Life like beautiful Flowers in the Garden of the World making a Rape up the beholders Eye courting all the senses to gather them which fades away in the space of a day Let not then O Lord the Magick of these outward Prosperities so charm my Senses as to idolize such fleeting objects which glide away as a water-brook but arrest thou my Thoughts upon a more permanent beauty the injoyment of thy self that when Death shall gloom me the light of this life thou mayst beam my Soul with eternal Glory 45. Of uncertain Friends Solomon tells us That Riches take wings and fly away so doth uncertain Friends follow after leaving their quondam Cor-rival a pitiful object of Misery and Poverty whose Affections doth ebb and flow according to the turning Tides of Prosperity and Adversity as if Nature created a new Metamorphosis in their souls But happily O forsaken man mayst thou find some sure Friend some faithful Achilles who will cleave unto thee in thy necessity whose love is grounded upon some better Principles than upon such afleeting Foundation of inconsistancy Sanctifie O Lord every Condition with Contentment unto me If in thy righteous Judgment thou take from me all outward support 〈◊〉 is that I may lean more surely upon thy self though the Gusts of Adversity storm the out-work of my Body let my Soul through thy Grace retreat unto thee as a stronger Fort. And be thou O Lord a faithful Jonathan to chear my Spirit in my extremity with thy oyl of Charity 46. Of Poverty There is no greater Tryal to a Child of God than to bring him to the Touchstone of Poverty which will discover him Christian proof or not whether his Graces be true or false Gold or Brass so was the Patience of Job proved by that grand Artist Satan whose Arguments to God was Doth Job fear God for naught wherefore God suffered him to touch Job in his Estate in his Children in his Body and all to try this Saints Patience and to defeat the Policy of the Liar If in wisdom O Lord for my Souls good thou take from me what I have it is but what thou freely gavest me at first If thou strippest my body of outward raiment clothe my Soul I pray thee with thy righteous garment If thou nippest my outward man with Winter Poverty Summer my inward man with the grace of integrity that so I may appear in thy gracious Eye a right-begotten Child and not a Bastard 47. Of Prosperity and Adversity Prosperity and Adversity are two great Engines with which the Devil useth to batter the heart of man to make it malleable to his designs If the scorching rays of Prosperity will not make man forsake his garment of Integrity he will endeavour by the boisterous blasts of Adversity to drive it from him both was experimented upon Job but in a different manner God gave Job Riches for his Uprightness but the Devil made him Poor by taking them away but not his righteousness to his sorrow leaving him an Addition of Boils and Botches which made his body as sore as his soul which was grieved with uncomfortable Friends So able art thou O Lord to preserve man in every Condition manger all the malice of Satan but since there is such danger in these extreams fix I beseech thee my unstable Soul in a middle Sphere that Prosperity may not make me forget thee nor Adversity forsake thee but feed me with Food convenient for me 48. Of Afflictions Some men are so licentiously wicked that having rioted away their Fathers blessing they make themselves miserable by demerit even to feed upon sharp and short Commons till by the scourge of Affliction they are made to retreat to their Fathers house for better Provision So God oftimes deals with his rebellious Children as a loving Father with his extravagant Son who will not give him according to his lavish Appetite to make him worse but with the Prodigals Father sends him abroad to feed upon the Husks of Misery till he return better qualified happily appointing him a Garden to relieve him from starving O merciful Father since my Exorbitances hath made me uncapable of a more immediate blessing from thy own hand yet bless me O my Father in that providential way thou appointest for me so I may have Food and Raiment I will thankfully be content not repining at the Prosperity of others whose better Ingenuity hath made them capable of a greater Portion but shall account it a happiness that thy offended Clemency doth place me in the lowest forme above my deservings and if thou shalt think it needful for me to feed upon the Wormwood of Adversity to quell my luxurious Appetite Oh! may it be as wholesome diet to prepare my stomach for the bread of Life As the waters of Marah could not be drunk by the thirsty Israelites they were so bitter till sweetned with a bough cut from a Tree so are the Waters of Affliction when seasoned with the Branch of Christ Jesus to comfort the Vitals of a sin-sick soul and is as a Julip to cool the fevorish distemper of our Concupiscence If thou Lord still please to hold forth a bitter Portion to me let me receive it by the hand of Faith and drink it as the Cup of my Salvation Some things in appearance seem Instruments of much Cruelty as the Caustick Saw and knife which being put into the hands of a wise Chirurgeon are of excellent use for the preservation of life in the cutting off a putrid member so are Afflictions in the hand of God to pare away the proud flesh from our sin-swoln hearts and to dismember us of our sinew-corruptions Wise God which knowest a Remedy for every Disease where my soul is festred with the Gangreen of sin let the Caustick of thy word be my Cure that so I may come to thee though halting with the loss of a right eye or right hand Experience teacheth That the nature of Thunder and Lightning is to purge the Air of hurtful Vapours which infests our Bodies Such are the Judgments of God to clear away the foggy Meteors from our clouded souls raised by the fiery suggestions of Satan Since thou the great Commander of Heaven and Earth directest the Intelligences for the health of our bodies how much more good art thou unto our souls the images of thee our Creator If the Lightning of thy Grace will not tender our obdurate hearts it is requisite that the Thunder of thy displeasure should fright us into obedience rather than that our souls should perish so shall it be good for us that we have been afflicted He that goeth out of the path of Gods Commandments forsaketh his own safety runs out of life into the shadow of death out of the Protection of the Almighty into the Liberties of Satan where his life is in hazard every hour through the wounds of sin without the mercy of a gracious Samaritan Lord if my unwary soul chance to stray
what Family scarce is there in the whole Kingdom into which the Spirit of Division hath not breathed some malignant distemper Here are two Brethren in the Text as near as Nature Society and Religion could make them whom neither native Country nor tedious Travel nor pinching Famine nor threats of Danger or Distress could separate yet such an unhappy Breach fell out between them as that two such ancient and dear Friends could not longer live together Shall I shew you two others who were Brethren by Country by Calling and by Grace united together in one joynt Commission of Apostleship and yet a very small matter occasioned such a sharp Contention between them as that those which had been very fast Companions in Love and Labour were provoked to part asunder Between Abram and Lot the State peace was broken Between Paul and Barnabas the Church peace was broken But from the Text now read we shall gather this Doctrine That where unbrotherly strife is all possible and speedy means must be used for Reconciliation I need not light a Candle to this Sun both Nature and Nation Civility and Morality Profession and Religion Truth and Christ bespeak this Duty from us There are no Counsels so obvious in Gods word as those which perswade to Brotherly Amity to Christian Unity and peace and a blessing is promised to Peaceableness and Peace-making both in Civil and in Ecclesiastical Differences The Arguments are likewise manifest and manifold which our Saviour useth to provoke unto Love How Pathetical and full of Affection are those Arguments of the Apostle Philip. 2. v. 1 2 3. If there be therefore any Consolation in Christ if any Comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and Mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one mind Let nothing be done through strife and vain-glory Methinks the Apostles soul and words flow out together as he says elsewhere 1 Thes 2.8 We are willing to impart not the Gospel only but our own Souls because you are dear unto us What a heap of Unities doth the Apostle pile up in Ephes 4. v. 4 5 6. One Body one Spirit one hope of our Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all which is above all and through all and in you all And now what is all this Oneness but to make us One to impel Saints into the Vnity of the Spirit and Bond of Peace If all be one why should Brethren be two What mighty Convictions doth the Apostle hold forth from Natures light 1 Cor. 12. shewing how the united services of all the members in the Body natural do tutor the uniting of Christians and of all their Offices parts and gifts for the service of the body mystical Variety of gifts are not bestowed on us to work Contrariety of Affection It is a sublime notation of unity which the Apostle there gives v. 12. calling the Head and the Body one Christ plainly intimating that such who wilfully rend themselves from the Body do as much as in them lies to rend themselves also from the Head But what need I step beyond the Text for impulsives to inforce the duty of the Doctrine Two I herefind one above the Text the other at the foot of it Let there be no strife between thee and me neither between thy Herdsmen and my Herdsmen saith Abram to Lot and why 1. Because the Canaanite and the Perezite dwell in the Land 2. Because we are Brethren Let us now examine these Reasons and 1. Because of the Canaanite and Perezite which dwell in the Land as if Abram should have said Why Brother Lot do you not see that there is a Generation of ungodly men dwelling amongst us who would willingly take the Advantage from our Divisions to work us both out of this good Land I pray thee therefore Brother let there be no strife betwen us Why but some will say Whom do you mean by these Canaanites and Perizites I 'le shew you what Characters the Spirit of God doth hint unto us of them the Canaanite is derived from that cursed Seed who did mock at his Fathers Nakedness you have the story in Gen. 9.25 The Perezite from an Hebrew root which signifies to divide Both of these mischievous enough to the power of Godliness and to the peace of the Gospel The wild Boar and the little Foxes do exceeding great though not equal hurt unto the Spiritual Vine The little Foxes spoil her Grapes but the wild Boar would root it up The Wolfes teeth and the Fanthers breath do both kill but the Panther with delight the Wolfe with cruelty But what do you tell us of the Canaanites and the Perizites are there any such dwelling in our Land My Brethren I accuse none here but I am very certain you will all bear me witness that there is a Generation of Canaanites in the Land which scoff at Saints at Ministers at Profession at Ordinances and would scoff at Jesus Christ himself if he were alive who do not only triumph in such nakednesses as they see but with those in Mioah They pull off the beautiful Garment from them that pass by them peaceably they study all the mischiefs they can to render Religion and the sincere Professors thereof odious Beloved formerly love was the Badge and true Cognisance of a true Christian But I much wonder where we may now find a David and a Jonathan an Eusebius and a Pamphilius yea a Ruth and a Naomy Where shall we now seek unam animam in duobus corporibus inclusam one Soul in two Bodies Where shall we look for such as were the Apostles that had but one heart and one Soul Alas No! those golden days are past and gone and now the Dog-days are come in every one biting and barking at his Neighbour Not like Christians not like Brethren nor yet like Saints but even like Bears and Tigers striving to tear one another yea like Scithians and Canibals endeavouring to eat up another as void of all natural Love and Affection Oh my Friends is this Christianity is this to be members of the same Body is this to be Sons of the same Father Have we not all one Father hath not one God created us Why then do we deal so treacherously one with another every man against his Brother Mal. 2.10 But hereafter I shall hope better things of you and let not I beseech you my hopes be frustrated and of none effect but follow you Peace with all men especially with those that are of the houshold of Faith be ye all of one mind 1 Pet. 3.9 having compassion one of another love as Brethren be pitiful be courteous Not rendring evil for evil railing for railing but contrariwise blessing knowing that you are thereunto called that you should inherit a blessing But to proceed there is another Generation of Perizites in the Land who like Samsons Foxes have Fire-brands at their tails
Faith embrace thee as a strong Hold Hope wait upon thee as a sure Defence Charity relieve thee in thy distressed Members and Patience bear thy Cross as her Crown of Glory 6. Of Self-denial There is nothing brings more Honour to God and Credit to Man than the Grace of Self-denial which is a Character of Gods own Teaching but few will take the pains to Learn it because they must first be untaught self before they can be taught the Art of Self-denial Men generally are apt to study Men and study Books both Divine and Moral to increase Humane knowledge and set up the Interest of Ambition and Covetousness that when Times change and Religion and Ambition come in competition they will steer their Devotions to all Winds to shelter them from the storms of Ship-wrack whereas a gracious Heart will endeavour to study that Chymical Wisdom to draw out the Spirit of Self-denial from the Limbeck of Heaven which indeed is the Quintessence of all the Graces and makes a Soveraign Antidote against all Malignant Tumors of Self-love it combates the passions of the Heart it allayeth the flateous Humours of Pride and Vain-glory it suppresseth the Earthy Vapours of Avarice which poysoneth the Heart and intoxicates the Brain it bridles intemperate Appetites which run like a Torrent having the wind of Satans Temptations and our own passionate inclinations to split the Ship of our Souls upon the Rock of Eternal Misery Preserve me O my God from such disasters by this Mysterous Vertue of Self-denial render me I beseech thee a Disciple capable of this Science teach me effectually to spell my frailty in this golden Alphabet place it as a Frontlet before the eyes of my Soul that I may continually read the out-strayings of my Heart with regret of spirit that I may change my Affections from the love of the World to the love of thy self that when the Bark of my Soul shall put ashore it may safely arrive at the Haven of Heaven 7. Of Patience Patience under the Cross is like Gold under the hand of the Finer when sufficiently tryed in the Fire of Affliction and ordered by the hand of Heaven becomes a Glorious Crown for a faithful Christian Lord if my Earthy heart be so impatient that it needs Refining purifie it I pray thee of its drossie quality that it may be brought into a better temper and be made tractable to thy gracious Designs 8. Of Contentment Contentment is a meek submission of a gracious Spirit to the will of God in every condition it puts the Heart into a Holy frame willing to subject and lay it self low to the frowns and stroke of Justice as well as to the smiles of Mercy Good is the Word of the Lord saith Old Eli. If the Lord say he takes no pleasure in me saith David let him do to me what he pleaseth Learning with Paul in every condition to be content This gracious disposition is like Wax capable of any impression or as Clay in the hand of the Potter which may be molded into any form or fashion Where there is a suitableness between the disposition and the condition a man will suffer all things endure all things with contentment Take from him as one saith his Wealth his Treasure is in Heaven cast him into Prison his Conscience is free take away his good Name his Innocency will vindicate him against all aspersions banish him his Countrey Jerusalem above is his City of Refuge Si fractus illabatur orbis impavidum seriunt ruinae vultus Though the Foundation of the Earth should shake he will not be moved It is the mind and apprehension that makes every condition better or worse Restraints and Confinements to some are as bad as Death but to others sweet Captivities places of more Liberty for the Service of God witness the rejoycings of Paul and Silas He that hath Christ dwelling in his Heart by Faith may truly say with the Philosopher Omnia mea mecum porto my Treasure is a hidden Treasure I carry all within me and that all I shall carry to Heaven with me Gracious Lord who hath the hearts of all men in thy hands to order and dispose of them to thy own design impress I beseech thee with the seal of thy spirit upon my heart this lovely Grace of Contentment that I may bear thy Cognisance in every condition mold it I pray thee to such an Holy temper as my submission to thy will may answer thy expectation If thou cast me into the Mold of Affliction let me come out thy contented Patient if thou take from me all that I have give me thy self and I shall enjoy all things Christus meus omnia If Christ be not wanting Contentment feels no want 9. Of Peace Peace is a gracious Acquiescence of the Soul in God it is one part of that joyful Tidings proclaimed by the Herald of Heaven Glory to God on Earth Peace good-will towards men yea it is that Royal Legacy left by the King of Glory to his Apostles My Peace I leave with you as it was his dying bequest so it was his reviving salute after his Resurrection Peace be unto you This is that Peace which passeth all understanding which keeps our Hearts in the knowledge and love of God It causeth a cessation of all our Lusts which War against God and our Souls it Uniteth God and Man together in a happy Union and sweet Communion in the Court of Conscience it puts an end to all strife and begets an harmonious Agreement between man and man Blessed Saviour who art the great Peace-maker between God and Man who stilleth the raging of the Sea and the madness of the People I beseech thee bridle the floods of my Passions that they run not over me with noise calm with the word of Peace the boisterous billows of my warfaring Members that they swell not over the banks of my soul sending forth mire and dirt And since there is a necessity of War in my heart Lord convert the enmity thereof against sin and Satan that the end of this War may be Peace 10. Of Love Love is a holy flame derived to us from the Altar of God who is Love it self whose property is to beget the like so we come to love God who first loved us Philosophy tells us that Love is grounded upon similitude Nature instructs sensible Creatures to love their young and God teacheth Parents to love their Children because parts of themselves and Children by a reflective relation to love their Parents as Authors of their being How much more ought we to love God who created both Soul and Body Our Love being but a part of his parental Affection who offered himself a Sacrifice for us through the flame of his Affection Assimulate O my God the soul of thy servant unto thee and let the fire of thy spirit burn up the pile of my sins purifying my heart and kindling my Affections that I may offer up
we may see what it was especially that touched him to the quick namely this that he had abused and wronged the love and kindness of so good a Father This was that which made him so much to insist upon the name of Father I will go to my Father I will say Father The misery that he was in as his want of Bread and other Necessaries no doubt was grievous yet all this troubled him not so much as this that he had carried himself so undutifully towards so gracious a Parent Let this then be noted That nothing is so grievous to a true Penitent as this that by committing of sin he hath offended God This was that which most troubled David and went nighest to his Soul that he had sinned against the Lord and offended his Majesty by his committing of evil Against thee against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight The Reason of this the Apostle St. Paul giveth They have not received the spirit of Bondage again to fear but they have received the spirit of Adoption Which Spirit doth make them love the Lord and fear to offend and exceedingly grieve when he is offended As it is with a true Lover towards his Beloved Now for the Uses and first we may see here a difference between the sorrow of the Godly and of the Wicked Both grieve both mourn Ahab as well as David Judas as well as Peter Yet the sorrow of the one is Godly and bringeth Life the sorrow of the other Worldly and bringeth Death And therefore for thy further establishment know if thou dost truly grieve these things shalt thou find in thee First thou wilt grieve for sins of all sorts Original and Actual of Ignorance and of Knowledge of Commission and of Omission Secret and Open for less as well as for bigger whatsoever is sin thou wilt mourn for because Gods Law is by it broken and so his Majesty is offended Secondly If thou grievest because God is offended then wilt thou grieve also for the sins of others as well as for thy own because God is dishonoured by the one as well as by the other Thirdly if thy sorrow be right it will be a Proportional Sorrow A Sorrow answerable to the sin as we see in Manasses his sin was great and his Contrition was great 2 Chron. 33.12 So in Peter his sorrow was great for denying his Master Mat. 26.75 Fourthly If thy Sorrow be Godly and is for sin as it is an offence against God thou wilt then be more desirous to be rid of sin than of any other cross whatsoever yea as heartily desirous never to commit it as thou art desirous that God would never impute it Now in the Second place this may serve for the Reproof yea for the terror of many who rest in a counterfeit and unsound Repentance For doth a true Penitent grieve more for Gods cause than for his own Is he more grieved for the offence against God than for any manner of respect unto himself Then surely such are far from true Repentance who were it not for fear or shame could be content to live in sin and tumble in it all their days And before thee That is in thy sight as afterwards Verse 21. This did add much unto his sorrow and did very much aggravate his fault Two Points are here to be observed The first is this That Gods Eye is on all mens Actions The second is this The forgetting of Gods All-seeing Eye in the committing of evil doth aggravate the sin and increase the same To come then to the Reasons First God is every where present he can be shut out of no place as man can or as the Sun can because he is infinite in Nature Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Am I a God at hand and not afar off And therefore it cannot otherwise be but he must needs behold our doings and our actions Psal 139.7 Acts 17.27 Secondly It is he that made the Eye and shall he not see It is he that made the Ear and shall he not hear He giveth knowledge and shall he not know Can any thing be hid from him from whom they have their being The work is known unto the worker the Art unto the Artificer the Pot unto the Potter And shall not the Creature be known unto the Creator Thirdly He it is that chastiseth the Nations as the Prophet speaks in the same Psalm Verse 10. shall not he correct He shall be the Judge every one shall be Judged by him according to his works Now albeit he shall not want Witnesses at that day yet it is fitting that himself should have knowledge of the Actions of all men seeing he will not reprove after the hearing of his Ears Isa 11.3 These Reasons shall suffice instead of many Now for the Uses Vse 1. And first this may serve for Terror to all such as live in sin what greater terror to a Thief than to have the Judge an Eye-witness of his Villany So what greater terror to the wicked than this to have the Lord behold their doings Oh think on these things you lurking Dans close Enemies of the Church whose sleep departs from you till you have caused some to fall The Lord seeth your Plots and cunning Devices your close Practises against his Church and People But he that sitteth in Heaven shall laugh you to scorn the Lord will have you in derision Take notice of this also you Adulterers and Whoremongers who say in your Hearts Who seeth us We are compassed about with darkness we need not fear Behold the Lord himself who shall be thy Judge he seeth thy Villany and looketh thee in the Face in the Act doing Vse 2. Secondly this serveth to set forth Gods wonderful Patience and long-suffering For is all sin in his Eye Then wonder at Gods forbearance who seeing so many and outragious sins daily committed yet for all that spares us Some are Swearing some Tipling some Cheating some Whoring when his Eye is on them All our Impurities Impieties he doth plainly behold yet he forbears and doth not strike Wonder at this wonder at it Oh you Sons of Men and let it teach you to Repent Vse 3. A Third Use may serve to stir us up and encourage us to well-doing what lazie Servant will not put forth his strength when his Masters Eye is on him So who is it were he well perswaded that the Lord is a spectator and beholder of his doings would not put forth his strength to the Lords work Were this well considered how couragious should we be both in the Duties of our general and special Callings The second Doctrine hence to be observed is this That the forgetting of Gods All-seeing Eye in the committing of evil doth aggravate the sin and increase the same The Reasons of this Point are these First we sin against the means that ought to keep us from sin and this doth aggravate the sin
exceedingly and make sin out of measure sinful Secondly we rob God of his Honour and give not that unto him which is his right we would pluck out his Eyes that he should not see or at least judge him to be blind To think God seeth us not is a kind of Atheism for after a sort we deny him to be God And am no more worthy to be called thy Son See how he humbleth and abaseth himself even to the uttermost I am not worthy to be thy Son nay not worthy of the name of a Son make me but as an hired Servant and I shall think my self most happy Oh rare Humility yet greatly necessary because God is good to such But as for the Proud he beholds them afar off But to come to the Lesson and this it is Where there is true Repentance there is a sight and sense of a mans own unworthiness And it stands with good Reason for the Affections must needs follow the temperature of the Mind so that as the conceit of Holiness and Happiness doth puff up a Man in Pride and Presumption so the true sight and sense of his sinful and wretched estate must needs cast him down with shame and sorrow Let us then examine our Repentance by our Humility Hast thou truly Repented Then thou art truly Humbled and cast down with a sight and sense of thy sins and transgressions But in the second place I must fall from Exhorting to Lamenting for certainly there is but small store of true Repentance upon the Earth there is so little Humility among Men and Women Thirdly this may serve for Terror to all such who as yet have not this mean and base esteem of themselves Let all such know they are void of Grace I have Gods Word for my Warrant Behold saith the Prophet his Soul which is lifted up is not upright within him All those that are void of Humility are far from uprightness The higher the Sun is the shorter is the shadow the more grace the less conceit The emptiest Vessel ever sounds loudest and the fuller the less Wood that in burning yields the greatest smoak doth commonly give the smallest heat Those boughs which are most laden with Fruit those ears which are fullest of Corn do ever bend downward when the barren bough and empty ear stands upright So those that are emptiest of Grace evermore make the greatest ostentation and crack most of their own goodness Make me as one of thy hired Servants As if he should have said I dare not I do not make suit to be as before I was a Son I am unworthy of such favour yet vouchsafe me that favour that I may belong unto thee and although I am not worthy to be called a Son yet vouchsafe me to be a hanger-on let me have a Room and Service in thy House though it be amongst the company of thy hired Servants Here we see the case is altered while he was in the House no place was good enough for him but now that he hath been a while in a far Countrey and wanted of that Bread which his Fathers Servants had he doth desire to be in the basest Office This teacheth us this Lesson Gods blessings are better known and more esteemed by the wanting of them than by their enjoying The worth and value of Gods good Blessings are not known till we be without them Thus Vision was precious in the days of Ely when that was wanting And the Prophet Esay telleth the People of Israel that the blessings of the Lord should be excellent and pleasant to them after they had been pinched with the want thereof in their Captivity yea the bud shall then be beautiful c. The Use of this in a word is to teach us to esteem more of the good Blessings we receive from God and beware of undervaluing them lest we give the Lord occasion to deprive us of them These common blessings of the shining of the Sun breathing in the Air Meat Drink preservation in our going out in our coming in use of the Senses strength of Body and the like let them be more esteemed of thee alas consider how miserable thou art without these The Lord is fain so great is his Mercy and our Corruption to deprive his Children of many of these good 〈…〉 inferiour in degree unto thy Creator And therefore it becomes not thee to speak unto him but with the greatest Fear Reverence and Advisedness And therefore First this serves to Reprove many who rainy come into Gods presence without any preparation or due meditation of what they are to say or crave Small is the number indeed of such as do Pray but smaller is the number indeed of such as prepare themselves to Pray In the Second place let this Admonish us to prepare our selves before we come to appear before the Lord to call upon his Name whether in Publick or Private You know Goodly Buildings have some Magnificence in the Gate and great Personages Text saith He arose and came unto his Father Where we have first the parts of his Repentance which are two Aversion from his sin He arose Secondly Conversion to his God And came unto his Father Secondly We have to consider the circumstance of time when he did it which is implyed in this word And or So that is immediately he deferred no time but 〈…〉 and kindness of so good a Father This was that which made him so much to insist upon the name of Father I will go to my Father I will say Father The 〈…〉 and other Necessaries no doubt was grievous yet all this troubled him not so much as this that he had carried himself so undutifully towards so gracious a Parent Let this then be noted That nothing is so grievous to a true Penitent as this that by committing of sin he hath offended God This was that which most troubled David and went nighest to his Soul that he had sinned against the Lord and offended his Majesty by his committing of evil Against thee against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight The Reason of this the Apostle St. Paul giveth They have not received the spirit of Bondage again to fear but they have received the spirit of Adoption Which Spirit doth make them love the Lord and fear to offend and exceedingly grieve when he is offended As it is with a true Lover towards his Beloved Now for the Uses and first we may see here a difference between the sorrow of the Godly and of the Wicked Both grieve both mourn Ahab as well as David Judas as well as Peter Yet the sorrow of the one is Godly and bringeth Life the sorrow of the other Worldly and bringeth Death And therefore for thy further establishment know if thou dost truly grieve these things shalt thou find in thee First thou wilt grieve for sins of all sorts Original and Actual of Ignorance and of Knowledge of Commission and of Omission Secret and Open
only Ephesus but all Asia gave their Worship How much greater is the World 's Diana vanity that not only Asia but the World it self prostitutes its Devotions She is Attended with three Golden Idols as vain as her self Pride Concupiscence and Lust the Worlds Trinity which entertains all Suitors with variety of Honours Pleasures and Profits To this Lady of Honour the Ambitious spirit makes his acquist esteeming himself as nothing without a bended Knee a popular Applause and a turgent Title which his Fancy feeds upon as the Camelion upon Air but if crost in his designs by any opposite to his assention he grows as lean as Envy can make him like the Birds that fed upon Zeuxis Grapes with pecking at shadows Hither also resorts to this glaring shrine the Idolatrous Miser whose Hydropick thirst after Gold like the Horse-leach after Blood cries Give Give his Heart is always digging with the Mold in this Earthy Mine never satisfied till Death Robs his soul from his silver Mountain and his Mouth is bunged with courser Earth Finally the Luxurious Gallant makes Court to this Goddess of Beauty who prodigallizeth upon her Wanton all her sinful Favours which may indulge the Flesh and please desire with her deeds of Darkness Enter not my Soul into these their secrets which lead down to the Chambers of Death but skip like a Hart over these Mountains of Vanity Soar with the Wing of Contemplation into a higher glory let thy aspiring thoughts transcend this Airy Arrogance as far as Light surpasseth Darkness Heaven surmounteth Hell where thou maist Tribute thy Devotions to a more Beautiful shrine the Blessed Trinity from whence thou maist derive everlasting Comforts eternal Honours which flie not away upon the Wings of Time durable Riches where neither Rust doth canker or Thieves break through and steal torrents of Divine pleasure which shall continually chear and refresh thy spirits where thou maist behold with perpetual contentment the loveliness of Beauty the splendour of Saints and the glory of Kingly Majesty 24. Of Infidelity The Fool hath said in his Heart there is no God so consequently neither Heaven nor Hell which Atheistical Opinion is too rife in the Hearts of many who live as without God in the World without hope of Heaven or fear of Hell so willingly incredulous are they of their own safety or Ruine that though they have the two Testaments Nature and Grace the Light of Reason and the Word of God to inform them the one convincing their Consciences the other to enlighten their Understandings yet are they such Passionate Zealots over their Lusts that they violently court the embraces of Hell like Pliny the re-search of his scorning Vesuvius they will doubtfully experiment their own destruction As in Mercy O Lord thou hast given me a Rational being capable of Divine Light as a true born Christian let not I pray thee the Powers of Darkness or my indulgency over sin muffle my Soul in unbelief to make me an Atheist but impress upon my Heart with the Seal of thy Spirit the true cognizance of thy self that I may know thee who Created me to be my Almighty Father thy Son who Redeemed me my Blessed Saviour the Holy Ghost who Sanctifies me my gracious Preserver That I may know Heaven a place of Honour a Kingdom of incomparable Love Hell a place of Horror a Lake of intolerable dolour let the beauty of the one invite my Affections the danger of the other fright me from sin and both be objects of my Souls safety 25. Of Pride Pride is a gaudy Brat of a Monstrous Nature begot by the Father of Lies upon a Presumptuous Heart whose Towring thoughts and Devil-like Disposition could not soar higher or center lower than God himself It was the Serpents suggestion to the Woman Ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil A Temptation no sooner offered then embraced which brought a Curse upon her self her Husband and Posterity In sorrow shalt thou bring forth by the sweat of thy brows shalt thou eat Bread The Serpent not exempted Dust shalt thou eat upon thy belly shalt thou creep So that the Serpent was punished for Lying Adam and Eve for aspiring and eating Strangle O Lord in Love to our Souls such spurious Conceptions of the Serpents Pride in our Lustful hearts that they may not come to the perfection of Birth which will bring forth death But if we will not keep within the bounds of thy Commands but will through too much Curiosity peep into thy secreet Decrees and intrench upon thy Negative Precepts thou wilt make us acknowledge thee Righteous in thy waies and Just in thy Judgments 26. Of Hypocrisie Hypocrisie is similata sanctitas Vertue in appearance when Vested in her Saint-like Habit under which sin and Satan doth shrowd themselves to deceive the Innocent not unlike the Earth in the midst of Winter when Cloathed in her white Raiment spurious Broods of Toads Nettles and Adders lie mantled under her snowy Breasts but when the Sun ariseth in its vigour her Nakedness is uncovered and her Deformity appears So is it with our Earthy Hearts which Naturally brings forth mishapen Brats of Lusts veiled through the Devils Policy under the Garment of Hypocrisie transforming them as himself into Angels of Light Discover O my God to the Eye of my Soul such dangerous Impostors as sin and Satan that I may behold them in their Monstrous shape with detestation as the great Enemies of my Salvation and arise thou Sun of Glory with thy beams of Love upon my Soul and thaw away this rimy Robe from my frozen Heart that I may appear what in truth I am the greater Object of thy Compassions 27. Of Envy This Torturing Passion is like Prometheus his Vulture which continually Tyrannizes upon the Heart where it takes possession it soveraignizeth over the rest of the Passions not enduring any Competitor in the Common-wealth of Prosperity subjecting all the Lusts to be subservient to it if Covetousness come in competition with it for greatness of Reward Envy will be thankful to the Angel for one Eye to make the Miser stark blind If graceful Vertue sit in the seat of Dignity Envy will endeavour by Ambition to pull her down If Love cannot win Lady Beauty by fair Treatment Envy stirs up Raging Lust to deflower her If Thrift grow up in the Garden of Prosperity Envy presently sendeth forth Extortion to crop it If true Valour bear away the Prize of Honour Cowardise and Vain-glory are employed to asperse it by detraction This Envy is Attended with two sullen Passions Hatred and Malice the one is a sad sedement of continued Anger which settles upon the spleen causing it to swell upon every occasion in opposition to its object of discontent The other is ever hatching Mischievous designs for Envy's Practice Envious detractor Malicious sinner Hateful maligner who not only Robs thy self of quiet but also Thieves away from thy Neighbour his Goods and good Name If
my soul a zealous Holocaust to the flame of thy Altar 11. Of Chastity This single Grace of Chastity will admit of no Cor-rival but God himself in her Virgin-heart in which she erects a Temple of Love for the Lords delight scourging out all uncleanness with the rod of Sorrow dedicating it wholly to the Service and Honour of the Lord where Love and Beauty God and the Soul are espoused together in holy affection and sweet communion Give me O Lord what wilt thou give a clean heart truly devoted to thy service Though the stains of impure Cogitations and verbal Transgressions may unwillingly and unwarily break in to defile thy Temple O may the rod of Repentance drive them out but shield it I pray thee from that great abomination of desolation those deathful wounds of actual pollution to make it a stink of all iniquity but deck and adorn it with the graces of thy spirit that it may be made a beautiful habitation for thy honours reception 12. Temperance Temperance is as a comly Matron which walks soberly and warily in the wholesom path of Mediocrity between excess and defect her actings are to the health both of Body and Soul avoiding in order to Food and Raiment Superfluity and Sordidness being fed with Frugality and clothed with Decency as to the Soul her Religion very Orthodox running a most even course between blind Zeal and open Profaneness like the Sun in its Aequinox between the Winter and the Summer Solstice hating Enthusiasm Papism and Atheism with other giddy opinions coyned out of the Mint of inconsiderate Brains which begetteth nothing but Division Contention and Disaffection Most holy Lord who art holiness it self and delightest in the beauty of holiness pious hearts as mansions where thy honour will please to dwell square my Religion to the straight rule of thy word and so fashion my Devotion as may be most agreeable to thy own mind neither ceremoniously superstitious or irreverently rude but zealously affected in a decent and orderly manner as may be most sutable to piety and the honour of thy Majesty 13. Of Obedience and Disobedience A good natured Child will grieve that he hath offended his indulgent Father whereas a more rugged disposition will not come into the School of Obedience without much swinging Make me O Lord a child of Obedience by the smiles of thy mercy rather than by the frowns of thy Justice draw me by the silken twines of thy Affections and not by the ruff Cords of thy Corrections but if I be so ill-natured that the rays of thy love will not mollifie my hard heart let the awful stripes of thy fear make it tender so shall thy rod and thy staff comfort me 14. Of Gratitude and Ingratitude Thankfulness is the tribute of our Affections which we pay as a Rent-charge to the great Lord of Heaven and Earth by which we acknowledge his property in us and our Loyalty to him for all his blessings both for Soul and Body and nothing can out us of Possession discard us of our freedom or cancel the obligation of his love to us but Ingratitude that monster in nature which was one of the grand sins which ejected Adam out of his Garden of Paradice into a wilderness of Sin transformed Nebuchadnezar from a man to a Beast till he returned better manner'd and smote Herod in his Judgment-seat because he gave not God the glory Great God! in whose hands are all the Corners of the earth and the fulness thereof in whatsoever possession of thy blessings thy goodness please to place me as Tenant for life O may I esteem it far beyond my deservings that I may learn to be thankful And suffer not I pray thee my nature so ill to degenerate into Ingratitude as to alienate thy affections from me to out me of the Eden of thy favour and let me not be so blockishly dull as not to acknowledge thy property or so arrogantly peccant to rob thee of thy honour lest deservedly I incur thy righteous displeasure but ingratiate my heart I beseech thee with so good a nature as I may render my self a more perfect Creature to give thee thy dues belonging to thy honour and my self the comfort of thy gracious dispensations towards me 15. Of Mercy and Justice Mercy and Justice are the righteous Ballances of Heaven poized by the Hand of Truth which weighs to every one the Rewards of Life and death Mercy is filled with promises of life Justice with wages of death Faith lays hold on the Scale of Mercy through the merits of a Saviour Infidelity draws down Justice as a Recompence for Iniquity So righteous art thou O Lord in thy ways and just in thy Judgments who dispensest to every one after their deservings Merciful Father though the magnitude and multitude of my Transgressions be so heavy to draw down the Ballance of thy Indignation upon me yet being Counterpoized with thy Sons merits in the Ballance of Mercy they shall be found too light to condemn me and my Faith of sufficient weight to save me 16. Of Faith Faith is the Souls Optick which discovereth things afar off as if near at hand though darkly as in a Glass yet far surpassing all the Opticks of Astrology which takes the dimensions of the Orbs according to the sense whereas Faith maketh search into Heaven seeth God Almighty with all his Attributes in the beauty of Holiness Jesus Christ his Son sitting at his right hand interceeding for us the Holy Ghost proceeding coming down like fire to baptize the Saints with all the Heavenly Quires of Saints and Angels singing Allelujah to the King of Glory yea it discovereth Hell afar off with all its monstrosity the reward of our Iniquity seeth Satan compassing the Earth in persuite of the Mother and her Child to devour them but overcome by the blood of the Lamb. Thus O my Soul with this Optick of Faith thou mayest survey all the wonders of God making things invisible to the eye of sense visible to the eye of Reason Thus beholding thee O my God in thy glorious perfections in thy marvelous works in thy gracious Attributes let me experiment thy spirit of grace quickning thy wisdom teaching thy power supporting thy love comforting thy Justice tenderly chastising and thy mercy saving me let the light of thy countenance the splendor of thy Majesty so dart upon my soul through this Glass of Faith that thou mayest be in love with thy own beauty Faith again may be said to be the compass of the Soul which centers one part upon God the other upon the heart of man rounding a Sphear of a new Creation with circles of love through which she draws a Diameter by the Rule of the word which is as a Jacobs Ladder by the hand of an Angel to convey the Graces of God to man and the Prayers of man unto God Scale O my soul by this Ladder of Faith the Battlements of Heaven contend with thy Maker and