to goe about a bleeding worke with a bleeding heart and yet this is consistent with the spirit of a Lyon to a mans place Must I kill bodies to save soules O that wickednesse should thrust such deadly worke upon me how many such Souldiers have we if deliverance from suffering come no faster then true sensibility under it surely Englands sufferings will be long That sensibility that is more selfish then divine When will our troubles have an end when this and when that who is that man that lookes upon the plaister as suited to a sore When will the sore be well whose heart beates thus but every mans tone is when wil the War end Why when all bad bloud is out of thy veines will not that be long first and yet wil not that be soon enough These things and such like make me feare Christians that your sufferings will be long but be not offended we cannot be too long in the Hand of God If long lying among the pots bring us forth with silver wings at last our long suffering will recompense it selfe who wil then complaine that Englands sufferings have beene too long Gold seven times purified wil glister gloriously thorough refining wil make England the the glory of al Landes If Ioseph lye prisoner long and be raised to be Prince at last hath he cause to complaine of hardship that his suffering was too long A heart apt to take offence at Gods dealing is willing to depart let such goe God wil have enough to doe his worke Revolt under your long suffering and your suffering wil be long indeed as long as England lasts as long as Hell lasts FINIS USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 Long suffering with joyfulnesse TO make a rod bud and become pleasant to turne a Hell into Heaven misery long misery into joy this is hard and high yet thus high doth a Christians duty rise in this Text Long-suffering with joyfulnesse This last terme doth explaine what sufferings for kind the Apostle meanes to wit suffering for truth the reproach of Christ and this how great so ever should be treasure how lasting so ever should be undergone with joy long-suffering with joyfulnesse Sufferings are various and differ in their nature according to their immediate cause Sinne is the immediate cause of some sufferings righteousnesse the immediate cause of others When man suffers for his sinne he should beare it accept the punishment of his iniquity and not kick against his Maker how long soever such suffering be but joy is not proper under this suffering because such suffering speakes wrath I will beare the wrath of God because J have sinned Bearing is proper under divine displeasure but not joy to smile when God frownes is to despise the chastening of the Lord no affliction is joyous as it referrs to sin and wrath Righteousnesse is the immediate cause of other miseries patience is proper under these and more suffering and joy beareing long and bearing long with joy because these afflictions speake onely the displeasure of man not the displeasure but the pleasure of God A man should smile when God smiles joy when God joyes though in a dungeon Doct. Suffering for Christ how great how long so ever should bee managed with a spirit of joy A man should suffer the spoyling of his person the spoyling of his goods the spoyling of all for Christ and suffer it with joy yee had compassion on me and tooke joyfully the spoyling of your goods c. Heb. 10.34 Joy is to follow the soule as long as the soule followes Christ 't is to follow the lambe and the follower of the Lambe whithersoever they goe Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and againe I say rejoyce hee spake this to suffering Christians he lifts and lifts againe to lift the heart as high as its duty which is to make christianity throughout a course of joy to make faire way and foule way alwayes all wisdomes wayes all Christs wayes pleasant Some duties have their termination joy hath none 't is an alway worke an everlasting duty t is not to cease when goods cease when honours cease no 't is not to cease when all contents cease 't is to last Summer Winter Spring Fall Day Night joy is the Nightinggall-grace in the soule it is to sing all night long let the night be neuer so long never so darke ever more Rejoyce ever more truth and joy are never to part they are to keepe company together and beare up one another truth joy and joy truth till they lie downe both together in the bosom of eternall felicity Duties are consistent one duty is not to destroy another the leane Kine are not to eat up the fat long suffering is not to kill and bury joy yet this sweet child is never so neere its grave and its end usually as when suffering is long If Rachel suffer much and suffer long till al her children are not joy is not if children be kill'd she thinkes shee may kill her joy if al be kil'd shee thinkes she may kil al her joy and never let it live more Refuse to be comforted One beame of the Sun does not devoure another they all shine together that makes that celestiall body so glorious so al graces are to shine in a Christian together this gives a Christian his glory long-suffering and joy Long suffering is a beame of God this does not put out or darken other beames hee is long suffering indeed he suffers more and longer then any of us and yet he is joyous to hee does not barely beare but joy and beare hee does not overthrow no nor diminish in the least kind the felicity of his condition by suffering Christians are to be like him Duties are made consistent we must not make them inconsistent Long suffering and joy seeme inconsistent to flesh and bloud yet joyned together by God in my Text we may not part what God joines long-suffering with joy Duties are assistant long suffering makes great capacity not great incapacity of joy Some people are by situation you know neerer the Sun then others who are so neere the Sun by situation and placeing from God as those whom hee chooseth out to suffer and suffer long suffering long and joy are very neere by situation there is never a word between them in my Text joy is Peters Angel if Peter be in Prison and have been there long this Angel is at the doore More then this as soon is a Christian is in prison for Christ Christ is at the doore which joy let such a man but aske and his joy will be full presently Christ is so neere him aske and your joy shall be full Ioh. 16.24 You know he speakes it to such who apprehended how much they should undergoe when Christ was gon from them Ah! saith Christ though I goe away I wil set joy at your doore a comforter to be very neere you when any discomfort surprises and then neerest when
BAULME FOR BLEEDING ENGLAND AND IRELAND OR SEASONABLE Instructions for persecuted Christians Delivered in severall Sermons By NICHOLAS LOCKYER Master of Arts. ISA. 8.17 J will waite upon the Lord which hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will looke for him LONDON Printed by E.G. For John Rothwell and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of the Sun in Paule Church-Yard 1643. IT is ordered this fifteenth day of April Anno Dom. 1643. By the Committee of the house of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing that this Booke intituled Vsefull instructions for these evill times be printed by Iohn Rothwell John White The true Effigies of the truly Religious Learned and Iuditious Divine de Nichola Lockyer Mr of Arts Note well the Substance of this shade so bright Lo t is a Burning and a shining Light Neat Elegant Sententious High and Rare Lo all his Sermons and Expressions are R D To the Persecuted Christians In England and Ireland BLeeding hearts you are honour'd to be Baptized with Christs Baptisme to pledge your deare Saviour in his owne Cup. Count not call not honour misery The Wine in your Cup is red indeed but without dregs to you Christs drinking first hath sweetned it well to Saints Wrath makes sufferings misery let the World Houle in their wounds but doe not you complaine let them curse as bearing Caines marke but doe you blesse God and glory as bearing the markes of the Lord Jesus Love in the bottom of a bloudy Cup and the deeper a man drinkes the sweeter Christ powers out love upon the Soule when the body powers out bloud upon the truth A Spirit of glory is a bleeding Christians glory There is inward advancement when outward debasement The soule is in Heaven when the body is in Hell for Christ Was that a Dungeon or a Heaven in which they sang so sweetly at midnight Gods dealings are righteous when Mans dealings are wicked a man might beare suffering upon this ground that hee hath sinned but how sweetly may they be borne when sugar'd with love and all sinne forgiven Yee prisoners of hope what is your hope What say you of Englands night Will it ever have day Would my Soule could enter into your secrets Would I could participate with you in some of your Prison-enlargements If you finde a Heaven in Hell what will your Heaven be Now in the I le of Patmos * A patrimoniis jam ejecti What say's GOD to your soules concerning these bleeding Jlands Many Christians for whom you have bled are now a flying from you to save their Bloud write after them yee bleeding hearts preach your Prison-experiments the faith and hope of your Bonds and conclude like Paul Remember our Bonds and Wounds for Christ and you Surely if there be any Bowels this will bring them backe to die with truth and you I believe the Resurrection of thy dead O bleeding England Your Graves shall open yee Prisoners of hope and your buried glory and honor shall return to you Truth shall out-live tyranny Righteousnesse shall wash her Feete in the Bloud of the wicked Pride shall be dethroned and shame shal be her pavilion Your integrity yee Parliament-worthies Christ will vindicate your great paines and labour of love Christ will returne to you and yours Steele good resolution and Christ will carry you through all opposition You are great sufferers I would this little Booke might give some refreshment to you together with the rest of Gods suffering ones Bleeding Ireland God also is with thee and will be Thy Land is full of murderers but not too many for God to overcome God is as just as Man is cruell cruelty will cut its owne Throat when thou canst doe nothing to evade it Venomous Creatures die in thy land by a providence from Heaven which reason cannot reach God and the whole Creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fight against barbarous bloud-shed Thy naked Women and Children which mourned starv'd and died in winters past will fight against the monsters which stript them in â—ummers to come when thou want'st men money and meanes to doe it The Vipers which have gnawed out thy guts are got into our Bowels too that we might afford thee no reliefe Moriendo Christiaâ—o vivit Christus but God will relieve both thee and us 'T was a cursed crue which brought Gall and Vinegar when Christ cryed Eloi Eloi England had helpt thee Ireland had â—â—t not beene for this cursed Generation but the bloud of both Kingdomes will be upon them Christ was not overcome when killed Many may die but Christs cause in these poore enviâ—d ilands will live Mannage your bloudy businesse bravely yee Souldiers of Christ in England and Ireland the Lord of Hosts â—s with you Your sufferings are many your pay will bee great Two Heavens are before you one for you and posterity here another peculiarly adorned for sufferers unto bloud Câ—â—ant an pâ—nn slagellum above flinch from Christ and his cause and lose both Vale. Yours in continuall Prayers Nicho. Lockyer To the Reader REader there are some Errata's here and there throughout this Booke notwithstanding all our diligence to prevent them but yet such as with thine own observation of what preceds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and followes with a spirit of love may easily be set right to thy understaÌ„ding Be not a mouth murderer kill two at once my Name and thy Soule What is candidly presented to thee candidly receive and blesse Christ and the next Authour who is at Prayer for a blessing upon this Worke and thee Nicho. Lockyer The Table THE Power of God relieves weak man Page 2. Isa 8.17 The propertie of Divine power p. 3. 4. c. Strengthening power peculiar to Christians p. 6. Divine power workes in man to an eternall end p. 3. Power working relievingly walke humbly p. 9. Cheerfully p. 11 12 Faith should kill feares p. 13. What looseth divine strengthening p. 16. The evill which followes upon it p. 18. Power relieving is lost sometimes only according to our apprehension p. 20 The wicked will never beate the righteous out of heart p. 25. What al might in a ChristiaÌ„ is p. 28. 29. c. How differing from that power which Christ had and used here p. 32. 33. The Divell allmighty in some p. 36. How all might comes into the heart p. 38. 39 The happinesse of an Almighty Christian p. 41. 42. c. Divine power Workes gradually in a Christian p. 45. When power workes lowest in a Christian it workes above the ruining power of sinne p. 49. Power working according to higher or lower degrees we should observe how it workes in us p. 51. All paines spring from one that we have so little of God p. 52. How to know whether divine power workes strong enough to save p. 54. 55. Divine power should be acknowledged as it workes with thankfulnesse p. 57. 58. Apprehension should make due impression
the exercise of al I dread to thinke what this presages Wee shal see poverty and heare cursing see bleeding and heare blaspheming and both in one house yea both in one person Wee shal see bodies wounded and soules breathing themselves through these wounds in the face of God and man because in a helpelesse state This grieves me no man layes to heart what God already suffers in these evil dayes from impatient spirits I have heard some as I have gon along the streets breake forth most bitterly against the most religious of the Kingdome as the cause of al our misery laying bloud at innocent mens doores great ones doe thus against conscience poore ones doe thus out of ignorance as rich mens echo being their creatures made through feare or hope or both all sides I am sure breath not forth al but little very little patience Ah! yee of little patience what doe yee meane to make a miserable condition remedilesse a state miserable damnable will you sin in poverty that wealth may never returne will you sin in War that you may never have peace wil you sin in bloud and death that Hell may follow Because men have killed your Trades your States your Bodies shall the devil have your Soules Is there any evil in the City or Country which God hath not done God takes away much to save the maine and you make the losse of much the losse of all the losse of your soules through impatience A rod should humble you and your skin swells with stripes Gods Hand on your back should make your hand on your mouth and you curse you curse and God curses surely you wil be cursed you sweare and stare because you have lost your peace your temporall respect and God sweares you shall neither have temporall nor eternall rest Ah Lord what hath this soule done murmured and sworne himselfe out of al for ever Yee men of no patience have you no light no conscience no soule doe yee sinne against no light no soule no God are yee heathens are yee worse I will tell you the evils of impatience that you may dread it and every degree of it and make them as I name them motives to endeavor after all Patience i a heart freed from all impatience The first evil is this so farre as the soule is impatient so farre 't is set at a distance from God Impatience grieves God grieved withdrawes So farre as Saul rages so farre is the Spirit of God gon So farre as the soule is shut out from God 't is shut out from al. A bedlam is put alone and there chained and whipt he is fit for no company but forlorne spirits like himselfe a Legion of these possesse every impatient soule No soule hath lesse fellowship with God then passionate God cannot dwell in fire nor worke in fire any otherwise then to torment the tormented Froward children are frowned upon and kept at a great distance 'till their hearts come downe A soule that hath little of God hath much of the devil if you would see the devil face to face looke a passionate man in the face you shall see the devils eyes his browes his tongue his mouth al as blacke as horrid as firey as Hell A second evill of impatience is this Impatience maimes parts gifts graces and makes a man otherwise able feeble and uselesse The counsells of the froward are carried head long saith the holy Ghost if their counsels how much more then those things they doe without counsell and thus most an end doe passionate men doe all they doe Passion puts out a man's eyes cuts-off a man's armes it thrusts a man in hast still to the wrong doore to the wrong end of his busines Passion cannot observe modus nor media agendi 't wil up to the top of the house presently before there be any staires made 't wil run and leave tools behind yea 't will run and leave God behind and so buries her honour still in an untimely birth A passionate man hath Reubens judgement written in his forehead never to excell Thirdly impatience is the mother of al evil 't is a sin-teeming temper it brings forth children to old Age and then most of al passion in old Age brings forth by troopes Impatience 't is a spirit set on fire of Hell prepared and ready to every hellish worke to sweare to curse to kill to speak evil to doe evil t is a short possession a man mad for so many houres that will not stick at any thing that the devil and deprav'd nature bid him doe he wil flee in the face of servants children wife magistrate God any one 't is a Snake whose tongue is his sting his teeth poyson he takes in and casts up venome by mouthfuls his heart brings forth sinnes by troopes he speaks as many sinnes as words he burnes al black with too much heat he over-heats words workes the wheeles light a fire still in carriage especially when loaded with any heft and burne cart and carriage both Passion 't is the devils glasse-house black fire workemen are at it in this soule day and night t is the devils sinne-moul'd to make many sins quickly many great sins on a sudden Impatience puts a price onely upon praesentia * Appetitui apta carnal present things a measse of potage at present better then birth-right although Christ and Heaven be wrapt up in it Tell an impatient man of things to come Heaven and Glory Praesentibus futura majora and the like he cannot stay so long Heaven a great way off is no Heaven to him he must have a Bird in the hand a Heaven here or else Heaven and earth shall ring of him he must have what he wil and when he wil or he wil make the house too hot for al that are in it This renders an impatient person utterly uncapable of the great'st blessings because these are longest a comming and he cannot waite Le ts have a golden Calfe as for this Moses we know not what 's become of him nor when he will come a golden glittering Calfe at present better then to stay for Moses though hee brought the beames of God the glory of Heaven shining in his face Le ts eate and drinke for to morow we die Magna â—â—â—antiâ nulla Impatience must have a Heaven at present a belly-heaven as for a soule heaven a heaven in promise t is a dead thing This renders an impatient man utterly below motive our greatest Gospel motives are fetcht from great things to come in another World and the greatest things are nothing at such a distance to this man hee cannot waite so long for a Heaven though hee lose his soule There is no divine contemplation in an impatient heart which is that that makes Heaven here So that an impatient man loses his Heaven here-after and here too Impatience 't is a soule still in a hurry never at home never at leisure to goe to
in the eyes of many great and small as ever was Moses in the eye of Corah and his company for discharging his conscience This spirit became very spreading then and so strong that God was faine to make Israels misery long till he had cut off all that were unworthy of that which Moses and Aaron laboured to bring them to so may this spirit make our sufferings long so long till God hath cut off al these proud jostling spirits which are altogether unworthy of those great mercies which our honest-hearted Parliament painefully labours to bring us to A third thing that makes our troubles have a long visage in my eye is this That the one thing necessary to publique welfare is not preferred and prosecuted as such a thing that is according to its dignity and our duty The maine thing I conceive to our publique wel-fare is to perfect our reformation of Religion to raise up and finish that building the foundation whereof our Fathers bravely laid in their owne bloud Israel suffer'd much and suffer'd long a consumption followed them till it had brought them almost to nothing because they grew slack about the maine and preferr'd their owne houses the seiling and finishing of them before Gods House At first when they came togegether to Jerusalem they were hot upon Gods House but being diverted by troubles they grew cold and involved their spirits in their owne affaires which cost them deare and brought them into a deepe consumption I am affraid this is our case Our Parliament at first comming together seem'd very hot about Church affaires though not so hot then as I could have wish't God had his Committee amongst many other of our owne I meane a Committee about scandalous Ministers and matters wherein God is most immediately concerned this Committee was of life and heat a time and the dread and Majesty of that great Court hereby great many troubles came in and this Committee laid downe and other things relateing to this stay'd off by meanes of which the Majesty of that honourable House is much weakened because God much neglected I am affraide this will bring us into a deepe consumption and make Englands sufferings long because wee make God suffer so long all the Kingdome over by blinde worship and blind Ministers who are now the activest Engines against us A fourth thing which makes our troubles looke with a long visage in my eye is this God hath suffered our troubles to grow beyond our Tiller as the Archers terme is our bow is made too strong for us to bend this makes long worke to bee ready If an unruly child creep up under the lenity of Parents to become an unruly boy one in bodily strength suiteable to his spirit before taken downe this speakes long suffering to such parents this is Englands case Our wicked children are growne up under the wing and lenity of the Parliament to virility to mans estate to externall strength suiteable to their internall temper this I am affraid speakes long suffering to thee O poore England Justice doth not looke as if shee would lay down her rod presently when shee is gathering more and more twigs A few malignants are become many many without Armes many in Armes our locusts goe forth by troopes Justice doth not use to make a rod of so many and so great twigs for a little worke strong twigs and rods are gather'd to last for long work A fift thing that makes Englands troubles looke with a long visage in my eye is this A heavy spirit seemes to be fallen upon us Make their eares heavy saith God their Eares that is their hearts I am affraid that plague is heavily fallen upon us Heavy jades are shap'd to much beating a little will not make them goe Men come up to their light like a beare to the stake how heavy hath our motion beene to blast the Common Prayer Booke by publique vote how heavily brought on to judge it an agreement how heavily brought on to clip the power of Bishops how heavily brought on to vote them quite downe although such as had voted and almost acted downe God and all good in the Land how much farther hath many Parliament men gone in matters of Gods worship then droven I keepe honour in my breast towards them who have done throughout truely honorably For the execution of thorough Justice are they not now by the sword droven and will they goe now My heart bleeds to consider this what a heavy spirit is upon us in the prosecution of that worke which God hath thrust us upon Our eyes are halfe open as heavy-headed mens eyes are to see our advantages and our handes in our bosom like heavy sluggards when wee should take and prosecute advantages which God wonderfully gives us A heavy spirit speakes heavy misery suffering much and suffering long a heavy spirit makes heavy misery necessary such a temper otherwise will never go so far in good as it should The last thing which makes our sufferings looke with a long visage in my eye is this suffering doth not soften our fire doth not melt but harden and make brawny the heart of the most The weekly newes of our bleeding is become as the weekly bill of the plague read over and throwne a side Many bodies kill'd how many soules more alive then were What heart goes in secret and bleeds in his brethrens wounds Many kill'd many more worse then kil'd maim'd spoil'd turn'd out of all and likely to starue to death goe weeping wailing and wringing their hands up and down the Country yea up and downe here and doe fully looke some of you in the face and yet I see no signe of all this in your faces Their tone is dolefull doe wee eccho to them The spoiled mourne to the saved doe we weepe with them that weep doe we beare their burden as our own Let every mans conscience speake and acquit him if it can Doth not this saddly speak more suffering because no man will suffer till Justice bring suffering to his own doore No man will be afflicted till it come to his owne turne no man will afflict himselfe all is put upon God he must doe it man by man many will not be afflicted in few this will be long worke I can sadly tell you of hearts more brawny then these hearts that would not have spoiling cease because it inricheth them no not killing cease because 't is their gainfull trade that see bloud and desolation dayly and yet have no bowells but feare this wil end too soon that cut out their worke to last this is not the spirit of a Souldier but the spirit of a Butcher that lives by killing as his Trades and pockets up the prize of bloud and misery with joy This a Souldier a Judas a Wolfe that growes fat upon the carkasses of the slaine Men that strive after places to kill bodies for gaine Ah Lord who hath kill'd such soules This is the spirit of a Souldier
you need him most so that you shall get more of a suddain by Prayer then you could in all your life before A suffering Christian has his peculiar advantge let him but open his mouth heaven-ward and 't is fild presently let his heart be at his mouth and the holy Ghost wil be at his heart all upon wing and wrapt up in the third Heaven when the body in Hell Long suffering and joy are very neere as neere as night and morning if misery makes the night joy makes the morning and if the night cannot aske for the morning yet the morning will come of it selfe joy comes in the morning If a long sufferer be â—o worne so depressed with his burden that he be not able to pray not able to aske for joy and for comfort yet his joy will be ful 't will come of it selfe as things that are joyn'd together will call in one another long suffering with joyfulnesse Duties are immergent one springs and bubbles out of the belly of another all patience brings forth long suffering long suffering bringes forth joyfulnesse this is Divine Genealogy they are plac'd here by the holy Ghost according to their line as persons so vertues are noted according to their Genealogy Every grace beares patience brings forth long suffering long suffering joy joy brings forth Heaven now the Sun is up in the soule and begets Cardinall vertues glorious graces it makes the very emblem of Heaven in the heart The holy line must not be broken as things have their order in their owne nature so they must have their course in the soule long suffering for truth must bring forth joy and not griefe a Jacob must hold an Esau by the heele joy must embrace rough usage out of the sowerest stock ar't should make sweet fruit come out of long-suffering for Christ joy Duties are innocent graces are so ordained to move as best to speake out mans simplicity and Gods glory long suffering is not to leaven and sowre the soule to make it regurgitate bitterly in the afternone when things have lai'n long in the stomack but it is to give advantage to a Christian fully to speake forth his owne integrity and Gods glory Long suffering with joy is a full expression of mans simplicity and Gods Glory Long suffering in any cause hath its integrity as the heart is free from repining under it which it is when 't is meate and drinke to suffer for Christ joy to beare and to beare long Grace should move in grace that 's long suffering with joy grace should move to a Christians grace and to GODS glory that 's long suffering with joyfulnesse Vse Christians you see your lesson t is set very high can you play it What artists are you in your calling Can you make good Musick upon a bad instrument Can you make an instrument goe well that hath hung long by Can you play wel when the strings be broke When the back when the belly of the instrument is broke Can you sing the songs of Zion in a strange Land Can yee make melody in your spirits when never a whole piece in your flesh some of you it may be have never a peny in your purse scarce any rag to weare no house to put your head in but live upon the meere mercy of friends for giving testimony to Christs cause can yee joy now Christ hath mingled your drinke with weeping can yee drinke off this Cup with joy Suffering is suffering indeed when it goes quite through the man body and spirit body without all joy and soule too A man is plundred indeed when he is plundred in his estate within and without plundred of mony and goods and plunderd of peace and joy too no comfort without nor none within neither Ah Lord here 's a man quite undone indeed her 's a man all over miserable soule and body bleeding can there be any gathering to relieve this man I have heard many complaine that they are quite undone the expression hath cut me to the heart to heare it their faces all over blacknesse not one line drawne similingly You have lost all joyes without why but there are joyes within which the World cannot give nor take have you lost these too did the Cavaleers take away all together mony and plate and Christ too Ah! poore man thou art quite undone indeed certainly the divel was in those Cavaleers I would speake to such from this point which are quite undone which have lost all money and joy too which have many sufferings upon them for Christ but can make no joy out of them Surely I can guesse your paine you are blind you know not who hath strip't you nor when he will returne it againe 'T is impossible for a man to joy under long suffering unlesse a man can looke to the end of it This makes heavy afflictions light long afflictions short to look where they end Our light afflictions which endure but for a moment worke about a farre more exceeding and an eternall weight of glory Long suffering is but a moment when compared with eternity of glory The great Heaven at a distance makes a little Heaven at present a Heaven in hell to that soule which hath it in its eye as these lower Heavens give a great lustre and vigour at a distance to beholders and raise much so doth the Heaven of Heavens 'T is a Heaven to behold Heaven a farre off where ever the body be 't was Canaan to Moses Ab extremis miseriae quies to see Canaan a far off The sight of the end shortens the way suffering is deadly long when a man can see no end when a man is in darknesse and can see no light 't is hard to bring the soule to joy in such darkenesse A man must looke upon affliction from one end to to'ther that would fetch in joy to his soule from suffering At one end of long suffering for truth is a father at the other end a reward which if seen well will make the longest suffering very short and very sweet Can you make no joy out of your long sufferings for truth I can guesse your paine there is something heavier then your temporall losse that lies upon you Surely you have lost your state and found sinne death has a sting death of a mans body yea and death of a mans estate has a sting A little guilt is heavier then a great deale of misery then all the afflictions of this World When bare misery goes over a mans head though never so much hee may well stand under this but when misery clothes it selfe with guilt and goes over a mans head as Iniquity this makes the burthen too heavy to be borne when the apprehension of sinne startes out of misery and stares upon the soule this killes all joy dead and the man is not able to beare up if hee had all the World to comfort him The cause may be good and the man bad 't is hard
whether Christ will put in and beg the mans life here lies the case and depends wholly upon Christs Will What fellowship your soules have with God I know not whether God say any thing or nothing whether instruction with strong hand be come to instruction with weake hand by reason of your strong lusts whether your instruction with weake hand be not come to instruction with no hand but bare blows for your basenesse whether all whisperings be not layd aside and whispering turn'd into whipping this would be lookt well into for it speaks very ominously for eternity Love or hatred cannot be guessed at by things without but by Gods dealings within they may shrewedly be guessed at Profanatio 3. Profanenesse is a third property of a man fitted to wrath Profanenesse is the badge of an Esau wickednesse speaks out a cursed soule To what Country a man belongs you may understand by his language whether to Spaine France or the like Hell hath its openings as Heaven hath when Hell opens in a mans mouth what needs any further enquity what Country man Sir To what place do you belong A man moulded and shaped for wrath may be read in his face Death though it cease within yet it shew it selfe in the very superficies without You have such a common speech One may see Death in that mans face A mans life is in reference to his eternall estate as his face is in reference to his temporall 't is Index â—nimi index futuri index aeterni A mans life foretells his end What course any man leads broadly speakes what such a man is what he will be for felicity or misery An a man be in the broad-way he may prophesie where 't will end and to what inheritance he shall come whether to light or darknesse I know not what lives you lead Christ do's and you should Let them be led how they will you may spell Heaven or Hell out of them Life is but an expression of the frame of the spirit 't is but motion according to such wheeles and such a spring within If you will know of what frame or what make your soules are and to what fitted view your lives Your soules breath out themselves in your lives and they breath out themselves in the bosome of God or the devill into whose bosome you breath your soules in life into that bosome you will certainly breath them in death As you find your state now move To fit for Heaven is no trifle your eternall estate depends upon 't To fit for Heaven is not arbitrary you cannot come there without it To fit for Heaven is not easy the making power of God must go to it Sinners why do you put of this worke as a trifle And why do you put it of till death That man would never be holy if he could shift it that will not be holy till he dy He would never have to do with Christ if he could shun him that will not seek aquaintance with him till he must leave leave this Word When death is fitting the soule for Hell then the soule sets about to fit it selfe for Heaven Ah Lord that ever this man had a soule that damnes it himselfe Wrath doth usually crosse and curse this folly men are surprised in body or surpris'd in soule no strength or no heart and so dy in their sinne Fitting grace for Heaven hath its means hath its season hath its course and then hath its blessed end I will touch these a little ' T'ath its meanes Will you be fitted for Heaven yee wicked soules and use no means 'T is common to the worst man to cast their soules upon a miracle for salvation and not upon means God fits by his word they 'l heare none God fits by Prayer they 'l use none God fits by his People and they care for none holy Ordinances sleighted and yet the holy-Land promised Ah Lord Are not these soules mad to conclude the end and exclude the means These men will dy in presumption or else I dare dy for them 'T 'as its season Earthen Vessels have their season for molding and shapeing to such a forme and to such an use All times of the yeare are not seasonable for such a purpose Salvation hath its day the Sun stands not still 't is comming towards a man for so many houres and then goes away from him as fast Fitting seasons for Heaven are transient sleighted and eternally hid from a mans eyes O that thou hadst knowne in this thy day c. But now they are hid Love passions are strong but no fire cooles so fast as this when abused nor so hard to be kindled again when out God knocks and if no opening away to others that will He comes to a mans house and proclaimes peace if peace be not regarded he departs with a witnesse leaves the dust of his feet behinde him to testify what a base Earthy heart 't was that rejected him Fitting grace for Heaven hath its course Physick has its course to fit the body for health malignities are not carried away presently Bad spirits abounding râ—quire sweating and sweating again The great Physitian hath his course prescription upon prescription line upon line All is not done of an houre to make the soule fit for blessednesse for ever Grace conflicts with corruption long ere it can get â—he victory and render the soule fit for Heaven Some sinners will never be fit for Heaven because they cannot beare a fitting course Sorrow for sin spending the paine of conscience killing bleeding til binding up from Christ comes utterly consuming not to be thought of if these men can fit themselves for Heaven 't is wel they will never be made fit by Christ they are so idle headed and wilfull harted Finally after grace hath had its fitting course then it has the fruition of its end a fit soule expires into Heaven the soule fit for Heaven stayes not long thence The spirit say's come when fit the Bride say's come when fit a fitted soule for Heaven is a panting soule for Heaven and Christ a panting husband for this Spouse Grace hath its distinct property at every height when at full height and fit to be dissolved it desires dissolution and dissolution is granted as a medium to its ultimate forme which makes the perfection of a thing A Chrâ—stian is perfect when fit for Heaven his Grace is perfect when in Heaven Christians I have something to say to you from this Point and then I give it up and get gon 'T is many a good soules panting often O that J were fit For Heaven Why Christ makes so He workes at such a height as at which thy heart bends The bending of thy heart to such a height in Grace is a prevenient disposition to it 't is the worke thou wouldest begun and well on-ward to finishing Such a panting soule will be fit for Heaven and caught up into Heaven ere hee 's aware When the Soule is