that for Cry in the Psalm do mean and in that sense the Lord's open ear and hearkning hath in it his readiness to answer as one that doth hear and to answer graciously and really as hearing favourably Some directions 1. For Prayer that it may be accepted and answered 2. For observing the answers of it 1. For Prayer the qualification of the Heart that offers it 2. The way of offering it The Heart 1. In some measure a holy Heart according to that here the Righteous no regarding iniquity entertaining of friendship with any sin but a permanent ove and desire of Holiness Thus indeed a man prays within himself as in a sanctified Place whither the Lord's ear inclines as of old to the Temple need not run superstitiously to a Church c. intra te ora sed vide prius an sis templum Dei The sanctified Man's Body is the Temple of the holy Ghost as the Apostle speaks and his Soul the Priest in it that offers sacrifice both holy to the Lord consecrated to him a believing Heart no praying without this Faith the very life of Prayer whence springs Hope and Comfort with it to uphold the Soul and keep it steady under storms with the promises and as Aaron and Hur to Moses keeping it from fainting strengthening the hands when they would begin to fail that word Psal. 10. 17. for the preparing of the heart which God gives as an assurance and pledge of his inclining his ear to hear signifies the establishing of the Heart that indeed is a main point of its preparedness and due disposition for Prayer Now this is done by Faith without which the Soul as the Apostle St. Iames speaks is a rolling unquiet thing as a Wave of the Sea of it self unstable as the Waters and then driven with the Wind and tossed too and fro with every tentation see and feel thine own unworthiness as much as thou canst for thou art never bid believe in thy self no but countermanded that as Faith's great Enemy but what hath thy unworthiness to say against free promises of Grace which are the basis of thy Faith so then believe that that you may pray this is David's advice Ps. 62. Trust in him at all times ye people and then pour out your hearts before him confide in him as a most faithful and powerful Friend and than you will open your hearts to him 2. For the way of offering up prayer 't is a great art a main part of the secret of Religion to be skill'd in it and of great concern for the comfort and success of it much here to be considered but for the present briefly 1. Offer not to speak to him without the heart in some measure season'd and prepossess'd with the sense of his Greatness and Holiness and there is much in this considering wisely to whom we speak the King the Lord of Glory and setting the Soul before him in his presence and then reflecting on our selves and seeing what we are how wretched and base and filthy and unworthy of such access to such a Great Majesty the want of this preparing of the heart to speak in the Lord's ear by the consideration of God and our selves is that which fills the exercise of prayer with much guiltiness makes the heart careless and slight and irreverent and so displeases the Lord and disappoints our selves of that comfort in prayer and answers of it that otherwise we would have more experience of We rush in before him with any thing provided we can tumble out a few words and do not weigh these things and compose our hearts with serious thoughts and conceptions of God The Soul that studies and endeavours this most hath much to do to attain to any right apprehensions of him for how little know we of him yet should we at least set our selves before him as the purest and greatest Spirit a Being infinitely more Excellent than our Minds or any Creature can conceive this would fill the Soul with awe and reverence and balast it make it go more even through the exercise to consider the Lord as that Prophet saw him sitting on his Throne and all the Host of Heaven standing by him on his right Hand and on his left and thy self a defiled Sinner coming before him as a vile Frog creeping out of some Pool how would this fill thee with holy Fear Oh! His greatness and our baseness and Oh! the distance This is Solomon's advice be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy words be few This would keep us from our ordinary bablings that heart nonsense tho' the words be sense yet through the inattention of the heart are but as impertinent confus'd Dreams in the Lord's ears as there follow v. 3. 2. When thou addressest thy self to prayer desire and depend upon the assistance and inspiration of the holy Spirit of God without which thou art not able truly to pray 't is a supernatural work and therefore the principle of it must be supernatural He that hath nothing of the Spirit of God cannot pray at all he may howle as a Beast in his necessity or distress or may speak words of Prayer as some Birds learn the Language of Men but pray he cannot and they that have that Spirit ought to seek the movings and actual workings of it in them in Prayer the particular help of their infirmities teaching both what to ask a thing that of our selves we know not and then enabling them to ask breathing forth their desires in such sighs and groans as the breath not simply of their own but of God's Spirit 3dly As those two before it so in the exercise of it you should learn to keep a watchful eye over your own hearts throughout for every step of the way that they start not out by the keeping up of a continued remembrance of that presence of God which in the entry of the work is to be set before the eye of the Soul and our endeavour ought to be to six it upon that view that it turn not aside nor downwards but from beginning to end keep sight of him who sees and marks whether we do so or no. They that are most inspective and watchful in this will still be faulty in it but certainly the less watchful the more faulty and this we ought to do to be aspiring daily to more stability of mind in prayer and driving out somewhat of that roving and wandring that is so universal an Evil and certainly so grievous to those that have it most but that observe and discover it most and endeavour most against it A strange thing that the mind even the renewed mind should be so ready not only at other times but in the exercise of Prayer wherein we peculiarly come so near to God yet even then to slip out and leave him and follow some
the first was there is no power of hell can dissolve it He suffered once to bring us once unto God never to depart again as he suffered once for all so we are brought once for all We may be sensibly nearer at one time than another but yet we can never be separate nor cut off being once knit by Christ as the bond of our Union Neither Principalities nor Powers c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God because it holds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Being put to death in the flesh but quickned by the Spirit The true life of a Christian is to eye Christ every step of his life both as his rule and as his strength looking to him as his pattern both in doing and suffering and drawing power from him for going through both for the look of Faith doth that fetches life from Jesus to enable it for all being without him able for nothing Therefore the Apostle doth still set this before his Brethren and here having mentioned his suffering in general the condition and end of it he specifies the particular kind of it that which was the utmost put to death in the flesh and then adds this issue out of it Quickned by the Spirit The strongest engagement and the strongest encouragement he our head crowned with Thorns and shall the body look for Garlands We redeemed from hell and Condemnation by him and can any such refuse any Service he calls them to they that are washt in the Lambs blood will follow him wheresoever he goes and following him through they shall find their Journeys end overpay all the troubles and sufferings of the way These are they said he to Iohn which came out of great tribulation tribulation and great tribulation yet they came out of it and glorious too arrayed in long white robes The scarlet Strumpet as follows in that Book died her Garments red in the blood of the Saints But this is their happiness that their Garments are washt white in the blood of the Lamb. Once take away sin and all suffering is light now that is done by this his once suffering for sin they that are in him shall hear no more of that as condemning them binding them over to suffer that wrath that is due to sin Now this puts an invincible strength into the Soul for all other things how hard soever Put to death This tâ—e utmost point and that which Men are most startled at to die and a violent death put to death and yet he hath led in this way who is the Captain of our Salvation In the flesh Under this second his humane Nature and Divine Nature and power are differenced Put to death in the flesh a very fit expression not only as is usual taking the flesh for the whole Manhood but because death is most properly spoken of that very person or his flesh the whole Man suffers death a dissolution or taking a pieces and the Soul suffers a separation or dislodging but death or the privation of life and sense particularly to the flesh or body but the Spirit here opposed to the flesh or body is certainly of a higher Nature and Power than is the Humane Soul which cannot of it self return and reinhabit and quicken the body Put to Death His death was both voluntary and violent that same power that restored his life could have kept it exempted from death but the design was for death he therefore took our flesh to put it off thus and offered it up as a Sacrifice which to be acceptable must of necessity be free and voluntary and in that sense he is said to have died even by that same Spirit that here in opposition to death is said to quicken him Heb. 9. 14. Through the eternal Spirit he offered himself without spot unto God They accounted it an ill boding sign when the Sacrifices came constrainedly to the Altar and drew back and on the contrary were glad in the hopes of success when they came chearfully-forward but never Sacrifice came so willingly all the way and from the first step knew whether he was going Yet because no other Sacrifice would serve he was most content Sacrifices and burnt Offerings thou didst not desire Then said I loe I come c. Was not only a willing Sacrifice as Isaac bound peaceably and laid on the Altar but his own Sacrificer the Beasts if they came willingly yet offered not themselves but he offered up himself and thus not only by a willingness far above all those Sacrifices of Bullocks and Goats but by the eternal Spirit offered up himself Therefore he says in this regard I lay down my life for my sheep it is not pull'd from me but I lay it down and so it is often exprest by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he died and yet this suites with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put to death yea it was also expedient to be thus that his death should be violent and so the more penal carry the more clear expression of a punishment and such a violent death as had both ignominy and a Curse tyed to it and this inflicted in a judicial way though as from the hands of Men most unjustly that he should stand and be Judged and Condemned to Death as a guilty Person carrying in that the Persons of so many that should otherwise have fallen under Condemnation as indeed guilty he was numbred with transgressors as the Prophet hath it bearing the sins of many Thus then there was in his Death external violence joyned with internal willingness But what is there to be found but Complications of Wonders in our Lord Jesus O! high inconceivable mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh nothing in this World so strange and sweet as that conjuncture God Man humanitas Dei what a strong Foundation of Friendship and Union betwixt the Persons of Man and God that their natures met in so close embraces in one Person And then look on and see so poor and despised an outward condition through his life yet having hid under it the Majesty of God all the brightness of the Fathers Glory And this the top of all that he was put to Death in the flesh the Lord of life dying the Lord of Glory cloathed with shame But it quickly appeared what kind of Person it was that died by this he was put to Death indeed in the flesh but quickned by the Spirit Quickned He was indeed too great a morsel for the Grave to digest for all its vast craving mouth and devouring appetite crying give give yet forced to give him up again as the fish that Prophet who in that was the figure of him the Chains of that Prison are strong but he was too strong a Prisoner to be held by them as our Apostle hath it in his Sermon that it was not possible that he should be kept by them They thought all was sure when they had rolled to the Stone and
or Sign hanging out that tells a vain Mind lodges within 2. Of excessive costliness which both argues and â—â—eds the Pride of the Heart and defrauds if not others of their dues yet the poor of thy charity which in God's sight is a due debt too and far more comfort shall thou have on thy death Bed to remember such a time in stead of Lace on my own Cloaths I helped a naked back to cloathing I abated somewhat of my former superfluities to supply the Poors necessities sweeter this than to remember that I could needlesly cast out many pounds to serve my Pride rather than give a penny to relieve the Poor As conscientious Christians will not exceed in the thing it self so in as far as they use lawful Ornament and Comeliness they will do it without bestowing much either diligence or delight on the business To have the mind taken and pleas'd with such things is so foolish and childish a thing that if most might not find it in themselves they would wonder at many others of years and common wit And yet truely 't is a Disease that few escape 't is strange upon how poor things Men and Women will be vain and think themselves some body not only upon some comeliness in their face or feature which though poor yet is a part of themselves but of things meerly without them that they are well lodged or well mounted or well apparell'd either richly or well in fashion light empty minds as bladders blown up with any thing and they that perceive not this in themselves are most drown'd but such as have found it out and abhor their own follies are still hunting and following themselves in these to beat them out of their hearts and to shame them from such fopperies The Soul fallen from God hath lost its true worth and beauty and therefore it basely descends to these mean things to serve and dress the body and take share with it of its unworthy borrow'd Ornaments hath lost and forgotten God and seeks not after him knows not that he is the alone Beauty and Ornament of the Soul Ier. 2. 32. his Spirit and the Graces of it its rich attire as here particularly specified in one excellent Grace and holds true in the rest The Apostle doth indeed expresly on purpose check and forbid vanity and excess in apparel and excessive delight in lawful decorum but his prime end is to recommend this other Ornament of the Soul The hidden man of the heart 'T is the thing the best Philosophy aim'd at as some of their choice men do express it to reduce men as much as may be from their Body to their Soul but this is the thing that true Religion alone doth effectually and throughly from the pampering and feeding of a Morsel for the Worms to the nourishing of that immortal being infus'd into 't and directs it to the proper nourishment of Souls the Bread that came down from Heaven Io. 6. 27. So here the Apostle pulls off from Christian Women their vain outside Ornaments but is not this a wrong to spoil all their dressing and fineness No he doth but this to send them to a better Wardrobe there 's much profit in the change All the Gold and other riches of the Temple figuring the Excellent Graces of Christians of Christ indeed first as having all fullness in himself and furnishing them but secondarily of Christians as the living Temples of God so the Church all glorious but within and the embroidery the variety of Graces the lively colours of other Graces shining best on the dark ground of Humility Christ delights to give much Ornament to his Church commends what she hath and adds more Cant. 1. 10. 11. The particular Grace he recommends is particularly suitable to his subject in hand the conjugal duty of Wives nothing so decoring their whole carriage as this meekness and quietness of Spirit but it is withal the comeliness of every Christian in every estate 't is not a Womans Garment or Ornament improper for Men there is somewhat as I may say of a particular cut or fashion of it for Wives towards their Husbands and in their domestick Affairs but Men all Men ought to wear of the same stuff yea so to speak of the same piece for it is in all one and the same Spirit fits the stoutest and greatest Commanders Moses a great General and yet no less great in this Virtue the meekest Man on Earth Nothing more uncomely in a Wife than an uncomposed turbulent Spirit that is put out of frame with every trifle and inventive of false causes of disquietness and fretting to it self And so of a Husband and of all an unquiet passionate Mind lays it self naked and discovers its own deformity to all The greatest part of things that vex us are not from their Nature or weight but the unsettledness of our Minds How comely is it to see a composed firm Mind and Carriage that is not lightly moved I urge not a Stoical stupidness but that in things that deserve sharp reproof the Mind keep in its own Station and Seat still not shaken out of it self as the most are that the Tongue utter not unseemly rash words nor the Hand act any thing that discovers the mind hath lost its command for the time but truly the most know so ill how to use just anger upon just cause that it is easier and the safer extream not to be angry but still calm and serene as the upper Region not the place of continual tempest and storms as the most are let it pass for a kind of sheepishness to be meek 't is a likeness to him that was a Sheep before the shearers not opening his Mouth 't is a Portion of his Spirit The Apostle commends his exchange of Ornaments from two things 1. Incorruptible and therefore fits an incorruptible Soul Your varieties of Jewels and Rich Apparel are perishing things you shall one day see an heap made of all and that all on a slame and in reference to you they perish sooner when death strips you of your nearest Garment your flesh all the other that were but loose upper Garments above it must off too it gets indeed a covering to the Grave but the Soul is left stark naked if no other Cloathing be provided for it for the Body was but borrowed then it is denuded of all But spiritual Ornaments and this here amongst them remain and are incorruptible they neither wear out nor out of fashion but are still the better for the wearing and shall last Eternity and shine there in full lustre And 2dly because the opinion of others is much regarded in matter of Apparel and 't is most for that we use Ornament in it he tells us of the account of this Men think it poor and mean nothing more expos'd to contempt than the Spirit of Meekness mere folly with Men that 's no matter this overweighs all their disesteem 't is
with God of great price and things are indeed as he values them and no otherways Tho' it be not the Country fashion yet it is the fashion at Court yea 't is the Kings own fashion Matth. 11. 29. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly c. Some that are Court-bred will send for the Masters of fashions tho' they live not in the Court and tho' the Peasants think them strange dresses yet they regard not that but use them as finest and best Care not what the World say You are not to stay long with them desire to have both fashions and stuff from Court from Heaven this Spirit of meekness and it shall be sent you 't is never right in any thing with us till we attain to this to tread on the opinion of Men and eye nothing but Gods approbation Verses 5 6. 5. For after this manner in the old time the holy Women also who trusted in God adorned themselves 6. Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord whose Daughters ye are as long as ye do well and are not afraid with any amazement THe Apostle inforces his Doctrine by Example The most compendious way of teaching Hence the right way to use the Scriptures is to regulate our manners by them as by their precepts so by examples And for this end it is that a great part of it is historical There is not in the Saints a transmigration of Souls but there is so to speak an oneness of Souls being in all Ages partakers of the self same Spirit hence the Daughters of Sarah are called pious and obedient Wives Women here designed 1. Holy 2. Believing 3. Firm and resolute not afraid with any Amazement tho' by nature they are fearful yet rendred of undaunted Spirits by a holy clean and pure conscience Believing Wives and fearers of God are not terrify'd their Minds are established in a due obedience to God and also toward their Husbands Verse 7. 7. Likewise ye Husbands dwell with them according to knowledge giving honour unto the Wife as unto the weaker Vessel and as being heirs together of the Grace of Life that your Prayers be not hindred YOur Wives are subject to you but you likewise subject to this Word by which all ought in all Stations to be directed and however all shall one day be judged by it and alike subject as they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Parents as Children Masters as Servants and Kings as their Subjects all hold of a superiour and 't is high treason against the Majesty of God for any in any place of command to dream of any unbounded absolute authority in opposition to him A Spirit of prudence or knowledge particularly suitable and relating to this subject is required as the light and rule by which his whole oeconomy and carriage is to be guided It is requir'd that he endeavour after that civil prudence for the ordering of his Affairs that tends to the good of his Family but chiefly a pious religious prudence for regulating his Mind and carriage as a Christian Husband that he study the Rule of Scripture in this particular which many do not neither advising with it what they should do nor laying it by reâ—lex upon their actions past examining by it what they have done Now this is the great fault in all practical things most know something of them but inadvertency and inconsideration not ordering our ways by that light is the thing that spoils all Knowledge required in the Wife but more eminently in the Husband as the Head the proper seat of knowledge It is possible that the Wise may sometimes have the advantage of knowledge either natural wit and judgment or a great measure of understanding of spiritual things but this still holds that the Husband is bound to improve the measure both of natural and of spiritual gifts that he hath or can attain to and apply them usefully to the ordering of his conjugal carriage and that he understand himself oblig'd somwhat the more in the very notion of a Husband both to seek after and to use that prudence that is peculiarly requir'd for his due deportment and a Christian Wiâ—e that 's largelier endow'd yet will shew all respectiveness to the measure of Wisdom though it be less that is bestow'd upon her Husband Dwell with them This indeed implies and supposes their abiding with them so far as their calling and lawful Affairs permit but I conceive that which it expresly means is all the conversation and duties of that estate that they so behave themselves in dwelling with them as becomes Men of Knowledge wise and prudent Husbands which returns them usually the gain of that full reverence and respect that is due to them of which they rob and divest themselves that be either of a foolish or trisling carriage or of too auâ—â—ere and rigid a conversation Giving honour unto the Wife This I conceive is not as some take it convenient maintenance tho' that 's a requisite duty too and may be taken in under this word but it seems to be chiefly a due conjugal esteem of them and respect to them the Husband not viliâ—ying and despising them which will readily grieve and exâ—spâ—rate them not disâ—losing the weaknesses of the Wife to others nor observing them too narrowly himself but hiding them both from others and his own eyes by love not seeing them further than love it self requires that is to the wise rectifying of them by milde advices and admonitions that flow from love And to this the reasons indeed sute well it seems at first a little incongruous honour because weaker but considering this kind of honour not of reverence as Superiour for that is their part but such an esteem and respect without which indeed love cannot consist for we cannot love that which we do not in some good measure esteem well of And that they be not contemn'd and slighted even because weaker for of all injuries contempt is one of the smartingest and most sensible especially to weakest Persons who feel most exactly the least touches of this whereas greater Spirits are a little harder against opinion and more indifferent for it and tho' not all yet some Wives may be of a stronger Mind and Judgment than the Husbands yet those rules respect the general condition of the Sexes and speak of it so as ordinarily weaker Again Love which is ever to be supposed one Article and the main one for nothing indeed can be right where that supposition proves false Love I say supposed this reason is very enforcing that the weaker the Vessels be the more tenderly they should be used and the more a prudent passing by of frailâ—ies is needâ—ul there love will study it and bestow it the more yea this tie you know makes two one and that which is a part of our selves the more it needs in that the more comeliness we put upon it as the Apostle St. Paul tells us and this further may be consider'd
Ierusalems Wallâ— than for the binding up and healing of it self and in that Psal. that seem's to be the expression of his joy being exalted to the Throne and sitting peaceably on it yet he still thus prays for the peace of Ierusalem And the Penman of that 137. Psalm makes it an execrable oversight to forget Ierusalem ver 5. or to remember it coldly or secundarily no less will serve him than to prefer it to his chief joy Whatsoever else is top or head of his joy as the word is Ierusalems wellfare shall be its Crown shall be set above it And the Prophet whoever it was that wrote that poured out that Prayer from an afflicted Soul comforts himself in this that Zion shall be favoured my bones are consum'd c. But it matters not what becomes of me let me languish and wither away provided Sion flourish tho' I feel nothing but pains and troubles yet thou wilt arise and shew mercy to Sion I am content that satisfies me But where is now this Spirit of high sympathy with the Church sure if there were of it in us 't is now a fit time to act it If we be not altogether dead sure we will be stirr'd with the voice of those late stroaks of Gods hand and be driven to more humble and earnest prayer by it Men will change their poor base grumblings about their privacy Oh! what shall I do c. into strong cries for the Church of God and the publick deliverance of all these Kingdomes from the raging Sword but vile selfishness undoes us the most looking no further if themselves and theirs might be secur'd would regard little what became of the rest as one said when I am dead let the World be fir'd but the Christian mind is of a larger Sphere looks not only upon more than it self in present but even to after Times and Ages and can rejoyce in the good to come when it self shall not be here to partake of it is more dilated and liker unto God and to our head Iesus Christ. The Lord says the Prophet Esay in all his peoples affliction was afflicted himself and Jesus Christ accounts the sufferings of his Body the Church his own Saul Saul why persecutest thou me the heel was trod upon on earth and the head cryeth from Heaven as sensible of it and this in all our evils especially our spiritual Griefs is a high point of comfort to us that our Lord Jesus is not insensible of them This emboldens us to complain our selves and to put in our petitions for help to the Throne of Grace through his hand knowing that when he presents he will speak his own sense of our condition and move for us as it were for himself as we have it sweetly express'd Heb. 4. 15. 16. Now as it is our comfort so it is our pattern Love as Brethren Hence springs this feeling we speak oâ— Love is the cause of union and union the cause of sympathy and of that unanimity before they that have the same spirit uniting and animating them cannot but have the same Mind and the same feelings And this Spirit is derived from that head Christ in whom Christians live and move and have their being their new and excellent being and so in living in him they love him and are one in him they are Brethren as here the word is their fraternity holds in him he is head of it the first born among many Brethren Men are Brethren in two natural respects their Bodies of the same earth and their Souls breathed from the same God but this third fraternity that is founded in Christ is far more excellent and more firm than the other two for being one in him they have there taken in the other two for that in him is our whole Nature he is the Man Christ Iesus but to the advantage and 't is an infinite one being one in him we are united by the Divine Nature in him who is God blessed for ever and this is the highest certainly and the strongest union that can be imagin'd Now this is a great Mystery indeed as the Apostle says speaking of this same point the union of Christ and his Church whence their union and Communion one with another that make up that Body the Church is deriv'd In Christ every believer is born of God is his Son and so they are not only Brethren one with another that are so born but Christ himself own 's them as his Brethren both he which sanctifies and they who are sanctifiâ—d are all of one for which cause he is not asham'd to call them Brethren Sin broke all to pieces Man from God and one from another Christ's work in the World was Vnion to make up these breaches he came down and begun the union which was his work in the wonderful union made in his Person that was to work it made God and Man one and as the Nature of Man was reconciled so by what he performed the Persons of Men are united to God Faith makes them one with him and he makes them one with the Father and from these results this oneness amongst themselves concentring and meeting in Jesus Christ and in the Father through him they are made one together And that this was his great work we may read in his Prayer where it is the burden and main strain the great request he so iterates that they may be one as we are one ver 11. a high comparison such as Man durst not name but after him that so warrants us and again ver 21. that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us and so on So that certainly where this is it is the ground work of another kind of Friendship and love than the World is acquainted with or is able to judge of and hath more worth in one drachme of it than all the quintessence of civil or natural assection can amount to The friendship of the World the best of them are but tyed with chains of glass but this fraternal love of Christians is a Golden chain both more precious and more strong and lasting the other are worthless and brittle The Christian ows and pays a General Charity and good will to all but peculiar and intimate friendship he cannot have but with such as come within the compass of this fraternal love Which after a special manner flows from God and returns to him and abides in him and shall remain unto eternity Where this love is and abounds it will banish far away all those dissentions and bitternesses and those â—rivolous mistakings that are so frequent amongst the most it will teach wisely and gently to admonish one another where it is needful but further than that it will pass by many offences and failings and cover a multitude of sins and will very much sweeten Society and make it truly profitable therefore the Psalmist calls it both
attended with shame and sorrow even at the very best 't is a sowing of the wind no solid good in it and withal a reaping of the Whirlwind vexations and horrors they that know it in the sense of this after-view attended with the wrath of an offended God ask them what they think of it if they would not in those thoughts rather chuse any trouble or pain tho great than willingly to adventure on the ways of sin Obedience is that good that beauty and comeliness of the Soul that conformity with the holy will of God that hath peace and sweetness in it the hardest of it truly delighful even in present and hereafter sully Would we learn to consider it thus to know sin to be the greatest Evil and the holy will of God the highest good it would be easie to perswade and prevail much in this to eschew the one and do the other These do not only reach the actions but require an intrinsecal aversion of the heart from sin and propesionn to holiness and love of it Eschew The very motion and bias of the Soul turn'd from sin and carried towards God and this is principally to be considered by us and enquir'd after within us an abhorrence of sin as the Scripture speaks not simple forbearing but hating and loathing it and this springing from the love of God Ye that love the Lord hate Evil you will do so cannot choose but do so and so know that Love to him to be upright and true And where this is the avoidance of sin and walking in holiness doing good will be 1. More constant not wavering with the variation of outwards of occasion or society or secrecy but going on in its natural course as the Sun is as far from the earth and goes as fast under a cloud as when 't is in our sight and goes cheerfully because from a natural principle rejoyceth as a strong Man to run Psal. 19. thus the obedience of a renewed Mind And 2. More Universal viz. of all sin as natural antipathies are against the whole kind of any thing 3. More exact keeping a far off from the very appearances of sin and from all the inducements and steps towards it and this is the true way of eschewing it Not a little time of constrain'd forbearance during a night or the day of participating of the Communion or a little time before them and some few days after them for thus with the most sin is not dispossess'd and cast out but retires inward and lurks in the heart being beset with those Ordinances knows they last but a while and therefore it gets into its strength and keeps close there till those be out of sight and disappear again and be a good way off that it thinks it self out of their danger a good many days past and then it comes forth and returns to act it self with liberty ' and with more vigour as it were to regain the time it hath been forced to lose and lie idle in They again miss in the right of this eschewing that think themselves possibly some Body in it in that they do avoid the gross sins wherein the vulgar sort of sinners wallow or do eschew such evils as they have little or no inclination of nature to but where the heart stands against sin as a breach of God's Law and an offence against His Majesty as Ioseph shall I do this evil and sin against God there it will carry against all kind of sin the most refined and the most beloved sin wherein the Truth of this aversion is most try'd and approv'd as they that have a strong natural dislike of some kind of meat dress it as you will and mingle it with what they love best yet will not willingly eat of it and if they be surpriz'd and deceiv'd some way to swallow some of it yet they will find it after and be restless till they have vomited it up again Thus is it with the heart that hath that inward contrariety to sin wrought in it by a new Nature no reconcilement with it nor with any kind of it as those deadly Feuds that were against whole Families and Names without exception No fellowship with the unfruiâ—ful works of darkness as the Apostle speaks for what agreement betwixt light and darkness And this hatred of sin works most against sin in a Man's self as in things we abhor our reluctance rises most where they are nearest us a Godly Man hates sin in others as hateful wheresoever 't is found but because 't is nearest him in himself he hates it most there They who by their nature and breading are somewhat delicate like not to see any thing uncleanly any where but least in their own House and upon their own Cloaths or skin This makes the Goldly Man indeed sly not only the Society of Evil Men but from himself goes out of his old self and till this be done a Man does not indeed sly sin but carries it still with him as an evil Companion or an evil Guide rather that misleads him still from the Paths of Life And there is much first in the true discovery and then the through disunion of the heart from that sin which is most of all a Man's self that from which he can hardliest escape that besets him most and lieth in his way on all hands hath him at every turn to disengage and get free from that to eschew that evil And the task in this is the harder if this evil be as oftentimes it may be not some gross one but more subtile that is less seen and therefore not so easily avoided but for this an impartial search must be used if it be amongst those things that seem most necessary and that cannot be wanting an Idol hid amongst the stuff yet thence must it be drawn forth and cast out The right eschewing of evil is a wary avoidance of all occasions and beginnings of it fly from sin says the Wiseman as from a Serpent not to be tampering with it and coming near it and thinking to charm it fâ—r who will not laugh at the Charmer that is bit with a Sâ—rpâ—nt as he says he that thinks he hath power and skill to handle it without danger let him observe Solomon's â—â—vice concerning the strange Woman he says not only go not into her House but remove thy way far from her and â—ome 〈◊〉 near the Door of her House So teaches he wisely for the avoiding that other sin near to it look not on â—he Wine when 't is red in the Câ—p. They that are bold and adventurous are 〈◊〉 wounded thus he that reâ—â—â—â—th 〈◊〉 shall be hurt thereby If we know our own weakness and the strength of sin we will fear to â—â—pose our selves to hazards and even abridge our selves of some things lawful when they prove dangerous for he that will do always all he lawfully may shall often do something that lawfully he may not Thus for the other
poor vanity or other instead of him Surely the Godly Man when he thinks on this is exceedingly ashamed of himself cannot tell what to think of it God his exceeding joy whom in his right thoughts he esteem's so much above the World and all things in it yet to use him thus when he is speaking to him to break off from that and hold discourse or change a word with some base thought that steps in and whispers to him or at the best not to be stedfastly minding the Lord to whom he speaks and possess'd with the regard of his presence and of his business and errand with him This is no small piece of our misery here these wandrings are evidence to us that we are not at home but yet for this tho we should be humbled and still labouring against it yet not so discourag'd as to be driven from the work Satan would desire no better than that it were to help him to his wish and sometimes a Christian may be driven to think what shall I do still thus abusing my Lords name and the priviledge he hath given me I had better leave off no not so by any means strive against the miserable evil in thee but cast not away thy happiness be doing still 'T is a froward childish humour when any thing agrees not to our mind to throw all away thou mayest come off with halting from thy wrestlings and yet obtain the Blessing for which thou wrestled 4. Those Graces which are the due qualities of the heart disposing it for prayer in the exercise of it should be excited and acted as Holiness the Love of it the Desire of increase and growth of it so the humbling and melting of the heart and chiefly Faith which is mainly set on work in prayer draw forth the sweetnesses and vertues of the Promises to desire earnestly their performance to the Soul and to believe that they shall be performed to have before our eyes his Goodness and Faithfulness who hath promised and to rest upon that and for success in Prayer exercising Faith in it it is altogether necessary to interpose the Mediator and look through him and to speak and petition by him who warns us of this that there is no other way to speed no man cometh to the Father but by me As the Jews when they prayed look'd toward the Temple were was the Mercy-Seat and the peculiar presence of God thus ought we in all our praying to look on Christ who is our Propitiatory and in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily The forgetting of this may be the cause of our many disappointments 5. Fervency not to seek coldly that presages refusal fire in the Sacrifice otherwise it ascends not no sacrifice without incense and no incense without fire Our remiss dead hearts are not likely to do much for the Church of God nor for our selves where are those strong cries that should pierce the Heavens his ear is open to their cry He hears the faintest coldest Prayer but not with that delight and propenseness to grant it his Ear is not on 't as the word here is he takes no pleasure in hearing on 't but cries heart-cries Oh! those take his Ear and move his Bowels for these are the voice the cries of his own Children A strange word of encouragement to importunity give him no rest Is. 62. 7. Suffer him not to be in quiet till he make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth A few such Suiters in these times were worth thousands such as we are our prayers stick in our Breast scarce come forth much less go up and ascend with that piercing force that would open up the way for deliverances to come down But in this must be some difference of temporal and spiritual things the Prayer in the right strain cannot be too fervent in any thing but the desire of the thing in temporals may be too earnest a feverish distemper'd heat which diseases the Soul therefore in these things a holy indifferency concerning the particular may and should be joyn'd with the fervency of Prayer but in spiritual things there is no danger in vehemency of desire covet these hunger and thirst be uncessantly ardent in the suit yet even in those in some particulars as for the degree and measure of Grace and some peculiar furtherances they should be presented so with earnestness as that withal it be with a reference and resignation of it to the Wisdom and Love of our Father For the other point the answer of our Prayers which is in this openness of the ear it is a thing very needful to be considered and attended to if we think that Prayer is indeed a thing that God takes notice of and hath regard to in his dealing with his Children 't is certainly a point of Duty and Wisdom in them to observe how he takes notice of it and bends his ear to it and puts to his hand to help and so answers it this both furnishes matter of praise and stirs up the heart to render it therefore in the Psalms so often the hearing of prayer observed and recorded and made a part of the Song of Praise and withal it endears both God and Prayer unto the Soul as we have both together Psal. 116. 1. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications the transposition in the Original pathetical I love because the Lord hath heard my voice I am in love and particularly this causes it I have sound so much kindness in the Lord I cannot but love he hath heard my voice And then it wins his esteem and affection to Prayer seeing I find this vertue in it we shall never part again I will call upon him as long as I live seeing Prayer draweth help and favours from Heaven I shall not be to seek for a way in any want or strait that can befall me In this there is need of direction but too many Rules may as much confuse a matter as too few and do many times perplex the mind and multiply doubts as many Laws do multiply pleading Briefly then 1. Slothful minds do often neglect the answers of God even when they are most legible in the very thing it self granted that was desired It may be through a total inadvertence in this kind never thinking on things as answers of our requests or possibly a continual eager pursuit of more turns away the mind from considering what it hath upon request obtain'd still so bent upon what further we would have that we never think what is already done for us one of the ordinary Causes of ingratitude 2. But tho' it be not in the same thing that we desire yet when the Lord changes our petitions in his answers 't is always for the better regards according to that known word of St. Augustine our well more than our will We beg deliverance we are not unanswered if he give patience and support be it under
in the World trades with Heaven and what is most precious there And as Holiness fits to Prayer so Prayer befriends Holiness increases it much nothing so regines and purifies the Soul as frequent Prayer if the often conversing with Wise Men doth so teach and advance the Soul in Wisdom what then will the converse of God This makes the Soul to despise the things of the World and in a manner makes it Divine winds up the Soul from the Earth acquainting it with delights that are infinitely sweeter The natural heart is full stuff'd with prejudices against the way of Holiness that disswade and detain it and therefore the holy Scriptures are most fitly much in this point of asserting the true advantage of it to the Soul And in removing those mistakes it has of that way Thus here and to press it the more home the Apostle used the Psalmists words and Ver. 10. c. and now follows it forth in his own the particular way of meekness and love c. But extends in the general Doctrine to all the paths of righteousness The main conclusion is that Happiness is the certain consequent and fruit of Holiness All good even outward good so far as it holds good and prejudges not a higher good If we did believe this more we should feel it more and so upon feeling and experiment believe it more strongly All the heavy judgements we feel or fear are they not the fruit of our own ways or prophaneness and pride and malice and abounding ungodliness all cry out of hard times evil days and yet who is taking the right way to better them yea who is not still helping to make them worse our selves the greatest enemies of our own peace Who looks either rightly backward reflects on his former ways or rightly forward to direct his way better that is before him either says what have I done or what ought I to do and indeed the one of these depends on the other I consider'd my ways says David turn'd them over and over as the word is and then I turn'd my feet unto thy testimonies Are there any for all the Judgements fallen on us or that threatens us returning apace with regret and hatred of sin hastening unto God and mourning and weeping as they go bedewing each step with their tears yea where that newness of Life that the word so long and now the word and the rod together are so loud calling for Who more reforming his Tongue from evil and lips from guile changing Oaths and Lyes and Calumnies into a new Language into Prayers and reverend speaking of God and joyning a sutable consonant carriage eschewing evil and doing good labouring to be fertile in Holiness to bring forth much fruit to God This were the way to see good days indeed this is the way to the longest Life the only long Life and length of Days one eternal Day as St. Augustine on these words one Day in thy Courts is better than a thousand Millia dierum desiderant Homines multum volunt hic vivere contemnant millâ—a dierum desiderent unum qui non habet ortum occasum cui non cedit hesternus quem non urget crastinus The reason added is above all exception 't is supreme the eyes of the Lord c. If he that made times and seasons and commands and formes them as he will if he can give good Days or make Men happy then the only way to it sure must be the way of his obedience to be in the constant favour of the great King and still in his gracious thoughts to have his eye and his ear if this will serve turn and if this do it not I pray you what will then the righteous Man is the only happy Man for the eyes of the Lord are upon him Surer happy Days hence than theirs that draw them from the aspect of the Stars the Eyes of the Father of Lights benignity beholding them the trine aspect of the blessed Trinity The love he carries to them draws his eye still towards them no forgetting of them nor slipping of the sit season to do them good his Mind I may say runs on that he sees how 't is with them and receives their suits gladly rejoyces to pâ—t favours upon them He is their assured friend yea he is their Father what can they want they cannot miss of any good that his love and power can help them to But his Face c. So our happiness and misery are in his Face his looks Nothing so comfortable as his favourable Face nothing so terrible again as his Face his anger as the Hebrew word is often taken that signifies his Face And yet how many sleep sound under this misery but believe it 't is a dead and a deadly sleep the Lord standing in terms of enmity with thee and yet thy Soul at case pitiful accursed ease I regard not the differences of your outward estate that 's not a thing worth the speaking of if thou be poor and base and in the Worlds eye but a wretch and with all under the hatred of God as being an impenitent hardned sinner those other things are nothing this is the top yea the total sum of thy misery or be thou beautiful or rich or noble or witty c. or all these together or what thou will but is the Face of the Lord against thee think as thou wilt thy estate is not to be envyed but lamented I cannot say much good do it thee with all thy enjoyments for 't is sure they can do thee no good and if thou doest not believe this now the Day is at hand wherein thou shalt be forc'd to believe it finding it then irrecoverably true If you will you may still follow the things of the World walk after the lusts of your own hearts neglect God and please your selves but as Solomons word is of judgement remember that the Face of the Lord is against thee and in that judgement it shall unvail it and let thee see it against thee Oh! the terriblest of all sights The Godly often do not see the Lord's favourable looks while he is eying them and the wicked usually do not see nor perceive neither will believe that his Face is against them but besides that the day of full discovery is a coming the Lord doth sometimes let both the one and the other know somewhat how he stands affected towards them in peculiar deliverances and mercies Tells his own that he forgets them not but both sees and hears them when they think he does neither after that loving and gracious manner they desire and is here meant and sometimes le ts forth glances of his bright countenance darts in a beam upon their Souls that is more worth than many Worlds And on the otherside he is pleased sometimes to make it known that his Face is against the wicked either by remarkable outward judgements which to them are the vent of
painful diseases that either quickly cut the thread of Life or make their aged bones full of the sins of their youth Take what way you will there is no place nor condition so senc'd and guarded but publick calamities or personal griefs find away to reach us Seeing then we must suffer however this kind of suffering to suffer for righteousness is far the best what he said 〈◊〉 of doing ill we may well say of suffering ill if it must be 't is best to be for a Kingdome And those are the terms on which Christians are called to suâ—â—er for righteousness if we will reign with Christ certain 〈…〉 sâ—ffer with him and if we do suffer with hi◠〈…〉 we shall reign with him And therefoâ—◠〈…〉 are happy But 〈…〉 suffering for righteousness only with relation to 〈◊〉 Apostle's present reasoning his conlusion he establishâ— 1. From the favour and protection of God 2. From the nature of the thing it self Now we would consider the consistence of this supposition with those reasons 1. The Eyes of the Lord being on the righteous for their good and his Ear open to their Prayer how is it that for all that favour and inspection they are so much expos'd to suffering and even for the regard and affection they bear towards him suffering for righteousness these seem not to agree well yet they do 'T is not said that his Eye is so on them as that he will never see them afflicted nor have them suffer any thing no but this is their great priviledge and comfort in suffering that his gracious Eye is then upon them and sees their trouble and his Ear towards them not so as to grant them an exemption for that they will not seek for but seasonable deliverance and in the mean while strong support as is evident in that 34th Psalm If his Eye be always on them he sees them suffer often for their afflictions are many ver 19. and if his Ear be to them he hears many sighs and cries press'd out by sufferings and they are content this is enough yea better then not to suffer they suffer and often directly for him but he sees it all takes perfect notice on 't therefore 't is not lost And they are forc'd to cry but none of their cries escape his Ear he hears and he manifests that he sees and hears for he delivers them and till he does he keeps them from being crush'd under the weight of the suffering he keeps all his bones not one of them is broken He sees yea appoints and provide these conflicts for his choicest Servants he sets his Champions to encounter the malice of Satan and the World for his sake to give proof of the truth and the strength of their love to him for whom they suffer and to overcome even in suffering He is sure of his design'd advantages out of the sufferings of his Church and Saints for his name he loses nothing nor they lose nothing but their Enemies when they rage most and prevail most are ever the most losers his own glory grows and his peoples graces grow yea their very number grows and that sometimes most by their greatest sufferings It was evident in the first Ages of the Christian Churches where were the glory of so much invincible love and patience if they had not been so put to it 2. For the other that the said following of good would preserve from harm it speaks truly the nature of it what 't is apt to do and what in some measure it often doth but the considering the nature of the World its enmity against God and Religion that strong poyson in the Serpents Seed it is not strange that it often proves otherwise that notwithstanding the righteous carriage of Christians yea even because of it they suffer much 't is a resolv'd case all that will live godly must suffer Persecution it meets a Christian in his entry to the way of the Kingdome and goes along all the way no sooner begin thou to seek the way to Heaven but the World will seek how to vex and molest thee and make that way grievous if no other way by scoffs and taunts as bitter blasts to destroy the tender blossom or bud of Religion or as Herod to kill Christ newly born you shall no sooner begin to enquire after God but twenty to one they will begin to enquire if thou art gone mad but if thou knowest who 't is whom thou hast trusted and whom thou lovest this is a small matter what though it were deeper and sharper sufferings yet still if you suffer for righteousness happy are you Which is the Second thing was proposed and more particularly imports that a Christian under the heaviest load of sufferings for righteousness is yet still happy notwithstanding these suffering 2dly That he is happier even by these sufferings And 1. All the sufferings and distresses of this World are not able to destroy the Happiness of a Christian nor diminish it yea they cannot at all touch it 't is out of their reach If it were built on worldly enjoyments then worldly deprivements and sufferings might shake it yea might undo it when those rotten stoups fail that which rests on them must fall he that hath set his heart on his riches a few hours can make him miserable 't is almost in any bodies power to rob him of his Happiness a little slight or disgrace undoes him or whatsoever the Soul fixes on of these moving unfixed things pluck them from it and it must cry after them ye have taken away my God's But the Believer's happiness is safe out of shot he may be impoverished and imprison'd and tortur'd and kill'd but this one thing is out of hazard he cannot be miserable still in the midst of all these subsists a happy Man If all Friends be shut out yet the visits of the Comforter may be frequent bringing him glad tydings from Heaven and communing with him of the love of Christ and solaâ—ing him in that 'T was a great word for a Heathen of his false 〈◊〉 kill me they may but they cannot hurt me how much more confidently may the Christian say so banishment he â—ears not for his Country is above nor death for that sets him home into that Country The believing Soul having hold of Jesus Christ can easily despise the best and the worst of the World and give a defie to all that 's in it can share with the Apostle in that which he gives I am perswaded that neither death nor life shall separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Yea what tho' the frame of the World were a dissolving and salling a pieces this happiness holds and is not stir'd by it for 't is in that Rock of Eternity that stirs not nor changes at all Our main work truly if you will believe it is this to provide this immoveable happiness that amidst all changes and losses and sufferings
in his way to Heaven This the Apostle's scope here and doth it 1. By an Assertion 2. By an Exhortation The Assertion that in suffering for righteousness they are happy The Exhortation conform to the Assertion that they fear not why should they fear any thing that are assured of happiness yea that are the more happy by those very things that seem most to be feared The words are in part borrow'd from the Prophet Esay and he relates them as the Lord's words to him and other godly persons with him in that time countermanding in them that carnal distrustful fear that drove a prophane King and people to seek help rather any where than in God who was their strength fear not their fear but sanctify the Lord and let him be your fear c. Isa. 8. 12 13. This the Apostle extends as an universal Rule for Christians in the midst of greatest troubles and dangers The things opposed here are a perplexing troubling fear of sufferings as the Souls distemper and a sanctifying of God in the Heart as the Sovereign Cure of it and the true Principle of a healthful sound Constitution of Mind Natural Fear though not evil in it self yet in the Natural Man is constantly irregular and disorder'd in the actings of it still missing its due object or measure or both either running in a wrong Channel or over-running the Banks As there are no pure Elements to be found here in this lower part of the World but only in the Philosophers Books they define them so but find them no where thus we may speak of our natural Passions as not sinful in their Nature yet in us that are naturally sinful yea full of sin they cannot escape the mixture and allay of it Sin hath put the Soul into an universal disorder that it neither loves nor hates what it ought nor as it ought hath neither right joy nor sorrow nor hope nor fear a very small matter stirs and troubles it and as waters that are stirr'd so the Word signifies having dregs in the bottom become muddy and impure thus the Soul by carnal Fears is confus'd and there is neither quiet nor clearness in it A troubled Sea as it cannot rest so in its restlessness it casts up mire as the Prophet speaks Thus it is with the unrenewed Heart of Man the least blasts that arise disturb it and make it restless and its own impurity makes it cast up mire yea 't is never right with him either he is asleep in carnal confidence or being shak'd out of that he is hurried and tumbled too and fro with carnal Fears either in a Lethargy in a Fever or trembling Ague Readily when troubles are at distance he â—olds his hands and takes ease as long as it may be and then being surpris'd when they come rushing on him his fluggish ease is pay'd with a surcharge of perplexing and affrighting fears And is not this the condition of the most Now because those Evils are not fully cured in the Believer but he is subject to carnal security as David I said in my Prosperity I shall never be moved and with undue fears and doubts in the apprehensions or feeling of trouble as he likewise complaining confesses the dejection and disquietness of his Soul and again that he had almost lost his standing his feet had well nigh slipt therefore 't is very needful to caveat them often with such words as these fear not their fear neither be ye troubled If you take it objectively their fear be not affraid of the World's malice or any thing it can effect or it may be subjectively as the Prophet means do not you fear after the manner of the World distrustfully troubled with any affliction can befall you Sure it is pertinent in either sense or both together fear not what they can do nor fear as they do If we look on the condition of Men our selves and others are not the minds of the greatest part continually toss'd and their lives worn out betwixt vain hopes and fears providing uncessantly new matter of disquietness to themselves Contemplative Natures have always taken notice of this grand Malady in our Nature and have attempted much the cure of it bestow'd much pains in seeking out Prescriptions and Rules for the attainment of a settled tranquillity of Spirit free from the fears and troubles that perplex us but they have prov'd but Mountebanks that give big words enow and do little or nothing all Physicians of no value or of nothing good for nothing as Iob speaks Some things they have said well concerning the outward Causes of this inward Evil and of the inefficacy of inferiour outward things to help it but they have not descended to the bottom and inward Cause of this our wretched unquiet Condition much less ascended to the true and only Remedy of it In this Divine Light is needful and here we have it in the following verse Verse 15. 15. But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear IMplying the cause of all our fears and troubles to be this our ignorance and disregard of God and the due knowledge and acknowledgment of him to be the only establishment and strength of the mind In the words consider these three things 1. This respect of God as 't is here express'd Sanctifie the Lord God 2. The seat of it in your hearts 3. The Fruit of it the Power that this sanctifie God in the heart hath to rid that heart of those fears and troubles to which 't is here opposed as their proper remedy Sanctifie He is holy most holy the Fountain of Holiness 't is he he alone powerfully sanctifies us and then and not till then we sanctifie him When he hath made us holy we know and confess him to be holy we worship and serve our holy God we glorifie him with our whole Souls and all our Affections we sanctifie him by acknowledging his Greatness and Power and Goodness and which is here more particularly intended we do this by a holy fear of him and faith in him these confess his Greatness and Power and Goodness as the Prophet is express sanctifie him and let him be your fear and your dread And then adds if thus you sanctifie him you shall further sanctifie him he shall be your Sanctuary you shall account him so in believing in him and shall find him so in protecting you you shall repose on him for safety and these particularly cure the heart of undue fears In your hearts To be sanctified in our Words and Actions but primely in our Hearts as the Root and Principle of the rest He sanctifies his own throughout makes their Language and their Lives holy but first and most of all their Hearts and as he chiefly sanctifies it it chiefly sanctifies him acknowledges and worships him often when the Tongue
to say with him in the Gospel Soul take thine ease thou hast much Goods laid up for many years c. though warn'd by his short ease there and by many watch words yea by daily experience that days may come yea one day will where fear and trouble shall rush in and break over the highest Tower of Riches that there is a day call'd the Day of Wrath wherein they profit not at all thus Men seek Safety in Greatness or Multitude or supposed Faithfulness of Friends seek by any means to be strongly underset this way to have many and powerful and confident Friends But wiser mâ—n perceiving the unsafety and vanity of these and all external things have cast about for some higher Course they see a necessity of retiring a Man from externals that do nothing but mock and deceive most those that trust most to them but they cannot well tell whither to direct him the best of them bring him into himself and think to quiet him so but the Truth is he finds as little there nothing truly strong enough within him to hold out against the many sorrows and â—ears that still from without do assault him so then though 't is well done to call off a a Man from outward things as moving Sands that he build not on them yet 't is not enough done for his own spirit is as unsettled a piece as is in all the World and must have some higher strength than its own to fortifie and fix it This is the way that is here taught fear not c. but sanctifie the Lord c. and if you can attain this latter the former will follow of it self 1. Generally God taking the place formerly possess'd by things full of motion and unquietness solids and establishes the Heart 2. Particularly Consider 1. Fear of him 2. Faith in him His Fear turns other fears out of doors no room for them where this great Fear is and being greater than they all yet disturbs not as they do yea brings as great quiet as they brought trouble 't is an ease to have but one thing for the heart to deal withal for many times the multitude of carnal fears is more troublesome than their weight as flies that vex most by their number Again This fear is not a terrible apprehension of God as an Enemy but a sweet composed reverence of God as our King yea as our Father very great but no less good than great so highly esteeming of his favour as fearing most of all things to offend him in any kind especially if the Soul have been formerly either under the lash of his apprehended displeasure or on the other side have had some sensible tastes of his love and hath been entertained in his Banqueting-House where his Banner over it was Love Faith carries the Soul above all doubts that if sufferings or sickness or death come nothing can separate it from him this suffices yea what though he may hide his face for a time the hardest of all yet no separation His Children fear him for his Goodness are afraid to lose sight of that or prejudge themselves of any of its influences desire to live in his favour and then for other things they are not much thoughtful 2. Faith sets the Soul in God and if there be not safety where is it rests on those perswasions it hath concerning him and that interest it hath in him Believes that he sits and rules the Affairs of the World with an all-seeing Eye and all-moving Hand the greatest Affairs surcharge him not and the very smallost escape him not orders the march of all Armies and the events of Battels and yet thou and thy particular condition slips not out of his view the very hairs of thy head are numbred are not all thy steps and the hazards of them known to him and all thy desires before him doth he not number thy wandrings every weary step thou art driven to and put thy tears in his Bottle thou mayest assure thy self that however thy matters seem to go all is contriv'd to subserve thy Good chiefly thy chief and highest Good there is a regular Motion in them though the Wheels do look to run cross all those things are against me said old Iacob and yet they were all for him In all estates I know no hearts ease but to believe to sanctifie and honour thy God in resting on his Word if thou art perswaded of his Love sure that will carry above all distrusting fears if thou art not clear in that point yet depend and resolve to stay by him yea to stay on him till he shew himself unto thee thou hast some fear of him thou canst not deny it without gross injury to him and thy self wouldst willingly walk in all well-pleasing unto him well then who is among you that feareth the Lord though he see no present light yet let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Press this upon thy Soul for there is not another charm for all its fears and unquiet therefore repeat it still with David sing this still till it be stilled chide thy distrustful heart into believing why art thou cast down O my Soul why art thou disquieted within me hope in God for I shall yet praise him though I 'm all out of tune for the present never a right string in my Soul yet he will put to his hand and redress all and I shall yet once again praise and therefore even now I will hope 'T is true God is a safe shelter and refuge but he is holy and holy Men may find admittance and protection but can so vile a sinner as I look to be protected and taken in under his safe guard Go try knock at his Door and take it not on our word but on his own it shall be opened to thee and once thou shall have a happy life on 't in the worst times Faith hath this priviledge never to be asham'd it takes Sanctuary in God and sits and sings under the shadow of his wings as David speaks Ps. 63. Whence the unsettledness of minds in trouble when 't is near but because they are far off from God the heart shak't as the leaves of the Tree with the wind no stability of Spirit God not sanctified in it and no wonder for not known Strange the ignorance of God and the precious Promises of his word the most living and dying strangers to him when trouble comes have not him a known refuge but are to begin to seek after him and to enquire the way to him cannot go to him as acquainted and ingaged by his own covenant with them others have empty knowledge and can discourse of Scripture and Sermons and Spiritual Comforts and yet have none of that fear and trust that quiets the Soul notions of God in their heads but God not sanctified in their hearts If you will be advised this is the way to have a high and strong spirit indeed
and to be above troubles and fears seek for a more lively and Divine Knowledge of God than most as yet have and rest not till you bring him into your hearts and then you shall rest indeed in him Sanctifie him by fearing him let him be your fear and your dread not only outward gross offences fear an Oath fear to prophane the Lord's Holy Day but fear all irregular earthly desires the distemper'd affecting any thing entertaining any thing in the secret of your hearts that may give distaste to your beloved take heed respect the great Person you have in you Company and lodges within you the holy Spirit grieve him not for it will turn to your own grief if you do for all your comfort is in his hand and flows from him if you be but in heart dallying with sin it will unfit you for suffering outward troubles and make your spirit low and base in the day of tryal yea it will fill you with inward trouble and disturb that peace which I am sure you that know esteem more of then all the peace and flourishing of this World Outward troubles do not molest nor stir inward peace but an unholy unsanctified affection doth all the winds without cause not an earth quake but that within its own bowels doth Christians are much their own enemies in unwary walking prejudge themselves of those comforts they might have in God and so are often almost as perplex'd and full of fears upon small occasions as worldlings are Sanctifie him by believing study the main question your reconcilement with him labour to bring that to some point and then in all other occurrences Faith will uphold you by relying on God as now yours for those three things make up the Souls peace 1. To have right apprehension of God looking on him in Christ and according to that covenant that holds in him And 2. A particular apprehension that is laying hold on him in that covenant as gracious and merciful as satisfied and appeased in Christ smelling in his sacrifice which was himself a savour of rest and setting himself before me that I may rely on him in that notion 3. A perswasion that by so relying on him my Soul is at one yea is one with him yet while this is wanting as to a Believer it may be the other is our duty to Sanctifie the Lord in believing the word of Grace and believing on him reposing on his Word and this even sever'd from the other doth deliver in a good measure from distracting fears and troubles and sets the Soul at safety Whence is it that in times of Persecution or Trouble Men are troubl'd within and rackt with fears but because instead of God their hearts are glâ—ed to those things that are in hazard by those troubles without their estates or their ease or their lives the Soul destitute of God esteems so highly of such things that it cannot but exceedingly feel when they are in danger and fear their loss most gaping after some imagin'd good and Oh! iâ— I had but this I were well but then such or such a thing may step in and break all my Projects and this troubles the poor Spiriâ— of Man that hath no higher designs but such as are so easily blasted and still as any thing in Man lists up his Soul to vanity it must needs fall down again into vexation There is a word or two in the Hebrew for Idols that signifie withal Troubles and Terrors and so 't is certainly All our Idols prove so to us fill us with nothing but anguish and troubles with unprofitable cares and fears that are good for nothing but to be fit punishments of that folly out of which they arise The ardent love or wilful desire of Prosperity or Wealth or Credit in the World carries with it as inseparably ty'd to it a bundle of fears and inward troubles They that will be rich says the Apostle fall into a snare and many noysome and hurtful lusts and as he adds in the next Verse they pierce themselves through with many sorrows He that hath set his Heart upon an Estate or a commodious Dwelling and Lands or upon a healthful and long Life cannot but be in continued alarms of renewed fears concerning them especially in troublous times the least rumor of any thing that threatneth his deprivement of those advantages strikes him to the heart because his heart is in them I am well seated thinks he and I am of a sound strong constitution and may have many a good day Oh! but beside the Arrows of Pestilence that are flying round about the Sword of a cruel Enemy is not far off this will affright and trouble a heart void of God but if thou wouldst readily answer and dispel all these and such like fears Sanctifie the Lord God in thy Heart the Soul that eyes God renounces these things looks on them at a great distance as things far from the Heart and therefore that cannot easily trouble it but looks on God as within the Heart sanctifies him in it and rests on him The Word of God cures the many foolish hopes and fears that we are naturally sick of by representing to us hopes and fears of a far higher Nature which swallow up and drown the other as Inundations and Landâ—â—oods do the little Ditches in those Meadows that they overflow fear not says our Saviour him that can kill the Body what then fear must have some work he adds but fear him that can kill both Soul and Body Thus in the passage cited here fear not their fear but sanctifie the Lord and let him be your fear and your dread And so for the hopes of the World care not to lose them for God there is a hope in you as it follows here that is far above them Be ready always to give an answer The real Christian is all for Christ hath given up all right of himself to his Lord and Master to be all his to do and suffer for him and therefore sure will not fail in this which is least to speak for him upon all Occasions if he sanctifie him in his Heart the Tongue will follow and be ready 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to give an Answer a Defence or Apology Of this here four things 1. The need of it Men will ask an account 2. The Matter or Subject of it the hope in you 3. The manner with meekness and fear 4. The faculty for it be ready 1. Religion is always the thing in the World that hath the greatest calumnies and prejudices cast upon it and this engages those that love it to endeavour to clear and disburden it of them this they do chiefly by the Tract of their Lives the Saints by their blameless Actions and patient Sufferings do write most real and convincing Apologies yet sometimes 't is expedient yea necessary to add verbal Defences and to vindicaâ—e not so much themselves as their Lord and his Truth suffering in the
before thee as a Saviour to believe on that so he may be thy Saviour why wilt thou not come unto him why resuseth thou to believe art thou a sinner art thou unjust then he is fit for thy case he suffered for Sins the Iust for the Vnjust Oh but so many and so great sins yea is that it it is true indeed and good reason thou think so But 1. Consider if they be excepted in the Proclamation of Christ the Pardon that comes in his Name if not if he make no exception why wilt thou 2. Consider if thou wilt call them greater than this Sacrifice he suffered Take due notice of the greatness and worth 1. Of his Person and thence of his Sufferings and thou wilt not dare to say thy sin goes above the value of his suffering or that thou art too unjust for him to justifie thee be as unrighteous as thou canst be art thou convinced of it then know that Jesus the Just is more Righteous than thy unrighteousness And after all is said that any sinner hath to say they are yet without exception blessed that trust in him That he might bring us to God It is a chief Point of Wisdom to proportion means to their end therefore the all-wise God in putting his only Son to so hard a task had a high end in this and this was it That he might bring us unto God In this three things 1. The Nature of this good nearness unto God 2. Our deprivement of it by our own sin 3. Our restorement to it by Christs sufferings 1. God hath suited every Creature he hath made with a convenient good to which it tends and in the obtainment of which it rests and is satisfied Natural bodies have each their own natural place whether if not hindred they move uncessantly till they be in it and there declare by resting there that they are as I may say where they would be Sensitive Creatures are carried to seek a sensitive good as agreeable to their rank and being and attaining that aim no further Now in this is the Excellency of Man he is made capable of a Communion with his Maker and because capable of it is unsatisfied without it The Soul a Being cut out so to speak to that largeness cannot be fill'd with less though he is fallen from his right to that good and from all right desire of it yet not from a capacity of it no nor from a necessity of it for the answering and filling of his capacity Though the Heart once gone from God turns continually further away from him and moves not towards him till it be renewed yet ever in that wandering it retains that natural relation to God as its Center that it hath no true rest elsewhere nor cannot by any means find it It is made for him and is thereâ—ore still restless till it meet with him It is true the Natural Man takes much pains to quiet his Heart by other things and digests many vexations with hopes of contentment in the end and accomplishment of some design he hath but still they misgive Many times he attains not the thing he seeks but if he do yet never attains the satisfaction he seeks and expects in it only learns from that to desire something farther and still hunts on after a fancy drives his own shadow before him and never overtakes it and if he did yet it s but a shadow and so in running from God besides the sad end he carries an interwoven punishment with his sin the natural disquiet and vexation of his Spirit fluttering too and fro no rest for the sole of his foot The matters of unconstancy and vanity covering the whole Face of the Earth We study to abase our souls and to make them content with less than they are made for yea we strive to make them carnal that they may be pleased with sensible things and in this men attain a brutish content for a time forgetting their higher good but certainly we cannot think it sufficient and that no more were to be desired beyond Ease and Plenty and Pleasures of Sense for then a Beast in good Case and a good Pasture might contest with us in point of Happiness and carry it away for that sensitive good he enjoys without sin and without the vexation that is mixt with us all These things are too gross and heavy The Soul the immortal Soul descended from Heaven must either be more happy or remain miserable The highest increated Spirit is the proper Good the Father of Spirits that pure and full good raises the Soul above it self whereas all other things draw it down below it self So then its never well with the Soul but when it is near unto God yea in its union with him married to him and mismatching it self elsewhere it hath never any thing but shame and sorrow All that forsake thee shall be ashamed Jer. 17. says the Prophet and the Psalmist Psal. 73. They that are far off from thee shall perish And this is indeed our natural miserable condition and is often exprest this way or estrangedness and distance from God Eph. 2. Gentiles far off by their profession and Nation but both Jews and Gentiles far off by their natural Foundation and both brought near by the blood of the new Covenant and that is the other thing here implied that we are far off by reason of sin otherways there were no need of Christ especially in this way of suffering for sin to bring us unto God The first because of Gods command sin broke off Man and separated him from God and ever since the Soul remains naturally remote from God 1. Under a sentence of Exile pronounced by the Justice of God condemned to banishment from God who is the life and light of the Soul as it is of the Body 2. It 's under a flat impossibility of returning by it self And that in two respects 1. Because of the guiltiness of sin standing betwixt as an unpassable Mountain or Wall of separation 2. Because of the Dominion of sin keeping the Soul captive still drawing it further off from God increasing the distance and the enmity every day Nor in Heaven nor under Heaven no way to remove this enmity and make up this distance and return Man to the Possession of God but this one by Christ and him suffering for sins He endured the Sentence pronounced against man yea even in this particular Notion of it one main ingredient in his suffering was a forsaking to sense that he cried out of And by suffering the Sentence pronounc'd he took away the guiltiness of sin he himself being spotless and undefiled for such an High Priest became us the more defiled we were the more need of an undefiled Priest and Sacrifice and he was both Therefore the Apostle here very fitly mentions this qualification of our Saviour as necessary for reducing us unto God the Iust for the Vnjust so taking on him and taking away the
the particular resemblance of it with the rule of Christianity Baptism the like figure c. In them 1. The end of Baptism 2. The proper vertue or efficacy of it for that end A resemblance in both these to Noah's preservation in the flood Save us This is the great common end of all the Ordinances of God that one high mark they all aim at And the great and common mistake of them is that they are not so understood and used We come and fit a while and if we can keep awake give the Word the hearing but how few of us receiâ—e it as the ingraâ—ted Word that is able to save our Souls were it thus taken what sweetness would be found in it that most as hear and read it are strangers to How precious would these lines be if we lookâ—â— on them thus saw them meeting and concentring in Salvation as their end Thus likewise the Sacraments considered indeed as Seals of this Inheritance annexed to the great Charter of it Seals of Salvation this would powerfully beget a sit appetite for the Lord's Supper when we are invited to it and would beget a due esteem of Baptism would teach you more frequent and fruitful thoughts of your own and more pious considerations of it when you require it for your Children A natural eye looks upon Bread and Wine and Water and the outward difference of their use there that they are set apart and differenced as is evident by external circumstances from their common use but the main of the difference where their excellency lies it sees not as the eye of faith above that espies Salvation under them and Oh! what another thing are they to it than to a formal user of them We aspire to know the hidden rich things of God that are wrapt up in his Ordinances We stick in the shell and superfice of them and seek no further that makes them unbeautiful and unsavoury to us and that use of them turns into an empty custome Be more earnest with him that hath appointed them and made this their end to save us that he would clear up the eye of our Souls to see them thus under this relation and see how they â—uit to this their end and tend to it and seriously 〈◊〉 Salvation in them from his own hand and we shall find it Save us So that this Salvation of Noah and his Family from the Deluge and all outward deliverances and Salvations but dark shadows of this let them not be spoke of these reprivalls and prolongings of this present liâ—e to the deliverance of the Soul from death the Second death the stretching of a moment to the concernment of Eternity How would any of you welcome a full and sure protection from common dangers if such were to be had that you should be ascertained of safety from Sword and Pestilence that what ever others suffered about you you and your Family should be free And they that have escaped a near danger of this kind resting there as if no more were to be feared whereas this common favour may be shew'd to these that are far off from God and what though you be not only thus far safe but I say if you were secured for afterwards which none of you absolutely are yet when you are put out of danger of Sword and plague still death remains and sin and wrath may be remaining with it and shall it not be all one to dye under these in a time of publick peace and welfare as if it were now Yeâ— something more unhappy by the increase of the heap of sin and wrath guiltiness augmented by life prolong'd and more grievous to be pulled away from the World in the middle of peacable enjoyment and Everlasting darkness to succeed to that short Sun-shine of thy day of ease happiness of a short date and misery for ever What availed it wicked Cham to outlive the flood to Inherit a Curse after it to be kept undrown'd in the waters to see himself and his posterity blasted with his Fathers Curse Think seriously what will be the end of all thy temporary safety and preservation if thou share not in this Salvation and find not thy self sealed and marked for it to flatter thy self with a dream of happiness and walk in the light of a few sparkles that will soon dye out and then lie down in sorrow a sad bed that the most have to go to after they have wearied themselves all the day all their life being in a chase of Vanity The next thing is the power and vertue of this means for its end That it hath a Power is clear in that it is so expresly said it doth save us which kind of power is as clear in the way of it here exprest not by a natural force of the Element though adapted and sacramentally used it only can wash away the silth of the Body its Physical Efficacy or power reaches no further but it is in the hand of the Spirit of God as other Sacraments and as the Word it self is to purifie the Conscience and convey Grace and Salvation to the Soul by the reference it hath to and union with that which it represents It saves by answer of a good Conscience unto God and it affords that by the Resurrection of Iesus from the dead Thus then we have a true Accompt of the Power of this and so of other Sacraments and a discovery of the error of two extreams 1. Of those that ascribe too much to them as if they wrought by a Natural inherent Vertue and carried Grace in them inseparably 2. Of those that ascribe too little to them making them only signs and badges of our Profession signs they are but more than signs meerly representing they are means exhibiting and seals confirming Grace to the Faithful But the working of Faith and the conveying of Christ into the Soul to be received by Faith is not a thing put into them to do of themselves but still in the Supream hand that appointed them and he indeed both causes the Souls of his own to receive these his Seals with faith and makes them effectually to confirm that Faith which receives them so They are then in a word neither empty signs to them that believe nor effectual Causes of Grace to them that believe not The mistake on both sides arises from the inconsideration of the relative Nature of these Seals and that kind of Union that is betwixt them and the Grace they represent which is real though not Natural or Physical as they speak So that though they do not save all that partake of them yet they do really and effectually save Believers for whose Salvation they are means as the other external Ordinances of God do Though they have not that Power which is peculiar to the Author of them yet a Power they have such as befits their Nature and by reason of which they are truely said to Sanctifie and Justifie and so to
good and in making it such fits it to make answer unto God A good Conscience in its full Sense is a pure Conscience and a peaceable Conscience and it cannot indeed be peaceably good unless it be purely good And although on the other side it may want the present enjoyment of Peace being pâ—risied yet certainly in a purified Conscience there 's Title and Right to Peace it s radically there even when it appears not And in due time it shall appear shall spring forth â—ud and flourish The purified and good Condition of the whole Soul may well as here it doth go under the name of the good Conscience it being so prime a faculty of it and as the glass of the whole Soul wherein the estate of it is represented Therefore Heb. 9. the Efficacy of the Blood of Christ is exprest thus that it purgeth our Consciences from dead works which Expression is the sâ—me thing in respect with that here the answer of a good Conscience unto God The answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The asking or questioning of Conscience which comprises lâ—keways its Aâ—swer for it intends the whole Correspondence of the Conscience wâ—th God and with it self as towards God or in the â—ight of God and indeed God's questioning it is by it self it is his Deputy in the Soul he makes it pose it self for him and before him concerning its own Condition and so the Answer it gives it self in that posture as he sitting and hearing it in his Presence is an Answer made unto him This questioning and answering if such a thing were at this time as it was certainly soon after yet means not the Questions and Answers us'd in the Baptism of Persons who being of years professed their Faith in answering the questions moved it possibly alludes unto that and by way of resemblance expresses the inward Questioning and Answering which is transacted within betwixt the Soul and it self and the Soul and God and so is allusively called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Questioning and Answering but distinctively specified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that whereas the other was towards Men this is unto God 1. A good Conscience is a waking speaking Conscience and the Conscience that questions it self most of all sorts the best so that which is dumb or asleep is not active and frequent in self inquiries is not a good Conscience The word is judicial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Interrogation used in Law for the trial and executing of Processes and this the great business of Conscience to sit and examine and judge within to hold Courts in the Soul and it is of continual necessity that it be so no vacancy of this Judicature without great damage to the Estate of the Soul yea not a day ought to pass without â—a Session of Conscience within for there are daily disorders arise in the Soul which if they pass on will grow and gather more and so breed more difficulty in their trial and redress Yet men do readily turn from this work as hard and unpleasant and make many a long vacancy in the year and protract it from one day to another in the Morning they must go about their business and at night they are weary and sleepy and all the day long one Affair steps in after another and in case of that failing some triffling company or other and so their days pass on the Soul overgrows with impurities and disorders You know what confusions and disorders and evils will abound amongst a rude people where there is no kind of Court nor Judicature held thus is it with that unruly rable the lusts and passions of our Souls when there is no discipline nor Judgement within or where there is but a neglect and intermission of it for a short time And the most of Souls are in the posture of ruin their vile affections as a head-strong tumultuous multitude that will not suffer a deputed Judge to sit amongst them cry down their Consciences and make a continual noise that the voice of it may not be heard and so force it to desist and leave them to their own ways But you that take this course know you are providing the severest Judgement for your selves by disturbing of Judgement as when a people rise against an inferiour Judge the Prince or Supreme Magistrate that sent him hearing of it doth not fail to vindicate his honour and Justice in their exemplary punishment Will you not answer unto Conscience but when it begins to speak turn to business or Company that you may not hear it know that it and you must answer unto God and when he shall make enquiry it must report and report as the truth is knowing that there is no hiding the matter from him Lord there are to my knowledge a World of enormities within the circuit I had to judge and I would have judged them but was violented and interrupted and was not strong enough to resist the tumultuous power that rose against me Now the matter comes into thine own hand to judge it thy self What shall the Soul say in that day when Conscience shall make such an answer unto God and it shall come under the severity of his justice for all Whereas if it had given way to the Conscience to find out and judge and rectifie matters it could have answered concerning its procedure that way God would accept this as the answer of a Good Conscience and what he had done he would not do over again it is judged then I acquit for if we would judge our selves says the Apostle we should not be judged The questioning or inquiry of Conscience and so its report or answer unto God extends to all the affairs of the Soul all the affections and motions of it and all the actions and carriage of the whole Man The open wickedness of the most testifies against them that though sprinkled with water in Baptism yet they are Strangers to the power and Gracious Efficacy of it not Baptised with the Holy Ghost and with fire still their dross and filth remaining to them and nothing else appearing in their ways so that their Consciences cannot so much as make a good answer for them unto Men much less unto God What shall it answer for them being judged but that they are Swearers and Cursers and Drunkards or unclean or that they are slanderers delighting to pass their hours in descanting on the actions and ways of others and looking through the miscoloured-glass of their own malice and pride that they are neglecters of God and holy things lovers of themselves and their own pleasures more than lovers of God and have such as these impudence enough to call themselves Christians and to pretend themselves to be such as are washed in the blood of Christ yes they do this But be ashamed and confounded in your selves you that remain in this condition yea although thou art blameless in Men's Eyes and possibly in thy own Eyes too yet thou mayst
death and resurrection study them set thine eye upon them till thy Heart take in the Impression of them by much Spiritual and affectionate looking on them beholding the Glory of thy Lord Christ then be transformed unto it 2 Cor. 3. It is not only a moral Patern or Copy but an effectual Cause of thy sanctification having real influence into thy Soul dead with him and again alive with him Oh Happiness and Dignity unspeakable to have this Life known and cleared to your Souls If it were how would it make you live above the World and all the vain hopes and fears of this wretched Life and the fears of Death it self yea it would make it most lovely to them that is the most affrightful Visage to the World It is the Apostles Maxime that the carnal mind is enmity against God as it is universally true of every carnal mind so of all the motions and thoughts of it even where it seems to agree with God yet it s still contrary if it acknowledge and conform to his Ordinances yet even in so doing it s in direct opposite terms to him particularly in this that which he esteems most in them the carnal mind makes least account of He chiefly eyes and values the inside the Natural Man dwells and rests in the shell and superfice of them God according to his Spiritual Nature looks most on the more Spiritual part of his worship and Worshippers The carnal mind 's in this just like it selfe altogether for the sensible external part and cannot look beyond it Therefore the Apostle here having taken occasion to speak of Baptism by terms of Paralel and resemblance with the Flood is express in correcting this mistake It is not says he in putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience Were it possible to perswade you I would recommend one thing to you learn to look on the Ordinances of God suitably to their Natures spiritually and enquire after the spiritual effect and working of them upon your Consciences We would willingly have all Religion reduced to outwards this is ouâ— natural choice and would pay all in this coyn as cheaper and easier by far and would compound for the Spiritual part rather to add and give more external perâ—ormance and ceremony Hence the natural complacency of Popery which is all for this service of the flesh and body-services and to those prescribed of God all deal so liberally with him in that kind as to add more and frame new Devices and Rites what you will in this kind Sprinklings and Washingâ— and Anointings and Incense but whither all this is it not a gross mistake of God to think him thus pleased or is it not a direct afront knowing that he is not pleased with these but desires another thing to thrust that upon him that he cares not for and refuse him what he calls for that single humble heart worship and walking with him that purity of Spirit and Conscience that he only prizes and no outward-service but for these as they tend to this end and do attain it Give me says he nothing if you give not this Oh! saith the carnal Mind any thing but this thou shalt have as many washings and offerings as thou wilt thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl yea rather then fail let the Fruit of my Body go for the Sin of my Soul Thus we will the outward use of Word and Sacraments do it then all shall be well baptised we are and shall I hear much and communicate ofâ—en if I can reach it shall I â—e exact in poâ—nt of Family Worship shall I pray in secret all this I do or at least I now promise Ay but when all that is done there is yet one thing may be wanting and if it be so all that amounts to nothing is thy Conscience purged and made good by all these or art thou sâ—â—king and aiming at this by the use of all means then certainly thou shalt â—ind life in them But does thy heart still remain uncleansed from the old ways not purified from the Pollutions of the World do thy beloved sins still lodge with thee and keep possession of thy heart then art thou still a stranger to Christ and an enemy to God the word and seals of Life are dead to thee and thou still dead in the use of them all Know you not that many have made shipwrack upon the very rock of Salvation that many which were baptised as well as you and as constant attendants on all the Worship and Ordinances of God as you yet remained without Christ and died in their sins and are now past recovery Oh! that you would be warned there are still multitudes running headlong that same course tending to destruction through the midst of all the means of Salvation the saddest way of all to it through Word and Sacraments and all heavenly Ordinances to be walking hellwards Christians and yet no Christians baptised and yet unbaptised as the Prophet takes in the prophane multitude of God's own People with the Nations Jer. 9. 26. Egypt and Iudah and Edom all these Nations are uncircumcised and the worst came last and all the House of Israel are uncircumcised in the Heart Thus thus the most of us unbaptised in the heart and as this is the way of personal destruction so it is that as the Prophet there declares that brings upon the Church so many publick Judgments and as the Apostle tells that for the abuse of the Lord's Table many were sick and many slept Certainly our abuse of the holy things of God and want of their proper Spiritual Fruits are amongst the prime sins of this Land 〈◊〉 which so many 〈◊〉 have fallen in the Fields by the Sword and in the Streets by Pestilence and more likely yet to fall if we thus continue to provoke the Lord to his Face for it is the most avowed direct affront to prophane his holy things and thus we do while we answer not their proper end and are not inwardly sanctify'd by them we have no other Word nor other Sacraments to recommend to you than these that you have used so long to no purpose only we would call you from the dead forms to seek the living power of them that you perish not You think the renouncing of Baptism a horrible Word and that we would speak only so of witches yet it is a common guiltiness that cleaves to all who renounce not the filthy lusts and the self will of their own hearts for Baptism carries in it a renouncing of these and so the cleaving unto these is a renouâ—cing of it Oh! we all were sealed for God in Baptism who lives so few that have the Impression of it on the Conscience and the expression of it in the walk and fruit of their life We do not as clean washed persons abhor and fly all pollutions all fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness We have been a
who are spotless sinless Spirits but their flesh in their Redeemer dignified with a Glory so far beyond them This is that Mystery they are intent in looking and prying into and cannot nor never shall see the bottom of it for it hath none 2. Jesus Christ is not only exalted above the Angels in absolute Dignity but in relative Authority over them he is made Captain over those Heavenly Bands they are all under his Command for all Services wherein it pleases him to employ them and the great Employment he hath is the attending on his Church and particular Elect Ones are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth c. They are the Servants of Christ and in him and at his appointment the Servants of every Believer and are many ways serviceable and useful for their good which truely we do not duly consider There is no danger of overvaluing them and inclining to Worship them upon this Consideration yea if we take it right it will rather take off from that The Angel judg'd his Argument strong enough to St. Iohn against that that he was but his fellow Servant but this is more that they are Servants to us although not therefore inferiour it being a honorary service yet certainly inferiour to our Head and so to his mystical body taken in that Nation as a part of him Obs. 1. The hight of this our Saviour's Glory will appear the more if we reflect on the descent by which he ascended to it Oh! how low did we bring down so high a Majesty into the pit wherein we had fallen by climbing to be higher than he had set us it was high by reason we fell so low and yet he against whom it was committed came down to help us up again and to take hold of us took us on so the Word is Heb. 2. he took not hold of the Angels let them go hath left them to die for ever But he took hold of the Seed of Abraham and took on him indeed their flesh dwelling amongst us and in a mean part emptied himself and became of no repute and further after he descended into the Earth and into our flesh in it he became obedient to death upon the Cross and descended into the Grave And by these steps was walking towards that Glory wherein now he is Phil. 1. he abased himself wherefore says the Apostle God hath highly exalted him so he himself Luk. 24. Ought not Christ first to suffer these things and so enter into his Glory Now this indeed it is pertinent to consider and the Apostle is here upon point of suffering that 's his theam and therefore he is so particular in the ascending of Christ to his Glory who of those that would come thither will refuse to follow him in the way where he led 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leader of our Faith Heb. 12. and who of those that follow him will not love and delight to follow him through any way the lowest and darkest its excellent and safe and then it ends you see where 2. Think not strange of the Lord's method with his Church bringing her to so low and desperate a Posture many times can she be in a more seeming desperate condition than was her head not only in ignominous sufferings but dead and laid in the Grave and the Stone roll'd to it and sealed and made all sure and yet arose and ascended and now sits in Glory and shall sit till all his Enemies become his Footstool do not fear for him that they shall overtop yea or be able to reach him who is exalted higher than the Heavens be not affraid neither for his Church which is his Body and if his Head be safe and live cannot but partake of safety and life with him though she were to sight dead and laid in the Grave yet shall she rise thence and be more glorious than before and still the lower brought in distress shall rise the higher in the day of deliverance Thus in his dealing with a Soul observe the Lord's method think it not strange that he brings a Soul low very low which he means to comfort and exalt very high in Grace and Glory leads it by Hell-gates to Heaven that it be at that point my God my God why hast thou forsaken me was not the Head put to use that Word and so to speak it as the Head speaks for the Body seasoning it for his Members and sweetning that bitter cup by his own drinking of it Oh! what a hard condition may a soul be brought unto and put to think can he love me and intend mercy for me that leaves me to this And yet in all the Lord preparing it thus for comfort and blessedness 3. Turn your thoughts more frequently to this Excellent Subject the glorious high Estate of our great high Priest The Angels admire this Mystery and we flight it they rejoyce in it and we whom it certainly more nearly concerns are not moved with it do not draw that comfort and that instruction from it which it would plentifully afford if it were drawn It comforts us against all troubles and fears is he not on high who hath undertaken for us doth any thing befall us but it is past first in Heaven and shall any thing pass there to our prejudice or damage he â—its there and is upon the Counsel of all who hath loved us and given himself for us yea who as he descended thence for us did likewise ascend thither again for us hath made our Inheritance he purchas'd there sure to us taking Possession for us and in our name since he is there not only as the Son of God but as our Surety and as our Head and so the Believer may think himself even already possest of this Right in as much as his Christ is there The Saints are glorified already in their head where he reigns Where he reigns there I believe my self to reign says Aug. And consider in all thy straights and troubles outward and inward they are not hid from him he knows them and feels them a compassionate high Priest hath a gracious sense of thy frailties and griefs and fears and tentation and will not suffer thee to be surcharg'd is still presenting thy Estate to the Father and using that interest and power he hath in his affection for thy good And what wouldst thou more art thou one whose heart desires to rest upon him and cleave to him thou art knit so to him that his resurrection and glory secures thee thine his life and thine are not two but one life as that of the Head and Members and if he could not be overcome of death thou canst not neither Oh! that sweet word Because I live you shall live also Let thy thoughts and carriage be moulded in this contemplation rightly ever to look on thy exalted head consider his glory see not only thy Nature raised in him above the Angels but thy person interested by
Faith in that his Glory and then think thy self too good to serve any base lust look down on Sin and the World with a holy disdain being united to him who is so exalted and so glorious And let not thy mind creep here engage not thy Heart to any thing that Time and this Earth can afford Oh! why are we so little there where there is such a spring of delightful and high thoughts for us If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where he sits what mean you are ye such as will let go you interest in this once crucified and now glorified Jesus if not why are ye not more like it why does it not possess your hearts more ought it not to be thus should not our hearts be where our Treasure where our blessed Head is Oh! how unreasonable how unfriendly is it how much may we be ashamed to have room for earnest thoughts or desires or delights about any thing beside him Were this by these that have right in it much wrought upon the heart would there be found in them any ingagement to the poor things that are passing away would death be a terrible word yea would it not be one of the sweetest most rejoycing thoughts to solace and ease the heart under all pressures to look forward to that day of Liberty This inâ—ectious Disease may keep possession all the Winter and grow hot with the year again do not flatter your selves anâ— think its past you have yet remembring strokes to keep it in your eye But however shall we abide still herâ—â— or is there any thing duly weighed why we should desire it well if ye would be untied beforehand and so feel it less this is the only way look up to him who draws up all hearts that do indeed behold him then I say thy heart shall be removed beforehand and the rest is easie and sweet when that 's done all is gained And consider how he desires the compleating of our union Shall it be his begging and earnest desire and shall it not be ours too that where he is there we may be also with patient submission yet striving by desires and suits looking out for our release from this Body of Sin and death The End of the Third Chapter 1 Ep. St. Peter Chap. IV. Ver. 1. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin THE main of a Christians duty lies in these two patience in suffering and avoidance of sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they have a natural influence each into the other altho affliction simply doth not yet affliction sweetly and humbly carried doth purifie and disingage the heart from sin weans it from the world and the common wayes of it And again holy and exact walking keeps the Soul in a sound healthful temper and so enables it to patient suffering to bear things more easily as a strong body endures fatigue heat and cold and hardship with ease a small part whereof would surcharge a sickly constitution The conscience of Sin and careless unholy courses do wonderfully weaken a Soul and distemper it so that it is not able to endure much every little thing disturbs it Therefore the Apostle hath reason as to insist on these two points so much in this Epistle so to interweave so often the one with the other pressing jointly throughout the chearful bearing of all kind of afflictions and the careful forbearing all kind of Sin and out of the one discourse slides into the other so here And as the things agree in their nature so in their great Pattern and Principle jesus Christ and the Apostle still draws both from thence that of Patience ch 3. ver 18. that of Holiness here Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us c. The chief study of a Christian and the very thing that makes him to be a Christian is conformity with Christ. This is the Sum of Religion said that wise Heathen to be like him whom thou worshippest But the example being in it self too sublime is brought down to our view in Christ the brightness of God veil'd and veil'd in our own flesh that we may look on it The inaccessible Light of the Deity is so attempered in the humanity of Christ that we may read our Lesson by it in him and may direct our walk by it and that truly is our only way nothing but wandring and perishing in all other wayes darkness and misery out of him but he that follows me says he shall not walk in darkness And therefore is he set before us in the Gospel in so clear und lively colours that we may make this our whole endeavour to be like him Consider here 1. The high ingagement to this conformity 2. The nature of it 3. The actual improvement of it The ingagement lies in this that he suffered for us Of this before only in reference to this had he come down as some have mis-imagined it only to set us this perfect way of obedience and give us an example of it in our own nature this had been very much that the Son of God would descend to teach wretched man and the great King to descend into man and dwell in a Tabernacle of Clay to set up a School in it for such ignorant accursed creatures and did in his own person act the hardest lessons both in doing and suffering to lead us in both But the matter goes yet higher than this Oh! how much higher hath he suffered not simply as our rule but as our Surety and in our stead He suffered for us in the flesh We the more obliged to make his suffering our example because it was to us more than an example it was our ransom This makes the conformity reasonable in a double respect 1. It is due that we follow him who led thus as the Captain of our Salvation that we follow in suffering and in doing seeing both were so for us its strange how some Armies have addicted themselves to their head to be at his call night and day in Summer and Winter to refuse no travel or endurance of hardship for him and all only to pleasure him and serve his inclination and ambition as Caesar's trained bands especially the eldest of them a wonder what they endured in countermarches and tracing from one Country to another But besides that our Lord and Leader is so great and excellent and so well deserves following for his own worth this lays upon us an obligation beyond all conceiving that he first suffered for us that he endured such hatred of Men and such wrath of God the Father and went through death so vile a death to procure our life what can be too bitter to endure or too sweet to forsake to follow him Were this duly considered would we cleave to our lusts or to our ease would we
he likes and desires and alters not so now thou knowest whom thou hast to do withal and what to do whom to please and what will please him and this cannot but much settle thy mind and put thee to ease and thou maist say heartily as rejoycing in the change of so many for one and such for such a one as the Church says Isa. 26 13. O Lord our God other Lords beside thee have had dominion over me but now by thee only will I make mention of thy name now none but thy self not so much as the name of them any more away with them through thy Grace thou only shalt be my God It cannot endure any thing be named with thee Now that it may be thus that we may wholly live to the will of God we must know his will what it is Persons grosly ignorant of God and of his will cannot live to him we cannot have fellowship with him and walk in darkness for he is light This takes off a great many amongst us that have not so much as a common Notion of the Will of God but besides that Knowledge which is a part and I may say the first part of the renewed Image of God is not a Natural Knowledge of Spiritual Things meerly attained by human teaching or industry but it s a beam of God's own issuing from himself both enlightening and enlivening the whole Soul gains the affection and stirs to action and so indeed it acts and increases by acting for the more we walk according to that of the Will of God which we know the more we shall be advanced to know more that is the real proving what is his good and holy and acceptable will Rom 12. 2. so says Christ if any will do the Will of my Father he shall know of the Doctrine our lying off from the lively use of known Truth keeps us low in the Knowledge of God and Communion with him 2. So then upon that Knowledge of God's Will where it is Spiritual and from himself follows the suiting of the Heart with it the affections taking the stamp of it and agreeing with it receiving the Truth in the love of it the Heart transformed into it and now not driven to obedience violently but sweetly moving to it by love within the Heart framed to the love of God and so of his Will 3. As Divine Knowledge begets this affection so this affection will bring forth action real obedience For these three are inseparably linkt and dependant on the product of another in this way the affection is not blind but flowing from knowledge nor actual obedience constrained but flowing from affection and the affection is not idle seeing it brings forth obedience nor the knowledge dead seeing it begets affection Thus the renewed the living Christian is all for God a sacrifice entirely offer'd up to God and a living sacrifice lives to God Takes no more notice of his own carnal will hath renounc't that to embrace the holy will of God and therefore though there is a contrary Law and will in him yet he does not acknowledge it but only the Law of Christ as now establisht in him that Law of Love by which he is sweetly and willingly led Real Obedience consults not now in his ways with Flesh and Blood what will please them but only enquires what will please his God and knowing his mind thus resolves to demur no more nor to ask consent of any other that he will do and its reason enough to him my Lord will's it therefore in his strength I will do it for now I live to his will it is my Life to study and obey it Now we know what is the true Character of the redeemed of Christ that they are freed from the service of themselves and of the World yea dead to it and have no Life but for God as all his Let this then be our study and ambition to attain this and to grow in it to be daily further freed from all other ways and desires and more wholly addicted to the will of our God displeased when we find any thing else stir or move within us but that that he Spring of our Motion in every work 1. Because we know his Soveraign Will and most justly so is the Glory of his Name therefore not to rest till this be set up in our view as our end in all and to count all our plausible doings as hateful as indeed they are that are not aimed at this end yea endeavouring to have it as much frequent and express before us as we can attain still our eye on the mark throwing away yea undoing our own interest not seeking our selves in any thing but him in all 2. As living to his will in the end of all so in all the way to every step of it For we cannot attain his end but in his way nor can we intend it without a resignation of the way to his prescript taking all our directions from him how we shall honour him in all The Soul that lives to him hath enough not only to make any thing warrantable but amiable to seek his will and not only does it but delights to do it that 's to live to him to find it our life as we speak of a work wherein Men do most and with most deligh employ themselves In that such a lust be Crucified is it thy will Lord then no more advising no more delay how dear soever that was when I lived to it it is now as hateful seeing I live to thee who it thou hatest Wilt thou have me â—orget an injury though a great one and love the person that hath wronged me While I lived to my self and my passions this had been hard But now how sweet is it seeing I live to thee and am glad to be put upon things most opposite to my corrupt heart glad to trample upon my own will to follow thine and this I daily aspire to and aim at to have no will of my own but that thine be in me that I may live to thee as one with thee and thou my rule and delight Yea not to use the very natural comforts of my Life but for thee to eat and drink and sleep for thee and not to please my self but to be enabled to serve and please thee to make one offering of my self and all my actions to thee my Lord. Oh! it s the only sweet life to be living thus and daily learning to live more fully thus it is Heaven this a little scantling of it here and a pledge of whole Heaven this is indeed the life of Christ not only like his but one with his it is his Spirit his Life derived into the Soul And therefore both the most excellent and certainly most permanent for he dieth no more and therefore this his Life cannot be extinguisht hence is the perseverance of the Saints Because being one Life with Christ alive unto God one for all for
powerfully assimilated to him by converse with him as we readily contract their Habitudes with whom we resort much especially of such as we singularly love and respect thus the Soul is moulded further to the likeness of God is stampt with fuller Characters of him by being much with him becomes liker God more holy and spiritual and brings back a bright shining from the Mount as Moses 4thly And not only thus by a natural influence doth prayer work this advantage but even by a federal efficacy suiting and upon suit obtaining supplies of Grace as the chief good and besides all other needful mercies it is a real means of receiving whatsoever you shall ask that will I do says our Saviour God having establisht this intercourse and engag'd his Truth and Goodness in it that if they call on him they shall be heard and answered If they prepare the Heart to call he will incline his ear to hear and our Saviour hath assur'd us that we may build upon his Goodness and the affection of a Father in him that he will give good things to them that ask says one Evangelist and the holy Spirit to them that ask it says another as being the good indeed the highest of Gifts and the sum of all good Things and that which his Children are most earnest supplicants for Prayer for Grace doth as it were set the Mouth of the Soul to the Spring draws from Jesus Christ and is replenisht out of his fullness thirsting after it and drawing from it that way And for this reason is it that our Saviour and from him and according to his example the Apostles recommend Prayer so much Watch and pray says our Saviour and St. Paul pray continually And our Apostle here particularly specifies this as the grand means of attaining that conformity with Christ which he presses this is the high-way to it be sober and watch unto prayer He that is much in prayer shall grow rich in grace he shall thrive and increase most that is busiest in this which is our very traffick with Heaven and fetches the most precious commodities thence he that sets oftenest out these Ships of desire makes the most Voyages to that Land of Spices and Pearls shall be sure to improve his stock most and have most of Heaven upon Earth But the true art of this trading is very rare every trade hath something wherein the skill of them lies but this is deep and supernatural is not reacht by humane industry industry is to be used in it but we must know it comes from above the faculty of it that Spirit of Prayer without which Learning and Wit and religious Breeding can do nothing Therefore this to be our prayer often our great suit for the Spirit of Prayer that we may speak the Language of the Sons of God by the Spirit of God which alone teaches the Heart to pronounce aright those things that the Tongue of many Hypocrites can articulate well to mans ear and only the Children in that right strain that takes him call God their Father and cry unto him as their Father and therefore many a poor unlettered Christian so far outstrips your School-Rabbies in this faculty because it is not effectually taught in these lower Academies they must be in God's own School Children of his House that speak this Language Men may give Spiritual Rules and Directions in this and such as may be useful drawn from the word that furnishes us with all needful Precepts but you are still to bring these into the seat of this faculty of prayer the Heart and stamp them upon it and so to teach it to pray without which there is no prayer this is the prerogative Royal of him that framed the Heart of Man within him But for advancing in this growing more skillful in it it is with continual dependence on the Spirit to be much used praying much thou shalt be blest with much faculty for it so then askest thou what shall I do that I may learn to pray there be things here to be considered that are exprest as serving this end but for present this and chiefly this by praying thou shalt learn to pray thou shalt both obtain more of the Spirit and find more the chearful working of it in Prayer when thou puttest it often to that work for which it is received and wherein it is delighted and as both advantaging all Graces and the Grace of Prayer it self this frequency and abounding in Prayer is here very clearly intended in that the Apostle makes it as the main of our work that we have to do and would keep our hearts in a constant aptness for it be sober and watch to what end unto prayer Be sober and watch They that have no better must make the best they can of carnal delights it is no wonder they take as large a share of them as they can bear and sometimes more But the Christian is called to a more excellent estate and higher pleasures so that he may behold men glutting themselves with these base things and be as little moved to share with them as men are taken with the pleasure a Swine hath in weltring in the Mire It becomes the Heirs of Heaven to be far above the love of the Earth and in the necessary use of any thing in it still to keep both within the due measure of their use and their heart wholly disingag'd from the affection of them This is the Sobriety here exhorted It s true that in the commonest sense of the word it is very commendable and it is sit to be so considered by a Christian that he flie gross intemperance as a thing most contrary to his condition and holy calling and wholly inconsistent with the spiritual temper of a renewed mind and those exercises to which it is called and its progress in its way homewards It is a most unseemly sight to behold one simply by outward profession a Christian overtaken with surfeitting and drunkenness much more to be given to the vile custom of it all sensual delights the filthy lust of uncleanness go under the common name of Insobriety Intemperance and they all degrade and destroy the noble Soul are unworthy of Man much more of a Christian and the contempt of them preserves the Soul and elevates it But the Sobriety here recommended though it takes in that too yet reaches further than temperance in meat and drink It is the spiritual temperance of a Christian mind in all earthly things as our Saviour joyns these together Luk. 21. 34. surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life and under the cares are all the excessive desires and delights of this life which cannoâ— be followed and attended without distempered carefullness Many that are sober men and of temperate diet yet are spiritually intemperate drunk with pride or covetousness or passion drunk with self-love and love of their pleasures and ease with love of the world and the things of it which
cannot consist with the love of God as St. Iohn tells us drunk with the inordinate unlawful love even of their lawful calling and the lawful gain they pursue by it their hearts going after it and so reeling to and fro never fixed on God and heavenly Things but either hurried up and down with uncessant business or if sometimes at ease it is as the ease of a drunken man not compos'd to better and wiser thoughts but falling into a dead sleep contrary to the watching here joyned with sobriety Watch. There is a Christian Rule to be observed in the very moderating of bodily sleep and that particularly for the interest of Prayer but Watching as Sobriety here is chiefly the spiritual circumspectness and vigilancy of the mind in a wary walking posture that it be not surprized by the assaults or slights of Satan by the World nor its nearest and most deceiving enemy the corruption that dwells within that being so near doth most readily watch unperceived advantages and easily circumvents us Heb. 12. 1. The Soul of a Christian being surrounded with enemies of so great both power and wrath and so watchâ—ul to undoe it should it not be watchful for its own safety and live in a military vigilancy continually keeping constant watch and sentinel and suffering nothing to pass that may carry the least suspicion of danger to be distrustful and jealous of all the motions of his own Heart and the smilings of the World and in relation to these it will be a wise course to take that word as a good caveat be watchful and remember to mistrust Under the Garment of some harmless pleasure or some lawful liberties may be conveyed into thy Soul some thief or traytor that will either betray thee to the enemy or at least pilser and steal of the preciousest things thou hast Do we not by experience find how easily our foolish hearts are seduc'd and deceived and so apt to deceive themselves and by things that seem to have no evil in them yet are drawn from the height of affection to our highest good and from our Communion with God and study to please him which should not be intermitted for then it will abate but ought still be growing 2. Now the Relation of these is clear they are inseparably link't together each of them assistant and helpful to the other in their nature as they are here in the words Sobriety the friend of watchfulness and prayer of both Intemperance doth of necessity draw on sleep excessive eating or drinking sending up too many and so gross vapours surcharge the brain and when the body is thus deaded how unfit is it for any active imployment Thus the mind by a surcharge of delights or desires or cares of earth is made so heavy and dull that it cannot awake hath not spiritual activeness and clearness that spiritual exercises particularly Prayer do require Yea as bodily insobriety full feeding and drinking not only for the time indisposes to action but by custome of it brings the body to so gross and heavy a temper that the very natural spirits cannot stir to and fro in it with freedom but are clog'd and stick as the Wheels of a Coach in a deep miry way Thus is it with the Soul glutted with earthly things the affections bemir'd with them make it resist and unactive in spiritual things and the motions of the spirit heavy and obscured in it grows carnally secure and sleepy prayer comes heavily off But when the affections are soberly acted and even in lawful things that they have not liberty with the reins laid on their Necks to follow the World and carnal projects and delight when the unavoidable affairs of this life are done with a spiritual mind a heart kept free and disingaged Then is the Soul more nimble for spiritual things for Divine Meditation and Prayer it can watch and continue in these things and spend it self in that excellent way with more alacrity Again as the Sobriety and the watchful temper attending it enables for Prayer so Prayer preserves these it winds up the Soul from the Earth raises it above these things that intemperance feeds on acquaints it with the transcending sweetness of Divine Comforts the love and the loveliness of Jesus Christ and these most powerfully wean the Soul from these low creeping pleasures that the World gapes after and swallows with such greediness He that is admitted to nearest intimacy with the King and is called daily to his presence not only in the view and company of others but likewse in secret will he be so mad as to sit down and drink with the kitchin boys or the common guards so far below what he may enjoy surely no. Prayer being our near Communion with the great God certainly it sublimates the Soul and makes it look down upon the base ways of the World with disdain and despise the truly besotting pleasures of it Yea the Lord doth sometime fill these Souls that converse much with him with such beautiful delights such inebriating sweetness as I may call it that 't is in a happy manner drunk with those and the more of this the more is the Soul above base intemperâ—nce in the delights of the World as common drunkenness makes a Man less than a Man this makes him more that throws him below himself makes him a beast this raises him above makes him an Angel Would you as sure you ought have much faculty for Prayer and be frequent in 〈◊〉 and find much the pure sweetness of it then 〈…〉 selves more the muddy pleasures and sweetness of the World if you would pray much and with much advantage then be sober and watch unto prayer 〈…〉 your hearts to long so after ease and wealth 〈◊〉 esteem in the World these will make your hearts if they mix with them become like them and take 〈◊〉 quality will make them gross and earthly and unable to mount up will clog the wings of prayâ—r and you shall find the loss when your Soul is heavy and drowsie and falls off from delighting in God and your Communion with him Will such things as those you follow be able to countervail your damage can they speak you peace and uphold you in a day of darkness and distress or may it not be such now as will make them all a burden and vexation to you But on the otherside the more you abate and let go of these and come empty and hungry to God in prayer the more room shall you have for his consolations and therefore the more plentifully will he pour in of them and enrich your Soul with them the more the less you take in of the other 2. Would you have your selves raised to and continued and advanced in a spiritual heavenly temper free from the surfeits of earth and awake and active for heaven be uncessant in prayer But thou wilt say I find nothing but heavy indisposedness in it nothing but roving and vanity of
partakes life with the rest it imparts service to the rest but there be some more eminent and as I may say organick parts of this body and these are more emineâ—tly useful to the whole body Therefore the Apostle having enlarg'd himself into a general precept adds a word in special to these special parts the Preachers of the Word and which here I conceive is meant by Deacons or Ministers the other assistent Officers of the Church of God These are coordained by Jesus Christ as Lord of his own house to be serviceable to him in it he fits and sanctifies for this great work all that are called unto it by himself And they are directed for the acquitting of their great Work 1. By a clear rule of the due manner 2. The main end of it Particular rules for the preaching of the Word may be many but this is one most comprehensive that the Apostle gives if any speak let him speak as the Oracles of God If any speak that is clear from the rule what speaking is regulated and for brevity once exprest If any speak the Oracles of God let him speak them like themselves as the Oracles of God It is a chief thing in all serious actions to take the nature of them aright for this mainly regulates them and directs in their performance And this especially would be regarded in those things that are of highest worth and greatest weight in spiritual imployments wherein it is most dangerous and yet with us most ordinary to mistake and miscarry Were prayer considered as presence and speech with the great God the King of Glory Oh! how would this mould the mind what a watchful holy and humble deportment would it teach so that truly all directions for prayer might be summed up after this same model in this one if any Man pray let him speak as speaking with God just as here for preaching if any Man speak in that way let him do it as speaking from God that is as the Oracles of God Under this all the due qualifications of this holy work are comprised I shall name but these three which are prime and others may be easily reduced to these 1. Faithfully 2. Holily 3. Wisely In the first it s supposed that a Man have competent insight and Knowledge in these Divine Oracles that first he learn before he teach which many of us do not though we pass through the Schools and Classes and through the books too wherein these things are taught and bring with us some provision such as may be had there He that would faithfully teach of God must be taught of God be God-learned and this will help to all the rest to be faithful in delivering the message as he receives it not detracting or adding nor altering and as in setting forth that in general truths so in the particular setting them home declaring to his people their sins and his judgements following sin especially in his own people 2. Holily With that high esteem that reverence of the great majesty whose message he carries and the Divinness of the Message it self those deep mysteries that no created Spirits are able to fathom Oh! this would make us tremble in the dispensing of these Oracles considering our impurities and weaknesses and unspeakable disproportion to so high a task He had reason that said I am seiz'd with amazement and horrour or often as I begin to speak of God And with this humble reverence is to joyn ardent love to our Lord to his truth to his glory and his peoples Souls These holy affections stand opposite to our blind boldness in rushing on this sublime exercise as a common work our dead coldness in speaking things that our hearts are not warm'd with and so no wonder what we say doth seldom reach further than the ear or at furthest than the understanding and memory of our hearers There is a correspondence it is the heart speaks to the heart and the understanding and memory the same and the tongue speaks but to the ear further this holy temper shuts out all private passion in delivering Divine Truths it is high prophaning of his name and holy things to make them speak our private pleas and quarrels yea to reprove sin after this manner is a heinous sin to fly out into invectives that though not exprest so yet are aimed as blows of self revenge for injuries done to us or fancied by us this is to wind and draw the Holy Word of God to serve our unholy distempers and make it speak not his meaning but our own sure this is not to speak as the Oracles of God but basely to abuse the Word as impostors in Religion of old did their Images speaking behind them and through them what might make for their advantage True that the Word is to be particularly applyed to reprove most the particular sins that most abound amongst a people but this to be done not in anger but in love 3. Wisely By this I mean in the way of delivering it that it be done gravely and decently that light expressions and affected flourishes and unseemly gestures be avoided and that there be a sweet contemperature of authority and mildness But who is sufficient for these things Now you that hear would certainly meet and suit in this too If any hear let him hear as the Oracles of God not as a well tuned sound to help you to sleep an hour not as a humane Speech or Oration to displease or please you an hour according to the suiting of its strain and your palate Not as a School lesson to add somewhat to your stock of Knowledge to tell you somewhat you knew not before or as a feast of new notions Thus the most relish a preacher while till they try his gift and its new with them but a little time disgusts them But hear as the Oracles of God the discovery of sin and death lying on us and the discovery of a Saviour that takes these off the sweet word of reconciliation God wooing Man the great King intreating for peace with a company of rebels not that are too strong for him Oh! no but on the contrary he could utterly destroy in one moment These are the things brought you in this word Therefore come to it with sutable reverence with ardent desires and hearts open to receive it with meekness as the engrafted word that is able to save your Souls it were well worth one days pains of speaking and hearing that we could learn somewhat at least how to speak and hear henceforward to speak and hear aâ— the Oracles of God The other of ministring as of the ability that God giveth In this 1. Ability and that received from God for other there is none for any good work least for the peculiar ministration of his spiritual affairs in this House 2. The using of this ability received from him for them And this truly is a chief thing for Ministers and for each Christian still to
that they go through so many tribulations and tentations so many fightings without and fears within the Christian so simple and weak and his enemies so crafty and powerful The Oppositions of the wicked World their hatreds and scorns and molestations the flights and violence of Satan and the worst of all the strength of their own corruptions And by reason of abounding corruption such frequent almost continual need of purging by afflictions and trials to be still under Physick to be of necessity at sometimes drained and brought so low till there is scarce strength or life remaining in them And truely all outward difficulties would be but matter of ease would be as nothing were it not the incumberance of lusts and corruptions within were a man to meet disgraces and sufferings for Christ how easily would he go through them yea and rejoyce in them were he rid of the fretting impatience the pride and self-love of his own carnal heart these clog and trouble worst and he cannot shake them off nor prevail against them without much pains many prayers and tears and many times after much wrestling scarce finds that he hath gained any ground yea sometimes is foiled and thrown by them And so in all other duties such a fighting and continual combate with a revolting backsliding heart the flesh pulling and dragging downwards when he would mount up finds himself as a Bird with a stone tied to its foot hath Wings that flutter to be upwards but is pressed down with the weight fastened to him what struggling with wandrings and deadness in hearing and reading and prayer and that which is most grievous that by their unwary walking and the prevailing of some corruption they sadden the Spirit of God and provoke him to hide his face and withdraw his comforts How much pain to attain any thing any particular grace of humility or meekness or self-denial and if any thing attained how hard to keep and maintain it against the contrary party how often driven back to their old point if they do but cease from striving a little they are carried back by the stream and what returns of doubtings and misbelief after they thought they were got somewhat above them in so much that sometimes they are at the point of giving over and thinking it will never be for them and yet through all those are they brought safe home there is another strength that bears them up and brings them through but yet these things and many more of this nature argue the difficulty of their course and that it is not so easie a thing to come to Heaven as most imagine it Inf. Thou that findest so little stop and conflict in it goest thy round of eternal duties and all is well art no more troubled thou hast need to enquire after a long time spent in that way am I right am I not yet to begin sure this looks not like the way to Heaven as it is described in the Scripture it is too smooth and easie to be right And if the way of the Righteous be so hard then how hard shall be the end of the ungodly and sinner that walks in sin with delight it were strange if they should be at such pains and with great difficulty attain their end and he should come in amongst them in the end they were fools indeed true if it were so but what if it be not so then the wicked is the fool and shall find he is when he shall not be able to stand in Judgment where shall he appear when to the end he might not appear he would be glad to be smother'd under the weight of the Hills and Mountains if they could shelter him from appearing And what is the aim of all this that we have spoken or can speak in this subject but that ye may be moved to take into deeper thoughts the concernment of your immortal Souls Oh! that you would be perswaded Oh! that you would make in to Jesus Christ and seek Salvation in him seek to be covered with his righteousness and to be led by his Spirit in the ways of righteousness That will seal to you the happy certainty of the end and overcome for you all the difficulties of the way what is the Gospel of Christ preached for what was the blood of Christ shed for was it not that by receiving him we might escape condemnation nay this drew him from heaven he came that we might have life and might have it more abundantly Verse 19. 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful creator NOthing doth so establish the mind in the rollings and turbulency of present things as both a look above them and a look beyond them above them to the steady and good hand by which they are ruled and beyond them to the sweet and beautiful end to which by that hand they shall be brought This the Apostle layes here as the foundation of that patience and peace in troubles wherewith he would have his brethren furnisht Aâ—d thus he closes this in these words Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful creator The words contain the true principle of Christian patience and tranquility of mind in the sufferings of this life expressing both wherein it consists and what are the grounds of it 1. It lies in this committing the Soul unto God the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added is a true qualification of this that it be in well doing according to the preceeding Doctrine which the Apostle gives clearly and largely ver 15 16. If they would have inward peace amidst outward trouble they must walk by the rule of peace and keep strictly to it if you would commit your Soul to the keeping of God know he is a holy God and an unholy Soul that walks in any way of wickedness known or secret is no fit commodity to put into his pure hand to keep Therefore as ye would have this confidence to give your holy God the keeping of your Soul and that he accept of it and take it off your hand beware of willing pollutions and unholy ways walk so as you discredit not your protector and move him to be ashamed of you and disclaim you Shall it be said you live under his shelter and walk inordinately as this cannot well be you cannot well believe it to be loose ways will loosen your hold of him and confidence in him you will be driven to question your interest and to think sure I do but delude my self can I be under his safeguard and yet follow the course of the World and my corrupt heart certainly be it who will he will not be a guardian and patron of wickedness No he is not a God that hath pleasure in iniquity nor shall evil dwell with him If thou
give thy Soul to him to keep upon terms of liberty to sin he will turn it out of his Doors and remit it back to thee to look to as thou wilt thy self yea in the ways of sin thou dost indeed steel it back and carriest it out from him thou puttest thy self out of the compass of his defence goest without the trenches and art at thine own hazard expos'd to armies of mischiefs and miseries Inf. This then is primely to be lookt to you that would have safety in God in evil times beware of evil ways for in these it cannot be if you will be safe in him you must stay with him and in all your ways keep within him as your fortress now in the wayes of sin you run out from him Hence 't is we have so little establisht confidence in God in times of trial we take ways of our own and will be gadding and so we are surprized and taken as they that are often venturing out into the enemies reach and cannot stay within the walls 't is no idle repetition Psal. 91. 1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shaddow of the Almighty He that wanders not out but stays there shall find himself there hid from danger They that rove out from God in their ways are disquieted and tossed with fears this is the fruit of their own ways but the Soul that is indeed given to him to keep keeps near him Study pure and holy walking if you would have your confidence firm and have boldness and joy in God you will find it that a little sin will shake your trust and disturb your peace more than the greatest sufferings yea in those your assurance and joy in God will grow and abound most if sin be kept out that 's the trouble feast that unquiets the Conscience which while it continues good is a continual feast so much sin as gets in so much peace will go out afflictions cannot break in upon it to break it but sin doth All the winds that blow about the Earth from all points stir it not only that within the bowels of it makes the Earthquake I do not mean that for infirmities a Christian ought to be discouraged but take heed of walking in any way of sin for that will unsettle thy confidence innocency and holy walking makes the Soul of a sound constitution that the counter blasts of affliction wear not out nor alter it not sin makes it sickly and crazy that it can endure nothing therefore study to keep your Consciences pure and they shall be peacable yea in the worst times readily most peacable and best furnisht with spiritual confidence and comfort Commit the keeping of their Souls The Lord is an entire protectot he keeps the bodies yea all that belongs to the believer and as much as is good for him makes all safe keeps all his bones not one of them is broken yea says our Saviour the very hairs of your head are numbered But that which is in the Believers account and in Gods account so certainly in it self most precious is principally committed and received into keeping their Souls They would gladliest be secured in that here that shall be safe in the midst of all hazards That whatsoever be lost that may not that 's the Jewel therefore the prime care of that if it be safe all is well 't is riches enough What shall it profit a man though he gain the whole World says our Saviour and lose his Soul and so what shall it disprofit a Man though he lose the whole World if he gain his Soul Nothing at all When times of trial come Oh! what a bustle to hide this and that to fly and carry away and make safe that which is but trash and rubbish to the precious Soul but how few thoughts of that were we in our wits that would be all at all times not only in trouble but in days of peace Oh! how shall I make sure about my Soul let all go as it may can I be secured and perswaded in that point I desire no more Now the way is this commit them to God this many say but few do give them into his hand lay them up there so the word is and they are safe and may be quiet and composed In patience possess your Souls says our Saviour impatient freting Souls are out of themselves their owners do not possess them Now the way to possess them our selves in patience is thus to commit them to him in confidence then we only possess them when he keeps them They are easily disquieted and shakt in peices while they are in our hands but in his hand they are above the reach of dangers and fears Inf. Now this is the proper act of Faith rolls the Soul over on God ventures it in his hand and rests satisfied concerning it being there And there is no way but this to be quiet within to be impregnable and unmoveable in all assaults and changes fixed believing on free love therefore be perswaded to resolve in that not doubting and disputing whether shall I believe or no shall I think he will suffer me to lay my soul upon him to keep so unworthy so guilty a Soul were it not presumption Oh! what saist thou why doest thou thus dishonour him and disquiet thy self if thou hast a purpose to walk in any way of wickedness indeed thou art not for him yea thou comest not near him to give him thy Soul but wouldest thou have it delivered from sin rather then from trouble yea rather than from hell is that the chief safety thou seekest to be kept from iniquity from thine iniquity thy beloved sins doest thou desire to dwell in him and walk with him then whatsoever is thy guiltiness and unworthiness come forward and give him thy Soul to keep if he should seem to refuse it press it on him if he stretch not forth his hand lay it down at his foot and leave it there and resolve not to take it back say Lord thou hast made us those Souls thou callest for them again to be committed to thee here is one it is unworthy but what Soul is not so is most unworthy but therein will the riches of thy grace appear most in receiving it and leave it with him and know he will make thee a good accompt of it Now lose goods or credit or friends or life it self it imports not the main is sure if so be thy Soul be out of hazard I suffer these things for the Gospel says the Apostle nevertheless I am not ashamed why for I know whom I have trusted and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that Day Now the ground of this confidence is in these two in him whom we trust ability and fidelity There is much in perswasion of the power of God though few think they question that there is in us secret
before us and to apply our selves in his strength to his work not to seek to please but to feed not to delight the ears but to feed the Souls of his people to see that the food be according to his appoyntment not empty or subtle notions not light affected expressions but wholsom truths solid food spirirual things spiritually conceived and uttered with holy understanding and affection And to consider this wherein lies a very pressing motive it is the flock of God not our own to use as we please but committed to our custody by him who loves highly and prizes his flock and will require an account of us concerning it his bought his purchast flock and at so dear a rate as the Apostle St. Paul uses this same consideration in the same argument Acts. 20. 28. The flock of God that he hath bought with his own blood How reasonable is it that we bestow our strength and life on that flock that our Lord laid down his life for that we be most ready to draw out our Spirits for them for whom he let out his blood Had I says that holy Man some of that blood poured forth on the Cross how carefully would I carry it and ought I not to be as careful of those Souls that it was shed for Oh! that price that was paid for Souls that he that was no foolish Merchant but wisdom it self gave for them were that prize more in our eyes and more in yours nothing would so much take either you or us as the matter of our Souls in this would our desires and endeavours meet we to use and you to improve the means of saving your precious Souls Inf. 2. This mainly concerns us indeed that have charge of many especially finding the right cure of one Soul within us so hard but you are concerned in it each for one at least remember this is the end of the Ministry that you may be brought unto Christ that you may be led to the sweet pastures and pleasant streams of the Gospel that you may be spiritually fed and may grow in that heavenly life which is here begun in all these in whom it shall hereafter be perfected And as we ought in preaching so you in hearing to propound this end to your selves that you may be spiritually refresht and walk in the strength of that divine nourishment Is this your purpose when you come hither enquire of your own hearts and see what you seek and what you find in the publick Ordinances of God's House certainly the most do not so much as think on the due intendment of them aim at no end and therefore can attain none seek nothing but fit out their hour asleep or awake as it may be or possibly some seek to be delighted for the time as the Lord tells the Prophet to hear as it were a pleasant Song if the gifts and strain of the speaker be any thing pleasing or be it to gain some new notions to add somewhat to their stock of knowledge either that they may be enabled for discourse or simply that they may know some it may be go a little further like to be stir'd and mov'd for the time and to have some touch of good affection kindled in them but this for a while till their other thoughts and affairs get in and smother and quench it and are not careful to blow it up and improve it how many when they have been a little affected with the word go out and fall into other discourses and thoughts and either take in their affairs secretly as it were under their cloak and their hearts keep a conference with them or if they forbear this yet as soon as they go out plung◠themselves over head and ears in the World and lose all that might have any way advantaged their spiritual condition it may be one will say 't was a good Sermon is that to the purpose but what think you it hath for your praise or dispraise instead of saying Oh! how well was that spoken you should say Oh! how hard is repentance how sweet a thing is faith how excellent the love of Jesus Christ. That were your best and reallest commending of the Sermon with true benefit to your selves If some of you be careful of repenting yet rest not on that if you be able to speak of it afterwards upon occasion there is somewhat beside and beyond this to evidence that you are indeed fed by the Word as the flock of God As Sheep you know their pasture which they fed on nor no other creatures food appears not in the same fashion upon them not in grass but in growth of flesh and fleece thus the Word would appear feeding you not by the bear discoursing of the word over again but by the temper of your Spirits and actions that in them you really grow more Spiritual that humility and self denial and charity and holiness are increased in you by it otherways whatsoeves literal knowledge you attain it avails you nothing though you heard many Sermons every day and attained further light by them and carried a plausible profession of Religion yet unless by the Gospel you be transformed into the likeness of Christ and grace be indeed growing in you you are but as one says of the cypress trees fair and tall but fruitless Are you not grieved and afraid or may not many of you be so that have lived many years under a fruitful ministry and yet are as earthly and selfish as unacquainted with God and his ways as at the first Consider this that as the neglect of Souls will lie heavy on unholy or undiligent Ministers so a great many Souls are ruining themselves under some measure of fit means and so the slighting of those means will make their condition far heavier than that of many others Remember our Saviours word Matth. 11. Woe to thee Capernaum c. The discharge of this high task we have here duly qualify'd the Apostle expresses the upright way of it both negatively and positively There be three Evils the Apostle would remove from this work Constrainedness Covetousness and Ambition Constrainedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either driven to the work by necessity indigence and want of other means of subsistence as it is with too many making a trade of it to live by and setting to it as to any other calling for that end yea making it the refuge and forlorn recourse of their insufficiency for other callings And as not to undertake the work driven to it by that hard weapon of necessity so being engag'd in it not to discharge the duties of it meerly upon necessity because of fines binding to it and for fear of censure this is a violent forc't motion and cannot but be both very unpleasant and unprofitable as to the proper end and profiting of this work And as the principle of the motition in this service should not be a compelling necessity of any kind
he is the Lord our maker Power Is here not only ability but authority and Royal Soveraignity that as he can do all things he rules and governs all things is King of all the World Lord paramount all hold their Crowns of him and the Shields of the Earth belong unto God he is greatly to be exalted disposeth of States and Kingdoms at his pleasure establisheth or changeth turns and overturns as seems him good and hath not only might but right to do so He is the Most High ruling in the Kingdoms of the Children of Men and giving them to whomsoever he will and readily pours contempt upon Princes when they contemn his power The term for ever Even in the short Life of Man Men that are raised very high in place and popular esteem may and often do out live their own Glory but the Glory of God lasteth as long as himself for he is unchangeable his Throne is for ever and his wrath for ever and his mercy for ever and therefore Glory for ever Inf. 1. Is it not to be lamented that he is so little glorify'd and prais'd that the Earth being so full of his goodness is so empty of his praise from them that enjoy and live upon it How far are the greatest part from making this their great work to exalt God and ascribe power and glory to his name for that all their ways are his dishonour seek to advance and raise themselves to serve their own Lusts and pleasures and altogether mindless of his glory the Apostles complaint holding good against us all seeking our own things and none the things of the Lord Iesus Christ true some there are but as his meaning is so few that they are as it were drown'd and smother'd in the crowd of self seekers so that they appear not After all the judgments of God upon us how doth still luxury and excess uncleanness and all kind of profaness out-dare the very light of the Gospel and rule of holiness shining in it scarce any thing a matter of common shame and scorn but the power of godliness turning indeed our true glory into shame and glorying in that which is indeed our shame Holiness not only our true glory but that wherein the ever glorious God doth especially glory and hath made known himself so much by that name the holy God And that which is the express stile of his glorious praises uttered by Seraphims Isa. 6. Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory Instead of sanctifying and glorifying this holy name how doth the Language of Hell oaths and cursâ—s abound in our Streets and Houses that blessed name that Angels are blessing and praising abused by base worms Again notwithstanding all the mercies multiply'd upon us in this Land where are our praises our Songs of deliverance our ascribing glory and â—ower to our God who hath prevented us with loving kindness and tender mercies hath removed the stroaks of his hand and made Cities and Villages populous again that were left desolate without Inhabitants Oh! why do we not stir up our hearts and one another to extol the name of our God and say give unto the Lord Glory and strengthâ— give unto the Lord the glory due to his name have we not seen the pride and glory of all flesh stain'd and abased were there ever affairs and times that more discovered the folly and weakness of Men and the Wisdom and power of God Oh! were our hearts set to magnifie him that word often repeated in that Psalm Psal. 107. Oh! that Men would praise the Lord for his goodness and his wonderful works to the Children of Men. Inf. 2. But what wonder that the Lord loses the reverence of his praises at the hands of the common ungodly World when even his own people fall so far behind in it as usually they do the dead cannot praise him but that they that he hath quickned by his Spirit should yet be so surprised with deadness and dullness as to this Exercise of exalting God this is very strange for help of this 1. We should seek after a fit temper labour to have our hearts brought to a due disposition for his praises and 1. That they be spiritual spiritual services require that but this most as being indeed the most spiritual of all affection to the things of this Earth draw down the Soul and make it so low set that it cannot rise to the height of a Song of praise and thus if we observ'd our selves we would find that when we let our hearts fall and entangle themselves in any inferiour desires and delights as they are unfitted generally for holy things so especially for the praises of our holy God Creature loves abase the Soul and turn it to Earth and praise is altogether heavenly 2. Seek a heart purify'd from self-love and possest with the love of God the heart that is ruled by its own interest is scarce ever content still subject to new disquiet self is a vexing thing for readily all things do not sute our humours and wills and the least touch that is wrong to a selfish mind distempers it and disrelishes all the good things about it a childish condition it is if crost but in a toy throw away all Whence are our frequent frettings and grumblings and that we can drown a hundred high favours in one little displeasure and still our finger is upon that string more male-content and repining for one little cross than praises for all the mercies we have received Is not this evidently the self-love that abounds in us Whereas were the love of God predominant in us we would love his doings and disposals and bless his name in all whatsoever were his will would in that view be amiable and sweet to us however in it self harsh and unpleasant Thus would we say in all this is the will and the hand of my Father who doth all wisely and well blessed be his name The Soul thus framed would praise in the deep of troubles not only in outward afflictions but in the saddest inward condition would be still extolling God and saying however he deal with me he is worthy to be loved and praised he is great and holy he is good and graâ—cious and whatsoever be his way and thoughts towards me I wish him glory if he will be pleased to give me light and refreshment blessed be he and if he will have me to be darkness again blessed be he glory to his name yea what though he should utterly reject me is he not for that to be accounted infinitely merciful in the saving of others must he cease to be praise worthy for my sake if he condemn yet he is to be praised being merciful to so many others yea even in so dealing with me is he to be praised for in that he is just Thus would pure love reason for him and render praise to him but our ordinary way is most untoward