nearer he comes to the mark and end of the race Christians are apt to feel and fear Punishment more then sin which is the cause of it Gods people must expect in the world the Entertainment of Strangers When Gods people are humble enough and the wicked high enough and the Lords appointed time come then expect deliverance to the Godly and not before Take heed of being humbled and yet unhumble that is of being brought outwardly low and yet the heart continue still high Com. Sins in Saints are like weeds weeded out of a garden or field which lye in the Alleys or Reanes but never grow there againe Com. Or as weeds cast out in the high-way which an Enemy casts into the garden again but yet cannot make them grow there any more Soe Satan cannot make the Sins of Saints grow in them againe when they are once separated from them Com. A Hypocrite is like a white-stone in the water among other Stones and of the same nature with other stones there hard heavy cold and inflexible and differs onely in colour Com. A true Christian is like a flint-stone which though it fall into water yet it keeps and retains fire in it still so doth he retain his grace notwithstanding his corruption Labour to act those graces chiefly that are most contrary to your master-sins and chief corruptions Com. Sins doe dye and fall off from Christians as the leaves fall from trees in Autumn by degrees ☞ Christians are now as Abram was was driven out of Egypt and come where they were before or into their first state therefore they should offer to the Lord as he did Gen. 13.3 God is now spoyling us of what would otherwise have spoyl'd us He that serves the Lord without assurance serves him without so much as an earnest and doubtless that Servant must needs love his Master much that serves him and yet knows not his Masters love to him The Lord hath Saints enough odivide into three Bodies some o suffer for him some to destroy Babylon and some to be for Seed-corn torrow again in the earth Com. If a man were to have his choice of two Sisters to be his wife the one will not marry him unless he will make her a Jointure presently the o her is free to refer that wholly to him which of there two will he be likelyest to take for his wife So it is between Christ and one that will take him upon self-conditions and another that is willing to take Christ upon Christs conditions or to refer himself wholly to him Learn by lighter crosses to look and prepare for heavier Com. When the affliction grows greater and heavier Gods people will cry out more earnestly to the Lord as when some part or Member is sorely tweak'd or as the Grapes when they have most weight and pressure give forth their Juice most freely In two cases 't is hard to act faith 1 when there is no hing sencible or visible to second and support it or 2 when there is very much to till the outward senses It is a very common and ordinary thing for most or all Professors to be in one of two extreams either to overvalue or undervalue Instruments Creatures and Ordinances Churches gathered in Prosperity will hardly stand or continue together in Adversity The more Saints do beleeve and suffer the more they may expect of the Spirit Joh. 7.38 1 Pet. 4.14 Com. A Child of God may know the weight of sin by Christs sufferings for if that strong Barr of steel did bend under the weight of our sins what shall poor weak man do who is but a reed or rush Be more thoughtful and careful how to use what you have to Gods glory then to gain more As our good works and performances should have an operation upon our souls and hearts to strengthen faith so should our weakenesses and sins to work repentance The Lord freely gives and justly takes away The excercising of graces do naturally destroy sin and the more you abound in Acts of grace the more you encrease the habit Heb. 6.22 The Law causeth sickness of Soul but the Gospel healeth the same When Saints perceive their sins growing weak they should then prosecute them most A Saint is to put forth his Faith in Prayer afterwards follow his Prayer with Faith In the midst of earthly businesses the soul should redeeme some special time for secret and private duties It is the will of Christ that Saints should rejoyce more in what Christ hath done for them then in what they have done or can do for him It s a great condescention in God to afflict or lay his hand upon man and in that sense the Apostle exhorts Beleevers not to despise or think little of the chastning of the Lord Heb 12.5 Learn to observe what God gives without asking and what he gives in answer to Prayer for the one begets thankfulness the other more Prayer Com. Christ kept the Law legally Beleevers heep it Evangelically he perfectly they purposingly and endeavouringly A Beleevers assurance and chiefest joy doth not arise from his Sanctification because that is imperfect here in degrees but from his Justification Rom. 5.2.1 Pet. 1.8 A Beleever is to shut the eye of Reason if he will clearly see with the eye of Faith Com. The Promise is a Christians perspective and his Faith his eye with which he looks through it upon Christ and God the Father in him Look upon Christ first without you then search for him within you Ask thy Soul whether it be willing to receive Christ upon his own terms and for his own sake and to accept of Pardon and Life through him freely without looking at all upon thy owne Righteousness and art thou contented that Christ should be honoured in and by thee and thou despised and dishonoured for his sake God carries on the work of grace in beleevers usually 1. According to their natural constitutions and parts 2. According to the means they are under whether Legal or Evangelical 3. According to the things he hath to do by them or he intends to call them to suffer 4. According to the shortness or length of time they are to live in the world 5. According as they have been before their Conversion greater or lesse sinners In Duties Christians should 1. Look for to meet with God and enjoy communion with him 2. Expect to hear and receive from God 3. To return somewhat to God but yet know thou canstreturn but of his own to him 1 Chron. 29.14 1. God did take off and from his people their sins before he laid them on Christ And 2. God cannot in justice and to speak with Reverence take them off Christ and lay them on them again God makes us feel him or his hand that he may hear us strokes makes cryes and whippings mournfull complaints to him God troubles us that we may turn to him and leaves us a while for to see whether we will follow
Enemy to Rejoyce o're thee and he set up the horn of this thy foe 18 Their heart cried unto the Lord O wall of the Daughter Of Zion day and night let tears run down like a river Give thy self O Jerusalem no rest nor quietness Let not the apple of thine eyes cease whilst thy foes oppresse 19 Arise and cry out in the night in the first watch with grace Pour out thy heart like water now before Jehovah's face O lift up thy hands towards him for the life of thy sweet Young children that for hunger faint in top of every street 20 Behold O Lord and consider to whom thou this hast done Shall the woman eat their own fruit and babes of a span-long Shail the Priest and Prophet be slain in the Lords Sanctuary 21 The young and old lie on the ground in the streets openly My Virgins and my young Men are fallen by th' sword sadly Thou slew'st them in thy angry day thou kill'st without pitty 22 Thou cal'st as in a solemn day my terrours round about So that in the day of the Lord's anger none scaped out Nor remained those that I have swadled and brought up so Mine Enemy hath consumed my sin hath caused this woe CHAP. III. the man that affliction saw by the rod of his wrath Into darkness but not to light he led and brought me hath Surely against me he is turnd he turns his hand all day My flesh and skin hath he made old he brake my bones alway He built against me and compass'd with gall and travel me He set me in dark places as they that of old dead be He hedgd me round I cannot scape he made my chain heavy He also shuts out my prayer when I do shout and cry With hew'n stones he inclos'd my ways my paths he made un-straight Like Bear or Lion secretly for me he lies in wait And he hath turn'd aside my ways and in pieces pull'd me Yea he hath made me desolate great is my misery He bent his Bow and set me as a mark for the Arrow The Arrows of his Quiver he made through my reigns to go I was a Scoffe and derision to all my own People Also their song all the day long this to my sore trouble He fil'd me with bitterness he made me drunk with wormwood He brake my teeth with gravel-stones with ashes he me clad And thou hast also removed my soul far off from peace And I forgat prosperity by this my bitterness And I said my strength and my hope from the Lord is quite gone Minding the wormwood and the gall in this my affliction My soul doth still remember them and is humbled in me This I recall to mind therefore have I hope Lord in thee It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consum'd quite Because his compassions fail not we live still in his sight They are renew'd ev'ry morning great is thy †Faithfulness The heb word signifies also Truth truth in them The Lord 's my portion saith my soul therefore ' I le hope in him The Lord is good unto them that wait for him patiently And good unto the soul that doth seek him effectually It is good that a man should both hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord which unto his is * Psal 85.9 nigh It is good for a man that he the yoak in his youth bear He sits alone and silence keeps for on him he bar't there He putteth his mouth in the dust if perhaps hope may be He gives his cheeks to him that smites frl'd with reproach is he Nevertheless the Lord will not cast off for ever such But though he cause grief yet will he express compassion much According to the multitude of his mercies often For he afflicts not willingly nor grieves the sons of men To crush under his feet all the poor prisoners of the world To turn aside mans right before the face of the high Lord. To subvert a man in his cause the Lord doth not approve Who saith and it comes to pass when God wills it not above Out of the mouth of the most High proceeds not good and evil Why doth the living man complain man's plagu'd for being sinful Let 's search and try our ways and turn back to the Lord quickly Let 's lift our hearts with hands to God that 's in the heavens high We have transgressed and rebel'd thou hast not pardoned Thou hast cover'd us with anger and us persecuted Yea Jehovah thou hast us slain and hast not pittied Thou coveredst thy self with a cloud and our condition now Is such that our prayers could not unto thee Lord pass throw Thou mad'st us as the off-scouring and refuse among men All our enemies against us their mouths daily open Fear and a snare is come on us distresse and destruction Therefore with rivers of water mine eye still runneth down For the daughter of my People most sore destruction Mine eye drops down and ceaseth not without intermission Till the Lord look down and behold my case from heaven high For th'daughters all of my city my heart 's mov'd by mine eye Mine enemies chased me sore like a bird causlesly In th' dungeon they cut of my life and cast a stone on me Waters flowed over mine head then I said I am gone I call'd upon thy Name O Lord out of the low dungeon Thou heardst my voice hide not thine ear at my breathing my cry Thou drewest near bid'st me not fear that day I call'd on thee My soul's causes O Lord thou plead'st thou didst my life redeem Judge thou my cause O Lord again for thou my wrong hast seen Yea all their vengeance at all times thou perfectly didst see And their imaginations all wrongfully against me Thou hast heard their reproach O Lord all their †So in the Hebrew thoughts ' gainst me still The lips of those my foes that rose against me to my ill Also their ungodly device against me all the day At their down-sitting and rising I am their †So in the Hebrew See in Job 30.9 the same word song alway Render to them a recompence O Lord according to Their handy works give them thy curse yea them hearty sorrow Persecute and destroy them in anger from under * The thy Glorious heavens who onely art the Lord God Almighty CHAP. IV. HOw is the gold now become dim How 's the most fine gold chang'd In †So heb th' head of ev'rystreet the stones Of th' * Heb. sanctity Sanctuary out are pour'd 2 The precious sons of Zion like to fine gold how are they Esteem'd as works of Pottets hands the prtchers made with clay 3 Yea the †Heb. See Mal 1.3 Dragons draw out the breast they give suck to their young My Peoples daughters like fierce * Marg. owles of desarts is become 4 The sucking child's tongue cleaves to the roof of his mouth for drought The
some allowance was granted to the widdowes of Ministers deceased These things Considered and the low rates at which the Tiths were Let and Set at in divers Counties because some would not pay others would not take them to Farme and the Country poor and worse stock'd so soon after the wars will evince there could not be much spare espcially considering that the Act lasted but for three years viz. till fifty three and what was done since let them account who medled therein and acted under O. C. which I and many more of my brethren did not nor took any Salary at all nor any other Maintenance whatsoever since withall what was setled upon me together with some other Preachers was by the Committee for Plundered Ministers long before that And let me deal freely and truely with all the world in this particular I never received by Salary and all other waies for my Preaching in Wales from Christians and from the States putting all together since the beginning which is above twenty years but between six seven hundred pounds at most and I can with much clearnesse confidence and comfort call God the searcher of all hearts to witness and I do call him to record on my Soul that to my knowledge and remembrance I had not any thing directly nor indirectly but what was ordered me nor have I nor any other for me I expresse it without any Collusion or Reservation so much as a Pound or Shilling of any money from any tyths or otherwise in my hands belonging to the Publick I humbly challenge bid defiance to envy it self to prove the contrary and I desire to be called to an account if I be suspected for I will maintain my innocency herein till I die And yet my Accusers have some by writing who were ashamed to put their names thereto and others by word published That I had many thousand pounds of the Tyth-mony nay had purchased of Kings-Rents and Lands some thousands yearly or at least many Hundred pounds per annum where as now it is returned to the King again it appears it is under seventy pounds yearly and I never received any year of that above sixty six pounds ten shillings this the Auditor and Country knowe sufficiently and let them or any other disprove me herein if they can And whereas it is charged that many good godly men were turned out of their livings But I did not know any such and I suppose it will be yet easy to prove the contrary by their former and present practices however for my own part I often publickly tendred this to the ejected Ministers that if they could bring any in that could manifest they received any spiritual good from them they should as far as it lay in my power be restored but none produced such Further as a Consequence therof it was complained that the Sabbaths were profaned whereas men might ride throughout some Counties neither see men working travelling nor playing upon the Sabbath the like I am sure neither was before nor now is our enemies themselves being Judges But they further object that the people were turned Infidels Papists So many do where the powerfullest means are if they come not under them But why then do these men complain so many are turned to be quite contrary and were these accusers faln out with such men then how come they now to own them so much But to disprove that take this single instance In a few years time a great part of former Edition of the Welsh-Bible was bought up and afterwards two Editions more one of the New Testament and another of the whole Bible of these two I believe are sold off at least between 5 and 6000. by this you may perceive that Religion did grow Also in the beginning of the Wars there was but one or two gathered Congregations in all Wales and in some Counties scarce one that made Profession yet it hath pleased the Lord so to blesse the weak meanes there that there were lately and hope are still above 20 gathered Churches in some 2 in some 3 some 4 or 500 members with their officers differing little in opinion and Faith and walking in love and the fear of the Lord. Having given this brief account of the former endeavours of some who yet acknowledg their weakness and want of wisdom therein to propagate the Gospel Be pleased now to cast your eye upon the late Restriction which I might well call persecution of the Gospel in Wales To omit mentioning the great wrong unto many scores about May and June 1660 in committing and continuing them in Prison without any cause but to fulfil that saying Quicquid volumus facimus since there hath been very violent proceedings especially in some Counties where some poor and peaceable people have been drag'd out of their beds and without regard of Sex or Age have been driven some twenty miles to Prison on their feet and forced though in heat of Summer till their feet were much blistred and they ready to fall with faintness to run by the Troopers horses receiving many blows and beatings In Merionydd sh Others as if they had been Brute-beasts driven into Pinfolds or Pounds where they were kept several hours their enemies in the interim drinking in an Ale-house and forcing the poor people to pay for it though they tasted not of the drink then bringing them to the Sea-side and leaving them in the night in danger of being swallowed up by the Sea Others were committed to Prison at pleasure kept there many moneths and yet their cattle and sheep to the number of above six hundred taken from them and sold Others forced when they were called to the Quarter-sessions to walk in chains which should not by law upon any such ground be put upon them unless they had atempted to make an escape or break Prison Others who were quietly met together after their usual manner for many years to worship God and edify one another were cast into Prisons without any Examination or Commitment upon them that they could understand contrary to the Jewish Roman and our English Laws Nay such was the enmity of the seed of the Serpent against the seed of the Woman that though the King was pleased to grant by his Proclamation Christian liberty for some time yet upon the next Lords-day following after the receit of the said Proclamation some of the Officers of one Corporation drag'd and hal'd some poor women that were hearing of the Word of God into an Ale-house and kept them there till after night and until they made them pay for the Ale which these disturbers did drink Besides all this ejecting the Godly Preachers that would not conform and indicting many hundreds for Recusants which are not indeed so and under the notion of suppressing Conventicles and unlawful Assemblies hindring the meetings of Christians to serve God which according to the letter of the Law and the opinion of many
when he said unto God Thou art good and dost good Psa 119.68 That is good in affliction and dost good by affliction for so the words before and after clearly shew Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word x vers 67. And it is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Satutes y vers 71. Affliction is the spiritual shepherds hook with which he drives back stragling straying out-skipping sheep or as the Salt that new seasons the almost quite corrupted flesh And the book wherin all Christs Schollars learn experience as the Apostle makes experience the fruit of patience and patience the product of tribulation Ye glory saith he in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience z Rom. 5.3 Musar The same word in the Hebrew signifies Inctruction and Correction for in both God makes out himself to the Soul So that what they once heard by the voice of the word they hear again from the voice of his rod And in this sense it is said of Christ that he learned obedience that is experimentally by the things he suffered a Heb. 5.8 By Afflictions true Christians come to learn over again what they heard before and to do better what they knew before Consid 6 Consider that in al likely-hood probability we are but entred into the Affliction and the floods are but beginning to rise like as it is said in another case of Ezekiels waters b Ezek. 47. and the furnace yet is but making hot and scarcely have any tasted such bitter afflictions as the primitive Martyrs did And most of the Christians of this age have scarce suffered so much for Christ as those they count their persecutors suffered for man though like dainty Coy Citizens we are ready to complain when we begin to touch the Wet or feel the Cold and as one of the Martyrs that cryed out when his executioner did strike his Foot with the Hammer as he fastned the Chain whereas he dear soul was immediately to be burnt It s bad and thin cloath that will not bear one wetting without shrinking and a heartless Souldier that at the first Charge and with a slight Wound forsakes and flyes the Field We have cause yet to say as the Apostle our affliction is but light c 2 Cor. 4.18 and short Considering the long and sore afflitions of the Jewes the ancient People of God who were afflicted for 400 years then 70 and since that without any intermission above 1600 years Also the primitive Christians that had scarce in 300 years so much liberty peace and freedom from Persecution as we had within these few years We cannot say as the Prophets That from our youth we have been afflicted d Psa 88.15 or that all Gods Waves and Billowes are gone over us e 42.7 What if God should say now as he did formerly That the Enemies should devour Israel with open mouth f Esa 9.12 And that the present Phaenix the Church of God should be burnt up that a more pure sinless and spiritual seed may spring up in the roome thereof that may be counted to the Lord for a generation And what if it be the Lords mind that this Generation shall Sow in Tears or Blood as former Generations have done for us that following Generations may reap with joy Our cares and desires should be that God would put an end to our Sins rather than to our Sufferings and we should account it as our Saviour Mat. 10.41 Acts 20.35 and his Apostle said in another case more blessed to give than to receive Consid 7 That how great soever the Tryal may prove yet it is stinted and limited both in respect of Nature Degree and Time There hath no temptation saith the Apostle g 1 Cor. 10.13 that is no kind of tryal hath taken you but such as is common to man that is but either befel others before you or what you shall be able to bear as the words following intimate Who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able i.e. to bear God hath the measuring also of the Affliction and this is the difference between Gods correcting his people and punishing the wicked To his people he saith h Jer. 30.11 I will not make a full end of them but to their enemies he saith I will make a full end of all the Nations i Cha. 46.28 Yea he will destroy them both Soul and body as another Prophet speaks k Esa 10.17 But when he was very angry with Israel and bid the enemy destroy them but yet saith he make not a full end l Jer. 5.10 And Christ himself will stand by as atender Physitian to see not only all the Ingredients put into their Potion but also the compounding weighing to a grain every Dose that shall be given to these his Patients being such extraordinary friends as his Wife Children his Brethren Sisters and Companions yea he will be like a just Judge taking care that the Executioners for no better are the Persecutors of Gods people shal not vent out their own malice but give due correction not one stroke more than the royal Law i.e. the Gospel New Covenant allows for the afflictions of the people of God is one of the New-Testament Legacies And therefore the Apostle saith It is given unto you to suffer m Phi. 1.29 And whilst this his Gold and Silver is in the fire he sits there himself as the Refiner n Mal. 3.2 he doth not come and goe as if he were about some ordinary work Likewise for the time it is limited and therefore the time of the deliverance of Gods Church is called the set time o Psa 102.11 And the Tribulation of the Saints of the New-Testament is reckoned up still by daies which under the Old-Testament was by years as the bondage of Egypt 43 years and the Captivity of Babylon 70 years p Rev. 2.10 Ye shal have tribulation ten daies so the Church was in the Wilderness 126 daies Yea all the while she was there too she was in the place prepared her of God and there also fed by them q Rev. 12.6 but by whom surely either by Angels such as ministred to Christ when he was in the Wilderness r Mat. 4.11 or the two Witnesses as some suppose or those that carried them Captives for God makes them treat his people well as he made Nebuzaradan do The poor of the People to whom he gave Vine-yards as the text saith at the same time or in that day and so Nebucadnezzar gave command to the same Nebu. that he should look well to Jeremy and do him no harm Å¿ Jer. 36.10 12. c. So Julius one of the Emperors Captains was made to intreat Paul courteously t Act. 27.1.3 no thanks to him for he had
he doth it to prove and try them Deu. 8.2 2 Chr. 32.31 He repents him for afflicting them Deu. 32.36 Ps 135.14 He feeds fans and purifies them by afflictions Mich. 6.14 Esa 1 25 27 9. Heb. 12.10 he then remembers them and the Covenant he made with them most of all Psa 136.23 Ne 9.17 he is not ashamed then to own them for his people He. 11.16 he shewes them mercy purposely that their enemies may shew them mercy Jer. 42.12 1 Ki. 8.5 he will throughly plead their cause against their enemies Je. 50.34 51.3 and he stretches his hand against the wrath of their enemies and restrains it Ps 138.7 86.11 rescues them out of their hands when they think they hold them fastest Je. 50.33 34. And he saith he will cut off their enemies before their faces and they shall no more oppress them but they shall fee their fall Ps 58.8 9 10 11. Es 17.19 Je. 46.18 Pr. 29.16 and they themselves shall be in due time perfectly delivered Ps 37.4 Pr. 12 13 Je. 24.7 1 Coe 10.13 And God will yet set his Son upon his holy hill and Kingdom in despite of his enemies Ps 2.6 Es 9.6 and if any wil detain Gods Ark the Church they will have cause to say as the Philistines did woe to us 1 Sam. 4.7 Let all therefore that fear God love Christ and wish well to Zion say with Jeremiah so be it O Lord Jer. 11.5 Some Scriptural Observations Spiritual Experiences pithy Sentences and plain Comparisons tending to Edification IN the first Creation The Old and New Creation compared God created the matter and substance of the Creation first and afterwards divided and formed the same So in the second or New Creation or in the work of Regeneration Gen. 1.2 so called 2 Cor. 5.17 Gal. 6.15 Ephes 2.10 first God createth Principles or infuseth the habits of Grace so called into men when there is none Phil. 2.12 Act. 9.4 5. and then distinguisheth and divideth the same 2. In the distinction between the parts and Works of the first Creation Ver. 4. some are higher and some lower as the Firmament higher than the Earth So some part of the work of Grace is in the supernal or uppermost room of the Soul that most stately building of God the Understanding in which is placed true Light and Knowledge and in the Will the Wine-Celler of God is seated Obedience 1 John 5.20 2 Cor. 10.5 3. Between these two are placed the Affections some whereof as Joy Love Desire and Hope are like the VVaters above the Firmament V. 7. and the other as Sorrow Grief and Hatred like the Waters below the Firmament 4. In the first Creation God's Spirit moved upon the Waters V. 2. So in the second Creation the Spirit convinceth quicknetâ— sanctifieth c. Jo. 16.8 6.63 1 Pet. 1. â— 5. In the first Creation V. 3 6 9.20 26. God by his Command and Word made all things so by his Word God works Regeneration and Grace in the Soul John 4.41 and 6.63 1 Pet. 1.23 Jam. 1.18 Psal 19.7 6. In the order of the first Creation or rather Formation V. 3. Division or Distinction God created and formed Light so in the order of Regeneration God first creates Light and Knowledge 2 Cor. 4.6 Acts 26.15 18. 2 Cor. 3.16 Heb. 8.10 7. In the first Creation the Lights as the Sun Moon and Stars were appointed to divide V. 14 16. and distinguish the day from the night So in the second Creation or Regeneration Jesus Christ his Spirit and Graces do distinguish Believers from Unbelievers and between themselves in the state of believing and regeneracy and the state of unbelief and unregeneracy in which they were in before Rom. 8.10 11. Eph. 2.12 13. and 5.8 1 Thess 5.5 1 Pet. 2.10 1 Joh. 3.4 8. In order the Evening Ver. 5 13 19 c. or time of darkness and disconsolation is before the morning or day of comsort and consolation set down in the first Creation So is the darkness sorrow fear trouble bondage doubts and disconsolations of a Christian first in his Conversion or his whole time in this Life is the evening of that Eternal Day they are to live with Christ in Heaven See Prov. 4.18 Psal 88.6 Isa 50.10 1 Cor. 13.9 1 John 3.2 9. In the first Creation the Trees V. 12. and so doubtless the Herbs had their Seed in them which brought forth fruit So the Trees and Herbs of Grace true Believers and Regenerate Persons have the seed of the Spirit the Word of God and his Grace in them which is the cause of their bearing spiritual fruit 1 Joh. 3.9 Mat. 13.23 2 Pet. 1.4 10. VVhen God in the first Creation had made the Creatures V. 21 25 c. he saw them all good So when God hath wrought the second Creation or work of Sanctification in the hearts of men he sees them good and not before Psal 37.23 Rom. 5.7 11. In the first Creation God made Man after his own Image that is in soveraignty over the Creatures or like the Father Son and Spirit that is consisting of spirit soul and body 1 Thess 5.23 So in the second Creation or Regeneration God doth create Men after his own Image in Knowledge Righteousness true Holiness and Love Col. 3.10 Eph. 4.24 1 Joh. 4.17 18. 12. In the first Creation God made some Creatures one day V. 5 13 19 c. and some another till He had finished the whole So God he makes some new creatures one day and some another and some in one Age and some in another till He hath converted his whole Elect and Redeemed number 13. In the first Creation V. 27. God created the Woman in the Man and then out of the Man and for the Man So in the Restitution of Man and Ch. 2.18 21 c. the Church of God is chosen in Christ and made holy by his Holiness and for his Glory Ephes 1.4 and 3.9 Ezek. 16.14 Hos 3.3 1 Pet. 2.9 14. VVhen God made the Creatures at first he commanded them to multiply and accordingly they did So when God works Grace in the hearts of his People he commands that they grow in grace and they do so 2 Pet. 3.18 Psal 84.7 and 92.12 13 14. Lastly VVhen the Lord had ended the work of Creation he rested Ch. 22.3 and the Sabbath begun So when the Lord hath finished the work of converting all his People then the Eternal Rest and Raign of the Saints will begin Matth. 13.48 49. Mark 13.20 27. Saints should fear every Sin but no Sufferings Psal 4.4 Revel 2.10 There is a guilt that Saints may communicate to others and contract from others both to be removed by new acts of Faith and Repentance It is a great ease to and unburthening of the Soul to confess Sin sensibly humbly brokenly and with hatred to it It is the property of a true Christian
alwayes best Ruffling opinion sowing and Church-renting Persons and Professors have commonly more self then grace Com. A Christian should Earnestly desire that his Sun might set in a white Cloud and that he might goe out of the world as a Perfume and not as a Snuffe The world is a great nothing deluding the bad disturbing and distracting the good Satan works more upon men by slight then by might avoid his cunning and thou wilt avoid his cruelty The holy Law of God teaches a man to see his own deformity and requires from him to it conformity Some Sins floate on the Top or appear in the lives of Christians but others sink to the bottome and lurk secretly Com. Sin is sometimes like a sleepy Lion in the Soul which temptation soon awakens Com. Hypocrites hearts are like stincking Ponds wherein Frogs live and fish die lusts feed and grace if it were there starves Com. The Divel is like the Turkie-cock or Crocodile if you turn upon him he will flie from you but if you flee from him he will pursue you It is better sometimes to slight the Divel then to fight him Christ puts most of his oyle in broken Vessels in broken hearts there is most grace and best kept Be never at peace with Satan sin or Christs implacable enemies The less a man strives for himself the more will Christ strive for him O my Soul look for death hourly long for it greatly prepare for it carefully meet and welcome it joyfuly for 't is Christs Servant to direct his Spouse the soul to him and thy friend that comes to set thee at liberty from thy sins It will discharge thee from thy prison dismiss thee from thy debts and bring thee at once to enjoy all thy desires Com. O Lord as a signe that I shall be able to dye for thee let me find my Corruption dying in me by Power from thee Though God hath baricado'd the street of man's Soul with grace strength and strong fence yet the Enemy Satan often assaults it But by faith's making Christ a shield and a Second the Christian resists and overcomes Thoughts of our own death will tend much to deaden sin Christians should be contented to have a propriety in things sometimes when they doe not partake of them as the wicked partake of them when they have no propriety in them God hath set the tongue between the brains and heart that it may a dvise with both and within two guards to keep it in and yet 't is unruly Prayer is a good preparative to Suffering when Christ had prayed he went out to meet Judas Joh. 18.4 He that will not take example shall make an example Afflictions are Christs love-tokens Jer. 12.7 Heb. 12.6 Rev. 3.9 And Christians are never more tendered then when most afflicted as Ephraim Jer. 31.20 Com. A Christians soul should be like the Dial going according to the Sun or following Christ Small sins yeilded to make way for greater and one sin for another He that converts a sinner Covers a world or multitude of sins and gains more then a world to wit a Soul Saints should labour to Lord it over their Corruptions as their Corruptions did formerly Lord it over them The best Saints have need to be caution'd and warn'd and to take heed of what they are like to be most free from Luke 21.34 God hath given a man a little mouth and a narrow throat that man may not exceed in Eating To take pains about unnecessary and unprofitable things is laboriously to mispend time A heart unconverted is contented with nothing but what is helping it on to hell and it hath never enough of that to wit sin and a heart converted is never satisfied but with what helps it towards heaven and yet thinks he hath never enough thereof to wit of Christ and grace It is good to curb naturall and acquired gifts but to give the reign to grace and let grace alwaies lead rule and master gifts Zeal without knowledge to guide it is like mettel in a blind Horse which stumbles and overthrows the Rider Young Christians commonly want a curb and old Christians a Spurre Com. Prefer not a young Christian of greater parts before an old Saint of meaner nor a young man of wealth before an old man of wisedom Be not ambitious of love and thou shalt not be so soon an object of envy Get Christ O Christian to bind thy Conscience to the peace and thy affections and flesh to the good Behaviour Spend all thy grace against thy Lust but none upon it Had I neither Scripture nor Reason to disswade me from being one of those call'd Quakers their self-conceitedness censoriousness and that their chiefest Godliness doth stand in the least things of Religion as in thouing keeping on the hat c. and in outward affliction of the body according to those Scriptures Pro. 11.17 Col. 2.23 I could never be of their Judgement and way I have tryed them enough to know them to be worse and less then they yet seem to be A difference I found between City and Country Professors In the City there is much meat had with little labour and much eaten but undigested but in the Country little Spiritual food with great labour which causes good digestion and stomack Com. The hardest duty in Christianity is to deny Self and to destroy sin The ship of Christ the Church is now under saile and bound homewards Heaven-wards The Pilot Christ is Skilful and the wind the Spirit strong and direct though the Sea this world be boysterous and tempestuous I am sure we shall lose but the trash the Jewels will be safe As the Martyr professed he had rather be a Martyr then a Monarch so should ☞ every Christian It is a special favour and great promotion to Suffer A Christian should seek to live so holy that he may keep Christ in Heaven undispleased as a Cylent his Advocate and the Spirit within him ungrieved his Conscience undefiled unwounded and unseared his Profession unstained his Brethren unoffended and poore sinners unstumbled Take heed Christian of tempting Satan by letting thy thoughts run out sinfully by thy Eyes Ears tongue c. which he observes and which he will take as an Invitation to tempt thee Com. As a wicked Adulterer will take the wanton words and Speeches of a Harlot a ground to encourage him to attempt wickedness with her Satan accuses God to men and men to God But Christ excuses and answers all his Accusations against his people Christians should doe as the Shechemites did Jud. 9. when their City their own Souls in strength was beaten down fly to their Tower even Christ Com. A Christian should be like the morning and evening star which is thought to be the same still follow the Sun Christ Welcome thou thy Land-lord Christ into thy Cottage now and he will welcom thee into his Palace here-after The true knowledge of Christ brings Consolation and the right
all his works in and for God Joh. 3.21 Rom. 6.10.1 Cor. 10.31 4. To bring his will to submit to the will of God in every thing Mark 26.42 Heb. 10.7 Take heed of sinning presumptuously i.e. 1. Knowingly Luke 12.47 Heb. 6.4 6.2 Pet. 2.20 2. Willingly and wilfully Hos 5.11 Heb. 10.26 3. By contemning the Law and Love of God Prov. 3.13 Rom. 2.4 4. By flighting Jesus Christ's Person Power and his Blood Mat. 12.24 Luke 19.14 Heb. 10.29 5. By blaspheming and doing despight to the Spirit of God Luke 11.15 Heb. 10.29 6. By falling into the hands of God without Christ and true Sanctification Heb. 10.29 Com. A Christian in Affliction if he understand not what God intends thereby should believe God intends not to hurt him As a Wife or a Child that a Husband or Father brings into a Wood or Water ☜ yet they are confident it is not to hang or drown them It is a sign that People do not repent when they grow worse Rev. 16.9 11. A passionate and troubled spirit is like a little Pryll of Water which every showre of Rain or Beast that passes thorow doth change the colour of it and make muddy Quick Onsets and Endeavours to Reform are far better than many Purposes and Resolutions It should trouble a Christian much to have such Graces which he receives from God beget so little good in him Oh my soul will neither great Love great Mercy great Forbearance great Intreaty nor great Wages prevail with thee to serve Christ freer and better A deep sence of sin begets deep sorrow for sin and true sorrow for sin leads to wel-grounded Faith from hence flows inward Peace Joy and Holiness The Lord would soon turn from his Wrath if men were turned from their Wickedness A Christian is not only to be contented with any condition but he is to be religiously contented or in a religious manner not as a meer man and to see that the least things he hath more than he deserves and the worst things that he endures yet sweetned and sanctified to him Com. As a Husbandman when great Rain comes unyoaks his Oxen and turns them home where they are feeding and gathering new strength to work again So God doth his Children in time of Affliction and Persecution Com. A Christians time of Affliction is like to a Womans washing or scouring day when the Cloaths or Vessels are all out of order but it is in order to set them in a better frame speedily Of all men a Christian may be freer to lose or to part with any thing than another man for he loses nothing but either what is hurtful to him to wit his sins or what he shall regain and recover of a better sort and in a more abundant degree As if he lose a small temporal ESTATE he hath in reversion an Eternal INHERITANCE If he lays down a body that is full of Corruption he shall have another free from Corruption and therfore he may say better than the Heathen could What I keep I lose and what I give or lay out I save The Lord hath I am perswaded done more by the Afflictions which he hath lately brought upon his People than either was done or like to be done by any other wayes or means Viz. 1. He hath driven his People more together and made them more one * Vnio in Larine signifies Vnion or a Pearl Oneness among Saints is a Pearl of great value 2. He hath separated more between them and the World like winnowing drives the Chaff further from the Wheat 3. He hath convinced them more of their miscarriages both towards him and toward one another 4. He hath made them to know persons and things better 5. To prize Spiritual Priviledges and Ordinances more Such a fulness as Christians had of Ordinances made them despise them like the Israelites the Manna 6. To experience their own weakness of Faith together with their great misbelief by checking the over-much Confidence of his Saints 7. To cry more earnestly to him and wait more constantly on him 8. They are unloaded and much discharged of the burden of the World A Christian should take heed lest he be giving way to his heart to steal out now and then to sin and get some sweet-bits thereof between Duties He should be careful also to fence that Gap most by which the strongest Temptations do enter oftenest in There will be a reviving of old sins if there be not effectual Repentance for them and a care by Faith through all Duties and Ordinances to get new strength against them and a constant watch kept over them When God makes the World too hot for his People to hold then they will let it go A Christian comes not to know the weakness of his Grace till the Spirit ceases to work in and by it nor the power of his Corruption till Satan works therein by his Temptation A Christian's flesh shonld keep from the shew and his Conscience from the guilt of Sin Sin 's best is before but its worst is behind and the sting and tayl of it longer than it self Where Sin is not killed it will kill Sin was condemned by Christ to save the sinner Rom. 8.3 Oh then let not the Sinner seek to save the Sin to condemn Christ again As the natural Sun the nearer it is to us and the more direct over us the less shadow it casteth So Christ the nearer he is to us the less Darkness and Sin we have Christians should account restraints from Sin great Mercies to them but Recoveries out of Sin with advatage greater Sin hath no mother but a man's heart nor father but Satan Sin draws the Soul into it either by power of policy by force or by fraud Christians should not give offence carelesly nor take offence causelesly Fear thy Friends more than thy Foes thy Sins more than thy Sufferings and Liberty more than Bondage Some Christians have four Thorns that grieve them a Thorn of Affliction from God a Thorn of Persecution from men and a Thorn of Temptation from Satan and of Corruption in themselves which is the worst and that which should trouble them most Though a man may be bled in time of self-ostentation both by God and men by God in Affliction and by men through Persecution Reproaches c. yet that Vein is apt to fill up still Christians should desire to be handfasted and heart-tied to the Lord and to be strong in Faith on Christ Love to him and Resolution for him Self-loathing destroyes self-love much and the more we loath our selves the better we love others Christians should not envy the patience of God towards their Enemies for it is nothing in comparison of what grace he shews to them If Affliction doth us good we should not desire to be free from it till it does us more good much less if it hath not done us any good at all The reason why men do not more magnifie GOD's Grace
generation But we have esteemed this good Word and bread of Life as the Israeliles did the Manna f Num. 21.5 light bread we have been sto-mach-ful sick surfeited with the sweet and fat things of Godshouse yea as 't is said We have been almost in all evil in midst of the Congregation and Assembly g Pro. 5.14 We trampled and trod under foot the good pastures which God had provided for us and which the Saints and Martyrs of former daies would have greatly Prized The fire of Religion was much vanished into the smoak and air of brain Notions and self-conceited opinions many taking up profession as they do fashions because they would be in the Mode of the times and like the Gibeonites feigning themselves to be what they were not becoming Proselytes either for fear as many became Jewes when they saw them prevail for fear of them h Esa 8.17 or advantages creeping through Churches into Councils Armies Custom-houses and other places of honour and profit And others under pretence of being for Reformation Uniformity Order and Church-Disciplin drove on as it may be wel suspected their own particular designes for now being themselves persecuted they urge the same Scriptures arguments for liberty of conscience which they then would not allow to their dissenting brethren How also hath the name of the Lord been blasphemed by the sad principles of some who under pretence of higher attainments endeavoured to root up the very foundation and main principles of Christianity And others by their loose and licentious behaviour and practices have given cause to God to say as once Jacob did to his Sons Simeon and Levi Ye have troubled me to make me stinck among the inhabitants of the Land i Ge. 34.30 Hath not Christ been again wounded in the house and by the hands of his friends Yea pressed k Amos 2.13 wearied l Esa 7.13 43.24 and his heart broken m Ezek. 6.9 with the sins of his own servants Was he not forsaken as formerly by his own Disciples Did not the chiefest of his Ministers too much imbrace this evil world by removing from lesser to greater Livings did they not over dispence with their own principles to comply with the contrary where Earthly booty did byasse choosing that end of the Scales that did weigh heaviest of the World And did not the Rulers yea those that pretended to be the greatest Reformers make it a great part of their work to get to themselves and to give to one another and their friends not only the chiefest and gainfullest Offices but the Estates of their Ememies nay have not some been delinquifyed and decimated more for their Estates than for their Crimes Ah! how miserably did most men forsake their principles and former practices building what they did once destroy and deny what they had before in words and writings professed and when they had dismounted and dethroned their enemies and got up into their Saddles and seats and trampled upon their pride with as great pride till God had rejected their confidences and suffered them to crumble to nothing and their strength which was made an Idol to depart from them And not only they but the gathered Churches though encreased with Members Gifts and Wealth did decline and decay in Love Zeal Spiritual watchfulness Self-denial Humility Pitty to and praying for others and how bitter sour and selvish were we grown besides the secret sins which God our own consciences only knew our apparent sins became a stumbling block to the poor world And God had cause to say to divers of his Churches as he once did to Israel How art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto me u Jer. 2.21 And what hath my beloved to do in my house seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many and the holy flesh is departed from her o Ch. 11.15 Consid 3 3. Consider how necessary the present tryal upon Gods People is if need be saith Peter you are in heaviness through manyfold temptations p 1 Pet. 1.6 God saw a need of it before it came and we see a need of it now it is come It came as seasonable as ever Frost did in Winter or Rain in Spring We should account this preventing Grace and say with Job Thy visitation hath preserved my Spirit q Job 10.12 The heat of prosperity would have burnt us if God had not sent this Cloud of affliction to cover us Oh where had the most part of professors been in a short time if God had not stept in Our wise Physitian Christ knew by our complexions that we were running into a dangerous distemper and therefore hath given us preventing Physicks and this is the way that God sometimes takes to heal his People He went on frowardly in the way of his heart mark that I have seen his waies and I will heal him r Esa 57.17 18. God hath brought us into the pound not to starve us but being shrewd Cattle to keep us from further mischief According to that saying I will hedge up thy waies with Thornes and make a Wall that she shall not find her pathes Hos 2.6 and she shall follow her lovers and shall not overtake them Consid 4 Let us consider the time of prosperity Peace and Liberty we have enjoyed we have had a late Jubilee a long Vacation and as good and seasonable a Harvest to provide and lay up in store against the Winter as any could desire And now we should consider what stock we have gotten and laid up For every true Christians heart Can. 7.13 laies up somewhat for Christ and something for himself and he is like the wise Scribe or Housholder mentioned in the Gospel able to bring forth things new and old out of his treasury t Mat. 13.52 The time of Prosperity ought to be a time of gaining and the time of Adversity of spending grace and of bearing and enduring A Christian should never do any thing for Christ v 2 Tim. 1.11 12. but he should expect to suffer for so doing for how can an enemy that flings a stone or shoots an Arrow against his Enemy bene facere male audire but expect the same flung or shot to him again and every Christian is so to the Devil and his Kingdom Consid 5 All afflictions and tryals as they are the Appointments Ordinances of God are profitable to his people that are exercised therewith And for that end chiefly doth the Lord lay them upon them as the Apostle saith That they might be partakers of his Holinesse w He. 12.10 God blesseth this Ordinance to do good when other Ordinances fail and God prepares by this fire such Physick nay indeed it is Physick it self as removes and cures those Cronical old and long continued diseases and sins of the Soul which are not healed otherwise or by other means And David experienced this