way wilt thou shame thy self in the end Self-seeking Many men do but seek themselves in seeking God and serve him that they may serve themselves of him Flesh is the Anagram of self and in Scripture it s all one to walk after the flesh and to seek ones self if then men walk after the flesh they shall die for every mans perdition is of himself Self-searching It concernes all men to search themselves and that quickly but withall to take heed they be not so quick in searching as not to search to the quick Secret They who are most with God in Secret know most of Gods secrets Seeing God 'T is good to see God in all things and all things in God Scriptures We may do well enough with the Scriptures though we had no traditions but could not do well enough with traditions if we had not the Scriptures The Scriptures shew us what God hath done for man and what man is to do for God Some men try the Scriptures by the Fathers but men should try the Fathers and all other men by the Scriptures Salvation See Workiâ—g Their salvation may be sure who yet may not be sure of their salvation Faith is as clear a proof that men shall be saved as salvation is a clear proof that men have beleived Scorners They who scorn others are usually scorned by others Service God takes that service most kindly which is most kindly service Sermon To practise the Sermon we hear is the best way of repeating the Sermon Servants If we are unprofitable servants when we have done our duties how unprofitable are we when we do not do our duties When we have done our duty we are but unprofitable servants for our best is so bad and our all so little that it is but little more than nothing at all Though the best of men they being at the best but unprofitable servants deserve nothing at the hands of God yet they may deserve much at the hands of man and if they have not the recompence which they deserve yet 't is a kind of recompence to have deserved Sanctified The Saints even in this life are sanctified throughout that is in every part though every part be not throughout sanctified in this life Sufferings 'T is an high strain of spiritualness in the sufferings we bear or in our bearing sufferings when we can say though I love not that which I suffer and though I love not the burden I bear yet I love to bear the burden There are many that suffer long who are not long-suffering Satan accusing Satan the great accuser doth not onely accuse the Brethren unto God but doth also accuse God unto the Brethren Sin The industrious man hath no leisure to sin the idle man hath no leisure to avoid sin It s one thing to sin another thing to be overtaken with sin another to be overcome by sin Private sins are oft punisht with publick shame Every man brought sin enough into the world to repent of all his dayes though he should never actually sin and sins enough actually every day to sorrow for though he had brought none with him into the world Sin will prove that sinners downfall who falls not down to confess his sin and to give glory to God The sin of man filled the Creature with vanity and the vanity of the Creature fills man with vexation of Spirit Nothing disgraceth a man so much as sin and nothing honours a man so much as grace Some men when they have prayed against sin go and sin against prayer The greatest of sins repented of is pardonable and the least of sins not repented of is damnable Great sinnes forgiven by God must not be forgotten by us God doth not onely take off sin from his people which is justification but God takes his people off from sin which is sanctification Sin Sinners It stands with the justice of God to visit man with a perpetual penalty who if he might would live perpetually in iniquity The wicked sin but for a time because they live but for a time By their good wills they would never die that they might ever sin for they shew they would ever live in sin because they never leave sinning so long as they live Although the lowest beleiver is above the power of sin yet the highest beleiver is not above the confession of sin because not above the practice of sin Every sin against God is great because it is against a great God When our sin is increased Gods grace is not decreased though we may be worse than we were yet God is as good as ever he was Nothing deforms a man so much as sin nothing reforms or adorns a man so much as grace Many men see the evills of their sinâ— who do not see the sin of their evils Many men sin with content and are not content with sin By reason of our sins we have cause to be sorrowful in the midst of our joyes but by reason of Gods mercy we have cause to rejoyce in the midst of our sorrows A Christian hates sin for sins sake and forsakes sin for Gods sake The evill of sin will never deliver us from but alwayes deliver us to the evill of sufferings Sinners Scarlet sinners may by grace be made milk-white Saints The vilest sinners once converted become the strictest Saints 'T is better being in hell with Christ than in heaven with sin If sinners cast not away their sins for Gods sake God will cast them away for their sinnes sake Singing Saints In heaven the Saints shall sing notes of the highest strains but they shall not strain for the highest notes here their prayses are noted with Selah there their prayers shall be a note above Elah Soul and Body In this world the body was first and then the soul but in heaven the soul is first and then the body Sorrow Sorrow for sin is to last as long as there is any sin to sorrow for A true Christian had rather that Christ should take away his sin and leave his sorrow than take away his sorrow and leave his sin That sorrow for sin that keeps us from beleiving and rejoycing in Christ is sinful
wiser than others who indeed are otherwise for the most self-wise are very fooles Wicked Godly Wicked men are dead while they live but godly men live when they are dead Wicked men have what they enjoy but from the providence of God but godly men have what they enjoy from the promise of God The wicked man saith what I will is lawful but the good man saith what is lawfull I will Wife 'T is better to have a Wife without a portion than a portion without a Wife They who marry where they like not and love not are like to love where they marry not Will. God finds in every man a will to work upon but he finds not but makes any man willing to be wrought upon Judas Herod and Pontius Pilate fulfilled Gods will in be traying and crucifying Christ and so sinned not but they did it not to fulfill Gods will but their own and that was their sin That man hath no good will that wills no good God will accept the will for the deed when we are as willing to doe as to will the deed A Christian may desire that which God wills not and not sin in that desire and he may sin in desiring that which God wills 'T is not mans free will but Gods free grace which makes one man to differ from another in goodness Women See Young Word of God Some can read the Word of God who do not understand it and some do understand it who cannot read it The Word of God is not onely a pure but purifying not onely a clean but a cleansing Word 'T is not the word that man speaks nor the man that speaks the word which can convert a soul Word Works The word of life is best held forth in the works of our life Word In many their words are more than their intentions and their actions lesse than their words Word Sword The Word is Gods Sword and the Spirit is Gods Arme now as that famous Captain that had lost his sword told his enemies 't is not so much the sword as the arme unless the arme of the Lord be revealed the report will not be beleived The Spirit can save without the Word but the Word cannot save without the Spirit Blessed are they to whom the Gospel cometh not onely in word but in power in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit Words fit Fit words are better than fine for fit words are alwayes fine but fine words are not alwaye fit Writing Men should rather do things worthy to be written than write things worthy to be done though both are worth the doing World 'T is a sad thing for a man to be taken out of the world by death before he be taken out of the world by grace 'T is a mercy to have a portion in the world but to have the world for a portion is a misery He that loves the world much can love God but little They will buy the world at too dear a rate that pay but one sin for it The world is not answerable to nor able to answer our expectations 'T is not the having the world nor having an hand in the world but having an heart in the world which God disalowes Be wisely-worldly be not worldly-wise Works A Saint doth not so much do good works to live as live to do good works 'T is better that a mans own works than that another mans words should praise him The works which many men do do honour God when yet the men that do the works may dishonour God We work not our selves into Christ but Christ works us into himself Worth That place is worth the looking after which will make one lovely in the eyes of God Y Young Women If young Women were clothed but with the Silk of Piety the Sattin of Sanctity and the Purple of Modesty God himself would be a Suitor to them Z Zeal Many men have much zeal and little knowledge and many others who have much knowledge have but little zeal FINIS AN HOLY ALPHABET FOR YOUNG CHRISTIANS Being the principall points of Religion laid down in entire Propositions and express words of Scripture for the more Authority Whereunto is annexed THE FAITHFUL SHEPHEARD Guiding his FLOCK in a way of walking with God dayly By ROBERT PORT Minister of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST London Printed by G. Dawson for George Sawbridge at the Sign of the Bible upon Ludgate-hill 1658. AN Holy Alphabet For Young CHRISTIANS The Principles of Religion IT 's onely asking the Question what is taking thereto the first words of the Proposition and the Proposition returns you the Answer Instance Q. What is Adoption A A Adoption is an act of Godsfree Grace whereby we are received into the number and have right to all the priviledges of the sons of God Proofe 1 John 3. 1. John 1. 12. B Baptism is a Sacrament wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost doth signifie and seal our ingrafting into Christ and partaking of the benifits of the Covenant of Grace and our engagement to be the Lords Matt. 28. 19. Rom. 6. 4. Gal. 3. 27. The Body is the outward and earthly part of Man made of the begining of the dust of the earth Gen. 2. 7. Ch. 3. 19. C Calling effectuall is the work of Gods spirit whereby convincing us of our sin and misery inlightning our minds in the knowledge of Christ and renewing our wils he doth perswade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel 2 Tim 1. 9. 2 Thes 2. 13 14. Acts 2. 37. Chap. 26. 18. Ezek. 36. 26 27. Joh. 6. 44 45. Psal 2. 13. Creation is Gods making all things of nothing by the word of his power in the space of six daies and all very good Gen. 1. Exod. 20. 11. Heb. 11. 2. D Decrees of God are his eternal purpose according to the councell of his will whereby for his own glory he hath fore-ordered whatsoever comes to pass Ephes 1. 4. 11. Rom. 9. 22 23. E Election is the eternal and unchangeable decree of God whereby of his free Grace and mercy he hath made choice of some rather than others to bestow upon them eternal life and happiness and that for the glory of his free grace Ephes 1. 4. Rom. 11. 2. 5 6. Ephes 1. 5. F Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving Grace whereby we rejoice and rest upon him alone for salvation as he is offered unto us in the Gospel Heb. 10. 39. Joh. 1. 12. Isa 26. 3 4. Phil. 3. 9. Gal. 2. 16. An holy Fast is a religious abstinance from all the labors of our calling and comforts of this life so far as comliness and necessity will permit that we might be more seriously humble before God and more fervent in prayer Ecle 4. 16. Levit. 23. 27. Dan. 9. 9. 11. An holy Feast is an extraordinary thanksgiving for some notable diliverance out of some
desperate danger testified with feasting before God with joy and gladness sending Presents to our friends and Portions to the needy 1 Chron. 16. 8 Chap. 29. 10 11. Neh. 8 10. Hest 9. 22. G God is a Spirit infinite eternal and unchangeable in his being wisdom power holiness justice goodness and truth Iohn 4. 24. Iob 11. 7 8 9. Psal 90. 2. Ia. 1. 17. Exod. 3. 14. Psal 147. 5. Revel 4. 8. Chap. 15. 4. Ex. 34. 6 7. H Holy Ghost is a true and co-eternal God with the eternal Father and the Son and is given to me to make me through a true faith partaker of Christ and all his benefits to comfort me and to abide nigh me for ever Phil. 5. 7. Gen. 1. 2. Is 48. 16. 1 Cor. 3 26. Chap. 6. 19. Acts 5. 34. Gal. 4. 6. Mal. 23. 19 20. 2 Cor. 1. 22. Gal. 3 14. Acts 9. 31. Iohn 14. 16. 1 Pet. 4. 14. Iohn 15. 26. I Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who in time became Man for his Elect Gal. 4. 4. Institution is an Act of Gods free Grace wherein he pardoneth all our sins and accepteth us as righteous in his sight onely for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone Rom. 3. 24 25. Chap 4. 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 5. 19. 21. Rom. 5. 17 18 19. Gal. 2. 16. Phil. 3. 9. M Mortification is that grace whereby our natural corruption is subdued and vivification or quickning is that grace too wherby inherent holiness is renewed in us Ephe. 4. 22 23. Rom. 6. 4. 11. 13. Col 2. 12. O Obedience now is a careful endeavour to give unfeigned obedience to all Gods commands according to that measure of strength wherewith God doth enable us Luke 16. 74 75. 1 Pet. 4. 2. 5. 1 Iohn 3. 3. Ch. 5. 3. P Petition is a prayer wherein we desire the preventing or removing things hurtful and the obtaining of things needful either for this life or that which is to come Isa 37. 20. Mat. 6. 13. Psal 6. 1. to 5. Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to his will in the name of Christ with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies Psal 62. 8. 1 Io. 5. 14. Io. 10 23. Psal 32. 5 6. Dan. 9. 4. Phil. 4. 6. Gods Providence is his most wise holy and powerful preserving and governing of all his creatures and all their actions Psal 145. 17. Psal 104. 24 Isa 28. 29. Heb. 1. 3. Psal 103. 19. Matt. 10. 29. to 31. R Reconciliation is that grace whereby we are freed from Gods curse and restored to his fatherly favour Rom 3. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 8 9. Eph. 2 16. Col. 2. 21. Repentance is a saving grace whereby a sinner out of a true sence of his sin and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ doth with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it unto God with full purpose of and endeavour after new obedience Acts 11. 18. Ch. 2. 37 38. Icel 2. 12 Ier. 3. 32. Ch. 31. 18. 19. Ezek. 36. 31. 1 Cor. 7. 11. Isa 1. 16 17. S A Sacrament is an holy Ordinance instituted by Christ wherein by sensible signs Christ and the benifits of the new Covenant are represented sealed and applied to believers Gen. 17. 7. 10. Exod. 12. 1 Cor. 11. 23. 26. Sin is any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God 1 Iohn 3. 4. The Soul is the inward and spiritual part of Man which is mortal and never can dye Eccle. 12. 7. Mat. 10. 28. 2 Cor. 5. 8. Revel 6. 9. The Supper of the Lord is a Sacrament wherein by giving and receiving bread and wine according to Christs appointment his death is shewed forth and the worthy receivers are not after of a corporal and carnal manner but by faith made partakers of his body and blood with all his benefits to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace 1 Cor. 11. 23. to 27. Ch. 10. 16. Sanctification is the work of Gods free Grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness 2 Th. 2. 13. Eph. 4. 23 24. Rom. 6. 4. 6. T Thanksgiving is a prayer wherein we render thanks to God for his general goodness and particular favours 1 Sam. 2. 1 Psal 136. 1. Psal 103. 1. to 6. V A Vow religious is a solem promise unto God made by a fit person of some lawfull thing which is in his choice to restifie his love and thankfulness Deut. 23. 21 22. Psal 116. 12. W The word of God is the holy Scriptures imediatly inspired which is contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament 2 Tim. 3. 16. FINIS THE Faithful SHEP HEARD Guiding his Flock in a way of walking with God dayly CHAP. I. INdeavour to be sensible of thy original corruption dayly how it inclines thee to evill and indisposeth thee to good groan under it and bewail it as Paul did Rom. 7 24. tkâ—e special notice of your actual sins or dayly infirmities in thought word and deed Indeavour to make your peace with God for them two waies I. By repenting them and confessing them to God working your heart to grieve for them by some melting considerations as of Gods goodness to you thy unreasonableness and unprofitableness of sin the prejudice and damage thereof to the soul 1 Iohn 1. 9. II. By believing or casting your self wholly on Christs righteousness for the remission therof and reconciliation with God Rom. 3. 22 to 26. Cleaving to Gods promises of pardon and peace Isa 43. 25. Rom. 5. 1. waiting til the Lord shal speak to you Psal 85. 8. CHAP. II. GEt your union with and interest in Christ cleared and confirmed to you dayly more and more that you are a branch in his vine a member in his body 2 Cor. 13. 5. This may be done three waies I. By the dayly renewal of your faith in Christ especially of that act of faith whereby the soul knits or ties it self unto Christ casts or roules it self upon Christ for salvation Cause your heart in a solemn manner every day to act this part or put forth this primitive act of faith in view of the whole soul The dayly exercise hereof will increase and strengthen the divine habit of faith in the soul and make the soul sensible of the very act of it by frequent believing you shall feel at your very heart that you do believe so shall you have a witness in your self that you are in Christ 1 Iohn 5. 10. II. By examining your heart upon what grounds you take Christ to be yours and they are five 1. A fight and sence of your sins of the guilt power and punishment of them of your misery by them Matt. 9. 13. 2. Your want of Christ seen and felt at your very heart to justifie sanctifie redeem and save