UAAjikA
LIBKA.IIY
OF THE
Theological Seminar
y,
PRINCETON, N. J.
Cose,
Shelf,
Jiook,
v-^^ C DJ.v.iaiD.n
CTSv^ ' Osectia:.
No,,,,, ,
MEDIA,
t/i/f
i^.U.:l
PRIMA, MEDIA.
U L T I M A;^
O R, T H E
FIRST. MID D L E
AND
LAST THINGS
CONTAINING:
Part I. The Doarine of Re-
generation, the beginning
of a Godly Life.
Part II. The Means, Du-
ties, Ordinances, both
Secret, Private, and Publick;
for continuance and increafe of
a Godly life once begun, till
we come to Heaven.
Part III. Meditations on Lite,
Death, Judgment,
Hell, the Sufferings of
Christ, and Heaven.
i
By ISAAC AMBROSE, Minifter of the Go/pel at
Trejlon in ^nioundernefs in Lancafiire,
To which is added,
A Colle6\Ion of the beft Thoughts on Several important Subjefts, taken from the writ-
ings of the moft famous Divines ; never before printed in the former Editions of
this Book.
The SEVENTH EDITION, Correaed and Improved.
GLASGOW:
Printed by James Knox, and fold at his Shop near the Head of the
Salt-mercat. M, DCC, L VIL
ADVERTISEMENT.
TH E Publi(hci;^of this BOOK intends (if he meets with fuitable encouragement)
topublifh atone and the fame time, an Edition of two fcarce and valuable Books
viz. WATSON'S Body of Divinity, and AMBROSE'S Lookitig unto Jefus. ^ '
. WATSON'S Body of Divinity will be printed on the fame Type with this Book but
on a larger and better Paper, and will confift of about 80 Sheets ; 1 he price to fubfcrib-
crs will be only Five fliillings fterling ; to be paid at the delivery of the book neatly
bound and lettered on the back.
AMBROSE^s Looking unto Jefus will be done on a quite new type, and a fair pa-
per, confining of about 53 (heets. To be fold to fubfcribers at three fhillings and fix
pence Herling ; to be paid at the delivery of the Book, neatly bound and lettered on
the .Back. — Thofe who fubfcribe for Twelve copies, will have one gratis, Subfcripti-
ons are taken in for thefe two Books by all thofe whp took in fubfcriptions for this
one.
Thofe who incline to encourage one or either of thefe two Books, are entreated
to fend in their fubfcriptions without lofs of time, becaufe neither of thofe Books
will be put to the Prefs, until a fufficient number of fubfcribers is got in. No more
copies will be printed off than what are fubfcribed for. The Publifher hopes for en-
couragement from the Publick, as he offers to publifli thefe Books at as low a rate as
they can polfibly be fold £t.
To the Worniipful, The
MAYOR. ALDERMEN,
And other Inhabitants of the Town of Prefton in Amoundernefs,
1^ H E Apoftle Peter knowing (as he faith 2 Pet. i. 14, 15.) that (hortly he
was to put off that his tabernacle of the flefh, as our Lord Jefus Ghrifl:
had fliewed him ; he therefore endeavoured that God's people, after
his deceafe, might have thofe things he taught them always in remem-
brance : And thus it came to pafs, that to this day we have that
portion of holy writ, which he then left in writing. If Peter's practice be imitable in
this kind, I fuppofc the fame duty lies on me. Revelation I have none, but many
flitches and infirmities, which I take tofce forerunners of my departure hence. Some
things, and among the reft, thefe FirJ} Things I have taught you ; what remains now,
but that, after my deceafe, you might have thefe things always in remembrance I To
that purpofe, the fame I delivered once to your ears, I now prefent to your eyes; as
you were then pleafed to hear them, fo I truft you will now perufe them : only, one
thing you may pleafe to obferve through this treatife. That whereas, in the name of
Chrift, I often befeech, exhort, command the unregenerate to believe, to be reconciled
to God, to pray, to fall on this, or that duty ; it is not as if they could do any thing
of their own ftrength or power, but becaufe Jefus Chrift, in exhorting, entreating,
commanding, puts forth his own power, and his own flrengih to enp.ble them. While
Paul exhorted the Jaylor to believe in the Lord Jefus, that he might be faved, God en-
abled the Jaylor to believe. Life and power is conveyed to the foul in gofpel-commands
and exhortations. While Ezekiel prophefied over dead bones, breath came into them,
and they Uved : fo, while the prophets of the Lord do preach over finful, and impeni-
tent hearers, who are like to the Prophet's dry bones, the breath of Heaven, the Spirit
of the Moft High, in the miniftry of the gofpel, enters into them, and fo they are made
new creatures, and fee the kingdom of God. I have no more to fay, only I befeech
God, you may receive ableffing by thefe poor labours upon your poor fouls: it is the
hearty prayer of,
Tours to be commanded^
In all Chrijiian Services ^
ISAAC A M B R S E.
iV
To the R E A D E R.
OF many books there is no end, and much Jludy is a ivearifomneCs of the flejh, Ecc.
xli. 12. The experience of this truth, efpeciallyin thole latter days, hathfomc-
tipies put me to fad and ferious thoughts, How fhoulda Chriftian furnifta hira-
felf with a fufficient library to help him heaven ward ? Should he buy up all the An-
cients, or, in cafe he want the tongues, fhould he buy up all our modern Englilh
writers, pofiiive and polemical, they might fill his clofet, but he fhould find no end
of buying, as there is no end of making books : and if herefolvedly fell co reading, he
might conclude with the Wife-man, much ftudy is aivearinefs of the fltj}}\ nay, in.
fuch variety, he would find the moft of his ftudy fo impertinent, fo unprofitable, that
he might further conclude. Such a ftudy is a lofs to his foul, and rather an hinderer,^
than an helper of it in the way to heaven. To prevent this, fome have advifed Chri-
ilians to choofe out,^^^amongft that world of variety we now enjoy, fuch Authors as
are moft fuitable to their genius and employment. The Lord Verulam, wi-th fome
others, give their opinions, *' That, if the choice and beft obfervations, which
have been made difperfedly in our EngliOi fermons (leaving out the largenefs of ex-
hortations and applications thereupon) were fet down in a continuance, it would be the
beft work in divinity that hath been written fince the apoftles times." And Dr. Hack-
will repeats almoft the fame words, faying, " That the fermons of tliis latter age, e-
fpecially in this land, have doubtlefs been more exquifite and effe6\ual, than ordinarily
they have been in any precedent age; infomuch as it is obferved, that if there were a
choice colleaion made of the moft accurate ilnce the entrance of Queen Elizabeth, to
thefe prefent times (omitting the large application thereupon) it would prove one of
the rareft pieces that hath been publiftied fince the apoftles times." Indeed, had we
inch a book extant, I would advife the Chriftians of our age to buy the Bible, and that
book and to ftudy them, and no more, as to their fpiritual good : but, alas ! this
book'is rather wifticd for, than hoped after; we may expcft and wait for it never
lb long, without perhaps being ever the nearer. However, it was my defign to have
carried on fuch a bufinefs as this in the main neceflary things ; not that I would read
over all Authors on at! fubjeas, but that I would limit mylelf to luch fubjtc^s, and
then upon them cull out the beft and choiceft obfervations of many godly and learnr
ed Authors. In this defign I have praaifed and obferved thefe particulars ;
1 1 have brought into method the duties of a Chriftian, which I call. The Middle,
rhinos in reference to The Firjt and Laji Things ; the matter 1 have for the mo(r p^rt
draw^nVrom others, only the method I have framed, as the Lord hath enabled ; L^nd
wherein all Authors, that ever I faw, wercfilent, I have thereto added, to complete the
work, for the matter alfo. ^ . ,. >-r r i-
2 I have purpofely omitted the many controverfics and tedious difputes of this
ape* for my part, I fee little edifying in them; nay, is not the fat and marrow of
Chriftian religion loft by them ? Were I t© advife againft any error, or herefy, I had.
lather bid my adverfaries read fome books of pofitive, praaical divinity wJicrem truth
and relieion is laid out in its life and power, than all the voluminous controvcrfies that
ever I could write, or ever have been writ by any of the ions ot men. I deny not, but
thofc tind of books, the Spirit concurring, may convince mens judgments; but ihe o-
To the R E A D E R. v
ther fort works both on the judgment and confcience, on their heads and hearts ; the
controverfial way of arguing, /ro f/co;;?/-^, [for, and againft] I cannot but approve;
but the way of the Spirit, in which he leadeth and convinceth the foul irrefiftibly, I
muft needs prefer. Hence you fee the reafon of the method I have propounded ;
wherein I dare fay, yet with a fpirit of fubmrflion, the workings of the Spirit, the
breathings of Chrifl, the pantings of a foul after Chrift are more fully manifefted, than
in all the jarring pamphlets which this age hath copioufly afforded. My defire is both
to inform, and to reform ; to inform the judgment, and to reform the life.
3. I have the rather fallen on this fubje(ft of duties, both bccaufe neceflary in their
way, and becaufe they are fo much oppofed by many of our age, who furely are not ac-
quainted with them (with the workings of the Spirit in them, and by them, ) for other-
wife it could not be fo : If this error fpread, it will quickly eat out all religion, and
throw down fouls to hell. Their pretence is, who are the abettors of it, That they
have found out a near and eafy way to heaven ; But, " I rather believe Chrift (faitii
Rutherford) who tells us, it is a way of many miles, flrait, narrow, and thorny; in-
deed, the meritorious way to us is eafy, but the way of a Chriftian converfation (whe-
ther they will or no) lieth thro' duties; it is not words, Lord, Lord; but working,
fweating, running, wreflling, fighting, driving, overcoming, bleeding, fufFering, aboun-
ding in the work, denying ourfelves, taking up the crofs, enduring temptation, fowing
to the Spirit, ferving the Lord with all hujuility, and with many tears and temptati-
ons, watching, praying, taking Chrift'syoke upon us, felling all our fweeteft delights,
keeping the commandments of Chrif>, which, howfoever they are not grievous, yet
they are not fo eafie, as that only the bare aft of believing ftiould be the only Gofpel-
work. Matt. vii. 21. i Cor. ix. 24, 25. 2 Tim. iv. 7. Lukexiii. 24. Rev. ii. 7. A(.\s
xiv. 22. Rev. i. 9. i Cor. xv. 58. Heb. xii. 4. Matt. xvi. 24. Jam. i. 12. Gal. vi. 8.
A6Vs XX. 19. Mat. xxix. 42. Mat. xi. 29. i John v. 3. Might we flill lie in our ivory
beds, under no law, no obligation of doing, no danger of finning, no broken bones,
no terrors, no fenfe of forrow for fin, no progrefs ii> perfonal repentance, mortificati-
on, fanftification, no care of watchful v/alkiug to perfect holinefs in the fear of God^
no abftaining from worldly Infts, no Oriftnefs of converfation, but only believe that
Chrift hath fuffered, and Chrift hatbdone all duties for us, repented for us, mortified
luftsfor us, walked ftriftly and hollly for us, this were an eafy work indeed. " For my
part, I would not make the way to heaven longer than Chrift hath made it; hut if we
believe the Scriptures, we fhall find other commandments on us under the Goipel,
than believing only for righteoufnefs; Rom. xiL i, 2, 3.. Eph. v. i, 2, 3,4. Col. iii.
1^2,3,4. X Thd.iv. I, 3. Jam. ii. 13, 14, 15. i John iii. 17." There is the righ-
teoufnefs, of Chcift received by us, and working In us; the firft is the righteoufnefs of
juftification, the fecond of fanftification ; and our eftablifhment lieth in both.
4. I have in every duty, prefcribed the manner of perfoiming it;, not that I would
tie every fpirit to this particular way or method t thole who are accuftomed to thefe
exercifcs of devotion, may perhaps device more fittir^ coarfes, or ways of proceeding,
than thefe are ; and it is reafon, and a point of wifdom,. for every rayn to moke ule
of thol'c rules which in his own experience he findethmoft proper to his- own difpofiti-
on, and moft powerful for his own reformation; only, the reader, that is not belter
furnifned, may pleafe tx> make ufe of thefe; and I truft (by God's bleffing) he may fiud
them profitable; which if he do in any meafure, Itfliall be to me fufJicieat joy,, cou-
tentmeut, recompcnce.
5. Ihava
^'i . To the READER.
5. I have made ufe in this treatife not of one or two, but of many precious men;
as. AngIcr,Ani, Ball, Bolton, Burroughs, Hyfield, Downham, Dyke, Goodwin, Gouge',
Hooker, Leigh, Mafon, Rogers, Shepherd, TorHiel, White, etc. that the adverfaries
of duties may fee what a cloud of witneffes are for duties. It was fometimes Elijah's
trouble, The children of Ifrael have for faken thy covenant ^ thrown down thine altars,
and I, even I only am left, i Kings xix, 10. 18. But it was the Lord's encouraeement
of Elijah, I have left me [even thoufand in Ifrael who have not bowed the knee toliaal. I
blefs God it hath encouraged me, and methinks it might trouble the oppofites, that not
only many thoufands of God's people,but many Elijahs among thofethoufands, fl\ould
appear with me, and againft them. This is one reafbn, why I choofe rather to bring
in the Authors, who fccm to be, and indeed arc, pillars in the tanple of our God, Gal.
ii. 9. Rev. iii. 12. than to fpeak only in my own dialed, or altogether from my own
invention.
6. I have writ nothing, but in fome meafure I have, by the Lord's afTiftance, praftl-
/ed the fame, and felt the comfort of it in my own heart and foul; yet, by way
of caution, I defire the reader to remember, if at any time in the exercife of any of
the duties within written, he alfo feels his heart warnned or favingly alfefted (which is
the very fpirit, power, grace, comfort, prefence, and fwectnefs of Chriil) that he con-
sider, it is not the duty, it is not the bare ordinance that elicites fuch divine and noble
a(fi;s in the heart and aHc6\ions, but it is the blood of Chrift, the interccfTion of Chrifl
fprinkling thefe duties, that makes them work fuch graces in the foul. In this cafe,the
blood of Chrift is as the falve, and duty is as the cloth or leather to which it flicks, and
by which it is applied. Now from the cloth (the duty) comes no virtue; no, no, it
is only the blood of Chrift which by duty heals and chcars the foul. Many have won-
dered why fometimes they are lifted up in duties, and fometimes again they are no
more moved by them than a mountain of brafs is moved by the winds, ** AVhy fliould
the fame truth, the fame fcripture, the fame meditation affedl me at one time, and not
at another, when I am as fitly difpofed to be afFe(fled as at the firft ? "Why fliould the
fame inftru(flion, the fame reproof, the fame confolation awaken, wound, and revive
my fpirit at one time, and move me no more at another than a charm doth a deaf ad-
der, as the Pfalmift (peaks ? Pfal. Iviii. 4, 5." I grant, in refpccl of the fubje(f>, the
fpiritual fenfe is fometimes benumbed, and fometimes awakened; but in refptd of
the efHcicnt, it is only Chrift's bloody Chrift's interceflion that doth all by an admirable
and fecret operation. I have no more to fay of this book, only, the Lord give a blef-
llng to it, and to the reader of it: So prayeth
Thy Servant in Chrif} JefuSy
I. A.
A {hort Account of the I/ife and Charafler of the Author.
MR. Isaac Ambrose was bom in the year iS9U anci, though we are at a lofs to know his pa-
rentage, yet, by the figure he made both in the learned world, and more efpecially in the church,
it appears his education was liberal, and himfelf affiduous in his application to his ftudies ; of which
he has given evident proof in his writings, (it being impoflible that fuch precious fruit fhould grow
cither in a barren, or uncultivated foil) through all of which there fliineth the greateft piety, zeal
for God's glory, and concern for the falvation of fouls.
During the long parliament under Oliver Cromwell, he was fettled at Prefton, in Lancafhire, where
he laboured in h!s minifterial work, for a confiderable time, with great fuccefs,^ and regarded of all ;
from thence he was removed to Ganlang, within ten miles of Prefton, where the a^ of uniformity
found him in the year 1 662, which was the fecond year after the refloration of king Charles 11. when
he, with near two thoufand more miniiters, ^(fturers, <hc. were filenced and laid afide from the
publick work of the miniilry, for not conforming to the eftabliihed church of England, and he was
never again reftored during life : yet that time was not fpent in inadivity by him, but employed to the
mofl valuable purpofe ; for then it was he revifcd, and gave the finifliing flroke to the grcateft part
of his works, and wherein he compofcd other parts of them, in particular his difcourfe concerning an^
gels, which was the laft of all thefe his performances : through which, and through all the reft of hig
works there run a conftant drain of piety, holy devotion, and meditation, and the greateft fervour
of fpirit ; which very well agreeth with the foHov/ing chara^er given of him by a ve-
ry learned and eminent hand * : while fpeaking of the reverend Mr. Ifaac Ambrofe,. ^^ , j."
he fays, " He lived and died a NonconfoiTnid, and was a man of that fubftantial x page 400/
" worth, that eminent piety, and that exemplary life, both as a minifterand a Chri-
" rtian, that it is to be lamented the world fliould not have the benefit of particular memoirs concern-
" ing him from fome able hand." The fame author addeth further, " One thing that was peculiar-
" in him deferveth to be mentioned here : it was his ufual cuftom once in a year, for the fpace of a
" month, to retire into a little hutt in a wood, and avoiding all human converfe, to devote himfelf
" to contemplation. Poffibly by this pradtice. he was fitter for his facred miniflration all the reft of
" the year. He lived, in the latter part of his life, at Prefton, and when his end drew near, w^sj
<' very fenfible of it. Having taken leave of his friends abroad with unufual folemnity, as if he
" forefaw that he fhould fee them no more, he came home to Prefton from Bolton, and fet all
" things in order. In a little time fome of his hearers came from Garftang to vifit him : After dif-
" courfing freely with them, and like a man fenfible of his death being near. He accompanied them
" to their horfes, and when he came back, fhut himfelf in his parlour, the ufual place of his folilo-
" quy, meditation and prayer; they thought he ftayed long, and fo opened the door, and found;
" him juft expiring. This was in the year 1664, Aged 72. He was holy in his life,, happy in-his4
'* death, and honoured by God, and all good men. ■ or>
TliCL
The Subfcribers NAME S.
REvercnJ Mr. John Anderfon Miniflcr of the Gof-
pd at Porlglafgow
John Aiken Maltman in Glafgow, 13 copies.
Charles Algic Weaver tlicrc
■VVilliam AJam Shoemaker there
Robert Anderfon Weaver there
Wilham Allan tobacco fpinncr there
James Aiken Hammerman ia Ruthcrglen
Thomas Adam Weaver in Andcrftoun
Ifobcl Anderfon in Pittodric
Alexander Anderfon Farmer in R3'hJll
James Albrdyce in Hillcnd of AfslieJ
I'ittrick Anderfon of Bourty Efq ;
Charles Anderfon cuflomcr in Old Meldrum
James Airth farmer in Round Lightnct
"William Alexander farmer in the parilh of Bourty
B
GEorge Buchanan MAman late Bailie in Glafgow
Walter Buchanan Weaver there
James Burns Shoemaker tliere, 13 copies
Andrew Buchanan Mcalman there, 26 cop.
'John Brycc Weaver there
John Burnet Weaver there
John Bulloch Weaver there
Villiam Brock Weaver there
Janet Brown Indweller there
Robert Bulloch Merchant there, 13 cop.
James Browfter Weaver there
Robert Barr Maltman there
John Blair Brewer there
William Beatty bleacher there
George Brown Merchant there
Clirillopher Black Weaver there
John Broun Maltman there
James Broun merchant there
John Barbour jun. weaver there
John Brock weaver there
• John Bowman taylor there
John Uryce there
Robert Bogle weaver in Ruthcrglen
George Buchanan weaver in Anderftouo
Michael Buchanan weaver there
■William Buchanan weaver there
James Buchanan weaver in Grahamftoun
Walter Brock in Welkr Kilpatrick
Joflph Balfour Schoolmaller in Abberfoil
Alexander Buclianan weaver in Mcikle-Govan
James Barr weavei tlierc
Jo"hn Bainc in Cardrofs
"William Brycc there
Robert Baine there, 13 cop.
Jolin Bogle Coal-hcwer in Shcttlcdouii
John Blackwood at Finick kirk
James Baird coal-hewer at Lightbum
Mofes Bain gardener at Fintray Houft
J jhn Begric gardener at Barra
Henry Broughton EI4. colleftor of excife at Aberdeen
Mr. Robert Bruce factor to the FLarl of Kintorc
James Bruce merchant in Saplinbrae
Rev. Mr. John BifTet miniiicr at Culfalmond
John Booth in Bu(h miln
C
Robert CafTcls Weaver in Anderfloun
Matthew Connel Weaver in Grahamfloun
William Cochran Weaver in Paiflcy
Thomas Cochran Weaver there
James Clark Weaver there
John Cherry Weaver there
John Gumming Shoemaker in Glafgow
Robert Connel Weaver there
Peter CalJcrhead Weaver there
Thomas Caldcrhcad Weaver there
David Ciiriflie tliere
Mifs Jean Clark in Meikle-Govan
Thomas Campbell \^'eavcr there
Daniel Curric Merchant in Cardroft, t j cop.
Mr. Thomas Campbell Student of divinity, in tbeUni-
vcrfity of Gla(gow
William Caldwell of Yardfoot, Lochuinnoch
Peter Cruikflianks Clerk to the Town-Hofpitalof Glaf.
Robert Gumming Carrier there
Alexander Col^uhoun there
Ifobel Cruikfhanks in Pittodric
George Cruicklhanks farmer in Over Garden
Mr. William Craig officer of excife at Old Mcldnim
Mr. John Clark jun. advocate in Aberdeen
Mr. James Cock minifler of the gofpel at Montkepgie
Mr. James Chalmers minifter of the gofpel at Daviot
Mr. Alexander Gumming merchant in Abcruccn
D
J Ames Donald Elq ; late Bailie in Glalgow, 1 cop.
Baillic William Duguid, Merchant in Old Meldrum,
a 6 copies
William Drew Weaver in Glalgow
Silvefter Donaldfbn Shoemaker there, 6 cop,
David Dalglilh Weaver there
Patrick Davie Bookbinder there. 1 1 cop.
Mr. Dalien Officer of Kxcife there
Robert Dowgal Inn-keeper there
Robert Donaldfon Weaver in AndcrflouB
John Duncan Weaver there
John Dykes Weaver there
John Dick Weaver in Shtttleftoun
John Dick Weaver in Partick
John Donaldfon one of the fcrvantt to the Univetfity of
Glafgow
John Davie in Cardrofs
William Davie there
Patrick Dennirtoun there
James Davie there
David Dunn Coalicr in Ruthcrglen
Adam
The Subfcribers NAMES.
IX
Adam Dickfon farmer at miln of Saffock
Patrick Dngiiid farmer in Ardiffry
Robert Dinfure deacon of the coallicrs in Lightburn
Alexander Diack fervant to tiie LairdtjfPittodric
Mr. George Duriic fcliool-maflcr of Gareoch
Alexander Davidfon farmer in Parkbrae
William Diack in Guttertown
William Davidfon farmer in Ardfork
Mf. Alexander Dovvnie at Crimmond
Mr. William Duthie officer of excife at Peterhead
E
John Ewing weaver in Pollock-diaws
Jofeph Edmond in Bunn-houfc
Ifobel Elmflie in Pittodrie
William Elmflie merchant in Old Mcldrum
F
J Ames Falconer Weaver in Anderftoun
James Fyfe Weaver there
John Fleckfield Weaver in Glalgow
John Fergus weaver there -
David Ferry Weaver there
John Forfyth weaver there
Robert Fleming there
John Ferguflbn weaver in Shettlefloun
James Ferguflbn weaver in Govan
James Fillan gardener at Kcithhali
Mr. Robert Forlyth fchoolmafter at Daviot "*
Mr. John Foibls fador to the laird of Meldrum
Rev. Mr. Robert Far^^uhar minider at chapel of Garioch
Margaret Findlay in Pittodrie
Rev. Mr. John Forbes minifter of the gofpcl at Udny
Mr. Thomas Fergus ftudent of divinity in the Univer-
fity of Glasgow
"Vl'illiam Findlater linen manufafturcr in Old Meldrum
William Forfyth cooper there
Thomas Fergus there
G
REv. Mr. John Gillies one of the minifters of Glafgow
James Graham Maltman there
James Graham Merchant there
James Graham fenior Taylor there
Elizabeth Gardner Indweller there
James Galbrcath Baker there
John Giivan weaver there
John Graham Soap-boiler there
Mr. James Gouilay Student of Divinity io the Univer/i-
ty of Glafgow
Robert Gilfillian Weaver in Anderrtoun
Thomas Graham Cooper in Three-mile-houfe
Andrew Gall Merchant in Gorbalis
John Glen Millar in Cardrofs
James Grecnlies weaver in Caltour*-
William Gemmel vvtiver in Govaa
John Gilfon weaver there
Walter Gl'-n wright in Cardrofs
Robert Gitre there
Walter GaV there
Walter Graham (chool-mader at Blatvuiock
James GiUcfpie aialbn in'Gialgow
William Govan hatter there
Robert vTillefpie in Edinburgh
John Gardener gardener at Pittodrre
Mr. Alexander Gordon officer of excife at Old Meldruna
Baillie John Gillefpie officer of excife there
John Gibfbn farmer at Kindale
Rev. Mr. Alexander Gordon minifler of the gof^l at
KLitorc
Mr Alexander Gordon at Haddo houfc
James Gall farmer in Longhaven
H
BMllie William Harvie in Gorbalk
Mr. William Howe Preacher of the gofpel
John Howie weaver in Glafgow
James Hafle Upholfterer there
George Hutchifbn weaver there
Chrilfian Herbertfon there
William Hamilton Hat-maker there
Alexander Hope weaver in Anderfloun
John Holmes Smith in Paifley
James Hill weaver in Partick
Robert Hill there
Patrick Hendry in Govarr
Charles Hall in Pollockfliaws
Alexander Hamilton Maltman in MarchtouB
Mr. James Hay dyer at Fivie
Johrr Hay farmer at Cruden kirk
William Home farmer in Bogan
John Harper farmer in Oyne
I
ALexander Irvine Printer in Glalgow 3*? cop.
James Jack weaver there
Archibald Jacklbn there
Alexander Jamiefbn weaver there
William Jack weaver there
James Johnflon farmer in Black hogg
John Johnfloun farmer in Ballgreen Tarves parifh
Mr. Adam Ingram merchant in Old Meldrum
Mr James Innes merchant in Aberdeen
Wilham Johnfion taylor there
Robert Jofs at miln of Eafierton
William Johnfloun farmer in Old Meldrum
K
HUgh Kerr weaver in Paifley
Alexander Knox weaver in Glafgow
James Kiflaen Dyer there
William Kinloch weaver there
Alexander Kennedy in Cardrofs *
Willum Kirkwood Gardener in Renmuir
John Knox merchaiit in Bogbrae
George Kirkton merchant in Tillyill
L
Mr. David Lyle Student of Divinity in die Univerfity of
Glafoow
Walter Leckie weaver there
William Lang Hat-maker there
George Lang Hat-maker there
Peter Love Printer in Glafgow j coPt
"William I-egg Hat-maker there
The SubfcriKcrs NAMES.
Henry LcdibeaJ in Hillington
David Lamin^t in weaver in Anderftoun
James Lochli^a.l in Meililc-Govan
Robert Law Smith in Shettleftouii
William Lang Bookbinder in Greenock
Villiam Love Coallier in Rutliciglen
Mr. Alexander Lellie merchant in Aberdeen
Mr. Tohn Lind fchooimafler in Tarves
M
MR. Patrick Maxwell preacher of the gofpcl
Mr. James Morifon preacher of the gofpcl
Robert Motifon weaver in Glafgow
Charles M'Kay weaver there
James Mitchell weaver there
John M' Walter in CarJrols
John M'Farlane there
JDonald M'Farlane farmer in Culiigartan
Alexander M'Ferfon merchant at Linton in Tweedale
John Minties weaver in Clayflap
Patrick Maxwell tanner^ Glasgow
' John Morifon weaver there
John Millar flioemaker there
James M'gill hammerman there
Robert Mufie weaver there
John M'Lae weaver there
John Moachland weaver there -
Archibald M'Calla gardener there
Mifs Mary M'Caflane there
John M'Kair weaver there
Patrick M'Kimmin there
Andrew M'Nair jun. weaver there
John M'Caflane gardener there
Andrew Mitchel innkeeper there
Mr. James M'Kenzie teacher in Hutchlfon's ho(p. Glaf.
Mr. John Morifon ftud. of divinity in the Univer. of Glaf.
John M'Kendrick taylor in Andcrftoun
James M'Cauflane in Cardrofs , '
John M'Leati in Anderftoun overfeer to Mr. Hugh Ni.
yen's bleachficld
Robert M'Klquham weaver in Andcrftoun
James M'Kain weaver there
James Meiklt John weaver there
George Mitchtl weaver in Paiflcy
Robeit Nhiir Taylor in Meikle-govan
Andrew M'Farlan^ maltman and diftillerin Camlacbie
W ill. M'Do»albookftll(T in Greenock 39 cop.
Waher Mii zics in Cardrofs
Mr lames M'W'illiam (ludent of divinity at Oyne
Rev. Mr. Alexander Mcarns minifter at Infch
George Mitchell merchant there
Mr. Adam Maiilandfchoolmancr there
John Maitland farmer in Kirkton of Oyne
John Morifon fcrvant to the laird of Pittodric
John Mathitfon in Hal ton of Ardoney
John Murray mrnhant in Inveiury
] >hn Moir in miln of Balcairn
Air. Alexander Milne merchant in Banff
Mr. |aints Murdocli fchoolmaftcr at Old Meldrum
; li. Gtoigc Moiifon watchmaker there
Mr. James Miln merchant in Turriff
Mr. William Martin officer ofcxcifc at Crudtn
Mr. John Moii merchant at Watcrfitii
Peter .Nlutch black fmith in Peterhead
W illiam M'farlane in Glafgow
N
William Neil weaver in Mcikle-govao
U illiam Norris cooper there
>Iary 'Nifbet in Paifley
Archibald Nivcn in Cardrofs
Archibald Niven Barber in Gla(gow 13 copies
David Niven weaver there
Alexander Nicol in i'remnay
O
THomas Ofburn weaver in Govan
James Orr Smith in Lochuiimoch
P.
REv. Mr. John Patifon niinifter of the gofpcl to the
aflociatc congregation in Edinburglj
Alexander Provan wrigl t in Camlachie
John Paul fhoemaker in Glalgow
'I'homas Pcttigrew weaver there
Andrew Paterfbn fhoemaker there
1 homas Paul weaver there
Archibald Park wool-comber there
Thomas Paul in Cardrofs
\\'iHiam Paterfon weaver in Meikle-govan
James Purdon indweller there
John Perflon merchant in Gorbals, 100 copies
James Porter farmer at Kirkton of Bourty
"lames Paterfon in Tarves
Mr. Robert Pitindrech merchant in Afshallow
R.
MR., James Roy preacher ot the gofpel
James Ratcliff weaver in Glafgow
Hugh Ronald mercliant there 13 cop.
James Robcrtfon weaver there
. John Rcid jun. maltman there
Archibald Robb taylor there
Robert Ritchie weaver in Govan
John Robertfon weaver there
John Robertfon fmith there
John Robertfon weaver there
James Robertfon weaver there
"William Rofsburgh weaver in Caltoun
James Rellon weaver in Shettlefloun
John Robertfon weaker in Rutherglen
William Rowand weaver in Govan
Alexander Riddel fmith at Montkcggie
Kenneth Ramfay merchant in Old Meldnim 1 cop,
>Ir. Gcnrge Rcidfoord fchoolmalKr at Rayne
William Rebecca gardcinr at Pittodric
Tames Rcid hillman at Lightburn
S
REv. Mr. Alexander Stracban miniftcr at Keig
Patrick Simfon taylor in Glafgow s* cop.
Huntzcr Steven weaver there
Jolui ^hitls weaver in Govan
John Smith weaver ihtro
David
The Subfcrlbcrs NAMES.
Rev. Mr. Tlios. Shepherd min. of the gofpcl at Roorty
Rev. Mr. James Strachaii min. of the golpcl at Kinkell
David Spenfe weaver in Glafgow
Will. Somerveil innkeeper there
Alexander Steven weaver there
James Somerveil weaver there
Robert Simfin weaver there
Duncan Stuart there
James Smith weaver there
William Stuart gardener there
Thomas Smith wriglit there 13 copies.
Alexander Smellic hat-maker there
Robert Spier, portioner in Dalgarvan, KiUvinniog parilh
John Scott weaver in Govan
Thomas Stevenfon weaver in AndcrflouB
John Smellie weaver in Shettleftoun
William Stuart weaver there
Robert Struthers bleacher in Kilmarnock
John Siller laylor in Govan
Jjmcs Stevenfon weaver there
John Sprucil weaver in Anderfloun
John Scot in Rutlierglen
John SmtUie farmer in Shettlefloun
George Stephen in miln of Pittniedcn
William Singer farmer in Old Bethelme
Mr. Alexander Smith jun. merchant in Aberdeen
Mr. John Shand at miln of Rain
Mr. Arthur Shand at Wedhall
Mr. Thomas Spark merchant in Aberdeen
George Seton of Mounie Efq.
Mr. James Simpfon merchant in Old Meldrum
|ames Stephen fmith there
Sir. Thomas Simp(<>n merchant at miln of Ardendraught
William Souter vintner in Longhaven ,
John Sliepiey in Hyde in Stockport pari(h, Chelhife
George Stuart in Renfrew
T
REv. Mr. Pat. Thomfon min.of thegoipelat Touch
James Thomfon in GlendifiU
Alexander Taylor weaver in Glafgow
Thomas Taylor weaver there
John Todd fen. maltman there
John Taylor cooper there
XI
John Turner weaver "'n Paifley
Mr. Av'xander Thomfon, merchant and overfcer, in
Glafgow, 13 cop.
Baillie William Thomlbn merchant in Aberdeen
Jolin Thom fquare wright in Whiteftoi.cs
William Taite farmer in miln of Garden
George Taite in Craigmiln
Margaret Thomfon in Old Wefthall
Thomas Turner of Godley in the parifh of Motteram,
Chclhire
W
MR. Alexander Wylie Maltman in Glafgow
Mr. James Wyllie portioner of Galabcrry in Dun-
lop parifh
Mrs. Margaret White of Hollingwortfi Hall in Holling-
worth, Che(hire
Thomas Walker in Ccrnhill, parifh of Afhton, Lanca-
fhirc
David Wilfon weaver"..! Anderftoun
John Wiifbn weaver in Paifley
Robert Witherfpoon hammerman there
John Witherfj30on weaver in Rcnmuir
William Wilfon lenior weaver in Paifley
William Willbn junior weaver there
Robert Winning weaver in Glafgow
John Watfbn weaver there
Matthew Winning taylor there
•Jofeph Whitchill printer there'
Matthew Whitlaw maltman there
Thomas White innkeeper in Govan
Wilham Walker weaver there
John Walker in Gardrofs
James White of Wood-fide, in Kil*jnning parilhi
James Wright merchant in Waule
Thomas Watt at Craigwell
John Watt in Newland
Mr. J-ames Walker at miln of Lumquhart
Mr. George Wilfon jpn. merchant in Aberdeen
Y
MR. Francis Young officer of excife at Fraftrburgfe.
James Young weaver in Anderftoun
William Yool merchant in Glafgow
Andrew Young Maltman there.
Names ofStiifcribers,. ftuhich had been omitted, or came too lats to hand to he inferted above,.
MR, William Buckley ftudent in divinity, in Afli-
ton, Lancafhire
Mifs Betty Buckley in Duckinfield, parifli of Stockport,
Ckefhire
William Burgefs in Ninton-muir, parirti of Motteram,
Chefliire
Bcraleel Butterwith ih Duckinfield, parilh of Stockport,
Chcfhire
James Buckley in Stayley, in the parifh of Motteram
Hugh Brown merchant in Dairy
Robert Brown farmer in Lin, Dairy parifh
Jphn Boyd in Wood, in Kilwinning parifh
John Brown farmer in Lin, in Dairy parifli
James Craig farmer in Old muir, Dairy parifli
George Chadwick in Duckinfield, in the parifli of Stock-
port, t hefhirc, i copies
Hugh Dunlop of Wood end, in Kilwinning parifli
Robert Dunlop portioner in Smifloun, in Kilwinning;'
parifh
John Ferguflon taylor in Shettlefloun
Mr. William Freebairn in Glafgow
John Freeland portioner there
John Fcgns weaver in Pollockfhaws -
Michael Gticve fh^emakcr in Glafgow
Jph»
Xll
Jolin GartfiJc in Stayley, in Chefhirc
Mr. James Gladftons in DuckinficlJ, Clicfhire
Mrs. Harrop in Hardflay in Afhtan parifli, LanoaOiire
Todiua Heginbotliem of Hollingworth, in Chclhirc
Robert Hyde in Shepley, pariih of Afliton, Lancafhirc
Arthur Holrin Alhton, Lancadiire
Mr. John Jack fchoolmaftcr in Baidlandmiln, Dairy
parifh
Williarq Kirkwood. merchant in Bcith
James Jamiefon coallicr in Glafgow
Mary Kinder in Stcciy-wood, parifh of Afliton, Chcfhirc
The Subfcribers NAMES.
James Logan (hoemaker in Dairy
John Lcitcli in Rochdale, Lancalhirc
Alexander M'Alpine, reader in Glafgow
David Millar farmer in Campfic
John M'Kcchnic (locking- maker in Glafgow
Thomas M'farlane diflillcr in Renfrew
RoKrrt Pollock jimior, in Dairy pariflt
William Ronald weaver there
James Robinfon mafon in Govan
George Ronald mafbn in CampHc
John Ronald there.
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THE
NEW BIRTH.
John 111. 3.
Except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom ofGO D;
WE read in the former chapter, John
ii. 23. lVhe7t Jcfus -was at Jerw
fakm, at the feaji of the pujjo-
ver, tnany believed in his name, ivhen they
faw the miracles ivhich he did', amongft
thofe many, here is one of them (faith Au-
ftin * ;) What one ? of all men the mofl:
unlikely is a Jew, of all Jews a ruler, of all
rulers a Pharifee; John vii. 48. Have a-
ny of the rulers, or Pharifees believed on
him? But howfoever it feem thus unlike-
ly unto us, the Spirit of God bloiveth
ivhere it lifieth: here is amongft many be-
lievers one Nicodemus, verfe 1. and he is
a man of the Pharifees, a ruler of the
Jeivs ; a Jew, a Ruler, a Pharifee : Cod is
able even of thefe flones to raife up chil-
dren unto Abraham, Lukeiii. 8. ; yea, we
fee here, be they never fo flony, our Sa-
viour melts one of them with a miracle,
and, by a New Birth, he will make him
a fon of Abraham indeed. A miracle
brings him to Chrift, and Chrift brings him
to a New Birth. The Firft Nicodemus
confeffeth, John iii. 2. Rabbi, (faith he to
our Saviour) -we know that thou art a
teacher come from God : for no man can
do thefe miracles which thou dofl^ except
God be -with him. The Second our Savi-
our affirmeth, as if he had anfwered. To
fay lamfejjtfrom God, and not to be born
again, will never help thee to heaven ; thy
confefTion is right, that / am fent from
Gody but thy converfation is wrong, that
art not horn again : thou comefl to me
with confeflion of thy faith, but here is a
further catechifm, another leflbn ; and
therefore, as thou callefl: me Rabbi, if thou
wilt be a fcholar in my fchool, thou muft
learn thefe principles, thefe rudiments,
thefe /r/? things, this text, this A, B, G of
Chriltian religion. Except a man be born
* Nicodtms ex his erat qui crediderant in mmine ejus, viderJes figna et prodigia quaefacicbat. i.e. Nicodcmus was on*
of tholc who haJ believed in his name, when they law the figns and miracles which he did. Aug. Trad, on Joh„.
fi again,
:, 7he NE W
again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God.
In profecution of \v*hich words, (all ten-
ding to this one point, the New Birth) we
fliall follow the order fet down by the ho-
ly Ghoft, where is,
1. ThcNeceffitjr of it, no going to hea-
ven without it ; except.
2. The Generality of it ; every man is
bound to it ; a man.
3. The Manner of it ; how a man is
wrought in it; he muft be born again.
4. The Ifliie of it, what effefls are an-
nexed to it, The kingdom of God., and fight
cf that kingdom ; a man that is born again
(hall fee the kingdom of God : and, except
,a man be bcrn agaiJi, he /hall not fee the
kinp^dom of God.
Thefe be the branches ; and of every of
them (by God's affiftance) we ftiall gather
fome fruit for the food of your fouls. The
firfl branch is the fir ft word, except.
Except.']
THIS except is without exception ;
for unlefs we are new born, there is
no going to heaven : before we live here,
we.are born ; and before we live there, we
are new born. As no man cometh into
this world, but by the firft birth ; fo it is
jmpolTible that any ftiould go to heaven in
another world, but by the fecond birth.
And this gives us the Neceffity of Rege-
neration *.
D06I. Except a man be new born, he can
never be favcd. It is our Saviour's fpeech,
and he confirms it with a double aflevera-
tion, Verily, verily, I fay unto thee. Twice
verily, which we find not any where
BIRTH.
but in John's gofpel f , and no where in
the golpel fo oft, as on this argument :
how then ftiould we difbelieve this truth,
where we have fuch a witnefs as Chrift,
fuch a teftimony as his verily, verily, J fay
unto thee ?
Again, God the Father thus counfels not
only Nicodemus, but all the Jews of the
old church, faying, Make you anew heart,
and a new fpirit : for why will ye die, O
houfe of Ifrael? Ezek. xviii. 31. Not
withftanding all their privileges (for they
are Jfraelites, to whom pertaineth the a-
doption, and the glory, and the covenants^
and the giving of the law, and the fervice
of God, and the prcmifes, Rom. ix. 4), yet
here is ^unum necejfarium] one thing ne-
cejfary, that muft crown all the reft; they
muft have a new heart, and a jtcw fpirit,
i. e. they muft be new born, or there is no
way but death ; from which death, fee
how the Lord pulls them with his cords
of love ; alluring, wooing, queftioning,
JVhy will ye die, houfe of Ifrael ?
And yet again, not only the Son and the
Father, but the holy Ghoft too will a-
vouch this truth ; He that hath an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit faith unto the
churches ; And what is that ? To him that
overcometh, will I give a white Jlone \, and
in the /tone a new name written : yea, I
will write upon him new Jerufalem ; and
1 will write upon him my new name. Rev.
ii. i7.andiii. 12. The meaning is, He that
is new bcrn, and fo overcometh fin, God's
Spirit will give him his grace, the white
fione, and his kingdom, the new Jeru/a-
• This is one way of Ihewing the Neccflity of it; and it is will if men are convinced, by any argument whatever,
of //!»flrneceffity : but, to the intelligent Reader, it is necdlefs to obfcrve. That the N<ctfriiy of Regeneration is nor
founded h much on any analogy between the natural and fpirituai birth, as upon the authority of God, and the
nature oftl.e heavenly liappincfs. God, the fuprcme governor and judge of ail, commandcth us to bepofllircd
of d certain temper of mind, and to purfue a certain courfe of life, implied in this great ciiange or rt volution, empha-
lic-Uy rtiled the New Birth; bcfidcs, //w/ temper of mind, and courfoof life, which he cnjoircih u;, isablolutely nccef'
fary to fit us for lieaven : and therefore we arc bound, in point of intercfl as well as duty, to obey this law of him
who is our great Sovereign and Friend. f Rupert.
i Alluding to an ancient cuftom in courts of jiiflice; where he who was condemned liad a bl^ck flopc given him;
kut lietha' was acquitted, had a white one put into his hand, with his name written in the Aonc. Sec Ovid's mc-
tamorphof. book xv. and ]?crlius' isatirci.
iem)
Tne NEW BIRTH,
lent, and a r.eii) ftafne, the name of filiati-
on, (faith a modern, Aretius o>i the place.)
whereby truly he is called the neiu born
fon. of God. See here how Old things be-
ing done away, all things are become neiv,
2 Cor. V. 17. By tf neiv birth man has
got a ne-w name, a new inheritance : and
therefore as the Spirit, fo the New Birth
is called a F//r, that purgeth away drofs,
and maketh fouls bright and new ; fo that
we mufl: pafs through this Fire, or no
paiTage into Paradife.
Nor is this doctrine without reafon or
ground.
For, except by the fecond birth, man
is, "^firfl, unholy, and therefore mofl: un-
fit to enter into heaven ; for -without ho-
linejs, no man Jh all fee God, Heb. xii. 14.
And what is man before he is 7ie-jj born ?
if we look upon his foul, we may fee it
deformed with fin, defiled with luft, out-
raged with paffions, overcarried with af-
fediions, pining with envy, burthened with
gluttony, boiling with revenge, tranfport-
ed with rage: and thus is that image of
God transformed into the ugly fliape of
the devil. Or fhould we take a more par-
ticular view : every faculty of the foul is
full of iniquity ; the underftanding under-
ftands nothing of /^«? things of God, i Cor.
ii. 14. The will willeth nothing that is
good, Rom. vii. 20, the afFeftions affedl
nothing of the Spirit, Gal. v. 17. In a
\\'ord, the underfianding ib darkened, the
will enthralled, the affedions difordered,
the memory defiled, the confcience be-
nummed; all the inner man is full of fin,
and there is no part that is good, no not
one. But what fay we of the body ? fure
that is noching better ; it is a rotten car-
rion, altogether unprofitable, and good for
nothing. Should we view it in every part
and member of ii ? the head contri\ es mif-
chief, the eyes behold vanity, the ears let
in fin, the tongue fends out oaths. Come
we lower ; the heart lodgeth lufi^, the
hands commit murder, the feex run to
evil : all the fenfes are but fo many match-
es to give fire to Iufl:s, deceits, envies, and
whatnot? How needful now is a Ne~u
Birth to a man in this cafe? Can he enter
into heaven, that favours all of earth ?
Will thofe precious gates of gold and
pearl open to a finner ? No, he muft firft
be new moulded, and fanftified ; or he ii;
excepted ; Except a man be new born.
Secondly, Except'] This, and man ii!
God's enemy; no greater oppofition than
betwixt God and a finner: confider we
him in his eflence, or in his attributes ?
in his effence he is called Jehovah, both in
refpeft of his Being, and of his promifes ;
in refpedl of his Being, and foGod is con-
trary to fin; for fin is ataxy, diforder,
confufion, a not-being ; and God is or-
der, perfeftion, holinefs, an abfolute and
*a fimple Being : in refpedl likewife of his
promifes, wherein there is a main oppofi-
tion to fin ; for howfoever he promifeth
a reward to the regenerate, and fo the
name Jehovah is a golden pledge unto us,
that, if we repent, he will forgive us ; yet
withal he promifeth Jlorms and tempeji,
fire and perdition to the unregenerate :
and thus his name and nature is altogether
oppofite to fin and finners. But view
we thofe attributes of God, I mean his
jufiice, truth, patience, holinefs, anger,
power; hisjuftlcein punidiing the impeni-
tent according to his deferts, his truth t\^t^-
ing thofe plagues which he hath fpoken in
his time, his patience forbearing fins de-
firuftion till they are grown full ripe, his
holinefs abhorring all impurities. He cannot
behold iniquity , his anger fiirring up re-
venge againft all offered injuries, his power
multering up his forces, yea, all his crea-
tures againfl his enemies : and what can
we fay, but if all thefc attributes-are at
enmity with finful man, wo worth to man
B 2 , becaufe
4. Ahe NEW
becaufc of offences! better he had never
been born, than not to be nc^u born; alas,
what fliall become of him ? Can he that is
God's enemy fee God in his glory ? No,
there is no way but one. Except herepenty
Except'] he be bom again.
Thirdly, Except by a new birth, man
is without Chrifty Eph. ii. 12. for If any
man be in Chrift, he is a new creature :
and if he be not in Chrift, what hopes of
that man ? It is only Chrifl that opens
heaven, it is only Chrift that is the Il''ay
to heaven ; befidcs him, there is no xuay,
no truth, no life: and, if wc be in him,
as the branch in t^e vine, it is of necefTi-
ty that we bring forth good fruit. Upon
thefe terms his death is effeftual, if we
become neiu creatures ; or otherwife, all
his merits (his blood that was flied, his
body that was crucified, his foul that was
agonized) they are nothing iinto us, we
. nothing bettered by them. He died for
all, but his death is not applied, his king-
dom is not opened, fave only imto thoi'e
that have learned and praftifed this rule
o'f exception : Except'] a man be born again.
Fourthly, Except before excepted, a
man is a very limb of Satan, a child of
darknefs, and one of the family of hell.
Conlider this, ye ihat are out of the flate
of grace, in what miferablc thraldom are
;^'Our fouls ? Should any call you fervants,
or flaves of Satan, you would take it
highly in difdain ; but take it as you pleafe,
if you are not regenerate, you are in no
better cafe ? Paul appeals to your own
knowlege; Knew ye not, that to whonifo-
evtr you give yowfelves as fervants to
obeyy his fervants ye arc to whom ye obey?
Rom. vi. 16. If then ye obey the devil's
fuggeftions (which you do, being unborn)
what are you but the devil's fervants ?
And if he be your maflcr, what is your
B 1 RTH.
wages? You may fee it, Rom. vi. 2j.
The wages of fin is death; death of the
body, and death of the foul; death here,
and death hereafter in hell-fire. Alas, that
Satan fiiould have this power on man ! that
he who is the enemy, and means nothing
to a finner but death and damnation,
fliould be his lord, and tyrannize it over
him at his own will and pleafure ! AVould
any man be hired to ferve lions and tygcrs ?
And is not the devil a roaring lion, walk-
ing about ^and fecking who7n he may devour?
I Pet. V. 8. To ferve him that would de-
vour his fervant, is a raofl: miferable bon-
dage; and what pay can one cxpeft from
devils, but roaring, and devouring, and
tearing of fouls ? In this plight are the fer'
vants of corruption, Haves of Satan, fo I
rightly call them ; for, Of whom a man
is overcome, of the fame is he brought in
bondage, 2 Pet. ii. 19. To wind up this
point ; Lord, who fhall abide in thy taber-
nacle, who fh all dwell in thy holy hill?
If we believe David, Not he that flander-
eth with his tongue, or doth evil to his
neighbour, or giveth his money upon ufury,
or taketh a reward againj} the innocent,
Pfal. XV. I, 3, 5. Ko; fuch are the fer-
vants of Satan, and here is matter of ex-
ception againft them ; except a man be born
again, he cannot fee the kingdoin of God,
The fum of all: Without Regeneration
no Kingdom; for whether we confider
man in regard of himfelf or of Cod, or
of Chrifl, or of Satan, hQ U {except he be
new born) unholy. Cod's enemy, cut of
Chrif}, in Satan.
Ufe. And if the New Birth be thus ne-
cell'ary.how fliould we f labour to be born
again ? I mean not, as Nicodemus, to enter
into our another s womb again, and be born.
It is not the feed of man in the woriib of
our mother, but the feed of grace in the
\ Thus isthclanguage of God; I faii. Mold me, to a nation that wat not called by my name, Ifa. Ixv.
womb
The NEW B I R TH,
womb of the church, that makes us blef-
fed (<a) : and if we are thus born by grace,
then are we fanflificd, made fons of
God, heirs with Chrift, over whom Sa-
tan can have no power at all. Now then,
as you tender your fouls, and delire hea-
ven at your ends, endeavour * to at-
tain this Qtie thing necejjary \ \ Lift up
your hearts unto God, that you may be
•wafhed, jujiified, fan6iified in the name
of the Lord Jefiis ; and that by the Spirit
of God you may walk in new ways, talk
with new tongues, as being new creatures,
created unto good works. Thus would
you % wait on God in his way, I trufl the
Lord in mercy would remember you,
and his Spirit would blow upon you, and
then you would find and feel fuch a change
within you, as that you would blefs God
for ever, that you were thus bom again :
otherwife how woful are you, confidering
this bar in heaven's door, to keep out th&
unregenerate, except'] Except a man be bom
again, he cannot fee the kingdom 0} God.
Thus far of the exception ; we now
come to the perfon, that is in a nifi prius
in the front, except : this is the party that
muft profecute the caufe, a man.
A Man]
AND this man] is every man, and e-
very part of man. It implieth all
men ; for all are bound to it : and all man ;
for all the parts of his body, and all the
powers of his foul are to be renewed, or
he cannot be faved. 1 he word then is
general, whether we refpeft genera Jingn-
lorum, the kinds, all men ; ox fingida ge-
nerum, the individuums, all man, or all
the parts of man, body and foul.
A\'e will firft begin with the kinds.
Do(5l. I . J!l men {or all mankind) mufl
be regenerated before they he faved. Not
one of all the fons of Adam that fhall ever
go to heaven, except he he born again.
IMay your contemplations, guided by God's
M'ord, go into that paradife above, there
walk the ftreets, behold the towers, view
the fubjefts, frojjithe one end of heaven to
another : and whom find you there ? Not
one that liveth and dieth in fin ; there is
not in it, nor fliall enter into it any thing
that defileth, neither xvhatfoever ivorketh
aboynination, or maketh a lie. Rev. xxi.
27. Yet if fuch repent them of their fins,
the gates fiall net be ftmt againfi- them :
all the faints that now -coalk in the light of
it, were finners ; but firft they were purg-
ed by the Lamb, and fan6\ified by the Spi-
rit; firft they were regenerated, and fo
they were faved.
You may obie(^, If all men that go to
heaven mufi: be new born, what fliall be-
come of infants, that die ere they be born?
Can a inan enter the fecond time into his
mother's womb, and be born ? (faid Nico-
demus). But can a man enter into the
fecond birth in his mother's womb, (fay
you) and be born again, before he is once
born ?
I anfwer [To he born again] fuppofeth
to be once born indeed ; therefore, ac-
cording to the letter, our Saviour fpeak-
eth of a man already born info the world,
that he mufl be born again : but if we feek
out the fenfe, [To he horn again], as our
Saviour interprets, is to be born of wa-
ter and of the Spirit ; and fo may infants
not born into the world, be horn again.
{a) Thefe exprefllons, although pithy and juU, are yet coarlertban tl.ofe fcnpture phrafcs; where the fameftn-
timent is exprelfcd, but in finer language ; John in, 13.
* Tbui ivhijjl the minljier [peaks, it is ChriJ} Cometh with poiver in the "word, Ezek, xviii. 3 1 .
t Pray, becauji God Inddcth yon pray : it may be he ivill come in ivbeii you prciy. When Simon Magus -wes in the
gall of hitteniejs, TeUr biddeth him pray, A<fls viii. ai.
\ Not that -we can imit by a power of our own, but he that faith. Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be
gracious to you, Ifa.xxx, 18. He draweth and giveth a power to wait en him, and he comctliin, when kehatb waited,
in the fttejl time.
Thus
rhe ISl EJF B IRTH.
Thus we read offeremiah, The word of the
Lord came unto hirn, faying. Tie fore 1 form-
ed thee in the belly ^ I knew thee ; and be-
fore thou came ft forth out of the womb, I
fanclified thee, Jer. i. 5. And thus we
read of; John thebaptifl, the angel of the
Lord faying of him, \}c\z\. he fhould he filled
with the holy Ghoji, ei>enfrom his mother'' s
womb, Luke 1. 15. By thefe examples
we fee what the Lord can do ; yea what he
doth indeed, although we know not how,
nor can it be obferved by us.
You may yet objefl, ["To be horn again"]
is (faith our Saviour) \Jo be horn of water
and of the Spirit :1 now water is the out-
ward bnptifm, ana^he Spirit is the inward
grace, (thus all the Ancients % haveconftru-
cd this text,faith Hooker) but children not
born, howfoever they are fanftified by the
Spirit, they cannot be baptized with wa-
ter, and therefore they cannot fee the king'
dom of God,
I anfwer. In cafes of extremity, or im-
poITibility, if aftual baptifm be wanting,
vocal is enough, and thus far fome of our
adverfaries grant us; Though it be wanting
indeed, (faid Aquinas, 3. part. q. 68. art.
2.) yet baptifm in defire is fuffi:ient to fal-
vation : and to this end he citeth Auftin,
faying, San^ification may be without bap-
tifm, and baptifm without fan^ification :
if fan£iification be, though baptifm be not,
it availeth to falvation ; but if baptifm be,
and fan^ if cation be not, it availeth no-
thing at all. Our conclufion is this, All
men, (or all mankind) young men and
maidens, old men and children, Pf. cxlviii.
12. all muft be regenerated, or they can
never Cee the Kingdom of God.
Doci. 2. Secondly, As all men, fo all
man"] all the members of liis body, all the
faculties of his foul. San^ification, if
faving, mufl be perfe^ and entire, though
not in r(fpc6} of degrees, yet in refpeci of
parts; every part and power of body and
foul mufl: have its part of fanftification,
though no part his full perfeftion, before
the difTolution of our earthly tabernacles:
hence (fiy divines) there is a regenerati-
on, or fanfrificntion (it is all one) inchoata
and confionmata ; inchoata, begun in this
life, confummata, perfcfted in that other :
and of tkis faith our Saviour, Matth. xix.
28. Verily I fay unto yon, that ye rv ho
have followed me in the regeneration, when
the Son of man (hall ft in the throne of
his glory, ye fiall alfo Jit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Ifrael:
we fpeak not of this Regeneration, but of
that which bringeth to this ; for we mufl
be regenerate here, or have no part there
with God in his glory.
And fliould we confider Man in his
parts, every part mufl: bear a part in this
birih ; his Body mu(t be regenerated," his
Soul mull: be renewed. We will begin
with the body : As ye have yielded your
fnembers fervants to uncleannefs, and to
iniquity unto iniquity ; even fo no-dj yield
your members fervants to righteoufiefs,
unto holinefs, Rom. vl. 19. As every mem-
ber of the old ?}ian is full of fin ; fo every
member of the new born ?nan is to be re-
newed by grace. To inftance in fome of
them ; the Heart, that in the old ?nan is
full of evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, falfe witnefs, blafphe-
mies, Matth. xv. 19. In the new man, it
is the member that mufl hrft be renewed ;
here grace firft (eats itfelf, and after is dif-
perfcd over all : as in natural generation
the heart is firfl framed; fo in fpiriiual re-
generation the heart is lirfl reformed.
Some call it the firlt mover of all mtns'ac-
\ Bcllarn-.inc {in V'jL ii- hr,k 1. Of the cfTi -acy of t'le ficramcnts) wftancdh in no lejs th,vi fifteen Fathers, wko ilvn
coKjinut! this text, liowkcr's Ecdcf. I'olit. book. v. fed, 59.
tions ;
rhe NEW
lions ; for as the firll mover carrieth all
the fpheres of heaven with it, fo doth the
heart carry all the members of the body
with it; and therefore it is, that the new
7«i7« begin neth firfl with his heart: for, if
that fountain be right, all the dreams of
his delires, purpofes, afFe6\ions, fpeeches,
adlions, converfations run fweet, and clear,
and pleafant. Again the eye, that in the
old man is the broaker, that goeth between
the heart and the objecft, to make up the
iinful bargain ; that which our Saviour
calleth an evil eye, Matth. vi. 23. St. Pe-
ter termeth an adulterous eye, 2 Pet. ii.
14. In the new man itmufl: be exercifed on
other obje£ls; / made a covenant with mine
eyes (faith Job, chap. xxxi. i.) Why then
Jloould I look upon a ?naid ? I will lift up
mine eyes unto the hills (faith David'), Pfal.*
cxxi. I .) from whence comet h mine help.
Again, the ear, that in the old man \°, flop-
ped againjl the voice of the charmer, charm
he never fo wifely; Pfal. Iviii. 5.' or if it
be open, like death's porter, it letteth in
fin and Satan at every occafion ; in the
new man it mult be the gate of life, or the
door of faith : therefore there is not a mem-
ber that the devil more envieth than the
ear, as we fee in the man poHeired with a
deaf devil, Mark ix. 25.; who poiTefTed that
fenfe, as the moft excellent, to hinder him
from hearing. Again, the tongue, that in
the old jnan is a world of iniquity, that
defileth the whole body, that fetteth on (ire
the courfe of nature, and is fet on fire of
hell, Jam. iii. 6. In the new man it mufl:
be the trumpet of divine praife, or (as
David calleth it) the pen of a ready writer,
Pfalm xlv. I. uttering only thofe things
which the heart inditeth in fincerity and
truth. To fum up all in one : the heart
is it, where, grace beginneth firfl, and is
felt lai\; and therefore faith God, Son, give
BIRTH. 7
tne thy heart, Prov. xxiii. 26. And there-
fore prayeth David, Create in me a clean
heart, Pfal. li. 10. And therefore willeth
Solomon,A><r/> thy heart with all diligence ;
jor out of it are the ijfues of life, Prov. iv.
23. Would any man that is regenerate en-
counter fin in his heart, it wei-e impofiihle
to break out into action : Would the heart
of any man that \s born again, but meet
fir^ with this dilemma: ' If I commit this
* fin, I mufl either repent, or not repent
' for it ; if I do repent, it will coit me
' more heart-break, and fpiritual fmart,
' than the fenfual pleafure can be worth :
* if I never repent, it will be the death and
* damnation of my foul:' fure this thought
conceived, and rightly followed in the
heart of the regenerate, would be enough
tocrulh fin at the firfl rifing of it ; and'fo
it is, for if he be regenerate, he doth not
^fin *, JVhofoever is born of God doth not
commit fin, i John iii, 9, He is mould-
ed anew, and all the members of his body
are conformed to the fovereignty and rule
of grace; yt2L,his body is preferved blame-
lefs, holy, acceptable unto God, i ThefT. v.
23. Rom. xii. i. It is a ynember ofChriJi;
the temple of the holy Ghofl, i Cor. vi.
15. 19. Happy man that isblefiwith this
body ! fure, a man thus born again, he
Jh all fee the kingdom of God.
Secondly, as the Body, fo the Soul of
this man is to be renewed by grace ; There-
fore glorifie God in your body and in your
fpirit, (faith Paul, i Cor. vi. 20.) The
body and the fpirit muft both glorifie God;
and as all the parts of the body, fo all the
powers of the foul.
Firfi, Thq Underflanding, that in the
old man, Eph. iv. 18. is blind and ignor-
ant about heavenly things; or howibever
it may know many things, yet never can
attain to faving knowledge : in the new man
* The meaning is, he doth not fin haHtually; he does not delight in finning ; he is not zjlavc to fin. or the fcrvant
of it; and if. at any time, through the force of temptation, or the weaknefs and impcrfcaion ot'his graces, he'
faileth into fin, he is heartily ^rit-w^/ for it, finct rely repents, and rtturntth to hisduty.
it
8
The N Eir B I RTH.
it muft be anointed with the eye-/h/ve of
••he Spirit, J^ev. iii. i8. infpircd with the
Knowledge of divine truths, cfpecially with
thofefacredand faving myftcries which con-
cern i/^e kingdom of God. Again, t he JH II thtii
in the crlcl man affe(^ls nothing but vile and
vain things, is froward and perverfe in the
ways of godlinefs ; in the «(?xu man'w. mufl:
prove and approve what is x!nt good, and ac-
ceptable, andperfeclivillofCod, Rom. xii.
2. Yea, it muft attend and be fiibordinate to
thegraceofGod,finceGod indeed, and God
onlyiuorkethinus both thewill andthe deed,
Phil. ii. 13. Again, the Memory that in
the old man Is flipp^ry in the things of God,
or if naturally good, yet not fpiritually
nfeful; in the new man it mufl be fanfti-
fied to good performances; and although
it cannot increafe to a great natural perfec-
tion, (for grace doth not this) yet the per-
feflions it hath mufl be Araight, and right,
and guided to God- ward ; Remember the
Lord thy Cod, faith Mofes, Deut. viii. x8.
Again, the confcience that in the old man
fleepeth and flumbereth, or, if it be awake,
teareth and roareth as if a legion of devils
now pofleifed it : in the new man it mufl
be calm and quiet; and yet not fleep or
Ilumber, but rather, in a friendly loving
manner, check and controul wherefoever
fin is; yea, never be quiet, until with kind
and yetearnell expolUilations, it draw the
finncr before God to confefs his fault, and
fo feek pardon for it. Again, the affe^i-
ons that in the old man are fenfual, inor-
dinate, bewitched, and fet on wrong ob-
jects ; in the new man ihey mufl be turn-
ed another way. Mary Magdalene, you
know, was given to unclean lulls, but the
Lord diverted this linful pafTion, and fo flie
became penitent, and tliirltcd after grace.
To fum up all : all mufl be renewed, the
Undtr (landing, J nil, Memory, Confcience,
Jfcaions.
But to feel more of their fweetnefs, I
will pound thefe fpices, and dwell a while
on them. Now then for your better ac-
quaintance with the regenerate man, and
that you may know his diiference from the
man unregenerate, obferve, I pray, thefe
palfages :
Firf}, I fay, in the }ieiv man the Under-
flanding mufl be renewed ; fo the apoflle.
The nexv man is renewed in knowledge, Col.
iii. 10. And this knowledge implieth two
habits, (fapientiam) IVifdom, and (pruden-
tiam) Prudence, Col. i. 9. Firfl, IVifdom,
and that is fpeculative. Secondly, Pru-
dence, and that is praflical. By the one
the child of God having the eyes of his mind
opened and enlightened, doth fee the my-
fleries of falvation, the fecrets of the king-
dom, the whole counfel, and the wonders
of the law of God : by the other he is ena-
bled with a judicious lincerity to deliberate
and determine in cafes of confcience, in
the pra£lice of piety, and the experiment-
al palTages of a Chriftian man. If we con-
lidcr the firfl, (wifdom) how is it poffible
that a man that is unregenerated fhould
know the myfleries of falvation I It may
be he may go as far as the power of natu-
ral difcourfe, and light of reafon can bear
fway ; he may be furniihed with flore of
rare and excellent learning, and yet for all
this, want the true knowledge oijpiritual
wifdom. A\'hy fo ? Becaufe all his knowledge,
like the light of the moon, is difcharged
tipon others, but never returneth and re-
ile<fleth upon his own foul *. He fliould
know but knoweth not the darknefs of his
own underflanding, the diforder of hisown
afl'e<flions,thcllumberofhisown confcience,
the dcadnefs of his own heart; but the man
* I(c that knows every thing but hisown licait, knows iiotl •n(» at all.— One moy-fay of fclf-knowleJgc, what
the apoHle fays of ciiarity ;. Thow^h I fpfuk vAth the to gna of mot and cf aiigch ; yea, tho' I have the gift of pro-
fhecj, uiidcrjiand (ill najlenes, and all hio-alct'^e, and have not the knowledge ofm)rclf. it Iroftcth m natU'ij.
re-
n^e NEW
regenerate (know he never fo little) he hath
tkefavi72g know/edge, and in this he exceed-
eth the greateft rabbles, the profoundeft
clerks ; he only knoweth God with a fted-
faft apprehenfion, he only knoweth him-
felf a moft mean, bnfe and contemptible
thing : his ne-jj birth hath learned him how
wicked a creature he naturally is, and
therefore in that refpe<fl is he odious to
himfelf, and loaihfome in his own eyes.
Or if we confider xht fecond, (prudeniiam.
Prudence) how is it poffible that a man un-
regenerate fhould experimentally know the
pradlice of piety in a Ghriflian courfe ?
Should we inftance in this myfiery of rege-
neration : here is one NicodemuSy a ruler of
the JewSy and a teacher of Ifrael ; yet as
learned as he was, if he confer with Chrifl
about the falvation of his foul, he is ftrange-
ly childhh, and a mere infant : tell him of
the Ne-w Birthy and he thinketh it as im-
polTible, as for an old wan to return into
his 7nothei'''s womb, and be born again. The
natural man cannot difcern the operations
of grace, he knoweth not that dark and
fearful pafTage, which leadeth from the Aate
of nature through ftrange terrors and tor-'
ments of foul, int9 the rich and glorious
happinefs of the kingdom of Chrift: where-
as on the contrary, the regenerate man,
that hath had the experience of the power
of godlinefs upon his own foul, he can fee
and judge of the light of grace, he can tafte
and relifh of the fruits of the Spirit ; and
hence it is, that many a filly one (man and
woman) whom the worldly-wife pafs by
with fcorn and contempt, are often in fpi-
ritual affairs more wife and learned than
the learnedft doctors.
Secondly^ The will muft be renewed ;
and this Will of the regenerate containeth
two things, (re£litudinem) Rightnefsy and
BIRTH. i^
(promptitudinem) Readinefs i it is firft rec-
tified, when it is conformed to the wil!
of God. 2dly, it is fo inflamed wiih the ■■'
love of goodnefs, that he wi'Iingly purfu-
eth it with alacrity of fpirit. If we con-
fider the Firjl, (reSiitjidinem, the Recfi-
tude of the Will) we fee by experience the
will of the unregenerate is all out of
courfe, he willeth nothing but that which
is evil : how flaould he, confidering his want
of God's image, his blindnefs of heart, his
pronenefs to evil, together with the vehe-
mency of his afTeftions, which draw the
will after them, and trouble the judgment ••
But in the man that is regenerate, the will
being moved, it afterwards moveth itfelf,
God's grace that concurreth with it, quick -
eneth it and reviveth it ; fo that now his
will is nothing but God's will : if it may
appear that God biddeth him, or forbid-
deth him, to do this, or that, he choof-
*th above all to follow his commands,
whatfoever becomes of him ; why this is
the X very heart and marrow of regenera-
tion; you may be fure, the man that choof-
eth above all to pleafe God, is the only man
of God, and fhall be rewarded by God. — •
Or if we confider the Second (promptitudi-
nem, the Readincfs of the will to good) alas,
the will of the unregenerate hath no plea-
fure in goodnefs, he underftandeth not the
fweetnefs of it, and therefore nothing is
more irkfome to him than the ways of god-
inefs, Job xxi. 14. Whereas on the con-
trary, the will of the regenerate is willing,
and this willingnefs indeed is the perfedion
of his will ; yea (if we can fay more) it is
the higheft degree of his perfedlion in this
life, to be willing to do good.
Thirdly, the Memory muft be renewed;
and this memory refledeth occafionally on
a double objeft (Deum et Dei verbum ; on
VT '"'.' P"*^' °'' *° choofe Chnft, or to confent that Cluirt (hall be ours, together with hij benefits, may be
coT.n.lent with an unregenerate eftate : but to ^\\\ or choofe Chrifl more heartily, firongly and prevailingly than his
plealures ct mfcnor good ; no wicked njan can do. Baxter's cvalafdng Reft, ^^ "^ ^ "• ^ >
G Cod,
The JSl EW B IRTH.
lo
C(yd, and the things of Cod.) Firft On God,
by remembrance of his prefence every
where. Secondly, On the things of God,
by calling them to mind at ufeful times.
If vc confider the firft objeifl:, {Deum) God,
the unregenerate hath no mind on God :
Cod is not in all his thoughts, Pfal. x. 4.
Like the hood-winkt fool, that feeing no
body, thinketh no body feeth lym ; fo hath
he faid in his heart, Hovj doth Cod know ?
can he judge through the dark cloud ? Thick
clouds are a covering to him that he feeth not,
and he lualketh in the circuit of heaven, Job
xxii. 13, 14. But contrariwife, the regene-
rate man, he retneiyibereth his Creator in
the days of his yd%th, Ecclef. xii. i. And
though God, as being a Spirit, is, in fome
fort, abfent from his fenfes, yet by virtue of
his landlified Mtmory (which maketh things
abfent as prefent) his eye is on God, and he
confiders God as an eye-witnefs of all his
thoughts, and words, and doings, and deal-
ings ; he knows nothing can be hid from
that all-feeing eye : though fin tempt him
u'ith the fairefl opportunities of night and
darknefs, yet Hill he remembers if his eye
feeth nothing, all thofe eyes of heaven (of
God and of his angels) are ever about him ;
and therefore he anfvvers the Tempter,
* How dare I fin to his face, that looks on
* me what I am doing ? If I dare not do this
* folly before men, how dare I do it before
* thofe heaven-fpeftators, God and his an-
gels V Or if we confider ihtfecond objed^
(^Deiverbum, thewordofCod) the unregene-
rate never burdeneth his memory with fuch
blefled thoughts; if fometimcs he falls up-
on it, it is either by conftraint, or by ac-
cident, never with any fettled refolution to
dwell on it, or to follow it : but the foul
that is regenerate, with Mary, keepeth all
■thefe things in his heart, Luke ii. 51. Or
"with David, gives it out, Thy word have I
hid in my heart, Pfal.cxix. 1 1. Whatfoever
lelFons he Icarneth, like fo many jewels in a
caiket, he lays them up fafe, and then as
need ferveth, he remembers bis Acre, and
makes all the good ufe of them he may. I
will not deny, but any man, good or evil,
may retain good things according to that
ftrength of retainment, which nature af-
fords him ; but the regenerate, whofe me-
mory only is fandVified, whatfoever he re-
tains, he hath it opportunely at hand; in
temptation or afHidtion he remembers and
applies, and fo remembering to apply, and
applying that he remembers, he is thereby
enabled to refift evil, or to follow thofe
good things which the Lord hath com-
manded.
Fourthly, the Ccnfcience muft be renew*
ed, and that two ways ; either by drawing
the foul [_ad bonum, or a malo'] to good,
or from evil, i . To good, by inclining and
encouraging; 2. From evil, by reftraining
and bridling. If we confider its firft oN
fice, in that it draws and leads the foul \_ad
bonitm'] to good, I con fefs the unregenerate
is not of that confcience, for the moft part
his confcience lies dead in his bofom, or,
if it flir fometimes, he labours all he can
to fmother it in his waking : to fuch an
one fhould men and angels preach, yet fo
far is he bewitched with fin that he hath no
mind of goodnefs, or if he do any good
a£l (which is a rare thing with him) it is not
out of confcience to do good, but for fome
finifter end or refpeft. It is otherwifc with
the regenerate, his confcience incites him
to good, and he doth good out of confci-
ence; he ftands not upon terms of plca-
fure or profit, but his confcience being
guided by the rule and fqvaare of God's ho-
ly truth, he fubmits to it merely out of his
obedience to God : hence it is, that come
what will come, well or wo, his eye is fixt
on God, and if man oppofe where God
commands, he is quickly refolved out of
that in Ifaiah li. 12. / even I am he that
comforteth you ; who art thou, that thou
f}}ouldefi be ajraidof a man that (hall die,
and of the fon of man who fh all be made as
grafs ? and forgettej} the Lord thy Maker,
that hath Jlrstched forth the heavens, and
laid
The NEW BIRTH.
laid the fmindaiions of the earth ? Or, if
we confider the fee on d office of confclence,
in drawing the foul \_a malo'] from evil,
the unregenerate either hears not, or heeds
not his reclaiming confcience ; if it fpeak,
he firft goes about to lull it afleep again ;
or if it cry out, and will not peace, then,
(in fpite of goodnefs) he runs out of one
jfin into another, and ufually from pre-
fumption to defpair. On the other fide,
the regenerate hath a confcience that draws
him from, and keeps him out of evil : 'tis
known efpecially by thefe two properties,
remorfe and tendernejs : remorfe hath an
eye on ^fins pafi ; tendernefs hath an eye
on all y7«i to come : by remorfe is bred for-
row for fin, and loathing of fin ; no fooner
he confiders how by his manifold fins he
hath offended God, crucified Chrift, griev-
ed the holy Spirit, but his heart bleeds and
breaks that he hath done fo wickedly a-
gainft fo gracious a God ; this forrow for
fin brings with it a loathing of fin, he can-
not but hate it that hath caufed his heart
break, yea, he hates it and hates the very
thought of it ; every look-back is a new
addition of deteftation, and every medita-
tion makes the wound of his remorfe to
bleed again and again : by tendernefs of
confcience is bred a care and watchfulnefs
to avoid fin to come ; for no fooner is fin
prefented to his confcience but he ftartles
at its fight, and thinks on its vanity, and
meditates on that ftrift and general account
he muft one day make for it ; which thoughts
and fin put together in the baknce, he dares
not do wickedly for a world of gain : and
you may obferve it, this tendernefs, or
eafinefs to bleed at the apprehenfion of fin,
is proper and peculiar to that confcience
alone that is enlightened and fanftified, and
purged by Ghrift.
ir
Fifthly, the JJfeHions muft be renew-
ed, and that is done by fettingthem upon
right objeas. I fhalfinftance in fome of
them, as Love, Hatred, Hope, Fear, Joy^
Sorrow. Love, I place firft, which, in the
unregenerate man, is faftened inordinately
upon the creature ; and, as one fin begets
another, fo on whatfoever objeft it fall, it
begets fome fin : thus the love of honour
breeds ambition, love of riches breeds co-
vetoufnefs, love of beauty breeds lull, love
of pleafure breeds fenfuality ; whatfoever
he loves (the objecfl being earthly) it brings
with it fome fin, and thereby (the worft of
all) he wickedly prefers earth before heaven,
a dunghill before paradife, a few bitter-
fweet pleafures for an inch of time, before
unmixed and immeafurable joys world with-
out end : but the regenerate man fettles
his love upon other obje<5ls ; as he that is
carnal mindeth things carnal, fo he that is
*fpiritual loveth things fpiritual ; na foon-
er is he turned (by a found and universal
change of the whole man) from darknefs
-to light, and from the power of Satan un-
to^ God, Aflsxxvi. i8. but he prefently be-
gins to fettle with fome fweet contentment
upon the flowers of paradife, heavenly
glimpfes, faving graces, and his infinite
love runs higher and higher, till it imbrace
him that dwelleth in the higheft, * God al-
mighty : and how fweet is that love that
cafteth itfelf wholly into the bofom of his
Maker? how blefled is thatman, that yearns,
and melts, and cleaves, and flicks unto his
gracious God above all ? why, this is right
love, and for this is the Church commend-
ed, Cant. i. 4. The righteous love thee, or,
as others tranflate, amat in re&itudinibus,
fhe loves thee righteoufly ,• her love is fet
above all upon the right object, God : not
that the regenerate loves nothing tiie, for
• I am perfi,adcd there is no wicked man amongft us. but he bath fome love to Chrift. better or lefs; only
JcrHheth B^r\t^^ ''' ' ""'"' ^^ ^°''" ^" '''^'"''' "'"^"S* '"'''*^ '^*n ^"^^ ^'l ^»' 'his he
C« he
^2 The NEW BIRTH.
be loves the law, Pfalm.cxlx. 165. the mi- trcd, which David calls a perfeSl hatred,
mfters, 1 ThelT. v. 13. and all the ordi- according to the perfe6lion in parts, but
nances'of God appointed for his good; but not in degrees (Jnlcn/ive non extetifive)-.
w'hofoever he loves, it reflects upon God, never any but Chrill hated lln to the full,
he loves all for God, and God for himfelf. with all his ftrength, and with all his might;
The fecond affection is Hatred, which but in fome meafure his fervant's hatred is
in the unregenerate is fo inordinate, that perfeff, which makes him alwa3's hate /In
he is an hater of Cod, Rom. i. 30. not in others and often in himfelf, when after
that he hates God in himfelf (for God is the commiffion of any evil he begins to re-
univcrfally good, and cannot be hated) but pent him, and to abh-.r himfelf {zs Job did)
in fomc particular refpe^:, becaufe he re- in dufi and afhes, Job. xlii. 6.
drains him from his pleafure, or puniQieth The third affeaion is hope (this I rather
him for his fin, or croflTeth his Icud ap- name than dejire, becaufe whatfoever we
petites by his holy commands. And as he hope for, we cannot but ij: defire it, and fo
hates God, fo lik(%ife his brother, 1 John it is implied in it.) Now this hope in the
ii. II. Hence arlfe thofe envies, emulati- unregenerate is faflened on this -world, and
ons, jars, contentions amongft thofe that the things of this -world-, he hopeth for
profefs themfelves chriftians ; of which preferment, riches, or the like ; as for his
Paul could hy, A brother goeth to la-w-with hope of heaven, it is but {foynnium vigi-
a brother. I Cor. vi. 6. But of all hreth- lantium) a waking man's dream ; a dream,
ren, he hates them moft, of whom ovix Sa- faid I ? Yes, as dreams in the night fill us
- i)iouris thefirfl-born-, Rom. viii. 29. God's with illufions and vain forms, (you know
faithful ones ever were, and ever will be a beggar may dream he is a king) fo hope
figns, and -ivofiders, and monfters unto ma- abufing the imagimtion of the unregene-
'tty - afcorn, reproach a>rd derifion to them rate, filleth their fouls many a time with
that are round about them, Ifa. viii. 18. vain or empty contentments : but the hope
I'fal Ixxi. 7. Pfal. Ixxix. 4. But he that of the regenerate both enjoys the right ob-
is regenerate hates fin, and in whomfoe- jeft and right means j his eye is fixed on
ver fin rules or reigns, he cannot but hate future good, and he endeavours to purfue
them, Do not 1 hate them, Lord, that hate it till he get the pofleffion ; if in the pur-
thee '■" (faith David) and am not I grieved fuit he meet with crofles, lofles, griefs, dif-
i^vith thofe that rife up againji thee ? Pfal. graces, ficknefTcs, or any other calamities,
2 1 Not that David, or any faint his hope is able to fweeten the bitterefi mi-
cxxxix
of God! hates the perfon of any one, but fery that can poOibly befal him ; the afflic-
iin in the perfon, or he is faid to hate them tions of this life bid him look for a better,
for fins fake that is in them ; in this refpea a crofs here minds him of the glory above ;
he bids them defiance in the vcrfe enfuing, and howfoever this hope may have many
/ hate them -with a perfc-a hatred, 1 count diffiailties and wreftlings in him, (thcre-
■ihemmine enemies, Pfal. cxxxix. 22. I fore it is compared to an anchor, which
know there is a perpetual combat in the holdeth the fiiip in a ftorm, Hch. vi. 19.)
rcscnerate betwixt the flcfii and the fpirit, yet it holdeth and flicks fo firm to God
and therefore we mufl underftand this ha- and his promiies above all, that he is con-
1 Many that pcrllli. may def.re. and hope, and love Gcxi. and Chria. and heaven ; but they dcfire. and hope and
lovl iome inferior Kood more ; he th.t ddirc*. and hopes, and loves God hnccrely and iavingly. he dotn all th.s
fuprcmciy ; Ggd above all tilings clfc. BasUr'i nJU fident
The NEW B
•fident, that after this life an heavenly crown
fliall be fet on his head by the hands of
God and his angels.
The fourth affection is fear, which in
the unregenerate is either worldly, or fer-
vile : if it faften on the world, then he f car-
et h the lofs of his credit or of his profit,
and becaufe he and the world muft part at
lafl, he feareth this feparation above all
fears : deaths (faith the wife man) how
bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man
that liveth at refl in his pojfejfons, unto
the man that hath nothijig to vex him, and
that hath profperity in all things, Eccl. 41.
I . O thefe thoughts of thefe grifly forms
and ugly face of death, of the parting
from all worldly pleafures for ever, of his
rotting in the grave, dragging to the tri-
bunal, and terror of the lafl: day, they can-
not but make his heart to ^fhrug together
for horror, and many time to quake and
tremble like an afpine-Ieaf : or, if his fear'
reflect on God, then is it a fervile fear :
for, as the fervant or hireling worketh
not for love of his mafier, but only for
fear of puni/hment ; or, as the adulterotis
woman is afraid of her husband, not out
of love or affedion, but left he reward her
to her foul demerits : fo he feareth God
for fear of punilhment due unto him from
God : it is otherwife with the man that is
born again, his fear is either initial ox fi-
lial; in pangs of the new birth, or in the
new born babe it is called initial {yjeems~\^
becaufe then he cafteth away fin, both out
of God's love, to which he hath partly at-
tained, and out of the v/oeful efFefts of
lin, which he hath thoroughly confidered ;
with the right eye he beholdeth God, and
with the left eye he beholdeth punifliment ;
fo that this fear is a middle (as it were) be-
tween fervile and filial fear : and as the
needle draweth in the threed, fo this fear
draweth in charity, and maketh way for
filial fear, to which, if by growth in grace
IRTH, II
he be fully ripened, then he feareth God
out of love to God, as the prophet Ifaiah
proclaimeth. The fear of the Lord is his
treafure, Ifa. xxxiii. 6. Never was treafure
more dear to the worldling, than is God's
fear to the regenerate ; his love of God,
his defire to pleafeGod, and his fear of be-
ing feparated from God keeps him in fuch
awe, that though no punifliment, no death,
no hell were at all, yet he would not hn
wickedly, wilfully, and malkioufly, for a
world of treafures.
Tht fifth affeftion is Joy, which in the
unregenerate is merely fenfual and bruti(h ;
it hath no better object than gold, or great-
nefs, or offices, or honours, or the like :
and what are all thefe but a fliadow, a
(liip, a bird, an arrow, a port that pafTeth
by, or rather as crackling of thorns under
a pot, as liaihes of lightning before ever-
lalfing fire ? But the joy of the regenerate
'is a fpiritual joy, and the inatter of it is
the light of God's countenance, or the robe
of Chrift's righteoufnefs, or the promife
of God's word; or,above all, God Almighty,
blefTed evermore : thus David ; lVho?n have
1 in heaven but thee P and there is none up-
on earth that I defire befides thee, Pfal.
Ixxiii. 25. Why, this is that joy which
no man can conceive, but he that enjoy-
eth it ; this is that white fione, Rev. ii. 17.
whofe fplendor fhineth only upon heaven-
ly hearts ; this is that glimpfe of heaven's
glory, which fpringing up in a fandtified
heart, out of the wells of falvation, and
carried along with adddition of frefh com-
forts (from the word and facraments)
through a fruitful current and courfe of
man's life, is at lafl entertained into the
boundlefs and bottomlefs ocean of the joys
of heaven. I will not fay, but fometimes
it may be affaulted, and flopped with fome
doubts, or diflruff, or weakneffes of de-
gree, yet in refpe£l of its creation, or ef-
fence, or blifsful iffue, it is (faith one *)
Bolton's Walk -with Cad,
very
14 ^^^^
a very gltmple of heaven^ a pure tajle of
the rivers of life, and firfl- fruits (as he
cdllsit) ofcvcr!af}ingjoys.
Thefixth affeflion isforrow, which in
the iinregeneratc is a \vor\d\y for ro-M, and
the effedts of it are death : fo the apoftle,
the forrow of the ivorld worketh death, 2
Cor. vii. 10. In this kind how endlefs are
the forrows of men for their lofTes or crof-
fes that fometimes may befal them ? And
howfoever fome may endeavour to com-
fort them in Chrift, they are fo dead heart-
ed that notliing can perfuade, nothing re-
lifli with them that concerns heaven or fal-
vation : but in the regenerate,y5rroiy looks
up to God wards, ^ot that the beholding
of God in himfelf can bring forrow to a
man, for he is a moft comfortable objefV,
•which made David fay, The light of thy
countenance is gladnefs to my heart, Pfal.
iv. 6, 7. but the beholding of fin which
hindereth from the clear fight of that ob-
jecV, this is it which breeds forroxv, and
this the apoftle czXhgodly forroiVy "working
repentance tofalvation, not to be repented
of 2 Cor. vii. 10. It is not t\evy farroiv,
h\ii godly forrow, ver. 9. 1 rejoice, faith the
apoftle, not that ye were made forry, but
ihatyeforrowedto repentance : And would
you know who forrows to repentance ? it
is he, and only he that groans and fighs
under the heavy weight and burden of
his fins, that is of a broken and contrite
heart, that tre77ibleth at God's word, that is
grieved at his enormities, that forfaketh all
fins, and that refigns up himfelf in all holy
obedience to God's blefled will ; this forrow
is a blefled forrow that brings forth joy
and immortality : therefore comfort ye,
comfort ye all that mourn in Sion ; what
though for a night (in pangs of the new
birth) you ly forrowing and weeping for
your fins ; mark a while ; and the day
will dawn, ride on, hecaufe of the word of
truth, and a day-ftar will arife in your
hearts that will never fet : nay weep and
weep again, till you can fay with David,
NEJV BIRTH,
all the night make I my bed to fiuim with
my tears, Pfal. vi. 6. and prefently the
fun of righteoufnefs will appear, and he
will dry away our tears, and fhine upon
you with everlafiing light. Certainly
thus it is with every regenerate man, he
loves and hates, and hopes and fears, and
joys and forrows, and all thefe paffions are
renewed in him. To give an infiance in
one David for all the regenerate ; his
love appears, Pfal. cxix. 47. I will delight
myfelf in thy commandments which I have
loved : h\s hatred appears, Pfal. cxxxix. 22.
1 hate thy enemies with a per feci hatred :
his hope appears, P/al. Ixii. 5. My foul, wait
thou only upon God, for my expeSlation is
from him : his fear appeareth, P/al. cxix.
120. My fief ) trembleth for fear oftkee, and
J am afraid of thy judgments. Hisyoy ap-
pears, Pfal. cxix. 162. I rejoice at thy word
as one that findeth great fpoil: His forroiu
appears, P/al. ckik. 136. Rivers of waters
run down mine eyes : becaufe they keep_ not
thy law. Here is love and hatred, and hope
and fear, and joy and forrow, and all are
fet upon their right fpiritual objects.
You fee now a pourtraiture of the new
man, which fliould be the cafe of all men ;
my text faith indefinitely a man"] implying
every man, and every part of man ; every
man fliould be regenerated, every part of
man (hould be renewed : and whereas man
confifts of two parts, the body and foul, all
the members of his body, the heart, the eye,
the ear, the tongue in fpecial ; all the powers
of the foul, the underfianding, the will,
the memory, the confcience, the affe<flions
in general, all mud be renewed, and the
whole man born again.
Ufe. And yet (beloved) I mean not fo,
as that a man renewed is never overcome
with fin : I know there is in him a contin-
ual fight betwixt the flefti and the fp'irit,
each of which Ihivcth to make his party
firong againll the other, and fometimes
Amaleck prevails, and fometimes Ifracl
prevails ; fometimes his heart falls a lufl-
ing,
rhe NEW BIRTH.
ing, his eyes a wandring, his ears a tick-
ling, his tongue a fpeaking idly ; fome-
times his underftanding errs, his will re-
bels, his memory fails, his confcience
fieeps, and his affections turn the ftream
after fenfualobjefts ; but (that which differs
him from the unregenerate man) if he fin,
it is with a gracious reluftation, he refifts
it to the uttermoft of his abilities, and if
at laft he commit fin through the violence
of temptation, fubduing the infirmity of
the flefh, he is prefently abafhed, and then
begins he to fet repentance a work in all
the parts and powers of his body and foul ;
then begins his confcience to trouble him
within, and will never be at quiet until the
ciflern of his heart (being overcharged)
hath caufed his eyes, the flood-gates, with
moift finful X humours, to overflow the
cheeks with tears of contrition; and thus he is
-ujafhed,juj}ified,fan&ified, i Cor. vi. ii.
and reftored to his former integrity again.
Examine then yourfelves, you that defire
heaven at your ends, would you inherit the
kingdom ? would you live with angels ?
would you fave your fouls ? examine and
try whether your bodies andjouh befanc-
iified throughout ; and if you have no fenfe
or feeling of the new birth (for it is a myf-
tery to the unregenerate) then never look
to fee (in that ftate) the kingdom of God \
but if you perceive the working of faving
grace effeflually in you, (and you cannot
but perceive it, if yoy have it) if you feel
the power of godlinefs firft feizing the heart,
and after difperfing itfelf over all the parts
and powers of body and foul ; or, yet more
in particular, if your hearts be foftened
by the Spirit ^ if your eyes wait upon Gody
if your ears liften to his word, if your
tongues Jhew forth his praije, if your un-
derjlanding attain to faving knowledge, if
your -wills conform to the will of God. If
your memories be ftored with heavenly
15
doctrine. If your coyfciences be tender and
fenfible of the leaft fin whatfoever, if you
love^ that which is good, if you hate that
which is evil, if you hope for the bleflings
above, if you fear him that can deftroy
both body and foul ; in a word, \{yo\x.joy
in goodnefs, if you forrow for fin, then
are you born again, Happy man in this
cafe that ever he -was bom ; and thus every
man mufl be, or he cannot be happy : Ex-
cept a man ] (every man, every part of a
man) be born again, he cannot fee the king-
dom of God.
Thus far of the fubje^l Man.] We come
now to the a£l, or deed to be doncy he muji
be born again.
Be born again.'}
THE children are brought to the birth',
andlefl: the faying be true of us, there
is no ftrength to briiig forth, 2 Kings xix.
3. I fhall now (by God's afllftance) proceed
Jo the ^/r//6 itfelf. Herewe havethe manner
of it,and wemayobferve a double manner.
Firfif Of the words containing the fievj
birth.
Secondly f Of the new birth contained in
the words.
The manner of the words appears
in the original, yhvY,^n avaety] two words,
and each of them has its divers reading.
rjvw»,3-v. Valla would have to be genitus,
begotten ; Except a man be begotten.'} O-
thers ufually fay natus^ born ; Except a
7nan be born.} And as yfwA, fo avaSev, fome
would have to be aiu^iv cufavuStv^ above or
from heaven ; Except a man be born from
above.} Others ufually avuBiv to T«Xiy. a«
gain ; Except a man be born again.}
Chryfoftom cites both thefe ; and of each
reading, we fliall gather fomething for
our own inflru£lion.
Doft. Except a man be regenerated,. or
begotten (faith Valla.) As man that is born
of a woman is begotten by a man, fo he
I Sioful, becaufc (bed for fin, not finful iu thcmfelvcs.
that
?^)
Ihe NEW BIRTH,
mud have a begetting terminated immediately in God the
that is born ngatii
too : and theicfore fometimes it is called
renafcentia ; a new birth, and fometimes
regeneraiio, [Erfamus' annotations on the
place.] n >teiv bei^etting, or regenenati-
cn. If^j'ouaflv, Of whom is the new
man begotten ? James tells you, James i.
l8. Of his own will begat he us with the
"word of truth: the former words note the
impulfive caufe, thcfe latter, the inflru-
ment ; it was Gcd that begat us, and with
the Seed of the word.
Firft, Cod begat us, and fo are we cal-
led God's fans, born not of blood, nor of the
-will of the fief}, nor of the will of man,
but of God, John ^. 13. Regeneration is
the work of God, and becaufe it is a work
external, it is therefore communicable to
each perfon of the Trinity : Te are fan^ii-
fied (faith the apoflle) in the name of the
Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God,
I Cor. vi. II. The Father, Son, and Ho-
ly Ghoft all fanftifie, all work the fame
work : but as in the Godhead there is but
one eflence, and three manners of being
of the fame elfence ; fo in God's outward
operations, all the perfons work rem can-
dem, one thing ; but all work not eode7n
modo, after one manner. For inftance,
the works of creation, redemption, and
fandlification are the common works of
God the Father, God the Son, and God
the Holy Ghoft, 1 Cor. viii. 6. John i. 10.
Job xxvi. 13. yet every one of thefe, com-
mon to all three, are terminated in fome
one of them ; fo the Father is faid to cre-
ate, the Son is faid to create, the Holy
Ghofl is faid to create; fo the Father is
faid to redeem, the Son is faid to redeem,
the Holy Ghoft is faid to redeem ; fo the
Father is faid to fancftific, the Son is faid
to fantSliHe, the Holy Ghofl: is faid to fanc-
tifie: thus all Three concur to every one
of thefe works, and yet every one of thcfe
works, is terminated, fpecified, and form-
ed (as it were) in the very lalt aft by one
of ihefe three : the work of creation Is
Fa-
ther, the work of redemption is terminat-
ed immediately in God the Son, ihe work
of regeneration is terminated immediately
in God the holy Ghofl. And it is memorable,
that as the community of thefe works, ad
extra, depends on the unity of God's ef-
fence, fo the diverflty of their determina-
tions depends on the divers manners of
God's exiftence, or fublilVmg: the Father
is of himfelf, neither made nor begotten,
and therefore it bell agrees with him to
make all things of nothing, which is tiie
work of crecition ; the Son is of the Fa-
ther alone by relleftion of his intcllcft,
and fo called the reprefentation of his Fa-
ther's image, and therefore it beft agrees
with him to reprefent his Father's mercies
to mankind, by faving them from death
and hell, which is the work o^ redemption ;
the Holy Ghoft is of the Father and Son,
proceeding (and as it were breathed) from
them both by the adt of the will, and there-
fore it beft agrees with him (that bloweth
where he lijhth) to blow on our wills,
and by his breath to purge and purify us,
which is the work of regeneration. To
fum up all in a word : This work of re-
generation (or fanilijication, or whatever
elfe you will call it) in refpeft of the work,
it is of the Father, Son and holy Ghoft ;
but in refpefl of the laft aft, it is of the
Holy Ghoft, and not of the Facher, nor the
Son; and thus our Saviour concludes,
John iii. 8. Tha' which is born of the
Spirit, is fpirit : and fo is every 7nan that
is born of the Spirit.
Secondly, as God's Spirit is the princi-
pal, fo God's word is the inftrumental
caufe of our regeneration,' Tc are born a-
gain, faith Peter, not of corruptible feed ^
but of incorruptible, by the word of God,
which liveth and abidcth fo*" ever, i. Pet.
i. 23. this Word John calls the Word of
life, I John i. i . ; Paul the producer of
faith, and the power of God unto falvation,
Rom. i. 16. : yea, lliis word is quick and
power-
Ibe NEW
foxverfulf and (harper than any tvjo-edged
/iuordy piercing even to the dividing a/un-
der of foul and fpirit, and of the joints and
marrow, and is a difcerner of the thoughts
and intents of the hearty Heh.'w. 12. They
that are born again, cannot but remember
how quick and powerful and Jharp God's
word v>'2LS nithoiv regeneration: firfl, like
an hammer it beat on their hearts till it
broke them all to pieces; and then like a
fword by a terrible, cutting, piercing pow-
er, it ftruck a rtiaking and trembling into
the very center of their fouls ; laft of all
like oil (when, as the man in the gofpel,
Luke X. 30. they were wounded indeed)
it began to fupple thofe wounds, and to
heal the bruifes, and to refrefh the weak
and tender heart with all the promifes of
God revealed in Chrif]-.
And thus a man being begotten of the
Spirit with the word of ti uth, he comes
at lafl: to the birth ; fo we read, Except a
man he born. And this I fuppofe to be
fuller than the other, becaufe, a begetting
may be, and no birth follow; as many
that are ftiffled in the womb are begotten^
rot borji ; but if the 4iirth be, it doth pre-
fuppofe a begettingf and fo it implies it :
except a man be born again, that is, except a
mat! be begotten and born, he cannot fee
God's kingdom. If you afk, Of whom
born ? I anfvver. As God is the Father, fo
the-church is the mother of every child of
God ; to this purpofe faith the apoflle,
Jerufalem, which is above, is free, which
is the mother of us ^//, Gal. iv. 26. What
is Jerufalem but the church ? for as that
city was the feat of David, Pfal, cxxii. 5.:
fo is this church the throne of Chrift, fi-
gured by the kingdom of David, Rev. iii.
7. and therefore of both thefe God thus
proclaims. This is my refi for ever, here
will I dwell, for I have defired it, Pfalm
cxxxil. 14. And rightly is the church cal-
led our mother, i. becaufe fhe is the
fpou(e of our Father betrothed, Hof. ii. 19.
coupled and made one. Cant. vi. 3. I ayn
D
BIRTH. 17
my beloved's, and my beloved is mine; and
2. becaufe we are children born of her,
this teacheth us to honour our mother, and
like little children to hang at her brenlfs
for our fuftenance. Suck, and be fatisfied
with the breafis of her confolaticns ; inilk
out, and be delighted with the abundance,
of her glory, Ih. ]K\i. ir. It is the church
that brings forth children to God by the
miniflry of the word, and if we are chil-
dren of this mother, we murt feed on tha^
milk w hich flows from her two hreaHs,
the Old and New Teftament; Js rtew-horn
babes, faith the apoftle, defire the fincers
milk of the wordy that ye may grow there'
by, I Pet. ii. 2. In a word, out of the
church there is no (alvation : * Who have
not the church for their mother, cannot
have God for their Father,' was the faying
of old ; and good reafon, for out of the
church there is no means of faivation,
no word to teach, no facraments to con-
firm ; but all thefe, and all other means;
are in the womb of the church; it is here,
and here only, where the Spirit o'i immor-
tal feed begets grace in the heart, and fo a
man is born again.
Do£i. This avwOEv, fome read cypavaSfp,
from heaven, and fo the words run. Ex-
cept a man be born from above. From above
it is that every good and perfeSi gift com-
et h. A man can receive nothing except it
be given him from heaven, John iii. 27.
But how then faith our Saviour of the
wind (to which he compareth every one
that is born of the Spirit) that we know not
whence it comet h, and whither it goeth?
ver. 8. I anfwer, This whence refpe(fts
more the caufe than place, we know the
wind comes from the South, or North,
or Eaft-, or Weft, but why fo and fo, we
cannot tell; we know the Spirit is above,
and the new birth, or regeneration comes
from the Spirit ; but [to c^0T/] why it is fo,
or what moves the Spirit to do fo, befides
his \_iu$',y.,ciM'] the good pkafure of his willy
we cannot tell.
Or,
i8
The NEW B IRTH.
Gr, If we read a^toS-f* to t^mv, as otliers bove which there needs no afplrlng, and
dio, \_Bcda and Erafm, paraph, on the
place] the words then run thus. Except a
man be born again. To this Nicodemus'
reply feems more direft, How can a man be
born luhen he is old ? can he enter thefccond
time into his mother's womb P No quefti-
on he took Chrift's av^fv pro TrarA.v. [from
above, for again] only thus he miilook,
that the fecond birth fhould be after the
manner of the firft birth, and therefore he
faith, Can a man that is o/^/,fuch as he him-
felf was, be bom again F No, faith our
Saviour, thai zvhich is born of the fleflo is
fie/Jjy and there is but one birth, after this
manner; but to T^e born again, is to be
born after the Spirit, and this is the fe-
cond birth ; a tnan is firft born of the flefh,
and he miifi be again born of the Spirit.
under which there is no happinefs, no hea-
ven, no kingdatn. Except a man be born
again, he cannot fee the kingdom 6fGcd.
Thus far o; the manner of the words,
which contain the Neiv Birth ; it appears
in them, the Father of it is God, the feed
of it the word, the mother of it the church,
the place of it, whence ? from heaven; the
time of it, when ? after a man is once
born, then he muU be again born ; except
a man be born.
Secondly, as you fee the manner of the
words containing the new birth; (o now
fee the manner of the new birth contained
in the words. I know it is not wrought in
all after one manner, nor is the man net-
known to us, but only fo far forth as it is
fenfible in us, and therefore we muft con-
Do^. Hence appears the difference of fider man before baptijm, in baptifm, after
the firft and J'econd birth; the firft birth baptifm.
is of the earth, earthy ; the fecond birth In feme is the New Birth wrought be-
-is of the Lord from heaven, heavenly: the fore baptifm, as in the eunuch under Can-
lirfi birth is of nature, full of lin; thefccond dace queen of the Ethiopians, Afts viii.
is of grace, full of fandlity : the firft birth 37. and in Cornelius the captain, together
IS orii^inally of fiedi and blood, the fecond with his kinfmen and near friends. Ads x.
birth is originally of the .S/);;// ^«^/ u'^/dT ; 47. and in Lydia, Ads y.m. 14. and fo
in a word, the firft birth kills, the fecond
gives life: generation loft us, it muft be
regeneration that recovers us : O blefied
birth, without which no birth is happy;
in comparifon of which, though it were to
be born heir of the whole world, all is but
mifcry ! this was Mofes' praife, that he e-
our charity tells us that every infant, dy-
ing before baptifm, is renewed by the 6^1-
rit ', but the manner of this working we
know not, for it is one of the fecrets of
the Spirit of God.
In others is the New Birth wrought in
baptifm, which indeed is the facra?nent of
/teemed the reproach of Chrift above all the new Birth, ^n^feal of regeneration ;
the treafures in Egypt; rather would he buthowfoever in poedo-bapti/m we fee the
be the Son of Cod, than to be called the fn outward feal, yet we fee not, we feel not
cf Pharaoh's daughter, Heb, xi. 24. No the manner of the inward working; for
queftion it is a great dignity to be called thisalfois the fecret oixht Spirit \ of God.
the fon-in-law to a king, i Sam. xviii. 23. In others is the New Birth wrought
but nothing in comparifon of being the after baptifm ; fo Polanus * : but whe-
Sonof Cod: thlsfon/hip is that degree, a- iher after baptifm, or in baptifm we will
not
\ Bellanmne, vol. x. of Saci am. Baftifm. chap. 10. Uahnt fiJcmhahitualem. They have thehabitof faith. 5ff Dr.
F»fW concerning ilic Author oftlic gicuiiJs oi the cU and ntw religion, S. 1,, Fida ejl in infautibus ptcntia &
rhe NEW B JR TH.
J9
not difpute ; only, as the cafe flands with
us, this I affirm, T/:ere is no manifefia-
iion of the neio Birth, until after bap-
iifm. But, When after baptifm ? I anfwer,
Wbeyifoevcr men receive Cbrifi by faith,
"which, thcugh it he many yean after, yet
then do they feel the pozuer of God to rege-
nerate them, and to work all things in them
-which he offered in baptifm. Now the
manner of this feeling, or of God's Spi-
rit working, proceeds ufually thus.
There be certain fteps of degrees, fay
divines, by which it pafl'eth, and how-
foever in thofe whom God hath bleifed
with that great favour of holy and Chrifti-
an education, the Spirit of God dropping
grace into their hearts, even very betimes;
thefe fteps or degrees are not fo eafily per-
ceived : yet in thofe men who have lived
long in fin,whofe fins have been grofs, and
great, and grievous, no fooner come they
to a new birth, but they can feel grace^
work in them ftep after fiep, and thefe
fteps we (hall reckon to the number of
eight.
The firfl is ^ fight of fin, and this our
Saviour reckons for the firfl work of the
Spirit, IVhen he is come he -will reprove {or,
convince"} the -world of fin, John xvi. 8.
Of fin; how? Why, thus : no fooner be-
gins this bleffed change from nature to
grace, but the confcience, wrought on by
God's word, opens its book, and prefents
to the foul a bed-roll of thefe tnany, migh-
ty, hainous fins committed againft God
and man ; there he may read in bloody bur-
ning lines the abominations of his youth,
the fins of all his life. And, to bring them
into method, tlie commandments of God
ftand as a remembrancer before his eyes:
thtfirfi tells him of his loving fomewhat
above God : they?(r(j;;^/of his wordupping
a falfe god, or the true God after a falfe
manner: the //"zVy/ of his diflionouring the
great and mighty name of God : the
fjiirth of his breaking the Lord's day, ei-
ther in doing the works of the lleili, or in
leaving undone the works of the fpirit ;
nor is this all : as againfl God, fo againft
his neighbour hall) he finned; the fifth
tells him of his llubbornnefs, and dilbbe-
dience : the fixth of his pallions and de-
fire of revenge : xhefcventh of his lewd-
nefs and luflful courfes : the eighth of
his robberies and covetous thefts : the ninth
of his lies and llanders, back-bitings, and
i-afli judgments : the tenth of his covetous
thoughts, and motions of the heart to all
manner of evil. Good Lord •' what a
number of evils, yea what innumerable
fwarms of lawlefs thoughts, and words,
and actions doth he read in his confcience?
But above all, his darling delight, his be»
loved fin, is writ in greateft characters;
this be finds to have bewitched him moft,
and to have domineered above all the
reft in his wailed confcience; this fin,
in fome is worldlinefs, wantonnefs, ufury,
pride, revenge, or the like; in others it
is drvmkennefs, gluttony, gaming, fcurril
jefting, fimony, or the like : whatfoever
it is, the confcience tells him of it again
and again, where that he may read it to-
gether with his other fins : the Spirit of
God now opens the eyes of his mind, and
lets him fee the very mud and filth of his
foul, that lay at the bottom before unfeen,
and undifcerned. Thus is the firft worI>
Ing of the new life, to wit, a feeling of
the old death of his foul in fins and tref-
pafTes ; and here the axiom is true, * Ab
' generation -without corruption ;' a man
indinatioae, Urfinus parte (tcunda catcchtf. quefi. 74. Faith is in jnrants by power, and inclination. Ur Jin's cat cchifm
part X. quiji'ion T^ Spint:is cperaiur hi fbtenlus nnimae ip!br:ivt. ut Bcliar. The Spirit operates in the powers of tlie
Ibulof tilde infdotsj accordingly Biilarminc. Hoki:t J^iritu7tj fidci. They have the Ipuit of faith. Z./«f/;. on the 3. of
EpLcf.
D 2 muft
20 The N E W
muft firft feel this death, before he is born
again.
The fecond flep is, finfe of divine
ivrath, which begets in him fear; fo the
apoftle, the fpirit of bondage begets fear,
Rom. viii. 15. and thus it works: no
fooner hath the man a fight and feeling of
his fin, but then God's Spirit (now ealUd
the fpirit of bondage) prefents to him the
armory of God's flaming wrath, and fiery
indignation; this makes him to feel (as if
he were pricked with the flroke of an ar-
row or point of a fword, or fling of an
adder) that he is a mofl; curfed and dam-
nable creaturC; jullly dcferving all the mi-
ferics of this life, airt! all the fiery torments
'in htll in that life to come; yea, this makes
him tremble, and (land and look as if he
were throughly frighted with the angry
countenance of God almighty : would you
view him in this cafe ? His confcience has
now awaked him out of his dead fenfual
ileep, by the trumpet of the law; his
heart is now fcorched with the fecret fenfe
of God's angry face ; his foul is now full
forely crufhed under the mofl: grievous
burthen of innumerable fins; his thoughts
are now full of fear and aftonifhment, as
if no lefs than very hell and horror were
ready to feize upon his body and foul. I
fay not what meafure of this wrath is
poured on all men in their converfion;
for I fuppofe fome feel more, and fome
have lefs of it; but I verily believe, fome
there are that, in thefe pangs of the Nevj
Birth, have been fcorched, as it were, with
the very flames of hell, infomuch that they
might truly fay with David, Cod's lurath
lieth hard upon ?ne, and he hath affii^ed
me -with all his ivaves, Pfal. Ixxxviii. 7,
And no wonder, for this is the time of
fear; now it is that Satan flrives bufily to
llifle the neij wan in the womb, and
therefore he that before diminiflied his
fins, and made them appear little or no-
ihiog ifl his eyes, when he once fees the
BIRTH.
man fmittcn dov/n into the place of dra-
gons, and covered with the fhadow of
death, Pfal. xliv. 19. then he puts into
his mind his innumerable fins, and (that
which imm^'diately follows) thecitrfcofthe
law, and the wrath of God, which he yet
makes more grifly and fierce, with a pur-
pofe to plunge him into the bottomlefs pit
of horror and defpair. By this means he
perfuaded Cain to cry out, when he was
in this cafe. My punifoment is greater than
I can bear, or, as others tranflate. Mine
iniquity is greater than can be forgiven,
Gen. iv. 13. And therefore thus far the un-
regenerate goes with the man born again ;
both have a fight of fin.and fcnfe of wrath ;
but here they part; for the man unrege-
nerate either finks under it, or labours to
allay it with worldly comforts, or fome
counterfeit calm : but the vian born again,
is only humbled by it, and feeks the right
way to cure it ; and at iaft, by the help of
God's Spirit, he palfeth quite through ir,
I mean, through this hell upon earth, into
the fpiritual pleafures of grace; which is
to be born again.']
The third Itep isforrcw for fin, and this
is more peculiar to God's child : There is
a forrow, which is a common work of
grace, which an hypocrite may have ; and
there is ^forrow, which is a work of fpecial
grace, and this likewife precedes the ex-
ercife of faith.
But fome obje*^, * Chrifl mufl work
' this forrow, or it is good for notliing ;
* now if Chrifl be in the foul working for-
* row, then there is faith; therefore faith
' muft go before forrow.'
I anlwer, although it is trxie that Chrift
cannot be in the foul, but in the fame in-
flant there is the habit of faith ; yet it fol-
lows not that faith is before forrow, for
the habits of thefe graces are both together,
and at once in the foul ; or howfoever,
it follows not that the ,foul is enabled by
an a(il of faith to apply Chrift to itfelf as
fooQ
The NEW
foon as Chrift is in the foul, or as foon as
the habit of faith is iniufed inco the foul :
the queftion is, ' Whether the foul in re-
* fpeft of us, who can only judge of the
* habit by the aft, cannot be faid to have
* forrow or repentance before faith V The
queftion is not, ' which the foul hath firft
* in refpeftof God's gift, but which it ads
* firft for ourapprehenfion ?' Surely to us
it firft forrows for fin, and then it a61s or
exercifeth faith by coming to Chrift, and
relying upon Chriil for falvation, ar. Ob-
ferve, this forrow is fometimes taken large-
ly, for the whole work of converflon ;
fometimes ftriftly, for conviftion, contri-
tion, and humiliation ; in like manner re-
pentance is taken fometimes largely, and
fometimes ftriftly : by this diftinftion it
may eafily appear how forrow goes before
repentance, and how repentance goes be-
fore faith. Indeed, for the latter is the
great controverfie; bvtt fome reconcile it
thus: repentance hath two parts, theaver-
fion of the foul from fin, and the conver-
flon of the foiil to God; the latter part of
it is only an elfeft of faith, the former
part of it, vi'z. the turning of the ioui
from lin is alfo an effe6V, but not only an
eiTecl; for it is begun before faith, though
it be not ended till our life end. Some
cbjeft, ' That God ivorks repentance and
* faith together :' but we difpute not how
God works them, but how the foul afts
them ; not which is in the foul Erft, but
which appears out of the foul firll: nei-
ther is it any new thing in philofophy
to fay, Thofe caufes which produce an
effeft, though they be in time together,
yet are mutually before one another in
order of nature in divers relpedts, to
their feveral caufalities. Thus a man mufl
have repentance before he have faving
and juflifying faith ; and yet a man mult
have faith before the work of repen-
tance be perfeft in the foul. As we main-
tain repentance to be a precedent work, fo
we deny it not to be a fubfequcnt effect i
BIRTH, 21
and that forrow is before the birth too, the
apoftle intimates, 2 Cor. vii. 10. (>odly
forroxu works repentance ; that is, Jorrow
prepares a man for repentance, it goes a-
fore it, and prepares for it. And now it
is, that God's Spirit begins to renew his
heart; as God himfelf proclaimeth, I xuill
put a new fpirit within them, and I will
take theftony heart out of their bodies, and
will give them a heart of fle/h, Ezek. xi.
19. His heart that before was.hard as flint,
now begins to relent and foften, and brealc
in pieces ; how fo ? It is God's Spirit that
pricks the heart, Afts ii. 37. and this
pricking foftens it. Dum pungit, ungit,
faith Jerom; [i. e. ' while it pricks, it a-
* nointeth.'] compunction foftens and fup-
ples the heart, fo that be it never fo ftony,
prefently it becomes an heart offlejlj : you
know thofe that are apt to weep, or yern
or forrow, we call them tender-hearted ^
^ou may be fure then he that is pricked,
until his heart bleed inwardly, he that
weepeth blood, (which every heart doth
that is pricked in this manner) fure his
heart is tender indeed ; I fay, tender, for
as the very word importeth [icxaia to weep,
from xxai, to break,'] his heart weepeth,
why ? his heart is broken ; David joins
thefe together, A broken and a contrite
heart, Cod, thou wilt not defpife, Pfalm
11. 17. And no wonder if an heart that is
broken, and rent, and wounded, and prick-
ed, falleth a-weeping blood ; well might
David fay when he was broken, Pfalm
xxxviii. 8. I have wept, nay more, I have
rored for the very grief or difquietnefs,
of my heart: and again, my foul, or my
heart, melteth, or droppeth,/or very hea-
vinefs, Pfal. cxi-x. 28.. Not that his heart
dropped indeed, but becat»fe the tears
which he fhed, were not drops of water
running only from his eyes, (an onioa
may caufe fo much) but iflbing from his
heart ; which heart being grieved, and fore
grieved, it is faid to be wounded; and fo-
his tears coming from it^ they may be
cal-
22
The NEW BIRTH,
called no lefs than very blood, * Drops of
* blood ifTuing from a wounded heart.'
Thus ix is with the man now labouring in
his New Birth; his heart grieves, his eye
weeps, whence the proverb, ' The way
* to heaven is by weeping crofs :' the way
to God's kingdom is to cry like children
coming into the world ; the way to be new
horn is to feel throws (as a woman labour-
ing of child) and lb isChrifl: formed in us.
Can a man be born again without bitter-
nefs of foul? No, if ever he come to a
Ught of fin, and that God's fanclifying
Spirit work in h\m for row for Jin, his foul
■will mourn until he may fay with Jere-
miahf Aline eye tmckletb doxon, and ceaf
' eth not, without any intermiffion: mine eye
affecteth my heart, hecaufe of all the
- daughters of my city, becaufe of all the
fins of my foul. Lam. ill. 49. 51. True
it is, as fome infants are born with more
pain to the mother, and fome with lefs :
fo may the new man be regenerated in
fome with more, in fome with lefs anxiety
of travel; but more or lefs, it cannot be
lb little, but the man that laboureth in
The fourth ftep is. Seeking rightly for
comfort. He runs not to the world, or
flelh, or devil, 7niferah!e comforters all\
but to (cripture, to prayer, orto the mi-
niftry of God's word; if he find comfort
in fcriptures, he meets with it in the } gof-
pel ; not the law, hui the gofpel (faith the
apoftle) is the power of God to filvation, to
every one that believeih, Rom. i. 16. 7'he
law is indeed the ?niniflry of death and
damnation, 2 Cor. iii. 7. : but the gojpel
is the glad tidings cf falvaticn, Luke ii.
10. The law ihews a man his wretched e-
ftate, but fliews him no remedy ; and yet
we abolifli not the law, in alcribing this
comfort to the gofpel only; though it be
no caule of it, yet it is the occafion of it :
thole doleful terrors, and fears of con-
fcience begotten by the law, may be in their
own nature the very gates and downfal to
the pit of hell ; yet I cannot deny, but
they are certain occafions of receiving
grace; and if it pleafe God that the man,
now labouring in his pangs, of the New
Birth, do but rightly fettle his thoughts
on the gofpel of Chrifi, no doubt but
thcfe pangs ihall mourn and mourn ; There thence he may fuck the fweetefl comforts
flyall be great mourning, as the ?nourning and delights that ever were revealed to
of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megid- man. Or if he find comfort in prayer (to
//^w, Zech. xii. ir. What elfe.' He cannot which he ever and anon repaireth in every
look on a faint, that failed not firfi through
the ocean of tears, and therefore he fallcth
on his face with Abraham, Gen, xvii, 17.
he wreftles with God like Jacob, Gen.
xxxii. 24. he roareth out his grief with
Job, Job iii. he poureth out his foul with
Hanna, i Sam. i. 15. he wecpeth rivers
of tears with David, Pjal. cxix. 136. he
mourneth as a dove with Hezekiah, yea
like a crane or a fwallow, fo doth he chat-
ter, Ifa. xxxviii. 14. O the bitter pangs
and fore travel of a man, when he mull
be born again.
of thefe fteps) then it is by Chrift, in whofe
name only he approacheth to that heaven-
ly throne of grace : no fooHer had the
king of Nineveh humbled himfelf, but his
proclamation runs. Let man and .be a fl be
covered with fack- cloth, and cry mightily
unto God. Who can tell if God will turn
and repent, and turn away frotn his fierce
anger, that weperijh not ? Jonah iii. 8, 9.
And thus the man now wrefiling with the
grievous afflictions and terrors of his con-
fcience, Who can tell (faith he) if God will
turn away his fierce anger ? Let 7ne then
\ Lex ojlmdit peccation, at foUim evnngcllum pcccati rtmcdium. i, e,
" the x«mcJy of lin." ^ug. trad 17.011 Joh.
The law fliewtthfin, but the golf cl alone,
cry
The NEW BIRTH.
23
cry mightily unto the Lord of htavoi, let
7ne cry, and continue crying, until the
Lord of mercy do in mercy look upon me ;
and if for all this God give him a repulfe,
for reafons beft known to himfelf, if at the
ftrft, fecond, third, fourth, or at many
more times, he feem to have cried in vain,
at laft he iiies to the miniftry of the word,
and if he may have his will, he would hit
upon the mofl: fkilful, experienced, Ibul-
fearching and found-dealing man amongfl:
all God's mellengers ; and thus was it with
Peter's hearers, whofc hearts being prick-
ed, and rent with legal terrors, then could
they begin to cry it out, I^Ien and brethren,
ivhat muji we do? A6\:s ii. 37. Thus was
it with the jaylor, who after his ^rcw/'////^
and falling down to the ground \n an hum-
ble abafement, could then begin to lay,
Sirs, what fhall 1 do to be faved? Afts
xvi. 30. And thus the man now ready
to be born again, if he find no means to
alTwage the rage and terror of his guilty
confcience, at lafl hecometh to God's mi-
nilter with a ' WhatHiali I do, whatmuft
* I do to be faved ? Alas ! now I feel the
* wounded confcience, the broken heart,
* the fpiritual blindnefs, the captivity and
* poverty, of which often you have told
* me ; if then there be any inllrucfion, di-
* re£lion or duty, which may tend to my
* good, or free me from this evil, now
* open thofe lips that fiiould preferve know-
* lege, now direct me in God's fear, and I
* will willingly follow it with my utmoll
* endeavours.'
And now, and not till now, hath God's
minifter a flrong and feafonable calling to
amplifieand raagnifie the foul faving fuf-
ficiency of Chrift's death and paffion: were
the blood of Chrift,and promife of falvati-
on proffered to an unwoiinded confcience,
•what were it but like the pouring of a mofl
fovereign balfam upon a found member of
man ? It is the only, right everlafting me-
thod, firfl to wound by the law and then
to heal by the gofpel j iirll to caufe fmart
for fin, and then to lay to a plai/ter of
Chrift's blood ; and therefore when the
heart is broken, then hath the man of God
his warrant to bind it up again, then may
he magnifie God's mercy, then may he fet
out to the height the heavenly beauty of
Chrift's paflion and perfon, and thus play-
ing the midwife by his high and holy art of
comforting the afflicted, at lafl the child
of God (prepared for his birth) becometh
a man born again.
The fifth ftep is a clear (I' fay not a ge-
neral fight, which he had before) but the
clear fight ofChrifi laid open to the eye of
faith : no fooner is the poor wounded foul
informed throughly in the myflcry and
mercy of the gofpel, but he then looketh
on his Saviour as the Jews on the brazen
ferpent, and feeing him lifted up on tlie
crofs, he cannot but fee in him an infinite
treafury of mercy and love, a boundlefs
and bottomlefs fea of tender-heartedncfs
*and pity, a whole heaven of fweetnefs,
happinefs, peace and pleafures; after the
Jpirit of bondage entereth xhefpirit of a-
doption, the terrors of the law lead him
to the comforts of the gofpel, his forrow
for fin brings him to the clear light of his
Saviour; and then as a man in death's
pangs, that lifts up his eyes to heaven
whence comcth his help) fo he in birth's
pangs lifts up his eyes to Chrifl, who mufl
either help him, or he finks under his fin
to the bottomlefs pit of hell. And I mufl
tell you this fight of Chrifl Jefus to an
humble finner (together with thofe glori-
ous privileges which he brings with him,
as reconciliaiion to God, forgivenefs of
fins, adoption, juftification, righteoufnefs,
wifdom, fanftification, redemption) it is
a moflplealant, ravifhing, heavenly fight:
}iot Solomon in all his royalty, no, nor the
lilies of the field arrayed better than Solo-
mouy Matth. vi. 29. not all the curious
fights on earth, nor all thofe glittering
fpangles in heaven, can poffibly afford
fuch pleafure or delight to the eye of man,
as
24 I'he NEW
as doth this one objeft, Chrift bleeding on
thecrofs to the foul of a finner. Imagine
that you faw fome malefa(flor, whofe trial
and doom were part, to be led to the dole-
ful place of execution ; imagine that you
beard him wail and weep for his mif-fpent
time, for his bloody a6\s, for his hainous
crimes; yea imagine his wailings and
■weepings fo bitter that they were able to
force tears from others, and to make all
eyes flioot and water that but looked up-
on him; if this man in this cafe fliould
iuddenly fee his king running and riding
towards him with his pardon in his hand,
what a light would this be ? fure there is
none to this. Thus, thus it is with the
man forrowing for*lin, whilft he is weep-
' ing his cafe, and confeiTmg what a little
Hep there is betwixt him and damnation
'(as if he were now at hell's mouth, the
very place of execution) in a maze he
lookcth upon ChriH:, whom he fees with a
fpear in his fide, with thorns in his head,
with nails in his feet, with a pardon in his
band, offering it to all men that will but
receive it by faith. O here is a fight indeed,
able to revive the wickedefl: man upon
earth, dead i)7 fins and trejpajjis. And
now there is hopes of the birth, if it once
come to this, there is more than probabili-
ty of an happy delivery, we may call it
the flirrings of God's child, or the firfi:
feelings of life, before he is born again.']
The fixth ftep is, An hungering dejire
after ChriJ} and his merits ; and to this
llep blcifed are they that arrive; BleJ-
fed are they that hunger and thirji after
righteoufnejs, for they (hall be filled, Mat.
v,6. Filled ? how ? Iivillgive unto him that
is athirp, of the fountain of the ijuater of
life freely, Rev, xxi. 6. This is the fiep
(as if it were in Jacob's ladder) that raifeth
him on high towards heaven ; it is fuch a
token of true faith, that he who hath it,
iiccds no more doubt that he believeth,
than he that breatheth needs to doubt
BIRTH.
that he liveth ; and why? his thlrft of
worldly things is cooled, his thirft of hea-
venly things inflamed.
Ohje^. But Chria faith, • Hethatdrink-
* eth of the water that I ftiall give him,
* fliall never thirfl:.'
Sol, Not after the "world, hut he fhall
thirfl more and mere after Chrifi. No
hungry man did ever with more appetite
wiili for meat, nor thirfty man for drink,
nor covetous man for mone}', nor ambiti-
ous man for glory, than he now longeth to
be reconciled unto God in Chrift ; in this
cafe, had he the plcafurcs and profits of a
thoufand worlds, willingly would he part
with all for the application of Chrift's fuf-
ferings; it is that fovcreign blood that can
only heal his foul ; it is that bitter paflion
which can only quench his thirfi : give him
but the merits of ChriiVs death (whereby
God and he may be at one) and he cares
not though he fufFer death and hell again,
yea he will venture goods, life, all; or if
that be not it which the Lord requiretb,
he will do whatever behoves him, even fell
all, all that he hath, part with all fin that
he loveth, yea were it his right hand, or
his right eye, nothing (liall be dear to him,
fo that he may enjoy his Saviour. O here
is a ihirfi above all thirfis ! itbreedeth ar-
dent defires, vehement longings, unutter-
able groans, mighty gafpings, jufi like the
dry and thirlly ground, that gafps, and
cleaves, and opens for drops of rain. Da-
vid, though in the defert of Ziph, a barren
and dry land without water, yet he com-
plaincth mofi becaufe of his thirfl, Alyfoul
thirfttth for thee, God, Pfalm Ixiii, i.
This is that violent afFe<flion that God puts
into the hearts of thofe that feck him in
fincerityand truth: never was Ahyb more
fick for a vineyard, nor Sifera for milk, nor
Sampfon for water, Judg. xv. 19. when
God was fain to open him a fountain in
ihcjaw of an afs, than is a truly humbled
foul after Chriil, ever 'thiriting and long-
The NEW
ing, that he may hide himfelf in his righ-
teoufnefs, and bathe hlmfclf in that blood
which his Saviour (hed for him. I have
read of a gracious woman, who labouring
in thefe pangs, and longing after Chrift
Jefus, cried out, * I have borne nine chil-
dren with as great pain as other women,
and yet I would with all my heart bear
them all over again, yea bear them, and bear
them all the days of my life, to be allured
of my part in Chrift jefus.' One reply-
ing, ' Doth not your heart defire and long
after him ? Oh, faidjhcy I have an huf-
band and children, and many other com-
forts, I would give them all, and all the
good I (hall ever fee in this world, or in
the world to come, to have my poor thirfty
foul refreflied with that precious blood of
my Saviour.' So eagar and earneft is the
heart of each man, parched with the an-
gry countenance of God, after this blood
of his. * I thirft, I faint, I languifh, I
long,y^//^^?,for one drop of mercy ; my
fpirit is melted in me into tears of blood ;
my heart, becaiife of fin, is fo fliaken and
Ihivered; my foul, becaufe of forrow, isfo
wafted and parched, that my thirft is infa-
tiable, my bowels are hot within me, my
defire after Chrift is extremely great and
greedy.' Stay ! all thefe expreflions are
far ftiort of thofe longings, Noynan know-
eth them, fave he that receiveth theniy
Rev. ii. 17. fave he that is born again.
The feventh ftep \s, A relying on ChriJ} :
no fooner he confiders and remembers
thofe many melting invitations of our
Lord and Saviour ; If any man ihirj}, let
him come unto me * : Ho, every one that
thirjhth, come ye to the ivaters I : come
unto me all ye that are weary and heavy
laden with dnX: but, refting himfelf on
the impregnable truth of thefe blelfed pro-
mifes, he throws himfelf into the merci-
ful and meritorious arms of his crucified
Lord. Come life, come death, come hea-
BIRTH. 125
ven, come hell, come what Come^iU, here
will he ftick for ever: IVho, faith Paul,
Jhall feparate us ftom the love of Chrift ?
Shall tribulation, or diftrefs, cr perfecu-
tiony or famine, cr nakednefs, or peril, or
fword? No, I am perfuadcd (not thefe,
nor more than thefe) neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, mr
poivers, nor things prefent, nor things t9
come, nor height, nor depth , nor any 0-
ther creature, Jhall be able to, feparate us
from the love of God, which is in Chrifi
Jefus our Lord, Rom. viii. 35, 38, 39,
Thus it is with the man labouring in thi^^
Birth : * What ? (faith he) doth Ghrifl
call the heavy laden ? why. Lord, I am
heavy laden with a weight, a mafs of fin,
and if he may come that is called, Lord, I
come, I come, and now I am come, with
thee will I build my tabernacle, with thee
will I reft for ever.' Nor is this any won-
der, experience tells us, the hunted beafl:
flies unto his den, the wounded man hies
unto the furgeon, and fo the poor man
broken and bruifed with the weight of fin,
how fhould he otherwife but caft himfelf
willingly into the fweet compaflionate in-
viting arms and embracements of Chrift,
whofe promifes run, / -will eafe him, I
will refrejh him? Matth. xi, 28. You
may fee fometimes a little infant, upon
apprehenfion and approach of fome fud-
den danger, how haftily he runs into his
mother's arms : even fo a truly wounded
foul, purfjed by the terrors of the law,
and frighted with the angry countenance
of almighty God, it flies with fpeed into
the bofom of its bleft:ed Redeemer, there
it clings unto his blefTed wounds, there it
refts upon his meritorious death, there
it grafps about his crucified body, there
it hides itfelf in the clefts of this rock,
yea there it fticks with this full relolu-
tion, thatfliould all terrors, all temptati-
ons, all men, all devils combine together to
John vij. 37;
t Ifa. 1y. I.
\ Matth. xi.»8.
caft
:26
The NE
■n T -D cr rr
U J. I\^ 1 l~x.
caft him Into hell, they fliould not tear him,
rend him, pull him hale hun, from the
bleeding wounds, and tender bowels of his
heavenly Saviour. This was Job's cafe,
who in the bittereft of his pangs could cry
it out, faying. Though the Lord /lay me, yet
ivill I trufi in him. Job xiii. 15. And I
mu ft tell you, this* Affiance, Dependance,
Adherence, Reliance (or whatfocvcr elfe we
call it) upon the merits of Chrift, is the
right juftifying faith ; whither if a man once
come, there is but one degree more, and
he is then born again.
The la/} and higheft ftep is, univerfat
obedience to Chriji. No fooner hath he
caft himfclf upon^him, but he takes him,
not only as a Saviour to redeem him from
the miferies of fin, but as an hufband, a
Lord, a king, to ferve him, love him, ho-
nour him, and obey him: now will he take
his yoke upon him ; now will he bear his
cro/s and follo^v after him ; now will he
• enter into the narrovj luay ; now will he
'i'.'aU: in the holy path ; now will he affoci-
ate himfclf to that fcSi and brotherhood that
is every ivhere fpoken againfi, Afts xxviii.
22. Now will he oppofe himfelf againft
all fin whatfoever ; now will he ftiake^ otF
Ills old companions, brethren in iniquity ;
now will he keep peace and a good confci-
ence towards God and man ; now will he
watch over his fecret fins, luftful thoughts,
occafions of evil ; now will he dircift his
words to the glorifying of God, and to
give grace to the hearers ; now will he con-
form all his anions to the foveraiguty of
grace ; now will he delight in the word,
the ways, the faints, the fervices of God ;
now will he never more turn again unto
folly, or to his trade of fin ; yea though Sa-
tan fet upon him with baits and allurements
to detain him in his bondage but by one dar-
ling delight, one minion fin, yet he refolves
to anfwer him as Mofes did Pharoah, There
(hall not fo much as an hoof be left behind; for
wtll he knows, one breach in the city ex-
pofeth it to the enemy, one leak in a (hip
will fink it in the Tea, one ftab in the heart
will fpecd a man to death, one knot in a
thread will ftay the needle's paflage as well
as five hundred, and therefore he ivill fell
all, that he hath, even all his fins, to the
lafi filthy rag of his minion-delight, his be-
witching, beloved, bofom fin. And now
is the new man born araongft us, will you
view him ? Old things are pajfed azuay, be-
hold, all things are become new, 2 Cor. v.
1 7. His heart, his eye, his ear, his tongue;,
his underftanding, his will, his memory,
his confcience, his love, his hatred, his hope,
his fear, his joy, his forrow ; will you a-
ny more ? his thoughts, his words, his ac-
tions, his affeflions are all new : this con-
verfion is univerfal, this change is a tho-
rough change ; now is Chrift formed in
him ; now is he transformed into a new
creature, before he was in making a new
man, but now he is made new : God the
Father accepts him for his fon, God the
Son ftamps on him the image of his Fa-
ther, but more immediately, God the holy
Ghoft hath thus moulded and fafliioned
him, as I have let you fee him, and now
he is born again ; which except a man be,
he ftiall not, cannot fee the kingdom of God,
Lo here thofe fteps that raife up a man to
the ftate of regeneration, A Sight of fin,
Senfe of mifery, Sorrow for fin, Seek-
* Urfin. fecunja. catcch. <\. <5. Fides juflificant non eft tantum noiitla, fd etiatn fiducia. qua tanquam medium appli-
Car^tts nobis tucritiim Chrljii, ac in eo acquufdtnus. Trcl. 1. 1. inaitutus. Loqucns dc nalura fidd juj}ificar.tis„ afprc
henfio tius dtiple.x ; wia cootiitionis in intclleBu, altm fiducin in volmtaie, vtramqtte indudtt fides,— At Koluit Bdlarm.
aiem elfe in volmtate. Vrjin's catec. q. 6. fays Juftifying faith is not only intcllcaual [//w/ is, relating to, the un-
'dcrliaiJdiKO-] but fUuciaJ. [that is, effcHin^ iruji or confidence] by which wc rely upon, or^trufl in the mcnts of Ch„(j.
as our NUdiator. and do heartily ac^uicfcc in Iiim. And Tr. book z. inftitut. fpeaking of the nature of juftifying
nith, fop, the notion of it is twofold ; one, of knowlege in the intclka, the other of affiance in the will, both
whkii faitii inciudcs ;— — But PclUrmine would not have faith to be in the will,
ing
rhe NEW BIRTH,
jng for comfort, A fight of Chrift, De-
fire after Ghrift, Relying on Chrift, O-
bedience to Chrill. One word before
ve have done.
Ufe I . You fee how God brings along
the man whom he purpofeth to make his ;
and yet let no truly humbled flnner be dif-
couraged if he obferve not fo diflinftly the
order of thefe fteps, and efpecially in that
degree as you fee we have related : for, if
in fubflance and effeft they have been
wrought in them, if he have them in truth,
though perhaps not in this degree, I dare
pronounce of him that he is furely born a-
gain. It is one of our worthies hath faid
t, * That in our humiliations, and other
preparative difpofitions, we do not pre-
Icribe precifely juft fuch a mcafure and
quantity, we do not determine peremp-
torily upon fuch and fuch a degree and
height, we leave that to the wifdom of
our great Mafter in heaven, the only wife
God, who is a mod free agent: but fure
we are, a man mull: have fo much, and
in that meafure, as thoroughly to hum-
ble him, and then to bring him to his
Saviour ; he rauft be weary of all his fins,
and of Satan's bondage wholly, willing
to pluck out his right eye, and cut off
his right hand, I mean to part with his
bed beloved bofom-lufts, to fell all, and
not to leave not fo much as a hoof behind ;
he muft fee his danger, and fo hafie to the
city of refuge ; he muft be fenfible of his
fpiritual mifery, that he may heartily thirft
for mercy ; he muft find himfelf loft and
caft away in himfelf, that Chrift may be all
in all unto him ; and after muft follow an
hatred of all falfe and evil ways for the time
to come, a thorough change of former
courfes, company, converfation, and fet-
ting himfelf in the way and practice of fo-
briety, honefty, and holinels.' And ano-
ther fpeaks to the fame purpofe, * That the
difcovery of the remedy aifoon as ihe mi-
fery, muft needs, prevent a great p^irt of
the trouble, and make the diftind effe^h
E
27
' on the foul to be with much more diffi-
* culty difcerned ; nay, the actings of the
* foul are fo quick, and oft fo confufed,
* that the diftinft orders of thefe workings
* may not be apprehended, or remember-
* ed at all. And perhaps the joyful ap-
' prehenfion of mercy may make the fenfe
* of mifery fooner forgotten.' The fum is;
Of every foul is required thus much -. r. A
truly penitent fight, fenfe and hatred of all
fin. 2. A fincere and infatiable thirft after
Jefus Chrift, and righteoufnfefs both im-
puted and inherent. 3. An unfeigned and
unreferved refolution of an univerfal ner,t
obedience for the time to come. If any
man hath had the experience of thefe af-
feiHiions and effe(5ls in his own foul, what-
foever the order, or whatfoever the mea-
fure be (lefs or more) he is fafe enough, and
may go on comfortably in the holy path,
Ufe 2, Now then let me advife thee, who-
foever thou art that readeft, to enter into
thine own foul, and examine thine own
ftate, whether or no thou art yet born a-
gain ? Search and fee whether as yet the
fpirit of bondage hath wrought its effefts iti
thee ; that is to fay, whether thou haft been
enlightened, convinced, and terrified with
a fenfible apprehenfion and particular ac-
knowledgment of thy wretched eftate .'
Search and fee whether as j'et the Jpirit of
adoption hath fealed thee for his own ; that
is to fay, whether, after thy heart being
broken, thy fpirit bruifed, thy foul hum-
bled, thy confcience wounded, and awak-
ed ; thou haft had a fight of Chrift, and haft
thirfted after him, and haft caft thyfelf on
him, and haft followed his ways and com-
mandments by an univerfal obedience ? If
upon fearch thou canft fay, without felf-
deceit, that £b it is with thee, then mayft
thou blefs God that ever thou waft born j
certainly, I dare fay it, thou art born again. '
But if thou haft no fenfe or feeling of thefe
works, if all 1 have fpoken are very myfte-
ries to thee, what fiiall I fay ? but if ever,
if ever thou meanefl to lee the liingdom of
2 God,
28 rbe NEW
God, ftrive, flruggle, endeavour with thy
might and main to become truly regene-
,rate : \Thus while the minifier /peaks, it
is Chrift that comes ivith power in the word,
Ezek. xviii. 31,32.* Rem::Tnber that.'] Thou
mayefl: fay, periiaps, It is not in thy power,
thou art only a mere patient, and God's
Spirit the agent, and who can command
the Spirit of the Lord, that blowcth where
he liftcth, at his*own will and pleafure. I
anfwer, It is indeed the Spirit, and not man,
B IRTH.
XX xi. 18. / have Curely heard Kphraim he-
moaning himfelfythus. Thou haj} chaJHj-
ed me. and I was chaftifed, as a bullock tin-
accujiomed to the yoke : turn thou me, and
I Jljall be turned. l he foul may objcft :
I may fay tlius, and be no better : But I
anfwer, Say it, .though you be no better,
becaufe God bids you fay it ; fay it, and
fay it again ; it may be he will come in
when you fay it, Hof. xiv. 4. The foul
may objecft again, How can I pray, and
that regenerates or fanftifies: but, I anfwer have not faith ? I anfwer. Put thyfelf up-
withal. The doftrine of the gofpel is the on prayer, and who knows but afliftance
miniftration of the Spirit, and wherefoe- and blefling may come ? Pray that God
ver that is preached, as I preach it now to would pleaie to prepare thy heart, to fanc-
thee, there is the Holy Ghoft prefent, and tify thy affections, to order thy will, to
, Thither he comes to* regenerate: nay, lean
lay more, There is a common work of il-
_ lumination that makes way for regenerati-
on, and this common work puts power in-
to a man of doing that, which when he fhall
do, the Spirit of God may, nay, will in
the day of his power mightily work in him,
to his quickening and purging. If then, as
preferve thee from fin, to prepare thee for
growth unto full holinefs and righteouf-
nefs : this was the effect of Jeremiah's pray-
er, Jer. xxxi. 18. Convert me, Lord, and
Ifhall be converted; — Heal me, Lord, and
I /hall be healed ; /ave me, Lord, and I
/hall be/aved, Jer. xvii. 14. Turn thou us,
Lord, and fb xve/hallbe turned. Lam. v.- 2 1 .
vet thou feelert not this mighty work of It is the Lord that converts and heals, and
God in thee, and yet fain wouldeft feel it, faves, and turns ; and prayer is the means
and gladly doft defire it, (otherwife I con- to produce this effedl in thee. When we are
fefsitisin vain to fpeak) follow me in thefe required to pray, to repent, and believe,
paflTages; Ifhall lend thee two wings to bear we are not to feek Ilrengih in ourfelves,
thee, two hands to lead thee to the foot of but to fearch into the covenant, and turn
this ladder, where if thou afcendthefefleps the promife into prayer. As the com-
aforefaid, I dare certainly pronounce of mand is, Repent, A6ts ii. 38. fo the cove-
thee, Thou art the man born again. nant is, ChriJ} /hall give repentance, Afts
ThefirflwingisPrayer, which firft brings v. 31. and therefore pray, Turn thou me,
thee to God's throne, and (there, if thou and l/hallbe turned, Jer. xxxi. 18. There-
haft thy requeft) then to the New Birth ; fore bow thy knees, and humbly, heartily,
if I muft acquaint thee how to pray, Hof. frequently, fervently implore the iafluence
xiv. 2. Take with you words, and turn to of God's bleffed Spirit : cry, with the Spoufe
the Lord ; Jay unto him, take away all i-
7nquity, and receive us graciou/ly. And
then it foUoweth — / will heal their back-
Jliding, Jwill love them /reelyy ver. 4. Jer.
in the Canticles, Awake, north-wind, and
come thou /outh-wind, and blow upon my
garden, that the /pices thereo/ may flow
out, Cant. iv. 16. The more rufhing and
• Ca[i G-i>.iy from you all your tranrgrefftons, -whereby ye have tranfgrcffid. and make you a ne-.v hcr.rt, and a new fpl-
rlt ; for -u,hy -wHl yon die, houfe of IJrael ,» For I have no fUafura in (he death of him that dteth, faith the Lord Cod .-
■wberefore turn yourjclves, and live yc, . ^
^ mighty
The NEW B IR T H.
migHty this wind of the Spirit is, the more
will he make thee fruftify in his graces and
bleffings; therefore cry again and again,
Lord, let thy fpirit come upon me : cre-
ate in me, a clean heart, God, and re-
new a right fpirit within me, Pfal. li. lo.
* O Lord Jefus, fend thy Spirit into me,
which may reftore me from this death of
fin, unto the life of holinefs,' Thus
wouldft thou a (k, and continue a/king;
thus wouldft thou cry,and continue crying,
then could I aflure thee of the promife,
when the Lord cometh in, which God hath
made, and cannot deny, He that a/keth,
receiveth ; and he that feeketh^ findeth ;
and to him that knocketh (by continuance
and perfeverance) // Jhall be openedj Mat.
vii. 8.
The fecond wing, or hand, that bears
and leads thee to thefe fteps of the New
Birth, is, Conftant hearing of the word :
thou muft attend the gates of wifdom, and
29
day to repair to God's houfe, left the day
of thy negle(fl might have been the day of
thy converlion : certain it is, no man ihould
expert God's blefling without his ordinan-
ces ; no eating of bread without plowing
and fowing, no recovering of health with-
out eating and drinking, no polling on
land without fomevvhat to ride on, no paf-
fage on feas without fomewhat to fail in :
fo no blefling, no grace, no regeneration,
no New Birth at all, without waiting up-
on God in his ways, and in his ordinances.
Now then, as thou delireft heaven, or (the
way to heaven) to be born again, I befeech
thee make high account of this ordinance
of God, the preaching of his word : in
preaching of the gofpel, light, motion and
power goes out to all, which men refilf ;
and fome are deftroyed, not becaufe they
could not believe, but becaufe they refiff,
and will not obey, and fo die, A(fls vii. $i.
Luke xiii. 34. Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Hof. xiii.
wait on her ports; thou mufl: come to *9. and yet I wifh thee not only to hear it.
God's houfe, and hearken to the miniftry
of the word : no doubt, but if thou beeft
conftant in this duty, God will flir up fome
good Samuel, God will ufe fome of his
priefts, confecrated to that office, to beget
thee again : underfland this foberly ; for
if Jefus Chrifl himfelf fhould preach to the
foul every day, and give not out of him-
felf, the ordinance would be empty to it :
it is Ghrift's coming in to his people in the
ordinances, that only fills the empty foul
with good things. And yet God's mini-
flers are called fpiritual fathers, I have be-
gotten you, faith Paul, through the go fpd,
I Cor. iv. 15. The paflor's tongue is the
Lord's conduit-pipe, and hereby he drives
the fweet and wholefome waters of life in-
to the fouls of his chofen ; only, do thou
frequent the means, and thou fliak fee at
one time or other God will remember thee
in mercy : it is true, I know not when ;
and therefore I wiih thee mifs no Lord's
but after thou hafl heard, confider of it,
ponder on it, and lay the threats and re-
proofs, the precepts and promifes unto
thine own foul : thus if thou hearefl and
mcditatefl, I doubt not but God's word
will be a word of power to thee, and (to-
gether with prayer) bring thee towards the
New Birth, whither except a man come,
he cannot pofTibly fee the kingdom of God.
Thus far of the New Birth : you fee we
have mounted thofe fleps, whofe top, like
Jacob's ladder, reachethup to heaven, Gen.
xxviii. 12. witnefs the next word. He that
is born again ihzWfee the kingdom of Cod,
but he that is not born again, he canru/tfes
the kingdom of Cod.
He cannot fee the kingdom of God.
THE privileges of the New Birth are
thefe two, to fee'\ and tojee the king-
dom of God.
Firit, to fee.l Which is all one (faith a
30 rhe JSIEW
modern *) ns to enjoy : yet a man may fee
that which he doth not enjoy ; but with-
out regeneration there is no fight, much
lefs pofTeffion of the kingdom of God.
To fee then is the leller hnppinefs, of
which the unregenerate are debarred ; but
to fee, in itfelf is a great and gracious pri-
vilege, f to which the regenerate are ad-
mitted : for, whither by God's kingdom
be meant the kingdom of grace, or the
kingdom of glory, Happy are the eyes that
fee thefe things.
But whofe eyes are they ? if we examine
the unregenerate, he fees no whit into the
awful majefly of God the Father, he fees
no whit of the beauty, mercy and pity of
his Saviour, he fee^no whit into that glo-
rioushighnefs of God's Spirit in heaven, nor
yet of his nighnefs to his brethren on earth :
' hence it is, that when he comes among the
congregation of God's faints, his foul is
rot delighted with their prayers, praifes,
pfalms, and fervice j he fees no comfort,
no pleafure, no content in iheir anions.
But the new man is of better fight, the
graces of the Spirit, and the % ward-robe of
God's glory are all produced to his eye, as
if the Lord fhould fay, Venite dr videte,
* Come and fee :' fo Mofes, Stand f}ill and
fee the falvaiion of Cod ^ ; fo Chrift to his
apoftles. It is given to your eyes to fee thefe
thingSy to others but by parables. He that
is born again hath a fpiritual eye, and a ce-
lebrated objeft; The eye of his underfland-
ing is enlightened, faith Paul ; anointed^
faith John **, To what end ? But that he
may kno-<v ivhat is the hope of his calling,
and what the riches of the glory of his in-
B IRTH,
heritance is in the faints, Eph. i, r&. See
a privilege, of which the unregenerated is
ever barred, his mind is dark, even dark-
nefs itfelf, Eph. v. 8, And therefore it is
no wonder, what is faid by our Saviour,
that he cannot, cannot fee the kingdotn of
God.
The Second privilege is the obje£l of this
fight, here called the kingdom of God. By
which fome underftand heaven ; fome the
way to heaven ; moft of the ancients fay,
that by this kingdom is meant heaven : Cal-
vin is of mind, that * not heaven, but a fpi-
ritual life is thereby underftood -] f.' Areti-
us faith (and I am of his mind) that whether
we underftand the one or the other, pa'
rum refert XX* it matters not much; fure
we are, that both thefe, grace and glory,
are annexed to the New Birth, and both
very well may be implied in the word, the
kingdom of Cod.
Firfi: then, if by the kingdom of Cod, is
meant the kingdom of grace whereof our
Saviour fpeaketh, The kingdom of Cod is
ivithinyou, Luke xvii. 2 1 . fee to what a pri-
vilege the new man hath attained, all the
graces of God, all the fruits of the Spirit
are now poured into him ? If you afk, what
graces? what fruits? Paul tells you. Gal. v.
22.Love,joy,peace,long-fi<jfering,gentlenefs,
goodnejs, faith, mceknefs, temperance, or,
would you have us to contract them ? Paul
doth it elfewhere, The kingdo?n of Cod is
righteoufnefs, peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghof}, Rom. xiv. 17.
I . Righteoufnefs, and that is either ac-
tive, or paffive ; holinefs of life, or the
caufe of this holinefs, our righteoufnef;
* Aretius.
\ One reafon, perhaps, wliy the fciipture clnifeth to fet fortli the enjoyment of the heavenly luppinefs, by that
of fifing, m?y be this, becaufe figlit is of all tlie other fenfts the moll cupucms and Jliitjl ; and therefore moll
fit to fliadow forth the enjoyment of a happiucfs fo cxtcnjive and ccrtmii as tliat of heavm is.
\ And the ward-robe of CioJ's glory is produced to his eye] Tlie meaning is, That God's glor)-, \v!iich was
formerly concealed from his view, is now, in fome mcafure, manifclled to him. — The reader will do well to fc'.
parate, in his own mind, all low notions from the word [-u'drd-robe] in the text, when he applies it to any thing
relating to God ; of whom we can never think highly and Iionourably enough.
§ Exod, xiv. 13, *• Rev. iii, 18. ff Calvia on ihc iLice. \\ Aretius on the place.
in
rhe NEW
in Chrift : If the firft be meant, no foon-
er is man born again, but he enters into
the holy path, he declines all evil, and
ftands at the fword-point with his moft be-
loved fin J or, if ever any fin through the
violence of temptation feize on blm again,
he is prefently put again into the pangs of
the new birth, and fo renewing his forrow,
and repaii'ing repentance, he becomes more
refolute and watchful over all his ways :
and as he abhors evil, fo he cleaves to that
ivhlch is good, Rom. xii. 9. his faith, like
the fun, fets all thofe heavenly ftars on
fhining, as hope, and love, and zeal, and
humility, and patience ; in a word, uni-
verfal obedience, and fruitfulnefs in all
good works. Not one, but all good du-
ties of the firft and fecond table begin to
be natural and familiar to him : and though
he find fome duties more difficult ; yet he
refolveth, and ftriveth to do what he can,
and is much difplea fed and grieved, if he,
do not as he Ihould. Orif byrighteouf-
nefs is meant paffive righteoufnefs, to wit,
cur righteoufnefs in Chrifl, i Cor. i. 30.
no fooner is a man born again, but he is
cloathed with this righteoufnefs; the o-
ther, God knows, is but weak, and full of
imperfe£lion, and therefore,' to fpeak pro-
perly, // is the righteoufnefs in God that
makes us appear righteous before Cod * :
would you have a plain cafe ? As Jacob, to
procure the bleffing of his father, hid him-
felf into the apparel of his brother, and fo
received it to his own commodity under
the perfon of another J : thus the new
man puts on the righteoufnefs of Chrift,
with which being clad as with a garment,
God accepts him in his flead, \^not indeed
by miflake, as Ifaac took his fon Jacob j or
Efau,'] his faults being covered with his Sa-
viour's perfeftion.
2. From this righteoufnefs arifeth peace :
BIRTH, 31
no fooner is man righteous, but he is st peace
with man, at peace with God, at peace with
himfelf. He is at peace -with mam the ivolf
fhall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard
-with the kid, faith the prophet,7/2f. xi. 6. The
meaning is, that in the kingdom of Chrift,
when a man is called into the fiate of
grace (howfoever by nature he is as a wolf,
or a leopard, or a lion, or a bear, yet) he
fhall then lay afide his cruelty, and live
peaceably with all men; wjth all men, I
fay bad and good ; for if bad, the apofile
implies them, As much asliethin you, live
peaceably with all men, Rom. xii. 18. Or
if good, then he cannot but have peace
with them ; yea, although before his con-
verfion he hated and maligned them, yet
now he is ravilhed with the delight and
love of them, and to this end he labours
might and main to ingratiate himfelf into
their blefTed communion; true, how fhould
, he but love them, and fympathize with
them, whom be believes one day to meet
in heaven, and there to enjoy them, and
they him for ever ? Nor is this all, he is at
peace with God : he hath humbled himfelf,
and confcfi"ed his fault, and cried for mer-
cy, and caft himfelf upon Chrift, and vow-
ed amendment of life: fo that now God
by his word hath fpoken peace to his foul;
by the mediation of Chrift it is obtained,
and by the teftimony of the Spirit he feels
it within him. This is that peace which
pafiTeth all underftanding : it made the an-
gels fing, peace upon earth ; it makes his
foul reply, /l/y peace is in heaven : what
elfe ? the ftorm is paft, and the rain is gone
away, he that lay for a night in the dark-
nefs of forrow, and weeping for his fins,
now he beholds the fun of righteoufnefs ap-
pear (as tlie difciplcs often did upon the
mount of Olives, fignifymg peace) all
quiet and calm, and pleafant. Nor is this
Extra ties eji juliltia, non in nobis: i. e, ' A ri^hteoullicfs without us, not in us.' Lutkcr'i Ckrijiian injlltut.
\ Gen. xx7ii, 1 5, &c.
all;
Z7. The NE W
all; he is at peace with himfeir, T mean
his own conicience : that which before
birred up the fire, that brought him to a
fight of fin, and fenfe of divine wrath,
that filled him with fearful terrors, com-
punflion, remorfe, and true forrow for
lin, it is 'now turned good and quiet. So-
lomon calls it a continual fea/l, Prov. xv.
15. Who are the attendants, but the holy
angels ? What is the chear, but joy in the
holy Ghoft P Who is the feaft-maker, but
God himfelf, and his good Spirit dwelling
in him? Nor is this feaft without mufick ;
God's word and his aftions make a bleffed
harmony, he endeavours to continue it by
keeping peace and^a good confcience to-
wards God and man.
3. From \.\\\s peace ifTuesyoy in the holy
'ChoJ}\ no fooner is a man at peace with
man, with God, with himfelF, but he is
filled with joy that no man can take from
him : this joy I take to be thofe bleffed
flirrings of the heart, when the feal of re-
mifTion of fins is firft fet unto the foul by
thtfpirit of adoption. For thus it is, the
foul having newly palfed the pangs of the
new birth, it is prefently bathed in the
blood of Chrift, lulled in the bofom of
God's mercies, fecured by the fpirit of its
inheritance above ; and fo ordinarily fol-
lows a fea of comfort, a fenfible tafle of
everlafling pleafure, as if the man had al-
ready one foot in heaven. But I hear
fomc objeft, They have felt the pangs, cafl
themfelues on ChriJ}, refolved againf} all
Jin, and yet no comfort comes. It may be
fo, though not ordinarily ; certain it is,
wholoever hath this joy, is new born ; yet
not every one new born hath this joy ; if
any then be in fuch cafe, let him hear what
the Spirit of truth faith, Since the beginning
of the ivorld men have not heard, nor per-
ceived by the ear, neither hath the eyefeen,
God, bcfides thee, what he hath prepared
for him that ivaiteth for him, Ifa. Ixiv. 4.
* Waiting patiently {faith a modem') for
* the Lord's coming to comfort us, either
BIRTH.
* in temporal orfpirltual diflrefTes/isaright,
' pleafing and acceptable duty and fervice
* unto God, which he is wont to crown
* with multiplied and overflowing refrefh-
* ings when he comes.* To this end faith
the prophet, They that -wait upon the Lord
fl)all renevj their firength, they floall ynount
up -with -wings as eagles : they fhall run
and not be weary, and they f}all vjalk and
not Jaint, Ifa. xl. 31. * Nay, -and fhould
* a man die' (faith my author) * in this
* flate of waiting, if his heart in the mean
* time fincerely hate all fin, heartily thirfl
* for the mercy of God in GhrifV, and re-
' folve truly upon new univerfal obedi-
' ence for the time to come, he fliall cer-
* tainly be faved; becaufe the Holy Ghoft
* faith, Ble/fed are all they that -wait for
' ^w.Ifa.xxx. i8.' Or if this will not fatisfy
his defire, let his defire quicken and fet on
work (with extraordinary fervency) the
fpirit of prayer, let him have recourfe a-
gain and again to the promifes of fcripture
towards the poor, heavy-laden, penitent
fouls ; and when the time is come (if it
will come)which God hath appointed, then
fhall he feel this joy unfpeakable, the joy
of the holy Ghoft ; and this is the head, the
height, the top, the highefl ftep in this
kingdom of grace, the kingdom of God.
Or, Secondly, If by//'^ kingdom of God,
is meant the Kingdom of Glory, fee then
what a privilege waits on the new man :
no fooner fliall his breath and body be di-
vorced, but his foul, mounted on the
wings of angels, fliall ftraight be carried a-
bove the ftarry firmament; there fhall it
inherit the kingdom, Luke xii. 32. an hea-
venly kingdom, Matth. vii. 2 i. the kingdom
of God, Afts xiv. 2 2. and truly called fo,
for it is a kingdom of God's own making,
beautifying andbleffing; a kingdom be-
feeming the glorious relidence of the King
of kings ; a kingdom creating all kings
that but inhabit in it. But here my dif-
courfe niufl give way to your meditations :
I cannot fpeak this privilege, therefore
con-
rhe_ NEW BIRTH.
conclude with Auftin, Jnima quae amat^
afcendat frequenter ^ <tf currat per platens
coelejHs Jerujalem^ <bc. ' Mount your
* meditations on the wings of faith, and
* behold in heaven thofe (tates of wonder,
' patriarchs fl^ining, prophets praifing,
* faints admiring, hands clapping, harps
* warbling, hearts dancing ; the exercife,
* a fong; the ditty, allelujah; the quirifters,
' faints ; the conforts, angels ;' &c. In
this fountain of pleafure, let the New
born Chriftian bathe his foul, for his it is,
and he it is only that fhall fee it, enjoy it;
Except the matt be born again, no man
(It all ever fee the kingdom of God. See
more of this in my Lafl Things.
Thus far of the privileges of the New
Birth ; there waits on it the Eye of Faith,
and Righteoufnefs, and Peace, and Joy in
the Holy Ghofl: ; in a word, the Kingdom
of grace, and the Kingdom of Glory.
Ufe. And now, beloved, fay, what would
you do to obtain thefe privileges ? fliould
any hand reach you a crown for the pains
to take it ? (hould any but caft: at your
feet a bag of gold, and you might make it
your own for the ftooping, would j'ou
not for fo great a reward do fo little a fer-
vice ? and what is God's fervice but per-
feft freedom ? the yoke is eafy, the bur-
den is light. Mat. xi. 30. but the reward
is grace, glory, cndlefs felicity. Beflir
then yourfelves, and if ever you mean to
fee the Kingdom of God, endeavour to
33
run through this new Birth, and fo lead a
better life than heretofore yon liave done
Only remember, Thus whiKl the minifter
fpeaks, Chrifl comes with power, and there-
fore he fpeaks and perfuades. I conclude
with my fpeech to thee (whofoever thou
art) into whofe hands this book is fallen ;
the truth is, the work is weak, and anfwe-
rable in that kind to the author of it ; ma-
ny and many a flitch in my iide, many a
pull at my heart, many a grip at my flo-
mach, befides the pangs of my foul (en-
deavouring to praifllfe what I have writ)
have I fufFered and felt fince I firft begun
it ; and yet the comfort I received in this
one neceflary fhing,hath made me (contrary
to the defirc of my befl: friends) to run
through this fliort work, by taking a long-
er time as my continual difeafe would now
and then fufFer me. If, when I am gone,
thou reapeft any fpiritual good by this
sny furviving pains, it is, next to God's
glory, all my defirc. Yet I live; but, to
fave thy foul, I care not how foon I might
die; yea, on that condition I could be wil-
ling (if God fo pleafed) the lines that thou
readell: were writ with the warmeft blood
in my heart: willing, faid I ? yea, I could
be willing and glad (as little blood as I have
in my body) to let it run and run, for
thy fpiritual good, to the v.ery lafl drop
in my veins. I fay no more ; confider what
I have faid. Except a man be born again,
he cannot fee the kingdom of Cod,
A^
C 34 )
A N
APPENDIX,
CONTAINING
A more particular T^.lethod, for the Man not yet born again, to have
his Part in the Second Birth,
CHAP. I.
The occafion, and method of this treatife.
SOME there are, who hearing the
New Birth (or firft repentance) to be
fo necelTary to falvation, but never feeling
in themfelves any fuch change or conver-
fion, have therefore defired further helps,
though naturally they are blind, and wret-
ched, and miferable, and poor, and naked ;
yet the Lord hath not left them without
means and helps: to this purpofe he hath
fet up his ordinances ; not that man of
himfelfcan difpofehimfelf unto grace, but
that the fpirit of Chrifl in the ufe of the
ordinances without any habitual or fan6li-
fying grace in man's heart, can difpofe of
man to the reception of habitual or fanfti-
fying grace. True iiis, I advifed them in
the former treatife to be frequent in pray-
er, and hearing the word : but fo we have
done, fay they, and yet we feel no conver-
iion. It may be fo : for, not always the
doing of them, but perfeverance in them
through Chrifl, obtains the blclling defired.
And yet, if they will out of hand fettle
ihemfelves to the work (feeing it is the
Lord that {2\ih, Break up the fallow grounds ,
Jer. iv. 3. i. e. * Seek to tlie Lord to break
them for thee : be in the ufe of means,
that the Lord may come in and break thy
heart') I fhall, for their further fatisfafli-
on, give them a more particular method,
and, without a text taken, take myfelf
more liberty to put them in the way.
Two things I fuppofc necelfary for them
that would have part in the New Birth.
I. To get into it.
IL To be delivered of it.
L The means to get into it, is,
1. Examination of themfelves.
2. Confelfion of their fins.
3. Hearty prayer for the foftening of
their hearts.
By which three are obtained the three
firft Steps, Sight of fin ; Senfe of Divine
wrath ; Sorrow for fin.
IL The means to be delivered of it, is
by application of the promifes, and thefe,
according to their feveral objects, produce
their feveral effects ;
Some a fight of Chrift.
Some a dcfire after Chrifl.
Some a relying on Chrifi.
Some an obedience to Chrifl.
Some a comfort in Chrifl, not only
fought for, but obtained, if the promifes be
rightly applied.
CHAP.
The N E7V B I RT H. zs
in God > 9. Haft thoU obferved God's
CHAP. II. S E C T I.
the Fir ft means to get into the New Birth.
THE means to get into the New
Birth, is, firft, Examination; and
the way to examine, is to fet before men
that chryftal glafsofthe law for their light
and rule : to this purpofe,I have here annex-
ed a Catalogue, or table, to (hew them their
offences ; not that I can poffibly enumerate
all fins, but only the kinds, and, if herein
I come fliort, yet confciences awakened
may be occafioned hereby to bring into
their thoughts thofe others not mentioned.
Now then, whofoever thou art that be-
ginneft this bleffed work, examine thyfelf
by this catalogue, but do it warily, and
truly ; and where thou findeft thyfelf
guilty, either note it in this book, or tranf-
cribe it into Tome paper, that fo they may
be ready for thine eye when thou comcft
to Gonfeifion.
SECT. II.
Sins again/} the fir ft Commandment.
IN every commandment we muft obferve
both the duties required, and the fins
forbidden, for both thefe are implied in
every one of the commandments ; if in
the firft thou art guilty, thou mufl anfwer
negatively ; if in the fecond, thou mufl
anfwer affirmatively : now then to proceed.
It is the firfl commandment, Thou /halt
have no other Gods but me.
For the duties here required.
Say, I. Hafl thou ever in mind, will,
and afieftions took the true God in Chrifl
to be thy God ? 2. Haft thou abounded in
thofc graces by which thou fhouldft cleave
unto God, as in the warmth of knowlege
and love, and fear, and joy, and trufting
3-
mercies, and promifes, and works, and
judgments upon thee, and by a particu-
lar application took fpecial notice there-
of? 4. Haft thou communicated with
the godly ? and joined thyfelf to God*»
people, and delighted chiefly in them/
Or, for the /ins here forbidden.
Say, 1 . Haft thou not fometimes been
guilty of blafphemy, or idolatry, or witch
craft, or atheifm, or epiciirilxn, or herefy ?
2. Haft thou not been guilty of pride, a fin
flatly oppofing God, and firft committed
by devils? 3. Haft thou not had inward
reafonings that there is no God *, or that
he feeth not, or knoweth not f, or that
there is no profit in his fervice :j: ? 4. Hafl
thou not failed to love God, and fear God,
and put thy whole truft in God ? 5. Hafl
thou not trufted in man §, or feared man,
or loved the world; and thereby alienated
thy heart from God? 6. Haft thou notre-
forted to witches, or in the firft place to
phyficians, and not to the living God ?
7. Haft thou not tempted God, and, in the
matters of God, been either cold or luke-
warm, or prepofteroufly zealous ? 8. Haft
thou not a pronenefs to fin, yea, to rebel
againft God in thy whole man ? 9. Haft
thou not been carelefs to perform the in-
ward duties of God's worfhip in fincerity
and truth ? If in thefe thou haft tranfgref-
fed, then haft thou broken this command-
ment, Thou /halt have no gods but me.
SECT. III.
Sins againft the fecond commandment.
IT is the fecond commandment. Thou
/halt not make to thyfelf any graven
image.
For the duties here required.
Say, I. Haft thou ever worfhipped the
true God purely, according to his will ?
Pfalxiv.i,
t Ifa, xxix, 1$.
I Job xxi. 14.
§ Jcr. xvii. J.
2 Haft
\/y
The: NEW
2. Flaft thou obferved all thofe outward
duties of his worfhip, as prayer, and vows,
and farting, and meditating, and the reft ?
3. Haft thou repaired to God's houfe, ob-
lerved family- duties,^ received the preach-
ers of the gofpel ?
Or, for the fins here forbidden.
Say, I. Haft thou not fometimes walk-
ed after the imaginations of thy own heart* ^
lerving God out ofcuftom, or (after the
manner of thy forefathers) by vvill-wor-
ftiip, and fupcrftitions ? 2. Haft thou not
committed idol- worfhip, conceiving of God
'n thy mind, or rcfpefling him in thy fenfe,
in the likencfs of a creature ? 3. Haft
. rhou not mentioned the names of other
, cods f , either by way of fwearing, or a-
pology ? 4. Haft thou not made an image
to liken Cod to it %, or ufed any gefttire
■o^ love and reverence to any fuch image ?
5. Haft thou not been carelefs to ivcrfloip
uod *t, to call upon the Lord f f to re-
ceive God's minijhrs ±J, or to perform a-
ny of the outward duties of God's wor-
ihip? If in any of thefe thou haft tranf-
greftcd, then haft thou broken this com-
mjindmcnt, Thou fait not make to thyfelf
any graven image.
SECT. IV.
Sins againfi the third commandment.
IT is the third commandment, 77;<5«y^^//
not take the name of the Lord thy Cod
in vain.
I or the duties here required.
Say, I. Haft thou been ever a conftant
learner,liearer,and d ocr of God's word and
will ? 2. Haft thou prayed with perfevcr-
ance, underftanding, and power of the Spi-
rit, without doubting, or wavering? 3. Haft
thou come preparedly to the facrament of
the Lord's fuppcr, and being come, hafl
thou difcerned the Lord's body i 4. Haft
BIRTH.
thou ufed all the titles, and properties, nnd
works, and ordinances of ihe Lord with
knowlegc, faith, reverence, joy, and fin-
cerity ?
Or, for the fins here forbidden.
Say, T . Haft thou not fometimes in thy
talk diflionoured the titles, attributes, re-
ligion, word, people of God, or any thing
that hath in it the print of his holinefs i
2. Haft thou not fworn, or forfworn, or
loved falfe oaths l 3. Haft thou not caufed
the name of religion, or people of God to
be evil thought of by thy illcourfe of life,
or by committing fome grofs fin ? 4. Haft
thou not rafhly, or unpreparedly, or
heedlefly read the word, heard fermons,
received the facraments, or performed any
other part of the worlhip of God ? 5.
Haft thou not thought or fpoken blafphe-
moufly, or contemptuoufly of God, or of
any thing whatfoevcr pertaining to God? If
in any of thcfe thou haft tranfgrefted, then
haft thou broken this commandment, 7"/;c«
flnilt }tot take the name of the Lord thy Cod
in vain.
SECT. V.
Sins againfi the fourth commandment.
IT is the fourth commandment, Remem-
ber that thou keep holy the fabbath-day.
Tor the duties here required.
Say, Firft, haft thou, according to the
equity of this commandment, ever obferv-
ed the Lord's day, and other days and
times fet apart for God's fcrvice ; Second-
ly, Haft thou on thofe days refted from
the fcivile works of fin, and refted and
relied upon Chrift for the remiilion of fins,
and led an holy and religious life, that fo
thou may efi enter into that rcfi of heaven?
Hcb. iv. II. Thirdly, Haft thou always
prepared thy heart, before thou wentefl
into the houfe of the Lord, by meditation
• \fx. ix. 14.
I Exod. xxiii. 13.
\\ Matth, X. i4>
\ m. xi. 18.
*f Zlcch, xiv. 17.
of
The N E
of God's word and works, by examinati-
on and reformation of thy ways.by prayer,
thankfgiving, and holy refoliition to carry
thyfelf as in God's prefence, and to hear
and obey whatfoever thou fhouldft learn
out of the pure word of God ? Fourthly,
Haft thou repaired to God's houfe in due
time, and ftayed the whole time of prayer,
reading, preaching of the word, finging of
Pfalms, receiving of the facraments ? Fifth-
ly, Haft thou performed private religious
olfices upon the Lord's day, to wit, in
private prayer and rhankfgiving, in ac-
Jcnowleging thy offences to God, in re-
conciling thyfelf to thofe thou haft oiiend-
ed, or with whom thou art at variance;
in vifiting the fick, comforting the atflift-
ed, contributing to the necellity of the
poor, inftru6ting thy children and fer-
vants, and the reft of thy family, in the
fear and nurture of the Lord ?
Or for the /ins here forbidden.
Say, Firft, Haft thou not fometimes
fpent the Lord's day in idlenefs, or in
worldly bufinefs, in vanities or in fin ?
Secondly, Haft thou not omitted public
duties, or cameft in too late, or wenteft
out too foon I Ezek. xlvi. lo. Thirdly,
Haft thou not in thofe days fold wares,
carried burdens , brought in floeaves, or
vjrought in the harvefi ? Neh. x. 31. and
ch. xiii. 15. Fourthly, Haft thou not em-
ployed thy cattle, or fervants, or children,
or any other, though thou workedft not
thy felf? Fifthly, Haft thou not profaned
the Lord's day, by needlefs works, words
or thoiights about thy calling, or about
thy recreation ? Sixthly, Hath not the
ftri£> obfervance of the duties of that day
been tedious unto thee, faying in thine
heart. When -will the day be gone P Amos
viii. 5 If in any of thefe thou haft tranf-
grelfed, then hift thou broken this com-
mandment, Remember that thoukeep holy
the Sabbath day.
W BIRTH,
37
I
SECT. VI.
Sins again]} the fifth commandment.
T is the fifth commandment, Honour
thy father and thy ryiother.
For the duties here required, they are
either in the Family, Common-weal, or
Church.
Firft, For the family : fay, if thou art
an hulband; i. Haft thou evev loved thy
ivife, and divelt -with her ^according to
knoxvlege, giving honour to her as to the
weaker vejfel, and as being heirs together
of the grace of life, that your prayers were
not kindred? Eph. v. 25. I Pet. iii. 7.
If tliou art a wife: 2. Hafi thou fubmit-
ied to thine own hufhand, as unto the Lordy
in every thing? Eph. v. 22, 24. 3. Hnjt
thou put on the ornainent of a meek and
quiet fpirit, which is in the fight of God of
great price ? i Pet. iii. 4.- If thou art a
» parent : 4. Hafi thou brought up thy chil-
dren in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord? Eph. vi. 4. 5. Haji thou corred'
' ed them, yet not provoked them by irnmO"
derate corredion ? 6. Hafi thou provid-
ed for them in their callings, or outward
eftates ? i Tim. v. 8. If ihou art a child i
7. Hafi thou obeyed thy pareJiis, and re-
ceived correction with fubmiffion and re-
verence I Rom. i. 30. 8. Hafi thou re-
lieved them in their wants ? Heb. xii. 9*
9. Hafi thou obferved their itifiruciionSy
and covered their infirmities ? Prov. xv»
15. Gen. ix. 22 If thou art a mafter : 10.
Hafi thou entertained God's fervants. Gen.
xix. 2, 3. and given unto thy fervant that
whichisjufi and equall Col. iv. i. If thou
art a fervant : 1 1 .HaJi thou been obedient to-
thy mafier according^ to thefiefJj, with fear
and trem.biing, in finglenefs of heart, as
unto Chrifi> Not anjwering arain, rot-
purloining, but fijewing all good' fidelity I
Tit. ii. 9, 10.
Secondly, For the com.mGn-weai ; if
thou art a magiftrate : 12. Haft thou ex-
ecuted juft laws ? 13.
Haft thou reformed
others
38 The NEW
others abufes,according to the power that is
in thee ? If thou art a fubjeft : 14. Haft
thou obeyed the higher powers in all juft
commands? 15. Haft thou been y?/^/V^
unto therriy not only for wrath, but aljofor
confcience fake ? Rom. xiii. 5.
Thirdly, For the church ; if thou art a
minifter: 16. Haft thou taught in feafony
and out offeafon ? 17. Hath thy light JJnn-
ed before men, that they might fee thy good
tuorksy Mat. v. 1 6. If thou art an hearer :
18. Haft thou communicated to them that
teach thee in all good things ? Gal. vi. 6.
19. Haft thou obeyed them, and prayed for
them, and loved them, and folloived them,
confidcring the entkof their converfation,
Heb. xiii. 7, 17, 18.
Or for the Jins here forbidden.
' And firft, For the family : fay, if thou
art an hulband : i. Haft thou not fome-
times abufed thy wife, Prov. xxi. 19. or
fmitten her, or injured her in thought,
word or deed? If thou art a wife : 2.
Haft thou not been wafteful, or froward
or idle? If thou art a parent: 3. Haft
thou not been carelefs, efpecially of thy
childrens fouls? If thou art a child: 4.
Haft thou not defpifed thy father's, or mo-
ther's inflruClions ? Prov. xv. 5. 5. Hafi
thou not mocked them, or defpifed them, or
curled them, or fmitten them, or foamed
them, or grieved them ? Pro. xxx. 17. and
ch.xx. 20. If thou art amafter: 6. Haft
thou not governed thy family negligently ?
7. Haft thou not withheld that which is juft
and equal in diet, wages, encouragement ?
If thou art a fervant : 8. Haft thou not
been idle, and flothful ? 9. Haft thou not
ferved grudgingly, and not from the heart.
Secondly, For the common-weal : if
thou art a magiftrate : 10. Haft thou not
been as a lion or a bear, roaring and
ranging over the poor people P Pro. xxviii.
15. II. Haf thou not decreed unrighte-
ous decrees F refpe^ling the perfons of the
poor, or honouring the perfons of the migh-
ty ? Ifa. X. I. Lev. xix. 15. If thou art
B 1 RTH,
a fubjeft : \2. Flaft thou not reviled the
gods, or cur fid the ruler of thy people?
Exod. xxii. 28. 13. Haft thou not <^«/o-
heyed the higher powers', or not denied
tribute, or cuflom, or honour, or fear to
whom they are due ? Rom. xiii. I and 7.
Thirdly, For the church; if thou art a
minifter : 14. Haft thou not been pro'
fane and wicktd in thy life and converfa-
tion ? 15. Haf} thou not run before thou
waft fent ? Jer. xxiii. 21. or being fent,
hart ihou not been negligent in the gift
that is in thee? 1 Tim. iv. 14. 16. Haft
thou not prophefied in Baal, and caufed
God's people to err? Jer. xxiii. 13. 17.
Haft thou not committed fimony, or
fought indiretflly for the fleece, not re-
garding refpe^lively the flock ? 18. Haft
thou not ftrengthened the hands cf evil
doers, in preaching peace to wicked men ?
Jer. xxiii. 14. 19. Haft thou not given
heed to fables, or tofome unprofitable 7nat-
ter, rather than to a godly edifying, which
is in faith ? i Tim. i. 4. If thou art an
hearer: 20. Haft thou not refifted the mi-
nifter, and the word preached by him ?
Heb. xiii. 7, 17, iS. Whatfoever thou
art, hujhand, or wife, or parent, or child,
or mifter, or fiervant, or magiftrate, or
Jubje£i, or minifter, or hearer (if in any of
thefe thou haft tranfgrefTed) then haft thou
broke this commandment. Honour thy fa-
ther and thy mother.
SECT. VII.
Sins again fi the fixth commandment .
IT is the fixth commandment. Thou
fijalt do no murther.
For the duties here required.
Say : haft thou ever delired and ftudied
byall means lawful, to prcferve thine own
perfon and the perfon of thy neighbour ?
Or for the fins here forbidden.
Say: I. Haft thou not fometimes en-
vied others for their wealth, or for their
gifts, or for their refpedls with others ?
Gen. xxvi. 14. Num.xi. 29. G^n, xxxvii.
II.
ne NEW B I RTH.
2. Haft thou not offended others in thy mouth ? 4. Haft
II.
geftures, gncijhing on than with thy teeth,
or Jlmrpening thine eyes on them ? Jot), xvi.
p. 3. Hafl: thou not olfended others in
words, by cenfuring, or reviling, or ren-
dering evil for evil, or railing for railing?
I Pet. ill. 9. 4. Haft thou not otFended o-
thersin deeAs,plotting again/t thejufi, Pfal.
xxxvii. 12. or doing evil to any man?
5. Haft thou not been angry with thy
brother without caufe, Matth. v. 22. or
continued long in anger, keeping thy
ivrath (as it were) for ever ? Amos i. 1 1.
6. Haft thou not rejoiced at others fatly
or luifhed a curfe to their fouls ? Pro. xxiv.
17. job XX xi. 30. 7. Haft thou not done
evil to thyfelf, by inordinate fretting, or
grieving, or drinking, or furfeiting, or fay-
ing in thy paffions, Would God liver e deadl
Numb. xiv. 2. 8. Haft thou not been a
fo-iver of difcordy Prov. vi. 14. or fome
way or other, a juft occafion of the dif-^
comfort, or of the death of thy neighbour?
If in any of thefe thou haft tranfgrefTcd,
thou haft then broken this commandment,
Thouflialt do no murther,
SECT. vni.
Sins againft the feventh commandment.
IT is the feventh commandment, Thou
fhalt nut com.mit adultery.
for the duties here required.
Say : Haft thovi ever kept thyfelf pure
in foul and body, both towards thyfelf and
others ?
Gr for the fins here forbidden.
Say: I. Haft thou not fometimes been
defiled with buggery, fodori:iitry, inceft,
whoredom, adulteiy, polygamy, fejf-pol-
lution, or with changing the natural ufc
into that "which is againfl nature ? 2.
Haft thou not oftendcJ in the occafions of
uncleannefs, as in idlenef', gluttony,,
drunkennefs, wanton company, whoiifh
attire, or perfumes ? 3. Hall thou not
finned in thy fenfes, or geftures, or words,
by filthy communication proceeding out of
39
4. Malt thou not harboured
in thy heartburning \\x^%,impure thoughts^
inordinate affeSiioyts ? ';•, Haft thou not
behaved thyfelf immodeflly, unfoberly, or
ftiamelefly abufingthy body, or ufing fome
manner of dalliance and wanton nefs? If
in any of thefe thou haft tranfgrcired, then
haft thou broken this commandment, TAum
fhalt not commit adultery s See Rom. i.
26. Prov. vii. 16, ij. Col. iii. 8. Matth..
V. 28. Col. iii. 5.
I
SECT. IX.
Sins again]} the eighth commandment.
T is the eighth commandment, Thou
fmlt not fie al.
For the duties here required.
Say : Haft thou ever, by all good means,
furthered the outward eftate of thyfelf,
and of thy neighbour ?
Or for the fins heue forbidden.
Say : Firft, Haft thou not fometimes
got thy living by an unlawful calling ? 2.
Haft thou not impoveriftied thyfelf by idle-
nefs, luxurious or unneceftary expences ?
3. Haft thou not withheld from thyfelf or
others, that which (hould have been ex-
pended ? 4. Haft thou not gotten, or kept
thy neighbour's goods by falftiood or force,
and made no reftitution ? 5. Haft thou
not ftollen by ufury, or oppreffion, or
fraud in buying or felling ? An abomina-
tion unto the Lord ? 6. Haft thou not rob-
bed God of his tithes and offerings by fa-
crilege or fimony ? 7, Haft thou not fome
way or other impaired thy neighbour's
ftate ? If in any of thefe thou haft tranf-
grefted, then haft thou broken this com.-
m^ndmtm. Thou ftjalt not f}eaL See Deut^
XXV. 16. Mai. iii. &.
SECT. X.
Sins againfl the ninth comynavdment.
T is the ninth commandment, Thou/
fnalt not bear fa fe xv it nefs.
For the duties here required.
Say, Haft thou ever by all means fought
to
40 TJ)e NEW
to maintain ihy own and thy neighbour's
good nainc, according to truth and a good
confcience ?
Or for the fins here forbidden.
Say, I . Hall thou not fomctimes loved,
or made a lie ? 2. Haft thou rot raifed a
jalfe report, to the de famine^ of many ?
3. Haft thou not ceitfuredor judged others y
yet never confidered the beam that is in
thine own eye? 4. Haft thou not flattered
thyfelf and others, faying unto the vjicked.
Thou art righteous ? 5. Halt thou not con-
demned fome without witnefs, or forborn
to witncfs for others when thou kneweft
the truth ? 6. Haft thou not been un-
charitably fufpicioij^s, or a defpifer of thy
' neighbour ? 7. Haft thou not told a lie,
whether jeflingly or officioully, or perti-
-nacioufly? If in any of thefe thou haft
traufgrelfed, then haft thou broke this
commandment, Thou flialt not bear falfe
•witnefs, Rev. xxii. 15. Jer. xx. 10, Mat.
vii. 3. Prov. xxiv. 24.
SECT. XL
Sins againfi the lafl commandment.
IT is the laft commandment, Thou floalt
not covet.
For the duties here required.
Say : I . Haft thou ever been truly con-
tented with thy own outward condition ?
1. Haft thou rejoiced at others good, and
loved thy neighbour as thyfelf? JMa t .xi x . 1 9 .
Or for the fins here forbidden.
Say : I. Haft thou not fometimes con-
ceived evil thoughts in thy heart ? Matth.
XV. 19. 2. Haft thou not delighted in the
inward contemplations of evil ? 3. Haft
thou not been full of difcontent with thy
own condition and ftate ? 4. Haft thou
not felt another law of thy members war'
ring againfi the law of thy mind ? Rom.
vii. 23. 5. Haft thou not coveted after
fomething or other that was thy neigh-
bour's, either with will, or by actual
concupifcence ? If in any of thefe thou
haft tranlgrefted, then haft thou broke
BIRTH,
this commandment, Thou fh alt not covet.
CHAP. III.
The fecond means to get into the new birth.
AFter Examination, which may well
ferve thee for one day's work or two,
the next duty is Confefiion. Now then
take the catalogue of thofe fins, or if thy
awakened conlcience can tell thee of any
other, which thou knoweft thou haft com-
mitted, and noted, either in this book, or in
fome other paper ; and kneeling on thy
knees, fpread thy catalogue before the
Lord ; I lay, fpread thy catalogue before
the Lord, as Hezekiah did his letter, 2
Kings xix. 14. There read thou feriouf-
ly and particularly, faying, * O Lord, I
confefs I have committed this fin, and the
other fin, as they are before thee in order,
of all thefe fins I am guilty, efpecially of
thofe fins wherein I delighted, my darlings,
my minions, my bofom fins' (take notice
of them, and confefs them again) ' of all
thefe fins I am guilty ; and now, O Lord,
ftanding, as it were, at the bar of thy tri-
bunal, 1 arraign myfclf, and accufe mj felf,
and judge myfelf worthy of the utmoft of
thy wrath and indignation ; for one fin
thou caftedft Adam out of paradife ; for
ore fin thou caftedft the angels out of hea-
ven, for one fin thou deftroyedft a world
of men; and what then iliall become of me,
that have committed a world of fins ?' — ^
[Here paufe a while,and meditate on thyun-
worthinefs] * O that I fhould be fo foolifh,
fo brutifii, fo mad to commit thefe fins,
thefe manifold fins ! O that by thefe fins
I Ihould break fo holy a law, provoke fo
good and great a majefty ! what fhall I do,
but remembring my evils ways, even loath
myfelf in my own fight, yea abhor my
fclf in duft and afties, for my iniquities,and
my abominations .' Ezek. xxxvi. 31.' For
conclullon ; thou mayft imitate the publi-
can, who not daring to lift up his cyes^
/mote his breajt ; fo do thou, and figh, an j
fau
77;^ NEW BIRTH,
fay with him, God, be merciful io me a
* /tuner y Luke xviii. 13.
CHAP. IV. SECT. I.
The third weans to get into the New Birth.
AFtcr ConfelTion, which may well ferve
thee for another day's work, the next
duty thou mufl labour for, is to fcek for
true forrow and mourning for thy fins :
feek thou muft, and never leave feeking,
till thou feel thy heart melt within thee.
To this purpofe readfome tracts of death*,
of judgment f, of hell **, of Chrift's paf-
fion ft, of the joys of heaven4| LafI:
of all (and I take it beft of all) rcfolve
to fet every day Come time apart to beg it of
the Lord'. When Daniel fet himfelf to
pray, the Lord came in to him, Dan. ix.
3. When Peter had gone apart to pray;
and when Paul had prayed in the temple,
then the Lord came into them, A6ls x. 6.
and xxii.i/. And why may not I bid thee
pray, as well as Peter bid Simon Magus,
yet beir:g in the gall ofbitternefs and bond
cj iniquity^ Ads viii.22,23. Refolve then,
and at the time appointed fall down on thy
knees, fpread thy catalogue, confefs, ac-
cufe, judge, condemn thyfelf again ; which
done, beg, beg of the Lord to give thee
that foft heart he promifed, Ezek. xxxvi.
§ ii new heart will I give youj and a new
41
fpirit will I put within ycu, and I will take
away thejlony heart out of your JleJJ}, and
J will give you an heart offiefh. Say then
to thyfelf, * Is ihis the Lord's promife ? O
Lord, perform it to my heart ; take away
my flony heart, give me an heart of flefli,
a new heart, a new fpirit, etc' [Here
make thine own prayer, be not careful of
words, only let the words be the true voice
of thy heart:] and the more to woik
foftening thou mayeft fob, and figh, and
beat thy brealt (c), above all thou mufl
pray, and call, and cry with vehemency and
fervency not to be uttered (^). When
thou haft done, if the Lord do not yet
hear thee, pray again the next day, and
the next day, yea put on this refoiution,
that thou wilt never leave praying till
the Lord hear thee in mercy, till he make
thee to feel thy heart melt within thee,
yea, if it may be, till thou feeft thy *f
Tears trickling do%vn thy cheeks, becaufe
'of thy offences. The Lord will perhaps
hear thee at the firft time, or at the fecond
time ; or if he do not, be not difcouraged,
God hath his times ; Mofes fmote the rock
at Horeb twice before it would yield.
Numb. XX. 1 1, and at laft it fent out a-
bundant ftreams of living waters; God
fpeaketh once and twice, and man perceiv
eth not ; happy he who relenteth at laft :
give it not over, perfift thou, thy fuit is
§ As, Sherlock on dcatli. f Sherlock onjui?gmcnt. *• Our Author himfelf on hell's horror,
ft The gofpels. \\ Dr. Scot's Chriftian life. vol. i. and our Author hi.vftlfon this, as well as the other
fiihjefls.
§ The prpmifes of Jeremiah, xxxi.351, Heb. viii. 10. Hof. ii, tj. andxiv.4. Ifa. Ixv. 4 are ab(blute promifcs
whicli are n'.ade not only to ihem liiat aic for the prelcnt his people, but to them which for tlie preftnt arc not:
which I. Raife up the foul of an hclplcfs finner to fome hope at Icaft of mercy and help from the LorJ. And
J. They (crve to cr<:3te, and draw out faitli in Jcfus Chriftiii the promifcs : it is obfcrved, that no con Jitioiul pro-
mife fihily begins faith ; for he that is under a condition, is piefuppofed to have faith ; in the firft place theiefore
look on the ablbhite promilcs, Ezek. xxxvi. ap.
(fl) This uirt<Qi..n is not to be underltood in the literal (enfe. Our Author doth not advife any one tofi^h,
fib, or beat his brealf, in order to produce inward f irrow ; — which, though it were produced by that means, would
little avail any one. It is more reafonable to fuppoff, he meant only to (ay, that inward forro-ui, wrougl)t in the
mind by a fenfe of fin, would ihew forth itdlf in thefe exprcdive figns, viz. fighing, fobbing, and beating of the
brraft. As we fee in the inftanct of the Publican, conjijfmg his Jlns, Luke xviii. 13.
(i) The fame is to be underftood of this other direction.
••{■ Ut hoc niido confritguS CJpita ikeconum tiiovuni in aquii.
G juft,
^,^ The ISIEW
juft, and impoitunity will prevail; yea I
can fay, Thy defire to forrow being re-
folute, it is a degree of godly forrow itfelf,
and no doubt the Lord will encreafeit, if
thou beggeft hard a while.
SECT. II.
The fir J} reafon for this forrow.
THIS muftbe done; Firft, becaufe
without pangs no birih : the pangs
of a penitent man, are as the pangs of a
ivomaii t- Now as there can be no birth
without pains of travail going before, fo
neither true repentance without fome ter-
rors of the law, and llraits of confcience.
Te have uot receiimd the fpirit of bondage
again to fear, faith the apoftle to the Ro-
mans, ch. viii. 15. And what is that? but
■ to fhcw us, they once did receive it ;
when : but in the very firfl: preparation to
converfioh : then it was that the Spirit of
t^od in the law did fo bear witnefs unto
them of their bondage, that ic made them
to fear. x-\nd certainly thus it is with every
man in his firft convcrfion, his contrition
n->uft becompungent,and vehement, bruif-
injt, breaking, renting the heart, and feel-
ing the throws, as a woman labouring of
child, before there can be a new birth, or
tiie new creature be brought forth.
S E C T. III.
The fecond reafon for this forrow.
A Cain, Without contrition no Chrift;
/'\. therefore it was that God firft open-
ed the eyes of our fir ft parents to make
them lee and be fenfiblc of their fin and
miCery, Gen. v. 7. before he promifcd
Chrift, ver. 15. * Therefore it was that
John Baptift' (faith Chryfoftom, in ch. 3.
Mat. horn. 11.) * firft thoroughly frigh-
ted the minds of his hearers with the terror
of judgment, and expefiaiion of torment,
B IRTH.
aHd with the name o-f an ax, and their re-
jef^ion, and entertainment of other chil-
dren, and by doubling the punifhment, to
wit, of being hewn down, and caft into the
fire; and when he had thus every way
tamed, and taken down their ftubbornefs,
then at length he makes mention of Chrift.'
* Why then is Chrift feafonably revealed'
(faith Mufciilus :j: ) * when the hearts of
men being foundly pierced by preaching
repentance, are pofTelfed with a dellre of
his gracious righteoulnefs.' Or if you will
hear Calvin, f* ' To whom is Chrift pro-
mifed, but to them alone, who are hum-
bled and confounded with the fenfe of
their own fins?' Certainly the firft thing
that draws to Chriif, is to conftder our mi-
ferable eftate without him; no nian will
come unto Chrift except he be hungry;
no man will take Chrilf'syoke upon him,
till he come to know and feel the weight
of Satan's yoke; to this end vlierefore
muft every man be broken with threats,
and fcourges, and laihes of confcience,
that fo defpairing of himfelf, he may flee
imto Chrilt.
SECT. IV.
The third reafon for this forrow.
A Gain, ^Vlthout hearty forrow, no fpi-
ritual comfort. We muft firft be hu?n-
bled before the Lord, and then he will lift
us up, James iv. 10. Chrift indeed was a-
nointed to preach good tidings, but to
whom ? To the poor, to the brokenhearted,
to the captives, to them that are bound, to
the brui/ed, Ifa. Ixi. i. God pours not
the oil of his mercy fave into a broken vef-
fel ; God never comforts thoroughly, fave
where he finds humiliation and repentance
for fin. * The word ofGod(/ii///;o;/(f*)hath
three degrees of operation in the hearts of
his chofen : firft, It falleth to men's ears as
+ What elfe (lavs Ao(iin) are tbc pnngs of the penitent, but t!ic pangs ota woman "in travail ? Au;r. on Pfal,
xlv'.ii. \ M-'f. on Mutt. ch. ili. Sc^, Tunc acadit Jcf.s. i. e. Then comtth jelus,&c, f* Calvin on Jfa. ]xi.
• fwrbcs yn Rcvd, wh, iv.
the
The NEW BIRTH.
thefoundof many waters, a mighty, great,
and confufed found, and which common-
ly bringeth neither terror nor joy, but
yet a vvondring, and acknowledgment of
a ftrange force, and more than iiuman
power; this is that which many felt hear-
ing Chrift, when they were afioniihed at
his doflrine, as teaching with authority f
JVhat maimer of doSlrine is this ? Mark i.
22. 27. Luke iv. 32. Never man /pake
like this man, John vii. 46. The next
effect is the voice of thunder, which bring-
eth not only wonder, but fear alfo;
not only filleth the ears with found, and
the heart with aftonifhment. but moreover
(haketh and terrifieth the confcience. The
third e/Fedl is the found of harping, while
the word not only ravifheth with admirati-
on, and ilriketh the confcience with terror,
but alfo, laftly, filleth it with fweet peace
and joy. Now, albeit the two firfl: de-
grees may be without the laf}, yet none
feel the laft, who have not in fome degree
felt both the firfl.' He faith true, in fome
degree, tho' commonly the deeper is the
fenfeof mifery, the fweeter is the fenfe of
mercy. * In our dead fecurity before con-
verfion (Jaith another f ) God is fain to
let the law, fin, confcience, Satan, a deep
fenfe of our abominable and curfed flate
loofe upon us, and to kindle the very fire
of hell in our fouls, that fo we might be
rouzed, and afterwards more fweetly and
foundly raifed and refre(]ied; for after
the moft toilfome labour is the fweetefl
fleep, after the greatefV tempefts theflillefl
calms : fan(5lified troubles and terrors e-
fiablidi the furefl peace, and thefliaking of
thefe winds makes the trees of God's Eden
take the better rooting. Spiritually there
is never a pcrfe6l calm but after 3 tempefl;
the wind and earthquake and lire make
way for the foft voice.'
43
C H A P. V,
E C T. I.
The means to be delivered out oj the pan(fs
of the Nt-w Birth.
AND now, if by God's Wtlling, thou
feclefl this forrow and mcliing of
heart, the next thing thou mull do, is \.q
feck for the remedy ; which remedy con-
fifts of thefe ingredients: i. A fight of
Chrifl:. 2. A defire after Chrifl:. 3. A
relying on Chrift. 4. An obedience to
Chrifl. 5. A comfort in Chrifl fought for
and obtained. Thou wilt fay, Thefe in-
gredients are pearls indeed, but how
(hould I obtain them T I aufu'cr. By appli-
cation of the promifes ; and fith every in-
gredient hath its particular promifes, I ihall
let thee fee them in order, only do thou
apply them thyfelf ; it is enough for the
phyfician to prepare the medicine, thy
own body mufl receive it : fo in this me-
*dicine it is, thou muft apply it if thou wilt
have foul's health. Some may objeft, t
dare not look to the promife, I cannot
believe; if I could believe, then I could
expe(ft good from the promife. I anfvver.
Thou flialt never beheve upon thefe terms,
thou muft not lirft have faith, then go to
the promife, but thou muft Jirft go to the
promi.^e, and from thence receive pow-
er to believe : The dead (faith Chrift) O^all
bear the vmce of the Son of God, and they
that hear it fhall live, John v. 25. It is
fpoken of the dead in fin ; firft, there is
the voice of Chrift to the foul, before
there can be again an eccho of the foul
to Chrift ; the Lord faith, Come foul, and
the foul faith, I come Lord : O then go to
the promife, and expert faith from thence ;
this is the rule, I muft not bring faith
to the promife, but receive faith from ir,
3nd therefore there will I hang, and wait,
till the Lord pleafe to work it.
W;o«'i inQruilions for a/BI^cd conHienccs,
G 2
SECT.
44
n^e N EW B IRTH.
SECT. II.
The promt fcs procuring a fight of Chrifl.
TH K firft ftep, or ingredient that
brings comfort to thy heavy foul, is
ihe fght of Chrift: and to procure this
fight, thou haft thefe promifes.
Matth. i. 2 1. Thou fj ah call his name
Jefus, for hefhallfave his people from their
fins.
Luke ii. lo, n. Behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy that flmllbeto all
people, that is, that unto you is horn thit
day in the city of David a Saviour, -which
is Chrifl the Lord.
John i. 29. Behold the Lamb of God,
•which taketh a-way^the fins of the world,
John iii. 16. Cod fo loved the -world,
that he gave his only begotten Son, to the
' end that all that believe in him P)ould not
ferif}), but have life everla firing.
John iii. 17. Godfent not his Son into the
•world to condemn the -world, but that the
•world through him might be faved.
Romans \\\. 25. Cod hath fet forth
\^Chrifl Jefus'] to be a propitiation through
faith in his blood.
• I Cor. i. 30. Chrifl Jefus of God is
made unto us -wifdom, and right eoufnefs,
and fanSHf cation, and redemption.
1 Tim. i. 15. This is a faithful faying,
imdivorthy of all acceptation, that Chrifl
Jefus came into ihe -world to fave finners.
Heb. xiii. 12. Jefus, that he might
faiiSlify the people -with his own bloody
Jltffered without the gate.
I John ii. 1,2. If any man fin, we have
an advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrifl
ihe righteous : and he is the propitiation
for our fins ; and not for curs only, but aljo
for the fins of the whole world.
Rev. V. 9. Thou wafl flain, and hafl re-
deemed us to Codhy thy blood, out of every
kindred, and tongue, and people, and m-
tion.
All thefe tell thee, That as thou art a
fmner, fo thou haft a Saviour; only do
thou apply them, and certainly they will
help thee in the firft ftep, the firft ingre-
dient of thi'; remedy to thymifery, to wit^
the fight of Chrift.
SECT. III.
The promifes procuring^ a defire after Chrifl.
THOU mayft fay, I fee Chrift, and I
fee that his perfon, and death, and
blood-flied are precious and faving; but
how may I make him mine ? how may £
know that he is my Saviour? I anfwer^..
Thou muft hunger, and thirjl after him ;
this delire is the fecond ftep : and to pro-
voke thee to this duty, confider of thefe
promifes.
Ifa. Iv, I. Ho, every one that thirfleth,
come ye to the waters, and he that hath no
money, come ye, buy ard eat, yea, come,
buy wine and milk without money^ and
without price.
Matth. V. 6. BleJfed are they who hunger
and thirfl after righteoufnefs ; for they
fhall be filled.
John vii. 37, 38. In the lafl day>, that
great day of the feafl, Jefus flood and cri-
ed, faying. If any man thirfl, let him corrte
unto me, and drink : he that believeth on
me, as the fcripture hath faid. Out of his
belly fhall flow rivers of living water.
Rev. xxi. 6. I will give to him that is
athirfl, of the fountain of the water of
life freely.
Rev. xxii. 17. Let him that is athirfi
come, and whofoever will, let him take the
•water of life freely.
Pfalm Ixiii. i . God, thou art my God,
early will Ifeek thee ; my foul thirfleth for
thee, my flefh longeth for thee, in a dry
and thirfly land, where no water is.
Pfalm cxlv. 19. He will fulfill the defire
of them that fear him.
All thefe may provoke thee to thirft after
Chrift, that moll: fovereign and foul-fav-
ing fountain, opened to the houfe of David,
and to the inhabitants of Jerufalem far
fin J and for uncleannefsj Zech. xiif. i.
SECT.
The N EW B IRTH. 45
come ye to the waters, atid he that hath
S E G T. IV.
7 he Promifes procuring a Relying on ChriJ}.
YET thou mayft fay, I thirft indeed,
but I dare not drink ; I defire, but
I dare not come near to lay hold on Chrift :
how fo ? I am, (fayft thou) a moft vile,
imworthy, wicked wretch^ and my fins are
of fcarlet, crimfon dye: true it is; for thee
to pretend part in Chrili, wallowing yet in
thy fins, for thee to believe that Chrift is
thy rightecufnefs, pur poling yet to go on
in the practice or allowance of any one
known fin, it were a moit curfed horrible
prefuraption indeed ; but where all fin is a
burden, every promife, as a world of gold,
and the heart fincere for a new way, there
a man may be bold : a man may ? Yes, he
muft ; if thou groaneft under fin, if thou
longeft after Ghrift, apply thefe promifes,
and they will force thee to lay hold upon
the rock, to take Chrifl for thine own, to
throw thy finful foul upon the blooding
wounds of Jefus, and to caft thyfelf with
confi<lence into the bofom of his love.
I. Then, *■ Take notice (faith a modern)
that Jefus Chrifl keeps open houfe for all
hungry and thirfty fouls.' f
Rev. xxii. 17. Let him that is athirfi
come, and -whofoever ivill, let him take the
ivater of life freely. Or if open houfe will
not fit, without invitation, hear him call;
Matth. xi. 28. Come unto me all ye that
labour, and are heavy laden, and 1 will give
you reji. Or if invitation will not fit, with-
out proclamation, hear him proclaim ;
John vii. 37. Jefus flood, and cried, fay-
*"S> ^f ^''^y ^^^" i^^^fii ^^' ^im come unto
me, and drink : he ihat believeth on me,
out of his belly fhall flew rivers of waters.
Or, lelt thou H^oufdft think, thou mud
come to thy coll, and bring fomewh u in
thy hand, hear how he doubles, and trebles
his cry to the contrary ;
Ifa. Iv. I. Ho, every one that thirfteth.
no money, come ye, buy and eat, yea, come,
buy wine and tnilk, without money, and
without price. And yet, left thou fay, I
am fo far from bringing any thing in my
hand, that I bring a world of wickednefs
in my heart, and my fins, I fear, will hin-
der my acceptation : no ; (faith he again.)
Ifa. Iv. 7. Let the wicked forfake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts, (and
this is thy defire, thy cafe) and let him re-
turn unto the Lord, and he wilt have mercy
upon him, and to our God, for he will abun-
dantly pardon. Or, if all this will not do-
without a more folemn invitation, fee thea
how the Lord of heaven fends forth his
ambafiadors to move thee, and entreat thee
to come in.
2 Cor. v. 20. Now then we are amhaffa-
dors for Chrif}, as though God did hefeccb
you by us, ,we pray you in Chrift^s Jiead;
be ye reconciled to God. Or, if he cannoc
wooe thee, lo, he commands thee ;
I John iii. 23. And this is the command-
ment, ihat we fhould believe on the name
of his Son Jefus Chrif}. Or, yet to drive
thee to Chrili, he not only commands, but
threatens ;
Heb. iii. 18. Jnd to whom fw are he that
they fhould not enter into his reJi, but to
them that believed not ?
And what can he do more unto his vine-
yard ? I . To bid thee welcome, he keep*
open houfe. 2. He invites. 3. He pro-
claims. 4. He calls thee fans-fee, without
money or money-worth. 5. He apologiz-
eth. 6. He fendeth. 7. He commandetb.
8. He threateneih. Hear what mine author
concludes from thefe premiffes '.' ' How cru-
el then is that man to his own wounded
confcience, who in his extreme fpiritual
thirft will not be drawn by this eight-fold
merciful cord, to drink his fill of the foun-
tain of the water of life, to caft himfelf
with confidence and comfort into the arms
t Bolton's iuftrnftions tor affliilcd conkiencss,
tain
46 The NE
of the Lord Jefus ? Yea, how is it pofTible,
but that all, or fome of thefe, (hould bring
in every broken heart to believe, and eve-
ry one that is weary of his fins, to rely
upon the Lord of life for everlafling wel-
fare i'
SECT. V.
T/}e promifes procuring obedience to Cbrifl.
AN D yet thou mayft fay, I have caft
myfelf on Chrift, is this all I mud
do ? No, there is yet another ftep, he is not
only to be thy Saviour, but thy hulband,
thou mufl love him, and fcrve him, and
honour him, and obey \\\m. ; thou mufl:
endeavour not only for pardon of fin, and
falvation from he|^, but for purity, new o-
, bedience, ability to do, or fuffer any thing
for Chrift. And to provoke thee to this
. duty, confider of thefe texts:
Jer. xxxi. 33 but this J)) all be the cove-
nant that 1 will make vaith the hoicfe of If-
rael, after thofe days, faith the Lord, I
will put ?ny law in their imuard parts, and
write it in their hearts, and I will be their
Cod, and they f jail be my people. See the
fame promife in Heb. viii. 10. Heb. x. 16.
.Matth. vii. 2 1 . Not every one that faith.
Lord, Lord, floall enter into the kingdom of
heaven, but he that doth the will of my Fa-
ther who is in heaven,
IMatth. xi. 29. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in
heart ; and ye fhallfind refl unto your fouls.
Matth. xvi, 24. if aiiy man willjollow
me, let him take up his crofs, and follow me.
2 Cor. V. 15, He died for all, that they
who live, Jhould not henceforth live unto
ihemfelves, but unto him that died for theju.
2 Cor. V, 17. If any man be in Chriji,
let him be a new creature : old things are
paffed away, behold, all things are become
new.
I John i. 6, 7. If v:e fay that xve have
fellow fhip with him, and xvalk in darknefs,
we lie, and do not the truth. But if xi'e
walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowfhip one with another ; and the
W BIRTH.
blood of Jefus Chrifi his Son cleanfeth us
from all fin.
I John ii. 5, 6. He that keepeth his word,
in him verily is the love of God perfei^ed :
hereby know we that we are in him. He
that faith he abideth in hint, ought himfelf
alfo fo to walk, even as he walked.
I John iii. 6. 9. Whofoever abideth in
him, finneth not. IVhofoever is born of God,
doth not commit fin ; fhr his feed remaineth
in him, and he cannot fin, becaufe he is born
of Cod.
1 John iii, 24. He that keepeth his com-
mandments, dwelleth in him : and hereby
we know that he abideth iH us, by the Spi-
rit vjhich he hath given us.
I John V. 18. IVe know that whofoever
is born of Cod, finneth not : but he that is
begotten of Cod, keepeth himfelf, and that
wicked one toucheth him not.
All thefe may invite thee to enter into
the holy path, and to fight under Chrift's
banner again ft the world, the flelh, and
the devil, unto thy life's end.
SECT. VL
The Promifes procuring comfort in Chrif}.
ONCE more, thou mayft fay, * I have
been truly humbled with the fenfe of
fin, and fenfe of milery, and forrow for
fin ; yea, 1 havefeen and thirlted, and re-
lied, and purpofed, univerfal obedience to
my Saviour, and yet no comfort comes:'
It may be fo ; but haft thou praifed God
for this work of wonder, the New Birth
wrought in thee ? If fo, then is there ano-
ther duty expe£led from thee, right preci-
ous and plealing unto God, and that is,
waiting : Yet, I could wilh thee to addrefs
thyfelf to thefe precious promifes ; f(jttle
thy foul on them with fixed meditation and
fervent prayer, and where thou perceiveft
the condition of the promifes to be by God's
grace formed in thee, thou mayeft laiejy
alfure thyfelf of fo much favour as is ex-
prcfly contained in the promifes.
Lev. xxvi. 40, 41, 42, 44. Ij they piall
confefs their iniquity, — If their UHcircum-
cijed hearts he humbled, Then ■will I re-
member my coveiiant, — -That 1 might be
their God ; I am the Lord. The conditi-
on is, to confefs and be humb)ed ; and this
if thou dof>, the covenant is fure, the Lord
is thy God.
Job xxxiii. 27, 28. If any fay, I have
finned, and perverted that which is right,
and it profited me not ; he will deliver his
foul from going into the pit, and his life
fhall fee the light. The condition is. If
any fay I have finned, if thy heart fay thus
in fincerity and truth, the promife is fuie,
Cod will deliver thy fiul from hell, and
thou Jhalt fee the light of heaven.
P(al. li. 1 7, A broken and a contrite heart,
God, thou wilt not dcjpife. The condi-
tion is, a broke?i and a contrite heart tor
fin ; and if thy heart be thus; be fure God
will not defpife it.
Prov. xxviii. 13. Whofoever confeffeth
andforfaketh his fins fhall have mercy . I'he
condition is, to confefs and for fake fin ; and
this if thou doft, as fure as God is God,
thou fhalt have mercy.
I fa. Ivii. 15. I dwell in the high and ho-
ly place, with him alfo that is of a contrite
and hu77ible fpirit, to revive the fpirit of
the humble, and to revive the heart of the
contrite ones. The condition is, to be of
a C07ttrite and humble fpirit ; and if thou
art thus, God is true who hath faid it, he
dwells in thee, to revive thy fpirit, and to
revive thy heart.
Ifa. Ixi. I. The Lord hath anointed me
to preach good tidings unto the meek ; he
hath ftnt me to bind up the broken-hearted.
The condition is, to be meek and broken-
hearted; and if this be thy cafe, then ^:;o^
tidings belong to thee, and Ghrilt is lent
to bind up thy broken heart in the bundle of
peace.
Jer! xxxi. 19, 20. Surely, after that I
-was turned, I repented (faith Ephraim) and
after that I was inflru6ied, I fmote upon
my thigh : I -was afhamed, yea even con-
BIRTH. ^y.
founded, hecaufe I did hear the reproach of
my youth. Therefore (faith God) my bow-
els are troubled for him, I will furely have
mercy upon him, faith the Lord. The con-
dition is, to repent, to l^e afmmed, con-
founded for fin ; and if thy cafe be like E-
phraim's, God is the fame to thee, his
bowels yearn for thee, he will furely have
mercy on thee.
Matth. V. 6. Blejfed are they who hun-
ger and thirf} after right eoitfmf. The
condition is, to hunger and thirfi after the
righteoufnefs of Chrifl ; and if this thou
doll, then art thou b leffe d ^rom the mouth
of our Saviour.
Matth. xi. 28. Coine unto me all ye that
labour, and are heavy laden, and I will
give you refi. The condition is, to come
to Chrifi, and if thus thou wilt, God's word
is fure, thou fhalt have reft fpiritual and
eternal.
* Rev. xxi. 6. 1 will give unto him that is
athirf}, of the water of life freely. The
condition is, to thirfi after the heavenly
flreams of God's favour, and Chrifl's fove-
reign blood ; and this if thou dofl, then
haH thou part in the fountain of the water
of life that proceeds cut of the throne cf
God, and of the Lamb, Rev. xxii. i.
All thefe are fo full of comfort, that if
thou but crufli them with the hand of faith,.
they cannot but yield feme juice of fweet-
nefstothyaffliaedfoul. Oalas! fayfome,
I have done what I may, and yet no com-
fort comes: fweet foul, be not difcour-
aged, but be the more humbled ; in this
cafe thou mull fall down with Mary, and
ly flill wadiing the feet of Chrifl with thy
tears; and then look up again, view agaia
and again ihefe promifes of Chrifl, it may
be, he will even now, or before long take
thee up in his arms, and kifs thee with the
kiffes of his mouth.
SECT. VII.
The Means to apply the faid Projnifes.
I SAID before, it was enough for me
to prepare the medicine, it is thou mud:
apply
4« The NEW
apply it ; yet if thou feeleft a backwardnefs
to perform thy part, I lhj.)I tell thee of
fome means to incite thee, and help thee
onward to the performance of this duty.
Take then the promifes, and carry thtm,
as thou didftthe catalogue of thy fins, in-
to the prefence of the Lord ; and, fallen
down on thy knees, bcfeech God for thy
Saviour's fake to incline thine heart to be-
lieve thofe promifes. If thou haft the re-
pulfe, pray again and again, yea, refolve
never to make prayer, but to ufe this peti-
tion, ' That the Lord would pleafe to let
thee have fome feeling of the life of thofe
promifes.' Some foul may object ; I have
no heart nor fpirJ^to pray: yet ufe thy en-
deavour, and in thy endeavours God may
come in ; and whenfoever thou feeleft any
of them to be fpirit and life to thee, when-
foever thou feeleft by a certain tafte, the
joys of the Holy Ghoft to fall upon thee,
O happy man that ever thou waft born !
then art thou to thy own knowledge, new
born indeed ; then haft thovi, without
doubt, done this moft glorious exercife of
palFing thorow the New Birth, and then
baft thou caufe (as thou canft not chufe)
to fing and praife God day and night,
world without end : fo, true is that of
Chrift, llle(jed are they that mourn, for
they Jhallbe comforted, JMatth. v. 4. Amen.
SECT. VIII.
The Conclujion.
HE R E is an end, and to you, to whom
I have dedicated this work, my con-
clufion is this : The year hath now run his
round ilncc 1 firft came amongft you, and
how the Lord hath wrought by mc, you
yourfelves know bcft : for my part, if I did
but know one poor I'oul amongft you truly
converted by fuch a weak unworthy inftru-
ment, I would ever think myfclf moft hap-
py in thac foul, and richly paid for my
pains. I know it, neither Paul nor Apol
lo can do this, except God give the increafc :
however, I niuft tell you, with Paul, my
^iciifcs have been this way; i ha\e, Hncc
BIRTH,
my coming, travailed of you, and travail-
ed again, that Chriji may be formed in you^
Gal. iv. 19. And what's the iifue ? once
could the Lord fay. Shall I bring to the
birth, and not cauH to bring forth P I fa.
Ixvi.9. And, to join iffue with you, have I
travailed of 50U in birth, and not one of
you brought forth ? The Lord forbid. I
confefs, beloved, I have received from you
many kindneftes of love ; now, for the
Lord's fake, do me this one kindnefs more,
give me, at leaft, one foul among you, that
I may give it unto God : O what a kindnefs
would you then do me! not all the wealth
of your town, nor all the increafc of your
ftate, nor all you have, or ever (liall have,
would do me fo much good, in the day of
my Lord jefus, as this one boon I alk ;
then could I fay, ' Lord, I have not loft
the fruits of my labour in this town, fee
here the foul now ftiining in glory which I
converted by thy power ; fee here the foul
of fuch a one, and fuch a one which through
thy grace, and my miniftry were convert-
ed unto thee.' If this were thus, why
then, beloved, you would blefs me for e-
ver, and I fliould blefs you for ever, and
we ftiould all blefs God for ever, for this
fo gracious and fo blelfed a work. Now
the Lord of his goodnefs give you a light
of your fins, and a true forrow for im ;
and if not afore now, yet now, this day,
the Lord this day fet his print and feal up-
on you.
The time draws on, and I have but a
minute, a little time to fpeak to you ; for
a farewel then, let thefe laft words take a
deeper impreffion in your hearts ; if you
would do all 1 would have you do, I could
wifti no more, but, that to this humiliati-
on or repentance you would add charity
love; the firft you owe to God, and the
fecond to your neighbour; by the firft you
may become new creatures, by the iecond
true Chrillians, like, them in the church's
infancy, of one mind, one heart, and one
foul ; fure it; is not polfible that we ihoi.Id
have
rhc NEW
have Torglvenefs of fins, but that we muft
be of the communion of faints. A thou-
fand pities it is to hear of the many h&i-
ons in our church, and kingdoms, and
towns and families: O pray for the peace
of Jerufalcm ; they fliall profper that love
it : and let us pray (as need we have too)
for our own peace one with another : you
cannot come to a communion, but you
hear this leffon in the invitation ; you that
do truly and earneftly repent of your fins,
and be in charity and love with your neigh-
bours, etc. Here's both repentance to God,
B I R r H.
49
and charity (nay, more than charity, as we
• ufe the word commonly) even love of our
neighbours. For my part, I widi that my
very heart-blood could cement t/je divifi-
ons of Reuben y Judg. v. 15. (for which are
great thoughts of heart) in this town, in
this church, in thefe kingdoms. I will fay
no more, but conclude with thofe words
of the apoftle. Finally, brethren, fare ye
well: beperfedl, be of gocd comfort, be of
one mind, live in peace, and the Cod of love
and peace be with you for ever and ever,
2 Cor. xiii. 1 1.
THE
Do^rine and D'lreBionSy But more efpeci ally, The Tratiiceand Behaviour
of a man in the Atl of the New Birth,
A Treatise by way of Appendix to the Former.
The Qccafion of this Treatife.
ITHERTO I have given the doc- on his death-bed, that he never taught any
godly point, but he firfl: wrought it oa
his own heart. %' The fame, do I more than
probably think, was the pra<Stice of this
man. Now therefore, I thought fit, not
only to contrail his books in this appendix,
(which fome without his privity, have un-
fkilfully put out) but alfo, and that more
efpecially, to fet afore you (whofoever
H
trine and application of the foul-fav-
ing New Birth ; but fome there are^ whofe
hearts are fo fieely, that all this cannot
work upon them: if any fuch defire 5'et
any more, (and defire they mufl:, or there
is no remedy for them) I have for their
help in the praftice, brought a pradlitioner
afore them. It was Cefar's great praife,
that he bade his foldicrs, fiill come ; and if you are) thofe prime, powerful, patl eti
men had but many Cefars or leaders in
thefe practical points, I fuppofe there would
be more followers. A plain doftrine may
win fome, and a particular direction may
win more, but a good example winsmoft.
Howfoever then, concerning the New
Birth, I have delivered the dodtrine, in the
fermons ; and directions, in the appendix :
yet, one thing is wanting, which may help
cal expreflions of his foul pangs in the
New Birth, as matter for your imitation :
thefe exprefiions indeed are they I mofl ef-
pecially aim at, which, if you obierve, are
always delivered in the firfl perfon [I,]
and I verily believe, they were not feigned,
but feeling from his heart and foul. What
needs more ? if either do<f>rine in the firft
part, or diredion in the fecond part, or
more than either, to wit, The praftice of pra£lice in the third part of the book (which
fome faint in this one nccefi^ary thing : confifis mofi of practice) can work on your
And what faint ? what man hath writ more fouls, I hope fome of thefe, or all of thofe
on this fubjeft, than T. Hooker ? It was will help you on in the way from corrup-
faid of blefied Mr. Bolton, That, ' for tion to chriftianity, and from the fiate of
himfelf, he could profefs, to his comfort nature into thr kinrHom of prare.
\ Mr, Bolton's luncrrtl krinuD.b^ Mi. £ltvMCK.
H
G H A ?
JO The NEW
CHAP. I.
The SouVs Preparation.
BE F O R E the foul can Oiarein Ch i^'s
merits (to fpeak in the aothor's liile or
language, without any alteration) two
things are required.
1. A preparation to receive and enter-
lain Chrift.
2. An implantation of the foul into
Chrift.
That there muft be a preparation, is
the firft ground we lay j and herein obferve
we I. the matter^ 2. the manner, 3. ihe
jneans of this preparation.
I. For matter: the foul of a /Inner
iivaft be prepared for Chrift, before he
can entertain him. When kings go to a-
jiy place, they fend (to make readinefs)
their harbingers afore them ; if Chrifl:
\the king of faints) come into a foul, there
i-nufl: be a preparation before he enter ; and
good reafon, he is not a mere man, an
ordinary perfon, but a king, a king of
glory. David, in this cafe, could call u-
pon his foul, (fo we may expound his gates
and doors) Pfa. xxiv. 7. Lift tip y cur heads ^
\e gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlaft-
inp doors, and the king of glory fh all come
in ; as, who fliould fay, be enlarged, love,
joy, hope, fct open, give way, for the
Lord is coming : But who is the Lord F
it is the Lord of hojh, the Lord flrong and
mighty y the Lord mighty in battle : and with
that he knocks again. Lift up your heads ^
O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlafi-
zng doors, and the king of glory Jhall come
in ; as if he fliould fay, what fliall the
Lord knock ? (hall the king of glory fland ?
open fuddcnly, and make all preparation.
2. The manner of this preparation con-
fifts in thefe three paflbges ; i . The foul
breaks that league which formerly it hath
bad with corruptions, and referves itfcif
for Chrift. And, 2. The foul is moft wil-
ling to give way to Chrifl Jefus, and to let
B IRT H,
-him overthrow whatfoever VazW oppof?
him, 3. The foul is content that God
fhould ru!e all, not only the eye, or hand,
or tongue, or heart ; but the whole man ;
if opens all the gates, and defires Chrifl
to c-rrie, and take all the keys of the houfe
upon i;im.
3, The means of this preparation is the
powerful miniflry, which (jod hath ap-
pointed for this work ; and it is difcovcred
in three particulars : i. In a particular ap-
plication of the truth to the fouls of men
with courage. 2. In a confirmation of
the truth by foundnefs of argument, and
plain evidence of fcriptures. 3. In a kind
of fpiritual heat in the heart and afFe£\i-
ons of the minifter, anfwerable to that
which he communicates to the people.
And this powerful miniflry works on the
foul, ( I .) By difcovering what is in a man's
heart, fo that the foul leeth what it never
faw before, and fo is driven to a (land.
(2.) By drawing the foul into an awe of
fin, fo that it dares not meddle with fin as-
formerly it hath done.
Ufe. If any foul that hath enjoyed thefe
means any while, is not yet fitted and pre-
pared, it is a fearful fufpicion, that God
will never confer any good to that foul :
go home then, (if there be any fuch) and
reafon with your own fouls, and plead with
your own hearts, faying, Lord, why not
yet am I humbled and prepared ? will ex-
hortations never prevail with me ? will
terrors and reproofs never. break my heart
into pieces ? I have heard fermons that
would have fliaken the very flones I trode
on, that A'ould have moved the very feat
I fate on ; the very fire of hell hath flalli-
cd in my face ; I have feen even the plagues
of hell, and if any thing can do me any
good, why not then thofe exhortdtions,
inlfruflions, admonitions and reproofs
that I have often bad ? I have had as
powerful means as mr.y be, which never
yet did me" good. The Lord be merciful
to fuch a poor foul j the Lord turn the
heart
The N EW B I RT H.
ficart of Tuch a poor finner, that he may
lay hold on mercy in due time.
C H A P. 11. SEC T. I.
The general circumjlanccs of preparation
en Cod's part.
BUT for a further diftribution, which
fhall be our method ; in this prepara-
tion two things are confiderable;
1. The general circumftances.
2. The fubftantial parts.
The general circumftances are twofold,
fomeonGod's part; and fome on man's part,
Cn God's part they are theje,
1. The offer of Chrift and grace.
2. The condition of this offer.
3. The eafinefs of this condition.
On man's part f two things are conjiderahle :
1 . That corruption doth oppofe this grace.
2. That God will remove this corruption.
The firft general circumftance of the
foul's preparation, is on God's part ; where-
in is The offer of Chrift Jefus; the condi-
tion of this offer, and the eafinefs of this
condition ; we may have all in this one com -
parifon : as with a malefaiftor convi6led of
high treafon,for plotting fome wicked prac-
tice againft his prince, if, after the difcove-
ryof all paffages,the king make a proclama-
tion, that, upon the furceafing of his enter-
prifes, he (hall be pardoned ; nay, if the king
lliall continue to fend meffage after mef-
fage, fecretly to tell him, that would he
yet lay down his arms, and take a pardon,
he fliail freely be remitted, and gracioufly
accepted into favour again : if this traitor
now (hould rather fling away his pardon
than his weapons, then fhould the king raife
an army, and overcome him, and take him,
and execute him without any pity or mer-
cy, I appeal to your ownconfciences, is he
not juilly rewarded ? what will the world
fay ? he had a fair offer of pardon, and the
king fent mefienger after meffenger unto
him ; feeing therefore he refufed and neglec-
ted fuch oliers, it is pity [it isjnfl] but con-
demnation Ihould befal him ; thus would all
H 2
fay. Why, this is the condition of every
poor foul under heaven, we are all rebels
and traitors; by our oaths and blafphemies
we fet our mouth againfr heaven ; and yet
after all our pride, and ftubbornnefs, and
loofenefs, and profanenefs, and contempt
of God's word and ordinances, the Lord is
pleafed to proclaim mercy flill to every
one that will receive it : * All you that
have difhonoured my name, all you that
have prophaned my fabbaths, and contem-
ned my ordinances, all you curled wretches,
come ; come who will, and take pardon ;*
therein is the Offer : only let them lay a-
fide all their weapons ; therein is the Con-
dition ; and then have Chrifl for the tak-
ing ; therein is the Eafinefs of the condition.
' Bleffed God, (may every foul fay) if
I will not do this for Chrift, I will do no-
thing : had the Lord required a great mat-
ter of me to have attained falvation ; had
i?e required thoufands of rams, and ttxx
thoufand rivers of oil ; had he required
the firft- born of my body for the lins of
m,y foul ; had he required me to have
kneeled and prayed until mine eyes had
failed, until my hands had been wearied,
until my tongue had been hoarfe, and un-
til my heart had fainted, one drop of mer-
cy at the laft gafp, would have quit all this
coft : but what goodnefs is this, that the
Lord fhould require nothing of me, but
to lay down my weapons, and to receive
Chrift offered V Lo, the Lord this day
hath fent from heaven, and offered falvati-
on unto you fons of men ; the Lord Jefus
has become a fuitor to you, and I am
Chrift's fpokefman, to fpeak a good word
for him : O that we may have our errand
from you ! that there -were fuch a hearf
in my people (faith God) to fear me, and
ktep my commandments akvays ! Dcut. v.
29. Shall the Lord and hismeffengers thus
wooe and intreat ? and will any yet ftand
out againil God, and fay, ' I will none
of Chrift, I will try it out ro the lalt V O
then, if the great God of heaven and earth
fhali
j2 The NEW
Hii^ll come with ten thoufand thoufand of
judgments, and execute them upon that
man; ifhe fhall bringa whole legion of de-
vils, and fay, ' Take him,devils, and torment
})im, devils, in hell for ever ; becaufe he
would not have mercy when it was offered,
he fhall' not have mercy ; becaufe he would
Fiot have falvation when it was tendred,
let him be condemned :' If Cod /liould
thus deal with that man, the Lord fliould
be juft in fo doing, and he juftly milera-
ble.
S E C T. II.
The general circumjlances of preparation
on -man's part.
THE Second general circumftance of
the foul's Preparation, is on man's
part ; and herein is obfervable,
J. That corruption oppofeth grace.
2. That God will remove this corruption.
1. The Firft is clear, i Cor. ii. 14.
. "ht; natural man receiveth not the things
of the fpirit of God, neither can he know
them ; and A6ts vii. 51. Ye fHff-necked,
and uncircumcifed in heart and ears, ye
do' a hi ays refifi the Holy Chojl, as your
fathers did, Jo do ye. Give us a man in
the flate of nature, and though all the mi-
iiiders under heaven fhould preach mercy
unto him ; though all the angels in heaven
ihould exhort and intreat him ; though all
r.lory and happinefs were laid before him,
ind he were withed only to believe and
take it, and it fliould be his for ever ; yet,
in his natural condition, he could have no
power to receive fo blelfed an offer : how-
foever, this hinders not, but he is to wait
upon God in the means. And then,^
2. Cod may remove this corruption,
which he himfelf cannot do : herein obferve
we 1. The author of this grace : and 2.
the time of it.
I. The author is God ; / will take a-
way their Jiony hearts (faith God) and give
them an heart of ficfh ; Ezck. xi. 19. I
will remove that'lhirdy heart which is
BIRTH.
in them, and will give them a frameable,
teachable heart, which fhall ply, and yield
to whatfoever I fhall teach them : the tak-
ing away of the indifpolition of the foul to
any duty, and the fitting, framing and dif-
pofing of a foul to perform any fpiritual
fervice, is the alone work of God.
life I. Qiiiet then thy foul, and content
thy heart ; thou mayefl fay, * I have an
hard heart within, and it will receive no
good from without, the word prevails not,
the facraments have no power over me, all
the means, and cofl, and charges that God
hath bellowed upon me is loll, and my
heart is not yet humbled, my corruptions
are not yet weakened ;' but in this be thou
comforted, tho' means cannot do it, which
God ufeth at his pleafure, yet the Lord
can do it, there is nothing difficult to him
that hath hardnefs itfelf at command.
Ufe 2. Be then exhorted, you that have
ftony hearts, to have recourfe unto this
great God of heaven. Should a phyfician
fet up a bill, that he would cure all" that
were troubled with the ftone in the reins,
and that we fluould hear of many healed
by him, this would flir up all to repair to
him, that laboured of this difeafe : why,
the Lord this day hath fet up a bill, that
he will cure all llony hearts that will but
come to him, and all the children of God
have found the proof hereof, to the com-
fort of their fouls. You wives, that have
hufbands with flony hearts, and you pa-
rents, that have children with ftony hearts^
tell tliem, you have heard this day of a
phyfician that will cure them, and exhort
them to repair unto him.
Secondly, The time of this grace, is ei-
ther,
I. In regard of the means : or, 2. in re-
gard of the men.
I. In regard of the means; and that is,
when the fons of men have the gofpel
fliining in their faces ; if ever God work
upon their hearts, it will be then.
ure. I . This Ihould teach us how thank-
^ ful
The NEW
fill we ought to be unto the Lord, that
enjoy thefe liberties 5n the land oFthe li-
ving ; that a man was born in fuch a time,
in the lall age of the world, in fuch a place,
in this kingdom, wherein the way of life
and falvation is fo fully, fo plainly, and fo
powerfully made known, that the fun of
the gofpel fiiines full in his face, and is not
yet fet : O how thankful fliould he be !
Ufe 2. And for thofe that neglc<5l the
means of their falvation, how fhould we
pity them ? Methinks I fee a poor creature,
that flighted mercy and falvation when it
was offered him ; methinks I fee that foul
lying upon his death-bed, light is depart-
ing from his eyes, and his foul is departing
from his body : O the name of a minifler,
of a church, they are as bills of inditements
againft the foul of this man j methinks I
hear fuch a man fay at his laft gafp, ' The
BIRTH.
53
a good day to me, now blefled am I for
ever.*
2. In regard of men on whom God work?,
that is to fay, on fome in their tender age,
on fome in their ripe age, on fome in their
old age : but however the Lord doth at feve -
ral times convert feveral of his fervants, yet
moft, and moftufually before their old age;
and that fome interpreters wittily obferve
out of the parable of the vineyard, Mat.
XX, 3, 4, 5. The majter of the vineyard,
faith the text, luent out at the, third, fixth,
and ninth hour, and faxvjome /landing idle,
and he fent them into his vineyard : He
went then, fay interpreters, on purpofeto
fee, and hire, and to fend in labourers to
work in his vineyard ; but he went out at
the eleventh hour, not to hire any^ he ex-
peded not then to have feen any idle ; he
went out upon fome other occafion, and
day is gone, the gate is Hiut, and now it . therefore feeing them (landing, he wonder
ed atit, faying, IVhy Jiand ye here all the
'^day idle P As ifhefhould fay, ' No man will
hire you now, it is but an hour to night,
and therefore rather a time to leave work-
ing, than to begin to work.'
Vfe. O let this provoke us, that while
the flower is in prime, we would ufe all
means for our good ; let us now in the
heat and fummer of our days, improve our
felves in good works, that fo when the
harvefl comes, we may be gathered into
God's barn : O, would we be exhorted to
take the beft time and opportunity of fal-
vation, then might we receive the fruits of
our labours, the falvation of our fouls.
is too late to enter :' and thus the foulde
parts from his body, the body to the grave,
and the foul to hell ; O what bitter lamen-
tations will that foul make in hell, * O the
golden time that 1 have fcen, and not re-
garded ! O the gracious opportunities of
falvation that my eyes have beheld, and
yet I negle<fted I O the mercy, and grace,
and goodnefs of God, that have been of-
fered unto me! all thefe I have contem-
ned, and trampled under my ietx, and
therefore now mufl I be tormented with
the devil and his angels, from everlafting
to everlafling.' Now the Lord give us
hearts to take notice of thefe things. If
I were now breathing out my laft breath,
I would breathe out this legacy to all fur-
viving chriflians, This is the accepted time,
this is the day of falvation. Do you hear ?
this day is grace offered ; and if any here
would entertain it, O what comfort might
he have ! * I was never humbled afore,'
(might he fay) * but this day was I hum-
b|led ; I could never before receive mercy,
but this day have I received it O this was
CHAP. III.
The fubftantial parts of preparation an God'r
part ; or his difpenfations of his work
on the fouL
T I ITHERTOof the general cir-
8 1 cumflances of the foul's preparing for
Chrifl. Now the fubflantial parts of this
preparation are generally two :
I . The difpenfatioii of God's work on,
the foul.
2. The
54
The NEW B 1 B.r H.
2. The dlfpofitlon of the foul by God's
work.
The difpenfatlon of God dlfcovers itfelf
in drawing the foul from Hn tohinmfelf.
But becaufe thefe two are made up by
one a£Vion and motion, we fhall therefore
handle them together ; and the fum is this ;
• That God by an holy kind of violence
(wiiich is called drawing, John vi. 44.) doth
pluck the foul fromthofe fins that harbour
in it, unto himfelf :' wherein we may con-
fider two things :
1. "What the nature of this drawing is.
2. The means whereby God draws.
1. For the nature of this drawing, it is
of a double kind : ^(i) There is a moral
, drawing, when, by reafons propounded
and good things offered to the underftand-
.ing and will, a man comes thereby to have
his mind enlightened, and his will moved
to embrace things offered : thus was it with
Paul, when he was * conffrained by Lydia
to abide in her houfe,' Afts xvi. 15. (2)
There is a phyfical drawing, when the
Lord is pleafed to put a new power into
the foul of a finner, and withal to carry
the. will to the objeft propounded, that it
may embrace it ; when the Lord not only
offers good things to the foul, but enables
the foul to lay hold upon the things offe-
red. And thus the Lord draws a finner
from fin unto himfelf.
2. For the means whereby he draws,
they are thefe four :
Firftj The Lord lets in a light into the
foul of a poor finner, and difcovers unto
him that he is in a wrong way. This the
foul marvels at, becaufe ufually it comes
on a fudden, the finner perceiving nothing
lefs, Ifn. Ixvi. i.
Secondly y Tho' a man would defeat the
power of this light, yet God IHU follows it
with forcible aigumcnts, and draws with
the cord of his mercy ; / tauf^ht Ephraim
ioi^o, faith God, iaUnq them by the arms ;
I dreiu them by the cords of love, andivith
the b:nds of a vianj Hof. xi, 4. This mercy
confiils in thefe bonds, or this love is made
up of four cords.
1. The Lord reveals himfelf to be ready
to receive, and willing and eafie to enter-
tain poor finners when they come unto him:
Let the vjicked, faith the prophet, forfake
his ivay, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts, and let him return unto the Lordy
and he ivill have mercy upon him, and to
our Cod, for he will abundantly pardon^
Ifa. Iv. 7. The word in the original is,
* He will multiply pardons :' Haff thou
m.ultiplied rebellions ? the Lord will alfo
multiply pardons : thebowels ofcompaffion
are ftill open, and the arms of mercy are
ftili fpread abroad ; he pardoned A'lanaJ/es,
and Paul, and Peter, and fo will he thee ;
his pardons are multiplied, there is yet
mercy for thee alfo, and for a thoufand
thoufand more.
2. The Lord is not only ready to for-
give when men come to him, but, that
they may come, he alfo calls and com-
mands them. O but may I, (faith a poor
finner) fliall I, dare I go unto the Lord
God for mercy ? May I be fobold to prefs
in for favour at the hands of the Lord ? I
have been a grievous finner, and have
heaped abomination upon abomination, I
am afraid therefore to approach near unto
the Lord's prefence. Is it fo ? hear what
the Lord faith, Come unto me, ye rebellious
people, and 1 will heal your rebellions, Jer.
ill. 2 2. * You that never prayed, never
came to hear, all rebels, come unro me :'
and then the people anfwer. Behold, we
come unto thee, for thou art our Cod.
This is great encouragement to a poor
finner, he begins now to wonder, and
fay, * Lord, fhall all my fins be pardoned ?
fliall all my oaths and abominations be for*
given ? I that flighted fo many mercies, and
committed fo many follies, fliall I be en-
tertained ?* Yes' (laith the Lord) 'come
unto me, and thou fhalt be forgiven ;
come, I command you, come.'
■^ . The Lord doih not only command
a poor
a poor finner to come in, but when he is
nice in this cafe, faying, There is mercy
with God, but not for me ; the Lord then
followeth him ftill, and fends another cord
after him, that, if it be poffible, he may
win him, and wooe him to receive mercy
of him: if Command , therefore prevail
not, he intreats and befeeches him to come
and receive mercy and this, raethinks,
fliould move the hardefl heart under hea-
ven. fVe, faith the apoftle, are ambap-
fadors for Chrifty as though God did be-
feech you by us, we pray you in Chrift^s
Jleady be reconciled unto God, 2 Cor. v.
20. Rather than you fhould go away
from Chrift, even Mercy itfelf will come
and kneel down before you, and befeech
you, and intreat you, for the Lord Jelus'
fake to pity your poor fouls, and to re-
ceive pardon for your fins : a finner is not
able to comprehend this, but he begins to
be at a ftand, and at amazement; VV^hat,
that the Lord fliould befeech him ! O that
thou wouldefl receive pardon for thy fins,
and be ble/fed for ever ! Good Lord, faith
the foul, is this poffible, that the great
King of heaven fhould come and befeech
fuch a traitor, fuch a rebel as I am, to take
pardon ? That a king on earth fhould pro-
claim a pardon to fome notorious traitor,
this were much, but that the King of hea-
ven fhould lay down his crown ; and come
creeping to me, and befeech me, on his
knee as it were, to take mercy ; this is a
thing beyond all expedation : what, (hall
Heaven (loop to earth ? fl:iall Majefty fioop
to mifery ? fhall the great God of heaven
and earth, that might have condemned my
foul, and, if I had perifbed and been dam-
ned, might have took glory by my dellru-
(.Yion ? Is it poflible, is it credible, that
this God fliould not only entertsin me
when I come,' and command me for to
come, but intreat and befeech metocome,
and receive mercy from him ? O the depth
of the incomprehenfible love of God ! I-
njagine you faw the God the Father in-
The NEW B IR TH. ss
treating you, and God the Son befeech -
ing you, as he doth this day, ' Come now^
and forfake your fins, and take mercy,
which is prepared for you, and fhall be
beftowed upon you :' would not this make
a foul think thus with itfelf, * "What, for
a rebel ? not only to have mercy offered,
but to be entreated to receive mercy, it
were pity [it were juft] if I will not
take it, but I fhould go to hell and be
damned for ever.' The Lord complains,
Ezek. xviii. 31. IFhy tvill ye die ? As I
live, faith the Lord, Idefire not the death
of a /inner, Ezek.xxxiii. 11. Turn ye,
turn ye, why will ye die, ye finful fons of
men i* Mercy is offered you,the Lord Jefus
reacheth out his hand to you: fain would
he pluck the drunkard out of the alehoufc,
and the adulterer from his whore : O, if
you break this cord, I know not what to
fay to you, this is able to break a moun-
tain in pieces ; Shake, mountains, faith
the prophet; Why ? becaufe God hath re-
deemed Jacob, Ifa. xliv. 23. The redemp-
tion of Jacob was enough to break a
mountain, let his mercy break our hearts ;
it is God that begs, the bleffing is our
own.
4. Ifyetallthis prevail nothing at all,. the
Lord will then wait, and flay in long pati-
ence and fuffering,to fee whether any time
a finner will turn unto him. Our Saviour
follows poor finners from alehoufe to ale-
houfe, and.fays, * I befeech you, drunkards,
take mercy, and have your fins pardon-
ed :' the Lord (as we may fay) tires him-
felf, and wearieth himfelf with waiting one
day after another, and one week after a-
nother : ' It may he,faith Chrlji, this week,
this fabbath, this fcrmon a finner will turn
xmto me; what will it never be V Are you
not afhamed, my friends, that the Lord
Jefus fhould thus wait your leifure, and
follow you from houfe to hoiife, and from,
place to place; nay, that Chriil: fliould e-
very morning appear to your underftand*-
ing, and every night come to your bed-
fide>.
5^ TJje N E W
fide, faying, ' Let this be the laft nic/ht of
finning, and the next day the firfl: day of
your repentance : O, when will you be
humbled ? when will you receive mercy,
that it may go well with you, and with
yours for ever V If none of the other will
move you, yet, for (hamc, let this cord
draw you to the Lord : hear, hear his
doleful pangs, Jerufalem, Jerufalem^
luilt thou not be made clean ? when xvill
it once be ? Jer. xiii. 27. A woman that
is in travail, O how Ihe experts and longs
for her delivery ! now a throb comes, and
then fl\e cries ; anon comes a fecond throb,
and then (he cries again, ' O when comes
deliverance?' Thus God the Father takes
on him the perfon of a travailing woman ;
he travails and travails until he bring forth
a fon ; until fome foul be converted, and
brought home unto him, Jerufalem,
■wilt thou not be made clean ? ivhen xvill it
once be? ' I have waited one, ten, twenty,
thirty, forty years long have I waited on
this generation ; when will it once be •'
The Lord thus travails in patience, look-
ing when we will receive mercy ; will ne-
ver our proud hearts be humbled ? will
never our ftubborn hearts be foftened ?
will never our prophane hearts be fan<5ti-
fied ? when will it once be ? Ghrift hath
waited this day, this week, this month,
this quarter, this year, thefe ten, twenty,
thirty, forty years on us: you old iln-
ners, that are gray headed in yourwicked-
nefs, how long hath the Lord waited on
you ? O for fhame let him wait no longer,
but turn, turn ye unto him, that ye may
receive mercy from him.
3. If bonds of love move not, the Lord
hath iron cords, that will pluck in pie-
ces; to wit, the cords of Confcience;
which thus difputes, * He that being often
reproved, doth flill harden his heart, fliall
pcrifh everlaftingly :'
* But thou, being often reproved, doft
flill harden thy heart; therefore thou dial t
pcrilh cverlaltingly.'
BIRTH,
In this fyllogifm are contained (i.) the
Monition; (2.) the Accufation ; and (3.)
the Condemnation of Confcience.
In the firft propofition, Confcience gives
the fmner a monition to come from fin,
upon pain of the heaviefl judgment that
can be infli6lcd. It is the Lord that fends
the confcience on this errand, ' Go to fuch
a man, and tell him, you haveblafphemed
God's name, and you have fpoken againfl:
God's faints, and you have broken God's
fabbaths, and you have contemned God's
ordinances : be it known unto thee then
(faith confcience,when it delivers the mef-
fage) that I have a command from hea-
ven, and from God, I charge you, as ye
will anfwer it at the dreadful day of judg-
ment, take heed of thofe evils and finful
practices that heretofore you have com-
mitted, left you damn your fouls for ever.'
Will you queftion his commiffion ? fee
Prov. xxix. I. He that, being often rC'
proved, hardeneth his neck, Jlmll Jud4en-
ly be de[iroyed : If you often be reprov-
ed, and will not be bettered, then the
Lord fays, and confcience from the Lord
tells you, ' Be at your own peril, ye
fliall fuddenly be deftroyed.' No fooner
confcience thus perks upon the crown,
[No fooner does confcience, feize as it
were, upon a man, and fliew him his fin]
but the finner hangs the wing [is caft
down] and withdraws himfelf from his
former lewd courfes. But now, when
wicked perfons fee their companion is gone,
they make after him amain, and then Con-
fcience plucks one way, and they pluck
another way; at laft, by carnal company,
and curfed perfuafions, the foul is arawn
back again to his former wicked courfes,
and fo perhaps this twilt is broken, and tlie
finner is gone.
2. If fo, then Confcience, that was a
Monitor, now turns Accufcr in the minor
propofition ; before if was only God's he-
rald to forewarn him,but now it is become
a purfevant and fcrjeant to arrcll him ; it
fol-
rhe NEW
follows him to the alehoufe, and purfues
him home, then takes him In his bed,
and arrefts him in his fleep; there (by a
meditation) it hales the foul before the tri-
bunal-feat of Ghrifl, faying, ' Lo, Lord,
this is the man, this is the drunkard, adul-
terer, biafphemer; this is he. Lord; an
enemy to thy fervants, an hater of thy
truth, a defpifer of thy ordinances; at
fuch a time, in fuch a place, with fuch a
company this man defpifed thy truth, this
is he, Lord this is the man.' And when
Confcience hath thus dragged him before
God, and accufed him, then ' Take him,
jaylor, take him, devil, (faith the Lord)
and imprifon him ; let vexation and hor-
ror, and trouble, and anguifh ly upon
his foul, until he confefs his fins, and re-
folve to forfake them.' In this cafe was
David, when he was forced to fay. My
bones waxed old through my 7 oaring all the
day long ; for day and night thy hand luas
heavy upon fne; my moi/lure is turned into
the drought offummer : what then ? then
(faith David) / acknowledged my Jin unto
thee, 1 confejjld my tranfgreffion unto
thee, Lord, and fo thou jorgaveft the
iniquity of my Jin^ Pfal. xxxii, 3, 4, 5.
David folded up his fins at the firfi, and
therefore his bones were confumed, and
he roared continually ; when the Lord
had him on the rack, he made him roar
again, and would never leave tormenting,
till David came to confefling ; but when
he confeffed this fin, and the other fin, then
the Lord forgave him the iniquity of his
fin. Thus Confcience brings the foul of a
finner on the rack (as traitors are ufed
that will not confefs otherwife) and makes
him to confefs his fins, and then he cries,
* O the abominations I have committed
which the fun never faw; in fuch a place,
at luch a time, O then I railed on God's
fervants, and blafphemed God's name, I
profaned God's fabbaih, and contemned
his ordinances: what then? Confcience
will make him confefs more yet ; to the
BIRTH.
57
rack again with him ; and then he cries and
roars for anguiili of fpirit, then he confef-
fes all, and refolves to amend, then he
will pray, and hear, and fanrtify God'^-
fabbaths, and lead a new life. Thus Con«
fcience receives fome fatisfaaion, and be-
gins to be quiet ; and now having got
fome quiet, his curfed companions fet up-
on him again, ' Refrefh (fay they) your
foul with fome ancient dalliance, etc' To
this, and the like temptations,^ of Satan,
he lifiens again, and then he begins to fol-
low his old fins, perhaps with more vio-
lence and eagernefs than ever he did before;
and now is another twifl: broken likewife!
3. If fo, then Confcience that was a
Monitor and Accufer, now turns Execu-
tioner. The firfl: propofition admonilh-
ed, the fecond accufed, if neither of thefe
prevail,then Confcience concludes, * Thou
mufi: to execution, thou Hialt peri/h ever-
l^ingly.' And now Confcience cries, * Mo-
nitions or accufations could not prevail
with this man ; come, come, ye damned
ghofts, and take away this drunkard, this
biafphemer, this adulterer, and throw hint
headlong into the pit of hell : he would
not be amended, let him be condemned ;
he would not be humbled, therefore let
him be damned.' 1 he man hearing this,
then he is amazed, and thinks himfelfpafl:
hope, paft help, pafi cure : did you ever
fee or hear a tormented confcience in thefe
pangs? Now he calls, then he cries, * Lo,
where devils fiand,the heavens frown, God
is incenfed, hell mouth is open :' and now
a minifier is fent for, whodifplays to this
defpairing foul the mercy and grace of God
in Chrifi Jefus : ' O (repHes he) this is my
bane, my damnation, if 1 had never heard
of mercy. If I had never lived under the
gofpel,and the means of falvation, then had
I been an happy man. Alas ! it is mercy
I have neglected, it is falvation I contem-
ned, how then ihould I be faved ? O the
perfuafions of the Lord that I have had !
the Lord hath even wept over me, as he
I did
58
did over Jerufalem ;
known the things belonging to thy peace !
yet all thefe perfuafionshave I contemned,
and therefore certainly to hell I muft go.'
The minifler replies, Truth it is, you have
done thus, but would you do fo flill ? Is
it good'now to be drunk, or toblafpheme,
or to rail on God's faints, or to contemn
God's ordinances? * O no, no, (faith he)
I now find what the end of thofe wicked
courfes will be : God's word could not pre-
vail with me, the minifler could not per-
fuade me: O the good fermons that I have
heard, the rery flames of hell have even
fla/hed in my face, the minifter hath fpent
his pains, and woWd have fpent his blood
' for the good of my poor foul ! but alas!
I defpifed the word, and mocked the mi-
- nifter : wo, wo unto me for ever ! now
my confcicnce gnaws and tears and terri-
fies my foul here, and I fliall to hell here-
ftfrer, and perifh for ever and ever,' The
rninilier replies again, The truth is, you
have done tluis, but would you do fo
now ? wruld you ftill blafpheme andcurfe,
and be drunk, and riotous ? or, rather
would you not now part with all thefe,
and take mercy inftead of them ? Then
the poor foul cries out, ' Now the Lord,
for his mercies fake remove thefe fins from
me: O I had never fo much delight in my
lins heretofore, as now I have wo, mifery
and vexation for them; but, alas! it is
Tiot in my power to help my foul ; if the
Lord would do this, let him do what he
will with it.' What ? (faith the minifler)
you are then willing and content to part
•with your fins : ' O yes, (faith the foul)
I would rather offend all the world than
God; I had rather go to hell than to the
committing of a fin ; if it would pleafeGod
to help me, I would forfake my fins with
all my heart.' Why, now the poor foul is
coming again, God is drawing him again
from his corruptions and finful dillempcrs.
4. When the foul is thus loofened, the
11)6 NEW B IRTH.
O that thou hadft his Spirit ; with an almighty hand he plucks
the foul off from fin, and takes it into his
own hand, that he may govern him, and
difpofe of him according to his own good
will and pleafure. Thus much of prepa-
ration for thefubfiance of it on God's part.
CHAP. IV. SECT. I.
T/je fubjlantial parts of preparation on
man's part, or the difpojition of the foul
by God's ivork.
NO W are we to obferve the dlfpofi-
tion of the foul on man's part, which
God works on the hearts of whom he
draws. It is known in two works :
1. Contrition, whereby the foul is cut
off from fin.
2. Humiliation, whereby the foul is cut
off from itfelf.
For fo it is, that either the foul feeth no
need to depart from fin, or elfe it thinks
it can help iifelf out of fin ; the firfl is
called fecurity, when the foul being blind,
takes refi, and feeing no need to be better,
defires it not therefore : againfl this the
Lord fends contrition, caufing men there-
by to know the mifery of fin, and to fee
need of a change : the fecond is carnal con-
fidence, when a f inner begins to feek fuc-
cour, and to fcramble for his own comfort
in his felf-fufficiency ; againll this the Lord
works humiliation, caufing the foul here-
by to fee the weaknefs and emptinefs of
its duties, and that there is enough in its
befl fervices to condemn him for ever. Be-
fore we fpeak of the works, itisnotamifs
to begin with the lets, [or hindrances3.
The firfi is Security : when the foul is
taken up with a fecurecourfe,andrefls itfelf
well apayed [wellpleafed] in his own prac-
tices, and therefore it never feeth any need
of a change,nor ever goes out for a change :
now while a man lives thus, and blefTeih
himfelf in his fin, it is impollible that ever
he (liould receive faith, or by the power of
Lord then fully plucks it by -the cord of faith repair untoGhrift; where faith comes.
»
rhe NEW BIRTH.
S^f
it ever works a change. Old things are
done away, and then all things are become
new ; the Lord therefore to remove this
let, he burthens the foni extremely, and
fays, * \ou will live in drunkennefs, in
covetoufnefs; you will have your fins,
then take your fins, and get you down to
hell vviili them.' At this voice the finner
begins to fee where he is : * Is this true ?
(faith he) then I am the moil miferable
creature under heaven ;' therefore as they
faid, A<^s ii. 37. Men and brethren, what
fhall we do ? ' We have been thus and
thus, but if we reft here, it will be our
ruin for ever ; O what (liall we do ?' So
the foul comes to a reftlefs diflike of itfelf,
and faith, ' I muft either be otherwife, or
clfe I am but a damned man for ever.'
2. When the foul is thus refolved, that
it muft of neceffity change, when it feeth
his wound and his fin ready before him to
condemn him, and it hath,as it were.a little
peep-hole into hell ; the foul, in this dif^
trefs, fends over to prayer, and hearing,
and holy fervices, and thinks b}' his wits
and duties, or fome fuch like matters, to
fuccour itfelf; and it begins to fay, * My
hearing, and my prayer, will not thefe
fave me V Thus the foul in conclufion
refts on duties : I will not fay but thefe
duties are all good, honourable and com-
fortable, yet they are not gods, but the
ordinances of God. It is the nature of a
finful heart, to make the means, as meri-
torious tofalvation: a man that feeth his
drunkennefs and his bafe contempt of God,
O then he voweth and promifeth to take
up anew courfe, and he begins to approve
himfelf in reformation of his ways : then
he cries, * Now I will have no more drun-
kennefs, now no more fcoffing and fcorn-
ing at thofe that go to hear the word :
and then he thinks, what can I do more ?
muft go. All this is but a
why fo? Chrift, who is the
fubftance of all, and the pith of a promife,
a Chrift in hearing, a Chrift
I2
to heaven I
man's ftlf:
is forgotten
in praying is not regarded, and therefore
the poor foul famiHieth with hunger. Mif-
take not, I pray you, thefe duties muft be
had and ufed, but ftill a man muft not
ftay here. Prayer faith, There is no Jal-
vation in me; and the facraments and faft-
ing fay, There is no falvation in us : a!!
thefe are fubfervient helps, not abfolute
caufes of falvation. A man will ufe his
bucket, but he experts water from the
well ; thefe means are the buckets, but af!
our comfort, and all our life and grace i^-
only in Chrift: if you fay, your bucket
(hall help you, you may ftarve for Chrift,
if you let it not down into the well of wa-
ter : fo, though you boaft of praying, and
hearing, and fafting, and of your alms,
and building of hofpital?, and of your
good deeds, if none of thefe bring you to
a Chrift, or fettle you on a Chrift, you
fliall die for Chrift, though your works
Ni'ere as the works of an angel. As it is
with a graft, therefore, i. It muft be cut
off from the old ftock ; 2. It muft be par-
ed, and made fit for implantation into a-
nother : fo the foul, by contrition, being
cut off from fin, then humiliation pares
it, pares away all a man's privileges, and
makes it fit for the ingraffing into Chrift
Jefus. Thus much of the lets, now for
the works of contrition and humiliation.
SECT. ir.
^/^g^'f of fin.
BUT for a further difcovery of thefe
two necefl^ary things, we (hall enter
into particulars, and begin firft with con-
trition ; which contain thefe fteps ;
A fight of fin.
Senfe of divine wrath.
Sorrow for fin.
The firft ftep is, A fight of fin ; and fin
muft be feen Clearly, and Convicftingly.
I. Clearly : It is not a general (iglit,
and confufed fight of fin that will ferve the
turn ; it is not enough 10 fay, * It is my
infirmity, and I cannot amend it, we are
all
(^o rhe NEW
all finner? :' no, this is the ground why we
miftake our evi]s,and reform not our ways;
a man muft fcarch narrowly, and prove
his ways, as the goldfmhh doth his gold
in the fire; / covfidered my ways (faith
l^avid) and turned my feet unto thy tej}i-
monies,; in the original, 1 turned fny /ins
upfide doivny Pfal. cxix. 50. he looked all
over his ways. And this clear light of fin
appears in two particulars.
1. A man mull fee his fin nakedly in its
own proper colours: we muft not look
on fin through the mediums of profits, and
pleafurcs, and contentments of this world,
for fo we miflake fin: but the foul of a
true Chriflian that would fee fin clearly,
he muil firip it or all content and quiet
that ever rhe heart received in it : as the
ndulrerer i-avW not look upon fin in regard
of the fweetnefs of it, nor the covetous
man on his fin, in regard of the profit of
it : you that are fuch, the time will come
when you muft die, and then confider
what good thefe finful courfes will do you:
how will you judge of fin then, when it
fhall leave a blot on your fouls, and a
guilt on your confciences ?
2. A man muft look on fin in the ve-
nom of it ; and that you may do partly, if
you compare it with other things, and
partly, if you look at it in reg.nrd of itfelf.
J . Compare fin with thofe things that are
mod fearful and horrible, as, fuppofeany
<bul here prefent were to behold the dam-
ned in hell, if the Lord fhould give any
one of you a little peep-hole into hell,
that you faw the horror of the damned,
then propound this to your heart, "What
are thofe pains which the damned endure i
and your heart will fliake and quake at it ;
yet the kaft fin that ever you did commit,
is a greater evil, in its own nature, than
the greaiefl pains of the damned in hell,
1. Look at fin fimply as in itfelf, what is
it, but a profeA oppofing of God himfelf ?
A finful creature joins fide with the devil,
and comes in battle-array againft the Lord,
B IRTH,
and files in the face of the Lord God of
hofis. I pray you, in cold blood, confider
this, and fay, ' Good Lord, what a finful
wretch am f ? that a poor damned wretch
of die earth fliould fiandin defiance againfl
God ! that I Ihould fiibmit myltlf to the
devil, and oppofe the Lord God of hofts!*
IL Convit^tingly ; that fin may be fo ta
us as it is in itfelf; and that difcovers itfelf
in thefe two particulars :
1. When wchi^vea particular apprehen-
fion in our own perfon,that whatfoeverfin
is in general, we confefs it the fame in our
own fouls : it is the curfed difiemper of
our hearts, howfoever we hold the truth
in general, yet when we come to our own
fins, to deny the particulars. The adul-
terer confefieth the danger and filthinefs
of that fin, in grofs, but he will not ap-
ply it to himfelf: the rule therefore is,
• Arreft thy foul, wholbever thou art, of
thofe fins particularly, whereof thou (land-
eft guilty:' to thispurpofe, lay, ' Is mur-
ther, and pride, and urunkennefs, and
uncleannefs fuch horrible fins? O Lord,
it was my heart that was proud and vain;
it was my tongue that fpoke filthily, and
blafphemoufly ; my hand that wrought
wickednefs, my eye that was wanton ; and
my heart that was unclean and filthy ;
Lord, here they are :' thus bring thy heart
before God.
2. AVhen the foul fits down with the
audience of truth, and feeks no fhift to
oppofe truth revealed ; when the Lord
comes to make racks in the hearts of fuch
as he means to do good to, the text faith,
He ■will reprovi the -world of fin, John x vi.
8. that is, He will convince the world of
wickednefs ; he will fet the foul in fuch a
fiand, that it fhall have nothing to lay for
itfelf, he cannot (hift it off. The miuifter
faith, God hates fuch and fuch a fintier ;
* And the Lord hates me too,' faith the
foul, 'for I am guilty of that fm.' Thus
many a time, when a finner comes into
the congreg:.rion (if the Lord pleafe to
work
The NEW B IRTH.
•work on him) the mind is enlightened, and
the minifler meets with his corruptions, as
if he were in his bofom, and he anfwers ail
his cavils, and takes away all objections:
with that the foul begins to be in a maze,
and faith, * If this be fo (iS it is, for
ought I kpow) and if all be true that the
minilkr (aith^ then the Lord be merciful
to my foul, I am the moll miferable finner
that ever was born.'
UJe of advice. You that know your
fins, that you may fee them convi6tingly,
get you home to the law, and look into
the glafs thereof, and then bundle up all
your fins thus : * So many fins againfl
God himfelf in the firft commandment, a-
gainft his worfhip in the fecond, againft
his name in the third, againft his fabbath
in the fourth: nay, all our thoughts,
words, and adtions, all of them have been
fins,able to fink our fouls into the bottom
of hell. And, 2. That you may fee them
clearly, confider of their efFecft, both in
their doom, and in the execution : only
to inftance in their doom ; methinks I fee
the Lord of heaven and earth, and his at-
tributes appearing before him, * The mer-
cy of God, the goodnefs of God, the
wifdom of God, the power of God, the
patience, and long-fuffering of God,' and
they come all to a finner, an hypocrite,
or to a carnal profeflbr, and fay, mercy
hath relieved you, goodnefs hath fuccour-
cd you, wifdom hath inftruCled you, pow-
er hath defended you, patience hath born
with you, long-fufFering hath endured
you: now all thefe comfortable attributes
will bid you adieu, and fay, * Farewel,
damned fouls ; you muft go hence to hell,
to have your fellowfhip with damned
ghofts: mercy Ihall never more relieve you,
goodnefs fliall never more fuccour you,
wifdom ftiall no more inftruft you, pow-
er (l^ all never more defend you, patience
Ihall never more bear with you, long-fuf-
fering -'iiall never more endure with you :'
And then ihall you to endlefs, eafelefs, and
remedilefs torments, where you will ever
remember your fins, and fay, * My cove-
toufnefs and pride was the caufe of this, I
may thank my fins for this. Think of thefe
things.l befeech you,ferioufly,and fee your
fins here, to prevent this fight hereafter.
SECT. IIL
Senfe of Divine wrath.
THE finner by this time having his
eyes fo far opened that he beholds
his fins, he begins then to confider. That
God hath him in chafe : and this fenfe of
Divine wrath difcovers itfelf in thefe two
particulars;
1. It works a fear of fome evil to come.
2. It pofiefleth the foul with a feeling
of this evil.
I. The foul confiders, that the punifii-
ment, which God hath threatened, Ihall
be executed on him fooner or later ; he
c*ies therefore, * What if God Ihould
damn me ? God may do it ? And what if
God fhould execute his vengeance upoa
me ?' Thus the foul fears that the evil dif-
covered will fall upon him : this is the rea-
fon of thofe phrafes of fcripture. We have
not received the fpirit of bondage to fear
again, Rom. viii. 15. the fpirit fhews our
bondage, and thence comes this fear : again,.
Cod hath not given us the fpirit of fear ^
I Tim. i. 17. that is, the fpirit of bondage
that works fear. It is with a foul in this
fear, as it was with Belihazzar, when he
comrnanded the cups to be brought out of
the houfe of the Lord; Jn hand-writing
carne againji him on the "wall, and luhen
he fanv it, his thoughts troubled hifn, and
his face began to gather palenefs, and his
knees knocked againfl one another ; Dan.
ix. 5. as if he fliould fay, ' Surely there is.
fome ftrange evil appomted for me ;' and
wLch that his heart began to tremble and
fiiake : juft fo it is with this fear ; he that
runs riot in the way of wickednefs, and
thinks to defpife God's Spirit, and to hate
the Lord almighty, and to rtfill the work
62
The NEW BIRTH.
ofh'ts grace; now it may be there comes
this fear, nnd hand-writing againjl him,
and then he cries, * Thefeare my fins, and
thefe are the plagues and judgments threat-
ened againft them, and therefore why not
I be damned ? why may not I be plagued ?'
2. The Lord purfues the foul, and dif-
charges that evil upon him which was for-
merly feared; and now his confcience is
all on a flame, and he faith to himfelf, ' O
1 have finned, and offended a jufl God, and
therefore I muft be damned, and to hell I
muft go:' Now the foul ihakes, and is
driven beyond itfelf, and would utterly
faint, but that the Lord upholds it with
one hand, as he be*ts it down with the o-
ther; he thinks every thing is againft him,
he thinks the fire burns to confume him,
and that the air will poifon him, and that
hell-mouth gapes under him,and that God's
wrath hangs over him, and, if now the
Lord fliould but take away his life, that he
fhould tumble down headlong into the
bottomlefs hell: fliould any man, or mi-
nifter perfuade the foul in this cafe to go
to heaven for mercy, it replies in this man-
ner, * Shall I repair to God ? O that's my
trouble ! is he not that great God, whofe
juftice, and mercy, and patience I have a-
bufed ? And is not he the great God of
heaven and earth, that hath been incenfed
againft me ? Oh, with what a face can I
appear before him ? and with what heart
can I look for any mercy from him ? I have
wronged his juftice, and can his juftice par-
don me ? I have abufed his mercy, and
can his mercy pity me ? What, fuch a
wretch as I am? If I had never enjoyed the
means of mercy, I might have had fome
plea for myfelf ; but oh, I have refufed
that mercy, and have trampled the blood
of Chrift under my feet, and can I look
for any mercy ? No, no, I fee the wrath
of the Lord incenfed againft me, and that's
all I look for.
SECT. IV.
Sorrcw for fin.
THE next ftep is forrow for fin ; con-
cerning which, are two queftions:
1 . Whether it be a work of faving grace?
2. AVhether God work it in #11 alike?
To the firft, I anfwer,There is a double
forrow, one in preparation, the other in
fa notification: they differ thus; forrow in
preparation, is when the word of God
leaves an impreffion upon the heart of a
man, fo that the heart of itfelf is as it were
a patient, and only bears the blow of the
Spirit ; and hence come all thofe phrafesof
fcripture, as wounded, pierced, pricked,
in the pafTive voice : fo that this forrow is
rather a forrow wrought on me, than any
work coming from any fpiritual ability in
me: but forrow in fancStification flows
from a fpiritual principle of grace, and
from that power which the heart hath
formerly received from God's Spirit; fo
that in this a man is a free worker : now
both thefe are faving forrows, but they
differ marveloufly ; many think, that every
faving work, is a fandlifying work, which
is falfe: Thofe "whom he calleth, (faith the
apoftle) them he alfo juflifies, and "whom
he jufijies, he glorifies^ Rom. viii, 30.
You may obferve, that glorification in this
place implies fan£tification here, and glory
hereafter; now before glorification, you
fee there is juftification and vocation, and
both thefe are faving.
To the fecond, I anfwer, Howfoever
this work is the fame in all for fubftance,
yet in a different manner it is wrought in
moft : two men are pricked, the one with
a pin, the other with a fpear; two men are
cut, the one with a pen-knife, the other
with a fword : fo the Lord deals kindly
and gently with one foul,and roughly with
another : there is the melting of a thing,
and the breaking of it with hammers; fb
there is a difference in perlbns : for in-
ftance, if the perfon be a fcandalous liver,
and
and an oppofer of God and his grace. 2.
If a man hath harboured a fikhy heart,
and continues long in fin. 3. If a man
hath been confident in a formal civil
courfe. 4. If God purpofe by fome man
to do fome extraordinary great work : in
all thcfe four cafes he lays an heavy blow
on the heart, the Lord will bruife them,
and rend the caul of their hearts, and
make them feek to a faithful minifter for
direftion, and to a poor Chriftian for
counfel, whom before they defpifed. But
if the foul be trained up among godly pa-
rents, and live under a foul-faving mini-
ftry, the Lord may reform this man, and
cut him off from his corruptions kindly,
and break his heart fecretly, in the appre-
henfion of his fins, and yet the world never
fee it. In both thefe we have an example
in Lydia and the Jaylor : Lydia was a fin-
ful woman, and God opened her eyes and
melted her heart kindly, and brought her
to a tafte of his goodnefs here, and glory
hereafter : but the Jaylor was an outragi-
ous, rebellious wretch, for when the a-
poflles were committed to prifon, he laid
them up in flocks, and whipped them fore,
now there was much work to bring this
man home : when the apoftles were finging
pfalms, there came an earthquake, which
made the prifon-doors flie open, and the
prifoners fetters to fall off, but yet the jay-
Jor's heart would not fliake : at lalf the
Lord did ihake his heart too, and he came
trembling, and was ready to lay violent
hands upon himfelf, becaufe he thought
the prifoners had been fled ; but the apo-
flles cried to hiin. Do thyfdfno hs^rm, for
ive are all here. With ihct he fell down
before them, and faid, IVlen and brtthreriy
luhatjhall I do to be favcU? Arts r.vi. ^?o.
For conclufion, give n^e a Chriftisn ihat
God doth plcale to wotk upon in :nis ex-
traordinary manner, and to break his
heart foundly, and to throw him dovv:i to
purpofe, though it coft him full dear, this
man walks ordinarily with more care and
rhe NEW BIRTH. 63
confcience, and hath more comfort com-
ing to himfelf, and gives more glory unto
God.
Ufe. I. Is it fo, that the foul of a man
is thus pierced to the quick, and run
through by the wrath of the Almighty ?
then let this teach all how to carry them-
felves towards fuch as God hath dealt
withal : Are they pierced men ? O pity
them ! let our foul, O let the bowels of
commiferation and compafTion be let out
toward them ! let us never eeafe to do
good to them, to the very uttermofl of our
powers: and to the performance of this,
reafon and religion and pity, methinks,
fhould move us : hear the cry, ' Oh (faith
the poor foul), will thefe and thefe fins
never be pardoned ? Will this proud heat t
never be humbled V Thus the foul fighs
and mourns, and fays, ' O Lord, I fee this
fin, and feel the burden of it, and yet I
have not an heart to be humbled for it,
rfor to be free from it : O when will it
once be ?' Did you but know this, it would
make your hearts bleed to hear him : Oh !
the fword of the Almighty hath pierced
through his heart, and he is breathing out
his foirow, as tho' he were going down
to hell, and he faith, ' If there be any mer-
cy, any love, any fellowfliip of the Spirit^
have mercy upon me a poor creature, that
am under the burden of the Almighty !"
O pray, and pity thefe wounds and vexa-
tions of fpirit, which no man finds nor
feels, but he that hath been thus wound-
ed. It is afign of afoul wholly devoted ta
deftrurtion, that hath a defperate difdaiti
againft poor wounded creatures : is it pcf-
fible there fiiould harboi-r fuch a fpirit in
any man ? If the devil himfelf were incar-
nate, I cannot conceive what he could da
worfe.
U/e. 2. If ever thou wouldeft be com-
forted, and receive mercy from God,, la-
bour never to be quiet, till thou dofl bring
thy heart to a right pitch of forrow ; thou
hafl a little flight forrow, but oh ! labour
to
64
The NEW BIRTH.
to have thy heart truly touched, that at
laid it may break in regard of thy many
diftempers; remember, the longer feed-
time, the greater harveft : Bleffcd are they
that mourn, for they (hall be comforted,
Matth. V. 4. But TOO to you that are at eafe
in Zion, Amos vi. i . Thou hadfl; better
now be wounded, than everlaftingly tor-
mented; and therefore if thou dcfireft to
fee God's face with comfort,if thou wouldft
hear Chrift fay, ' Come, thou poor heavy-
hearted finner, I will eafe thee,' labour to
lay load on thy heart, with forrow for thy
fin ; O what a comfort (hall a poor bro-
ken heart find in that day !
S EC T. V.
The extent of this forrow.
Hitherto of Contrition ; the next work
is Humiliation, which differs from
the other, not in fubftance, but circum-
ftance: for humiliation, as I take it, is
only the extent of forrow for fin, of which
we have fpoken ; and it contains thefe two
duties. I. Submiffion. 2. Contentednefs,
to be at the Lord's difpofal.
• The firfl part of Humiliation, Is fubraif-
fion, which is wrought thus : the finner
having now had a fight of his fins,and a for-
row in fome meafure for fin, he feeks far
and wide, improves all means, and takes
up all duties, that if it were pofiible, he
might heal his wounded foul : thus feek-
ing and feeking, but finding no fuccefs in
what he hath or doeih, he is forced at laft,
in his defpairing condition, to make trial
of the Lord : it is true, for the prefcnt he
apprehends God to be juft, and to be in-
ccnfcd againfi him, he hath no experience
of God's favour for the while, no certain-
ty how he (liall fpeed, if he go to the Lord;
yet bccaufe he fees he canno be worle
than he is, and that none can help him but
God, if it would pleafe him ; therefore he
f?lls at the footUool of mercy, and he lies
grovelling at the gate of grace, and lub-
mlts himfdf to the Lord, to do with him
as pleafeth himfelf, or as it feemeth good
in his eyes.
This was the Ninevites cafe, when Jo-
nah had denounced that heavy judgment,
and as it were, thrown wilJfire about the
Areets, faying, Within forty days Nineveh
fhall be dcfiroyed, Jon. iii. 9. See what
they refolved upon. They faftcd and pray-
ed, and put en fackcioth and afjes ; who
can tell, fa id they, but God may turn, and
repent him of his fierce wrath, that we
perijh not ? As if they had fud, ' We
know not what God will do, but this we
know, that we cannot oppofe his judg-
ments, nor fuccour ourfelves :' Thus it is
with a finner, when he feeth hell-fire to
fla(h in his face, and that he cannot fuc-
cour himfelf, then he faith, * This I know,
that all the means in the world cannot fave
me, yet who can tell, but the Lord may
have mercy on me, and cure this diftrefied
confcience, and heal all thefe wounds that
fin hath made in my foul V This is the
lively picture of the foul in this cafe.
Or for a further light, this fubjedion
difcovers itfelf in four particulars.
1 . He feeth and confefieth that the Lord,
for ought he knows, will proceed in juftice
againft him, and execute upon him thofe
plagues that God hath threatened, and his
fins have deferved; he feeth that jufiice is
not yet faiisfied, and ihofe reckonings be-
tween God and him are not yet made up,
and therefore he cannot apprehend but
that God will take vengeance on him :
whatelfe? when he hath done all he can,
he is unprofitable ftill; jufiice remains un-
fatisfied, and faith, ' Thou hall finned,
and I am wronged, and therefore thou
flialt die'.
2. He conceives, that what God will do,
that he will do, and he cannot avoid it ; if
the Lord will come, and require the glo-
ry of his juftice againft him, there is no
way to avoid it, nor to bear it; and this
cruiheth the heart, arid makes the foul to
be beyond all llufts and evafions, whereby
it
The NEW B I RT H. 6j
It may feem to avoid the dint of the Lord's pifture of thofe poor famidied lepers may
blow. fitly refemble this poor finner, when the
3. He cafts away his weapons, and falls famine was great in Samaria, There were
down before the Lord, and refigns himfelf four leprous men fate in the gate of the ci-
into the fovereign power and command of ty, and they faid^ Why fit we here until we
God. Thus David, when the Lord cart die? if we enter into the city ^ the famine
him out of his kingdom, he faid to Zadok, is there, and if u'<? fit here, we die alfo \
Carry back the ark of Cod into the city ; if rtow therefore, let us fall into the hands of
J Jha I I find favour in the eyes of the Lord, our enemies, and if they fave us alive, we
he vjill bring me back again, and fhew me
both it and his habitation : but if he thus fay
to me, I have no delight in thee : behold,
here I am, let him do with me as feemeth
good in his eyes, 2 Sam. xv. 25, 26. This
is the frame of a poor foul ; when a poor
finner will ftand upon his privileges, the
Lord faith, * Bear my juftice, and defend
thyfelf by all thou haft, or canft do : and
the foul anfwereth, I am thy fervant, Lord,
do what is good in thine eyes, I cannot
fuccour myfelf.'
4. The foul freely acknowledgeth, that
it is in God's power to do with him, and
difpofe of him as he will; and therefore he
lies and licks the dull, and cries, Mercy,
Mercy, Lord : he thinks not to purchafe
mercy at the Lord's hands, but only faith,
* It is in God's good pleafure to do with
me as he will :' only he looks for favour,
and cries, * mercy, Lord, mercy to this poor
diftrefled foul of mine :' O, (replies the
Lord) doll thou need mercy ? Cannot thy
Hearing, and Praying, and Fading carry
thee to heaven without hazard ? Gird up
now thy loins, and make thy ferventeft
prayers, and let them meet my juftice, and
fee if they can bear my wrath, or purchafe
any mercy : ' No, no, (faith the finner) I
know it, by lamentable experience, that all
my prayers and performances will never
procure peace to my foul, nor give any fa-
tisfa<ftion to thy juftice, I only pray for
mercy, and I delire only to hear fome news
of mercy, to relieve this miferable, wretch-
ed foul of mine ; it is only mercy that muft
help me; O mercy, if it be poflible, to this
poor diftrelTed foul of mine.' Merhinks the
fh all live, and if they kill us, we f)all but
die, 2 Kings vii. 3, 4. They had but one
means to fuccour themfelves withal, and
that was to go into the camp of the ene-
mies, and there, as it happened, they were
relieved. This is the lively pi61ure of a
poor finner in this defpairing condition,
when he feeth the wrath of God purfuing
him, and that the Lord hath befet him on.
every fide ; at lad he refolves thus with
himfelf, ' If I go and reft on my privileges,
there is nothing but emptinefs; and if I
Xeft in my natural condition, I peri{h there
alfo: let me therefore fall into the hands
of the Lord of hofts. I confefs he hath
been provoked by me, and for ought I fee
he is mine enemy ; I am now a damned
man, and if the Lord caft me out of his
prefence, I can be but damned,' And then
he comes to the Lord, and he falls dov/n
before the footftool of a confuming God,
and faith, as Job did, * What ftiall I fay
unto thee, O thou Preferver of men ? I
have no reafon to plead for myfelf, and I
have no power to fuccour myfelf, my ac-
cufations are my heft excufe, all the pri-
vileges of the world cannot juftifie me, and
all my duties cannot fave me ; if there be
any mercy left, O fuccour a poordiftreffed
finner in the very gall of bitternefs.' This
is the behaviour of the foul in this work of
fubjeflion.
The fecond part of humiliation, is, con-
tentednefs to be at the Lord's difpofal ;
and this point is of an higher pitch than
the former : for example, take a debtor
who hath ufed all means to avoid the cre-
ditor, in the end, he feeth he cannot avoid
K the
66
The NEW B IRTH,
theTuit, and to bear It he is not able : there-
fore the onl}' way is'to come in, and to yield
himfelfinto his creditor's hands; butfuppofe
the creditor fhould exadl the utmoft:, and
throw him into prifon, to be content now
to undergo the hardeft dealing, it is an hard
matter, and a further degree. So v.-hen
the foul hath offered himfelf, and he feeth
that God's writs are out againft him, and
he is not able (whenfoever the judgment
comes) to avoid it, nor to bear it, there-
fore he fubmits himfelf, and faith, * Lord,
whither fliall I go ? thy anger is heavy and
unavoidable ;' nay, whatfoever God re-
quires, the foul lays his hand on his mouth,
and goes away conftnted, and well fatisfied,
and hath nothing at all to fay againfl the
Lord. This is the nature of Contentednefs.
Or, for a further light, this contented-
nefs difcovers itfelf in thefe three following
particulars :
I. The foul reflefls on God's mercy,
which though he begged when he fubmit-
ted, yet now he feeth fo much corruption
and unworthinefs in himfelf, that he ac-
l^n.owlcdgcih himfelf unfit for mercy: O
mercy, mercy,Lord ! What? faith theLord,
I had thought your own duties would have
■purchafed mercy : * O no, faith the foul,
it is only mercy that muft relieve and fuc-
cour me ; but fuch is my vilenefs, that I
am not fit for the leafl mercy and favour ;
and fuch is the wickednef* of this wretch-
ed heart of mine, that whatfoever are the
grcateft plagues, I am worthy of them all,
though never fo unfupportable : all the
iudgments that God hath threatened, and
prepared for the devil and his angels, they
are all due to my wretched foul ; O, faith
the foul, had the devils the like hopes,
and means, and patience that I have enjoy-
ed, for ought I know, they would have
been better than I am.' It is that which
lliames the foul in all his forrows, and makes
him fay, * Had they the like mercy ? O thofe
fweet comforts, and thofe precious promifes
that 1 have had .! how many heavy journeys
hath the Lord Jefus made to mc ? How oft-
en hath he knocked at my heart, and faid,
Come to me, ye rcbelliour: children ; turn
ye, turn ye, why will ye die ? O that mer-
cy that hath followed me from my houfe
to my walk, and from thence to my clo-
fet ; her6 mercy hath conferred with mc,
and there mercy hath wooed me ; yea, in
my night-thoughts, when 1 awaked, mercy
kneeled down bef'^'re me, and befought me
to reno\ince my bad courfes, yet I rcfufed
mercy, and would needs have mine own
will ; had the devil but fuch hopes, and fuch
offers of mercy, tl.ey thai tremble now for
want of mercy, they would, for ought I
know, have given entertainment to it; and
what, do I leek for mercy ? iliall I talk of
mercy > What, I mercy ? 1 he leafl of God's
mercies are too good for rne, and the hea-
vieA of God's plagues are too little for me;
I fuppofe (for fo is my opinion) that God
cannot do more againft me than Ihavejuft-
ly deferved, but be fure, God will not lay
more upon me than I am juflly worthy of.*
Nay, lure it is, the foul cannot bear nor
fuffer fo much as he hath deferved, if God
fliould proceed in rigour with him ; there-
fore it reafons thus : * I, only for one fin,
defcrve eternal condemnation, for the wa-
ges of all fin is death, being committed a«
gainft divine jufiice, and again ft an infinite
majefly ; and then what do all thefe my
fins deferve, committed and continued in,
againfl all checks of confcience, and cor-
redlions, and the light of God's word ! hell
is too good, and ten thoufand hells too lit-
tle to torment fuch a wretch as 1 am : what,
I mercy ? I am afliamed to expctSl it ; with
what heart, I pray you, can 1 beg this mer-
cy, which I have trodden vujdcr my feet ?
The Lord hath often wooed me, and when
his wounds were bleeding, and his fide gor-
ed, and his hideous cries coming into mine
ears,' My God, my God, why haft thou for-
faken me ? ' then, evert then this Chrifl have
I flighted, and made nothing of his blood ;
and can this blood of Chrift do me now a-
ny
The
ny fervlce ? Indeed I crave grace, but how
do I think to receive any ? All the pillars
of the church can teftifie how often grace
and mercy have been olfered and offered,
but I have ever refufed : how then can I
beg any grace? O this flnbbornnefs and
villainy, and this wretchednefs of mine !
v/hat, I mercy ? it is more than 1 can ex-
pert, I am not worthy of any ; Oh no, I
am only worthy to be caft out for ever.'
2. The foul reflertson juftice, and now
it acknowledgeth the equity of God's deal-
ings, be they never fo harfh ; he confefTeth
that he is as clay in the hands of the pot-
ter, and the Lord may deal with him as he
will ; yea, the foul is driven to an amaze-
ment at the Lord's patience, and that he
hath been pleafed to reprive him fo long,
that God hath not cafl: him out of his pre-
fence, and fent him down to hell long ago :
it is the frame of the fpirit which the poor
lamenting church had, // is of the Lord's
mercy that we are not confumed, hecaufe his
compajfions fail not. Lam. iii. 22. When
the Lord hath humbled the heart of a drunk-
ard or adulterer, he begins thus to think
with himfelf, * The Lord faw all the evils
I committed;' and what then ? O then the
foul admires that ever God's juftice was a-
ble to bear with fuch a monfter, and that
God did not confound him in his drunken-
nefs, or burning lufts, and caft him down
into hell. * Oh, faith he, It isbecaufe his
mercies fail not, that my life and all have
not failed long ago.' Hence it is that the
foul will not maintain any kind of mur-
muring, or heart-rifing againft the Lord's
dealings; or, if nature and corruption will
be ftriving fometimes, and fay,
not my prayers anfwered ? I know fuch a
foul humbled, and I fee fuch a foul com-
forted, and why not I as well as he V Then
the foul Rifles, and crufiieih, and choaks
thcfe wretched diftempers, and doih alfo
abafeitfelfbefore the Lord, faying, ^ What
if God will not hear my prayers, .vhat if
God will not pacific my confcience, cloth
JSt E W B I R T n, 67
the Lord do me any wrong ? Vile hell-
hound that I am, I have my fin and my
fhame ; wrath is my portion, and hell is
my place, tliither may I go when I will,
it is mercy that God thus deals with me,'
And now the foul clears God in his juftice,
and faith, * It is juft with God that all the
prayers which come from this filthy heart
of mine, fliould be abhorred, and that all
my labours, in holy duties ftiould never
be bleffed ; it is I that have finned againft
checks of confcience, againft knowledge,
againft heaven, and therefore it is juft that
I (hould carry this horror of heart with me
to the grave; it is I that have abufed mer-
cy, and therefore it is juft that I ftiould go
with a tormenting confcience down into
hell : and O that (if I be in hell) I might
have a fpirit to glorify and juftifie thy name
there ; and fay, now I am come down to
hell among you damned creatures, but the
liord is righteous and blefled for ever in
all his doings and dealings, and I am juftly
condemned.'
3. Hence the foul comes to be quiet and
frameable under the heavy hand of God in
that helplefs condition wherein he is ; it
takes the blow, and lies under the burthen,
and goes away quietly and patiently : O
this is an heart worth gold ! ' O, faith he,
it is fit that God fhould glorifie himfelf,
though I be damned for ever, for I deferve
the worft : whatfoever I have, it is the re-
ward of my own works, and the end of
my own ways: if I be damned, I may thank
my pride, and my ftubbornnefs, and my
peevilhnefs of fpirit : what, ftiall I repine
againft the Lord, hecaufe his wrath and his
Why are difpleafure lies heavy upon me ! Oh no !
let me repine againft my fin, the caufe of
all ; let me grudge againft my bafe heart
that hath nouriOied thefe adders in my bo-
fom, but let me blefs the Lord, and not
fpeak one word againft him.' Thus David,
/ held my tongue, laith he, and f pake no-
thing, hecaufe thou Lord haft done it, Pfal.
xxxix. 9. So the foul, when the fentence
K2 of
6H The NEW
of condemnation Is even fclzing upon him,
and God feems to call him out of his fa-
vour, then he cries, * I confefs God is juft,
and therefore I blefs his name, and yield
vinto him ; but fin is the worker of all this
rnifery on me.' Jeremiah pleading the cafe
of the church, now going to captivity, Wo
is me for my hurt^ faith he, my wound is
grievous ; hut I faidy truly this is my grief
and I mufl bear it, Jer. ji. 19. Such is
the frame of an heart truly humbled, it is
content to take all to itfelf, and fo to be
rjuiet, faying, ' This is my wound, and I
mufl bear it: this is my fcrrow, and I will
i'litier it.' Thus you fee what is the behavi-
our of the foul in Bbis contentednefs to be
-at the Lord's difpofal.
Ohjefl. But fome may objecV, ' Mufl the
-^oul, or ought the foul to be thus content
to be left in this damnable condition V
ylyifw. For anfwer, This contentednefs
implies two things; i. A carnal fecurity,
and a rcgardlefnefs of a man's eflate, and
this is a mofl curfed fin. 2 . A'calmnefs of foul,
not murmuring againfl the Lord's difpen-
fation towards him ; and this contentednefs
is ever accompanied with the fight of a
• man's fin, and fuing for mercy : it ever im-
proves all means and helps that may bring
him nearer to God ; but if mercy fliall de-
ny it, the foul is fatisfied, and refts wellapay-
, cd, [contented] : and thiscontentednefs(op-
pofedtoquarrellingwiththe Almighty) eve-
ry humbled foul doth attain to, tho'in every
one it is not fo plainly feen. To give it in
a com pari fon : A thief taken for robbery,
on whom the fentence of death hath pafTed,
he fliould not neglcdl the means to get a
pardon, and yet if he cannot procure it,
he mult rot murmur againfl the judge for
condemning him to death, becaule he hath
done nothing but law : fo wc fliould not
be carelefs in ufmg all means for our good,
but Hill feek to God for mercy : yet thus
we mufl be, and thus we ought to be, con-
tented with whatfocver mercy fliall deny,
becaufe we are not worthy of any favour.
BIRTH,
The foul in a depth of humiliation, It firf^
floops to the condition that the Lord will
appoint, he dares not liy away from God,
nor repine againfl the Lord, but he lies
down meekly. 2. As he is content with
the hardefl meafure, fo he is content with
the longefl time; he will flay for mercy, be
it never fo long: 1 ivill ivait upon the Lord
(faith Ifaiah, ch. 8. i 7.) that hidcth his face
from Jacob ; and I vjill look for him : fo
the humbled finner, * Although the Lord
hide his face, and turn away his loving
countenance from me, yet 1 will look to-
wards heaven, fo long as f h?vc an eye to
fee, and a hand to lift xip ; the Lord m.ay
take his own lime, and it is manners for
me to wait:' nay, the poor, broken licart
refolves thus, * If I lie and lick the dufl all
my days, and cry for mercy all my life
long, if my laft words might be mercy,
mercy, it were well, I might get mercy at
my lall gafp. 3. As he is content to flay
the longefl time, fo he is content with, the
leafl pittance of mercy ; * Let my condition
be never fo hard, (faith the foul) do. Lord,
what thou wilt for me ; let the fire of thy
wrath confurne me here, only recover me
hereafter; if I find mercy at the lafl, I am
content, and whatfoever thou givefl, I blefs
thy name for it :' He quarrels not, faying»
' Why are not my graces increafcd ; and
why am I not thus and thus comforted r*
No, he looks for mercy, and if he have
but a crumb of mercy, he is comforted and
quieted for ever. And now you may fup-
pofe the heart is brought very low.
Lfe I. Hence we coliccl, i. That they
who have the greateft parts, and gifts, and
ability, and honour, arc, for the mofl part,
hardly brought home to the Lord Jefus
Chrifi; they that are moll hardly humbled,
are raofl hardly converted ; what is hurnili-
aiion, but the einptying of the foul from,
whatfocver makes it fwell ? The heart mufl
notjoy in any thing, nor-refluponany things
but only yield to the Lord, to be at his dif-
pofing and carving : now thefe parts, and
gifts.
7 he NEW
gifts, and abilities and means are great props
and pillars for the heart of a carnal man to
red upon, and to quiet itfelf withal; whence
the apoftle. Not many ivife msn after the
fiefh, not many mighty men, not many no-
ble men are called, I Cor. i. 26, Indeed,
blefled be God, fome are, but not many;
few that have fo much of themfelves are
brought to renounce themfelves; and no
wonder,for a rich man to become poor, and
a noble man to be abafed, and a wife man
to be nothing in himfelf, this will coft hot
water, [much work] : and yet this muft be in
all that belong to the Lord : not that God
will take away all thefe outward things and
parts, but that they muft loofen their af-
feftion from thefe, if they will have ChriH.
2. That an humble heart makes all a
man's life quiet, and marvelloufly fweeten-
eth whatfoever eftate he is in. Indeed fome-
times he may be toffed and troubled, yet
he is not diftraftcd, becavife he is content-
ed ; as it is with the fliip on the fea, when
the billows begin to roar, and the waves
are violent, if the anchor be faftened deep,
it ftays the (l^ip : fo this work of humilia-
tion is the anchor of the foul, and the deep-
er ir is faftened, the more quiet is the heart :
when Job, in time of his extremity, gave
way to his proud heart, he quarrelled with
the Almighty, his friends, and all ; but
when the Lord had humbled him, then.
Behold, 1 arn vile and bafe, once have Ifpo-
ken, yea, twice, but nozu no more.
And this humiliation quiets a man, both
in fierceft temptations; and in heavieft op-
politions.
I. In fiercefl: temptations; when Satan
begins to belicge the heart of a poor finner,
and lays battery againft him, fee how the
humbled heart runs him out of breath at
his own weapons : Dofl: thou think (fays
Satan) to get mercy from the Lord, when
thy own conTcicnce dogs thee ? Nay, go
to the place where thou liveft, and to the
chamber where thou liefi, and conllder thy
fearful abomlnaiions j fure God will not
BIRTH, 67
refpedl the prayers of any fuch vile finners.
' True, faith the poor foul, I have often
denied the Lord when he called upon me,
and therefore he may juflly deny me all the
prayers I make ; yet thus he hath command-
ed, that feek to him for mercy I muft ; and,
if the Lord will call me away, and reje£l
my prayers, I am contented therewith;
what then, Satan V What then, faith the
the devil ? I thought this (hould have made
thee to defpair ; but this is not all, for God
will give thee over, and leave thee to thy-
felf, to thy lufts and corruptions, and thy
latter end fhall be worfe than thy begin-
ning; thou mayflcall and cry, and, when
thou haft done, be overthrown ; God will
leave thee to thyfelf, and fuffer thy corrup-
tions to prevail againft thee, and thou Ihalt
fall fearfully, to the wounding of thy con-
fcience, to the grieving of God's people,
to the fcandal of the gofpel, to the reproach
of thy own perfon. To this anfwers the
humbled foul, * If the Lord will give me up
to my bafe lufls, which I have given myfelf
fo much liberty in, and if the Lord will leave
me to my lins, becaufc I have left his gra-
cious commands; and if I fliall fall one
day, and bedifgraced and diflionoured, yet
let the Lord be honoured, and let not God
lofe the praife of his power, and juflice,
and I am contented therewith : what then,
Satan ?' What then, faith the devil ? I fure
thought now thou wouldft have defpaired ;
but this is not all, for when God hath left
thee to thy fins, then will he break out in
vengeance againft thee, and make thee an
example of his heavy vengeance to all ages
to come; and therefore it is befi: for thee
to prevent this untimely judgment by fome
untimely death. To this replies the foul,
* Whatfoever God can do, or will do, I
know not, yet fo great are my fms, that
he cannot, or at leaft, will not do fo much
againlt me, as I havejuflly deferved : come
what will come, I am contented ftill to be
at the Lord's difpofal : what then, Satan V
And thua he runs Satan out of breath.
The
70 The NEW
The want of this humiliation many
times brings a man to defperare (lands, and
fomctimes to untimely deaths : alas, why
will you not bear the wrath of the Lord ?
it is true indeed your fins are great, and
the wrath of God is heavy, yet God will
do you good by it, and therefore be quiet.
In time of war, when the great cannons fly
off, the only way to avoid them, is to lie
down in a furrow, and fo the bullets fly
over : fo in all temptations of fatan, lie
low, and be contented to be at God's dif-
pofing, and all thefe fiery temptations fliall
not be able to hurt you,
2. In heaviefl: oppofitions ; when Satan
is gone, then come*troubles and oppofiti-
ons of the world, in all which humiliation
will quiet the foul. A man is fometimes
fea-fick, not becaufe of the tempeft, but be-
caufe of his full flomach, and therefore,
when he has emptied his ftomach, he is well
again ; fo it is with his humiliation of heart,
if the heart were emptied truly, though a
man were in a fea of oppofitions, if he have
no more trouble in his ftomach, and in his
proud heart than in the oppofitions of the
world, he might be very well quieted. Caft
difgrace upon the humble heart caufelefly,
and he cures it thus ; he thinks worfe ofhim-
felf than any man elfe can do, and if they
would make him vile and loathfome, he
is more vile in his own eyes than they can
make him : O that I could bring your
hearts to be in love with this bleffed grace
of God!
Is there any foul here thathathbeen vex-
ed with the temptations of Satan, oppofi-
tions of men, or with his own diflempers?
and would he now arm and fence himfelf,
that nothing fliould difquiet him, or trou-
ble him, but in all, to be above all, and to
rejoice in all ? O then be humbled, and
then be above all the devils in hell : cer-
tainly they fhall not fo difquiet you, as to
caufe you to be mifled, or uncomforted,
if you would but be humbled.
Ufi' 2. AVhat remains then ? Be exhort-
BIRTH,
ed, as you defire mercy and favour at
God's hands, to this humiliation. And
for motives, confider the good things that
God hath proraifed, and which he will be-
llow upon all that are truly humbled :
I (liall reduce all to thefe three following
benefits ;
1. By humiliation we are made capable
of all thofe treafures of wifdom, grace,
and mercy that are in Chrifi.
2. Humiliation gives a man the comfort
of all that good in Chrift : many have a
right to Chrift, and are dear to God, yet
they want much fweet refrefhing, becaufe
they want this humiliation, in fome mea-
fure. To be truly humbled, is the next
way to be truly comforted : The Lord ivill
look to him that hath an humble contrite
heart, and trembles at his wordy Ifa. Ixii.
8. The Lord will not only know him (he
knows the wicked too, in a general man-
ner) but he will give him fuch a gracious
look, as fliall make his heart dance in his
breaft. Thou poor humbled foul, the
Lord will give thee a glimpfe of his favour,
when thou art tired in thy trouble; when
thou looked up to heaven, the Lord will
look down upon thee, and will refrefli thee
with mercy ; God hath prepared a fweet
morfel for his child, he "will receive the
humble : O be humbled then, every one
of you, and the Lord Jcfus, luho comes
with healing under his wings, will comfort
you, and ye fliall fee the falvation of our
God.
3. Humiliation ufhers glory, Whofoever
humbles himfelf as a little child, fhall be
greatefl in the kingdom of heaven y Matth.
xviii. 4. He fliall be in the highefl degree
of grace here, and of glory hereafter: for
as thy humiliation, fo fliall be thy faith,
and fan£tification, and obedience, and glory.
And now, methinks your hearts begin
to fiir, and fay, ' Hath the Lord engaged
himfelf to this ? O then, Lord, make me
humble.' >iow the Loid make me, and
thee, and all of us humble, that we may
have
n^e NEW
have this mercy. See how Everlafting
Happinefs and BiefTednefs looks and waits
for every humbled foul ; ' Gome, (faith
Happinefs) ihou that haft been vile, and
bafe, and mean in thy own ej'es ; come,
and be greateft in the kingdom of heaven.
Brethren, though I cannot prevail with
your hearts, yet let Happinefs, that kneels
down, and prays you to take mercy, let
that, I fay, prevail with you : if any man
be fo regardlefs of his own. good, I have
fomething to fay to him, that may make
his heart fnake within him. But oh ! •
"Who would not have the Lord Jefus to
dwell with him ? who would not liave the
Lord Chrift, by the glory of his grace to
honour and refrefh him ? Methinks your
hearts fliould yearn for it,and (ay, ' O Lord,
break my heart, and humble me, that mer-
cy may be my portion for ever :' nay,
methinks every man fhould fay as Paul
did, ' I would to God that not only I, but
all my children and fervants were not only
thus as I am, but alfo, if it were God's
will, much more humbled, that they might
be much more comforted and refreflicd.'
Then might you fay with comfort on 3'our
desth-bed, ' Though I go away, and leave
wife and children behind me, poor, and
mean in the world, yet I leave Chrift with
them :' when you are gore, this will be
better for them, than all the beaten gold
or honours in the world. What can I fay ?
but fince the Lord offers fo kindly, now
kifs the/on^ Pfal. ii. 12. be humble, yield
to ail God's commands, take home all
truths, and be at God's difpofing : let all
the evil that is threatened, and all the good
that is offered prevail with your hearts,
or, if means cannot, yet the Lord prevail
with you ; the Lord empty you, that
Chrift may fill you ; the Lord humble you,
that you may enjoy happinefsand peace, and
be lifted up to the higheft pinnacle of glory,
there to reign for ever and ever.
B IR TH.
7»
CHAP. V.
Tke call on God's part, for the foul to clofe
ivithy and rely on ChriJ}.
HITHERTO of our fir ft general.
to wit, the
preparation of the foul
for Chrift :' the next is, the * implantati-
on of the foul into Chrift;* and that hath
two parts ;
1 . The putting of the foul into Chrift,
2. The growing ofthe foul with Chrift,
As a graft is firft put into the ftock,
and then it grows together with the ftock :
thefe two things are anfwerable in the foul,
and when it is brought into this, then
a finner comes to be partaker of all fpiri-
tual benefits.
The firft part is, the putting in of the
foul : when the foul is brought out of the
world of fin, to lie upon, and to clofe with
the Lord Jefus Chrift ; and this hath two
particular paffages :
The call on God's part ; and the anfwer
on man's part.
The Call on God's part is this, when
the Lord, by the call of his gofpel, ai^d
work of his Spirit, doth fo clearly rcve.*!
the fulnefs of mercy, that the foul hnmbied
returns anfwer.
In which obferve i. the means, and 2.
the caufe, whereby God doth call.
I. The means is only the miniftry of
thegofpel ; the fum whereof, is this, ' That
there is fulnefs of Mercy, and Grace, and
Salvation, brought unto us through the
Lord Jefus Chrift.' Hence the phrafe of
fcripture calls this gofpel, or this mercy,
Atreafury, Col. ii. 2. All the trea/ures
ofijjifdojn and holinefs are in ChriJ} : not
one treafure, but all treafures ; not fome
treafure, but all treafures ; where the gof-
ptl comes, there is joy for th.e forrowfu},
peace for the troubled, ilrength for the weak,
relief feafonable and fuitable to all wants,trii-
feriesandnecelfities,bothprefentandfuture»
Vfe. If then forrow alfail thee (when
thou art come thus far} look not on thy
72 The NEW
fins,, to pore npon them ; neither look In-
to thy own fufficiency, to procure any
good there. It is true, thou mud fee thy
fjns, and forrow for them, but this is for
the lower [clafs] and thou muft get this
lelTon before-hand ; and when thou haft
gotten this leffbn of Contrition and humi-
liation, look then only to God's mercy
and the riches of his grace in Ghrift.
2. For the Gaufe: the Lord doth not
only appoint the means, but by the work
of the Spirit, he doth bring all the riches
of his grace into the foul truly humbled :
If you aflc, how ? i. With ftrength of e-
vidence; the Spirit prefents to the broken-
hearted /inner, the«rightof the freenefs of
God's grace to the foul : And 2. The Spi-
rit doth forcibly foak in finfufe] the re-
liQi of that grace, and by an over- piercing
work, doth leave fome dint of fupernatural
and fpiritual virtue on the heart.
Now the word of the gofpel, and the
work of the Spirit always go together ; not
that God is tied to any means, but that
he tieth himfelf to the means : hence the
gofpel is called, The poiver of Cod to falva-
tioHy Rom. i. i6. becaufe the power of
God ordinarily, and in common courfe
appears therein : the waters of life and fal-
vatioii run only in the channel of the gof-
pel ; there are golden mines of grace, but
they are only to be found in the climates
of the gofpel : nay, obferve this, when all
arguments prevail not with corruption, to
perfuade the heart to go to God, one text
of fcripture will ftand a man inftead above
all human learning and inventions, becaufe
the Spirit goes forth in this, and none elfe.
Ufe. I. This may teach us the worth of
the gofpel above all other things in the
world, for it is accompanied with the Spi-
rit, and brings falvation with it. "What
if a man had all the wealth and policy in
the world, and wanted this ? he were a
fool : what if one were able to dive deep
into the fecrets of nature, to know the
motions of the liars, to fpeak with the
BIRTH.
tongues of men and angels, and yet know
nothing belonging to his peace, what avails
it ? Why do we value a mine, but becaufe
of the gold in it? or a cabinet, but becaufe
of the pearl in it ? O this is that pearl we
fell all for.
Ufe. 2. Wouldft thou know whether
thou art carnal or fpiritual ? Obferve then,
if thou h,aft the Spirit, it ever came with
gofpel : fee then how the foul ftands af-
fe<5\ed with the gofpel, and fo it Aands af-
fected to the Spirit. * Is it fo'(may every foul
reafon with itfelf) * that I will not fuffer the
word to prevail with me ? then fhall I mifs
of the Spirit, then will Ghrift none of me.'
remember, the time will come when you
muft die, as well as your neighbours, and
then you will fay, ' Lord Jefus, forgive my
fins ; Lord Jefus, receive my foul :' but
Ghrift will anfwer, ' Away, be gone,
j'ou are none of mine, I know you not.'
Any man, whether noble, or ignoble, let
him be what he will be, if he has not the
Spirit, he is none of Chrift's; His you are
to vj horn you obey, Rom. vi. i6. but pride
and covctoufnels you obey ; pride there-
fore will fay, * This heart is mine, Lord,
1 have domineered over it, and I will tor-
ment it: Corruptions will fay, * we have
owned this foul, and we will damn it.' You
therefore that have made a tu(li at [defpif-
ed] the word, *this wind Ihakes no corn, and
ihefe words break no bones ;' little do you
think that you have oppofed the Spirit :
what, refift the Spirit ? methinks it is e»
nough to fink any foul vinder heaven :
hereafter therefore think this with thyfelf,
* Were he but a man that fpeaks, yet
would I not dcfpife him ; but that is not
all, tliere goeth God's Spirit with the word,
and ftiall I defpife it ? There is but one
ftcp between this and that unpardonable
fin againft the holy Ghoft, only adding
malice to my rage : I oppofe the Father,
perhaps the Son mediates for me; I de-
fpife the Son, perhaps the holy Ghoft pleads
for
The NEW
for me ; but if I oppofe the Spirit, none
can fuccour me.
G H A P. VI. SEC T. I.
The anpiuer on man's part for the foul to
cicfe with, and to rely on ChriJ},
HIcherto of the call on God's part;
now we are come to the anfwcr on
man's part. No fooner hath the gofpel and
God's Spirit clearly revealed the fulnefs of
God's mercy in ChriO:, but then the whole
foul (both the mind that dilcovers mercy,
and Hope that expefts it, and Defire that
purfues it, and Love that entertains it,
and the will that refls on it) gives an-
fwer to the call of God therein. Mer-
cy is a proper obje£l of all thefe ; of the
mind to be enlightened, of hope to be
fuflained, of defire to be fupported, of
love to becheared : nay, there is a full fa-
tisfaftory fufficiency of all good in Chrift,
that fo the will of man may take full re-
pofe and reft in him ; therefore the Lord
faith. Come unto me, all that are weary
and heavy laden, Matth. xi, 28. Come,
mind, and hope, and defire, and love, and
will, and heart: they all anfwer, Wecome:
the mind faith, Let me know this mercy
above all, and defire to know nothing but
Chrift and hi?n crucified : let me expcft
this mercy, faith Hope; that belongs to
me, and will befal me : Defire faith. Let
me long after it : O, faith Love, let me
embrace and welcome it : O, faith the
heart, let me lay hold on the handle of
falvation; here we will live and here we
will die at the footftool of God's mercy.
Thus all go, mind, hope, defire love, joy,
the will, and al! lay hold upon thepromife,
and fay, ' Let us make the promife a prey,
let us prey upon mercy, as the wild bealls
do upon their provifion.' Thus the fa-
culcies of the foul hunt and purfue this
mercy, and lay hold thereupon and fatis-
fy themfelves herein.
SECT. IL
J Sight of Chrift J or of mercy in Chrijl.
BUT for a further difcovery of thefe
works of the foul, we (hall enter in-
BIRTH. 7^
to particulars: and for their order, i. The
Lord lets a light into the mind, for what
the eye never feeth, the heart never de-
fireth, hope never expefteth, the foul ne-
ver embraceth : if the foul then feemeth to
hang afar off, and dares not believe that
Chrift will have mercy on him, in this cafe
the Spirit lets in a light into his heart, and
difcovers unto him, that God will deal gra-
cioufly with him. It is with a finner, as-
with a man that fits in darknefs, haply he
feeth a light in the ftreet out of a window,
but he fits Aill in darknefs, and is in the
dungeon all the while, and he thinks,
' How good were it if a man might enjoy
that light?' fo many a poor, humble-heart-
ed broken finner feeth, and hath an ink
ling of God's mercies, he heareth the faints
fpeak of God's love, and hisgoodnefs, and
compafTion ; Ah, (thinks he) how happy
are they ? blefiTed are they, what an excel-
lent condition are they in ? But I am in
darknefs ftill, and never had a drop of
mercy vouchfafed unto me : at laft, the
Lord lets a light into his houfe,and puts the
candle into his own hand, and makes him
fee by particular evidence, * Thou flialt
be pardoned, and thou fhalt be faved.'
The manner hov/ the Spirit works this,
is difcovered in three paffages :
1 . The Spirit of the Lord meeting with
an humble, broken, lowly, felf-denying
finner (he that is a proud, ftout-hearted
wretch, knows nothing of this matter) it
opens the eye, and now the humbled (in-
ner begins to fee (like the man in the gof-
pel) fome light and glimmering about his
underftanding, that he can look into, and
difcern the fpiritual things of God.
2. Then the Lord lays before him all
the riches of the treafures of his grace :
no fooner hath he given him an eye, but
then he lays colours before him {,the un-
Cearchable riches of Chrijl, Eph. iii. 8.)
that he may fee and look, and fall in love
with thofe fweet treafures ; and then faith
the (oul, O that mercy, and grace and par-
don were mine: O that my fins were done
L awav
74 The NEW
away ! The Lord faith, T will refrerti them
that are heavy laden; then faith the foul,
* O that I had that refrefhing !' * You (hall
have reft,' faith God ; * O that I had reft
too,' faith the foul ! and now the foul be-
gins to look after the mercy and compaf-
lion which is laid afore it.
3. The Spirit of the Lord doth witnefs
or certify throughly and effeftually to the
foul, that this mercy in Chrift belongs un-
to him, and without this, the foul of an
humble, broken-hearted finner hath no
ground to go unto Chrift : what good doth
It an hungry ftomach to hear that there is
a great deal of cheer and dainties provided
for fuch and fuch Then, and he have no
part therein ? Take a beggar that hath a
rhoufand pounds told before him (he may
apprehend the fum of fo much gold, and i'o
jTiuch filver) * but whafis all that to me,
(faith he) if in the mean time I die and
ibrve ?' It falls out in this cafe with a bro-
ken-hearted finner as with a prodigal child:
the prodigal he hath fpent his means, and
abufed his father, and now is there a fa-
mine in the land, and poverty is befallen
him ; he knows indeed there is meat and
cloaths enough in his father's houfe, but
slas ! what can he ex pe(St thence but his
father's heavy difplcafure ? If a man fhould
fay, * Go to your father, he will give you
2 portion again ;' would he, think 5'ou, be-
lieve this ? ' No, (would he fay), it is my
father I have offended, and will he now re-
ceive me?' Yet Hiould a man come and
tell him, that he heard his father fay fo,
:md then fl'>ew him a certificate vmder his
father's hand that it was fo, this would
fure draw him into fome hope that his fa-
ther meant well towards him : fo it is with
a finner when he is apprehenfive of all his
rebellions; ifamanfliould tell fuch afoul,
* Go to God, and he will give you abun-
dance of mercy and companion ;' the foul
cannot believe it, but thinks, * AVhat, I
mercy? no, no : bleffed are they that walk
humbly before God, and conform their
BIRTH.
lives to his word, let them take it j but
for me, it is mercy I have oppofed, it is
grace I have reje6\ed ; no mercy, no grace
for me :' but now if God fejid a mcffcnger
from heaven, or if it come under the hand
of his Spirit, that he will accept of him, and
pafs by all his fins, this makes the foul grow
into fome hopes, and upon this ground it
goes unto the Lord ; but here oblerve me,
that none either in heaven or in earth, but
only God's Spirit can make this certifi-
cate; when it is night, all the candles in
the world cannot take away the darknefs;
fo all the means of grace and falvation, all
the candle-light of the minifiry, they are
all good helps, but the darknefs of the night
will not be gone, before the fun of righ-
teoufnefs ariie in our hearts. Hence it is
that it proves fo difficult a matter to com-
fort a diflrellcd foul ; / Jhall one day pe-
rifj, faith David ; I fall one day go dovjn
to hell, faith the foul: let all the miniflers
under heaven cry, * Comfort ye, comfort
ye :' flill he replies, * I Mercy ? and I com-
fort? will the Lord pardon me ? It is mer-
cy I have defpifed and trampled under my
feet, and I mercy? no, no.' Thus we mi-
niO-ers obferve by experience, fome that in
their own apprehenfions are going to the
bottom of hell, we make known to them
reafons, and arguments, and promifes, but
nothing takes place; what's the reafon .^
O none but God's Spirit can do it, hemufl
either come from heaven, and fay, Cotn-
fort ye, comfort ye, my people, or it -will
never prevail : let me fpeak therefore to
you that are minifters, you do well to la-
bour to give comfort to a poor fainting
foul, but always fay, * Comfort, Lord:
O Lord, fay unto this poor foul, Thou
art his falvation.'
SECT. III.
Hope in Chrijt.
THE mind being thus enlightened, the
Lord calls on the affections ; Come,
Defire: Come, Love: but the fiifl voice
is to Hope i now Hope is a faculty of the
foul
7he NEW B IRTH,
foul that looks out for mercy, and waits
for the fame ; fo the apoflle, Phil. i. 20.
According to my earnej} expcSIation : it is
a (imilitude taken from a man that looks
after another, and lifts up himfelf as high
as he may, to fee whether any be coming
after him : io here the foul ftands as it
were a tip-toe, [or, earneftly] expelling
when the Lord comes ; he hath heard the
Lord fay, ' Mercy is coming towards thee,
mercy is provided for thee :' Now this af-
feftion is fet out to meet mercy afar ofij
it is the looking out of the foul : ' O when
will it be, Lord ? Thou fayefl: mercy is
prepared, thou fayeft mercy is approach-
ing ;' the foul ftandeth a tip-toe, [or,look-
eth earnefUy] * O when will it come,
Lord!' here is the voice of Hope j * This
finful foul of mine, it may through God's
mercy be fanftified ; this troubled, per-
plexed foul of mine, it maj' through God's
mercy be pacified; this evil and corruption
which harbours in me, and hath taken pof-
felFion of me, it may through God's mer-
cy be removed ; and when will it be ?
The manner how God's Spirit works
this, is difcerned in three particulars.
1. The Lord doth fweetly (lay the
heart, and fully perfuade the foul, that a
man's fins are pardonable, and that all his
fins may be pardoned, and that all the
good things he wanteih, they may be be-
flowed : this is a great fuftainer of the foul;
when a poor finner feeth his fins in their
number, nature ; when he feeth no reft
in the creature, nor in himfelf, though all
means, all help, all men, all angels, fiiould
join together, yet they cannot pardon one
fin of his ; then the Lord lifteth up his
voice, and faith from heaven, * Thy fins
are pardonable in the Lord Jefus Chrift.'
2. The Lord doth fweetly perfuade the
foul that all his fins fliall be pardoned ; the
Lord makes this appear, and perfuades his
heart that he intendeth mercy, that Chrift
hath procured pardon for the foul of a
broken-hearted finner in Ipecial, and that
75
be cannot but come unto It; by this means
Hope comes to be aifured, and certainly
perfuaded to look out, knowing the pro-
mife fliallbe at the laft accompliihed: the
former only fuftained the heart , and
provoked [or, encouraged] it to look for
mercy, but this comforts the foul, that
undoubtedly it fhall have mercy : The Lot\i
Jefus came to feek and tofave that ivhich
luas lojl : now faith the broken and hum-
ble finner, * I am loft ; did Chrift come to
fave finners ? Chrift muft fail of his end,
or I of my comfort. God faith, Come unto
me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden :
• I am weary, and unlefs the Lord intend
good unto me, why fliould he invite me,
and bid me come ? furely he means to fhew
me mercy, nay he promifeth to relieve me,
when I come, therefore he will do good
unto me.'
3. The Lord lets in fome relilh and
tafte of the fweetnefs of his love, fome
fcent and favour of it, fo that the foul is
deeply affefted M'ith it, and carried migh-
tily unto it, that it cannot be fevered ; it
is the letting in the riches of his love, that
turneth the expeflation of the foul ano-
ther way, yea it turneth the whole ftream
of the foul thitherward.
Ufe I. This reproves,
1. Thofe that caft off all hope.
2. Thofe that without ground will do
nothing but hope.
I. If the Lord ftir up the heart of his
to hope for his mercy, then take heed of
that fearful fin of defpair. Defpair we muft
in ourfelves, and that is good; but this de-
fpair we fpeak of, is hainous in the eyes
of God, and hurtful to thee. i. Injuri-
ous to God, thou goeft to the deep dun-
geon of thy corruption, and there thou
fayeft, * Thefe fins can never be pardon-
ed, 1 am ftill proud, and more flubborn,
this diftrefs God feeth not, God fuccours
not, his hand cannot reach, his mercy can-
not fave. Now mark what the prophet
faith to fuch a perplexed foul, Why fayejl
2 thou
76
The NEW BIRTH.
thou thy way is hid from the Lord P Ifa.
xl. 27. The Lord faith, ]Vhy Jay eft thou?
Is any thing too hard for the Lord ? O you
wrong God exceedingly, you think it a
matter of humility, when you account fo
vilely of your felves : * Can God pardon
fin to fuch unworthy creatures? It is true,
(faith the foul) ManafTes was pardoned,
Paul was converted, God's faints have been
received to mercy; but can my fins be
pardoned ? can my foul be quickened ?
No, no, my fins are greater than can be
forgiven.' Why then, poor foul, Satan
is ftronger to overthrow thee, than God
to fave thee; an^ thus you make God
to be no God, nay you make him to be
weaker than fin, than hell, than the devil.
2. This fin is dangerous to thy own foul,
it is that which taketh up the bridge, and
cutteth off all paffages, nay it plucks up a
man's endeavours, as it were quite by the
roots : ' Alas,(faith he) what availeth it for
a man to pray ,' what profits it a man to
read \ what benefit in all the means of
grace ? The fione is rolled upon me, and
my condemnation fealed for ever: I will
never look after Chrifi, grace, falvation
any more ; the time of grace is pad, the
<3ay is gone.' And thus the foul finketh
in itfelf; Will the Lord caji me ojf for e-
vcr ? and ivill he be favourable uo more ?
IJaidy faich David, This is my infirmity,
Pf. Ixxvii. 7. 10, The word in the origi-
nal is, This is my ficknefs ; as who fhould
fay, ' What \ is mercy gone for ever ?
This U'ill be my death, then is life gone.'
2. This reproves and condemns that
great fin of Prcfumption, a fin more fre-
quent, and, if pofTibly may be, more dan-
gerous ; as they faid, Saul had Jlain his
thoufands, and David his ten thoufands :
So hath Dcfpair flain his thoufands ; but
Prefnmption his ten thoufands. It is the
counfcl of Peter, that every man P^ould
be ready to give an account of his faith
and hope that is in him, i Pet. iii. 15. Let
US fee the rcafous tlwt perfuade you to
thefe groundlefs fooIi(h hopes ? You fay,
' You hope to be faved, and you hope to
go to heaven, and you hope to fee God's
face with comfort;' and have you no
grounds?' It is a fooliih hope, an unrea-
fonable hope.
Ufe 2. But comfort ye, comfort ye,
poor drooping fpirits; They that wait up-
on the L<,rdfhall renew their ftr ength, Ifa.
xl. 31 . You fay, ' You cannot do this,
and you cannot do that;' I fay, ' If you
can but hope, and wait for the mercy of
the Lord, you are rich Chrifl:ians.' If a
man havemany reverfions.ihey that judge
of his efiate, will not judge him for his
prefent efiate, but for the reverfions he
fiiall have: haply thou haft not for the
prefent the fenfeand feeling of God's love
and afTurancc; away with that feeling, do
not dote upon it, thou haft reverfions of
old leafes, ancient mercies, old compani-
ons, fuch as have been referved from the
beginning of the v.'orld, and know thou
haft a fair inheritance.
Ufe 3. You will fay, ' Were my hopes
of the right ftamp, then might I comfort
myfelf; but there are many falfe, flaftiy
hopes, and how fliould I know that my
hope is found and good ?' 1 anfwer, you
may know it by thefe particulars.
I. A grounded hope hath a peculiar cer-
tainty in it, it doth bring home unto the
foul in fpecial manner,thegoodnefsofGod,
and the riches of his love in Ghrift Jefus.
It ftands not on Ifs and Ands, but faith,
• It muft undoubtedly, it muft certainly be
mine ;' and good reafon, for this hope
hath a word to hang an hold upon : What
is that? / will wait upon the Lord, and I
will hope in his -word, Pfal. cxxx. 5. It
is a fcripture-hope, a word-hope : the word
faith. The Lord came to fave thofe that
were lofh Matth. xviii. u. Why, * I find
myfelf to be loft, (faith the foul), and
therefore I hope : the Lord will fcek me,
though I cannot fcek him ; I hope the
Lord will find me, though I cannot find
my-
The NEW
myfclf ; I hope the Lord will fave me, tho'
I cannot fave myfelf.' So the word faith,
* He appointeth unto them that mourn in
Zion,togive unto them beauty for aflies:'
will you have a legacy of joy, mercy and
pity? Here it is,theLord Chrifl left it you,*I
bequeath and leave this to all broken-heart-
ed finners, to all you humble mourning
finners, this is your legacy, fue for it in the
court, and you (hall have it for ever.'
2. A grounded hope is ever of great
power and ftrength to hold the foul to the
truth of the promife ; hence take a poor
finner when he is at the weakefl, under
water, when all temptations, oppofitions,
corruptions grow ftrong againfi him, and
he faith, * I fhall one day perilh by the
hand of Saul, this proud, foolilli, filthy
heart of mine will be my bane, I ihal! never
get power, ftrength and grace againft thefe
lins.' Here is the lowefl: under of a poor
foul. If a man fhould now reply, ' Then
cad off all hope and confidence, rejefl the
means, and turn to your fins :' Mark how
Hope fleppeth in, and faith, * Nay, what-
foever I am and do, whatfoever my con-
dition is, I will ufe the means; I am fure
all my help is in Chrifl, all ray hope is in
the Lord Jefus, and if I mu^ peri(h, I will
periilii feeking him, and svaiting upon him,'
"Why, this is hope, and I warrant that Ibul
fhall never go to hell ; / ivill u-ait for the
Lord, yea though he hath hid himfelf from
the houfe of Jacob, Ifa. viii. 17.
Ufe 4. The laft ufe is of Exhortation :
I defire you, I intreat you (I will not faj',
I command you, tho* this may be enjoy-
ned) If you have any hope of heaven, if
you have any treafurein Chrill, labour to
quicken this afTedion above all : the means
are thefe.
1 . Labour to be much acquainted with
the precious promifes of God, to have
them at hand, and upon all occafions:
thefe are thy comforts, and will fupport
thy foul; as the body without comfort is
unfit for any thing, fo it is here, unlefs a
BIRTH. yy
man hath that provifion of God's promifes,
and have them at hand daily, and have
them [fo to fpeak] diihed out, and fitted
for him, his heart will fail.
2. Maintain in thy heart a deep and fe-
rious acknowledgment of that fupreme au-
thority of the Lord, to do what he will,and
how he will.according tohispleafure : alas,
we think too often to bring God to our
bow, [or will] ; * "VVe have hoped thus
long, and God hath not anfwered, and fliall
we wait ftill ?' Wait! Ah wait, and blefs
God that you may wait : if you may lie at
God's feet, and put your mouths in the
duft, and at the end of your days have one
crumb of mercy, it is enough ; therefore
check thofe diftempers, * Shall I wait ftill?'
It is a mofl admirable flrange thing, that a
poor worm, worthy of hell, fhould take
up ftate, and ftand upon terras with God ;
* He will not wait upon God ;' who muft
w^it then? mufl God wait, or man wait?
It was the apoflles queftion. Wilt thou at
this time rejhre the kingdom to Ifrael? To
whom our Saviour anfwered. It is not for
you to know the times orthe feafons; As who
Ihould fay, Hands off, [aflc no fuch que-
ftions] it is for you to wait, and to ex-
peft mercy, it is not for you to know. If
you begin to wrangle and fay, * How long^
Lord ? When, Lord ? And why not now.
Lord, Why not I, Lord V Now check thy
own heart, and fay, * It is not for me to
know, it is for me to be humble, abafcd^
and to wait for mercy.'
SECT. IV.
A Defire after Chrifr.
WHEN the foul is humbled and the
eye opened, then he begins thus ro
reafon ; ' O happy I that fee mercy, but
miferable I, if I come to fee this, and ne-
ver have a (hare in it? O why not I, Lord ?
^V'hy not my fins pardoned? And why not
my corruptions fubducd? My foul now
thirfleth after thee as a thirfly land, my
afieftions now hunger after righteoufhefs
botk
78
The NEW B IRTH.
both infii fed and imputed:' Now this de-
fire is begotten thus.
When the foul is come fo far, that af-
ter a thorough Convi6lion of fin, and
found Humiliation under God's mighty
hand, it hath a timely and feafonable re-
velation of the glorious myfteries of Ghrift,
of his excellencies, invitations, truth, ten-
der-heartednefs, etc. of the heavenly fplen-
dor, and riches, of the pearl of great price ;
am heavy laden with my fins, which are
innumerable, I am ready to fink, Lord,
even into hell, unlefs thou in thy mercy
put to thine hand and deliver me; Lord,
thou haft promlfed by thine own word cut
of thy own mouth, that thou wilt re-
frefli the weary foul.' And with that he
thruft out one of his hands, and reaching
as high as he could do towards heaven,
with a louder voice and a flralned, fee
then doth the foul conceive by the help of cried, ' I challenge thee. Lord, by that
the holy Ghoft, this defire and vehement word, and by that promife which thou haft
longings and left any couzen themfelves made, that thou perform and make it good
by any mifconceits about it, as the notori
ous finner, the mere civil man,and the for-
mal profefror,it isihen known to be faving:
I . When it is joined with an hearty wil-
lingnefs and unfeigned refolution, ' to fell
- all,to part with all fin,' to bid adieu for ever
to me, that call for eafe and mercy at thy
hands, 6^r.' Proporiionably, when heavy-
heartednefs for fin hath fo dried up the
bones, and the angry countenance of God
fo parched the heart, that the poor foul
begins now to gafp for grace, as the thirfty
to our darling delight ; it is not an effeft of land for drops of rain ; then the poor fin-
felflove, not an ordinary wifti of natural ner, (though duft andafhes) with an holy
appetite (like Balaam's. Numb, xxili. lo.) humility thus fpeaks unto Ghrift; *0
of thofe who defire to be happy, but are merciful Lord God, Thou art Alpha an4
unwiUing to be holy; who would gladly Omega, the beginning and the end; thou
be faved, but are loth to be fanftified ; no,
if thou defireft earneftly, thou wilt work
accordingly ; for as the defire is, fo will
thy endeavour be.
2. When it is earneft, eager, vehement,
extremely thirfting^ after Ghrift, as the
parched earth for refreftiing fliowers, or
the hunted hart for the water-brooks. We
read of a ScotKh penitent, f who a little
before his confelfion, * freely confeffed his
fault, to the fliame, as he faid, of him-
felf, and to the (hame of the devil, but to
fayeft it is done, of things that are yet to
come ; fo faithful and true are thy decrees
and promifes, that thou haft: promlfed by
thine own word out of thy own mouth,
that unto him that is athirft,thou wilt give
him of the fountain of the water of life,free-
ly, Rev. xxi. 6. O Lord, I thirft, I faint,
I languifli, I long for one drop of mercy:
as the heart panteth for the water-brooks,
fo panteth my foul after thee, O God, and
after the yearning bowels of thy wonted
compafiions ; had I now in pofTcfllon the
the glory of God ; he acknowledged it to glory, the wealth and pleafures of the
be lb hainous, and horrible, that had he
a thoufand lives, and could he die ten
thoufand deaths, he could not make fatis-
faflion: notwithftanding, faid hey Lord,
thou haft left me this comfort in thy word,
that thou haft faid. Gome unto me, all ye
that are weary and heavy laden, and I will
refreftiyou: Lord, I am weary. Lord, I
whole world ; nay, had I ten thoufand
lives, joyfully would I lay them all down
and part with them, to have this poor
trembling foul of mine received into the
bleeding arms of my blefied Redeemer. O
Lord, my fpirlt within me is melted into
tears of blood, my heart is {hivered into
pieces ; out of the very place of dragons
f See the preface wtitten by G. Abbot, D. D. bcioic the cxaminatiun tf George Sprat, p. ^j.
and
TJie NEJV
and /hadow of death, do I lift up my
thoughts heavy and fad before thee ; the
remembrance of my former vanities and
pollutions, is a very vomit to my foul, and
it is forely wounded with the grievous re-
prefentation thereof; the very flames of
liell, Lord, the fury of thy juft wrath, the
fcorchings of my own confcience, have fo
wafted and parched mine heart, that my
thiril is infatiable, my bowels are hot with-
in me, my defire after JefusChrift, pardon
and grace, is greedy as the grave ; the
coals thereof are coals of fire, which have a
moft vehement flame : and, Lord, in thy
bleffed book thou calleft and crieft, Ho,
every one that thirfteth, come ye to the
Waters, Ifa. Iv. i. In that great day of
the feaft, thou ftoodeft and criedft with
thine own mouth, If any man thirft, let
him come unto me, and drink, John vii.
37. And thefe are thine own words, Thofe
who hunger and thirft after righteoufnefs,
ftiall be filled, Matth. v. 6. I challenge
thee, Lord, in this my extreameft thirft
after thine own blefl'ed felf, and fpiritual
life in thee, by that word, and by that pro-
mife which thou haft made, that thou per-
form, and make it good to me, that lie
grovelling in the duft, and trembling at
thy feet : Oh ! open now that promifed
well of life, for I muft drink, or elfe I die.'
The means to obtain this defire, are
thefe three.
1. Be acquainted thoroughly with thine
own necelfities and wants, with that no-
thingnefs and emptinefs that is In thyfelf :
a groundlefs prefumption makes a man
carelefs; fee into thine own neceflities,
confefs the want of this defire after the
Lord Jefus Chrift.
2. Labour to fpread forth the excellen-
cy of all the beauty and furpafting glory,
that is in the promifes of God: couldft
thou but view them in their proper colours,
they would even ravllli thee and quicken
thy dcfires.
3. After all this, know it is not in thy
BIRTH. 79
power to bring thy heart to defire Chrift,
thou canft not hammer out a defire upon
thine own anvil, dig thy own pit, and hew
thy own rock as long as thou wilt ; nay, let
all the angels in heaven, and all the mini-
fters on earth provoke [i. e. encourage]
thee,3'etif thehand of the Lord be wanting,
thou flialt not lift up thine heart, nor ftep
one ftep towards heaven ; then go to him
who is able to work this defire in thy foul.
It is the complaint of a Chriftian.O they are
troubled, becaufe they cannot fetch a good
defire from their own fouls, and one falls,
another finks, a third ftiakes, and they
are overwhelmed with difcouragement :
' What a wretched heart have I ? (faith
one) I grace ? No, no ; the world I can
defire, the life of my child I long for, and
I fay with Rachel, Let me have honour or
eKe I die : but I cannot long for the ua*
conceivable riches of the Lord JefusChrift ;
aritl will the Lord ftiew any mercy upon
me ?' Is it thus ? Remember now, defires
grow not in thy garden,they fpring not from
the root of thy abilities : O feek unto God,
and confefs, ' In truth. Lord, it is thou
fiom whom come all our defires, it is thou
muft work them in us as thou haft promif-
ed them to us ; and therefore. Lord, quick-
en thou this foul, and inlarge this heart of
mine, for thou only art the God of this de-
fire.' Thus hale down [derive] a defire from
the Lord, and from the promife, for there
only muft thou have it : The fmoahing flax
God will not quench^ Matth. xii. 20. Flax
will not fmoak, but a fpark muft come in-
to it, and that will make it catch fire and
fmoak ; thus lay your hearts before the
Lord, and fay, * Good Lord, here is only
flax, here is only a ftubborn heart, but
ftrike thou by thy promife one fpark from
heaven, that I may have a fmoaking [ar-
dent] defire after Chrift, and after grace.
SECT. V.
A Love of Chrifl-.
WE have run through two afle(51ion5^
Hope and Defire, and the next is
Love ;
yo
The NEW BIRTH.
Love : a pofUble good ftirs up Hope ; a
neceflary excellency in that good, fettletli
Defire; and a relilh in that good fettled,
Icindies Love. Thus is the order ofGod's
work: if the good be abfent, the Under-
flanding fairh, ' It is to be dcfired, O that
I had it!' Then it fends out Hope, and
that waits for that good, and ftays till it
can fee it ; and yet if that good cannot
come, then Defire hath another proper
work, and it goes up and down wander-
ing, and feeketh and fueth for Chrift
Jefus. After this, if the Lord Jefus be
pleafed to come himfelf into the view of
the heart, which longeth thus after him,
then Love leads him into the foul,and tells
the Will of him, faying, * Lo, here is Je-
fus Chrift the Meffiah, that hath ordered
thefc great things for his faints and people.'
The motive or ground of this Love, is
God's Spirit in thepromife, letting in fome
intimation of God's love into the foul ;
thus Pfal. xlii. 8. The Lord -will command
his loving- kind nefs in the day-time : this
is a phrafe taken from kings and princes,
and g-reat commanders in the field, whofe
■words of command Hand for laws : fo the
Lord fends out his loving-kindnefs, and
faith, 'Go out, my everlafting love and
kindnefs, take a commiflion from me, and
^o to that humble, thirfty, and hunger-
bitten finner, and go and profper, and
prevail, and fettle my love efiedlually up-
on him, and fallen my mercy upon him ; I
command my loving-kindnefs to do it.
Thus the Lord doth put a commiffion in-
to the hands of his loving-kindnefs, that it
fhall do good to the poor foul, yea though
it withdraw itfclf, faying, ' AVhat, I mer-
cy? will Chrift Jefus accept of me? No,
no ; there is no hope of mercy for me :
indeed if I could pray thus, hear thus, and
perform duties with that enlargement, and
had thofi; parts and abilities, then there
were fome comfort, but now there is no
hope of mercy for me.' We demand, Is
this your cafe? is it thus and thus? are
you thus humbled? and have you thus
longed for the riches of his mercy in
Chrift ? Lo then, the Lord hath put a com-
miffion into the hands of his loving-kind-
nefs, faying, * Go to that poor foul, and
break open the doors upon that weary,
weltring heart, and break off all thofe bolts,
and rend off that veil of ignorance and car-
nal reafon, and all thofe arguments: go
(I fay) to that foul, and chear it, and
warm it, and tell it from me. That his fins
are pardoned, and his foul fliall be faved,
and his fighs and prayers are heard in hea-
ven ; and I charge you do the work before
you come again.'
Here is the ground of love; God's love
afFe<^ing the heart, and fettled upon it, it
breeds a love to God again; IVe love him,
becanfe he loved us firp^^ i John iv. 19.
Theburning-glafs muft receive heat of the
beams of the fbn before it burn any thing;
fo there muft be a beam of God's love to
fall upon the foul, before it can love God
again : / drei\3 them with the cords of a
man, even toith the bands of love, Hof. xi.
4. God lets in the cords of love into the
foul, and that draws love again to God ;
He brought me into thebanqueting-hou/e,and
his banner over me was love ; flay me with
fliiggons, cornfortme with apples, for 1 am
fick oj love. Cant. ii. 4,5. When the ban-
ner of Chrift's love is fpread over the foul,
the foul comes to be fick in love with Chrift.
Now this Love of God doth beget our
love in three particulars :
X . There is a fweetnefs and a relifli which
God's love lets into the foul, and warms
the heart with ; you ihall fee how the fire
is kindled by and by: As when a man is
fainting, we give him aqua-vitce ; fo a fain-
ting finner is cold at the heart, and there-
fore the Lord lets in a drop of his loving-
kindnefs, and this warms the heart, and the
foul is even filled with the happinefsof the
mercy of God ; Let him kifs me with the
kiffes of his mouth (faith the" fpoufe, in the
Canticles, chap. i. 2.) J or his love is bet'
ttr than wine: the kiffts of his mouth,
are the comforts of his word and Spirit ;
the
The NEW
the foul faith, * O let the Lord refrefh me
with the kifTes of his mouth, let the Lord
Jpeak comfort to my hearty' and tj-us is
better than wine.
2. As tliat fweetnefs warms the heart,
fo the freenefs of the love of God let in
and intimated, begins even to kindle this
love in the foul, that it fparkles again :
God fetteth out his love towards us, feeing
that -while we were yetjinners, ChriJ} died
for us, Rom. V. 8. This commends the
love of God ; the Lord fends to poor and
miferable, finful, broken-hearted finners,
and faith, * Commend my mercy to fuch
a one, and tell him; that though he hath
been an enemy to me, yet I am a friend
to him, and though he hath been rebelli-
ous againft me, yet I am a God and Fa-
ther to him : when the poor (inner con-
fiders this with himfelf, he faith, ' Is the
Lord fo merciful to me? I that loved my
fins, and continued in them, had it not,
been juft that I ihould have periflied in
them ? but will the Lord not only fpare
his enemy, but give his Son for him ? O
Jet my foul for ever rejoice in this uncon-
ceivable goodnefs of God!' be thy heart
never fo hard, if it have but the fenfe of
this, it cannot but llir thee to humiliation.
3. The greatnefs of the freenefs of this
mercy of God, being fettled upon the
heart, inflames it; the Sweetnefs warms
the heart, this Freenefs kindles the fire ;
and when the greatnefs of the fweetnefs
comes to be valued, this fets the heart all on
a flame ; the apoftle defires, that the Ephe-
fians, being rooted and grounded in love,
7night be able to comprehend zvith all Jaints ^
what is the breadth, and height of the love
of God in Chrijl ; Eph. iii. 17, 18. as if
he had faid, The unmeafurablenefs of
God's mercy will blow up the foul, and
inflame the heart with admirable love of
God again, and will make the foul fay,
* AVhat, I that have done all I could againft
this good God ? O, it breaks my heart to
thiuk of it ! there was no name under
BIRTH. gr
heaven that I did blaPphcme and tear m
pieces more than this name; no command
under heaven I fo much dcfpifed as the
command of God, and of Chrift; no fpi-
rit I grieved fo much as the good Spirit of
God ; and therefore, had the Lord only
given me a look, or fpoken a word to me,
it had been an infinite mercy, but to fend
a Son to fave me, it is incomparable; I
could not conceive to do fo much evil a-
gainft him, as he hath done good to me:
the breadth of tliat mercy beyond all
limits ! O the length of that mercy beyond
all time ! O the depth of that mercy below
a man's mifery ! O the height of that mer-
cy above the height of my underftandingl
if my hands were all love, that I could work
nothing butlove,andifmine eyes were able
to fee nothing but love, and my mind to
think of nothing but love, and if I had a
tlioufand bodies, they were all too little to
»love that God that hath thus unmeafura-
bly loved me a poor, finful hell-hound:
1 will love the Lord dearly, (faith David)
Lord, my ftrength, Pfal. xviii. 1. Have
1 gotten the Lord Jefus to be my comfort,
my buckler, and my fliicld i If I have any
good, he begins it; if I have any comfort,
he bleffeth it; therefore, I will love thee
dearly, O Lord, my ftrength, O how
fhouid I but love thee !'
Ufe I. Methinks there is a poor, fin-
cere foul that faith, ' My underftandings
are not fo deep as others, my tongue runs
not fo ghb as fuch and fuch ; I cannot talk
fo freely of the things of grace and falva-
tion, I have meaner parts, and cannot en-
large myfelf in holy duties and holy fer-
vices; I cannot difpute for a Saviour, or
perform fuch duties as others can do :' yet
fweet foul, canft thou love Chrift Jefus'
and rejoice in him i * O yes ! I blefs the
name of the Lord, that all I have, all my
friends, and parts, and means, and abili-
ties, are but as dung, and drofs in com-
parifon of Chrift jefus; it were the com-
fort of my foul, if I might be ever with
^^ him.'
82 The NEW
him.* Say you fo? Go thy way, and the
God of heaven go with thee : this is a work
of God that will never leave thee, it is a
badge and proper livery that the Lorrl Je-
fus gives only to his faints; never a mere
profellbr under heaven ever wore it, never
any hypocrite under heaven to whom God
did intend it, but only to thofe vUioni he
hath effeflually called, and whom he will
fave ; therefore though thou wantell all,
thou hafl: this to comfort thee in the want
of all ; and thou mayeft fay, * I can fay
little for Chrift, my tongue faulters, and
my memory is weak, yet the Lord knows,
I love the Lord Jefus.' This is enough,
David defired no m*re, but what God was
wont to do to his children that loved his
name, Do to me (faith the text, Pfal. cxix.
J 32.) (IS thou ufcft to do unto thofe that
love thy name \ * 1 know thou lovefl them
that love thee, and wilt fave and glorify them
in the end ; I dcfire no more but this,' do
iis thou ufcft to do laito thofe that love thy
name. And doth David, a king, defire no
more? fure then, if thou, poor foul, haft
fo much as he had, it is enough, be quiet
with thy child's part ; ' Thy lot is fallen
into a marvellous fair ground.'
ObjeO:. * Some may fay, this is all the
difficxilty : how may I know whether my
lovebeatruelove,orafalfe love? How may
I know that my love is of the right ftamp?'
Anfw. Let every man put his love upon
the trial, and examine thus, ' A\'h ether
doft thou welcome Chrift and grace accord-
ing to the worth of them ?' if thou dort,
it will appear in thefe particulars: i. Ob-
ferve the root and rife from whence thy
love came ; canft thou fay, ' I love the
Lord, becaufe he hath loved me ?' Then
thy love is of the right mettal, and know
it for ever, that that God which cannot
but love himfelf, he cannot but like that
love which cam.e from himfelf : is thy foul
afletfted and enlarged in love to the Lord,
becaufe thou hafl felt and retained the re-
lifli and fweetnefs of his grace \ Gaaft thou
B IRT H.
fay, * The Lord hath let in a glimpfe of
his ffivour : and the Lord hath faid in
h'!!= truth, he looks or him that trembles
at his word ; the minifler faid it, and the
Spirit faith it, that my mercy is reglHred
in heaven : O how ihould I love the Lord !
my fins are many, which I have bewailed;
my fi'hs and fobs 1 have put up to heaven,
and, at the laft, the Lord hath given me a
gncious anfwer : O how fliould I love the
Lord my ftrength dearly?' If it be thus with
thee, thy love is fovind, and will never fail.
2. If thou entertain thy Saviour, as it
befeems him, thou muft entertain him as
a king, and that is thus; give up all to
him, and entertain none with him upon
terms of honour, but fuch as retain to
him, or be attendants upon him ; love all
in Chrift, and for Chrift, but exprefs thy
love and joy to Chrift above all : he is as
a king, and all the reft are but as retain-
ers; he that loves any thing equal with a
Chrift, it is certain he did never love Chrift ;
to fet up any thing cheek by jole with Chrift,
it is all one as if a man did put a Have in-
to the fame chamber with the king, which
is, upon the point, to drive him away.
3. The foul that rightly entertains Chrift,
and ftudies wholly to give him content-
ment, he is marvellous wary and watchful,
that he may not fad that good Spirit of
God to grieve him, and caufe him to go
away as difpleafed : fee this. Cant. iii. 4,
5. the fpoufe fought long for her beloved,
and at laft brought him home, and when
ftie had welcomed him, ftie gave a charge
to all the houfe, not to ftir or awaken her
love till he pleafe. When a prince comes
unto the houfe of a great man, what charge
is there given to make no noife in the
night, left fuch and fuch a man be awake-
ned before his time ? The foul, when • it
hath received the Spirit of the Lord Jefus
Chrift, doth thus; he gives a peremptory
charge to keep watch, and ward, and gives
a charge to Hope, and Defire, and Love,
and Joy, and the Mind^ and ail, not to
grieve
The N E W B I R r H.
gfleve and moleft the good Spirit of God.
* Let there be no motion but to entertain
it, no advice but to receive it, and do
nothing that may work the leafl kind of
diflike unto it.'
4. He that truly entertains ChriO, re-
joyccth in the good and glory of Chrift :
when Mephibofheth had been wrongfully
accufed to David, and when David, who
had taken away all the inheritance from
him, was returned in fafety; then faid Da-
vid, to comfort him. Thou and Ziba di-
vide the laud: 2 Sam. xix. 29, 30, Nay^ faid
Mephibojheth, let him take all, forafmtich
as my lord the king is come again in peace,
* It matters not for inheritance, and for my-
felf and my life, I pafs not, fith the king is
returned in peace ; it is enough that I en-
joy thy prefence, which is better to me than
goods, life, or liberty ;' fo it is with a kind,
loving heart, which cannot endure to fee
Chrift's honour and glory laid in the dufl,
but if his prai.^e be advanced, then is he
glad, * Lord, I have enough,' faith the
foul, ' that Chrifl: is mine, and that his
honour and glory is magnified, whatfbever
becomes of me it matters not ; let the
world take all, if I may have Chrifl, and
fee him praifed and magnified :' let this try
any man's fpirit under heaven, and labour
to bring the foul to this pitch: a minifter in
his place, and a mafter in his place, and e-
very chriftian in his place ; let it be our
care to honour God, not ourfelves; and
let it be our comfort, if God may be bet-
ter honoured by others, than by ourfelves:
this is our bafenefs of fpirit, we can be
content to lift up Chrill upon our flioul-
ders, that we may lift up ourfelves by it ;
but we fliiould be content to lie in the duft,
that the Lord may be praifed; and if any
of God's people thrive and profper more
than thou, let that be thy joy.
5. He that welcomes Chrift truly, co-
vets a nearer union with Chrift : love is of
a lir:king and gluing nature, and will car-
ry the loul with fome kind of flrength and
83
earneftnefs, to enjoy full pofleflion and
fellowPaip of the thing that is loved ; it can-
not have enough of it: ' Nothing' (laith
the foul) • but Chrifl, Hill I dcfire more
of that mercy, and holinefs, and grace, and
Jove in Chrifl Jefus. As it is with parties
that havehved long together in one houfe,
and their affeflions are linked together in
way of marriage, they will ever dcfire to
be talking together, and to be drawing on
the marriage ; fo the foul that loves Chrifl
Jefus, and hath his holy afieflion Idndled,.
and his fpirit enlarged therein ; when the
Lord hath let in fome glimpfe of his Jove,
he thinks the hour fweet when he prayed
to the Lord Chrifl, he thinks the Lord's
day fweet wherein God revealed, by the
power of his holy ordinances, any of that
rich grace and mercy of his : it is admira-
ble to fee how the heart will be delighted
to recount the time, and place, and means,
..when and where the Lord did re\eal it •
* Oh this is good,' faith the foul ; ' Oh
that I might be ever thus cheared and re-
frefiied !' Or, as the fpoufe con traded
thinks every day a year, till fhe enjoy her
beloved, and take faiisfafiion to her foul
in him : fo the foul that hath been truly
humbled, and enlightened, and is now con-
traded to Chrifl Jefus, * Oh when will that
day be,' faith it, ' that I fhall ever be with
my Jefus r He takes hold of every word
he hears, every promife that reveals any
thing of Chrill; * But oh ! when will that
day be, that I fhallever be with Chrifl, and
be full ofhisfulnefs forever ! Phil. i. 23.'
Ufe 2. And now let me prevail with your
hearts, and work your fouls to this duty.
Love the Lord, all ye his faints ; Pfal. xxxi.
23. whom will you love, if you love not
him ? Oh, you poor ones, love you the
Lord, for you have need ; and all you lich
ones, love you the Lord, for you have
caxife ; and you little ones too, (if there be
any fuch in the congregation) he knocks
at every man's heart, and perfuades every
man's foul, love ye the Lord.
M 2 The
84 The NEW
The means are thefe, i. Labour to give
attendance daily to the promife of grace
and Ghrift ; drive away all other fuitors
from the foul, and let nothing come be-
tween the promife and it ; forbid all other
bands, that is, let the promife confer daily
with thy heart, and be exprefhng and tel-
ling of that good that is in ChriTl, to thy
own foul. If all things be agreed be-
tween parties to be married, and there
wants nothing but mutual affeftion ; the
only way to fix their affeflions upon one
another, is to keep company together, fo
as they meet wifely and holily ; fo let the
foul daily keep company with the promife.
And this is the firft %ay.
2. Labour to be throughly acquainted
with the beauty and fweetnefs of Chriftin
fhe promife. Now there are three things in
the promife we mufl eye and apprehend,
that our hearts may be kindled with love
in the Lord ; i. The worth of the party
in himfelf, Ghrift is worthy of it. 2. 7'he
defert of the party, in regard Chrifi: dc-
ferves it. 3. The readinefs of the party
in himfelf to feek our good, Chrift feeks it.
(i.) Ghrift is worthy in himfelf: if we
had a thoufand hearts to beftow upon him,
we were never able to love him fufficient-
ly, asKehemiah faid. The name of the Lord
is above all pra'tje. Will you let out your
r love and affections .^ you may lay them
here with good advantage : what would
you love ? wouldft thou have beauty ? then
thy Saviour is beautiful. Thou art fairer
than the children of men, Pfal. xlv. 2.
"Wouldft thou have ftrength ? then is thy
Saviour ftrong, Gird thy fivord upon thy
thigh, mojl mighty, Pfal. xlv. 3. Wouldft
thou have riches ? thy Saviour is more rich
(if it be pofTible) than he is ftrong, He is
heir of all things, Heb. I. 2. Wouldft thou
have wifdom ? then thy Saviour is wife,
yea, v/ifdom itfelf ; In hitn are hid all the
treafures of wifdom and knowledge, Gol. ii.
3. Wouldft thou have life eternal ? Ghrift
w> the author of life and happinefs to all
BIRTH,
that have him ; and he hath not only thefe
in himfelf, but he will infeoffthee in them,
if thou wilt but match with him,
(2.) Ghrift deferves our love, in regard
of benefits to us. Be man never fo worthy
in himfelf, yet, if he hath wronged, or ex-
preffed the part of an enemy, a woman faith,
* I will not have him though he have all the
world;' this takes off the affedlion : it is
not fo with the Lord Jefus ; as he is wor-
thy of all love in himfelf, fo he hath dealt
mercifully and gracioufty with you : In
your ficknefs, who helped you ? in wants,
who fupplied you ? in anguifh of heart,
who relieved you ? It was Jefus Ghrift, Oh
therefore love him, deal equally with him,
and as he deferves, fo enlarge your hearts
to him for ever.
(3.) Ghrift feeks our love.. Here is the
admiration of mercy, that our Saviour, who
hath been rejected by a company of (inful
creatures, fliould feek their love: for fhame
refufe him not, but let him have love ere
he go : Had the Lord received us, when.
we had come to him, and humbled our
hearts before him ; had he heard, when
we had fpent our days, and all our ftrength
in begging and craving, it had been an in-
finite mercy : but when the Lord Jefus
Ghrift ftiall feek to us by his meffengers (it
is all the work we have to do, to wooe you,
and fpeak a good word for the Lord Jefus
Ghrifi ; yea, and if we fpeak for ourfelves,
it is pity but our tongue ftiould cleave to the
roof of our mouth) when the Lord Jefus.
ftiall come and wait upon us, and feck our
love, O this, this is a wonder of mercies !
think of this, O ye faints ! the Lord now,
by us, offers love to all you that are weary
and have need ; what anfwcr (hall I return
to him in the evening ? fliall I fay, Lord, I
have tendered thy mercy, and it was refu-
fed : brethren, it would grieve my heart
to return this anfwer ; O rather let every
foul of you fay, Gan the Lord Jefus love
me ? In truth. Lord, I am out of love
with myfelf, i have abufed thy majefty, I
have
7 he NEW
have loved the world, I have followed bafe
lufts, and can the Lord Jefus lo ve fuch a
■wretch as I am ? Yea, faith the Lord, I will
heal their backflidingj -will love them freely,
Hof. xiv. 5. He looks for no portion, he
will take thee and all thy wants : get you
home then, and every one in fecret labour
to deal truly with your own hearts ; make
up a match in this manner, and fay, Is it
poflible that the Lord fhould look fo low ?
that a great prince (hould fend to a poor
peafant ? that Majefty fhould floop to
meannefs ; Heaven to earth ? God to man ?
hath the Lord offered mercy to me ? and
doth he require nothing of me but to love
him again ? Call upon your hearts, I charge
you, and fay thus, Lord, if all the light of
my eyes were love, and all the fpeeche? of
my tongue were love, it were all too little
to love thee : O let me love thee dearly !
If thou wilt not fay thus, then fay hereaf-
BIRTH. 85
And this repofing or refling itfelf, dif-
covers a five-fold aft :
I . It implies * a going out of the foul to
Chrifl :' When the foul feeth this, that
the Lord Jefus is his aid, and muft eafe
him, and pardon his fins, then. Let us go
to that Chrift, faith he, It is the Lord's
czWfiome to me, all ye that are weary : now
this voice coming home to the heart, and
the prevailing fweetnefs of the call over-
powering the heart, the fouLgoes out, and
falls, and flings itfelf upon the riches of
God's grace.
2. * It lays fall hold upon Chrift ;' when
the Lord faith, Covie, my love, my dove i
come aw ay J Cant. Behold, I coyy.ey
faith fhe, and when fl:ie is come, flie * fafle-
neth upon Chrift,' faying. My beloved is
7nine, and I am his : faith lays hold on the
Lord, and will not let mercy go, but cleaves
unto it, though it conflict with the Lord ;
ter, you had a fair offer, and that a poor* Should he flay me, (faith Job, ch. xiii. 15.)
minifter of God did wifh you well. Alas be
not coy and fqueemifa, the Lord may have
better than you ; lie down therefore and
admire at the mercy of the Lord, that fhould
take a company of dead dogs, and now at
the laft, fay as the Pfalmift did, Lift up
your heads, ye gates ! and be ye lift up,
ye everlafting doors, and the King of glory
[hall come in, Pfal. xxiv. 7.
SECT. VI.
A Relying on Chrift.
WE are now come to the work of the
will, which is the great wheel and
commander of the foul. The former af-
feftions were but as hand-maids to ufher
HI Chrift and the promifes ; the Mind faith,.
* I have feen Chrift :' Hope faith, ' I have
waited :' Defire faith, * I have longed :'
Love faith, * I am kindled :' then faith the
"Will, * I will have Chrift, it fhall be fo :'
And this makes up the match ; the fpawn
and feeds of faith went before, now faith is
eome to fome peifeftion, now the foul re-
pofeth itfelf upon the Lord Jefus^
yet will 1 truft in him. The cafe is like
Benhadad's, who being overcome by Ahab,
his fervants thus advifed him ; We have
heard that the kings of Ifrael are merciful
kings, we pray thee let us put ropes about
our nechs, and fdckcloth on our loins, and
go out to the king, peradventure he will
fave thy life, i Kings xx. 31, 32, 33^
Thus the fervants go; and, coming to A-
hab, they deliver the meffage ; Thy fer-
vant Benhadad faith, I pray thee, let me
live : and he fnid. Is he yet alive F he is
my brother : Now the men diligently ob-
ferved whether any thing would come from
him, and did haftily catch at it, and they
faid, Thy brother Benhadad and they went
away rejoicing : this is the lively pifture
of a broken-hearted finner, after he hath
taken up arms againft the Almighty, and
that the Lord hath let in juftice, and he
feeth (or hath feen) the anger of God bent
againft him ; then the foul reafons thus,
* I have heard, though I- am a rebellious.
Cnner, that none but finner? are pardoned,,
and God is a gracious God> and therefore.
«fS
The NEW BIRTH,
unto bim let me go : with this be falls down
at the foot flool of the Lord and cries, * O
what fliall I do ? what (ha'I T fay nnto tbee ?
thou Prefcrver of men ! O !et me live,
1 prny thee, in the fight of my Lord ! the
foul thus bumbled, the Lord then lets in
his fweet voice of mercy, and faith, * Thou
art my fon, my love, and thy fins are par-
doned : thefe words no fooner uttered, but
he catcheth thereat, faying, * Mercy, Lord?
and a fon. Lord ? and love, Lord •• and a
pardon, Lord?' The heart holds itfelf here,
and will never away.
3. It flings the weight of all its occafions
and troubles, guilt and corruptions, upon
the Lord Jefus ChrilT : He that ivalks in
darknefs, and hath no light, let him trufl
in the name of the Lord, and flay upon his
God, Ifa. I. 10. That is, if a man be in
extremity, hopelefs in mifery, and walks
in defperate difcouragements, yea, and hath
no light of comfort, let him truft in the
name of the Lord, and flay upon his Cod :
as when a man cannot go of himfelf, he
lays all the weight of his body upon ano-
ther J fo the foul goes to a Chrifl, and lavs
all the weight of itfelf upon Chrifl:, and
faith, ' I have no comfort, O Lord, all my
difcomforts I lay upon Chrifl:, and I rely
upon the Lord for comfort and confolati-
^on :' IVho is this, faith Solomon, that com-
et h up from the wildernef, leaning upon her
beloved? Cant. viii. 5. Tiie party coming
is the church, the wildernefs is the troubles
and vexations the church meets Vv'ithal, and
the beloved is the Lord Jefus Chrifl: ; now
the church leans hcrfclf all upon her huf-
band, (he walked along with him, but he
bare all the burden : Cafl all your care up-
on him, faith Peter, 'for he caret h for you,
1 Pet. V. 7. The original is, Hurl your
care upon the Lord: The Lord will not
thank you for carrying your cares and trou-
bles about you, he requires that you hurl
them upon him, for he caret h J or you.
4. It draws vertue, and derives power
from the Lord Jefus Ghrift for fuccour and
fupplies, and here is the efpecial life of faith,
it goes for mercy, and grace, and comfort
in Chrifl:; he knows 'tis to be had from
him, and therefore he fetcheth ail from
him ; IVith joy f mil ye draw water out of
the wells of Jalvation, Ifa. xii. 3. The
fountain of falvation is Chrifl, and all the
waters of life, of grace and mercy, are in
Chrifl Jefus : now it is not enough to let
down the bucket into the well, but it rauft
be drawn out alfo ; it is not enough to
come to Chrifl:, but wemufl: draw the wa-
ter of grace from Chrifl to ourfelves : They
ftmll fuck and be fatisfied, faith Ifaiah, with
the breafls of her conflations, that they
may milk out, and be delighted with the a-
bundance of her glory, Ifa. Ixvi. i\. The'
church is compared to a child, and the
breafls are the promifes of thegofpel ; now
the elect mufl: fuck out, and be fatisfied with
it ; the word in the original is, Exa£l upon
the promife, and opprefs the promife : as the
opprcfTor grinds the face of a poor man ;
fb with an holy kind of oppreffion, you
fliould exact from the promife, and get
what good you may from it.
5. Faith leaves the foul with the promife :
yea, notwithftanding all delays, denials, dif-
couragements, from God, faith brings on
the heart Hill, it will be fure to lie at the
gate, and keep the foul with the promife,
whatever befals it. Excellent is that paf-
fage. Gen. xxxii. 26. when the Lord and
Jacob were wreflling. Let me go, faith the
Lord, * I wUl leave thee to thyfelf, I care
not what becomes of thee '.'no, 1 will
not let thee go, until thou hafl bleffed me,
faith Jacob : fo the faithful foul lays hold
upon the Lord for mercy, pardon, pow-
er and grace, and though the Lord feem
to give him up to the torment of fin and
corruption, yet the foul (hith, * Tho' my
foul go down to hell, 1 will hold here for
mercy, till the Lord comfort and pardon,
and fubdue gracioufly thefe curftd corrup-
tions, which I am no: able to mafier my
fclf.' As it is with a fun-dial, the necdic
is
The NEJF B I RTH.
87
is ever moving, and a man may jog it this
way and that way, yet it vviil never (land
flill, till it come to the north-point : fo
when the Lord leaves oif a believing heart
with frowns, and with the expre.Iion of
difpleafure, and the foul turns to the Lord
Chrift, and will never leave till it go God-
ward, and Chrift-ward, and grace-ward, and
faith, * Let the Lord do what he pleafe, I
Avill go no further, till he be pleafed to ihew
mercy.' Thus the foul once come to ChriH-,
it will never away, but ever cleaves to the
promife, and is turned towards God and
Chrift, whatfoever befals-it.
UJe I. Poor foul ! art thou yet fliut up
in unbelief? do then as the prifoners in
Newgate, what lamentable cries do they ut-
ter to every paffenger-by ? So do thou, look
out from the gates of hell, and from under
the bars of infidelity, and cry, that God
will look on thee in mercy, and fay, * Spare,
Lord, a poor unbelieving wretch, lockt up"
under the bars of unbelief : good Lord, fuc-
cour, and deliver in due time. David could
fay, Lei the Jighing of the prifoner come up
before thee^ Pfal. Ixxix. 1 1. That indeed
was meant of bodily imprifonment, yet the
argument prevails much in regard of the
fpiritual : ' Good Lord, let the (ighing of
prifoners come up before thee ; let the figh-
ing of poor diftrullful fouls come up be-
fore thy majefty: O fend help from hea-
ven, and deliver the foul of thy fervant
from thofe wretched diftempers of heart.'
Is there not caufe thus to pray ? He that be-
lieveth not, faith our Saviour, is condemn-
ed already, John iii. 18. He is cad in hea-
ven and earth, by the law and gofpel, there
is no relief for him abiding in this conditi-
on ; lay this xmder thy pillow, and (ay,
* How can I fleep, and be a condemned
man ? What if God Ihould take away my
life this night? Alas r I never knew what
it was to be enlightened, or wounded for
fin ; I can commit fin, and play with fin,
but I never knew what it was to be wound-
ed for fin J I never knew what it was to be
zealous in a good caufe ; O I confefs I have
no faith at all.!' Beloved ! would you yield
thi?, then were there fome hopes that you
might get out of this condition and ftate;
to have a fenfe of its want, to go to the
Lord by prayer, and to afK hearty counfel
of fome faithful minifter, are the firfl: fteps
to obtain it. And to help a por^r wretch
in this cafe, O you that are gracious, go
your ways home, and pray for him : bre-
thren, let us leave preaching and hearing,
and all of us fall to praying and mourning:
in truth, I condemn my own foul, becaufe
I have not an heart to mourn for him;
we reprove his fin, and condemn him of
his fin ; and we muft do fo : but where are
the heart-blood petitions that we put up for
fuch a one ? Where are * the tears that we
make for the /lain of our people ?' You ten-
der-hearted mothers, and j'ou tender-heart-
ed wives, if your children or hufbands be
' in this woful cafe, O mourn for them, let
your hearts break over them, and fay, * O
wo is me for my children ! O wo is me for
that poor hufband of mine !'
Ufe 2. Or Secondly, Hafl: thou gotten
faith ? then labour to hulband this grace
well, and to improve it for thy befi good..
It is a marvellous fhame, to fee thofe that
are born to fair means, I mean the poor
faints of God, that have a right and title
to grace and Chrifl^, and yet to live at fuch
an under-rate: I would have you to live
above the world, for the Lord doth not
grudge his people of comfort, but would
have them live chearfully, and have firong
confolations, and mighty affurance of God's
love ? Is there not caufe ? Why; faith, if
it be right, will make the life of a Chrifii-
an mofl: eafie mofl comfortable. Unfaith-
ful fouls fink in their forro'As wpon eveiy
occafion, but faith gives eafc to a mm in
all his converfation : r. Becaufe faith hath
a flcill, and a kind of flight to put over ,',11
cares to another; we take up the crofs,
but faith hurles all the care on ChriO ; rii
eaiie matter it is to lie under the burden,.
wheu
88
n^e N EW B I RT H.
when another bears all the weight of it.
Look how it is with two ferry-men, the
one hales his boat about the rtioar, and
cannot get off, but tugs and pulls, and never
puts her forth to the tide ; the other puts
his boat upon the ftream, and fets up his
fail, and then he may fit flill in his boat;
and the wind will carry him whither he is
to go : juft thus it is with a faithful foul,
and an unbeliever; all the care of the faith-
ful foul is to put himfelf upon the flream
of God's providence, and to fet vip the fail
of faith, and to take the gale of God's mer-
cy and providence, and fo he goes on chear-
fully, becaufe it is rmt he that carries him,
but the Lord Jefus Chrift: : whereas every
unfaithful foul tugs and pulls at the bufi-
riefs, and can find neither eafe nor fucccfs :
alas ! he thinks by his own wits and power
to do what he would. 2. Becaufe faith
fvveetens all other affliflions, even thofe
that are mofl: hard and full of tedioufnefs;
and howfoever it apprehends all troubles
End affli(5tions, yet withal it apprehends the
faithfulnefs of God, ordering all for our
good : and that's the reafon why all our
troubles are digefted comfortably, without
any harflmefs at all : when the patient takes
bitter pills, if they be well fugared they go
down the eafier, and the bitternefs never
troubles him : fo it is with faith, it takes
away the harfhnefs of all inconveniencies,
which are bitter [as] pills in themfelves, but
they are fwectcncd and fugared over by the
faithfulnefs of God, for the good of the
foul ; and therefore it goes on chearfully.
You will fay, if faith bring fuch eafe,
how may a man that hath faith, improve
it to have fuch comfort by it ? I anfwer,
the rules are four :
I. Labour lo gain fome evidence to thy
own foul, that thou haft a title to the pio-
mife : the reafon why poor Chriftians go
drooping, and overwhelmed with their fins
and miferies, is, becaufe they fee not their
title to mercy, nor their evidence of God's
love ; To the iijord, and to the teJIimonicSy
Ifa. viii. 20. Take one evidence from the
word, 'tis as good as a thoufand ; if thou
haft but one promi(je for thee, thou haft
all in truth, though all be not fo fully and
clearly perceived.
2. Labour to fet an high price on the pro-
mifes of God : one promife, and the fweet-
nefs of God's mercy in Chrift is better than
all the honours or riches in the world :
prize thefeat this rate, and thoii canft not
choofe but find eafe, and be contented
therewith.
3. Labour to keep thy promifes ever at
hand. What is it to me if I have a thing
in the houfe, if I have it not at my need .'
Ifa man ready to fwoon and die, fay, * I
have as good cordial water as any in the
world, but I know not where it is ;' he
may fwoon and die before he can find it :
fo when mifery comes, and thy heart is
furcharged, * O then fome promife, fome
comfort to bear up a poor fainting, droop-
ing foul, my troubles are many, and I can-
not bear them :' Why, now Chrift and a
promife would have done it ; but thou haft
thrown them in a corner, and they are not
to be found : now for the Lord's fake let
me intreat thee be wife for thy poor foul ;
there is many a fainting and anguifti fit and
qualm comes over the heart of many a poor
Chriftian ; perfecutions without, and for-
rows and corruptions within ; therefore
keep thy cordials about thee, and be fure
that thou haft them within reach, take one,
and bring another, and be refrelhed by a-
nother, and go finging to thy grave, and
to heaven for ever.
4. Labour to drink an hearty draught of
the promife; beftow thyfelf upon the pro-
mife every hour, whcnfoever thou doft find
the fit coming ; and this is the way to find
comfort: Eat, fritnds, and drink ye a'
hundantly, ivell-beloved, Cant. v. 1. The
original is, in drinki^ig drink. Ye cannot
be drunken with the Spirit, as you may
with wine, drink abundantly ; were dainties
prepared, if an hunger-ftarved man comes
ln>
The NEW
jn, and takes only a bit and away, he muft
needs go away an hungred : think of it fadly,
you faithful faints of God ; you may come
now and then, and take a fnatch of the pro-
mife, and then comes fear, and temptation,
and perfecution, and all quiet is gone again j
it is your own fault, brethren, you come
thirfty, and go away thirfty, you come dif-
comforted, and fo you go away. Many
times it thus befals us miniflers ; when we
preach of confolation, and when we pray,
and confer, we think we are beyond all trou-
ble; but by and by we are full of fears, and
troubles, and forrows, becau fc we take not
full contentment in the promife, we drink
not a deep draught of it : of this take heed
too ; I . Of cavilling and quarrelling with car-
nal reafon. 2. Of attending to the parlies of
Satan's temptations ; if we liften to this chat,
he will make us forget all our comfort.
CHAP. VII.
The growing of the Soul vjith Chrljl.
HITHERTO of the firfl part of the
foul's implantation ; to wit, of the
putting of the foul intoGhrifl:: we are now
come to the fecond, which is, the grow-
ing of the foul with Chrift. Thefe two
take up the nature of ingrafting a finner
into the flock Chrift: Jefus. Now this grow-
ing together is accompliflied by two means.
1. By an union of the foul with Chri/l:.
2. By a conveyance of fap or fweetnefs
(or all the treafures of grace and happinefs)
that is in Chrift to the foul.
1. Every believer is joined unto Chrift,
and fo joined or knit, that he becomes one
fpirit. I . He is joined, as a friend to a friend,
as a father to a child, as an hufband to a
wife, as a graft to a tree, as the foul to a bo-
dy : fo is Chrift to a believer, I live, yet not
/, but the Lord Jc/us livcth in me, Gal. ii,
2o. Hence the body of the faithful is cal-
led Chrift, I Cor. xii. 12. 2. So joined,
that the believer comes to be one Spirit
with Chrift ; this myftcry is great, and be-
N
BIRTH. %
yond the reach of that little light I enjoy :
only I Ihall communicate what I conceive,
in thefe three following conclufions. i.
That the Spirit of God, the third perfon.
in the Trinity, doth really accompany the
vyhole word, but more efpecially the pre-
cious promifes of the gofpel. 2. The Spi-
rit, accompanying the promife of grace and
falvation, it doth therein, and thereby leave
a fupernatural dint and power, a fpiritual.
and over-powering virtue upon the foe.!,
and thereby carries it, and brings it unto
Chrift: it is not fo much any thing in the
foul, as a fpiritual afTifting and moving, and
working upon the foul, by virtue whereof
It is moved and carried to the Lord Jefus^
Chrift. 3. The Spirit of grace in the pro-
mife working thus on the heart, it cauferh
the heart to clofe with the promife, and
with itfelf in the promife ; and this is to
he one Spirit. As it is with the moon (the
philofopher obferves, that the ebbing and
flowing of the fea, is by virtue of the moon)
fhc flings her beams into the fea, and not
being able to exhale as the fun doth, flie
leaves them there, and goes away, and that
draws them, and when they grow wet, they
return back again ; now the fea ebbs and
flows not from any principle in itfelf, but
by vertue of the moon : fb the heart of a
poor creature is like the water, unable to
move towards heaven, but the Spirit of the
Lord doth bring in its beams, and leaves a
fupernatural virtue by them on the foul,
and thereby draws it to itfelf.
Ufe r. Hence an nfe of inftru(51ion : this
may fliew us that the fins of the faithful,
are grievous to the blcfll'd Spirit ; not on-
ly becaufe of mercies, bonds and engage-
ments which the believer hath received, but
becaufe a man is come fo near to Chrift
and the Spirit, to be one Spirit with Chrift.
Should a wife not only entci toin [receive] a
whoremonger into the houfe, but alfo lodge
him in the fame bed with her hufband, this
were not to be endured : and wilt thou re-
ceive a company of bafelufts, and that in the
very
90 The NEW
very face and fight of the Lord Jefus Ghrlft ?
What ? lodge an unclean fpirit, with the
clean Spirir of the Lord ! the holy Ghoft
cannot endure this ; Let no filthy commu-
nication come out of your mouth, Eph. iv.
29 . JVhat if there do ? (you may fay) What ?
a Chriftlan and a liar ? a Chriftian and a
fwearer ? grieve not the holy Spirit of
Cod, becaufe by it you are fealed unto the
day of redemption, Eph. iv. 30. The good
Spirit of the Lord hath fealed you imto re-
demption, and knit you unto himfelf, and
will you rend yourfelves from him and
grieve him ? O grieve not the holy Spirit !
' Ufe 2. For examination : If thy heart be
therefore eflranged from fuch as walk ex-
^6tly before Cod, becaufe they are humble
and faithful, it is an ill fign ; when they
r.re made one fpirit with Ghrift, wilt thou
be of two fpirits with them ? I confefs a
godly heart will have his fits and excurfi-
ons now and then, but all this while this
is poifon, and the foul of a godly man fees
this, and is weary of it, and is marvelloufly
burdened with it, and faith, * O vile wretch
that I am, what would I have ? and what
13 he that I cannot love him ? Is it becaufe
the good Spirit of the Lord is there ? (hall
I relift the good Spirit of the Lord ? and
jb commit the fin again ft the holy Ghoft ?
away thou vile wretched heart, I will love
liim :' thus the foul labours and ftrives for
that exaftncfs, and would fain have that
goodnefs which he fees in another.
2. As there is an xmion with Ghrift, fo
there is a conveyance of all fpiritual grace
from Ghrift, to all thofe that believe in him :
if you would know the tenor of this cove-
nant, and how Ghrift conveycth thefc fpi-
ritual graces unto us, it difcovers itfelf in
thefe particulars : i . There is fully enough
in the Lord Jefus Ghrift for every faithful
foul. 2. As there is enough in Ghrift, fo
Ghrift doth fupply or communicate what-
foever is m oft fir. 3. As the Lord doth
communicate what is fit, fo he doth pre-
ferve what he doth bcftow and communi-
BIRTH.
cate. 4. As the Lord doth prefer\'e what
he communicates, fo he quickens the
grace that he now doth preferve. 5. As
the Lord quickens what he preferves, fo
he never leaves till he perfects what he
quickens. 6. As the Lord perfefts what
he quickens, fo in the end he crowns all
the grace he hath perfected. And now may
I read your feoffment to you, you poor
faints of God, you live beggarly and bafe-
ly here: oh, if you have a Saviour, you are
made for ever ; it is that which will main-
tain you, not only Ghriftianly, but trium-
phantly ; what you want, Ghrift hath, and
what is fit, Ghrift will beftow ; if you can-
not keep if, he will preferve it for you ; if
you be fluggifh, he will quicken it in you ;
what would you have more .' he will per-
fect what he quickens ; and laftly, he will
crown what he perfefls, he will give you
an immortal crown of glory for ever and
ever.
Ufe. Hence we fee whither the faints of
God fliould go to fetch fuccour and fupply
of whatfoever grace they want, yea increafe
and perfection of what they have already.
Ghrift is made all in all to his fervants; why
then, away to the Lord Jefus; he calls and
invites, / counfel thee to buy of me eye-falve^
Rev. iii. 18. If thoubean accurfedman.buy
of Ghrift juftification ; if thou be a pollu-
ted creature, buy of Ghrift fan6lification.
With thee is the ivell-Jpring of life, faith
David, and in thy light lue Jhall only fee
light, Pfal. xxxvi. 9. It is not with us, but
with thee ; it is not in our heads, or hearts,
or performances, 'tis only in Ghrift to be
found, only from Ghrift to be fetched : I
deny not but we fhould improve all means,
and ufe all helps, but in the ufe of all, feek
only to a Ghrift, with him is the well of
life ; away to Ghrift ; wifdom, righteouf-
nefs, etc. all is in him, and there we muft
have them.
You will fay, < what are the means to
obtain thefe graces from Ghrift V I anfwer,
I . Eye the promife daily, and keep it with-
io
In view. 2 . Yield thyfelf, and give way
to the ftroke of the promife, and to the
power of the Spirit : for inftance, imagine
thy heart begins to be peftered with vain
thoughts, or with a proud, haughty fpi
The NEW B IRTH. 91
I may live, though in mifei^ : fo it is with
a poor believing foul ; every man that hath
committed fin, muft fuffer for fin, faith
juftice ; the fentence is pafTed, Every man
that believeth not, is condemned already^
rit, or fomebafe lufts and privy haunts of faith our Saviour, John iii. i8. Whatwould
heart, how would you be rid of thefe ?
you muft not quarrel and contend, and be
difcouraged ; no, but eye the promife, and
hold faft thereupon, and fay, * Lord, thou
haft promifed all grace unto thy fervants,
take therefore this heart, and this mind,
and thefe affections, and let thy Spirit frame
them aright according to thine own good
will : by that Spirit of wifdom. Lord, in-
form me ; by that Spirit of fandlification.
Lord, cleanfe me from all my corruptions ;
by that Spirit of grace. Lord, quicken and
enable me to the difcharge of every holy
fervice: thus carry thyfelf, and convey thy
foul by the power of the Spirit of the Lord,
and thou fhalt find thy heart ftrengthened
and fuccoured by the virtue thereof upon
all occafions.
For conclufion, to dart this ufe deeper
into your hearts ; If every believer be join-
ed with Chrift, and from Chrift there be a
conveyance of all fpiritual graces unto e-
very believer ; then sbove all labour for a
Chrift in all things, never let thy heart be
quieted, never let thy foul be contented un-
til thou haft obtained Chrift. Take a male-
faflor, on whom fentence is pafTed, and exe-
cution to be adminiftred, fuggefttohimhow
to be rich, how to be honoured, or how to
be pardoned, he will tell you, * Riches are
good, and honours are good, but O pardon,
or nothing :' ah, but then ftiould you fay, he
muft leave all for a pardon ; he will anfwer
again, ' Take all, and give me a pardon,
that I may live, though in poverty ; that
you have now ? Thou fayeft thou wouldfl
have a pardon, but w ouldft thou not have
riches ? Alas ! ' What is that to me, faith
the foul, to be rich, and a reprobate ? ho-
noured, and dam.ned ? let me, be pardon-
ed, though impoveriflied ; let me be jufti-
fied, though debafed, yea, though I never
fee a good day.' "Why, then labour for a
Chrift, for there is no other way under hea-
ven ; get a broken heart, get a believing
heart ; but, O, above all, get a Chrift to
juftify thee, get a Chrift to fave thee : if I
could pray like an angel, could I hear and
remember all the fermon, could I confec
[or fpeak] as yet never man fpake, what
iithat to me, if I have not a Chrift ? I may
go down to hell for all that I have or do -
yet take this along, and underftand me a-
right, * Chrift is not only a Saviour of alf
his, but he is the God of all grace ; as he is
the God of all pardoning, fo he is the God
of all purging and purifying unto the foul
of each believer :' grace therefore is good ;
and'duties are good ; feek for all, we fhould
do fo ; perform all, we ought to do fo ; but,
oh, a Chrift, a Chrift, a Chrift, in all, above
all, more than all. Thus I have fhewed
the way to the Lord Jefus, I have fliew-
ed you alfo how you may come to be im-
planted into the Lord Jefus ; and now I leave
you in the hands of a Saviour, in the bow-
els of a Redeemer j and I think I cannot
leave you better.
Soli Deo Gloria.
FINIS,
THE
CONTENTS OF PRIMA-
Page
THE necejjity of regeneration 2
The generality and fuhje^i of regeneration ' c
The manner of regeneration j r
The ijjue and effeds of regeneration 29
APPENDIX.
Chap.
I. 'T"^ UE occafion and method of this treat ife 34
II. JL § i- The fir/} means to get into the New Birth 35
§ 2, etc. Sins again ft the firfl commandment to the lafl 35, etc.
§ 3. The fecond means to get into the Neiv Birth 40
IV. § I. Tthe third means to get into the New Birth] 41
§ 2, etc. The firf}, fecond, and third reafon for forrow 42
V. § I. The means to be delivered out of the pangs ofths New Birth 43
\ 2. The prornifes procuring a fight ofChriJi 44
§ 3. The promifes procuring a dejire after Chrifi ib^
\ 4. The promifes procuring a relying on Chrifl 45
\ 5. The promifes procuring obedience to Chrift 46
§ 6. The promifes procuring comfort in Chrifl ib.
§ 7. The means to apply the faid promifes - 47
\ 8. 77;f conclufion 48
The Doftrine and Directions, <bc.
THE occafion of this treatife 49
The foul's preparation 50
II. § I . ?'/-'£• general circumflances of preparation on God's part 5 1
§ 2 . The general circumflances of preparation on man's part j2
III. The fubflantial parts of preparation on Cod's part ^ or, his difpen-
fations of his work on the foul 53
IV. § 1 . The fubflantial part of preparation on man's part^ or the difpo-
fition of the foul by Cod's work 58
^ 2. J fight of fin ^ _ 59
§ 3. Aftnfe of divine wrath ' 61
§ 4. Sorrow for fin 62
§ 5 . The extent of this forrow 64
V. The call, on Cod's part, for the foul to clofe with and to rely on
Chrifl ^ 71
VI. § I. The anfiuer, on man's part, for the foul to clofe with and to rC'
ly on Chrifl ^ 73
§ 2. -^ fight ofChrtfl, or, of mercy in Chrifl - ib.
§ 3. Hope in Chrifl 74
§ 4. y^ defire after Chrifl yy
\ ^. A love of Chrifl * 79
\6.j4 relying on Chrifl 85
yil. The growing of the foul with Chrifi Ip
MEDIA;
THE
MIDDLE THINGS.
In Reference to ♦
The Firfl and Lafl Things ;
OR, THE
Means, Duties, Ordinances,
Both Secret, Trivate, and TubUck ;
for Continuance, and increafe of a Godly life, once begun, till we
come to Heaven.
Wherein are difcovered many blefTed Mediums, or Duties, in their
right Method, Manner, and Proceedings; that fo a Chriftian (the
Spirit of Chrift afTifHng) may walk on in the holy Path, which leads
from his New-Birth, to Everlajiing Lije.
Drawn, for the moft Part, out of the moft eminently pious and learned writings of
our Native Praftical Divines : With the Author's own Additional.
Matth xii 50. Whofoever Shall do the will of my Father -who. is m Heaven, the Jams is
my brother, andjifter, and mother. "^
John xiii. 1.7. If ye 'knoxv thefe things, happy are ye if ye do them.
John XV. 14. Ye are my friends, if ye do -whatfoever I command you.
w. ''''"■ ' I' In ^r-^^^^ ^'''^' '^°"' ^^^ '^"/^ '^'^'^^ -^^^'/^ ^^' commanded you, fay.
We are unprofitable fervants, we have done that which was our duty to do.
THE
BELIEVERS PRIVILEGES-
CHAR I. SECT. I.
The Troem, or Entrance into the Book,
YO U have heard in my Firft Things
the doftrine, precepts, and the pat-
tern of a man in his Second or New
Birth : now remains what follows all his
life; and therein is confiderable,
I . His privileges. 2. His duties.
I. His privileges (as he is now a believ-
er in Chrift) are, Juftification, Reconcili-
ation, Adoption, Sanftification, Gloriifi-
cation.
Of thefe Tome of our worthies have writ-
ten largely; and among the reli, that
watchful foul-rouzlngjfoui-fearching Shep-
herd * : I (hall not therefore dwell on
them, but fum what he hath delivered in
thefe following fedlions.
SECT. n.
of the firjh privilege, viz. Jujiification.
THE firfl privilege which immediately
follows our union with Chrift, is,
Juftification ; which confifts in thefe par-
ticulars. Imputation of Chrifi's righteouf-
nefs^ and remijfion of Jin.
To prevent erroneous mifconceits, which
fpring from the confounding of things that
differ, underftand, That a man may befaid
to be juftified, either intentionally, or,
virtually, or adlually ; either in. God, or
in Chrift, or in himfelf.
I. Intentionally in God, i. e. in God's
purpofe and decree : this is from all eter-
nity, but this decree and intention doth
not put any thing into an eftate of aftual
being, but in the fulnefs of time.
2. Virtually in Chrift : and this is froni
the day of Chrift's paflion, and in the vir-
tue of his fatisfaftion ; yet this intendeth
no more, but that fatisfaftion is made, and
remifTion purchafed by the blood of Chrift.
3. AcTtually in himfelf : when amanhatb
the pofleilion of Juftification, immediate-
ly after his Union with the Lord Jefus
Chrift. Now this Juftification confidered,
as it is a ftate of favour, a covenant-ftate
with God, which a man at his firft believ-
ing is put into, is not reiterated, no more
than a wife, after that firft entrance intO'
the relation, is frequently made a wife ;
yet, the particular a£ls of pardon, and im-
putation of Chrift's righteoufnefs, are con-
tinually by God communicated unto the
believer. In this refpe(ft, this actual juf-
tification, or particular afts of pardon,,
hath its degrees of progrelTion : the be-
ginning thereof is laid in our firft union
and incorporation into Chrift; the con-
fummation of it is not till the Judge at
the latter day hath folemnly pronounced
the fentence of final abfolution, and fo
fet us in full poftelfion of entire remifti-
on : between both thefe, there is a pro-
greffive work of juftification, by the con-
ftant agings of the Spirit, applying the
blood of Chrift by the hand of faith> to
the (^uiet and comfort of the foul : the
Slicpbcrd's.Sound Believer,
firft
q(y The BELIEVER'S
firft we may term, initial juftification, the
fecond progrelfive, the laft, perfeftlve :
the fecond is the fruit of the firft, and the
preludial aflurance of the laft: the firft is
wrought and fealed in the firft facrament,
the fecond is wrought and fealed in the
fecond facrament ; and both thefe branch-
es of facramental juftification are, to us,
the pre-alfurance of that complemental and
perfeftivc juftification, the fentence where-
of putteth an end to all fears, changing
our faith and hope into fruition and full
poffeflion.
It hath been commonly faid by fome of
our beft divines, That juftification is tranf-
afted in our firft i^ion and incorporation
into Chrirt ; at which time it is conceived,
That the pardon of all fin is fealed to the
believer at once. But I fear the mifun-
derftanding of this point (not untrue in
itfelf, if not miftaken and mifapprehendcd)
hath laid the ground upon which fome
build that unhappy ftrudurc, which turn-
eth the grace of God into ivantonnefs ; who
knoweth not that juftification, in the pro-
per acceptation of the word, according to
the fcripture phrafe, is, * The aft of a
judge pronouncing a judicial fentence,
wherein he abfolveth the perfon of a fin-
ner from all fin and punilhment due to
him for fin, and that for the alone righte-
cufnefs of the furety Ghrift, freely imput-
ed, and by faith received of him V And
according to this, I fuppofe we ftiall not
err from the truth, if we fay, i. That the
main work of juftification, is even as yet
to us future, viz. at the great and laft day
of judgme'nt, when we IhaJl receive a final
quietus eji and difclxarge, and when God
ftiall wipe away all tears from our eyes: and
yet, 1. 1'hat in our firfl union with Chrift,
there is a work of juftification, viz. actual
imputation of Chrift's riG,hteoufnefs, and
adtual remifiion of what fin for the prcfent
PRIVILEGES.
the foul ftands guilty of, at that time when
it is firft united to Ghrift. Idare notfay,that
juftification, quatenus it comprehends im-
putation, and remifiion of fin, is one in-
diviJual aft; or, that all fins paft, pre-
fcnt, and to come are remitted to the be-
liever at once; but this I fay. That in our
firft union, all our fins, paft, and prcfent,
are aftually pardoned; and this favour
received, is a pledge of afturance. That
in future alfo, by applying ourfelves to
Chrift, we may and Ihall receive the for-
givenefs of our daily fins, and that at the
laft day we (hall at once be abfolvcd from
all accufations and charges laid in againft
us; and that juftification (befides thofe
particular afts of pardon, and imputation
of Chrift's righteoufnefs) doth connote a
ftate that the fubjeft at his firft believing is
put into, viz. * A ftate of grace, and fa-
vour, and reconciliation with God, for the
imputed righteoufnefs of Chrift, M'ithout
apoftacy from it either total or final.'
O glorious privilege ! efpecially in tTiefe
refpefts :
1 . By this a finner is righteous ; a won-
der that may aftonilh angels, for a man
accurfed and finfulin himfelf, to be at that
very inftant blefled and righteous in ano-
ther: our own duties, works, and refor-
mation may make us at the beft but lefs
finful, but this righteoufnefs makes a fin-
ner finlefs. t
2. By this a finner is righteous before
the judgment-feat of God : // is God that
ju/}ifics,ivhoJhall condemn? Rom. viii. ^X,
34. iNot chrift, he is our advocate ; not
iin, for chrift was made fin for us ; not
the law, for Chrift hath fulfilled the law
for us ; not Satan, for God is his judge,
and if he have acquitted us, what can the
jaylor do ?
3. By this we have perfeft rightcouf-
ncls: we are as pcrftftly righteous, as
f ^o.d rcaium. i.e. hs to his^i.illincrs, or being callid in 4ucftbn.
t ChriJ}
The BELIEVER'S TRIVILEGES. 97
X Chr'tJ} the ri^htecus. Little children, let fie hath made an end of fin, and brought
no man deceive you, he that doth righteouj- in aneverlafting righiccupiefs, Dan. ix. 24.
nefs is righteous, even as he is righteous. 6. By this we plesfe God more, than if
Indeed our own righteoufnefs, though it we had a perfedt righteoufnefs in our-
be the fruit of the Spirit of grace, is a felves : do not fay, ' This is a poor righ-
blotted, flained righteoufnefs, very imper- teoufnefs, which is out of myfelf in ano-
fe£V, and very little ; hut by this, the faith
of David, Peter, and Paul, was not more
precious than ours is, becaufe we have
the fame righteoufnefs as they had : what
fincere foul but efteems of perfeft holinefs what is angelical righteoufnefs, when corn-
more than of heaven itfelf? O confider, pai-ed to the righteoufnefs of God?' Tis
ther:' fuppofe it were in ourfelves, fucha
righteoufnefs at beft would be nothing but
man's righteoufnefs, but this is called. The
righteoufnefs of God, 2 Cor. v. 2 i . Now
we have it, in the fenfe I now fpeak of, in
the Lord Jefus.
4. By this we have continual righteouf-
nefs : do we complain becaufe we feel new
fin, or old fins confefled, lamented, fub-
dued, returning upon us again, and the
fprings in the bottom filling our fouls a-
gain, that we are weary of ourfelves i O but
remember, this is not a ciftern, hut a foun-
t.iin opened for us to xvafl} in, Zech. xiii. I.
Jsjin abounds ^fo grace, in this gift of righ-
teoufnefs, abounds much more : the Lord
hath changes of garment for us, Zech. iii.
4. by means whereof there (hall never en-
ter into the Lord's heart one hard thought
towards us, of calling us off, or of taking
revenge upon any new occafion, or fall
into fin, fo as for final defiru(5>ion.
5. By this we have eternal righteouf-
nels, that never can be loft : if the Lord
finould make us as perfe(ftly righteous as
once Adam was, or as the angels in hea
but as a glow-worm before the fun ; the
fmell of Efau's garments (the robes of this
righteoufnefs of the Son of God) are of
fweeter odour than ours can be, or ever
ftiall be.
7. By this we glorifie God exceeding-
ly : Abraham believed, and gave ghry unto
Cod, Rom. iv. 20.: So when we believe,
we glorifie God, we advance his raercy
»and free grace, and triumph in it.
8. By this we have peace in our con-
fciences : for Chrifi's blood is fpr inkle d on
them, Heb. ix. 14. and that cools the bur-
ning torments of them : none of our du-
ties can pacific confcience, but as they car-
ry us hither to this righteoufnefs ; only if
this rainbow appear over our heads, it is a
certain fign of fair weather, and that there
fhall be no more deluge of wrath to over-
whelm us.
9. By this all miferies are removed:
when our fins are pardoned, there is fome-
ven are, we might be in danger of lofing thing like ficknefs, fiiame and death, but
they are not ; The inhabitant of Zion
fhall not fay, I am fick : the people that
dwell therein fhall be forgiven their ini~
quity, Ifa. xxxiii. 24. 'Tis no ficknefs in
this; but now the Lord hath put our
righteoufnefs into a fafer hand, which ne-
ver fliall be loft : Chrift hath obtained an
eternal redemption for us, Heb. ix. 12.
\ Non formoM et intrw/ecn jiijfitia, fed rdativa, mn quoad quaiititali'ii Jed veritatcm, fit enim jiit'ua upplicatlo infih\t£
juftilix. Si aliter, oeque jifti efjemits ut Chrijlus, pojjlmiis alios Jhlvure ut Chrijins ; at non, juftit.a Chrijli fit nojirn,
noil quoad uuiverfakm valon-m, fed partictilaiem tiectjjitatetn, et iinputatur nobis, mn ut caujis falvatioins, fed ut fu jeFfis
falvai.dis ji'iiitia ■Chrifii efl vcre meritoriii, iiojlra autcm ex mera gratia, jtijiilia Cbrijii cJIfntjeHive inbacftva.nob:s t n-
tnm comiiiuiticativa quoad vit tut em et efficacuim. i. e. " We are as perKilly righteous as Chrilt the rijjhtecus "] I ut,
not by a forn^al and intrinficrightcoufnef':, but relative, not as to quantity, but verity, for tlicre is made a finite ap.
plication of infinite righteoufnefs. If it were ctherwife, we would be as righteous as Chiill, we might f^vt o-
thers as Clui'l ; but far from tiiat, for Chrift's righteoufnefs becomes ours, not as to univerfal ■ fficac) , bit par-
ticular ncccdity, and it is imputed to us, not as caufes of falvation, but as (uhjccJts to he favcd, Ciiriit's rigbteoi.fru ft
is iruly meritoiioui, but ours is of mere giacc ; the righteoufnefs cf Chrjfl is liibjiilivtly inhirtiit, atid communica-
tive to us, only as to its own virtue »ni efficacy upon us.
O « man*
98
ne BELIEVER'S TRIVILEGES.
a manner, nor forrow, nor afflidlion, if
the venom, fting, andcurfe be taken away
by pardon of fin, this is the bleffednefs of
all believers. BleJJed is he ivhofe iniquity
is forgiven, and ivhofe Jin is covered :
blejjed is the man to luhom the Lord iniput-
ethnot iniquity y Pf. xxxii. i, 2. Here's a
bleffing pronounced ; what fliould we do
but believe it, and rejoice in it i
SECT. III.
Of the fecond privilege, viz . Reconciliation.
THE fecond privilege is Reconcilia-
tion : this I called the ftate or con-
dition which a believer in his juftification
, is put into; and ^re I confider it as a
privilege, which in order of nature fol-
lows pardon of fin, as pardon of fin in
order of nature follows imputation of
Chrift's righteoufnefs ; Being juftified by
faith, we have peace with God, Rom. v.
I. (/. £".) Chrifii's righteoufnefs being im-
puted, and our fins pardoned, we have
peace with God ; not only peace from
God in our confcicnces, but peace with
God in our reconcilement to him, and
in his favour towards us ; in our impu-
tation and pardon the Lord accounts us
juft, in our reconciliation the Lord ac-
counts us friends: indeed our meritorious
reconciliation is by Chrift's death : as the
king's fon, who procures his father's fa-
vour towards a malefafVor, who yet lies
in cold irons and knows it not ; and this
is before aftual pardon, or adual being :
but aftual and efficacious reconciliation,
whereby we come to the fruition and pof-
feflion of it, is, to my weak conception,
after pardon of fin. Now this reconcili-
ation confifts in two things : i. In our
peace with God, whereby the Lord lays
by all afls of hoftility againflus. 2. In the
love and favour of God : he now loves us
not only with a love of good-will, as in
our election, but with a love of compla-
cency and delight. O confider what a blef-
fed Itate is this !
1. That God fhould be pacified with
us after anger, after provocation by fin,
after fuch wrath, which like fire hath con-
fumed thoufand thoufands, and burnt
down to the bottom of hell, and is now,
and ever ftiall be burning upon them in
hell.
2. That God fiiould be pacified wholly
and throughly, that there fiiould be no
confuming fury left for us to ht\ : Fury is
not in me, faith God, Ila. xxvii. 4. In-
deeds briar and thorns, /. e. obftinate fin-
ners, that prick and cut him to the very
heart by their impenitency, he will burn
them together. God out of Chrifl: is a
confuming fire, but in Chrifl he is Love,
I John iv. 16. And though there may be
fatherly frowns, chafiifements,reproofs and
rods, though he may for a time hide his
face, fliut out our prayers, defer to fulfil
promifes, yet all thefe are out of love to
us in fome fort, and we (hall fee it, and
feel it fo in the latter end.
3.That the Lord fhould be pacified eter-
nally, never to cafl^ us off again for any
fins or miferies that we fall into: this is
wonderful. Thofe whom men love, if
their love be abufed, or if their friends be
in affliftion, they many times forfake, but
the Lord's love and favour is everlafiing :
The mountains may depart, and the hills
be removed, but my kindnefs fhall not de-
part from thee, neither fijall the covenant
of my peace be removed, faith the Lord,
that hath mercy on thee, Ifa. liv. 10, Nay,
that which is fomething more, the abound-
ing of our fin, is now the occafion of the
abounding of his grace, Rom. v. 20. Our
very wants and miferies, are the very ob-
jects and occafions of his bowels and ten-
der mercies : O w^hat a privilege is this ! did
the Lord ever fiiew mercy to the angels
that finned ? Did not one fin caft them out
of favour utterly ? and yet tiiat fo many
thoufand thoufands of fins Ihould gu(h
out of my heart, and thy heart that read-
^ft:, againft the mercy, love and kindnefs
of
rhe BELIEVER'S
©f owr good God, and for all this he not
be incenfed ; thit the Lord who poured
out all his anger upon his own Son for
us, cannot now pour out, nay hath not
one drop left, though he would, to pour
out upon us for any»one of our fins !
ftand amazed, ye angels, and all the hoft of
heaven at this !
4. That the Lord fl^ould be thus paci-
fied with enemies: a man may be ealily
pacified with one that offends him but a
little, but with an enemy that ftrikes at
his life (as by every fin we do at the living
God,) what can we fay to this ?
5. That he Ihould be pacified by fuch a
wonderful way as the blood of JefusChrift:
this is fuch a love, as one would think
the infinite wifdom of a blefled God could
have devifed no greater : it is enough to
burft the heart with aftonifiiment and a-
mazement, to think that the party offend-
ed, who therefore had no caufe to feek
peace with us again, fhould find out fuch
a way of peace as this : wo to the world
that defpife this peace.
6. That being thus pacified, we may
come into God's prefence with boldnefs at
any time, and alk what we will; I won-
der what he can deny us, if he love us:
This is the confidence that ive have in
him, That if we afk any thing according
to his will, he heareih us, i John v. 14.
7. That all creatures fliould be at peace
with us: Thou /halt he in league with the
J} ones of the field, and the beafls of the
field fio all be at peace with thee. Job v. 23.
As when the captain of an army is pacifi-
ed, none of the foldiersmufl hurt or flrike
that man : fo no creature muft hurt us, nay
all the creatures that feem our enemies,
fhall be forced to do us good : death,
where is now thy fling ? grave, where
is thy victory ? iCor.jtv. 55. All our
v'ants will make us pray the more, our
forrows humble us the more, our tempta-
tions make us exercife our graces, ourfpi-
riiual defertions make us long for heaven.
PRIVILEGES. 99
and to be with Chrift; not only Paul and
Jpollcs, and the iJCorld, and life, but death
itfelfis ours, to do us good : we may now
fleep, and none fo all make us afraid. Job
xi. 19. We fliall not be afraid of evil tid-
ings, our hearts are fixed, trufling in the
Lord, Pfal. cxii. 7.
SECT. IV.
Of the third privilege, viz. Adoption.
'" I "^ H E tliird privilege Is Adoption , wliich
X in order of nature follows Reconci-
liation ; whereby the Lord accounts us
fons, and gives us the fplrit and privilege
of fons : Behold what manner of love the
father hath heflowed upon us, that we
floould be called the fons of God, I John
iii. I. The Lord accounts us jufl in our
Juftification, friends in our Reconciliation,
fons in our Adoption: now this Adoption is
either begun here in this life, or perfe6led
in the world to come, when we fliall re-
ceive all the privileges of fons, not one ex-
cepted. For this latter Adoption, to wit.
The redemption of our bodies, Rom. viii.
23. we wait ; but of the former we fpeak,
the manner of which is thus :
1. God loves Jefus Chrifl with an un-
fpeakable love, as his only Son, and our
elder brother.
2. Hence when we are in Chrifr his Son,
he loves us with the fame love as he doth
his Son.
3. Hence the Lord accounts us fons,
having pre de.flinated us unto the adoption
cf children by Jefus Chrijl to himfelf, ac-
cording to the good pleajure of his will,
Eph. i. 5. O the excellency of this privi-
lege ! it appears in thefe refpeds.
1 . That the Lord fliould prize us as his
fons : a man that hath fons, efleems them
more than all his goods and fervants ; fo
the Lord efteems of the poorefl, unwor-
thiefl believer, more than of all his houf-
hold-ftuff, more than of heaven, earth,
and all the glory of ir, more than of all
the kings and great men in the world.
2. That the Lord fhould take care for
2 us
100
The BELIEVER'S TRIVILEGES.
VIS as For fons: in times of want we are
ready to queftion, IVhat we /hall eat or
drbik ? ' how fhall we live V Mat. vi. 31.
O confider, are we the fons of God ? then
he that feeds the ravens, and clothes the
lillies, will provide for us ; or fuppofe we
continue in the want of temporal things,
why the Lord is therein plotting our eter-
nal good : No chajlening for the prefent
Jeemeth joyous, but grievous : neverthelefs,
(ifterivardit yieldeth the peaceable fruit of
right coufncfs, unto them who are exercif-
i-d thereby, Heh. xii. 11.
3. That the Lord fhould love us as his
fons: fometimes we think that the Lord
loves us not, beca^fefe we do not feel his
love, or know his love; but do not we love
our fons becaufe while they are young,they
know not their fathers, or becaufe their
lathers are fometimes out of fight, and
have not them always in their arms ? Zion
/'aid, 'The Lord hath Jorfaken me, and my
Lord hath forgotten me : Can a woman for-
get her fucking child, that fje fhoidd not
have compaffion on the fan of her womb P
yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget
'thee, Ifa. xlix. 14, 15. 'Wt may think,
becaufe we have fo man}' fins, or fo many
afflictions, that therefore the Lord loves
lis not ; but judge we righteoufly ? Have
our children no love from us, becaufe they
' are lick, and we keep them under a fpare
diet? ' God knows our mold, and that
we are but dull :' he hath freely chofen us
to he his fons, and therefore, notwith-
ilanding all our fins and fufferings, he
joves us ftill : if he fees Ephraim bemoan-
ing his fiubbornnefs, as luell as ficknefsy
the Lord cries out, and cannot hold. Is
Ephraim my dear fon P Is he a pleafant
child P forftnce Ifpake again ft him, 1 do
earneflly remember him fUll : therefore
7ny bowels are troubled for him ; I will
furely have mercy upon him^ faith I he Lordy
Jer. xxxi.20.
4. That the Lord fliould make us heirs
and co-heirs with Chrift, Rom.viii. 1 7. Sons
by nature are not always heirs, but all
fons by Adoption ^re ; we are heirs i. Of
the viftble world, i Cor. iii. 22. 2. GJ the
other world, i Pet. i. 4. 3. Of all the
promifes, Heb. vi. 17. And herein Jeho-
vah himfelf comes to be our inheritance
and portion for ever : O that fuch veflels
of wrath, fire-brands of hell by nature,
fliould thus become the children of God
by grace, and heirs of heaven !
5. That the Lord fliould give us the
fpirit of fons. The fpirit of adoption, where-
by we cry Abba Father, The fpirit of af-
fiirance, witneffmg with our fpirit, that
we are the children of God, Ro. viii. 1 5, i 6.
It doth not only witnefs to our fpirit s,h\i\.
with our fpirit s, i. e. with our renewed
confciences, thus, ' All believers are fons,
* but I am a believer, therefore I am a fon :'
herein the Spirit bears witnefs with us in
every parr, premifes, and conclufion ; on-
ly it tefiifies more clearly, certainly, com-
fortably, fweetly, ravilhing the foul with
unfpeakable joy, and peace, in the con-
clufion : fometimes indeed it may be fuf-
pended, and fometimes we may not hear
it ; or if we do, we may objedl againfl it,
through the unbelief in part remaining in
us; yet f *if we want it in the witnefs
and comfort of it, we have it in the holi-
nefs of it :' hence it is called. The holy
Spirit of Cod, whereby we are fealed unta
the day of redemption, Eph. iv. 30.
SECT. V.
Of the fourth privilege, viz, SaJi^ification,
THE fourth privilege is Sandlirication,
which in order of natiue follows a-
doption . no fooner are we fons, but we
receive the image of our heavenly Father in
i ^uando aBus intermittilur, habitui not amittitur, i. e. When the aft is difcoutinucd, the habit is not loft.
^ Sane-
The BELIEVER'S TRIVILEGES,
loi
Sanft'ification ; The manner of it is thus : The excellency of this privilege appears
I. The Spirit works in us a principle of in thefe particulars :
This is our glory, and beauty, even
fpirituallife : thefcripture fornetimes calls
it zfted, I John iii. 9. fornetimes a fpring,
or fountain, John iv. 14. fornetimes the
life of Chrifty 2 Cor. iv. 10, 11. becaufe
it is conveyed unto us by the Spirit of
Chrift, by means of our infeparable union
with Chrifl. What name foever we give
it, we may conceive it to be a new faculty
added unto thole which are in men by na-
ture, but an improvement of thofe abili-
ties to work fpiritually, as they did na-
turally before regeneration. Hence it is
that a regenerate man in fcripture, is faid
To walk after f he Spirit, Rom. viii. i. To
be led by the Spirit, To walk in the Spirit.
Gal. v. 18. 25.
2.' From this fountain fpring all thofe
habits of fpiritual grace, which are feveral-
]y diftingui(hed by the names of Faith,
Hope, Love, &c. although to fpeak pro-
perly, they are but the diverllfications of
that fpiritual principle within us, diftin-
gui(hed by thefe names.
From thefe habits of grace abiding in
us, ordinarily proceed fpiritual motions
and operations according to thofe habits.
And as it is with natural habits, fo it is
with fpiritual, they are much increafed and
ftrengthened by their motions, operations,
3. e. by the ufc andexercife of them, and
are as much weakened by difufe, and ne-
gle6l of fuch an exercife. I deny not but for
all this, there is within us a woful, finful
nature, crofs and contrary unto holinefs,
and leading us daily into captivity : yet
here's our privilege, even Sanftification in
part; furely the Lord hath given us ano-
ther nature, a new nature: there is fome-
thing elfe within us, which makes usv/ref-
tle againft lin, and ihall in time prevail o-
ver all fin: Ahrulfed reed fhall he not break,
and fmoaking fta'x fhall he not quench, till
he fend forth judgment unto vi6iory, Mat.
Xii. 20.
glorification begun : what greater glory
than to be like unto God ? We are chang-
ed into the fame image, from glory to glory ^
2 Cor. iii. 18. Every degree of grace is
glory, and the perfe£lion of glory in hea-
ven, confifis chiefly in the perfection of
grace.
This will give us abundance of fweet
peace. For whence come troubles, and
doubts of God's favour and love .-* Is it
not fome guile, or decay here .■' Is it not
fome boldnefs to fin .•' Is it not our fe-
cret dalliance with fome known fin, con'
tinued in with fecret impenitency ? On
the other fide, what was Paul's rejoicing ?
Hezekiah's peace ? The one cried. That
in all fincerity and fimplicity he had his
converjation among ft men; the oiher, Lord,
remember f I have walked before thee up-
rightly ; not that this was the ground of
their peace, for that is only free grace in
Chrifl, but the means of their peace, 2
Cor. i. 12. Ifa. xxxviii. 2, 3. That is a
curfed peace, that is kept by looking to
Chriif, and yet loving our lulls.
3. This will make us fit for God's ufe :
a filthy unclean velTel is good for nothing,
till cleanfed ; a man mufi firfi purge him-
felf, and then he fhall be a veffel unto ho-
nour, fari6iified, and meet for the maf}er's
ufe, and prepared unto every good work,
2 Tim. ii. 21.
By this we have a fweet and comfortable
evidence of our juftification : nor is this
a running upon the covenant of works :
Is not Sanftification (the writing of the
law in our hearts) a privilege of the cove-
nant of grace, as well as juUification ? and
can the evidencing of one privilege by a-
nother, be a running upon the covenant
of works? O confider, how many evan-
gelical promifes are made to pei !bns in-
verted wiih fuch and fuch graces ! as^
of Poverty, Mourning, Meekatls,. etc.
Matti;.
102 O/DUT
Matth. V. 3, 4, 5, 6. and to what end?
but that every one may take, and be aflured
of his portion manifefted particularly there-
in ? furely none are jiiflified, but they
arc fanfViHed ; or if not fanftified, they
are not juftiiied.
SECT. VI.
Of the fifth Privilege, viz. Clorificathn.
TH E fifth privilege, is, glorification,
which is the laft, in execution, of
God's eternal purpofe towards all his be-
loved and choftn ones : and hereby are we
I E S in General,
made partakers of thofe endlcfs and unuttC'
rable joys, which neither eye hath /ecu, nor
ear hath heard, nor the heart of man cott'
ceived'. but of this you have feveral fer-
mons in my La ft Things, enough to chear
up all thofe prcciovis hearts that have any
title to, or intereft in the Lord Jefus Chrilh
my meaning therefore, is, to pafs by thofe
privileges, and, Secondly, to come to the
Duties, which gracious fpirits, in all faith-
ful and thankful obedience unto him that
hath called them, are ready to fall upon.
CHAP. II.
SECT. I.
Of the Equity of Duties.
NO fooner is the foul tranflated info
the ftate of grace, and crowned with
thofe glorious privileges, but immediately
it cries out, ' O Lord, what (hall I now
Of DUTIES In General.
ofChrift, and P^exu forth the praifes of him
ivho hath called them ? Dearly belovedy
(faith the apoAle) / befeech you, as (Iran-
gers and pilg7'ims, abjiain now from fief} -
ly lujls, which war againj} the foul : hav-
ing your converfation honefl among . the
Gentiles, that whereas they fpeak again/}
do for thee ? how ft^all I now live to thee ?' you as evil doers, they may by your good
Good reafon, the foul fnould now give up
herfelf to Chrifl:, for flie knows, flieisnot
her own, but Chrift's. Can there be fuch
an heart in any ChrifHan, as now to cafl:
off duty, and continue in fin, becaufe fo
much grace hath abounded? O no ! The
love of Chrijl conftraineth us ; (faith the a-
poftle) becaufe we thus judge, that he died
for all, that they who live, fijould not
henceforth live unto themfelves, but unto
him who died for them, and rofe again.
works which they flyall behold, glorifie Cod
in the day of v'tfitation. But W'hat duties
mull: they fall on ? i. Submit yourfelves to
every ordinance of man for the Lord's fake.
2. Honour all men. 3. Love the brother-
hood. 4. Fear God. 5. Honour the king.
6. Suffer wrongs, i Pet. ii. 11, 12, 13,
17, 19. You have herein Chrift for exam-
ple, and you mull; do all forChrift's fake ;
or, if thefe duties will not contain all, Za-
chary tells us, that beino delivered out
2 Cor. V. 14, 15. There is a principle of of the hands of our enemies, we muj} fcrve
love now in the hearts of believers, and
this love of Chrift conftrains them to live
to Chrift, Te are now a chofen generation,
a royal prieflhood, a holy nation^ a pecu-
liar people, that ye fl^ould floew forth the
praifcs of Chrijl, who hath called you out
ofdarkncfs into his marvellous light, i Pet.
ii. 9. What bleffed titles are thefe ? and
to what end ? but that they who are fo eno-
bled by Chrift, may now adorn the gofpel fure.
hitn without fear, in holinefs, (in all the
duties of the firft table) and right eoujnefs,
(in all the duties of the fecond table) all
the days of our life, Luke i. 74, 75. In-
deed, how can we love Chrift, and negle(ft
duty to Chrilt ? If you love jne, faith Chrift,
keep n?y commandments, Jolin xiv. 15. the
love of Chrift will conftrain us to embrace
his commandments, as amoft precious trea-
* I hope affuredly, that the God of
grace
ofDvrrEs
grace and mercy will keep, by his power
to falvation, all thofe perfons he doth de-
liver ; and that he will fow the feeds of
grace in their hearts, that they may not
fin prefumingly. And I hope alfo, God
will meet with fuch as are difturbers of the
truth of Chrift, and peace of thegofpel, by
(heir bafe and vile converfations: and I
fhall recommend to them the reading of
the epiftle of Jude, where they may fee the
fearful wrath of God upon fuch perfons as
abufe the grace of God to ^m. O let not
the love of Chrifl: thus manifefted, be fo
bafely requited at your hands, feeing the
Lord hath fo freely loved you, and given Jure to the Almighty, that thou art righte-
tn General, 103
Chrift, and therefore ftands ready to fpeak
forth the praife of the glory of his grace,
that hath fo freely faved him, it muft needs
be an acceptable fervice to God in Chrift.
SECT. II.
Of the Infufficiency of Duties.
BUT alas, what are thefe duties to my
Lord ? Or what are thefe duties in
themfelves ?
I. All the duties of man, they are no-
thing at all unto God : Can a man be profi-
table unto God, as he that is ivife may
be profitable unto him/elf? Is it any plea-
Chrifl: to you, that you might be to the
praife of the glory of his grace, in agodly
chriftian converfation, whereunto you are
ordained *. For you are Cod's workman-
Jhip, faith the apoflle, created in ChriJ} Je-
fus unto good ivorks, which God hath before
ordained^ that you fioould walk in thtm^
Eph. ii. ID. And I befeech you always to
remember, that you cannot anfwer the free
love of God towards you any other v,'ay,but
by fhewing it in a fruitful converfation in
the world ; confidcring/^i^^ one end of your
Or is it gain to him, that thou makeft
thy ways perfect r'Job. xxii. 2. 3 . If thou
be righteous, what givefi thou him ? or
what receiveth he from thine hand P Job
XXXV. J. my foul, thou haflfaid unto the
Lord, Thou art my Lord, Pfal. xvi. 2. And
what then ? what recompence to God for
this propriety ? Nay, David is here non-
plufs'd, /)fy goodnefs extendeth not to thee.
All the fervices of men and angels, though
they run parallel with the longell: lines of e-
ternity, are an infufficient recompence for
redemption, that Chrift, who gave himfelf my foul's deliverance : When we have done
for you, might redeem you from all iniquity,
and purify you unto himjelf, a peculiar peo-
ple, zealous of good works,' Tit. ii. 14.'
Here's good equity for duties : the foul
cannot confider her deliverance by the blood
of Chrift, and by the fpirit of Chrift, but
Ihe cries, What fimll I render unto the Lord,
for all his benefits towards me P I will
take the cup of falvation, and call upon the
name of the Lord : I will pay my vows un-
to the Lord, now in theprefence of all his peo-
ple : Lord, truly I am thy fervant, I am
thy fervant, and the fon of thy handmaid ;
thou hafl loofed my bonds. For a man that
hath a touch of the loving-kindnefs of
all we can, fiill we mufi fay. We are un-
profitable fervants, Luke xvii. 10,
2. All the duties of man, as they are
done by man, are, in that refpefl, finful.
AVhat is duty, but man's tye to that which
is due ? or, if we follow the Latins, what
is duty, but obedience commanded by God,
to be performed by man ? Now wherein
any thing is to be done as of man, therein
is fome mixture of fin : All our righte-
oupnefies is as filthy rags, as a menjlrous cloth,
Ifa. Ixiv. 6. How ? All our righteoujnejfes ?
Is it true, whilft a believer's heart is over-
caft with grofs vapours, and is more than
ordinarily dull in hearing, whilft it fties
* An ingenuous conftrtion of Dr. Crifp. an open adverfary of good works : fyme ti.atcxtollhim, may do well t.->
remember it. Ste Dr. Crifp's Afluiauce of Faitli.
low
164
\o\!r and llow in praying, and is fomewhat
ftiff, and untoward in farting above mea-
fure, fuch righteoufnefs goes ufually for
fin : but if a foul gets under full fail ; if
it be filled with a ftiffgale of the Spirit of
Chrift ; /if floods of meltings flow from it,
if it cry mightily, be fwift to hear, be greedy
in fuckingr in divine truths, and be fome-
what exacSi in obferving pra^lical righteous
means, to mourn, and pray fervently, being
helped by the Spirit herein : are fuch pray-
ers, mournings and other divine exercifes
in any fort finful ? yes, as there is fome
mixture of man's infirmity in them -.and in
our beft duties there is fome fuch mixture ;
for all our right e^fneffes is as filthy rags,
as menfirous cloths. I know who hath faid
it, and yet I know not wherein to contra-
dict it : * Chrirtians may difl;ingui(h be-
tween that which is the Spirit's, in works
after renovation, and the whole work af-
ter they have done it : now although the
motions and affifliance of the Spirit be pure,
holy, and without fcum in the fpring, to
wit, in itfelf ; yet, by that time thefe mo-
tions and affirtance have pafled through the
channels of their hearts, and have been
mixed with their manifold corruptions in
doing, even the whole work thereby be-
comes polluted t'. ^Vith him agreeth one
truly orthodox; faying, ' Albeit our good
works are perfect in refpe£l of the Spirit,'
from whom they firrt flow, yet are they
polluted, when they pafs from us, becaufe
they run through our corrupted hearts and
wills, as fair water runs through a dirty
channel X\ If this be fo,that our beft recom-
pence to Chrifl:, for his loves, be unprofi-
table to him, and finful, as done by man ;
what fliall I fay? how muft I carry, faith
the foul, to my Redeemer ?
Of DVT IE S in Gcmrol
SECT. III.
Of the Healing of Duties.
I Dare not difobey ; tho'all the duties in
the world are infufficientto recompenfe
thofe bowels of God's mercies in Chrifl, I
mufl not therefore caft away duties. It is
true, I cannot but fin in all I do, mybefl:
duties (nakedly and barely confidered in
themfelves) are tainted, poifoned, and
mingled with fin * : But will it follow,
that, becaufe I cannot be more clean, there-
fore I mufl be more filthy than needs? Nay,
O my foul, if thou art married to that
bridegroom Chrifl, duties and all things
elfe are clean to thee ; * The whole filth
and dung of our works, through faith in
Chrifl, is extradled by Chrifl, and he pre-
fenting the fame purged by himfelf alone,
they are accepted with God :' In this re-
fpe£V there is an healing of duties, if we be
in Chrifl. Certainly, that fruit which
Cometh from a root of faith, mufl needs
be good fruit ; I believe, therefore Ifpeaky
faith the Pfalmifl, Pfalm cxvi. lo. O my
foul, canfl thou fay thus ? I believe, there-
fore I pray ; I believe, therefore I fan6>ify
the Lord's day ; I believe, therefore I do
all duties of obedience : thy obedience then
is the fruit of paradife, for it grows on the
very tree of life. Chrifl is The Sun of
riphteoufnefs that arifeth with healing in
h^s -wings, Mai. iv. 2. Chrifl is that fun,
that by his heat of love extra61-s all the
filth of fin out of thy duties performed ;
and fo thy duties are healed, and the fpiri-
tual part of them being prefcnted by the
interceflion of Chrifl, and the carnal defe(f^s
covered by the righteoufnefs of Chrifl,
in whom the Father is always well pleafed.
^. I. Of the Manner of healing our Duties.
NOW the manner, O my foul, ho^r
Chrifl heals our duties, it is t>jus :
t Dr. Crifpin \<^% fcrmon on Philip, iii- «• A known aJvcrfavy to the pure do£\niie ofduiies.
\ Tukc's high-way to htavcn. • Dr. Crilp in his lamon m. Tialip. iv. 3.
I. He
Of DU T IE S in General
1. He takes our perfons, and carries
them into God the Father, hi a moft un-
perceivable way to us ; he knows, that if
our perfons be not firft accepted, our du-
ties cannot be accepted : Love me, and love
my duty ; hate me, and hate my duty. It
is true, that in the covenant of works, God
fir A accepted of the work, and then of the
perfon ; but in the covenant of grace, God
^Irfl: accepts of the perfon, and then of the
work : now therefore, that our works (our
duties) may be accepted, Chrifl; Jefus our
great High Prieft firil tnkes our perfons,
and carries thsm into the prefence of God
the Father. This was plainly fhadcwed
out to us by that of the high Prieft,
who went into the holy of holiej}, with
the tmmes of all the tribes upon his breaft^
Exod. xxviii. 29.
2. As Chrift takes our perfons, and car-
ries them in to God the Father : fo, when
we perform duty, he obferves what evil
or failing there is in that duty, and draws
it out before he prefents it to God the Fa-
ther : as a child that would prefent his fa-
ther with a pone, he goes into the garden,
and gathers flowers and weeds together ;
but coming to his mother, fhe p5cks out
the weeds, and binds up the flowers by
themfelves, and fo it is prefented to the
father. Thus we go to duty, and we ga-
ther [as it were] weeds and flowers toge-
ther, [i. e. fin and duty] but Chrift comes,
and picks out the weeds, [or fin] and fo
prefents nothing but flowers [or pure du-
ty] to God the Father : Who may abide
the day of his coming (faid the prophet of
Chrifl:, Mai. iii. 2, 3, 4.) and who fJmll
fland when he appear eth P for he is like a
refiner's fire, and like fuller's foap : and
he jhallfit as a refiner and purifier of fil-
ver, and Jhall purifie the fons of Levi, and
purge them as gold and filver, that they
may offer unto the Lord an offering in righ-
te-MfneJs ; then fljall the offerings of Judah
and Jertfatem he pleafant unto the Lord-.
Mark, Then Jhall their offerings be pleafant :
105
Then ? when ? when he had purged their
facrifices and their offerings. Thus it was
in the days of his flelh, and much more
now.
3. As Chrift takes away the iniquity of
our holy things, fo he obferves what good
there is in any of our duties, [not that there
can be any good in them, until his own
Spirit work it ; but, after he hath done fo,
he obferveth what good there is in thefe du-
ties] and with that he mingles his own
prayers, interceffions, and inc^nfe, [and
he had much need, becaufe tho' the good
put into thefe duties by hirnfelf was at firft
pure, as being derived from the Fountain of
purity ,yet thefe duties have contradled a fin-
ful mixture of imperfedlion, by running
through the channel of corrupt nature, that
is to fay, by our manner of performing
them] and prefents all as one work ming-
led together unto God the Father : And
another angel (viz. the angel of the cove-
riSnt) came and flood at the altar, having
a golden confer, and there was given to him
much Incenfe, that he Jhould offer it with
the prayers of all faints upon the golden al-
tar, which was before the throne : and the
fmoak of the incenfe which came with the
prayers of the faints, afcended up before
God, out of the angels hand, Rev . viii. 3, 4.
§.2. The Soul's ^eries in this Cafe.
^lefi, I . T F this be fo, O my foul, what
X. is thy cafe ? Are not moft of
thy duties performed with many failings,
infirmities, hardnefs of heart, ftraitnefs of
fpirit, diftra£ling thoughts ? and is there
any healing for fuch a duty as this ?
Anfw. O yes! For, i. In every duty
we perform, there are two things ; there is
the facrifice, and there is the obedience in
offering of the facrifice ; the faci ifice may
be imperfect, and yet our obedience in of-
fering the facrifice may be perfeiH: with
golpel perfeflion. 2. God deals with our
duties as with our perfons ; though he tind
a great deal of ungodlinefs in them, yet he
P im-
io6 Of DVT
imputes his righteoufnefs unto them, and
fo he juftifies our duties, which, in our
eyes, are moft ungodly. This indeed is a
wonder ; did we ever hear or read of any
feal, that, when it was fet upon the wax,
would change the wax into its own mettal ?
Or, did we ever hear or read of any ftamp,
that being fet upon brafs, it would change
the brafs into fllver ; or, being fet upon
filver, it woxald change the filver into gold ?
O, but when Chrifl: comes unto a duty,
and fets his own ftamp, and his own righ-
teoufnefs upon a duty, that which v/as
brafs before, *. e. full of failings and much
unrighteoiifnefs, he changes it into filver,
into gold : he only hath the philofopher's
Hone (as I may fo Tpeak) and all that Chrift
toucheth, it prefently turneth into gold ;
[that is,] he turns all our duties into gol-
den duties, and fo prefents them unto
the Father.
^{er. 2. ' Buthowfhould I know that
Chrirt thus takes my duties and heals them,
and mingles theni with his own incenfe,
and carries them in unto God the Father ?'
Anf-w. Confider, didft thou ever find a
fpiritual fire come down (as it were) upon
thy heart in duty, or after duty ? In the
time of the Old Teftament, if they offered
up a facrifice, and a material fire came
down from heaven, and burnt up the fa-
crifices to alhes, it was a certain teftimony
that the facrifice was accepted : now in the
times of the gofpel, we muft not expefl
material fire to come down upon our du-
ties : but hath the Lord at any time caufed
an inward and fpiritual fire to fall down
upon thy heart, warming thy fpirit in duty ?
there the Lord fpeaks thus much to thee,
That thy facrifice is turned into alhes,
and it is accepted by Jefus Chrifl:.
j^ver. 3. * O but whence comes this fire
now in thtfe gofpel times V
Anfvj. It ilfues from the blood and in-
tercelfions ofChrift cur great High Prieft i
it is the efficacy of his blood, and power
of his glorious intercelfion, that when thou
IKS in General.
feeleft any good in duties, doth that very
inftant prevail with God the Father for
what thou feeleft : Say then, * Do I now
in this ordinance, or in this duty, feel my
heart warmed, or favingly affefted ? O I
fee, I am bound to believe, that the Lord
Jefus who fits in glory at the right hand of
God, now, now he remembers me a poor
worm on earth ; now I feel the fruit of
his death, and interceflion in heaven ; now
I feel his fpirit, power, grace, comfort,
prefence, fweetnefs ; now I tafte, I drink,
I enjoy, and am abundantly fatisfied with
his rivers of pleafures : and if this prefence
ofChrift be fo fweet, what is himfclf then ?'
O my foul, if ever thou doll thus relifh
the blood and Spirit of Chrift upon thy
fpirit in duties, go thy way, and give glo-
ry to God.
SECT. IV.
No rejiing in Duties.
AND yet be warj^ O my foul : it was
Luther's laying, * Take heed not on-
ly of thy fins, but alfo of thy good duties;'
they are apt (by reafon of our corruption)
to bring men into themfelves, and this is
very dangerous. Certainly a man may not
only exclude Chrift from his foul by grofs
fins, but by felf-confidence ; Tou are they
ivho ju/tifie yourfelves, faid Chrift, to the
pharifees, Luke xvi. 15. Take a profane
man, what makes him drink, fwear, cozen,
game, whore ? Is there no God to punifh ?
Is there no hell hot enough to torment ?
Are there no plagues to confound him ?
Yes : "VVhy fins he then ? Oh ! he prays to
God for forgivenefs ; he forrows and re-
pents in fecret (as he faith) and this bears
him out in his lewd pranks. Take a mo-
ral man, he knows he hath his failings, and
his fins, as the beft have, and is overtaken
fometimes as the beft are ; why dotii he
not remove thefe fins then ? \V"hy is he not
more humbled under his fins ? the reafon
is, he conftantly obferves evening and
morning prayer, and then he craves for-
give^
Of DUr I E S in General J07
givenefs for failings, by which coiirfe he thy fins can be quenched by all thefe duties*
hopes to make his peace with God : and nor by any of thefe forrows or tears, f
hence he finncth without fear, and rifeth It was Auftin's faying, though it founds
out of his fall into fin without forrow; he har/h, * That repentance damns more thaa
maintains his fins by his duties. Take fin;' meaning, that thoufands did peridi
a profeflTor, fuch a one as may be exceed- by refting therein : It is not digging with-
ingly troubled about his fins, as endeavours in ourfelves, for power to leave fin, to be
very much after mourning, repenting, re- more holy, and humble, and religious, and
forming, and others commend him for a
diligent Chrifiian ; E>o you not Tee how
he mourns, and weeps, and prays ? and
now the wind Is over, the tcrapefl down,
and there is a great calm in iiis foul, how
comes he to this quiet ? Oh ! his a.riidH-
ons were enlarged, he hath reached fo high,
as to a very proportion of repentance, and
tears, and forrow, and fafting, etc. rnd
this hath given him eafe, this hath taken a-
way the burden, and laid his foul at reft ;
O poor foul, is this all the remedy lo rid
thee of the fling and guilt of fin ? Haft
thou no more pantings, but only after bit- 4ie3, if he never found it a hard raacter to
confcientious, and fo to think to vvork out
ourfelves in time out of this ftatc : the
words which the prophet putjnto Ifrael's
mouth, if they would iruly turn unto God,
were thefe, AJhur JhcAlmt fave us, iveiui/l
■>:ot ride upon korfts, Hof xiv. 3. q. d.
We v/ili truT: no more to thefe outwird
means, we will not fave ourfelves by our
graces, or abilities.
* But how fhall any man know thathe
refts in his duties ?'
I anfwer by thefe figns folIovv^ing:f:.
It is a fign that a man refis in his du-
tcrnefs, heavinefs, mourning, melting, ex-
traordinary enlargements ? Why then, let
me tell thee, all thy righteoufnefs, though
it were more perfedl than it is, is but as a fil-
thy rail, If^' l^iv- ^- Gouldft thou weep
thy heart out, fiiould thy heart melt like
come out of his dutlk:;s: examine, if thou
never yet faweft, if thou canft not tell the
time when thou didft reft in duties, and
then didft groan to be delivered from thefe
intunglements, thou haft juft caufe to fear.
2. It is a fign that a man refts in duties.
wax, diflblve into water: * Gouldft thou ifhe exceedingly prize the bare performance
defire and pray till heaven and earth (hook,
till thou hadft worn thy tongue to the
flumps : couldft thou faft till thy flcin and
bones cleave together; couldft thou pro-
mife and purpofe with full refolution to be
better ; couldft thou reform thy heart, head,
life, tongue, fomCy nay, all fins ; couldft
thou live like an angel, ftiine like a fun,
walk up and down the world like a diftref-
fed pilgrim ; couldft thou die ten thoufand
deaths, lie at the fire- back in hell fo many
millions of years as there be piles of grafs
on the earth, or fands on the fea-ftiore, or
ftars in heaven, or motes in the fun ; I tell
of duties ; thofe duties that carry thee out
of thyfelf unto Chrift, make thee to prize
Chrift : now tell me, doft thou glory in
thyfelf? Doft thou fay, ' Now I am fome-
body ? I was before ignorant, forgetful,
hard-hearted, but now I underftand better,
now I can forrow for my fins, I can pray
with fome life, now I have done very well.*
Alas poor foul ! if thou refteft here, if thou
thus inhanceft the price of duties, that thou
beginneft to dote on them, then do I pro-
nounce from God, * That thou doft reft
in duties:' Thefe things, faith Paul, I ac-
counted gain (i. e. before his converlion)
thee, not one fpark of God's wrath againft but now 1 account them lofs, Phil. iii. 8. This
f Shepherd's Sincere Convert.
P2
IS
ic8 Of DUTIES
is the rea(bn why a child of God common-
ly after his prayers doubts much of God's
love towards him ; whereas another man
that falls ftiort of him, never fo much as
queftions his eflate : the firft feeth much
rottenn^fsand vilenefsinhisbeftduties, and
fo adjudgeth meanly of himfeH; but the other
is ignorant of any fuch vilenefs, and there-
fore he prizeth and efleems highly of them,
3. It is a fig n that a man refls in his du-
ties, if he never came to be fenfible of their
poverty, and utter emptinefs of any good
in them. Didft thou never feel thyfelf in
this manner ? ' Oh I am as ignorant as a-
ny beafl-, as vile a^any devil ; what a neft
' and litter of fin and rebellion works in my
heart ? I once thought, at leaf}, my heart
- and dcfires were good, but now I feel no
fpiritual life; O dead heart, I am the poor-
elt, vileft, bafefl and blindeft creature that
ever lived !' If thou never feeleft thyfelf
thus, thou never cameft out of thy duties.
4. It is a fign that a man refts in his du-
ties, if he gain no evangelical righteoufnefs
by duties, /. e. if he prize not, defire not,
delight not in union with the Lord Jefus
Chrift ; hence a child of God aflcs himfelf
after fermon, after prayer, aftcrfacrament,
* What have I gained of Chrift ? Have I
got more knowledge of Chrift ? more ad-
miring of the Lord Jcfus Chrift ?' On the
contrary, a carnal heart, that refts in his
duties, alketh only, * What have I done ?'
/ thank Cod, faid the pharifee, / am not as
other men are ; I fnfi twice in the week.
J give tythes of all that IpoJJefs, Luke xviii.
IX, 12. So M pray, and hear, and reform,
and forrow for fin, therefore I think veri-
ly I (hall be faved ?' No fuch matter ; let
a man have a bucket of gold, doth he think
to get water, becaufc he hath a bucket; no,
nor he muft let it down into the well, and
draw up water with it : fo muft thou let
down all thy duties into the Lord Jefus
Chrift, and draw life, and light from his ful-
refs, otherwife, though thy duties be gol-
den duties, thouftialt perifli without Chrift.
in General.
SECT. V.
Of the Ufe and End of Duties.
AND canft thou not, O my foul, be
faved by thy duties? to what end
ftiouldeft thou pray, or hear, or forrow,
or repent, or meditate, or examine, or
confer ? I anfwer, There are many ends
and purpofes, for which Chriftians may,
and mi! ft perform duties.
1. Thar herein, and hereby, they may
exprefs their obedience to God's will : Be-
joice evermore, pray without ceajing, in
every thing give thanks, for this is the
will of Cod in Chrijl Jefus concerning
you, faith the apoftle, i Theft", v. 16, 17,
18. And this was the ground of David's
inference. Thou haft commanded us to keep
thy precepts diligently : and what then i
that my ways were directed to keep thy
Jlat'utes, Pial. cxix. 4, 5.
2. That God the Father of our Lord Je-
fus Chrift may be honoured by the per-
formance of thefe duties : Herein is jny Fa-
ther glorified, that you bear much fruity
John XV. 8. And as the apoftle, Te are a
chojen generation, a royal priefi-hood, an
holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye fijould
Poew forth the praifes of him who hath cal-
led you out of darknefs into his marvellous
light ; I Pet. ii. 9. Abraham believed, and
gave God glory : fo we ftiould pray, and
meditate, and hear, and all fhould tend to
the glory of God. Indeed, hypocrites aims
are at other ends, by giving ahns, and
praying, and fafting, that they may have
glory of men : That they may be feen of
men : that they may appear unto meny
Matth. vi. 2, 5, 16. But the child of God
aims at the glory of God. I confcfs 'tis
God's grace to account of man's duty as
his glory, feting it is fo deftifblve.
q. That duties may be as evidences of
God's everlafting love to them who are in
Chrift Jefus : They cannot fave, but they
let the foul into Chrift, and follow, and
accompany fuch a man as ftiall be faved.
* We hear of fome that boaftof joys, feel-
ing, gifts, fpirit, and grace ; f but if they
walk in the commifTion of any one fin, or
in the omiflion of any one known duty,
or in the flovenly ill-favoured performance
of duties, they can have no a durante (fay
what they pleafe) without flattering of
Of DV TIE S in General. 109
poftle, having promlfts of the life thai
now is, and of that -which is to come, I
Tim. iv. 8. There are many promifes
fcattered up and down in the word>
and hereby if God be not a debtor unto
thee, yet he is to himfelf, and to his owrv
themfelves :' If thcfe things he in you, faithfulnefs. Reddis debit a, nulli dcbens,
(faith Peter,) and abound, they will make cried Auflin ; * Thou Lord payefl: debts,
you that ye /hall neither be barren, or un- and owefl: to none; it was free for theebe-
fruitfulin the knowledge of our Lord Jefus
Chrif} : and he that lacketh thefe things is
blind : Wherefore, brethren, give diligence
to make your calling and election jure, 2
Pet. i. 8, 9, 10. Duties bring you in to
Chrift, and are evidences when you are
in Chrift, that the Lord and mercy is
yours, even as at the facrament, the ele-
ments of bread and wine are outward
figns to bring Chrift and the heart toge-
ther ; indeed the heart muft not reft in
thefe figns, but when the foul is let in to
Chrift, then faith muft let go the outward
elements, and clofe, and treat immediately
with the Lord Jefus Chrift. So grace and
duties are inward figns, and whiles men
make ufe of them only, as figns and
means to let them come in unto Chrift,
and their rejoicing is not in them, but in
Chrift ; their confidence is not pitcht u-
pon them, but upon Chrift ; there is and
will be no danger at all in making fuch ufe
of figns ; efpecially feeing in nature, the
eiFeft is a fign of the caufe : Neither is it
fore thouhadft promifed, whether to give
me heaven or no : But now the word is
out of thy mouth, I ufe duties as means,
tho' I adhereonly to thee, and to thy faith-
fulnefs, who haft promifed.' To prevent
mlftake, duties are confidered in a double
relation : i. As fervices, in refpect of the
command ; and 2. As means to obtain
blelllngs at God's hands in relation to his
promife. Now the moft in the world per-
form duties as acfts of obedience only, and
fo reft in the prefent performance ; but if
\ve do them in faith, we \ ftiall have an
eye to the promife, and look on duties as
means to obtain fome mercy ; yea, falvati-
on itfelf at God's hands, Phil. ii. 12. Rom»
X. 10, 2 Cor. vii. lo. i Pet. i. 9.
But is not this to be faved by duties ?
No fuch thing : for herein we fpeak not
of Duties originally, ox per fe, but inftru-
mentally, and with relation to the Lord
Jefus Chrift; not as meritorious caufes,
but as fubordinate means of our fali-ation:
in the name of Chrift. The beft of duties
more derogatory to free-grace,or to Chrift's carry not fuch luftre, beauty and energeti-
*■ '' ^ '' ' '^ ' -"^'^'^ cal virtue in their own faces and natures;
they are but mere empty pits, and dry
channelS)Ofthemfelves,though never focu-
riouflycut out, but Chrift fills them (and
as fome defire minifters to do) fo I ara
willing for my part to ' fay and exprefs
thus much of Chrift, that the people may
clearly underftand and remember fo much^
honour, for God to make fuch effeds figns
of our union with him, than it was to
make outward figns of his prefence : 'Tis
true thefe are not full teftimonies without
the Spirit of Chrift.
4. That they that ufe and exercife du-
ties may obtain the promiles : Godlinefs
is profitable unto all things, faith the a-
\ Shepherd's Sincere Convert. J Certainly duties are not only as figns, but they are means. waysanJ qualifi-
cations, which Godliath appointed antecedcmiy to grace and falvation ; Tho' fiiU we fay ihcy have no merit or
condignity in them to pui chafe falvation, yet they are ufed as means whereby heaven is obtaii.ed. Bunci oixViC true
dodtrine of jullificatioD,
2.1 d
no Of D U T I E S in General
and be guiJcd explicltely to the fountain my delight, Pf. xvi. 2, 3
itfelf, Chrift alone. 4.
5. That thefe duties may turn to our
comfort : not fo, as to put confidence in
them, to take comfort from them as a
caufe ; that cannot be, for who can look
upon' any thing he doth with tliat bold-
Jerom faid of
Auftin, * That he loved Chrift dwelling in
Auflin ; fo ought we to walk, that others
may love Chrift dwelling in us. There's
an exhortation to wives, fo to lualk that
their hxjhands r.iay be won to the Lord^
I Pet. iii. I. ' Sweet foul! itmay bethou
refs i* but as the teflimony of God's eter- prayed for thy hulband, in a carnal con-
ral love to us. Thus Hezekiah, not as a dition,thou dcfireit him to go to hear fuch
proud pharifee, but as a thankful acknow- a minifter, fuch a fermon ; goon in thtfe
ledger of what was in him, prayed, I be- duties, adding, this to the reft, fee that thy
feech thee, Lord, remember ::ie, hovj I life alfo may convert him.'
have walked before thee in truth, and \iith 7 . That duties may carry us to the Lord
a per feci heart, and have done that which Jefu's, the only Saviour ; he alone is able
is good in thy fight, 2 Kings xx. 3. Some
fuppofe, ' That*fuch a temptation as this
might fall on Hezekiah, that when he had
laboured to demolifh all thofe fuperftiti-
ons, and now became dangeroufly fick,
that he had not done well ; and therefore
he comforts himfelf in his heart, that he
did thofe things with a perfect heart, not
abfolutely, but comparatively perfeft :' we
may therefore take comfort from duties.
to favc theta to the uttermofi that come
unto God by him, Hcb. vii. 25. /. e. in
the ufe o; the means : hear a fermon to
carry thee to the Lord Jcfus : fa ft and
pray, and get a full tide of affections in
them, ' to carry thee to the Lord Jefus
Chriif, /. e. to get more love of him, more
acquaintance with him , more union in
him, and communion with him; ufe thy
duties, as Noah's dove did her wings, to
not fo as to reft in them, but foas to praife carry thee to the ark of the Lord Jefus
God thereby. 'Tis a good way, nefciendo
fcire, in not knowing to know, that fo we
may praife God for them ; and fciendo ne-
fcire, in knowing, not to know, that fo we
may be humble in ourfelves.
6. That others might receive good, and
thereby be occafioned to glorifie God :
Theft things are good, and profitable to men.
Chrift, where only there is reft : if Ihe had
never ufed her wings, fhe had fallen in the
waters; and if flie had not returned to
the ark, fhe had found no reft : fo, if thou
fhalt ufe no duties, but caft them all off,
thou art fure to periih ; and if they con-
vey thee not to Chrift, thou mayeft lie
down in forrow : Or as it is with a poor
faith theapoftle, Tit. iii. 8. and. Let your man, that is to get over a great water for
light fo flnne before men, that they may a treafure on the other fide, tho' he can-
fee your good works, and glorifie your Fa- not fetch the boat, he calls for it, and ufeth
iher who is in heaven, Matth. v. 16. it to carry him over to the ticalure : fo
Chrift doth not here encourage vain-glory, Chrift is in heaven, and thou on earth, he
but he propounds the true end of our vi- doth not come to thee, and thou canft not
fible holinefs; for godlinefs being light, it get to him, now call for a boat; though
ought not, in fuitable duties, to be hid un- there is no grace, no good, no falvation
<ler a bufliel : My goodnefs extendeth not in a pithlefs duty, yet ufe it to carry thee
t4nto ihee, but to the faints that are in the over to the treafure. The Lord' Jefus
earth, and to the excellent, in whotn is all Chrift: when thou comeft to hear, fay,
;} Dr. Crifp on Phil. iii. 8.
• Shcplierd'sSinccic G>nvcrC.
Have
Of DV T I E S in General
' Have over. Lord, by this fermon ;' when
thou comeft to pray, fay, ' Have over,
Lord, by this prayer to a Saviour :' but
this is the mifery of people, like foolifh
lovers, when they are to woo for the lady,
they fall in love with her handniaid,that is
only to lead them to her: fo men fall in love
with and dote upon their own duties, and
reft contented with the naked performance
of them, which are only hand-maids, to
lead the fovil unto the Lord Jefus Chrift.
8. That the Lord Chrift may be exalted,
and advanced by duties. The main end
of duties, is the glory of him who hath
redeemed us with the price of his blood,
and the power of his Spirit ; this fets the
crown on his head : Behold king Solomont
-with the croivn, ivhereivith his mother
crowned him, Cant. iii. n. How many
perform duties, not to fet the crown on
Chrift's head, but to fet the crown on
their own heads ? So do hypocrites, that
feek their own praife, and credit and pro-
fit ; fo do all, efpecially that do any thing
with a conceit of meriting at God's hands.
Now this is the main end of right obedi-
ence, that the crown may be let on Chrift's
head, that he who is king of faints, may
have the honour given him, due to his
kingly office. In this refpe<5l, I cannot
blame tncm who blame others, for crying
up, and magnifying mah's works in their
own name. To fay. That Chrift is always
fuppofed as principal, is no fufficient apo-
logy : for why only fuppofed ? M'hy not
he named, as well as duties and righteouf-
nefs ? Certainly, it is not good manners,
to fay no worfe, to forget him, while his
poor inftruments are fo highly remem-
bred. When fervants bring prefents from
their mafters to any, they do not fay, * I
beftow fuch and fuch a thing on you,' but,
* My mafter fends it you;' if he fliould
take it on himfelf, he fliould go for an ar-
III
rogant fellow : nor will it falve the matter,
when he is taxed for fuch arrogancy, to
fay, ' My mafter fliould have been fup-
pofed,' when he gave no hint of him.
* Methinks it were comely (faith the Au-
thor * rightly in this) in extolling of man's
righteoufnefs, explicitely to afci ibe all the
praife to the glory of Chrift, and his grace :'
* and I fee not (faith f another ingenioufly)
but that minifters may be humbledjthat they
have prefted religious duties, but not fo as
to fet up Chrift : and hereby people have
been content with duties, and facraments,.
tho' no Chrift in them, but asvelfels were
to be of pure gold in the temple, fo ought
all our duties to be of pure and mere Chrift
for acceptation.' Again, * if Bernard faid^
* He did not love to read Tull}^ becaufe he
could not read the name of Chrift there;
how much rather may we fay. That in ma-
ny fermons, in many a man's miniftry, the
drift and end of all his preaching is not,
th1\t Chrift may be advanced.' And again,.
* Let Chrift be the matter of our righte-
oufnefs and comfort, more than he hath
been ; you know the pofts that were not
fprinkled with blood, were fure to be de-
ftroyed, and fo are all thofe perfons and
duties that have not Chrift upon them.
How fweet is the harmony of diflenting
brethren? Methinks, I would not lofe a
ftired of that gold which both authors (fo
ftrongly my heart beats and pants after
unity) -give out to be weight in the bal-
lance of the fanftuary : it is obferved by
the former, That when the church grew
into credit, then, Religio peperit divTtias^
et filia devoravit matrem |; I as truly fay,.
Chrijius peperit jujtitianiy et filia dcvora^
vit 7natrevi § : juft as if a king ftiould pra-
mote a favourite, and then he Ihould be
fo applauded for his ufefulnefs to the fub-
je6ls, that the king muft be dethroned, and
he crowned in his place. Inallexigences>.
* Dr. Ciifpon Phil. ili. 8. + Mr. Bulges Vuid'iciae le^n. \ Ihatls, Religion bruiij;lu forth ncl>es, rn.l riches
[the daughreij dtvd.rcd her mother [Religion]. § Thai a, ChrUl broujit fortii lightcouOicfs, and ji^l.tcoulh.-fs a-
bulcd Clirlll, who gave it being,
waiitft
I 12
Of DUTI E S in General,
v-nnts and cxtremlt'ies, how few followers
harh Cbiift himfelf? how rarely are men
f(nt to fiiclter themfelves tinder the ftia-
dow of his whigs ? In the mean while,
what hideous. outcrys for prayers, m.our-
nings, faftings, <bc. to help men at a dead
lift ? What fending and pofling to them
in extremities, as if they kept a court by
themfelves ? For Chrift is feldom heard of,
at Icaft not fet upfohighastodoall; and
that this righteoufnefs is but merely his
minllhing fervant : what the apoftle faid
of himfelf, I may as truly fay of the beft
righteoufnefs bed affifled, 11^ hat is prayer,
mourning, jajliug, hearings hut ryiinijlers
by whom ye beli9ved, and received mer-
cy ? i Cor. iii. 5. And if but as minifters
at heft, fliall they be greater than the
" Lord ? Let me not be miftaken, * I intend
no derogation to righteoufnefs, but the
bringing of it into its own place, namely
that it is to be ufed as that, where accord-
. ing to Chrift's dire^ions we may meet
with him, from whofe hands alone we
may expe£l whatever we pant after, ac-
cording to his will; referving a fubmif-
Hon to be difpofed of otherwiie, if he fee
fit.' X Again, ' It is not the fpiritual-
nefs, nor the fervency in the performance
of duties that carries it, but when duties
are performed as to the Lord, and for the
Lord, and not to and for ourfelves.' O
my foul, in refpeft of all thefe ends, ufe
and exercife duties, and be fure of Chrifl
in all, above all, more than all. O let
Chrift have the crown fet on his head, give
him all the glory. Caft not away duties,
but cafl them down at the feet of Jefus
Chrifl, as the twenty four elders cafl: their
crowns, faying, Thou art -worthy, Lord^
to receive glory , and honour, and power :
for thou haft created all things, (all duties)
and for thy pleafure they are and were
created, Rev.iv. 11.
SECT. VI.
Of the Saints akiliiieSf or power to do
duties.
Objea. '"OUT alas, howfhould I per-
JJ3 form my duty ? by nature
I am dead, and except God give me an
heart and flrength, what can I do ? PfaL
Ixxvii. 10. There is no power in my
hands, I am nothing in myfelf, and there-
fore till God come, or naked Chrifl come,
I will fit down in difcouragements ; let
God do all, I fee I have no ability at all,etc.'
J)jfw. What fayft thou, O my foul?
furely this is thine infirmity; thefe con-
clufions are ill dravv'n from a true princi-
ple; it is true, all is of God, and by na-
ture I am dead : but it is ill urged in this
cafe, for that the regenerate have in them
a feed, a fpiritual principle, a power to do
good ; I . Becaufe fuch are living, and all
life is a power to a£V. 2. Elfe there is no
fpecifical difference betwixt a man, rege-
nerate and unregenerate, if both were ftill
dead, and without flrength. 3. Grace is
a renewing of that image of Cod and ho'
linefs, which we loft in Adam, Eph. iv.
24. But that was a power to do what God
required, therefore fo far as that image is
repaired, fo far there is power. 4, Elfe
we fhould not have as much benefit by
the fecond Adam, as we had by the lirfi: ;
for the firft would have communicated his
power to do good, and being corrupted,
doth communicate power to do fin ; there-
fore much more by Chrifl have we a life, a
power to do good in our meafure.
Ohj. It may be objefted, Without me ye
can do nothing.
Sol. The meaning is, * Except ye be
implanted into me, ye can do nothing;'
The word {choris cmou, without me) figni-
fieth, Separate from me, or apart from
me ; and intimateth this only, * That till
Dr. Crilp on Phil. iii. 8.
we
Of DUTIES
^e are knit unto Chrift, we are but dead
and barren branches;' and fo Chrift ex-
plains himfelf, y^s the branch cannot bring
forth fruit of it/elf , except it abide in the
vine, ffi more can ye, except ye abide in
me, John xv. 4.
Obj. It may be objefted again, ' It is
God that worketh both to will and to do
of his good pleafure.'
Sot. This denies not that the faints have
in them, ' A ktA, a fpring, a principle of
life, a power;' but on the contrary, it af-
firms. That they have a power, only that
/*/; General. 113
hearts, by our underftandings ; as the flrik-
ing of the flint and flee! together bcgetteth
fire, fo the meeting of thefe two faculties
having an internal life in them, do quick-
en the foul. Thus we fee David pleading
with himfelf, fometimes chiding, IVhy art
thou coj} doivn, my foul, and why art thou
difquieted -within me? Pfal. xlii.5. Some-
times exciting himfelf to duty, Praife the
Lord my foul, and all that is ivithin me
praiTe his holy name, Pfal. ciii. i. Some-
times comforting himfelf in God, Return to
thy refi my foul, for God hath dealt howt-
this power is of God; we ftiould work -^//«//)/ ay*//; /^c^-y Pfal. cxvi. 7. It was an
' ' " ufual thing for him to talk with himfelf,
and he found fo much good in this way,
that he puts all upon it. Commune 'with
your ovjn hearts u^on your beds, and be
flill, Pfal. iv. 4. The underftanding is to
the heart, as the flomach to the body, all
is fed by it: fet therefore upon our hearts
>yith quickening thoughts : for as rub-
bing and chafing the hands with hot oiis,
is a means to recover them when they are
benumbed ; fo the plying of the heart
with flirring thoughts, and enforcing ar-
guments is a means to revive it : and a-
mongft all thoughts, there are none more
prevalent, than ' of lins paft, of heaven,
hell, eternity, love of Chrift ;' thefe are
ftrong cordials to chear up the fpirits.
2. To fall on the duty; for if we be
doing, he will work * with us, in us, and
for us. Is it thus, O my foul, that thy
heart is ftirred, rouzed, revived •' then fet
to thy hands : idle beggars muft be whip-
ped ; he that will not work muft not eat ;*
Remember, we have a life in us if we be in
Chrift : and as we have a life, fo there is a
never-faiiing prefence of the Spirit, to at-
tend that power which we have: if then
we put forth ourfelves to that we are able,
and as far as our power extends, God will
draw near to us. It is true, that which we
want is cut of our reach, we are not able
to make crookc d things to become ftraight,
to lay thofe fwelling mountains of cor-
Q, ruptioa
out our falvation in humility, not boaft
ing in our own felves, for all is received
of God : more fully, God is faid To -work
the will and the deed; 1. By giving a
principle of fpiritual life, habitual grace,
a renewed frame of heart. 2. By exciting
and ftrengthening this g' ace ; and both
thefe are ever afforded to the faints, only
the latter is more or lefs, according to
his pleafure; fo that in the worft times
a believer hath power to do good, though
not alike at all times; and this power
we muft ufe, and put forth ourfelves as
we are able, or we cannot with reafon ex-
pert his help. A Ihip hath inftruments of
motion, though not an internal principle,
and if the mariner would have help by the
winds, he muft loofe his cables, and hoife
his fails ; fo muft we, or elfe we may lie
ftill.
Now that which we are to do, is,
I. To ftir up ourfelves; for God hath
promifed to meet us, and to reach out his
hand to help us, if we be not wanting to
ourfelves : it is certain, a godly man can-
not by his own endeavours alone raile up
his foul, nor recover his lofs, though he
(liould lay mountain upon mountain, and
pile endeavours upon endeavours ; yet as
endeavours without God cannot, fo God
without endeavours will not htip us here-
in; and therefore labour we lo quicken
ourlelves, i. e. work we upon our own
1 14 Of DUTIES
ropiion level, but yet we muft fet to the
work ; Jolliua could not with the ftrength
of Rams horns founding cajl down the
ivalls of Jericho, but yet he muft fet up-
on the work : when the Midianites fall,
there muft be, The pivord of the Lord, and
Gideon, Judg. vH. 18. The father holdeth
an apple to the child, the child cannot
reach, yet his (hort arm mud be put forth,
and then the father whofe arm is long e-
nough will reach it to him ; we mufl be
doing, and yet when ail is done, our hearts
mufl learn habitually to fay, Not /, but
Chrift in me : let us flill intereft Chrift in
all we do, as the efficient, final caufe.
in General,
SECT. VII.
Cf the faints delights in duties.
MT yoke is eary,and my burden is light,
faith Chrill:, Matth. xi. 30. And
that which makes it fo, is, The delights
■which the faints have in God's fervice:
Pfal. cxix. 14. / have delighted in the
•way of thy teflimonies, faith David : /
have ? V. 1 6. yes, and I xvill delight in
thy Jlaiutes, v. 24. J ivill ? yes, and /^_y
tefiimonies are my delight : they are ? yes,
and V. 47. My delight fh all be in thy com-
mandments : they Jlmll be ? how long ? e-
ven to perpetuity iifelf J V. 117. 1 ivill de-
liaht continually in thy fiatutes. Thefe are
the firings David beats upon, and they
make heavenly mufick: mullck even chear-
ing him in the midfl of his for rows; v.
143. Trouble and angui^j are upon me, yet
are thy commandments my delight ; and v.
02. Unlefs thy law had been my delight, I
fhould have perijhed in tny affli^ion.
Now the reafon why God's people find
fuch delight in duties, is, i. Becaufe in
duties they come to fee the face of God in
Chrill: htnce duties are called, The face
cr prejence of God; the worfliip of the
Jews was called, //;; appearing before God,
£xod. xxiii. 17. David breathes out his
defires in the fame exprefTion, When Jljall
J come and appear before God^ Pf. ^lii, 2.
The queen of Sheba counted It a high fa-
vour to ftand before Solomon • what high
favour then is this to fland before Jefus
Chrift, and to hear Wifdomitfelf fpeak to
our fouls? 2. Becaufe in duties they have
converfes, and communion with God, who
is the God of all confolation ; and with
the Spirit of God, who is called the com-
forter : now as a man that walks aitiongfl
perfumes, muft needs fmell of the per-
fume; fo they that converfe with the God
of all joy, muft needs be filled with all joy :
and therefore David calls God, His ex-
ceeding joy, Pfal. xliii. 4. The faints look
upon duties (the word, facraments, pray-
ers, be.') as bridges to give them a pafTage
to God, as boats to carry them into the
bofom of Chrift, as means to bring them
into more intimate communion with their
heavenly Father, and therefore they are fo
much taken with them. When they go to
the word, they go as one goes to hear news
of a friend ; when they go to pray, they
go to talk with a friend ; when they go to
read, they go to read a letter from a friend;
when they go to receive, they go to fup
with a friend; they look upon duties and
ordinances, as thofe things whereby they
have to do with God and Chrift, and there-
fore are duties fo precious. Indeed, to
them who have to do with nothing but du-
ty in duty, but prayer in prayer, but hear-
ing in hearing, to them duties are dead and
dry, and fpiritlefs things; but they that
have to do "with God and Chrift in duty, to
them duties are pafTing fweet and preci-
ous. This fecms a riddle to unregenerate
men, they wonder what the faints find in
duties, where the fweetnefs, what the com-
fort is, what fecret golden mines they find
in thefe diggings, when themfelvesfind no-
thing but burdenfome ftones and claylr
oh the faints meet with Chrift in duties,
and therefore they cannot but find great
treafure: David's foul was athirft, not
for a kingdom, but /or God, for tbe liv-
ing Cod, Pfal. xlii. 2. It is the highefl re-
ward^
Of DUTIE S
ward, the very wages which the faints look
for in duti'es, to find God in them ; BleJJed
is the man luhom thou choofeft, and caufefi
to approach unto thee, that he may dive II
in thy courts : ivejhall be fatisfied ivith the
goodnefs of thy houfe, even of thy holy tem-
ple, Pfal. Ixv. 4.
A good caveat in thefe days, when fo
many do cry down duties: what, my bre-
thren, (hall we look upon that as our bur-
den, which is our delight ? our bondage,
which is our privilege ? what is the hap-
pinefs of a glorified faint, but that he is
always under the line of love, ever in the
contemplation of, and converfes with
God? and fhall that be thought our bur-
then here, which is our glory hereafter?
Take heed of thisj take heed you do not
think it an hell, a pain, a vexation to be
in God-approaching, and Chrift-meeting
duties. I know wearinefs may be upon
the flefh, there are weaknefTes and dif-
tempers there, but chide rhem away, en-
tertain them not; number it among your
choicefl privileges, comforts, delights, to
converfe with God in Chrift; confider if
there be an heaven, it is the very prefence
of this God in Chrifl. Hence they who
meet with God in duty, nfually find their
hearts fweetly refrelhed, as if heaven were
in them, For in thy prefence there is ful-
nefs of joy, and at thy right hand are pie a-
fures for evermore, Pfal. xvi. ii.
Objed. I . But if there be fuch delight
in duties, what is the reafon that wicked
men account it a wearifomnefs, and bur-
then, and fnuff atit : beholdy what a 'wea-
rinefs is ity and ye havejnuffed at it, faith
the Lord, Mai. i. 13.
Anf-w. A wicked man cannot delight in
God's fervice, becaufe it is above his capa-
city : whiles he is at duty, he is like a fifh
out of his element; the duty is heavenly
and fpiritual, but he is worldly and natu-
ral, no wonder therefore he delights not in
it. But more particularly, a wicked man
delights not in duties,
tfi General . u^
1 . Bccaufe of his ignorance of the worth
and excellencies of duties, he cannot pof-
ftbly delight in what he knows not: fo
much as we know, fo much we defire and
delight, and no more.
2. Becaufe of his infidelity: faith is the
main organ of comfort, and therefore no
wonder, as it was faid of the Jews, if the
ivord preached do r.ct profit him, not being
mixed "with faith in him that heard it.
3. Becaufe of the abfence of the all fee-
ing and quickening Spirit: It is the Spirit
that quickeneth, the flefh profiteth nothing;
the 'words that 1 fpeak to you arefpirit and
life, John vi. 63. As the body is dead
without thefpiritjfo duties, withoxu Chrift's
quickening Spirit, are dead and lifelefs.
Objed. 2. But if there be fuch delight
in duties, what is the reafon that the faints
themfelves do mifs of their comforts in
duties?
^ Anfw. I anfwer, i . There are none of
God's people but they do, fometimes or
other, find comfort, either in duties, or
from duties. 2, If at any time they mifs
of comfort, it is becaufe they do not meet
with God, whom they came to converfe
withal : as when a man goes to meet with
a friend, and meets him not, he comes a-
way fadded in his fpirit; fo when a child
of God comes to fome duty, hoping to
enjoy fweet communion with God in ir,
and then fails of his expecflation, thismufl
needs fill him full of fadnefs. It was an
excellent fpeech of Bernard, Nunquam abs
te recedo Domine, fine te; I never go from
Cod 'without Cod. Happy Chrillian, that
when he goes «ro converfe with God In
fome duty, can fay, ' I never go from
God without God: I never go to God,
but I meet with God ; and I never go from
God, but I carry God with me.'
0bje6i. 3. But if no comfort, no delight
without God in our duties, M'hat then is
my cafe, that have no fenfe, no feeling of
God's prefence in duties ? When I have
done
0.2
II6
done all I can, methlnks T cannot find God,
I cannot meet with Chrill.
Jnfw. I anfwer, Haft thou indeed no
fcnfe of God's prefence, and yet haft thou
a fenfe of God's want? It is good then to
obferve the different effects of God's pre-
fence, or elfe thou mayeft wrong God, as
well as thyfelf; to fay he was not with thee,
when yet he was: As, i. There are mani-
feft and evident fruits of God's prefence in
duties: as, much liberty of fpirit, much
joy, much peace, afturance of faith. 2.
There are more inward and referved fruits
of his prefence; as, fenfe of want, forrow
for want, defire of enjoyment, willingnefs
unto further duties^^to^nd that which we
want in fome other : In the former, God
is with us, and we know he is with us; in
"the latter God is with us, and we know
not fo much : This was the cafe of the two
difciples going to Emmaus, Their eyes were
holden, that they could not knoiv Chrifty
Luke xHiv. i6. y6t afterwards when they
did know him, they remembred, that they
had fufficient evidence of his prefence, even
when they knew him not. Did not our
hearts burn within us, -while he talked "with
us by the way, and opened to us the fcrip-
tures? Luke xxiv. 32. Now whence was
that fire, but from the Spirit of Chrift con-
veyed in his word ?
Objed. 4. But what is the reafon that
God's people do fometimes mifs of God's
comfortable prefence in duties?
Anfw. I anfwer, They mifs of God's
comfortable prefence, i. Becaufe, it may
be, they bring not at all Velfels to hold the
Confolations of God; I mean, no hunger
after God's prefence in the ordinance : Or,
1. Becaufe they bring VefTels fo little, and
fo narrow-mouthed, that they will hold but
very lit tie water; I mean, they bring fo little
hunger after God, that God will not vouch-
fafe to fatisfy it: Or, 3. Becaufe they bring
their ordinary hearts, their carnal and
worldly hearts to heavenly and fpiritual
duties, hearts unfuitable to the duties.
OfDUriES in General
hearts infenfible of the duties : Thus a
man finds no fweetnefs in his meat ; the
reafon is not, becaufe his meat is unfavou-
ry, but becaufe his tafte is diftempered ;
the ordinances are fometimes fweet, and
would always be fo, were the foul's pa-
late always in the fame temper: Or, 4. Be-
caufe there is fome Achan unftoncd, fome
fin unrepented of, that eclipfeth the light
of God's countenance, fome fpiritual ob-
ftru£\ions; thefe, and fuch like are the cau-
fes, why the faints fometimes mifs of iheir
comforts. But the fault is never in the
duty, which is brim-full of rare and ravifh-
ing comfort; that as Bernard relates the
ftory of himfelf ; Beatum me praedicarewj
etc. Sed rara hora, brevii mora, oh Ji du'
raret : * Sometimes when he went to his
prayers, he found himfelf dull and heavy;
but after he had ftruggled a while with his
dulnefs, all on a fudden he was vifited with
the vifitations of the Almighty : I fhould
account myfelf happy, faid he, if thefe. vi-
fitations would always laft; but oh, it con-
tinues but a while!*
And Auftin relates this ftory of himfelf ,
* That upon a time when he and his mo-
ther Monica were difcourfing together a-
bout the joys of heaven, and the comforts
of God's Spirit, they were fo filled with
joy, that Auftin ufeth thefe words, ^/am
mundui eviluit cum omnibus Juis dele£lati'
onibus ; ' Lord, thou knoweft in that day,
how vilely we did efteem of the world with
all his delights.' The comforts of the world
are not worthy to be named that day that
we fpeak of thefe comforts : O the pure, the
iindefiled comforts and delights that are to
be foxmd in duties, when God is found in
them ; Can a man who is cold, come to the
fire, and not be warmed ? Can he that is
in the dark, come into tlie open fun, and
not be enlightened ? God is the fpring of
comfort, and therefore furely our hearts
will be comforted, if ws meet with God in
our duties.
SECT.
Of
SECT. VIII.
Of the ejfintial Requijites in Duties.
BUT what are they we call duties ? or
what are thofe eflential Requifites (O
my fovil) in duties? Many by duties intend
nothing but that which is external and fen-
fible, as coming to the church, and receive
ing of facraments, etc.
I anfwer, Thefe are like clothes upon a
dead man, that cannot warm him, becaiife
there is no life within : The foul of all du-
ties Is that which is internal, or effential ;
In which refpe^ three ingredients are ne-
cedary, viz. That they be, i. From God.
2. Through God. 3. To God.
1. From God : It is of the very elTence
of duty, that it be commanded by God.
Hence in one chapter we read thirteen fe-
veral times, I am the Lord, Lev. xix. q. d.
fuch and fuch commands I enjoyn you :
Would you know the grounds .-' / am the
Lord, a God of fovereign power and autho-
rity, and my will it is that fuch duties be
done. Look to this, O my foul, in thy duties,
know the commands, and do them, becaufe
they are commanded : If thou doft them,
and yet knoweft not that God commands
them, this is no true obedience; or if thou
knoweft they are commanded, but yet dofl:
them not becaufe they are commanded, or
in confcience to his command, neither is
this obedience to God. In all duties rightly
performed, there mufl: be a knowledge of,
and an eye to the will of our God, Rona.
xii. 2. Eph. V. 17.
2. Through God,, /. e. i. Through the
Spirit, who doth fpiritualize them. 2.
Through Chrill who prefents them, and
makes them acceptable to God.
(i.) Through the Spirit of God: Now
the Spirit works on our fpirits, ftirs up the
regenerate part to the perfoimance pt our
duties : and therefore look how much there
is of the inner man, of the regenerate
part, of the holy Spirit in duty, io far it
is fanif^ified, fo far it is accepted, and no
D U T I E S in General, i \y
further. God is my ivitne/s, faith Paul,
whom Iferve ivith my fpirit, in the go/pel
of his Son : In every fervlce we perform,
our fpirit ftirred up by God's Spirit, mufk
needs have a hand in it, or it is but the
body and carcafe of a right fervice : The
foul, will, and affections, muft go toge-
ther with our duties, (that I mean by our
fpirit) or the vitals are wanting. Ex. Gr.
If a man come to confefs his fins, and yet
flights them inwardly in his heart; if a man
pray for reconciliation with God, and yet
have no longing, and fighing in his heart
after it ; if he earneftly afk grace, or the
Spirit of mortification, and yet his heart
doth not inwardly feek it, now he prays
not in the Spirit, and therefore God will
not accept it ; For God is a Spirit, and they
that ivorPnp him, mufl worfhip him infpi'
rit, and in truth, John iv. 24. In fpirit,,
i. e. not only in the underftanding and
mind, (prayer is not a work of wit or of
memory) but alfo in will and affecflions ;
when all within us is opened, and expli-
cate, and expofed to the view of the Lord ;
when we call in all our thoughts and affec-
tions, and recolleft them together, as the
lines in the center, or as the fun-beams in
a burning-glafs, that makes prayer to be
hot and fervent ; whereas otherwife, it is
but a cold and diffipating thing, that hath
no ftrength nor efficacy in it.
^efl. If this fpiritualnefs in duties be fo
neceffary, how is it that the faints have fo
much of earth and fleih ordinarily in their
duties?
Anfw. I anfwer, In every regenerate
man there is both flefli and fpirit ; It may
be the fle(h lies uppermoft,. and the fpirit
lies in the bottom, fo that a man, thougb
a faint, may hear carnally, receive carnally,,
pray carnally, that is, when the fleAi hath
gotten upper-hand, as in fome fits it may,
when the mind is filled with worldly for-
row, worldly rejoicing, and worldly de-
fires; fuch duties the Lord regards not, be
the man never fo holy: but il the regene-
rate
ti8 OfDUriESinGenerah
rate part be a^Ved and ftlrred up by God's
Spirit, and tlie fledi, that always hinders,
be removed by the lame Spirit, then are
the faints able to do their duties to God in
Chrifl: Jcfus fpiritually.
2. Tiirough Chrift : For Chrift perFccfl:?,
perfumes, and prcfents our duties to his
heavenly Father: as duties come from us,
they favour of flefli, but the Angel of the
covenant wingleth much incenfe ivith them,
and fo he offers them upon the golden altar
-ivhich is before the throne. Rev. viii. 3.
Here is fweet comfort, O my foul, * What
though thy duties are weak, and cold, and
confufed, full of diftempers and damps ?
yet, through ChriTl they are fortified, and
enlivened with his pacifying perfe6\ion, and
intercefTory Spirit: Through Ch rift they
nre perfumed with the precious odours of
his freQi bleeding merits, and bleffed me-
diation, and fo they are made acceptable
to God, that he may receive them, that he
may not refufe and reje6\ them.
Obferve here, a double interceftbr:
One is the Spirit, that helps our infir-
njities.
The other is Chrift, that makes them
acceptable to God.
3. To God; /. e. to fet forth his glory,
and free grace; for as his name is blaf-
phemed when we walk in wickednefs, fo
it is glorified in doing our duties : this is
the end of all our duties, indeed of all our
doings; Whether ye eat, or drink, or ivhat-
fotver ye do, do all to the glory of God,
I Cor. X. 31. One duty fandtifying Chrift
and free-grace in the heart, is more than a
thoufand. Young Ghriftians it may be do
more works, but not as works of grace;
the more evangelical our works are, and
the more to God, (for that is the end of
the gofpel, to honour Chrift and free-grace)
the better they are : IVe are the circumci-
fion, who rejoice in the Lord Jefus, ivor-
jlnp God in the Spirit, and have no confi-
dence in thejkjh, Phil. iii. 3.
SECT. IX.
Of the Kinds of Duties in fever alDivi (torn.
THESE duties, fome have diftribut-
cd, according to their fevci al obje<fts.
Cod, our Neighbour, and ourfelves : i.
The Lord claims our Love, Fear, Honour,
and Obedience. 2. Our iMeighbour claims
our Duty, Gourtefy, Bounty. And for
ourfelves, we m\ift, 1, Inftruft the Un-
derftanding: 2. Bridle the "Will : 3. Mo-
derate the Affeftions. Others, in Retri-
bution to Chrift, give us another fcheme
of fuch duties, as they call mere gofpel-
duties. So it is our duty, \ . To think and
mufe much on Chrift, and upon his loves
towards us. 2. To fpeak much of Chrift,
and to commend him to others: When
the fpoufe was afked, What her Beloved was
above others? Cant. v. 9, 16. ftie fets him
forth in every part of him, and concludes
with this, He is altogether lovely. 3. 1 o
be oft in the company of Chrift, and to
grow up thereby in a familiar acquaintance
with him. Now Chrift is with us here,
but thefe two ways, cither, in his ordinan-
ces, or, his providences, by his holy Spirit:
fo that to be oft in Chrift's company, is
to be much in his word, in prayer, in fa-
craments, in Chriflian communion, in me-
ditation, in examination of our hearts, in
his providences of mercies, crofTesand tri-
als. 4. To do much for Chrift, and that
willingly; i John v. 3. This is love indeed
to keep his commandments, and thofe are
not grievous. 5. To fufter and endure a-
ny evil for Chrift; H^hat tell you me (faith
Paul, A£\s xxi. 13.) of bonds and imprifon-
ments ? I am ready, not only to be bounds
but to die for the fake of Chrifl at Jerufa-
lem. Rom. viii. 36. My life is not dear
to me, that 1 may finifh my courfe with
joy : For thy fake we are kilted all the day
long. No queftion thefe heads will in-
clude all forts of duties: but the method
I fliall profecute (wherein 1 defire to con-
found Duties, Ordinances and ]\Ieans,
whereby
DV T I E S in General 119
whereby a Chrmian walks on in the holy path) I have othcrwife digened thus.
The duties of a Chriftian 7 The firft kind, as Watchfulnefs.
S The fecond kind ; and thefe have reference—
f Self-trial.
Of
are either of
I* Secret ordinances, as
Self-denial.
Experiences.
Evidences.
Meditation.
^Life of Faith,
f only to ^ > In one Family, as Family Duties.
{ f Private ordinances, either^ In more Families joined, as ChriAiaa
J (^ Society.
Either L
I
Publick ordinances, as
Jointly to all three, and they are either*
Object. It may be objefted, * That in
this Analyfis, there is not that exprefs
mention of Chrifl: ; and the reafon why
fome vilifie duties, is becaufe the very
name of Ghrift is not in them.
Sol. But I anfwer, i. If the name be
wanting, yet Chrift is not. 2. In the open-
ing of them, we fliall find the very name
of Chrifl ufually, frequently ; only, ob-
ferve by the way, I have heard of many
that have flood much, in appearance for
Jefus Chrifl, fo that they would bow,
and do homage to the very found and
fyllables of his name ; and yet none more
enemies unto Chrifl than they, being the
very limbs of Antichrifl : Many (faith
Chrifl, Matth. vii. 22, 23, 24, 25.) will
fay to me in that day. Lord, Lordj have ive
5 Hearing the "Word.
i Receiving the Sacraments.
^Praying.
Ordinary, as 1^ Reading.
(^Suffering.
„ J. c Falling.
lExtraordmary,as^P^^^j^g^
7iot prophejied in thy name, and in thy
name caft out devils, and in thy name
done many ivonderful works ? (as if the
name of Chrifl had been a fpell f) And
then will I profefs unto them, I never
knew you ; depart from me, ye that work
iniquity : and thereupon he concludes, that
he only is a wife man, and builds upon the
rock, who hears Chrifl' s fayings, and doth
them. Hence learn, O my foul, that he
that prefTeth to the pradice of the word
of Chrifl, he preacheth Chrifl, he fets up
Chrifl, though he do not diredlly name
Chrifl, or tho' his text be not literally of
Chrifl ; even as a man may have no other
fubje6lofhis fermon but Chrifl, and yet
betray Chrifl. Thus much of duties in
general.
CHAP. III.
Of DU T I E S in T articular.
S E G T. I. is the eye to fee them all well done and
Of the nature of Watchfulnefs, ufed, and therefore we fet it in the front
Atchfulnefs is the firfl and principal of all duties : AVe are to watch unto pray -
help to all exercifes of religion j it cr, Eph. vi, \^, and we are to watch unta
hsay*
W
I 20
hearing, Luke vIH. i8. and we
nvatch unto faftingy Matth. vi. i8. and we
are to ivntch to alms-giving, Matth. vi. i.
and we are to -watch in alt things ^ i Tim.
iv. 5.
Now .for our better dire(flion in the ex-
ercife of this duty,
r Nature,
obferve we the \ Obje(fls.
(_ Manner of it.
For the nature of it : * Watchfulnefs
is a continual, careful obferving of our
ways in all the palfages and turnings of
our life, that we ftill keep clofe to the
Written word of God.' Keep thy heart in
all diligence, Prov. iv. 23. Ifaid, I ivill
take heed to my ivays, that I Jin not with
my tongue, Pfal. xxxix. i . Whereivithjhall
a young man cleanfe his way ; by taking
heed thereto, according to thy word, Pfal.
cxix. 9.
SECT. 11.
Of the objects of Watchfulnefs.
TH E objeft of our watch is either, i.
Evil works, or fin. 2. Good works,
or duties, or any thing, in its own being,
good.
I. Watch we muft over fin,
Original fin, or, cor-
WATC HFU LN ESS.
are to about us, obferve we thefe rules
More general, -^
More fpccial, as,
Sins oj our
rupt Nature.
A6iual Sin,
^ Calling.
Conjtitution.
1 Watch we mufl: over any thing, in
its own being, good ; and herein if we
look for the adequate cbjeft, including
every thing that ought to be watched,
r Hearts,
It is either ^ Tongues, q which
(_ A6\ions, J
liowfocvcr good in thcmfelves, yet, if we
watch not, tliey will ibon contract evil.
SECT. III.
Of the Manner of JVatchfulncfs over Sin
Original.
THAT we may watch over fin original,
or that iinvard corruption we carry
1. Let us take matter and motives lo
humble our fouls under the fight and fcnfe
of this inherent pollution. And to that
purpofe, conlider we the rueful complaints
of the holieft faints againft it ; wretched
man that lam, (faith Paul, Rom. vii. 24.)
who fhall deliver me from the body of this
death P Behold, I was fhapen in iniquity,
(faid David, Pfal. li. 5.) and in Jin did my
mother conceive we. Did not God in Chrift
accept of our complaining, flriving, griev-
ing, and hating this, how could we find
any comfort ?
2. Let us pray againftit, that tho' it be
in us, yet it may not hurtus,nor be imput-
ed tons: That God would give us his Spirit
to bridle our corruption, and efpecially
that he would give us the Spirit of fanfti-
fication, that he would cleanfe us from
this filth more and more, that he would
feafon the fountain, and at lafi dry it up.
3. Let us ftrive after contrary holinefs,
and endeavour the reformation of our na-
tures and lives ; Put we off the old man,
which is corrupt, according to the deceit-
jul lujls, and be we renewed in the fpirit
of Gurmind, Eph. iv. 22, 23.
4. Let us confider the promifes of re-
miflion, and thofc privileges which the
faints have in the blood of Chrifl ; and let
us aftuateand exercife our faith in refpcft
of fuch promifes : / htew that thou would/}
deal treacheroujly (faith God) and that
thou waft called a tranfgrrjjor jrom the
womb ; yet for my name's Jake, will I de-
Jer mine anger., and for my praife will I
refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off,
Ifa. xlviii. 8, 9.
SECT. IV.
Of the manner of Watchfulnefs over Sins
J^ual.
THAT we may watch over a(f\ual fins,
obferve* we thtfe diredlions:
I. Avoid we all occafions of evil : Be
afraid not only ofthe fire and flame, but
of the very fmoak of fin: it is dangerous
to
WArCHF U L NESS.
Ill
to approach near the whirl-pit, or, lo play give confent, can hecaufe you to fin.
about the hole of the afp, or the den of the
cockatrice ; and therefore prayed David,
Turn aivay mine eyes from beholding vani-
ty, Pfal. cxix. 37. notmy heart only from
affefling it, but my eyes aifo from behold-
ing it : There is a fl\utting of the eyes from
beholding evil, brought in, amongft other
duties, by the prophet Ifaiah, ch. xxxiii.
15, 16, to which is affixed this promife,
that fuch a one fhall dwell on high, his
3. Confefs we our fins, mourn we for
fin, and efpecially labour we for hatred of
fin ; The fear of the Lord is to hate evil^
Prov. viii. 13. not only to forbear it, but,
as the apoflle fpeaks, to abhorr it, Rom.
xii. 9. as the meat that fometimes we have
furfeited of, our ftomach naufeates and
goeth againftit : fo Ihould our hearts rife
againll fin; And to this purpofejConlidcr we
I. The foulnefs of fin ; it is foakr than
place of defence fhall be the munition of the foulcll fiend in hell. 2. The illnefs oP
rocks. fin : it is a greater ill than the damnation
of a man's foul, or than the deftrudlion of
all the creatures in the world. 3. The ih-
fec^ioufnefs of fin, it is of that peftilential
property, that it pollutes every thing it
comes near. 4. The pernicioufnefs of fin ;
it deprives us of God's favour, of our part
and portion of the blood of Ghrifl, of the
providence of that blefi!ed Trinity j of the
guard of angels, of the communion of
faints, of heaven's joy ; and it brings up-
on us infinite forrows, as blindnels of
mind, hardnefs of heart, deadnefs of fpirit,
defperate thoughts, horror of thoughts.
2. Refill we the temptations to fin : It
may be, notwithftanding of all our care,
temptations will offer themfelves, and
urge us to evil, but then we mufi con-
flantly refill, and this is praife-worthy ;
if a man keep him felffober, when he can-
not come to wine, or flrong drink, it is
nothing ; but for a man to be care-
ful not to break the bounds of fobriety,
when he Ihall be in a place where wine is
plenty, and no refiraint of it, and where
company will be urging him to take more
than is meet, that is true temperance in-
deed : If a man live chafily, when he wants vexation of fpirit, and, without repent-
his leud company, it is nothing ; but for ance, all the terrors of hell. 5, Chrift's,
a Jofeph, Cfued and fought to by his mif- fufferings for fin ; fiiall we not hate him,'
trefs, yea, urged and follicited day after that kills our friend, brother, father ? how
day to condefcend to her adulterous de- much more fin, that put to death the Lord
fires) to refufe then, and to choofe rather of life, who is indeed our deareft friend,
lofs of prefent liberty by not finning, than brother, father. Saviour ? Look on Chrift
to gain further preferment by confenting crucified, and fee if this will not make us
to fin, this is true chafiity indeed. Away hate fin.
then with thofe idle apologies, * I was ur- 4. Believe, and by faith expeft viaory
ged to fin, I was provoked to leudnefs,' over our fin ; yea, by that faith in which
&c. Neither man nor devil can compel we have confelfed, mourned, prayed, let
you to fin, unlefs you will your own felf : us reft perfuaded, That fuch means fliall
X ' The devil may perfuade, intice, fug- not be ufed of us in vain : Olift we up the
geft, and provoke, but he cannot inforce hand of faith towards heaven, and lay
nor conftrain'; nor, unlefs your own hearts
\ SiiaJcre&foUicitare poteft, cofcreomnino nonpoteft. j^ug. Hem,
torn cogcndi. Idem in Pfalin xci. «>- in John xii.
R
Habet aftutian) fuaJcndi, non poterta
hold
122
hold on the promifcs of pardon, on the
mercy of God in Chrifl Jefus.
SECT. V.
Of the fnanner of IVatchfuInefs over Special
Sins .
THAT -we may watch over our fpe-
ctal fins, our Dalilah fins, our dar-
ling delights, obferve we thefe rules :
1. Endeavour we the mortifying of this
Tin : Some one fin there is in every foul
of us that is moft predominant. Now it is
the main work of a Chriflian, as to fall
out for ever with all fin, fo efpecially to
improve all his fpi^itua! forces and aid from
heaven, utterly to deraolirti and to beat
down to the ground this hold, this bofom-
iln.
2. Lay we load of deepefl: groans, and
flrongeft cries for mortifying grace againfl
this domineering fin ; efpecially every
jnorning and evening drive with God in
our prayers for a comfortable conquefl o-
ver it, inforce and inlarge that paflage with
jrn extraordinary pang of fervency, cry we
mightily to God for power and ftrength a-
gainft this luft, that continually wars a-
gainft the foul.
3. Bend we ourfelves againfl the fpecial
a£ls, occafions, and opportunities of this
fin ; as, fuppofe Rafh-anger, the fin which
a man fifteth and purfueth to the extirpa-
tion of it ; in this cafe, he ihould refolve
with himfelf not to fpeak harthly, nor to
Jook fiercely, nor to ufe any churlifh be-
haviour, whether his fervant difpleafe him
with negligence, or his friend offend him
with unfaithfulnefs, or his enemy provoke
him with ill language, or ibme malicious
dealing.
4. As oft as we find any motion of this
fm to ffir, and fhew itfelf in us, it will
be convenient, not only to withhold our
confcnt.but withal, to exercife fome a(fl of
contrary holinefs; As, fuppofe Defire of
Revenge be the fin, which ftirreth up our
blood, aad boilcth within us, we mwA not
WATC HFU LNESS.
only forbear to avenge ourfelves, but alfo
bend ourfelves to pray for him that hath
offended us ; and, if he hunger, to feed
him; if he thirji^ to give him drink.
5. Settle we in ourfelves a purpofe of
heart to forbear it for time to come : In
undertaking of which purpofe, it will be
expedient to fet ourfelves fome fhortfpace
of time, in which we may force ourfelves
to the forbearance of it, as for a day,
or a month,or the like : and when the pre-
fixed time is come, we fhould then quefti-
on ourfelves, ' How well we have perfor-
med ? or how, or wherein we have fail-
ed V And then begin a new purpofe, and
prefcribe ourfelves a like time, for fhun-
ning of the fame fin ; and fo on from time
to time, till we have gotten a full vicflory.
6. If in our daily or monthly review we
find that we have been defef^ive in perfor-
ming of what we had propofed, then with
an holy revenge we fhould correal our
former errors, beg pardon for our defefts,
and puniili ourfelves for fuch flothfulnefs,
or willfulnefs, by abffinence from meat,
eale, recreation ; Keeping under your bo-
dies, and bringing thsm in fubjeSiion, i
Cor. ix. 27* by mulct, or forfeiture of
fome portion to the poor, whereby we
may feel fmart : This holy revenge is
commended by the apoftle, a Cor. vii.
29. as a worthy fruit of ferious repen-
tance.
7. Above all, without which all the refl
are nothing. * Believe the promifes of par-
don in the blood of Chrifl ;' It is faith in
the promifes which will be able to cleanfe,
and purge the heart from this fin : If the
blood of bulls and of goats, faith the a-
poftle, and the ajhes of an heifer, fprink-
ling the unclean, fandlifictb to the purify-
ing of the fief}}, how much more ftjall the
blood of Chr if}, "who through the eternal
Spirit offered himfelf without fpot to God^
purge your confciencc from dead works, to
ferve the living God ? Heb, ix. 13, 14.
The fenfe is, When a man hgth once ap-
plyed
WATC H FU LNES S.
plyed the blood of Chrift for his juflifica-
tion, this effe6l will follow it, that there
will accompany it a certain vigour, virtue,
power, and (Irength, which will alfo purge
his confcience from dead works ; there will
go a power of the Spirit together with this
blood, that fhall not only forbid him, and
(liew him that he ought not to do fuch and
fuch evil things, but it fliall cleanfe his con-
fcience from thofe roots of dead works,
thofe corrupt lulls and finful affeftions,
that are in him, and that difpofe him to
that evil : Now this power is gotten by ap-
plying the blood,/, e. by applying thepro-
mife of pardon and forgivenefs by the
blood of Jefus Chrift : Let no man think
by his own ftrength to prevail againft any
luft; it is not our endeavouring, prajang,
bending ourfelves againft the fpecial a<^s
and occafions, exercifing fome afls of con-
trary holinefs, purpofing to forbear it, pii-
ni(hing ourfelves for it (if gone about by
our own might, and power, and ftrength)
will ever kill this fin : No, no, we muft do
all thefeat the feet of Ghrift,and draw virtue
from Chrift ; we muft believe the promifcs,
get aftii ranee of pardon, get aftlirance of
God's love to us in Chrift ; we muft labour
to delight in God, toget communion with
Chrift, and then our hearts will grow to
an application of the commandment ; and
whereas before they refifted it, rebelled a-
gainft it, they will then cleave to it, and
love it and delight in it, and receive an im-
prefTion from it. This, I take it, is the
meaning of that text, 2 Pet. i. 4. Whereby
arc given to us exceeding great and preci-
ous promifes, that by thefe we might be par-
takers of the divine nature, having efcap-
ed the corruption that is in the world thro*
luft ; q. d. By believing the promifes we
are made partakers of the godly nature,
and we overcome our corruptions and
lufts : Confona'nt to which, is that of the
aportle, Know ye not, that as many as are
baptifed into Chrift, are baptifed into his
death? Rom. vi. 3. q. d, as many as are
12'
baptifed into Chrift, for reconciliation with
God, muft needs be baptifed into his
death ; they muft be dead to fin, as he was
dead : We cannot be baptifed into him for
reconciliation or juftification, but wemuft
be baptifed likewife for mortification of
the flefh, and for refurrcfiion to newnefs
of life. To wind up all in a word, he
that hath the ftrongeft faith, that believes
in the greateft degree, ' the promifes of
pardon and remiffion;' he hath the holieft
heart, the moft mortified life : .Sanftifica-
tion and mortification arifefrom that root
of juftification. The blood of Chrift hath
not only a power to wafti us from the
guilt of fin, but alfo to cleanfe us, and
purge us from the power and ftain of fin :
And therefore I fay, the beft way to get a
great degree of fanflification, the beft way
to get a greater meafure of the graces of
the Spirit, the beft way to mortify our fin-
ful lufts, the beft way to watch over our
fpecial fins, is to labour to grow in faith,
in the ' belief of thofe promifes of the gof-
pel of Chrift ;' and this would be wellob-
ferved by thofe that are a little legally by-
afled, or carried to mortifie fin only by
vows, promifes, ftiunning occafions, re-
moving temptations, ftridlnefs and feverlty
in duties, fear of hell and judgments, fcarce
rifing fo high for their mortification, as
Chrift. Now thefe in them (elves arc but
empty weak means of prevailingagainft fin,
like the mighty fails of a fiiip without
wind and tide ; no queflion but fiiunning
occafions, ftri(5\nefs and feverlty in dutict,
watchfiilnefs, 6t. dwell in their place and
order, like oars in a boat (§ce Saltmarlh,
Free-grace, page 68.) which tho' \i be car-
ried with the tide, if well managed, yet
they may help it to go the fafter : Howfo-
ever, it is Chrift crucified which is the pow-
er of all in all ; it is Chrift lifted up as
Mofes litted up the ferpent, which ftrikcs
more foundnefs into the wounded be-
holder, than any other way ; wherein lome
have toiled ail their time for power over
R 2 cor
124
corruptions, end like Peter have caught
little or nothing, becaufe Jefus Ghrift was
not in the company.
SECT. VI.
Of the munner of Watchfulnefs over our
Hearts.
THAT we may watch over our hearts,
obferve we thefe direcftions.
I . Guard we the windows of our fouls,
the fenfes : I made a covenant ivith mine
eyes^fa\d Job, ivky then fhouid 1 think upon
a maid? Job xxxi. i. Turn mine eyes
from beholding vanities, faid David, and
quicken thou me in thy luay, Pfalm cxix.
37. It is incrediblei^what a deal of polluti-
on and ill the devil conveys infcnfibly into
the heart, thro' thefe flood-gates of fin,
Jind therefore we had need to watch over
ihc fenfes.
2- Go we down into our hearts, and
confider well all our thoughts ; thefe if
WA TCH FU LNESS.
accufing, Ifa. xxxiii. 14. 18. There Hisrlt
thou meditate terrors, and fludy God's
wrath, together with thy own fins and
miferies, for ever and ever.
4. Refifl: and cruQi we every exorbitant
thought which draws to fin, at the very
firrt rifing : Is tiie temptation flrong ? En-
counter it with this dreadful Dilemma ; 'If
I commit this fin, either I muft repent, or
not repent; If I repent, it will cofl me
more heart-break and fpiritual fmart, be-
fore I can purchafe affurance of pardon
and peace of confcience, than the fenfual
pleafure can be worth ; If I never repent,
it will be the death and damnation of my
foul.'
5. Lodge we not fo much as light
thoughts, unprofitable or vain thoughts in
our hearts; they will fiill be entring in,
whilfl we are in rhefe houfes of clay, yet
lodge they"" muft not. Hence the apofile,
Eph. iv. 26. Let not the fun go down upon.
good, will bring forth good fruit ; and if your ivrath\ q. d. If thoughts of anger
evil, they are the parents and begetters of
Jill fins, thefirfi plotters and contrivers of
all treafons and rebellions of our life, the
l.fllows as it were and incendiaries of all
inordinate aifeffions, the panders to all o-
ther lufts, that 'take thought to provide
for the fatisfying of them ;' the difturbers
of all good duties, that interrupt, and foil,
Dnd fly-blow all our prayers,that they ftink
in the noflrilsofGod ; and therefore con-
lider and weigh well all our thoughts; for as
cur thoughts are,fo be our affedtions, pray-
ers, fpeeches, actions.
3. Let us make confcience of our
thoughts: By ihcm cfpecially do we fiinc-
tifie, or fin againfl: (jod ; by them efpecl-
rlly do we evidence ourfelvcs,ro bcfinccre-
hearted Chriltians, or diffembling hypo-
crates; by them efpecially, will the Lord
judge us at the lafl day, when he will make
manifefi the counfels of our hearts, i Cor.
iiv. 5. By them efpecially, if we will not
make confcience of them, will God lafh
lis in hell to ail eternity, even by Thoughts
come in, in the morning or day time, tiiey
mufl be turned out ere night ; or if idle
thoughts offer to come to bed to thee, let
them not lodge with thee. I deny not but
many good thoughts and motions may pafs,
as firangers thro' a bad man's heart, and
multitudes of vain thoughts and motions
may make a thorough-fare of a believer's
heart, and diflurb him in good duties, by
knockings, and interruptions, and break-
ings in upon his heart, but flill tliey lodge
not there, they are not there foficred and
harboured.
6. Forget and flifle \ve nil thoughts of
finful anions already palfcd. The mind
is very apt to run over the paflages and
circumflances of the fame fins, long fince
committed, with a new and freh deligln ;
this argues wickednefs of heart, and fuch
as when it is ordinary witb the heart
to do fo, is not compatible with grace :
l^hat fruit had ye oftlxfe things whereof
ye are noxu ajhamed? Rom. vi. 21. All
that the laints reap out of fuch fiuits, is
Iliamc
WATCH F ULNESS.
{bame and forrow, and many a fad figh :
Ji^hen Ephraim remembred his /ins, he was
afhamed and repented ; a truly ran<^iHed
foul will hate the appearance o! his former
fins, and will have his hcarc inHamed with
a zeal ond revenge againfl it. W^hat, do
you repent to your felves your old fins
with delight ? This provokes God exceed-
ingly, you thereby Aand to, "and make
good your former a6t ; you (hew a delight
125
into captivity every thought to the obedi-
ence of ChrtJ}, 2 Cor. x. 5. If thy change
in words, actions and all outward car-
riages were angelical, yet if thy thoughts
be finful and unfancftified, thou art a limb
of Satan ftill : Purity in the inward parts
is the mofl found evidence of our portion
in the purity and power of Chrift. Je-
rufalem, xvafh thine heart from ivicked-
nefs, that thou mayejl be faved : How long
to rack in thofe wounds you have given JJiall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee ?
Chrill already ; ' and therefore in hell it Jer. iv. 14. God feeth, faith the Pfalmifl,
•u'ill prove the greatef> gall, to remember and underftandeth our thoughts afar offy
your old iins: every circumflance in every
iin then, will be as a dagger in your hearts.
O fludy not thefe thoughts, forget them,
ftiflethem !'
7. Entertain all good motions put into
your hearts, by the bleffed Spirit, howfo-
ever occafioned ; whether by the miniflry
of the word, mindfulnefs of death, chrifti-
an admonition, reading fome good book,
fome fpecialcrofs,or extraordinary mercv;
feed, enlarge and improve them to the ut-
mofi:, fo fnall we preferve our hearts in a
foft.comfortable temper, and heaven- ward,
which is a fingularhappinefs.
8. Endeavour we to preferve and keep
up lively, holy and fpiritual affedions, and
fuffer them not to cool ; or if we have
grown remifs, endeavour to recover thofe
affedtions again. Thoughts and affe<^ions
arc mutual caafes of each other ; IVhilfi I
mufed, the fire burned, faid David, Pfal,
xxxix. 3. And again, How love J thy law?
It is my meditation day and night , Pfal.
cxix. 97. ' I. His thoughts were the bel-
lows that kindled and inJlamed his aifefti-
ons : And 2. His affections inllamed, made
his thoughts to boil, and to meditate on
God's law day and night. Hence it is that
men newly converted to God, having new
and (Iron^ affections, can .vith more plea-
fure think of God than any elfe can.'
9. Let us captivate and conform all the
thpughts and imaginationsof our licart?,to
t^e rules and fovereignty of grace ; Bring
Pfal. cxxxix. 2. And hence it is tha^ many
humble fouls, fenfible of their fccret fins,
in the^prefence of God's pure eye, are
more grieved (fetting afide ill example, and
fcandals) for the rebellioufnefs of their
thoughts, than the exorbitancy of their
aftions,for of thefe the world fees the worflj
but concerning the other, it cuts them to
th^ heart, that they are not fo well able
to preferve their inward parts in purity,
towards the all-fearching eye of God, as
their words and adlionsinPlaufiblenefs ta-
wa-rds man.
10. Get we our hearts poifeft with deep,
flrongand powerful apprehenfionsand im-
preffions of G od's holinefs, majelty, omni-
fcience : If any thoughts be of power to
fettle, fix and draw in the mind of man,
they are thoughts of him. What is the
reafon that faints and angels in heaven have
not a vain thought to eternity, but that
their eye is never off him .^ AVe find.by
experience, able/fed means to avoid dillrac-
tionsin prayers, to enlarge a man's thoughts
in his preparations before, or at the be-
ginning, if with a coniideration of Gods
attributes and relations to us, he fets on the
duty.
1 1. Let us elevate, and often lift up cur
hearts towards heaven ;• Confider the bli/s-
ful depths of God's boundlefs mercies in
Chrid ; confider the glory, the evcrlaliing-
nefs, the unutterable excellencies of tha:
immortal ihining crown above, which af-
ter
126
WATCHFULNESS,
ter this life (and this life is but a bubble,
a fmoak, a (hadow, a thought) (hall be fet
on our hea-ds by the hand of God ; a very
glimpfe whereof is able to fweeten the blt-
terert griefs that can be, and to difpel thofe
mills of fading vanities, which the world
(heated by the fire of inordinate lufts) is
wont to evaporate and interpofe betwixt
the fight of mens fouls, and the blifs of
heaven.
12. Let us fpend fome thoughts, yea
many thoughts, about the faving excellen-
cies of Jefus Chrifl: ; confider the wonder
of our redemption, the mod admirable,
and molt aftonill^ng plot of the bleffed
- Trinity, fitting in council about the faving
of our fouls; a myftery which the angels
. ftoop down to pry into, an orient pearl,
that will out-fhine all the fparkling jewels
of the whole creation ; confider the love-
letters of Chrifl: in his glorious gofpel,- the
love-tokens he hath fent to our dear fouls.
* And ah! "What flames of divine affefti-
on ? What raptures of zeal ? What ravifli-
ments of delights ? What brinilla forrows,
and great indignation againft fin ? What
extafies of obedience can be enough for
our blefiTed Lord, and deareft redeemer V
SECT. VIL
Of the Manner of Watchfulnefs over our
Tsngues.
THAT we may watch over the
tongue, two things muft: be heeded:
1. That it be not unfeafonably idle.
2. That it be not finfully exercifed.
' That it be not unfeafonably idle ;' and
herein obferve thofe generally, and much
neglected duties of chriflian reproof, and
of heavenly difcourfc.
I . For chriflian reproof, obferve thefe
Direftions :
1 . If a brother be overtaken with a fault,
or fome lefs otfence, admoniflj him in the
Jpirit of mecknefs, confidering thyfdj, left
thou alfo be tenjptedy Gal. vi. i.
2. If he oiicnd more grievoufly, then
reprove hkn freely, andfuffer not fin to rej}
upon his foul y Lev. xix. 17.
OhjeSl. But in this cafe, when, or how
muft we reprove ?
Sol. This cafe is cloathed with fuch va-
riety of circumftances, and conflancy of
alterations, that we cannot give any par-
ticular Directions ; only, the chriflian that
is perplexed what to do, let him confult
with thefe bofom-counfellors :
r. With his fpiritual wifdom ; it is that
mufl: fuggefl: to him, when, and how to re-
prove, whether prefently upon it, orfome-
times afterwards ; whether dire<Sily and
downright, or indireftly and by intimati-
on ; whether perfonally, or in the general ;
whether in a fair and milder manner, or
with a more bold and refolute fpirit; whe-
ther only by difcountenance, or by dif-
courfe, he,
2. With his heart: a reproof muft not
fpring from any imperious humour of cen-
furing, and meddling with his brethren ;
from any fecret ambitious defire, to pur-
chafe an opinion and reputation of holi-
nefs to himfelf, or from any other by-end,
but from an heart truly humbled with a
fight and fenfe of its own infirmities, gra-
cioufly refolved into compaflion and com-
miferation of the offender, and lifted up
in a fecret fupplication for the fuccefs of
the reproof, and falvation of the party, all
at once to God's throne of grace.
2. For fpiritual and heavenly difcourfe,
obferve thefe directions.
I. Apprehend all opportunities and oc-
currences which may minilter matter of
digreflion from worldly talk, into divine
difcourfe. It is pity that profeffors fhould
ever meet, without (ome talk of their
meeting in heaven, or of the blefiTed ways
and means that lead thereunto ; and there-
fore by fome wife tranfition, turn thou
the current of the difcourfe towards fome
heavenly good : it was the praiftice of our
Saviour, upon mention of bread, he preft;
upon his difciples a diffuafion from the /c?tr-
WATCUF
vett of the Pharifees, Mat. xvi. 5, 6. And
upon occafion of drink being denied him
by the Samaritan woman, John iv. 10. he
(forgetting his weaiinefs, hunger and thirfl)
labours to allure her to the well-head of e-
verlafting happinefs.
2. Have ever in a readinefs forae com-
mon heads of more ftirring and quickning
motives to mind heavenly things ; as the
curfed condition of our natural ftate, the
dear prrchafe of Ghrift to redeem our fouls,
the incomparable fweetnefs of chriftian ways,
the vanity and vexations of earthly things,
the uncertainty and raifery of this fliort
life, the everlaftingnefs of our flate in ano-
ther world, the terrors of death, the dread-
fulnefs of that great and lafl day drawing
on now apace, the horrors of damned
fouls, <bc. Mention of ihefe things many
times may ftrike full cold to the heart of
themoft fenfuai Beljlmzzer, and drive him
into his dumps; and by God's bleffing may
fometimes prepare the hardeft hearts, for
fome thoughts of reraorfe, and more hea-
venly impreflions.
3 . Get we into our hearts a habit of more
heavenly-mindednefs, by much exercife,
and intercourfe, and acquaintance with
God, by often contemplation, and forecaft
of the fweetnefs, glory and eternity of thofe
manfions above, by reflecting on time pafl,
how long thy foul was detained in the (late
ofdarknefs, what bitternefs and terrors it
pafled thro' in the pangs of its new birth,
what relapfes and defertions it hath been
incident to, ever fince that time to this;
and being thusbulied at home in our own
hearts, we fhall find ourfelves much more
pregnant and plentiful in holy talk when
■we come abroad : men for the mofl part
fpeak moO, and moft willingly of thofe
things they mind moft ; fuch provifions
within, will make the tongue fo ready, that
it cannot be unfeafonably idle.
2. Watch we muft over the tongue, that
it be not finfully exercifed ; and herein ob-
ferve thefe diredions.
ULNESS, ' 127
Be dumb to all unfavoury communicati-
on ; as lying, fwearing, curfing, «drc. O
how do thefe fins wound the heart of
Chrift, and crucifie again the Lord of
glory ?
2. Be filent from flandering, backbiting,
falfe accufing, cenfuring : A true heart is
ever moft angry and difpleafed with, moft
eagle-eyed, and watchful over, moft ftri£t
and fevere againft its own fins ; which
home-bred imployment haply hmders, and
Moderates a man from too much medling
abroad.
3. Give not that "which is holy unto dogs y
neither ca/i your pearls before fwine, left
they trample them under their feet, and
turn again and rent you. Mat. vii. 6, By
dogs are meant obftinate enemies, that
malicioufly revile the minifters of the word,
and the mefTengers thereof: by Swine are
njeant thofe fottiih, fcurrile v/retches, who
fcornfully and contemptuoufly trample
under foot all holy inflrudions, reproofs,
admonitions, tendered unto them by any
chriftian out of the word of truth. Now
if accidentally fuch a fon of Belial, or
fcoffing Idimael, be in our company, we
are commianded by Ghrift to fay nothing,
at leafl of the confolations of Ghrift, of
the fpecial promifes of Ghrift, of the gen-
tle entreaties of the gofpel of Ghrift. Gon-
fider this, and tremble, all ye that are fcorn-
ful, and furious oppofites to the purity
and power of the word ; is is the Lord's
will that you ftiould runfurioufi/ towards
the pit of hell, and that ncrbo^y fhould ftay
you ; not a man muft call and cry unto
you, to tell you of fuch things as are pe-
culiar to the faints, in way of application
to you ; But he that is filthy, let him he fil-
thy flill, Rev. xxii. ir. * Let him drink,
be drunk, defpair, and be damned :' All
this while not a word of comfort belongs
to you.
128 WATCHFVLNESS.
Contrafts, Covenants, Dealing?, negotl-
Of the Marnier of ivatchfultjefs over our ations, etc. obferve thefe directions,
Aciiom. I. Think we ferlcufly and folemnly of
OUR a(niors are either natural, civil, or that principle, ' Do as thou wouldtfl be
religious. done by: in a fellow-feeling real conctit,
In all which obferve thefe direifHons. put thyfclf into the place, and impartially
I . Concerning natural aftions.as Eating, put on the perfon of the party with whom
t)rinking, Sleeping, Vifitations, recreati- thou art to deal, and then returning to th}'-
ons, etc. no conftnnt rule can be prefcrib- felf, deal out and proportion unto him that
ed,t becaufe it is much diverfified by health, raeafure in every particular, which thou
ficknefs, age, conftitution ; and every one wouldeft be willing to receive at another's
hath either learned by his own experience, hand, if thou were in his cafe : Whatfoe-
what feafons, and proportions of fuch na- vcr (faith our Saviour) ye -would that men
tural helps are fitteft for his temperament, Jhould do to you, do ye even fo to them :
or he is mofl: un\wrihy of that precious for this is the law and the prophets, Matth.
'thing (an underftanding foul) which he vii. 12.
bears in his bofom ; only let me inform 2. Abhor with an infinite difdain, to get
"chriflians, * That they may fin in any of any thing by any wicked means, wrong
thefe a6tions,and therefore let them beware doing, or unconfcionable dealing. \^'e may
and watch over themfelves in the ufe and allure ourfelvcs in fuch cafes, * That be-
enjoyment of thefe things, which howfo- lldes the fecret grumbling of our felf-accu-
ever lawful in their own nature, yet by fing confciences, the angry eye of God
our corruption arecapableofinordinatenefs fees fecretly our doings, and will ihortl}',
and cxcefs.' Some are of opinion, * That and moft certainly revenge.'
chriftians are in more danger of being fpi- 3. Let our defire and delight never faf-
rltu'ally undone, by a file infinuation and ten itfelf immoderately upon any earthly
infnarementof licentioufnefsand immode- thing, tho' never fo excellent : exorbitan-
ration in fuch lawful things, than by the cy and error this way, brings many times
grofs affaults of foul fins and temptations; with it either a lofs of the thing fo doted
their hearts may rife againft any work of on, or it may be a crofs, or howfoever a
darknefs, as adulter}', murder, fwearing, curfe. O confider we the vanity of thefe
profaning the Lord's day, fpeculative wan- earthly things ! confider we the glories a-
tonnefs, (be. which yet may too often be bove! Methinks this one prefcrvative would
infenfibly feized upon, by an exceffive fin- be powerful enough to keep the heart of
ful delight, in things unfinful in them- every chriflian from doling upon the world,
("elves ; and therefore we had need to or fuffering it to be poifelfed thereof, it is
watch over our natural anions.' this, ' Every chriflian by a fruitful faith,
2. Concerning civil aflions, as Bargains, may be allured of a crown of life, either
byalfurance of adherence, or evidence, or
f Only we may, in gmcial, (according to Bieroclcs, in his excellent commentary) advife every man to ufe fuch
drink, meat, aid cxcrcifc. as will render the body obedient to the commands of virtue, and as v\ill not provoke
the (enfual'and bmtal pit to be r< frj<ftory and iiniuly againfl rca!on that guides it: every roan ou^ht to ab-
lldin from allhi'.'.Ii feeding, becaufe it makes the body heavy and fluggilh, and drags the foul into all fortsof earthly
and carnal aflc<ni'on As to the quantity and lime of citing ik^. every one is, or ougfit to be, the fittcll judge
himfelf. Moderation in (iieh things is bift. This condemns all excefs in thefe fou of things, and excludes what-
ever is Inirtful, and that dcbafes and drags down the foul, which afpircs Inwards the iuttlliger.ee, that is, towards
God. — HicrocliS' commcntaiy upon the Golden \ crfLs,id. iidiiion, p. 116, 130.
both :
WATCH F
both : Now if that once a day he (hould
take a ferious furvey of the glory, ever-
laftiugnefs, and unutterable excellencies
of that immortal crown, which our dear
Redeemer holds for him in his hand, ready
to fet upon his head, when he Ihall be dif-
folved from this vale of tears ; methinks
it were able fo to dull the edge, and diflblve
the droflinefs, of all earthly defires, that
they Ihould never be able to heat or harden
his heart any more.
3. Concerning religious actions, as me-
ditating, hearing, reading, fafting, praying,
almfgiving, <bc. obferve thefe dired^ions.
I. in general. 2- in fpecial.
1. In general, obferve, ' That we draw
and derive from Chrift by theattraf^ive force
of faith, fpecial abilities, i. To perform
all duties. 2. Toexercife all graces. 3. To
refift and overcome all temptations and
corruptions which fliall befal us.' To this
purpofe are thofe promifes of grace and
itrength, Ifa. 3{.iiv. 3. Ezek. xxxvi. 27.
Zech. X. 12. John i. 16. And thefe are fe-
curities, given us from God, that we (hall
receive grace through duties, which are the
conduit-pipes or inftruments of conveying
the fame into the foul from Chrift. This
is to do all in the ftrength of Chrift, and
to take forth a great deal of Ghrift into the
foul, fo that not /, but Chriji may live in
me, Gal. ii. 20.
2. In fpecial, obferve thefe direflions.
1. That before the doing of duties, we
remove all lets and impediments which may
hinder, and improve all occafions which
may forward us thereunto.
2. That in doing of them, we behave
our felves well and wifely, performing
ihem rightly and religioufly.
3. After all is done, that we be careful
all be not loft through our own vilenefs,
and vicioufnefs^, privy pride, or fecret hy-
pocrifie.
For inftance, would we -watch unto
ULNESS. iicj
prayevy as the apoftle injoins us, Eph. vi.
18.
1 . Then, before we fall on our knees,
let us ftiake off three impoifoning and hea-
vy hindrances, which otherwife will clog
and clip the wings of our prayers, that
they will never be able to afcend up into
heaven ; as Sin, Anger, and Diftruft ; and
let us polTefs ourfelves of three excellent
helps and inflaming furtherances; the Firfl:
is a right apprehenfion of God's dreadful-
nefs, purity, power, ^c. The Second
is, a true fenfe of our own vilenefs, abo-
minablenefs, nothingnefs, isc. The Third
is, an hearty furvey of the infinitenefs,
and unexprelTiblenefs of God's bounty,
bleffings and compaflionate forbearance to-
wards us.
2 . After we are down on our knees, i .
Repel with an undaunted fpirit, Satan's
blafphemous injeftions. 2. Watch over
ihe world with care and timely oppofiti-
on, that if it be poffible, not an earthly
thought may creep into our heart all the
while. 3. Strive to hold our hearts in hear,
as well in confelFion as deprecation, in de-
precation as petition ; as well for purity
of heart, as for pardon of fin throughout :
prayer is the creature of the holy Ghoft,
every part whereof we fhould heartily wifh,
and earneftly wreftle, that he would pro-
portionally animate and enliven, even as
the foul doth the body.
3. After we ars rifen ofF our knees, i.
Take heed of refting in the duty, take heed
of privy pride, and fecret hypocrifie, take
heed of returning with the dog to his vo-
mit. 2. Purfueand prefs after the things
prayed for, by a timely apprehenfion, fruit-
ful exercife, and utmoll improvement of
all occafions, and heavenly offers, which
may any ways concur to the compaffing
of them: but of this I lliall (peak more
largely, when I come to the du^y of Pray-
er, Thus much of Watchfulnefs.
i CHAP.
( 13^ )
CHAP. IV. SECT. I.
Of the Nature of Self-tnaJ,
WE have done with Watchfulnefs, the
eye that overfees and direds all o-
ther duties. Now to the duties themfelves ;
wherein we (hall follow this method : i . To
confider them as in reference to private per-
fons. 2. As in reference to families. 3. As in
reference to publick alTemblies. Thephilo-
fopher in his method of pra<Slical philofophy,
firft handles Ethicl^, in reference to par-
-ticular perfons ; and then he proceeds to
his Oeconomicks, in reference to fami-
-lies; and, laftly, to his Politicks, in refe-
rence to cities and countries. Of many
particulars arlfe a family; of many fami-
lies is conftituted a city ; the fame order
(hall we follow in thefe divine arts of our
Ethicks, Oeconomicks, and Politicks, And
we ihall firH handle duties in reference to
particular perfonJ ; of which fort are thefe :
1. Self-trial. 2. Self-denial. 3. Expe-
riences. 4. Evidences. 5. Meditation. 6.
Life of Fait/;.
The firft duty is Self trial : and for our
better direftion in the exeicife of this duty,
cbferve we r. 77;*? Nature. 2. The Objeds.
3. The Manner. 4. The Time of it.
For the nature of it ; Self-trial • is a
kind of judiciary proceeding, in which a
man keepeth private feflions at home, paf-
fmg a fentence on his thoughts, words and
actions.
Or, for more diftin^l knowledge, two
forts of anions are implied in this duty of
trial, viz. fome EJfential, fome Accidental.
1. Of the former fort, or of Effentials,
are thefe three, viz. i. Difcuifion. 2. Ap-
plication. 3. Cenfure.
I. Difcuifion is a Shifting of our life and
«lealings, by which we pull things out of
the heap, where before they lay confufed,
and unfeen, and by whicli we fet every fa<ft
of ours in open view, that it may be fcan-
ned, and feen by itfelf what it is.
2. Application is a laying of thefe a(fls,
thus fearched and found out, to the rule
of God's law, which is the touchftone of
all our doings, according to which God
will judge at the laft.day.
3. Cenfure is the judgment that our
minds and confciences give upon our
thoughts, words and deeds, according to
the rule of the law. Thefe three laid to-
gether, make up the nature of this work
of Examination, or Self-trial ; fo that we
may not unfitly defcribe it out of its own
principles, thus ;
' Self trial is a difcuflion of a man's
life, that his thoughts, words and deeds
may be feen, and cenfured according to
the rule of God's law.'
2. Of the latter fort, or of Accidentals,
are thefe two, viz.
The one going before. Self-trial. The
other following after it.
1. That which goes before it, isapurpofe
to better a man's fpiritual eflate, viz. by cor-
redling what isamifs, and confirming what
is right.
2. That which follows after, is a prac-
tice of fuch rules as may back our trial,
and make it more effeftual to us: I Ihall
mention only thefe three rules ;
1. That after we have tried, we then
compare our prefent with our former ef-
tate, and confider whether we have increaf-
ed or decayed in grace.
2. That if we have profited in grace, we
then confider by what means we have pro-
fited, that fo we may make more conitant
ufe of fuch means ; or,' if we have decayed
in grace, we then obferve by what temp-
tations we were overcome, that fo our
morf
former errors may make us more wary, and
more refolute againft them for the future.
3. That as ue meet with many occafions
of moment concerning which we had a
purpofe to better our Tpiritual eftate, we
then recaU home our thoughts, and make
ufe of our former refolutions, and prac-
tife what we did purpofe. Out of all thefe
laid together, we may more fully defcribe
it thus:
* Self-trial is a difcuffion of a man's life,
for the finding out the true eftate of a man's
foul towards God, accompanied with a
purpofe and praftice of whatfoever upon
trial (hall appear requifite for the falvati-
on and good of a man's foul.'
SECT. II.
Of the Obje^s of Self-trial.
THE objeft of our trial is either i. evil
works, or fin; or^ 2. good works y or
duties.
1. We muft examine or try our lin in
General and Special.
In General, whether of omillion or
commiffion : For, as in the la fl: judgment,
our Lord will not only give fentence a-
gainft murthers and opprelTions, but a-
gainft vmcharitablenefs, and unmerciful-
nefs, in not feeding the hungry, in not
lodging the flranger, in not clothing the
naked, in not vifiting the fick; fo when
we judge ourfelves, we muft cenfure not '
only our robbing the poor, but our not
relieving the poor ; not only our commif-
ilons of evil, but our omifTions of good.
2. In Special, whether of our calling or
nature : thefe fms may breed fpecial dan-
ger, becaufe \xq are ready to drop into them
of our own difpofitions; and therefore, in
the daily care of our fouls, we had need
to try oxufelves concerning thefe fins.
2. As we muft examine and try our e-
vil works, fo Our good works.
I . Becauf^wearemany times deceived with
fijews, thinking that good which is evil : thus
Paul thought he ftiewed much zeal, when
h^ pufecuted the churches ofChrif}, Phil, iii,
S
SELF-^TRIAL. 151
6. and Micah thought he highly merited
God's favour, when he kept a priej} for
idolatrous ferviccy Judg. xvii. 13.
2. Becaufe in the very works which are
truly good, we do many times intermingle
corruptions of our own, fometimes evU
ends, and fometimes evil thoughts, and
fometimes we perform them in an evil man-
ner ; but always in our beft devotions there
are many imperfe61ions and failings. In-
deed this trial is a duty neceflary to all du-
ties ; if we believe, we muft do it with the
heart, Rom. x. 7. if we fing pfalms, we
muft do it with the Spirit, i Cor. xiv. 15,
if we come to the Lord's Supper, firft Let
a man examine himfelf and fo let him eat,
I Cor. xi. 28. if we pray, we muft there^
in examine : and hence, as fome obferve,
the fame Hebrew word fignifies to pray, and
to judge a man's felf.
But becaufe duties are of feveral forts,
* I. hiward, of the heart. 2. Outward,
of the tongue, and aflions. In trying thefe
three, we ftiall inclufively try all forts of
duties that are in reference to them.
SECT. III.
Of the Manner of trying, ar, examining
our fins in general.
THAT we may try, or, examine our
fins of all forts, obferve thefe rules,
1. Procure we a catalogue of our fins,
both before, and fince our converfion; and
to that purpofe, go we through the com-
mandments one by one, and in each of
them conlider what fins are condemned,
and what duties are enjoined : and hereup-
on queftion with our own hearts, * Whe-
ther have I committed this or that fin ? 2.
Whether have I negle6Vcd this or that duty •"
and as the heart anfwers, be ready to note
down thefe fins whereof we ftand guilty.
2. The fins thus found out, make we a
folemn confeflion to God, with deep hu-
miliarion ; let them be dolorous confcffi-
ons, with grief and forrow for fin and from
a fight and lenfecf it : Thus Ephraim did,
and God was fain to acknowledge it, J have
i fure-
furely heard Ephraim bemoan himfelfy Jer.
xxxi. 1 8. O the Lord loves to hear fuch
bemoaning Ephraims, and fuch bemoaning
confeflions.
3. The fins thus confefled and bewailed,
Jet us judge and condemn ourfelves: this
is that duty inftanced in by the apoftle. If
we iMOuld judge ourfelves, ive vjould not be
judged, I Cor. xi. 31. There is a tribunal
that we (hould every one ere<5l within us,
where confcience is the accufer, reafon the
judge, fear the jaylor, forrow the executi-
oner.
4. After we have thus judged ourfelves,
let us then appeal » God's throne of grace ;
Jet us defire of God falvation in the Lord
Jefus Chrifl ; let us cafl: all our confidence
' on him, who never fails them that put
their truft in him, and in his precious me-
rits.
SECT. IV.
Of the Marnier of trying^ or examining
our fpecial fins .
THAT we may try, or examine our
fpecial llns, our Dalilah fins, obferve
•we thefe rules;:
I. Endeavour we to find out this fin j
and in our fcrutiny we may difcover it by
thefe marks:
I . * That is the Dalilah, which thy own
confcience and the finger of God in the
miniflry many times meets with, and chief-
ly checks thee for,'
2. ' That which thou art lotheft to leave,
haft leaft power to refift, and which moft
hinders the refignation and fubmilfion of
the foul and body to the word and will of
God.'
3. ' That which God often corrects in
thtc, even in the interpretation and guil-
ty acknowledgment of thy felf-accufing
heart ; and, if ever the fvvord of the Spiiit
fhall cleave it from thy bofom (which is in-
finitely to be defired) it will coft the bitter-
til tears, and decpeft groans.'
4. ' Thoughts, plots, and projefts about
SELF'TR lAL,
it (a thoufand to one) ordinarily fnze up-
on thy heart at thy very firfl weiring, if
they have not broken thy fleep, and trou-
bled thee in thy dreams.'
2. The fin once found out, do we pur-
fue it, and make we a folemn confefiion
to God of it: mourn we under it, and de-
fire we help from God for his mortifying
grace.
3. Settle we in ourfelves a purpofe of
heart, to forbear it in time to come : in
undertaking of which purpofe, it will be
expedient to fet ourfelves fomc fiiort fpace
of time, as for a day, or month, <bc. and
when the prefixed time is come, we Ihould
then queftion ourfelves, how well we have
performed, or how, or wherein we have
failed ; and then begin a new purpofe.
4. Be we ever jealous of ourfelves, and
of our infirmity and pronenefs to this fin.
Now we have two grounds of this jealoufy :
1. Left we be deceived about it.
2. Left we be overtaken with it.
I. We may be deceived, in fuppofing
that we are utterly divorced, and quite de-
livered from this bofom -fin, when it is no-
thing fo ; as thus :
1 . We may change only in the outward
form, and not in truth : for inftancc,
' whereas the fame fin of covetoufnefs doth
utter and exprefs itfelf by ufury, fimony,
facrilege, bribery, grinding the faces of the
poor, detaining ill gotten goods, without
reftitution ; we may perhaps infenfibly
glide out of one gulf of gripping cruelty
into another, or, it may be, from one of
thefe more notorious, to fome other Icfs
obferved, and lefs odious in the world, and
yet ftill abide in the chambers of death, and
under the tyranny of this reigning fin.
2. We may furceafe, and refrain from
the outward grofs atls of fuch hateful vil-
lainies, and yet our inwards be ftill defiled
with infatiable fenfual hankerings after
them : for inftance, * whereas the foul fin
of uncleannefs doth afluate itfelf by forni-
cation, adultery, felf-pollulion, immoderate
abufe
SELF-TR lAL.
abufe of the marriage-bed, fpeculative wan-
tonnefs.wemay, perhaps, forbear the exter-
nal afts of uncleannefs, and yetly and lan-
guifh in the delightful revolvings of them
in our mind, in adulteries of thought.
3. We may change the kind of our bo-
fom-fin, in refpe(ft of the matter, form,
objeft, every way ; and yet upon the mat-
ter itfelf, it is but the exchange of one
foul fiend for another. For inftance, ' wan-
tonnefs may be our fweet fm in youth, and
worldlinefs in old age ; Hypocrify may
reign at one time, apoftacy at another ;
Furious zeal for one while, profane irreli-
gioufnefs for another f.
4. We may for a time pull our necks
out of this ftrong yoke of Satan (out of
a melancholic pang of flavilh terror, feri-
ous fore-thought of death, lying everlaft-
ingly in bell) but becaufe it is not the
'work of the word, humbling us foundly
under God's mighty hand, planting faith,
and infufing mortifying power, anon will
this unclean fpirit return, and rule in us
again far more imperiouily than before.
I know it is not impoflible, but that a man
after his converfion, by the fudden fur-
prifal of fome violent temptation, and
cunning train of Satan, may be haled back
to commit his fweet fin again (tho' it be
an heavy cafe, and to be lamented, if it
were poilible, with tears of blood) yet he
never doth, nor never can return to wal-
low in it :again, or to allow it : Here is
the difference, The temporary man, after
his former inforced forbearance, engulphs
himfelf again with more greedinefs into
the fenfuality and pleafures ofhisbofom-
fin, he lies in it, and delights in it, and
hardens himfelf more oblTinately in it :
But the found convert, after a relapfe, his
heart bleeds afrefh with extraordinary bit-
ternefs, and he cries more mightily to God
^33
for the return of his pleafed countenance,
and he prays, and fortifies the breach with
flronger refolution, and more invincible
watchfulnefs againft future afTaults. Ob-
ferve then, if our change be but formal,
outward, miftaken, temporary, we are
ur.erly deceived, and therefore we had
need to be jealous of ourfelves.
2. We may be overtaken with this fin,
before we be aware ; our nature is very apt
to take fire, our corrupt heart is like tin-
der, or gun-powder : This fin is called,
Peccatum in deliciis, * Our darling plea-
fure, our minion delight ;' it is ever ready
at every turn to allure us, tempt us,
perfuade us ; and the foul, by a fecret fen-
fual inclination, is apt to follow it, to feed
upon it with much aiieftionate fweetnefs :
It may be, we have fometimes given it a
death's wound, by the power of his might
who is our /ill in All, and yet, as it is faid
of the firft beafl, this deadly wound is
ready to be healed again. Rev. xiii. 12. it
is an Hydra with many heads, and if we be
not fiill hacking and hewing, it will revive
and recolle(51: flrength, and at laft rage
more than before ; and therefore what
need have we to this holy jealoufie !
5. Above all, without which, all the refl
are nothing, believe we the promifes of
pardon, and of fanflification. The pro-
mifes of the firfl fort, I fpoke to in our
watchfulnefs over this fin, and therefore
now I fliall fpeak of the latter. The Lord
hath promifed to deliver us from all our
enemies, that xue may ferve him in right e-
oufnefs and halinefs all the days of our life,
Luke i. 72, 74, 7$. The Lord hath/ro^
mifed to write his law in our hearts, Heb.
X. 16. and that can never be, except he
obliterate all the old writing : Now
then believe thefe promifes, and prefs the
Lord with them, or we Ihall never be able
f Proud of an eaCy conqucft all along,
Sbe but removes weak pafltsns for the Qrong.
So, when foiall humours gathcc to a gout,
'I he doCttix fincies he ha driv'n them oat.
Pope..
to
»34
SE L F-7
*o outwreftle our lufts. What tho' we
find out our fwcet fins, confefs them, re-
folve againfl them, be jealous over them ?
unlefs we go to God and Chrifb in the pro-
mifes for Orength, we fliall ly down in
forrow. Could we of ourfelves fubdue our
corruptions, God would not take this upon
him, * to giveus new hearts, and new fpirits,
to fan£lifyus, to make us new creatures, to
crucify the flefh, to weaken the dominion
of fin :' Alas! he knows our weakncfs, and
he knows all is in his own power ; and
therefore, if we would mortify thefe lufls,
we muft go to him, and befeech him to
do it. When a man is once in Chrift, he
lives by a principla^without himfelf; I live
' by the faith of the Son ofCod^ faith Paul,
-ivho loved 7ne, and gave himfelf for me,
• Gal, ii. 20. If we aflc, Why will the Lord
have ourflrength out of ourfelves ? Why
may not a man have fufficient habitual
ftrength in himfelf, by which he may be
able to outwreflle lufls, and overcome
temptations ? The reafon is, ' Becaufe no
fle(h (hall rejoice in itfelf, and therefore
Chrift is made fanftification unto us :' O let
\isr believe thefe promifes, and have con-
tinual dependance on the Lord Jefus
Chrift.
SECT. V.
Of the manner of trying ^ or examining our
Hearts.
THAT we may rightly try, or ex-
amine our hearts, obferve we thefe
rules.
I. Ufe we retirednefs when we fall on
this work : To this purpofe, faith the
Pfalmift, Commune with your oivn hearts,
upon your beds, and be JHII : Pfal. iv. 4.
When we get alone purpofely tolludy our
hearts, our hearts will then come to us,
they will be more apt to difcourfe with us
privately than in n croud ; and therefore
fct we fomc time apart out of our public
or particular occafions to deal with our
hearts, as V)7i\\^ ^ ivho after the public bu fi-
ne fs ivas done, returned home to vifit, and
R lAL, _
to blefs his own houfe% 2 Sam. vl. 20.
2. Try what thoughts are within, and
which way runs the flream of our
thoughts: thehcart isanhoufe of common
refort, into which multitudes of thoughts,
like fo many guefts enter, and have free and
open accefs ; only, if it be fandlified, it
ordinarily difiils holy, fweet and ufeful
meditatons, out of all objefts : as the bee
fucks honey out of every flower, and a
good ftomach fucks fwcet and wholfome
nourishment out of what it takes to it-
felf ; fo doth a holy heart (fo far as fan6li-
fied) convert and digeft all into fpiritual
and ufeful thoughts : But on the contrary,
if it be wicked, then a world of vain, light,
wanton, profane and diffolute thoughts
lodge there, and defile thofe rooms they
lodge in ; which made the Lord fay to Je-
r\i^3\em,0 Jerufalem,ivafh thine heart from
ivickednefs, that thou mayefl he faved :
Hoxv long fiall thy vain thoughts lodge
within thee? Jer. iv. 14.
3. If upon trial we find a lothnefs to en-
tertain holy thoughts, and unfteadinefs in
them, a mifplacing of them (which diforder
is a vanity and fin, be the thought material-
ly never fo good) or, if we find in us many
times a taking thought to fulfill the lujls of
the fit [h J Rom. xiii. 14. a reprefenting,
or acting over fin in our thoughts (O
how much of that precious fand of our
thoughts run out this way !) then let us
humble ourfelves for them ; and thus A-
gur teacheth. If thou haft done foolifl^ly in
lifting up thyjelf or if thou haft thought e-
vil, lay thine hand upon thine mouth ; /. e.
be humbled, be afliamed of thefe thoughts.
4. After humiliation, we muft pro-
ceed to judgment : And to that end, con-
fider what will be the fubjefl of that great
inqueft at the laft day ? The apoftle an-
fwers, the ccunfels of the heart, iCor.
iv. 5. And who will be the executioner? e-
ven thoughtsaccufing.> O then let us prevent
this doom, and this execution, by our own
judgment and felf condemnation ; let us
fen-
fentence our hearts, and whip out our evil
thoughts, and give them their pafs.
5. Let us watch over, and obferve our
hearts ever after. Thoughts will be croud-
ing in, when we have done all we can,
yet let them know, that they pad not un-
feen: Where (lri(ft watch and ward is kept,
where magiftrates, and marfhals, and con-
ftables are diligent to examine vagrant per-
fons, you fhall have few of them there :
The reafon that fuch fwarms of vagrant
thoughts make their rendevouz, and pafs
iji our hearts, is, Becaufe there is noflrift
watch kept, we obferve not our hearts,
with alt diligence.
6. Set our thoughts in order every
morning, Arengthen and perfume our
fpirits with fome gracious meditations on
God's holinefs, majerty, omniprefence,
omnifcience : My foul waiteih for the Lord
(faid David) more than they that ivatch
for the morning, Pfal. cxxx. 6. Obferve
it, if you pleafe, when we firfl open our
eyes, there ftand many fuirors attending
on us tofpeak with our thoughts, even as
Clients at Lawyers doors ; but fpeak we
firft with our God, and he will fay fome-
thing to our hearts, and fettle them all
the day after.
7. Now and then propofe we to our
hearts thefe two queftions : i . Heart, how
doft thou ? a few words, but a very ferious
queftion : You know, this is the firft
queftion, and the firft falute that we ufe
to one another, How do you, fir ? I would
to God we would fomeiimes thus fpeak
to our hearts, ' Heart, how deft thou ?
how is it with thee for thy Ipiritual eftate?
SELF-TRIAL, 155
and me ?' as that dying Roman once faid
Animula, vagula, blandulay <^c. ' Poor,
wretched, miferable foul, whither art
thou and I going, and what will become
of thee, when thou and I fhall part?'
This very thing doth Mofes propofe to
Ifrael, though in other terms, that they
would confider their latter ends ! Deut,
xxxii. 29. And O that we would propofe
this queftion conftantly to our hearts to
confider and debate upon ! Commune with
your own hearts, faid David, Pfal. iv. 4.
q. d. debate the matter betwixt you and
your own hearts to the very utmofl : Let
your hearts be fo put to it in communing
with them, as that they may fpeak their
very bottom. Commune,'] or, hold a feri-
ous communication, and clear intelligence
and acquaintance with your own hearts :
It was the confeflion of a Divine, fenfible
of j?is negleft, and efpecially of the diffi-
culty of this duty, * * I have lived (faith
he) forty years, and fomewhat more, and
carried my heart in my bofom all this while,
and yet my heart and I areas great ftran-
gers, and as utterly unacquainted, as if
we had never come near one another : —
Nay I know not my heart, I have forgot-
ten my heart ; Ah my bowels, my bowels !
that I could be grieved at the very heart,
that my poor heart and I have been fo unac-
quainted!' We are fallen into an Athenian
age, fpending our time in nothing more
than in telling or hearing news, AiSs xvii.
21. * How go things here ? How there ?
How in one place ? How in another ?' But
who is there that is inquifitive, * How are
things with my poor heart ?' Weigh but
in the ballance of a ferious confideration^
2. Heart, What wilt thou do ? or. Heart,
what doft thou think will become of thee what time we have fpent in this duty, and
• Mr Lighfoot in his fermoa b:tore thejHoufc of Commons on Pfal.'iv.^. "Where obferve that I (et rot
the author here under the confcdion of a wilful nejleft of that main duty till that veiy time that he wDScxhcir-
it)g, oti ers to it ; 1 rather look upon ir as 1 is daily confelTion, both bcft re and fincc : W iiich argues not an impi-
ous, voluntary, wilful neglcfl ; butrathtra fender, bimblc, watchful, left, and fciifible (pit it, truly Iccfibic of that
noglc^ wbich i$ infirmity, Jfaac ^4mirofe,
what
13^ SELF
what time otherwife ? and for many fcores
and hundreds of hours or days that M'e owe
to our hearts in this duty; can we write
iifty ? or where there (hould have been
fifty yeffels full of this duty, can we
find twenty, or ten? O the days, months,
years we beAow upon fin, vanity, the af-
fairs of this world, whiles we afford not a
minute in convcrfe with our own hearts,
concerning their cafe.
SECT. VI.
Of the manner of trying^ or examining our
Tongues,
THAT we may rightly try, or exa-
mine our Tongues, obferve we thefe
rules :
I. Search w^e into our difpofitions, whe-
ther we are men of few words, or given to
much fpeaking ? The tongue may offend
both ways, but efpecially if we are wordy.
2..Perufe with a broken heart and bleed-
ing 2ffe6\ions, the many kinds of thofe
fins of the tongue, whereof (no doubt at
one time or other) we have been deeply
.guilty. Some number them in thirty par-
ticulars; 35 'Blafphemy, murmuring, de-
fence of fin, fwearing, forfwearing, lying,
equivocating, flandering, flattering, cur-
fing, railing, brawling, fcoffing, giving ill
counfel, fowing feeds of difcord amongfl:
neighbours, double-tonguednefs, boafiing,
difcovering of fecrets, hafiy or indifcreet
threatening, rafii promifes and vows, idle
words, loquacity or immoderate talkative-
nefs, filthy talking, fcurrility or foolifh
jcfling, tale-telling, raifing of rumours,
finful filence, rafli cenfuring, malicious in-
forming, whifpering.'
3. Confidcr we the laft judgment, when
men fliall give acccioit for every idle u-ord;
for by cur words ive niuft be juftifiedy
and by our words ive mufl be condemned^
Matth. xii. 36, 37. Will it not be a fear-
ful bill, wherein muft be written every
word that we fpoke all our life long? O
let us tremble to think of it, and judge and
condemn ourfelves, and feal up our lips
JTRl^L,
with amazement,as if we were Aruck dumb.
4. Let us ever after fet a watch at the
door of our lips: I faid, I -will take heed
to my ways, that I fin not with my tongue;
1 will keep my mouth with a bridle^ Pfal.
xxxix. 2. It is ftoried, that when this verfe
was read, or leflured upon to a religious
perfon, he cried out, * Stay there, and I
will hear the reft when I have learned that
vcrfe,' [Tripart. lib. cap. i.] A long time
after, being demanded. Why he returned
not to his old mafler, he anfwered, that
' as yet he was not perfeft in his firft \ti-
fon :' and hence the apoftle could fay, If
any man offend not in word, the fame is. a
perfe6i man, and able alfo to bridle the
whole body. Jam. iii. 2. It is an hard work
to bridle the tongue, and therefore we had
need to watch over it.
5. Pray we the Lord for the guidance
of his Spirit in the right governing of our
tongue ; 77;!? preparations of the heart in
man, and the anfwer of the tongue is from
the Lord, Prov. xvi. i . and therefore pray-
ed David, Set a watch, Lord, before my
mouth, keep the door of my lips, Pfa. cxli.
3. O the tongue is a fire, a world of ini'
quity, Jam. iii. 6. as the fire flies about,
fo the tongue is faid to have wings ; as the
fire aflimulates, and turns every thing into
its own nature, fo the tongue aflimulates
the hearts of men to whom it fpeaks ; we
had need therefore to pray, that God
would order this fire in our mouths, left
we kindle fuch a fire in thebreafts of others
as we ftiall never live to quench again, and
fo kindle the fire of God's wrath, which
fliall fmoke to our dcftrudtion.
SECT. VII.
Of the manner of tryingy or examining our
ASiions.
THAT we may rightly try, or exa-
mine our anions (I mean fuch ac-
tions as are matters and concernments
of the foul, whether the work of faving
grace, or the individual companions of
this
this faving work, as duties and graces) ob-
ferve we thefe rules :
I. For the work of faving grace or con-
veriion, try, (r.) Whether ever our fouls
were wounded by a clear difcovery and
wide opening of our many ulcerous fecret
corruptions? Whether ever they were af-
fected and prefTed with a through fenfe and
feeling of the fierce wrath of God, ready
to break into unquenchable flaines of ven-
geance againll us ?
(2.) Whether, after thefe bruifingsand
breakings, our fouls ever caft their eyes up-
on that infinite fea of God's mercy, glo-
rioufly flreaming thro' the infinite bleed-
ing wounds of Jefus ChriH: upon every
truly broken, contrite and wounded heart ?
"Whether ever they fettled and fafiened
their fight ftedfafily upon their bleffed Re-
deemer, as he was hanging on the crofs,
ftruggling with his Father's wrath for our
(ins, and crying out at lafi, // is finijhed.
(3.) Whether, after this fight, and confi-
deration of the work ofour redemption,our
fouls ever hungered and thirfi^ed after the
precious blood of the Lord Jefus, far more
greedily, and infatiably, than ever the pan-
ting hart thirfied after the rivers of water?
Whether ever with firong cries, prayers,
groans and fighs, they threw themfelves
with fome comfort and confidence into the
bleeding and bleffed bofom of our dear
Redeemer, and there hid themfelves fweet-
ly and deeply in his facred wounds, and
goared fide, from the eager purfuit of the
wounding law, the rage of Satan, and
ftingings of their own confciences ?
(4.) Whether after this fafi; hold upon
the paflion and merits of Chrifi, our fouls
ever received this comfortable news, * That
we were pardoned, juflified, intitledby the
covenant of grace, unto a crown of im-
mortaUty, and endlefs joys in the heavens V
Whether this ever melted us into an e-
vangelical repentance, * to bewail heartily
all our fins, and former wretchednefs of
life, for having fo vilely and rebellioufly
SELF-TRIAL, j^y
grieved and offended fo gracious and lov-
ing a Father ?'
(5.) Whether, after thefe comforts and
forrows, our fouls ever refolutely aban-
doned the practice of every grofs fin, and
threw out of their afteftions the liking and
allowance of every the leafl infirmity ?
Whether we have ever fince fettled our
felves to holinefs of life, univerfal obedi-
ence to all God's commandments, though
not in perfeftion and height of degree, yet
in truth and fincerity of heart.
It may be every foul, truly converted,
cannot fpeak affirmatively to every of thefe
queries in intention, or height of meafure,
tho' for the fubfiancethey can ; and if fo,
we may conclude, there is ' the work of
faving grace.'
For the individual companions of this
faving work, as Duties and Graces.
J. For duties, try, i. How we manage
them before, in, and after the work ? Of
this we fliall inform more particularly in
moA of the duties, as we handle them in
order. 2. What fenfible and quickening
communion we have with Chrift in our
duties ? This is the main bufinefs andend
of all the ordinances of Chrifi:. It is or-
dinary with us to terminate our devotions
with a circular courfe of praying morning
and evening, or of coming to church eve-
ry Lord's day; we look no further, but
only to the exercife of the body, we fee
not any thing of the power of Chrifi: (hin-
ing out in firength in thefe duties: and
therefore try we particularly,
1 . ' Whether we have, in the ufe of any
divine ordinance, an intimate, tender and
effeftualprefence of Chrifi: himfelfwith us?'
2. * Whether we have a conftant influ-
ence, a quickening power of fpiritual re-
frefiiing, a fenfible fpiritual taile of divine
love, or of God himfelf by this prefence
of Chrift ?' In right performance of duties,
we come to have fuller union with Chrifi-,
and by this coming to him, we come to
and fee the Father by him ; and hence iol-
T" lows
138 SELF^rRlAL.
lows by this prefence of Chrift,thefe three Pfal. Ixxvii. 6. And thus he bids us, Com-
things, I. Peace with, and a fpiritual joy
in God. 2. A ftrength communicated to
walk with Chrift, and in his power with
God. 3. A fealed aflurance of eternal com-
munion with God in glory.
2. For Graces, examine, (i.) The truth
of our graces. (2.) The growth of our
graces. (3.) The wants of our graces: all
which we ihall difcufsat large in the Sacra-
ment of the Lord's fupper.
SECT. vnr.
Of the ti?ne of our Self-trial.
THE fcriptures have determined no
fct time, jjif t fome rules there are,
partly in fcripture, and partly prefcribed
by holy men, which we may make ufe of,
as thus.
1. There is no danger of furfeiting up-
on too much ; the ofrencr we reckon with
our fouls, the fewer things we Hiall have
to reckon for every time; and the fewer
things there be, the more readily will they
be called to mind, and more exa(5Vly be
fcanned : this made Bernard fay of this
work, * If we will do it as often as we
need, we mufl: do it always.' {Serm. 48.)
2. The time that learned and devout
mencommend to us, is once every day :
So * Chryfoflom, Let this account be kept
every day; have a little book in thy con-
fcience, and write therein thy daily tranf-
grcflions; and when thou layeft thee down
on thy bed, then bring forth thy book, and
take an account of thy fins.' {Ex. c«Pf. 4.)
3. The time that efpecially fcripture
holds forth to us, is at evening or at night :
/ cali to reniembra7ice, faid David, myfong
in the night ; I commune with my own
heart, and my fpirit made diligent fearch.
mune with your own heart upon your bed,
and be fill, Pf. iv. 4. Upon which words
fays Chryfoflom, * What means this that
he faith, Commune with your own hearts
upon your beds ? q. d. after fupper, when
you lie down, and are ready to lleep, and
have great quietnefs and filence, without
prefence or difturbance of any, then ereiTt
a tribunal for your own confciences.' f
4. Other times may be as occafion re-
quires : when the church of Ifrael was in
diflrefe, and fighed to God, then they en-
couraged each other. Let usfearch and try
our ways, and turn again to the Lord,
Lam. iii. 40. When Chriftians purpofe to
receive the Lord's fupper, then. Let a man
examine himfelf, and Jo let him eat, \ Cor,
xi. 28. When we obferve days of faft for
humiliation of our fouls ; or when we ob-
ferve a (abbath of feafts, or efpecially when
we are cart down upon our lick-beds, and
in expt£lation of our diflblution, then 'tis
time to examine, and to judge ourfelves,
that we be not judged, i Cor. xi. 31.
5. Befides thofe daily and cafual times,
it is convenient alfo, after fome good fpace
of time, to try our felves over again, ex.
gr. After a month or a year, to confider
our felves for the month or year part, that
we may fee how we have profited or decay-
ed for that fpace of time ; for as our mem-
bers grow, and our fliape every day chang-
eth,andour black hairs turn gray, while we
perceive it not, yet after fome fpace of
time, we may eafily difcern ; fo it is in our
fouls, befides the manifeft changes which
fometimes appear at the inftant, there are
certain infenfiblealterations, which are not
to be difcerned, but after fome continu.
\ Let not the Uciling GoJ of lleep furprizc,
"tJor creep in flumbers on tliy weary eyes,
K'C ev'iy a^tiun of the foimcr day
t)'.ri£lly tliou doll and rigliteoudy furvey,
Witli rev'ientc at tl»y own tribunal (landj
And anfwcr jullly to thy own demand.
Wlicrc have I been? in what have I tranfgrefsM ?
Wlmt good or ill lias this day's life exprcfsM?
I Where have I fail'd in what I ought to do ?
In what to God, to man, or to myfcif, I owe?
Inquire fevere what-c'cr from firft to laft,
I From morning's dawn 'till ev'ning's gloom, has pad.
If evil were thy deeds, rejJtnt and mourn,
And let thy foul with ftrong remorfc be torn.
I If good, the good with peace of mtnd repay, •\
I And to thy fccret filf with plcafurc fay, >
I Rejoice, my heart, for all went well to-day. T>vth. J
Tyth.
ance
ance of time: and for re(rtifyingbfthere, It
is neceflary to take a more general view of
our fouls, in a monthly or yearly trial ;
by this means we (hall fee wherein we are
better or worfe, how our zeal is increafed
or decreafed ; if we are bettered fince our
laft general account, we ftiall have occafi-
on to praife God ; if otherwife, we mufl:
therefore be humbled, and blow the coals
of zeal, and ftir up the grace of God in us,
that we may flrengthen the things which
remain, and are ready to die, Rev. iii. 2.
To this purpofe we read of many an-
cients that were accuftomed to keep diaries
or day-books of their a6lions, and out of
them to take an account of their lives :
Such a regifter (of God's dealings towards
him, and of his dealings towards God in
main things) the Lord put into a poor
creature's heart to keep in the year i 641.
ever fince which time he hath continued it,
and once a year purpofes, by God's grace,
to examine himfelf by it. The ufe and end
of it is this ;
1. ' Hereby he obferves fomething of
God to his foul, and of his foultoGod. 2.
Upon occafion he pours out his foul to
God in prayer accordingly, and either is
humbled or thankful. 3. He confiders
how it is with him in refpeft of time paft,
and if he hath profited in grace, to find
out the means whereby he hath profited,
that he may make more conltant ufe of
Inch means : or wherein he hath decayed,
to oblerve by what temptation he was o-
vercome, that his former errors may make
him more wary for the future,'
Befides many other ufes, as of his own
experience and evidences,which he may, by
the Lord's help, gather out of this diary.
SECT. IX.
The daily regifter of a weak unworthy Ser-
vant of Chrijl for fome Tears.
T may be expected, that I give fome
example hereof, wherein if I might any
way advance Chrift or benefit his church,
though I lay in the duft, I fnould willingly
T
SELF^TRIAL, 139
publidi and fubfcribe the dally regiAer of
a poor unworthy fervant of Chrift, indeed
one of the meaneft of his Mafter's family,
for fome fpace of time : As thus,
1651. M.^r 13. I retired myfelftoa
folitary and filent place to pradlife, efpe-
cially the fecret duties of a ChrilHan : my
ground is that of Cant. vii. ii, 12. Come
my beloved, let us go forth into the fields,
etc. there will I give thee my loves. ' The
bridegroom of our fouls, faid Bernard, is
badiful, and more frequently' vifits his
bride in the folitary places.' MAY 14.
In a pleafant wood, and fweet walks in it,
the Lord moved and enabled me to begin
the exercife of fecret duties : and after the
prolegomena, or duties in general, I fell
on that duty of Watchfulnefs; The Lord
then gave me to obferve my former ne-
gligence, and to make fome refolutions.
I found the Lord fweet to me in the con-
clufion of the duty ; Allelujah. AI /IT
15. I fell on the duty of Self trial, and in
the morning confeffed my fins before and
fince converfion, wherein the Lord fweetly
melted my heart. In the evening I per-
ufed my diary for the laft year, whereia
many pafiages of mercies from God, and
troubles for fin, 6(?. MAT 16. In the
morning I went through the duty of Ex-
periences, and felt fome ftirrings of God's
Spirit in my foul. In the evening I fell on
the duty of Evidences, when I a^ed faith,
and found my evidences clear. Oh how
fweet was my God ! MAT ij . This
day in the morning, I meditated on the
love of Chrift, wherein Chrift appeared,
and melted my heart in many fweet pafia-
ges. In the evening I meditated on eter-
nity, wherein the Lord both melted, and
cheered, and warmed, and refrcft>ed ray
foul. Surely the touches of God's Spirit
are as fenfible as any outward touches.
Allelujah. MAT 19. In the former
part of this day I exercifed the Life of
Faith, when the Lord ftrengthent d me to
aft faith on feveral promiles, boih tem-
2 poral,
J40 S E LF-
poral, fpiritual, and eternal. I had then
fweer, refrefliing and encouraging impref-
fions on my foul againfl: all the fearful, fin-
ful, and doubtful dreams I had the night
or two before dreamed. In the evening I
confidered the duty of Prayer, obferved
forae workings of God's Spirit in my per-
ufing the rules, and afterwards in the prac-
tice of this duty. Blefled be God.
MAY 20, In the morning I fell on Reading
the word, perufed the dire(n:ions, and then
fearched into the * common places and ufes
of my corruptions in nature and praiftice ;
of my comforts againfl: the burdens of my
daily infirmities ; of eflablifhing my heart
, againft the fear of^alling away : ofdire6>i-
ons in my calling; of comforts againll out-
. ward crofTes ; of my privileges in Chrifi: a-
boveall the wicked in the world :' In every
of thefe Chrift appeared in fome meafure
fuitably to my foul. In the evening I
proceeded in the common places and ufes
of fweet paflages that melted my heart ;
of fenfible comforts, and of places hard to
be underflood : In the firH: my heart was
fweetly melted, in the fecond cheered, in
the conclufion the Lord ftruck me with a
reverence of his majefly and prefence, fil-
led my (bul with fpiritual refrediings, in-
larged my heart with praifes of him, and
defires to live unto him, who hath given
me in this time of love fo many fweet
TR lAL.
vifits, and kijjes of his mouthy Allelujah.
MAT 22. Occafionally, though not
in courfe, I fell on fome parts of the duty
of Self denial : The Lord in mercy
wrought in my foul fome fuitablenefs to
that fpiritual gofpel-duty ; * Lord keep this
fire up in a flame flill. Oh it is a fweet, but
a very hard lefl^on. M AT 31. I prafti-
fed.as the Lord enabled, the duty ofSaints-
fufferings ; into which condition as I was
cafl, fo the Lord gave me to fee my fiii
wherefore, and to bewail it, and to pray
for the contrary grace and God's favour.
The Lord was fweet to me in the prepara-
tions to, but efpecially in the improving
of fufferings. Now the Spirit left in my
foul a fweet fcent and favour behind it.
Allelujah. Amen, Amen.
I had proceeded in this diary, but that
I doubt whether the knowledge of many
fuch particulars may not prove offenlive
either to the weak or wilful. And I would
not willingly occafion any matter of of-
fence to thofe that are within or without
the church. Thus much, only for edifi-
cation and imitation, I have written.
And though with David I declare what
God hath done for my foul, Pfalm Ixvi.
16. yet with Paul, I ever delire to cor-
reft my felf; Hive, ytt not /, but Chriji
liveth in me.
C H A P. V. S E G T. I.
Of the Nature of S E L F-D E N lA L.
IF any man will come after me, faid nary Self-denial. * It fignifies to ' deny ut-
Chrift, let him deny himfelf Mat. xvi. terly, totally, not at all to fpare, or regard
24. The word in the original is a com- a man's felf :' It imports a perfecff, or uni-
pound, noting more than a fingle, ordi- verfal Self-denial ; it is as much as to re-
• Abucgct. i. e. omnioo ncget, Leigh critica facra. Ptrnegct, & prorfus nfget. Rtymldt.
k^
SELF.de N lAL.
je£l and caft offa man's felf, as a man doth
a gracelefs fon whom he will not own any
more for his. From the word opened, we
may difcover the nature of it, which diverfe
give in, though with fome variety, as thus.
* To deny a man's felf, fay fome, it is to
forfake the motions of our own corrupt
reafon and will,' which is the very fame
with mortifying of the old man, and cru-
cifying the flefh. ' To deny a man's felf,
fay others, it is to refufe to be fubjeft to,
or to work for a man's felf, as if it were
our mafter :' And this defcription is taken
from the fimilitude of a fervant who re-
nounceth to be under the government of
lUch a Lord. * To deny a man's felf,
fay others, it Is not to deny himfelf to be
a man, or to put off human affects, but
to humble himfelf.' This likewife is true,
but 'tis not full enough for a Chriftian
Self-denial. And therefore ' to deny a
man's felf, fays others, it is to put himfelf
and all that he hath in hazard, rather than
to negleflthe glory of Chrift.' This Anti-
thefis much inlargeth it ; and in this fenfe
a man is faid to deny himfelf when he
comes up to that height of the apoftle, as
to fay, I live, yet not /, but Chrijl liveth m
/«<?, Gal. ii. 20. q. d. * The life that I live in
refpefl of the original, it is not of nature,
but of grace ; not of myfelf, but of Ghrift :
in refpeft of the rule ; it is not after my
own fancy, but according to the will of
Chrifl ; not after my own lufts, but after
the Spirit ; in refpedt of the end : It is not
to myfelf, but to Chrift, not to exalt or
magnify my felf, but to be all that I am
xmto Jefus Chrift : In refpeft of opinion,
it is not to make my felf my own Lord and
mafter, but to proflrate all at the feet of
Chrift ; not to fuffer any thing in me to
exalt it felf, but to make all veil and bow
to Chrift.' And hence I ftaall give this de-
fcription of it, ' that Self-denial is a total,
through, utter abnegation of a man's own
ends, counfels, affeftions; and a whole
proftration of himfelf and of all that is his,
141
under Chrift Jefus.' And thus we have the
meaning of Chrift, If any man -will come
after me, let him deny himfelf, i. e. Let
him lay afide his own wifdom as an empty
lamp, his own will as an evil commander,
his own imagination as a falfe rule, his
own afFeftions, as corrupt counctilors, and
his own ends as bafe and unworthy marks
to be aimed at. Let him deny himfelf
whatfoever is of himfelf, within himfelf,
or belonging to himfelf as a corrupt and
carnal man ; let him go out of himfelf,
that he may come to me s let him empty
himfelf of himfelf, that he may be capable
of me, and that I may reign and rale with-
in him. As in Jofeph's vifion, the fun,
moon, and the eleven fiars did obeyfance
to him, and all the flieaves in the field veil-
ed to his flieaf. Gen. xxxvii. 7, 9. So in
the life, way, work and foul of a regenerate
man, all the fupernatural gifts and graces^
all ihe moral endowments and abilities,
all the natural powers and faculties of the
foul, with all the members of the body,
and all the labours of the life, and whatfo-
ever elfe, muft do obeyfance, and veil,
and be made fubjecfl and fcrviceable unto
Jefus Chrift. And this is true Self-denial.
B
SECT. IL
Of the Biflribution of Self and of the
Manner hoiv every Self is to be denied^
U T for the better underftanding
of this duty of Self-denial, we muft:
firft diftinguifh of Self, and then apply it
accordingly.
I. There is a threefold Self, viz. a fin-
ful, Self, a natural Self, and a moral, vir-
tuous, or renewed Self.
The firft Self,, which is finful Self, or
corrupt Self, is that which the apoftle calls
the old man, Eph. iv. 22. the earthly Jdam,
I Cor. XV. 47. the body of death, Rom. vii.
24. the carnal mind, Rom. viii. 7. In
which fenfe, to deny a man's Self, it is, ia
the apoftle's phrafe, To deny ungodlinefs.
and -worldly lujls^ Tit. ii. 12,
The
142 S E L F^D
• The Second felf, which is natural Self, is
either confiderable in regard of being, or
of well-being, i. In regard of being and
fubftance, and fo it imports our life, which
is the continuance and prefervation of our
being,^ together with the faculties and
powers of nature, our underftanding, will,
affections, fenfes, fie(h!y members. 2.
In regard of well-being, or the outward
comforts of life, and they are either, i.
External relations, as betwixt hufband
and wife, parent and child, brother and
brother, friend and friend. Or, 2. Special
gifts and endowments, as learning, wifdom,
power, or any other abilities of mind and
body. Or, 3. Common ends, which na-
turally mien purfue and feek after, and
they are by the apoftle comprized under
three heads, of profit, pleafure and ho-
nour ; The lu/i of the eyes, the luj} of the
flefl), and the pride of life, i John ii. 16.
Of this kind are, * Houfes, lands, pofTef-
fions, fleflily, worldly, natural, unnatural,
artificial delights; liberty, praife, favour,
applaufe, any thing from which a man
doih draw any kind of content or fatis-
fadtion in order to himfelf.'
The third Self, which is moral Self, or
virtuous Self, or renewed Self, it is a man's
duties, holinefs, obedience, righteoufnefs,
the graces of his Spirit, the image of
Chrift, Col. iii. ro. Rom. viii. 29. For as
the firft Adam begets us after his image,
fo thefecond Adam regenerates usafter his
image ; from the one we receive lull for
lull, and from the other grace for grace.
Now according to this three-fold Self,
there are three branches of Self-denial ; for
jome things are to be denied fimply and
abfolutely, fome things conditionally, and
xipon fuppofition ; fome tuings compara-
tively, and in certain refpedts.
r. Some things are to be denied fim-
ply and abfolutely, and fo a man is to deny
ilnful felf; \. Generally as it imports the
whole body of corruption and concupif-
cence, which we are to mortifie andjul;due.
E N I^ L,
to crucifie and to revenge the blood of
Chrift againftit, Col iii. 5. Rom. viii.
13. 2. * Specially in regard of thofe per-
fonal corruptions, which we in our parti-
culars are more notably carried into, luhich
David calls the keeping of himfelf from his
own iniquity, Pfal. xviii. 23.'
2. Some things are to be denied condi-
tionally, and upon fuppofition of God's
fpecivil call, and fo a man is to deny his
Natural Self, whenfoever it ftands in op-
pofitlon unto, or in competition with
Chrifi:, his glory, kingdom, or command.
And this we are to do. i. Habitually, in
preparation of the foul, and that always.
2, Aftually, whenfoever any thing dear
unto us Is inconfifient with the confcience
of our duty to God : And thus Paul re-
garded neither liberty nor life in compari-
fon of the gofpel of grace, and of the
name of the Lord Jefus, A6ls xx. 24.
xxi. 13. Thus Micaiah regarded not his
fafety or reputation in Ahab's court, i
Kings xxii. 14. Thus Levi regarded not his
father, or mother, or brethren, or child-
ren in the zeal of God's honour, Deur.
xxxiii. 9. Thus Ezekiel regarded not his
dear wife, the delight of his eyes, when
God took her away with a fi^roke, and for-
bade hira to mourn for her, Ezek. xxiv.
16, 17, 18. Thus Matthew regarded not
his receipt of cuflom, Luke v. 27. nor
James and John their nets, their fhips,
their father, when they were called to fol-
low Chrifl:, Matth. iv. 2r, 22.
3. Some things are to be denied com-
paratively, and in fome refpeft ; and fo a
man is to deny his * renewed felf, his very
duties, virtues, graces.' I deny not but in
the nature and notion of duties we are
bound to feek, to pray, to praftifc, to im-
prove, to treafure up, and exceedingly to
value them ; but in relation unto righte-
oufnefs, in order to jufiification in the
fight of God, and in coiiiparifon ofChrilT",
we mull ellecm all thefe things but as lofs
and dung, Phil. iii. 8 .
SECT.
S E
SECT. III.
Of the denial of Sinful Selfs and firfi of
Cautions.
FIRST, we muft deny Sinful Self,
and this we are to deny fimply and
abfolutely, whether it be the whole body
of corruption and concupifcence; or thofe
perfonal corruptions which we in our par-
ticulars are more notably carried into.
Concerning both thefe, I fliall give fome
cautions, and directions.
The cautions in general are thefe.
1. That the denial of linful Self is ftill
imperfeiSt in this life, even in the moft ex-
cellent fervants of Chrift : the befl of us
feel in ourfelves another law and power of
fin, rebelling againfi the law of our mind^
and leading us into captivity to the law of
Jin that is in our members, Rom. vii. 23,
24. Howfoever felf-denial is as a deadly
wound given unto fin, whereby it is difa-
bled to bear rule, or commanding power
in the heart of a regenerate man, yet felf-
denial is not perfe6l ; it doth not fo flay
Hn, as that we have no fin at all in us, or
that we ceafe to fin ; there is ftill the fap
of fin in the heart of the mofl regenerate
and holy man ; hence felf-denial is not
for a day only, but it mufl be a continual
\vork ; as we have denied fin to-day, fo
■we mufl deny it to-morrow, for fin is of
a quickening nature, it will revive, if it be
not deadly and continually wounded.
2. As this felf-denial is imperfe£l,fo It is
unequal, every man having a portion of
grace according to the meafure of the gift
efChrif}, Eph. iv. 7. The fame meafure
of the Spirit is not to be expected in all ;
all have not the fame meafure of for-
row for their fin that others have, yet
it may be true and unfeigned, and fo ac-
cepted of God ; the fruits of repentance
are in fome thirty, in fome fixty, in
fome an hundred-foldy Matth. xiii. 8.
Tho' every true believer have the Spirit,
Rom. viii. 9. and be a fpiritual perfon, i
Cor. ii. 14, i^. yet fome truly fpiritual
L F-D E N 1 A L. 143
are fo weak, that in comparifon of others
they are not fpiritual, i Cor. iii. i. And
therefore ought not any for this to be dif-
couraged if they find themfelves inferior
unto others.
3 . As this felf-denial is unequal, fo it is in
fomerefpefts unlike in the faithful ; as there
arediverfemealuresofit, fo there are diverfe
manners of it : Hence fome that have not
fo ftrongly denied the outward a£VIons of
fin, may have flriven more in tl^e felf-de-
nial of their inward lufls and affeftions :
And fome that have not denied themfelves
for a time in refpe£l of more hainous fins,
may yet exceed others in Self-denial which
never fell into fuch grofs and hainous
tranfgreffions. It is hard for any to de-
termine whether it was greater grace in Jo-
feph refifting the temptation, and not com-
mitting adultery with his miftrefs, or in
David after his fall to humble himfelf fo
far-as being a glorious king to fhame him-
felf by publick confefTion of his adultery ;
for as God magnifies his mercy by fin \i\
forgiving it, more than if no fin had been,
Rom. V. 20. : fo the godly may fometimes
manifefl their grace, by open and effe<ftual
repentance, more than if that fpecial fin
had not been committed by them, Luke
vii- 44, 45> 4^, 47-
4. Howfoever this felf-denial is in the
beft faints imperfeft, unequal, unlike ;
yet we muft endeavour abfolutely and
fimply to deny finful-felf : We mult ever
be hacking and hewing at this tree till it
falls : we muft grieve at it, ftrive againft it>
and thus continue grieving and ftriving all
the days of our life. Say not now, I have
grace enough, but, as that great apoftle, fiill
prefs forward to have more virtue from
Chrilt i If we have prevailed againfi the
outward aft, reft not, but get the rifing
of luft mortified, and that rowling of it
in our fancy j get our hearts deadened to-
wards it alfo : and reft not there, but get
to hate it, and the thought of it : The
body of death inuft not only be crucified
with
144 SELF-DENIAL.
with ChriO-, bnt buried alfo, and fo rot,
and molder away more and more after its
firft death's-wound, Rom. vi. 4. 6.
SECT. IV.
Of the manner of denying our natural Con-
cupii'cence.
THE dire6lions have refpeifl either to
our natural concupifcence, or to our
perfonal coiTuptions.
I , We are abfolutely to deny the whole
body of corruption and concupifcence ;
^ve are to mortifie and fubdue, to crucifie
and to revenge the blood of Chrifl: againft
this fin. This is the meaning of the apoftle.
Mortify your mermers which are upon the
earth, fornication , uncleannefs, inordinate
affeSiion, evil concupifcence, Col. iii, 5.
Isiow for the denying or mortifying of this
concupifcence, obfervethefe directions.
I. Be fenfibleofit, cry out with Paul,
Rom. vii. 24. wretched man that I am,
' ivho floall deliver me from the body of this
death ?
1. Endeavour we to get a willing heart
to, have this fin mortified. Bleffed are they
ivhich hunger and thirft after right eon f-
nefs, for they f hall be filled, Matth. v. 6.
3. Be we peremptory in denying the re-
quefts of concupifcence, bar up the doors,
give it no audience ; nothing is better than
a peremptory will if it be wellfet, nothing
worfe if it be ill. \Vhen Abifnai would
have perfuaded David to flay Shimei, Da-
vid gives him a peremptory denial, faying.
What have I to do with you, ye fons of
Zeruiah P 2 Sam. xvi. 10. and xix. 22.
So Chrift gave Peter a peremptory denial
when he would have dilfuaded him from
hispaffion, faying, Get thte behind me, Sa-
tan, '^\zx.i\\. xvi. 23. The old man is of our
old acquaintance that hath been born and
bred with us, and therefore is ready to de-
ceive us ; look toit, and whenfoever itfug-
gefts, give it a peremptory denial.
4. Take we pains to mortify this fin. /
/•;;;/ not in vain, as one that beats the air,
I Cor, ix. 26. that is, I take pains, but not
in vain, I take no more pains than I mufi:
needs, if I tookany lefs, I could not come
to that I aim at : The lefs pains we take in
fubduing this corruption, the more will it
increafe; but what pains ? I anfwer. We
muft ufe the means God hath appointed,
as the Word, and Prayer, and Fafiing,
and Watching, and Weeping, and Mourn-
ing, to thcfe, I may add Covenants and
Vows: Provided that, i. They be of things
lawful. 2. That we efl:cem them not as du-
ties of abfolute neccffity. And 3. That we
bind not ourfelves perpetually, Jefi our
vows become burthens to us ; if we will
vow, let us but vow for a time, that when
the time is expired, we may either renew,
or let them ceafe, as necefllty requires.
5. Let us intermix thefe means, duties
or fervices one with another. Chrifl: hath
variety of blelfed employments for us, and
we fliould flee from flower to flower ; as
fomcrimes hear, other whiles pray, fre-
quently meditate, and be not feldom in
godly company. When our luflings fol-
licitc us to this or that obje6t ; aik our
fouls the queflion that the prophet did A-
haziah's meffengeis. Is there not a God in
Ifrael, that thou f)ouldft go to Baal zebub
the god of Ekron? 2 Kings i. 2. Is there
never a promife in the fcripture ? never a
faint of my acquaintance \ never a mercy
to be thankful for ? no beauty and glory
in heaven to be panting after ?
6. Labour we to get the afliflance of
the Spirit of Chrifl. This you may think
flrange, The wind bloweth where it lijleih,
John iii. 8. /. e. the Spirit worketh where
it lifleth; yet this hinders nor, but that the
Spirit may 11(1 to blow in the ufe of the
means: Surely there are means to get the
Spirit, and to hinder the Spirit; the Spirit
may be won or lofl in the doing or not
doing of thefe things.
I. If we would have the Spirit, then we
muft know the Spirit ; we mufl fo know
him, as to give him the glory of the work
of
S E L F'D
of every grace: The want of the know-
ledge of Chrifl's Spirit is the very reafon
why men receive not the Spirit. / will
fend unto you the Comfortery whom the
world cannot receive, becaufe they know
him not, John xiv. 17. The world knows
not the precioufnefs of the Spiiit, and
therefore they lightly efteem of him. The
firfl meanstohave the Spirit, it is to know
the Spirit, that we may give him the glo-
ry of every grace.
2. If we would have the Spirit, take heed
that we quench not the Spirit, i ThefT. v.
19. I mean not by quenching the Spirit,
a quite putting of it out : But, i. A grow-
ing carelefs and remifs in the duties of re-
ligion. 2 A not cherilhing every good
motion of the Spirit in our hearts, either
to pray, or to hear, <bc.
3. If we would have the Spirit, take heed
thziwc grieve not the Spirit; let us not drive
him by our fins out of the temples of our
fouls, difturb him not in his gracious and
comfortable operations there, but fo de-
mean ourfelves that he may flay in our fpi-
rits, and manifeft without any eclipfes or
interruptions his fweet and powerful pre-
fence within us. Surely the Spirit is a clean
fpirit, as he loves a clean habitation : It is
fin makes the Spirit loath the foul of a
man : Evil fpeeches, and evil a6tions grieve
the Spirit of Chrift.
4. if we would have the Spirit, take heed
that we re/i/} not the Spirit, Adis vii, 51.
Now we may be faid to refifl: the Spirit,
1. By not doing the good required, when
we hang off from that good to which we
are flrongly moved by the inward pulfati-
ons and perfuafions of the Spirit of God.
2. By finning againft light; in this refpeft,
the fins againd the fecond table refifl more
than lins againft the firft, becaufe thefe are
fins againft a multiplied light, againft the
light of the word, and light of the Spirit,
and light of nature. 3. By falling into
foul fins, fuch as are the manifeji deeds
of the fitfh, aSf adultery ^ fornication, un-
E N lA L,
H5
cleannefs, lafcivioufnefs, GaJ. v. 19. In-
deed thefe fins are not fit to be named a-
mongft Chriftians. But fcrnicntion, and
all uncleamtcfs, or covetoufnefsy let it not
be once named among ft you, as become ih
faintSy Eph. v. 3. This laft is called ido-
latry. Col. iii. 5. Now the name Idol, in
fcripture, doth fometimes fignify an image,
or fculpture, or reprefcntation; fometimes
an heathen god under the notion of a falfe
God, and fometimes an heailieaGod, un-
der the notion of filthy, unclean, and a-
bominable, i Pet. iv. 3. 1 Cor. x. 7, 8.
Ifa.lvii. 5. iCor. vi.9. The reafon where-
of was, becaule in their idol feafts and i-
dol-worihips they ufed thofe heathen vil-
lainies of filthinefs and uncleannefs, Rev.
ii. 14. or at leaft their idol-feafts were wont
to be previous, and preparatory to forni-
cations, A£ls XV. 20. Rev. ii. 14. O thefe
are foul fins, which were a fhame for Chri-
ftia-ns to name, or fpeak out, much more
to commit. But why is covetoufnefs un-
fit to be named ? And why is it called ido-
latry ? Some criticks obfervc very well,
that the word in the original is Pleonexiay
which is not Covetoufnefs properly, but
inordinate Defire, not only of wealth, but
alfo of lufts, thofe nefanda, that were
common to the Gentiles. O take heed of
thus refilling the Spirit; this is a defperate,
and a dangerous fin.
5. If we would have the Spirit, let us
pray for the Spirit : This was the means
that Chrifl ufed, 1 will pray the Father ^
(faith he concerning his apoftJcs, John xiv.
16.) and he will fend the Comforter to you.
And this was the means Chrift puts us up'
on. For if your earthly parents can give
good things unto their children, how ?nuch
more will your heavenly Father give the
Holy Ghoft to them that afh him? Luke xi.
13. Prayer is prevailing with God, it is
reftlefs and pleafing to God, it will have
no denial.
6. If we would have the Spirit, then let
us walk in the Spirit, do the actions of the
U new
J46 S E L F ' D
new man : *We know fome phyfick is for
reftoring, to preferve the ftrergth of the
body, and fuch is this walking in the a6\i-
ons of the new man ; it preferves the
ftrength of the foul, it preferves fpirirual
life in a man, it enables him to fight a-
gainfl corruptions and Infts, H'a/k in the
Spirit y and ye Jlmll itot fulfil the lujis of
the fief}. Gal. v. 16.
But the faints may objeft: * Ail this we
have done in our meafure, but ftill we find
a body of death, many lufts yet remaining
and rifing up in us, and rebelling againft
the law of cur mind, yea, fometimes cap-
tivating and lea^ng us away to the mind-
ing and feeking of ourfelves, and ferving
our own bafe affc<5lions.'
I anfwer. It may be To, nay, I told you
it would be fo, in the firft caution ; and
yet if we pray againfl them, if by an holy,
gracious and con flan t conteflation we fight
and war againft them, if by a godly grief
and forrow of heart, we mourn and are
troubled for them, then here is our com-
fort, though we are not fully freed from
them, yet we have truly denied them.
There the lulls of a man are denied,
"where they do not reign, and bear do-
minion, where they have not the full and
peaceable poUcflion. Paul was one that in
a very high meafure denied himfelf, and
though he complained of fin, and of <? law
in his members rebelling againjl the law of
his mind, and bringing him into captivity
to the law of fin and death; yet this being
his trouble, the Lord th€reupon comforts
him with the fufficiency of his grace, My
grace is fufjicitnt for thee, 2 Cor. xii. g.
S E C T. V.
Cf the I^anner of denying our perfonal
Corruptions.
2. WJ^ arc abfolutely to deny thofe
VV perfonal Corruptions which we
in our particulars are more notably carried
unto. Now for the denying or mortify-
ing of this fin ( whatfpever it may be) ob-
E N I y4 L.
ferve thefe DirefVions.
1. Labour we to fee the dlfeafe ; No
man will feek for cure, except he fee the
difeafe : The fight of the difeafe is half the
cure of it. O then endeavour we to find
out what is our fpecial fin, our Dalilah
fin, let us be perfuaded and convinced of
it. See the marks whereby to difcover it,
in Chap. 4. Seft. 4.
2. Obferve the bafenefs of this conditi-
on, which appears, partly in the nature of
it, and partly in the evil it brings, i. For
its nature, it is the baleft flavery in the
world. Ifrael's bondage in Egypt was but
a (hadow to this : Men that will not deny
their corruptions, they are lervants to fin,
and fervants to Satan, they walk after the
prince of the power of the air, Eph. ii. 2.
nay, they are fervants to their own cor-
rupt mind, they are led by their lufls as a
fool to the flocks. 2. For the evil that
comes by it, it deprives us of God's favour,
and brings upon us infinite forrows, as,
Blindnefs of Mind, Hardnefs of Heart,
Decidnefs of Spirit, Horror of Confcience,
and, without repentance, all the Terrors of
Hell.
3. Abfiain we from all beginnings and
occafions of this fin : Qiiench it at firfl; if
we cannot put out a fpark, how fhould
we put out a flame ? If we get not the ma-
fiery over the firft motion to fin, how fhall
we overcome it when it is brought to ma-
turity in aftion ? As a ftream rifeth by lit-
tle and little, one Hiower increafing it fome-
what, and another making it bigger fiill,
fo fin rifeth by degrees, James i. 14, 15.
And therefore take heed of the beginning
of our affeflions, look we to the be-
ginning of this inordinate luft; if we per-
ceive but a glimpfe of it, let us quench and
refifl: it ; if we hear it knocking at the door
of our hearts, do not prefently let it in,
but a Ik his errand, plead the caufe with it,
confider the hinderance and inconvenien-
cies that come by it.
4. Proportion the remedy to the difeafe.
As
S E L F '
As the luft is greater, fo ufe we greater ab-
ftinence ; make Ihonger vows againfl: it ;
if the tide beat ftrongly, keep the bank
good ; repair it by new renewals of our
graces in us ; make we new covenants a-
gainft it. W^hat though we are weak and
frail, and fubjeft to break our promifcs in
this kind ? Yet, remember that they are
(Jod's ordinances, and he will put to his
helping hand to enable us.
c;. Turn we our delights to God, and
Chrift, and heavenly things : There is no
true felf-denial that is only private; a man
cannot leave his earthly-mindednefs, but
prefently he muft be heavenly-minded; as
a man cannot empty a veffel of water, but
prefently air will come in its place, fo a
man cannot deny iinful-felf, but grace will
immediately enter, and take pofleffion of
his heart. And, Oh ! when it is thus, when
the intentions of our mind (as our morn-
ing thoughts, ^c) which we fpent upon
vanities, are now drawn unto prayer by
holy meditations, then lufls wither, then
doth corruption (lnole off more and more.
6. Maintain in our fouls the authority
of Goci 3 truth. Either Self or Ghrift will
rule in the foul; and therefore fet up truth,
and let that be the fpring of all our adli-
ons; he that will free himfelf from being
an hired fervant to this or that mafter, he
muft hire himfelf. When David went to
Achifti, he was free from Saul ; if we would
rot have Saul and finful Self to rule in us,
we muft give up ourfelves to the command
of God and his word.
7. Labour to thwart that particular cor-
ruption to which we are inclined: Ex. Gr.
Are we given to wrath ? Endeavour we to
be humbler and meeker than other men :
Are we given to the world ? Look after
that better and more enduring lubftance
in heaven ? Confider that the reproaches of
Chrif} are greater riches than the ireafures
of Egypt, Heb. xi. 26. Contraries in na-
ture do expel one another, cold is expelled
DENIAL. 147
with heat ; darknefs with light : thus it is
with grace.
8.. Pray that Ghrift would baptize us with
the Holy C ho/}, and vjith fire, Matth. ill.
II. that like fire he would heat the facul-
ties of our fouls, and inflame our loves un-
to God; for as our love to God is ftrong-
er, fo our love to holy things will be more
earneft, and confequently our hatred to
finful Self will be more ftrong and perfe(5t.
pray for the Spirit, and wait for the Spi-
rit, and labour to be baptized -with the
Holy Ghoft more and more fully. If we
be left to ourfelves, it is impofTible for us
to deny Self, to mortify Self; and there-
fore M'e are to pray to God to give us his
Holy Spirit. It is he that is the refiner's
fire, and fuller's foap, Mai. iii. 2. Now,
as in refining and purifying, ufe what means
you will, except you ufe fire you can ne-
ver refine filver; fo if a man be left to his
Qi\'n fpirit, he will run into a thoufand
noifom lufts ; but when God's Spirit is
clothed in a man's heart, then he is kept
from fin.
9. Labour after further difcoveries of
Ghrift. Believe more, and depend more
upon Ghrift, yea, let us trade immediate-
ly with Ghrift, for Ghrift is the only agent
in the work of Self-denial. Miftake not,
1 do not fay, that we are mere paffives ia
Self-denial ; indeed at that firft habitual be-
ginning of it at converfion, and at that fi-
nal perfefting and finifhing of it, and car-
rying away all fin at death, I believe we
are mere paffives; but now in our progrefs,
we are workers together with Ghrift: And
therefore it is faid that we purge ourfelves^
2 Tim. ii. 2 1 . and that we purify ourfelves,
1 John iii. 3. and that we by the Spirit
mortify the deeds of the flefiy, Rom. yiii.
13. becaufe Ghrift ftill going on to purge
us, purify us, and mortify our lufts, he
doth it by ftirring up our graces, and uf-
eth therein afls of our faith, and love, and
many motives, and confiderations to do it.
Let us therefore ule all means required,
U 2 but
14^
S E L F.D E N lA L.
but above all, let us bring our hearts more
and more acquainted with Chrift. It is
Chrift is that great ordinance appointed
by God to get our lufts mortified; how ma-
ny fouls have gone puddring on (as I may
fo fpeak') in the ufe of other means? And
though in them Chrift hath communicated
fome vertue to them, yet, becaufe they did
not trade with him, they had lirtle in com-
parifon : The moredifi:in(ftly a man under-
stands Chrift, and how to make ule of him,
the more eafily he will deny himfclf, and
get his lufts purged ; fuch a one as trades
immediately with Chrift, will do more in
a day, than another will in a year. Now
this is as God opens our faith to fee him,
and know him, and to be acquainted with
"him : Hence it wks Paul's defirc, Phil. iii.
JO. That I might know him, and the pow-
er of his refurreSlion : That I may know
him as a prophet inflrufling me, as a prieft
fan6lifying me, as a king reigning fpiritu-
ally in me; that I may know the power of
his rerurre(ftion in the vivification of my
foul, in the abolition of my fin, a.id efpe-
cially of mine oivn iniquity, Plal. xviii. 23.
It was Chrifl that Paul made wie of in this
work. By Chrijl the "world is crucified
unto ?ne, and J unto the "world. Gal. vi. 14.
Thus much for the denial of finful Self.
SECT. VI.
Of the denial of our external relations ;
and fir fi of Cautions.
SEcondly, we mult deny Natural Self;
and this we mufl deny only conditi
onally, and upon fuppofition of God's call,
whether it be in regard of our being or
■well-being. I (hall begin with the latter,
and that contains either External Relatione,
fpecial Gifts, or common Ends .
I. We are conditionally to deny our
external relations ; to this purpofe, faith
Chrilt, Luke xiv. 26. If any man comet h
to rnc, and hateth }iot father and tnother,
and children, and brethren, and wife, and
Jificrs, he camiQt be my difcipk. Not that
religion teacheth or commandeth, or en-
dureth a faint to break the ties of religion
or nature ; you fee it puts in a plea againft
(uch unnaturalnefs, Honour thy father and
mother, is the fir fi commandment with pro-
mife , Eph, vi. 2. And the ravens of the
valleys fhall pick out their eyes that mock
and defpife their father and mother, Pro v.
XXX. 17. God's commandments do not
interfere, the gofpel in this cafe gives no
fuperfedeas to the law [or fuperfedes the
obligation of it :] and therefore in the de-
nial of relations, I ftiall lay down fome
cautions, and dire«ftions.
The cautions are thefc.
I. That relations are the bleffings of
God : they are God's gifts, and beftowed
on the faints in a way of promife ; Blef/cd
is every one that feareth the Lord, that
walketh in his ways : How may that ap-
pear ? Thy wife fhall be as a fruitful vine
by the fides of thy houfe, thy children like
olive plants round about thy table. Behold,
thus floalL the man be blejfed that feareth
the Lord, Pfal. cxxviii. i, 3, 4. Now thus
we muft not deny, but love and cheriHi,
and dearly elteem of our relations : they
are the gifts of God's bounty, of his gra-
cious covenant, proceeding from the free
undefervcd love of God, they are the to-
kens of God's fpecial good-will and favour
in Jefus Ghrilt : they are love tokens
which Chrift fends to our Ibuls, that fo he
might draw our loves to him again ; and
hence it is lawful and commendable to re-
joice in them in their way, and efpecially
to lift up our fouls in thankfgiving to God
for them, For every creature of God is good
(much more the children of our loins, and
wives of our bofoms) if received witl>
thankfgiving, 1 Tim. iv. 4.
2. Notwithftanding they are the blef-
fmg of God, yet we muft deny them for
God, as in thefe cafes :
1 . If they retard us in the way to Chrift,
if they intice us to make baitings in our
runnings through lire and through water
to
S ELF'D ENIA L, i49
to the Lord Jefns. Thus as it was faid of feaion, if a man be not difpofed (where
Levi, fo aiould it be faid of every faint, thefe loves are incompatible) to hate fa-
He faid unto his father and mother^ I have
not feen him, neither did he acknowledge
his brethren, nor know his cxvn children,
Deut. xxxiii. 9. This is meant, either of
theprieft's continual duty, who, if his fa-
ther, mother, brother or child died, he
might not mourn for them ; but carry
himfelf as if he did not refpe^l, know, or
care for them ; or, it is meant of that fa<ft
of the fons of Levi, who being command-
ed of Mofes, they killed every man his
brother, friend, neighbour, and fon, that had
linned in making and worfhipping the gol-
den calf, Exod. xxxii. 27, 28. and to this
latter the Chaldee refers it, tranflating thus.
Who had no compaffion on his father, or
on his mother, when they were guilty of
judgment, and accepted ?iot the perfons of
his brother^ or of his Jon. If our deareft
relations (hould beckon us out of the way,
or retard us in the way to Jefus Chrift,
[in that cafe] we muft not refpeft father
or mother, we muft not acknowledge our
brethren, nor know our own children.
And Chrift gives the reafon. He thai lov
eth father or mother more than me, is not
worthy of me ; and he that loveth fon or
daughter more than me, is not worthy of weep as tbd" they wept not, and they that
ther and mother, and all for the love of
Chrifr, he cannot belong to Chrift. Thefe
two cafes may be fummed up thus ; if our
relations do either retard our way to Chrift,
or draw us from Chrift, in this fenfe they
ought to be forgotten, yea, to be hated.
Chrift, in this cafe, called Peter Satan;
we muft not love father, or mother, or
wife, or daughter, or child more than
Chrift J fo Matih. x. 37- expounds that
place of Luke xiv. 26. This is plain, for
we muft love Chrift with all our heart, and
with all our foul ; and tho', by the fecond
commandment, we muft love our neigh-
bour as ourfelf, yet we muft not love our
neighbour as our Chrift.
SECT. VIL
Of the Manner of denying our external
> Relations.
THE directions of Self-denial, in re*
fpe<5l of our relations, are thefe.
I. Let us have them as if we had them
not. This is the expreftion of the apoftle ;
The time is fhort, faith he, and, What then ?
// remains that both they that have wives
be as though they had none, and they that
7ne, Mat. x. 37. A man ftiould love father
and mother, and a man will love fon and
daughter, for love defcends rather than af-
cends ; but if any man love father or mo-
ther, or fon or daughter more than Chrift,
he is not worthy of Chrift, he is not fit to
be a difciple of Chrift, or to be faved by
Chrift.
2. If they draw contrary ways to Chrift,
if their ways be crofs, Chrift drawing one
way, and relations drawing another way.
Now in this cafe, as Chrift faid. If a man
hate not father, and mother, and wife, and
children, and brethren, and fifters ; yea,
and his own life alfo, he cannot be my dif-
ciple, Luke xiv. 26. If a man hate not,
i. e. if a man renounce not all carnal af-
rejoice, as if they rejoiced not, i. Cor. ViJ.
29, 30. The time is (Ijort : the apoftle here
alludes to fea-faring men that have almoft
done their voyage, and begin to ftrike fail,
and to fold them up together, and are even
putting into harbour : fo it is with us, our
time is ihort, as foon as we begin our voy-
age,we are ready to ftrike failprefently. 2.//
remains that both they that have wives be
as though they had none, (be. q. d. You
that are ready to caft anchor, trouble not
yourfelves about thefe things, but rather
be ye ftedfaft, gird up the loins of your
minds, let your care be greateft for hea-
ven ; and as for thefe outward relations,
be as if you had none, or think, as foon
as you are^alhore, you IhalJ have aone ;.
da
150 SELF^D
do not glut yourfelves, but moderate your
hearts in all fuch comforts as thefe.
2. Let us refign up all to God. This
•we have done, and this wc mull do ftill.
I. This we have done in that day when
we have made up our bargain for Chrift.
Every foul that comes to Chrift, he parts
with all to buy that pearl, and in felling
all he fells not only his corruptions and lulls,
but his father, mother, wife, children, all
relations conditionally.
3. This we muH: do flill; we muftgive
up all to God ; we, and they, and all muft
be at the command of Ghrifi:, at the plea-
(ure of God and Chrill ; indeed nothing
is properly calledV)ur own but God and
Chrift ; all other things are God's gifts,
lent of God, and therefore of due (as oc-
calion is) we muft give all to God again.
4. In all things, yea, above all things, be
we filled with the Spirit. This will take off
our thoughts from other things that are
inferior : if our fouls be once filled with
the things of a better life, then wife, chil-
dren, parents, friends will never draw a-
way our hearts. O that our fouls would
but mount up, and take a viewofthofe
rare things that are provided for us in a-
nother life ! what ? to have God our fa-
ther, angels our keepers, to be the chil-
dren, brethren, companions of angels ?
weigh thefe things daily, and then we fliall
deny our relations here : thefe on earth
may be comforts, but what is earth to hea-
ven ? what are thefe joys to joys eternal ?
5. Let us mufe on the many relations
betwixt Chrill and us ; he is our creator,
we the work of his hands : he is our fliep-
herd, we the flock of his paflure ; he is our
father, the great father of the family, who
provides all things necelFary for them that
be under his government, and we are his
children ; he is our bridegroom, we his
(poufe : now if Chrift be inftcad of all re-
lations, how Ihould we but leave all for
Chrift? As a woman leaves her father's
houfe, and her own people, to cghabite
ENIAL,
with her huftjand, fo fliould we ' leave our
country with Abraham,' Gen. xii. i. * leave
our friends with Levi,' Deut. xxxiii. 9.
' leave our polTefTions with the difciples,'
Matth.iv.22. yea be * ready to leave our life
with Paul' for the teftimony, honour and
fervice of Chrift, The foul that is related to
Chrift, hath enough in Chrift to pleafe
and delight icfelf. Tho' all friends accord-
ing to theflelh become ftrangers, or prove
enemies, yet Chrift is inftead of all friends.
6. Let us imitate them (as occafion is)
who for Chfift's fake have not only in will,
but a£lually parted with their deareft rela-
tions. Thus Mojes refufed that r elation ^
to be called the fort of Pharaoh's daughter,
choofing rather to fuffer affH^ion with the
people of Cod, than to enjoy the pleajures
of fin for a Jeafon, Hcb. xi. 24, 25, 26.
Thus the apoftles of Chrift refufed not fome,
but their all relations ; Behold lue have
forfaken all, and followed thee : to whom
Chrift anfwered. Every one that hath for '
faken houfe s, or brethren, or fifters, or fa-
ther, or mother, or ivife, ■ or children^ or
lands for my names fake, fhall receive an
hundredfold, (which Chrift gives them in
beftowing himfelf on them) and fhall in-
herit everlafting life, Matth. xix. 27, 29.
It was Jerom's faying, * If the Lord Chrift
fliould call rre tohim, tho'my father ftiould
ly in the way, and my mother ftiould hang
about my neck, I would go over my fa-
ther, and fliake off my mother, and run
to my Chrift,' But this was only faid ; if
you would know a greater matter than this
done and praflifed, I (liall give you one
notable inftance, enough to inflame all
our hearts towards Chrilt and his truth in
the very publifliing of it.
I have read a notable ftory of one Gale-
acius Caracciolus, the noble marquefs of
Vico : This Vico was one of the paradifes
of Naples, and Naples was the paradife of
Italy, and Italy is the paradife of Europe,
and Europe the paradile of all the earth :
yet, this marquefs being brought to hear
a Icr-
SELF-DENIAL.
1.5^
a fermon of Peter Martyrs, God pleafcd fo
to work upon his fpirit that he began to
enter into ferious thoughs, whether his
way of popery wherein he was trained, was
right or not. At laft, having further light
let into his foul not only of feeing truths,
but likewife of delivering himfelf from
that idolatry which he apprehended him-
felf defiled withal ; his refolutions were
flrong to leave the court, and his honours,
together with his father, wife and children,
and whatfoever was dear to him. Many
grievous combats he had betwixt the flefh
and the fpirit when he refolved of his de-
parture, but the greateft troubles were his
relations; for,
I. As often as he looked on his father,
which he alftioft did every hour, fo often
he was ftrucken at the heart with unipeak-
able grief; his thoughts run thus, * What I
and mull I needs forfake my dear and lov-
ing father ? and cannot I elfe have God
my Father ? O unhappy father of my bo-
dy which muft ftand in competition with
the father of my foul !'
3. No lefs inwardly was he grieved in
refpecV of his noble wife ; for having no
hope that fhe would renounce popery, and
go with him, he refolved alfo for Chrift's
fake to leave her, and to follow Chrill,
whereupon his thoughts run thus : * And
fhall I fo, yea, fofuddenly, and fo unkind-
ly leave and forfake my dear loving wife,
the only joy of my heart in this world,
and fliall I leave her not for a time, but
for ever ^ Poor lady ! how many doleful
days without comfort, how many waking
nights without fleep fliall (he pafs over ?
"VVhat will flie do, but weep and wail, and
pine away with grief ?'
Thefe two cogitations of his father and
wife greatly tormented him, and the more
becaufe he laboured to keep cloie this fire
which burned and boiled in his heart; he
durft not make known his departure, left
it fhould have been hindred, which he
would .not for a world.
3. There wasyet a third and fpccial care
that pinched him, and that was for his
Children ; which were fix in all. It was
the more grief in that they were fo young,
as that they could not yet conceive what
it was to want a father; the eld eft: was
fcare fifteen, and the youngeft fcarce four
years old : towards them, faith the ftor}'',
his thoughts run thus : * And fliall I with-
in thefe few days utterly forfake thefe
fweet babes ? fliall I leave them ro the wide
and wicked world, as though they had ne-
ver been my children, nor I their father ?
and you, poor orphans, what fliall become
of you when I am gone ? your hap is hard,
even to be tatherlefs, your father yet liv-
ing. And what can your woeful mother
do when flie looketh on you, but weep
and wring her hands, her grief ftill increaf-
fing as flie looks upon you ? yet thusmuft
I leave you all confounded together in
heaps of grief, weeping and wailing one
with another, and I, in the mean time,
weeping and wailing for you all.'
This noble fpirit thus refolved, at laft
he left his family, and went to Geneva,
who no fooner gone, but his friends and
family were fo aftoniflied, that nothing
was heard or feen amongft them but la-
mentations. The ftory is large : I fliall
wind up all in this one paflTage. By his fa-
ther's commands, and his wife's intreaties
he was perfwaded to fee them once in his
life, and to take his journey from Geneva
to yico ; thither come, and having ftaid a
while, and now ready again to return to
his dear Geneva, his father at his farewel
* gave him many an heavy and bitter curfe;'
his wife embraced him, and took him about
the neck, befecching him in a moft loving
and pitiful manner, that ' he would have
care of himfelf, of his dear wife and children,
and not fo willingly caft them all away ;
his young children all upon their knees with
arms ftretchcd out,and hands holden up,and
faces (wollen with tears cried unto him
* to have piiy on them his own bowels^
and
152 SELF
and not to make them fa thcilefs before the
time :' his friends with heavy countenances
and watry eyes looked ruefully on him, and
thnugh for grief they could not fpeak a
\vord, yet every look and every counte-
nance abd every gefture was a loud cry,
and a ftrong intreaty that ' he would flay,
and not leave fo antient and noble an houfe
in fuch a woeful and defolatc cafe.' But
above all, there was one moft lamentable
fight : among all his children, he had one
daughter of twelve years old, who crying
out amain, and wallowing in tears, fell
down, and catching faft hold about his
thighs and knees, Wield him fo hard as he
could by no means fhake her off, and the
affe£lion of a father wrought fo with him
* as he could not offer with violence to hurt
her ; he laboured to be loofe, but (he held
fader ; he went away, but fhe trailed after,
crying to him * not to be fo cruel to her
. his own child, who came into the world
by him : this fo wonderfully wrought
with his nature that he thought, as he often
reported, that ' all his bowels rowled a-
b6ut within him, and that his heart would
have burft prefently, and there inflantly
have died.' But notwithftanding all this,
he being armed with a fupernatural and
heavenly fortitude, he broke through all
thofe temptations, and for Ghrifl'sfake de-
nied all, and fo returned to Geneva, (where
Mr. Calvin then lived)a glorious felf-denier,
or a glorious denier of his natural felf.
And thus much of denying our lelations.
SECT. VII r.
Cf the denial of our fpccial gifts ; and firjl
of cautions .
WE are conditionally to deny our
fpecial gifts and indowments ; as
learning, wifdom, power, or any other a-
billties of mind and body. In profecuti-
on of this I Ihall give fome cautions, and
directions.
The cautions are thefe ;
I . That learning, wifdom, abilities are
-DENIAL,
in themfelves excellent things. Aeneas Syl-
vius, in his Epiftle to Sigifmund Duke of
Auftria faid, that * if the face even of hu-
man learning could but be feen, it is fair-
er, and more beautiful that the morning
or evening ftar.' How much more may be
faid in refpedt of divine, Ipiritual, theologi-
cal learning, whofe fubje(5t is God, and
Chrift, and the things of God ? in this re-
fpeft therefore we muft deny them.
2. Noiwithftanding the excellency of
learning, wifdom, or other abilities, yet
muft we deny them, as in thefe cafes.
1. In refpeft of any high thoughts of ours,
of any overweening conceit of our own
excellencies. Be not ivife /'« our own con'
ceits, faith the apoftle, Rom. xii. \6. To
which agrees that of Solomon, Lean not
to thine oivn underftanding ; be not "wife
in thine own eyes, Prov. iii. ^,y. It is a fad
thing to fee in thefe times how all our de-
bates, diflerences, controverfies, even in
fpiritual matters, do almoft favour nothing
elle but of the affedtation of natural wif-
dom, fiibtility, eloquence ; how doth pride
move men to outitrip one another, either
by Q^cwing their parts, as wit, language,
reading, philofophy, hiiiory, and other
learning ; or by lalhing, and fmiting one
another with the tongue, to feek a conqueft
rather by the infamy of others than by the
armour of righteoufnefson the right hand
and on the left ? by thcle unchrifiian and
unconfclonable ways the more able men
are, the more deflru(5\ive they make them-
felves to the comforts of their brethren,
and the nearer their debates relate unto re-
ligion, the further off" they fet themfelves
and others from tlie kingdom of Jcfus
Chrift. The refpe(ft which is had to gain
credit with men, to lofe no ground in the
debate, and to be thought leaders in the
caure,togeilier with the fear kfl they Jliould
be foiled in any thing, doth even flrip
them of all chrillian fimplicity. JVith the
lowly is wi/dcrUf faith Solomon, whereas
frow pride cometh jhame, Prov.xi. 2. Th;.t
wif-
SELF-DENIAL.
^51
wifdom cannot be true, which brings
us nearer to our own wit, and further off
from the fimplicity and humility which
is in Chrirt Jefus, I fuppofe this is one
caufe why fo much contempt is now caft
upon the name of learning, tho' it maybe
wrongfully by men, yet defervedly as from
God ; and I believe God will not ceafe to
flain the pride of all their glory, and their
greatncfs, by a full difcovery of their fhame,
till they that are learned do fliew them-
felves willing to be reformed herein.
2. In refpeft of any ufe of them accord-
ing to the world, according to man, or ac-
cording to the flefli. Of this God fpeaketh
when he faith, / will dejlroy the ivifdojn
of the wife, and luill hring to nothing the
under/} anding of the prudent, i Cor. i. 20.
And thus the apoftle triumphed over the
wifards of the world, faying, Where is the
-jjife ? ivhere is the fcribe ? inhere is the
difputer of this world P hath not God made
foolilli the wifdom of this world ? i Cor. 19.
"Worldly wifdom ufually fcornsand difdains
the great myfteries ofgodlinefs, fooliftinefs
of preaching, fimplicity of the faints ; but
this wifdom defcendeth not from above,
faith the apoftle, James iii. 15. ' This
wifdom is but earthly, fenfual, devilifh.'
1. Earthly, it minds only earthly things;
though a man be to pafs perhaps the next
day, the next hour, the next moment to
that dreadful tribunal of God, yet it fo
glues his hopes, defires, projects, refoluti-
ons to earthly, tranfitory things, and things
of this life, as if both foul and body, at their
dinblution,{hould be wholly and everlafling-
ly rcfolved into earth or nothing, 2. It is fen-
fual ; it prefers the pleafure of fenfe, and
pleafing the appetite, before the peace of
confcience and fenfe of God's favour; it
provides a ihoufand times better for a bo-
dy of earth, which mufl: fliiortly turn to
dufj-, and feed the worms, than for a pre-
cious immortal foul that can never die;
it highly prefers a few bitter-fwcet plea-
fures for an inch of time in this vale of
tears, before unmixt and immeafurable joys
through all eternity in the glorious nian-
fions of heaven. 3. It is deviJilh, for it
imitates the devil in plotting and contriv-
ing mifchief and ruin againfl: the glory of
God, theminiflry of the word, the palfagc
of his gofpel, the plantation of his gract*
in the hearts of men : or it is devllin:!, be-,
caufe the devil ufually fets ihofe on work
that have a little more wit to do him fer-
vice ? he knows they are more Ale, and
a(ftive to quarrel, rail, flander, difgrace the
truth of God, or minillry of Chrift. O
poor fouls ! how do you bark and fnatch
at thofe hurtlefs hands, which would hesl
and bind up your bleeding fouls ! O poor
ideots, what wifdom is it for you to en-
deavour their extirpation, who are z^flars
in the right hand of Chrif} I Rev. i. 16.
They that would do Chrift's minifters any
deadly harm, they muft pluck them hence.
I could wifh thofe worldly, earthly, fenfu-
al, devililh-wife, that imploy their wits,
their power, their malice, their friends,
their underhand dealings, to flander, dif-
grace, hinder, flop the palFage of a confci-
onableminiflry, but to remember thofe few
texts; He that toucheth you, toucheth the
apple of my eye, Zach. ii. 8. and, He that
defpifeth you, defpifeth me, and he that def-
pifeth me, defpifeth him that fent me, Luke
X. 18. Surely there is fomething in it that
God fo ftridlly chargeth, Pfalm ciii. 15.
Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets
no harm-
SECT. IX.
Of the manner of denying our fpecial gifts.
TH E direftions of Self-denial in re-
fpeft of our fpecial gifts are thefe.
I . Think we fobcrly of our felves accor-
ding as Cod hath dealt to every 7nan the
meafure of faith, Rom. xii. 3. AVe were
not fober in the apoftle's phrafe, if either
we took that upon us which we have nor,
or bragged of that which we ha.ve,
2. Mind the true ends of learning, wif-
X dom>
154 S E L F-D
doi"n,abJlines,etc.aridaimat them. i. What
are thofe ends? I anfwcr, i. To do God
more excellent, and more glorious fervicc. *
2. To furnlfh the foul for an higher de-
gree and a greater meafure of fanftification.
3. ' To do more nobly in Ephrara, and to
be more famous in Bethlehem.' V/hat a
fiiame and fin is it for men by their abili-
ties to hunt after certain fecondary prizes,
as pleafure of curiofity, ability of difcourfe,
vi«5lory of wit, gain of profeffion, inable-
ment for imployment and bufinefs, and fo
(by the abufe and ijjifapplying of it) to put
their great engine of gifts into the devil's
hands, for the enlarging and advancement,
of his kingdom ? O confider thofe more
noble cndi-, ;md feek after them.
3. Endeavour to walk before God in
humility and lowlinefs of mind. ' What?
are thy gifts more eminent than others?
it is the Lord that makes thee differ ; and
as God hath been favourable to thee, fo
Ihould his favours be as obligations to obe-
dience, humility, meeknefs in thee. .
4. Remember it is not the greatnefs of
the gift, but the well-ufing of the gift that
is the glory of the receiver ; it is not the
having of any thing whether much or lit-
tle, but the having of Ghrift with it, that
makes it full and fatisfaflory, fweet and
comfortable, ufeful and beneficial unto
man.
5. Know and be afTured, that whatfo-
ever we have, if it puff us up, and make
us fwell, it is not food but poifon, no
jncrcy but a curfe, no evidence of divine
E N lA L.
favour but of fevere anger to our fouls.
6. Obferve and weigh w^l that the
ifTue and event of all depends not upon
the abilities of man, but upon the all-dif-
pofing hand of God. The race is not to
the pivift, nor the battle to the Jlrong, nei-
ther yet bread to the ivife, nor riches to
men of under/landing, Eccl. ix. 11. All
our abilities are under God's providence,
who puts an efficacy into man's abilities e-
ven as he pleafeth.
7. Eileera we all abilities, gifts, know-
ledge as dung and drofs in comparifon of
the excellency of the know ledge of Chriji
Jefus our Lord, Phil. iii. 8. Thus Paul
determined to knoiu nothing but Chrifi and
hirn crucified, I Cor. ii 2. All knowledge,
art, learning, is nothing to Chrift ; there
is no fulnefs, no divine excellency in that
man's knowledge that knows not Jefus
Chrifi. Si Chrifium nefcis, etc. * If we
know not Chrirt, it is nothing if we know
never fo much.' Si Chrifium di/cis, etc.
* If we know Chriff, it is enough though
we know nothing more ;' enough indeed,
for in knowing him we have all knowledge;
In Chriji are hid all the treafures of ixjif-
dojn and hnovjledge. Col. ii. 3. Among
wife men he is the choice^ that knows
moll of Chrilt ; it is Chrift that puts a
fulnefs into our knowledge, as the ihin-
ing of the fun in the air pu:s a fulnefs of
light into the eye; hence Paul made Chrift
crucified the center and circumference of
his knowledge, the breadth, the length
and depth, and height of his kno'coledge^
* AnJ wc do fo mod eflc<fluilly, when we apply all our talents, our gifts. anJ pofTilTiMis to tliof iifcs for which
our kind Creator did Utllow tlitm, namely tlic promoting our own good and tliat of others. It is then only we
j|lorify God in all thcf..' tl/mg.s when, by the proper application of them, wc render ovirfclvcs public b'crtiiigs : as,
V hen th(,- rich employ their wealth in feeding the hungry, cloathing the naked, re^varding wortliy men, or in
doing sifls of ch.irity and g<nerofity ; — when the great employ their power to protirt the innocent, to relieve the
oppv.fl'.d, and piinilh the opprclfor, to encourage a fpirit of lib rty, religion, ond virtuf (which are the gljry, the
ilchcs. and the flrtngth of any people) and to lupprcfs and difcouragc vice and immorality, that arc the difgracc,
and roiii of all : — when the Icarmd employ their wildom to inHruift the ignorant, to be a faithful counfellor cither
in publick or private, to be a direflor to youtli : and other g )od purpofts. In a word, when all men employ
<!icir talents, whatever they be, in fuch a manner, as lo do good to thcrofclvcs, and to that body politick, where-
of they atciDunbets. Di. Swit'T.
Eph.
SELF-D ENIAL. 155
This was the full latitude of profeffion, but we hsve tra^Jf c? In won •
Eph. iii. 18
of his knowledge to know Jefus Chrift-,
and this is excellent knowledge, Phil. iii. 8.
excellent for the author, matter, fubjeft,
fruits, and effecfls of it ; this is faving
kno'Johdge, this is life eternal to know thee
and Jefus Chrift whom thou haf}fent. O
never (peak of learning, wifdom, gifts, abi-
litieSjin comparifon of Ghrid:. Bernard could
fay, Sifcribis nonfapit mihi, niji legero ibi
Jefumyttc. * If thou writeft, it doth not re-
]i(h with me, unlefs I read Jefus there ; if
thou difputeftor conferreft, it doth not re-
lifn with me, unlefs Jefus found there :' All
learning is but ignorance in comparifon of
the knowledge of Chrift Jefus our Lord.
CoTTie then, and down with all carnal know-
ledge in this refpcft ; come then, and fubmit
to that true, fpiritual, applicatory, experi-
mental knowledge of Jefus Chrift. Hence-
forth, faith the apoflle, we know no man"
after the fiefj, yea though we have knoivn
Chrifi after the fie fh, yet henceforth know
■7ve him no more, 2 Cor. v. 16. We
know him not after an earthly car-
nal manner, but after a divine and fpi-
ritual manner agreeable to the flate of glo-
ry whereunto Chrift is exalted.
8. Confider that gifts and abilities are
the ftay, and ftaff, and ftrength only of
hypocrites; they only lean on thefe, they
only fecure themfelves in thefe : are they
not hypocrites that dare to plead thus
with God himfelf ? Mat. vii. 22. Many
will fay to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have
we not prophefied in thy name, and in thy
name caf} out devils, and done many great
wonders P They trufted upon. Have we
not prophefied ? have we not prayed ? have
we not done wonders ? q. d. * God hath o-
pened the fecrets of heaven to us, and do
you think he will ihut the gates of heaven
upon us • We have preached, we have been
inftruments of laving others, and Jhallnot
we be faved ourfeKes > Wc have caft out
<levils, and Ihall we be caft to the devil >
^\'e have not walked in an ordinary tradl
X
ders and done miracles, we have amazed
the world with reports of the great things
we have done, is all this nothing ?' Thus
they plead with Chrift, as if he were bound
to fave them by the law of thefe fervices ;
yet Chrift tells them, Depart from me, I
know you not. One of the ancients repre-
fents them in fuch an amazement, * What
means this ftrange unexpedled anfwer from
Chrift, Depart, etc Muft we depart, wha
have lived fo near thee ? muft we be damn-
ed, whom thou haft thus honoured V
9. Conclude hence, ' Though a mart
have never fuch parts and gifts, yet if he
have not grace withal, he may go to hell
and perifti to all eternity ; for by his gifts
he is not united to Jefus Chrift, nor mad-
the child of God, nor eftated into the cef^
venant of grace.' You fee how it is with
• children playing together in the day, when
nightcomes.onechild goes to his father, and
the other to his father ; it may be all the day
they are fo like, that you cannot fay, whofe
child is this or that: but, when night comes,
the father then comes to his child, and
faith, ' Come my child, come in at doors:'
and if the o{her offers to go in there, * No
child, you muft go home to your father :'
fo while we are living, grace and gifts are
mingled together; fome men have gifts,
and fome men have graces, and they look
v^ry like : ah but when night comes, and
when death comes, then faith God to ihofe
that hg^e grace, ' Come my children, en-
ter in ;' but if thofe that have gifts only
come, he fends them away. And if a man
do go to hell and perifh, the more gifts he
hath, the deeper will he fink into hell ; as
it is with a man that is in the water, fink-
ing in the water, the more he is laden with
gold, the more he finks ; and as he is fink-
ing, if he have any time to cry out, he faith,
* Oh take away thefe bags of gold, thefe
bags of gold will fink me, they will indoe
me :' So I fay, ' Thefe golden parts, and
golden gifts will undoe men ; when men
2 coiue
156 SEL F-DENIAL.
come to hell, and fiiall pcrifh indeed, the
more golden gifts and parts they have had,
the deeper ihey ftiall fink into hell.' And
thus much of denying our fpecial gifts.
SECT. X.
Of the denial of our worldly profits : and
fir/} of cautions.
3. T7f 7E are conditionally to deny our
VV common ends, which naturally
men purfue and fcek after, as profit, plea-
fure, and honour. I ihall begin with the
firft, viz. Profit; in profecution of which I
ihall give fome cautions, and direiflions.
The cautions are thcfe.
1. It muft be granted that worldly pro-
-fits, fuch as houfes, lands, pofTeffions, are
a bleffing of God, and ufeful in their kind
and places; namely becaufe they ferve for
the refrelhing, comforting, fupporting of
our frail weak bodies, while we live in this
world. And hence it is that God of his
infinite bounty and free-grace hath under-
taken and promifed to make competent
provifion for his children. fear the Lord,
ye his faint Sy for there is no want to them
that fear him ; the young liens do lack and
fhfitr hunger, but they that Jeek the Lord
Jhall not want any good thing. Trufi in
the Lord, and do good, fo fhalt thou dwell
in the land, and verily thou fioalt be fed.
"The meek jhall inherit the earth, and fiiall
delight them felve sin the abundance of peace,
Pfal. xxxiv. 9, ro. and xxxvii. 3, 11. Seek
ye firfi the kingdom of Cod, and ail thcfe
thin']S fihill be added unto you, Matth. vi.
33. All thefe argue that earthly enjoy-
ments are in thcmlclvcs mercies, and the
bleffings of God to godly men.
2. Notwithftanding this, w^muft deny
them, as in thefe cafes.
I. As temptations and fnares, * when
they are either baits unto fin.' Thus Si-
mon Magus orfering money for the gifts of
the Spirit, A<fts viii. 20. the apofile doth
abhor fo abominable a negotiation. Though
an idol be made of iilver and gold, yet being
an idol it muft be thrown away with detefia-
tion like a menfiruous cloth, Ifa. xx. 22.
Even the brazen ferpcnt when it became a
fnare by the abufe of men, it is no longer
prtferved as a monument of mercy, but
broken in pieces as Nehuflitan, a piece of
brafs, 2 Kings xvi. 4. Or, * when they are
themfelves the fruits and wages of fin.'
Thus Zacheus denies himfelf in all his un-
juft gain which he had gotten by^fycophancy
[orfalfeaccufation] and by defrauding ; and
when Chrift offered to come into his houfe,
he would not fuffer mammon to (hut the
door againft him : refiitution as it is a moft
necelfary, fo it is one of the hardcfi: parts
of Self-denial ; when a covetous heart muft
be forced to vomit up all his fweet morfels
again, unjuft gain is like a barbed arrow,
it kills if it ftay within the body, and pulls
the Hefli away if it be drawn out.
2. Asoblationsand faciifices, when Chrift
calls us to dedicate then-s unto him, then we
muft deny them. I'hus when Abraham
was called from his country into a land of
fojourning which he kntw not ; and when
Daniel was called from a king's court to a
den of lions ; when Mofes was called from
the honours of Egypt to the afflictions of
God's people ; when the dilciples were cal-
led from their nets and fhips to follow
Chrift, ' immediately they confuhcd not
with flefii and blood,' but willingly left
their own comforts to obey God's com-
mands.
' All we are, or have, we have it on this
condition, to ufe it, to leave it, to lay it our,
to lay it down, unto the honour of our
Mafter, from whofe bounty we received it.'
SECT. XI.
Of the manner of denying our worldly profits.
THE direftions of Self-denial in re-
fpc«^ of our worldly profits are thefe.
I. Look we on worldly profits as vani-
ty, nothing ; IViit thou fet thine eyes upon
that which is not, faith Solomon, for riches
Certainly make themfelves -wings, they fly
away
S E L F ' D
away as an eagle, Prov. xxiii. 5- Obferve
I. The Holy Ghoft fays that riches are
not, they are nothing: thofe things that
make men great in the eyes of the world,
are nothing in the eyes of God. 2. Ob-
ferve the Holy Ghoft would not have us fo
much as fet our eyes upon riches, they are
not ohjef^s worth the looking on. 3. Ob-
ferve with what indignation he fpeaks a-
gainft thofe that will fet their eyes upon
them, Wilt thou fet thine eyes upon that
•which is not? q. d. ' What a vain, unrea-
fonable, fottifli, fenfelefs thing is this ?' 4.
Obferve that he fays, their parting from us
is by way of flight, that is a fudden, fwift,
and irrecoverable motion. 5. Obferve that
this flight is by the wings of an eagle, which
of all birds hath the moft fudden, the moft
fwift, and the moft irrecoverable morion. 6.
Obferve that none needs to put wings upon
them to flee away, for they makethcmfel^s
wings, there is matter enough in tiiemfelves
to workout their own corruption, and to
put themfelves into a flight. We think
when we are called to deny our profits,
that we are called todeny feme great things;
but the truth is, had we eyes to difcern the
vanity of them, we (hould fee that we are
called to deny nothing but a mere fancy,
a thing of nought, and that which is not.
Oh that the glory of the world were dark
ened in our eyes as once it ihall be, that
it might not be fo dear un;.o us as it is !
2. Confider them as iuftabilities, uncer-
tainties; all worldly things whatfoever are
mutable, changeable, tranfitory ; and hence
the apoftle ftiles riches uncertain riches^
1 Tim. vi. 17. Witnefs Zedekiah who was
deprived of his kingdom, honour, eftate,
nobles, wives, children, liberty, and his
light in one day, 2 Kings xxv. and wir-
nefs Job, who of the richeft became the
pooicft man in one very day. Iliftovy
tells us of one Bellifarius, a noble and fuc-
cefsful captain under juftinian the empe-
ror, that upon fomc di.^plcofurehe was turn-
ed out of his office and eliate, and had his
E N I A L, 157
eyes put out, and (o was forc'd to beg from
door to door ; Date oholum Belli/ario, ' give
one half-penny to Bellifarius, whom for-
tune made great, and envy hath made blind.'
All worldly things are like the fea, ebbing
and flowing; or like the moon, always in-
creafing or decreafing ; or like a wheel, al-
ways turning up and down. Such a ftory
we have of Sefoftris king of Egypt, who
would have his chariot drawn with four
kings, and one of them had his eyes conti-
nually on the wheel ; whereupon Sefoftris
afl<ed him, ' What he meant by it ?' fJe an-
fwercd, * It put him in mind of the muta-
bility of all earthly things ; for I fee, faid
he, that part of the wheel which is now
upon high, is prefently down beneath, and
that part which is now below is prefently up
on high :' whereupon Sefoftris being mov-
ed, confidering what mutability might be
in his own eftate, he would never have hia
chariot drawn after that manner any more.
3. Conflder them as fnares : To this
purpofe cried Solomon, ^411 is vanity, and
vexation of fpirit, Eccl. ii. 26. World-
lings! do you not feel this true ? Mark but
how your worldly cares do rufli upon you
in the morning as foon as you awake, mark
but how they accompany you in the day,
mark but how they follow you to your
beds at night, mark but how they hinder
ycur fleeps, and affli(fl you in your dreams;
O what fears? what fufpicions? what un-
derminings of one another ? what difap-
pointments? what vexations? what a clut-
ter of buflnefl^es croiftng one the other?
what fnares and temptations ly in your
way at every hand ? You walk all the day
long upon fnares, Job xviii, 8. upon dan-
gerous fnares that bring much fin andguilr,
and will bring much forrow and mifcry.
Hence fome give the reafon why Jofrph,
although he had power to have advanced
his brethren in court, yet he would not
have them live there, but by themfelves in
Colhen tending their Iheep ; for himfel'f
he had an extraordinary call to be there,
bu«
158
SELF-DENIAL.
but he fokrtcw the encumbrances and cares
of the court, that he fought it not for his
brethren.
4. Confider them as fading in regard of
ufe, which, yet may prove eternal in re-
gard of punlfnment. O what a dreadful
roife is that in hell, ' We have loft eter-
nity for fetting our hearts upon things that
were but momentary.' A ftrong motive
to work in us a felf denial of thefe profits:
* What ? (hall I lofe eternity for things
momentary? fliall I while away that time
that I have to improve for eternity, to feck
after you, and to take content and plca-
fure in you ?' This is no ordinary motive
or argument. Indeed the knowledge of
this in fome general notion may be ordi-
nary, but to know it powerfully indeed,
and efFeftually indeed, it is a parable, a
riddle to the world, Pfal. xlix. 4. Some
obferve, That when God works any faving
work upon the foul, he begins in this way,
to fettle upon the foul this truth, that all
things here are fading, and what is a year
or two to enjoy all the contentments in
this world, if then I muft be gone, and bid
farewel to all ? Have not I an immortal
foul ? and when ftiall be the time that I fliall
provide for eternity ? To help on fuch a
Ibul, (now I am upon this fubje(fl) confi-
''der, whofoever thou art, thefe two or three
queftions. i. What is thy heart upon ?
1 urge this queftion as in the name of
Chrili, and anfwcr thou that readeft,
* What is thy heart upon ?' It is either u-
pon things momentary, or things eternal:
If thou lookeft upon things eternal as high
notional things, and fitter for fome
thoughts hereafter: then, 2. What will be
thy thoughts at the hour of death ; it may
be thefe: * Now are all my hopes at an
end, now I muft bid farewel to all my
comforts, I ftiall never have mirth and jol-
lity any more, the fun is fet, the feafon is
:it an end for all my comforts; now I muft
fee before rac an inhnite vaft ocean of c-
tcrnity, and of neceflity I muft launch in-
to it; O Lord, what provifion have I for
it ? O there's a thought that will rent the
heart in pieces ! O what a dreadful fliriek
will that foul give, that fees before it that
infinite ocean of eternity, and fees no pro-
vifion that it hath made for it.^ What will
it think, but ' here's an ocean of hot fcald-
ing lead, and I muft launch into ii, and I
muft fwim naked in it for ever and ever.*
I know not how this word may work, but
if it be trampled under foot, it may be
within this year, or two, or three, it will
be faid of thee ; * Such a one was at fuch
a fermon, or fuch a one read fuch a book,
and learned, that worldly profits were but
momentary, but now he is gone :' Or it
may be thou wilt fay on thy death-bed,
* Such a book, and fuch a thing I read,
that all worldly profits were but momen-
tary, and that I had not only a little river
to fwim over, but an infinite ocean to
launch into, and yet I would not be warn-
ed, and now my feafon is gone, and I am
launching into eternity, the Lord knows
what ftiall become of me.' And if thou
perifti indeed, then, 3. What will be thy
thoughts in hell? (I fpeak only to fuch as
go on refolvedly in their fin, or will take
no refolutions of better courfes). It was
the fad cxpreftion of one Lyfimachus, who
loft his kingdom for one draught of wa-
ter, * O for what a ftiort plcafure have I
loft a kingdom ?' O confider what a foul-
finking thought will this be to think here-
after, * O God, for how ftiort a pleafure
have I loft a kingdom ? the kingdom of
heaven ?' And again, ' For what a ftiort
pleafure have I made myfelf a bond ilave
to hell and devils for ever ? It is reported
of pope Sextus the V. that ' to enjoy the
glory and pleafure of the popedom for
fcven years, he fold his foul to the devil.'
AVhat infinite folly poftclfeth the hearts of
the children of men, who were made for
eternity, to venture eternal mifcarryings
for a few years, yea, a few hearts content-
ments to the flefti,
5. Com-
S E L
5. Compare Chrift, and the things of
Chrift, with riches, or worldly profits in
the particulars forementioned, and thence
draw out conclufions: as, Worldly Profits
are Vanities, but Chrift:\and the things of
Chrift are Realities, they are true, real, fub-
flantial, folid things, John vi. 27. 2. World-
ly Profits are Inftabilities, Uncertainties,
but Ghrift and the things of Chrift ^xq /ta-
bic things ; they are things that perifh not :
an tn.iuringjubjlance; eternal things^ Heb.
X. 34. So the apoftle. The things luhich
arefeenare temporalyviz. Riches, honours,
hoiifes, but the things -which are not feen,
as Chrift, grace, holinefs, God's favour,
heaven, are eternal, 2 Cor. iii. 17, 18.
3. Worldly Profits are Thorns, Vexation
of fpirit, but Ghrift and the things of Chrift
are full of Joy and Comfort ; not like t^e
joys of earth, that blaze for a time, that
are like the crackling of thorns under apot,
but yield no durable, folid heat ; no, no,
they are inward, found, fubftantial, laft-
ing joys, and when we come to heaven,
they fhall be unmixt joys, pure comforts
without any mixture of difccmfort, or
grief of any kind. 4. Worldly Profits are
but momentary, and of a fading, peri(h-
ing nature ; but Chrift and the things of
Chrift are all durable, and lafting, yea, e-
verlafiing : Chri/} is the fame yefhrday^
and to day, andjor ever, Heb. xiii. 8. And
heaven (wherein Chrift is) is an inheri-
tance incorruptible, undt filed, that fadeth
not away, 1 Pet. i. 4. Spiritual joy is an
everlajling joy, and falvaiion is an ever-
lafiing falvation, Ifa. xlv. 17." Upon thefe
premifes may we not refohitely conclude ?
What ? are we not willing to do or lufter
any thing for Ghrift ? to part with all for
Chrift ? to make an abfolute choice of Chi ift
before the world ? We read much of the
primitive Chriftlans, that when riches, pre-
ferments, eafe, liberty, were olfered to them
to deny but fome truth of Chrift, they re-
fufed it with difdain. they embraced the
flake, they IdftTed it, they cried out, ' Wel-
F^DENIAL, 159
come death, and none bnt Chrift, none but
Chrift.' Yea, fome, with Paul, have faid.
To me to live, is Chrifl, and to die is gain,
I defire to be dijfolved, and to be with Chrift,
Phil. i. 23. I know it is an hard leftbn to
fiefh and blood ; many have their hearts fo
glued to the world, that they are as un-
willing to part with their wealth, as Lot's
wife was to leave Sodom .^ Oh, but mufe
on thefe differences betwixt Chrift and pro'
fits ! What wife man would make it his
bufinefs to fill his coffers with pebbles,
when he may have pearls, gold or filver ?
What is a man profited, if he fhall gain the
whole world, and Icfe his own foul? Matth,
xvi. 26.
6. Go on in the ways of godlinefs,
though all our profits be hazarded ; keep
on your way, and pafs not for them, trufl
God with them; if we do ftill enjoy them,
fo it is; if not, yet maintain a conftant
ftrong refolution of keeping on in the ways
of God's fear: Thus did Daniel, chap. vi.
10. notwithftanding the princes and nobles
watched him in the matter of the Lord his
God, yet he abated not one whit, he went
on in his courfe for ail the hazard he was
in, the conftant ways of godlinefs, in com-
munion with his God, was more fwcet and
precious to him than all his court prefer-
ments. Thus did Nehemiah, chap. vii. i.
notwithftanding the oppofition he had, not-
withftanding the confpirings, complaints,
and many letters fent to inform againft
him, yet he went on in the work of the
Lord. Thus David profelfeth. Though
princes fpake againp him, yet he did, and he
would meditate on Cod's law, Pfal. cxix. 23.
7. Appear for God and his caufe, his
truth and people, tho' the iffue may feem
dangerous, and when none elfe will. Thus
Efiher, chap. iv. 16. died with that biave
refolution of hers, If I perifii, 1 perifh.
Thus Nehemiah did, chap. ii. 4, 5- who,
though he was fomething afraid at firft to
fpeak to that hcathenifh king in the behalf
of his religion and people, yet having life
up
1^0 SELF'DENIAL.
up his heart to God, he fpake freely unto
him. Oh let not a publick good caufe be
daflied and blafted, and none have an heart
to appear' for it, for fear of the lofs of
worldly profits: Gbriftlans fliould have that
nobility of mind which the prophets had,
and the apoftles had, and which they that
ferve riches cannot have. What? do pu-
blick caufes for God and his people call
you out to venture your eftates ? Surely
it is beneath true noblenefs of fpirit to pro-
vide only for your eafe and fafcty. Wc
fliould value duty, %iore than fafety.
8. Confider that our hearts are not per-
feft with the Lord till we come to a difpo-
fition to let go every thing for the Lord.
Look under the whole heaven, if there be
any thing we would not forfake, or any
thing we would not fuffer for the Lord,
our hearts are not perfect with God.
"VVhofoever he be that forfakes not all (in
vote, or acl) for Chrift, he cannot be a
difciple of Chrifl: ; if thou art born to a
thoiifand pound lands a-year, yet, if God,
and a good confcience to witnefs the truth,
call for it, thou mufl: forfake all. As Chrift
faid to the young man. If thou ivi/t be per-
fect, go fell all that thou haft, and give it
to the poor^ and thou flmlt have treafure in
heaven, Matth. xix. 17. Were Chrift now
on earth, he might fay as much to any man,
and we were bound upon pain of damna-
tion to obey him. O get our hearts into
this habitual frame ! thefe thoughts, if well
meditated on, would much abafe us, and
keep us from contemning any man for his
mean condition in the world, for we know
not how foon a good confcience may bring
lis into the like condition. Certainly, to
have thefe loofe and dying affections to the
enjoyments of the world, are greater mer-
cies than the enjoyments themfelves.
9. Let all go indeed, rather than be
brought to the committing of any fm : it
is belter to endure all the frowns and an-
ger of the grcatell of the earth, than to
have an angry confcience within our
breaft ; it is better to want all the profits
and pleafures that earth can afford, than to
lofe the delights that a good confcience will
bring in : O let the bird in the breaft always
be kept finging, vvhatfoever we fufTer for
it ; it is better we lofe all we have, than
to make ft^ipwreck of a good confcience:
In this cafe, we mufl be willing to lofe all,
or elfe we are loft in the enjoyment of all.
I confefs it is no little matter for them who
have much of the world, to deny them-
felves in thofe things that give content to
the flefli, confidering the corruption that
is in the hearts of the children of men ; it
is an hard thing, and feldom hath fuccefs,
to give rules for the ordering of life to
men who are in great profperity in this
world ; ' For a man to be fet on high, and
5'et to have the heart kept down, it is hard
and unufual,' fays Bernard, Ep. xlii. But
the more unufual, the more glorious; the
more hard, the more honourable ; the more
rare, the more comfortable it is to yield
unto it.
SECT. XII.
Of the Denial of our loorld'y PleaCureSy
and fir ft of Cautions.
THE next common end which natu-
rally men purfue and feek after, and
which we muft deny, it is Pleafure : In
profecution of this, as in the former, I
fhall give fome Cautions and Directions.
The Cautions are thefe.
I. That pleafures, delights, recreations
are, in fome fenfe, laudable, namely, as
in a fober, moderate, feafonable ufe of them
they ferve for the re/relliing, comforting
and fupporting of our frail, weak bodies,
whilft we live here in this world. In wtiich
refpeft the preacher could fay, There is no-
thing better for a vian^ than that he fhould
eat, and drinks and delight hisfenfes. And
again, / perceive there is nothing better,
than that a man fjould rejoice in his oivn
works, /or that is his portion. And agaii7.
To every thing there is a feafon, and a time
to
S E L F' D
to every purpofe under the fun : A time to
loeep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn,
and a time to dance, Eccl. H. 24. iii. 22.
iii. I, 4. Thus, and in this fenfe, and in
their feafon we need not to deny them.
2. Notwithflanding the lawfulnefs, and
laudable ufe of pleafures, yet we mufl de-
ny them, as in thefe cafes.
I. When they are baits to draw us un-
to fin ; thus it is faid of the wicked, They
take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at
the found of the organ, they fpend their
days in mirth. And then it follows. There-
fore they Jay unto God, Depart from us, for
ive defire not the knoxuledge of thy ways ;
and what is the Almighty, that we fhould
ferve him? and what profit fo all we have,
if we pray unto him? Men given to plea-
fure are very ready to call: off their God.
2. AV^hen they are fin, or the concomh
tants of fin, or the fruits and wages of fin.
Thus Solomon found them, and therefore
denied them, I faid in my heart. Go to now,
J will prove thee with mirth, therefore
enjoy pleafure ; and behold this alfo is va*^
nity : I faid of laughter, it is mad, and of
mirth, what doth it? Eccl. ii. i, 2. The
fum of that book is this, When Solomon
forfook God, then he ran to pleafures and
vanities, and fought every thing that fhould
pleafe his carnal eye, and tickle his vain
fancy; but he no fooner returns to him-
felf (as the prodigal did) but he fays of
pleafure,This is vanity, and of mirth, This
is madnefs, and of laughter. What is this
thou dofi:?
SECT. xiir.
Of the manner of denying our worldly plea-
lures.
THE dire£>ions of felf-deuial, in re-
fpeft of our worldly pleafures, are
thefe ;
I. Look on pleafures as vanity and no-
thing. Thus Amos, ch. vi. 4, 5, 6. charg-
ing the courtiers of riotojfnefs. he tells
them, They lie upon beds of ii cry, and
fir etch themfelves upon their couches, and
E N 1 A L. 161
eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves
out of the midfi of the fi all ; they chant to
the found of the vial, and invent to them-
felves infiruments of mufick like David :
they drink wine in bowls, and anoint them-
felves with the chief ciniments, they are
not grieved for the affiiciion of Jofeph.
This their life might appear to fome a mofl
brave and defirable thing,- but mark what
the holy Ghofi fays of it, Tewho rejoice in
a thing of naught, q. d. all thefe pleafures
put together were, in a true judgment, but
a thing of naught, they had nothing, no
reality in them.
2. Look on pleafures not only as vain,
but as vanidiing; they are foon gone
from us, or we are foon gone from them,
I. They are foon gone from us, The
fafhion of this world pafieth away, i Cor.
vii. 31. Solomon compares all the pro-
fperity of the wicked to a candle ; and
how foon is the candle of the wicked blown
out? Prov. xxiv. 20. All pleafures are
but like a mountain of fnow that melts a-
way prefently. 2. We are foon gone from
them, it is but a while, and then we, and
all our pleafures muft together vaniih ; if
death draw the curtains, and look in upon
us, then we muft bid a farewel to them all,
never laugh more, never have merry meet-
ing more, never ^e in jollity any more, now
all is gone, as Adrian faid, when he was to
die, ' Oh my foul, whither goeft thou ?
thou fhalt never jell it, fport it any more.'
Oh, when we are called to eternity, then
all our delights will leave us, and bid us
adieu for ever, and how doleful will this
found be then to all the fons and daugh-
ters of pleafure, your feafon is done, you
have had your time, it is gone, it is pall,
and cannot be recalled.
3. Confider this is not the fea^.n that
fliouldbe for pleafure. Son, remember in thy
lifetime thou had ft thy pleafure i Luke xvi.
25. it fhould not have been then: theapofile
James, ch. v. 5. lays it as a great charge
upon thofe in his time, that they lived in
Y p'ea-
lf)2
SELF-DE NIAL.
pleafure on earth and were ivanton. This
is a time for virtuous actions, to do the
great hufinefs for which we were born ;
Oh, did we think that our eternity depend-
ed upon this little uncertain lime of our
lives, we would not fay, that fenfual plea-
fures are now in feafon. Surely this time
/hould be fpent in feeking to make our
peace with God, in humbling our fouls to
get off the guilt of fin ; this is a time of
fuing out our pardon, of mourning and
forrow, and trouble of fpirit ; and no time
for jollity and flefhly delights. IF a con-
,demned man had tu^o or three days grant-
ed him that he might fue out his pardon,
were that a time for pleafures and fpotts ?
Thus it is with us, the fentence of death
is upon us, only a little uncertain time is
granted us to fue out a pardon, let us
know then, what is our woik we have to
do, and let us apply ourfelves to it.
4. Meditate upon that lafl and flrl(fl ac-
count that muft be given for them all. Re-
joice, young man in thy youth, walk in
the ways oj thy hearty and in the fight of
thine eyes, Ecclef. xi. 16. q. d. Live after
thy luits, and do what thou wilt ; it is an
ironical conceffion : but remetnber withal,
that for allthefe things God will bring thee
' into judgment, for all theft things : thtve
is not one merry meeting, not one hour
fpent in pleafure, not one pleafurable a6l
or thought, but an account muft be given
Jbr it. There are three heads upon which
the enquiry at the day of judgment will be
roncerning our plca(vues. i. What kind
of pleafures they were, whether wicked in
their own nature or not ? 2. What time
was fpent in them ? 3. How far the heart
was let out upon them ?
5. Weigh the fearful end of thefe dc-
lightfuf things; thofe morfels which are
Iweet in goin^ down, they muft come up
agnin as bitter as gall : hence Solomon ad-
vifeth, Look net upon the wine it is red,
when it giveth his colour in the cup, when
it mcveth itjelf aright s at the lajl it biteth
like a fer pent, and Jlingcth like an adder,
Prov, xxiii. 31, 32. The young man that
follows the enticing of a whore, he gocth
as an ox to the fciughter, and as a fcol to
the flocks, till a dart frike through his li-
ver, Pro. vii. 22, 23 Sen fual pleafure leads
to, and fits for deilru<ftion; Hell hath en-
larged herjelf, and opened her mouth with-
out meafure ; he that rejoiceth falldcfcend
into it, 1 fa. V. 14. They take the timbrel
and harp, and rejoice at the found of the
organ, theyfpend their days in wealth, and
in a moment go down into hell, Job xxi. 1 2,
I 3. And it was faid of Babylon, How
much fhe hath glorified herflf, and lived
delicioufy, fo much torment give her. Rev,
xviii. 7. O how grievous will eternal pain
be to them who are now altogether for de-
light and pleafure ? now they cannot en-
dure any fad thoughts, O they make them
melancholy, but how will they endure-the
difmal thoughts of an accuUng, tormenting
confcience everlaftingly .' i^ow their flelh
is dainty, delicate and tender, it muft ly
foft, and fare deliciouily, but how will it
endure thofe everlafting burnings ? if after
every intemperate draught there fliould be a
draught of fcaldinglead poured down, how
grievous would it be .' the end of mens in-
temperate pleafures will be worfe ; for, as
Job fays, ch. xxi. 20. They fkall drink of
the wrath of the Almighty, this fhall be the
portion of their cup; they who delight in
long fittings at it, they ftiall drink of this
eternally, thofe curfed delights in burning
lufts fhall end in eternal burnings.
6. Ponder the carriage of the faints be-
fore us. You know the mean proviiion
that John the Baptift, the forerunner of
Chrifl had, his fare was locufl and wild
hony, Matth. iii. 4. and yet there was not
a greater born of woman before. Daniel
was afraid of taking liberty to his flelh in
eating the king's meat,and the time he had
molt heavenly vifion, Ht. ate no pUa/dnt
bread, neither came fie fh nor wine into his
mouth, neither did he anoint himfelf at all,
Daa.
S E LF-DENI^L.
"Dan. X. 3. Pa\il was careful to beat doivn
his bodyy I Cor. ix. 27. to club it down,
even till it was black and blue, fo the word
Upotiazo fignifies. Timothy, though he
was fickly, yet would not take liberty to
drink a little -wine, but only water, till
Paul wrote to him, and in that liberty
there was but a little granted, and that/cr
iiis ftomach'sjtike, and bis often infirmities,
I Tim. V. 23. If I (hould fpeak of the
mean provilion for the flefh that many of
the ancients were contented withal, and that
before the fuperflition of popery prevailed,
it would feem incredible unto you. Bafil,
in an epiflle to Julian mentions the mean
fare he, and others with him, lived with-
al, he ate no ^t'['\^^ they had no need of
cooks, all their provifions was but the
leaves of plants, and a little bread : and
Hierom reports of Hilarion, that he ne*
ver ate thing before the fun went down,
and that which at any time he ate, was
very mean : and Hierom himfelf lived fo
abftemioufly, that he had nothing daily but
a few dried figs v;ith cold water.
7. Do we in fome meafure for Chrift,
as Chrift out of meafure hath done for us.
"What? was he content to part with the
pleafures of heaven, the bofom of his Fa-
ther to redeem poor man ? and fhall we
not part with the pleafure of a little meat
or drink for him ; What ? was he content
to part with his blood for us : and fhall not
we be content topart with our lufls for him?
Is not all his glory revealed in his word and
work fufficient to fhew him worthy of our
loves, and to make us willing to part with
fuch empty, poor, flight things, as a deal of
fenfual pleafures? Surely the daughters of
pleafure mufl undrefs ; if ever they will
be beautiful in Chrift's eyes, they mufl lay
alide their paintingsanddreffings, their curl-
ings and perfumings of the hair ; Their or-
nament muj} not be the outward adorning^
^pla
^H
laiting the hair, and of wearing of gold,
and putting on of apparel, but let it be the
hidden man of the heart, in that which is
not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek
and quiet fpirit, which is in the fight of
God of great price, i Pet. iii. 3,4.
8. Keep on in the ways of godlincfs ; by
this means we fliall not lofe, but change
our pleafures for the better^: if things may
be rightly fcanned, there is more pleafure
in the very a£l of felf-denlal, than in all the
pleafures of mens lives ; and if fuch plea-
fure be in the denial of falfe pleafure, vi hat
is therein theenjoyingof true? Surely God
hsth pleafure enough for us, if we had an
heart to truft him with our pleafure, v.e
fhall hereby only lofe our fin, but not our
pleafure. Bernard * hath a notable ex-
prefTion to the purpofe, ' If you be willing,
fay he, to facrifice your Ifaac, which fig-
nifies laughter, your Ifaac, your pleafure
fhall not die ; it is the ram, your f^outnefs
of fpirit, your felf-willednefs that fliall
die, but Ifaac fhall live, you fliall have your
pleafure flill.' Do not harbour ill thoughts-
of God, do not think God is an enemy to
your pleafure ; if you would truft him with
your pleafure, you fhould have pleafure
enough, it may be, in this world, or how-
foever, in the world to come. Auguflin
hath fome expreffions to the like purpofe, f
' How fweet was it to me of a fudden, faidf
he, to be without thofe fweet vanities !
thou Lord, who are the true fweetnefs didft
caft them from me, and inflead of them
didfl enter in thyfelf, who art more delight-
ful than all pleafure, and more clear than
all light.' Keep on therefore in God's ways;
* if we would not be fad, let us live well,*
§ faid Bernard.
9. Underfland what are the ways ofGod-
linefs, and what is in the ways ofGodlinefs
to caufe delights. Nothing more deadens
the deart to falfe delights than rightly to
• Beroard de Bonis difilrendU. f Aug. Coiifeff. I. 9- c 1. § Bero. de Intern, dom, c 45.
known
r64 S EL F-DEN lAL.
know what it is in God's way that caOT-
eth true delights. Now it is the love of
God that appears upon our fouls in every
duty, which caufeth delight, it is the pre-
fence of'God and the glory of God that
appears in every gracious aftion which
makes it delightful ; let us therefore thus
look upon the ways ofgodlinefs. Many
go on in duty haled by confcience, but
i.hcv li'.tle underftand of the plenfantnefs
t)f Gods ways, and for want of thefenfe
of thofe fpirlrual pkafures, no wonder if
rhey fail in the denial of outward, ^tn-
luai, carnal pleafimc.
ID. Meditate on thefe pleafurcs above,
and fny (you that have the experience of
-the plcafantnefs of God's ways) if the ne-
ther (pringsbefo fweet,what will the upper
be ? If the lower Jcrufalem be paved with
gold, furely that upper Jerufalem is paveJ
■with pearls It is an excellent fpeech of Ber-
nard, ' Good art thou, O Lord, to the foul
that feeks thee ; W hat art thou to the foul
that finds thee ? If grace be pleafant, how
plc^fantis glory ?' Therefore the faints die
fo pleafantly, becaufethere is a meeting of
''race and glory ; grace is delightful, glory
?nore delightful, but when both thefe meet
together, what delight will there then be ?
It is a fpeech of one fpeaking of carnal de-
lights, 'None can go from delight to de-
light ;' but it is not fo fpiritually ; the
more delight we have here, the more we
ihall have hereafter : And therefore let
this be all our prayer, * Lord, give us ever-
more this pleafure, fatisfy our fouls with
th.is pleafure ;' if the drops be fweet, the
livers of pleafure and joy that are at
Chrift's right hand. How fweet are they ?
II. Above all, Oh tajle and fet how
fvjett the Lord is even in the want of all
outward plenfure ; this will bear up the
heart when all is gone. Although the fig-
free fnill not blolfoni, neither Piull fruit
be in the vines, the labour of the olive fhall
fail, and the felds fhall yield no meat
he fi:':k fhall be cut offjrem thi J old, and
there fhall be no herd in the flails ; yet I
•will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the
Codofmy falvation,\\zh. iii. 17.18. When
all is dark abroad in the world, then let
our fouls rejoice in God alone, yea, then
let us expatiate our joys to theutmofl. As
it is a work of grace to moderate all car-
nal pleafures, and to keep them down,
fo it is a fpf cial work of grace to expatiate
the foul to theoutmoft in all fpiritual plea-
fures, and rejoycings in the Lord. And
to this purpofe we fhould exercife our
faith in the work and office of the Holy
Ghoft : Look upon the Holy Ghort as de-
figned by the Father and the Son to bring
joy and delight to the fouls of his people.
O what a vail: difference is betwixt the com-
forts of a carnal heart, and the comforts
of the godly ? The one comes from a
little meat and drink, ^c. but the other
comes from the exercile of faith about the
office of the Holy Ghofl, who is defigned
by the Father and the Son to be the com-
forter of his faints. What fay we then ?
Are all outward pleafures gone .' let them
go : only by the help of the Spirit, rejoice
in the Lord, and again, I fay, rejoice in the
Lord. Oh tafie and fee how good the
Lord is even in the want of all outward
pleafures.
SECT. XIV.
Of the Denial of our Honour, Praife, Fa-
vour, good narrie among men : and firft
of Cautions.
TH E next common end, which natur-
ally men purfue and feek after, and
which we muff deny, is Honour, Praife,
Favour, good Name.
In profecution of this, as in the for-
mer, I fhall give fome cautions and direc-
tions. The Cautions are thefe.
1. That Honour, Praife, Favour, good
Name as the gifrs and- bleffings of God.
Mofes was honourable ; and before Mofcs
was gathered unto his people, the Lord
bade him to put fome of his fionour upon
Jofliuah, that all the congregation oj the
chil'
S E L F • D
children of Jfrael might be obedient unto
him. Numb, xxvii. 20. And God blelTed
the children of Jfrael them felves "with ho-
nour^ he made them high above all nations in
praife, and in name, and in honour, Deut.
xxvi. 19. And becaufe Solonnon begged
wifdom of God, the Lord told him that he
would give him riches and honour toboot, i
Kings iii. 13. Yea, that thefe are God's
gifts, David in his prayer fpeaketh expref-
ly, both riches and honour come of thee,
and thou reigneft over all. i Chron. xxix.
12. and for a good name, which is true ho-
nour indeed, the Lord hath made apromife
to his, that he/ivill give them in his houfe a
place, and a name better than sffons and
cf daughters : an everlafling name, that
(Imll not be cut off, Ifa. Ivi. 5. Yea, he will
make them a name and a praife among all
the people of the earth, Zep. iii. 20. Surely^
tliefe are the bleflings of God, yea, com-
paratively, far above all other bieflings. ^4
good name is better than precious ointment,
Ecclef. vii. i. Yea, a good name is rather
to be chofen than great riches, and loving
favour rather than filver and gold, Pro v.
xxit. I.
2. Notwithftanding they are bleflsngs
of God, yet we mud deny them for God,
as in thefe cafes.
i. When they are as fnares or baits
unto fin. And in all thofe, fc. Honour,
Praife, Favour, good name, there are
dangerous fnares: how prone do they make
a man to thofe fins of vain-glory, felf-
exaltation, felf-admiration, felr-eftiraation?
Surely it is a great mercy of God, if any
man be preferved from thefe fins that en-
joys thefe blelfings. And hence it is, that a
few honourable men prove Self-deniers,
becaufe they are mofl prone to thole fins
which are mbft formally oppofite unto
Self-denial : What is more oppofite to
Self-denisl than Vain-glory, Self-love,
Stlf-feeking, Self-advancing, Defire of
mens praife ? In this relpeft Bildad truly
fpeaks of fuch men, that they are cajl into
E N I A L. i6s
a net by their own feet, and they walk upon
frares. Job xviii. 8. Take heed of thefe
fnares : in this refpedl we had need to
deny them.
2. When we are called by God to de-
dicate them to God. The Lord never
gave us thefe things. Honour, Praife, good
Name upon any other terms, but that
we fhould be willing to part with them
for the honour of his name ; God never
made us owners, but fiewards of them
for his ferx'ice, and if ever we were brought
to Chrift, into covenant with God in him,
we then refigned up all to him, we pro-
feft to part with all for him, we entered
into bond that we would give up whatfo-
ever we were or had to the Lord when
it fliould be called for. And good reafon,
for whatfoever honour or excellency we
, have it is he that gives it ; it is he that
made the difference betwixt us and others;
the rain-bow is but a common vapour,
it is the fun that gilds it, that enamels it
with fo many colours j the beft of us are
but a vapour; and if any of us be more
glorious, more honourable than others,
it is the Lord that hath fliined upon us, and
hath put more beauty, more luflre upon,
us than upon other vapours. The Ho-
nour, Favour, good Name we have, God
hath put upon us, and feeing it is of him,
the glory of it is infinitely due to him ; if
he calls for it, good reafon we fliould deny
it.
SECT. XV.
Of the Manner of denying our Honour, fa-
vour, Praife, good Name among iMen^
THE direarons of Self-denial, in
refpeft of our Honour, Favour,
Praife, good Name among men, are thefe.
I. Look on Honour, Praife, Favour,
Applaufe, as vanity, nothing. Fanity of
vanities, faith the Preacher, vanity cf
vanities, all is vanity, Eccl. i. 2. Ob-
ferve his expreffion, 1. Vanity, not only
vain but vanity itfelf. 2. Excellive vanity,.
fo«
1^)5
SELF-DENIAL.
for it Is vanity of vanities. 3. An heap of
vanities, for it is in the phiral number,
vanity of vanities. 4, All is vanity, not on-
ly Profit, and Pleafure, but Honour too ;
Solomon- had an experience of them all,
and all is vanity. 5. He adds his name to
that he faith, Vanity of vanities^ faith the
preacher. The word lignifies the foul
that hath gathered wifdom. There is no
reality in Honour, Praife, Favour, Ap-
plaufe of men, which are fo much admir-
ed and magnified by the moft. Honour is
but a fliadow, a fancy, a wind, a breath f,
an external additam^nt, for there is no in-
ternal excellency in it ; a mere fable, as
AuguftusGaefar could fay on his death-bed,
-* Have not I feemed to have aded my
part fufficiently in this fable of the world ?
now then, Farewel.'
2. Beware of thofe attendants, or com-
panions of Honours, as Vain-glory, Self-
love, Self-exaltation, Self-admiration. Let
us not be dcfirous of vain-glory. Gal. v.
Let us not exalt ourfelves above others,
let us not ftrive or ftudy to be magnified
by others, let us not pleafe and blcfs our-
felves in the vain applaufe of others. It is
not human applaufe, but God's approbation
which minifters matter of true honour to
a Chriftian \. 'Wt (hould rejoice to fee
God honoured, but fear to hear ourfelves
applauded, left either we be idolized,
our hearts elevated, or God's honour ob-
fciircd. Certainly fhame will be at laft that
man's portion that exalts himfelf. O how
ihould Chrift put the crown of glory on
his head, who takes the crown of praife
from the head of Chrift ? Them that ho-
nour me, faith God, / will honour , and they
that defpife vie,fhall be lightly ejteemed, t
Sam. ii. 30.
3. Be convinced, that of all vices, Vain-
glory, Self-admiration, Self-exalration, hun-
ting after men's praife, is the moft invin-
cible. The roots thereof are fo deep and
ftrong, and fo largely fpread in the heart
of man, that there is no difeafe in the foul
fo hardly cured, no weed in the garden of
man's heart fo uneafily plucked \ip § : It
is the hardeft talk that ever man under-
took, to deny himfelf, and fully to prof-
trate, and put himfelf under God and
Chrift'syoke. Pharaoh did many things in
the way of love and honour to Jofeph, he
put his ring upon his hand, he arrayed him
in veftures of fine linen, and fet him over
his houfe, but he referved this to himfelf,
to be greater in the throne than Jofeph ;
io man may do much in the way of out-
ward zeal for God, he may exalt God
very far, above his profit, above his plea-
fure, above his peace, yea, above his life,
and yet ftill referve to himfelf a prehemi-
nence above God, to be greater in the
throne than God : A man may clothe the
naked, feed the hungry, and give his body
toheburnt too, in the caufe of God, and
yet do all this for himfelf more than for
God ; for his own applaufe, for his own
name, more than for honouring of God's
name. Of all conqueft this Self-conqueft
is the moft difficult, the moft excellent.
t What's fame ? a fancy M life iiu tlicr's breath, | \ All fame is foreign, but of true dtfcrt,
A thing beyonil us, cv'n before our death I Plays round the head, but o-mes not to tlic heart:
All that we feel of it begins and ends 1 One felf-approving hour whole years outweighs
In the fniall circle ofour fo<r$ and friends. Ef. on man. \ Of flupid llarcr;, and of loud huzz:i>. tlhiy en num.
§ lo iTi(dtrateoi:r dcfirc cf fioie. let us confidcr not only the vanity of it in itfelf. but its infi.fficiency to
Tender us wifer, bitter or happier pcif)ns, than we were before. Let men alio dilliuguilh betwixt faiii and tiue
pjory. Let tlam confiler too that true glory may be obtained in the lowclt llaiionof life, as wtll as in the highcil :
Ti.usthc n.cchanick, and the plov\maii. by excelling in iiisait, and pcifciming hii duty, n;ay, ai:d unJoiibudiy
tsi'l, acquiit aortal and folid glory.as the niii.ilKr of Ibtc, the gcr,tr;.l,or the fcholav can obtain by excelling \a theirs.
Honour and fhanie from no (oniUii'-.n rile ;
A^ well your fart, there uU the ioiiour lies.
the
S E L F-D
the moH: noble, the moft glorious. He
that ruleth his oivn fpirity faith Solomon, zj
better than he that taketh a city, Prov.
xvi. 32. The overcoming of a kingdom is
nothing in compririfon of a man's over-
coming his own corruption. O this Self-
exaltation will Hand it out like a mighty
champion in the heart, when all other lufts
feem to fly, as Shammah was faid 10 ft an4
it cut, and to defend the field when the peo-
ple fled, 2 Sam. xxiii. 12. Other lufts may
go out like fire that wants feul, yet this
luft wiil ftill put forth, and foar aloft,
and ftrive to climb up into the throne of
God fo long as any thing of the old man
remains in man. Of all the evils that are
within us, we have moft caufe to be con-
vinced, yea, to watch and pray againft this
evil of Vain-glory, Self-exaltation, Self-^
admiration.
4, Learn inwardly, by heart, this gof-
pel-truth. That man's honouring of Chrift,
or being honoured by Chrifl, is the truelt
honour of man. If any man ferve me, him
luill my Father honour, John xii. 26. As
the honouring of the father, hufband,
fovereign, is the honour ofafon, a wife,
a fubjeft ; fo the honouring of GhrifV, and
efpecially being honoured by Chrift, it is
the glory of them who are the children,
fpoufe, and fubjefls of Jefus Chrllt. Vain
and carnal men think no honour compar-
able to the honour which men give, as
it was faid of the chief rulers in Chrifi's
time. They lovethepraijeofmenmore than
thepraije of God, John xii. 43. and there-
fore they ftrive more to have theteltimony
of man applauding them than the witnefs
of God's Spirit fealing them up unfo the
day of Redemption. O bvt ihis honour
fhould darken the other in our eyes; what
great matter is it though the glory of the
oiher be loll, fo that God do but highly
honour us with this ? "Whofoever knows
himfeU to be the Son of God, he never
wonders more at that which is human.
Surely he dcbafes hiinfelf from the height
ENIAL. 1^7
of true generoufnels, who admires at any
thing befides God and Ghrift himfelf ; all
other honour is but of nature, but tliis
honour is of grace ; it is a fparkle of the
divine nature, a ray of the very glory of
God himfelf fhining into the fouls of his
faints.
- 5. Let us herein conform ourfelves to
Ghrift. He came from the bofom of his
Father, and from that infinite glory he
had with him before the world was ; for
fo he prays, that the Father would glorifie
him with that glory he had with him before-
the world was, John xvii. 5. He left the
riches and pleafures of heaven, and that
honour which he might have had from
all the angels, and all to fave poor wretch-
ed finful creatures ; he that was equal with
God fo emptied himfelf that he became
man, nay he was made a fcorn of man,
he was called the carpenter's fon, as one
that was contemptible, he made himfelf of
no reputation, he came in the form of a
fervant, yea, of an evil fervant that was to
be beaten, he was made a curfe, as if he
had been the vileft of men living ; and yet
this \yas the honour of Ghrift himfelf, be-
caufe it was all for God and good of fouls.
O then who is he that knows any thing of
Jefus Ghrift, that can think it much to lay
down all his honour, or any outward dig-
nity iinder heaven for him ? What can be
ipore unworthy ? What more deteltsble
than that a man fliould magnify himfelf
after he hath feen God humbled ? It is in-
tolerable impudeney, that where majefty
hath emptied itfelf, a worm Ihould be puf-
fed up and fwell.
6. Let us fubmit to the meancft fervice
of our God, though it darken our honours
never fo much in the eyes of the world.
Thus Jerom wrote to Pamachius a godly
young nobleman, that ' he would have
him to be eyes to the blind, feet to the
lame, hands to the weak, yea, if need were,
to carry water, and cut wood, and make
fires ; for what are all thefe, faith he, to
bonds.
i68
SELF-DENIAL.
bonds, bnfTettings, fpittlngs, whippings,
death ?' t To this purpofe Conftantine,
Valentinian, Theodofius, three emperors,
called themfelves the vairalsof JefusChrifl:,
as Socrates reports of them : and Theodo-
fius efpecially did manifeft it in the work
of his humiliation, when in the face of a
full congregation, he cart himfelf down u-
pon the pavement, weeping and lamenting
for his fin ; which many haughty fpirits,
though inferior to him, would have fcor-
ncd to have done.
7. Let us willingly join with thofe of
' lower degree in any way of honouring
God. Mind not high things^ faith the a-
- poftle, but condefcend to men of loiu e/}ate,
Rom. xii. 16. Thus Jerom advifed Pama
chius to ' equal himfelf with the poor, to
go into the cells of the needy.' Who
knows but that the pooreft creature may
be far more honourable in the eyes of
God and of his faints than we ? Where
greater graces fit below us, let us acknow-
ledge their inward dignity. J\ly brethren,
have not the faith of our Lord Jefus Chrifi
the Lord of glory, with refpecl ofperfons.
Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not
Cod chojen the poor of this world, rich in
faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he
hath pr(,:infed to them that love him F
fames ii. i. 5- It may be fome of them
were in Chrifl; before us, and others of
them are in Chrift as well as the befl of us,
and if we muA differ in glory as we do
differ in grace, who can tell but they may
be in heaven as the ftars of a bigger mag-
nitude, and of a greater glory ?
8. Let us bear or fuffer the moft dif-
graceful thing that can be put upon us
for the caule of Chrift ; yea though all
the world Ihould frown upon us, and caft
us off", and (corn us, and account us as a
ilifgrace unto them. As 1 heodoret re-
ports of Hormifda a nobleman in the king
of Perfia's court, becaufe he would not de-
ny Chrift, he was put into ragged clothes,
deprived of his honours, and lent to keep
the camels ; after a long time the king
feeing him in that bafe condition, and re-
membring his former eftate, he pitied him,
and caufed him to be brought into the pa-
lace, and to be clothed again like a noble-
man, and then he pcrfuades him to deny
Chrifl: ; at which he prefently rent his
filken clothes, and faid, ' If for thefe you
think to have me deny my faith, take
them again,' and fo with fcorn he was caft
out. We rauft be content to be made a
by-word and reproach for Chriff; : But this
is an hard leflbn,and for which I had need
to give other more particular diredions in
another fedion.
SECT. XVL
Rules how to bear Reproaches for the n-ame
of ChriJ}.
TH E directions for reproaches I ftiall
reckon up negatively and politively.
I. Negatively thus,
1. We muft not bear Reproaches Stoi-
cally, infenfibly, for in fome fort they are
afflictions. ^4 good name is better than
a precious ointment. A good name is ra-
ther to be chofen than great riches, and
loving favour rather than Jilver and gold,
Eccl. vii. I. Prov. xxii. 1.
2. We muft not bear them defperately
as many defperatc wretches do, who
ufually fay, * Let men fpeak the worft, I
care not, I muft appeal unto God.' Tho'
it be true that innocency is a good bul-
wark, and a good confcience is a brazen
wall ; yet we are not only to care to ap-
prove ourfclves unto God, but to -men
alfo ; we are to provide things honeft be-
fore all men, efpecially amongft the peo-
ple of God, and the churches of Chrift.
3. AV'e muft not carry ourfclves paf-
f HiuoTi. Efijl. /ePamath.
fionately
S E L F-D E N lyi L.
Ijonately under Reproaches ; there are
many evils follow upon this diftemper of
heart, as, i . Thereby we greatly difturb
our own fpirits. 2. We difcover a great
deal of evil within us. 3. We fliow the
bafenefs of our fpirits to be fo foon put
out of frame. 4. ^^''e feed the humours
of reproachers, and we make others think
we are guilty of thofe reproaches they lay
upon us. It is true we fhould be more
fenilble of the wrong done to our names,
than of any Avrong done to onr eftates,
3'ct neither are the wrongs of the one or
the other to be born pallionately.
4. We muft not carry ourfelves re-
vengefully under reproaches. To this pur-
pofe faith the apofile. Being dtfmncd, we
ititreat, i Cor. iv. 13. It is unbefeeming
Chriftians to revile sgaln, and to fpeak evil
for evil. It is faid of Chrift, that when he
•wai reviled, he reviled not again, i Pet,
ii. 23. and if we profefs ourfelves to be
CiiriiVs, we mufl: not revile again when we
are reviled ; there is no contending this
way where the overcomer is the lofer :
"When Demofthenes was reproached by
one, 'I will not, faid he, ftrive with thee
in this kind of fight, in which he that is o-
vercome is the better man.'
5. We muft not be hindered in our way,
or break ofTourcourfe of chriftianity when
we are reproached. What though filth be
cart in our way, iTiall we decline the way ?
What though the clouds do arife and dark-
en the light of the fun, doth the fun ceafe
fhining,becaufeitisdarkened? no,itgoes on
in its courfe, and Jhines till it breaks forth ;
Pfalm xxxvii. 6. So you that are fliining
in a good converfation, go on, and in
time you will break through the clouds.
2; Pofitively thus,
I. Wemuftbearour reproaches wifely.
Though we rtiould not be infenfible. yet
we llvJuld not take too much notice of
every reproach. Chrift himfclf was'filent
in this cafe, fo that the rulers ivcndered,
Matth. xxvi. 63. Pavid could fay, They
l6p
/peak mifchievous things, but I as a deaf
man heard not, Pfal. xxxviii. 12, 13. But
how then (hall we ftop their mouths ? I
anfwer, i. Let us walk innocently; In-
nocency will clear all, and will overcome
all in time. 2. Let us labour to be emi-
nent in that which is quite contrary to that
we are reproached for. Perhaps you are
reproached for a diffembler, labour for the
greateft eminency of plainnefs of heart and
fincerity ; perhaps you are reproached
for covetoufnefs, labour to be eminent in
liberality, in heavenly-mindednefs, in doing
good wifely ; perhaps you are reproached
for pride, clear up yourfelves (not by
yielding to their humour, but) by emi-
nency of humi]ity,that thofe that can judge
right, may fee there is humility in you.
2. We muft bear reproaches patiently.
* What are we ? or what is our names that
we fl\ould think much to bear reproach ?
Confider, have not others of God's fer-
vants, far holier than we are, been under
exceeding reproach ? Nay, how is God and
Chrift reproached ? how is the name of God
flighted ? how is themajefty, and fovereign-
ty,and authority of God contemned in this
world ? how are the dreadful threatenings
of God, and the revelation of God's wrath
fcorned in the world? M'hat reproaches
indured Chrift in his own perfon, in his
preaching ? how was he contemned when
he preached againft covetoufnefs ? the
pharifees /corned at hii.i, Luke xvi. 14. the
word fignifies,they blew their nofes at him.
He was called a devil, a Samaritan, a
wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and iin-
ners ; Whatworfe can be imagined than
was caft upon Chrift ? They fpat on his
face, that bleffed face of his that the waves
of the Tea were afraid of, and that the fun
withdrew his light from, as not being fit
to behold it: They put thorns upon his
head, and bowed to him in reproach. This
argument ftiould, methinks, move us to
bear reproaches patiently. But how fhould
we
SELF-DENIAL.
170
^e do It ? How fliould we bear reproach
es patiently ?
1. Be we fure to keep confcience clear.
let not that upbraid us ; be we careful of
what we do, and then we need not be
much careful of what men fay : if con-
fcience doth not reproach us, reproach will
not much move us ; one of confcience's
teftimonics for us is more than ten thou-
fand (landers againft us. As theflorms and
winds without do not move the earth, but
vapours within caufe the earthquakes: fo
all the railings of all the Shimei's in the
world cannot much trouble us, if our con-
fciences within do abound with good works;
if I can but fay with Job,ch. xxvii. 6. My
heart Jljall not reproach mefo long as Hive;
1 am fafe enough from the evil of reproach.
2. If we are failing in anything, let us
begin with our felves before any others be-
gin with us: let us accufe ourfelves firft.
So fome interpret that place, Pf. cxix. 98.
Jam wifer than mine enemies ; q. d. ' Tho'
mine enemies are witty, and do plot, and
their malice helps on their invention, yet
I am wifer, I can find out the ways of
mine own heart, and mine own evils better
than all mine enemies.'
3. Let us exercife ourfelves in great
things, in the things of God and Chrii>,
and eternity. Labour to greaten our fpi-
rits in an holy manner, and be above re
proach. Surely if our fpirits were but tru-
ly greatened (I mean not with pride, but
with the exercifing of our fpirits in things
that are above the world) reproaches would
be nothing in our eyes. It is a notable
exprelTion that John hath againft the evil
tongue of Diotrephes, He prates again/}
us with malicious words, 3 Joh. 10. in the
original it is, he trifles. Altho' his words
were malicious, and Diotrephes a great
man, yet all was but trifles, fo high was
John's fpirit above them. The finking of
the heart under reproaches argues too vile
a pufillaniniity, fuch a poor low fpirit, as
is not confiftentwith the true magnanimi-
ty of a true Chriftian.
4. Make we our moans to God, and lay
our cafe before him, as Hezekiah (when
Rabfheka came and reviled God, and the
people of God) he went and fpread the
letter before God, and made his moan to
God : fo if we can but do likewife, we (hall
findunfpeakable rcfre(hments to our fouls,
and that will be a great argument of our
innocency. My friends fcorn me, faiJ Job,
ch. xvi. 20. but mine eye poureth out tears
unto Cod : and the mouth of the ivickedf
(faith David) and the mouth of the deceit-
ful are opened again/} me : they have fpo-
ken again/} me -with a lying tongue. But I
gave my/elf unto prayer, Pfal. cix. 2. 4.
5. Get our hearts quietly and kindly
to lament the condition of our reproacb-
ers. Their folly (liould caufe us to pity
them, to be patient towards them, and to
pafs by the wrongs they do to us. This
was one cf the arguments that Abigail
brought to David to quiet his fpirit that
was fo ftirred againft Nabal, becaufe of
his reproaches, 0, faid (he, Nabal is his
name, and folly is with him, i Sam. xxv.
25. q. d. It is his folly, David, and there-
fore rather pity him, David, it is too Iowa
thing, for fuch a fpirit as David's to be ftir-
red with folly. Indeed inftead of being
troubled withrepr6achers,our fpirits fliould
be moft troubled for their fin ; alas ! they
fin by their reproaches, and God hates
them for it. Pride, and arrogance, and the
evil way, and the froward mouth do 1 hate,
Prov. viii. 13. If we have any love, we
fliould think thus; * This poor man, what
hath he done .' he hath brought himfelf
under the hatred of God.' O this (hould
mightily affeft the hearts of the godly.
3. We muft ' bear reproaches fruitful-
ly.' Chriftians fliould not think it enough
to free rhemfelves from reproach, but they
muft improve it for good ; and to that end;
I. Confider what ends God aims at by
it.
S E L F - D
it, and labour to work tfcem upon our-
feWes that we may attain to thofe ends.
[Which ends are,To humble our pride;
to make us circumfpe£l in our walk ; to
lead us to felf-acquaintance, and an ex-
amination into our temper and conduft ;
To raife in us a fpirit of moderation and
charity, patience and forbearance; To
wean us from this world, and to raife us
to the hopes of a better ; and excite our
truft in God, the clearer of our good name.]
2. Draw what good inflruftions we can
from the reproaches of others, as thus ;
when I hear men reproach and revile,
* Oh, what a deal of evil is there fec'retly
in the heart of man that is not difcovered
till it have occafion ?' Again, * Do I fee
another fo vigilant over me to find out any
thing in me to reproach me ?. how vigilant
(hould I be over myfelf to find out what^
is in me to humble me ?'
3. Set upon what duty God calls for at
the prefeni ; * The Icfs credit I have in this
world, the more credit let me defire after
in heaven ; if there be a breach of my name
here, let me feek to make up my name in
heaven. [To which may be added, That
the more we are reproached for what is
bad, we ought to excell in what is good.
It is the duty, and will tend to the honour,
of a man, whenever he is calumniated, to
fludy to be quite the reverfe of what his
enemy reprefents him to be. To this pur-
pofe the apofllePeter exhorteth, i Pet. iii.
16. Having a good confcience, that ivhere-
gs they fpeak evil of you, as of evil doers y
they may be afhamed that falfely acciife
your good converfation in Chrifi.']
4. We muflbear reproaches joyfully and
triumphantly. JVe glory in tribulation, faid
Paul, Rom. v, 3. And // / muj} needs
glory,! will glory in things concerning mine
infirmities. 2 Cor. xi. 50. By infirmities,
we are not (fay fome) to underftand the
infirmities of fin, but his weaknefs and e-
vils that he endured for Chrift. Therefore
/ take plea fur e in infirmities fin reproaches.
E N 1 A L. 171
in necefilties, in perfecutiotts , in difirefies
for Chrifi" s fake, 2 Cor. xii. 10. Jerom
Upon that, Bleffed are you when menfhall
fpeak evil of you, and revile you, Matth. v.
ir. * O, fays he, who would not be
willing to fuffer ? who would not wifh to
be perfecuted for righteoufnefs fake ? who
would not defire to be reviled ? Oh that
all the rout of unbelievers would perfecute
me for righteoufnefs fake ; " I would this;
foolifh world would all rife up againft me
to reproach me.' (Hierora. Epifl. to O-
cean.) "W^hen Chrifi appeared to Saul, he
cried, Sauly Saul, why perfecute fi thou me?
Who art thou. Lord? anfwered Saul. / am
Jefus of Nazareth, replied Chrift, A<Sts.
xxii. 7, 8. But why Jefus of Nazareth?
doth any good come out of Nazareth ?
Surely there is fomething in this ; he faith
not, I am the Son of God, thefecond per-
fon in the trinity, the king of the church;
no, but I am Jefus of Nazareth ; that was
a reproach caft upon Chrift, and Chrifi
glories in that. Reproaches are the enfigns
of heavenly nobility, Chriftians therefore
fhould not fear them,but bear them joy fully.
5. We muft return good for evil, and
then we come to the top of Chriftianiiy.
This is a fign of great progrefs in religion:
' If I be weak, faith one, perhaps I may
pardon one charging me falfely, but if I
have profited, although not altogether per-
fe<ft, I hold my peace at his reproaches,
and anfwer nothing; but if I am perfeifV,
I then blefs him that reviles me, according
to that of Paul,being reviled we blefs.' (Am-
brof offic. 1. I . c. 48.) If we can do thus, if
we can heartily pray for our reproachers,
and defire good to them, and fo heap
coals of fire upon thtm, this is a great fign
of grace. Blefs thtm, faith Chrift, that
curfe you, pray for them that defpitefully
ufe you, that you maybe the children of your
Father, etc. Mat. v. 44, 45. Why ? were
they not children before ? yes, but this de-
c!ares it, now God owns them for his chil-
dren indeed. And thus much of* denying
- 2 our
J 72
SELF-D ENIAL.
our common ends, Profit, Pleafure, and
Honour.
S E G T. XVII.
OJ the dental of our very beings our Itfcy
for Jefus Chrifl ; and fir ft of cautions.
I Have done with the Denial of Natural
Self in regard of Well-being. I fhall
now confider the denial of Natural Self
in regard of very being, and fo it imports
our life, together with the faculties and
powers of nature, our Underftanding,
"Will, AfFeftions, Senfes, flefhly MemberiT;
all within us muftjje * captivated to the o-
' bedience of Chrift,' and all without us mufl:
endure to fuffer for the name of Chrift.
Por them we call faculties or powers of
nature, as the Underftanding, Will, Af-
feftions, Senfes, I Hi all difpatch in a word.
I. The Underftanding muft be captivated
as it hinders from Chrift. Suppofe the
u-ord of Chrift be contradifled or check'd
by way of reafon or underftanding, as in
the buftnefs of the trinity, union of two
natures, refurre6tion of the body ; in this
. cafe I muft deny my reafon, and believe
Chrift; I muft bow down and wordiip,
I muft captivate my underftanding to the
obedience of faith. We fee by experience,
thofc are fooneft brought to Chrift who for
the raoft part are foolifti, llmple, and of
weak conceits ; whereas thofe who have
been moft famous for worldly wifdom and
underftanding, they have been hardly
brought to the fubjeftion of God's wifdom
and truth. [Not that Chriftianity is a re-
ligion for fools, and perfons of an eafy
faith ; no, it is wife in itfelf, has had men
of the greatcft abilities, and moft diftin-
jTuillied for wifdom, for its profeftors, and
folemnly requires the exercife of wifdom
and mens rational faculties, towards their
erabracement of it, nay, and commends
a free inquiry into it, as in the exam-
ple of the Bereans ; but the meaning of
our author is, That fimplicity of mind
and an honeft heart with a weak head, will
better difpofe a man for the reception of
the gofpel, than much knowledge and wif-
dom, without fjncerity and probity of
heart.] This is that which the apoftle doth
teach. Not mofjy wife, not many inighty
are called^ etc. IVe preach Chrift crucified,
unto the Jeivs a ftuwbling block, and to the
Grecians fooUPmcfs. i Cor. i. 23. 26.
2. The will muft be renounced in re-
ference to Chrift. Servants muft not fol-
low their own will, but their mafters di-
redtions ; how much more ought we who
always may juftly fufpc(5l our felves, and
can never fufpeft the will of Chrift, it be-
ing the fquare of right ? For therefore is a
thing good, and juft and equal, becaufe
God wills it; hence f our will, if good,
yet fometimes it muft be denied ; that if
evil, and contrary to the will of God, it
muft be fubdued. It is meet that Hagar
fhould ftoop to Sarah, our will to Chrift's
will.
^, *■ Our afteflions and fenfes muft be
denied,' both as good, and as they areche-
riihers of evil, or oppofers of good. This
latter is that crucifying of the fief?, ivith
the lufis and afi'ciiionSy which the apoftle
mentions. Gal. v. 24. But all thefe being
within the compafs of natural life, I fliall
only infift on that Self which we call Life.
And concerning which, as in the former,
I fliall give fome cautions and diredVions.
The cautions are thefe. i. That our be-
ing, or life ' is in itfelf the gift of God and
thebleflingof God.' It was God thztbrea-
thed into man the breath of life y Gen. ii. 7.
The Spirit of God hath made me, faid Elihu^
I Voluntaics non folum niahi, fed ir bmas abnc^emus, niquc enim in Chrifto fucrunt mft !o>k!r, & itihilonnnus eum il-
las abncgajji leghnui. Joli. v. 30. Luke xxii. 41. Non tneii vohintus, fed tuafut. That is. Wc mull deny our own
will riot only when bad, but even, fometimes, wlien good : for, though ChrifVs will was perfe<f^iy good, yet wc
read that he deiMcd it, fajiing to God, Nft mj -will, but Thing bt deiu. John v. 30. Luke ax- 41,
and
SELF-
and the breath of the Almighty hath given
me life. Job xxxiii. 4. He gives it, for he
is the fountain of it. With thee is the
fountain of life, and in thy light fh all ive
fee light, Pfal. xxxvi. 9. This was the fum
of Paul's fermon to the Athenians, He giv-
eth to all life, and breath, and all things ;
and to this purpofe he cites Aratus, one of
their "Greek poets, In him ive live, and
move, and have our being, A6ls xvii. 25,
28. And as it is the gift, fo it is the blef-
ling of God ; hence the promife of life,
and of long life is made to obedient chil-
dren, Exod. XX. 12. and this turned unto
a prayer by the believing parents, it is u-
fually called by the name of Blefling.
2. Notwithftanding it is the blelling of
God, yet we muft deny it for God. As
in thefe cafes.
I. As a facrifice. If God will rather be
honoured by the death, than by the life,
by the fufFerings, than by the fer'vices of
his faints, in this cafe we fliould be willing
to fubmit to God, Thus many of the
martyrs who had opportunity offiight, yet
tarried to witnefs the truth, and gave their
lives to the flames for it. It is not what
I, or others may think, that God will be
honoured this way or tiiat way, but we
fhould obferve what is God's will, and
which way God will be honoured. All
our intentions and aims at the glory of
God are nothing, GocI cares not for them,
if they be out of his way. It was an ex-
cellent reiblution of David, If I floall find
favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will
bring me back again; but if he thus fay, I
have no delight in thee, behold here I am,
let him do to me as Jeemeth good to himy
1 Sam. XV. 25, 26.
2, As a temptation. Thus rather than
fin, the primitive Chriftians, when appre-
hended, choofe willingly to die. We have
a notable ftory of that heroical mother,
and her feven fons, 2 Mac, vii, who ra-
ther th:in they would break God's law in
eating forbidden meats, they died one af-
DENIAL. 173
ter another, the mother in the tnean whil^
being content to fee them all butchered be-
fore her eyes, and laft of all fhe dying al-
fo. Surely life is nothing in comparifon of
thofe glorious invifible rarities which fin
may hinder us from ; and therefore if it be
on this condition, that we may avoid fin,
that we may be fure of the main, that by
lofing life we may go to Chrrfi, in whon>
we (hall find, with an infinite overplus,
whatfoever we can lofe for his fake;, then
we mull deny life itfelf.
SECT. XVIII.
Of the Manner of denying our natural Life
for Jefus Chrifl.
TH E direOions of felf-denial in re-
fpeft of our natural being, or life,
are thefe.
* I. Apprehend God's love to our fouls
in his Son : He thought nothing too good
for us, Godfo loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, John iii. 16. and
this he did for us ivhen ive were enemies,
Rom. v, 8. Nay, God hath not only giv-
en us his Son for a faviour, but he hath
given us himfelf for an hufband ; now as
the hufband loves all his family, but gives
himfelf to his wife, lo God beftows hisy^«
to fhine, and his rain to fall on the good
and bad, but he gives himfelf only to his
faints, O let us apprehend this love, let
us often by fad and folemn meditation re-
new the fenfe of this love to us in Chrif},
and we cannot but give up all we have, and
all we are, to God,
2, Get we a fovereign love to God a-
gain- It was from this fovereign love that
thofe admirable Self denials of the martyrs
fprung ; we muft not think they had bo-
dies of brafs, or mufcles of fiecl, or that
they were not as fenfible of torments as
others were ; Oh no, it was their love to
God did fwallow up all; as the heat of a
fever fwallows up the heat of an ulcer, or
as the heat of a fire fwallows up the heat
of a fever y fo the heat of the martyrs love
tQ»
174 SELF-D
\o Cod fwallowed up the heat of all fires,
together with the heat of all loves to their
wives, children, friends, and their own
lives. , 1 deny not but we may love thefe
comforts with a fubordinate love, as an
buiband will allow that his wife ftiould love
her friends with an inferior love, only the
prime love muft be kept for him ; nor wilt
it be fufficient that (he love her hiifband
better than many thoufands, if there be one
in her affeftions before him ; fo it will not
be fufficient that we love the Lord better
than many things, but we mufllove him bet-
ter than every thin^. Such a love was in Paul,
l*hil. iii. 7. and in the brethren -who loved
not their lives unto the death, Rev. xii. 1 1.
We muft love the Lord above all, not fub-
ordinately as a creature, but fovereignly
as a Creator.
3. Let us cleave to God with ftedfaftnefs
and refolvedncfs of fpirit, come what will
come. Thus Barnabas exhorts the bre-
thren, that with purpofe of heart they would
cleave to the Lord, A£ls xi. 23. Thus
Daniel was purpofed not to defile himfelf
\vith the portion of the king's meat, tho'
it coft him his liberty or life, Dan. i. 8.
David could fay, that the princes fpake a-
gainft him, and the princes perfecuted him,
yet he was refolved, and his refolution was
ys ftrong as an oath, / have /worn, and
ivill perform it, that 1 will keep thy righ-
teous judgments, Pfal. cxix. 23, 161, 106.
1 his is the nature of Clhriftian refolution,
that it choofes that which the Spirit reveals
to be good, noiwithftanding all oppofiti-
ons that come betwixt. AVhen credit, and
profit, and vain fears put in, and fuggeft
that the witnelfing of fuch truths may coft
us our life; refolution anfwers all, * It mat-
ters not, fo 1 can retain Chrift, tell me not
of the difficulty of the way, only kt me
know which is the way; I am refolved to
follow the Lamb whitherfocver he calls me;
I know there is no threatening fo terrible as
Chrift's is, no promife fo fweet as Chrift's
is, no command ("0 holy as Chrift's is, and
therefore I am refolved to cxpofe myldf
EN J A L.
to drink that cup, how bitter foever, which
my Father (ball give to drink.'
4. Endeavour after a difpofition or habit
to lay down life for a good confcience. It
is a true faying, that ' Kone are faved but
martyrs ;' I mean, martyrs either aftually or
habitually, having faith enough to encou-
rage, and love enough to conftrain them to
bemartyrs, if the honour of their profefTion
fliould require it. This takes away their
obje(ftion who fay, * It is harfh and unfea-
fonable to trouble us now with any thorny
difcourfe of martyrdom.' i. We muft
know that the habit of martyrdom is in-
cluded in the moft fundamental principles
of Chriftianity, and therefore they deferve
no anfwer but filence, who think a dif-
courfe of it at any time harfh and unfea-
fonable. 2. The church never enjoys fuch
a calm, but a terrible ftorm may unexpec-
tedly dafh it away, and therefore there is
no man, though born in the moft peacea-
ble time of the gofpel, but ere the glafs of
his life be run out, he may be overtaken
with a fiery trial. 3. There is no profef-
for of the gofpel, though he live and die
during the,publick tranquillity of it, but he
may privately be brought to that plunge,
that cither he muft hazard his life, or elfe
in fomc fearful horrible manner, againft
his confcience, difhonour Chrift; as, fup-
pofe a ruffian, that had no religion of his
own, ftiould pull any of us into a corner,
and with a naked blade, either make us
forfwear our religion, or lofe our life. 4.
As the prophet E/.ekiel forewarned the
Jews, JVe have had mifchief upon mifchief
and rwnour upon rumour, Ezek. vii. 37.
and if mifchief and rumours continue, and
multiply upon us as fait as they have done
of late, the days may be fooner upon us
than we are aware, when there may be too
much occallon to pi^dfife this point oi{c\{'
denial, and no time to preach it ; howfoe-
ver, let 11s feek of God for the habit or dif-
pofition of it, for that is fundamental,
'^. Maintain « godly jcalouly and fear.
of
S E L F - D
of our own hearts; for want of this all
the difciples fainted, efpecially Peter, and
/hamefully denied Chrift. Memorable is
that ftory of Pendleton and Sanders; San-
ders was fearful he (hould endure the fire;
Pendleton feemed refolute/Be not fearful,'
faid he to Sanders, * for thou ihalt fee me,
and this fat flefh of mine fry in the fire be-
fore I will yield.' Yet he that was fo ftrong
in his own flrength fell away, and the o-
ther, fo fearful, was enabled by God to
burn for his truth. To fear martyrdom,
and to pray againft it, with fubmiftion to
God's will, is warranted by our Saviour's
own example, He prayed earnejlly, that if
it "ujere pojpblej the cup might pafs away
from him ; but ftill with fubmiJfion to his
Father's pleafure. That place concerning
our Saviour, is very remarkable, Who, in
the days fif his flejh, ivhen he had offered
up prayers and fupplications^ ivith flrong
cries and tears unto him that xias able to
fave him from deaths and ivas heard, in
that he feared, Heb. v. 7. Heard ? how
was he heard ? Not in removing the cup
from him.but in ftrengchening him to drink
it with viftory. If we pray as Chrift pray-
ed, the cup (hall be removed from us, or
fweetened unto us.
6. Refill: wherein we can, flefhiy im-
pediments ; for the fle/h will be ready by
all means to hinder us from offering this
facrifice to God. As, i. By difiinftions.
Is a man refolved to hold his eftate, liberty,
life, come on what will ? fuch a one ne-
ver wants a difiindion to mock God
withal ; fo the teachers of circumcifion at
Galatia. ^^s many as defire to make a fair
Jhevj in the flefo, thefe confirain you to be
circumcifed, only left they Jhould fuffer
perfecution for the crofs of Chrift, Gal. vi.
12. They did not fee, but to avoid per-
fecution, they might preach circumcifion,
being they did it pro abundanti cautela^
* in a cautious manner,' not to overthrow
the faith of Chrifl: crucified, but for their
fecurity. Such diAin^ons many ufe at thefe
E N I ^ L. 175
times. 2. By perfuafions. Thus carnal
reafon pleads the cafe, * Give a little to the
times, fave thyfelf and thine.' Or thus,
* What, are you the only quickfighted
men ; wifer than a church, than a ftate ?
May there not, will there not, a law come
out in a moment, whereby you may be
defranchized, or exiled, or banifhed, or
burned ?' But to anfwer thefe reafonings,..
remember Chrift's anfwer to Peter, Get
thee behind me, Satan, for thou favour-
efl not the things of God, but of men^
Matth. xvi. 23. A certain perfon perfuad-
ing another to recant the truth, told him
that he fpoke to him out of love. * O
yes,' faid the martyr, *I confefs it,but there
is fomething in you that is mine enemy,
meaning the flefh.' And it is faid of Mr.
Hooper, than when a box was brought,
and laid before him on a fiool with his
pardon from the queen in it, if he would
recant ; he being now at the flake, at the
very fight of it cried out, * If ye love my
foul, away with it, away with it.' 3. By
terrors. Thus when the Spirit of God
had fuggefted unto Spira to fuffer, or if
he doubted of the iffue to go away
though never fo far rather than deny the
Lord of life, prefently the flefh begun in
this manner, * Be well advifed, fond man,
confider reafons on both fides, and then
judge. Dofl thou not forefee what mifery
this raflinefs will bring upon thee ? Thou
ftialt lofe thy fubflance, thou fiialt under-
go the moflexquifite torments that malice
can devife, thou fhalt be counted an he-
retick of all, and thou fhalt die fhameful-
ly. What thinkefi: thou of the flinking
dungeon, the bloody ax, the burning fag-
got ? Wilt thou bring thy friends into
danger } thou haft begotten children, wilt
ihou now cut their throats ?' It concerns us
in this cafe to outwit the flefti ; If it tells
us of prifonsjlet us tell it how much more
terrible is the prifon of hell ; if it prefent
to us the condemnation of tribunals, di(>>
we prefent to it that great condemnation o£
the
•176
SELF-
the great tribunal ; if it threaten us with
difpleafiire of friends, prcfent to it the dif-
pleafure of God, and of glorified fpirits.
7. Confider, and perufe the afts and mo-
numents of the church in the cafe of mar-
tyrdom. Others fufFerings cannot but be-
get fome rcfolutions in us. And herein if
\vc begin with the beginning of the world ;
As foon as we hear of any work of religi-
on, we hear of the perfecution of Abel.
Noah's ark on the waters was a type of the
Condition of the church of Chrift in afflic-
tions? What hard things did Abraham, and
the reft of the paTViarchs endure in their
generations ? Hiflory tells us, that Ifaiah
■was fawn afunder with a wooden faw ; Je-
remiah was put into a dungeon, (licking
in the mire, as fome ftories fay, even tip
to the ears, and after was ftoned to death;
Ezekiel was flain in Babylon ; Micah was
thrown down from a fteep place, and his
neck broke ; Amos was fmitten with a club,
and fo brained. Tl>e ftory of the perfecu-
tion of the Maccabees, prophefied, Dan. xi.
36. and recorded by the apoftle, Heb. xi.
3^, is exceeding lamentable; The Text
fays that they were tortured, mocked, fcour-
ged, imprifone d,J} one d, fawn afunder, (lain
with the Jword, wandered up and down in
Jloeep-fkinSy and goat- [kins ^ being deftitute,
alfltcled, tormented, they wandered in dc-
ferts, and mountains, and dens, and caves
in the earth. And for the Chriftian church,
we know what Chrifl himfelf, the great
leader of his people* fuffered : "When Ste-
phen, the firft Chriftian martyr, was fton-
ed, Doratheus witnefteth that two thoufand
of others who believed on Chrift were
put to death the fame day. That many
fuffered in thofe very times, is plain to me
from thofe very texts, .4nd Saul made ha-
vock of the church : Jnd Herod vexed the
church, Afts viii. 3. and xii. i. E/fe what
Jhall they do who are baptized for the
dead, if the dead rife not at all? why then
are they baptized for the dead? I Cor. xv.
iy. This place is difficult, and many in-
DENIAL,
terpretations are given of it; but this I pre-
fer, as being moft agreeable to the fcope
of the apoftle; Elfe what foall they ^(?(wh3t
(hall become of them, in what miferabie
condition were they) who are baptized
(with their own blood, not only fuffering
grievous torments, but even death itfelf)
for the dead (for the caufe and quarrel of
the dead, for the faith of them that now
are dead, and in fpecial, for maintaining
this very article of the refurreiftion of the
dead). The force of this argument is very
evident, and it well agrceth with the argu-
ment of the apoftle, that en lueth,ver. 30, 31,
32. IVhy ftand we in jeopardy every hour? I
proteft by our rejoicing which I have in
Chrifi, I die daily. And ij I have fought with
beafh at Ephefus after the manner of men,
what advantageth it tne, if the dead rife not
at all? As for the word Baptizing, it is on-
ly fo taken frequently by the fathers,, and
fchoolmcn, who ufually diftinguiih bap-
tifm into Baptifma flaminis, fluminis, et
fanguinis, Of the Spirit, water, and blood;
but alio in fundry places of fcriptxue, as
IMatth, XX. 22. Mark x. 38, 39. Luke xii.
50. I have a baptifm to be baptized with,
and how am fftraitned till it be accompli-
fjed. All the apoRlcs, after many fore
and grievous aftliflions, fuffered many vio-
lent deaths, John only excepted, who yet
was banifhed into Patmos, and by Domi-
tian thrown into a tun of fcalding lead,
though by a miracle delivered. Brightman,
fpeaking of the ftories of thofe times, fays,
* That every page and leaf is, as it were,
all red coloured in blood.' The covenant
of grace is a bloody covenant, both in re-
gard of the blood of Chrift firft fealing it,
and the blood of the blefled martyrs adding
likevvife their feals in confirming it.
It is a moft heartbreaking meditation
to confider the ragings, madnefs, and fiuy
of the heathcnagainft ihcChriftiansin thofe
times. Hierom, in an epiOle toCromatius,
fbys, ' that there was no day in a whole
year, unto which the number of five thou-
land
S E L F - D
fand martyrs cannot be afcribed, except
only thefirftday of January.' All the poli-
cy, wit, ftrength and invention of men
and devils were cxercifed and ftretched out
to the titmoft, for the devifing the mod
miferable torments, and exquifite tor-
tures ; as plates of iron burning hot, laid
upon their naked flefh ; pincers red hot
pulling off the flerti from the bones; bod-
kins pricking and thrufting all over their
bodies ; calling into lime-kilns, and into
caldrons of fcalding lead ; whipping until
almoftallthe fledi was torn off their bodies,
and their bones and bowels appeared, and
then laid fiat upon fliarp fliells and knives;
their (kins were Head off alive,and then their
raw flefli was rubbed with fait and vine-
gar, their bodies were beaten all over with
clubs until their bones and joints were beat-
en afunder ; they were laid upon gridirons.*
roafled and bafted with fait and vinegar ;
one member was pulled from another ; by
faftening them to boughs of trees, they rent
their bodies afunder ; they were tofTed
upon the horns of bulls, with their bowels
hanging out ; they were caft among dogs
to be devoured ; they were put under the
ice naked into rivers ; they were tor-
tured on the rack, on the wheel, and on
the gibbet with flaming fire under them ;
they made it their fports to fee them
devoured by wild beafls ; and in the night,
inftead of torches, they burn'd the bodies
of the faints to give them light for their
paftimes. In after-times antichrifl: began
to rife, and to bring a fearful darknefs o-
ver the face of the church ; of which times
the Holy Ghoft prophefied, Rev. viii. 12.
The moony and fun, and ftars ivere fmitten.
Never will be forgotten thefe lamentable
extremities that God's poor people then
endured ; large volumes are extant, the
reading whereof might caufe the hardeft
heart that lives to break. O let us warm
our hearts at thefe fires ! Let us perufe
and condder thofeadls and monuments of
the church in the cafe of martyrdom.
2 A
E N I A L. 177
8. Be acquainted with the promifes of
Self-denial ; have always a word at hand
to relieve ourfelves withal in the worfl of
fufferings. Mow thefe promifes are of feveral
forts. I. Of ajfiftance^h.xyi. 18, Pf. xxxvii.
24. Pfal. xlvi. I. to the end. 2. Ofaccep-
tanccj Exo. ii. 24, 25. Exo. ili. 7. 1 Pet.
ii. 20. 3. Cf reivard. Mat. xlx. 29. Luke
xviii. 30. And again the promifes of reward^
are, 1. Of this life. He that Jotfakes all for
Chrifl (l)a\l receive an hundred fold, faith
Matthew : Manifold more in this prefent
time, faith Luke ; the joy, the peace he
ihall have in his confcience fliall be many
times an hundred times better than the
comfort ofall thefe outward things. * O but
(may fome fay) what will become of my
pofterity ? Peace of confcience, and joy
in the Holy Ghoft redounds only to my
felf, but for my children, I fliall leave them
fatherlefs and helplefs :' To this by way of
anfwer ; God often ftiles himfelf the Father
of the fatherlefsy and if of any fatherlefs,
then furely of thofe whofe parents have
lofl their lives for Jefus Chrifl. Leave
thy fatherlefs children, faith the Lord, / '
tvill pre ferve them alive, and let thy widows
truf} in me, Jer. xlix. 1 1 . 2 . Of eternal life,
fuch fid all inherit eternal life, Matth. xix.
29. Mark x. 30. Luke xviii. 30. ' Be of
good comfort,' (fald Bradford to his fel-
low martyr,) * we fliall have a merry fup-
per with the Lord this night.' Chriftians !
"What would we have ? the foul indeed is
of a large capacity, all things here below
can never fatisfy it, but eternal life ;
the inheritance above will fill the under-
flanding with knowledge, and the will with,
joy, and that in fo great a meafure, that
the expeftation of the faints fhall be ex-
ceeded ; for he jloall be admired of than
that believe, 2 Thelf. i. i6.
9. Mind the principle that mufl carry
us through death, and make death itfelf
honourable. We read Heb. xi. 3.^, '>,$*
37. that by faith fome quenched the
violence of fire ; Others ivere tortured.
They
J78 SELF'D
They 'were /ioned, they -were fawn afun-
der, they were tempted, they were /lain
•with the/word ; and all this by faith. Faith
\i the grace that enables us to deny our-
felves, yea, life itfelf ; other graces may
do much, but faith hath the principal
work in this. By faith ye f}and, faid the
apoflle to the Corinthians, chap. i. 24. it
is faith that makes a man ftand in his
greateft trials, and therefore when Chrifl:
faw how Peter (liould be tempted, he tells
him that he had prayed that his faith
fhould not fail, Luke xxii. 32. noting that
while his faith heli^ all would be fure;
'faith in this cafe is like the cork that is u-
pon the net, though the lead on the one
'ii^t fink it down, yet the cork on the o-
ther fide keeps it up on the water : David
frofeffed, that he had fainted, unlefs he had
believed, Pfalmxxvii. 13. Believing keeps
from fainting in the time of trouble.
10. When fufferings come, then ftir
up, and put forth the grace of faith in
the exercife of it : Look up to God for
flrength and afliftance, commit ourfelves
and caufe wholly to him, plead the pro-
mife, plead our call that he hath called us
to this, plead the caufe that it is his. Mr.
Tindal in a letter of his to Mr. Fryth who
was then in prifon, hath four expreflions
of the work of faith in the time of fuffer-
ing ; * If you give yourfelf, caft yourfelf,
yield yourfelf, commit yourfelf wholly,
and only to your loving Father, then fhall
his power be in you, and make you ftrong,
he fti^all fet out his truth by you wonder-
fully, and work for you above all your
heart can imagine.' But becaufe faith is
the root, or principle of Self-denial in this
cafe of fuffcrings, I fliall therefore pro-
pound two queftions in the following
paragraphs.
Queft. I, What are the differences be-
twixt faith and pride of heart in fuffcr-
ings ?
I anfwer, i. If pride be the principle, a
plan is ready to put forth himfelf though
ENIAL.
he be not called : It Is true that in fomc
extraordinary cafes, a man may have an
inward calling by fome extraordinary mo-
tion of God's Spirit, as fome of the martyrs
had ; but in an ordinary way, a gracious
heart fears itfelf, and dares not venture till
God calls, it depends more upon God's call,
than any ftrength it hath to carry it thro'.
2. If pride be the principle, a man cares
not for God's name any further tha n
is interelled in it ; flaould God ufe others
to honour his name, and he no way come
in, he regards it not.
3. If pride be the principle, a man doth
not fo much ftrengthen himfelf with the
confolations of God ; or the fweet of the
promifes, as he doth with his own felf-
proud thoughts ; the heart is not fo much
taken xip with the glorious reward of God
in heaven, as with fome prelent felf-good
here : whereas faith is altogether for fpirit-
ual and fupernatural good, it carries the
foul beyond all prefent things.
4. If pride be the principle, there is na
good got by [ufferings, the foul doth not
thrive under them, it doth not grow in
grace by them, it grows not more holy,
more heavenly, more favoury in all the
ways of it, the luflre and beauty of godli-
nefsdoth notincreafe upon fuch a one, he
is not more fpiritual, he doth not cleave
clofer to God, he is not more frequent
with God in fecret, he doth not enjoy
more inward communion with God than
formerly ; but if faith be our principle in
fuffering, there is never fuch thriving in
grace as then, then the Spirit of glory and
of God ufeth to reft upon God's fervants j
a godly man's fervice prepares him for fuf-
fcrings, and his fufferings prepare him for
fervice ; the church never ihined brighter
in holinefs than when it was under the
greateft perfecution.
5. If pride be the principle, there is not
that calmnefs, meeknefs, quietnefs, fweet-
nefs of fpirit in the carriage of the foul in
fufferings, as where faith is : Pride cauf.
eth
S E L F'D
eth the heart to fwell, to be boiftrous and
difquiet, to be fierce and vexing, becaufe
it iscroffed ; but faith brings in the Spirit
of Jefiis Chrifl, and that was a quiet and
meek Spirit in fufFerings, as the Jheep be-
fore the fhearer, Afts viii. 32. When he
•was reviled, he reviled not again, I Pet.
ii. 23. Where is reviling and giving ill
language, there is pride ftirring in that
heart. Cyprian fpeaking of the martyrs
contemning death, faith, * We fee not
that humble loftinefs, or that lofty hu-
mility in any but in the martyrs of Jefus
Chrift.*
6. Ifpridebethe principle, there is join-
ed with that man's fufferings a defire of
revenge; he would, if he could, return
evil for evil, and doth as far as he dares ;
but thofewho have faith to be their prin-
ciple, they commit their caufe to God ;^
* though men curfe, they biefs ; they can
heartily pray for their perfecutors,as Ghrift
and Stephen did for theirs :' The Banner
over a gracious heart, in all troubles that
befals it, is love ; and therefore whatfo-
ever the wrongs be that are offered to fuch,
there is flill a fpirit of love preferved in
them.
Queft. 2. Wherein lies the power of
faith to carry us through fufferings and
death ?
I anfwer, i. Faith difcovers the reality
of the beauty and excellency of fpiritual
things, which before were looked upon as
notions, conceits, and imaginary things ;
hence Faith is defcribed to be the fubflance
of things hoped for, and the evidence or de-
ntonflration of things not feen, Heb. xi. I.
The things of Ghrift, of grace, of heaven,
what poor empty notions were they to
the foul, what uncertain things, before
faith came in ? But faith makes them to
be glorious things ; Faith difcovers fuch
real, certain excellencies in them, and is
fo fure,that it will venture foul and body,
it will bear any hardftiip, yeait will venture
the infinite lofs of eternity upon them.
2 A
EN lA L. 179
2. Faith makes the future good of fpiri-
tual and eternal things to be as prefent to
the foul, and works them upon the heart
as if they did now appear. This comes
to pafs, becaufe faith fees things as the
word makes them known, it pitches up-
on the word in that way that it reveals
the mind of God ; now the word fpeaks
often of mercies that are to ,corae, as pre-
fent things. Break forth into joy, fing to-
gether, ye IV a fie places of Jerufalern, for
the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath
redeemed Jerufalern, Ifa. liii. 9, 10. Thus
the prophet fpeaks of the deliverance of
the church from captivity, as a thing al-
ready done, which was not fulfilled many
years after. As foon as Jehofaphat had re-
ceived the promife, he falls on praifing the
Lord, as if the mercy were already enjoy-
» ed, Praije ye the Lord, for his mercy en-
dureth for ever, 2 Ghron. xx. 17, to 22.
Ghrift faith of Abraham that he faw, and
rejoiced, and was glad, John viii. 56.
Ghrift's day was unto him, as if it had been
then. And it is faid of the godly who
lived informer ages, that though the pro-
mifes were afar off, to be fulfilled, yet
they embraced them, Heb. xi. 13. The
word in the original fignifies, they faluted
them. Nowfalutations are not but betwixt
friends when they meet together. Faith
takes hold upon eternal life, 1 Tim. vi.
19. it takes prefent polfeilion of the glorious
things of the kingdom of God ; itmakesthe
foul to be in heaven converfing with God,
and Ghrift, his faints, and angels already :
That which is promifed. Faith accounts it
given. And the land which I gave to Abra-
ham, to thee will I give it. It was only pro-
mifed to Abraham, but Abraham's faith
made it to him as given, Gen. xxxv. 12.
3. Faith makes ufe of things part as if
they were prefent. i. It makes ufe of
God's mercies to our forefathers ; thus
the church makes ufe of the mercy of
God to Jacob, when he wreftledwith him,
and prevailed, as if it were a prefent mercy
2 to
1^0
SELF-DENIAL.
to themfelves. lie hadpoiver over the an-
gel, and prevailed, he xvept, and made
fupplicatioa unto him, he found him in
Bethel, and there he /pake ivith us, Hof. xii.
4. not 'only with Jacob, but with us, q. d,
"VVhatfoever mercy God fhewed to him,
we make it ours. God [pake ivith us.
Thus David and his people did, when he
faid, He turned the fea into dry land, they
luent through the flood on foot, there did
ive rejoice in him, Pfalm Ixvi. 6. The
comfort of the mercies of God for many
years pafl to their fore-fathers, they make
as theirs, there di4^ lue rejoice in him. 2.
Faith makes ufc of all the promifes that
<7od hath made to any of his people, iho'
.never fo long ago, yea, it fetcheth out the
comfort of thefe promifes, as if they were
made now to us. Compare Jofhua i. 5.
with Hcb. xiii. 5. God faith to Jolhua, /
"ccill be ivith thee, I will not fail thee, nor
forfake thee. This Paul applies to the
believers in his time, as if it had been made
to them, Be content, faith he, ivith fuch
things as ye have, for he hath faid, I ivill
not leave thee, nor forfake thee. Upon
this one inftance, whatfoever promife God
ever made to any of his people fince the
beginning of the world for anygood,if our
condition comes to be the fame, faith will
jnake it her own, as if God had but now
made it to us in particular. 3 . Faith makes
»ife of God's former dealings with our-
felves ; when all fenfe of God's mercies
fails, that God fcems to be as an enemy,
faith will fetch life from his former mer-
cies as if they were now prcfent. I have
confidered the days of old{S'X\\\\ David) the
years of ancient time, 1 call to remembrance
my fong in the night. I faid this is my
infirmity, but I will remember the years of
the right hand of the mojl high, Pfalm
Ixxvii. 5, 6, 10. He checks himfelf for
doubting of God's mercies, becaufe of
his former mercies, and he recovers him-
felf by bringing to mind the former deal-
ings of God with him. Now ia this work
of faith what abundance of flrength doth
it bring in from former mercies, former
promifes, former dealings \ O this mufl
needs wonderfully ftrengthen the heart to
any fuffcring whatfoever.
4. Faith carries the foul on high, above
fenfe, above reafon, above the world ; when
faith is working, Oh how is the foul raifed
above the fears and favours of men? ' I care
not (faid Ignatius, a little before his fuf-
fering) for any thing vifible or invifible,
fo that I may get Chrilt ; let fire, the crofs,
the letting out of beaf^s, breaking of my
bones, tearing of my members, the grinding
of my whole body, and the torments of
the devils come upon me, fo that I may
get Chrifl,' Eufeb. 1. 3. c. 39. Faith puts
an holy magnanimity upon the foul, to
flight and overlook with an holy contempt
whatfoever the world profcrsor threatens:
faith railes the foul to converfe with high
and glorious things, with the deep and
eternal counfels of God, with the glorious
myfleries of the gofpel, with communion
with God and Jefus Chrift, with the great
things of heaven and eternal life. ^len,
before faith comes into their fouls, have
poor low fpirits, bufied about mean and
contemptible things, and therefore every
offer of the world prevails with them, and
every little danger of luffering fears them ;
but when faith comes, there is another
manner of fpirit in a man, a princely fpirit
(as Luther calls it) that dares to adventure
thelofs of life for thenameof Chrift. When
Valens the emperor fent his officers to
Bafil to turn him from the faith, they firlt
offered him great preferments. But Bafil
rejeded them with fcorn, ' Olier thefe
things (fays he) to children ;' then they
threatened him molt grievoufly ; * -Nay,
threaten (faid Ba(il) your purple gallants,
that give themfelves to their pleafures.'
What great fpirits di^ faith put intothofe
worthies, who through faith fubdued king-
doms, flopped the mouths of lions, quenched
the violence of fire f of -weak were made
firoiig, etc. Heb. xi.
faith is as glorious a grace now as ever it
was, and if it be put forth, it will enable
the foul to do great things ; the raifing
of the foul above reafon and fenfe, is as
great a thing as any of thefe ; the faith of
Abraham was moll: glorious, for which he
is filled the father of the faithful, and yet
the chief thing for which he is commend-
ed, is, that he believed againft hope, Rom.
iv. i8. When the foul is in fome llrait,
it looks up for fome help, and fenfe fays,
it cannot be ; reafon fays, it will, wicked
men fay, it fhall not be ; yea it may be,
God in the ways of his providence feems
to go crofs : as if he would not have it to
be ; yet, if faith have a word for it, it fays,
it fliall be : Yea, when God feems to be
angry, when there appears nothing to
fenle and reafon, but wrath, yet even then,
faith hath hold on God's heart, that his"
hand cannot ftrike.
5. Faith gives the foul an intereft in
God, in Ch rill, in all thofe glorious things
inthegofpel, and in the things of eternal
life : Faith is an appropriating, an apply-
ing, an uniting grace ; it is a blefled thing
to have the fight of God, there is much
power in it ; but to fee God in his glory,
as my God,to fee all the majefly, greatnefs,
and goodnefs of God, as thefe things that
my foul hath an interefl in, to fee how the
eternal counfels of God wrought for me
to make me happy ; to fee Chrifl:, in whom
all fulnefs dwells, in whom the treafuresof
all God's riches arc, and all thefe are mine;
to fee Chrifl coming from the Father for
me, to be my redeemer ; Oh what a bleffed
powerful thing is this ! What is all the
world now to fuch a foul ? Where is all
the bravery of it, or the malice and op-
pofition of it i the lofs of outward things,
liberty or life, are great evils to thofe who
have no interefl in better, but to fuch as
have interefl in higher things, there is no
great matter though they lofe all thefe.
6. Faith fets all God's attributes on work
SELF-DENIAL. i8i
33, 34. Certainly for the good and relief of a believer ; it is
one thing to have interefl in God and
Chrifl, and another thing to have God and
Chrifl working for us. I will not deny
but God and Chrifl: are working ftill ; yet
when faith lies flill, and is not a(flive, al-
though we do not lofe our interefl in God,
yet we cannot expe6l fuch fenfible mani-
feflations of God's workings for us. We
have a notable expreffion of God's flirring
up his flrength and wifdora for thofe whole
hearts are right with him'. The eyes of the
Lord run to and fro throughout the earth, to
JJjew himfelfftrongfor thofe luhofe heart is
perfefi toxuards him, 2 Chron. xvi. 9.
Although we be in the dark, and know
not how to order our fleps, yet there is
an infinite wifdom working for us ; al-
though we have but a little flrength, yet
if we have faith to fet God's flrength on
work, -ive foall (as the church of Phila-
delphia) keep God's word, and not deny his
name, Rev. iii. 8. Thus much for the de-
nial of natural Self.
SECT. XIX.
Of the Denial of religious, gracious, or
reneiuedSelf; and fir]} of Cautions.
IMuft now direft in the lafl place how
we are to deny religious, gracious, or
renewed felf ; as a man's own Duties, Ho-
linefs, Righteoufnefs, the graces of the
Spirit. In profecution of which (as in
the former) I fliall give fome cautions, and
diredlions.
The cautions are thefe.
I. That graces, duties are the fpeclal
gifts and blefTmgsofGod. It is of the ful-
nefs of Chrif} that all we have received,,
even grace for grace, John i. 16. And
the apoftle tells us. That God hath hlefjed.
us with all fpiritual blejjings in heavenly
places in Chrift, Eph. i. 3. Methinks here
1 fee die tranfcendent excellency of the
faints, the betternefs of their condition a-
bove all the men of the world ; if God have
given a man grace, he hath the beft and
choice-
l82
<;hoiceft of all that which God can give ;
Cod hath given us his Son, and God hath
given us himfclf, and God hath given us
his fpirit, and God hath given us the graces
of his fpirit ; thefe are the fined of the
flower, and the hony out of the rock of
mercy ; they that have this gift need not
to be difcontented at their own, or envious
at the condition of any other; they have
the principal verb, the one neceHhry thing.
blejfcd he the God, and father of our Lord
Jefus Cdn-ijl ivho hath thus blejfed us :
How ? ivtth all fpiritiial blejfings in hea-
venly places, Epheti i. 3.
Motwithftanding they are God's fpecial
gifts, yet we miifl deny themcomparative-
"ly, and in fome refpefts, as in thefe cafes.
I. In point of Juftification, in relation
to righteoufnefs, in comparifon of Chrift,
in the notion of a covenant of life and fal-
vation. It is a dangerous thing to hang
the weight of a foul upon any thing which
hath any mixture of weaknefs, imperfec-
tion or corruption in it, as the pureft and
beft of all our duties have ; it is a danger-
ous thing to teach, ' That faith, or any other
evangelical grace as it is a work done by us,
doth juftifie us :'there is nothing to be called
our righteoufnefs, but the Lord our righte-
oufnefs, ]cv. xxiii.6. Faith itfelf doth not ju-
ftifie habitually, as a thing fixed in us, but
inftrumentally,as that which receives andlets
in the righteoufnefs of Chrift fliining thro'
it upon us ; as the window enlightens by
the fun-beams which it lets in, or as the
cup feeds by the wine which it conveys.
So then in point of juftification ' we are
to renounce all our duties and graces.'
2. In point of fan6Vification : for fo we
are to attribute the ftrength, the power,
and the glory of all our graces and duties
unto Jcfus Chrifi, and nothing toourfelves.
And yet imdcrftand we aright, tho' every
believer is thus to deny himfelf, in fpiri-
lual things, even in the point of fan^lifica-
tion, yet he is not to fpeak evil of the
grace of God within himfelf; he may not
SELF-DENIAL.
mifcall his duties and graces, faying, ' thefe
are nothing but the fruits of hypocrifie,*
for then he (hould fpeak evil of the Spirit
whofe works they are ; neither is he to
trample or tread on thefe graces of God :
a man tramples and treads upon the dirr,
but he will not trample upon gold or fil-
ver ; why ? becaufe that is a precious
mettal, and the ftamp or image of the
prince is upon it : Now our * duties and
graces, our righteoufnefs and holinefs,'as
to the matter of juftification, they arenc'
thing worth, and fo we trample upon all ;
but as to the matter of fanftification, they
are precious mettal, and they have the i-
mage of Chrift upon them, and therefore
for a man to tread on them, for a man to
fay, * All this is nothing but hypocrifie,*
that is not fclf denial ; properly felf-denial
in fpiritual things, as to the matter of juf-
tification, * it is to renounce all ;' and as
to the matter of fa notification, it is to at-
tribute ' the ftrength, the power and glory
of all unto Jefus Chrift, and nothing to
ones felf.' This is true felf-denial.
SECT. XX.
Of the manner of denying our religious^
gracious, or renewed felf.
THE directions of Self-denial in refpeft
of our religious, gracious, or re-
newed felf, are thefe.
I . * Be we fenfible of, and humbled for
our pride in fpiritual things.' There is
nothing that a chriftian is more apt to be
proud of than fpiritual things. Before he
takes up profeflion, poflibly he is proud
of his cloaths, or friends, or honours, or
profeftions ; but afterwards there is no-
thing that he is more apt to be proud of
than of his parts and gifts, and graces, and
fpiritual things ; for look, where a man's
excellency lies, there his pride grows ; now
the excellency of a Chriftian lies in fpirit-
ual things, and therefore there his pride
grows, and there he is nioft apt to be proud ;
O be we fenfible of tliis, and mourn
fcr
SELF-DENIAL,
iZt
for this ! It was Mr. Fox his fpeech,
* As I get good by my fins, fo I get
hurt by my graces'. It is a dangerous
thing to be proud of a man's duties and
fpiritual gifts, we had better to be proud of
clothes, or friends, or honours ; for this
pride of fpiritual things is diredtly oppofite
to a man's juftification. The firft ftep to
humility is to fee one's pride ; the firft ftep
of Self-denial is to be convinced of one's
inclination or defire after Self-exalting,
Self-admiring, Self-advancing. * O what
a proud heart have 1 1 what a felf-advancing
heart have I ?' There is no believer but
he hath fomething of felf ; be he never fo
humble, yet he hath fomething ftill that
taftes of the calk ; there was never any
that was fo transformed, melted or
changed into the mold of the gofpel, but
there was ftill fome favour of felf remain-
ing in him : we had need therefore to be
jealous of ourfelves, and to watch over
ourfelves ; and if at any time felf break
out, if at any time the foul begins to be
advanced in regard of duty or fpiritual
things, * let us fall down before God, and
humble ourfelves for the pride of our
hearts.*
2. * Look up, and confider the glory,
purity and holinefs of God.' This con/i-
deration will humble a foul, and caufe it
to ' deny itfelf in fpiritual things.' See
this in Job, no fooner had he a great prof-
pefl of the glory of God, but he denies
himfelf concerning his own righteoufnefs,
which before he flood much upon to his
friends. I know it is Jo of a truth, but how
Jhould man be juj} with God ? if he will
contend with him, he cannot anfwer him
ene of a thoujand. Job. ix. 2, 3, God's fuf.
nefs will convince ^s abundantly of our
emptinefs, his purity will fliew us our fpots,.
his ali-fufficiency our noihingnefs. When
Job was brought a little nearer unto God,
he was more humbled before God. 1
have heard of thee by the hearing of
ihe ear, but now mine eye feeth thee.
Job xlii. 5, 6. (i. e.) * I have a clear-
er and more glorious manifeftation of
thee to my foul than ever : I now perceive
thy power, thy holinefs, thy wifdom, thy
faithfnlners, thy goodnefs, as if I faw them
U'ith my eye, wherefore I abhor myfelf ia,
dull and afhes.' He could not go lower in
his thoughts of himfelf than this expref-
fion laid him ; abhorrence ' is a perturba-
tion of the mind arifing from vehement
diflike, or extreameft difefteem ;' abhor-
rence ftri(flly taken * is hatred wound up
to the height ;' and ' to abhor, repenting
in dull and aflies,' is the deepell aft of ab-
horrence : thus low Job goes, not only to
a diflike, but to the furtheft degree of it,
abhorrence of himfelf when he faw the
Lord. See this in Ifaiah, when God came
near him, and he faw much of God, then
be cried out, P/o is me, for J am undone^
becaufe I am a man of unclean lips. Ifa.
vi. 5. How knows he that ? Why, mine
eyes have feen the king the Lord of hofts.
"What did not Ifaiah know he was a man
of polluted lips till then .-' yes, but he was
never fo fenfible of it as then : he faw his
pollution more than ever by the light of
the glory of God that flione round about
him ; he never faw himfelf fo clearly as
when the majefty of God dazzled his eyes..
When the fun (hines bright in a room, we
may fee the leafl: mote in the air ; fo when
the glory of God irradiates the foul, we fee
all the motes and atoms of fin, the leaft
fpot, and unevennefs of our hearts and
lives.
3. ' Have Chrifl: in eye.' The more we
fee an humble Chrift, a felf-denying Chrift,
the more fliall we learn humility and felf-
denial. Now Chrifi:w2s the molt eminent,,
tranfcendent example of fcifdenial that
ever was. He thought it no robbery to be
equal with God, and yet he humbled him-
felf and took upon him the form ofajervant,
Phil. ii. 6, 7. O what felf-denial is here ?
was there ever fuch a felf denial as this?
* Chriflians ! confider your Chrill, and the
more
1 84
SELF-DENIAL,
more will you learn to deny your felves
even in fpiritual things.'
4, ' Acknowledge we ourfelves debtors
to Chrift for all our gifts, and for all our
graces.' PofTibly a man may wear brave
apparel, but he owes for them at fuch a
fliop, whiles he is abroad he fwaggers, and
is proud of his cloathes, but when he
comes into the fhop, and looks upon the
book, and confidcrs what he hath to pay,
he ftrikes fail then : thus the gofpel is the
gj-eat fliop, and fr or* Chrift in the gofpel
we have all our gifts and graces, and tho'
I may be proud in fpirit at another time,
yet if I come into the gofpel, and fee what
an infinite debtor I am to Chrift, and to
free-grace for all that ever I have, then I
think, ' What ? fliall I be proud ? what ?
(hall I not deny myfelf in fpiritual things ?'
5. * Study the gofpel, and the way of
the gofpel.' Where fliall we fee an hum-
ble Chrift but in the gofpel ? where fliall
we fee the rich and free grace of God in
Chrift, but in the gofpel ? where fliall we
get faith in Chrift, but in the preaching of
the gofpel, and in the ftudying of the gof-
pel ? Surely this grace of felf-denial in
' fpiritual things grows only in the gardenof
the gofpel : I deny not but there is a com-
mon-field humility, or Self-Denial, as I
may fo fp'eak ; fuch a fclf-denial I mean,
as grows among the heathen, and among
moral men : but betwixt that and this we
may obfcrve thefe differences.
1. Take a moral, civil man, and though
he may feem to be humble and to deny
himfelf, yet he is proud of his humility.
A philofopher coming into Plato's houl'e,
and feeing it very neat, * I trample upon
Plato's pride,' faid he. * But, faid Plato,* not
without your own pride.' Now, a believer
doth not only deny himfelf, but he is fen-
llble of his own pride in that very thing
wherein he is humble.
2. Take a moral, civil man, and though
he may feem to deny himfelf, yet it is but
ui this or tliat particular thing ; but a be-
liever denies himfelf in every thing. I count
all tl.ings ht4t dung and drofs, faith the a-
^o{i\(^, for Jefus Chrift, Phil. iii. 8.
3. Take a moral, civil man, and though
he may feem to deny himfelf, yet it is but
the artifice of his reafon and refolution ;
* if I go on in fuch and fuch a way,' fays he,
* I am undone.' Hence he denies this plea-
fure, and that company. But now a be-
liever ' denies himfelf in fpiritual things by
the beholding of Jefns Chrift.'
4. Take a moral civil man, and though
he may feem to deny himfelf, yet there
is no myftery in it; but there is ever a
great myftery of grace in a believer's felf-
denial. As thus, he ever cries, what Jloall
I do to be faved ? And yet he profelfeth
that he doth not expeft to be faved by his
doing ; here's a myftery. Again, he counts
himfelf kfs than the lea fi of all God's mer-
cies, and yet he thinks God hath done
more for him than if he had given him all
the world ; here's a myftery. Again, he
looks upon himfelf as the greateft finner,
and thinks of every one better than him-
felf, and yet when he looks upon a drunk-
ard, or a fwearer, or the like, he profelfeth
that he would not change his condition
with fuch a man for all the world ; what a
myftery is this i
5. Take amoral, civil man, and though
he may feem to deny himfelf in temporal
things, whichdevils themfelves maydo, yet
he cannot, as the believer, * deny himfelf in
fpiritual things.' One makes mention of a
certain godly man that was fore tempted by
Satan in his time, the godly man was much
in duty, to whom fatan faid, ' why takeft
thou this pains ? thou doeft watch,, and
faft, and pray, and abftaincft from the fins
of the times ; but O man, what doeft thou
more than I do ? art' thou no drunkard,
no adulterer, fays Satan ? no more am I.
Doft thou watch, and faft, fays Satan ? I
never flcpt, I never ate, nor drank ;
what doeft thou more than I V I will tell
thee,' faid the godly man, * I pray, I ferve
tiie
SELF-DENIAL.
the Lord, I walk humbly, I deny myfeif ;'
* Nay then, fays fatan, thou goeft beyond
me, for I am proud, and I exalt my fcif,
and therefore herein thou goeft beyond
me.' And thus we may difference betwixt
true fclf-denial and falfe.
6, * Refl: not on any thing below Jefus
Chrift.' Neither grace, nor duties, norho-
linefs are to be trufled upon. We muft
hold them faft in point of practice and o-
bedience, but it is our fin and danger to
hold them faft in reliance and confidence.
I defire to be rightly underftood in this
truth. Some becaufe they need not to
rely on duties, they let go their duties,
they let prayer and repentance and forrow
for fin go, they fay, ' It is no matter for
duties, they need not to trouble them-
felves, Chrift hath done all.' This is to"*
* turn the grace of God into wantonnefs.*
"We muft let go both our graces and du-
ties in point of juftification, but hold them
we muft as our lives in the tenour and
converfation of our lives. Prayer, hear-
ing, fafting, repenting muft not die whilft
we live ; do them we muft, but glory in
them we muft not : we muft not reft in
any thing whatfoever below Jefus Chrift.
I fhall inftance in thefe particulars.
1. \\'e muft not reft upon our own
preparations for duties. It is a commend-
able thing to prepare our heart ; we muft
pray that we may pray ; we fhould have
fecret communion with our God, be-
fore wc come to feek communion with
him in a fermon ; but we muft not
reft upon our own preparation when we
have prepared ; if we advance that into
the throne of Jefus Chrift, and reft upon
that when we ftiould only reft upon him,
it is the way to make all our preparations
niifcarry.
2. We muft not reft upon our enlarge-
ments in duties. It may be we have a
fpring-tide of affiftancc comes in ; a mini-
flcr preaches with great prefence of the
%irit cf-God, and a Jaint prays, as we
i8j
find it, if: the Holy GhoJ}, Jude 20. i. e.
He finds the holy Spirit of God leading him
from petition to petition, meltinahim with
brokennefs when he isconfeffingfin, filling
him with rejoicing when he is rcmembriirg
mercy, raifing him with an high wing, as it
were, of importunity, when he is bepglng
of favour (as it was an admirable temper
in holy Bradford, that he was not content
till he found God coming into his fpirit
with feveraldifpenfations according to the
feveral parts of his prayer) j and now as
foon as the duty is done, it may be he
goes away, and flroaks himfelf. ' Oh what
an admirable prayer was here ! furely I
fliall do well this day, I ftiall be able to
wreftle with all temptations,' this is the
very way to mifcarry, thoufands have
• found it ; fo that when he comes to pray
again, it may be he prays moft dully and
flatly, the Spirit is grieved, and gone, and
he can fay little or nothing.
3. We muft notreftupon the comforts
we have ifi duty, or after duty. It may
be when we have been at duty and have
had fome foul-ravifliments, O now we
think our neft is built very high, and our
rock is firm, and we fhall go on vigoroufly ;
Chryfoftom hath a faying to this purpofe,
' Methinks, faith he, a faint when he comes
from a facrament, fliould be able to file in
the face of a devil, and tho' he walk in
midft of fnares, yet he fhould be able to
encounter with them all.' Comforts are
very fweet things, and indeed ftrengthen-
ing things ; The joy of the Lord is our
Jlrength, faith Nehemiah, ch. viii. jo. No-
thing more animates fouls than joy, only
here is the danger, if we reft on thefe joys
and comforts ; furely if fo, we provoke God
to withdraw them. The Spirit of God is
a moft choice and tender thing, it dwells
in none but a clean pure temple moft clean-
ly fwept ; if any pride fpring up in our
hearts we lofe our comforts.
4. * We muft not reft upon, graces.'
This was Peter's fault, he was full ofccn-
B b ceil
ih6 S E L F-
celt and felf-confidence, he had grace, and
be relied on it, Lord) though allforfake
thee, yet -will not /,Mat. xxvi, 33. Yet foon
after Peter did forfake and deny his maf-
ter, and we do not find Peter fo confident
afterwards: when Chrifl; faid to him, ^i-
mon Peter y lovejl thou me more than thcfi ?
no comparative words now ; no more that
Lcrd thou hnovjeft Hove theey John xxi.
I 5, etc. Peter was whipped with felf-confi-
dence, and the woeful fruits of it, and
npw in a good degr^ it was purged out
of him. Surely It was a lefibn well worth
the learning though it coR: the whipping.
\Ve mufl not reft on grace?, nor on any
thing elfe on this fide Jcfus Chrift.
7I * Be often putting forth new aftings
of faith in Jcfus Ghriih' The more we
believe, the more do we deny religious
felf. Hence it is that * felf-denial in fpi-
ritual things' is not to be found in the law,
but in the gofpel ; the law though it hath
its ufe (and we dare not but make ufe of it)
yet properly it will not make a man to
deny himfclf, but rather to feek himfelf in
rpiritual things : ' Obey and live ;' faith the
law, * but if thou failefl: in any one point,
'thou are loft for ever :' in this cafe (if there
were no other way) who would deny his
own righteoufncfs .' nay who would not
feek to Awe himfclf by his own righteouf-
nefs ? but now fays the gofpel, * By works
thou can ft not live, but if thou wilt throw
down all thy own righteoufnefs at the feet
of Chrift, and believe on him, and reft on-
ly on him, thou Ihalt be faved.' O this
will make a man to deny his own righte-
oufnefs, and to * deny himfelf in fpirirual
things.' Go we therefore to Chrift, let us
maintain believing apprehenfions of the
Lord Jefus Chrift. He alone is the humble
felf-denying perfon that feeks juftification
not by works, but by faith only.
DENIAL.
8. Let it be the joy of our fouls to ex-
alt and fet up Chrift within our fouls.
Though in order to juftification we muft
deny our graces, eye Chrift without us ;
yet we muft have a care to fee and feel
Chrift's kingdom within us, to fet up Chrift
in our hearts, and to difcern him ruling
and commanding there as a king in his
throne. And there is true felf-denial ia
this, for whereever Chrift reigns there fin
goes down. As the people would have all
the men put to death whicli wovild not
have Saul to reign over them, 2 Sam. xi.
22. fo doth a true believing foul mortifie
whatfoever oppofeth Chrift's kingdom, he
removeth whatfoever may hinder Chrift's
fpiritual dominion, he makes all veil and
ftoop for Chrift's exaltation within him,
O then let Chrift reign over all within us,
in our underftandings as a prophet enlighte-
ning us, in our wills as a king command-
ing us, in our aife(5tions as a prieft morti-
fying us, in our loves as an hulband marry-
ing us ; let the whole man be fubjeflunto
whole Chrift. This is the character of a
true felf-denier, Chrift rules within him,
he every way fubjefts himfelf to Chrift, in
his underftandingtoknow Chrift, in his will
to choofe and embrace Chrift,in his thoughts
to meditate upon Chrift, in his fear to
ferve and honour Chrift, in his faith to
iruft and depend upon Chrift, in his love to
afFeft Chrift, in his joy to delight in Chrift,
in his defires to long after Chrift, in his
endeavours to exalt Chrift, in all his * du-
ties, graces, gifts, abilities, to make them
ferviceable unto Chrift :' why this is to at-
tribute the glory of all our duties and
graces to Jefus Chrift, and nothing to our-
felves. Now is Chrift all in all, now we
truely * deny ourfelves,'Our finful felves,
our natural felves, our religious felves.'
Thus much of Self-denial.
CHAP.
( iS7 )
CHAP. VI.
SECT. I.
Of the Nature of Experiences.
' 17 XPERIENCE (fay fome) is a
Pj knovvledge'and difcover}' of fome-
thing by fenfe not evident in itfelf, but
manifefted by fome event orefFeft.' This
defcription contains both natural and fpi-
ritual experience ; but my purpofe is to
fpcak only of the latter, and in that refpe£t
I look ftriftly at Experiences, as * real
proofs of fcripture-truths.' AVhen I mark
how true every part of God's word is, how
all the doflrines, threatenings 'and pro-
mifes contained therein, are daily verified
in others, and in myfelf, and fo improve
or make ufe of them to my own fpiritual
advantage, this I call Experience.
SECT. II.
Of the gathering of Expert encei.
THAT our experiences may further
us in the way to heaven, we muft
learn, i. To gather them. 2. To im-
prove them.
I . For the gathering of them, the only
way is,
1. * To mark things v/hlch fall out;' to
obferve the beginnings and events of mat-
ters, to eye them every way, on every fide,
that they may (land us in flead for the fu-
ture : this obfervation and pondering of
events, with ihecaufes that went before, is
the- ripener of wit ; Who among you xvill
give ear to this ? -who will hearken for
the tifne to come ? Ifa. xlii. 23. Whofo is
ivi/e, and will obferve thofe things, even
they fmll underftand the loving- kindnefs of
the Lord, Pfal. cvii. 43.
2. * To treafure up, and lay In thefe ob-
fcrvations, to have ready in remembrance
fuch works of God as wc have known and
obferved.' The philofopher faith, that Ex-
perience is multiplex immoriuy i. e. Amul-
Bb
iJplied 77iemory j becaufe of the memory of
the fame thing often done, ^rifeih Experi-
ence : 1 remember the days of eld, faith Da-
vid ; Pfal. cxiiii. y. I remember how thou
didfl rebuke Abimelech, and overthrow
Nimrod, and Pharaoh, and Achitophel :
and thus would we treafure up Experi-
ences, the former part of our life would
come in to help the latter, and the longer
we live, the richer in faith we fliould be;
even as in victories, every former over-
throw of an enemy, helps to obtain a fuc-
ceeding vi(Story. This is the ufe of a fanc-
tified memory, it will lofe notliing that
may help in time of need, or in the evil,
day ; it records all the breathings, mov-
ings, fiirrings, workings of a foul towards
Chrift, or of Chrift towards a foul.
3. To cart thefe things thus marked and
laid in under feveral fpiritual heads, of
Promifes, Threats, Deceits of the heart,
Subtiltics of Satan, Allurements of the
world, etc. I might enlarge the heads in-
to any thing that \% good or evil, i . Into
any thing that is goody whether it be Gcd^
or the things given us by Cod^ his Spirit,
his counfels, his ordinances, his work of
fandlification, and all the fruits of the Spi-
rit. 2. Into any thing that is evil, whe-
ther it hefi>i, or the fruits of fin, as cor-
ruptions, inabihty to good, vanity of all
the creatures, the judgments of God. Thus
we mull fort our experiences, as the apo»
thecary forteth his di ugs.
SECT. III.
Of the improving of experiences,
2. T^OR the improving of Experiences,
X I. We muft confider what fcrip-
ture truth is verified thereby in others, or
in our felvcs,
^ . I. In
i88
EXPERIENCES,
1 . In ethers, as if we confider hpw God
blefTeth and cheareth the religious; wherein
that text is verified, Blejfed are the righte-
CHS, for it /hall be -well ivith them, for they
Jhall eat the fruit of their doings, Ifa. iii.
lo. Or if we obferve how God punifheth
the carnal and hypocritical ; wherein that
text is verified, fVo unto the wicked, it
Piall be ill -with them, for the reward of
their hands flmll be given them, Ifa. iii. 1 1.
2. In ciirfelves, as if by a fpiritual Ex-
perience we tafle Go^to be good ; wherein
that text is verified, Iffo be ye have^ tajied
that the Lord is gracious, i Pet. ii. 3. If
WTs find the things given us of God to be
good ; as that his Spirit is good, according
to that text, Thy Spirit is good, Pf. cxliii.
10. That his ordinances ore good, accord-
ing to that text, // is good for me to draw
near to Cod, Pfal. Ixxiii. 2S. and, This is
my comfort in afiidion, for thy word hath
quickened me, Pfal. cxix. 50. Thatfan6\i-
fication, and the fruit of the Spirit, are
good ; according to that text, // is good
ihat a man JJjould both hope, and quietly
wait for the falvation of the Lord, Lam.
iii. 26. // is a good thing to give thanks un-
40 the Lord, and to fing praifes unto thy
name,0 moft High, Pfal. xcii. x. // is good
to be zealoufly ajfeflcd always in a good
thing. Gal. iv. 18. It is a good thing that
the heart be efiablijhed with grace, Heb.
xiii. 9. or if by experience we difcern the
evil of fin itfelf out of meafure finful; ac-
cording to that text, Sin by the command-
vient is become exceedingjinful, Rom. vii.
J 3. If we find out the corruption of our
own nature ; according to that text, De-
hold, I was fhapen in iniquity, and in Jin
did friy mother conceive tne,VL li. 5. If we
difcover the abomination of our own righ-
teoufntfs; according to that text, IVe are all
as an unclean thing, and all our righteouf
nejjes areas filthy rags, Ifa. Ixiv. 6, If we
fee our own inabilities to do any good ;
according to that text. To will is prefent
'Mith mC) but hi'M to perform that which
is good, I find not, Rom. vii. 18. Not ihat
we are fufficient ofourfelves, to think any
thing as of ourfelves,but our fufficiency is
of God, 2 Cor. iii. 5. If we have trial of
the vanity of all creatures, as of riches, ho-
nour, wifdom ; according to that text, Va-
nity of vanities, all is vanity, Ecdef. i. 2.
O how will thefe blefTcd Experiences, back-
ed by fcriptnre truths, kindle our affefli-
ons! I deny not, faith works more fted-
faftnefs, and firmnefs of adherence, but ex-
perience ufuaily breeds the greater fircngth
of affections : Hove the Lord, faiih David,
and why fo ? becaufe (of this Experience)
he hath heard my voice, and my /applicati-
ons, Pfal cxvi. I,
2. We mud endeavour to produce that
fruit, that frame of heart, which the Lord
requires, directs, and looks for in fuch and
fuch cafes. Thus the fandlification of ex-
periences is evidenced by the difpofitions
anfwering God's mind, which are left up-
on the heart, and brought forth in the life
afterwards ; namely, when divine difcove-
ries are the more flrongly believed, the
heart by threats more kindly awed ; adhe-
rence to the promifes more lirongly con-
firmed ; the deceitful heart more nar-
rowly watched ; Satan's fuggeftions more
watchfully refilled ; the bewitchingsof the
world kept at a greater diflance from the
foul ; in a word, when by this experimen-
tal application of God's works to his word,
God is more advanced, and felf more abaf-
ed, the honour of the Lord is more ftudi-
ed, and the edification of his people endea-
voured, holy love encreafed, fervice quick-
ened, faith ftrengthened, Chrift improved ;
then is this bufinefschriltianly managed in-
deed: but of thefe more largely in the next
fedfion.
SECT." IV.
Of the Sandification of Experiences in
their fevtral Ufes.
THE fan(flification of experiences is
evidenced, as we faid, by fuch dif-
pofitions as thefe.
I. When
EXT ER
1 . "When divine dlfcoveries arc more
ftrongly believed ; this is one fruit of ex-
perience, it wonderfully ilrengthens our
faith : AVhen the Ifraelites faw the Egyp-
tians drowned, then they believed the Lord,
and his Jervant Mofes, Exod. xiv. 31.
"When we find all things in the event to be
as we believed, this confirms our faith, as
David kneiv that God favoured hirtiy by his
deliverances, Pfalm xli. 1 1 .
2. When the heart by threats is more
kindly awed : this is another fruit of expe-
rience ; The righteous alfo [hall fee and
fear, Pfalm lii. 6. firft /?■<?, and i\\tx\ fear :
when the primitive Chriftians faw Ananias
fall down, and give up theghof}, x}!\tr\great
fear came on them that heard thofe things,
Afts V. 5. This holy fear many a time pof-
feifeth the faints : My flefj trembkth for*
fear of thee, faith David,^«</ 1 am afraid of
thy judgments, Pf, cxix. 120. When I heard,
my belly trembled, faith Habakkuk, my lips
quivered at the voice ; rottennefs entered
into my bones, and I trembled in tnyfelf,
that I might refl in the day of trouble,
Hab. iii. 16. As the child quaketh when he
feeth his father correal a fervant, fo the
faithful tremble when they obferve the fe-
verity of God's wrath againfl impenitent
ilnners.
3. "When the deceitful heart Is more
narrowly watched : hath it couzened us
once and again ? Experience hereof will
breed in us a godly jealoufie and fufpici-
on over our hearts ; we are now confci-
ous of our own weaknefs, and of the fnare
that is in every creature to take and en-
tangle us ; and this will make waking be-
lievers circumfpeft and careful how they
entertain evil motions, how they keep up
holy thoughts, how they perform holy du-
ties, how their affections move towards that
which is above, left they fhould mifcarry
upon the fands.
4. When Satan's fuggeftions are more
watchfully refifled ; this is the voice of ex-
perience in fuch a cafe, < Doth Satan fu-
lENCES. 189
rioufly alTail us ? be not difmayed : are
his temptations moft fierce ? be we moft
diligent in the means of grace, the prac-
tice of holinefs, the labours of an ho-
neft calling ; pray earneftly, exercife faith,
ftick faller to the word of promife, flop
our ears againft fcruples and doublings ;
draw nigh to God, for Satan will then ceafe
to vex thee with his temptations any more:'
Refifl the devil, and he ivill fly from you,
James iv. 7. It is true, the believer is too
weak of himfelf to withftandtheleaftaflhult,
but if we rely on the Lord, we may thro'
his power be made victorious in the great
eft affaults whatfoever ; and here is the
comfort of experience, ' That a foul hav-
ing once returned with viftory, through
the power of his might, he will abide in
the fecret place of the moft High for ever.*
5. When thebewitchingsof the world are
kept at a great diftance from the foul : this
was Solomon's cafe and cure, after all his
travels and great delights, he no fooner
returns, as to himfelf, but he fills the.
world with this news ; what news ? Vani-
ty : and what more ? Vanity of vanities :
and what more ? y^ll is vanity. Experience
of its vanity, weans him from the love of
this earth,it takes him off the creature, and
lifts him unto the Lord his Creator ; fo
fhould we, if ever we were charmed with
fuch Syren fongs, be more careful, left we
be drawn away with the pleafant delights
of things tranfitory, and keep them at a
greater diftance from us.
6. When the Lord Jefus is more ftudi-
ed and advanced : the man that feels Chrift's
gracious power and virtue, will be fure to
exalt Chrift,and fet him up on high ; when
Ifrael faw the mighty work of David in o-
verthrowing Goliah, then David was much
fet by: the believer's experience of Chriit's
mighty and gracious working, makes Chrift
very precious to him, then he cries, as the
foldiers of David, Thou art -.vorth ten thou-
fands of us, 2 Sam. xviii. 3. Hence it is,
that God's people value him above all their
pro«
190 EXT ER
profits, friends, cafe, credit, and lives.
^Matthew left the receipt of cullom, James
and John their fhips and nets, and father,
and follovjed him : yea, many for his fake
loved not their lives unto death ^ Rev. xii.
1 1, no wonder, for they had many fweet
experiences of Chrift : Chrift to thcjr ap-
prehenfion was the fairej} of ten thoufand,
none but Chrift, none but Chrift.
7. When the peoples edification is en-
deavoured: have we tafted of the good-
nefs of God ? kt us then provoke others
to "believe, and to ferve the Lord together
with us; this is one end of experience, and
that ufc- we fliould make of it towards o-
thers. When Gideon heard the telling of
the dream, and the interpretation thereof,
he worlbipped, and turned into the hofi:
of Ifrael, and faid, Arife, for the Lord hath
delivered the hofi of Midian into your
hands, Judg. vii. 15.
8. When a man's own felf is more a-
bafed :" do we live the life of grace and
true holinefs ? this will teach us to deny
ourfelves wholly : If any man (faith Chrift)
-will come after me, let him deny himfelf,
Luke ix. 23. </■ d. If any man will come
after me in the knowledge of my will, in
the belief of my promifes, in the love of
my truth, in the obedience of my precepts,
let him deny himfelf, let him lay afide his
own wifdom, his own will, his own ima-
gination, his own aftedlions, his own ends,
as bale and unworthy marks to be aim-
ed : let him deny himfelf i whatfoever isof
himfelf, or belonging to himfelf, as a cor-
rupt, and carnal man ; let him go out of
. iiimfdf, that he may come to me; let
him empty himfelf of himfelf, that he
may be capable of me, that I may rule
and reign in him, and that he may wholly
fubjca himfelf tome and my fervice : this
the aportle ftiles, yl living, not to ourfelves,
hut unto him that died for us, 2 Cor. v. 15.
he alone underftands, and hath experience
of the end of Chrift's death, that makes
IE f^ CE S.
chrift's glory the end of his life, and lives
not to himfelf, but to Chrift..
9. When holy love is more increafed :
/ love the Lord, becaufe he hath heard my
voice, and nr; pMpplicaiion, Pfalm cxvi. r.
"We cannot tafte of the Lord, but we muft
have an hearty love to the Lord : will you
hear the voice of experience ? 'ris this,
tajle, andfe how good the Lord is, Pfalm
xxxiv. 8. and then, flay me with fag^
gons, and comfort me with apples, for I
am fick of love. Cant. ii. 5. fuch a one
truly afFcds C:hrift, and all that follow
Chrift; fuch a one loves the perfon of
Chrift, without his privileges; a naked
Chrift, as well as Chrift clothed with all
his robes, in all his glory and refplendent
beauty ; Chrift in a prifon, as well as Chrift
on a throne ; thus John (after all his expe-
riences of Chrift's love to him) could love
Chrift on the crofs, when others forfook
him, as well as in the temple, when he was
working miracles.
10. AV^hen hope is quickened: fuch times
may come, that death and darknefs may
furround us, and we may grovel in the
duft : but here is our comfort, that tribu-
lation -worketh patience, and patience ex-
perience, and experience hope, Rom. v. 4.
Have we any experience of God's gracious
dealings with us in former times ? have we
fomeiimes been refrelhed by his hand ^
hath he fometimes helped us? was he
found of us, when we fought him : nay,
often unfought for ? hath he come to our
fouls, and renewed our ftock, and filled
our becalmed fpirits witli fielh gales of
grace ? how fliould we then but hope ? As
it was in this refpeft, it is, and ever fliall
ht; if new temptations arife, and new lufts
break in, and fpoil, it is the voice of Ex-
perience, J was delivered out of the mouth
of the lion, and the Lord Pi all deliver me
from every evil work, and will preferve
me unto his heavenly kingdom, to whom be
nlory and dor?iinion for ever and ever, 2
Tim. iv. 17. And, ll^e have the fenter.ce
E XT E R
of dedfh in our/elves, that lue Jhould not
truft in ourfelveSy but in Cod ivho raifeth
the dead J -who delivered us from fo great a
deathy and doth deliver us, in whom xue
trufl he will yet deliver us, 2 Cor. i. 9, f o.
11. When joys of the Spirit are raifed
and ftirred up: Who is he that hath not
been delivered out of fome miferable exi-
gents? and if we have, we may well fay
with David, Thou haft foewed me great
troubles and adverfities, but thou wilt re-
turn and revive me, thou wilt come again,
and take me from the depths of the earth,
and comfort me, Pfal. Ixxi. 20. Former
comforts are [if I may fay fo] as a bill o-
bligatory under God's hand, to afTiire us
that he will not forfake us : JVhom God
loves, he loves unto the end, John xiii. i.
Becaufe thou haft been my help, therefore
in the f>adcw of thy wings will I rejoice,
Pfal. Ixiii. 7.
12. When faith is more and more
Arengthened, experiences (honld be turn-
ed into confidences; Thus David improv-
ed his experiences, The Lord that deliver-
ed me out oj the paw of the lion, and out
of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me
out of the hands of this Philiftine, I Sam.
xvii. 36, 37. In like manner (hould we
take notice of God's dealings, and after we
have once tried him and his truth, let us
trufl him for the future ; Tried truth, and
tried faith unto it, fweetly agree, and an-
fwer one another. Hence it is that expe-
rience of God's love fhould refrefli our
faith upon any frefli onfet; So let all thine
enemies perif), faid Deborah, Judg. v. 32.
The heart of that bleffed woman was en-
larged, as it were prophetically; 'when
one fall?, they fliall all fall ;' there is the like
reafon. So let all thine enetnies perif),
Lord. Experience In ourfelves or others,
will enlarge our taith to look for greater
matters flill from our gracious powerful
God : Hath the Lord given us a vicflory
over the Philiftincs ? then awake, awake
Deborah, awake, and be enlarged, O
I E N C E S, rpr
my faith ! Every new experience is a new
knowledge of God, and fhould fit us for
new encounters : I deny not but we ought
to trufl God upon other grounds, though
we had never tried him ; but when he helps
our faith by former experiences, this fhould
ftrengthen our confidence, and fhore up
our fpirits, and put us on to go more
cheerfully to God, as to a tried friend. It
was the fpeech of one eminent in holinefs,
upon the occafion of the accompliihment
of a great requefl: made to God by him,
* I have tried God often, now I will trull
him indeed.' If we were read in the flory
of our lives, we might have a divinity of
our own, drawn out of the obfervation of
God's particular dealings towards us ; we
^ might fay, * This, and this truth I dare
venture upon, I have found it true, I dare
build all my happinefs upon it;' as Paul,
/ know whom I have trufied, and I am-
per/itaded he is able to keep that which 1
have committed unto him again/} that day,:
2 Tim. i. 22. q. d, I have tried him, he
never yet failed me, I am not now to feek
how faithful he is to all thofe that are his.
13. When fcruples and doubts are re-
moved, * O, (cries the foul) I have many
experiences, but no comfort as yet.' Thus
David, after the remembrance ofhisfongs
in the night, left his foul Itill in doubt ;
and he goes on to fay, IVilt the Lord caft
^fff^ tvtr? and will he be favourable no
more? Pfal. Ixxvii. 7. In this cafe, it is the
duty of Chriilians, to call to mind their
former experiences of faith and joy again
and again ; for though they comfort not at
one time, yet they may at another. Have
we found a promife, which is a Breafl of
Confolation, milklcfs ? yet again fuck,
comfort may come in the end : If after wc
have impanelled a jury and grand inquell
to fearch, and our firft verdiifi condemn
i^s, or they being in an igncra^r.us ; yet do,
as wife judges often do, fend them about
it again, they may find it the next time :
Jonah looked once; it feeras, and found no.
comfoitt:
192 E X 'T E R
Comfort; for he faid, /il>i/1 look again to-
•ward thine holy temple, Jonah ii, 4. So
feme have 'looked over their hearts, by
figns, at one time, and have, to their think-
ing, found nothing but hypocrify, unbe-
lief, hardnefs, felf-feeking, he. but not long
after, examining their hearts again by the
fame figns.they have efpied the image of
God drawn fairly upon the tables of their
hearts, and fo found a world of comfoit.
* O but (cries the foul) I have tofTed and
tumbled over my heSrr, I have fearched
into the regifters and records of God's
dealings, and raethinks, I can call nothing
into remembrance betwixt God and me.'
What, nothing ? Look again : Did God
never fpeak peace to our hearts ? Did Chrift
never fhed his love abroad in our fouls ?
Have we at no time found in our heart
pure drains of love to Chrifl? Pure drops
of godly forrow for offending Chrift ? Have
we never an old tried evidence, which hath
been acknowledged and confirmed again
and again in open courts? What, not one?
Surely, if we can now call to mind one,
if in truth, it may fupport us : If one pro-
mife do belong to us, all do ; for every
6ne conveys whole Chrift, in whom all the
promifes are made, and who is the matter
of them : As <n the facrament, the bread
conveys whole Chrirt, and the wine con-
veys whole Chrifl ; fo in the word, every
promife conveys whole Chrift ; if we can
but fay as the church of Ephefus, This thing
J have, that I hate fin, Rev. ii. 6. 'We
may plead this to God, yea, though it be
in a lelTer degree, if in truth and fincerity;
(for God brings not a pair of fcales to
\veigh, but a touch-flone to try our gra-
ces) if it be true gold, though never fo lit-
tle of it, it will pafs current with him: He
ivill not quench the fmoahing fiax^ I/a. xlii.
'^. though it be but a fmoak, not a flame;
though it be but a wiek in the focket, as it
is in the original, likelier to die and go
out, than to continue, which we ufe to
throw away, yet he will not quench it, but
I E N C E S.
accept it. O let us comfort ourfdves with
thefe words !
* O but (cries the foul again) I have
fearched all crevafes for light, but alas, I
cannot fee the leaft beam of it: What help
now remains ?' If it be thus, poor foul.
Be fiotfaithlefs, but believing. Chrifl helps
fome to live above glorious manifeftations;
fometimes in abfence of thefe manifeftati-
ons, jufl ones may live, and rejoice in the
invifible effence of God : Chriflians may
live waiting on God, when his face is whol-
ly hid from them ; or Chriflians may live
depending on God, when all other fubor-
dinate Aays or helps are loft : In fuch a
foul there may be this refolution, * Let
God do wiiat he will with me, I'll hang on
him ftill : Though he kill me, yet will I
truft in him;' and there is comfort in this.
' If fo, (faith the foul) then what need
of experiences, fo long as I have the pro-
mifes, and may live by faith ?' O but for all
this, be not carclefs of experiences : For,
I. It is the goodnefs of God, that befides
the promife of good things to come, he is
plealed to give us fome prefcnt evidence
and tafte of what we believe: This heigh. -
tens his mercy, diat befides faith, he fliould
train up his children by daily renewed ex-
periences of his fatherly care. 2. Though
it be one thing to live by faith, another
thing to live by light, 5'et the more we fee,
and feel, and tafte of God, the more we
fliall be led to rely on him, for that which
as yet we neither fee nor feel : This is the
very meaning of God, that by that which
we feel, we might be ftrengthened in that
we look for.
S E C T. V.
The Confideration of Experiences in a prac-
tical Courfe ; or, fome praciical Rules to
he chferved.
IT were good for Chriftians, intending
the practical part, to obferve thefe or
the like rules. Some Cautionary. Some
Dire(flory.
I. The cautionary rules may be thefe.
I. In
EXPERIENCES,
193
I. In gathering experiences, beware of i. That be fides a mere providence, we
mifprifion of God's providences. There take notice of fome promife of God on
are many miftakes now a- days, and there- which we build : Thus Paul, delivered
fore it is our beft and only courfe, for our from death at one time, argueth that God
fecurity, to interpret all God's works out would deliver him at another time ; but,
of his word: we muft make the fcriptures
(as we faid before) a conftruing book to
the book of God's providences: Judge nei-
-ther better of profperity, nor worfe of ad-
verfity, than God's word warrants us. This
was the Pfalmifl's cure, his experience put
a probatum eji to this prefcription, When I
thought to know this, it ivas too painful for
me, until Iioent into the fan&uary of God,
then under flood I their end, Pfal. xxxvii.
16, 17. God may profper a wicked man,
and he may conftrue this as an argument,
and note it as experience of God's gracious
dealing with him, and dear love unto him :,
O take heed ! To the laiv, and to the tefli
in his arguing, he eyes the promife, he
hangs on God, which, faith he, raifith the
dead, 2 Cor. i. 9, 10,
2 . That we confider the manner of the
promife, becaufe,
(i.) Some promifes are disjunctive; as
when God in hismercyconveysany thing to
us, either in particular, or in the equivalent,
by way of commutation and compenfation
with fpiritual things. Thus a Chriflian's
experience works hope, Rom. v. 4. but not
always of the felf-fame outward ifTue, and
manner of dehverance out of his trouble,
which he hath before-time found ; no, we
mufl hope according to the word, or accord-
mony, if they fpeak not according to this ingto thequality ofthepromife:Paul'slwpe,
after experience of many deliverances, was
not exprefly or peremptorily, that the prick
in his flefh (hould be removed,but that God's
grace (hould be fufficient, and fo he had the
fruit of his former experience, becaufe he
obtained an equivalent fupply, but not
otherwife. (2) Some promifes are con-
ditional, in reipeCl of us ; as when God
promifeth protccftion from contagious
ficknefs, and from trouble and war : If
word, it is becaufe there is no light in them,
Ifa. viii. 20.
2. In improving experiences, beware
how we argue from one experience to a-
nother : Judgments threatened, are not
always inflifted after one and the fame man-
ner ; God meets with the wicked fometimes
in this life, and fometimes he referves their
plagues for another. In like manner the
gracious providences of God are not al-
ways difpenfed after one and the fame my people, which are called by my name,
manner ; indeed David could fay, The fhall humble tbemfelves, and pray, and
Lord that delivered me out of the paw of feek my face, and turn from their wicked
the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he ways, then will I hear from heaven, and
will deliver me out of the hand of this will forgive their Jin, and will heal their
Philiftine ; I Sam. xvii. 36, 37. And /^W, 2 Chron. vii. 14. In thefe or the like
1 aul could fay, I was delivered out of the promifes, God may give us the experience
rnouth of tht lion, and the Lord fhall de- of his word at one time, but deny it at
another, becaufe we fail in the condition
of the promife on our parts. Obferve
Chriftians, would we conclude a deliver-
ance as formerly, be fuie then to look to
the frame and diipoiition of our fpirirs
liver me froin every evil work, 2 Tim.
iv. J 7, 18. and fo we may fay, that God
many times hath delivered us, and doth
deliver us, and therefore that he v.'ill deliver
us ftili : But this manner of arguing, as it
is dcmonflrative, fo it hath fome limitati- If we are in the way of the'promifc''"then
ens, which wcmuft carefully take notice we may conclude it for certain ; 'if we
^^ ' ^"' nieet God in the courfe of his providence,
or
Cc
194
EXT ER
or in the improvement of the means he
hath appointed, then we may fet it down,
that God will do whatfoever he hath pro-
mifcd to give, in his own way, or other-
wife not. (3.) Some promifes are inde-
finite ; as that in James v. 14, 15. Is any
fick among you ? let him call for the elders
of the churchy and let them pray over him ;
and the prayer of faith Jim II fave the fick,
and the Lord flmll raife him up. In this
cafe God may fometimes, yet doth not
always perform promife according to the
letter.tho' a man may^e truly qualified with
the conditions fpecified in that promife,
toties quoties, again and again. It only
intends thus much; That God may, and
fometimes will fave the fick, and raife him
up at the church's prayers, buf. he will not
ever do fo. Now as God doth not always
perform, fo neither are we abfolutely,
or infallibly, or univerfally to conclude ;
the promife is not univerfal, but indefinite,
and accordingly our conclufions fliould not
be univerfal, but indefinite : "VVe fliould
indeed, becaufe of the promife, adventure
ourfelves upon God in fuch a condition,
iiot knowing but in his outward difpenfa-
tionshemay make it good to us, yet with
■ fubmifiion to his plcafure, if otherwife he
difpofe of us : And as this is all we mufl:
do, fo this is all we can fay, or conclude in
fuch a cafe as this is.
2. The directory rules may be thefe.
(i.) Let us communicate our own ex-
periences to the good of others. David, in
his deliverances, invites others to have re-
courfe unto him. Bring my foul out of
frifon, that I may praife thy name, then
jl)all the righteous compajs me about, -when
thou (halt deal bountifully with me, Pfalm
cxli. 7. Conceal not within our bofoms
thcfe things, the communicating whereof
lEBC E S,
may tend to publick profit; furely it were
a courfe much tending to the quickening
of the faith of all, if we would impart
to one another our mutual experiences.
(2.) Let us trade [or improve] others ex-
periences to our ov. n particular profit.
Thus David, in defer tion, hath recourfe to
God's gracious dealings with his fore-
fathers ; Our fathers trufledin thee : they
trufled, and thou didjt deliver them : they
cried unto thee, and ivere delivered ; they
trujled in thee, and ivere not confounded,
Pfalm xxii. 4, 5. What favour God fliew-
ed to any one, he will vouchfafe to every
one that feeketh him diligently, if it may
be for his good. Thus we find in fcrip-
ture, that fometimes a perfonal experience
was improved to an univerfal advantage,
James V. 11. Heb. xiii. 5, 6.
(3.) Let us caft our experiences under
feveral heads, and make the word and
works face one another, and anfwer one
to another; or, to make the work complete,
it were not amifs to difiribute the frame
into three columns ; and in the firft to
fet down experiences, in the fecond the
texts, in the third difpofitions anfwering
God's mind, in fuch and fuch a cafe, to be
left on the heart afterwards.
(4.) Let us pray with fervency, when-
ever we fet a time apart to view our ex-
periences, that thofe difpofitions anfwer-
ing God's mind in every particular experi-
ence may be written in our hearts, and
brought forth in our life afterwards. This
will be the chief ufe, and choice comfort
of the foul in this duty. And this method
a poor creature and fervant of Chrifl hath
followed in his own particular praiTlice ;
whereof I (hall give you a talk in the fol-
lowing fe(^ion.
SECT.
EXPERIENCES.
195
SECT. VI.
The Experiences of a weak Chri/iian^ cajl into the Method propounded,
§. I. Judgments on the Wicked.
Experiences.
i(J43.
FE B. 9. Prefton was taken by
the parliament's forces ; feveral
papifts flaiii in it. Come naturally of
a good difpofition, and therefore
many mourned for their untimely
deatli, but rejoiced in the accom-
plilhment of the promife.
1(548.
OHob. X9. This day a foldicr was
(lain in Prefton, in the open fair, and
not long after, another foidier was
flain in the very a£t of drunkennefs;
it is repo ted that he was drunk the
night before, and that he threatened
that very morning, before night either
to kill, or be killed.
Texts.
Rev. xvi. 6, 7. Tlh-y have Jlrcd the
blood of faints, and thou haft given
them blood to drink. Even Jo, herd
God Ahmghty, true and righteous are
thy judgments.
Rev. xix. X, He hath judged the
great ivhore, -which did corrupt the
earth -with her fornication, &c.
Texts.
Gal. V. 1 9, lo, 1 1 . Novf the works
ofthefiefl) are manifeft, -which are thcj'e ;
hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
ftrife, feditions, herefies,envyings, mur-
ders, drunkennefs, revellings, andfuch
like. >
Difpofitions required in this cafe, and
to be prayed for.
Rev. xviii. 4. Come out of her, my
people, ihityebe^ot pai takers of her
fins, and that ye receive not of her
plagues. Rev. xviii. ao. Rejoice o-
ver her, thou heaven, and ye holy
apofiles and prophets, for God hath
avenged you on her.
Difpofitions, &c.
Gal. V. 16. Walk in the Spirit, and
ye (hall not fulfill the lufts of the flf(h.
Gal. v. 14. They that are ChiilVs
have crucified the riefh, with the af-
fedions and lufis. i Cor. vi. ao. Yc
are bought with a price, therefore
glorify God in your body, and ia
your fpirit, which are God's.
Experiences.
1S41.
MAY to. This day the Lord
cart one into a fpiritual, hea-
venly, ravilhing love-trance; Jie taft-
ed the goodnefs of God, the very
irt'cctnefs of Chrift, and was filled
with the joys of the Spirit above
meafure. O it was a good day, a
blelfed fbretafte of heaven, a love-
token of Chrift to the foul.
1C47.
July 1 . This day R. M. lying on
his death-bed, was filled with the com-
forts of the Spirit, and fweet aOurance
qf faith ; at Uft driving nearer his
end, he proclaimed ' God's goodnefs
and fweetncfsand mercy,' which were
his lad words; and after in the mid(^
of our prayer$ he gave up the ghoft.
§•2
Cod's Love to his Saints-
Texts.
Cant. ii. 3. I fate down under his
fhadow with great delight, and his fruit
was fii'cet to my tajie.
1 Cor. vii. 4. 1 am filled with com-
fort, J am exceeding joyjul in all our
tribulation.
h(X% xiii. Si. And they were filled
■with joy, and with the Holy G-hoft,
Texts.
Pfal. cxvi. IS- Precious in the fight
of the Lord is the death of his faints.
Rev. xiv. 13. And I heard a voice
front heaven, laying unto me, write,
Bleffed are the dead that die in the Lord
from hencej'orth, yea, faith the Spirit,
that they may reft from their labours,
and their works do follow them.
Difpofitions, Sec.
t Pet. i. 8. Whom having not
feen, ye love; in whom thu' now ye
fee him not, yet believing ye rejoice
with joy unlpeakable and full ofglory.
Rev. xaii. 17,10. And the Spirit and
the bride fty, ccme ; and let him that
heareth fay, come; and let him that
is athirft come : He who teftificth
thele things, faith. Surely I come
quickly, Amen. Even fo, &c,
Difpofitions, &c.
Deut. xxxii. 2,9. O that they were
wife, that they underftood this, that
they would confider their latter end!
Job xiv. 14. All the days of my
appointed time \sill I wait till my
change come.
Rev. xxii. lo. Surely I come quick*
ly. Amen. Even fo, come Lord Jefus.
§. 3. Several Chajlifements^ or Affii6lions on myfelf^ and others.
Experiences
1648.
IAN. 14. One had a grieved and
•* troubl.d heart by reafonof fome
oppofition of wicked people : at night
be read a feeling paflage of Mr. Ro-
gers
Texts.
John XV. 3,0. Remember the word
that 1 have faid unto you. The fervant
is not greater than the lord: if they
have perjecuted me, they will alfo per-
fecute you.
Co t Cor.
Difpofi:ioi:s, &c.
Mat. V. I i . Rejoice and be exceed-
ing glad, for great is your reward in
heavtn : for fo perKcuted they the
prophets which w ere before you. Ai a/.
V. 44. Pray for them which dcfpite-
fully
1^6
EXT E R lENCES.
Experiences. Texts.
g<"rsoi) JnJgesxiii. thus, ' I have of- i Cor. iv. 23. IVe are made as the
ten thought i^ God's mercy, to keep filth of the world, and are as the off-
the knowleiigc of fuch difcourage- Jbouring ofall tbings unto this day.
ments ffotn them that are to enter P(al. Ixix. 10. Reproach hath hro-
into the miniftry, left they fhould be kai my heart, and I am full of heavi-
<leterred wholly from it, till by ex- ncfs, &c.
peritnce they be armed agaiuft it.'
Difpofttions 8ic.
fully ufe you, and perfccute you. Rom.
viii. 35. U-Tio. fhall feparate us from
the love of Chrift ? (hall tribulation,
or diftrefs, or pei fecution ? &c. Rom,
xii. 14. Blefs them who pcrfecute
you ; blcfs, and curfe not.
§. 4. "Performancei of gracious Promifes to myfelf, and others.
Experiences. Texts.
r(54t. Zech. xii. 10. .And 1 will pour
JAN. 6. This day a private faft upon the houfe of David, and upon the
being obferved, the I^rd gave inhabitants of Jernfalcm, the fpirit of
fomc that exercifed, the very fpirit grace and of [up plications.
and power of prayer, to the ravilh- Kom.\\n. t6. Likcwife the Spirit alfo
ing of hearers : Surely it was the Spi-
rit fpake in t!)em, Cinifi maiiifell-
ing hispreftnce inthofevery inlarge-
jucnts. To hi.D only be the glory.
Difpofttions, &c.
Jer. xxix. 11, 13. Then (hall ye
call upon me.and ye llialigoand pray
unto me, and I will hearken unto
you ; and ye fliall leek me, and find
^ ^ , me, when ye (hall Icarch for me with
helpeth our infirmities, it niakelh inter:'.- all your heart.
cef/ion for us ivith groanings ivhich Jer. xxxi. 9. They (hall come
cjinnot tc littered, vvith weeping, and with lupplicati'
ons will 1 lead them.
§.5. The Temptations of the "world enfnaring^ of Sin prevailing, of Satan cheating.
Texts
t, 14. Vanity of vanities.
Experienus
1 64 7- Ecclcf i
MARCH 17. Ones heart was faith the Preacher, vanity of vanities,
overpowered, and exceeding- all is vanity. Behold, all is vanity and
ly troubled with the cares of this vexation of fpirit.
life. 'Obafe world, how doft thou
vex them that intermeddle with
tlicc!
hifpoplions. See.
Luke xxi. 34. Take heed to your-
felves. led at any time your hearts
be overcharged with the cares of
this life.
I John V. 4 This is the vic-
tory that overcometh the world.cven
our faith.
Experiences. '
1648.
April 4. and 17. A poor creature
in the night was fearfully troubled,
in his dreams, with devils and tor-
ments, and Satan's power over his
foul ; he apprehended llrongly that
Satan was with him, and very bufie
to eiifnare him, wljich at his very
firft awaking (Iruck him with trem-
bling and horror of heart.
Texts.
1 Cor. ii. II. JVe are not ignorant
of his devices.
Eph. vi. 1 1 . Of the luiles eflhe devil.
Rev. ii. 24. Of the depths of So'
tan.
I Thef. iji. 5. By fame means the
tempter hath tempted you.
I Pet. V. 8. 2'our advcrfary the de-
vil, as a roaring !wn,'walketh about, feek-
ing -whom to devour.
Difpofttions, &c.
Eph. vi. II- Put on the whole ar*
moui of God, that ye may be able to
(^and againll the wiles of the devil.
Ja. iv. 7 Refift the devil, ire. xPe. v.
p. Whom rtfirt, &c. x Pe. ii. jv. The
Lord knoweth how to deliver the god-
ly out of temptations. Eph. vi. iC.
Above all, take the (hield of faith,
wherewith ye (hall be able to quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked.
§. 6. Vi^Jories of the WorldyLufis, Temptations, Corruptions, Satan,
Experiences, Texts. Difpofi lions. Sec.
1(547. Eccl. ii. 14.andiii.21. and V. 19- PW/.iv.ii. 1 have learned in what-
MARCHxy. A poor foul being There is, t'.thinghelter, than that a man '•foeytr ibte I am, therewith to be
mightily enfnared with the fi^ould rejoice in his own -works for that
world, and finding by experience its is his portion : Every tnan alfo to whom
God hath given riches, and wealth, and
hath giirn him power to eat thereof,
and to take his portion, and to rejoice in
his labour, this is the gift of God,
Vanity and vexation, he refolved a-
j>ain(l it ; defiring thenceforth piouf-
Jy to make his foul to rejoice in
God's blcfTings and his own labours,
and to give himfelf to the L.ord
wholly for the remainder of his
days; This dcfirc he makes at the
I'cct of Cluift.
content.
I T('«. vi. 17, 18. Charge them
that are richnn this world, that they
be not high-minded nor tru(\ in un-
certain riches, but in the living God :
that they be rich in good works, ready
to diftribute.
1 Tim. vi. 8. And having food
and raiment, let us be therewith con-
tent,
E.xpcri'
EXTERIENCES.
Experttnces.
1648.
MARCH 6. This night in his
fleep a troubled foul was by
Satan tempted to fin. but the Lord
Hood by him, put prayers into him
tho' afleep, whereby he overcame the
temptation ; then awaking, he deep-
ly apprehended Satan's approach and
bufic temptations: it ftruck him into
fears, but praifing God for his afTift-
ance he received boldnefs, and then
flept again.
§• 7.
Experiences.
KS48.
MARCH r . This day one
mufmg on God's providences,
he occafionally took up a book, and
read in it, ' That the recording
of providences is not the leaft por-
tion of God's praife, of our duty, of
pofterity's patrimony.'
Texts,
a Cor. xii. 7, 8, 9. There -was
given to me a thorn in the fiejh : for
this thing I bcj'ought the Lord thrice
that it might depart from vie ; and he
faiduntome, my grace is ftifficient for
thee,for7nyJire)igthis made perfe^ in
■weaknefst
197
Difpojitms, &c.
I Corinthicms KV 57. But thanks
be to God, whogiveth us the vidlory
through our Lord Jcfus Chrift.
X Corinthians xii. 9. Mofl gladly
therefore will 1 rather glory in my
infirmities, that the power of Chrift
may reft upon me.
Jafnes iv. 5, 6. The fpirit that
dwelleth in us lufteth to envy : but
he giveth more grace.
Obfervations of God's Providences.
Texts.
Jrb V. 17. Lo this me havefearch-
ed, fo it is. hear thou it, and know it
for thy goad.
Job xhi. s. 1 have heard of thee by
the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye
fieth thee, ^
Difpofiticns, 8zc.
Pfalm xxxiv. 8, 9. O tafte and fee
that the Lord is good ; blefled is the
man that trufteth in him : fear the
Lord, ye his faiVits. Pfal. xlviii. 8, 9.
As we have heard, fo have we (een
in the city of our Lord : we have
thought of thy loving-kindnefs, O
God.
§ . 8. The Breathings of the Spirit in others and my own Soul.
Experiences
1648.
MAT 7. This day one felt many
fweetiraprefllons of God's Spi-
rit in his heart, fometimes melting, &
Sometimes chearing his foul in the
publick ordinances of the word and
facranients : this could not but be
the breathings of Chrift,
§. 9. The
Experiences.
1648.
J17 L r I . or thereabouts, one gave
me a relation of her fad dcler-
tion thus : That one night as (he
fat by the fire, flie thought (he faw
tie ground open, and a gulf of fire
appearing; whereupon (he cried, lam
damned, 1 am damned : If at any
time, (he faw any fire, fhe fuppofed
that the muftgointoit, & that the de-
vils would fetch her into it. Once
wringing her hands, (he cried out, O
what was I born into tliis world for ?
One ftanding by, anfwered, to glorify
God;to whom fhe replicd.you fay true,
for God (hall be glorified in my dam-
nation : if any offered to pray,or read;
flic ufually cried out.it was too late to
pray
Texts.
Cant. i. 5. I am come into my gar'
den, my fijier, my fpoufe, I have ga-
thered my myrrhe with my fpice ; I
have eaten w;v honey-comb with my
honey, I have drunken my wine with
my milk.
Withdraivifjgs of Chrijl from
Texts.
Job xiii. »4, a(S. Wherefore hide]}
thou thy face, and holdejt me for thy
enemy ? Thou writeji bitter things a-
gainj} vie.
Pfalm Jxxxviii. 14, 15, kJ, 18.
Lord, why cafiefl thou off my foul ? Why
hidefl thou thy face from me? I am
affliBed^ and ready to die; while
J fuffer thy terrors, I am diJlraBed,
thy fierce wrath goeth over me, thy
terrors have cut me off. Lover and
friend hajl thou put far from jne,
and mine acquaintance into darknefs.
Prov. xviii. 14. The fpirit of a
man will fufiain his infirmity ; but a
■wounded fpirit who can bear F
Uaiah
Difpofitions, Sec.
Pfahn IxK-KiK. 15. BlefTcd is the
people that know the joyful found ~
they fhall walk, O Lord, in the
light of thy countenance.
Cant, V. I. Eat, O friends, drink,
yea drink abundantly, O beloved.
the SouL
Difpofitions, Sec.
Pfalm Ixxvii. s, <S. 7. lo. I have
conlidered the days of old, th«
years of ancient times : I call to re-
membrance my fbng in the night;
I commune with my own heart, anJ
m}' fpirit made diligent fearch.
Will the Lord caft off for ever,
and will he be favourable no more*
And I faid. This is my infirmity,
Jfai'ah I. 10. Who is among you
that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth
the voice of bis fervant, that walk-
eth in darknefs and hath no light ?
Let him tnift in the name of the
Lord, and ftay upon his God.
ft Cerihthians xii, 8, y, For tin's
tiling;
ipS
EXPERIENCES.
Expcnencii.
pray for licr, and t'ley (houlJ not read
that p'.iic word of God by her, for it
b.-longcd fiot to her. At laft God ap-
peared, & Ihe felt marvelous comforts.
§. 10
ExpertcMCCS.
OCTOBER 14. One tliat
t )ok notice of the flipperi-
ntfs of his heart in the very
aft of performance : ' Sometimes
it nilly ftejls away after idle
and windiing imaginaciAis : Some-
times it lets in vain thoughts of
I'raife, Vain-glory, &c. Sometimes
It raifcth up many good and ho-
ly motions, meditations, defires and
SfTecflions, which yet are nothing
to the prefent performance ; and
therefore come not from the Spi-
rit of grace, but from Satan .' O
cheating, cozening heart 1
Texts. Difpofitms,S(c.
Ifuiah liv. 6. Jn a little rvrath thing I befought the Lord thrice,
J hid my face from thee for a mo- that it might depart from me ;
mtnt, ^c. and he (aid unto me, My "race is
fufiicient for ihec.
. Deceits of Heart-beguiling.
Texts,
Jer. xvii. 9. The heart is (deceitful
dove all things, and defperately -wick-
ed, ivho can know it ?
Rom.vii. zi, ii, 13 I find then a
law, that -when I would do good, evil
is prefent with me : for I delight in
tiK law of God after the inward man;
but J fee another law in my niemters,
"warring ogainfl the law of my mind,
md bringing r)ie into captivity to the
law of fin, which is in my members.
Difpoftions, &c.
Gen. XV. 1 1. And when the fowls
came down upon the carcafcs, A-
braham drove them away.
Mat. xxvi. 41. Watch and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation :
the fpirit indeed is willing, but the flelh
is weak.
Rom. vii. 14, as- O wretched
man that I am, who fhall deliver
me from the body of this death ? t
thank God through Jelus Chrift our
Lord : So then, with my mind I
myfclf fcrve the law of God, but
with my flcfh the law of fin.
I Pet. iv. 7. Be ye therefore (b»
ber, and watch unto prayer.
J had gathered more Experiences ; but that all Offence^ though bvt taken ^ may be re-
moved, let 'thefefuffice.
CHAP. VIL SECT. I.
Of the Nature of EVIDENCES.
THE fcrlptures fet out the ways of dif-
covering things fpiritual by fight and
by taftc : by talle, experience is meant;
and by fight, faith and aflurance of faith
is intended : Peter fpeaks of ta/ling that
ihe Lord is gracious, 1 Pet. ii. 3. and Mo-
fes by faith faw him who is invifblcy Heb.
Xi. 27. David joins both together, tajle
and fee that the Lord is good : bleffld is
the man that irujleth in him, Pfal. xxxiv.
8. AV^e have done with tafting ; the next
is feeing, which I call afTurance, or evi-
dence : would we know what thcfe evi-
dences are ? I look on them as ' inherent
and habitual obfervations of the Spirit's
agings in the foul j' of which the beloved
apoflle fpeaks fo often. Hereby ive knoiu
that we know him, if we keep his command-
7nents. IVe know that we have paffed from
death unto life, becaufe we love the bre-
thren : by this we know that we love the
children of Cod, when we love God and keep
his commandments. Thcfe things have I
written unto you that believe on the name
of the Son of Cod, that ye may know that
ye have eternal life, i John ii. 3. and iii.
14. and V. 2. 13. And the apoltle Paul,
Now we have received, not the fpirit of the
world, but the Spirit which is of God, that
ive might know the things that arc freely
given to us of Cod, i Cor. ii. i2.
SECT.
EVIDENCES,
199
SECT. II.
Of the gathering of Evidences.
NOW for the Evidences, it is our du-
ty I. To gather them. 2. To keep
them. 3. To improve them.
For the gathering of them, obferve we
I. A right leafon. 2. The right way.
I. Seafons muft be obferved ; for when
thick mifts furround us, and black clouds
eover us, we cannot fo well judge either
of our felves, or of our own concernments :
David in defertion refufeth to be comfort-
ed, Pfal. Ixxvii. he fpilt all the cordials and
phyfic that was brought him, he was not
only void of comfort, but refufed it :
• What ? bring me promifes' (will a foul
then fay) ' you may as well carry them to
one in hell \ What ? are thefe the evidences
of God's love ? I fee no fuch Lhing, here's
nothing but fcruples, and doubts, and
flaws :' O how apt is fuch an one at fuch
a time, to forfake his own mercy, Jon. ii.
8. to take Satan's part, to plead againft his
own title, his own interefi:, in tije befl:
things he can have interefi in. Now there-
fore, if we will draw a book of evidences,
it is good to obferve times and fuch preci-
ous opportunitiesof comforts and refrefli-
ings as God vouchfafeth upon us.
2. The right way mufl: be obferved, and
that confifls in eying, i. The precious pro-
mifes of Ghrift. 2. The inward graces un-
to which thofe promifes are made. 3. The
truth of thofe graces written in our hearts.
4, The teftimony of the ' Spirit, witnelung
with our fpirits, that we are the children
of God.'
I. We muft eye the precious promifes,
and yet not fo as we muil clofe with them,
or reft on them alone, without feeking for,
or clofing with Chrift in thofe promifes ;
the promife is but [as] the cafket, and
Chrift [as] the jewel in it; the promife is
but [as] the field, and Chrift [as] the pearl
hid in it, and to be chiefly look'd at ; the
promifes are the means by which we are
affured, not the things on which we are
to reft : it were folly for a man to think
he hath an intereft in an heirefs' lands, be-
caufe by forae means or other he hath got
the writings of her eftate into his hands;
all know that the intereft of her lands goes
with her perfon, and with relation of mar-
riage to her, otherwife, without a title to
herfelf, all the writings may be juftly fetch-
ed out of his hands again : fo it is with the
promifes, they hang all upon Chrift, and
without him, there is no intereft to be had
in them.
2. AV'e mufl eye the inward graces ta
which the promifes are made, not that we
muft be too much carried away with the
figns of Chrift in our hearts, and not after
Chrift himfelf ; as pleafures that are law-
ful in themfelves, may be unlawfully ufed,
when our thoughts and intentions are too
long, or too frequent, or too vehement in
them ; fo as to deaden the heart either to the
prefent delighting in God, or purfuing af-
ter him with the joint ftrength of ourfo^Is,
as our only chiefeft good ; fo an immode-
rate recourfe unto figns, barely confidered
as fuch, is as unwarrantable, when there-
by we are diverted, and taken off from a
more conftant a<5\ual exercife of daily
thoughts of faith towards Chrift immedi-
ately, as he is fet forth to be our righteouf-
nefs ; and yet the minds of many are fo
wholly taken up with their own hearts,
that, as thePfalmift fays of God, Chrift is
fcarce in all their thoughts : let thefe confider,
what difhonour this will be to Chrift, that
his train and favourites, our graces, fiiould
have a fuller court, and more frequent at-
tendance from our hearts than himfelf,
who is the King of glory : now to recitfy
this error, the way is not wholly to rejedt
all ufes of fuch evidences, but to order
them rightly; as thus,
I. Let not the ufe of graces go before,,
but follow after an addreis of faiih firlt re-
newed, and ads of faith firft put forth up-
on Chrift hipifelf. Thus whenfoever we
wouid
EXTERIENCES.
200
would go down Into our own hearts, and
take a view of our graces, let us be fure
firft to, look wholly out of ourfelves unto
Chrift, as our juAification, and to clofe
with him immediately, as if we had no pre-
fent or by-paft grace to evidence our being
in him ; and if then, whiles faith is thus
immediately clafping about Chrift, we find
either prefent or by-paft graces coming in,
as handmaids, to attend and witnefs to
the truth of this adherence unto Chrift,
this will derogate nothing from Chrift's
honour, or the d^flrine of free-grace.
2. ' Let us in the clofure of all, begin
afrefh to aft faith upon Chrift immediate-
ly, with a redoubled ftrength.' As faith
fliould give a leading to the ufe of graces,
fo the fight of our graces fhould be as a
back-door to let faith in again, to converfe
with Chrift : even as at the facrament, the
elements of bread and wine, are but out-
ward figns to bring Chrift and the heart
together, and then faith lets the outward
elements go, and clofeth and treats imme-
diately with Chrift : fo grace is an inward
fign, and whiles men make ufe of it, only as
of a bare fign to let them come into Chrift,
and their rejoicing is not in it originally,
but in Chrift ; their confidence is not up-
on it, but upon Chrift : there is no danger
at all in making fuch ufe of figns; for thus
we make our graces fubordinate and fub-
fcrvient to faith, whilft it makes Chrift its
j^/pha ajid Omega, the beginning and the
end of all. I know it is ftrongly objected
againft Chriftians, That many forget, and
feldom ufe an intire, immediate clofe with
Chrift, whiift in the mean time the ftream
of their moft conftant thoughts and deep-
eft intentions, are ever running upon their
graces, and the gracious workings thereof
in duties towards Chrift ; others on the con-
trary run all on Chrift, dcfpifing the graces of
the Spirit, becaufe, fay they, ChrijHs all in
all to the/n : fo that if we alk fuch, Have you
any grace, change of heart ? ^c. ' Tufh,
what do you tell them of repentance, ho-
linefs, i;c. they have Chrift, and that is
fufficient ; they have the fubftance, and
what ftiall they now do with ftiadows of
ordinances, duties, graces? they have all
in Chrift, what fliould they look for evi-
dences, from any graces inherent in them-
felves ?' O let thofe mourn over themfelves,
that have with much affeftion been feeking
after Chrift's benefits, peace of confcience,
holinefs of heart and life, but have not
fought firft and laft to embrace, and have the
perfon of the Lord Jefus Chrift himfclf: and
let fuch tremble, who in advancing Chrift
himfelf, and free-grace, will needs abolidi
and defpife thofe heavenly graces which
fiow from him unto all the eledl * : The
law of Cod is written on the heart ofChriPy
Heb. X. 7. with Pfal. xl. 8. And if ever
he wraps us up in the covenant of grace.
He will "write his law on our hearts aljOy
Heb. viii. 10. The right way for both,
is to order their evidences aright ; and by
this courfe graces will have their due, and
the life of faith will ftill be aftually main-
tained and kept upon wing, in its full
ufe and exercife towards Chrift alone for
juftification.
^teji. * Why would not fome men have
grace or fanftification an evidence :'
j'ln/w. In fome it aiifeih from their lufts,
which they have a mind to live quietly in.
• Siicli as truth, jtiftkf, chaiity. tempcrana, liumility, and the l.kc. — TholL pcrlJins, who thuik meanly, or
fpcak cor.tcmptibly of tlicfe txccllfnt virtuts, oiij>|it to remember, that the pradicc of them is folcnirly required
by our .Saviour: that they are Urongly recomuitnJeJ by his eximple : that they are made by Chrilt hiniklf, as
the only tell of our love to him, and tounteo not only as the bri^lUcft ornament of our nature, but as the chief
glory cf God iiimfelf ; and thcief'ore they ought to confider, that n > f .undiitfa in the faith, no foiemnity of wor-
fnip, no cxttir.al obfcvvaiices, no fljilies of dc^•oti')n, nu pretended in.vard m;niifeftations, no zc;il lio* wartn foe-
vcr for fublkk matters, can ever compcnl'atc for the want of thcfc ilTcntial ingredients of the f^Mritual lite.
dcfirous
EV I D E
defirous to keep their peace, and yet un-
willing to forfake their lulls ; and hence
they exclude this witnefs of water or fanc-
tification, to teftifie in the court of con-
fcience ; in others, I think, it doth not
arifc from want of grace ; but becaufe the
Spirit of grace and (anflification runs very
low in them ; it can fpeak little, and that
little very darkly and obfcurely for them,
therefore they have no great mind that it
Ihould be brought in as any witnefs for
them ; others I think may have much
grace, yet for a time they caft it by as an
evidence unto them, becaufe they have
experience how difficult and troublefome
it is to find this evidence, and when 'tis
found, how troublefome to read it, and
keep it fair, and thereby to have con-
ftant peace and quietnefs : and hence a-
rife thofe fpeeches, ' Why do you look
to your fanflification ? It is a blotted evi-
dence, you may have it to-day, and lofe
it to-morrow, and then where is your
peace?' Thefemen, becaufe they feel not
that meafure of fanctification they would,
do therefore vilific and deny that they have;
becaufe ihey feel a law of Jin hi their mem-
bers, leadtJig them aivay captive, there-
fore they will not take notice of the law
of their minds, whereby that inner man
delights in the law of God, and mourns
bitterly under the body of death, by which
they might fee with Paul, that there is no
condemnation to fuch, Rom. viii. i. But
I fhall propofc one thing to confcience :
Suppofethou wert now lying on thy death-
bed, comforting thyfclf in thy ele£led and
juftified eftate; fuppofe the Spirit of God
flioxild now grapple with thy con(cience,and
tell thee, Ij thou art jujlified, then art thou
fanctified, 2 Thcff. ii. 13, Is it thus with
thee? What wilt thou anfwer? If thou
layell,' Thou art not fan^ified,' the word
and Spirit will bear witnefs againfl thee,
and fay, * 1 hou art not then juflified :'
If thou fayeft, ' Thou knoweft not, thou
lookeft not to fanftilication, or the fiuits
N C E S.
of the Spirit ;' they will
then canft thou know
ele<51ed or juflified ?' For it is a
2or
reply, ' How
or fay thou srt
truth as
clear as the fun, * None are juflified, but
they are fanftified, and if they are not
fanflified, they are not juflified :' O blefs
God for any little meafure of fan<ftificati-
on, fo it be in fincerity; do^not fcorn or
fecrctly defpife this Spirit of grace, know-
ing that without it thou (halt peridi, but
if thou hafl it, thou hail an evidence of
thy part in Chrifl ; furely grace is * the
image of Chrifl flamped upon the foul,'
and they who reflefting upon their fouls,
fee the image of Chrifl there, may be fure
that Chrifl is theirs; Chrifl hath given all
himfelf to thofe, to whom he hath given
this part of himfelf. Upon the view of thy
^evidences, fay, ' All thofe great and hea-
venly things could not be in my foul, were
not Chrifl and his Spirit there ; this rich
and glorious furniture could not be in my
foul, were not the king of glory there ;
the flowers of this gnrden would not fraell
fo fweetly, did not the wind blow upon
them.'
3. We mufl eye the truth of thofe graces
thus written in our hearts ; there is a great
deal of counterfeit grace in the world ; a
true Chriflian can have nothing, as difcern-
able to others, but an hypocrite may have
and do for the outward lemblance as much
as he ; it is good therefore to try the truth
of our graces, and herein the rife, manner
and end of our motions carry much ma-
nifeflation in them. But of this more
largely in the duties of Self-examination,
and Receiving of the Lord's fupper.
Only in this place, I think it mofl fui-
table to add a little further concerning this
truth of graces, as (f .) 1 here is, and may
be truth of grace, though not perfecSlion
of grace ; and hence it is that we may have
infallible affurance; but for any perfeft
certainty in degree, it cannot be attained
in this life. One [viz. Dr. Crifp] arguing
againfl univerfal obedience as an evidence.
Dd
be-
202 EVIDE
becaufe no man could perform it, or if it
fhould be limited to purpofe of heart, yet
none hath fuch a conftant piirpofe, be-
caufe of many corrupt fuggeftions and con-
cuffions within, by lufts; herein he fliew-
eth his error ; for we look not for perfec-
tion of grace, but only for truth ; the Icaft
grace difcovered in the foul that is fincere
and upright, tho' it be not grace to fatisfie
the defire of a Ghriftian, yet it ought to be a
fure evidence to confirm his judgment of
his intereft in Ch^jft. It is obferved that ma-
' ny c.f God's children may make fad wounds
for themfelves, in not diftinguilhing be-
- tween the truth and elfcnce of grace, and
the degree of grace; wheteas the fcripture
makes them blelled that hunger and thir/},
yea it doth often defcribe the godly by their
defires, andfeeking of his face ; now this
error is the more faflned upon them.becaufe
when they read in books of the nature and
property of any grace, they are not able
to find it in fuch a vigorous and powerful
manner in themfelves; whereas they ought
to know it is one thing to fpeak of grace
in idea, in fc, ' in its own nature and
definition', another thing to fpeak of it as
infuhjedoy * as the fubje6l partakes of it;'
for foit is much debilitated. We do not
argue afiurance, from perfeiftion of grace,
from a full and perfe6t obedience unto
God's law, but only from the truth and
Uncerity of grace, with many defe<^s that
are wallied away by Chrift's blood. (2.)
The fcriptiue attributes bleffednefs and fal-
vation to feveral graces; and we cannot
deny, but that all the graces to which thofe
promifesare annexed are good and proper
evidences : thus fometimes fear of God,
fometimcs poverty of fpirit, fometimes
hungering and thirfiing after righteouf-
ne/s, fometimes Repentance, fometimes
Love, fometimesPatience, fometimes Faith,
is a fign or evidence. And if a godly man
can find any one of thcfe, or the like in
bimfelf in truth or finccrity, he may con-
clude of his falvation and juAificatioji^
NC E S.
though he cannot fee all thefe in himfelf ;
and many times the people of God per-
ceive one evidence in themfelves, when
they cannot fee another ; in this cafe fup-
pofe doubts and temptations arife about
the truth of this or that evidence, yet 1 may
argue from that which is more known to
that which is lefs known; I may proceed
from thofe that are more eafy to thofe
that are more difficult : if I can but fay,
here is one evidence in truth or finceri-
ty, I may afiliredly gather all the reft
are there, becaufe of the harmony and
connexion of graces. (3.) As faith is the
root of all other graces, and fo in fome
fenfe more hidden than they arc, as the
root of the tree is more hidden in the earth,
than the body of the branches, yet if we
confider faith as an inward grace planted in
our hearts, as well as any other fan(ftifying
grace which fprings therefrom ; and as the
condition of the covenant exprefl'ed direct-
ly in the conditional promifes, all other
graces being only brought in, as accom-
panying faith, and flowing from faith, faith
Ihewing itfeif by them ; in thefe refpefts
there cannot be a moredireft, certain, and
infallible evidence than faith. This is fo
fure a way of trial, that the apoftle him-
felf directs us thereunto, Prove yourfelves
whether ye be in the faith, 2 Cor. xiii. 5.
If we would know ourlelves to be fuch as
are not adokimoi, to be * difallowed or re-
jected,' there is no better way to know it
than by our faith : a weak believer inqui-
ring how he may know that he (hall be
faved, the apoflle anfwers his doubt, not
by afcending or dcfcending hither or thi-
ther, but by looking 10 his faith, for if
thou believcfi with thine heart in the Lord
Jefus, thou JhaU be faved, Rom. x, 9.
ObjeSi. * But the efpecial aCt of faith is
to look wholly out of our felves unto
Chrift, as if we had no grace within us :
and the reafon why fome mifiake eviden-
ces is, becaufe Chrift without us is no
more looked upon.'
Anfw.
EVIDENCES,
20'
Anfw. The foul of man hath two kinds
of a6ts or workings ; the former are diredl
afts, fuch as go immediately to their ob-
jedl ; as when by faith I take Chrift, and
adhere to him ; the latter are reflex a6ls,
which are only in reafonabie fubjefts, and
this is when a man doth perceive or difcern
thofe dlreft afts in him, as when I perceive
that I do thus adhere to Chrift: : now our
evidence, certainty or aflurance is properly
in this latter way, when we know that we
believe, and therefore this afTurance is cal-
led by fome fhnfus fidei, * the feeling or
perceiving of faith.'
Object, * But what is this reflex a6l but an
human teftimony, which is fubjeft to falfe-
hoods and delufions ? and how incongru-
ous is that to witnefs the things of God V
Anfix). An human teftimony may be an
introduftory preparation to believe that
which is divine. 2. The feeling of faith
is efficiently from the Spirit of God, and
fo it is not a mere human fenfe or difcern-
ing, but divine and infallible, even as faith
is; in this refpeft we fear no delufion, for
as the Spirit of God cannot externally wit-
nefs any thing that is falfe, fo neither can
it inwardly in the foul of a man perfuade
that which is falfe.
Object. ' How is it then that the faints
are ufually fo full of doubtings?'
Anfw. Becaufe there is nothing in us
perfe£l in this life; in all our honey there
is fome gall. Such an afllirance as excludes
all doubting is only proper to the glorifi-
ed : not but that God is able to give us
perfeft grace^ and perfeft afliirance, but
he may do what he pleafeth with his own,
and accordingly he hath thought good in
this life to exalt imputed righteoufnefs ra-
ther than inherent.
0bje6i. * To what purpofe then is aflTu-
rance by the fenfe and evidence of imper-
fea grace ? doth not this derogate from
that relying ad of faith, and from the pro-
mife of grace, as if they were not enough ?'
Anfw. No, in no wife; we prefer faith
Dd
of dependance and adherence, and belief
in the promife, as a more noble and ex-
cellent way ; and yet the evidence of gra-
ces in us is not in vain ; for it hath pleafed
God to multiply thofe things which may
confirm our faith. Thus, although every
word of God hath immutable verity in it,
yet he confirmed it alfo with an oath, af-
ter the manner of men, to end all thofe
controverfies, which diffidence and diftruft
may raife between God and us, Heb. vi. 6.
And although God hath given us his pro-
mife, and nothing can be furer than that,
yet he addeth fervants to feal and confirm
his promife to us; fo although we do well,
chiefly to depend and rely immediately on
Chrift; yet there is great ufefulnefs of the
reflex aft of faith, and of all other eviden-
ces. For, (4.) Wemufteye the teftimony
of the Spirit, witnefling with our fpirit, that
we are the children of God, Rom. viii. 16.
As God hath fet up a frame of holinefs
in every believer, fo he hath given unto us
the earnefl of the Spirit ^ 2 Cor. v. 5. The
graces of the Spirit are a real earneft of the
Spirit, yet they are not always an eviden-
tial earneft, therefore an earneft is often
fuperadded to our graces.
There is a threefold work of the Spirit.
1. To convey and plant grace in the foul.
2. To aft and helpus toexercife the graces
which are planted there. 3. Tofliine upon
and enlighten thofe graces, or to give an
earneft of thofe graces.
This laft work the Spirit fulfils two
ways. 1. By arguments and inferences,
which is a mediate work. 2. By pre-
fence and influence, which is an immediate
work.
Thefe the apoftle calls Witnefs-bearing,
1 John v. 8. the Spirit brings, in the wit-
nefs of the water, and of the blood, which
is his mediate work ; but befides and a-
bove thefe, he gives a diftinft witnefs
of his own, which is his immediate work,
and is, in a way of peculiarity and tran-
fcendency, called, The witnefs of the Spi-
2 rit :
2 04
EVIDENCES,
rit : Concerning both, is that of the apo-
/lle : We have received not thefpirit of the
Ivor Id, hut the Spirit which is of God, that
•we may know the things that are freely
^ivenus of God, i Cor. ii. I2. The things
freely given us, may be received by us, and
yet the receit of them not known to us ; furance of Faith.)
evidence, which is faith ; the fpirit within
thee faith. Thy Jin is forgiven thee, and
faith receiveth it, and fits down fatisfied ;
now here is thy evidence, if thou haft
only thefe two, thou haft thy portion,
thou needeft no more. (Dr. CrispV y^f-
therefore the Spirit, for our further con
folation,doth, as it were, put his hand and
feal to our rcccits : whence he is faid, To
Jealus up unto the day of redemption^ Eph.
iv. 30. *
Queft. * But how may a man difcern be-
tween the teftimony of the Spirit, and the
illufion of Satan V
Anfw. I anfwer, There is ever an har-
mony and fwcet accord between the in-
ward and outward teftimony, between the
Spirit of God and tlie word of God, and
therefore we may difcern the teftimony of
the Spirit by the word. Thus in the old
teftament, all revelations were to be ex-
amined by the word, Deut. xiii. i. liaiah
viii. 20. And in the new teftament our
Saviour tells us. That//"*? Spirit (hall lead
you into all truth, John xvi. 13. How'fo ?
For hefhall not /peak of himfelf, but what
he flmll hear, thatfhallhefpeak : And what
is that which the Spirit heareth ? is it not
that which is already contained in the
fcriptures ?
Obje&. ' Nay then (fay fome) the credit
of the voice of the Spirit muft depend up-
on the word, but this muft not be allow
Sol. I anfwer, i . In this way, what pro-
fane perfon is there in the world, who
may not conclude for himfelf, if he will
but force upon himfelf this perfuafion,
• That the Spirit faith it, and I believe it :*
2. The revealing and receiving evidence,
/. e. The word of the Spirit, and fubfcrip-
tion of faith, do not lay the ground of
perfect peace, except there come in alfb
the evidence of inherent qualiHcations.
For the better underftanding of this, ob-
ferve, That the evidence of the Spirit is
either mediate, when it enables the foul
to frame a fyllogifm, wherein the Minor,
/c. the diftate of the confcience fo far
maketh to this evidence as our graces are
witnefted to by the Spirit, i Cor. ii. 12.
Or immediate, which is indeed without
any fuch difcourfe of our confcience, and
wherein our fpnit is merely pafTive or re-
ceptive ; it is an a<rt of irradiation or im-
prelfion of God's love, or (as fome call it)
a tranfcript of the decree of GoJ's ele<flion
fet upon the confcience ; thefcripture calls
this efpecially, a feal of the Spirit, which
imports the mere pafTivenefs of the heart to
it, as of the wax to the feal ; and this ev'i-
ed, that any thing ftiould be of fuch credit dence is folitary, without reference to in
as to give credit to the Spirit.' (Dr.CaispV
Jffurance of faith.)
Sol. I anfwer, Why not ? the fcrip<-
ture we know is already known and receiv-
ed as the word of God, and therefore what
Cometh after it, muft needs borrow credit
from it : indeed, the truth of what the
Spirit fpeaketh doth not depend upon the
■word, yet the credit of it doth.
ObjeSl. * But there is no more evidences
herent graces; yet howfoever it excludes
them not, nor comeih in till that mediate
evidence precede, Eph. i. 13. Hence I in-
fer, the mediate teftimony of the Spirit,
that ordinarily concludes for hie 6" i7/^,
'for this or that man,'dothnot fpeak accor-
ding to the word, but where a text of fcrip-
turehath ^.quicunque ' a whofoever' for the
proportion, and a work of the fanftifying
Spirit for the alfumption ; as thus, the
(fay they) fave only the revealing evidence, fcripture ia\i\\,They that repent and believe,
the Spirit of Chrift, and the receiving they that are kd by the Spirit of God,are
the
E VI D E N
the fbns o/Godt Mark i. 15. Rom. viii. 14.
Hereupon the renewed and famfiified con-
fcience faith, 'I do repent and believe, I
am led by the Spirit : therefore I am the
child of God.' Now this conclufion dedu-
ced, if afterwards the immediate teftimo-
ny of the Spirit, manifefted by a heavenly
impreffion and irradiation upon the foul,
comes in with his atteftation to confirm it,
we may not doubt either of this or the for-
mer teftimony, becaufe now they both
fpeak according to the word and work of
grace In the heart : the ground of all this
is in the nature of this teftimony of the
Spirit, which is rather an atteftation than
a teftimony; a fecondary, not firft depo-
nent : is not this rightly concluded (fo far
as it implies the immediate tefiimony)
fiom that of * Rom. viii. 16. The Spirit
witnejjeth with our fpirit ? where we have
two witnefles joining together their tefti-
monies to aftert this truth, * that we are
the fons of God ;' Two, I fay, viz * our
fpirit,' and the ' Spirit of God :' the wit-
nefs of our fpirit, *. e. of our renewed
confcience, is the firft ; the Spirit of God
is the fecond : his work is not Martureitty
but Summartureifi, to witnefs together
•with our /pirit i i.e. To confirm and ra-
tify what that hath alferted ; fo that indeed
the evidencing of this teftimony of the Spi-
rit, is after the teftimony of our own con-
fcience ; if this do not firft: fpeak and con-
clude, that other of the Spirit fpeaks not at
all : now the teftimonyiJof the confcience
is the conclufion of the pradlical fyllogifm,
and the certainty of this conclufion depends
xipon the verity of the afl\imption which
jnentioneth the work of grace in the heart:
C E S. 205
fo then let it be the care of the chriftian,
to make good the verity of the afifumption,
that he may truly fay, ' I do repent, I do
believe, I am led by the Spirit ;' and this
fhall not only afford him comfort by the
conclufion, but alfo (when the immediate
teftimony of the Spirit comes in with his
atteftation to confirm it) it will affure him,
that he is not mifled by the fuggeftion of
Satan, but guided by the Spirit in this
point of affurance : * Surely (will he fay)
this is the Spirit of God, for now he fpeaks
according to the word of God, and accord-
ing to the work of his own grace within me.'
SECT. III.
0/ the keeping of Evidences.
IF in eying the promifes, and graces, and
truth of thofe graces written in our
hearts, the Spirit fhall come in, and iTiine
upon our graces, either mediately by way
of argument from fan£lification, or more
immediately by way of prefence, then la-
bour to keep our evidences clear and fair ;
maintain that which we have gotten, and
keep it as the beft treafure under heaven.
Chriftians, we had need to preferve our e-
vidences clear and bright, that they may
be feen and read upon all occafions.
But how fhould we keep thus our evi-
dences ?
i. Hearken to the word, and hearken
to the Spirit, and hearken to our own con-
fciences. "What fay all thefe to our fouls ?
Ex. gr. The word faith thus, Whofoever
loves the brethren, he is tranjlated from
death to lifey i John iii. 14. now doth thy
confcience tell thee, that * fo do I, in truth,
and fincerity V Then here is the word and
* I know fome by our fpiiit, underOand the gift of regeneration, and that God's Spirit, by or in that gift
which he benoweth on us, witncffeth with and to our fpirits. q. d. The Spirit of God bearcth witnefs unto us.
with thcfe gifts and graces that are the fruit of the fame Spirit; fo that in tliis fenfe he fpeaks not immedi-
attly. but mediately by and with our fpirits, being enlightened and fanrtificd. For my part I niail not con-
tend ag.iinft this expofition ; and the rather, becaufe I grant that the teftimony which is by the effefls and fruits of
God's Spirit, is the ordinary, fafe and lure way ; yet as I dare not dcnv the immediate telUmony^ fo neither dare I
•xclude it out of hu text.
thy
2o6
EVIDENCES,
thy confclence for thee ; and doth the Spi-
rit come in, and witnefswich thyconfcience
that it is fo indeed ? then it is well with thy
foul, thou keepeft thy evidences to pur-
pofe.
2. Be daily renewing onr faith in Chrifl:,
efpecially that a(ft of faith, by which our
fouls knit, or tie themfelves to Chrifl: for
falvation : caufe your fouls every day in
folemn manner to a6l that part : put forth
this primitive aft of faith in our fouls ;
the daily exercife of this will increafe and
llrengthen the di\jjne habit of faith in the
, foul, and make the foul fenfible of every
a6l of it. By frequent believing we fhall feel
. at our very hearts-root that we do believe,
and fo ive fhall have thevjitnefs in our-
felves that we are in ChriJ}, i John v. lo.
we fhall knowingly carry in our hearts
the counterpart of all the promifes.
3. Perform all thofe duties and exercifes
of religion, which God hath ordained for
this very purpofe : As, i . Reading the word,
Thefe things write we unto you, that your
joy may be full, I Johni. 4. 2. Hearing the
word; for therefore is theminiflry of Chrifl:,
to give knowledge of falvation to his peo-
ple by the remiffion of their fins, Luke i.
77. 3. The facraments ; for they are ^/^<?
feals of the righteoufnefs of faith, Rom. iv.
II. 4. Prayer : Afk, and you fhall receive,
that your joy may be full, John xvi, 24.
To this purpofe is God's promife, I will
bring my people to my holy mountain, and
7nake them joyful in my houfe of prayer,
Ifa. Ivi. 7.
4. Maintain holinefs and purity of life.
The effe£l of righteoufnefs is quietnefs, and
afjurance for ever, Ifa. xxxii. 17. and to
him that ordcreth his converfation aright,
^ will //hew the fahation of Cod, Pfal. 1. 23.
The faints, while they keep their lincerity,
enjoy affurance; for the Spirit of God,
which is in them, fJ}eds abroad the love of
God in their hearts, enabling them to cry^
Jhha father : and bear witnefs with their
fpirits that they are the children of God, Ro.
viii. 15, 16. But when they fall into wil-
ful tranfgreflions, and grieve the Spirit of
God, afl'urance is gone. This made Da-
vid, after his foul fins to cry out fo vehe-
mently. Make me to hear joy, and glad-
tie fs. Re (lore me to the joy of thy falvati-
on. O take heed of fpotting our evi-
dences, of defiling our evidences by any
finful acls.
5. Take heed of yielding to any bafe
doubts or fears, or objeftions of Satan and
our own hearts ; deny not the work of
grace in us, \t'\k. we grieve the Spirit of
God : if any fliall yield fo flavifhly to the
mifgivings of their own hearts, or to the
temptations of Satan, that they (hall
conclude againft themfelves, ' they have
no faith, no love,' though all other Chrif.
tiars can fee thefe in them, what difho-
nour is it to God, and to the Spirit of
Godr What, hath God written thy name in
heaven ? and wilt thou attempt to raze it
out ; and to write thy name on the doors of
hell? fy upon thefe injurious, if not blaf-
phemous thoughts. What fliall a dark
humour, a melancholy thought prevail on
thy foul more than the word, and more
than the teflimony of thy own confcience
enlightened by the Spirit ? Take heed of
this, as of a great pride in thy heart : what,
to yield more to a flurdy, dark, unfubdu
ed humour, than to evidence itfclf? O
take heed ! O hearken not to what fear
fays, or to what humour fays, or to what
Satan fays, or to what the world fays ; but
hearken to what the truth itlelf fays, and
hearken to what confcience fays, when it
is enlightened by the Spirit.asingood times,
when we are at the beft; f Hearken to thefe,
and fo get our hearts aud wills overpower-
ed with the evidence, and yield and fub-
jeft ourfelves unto it.
6. Keep the graces of the Spirit in con-
tin-
I Get aloic, aiij iiucllioii with thyfclf. bring thy heart to the bat of trial, force it to anfvvcr the interrogatoric-s
put
tinual exercife upon all occafions ; habits
are not felt immediately, but by the free-
nefs and facility of their a6ls ; the fire that
lieth flill in the flint, is neither ken nor
felt ; but when you fmite it and force it
into aft, it is difcerned. Many queftion
their evidences, they know not whether
they have repentance, or faith, or love,
or joy ; but if tliey were more in the ac-
ting of thefe, they would eafily know.
Chriftians, draw forth an object for godly
forrow, or faith, or love, or joy, and
lay your hearts flat unto it, and take
pains to provoke it unto fuitabie acti-
on. Sometimes grief for fin is in us,
when we think there is none, it wants but
flirring up by fome quickening word ;
the like we may fay of love, and of every
grace : how can we doubt whether we love
God in the very aft of loving ? or whether
we believe in the very aft of believing ? If
we be afl"ured whether this facred flame
be kindled in our hearts, blow it up, get
it into a flame, and then we fliall know :
believe, till we feel that we believe ; and
love, till we feel that we love ; for grace
exercifed both brings and maintains certain
comfort: It maybe with a Chriflian in
his feelings, as with theworft man living,
but he may thank his own negligence, his
own diilnefs, his not ftirring up the graces
of God's Spirit in him ; O therefore it is,
that he hangs the wing [is difcouraged]
upon every petty crofs, upon every petty
occafion : labour to have an heart ready
to exercife grace fuitabie to every conditi-
on, for then grace will refleft fweetly, then
we fhall maintain and continue our com-
fort?. The foul that is befl furnKhed with
grace, when it is not in a6lion, is like a
lute well ftringed and tuned, which, while
it lieth flill, doth make ncv more mufick
EVIDENCES. 207
than a common piece of wood ; but whea
it is taken up, and handled by a fldlful la-
tenift, the melody is moil: delightful.
SECT. IV.
0/ the improving of Evidences .
FO R improving of Evidences , wc
mufl: endeavour to produce that
fruit, that frame, that difpofition of heart
which the Lord requires, direfts, and looks
for in fuch a cafe; as, the admiring of God's
unfearchable grace in Chrift; Jefus; a fo-
ber, moderate and felf-denying ufe of our-
evidence-comfbrts ; a fiducial pleading of
all the precious promifes of the gofpel ; a
chearful bearing of crofl'es ; a holy con-
tempt of creature-comforts ; a bold ap-
proaching to the throne of grace upon all
©ccafions; a valiant adventuring for ChrilT;
longings for the appearing of the Lord Je-
fus; a confident contefl: with fin, a cou-
ragious refifting of temptations : I may add,
humility, love to God, fear of offending,
zealous labours to advance Chrifl: in the
power of grace, e^rc. all which are the
fruits of legible evidences in true Chrifli-
an hearts : and our evidences thus improv-
ed, then is the whole bufinefs chriflianly
managed indeed. But of thefe in the next
feftion.
SECT. V.
Of the fanSiification of Evidences, in their
feveral ufes.
THE fanftification of evidences is ms-
nifefted (as we faid) by feveral dif-
pofitions. To enlarge myfelf : No fooner
is the foul fettled in its fcripture-perfuafi-
ons, and Spirit-perfuafions, that God hath
tranflated it unto Chrifl:, but immediately
there follows,
I. A deep admiring of God's unfearch-
able grace in the Lord Jefus Chrifl : * hath
put to it; fct thcconaions of tlie pofpfl. and qualifications of the (iints on one fide; and thy performance of
thafe cond.nons and the (jualificatiofls of thy foui en ;hc ether fide, and then jndgc how near they rtfcmblc.
3,ul:r i Lvctlafimi Reft, "" * ■'
the
2o8 EV ID E
the LorJ afTured me that I am his ? O my
foul, (land amazed at this cndlefs, bound-
lefs love of the Lord ; it is of his grace that
ever I did bethink myfelf of the danger of
my finful courfe I was formerly in ; it is
of mere grace that the Lord Chrift died
for my fins, and rofe again for my juflifi-
cation ; it is of his fpecial grace, that the
Spirit of Chrift (hould thus whifper to my
fpirit, * Thy fins are forgiven thee.' O the
bountifulnefs and love of God to man !
O I am fwallow^d up in this depth ! It
is a myftery which may aftonifli angel?,
an orient pearl which out-fliines all the
fparkling jewels of the whole creation.'
"When the Jews heard of the proclamation
of king Cyrus, by which they were fet free
fiom their long and tedious captivity, they
were rapt with joy, they were like to men
that rather dreamed, Pfal. cxxvi. i. than
pofielfed the things that their fouls longed
after : how much more will aflurance that
we are fet free from the perpetual bondage
of fin, and rcftored to the everlafiing free-
dom of righteoufnefs and life, make us
wonder at the infinite wifdom, and un-
fpeakable goodnefs of our heavenly father ?
The faints confidering the goodnefs of God
towards man in his creation, brake forth
into holy admiration, Lord, ivhat is man,
that thou art mindful of him ? Pfal. viii. 4,
5. The prophet calling to mind long after,
•what God had done for his foul, cannot
pafs it over without fervent praife, What
/hall I render unto the Lord, Jor all his be-
nefta towards me? Pfal. cxvi. 1 2. How much
more ought and will that man that is allur-
ed of Gtid's favour and love towards him,
for ever admire the mighty power, un-
fpeakablc goodnefs and rich mercy of God,
who hath delivered him from the pit of
hell, from the power of Satan, from the
curfe of the law, and from the waiting for
of all the wicked devils and damned fpirits,
and withal, ' hath tranflated him into the
kingdom of his dearcft Son ?' O needs mull
iV C E S.
his heart be inflamed with love, and enlarg-
ed in praifes ?
2. A fober, moderate and felf-denying
ufe of evidence-comforts; I fpeak not here-
in againft- the frequent a<5\ings of graces,
or againft the fimply looking on them, or
comforting ourfelves in them, efpecially
under fad hours; but againft the exceffive,
over-flowing, over-loving way of evidence-
comforts, againft the abufes thereof: which
may be in thefe particulars ; as, i. When
we pore more frequently upon the comfoi is
of our own gracious aftings than upon Jefus
Chrift and his death; when we live too
much upon the fight of a new-created birth
in ourfelves, and the image of the fecond
Adam, though indeed we have Chrift him-
felf to live on. 2. When we wonder fo
much at what is done in ourfelves by the
grace of Chrift, that we begin to make a
mixture of felf therewith, ' and immediate-
ly we fit down and write of ourfelves, an-
hundred inftead of fifty.' 3. AVhen we
think graces and comforts fb rooted in
ourfelves, that we negle<^ God and Chrift
for the upholding, encreafe and exercife
of them. 4. AVhen we reft upon, and
too much confide in the power of inherent
grace, former revelations, and witnefi>es of
God's Spirit, which are all but creatures,
a£ls of God upon us, and in us ; and there-
fore in doing thus, we make an idol of
Inherent grace, and put that truft in it,
which we Ihould repofe in the Lord alone;
and fo, as ihe Lord Ipeaketh, IVe go a -whor-
ing after our own heart, Num. xv. ^g.
Now all ihefe flow from the corruption of
our nature, and not from the nature of
aifurance ; the product of true evidences,
is a praifing of God for them, and a com-
forting ourfelves in them, as in the fruit
of his eternal and imchangeablclove: Our
rtjjicing is this, even the tejlimony of our
con/cience, that in Jimplicity and godly fin-
cerity, we have had our ccnvtrjaiion in the
world, I Cor. i. 12. but not a making of
them the only or chief grounds of our
hope
EVID
hope and comforts, for God in this cafe
may leave us to ourfelves, That no fiefh
(hoiild rejoice in his prefencCy i Cor. i. 19.
3. A fiducial pleading of all the preci-
ous promifes of the gofpel : ' And hath
the Lord indeed given me a kifs of his
mouth, a fure fign of his love ? Why then,
O my foul, arife, and lay hold on all the
promifes, which God of his mercy in Chrift
doth offer in the gofpel : be not difmayed
by reafon of thy unworthinefs, for the
promife is of grace freely offered, and free-
ly given, to them that be moft unworthy
in their own eyes : thou art unworthy of
the leaftcrum of mercy, but of the riches
of his grace God hath given thee the pro-
mifes of higheft advancement, if thou wilt
but embrace them. / -will be a father un-
to you ., and ye Jhall be my fons and daugh-
ters, faith the Lord Almighty. 2 Cor. vi,i8.
And it Jloall b^ in the place where it was
faid unto them, Te are not my people, that
there they jhall be called. The children of the
living God, Rom. ix. 26. He that over-
come th Jhall inherit all things, and I will
be his God, and he Jhall be fny Jon, Rev.
xxi. 7. Surely, Lord, I will lay hold on
thefe promifes, I will yet draw nigher to
thee, and put my trufl: in thy mercy ; I
will henceforth flee to the throne of grace,
to get my title made furer and furer to my
confcience. Lord, I believe, help thou
my unbelief.' Thus the foul pleads with
God, and God is well-pleafed with fuch
pleadings ; the foul is aflured of falvaiion,
and yet prayeth in the midft of afTurance,
*Who am I,Lord,that thou (houldeft make
fuch ample and i\et promifes unto thy
poor fervant ? Of thy free mercy, and ac-
cording to thine own heart hafl thou fpo-
ken all thefe great things, to make thy fer-
vant know them ;' and now, Lord God, e-
Jtablifh, I befeech thee, the word that thou
hajljpoken concerning thyjervant, 2 Sam.
vii. 25.'
4. A cheerful bearing of croffes : hence
Paul eyeing that objeft of affurance, that
ENCES. 209
weight of glory, he counts all his af-
fiicfions light and momentary, 2 Cor. iv.
ly. he fung in the dungeon, and reckon-
ed it a fpecial favour to be a fufferer for
Chrift ; the fire of divine love fo inflames
Chriftians in this condition, that much wa-
ter of perfecution cannot quench it ; yea,
fuch is the nature of this fire, that it feeds
on thofe waters, and grows more fervent
by that which would quench it : no won-
der ; it is but a light affliction, but it cauf-
eth unto us, a more excellent and eternal
weight of glory ; and part of this glory,
the Chriftian now receiveth afore-hand,,
as earneft of the whole : this makes him.
to rejoice (even in the midft of croffes and
loffes) with a joy unfpeakable and glori-
ous : and hence it is that a Chriftian de-
ipifeth the fufferings for the joys, yea, the
fufFerings are fo overcome by the joy?, that
the fufferings do not turn his joys into fad-
nefs, but his affurance turns the fadnefs of
his fufferings into joys, for he rejoiceth in
his fufferings, Phil. ii. J 7.
5. An holy contempt of creature com-
forts : this is another fruit of affurance, it
will make a man endeavour to rid himfelf
from fuch feculent matters here, to con-
temn them, to trample them under his feet,
and out of the greatnefs and goodnefs of
his fpirit, ambitioufly to long after the
prefence of the Lamb. Do I fpeak or write
to the denizens of heaven .' ' Tell me then,
you that carry the evidences of heaven in
your hands and hearts, is it not thus with
you ? Hath not God wrought your hearts
to this frame and divine difpofition V if
not, he will do it firft or laft; for citizens
of heaven fet not much by the beft things
on earth, when they are themfelves, and
afl like their Saviour. It was a good fpeech
of an emperor, whatfoever he himfelf was,
* You (faid he) gaze on my purple robes, .
and golden crown, but did you know what .
cares are under them, you would not take
them up from the ground for them;' but
fuppofe there had been no cares, but plea^i
Ec fure
E VID ENC E S.
210
fure in them, yet Mofes when he had this
afliu-ance of faith, He refufsd to be called
the [on of Pharaoh's daughter y choojing ra-
ther to fuffer a{Jiit}io>i loith the people of
Cod, than to enjoy the pie a fur es of Jin for
afeajon ; efieeming the reproach of Chrif}
greater riches than the treafures of Egypt;
for he had rtfpe£l unto the recompence of
the reivardy Heb. xl. 25, 16.
6. A bold approaching unto the throne
of grace upon all occaiions: becaufe we
are alfured, therefore we beg any thing of
God with greater afSance: ' Prayer is no-
'thing elfebut the ftream and river of faith,
and an iffue of the defire of that which we
■joyfully believe.' Our Saviour knew that
kis fheep Jhould never perifh, and yet he
prayeth, Holy Father, keep them in thy .
name^ John xvii. 28. and xix. 1 1. Paul
knew aflTuredly, that the L'-.rd would de-
liver him from every evilruork, yet with-^
out ceafing he prayeth to be delivered from
evil, 2 Tim. iv. 18. AlTurance adds fer-
veiicy to prayer ; the firmer our faith, the
more free is our accefs with boldncfs and
confidence to the throne of grace, the
more fervently and boldly can we pray,
Jbba, Father : afRirance hearkcneth what
the Lord fpeaketh, and fpeaketh back again
in fervent groans and defires; it hath the
promife of God, and therefore is bold to
pray, and will not keep filence, 2 Sam. vii.
27. Thou, Lord of ho/is, God of Jfrael,
hafi revealed to thy fervant, faying, I will
hitild thee an houfe, therefore hath thyfer-
vant found in his heart to pray this prayer
7iiito thee : nay, aflurance puts on the foul
rg a(k any thing it wants; thefe be the
times when the Spirit raoveth the waters,
therefore, * Now, faith afiurance, cart in
your petition, and whatfoever grief it hath
in it, you (laall be cured of it.' Now the
king holds out his goljen fcepter, ' And
therefore, faith a.Turance, let the queen
come in boldly with her requeft, though it
be for a kingdom ;' yea, this king hkcs it
beft, if frji we feek a kingdom, and the
righteoufnefs infeparahly annexed to it, for
then we Jhall have all other things with it,
Matth. vi. 33.
7. A valiant adventuring for Chrifi. Is
a man aflTured of God's love in Chrift ? fuch
a one fears not any troubles, he knows all
comes thro' his Father's hands, and that
man and devil cannot do what they would,
and therefore he goes on comfortably ' to
day, to morrow,and to the end ;' he is like
one of David's worthies, or like David him-
felf, that having got experience, fears no-
thing ; he walks up and down the world
like a giant, higher by head and rtioulders
than moft men, he holds in his hand a
ftrong (hield that the devil himfclf cannot
pierce, but it quencheth his fiery darts :
he gets a vi(flory againft the world by his
faith, and, Samfon-like, breaks all bands
of temptation as ftraw, he leaps over a
hall, breaks a bow offleel, lays heaps up'
on heaps.
8. An earneft longing for ^ht appear-
ing of the Lord Jefus : as he adventures
and conquers in life, fo he can think of
death without any prevailing fear ; he can
fay with Paul, / dejire to be dijfolved, and
to be with Chrif}, Phil. i. 23. and with
Stephen, Lord Jefus, receive ?)iy fpirit,
Afts vii. ^^, and with the fpoufe in the
Canticles, ch. viii. 14. Come away, ?ny be-
loved, and be thou like a roe or a young
hart upon the mountains offpices. It is the
voice of afTurance, * My life is hid with
thee, O Chrift, and therefore appear quick-
ly, my life, my Jefus, that I may quickly
appear with thee in glory ; let the day of
gladnefs quickly come, wherein both foul
and body, even my whole fclf, may eter-
nally enjoy thee: I cannot be flill put off
with thefe taftes and carnells, my love and
longing is rather inflamed by them to the
fruition of thee ; The very voice of thefe
earncfts is, Come : yea, they fcarce know
any other language but Come ; therefore
again and again they fay Come ; yea after
they have faid Come, as if that were not
enough.
E V I D E
enough, they fay, Come quickly ; and now,
what can the foul fay more to her Lord ?
only as before fhe ftill faid, ComCy fo now
will fhe ftill fay. Amen; even fo, Amen
and Amen.
9. A loathing of fin, indignation for fin,
conteft with fin, and a continual watch a-
gainfl: the baits and allurements of fin : how
can it be conceived that a man fhould be
N C E S,
21
firmity, fins of forgetfulnefs, inconfidera-
tion, paffion, pettilhnefs, inordinate fear,
whereto there is no advifed confent, snd
thefe may fiand with afiurance. And 2.
There are foul fins, enormous crimes (not
to fpeakof fins wilfully committed with full
confent, delight and contentment to the
utter cxtinguifhing of the Spirit of grace,
which fliall never befal them that are called
aflured of the pardon and forgivenefs of according to the purpofe of God :) and
many fins, but it will work a greater loath- thofe fins hinder affurance, fo that the fin-
ing and deteftation of fin, unfeigned abafe- ner cannot for the prefent lay aiflual clairu
ment for former weaknefs, and continual to any one privilege of grace formerly ea-
watchfulnefs, to keep himfelf pure for the joyed : I deny not but he may fiill retain
future, that he lofe not his comfort, nor his right and title to eternal life, but he is
di(l\onour God, who hath done fo great
things for him ? It is Satan's cavil againft
the taints, that * Afiurance begets fecurity :'
affuredly, if it be true affurance, it will
through Chrift mortify our luft, and quick
in this condition fufpended from aduai
claim, until he rife again by repentance,
and fo recover not a new right and title,
l>ut a new claim by virtue of the old title.
10. A contagious refifting of doubts.
en us to more fincere, fettled and conftant fcruples, temptations; not but that doubts
obedience ; nor is it poffible that a Chri-
ftian (hould hold his afiurance any longer,
than whiles he follows, cherifhes, and feeds
in himfelf this heavenly affeftion,
Objed. But fome may objeft, Jfivefay
tve have no fin, ive deceive our/elves, i
will come after afiurance : we fee the fun
is one day bright, and the next day is co-
vered : evidences may be loft, thoiigh in-
tereft be continued : yet afliirance and e-
vidences rightly improved and fan<5lified to
us, may help us againft all the fiiakings,
John i. 8. Who can fay his heart is clean ? and flii\rerings, and doubtings of the foul
Prov. XX. 9. There is no man jitjl, that and of theirown nature they do refift them:
Jinneth not, Eccl. vii. 20. * And how can hence the beft cure and remedy of doubt-
thefe twoftand together, fin and afiurance ?' ings, is to perfeft and ftrengthen our afiiir-
Sol. I anfwer, grofs fins, grievous fins, ance; the more purely the fire burns, the
are not compatible with the hope and afiTur- lefs fmoke it hath ; when the light and heat
ance of a Chriftian, efpecially reigning fins of the fun are grcateft, then the clouds and
committed with delight, or indulgence ;
and yet fuch fins, as we call infirmities,
blemifties, remainders of original corrup-
tion, under which the regenerate muft la-
bour fo long as they live : Thefe are not
altogether incompatible with afiurance, nor
mifty vapours are feweft : afiiarance and
doubting are like a pair of fcales, where the
weight of the one bears away the other.
Queft. I. * But howfliould afi^irancebe
ftrengthened ?'
Anfio. 1. Go we to God, for God who
do they hinder the lively workings of faith, gave itcan ftrengthen it: every grace depend
inreceivmgthe promifes; it isgood there- ""
fore to diftinguiih betwixt fins, which ad-
minifter matter of humiliation, and fuch
as may give occalion to the foul to quefti-
on its regenerate eftate : as i. There are
fins of fimple ignorance, unavoidable in-
upon him, not only for birth, but alio for
complement ; his ftrength muft lead us on
from ftrength to ftrength, and therefore '\i
we would have ftrong afiurance, we muft
go to a ftrong God, and beg of him for it ;
fay, * O Lord, my knowledge is dim ; ligh-
E e i tea
ai2
ten that candle, open mine eyes yet more
and more, that I may fee thy truth ; my
alFents many times fliake, but do thou e-
ftablifli and confirm my heart in thy truths;
my embracings, applications, are very
trembling, and broken, and interrupted,
but do thou guide my eye to look upon my
Saviftur, and do thou guide my hand to
lay hold on him, do thou enable my will
and affections to embrace all the goodnefs
of thyfelf, of thy Chrift, of thy word ; my
faith is but weak, but Lord, I would have
more faith, even full aflurance of faith,
and thou canfl work it, O do it for thy
weak fervant.'
2. Be in the way of ftrength : there are
ways in which God doth reveal his arm,
i. e. his ordinances ; he that is too good
for the ordinance*, will ever be too weak
in his faith. One thing (could David fay)
J?ave I dejired of the Lord, that 1 may dwell
in the houfe of the Lord all the days of my
life, Pfal. xxvii. 4. and to what end ? that
Jviay behold the beauty of the Lord, and en-
tjuire in his temple : what this beauty is, he
liimfelf expounds. We thought of thy loving
hindnejs in the midj} of thy teryiple, Pfalm
xlviii. 9. The loving kindnefs of God,
his mercy and countenance upon his own
fervants, that is the Lord's beauty, that
is it which makes him amiable to his own
^people.
3. Let affurance know its privileges, and
then it will grow ftronger. Te are a cho-
fcn generation, a royal priefthood, an holy
nation, a peculiar people, i Pet. ii. 9. They
who defcended from the blood of Abraham
had more privileges than others ; and have
not they greater who come of the blood
of Chrift ? The pricfts of the law had An-
gular exemptions ; and kings, of all men
are moft highly privileged ; and do believers
come fliort, who are not prophane, civil,
typical priefts, but royal prieAs I who are
EVIDENCES,
not priefts only, nor kings only, but both
kings and priefts : a royal priefthood, an
holy nation, a peculiar people. If we did
once throughly know our privileges, the
grants of favour, the free accefs, the fm-
gular acceptance we have with God in and
through the Lord Jefus Chrift, how might
we keep down our fears, and our doubt-
ings, and with fulleft eagernefs embrace
our God, our Chrift, our promifes ?
4. Obferve, and call to mind our for-
mer experiences of God's favour and love :
I will remember (faith David) the years of
the right hand of the moj} High, Pf. Ixxvii.
10. i. e. the years and times of my life,
wherein I had fweet experiences of God's
mercies and love : why, what of that ? he
tells you, Becaufe thou hafl been my help,
therefore in the fhadow of thy wings will
I rejoice, Pfalm Ixiii. 7. But of this -point
in the laft chapter.
Queft. 2. * But what if after all thefe
means ufed, no fun appears, our evidences
are quite loft, God fufpends all comforts.'
Anfw. In fuch a cale, we muft endea-
vour to live above evidences, by working
the foul to clofe with, and depend upon
an abfolute promife : to this purpofe, it
pleafeth the Father of mercies, fometimes
to convince and perfuade the foul, that he
will fupply what is wanting, heal backflid-
ings freely, work both will and deed fully,
whereby he fuftains the foul in life, and
raifeth it up as it were from the grave of
defpair and dilmal diftrefs. Thus David
expe(fUd to receive his aflurance, when he
cried. Why art thou caji downi my foul ?
Hope thou in God, for 1 floallyet praife
him for the help of his countenance, Pfalm
xlii. 5, 12. And if at our iirft converfion,
when we had nothing but the offer of free
grace to look upon, Ave caft ourfelves on
God, why not now, when our affurances
wholly fail?
§. VI.
EVID ENC E S,
213
§. VI. The evidences of a weak unworthy
Servant ofChrifl laid down according to
the rules afore-mentioned.
THE life of all we have fald, is Prac-
tice : Hence I make bold to lay down
the evidence of a poor creature, not wor-
thy to be named, much lefs to have his
name written in the book of life. He
gives them thus : Wherein howfoever
he fpeaks in the firfl perfon, as intending
them for his own ufe ; yet he defires to
corrcft himfelf therein as Paul did, Never-
ihelefs I live, yet not I, but Chriji liveth
in mcy Gal. ii. 20. On every evidence he
defires this to be written, and thus to be
underftood, / live, yet not I. .
I. The Texts j a. The graces to which promifes are made j or my 1 3- The truth
containing pro- j particular evidences. ! of thcfe graces
mifes. 1 examined.
4. The Te-
ftimony of the
Spirit :
I. John iii. Si 8.
i Pet. i. 13.
z. Johni.ii,i&.
z Pet. i. 3, 4.
3. Gal. ii. 20.
4. Fla. cxix. 5, 7 .
5. Pfalm cxix. 5 ,
128.
6. 3, Cor. vii. 10.
7. Ezek.ix. 4. 6,
I'la. cxix. 135.
a Pet. ii. 7, 8.
£. Rom. X. I.
f. John iv. 19.
Pfa. cxix. i6j.
I John iii- 10,
14. ijohniv. 7.
10. Rom. vii. 13.
Cal.v. 17.
1 1. Pfa. xix. n,
12. I John iii, 3.
RcT. XV.3.
After Ads of Faith firft put forth upon Chrift him-
ftlf, and clofing with him immediately, as if
I had no prefent or by-paft grace to evidence
my being in him. I now brins; in thefe graces
or workings of the Spirit of Chrift in me, as
hand -maids to attend, and to witn^ft to the truth
of this adherence unto Chrift, which I call my
evidences.
I. My converfioD from corruption to Cbriltianity'
the time whereof (I blefs God) I remember.
2- My dcfire and endeavour to rely on the promifes
of Chriil, both for this life and that to come.
3. My experience that 1 could a<fl faith, and lay hold
and reft upon the promifes of God in divers cales and
conditions.
4. The chief aim and bent of my heart, which for
the main is God-ward and Chrift-ward.
J. My refpeft to ail God's commandments, defir-
ing that I would give up mylelf wholly to God, to do
all his will.
6. My renewed repentance for all my often failings,
and fins committed againfl Gcd.
7 • My grief for the fms of the times and places where
I lived.
8 . My carnefl dcfire and prayer to God for Ifrael,
and for all I know. That they might be faved.
9. My love to God in Chrift, to his word, fcrvices,
faints, and all things that belong to him.
10 My ftnfe and feeling of the fight and combat be-
tween the flefli and the Spirit.
1 1 . My watch to ftrive againft fecrct fin, or evil
thoughts, which no eye fees, as well as againfl publick,
notorious, Icandalous fins.
12. My defire after Chrifl for his holinefs, as happi-
nefs i taking him for my king and buiband, as for my
Jcfus and Saviour.
See in the duty
of Self-examina-
tion and receiv-
ing of the Lord's
fupper.
Which is ei-
ther by argu-
ments and infer-
ences from the
word and work
of grace in the
heart, or by pre-
fcnce and influ-
ence, manifefted
by an heavenly
impreUion and ir-
radiation upon my
foul.
13. My
2^4
E VI D E N C E S,
I. The Texts 1 l. The graces to which prom jfcs are made; or my par-
itainine pro- licular cvidcncf s.
conta
miies.
j }. The truth
j of tliefc graces.
I
4- The teOl-
mony of the Spi-
rit:
»3. M.;t. X. 39.
Mark x. ii.
Liikeix. 2}ii4-
14 Pftlm Ixxxix.
IS.
Ilaiah xii. 3.
John XV. II.
Rom. xiv. 17.
Gal. V. ^^.
I Pet. i. 8.
1$. Mai. iv. X,
Eph. iv. I J,
X Pet. iii. 18.
16. Pfa. cxix. <J7.
Heb. xii. 7, 8.
II.
17- Col. ii. X.
Heb. vi. II.
19.
Heb. X. IX.
a Cor. V. 17.
Gal. V. ax.
Rom. viii. ij,
\6.
i9.Pfa. xxvH.14.
Pfalm xl. I .
tp. P(a. xxviii. 6.
i'f.lxvi. 18, 19.
Pf. cxvi. I, X.
ao. X Tim. iv. 8.
Rev. xxii. xo.
ai.Phi.i.io, II.
a X. Pfalm cxxxix.
xj, 14.
13. Rom. vii. X4.
Rom. viii. 13.
Gal. V. 17.
Col. iii. 4, 5,
8.9.
Tit. ii. II, n.
I J. My wjllingners to fiiffcr (hame and dilgrace, and
(if my heart deceive me not) perfecution and dealli
for Cl.rirt my Saviour.
14. The unfpeakable joy of God's Spirit, which
Sometimes I have felt in and after ordinances ; and ef^
pecially once, when fi-r the fpace of two days I was car-
ried away into an extafie and ravifhmcnt : This was
when I began to fee fpiritual things, and upon
which followed more dcfire and endeavours after
grace.
^ij. My fenfible growth in the meafures of God's
fanflifying graces, as, in knowledge, and faith, and
hope, and praitnt expeftation of God's prcfence and af-
fiftancc in all things to come.
16. My patience under i nfirmitics and affliflions,
with an earneft dcfire that I may be bettered by my af-
fliftions.
17. My afTurancc of faith, si'd of my fpiritnal fafe-
ly, which is, I. Both by the evidences of internal
vifion or reflexion, for I know that I believe, as cer-
tainly as I know that I live : And x. By application
of the promifes of the gofptl. And 3. By the effcfts
and fruits growing from the root of grace : And 4.
By the teftimony of God's Spirit, which fometimes
(after prayer efpccially) hath fiiggened to my fpitit
that I am God's child.
18. A defirc to wait upon God, if at any time he
delay to hear prayers.
19. The returns of my prayers which many a time
God hath gracioufly made fcnfible and known to my
foul.
xo. My fincere and hearty longing for the time of
reftoring, and for the appearing of Chrift, who it my
chiefeft treafiire, and my All in All.
XI. My confcience hath born witnefs with me,
that my heart was fincere towards God.
xi. I reft not in the approbation of men, iinlefs I can
approve my heart unto God.
X3. Bcfidesthefe and the like, I may fetch ((ay fbme
divines) as good, if not better evidences ftom morti-
fication, in denying myfclf, in overcoming my paflions,
in crucifying my corruptions, as from any graces
whatfocver.
But, O my foul, reft not in thefc inward graces of
the Spirit ; now when all is done, begin again to aft faith
upon Chrift immediately with a redoubled ftrcngth.
His evidences thus gathered in, the prime and efpecial
work of the foul is the keeping and improving of c-
vidcnccs in their fcveral ufes. But of that before, Sc^.
I }, 4. And thus much ofcvidcnces.
See in the duty
of Stlf-cxarrina-
tionand receiving
of the Lord's fup-
per.
This is either
hy arjioment ard
inference from
the word <?: work
of grace in the
heart, or by pre-
fnce and inflir.,
ence of the Spi-
rit, manifefledby
an heavenly im-
prefTion and irra-
diation upon the
foul, by a fwcct
motion & feeling
ofGod'sgoodncfs,
and pardog, and
mercy, and faving
prefence to me,
without any refer-
ence to inherent
graces, -
CH A p
C 215 )
CHAP. VIII. SECT, I.
Of the Nature and Kinds of ME D IT AT 10 N.
MEditation * is a deep and earneft
mufing upon fome point of Chrifti-
an inftruftion, to the ftrengthening us a-
gainft the flefh, world and devil, and to
the lending us forward toward the king-
dom of heaven ;' or, * Meditation is a fted-
faft bending of the mind to fome fpiritual
matter, difcourfing of it with ourfelves,
till we bring the fame to fome profitable
ifTue.'
Now this meditation is either fudden^ or
fet ; occaJionaU or folemn, and delibtrate.
1. Sudden, occafional,or external medi-
tation arlfeth from fuch things as God, by
his providence offers to our eyes, ears
and fenfes. When I con/ider the heavens,
the work of thy fiugers , the moon andftars
which thou haji ordained : U'hat is man,
that thou art mindful of him, or the fon of
man that thou vifiteft him ? Pfalm viii. 3,
4. This meditation of David's was occa-
fional.
2. Deliberate, fet, or folemn meditation
arifeth out of our own hearts, when pur-
pofely we feparate ourfelves from all com-
pany', and go apart to perform this exer-
cife more throughly, making choice offiich
matter, time and place as are mofl requi-
fite thereunto. Now this meditation is
double, for it is either converfant about
matters of knowledge, for the finding out
of fome hidden truth, or about matters
of affeflion, for the enkindling of our
love unto God : The former of thefe two
we leave to the fchools and prophets ; the
Jatrer we fhall fcarch after, which is both
of large ufe, and fuch as no Chriflians can
rejeft as unnecefTary, or over-difficult.
$.2. The circumfhintials of Meditation.
THE circumflantials of our meditati-
on, are Time and Place j I fhall add
to thefe (though I cannot call it a circum-
ftance) the Subjedl-matter, which by way
of preparation to the duty, we may take
notice of.
1. For the Time : no time can be pre-
fcribed to all men ; for neither is God
bound to hours, neither doth the contrary
difpofition of men agree in one choice of
opportunities ; fome find their hearts mofl
in frame in the morning; others learn wif-
dom of their reins in the night feafon ; o-
thers find Ifaac's time the fitteft time, -who
iv£nf out in the evening to meditate. Gen.
xxiv. 61. No practice of others can pre-
fcribe to us in this circumfi:ance,it is enough
that we fet apart that time wherein we are
aptefl for that fervice.
2. For Place : we judge folitarinefs and
folitary places fittefl: for meditation, efpe-
ciallyfor fet and folitary meditation : thus
we found Jefus meditating alone in the
mount, John Baptifl in the defert, David
on his bed, Daniel in his houfe, Ifaac in the
field. ' The bridegroom of our foul, the
Lord Jefus Chriff is bafhful, faith Bernard,
and never comes to his meditating bride in
the prefence of a multitude :' hence was the
fpoufe's invitation, Ccme, my beloved, let
us go forth into the field: let us lodge in the
villages. Let us get up early to the vine-
yards, let us fee if the vine flourifh, whs'
ther the tender grape appear, and the
pomegranates bud forth ; there luill I give
thee my loves. Cant. vii. 11,12. AVe muft
in this cafe abandon worldly fociety, both
outward and inward; many fequeflerthem-
felves from the vifible company of men,
who yet carry a world within them ; both
thefe focieties are enemies to this medita*
tion.
3. For the jmatter of our meditation, it
mull
2i6 M E D I
muft be divine and fpintual ; viz. God's
word, or fome part thereof: itiswoful to
think how fome meditate on fin, contrary
to God's word, ftudying to goto hell with
the leaft noife in the world ; others bend
their thoughts only with the fearch of na-
tural things ; as, the motion of the hea-
vens, the reafon of the ebbing and flo\ving
of the feas, the kinds of fimples that grow
out of the earth, and the creatures upon it,
with all their qualities and operations ; but
in the mean whij£, the God that made them,
the vilenefs of tneir nature, and the dan-
ger of their fin, the multitude of their im-
perfections, the Saviour that bought them,
the heaven that he bought for them, 6c.
areas unregarded as if they were not. The
matter of our meditation muft be fome-
thing divine ; / remember thee on my bed^
and meditate on thee ; liuill meditate of all
thy works, and talk of all thy doings, Pfal.
Ixiii. 6. Ixxvii. 12.
§.3. Of occajional Meditation.
OCcafional meditation arifeth from
fuch things as God in his providence
offers to our eyes, ears, or fenfes. Exam-
ples of this fort are infinite : for a tafle,
take thefe few :
1. Upon our firfl awaking in themorn-
inT, meditate how the Lord can at the lafl
day as eafily raife up our dead bodies from
the dufl, as he hath now awaked us out of
fleep; and, as now we rife from the grave
our bed, fo then we mufl arife from that
bed our grave.
2. Upon fight of the morning-fky, me-
ditate. That if one fun make fo bright a
morning, what a fhining morning will
that be, when Chrift the fun of right eouf-
nefs ftiall appear, attended with all his
bright angels, archangels, cherubims, fe-
raphims, bodies and fouls of faints ? AVhen
there ftiiall be as many funs on a day, as
there are flats on a bright winter's night.
3. Upon the occafions of the day, me-
ditate, how the Lord feeih us, and undei-
r Ar J o N.
flands all our ways: the eyes of the Lord
run to and fro throughout the -mhole earth,
to Jhexv himfelf ftrong in behalf of them,
ivhofe heart is pcrfe6l towards him, 2
Chro. xvi. 9. And therefore we fliould do
all things as in the awful prcfence of God.
4. Upon our particular callings we may
accordingly meditate ; as
1. A magiftrate, thus; * As I judge o-
thers, fo will the Lord judge me ; it will
not be long ere death arreft, and I muft go
without bail : methinks 1 hear that found
in mine ears, Pfal. Ixxxii. 6. / have Jaid,
ye are gods, but ye fhall die like men.''
2. A minifter,thus ; ' The time I have to
fpend is not mine, but the peoples ; me-
thinks while I idle it away, I hear them
crying after me. To your clofet, and there
pray for us that we perifh not ; ftudy for
\is, that we may learn of you how to walk
in his paths ;/6r if weperifh, and you will
not give warning, then mufi our blood be
required at your hands, Ezek. iii. 18.
3. A tradefman, thus; ' AVhat is that
balance in my ftiop, but a meryiento of dif-
tributive and communicative juflice ? if
my dealings be not juft to a point or pin.
I ihall then be weighed in God's balance,
and be found too light. Pro. xi. i. A falfe
balance is an abomination to the Lord, and
fo is a true balance without true dealing
with all men.'
4. An hufbandman, thus ; ' As I fow m
fpring, fo I reap in harveft ; and God hath
faid, Ne that foweth iniquity, fmll reap
vanity, Prov. xxii. 8. but they that fow
in tears fhall reap in joy, Pfbl. cxxvi. 5.
Lord, whiles I fow in tears, give me April
fliowers of repentance, that when the har-
vefl comes, and the angels muft reap, they
may gather me into thy barn in heaven.
5. A foldier, tlnis ; * What trade is this
I follow ? what devices are thefe 1 carry
about to mur.ther afar off? whole image
do I bear in this killing difpofition, but
his, whofe true title is, The deftroyer ?
I had
MEDITATION.
iiy
I had need to look about me that I be in a
righteous caufe ; I am fure, all the titles
of God found of mercy and gracious re-
fpefts to man ; God the Father is his Ma-
ker and Preferver, God the Son his Savi-
our and Redeemer, God the holy Ghoft,
hisSanflifier and Comforter: O Lord, that
my enemies may be thy enemies, and my
caufe thy caufe, or that I may leave this
calling.'
5. Upon night approaching, meditate,
That feeing our days are determined, and
the number of our months are with the Lord,
and our bounds are appointed xvhich ive
cannot pajs, Job xiv. 5. that one day more
of our limited time is gone and paft, and
"we are now nearer to our end by a day,
tjian we were in the morning.'
6. Upon occafion of lights brought in,
meditate, * If the light of a poor candle be
fo comfortable, which is nothing but a lit-
tle inflamed air gathered about a moiflen-
ed fnufF, what is the light of that glorious
fun, the great lamp of heaven ? but much
more, what is the light of that infinitely
refplendent fun of righteoufnefs who gave
that light to the fun, and that fun to the
world V
7. Upon the fight of a bright /ky full of
flars, meditate, ' How worthy a fcience it
is to fee and obferve thefe goodly fpangles
of light above our heads, their places, qua-
lities, motions? But the employment of a
Chrifiian is far more noble, heaven is open
unto him, and he can look beyond the
vail, and fee farther above thofe ftars than
it is thither, and there difcern thofe glo-
ries, that may anfwer to fo rich a pave-
ment : I fee indeed thofe glittering glori-
ous ftars with my bodily eyes ; but I fee
withal, by the eyes of my faith, that this
is but the floor of that goodly fabrick, the
outward curtain of that glorious taberna-
cle ; I fee within that incomprehenfible
light, which none can fee, and not be blef-
fed : how many are thefe ftars before mine
€yes ! but Oh ! what millions of pure and
f
majeftical angels? what millions of happy
and glorified fouls? how many manfions
of my Father (one of them being my own)
do I fee by faith ? Come down, no more,
my foul, after thou haft once pitched up-
on this heavenly glory; or, if this flefti
force thy defcent, be unquiet till thou art
let loofe to immortality.'
Thus from our uprifing to our down-
lying, we may upon every objeft prefent-
ed to our fenfes, frame a fudden or occa-
fional meditation.
§. 4.
D
0/ deliberate meditation, and the
parts thereof. '
Eliberate meditations arife, and are
wrought out of our own hearts :
now every fuch meditation confifts of thefe
p«rts, viz. the Entrance, the Proceedings,
and the Conclufion.
I. The entrance is either Common, or
Proper.
1. The common entrance is fome ftiort,
yet pithy prayer, that God may guide and
direfl us therein, by the gracious affiftance
of his holy Spirit.
2. The proper and particular entrance,
is the choice of fome theme or matter, and
fettling ourfelves on that which we have
chofen.
II. The proceedings of our meditation
are in this method, (i.) To begin in the
underftanding. (2.) To end in the afiec-
tions.
I. Concerning that part which is in the
underftanding ; it is good to keep that
courfe which the common places of natur-
al and artificial reafon do lead us unto ;
as, to confider the matter of our medita-
tion, I. In its defcription. 2. In its diftri-
bution. 3. In its caufes. 4. In its cfFedts.
5. In its Ubi. 6. In its properties. 7. In
its oppofites. 8. In itscomparaies. 9. In
its fcriptural teftimonies. Only, in thefe
heads, obferve thefe cautions.
(i.) That we be not too curious in pro-
fecuiion of thefe logical places; the end of
f this
2l8
MEDITATION.
this duty is not to praflife logic, but to
cxercife religion, and to kindle piety and
devotion. Befides, every theme will not
aiford all thefe places ; as, when we me-
ditate of God, there is no room for caufes
or comparifons ; it will therefore be fuf-
ficient if we take the moft preg.nant and
voluntary places.
(2.) That if we flick in the difpofition
of any of thefe places (as of meditating of
fin, we cannot readily meet with material
and formal caufes) we rack not our minds
, too much with tne inquiry thereof, but
quietly pafs over to the next.
2. Concerning that part which is in the
affection, it is good to follow that courfe
which the common places of rhetorick do
lead us unto: thefe are fix, viz. 1. A re-
lidi of what we have meditated on. 2. A
complaint bewailing our wants of this re-
li(h. 3. A wi(h of the foul for what it
complaincih to want. 4. A confelTion of
our inabilities to effefl what we wi(h. 5.-.
A petition for the fupply of our inabilities.
6. A confidence of obtaining what we pe-
tition for.
III. The conelufion of the work con-
tains thefe parts : i. A thankfgiving. 2. A
recommendation of our fouls and ways to
God.
I (hall add no more, but only wifh the
foul, thus concluding, to lift up the heart
and voice to God, in finging a Pfalm an-
fwerable to its difpofition, and matter me-
ditated on ; and by this means fliall the foul
clofe up itfelf with much fweetnefs and fpi-
litual contentment.
§. 5. j4n example of the Soul's love to
Chrijl,
AFter entrance by prayer, and choice
of this theme, the foul may proceed
thus:
I. Defcrlption. O my foul, what is this
foul's love to Chrift, whereof thou ftudi-
eft ? Mt is a fpiritual fire kindled from a-
bove in the hearts of his darlings, towards
their bridegroom the Lord Jefus Chrifl.*
* Or, it is a fparkle of that fire of the holy
Ghoft, flruck into the tinder of our fouls,
which immediately fmokes, and fends up
the flame thitherward, whence it firfl had
its rife.' Or, ' it is the foul's reft or repofal
of itfelf in the bofom of Chrift, with con-
tent unfpeakable and glorious, being per-
fuaded of her intereft in that fong of the
fpoufe, 1 am my well-beloved' s, and tny well'
beloved is mine, Cant. vi. 3.' This, O ray
foul, is the nature of thy love to Chrift.
II. Di/lribution. There is a twofold
love, one of Defire, which is an earneft
longing after that which we believe would
do us much good, if we could attain to it;
another of Complacency, when, having at-
tained that which we defire, we hugg and
embiaceit, and folace ourfelves in the frui-
tion of it : Now the firft of thefe lovesis an
introdudion to the fecond, and both of
them (in relation to Chrift) iifue from a
proporr>nable a6t of faith precedent, i.
ThatafteCtionate longing, and thirfty love,
wherewith vvc pant and gafp after Chrift,
proceeds from the firft adfs of faith, where-
by we afllnt to allgofpel-promifes, as true
and good in themfelves, and better imto
us than any thing in the world, could we
but once be aflured that they belong unto
us. That other love of complacency, when
with the Pfalmift, ive return unto our rej}^
hecaufe the Lord hath dealt bountifully with
us, Pfalm cxvi. 7. when fweetly we repofe
ourfelves in the lap of our Saviour with
content tmfpeakable, and full of glory, it
proceeds from the laft a(fl of faith, where-
by we are aftually perfuaded by thofe wel-
come whifpers of the Spirit of adoption,
that certainly Chrift is our Saviour, and
that our debts are cancelled to the very laft
mite; only obferve, 'O my foul! thefe
two things of this love. 1 . That 'tis fub-
je(5t to all variations or changes, cbbings
and flowings of that perfuafion; fomctimes
in a violent temptation, or in a fenfible dc-
fcrtion, our perfuafion fails, and lb this
love
love of complacency is
or it falls back into that thirfly anxious
love of defire. 2. That this love of com-
placency admits of degree?, proportion-
able to the degrees of our perfuafion ; if
that be clear and flrong, this love is more
chearful and pleafant ; if that be weak
and obfcure, this love is more cold, with
many fears and jealoufies ; whence this
love of complacency may not unfitly be
fubdivided into an ordinary, and heroi-
cal love ; ordinary love proceeds from a
.weak degree of that lafl: aft of faith ; he-
roical love fpringeth from a more eminent
and tranfcendent pitch of perfuafion, con-
cerning our own reconcilirtion in particu-
lar: it is called ordinary, becaufe mod:
Chriftians, though effcftually called, do or-
dinarily feel but fuch a timorous love in
ttiemfelves ; it is called heroical, becaufe
it is conftantly only in fuch, as either, be-
fides the evidence of the word and Spirit,
have had fome fpecial revelation to put
them out of all doubt, concerning their
eAate to God-ward ; or in fuch as by a cer-
tain clofe walking with God,have been long
exercifed in a Chriftian courfe, have often
entertained Chrifl; Jefus at fupper in their
hearts, and habituated themfelves unto a
more familiar acquaintance with that holy
Spirit, which brings all the good news from
heaven, to thofe diligent fouls which care-
fully wait for it.
III. Caufcs. But whence is this love, O
my foul ? The apof^le is plain, JVe love
him, becaufe he firfi loved us, i John
iv. 13. When the Spirit of God in the
promifes lets in fome intimation of God's
love into the foul, then fhe loves him a-
MEDITATION, ^uy
either llupified, kindnefs, take a commiflion from me, go
to that humble, thirfly foul ; go and pro-
fper, and prevail, and fettle my love eHec-
tually upon him ; I command thee to do
it :' It may be at the firft vifit, the poor
foul cries out, • What, I love ? What, I
mercy? will Chrifl: Jefus accept of me? Oh,
I am the worfl of finners ; could I pray, or
perform duties as fome others do, I might
have fome hopes of mercy; but what ? is
it poifible that the Lord of heaven fliould
love me ?' ' Yes, thee, even thee, faith the
Lord : go out my loving kindnefs to that
poor foiil,break open the doors of that wea-
ry, weltring heart, knock off thofe bolts of
carnal reafon, and all bafe arguments, and
clear and warm that broken, bruifed, hum ■
bled foul, and tell him from me, that his
fifls are pardoned, his fighs and prayers are
heard, and he fhall be laved ; I charge thee
to do the work before thou comeft in a-
gain :' Here, O my fouf. is the immediate
caufe, God's love thus afie£ling the heart,
it breeds a love in the heart to God again :
I drew themy[d.\i\\GoA,ivith the cords of a
man, even with the hnnds oflovCfHoL xi.4.
IV. Effift^s. And what are theefFefts, O
my foul ! of this love ? O this love hath
many holy gracious effcfts, it will make
the foul to rejoice in Chrift's prcfence, to
grieve in his abfence, to pleafe Chrifl in all
things, to defire union with Chrifl, tho'
it never fee a good day, though it have no
other wages ; to bellow readily and free-
ly any thing it hath on the Lord Jefus
Chrifl ; to deny itfelf, or any thing that
may come in competition with Chrifl, to
part with her Ifaac's, her dearefl things,
fa count all things as dung and lofs, that
gam : that exprelTion of the Pfalmifl. The fhemay win ChriJl^PhW. iii. 8. to be con-
Lord will command his loving kindnefs in ' ' '
the day-time, P film xlii. 8. is pertinent to
this ; it is a phrafe taken from kings and
princes, and great commanders in the field,
whofe words of command fland for laws;
fo the Lord fends out his loving kindnefs,
faying, ' Go put, my everlafling love and
tent with nothing, but love again from
the party beloved, to be ever and anon
thinking and mufing on the Lord Jefus
Chrifl, to be ordinarily and frequently
fpeaking of Chrifl. Love is full of elo-
quence in the praifes of her beloved, fo is
the foul's love to the Lord Jefus Chrifl. O
F f 2 how
2,20
how that fpoufe of Chrifl runs on in a de-
fcription of his rarities and tranfcenden-
cies, My beloved is 'white and ruddy, the
chitfeji among ten thcufand {.or, zs, it is more
elegantly in the original, He is an enjign-
bearer among ten thoufand) He is alto-
gether lovely, or he is all entire, he is all
compofed of loves ? Betwixt thofe verfcs
[lo. and 16] there's a defcription of
Chriftjfoftuffed [fo filled up] with choiceft
delicacies of expre(rion,that thou canft not
match it, O my foul ! out of any of thofe
poets which ha^ flown higheft in amor-
ous inventions; at lafl: Ihe concludes with
a triumphant epiphonema, This is my be-
loved, and this is 7ny friend, daughters
cf Jerufalem, Cant. v. 10. 16. Nay love
will make the foul not only fpeak but do
any thing for the Lord Jefus Chrifl : O
then fhe cries, * How may I pleafe Chrifl
better ? what duty mufl I do ? and what
fins raufl I avoid ? if there be any of the
bed-chamber of the bridegroom, teil me I
IJefeech you, how may I hear, and pray
and walk, and approve my heart to my
Chrifl and king, that nothing may difpleafe
him.' Laftly, love will make the foul fuf-
fer for Chriil, and to rejoice in fuch fuf-
ferings, A£ls v. 41. It is a fire that much
ivater of perjecution cannot quench ; nay
it feeds on thofe waters, and grows hotter
by them : as oppofition rifeth againfl it, fo
it rifeth againfl: oppofition, yea, it rifeth
MEDITATION.
by it, until it rife above It.
V. Oppofites. Now what are the con-
traries to this love of Chrifl, but an hatred
of Chrifl ? One would wonder there fliould
be fuch a thing in the world, as hatred of
Chrifl : but why then fliould the apoflle
threaten, If any man love not the Lord Je-
fus Chrifl, let him be Anathema, Marana-
tha? 2 Cor. xvi, 2'2./. e. If any man hate
Chrifl, let him be accurfed with all manner
of execrations or curfes in the mofl de-
fperate manner, expe<fling due vengeance
from the Lord, ivhen he cometh luith his
holy millions, to execute judgment upon ally
and to convince all that are ungodly, Jude
14, 15. No queflion there is a world of
wicked men, that are under this curfe; I
fpeak not of poor Indians *, and other fa*
vages of the unchriftian world, whofe fouls
are overclouded with the blackefl mifls of
irreligion, that the prince of darknefs can
pofTibly inwrapihem in,who come into the
world, not knowing wherefore, and go out
of the world, not knowing whither * : an
heavy cafe, which cannot be fufficiently
bewailed with an ocean of tears and blood;
but of thofe that live within the paradife
of the chrifiian church, that have nothing
to diflinguifli them from thofe Indian mif-
creants, but an outward conformity, out-
ward formalities, the charity of other men,
and their own flight imaginations: as, 1.
All open enemies, grofs, hainous and grie-
• Since our Au'.l.or's days many nations of the Indians have been convcited to the ChrilVian rdi^ioii : So that
the cafe (thanks be to God) is altered; and we can now indulge ourfclves in charitable hopes concerning many
of them, inftcai of giving way to harfh and gloomy fears about their Hate in another world. It muft be ac-
knowledged, however, that there are ftil! many parts of the world fitting in daikmfs and in the region and fni-
dow of death : But what is our duty in this occafion ? What ought the thoughts of their mifery to lead us unto ?
Surtly not to rej >ice in their misf)rtuncs, but. out of hearty pity, to pray our gracious God to fend forth th«
liMit of the glorious gofpcl among them; to difpcl their ignorance, reform their corrupt lives, and favc them at
lall ; and to be thankful to our God. for the gofpcl of Chrift, (fa fuU of bleinngs) which wc ourftlvcs tnjoy
in fo great purity and plenty.
O B R I T A I N, praife thy mighty God,
And make his honours known abroad ;
He bid the ocean round thee flow:
>Jot bars of brafs could guard thee fb.
But he hath nobler works and ways
To call the B R ITONS to his praifc.
To all the ifles his laws are fhown ;
His gofpcl through the nation known ;
He hath not thus rcvcaPd his word
To every land : Praife ye the Lord.
Watts.
vous
M ET> ir A
vous Tinners, fwearers, blafphemers, drun-
kards, railers againfl: God, his minifters,
his people, thefe and the like love fin more
than Chrift, they love the devil more than
Chrift. 2. All fawning hypocrites, that
profefs, it may be, a marvellous affection-
ate love unto the Lord Jefus Chrift, but
they are inward haters of Chrift.
VI. Comparifon. But to inflame thy love,
O my foul, upon Chrift, conlider where-
unto it is like, or to what it may be com-
pared : the fcripture hath defcribed the
out-goings of fuch a foul, i . By the parch-
ed ground : My foul thirfieth for thee, my
fiefh hngeth for thee, in a dry and thirfiy
land, -where no water is, Pfalm Ixiii. i.
2. By the pantings of a chafed hart; As
the hart panteth after the water-brooks, Jo
panteth my foul after thee, God, Pfalm
xlii. 1,2. 3. By the longings of a teeming
woman; I have longed for thy falvation,
Lord, and thy law is my delight, Pfalm
cxix. 174. 4. By the fainting and fwoun-
ing of one that is in good earneft fick of
love ; / charge you, daughters of Jerufa-
lem, if you find my beloved, that ye tell him
1 am fick of love, Cant. v. 8. Such fouls
are commonly caft into an agony, into
pangs of love, that love Chrift indeed.
Yll.Teftimony. And doth not the fcrip-
ture exprefs the loves of the foul to the
Lord Jefus i If God be your Father, faid
Chrift to the Jews, then will ye love me.
Joh. viii. 42. And Thy name is as ointment
poured forth, therefore do the virgins love
thee; and, we will remember thy love more
than wine ; the upright love thee, Cant. i.
3, 4. IVe love him, faith the apoftle, be-
caufe he loved usfirfi, i John iv. 1 9. / will
Icve thee, faith David, Lord my firength,
Pfal. xviii. i. I will caufe thoje that love
me, faith Wifdom, to inherit fubflance,
Prov. viii. 21. He that hath my command-
ments and keepeth them, he it is that lov-
eth me, and he that lovethme,Jhallbe lov-
ed of my Father, and I will love him, and
J willmanifefl myfelf unto him. John xiv.
r I O N. 22t
2 r . Look upon me, faith David, and be mer-
ciful unto me, as thou ufefi to do unto thofe
that love thy name, Pfalm cxix. 132.
Thus for information of judgment,
now for the ftirring up, O my foul ! of
thy affections.
I. Kelifh. O divine love ! O the pleafures^,
O the joys of this love 1 O honey and fweet-
nefs itfelf ! it is the love of Chrift that fets
a price on all other duties; the leaft fervice
(even a cup of cold water, or a widow's
mite) if it have but a grain of this love in
it, is a moft acceptable facrifice to God ; it
is love to Chrift that hath the promifes of
this life and that which is to come : / will
caufe thofe that love me to inherit fubfiance t
and 1 will fill their treafures, Prov. viii. 2 1.
Yea, there is a crown of life, which the Lord
hgth promifedto them that love him, Jam. i.
i2.lt is love to Chrift, that by Chrift aflures
to us all the glorious privileges, flowing
from Chrift, as reconciliation, adoption,
forgivenefs of fins, juftification, righte-
oulnefs, wifdom, fanCtification, redempti-
on, pofteffion of all things. All things are
yours, whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas^
or the world, or life, or death, or things
prefent, or things to come, all are yours, and
you are ChriJl's,andChriJ} is God's, I Cor.
iii. 22, 23. O who can think of this love
of Chrift, and not be raviftied therewith J
had I a thoufand hearts to beftow on Chrift,
they were all too little, they were never
able to love him fufficiently ; it is the Lord
Jefus that is all ftrength,and allwifdom,and
all honour, and all beauty ; the fountain
of all graces, and virtues, and qualities in
men : whatfoever grace, or virtue, or qua-
lity is in us, they are but fo many rays that
come from this Sun of right eoufnefs ; he is
fairer than the children of men, and grace
eminently is poured into his lips, Pf. xlv. 2.
ll.Complaint. But alas! where is my foul?
how dull is my underftanding ? how dead
my affeClions ? how «arelefs, how pcevifti
is my foul, in a bufinefs which concerns it
fo much ? how prejudicate is my opinion?
bow
1
222 ' ME DITJiri
how vain are my conceits? O my foul !
how ignorant art thou of the incomparable
worth, and delightful fweetnefs that is in
the Lord Jefus ? how fecure and fleepy,
and fcnfelefs art thou ? O this hard heart
of mine ! thou canft mourn for lofles and
crofTes of this life, but for the lofs of Chrift,
thou canft not mourn one jot : didft thou,
my foul, truly affeft Chrift, the pillow
would be wartied with thy tears for thy
want of Chrift, and for thy want of aftur-
ance : wo, and alas, that my mind is tak-
en up with a confluence of worldly lufts,
worldly cares, and ^vorldly defires ! O it
is this that quencheth the conjugal love of
my foul to her bridegroom ; my loves are
iiow become very adulterous loves : wo
and alas, that / have loved the world, and
the things that are in the luorld, i John
ii. 15. that I have followed my bafe lufts,
and adulteries, and abominations; that in-
ftead of loving Chrift, I have loathed him,
and whipt him, and fcourged him, and
crucified him, and preferred the vileft luft
(any fm whatfoever) before the Lord Jefus.
\And now lam mufing of this love of Chrift,
alas, I feel it not, or if I feel a little, little
love of defire, yet I have no fenfe, no tafte,
no relifh of that love of complacency ; there
is no fuch fire, no flames in my breaft to-
wards the Lord Jefus.
in. Wijlying. And yet, O that I could
love the Lord Jefus ! O that he had my
heart ? O that now I could bid adieu to
all other lovers ! O that the Father of love,
and the Spirit of love would ftrike one
fpark of love from the promife, to kindle
it in the heart of this poor creature ! O that
1 felt a dilatation of my dclires after Chrift !
that God would ftrttch them, and widen
them to the \umoft, that I might love
Chrift with all my heart, Ibul and might!
O that I were even fick of love ! O that I
were caft into the melting pangs of a divine
Chrillian love ! O my foui, confider the
want of Chrift, and the worth of Chrift !
O confider the benefits of Chrift's death,
iY.
the fweetnefs of Chrift's promifes, the plea-
fantnefs of his commands, the precioufncfs
of his graces, and above all, the infinite-
nefs of his love, and thou canft not but
love him ! confider that foul ravifhing text,
Cod who is rich in mercy, for his great
love wherewith he loved us, even when we
were dead in Jin s, hath quickened us toge-
ther with Chrift, and hath raiftd us up to-
gether, and tnadc us fit together in heavenly
places in Chrifl Jefus ; that in the ages to come
he might fhew the exceeding riches of his
grace, in his kindncfs towards us through
Chrift Jefus, Eph. ii. 4. &c. and thou canft
not but cry out with the ardency of affeciili-
on, with the ftrength, the zeal of love, O !
To him, unto him that loved us, and wajlj-
ed us from our Jins in his own blood, and
hath made us kings and priefts unto Cod,
and his Father, To him be glory and domi-
nion for ever and ever. Amen. Rev. i. 5, 6.
IV. Confeffion. O my foul, thefe are
fweet motives : but alas, how dull is thy
underftanding, how dead thy affe(ftions ?
I clearly fee there is no ftrength at all in
thee. O how cold, and weak, and faint,
and heartlcfs are thefe thy wifhes ! O
Chrift ! I would love tliee, but I cannot ;
I find no ability in myfelf to love thee ; I
am no more able to love thee, than cold
water is able to heat itfelf. O where be
thofe fcalding [thofe ardent] affef^ions to
Chrift Jefus, which holy men have felt in
all ages, and ftriven to exprcfs in their fo-
liloquies .^ O where is this holy, conftanr,
conjugal love I O where are thofe fwell-
ings, and throwings, and wreftlings which
others have felt in their bowels ? O where
be thofe holy fits, thofe pangs of love,
thofe love- trances, thofe feraphical flames of
conjugal afle(5lion, which made the fpoufe
cry out, / am fick of love? Cant. ii. 5.
Alas, I feel a diftemper in my alfeftions ;
I find it not fo eafie to love Chrift, as ma-
ny men think ; furcly it is a very hard and
difficult thing to love the Lord Je!us.
V, Petition. Come then, bleifed Lord,
and
M E D I TA T 10 N.
and {hew thy own felf to me, / befeech
thee if 1 have found grace in thy fight,
fhe-d) me the way that I may knoiv thee : I be-
feech thee JJjeiv me thy glory , Exod. xxxiii.
13. 18. Give me the fpirit of-voifdom and re-
velation in the knoiuledge of Chrifi, Eph. i.
17. Let me fee thy beauties and'glorious ex-
cellencies, and by this means blow my love
into a pure flame, yea advance it to a de-
gree of angelical fublimity. Surely, Lord,
I cannot love what I fee not, and there-
fore anoint mine eyes with thy eye-falve,
that I may fee thy lovelinefs, and love thee
with my beft loves: O kindle, inflame, and
inlarge my love that it may reft largely in
thee ; inlarge the crany which the Spirit
haih bored through the flefli into my fpirit
that I may largely fee thee, and fo largely
love thee J inlarge ihe arteries and conduit-
pipes, by which thou the Head and Foun-
tain of love floweft into thy members, that,
being abundantly quickened and watered
with the Spirit of love, I may abundantly
love thee ; and do not only come much,
but come often into me, and let my fpirit
often be one fpirit with thee, in commu-
nicative and fruitive unions ; for fuch oft-
en unions with thy Spirit, will make my
fpirit more fpirkual, and the more fpiritual
(lie is, the more will flie love thee, the God
of all fpirits. BleflTed Lord, wilt thou love
the image, and fliall not the image much
more love the pattern ? that I were fick
of love ! that my underftanding, will and
affeftions were all overflown, overcome
and amazed, that my faintings were in-
flamed towards thee, and even melted into
thee ! O fweet Jefus, touch my foul with
thy Spirit, that virtue may go out of thee
into me, and draw me unto thee; let the
favour of thy ointments, whofe very breath
is love, be ever in my noftrils : * Give me
flaggons of the new wine of the kingdom,'
which may lift up my foul above my felf in
my loves ; give me to forget the low and
bafe loves of this world, and by an hea-
venly exccfs, tranfport me into an heavenly
223
love, that I may embrace Chrift who is the
Lord from heaven with a love like himfelf:
give me to believe ; for faith and love
grow together, and the flronger my faith,
the greater will be my love.
VL Confidence. And this (fweet Jefus)
1 am fully perfuaded thou wilt do ; / be-
lieve^ Lord, help my unbelief ,- furely thou
art God, who canft not lie, and thou haft
promifed, that the upright fhall love thee.
Cant. i. 4. O how rtiould I but believe thee >
and now thou haft in fome fweet meafure
convinced me, now thou beginneft to
warm my heart, and to caft me into a love-
trance; now that my fpirits are fome what
raifed, my heart in fome fort inlarged, my
mind in fome meafure fixed upon thee ; I
make bold. Lord, to conclude with this
fpiritual Epithalamium, BleJJed Lord, I
«m thine, only thine, ever thine, all that
I am is at thy command, and. all that I
have is at thy difpofing ; be pleafed to com-
mand both it and me ; I know whatfoever
I adventure or lofe for thy fake, I fliall re-
ceive with infinite advantage in thy blefl^ed
felf. I dare truft my Lord with the beft
thing that ever he gave me, my precious
foul. O my bleeding heart and broken
fpirit doth languifti, in a thirfty love, pant-
ing and gafping after thee, my blcfl^ed Sa-
viour : O let me tafte how gracious thou
art, by fome real experiments in my own
heart, fmile upon me from heaven, anfwer
me with fome aflfuring whifpers of the Spi-
rit of adoption ; Kifs me -with the kiffes of
thy mouth, for thy love is better than -wine.
Cant. i. 2. O let me bathe my foul in the
delicious intimacies of a fpiritual commu-
nion with thee my God, that I may for e-
ver adhere unto thee with a fincere con-
ftancy, and reft in thee with a love of com-
placency : for I itt\, I find my foul caft
into a longing fweat for thee, and nothing
can fatisfie the importunate longing of my
perplexed foul, but thy own felf; for thou
art my Lord, my love, my life ; and thou
art altogether lovejy, O my dear Jefus !
Omy
224 M E D I r
O my dearen: hufband ! O thcfe holy fits!
O thcfe fweei pangs of love grow upon me
apace ! Upon a fudden, my king, my Sa-
viour, I am even Jick of love !
Conclufion. And now, O my foul, return
unto thy reft, for the Lord hath dealt boun-
tifully with thee, Pfal. cxvi. 7. The rea-
fon of thy love is Chrift's love ; Thou lovef}
him hecaufe he ^rf} loved thee. Is it thus,
my foul ? hath the Lord Chrifl: indeed
difcovered his will, to take thee for his
fpoufe ? What, he that is fo holy, to mar-
ry fuch an impure wretch as thou art ? O
how ftiould this but melt thee into a flame
of love? What ftif^ings of love fliouldft
thou now feel in thy bowels ? How
fhouldft thou now value him, and prize
'liim, and praife him ? How fhould thy
g,lory no-w fing praijes to him, and not be
Jilent P How fhouldfl: thou admire and
wonder, that thou could ft endure to be
without Chrift fo long ? that thou couldft
fo flightly think of Chrift heretofore ? O
my foul, henceforth cling to thy Saviour,
go out of thyfelf, and creep to him, and
affe6l not only union, but very unity with
him; bathe thyfelf hereafter again and a-
gain, many and many a time in thofe de-
licious intimacies of thy fpiritual marriage:
nnd to that purpofe, O my foul, if fome-
limes thy love to thy Saviour fhall cool,
' O then fweet Saviour, look upon me in
mercy ; one look of thine will awaken
my love, and make me weep bitterly, that
1 have loved thee fo little, whom to love
iufficiently, my beft and mightieft loves
are moft infufficient : prevent my fecking
with thy feeking, be thou prefent with me
in thy providence and power, when thou
feemeft to be far from me, in the tafte of
thy fweetnefs and fruition of thy loves ;
:ind then when I have regained thee, I will
hold more hardly, and keep more faftly,
and love thee more vehemently, by thy
power affifting : and provide a ftock of
toves in the fummcr, againft winter, if it
return any more ; come, Lord Jcfus, and
JT 1 N.
be as the roe on the mountains : my life
is hid with thee, O appear quickly, that I
may quickly appear with thee in glory,
and in the happinefs of a confummate mar-
riage : even fo come Lord Jefus, come
quickly. Amen, Amen. Rev. xxii. 2c.
Pfalm xviii. to ver. 7.'
§. 6. Another Example : Of Eternity.
AFTER entrance by prayer and
choice of this theme, the foul may
proceed thus :
L Defcription. O my foul, what is this
eternity whereof thou ftudieft ? * It is the
intire and perfeft poftcflion of a life (toge-
ther and at once) that never ftiall have end ;
The defcription may be imperfe£\; and no
wonder : for how can that be defined,
which hath no bounds or limits ? whatfo-
ever is faid of eternity, comes infinitely
fliort of it; no words can utter it, no fi-
gures number it, no time can meafure it.
Eternity is of this nature, that, take from it
what you will, it isftill the fame; it is nei-
ther increafed by addition, nor diminiftied
by fublhaftion. What is eternity ? * It is
a circle running back into itfelf, whofe
center is always, and circumference with-
out all end.' What is eternity ? ' It is a
duration always prefent, it is one perpe-
tual day which is not divided into that
which is paft, and that which is to come.'
What is eternity ? * It is an age of ages,
never expiring, but always like itfelf, with-
out all change.' What is eternity f ' It is
a beginning without beginning, middle or
ending, always beginning.' And this, O
my foul, is Eternity.
II. Dijiribution. There is a two-fold
eternity, an eternity of wo, and an eterni-
ty of joy. I. Of wo : O wo that never
ihall have end ! The worm Jlmll not' die^
the fire Jlmll not he quenched^ Ifa. Ixvi. 24.
Afterathoufandthoufsind millions of years,
there are ftill as many more to come, and
when thofe many more are come and gone,
the woes are yet as far from the luft as
they
'MEDITATIO N. 225
they were at the firft : it is now above is the efficient, but fin the meritorious
four thoufand years fince Efau, who hated caufe of this wo, The "wages of Jin is death,
Jacob, was cafl into this pit of woes,and yet Rom. vi. 23.
the number of his years of torments are 2, Eternal joy is from him : the Father
as many as at the firft day of his torment, beftows it, the Son merits it, the holy
2. Of joy : O joy above all the joys in har- Ghoft feals and applies it : God hath given
veft ! iTa. ix. 3. they are the joys of hea- thee a Saviour, O my foul, to give this
ven f: there joys the underflanding, by a eternal joy to thee, and God hath given
perfeifl knowledge of God, [the beft and thee faith whereby thou mayeft attain to
moit perfeiH: being] and by the [infinitely this Saviour ; and God hath given thee his
tranfporting, and transforming] vifion of word, whereby thou mayefl attain to this
God; there joys the memory, by a per fedl faith: lookup, therefore, to him as the
remembrance of all things pall, [efpecially, beginner and finiiher of this eternity, and
of all good thoughts, words, and deeds ; whilft thou magnifiefl the author, be ravi-
which muft needs afford unfpeakable de- Ihed with the glory of the work; there
light to the refle(fling foul, in the future is nothing that is good that is notcompre-
world, fince we know that the remem- bended herein; In thy prefence is fulneCs
brance of any goo'd thought, word, or of joy, and at thy right hand are pleafures
deed affordeth fuch a vaft pleafure even in j[or evermore , Pfal. xvi. i i.
this life;] there joys the will, by enjoying all IV. Effe6ls. What are the effe^s, O my
manner of good without fear of evil. In foul, of this eternity ?
this joy there is no corruption, no defe6l7 i- Of eternity in hell, thefe amongfl
\ no old age, but folemn glory, and con- others ; * heavy, heavj, mod fad and heavy
tinual folemnity; there is an everlafting thoughts,' when the damned fhall confi-
fpring, there is always the flower, and der their doom, Go ye into everlafiing
grace of youth and perfefl: health : With fire, then /hall they call their deep thoughts
thee is the fountain of life, and in thy light on time pafi, and eternity to come.
fhallvjefee light, Pfal. xxxvi. 9. [There, i. For the time part, they fliall remera-
perfeft happinefs endureth forever: for her, ' That fometimes they lived, at leaft
heaven, as itis an exceeding, fo it is zneter- fome of them, in a glorious Golhen, en-
naliveight of glory. And this is that which lightened with the faireft noon-tide of the
crowns the joys of heaven, and banifiieth gofpel that ever the fun faw, and that
all fears and trouble from the minds of the they heard many a powerful fermon, any
blefied.] one pafl!age whereof, had they not fuffered
^ III. Caufes. Whence are thefe two eter- fatan to blindfold and baffle them, might
nities, O my foul, but from Him that is have been unto them the beginning of the
only eternal ? new birth ; that many times they were
I. Eternal wo is from him, For he hath told of this danger by God's faithful mini-
prepared Tophet of old, Ifa.xxx. 33. God iters; that they had many calls and of-
t The chid- ingredients of the happinefs of heaven, fo far as the fcnpiurc hath ihcuglulit to rcVcal it to us arc.
m77 iTc , °"/ ."^"rl'^^Se. and the height of our love, and the perpetual focicty and fricnd(hip of all the
bkncd .nhab.t.nts of thofc glorious manfions ; and the joyful concurrence of all thefb in chcarful expullfons of o,-a-
titi^de, in the .nceflant prailcs and admiration of the fountain and author of all this h;,ppinefs.— - And if there
-were no other, as there may be ten thoufand more for any thing I can tell, yet generous and virtuous minds will
eafily undct land how great a pleafure there is in the improvement of our knowledge, and the cxercifeof love • and
in a grateful and perpetual acknowledgment of the grcateft benefits. Qr Tx'lotfon
n'l" !,^|- t*;'"!""* of heaven thefe t«o things Ihall be recorxiled which never met together in any fenliul or
worldly delight, long and full enjoyment, and yet a fredi and perpetual pUalurc. Jilhifon.
G g fers
226
fers of falvatlon,
many a time cried behind them,
M ED ITATJ N.
and the Spirit of God ms.&c. i.e. 'All theftarsofhcaven,ftiIIsof
This is
the way, ivalk in it ; that fometimes
they were half i>erruaded to be Chriftians,
and they were near falvation, and they
had a golden opportunity for it ; but alas!
they revolted agaiiji, and perferred their
lufts, and parted by thefe offers and op-
portunities with an inexpiable negleO:,
and horrible ingratitude, and now they ly
drowned and damned in that lake of fire
and brimftome, which they might have
fo eafily and fo often efcapcd.' O what a
fliriek will this caufe in hell ? whiles at
every of thefe con fi derations the worm of
cbnfcience (hall give them a deadly bite, e-
ven to the heart ? That the memory of
things here on earth, remains ftill with all
fpirits in the world of hell, is manifeff,^©^,
remctnber that thou in thy life- time re-
ceived]} thy good things, and Lazarus e-
vil ; norv therefore he is comforted, and
thou art tormented, faid Abraham to that
rich man in hell, Luke xvi. 25.
2. For eternity to come, they fhall
conlTder,' that this eternity is another hell
in hell ;' might they endure thofe horrible
pains, and extreme horrors no more mil-
lions of years, than there are creatures
both in heaven and earth, they would
'comfort themfelves with this thought, My
mifery will at laft have an end ; but this
word eternity; it rents their very hearts in
pieces, it rents their very throats with hide-
ous roarings, it gives a new life to their
tinfuffcrable forrows. O my foul, doft
thou not tremble at this confideratlon ? I-
jnagine thou heareft Judas roaring in hell's
flames, ' 1 have now fuffered above one
thoufand fix hundred years, fince I be-
trayed Ghrift, and through the extremi-
ty of torment, I have thought thefe one
thoufand fix hundred, to have been a
thoufand thoufand thoufand thoufand
years : O when will be an end of thefe
fufferings ?' M'hen ? Couldft thou teW/hl-
las c(^li,J}illas roris, undas aquaeifiuyni-
dew, drops of rain, fleeces of fnow, flowers
of the fpring, colours of flowers, fruits of
the earth, grains of corn, leaves of trees,
beafls of the field, motes of the fun fly-
ing in the air, hairs on thy head, fand on
the fea-fl:iore, piles of grafs growing on the
earth ; and fhouldft thou add to thefe, all
the thoughts of men, the motions and mu-
tations of all the creatures, and number
all thefe by all the additions and multipli-
cations of arithmetick, enough to fill
volumes reaching from earth unto hea-
ven, as yet thou haft not meafured the
length, the middle of eternity !' O Judas,
here is thy lot, thou haft fryed in hell a-
bove a thoufand years, thou muft be tor-
mented in thofe flames, a hundred thouf-
and years, ten hundred thoufand years, a
thouland million of years of ages^ and when
all thofe years and ages are gone and paft,
thou art as far from the end of thy tor-
ments as thouwert at the beginning, when
thou hangedft thyfelf and firft wentft
down to hell. O my foul, here's a medi-
tation able to ftartle thee from the fleep of
fin ; no queftion, at thefe thoughts^ Judas,
and all the damned in hell take on with
infinite anguidi and inraged indignation :
fience comes that horrible hatred and per-
petual blafphemies which the damned
utter againft God : O how they tear their
hair, and bite their nails, and gnafli their
teeth, and dig furioufly into the very foun-
tain of life, defirous (if they could do it
pollibly) to (pit out their very bowels. O
my heart, well mayeft thou tremble in
the midft of this meditation ! O eternity f
eternity ! eternity !
2. Of eternity in heaven ; thefe, a-
mongft others, are the efle(fts, rowzing,
raifing,and moft ravilhing thoughts, when
the blelfed ftiall con fider their doom, ComCt
ye blefjed of my Father-, inherit the king-
dom : Then ftiall they caft their thoughts
on time paft and eternity to come.
I . For time paft. They fhalJ remem«
ber.
MEDITATION. 227
per, 'That fometimes they were in ' as they fhould notfurpafs the brlghtrcfs
of the fun, but the fun behig the mofl:
glittering thing in the world, he takes a
refemblance towards expreffing their in-
comparable glory :' But to heighten this
glory, obferve the auxefis, it (liall be for
ever, i. e. for eternity, or for ever and
ever, /. e. for eternity and eternity ; or,
as the Latins, inperpetuas ceternitatei,^ox
* perpetual eternities:' If one eternity be
without end, what are two ? What are
ten ? What are an hundred ? What are
infinite ? O what-a life is this that know-
e"^*' no end ? AVhat a glory is this th^t
never fadeth ? AVhat a love is this that
never cooleth ? What a joy is this that
never ceafeth ?
V. Oppofites. Why then, O my foul,dofl
thou fet thy refl on this fide Jordan ?
What are thofe few fliort pleafures thou
here enjoyeft ? AVhat is this brittle life
on which depends eternal blifs or wo ?
AVhat is earth to heaven ? What a mi-
nute to eternity ? If any thing be contrary
to eternity, what is it but this punOilioof
time we have here to fpend ? This brittle
life? What is it but an ell, a fp?.n, an inch,
a point ? O dear penny-worth, to buy the
merry madnefs of one hour, with ages of
pangs infinite and eternal ! O dearelt bar-
gain that ever was, to fell away heaven,
our everlafting inheritance, with Efau,
for a fip of momentany pleafure. [Oh !
vain and foolifli fouls ! that are fo little
concerned for eternity ; that for the trif-
flesoftime, and the pleafures of fin wliich
are but for a feafon, can find in their hearts
to forfeit an everlafting felicity.] I fee
this world and the other are mere oppo-
fites ; my life is fo fliort, and eternity fo
long, that I cannot tell what is moie con-
trary than thefe two : My life is nothing
but a now, this inflant is properly my
own, I cannot promifeto myfelf any thing
future, and therefore my life and eternity'
areas contrary as may be. [Onmyprcfcnt
con-
troubles, in forrows, in ficknelTes, in con-
tempt of others, in dangers by fea and
land ; that fometimes they were ready to
periih, and to call away their fouls by
this or that fin, but that God flill held
his fpecial hand over them, and gave them
grace, and brought them into the port and
haven of fecuritj'^, where is no fhadow of
miferies, [neither ficknefs, nor fin, nor
death, but all is health, and peace, and
purity, and life immortal : — They fliall
alfo remember, and look back with plea-
fure, on all their pious thoughts towards
God and their Saviour, and on their ex-
preflions of love, defire, hope, and truft in
him ; on all their inward and outward
afts of juftice and charity towards man ;
on all their pure and chafle, on all their
humble and felf- denied tlioughtsand deeds,
with reference to themfelves.] O what
ravifhing of fpirit will the foulsof thejuA
be cafl: into at their recalling of time pad: !
Now that the memory of things here be-
low remains ftill with the fpiritsof the juft
made perfeft, is manifeft [from fcripture,]
Rtmember me ivhen thou conicj} into thy
kingdom^ faid the good thief to Chrill,
Luke xxiii. 42. [and it is alfo manifeft
from reafon ; for memory, or confciouf-
nefs, being efi^ential to the human foul, it
may as foon ceafe to be, as ceafe to re-
member, or lofe the remembrance of things
part ; The foul therefore, the immortal
ibul, mujl and -will in another ftate call to
remembrance things paft, and remember
them much better than it doth, or can do,
now.']
2. For eternity to come, they fhall con-
fider, that the joy they enjoy they ftiall
enjoy for ever : They that be ivife floall
flnne as the brightnefs of the firmament s
and they that turn many to right eoufnefs,
as the fiars for ever and ever. They fhall
Jhine : how ^as the firmament, as thefiars,
Dan. xii. 9. or as //;t/«/7, faith our Saviour,
Matth. xiii. 45. Kot fo, faith Chryfoftom,
Gg2
228
MED I r^i r J o N.
condufl, in this moment of life, an eternity
of happinefs or mifery depends.]
VI. Compari/ons. But to what fhall 1
compare this eternity ? Js a drop of -wa-
ter is unto the fea, and a gravel Ji one is in
comparifon of the fan d^ fo are a thoifand
years to the day of eternity^ Eccl. viii. 9.
Nay, if we multiply a thoufand years a
thoufand times, it would not amount to
the leaft fradion of the numberlefs num-
ber of eternity. They fay, that the eighth
celeftial orb or fphere is moved wondrous
leifurely, for though it be daily wheeled
about by the rapid qjotionof the Primum
mobile^ ' the firfl: mover,' yet it finifheth
not its own proper circuit, but once in
thirty fix thoufand years ; and this fpace
of time they call the great year, or Plato's
year : But compare this with eternity, and
it will appear but as a moment, a very
nothing at all : To what then mayeft thou
compare this eternity ? O my foul, ' it is
like an orb every way round and like it-
felf; or like a wheel that turns and turns,
and' doth never ceafe turning; or like
3 year, continually wheeling about, which
turns again to the fame point whence it be-
gan, and Hill wheels about again ; or like
an ever- running fountain, whither the
, waters, after many turnings, flow back a-
gain, that they may always flow ; or like
a fnake bowed back into itielf orbicularly,
holding the tail in her mouth, which in its
end doth again begin, and never ceafeth to
begin ; or like a ring, or a globe, or like
a fphere, or like the circuit of the moon
without all end.'
VII. Ti^/wo«/Vj.Isnotthefcripture, O
jny foul, frequent in the mention of eterni-
ty ? Thefe Ojallgo into everlafting puniPo-
ment, but the righteous into life eternaly
Trtatth. XXV. 46. Their worm Pmll not die,
their fire Pmll not be quenched : Depart
from ?ne, ye curfed, into everlafling fre,
Mark ix. 44, 46, 48. Matth. xxv. 4^.
IVhcfoever drinketh of the water that Ifljall
give him,fl}all never thirflj but the water
that I fhall give him, fljall be in him a well
of water (pringing up into eternal life,
John iv. 14. We know that if our earthly
houfe of this tabernacle were diffolved, we
have a building of Cod, an hoife not made
with hands, eternal in the heavens, 2 Cor.
V. I. Surely he Poall not bemoved for ever,
the righteous fmll be in ever laf}ing remem-
brance, Pfa.cxii. 6. They that be wife fhall
flnneas thebrightnefs of the firmament ; and
they that turn many to righteoufnefs, as
the ftars for ever and ever, Dan. xii. 3.
Thus far, O my foul, for the infor-
mation of thy judgment : Now for the
flirring up of thy aIic6lJons.
I. Relifh. O eternity, whether of joys
or woes ! O that thou wert written in a
book, that thou wert graven with an iron
pen and lead in the rock for ever ! Job xix.
22, 23. O that my heart were the book !
that my meditation were the iron-pen and
lead ! and that this word Eternity werefo
imprinted and engraven in my heart, that
I might flill have it in my mind, when
pleafure fawneth, when lufl provoketh,
when the flefh rebelleth, when the Spirit
faileth ! O eternity how is it I forget thee !
[confider, O my foul, that thou art an im-
mortal fpirit. Thy body dies, but thou, thou
muft live for ever. O ! do nothing now,
but what thou mayeft with pleafure look
back upon a million of ages hence.] O my
foul be enablifhcd,and fay with David, my
heart is fixed, God, my heart is fixed,
Pfalm Ivii. 7. Set thyfelf in a fure place,
and ftand a while ; and ftanding, admire at
this eternity which always ftands, and ne-
ver pafl!eth away ; and that thou mayeft
tafte and relilh, that thou mayeft be affec-
ted and moved with this eternity,
I. Confider the never-dying worm,. and
the everlafting fire. O the bitternefs of
this eternity ! there's a man in the fire,
and a worm at his heart ; the fire burns
him, and the worm bites him, yet neither
of thefe makes an end of him ; there he
roars, and yells, and howls, and cries, O
\1Q
wo is me for ever ! A man
broad is the ivay, and many there are that
walk hell-ward. It were enough indeed
to make all tremble, though there were but
one amongft all the fons of Adam to fuf-
fer eternally ; but that Helljhould enlarge
herjelf, and open her month "without
TTieafurey and their glory and their multi-
tude and their pomp Pjould defcend into it,
Ifaiah v. 14. That there fhould be mil-
lions of men of the fame flelh and blood
that I am, chained together in hell, where
one roars and another anfwers, and all
bear this burden, Wo, and alas for ever 1
In one nook of hell, there's a lamentable
fhreek, Wo for ever, in another corner
far remote there's another fearful fhreek,
Wo for ever ; in all the corners of the
fmoky vaults there's a cry, or an echo of
this cry, For ever, for ever, for ever,
for ever. O my foul, how is it thou canft
fleep in the night, or be merry in the day,
whilft thou thinkeft attentively, or conll-
derert throughly of this meditation ? Lefs
matters have fometimes put men out of
their wits, and bereaved them of their lives.
[Oh that I might avoid thefe wicked cour-
fes of impiety, injuftice and intemperance,
that lead down to death and eternal perdi-
tion ! Oh that I would now mind the
things that belong unto my peace before
they be for ever hid from mine eyes .'
O wretched man, dareft thou to live one
moment longer in fin who knowefl not
but the next moment may be thy laft ! ]
2. Gonfider the eternity'of Joys: It
may be the former confideration is too le-
gal, and it will notfuit every fpirit fo well.
* Every thing is received according to the
receiver ; a legal fpirit, fay fome, doth re-
lilh and favour moft of thofe arguments
which are drawn from hell ; but an evan-
gelical fpirit doth beft reliQi them that are
drawn from heaven.' Come then, O my
foul, and in the clofe of this meditation
dwell on, and confider only the fweetnefs
of this eternity : But how fliould 1 con-
M ED ITyi T I O N. 229
faid I ! alas, fider of this eternity ? For fine e the begin'
ning of the world men have not heard, nor
perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye
feen, God, befides thee, ivhat he hath pre-
pared for him that ivaiteth for him, Ifaiah
Ixiv. 4. When Chrift fhall come again, he
{hall be admired of his fainfs, 2 Theff. i.
10. And why admired; but becaufe fome-
ihing (hall be feen then that was never
thought of before ? The faints cannot think
there is fo much glory in Jefi:s Chrift, as
then they ftiall find, and therefore they
iliall ftand admiring at him ; but yet be-
caufe the Lord is pleafed to let out a
beam of this light unto us in his blefifed
word, go on, O my foul, as the Lord fhail
, enable ; forget a while thy oxvn people, and
thy father's houfe, go out of this fleih and
world, and, by a deep, and fad, and ferious
meditation get into heaven ; and to make
way for entrance, lift up your heads, ye
gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlafting doors,
that a mortal, miferable wretchmay enter in .
When Paul was caught up into para-
dife, he heard unfpeahable words. And now
by contemplation lam in heaven, methinks
I fee Invifible fights; what happin'efs.is here
of faints ? I Ihall reduce all to thefe heads,
(i.) Their Duty; and (2.) their Glory ;
which laft Spears efpecially in their Joy,
and in the Objedl which they fee and enjoy.
I. The duty of thefe faints confifts in
the keeping of a perpetual fabbath ; con-
fider it, O ray foul, in thefe particulars.
I. They are exercifed in the higheft em-
ployments that any creature can be exer-
cifed in: Hearken the high praijes of God
are in their mouths ; befides the high con- '
templation of God and of the Trinity are
in their minds ; they are always finging^
praifes to God, and to him that fits upon
the throne, [for all his works of wonder,
for the effefts of that infinite goodnefs,
and admirable wifdom, and almighty
power which are clearly feen in the crea-
tion and government of the world, and
of all the creatures in it
particularly for
his
230 M E D I r A
his favours to mankind, for the benefit
of their beings, for the comfort of their
lives, and for all his merciful providences
towards them in this world : But above all
. for the redemption of their fouls by the
death of his Son, for the free forgivenefs
of their fins, for the gracious nfliftance
ofhisholy^Spirit, and for condu(51ing them
lafely through all the fnares and dangers,
the troubles and temptations of this world
to the fccure poirelTion of that glory and
happinefs which they then (hall be par-
takers of, and are bound to praife God
for to all eternity.] Pfal. cxlxix. 6. Sure-
ly this is the higheft employment, for this
' isthehighcft glory that God hath, not only
from his works here, but from all the
■ councils of his wifdom about the great my-
fiery of redemption, from all his works in
heaven, and from all the communications
of himfelfto the faints in heaven ; the end
of all that God does in the world is for his
glory, and the end of all that God docs
in heaven, is for theadlual working of the
fouls of his faints upon himfelf.
2. The hearts of faints are always up
and fit for thefe high praifes of God, they
are not fometimes enlarged, and fometimes
llraightencd ; no, no, their fouls are al-
ways up, always upon the higliefl pin, cn-
•" flamed with heat continually.
3. There is no intermillion of thefe high
praifes of God ; the faints continue day and
night, they go not to duty, and break olF
again ; and go again, and break off again ;
no, no, there's no other employment here,
there's nothing elfein heaven to fpend one
j-noment of that time in to all eternity.
4. There is no wearincfs in thefe faints,
though they are praifing of God millions
of years, yet they are as freHi at the end
of them as at the firft moment j O eterni-
ty ! O eternal duty !
II. The glory of thefe faints is both in
their fouls and bodies, but becaufe their
bodies are not yet in heaven, let pafs, O
' n y foul, that glory, and confidcr the glo-
r I o N.
ry of thefe fouls of faints ; in each foul
there is, the underflanding, will and affec-
tions : for the affeflions, confidcr only
their joy ; for the underflanding and will,
coniider their objefl they fee, which is, the
vificn of God; and the objeft they enjoy,
which is \)c\t fruition of Cody that relates to
the underflanding, this to the will.
(i.) For the joy of faints, it is a pure
joy without any mixture of forrow or fin ;
it is a fpiritual joy, flowing efpecially from
this, that God is their portion; it is a full
joy, for they * joy in God, they joy in the
glory of God, they joy in the communica-
tion of God to them, they joy in the glory
of one another ; look how many faints are
in heaven, fo many joys have the faints;
for they rejoice in every one's happinefs
as their own, this doubles and trebles and
multiplies their joys : O it is a full joy ;
but that which is more than all the reft,
it is a divine joy, for it comes from God,
and k is in God, and it is with God. i.
It comes from God being caufed by the
Spirit of God. 2, It is in God, and that
is another manner of joy than is in meat,
or drink, or in the creature. 3. It is with
God, it is the fame joy that God him-
felf hath; carnal hearts rejoice in fenfual
things, but God rejoiceth not in thefe
things they rejoice in ; now the faints
in heaven are exercifed in the fame joy
that God himfelf hath; the beams of their
joy are mingled with the beams of God's
joy. O glorious joy ! and yet the happi-
nefs of faints confills not in this joy, for
the enjoyment of God is above this enjoy-
ment; proceed then, O my foul, wade fur-
ther, and bathe thyfelf in thefe delicious
rivers of their heavenly paradife.
(2.) For this vifion of God, the under-
Handing, or the mind of faints fee God ;
in this happinefs of heaven 'are inclofed
thefe particulars.
I. The faints know God, for feeing is
put for knowing, i Cor. xii. 12. No-j) we
fee through a glafs darkly y but then face to
face i
MEDITy^riO N,
face ; novj we know i,t part, but then fh all
rue kno'O) as ive are known. Every fainjt in
heaven underftands all things, and knows
all perfons (o far as it may any way con-
duce to his happinefs ; there is no fim-
plicity, no (hallownefs in heaven, all the
faints there have (harpnefsof wir, confor-
mity with God in knowledge, which is in-
deed the- very image of God.
2. The faints underftand fo clearly as
that they need no help of faith ; no help
of means to fee thofe glorious things of
heaven, except that means we call the light
of glory. Indeed there is a light in hea-
ven above all the brightnefs^of this world,
a light that would dazle the eye of man,
and dim it; hence, in this frail condition,
no man can fee God, and live; when God,
or but an angel appeared, how were men
affrighted ? but in heaven, the fouls of the
juft are elevated, and enabled to fee with
joy thofe things that are manifefted, /;/ thy
light /hall we fee light, Pfal. xxxvi. 9. It
is called the inheritance of the faints in
light. Col. i. 12.
. The faints in this light fee not only the
attributes of his God, mercy, jufllce, truth,
and wifdom ; but the very limple pure
eflence of God ; which yet is not feparated
from his attributes ; there is a clear vilion
on their part, and a clear manifeflation on
God's part; both are from God, to make
them able to fee him, and to be willing to
be feen of them : and thus God Ihews him-
felf, not darkly, as to the patriarchs of old,
not terribly, as on mount Sinai ; not afar
off, as to Balaam ; not for a fhort time, as
in the transfiguration ; the faints new dwell
upon the contemplation of him, they have
time enough to take a full view of him,
even eternity itfelf.
(3.) For the fruition of God, the will of
the faints enjoys God. In this happinefs of
heaven are involved thefe things.
1 . The faints have God, and they know
they have God by a reflex afV.
2. As they know they have God, fo they
231
make what ufe they will of all the attri'
butes of God, and of all that is in God ;
they have as much ufe as they will of the
wifdom of God, and of the power of God,
and of the mercy in God, as one friend u-
fually fays to another, ' Make ufe of all I
have as your own ;' fo God bids the faints
make ufe of all his riches, and glory, and
excellency, as they will.
3.Astheymakeufeof God,fothey have
the fweet and comfort of what they ufe ;
hence God is faid to give us all things rich-
ly to enjoy, i Tim. vi. 17. He gives the
things, and he gives the comfort with it ;
he gives himfelf to the faints in glory, the
ufe of himfelf and the comfort of himfelf
in tlie ufe thereof.
4. As they enjoy God.fo they enjoy them-
felves in God, they live in God continually;
the fi(h doth not more truly live in the wa-
ter, and move in the water, than the fouls
a( faints do live in God, and move in God ;
Tour life is hid with Chrifi in God, Col.iii. 3."
The life of faints upon earth is an hidden
life, and it is hid in God, but in heaven ic
is a revealed life, and revealed in God, and
enjoyed in God. Such a fpeech is that of
Chrift, Enter into your mafier's jcy. Mat.
XXV. 23. it enters not into you,but ye mufl
enter into it ; and what is it? Tour maf-
ter'sjoy ; not only that joy that your maffer
gives, but the fame joy that your mafler
has, it is your maker's own joy that yoii
muft enter into, and that you fhall live in.
So,Iwas in the fpirit on the Lord's day,{-m\\.
John, Rev. i. 10. it is not faid the fpirit
was in hiwyhut he was in the fpirit ; lurely
this was a beginning of the glorious con-
dition of the faints of God ; they are in
the Spirit of God, not only God in them,
but they in God. And this, O my foul, is
the fpiritual part of heaven, doth it not re-
lilh ? tajie and fee that the Lord is good /
O here is the pure, fpiritual, quinteflential
joys of heaven ! the faints are fo fwallow-
ed up in God, as that they cannot any fur-
ther mind themfelves, but altogether God ;
way
232 M E D I
nay rheir minds, and wills, and affefiions,
are all fet on God and nothing elfe. i.
Their minds are fo immediately fet on
God, as if they were wholly emptied of
the creature, and had nothing to do but
with an 'uncreated good, even God himfelf.
2. They will not any thing to thcmfelves
nor to any creature, but all to God ; O
their wilUs wholly taken up Vv'ith God. 3.
Their affections are wholly fet on" God ;
they rejoice in the Lord ahvays, and again
rejoice in the Lord, Pfalm. iv. 4. They
love the Lord -ojill all their heart, and
ivith all their foul, and with all their mindy
Mat. xxii. 37. an(^though they love them-
felves, yet fo as that they love thcmfelves
for God : in this world we love God for
ourfelves, which is but a natural love, or
for himfelf, which is a gracious love ; but
in heaven the faints love. themfelves for
God, which is a glorious love. And in
this kind of love of God, and enjoyment
of thcmfelves in God, the faints are raviHa-
ed with God, and are in a kind of extafie
eternally. * O the fweetnefs of this eter-
nity ! O blefled eftate of faints in the king-
dom of heaven ! O glory not to be expref-
fed, even by thofe who are glorified i There
is that perpetual fpring, which through the
frefli and fwcct breathings of the Spirit of
God, fhall flouridi ever; there is time, if
it be time, always after one fort, not di-
ftinguiflied into evening and morning, but
continued with a fimple eternity. O e-
ternity of joys, worthy of continual fongs
of faints and angels to celebrate thy praife !
O eternity of joys i how (hould 1 extoll
thee, delire thee, love thee, and hate all
this world for thee !' [O blclfed time ! -when
all tears Jhall be wiped from our eyes, and
r A T I O N.
death and forrow Jhall be no more : when
mortality Hiall \>q fw allowed up of life, and
we (hall enter upon the polTeflion of all
that happinefs and glory which God hath
promifed, and our faith hath believed,
and our hopes have raifed us to the expec-
tation of; when we (hall be eafed of all
our pains, and refolved of r.ll our doubts,
andbe purged from all our fins, and be freed
from all our fears, and be happy beyond
all our hopes, and have all this happinefs fe-
cured to us, beyond the power of time and
change : when we fhali know God, and o-
ther things without ftudy, and love him and
one another without meafure, and ferve
and praife him without wearinefs, and o-
bey his will without the lead reluclancy ;
and iliall ftill be more, and more delight-
ed in the knowing, and loving, and prai-
fing, and obeying God to all eternity.]
II. CG7uplaint. But alas ! where is my
love, my longing after this eternity > what
little taQe and favour have I of this fweet-
nefs? My foul, what dulnefs and heavinefs
is this that hangs upon thee ? How hath
the world bewitched thee that thou art be-
come fo carnal, fo corporeal, fo fenfelefs
of fpiritual things ? Thy thoughts run af-
ter riches, and they are uncertain ; thou
art ambitious after honours, and they are
flippery ; thou art in love with pleafures,
and their end is fudden, and there is bit-
ternefs in the end ; thou art daily conver-
fing with men, but death (hall dilfolve-all
knots of friendfliip with others. O pre-
pofterous care ! what, all on the world * ?
and now Eternity is thy meditation, (on
which thou Ihouldft tafie largely, and be
affefted deeply) art thou now all a mort ?
O what dulnefs, what drowfmefs, what fe-
• When we come to die, and etcrnhy (hall prefcnt itfflf to our ferious and waking thoughts, then things
will put on another face, and thofe things which we valued fo n-ucli In this life wiU then appear to be nothing
worth ; but thofe things which we negleftcd, to be of iniiniie conce-rDroent to us, and worthy to have been the
care and endeavour of our whole lives. And if we would conf.der thelc things in time, while the opportunities
of life and health arc before us, we might bt- convirctd at s cheaper rate, and come to be fatisficd ot the vanity
of this world before wc dcfpaircd of the happincls of the olhtr, — T i l l o r s o n .
curity
M E D I
cnr'ity is this ? if thou hafl: in thee any fpark
of that heavenly fire firfl: breathed into thee
by the Spirit of God, awake, awake, O
my foul, away, away with this dull, fenfelefs
fecurity, and confider there's but a ftep be-
tween thee and Eternity of joys. What
haft thou rot feen ? haft thou not heard ?
and when all is done, art thou fo carelefs
of thy home, fo fenfelefs of fpiritual de-
lights ? A gracious heart takes not the things
of heaven as guefles and imaginary things,
but looks upon them as certain, fubftantial
realities ; and this is a fign of grace, O my
foul, if thou art able to look at the things
of heaven, as the only real, fubftantial,
■excellent things, and fo as to darken all
the things of the world. Carnal men
look upon thefe heavenly things as con-
ceits and imaginations, they have not faith,
nor do they know within themfelves that
there are fuch things, but the faints kno-w
"ivithin themfelves, that they have a bet-
ter and an enduring fuh fiance, Heb. x. 34.
Luke xvii. 21. the kingdom of heaven
is within them, and therefore they are u-
fually quick and a6Hve, and lively, and
cheerful in their fervices or fufPerings. O
my foul, how fhould I bewail thy wants ?
Doft thou doubt whether there bean hea-
ven or whether thou haft a God and a Sa-
viour there ? Oh far be it from thee this
atheifm, wo to thee if thou believeft not ;
but O thou of little faith, doft thou be-
lieve there is fuch an happinefs, and an hap-
pinefs for thee, and yet thou defirefl it
not, and yet thou delighteft not in it ? A-
las, how weak and unbelieving is thy belief?
How cold and faint are thy defires ? Tell me
what fuch goodly enterir.inment haft thou
met withal here on earth that was worthy
to withdraw^ thee from thefe heavenly joys ?
Or what caufe of diflike findeft thou a.
bove ? Oh nohej my foul, it is only thy
milerable drowfinefs, only thy fecurity.
Oh what (hall I fay ? AVhat aileth thee, O
my foul ? As Jonathan faid to Amnon,
•why art thou lean from day to day^ being
H
TAT I O N. 233
the king's fon ? So, "why art thou heavy, O
my foul, and why walkcft thou fo dum-
pilhly in the ways of God, being the King
of heaven's fon ?
III. Wifj. O that I could mind this eter-
nity ! that I could tafte or reliftn this eter-
nity ! that I were fitted and prepared for
eternity ! that I -were -wife, that I un-
derflood this, that I confidtred my latter
end! Deut. xxxii. 29. that new while
it is called to day, while it is the accepted
time, and the day of falvation, 2 Cor. vi.
2. I had a diligent and intent eye upon this
Eternity ? O that I could ftill realbn thus,
What if I endure hunger and thirft-, emp-
tinefs and injuries, ficknefs and poverty ?
What if I were beaten with rods, or fuf-
fered fjipwreck P what if I were floned to
death ? 1 Cor. xi. 23. all thefe are nothing
to that eternity of woe?. On the contra-
ry. What if I had Crefus' riches, Solo-
n?Dn's wardrobe, Belfhazzar's cup-board,
Samfon's ftrength, Abfalom's beauty ? What
if an angel Jhould take me up into an ex'
ceeding high rnountainy and fhew me all
the kingdoms of the world, and the glory
of them, and fay unto me, All thefe will
I give thee ? all thefe are nothing to e-
ternal glory. O Lord, that I could wait
and long for thy falvation ! O that I could
mind the things above ! O that my eyes,
like the eyes of thy firft martyr, could by
the light of faith fee but a glimpfe of hea-
ven ! O that my heart could be rapt up
thither in defire ! O that I could fee hea-
ven with a difcerning, experimental, fpi-
ritual, fixed, believing eye 1 O that my
mind were raifed to look after that com-
munication of God that I Pnall have here-
after ! O that my converfation were in hea-
ven ! O that my foul were at this very time
and moment to receive the influence of
heaven's joys into it ! How then fhould I
trample upon thefe poor vanities of the
earth ! how willingly fhould I endure
all forrows, all toiments ! how fcorn-
fuUy fhould I pafs by all pleafures, all
h pomps !
234 MED n A
pomps 1 how fliowld I be in travail of my
tliirolution ! O when fhall this day come
that I ("hall perform that duty, and partake
of the glory of the faints ? "When fhall
this day come, that I fhall poffefs that pure,
and fpiritual,and full, and divine joy which
comes from God, and is in God, and is
u-ith God ? When fhall this day come that
1 fhall have * the vifion of God, and the
fruition of God ;' when lliall I fee God,
and enjoy God, and enjoy myfelf in God ?
Oh, wh;n fhall this day come, that I fhall
enter into thefe confines of eternity, and
folace myfelf in God ? ^s the hart panteth
after the "jjater-brooks, fo panteth my joul
after thee, God : my foul thirfteth for
Cod, for the living God : when fhall [
come and appear before God F
IV. Confejfion. I defire Lord, but alas, how
weakly, how dully, how heartlefly ? I am
not able, * Not fufficlcnt of myfelf to think
any thing as of myfelf, but my fufJiciency
is of God :' it is nature that pullsjme from
this holy meditation ; nature favours itfelf,
loves the world, abhors death and eternity
in another world : it is my mifery that I
dote on nothing, or on fin, that's worfethan
nothing; how long fhall thefc vanities thus
befot me ? How long flo all thefe vain thoughts
lodge within me ? Jer. iv, 15. Why Lord ?
there is no flrength in me, I can neither will
nor do ; // is thou only muji work in me
both to will and to do (both to meditate on,
and to prepare for eternity) of thy good
will and plea fure, Phil. ii. 13,
V. Petition. To thee, Lord, I make my
moan, to thee I tender my humble petiti-
on, and pour out my foul : O give me a
tafte and relilh of this eternity ; O give me
* this water, that I need thirft no more ;'
O give me fuch a tafte or reliih of this
■water, that it may be in me a well of wa-
ter Springing up into eternal life : O in-
ri o N.
flame my foul with a love of thefe thoughts,
with a longing defire after this eternity of
joys. O let me not always be thus dull
and brutifh, but thoi: that haft prepared e«
ternity for me, prepare my foul for eter-
nity * ; teach me fo to carry on this earth,
that I be not fhut out of thofe eternal man-
fions in heaven; open my eyes that I may
fee ; draw afide this vail, that I may know
what eternity i: ; give me fo to live as one
that labours for eternity, contends for e-
terniry, fuffers for eternity, [lives for eter-
nity ;] let me never be fo foolifh as to fet-
tle myfelf on vanity, and to negletft this
eternity that never Ihall have end. Oh fa-
ther of glory, give me thefpirit of wifdom
and revelation in the knovjledgeofChrif^f
that the eyes of my underjranding being in-
lightened, I may know what is the hope of
thy calling, and what the riches of the glo'
ry of thy inheritance is in the faints, Eph.
i. 17, 18. Lord, here is the fummary of
my fuit, that I may know, not only the
inheritance of the faints, hutthe inheritance
in the faints, and the glory of the inheri-
tance,and the riches of the glory; nor would
I have my underftanding to know this,
but I defire that the eyes of my underjiand-
ing ?nay be inlightened ; and let this come
from * the knowledge of Chrifl, from the
fpirit of wifdom and revelation, and from
the Father of glory.* O Lord, my mean-
ing is, and my prayer is, that I may find
fome experimentaljfweet and fpiritual good
in myfelf as the beginning of that eternal
good which I expedl: ; others may know
what this eternity is in fermons, in books,
in the written word ; but the faints only
know in themfelves that they have a bet»
ter and enduring fubf lance, Heb. x. 34. O
Lord, that I may know in myfelf what this
eternity is, that I may know it by that ex-
perimental fweetnefs of the beginning of
♦ There cannot be a better preparation for death and eternity, than a good life. Whofocvcr therefore lives
well, that is, -whofocver lava God and bis nngbbour, is prepared for eternity,
glory.
M E D IT^r 10 N, z^s
find in myfelf, and what is thee ; he owes it, bccaufe he hath promi-
^lory, that I
glory begun but grace and holinefs ? thou
feeft, Lord, that it is no ftrange favour that
I beg of thee, it is no other than that which
thou haft richly bcftowed upon all thy va-
liant martyrs, confefTors, fervants from
the beginning, who never could fo chear-
fiilly have embraced death and torments,
if thro' the midfl of their flames, and pains
they had not feen their crown of glory.
IVe faint fiot in fufferings , becaufe we look
at things that are not feeuy 2 Cor. iv. i6.
Why Lord, one drop of heaven within me
would darken all the glory of the world
without me ; O let me fee heaven in the
reality of it with a clear, fpiritual, fixed
eye ; let into my heart one fweet and fav-
ing thought of eternity, and then when
thou wilt. Lardy let thyfervant depart in
peace. My times are in thy hand, I am
no better than my fathers ; my life is a
bubble, a fmoke, a fhadow, a thought, I
know there is no abidingin this thorough-
fair : oh fufFer me not to be fo mad, as
while I pafs on the way, to forget the end ;
it is that other life that I muft look after ;
with thee it is that I muft continue ; Oh
let me never be fo fpiritually foolifh as to
fettle myfelf on what I muft leave, and
negleft eternity. I have feen enough of
this earth, and yet I love it too much.
Oh let me fee heaven another while, and
love it fo much more than the earth, by
how much the things there are more wor-
thy to be loved. Oh God, look down on
me, and teach me to look up to thee, and
to fee thy goodnefs in the land of the li-
ving ; thou that boughteft heaven for me,
guide me thither ; and for thy mercy's
lake, in fpight of all temptations, enlight-
en thou my foul, direft it, crovi'n it, that
fo at laft I may do that duty, and receive
that glory of thy faints, in joying, feeing,
and enjoying God to all eternity.
VL Confidence. Behold, O my foul,
and do not merely crave, but challenge
this favour of God, as that which he owes
fed it, and by his mercy he hath made his
gift his debt : is there not a promife made,
BleJJed is the people that know the joyful
found, they Jhall walk in the light of thy
countenance, (9 I,o;\'/, Pfal. Ixxxix. 15. and
is it not an experience tried, I fat down un-
der his fhadow with great delight, and his
fruit was fweet to my tafie, .G^nt. ii. 3.
O what is this but the tafte of eternity ?
What is this but a glimpfe of unfpeakable
joy i O Lord, let me tafle this fweetnefs
by fome real experiments in my own heart !
give me. Lord : what wilt thou give ? give
me a fpiritual eye that I may look at this e-
ternity as a fpiritual thing ; a carnal heart
looks at it carnally ; Oh the flalhes of
joy to have a crown and a kingdom ! but
a fpiritual heart looks at eternity fpiritually.
O give me to look to heaven with a right
eye, and in a right manner to look at the
fph-itual part, and fpiritual excellency in
heaven, which confifts in * the vifion of
God, and fruition of God ; in the image
of God, and communion with God :' O
give me thus to fee, and to know the rea-
lity of this eternity. Give me Lord, what
wilt thou give ? Give me an heavenly prin-
ciple that will carry me heaven-ward : the
church is compared to pillars offinoke that
afcend upward to heaven, Cant. iii. 6. tho*
the church be black and dark in regard of
her infirmities, yet fhe hath a principle to
carry her upward to heaven : and the
faint sare compared to eagles that flie aloft
towards heaven, though their bodies are
not there, yet their hearts and fouls are
there : why, Lord, my treafure is in hea-
ven, Oh let my heart be there ! Oh, where
fhould it be but there? Is not heaven the
place and center of my heart ? and have
not all things in nature a principle to carry
them to their proper place ? Experience
tells me that as the place of fire is on high,
fo fire hath a principle to carry it on high,
and as the place of earth is below, fo earth
hath a principle to carry it below: and if the
ft h 2 place
23^ MED IT A T I
place and center of my heart be in heaven,
mufl it not have a principle to move natu-
rally thither ? O the confciences of many
tell them their fonis work downward to
Vanity and fenfuality : But, O Lord, let
my foul work heaven-ward ! O Chrift, let
my foul move towards thee ! though I
have weights of corruption that would
weigh me down, yet give me and affure
me of that principle that does work to hea-
ven. Give me, Lord ; what wilt thou give
me ? give me fome beginnings of eter-
nal life wrought in me here, give me the
£rfl;-fruits of heaven. The Scripture faith,
that whom he hat^jiijiified, them he hath
glorifitd, Rom. viii. 30. /. e. they have
the glory of heaven begun in them : Why
Lord, give me this earned ; give me an
heart enlarged with God's image ; now is
the image of God begun, and in heaven
the image of God ihall be renewed : Oh
give me this image, give me righteoufnefs
and holinefs, for that is the image of Cod,
Eph. iv. 24. give me thy prefence, give
me the vifions of God, and fruitions of
God ; fuch things are in heaven ; and, as
the earneft of my inheritance, give me
the firfl fruits, give me fome acquaintance
of thy blefled Self in every ordinance;
let there be a ftronger union betwixt God
and my foul ; let me enjoy God in the
creature, and God in the ordinances, and
God in all things ; yea, let me enjoy God
in myfelf, and myfelf in God : O let the
fabbaths be my delight as a beginning of
that eternal fabbath that I rtiall keep in hea-
ven : and thus before I go into heaven, let
heaven come into me : let me talle of e-
ternity by thele real experiments in my
own foul. And now Lord, that thou haft
in fome fweet meafure afliired me, in that
thou begin neft to warm my heart, and to
perfuade my foul that I have a right and
intereft to this eternity ; how (hould I
but grow bold and confident ? Chear up,
O my foul, chear up my love, Chrift's
fair one, * for lo the winter is alraoftpaft,
O N.
and the time of the finging of birds Is al-
nioft come.* It is but a while, and I fhall
be free from the body of fin and death ; it
is but a while, and the image of God fliall
be made perfe£l in me ; it is but a while,
and I fhall behold the bleffed face of God,
and fiiall live to the praife of that blefled
God without any intermiffion, and fhall
join with thofe bleffed creatures, that are
eternally bleffing and praifing God ; thofe
taftes thou haft formerly had, affure thee
of this. Believe it, believe the promifes ;
be content to venture all thofe great things
of eternity upon that bare word of God,
Pfal. Ixxxix. 15. Cant. ii. 3. and iii. 6.
Rom. viii. 30, Eph. iv. 24. What? doft
thou believe! furely this one work of God
to make thee clofe wiih the promife, and
to venture all on the promife, doth of it-
fdf intereft thee in this eternity ; for this
is an immediate work of the Spirir,it is from
a divine principle to be able to do this ;
and yet ftay not here ; prefs on, O my
foul, and do not only believe a tafte, but
a hearty draught of eternity ; thefe tafles
are but earnefts, but there is a promile of
everlafting fruition : hath he not given his
word for eternal life, John iii. 16, for an
eternal inheritance, Heb. ix. 15. for ever-
lafiing righteoufnefs, Dan. ix. 24. for an
inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and
that fadeth not away, 1 Pet. i. 4. Awake,
arife, O my foul, and lay hold on the promi-
fes of this blefled Eternity ; be not dil'mayed
by reafon of thy unworthinefs, for the pro-
mife is of grace, freely offered, and freely
given to them that be unwoi ihy in their own
eyes. Chrift hath purchafed righteoufnefs
and everlafting life ; believe in him, and live
to all eternity. Omy foul, why art thou dull
and iluggilli, wherefore doft thou not put
forth thyfelfro embrace and receive this pro-
mife of eternity ? ' God's promifes are ever
certain, never lefs, but rather more in accom-
plilhment than in tender;' why doft thou
notcaft thyfelf upon thisbleffed ifrue,IfGod
be * merciful; I am eternally i" It is the fure
pro-
M E D ITAT I O N. iij
given thee a view of them, admire at this f
2. Break forth into praifes, join with
thofe blefled elders, that fell down before
the lamb, having all harps in their hands
and golden vials full of odours, and who
fung, Worthy art thou -who ivafi /lain, and
haji redeemed us unto God by thy bloody to
receive honour, and blejjing, and glory, Rev.
V. 8, 9. Make melody with all thofe crea-
tures in heaven, and on earth,and under the
earth,and in the fea,who {zy^BleffingJoonourj
promlfe of God, That he that ielieveth
hath eternal life, John iii. 16. therefore if
I believe, I am already a free denizon of
the new Jerufalem ; Eternity of joys is
already referved for me : why Lord, I
believe, come glory, come eternity, and
welcome glorious eternity, eternal glory.
Conclujion, Return unto thy rej}, my
foul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully
ivith thee, Pfalm cxvi, 7. And yet before
thy rell, I . Dwell a little in admiring at the
goodnefs of God, at the infinite treafures glory, and power be unto him tBatfitteth u-
of the riches of the glory of the grace of pon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever
God towards the children of men ! After
the apoftle had fpoken of glorification, he
cries out. What Poall ive fay to thefe
things P Rom. viii. 30, 31. Now, O my
foul, thou haft been difcourfing of eternity,
what doft thou fay to thefe things ? the
height, and depth, and length, and breadth
of the loving' kindnefs of the Lord ! Hoxu
unfe arch able are his 7nercies ! and his
grace pafl finding out ! how great is thy
goodnefs which thou haf} laid up for them
that fear thee, which thou haft wrought
before the fons of men I if ever God
wrought about any thing, it was about the
communication of his goodnefs to man;
This was the work of God, and great de-
fign of God from all eternity ; Nay, the
chief of the deep infinite councils of God,
and the works of the wifdomof God have
been, and yet are exercifed about this; O my
foul, admire, admire ! if in any part of this
Meditation thou haft had a true fpiriiual
fight of the riches of the goodnefs of God,
in the way of his communication of hap-
pinefs and glory to the children of men ; if
thou haft feen into the great delign of God,
into the deep ^councils of the wifdom of
God; ifthe Lord hath in fomefweetmeafure
laid open his heart to thee, and brought
thee into the treafures of his riches, and
and ever, ^tv.v. 13. Be raifed, be en-
larged, O my foul ! is there not caufe ?
why Chrift was the Lamb fain for thee i
and Chrift by his blood hath redeemed thee
unto God. O the incomparable love and fa-
vours of the Lord ! Was it ever found that a-
ny king or potentate fliould adopt the blind,
the lame, the deaf, the dumb, to fuccced
^im in his inheritance ? and fhall fuch an
one as I (the vileft, the worft of finners)
inherit everlafting life, a crown that never
withereth, a durable treafure, which can
never fade \ O what fhall I give unto the
Lord for this eternity .^ My foul, rejoice
thou in the Lord, and blefs his holy name :
Now begin that hallelujah on earth, which
in heaven thou flialt fing more fweetly to
all eternity, Hallelujah ! and again Hal-
lelujah ! Amen Hallelujah I
And now, O my foul, give up thyfelf to
God, andrepofe thyfelf wholly on thy ma-
ker and redeemer ; be abundant in. lervice,
there fhall not be one tear, nor one figh,
iTor one prayer loft. Wait patiently on
God, for the full pofTeffion of this eternity,,
and walk chearfully in the way that he
leads thee thereunto. Say at the parting of
this meditation, O Lord, O eternity * it-
felf ! O thou firftand hii\,j^lpha and OmegUy
without beginning and without all er.d, I
• Our auth )i muft be i nderrtood here as invoking God almighty by the name of Eternity, and not as addref-
fmg himlcif, like the pocis, to eternity iticlf,
recom-
a^S rhe LIFE of F Aim.
Tecommend my foul, my ways to thee ; for eternity through Chrift thy only Son,
take me to thy keeping, and prepare me my only Saviour, Pfal. xvi. 8.
CHAP. IX. SECT. I.
Of the Nature of the Ufe of FA 17 H.
TO live by faith, 'is by faith in Chrift
to aflent and adhere unto and to
poflefs the whole word of God as our own
in all eftates and conditions, refting quietly
upon his gracious and faithful promife, and
yielding ourfelves unto his good pleafure,in
fincere, univerfal, and conftant obedience :'
Or, to live by faitli^'is to feed upon the fe-
vcral promifes of God made in his word.and
to apply them toourownfelves,accordingto
our needs, and fo to uphold, comfort and
encourage ourfelves againft all temptati-
ons, and unto every good duty.' This life
of faith is a very heaven upon earth, a
fweet fanftuary to any hunted foul ; here-
by our hearts will be cheared, our life
will be fweet to us, God will be glorified,
and the glory of his truth will be mightily
advanced. O bleffed duty !
f. 2. Of the Manner of this Life of Faith
in general.
OU R dlreftions for this life of faith
are either general or particular.
In general, that we may live by faith,
we muft endeavour two things.
I. To get matter for our faith to work
upon.
II. To order our faith aright in the
work.
I. That we may provide matter for our
faith to work upon, we muft: obferve three
things, (i.) That we ftore up all the good
promifes of God, and our own experien-
ces fesfonably : It is good to lay up in a
good time aforehand. (2.) That we lay
in promifes of all kinds : We had better
leave than lack ; it is the wifdom of a
man, that he may not live feebly and poor-
ly, but to have fomewhat to fpare, (3.)
That we fo lay them up that we may have
them at hand : It is folly to fay, I have as
good provifion as can be, but I have itnot
here : Let the word of God divell in you
p\enteoiiJly and richly in all ivifdom. Col.
iii. 16.
II. That we may order our fahh a-
rightin the work, obferve thefe directions.
1. Take pofteflion of the promifes, and
value them as our own. The prophet, re-
cording a promife in Ifaiah liv. 17. adds
thus, This is the heritage of the fervants
of the Lord. So that there's no godly man
or woman but is a great heir. W'henfo-
ever they look into God's book, and find
there any promife, they may make it their
ovi^n : juftasan heir that rides over divers
fields and meadows, he faith, this meadow
15 my heritage, and this corn-field is my
heritage : and then he fees a fair houfe,
and faith, this fair houfe is my heritage ;
and he looks upon them with another man-
ner of eye, than a ftranger that fliall ride
over thofe fields : So a carnal heart reads
thofe promifes, but merely as ftories, not
as having any intereft in them ; but a god-
ly man every time he reads the fcripture
(remember this note when you are read-
ing the fcriptures) and there meets with
a promife,he ought to lay his hand upon it,
and fay, this is a part of my heritage ; it is
mine, and I am to live upon it.
2. Expert nothing from the promife
but that which is fuitable to the nature of
it : To this purpofe fome promifes are
abfolute, which God hath fimply deter-
mined to accomplifli ; as the promife of
the MeiTiah, Ifaiah vii. 14. and of the
calling
The LIFE oj
calling of the Gentiles, Rom. xi. 26. Some
promifes are conditional, which God will
accomplifh in his own time, and in his own
manner and meafure ; in a word, they
are no further promifed than God feeth in
wifdom to be moft meet for his glory,
and our good ; as, all temporal blelfings,
lefs principal graces, and . the meafure of
all fanftifying graces : now in all thefe
expeft nothing from them, but that which
is fuitable to the nature thereof.
3. That done, then eye that particular
good in the promife which we (land in
need of, and fet God's power and faith-
fulnefs and wifdom awork, to bring it a-
bout ; forinftance, thou art in perfecuiion,
and either thou wouldft have deliverance
out of it, or comfort and refreshment in
it : In this cafe fee all this in the promife
(referring the order, and time and man-
ner to God) and then fet God's power and
faithfulnefs awork that can do it, and his
wifdom awork to contrive it, which way
he knows beft : This is the meaning of
that text. Commit thy ways unto the Lord,
trujl in him, and he /hall bring it to paCs,
Pfalni xxxvii. 5. and cafi your care upon
the Lord, for he caret h for you^ i Pet. v. 7.
4. By faith wait upon God, in that way
he hath appointed ; it is true, God will
work that good for us, yet we muft ufe
the means, and meet God in the courfe
of his providence, otherwife we live not
by faith, but tempt God, and throw away
his promifes and all.
5. Set it down and conclude, that God
will do whatfoever he hath promifed, and
FAITH.
n9
we (hall receive it in the ways of his pro-
vidence : This is the very work of faith
itfelf, thus it draws fap and virtue from
the promife, when it concludes. That ac-
cording to the good in the promife, it is
lure to be done.
6. But imagine the Lord delays and
doth not fuddenly accompliai, then muft
faith take up its (land, and (lay rill it come.
He that believethy maketh not hajle ; the
vijion is for an appointed time] and there-
fore -wait for ity Ifaiah xxviii. 1 6. fo the
Pfalmift, As the eyes of a fervant look
to the hands of his maj}er, and the eyes
of a^ maiden to her mi/lrefs, fo cur eyes
wait upon the Lord our God, until he have
mercy upon us, Pfalm cxxxiii. 2. not un-
til ive ivill, nor until we fee it fit, but
until He will have mercy upon us.
7. Imagine further that the Lord not on-
ly delays, but feems to frown, and to fay,
fiewillnot hearrin this cafe, labour with an
holy humility to contend with our God,and
by ftrong hand to overcome him, for the
Lord loves to be overcome thus, f When
Jacob wredled withGod, Let we ffo,faith the
Lord; I will not let thee goSzit\\]2iCoh, Gen.
xxxii. 6, So do we catch the Lord Jefus, and
ftrive with him, and leave him not, till
we have thofe comforts he hath promifed,
and which we have begged : Surely this
is the glory and viftory, and triumph of
faith, when the Lord is fain to lay down
his weapons, and to yield himfelf as con-
quered. Thy name fhall no more be called
Jacob, but Ifrael, becaufe thou hafi prevail-
edwith Cody Gen. xxxii. 28.
t )^' *"' J "°' ""f^S''''^ 'I'^lpo'J ^•■^'g'^'y alters his meafures and conduft. becaufe of our importunity. No r
™Vft ?. thU t3 r'" 7 r """"'"^ tJ'erefore of our author, when he faith, The lord Icles to he overcome,.
? r\ ■ Tw- °''r u" •'";:"'' '""f« and importunate in our re^uefts for fpiritual and divine things be*
^r r ^e r Tlr V""",?l °"''""'" l"^ ^^'"^ ^"^ *^'^- ""'' -akes usfit to rec'l^ive and enjoy them"' And
therefore God. who loves all hu creatures, but particularly mankind, and who knows how ,o make tt^m happy has
he bater to accommod te h.mfelf to our weak capacities, has thought fit to f.gnify bis readincfs to beOow al oooi
Two
240
Two caxuions concerning promifes, and
the life of faith, are mainly to be obferved
in the general.
I. That not barely the promifes, but the
perfon of Chrift, is the objefl of faith :
We are not to reft on the promifes alone,
but to clofe with Chrift in thofe promifes ;
and therefore in receiving of, or having
recourfe unto a promife, we are firft to
feck out for Chrift in It, as being the foun-
dation of it, and fo to take hold of the
promife in him : Thus Philip directs the
eunuch. Believe on the Lord Jefus, Ac>s
viii. 31. The promife is but the cafket,
and Chrift the jewtl in it ; the promife but
the field, Chrift is the pearl hid in it, and to
be chiefly look'd at : Thus it is faid, the
promifes of pardon are not as pardons of
aprince, which merely contain an expref-
fjon of his royal word for pardon ; but
God's promifes are made in his Son, and
. are as if a prince fliould offer to pardon a
traitor, upon marriage of his child, whom
in, and with that pardon he tenders : The
reafon hereof is, becaufe Chrift is the grand
promife, in whom all the promifes are
Tea and Amen, 2 Cor. i. 20.
2. That promifes in things temporal and
fpiritual (not abfolutely necefl^ary to falva-
tion) are not univerfal, but indefinite, /. e.
he makes fuch promifes,becaufe fometimes,
though not ahrays, he grants accordingly.
For inftance, that promife of healing the
Jick, cannot be univerfal, for it might then
be fuppofed that fick men ftiould never die,
feeing the elders, James v. 15. may at all
fuch times of danger of death, ftill come
and pray with them ; but we all know it
is appointed for all ?n(n once to die, Hcb.
ix. 17. the manner thereof is, that prayer is
an ordinance to which God hath made fuch
a gracious promife,2nd he often doth rcftore
the fick at their prayers; and therefore up-
on every fuch particular occnfion, we are
to rely upon God for the performance of
i\ by an aft of recumbency, tho' we cannot
with an aft of full aifurance, the promife
The LIFEof F.^ITH,
not being imiverfal, but indefinite. Of like
nature are all other promifes of things tem-
poral or things fpiritual, not abfolutely
neceflary to falvation ; as long life, riches,
honour, afliirance of evidence to them that
fear him ; the tenor and purport of which
promife is not as if abfolutely, infallibly,
and univerfally God doth always perform
thefe to thofe that arc truly qualified, with
the conditions fpecificd in thdfe promifes ;
the contrary, both fcripture, inftances, and
common experience ihews, they are there-
fore indefinitely meant, and fo to be un-
derftood by tis ; becaufe whenever God
doth difpenfe any fuch mercies to any of
his, he would do it by promife : and he re-
quires anfweiably an a6t of faith fuitable
to that his meaning in the promife ; that as
he Intended not in fuch promii'es, an ab-
folute, infallible, univerfal obligation of
himfelf to the performance of them to all
that fear him ; fo the afl of faith, which
a man is to put forth towards this promife,
In the application of It for his own parti-
cular, is not required to be abfolute, in-
fallible perfuafion and aifurance, that God
will beftow thefe outward thijigs upon
him, having thefe qualifications in him, but
only an Indefinite a<5>, as I may call it, of
recumbency and I'ubmiirion, cafting and
adventuring ourfelves upon him for the
performance of it to us, not knowing but
he may in his outward dilpenfationsmake
it good to us; }et with fubmllfion to his
good pleafure, if othcrwife he difpofe it ;
and if he grant, to confider then, That
whatfoever we have, it is not by a mere
providence, but by virtue of a promife.
§. 3. Of the nianner of this life of faith in
particular, as in temporal evils.
1>j particular, that we may live by. faith,
obferve we, i. The promifes. 2. The
extrcifes of faith concerning the promifes.
And both thefe are' confiderable either in
regard of ourfelves, or of others.
I. In regard of ourfelves, and therein we
ihall
The LIFE of
/ball confider matters Temporal, Spiritual,
Eternal.
Things temporal are either Evil, or
Good.
W't fhall begin firft with Temporal Evils;
and concerning them, i. Give you the
promifes : and 2. The excrcife of faith in
refpeft of thefe promifes.
I. The promifes that concern temporal
evils have reference to thofe evils, either in
General, or in Special.
(i.) Evils general, are a"ffli(flions and
dangers, concerning which we have pro-
mifes, fome to Prevent, fome to Qualifie,
and feme to Remove thefe afBiftions.
I. The promifes to prevent afHiftions,
you may read in the word, and they are
thefe, and the like, Pfalm xci. lo. Pfalm
cxxi. 7. Job V. 19. Zech. ii, 5. where the
Lord promifeth to be a ivall of fire to his
people ', (not of flone orbrafs, faith Theo-
doret) that it may both fray afar off, and
keep off too at hand, protecl them, and de-
flroy their enemies.
2. The promifes to qualifie evils, are
thefe, and the like; Pfal. ciii. 13, 14. Ifa.
xlix. 13, 14. 15- Hof. xi. 8, 9. In this Jaft
promife, God imitates parents, faith Theo-
doret,when any mifery is upon their child,
their bowels yearn more; never fits the child
fo much upon the mother's lap, never lies
fo much in her bofom, as when he is fick :
fo the fpoufe being fick of love, /, e. in
fome mifery, Ch?-ift flnyeth her -with flag-
gcns^ comforts her -with apples, his left
hand is 'under her head, and his right hand
doth embrace her. Cant. ii. 5, 6. where we
mny read God's compaffion to his chil-
drtn in their calamities, that he narrowly
obferves every one of them ; Thou tel-
lejt mywanderings , Plalm Ivi. 8. yea, he
niaKes lo precious a reckoning of their
griefs and forrr)ws, that not a tear talis to
the ground, but he keeps it, pieferves it,
as precious liquor, in his bottle; put 7ny
ttars in thy bottle : yea, he kteps them in
memoryr he notes them and writes them
I
FAITH. 241
in his book, as if he would chronicle our
tears for everlafling remembrance; y/r^
they net in thy book ? 2 Cor. iv. 17. Is
there, or can there be any richer or fuller
exprefTion of TuJly, than there is in the
Greek ; where there is both an elegant
Antithefis, and double Hyperbole, beyond
Engli/hing, Kath' uperbolen eis uperbclen,
for affliction^ glory ; for light afflieiion^
heavy, malfie, fubilantial glory, a -weight
of glory ; for momentany affliSlion, eter-
nal glory ; nay, the apoftle aads degrees of
comparifon, yea, goes beyond all degiecs,
calling it more excellent, far more excel-
lent, 2Ln hyperbole, hyperbole exceeding ex-
cejfive, eternal -weight of glory.
3. The promifes to bear them, or, in
due time to remove them, are thefe,^and the
like; Pfal. xxxvii. 24. Jer. xxix. 1 1. J\';c.
vii. 8, 9. Pfal. xcvii. 1 1. as fure as harvtfl
follows feeding, fo to the righteous, com-
*fort follows mourning, John xvi. 20. i
Cor. X. 13.
(2.) Evils fpecial, are ilcknefs, poverty,
famine, war, captivity, witchcraft, poHef-
fion, opprelTion.
I. For ficknefs, we have promifes, fome
to Prevent, fome to Qualifie, and fome to
Remove Sicknefs. (i.) The promiles to
Prevent, are thefe, and the like; Exod. xv.
26. Deut. vii. 15, Pfal. xci. 10. (2.) Pro-
mifes to Qualifie ficknefs, are thefe, and the
like, Pfal. xli. 3. Heb. xii. 6, 7, 8. (3.)
Promifes to Remove fickneis, are thefe and
the like ; Exod. xxiii. 25. Deut. vii. 15.
Ifa. xl. 31.
2. For poverty, we may flore up thefe
promifes, Pfalm xxiii. throughout, Pfalm
xxxv. 9, 10. Pfalrn xxxvii. 25. Heb. xiii.
15. The wicked indeed may have more a-
bundance than the chriUian ; but here's the
dilference. 1 he wicked hath iill by a pro-
vidence,[he chriflian hath all by a promife;
and this diflindion the poor chrifiian
would not part with for a world of gold.
3. For famine, we inay ftore up thefe
promiies, Job v. 19, 20. Pfalm xx^iiii. 18,
* 19.
-42 ^^''^ LIFE
19, Prov. X. a, 3. Pfalm xxxvii. i8, 19.
Ifa. xli. 17, 18. Some martyrs being cart
into prifon, and denied neceffary food,
they had faith to return this anfwer, * If
men will give us no meat, we believe God
will give us no ftomach.' When Chrift was
an hungered, and Satan tempfs him to
command ftones to be made bread, he an-
fwered, Man fhall not live by bread alone ^
but by every word that proceeds out of the
mouth of God, Matth. iv. 4. q. d. A man
may feed on a promife, he muft depend
on God's allowance, and when provilion
iails, then not to diftrufl: the provifion of
God, is a notableVial of faith.
4. For war, we may gather up thefe
promifes,and the like, Job v. 20. Prov. iii.
24, 25, 26. Jer. xxxix. 17, 18.
5. For captivity, gather in thefe pro-
Tnifes, and the like, Deut. xxx 3, 4. which
very promife Nehemiah fueth out, Neh.
i. 9. Pfal. cvi. 46. Ezek. xi. 16.
6. For witchcraft or polfeffion, confider
that promife, Numb, xxiii. 23.
7. For oppreffion, we have thefe pro-
mifes, Pfalm xii. 5. Pfalm Ixviii. 5. Pfalm
cxlvi. 7, 8, 9.
II. For the exercife of faith concernmg
thefe promlfes, that we may live by them,
go to Meditation, and Prayer, i. For
meditation, and the matter of it, confider
thefe things,and let your faith feed on them.
( 1 .) That all affliction comes from God ;
Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord
hath not done it F I form the light, and I
create dar hie fs ; I make peace, and I cre-
ate evil : I the Lord do all thefe things,
Amos iii. 6. Ifa. xlv. 7. / know, Lord,
(faith David) that thy judgments are right,
and that thou in thy faithfulnefs haji af-
jiieied me, Pfalm cxix. 75.
(2.) That as God fends it, fo none can
deliver us out of it but God alone ; our
Cod, wilt thou not judge them P We have no
might againfi this great company that Com-
eth again fi us, neither know we what to do,
but our eyes are upon thee, i Ghr.jyi. I2.
ofF^ITH.
This meditation draws the heart from car.
nal repofe in means or friends ; it expels
vexatious and diflrafting cares, and preferv-
eth from the ufe of unlawful means of de-
liverance ; The horfe is prepared againfl
the day of battle, but fafety is of the Lord.
(3.) That the caufe of all miferies and
forrows is fin, and therefore 'tis time for us
to examine our ways, to humble ourfelves,
and fet upon reformation : Jthoui^ht onmy
ways (faid David, Pfalm cxix. 59.) and
turned my feet unto thy tefiimonies. When
ManafTes was in ?.ffli(ftion, He befought the
Lord his Cod, and humbled himfe If greatly
before the Cod of his J at hers, 2 Chron.
xxxiii. 12. Surely it is meet to be faid un-
to God, I have born chajiifement, I wilt
not offend any more : that which I fee not
teach thou me ; if I have done iniquity, I
will do no more. Job xxxiv. 31, 32. 1 he
end of chaftifement, is amendment of
life, whence it receives the name of cor-
rection, which fignifieth, to fetaright or
Jlraight.
(4.) That God now trieth our faith, pa-
tience, contentation, and meeknefs of Ipi-
rit : he hath faid unto Crolfts, * Go ye to
fuch a man, not to weaken his faith, or
to wafi:e any grace of the Spirit, but to
purge him, refine him, try him, exercife
him, to breed the quiet fruits of righte-
oulnefs, to confirm his patience, to fup-
port his hope, etc' Hence God's fer-
vants by their faith have been enabled to
fay, / will bear the indignation of the
Lord, becaufe I have finned againfi hitn^
until he plead 7ny caufe, and execute judg-
ment for me, Micah vii. 9. And if he fay
thus, / have no pleafure in thee : behold,
here am I, let him do to me, as feemeth good
to him, 2 Sam. xv. 26. This meditation
makes the heart willingly, freely, and con-
flantly to refign itfelf to the good pleafure
of God in all things. -
(5.) That 'tis God's will, after we have
gone to the promife, to ufe all lawful
means of help which God in his providence
affords ^
24?
The LIFE of FAITH. .^^
wicked Jhall not reji upon the lot of the
righteous : Thou baft laid, Tet a little
while, and the indignation JJoall ceafe :
Thou haft faid, In a little wrath I hid my
face from thee for a moment, but with e-
verlafling kindnefs wilt I have mercy on.
theey faith the Lord thy Redeemer y Pfalni
xii. 5. Ifaiah x. 25. and liv. 8. O thefe are
thy promifes, Lord make them eiFeftual
to my poor fouK
(5.) For concluGon, tell \vfe the Lord,
whatever becomes of us, we will truft in
him ; Though thou Jhouldfl fay me, yet
will I truf in thee. Job xiii. 18. For what
time I am afraid y I will truf} in thee,
Pfalm. Ivi. 3.
Thefe are the a6ls of faith by which it
puts forth, and exercifeth itfeif in time of
afflidlions.
a/Tords ; but in point of dependence, that
we folely reft on God's promifes: faith
coupleth the means and the end, butlook-
cth to the promifer (whofe truth, and wif-
dom, and power, and mercy never fails)
and not to the probability of the thing
promifed ; Abraham againfl hope, believed
in hope. That what God had promifed, he
•was able to perform, Rom. iv. 18, 21.
(6.) That the promifes are in Chrift, Tea
and Amen, and therefore fet it down and
conclude, that God will do whatfoeverhe
hath promifed, and we fliall receive it in
the way of his providence; it may be not
yet ; what then ? He that believes will not
make hafle: Ifa. xxviii. 26. Daniel waited
feventy years for deliverance out of cap-
tivity in Babylon, and may not we wait fe-
venty weeks, feventy days?
2. For prayer, and the parts and man-
ner of it, obferve this method :
(i.) Lay open our forrows before the
Lord, pour out our complaints into his
bofom ; lam the man that hath feen afflic-
tion by the red of thine anger ; thou hafl
brought me into darknefs, but not into light,
Lam. iii. 22. Lord, how am. I befet with
miferies ! how do my forrows increafe dai-
ly ! how are they increafed that trouble me!
Pfalm iii. i. Pfalm xxxviii. r8.
(2.) Confefs our fins with hatred, and
godly forrow ; / will declare my iniquity,
J will be fbrry for my fins, Hofea v. 15.
For want of this, God threatened the If-
raelites, / will go and return to my place ^
till they acknowledge their offence, and fee k
my face : in their affiidion they will feek
me early.
(3.) Importune the Lord, anddire6V\ve
our fupplications to our God ; Lord, how
long wilt thou look on ? refcue my foul
from their defirudion, my darling from the
lions; look upon mine affli£iion, and rny
tears, for I am brought very low, Pfalm
XXXV. 17.
(4.) Then prefs we the Lord with his pro-
mifes; Lord, thou haft faid. The rod of the cerning which. Pro. i.
§^. 4. Of the manner of this life of faith itt
temporal bleffings. <.
Concerning temporal bleffings, or good
things, confider we, I The promifes.
IL The exercife of faith in thofe promifes.
L Promifes that concern temporal blef-
fings, have reference to thofe bleffings, ei-
ther in General, or in Special.
(i.) The general promifes are thefe, and
the like, i Tim. iv. 8. Pfalm. xxxiv. 8, 9.
and Ixxxiv. ii. Phil. iv. 19. i Cor. iii. 21.
all things are yours, we are heirs of ithe
world.
(2.) The fpecial promifes have a relati-
on, fome to our name, fome to our bo-
dies, fome to our eftates, fome to our cal-
lings.
I. Thofe promifes that have a relation
to our good name, are liich as thefe, i
Sam. ii. 30. Prov. iii. 16. Prov. iv, 8. and
xiv. 19. Ifa. Ivi. 3, 4, 5.
2. Thofe promifes that have a relation
to our bodies, are either for long life, con-
cerning which, Deut. v. 16. 33. Prov. iii.
I, 2. or for health, concerning which, Pro.
iii. 8. Pfalm ciii. 3, 4, 5. or for fafety, con-
33. Job i. 18. Hof.
ii.
244
rhe LIFE of FAIT R,
ii. 18. Job V. 23. or for peace, concerning frugal ; it fhakes ofFidlenefs, takes the op
■which, Lev. xxvi. 6. Pfalm xxix. 11. and
xxxvii. 1 1 . Pro. xvi. 1 6, or for fleep, concer-
ning which, Job xi, 19, Pro. iii. 24. or for
food, concerning which, Pf. xxxvii. 3. Pf.
cxi. 5. Joel ii. 26. or for raiment, concern-
ing v.'hich, Dent. X. 18. Matth. vi. 25. xxx.
32. or for pofterity, the fruit of the body,
concerning which, Deut. vii. 12, 13, 14.
3. Thofe promifes that have a relation to
©ur eftates, are thefe, Job xxii. 24, 25.
Prov. viii. 18, 19. Pfal. xxxviii. 5.
4. Thofe promifes that have a relation to
cur calling, are either for plenty, concern-
ing which, Prov. «L. 4. and xii. 1 1. and xiii.
3. and xxviii. 19. or for prote^l^ion, con-
cerning which, Pialm xci. 1 1 . or for promo-
tion, concerning which, Prov. xii. 24. and
xxii. 29. or for good fuccefs, concerning
which, Prov. xii. 14. Ifa. Ixv. 21. 23. I
deny not but the wicked may enjoy all
thefe temporal blelTmgs by a general pro-
vidence, but only the jufl have a fpiritual
right to them ; they only have them as
rewards of their righteoufnefs, as teftimo-
nies of God's love and care over them, and
by virtue of a promife.
II. For the exercife of faith concerning
thefe promifes, obfcrve that we may live
by them, either in the want of thefe tem-
poral mercies, or in the enjoyment of them.
1. In the wane of them, go we to Me-
ditation, and Prayer.
1. For meditation, and the matter of it,
confider thefe things :
( I .) That faith in this cafe doth ranfack,
and fan the foul narrowly to find out and
remove whatfoever doth offend : If thou
return to the Almighty, thou Jhalt be built
portunity, hufbands thriftily, and obfervcs
God's providence in all affairs; otherwile
we live not by faith, but tempt God, and
throw away his promifes and all.
(3.) That faith prefer ves from the ufe
of all unlawful means : the believer con-
fults ever what is juft, not what is gain-
ful ; or what msy be compaffed by honert
courfes, not what may be gained by fraud,
deceit, cozensge, or the like carnal dealings :
Better is a little luith righteoufnefs, than
great revenues xvithout right, Pro. xvi. 8.
(4.) That faith leans upon the provi-
dence of God, who will keep back nothing
from us, but ^ hat is iiUrtful and pernici-
ous : here's a fwtet a(fl; of faith, it fubmits
to God's wifdom, and refls on providence,
after the ufe of all lawful means ; and this
maintains a Chtiilian in fome meafure of
contentment.
2. For prayer, and the parts or manner
of it, obferve this method.
(i.) Confefs our iins, efpecially thofe
fins which upon fearch we are perfuaded
hinder profperity : * O Lord, I have thought
on my ways, and I find this or that fin in
my bofom, this or that corruption hath
gotten head, and hinders thy blelhngs : O
Lord, liow ihould 1 expecft needful things I
What have 1 to do with thy promifes, that
have committed fuch and fuch iins V
(2.) Importune the Lord for his tempo-
ral blelfings, at leaft fo far as he feeth ihem
to be for our good, and for the glory of
his great name : thus Bildad tells Job, ch.
viii. 5, 6, 7. // th'-ju ivouldjl feek unto
God betimes, and make thy fupplication to
the Almighty, furely now he would awake
up, thou fhalt put iniquity far from thy for ihiC, and makj the habitation of thy
tabernacles : then fmlt thou lay up gold as righteoufnefs profperous : though thy begin-
dufl, and the gold of Ophir as the Jiones of nirig was fnatl, yet thy latter end fbould
the brooks, Job xxii. 23, 24. This advice
faith digefis, and labours the reformation
of what is amifs, and whatfoever hinders
the promife.
(2.) That faith is painful, provident and
greatly encreafe. Thus Jabez prayed, Oh
that thou wouldft blefs me indeed, and eu'
large my conji, etc. i Chron. iv. 10. and
God granted him that which he requefted.
In like manner was Jacob's prayer, JfGod
xvill
The LIFE
vjill he ivith me, and will keep me in this
ivay that I go, and ivill give me bread to
eat, and raiment to put on, fo that I come
again to my father's houfe in peace, then
JJmll the Lord be my God, Gen. xxviii. 20,
21. And thus may we importune the
Lord, and make our fupplication to the
Almighty.
(3.) Then prefs the Lord with his pro-
mifes as with fo many arguments : Lord,
thou haft faid, Godlinefs hath the promife
of the life that now is, as well as that
which is to come. Thou haft faid. Fear
the Lord, ye his faints, for there is no want
to them that fear him, &c. O thefe are
thy promifes, make them good to us as it
ftands beft with thy wifdom.
2. In the enjoyment of thcfe temporal
blelTings, go we to Meditation and Prayer.
I. For meditation, and the matter of
it, confider thefe things.
(i.) Faith in profperity, keeps the heart
in a holy temper and difpofition, i. e. in
humility, meeknefs, tendernefs and com-
paffion towards others, in thankfulnefs, o-
bedience, and in the fear of the Lord. Sa-
tan himfelf could reply to the Lord, Doth
Job fear God for nought, haft thou not made
a hedge about him? Job i. 13. in this cafe,
faith will remember man of his duty, and
perfuade him to be 10 much the more fer-
viceable, as God's mercies are more plen-
tiful upon him.
(2.) That faith makes a man heavenly-
minded in the ufe and pofteffion of a prof-
peious eftate ; as it receives all earthly
bleffings from God, fo it winds and pulls
up the foul to God again ; and if it be
rightly confidered, profperity is the fitteft
feaibn for heavenly contemplation ; the
jcfs trouble lies upon our eftate, the more
liberty we have to think of heavenly
things-: howfoever, faith confiders thefe
things as pledges of God's love, as parts of
our child's portion, and fo it makes us look
at the better part, thofe never-fading rich-
es which God hath referved in heaven for
of FAIT R. 245
all that fear him.
(3.) That faith breeds a godly jealoufie
and fufpicion, left the heart fhould be
drawn away with the pleafmg delights of
things tranfitory, for by grace it is that we
are made confcious of our own weaknefs,
and of the fnare that is in every creature
to take and intangle us: profperity isplea-
fing, but dangerous ; a man may quickly
furfeit of fweet meats. This makes the
waking believer circumfpefl and watchful,
and jealous and fufpicious of his own
heart, left he mifcarry in profperity, con-
fidering there is a fnare in it.
(4.) That faith minds a change, even
when our mountain feems ftrongeft : The
thing I greatly feared (faith Job, chap. iii.
25.) is come upon me, and that which I
was afraid of is come unto me ; by this it
appears, that Job always thought upon a
change : ' There is no wind (faith the pro-
verb) that may not blow rain, if God fo
pleafe.' Riches have their wings, and take
their flight like an eagle \ now faith minds
this, and prepares for this; The prudent
man forefeet h evil, and hideth himfelf Pro.
xxii. 5. and xxvii. 12.
2. For prayer, and the manner of it,
obferve this method :
(i.) Confefs and acknowledge God's
mercy, both in his promifes and perfor-
mances ; fay, ' Lord, thou haft proinifed,
that no good thing wilt thou withhold from
them that walk uprightly : and fur el y thou
art true in thy layings, I believe by vir-
tue of thy promife I enjoy this land, and
thofe goods, ^c. I have nothing. Lord,
but merely of free-grace, and by virtue of
a promife.'
(2.) Pray, and importune the Lord for
fanctification of profperity, and for God's
blelTmg upon the means: the more we
profper, the morcearneft Ihould ihepra)'-
ers of faith be; for of ourfclves we have no
power to wield a good eftate well, no abi-
lity to preferve or keep it ; in greateft
wealth we iy open to many temptations.
246
rhe LIFE
and if we pray not earneftly that God may
fanftifie-all his temporal bleflings to us, we
iliall cool in grace.
(3.) Praife God for his mercies, and
devote ourfelves unto him from whom we
have received all: What jhall I render un-
to the Lord (faith David) for all his mer-
cies towards me ? I ivill take the cup of
falvation, and call upon the name of the
Lord, Pfalm cxvi. 12, 13. Men look for
thanks for a fmall kindnefs, and fhall not
we magnifie God for all his favours and
loving-kind nefs towards us ? praife the
Lord, blefs the Lord, my foul ! Pf. ciii. i .
§. 5. Of the manner of this life of Faith
in fpiritual evils .
THINGS fpiritual are either Evil, or
Good.
'We fliall begin with fpiritual Evils ; and
concerning them, i. Give you the pro-
mi fes ; and, 2.Theexercife of faith inre-
fpeft of ihofe promifes.
Evils fpiritual arife either from the de-
vil, or the flefh, or the world, or from
m'an, or God, or from ourfelves.
1. Thofe evils that arife from the de-
vil, are temptations of feveral forts, and
the man, whofe heart is upright, fhall find
ftrength enough againfl: every temptation :
to that purpofe, confider thefe promifes,
Mat.xvi. 18. iCor.x. 13. i Joh. v. 18.
2. Thofe evils that arife from the flefh,
are lulls, or temptations of uncleannefs ;
and for ftrength and ability againft fuch a
temptation, confider thefe promifes, Prov.
ii. 10, II. 16. Ecclef. vii, 26. i ThefF. v.
23,24.
3. Thofe evils that arife from the world,
are covetoufnefs, cares, evil company, &c.
and for ftrength againft fuch, confider
thefe promifes, 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18. Gal. i.
4. 1 John V. 4. Heb, xiii. 5. there are five
negatives together in the original that
ftrongly affirm ; q. d. I tell thee, I will ne-
ver, never, never, never, never forfake thee.
4. Thofe evils that arife from wf«, are
of FAITH,
either oppofitions againft truth, concern-
ing which, Mar. x. 19. Afts xviii. 9, 10.
or, oppofitions againft goodnefs, Matth.
V. 10. I Pet. iii. 14. or, oppofition againft
both: and fo they fall either on our good
name, concerning which, Pfal. xxxvii. 6.
where, howfoevcr thy innocency be at
fome times covered, as it were, with a thick
and dark raift of (lander and opprefTion,
yet the Lord will in his good time fcatter
and dilfolve the mift, and fo make thy in-
nocency apparent to the world ; yea, he
will make thy righteoufnefs as evident as
the fun when it arifeth, yea, as noon day
when it is at higheft, and fhines brighteft,
Pfalm Ixviii. 13. Mat. v. 11, 12. i Pet. iv.
14. etc. or, they may fall on us, in re-
fpeft of our liberty, concerning which,
Pfalm Ixix. 32, 33. and cti. 19, 20. Rev.
ii. 20. or, they may deprive us of our
goods, concerning which, 2 Chro. xxv. 9.
Matth. xix. 29. Hab. iii. 17, 18. or, they
may take away life, concerning which,
Mat. X. 39. John xii. 25. Rev. xiv. 13.
5. Thofe evils which arife from Gody
are defcrtions ; and for comforts againft
them, confider thefe promifes, Ifa. xlix.
14, 15, 16. and liv. 7, 8. and 1. 10.
6. Thofe evils that arife from ourfelves ^
are fins and infirmities, and they are ei-
ther fpiritual blindnefs, concerning which,
Luke iv. 18. 1 John ii. 27. Ifa. xxxv. 4,
5. or, fpiritual lamenefs, concerning which,
Ifa. xxxv. 6. and xl. 31. or, heavinefs of
mind, concerning which, Ifa. xxxv. i, 2.
Jer. Ixvi. 12, 13, 14. or, weaknefs of me-
mory, concerning which, John xiv. 26. or,
fears of lofing God's love,concerning which,
Ifa. xl. 15. and liv. 10. Jer. xxxiii. 20.
Pfalm Ixxxix. 33, 34, 35. John xiii. r.
Rom. xi. 29. or, fear of falling away from
God, concerning which, fee the impoffi-
bility in regard of God, 2 Tim. ii. 19. in
regard of Chrift, Luke xxii. 32. in regard
of the holy Ghoft, John xiv. \6. Eph.iv.
30. in regard of the promifes, Pfalm xciv.
14. 1 Coji. i. 8, 9. or, indifpofition, dil-
tra(flion.
The LIFE of FAITH.
tra(f^ion, defefls in our beft performances,
concerning which, Numb, xxiii. 21. Cant,
ii. 14. or particular falls, daily frailties and
infirmities, concerning which, Ifa. Iv. 7.
Jer. iii. i. Pfalm xxxvii. 24. and cxlv. 14.
Hofea xiv. 4. i John i. 9.
2. For the exercifing of faith, concern-
ing thefe promifes, that we may live by
them, go we to Meditation, and Prayer.
I. For Meditation, and the matter of it,
confider we thefe things.
(i.) That of ourfelves we cajinot refift
thefe fpiritual evils; all our comfort is,
that neither the devil, nor the world, nor
the fleili, nor fin can oppofe any further
than God will give them leave ; not the
devil himfelf An tempt whom he will, TiOr
when he will, nor how he will, nor how
long he will, but in all thefe he is confined
by the providence of God. A legion of de-
vils could not enter into a Gadarene hog
till Chrift had given them leave : Satan
could not touch one bleat pertaining to
Job, till he had obtained liberty ; nor af-
ter lay a finger on his body, until his li-
berty was renewed ; O meditate on God
and his power, who hath all our enemies in
a chain ; as for ourfelves we have no abi-
lity to refift any of thefe evils.
(2.) That faith fortifies the foul againft:
all oppofitions ; the more they rage, the
more faith heartens the foul to believe,
and to keep clofe under the fliiadow of the
Lord's wings ; as the child affrighted, clings
fafter to the mother; fo the poo): foul
purfued by the devil, or world, or fleOi,
or man, or God, or our own corruptions,
it runs toChrift, the everlaftingrock, and
in his name refills all thefe evils, and in
his name gets the victory.
(3,) That in the moft forcible tempefts,
which God, devil or man raifeth againft us
(when to prefentfenfe and feeling all fight
and hope of the grace and goodnefs in
Chrift Jefus is loft) then faith tells the
heart, that a calm is at hand. The laft temp-
tation wherewith Satan fet upon Chriil,
■47
was the moft furious, and when he cotiU
not prevail thereby, he departed for afea-
Jon : the Lord will not fuflfer us to be temp-
ted above meafure. This faith aftures us
of, and perfuades us quietly to wait for
the iffue.
2. For prayer and themanner of it, ob-
ferve this method.
(i.) Confefs our fins of former igno-
rance, vanity of mind, felf-confidence, fo-
litary mufings on the temptations of Sa-
tan, mifinterpreting of the Lord's doings,
6'c. which fet open the foul to all other
fpiritual evils : * O my God, I have dife-
fteemed thy mercy, diftrufted thy promif-
es, harboured thoughts of unbelief, eirc.
and fo have expofed my foul to the moft
violent, horrible, and fiery temptations of
the world,flefti,devil,and my own lufts : my
foul, which fliould have been raviftied with
the joys of heaven, and with the kifi:es of
Cferift, is continually peftered and afi^ailed
with the black and hellifii thoughts of a-
theifm, blafphemy, and foul-vexing fears ;
jny heart trembleth, my ftrength faileth,
my life isfpent with grief, my fpirit with-
in me is overwhelmed, and prevailing fears
fo tyrannize over me, that I cannot fpeak,
■ I am fore wounded and broken, I go
mourning and defolate all the day long.'
(2.) Importune the Lord for pardon
of fin, and for help againft all oppofitions:
Pardon, O Lord, my yielding to the
temptations of the devil, or fieili, or world,
or fin ; pardon, O Lord, the infidelity'
doubtings,dejeaednefs,infirmities, and car-
nal exceflive fears of thy poor fervant : and
for the future, deliver my foul from the
fnares, ftrengthen me in the combat againfl
all mine enemies : arife, O Lord, difap«
point Satan, caft him down, deliver my
foul from the wicked one ; O be thou my
ftrength in my trouble, for I fly unto thee
for help and for fuccour.'
(3.) Then prefs the Lord with his pro-
mifes, as with fo many arguments: 'Lord^
thou haJft (aid, TAat the gates oj helljhal]
nat
248 The LIFE
iiot prevail agatnj} us, : that "vjhofo pleafith
Cod fnall cfcape the Jlravge -woman : that
ivhofoevev is born of God ox>ercovieth the
luorld '. that if %ve fuffer for right eoufnefs
fake, happy are ive : that in a little wrath
J hid my face for a moment, but with ever-
lafling kindnefs wHl I have mercy on thee :
that a good man though he fall he fh all not
be utterly cafl down, for the Lord uphold-
eth him with his hand. O thefe are thy
golden, fweet, precious promifes; now
Lord, make them good to my foul, iet
me draw the fweet, and juice and virtue
from every of thefe promifes ; let not a
word of thefe promifes fall to the ground,
let me have my Inare, and part and porti-
on in thefe comfortable promifes, through
the Lord Jefus.'
§, An appendix of the manner of this life
of faith, in oppofitions again/} truth and
goodnefs, and more particularly again ft
our good name, whereby an unvjorthy
fervant of Chri ft fometimes found abun-
dance of fpiritual comfort.
HIS innocency being fometimes over-
fhadowed wiih a thick and dark mill:
of (landers, reproaches, and defamations,
he endeavoured, i. To review the pro-
mifes ; and, 2. To aft his faith on them.
I. The promifes were thefe, Pfa. xxxvii.
5, 6. Matth. V. 10, II, 12. I Pet. iii. 14.
and iv. 14. Pfal. Ixviii. 13. Tho' you have
lien among the pots, yet fhall ye be as the
win^s of a dove covered with filver, and
her feathers with yellow gold. q. d. Tho'
hitherto you have been as fo many abjefts
caft into the ends of tlie earth, as thrown
amongft black and fmouky pots, opprelfed
with mighty calamities, yet the time is at
hand that ye Ihall be made white as doves ;
your innocency and happincis (hall appear,
and your white fliall be intermixt with the
colour of pure and yellow gold ; /. e. you
fhall come to the top of ihe highcli Icliciiy,
and ye 11 all be freed from llander and ob-
tain illuftrious glory.
of FAITH.
2. In the aftings of his faith, he endea-
voured I. To meditate. 2. To pray.
I. His meditations were thffe,
( r .) That we know not how to prevent
it. Men may llander, and men will llan-
der fo long as the world lalls ; only we
have thefe promifes for comfort, and it is
the Lord who promifeth, and if he pleafe,
he can hide us from the fcourge of
tongues ; or if he pleafe, he is able to rc-
ftore us double to our lliame. Job v. 21.
Ifa. Ixi. 7.
(2.) That true faith will fortifie the
foul againft all reproaches ; There is an
encouraging voice of the Lord to this end,
Ifaiah li. 7. Hearken unto me, ye that know
right eoufnefs, the people in whofe heart is
my law : fear ye not the reproach of wc«,
neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
(3.) That if the wicked reproach more
and more, yet it is the duty of v-hrilVians
to exercife patience. Experience of their
vanities, and God's gracious dealings with
us, will fortifie our hearts -. Fear not thou
worm (thou poor defpicable thing) / will
help thee, faith the Lord thy Redeemer^
Ifaiah xli. 14, and as for thy reproachers,
their doom is before, Behold all they that
are incenfed ugaiijfi thee fhall be afhamtd
and confounded : they fhall be as nothings
and they that Ji rive with thee fhall periflj,
ver. 1 1 .
(4.) That faith makes the foul circum-
fpeft, and in this cafe doth ranfack and fan
the foAil narrowly, to find out what is the
matter, and rile of thofe flandtrs and re-
proaches : If ye fujfcr for right eoufhcfs
fake, happy are ye, i Pet. iii. 14. it mull
be lor rlghteoufnefs fake, or there is no
blelling upon it ; and fo the apoftle adds,
Tou ynuft have a good tonfcience, that
whereas they Jptak txnl of you as- jf evil
doers, they may be afhamcd that fal fly ac-
cu/e your good convcrjation in ChriJ} : for
it is In tttr, if tht will of Cod be /c. that ye
I'ufffr for wcli-doi/ig, than fot evii-doingy
V. lO, 17. \V e are ordinarily more impa-
tient
The LIFE of FAITH.
249
tlent at uodeferved, than defcrved fuffer-
ings; but it is better, faith the apoftle, fo to
fuffer, than otherwife. Let none of you fuf-
fer as a murderer y a thief, an evil doer, but
if any man fuffer as a Chriflian, let him
not be apjamed, but let him glorify God
on this behalf, i Pet. iv. 15, 16.
(5.) That true faith efteems all fuch
(landers as the mofl: honourable badges of
innocency that pofTibly can be. If mine
adverfary Jljould -write a book again/i me,
furely I -would take it upon my (boulder, and
bind it as a cro-wn to me, Job xxxi. 35,
36. * I rejoice, (aid Luther, that Satan
fo rages and blafphemes, it is likely that I
do him and his kingdom the more mifchief.'
* And they that reproach me, faid Auftin,
do againfl: their wills increafemine honour
both with God and good men.' The more
the dirty feet of men tread and rub on
the figure graven in gold, the more luftre
they give it : fo the more caufelefs afper-
fions the wicked cart: on the godly, the
more bright do they rub their glory : And
hence was that choice ofMofes, rather to
fuffer afflidion "with the people of God,
than to enjoy thepleajures of fin for afeafon;
efleeming the reproach 0} Chrift greater rich-
es than the treafures of Egypt, Heb. xi. 25.
II. For prayer, his method was,
(i.) To complain to the Lord, as fome-
times David did, Pfalm Ixix. 19. Thou,0
Lord, hafi known my reproach, and my
fjame, and my dijhonour : mine adver-
faries are all before thee. Reproach hath
broken my heart, and I am full of heavi-
nefs : and I looked for fome to take pity,
but there -was none, and for comforters,
but I found none.
(2.) To perition to the Lord, as other-
whiles David did. Let me not be afham-
ed, Lord, for 1 have called upon thee,
let the -wicked be ajhamed, and let them be
filent in the grave : let the lyittg lips be
put to f Hence, -which fpe ah grievous things
proudly and cont!:mptuoufLy againfl the
righteous. how great is thy goodnefs.
Kk
•which ihcu hafl laid up for them that trufl
in thee before the Jons of men ! Thou [halt
hide them in the fecret of thy prefence,
from the pride of men, thou fhalt keep
them fecret ly in a pavilion from the fir if e
of tongues, Pfalm xxxi. 1 7. ^r. Thus,
Lord, I beg at thy hands, or if other-
ways, thou knoweft it beft in thy wif-
dom ; Let them alone, and let thtm cutfe,
it may be the Lord will look on my affiiclion,
and thou Lord wilt requite good for their
curfing this day, 2 Sam. xvi. i i, 12.
(3.) To prefs the Lord with his graci-
ous promifes : as thus ; Thou haft faid,
Bleffed are ye when men floall revile you,
and perfecute you, and fhallfay all manner
of evil againft you falfly for my name's
fake, Matth. v. 11. y^nd if ye fuffer
for right eoufiefs fake, happy are ye : ^nd
if ye be reproached for the natne ofChrif}^
happy are ye, i Pet. iii. 14. Thefe are thy
gulden promifes,nowLord make them good
to my foul,let me draw the juice,and fweet,
and virtue from every of thefe promifes;
let not a word of thefe promifes fall to the
ground, but let me have mypart, andfliare,
and portion in them.
(4.) To pray to the Lord to forgive all
his enemies that trefpalTed againft him, as
fometimes Chrift did, Father, forgive them,
for they know not what they do, Matth. vi.
12. Surely in thefe two things there is
much matter of comfort, i. That our
hearts are well, and not ill-affcfled to any
man. 2. That going alone we can hum-
ble ourfelves, and pray for the authors of
all the reproaches and flanders that are un-
juftly caft on us.
§. 6. Of the Manner of this Life of Faith
in fpiritual Blefftngs, as derived to us
from God, and Cht ifly and the Spirit
ofChrifl.
Concerning fpiritual bleflings, or good
things, confider we, I. The promifes;
II. The exercile of faiih in rcfpe^l: of thefe
promifes.
I. The
250 The L 1 FE of FA I T H.
I. The promifes are of fuch blefTings as
arife either from God, from Chrift, or
from the Spirit of Chrift.
I. From God proceeds his love of us,
prefence with us, and providence over us.
1. Concerning; his love of us, we have
thefe promifes, Deut. vii. 7, 8, 13. Ifaiah
liv. 8. Jer. xxxi. 3. Hofea ii. 19. and
xiv. 4. John iii, 16. Eph, ii. 4. i John
iv. 19.
2. Concerning his prefence with us, we
have thefe promifes, Gen. xxvi. 24. and
xxviii. 15. Exod. iii. 12. Jolhuai.5. Jer.
i. 8, I Chro. xxviii. 20, Ifa. xli. I0. Mat.
xxviii. 20. Rev. ii, 1.
3. Concerning his providence over us,
we have thefe promifes, Pfalm xxxiv. 7.
and xci. 11, 12. Job xxxvi. 7. Zech. ii.
8. whence (He that toucheth you, toiicheth
the apple of mine eye) obferve, that the
Lord, to exprefs the tendernefs of his love,
names the tendereft part of the body, nay
the tendered piece of the tendereil: part.
The chrijlal humour, as the philofophers
call it.
' II. From Chrift we have promifes, i.
Of the perfon of Chrift, 2. Of the benefits
that flow from Chrift.
1. Of the perfon of Chrift, in Gen.
ii. 15. where was the firft promife, and the
foundation of all other promifes, becaufe
God intended to makegood every promife
in Chrift.
2. Of the benefits that flow from Chrift,
whether Redemption, Vocation, Juftifi-
cation, Reconciliation, and Adoption.
(i.) Concerning Redemption, we have
thefe promifes, Tit. ii. 14. Eph. i. 7. Gal.
Jii. 13. Heb. ix. 12.
(2.) Concerning Vocation, we have
thefe promifes, Afls ii. 39. Rom. viii. 20.
(3.) Concerning Juftification, we have
thefe promifes, Ifa. liii. 11. A'5ts xiii. 39.
Rom. viii. 33.
Now this Juftification confifts of two
parts : i. In not imputing fin. 2. Im-
puting righteoufnefs.
1. For not imputing (or forgiving) fin,
we have thefe promifes, Pfalm xxxii. 2.
Jer. xxxi. 34. Ifaiah Iv. 7. Jer. xxxiii. 8.
Hither tend all thofe metaphors, Ifaiah
xliii, 25. and xliv. 22. and xxxviii. i8.
Micah vii. 19.
2. For imputing righteoufnefs, we have
thefe promifes, Rom. v. 19. i Cor. i. 30.
Rom. X. 4. Ifa. Ixi. lO. Gal. iii. 6. This
phrafe is ufed ten times in one chapter,
Rom. iv. 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 1 1, 12, 23, 24.
(4.) Concerning Reconciliation,wehave
thefe promifes, 2 Cor. v. 18, 19. Eph.
ii. 14, 16. Col. i. 21, 22.
(5.) Concerning Adoption,we have thefe
promifes. Gal. iii. 26. John i. 12. Rom.
ix. 26. Gal iv. 4> 5, 7.
III. From the Spirit of Chrift, we have
promifes, i. Of the Spirit hi mfelf. 2- Of
the operation of the Spirit.
1. Of the Spirit himlelf, in Joel ii- 28,
29. A(51:s ii. 17, 18. John xiv. 16, "17.
Eph. i. 13. Gal. iii. 14.
2. Of the operation of the Spirit, and
that, (i.) In general, as Sanftiucation.
(2.) In fpecial, as Spiritual Graces, and
Spiritual Duties.
1. Concerning San^iification, we have
thefe promifes, Mic. vii. 19. Jer. xxxi.
33, 34. Heb. viii. 10. and x. 16. i Thef.
23-
I John i. 7. Rev. i. 5.
Concerning Grace and Duties, we fliall
handle them anon.
II. For the exercife of faith concerning
the promifes, that we may live by them,
go we to Meditation, and Prayer.
I. For meditation, and the matter of it,
confider thefe things :
(i.) That faith (confidering the privi-
leges of God's children) admires and a-
dores, how great is thy goodnefs which
thou hajl laid up for thtm that fear thee,
which thou haft wrought for them that truj}
in thee, before the forts of men ! How ex-
cellent is thy loving kindnefs, Lord, there-
fore the children of men pit their trujlun
der
The LIFE of
dtr thejhadoiv of thy -jjings, Pfal. xxxi.
19. and xxxvi. 7.
(2.) That faith, in confideration here-
of, refts upon God, and Chrifl, and the
Spirit of Chrifl:, to receive whatfoever may
be pood and profitable to the foul : Pfalm
xxiii. I. The Lord is ?ny fhepherd, I floall
not want. Ifa. xl. ii. He (hall lead bis
flock like a Jhepherd, he Puill gather the
liWibs with his arm, and carry th.em in his
bofoin, and fyall gently lead thofe that are
with young. What can they want, who
have God for their Father, Chrift: for their
Saviour, tlie Spirit for their fan6tifier ?
Thou Ifrael art my fervant, Jacob whom I
have choCen, the feed of Abraham my friend:
thou whom I have taken from the ends of
the earth, and called thee from the chief
men thereof, and fat d unto thee, Thou art
my fervaut, I have chnjen thee, andnot caj}
thee away : fear thou not, for I am with
thee ; be not difmayed, for lam thy Cod : /
will Jirengt hen thee, yea, I will help thee,
yea, I will uphold thee with the right
hand of my righteoufnefs, Ifa. xl. 8, 9, 10.
(3.) That faith hereupon fets an high
price upon Chrifl, upon God in Chrirt, u-
pon the Spirit of Ghrill: : thefe promifes
are more worth than kingdoms, empires,
the whole world, which made holy David
fay. In the multitude of my thoughts with-
in me, thy comforts delight my foul, Pfal.
xciv. 19. ^. d. I have multitudes of thoughts,
fome running this way, forae running
that way, fome on this pleafure, fome
on that profit, but my foul is only comfort-
ed in the thoughts of thee : pleafures, pro-
fits, honours, all are vain and empty,
and nothing is to be reftcd on, to be de-
lighted in, but Jefus Ghrill ; yea there's a
full concent in Jefus Chriil ; lee the world
be filled with trouble and (orrow, even
now faith carries a merry iieari.
(4.) Fairh in thefe promifes doth great-
ly inlarge the heart towards God, and ftir-
rethuptoan earncft ftudy of holinefs j ifa
chrifiianbe muchin the meditation of God's
FAITH, 251
fingular goodnefs in ChriH:, it will even con-
ftrain him to yield up himfelf wholly ♦^o"
God, in al! manner of godly converfation :
P;al. xxvi. 2, 3. Examine, Lord, and
prove me, try my reins and my heart ; for
thy loving kindnefs is before mine eyes,
and I have walked in thy truth. •>»■ .
(5.) Faith ever runs to thefe promifes in
all llrairs, and here ir finds comfort : na-
ture teacheth man and beaft in tro'.ibies and
ftorms to make to a Cielter ; the child runs
to the arms of the mother, the birds to
their nefis, the conies to the rock, Prov.
XXX. 26. fo mufi the foul have a fancl'iary,
an hiding place, when danger and trou-
ble comes, now where can it take npalnrer
and fafer refuge, than with God and Chrift,
and the Spirit of Chrifl ? indeed God it
dares not look at, but in Ghrill; and the
Spirit proceeds not but from Chrifl, to
Chrift therefore it runs immediately ; it is
Ghrift, who of God is made unto us wif
dom, and righteoufnefs and fanfiificaiion
and redemption, \ Cor. i. 30. ' Come, faith
faith, let us out to Ghrill, and if he re-
ceive us not prefently, let us flay a little;
he is full of bowels and tendernefs towards
poor finners, he keeps open houfe for
all comers, he invites all, entertains all,
old finners, young finners, great finners,
\^h finners ; his promife is fure too ; him
that cometh unto me, I will in no wife cafi
out, John vii. 37.' Tims faith takes the
believer off from felf, civil life, eftate,
friends, and hangs the foul alone upon
that true friend, the Lord Jefus Chrifl,
who hath manifefted the greatnefs of his
love to poor finners, by dying for tJ em,
and fending his Spirit to fancUfie and com-
fort them, John xv. 13.
2. For prayer, and the manner of it,
obferve this method :
I. Gonfefs and acknowledge God's mer-
cies both in his promifes and performan-
ces : Say, Lord, thou hall faid, / will love
thee fretly : And I will be with thee, eoen
to the end of the world. lie that toucheih
K k 2 yout
2 ^2
ne LIFE o/Fy^ITH.
you, toucheth the apple of mine eye. And all
is yours, and ye are Chrijl's, and ChriJ}
is Cod's, And I ^vill pray the Father, and
he JJoall give you another Comforter, that he
may abide with you for ever, etc. Hof. xiv.
4. Mat', xxvlii. 20. i Cor. iii. 22, 23 Joh.
xiv. 1 6. Surcl}', Lord, thou art true in thy
fayings; I believe by virtue of this and
that promife, I have the love, and pro-
mife, and providence of God, I am re-
deemed, called, juflified, reconciled, adop-
ted by Chrifl ; I have the Spirit of Chrift,
I am ran6\ified in fome meafure by that
Spirit, I have all this of free grace, and by
virtue of a promffe,
(2.) Pray for this increafe of faith, and
for a fufther and further fight of this be-
lief: * Give me, gracious Father, to be-
lieve as thou hall promifed ; create in mf
the hand of faith, and make it ftronger and
flronger, that I may effeiflually receive
■what \i\ mercy thou reacheft forth ; and
then give me the fpirit of revelation, that
I may difcern truly what thou hafl given
me, that my lips may fing of thy praife all
the day long.'
(3.) Praife God for his mercies, and
quietly reft in the promifes: ' O Lord,
thou haft freely loved, and redeemed, and
fanflified my foul ; O how fhould I praife
thee, how fliould I advance and fet thee
up on high ? Salvation, and glory, and
honour, and praife be given to thy name,
etc. I praife thee for my eleflion, voca-
tion, juftification, fanflification, etc. but
above all, for the fountain of all, the
Lord Jefus Chrift ;' It is my Chrift juf-
tifies, and ray Chrift fanflifies : Lord, thou
haft given Chrift for my wifdom and fanc-
tification, as well as for righteoufnefs and
redemption : Lord, thou haft appointed
Chrift to be the beginner and finilher of
my holinefs, and furely he will not leave
that vvork imperfc'^l, whereunto he is or-
dained of the Father ; were the progrefs
of this building committed to my care and
overfight, there might be caufe of fear,
but fince thou haft laid all upon Chrift,
my only and all-fuflicient Redeemer ;
Lord, encreafe my faith, that I may hold
him faft and be fafe, and fo at laft I may
fing Hallelujahs to thee in heaven for ever.
§. 7. Of the manner of this life of faith
in rpiritual graces.
THE operation of the Spirit in gene-
ral, we told you was Sanftification ;
now the operation of the Spirit in fpecial
appears in Spiritual Graces, and Spiritual
Duties.
Spiritual graces we fliall confider in their
Kind?, and Degrees.
And of them both give, (I.) The pro-
mifes. (IL) T he exercife of faith in refpeft
of thofe promife?.
I. The kinds. of graces are thefe, Know-
ledge, and Faith, and Hope, and Joy, and
Love, and Fear, and Obedience, and Re-
pentance, and Humility, and Meeknefs,and
Patience, and Righteoufnefs, and Upright-
nefs, and Peace of Confcience, and Zeal,
and Perfeverance ; fixteen graces in num-
ber : concerning which the Lord hath made
gracious promifes,
(i.) Of them, to give them.
(2.) To them, to reward them.
The \f} grace is Knowledge, and we find
fome promifes. Of it, Pial. xxv. 14. Jer.
xxxi. 34. Ifa, ii. 2,3. Mic. iv. i, 2. Eph.
iii. 5. Rev. xxi. 23. 2. To it, as Prov,
iii, 14. Pf. xci. 14. 2 Pet. i. 2. Pro. iii. 18.
The 2d grace is Faith, and we Hnd fome
promifes, i. Of it, as Eph. ii. 8. John vi.
37. obferve here thefe promifes of affur-
ance, the higheft meafure of faith, Pfal.l.
23. Ezek. xxxiv. 30. Ifa. Ix. 16. Pf. xcvii.
1 1. 2. To it, as 2 Chr. x. 20. Pro. xxix.
25. Ifa. xxvi. 3. Ads X. 43. Rom. xviii.
4. Aftsxiii. 39. Joh. i. 12. vii. 38. iii. 16,
36. V. 24. vi. 47.
The 3</ grace is Hope, and we find fome
promifes, i. Of it, as Pf. Ivi. 5. Prov. iv.
32. Job xiii. 15. 2. To it, as Pfalra xl. 4.
Rom. iv. 8, 22. viii. 24.
The
The LIFE of FA IT H.
The /\th grace is Joy, and we find fome
promifes, i. Of it, as Pf. xxxvi. 8, 9. Ixiv.
10. Ixviii. 3. xcvii. ii.cxvlii. 15. Ifa. xii.
2, 3. XXXV. throughout. Ivi. /.Ixvi. 13,14.
John xvi. 22. Rom. xiv. 18. 2. To it, Pf.
Ixxxix. 15, 16.
The ^tb grace is Love, efpeciaily of God,
and we may find fome promifes, r. Of it,
as Cant. i. 4. Deut. xxx. 6. 2. To it, as
Pf. xci. 14. cxlv. 10. Pro. viii. 21. Deut.
vii. 9. I Cor. viii. 3. ii. 9, xo. Jam. i. 12.
and ii. 5.
The 6th grace is Fear, and we find fome
promifes, i. Of it, as Jer. xxxii. 39, 40.
Hof. iii. 5. 2. To it, as Pf ciii. 11. xxxi.
19. cxlvii. ir. Mai. iii. 16, 17.
The jth grace is Obedience, and we find
fome promifes, i. Of it, as Ezek. xi. 19,
20. xxxvi. 26,27 . 2. To it, as Deut.xxviii.
1. to 14.
The Zth grace is Repentance, and we
find fome promifes, i. Of it, as Afts v. 30,
31. Ezek. xi, 19, xx. 43. xxxvi. 31. 2.
To it, as Mai. iii. 7. 2 Chro. vii. 14. Ifa.
i. 16, 17, 18. Job iii. 27, 28. Jer. iv. 14.
The c)th grace is Humility, and we find
fome promifes, i. Of it, as 2 Cor. x. 4,
5. Gal. v. 22. 2. To it, as Prov. xv. 53.
xxii. 4. Jam. iv. 6. i Pet. v. 5. Ifa. Ivii.
15. Matth. V. 3.
The 10//; grace is Meeknefs, and we
find fome promifes, i. Of it, as Ifa. xi. 6,
7, 8. Gal. V. 22, 23. 2. To it, as Pfalm
xxxvii. II. cxlvii. 6. Ifa. xxix. 9. Pfalm
XXV. 3. Zeph. ii. 3. Mat. v. 5. xi. 29. Pfal.
cxlix. 4.
The I ith grace is Patience, and we find
fome promifes, i. Of it, as James i. 5. 2.
To it, as Heb. x. 36, James v. 1 1.
The i2th grace is Righteoufnels, and we
find fome promifes, i. Of it, as Rev. xix.
7, 8. 2. To it, as Pf. xi. 7. Ifa. xxxii. 17,
18. Pro. xiv. 32. Pf cxii. 6. Mat. xxv. 46.
The I gM grace is Uprightnefs, or fin-
cerity of heart, and we find fome promifes,
I. Of it, as Jer. xxxi. 53. 1. 5. 2. To it,
as Pf. Ixxxiv. II. Pro. xiv. 11. Pf. cxii. 2.
253
2 Chro. xvi. 9. Pfalm cxii. 4. Ixxxiv. 11.
xxxvii. 37. xv. I, 2. Gen. xvii. i, 2. i
Chro. xxix. 17. Prov. xii. 22. xxxviii. 18.
The I ^th grace is Peace of confcience y
and we find fome promifes, i. Of it, as
John xiv. 27. Gal. vi. 16. Ifa. Ivii. 19. liv.
10. 2. To it, as Phil. iv. 7.
The 15//; grace is Zeal, and we find fome
promifes, 1. Of it, as Jer. xx. 9. 2 Cor-
vii. II. 2. To it, as Num. xxv. 12, 13.
Rev. iii. 10, 20.
The i6th grace is Perfeverance, and we
find fome promifes, i . Of it, as Pf Ixxxix.
28. Prov. xii. 3. Ifa. xlvi. 4. 2. To it, as
Maith. x. 22- Rev. ii. 26.
The degrees of graces follow, and we
find (bme promifes, i. Thereof, as Ifa. xii v.
3, 4. Mai. iv. 2. Pf Ixxxiv. 7. Pro. iv. 18.
2. Thereto, as Rom. xiii. 1 1. 2 Pet. i. 8.
II. For the exercife of faith concerning
thefe promifes, that we may live by them,
go*we to Meditation, and Prayer.
I. For meditation, and the matter of it,
confider thefe things :
(i.) That of ourfelves we have no abi-
lity to attain any of thefe graces : every
one can fay, I purpofe well, but the que-
ftion is, whether they build not on their
own firength : many a man, efpeciaily in
time of his ficknefs, danger, difgrace, will
make fair promifes of amendment, but
when the rod is removed, all is forgotten r
what may be the reafon ? he fiands on his
own feet, he prefumes to go alone of him-
felf, and by his own ftrength, and then no
marvel if he falls and catcheth many a
knock : if we will have any of thefe graces,
then deny we ourfelves : / ivill keep thy
Jlatutes, faid David, Pfalm cxix. 8. but
immediately upon his refolution he cries,
forfake me not utterly : Purpofe s thus
grounded, bring forth holy performances,
but of ourfelves we can expeft nothing.
(2.) That God's Spirit will infufe thefe
graces,_ and the increafe of thefe graces in-
to them that believe: many would fain
have knowledge^ and faith and hope and
254 The L I FE of
joy, drc. but they exercife not their faith
to believe God and his promifcs : I knew
a man inChrifty could Paul fay concern-
ing his revelation, 2 Cor. xii.2. So, 1 know
a man in Chrift off and on, unftayed, dif-
mayed at his manifold flips, (Irong corrup-
tions, little prevailings againft them, and
(when all came to all) he could find no
help till he went to a promife, and by faith
believed^ that God would aid and aflifl^, and
do the whole work for him ; it is good to
believe that (according to his promi(e) God
will fan6\ifie our natures, enable us to ho-
linefs, and beftow all his graces on us.
(3.) That foi^the degrees of thefe gra-
ces, it is neceffary to improve them; gra-
ces improved, are the ready way to have
them increafed : God ever beftows the
greateft meafure, where he finds a care to
put them forth to advantage : JVhofoever
hath, to him Jhall be given, and he floall
have more abundance y Matth. xiii. 12- As
men increafe their fubflance by labour,
and learning by diligence, fo he that im-
proves graces, lliall more and more abound
in them.
2. For prayer and the parts of it, ob-
fcrve this method :
(i.) Confefs and acknowledge our ina-
bilities : O Lord, I have no grace by na-
ture, I have no power tocleanfe my own
heart : O Lord, I have defaced thine i-
mage, but I cannot repair it ; I may fay
with the apoflle, JVhen I would do well,
evil is pre/cnt luith tne, Rom. vii. 21. But
I find no means lo perfeft what I defire :
I am not able to crawl about the doing of
that which is good : O when fhall I be fet
at liberty, that I might do the work of
God, and run the race of his commnnd-
ments ! O that I had knowledge, and faith,
and hope, and joy, and love !
(2.) Look wc up to the power, and
grace and truth of God, and prefs him
therewith : Lord, I have heard of thy
power, thou art God almighty, who col-
lelt the things that are not, as if they were;
F^ITH.
thou canfl, if thou wilt, work in me thefe
graces, and crente them in me, as thiOu
didft glorioufly create them in Adam, the
firft man : Lord, I have heard alfo of thy
grace and truth, thou art as faithful to
keep, as free to make thefe fweet precious
promifes; thy grace is unfearchable, ti^iy
word purer than filver feven times refined :
O then make good thy promifes, I prefs
thee with thy power, grace and truth :
O replenifli me with thy graces, give me
knowledge, and faith, and hope, <i:;c.
(3.) Look we on the promifes, and prny
by them, or turn them into prayers : faith
hearkeneth what the Lord fpeaketh, and
(peaketh back again in fervent groans and
defires to whatfoeverit hearkeneth : hence
we can make no prayer in boldnefs, faith
or comfort, but for things proiuiied, and
in that manner as they arepromifed. Thus
Jacob (Gen. xxnii 9.) and David (2 Sam.
vii. 27. err.) prayed by a promife, and
thus Uiould we pray by a promife, and then
we may be fure we pray according to his
will. In want of other rhetorick and ora-
tory, let us urge God with this repetition :
* Lord, thou hafl: promifed, Lord,thou haft
promifed ;' Thou haft made many f\veet
precious promifes of graces, and of de-
grees of graces : thou haft faid, The fecret
of the Lord is with them that fear him;
and, all that the Father giveth me, Jhall
come unto me ; and, the righteous hath hope
in his death ; and, the righteous j/jai'l be
glad in the Lord, and pJull truj} in him ;
z^diythey (bail go fr^m ftrength to jireiigth;
every one of them in Zion, appearing hi fere
GodyViA. XXV. 14. John vi. ^7. Pro. xiv.
32. Pf?Im Jxxxiv. 7. O make thei'e pro-
mifes effectual to me, blow upon my gar-
den, that thefpices (thefe graces) may flov)
out.
§.8. OJ the manner^ of this life of Faith
in /pi ritual duties.
\ S fpirltuai graces, fo (piritual duties,
Jr\ are of the operaiion of God's Spirit:
nosv
The LIFE of FAITH,
now the Duties are tweni}', concerning Pfalm xli
which we fhall give (L) The promKcs.
(II.) The excrcife of faith in refped of
the promifes.
The i/? duty is Prayer, to which are
affixed thefe promifes, Pfalm v. 3. x. 17.
Ixv. 2. 1. 15. xii ijy (eye. Prov. xv. 29.
Zech. xiii. 8, 9. Rom. viii. 13. James v.
The 2^ duty is Praifes, to which are af-
fixed thefe promifes, i Sam. ii. 30, PfaJm
I. 23. Ixvii. 5, 6. ^
The 3^ duty is Preaching, to which
Mat, xxviii. 20. John v, 25. .
The 4tb duty is Reading the word, to
which Pfalm xix. 8. Prov. i. 4.
The ^th duty is Loving the word, to
which Pfalm cxix. 165. and cxii. i.
The 6th duty is Waiting on the word,
to which Prov. viii. 34, 35.
The 7i/j duty is Hearkening to the word,
to which Ifa. Iv. 2, 3, Ads v. 20. xx. 22.
xiii. 26.
The 8fh duty is Sacraments of, (r.)Bap-
tifm, to which A6ts ii. 38. xxii. i6. 1 Pet.
iii. 2 1 .
(2.) Lord's Supper, to which Ifaiah xxv-
6. Prov. ix. 5, 6. Matth. xxvi. 26.
The gt/j duty is A lawful oath, to which
Jer. xli. 16. Pfalm xv". 4.
The 10/^ duty isFafting, to which Jam.
iv. 9, ^c. Mar. vi. 18.
The nth duty is Meditation, to which
Pfalm i. 2. Prov. xiv. 22. Phil. iv. 8, 9.
The nth duty is Self-examination, to
which I Cor. xi. 31, Gal. vi. 4.
The 13/^ duty is Sandification of the
Lord's day, to which Ifaiah Iviii. 13, 14.
Ivi. 2. Jer. xvii. 26.
The 14//' duty is Watch fulnefs, to which
Mat. xxiv. 46, 47. Luke xii, 37, 6t. Rev.
xvi. 15.
duty is Conference, to which
xvi. 13. Mai. iii. 16. Luke
The 15^/7
Prov. xii. 14
xxiv. 32.
The 16th duty is Reproof, to which
Prov. xxiv. 25. xxviii. 23.
The ijth duty is Almfgiving, to which
^5S
I, 2, 3. Luke xiv. 13, 6*<r.
The 18//^ duty is Seeking of God, to
which Pfalm xxxiv. 10. Ezra viii.. 22.
The i(.jth duty is Waiting on God, to
which Ifaiah xl. 3i.lxiv. 4. xlix. 23.
The 2Qth duty is Delighting in God, to
which Pfalm xxxvi. 4
II. For the exercife of faith concerning
thefe promifes, that we may live by them,
go we to Meditation, and Prayer.
I. For meditation, and the matter of it,
confider thefe things :
'(i.) That God deals gracioufly with
his people : he might out of his abfolute
fovereignty over us, command only, and
we were bound to obey in every of thefe
Duties ; but he is pleafed (the better to
quicken us to obedience) to annex thefe
gracious promifes.
(2.) That as he is gracious to us, fo we
(liould be chearful in our duties to him :
thfe chearfulnefs of fervice is the very fruit
of faith ; By faith Jbel brought of the
firfilings of his flacky and of the fat thereof y
an offering to the Lord, Gen. iv. 4. By faith
David went with the multitude into the
houfe of God, ivith the voice of jcy and of
praife, Pfa. xiii. 4. It is the voice of faith,
I will fmg and give praife with the beft
members I have.
(3.) That to make us chearful, we Ihould
roufe ourfelves to awaken to the work of
our God : * arife, O my foul, why fleepeft
thou?flir up thyfelfwith readinefs to obey
the charge of God in the duties prefcribed ;
look on the faints who have gone before
thee ; they endured imprifonment, lofs
of liberty, fpoiling of their goods, hazard
of life. Thou art not yet called to fulier,
but to obey, why dofl thou delay, or
goeft forth unwillingly ? wouldft thou
reign with them, and not labour with
them .' receive the prize, and not run the
race ? divide the fpoil, and not fight the
battle ? look on the promife annexed to
the duty : I [aid not unto the feed of Jacob,
Seek me in vain, faith God, Ifa. xiv. 19.
O my foul, arife, contend forward towards
the
i^f> The LIFE
the mark, heaven Is worth all thy labour.'
(4.) 1 hat to remove all Remora's the
Lord hath promifed to afliH: ns in thefe du-
ties by his own Spirit : befides the pro-
mifcs to duties, we have promifes of
duties, God deals with us (as we do by
■way of commerce one with another) pro-
pounding mercy by covenant and condi-
tion, yet his covenant of grace is always a
gracious covenant ; for he not only gives
the good things, but helps us in perform-
ing the condition by his own Spirit; he
works our hearts to believe and repent,
ibc. and he gives what he requires : For
inftance,-in one place he commands, Caji
ciivay from you all your tranfgrejffions, and
make you a new heart, and a new fpirit ;
and in another place he promifeth, / will
fprinkle clean water upon you, and you
/hall be clean from all your filthinefs :
A new heart alfo will I give you, and a
new fpirit will 1 put within you, Ezek.
xxxvi, 2<j, 26. In one place he commands
them, Circumcife the foreskin of your
hearts, Deut. x. 16. and in another place
Jie promifeth, That he will circumcife their
hearts, Deut. xxx. 6. in one place he com-
mands us. To keep his commandments,
Eccl. xii. 13. in another place he promifeth
to caufe us, To walk in his flatutes, Ezek.
xxxvi. 27. in one place he commands us.
To fear him, Eccl. xii. 13. and in another
place he promifeth. To />«/ his fear into
our hearts, Jer. xxxii. 40. in one place
he commands us, To pray, to ask, to feek,
and knock, Matth. vii. 7. and in another
place he promifeth. To pour upon us the
Spirit of grace and fupplication, Zech.
xii. 10. Thefe promiles and duties are the
foundation of all our performances, and
thofe promifes to duties are the rewards
of his free grace and good pleafure ; we
do not by working caule him to fulfill his
promifes, but he by promifing doth en
able us to perform our works, and fo he
rewards us accordingly.
of FAITH,
2. For prayer, and the parts of it, ob-
ferve this method.
(i.) Acknowledge the ^oodnefs and
free-grace of God in thefe promifes ; ' O
Lord, why fhouldft thou allure me to that
which lam every way bound to? If I l.ad
none of thele promifes, I have already in
hand a world of mercies, which do infinite-
ly bind me to duty ; and wilt thou yet
add this and that promife, to this and that
duty ? O miracle of mercies ! O thegood-
nefs of God !'
(2.) Bewail our own dulnefs and floth
to the duty ; 'And yet, O Lord, how dull,
and remifs, and llighty am I in the prac-
tice of this or that duty ? thou haft faid,
Curjedis the man that doth the work of the
Lord negligently, Jer. xlviii. 10. and, cur-
fed be the deceiver, that hath in his flock
a male, and voweth and facrificeth unto the
Lord a corrupt thing, Mai. i. 14. O then
what is my portion, who have facrificed
that which is torn and fick unto the great
king, and Lord of hofts, whofe name is
dreadful among the heathen ? No mar-
vel if I feci no power, no fweet in the or-
dinances of grace, whilft I deal partially,
hear perfundlorily, pray coldly, labour
not to feed on the promile, and to fuck
vigour out of it : O Lord, thou loveft a
chearful giver, but my fervices are maimed,
and corrupt, and dead, and fuperficial, and
very unchearful.'
(3.) Importune the Lord to revive and
quicken our dead hearts to the duty ; fo
prays David, Pfalm cxliii. 10. Teach me
to do thy will, thy Spirit is good, lead me .
into the land of uprightnefs ; fo prays the
church, Cant. i. 4. Draw me, and we will
run after thee : and fo let us pray, * Give
me a chearful heart in thy fervice, ani-
mate and enliven my heart by thy.bleifed
Spirit, give me to do what thou rcquireft,
incline my htart to thy fiatutes, and not
to covctoufnefs, Pfalm cxix. T,^.^
(4.) Implore the alUftaiice of God's Spi-
rit
The LIFE cf
rit to every good duty, beg acceptance of
our perfons and performances in the Lord
Jefus Chrift, prefs him with his promifes
to fet on duties, and to reward duties ; and
whatever duty we do, prefs him with thatef-
peciai promife belonging unto it: Thus if
we meditate and pray, and pray and medi-
tate, we may live by faith, in reference to
fpirituai duties.
$•9- ^f *^^- ^J^fi'^^f of this Life of
Faith in Things eternal.
THings eternal are either Evil, as
Damnation ; Goody as Salvation.
Concerning both, we lliall I. Give you
the promifes ; and, K. The exercife of
faith in refpeft of thefe promifes.
1. Concerning Damnation, or eternal
confufion, we have thefe promifes againll
it, Ifa. xlv. 17. Rom. viii. i.
2. Concerning Salvation, we have thefe
promifes for it, Rom. vi. 23. r ThefT.
iv. 17. God hath promifed us a kingdom,
Matth. XXV. 34. An heavenly kingdjm,
Matth. vii. 2l. An eternal kingdom, 2 Pet.
i. II. A cro-wn of life, James i. 12. A
crown of righteoufnefs, 2 Tim. iv. 8. An
unacceffible crcwn of glory, 1 Pet. v. 4.
II. For the exercife of Faith concerning
thefe promifes, that we may live by them,
go we to Meditation, and Prayer.
I. For meditation, and the matter of it,
confider thefe things :
(i.) That faith in the precious promifes
of eternal life quiets and chears the heart
in themidft of difcouragcments : This we
fee in the lives and deaths of God's faithful
(ervants, Heb. x. 34. -who took joyfully the
fpoiling of their goods, knowing in them-
felves, that they had in heaven a better
and an enduring fuhfiance.
(2.) That faith ftrives to enter into the
polfeflion of this kingdom, by degrees :
Men that purchafe an inheritance to come
in hereafter, they are glad if any part fall
into their hands for the pre fen t : Fulnefs
of glory is relerved for the life to come,
but the beginnings of glory (as peace of
LI
FA IT H.
'^57
confcience, joy in the holy Ghofl, fancfli-
fication of the Spirit) are vouchafed here ;
Grace is the beginning of glory, and glory
is the perfeSiion of grace ; now as grace
grows, fo we enter upon the poffeflion of
our inheritance ; flence lively grace covets
grace more and more, that we may get
heaven by degrees, and by parcels.
(3.) Faith earneAly defires and longs
after the full accomplifliment of glory,
Ourfelves alfo who have the firj} fruits
of^ the Spirit, even we ourfelves groan
within ourfelves, waiting for the adoptiony
to wit, the redemption of the body, Rom.
viii. 23. I ayn in a full fir ait (faid Paul)
betwixt two, having a defire to depart,
and to be with Chrifl, which is far better,
Phil. i. 23. Salvation is the end of faith,
heaven is the home of believers : Now all
would be at home, all things defire per-
fection in their kind, this makes the be-
liever to long after glory.
2. For prayer, and the parts of it, ob-
ferve this method :
(i.) Confefs we our former carelefnefs
to enter upon this inheritance : ' O Lord,
I have flighted thy promifes, I ha^e neglec-
ted the motions of thy holy Spirit, I have
not carefully improved the gifts received, I
have not laboured more and more to be feal-
ed with the promifed Spirit : Ah! Lord,what
a dwarf am I in holinels and fanc^tification >
by reafon of my floth, the powers of
grace are fo enfeebled that I can fcarce
breath or figh, or crawl in the way to hea-
ven: O that I have not fo earneftiy fought,
as I might, to make heaven fure to mylclf,
that I have not entered pofTeffion thereof,
fo far as in this life is given me of grace.'
(2.) Pray that the Lord would ir.crcafe
our faith, feal us by his Spirit, lead us in
the way of peace, caufe us to grow up in
holinefs, make us wife to prize and value to
tafte and relifh the very joys of heaven; and
above all, that he would afTure our confci-
cnces of our right and title thereto : O it
is God that fealeth, and makes us to read
the
2KB
The LIFE
the feaiinj; : it is God that promifeth hca-
vrfn, and afTetfts the hcai t with the good-
rfrls and worth of the thing promiftd ; it
is God ihat, by the pledges of his favour,
tnd earnefisof his Spirit, doth teftifie our
adopti(ifi, and caufeth us certainly to ap-
prehend what he doth teOify ; pray then,
* Who am I, Lord, that thou ftiouldefl make
fuch ample and free promifes to thy poor
fcrvant ? it is of thy free mercy, and ac-
cording to thine o.vn heart. Wn^ now,
Cod, eiiabltjli. 1 be fetch thee, the word that
thou haj} fpoken concerning thy ferz<anl, 2
Sam. \ii. 25. O feal unto me the pro-
mifed inheritance^^and make me afTuredly
know what thofe hopes are which thou haft
leferved for me in heaven : of thy free-
grace thou calledft me to this hope, there-
fore is thy fervant bold to intrcat the fenfe
of thy love, the knowledge of this hope,
the increafe of grace, the aiTurance of thy
mercy.'
(3.) Praife God for his promifes of eter-
nal life: * O Lord, thou haft looked on
iTjy bafe eftate, and vi/ited me with mercy
from on high ; of a ftranger and foreigper,
?hou baft,made me a free denizen of the
New jerufalcm : now, I fee, I read it in
ihy precious promifes, that my name is re-
giftred in heaven ; an eternal weight of
glory is referved for me ; heaven is my
home, my hope, my inheritance: O where
Should my heart be but where my treafure
is ? where ftiould my thoughts be, but
where my hope is ? Now &11 glory, and ho-
nour, and praile be given to my God. O
the Incoroprchenfible love and favour of
ixiy dear Lord ! what a mercy is this? what
promifes are tbefc ? my fpul rejoiceth in
thee my God, my fpirit fliall blefs thy name
tor ever and ever.'
§. \<j. Of the manner of this life of faith
in regard of others.
WE have done with the promifes that
concern ourfelves : now follow fuch
fpecial promifes as we find in holy writ
of FAITH,
concerning others; and they have reference
L To our own family, II. Godly fociety
further inlarged. III. The church of Uirift
particular, and general.
I. The members of our family arc, ei-
ther hufband and wife, parent and child,
mafter and fcrvant.
1. For the hufband and wife, if godly,
they have a promife from the Lord, Ffalm
cxxviii. Prov^ xxxi. 28. and xi. 16. Job
V. 25.
2. For parent and child, God hath made
a gracious covenant with them, Gen. xvii.
7. 9. A<rrs ii. 39. Jer. xxxii. 39. Pro, xx.
7. Good parents (though poor) leave iheir
children a good patrimony, for they have
laid up many prayers for them in heaven,
and they leave God's favour for their pof-
felTion, and his promifes for a fure inheri-
tance, Pfalm xxxvii. 25, 26. cxii. 2. xxv.
13. xx:ivii. 29. Prov. xi. 21. xiji. 22. Ifa.
xliv. 3, 4. liv. 13. and children, obeying
their parents, have thefe promifes, Ez. xx.
12. Eph. vi. 2. Jer. xxxv. 18, 19. Prov. i.
8, 9. and vi. 20.
3. For mafter and fervanr, they have
fweet promifes, Prov. iii. 33, and xiv. j i.
Job viii. 1 6. efpccially the iervant that is
truly obedient, Col. iii. 23, tj\. i Pet. ii.
19. here confidcr (1.) Magiftratcs, Deut.
xvii. 19, 20. Pfalm cxxxii. 18. (2.) Mini-
fiers, Pfal. cv. 15. Rev. ii. i. Ifa. xlix. 4.
II. Godly fociety (out of our own fami-
Jies) hath precious promifes, as, Pro. xiii.
20. Mai. xvi. 17. Matth. xviii. 20.
III. The church of (>hrtft, whether par-
ticular, as publick alfemblies, hath blelFcd
promifes, Ifa. xxxiii. 20, 21. and lix. 21^
Matth. xviii. 20. i Cor. v. 4, Rev. ii. i.
Pfalm xxvi. 8. and cxxxiii. 3. Mic. iv. 4,
II, 12. or whether general and univerfal,
it hath glorious promifes, as, Mat. xvi. 8.
If. xxvii. 3. Pfalm cxxv. 2. Zech. ix. 16.
Here comes in all the promifes, ly/, Of
calling the Jews, as. If. lix. 20, Rom. xi.
23. 26. Hof. xiii. 14. and xiv. 2, to 8, idly.
Of bringing in the Gentiles, as, Ifai. xlix.
22,
The LIFE of 1
12 y 23. Rev. xx}. 24. John x. 16. Ifa. Ix.
3. 5. 8. AOs X. 14. Eph. ii. 12, 19. "idly,
Of the deftruftion of antichrif>, as, 2 Th.
ii. 8. Rev. xvii. 16. and xviii. 21. where
each word hath almoft a gradarion, in that
an angel, a mighty angel, taketh a fione,
and a great fio^ne, even a miljloncy which
he letteth not barely fall, but cafteth into
the fea, whence nothing ordinarily is reco-
vered, much lefs a milflone, thruft from
fuch a hand, and with fuch force.
Now for the exercifing of faith concern-
ing thefe promifes, that we roay live by
4hera, go we to Meditation, and Prayer.
I. For Meditation, and the matter of it,
confider thefe things.
(i.) That v/e have had the performance
of many of thefe promifcs in hand ; and
this may perfuade us that the refidue (ef-
pecially of the church's fiourifhing, and of
antichrilVs downfal) is as fure as that part
already accompli ilied, which we fee with
our eyes: experience fliould ftrengthen
faith, and breed an afTured hope in God's
people, of the Lord's moft glorious appear-
ing, and this hope fhall not make us afnam-
ed.
( I.) That the time is now for the church's
reftoring, and for bringing in more king-
doms from antichrifl: to Chrift ; what elfe
mean all thefe fliakings in all the kingdoms
of the world at this time ? therefore ftudy
we this time of God, and in our places
and callings work with providence, now we
have a feafon to help up ilie church, God's
holy mountain.
a. For prayer, and the parts of it, obferve
this method.
(i.) Confefs our former negleft in our
feveral relations ; * O Lord, I have not done
my duty in my own family, nor among chrif-
tians in the churches of ChriH: ; I hav«
not performed my vows, ferved my gene -
ration, helped onward the building of Zi-
on: and now. Lord, what fhall I fay, but
confefs, to thy glory, and my own fliame
my difrefpe^t of others good, or of the
communion of faints.'
(2.) Pray for a bleffing on others, as on
our own felves, forget not our relations
to others in our beft prayers ; be importu-
nate with God more efpecially for Zion,
look upon Zion, the city of cur Solemni-
ties, Ifa. xxxiii. 20. let thine eyes fee Jeru-
falem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that
fhall not be taken down; let not one of the
flakes thereof be removedf nor any of the
cords be broken.
(3.) Prefs we the Lord with all his pre-
cious promifes, either to our families, or
chriftian focieties, or to the churches of
Ghrifl : we have a promife that The Lord
will create upon every dxvelling-place of
mount Zion, and upon her ajjhnblies, a
cloud and fmoak by day, and the flilning
of a flaming fire by night, for upon all the
glory fhall be a defence, Ifa. iv. 5. Now
Lord, make good thy word, ^c.
Conclude with, * I believe, that whatfoe-
ver God hath faid in any of thefe refpefts,
he will fulfil it in his own time : heaven and
earth fhall pafs away, but not one Jot, one
title of God's word flj all fail, Matlh. v. 18.
It may be for the prcfent, things feem
contrary, yet God hath faid it, (Should a
foul fay) and that's enough for me : If I
can but really acknowledge and bclitve,
that God is able to do it, he will then
fpeak from heaven, as he did once on
earth. According to your faith, be it unto
you, Matth. ix. 28,' 2{;.' Ihusmuch of
The Life of Faith.
H
G H A P. X. S E G T. L
Of the Nature of FAMILT-DUT lES,
Itherto of the duties which concern next to them fucceed Family duties ; and
every man in his own particular ; they are fuch. duties as ought to be jointly
L 1 2 nr
26o
FA M I LT'D U r I E S.
or refpe^Vively obferved by the families and
houfes of the people of God. This is im-
plied by that threat, Jer. x. 15. Pour out
thy fury upon the heathen that know thee
not. and upon the families that call not on
thy name ; and by that example of Jofhuah,
Chap. xxiv. 15. But as for me and my hcufe^
•we -willferve the Lord', and by that pro-
mife of God, Jer. xxxi. r. y4t the fame
time, faith the Lord, will 1 be the Cod of
all the families of Ifrael, and they Jloallhe
my people.
§. 2. Of the prepi^atives to Family-duties.
NO \V that we may comfortably carry
on thefe Family-duties, obferve we,
I. Our entrance into them. II. Our pro-
ceedings in them.
1. For entrance, we mufl lay a good
foundation for traftablenefs unto re-
ligion in thofe that belong to this family,
as, (I.) In the governor. (II.) In the go-
verned.
I. In 'he governor whofe duty it is ;
• (i.) To endeavour in a fpecial manner
for knowledge in God's word, and for ho-
linefs of converfation in a chrillian walk-
ing; this would tend much to the prefer-
vation of his authority, -which otherwife
would be flighted and dilVegarded, thro'
an aptnefs in inferiors to take occafion
therefrom.
(2.) To marry in the Lord, 1 Cor. vii.
39. and then to live challly in wedlock,
that there may be an holy feed, Mai. ii.
15. Now that he m<iy ynarry in the Lord,
1. Let piciy be the mover of his affe^lion ;
and perfonage, parentage and portion be
only as a comfortable acceffary, confider-
able in a fecond place : chriftianity and
grace is the chitf golden link and noble
tie, which hath the power and privilege
to make marriage a lovely and everlafting
bond, 2. Let him ply the throne of
grace with fervency of prayer ; a good
wife is a more immediate gift of God :
whence Solomon could fay, houfes and
riches are the inheritance of fathers, hut
a prudent -wife is from the Lord, Prov, xix.
14. Such a rare, and precious jewel is to
be fued and fought for at God's mercy-
feat with extraordinary importunity and
zeal ; and if fhe be procured at God's band
by prayer, he fliall find a thoufand times
more fweetnefs and comfort, than if flie
be ca(\ on him by an ordinary providence.
3. Let him obferve and mark thefe fix
points in his choice ; as, 1. The report :
2. The looks: 3. The fpeech : 4. The ap-
parel. 5. The companions : 6. The educa-
tion : Thefe are like the piiHbs, that (ht\r
the fitnefs and godlinefs of any party with
whom he ought to marry.
3. To beware whom he admits to dwtll
with him, that they be tra(5table to religi-
ous courles : See David's rtfolution heie^
in, Pfalm ci. 6, 7. Mine eyes fl?all be «•
pon the faithful of the land, that they may
dwell with me : he that walketh in a per-
feci way flnill ferve me ; he that worketh
deceit, fhall not dwell within my houfe ; he
that telleth lies, fhall not tarry in my fight.
2. In the governed ; whofe duty is both
to join together in the performance of Fa-
mily-duties with their governor, and to
fubmit to his government, Prov. i. 8, c.
My fon, hear the inftrutlion cf thy fat her ^
and forfake not the law cf thy mother ; for
they fhall be an ornament of grace unto thy
head, and chains about thy neck.
Thefe preparatives I pin upon the
front or porch of this family : now to the
family duties themlelves, and how they
muft be exercifed.
I
3. Of the duties cf governors in general.
N the proceedings of thefe family du-
ties, we are to confider the Duties I. Of
the governors. II. Of the governed.
I. The governors, if (as it is in mar-
riage) there be more than one ; as, F/V/?,
The chief governor, to wit, the hufbaod :
Secondly i The helper, to wit, the wife ;
both
FA M I LT^D U T 1 E S.
261
both thefe owe Duties to their families,
and Duties to one another.
I. The Duties they owe to their Fa-
milies, are either in general, to the whole,
or in particular, according to their feveral
relations.
1. That which in general they owe to
the whole family, is either to their bodies,
or their fouls.
( I .) To their bodies ; concerning which,
faith theapoftle, i Tim. v. 8. He that pro-
videth not for his own, ejpecially for thofe
of his own hou/e, he hath denied the faith^
and is worfe than an infidel. Now as the
Spirit of God chargeth us with this duty,
fo he fctteth us about fuch things where-
by this may be compalfed ; as, i. That e-
very one fhould have fomehonell and good
calling, and walk diligently in it ; Let him
that Jlole, fieal no 7nore, faith the apoltJe,
but rather let him labour, working with his
hands the thing which is good, Eph. iv.
28. 2. That he bear a low fail, and
keep within compafs; remembring that
of Solomon, He that is de/pifed, and
hath afervant, is better than he that ho-
noureth himjelfy and lacketh hready Prov.
xii. 9.
2, To their fouls; concerning which,
fome duties they are to perform to the fa-
mily, and fome to require of the family.
I. The duties they mufl perform to them
are
1. To provide that they may live under
the publick miniftry, for otherwife, how
ftiould they be brought into the fheep-fold
of Ghrift, if they hear not the voice of
the chief fliepherd fpeaking unto them
by thofe whom he hath fent ?
2. Tooverfee the ways of their families,
that they ferve God ; and as in all other du-
ties, fo efpecially in fanftifying the Sab-
baths : to this the very words in the fourth
commandment do bind all raaflers of fa-
milies; Remember thou, and thy fon^ and
thy daughter, thy man fervant and thy
vfSid ; Where the Lord fpeaks by name
to the governors, as if he wotrld make
them overfeers of this work of fanclifying
his fabbaths.
3. To fet their houfe in order for the
fervice of God, to oifer prayers and praif-
es to the Lord morning and evening. To
tills purpofe, pray continually (faith the a-
po(He) I Their, v. 17. which wemuftnot
iinderfland of uninterrupted and inceifant
pouring out of prayers, as the Maffalians
or Euchitas did ; but of morning and even-
ing prayers, the apodle here fpeaking in
reference and in analogy to the continual,
or daily (acrifices. This was David's prac-
tice, Evening and fncrning, and at nocn
will I pray, and cry aloud, and he /hall
hear tny voice ; Pfal. Iv. 17. and this was
Job's pra^ice, who fent for, and fandified
his fons and daughters, and rofe up early
in the nforning, and offered burnt-offerings
according to the number ofthe?n all: thus
difl Job continually, Jobi. 5. And this was
Abraham's pra<^Hce wherefoever he came,.
to build an altar to God, Gen. xii. 17. and
xiii. 4. and xxi. 33. where God iiiould
be worlhipped jointly of him and his fa.-
mily : and this was Chrifl's pradice for
himfe If and his family, Mat. xiv. 19. and
xxvi. 30. John xvii. i.
4. To inftruft their families privately ia
matters of religion, that they may not on-
ly profefs, but feel the power of religion
in their lives and converfations t this du-
ty hath thefe fpecials belonging to it;
(i.) A familiar catechizing of them in
the principles of religion ; thus were parents^
commanded ofold, Deut. vi. 7. Thou Ooalt
teach theje words diligently unto thy chil.
dren, and Jh alt talk of them when thou/it-
tefi in thine houfe, and when thou walkeji
by the way, and when thou lie/} doxon, and
when thou rifeji up, Deut. vL 7.
(2.) A daily reading of fcripturesin their
hearing, direOing them to mark and to-
make ufe of them : fo Timothy was train-
ed up by his parents, and that from his
childhood, 2 Tina. iii. 15.
(3) A
262
FA M 1 LT-D U T I E S,
(3,) A careful endeavouring that they
Bfiay profit by the publick mlniftry : to
this end, I. They muft prepare them 10
hear the word, by conHdering God's or-
dinances, promifes and their own necefu-
ties. '2. They mufl: remember them to
look in the word for a ChriO, and for com-
munion with Chrift. 3. They muft ex-
amine them after the ordinances, what they
have learned, and whatufe they can make
of it ; thus Chrift, after he had preached a
parable to his difciples, be faid unto them,
Know ye not this parable^ and hoiu then
ivi/l ye know all parables ? Mark iv. 13.
and then he expands the parable to them.
II. The duties they are to require of
the family, are both carefully to frequent
the publick miniftry, and diligently to be
converfant in the private worftiip of God,
and conftantly to pra6\ife all holy and
Chriftian duties comprifed briefly in the
commandments of God ; and they are to
require thefe things, not only by telling
them, calling on them, catechifing them,
admonifhing them, but, if they be negli-
gent, by correfting them.
Now this corrcftion muft be miniftred
in Wifdom, and in Patience.
r. In.Wifdom, whofe property it is to
find out the right party that ccmmitted
the fatilt, to confider of what fort and na-
ture the fault is, to weigh circumrtances of
age, difcretion and occalions ; and to look
to the mind of the doer, whether negli-
gence or mere fimplicity brought him to it.
2. In Patience, whofe property it is to
make the fault manifeft to the offender
that his confcience may be touched there-
"with ; to hear what the offender can fay
in his own defence, and accordingly to al-
low or difallow; to avoid bitternels, which
fooner will harden the heart, than reform
the manners of the offender: thefe rules be-
ing obferved, and the heart lifted up in
prayer to God for dirc6lion and blelting,
this corre£\ion is neceflary, as is evident in
Cen.xxx. 2. Pro. xxiii. 14. and xix. 18.
Thefe are the duties that governors owe
to their families in refpeft of their fouls;
to correct them, catechize them, admonilh
them, call on them, read to them, pray
for them, <bc. only with thefe limitations.
1. That they prefume not above their
callings : this was Paul's exhortation, That
no man take this honour to himfelf, but he
that is called of God as was Aarony Heh.
V. 4, The honour here, is the honour of
th^ publick miniftry, except that ; and I
know not but that every governour of a
family, who hath fpecial abilities, utter-
ance, memory, may read fcriptures, repeat
fermons, pray, teach and inftru(ft out of
fcriptures, 1 Pet. iv. 10. Thus Jacob faid
to his houihold, Put away the Jhange gods
that are among you. Gen. xxxv. 2. And
without all C6ntradi(^icn, (ahh the apoftle,
the lefs is blcj/cd of the better ^ Heb. vii. 7.
And if the women would learn any things
let them ajk their husbands at home^ 1 Cor.
xiv.. 35. Thus Oiigen (Horn. 9. on Lev.)
would have the word expounded in chri-
ftian families ; and Auffin faith, * That
which the preacher is in the pulpit, the
fame is the houlholderin the houfe.'
2. That they prefume not above their
gifts : this was Paul's exhortation to every
man, Not to think of himfelf more highly
than he ought to think, but to think foberly^
according as God hath dealt to every man
the mcafure of faith, Rom. xii. 3. Yet I
deny not but in fome cafes they may law-
fully depute or fubftitute fome one in the
family, whom they judge fitteft unto the
fervice and employment, which they them-
felves fliould ordinarily perform, as in
cafe of old age and' weaknefs of body;
Thus Samuel being old made his fons
judges, I Sara. viii. i. Or in want of good
utterance or expreffion of what is to be
faid; thus Aaron was Mofes his fpokef-
man, and inflead of a mouth, Exod. iv.
16. Or in want of a boldnefs and audaci-
ty, ariling from a confcioufnefs of weak-
nefs : thus the good centurion fcnt the
elders
FA M I L-i
cWers of the Jews to Chrift to intercede
for him, Luke vii. 3. Or in cafe that a
minifter of the gofpel do fojourn in one's
family, as Archippus did in Philemon his
houfe, Philem. 2. Or incafe of neccflary
abfcnce ; thus the apoftle Paul made Ti-
raothy his deputy to the chriftian Thefia-
lonians, i ThefT. iii. 1,2. Or in cafe the
Lord hath beftowed more of his gifts and
graces to one than another : I know not in
this cafe, but that we may covet earneJJly
the bef} gifts in other-j, as well as in our
ownfelves, 1 Cor. xii. 31.
§. 4. Ofths duties of parents to their chil-
dren.
THE duties in particular which gover-
nours owe to the family, according
to their relations, are either as parents to
their children.or as mafters to their fervants.
The duties of parents to their children,
are cither, L To their bodies, or, IL To
their fouls.
L The duties of parents to the bodies
of their children, are in many particulars,
but may be all comprifed under this one
head, ' A provident care for their tempo-
ral good ;' and this extendeth itfeJf to all
times, as, (i.) To their infancy. (2.) To
their youth. (3.) To the time of parents
departure out of this world.
(i.) '^I'he firft age of a child is his infan-
cy ; and the firil part of its infancy, is
while it remaineth in the mother's womb:
here the duty lies principally upon the mo-
ther, to have an efpecisl care of it, that it
--^D U r IE S, 26$
may be fafely brought forth. Why was
the charge of abjiainimy from ivine^Jlrong
drink, and unclean things, given to Ma-
noah's wife, but becauie of the child fhe
had conceived ? Judg. xiii. 4.
The next degree of a child's infancy, is
while it is in the fwaddling-band, and re-
main a fucking child ; in this alfo the care
more efpecially lies on the mother, whofe
duty it is to take all pains (he poffibly may,
for the education of her child ; and efpe-
cially to give her child fuck, if flie be
able thereto: this not only nature, but
fcripture feis forth ; ( i .) By confequence.
Gen. xlix. 25. Hof. ix. 14. i Tim. v. 10.
(2.) By example, Gen. xxi. 7. 1 Sam. i,
23. Pf. XX. 9. (3.) By grant, the word
giving it as a ruled cafe not to be denied.
Gen. xxi. 7. Cant. viii. i. Luke xi. 27.
[The neglect of this duty, (which hath
now become a reigning fault among the
pooter as well as among the richer fort)
is a thing very unnatural f, and attended
with feveral great inconveniencies : (i/?,)
Strange milk ; which is very difagreeabie to
the child, and with which to be fure the
child fucks in the natural infirmities of the
nurfe, together with a great deal of her na?
tural inclinations, and irregular paffions 4,
which many times flick by the child for a
long time after : and, which is worfe than
all this, itfometimes happens thatfomefe-
cret difeafe of the nurfe is conveyed to the
child *t. {2dly,) A fhamefuland danger
ous negle^ of the child, efpecially by luch
nurfes as make a trade of it, of whom
f It fcems to me veiy u., natural, tliat a woman thjt has fed a child as part of herfclf fjr nine months, flioulj
have no deHre to nurie it fanhcr, when hiought to light and bcfoe hcreyts, aiul when by us cry it implores her
alfidiicc and tiie c(aze of a mother. Do n >t the very cruellcrt of brutes tend their younj; ones wiih aL the care and
delight imagina'^l'' ? For low can fhe be called a mothtr that will not nurfe hir younp ones? How un neicifiil
is it to fee a mother, tjs foon as ihe is delivered, turn off her innocent. Under, and helplcls infant, and give it up to-
a ttrangtrto nouriih ? ^Spectator.
\ Many infbnccs may be produced- from good authorities and daily experience, that children aOually lock in
the feveral palTioos and depraved iucUnations of tl.tir nurfes, as auger, ra^licc, fear, melancholy, (adncfs, dcfirc,.
•nd averfion. The fcve thither.
•f How many chiliien do e fee daily brought into fits, confumptions, rickets, <irf, merely by fucking thek
Burfv-S when in a paflioaor for^ j , Jbe fimc /i/t'w.
there
0,64-
FA M 1 L T-D U T I E S,
there are great numbers, (^sdly,) An e- fure that they be under the promlfe or co-
flrangement and weakening of natural af- venant themfelves : If God in Chrift be
fedion on both fides ; both on the part of their God, they may have a comfortable
the motlier and of the child : Which what a
gicat lofs this muft prove to both of them,
is eafy to fee.]
2. The fecond age of a child is its youth,
from the time it begins to be of any dif-
cretion, till it be fit to be phced forth :
hope, that God Mill be the God of their
feed, according to the promife, 1 will be
thy Gody and the Cod of thy feed, Gen.
xvii. y. ■
The next degree of a child's infancy is
when it is born ; And the duty of parents
Now the duty of parents at this time, is then is, to give up their children unto God,
(i.) Tonourifli. (2.) To nurture their caHing them into the hands of his provi-
children. dence, into the arms of his mercy, begging
Under nouridiment arecomprifed food, for them a gracious acceptation with God ;
apparel, recreation, means for recovery of and to tender them to the ordinance. The
health whenthe^are fick ; in which if pa- facrament of baptifm, to get the fealof the
rents provide not for their children, they covenant fet upon them, to get them
" ' ' "' mark'd out forfalvation.
2. The fecond age of a child.is its youth:
Now the duty of parents to their children
at this time, is to train them up in triie
piety, To bring them t4p in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord, Eph. vi. 4. To
this end,
1. When children begin to read, let
them read the holy fcriptures ; fo was
Timothy trained up from a child, 2 Tim.
vii. 3, 15. and thus will children fuck in
religion with learning.
2. Let children be catechized conflant-
ly from day to day ; only with this ca-
veat, that parents deal with their children,
as ikilful nurfes and mothers do in feeding
their children, i. c. not to give them too
much at once : Overmuch dulls a child's
underftanding, and breeds wearifomnefs
to it ; it is moft luitable to give them pre-
cept upon precept, precept upon precept, line
upon line, line upon line, here a little, and
there a little, Ila. xxviii. 10. Thus ihall
they learn with eafe and delight, and in
time a great meafure of knowledge will be
gained thereby.
3. Let parents declare to their children,
the admirable woi4i.s that God in former
are worfe than infidels : And under Nur
ture, are comprifed good manners, a good
calling, frequent admonition, reprehen-
fion, correaion, the lad remedy, which
may do good when nothing elfe can, Prov.
xix. 18. and xxiii. 13, (ic. and xxix. 17.
3. The lafi time to which parents pro-
vident care extendeth itfelf, i& the time of
.their departure out of the world, and
then they are to fet their houfe in order,
and to leave their ellates to their child-
ren.
IL The duty of parents to the fouls of
their children extends itfelf alio to nil times,
as (i .) To their infancy. (2.) To their
youth. (3.) To the time of parents depar-
ture out of this world.
1. The firft age of a child is his in-
fency ; and the firft part of its infancy, is
while it rcmaineth in the mother's womb.
Now the duty of parents at that time are
thefej I. That they pray for their child-
ren : Thus did Rebekah, while the chil-
dren were quick in her womb, Gen. xxv.
22. I'hofe parents that negleft this duty
to their children, confider not rightly that
they are conceived in fin : 2. '1 hat they
make (uie (fo much as in them lies) that
their children be born under the promife times hath done for his church, efpccially
or under the covenant, in refpe(^t of the fuch works as he hath done in their tunc :
fpiritual part of it: How? 13y making Outward fenfibie things do beft work upon
^ children.
inftances in the holy fcriptures) will be far
better than filling their heads with fright-
ful ftories of witches, ghofts, and appari-
The. common entertainment which
tions:
parents give their children in their younger
FAM 1 L r^D U r I ES. 26s
children, and therefore this direction was ' Lord, fliall I thus punifh my own fin in
given underthelaw, JoHiuaiv. 6, 2i.[And mine own child? flialll thus perfecute the
the entertaining their young minds with corruptionsof mine own anceftors ? How
fuch pleafing relations of the providence then mayeft thou bedifpleafed with mefor
of God, (of which there are a great many the too carnal conception of my own child?
It may be, I then lay in fome lin, or I aflced
it not of thee by prayer : Be merciful to
me, O Lord, and in thy good time, fhew
thou pity on me, and on my child !'
6. As children grow in years, and in the
years; the bad impreflions whereof are knowledge of Ghrift, and of juftification by
hardly worn out afterwards, when they Chrift, let parents train them up in the exer-
Gome to be men ; infomuch that they are cifeofaIlduties,as, prayer, meditation, Ctlf-
many times in fear vj/jsrefto fear is, and examination, watchfulnefs, andall means
often frightened with they can't tell what.] public and private: [Efpecialiy let them breed
4. Let parents be to their children a good them up, ( i .) To a ferious and unaffefted
pattern in piety, leading them to Cbrift, Piety and Devotiojj towards God, flill and
by their examples : This will take place quiet, real and fubftantial, without much
with children, more than all precepts or iliew and noife. (2.) To JuJHce and
paternal inftru£\ions : But as forme, (faid charity : To defraud and opprefs no man,
Jofhuah, chapter xxtv. 15.) and my houfe, tobe as good as their word, and to perform
^e -will ferve the Lord: He fets himfelf 9II their promifes and contrafts. And alfo
firft, as a guide to the reft. [And indeed, to pity and compallionare the diftreft
without a good example, the beft inftruc
tions will fignify very little, and the great
force and efficacy of them will be loft.
With what reafon can ft thou expert that
thy children (hould follow thy good inftruc-
tions, when thou thyfelf giveft them an ill
example ? AVhenever yoti fwear, or tell a
lie, or are paifionate and furious, or come
drunk into your family, you weaken the
authority of your commands, and lofe all
reverence and obedience to them, by con-
tradirting your own precepts.]
5. Let parents reprove and corrert their
children for fin J and pray thar the Lord
may fanftify this correction unto them :
Confider this, ye parents ; Do you ob-
ferve fuch and fuch fins in your children ?
enter into your own hearts, examine your-
felves, whether they come not from you
and to wifti well unto all men, more ef-
pecialiy to the people of God, and to do all
menall the good that lies in their power. In
order to cherifi-i and preferve this goodnefs
and tendernefs of nature in them, let them
bekeptas much asispofiibleout of the way
of bloody fights and /pe^acks ofcruelty,and
reftrained from all cruel and barbarous
ufage of creatures under their power ; o-
therwife, their hearts will be hardened and
alienated from the pity and compaffion of
human kind infenfibly and by degrees. (3.)
To modefiy and chaftity in heart, -fpeech,
and behaviour; and to ftand in as much awe
of God and their own confciences in pri-
vate, as of a thoufand witnefles : and toyo-
hriciy and Temperance in all their ani-
ons.] If all this be done, the world to come
may reap the benefit of their education
Confider how juftly the hand of God may fuch children as you bring up, fuch pa-
be upon you ; and when you are angry rents will they be, when you are gone, to
with your children, have an holy anger their children ; and fuch children Ihall
with your own felves, and ufe this or the they have, who are parents in the next
like meditation with your own fouls ; generation, isc. You then are the very
^^ "^ making,
2<^,6
FA MILT-DUTIES.
making, or marring of the world : but on
iVie contrary, if this be negle6^ed, [that is,
if you take no care to train up your fa-
milies in the fear and love of God, and
in the praftice of their duty, you will lay
the foundation of an infinite mifchief ; for
if no care be taken of perfons in their
younger years, they will almoft neceflarily
be bad afterwards, in all relations ; unduti-
ful children, flothful and unfaithful fer-
vanls, fcandalous members of the church,
unprofitable to the common-wealth, difo-
bedient to governors both ecclefiafticaland
civil ; and in a word, burthens of tlic earth,
and fo many plagues of human fbciety f.
Oh what an infinite train of evils doth the
neglcft of the right education of children
and fervants draw along with it ! Confider
this, you carelefs parents,* and heads of fa-
milies ; Confider it for your own fakes ;
confider it for the fake of your children
and fervants ; and confider it for the fake
ofpofierity. If you ftill negle6V your fa-
milies,ihink how] the rich man fiiall rife up
againft you in the day of judgment and
Condemn ybu ; for he being in hell, had a
care of his father's houfe, that they might
be forewarnedjhe defired Abraham to fend
Lazarus to his brethren to teflify to them
that they came not to that place of torment-,
but you will not admonifh your children,
you will not teach them Mofes and the
prophets ; you will not fliew them the
danger of God's heavy difpleafure hang-
ing over their heads ; you will not, whilfl
you live, lead a good example before
them : O you may fear that ycur chil-
dren fliall be furies of hell to torment
you. Now the Lord open your eyes, to
forefee, and fly thefe judgments to come.
3. The laft time to which the duty of
parents extends itfelf, is the time of their
departure out of the world, and then they
owe to their children two duties, good
dire<^ion, and faithful prayer.
1. For Direction : When parents ob-
ferve their time to draw near, it is their
duty then efpecially to recommend fome
wife and wholfome precepts unto their
children, the better to direft them in their
Chriftian courfe ; fo did Ifaac, and Jacob,
Gen. xlix. i. ijc. and David, i Kings ii.
2,3. I Chron. xxviii. 9. The words of
a dying parent are efpecially regarded, and
make a deeper impreflion.
2. For Prayer : Then is the mof^ pro-
per time for parents to pray and blefs their
children. As they commend their own
fouls into God's hand?, fo let them com-
mend their children to God's grace ; God's
providence and promifes are the bell in-
heritance in the world ; and if parents in
their prayers leave thefe to their children,
they can never want any thing that is
good. O the faithful prayers of parents
for their children, efpecially when they
are leaving their children, and going to
God, muft needs, in, for and through
Chrift; prevail mightily with God.
§. 5. Of the Duties of Majlers to Ser-
vants.
TH E duty of mafUrs to their fervants
is either to their bodies, or to their
fouls.
I. The duty of mafters to the bodies
of their fervants confifts in thefe particu-
lars ; viz. In a due provifion offood for
them, Prov. xxxi. 15. and xxvii. 27. In a
wife care for their clothing, Prov. xxxi.
21. In a well ordering of their labour, fo
as they may be able to undergo it : In
their eafe, reft and intermilfion from labour
at feafonable times : In paying them fuf-
ficient wagesi Deut. xxiv. 14, 15; In a
careful preferving of their health, and
•J Dr. TlLLOTSON.
uHng
FA MIL r^D U r T E S.
ufing means for their recovery in cafe of
ficknefs, Matth. viii. 6. and that, not of the
fervant's wages, but of the mafter's own
charge, other wife they undo not the heavy •
burden, Ifa. Iviii. 6. but rather lay burden
upon burden.
2. The duty of mafters to the fouls of
their fervants, confifls in thefe particulars ;
viz. In teaching them the principles of re-
ligion, and all duties of piety : * in caufing
them to go to the publick miniftry of the
word and worihip of God : in taking ac-
count of their profiting by the publick and
private means of edification : in praying
for them ; and as they obferve any grace
wrought in them, in praifing God for it,
and praying for theencrcafe ofit : nothing
fo much wins a fervant's heart, or the af-
feftions of any gracious heart, as the edi-
fying of it in grace.
§. 6. 0/ the duties of the husband and wife.
THE duties which the chief governor
and his helper owe to one another,
are either common and mutual, or proper
and peculiar to each feverally.
The common mutual duties betwixt
man and wife, are either i. fuch as are of
hiecejfity to the being of marriage ; as Ma-
trimonial unity ^ Mat. xix. 6. Tit. ii. 5. and
Matrimonial chajiity, Mai. ii. 15. or 2. fuch
as conduce to the well-being of marriage ;
as Loving affedion of one another ,• and
Providential care of one for another.
The former duties prefuppofed, there
ought to be,
I . A fweet, loving and tender-hearted
pouring out of their hearts, with much af-
fe<5lionate dearnefs into each others bofoms.
This mutual melting-heartednefs, being
preferved fre(h and fruitful, will infinitely
Iweeten and beautifie the marriage-flate.
Now for the prefervation of this love, let
267
them confider (i.) The compaflionate and
melting compellations which Chrifl: and bis
fpoufe exchange in the Canticles, My fair
one^ TJ^y love^ my dove, my undefiled, my
ivell-belovedy the chief of ten thoufand : fuch
a fervent an4,chafte love as this, all mar-
ried couples (hould refemble and imitate.
(2.) The command of God to this purpofe,
Hufbands love your -wives, Eph.v. 25. and
wives (or young women) love your huf
bands, Tit. ii. 4. Methinks this charge oft
remembred, fliould ever beat back all heart-
vifing and bitternefs, all wicked wifhes that
they had never met together, that they
had never feen one another's faces : when
the knot is tied, every man fiiouid think
his wife the fitteft for him, and every wife
fhould think her hufband the fittefl for her
of any other in the world.
2. A provident care of one for another ;
which extends to the body ; Ao man hat'
eth'his own ftefh, but nourifheth and che-
rifheth it, Eph. v. 29. and to the good
name ; Jo/eph was not willing to make
Mary a publick example, Mat. i. 19. and
to the goods of this world ; in which if
thefe fall out any crofs providence, they
are both to join with Job's Spirit, The Lord
hath given, and the Lord hath taken, etc.
Job i. 21. But efpecially to the foul; in
praying togetli^r, for and with one ano-
ther ; in taking notice of the beginning
and leaft meafure of grace, and approving
the fame; in conferring about fuch things
as concern the fame, mutually propound-
ing queflions, and giving anfwers one to
another; in maintaining holy and religious
exercifesin the family, and betwixt their
own felves, in Airrlng up one another to
hear the word, to receive the facraments,
and cohfcionably to perform all the parts of
God's publick woribip : in cafe tiie one
prove unconverted, let the other wait, and
• If the feeds of true piety be (own in them, wc ftall reap the fruits of i: : rnd if this be ncvlra-d. wc JhaU
fi,fr<T by It. If ourcnildren and lervantsbcnot taught to fear and reverence God, how can we expert ttuc they
(hould reverence and regard us r Ti L LOT 5 ON. '
^^"12 pray.
268
FA M I LY >D U r I E S.
pray, and expe^ God's good time : or in
cafe the one be a babe in Chrift, or weak
in Chriflianity, let the other deal fairly,
lovingly, meekly, and let our Lord Jefus
his tender-heartednefs to fpiritual young-
lings, teach us mercy this way, who is faid
to gather the lamhs -with his arms, arid to
carry them in his bofom, and gently to lead
thofe that are with youngs Ifai. xl. ii.
II. The proper and peculiar duties to
each feverally, are
T. Of the hufband, whofe duty it is,
I. That he dearly love his wife.
II. That he wifely maintain and manage
Hs authority ov^ her.
For the former, confider, i. The mat-
ter i a. The manner of his love.
I . The matter of it is a dear love, aTpe-
clal love, and a more fpceial than that com-
mon mutual love to one another : no quel li-
on the wife is to love her hufband, and a bro-
ther, to love his brother, and a friend to
love his friend, but more efpecially, or,
with a more fpecial love is the hufband to
love his wife. To this purpofe flie is called,
The wife of his bofom, to fliew that Ihe
ou^ht to be as his heart in his bofom. He
niuft love her at all times, he muit love her
in all things-, love muft fet on and fweet-
en his fpecch, carriage, aflions towards
her; lovemuft fliewitlelf in his commands,
reproofs, admonitions, inftruftions, autho-
rity, familiarity with her; the rife of which
love muft not be from her beauty, nobili*
ty, or becaufe ftie contents and pleafeth
her hufband ; but efpecially becaufe Ihe is
his fifler in the profeffion of Chriftian reli-
gion, and an inheriter with him of the
kingdom of heaven ; becaufe of her graces
and virtues, as, ModefTy, Chaf^ity, Dili-
gence, Patience, Temperance, Faithfulnefs,
Secrecy, Obedience, etc. becaufe flie bears
and brings him forth children the heirs of
his name and fubflance, and the upholder
of his family : and becaufe of the union
and conjunction of marriage. Love grow-
ing of beauty, riches, lull, or any other
flight grounds, is but a blaze, and foon va-
nifheth; but if grounded on thefeconfidera-
tions, and efpecially on this union of mar.
riage, it is lading and true: the want here-
of is the fountain of ftrife, quarrelling,
debate, which converts the paradife of mar-
riage into an hell.
2. For the ryiamier of this love, the apo-
ftle gives it thus, Hujhands, love your own
wives, even as Chriji aljo loved the churchy
Eph. v. 25. Now the love of Chrili to
his church, is commended to us in thele
particulars :
(i.) In the caufe of his love, which is
his love : He Jets his love on you, becauj'e
he loved you, Deut. vii. 7, 8. his lovearofe
wholly and folely from himfelf, and was
every way free : fo ihould htilbands love
their wives, though there be nothing in
wives to move them, but merely becaufe
they are wives.
(2.) In the order of his love : Chrift be-
gan it to the church, before the church
could love him : and as a wall is firft fmit-
ten on by the fun- beams, before it give a
ref]e<flion of its heat back again : fo the
church is firft heated and warmed at heart
by the fenfe of Chrift's love, before flie
love him again : We love him becauje he
loved us fir ft y I John iv. 19. Becaufe of
the favour of thy ointments, therefore do
the virgins love thee. Cant. i. 2. fo (liould
hufbands begin to love their own wives:
1 know fome wives prevent their hufbands
herein, and there may be reafon for it ;
but the greater is their glory. This pat-
tern of Chrifl ihould rather flir up the
hufband to go before them.
(3.) In the truth of Chrift' s love : this
was manifeitcd by the fruits thereof to his
church ; He gave himfelf J or it, that he
might fan6iify it, and cltanfe it, and pre
fent it to himfelf a glorious church, not
having fpot or wrinkle, Eph. v. 25, 26, 27.
So muf^ hufbands love their wives in truth
and in deed, by guiding them in the way
of UfC; and path that is called holy, for this
IS
FA M I LT-D TJ r I E S,
269
is the trucft charafter of a fincere love.
(4.) In the quality of his love : Chrift's
love is an holy, pure, and chafte love, as
he himfelf is, fo is his love, fuch muft be
the love of hulbands, an holy, pure and
chafte love. Away with all intemperate,
excefTive, or any ways exorbitant polluti-
ons of the marriage-bed! from which,if the
fear of God, imitation of Chrift, love of
purity, awfulnefs of God's all-feeing eye
cannot draw, yet that flavifh horror, leH
God (hould punifh fuch a couple with no
children,orwith mis(hapen children, or with
idiots, or with prodigious wicked children,
or with fome other heavy crofs, one would
think fhould be able to affright them.
(5.) In the continuance of Chrift' s love :
having loved his oivny he loved thern unto
the end, John xiii. i. His love is a con-
ftant love, an everlafting love : no provo-
cations or tranfgreffions could ever make
him forget his love ; Thou haft played the
harlot with many lovers, yet return unto
me, Jer. iii. i. Such muft be the Love of
hulbands, a firm Love, an inviolable Love:
the ground of it muft be God's ordinan-
ces, and the fupport of it muft be an in-
violable refolution, that no provocation
fhall ever change it, or alter it. Hulbands
muft pafs by all infirmities, endeavouring
in love to redrefs them, if poffibly they
can, or if not, to bear with them.
II. The fecond duty of an hufband, is,
Wifely to maintain and manage his autho-
rity : Now the managing of it confifts in
two things, (i.) That he tenderly refpeft
her. (2.) That he carefully provide for her.
I. He muft tenderly refpeil her, Ezek.
xxiv. 1 6. as his wife, companion, yoke-
fellow, as his very delight, and the defire
of his eyes, and never be bitter againj}
her. Col. iii. i^. This bitternefs ordinari-
ly turneth the edge of his authority : if
therefore any matter of unkindnefs arife,
(asfometimes certainly will) then muft he
carefully with all lenity, gentlenefs and
patience quiet all, and never fuffer himfelf
nor his wife to fleep in difpleafure : Z^'
not the fun go down upon your wrath i
Eph. iv. 26. Or if he (hall have occafion
to reprove her, he muft keep his words
until a convenient time, and not do it in
prefence of others, and then utter them
in the fpirit of meeknefs and love. Surely
if fhe be not corrected by a word of wif-
dom and difcretion ; iTie will never amend
by threats, oranyhafty, rigorous carriage:
and if /he once begin to lofe her fhame-
facednefs in the prefence of her hufband,
it is likely there will be often brawlings
and quarrels betwixt them, and the houfe
will be full of difquietnefs : it is beft there-
fore to deal wifely with her, to admonirti
her of^ten, to reprehend her feldom, never
to lay violent hands on her ; and if fhe be
dutiful, to cherifh her, that flie may fo
continue; if way ward, mildly to fufferher,
that fhe wax not worfe.
2. He muft carefully provide for her /
to this purpofe he is called her head, and
faviour, as Chrift is the head of his church ,
Eph. V. 23. And the Saviour of the body ;
the head (you know) is the fountain of
motion, quickening, life, fenfe, and light-
fomenefs to the body ; fo fhould the huf-
band be as the well-fpring of livelinefs,light-
fomenefs, light-heartednefs to his wife r
fhe hath forfook all for him, and therefore
fhe fhould receive from him a continual
influence of chearful walking, and com-
fortable enjoying of herfelf. And a Savi-
our (you know) both provides for, and
proteds the favcd : Chrift thus faved his
church, he is every way a fufficient Savi-
our, able perfedly to Jave, even to the
very uttermof} ; Heb. vii. 25. He fave?
Ibul and body, he faves from all manner
of mifery, from the wrath of God, the
curfe of the law, the venom of all outward
croffes, the tyranny of Satan ; the fting of
death, the power of the grave, the tor-
ments of hell, or if fm be the greateft evil,
(as indeed it isj he will lave his people
frQm their Jins : Mat. i. m, I cannot fay
thus
FA M I L r- DUTIES,
270
thus of the hufband ; yet an hufband car-
rieth a refemblance of Chrift, and is after
a manner a Saviour to his wife, to protect
her, and to provide for her. David com-
pares her to a vine, Pfalra cxxviii. 3. in-
timating, that as a vine is underpropped
and raifed by fome tree or frame near to
which it is planted, fo is the wife r^^ifed to
the height of iionour by vertue of her re-
lation to her hufband ; by his weahh is
fhe enriched ; by his honour is flie digni-
fied : he is under God and Chrifl, all in
all to her. In the family he is a King, to
govern and aid her ; a Prieft, to pray with
her, and for her>a Prophet, to teach and
inftru^ her ; a Saviour to provide for and
prote£l her to his utmoft, if not to the ut-
moji, which indeed is proper and peculiar
to the Lord Chrift.
II. The duties proper to the wife are
thefe.
1 . That fhe be in fubmifTion to her hus-
band.
2. That fhe be an helper to him all her
days.
I . Wives mujl be in fuhje6iion to their
oxvn hujhands : Sarah obeyed Abraham, and
called him Lord'. Gen. iii. 16. Eph. v. 22.
2 Pet. iii^ I, 6. But here's a cafe of con-
fcience.
I . What if her hufband be a fon of Be-
lial, an enemy to Chrift? raufl fhe then
yield fubjeftion ? Yes, becaufe in his
office her hufband is as in ChriA's ftead :
the church is compared to a lily among
thorns. Cant. ii. a. fhe remains ///y //^£' ;
white, foft, pleafant, and amiable, though
flie be joined with thorns^ which are prick-
ly and fharp: fo a wife mufl: be meek,
mild, gentle, obedient, tho' fhe be match-
ed with a crooked, perverfe, prophane and
wicked -hufband : flie mufl in this cafe re-
move her eyes from the difpofition of her
hufband's perfon to the condition of his
place, a nd by vertue thereof (feeing he
beareth Chrifl's image) be fubjeft unto him
as unto Chrifl.
2. What if her hufband command things
contrary to Chrifl ? mufl flie therein be
fubjeft ? — No: Submit, <bc. pph. v. 22.
How ? as unto the Lord: if fhe fubmits to
things contrary to Chrifl, fhe fubmits not
as to the Lord. Confcientious wives muft
remember they have an hufband in hea-
ven, as well as on earth, betwixt whom
there is a greater difference, than betwixt
heaven and earth, and therefore in cafe
they bid contrary things, they muft pre-
fer God before man, Chrifl before all men.
2. Wives muji be helpers to their hup-
bands. Gen. ii. 8, 10. Now this helpful-
nefs confifls in thefe things.
(i.) That fhe be careful to preferve his
perfon, in ficknefs or health, in adverfity
or profperity, in youth or old age.
A mofl memorable and famous pattern
for this purpofe, is recorded by f Vives:
' A young, tender, and beautiful maid
was matched ' (as he reports) to a man
flricken in years, whom after marriage fhe
found to have a very fulfom and difeafed
body, full of many loathfome and conta-
gious difeafes; yet, notwithftanding, out
of fenfe and confcience, that by God's
providence flie was become his wife, fhe
mofl worthily digefled all with incredible
patience : friends and phyficians advifed
her by no means to come near him, and for
their parts they utterly forfook him ; but
fhe (pafTing by with a loving difdain, thofe
unkind difluafions)becoines to him in their
flead. Friend, Phyfician, Nurfe, Mother,
Sifler, Daughter, Servant, every thing, any
thing to do him good any manner of way.
At lafl, by extraordinary expence, and ex-
cefTive charges about him, fl^e came to
fome want of fome neceffaries, whereup-
on fhe fold her ring, 'chains, richefl attire.
fLib. ».de ChtifllanaFoem. Fag. $60.
plate,
FA M I L r~
plate, and cholceft jewels : and when he
was dead, and friends came about her, ra-
ther to congratulate her happy riddance,
than to bewail her widowhood, flie not
only abhorred all fpeeches tending that
way, but protefted, if it were poffible, ftie
would willingly redeem her hufband's life
with the lofs of her five deareft children.'
"Whence it appears that this worthy woman
was wedded to her hufband's foul, not to
his body, feeing no infirmity or deformity
thereof, could cool or weaken the ferven-
cy of her love.
(2.) That fhe learn and labour to fore-
cafl, contrive and manage houihold-afFairs,
and bufinefs within doors, as tbey fay;
for which fee a right noble glorious pattern
in Prov. xxxi.
(3.) That fhe help her hufband,in fetting
forward the rich and royal trade of grace,
in ere6lingand eftablifhingChrift's glorious
kingdom in their houfe, and efpecially in
their own hearts : this is that one necefla-
ry thing, without which their familyis but
Satan's feminary, and a nurfery for hell ;
this will marvelloufly fweeten all reproach-
es caft upon them by envenomed tongues :
this will fweetly fealunto them their afTur-
ance of meeting together hereafter in hea-
ven. Where the hufband and wife per-
form thefe and the like duties, there's an
happy family, there's a college of quiet-
nefs; where thefe are neglefted, we may
term it an hell.
Thus much of the duties of governors :
we come now to the governed.
§. 7. Of the duties of children to parents.
DUTIES of children to parents, are
either inward, as, Love and Fear ;
or, outward, as, Reverence, Obedience,
Recom pence.
I. The inward duties which children
owe to their parents, are Love and Fear :
Love, like fugar, fweetens Fear ; and Fear
like fait, feafons Love ; there rauft be a
Loving- fear, and a Feariiig-love» Hence
D U T lES. 271
the fear of a child is oppofed to the fear of
a flave; for a child's fear, being mixed
with love, hath a refpeft to the offence
which the parent may take ; but a flave's
fear, which is ordinarily mixed with ha-
tred, hath refpeft to nothing but the pu-
ni/hment which his mafter may inflift up-
on him. This love-like-fear is fo proper
to children, as that the awful refpeft which
the faints bear to God, is called a Jifial
fear: children have received their fub-
ftance from the very fubflance of their pa-
rents, and therefore they are to perforin
this duty of love and fear to them.
II. The outward duties, or the mani-
feftation of this love and' fear in children,
appears,
I. In their reverence infpeech andcar'^
riage : they muft give to their parents re-
verent and honourable titles, meek and
humble fpeeches, obeyfance, as becomes
their age and fex : thus Jofeph and Solo-
mon bowed, the one to his father, the o-
ther to his mother. Contrary hereto is;
mocking and defpifing father and mother ;
of which faid Solomon, The eye that mock*
eth at his father, and defptfeth to obey hi^
mother, the ravens of the valley fhall pick
it out : a phrafe that fets forth the end of
a notorious malefaftor, that is hanged in
the air till the ravens pick out his eyes ;,
Gen.xlviii. 12. i Kingsii. 19. Pro. xiii.17.
2. In their obedience to their com-
mands, inftruftions, reproofs, and correc-
tions of their parents, Eph. vi. i. Prov. i.
8, 9. thereafon is, becaufe of God, whom
the Father reprefents : children muft re-
member, that whatfoever they do to their
parents, they do it to God ; when they
pkafe them, they pleafe God ; when they
difobey them, they difobey God ; when
their parents are juftly angry with them,
God is angry with them ; nor can they
recover God's favour (though all the faints
of heaven fhould intreat for them) till they
have fubmitted themfelves to their own
parents; only with this limitation, that
thev
272 lAMlL
they fubmit or obey them in the Lord, Eph.
vi. f.
r. In their Recompence : this is a duty
whereby children endeavour, as much as
in them lies, to repay -what they can for
the parent's kindnefs, care and coft to-
wards them, in way of thankfulnefs : If
any ividows have children or nephews^ let
them learn firfi to /hew kindnefs at home,
and to requite their parents, r Tim. v. 4.
In ficknefs they tnuft vifit them, in time
of mourning they mufl: comfort them, in
want they mufl: provide for them ; as the
children of Jacob, who vifited, comfort-
ed, and went ♦© buy food for thetr fa-
ther. Gen. xlviii. i. andxxxvii. 35. and
xlii. 3. In time of danger, they mufl: en-
deavour their proteftion, as" David did,
Let my father and mother (faid he to the
king of Moab) I pray thee, come forth, and
be luith you, till J know what Cod will do
for me. And ■ he brought them before the
king of Moab, and they dwelt with him,
all the while that David was in the hold,
I Sam. xxii. 2, 4. If God pleafe to take
'children out of this world before their pa-
rents,and their parents be fuccourlefs, they
muft, as they can, provide for their well-
being after death : thus Chrift commend-
ed his mother to his difciple John, a little
before he gave up the ghoft, Johnxix.27.
It is recorded of the ftork, ' That when the
dames are old, the young ones ^ttdi them ;
and when through age, they are ready to
famt in their flying, the young ones help
them; and when they are part flying, the
3'oung ones carry them on their weak
backs.' Thus natnrt teacheth children their
duty, how much more fliould grace ?
§.8. Of the duties of ft rv ants to their ma-
Ms.
DUtiesof fervants to their mafters, are
either inward, as. Fear; or out-
ward, as, Reverence, and Obedience.
I. The inward duly is, Fear. Servants,
be J'ubjeifl to your maflers with all fear, and
account them worthy of all honour, i Tet.
r^D v r I E s.
ii. 18. I Tim. vi. 2. So proper is ttiis
fear to a fervant, as where it is wanting,
there is a plain denial of his' mafler's place
and power : If I be a mafter, where is my
fear? faid God, Mai. i. 6, Obferve, I
mean not an exceffive, flavifh fear, as when
a fervant fears nothing but the revenging
power of his mafter ; fuch was the fear of
that unprofitable fervant, who could fay
to his mafter. Mat. xxv. 24, 25. I knew
that thou wert an hard man, and I was a-
fraid : but I mean an awful fear of pro-
voking his mailer's wrath, fo as it makes
him cart every way, how he may pleafe
his mafter, and fuch a fear draws him on
chearfuUy to perform his duty.
II. Outward duties that iflue from this
fear, are Reverence, and Obedience.
1. Reverence, which is manifefted in
fpeech and carriage. Thus fervants muft
give reverend titles to their maflers, as
Father, Lord, and Mafler, <bc. They muft
yield obeyfance to them; as The children
of the prophets, when they faw that ths
fpirit of Elijah re (led on Elifha, they came
to meet him, and bowed themfelves to the
ground before hitn, 2 Kings ii. 15.
2. Obedience, which hath refpeifk to the
commands, inftruftions, reproofs and cor-
rections of their maflers, i Pet. ii. 18, 19,
20. But here's a cafe or two ofconfcience.
I. * How far mufl they obey ; or what is
the extent of fervants obedience to ma-
fters f The apoflle anfwers; Servants,
obey in all things your maflers according
to the fiefh,Co\. iii. 22. It is not fufficient
that fervants perform well their duties in
feme things, they muft do it in all things ;
yea, in .things that may be againft their
own mind and liking, if their mafters
will have it fo : this is clear in the ex-
ample of,Jc'>ab, The king commands hiin
to number the people ; Joab declares him-
felf, thai i.e thinks it a very unmeet thing,
JVhy doth my Lord the king delight, faith
he, in this thing ? 2 Sam. xxiv. 2, <jc.
yet againlt his judgment he yidds to the
king's
FA M I LT-
king's peremptory command. The king's
■word prevailed again/} Joab. Lpok, as Pe-
ter, when Chrifi bid him lanch out into the
deep, and. let down his net for a draught,
he anfwered and faid, Majler^ ive have
toiled all the night, and have taken nothing;
neverthelefs, at thy -word I will let down
the net, Luke v. 4, 5. So muft fervants
fey, when they have a peremptory com-
mand, though conirar}' ro their own judg-
ment:, this or that in all humility, I fup-
pofe, or I propoiind to you, Neverthelejs,
at your word^ I xvill let down the net, I
will do as you pleafe.
2. * But what if God and mafter (hould
command contrary things?' In fuch a cafe
the apoille fetsdown an excellent limitati-
on irt t'-Ae^Q four phrafes, i. As unto Chrifl.
1. As the fervants of Chrift. 3. Doing the
will of Corl. 4. As to the Lord ; Eph. vi.
5, 6, 7. All thefe imply, ' That if mafters
command their fervants any thing con-
trary to Chril}, they may not yield to it :'
Upon this groimd themidwives of the He-
brew women, would not kill the Hebrew
children, They feared God i^ahh the text, Ex.
i. 17.) and did not as the king commanded
them. In this cafe Jofeph is commended in
not hearkening to his miftrefs, and the fer-
vants of Saul are commended for refufing
t,o flay the Lord's priefts at their mailer's
command. When mailers command or
forbid any thing againfl God and Chrifl,
they go therein beyond their commiffion,
and their authority ceafeih,fo that fervants
may fay, We ought to obey Cod rather than
jnen, A^s v. 29.
3. Obje^f. But feme Anabaptiflsobjefl,
' That all men are alike, and that there is
no fuch difference as betwixt maflers and
fervants, ray, it is exprefly forbidden to
be fervants of men ^ i Cor. vii. 23.
Sol. I anfwer, to be a fervant, in that
place, is not fimply to be in mbjeaion
under another, but to be fo obfeqnious to
man, as to prefer him before God : hence
the apolUe elfewhere in the duties of fer-
N
DUTIES. 273
vants, lays down this antiihefis, Kot a^
menpleafers, but as the fervants of Chrifi- i
again ; doing fervice as to the Lord, and
not to men, Eph. vi. 6, 7. The meaning is,
that we mufl do duty to a mafler, not as
merely to a man, but as to one in Chriffs
flead. Maflers, by virtue of their of-
fice and place, bear the image of Chrid ;
Chrifl communicates his authority unto
them, and fo, in performing duty to maf-
ters, we perform duly to Chrifl; and in de-
nying duty to maflers, we deny duty to
Chrifl: Thus the Lord faid to Sannie?,
when the people rejefted his government,
They have not rejected thee, but they have
reje6ied me, that I fJjould not reign over
them, I Sam.viii. 7. Confider this, ail ye
that are fervants, tho' maflers fhould nei-
ther reward your good fervice, nor revenge
your ill fervice, yet Chrifl will do both :
this is your prerogative that fear God,above
alf other fervants ; others may ferve their
maflers with fear and trembling, in fingle-
nefs of heart, and with good will, but on-
ly chriftians and faints do fervice as to
Chrifl, and this makes them not content
themfelves with doing the thing, but. to
endeavour todoitafterthebeftmanner they
can, fo as God and Chrifl may accept of it.
I have now run through the fairily,
and informed you of the duties both of
governors and governed. Chriflians, look
within you, look jibout you, that man
is not a good man that is not good in
all his relations. The fame God that re-
quires us to ferve him as private perfons,
requires us to ferve him in our relations :
and therefore though you be never fo
careful of your duty in the former refped,
yet, * you may go to hell for neglefling
your duties as maflers, fervants, hulbands,
wives, parents, or children ; nay, T'U fay a
little more, that though you (hould be
good in one relation, yet if you endeavour
not to be good in every relation, 30U fhall
never go to heaven : for the fame God
that commands you to ferve him as a maf-
n ter,
274 <^fi^ TSTIA N SOC lETr.
ter, commafitis you to ferve him as a Fa- keeps the whole law, and yet offends in
Cier, as an husband,' etc. And he that one point, he is guilty 6f all, James ii. jo.
CHAP. XI. SEC T. I.
0/ the 'T reparatives to Chriflian Sccietj.
Hitherto of fecret duties, and private
duties, fo far as they concern every
man in his own particular, and in his
own family : now, as of many pariicu-
Jars confifts a family, (b of many fami-
lies, may confifl: this Chriftian Society
we are ready t<^' treat of; and the ra-
ther do we fall upon it, becaufe we hold
it a Duty to keep a conftant, indeared,
and loving correfpondence with the
f.iints, to communicate v.ith experi-
mental Chriftians in their experiences of
ChriJl: v.orking and dwelling in them, 71?
f.xhort one another, and fo much the more,
as we Jee the day approaching, Heb. x.
^A, 25.
, Now that we mny jointly and comfort-
ably carry on this Duty, obferve we I. Our
entrance into it. II. Our proceedings in it.
L For entrance we muft, i. Renounce
ail finful and wicked fociety. 2. Enter-
tain fuch graces as will fitly prepare us
for this fociety.
J. "We mufl renounce and difcharge all
wicked fociety: 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15, 16. For
-what jellowjhip hath right eoufnefs ivith
unrlghteoufnefs ? andxihat communion hath
light with darknejs ? And what concord
hath ChriJ} with Belial? or what part hath
he thai believelh with an infidel? what a-
.recmtnt hath the temple of Cod with idols?
As melted gold will unite itfelf with thefub-
llance of gold, but not incorporate itfelf
with drofs ; fo if God by his Spirit melts
the heart, and fits it for union with belie-
vers, then he fcparates it from that which
Is hetei'ogcneous and difagreeing to it : Pf.
XV. I. LordfWhofihill dwell in thy holy hill ?
laith David ; iheanfweris given, Plal. xv.
4. /;/ whofe eyes a vile per fon is contemned,
but he honoureth them that fear the Lord :
Underftand the text foberly concerning
Contempt of a vile perfon. David would
not have us to deny him courtefies and
civil behaviour : we may ear, and drink,
and buy and fell, and (hew kindr efs, and
pity him, and pray for him, and carry
ourfelves with all wifdom towards him,
though he be without ; but' as for holy
communion we muft fay to him as Peter
to Simon, ACis viii. 21. Thou haft neither
part nor fellowfioip in this body ; or as
Nehemiah to Sanballat, Tobi^h and Ge-
(ham,. You have no portion, nor right, nor
memorial in Jerufalem, Neh. 2. 20.
2. We muff entertain and abound in fuch
graces as will fitly prepare us for this Chri-
flian fociety, and they are fuch as thefe : —
I. Humility. Humble men contend nor,
cenfurenot, quarrel not, difdain not: they
can meet with unequal refpe(5\s of age^
fex, ffate and parts ; they can difcern,
even women, what is to be honoured, and
if there be not always fo profound a judg-
ment, yet many times there is iriore holy,
and more fweet affeflions : they have not
the faith of Chrifl in refpc(fl of perfons,
but can fay to the poor man (if he be of
the poor whom God hath chofcn, rich in
grace, and an heir of the kingdom) Sit thou
herein a good place, they can prefer
grace beforb parts, and delight jn the
Iwcet fcent of creeping violets: [that is,
they can delight in the excellent virtues of
the loweft people : they will honour me-
rit even in the perfon of one in rags ;] they
can make ufe of, and improve all other
mens gift* j For in honour they prefer cue
ano'
CHRISTIAN SOCIETT. 275
and hearts : fo the fou! q^ Jonathan was
knit to the foul of David,
another, Rom. xli. lo. and fo they come
to be kindly affe^tioned one to another in
brotherly love ; they can fpy out graces of
all forts, in all forts and ranks of people :
they obferve the fweet sfFability and cour-
tefy of fome great ones, the honeft dili-
gence and patience of fome poor ones, the
blufliing modeftyand humility of fome fo-
lidly learned, the chearful aftivity of God's
worfhip in fome illiterate, that love Chrifl
in fincerity, though they cannot difpute for
him : feveral forts of men, have fevcral
lurtres; now the humble learn of all, and
fo receive much benefit in communion
from all. This grace then [of /jumility}
gives him a fitnefs for this fociety.
2. Acknowledgement, and the prizing
of others gifts : it is faid of Apollos, that
though he were an eloquent man, and mighty
in the fcriptures, yet he fo far acknowledg-
ed and honoured the graces of Cod, and the
gifts that were in A qui la, and Prifcilla,
A6ls xviii. 24, 25, 26. (a plain couple, an
handy«crafts-man and his wife) that he was
content to learn of them : O let not breth-
ren envy and grudge at one another, but
acknowledge and prize the gifts of others
as their own gifts.
3. Self-denial: Phil. ii. 4. Let nothing
be done through firife or vain-glory, but
in lowlinefs of mind, let each efleem ether
better than thernfelves : look not every man
on his own things, but every man alfo on
the things of others : how goodly is it to
fee a man who hath parts, and gifts, and
graces, to deny himfelf, and all for the e-
difying of the body ? Paul could endeavour
to pleafe all men in all things. Not feek-
ing his own profit, but the profit of many y
\ Cor. X. 33. He hath a true publick fpi-
rit„ that prefers the [good of the] body of
Chrift, before his own private [interefl:] ;
that can deny htmfelf, fo that God may
be glorified.
4. Love : a grace of fuch ufe and influ-
ence, that without love there can be no
Chriflian fociety i it is love that joins hands
>f n
I Sam. xvut. r.
For Jonathan loved him as his own foul.
Love diipofeth men to all fplritual offices,
to ptay together, fing together, talk, or con-
fer together; on the contrary, all the gifts
in'the world, how excellent foevej-, are no-
thing worth without love : Though I fpake
with the tongues of men, and avgels ; Though
1 had the gifts of all prophecy, and undcr^
fland all myftcries, and all knowledge, and
have not love, lam nothing. I Cor. xiii. 1,2.
5. Jmiablene/l, facility, or condefcenft-
on : rugged ftones unhewen and unfquar-
ed, cannot fitly ly and join together in one
building ; fowre, harlh and fullen fpirits,
are not fit for fociety : if there be a Na-
bal, who is fuch a fon of Belial, that nri
man can fpeak to him, he may not be en'
tertained : I know there are fome good
mgn of an harlh and rigid difpofition, who
make many a poor Chrillian to flartle back,
though he came with « rcfolution to con-
fult and learn fomething of them : but there
is in fome others (whom I always prefer)
an alluring facility, that doth call in the
modefl: and blulliing, who would other-
wife ftep back : now this fweet difpofition
for gaining of fouls unto the liking and re*
Ihhing of the good ways of God, is a com-
mendable grace.
6. Sobriety of fpirit, in the fufpending
of all rafiinefs of cenfures, and a patient
bearing with fome errors and offences,
which unavoidably will fometimes fall out :
the apdftle had refpeft unto this, when he
admonifiied the Goloflians, chap. iii. 13. /o
forbear one another, and to forgive one a*
not her, if any man have a quarrel againjl
any, or a matter of complaint (as the word
fignifieth) even as Chriji forgave you. How
quarrellous are fome men ? How loud and
fhrill, and thunder-ftormy in their com-
plaints .' on the contrary, heavenly fouls
refolve to do good, and to fufler evil; fiich
was David's carriage towards Shimei, when
Shimei curfed him ; Come cut thou bloody
2 nian
276
CHRISTIAN SOCIETY.
man, thou man of Belial : David faid no more,
but Let him curfcy becaufe the Lord hath faid
unto him, curje David, 2 Sam. xvi. 17.
7. Innocency, harmlefnefs , or inoffenjive-
nefs of converfation : nothing more de-
ftroys Chriftian-fociety, than frequent ly-
ing, flatteries, whifpering, feoffs, calum-
nies, and invented flanders : hence James
calls the tongue, An unruly evil, full of
deadly poifon ; and if this mernber be not
tamtd, all religion is in vain, James iii. 8.
i. 26. and confequently all religious fociety.
8. An holy coveting of excellent gifts
emulation ordinarily engenders (Irife, and
overthrows Chriftian- fociety ; but this ho-
ly contention, this fpiritual emulation,
this zeal after more perfeiftion of gifts and
graces, the apofl-Je enjoineth, Covet ear-
neflly the be/t gifts, i Cor. xii. 31. q. d.
affeft, emulate, be zealous after a further
growth or improvement.
g. JVi/dotn ; both to difcern where the
rich treafure lies, and tto be able to draw
it forth : there lies many times a great deal
of fpiritual wealth in (bme obfcure and ne-
glected Chriftians, which many fupercili-
ouE an J' conceited profeflTors dopafsbyand
negleft. One would not think what dex-
terity ia fcriptures, what judgment in con-
troverfies, what fervency and expreffions
in prayer, what acquaintance with God
and his providence, what flrength of faith,
^ what patience, meeknefs, moderation, con-
tentednefs, heavenly-mindednefs may be
now and then found out and difcovered
in plain people, that have plain carriage,
and plain fpeech : here then is the neceflary
life of wifdom, to difcover thofe gifts and
graces ; and when we find fuch a vein, to
dig it, and draw it forth : do you obferve
one of great dexterity in fcriptures f pro-
pound to him (ome difficult place where
you were lain to make a fland. Do you
obferve one well ftudied in con trover fies ?
delire him to untie a knot, where you have
been a great while looking for an end. Do
you obferve one acquainted with cafes of
defertion and foul-clouds ? learn of him
what experiments he hath collefted and
which was his way out of the mifl. Do
you obferve one powerful in prayer ? get
him to commend your (uits with you un-
to God. All men would be dealt with in
the proper way wherein they are verfed
and wherein they excel.
\.%. Of a mutual exchange of gifts and
graces.
A Fter the preparatives, we come to the
jl A. duties themfelves ; which confif},
1. In a mutual exchange and imparting
of gifts and graces.
2. In a mutual ferviceablenefs to the bo-
dies and fouls of one another.
3. In a mutual walking together, and hold-
ing of hands in the ordinances of Chrill.
I. There muft be in Chrillian-focitiyy
' a mutual exchange and imparting of gifts
and graces :' God hath difpenfed variety of
gifts unto his people; as Job was exem-
plary for patience and uprightnefs; Mofcs
for faithfulnefs and meeknefs ; Jofiah for
tendcinefs and af\ivity in the caufe of re-
formation ; Timothy for minifterial dili-
gence and care of the flock : The gift of
Chrifl: is grace, according to meafure ; he
meafures to one fuch gifts ; to another
fuch, to another fuch and fuch, as he pleaf-
eth : Unto every one of us is given grace
according to the menfure of the gift of
Chrijl, Eph, iv. 7. God gave the Spirit
without meafure unto Chrifl, but we have
it according. to our fcaniling, and as be
pleafeth to honour and eniruft us : To one
is given the word of kuotvledge, to another
faith, to another prophecy, to another the
difcerning (/f Jpirits, to another divers
kinds of tongues : Thus every mj^n hath
, his proper gift of God, One after this man-
ner, and another .after that : 1 Cor. xii.
8. and i Cor. vii. 7. One hath quicknefs
of parts, but not fo folid a judgment ; a-
nother is folid, but not fo ready and pre-
fential j one hatli a good wit, another a
good
C RKIST IAN SOCIETY.
2/7
good memory, a third a good utterance ;
one is zealous, but ungrounded ; ano-
ther well-principled, but timerous ; one
is wary and prudent, another open and
plain-iiearted ; one is trembling and mel-
ting, another chearful and full of joy :
Now thus God freely gives, and mod wife-
ly difpofeth, that we may be engaged to
ufe his bounty to each others help : The
knowing Chriftian is to impart to him
that is weak in gifts, and the zealous
Chriftian that hath fewer notions, is to im-
part his warmth and heat to his knowing
friend : The Chriftian that hath collefled
experiences, or found out methods for the
advancement of holinefs, muft not deny
fuch knowledge to the body ; Chriftians
muft drive an open and free trade, they
muft teach one another the myftery of god-
linefs : Tell, your experiences, and tell
your conflifts, and tell your comforts,
'make all that you have> the body's, and all
that the body hath, your's : fome fay, the
art of medicine was thus perfedled, as any
one met with an herb, and difcovered ihe
virtue of it by any accident, he would poft
it up in fome publick place, and fo the
phyfician's flciil was perfected, by a collec-
tion of thofe experiments and receits. M'e
muft one day account how we have laid
out our knowledge, our utterance, our
fpirit of prayer, our ability of difcerning,
our experience of God, our tafte of the
promifes, our inlargements after prayer,
our improvements by conference, our
comforts after private humiliation, our
flrengthening by facraments, or what elfe
may be inftanced in for the ufe of others;
how we got rid of fuch a luft, how we
mafter'd fuch a temptation, how we at-
tained to fuch a facility in this or that
duty ; and there muft be this commerce
among them thatarein this heavenly part-
nerfliip.
§• 3' Of mutual ferviceablenefs to the bo-
dies and Souls of one another,
THere muft be in thisChriftian-fociety,
a mutual ferviceablenefs : (i.) To
the Bodies. (2.) To the fouls of one ano-
ther.
1 . To the Bodies of one another : The
primitive Chriftians excelled in this care,
they put their eftates (by reafon of the per-
fecution) into a common flock, K€t.s iv. 32,
34, 35. that all, even the pooreft fort, tliat
in thofe hard and uncertain times gave
their names to Chriftianity, might be tend-
ed and looked on with equal care and re-
fpecl : I know fome have ftretched this
too far to make it a leading cafe and bind-
ing example ; but thus far it holds, that if
thenecelTity of the faithful call for it, even
all that we have muft be ferviceable in
order, and in due refpefts : The cata-
logue runs thus; i. The publick ftate
wherein we live we muft provide for. 2.
Ourfelves. 3. Our wives. 4. Our parents^
5. Our children and family. (>. Thehouf-
hold offaidi. 7. Our kindred. 8. Our near-
eft neighbours and common friends. 9.
Our countrymen. 10. Strangers. 11. Ene-
mies. It is truly an acceptable fervice to
God, and a glorious miniftry to tend the
Lord's poor and fick ; therefore Paul
fometimes took upon him the fellowfhip
of the miniflring to the faints, as he was
defired by the churches of Macedonia,
whom he commends for their charity, and
whofe example he wills the Corinthians to
follow, 2 Cor. viii. 4, 7. ■. ;, ;
2. To the fouls of one another, and this
feveral ways :
I. Jn watching over one another:! know
we have enemies that malicioufly watch
over us for our baitings, but it is the part
of a friend to watch over his companion
for good ; we are apt enough to ncgleft
our own watch, we had need either to
have prying enemies, or faithful friends
to make us know ourfelves.
2. /»
27^
2.
CH RISriAN SOCIETT.
In admonifhing and reproving thof& ciety, and would be glad to fit down
that fall: This is a great diit}'', but much
negle(fl€d. Reverend^Mr. Bolton, f fpeak-
ing of that grave and religious judge Ni-
cholS'Cwho defired him fometimes to deal
plainly with him) confefTed, after the
judge's death, * that he was grieved at his
heart that he had done no more in that
kind.' O count not admonitions an un-
neceflary meddlingjwe may through a fool-
ifh humour to be efteemed peaceable and
quiet, fuffer many to mifcarry and be lofl.
3 . In recovering thofe that are fallen y
through a fpiri^ of meehiefs \ Gal. vi. r,
5 . Brethren^ if any man be overtaken with a
faulty ye -who are fpiritualy reftore fitch
an one in the fpirit of meeknefs, confider-
'".^ ^h'f^^f^^fi '^^" ^^ ^U° tempted. Chrif-
tians fhould not triumph over them that
inong the difclples of ChriT:. It was pro-
phefied of Chrill, A hruifed reed Jhall he
not breahy and a fmoking fire fhafl he not
quench y Ifaiah xlii. 3. It (liould be thus
with Chriftians, they rtiould not quench,
but rather encourage the (moking flax into
a flame; Do you perceive a poor foul to
liflen after Chrift, and to hearken if fome
word of comfort may be let fall > open
yourfelves to him, and kt him in to the
pleafures and ravilhments of the king's
chambers. Take heed of making any one
go back, or grow out of love with the
order and government of Chrifl's family.
6. In fiirring up the fpirit s and gifts
of one another : Confider one another, faith
the apoflle, to provoke unto love and to good
works ; not forfaking the affimbling of our'
are on the ground, and thrown down by felves together y but exhorting pne another^
temptation, but rather they fliould fit by
them on the fame flat, an<l mourn with
them, and for them, and feel fome of their
weight.
4. In infiru6ling the ignorant y dull, and
lefs capable : To this purpofe we fliould
rather keep a flow pace, than willingly
outgo the young and tender lambs : O
defpife them not here!, with whom we
fliall have eternal company in heaven ; it
may be, they can reach no higher than the
very principles of religion, without which
they could not be fafe : yet if they know
and can fay any thing of God in Chrift
Jefus, or if they would fain hear of him,
be not too high for their fociety ; neglect
not the rear of the Chriftian army, but
drive with their infirmity or unfitnefs,
whatfoever it be.
5 . /;; encouraging weak beginners ; bid
them welcome that Hand upon the thref-
liold, that linger in the porch of this fo-
Heb. X. 24, 25. A mean perfon by aiding
a queftion, may lay the firil ftone,. where-
upon a goodly frame of excellent and rich
difcourfe may be reared. Chriflians raufl:
quicken one another in the ways ofgodli-
nefs; as the iron fliarpeneth iron, as rub-
bing of the hands makes both warm, and
as live-coals make the reft to burn, fo let
the fruit of fociety be mutual fliarpening,
warming and enflaming.
7. In raifing, c hearing, comforting the
deje£led and difinayed fpirit. How did
the martyrs in their prilons fet one ano-
ther at liberty from the bondage of fears I
how did holy Bradford's fweet and chear-
fui company make the very dungeons
lightfome, and palace-like to his fellow-
prifoners ? An unbelieving heart, oppref-
fed many times with foolilh cares and fears
doth fometimes, by a word duly fpoken,
or by a promife applied in the feafon oif
it, feel the load quite taken away.
Tiollen^s Quartior novinima. Page iCj.
§. 4. Of
C H RISTIAN SOCIETT.
$.4. Of a mutual ivalkin{> together, and
holding hands in the Ordinan-ces of
Chrifl.
THere mnfl: be in Chriftian-fociety, A
mutual walking together in the or-
dinances of Chrin:, as,
I. In hearing the word, by quickening
* one another unto it, by helping the ne-
gligent to apply it, by taking forth the fe-
veral portions belonging to the feveral
conditions and neceffities of each, by pray-
ing for one another, that it may be ufeful
and feafonable to all.
"2. In the facraments, joying in one ano'
ther, beholding their order and ftedfajlnefs
of faith in Chrifi, Col. ii. 5. How iliould
they but rejoice together in the love of
God, feeding at the fame table as thofc that
lliall meet and fit down with Chrift in his
kingdom of glory ? How Ihould they but
behold their order and ftcdiaftners of faith,
now renewing their covenant of love a-
mong themfelves, and laying down all
grudges, rancour, prejudice, xmcharitable-
nefs, furmifes forChrilt's fake, and giving
the right hand of fellowdiip, cordially and
unfeignedly to one aiyother, as thofe that
find themfelves to be all retainers to the
fame mafter, and provided for with the
fame care, and purchafed by the price of
the fame blood.
3. In prayer for and "With each ether'.
In primitive times, they ufed to tranfaft
one anothers affairs in the court of heaven
by prayer. Pray always, faid Paul, with
all prayer and fupplication for all faints,
and forme, Eph. vi. 18, 19. and, pray one
for another, faid James, ch. v. 16. that ye
may be healed ; q. d. if the heart rankles
or if there beaay fallings out, any differ-
ences and jarrings among Chriltians, let
them meet together, and humbly acknow-
ledge where the fault lies, and make up
the matter before God, who is both a
witnefs ot their mutual fincerity,and is only
able to fearch the bottom of the wound,
and to cure it. Sometimes Ghriflians have
. 275^
known bleffed experiments of this, and
can tell when a probatum efi was written
upon it.
4. In fafling for the affiiSiing and
humbling of the foul ; fo Ezra and his men,
and Efther and her maids, maintained
communion together : fuch falling days,
are foul-feeding days, and foul-curing days;
fome difeafes, fome lufls will go out no
other ways.
5. In muhial bejvoanings, confeffionsy
and opening of our fores and wounds ; it
may be when the apoftle faith, Confefs your
faults one to another, he means more than
acknowledgement of offences, whereby a
man hath finned agalnft his brother ; viz»
that Chriftians (hould alfo bewail their
failings,! nfirmities, deadnefsjunfavourinefs,
coldnefs, narrownefs, unfruitfulnefs, to
one another, to fee whether others have
been in the fame cafe, and what courfe
they* took, and what remedy they pro-
cured. Many fouls may perifh through
too much refervednefs and modefiy.
6. In holy Conference : This indeed Is
it that might mucii improve the meeting of
Chriftians. In the Prophets time when
proud fcorners, and prophane-fpirited men
talked vainly and did even what they filled,
then they that feared the Lord met, and
fpake often one to another, Mai. iji. i6.
no doubt they fpakeof God and biscoun-
fels, of his works and ways, of his provi-
dence and goodnefs, of the bafenefs of a-
theifiical thoughts concerning GoJ :
would Chriftians thus meet and exchange
words and notions, they might build up one
another, they might heat and infiame one
another, they might flrengthen and encour-
age one another, as the brethren did Paul,
I The/f. V. II. Andhave we notanexprefs
command for this duty of conference ?
Thus fhall ye fay every one to his brother,
and every one to his neighbour. What
hath the Lord anfvtred ? and what hath
hefpoken ? Jer. xxiii. 35.
And now I am fallen on this duty, give
me
itSo CHRISTIAN SOCIETT.
me leave to lay down fome experiments
and proceedings of (bmeChrinians as wil-
lingly joined themfelvci in a Chriftian fo-
ciety, and by God's bleiring tliereby Iwect-
ly improved themfelves.
§.5. Of fome orders to which fome Chri-
Jitans fuhfcrihed before conference.
IN this conference of ChrKVians,
1 . Some orders were made, to which
all fubfcribed.
2. Some queftions were propounded, to
which all anfwered.
I. The orders were thefe ;
(i.) That every A^'^ednefday. efpecially
during winter, -we will meet for confer-
ence about foul-affairs.
(2.) That if any difference in opinion
{Imll arife amongft us, we will fully debaf:,
and then fubmit to the judgment of the
focicty, as it (hall be made good out of the
word .
(3.) If we obferve any of the fociety to
fall into any fin or fcandal, he that ob-
ferves it fhall firlt warn the party thereof;
, nnd if he offend again in the lame kind,
the obferver fhall then join with himfelf
one or two more to warn the Hime party ;
and if be will not hear them, the ob(erver
or any other fhall then acquaint the fociety
at our next meeting; and if he will not
hear them, that then he be excluded till he
repent, and be voted for his admiflion a-
gain.
(4.) That whatfoever is fpoken amongfl:
us (the telling whereof may tend to the
prejudice of any one of lis) fhall be kept
fecrct, upon pain of undergoing fuch cen-
fure as the major part of the company
fliall think fit.
(5.) That for admiffion of any into our
fociety, we will not be too llri(^t nor too
large; not too ftrirt in excluding any, in
whom we have any good hopes of finceri-
ty, and real defire to increale their know-
ledge, and mutual love, though they may
be but weak in gifts, Rom. xiv. I. nor too
large in admitting fuch, who may be either
heretical in opinion, i Theff. iii. 6. or ;«-
ordinate in life. Tit. iii. 10. And by this
rule, thofe that are to be ^d mitred fliall
be voted by the major part of us.
(6.) That for better regulating of this
fociety, we will have a modeintor. And
what further orders we or any of us Oiall
hereafter think upon, we /hall propound
the fame to the fociety at our next meet-
ing ; and the fame thall be conhrmcd or
annulled, as it fhall be agreed by the ma-
jor vote of our fociety. >
(7 ) That the moderator fhall propound
the quelKion and matter of our diIi,.Hirfc
the week before it be diicuffcd; :ind ai e-
very meeting begin with pvayer, and end
with thanklgiving.
§. 6. Of fome queftions of pracficul divini-
ty, ivhich at the conference were pro-
pounded a^jd anjwtrcd.
THE queftions propounded were of
fcveral forts.
I. Choice heads of practical divinity.
II. Wholefome cafes of confcience.
IIL Some controverted points.
The queflions of the firfl jtort,werc thefe
and the like :
§. I. JVhat was the happinefs of mjn's conr
dition in the /Lite of innocency ?
I.GOD made m>.n in his own image,
Gen. i. 26, 27. ix. 6. Eccl. vii. 29. Eph. iv,
24. 2. Man was wonderfully and fearful-
ly made, Pfalm cxxxix. 14. 3. ]\Ian was
made Lord of all the creatures. Gen. i. 26.
28. Pf.viii. 6. 4. Man had a perfe6l know-
ledge of God, Rom. i. 19, 20. and of the
creatures, Gen.ii. 19. 5. Man had fweet
and immediate communion and conference
with God, Gen.i. 28, dt-. iii. 8.- 6. Man
was placed in paradife. Gen. ii. 15. 7. Man
was made a little lower than the angels,
PI", viii. 5. 8. Man laboured without pain,
Gen. iii. 17. 9. Man lived without fin or
ihamc, Gen, i. 51. ii. 25. 10. Man was
crowned
CHRIST I A
crowned with glory and dignity, Pfal. viii.
5. I Cor. xi. 7. II. Man was God's de-
light, Prov. viii. 31. 12. Man had a pof-
fibility not to die, Gen. ii. 17. and iii. 19.
Man had a free choice of good and evil,
not neceffitated to either, Gen. ii. 16.
§.2. IVhat are the miferies of man in the
Jiate of nature ?
I. HE is impure in his conception, Pf. Ii.
5. 2. He is born in iniquity, Pfalm li.5.
3. He is defiled with fin in the whole na-
ture, Ifa. Ixiv. 6. Ezek. xyi. 6. Rom. vii.
24. 4. His thoughts are corrupted with
fin, Gen. vii. 5. Eph. iv. 17, 18. 5. All
the members of his body and powers of
his foul are defiled with fin, 2 Pet. iii. 2.
14. 6. His members are fervants to un-
,righteoufnefs and to iniquity, Rom. iii. 13.
16. vi. 19. 7. He his fpiritually blind. Rev.
iii. 17. Jer. x. 14. i Cor. ii. 14. Eph. v. 8.
8. His mind is fet on evil works, Eph. iv.
18. Col. i. 12. 9. His will lufteth after
evil, Rom. viii. 7. 10. His heart is deceit-
ful and defperately wicked, Jer. xvii. 9.
11. His affeftrons are inordinate, Ifa. lix.
7. 12. He hatha defiled confcience. Tit.
i. 15. 13. He hath an unfatiable defire af-
ter fin. Job xiv. 4. XV. 16. 14. He is full
of fin, Prov. xxii. 15. Rom. i. 24. vii. 5,
74. 2 Pet. ii. 19. 15. He is dead in fin,
Eph. ii. i, 2. \6. His civil aflions are fin,
Prov. xxi. 4. 17. His beft fervices are fin.
Pro. XV. 8, 9, 28, 29. 18. He is unable to
any good, Ro. iii. 12. vii. 19. viii. 8. 2 Cor.
iii. 5. Rev. iii. 17. 19. He is hated of
God, Pf. V. 5.20. He is feparatcd from all
fellowfhip with God, Ifa. lix. 2. Eph. ii.
12. 21. He is under God's curfe. Gal. iii.
10. Deut. XX. 16, 17, 18. 22. He is with-
out Chrift, Eph. ii. 12. and out of the
communion of faints, Eph. ii. 12. He is a
bond-flave of Satan, John viii. 34, 44. 2
Cor. iv. 4. Eph.Ji. 2. Heb. ii. \^. 24.
He is a child of wrath, Eph. ii, 3. 25. He
is fubjeft to nil the calamities and curfes
of this life, Deut. xxviii. 15. 16, etc. 26.
His life is Ihort, and vain, and full of toil
O
iv sociErr, ^s'r
and care, Gen. iii. 19. Eccl. v. 14. Pfalm
ciii. 13, 15. 27. He is liable to death,
Rom. V. 12. vi. 23. Gen. iii. 19. Deut.
xxx. 28. Pf. Ixxxix. 48. 28. He is guilty
of damnation, Rom. v. 17, 18. viii. 6.
2 Their, ii. 11, 12. 29. He fhall not, as
fuch, inherit the kingdom of heaven, i
Cor. XV. 50. 2 Their, i. 9. 30. He is an
enemy to his children, Deut. xxviii. 18.
§. 3. What means hath God app^ointed to
come out of this miTerable flate ?
I. WE mufl: enquire after the means
of falvation, Luke iii. i6, 12. A6ls iii. 37,
xvi. 29, 30. 2. We muft lay hold on fea-
fons and opportunities of grace offered,
John xii. 35. 3. "We mufi hearken to,
and entertain the motions of God's Spirit,
Revel, iii. 18, 20. 4. We mufi: ferioufly
confider of our own ways. Hag. i. 5. Luke
XV. 20. 5. We muftgo to God by Ghrift,
John xiv, 6. X. 9. 6. We mufl: fearch the
fcriptures, Deut. xvii. 19. Ifa. Iv. i, 2,3.
John V. 29. 7. We mufl wait on the
word preached, John v. 24. A£ls xxvi. 18.
Rom. X. 14, 17. I Cor. i. 18, 21. i Pet.
i. 23. I John iv. 6. 8. We mufl fee our
fin, Rom. ii. 20. Gal. ii. 10, have a fenfe
and feeling of fin. Mat. xi. 28. Aftsii. 37.
9. We muft confels our fins, Pro. xxviii.
13. I John i. 9. 10. We mufl: be griev-
ed for fin, Ifa. Ivii. 15. Mat. v. 14. James
iv. 9, 14. Zech. xii. 10. i Cor. vii. 10. n.
We muft be inftant in prayer, Ads viii.
22. Rom. X. 13. 2 Their, i. i/, 12. Heb.
iv. 16. 12. AVe mufl: endeavour after re-
generation, John iii. 3,5. and mortificati-
on. Mat. vii. 13. Rom. viii. 13. 13. We
muft confider the curfe due to us for fin,
Ezek. xviii. 28. Gal. iii. 10. Col. iii. 6.
14. We muft remove all lets and impedi-
ments that hinder converfion, Deut. xii.
8. f:ph. iv. 17. 15. We muft confider
that by fin we had an hand in crucifying
Chrifl, Zech. xii. 10. A6ts ii. ■>^6, 37. 16.
We muft judge ourfelves, that we be not
judged, I Cor. xi. 31. ij. We muft
o for-
-b'2 CHRISTIAN
forfake our ways and thoughts, and turn
to the Lord, Ifa. Iv. 7. Joel ii. 13. A(f\s
ii. 38. 18. We muft avoid evil focie-
ty, 2 Cor. vi. 17, <bc. 19. We muft
defire after Chrift and his righteoufnefs,
Matth. V. 6. Rev. iii. 18. xxi. 6. 20. We
mud believe on the Lord Jefus, John iii.
15. vi. 35, 65, Afts xvi. 31. Gal. iii. 22.
Eph. ii. 8. 21. We muft rell on God's
promifes in Chrifl: forconverfion, If. xliii.
45. xliv. 21, <bc. Ezek. xxvi. 26. dc
22. We muft deny ourfeives, Matth. xv.
24. Luke xiv. 26. 23. We muft be doers
of the word, and not hearers only, Jam. i.
2z. ■*
§. 4. What are the Jigns of a found and Jin-
cere humiliation ?
I. A Sorrow for fin, becaufe God hates
It, Pf. Ii. 4. 2. A breaking of the heart
out of pure love to God, Rom. ii. 4. 3.
A forrow for fin, becaufe it crucified
Chrift, Zech. xii. to. 4. A free acknow-
ledgement of our unworihinefs, in great-
trt fulnefs of our worldly felicity, Gen.
xxxii. 10. 5. A fuffering of forrow to abide
"on the foul, and not putting it oft' by
worldly comforts, Ifa. Iviii. j;, 6. Joel ii.
13. 6. A mourning for lefTer fins, as well
iis for greater ; for the evil that cleaves to
a man's beft works, as for his other evil ac-
tions, Ja. ii. JO. 7. A fubmiffion to God's
will, let him do what he plealeth, Jofh. x.
15. 2 Kings XX. lo.Jer. X. 19. 8. A throw-
ing of the foul (being affrighted with the
threats of the law, and accufaiions of his
own confcience) wholly upon Chrift and
his promifes, Luke xiii. 12. Afts xvi. 31.
y. A hatred againft, and fhunning of all
fin. Job xlii. 6. Pf. cxix. 1 13. 2 Cor. vii.
II. 10. A leaving of all fin, and doing
the contrary good things, Ifa. Iviii. 6, cirr.
Mic. vi. 8. II. The feven marks of god-
ly forsow laid down, in 2 Cor. vii. 1 1.
SOCIETY.
dinance for that very purpofe, Jer.xxiii.20.
2. Attendance unto, and hearing of the
word powerfully preached, 2 Kin.xxii.19.
3. A fight and fenfe of our fins, Ezra ix.
6. Pf. xxxi. 9, 10. xxxviii. 3, 4, 17, 18.
Jer. xxiii. 9, err. 4. A confideraiion of the
fins of our prophets, Jer. xxiii. 9. 5. A
confideration otChrift crucified for and by
our fins, Zech. xii. 10. Adis ii. 37. 6. A
confideration of the hardnefs of others
hearts, much more of our own, Mark iii. 5.
7. Prayer for contrite fpirits, Pfalm Ii. 10.
8. A remembrance of our afHi<ffion and
mifery, Jofti. vii. 5. Lam. iii. 19, 20. 9.
A confideration of God's withdrawing his
comfortable prefence from us. Lam. i. {6.
10. A confideration of God's infinite love
and grace to our fouls, Joel ii. 13. Rom.
ii. 4. 1 1. A confideration of the death of
God's faints, who are as the pillars of the
places where they live and abide. If. xxxviii.
2. Ivii. I. 12. A confideration of God's
judgments on others, who have been har-
dened in fin, Heb. iii. 8, 6t. 13. An ac
tuaiing of our faith in refpedf: of the pre]
cious promifes of foftening hearts, Ezek.
xi. 19. xxxvi. 26.
ob-
^.5. What means hath Cod appointed for
brokennefs of heart ?
I . A N eyeing of the word as it is an or-
§. 6. What are the means both for tht
taining and increajing of faith ?
I. THE preaching of the word, John
iv. 42. V. 24. Ads xiii. 48. xiv. 22.
xvi. 14, 32, 34. A£\sxviii.8. Rom. i. 16,
(be X. 8, 14, 17. Eph. i. 13. 2. The in-
fluence and afTiftance of the Spirit concur-
ring with the word, i Cor. ii. 4, 5. 3. A
forfaking of our own legal righteoufnefs,
Romans iii. 25. ix. 30, circ Phil iii. 8, 9.
4. Godly conference with others, John iv.
7, 29, 30. Affs xvii. 2,4. 5. Dueadmini-
llration of the facramcntsof [i.] Baptifm,
Rom. iv. Ii. Heb. X. 22, 23. [2.J The
Lord's fuppcr, i Cor. x. 4, 16. Gal. iii. i.
6. Fervent prayer apd wreftling with God,
Luke xvii. 5. xxii. 32. Eph. iii. 16, ^c. i
ThefT.iii. 10. 7.A coiTiplainingof ourown
unbelief, Markix. 23^24. 8. Experiences
of
CHRISTIAN SOCIETr
of God's former dealings, i Sam. xvii. 37. human rcafon, Rom
28
aCor.i. 10. 9. A confiderationofthefaith-
fulnefs of God in his promifes, Heb. xi. 1 1.
10. A drawing nigh to God with an heart
fprinkled from an evil confcience, Heb. x.
22, 23.'
§. 7. lf^/}at are the fiy^ns of a true jujii-
fyin^ Faith ?
I. THE blefled fruits of the fpirit, Gal.
V. 22, 23. I Tim. ii. 15. vi. 11. 2. All
the graces linked together in that golden
chain, 2 Pet. i. 5, 6, 7. 3. A love of
Chi-ifl:, John xvi. 17. 2 Tim. i. 13. Phile.
5. I Pet. i. 8. I John v. i. 4. A love of
the faints, Eph. i. 15. Col. i. 4. 5. A love
and peace with the brethren, Eph. vi. 23.
6. A love and hope of falvation, i Theff.
V. 8. 7. A joy unfpeakable and full of
glory, I Pet. i. 8. Rom. v. i, 2. 8. A pa-
tience in waiting for the promifes, Ifaiah
xxviii. 16. Heb. vi. 12, 15. 9. Patience
in enduring affliction, 2 Theff". 1. 4. Jam.
i. 3. Rev. iii. 10. ro. Hope in God, i
Cor. xiii. 13. i Pet. i. 21. ir. Repen-
tance from dead works, Heb. vi. i. 12.
Righteoufnefs, peace, and charity out of a
pure heart, i Tim. ii. 15. 2 Tim. ii. 22.
13. A heart weaned from the world, 1
John V. 4j 5. 14. Refiflance of Satan, and
his fiery darts of temptation, Eph.vi. 16.
1 Pet. v. 9. 15. A confidence in Chrift,
without being afliamed, Rom. x. 12. 2
Tim. i. 12. 16. A firm refolution to cling
to Chrift, maugre all difcouragements,
Matth. XV. 28. Rom. viii, 35, 36. 17. A
relying upon God's power, when all world-
ly means fail, Rom. iv. 18, ^c. 18. A re-
lying on mercy, not upon merit, Rom. iv.
5. Phil. iii. 9. 19. A throwing ourfelves
on God, though he frown on us, Job xiii.
15. 20. A purie heart, and a good con-
fcience, Rom. v. I. 1 Tim.i. 5, 19. Heb.
X. 22. 21. A fanflified life, or pure con-
verfation, A6\s xv. 9. andxxvi. 18. Heb.
xi. 7. James ii. 17, etc. 22. Obedience
to God in things contrary to, or above
XI. 7, 8, ir. 23.
Fervent and hearty praj'er, Rom. v. i, 2.
Eph. iii. 12. James i. 6. Mark ix. 24. 24.
A contempt of the world in refpe£t of the
heavenly inheritance, Heb. xi. 24, i}c. 25.
The feal cf God's Spirit, which is the
earneft of God's inheritance, Eph. i. \-^,<bc.
I John v. 6. 26. A glorifying of God for
his grace and truth, and infinite power in
overcoming all natural difficulties, and per-
forming what he promifeth, though never
fo contrary to the courfe of nature, Rom.
iv. 20. 27. An affeniing, clofing with,
and embracing the promifes afar off, as if
they were already performed, Heb. xi.
13. 28. A difregard and defiance of the
tyranny of man, Pfalm Ivi. 4, ir. 29. A
fenfeof our own infidelity, and an earneft
defire of the increafe of our faith, Mark
ix. 24. , 30. A true, real, and cordial con-
feftiiMi of faith, John xx. 28. A<^sxix. 18.
Rom.x. 10. 31. Aconftancy in our holy
profeffion, 2 Cor. i. 24. 32. An earneft
longing after the coming of Chrift, 2 Cor.
V. 7, S. ,
§.
8. What are the Motives to Evangeli'
cal Repentance ?
I. SIN laid open before us, to the con-
vi6tion of confcience, Afts ii. 37, 38. 2.
A confideration of God'sjudgments threat-
ened, Ezek. xviii. 30. Jonah iii. 4, 5, Jer.
iv. 3, 4. andvi. 26. and xxvi. 4, Amosiv.
12. Luke xiii. 3,5. Rev. ii. 4, 5, r6. 3.
A confideration of the Lord's chaftifements
and corrections on us. Lam. iii. 19, 20.
Rev. iii. 19. 4. A fear of the enemy
prevailing againft us and over i:s, Judges
X. 9, 10, 15, 16. 2 Chron. xii. 5, 6. Jer.
vi. 26. 5. A fearof God's removing the
candleftick from us, Rev. ii. 5. 6, A
confideration of the great judgment-day,
Afts xvii. 30, 31. 7. A confideration of
God's mercies and grace, Hofea vi. i. Jer.
xviii. 8. Joelii. i3.Zech.i.3. 8.Acon-
fideration of God's patience and goodnefs,
Rom. ii. 4. 2 Pet. iii. 9. 9. Aconfiderati-
O o 2 on
:8.
CHRISTIAN SOCIETY.
en of God's travailings after our foul's fal-
vatlon, Ezck. xxxiv. ii. lo. The ap-
proaching of God's kingdom, or of the
beauty of religion, Matth. ili. r. 4. Mark
i. 15. Acls xvii. 30. Ezek. iii. 10, i r. 1 1.
A cohfi deration of the promifts of rernilTi-
on upon our repentance, Ifaiah Iv. 6, 7.
Ezek. xviii. 21, 22. A6ts iii. 19. 12. A
conlideration of the promife of life upon
our repentance, Ezek. xviii. 32, 38. 13.
A conlideration of the promife of God's
communion and fellowfliip with us, Ifaiah
Ivii. 15. 14. A confideration of Ghrifl cru-
cified for us, Zech. xii. 10, u. 15. A
confideration 9f God's former dealings
with us in mercy, Hofea xii. 3, 4, 5, 6.
1 6. A hope and belief of God's acceptance
when we come to him, Jer. iii. 22. 17.
The publication, of Chrift's marriage v.ith
our poor fouls, Jer. iii. 14. 18. A confi-
deration of thofe comforts that awaitrepen-
tance, Matth-. v. 4. Luke xv. 7. 17, 18.
§.9. What a^-e the fi gnu of true and evan-
gtlical repentance P
I. AN abhorring of fin, and of ourfelves
for fin. Job xlvii 6. Amos v. 15. 2. A
godly fhame for fin, Ezra ix. 6. Jer. iii.
24, 25. and xxxi, \g. Ezek. xvi. 61, 62.
3. A mourning for fin, becaufe God is of-
fended, I Sam. vii. 2. Pfalm xxxi. 4. Zech-
xii. 10, I, 2. 4. Sorrow mingled with
hope, Ezra x. i, 2. 5. Serious carefulnefs,
6. Judicious clearing. 7. Holy indignati-
on. 8. Filial fear. 9. Eager defire. 10.
Godly zeal, 2 Cor. vii. 11. 11. Impartial
revenge on ourfelves for fin, 2 Cor. vii.
II. 12. Works meet for repentance, Mat.
iii. 8. A6>s xxvi. ?o. Ifaiah i. 16, 17. Hof.
xii. 6. 13- A forfaking of fin, Ezek. xiv.
6. and xviii. 28, 33. Rom. vi. 6. Heb. vi.
1. Ifaiah xxx. 22. 14. Self-denial, Luke
XV. 19. 15. A Juftifyingof God, or giv-
ing him the glory, Hof. xiv. 1,2. Luke
vii. 29. 16. A difefteem of all worldly
helps, Jer. iii- 23. 17. A fubmilTion to all
offices of humility upon fenfe of fin, Luke
vii- 37. 38. 18. A dear love to God's mi-
nifters, whom God hath made inflruments
of our repentance, Afts xvi. 14, 15. 19.
An endeavour after this work on ourfelves,
to work it on others, Pfalm li. 13. Ezekiel
xviii. 30. 20. An earnefl longing after
Chrift's coming to judgment, i ThelT. i.
9, 10.
§. 10. Ho\v may a believer y redeemed by
Chrijl^ acknowledge his thankfulnefs to
Chriji ?
I. BY a continual remembrance of God's
goodnefs to us, Plalm ciii. i, 2, 3, 4. 2.
By telling others what Chrift hath done for
our fouls, Pfa. xxxiv. 3, 4. Eph. i. 3. 3.
By walking holiiy and without blame be-
fore Chrilf in love, Pfalm cxvi. 8, 9. Eph.
i. 4. Phil. i. II. Col.ii. 6,7. 4. By rejoic-
ing in God through our Lord Jefus Chrifl,
Pfalm xxxiv. 2. and Ixiii. 7. Eph. v. 1 1. 5.
By calling on God, and paying our vows,
Pfalm cxvi. 12, 13. 6. By endeavouring
the converfion of others, Pfalm li. 12, 13.
7. By adminiilring to the neceffity of the
faints, Heb. xiii. 16. 8. By finging of
pfalms, making melody in ourheans unto
the Lord, Eph. v. 19, 20. 9. By worthily
receiving the lacrament of the Lord's fup-
per, I Cor. xi. 24, 25. 10. By lovii^g the
Lord Jefus Chrifi, Cant. i. 3. Luke vii. 47.
I John iv. 19- II. By denying ourfelves
and highefl excellencies in refpeft of Chrift,
Rev. iv. JO. 12. By a publick profeflion
of Chrift's fovercignty, Phil. ii. 11. 13.
By fuffering willingly for the name of the
Lord Jefub, i Peter iv. 14. 16.
§. II. What are the figns of a Jincere love
to Chrij}?
I . UPRIGHT walking with God, Cant,
I. 3. John. xiv. 15. 21. 23. Eph. i. 4. i
John XXV. 15. 2. A fainting and languifliing
defire after Chrift, Cant. iii. i, to 4. and
v. 8. 3. A love to the members of Chrift,
I John iv. 12. 20. 4. A hating of evil,
Pfalm xlvii. 10. 5. A relieving of the
poor
CHRISTIAN SOCIETT. 285
us to an humble acknowledgement of our
fins, Job xiii. 23, to the end. Hofea v. 15.
Pfalm XXX. 7. 3. To prevent fpirltual
pride in us, 2 Cor. xii. 7,8. 4. To make
us pray earneftly to him, Pfalm iii. 7, 8.
and xiii. i, and Ixxviii, i, 2, 3. and Ixxxviii.
2, 2, 3, 6c. 5. To exercife our faith in
his name, Ifaiah v. 10. 6. To make us
feek him in the ufe of all means, Cant. iii.
I, <bc. and v. 6, 8. 7. To make us prize
him, and highly to efteem of him. Cant-
V. 8. and viii. i. 8. To make us hold
him more furely when once we have found
him. Cant. iii. 4. 9. To ftir up and ex-
ercife in us all our fpiritual graces, Cant.
V. 6, 7, 8, 6c.
§. 14. What are the means for the recovery
ofChrijVs comfortable pre/ence ?
I. A fearch after, and an acknowledg-
ment of thofe fins which caufed his with-
dra^'ings, Pfalm xxxii. 4, 5. Lam. iii. 40,
50. 2. An hearty bemoaning, ftaame, and
repenting for fin, Jer. xxxi. 18, 6c. Pfalm
xxxiv. iS. Ifaiah Ivii. 15. 3. A waiting
upon God in the ufe of his ordinances,
Pfalm xxvii. 13, 6c. Cant. i. 8. Ifaiah viii.
17. Lukexxiv. 32. i John i. 3, 4. 4.
A diligent enquiry after Chrift, Cant. iii.
3, 4. 5. A moaning and weeping for his
lofs till he be found, John xx. 11, 13, 6c,
6. A drawing nigh to God in the duty of
prayer. Lam. iii. ^7. Pfalm li. 12. and cxlv.
18. James iv. 8. 7. A preffing of God in
prayer with his word and promifes, Pfalm
cxix. 49, 50. 8. A due receiving of Chrift
in the Lord's fupper, i Cor. x. 16. g. A
feeding upon Chrift fpiritually by a true
and lively faith, John vi. 56. Ifaiah 1. 10.
10. A recourfe to our former experiences
Pfalm Ixxvii. 7, 6c. 11. An hope that for
all this we fiiall enjoy Chrift, Pfalm xliii.
5. 12. A liftening and fubmitting to the
voice of his Spirit, Rev. xxx. 20. ij. A.
walking in his ftatutes and keeping his corn-
poor members of Chrift, Matth. xxv. 45.
1 John iii. 17. 6. A full afturance of
faith, Cant. vi. iii. Rom. viii. 38, 39. 7.
A difefteem of all things in comparilbn of
Chrift, Mat. x. 27. Phil. iii. 8. 8. A con-
quering of all difficulties and difcourage-
mentsfor Chrift, viii. 6, 7. Rom. viii. 35.
2 Cor. V. 14. 9. A heart and tongue en-
larged in the praifes of Chrift, Cant. v. 10.
to the end. 10. All the fruits of the Spi-
rit, Gal. v. 22. II. A contemplation of
Chrift's love, and defires after further fenfe
of it, Eph. iii. 17, to 19. 12. A refl4efnefs
of the foul in the non-enjoyment of Chrift,
Cant. iii. i, to 4. 13. A contentednefs 10
fuffer cenfures, difgraces, and death for
Chrift, Cant. v. 6, 7, 8. Afts xxi. 13. 14.
A rejoicing in Chrift, whom we love, Pfalm
V. II. John xiv. 28. 15. A patient wait-
ing for Chrift's appearing, 2 Thelf. iii. 5.
§. 12. What are the caufes in us of Chrifi's
•withdrawing from us ?
1. Covenant-breaking, Deut. xxxi. 16.
6c. 2. Idolatry, or fpiritual whoredom,
Deut. xxxi. 16, 6c. Pfalm Ixxviii. 58. 60.
Hofea V. 3, 4, 6. 3. The pride of our
hearts, Hofea v. 5, 6. 4. Hypocrify in
God's fervice, Hofea v. 6. 5. Infidelity
or frowardnefs of heart, Deut. xxxii. 20.
6. Leaving our firft love, Rev. ii. 4, 5. 7.
Carnal fecurity, Pfalm xxx. 6, 7. Cant. v.
3. 8. Carelefnefs of accepting the feafons
of grace, whether Chrift draw near in or-
dinances, or in inward difpofitions, Cant.
V. 3, 6. 9. A preferring of the creature
before Chrift, Ifaiah Ivii, 17. 10, A wea-
rinefs of God's ordinances, Jer. xxxiii. 38,
39. Mai. iii. 7. 11. A withdrawing from
God in the duties of our obedience, Deut.
xxxii. 20. 2 Chron. xv. 2. Hofea v. 4. 6.
§.13. What are the caufes for -which Chrift
on his part withdraws himfelf from us ?
1 . TO try us what is in our hearts, Deut.
xxii. 20. 2 Giiron. xxxii. 31. 2. To bring
mandinents, Lev. xxvi. 3. 11, 6c.
§15^
286
CHRISTIAN SOCIETT.
"§• '5' ^f "^^^f -^/e is Chrift to a believer
already jujlified ?
I. CHRIST is wifdom and fanif^ification
unto us, I Cor. i. 30. 2. Chrift is the fa-
tisFjftion of all our defires, John vi. 35.
3. Chrift is our example in forgiving of
others, Eph. iv. 32. Col. iii. 12, <bc. ,4.
Chrift is our example in fuffering injuries
with patience, Heb. xii. 3. i Peter ii. 21.
5. Chrift is our example in holinefs, i Pet.
i. 15, ^c. 6. Chrift is our example in love,
Eph. V. I, 2. 7. Chrift is our example in
mecknefs, lowlinefs, humility, Matth. xi.
29. Johnxiii. i<, eirc. Phil. ii.5. 8. Chrift
is the way and means of our accefs to God
the Father, Romans v. 2. Heb. x. 19, 20.
9. Chrift is both the reprefenter and the
granter of our requefts, doing for us what-
foever we defire in his name, John xiv. 13,
^c. Rev. viii. 3. 10. Chrift is our confo-
lation in fufterings, 2 Cor. i. 5. 11. Chrift
is our continual joy, Rom. v. 11. 12. Chrift
is the death of fin in us, Rom. viii. 10. i
Cor. XV. 57. Heb. ix. 14. 13. Chrift cru-
cifies the world in us, Gal. vi. 14. 14.
Chrift is our freedom, the end of the law
for righteoufnefs, Rom. viii. 2. x. 4. Gal.
V. I. ij. Chrift is our life, the very life
of grace in us, John" xiv. 6. Rom. viii. n.
Gal. ii. 20. Eph. iii. 17. 16. Chrift makes
interceflion for us, Rom. viii. 34. Heb. vii.
25. I John ii. 1. 17. Chrift is our upholder
in temptations, Heb.ii.i8. 81. Chrift is our
harbenger for heaven, John xiv. 2, 3. 19.
Chrift is our mafter, Matth. xxiii. 8, lO.
our Lord, Romans i. 4, 9. our head,
Eph. iv. 15. our mafter and Lord, John
xiii. 13. 20. Chrift is our inabler to do all
things, Phil. iv. 13. 21. Chrift is both the
author and finiOier of our faith, Heb. xii.
2. 22. Chrift is our Saviour, yea, faiva-
tionitfelf to us, Rom. v. 9, lo. 1 ThefT.
V. 9. 2 Tim. ii. 11, 6^. 23. Chrift isour
very being, the food and foul of our fouls,
John vi. 55. A6ls xvii. 28. 24. Chrift is
our All in All, Col- iii. n.
SECT. VII.
Of Jome quejlions or cafes of confcience^
ruhich at the conference were propound-
ed and anfvered.
THE queftions concerning cafes of
confciencc, were ihefe and the like :
§. I. Whether a believer may profit more ^
or be more intent in publick, cr in fe-
cret prayer ?
IT was anfwered. That this cafe might
better be refolved by experience than fcrip*
ture ; and accordingly fome preferred pu-
blick prayer for thefe reafons : 1, Becaufe
in publick they are ftirred up by others ;
but in private or fecret prayer, they had
none others to join with them. 2. Becaufe
in publick they that exercifed had more
excellent gifts, which exceedingly tend to
their edification ; but in fecret they found
themfclvcs weak, and dull, and dead-heart-
ed ordinarily.
Others anfwered otherwife, and prefer-
red fecret prayer on thefe grounds : i. Be-
caufe in fecret they could confefs morein-
largedly and feelingly their own fins, than
others could do it for them in publick, to
whom they were not particularly known.
2. Becaufe in fecret they had fewer occa-
fions of diftraftion, than in publick, and
confequently they keptclofer to Gcd in the
duty. 3. Becaufe they found by experi-
ence that in fecret their hearts were more
up ; and when they themfelves were to
perform in publick, the fociety whom they
joined with did ordinarily more ftraitcn
them. 4. Becaufe in fecret they could
take more pains with their heart; as in
midft of prayer to proftrate, or by break-
ing off' to meditate, i;c. which convenient-
ly they could not do in publick.
In conclufion this Cafe was refolved.
That fome believers may pro^t more, or
be more intent in pubJick, others in private:
and. the reafon rendered was, becaufe the
Spirit that helps us to pray, is a free agent,
and works diverfly in the hearts of his peo-
ple.
C H RISriAN SOC lETT, -87
5. An hatred of the occafions of evil, Jude
23. 6. A refolution to relinquUh fin,
Plalm xvii. 3. Prov. xxviil. 13. Luke xv.
17, 18. I John i. 9. 7. A weak apprehen-
, _ .^ . Hon of the promifes of God concerning
yet grow in grace? and iffo. What are forgivenefs, Pfalm xxxi. 22. 8. An im-
after Chrift and falva-
ple, to fliew the diverfity of his gifts, and
his diverfe manner of working.
§. 2. Whether a Chrijiian in his own ap-
prehenfion decaying in grace^ may not
yet grow in grace P and iffo. What are
the reafons of his wrong apprehenjions ?
T O the firll queftion it was anfwered
affirmatively ; as in cafe of temptation, Pf.
Ixxiii. 21, be. or in a fpiritual defertion,
Pfalm li. 12. Ixxxviii. Ifa. xlix. 14.
To the fecond queftion thefe reafons
were given in ; i. The negleft of Self-ex-
amination. 2. The want of God's lively
ordinances. 3. A too much eying of our
affliftions. 4. A too much pcu-ing upon
fin, without any thoughts of Chrift or free
grace. 5. The want of the light of God's
amiable countenance. 6. The infenilble-
nefs of grace, which is of a fpiritual nature,
and not fo eafily to be perceived. 7. A
prefent deadnefs or dulnefs of fpirir. 8. A
portunate enquiry
tion, upon fenfe of fm, Afts ii. 37. xiii.
12. xvi. 30. 9. An hunger and defire after
Chrift, Pfalm xlii. i, 2. cvii. 9. cxlv. 19^
Mat. v. 6. 10. A precious eft'eera of
Chrift, John viii. 42. Phil. iv. 7, 8. i Pet,
ii. (yyj. 1 r. A love of the word, Pfaira
cxix. 103. John x. 4, 27. 1 Pet. ii. 2. 12.
A fpiritual joy in the word, Pfalm cxix. jy,
13. A receiving of the word with all readi-
nefs, A(5ls xvi. 14. xvii. 11. 14. A longing
defire to keep God's commandments,PiaIm
cxix. 5. 15. A forrow that others keep
not God's law, Pfalm cxix. 136. 2 Pet ii. 8»
\6. A love of the brethren, Pfalm. xvi. 3.
cxxxvii. 6. I John iii. 14. 17. A fpiritual
inifapplying of fome one or more places joy in the churches deliverance, Pfalm IxviiL
of fcripture, as Hebrews vi. 6, be. 9
Weaknefs of knowledge, or want of judg-
ment in fuch experimental paftages, efpe-
cially in the beginning of chriftianity. 10.
The diftemper of the foul, efpecially in
defertion, when as in the diftemper of the
body, a man thinking or fpeaking idly, we
fay it is not he, but his ficknefs; fo it is
in this cafe.
In conclufion, thefe reafons were ap-
proved ; but we agreed, That all the fuc-
ceeding anpLuers or reColutions JJjould be
proved out of God's holy word.
§.3. What figns of true grace, though for
the prejent bat fmall or weak grace P
I. A Willingnefs to be admoniftied,and
to have our fins difcovered, Job xiii. 23.
Pf. cxli. 5. 2. A confideration of our fins,
with endeavours to turn to our God, Pfal.
cxix. ^9. Lam. iii. 40. 3. A feeling fin to
be a burden, Matih. xi. 28. and a forrow
for fin, Zech. xii. 10. 4. A loathing of
our fins, Ezek. xjucvi. 31. 2 Cor. vii. 11.
3. cvi. 5. Ifaiah Ixvi. 10. Ixi. 10. 18. A re-
verence and fear of God, Heb. xii. 28.
and trufting in God, Prov. xxx. 5. 19.
A delight in doing well, Prov. xxi. I5.
20. An hatred of evil affemblies and wick-
ed fociety, Pfalm xxvi. 4,5. cxxix. 21, be.
21. A holy defpair in ourfelves, thro' our
own abilities to attain heaven, Ezra ix.
6. Luke XV. 17. 22. A poverty of fpirir^
and purity in heart, Mat. v. 3. 8. Mark
ix. 24. 23. An holy endeavour after growth
in grace, Phil. iii. 13. 2 Pet. iii. 18. 24.
A continual conflia betwixt ftefti and fpi-
rit, Rom. vii. 22, be. 25. A competent
meafure of fpiritual knowledge, Afts xxvi.
18. Col. iii. 10. 26. A careful endeavour
after perfeverancc, Pfalm cxix. ui, be.
John viii. 31. Gal. iii. 3. 27. The unutte-
rable fighs and groans of the fpirit in prjy-
er, Rom. viii. 26. 28. A fenfe and bewail-
ing of the hardnefs of our hearts, Ifniah
xliii. 17. 29. A pure love of God, and de-
fire to fear his name, Neh. i. 11. Pfalm
XvUi. I. L'aiah xxvi. 8, p. Rom. viii. 28.
Ji88
CHRISTIAN SOCIETT.
%o. A godly converfation, Pfalm xvi. 8.
J. 23. Aflsii. 25.
§ . 4. Whether is a Chrifiian alivays hound
to reprehend an offender ? or in what
cafes may he forbear ?
IT is anfwered, that a Chriftian is not
bound ever to reprove, but he may forbear
in fuch cafes as thefe ; i. When the party
offending is a fcorner, and we perceive he
\vill but feoff at it, Prov. ix. 8. xxiii. p.
Mat. vii. 6. 2. When the offender fins of
infirmity, Gal. vi. 12. 3. When the of-
fended is not able to convince the offend-
er that it is a^n. Job vi. 25. Titus i. 9.
4. When there is no hopes to prevail in
refpe(ft of the evil times. Amos v. 13.
5. When the offences are fmall, and but
little, Prov. xix. 11. xx. 3. 6. When we
Jcnow not certainly whether the fuppofed
offence be a fin, or not, Jofhua xx. 16.
7. V/hen the reprehender is faulty in the
fame thing, Mat. vii. 3, idrc 8. When the
party offending is not capable of reproof,
as in cafe a man be an idiot, or drunk, or
in the height of hispaflion, i Sam. xxv.
36, ^T. 9. When our reproof may breed
fome diffention, or imminent and dange-
rous difturbance ; as in cafe it be amongft
rude, boiftrous and defperate company.
Mat. vii. 6. 10. When the offender is ob-
ilinately and wilfully bent to go on in fin,
Mark xiv. 60, 61. xv. 4,5.
§. 5. How may we know whether we pro-
fit by affliSiions ?
We may know by thefe figns : i. If by
affliction we come to be fenfible of God's
heavy difpleafure, Deut. xxxi. 17. Rurh
i. 13. Micah vi. 9. i Cor. xi. 37. 2. If
by atflidtion we are drawn to learch our
ways, I Kings viii. 38. Ezra ix. 14. Pfalm
xxxii. 4, <bc. Lamentations i. 5. iii 39,
eirc. 3. If by afflirtions we are found-
ly and fincerely humbled, 2 Kings
xxii. 19, 'be. Job i. 20. i Pet. v. 6, 4. if
©ur alBidtions work on us to ninkc our
jjeace with our God, Ifaiah xxvii. 5. Hofca
v. 15. 5. If by affliflions we be drawn to
make and pay vows of better obedience,
Pfalm Ixvi. 13, <bc. 6. If in our affli(ftions
we refl upon God, 2 Chron. xiv. 11. and
wait on God, Pfalm xxxvii. 7, 34, Micah
vii. 9. 7. If in our afiliftions we mind the
promifes, and roll ourftlves on them, i
Sam. XXX. 6- Pfalm cxix. 74. 8. If in
our afflictions we clear God when he
is judged, Pfalm cxix. 74. 9. If for
our affliftions we blefs God in his af-
flicting hand, Job i. 2 r . 10. If by afflidi-
ons our graces are ftirred up and exercifed.
Job xiii. 15. Pfalm xlii. 5. Jer. xxxi. 16.
Rom. v. 3. 2Cor.i. 10. Heb. x. 34. Ja.
i. 3. II. If by our afflictions our prayers
become more fervent, Neh. i. 3, <bc. Pfal.
Ixxvii. 2. and cxvi. 3. and cxlii. 4, <bc. 12.
Jf in our afflidlions we gather in fome ex-
periences of God's love and help, Pfalm
xxxiv. 4(1. and xlvi. \6, be. 13. If in
our afflidions we fubmit willingly and
chearfully to God's good will and pleafure,
Levit. xxvi.41. I Sam. iii. 18. 14. If in
our afflictions we look more at the hand of
God that ftrikcs, than at the inftrumenr,
I Samuel iii. 8. and xvi. 11. 15. If in
our affliction we rejeCt all worldly finful
hopes and unlawful means of deliverance,
and reft only on God, 1 Cor. i. 8, 9. Heb.
xi. 25, 26. 16. If in prefent afflictions
we gather affurance of deliverance from
former experiences, i Sam. xvii. 37,
Pfalm Ixxvii. 9, <bc. 2 Tim. iii. 11. 17.
If by afflictions we find corruptions to
weaken, and to be mortified, Ifaiah xxvii.
9. 18. If our afflictions beget affurance
of our adoption, Htb. xii. 8. Sanftificati-
on, Heb. xii. 6, be. Glorification, Matth.
V. 12. 2 Cor. iv. 17. 2Pct. ii. 8.
§. 6. How fjoidd a Chrifiian fortify him-
ft If again] t all the Reproaches of wicked
Men?
\. LET him confider the command of
God in thi^ cafe, Matth. v. 44. Rom. xii.
19. I Pet. iii. 9. z. Let him look or. re-
proach
C HRISTIAN SOCIETT.
preaches as the very hand of God, 2 Sam.
xvi. II. 3. Let him confider what an
honour it is to fufFer reproaches for Chrift,
A<5tsv. 41. 4. Let him eye the blefled-
nefsof thofe that are reproached forChrifl:,
Matth V. II, 6c. 2 Tim. ii. 12. i Pet.
iii. 14. and iv. 14. 5. Let him confider
it is as the lot of God's fervants to fuffer
reproaches, 2 Tim. iii. 12. 6. Let him
confider that in his reproaches he fuffers
vith and for Chrift, John xv. 20. 7.
Let him confider, that though the wicked
reproach, yet God will in his time jiaftifie
and approve, PfahTi xxxvii, 33. and cxlvii.
II. 8. Let him confider, that the Lord
in due time will both clear his fervants
and puniih the reproachers, Micah vii. 8,
6c. 9. Let him fet before him the ex-
amples of Chrift, his apoftles, and pro-
phets, Ifaiah liii. 7. Matth. v. 12. John
XV. 18. I Cor. IV. 13. 1 Pet. ii. 21. 10.
Let him pray with fervency and faith, Job
xvi. 20. Pfalm cix. i, 6c. i Cor. iv. 13.
ir. Lethim befureto keep a clear confci-
cnce within, 1 Pet. iv. 15. 12. Lethim
refer the ififue of all unto God, 2 Sam.
iii. 39. 13. Let him exercife that heavenly
duty of the life of faith, and faften it on
thefe promifes, Pfalm xxxvii- 6. and Ixviii.
13. Ifaiah Ixi. 7. 1 Peter i. 7. and iii. 14.
andiv. 14.
§. 7. Whether a true believer may not
fometimes doubt ? and what are the fe-
ver a I caufes of doubting ?
IT was aniwered, that without contro-
verfie, and as the following texts will e-
vince, a true believer may doubt of his
falvation ; and the caufes are thefe :
1 . The profperity of the wicked, Pfalm
xxxviii. 17. and Ixxiii. 2, <bc. and xii. 13.
2. His own want of neceflary provifions
for this life. Numb. xx. 3, 6c. 3. Suf-
penfion of divine favour. Job xiii. 24.
Pfalm Ixxvii. 7, 6c. 4. Imminent dan-
gers and fears, Exod. xiv. 10, 6c. Matth.
viii. 25, 6c. and xiv. 30, 6c. 5. Ap-
prchenfions of God's denying his prayers,
289
Pfalm xxii. \y6c. <5. The 3ffll<f\ing hand
of God lying fore on his foul, Pfalm cxvi.
10, 6c. Lam. iii. 17, 18. 7. Miftaken
apprehenfions and weakncfs of judgment,
Marth. xiv. 26. Mark vi. 49, 6c. Luke
24. 37. 8. Relapfes or re-infnarements in-
to former fins, Pfalm Ii. 8, 12. 9. The
littlenefs or fmallnefs of faith, Matth. xiv.
30. Mark ix. 24. 10. A poring on, or
ftudying too much the life of ienfe, Luke
i. 18, 20. John XX. 5. II. A want of the
true underftanding of fome divine myfte-
ries, John vi. 60. 12. A diftrufting of
God's promifes upon human reports, iNum.
xiii. 32, 33. xxxiv. i, 6c.
§. 8. What are the cures or remedies of
doublings incident to believers ?
^ FAITH in the Lord Jefus Chrift, Rom.
xi. 20. xiv. 23. 2. A wary and filial fear,
Heb. iv. I. 3. A hope in God, Pfalm xiii.
11. and waiting on God, Ifa. viii. 17. Jer.
xiv.*i9, 22. 4. Earneft prayer: i. Againfl:
doubting. Mat. xxi. 21, 6c. Mark ix. 24.
Luke xvii. 5. xxii. 32. 2 Cor. xii. i, 8,
6c. and, 2. To have our doubts refolvcd.
Judges vi. y].,6c. 5. A depending on the
faithfulnefs of God and his promifes, Heb.
X. 23. xi. II. 6. A ftriving to keep down
the life of fenfe, Matth. vi, 28, 6c. 7. A
recalling to mind the Lord's difpenfations
in our former afflictions, Lam. iii. 18, 6c.
8. A recalling to mind God's former love
to our fouls. Pfa. xx. i, 6c. Lam. iii. 22,
24. 9. Diligence in the ule of all means,
Pfalm Ixxiii. 17. Cant. iii. i, 6c. 10. A
trufting in God's name, making him our
flay and fupport, Pfa. Ixxiii. 26. Ifa, 1. 10.
§. 9. What are thefe hindrances that ob-
ftru£l the grovjth of Chr Iftianity, or the
fpreading of the kingdom of ChriJ} ?
\Vant of a pious and powerful mini-
ftry, Prov. xxix. 18. Rom. x. 14, 6c. 2.
Kegligence of the miniftry in place, Jer.
i. 21, 6c. Ezek. xxxiv. 4, 6c. 3. A (can-
dalous and vicious miniftry, i Sam. ii. 17.
Jer. xxiii. i, 6c. Mai. ii. 8. Mar. xxiii. 13,
4. The deceits and fophiftry of falfi? pro-
P P phcts,
CL()0
CHRISTIAN SOCIETY,
phcts, Jer. xxvii. 14. xxviii. 15. Ezekiel
xiii. 6, etc. 2 Ptt. ii. 18. 5. A prefuming
to teach others without God's call, Jerem.
xxiii. 32. 6. A defpiiing of the miniftry of
the gofpel, Mark vi. 3. John viii. 57. 7.
Envy. and railing againft the word andmi-
niflry, A(fts xiii. 45, etc. 8. Perfecution
of God's meflengers, A6ts xii. i, etc. 9.
Ambitious, faftious, and malicious fpirits,
3 John 10. 10. Fomenters of divifion a-
mong the people of God, Rom, xvi. 1 7, etc.
2 Pet. ii. 3. II. Enemies of the truth and
power of godlinefs, 2 Tim. iii. 6, 12. The
evil example of fuperiors, i Sam. ii. 23,34.
I Kings xiv. i6^ohn vii. 47,48. 13. Se-
ducing fpirits, 1 Kings xii. 27, etc A6ls
xiv. 19. XX. 30, I Tim. iv. r. 14. Scan-
dalous profeffors, Htb. xii. 14, etc. 15.
Evil fociety, Pfalm xviii. 26. Prov. iv. 14,
etc. 16. Confpiracy of the wicked, Afts
xix. 29, 34. 17. Satan and antichrift,
Zech. iii. i. 2 Cor. iv. 4. Rev. viii. 10, etc.
18. Broaching and fomenting of errors,
and efpecially of idolatry, i Kings xii. 30.
A<f^s xix. 27, etc. 2 Pet. ii. 2. Rev. ii. 20.
19. Miftakein the matters of falvation,Hof.
iv. 6 John vi. 66. 20. A profanation of
holy things, i Sam.ii. 17. 21. A preferring
carnal things before Ghrift, Matt, viii- 34.
xix. 22. Adsxix.26. 22. Obflinacy and
unbelief, Jer. xliv. 16. Mat. xiii. 58. Heb.
iii. 19. iv. 2. 23. Slavifh fear, John Ix.
22. 24. Abufe of chrillian liberty, i Cor.
viii. 9, etc. 25. A giving offence in things
merely indifferent, Rom. xiv. 13. i Cor.
X. 32, etc. 26. Perfecution of the church,
Afls viii. I, etc. Rev. xi. 7.
§. 10. What are the means to preferve uni-
ty and amity amongfi chrijlians ?
Frequent and fervent prayer, Pf. cxxii.
6. John xvii. 1 i . Rom. xv. 5, etc Jam. v.
\6, 2. Pithy and pious exhortations, Ro.
xii. 10, iC. I Cor. i. 10. i Theff. v. 13.
I Peter i. 8. iv. 8. 3. Thefpiritof meek-
nefs and lowlinefs, of long-fuffering and
forbearing one anotlier in love, John xiii.
14, etc, Rom. xii. 10. xv. i, tic. Eph. iv.
2, ^, Phil. ii. 3. 4. A not rendering evil
for evil, 1 Pet. iii. 8, etc. 5. A reftoring
fuch as are fallen, in the fpirit of meek-
nefs. Gal. vi. i, etc. 6. A moderate re-
prehenfion of fuch as are contrary-minded,
2 Tim. ii. 24, etc. 7. A flightingof flan-
derous reports, Prov. xxv. 23. 8. A quel-
ling of the fpirit of pride, Prov. xiii. 10.
9. A feafonable vifit of the brethren, with
whom we have had fpiritual commerce,
A£ts XV. 36. 10. Meetings and conferen-
ces about differences that have fallen out,
A£ts XV. 6. II. A ready fubmiflion to the
judgment of one another, according to the
word, Eph. V. 21. 12. An endeavour to
fpeak the lame things, and to be of one
mind, i Cor. i. 10. Phil. ii. 2. 13. A do-
ing all things in charity, i Cor. xvi. 14.
14. A rcadiiiefs to forgive, as Chrift for-
gave us, Mat. xviii. 33. Eph. iv. 32. 15.
A fpirit of wiidom and difcretion,. Prov.
xix. II. Eccl. vii. 9. 16. A mortifying of
lufts, and fubduingof palTions, 1 Cor. iii.
3, James iv. i. 17. A loving carriage and
deportment of the outward man, Pro. xv.
I. xxv. 23. 18. A chearful admifllon of
the Nveak into Chriftian fociety, and bear-
ing with their infirmities, Rom. xiv. i. xv.
I. rThelf. v. 14. 19. An avoiding of fuch
as caufe divifions amongft chrilfians, Rom.
xvi. 17. 20. An avoiding of all ill fpcech-
es one againft another, 1 Pet. ii. i, 21.
A not thinking too highly of ourfelves, but
foberly, according to the mealure of faith
God hath given us, Rom. xii. 3, etc 1 Cor. .
iv. 6. 22. A delire to do to others, as we
wilh others to do to us. Mat. vii. »2. 23.
A fludy to be quiet, and not to meddle
with another man's bufinefs, i ThcfT. iv. 7.
24. A folemn cntring into covenant with
God, and with one another, Jer. 1. 5. 25.
A confideration of the command. Be of
the fame mind one "with at:oiher, Rom. xii.
J 6. 26. A confideration that -we all knoiv
4iut in part, and therefore that -wejhouldbear
iviih. one another's infirmities, 1 Cor. xiii.
9-
CHRISTIAN SOCIETY.
291
9. 27. A confideration that a paffionate,
peevilh, and froward profe/Tor is feldom
acquainted with the truth as it is in JeCus,
Pfalm XXV. 9. Prov. xi. 2. and xxvii. 20.
Ifaiah xxviii. 9. Rom. xvl. 17. James i.
21. 26. 28. A confideration that unity
1. Anfwered, That they are to repent,
as appears, Job xlii. 6. Jer. xxxiii. ig.
Rev. ij. 5. iii. 3.
2. The grounds or reafons are thefe fol-
lowing, I. Becaufe God looks for repen-
tance from them, Zech. vi. 6. 2- Becaufe
in judpment is the promife and blelTing of God commands them to repent, Rev. il.
another life, and that unity in afFedUon is 5. 16. and iii. 3. 19. 3, Becaufe it is
our prefent duty, Eph. iv. 13. Phil. iii.
15, iyc.
SECT. viir.
Of fame queftions or controverted points,
•which at the conference were propound-
ed and anfivej-id,
TH E queftions of controverted points,
were thefe and the like :
§ . I . Whether -doth God fee fin in believers
fo as to he offended at it ? and how may
it appear ?
IT is anfwered affirmatively, that God
doth fee fin in his faints, as appears by thefe
texts, Exod. iv. 14. i Sam. iii. 12, <bc.
2 Sam. xii. 9, ^c. Pftilm cxxxv. 14. Jer.
XV. 17, be. Rev. ii. 4. 13, ^■c. though not
in reference to their juftification, yet in
reference to their converfation and fan<51:i-
fication, which is but in part. 2. This
appcareth, i. From the Lord's complain-
ing againft believers for fin, Ifaiah i. 2,
ibc. Jer. ii. 5, <bc. 2. From his threats
if they do not repent, 2 Sam. vii. 14.
Pfalm Ixxxix. 30, 6'c. Ifaiah i. 20. Rev.
ii. 5. 16. and iii. 8. 3. From his chalHfe-
mentsof them for fin, 2 Sam. xii. i^. Pf.
Ixxiv. and x!ix. 8. Amos iii. 2. Jer. xxx.
15. Luke i. 22. 4. From God's withdraw-
ing the comforts of his Spirit for fin, Pfa.
11. 12. 5. From the prayers of believers
to God, for the hiding of his face from
their fins, and removing of his anger for
their fins, Pfalm vi. 16. and xxxii. 5, be.
and 11. 9. 6. From the Lord's reproving
of hi? people for their fins, 2 Sam. xii. 7,
br. Mat. xvi. 23.
§.2. Whether are believers to repent of their
fins ? and upon what ground ?
God's pleafure that we (hould (tt\ the
bitternefs of fin, as well as the.fwect of
fin, Jeremiah ii. 19. 4. Becaufe believers
fin as well as others, i Kings vlii. 46. i
John i. 10. 5. Becaufe in believers there
is a proclivity and difpofition to all fin,
Pfalm Ii. 5. Rom. vii. 24. 6. Becaufe re-
pentance is a means for diverting of judg-
ments from a land or a perfon, 2 Chron.
vii. 14. Joelii. 13. 7. Becaufe repentance
is a means for obtaining mercies, Judges
XX. 26. Neh. i. 9. 8. Becaufe repentance
is anieans, way or qualification to pardon,
I Chron. vii. 14. and falvation, 2 Cor. vii.
10. 9. Becaufe repentance is a neceffary
fruit of faith, Zech. xii. 10. Afls xix. 18.
10. Becaufe after repentance we may ex-
pert comfort, Pfalm cxxvi. 5, 6, Mat. v.
4. 2 Cor. vii. 9. 13. II. Becaufe that
therein we fliall give God the glory of his
juftice, Pfalm Ii. 4. Rev. xvi. 9.
§.3. Whether are believers to pray for par-
don of fin ? and what are the reafons ?
1. Anfwered, That believers are to pray
for pardon, as may appear from thefe fcrip^
tures. Num. xiv. 9. 2 Sam. xxiv. 10. Dan.
ix. 19. Pfalm XXV. 11. Mat. vi. 12.
2. The reafons are thefe, and the like,
I. Becaufe Chrift taught his difciples fo to
pray, Mat. vi. 12. 2. Bctaufe believers
have renewed infirmities. Num. xiv. 11.
19. 3. Becaufe God is ready to pardon
them that pray for it, Pfalm Ixxxvi. 5. 4.
Becaufe God hath promlled to pardon the
fins of his faints, 2 Chi-on. vii. 14. Jer.
xxxiii. 3. 8. 5. Becaufe whatloever we
read in icripture of pardon, it is always in
reference to fins paft, Ifaiah .xlii. 25, Jer.
P P 2 xxxiii.
292
CHRISTIAN SOCIETY,
xxxiii. 8. Pfalm Ixxix. 8, ^c. 6. Becaufe
yet ihe judge hath not folemnly pronounc-
ed ihe fentence of pardon, neither will he,
till at the laft day, Afts iii. 19.
§.4. Whether is it the duty ofChriJliam
to obferve the Lord's day, now being the
fir ft day of the week, as a Chrijiian Sab-
bath ? and what grounds for it ?
Anfwered, That it is their duty ; and
proved from Mark xvi. 2. John xx. 19. 26.
A£Is i. I, 6c. and xx. 7. i Cor. xvi. 1, 2.
Rev. i. 10.
2. The groni^s are thefe, and the like,
I. Becaule Chi in- as that day did perfect
the work of redemption for our eternal
reft- Matth. xxviii. i, etc. 2. Becaufe
Chrift did appear to his difciples upon that
day more efpecially, John xx. 19,26. 3.
Becaufe, as it is obferved generally, the
holy Ghoft, as that day did fall upon the
apoftles, being met together in one place,
Afts ii. I. 4. Becaufe on that fame day
the apoftles ordinarily difpenfed the word,
•facraments, and other ordinances, A6ls
XX. 7. I Cor. xvi. I, 2. 5. Becaufe fuch
things as are named the Lord's in fcripture,
are ever of the Lord's inftitution ; as. The
word of the Lord, i Tim. vi. 3. The cup
xi. 27. The flipper of
30. and fo The Lord's
6. Becaufe God doth
feem to honour the firfl day of the week
above any other day, as appears by his
great works done upon that day ; viz. In
ihe creation he made that day the Eri\
fruits of lime ; and in it he created the
higheft heavens, the place of the eternal
fabbath ; and in it he brought forth the
light of the world; anfwerable to which is
the day of Chrift's refurreftion, wherein
the fun of righteoufnefs, the true light of
the world rofe up, and became the firft-
fruits of them that fleep, and by virtue
thtrcof will bring all his faints into eternal
fcft, Gen. i. i, etc. compared with Mai,
iv. 2. John i.
Q, etc.
9. I Cor. XV. 20. Heb.
IV.
cfthe Lord, 1 Cor.
the Lord, I Cor. xi.
day, Revel, i. 10.
§.5. Whether may not Chrifiians lawfully
Jing David's, or Mofes' Pfalms, and
how may it appear ?
1. Anfwered affirmatively ; Ephef. v.
19. where, under thofe three heads of
Pfalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs,
David's pfalms are contained.
2. This is proved by precepts, patterns
and reafons. i. By precepts, Eph. v. 19.
Col. iii. 16. James v. 13. 2. By patterns :
I. Of Chrift himfelfand his apoftles, Mar,
xxvi. 30. 2. Of Paul and Silas, A6>s xvi.
25. 3. Of the churcjj, Rev. xv. 3. By
reafons, as ;
I. Becaufe the people of God have ufed
the very fame words of David's pfalms in
finging, 2 Chron. xv. i 3. compared with
Pfalm cxxxvi. and Ezra iii. 1 1. compared
with Pfalm cxviii, and R-ev. xv. 4. com-
pared with Plalm Ixxxvi. 9. and Exodus
XV. 2. compared with Pfalm cxviii, 14. 2.
Becaufe Paul directing to fing pfalms,gives
the very fame word or title as David gives
in his pfalms, James V. 13. compared with
Pfalm xcv. 2. 3. Becaufe David's pfalms
were indited by the Spirit of God, as well
as any others thatconfeifedly may befung,
2 Sam. xxiii. 2-
§. 6. Whether admitting of, or joining
with fcandalous Perfons in the Sacra-
ment of the Lord's Supper, and not en-
deavouring to keep them back, whiles
fuch, be not fin in the JJmitters and
Joiners ? And how may it appear?
1. Anfwered affirmatively, That it is
fin, I. In the admitters, Matth. vii. 6.
2. In the joiners, i Cor. v. 11. 2 Thelf.
iii. 6.
2. This appears to be fin, I. In the
admitters, by thefe grounds, r. Becaufe it
is againft the command of keeping un-
clean perfons from fuch like holy thing,
l^umb, ix. <5, 7. 2 Chron. xxiii. 19- 2.
Becaufe
CHRISTIAN SOCIETT,
293
Becaufe Chrift caft out the man that came
\vithout his wedding-garment, Matth.
xxii. II. 3. Becaufe this was the practice
of the apoftles, i Cor. v. 3, etc i Tim-
i. 20.
II. In the joiners, by thefe grounds,
I. Becaufe they are forbidden exprefly to
join withfuch, 2 Thef. iii. 14. 2. Becaufe
fcandaious perfons ought to be cenfured,
and fo to be elleemed of the Joiners, as
heathens and publicans, Marth. xviii. i 7.
III. In both admitters and joiners, by
thefe grounds, i. Becaufe God hath for-
bidden us to eat with fuch, i Cor. v. 1 1.
2 Their, iii, 6. 2. Becaufe by this means
their fins would become ours, i Cor. v. 6,
7. Gal. V. 9, 6'cr. 3. Becaufe the ordi-
nance of the Lord's fupper is defiled there-
by ; which is not to be underftood fimply
in itfelf, but in foine fort, i. e. to them
who are fcandalous, and to them who
join with fuch as they know to be fcanda-
lous : And this appears, i. In that the
temple, which had a facramental fignificati-
on of Chrift, was polluted by the coming
of profane perfons into it, Ezek. xxiii. 38,
39. 2. In that the facrifices of old were
defiled by profane perfons, Hag. ii. 1 1, etc.
3. In that the profane are as fwine which
trample the pearls under their feet, Mar.
vii. 6. See thefe proofs enlarged in Gelaf-
pie's Aaron's Rod blofibming, book 3d.
chapter 15.
§. 7. In fuch a cafe, -what is the duty of
Admitters and Joiners, to keep thcm-
felves blamelefs, and the ordinance un-
defiled ?
1. It is the duty of admitters,
I. To eye and obferve the flock over
which God hath given them charge, Ads
XX. 17,28. 2. If any be obferved, or
brought jn as offenders, it is their duty,
I. Toadmoniili them once or twice, Tit.
iii. 10. 2 Thelf. iii. 15. 2. If that pre-
vail not, to fufpend them, 1 Cor. v. 11. 2.
Their, iii. 6, 14, etc, 3. If ihat prevail
not, then to excommunicate them by the
lefler excommunication, Matth. xviii. 17.
I Cor. V. 4, 5. 2 Cor. ii, 6. 4. If that
prevail not, then (in fome cafes) to excom-
municate them by the greater excommuni-
cation, I Cor. xvi. 22^ Gal. i. 8, 9. \
John V. 16. This is only when a man is
vifibly irrecoverable, or hath committed
the fin againll the holy Ghoft ; the cafe of
Julian the apoftate, whom the church
would not pray for, but prayed againfl.
II. It is the duty of joiners, i. To eye
and obferve one another's converfation, fo
much as they may, Heb. x. 24. and iii. 12,
etc.
2. If upon obfervation they find any
faulty, then, i. The fcandal being pri-
vate, it is the joiners duty, I. To admonish
privately betwixt him and the offender
alone, Matth. xviii. i^. 2. If that be not
effeftual, then to take one or two more
witli him, Matth. xviii, 16. 3. If that be
not effectual, then to tell it to the churcb,^
Matth. xviii. 17. 4. If the church be cor-
rupt, and ncgle<5l its duty, he is then to
mourn for it, 1 Cor. v. 2.
2, The fcandal being publick, it is the
joiners duty immediately to bring it to
the church, i. Cor. v. i. 2 ThefT. iii. 14,
IT was the defire of fome precious men,.
That I fhould revife this queftion about
joining with the wicked in the fupper of
the Lord. For my own part, I am fully
fatisfied, that the mind of God is clearly-
delivered in it; and yet left: any may think
that I am fingular in this, I have lately con-
fulted V ith thofe divines, to whom high^
if not highefl refpe6t is given in the con-
troverfies of this nature ; viz. Mr. Ruther-
ford, and Mr. Gelafpie, to whom I may
join the late aflembly of divines convecn-
ed at Weftminfter ; and if you would
know their opinions, confult but the ai>
thors, as I have cited them, where you
may find them at large.
ThequdUon is, Whether admitting of»
01
294 CHRIST I A
or joining with fcandalons perfons in the
facrament of the Lord's fupper, and not en-
deavouring to keep them back, whiieft
fuch, be fin in theadmitters and joiners ?
And how may it appear ?
It is anfwcred affirmatively.: i. That it
is fin.
I. In the admitters, Matrh. vii. 6. See
Rutherford's divine Hght of Church go-
vernment, page 254. and fee Gelafpie's
Aaron's Rod bloflbming, page 548, 549,
etc.
II. In the joiners, 1 Cor. v. 1 1. 2 ThefT.
iii. 6. See Rutherford's Divine Right
of Church Go^rnment, page 238, 240,
250, 268, 256, 357. and fee Gelafpie's
Aaron's Rod blofTomiAg, page 424, ac.
I. This appears to be fin ; i. In the ad-
mitters, by thefe grounds: (i.) Becaufe
of the command to keep unclean perfons
from holy things, Numb. v. 2. ix 6, 7.
2 ChrOn. xxiii. 19. See Rutherford's Di-
vine Right of Church Government, page
241, 242. See Gelafpie's Aaron's Rod
bloflbming, p. 96. (2.) Becaufe of Chrift's
"cafiing out the man that came without
his wedding-gartnent, Matth. xxii. 11.
See Gelafpie's Aaron's Rod bloflx>ming, p.
510. (3.) Becaufe of the pradice of the
apoftles, who cafl: out the fcandalous
from the Lord's fupper, i Cor. v. 3, etc.
fee Ruth. Divine Right of Church Govern-
ment, page 238, 240, 268, 346. Gelafpie's
Aaron's Rod blofi^oming, page 239. and for,
I Tim. i. 20. fee Ruth. Divine Right of
Church Government, page 354, 355. Ge-
lafpie's Aaron's Rod bloflbming, page 189.
II. In the joiners, bj' thefe grounds: I.
Becaufe they are forbidden exprcfly to
join with fuch, 2 ThefT. iii. 14. Ruth. p.
250, 360. Gelafp. p. 281, 282. (2.) Be-
caufe fcandalous perfons oupht to be cen-
fured, and fo to be efleemed of the join-
ers as heathens and publicans, Matth. xviii.
ly. Ruth. p. 303, 306, 223, 233. Gelaf-
pic, p. 295, 296, 351, 361, 364.
III. In both admitters and joiners, by
N SOCIETT,
thefe grounds; (r.) Becaufe God hath for-
bidden us to cat with fuch, i Cor. v. 11. 2
Thefl". iii. 6. Ruth. p. 238. 240, 250, 268,
3.56, 357. Gelafp. p. 424, 427. 428, 429.
(2.) Becaufe by joining with fuch in the
Lord's fupper, their fin would become
ours, I Cor. vi. 7. Gal. v. 9^ 10. Ruth. p.
238, 239, 240, 339, 345, 349, 373. Gel.
p. 116, 117, 286. (3.) Becaufe the ordi-
nances of the Lord's fupper is defiled there-
by, which we underfland not fimply in it-
fclf, but in fome fort ; /. e. It is defiled to
them who are fcandalous, and to them
w ho join with fuch whom they know to
be fcandalous : and this appears ;
1. In that the temple, which had A facra-
mental fignification of Chrift, was pollut-
ed by the coming of profane perfons into
it, lizck. xxiii 38, 39, Ruth. p. 452, 453,
Gelafpie, p. 546, 547.
2. In that the I'acrifices of old were de-
filed by profane perfons, Haggai ii. 11,
6c. Ruth. p. 272. Gelafpie, p. 547.
3. In that the profane are as fwine which
trample the pearls under their feet, Matth.
vii. 6. Rutherford, p. 254, 255, 638. Ge-
lafpie, 548, 549. It is confeffed that the
word is a pearl, and yet the profane may
hear the word, and inltead of defiling it,
(if the Lord fee good) be converted by ir,
Ifaiah ii. 3, 4- xi. 4, s,(^> 7- but the Lord's
fupper is fuch a pearl as they can make no
ufeof it,but pollute it to their own deftruc-
tidn ; no more than dogs and fwine can
make ufe of pearls to feed, but only to
trample on them : the Lord's fuppei is
fuch a thing as is ordained only for thofe
who have faving grace, and not for dogs.
I hope thefe two witneffes (if they be
thoroughly peruftd) will fatisfy the fcru-
pulous : but befides thofe two .worthy
pillars, ovu- ownaflbmbly of divines affirms
t^his truth, who groundiDg the fufpenfion
of fcandalous finneis from the facrament,
though not yet cafl out of the church,
they gnve in thefe proofs: i. 'Becaufe
the ordinance itfelf mult not be profaned.'
2. *Be-
BEARING
2. ' Becaufe we are charged to withdraw
from thofe that walk diforderly.' 3. * Be-
caufe of the great fin and danger, both to
him that comes unworthily, and alfo to
the whole church.' The Scriptures from
which" the afTembly did prove all this, were
Matth. vii. 6. 2 The/T. iii. 6, 14, 15. i
Cor. xi. 27. to the end; compared with
Judc, verfc 23.1 Tim. v. 22. fee Gelafpie's
Aaron's Rod blolToming, page 339. I have
the WORD. 2^s
no more to fay, but the Lord lead us into
all truth, and give us grace to walk hum-
bly and obediently to every truth revealed :
j^ndas many as be per fed, let them be thus
minded : and if any be other-wife minded t
God foall reveal it in his due time : Ne-
verthtUfs, -whereto -we have already 'at'
tained, let us -walk by the fame rule, let us
mind the fame things, Phil. iii. 15, etc.
CHAP. XII.
Of the Hearing of the Word.
S E C T. I.
Of the neceffity of preparation to the hear-
ing of the -word.
Itherto of duties in reference to our
fplritual ethicks and oeconomicks :
now follow our divine Politicks ; viz :
fuch Duties as have reference to publick
or church aflemblies : and they are either.
Hearing the iu or d preached, or receiving
the facraments.
I. For our right, holy and confcionable
^ importment, in and about the Hearing of
the -word, we muft look to our preparati-
on before we hear, our carriage in hear-
ing, and our behaviour afterwards.
I. For preparation, it is of fuch neceflity,
that the want and neglefl of it, is the caufe
that the word to many becomes the favour
of death unto death ; and to fome profef-
fors, even of good hearts and afFe(fi:ions,
but a dead letter, without any life or power
in it. Is it not a general complaint of
the bcft Chriflians, that they are ordinarily
pofTcired with much deadnefs of heart, and
dulnefs of fpirit at thefe holy exercifes ?
alas, their zeal and fervency, which fhould
be quickened and inflamed at every fermon,
is dull and benumbed with fenfelefnefs and
fatiety ; they do not tremble at divine
comminations, and denouncements of
God's judgments againft fin ; ihey are not
fo refreflied with the gracious promifes of
life and falvation as they ought to be ;,
they do not enjoy and reap the thoufandth
part of that delight, comfort and benefit,
as they well might, by the minifiry of the
word ; they do not with that chearful-
nefs receive, with that fweetnefs tafie or
relifh, with that life and vigour digeA the
food of life ; they do not fo clearly fee
and difcern the infinite beauty of the fa-
cred majelly reprefented unto them, or
that glorious grace fjiining unto us in the
face of Chrill Jefus; their hand of faith
doth not with that feeling and faftnefs lay
hold upon and clafp about the rich trea-
fures revealed in the gofpel ; and why ?
becaufe their hearts are not purged and
prepared for hearing. This duty then is
of great neceffity, and fpeclal ufe for all
thofe which look for benefit or bieffing by
the preaching of the word : Take heed how
ye hear, faith Chrift, Luke viii. 18. and.
Take heed to thy foot, faith the preacher,
-when thou goefl to the houfe of Cod, and
be more ready to hear, than to offer the
facrifice cf fools : for they confider not that
they do evil, Eccl. v. i.
But underftand we aright : God would
not have us make an idol of preparation,
as if therefore 'God draws nigh to us, be-
caufe we are prepared j no, no; though
296
preparation in ordinary courfe is a means
10 find God, 5'et doth Gpd fometimes
hide himfelf when his people are prepared ;
lie would .have us know, that if he be
found of us at all, it is of mere mercy ;
he is not bound in jufltce (fetting alide his
promife) to reward this preparation ; 'tis
but our duty, and he can efpy in it mat-
ter enough of difpleafure, but ordinarily
the godly find God according to their pre-
paration : and hereto the current of the
Scripture bears witnefs, They that feek the
Lord /halt praife him : open your gates,
and the king of glory^Jhall come in. If any
vian open to me, 1 'will come in to him.
If thou prepare thine heart, and ftretch
cut thy hands towards him, then /halt
thou lift up thy face "without fpQt '. Pfalm
xxii. 26. and xxiv. 7. Rev. iii. 20. Job xi.
§. 2. OJ the manner of preparation to hear
the -word.
THE manner of this preparation con-
fifts in thefe particulars: (i.) In
prayer. (2) In meditation. (3.) In exami-
nation. (4.) In purging or cleanfing our
hearts. (5.) In a right difpofition of our
^ hearts.
I. In Prayer : If thou crie/} after knoiv
ledge, and lifte/l up thy voice for under-
fiayiding ; then (halt thou under [land the
fear of the Lord, and find out the know-
ledge of God, Prov. ii. 3, 5. Chrift bids us
pray for our daily bread, and a blefling up-
on it; much more fhould we pray for a
blclTing upon our fpiritual food, tor man
doth not live by bread only, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the
Lord, doth man live, Deu. viii. 3. Mat. iv. 4.
Now the particulars we are to pray for, are
thefe :
• I. For the minifter, that God would 0-
pen unto him a door of utterance, to /'peak
the my J} erics of Chr if} : and that he may
make it manife/i as he ought to /peak :
* Dircfthim, Lord ((hould every foul fay)
R EAR. ING the WO R D.
that he may fpeak fitly to me, fomewhat
for my underftanding, fomewhat for my
atieflions, fomewhat to help me againd
fuch or fuch a temptation, Col. iv. 3, 4.'
(2.) For the congregation, * that Chrift
may ride with triumph in the midft of them,
that fome may be converted, others may
be confirmed and ftri.ngthened in their
mod holy faith.' (3.; For ourielves, 'that
through God's afTiliance we may hear pro-
fitably, and be bleffed in the hearing ;' that
God would help us in our preparation,
meditation, examination, in the purging
of our hearts, and putting them into a
right difpofition and frame : Open thou
mine eyes, faid David, that I may fee the
wonder/ul things contained in thy taw, Pf.
cxix. 18.
2. In Meditation : I thought onmyways^
faid David, and turned my feet unto thy
ie/iimonies, Pfal. cxix. 59. he firft looked
over his ways, before he would fet his feet
into God's ways. Now the matter of our
meditation, is, i. * Who we are, to hear
God's word : alas, poor handfuls of duft
and aflies, bafe and vile ; thus Abraham
and Job in their converfes with God con-
fefs : and this confideration will ftir up
our humility and repentance in us. 2. In-
to whofe prcfence we come: is it not in-
to the prefence of an high, and holy, and
powerful God ? Is it not the Lord, a per-
fon both of greateft place, and lupreme
authority ? This confideration will fv-r-
ther our reverence and refpefl of God.
AVhen Job's eyes did fee God, he abhorred
him/elf in du/i and a/lies, Job xli. 16. 3.
By whofe adlltancc we come ; we have no
ftrength of our own to do any good, nor
is there any thing in us, that can procure
favour and acceptance with God ; we mud
therefore by faith depend upon Chrilt for
aflifiance and acceptance : this conlidera-
tion will liir up oui humility and faith.
4. With what affcifiious we come; if we
come to purpofe, \vc mult come '.\ ith in-
ward I'piritual aiiedions, with wiiiingnefs,
chear-
HEARING the WORD,
chearfulnefs, reverence, repentance, love,
humility and faith. 5. To what end we
come; whether it be to God's glory, and
our own foul's good.'
3. In Examination, let usfearch and try
our ways : commune ivitb your own hearts.
Lam. iii. 40. and then offer to Cod the
facrifice of righteoufnefs, Pfalm iv. 4, 5.
Now the matter of examination is, i. The
general frame and temper of our hearts,
whether they be in a better or worfe tem-
per than formerly. 2. The fpecial occafi-
ons, for which our fouls at fuch or fuch a
time defire to meet God : It is the com-
plaint of fome, I am weak in knowledge ;
of others, I want fuch and fuch graces ; of
others, I am like to encounter fuch and
fuch temptations; of all thefe we are to
examine ourfelves, that we may accord-
ingly receive fupply. 3, Our fins, that w&
may have them flain by the fword of the
Spirit in the miniftry of the word. 4. Our
graces, that we may have them Hrength-
ened and nourifhed by the fpiritual food
of our fouls. But the handling of thefe at
large, I fliall leave to the Receiving of the
Lord's Supper.
4. In the purging or cleanfing of our
hearts^ i. From fin ; Lay apart allfilthinefs
and fuperfluity of naughtinefs, and receive
•with meeknefs the ingrafted word, xvhich
is able to fave your fouls. Jam. i. 21. with
which agrees that parallel place. Wherefore
putting away all malice, as new-born babes
defire the fincere milk of the word, i Pet.
ii. I, 2. As it is with the body, when the
ftomach is foul and clogged with bad hu-
mours, we (hould firft purge it, before we
feed it, otherwife whatfoever we eat, will
but nourifh and incrcafe the corrupt hu-
mours; fo when the foul is fluffed or clog-
ged with fin, whatfoever is heard in the
miniftry of thcMord, will but be abufed by
it, and wrcfled to the deftru(ftion of it. 2.
From worldly cares and thoughts, which
may draw away the heart : The cares of
the worldf faith Ghrift:, do choak the feed of
aq
297
the word. Mat. xiii. 22. When Abraham
went up to the mount to facrifice, he left
his fervants in the valley ; and when we
go up to the mount where God appears,
we fliould leave all our fervile affe^ions,
and worldly thoughts in the valley; or if
any enter, weftiould do by them as Abra-
ham did by the birds that would have eat-
en up his facrifice, chafe them away. It
is faid, that in the temple, tho' there was
much flefh for facrifice, yet there was not
one flie appeared ftirring : O that it might
be fo with us, that not one thought might
arife upon our heart, unfuitable to the
place or work at hand : but this is the mi-
fery, we have not fpiritual hearts in tem-
poral employments, and therefore we have
carnal hearts in fpiritual employments, the
lefs of the fabbath in the week, the more
of the week we find in the fabbath.
5. In a right difpofition of our hearts i
■\Ve muft have hearts feafoned, (i.) With
Sofrnefs, for if the heart be not foft, and
flexible, the power of the word will not
make any print or deep impreflion upon it;,
all holy admonitions, reproofs and inftruc-
tions will be but as arrows fliot againft a
flone wall. (2.) "With Humility. For them
that be meek will he guide in judgment, and
teach the humble his way, Pi', xxv.p. The
proud heart is fo fwelled with the wind of
vanity and vain-glory, of felf-love and o-
ver-weening conceit, that there is left no
room in it for the precious treafures of fa-
ving grace to enter. (3.) With Honefty ;
for honefl hearts are the profitable and
faithful hearers, Luke viii. 15. refembled
by the good ground ; hearts that have no
manner of purpofe to live and continue in
any one known fin ; hearts ready and rt-
folved to ferve and pleafe God in all the
ways of his commandments, and that fin-
cerely and continually. (4.) With Faith ;
for this makes the word fink and foak into
the foul with power and profit : the old
Jews heard the word, but it profited them
not, becaufe it was not mixed with faith
in
1^9^
HEARING the WORD.
in them that heard it, Meb. iv. 2. Faith
animates and inrpites the promifes of the
gofpel with fuch a fovereign fweetnefs, that
they are able to raife ns from the depth of
fears, yea to put us into a paradife of fpi-
ritual pleafures, and polfcfTion of heaven,
ds it viere already. (5.) With Teachable-
nefs : Sacrifice and burnt- offerings thou
ivouUjJnotS-iWrt David, hut wine ears hajl
thou prepared, Pfalm xl. 6. qd. * Thou
haft boared new ears in my heart, that I
can now reverently attend unto, rightly
conceive, and witli*an holy greedincfs de-
'vour, as it were, the myfleries of grace.'
6. With opennefs or rcadinefs to receive
'every truth that God (hall teach us : It is
faid of the Bcreans, That they received
the word with all readinefs of mind, A(fls
xvii. II. When there is fuch an holy (lif-
pofition in us as to receive both in judg-
ment and praiTtice whatfoever God fliall
reveal to us out of his holy word, this is
a precious difpofition.
Thus much of Preparation, before we
hear: ' What follows, but that we open
our hearts and hands ? Surely the windows
of heaven will be fet' wide open, that all
manner of fplritual comforts, all the blef-
fmgs of peace and happinefs, may in abun-
dance be fhowered down upon us; the
rich trcafury of everlafUng glory and im-
mortality fliali be now unlocked to us, and
we may delight ourftlvcs amidfl thcfe hea-
venly pearls, and golden pleafures, joys
that no heart can comprehend, but that
which is weaned from all worldly pleafures,
and fet apart, and fandified for all holy
fervices and bufinefs of heaven.'
§. 3. The duties of the Soul in hearing the
iTord.
OUR duties in hearing, confift in thefe
particulars ;
I. That we fet ourfclves in God's pre-
fence whiles we srr hearing the word, and
that we conlidor ir is God we have to deal
withal in this bullnefs, and not man, and
that it is God's word, and not man's:
Tins was the great commendation of the
ThefTalor/ians, chap. ii. 13, That they re-
ceived the word as the word of God ; and
it is the exprefs faying of our Saviour,
Lukex. 16, He that htareth you, heareth
me : The Lord himfclf is prelcnt in a fpe-
cial manner, wheie his word is preached ;
Surely the Lord is in that place, as Jacob
faid of Bethel, Gen. xxviii. 16. Now this
apprehenHon of God's prefence in the af-
femblies of his people, will preferve our
hearts from roving and wandring thoughts:
J hate vain thoughts, but thy law do 1 love^
Pfalm cxix. 113, yea, it will keep us in
that awful and reverent difpofition that is
meet for the majefly of heaven.
2. That we diligently attend to that we
hear ; thus all the people were very atten-
tive to hear Chrijt, Luke xix. 48. or as it
is in the original. They hanged upon him to
hear him: tliey io carried themlelves, as if
their ears and minds had been tied to
his very tongue : Look, as a prifoner will
hearken to the fentence of a prince, every
word he fpeaks being life or death ; or as
the lervants of Beuhadad, when they
were in their enemies power, obferved
diligently if any word of comfort would
come from the king of Ifrael, and they did
haliily catch at it ; fo (hould we with all
diligence and attention hearken to the
good word of God.
3. That we labour to underfland
M'bat we hear ; to this purpofe, Chriji cal-
led to the multitude and faid, Hear and
under/land, Mat. xv. 10. Now the me^ns
to underfland the word are thefe, 1.
' Come to the word with a willing mind
to learn ;' though the eu.iuch underflood
not what he read, yet becaufe he had a
mind to learn, the Lord provided for him,
and we know what a comfortable fuccefs
Philip's fermon had with him : Men love
to teach willing (cholars, fo doth God
when we come viih willing and ready
minds to be taught of him. 2. Be well ac-
Quainf.
HEARING
quainted with the grounds and principles
of Chriftianity ; it is the want of this that
makes men dull in underftandinir ; they
that are not firft well nourlfhed with milk,
will not be fit to receive and diged ftronger
meat; if the foundation be not well laid, it is
in vain to build. 3. Walk according to the
light revealed ; a good underftan ding have
all they that do his commandmcfits, Pfalm
cxi. 10. If we employ well the little know-
ledge we have, there is a proniife to give
us more.
4. That we hear the word with all fpiritual
fubjefbion.as that word which hath power to
command the foul and confcience : God to
thispurpofe looks into a congregation, to
fee what hearts will yield ro his word ; the
Spirit of God hovers over the congregati-
on, and here it waits and there it expe^ls.
the WORD. 299
6. That in hearincr, we look to our af-
fc£lions, that they be rightly exercifcd :
Thus Jofiah his heart is faid to melt at the
reading of the law, 2 Chron. xxxiv. 27.
Thus the Jews at Peter's ferraon were
pricked in their hearts, and faid. Men and
brethreuyivhat (hall ive do ? Afls ii. 37.
Thus the hearts of the two difciples that
went to EmmaviS,burned -within them,when
ChriJ} opened to them ihejcriptures, Luke
xxiv. 32. Now the means to flir up thefe
afFefftions, are, i. A belief of the word,
as that which is undoubtedly true ; God
cannot lie, Titus i, 2. Aor will he change
his mind. Numb, xxiii. 19. 2. A love to
the word, for its purity, perfeiflion, ufe-
fulnefs, and wonderful benefits to us. 3,
An appropriation of the word unto our-
felves ; for that which afFeifts us, is that
to this man it comes, and knocks at the *v/hich moft nearly concerns us; without
door of his heart, to that man, and the o
thcr man it goes, faying. Open your hearts,
you everlafiing doors, that the king of
glory mUy come in : Surely novv^ fhould
we fay, ' thefe are God's teilimonies, this
is the word the rainilter of God fpeaks
to me in God's ftead, I muf\ give account
of it, and therefore I will fubmit myfelf
to it.'
5 That we hear the v/ord, with ap-
plication of it to our own hearts and lives;
Hear this, and know it for thyfelf, Job v.
27. So did Chrifl's difciples when our Sa-
X'iour told them, that one of them (hould
betray him. They were exceeding forrow-
ful, and began every one of them to Jay,
Lord, is it I P Matth. xxvi. 21,22. As no
plaifter can do the patient any good, un-
lefs it be applied ; and as no meat is able
to do us good, unlefs it be eaten and digeft-
ed, no more can the word preached profit
lis unlefs it be mixed with faith, one princi-
pal work whereof is to apply thofe things
that are delivered in the word, and thisis
the meaning of the prophet. Hearken dili-
gently unto me, and eat ye that which is
good, Ifaiah Iv. 2.
aqi
this means of quickening our hearts, they
remain dead and fenfelefs, and the word
becomes utterly unprofitable. 4. A con-
flderation of the nature of the word, which-
ever requires and calls for fuitable hearts
and afie<^fions ; it is a pure word, Pfalm
cxix. 140. and therefore we mufl cleanfe
and purify our hearts for the receiving oF
ir, it is fpiritual and heavenly, Rom. vii, 14.
and therefore we mufl labour for fpiritual
and heavenly minds to enter^ain it. Jam.
iii. 17. It is a word of power and au-
thority, the very voice of Chriff, and there-
fore our hearts mult fubmit and floop to
receive it with meeknejs and trembling of
heart, Jam. i. 21. It is a furewcrd, 2 Ytt.
\. 19. A faithful word. Thus \. g. A vi-
fijH that will not lie, Ifaiah Ixvi. 2. Hebv
ii. 3. and therefore we muft embrace it
with faithful and believing hearts, without
which the word cannot profit us at all,
Heb. iv, 2.
7. That above all other affccflions, we
make fure to delight in the word : It is
faid of Chrjfl's hearers, that they heard
him gladly, Mark xn. 37. and it is noted
for an efpecial iign. of grace, to hear the
word
300 HEARING
word with delight ; / rejoiced at thy word
(faid David) as one that findeth grtat
Ipo'th, Pfalm cxix. 162.
^ej}- I. But whether may not unre-
generate men have a delight in God's or-
dinances ?
J}ipiu. I anfwer, i. Mofl: of them have
no delight at all in God's ordinances : To
•whom Jlmll I /peak, and give warning, that
they may hear ? behold^ their ear is wi-
circumcifedy and they cannot hearken : be-
hold, the word of the Lord is to them a re-
proach, they have no delight in it, Jer. vi.
10. and if tiiis b^our cafe, if we can hear
fweet gofpel-preaching, the free offer of
Jefus Chrilt, with all his glories and excel-
lencies, to poor finners, to vile, loft, un-
done fouls, and are no whit taken there-
with ; wo to our fouls, can we fleep away
fuch a fermon ? can we (light or negleft
fuch gofpel offers ? nay, do we attend them
toldly ? have we no heart-riflngs ? no
ftirrings and workings ? no longings and
defires ? and thus we pafs fermon after
fermon, and fabbath after fabbath ? O then,
we are wholly dead unto the life of grace,
Jefus Chrilt as yet hath not given us his
true light, no work of converfion doth at
all appear in us : The end which Jefus
Chrifl: had in fending out preachers, was
todifcover his love to poor periling fin-
ners, that fo they might be affe«ftcd with
him, and long after him,and if we have no
fuch relilfi, our condition is fad.
2. Some unregenerate men may have
fome delight in the word : They feek me
daily, faid God, and delight to know my
ways, as a nation that did right eoufnefs
and forfook not the ordinances of their God;
they ask of me the ordinances of jujHce,
they take delight in approaching to Cod,
Ifaiiih Iviii. 2. The fecond ground received
the word with j-^y, Matth. xiii. 20, and
Herod heard John Bapti/t gladly, Mark vi.
20. Ungodly men may delight in God's
word, as in thefe cafes ;
I. When the ordinances are a lead-
the IVORD.
ing way unto fome end that fuits with
corrupt nature : Thus Jehufliewed abun-
dance of zeal in deflroying the houfe of
Ahab, and the idolatry of Baal, that there-
by he might efiablifh the kingdom to his
pofleriiy, and get himfelf a great name ;
Come with me, and fee my zeal for the
Lord, 2 Kings x. 16. He was fo full of
vain-glory, that he could not hold in, but
was forced to burfl out.
2. When the manner of difpenfation of
the ordinances doth fuit with their difpo-
fition : An underflanding judicious man
may love preaching that isjudicious and un-
derftanding; a man of meeknefs may deliglit
in a fermon of peace, peace; a temperate
man may like a fermon that is tartand bit-
ter againfi: drunkennefs, uncleannefs ; the
liberal man may delight in fevere preach-
ing againll covetoufnefs ; as a man muli-
cally alicdted, may delight in flnging of
pCalms, becaufe thefe things fuit with their
difpofitions : The gifts of minifters may
have an affefling pleafingnefs ; they may
exprefs their mindsin fuch fit terms, or fo
pathetically, or they may have fuch a grace
in utterance, asmay afledt: Lo, thou art unto
them as a very lovely Jong, of one that hath
a pleafant voice, and can play well on an
inftrumcnt ; for they hear thy words, but
do them not, Ezek. xxxiii.3a.
3. When there is a common work of
the Spirit of God upon them for a time ;
They may talh of the heavenly gift, and
be made partakers of the holy Ghoft .• thty
may tafle the good word of God, and the
pow.rs of the world to come, and yet fall
away, Heb, vi. 4, 5. But this work is ra-
ther a work upon them, than in them, a
forced work, not natural, rather a flaili,
than a fire of afledion ; the affedtioiis are
lifted up, they cannot be altered and chan-
ged, a(5ted only by an, outward principle ;
the experience that the Spirit hath forci-
bly and powerfully wrought on them, not
by an oucwaid and inward principle alfo,
both by the Spirit of God,and fuitablenefs
of
HEARING the WO RD.
ofaffe£Vion to that which is good ; It was
otherwife with David, / delight to do thy
ivill, God : yea, thy law is within my
hearty Plalm xl. 8. and otherwife with
Paul, Rom. vii.22. I delight in the law
of Cod after the inner man ; Till the law
of God be within us, we cannot from with-
in taltethe fweetnefs of God's ordinances:
in true and foltd delight, there muft be a
fuitablenefs betwixt the heart and the or-
dinances; therefore faith the wife man,
It is joy to the juft to do judgment^ Prov.
xxi. 15. Thejuftice that isin him, is fuit-
able to the judgment to be done by him,
and this makes the joy. Hence it follows,
that fo much grace, lb much delight : were
we more holy, fpiritual, heavenly, as the
ordinances are, we fhoiild be more affec-
ted therewith. Thus it is not with the
wicked, they have no fuch delight.
^tefl. 2. Why is the word fo brim
full of comfort to the dear faints of God.'
Anfw. Becaufe in the word they have
communion withGod.who is the God of all
confolation; and with theSpiritofGod,who
is called the Comforter : Now as a man
thatwalksamongft perfumes, mud needs
fmell of the perfume; fo they that converfe
with the God ofall joy muft needs be filled
withall joy ; and therefore David calls God
his exceeding joy, Pfa.xliii. 4. Thefaintsgo
to the word, as one that goes to hear news
of a friend, they look upon the ordinances,
as that whereby they have to do with God,
and therefore it is precious and fweet to
them. No wonder ; can a man who is cold
come to the fire and not be warmed ? Can
he that is in the dark come into the open
air and not be enlightened ? God is the
fpring of all comfort, and therefore fure
their hearts mull needs be comforted that
meet with God in the ordinances ; on the
contrary, if they meet not with God, if
they mifs of their communion with the
Lord Jefus Chriit, then is comfort afar off:
But we muft argue againll a general
truth, from a particular temptation. The
30t
pofition will fland, that God's word is
brim-full of comfort to God's people, the*
every experiment comes not up to it.
§. 4. The Duties required after Hearing.
THe duties required after hearing the
word, are thefe ;
1. That we carefully remember, and
keep that which we have heard ; Prov.
iv. 21. My fony let thine heart retain my
wordSy keep them in the midf} of thine
heart. As a man that hath a jewel will
be careful to lock it up in his fafeft cheft,
fo fhould we keep the word in our
hearts, in the midft of our hearts. Many
hear the word deflroully, bur, as we
fay, it goes in at one ear, and out at
the other ; it flays not for any after-ufe,
but a little prefent admiration : Others
hear, and the word fmites them a little on
their confciences, and wounds them, and
one would think fome good thing would
be wrought on them, but they go away,
and the motion dies, like unto mettals
which are foft and pliable whilft they are
in the fire, but fhortly after they become
harder than before. Take eaniefl heed
to the things which we have heard, lefi at
any time we fhould let them flip ,- or, let
them run out as a leaking vefjel, for fo the
original bears it, Heb. ii. i.
2. That we meditate and feriou fly think
of what we have heard; meditate upon thefe
things (faid Paul to Timothy, chap, iv.
^S-) Z^"^^ thyfelf wholly to them, that thy
profiting may appear to all : Thus Mary
pondered the words of the angel in her
heart t Luke ii. 1 9. and David meditated all
the day en God's law, Pfalm cxix. 97.
Meditation is as the bellows of the foul
that doth kindle and inflame holy affections:
Meditation is of a feparating and fettling
nature, it feparates heavenly thoughts from
earthly, for it often goes over with
thoughts, and at laft fettles the heai t on
fuch thoughts as thefe ; ' O this is the
word of God, this is the law, the procla-
mation
30.1
H EARING
mation of the great king, whereby I muft
be judged : This may be ihe laft fermon
that ever I (hall hear whiles I live, fuch a
gale of God's Spirit may never be offered
to me again ; I will be wife therefore, and
give way to the Spirit of God, I will not
beat it back again, but yield to the blcfied
motions of the Spirit that this day have
been made.'
3. That we repeat what we have heard,
and confer of it, and examine the fcrip-
tures about the truth of it ; My tongue
(faith David, Pfa. cxix. \y2.)Jhall fpeak of
thy word, for all thy commandment i are
righle-jufncfi ; andT«« (l^all lay up thefe
miy words in your hearts (faith God,) and
you Jl}all teach thtm your children, /peaking
'of them when thou fittcft in thy houfe, Deut.
xi. 18. This is it for which the noble
Bereans are commended to us. They
fearched the fcriplures daily, concerning
the things that were delivered by Paul, Ads
xvii. 1 1, &c. A man that comes into a
pleafant garden will not content himfelf
with the prefent fcent only, but will carry
fom'e of the flowers away with him : So
after we have been in the garden of fpices,
and have felt the favour of ChrLil's oint-
ments in church aflemblieSjlct us take fome
of the flowers away with us and fmell of
r them again and again. Repeatiiig, con-
ferring, examining the word, is, as the
pounding of fpices that will make them
imell more.
the WORD,
4. That we put in pra<flice whatfoever
we hear ; Be ye doers of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving your own fouls.
James i. 22. we mull do it, we mufl bring
it nearer to us, that it may be an in^sraf-
ted word in our underflanding and affec-
tions, that it may be written in our fouls,
and in the tables of our hearts, that it may
be incorporated and naturalized into our
inward man, that fo we m.iy fpeak and
think, and do nothing but that which is
divine ; and in fo doing, obfcrve we this
frame of fpirit, to be quick and fpeedy a-
bout it ; / made ha fie and prole figed not
the time, to keep thy comtnandnitnts, Pfa.
cxix. 60. This fpeedy, this immediate put-
ting of the word into pradVice, is of much
advantage to the hearer ; the aflcc^iions
of the heart are then lively and quick,
which, with delays, die and decay fud-
denly.
5. That (when the word is heard, and
we are returned home) we pray again for
a blelhng on that we have heard, and as
our memories will bear, let us turn the
word into prayer, efpecially the he;ids or
principal parts of it: Prayer mufl be the
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end-
ing of this fpiritual duty ; we mufl pray
in preparation, and pray in conclullon, and
prjy always. And thus much concerning
our duties before, in, and after the hear-
ing of the -word, Luke xxi. 36.
CHAP. XIII. SECT. I.
Of the Two Sacraments of the New Teftament,
THE next duty of a Chriflian, as it of our initiation or invefling into the glo-
hath reference only to the publick, riousftate ofChriflianity; The Lord's Sup-
or church affemblies, is, ' a right receiving per is the facramcnt of our continuance in
of the facraments,' which are two, Baptifm Chrirt, of our confirmation in fpiritual life,
and the Lord's fuppcr : baptifm is the fa- and the power of grace already planted
cratnent of our incorporation into Ghrifl:, within us : by Baptifm wc are waihed, we
are
The LO RD's SUTTER,
are fanf^ified, we are juftified in the name
of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our
God : by the Lord's Supper we grow in
fpintual (Irength, we lay better hold by the
hand of faith, upon the merits and mer-
cies of Chrift ; we feel more fonndly and
fcnflbly the power and virtue of his blood,
we fee more clearly, and are more fully and
fcdlnpjy afcertained of the forgivenefs of
our llns ; concerning the former, it is to
little piirpofc to giveany direflions, becaufe
.infants (who only in our days are baptiz-
ed) are merely fubje£ls receptive, rot ac-
tive, and To hr as concerns the parents, in
relation to their infants, we have difpatch-
ed elfewhere. [See page 263.]!
§ . 2 . Of duties in general, he/ore vjs receive
-^ the Lord's /upper .
I SHALL now therefore proceed to
the fecond facrament : and for a right
receiving of the Lord's /upper, there are
duties of neceffity required before, in, and
after the facrament.
My meaning is not to fpeak of the ha-
bitual difpolJtions, but of the actual difpo-
litions of the heart, in reference to which —
Before facrament, the duty is /el/exami-
vation, i Cor. xi. 28. Let a man examine
himfelf, and fo let him eat of this bread, and
drink r./ this cup. Of this felf-examinati-
on, we have fpoken before; but in refer-
ence to this facrament we fhall handle it
more fully, and fo confider of it, (i.) In
its fubje<fV. (2.) In its ohjeft.
1. In the fubjeft-m.atter, or the nature
of thisfelf-examination : * Self-examinati-
on is a holy work of the foul, whereby it
cafts its eye, and refKifis upon itfelf, and
looks through itftlf, and tnkes a true fcant-
ling and eftimate of its fpiritual cftate;' for
inftance, * I find fuch and fuch fins forbid-
den in the word, fuch and fuch graces
required in the word, whereupon com-
paring my prefent condition with the
Icriptures,' I examine, * Am not I guilty
of thefe fins ? do I pr^(5\ife thtfc duties?
or am I polfeired of thefe graces V The
confcience being thus clofely and fincerely
examined, it will return a true anfwer to
every queftion, whence it will be eafy to
give a true cenfure of our fpiritual eftate
or condition.
2. For the obyeft of our examination,
it is generally our fins, and our graces. —
Of which in order.
§.3. 0/the manner of exa?mning our fins
before the Lord's fupper.
FOR the right examining of our fins,
obferve we thefe rules :
1. Procure we a double catalogue of our
fins, the one before, the other fince our
converfion : Let us fearch and try our ways
(faith Jeremiah) and then turn again to the
Lord, Jer. iii. 40. If we will not, we may
be fure God will : Thou inquire^ after
mine iniquity (faith Job, ch. x. 6.) and
/e arc he/} after my fin,
2. Confefs we our fins: "bring we them
out, as they brought the vejfels of the
temple, by number and "weight, Ezra viii.
34. Aaron, confefllng for the people, he
•was to confefs all the iniquities of the chil-
dren of Ifrael, and all their tranfgre/fions
in all their fins. Lev. xvi. 2 l . As three make
all, fo here's three alls to make up a right
confeflion ; not only mufV be confe/fed All
their iniquities, and all their /ins, but all
their tranfgrejfions in all their /ins : q, d.
Aaron mult number, and Aaron muft ag-
gravate their fins, by laying out how many
tranfgrcflions were wrapped up in their
feveral fins.
3. Labour we for grief and forrow of
heart for fin, otherwife all is to no pur-
pofe : / -will declare my in-quity (iaith
David, Pfalm xxxviii. 18.) I -will be forry
/or my /in : his confeflions were dolorous
confelfions; he felt fin, and this wrought
upon him, as an heavy burden, they are too
heavy /or tne, Pfalm xxxviii. 4. there's no-
thing in the world can make an heart more
heavy, than when it feels the weight and
heavinefs of fin.
4- JutJgc
304 The LO RD's
4. Judge we and condemn ourfelves for
our fin : this is that duty inftanced in by
the apoftle, i Cor. xi. 31. If nue would
judge oUrJelves ive Jhould not be judged:
Lord, I am tiot worthy (could the centuri-
on fay) that thou fhoulde^i come under my
roof', but, O Lord, I am not worthy
(fhould every one of us fay) that I fhoruld
come to thy table.
5. Pray for mercy, pardon, and accep-
tance in, for and through the Lord Jefus
Chrift.
§.4. Of examination of the wants of graces,
that Jhould be feelingly in us.
FO R the right examining of our graces,
obferve we this threefold fearch or
fcrutiny of, ( r .) The wants, (2.) The truth,
{3.) The growth of our graces.
I. That we may rightly examine the
wants of our graces, pradife we thefe par-
ticulars:
1. Procure we a catalogue of graces,
fcich as that is Gal. v. 22, 23. Love, joy,
peace, long-fuffcring, gentlentfs, goodne/s,
faith, mecknefs, temperance ; or fuch as that
in 2 Pet. i. 5, 6, 7, 8. Jdd to your faith,
virtue ; and to virtue, knowledge ; and to
knoivledge, temperance ; and to temperance,
patience ; and to patience, godlinefs ; and
to godlinefs, brotherly kindnefs ; and to
brotherly kindnefs, charity : if thefe things
be in you, and abound, they will make you
that you fhall neither be barren nor unfruit-
ful in the knowledge of our Lord Jefus Chrifi.
2. This catalogue procured, fet we the
fame before us, and confider which of thefe
graces wc have, and which of thefe graces we
want; I know it is a queftion, ' Whether
all graces are not fo connex'd and chained
together, that one of them cannot be fe-
vered from another ? But howfoever we
may diltinguilh quantum ad habitum et ac-
tum: [with regard to habit and aff] in re-
fpedt of habit, we grant they are always
connexed and chained together, but not
in refpeift of adi or exercife : jddd grace
SUTTER.
to grace, faith the apoftle, q. d. a Chrifli-
an at firft doth not exercife all graces; but
as a man lives firft the life of a plant, then
of fenfe, then of reafon, though all were
radically there at firft : fo it is in graces,
there are many forms that Chriftians go
through, as fcholars at fchool do : the firft
form is to teach them their fms and miferies,
and fo they go to fchool to the law, and are
fet to ftudy it ; and then after they have
learned that IcITon throughly, they are led
up higher, to have iheir faith drawn out,
and to be exercifed about free-grace, and
about Chrifi, his perfon, and union with
him, and about the art and way of draw-
ing virtue from him, and doing all in him :
nay after this, though a believer in his con-
verfion hath the fubftance of all thefe taught
him, yet he goes over them again through-
out his whole life ; and fometimes his
thoughts dwell more about the emptinefs
of his own right eoufncfs, fometimes about
that fulnefs that, is in Chrifi, fometimes a-
bout the I'piritual llricinefs he ought to
walk in ; and this is to add grace unto grace :
nay, there may be addition concerning one
and the fame grace, as when a man's grace
and the fruits thereof grow bigger, and
more plentiful, when there are new degrees
of the fame, for example, for Faith, when
from a man's cafling hiuil'elf upon Chrift,
he comes to find fweetnefs in Chriff, and
from that grows up to an ajfurance of faith :
fo for Prayer, when we find our prayers
to grow better ; w hen more fpii itual cor-
ruptions are put into our confelhons, and
ftronger grounds of faith are put into our
deprecations, or petitions for pardon ; when
we have more enlargednefs to thankfulncfs,
more zeal to pray for the churches,, when
we go to pray with all prayer and fuppli-
cation in the Spirit, Eph. vi. 18. So for
Obedience, * when we abound more and
more in the work of the Lord,' as it is faid
of the church of Thyatira, that thtir laj}
works were more than their firjl. Rev. ii.
J9. when as the boughs are laden, and we
are
The LO RD's
are filled with the fruits of righteoufheCSy
Phil. i. 1 1 . This is to add grace unto grace,
or one degree of grace unto another. Now
if in this fenfe, there be an addition of
graces, or an addition of degrees, examine,
what is the grace ? or what is the degree
of any grace that we want ?
3. Pray we fervently for a fupply of thofe
wants in this ordinance : imagine we faw
Chrift compafTed with all his privileges, and
promifes, and pardons, and mercies, and
merits; imagine we heard him fay, * Come
hither poor fouls, you that are fenfible of
your wants, and of your fpiritual poverty,
there i*^ in me bowels of compafTions, and
pardons in flore ; it is I that am your wif-
dom, righteoufnefs, fanflification, and re-
demption ; what is it you want ? what is
it you would have me do for you ? iball
not thefe fugared words of your Saviour
melt your hearts, and bring you low on
your knees : * O Lord' ((hould the foul
fay) ' I beg of thee faving knowledge, ju-
ftifying faith, fincere repyitance, fervent
Jove : O Lord, I would fain have affurance
of pardon, ftrength of faith, power againft
feme fpecial luft, healing virtues, to lance
my bloody iffues : O Lord, that thou
wouldft beftow on me meeknefs, or tem-
perance, or patience, or obedience, or quick-
nirgs in thy Spirit : Lord, that a pardon
might be fealed for all my fins, that I might
receive the virtue of thy death, the com-
forts of thy Spirit, the mortifying of fuch
and fuch a luft : Lord, that my unclean
heart may be fan(51ified, that I may be ena-
' bled with more ftrength to perform fuch
a duty : O Lord, upon this very errand,
and for this very end do I now come to
thee, for help in this or that particular do
I now come to thy ordinances : and, O
Chrift, I befeech thee, fupply all my wants,
and let me draw virtue from thee :' if thus
we would pray, and come to Chrift, then
would Chrift out of his bowels and mercies,
anfwer our fouls : * Receive,' would he fay,
* the grace you feel the want of j "receive my
Rr
SUTTER. 305
Spirit, receive power againft lufts, receive
ftrength to obedience, receive all the gra-
ces of my Spirit, for I am all in all to you.*
4. Raife and roufe we up our fouls, and
go we to the ordinances, with ftrong ex-
pectations to receive the benefits and gra-
ces v»'e have prayed for ; never any came
to Chrift to be healed, but they came with
a ftrong expectation to receive health ; if
a leper came, he came with e%pe6\ation ot
cleanfing ; if a blind man came, he came
with expeftation of feeing ; if a lame man
came, he came with expectation of walk-
ing, and we never read that any coming
with fuch expectation, was turned empty
away : the cripple aflcing an alms of Pe-
ter and John, they faid to him. Lock onus,
and then, faith the text, he gave heed un-
to them, expetling to receive Jbmethtng of
them, ACls iii. 4. i^ we would come to
»the facrament, with our eyes on Chrift, to
his graces and promifes, Of his fulne/s (for
he is full of grace, a fountain over/low-
ing) w^'T^o^/^ra'Cf /I'^^r^cf/cr^r^cd', Joha
i. 1(5. Say then, Chnft hath promifcd to
give in the facrament his body and blood,
the benefits of his death and precious blood-
ftied ; he hath prcmifed to leal pardons, to
manifeft himfclf, to give power againft luft,
I will now therefore go to this facrament,
with a particular expectation of fuch and
fuch a blefling as my foul ftands in need of.
§. 5. Examination of the truth of our gra-
ces, and fir j} 0} our converfion.
OU R fins and want of graces thus ex-
amined, the foul is in good meafure
prepared, yet becaufe the Lord Jdus ab-
hors to be food to nourifii, where he was
not feed to beget, it concerns all who de-
fire to talie of the fealing power of the
fecond facrament, firft to prove the fealing
power of the former facrament, before
they come to be nouriiiied as faints, let
them know whether they are begot and
made faints : and to that end they muft
examine further, (i.) The truth of their
graces. (2.) The growth of their graces.
I. For
3o6 "The LO RD's
I. For the truth of their graces, it is
good to begin with the beginning; and
firft to examine their Gonverfion, and fe-
ccndly, the individual companions of their
converfibn, as their Knowledge, and Faith,
and Repentance, and Love, and Obedi-
ence, and Defires after this ordinance.
I. For Gonverfion : a man may by fuch
marks as thcle, try and confider whether
he be truly and (bundly converted or not.
I. If he haih turned from Satan in all
fins, and turned unto God in all duties,
if he hath left all grols fins, as Lyif7g,
fwearing, ufury, d£unkennefs, loicleannefst
• and the like. (Ezek. xv. 5, &c.) in prac-
tice and in aftion, and all frailties and in-
- firmities, at leaft in allowance and affefVi-
on, fo that with watchful rcfiftance, and
earneft groanings of fpirit, he llrive and
pray againft them, and be humbled and
kept in awe by them, and that he perform
obedience to all God's commandments,
though not in ptrfe6lIon or height of de-
gree, yet in truth anJ fincertty of heart.
•2. If he be willing in all his purpofts,
defires, endeavours and a61:ions to fethim-
felf in the prefince of God, and in them to
be wholly, uniefcrvedly andintirely guid-
ed by his -word, i^falm xvi. 8. Gal. vi. 16.
3. If he can with an holy comfort , and
hwnhk triumph, think upon death, the law
SUTTER.
that he infinitely prefer them before gold^
honours, pleafureSy yea, the whole world,
Pfalm i. 2. and xix. 10.
7. If he would not change his prefent
flation, though never fo bafe, poor, andne-
gleSied in the world {yet accompanied with
the ftate of grace, and Ghriftianity) for
the mofi rich and glorious ejiate of the
greateft man upon earth where thzre is no-
thing but profanenefs and unregeneration ;
if all this whole great world about, were
turned into gold, honour, and pleafures, and
in refpc£l of the comfort of grace, it were
dung, vanity, nothing, Heb. xi. 25, 26.
8. If he would not be in the fiate and
cafe he was before, though he then thought
that good enough, for any worldly good,
for ten thoufand worlds, Phil. iii. 7, 8, 9.
9. if he be truly humbled with conli-
deration of the long time of his profane-
nefs and impenitency, and very ferry he
began nofooner, nor made greater haite in-
to the royal and glorious Aate of chrilliani-
ty, Jer. xxxi. 19.
10. If thofe finful pleafures and va7iities
be mofl tedious, irkfhme and dijUjltful
unto him, which formerly he purfued with
greedinefs and delight, Rom. vi. 21.
11. If he mourn for the abomination of
the times ; grieve at the wicked cfAirfes of
others, and be very glad, and heartily j oy-
the Q,reat judgment, hell, and thofe endlejs ful when godlinefs and Jincerity gets the
■ ■ • '" tipper-hand, and when any one is convert-
ed, Pfalm cxix. 136. 2 Pet. ii. 7.
12. If to the power of his gifts at all oc-
cafions, he be Hill plotting, working and
labouring the converflon of others, with
zeal and fincerity, ijpecially thofe that are
nearefi about him, any ways depend upon
him, and belong to his charge, Ezek. xviii.
3°- . . . ■
§.0. Examination of knowledge.
NO W for the individual companions
of found Gonverfion ; we muft en-
quire within ourfelves for thofe graces of
knowledge, faith, repentance, etc.
The firll of thefe graces which every
wor-
torments, 1 John iv. 17, 18.
4. If be lovingly hunger and third after
fpiritual nouniXxment, the growth in grace
by the word, facraments, Chriflian confir-
ence,fan£iifying the fabbath, and all other
godly exercifes, both publick and private,
I Peter ii. 2.
5. If truly and heartily he love and long
after the coming of Chriji, and love fuch as
are true chrifiians, and that becaiife they
make confcience of fin, and ferve God with
fiqglenefs and fincerity of heart, Titus ii.
13, I Joh-n iii. 14.
6. If his chief delight and be ft comfort
ke in holy duties and heavenly things y and
The LORD'S
worthy and fit receiver muft neceflarily
find in himfelf, is Knowledge ; and by fuch
marks as thefe, he may try and con Oder,
whether his knowledge be a faving and
fanftifying knowledge or no.
I. If it beget humility and lowlinefs of
mind ; if the fight of God's purity, ma-
jcfly, juft indignation and vengeance a-
gainlt iin ; if the fenfe of his own blind-
nefs, vanity, inward filthinefs, and natural
corruption, make him willingly entertain
humility, and a lowly conceit of himfelf.
2. If it be dravm into praftice, and join-
ed with converfion of the heart from fin
unto God, and with reformation of life
from evil to good, otherwife knowledge
without practice will increafe the guilt of
confcience, and the damnation in hell,
Deut. iv. 6. Pfalm cxi. lo. John viii. 5,6.
3. If it be edged and fliarpened with a
longing defire and infatiable thirft after
more of thofe rich and faving treafures :
there ifTues from out of the fan<ftuary lua-
ters of life, (fee their increafe) firft to the
ancles, then to the knees, then to the loins,
afterwards a river that no man could pafs:
Jfive have once iafted ho%v fiveet the Lord
is, there will be a defire to increafe more
and more, Ezek. klvii. i Pet. ii. 2, 3.
4. If it be difFufive and communicative
of itfelf, if it (bine round about, and work
all the good it can in all places: The lips of
the righteous feed many : the lips cf the
•wife difperfe knowledge, but the heart of
the foolifh doth not fo. Pro. x. 21. It is as
new wine in velfels, dcfirous to vent; not
to purchafe a little vain-glory, or profane
praifes, but to work fpiritual good, and
for the converfion of others.
If it beget a reverence of that great
majefty and love, to that holy truth it
knows and apprehends in the word, and
an holy eflimation of it above all poflelh-
ons, Counting all things but lofs, for the
excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus
our Lord, Jer. ix. 24. Plalm cxix. ^-j, 98.
Phil. iii. 8.
SUTTER. 307
6. If by it the foul knows God in Chrill,
and knows Chrift as his own Saviour, and
knows the power of his refurreSlion, and
the fcllovjflnp of his fujferings, being made
conformable unto his death, John xiv. 17.
Phil. iii. 10.
7. If by it the foul knows the things gi-
ven it of God, and efpecially the inhabita-
tion o^ the Spirit of ChriJ}, John xiv. 17.
2 Cor. xiii. 5.
8. If it extinguifh or greatly dull the fa-
vour of earthly things, and makes the foul
heavenly-minded, favouring of fpiritual
things, 2 Gor. ii. 14.
§.7. Examination of faith.
A Second grace which every worthy re-
. ceiver mud find in himfelf, is Faith ;
and by fuch marks as thefe,he may try whe-
ther bis faith be a true and jufiifying faith.
I. If it fprung in the heart by the pil-
1)lick miniftry of God's holy word, Rom.
X. 14. if the heatt was broken, and bruifed,
and brought to an holy defperationiWhere--
by it wholly renounced, difclaimed, and
difav owed itfelf, G-2.\. iii. 24. as unworthy
of life, of breath, or being: ifthen it be-
gan to lift up its eyes upon the precious
promifes of falvation, revealed in thegof-
pel, and fiiining glorioufly in the face of
Chrid : and if laflily it perceived fome
glimpfes of comfort, hopes of pardon in
the blood of Chrift, whence arofe an hun-
gering defire, and longing thirft after the
mercies of God, and merits of Chrift Jefus;
and fo it caft itfelf with ftrong cries and
prayers into the arms of Chrift liis blefied
Redeemer.
If it grow and daily fpring up to-
wards height of afiurance, anA fuinefs of
perfuafion, Rom. viii. 38. Ordinarily faith
is weak at firft, full of many doubts and
diftraflions, fears and trembling?, but af-
ter long experience of our own fincerity,
godly life, and good confcience, it grows
up in time and by leifure to be a firong
faith, Rom. iv. 20, 21.
3. If it purifie the heart, AOs xv. 9.
R r 2 For-
3C^8
The LO RD's SV T T E R.
Formalifts may watch over their open out-
ward anions, but true believers fet them-
felves with fpecial care, and all good con-
fcience, to bridle and bring under all wick-
ed ftirrfngs of the heart: The dejire of the
righteous is only good, Prov. xi. 23. /• e.
the main flreams of hisdefires, the courfe
and current of his heart is to godlinefsand
goodnefs, though fometimes his corrupt
nature and Satan's boiflerous temptati-
ons, do unawares and violently carry his
thoughts another way, for which he fends
out many a prayer for pardon and purging.
4. If it bring fvth a true and thorough
Evangelical repentance, Zechariah xii. 10.
Where God's comfortable favour fhines,
and is fhed into the heart, it immediately
melts and refolves into tears of forrowand
grief for former rebtllions, and makes un-
feigned and refolutevows, for ever after,
by God's grace to throw out of his heart
and life, thofe fins which have grieved fo
good a God.
5. If it beget in him whom it poflefTeth,
aSanc^ification of all parts, both in foul
and body, iho' not in perfeftion, 2 Cor,
i. 12. If theunderftanding be enlightened
with knowledge in the great myfteries of
godlinefs ; if the will be bent with the befl
things ; if the memory be a ftore-houfe of
heavenly treafures : if the flream of our
affeftions be turned from the world to-
wards God's glory and good caufes ; if the
heart be weaned from lufls, and fain in
love with eternal pleafures and heavenly
things ; if the conference be watchful to dif-
covcr, and fenfible to feel the approach
aad prickings of the lead fin, <bc.
6. If it ivork by love, Firft towards God
and Chrift, in that all his fins are remitted,
and he is eternally beloved of God in
Chrift. 2. Towards Chriftians, in that the
faving graces of God's Spirit (hine in them.
3. Towards himfelf, with relation unto
God, and refervation of his glory. 4. To-
wards kindred, friends, not fo much be-
caufe they are of the fame blood, as be-
caufe of the mutual intereft they have in
the blood of Chrift. 5. Towards enemies,
becaufe of the precious command of Chrift,
Gal. V. 6. Pf. xvi. 3. i John iii. i4.'Mat.
v. 44.
7. If it caufe a forfaking the world : no
man can do this if it be hisfweet fin, until
his foul have received by the hand of faith,
from the Spirit of God, an afiiirance of an
immortal crown in the heavens, fealed un-
to him by the blood of Chrift : but then
how willingly doth he bid the world fare-
wel ? how refolutely doth he caft out of
his affections all greedy thoughts, and ex-
cefTive defires of earth and earthly trea-
fures? Hcb. xi. 23. I John v.44, 5.
8. If it fpeak comfort in diflrefs, joy in
tribulation, glorying in affli^ions : faith
teacheth that God cafts us in the fire, not
to burn us, but to refine us, and make us
more orient in his fight : this is the beaten
path to heaven, cries faith, which all the
glorious faints have trodden before us,
Ro. v. I. AClsv. 41. 2Tim.i. 12. Rom.
viii. 18. I Pet. i. 7.
9. If it will maintain achriftian in fome
meafure of fufficiency and contentment
in all eftates : The juji Jlmll live by Jaithy
Gal. ii. 20. not by friends, money, earthly
hopes, or helps, <bc. If it makes a man
lay hold on God's promiCes, and work an
inward truft in God's never-failing provi-
dence, fo as he will leave the fuccefs of
all his labours to the Lord.
§.8. Examination and Repentance.
A Third grace which every worthy re-
ceiver muft find in himfelf, is repen-
tance ; and by fuch marks as thefe, he
may try whether his repentance be found
and fincere repentance.
I . If it be ajhamed of fin : not- as a
thief is afliamed, which fliame arifeth from
the effe<ftof fin, as puniflimcnt or difgrace;
but as a fon is alhamed (whence it is cal-
led a filial ihame) out of a fight of the
filth and loathfomnefs of fin ; the impeni-
tent glory in theii fliame, but the truly
pe-
The LO RD's SUTT ER.
309
penitent are afliamed of fuch glorying, as
of every fin, Jer. xxxi. 19. vi. 15. viii. 12.
Eiek. xvi. 61, 6^. Ezra ix. 6. Zeph. iii. 5.
2. If it mourn for Jin : thus David
mourned (not for the punirtiment, he is
•willing to bear it, but) for fin, as it was
fin. I deny not but forrow may be godly,
even for judgments, and then our trial
will be if we can mourn rather for fpirit-
ual judgments than for temporal ; and ef-
pecially if we can feel and bewail hardnefs
of heart, mourning becaufe we cannot
mourn as we ought, Pfalm xlii. 3 li. 3, 4.
2 Sam. xxiv. 10, 17. Ifaiah Ixiii- 17.
3. J/ it caufe a great mournings at leaf}
fo great as our mourning would be for out-
ward loffts : Thus Zachary, ch. xii. 10,
be. inftanceth, the Spirit of God (hould
caufe them to mourn, as in the family one
would mourn for the lofs of their only Con,
or as in the common -weal the fubjedts
would * mourn for the lofs of a moft wor-
thy prince.'
4. If it refi not "without cleannefs : true
repentance is not water, but washing, nor
every wafiiing, but fuch as maketh clean ;
could a man weep his eyes our, yet if he
weep not his fins out, what is he better ,'
Sorrowing after a godly fort, what care-
fulnefs, what clearing hath it wrought ? If
1 have done iniquity, I will do it no more,
Ifaiah i. 16. Job xxxiv. 32. 2 Cor. vii. 11.
5. If it bring forth fruits meet for re-
pentance, Mat. iii. 8. This was the fum as
of John's, fo of Paul's preaching, that
Jew and Gentile fhould repent, and turn
to God, and do works worthy amendment of
life, A(^s xxvi. 20. nay, it is the very fum
of the gofpel, to mourn, to be comforted,
that they might be called trees of righteouf-
nefs, the planting of the Lord, that he
might be glorified, Ifaiah Ixi, 3.
6. If it beflirred up by th^ fenfe of God's
goodnefs : So that nothing more fires a
man to abafe himfelf in the fenfe of his
own vilenefs, than to feel and find the
gracious goodnefs and readinefs of God
in Chrift, to (hew him mercy ; He feareth
the Lord and his goodnefs, Hofea iii. 5.
7. If the fame fpiritual means affwage
it, that firfl raifed it in the heart : repen-
tance that can be healed by fports, merry
company, ifc. was never found ; it is the
voice of the church. Come, and let us re-
turn unto the Lord, for he hath torn, and he
will heal us, he hath fmitten, and he will
bind us up, Hofea vi. i, 2.
8. If it be joined with afecret trufl in
the acceptation of God in Chriff : If no mi-
fery can beat thy foul from inWard affi-
ance, or hope of mercy ; if in the very
difquietnefs of the heart, the defire of the
foul be to the Lord; if he be never fo
much cafl down, yet he waits upon Cod for
the help of his countenance, Pfalm xxxviii .
9. xlii. 5, II. and in fome meafure con-
demn the unbelief of his own heart, and
ftipports himfelf with the hope of the ne-
ver-failing companions of God in ChrifV,
wherein it differs from the repentance of
Cain and Judas.
§.9. Examination of love to the brethren.
\^ Fourth grace which every worthy
^JL receiver muft find in himfelf, xslove
to the brethren-, and by fuch marks as
thefe, he may try whether his love be a
true love.
1 . If it be to the Saints as Saints ; not be-
caufe they are rich, learned, wife, but
merely becaufe they have God's image u-
pon them : Love one another with a pure
heart, i Pet. i. 22. Love mufl be pure,
not mixt, and then it is pure, when it
fprings from no other fountain but grace
and holinefs, and love of God in Chrifl.
2. If it be to the faints above others:
others may have love and honour accord-
ing to their relations, qualities, worths ;
but true love beftows its Benjamin's por-
tion (the fpecialty and choice of its affec-
tions) upon the faints, 1 Pet. ii. 17. Rom.
xii. 10,
3. If it be to all the faints, Philem. v^if it
love
3 TO The LO R D's
love grace In rags, as well st^ in robes; if
it love the abfent, as well as prefent ; if it
love for the truth's fake thofe be never
faw, yet this hinders not the difference of
degrees •of love, which by the fpecial pro-
vidence of God fome chriftians may have
to others, in fome fpecial eminency of re-
fpe(f\s.
4. If it extends as to all faints, fo to all
times, as well in adverlity, difgrace, temp-
tation, ficknefs, <ifc. as in profperity,
health, good eftimation, ^'C
5. If it delight in the fellow/hip 0/ /ciints:
fuch as find no ne^d of, nor delight in the
fociety of faints, may doubt their conditi-
on, and be humbled for it, Pfalm xvi. 3.
cxix. 63,
6. If it caufe forbearance of one ano-
ther, Forgi uene/s of one anothefy Gal. iii.
13, 14. If in cafe the perfon injuring de-
fires no reconciliation, yet the perfon in-
jured is willing to let fall all wrath, malice,
or defire of revenge. Gal. iii. 13, 14.
7. If it make a foul to honour them
that fear the Lord, Pfalm xv. 4. This ho-
nour hath in it, (i.) An eftiraation of
them, as the only excellent people in the
world, Pfalm xvi, 3. (2.) A free acknow-
ledgment of , their juft praifes in all places
for their grace, 3 John 6. (3.) A willing
propofing of them as examples to imitate,
I Theff. i. 7, 8. (4.) An holy endeavour
to cover their infirmities, taking things
in the beft part and fenfe, i Pet. iv. 8.
(5.) An apology for them againft the re-
proaches and fcorns of the world.
§. 10. Exatnination of obedience.
A Fifth grace which every worthy re-
ceiver raufV find in himfelf, is obedi-
ence : and by inch marks as thefe he may
try whether his obedience be true.
I. If it arife out of love to Cod in Chrifi
Jefus ; if it be voluntary and not con-
flrained ; if the heart be inffamed with
the fct)fc of God's love in ChriA ; and if
it be humbled when it hath done its beft,
that it can bring no more glory to God,
SXJ TT E R.
John xiv. 15. Jofli. xxii. 5,
2. If it be in all things, with all refpeft
to all God's commandments; if as Noah,
■we walk with God, i. e. if in a fettled even
courfe of obedience, we keep dofe to him
all the days of our life, Pialm cxix. 12.
John XV. 14. Gen. vi, 9.
3.1fitfubmit againft profit, p-leafure,
credit, liberty, eafe, eirc. if it prefer God's
commandments^/'<J7^e" all things, yea above
life itfclf Heb. xi. 8. Afts v. 29. Mat.
xvi. 25. _
4. If it obey the commandments of fait h^
as well as life, fubmitting to the Lord
by believing, as by doing, yielding to the
gofpel as to the law, Rom. xvi. 26. and
X. 16.
§. II. Examination of our defire s after
this ordinance.
Sixth grace which every worthy re-
ceiver muft find in himfelf, is * holy
deOres after this holy ordinance ;' and by
fuch marks as thele he may try whether
bis deflres be holy.
1 . If they carry the foul after Chrift,
Fellowdiip with Chrift, Communion with
Chrift, a Fruition of Chrifi and bis bene-
fits, Pfalm xlii. i, 2. John vii. 37, 38.
2. If they fpring from any fenfe of the
want of Chrift, or from fenfe of former
fweetnefs or goodnefs in Chrift, found in
the ufe of the ordinances.
3. If tliere accompany them an holy
kind of impatience in the want of the or-
dinance : When jhall I come and appear
before God ? Pfalm xlii. 2.
4. If nothing but Chrift will content
the foul : If Chrift be defired for himfelf,
and not for any bafe ends : If the foul be
content with Chrifi, tho' he be caft into
prifon and baniftiment.
5. If there follow a great and fweet
contentment in the ufe of the ordinances ;
if (as it was with Sara"fon drinking of the
water that God fent him out of the hol-
low of the jaw) our fpirits come again
and revive upon it ; fo that fomeiimes the
hcurt
heart is filled with ftrange extafies, with
cxcefs of fpiritual pleafures, with an hea-
venly kind of fatisfaftion, contentation
and delight, Judges v. iy. Pfalm Ixiii. 5.
Jer. xxxi. 25.
6. If there follow after the ordinatice
holy vows and wiQies of infinite and eter-
nal thankfulnefs ; as alfo a growth and
fpringing up as among the grafs, or as ivil-
Joivs by the water- courfes, Pfalm Ixiii. 4,
5. Ifa. xliv. 3. I Pet. ii. 2,
■§. 12. Examination of the Growth of
Graces.
THe truth of graces thus found out ;
In the laft place, examine we the
growth of graces : True grace is ever
growing grace, Mark iv. 27. and if a man*
grow, it will appear by thefe figns :
1. By his outward appearance ; not that
he can fee himfelf grow, but that he may
difcern it (as the corn that fprings and
grows up) after fome time, when he is
grown in knowledge and faith, ebc. or if
he cannot find a growth upward in joy,
peace, triumph of fpirit, yet let him fee if
he grow not downward in humility, hun-
gering, mourning, zeal ; and let him fee
if all grace be not more and more rooted,
and confirmed in him.
2. By his appetite to his fpiritual food :
young men have better ftomachs than old
men, becaufe they are growing; and a
gracious (pirit hath ever an appetite or de-
fire after fpiritual dainties^ 2 Pet. ii. 1 , 2.
3. By his fphitual flrength; a Chriflian
is at firft w^ak, but if he grow, he is
Aronger and ftronger, till at lafl: he can
wreftle with a fpiritual enemy, with lufls,
and corruptions, powers and principalitifs,
arid get the raaftery over them. To this
duty of examination, others add excita-
tion, as thus, There muf} be a new excit-
i"g of faith, and repentance, and love, and
ofdejires aftet- the ordinances ; but of that
more fully in the ordinance itfelf. Rom.
xiv. I. -Eph. vi. 12.
The LORD'S SUTT ER. 311
§.13. Vf the duties in the facrament, of
the exercife of repentance.
THUS far of the duties before the fa-
crament : now follow the duties in
the time of the facr anient ; viz. The ex-
ercife of our graces, I mean fuch graces as
are fuitable to the quality and nature of
the facrament, as Repentance, and Faith,
and Thankfgiving, and Love, and Charity.
The firft of thefe graces, which muft be
flirred up or exercifed, is, Repentance :
and this will be afluated, if we confider
God's love in Chrift, and Chrift's forrows
and fulferings for fin : there are many
things in the ordinance, which if but look-
ed upon with the eye of faith, will open
all the fprings of true fpiritual forrow, or
repentance in the foul ; but we name only
thefe two particulars :
^ I. Here is a difcovery of the love and
fweetnefs of God in giving his Son to die
for us. God fo loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, John iii. i6.
enough to caufe us to mourn that ever we
offended : * O that God flnould be more
tender to us, than to his Son, not fparing
his Son that he might fpare us; give him
to die, that we might lice: pour out the
curfe upon him, that the blerfing might be
poured upon us : who can think on this,
and withhold from tears !'
2. Here is reprefented to us the fuffer-
ings and breakings of Chrift, enough to
break our hardelt hearts : confider them,
( I.) In themfelves: what breakings, wound-
ings, fcourges, crownings, piercings did he
endure in his body ? what conilifts, firug-
gles with the wrath of God, terrors of hell ?
what weight, burden, wrath did he under-
go, when his foul was heavy unto death^
when he drank that bitter cup, that cup
mingled with curfes, which if man or an-
gel had but fipt of, it would have funk
them into hell I nay, it made him who was
God as well as man, fan6\ified with the
Spirit, fupported with the Deity, comfort-
ed by angels, fweat fuch a fwear, as never
312 The LORD'S
man fwate, Drops, very clods of blood.
2. In the meriting caufe of all our good,
the procurers of all our peace, falvation.
He "wasTuoundedy that we might be healed;
Jcourged that ive might be Jolaced; he -was.
Jlcjiit is
1 mine, his virtue is mine, his benefits both
of grace and glory are mine ; Lord, I be-
lieve that in Chiiil^all fulncfs dwells, and
' that of his fulnels we (hall receive grace
for grace : Lord, I believe that thro' this
", golden pipe of the Lord's fupper, I (liall
receive the golden oil of grace from Chrift,
row be it to me according to my faith ;
Lord, I bellevejhclp thou my unbelief :0
<:ome down into my foul, and fill it full of
the Lord ChriO, of the body and blood of
Chrid.' In this manner, as one faid of the
tree of Chrift's afcenfion, though the fruit
were high, and above our reach, yet if we
touch him by the hand of faith, and tongue
of prayer, all viill fall down upon us:
fo here, if we can but touch him with the
hand of faith, though a palfie hand, tho'
•• a weak and trembling hand, if we can go
to him with a praying heart, Chrift can
withhold nothing from us.
By the way, this may difcover to us
where the fault is ; when we return home,
our faith never the more firengthened,our
hearts never the more warmed, our graces
never the more nourifhed, our corrupti-
ons never the more weakened, our afiTur-
ance never the more heightened, it is a
ilirewd fign faith did not play its part in
the mount : faith was intrufied in this em-
ployment, to go over to Chrift for thefe
and the like benefits, but thy faith did fail
in the undertaking ; therefore God Cuf-
pends the beftowing of thefe benefits, be-
caufe thou fufpendeft thy faith. M'ell
then, if thou fee not the fruit and benefit
SU TT ER.
thou expefteft, to come into thy foul \^
the ufe of this ordinance, charge thy faith
with it, and bewail the weaknefs of it j and
for the future, put it to its burden, let it
have its full and perfeft work, and thou
wilt then find the comfort and fruit of it;
never did faith touch Chrift in any ordi-
nance, but virtue came from him.
§. 15. Of the exercife of Thank [giving.
THE heart being warmed,and. growing
hot with the fenfe of God's good-
nefs, a man ftiould then break out and
give vent to his heart, in magnifying the
mercy of God for the death of Chrifl, and
the fruit thereof communicated to us.
Now this duty of praife and thankfgiving
is actuated,
1. By our private ejaculations : Onrfouh
fhould praife him, and all that is vjithinus
fhould praife his holy name, Pfalm ciii. i,
2. efpecially our affediions of joy and
love fliould tafte largely of God. We
ftiould to this purpofe, now and then caft
up fuch a dart as this to heaven, IVe praife
theCi Cod, me acknowledge thee to be the
Lord, etc.
2. By our publick and joint praifes :
minifters and people (hould both lift up
their voices with (Jlory to Cod on high, on
earth peace, good-will towards men.
3. By our finging of pfalms : Thus
Chrift and his apoftles, after the celebra-
tion of the Lord's (upper, they fung an
hymn or pfalm : and fome fay, it was one
of David's pfalms, which was to prefent
purpofe (the Jews at their paflbver ufcd
the(e pfalms, Pfalm cxiii. to cxix. which
they called the great Allclujah) but others
fay it was a pfalm compofed by Chrift
himfelf, containing the myftery of his
pa(rion : hovvfoever, we learn our dut)',
as at other times, fo at this efpecially, to
fing unto God a great Allelujah.
4. By our obedience, by devoting and
giving tip ourfelves to Chrift to be at the
will of him who is our i'overeign Lord.
The proof and life of thankfgiving, is,
thanks-
The LORD'S SUTTER,
thanks-doing ; the life of thankfulncfs, is
the good life of the thankful : Do we
praife God for his excellency ? that lhi61Iy
is the objc(5l of praife. Or do wc thank
God for his goodnefs ? that ftrictly is the
obje^ of thankfgiving : O then \et it
appear that we acknowledge God in
Chrift to be fuch a one as we fay in our
t)raifes ; and that we ftand hound and be-
holden to him indeed, as we fay in our
thanks. Let us carry ourfelves in our
life towards him as to God, who only
is excellent, who only is God, our God,
the God of our life and falvation.
§. 1 6. Of the Exercife of Love and Mercy.
OU R love muft be actuated,
I. In refpeft of all men, not only
by doing them good, as we have oppor
tunity ; but if they be wicked, by pitying
their fouls, and by unfeignedly defiring,
even at this facrament, the convcrfion of
them. Gal. vi. lo.
2. In refpeft of our enemies, by for-
giving and forgetting all injuries, by pray-
ing for them, as Chrift hath commanded,
Col. iii. 13. Matth. v. 44.
3. In refpecft of the faints, by delight-
ing in them as the moft excellent of the
earth, the only true worthies of the world,
worthy for ever of the flower, and .fervency
and dearnefs of our moft melting afledli-
ons and intimate love,by fympathizing with
them in their felicities and miferies. Rejoice
with them that rejoice y and mourn vjith
them that mourn, Pf. xvi. 3. Rom. xii. 15.
Our mercy muft be exercifed to the
poor, according to their neceffities, and
our abilities ; only with this caveat, that
we give in faith and chearfulnefs, and
fpiritual difcretion, in preferring the faints.
§. 17. Of Examination after the Sacra-
ment, and the Refult, if not a good Day.
THus far of the duties both before
and at the time of the Lord's fup-
per : Now follow the duties after the facra-
ment, and they arc thefe, viz. Examina-
tion, Thankfulnefs, acd Obedience.
317
I. A man isferioufly and faithfully to
confider after he hath been at the Lord's
fupper, what entertainment and welcome
God hath given him ? What comfort?
What encreafing of faith and grace ?
What quickening ? What refrcftiment ?
What aflTurance ? What friendlhip, and
what communion with Chrift ? What vir-
tue he hath found to flow out of Chrift
into his foul ?
Now, If upon fuch- examination, a
man hath found no joy, no comfort, no
enlargement, no communion with nor
anlwer from Chrift : but on the contrary,
his heart full of deadnefs, hardnefs, dul-
nefs, unfruitfulnefs, then two things are
to be done :
1. Let fuch a one fufpefl hlmfelf that
fome mifcarriage hath been in him, either
ifl his preparations to, or in his perfor-
mance of the duty ; and let him labour ta
find out where the failure was ; what it
was that hindered the efficacy of thatblef-
fed facrament, and having found out what
hindered, let him judge himfelf for it, and
be ferioufly humbled therefor : If he can
but do thus, he needs not be ovcrmucli
difmayed, becaufe this is one fruit of the
life of Chrift, which was undoubtedly re-
ceived in the facrament ; if he have not
that which he would have, yet he hath
that which was worth the going for : Let
him conftrue this humiliation as a fruit of
going to the facrament, and be thankful
for that.
2. Let him endeavour by after-pains
in prayer and humiliation, to quicken and
awaken the efficacy of the facrament : Sa-
craments do not always work for the pre-
fent, but the efficacy may come afterwards;
the a<ftions of God are of eternal effi*
cacy, though he put forth that efficacy
in fuch times and feafons as he fees good.
Phyfick doth not always work when it is
taken, but fometimes afterwards: thus alio
it may be with the facrament, when a com-
municant humUcd forhisunpro^tablenefs
m
!^i8 rhe lord's
in the duty, endeavours by after-diligence
and humiliation, to quicken and put life
into it, it may work then. What hinders
but it may be in the cafe of the Lord's
fupper as in the facrament of baptifm ?
the efficacy and force of baptifm doth not
prefently appear, no not prefently upon
the years ofdifcretion ; many a one lives
vicioufly in a finful courfe, a fwearer, a-
dulterer, gjrc. yet afterwards when God
gives a man the heart to be touched with
the fenfe of fin, and he begins to beftir
lumfelf, to feek God by faith and repent-
^ ance, the Lord th?n quickens his baptifm,
and makes it as powerful and efficacious
as if it had been adminiftred that very
day : So in this cafe, poffibly a man hath
been at the Lord's table, and hath more
than once been an unworthy receiver, yet,
if he (hall once come to be humbled for
ihat unworthinefs, God will rnake facra-
ments, fo often received unprofitably, to
become efficacious unto him : if then we
have mifcarried in our preparations, and
difpofitions fo as we have found no bene-
fit, no comfort, yet here is a remedy and
help. Take this courfe by after-diligence,
and after-humiliation, to fetch life into
the ordinances in which we are dead, and
which was dead unto us.
§. 1 8. Of Thanhjoivhig, if a good Day.
IF upon examination we find that we
were refrelhed, had our hearis enlar-
ged, had virtue from, and communion
M'irhChrifl, then muft follow Thankful-
nefs, and Obedience.
I. Thankfnlnefs : Return home npw,
as with thy heart full of benefits, of the
Lord, fo with ihy heart full of praifes to
the Lord : Angels employments are mofl:
fuitablc to angels food; fhall we blefs God
for a crumb and not for a Chrilt ? other
mercies are but crumbs, in comparifon of
this rich mercy, and Ihall our hearts fa-
vour them fo much, and not rt4iih thefe ?
%vhat's corn and wine to this ? * This is a
mercy in which all other mercies arc fold-
cd up : Chrift doth eminently Contain all
other mercies, and in the want of all,
Chrid enjoyed isan exceeding great reward;
nay, all mercies are not only folded up in
him, and intailed to him, but he fweeten*i
and fan(ftifies every mercy : Let us return
home, as full of the blefling from on high,
fo full of praifes to the moft High : Thank-
fulnefs is the great grace to be exerclfed
in, and thankfulnefs is the great grace to
be exerclfed after ; and therefore while
the prefent fenfe of this mercy warms our
hearis, let the heat of it burft forth into
thankfulnefs towards God ; it is the mofl:
fuitable fervice, and the mofl fuitable time
to return it.
§.19. Ofobeditnceandfruitfulnefsinour
lives.
THe fecond thing required in fuch a
cafe is Obedience, i. Get we our
hearts now farther fei againft fin : let our
fouls fay, * Hath God been fo gracious to
renew and confirm my pardon, and ffiall
I again diihonour him ? Hath he wiped off
my former fcores, and ftiall I run on a-
freHi to offend him ? Hath he taken off
my former burden, and caft it on the back
of his dear Son, and fliall I again lay
more load on him ? Hath he fpoken peace
tome in his ordinance, and jh all I again
return to folly ? No, far be it from me :
/ have wafhed my feet, how fhall I again
defile them ? I have put off my coatj hoiu
fhall I again put it on ?
2. Get we our hearts further flrength-
ened to fervice : in this ordinance is a
mutual fealing of covenants between God
and us : he feals to the firft part of the
covenant, Pardon, Mercy, Grace, and
we muft fesl to the fecond part of
it, Service, Subje($tion, Obedience. God
gives Chrifl to us, and we are to give
ourfelvcs back agnin-to Chrifl. As there
is matter of bounty from God to us, fo
there is matter of duty from us to God :
There war never any /bul, to whom God
faid in this ordinance, / am thine, whofe
heart
T RA r E R. 3/9
heart die! not echo again to the fame God, fervice. And thus much concerning our
Lord, lam thine. Let us then labour to duties before^ in, and after the Jacrament
get pur hearts further ftrengthened to of the Lord's fupper.
CHAP. XIV.
Of T RA r E R.
S E C T. I.
Of Preparation to Prayer.
Hitherto of all the duties in reference
only to Secret, Private or Publick Or-
dinances ; now follow fuch duties, as have
reference jointly to all three, and they ?.re
cither Ordinary, as Praying, Reading the
Word, and Suffering; or Extraordinary,
asFafting, and Feafllng.
The firft of thefe duties is Prayer, in
which, as in the former, there is required
fome things, i. Antecedent. 2. Conco-
mitant. 3. Subfequent.
1 . There is fomething required before,
viz. Preparation ; now this preparation
confifts partly in removing impediments,
and in ufing the means.
1^ The impediments to be removed are
thefe: (i.) We muft lay afide all carnal
thoughts and worldly cares, which might
diAraft our minds : Keep thy foot luhen
thou goefi to God's houfe, faith Solomon,
Eccl. V. I. q. d. Jook with what affection
and difpofition thou comeft to God in
prayer. (2.) We muft putoffour iTioes,
/. c. remove our pollutions and corrupt
affedlions, as carnal lufts, anger and doubt-
ing: / will that men pray every vjhere, lif-
ting up holy hands, -without "wrath and
doubting, iTim.ii.8. (3.) We muft avoid
furfeiting and drunkennefs, which makes
the heart dull and heavy : Take heed to
yourfelves, left at any time your hearts be
overcharged "with furfeiting and drunken-
nefst and the cares of this -world, Luke
xxi. 34, 35. With ordinary prayer we
muft join a moderate diet, and with extra-
ordinary, f^fting. (4.) We nauft caft o&
our fins: I xvill -ivafh my hands in inno-
cency, andfo -will I compafs thine altar,
Lord, Pfalm xxvi. 6. (5.) We muft draw
off from prayer, from refting in it, or truft-
ing upon it; a man may pray much, and
inftead of drawing high to God, or injoy-
ing fweet communion with Chrift, he may
draw nigh to prayer, his thoughts may be
more upon his prayer, than upon God to
^vhom he prays ; and he may live more u-
pon his cufhion, than upon Chrift : but
when a man indeed draws nigh to God
in prayer, he forgets prayer, and remem-
bers God, and prayer goes for nothing,
but Chrift is all.
2. The means to be ufed, are prayer,
and meditation.
I. Prayer: a little eating prepareth a
weak ftomach, and fetteth an edge upon
the appetite to eat more : to this purpofe
David prayed before prayer. Let ?riy pray-
er be Jet forth before thee as incenfe, and
the lifting up of my hands as an even-
ing facrifice : fet a watch, Lord, before
my mouth, keep the door cfmy lips, Pfalni
cxli. 2, 3.
2. Meditation, (i.) On our own unwor-
thinefs, that fo we may pray in humility :
J am lefs than the leaf} of all thy mercies,
faid Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 10. my God, I
am afhamed and confounded to lift up mine
eyes, faid Ezra, ch. ix. 6. (2.) On the glo-
rious majefty of God our father: he that
fpeaks to God, muft remember that God
is in heaven, Eccl. v. 2. nay, what is
prayer, but a coming before God, an ap-
proaching to God, and a meeting of God i
ih prayer we have to do with God, and
S20 T Ryi
this will teach us to fpeak to him in reve-
rence. (3.) On the mediation and inter-
ceflion of our Saviour Chrift, which is the
very ground of our faith in prayer : IVhat-
foever ye (loall ajk in my name, that Iivill
do. (4.) On the promifes of God in Chrift,
made to our prayers : Thou Lcrd of hofts,
God of Ifrael, haft revealed to thyfervanty
faying, I will build thee an houfe, there-
fore hath thy fervant found in his heart to
pray this prayer unto thee, 2 Sam. ii. 27,
<bc. And deliver me^ I pray thee, faith
Jacob, from the hands of my brother Efau :
. tkou faidfl, I wtli furely do thee goody
Gen. xxxii. 11, 12. Such promifes have
. we all, Ask, and ye f:all have \ feek, <bc.
Mat. vi. 6.
§. 2. General duties of the foul in prayer.
TH E duties in prayer, are either in-
ternal or external : the former are
the duties of the foul, the latter are the du-
ties of the body.
I. The duties of the foul we Qiall con-
fider in general ; and in particular :
The duty in general is to pray ; and
that I. In truth : 2. By the Spirit : 3. In
the name of Chrift.
I. In Truth,/, e. in fincerity and up-
rightnefs of heart: The Lord is nigh unto
all them that call upon him in fincerity and
in truth. Pfalm clxv. 18. Hence two faults
are to be avoided. (i.) Praying with
feigned lips, this is to pray with an heart
and an heart, as all hypocrites do : but
'tis otherwife with the faints : Hear the
right, Lord, attend unto my cry, give
ear to my prayer, that goeth not out of
feigned lips, Pfalm xvii. i. (2.) Praying
with wandering thoughts, ariling partly
from theflefh, and partly from the fuggef-
tions of Satan : the fpeech of the mouth
muft not go before, but always follow af-
ter the conceit of the mind ; many times
as a mufician's fingers will run over a fong
which be hath been ufed to play, although
his mind be otherwife occupied ; To mciny
in prayer will run over that form of words
r E R.
that they have been ufed to utter, though
their minds be roving about other matters:
fuch a prayer is called Lip-labour : O let
the abfurdity of the fault, breed in us a
loathing of It ; do our minds wander ia
prayer ? endeavour we to join in onefpeech,
the prayer of the mouth, and the fpeech of
the heart, both which found in God's cars,
and then confider whether we would make
fuch a fpeech (I fay not with Malachi, To
our Prince, but) to any man whom we re-
gard, which yet we are not afiiamed to offer
unto the Lord : I will not deny in fuch a
cafe, if we be grieved for, and fhive and
prayagainft fuch wandering; this infirmi-
ty, through God's mercy, and the inter-
celTion of Chrift-, lliall not be imputed unto
us : it is good to dlftinguifli of the caufe
whence thefe wandering thoughts may ariff;
if they come from weaknefs in ourfelvc?,
or from the temptations of fatan, the
Lord will confider this, and deal mercifully
with us; but if they arife from mere ne-
gligence, or voluntary admitting of loofe
thoughts, that is our fin, and we had need
to repent and mourn for it.
2. By tlie help of the Spirit : // is the
Spirit that helps our infirmities, faith Paul,
for lue knoiu not what we ft^ould pray for
as we ought, but the Spirit itfelf maketh
interceffion for us, with groanings which
cannot be uttered, Rom. viii, 26. q. d.
when we put forth the graces of the Spirit
in us, then the Spiritcomesand helps, and
what comes from us now, it comes from
the breathings of the Spirit. This helping
of the Spirit, is very einphatical in the o-
riginal ; as a man taking up an heavy
piece of timber by the one end, cannot
alone get it \ip, till fome other man .takes
it up at the other end, and lb helps him :
fo the poor foul th:U is a pulling and tug-
ging with his own lieaTt, he finds it heavy
and dull, like a log in a diich, and he can
do no good with it, till at Inft the Spirit of
God comes at the other end, and trikcs the
heavicfl: end of the burthen, and lb helps
the
tfie foul to lift it np. In our prayers we
fliould eye the Spirit of God, we fhould
caft our fouls upon the afliftance of the
Spirit, we fliould prefs the Lord with this
promife, * Lord, thou haft faid, that thy
Spirit helps our infirmities,when we know
not what we pray for, nor how to pray
for any ^hing as we ought : now make
good this word of thine to my foul at this
time, let me have the breathings of the Spi-
rit of God in me; alas, the breathings of
nan, if it come from gifts and parts, thou
wilt never regard, except there be the
breathings of the holy Ghoft in me.
^eft. But how fliould we know whe-
ther the Spirit of God comes in, or not ?
JnfiV. We may know by this : the Spi-
rit of God carries unto God, and it makes
the prayer fweet and delightful, it leaves
a favour behind it : O the breath of the
Spirit of God is a fweet breath, and it makes
fweet prayers ; it never comes into the foul,
but after it hath done any work it came for,
it leaves a fweet fcent behind ; as civit that
is put into a little box, though you fhould
take out the civit, yet there will be a fweet
favour left behind ; fo though the Spirit of
God in refpe£l of the prefent afliflance,
"withdraws itfelf, yet it leaves a fweet fa-
vour behind it.
3. In the name of Chrifi : for Whatfoever
you afk the Father in my name^ that ivill I
doy John xiv. 13. There is a neceflity of
praying in Chrift's name, i. In regard of
admiffion : 2. In regard of afTiftance : 3.
In regard of acceptance :
I . In regard of admiffion : God is a con-
fuming fire, and we are dried ftubble, there
is no approaching to him, but in Chrift, in
•whom ive have accejs tuith bolduefe to the
throne of grace : God will not look plea-
ilngly on us, if we come without Chrift, he
is no throne of grace without him ; it is Chrift
who makes that which was a bar of juftice, a
bench of mercy ; in him we have admilRon :
do we fall upon the duty of prayer ? do it
not in the ftrength of man, but in the ftrength
T
T E R. 321
of chrift: fay, * Lord, I come alone in the
merits of Ciirift, to partake of the merits
of the Lord Jefus : I have endeavoured to
prepare myfelf through thy grace, but I
look not for admilTion through my pre-
parations or difpofitions, but through the
blood and mediation of Jefus Chrift.
2. In regard of affiftance: we pray, but
we have no ftrength to do it without Chrift;
we might as well be fet to move mountains
as to pray without the ftrength of Chrifl:
Without me, faith Chrift, jcw can do nothings
John XV. 5. Without union with Chrift,
without communion with Chrift, we can
do nothing ; from Chrift we muft have
both operating and cooperating ftrength :
both inherent and affiftant ftrength ; other-
wife though we have grace, we fhall not
be able to perform any work, nor exercife
oi^r own graces ; it is he that muft work
all our works in us and for us, the inherent
work of grace within us, and the required
works of duty for us: and bleffed be that
God, who hath given to us what he requir-
eih of us, and hath not only made precepts
promifes, but promifes performances.
3. In regard of acceptance : our works,
they are not only impotent, but impure
too, as they come from us ; it is Chrift that
muft put validity into them ; it is Chrift
that muft put his own odours on them, it is
Chrift that muft put both fpirit and merit
into them, his grace to work, and his blood
to own them, for whatever comes from
his Spirit, it is prefented through his me-
rits : here is great comfort ; do we look
over cur performances, and wonder that
ever God fhould accept them ? fo much
deadnefs, fo little life, fo much coklnefs ?
confider then, that God looks upon them,
not as ours, but as Chrift's, in whom not
only our perfons, but our performances
are accepted ; Chrift gives us his Spirit,
and is willing to own what we prefent by his
Spirit, and God is willing to own whatever
is prefented to him by Chrift his Son. To this
purpofe there vjas given ic Chrift much in-
t cenfe
322 T RA
cenfe that he fhould offer it 'with the pray-
ers of all faints upon the golden altar, which
was before the throne, and the fmoke of the
incenfe'ivhich came with the prayers of the
fainiSy afcended up before God out of the
angel's hand. Rev. viii. 3, 4. This angel
is Chrift, this incenfe his merits, the ming-
ling of the prayers of the faints with this
incenfe is the fupplying, or covering of the
defeats of their prayers with the merits of
Chrift, and the afcending of this Incenfe and
their prayers before God, is his acceptance
of them thus co\*ered with Chrlft's merits,
and the reafon why the prayers afcended
wasbecaufe the incenfe afcended ; that was
iheir vehiculum, the pillar of fmoke in
which they mounted up to heaven : this
rightly confidered, it will caufe us in every
petition put up, to think ourfelves fo much
beholden to Chrift, that we ftiall be ready
to fay in our hearts, when any petition is
granted, I may thank Jefus Chrift for this.
But what is it to pray in Chrift's name ?
' I anfwer, i. To pray in Chrifl^s name^
js to pray with reliance upon the grace, fa-
vour and worthinefs of the merits of Chrift,
in whom ive have believed, and have ac-
cefs with confidence, by the faith of him,
Eph. iii. 1 3 . Chrift's faiisfaflion is the ground
of our intercellion ; * becaufe Chrift's blood
hath purchafed this (we pray) therefore, O
Lord, grant this.'
2. To pray in Chrijl's name, is to pray
from his command, and according to his
will ; as when we fend another in our name,
we wifh him to fay thus. Tell him, I fent
you, and that I defire fuch a thing of him ;
fo when we take thofe things which the
Lord puts into our mouths, Hofea xlv. 3.
and defire thofe things only that the Lord
commands us to feek, whether abfolutely
or conditionally, this is to pray in his name.
3, To pray in Chrift'' s name, is to pray
for his ends, for the fake and ufe of Chrift :
thus the phrafe is ufed. To receive a pro-
phet in the name of a prophet, Mat. x. 41.
i. e. fox this end and reafon, becaufe he is
r E R.
a prophet. Now let Chriftians obferve,
when they would have any thing of Cod,
to what ufe and end, and for whofe fake
it is. Tou afk, and have not, becaufe you
afk amifs, to fpend it on your lufls, James
iv. 3.A luft is properly fuch a defire (chough
for lawful things) wherein a man muft have
a thing, becaufe it pleafeth him : Give us
water that we may drink, (was the brutifh
cry of Ifrael, Exod. xyii. 2.) not that we
may live to him thai gives it ; holy defires
or prayers, oppofed unto lulls, are fuch
defires of the foul left with God, with fub-
milTion to his will, as may beft pleafe him
for his glory.
§.3. The particular duties of the foul in
prayer.
THE duties of the foul in particular,
are fuch as are, in the mind, and heart.
L In the mind, two things are required,
viz. knowledge and faith.
L Knowledge of God to whom we pray,
and 2. Knowledge of that for which we pray.
1. IVe mufi know and acknowledge Jc
fus ChriJ} whom he hath fent : Chrift told
the Samaritans ; Te wor/hip ye know not
what, John iv. 24. far be it from Chrifti-
ans thus to do : without this knowledge
we fliall wander into will-worfliip, and iu-
perftiiious inventions; Jnd therefore know
thou the God of thy fathers ((aid David to
Solomon) and ferve him with a perfe^l
heart, 2 Chron- xxviii. 9.
2. ^r<f mu/i know and under ft atid what
we pray for, otherwife we are fubjeft to-,
our Saviour's reproof, Tou afk you know
not what, Matth. xx. 22. Two forts of
men are here condemned, i. Thofe that
pray in an unknown tongue. 2. Ihofe
who pray in a known tongue, but under -
ftand not what they pray.
II. Faith, and that either more general^
or more fpecial.
1. Faith more general, ' is fuch a ftitb,
as apprehv;nds the main promife of the gof-
pel concerning falvation by Chrift.'
2. Faith more fpecial, * is fuch a faith
as.
T RA
as apprehends the precious promifes made
to our prayers, whereby we are perfuaded
that our particular req«.iefl;s (hall be grant-
ed unto us,' only with this diftinftion ;
* in matti^rs fpiritual, necedary to falvati-
on, we are to afk abfolutely, as being per-
fuaded that God hath fubordinated our
falvation to his own glory ; and we are to
believe abfolutely, that the Lord will grant
them unto us ; yea it is a good fign, if we
dedre any faving grace, that the fame grace
is begun in us : but in matters temporal
or fpiritual, not neceflary to falvation, we
are to alk them conditionally, fo far forth
as they may (land with God's glory, and
the good of ourfelves and our brethren,
and we are to believe that he will fo far
forth grant them :' thus our Saviour pray-
ed in the like cafe, my Father, if it he
pojjible, let this cup pa fs from me, neverthe-
lefs, not as I lui/l, but as thou zuilf, Mat.
xxvi. 39.
2. In the heart, three things are requi-
fite, I. Humility. 2. Reverence. 3. Ar-
dency of fpirit.
I . Humility, which is derived ab humo,
* from the ground,' intimating, that when
we pray, we fhould humble ourfelves,
as it were to the ground : thus the Ghri-
IHans in the eaftern churches were wont
to cafl: themfelves down to the ground
when they called upon God : thus Abra-
ham acknowledged himfelf but dufjt andafh-
c'j, Gen. xviii. 27. Thus Jacob cow/t;^^
himfelf lefs than the leaf} of all God's mer-
cies , Gen. xxxii. 10. Thus David profef-
fcd that he would he vile before the Lord,
2 Sam. vi. 22. Thus Ifaiah cried out, /
am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in
the midj} of a people of unclean lips, Ifai.
vi. 5. Thus Ezra prayed, ?ny God, I
am ajhamed, and blu(h to lift up my face
to thee, my God, for our iniquities^ are in-
creafed over our head, and our trefpafs is
grown up unto the heavens., Ezra ix. 6.
Thus the centurion, Lord, 1 am not wor-
thy that thou floQuldfi come under my roof:
r E R. zn
thus the woman of Syrophenicia, con fef-
fetli herfelf a dog in comparifon of the If-
raelitcs ; and thus the prodigal, received
to favour, confcflcth himfelf unworthy t9
be called a fan : here's a cloud of witneffes
concluding chat humility in the heart is
requifite in prayer.
2. Reverence of the mrjefty of God:
Serve the Lord with reverence, and re*
joice with trembling. Pfalm ii. ii. The
bleffed angels beinp; in God's prefence, and
founding forth his praiie, are defcribed, as
having fix wings, whereof two pair ferve
to cover their faces and their feet, hereby
betokening their wonderful reverence of
God, Ifaiah vi. 2. How much more ihould
we, who inhabit thefe houfesof clay, fub-
jecl to infirmities, and corrupted with fin,
be ftrickeu with an awful reverence of Al-
mighty God ? Did we confider ourfelves to
be in the midft of angels, before the God
of angels, performing the like exercife as
the angels, how would this flrike us with
a reverence of this great King of heaven ?
'^.Ardency or fervency of fpirit ', this
gives wings to our prayers, and caufeth
them to afcend before God ; this fets on
work all the graces of God's Spirit, and
the more fervent the prayer is, the more
they are intended, a<fluated, increafed :
I mean not thus of every fervency; there
is a fervency of faith, and a fervency of
mere natural defires : in this latter, thers
is no holinefs, no fire of the fpirit, but in
the former there is ; vvhen Chrifl lived u-
pon earth, many came to him, and fome
were exceedingly importunate tobe healed,
or to have devils caft out, etc. now if he
anfwered their requefls, his ufual phrafe
was, Be it unto thee (not according to thy
importunity and fervency, but) according
to thy jaith ; q. d' * I heed not, I regard
not this clamour and earneffnefs, if it be
only out of mere natural defires, but if it
be out of faith ; if befidcs fenle of need,
you have in you a true hope of mercy,
then be it unto thee according to that ; this
T t 2 fer-
324 5'
fervency is fet out In the word by divers
fjgnificant phrafes; Sometimes it is cal-
led a crying unto the Lcrd : thus Mojes
cried unto the Lord, Exod. viii. 12.
and Samuel cried unto the Lord, I Sam.
vii. 9. and Elijah cried unto the Lord,
1 Kings xvii. 20. and Ifaiah cried un-
to the Lord', 2 Kings xx. 11. fometimes a
crying mightily : let man and heaji be co-
vered with fackcloth, and cry mightily unto
God: Jonah iii. 8. fometimes a lifting up
cf our prayers ; iv here fore lift up thy pray-
er for the remnant that is left, faid Heze-
kiah to Ifaiah : If. xxxvii. 4, Sometimes
a pouring forth of\ur fouls before the Lord
like 'jjater, wall of the daughter of Zi-
cn, pour out thy heart like water before
'-'He face of the Lcrd: Lam. ii. 19. Thus the
Jfraeliies drew water, and poured it out be-
fore the Lord,and failed on that day ,and faid
there, IVe have finned againf? the Lord, i
■ Sam. vii. 6. Sometimes a groaning infpirit,
or, groans of the fpiiit ; The fpirit itfelf
waketh intercefflon for us with groanings
luhich cannot be uttered: Rom. viii. 26.
Sometimes a praying exceedingly j Col.
iv. 12. Sometimes a praying fervently;
1 Thelf. iii. 10. Sometimes Ilriving with
God, hhw I befeech you, brethren, for the
Lord Jefus Chrifl's fake, and for the love
sf the Spirit, that you f hive together with
me in your prayers to Cod for me : Rom.
XV. 30. Sometimes a wreftling with God,
Thus Jacob wreftled with a man, /. e.
with God in the form of a man, until the
breaking of the day : Gen. xxxii. 24. All
thcfe phrafes do fet forth the excellency,
the neceffity of this ardency, fervency of
prayer required in the text.
§.4, The duties of the body in prayer.
THUS far of the duties of the foul
in prayer ; as /or bodily exercife of
itfelf, it profiteth little ; but if joined with
the foul, it is of great importance ; There-
fore glorife Cod in your body, and in your
fpirit, for both are Cod's, i Tim. iv. 8.
1 Cor. vi. 20.
RATER,
The duties of the body may be reduced
to thefe two heads: i. The gefture of th
body. 2. The fpeech of the mouth.
Concerning the firft ; in pviblick prayer
we are to follow the cuftom of the church
wherein we live, if it be without fcandal
and fuperftition : in private prayer, we
may take our liberty, ib that our gefture
be correfpondcnt to the affections and dif-
pofitions of the foul. In fcripture we read
of thcfe feveral geftures : (i.) Standing,
which is a token of reverence and lervice,
2 Kings V. 25. I Sam. xvi. 21. i Kings
X. 8. Job xxix. 7, 8. Gen.xviii. 22. 2
Chron. xx. 5. Pfalm cxxxiv. i. Luke xviii.
13. Mark xi. 25. (2.) Kneeling, which is
a token of our humility and earneftnefs
in prayer, Pfalm xcv. 6. 2 Chr. vi. 13.
Dan. vi. 10. A<Sls vii. 60. ix. 40. xx. 36.
Luke XX. 41. (3.) Proteftation, or falling
on the ground, or falling on the face, a
gefture of the grcateft humiliation, tho*
not ufed among us in thefe parts of the
world. Numb. xvi. 22. Jo(h. v. 14. Ez.
ix. 8. xi. 1 3. Matth. xxvi. 39. (4.) Sitting,
Lying, W^aiking, Riding, Journeying, in
fome cafes, 2 Sam. vii. 18. i Kings xix.
4. Ifa. xxxviii. 2. Pfalm vi. 6. Gen. xxiv.
26. 2 Chron. xviii. 31. (5.) Uncovering
of the head in men, covering of the head
in women, which is a token of fubjection,
I Cor. xi. 7, 10. Rev. iv. 10. (6.) Lifting
up and cafting down of the eyes, the for-
mer being a token of faith, the latter of
deje<ftion and humiliation, Pfalm cxxiii. i.
Matth. xiv. 19. John xi. 41. xvii. i. Luke
xviii. 13. (7.) Lifting up or llretching forth
of the hands ; exprefling humility and
earneft: aftedlion ; and knocking them on
the breaft, which betokens guilt, and ear-
neft dellre of pardon, Exod. ix. 33. Pfal.
cxliii. 6. I Kings viii. 22. Pfalm cxliii. 2.
Lam . iii. 4 1 . Luke xviii. 1 3 . Luke xxiii. 48.
Concerning the fecoud ; viz. The voice
or fpeech of the mouth ; it is neceffary in
church or family, and moft convenient in
private : flow the voice ufed in prayer, is
ci-
T
either Inarticulate, or articulate.
I. The inarticulate is that which is uttered
in fighing, groaning, and weeping: Lord, all
my defire is before thee', and my groaning is
not hid from thee, faith David,PI. xxxviii. 9.
and Hezekiah profefleth,"77;<2/ he did chatter
like a crane or a fwallow ; and did mourn
like a dove, Ifaiah xxxviii. 14. Jlnd the
Spirit himftlf maketh intercejjion for us
vjith groanings ivhich cawiot be uttered^
Rom. viii. 26.
2. The articulate voice, is the external
fpeech itfelf, whereby the prayer is expref-
fed, wherein three things are confiderable,
I. Quantity. 2. Quality. 3. Form.
1. For Qiiantity, we muft not affect
prolixity, as if for multitude of words we
looked to be heard j When ye pray^ ufe
not vain repetitions, as the heathen doy
Mat. vi. 7. The heathen thought that their
gods did not always hear, as being other-
wife employed (foElias told Baal's priefls)
and therefore they ufed to repeat the fame
things often, that if they did not hear them
at one time, they might hear them at another
time ; thus Chriftians muftnot pray, they
mull not lengthen their prayers, as con-
ceiving that either God hears not, or that
he will hear for the length's fake ; but on
theotherfide,where there is variety of good
matter, uttered with the attention of mind,
and vigour of affection, there the longer
we continue in prayer, the better it is.
2. For Qiialiiy, we need not be curious
in refpedl of the ftile, God looking to the
heart rather than the fpeech : as it is not
the loudnefs of a preacher's voice, but the
weight and holinefs of the matter, and fpi-
rit of the preacher that moves a wife and
intelligent hearer ; fo not gifts,but graces in
prayers are they that move the Lord : the
reafon is, prayer moves not God as an ora-
tor, but as a child moves his father :
two words of a child humbled and crying
at his father's feet will prevail more than
penned orations : it is the meaning of the
Spirit that God looks unto, more than the
RATER. 325
exprellions, for the groans are faid to be
unutterable, Rom. viii. 26. yet muft we
not be more carelefs and negligent for the
manner of fpeech, than we would be, if
we were to fpeak to a mortal man. If ye
offer the blind for facrifice, is it not evil ?
and if ye offer the lame and Jick, is it not
evil ? off'er it now unto thy governor, will
he be plea fed with thee, or accept thy per-
fon? faith the Lord of hof}s,Mz\. i. 8.
3. For the Form : we are not tied to
any fet form, nor are we fo tied to con-
ceived prayer, as that it muft be with-
out all ftudy or meditation, either againft
the inftant, or in former times : a man
may conceive a prayer ex tempore, and
yet without en thufiafms, or extraordinary
revelations ; viz. by the help of his former
fludies and meditations : and that I may
alford fome help that way, I fhall, in con-
clufion of this chapter, lay down a direc-
tory for prayer, together with a form of
prayer (tho' broken) in fcripture-phrafes.
§.5. Duties after Prayer.
TH E Duties Subfequent, which fol-
low after prayer, are thcfe :
I . Quietly to reft in the good-will and
pleafure of God, not doubting, but the
Lord hath heard our prayers, and in good
time (hall grant that which fhall be mofl
for his glory, and our good ; and this is
the meaning of the word Amen, wherewith
we feal up our prayers.
2. Diligently to ufe all good means for the
obtaining of our fuits ; as, if I pray for
faith, or any other fpiritual grace, I muft,
befides prayer, ufe all good means care-
fully, which the Lord hath ordained for
the begetting and increaling of thofe graces
in us, as hearing the word preached, re-
ceiving the facrament, reading the M'ord,
and meditating on it, otherwife, our pray-
ers are a tempting of God, as if he muR:
grant, not by means, but by miracles.
3. Carefully to look after our prayers,
and to caft up our comings in, and gain-
ings by prayers, otherwife we are like fool-
iib
^i6 T R
ifh venturers, who have a great flock a go-
ing, but look not after their returns : In
the morning I ivill dire5l 7ny prayers , and
look up, Pfalm V. 3. There are two mili-
tary words in the verfe, David would not
only pray, but marfhal up his prayers,
put them in array ; and when he had done
fo, he would be as a fpy upon a tower,
to fee whether he prevailed, whether he
got the day : for the better unfolding this
myftery of grace, I fhall propound and give
anfwer to fome queries or cafes of confci-
ence, as ;
1 . Suppofe Ihave.prayedy how Jhall I af-
.Juredly know that' God hears, and will
•anfwer in his oxvn time ?
2. Suppofe the thing 1 dejired Jhall not
he anfwered, how may lajjhredly know that
Vod notwithftandingdoth hear my prayers?
3. Suppofe after prayer, I ohferve all I
can, and I can by no means difcern, that
either God will anfwer, or doth hear my
prayers, what flmll 1 do then?
4. Suppofe the thing I defire is anfwer^
ed, how may I ajfuredly know it was at
my prayers, or out of comtnon providence ?
5. Suppofe that others jointed with me in
thofe prayers mxv anfwered, how fhall I
know that my prayers had an hand in ob-
taining thofe anf vers, as well as any others?
6. Suppofe I am affured upon former
nbfervations, that God hath heard, and an-
fwered my prayers in their particulars,
what mufl I do then ?
§. 6. The fir fl cafe : Suppofe I have prayed,
how may I ajfuredly know that God
hears, and will anjwer in his own time ?
WE may refolve this cafe, by fome
obiervations, before Prayer, in
Prayer, and after Prayer.
I. Before Prayer : when God prepares
the heart to pray, when he pours upon a
man a fpirit of gnice and fupplication, a
praying dilpofition ; when he puts in mo-
tives, fuggefts arguments and pleas unto
Cod, as materials for prayer j all which
jr E R.
you fhall find to come in readily and of
themfelves ; and that likewife with a quick-
ening heat and enlargement of affedfion,
with a lingering and longing and reftlef-
nefs of fpirit to pour out the foul unto
God : this is a lign that God lends his ear,
and will return anfwers : Thou wilt prepare
their heart, thou wilt caufe thine ear to hear,
Pf. X. 27. q. d. Thou fcfhioneft the heart,
and compofefl it into a praying frame, and
that is a fign, Lord, that thou meaneft to
hear.
2. In prayer ; as, (r.) When God draws
nigh, and reveals hfmfelf to thy foul in
and upon fuch and fuch a particular peti-
tion, when God fmiles upon thee, wel-
comes thee, falls about thy neck and kif-
feth thee ; when no fooner thou comeft in-
to his prefence to inquire of him, but he
fays, here lam, as the promife is, Ifa. Iviii.
9. this thou art to obferve as a fign that
he hears thy prayer, and accepts both thee
and it ; Hear me fpeedily, faith David, and
that I may know thou hearefi me, draw
nigh unto my foul, Pfal. Ixix. ly, i8. (2.)
When God doth put a reftlefs importunity
into the heart maugre all difcouragements,
for this or that mercy, and when this im»
portunity is joined with a fubje^tion to
God's will, and runs along with it, then
hath God ftirred it up, and then look for
fomething to come; you know the para-
ble how the unjufl judge heard the widow
for her importunities fake, Luke xviii, 5.
So when God puts this importunity into
the heart, it is a fign God means then to
hear and anfwer.
3. After prayer : this will appear in fe-
veral particulars ; as,
I .When God quiets and calms the heart
after prayer, by fpeaking fomething to the
heart, though what is fpoken be not al-
ways difcerned ; as when you fee an ear-
ned or importunate fuitor going in to a
great man, exceeding anxious, but com-
ing out very chearful, contented, and
quiet in fpirit, you would conceive that
cer-
certainly fomcthing hath been faid to him,
which gave him encouragement : fo when
thou goeft to God, and haft been impor-
tunate in a bufinefs, and thy defires were
exceedingly up for it, and then thou rifcft
up with thy mind, calmed and fatisficd,
and thou feeleft theanxioufnefs,the follici-
tude of thy heart about the thing taken off
and difpelled ; this is a good fign that God
hath heard, and will return anfwer to the
full: whenHanna out of much bitternefs,
and with ftrong defires had poured out her
foul unto the Lord, it is faid, 'That Jhe look-
ed no more fad, I Sam. i, 18. And then
God gave her a fon, a fon of her deilre.
2. When God gives an obedient, de-
pendent heart, in walking before him, when
that confideration ftill comes in a curb un-
to fin ; if I regard iniquity in my hearty
God will not hear me, Pi". Ixvi. 18. When
God doth ftill after praying, keep the foul
in a more obedient frame of Ipirit ; when
he keeps thee from ufing all means, i;c. it
is a fign that God hath heard thy prayers,
and thou flialt have returns: David pray-
ing for his life, Hear my prayer, Lord,
give ear to my fupplications ; in thy faith-
fulnefs anfwer me, and in thy righteoufnefs,
Pfalm cxliii. i. Prefently after, he prays
for holinefs, knowing that fin would e-
ntrvate and fpoil all his prayers, Cauje jne
to know thy way, wherein 1 Jhould walk,
teach me to do thy -will, ver. 8.
3. When God, after prayer, ftrengthen-
eth the heart to wait and expert for the
mercy defired, when a man, after prayer,
begins to wait, rather than pray (though
he prays ftill) becaufe he looks now God
ihould perform ; in this cafe, and at this
time he may look for fome good anfwer
from God : David having prayed, fays to
his foul. Wait on the Lord, be of good cour-
age, and he will fir engi hen thy heart: wait
Ifayy on the Lord, Pfal. xxvii. 14.
"PRATER. 3^7
§.7. The fecond cafe i Suppofe the thing I
defire fijall not be anfwered, how may I
ajfuredly know that God notwithfand-
ing doth hear my prayer ?
WE may refolve this cafe, if i. we
obferve thefe particulars.
1. Whether thy prayer was framed in a
right manner ? didft thou not pray abfo-
lutely for fuch bleffings as were never abfo-
lutely promifed? if fo,no woiider thy pray-
er is denied ; or didft thou pray conditi-
onally (as Chrift prayed, If it be poffible,
etc.) then thy prayer may be heard, and
yet the things denied ? for otherwife Chrift
had not been heard, when yet the text
fays. He was heard in that he feared, Hcb.
V. 7.
2. Whether there be not a refervatiot*
in that denial, for fome greater mercy,
^whereof that denial was the foundation ?
If we had many of our defires, we fhould
be undone : if the child had lived for whijch-
David fo earneftly prayed, he would but
have been a living monument of his owa
fliame ; God therefore denied his prayer^
but after he gave him a Solomon.
3. AVhether God doth not anfwer thee
fiill according to the ground of thy pray-
er ? Now the ground and intent of thy
prayer, is, after God's glory, the churches
good, thy own particular comfort ; it may
be God denies the particular mercy thou
defireft, and yet he anfwers the ground of
thy prayer, his glory fhall be advanced, his
church preferved, thy comfort made up
(even for that prayer of thine) fome other
way.
4. Whether God yields not far to give
thee fatisfa(ftion, as if he were tender oF
denying thee ? So the Lord anfwered A-
braham, when praying for Ifhmael, Jet
JJhmael live in thyfght ! God went as far
in anfwering his requeft as might be, /
have heard theey faid God, and I have
bleffed him, and Iwilhnake him fruitful,
and multiply him exceedingly, and he Jliall
yeget twelve princes i but my covenant I
iuil£
328 T R A r E
-will ejlahlijh vj'ith Ifaac,GeT\. xvii. i8,20.
5. Whateffefts that denial hath upon
thy heart ? as
(i.) W,heiher thy heart be enlarged to
acknowledge God to be holy and righte-
ous in his dealings with thee, end thine
own unworthinefs the caufe of his deny-
ing thee ? / cry in the day time, faid Da-
vid, but thou heareft not : yet thou art ho-
ly, thou that inhahitejl the praifes of If-
raely Pfalm xxii. 2, 3.
(2.) Whether God fills thy heart with
holy contentment ii^the denial ?
. (3.) Whether thou canft be thankful to
God out of faith, that God hath ordered
all for the bell, though he hath denied
thee?
(4.) Whether thy heart be not difcou-
raged, but thou canft pray ftill, at Icall for
other things ? it moves ingenuous natures
to fee men take repulfes and denials well,
and fo it moves God : now if the cafe be
thus, if upon obfervation thou canil fay,
that thy prayers, though denied, were con-
ditional [if God will] that thou perceiveft
a refervation in God's denial, for fome
greater mercy ; that God anfwered thee at
leaft, according to the ground of thy pray-
ers, that God yielded far to thee ; as if he
were loath to deny thy prayers ; that thou
feelcft fuch effects of denial upon thy heart,
as thefe: i. An inlargement, to acknow-
ledge God holy and righteous. 2. An ho-
ly contentment in the denial. 3. A thank-
ful heart. 4. An heart not difcouragcd
howfoever. Surely then God hears, or
God hath heard thy prayers, although the
particular fuits are not accomplilhed.
R.
ings? fpy no returns of thy prayers ? it is
then thy duty,
1. To examine what is the caufe; and
if the fault be in our prayer, becaufe ive
did ajh amifs, Jam. iv. 3. we muft endea-
vour by God's gmce to amend ; or if the
fault be in ourlelves, becaufe we are im-
penitent, we muft repent, and then re-
new our praters unto God,
2. To perfiftand perfcvere in our pray-
ers, without fainting : continue inflant in
prayer, as Hanna, and David, and Daniel,
and Bartimeus, and that importunate wi-
dow, Luke xviii. i. Rom. xii. 12.
3. To expeftthe Lord's leifure ; I "wait-
ed patiently for the Lord, faith David, and
he inclined unto me and heard my cry, Pf.
xl. I.
4. To reft in the good will and pleafure
of God ; Let him do what feemeth him
good ; Who can tell but God in time may
give thee a iign of his good will towards
thee, and that he hath heard thy prayers ?
howfoever it is the Lord that gives or de-
nies, let him do what he pleafe.
§. 9. The fourth cafe ,- Suppofe the thing I
defire is anfwered ; how may 1 affured-
ly know it was by my prayers, and not
out of common providence ?
WE may refolve this cafe by giving
thefe dire(flions to the foul, where-
by it may be inabled to difcern when and
how things prayed for, come in by pray-
er; as
1. From the manner of God's perfot-
§. ^.rhe third cafe : Suppofe after prayer,
I obferve all I can, andean by no means
difcover, that either God will anfwer or
hear my prayers y What flmll I do then ?
WE may refolve this cafe by laying o-
pen the duties appertaining to fuch
a foul : canft thou not difcern God's deal-
mance; when God gives any thing in an-
fwer to prayers, he often difcovers a more
than ordinary hand of providence in it; as
( I .) By bringing it to pafs through many
difficulties ; Thus Peter was delivered out
of prifon at the prayers of the church, A£ts
xii. 6, 10. and we find i. He was fleeping
between two foldiers, if they had waken-
ed, he had been difcovered. 2. He was in
chains, but they fell off". 3. The keepers
ftood before the doors, but they minded
him
T R A
him not. 4. When one watch is paft,
he pafFeth quietly tlirough another. 5.
When both thofe were pafl, an hon gate
flies open of its own Second ; now fuch
difficulties are there in many bufinelfes,
which yet in the end are accomplilhed by
prayer ; iron chains fall olF, iron gates,
enemies hearts, fly open of their own ac-
cord, and though not in that miraculous
manner, by the means of an angel, yet no
lefs wonderful.
(2.) By facilitating all means, and cau-
fjng them to confpire to accompliQi the
thing prayed for ; thou haft wind and tide,
and a fair day, and all the way paved and
plain before thee ; there falls out a great
conjunction and meeting of many circum-
ftances together to cffeftit, which had in-
fluence into it, wherefore if any one had
329
T E R,
it was done.
*(4-) By doing above wb.Tt was deflred
with addition of other mercies; Co Solo-
mon alked Wifdom, and God gave him
more than he afked, Peace, riches, and ho-
nour , 1 Kings iii. 12, 13. When prayers
are anfwered, ufually mercies come thick;
the thing we prayed for, comes not alone.
(5.) By adding fome fpecial circumftan-
ces, as a token of God's fpecial hand in it,
fuch a token as a man himfelf often takes
notice of, yea, and others alfo often take
notice of it ; Shew me a token for good,
faith David, that others that hate me may
fee it, and he a/J}a?ned, Pfalm IxxKvi. r/.
So when Abiaham and Ifaac, and Abra-
ham's fervant had prayed for a wife for
Ifaac; fee by what a token God (hewed
that he had heard their prayers; Rebekah
been wanting, haply the thing had not been ^^vas the firft that came out, and if J}?e he
done ; thus when Krael went out of Egypt
(which was the accompliihment of their
prayers) their cry came up unto Cod, faith
the text, Ex. ii. 23. how were all things
facilitated? the Egyptians that detained
them came and intreated them to go out.
Rife up, and get you forth among/} 7ny peo-
ple, faid Pharaoh ; yea, they were urgent
upon the people, that they might fend thetn
>cut of the land ; yen, they hired them to go
cut with their jewels of filver, and jewels
of gold, and raiment, and Pharaoh parts
himielf lovingly and fairly with them,
and defires their prayers, Blefs me alfo ;
yea to fhew there was no refiftance, the
text faith, A dog did not move his tongue.
Exodus xii. 13, 33, 6r. xi. 7. the brute
creatures did not di(}urb them, though at
midnight, when thefe creatures ufe to be
moft obftreperous through noifes, efpeci-
ally at travtllers.
(3.) By bringing it to pafs fuddenly and
imexpeCtedly ; as the return of the capti-
vity of Babylon, which was the conduHon
of many prayers, was done in a trice; they
were as men in a dream, Pfalm cxxvi. i.
ti'.ey could fcarce believe it was fo, wlicn
the woman appointed for Ifaac (prays the
fervant) let her offer me drink, and my
camels aljb, and thtrehy fyall I know thou
hafi P}ewed kindnefs to my viafler. Gen,
xxiv.14. and God gave him the token, and
therefore the fcxsz\-\\. bowed at it,and wor-
pnpped the Lord-, if we take notice of the
lign, it was fuch as argued in her a kind,
courteous difpofition, which therefore, it
may be, he fingled out as a token of a meet
wife, efpecially to be looked at in the mar-
riage choice.
2. From the time, wherein the thing
prayed for is accompliOied : God, who
doth all things in weight and meafure,
fl;ews his wifdom and love as much in the
feafon, as in giving the thing itftlf ; God
confidcreth all times of thy life, and flill
chufeth the befl and fittcfl to anfwer thy
prayers in : In an acceptable time have 7
heard thee, faith God, Ifa. xlix. 8. as,
(i.) It may be at the very time when
thou art moft inftant and earnert in pray-
er : IVhilcS they are yet fpcahing, faith
God, I will hear, Ifa. Ixv. 24. a time cul-
led out on purpofe, that rhey iright reft
affured it was an anlwer to iLeir prayers,
U u 2. At
330 T R.^
2. Ai that time when thou haft moft
rircd,nnd when thy heart is moft fitted for
mercy, /. e: when thy heart is moft fuhdu-
ed, and thy lufts mortified, for then thou
art fitteft to relilh his goodnefs alone, and
rot to be drawn, away with the carnal
fweetnefs that is in the thing; Thou wilt
prepare thine heart, thou wilt cau/e thine
ear to hear, Pfal. x. 17. thou wilt prepare
thine heart in taking it off from the thing
delircd.in making it quieted and contented
with God in the things and thou wilt hear~\
this is^he fitteft time.
3. From the efFe(flsupon thy heart that
prayeft ; as
(i.) If the thing granted by thy prayers,
«iraw thy heart more neaV imto God :
things granted out of ordinary providence
only, do increafe our lufts, and are fnares
to us; but if thou findeft God's dealings
with thee, to be a kindly motive to caufe
thee to mourn for fin, and to be a re-
ftraint again ft fin, it is a i]gn it was a fruit
of thy prayer : Awny from me ye -workers
of iniquity y (faith David) God hath heard
the voice of my weeping, Pfalm vi. 8. or,
(2.) If thou findeft God's dealings with
thee, to be a kindly motive, to caule thee
to lejoice in God, more than in the thing
obtained, it is a iign it was a fruit of thy
prayer. Hanna bk (frng God for \^Qx child,
My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, faith fhe,
I Sam. ii. i. She rejoiceth not fo much
in the gift as in the giver, not fo much in
her chfld, as in his favour that anfwered
her prayer.
(3.) If the mercy obtained by thy prayer,
inlarge thy heart with thankfulnefs : felf-
love makes us more forward to pray, than
to give thanks, for nature is all of the crav-
ing and taking hand, but where grace is,
there will be no eminent mercy gotten with
much ftruggling, but there will be contin-
ual, particular thankful remembrance of it
a Ions while after, with much inlargcment;
' Great blellinps won with prayer, are worn
wUh thankfulnefs / fuch a man will not
r E R,
a(k new, but withal, he will give thanks
for old : thankfulnefs of all duties proceeds
from pure grace, therefore if thy fpirit ftirs
thee to it, it is a fign he made the prayer :
fee Manna's fong when ft^e had her clefire,
I Sam. ii. i.
(4.) If the mercy gotten by thy prayer,
doth incourage thee to go to God another
time, to pray again more confidently and
fervently, it is a fign thou haft gotten the
former mercy that way ; The Lord hath
heard 7ne, faith David, and I will call up-
on him as long as I live, Pfalm xi. 6. 2.
5. If the thing obtained by thy prayer^
doth make thee careful to perform thy
vows made in prayer: I will pay thee my
vows, faith David, which rny lips have ut-
tered, and my mouth hath fpokcn, whtn I
was in my trouble ; and the leafon follows,
becaufe that verily Cod bath heard me,
when I cried to hitn, Pfalm Ixvi. 13, 14.
So Eliphaz in Job doth connect and hang
thefe two together, Thou /halt make thy
prayer to him, and he /hall hear thee, and
thou flialt pay thy vows, Job xxii, 27.
6. If the thing granted by thy prayer
prove a real and liable mercy; if the curfe
be taken out, and it have few thorns and
vexations in it ; When the blejfing of God
maketh rich, he addtth no j or row with it,
Prov. X. 12. It may be the heart was put
to fome trouble in the deferring, but 'tis
recompenfed by the more fettled, conftant,
unmixt Iweetnefs in the cnjo\ ing.
7. If the mercy obtained brings with it
afFurance of God's love, and an evidence
of his favour ; I need nr^t make that a fign,
for when this comes with a mercy, it car-
ries its own evidence ; you will then know
well enough thai it is the fruit of prayer.
§. 10. The fifth cafe ; Suppofe that others
join with me in thsfc prayers now an-
fwered, howfhould I know that my pray-
ers had an hand in obtaining ihoje an-
fwers, as well as any others ?
W£ may relolve this cafe by thefe ob
fervations ; as
I. If
*? R^r E R.
T. If thy heart did fympathize and ac
31
cord in the fame holy nffecftion with thofe
others in praying, then it is certain thy
voice hath helped to carry it ; Jf two of
you Jhall agree on earth, faith GhriA, Mat.
xviii. 19. as touching any thing that they
Jhall ask, it Jhall he done J or them of my
father who is in heaven: if tvjo of ycu Jhall
agree (the word is Jumphonejoftn') q. d. if
you harmonioufly agree to play the fame
tune (for prayers are mufick in God's ears,
and fo called, melody to God, Eph. ii. 29.)
if you agree not only in the thing prayed
for, but in your affe^ions, for it is theaf-
feflions that make the confort and melo-
dy ; if the fame holy affections were touch-
ed and flruck by God's Spirit in thy heart,
that was in others, then didft thou help
to make up the confort, and without thee
it had been imperfe<fl ; yea without thee
the thing might not have been done, for
God fometimes ftands upon fuch a number
of voices (as when he named ten perfons
in Sodom) and fo one voice may caft it.
2. If thy heart be filled with joy in the
accomplifhment of what wasprayeJ for, it
is an evident argument that thy prayers
did move the Lord to effe£\ it, as well as
the prayers of others. When good old
Simeon faw his prayers anfwered in fend-
ing the Meffiah into the world, he was e-
ven -willing to die thro' joy, and thought
he could never die in a better time ; L.rd,
now letteji thou thyfervant depart in peace,
according to thy word, Luke ii. 29.
3. If the thing concern others, and thy
heart be thankful for a blefTmg on others,
prayed for by thee with others, it is a fign
thy prayers had fome hand in it .- thus Paul
prayed for theTheiralonians,and when Ti-
mothy came, and brought him good tidings
of their faith and charity, he was not only
comforted, but in his ravirtiment he cries,
I'/hat thanks can we render again to Cod
J'or you ? I Theff. iiL 6, 7,9.
4. If the thing concern thyfelf which was
prayed for by others, helping thee in their «
prayers, wbatcaufe hafl thou bui to think
U"
it was granted tor thy own prayers, and
not for theirs only ? It may be indeed that
God heard thee the fooner through the
help of their prayers : / know this Jlmll
turn to my falvation, thro'' your prayers ,
faid Paul, Phil. i. \^. But if God Airs up
thy heart to pray for ihylelf, as well ag
others pray for thee, then God that gave
thee an heart to pray, hath heard thy pray-
ers alfo, and hath had a refpe<5l to thee as
well (if not more than) to others, becaufe
it concerneth thyfelf efpecially, as being a
more fpecial mercy to thee than to others.
§. 1 1, The Jixth cafe : Suppofe I am affur.
ed on former obfervation, that Cod hath
heard and anfwered my prayers in their
particulars, what mufi I do then ?
WE may refolve this cafe, by laying
open the duties appertaining to
fuch a foul ; art thou now allured of the
anfwer and return of thy prayers, it is
thy duty then
1. To be thankful to God for his good-
nefs: BleJJldhe the Lord (faith David) be-
caufe he hath heard the voice of my Juppli-
cations, Pfalm xxviii. 6.
2. To love God the more, and refolve
with confidence to call upon him fo much
the more ; / love the Lord becaufe he hath
heard the voice of my fuppHcation ; becaufe
he hath inclined his tar to me, therefore I
will call upon him as long as I live, Pfa!ra
cxvi. 1,2.
3. To have fuch a deportment and de-
meanour ever after as is fuitabletofuch who
have commerce and intercourfe with God ;
as. To depart from fin, to apply our hearts
to obedience, and to pay all our vows : a-
way from me, ye workers of iniquity, God
hath heard the voice of my weepjng: and
I will pay thee my vows wiiich my lips
have uttered, /cr Cod hath heard me, Plal.
vi. 8. Ixiii. i 3, 14, 19.
§. 12. A direSlijry for prayer.
Promifed in conciiifion of this chapter,
to lay down a directory, and a broken
or interrupted fcripture form of prayer ;
for the former, i Ihall draw ihis Icheme^
u 2 In
33 2
TROVER.
In prayer obfcrve wc
f. Tl.e Preface to it, wliicli confifts of (i ) A Dc-
ffription of God. and that both by his Attributes and
Promifis.
(i.) A cravin;» of Aud\er.<c and Acceptance.
IF. Tlic^Prt)7j of it, vvliich arc three, namely, Con-
fcjjhn. Vctillon, Th.iidf^ivir.g.
(I.) Cciiifcffion of i\n, and that of three kirid«, (i.) Of
the finof ourfirrt Parents; (i.) Original Pollution, (3)
Of a£^ual TraiifgitlTKins.
In confcllion of actual Tranfgnffions,
(1 ) Confefs we our tranfgrclhons in thought, word,
ar.d deed, before and fiiire convcrfion.
^ (1.) Confefs we our fins againll ligiit of knowledge,
checks of conliience, long forbearance of God, tender
mercies, tenifyinj; judgments, rtrong purpofes, frequent
proniilcs, multiplied vowf.
(3 ) Confefs we the i'>l^ of our age, fcx, conftitution,
' relations, &c.
(4.) Confefs we oiirfecrct. op; n, bof ^m lufls, 1. Againft
the Law of God ; 2,. Againll the gofpcl of CiiriO, as,
OurnotthirdingufttrCluirt; our not relying on Chrill;
our grieving Goti's Spirit ; oiir continued impenitency.
(j.) ConKfs we our fins, in their feveral aggravations ;
by circum (lances of—
I. T/.'f Perfin i.gahij} '.vboyn they are committed :~i.
-The N:n>:hr of them ; — 3 t lie T'uDe, Place, Manner, dec.
(6 ) Confcis wc the juJgnierit and condemnation we
dclei ve for fin ; — To wtiich is ann-jied humiliation, or
iDOUtning for (in.
(II.) i'etition ; and that i. for ourfclves ; z. for others.
(1.) For oitrfcives ; and this fort of petition includes
■ in it two things, namely, frr^:.tio'i, and (kpreo.U'wn.
1. PrecatiOn, and that t'ortlieP; following things, viz.
(i.) Pardon of fin, and that, for his names fake, his
promife lake, his mercies fake, Cbriii's fake. (1.) Sea-
Jin" of ilis pardon to ( ur confciences. (3.) Peace of
ccnfcience and joy in the holy GhoU. (4.) Juftifying and
hvely faith, (j.) Repentance unto life. {6.) Saving
knowledge. (7.) Love to God, faints, enemies, (a.)
Lively hope, ardent zeal, filial fear, &c. (s>) Growth
in grace. (10.) For means conducing, as. The word
preached, The fjcraments. The Sabbaths. (11) Pu-
rifying, and power againft fin. (ix.) A blelTing on our
outward callings. (13.) Sandlifying ot all aifliftions to
us or others.
X. Deprecation, and that,
(i.) Agoinfl all evil; of fin efpccialiy; againft the devil,
and all his aflaults, again(l the world and all its tempta-
tions, againrt pur own flcfh, with all the lufls of it, againft
our darling corruptions, Deiilali fins.
(1.) Againft all judgments, either National, or Per-
(bnal. National, as \V'ar, Famine, Ptftilencc, and the
like. Perf)nal, as bodily diicjfcs, lib-f. and inward Ter-
rors of Confcience, and Spiritual Dcftrtion.
(3.) Agaitill the fting of Jeatli and horror ;)f the grave.
I. Petition fjr others, (1.) All belonging to God's e-
hd^ion, though as yet uncalled, as, Je^s, Pagaiii, Infi-
dels, Profane or ignorant Chriftians, Perfccuti rs then\-
felves. (z.) All in the bolbni of the cliurch, either in
foreign CO" lilies ; or in our own nation, as tl c ni-gi-
ftracy, the miniftry, the commonalty. (3.) .\\\ alBic-
tcd in foul or_ body.
(III.) Thai.kfaivin^, and that fjr blcllings Ipiritual, and v
temporal.
I. Spiritual bl.flings, fiich as are (i.) Election, witli
all the golden chains of graces hanging tiicreon ; as re-
demption, vocation, jnditication, fandlification, hope of
glory, (i.) The wi rd, facr-iments, S.bbaths, ordinances,
labours of the learned. (3.) Power over fin, S^tan, cur
own fclves.
i. Temporal blelHngs, fijch as are (i.) Creation; (z.)
Continual prcfcrvation ; (3 ) Life, health, peace, prof-
perity, plenty, idrc. (4.) Deliverance from jiidgmcnis
national, and pcrfonal. ($•) Viftory over the church's
enemies.
SECT. XIII.
§. I . A Form of Prayer in Scripture-phrafe.
IN this form obferve, 1. // Defcription
of Cod.
O God, the God of the fpirits of all flefli.
"VVho haft created the heavens, and (Iretch-
fd them out, who hall fpread forth the earth
and thai which cometh out of it, who giv-
cft breath \mto the people upon it, and
fpiiii to iliem that walk therein. VV^ho
haft formed the mountains, and created
the wind, and declareft unto man what is
his thoughts, who makeft the morning
darknels, and treadeft upon ihe highelt
places of the earth. Who art cloathed
with honour and majefty. Who covereft
thyfelf with light, as with a ganncnt, who
layeft the beams of thy chambers in the wa-
ters, who makeft the clouds thy chariot?,
who walkert upon the wings of the wind.
Who haft mealured the waters in the hol-
low of thy hand, and melted out heaven
with thy fpan, whocomprehendeft the duft
of the earth in a meafure, anj^weigheft the
mountains in Icales, and the hills in a bal-
lance. Who giveft the fun for a light by
day, and the ordinances of the moon and
of the ftars for a light by night, who divid-
ed the lea when the waves thereof rore.
A\ho
T R .^ r E R.
333
who madeft the feven ftars and orion, and
turneft the fliadow of death into the morn-
ing, and makefl: the day dark with night.
Who haft built thy ftories in the heaven,
and haft founded thy troop in the earth,
who calleft for the waters of the Tea, and
poureft them out upon the face of the
earth, Numb. xvi. 22. Ifa. xlii. 5, Amos
iv. 13. Pfalm civ. 1,2, 3. Ifaiah xlii. 12.
Jer. xxxi. 36. Amos v. 8. ix. 6.
2. A begging of audience.
Look doivn from heaven thy holy habita-
tion : have then rejpe£i unto the prayer of
thy fvrvants, to hearken to the cry, and to
the prayer inhich thy fervants pray before
thee this day. Let our prayer- be ft t forth
before thee as incenfey and the liftino up
of our hands as a morning facri fie e^ Deut.
xxvi. 15. I Kings viii. 28. Pfal. cxli. 2.
3. A confellion of the fins of our firft pa-
rents, and of our original pollution.
Weconfefs, O Lord, thou createditour
firft parents in thine own image, and brenth-
edit into their noltrils the breath of life,
but the ferpent beguiled them, and they
did eat of the forbidden fruit ; whereby ajl
mankind (being then in their loins) alfo
finned, and now come Ihort of the glory of
God. And befidcs that fin which is imputed
to us, we find in us inherent a proclive dif-
polition to all manner of evil -, wearerifen
up in our Father's Head an increafe of fin-
ful men, to augment yet the fierce anger
of the Lord towards us. We know, Lord,
that in us, that is in our flelh, dwelleth no
good thing, for though to will be prefent
with us, yet how to perform that which is
good we find not. We fee another law
in our members warring againft the law of
our minds, and bringing us in captivity to
the law of fin W'hich is in our members. O
wretched men that we are, who li.all deli-
ver us fmm the body of this death ? Gen.
i, 26. and iii. 6. Rom. iii. 23. Numb.
xxxii. 14. Rom. vii. 18, 23, 24.
4. A Confeflion of actual IranfgrefTions
in Thought, Word, and Deed.
And yet, O Lord, to fill up the meafure
of our condemnation, to this fin original we
have added fin actual : luho can fay I have
made my heart clean ? I am pure from my
fin ? finners we are by imputation, hav-
ing the fin of our firft parents charged u^
pon us ; finners by real communication,
being heirs to our forefathers corruption,
and finners by aftual commiffion. We
have finned in thought ; our fouls which
fhould have been feafoned with fweet me-
ditations on thygoodi^efs and mercy, and
grace and heavenly things, they are and
have been peftered and afTailed with the
black and hellifh thoughts of atheifnT,
defpair, difcontent, blafphemy, and foul-
vexing fears. O what a world of ignor-'
ance, vanity of mind, difefleem of thy
mercy, limeroufnefs, difcontent, unbelief,
mifinterprecing the Lord's doings, felf-
chnfidence and folitary mufings on the
temptations of Satan have neftled in our
hearts \ thou. Lord, feeft that thewicked-
nefs of man is great upon earth, and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his
heart is only evil continually. A\''e con-
fefs Lord, we have finned in word ; our
tongues which fhould have been as trum-
pets to have founded thy praife, they have
been deeply guilty of blafphemy, murmur-
ing, fw^earing, forfwearing, lying, flander-
ing, railing, reviling, brawling, fcoffing,
boafiing, difcoveringcf fecrets, defence of
fin, flattery, giving ill counsel, fowing feeds
of difcord amongft neighbours, foolijh
jefting, idle words, finful lilence, raih cen-
furings ; behold, ho-iv great a matter a little
fire kindUth, the tongue is a fire, a world
of iniquity ; it hath defiled our v:hole
bodies^ and hath, fet on fire the courfe
of nature y and it is fit on fire of hell^
O Lord, if of every linful word, and of
every itile word we muft one day give ac-
count, what a fearful account have we to
make ? If we juflifie ourfelves, our own-
mouths ivill condemn us, the heaven fiiali
reveal our iniquity, and the earth f hull rife
up
334 "P RJ \
up again ft us. We confefs. Lord, we have
finned In deed : witncfs our worldlinefs
and covetoufnefs, and pride, and malice,
and lulls, and lukewarm nefs, and impati-
ency,and difcontentednefs, and vain-glory,
and felf-love : O the wrongs we have
done, O the goods we have ill gotten, and
the time we have mifpent, and the fabbaths
we have profaned ! O the pollutions,
dillempers, eftrangednefs from God in
our fouls ! O the villanies, vanities, and
rebellions of our whole life ! O Lord, we
may as well number the ftars as our fins,
but thou knoweft%hem all, thou haft fet
our iniquities before thee, our fecret fins in
the light of thy countenance. Pro v. xx. 9.
Gen. vi. 5. Jarresiii. 5, 6. Matth. xii. 36.
Job ix. 20. XX. 27. Pfalm xc 8.
5. Confeflion of fins before and fince Con-
verfion.
E R. -
to this day innumerable fins pafs by us
that we take no notice of, fo thac we
cannot but with holy David complain.
Who can undcrdand his errors ? Lord
cleanfe us from our fecret faults, Job xv.
16. Pfalm xxxviii. 4. and xix. 12.
6. A Confcffion of fins againft Light of
Knowledge, Checks ofConfcience,Vows,
Promifes, Law, Gofpel, drc.
But O the aggravation, that we ftiould
fin againft knowledge, that we fliould a-
bufe the good gifts of God, and turn his
grace into wantonnefs, that we fhould fin
againft our covenant many a time renew-
ed ; that we Ihould grieve that good Spi«
rit of God whereby we are fealed unto the
day of redemption ; that we ihould wrong
the bleffed name of God, his word, re-
ligion, and pi ofedion of godlinefs ; that in
the land of uprightnefs wefiiould deal un-
And however thou haft been pleafed of juftly, and not behold the majefty of the
thy rich mercy in Chrift, to tranflate fome
of us from darknefs to light, yet Lord,
how infinitely did we fin before our con-
verfion ? O our omiflions of good duties
in that gracelefs time, which were as large
as the duties enj,oyned in all thy com-
mandments ! O the aftual fins, and grofs
iniquities, and hainous crying crimes we
then committed with all manner of greedi-
nefs ! O we cannot but fay out of our
own experiences, abominable and filthy
is man, who drinketh iniquity like water.
For our iniquities are grown over our
head, and as an heavy burden they are too
heavy for us to bear. But that which in-
finitely adds to our fins, how have we
finned fince converfion by our many re-
lapfes, and frailties and falls ? Alas, Lord,
our profitable and plcafing fins in former
times have broken in upon us again and
again, and notwiihfianding we have con-
felfed, and prayed, and promifed, yet
ilili we have relapfed and backlliddcn ; in
our holy things we have been pcftercd with
wanderings and diltraftions of heart, with
coldiiefs and dulnels, and unprofitablcntfs,
Lord : this makes our fins become exceed-
ing finful. We confefs Lord, we have
finned againft the law, we have broke
all the commandments, from the firft to
thelaft; and now, O our God, what (hall
we fay after this ? We confefs, Lord, we
have finned againft the gofpel ; we are
aftiamed of the gofpel of Chrift, though
it be the power of God unto falvation
to every one that belicveth. We have not
thirfted after Chrift, our fouls have not
panted after him, as the hart that pants
afier the water brooks. We havenotloved
the Lord Jefusin fincerity.we have not con-
fidcred him as the fwcetnefs of our hearts,
and the life of our fouls. We have not coun-
ted all things lofs and dung for the excel-
lency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus our
Lord. We take no pains to know him,
and the power of his relurrc^Vion, arid the
fellowlhip of his fulfcrings, or to be made
conformable to his death. We hide as it
were our faces from him, and will not
have him to reign over us. We have not
believed the promifes of falvation, not re-
lied upon Chrift for juftification, fanclifi-
cation.
cation, and falvation
none of us that ftirreth up himfelf to take
hold of thee. And howfoever Lord, thou
hafl: given fpace, to repent of ail our abo-
minations that we have committed, yet we
have not repented. AVe confefs not our
tranfgreffions unto the Lord, that thou
mighteft forgive the iniquity of our fin.
Thou haft indeed ftricken vis, but we have
not grieved, thou hafi con fumed us, but we
have refufed to receive corre<!^ion, we have
made our faces harder than a rock, and
have refufed to return. But above all,0 the
infolencies, and outrages, and excefTes, and
tyrannies of our bofom fins, of our dar-
ling delights : thefe are they that rage, and
tyrannize it over us more than any of
the reft. Thefe are as our right hands,
and right eyes, and we are loath to cut
them off, or pluck them out, Jude iv.
Eph. iv. 30. Ifaiah xxvi. 10. Ezra ix. 10.
Romans i. 16, Pfalm xlii. i. Eph. vi. 24.
Phil. iii. 8, 10. Ifa. liii. 3. xiv. 7. Rev. ii.
21. Pf. xxxii. 5. Jer. v. 3. Mat. v. 29, 30.
7. An accufing, judging, and condemn-
ing ourfelves.
And for all thefe fins, thou our God haft
punifhed us lefs than our iniquities deferve.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not
confumed, and becaule his com -vi (lions fail
not. If thou (houldcft lay judgment to the
line, and righteoufnefs to the plummet,
thou mighteft make thy anger and jealoufie
to fmoakagainft us, and all thecurfes that
are written in thy book thou mighteft
lay upon us, and blot out our name from
under heaven. Thou mighteft make ihv
arrows drunk with blood, and thy fword
might devour Ileih from the beginning of
revenges. Thou mighteft give us our por-
tion with the wicked that are turned into
hell, and all the nations that forget God,
Ezra ix. 13. Lam. iii. 22. Ifaiali xxviii.
17. Deut. xxix. 20. xxxii. 42. Pfi ix. 17.
8. Humiliation, or mourning for lln.
' But, Lord, thou haft faid, if we con-
fefs GUI fins, tliou art faithful and juft
T RA r E R. 355
O Chrift, there is to forgive us our fins, and to cleanfe us
from all unrighteoufnefs. Thou haft pro-
mifed, he that covereih his lins ftiail not
profper, but he thatconfefteth and forfak-
eth his fins fhall have mercy. Thou haft
proclaimed, Return, thou backfliding Ifrael,
faith the Lord, and I will not caufe mine
anger to fall upon you, for I am merciful,
faith the Lord, and I will not keep anger
for ever; only acknowledge thy iniquity
that thou haft tranfgrefted againft the Lord
thy God. Thou haft threatened, I will
go and return to my place till they acknow-
ledge their oiFence, in their aftliftion they
will feek me early. Thou haft fweetly en-
couraged, Helooketh upon men, and if a-
ny fay, 1 have finned, and perverted that
which was right, and it profited me not, he
will deliver his foul from going into the
pit, and his life fliall fee light. And, O
Lord, in reference to thefe fayings, and
promifes, and proclamations, and threats,
and encouragements, we emboK'en our-
felves to acknowledge our M'ickednefs, and
the iniquities of our fathers. Lord, we ly
down in our fhame, and our confufion co-
vereth us, we cannot but fay. We have fin-
ned againft the Lord our God, we and our
fathers from our youth,even unto this day,
and we have not obeyed the voice of the
Lord our God. And O that now we would
go and feek the Lord, as the children of
Ifrael and Judah together, going and weep-
ing, aficing the way to Zion, with ou r faces
thitherward. This is a time of mourning,
and our fins have given us occalion of fo'r-
row. O that we were on the mountains
like doves of the valleys, all of us mourn-
ing, every one for our iniquity. AVhy
Lord, this is thy promife, A new heart
will I give you, and a new fpirit will I put
within you, and I wiii take away the flony
heart out of your fleih, and I vi!] give you
an heart of liefh. O make all cr.rmen like
David's this day, let them ear afbes like
bread, and mine le their drink with very
weeping. O laal.e all our women Mke
Marys
336
Marys and Marah's this diy, and let their
maids meet them as with the voice of doves,
tabering upon the;r breads. O let us take to
us words, and turn to the Lord, and fay to
him, takeaway all iniquity, and receive us
gracioufly, fo will we render the calves of
onr lips : Afhur (hall not fave us, we will
rot ride upon horfes, neither will we fay any
more to the work of our hands, ye are our
gods. It is true, Lord, vi'e have many a time
idolized the creature, and abufed the Crea-
tor ; we have many a time crucified Chrift,
and trod under foot the blood of the Lamb;
but if Chrift would but look on us as he did
on Peter, then(hould we look upon Chrift
whom we have pierced, and mourn for him
as one thatmourneth for his only fon,and
be in bitternefs for him, as one that is in bit-
ternefs for his firfl-born : then fliould we
make a great mourning as the mourning
of Hadadrimmon, in the valley of Megid-
don. Why, Lord, help us to mourn for
our fins, and when thou hafl: caft us down,
and humbled us to purpofe, then lift us
up again. Surely thou art nigh unto them
that are of a broken heart, and faveft: fuch
as be of a contrite fpirit. When men are
caft down, then ftialt thou fay, there is lift-
ing up, and thou flialt fave the humble per-
fo'n. To this purpofe thou haft promifed,
they that fow in tears, lliall reapin joy, he
that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing pre-
cious feedjrtiall doubtlefs come again rejoic-
ing, bringing his flicaves with him. And to
this purpofe was Chrift anointed to preach
good-tidings unto the meek, to bind up
the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to
the captives, and the opening of the pri-
fon to them that are bound ; to comfort
all that mourn, to appoint unto them that
mourn in Zion, to give unto them beau-
ty for allies, the oil of joy for mourning,
and the garment of praife for the fpirit of
heavinels. And is it not thine own faying,
I dwell in the high and holy place, with
him alfo that is of a contrite and hum-
•blc fpirit, to revive the fpirit of the hum-
T RAY E R.
ble, and to revive the heart of th.? contrite
ones ? O for a dram of this reviving to our
poor drooping fouls! i John i. ix. Prov.
xxviii. 13. Jcr. iii. 12. Hofea v. 15, Job
xxxiii. 27, 28. Jcr. xiv. 20. iii. 25. 1. t^,
5. Ezek. vii. 16. xxxvi. 26. Pfalm cii. 9.
Nah. ii. 7. Hof. xiv. 2, 3. Zach. xii. 10.
Pfalm xxxiv. 18. Job xxii. 29. Pf. cxxvJ,
5, 6. Ifn. Ixi. I, 2, 3. Ivii. 15.
§.2. The Ct con d part of prayer is petition
for burfelves, and others.
We petition for pardon of fins, for his
name's fake, Chrift's fake, for his promife
fake, and for his mercies fake.
O that we might liave our requeft, and
that God would grant us the thing that
Me long for. Even that it would pleaiehim
to cover our iniquities, and caufe our fin?
to be blotted out from before him. Dear
Father, we are fure nothing can hinder
mercy from us but fin, O pardon our fins
for thy names fake, oh pardon our iniqui-
ty, for it is great. And to this end ; O look
on Ciuift that Lamb that takes away the
fins of the world. It is he that bears our
iniquities. It is he that once appeared to
put away fin by the lacrifice of himfelf.
It is he that by himfelf purged our fins. It
is he that bare our fins on the tree in his
own body. It is he that loved us and wait-
ed us from our fins in his own blood. It is
he that is the propitiation for our fins, and
not for ours only, but alfo for the fins of
the whole world. It is he that was wound-
ed for our tranfgreftions, that was bruifed
for our iniquities, the chaftifement of our
peace was upon him, and with his ftripes
are we healed. O then for his fake, and
in his blood wadu us thoroughly from our
iniquities, and cleanfe us from our fin.
And to this end, remember thy promifes :
Thou haft faid, I will cleanfe you from all
your iniquity whereby you have finned
againft me, I will pardon all your iniqui-
ties whereby you have finned, and where-
by you have tranfgrelled againft me. Thou
haft faid, I, even I am he that biotieth out
thy
T RA r E R.
thy tranrgreffions for my own fake, and
will not remember thy fins. Thou haft
faid, I have blotted out as a thick cloud
thy tranfgreffions, and as a cloud thy fins.
Thou haft faid, I will forgive their iniqui-
ty, and I will remember their fins no more.
, Thou haft faid, Gome now and let us rea-
(bn together, though your fins be as fcar-
Ict, they {hall be as white as fnow, though
they be red like crimfon, they fhall be as
wool. And thy prophets have faid, who
is a God like unto thee, that pardoneft ini-
quity, and pafleft by the tranfgreffions of
the remnant of thy heritage, thou retain-
eft not thy anger for ever, becaufe thou
dclighteft in mercy. We prefs thee, Lord,
with thy own precious promifes : have we
nothing of our own to bring thee but fin ?
"Why thou haft a Son, that thou lookeft
upon, whom thou haft fet forth for our
propitiation: would we have a pledge of thy
undeferved favour? Why thou haft given
thy only begotten Son, thatwhofoevcr be-
licveth on him fliould not perifii, but have
everlafting life : do we require further af-
I'urance of thy unfpeakable kindnefs ? why
thou haft made large promifes, and enter-
ed into covenant with us, that ftiall never
fail on thy part. Dear Father, thou waft
pleafed to wait long for our converfion
when we went aftray, and wilt thou not
much more have mercy upon us now wc
pray unto thee ? Thou haft commanded
us to forgive our brethren till feventy times
feven times, if they fin and repent ; and
ftiall our God require fomuch of us(whofe
compaflions are not as the drop of a buc-
ket to the ocean, if compared with thy
mercies) and wilt thou not much more
deal tenderly with us, who have finned
indeed often, and many a time, but now
defire to repent us ? AVhen we excufed
our difobedience, and charged our faults
upon thee, thou fetft thy love on us ; but
how much more now, Lord, when we ac-
cule ourfelves, and pray for thy mercy ?
Good Lord, mifery is the obje(5t of mer-
X
cy ; the greater our diftref;, the more glo-
rious will be the grace of God in our de-
liverance ; if thou wilt be merciful to our
fins, then ftiall thy glory appear, and oiir
hearts (liall be en flamed with thy love, we
fhall walk in thy fear, and our tongues ftial!
fing of thy goodnefs. Yea, our tongue
fliali fing aloud of thv righteoufnefs. Job
vi. 8. Neh. iv. 5. Pfalm xxv. 11. John i.
29. Ifa. liii. ri. Heb. ix. 26. i. 3. r Per.
ii. 24. Rev. i, 5. 1 John ii, 2. Ifa. liii. 5.
Pfalm H. 2. Jer, xxxiii. 8, Ifaiah xliii, 2^.
xliv. 22. Jer. xxxi. 34. Ifa. i. 18. Micah
vii, j8. Rom. iii. 25. John iii. i6. Luke
xvii, 34. Neh. v. 9. Pfalm Ii. 14.
2. Forfealing of this pardon in ourcon-
fciences.
And for aflurance hereof to our fouls,
O (hew us the falvation of God. Seal up
the afliirancc of pardon in our hearts and
c<8nfciences by the gracious teftimony of
thy holy Spirit ; O let thy Spirit teftify
it to us, and perfuade us hereof, and con-
firm it unto us by his feal and earneft. ^t
is thy Spirit that bears witnefs with our
fpirit that we are the children of God. Wc
defire thy Spirit to teftify it to us, and
with us ; O give us the teftimony of a re-
newed confcience enlightened by thy Spi-
rit, and directed by thy word, whereby we
miay come to know what God hath wrought
in us. Give imto us the fpirit of adopti-
on, whereby we may with confidence and
comfort cry, Abba Father. Give us joy
in the holy Ghoft, and the anfwer of a
good confcience towards God. Pfal. 1. 23.
2 Cor. i. 22. Rom. viii. 16. i Cor. ii. 12.
Rom. viii. 15. xiv. 17. i Pet. iii. 21.
3. For juftifying and lively faith.
Give us even that gift of God, a foul-
faving and juftifying faith. O that we
could roll ourfelves upon the Lord, anJ
ftick faft unto his mercy ! we have found
a rich treafure of promiles in thy wort!
for the pardon of our fin, only cteate
in us the hand of faith, that we may tfteft-
ually receive what in mercy thou reach-
X eft
338-
eft Coith : O we are of little faith. In-
creafe it, Lord, though it be but as a grain
of muftard-feed. Work in us not a dead
faith, but that which may be rich in good
works, fallowing after peace with all men,
ajid holinefs, without which none (hall fee
God. And becaufe our righteouCnefs is
fo impvne, even as .menftruous rags, O
clothe us with the robes of Ghrifl's righte-
oufncfs, that we may be found in him,
not having our own righteoufnefs, which
is of the law, but that which is through
the faith of Chrift, the righteoufnefs which
is of God by faith^k Eph. ii. 8. Mat. vi.
' 39. vii. 20. James ii. 20. Heb. xii. 14.
iPhil. iii. 9.
4. For repentance unto life.
* Give us repentance ; it is thine own
word, thai unto us God hath raifed up his
Son Jefus, and fent him to blefs us in turn-
ing every one of us from our iniquities.
O that we could draw this virtue from
Chril\ ! Oh that our heads were waters,
and our eyes fountains of tears, that we
might weep day and night for our fins !
oh that all the night we might make our
beds to fwim, that we could water our
couches with our tears. That we could
repent in fackclodi and a(hes. Oh that
thef e were fuch hearts in us that we might
repent, and recover ourfelves out of the
fnare of the devil. Oh that we could lay
our fins to our hearts, that we could re-
pent us of our wickednefs, faying, M'hat
have we done ? Oh that we could, as E-
phraim, bemoan ourfelves thus, Thou haft
chaftifed us, and we were chaftifed, as a
bullock unaccuftomed to the yoke, turn
thoii us, and we (hall be turned, thou art
the Lord our God. Surely, after we are
' turned, we fliall repent, and after we are
inftrufted, we fliall fmite upon our thigh,
we (hall be adiamed, yea, even confound-
ed, becaule we bear the reproach of our
youth. Oh that remembring our ways,
and all our doings whereby we have been
defiled, we could loath ourfelves in our own
T RAT E R,
fight for our iniquities-, and for our abo-
minations, AiSts iii. 26. Jer. ix. i. Pf. vi.
6 Matth. xi. 21. 2 Tim. ii. 26. Jer. viii.
6. xxxi. 18. Ezek. xx. 43.
5. For faving knowledge.
Give us faving knowledge ; give us thy!
Spirit of truth, vho will guide us into alf
truth. liicline our ears to wifdom, and
our hearts to underftanding, that we may
cry after kno .v )< dge, and lift up our voice
for underftan oin^j. that we may underftand
the fear of the Lord, and find the know-
ledge of God, that we may be enabled to
cry unto thee, our God, we know thee.
Haft thou not promifed, faying, After thofe
days r will put my law in their inward parts,
and write it in their hearts, and will be their
God^ and they (hall be ray people ; and
they fliali teach no more every man his
neighbour, and every man his brother,
faying, know the Lord, for they fiiall alii
know me from the leaft of them unt»j the
greateft of them ? Oh that thou v/ouldeft
give us this knowledge, that thou wouldeft
fill us with this knowledge as the waters-
cover the fca. That thou wouldeft give
unto us the fpiritof whdom and revelation
in the knowledge of Chrift, that the e\ es
of our underitanding being enlightened,
we may know what is the hope of his cal-
ling, and' what the riches of the glory of
his inheritance is in. the laints. Dear Fa-
ther, is not thy fecret with the righteous ?
is not the fecret of the Lord revealed to
them, that fear him ? O then give us this
unftion from the holy One, that we may
know all things. John xvi. 13. Prov. ii.
2. Jer. xxxi. 33, 34. Heb. ii. 14. Eph.
i. 17, i3. Prov. xxxiii. 2. Pfalm xxv.
14. I John ii. 20.
6. For love to God, faints, enemies.
Give us a love of God, and of all things
that belong to him : jhou haft faid, thou
wilt circumcife our hearts, and the hearts of
our feed, to love the Lord our God with all
ourhenrt, and with all our foul, that we may
live. Set us on fire, burn us, make us new,
and
an^ transform us, that nothing befides riiee
may live in us : O wound very deeply our
hearts wirfi the dart of thy love, and that
(becairfe o-ur fins, which are many, are
forgiven us) wt may love thee not a little,
but much. Wilt thou, Lord, lo\'ethei-
mage, and rtiall not the image much more
love the pattern ? O that we -were Tick of
love ; that our underllandings, wills, and
affeiTtioQS were all ovevjflown, overcome and
amazed, that our faintings were enflamed
towards thee, and even melted imo thee !
O fweet Jefus, touch o\ir fouls with thy
Spirit, that virtue may go out of thee into
us, and draw us unto thee : let the favour of
thy ointments, whofe very breath is love,
be ever in our noftrils ; give us the flag-
gonsof thenew wine of the kingdoni .which
may lift up our fouls above ourfelves in
our loves, that we may forget the low and
bafe loves of this world, and by an heaven-
ly excefs may be tranfported into an hea-
venly love, that we may embrace Chrift,
who is the Lord from heaven, with a love
like himfelf : nor do we defire only the
pleafurtTs of love, and joys of thy union ;
but that we may become generative and
fruitful; far be it from us to love thee like
an harlot, and not like a wife : O let us
defire union with thee, and to bring forth
fruit unto thee ; we will not ceafe to cry
unto thee, give vis children, or elfe we
die : give us even fruits of thy Spirit which
may refemble thee, and be pledges to us
of thy union with us. And that we may
bring forth fruits wholly thine, and not
?.nothers befides thee, O burn and confume
whatfoever would grow one with our fouls
befides thee : O let the fire of thy Spirit
fo wholly turn our fouls into a fpiritual
fire, that the drofs of the fle(li„ and the
world, being wholly confumcdjAve may be
fpiritual, and fo bring forth fruits only to
the Spirit. But alas, fometimes it is, that
the ointments of love are not feen or felr,
and then our love cools; and if fo^ O then,
fweet Saviour, look upon us in mercy ;
X
r E R. 339
one look of thine will awaken our loves>
and make us weep bitterly that we loved
thee fo little, Avhora to love fuA'ciently,
our befl: and mightieft loves are moft in-
fufficient. Prevent our feeking with thy
feeking, be thou prefent with us in thy
providence and power, when thou fcemeft
to be far off us in the tafte of thy fweetncfs,
and the fruition of thy loves : and then
when we have regained thee, we will hold
more hardly, and keep more faftly, and
love the more vehemently, and provide a.
flock of loves in the fummer againft the
winter if it return any more. And give
lis alfo to love one another, as Chrift hath
loved us. Make our love to abound yet
more and more towards all men, efpecial-
ly them that are of the houiliold of faith.
Yea Lord, caufe us to love our very ene-
mies, to blefs them that curfe us, to dt>
^od unto them that hate lis, and to pray
for them tliat defpitefully ufe us, and pei-
fecute us, Deut. xxx. 6, Luke vii. 47.
Cant, v. 8. Luke viii. 46. Cant. i. 3.
Hof iii. I. John vi. 38. Gen. xxx. i.
Rom. vii. 4. Luke xxii. 6r, 62. Haiiih
Ixv. I. Cant. ii. 3. iii. 4. John xiii. 34.
Phil. i. 9. Gai. vi. 10. Matth, v. 44.
7. For ardent zeal, patience, perfeverance,
and all other graces.
Give us a zeal after God, and his truth,
good caufes, and good men. Let us not
reft contented with a lukewarm profeiTion,
being neither cold nor hot : but make our
fouls to break for the longing that they
have to thy judgments at all times. O that
we were fervent in Spirit, zcaloufly affec-
ted always in evei-y good thing. O that
the zeal of thy houfe might even eat us
up. And that our zeal might provoke
very many. O that thy word^were in our
hearts as a burning fire, that we were weary
with forbearing, and that we could not (lay,
Rev. iii. i6. Pfa. cxix. 20. Rom. xii. 11.
John ii. 17. 2 Cor. ix. 2. Jer. xx. 9.
Give us the grace of patience; thou haft
foretold us, that in the world we Iliailhave
X 2 tri-
340 T RA r E R,
tribulation. And through much tribulation
v.e muft enter into the kingdom of God.
Make us therefore run with patience the
race that is fet before us, looking unto Je-
fus the Author and Finiflier of our faith,
who for the joy that was fet before him
endured the crofs, defpifing thefliame, and
is fet down at the right hand of the throne
of God. O help us to confider him, that
hath endured fnch contradiftion of linners
againft himfelf, led we be wearied and faint
in our minds. Let us not think it flrange
concerning the fi^y trial. But rather re-
joice in as much as we are partakers of
Chrift's fufferings, that when his joy fnall
be revealed, we may be glad alfo with ex-
ceeding joy. O teach us to reckon with
©urfelves that the fufFerings of thisprefent
time are not worthy to be compared with
ihe glory which fhall be revealed in us.
Haft thou not faid, that if we be reproach-
ed for the name of Chrift, happy are we ?
O therefore that it may be given to us in
the behalf of Chrif}-, not only to believe
on him, but alfo to fulfer for his fake.
Help us to deny ourfelves, and to take
up our croft daily, and follow our Saviour,
Johnxvi. 33. A<Sls xiv. 22. Heb. xii. i. i
Pet. iv. 12, 13. Rom. viii. 18. i Vet. iv.
14. Phil. i. 19. Lukcix. 23.
Give us perfeverance ; and to this end
make tis to build on thy promifes ; thou
haft faid, the fteps of a good man are or-
cered by the Lord. Though he fall, he
iliall not utterly be caft down, for the
Lord upholdeth liim with his hand. Thou
haft faid, to your old age I am he, and even
to hoar hairs will I carry you, I have made,
and I will bear, even I will carry, and I
will deliver you. For this God is our God
lor ever, he will be our guide unto death.
O give us one heart, and one way, that
we may fear thee for ever, and make thou
an everlafting covenant with us, that thou
wilt not turn away from us to do us good;
and put thy fear in our hearts that we
may not depart from thee, iiclp u?, Lord,
to hold faft the profeiTion of our faith with-
out wavering. Confirm us unto the end,
that we may be blamelefs in the day of the
Lord Jefus Chrift, Pfalm xxxvii. 23, 24.
Ifa. xlvi. 4. Pfalm xlviii. 14. Jcr. xxxii.
39, 40. Heb. X. 23. Rom. xi. 29.
Give us all other faving graces : a live-
ly hope that he may fave us : yea in thefe
times let us with Abraham againft hope
beheve in hope. A joy in the holy Ghoft,
thou haft faid, light is Ibwn for 'he righ-
teous, and gladneis for the upright in
heart. A filial fear, becaufe thou takeft
pleafure in thofe that fear thee. In that
day when thou ma keft up thy jewels, they
fhall be thine, and thou wilt fpare them
as a man fpareth his fon that ferveth him.
Humility, and lowlinefs in fpirit ; cafting
down imaginations, and every high thing
that exaheth itfelf againft the knowledge
of God. Meeknefs of mind, that the. wolf
may dwell with the lamb, and the leopard
may ly down with the kid, the calf, and
the young lion, and the fatling together,
whilft a little child may lead them. Peace
of confcience, and peace of God, that may
keep our hearts and minds, that may guard
or garrifon our whole foulf, Rom. viii.
24. iv. i8. Pfalm xcvii.ii. cxlvii. 11. Mai.
iii. 17. 2 Cor. x. 4. Ifa. xi. 6, 7. Phil,
iv.*7.
8. For growth in grace.
And for our further aflurance, O give an
increafe and growth to all thefe graces ;
O do thou guide us continually, and fatis-
fie our fouls in drought. O make full
our bones, that we may be like a watered
garden, and like a fpring of water, whofe
waters fail not. O let the Sun of Righte-
oufnefs arife with healing in his wings,
that we may go forth, and grow up as
calves of the Ifall. O that thou wouldeft
make our path as the'path of the juft, even
as the Ihining light, that Hiineth more
and more unto the pcrfed day. O that
thou wouldeft be to us as dew unto If-
lael; that we might grow as the lily, and
cafk
T RA
caft forth our roots as Leb&non, that our
branches might fpread, and our beauty be
as the olive-tree, and our fmell as Lebanon .
Haft thou not faid, I will pour water upon
him that is thirfty, and floods upon the
dry ground, I will pour my fpirit upon thy
feed, and my bleffing upon thy offspring
and they fhall fpring up as among the
grafs, as willows by the water-courfes i
O put into our hearts their ways, who go
from ftrength to ftrength, every one of
them in Zion appearing before God, Ifa.
Iviii. I. Mai. i. 2. Prov. iv. 18. Hof. xiv.
5, 6. Ifa. xliv. 3, 4. Pfal. Ixxxiv. 5, 6, 7.
9. For purifying, and power againfi Jin.
Nor pray we only for remiilion, but
cleanling: not only for pardon and fenfe
of pardon, but for purifying, and power,
againft fin, and deliverance from fin. Ho-
ly God, thou hafl: promifed, that he that
is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in
Jerufalem (hall be called holy, evcji every
one that is written among the living in Je-
rufalem, when the Lord ihall have wafhed
away the filth of the daughters of Zion,
and (lT;all have purged the blood of Jerufa-
lem from the raidft thereof by the fpirit
of judgment and by the fpirit of burning.
Holy God, thou hall promifed, that thou
wilt put thy law in our inward parts, and
write it in our hearts. Holy God, it is thy
promife, the firft promife, and the foun-
dation of all otner promifes, that the {tt^
of the woman fiiould bruife the ferpent's
head ; that Chrift fhould break the power
and i^iominion of Satan. O that having
thefc promifes we could live by faith, that
we could refl upon God and belitve, that
God of his free grace in Chrift will purge
us from the filthy remainders of fin, S^id
renew us more and more after his own i-
mage in righteoufnefs and holinefs; fure-
ly Lord thou haft faid it, and therefore it
13 no prefumption, but true obedience to
alfure oui lelves of whatfoever thou haft
promifed, and entered into bond and cove-
nant freely to give. He that beiieveth oa
r E R. 341
thee, as the Scripture faith, out of his
belly IhalJ flow rivers of living water.
Chrift is a fountain of grace, ever flowing,
and ever full, and of his fulnefs we re-
ceive grace for grace ; there is no grace
but from Chrift, and no communion with
Chrift but by faith ; O therefore that we
could embrace him by faith for our fanc-
tificiltion, that fo we might be filled with
the gift of his grace in our meafure. It is
Chrift is our wifdom and fandlification, as
well as righteoufnefs and redemption ; it
is Chrift who took upon him our nature,
and fanftified it by his holy Spirit, that
we being made one with him might receive
the felf-fame fpirit, tho' in meafure, to fanc-
tifie us. O that our Jefus would juftifie
our perfons,and fanflifie our natures, and
enable us to thofe duties of holinefs that
he requires, that he would make us unto
liitri a kingdom of priefts, an holy nation,
Ifaiah iv, 3, 4. Jer. xxxi. 33. Gen. iii. 15.
Heb, X. 38. Eph. iv. 24. John vii. 38. i.
16. I Cor, i. 30. Exod. xix. 6.
10. ^gainj} all evil of Jin , the -world, flejh
and devil.
O Lord, we have many potent enemies
that daily war againft us, the world, flefti
and devil ; and our ftrength is too weak
to vanquhh the allurements of this world,
to reprefs the luftsof our rebellious hearts,
to defeat the policies of Satan, much more
to change and cleanfe our own hearts ;
but Lord thou haft promifed, O help us
to believe, that God will aid, affilt and
blefs us in our endeavours, yea and do
the whole work for us. Grant, Lord, that
we may not love the world, t: at our
hearts may not be overcharged with fur-
fciting and drunken nefs and the cares of
this life. Grant Lord, that mc may not
fuffer fin to reign in our mortal bodies,
that we ftiould obey it in the iufts thereof ;
neither fuffer us to, yield our members as
inftruments of unnghteouinefs unto fin,
but unto God, as thofe :iiat are alive
from the dead, that being riow made free
from.
542 ^ T RAT E R,
from fin, and become the fervants of God, ing of a Haming fire by night
.M'e may have ovir fruit unto iiolinefs, and
ilie end everlafting life. Grant, Lord, that
\vt may be fobcr and vigilant, becaufe our
•advei"fary thedevilasa roaring lion walkcth
aboutjteeking whom he may devour. Omake
nsftrongintheLord,andin the power of hi«
■might, that we may be able to fland againft
all the wiles offatan: why, Lord, we wreftle
not againfl: flefli and blood, but againft
principalities and powers, againfl the rul-
icrs of the darknefs of this world, againft
fpiritualwickednefs in high places. O there-
fore ftrengthcn us that wemayftand, hav-
ing the girdle of Vuth, the breaft-plate of
righteoufnefs, the fhield of faith, where-
with we may be able to quench all tht fiery
darts of the wicked, i John ii. 15. Luke
xxi. 34. Rom. vi. 12, 13. 1 Pet. v. 8.
Eph. vi. 10, 12, 14, 15, 16.
II. /Igaiuji all evil pwnJJmient, national
or perfonal.
Thou haft plagued our nation ; the
ftout hearted are fpoiled, they have Ilept
their fleep, and none of the men of might
have found their hands. O heal the land.
Let no evil befal us, neither let any plague
come nigh our dvVellings. Our fouls are
among lions, our foul alfo is fore vexed,
but thou, O Lord, how long ? 2 Chron.
vii. 14. Pfalm Ixxvi. 5. xci. 10. vi. 3
for upon
all the glory fhall be a defence. iNow,
Lord, mal^e good thy word, and look u-
pon Zion the city of our folenmities, let
thine eyes fee Jerufalem a quiet habitati-
on, a taberrtacle that fhali not be taken
down, let not one of the ftakes thereof be
removed, or any of the boards be broken.
Ifa. xlix. 16, 17. xxvii. 3. iv. 5.
13. For all that belong to God's election,
though uncalled as yet.
Call home the Jews, thou haft revtealcd
that they (hall be graffed in again and thoti
ait able to graif them in again, as it is
written, There fhalicome out of Zion the
deliverer, and Ihall turn away ungodiinefs
from Jacob. O that thou wouldeil raife
up the tabernacle of David that is fallen,
and clofe up the breaches thereof, and be
gracious to the remnant of Jofcph. O
that as a ftiepherd feeketh out his fiock
in the day that he is among his Iheep
that are fcattcred, fo thou wouldeft
feek out thy flieep, and deliver th em
out of all places where they have been
fcattcred in the cloudy and dark day, and
bring them to their own land, and feed
them upon the mountains of Ifrael by the
rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the
country : Bring in the Gentiles ; thou hail
promifed, I will lift up my hand to the
12. tor the catholick militant church of Gentiles, and fet up myftandard to the
y^/ ■ /) * a..M.»>.kl.A » k« J *-Kj>«** /^-v n 1 1 L<k»<*^» *L«>h«M i..^»^f% m .^
Chrijl
*■ And as we pray for ourfelves, fo for
the catholick church of Chrift. Let thy
delight be to mount Zion, grave her on
the palms of thy hands, let her walls be
continually before thee, let her builders
make halle, and caufe her deftroyers, and
fuch as would lay her wafte, to depart
from her. Thou haft faid, I the Lord do
keep it, I will water it every moment ;
left any hurt it, I will keep it night and
day. And we have a promife, that the
Lord will create upon every dwelling-place
of mount Zion, and upon her aficmblies
a cloud, and fmoke by day, and the fliin-
people, and they ftiall bring their fons in
their arms, and their daughters ftiall be
carried upon their ftioulders. It is pro-
phefied that the days ftiall come (even the
laft days) when the mountain of the Lord's
houfe fliall be eftablilhcd in the top of the
mountains, and fliall be exalted above the
hlfls, and all nations ftiall ftow unto it.
Yea, Lord, the Gentiles ftiall come to thy
light, and the kings to the brightnefs of
thy rifing ; the abundance of the lea (hall
be converted unto thee, the forces of the
Gentiles ftiall come unto thee. Nay, is it
not at hand ? Who are thele. Lord, that
fty as a cloud, and as the doves to tlicir
win-
windows ? O the matter of rejoicrng, O
the bleffcd day is at hand ! fing -O barren,
thou that didil: not bear, break forth into
finging, and cry aloud thou that uidft nor
travail with child ; for more are the chil-
dren of the dcfolaie, than the children of
the married wife. Enlarge the place of
thy tent, and let them ftretch forth the
curtains of thy habitations, fpare not,
lengthen thy curtains, and ftrengthen thy '
flakes. BlefTed God, haften thefe times,
accomplifh the prophecies, bring on the
days when violence fnall be no more heard
in our land, nor wafting, nor deftruOion
in our borders ; when ihou (halt call our
walls falvation, and our gates praife, wlien
the fi*n lliall be no more our light by day,
neither for brightnefs fhall the moon give
light unto us, but the Lord fhall be unto
us an everlafting light, and our God our
glory. Rom. xi. 23, 26. Amos ix. 11. v.
15. Ezek. xxxiv-. 12, f^. I/^. xlix. 23. ii.
2. Ix. 3,5, 8. liv. i.lx. ig, 19.
14. Againft the Churches incurable Ene-
mies.
Confume antichrift with the Spirit of
thy mouth, and deftroy him with the
brightnc-is of thy conning, even him whofe
coming is after the working of Satan with
all power and figns, and lying wonders.
We blefsthee, Lord, for that thou haft be-
gun his downfal, we befeech thee at laft
bring in thofe ten horns of the beaft that
may hare the whore, and make her defo-
late and naked, that they may eat her flefh,
and burn her with fire. Haften the ruin
of all other the churches enemies, now it
is that Gog and Magog are gathered to
the battle, and the number of them is as
the ("and of the fea ; Lord, they are gone
upon the breadth of the earth, and ihcy
have compalfed the camp of the faints a-
bout, and the ht loved city ; O let fire come
down from God out of heaven and devour
them, I Thc(r. ii. 8, Rev. xvli. 16. xx. 8.
15. For the Reformed Churches abroad,
and at home.
"PRATER. 343
Look tenderly on t^efe wefVeriT church'
es, Germany, the Palatinate, Bohemia, 6"c.
Thine heritage, O Lord, is unto thee as a
fpeckled bird, the birds round about hef
are againft her. Many paftors have de-
voured thy vineyard, they have trodden,
thy portion under foot, they have made
thy pleafant portion a defolate wildernefs;
they have made ir defolate, and being
defolate, it mourns unto thee: Awake,^
awake, put on ftrength, O arm of the
Lord, awake as in the antient days, in the
generations of old ; art thou not it that
hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dra-
gon ? Art not thou it that hath dried the
fea, the waters of the great deep, that hath
made the depth of the fea a way for the
ranfomed to pafs over ? Take pity on
Scotland, Ireland, 6c. Shew thy marvel-
lous loving-kindnefs, O thoii that faveft
by ihy right hand, them which put their
truft in thee, from thofe that rife up
againft them : keep them as the apple
of thine eye, hide them imder the fiiadow'
of thy wings. Preferve that little flock,
to whom thou haft promifed, and referved
the kingdom. Have mercy on miferable,
finful England ; dear Father, haft thou ut-
terly rejected Judah i Haih thy foul loath-
ed Zion ? VV^hy haft thou fmitten us, and'
there is no healing for us ^ We looked for
peace, and there is no good, and for the
time of healing, and behold trouble ; we
acknowledge,0 Lord, our wickeonels, and
the iniquity of our (arhers, for we have
finned againft thee, do not abhor us, for
thy name's fake, do not difgrace the throne
of thy glory, remember, break not thy
covenant with us. O Lord, hear, O Lord,
forgive, O Lord, hearken and do, defer
not for thine own fake, O our God : O
that ever it (Imuld be laid of England,
God hath forfaken his houlc, he hath left
his heritage, he hath given the Jenrly belo-
ved of his foul into the hands of her ene-
mies. Look down from iieavtn, and be-
hold from the habitation of thy holinefs,.
and
344 T RAT E R.
and of th}' glory, where Is thy zeal and thy
ftrength, the founding oi^thy bowels, and
of thy mercies towards us ? Are they re-
trained ? Doubtlefs thou art our father,
though 'Abraham be ignorant of us, and
with the bread of tears, and given them
tears to drink in great meafure. And yet
thou hafl faid, that howfoever two parts
in the land fliall be cut off and die, yet a
third part ftiall be left therein, and thou
Ifraeladsnowledge us not, thou, Lord, art wilt bring the third part through the fire.
our Father, and our Redeemer, thy name
is from everlafting, Jer. xii. 9, cJrc. Ifuiah
li. 9, 10. Pfalm xvli. 7, 8. Luke xii. 32.
Jer.xiv. 19, 20, 21. Dan. ix. 19. Jer. xii.
7. Ifa. Ixiii. 15, 16.
16. For Magiftracy, Miniftry, People.
• Blefs the magiAracy, and provide for
us out of all the people able men fuch as
fear God, men of truth, hating covetouf-
nefs. And that judgment may not be
and wilt refine them, as filrer is refined,
and wilt try them as gold is tried ; they
fliall call on thy name, and thou wilt hear
them, thou flialt fay, it is my people, and
they fliall fay, the Lord is my God. Lord,
fo it is, that a third part of the land is now
in the fire, and thou art refining them as
filver is refined, and thou art trying thein
as gold is tried ; afk now, and fee whether
a man doth travel with child ? Wherefore
turned into gall, nor the fruit of righteouf- then (may we fty with Jeremy) do I fee e-
nefsintohernlock; givecourage toourrul- very man with his hands on his loins as a
ers that they may execute jullice truly in woman in travail, and all faces are turned
thegates. Blefs theminiftry, let their words into palenefs ? Alas for the day is great^fo
be upright, words of truth ; as goads, and that none is like it, it is even the time of
as nails" fattened by the matters of the af-
lemblies, which are given from one fliep-
herd. Set watchmen upon our walls, that
fliall never hold their peace day nor night,
thofe that make mention of the Lord let
them not keep filence, nor give him reft till
he cftablitti,and make Jerufalem a praife in
the earth. And O let their doflrine drop
as the rain,let their fpeech dittill as the dew,
as the fmall rain upon the tender herb, and
as the ttiowers upon the grafs, to open
the blind eyes, and to bring out the prifon-
ers from the prifon, and them that fit in
darknefs out of the prifon-houfe. Blefs
all from Dan to Beerfheba, call them thy
holy people, the redeemed of the Lord,'
Exod.xviii. 21. Amos vi. 12. Ecclcf. xii.
10, II. Ifa. Ixii. 6, 7. Deut. xxxii. 2. Ifa.
vX\\. 7. Ixii. 12.
17. For all afBi£led in Soul, or Body.
Behold the tears of fuch as are oppref-
fed, and have no comforter. O Lord,
thou haft at this time efpecially laid af-
fli6\ion on the loins of many of thy fer-
vants, and haft made them drink of the
wine of aftonifliment, thou haft fed them
Jacob's trouble, but he fliall be faved out
of it. Bletted be God for this promife ;
thou mayeft indeed lift the houfe of Ifrael
amoi.g all nations, like as corn is fifted
with a five, but the leaft grain fhall not
fall upon the earth. Dear father, look to
thy afflifled ones, and fpeak to them as
once to Ephraim ; is Ephraim my dear
fon, is he a pleafant child ? for fince I fpake
againft him, I do earneftly remember him
ftill, therefore my bowels are troubled for
him ; I will furely have mercy upon him,
faith the Lord. Come, Lord, and take a-
way thy wrath, make good thy promife,
that the Lord our God in the midft of us
is mighty, he will fave, he will rejoice over
us with joy, he will reft in his love, he will
joy over us with finging, O Lord, prepare
us for the worft of evils, for death the
king of terrors.that it may not come upon
us as afnare: O make us to know our end,
and the meafure of our days, that we may
know how frail we are ; teach us to num-
ber our days, that we may apply ourhearts
unto wifdom. Come, Lord Jefus, and be
as the roe on the tops of the mountains,
our
«ur life is hid with thee,0 appear quickly,
that we may quickly appear with thee in
glory ; thou haft given us fome earnefts
of thy love, and the very voice of thefe
earnefts is come, come Lord Jefus, come
quickly. And is it not thy promife, fure-
Jy I come quickly ? O honey, and fweet-
nefs itfelf to the foul that loves, and longs
for the coming of Chrift, for her perfect
happinefs, and confummate marriage. A-
men, Even fo, Gome, Lord Jefus. A-
men, and Amen, Eccl. iv. i. Pfal. Ixvi. 1 1.
Ix. 3, ibc. Ixxx. 5. Zach. xiii. 8. Jer. xxx.
6, 7. Amos ix. 9. Jer. xxxi. 20. Zeph. iii.
15, 17. Job xviii. 14. Pfalm xxxix. 4. xc.
12. Rev. 22. 20.
^. The third part of prayer ^ is Thanhf-
giving for Blejpngs Spiritual, and Tem-
poral.
WE blefs God for our election, with
all the golden chain of graces hang-
ing on ir.
* We give thanks to God, and the Fa-
ther of our Lord Jefus Chrift, whereby we
are beloved for the Father's fake, and for
that golden chain of graces hanging there-
on, having predeflinated us to the adop-
tion of children, by Jefus Chrift to himfelf,
according to the good pleafure of his will.
Having accepted us in the beloved, in
whom we have redemption through his
blood ; having given us the forgivenefs
of our fins, according to the riches of his
grace ; having quickened us who were dead
in trefpafles and fins : Walking in times
paft according to the courfe of this world,
according to the prince of the power of
the air, the Spirit that now worketh in the
children of difobedience : But God who is
rich in mercy, for his great love where-
with he loved us, even when we were dead
in fins, hath quickened us together with
Chrift : And hath raifed us up together, and
made us fit together in heavenly places in
Chrift Jefus, that in the ages to come he
"P RAT E R: 345
might fhew the exceeding riches of his grace
xunous,' Col. i. 3. Rom. xi. 28. Eph. i.
5,6y7. ii. I, 6c.
2. We blcfs God for his word, facra-
ments, fabbaths, labours of the learned,
* Thou haft ftiewed thy word unto Jt-
cob, thy ftatutes and thy judgments unto
Ifrael ; Thou haft not dealt fo with all
nations, and as for thy judgments they
have not known them : Thou haft beea
pleafed by the fooliflinefs of preaching, to
favethem that believe, 'by preachingat the
firft or fecond rebound, by lively voice, or
printed fermons, Pfalm cxlvii. 19, 20. i
Cor. i. 21.
3. We blefs God for any power over
fin, Satan, or our own corruptions.
We acknowledge Lord to thy glory,
th9t all our Jirength is in thee, and in the
poiv-er of thy might, Eph. vi. 10.
4. We blefs God for our creation, pre-
fervation, life, health, peace, deliverance,
viftories.
' We blefs thee for our creation after
thine own image, for our prefervation, by
thy loving kindnefs and truth, for our
life once and again redeemed from deftruc-
tion ; for our health once and again reftor-
ed; for our liberty, profpeiity, peace^in our
walls and palaces ; for our food and
raiment convenient for us ; for deliver-
ance from judgments national and per-
fonal; for a little moment didft thou for-
fake us, but with great mercies haft thou
gathered us : For all the viftories over
thine and thy churches enemies ; wel! may
we fing. The Lord is our ftrength and cur
fong, and he is become our fiilvation ; He
is our God, and wcwill pitparehim an ha-
bitation, our fathers Cod, and we will ex-
alt him : Awake, awake,0 my foul, awake,
awake, utter a fong : Give rharks unto
the Lord, call upon iiis name^ make known
his deeds among the people ; fing unto
him, fing pfaims unto him, and talk of
y all
346 READING the WORD.
all his wondrous works ; glory in his natne. Lord God of Ifrael for ever and ever, and
Jet the heart of them rejoice that feeirrhe let all the people fay Amen, praHed be
Lord : Let the heavens be glad, and let the God, Gen i 27. Yi-A. x). 11. ciii. 4. Jer.
earth rejoice, and let men fay among the xxx. 17. I'f^lm cxxii. 7. Prov. xxx. 8.
nations, The Lord reigneth: Ogive thanks Ifaiah liv. 7. Exod xv. 2. Judgesv. 12. I
unto the Lord, for he is good, for his Chron. xvi. 8, 9, jo, 31, 34,36.
mercy endureih for ever : Blelfed be the
Of
CHAP. XV.
Reading the Scrtptures,
SECT. L
Of the Nature of reading the Scriptures,
IV hat it is.
THE fecond duty in reference both to
fecrer, private and publick ordinan-
ces, is reading the holy fcriptures, which is
nothing elfebut a kind of holy conference
with God wherein we enquire after, and he
r.eveals unto us himfelf and his will : when
we take in hand therefore the book of
fcriptures, we cannot otherwife conceive
of ourfelves than as (landing in God's pre-
fence, to hear what he will fay unto us :
So much the prophet feems to imply.when
he exprelleth his confulting with God's
word, by that phrafe of going into the fanc-
luary of God. Pfalm Ixxiii. 17. /. e. in
going in unto God ; as going into the fanc-
tuary is termed, 2 Sam. vii. 18. So by
reading the word we come in unto God,
we ftand in the prefence of God to en-
quire at his mouth.
§. 2. Of fit times andfeafons for reading
the Scriptures.
THere is a feafon to every purpofe ««-
//(fr/^f/z^Wjfaith Solomon, Ec. iii. 1.
The obfervation whereof not only adds
vxzct to every good aftion, but many
times facilitates the work itfelf we have
in hand : Now the Times and Seafons
moft convenient to this duty of Reading
the Scriptures, are (befides the fabbath)
left to chriftian wifdom ; only we have
general commands to be frequent and dili-
gent in meditation of the word, Jofli. i. 8,
Plalm cxix. 97. and the particular times
may be either uncertain and occafional, or
con/iant and fct.
For the firft, we may have occafions to
read the fcriptures, torefolve us in doubts,
to comfort us in affli£\ions, to direct us
in matter of advice, to guide us in our
way, to aflill us in temptations, Pfa. Ixxiii.
17. cxix. 50, 24, 105. Eph. vi. 17. Such
or the like occafions may make us to have
recourfe to the word Extraordinarily.
For the fecond, refpeft mufl be had both
to order and proportion ; for the former,
viz. Order, godly men have accuflomed
to begin the day with religious exercifes,
as with prayer, Pfal. v. 3. Iv. 17. Ixxxviii.
13. Now although prayer and the reading
of the word be two diftinft exercifes, yet
they mutually help one another, and con'
fequently are fit to be joined together :
And as we muft thus begin the day, fo it is
very fit to clofc up the day with the fame
duties : The evening was David's time,
Pfal.lv. 17. and Ifaac's time, Gen. xxiv.
63. For the latter, v^z. Proportion of time
to be allotted for this exercife, it muft in-
differently refpeft both the duty, that we
read all fcripture, and the perfon that un-
dertakes it \ for more time is required of
huf-
hufbands, parents, ma{>l(trates, minifters,
than of others ; though all muft fet apart
fome time for this duty; but that I may
in general commend the praflice of thi§
order and proportion to all, I (hall com-
pofe a kalendar, to (lievv how we may
read all the fcriptures over in a year.
J. 3. Of the Manner of preparation before
the readini^ of the Scriptures.
THerc is a double preparation needful,
as r. To the undertaking. 2. To
the performance of the duty, i. For the
undertaking of the work, we had need to
be prepared with a firm and conftant re-
folution before we go about it, partly be-
caufe of the fluggininefs of our carnal
natures to holy duties, and of our uncon-
ftan<;y and unftedfaflncfs in perfifting and
going through with them to the end ; and
partly becaufe we know how dangerous it
is to put one's hand to the plough and look
back, Luke ix. 62. Now the grounds u-
pon which our hearts muft be fettled in
the firmnefs of fuch refolution, rnuft be
drawn,
ir From the fenfe of our own blind-
nefs and ignorance, who of our felves
have not the knowledge nor underftand-
ing of a man, as Agur acknowledgeth,
Prov. XXX. 3.
2. From afTurance that this is the means
ordained by God to help us out of ignor-
ance : IVe have a more Jure word of pro-
phecy y "whereunto ye do well that ye take
heedy as unto a light that fhineth in a dark
READING the WORD. 347
the f}ii4y of the holy fcriptures) muft be
more particularly prepared to the work
itfelf.
1 . By cicanfing the heart of all fuper..
fluity and naughtinefs, James i. 21. of all
worldly thoughts and cares, of all unquiet
paflions of anger, fear, joy, forrow, «^c.
2. By awing the heart with due rever-
ence of God before whom we ftand, be-
caufe he can find us out in all our failings,
as knoxving cur very thoughts afar off",
much more having all our ways before
him, Pfa. cxxxix. 2. cxix. 178. and being
one who will not forgive our wilful tranf-
greflions ; Such confideraiions will caufe
us to receive the word with that trembling
of heart which God (o much refpeifts, Ifa.
Ixvi. 2.
3. By ftirring up in ourfelves a fpiri-
ti:al appetite to the word, fuch as Job
found in himfelf, who e/ieemed the words
of his mouth more than his neceffary food ;
and David in himfelf.wAo opened his mouthy
and panted, and longed for his command-
ments , Pfalm cxix. 131. which appetite
arifeth both from the fenfe of our empti«
nefs (for the full foul loaths the honey-comby
Prov. xxvi. 7.) and from the fitnefs of
the word to fupply unto us whatfoeverwe
want and hunger after, as being the food
of our fouls.
4. By awaking our faith ; and to this
purpofe we muft confider, that it is the
word of him that fpeaketh righteoufnefs,
whofe faithfulnejs is to all generations ;
and that God hath made it his power to
place y until the day dawn, and the day-fiar falvation, mighty through him to caf} down
Jirong holds y and hath promifcd //>«/ //
(hall not return empty ^ but fhall fitrely exe-
cute that for which it was fcnt, Ifaiah xlv.
ig. Pfalm cxix. 90. Rom. i. 16. 2 Cor. x.
5. Itaiah Iv. ]o, ir.
5. By foftening the heart, and making
it pliable ; and to this purpofe we miill
cafl alide our wills Jind wifdoms, vvhich
fliffens our hearts againil God's counftis,
and ftek after the fpirit of tendeinefs,
.vl.ich
arrfe in our hearts y 2 Pet. i. 19
3. From the delight which we may find
in the ule of it : This delight drew holy
David to the continual meditation of it,
Plalm cxix. 96, 97. the fweetnefs of the
word aridng out of its fuitablenefs to his
fan^lified nature, overcame David.
2. A man's heart (being thus confirmed,
with a full purpofe and fettled refolutiorr
to undertake and continue conitactly in
- Yy2
34«
REDING the WORD.
■which is called, The opening of the hearty
A(fts xvi. 14.
6. By lifting up the heart unto God
in prnyer, to open our eyes, to enlarge our
hearts^ to incline our hearts to his tefti-
monies, to keep them to the end, and (ac-
cording to his promife) to fend his Spi-
rit, and to lead us into all truth, Pf. cxix.
18, 32, 36, 112. John X4V, 16,30. Some
fliort effeiSlual prayer to this purpofe, to
clofe up our meditations in this prepara-
tion of ourfeives to the reading of the
word, reprefenting unto God our depend-
ance on him alofte, to profper us in the
ufe of his own ordinance, feldom returns
without a gracious anfwer
ing our evidences and directions, which
■we and our children mufl obferve, that we
may do them, John v. 39. Deut. xxix.29.
3. 7'hat we keep ftill Jefus Chrift in our
eye, in the peruial of thefcripture, as the
cnd,fcopcand fubflance thereof: what are
the whole fcriptures, but as it were the
fpiritual fwadling-clothes of the holy child
Jefus ? I. Chrift is the truth and fubftance
of all the types and fliadows. 2. Chrift is
the fubftance and matter of the covenant
of grace, under all adminiftrations there-
of; under the Old Teftament, Chrift is
vailed : imder the new covenant, revealed.
3. Chrift is the centre and meeting- place
of all the promifes, for in him all the pro-
§. 4. Of the necejjary duties in reading of mifes of God are yea and amen, 2 Cor. i
the fcriptures.
TH E duty now fallen upon it is good
for proiiting to obferve thefe parti-
culars :
1 , That in the beginning of our reading
in the Bible, or of each book in the Bible,
we view and read over fomeanalytical table,
that fo we may better mark the drift and
fcope of the holy Ghoft, and that we may
with fingular eafe and delight remember
the fame : to that purpofe I have added
fuch a table towards the end of this chapter
which may well ferve for the purpoied
ends.
2. that ive attend diligently to what vje
read: now there is a good rcafon to this
attention, i. Becaufe of the authority and
wifdom of him that fpeaks ; ^ child mu[i
hear his father, Prov. iv. I. and a fubjeft
muft attend reverently to the words of a
ruler, Jobxxix. 21. yet none of them is
our Potter as God is, llaiah Ixiii. 4. nor
made us, as he did, Pfalm c. 3. nor con-
sequently can challenge fuch refpe^ from
us as he may. 2. Becaufe of the matter
or fubjefl which the fcriptures handle, not
only for the weight and importance of
thof'e high myfteries which are therein re-
vealed, but for the great intereft which we
ouifeives have in tbofe things, as coaiain-
20. 4. Chrift is the thing lignified, fealed
and exhibited in the facraments of the old
and new Teftament. 5. Scripture-genealo-
gies ufe to lead us on to the true line of
Chrift. 6. Scripture chronologies are to
difcover to us the times and leafons of
Chrift. 7. Scripture-laws are our ichool-
mafter to bring us unto chrift, the moral
by correcting, the ceremonial by direcJling.
8 . Scripture-golpel is Chrift's light whereby
we know him, Chrift's voice, whereby we
hear and follow him ; Chrift's cords of
love whereby we are drawn into fweet
union and communion with hin^; yea, it
is the power of God unto falvation, unto all
them that believe in Chrijl Jefus, Rom. i.
16. and therefore think of Chrift ftill as
the very fubftance, marrow, foul and fcope
of the whole fcriptures.
4. That we obferve fome fpecial pafta-
ges, where we find things reprefented un-
to us, cither more weighty in themfelvcs,
or more proper to ourfeives, for our parti-
cular ufe and occafions. I deny not but all
God's teftimonies are wonderful in them-
fclves ; all of them pure ; all profitable to
give underftanding ; and to cleanfe our
way ; and to make the man of God per-
fe(^t to every good work, Pfal. cxix. 129,
140, 130,9. 2 Tim. iii. 16. Yet there
arc
READ I NO the WO R D,
are fome things in fcripture more impor-
tant than others, and more ufeful than o-
thers, for fome perfons, times and occafi-
ons : and to this pnrpofe, I have in the end
of this chapter compofed fome heads, or
common places, for obfervation of fuch
profitable things.
5. That we approve and affent to that
we read, both becaufe it is the truth of
God, and becaufe till our judgment ap-
prove it, we cannot believe it, nor poflibly
bring our hearts to yield to it true and fin-
cere obedience : It is true, that every god-
ly man at all times gives his affent to every
truth of God revealed unto him, yet that
affent is not alike firm at all times, becaufe
the evidence by which he acknowledgeth
it, is not alike clear at all times; but when
It (hines to us clearly, when men clearly
difcern the glory and beauty of thofe hea-
venly myfteries.and tafte of the goodnefs of
tiiem, they cannot but ravilh readers with
admiration, yea tranfport them with firong
and heavenly affedions of love, joy, and
de/ire, Pfa. cxix. 97, iii, 131, 162. Ob-
ferve, that it happens fometimes fuch fpi-
ritual raptures may feize on a man, even
V'hile he is reading the fcriptures ; as the
dilciples hearts burned within them, vjhilji
our Saviour talked with them going to Em-
tnausyhvikG xxiv. 32. Andif fo, then the
heart opens itfelf to clofe with and draw
in that ravilhing obje(5t, which will necef-
farily inforce the foul to make a paufe ;
and thefe paufes rather further than hinder
us in our work ; for a godly fpirit quick-
ened by fuch fweet refrefhings, receives in-
creafe of alacrity, and is thereby flrength-
ened to go on with much greater life, to
the end of this holy exercife.
§. 5. Of duties ajter reading the fcriptures ,
^~^ H E end of fludying the fcriptures is
not only knowledge, but pra<ftice ;
wherefore after we have read any part of
the fcriptures, our fpecial care muft be,
I. To recount and revolve in our minds
349
thofe things we have read, and ferioufly to
meditate on them.
2. To fearch out the true fenfe and
meaning of the words, together with the
fcope unto which they are direfled, and if
our own underflanding be too weak, we
may do well to make ufc of other men'a
writings or conference.
3. To fingle out and apply what is of
more fpecial ufe to ourfelves in fuch fort,
as if we were fpecially named in any pre-
cept, reproof, promife, commination, con-
folation, or the like ; which is the moft ef-
feftual means to awaken and flir up affec-
tions, and to fet on our endeavours, as
manifelily appears in good Jofiah his ex-
ample^ 2 Chron. xxxiv. 20, &c.
4. To work thofe things upon our hearts,
till they warm our afiedions : this is beft
do-ne;
I. By appropriating them unto our
felves ; for that which affefts us, is that
which moft nearly concerns us.
2. By believing what we read as un-
doubtedy true ; thus David believed, Pfa.
cxix. 138, 151, 160.
3. By loving thofe counfels of God
which we embrace by faith, for their puri-
ty, perfection, righte.oufnefs, and efpeci-
ally for the ufefulnefs and wonderful be-
nefit of them to ourfelves, in quickening
the fpirit fvc\ giving wifdom, in converting
the foul, Pfalm cxix. 63, 98, 99. xix. 7.
Thefe eminent excellencies of the word,
cannot choofe but make thefe heavenly
counfels precious in our eyes, and bring
the foul to delight in them exceedingly.
5. To advife about, and to refolve up-
on the means to bring all into pradlice, e-
fpecially for thofe duties which are laid be-
fore us in reading the word, or (ome part
of the word at fuch a particular time.
6. To examine our ways, how near they
come up to the 1 ule, or come Ihort of it ;
that on the one fide we may be encourag-
ed in conforming our practice to the Jaw,
and willial rejoice in the grace of God,
350
READ ING the WO R D.
working in us with thankfulnefs ; and on
the other fide, that we may be humbled
and grieved for our failings, and driven
to feek ,unto Chrift to make up our peace,
and then look better to our ways for time
to come, as David doth, Pfalm cxix. 131,
132. I33» ^f^'
^. 6. j4 kalendar purpofed to Jhew how we
may read over the fcripture Jeveral
•ways once in a year.
IN reading the fcripture, we fpake of a
proportion of^time to be allotted for
this exercife ; and that we may fo propor-
tion our reading with our time, that we
read all the bible or fcriptures over in a
year, I had compofed a kalendar, fliewing
how we might right read it over feveral
ways.
I. By reading every day three chapters
or more in the old Teftament, and two
or more in the New. 2. By reading three
chapters a day, and fome more of the
Pfalms. 3. By reading ftriflJy three chap-
ters a day, of thofe that edifie moft. 4. By
reading two chapters a-day, moft of the
old Teftament, and all of the New. 5. By
reading only one chapter a day out of fuch
books as are principal, and a rule for the
reft : but every private Chriftian may with
a little induftry find out this, or fome o-
ther kalendar more beneficial to him ; and
therefore, (not to fwell this book needlef-
ly) I (hall leave it to him ; only with this
note, that after all thefe forms, it were not
unprofitable, if he read at leaft every mor-
ning a pfalm, and every evening a chapter
of thofe that edifie moft in their order,
which is now the conftant ufe of a weak
Chriftian in his family-duties.
^. 7. Of heads or common places of obfer-
vations for profitable things.
I Declared before (Se(ff. 4.) that in read-
ing of the fcripture, it were good for
our profiting to obferve fome fpecial palla-
ges, where we find things rcprefen ted unto
us, either more weighty in thefnfelves, or
more proper to ourftlves, for our particu-
lar ufe andoccafions; and to that purpofc
I (hall now compofe fome heads or com-
mon places for obfervation of fuch profit-
able things : fome I know herein advifc
thefe four points: i. That every Chrifti-
an following this dirc6Vion, fliould make a
little paper-book of a ftieet or two, and
write on the top of every leaf, the title
that he would obferve in his reading. 2.
That he would obferve fuch places as
ftare him in the face, that are fo evident,
that the heart cannot look off them. 3,
That he fet down under each title, on-
ly the book, chapter and verfe, and not
the words, for that would tire him in the
end ; only when he hath done his quarier-
taflc, or years-tafk, then he may write out
thechoiceft things, as he thinks good. 4.
That he look not at the profit of this
courfe the firft week or month, but let
him confider how rich it will make him
at the year's end ; furely after he hath ga-
thered them, he would not fell his collec-
tions for a great price, if it were but for the
good they may do him in the evil day,
when it (hall come upon him : of thefe I
fliall give you the experience of a weak
Chriftian, the unworthieft fervant of Chrift,
in the following fe<Stion and paragraphs.
§.8. Common places ohjtrved by one in his
private reading of the fcriptures.
PLACES that in reading he found re-
buke of corruption in his nature or
practice.
Numb. xiv. 11. 2 Chron. xxxii. 26. Pf.
cxix. 7S' Ifaiah Ivi. 11. Ivii. 17. lix. 11,
etc. Jer. vi. 13. Ezek. xxxiv. 2, etc. Hofea
vii. 10. Mark vii. 21, etc. Luke xii. 15.
Romans vii. 23, etc. Ephef. v. 4. i Pet. ii.
I. Rev. ii. 5. iii. J 5, ,16, 17, 19.
2. Places that hold forth comtortsagainft
the burden of his daily infirmities, inward
temptations and afftidtions of Ipirit.
Gen XV. i. Exod. xxxiv. 6 7. Plal. xviii.
6. xxiii. Ay ^^^' xxxiv. 18. xlii. 5, 11.
Hofea
READ TNG thf WO RD. 351
Korea VI. r,'2. Micah vii. ip. Luke xvii. 19. Daniel vi. 23. ZecF. H. 8. Mai. iv. 2.
4. John xvii. 19. Rom. vi. 14. xvl. 20. Mati.. 2j.x. 30. xi. 28. xxviii. 20. Luke
1 Cor. X. 13. 2 ThefT. iii. 3. i Tim.i. 15. xl. 13. xix. 10. xxi. 18. John i. 12, 16,29.
Heb. iv. 15, 16. 1 Pet. V. 10. i John i. 9. x. 28. iii. 16, 17. xiv. 16, 17. xvii. 17, ip,
ii. I, 12. v. 18. 24. Afts xiii. 39. xxvii. 34. Rom. iv. 5",
. 3. Places thnt eft.ib]iili his heart againft viii. 30, 33. x. 4. i Cor. i. 30. 2 Cor. v.
the fear of falling away i Kings 19, 2r. Gal. iii. 13. iv. 4, 5, 6. Eph. i. 3,
vi. 13. Job viii. 20. Pfalm xv. 5. xvi. 8. 4» 6, 7. ii. 14. 16. Phil. iii. 21. Col. i.21.
xxxiii. 24, 27, 28, 31. Ixxxix. 33, etc. iii. 4, r ThefT. v. 23, 24. i Tim. i. 15.
xciv. 14. Ifa. liv. 10. Jer. xxxi. 3. xxxiii. Tit. ii. 14. Heb. i. 3. ix. 12, 26. i John
20, 21, 25,26. xxxii. 39. etc. Hof. ii. 19, i. 7« "• 2. iii. i, 2,5. Rev. i. 5, 13.
20. Luke xxii. 32. John vi. 39. xiii. i. 7. Places containing fvveet palTages
?iiv. 16. xvii. 22, 23, 26. Rom. viii. 35, which melted his heart. Gen. xxii.
.39. xi. 29. I Cor. xviii. 9. Eph. i. 13, 14. i, to 20. xxiv. 2, to 53. jcxxiii. 1, ro
iv. 30. Phil. i. 6. I Their, v. 23, 24. 2 >2. xliii. i, to 31. xliv. throughout, xlv.
Their, iii. 3. Heb. xiii. 5. i Pet. ii, 6. i throughout, xlviii. i. to 12. 1. i. to 12.
John iii. 9 v. 4. Deut. v. 22. to 30. Judges vii. 9. to 23.
4. Places that directed him in his par- Ruth ii. i. to 14. iii. throughout. 1 Sam.
ticular calling Job xxxiii. 23, 24. Ifa. xvii. 22, to the end. xviii. /, to 8. xx.
xlix. 4, 5. 1. 4. Iii. II. Iviii. i.lxii. 1, 6, 7. th.x)ughout.xxiv. i, to 20. xxv. 14, 1036.
Jer. XV. 19.xxiii.22. xlviii. 10, Ez. iii. 1, 2 Sam. xv. 10. to the end. Ifaiah Ivii. 15.
i8, 19, 20, 21. xxxiii. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, to 20. Jer. xxxi. 18, 19, 20. Jonah ii. i,
9. xxxiv. 10. Mai. ii. 7. Matih. x. 16, 17, to 8. Mark ix. 14. to 25. John ii. i, to 46.
A£ts XX. 20, 21, 23. I Cor. i. 5. xiv. i, 8. Places that in reading the fciiptures
12. 2 Cor. iv. 5, 6, 7.vi, 3, 4,5, 6yy. xii. he found fenfible comfort in. — Exod. xiv.
15. Phil. ii. 3. I Their, i. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13. xix. 4, 5. xxiv. lo. 11, 17. x.\xiv. 6, 7,
8, 9, TO, 1 1, 12, 13, 17. iTim. i, 4. iv.12. 8. Numb. xiv. 18. Deut. v. 29. x. 15. 1
5. Promifes that comfort him againft Sam. xxx. 6. 2 Sam. xii. 13. 2 Kings xx. 5.
outward crofTes. Exod, iv, 31. xxiii. 2 Chron. ii. 12. xv. 4. xx. 21, 22, 27, 28.
25. Judges xiii, 23. 2 Chron. xxv. 9. Pfa. Job v. n. 17, 18. 19 xxxiii. 25. 26. Prov.
xxiii. I, 2. xxxvii. 25. cxjx. 165. Prov. i. iii. 12. Pfalm xxvii. 13, 14. xxxi. 7.xxxvii.
33. iii. 8, 10, Ifaiah Iviii. 8, Dan. vi. 16. 1, 108, 32, 33, 34. Ivii. throughout, cxix.
Luke xxi. 18. John xvi. 33. Rom. i. 17. 2 103. cxxxviii. 7, 8. cxxxix. 17, Ifaiah xxix.
Cor. iv. 17, 18. 2Tim. ii. 12. Heb. xiii. 5, 19. xxx. 18, 19. xl. i. 2, xlii. 3. xlviii, 18.
6. I Peter iii. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. iv. 12, xlix. 2, 13, 14, 15, 16. Iii. 9. liv. 7, 8, 9, 10.
13, 14, 15, 16, 19. Rev. ii. 10. Iv. 7. xvii. 15, 16, 18. Jer. i. 9. xxxi. 3. 9.
6. Places that hold forth his privileges 20. Hofea vi. i, 2. xi.8. Micah vii. i8, 19.
in Chrift, above all the wicked in the world. 20. Matih. v. 11, 12. x. 26, 28, 29, 30,31,
Gen. iii. 15. vii. i» 23. xii. 3. xv. 6. 32. Mark ii. 17. Luke vi. 22, 23. Rom.
xxvi. 4. xxviii. 14. xxxii. 28. Exo. ix. 4, viii. 18, 31, 32. 2 Cor. vii. 6. Eph. v. 8.
5, 6. Numb, xxiii. 21. xxiv. 5, 6. Deut. Col. i. 13. iv. 3. 2 Tim. iii. n. Heb. x.
xxvi. 18, 19. xxxiii. 29. i Sam. xii. 22. 2 15, 36, 37, 38. xii. 5, 6, 7, 8. James v.
Chro. XV. 4. xvi. 9. Job v. 19. to 27. Pfa. 20. i John iii. 12, 13.
xxii. 7. xxxiii, 18, 19. xxxiv. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 9. Places hard tobeunderllood, of which
etc. Ifaiah ix. 6. xl, 31. xii. 10. 14, 15, 16, he defired and endeavoured after rcfoluti-
17, I 8. liii. It. liv. 1 1, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17. on, as (amongft the reft) all the titles of
Jeremiah xxxiii. 8. Lam. iii. 32. Ezek. xi. the Pfalms, efpecially of thcfc Pfalms, iii,
iv.
S52
HEADING the WORD,
IV, V, Vl, Vl'l, Vll' XXM, XXX, XXXIV,
xxxviii, xxxix, v., ^ x.., xivi, 1, liii, Ivi, Ivit,
Ix, Ixxii, Ixxxviii, xc, xcii, cxix,cxx, etc.
lo. .Other fevcral heads hath he noted
in his private little book, which only I (hall
fet down for others imitation: as (i.)
Places that hold forth experiences (or the
word written in our hearts) as the beft
commentary. (2.) Places that hold forth
divers points of religion, that a Chriflian
may infallibly reft on, 'and live and die in
the aflurance of them. (3.) Places that
juftifie a precife refpe£l of the leaft (in.
(4.) Places that (hew the godly have fuffer-
-ed all forts of crolTes, reproaches and
flanders. (5.) Choice fentences, or me-
morable fayings. (6.) Promifes of the
churches flouri(hing in the laft times.
But above all, thofe which concern our
own particular, I efteem moft precious,
and of fingular ufe.
§.9. Of the ufe ofthefe colle^ions,
THE firft head was, Places that in
reading, he found rebuke of cor-
ruption in his nature or praflice : the ufe
hereof is to open his eyes, and to let him
lee the anatomy of his corruptions, and
plainly to perceive what things are in his
nature, that God hath a quarrel againft ;
fo that now it is time, that as fuch a one
is guided by the finger of God to know his
corruptions, fo he (hould go to the Spirit
of God for mortification.
The fecond head was, Places that hold
forth comforts againft the burden of his
daily infirmities, inward temptations, and
alfliaions of fpirit : The ufe hereof is,
when fuch a particular temptation comes,
to eye the promifes, and to betake the
foul unto the Lord for fuccour promifed:
this is the voice of faith, * Be of good cou-
rage, here is a word of comfort, and there
is help enough in heaven ; the devil may
thruft fore at thee, but he (hall not get the
vi6>ory, for God is with thee \ no quefti-
on but for thefe fins the Lord beftows on
thee a pardon of couife, only be vigilant
and watchful at all times, in' »fl' place?,
upon all occalion", againft all fins, with
all the degrees thereof, efpecially againft
fins of conftitution, calling, company, cor-
rupt education :' indeed, this is the pro-
perty of faith, both to reft on the pro-
mifes, and to keep waking, for nothing is
more wifely fearful than faith, nor more
cautelous and circumfpeft than holy fear.
The third head was, Places that eftablKli
hisheartagainft the fear of fallingaway: the
ufe hereof is, in cafe of any fuch doubt, to
learn and think upon thefe precious places,
that we may be fettled in believing our per-
feverance. This will encourage and quic-
ken us in our Chriftian courfe, ftabiilh us
in well-doing, and hearten us againft the
greateft difficulties : their objection, who
fay, The doftrine of afTurance of not fal-
ling away, doth fet open a door to all li-
centioufnefs, is moft falfe ; for the more
afliirance of falvation in a man's foul, the
more fear and trembling in a man's courfe;
he who is beft allured, hath moft power of
God's Spirit, and the ftronger the Spirit
of God is within, the more holinefs and
fruits of grace are without.
The fourth head was. Places that di-
rected him in his particular calling : the
ufe hereof, is to confider the feveral texts,
as the crowing of cocks, which ring in his
ears : When wilt thou arife.' why tarrieft
thou folong ? why ftirreft thou (o flowly ?
See how the fun rejoiceth as a giant to lun
his race, why then doft not thou Iharpen
thyfelf to the work which God hath laid on
thee ? it may be thou mectel^ with many
troubles, difgraces, oppofitions; but what
then ? is not this God's command ? is not
this a fervice to the Lord Jefus ? doth not
the Lord alfift ? and is not he pay-maftcr
fufficient ? it may be thy labour is in vain,
thy work is without fruit ; and what then ?
Is not thy labour thy duty : and good iuc-
cefs God's work, what haft thou to do
with thoughts about the blclfing and fuc-
cefsof thy labours.' look thou to thy duty,
view
REAT> ING
view the texts well, and obey them, and
leave the bleffing of thy endeavours to the
good will and pleafure of God : lay afide
all care of the event, and roll thy burthen
upon the Lord, who will fuftain thee :
Thus thcfc texts cry upon him to fubmit
to God's dircOion, and to depend therein
upon his help and alliftance. This is the
double duly we all owe, r. Toaskcounfel
at the word, and to follow the determi-
nation of it ; for a true heart is ever obe-
diential, fubjeftingitfelf to the will ofGr>d,
as the ru4e of holinefs, acknowledging Lis
fovereignty, fubfcribing to his wifdom as
moft abfoiuie, and to his ways as moft
true, juft, and merciful. 2. To put over
all our bufinefs into God's hands, in a man-
ner out of our own, trufting in him for
ability to work, and for good fuccefs to
come by them.
The fifth head, is, Promifes that com-
forted him againft outward crofles : the
ufe hereof, is, to live by faith in afdifti-
ons ; for then is faith in thefe promifes the
only ftay and fupport of the heart: / had
fainted, unU/s I had believed tv fee the good-
nefs of the Lord in the land of the living :
this is my comfort in mine afftioiion, for
thy "word hath quickened jne, Pfalm xxvii.
13. cxix. 49, 50. In daily and lighter
trials, a man of a mild and patient tem-
per, may hold up the head ; but when
one deep calleth unto another, and the
waves flow over our head, when nature
yieldeth, and the heart fainteth, then to
fland faft, and be of good courage, is the
only property of faith, which is grounded
upon the rich mercy of God made over to
us in thefe precious promifes. I cannot
deny, butdiftrult many times wrings from
a chriftian fuch voices as thefe. Were it a-
ny thing but this,I could bear it ; but now
if in confcience of his impotency, he will
feek to Chrift to make him able, and he
will fallen himfelf upon him by a true and
lively faith in thefe promifes, he may find
Ihengih enough, through his might, whcre-
. .; Z z
the WORD, 353
by to bear that comfortably, which other-
wife be may find mofl intolerable. Faith
drives a man out of himfelf, as not able to
bear the leafl crofs as he ouglu, and thro'
the power of God, it enableth him to bear
that beft with which God is pleafed to try
him .
The fixth head, is, Places that hold forth
his privilege in Chrif>, above all the wick-
ed in the world : the ufe hereof is, i. To
believe and to rejoice in them : All thefe
privileges are mine, will a foul fay, the
Lord ha,th given them for my portion, how
then fliould I glory in God, triumph over
death, fin, and hell, through my Saviour?
2. To live unto him who hath bellowed
them on the foul : And now, O Ifrael,
(after all his kindnefs) what doth the Lord
require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy
God, and to love him and ferve him with
all'thy heart, and to keep his command-
ments ? Deut. X. 12, 13. Oh (faith the
foul) how fliould I now think much of
Ghrifl ? and fpeak much of Chrifl ? and
converfe much with Chrifl ? and do much
for Chrifl ? and fuffcr much for the Lord
Jefus Chrifl I and if I cannot do much,
how fnould I defire and will to do much,
which is accepted as if I did it ? how
fliouId I continually go to him, to enable
me to do more, than of myfelf I can do ?
na}'^, how fhould I mourn and lament for
what I have not done*, either through want
of ability or will ? this is the ufe of fuch
glorious privileges, to believe in Chrifl,
and to live unto Chrifl, 2 Cor. viii. 12.
The feventh head, was, Places contain-r
ing paffages that even melted his heart:
the ufe hereof, is to call fuch paffages to
remembrance in times of mourning, only
be fure that our affeflions prove fpiritual,
and not merely natural : I make no quef-
tion but David's longing after God, Pfalm
Ixii. I, 2. his panting after the word,Pfalm
cxix. 140. his delight in the fweetnefs of
it, Pfalm cxix. 103. his trembling at God's
prelence, Pfalm cxix. 120. his grief for
the
354
the breach of his law, Pfalm cxlx. 136.
•were fpiritual affefVions ; for they were
raifed by fpiritual objefts, foit is good for
us tofee 10 our affeftions that they be raif-
ed by fpiritual obje(51:s, and then they prove
fingularly ufeful ; it may be indeed that
when a chriftian perufeth over again the
feme texts, he fhall not have the like ope-
ration as before : all the goldly fhall find
by their ovvn experience, that thofe inftruc-
tions, reproofs and confolations, which
at fome times awaken, wound and revive
their fpirits, at another time move them
nothing st all^ fometimes the fpiritual
fcnfe is benumbed, and they hear only by
the hearing of ihe ear, Job xlii. 5. but at
other times, when thofe fenfesare awaken-
ed, they tafte, and fee, and feel the fame,
and confequently are affefled, as Job was
in that place, chap. xlii. 5. fo if at any time
we find thefe meltings flirred in us by a
fpiritual object, and that they are anfwer-
able to God's dealings with us, then we can
rejoice or mourn feafonably,when God calls
us to either,Ecclef. vii. 14. I take this to be
an holy and happy ufemadeof thofe places.
Now the eighth head,was. Places, that in
reading.he found fenfiblecomfort and ravl-
fliingofheart in: Theufehereof isnot only
for prefent, but whiles he lives in any dif-
trefs, for then he may have recourfe to thefe
places, astofomany wells of joy ; and if, in
this grief, one, or two, or ten will not com-
fort him, yet it may pleafeGod that fome
of them w ill have fpirit and life in them ;
befidcs, it cannot but marvellouflyeftablifti
his faith, when he remembers in how many
tliftincfl: places of Scripture the Lord was
pleafed to comfort his foul.
The ninth head, is. Places hard to be
underflood, of which he defired and en-
deavoured after refolution : the ufe here-
of is fpecified in the very title itfelf ; and
the refolution of the hard texts cited (viz.
(hofe titles of fevcral Pfalms) was by in-
duftry found out thus.
Pfalm iii. The title is, A Pfalm of David,
READING the WORD,
•when he fled from Abfalom his fon.
In which three things are contained, r.
The author thereof, David king of Ifrael,
who compofed it. 2. The kind of the
Pfalm ; which word [Pfalm] is a word
generally applicable to all thofe fpiritual
hymns, without particular application to
the ceremonies of perfons, time, or man-
ner of finging, as many others are : It was
ufually delivered to the whole quire, o»
the fabbaths and feflival days, to be fung
by voice, and to be fitted to the inflruments
ufed to be played upon in the temple.
3. The expreffion of the time, and occafi-
on of the compofing thereof; /". e. when
he fied from Abfalom : the fiory is fee
down, 2 Sam. xv. Many were the troubles
wherewith this good king was affiifted, ef-
pecially after his fin in tije matter of Uriah,
but never any fo grievous, as to be driven
out of his own kingdom by his own fon,
and his fubjecls to fall away from him,
and to follow his enemy, that fought his
life and throne.
Hereupon he makes his forrowful com-
plaint to God in this Pfalm, and appoints
it to be fung in the church for his owncom-
fort, and infiru<Stion to himfelf and the
whole church, in fuch times of calamities.
And to this his pathetical moan, he joins
this word Selah, as a note of the attention
of the mind, and fiop or paufe in the fong..
For underfianding the meaning and \\{&
of the word Selah, note, that Selah is an He-
brew word, and lignifiesas much as Amen,
for eveXffernper, in fempiternum, in feculoi
<i2C. eis ton aiona, in aeternum.
Hierom oblerves, that the Jews ufed
one of thefe three words at the conclulion
of their writings or fentences, or, in the
end of their prayers, Amen, Selah, or Sa-
lem, which figniries, peace : and 'tis noted
to be a word to exprefs an affirmation, or
giving afient to that which is prayed, or
(aid, as Amen is, or elfe it imports a
wi(h, vow or delire that the thing ipoken
be cirtain or may be loj? ever, /. e. that it
may
READ ING the IVO R D.
^55
may be performed : and it is to be noted,
that it is ufually placed, when fome fpeci-
al thing, worthy atter'tion or obfervation,
is fpoken or delivered, or fome defire to
be performed, whether it be in the end, or
in any fentence of the Pfalm, prayer, eirc.
that by ^ little flop or paufe of the breath,
the matter, worth or excellency of the
thing may better be confidered : and you
fliall not find it in any part of the Scrip-
ture, faving in the Pfalms, and the prayer
of the prophet Hab?kkuk, ch. iii. 3. where-
upon it is obfervedby Drnfius and others,
to be a word of note, ufed in thofe ditties
and mufick, to make a Hop or ftay, that
the matter uttered may be better minded
of the hearers, either to affirm it by their
aflent, or to defire /the performance of
what is fung by that interraiilion, which
feems to be moll: probable, becaufe the
Greek tranfla'tors of the Hfbrew Bible ex-
prefs the word Selah^ by the Greek word
Diaflima, which fignifies a flop or inter-
miffion, and Cq} comrs to be ufed in the
Pfalmody, and is rithmi commutatio, a
change of the note, or, vicijjltudo canendi^
or, as fome lay, alterlus fenfus exordium.
Pfalm iv. To the chief tnufician on Ne-
ginoth, a Pfalm of David.
The meaning is this, The kingly pro-
phet David compofed this Pfalm, and de-
livered it to be fung and played in the
congregation to him that was the chief o-
ver-feer, mafter, and fet over the reft of
that mufick or confort, upon the inftru-
ment called, Neginoth, which founded by
playing on with the hand : to underftand
this the better, we may obferve, that fome
inftruments ufed in the JewiHi temple were
pneumaiica, windy, fuch as founded by
breath, and motion of the fingers, as, or-
gans that are blown by bellows, and all
hollow inftruments, as, trumpets, rams-
horns, cornets, (isc. fuch as the priefts and
Levites ufed in the holy ordinances, from
the Hebrew word Nechiloth, which ligni-
fieth, bored through or holloiu.
Z z
Others were pulfatilia, fuch as were
played upon with the fingers only, either
by a quill, or otherwife ; as the harp, dul-
cimer, <bc. and bad firings and of this
fort was the inftrument in the title of this
pfalm, called Neginoth ; now to every one
of thefe feveral kinds of inftruments, there
was one who excelled therein, appointed
overfeer, or chief of the confort, and to
direft thofe under him in the fong, as there
was of fuch as were the fingers alfo for the
fong: hence it is that the pfalm being com-
mitted to be fung to tlie mafter of that or*
der, 'tis faid, To the chief mufician, cr, to
him that excelleth : a pfalm of David.
Pfalm V. To the chief mufician upon Ne-
chiloth, a pfalm 0/ David,
The title of this pfilm may be under-
ftooc' by that which is faid in the title of
the fourth pfalm, differing in nothing but
in the name of the inftrument, which were
one of thofe that were hollow, and found;
ed by breath, as the Hebrew word fhews,
as afore, <i:;c. Some of the Hebrew writers
fay, it was a mufical inftrument, whofe
found was like the buzzing of bees, or, ia
regard of the multitude ol them which are
like an army for number, and for that the
mafter of that quire was appointed to pray
for all Ifrael, as for all the armies of the
Ifraelites againft the armies of their enemies
that came againft them in multitude and
noife, like a fwarm of bees ; thereupon he
gives the title. Super exercitus pfalmus
Davidis, <Sc. but unproperly, the title hav-
ing no conformity with the fubftance of
the pfalm, nor is it approved by our inter-
preters, 6-c. but the firft followed.
Pfalm vi. To the chief mufician on Ne-
ginoth upon Sheminith, a pfalm of Da-
vid.
The meaning of this title may be un-
derftood by that which is faid afore in the
fourth pfalm, faving that here is added, up-
on Sheminith,lihat is, it was played with the
eighth tune, note, or flrain, and fung with
a very clear and high voice j we may bet-
2 ter
35^>
R EA D I NO the WO R D,
tcr nnderftand it by what is faid, i Chr. xv.
1 1 . Mattithia, Eliphakh, and others were
fet over the bafe and tcnov, which is the She-
mhiith, or the eighth, or Diapfan, as mu-
ficians'caUit fo, tiie meaning is; this pfalm
was to be ordered by the chief mufician of
that confort, to be fung and played upon
the inftrument Neginolh, with the highcft
and utmort ftrain of found and voice, or
inftrumcnt often firings.
Pfalm vli. Shiggaion of David, -which
he fang unto the Lord, concerning the
ivords of Cufo the Benjamite.
This was a pf^m of David, fung accor-
ding to an ordinary fong, the beginning
whereof was Shiognio?j, for 'tisufual with
us alfo to make fongs to be fung according
to the tune of feme others that were made
before.
Tremellius and fome others, from the
Hebrew word, which [\c;a\^ts errare, <bc.
titles it, Ode erratica, a wandering fonnet,
becaufe it is mixt, and confifts of divers
forms anddiliinctions of voice and found,
in playing artificially joined to complete the
mufick, as we fee refembled in prick fong.
And where it is faid, Concerning the words
cfCuJh, it (hews the occafion of the pfalm,
namely, "I'hai \shen David was moft un-
julUy Ilandercd by his enemies, and efpe-
ciallyby Culh, etc. he makes his complaint
to God in this pfalm, defiring him to re-
venge his innocency, etc. and to be deli-
vered from the perfccution of Saul and his
flatterers, fuch as this Culh was ; [lVords~\
\. e. Jcciifutions, etc. Who this Culh was,
is doubtful. Hierom aiiirms it to be 'Saul,
and gives his reafons for it: others, which
I think is more probable, think it to be
lome courtier of Ethiopia, whom Saul en-
tertained in his court, and was his fpccial
favourite, as if he had been of his family
or Itock ; for Culh is the name of, and ta-
ken for Ethiopia ; this man, for hatred a-
cainlt David, and flattery towards Saul,
Valfly accufcd him to Saul, and pradlifcd
all the mifchief he could againft him.
Pfalm viii. To the chief mufician upon Git-
tith, a pfalm of David.
The title of this pfalm is diverfly given,
fome thos. To the chief Mufician, pro t'.r-
cularibtts, for wine-preffes ; as if it was a
prayer for fruitfulnefs of that fri it. O-
thers, that it was compofed by David in
the city of Gath, when he was banifhed :
others, that that kind of inflrument was
invented and ufcd there : that which is moll
probable and agreeable with the fcripture,
is, 1 hat Gittith was an inflrument which
Jediithun and his poOerity, being chief of
the third clafs, or order of mufi«.ians, uf-
ed to play upon, tlie cuftody whrreof was
committed to Obtd-Edom the Gittite, and
his family, that was of the poflerity of Je-
duthun ; who for liimielf and his brethren,
for his time, minifli ed and ufed them in the
holy fervice, i Chron. xvi. 37, 38.
Pfalm ix. To the chief mufician on Muth-
Labben, a pfalm of David.
71f«//;-L^/'t'<77 was the beginning of a tune,
after which this pfalm was to be fung by
the quire, which contains a thpnl-: /giving
for his vicflory, and for the death of Goli-
ah, the champion of the Phililtines agai-nfl
Ifrael ; therefore fome read the ritle thus,
Magi^lro Syniphoniae de jnorte illiui bella-
toris, i. e. Goliah, etc. which typically is
applied to Chrifl, as a fong of joy of the
church and faints of God, for Chrifl's tri-
umphant victory over the tyranny of Sa*
tan, and his kingdom of lin, and death :
fome divide the words, and make \.1f://,6
labben two diflin(n: words, arid make the
fenfe to be this, t^i^ori, fuper mortem fi-
///, Pfalmus David, as if David had made
it for the death of his fon, as Selden ; which
fenfe Auflin miflikcs, and yields his rcalbns
for the former, arguing from the fubflance
of the pfalm, in that he mourned, and re-
joiced not for his Ion's death, therefore the
lirfl fenfe is bell.
Pfalm xvi. The title is, Michtam of Da-
vid, i. e. /^golden or excellent pfalm.
The meaning is, it is^ a pfalm made by
Da-
READING
David, "to be fung after a certain tune,
named Michtam, well known among the
Jews, which for the excellency, is compar-
ed to gold, the beginning of which tune
was Michtam ; or elfe it is taken for a mu-
fical inftrument of fpecial efteem amongfl:
them .
Pfalm xxii. To the chief mnjician on Ai-
jeleth Shahar : i. e. The hind of the
morning.
Some take Jijeleth Shahar, to be the
name of fome common fong, or to be the
beginning of fome ordinary tune, accor-
ding to which this pfalm was fung ; tliat's
the Geneva note, which may be fo ; but
Tremellius, Lyria, and divers, take it to
be otherwife, and better as 1 think, who
interpret thofe words, in, or at the dawn-
ing of the day, as you would fay, between
break of the day and fun-riling; becaufe,
at thit time, the comfortable light or flaine
.of tl^e day begins to break forth.
The meaning of the title being this, Da-
vid made this pfalm, and appointed it to
be fung in the church by tr.e priefls and
Levites every morning, fo foon as the day
brake out ; at which time it was by the
law and cuitom their duty toexercife their
minirtry in the quire, and to ling pfalms,
1 Chron. ix. 3;^. which fervice the Lord
would have to be done by the churchy that
rheir faith and espc(!T:arion of Chrift might
daily be renewed and had in memory; the
prophecy of whole kingdom and fuiFerings
are rcprelented in this pfalm, looking (as
the day fprings from on high) that Chrift
ftiould vilit them.
Plalm XXX. Title, l4 pfalm or fong of Da-
i.'id, at the dedication of the houfe of
David, which he compofcd to bje fung
at the dedication oj his hou/e.
AVhich title iheweth the occafion of this
fong, and time when it wns ufed, which
was at fuch a time as he had built and fi-
nilhed his honfe of cedar upon mount Zi-
on, which many good authors think pro-
bable, and follow.
the WORD. 357
Or elfe, when he was returned to his
houfe again in fafety, after Abfalom in
his rebeiiion had profaned it, and defiled
it by his incefluous wickednefs with his fa-
ther's concubines; and fo to purge it from
all uncleannefs, he dedicates it to the Lord,
praying him to fanflifie and make it holy a-
gain, that it might be blelTed and acceptable
to himfelf, 2 Sam. xvi. 22. which is the
opinion of learned Tremellius, and the
matter of the pfalm ferves to imply as much;
for it was a cuftom prefcribed by the law,
Deut. XX. 5. that whofoever had built a
new houfe, he lliould dedicate it unto the
Lord, fever it from wickednefs and finful
abufe, or (as you would fay) make God
the landlord thereof.
And this dedication imports three things.
(i .) That the builder fl-sould devote it un-
tq^God, to teflify that he would ufe it to
holinefs, and not to profane or finful uf-
es. (2.) To teftify his thankfulnefs for
the work finilhed. (3.) To offer prayers
and lacrifices, that God might continue and
confer his blefTings upon them in it.
Plalm xxxiv. A pfalm of David, -when he
changed his behaviour before Abime-
lech, and he departed..
The title (hews the occafion of the pfalm,
rather than the ceremony thereof: the flo-
ry is (tt down, i Sam. xxi. 13. the fum
is, David flying from Saul to Achiih, king
of Gath, who h. re is called i^bimelech, for
his fafety, but being drfcovered by thofe
about the king, and thereby in fome dan-
ger, he changed his behaviour, mutavit
gefluni fuu?n, fome vultum, meaning that
out of policy, to free himfelf, he feigned
a diftemper, as if he had been mad before
Abimelech, who after fent him away, and
fo he elcaped the danger he feared, and
thereupon makes thib plalm of thankfgiv-
ing for his dcli\ erance : and it is to be not:-
ed, touching the name of the king, that
here he is called Abimelech. which was a
common name to all the kings of ihat coun-
try, as Pharaoh was to the Egyptians, Ce-
i'ajT'
338
READING the WORD.
iar to the Romans ; and in Samuel he is
called Achifh king of Gath, which was his
•more proper name.
Pfalm xxxviii. Title, A pfalmof David
to bring to remembrance.
A pfalm which David made to be fung
by the quire upon the Sabbath, after the
Lord had afflifted him with ficknefs, and
grievous chaftifements, to puthimfelf (and
others of God's children in like cafe) in
remembranceof his fin, which caufed them ;
(which fome think was the matter of Uri-
ah) and to admonifli him of God's good-
nefs, who had 4|pl'vered him from thofe
punishments, and pardoned his fin.
Some apply this to the agonies of Chrift ;
and his powerful victory over fin, death, <bc.
Pfalm xxxix. Title, To the chief mufi-
cian, even to Jeduthun, a pfalm of Da-
vid, \_Magifiro Symphmiae Jeduthun.
This pfalm was compofed by David,
and appointed to be fung and played on
inftruments to Jeduthun, even to Jedu-
thun, i. e. To that excellent mufician,
who for the excellency of his (kill, was the
chief of his order, and father to thofe of
his fiock, which prophefied with a harp, to
give thanks and praife to the Lord, as i
Chron. xxv. 3.
Pfalm xlii. Title, To the chief mufician,
Ma/chily for the fons of Kcrah.
A pfalm committed to the fons, i. e. po-
ftcrity of Korah, of whom it feems Heman
was chief, for the third clafs, or order of
thefe muficians, to whom the holy fcrvice
belonged, i Chron, xxv. 5. All thefe were
vndcr the hand of the father, viz. Heman,
who fung in the houfe of the Lord, with
cymbnls, pfalterics and harps, <bc. that it
might not only be kept, but fung by them
in the tune beginning with the word Maf-
chil, that both the fingers and hearers might
be infirufted in the matter thereof, accor-
ding to the fignification of the word.
Some think the pfalm was made by the
fons of Korah, after his rebellion againft
Mofes J to whom, after their repentance,
<bc. God gave the fpirit of prophecy, where-
by they made divers pfalms, whereof this
was one, and therein foretold things to come
of Chrifi, <bc. which conceit Augufiine mif-
likes, neither doth it agree with the matter
of the pfalm ; befides, the Hebrew letter
Lantech, being prefixed to note the dati\ie
cafe, ff evvs it was made by David, for them
to aft by their mufick, and not of them ;
and that David in his baniihmerrr, to fhew
his grief and zeal for the houfe and tem-
ple, and to quicken his f .ith and confidence
in God for his comfort, made this pfalm
for his own and the churches inllruftion
in the like calamity, and delivered it to
Heman and his fons, to beufed in the fong.
Pfalm xlv. Tide, To the chief mufician,
Shopyannim., for the fons of Korahy
Mafchil, a fang of loves.
Shofhannim, wps an inftrument amongfl:
the Jews, which had fix f>rings, according
to the lily that hath fix leaves or ftem?,
thereby called Hexachorda, upon which
inftrument this pfalm was delivered by Da-
vid to be fung to, and played to by Korah
and his pofl:erity ; it begins with the word
Mafchil (as afore) i. e. To give inJ}ru£iion
to God's people touching the fpiritual mar-
riaoe and love betxveenChrifi and his church,
whereofSoloraon's marriage with Pharaoh's
daughter was a figure and type ; and like-
wife to ftiew the perfeft love that OLight
to be between the hufband and wife ; hence
called, A fong of loves, not unlike to So-
lomon's Canticles : and fome put this dif-
ference between a fong and a pfalm, that,
where no inllrument, but the voice only
is; this, the contrary : the fong is, when
the infirument begins, and the voice fol-
lows; a pfalm, when the voice or ditty be-
gins, and the inftrument follows. -
Pfalm xlvi. Title, To him that excelleth
upon /Jlamoth, or the chief mufician,
for the Jons of Korah, upon Alamoth.
Some underfiand this Alamoth, to be the
tune of a fong ; I take it otherwile, after
the bell expofitions, to be meant of an in-
ftrumcnt,
READING the WORD.
359
Urument, not a tune, the meaning being
thus much, a pfalm committed by David
to be fung, and to him that was chief of
the Tons of Korah, to be played upon the
in ftrument called y//aw(?/^; for, i Ghron.
XV. 10. it is exprefly faid, that Zachariah
played with pfalteries upon Alamoth, and
then they played firfl upon that inftrument,
and fo then fung the pfalm or ditty.
Pfalm I. Title, A Pfalm of Afaph,
Some think it is fo called, for that Afaph
was the author of it, having the gift of pro-
phecy, which is but a weakreafon, becaufe
all the reft were indeed endued with a pro-
phetical fpirit as well as he. Auguftine and
other learned divines, take it to be fo called,
not for that Afaph made it, but becaufe it
was committed to him and his pofteriiy to
be the fiRgers thereof, i Ghron. xxv. 2.
Pfalm liii. Title, To the chief Mufician
upon Mahalath Mafchil.
Hierom thinks Mahalath to fignifie a
tune of the whole quire or company of
fingers, and that David committed it to be
fung by the whole company of Levites,
6'c. But others better take it to be an in-
ftrument, fuch as was made to found by
breath and blowing, by reafon of the hol-
lownefs thereof; the reft is expounded
before.
Pfalm Ivi. Title, To the chief Mufician
upon Jonah, Elem Rechokim, Michtam
of David, when the PhiliJ}ines took
him in Gath.
The words of this title in the original,
have a double fignification. and may be
interpreted either metaphorically, a dumb
dove, for fo Jonah fignifieth ; in a far or
firange country ; fo Jerom : or more pro-
perly, for a foul-fuffering violence in a far
country-, for howibever ufually the firft
word is interpreted, Columba,i\ dove, yet it
is taken alfo in the other fenfe properly,
and in its natural fignification for foul- fuf-
fering violence ; in both which fen/es Da-
vid applieth this title to himfelf in his great
diftrefs : Fop David by a metaphor, com-
pareshimfelf to dumb doves in a far coun-
try ; becaufe when he was driven out of
Judea, his own country, by Saul that
foug-ht his life, and from the worlhip of
God, and forced to flie to Gath amongfl
the Philiftines, yet with patience, meeknefs
and filence, efcaping, he neither fought
revenge, though it was in his power,
nor (hewed any impatience, but betook
himfelf in filence unto God, as if he had
been dumb, and mourning like a Dovej
and we may apply this Pfalm to Chrift,
of whom he was a type.
Or, which is better approved by Junius,
he referreth it (which fenfe the words like-
wife bear) to the foul-fufFering violence,
enclofed by a band or multitude of Phili-
ftines, enemies both to him and his God.
Some read the wwds. To the ma/ier of
the harmony, which is all one in fenfe, aj,.
7<f him that excelleth, or chief mufician-,
Michtam of David', i. e. The excellency
of this pfalm is as precious as gold.
Pfalm Ivii. Title, To the chiefmufician,
Altafchith Michtam of David, whetr
he fled from Saul in the cave, or into
the cave.
The general notes on this title intimate,
that the words are either the beginning of
the fong, Deftroy not, or elfe words ut-
tered by David in his extremity, ftaying
and bridling his palfion, cSrc. Michtam of
David', as if hefhould fay, This was the
golden or excellent fonnet which David
compofed and delivered to the Levites to
be fung, and after the tune of the pfalm
beginning with Altafchith, when he was ia
fome wonderful fear and danger of death
in the csive of Adul/am ox En-gedi, whither
he was driven by Saul, and To compalTed
about by his guard, that he faw nothing
but death >n the cave, or deftrufiion if
he came out, and thereupon prayeth,
that he would not Deftroy, i. e. fuffcr hint
to be deflroyed, which was the occalion of
this : See the ftory, i Sam. xxii. xxiv.
Pfalm ix. Title, To the chief Muficiaft
36o R KA D IKI G the WO R D.
upon ^huJhan-Ediith, Michtam of Da- was the beginning of a fong, after which
vid, to teach when he Jtrove -with Aram he would have the Pfalm lung, as fome
"' ' • ^ /f--;- '/.L.L -.i„.. think, or eife fome inftrument to which
he would have the tune of it played and
fung ; and for the excellency of the mat
Naharaim, and Aram Zobah, when
J cab returned and fmote of Edom in
the valley of Salt, twelve thou/and.
Shu(han-Kduth is either the name of
fomeinftrument to he played upon in fing-
ter contained therein, would have them
preferved for a form of complaint unto
ing this pfalm, or the beginning of fome the church, in any private or lingular di-
fong fo called according to the tune where- fliefs (as in this I'faim) or in the time of
with David would have this pfalm fung; aHUaion, or in perfecution of church or
or Michtam, i. e. an excellent fong which common-wealth, as in the next.
may be fung either upon the inftrument
or tune Shiijlmn-Edulh, or that oi Alichtarn.
Some titles havie it jnagiftrofymphoyiice in
hexachorda, and then it fignifiesan inftru
And it is to be noted, that fome fkilful
in the holy tongue,affirm the Hebrew word
Mahalach to be of divers fignifications ;
fignifying both a mulical inftrument, or a
ment offerings, upon which David would quue and company of muhcians, or in-
have this Pfalm played, to teftifie unto the firmity ; according to every of Mhich ac-
whole church his faith, and the benefit of ceptations it may be taken in this place,
his viftory given him by God, againft the and applied to the inftrument fo called, to
Aramites of Mefopotamia, and the other be lung by the whole company of the Le-
Aramites that inhabited Zobah, for which vites, as well by voice as playing, in times
caufe the word, in teftimoniiim, is put in of afflidrion of that people or oihers;
that title; for further explication of the Pfalm xc. T\i\e, A prayer of AUfes the
words declaring' the time and occafion of man of Cod, \. t. A Pfalm of prayer
the making this, fee the ftory, 2 Sam. viii. made by Mofes.
and I Chron. xviil. It is thought this Pfalm or prayer was
Pfalm Ixxii. Title, A Pfalm for Solo- made by IMoles for hmiftlf and the people,
7non, or of Solomon. at fuch time as the fpies came back from
Kot that Solomon made it, or was the viewing the land of Canaan, murmuring
writer thereof, but that it concerned him, and bringing an ill report thereof, for
or was compofed on his behalf by his fa- which the Lord threatened that they ihould
ther David, when being ready to die he not enter into the land of promife.
commends his fon Solomon, created king, Pfalm xcii. Title, A Pfalm or fong for
*r.(^^A ^-r the labbath day.
to UOU, ■LiC. . ' i \ r
Pfalm Ixxxviii. Title, A Pfalm or fong This Pfalm was made to be fung and
for the fons ofKorah, to the chief run- ufed in the fervice of God in the alfembly..
fician upon Mahalach-Leannoth, Ma- upon the fabbath day, when the people
fchil of Neman the Ezra hit e. met for the publick exercifes of the church.
Heman and Ethan were brothrt-s, en- Some Hebrew writers lay, it was made
ducd with an excellent fpirit of prophecy by Mofes, in ctkbration of the memory
and wifdom, wherein they were compared of the creation ; there is no Author there-
with Solomon, i Kings iv. 31. Heman was of exprcired in the title. _
the Author that compoled and made this This Plalm for the labbath, and cxui,
Vfilm and Ethan the next PHilm, and cxiv, cxv, cxvi, cxVii, Pfalms, which the
commuted them to be fung and played to Jews call their Hallelujah, or Praifes of
the fons of Korah, to the chief of that God, were fung at the paifover, and are
company, upon JNIahalach Leannoth, which the pfalms or hymns which are mentioned
* in
READING
Sn the gofpel, which were fung during the
celebration.
Pfalm cxlx.
In this cxix Pfalm, we find nolefsthan
ten feveral names or appellations, whereby
Divid expreiFeth God's revealed will; fome-
times he calls it God's Law, fometimeshis
"Way, fometimcs his Word, fometimes his
Precepts, Ibmetimes his Commandmenis,
fometimes his Judgments, fometimes his
Statutes, fometimes his Promifes, fome-
times his Righteoufnefs, fometimes his
Teftimonies; but above all, notable it is,
that there is not oneverfe (excepting one,
viz. ill.) in this long Pfalm, containing
according to the Hebrew alphabet, two
and twenty oftonaries, where we may not
find one or more of thefe ten words or
names; hence we may gather, if David
were fo exaft throughout the Pfalm, that
in every diviflon, according to the letters
22. and in every fubdiviflon, every verfe
beginning with the (elf- fame letter, he flill
makes mention of fome one or more of
thefe, fo many appellations : O then, how
were his affections inkindled, how was his
love inflamed towards God's holy word !
Pfalm cxx.The Title, Afong of degrees.
The title of this Pfalm hath more relati-
on to the ceremony and manner of ring-
ing, than to the matter and contents of
the Pfalm, and I do not find fo many dif-
ferent opinions touching the reafon of the
title in any other, as in this.
Some luppofe this and the 14. others
next following to be fo called, for that
they were fung in fome high and eminent
place: fome refer it to the extenfion or
lifting up of the voice in finging, or rifing
of the tune, that they might be better
heard of the people ; fo Calvin : fome, that
they were fung by the priefts and Levites,
after the form and melody of fome known
and erteemed fong, beginning with this
title: fome latter expofitors conceive no-
thing to be meant hereby, but the excel-
lency of the pfalms above the rcfl, becaufe
A a
the WORD. 36 f
thofe places are accounted chiefelh where-
unto we doafcend by Degrees; therefore
the word is ufed in the plural number
[Degrees] as being choice epigrams, as one
would fay, Moft excellent fonnets; btcaufe
the Hebrews ufe to exprcfs the fuperlative
degree or excellency of a thing, by fub-
flantives of the plural number, as here, /i
forg of degrees, i. e. an excellent fong; fo
the Canticles of Solomon, caJled A Son ft
of fongs, i. e. excellent ; fo the Lc^ is
called, the God cf gods, Deul. x. 18. Lord
of lords, Revel, xix. 16. i. e. without all
comparifon, above all other Gods or Lords:
Daniel called him, A 7naH ofdefires, chap.
ix. 23. /'. e. to be efleemed or defired a-
bove others; in this fenfe Junius takes it ;
others think they were compofed for pfalms
of thankfgiving, at the return of the Jews
frjjm their captivity in Babylon ; and in
that Jerufalem was fituated amongft hills,
whencefoever they came, they mult rife or
afcend to come at it, as they do that climb
up an hill ; thefe fongs therefore were ap-
pointed to be fung at evfry afcent and
cleft, as the places they went up did ari!"e;
and for this caufe called Pfalms of degrees.
Carolus Siggonius de rep. Hebreeorum
(whofe judgment is more to be approved,
as more agreeable to the truth) under-
flands them to be fo called, for that they
were fung by the priefts and Levites, up-
on the feveral flairs that went out of the
great court or porch where the people were,
into the higher or inner part of the temple,
whither none but the pi lefts might come;
and in ISehemiah ix. 4. mention is made
of the flairs iu her cot the Levites flood in
the folemn fiafls, crying unto Cod, etc.
■ For Solomon in building the temple of
Jerufalem, made certain terrefies, ftairs or
(teps rifing one above another, 2Chr.ix.i i.
by which the priefts and Levites went up
from that outward and great open court or
room adjoining to the temple, 2 Chr. iv. 9. '
where the people prayed, brought and at-
tended thefacrifice, called, Johnx. 29. So.
a lomcn'i
,h62 R EylD IJSi G the WO R D.
lomon's porch, or the court of the people, other ftrange nations and tongues, to
becaufeit was open to all the people, into an whom we and our language is unknown
higher room or place in the temple, called, and unheard of.
The inner court, or Lord's houfe, 2 Chro. Again, where in fome titles it is faid to
xxiv. 2 1. or Atrium Saccrdotale, becaufe he fung after fuch a tune, is no more but
none but the priefts mufl enter thither: as in our Pfalms it is faid. This is to be
now upon every feafl-day, the Levites, or Jung after or according to fuch a Pfalm,
they of them appointed for the fong, fung becaufe neither their nor our pfaltns have
thefe 15 Pfalms, upon each flair one, be- for every feveral pfalm a feveral tune, but
ing in number 15, as they went up into the tune of one is and may be referred to
that court of the temple, making a paufe another.
upon each (lair, from whence they had the Thus much of fuch hard places in the
title of P/^/wj of degrees. pfalms, as the weak ChriiVian fpoken of,
ThisceremonySvas ufed then asan out- defired and endeavoured after refolution
ward means of preparation to the worflnip- in: for other difficult places of fcripture,
ping of God, to admoniih all people to do becaufe they would too much enlarge this
it with chcarful hearts renewed and lifted book, I purpofely omit them.
up to him by faith, from whence Cyprian
obferves, that in the church-liturgy of his
time, the deacon called upon the people to
lift up their hearts unto God, ufing this
fpeech, Surfum corda.
Obfervation.
§. TO. Of the analyfis of the -whole Bible ^
and efpecially (as in thefirft place) of
the Old Tef lament.
IN reading of the fcripture (Section 4,)
we fpake of an analytical table, that fo
It may be obferved, that in titles many we might the better mark the drift and
things feem ftrange, and hard unto us, be- fcopeof the holy Ghofl, and that we might
caule we know not, nor do the latter Jews with lingular eafe and delight remember
of thefe times thcmfelves know,the particu- the fame : To this purpofe 1 have annex-
lar inflrumcnt, form of fingingjor the tunes ed this analyfis, i . Of the whole Bible. 2.
ufed /;/ fpecie, whether they be the fame Of the feveral parts of it.
that we ufe in thefe days ; or fome refem- The whole is divided into two Tefia-
blance of ours, in refpeft of the playing ments, the Old and the New.
by the hand, or by breath ; as decern-
chorda^ an inllrument of ten firings, is
a refemblance of the lute we ufe, <bc.
I. The old Tedament Chrift divides in-
to (i.) the Law, and (2.) the Prophets.
I. The law which is in the pentateuch
Cymbals, of our cornets, <bc. otherwife or Five Books of Mofes, comprehended in
we know no more of theirs, than our this verfe,
fongs, tunes or inflruments are known to
Genefis, Exod. Levit. Numb, and Deuteron.
Wherein is, i. The objeft of the Law, to
v.'hom it was delivered, viz. To the church, in
its original, in Geneds.
2. The promulgation of the Law, which was
delivered cither jointly, as the Law ccclefialHcal
and civil, in Exodus : or feverally, as the Law
ecclelialHcal and civil, in Leviticus j, and the Law
political, in Numbers.
5. The repetition of the Law, after once de-
livered, in Deuteronomy.
II. The proplicts ; which are
(l .) Hidorical, declaring time part, as Jofliua,
Judges, Ruth, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehe-
miali, ElHier.
(2.) Dogmatical, inflruding for faith and lik
pre-
READ ING the WO R D.
prefenl, as Job, David, Proverbs, Ecclefiafies,
Canticles.
(3.) Prophetical, foretelling things to come,
as Ifaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Da-
niel, Hofea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, iMicah,
Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zaclm-
riah, Malachi.
As for Efdra, Tobit, Judith, and the reft of
thofe books commonly called Apocryphal, tho'
they be not ofdivine infpiration, yet they may and
ought to be read by all Chriftians, as containing a
variety of good diredions, and giving great light
into fome places of the Bible, by letting us know
the ftate of religion in thofe times.
SECT. XL
§. I. Of the Pentateuch or Booh of the Lamj.
G E N I S I S treats of the church, to whom
the law was to be delivered.
Genefis contains i. The creation of the church ;
and therein
1 . Oi the great world in which it was to live,
chapter r.
2. Of the leffer world, man, of which it was
to be his happinefs, ch. 2. hismifery, ch. 3,
If. The coniHtution of the church, which
muft be confidered as it was in two worlds :
1. The old world before the flood ; wherein
confider the propagation of (in, and puniHament,
chap. 4. the confervation of the church, chap. 5.
tlic condemnation of the wicked world foretold,
ch. 6. executed, ch 7.
2. The new world after the flood, in the ages
of four men,
1 . Noah ; in whom confider his deliverance
from the deluge, cha. 8. his blefling from God,
ch. 9. his poftcrity, as united, ch. 10. as difperf-
ed, out of which God chufe his church, ch. 11.
2. Abraham; in wiiom confider his vocati-
on in the former part of chapter J2. His pere-
grination (i.) Into Egypt, in the latter part of
ch. 12.(2.) Into Canaan, ch. 13. His dealings or
actions I. With Lot. ch. 14. 2. With God, who
pro'.nifed himifliie, c. ij.Cavehima child, c. 16.
and made his covenant with him : Of wliich cove-
nant confider, i. The form, ch, 17. 2. The fruit,
I. On God's part, iii the communication of his
counfcls and fecrets, ch. 18. his benefits, in dc-
A a
S6:
livering Lot, ch. 19. Succoiuing Abraham, c 20«
Giving him ifaac, chip. 21. 2. On Abraham's
part, who is commended for his obedience and
faith, in offering up ifaac, chap. 22. for his love
and jufHce in burying Sarah, ch, 23. for his pro-
vidence and piety in marrying llaac, chap. 24.
3. ifaac; in whom cor.fider his iffue or kind-
red, ch. 25. Lis travels and troubles, chap. 26.
His prophecies concerning the flate of the church
in his two fons, ch. 27, ^
4. Jacob ; in whom confider his peregrination,
I. Into Mefopotamia, v.'here note his journey
thither, ch. 28, His arrival and marriage, chap.
29. His riches and children, ch, 30. 2. Into
Canaan, where note hjs journey thither, and ar-
rival there, c. 31. His congrefs with Efau, c. 32,
33. His progrefs with grief in Dinah's rape, ch.
34. Rachel'sdeath, ch. 35, 36. Jofeph's felling,
ch. 37. Judah's inceft, ch. 38. 3. Into Egypt,
whither went (i.)His fons Jofeph, in whom his
A,ffli(flion, ch. 39,40. Dignity and preferment,
c. 4T. The other brethren, ch. 42,43, 44. (2.)
Himfelf ; wherein note his fending for by Jofeph,
chap. 45. Travelling thither, chap. 46. Abode
there ; where his conferring,^^ ch. 47. Blefling, ch.
48. Prophefying, ch, 49. Dying, ch. 50.
§. 2. EXODUS treats of the laivgh'wg to
the church generally Ecclefiaflical atid Po-
litical together. »
Exodus contains, I. The deliverance of the
people to whom the law was to be given, ch. i.
1 . The occafion of it, The tyranny of the
Egyptians.
2. Inftrument by whom efFe(5ted (Mofcs) of
whofe Birth, chap, 2, Calling, chap 3. Aflifiant,
Aaron, ch. 4. Sayings to the King of Egypt, ch.
5, 6. Signs which he wrought in Egypt confirm-
ing his calling, ch. 7. Confounding the Kiiig, ch.
8, 9, 10, 1 1.
3. Deliverance itfdf, wherein the people's de-
parture out of F.gypt, ch, 12. Ratification of it
by figns and obfervations, ch. 13. their pafTagc
through the Red-fea,ch. 14. Thankfgiving after
they went over, ch. 15.
4. Coifequents of their deliverance, i. Pro-
vifion of vi-tuals and necuiraries. Quails and
Manna, ch. 16. 2. Defence and protedion from
their enemies Amaltkitcs, chap. 17. 3. Admi-
a 2 niftia-
>6| READIN
niftratioD of jufticc by Jethro's counfcl, ch. i8.
II. The delivery of the law itfelf unto the
j^cople ; wherein coufidcr, i. How it was given
by Cod (i.) The preparation before it, ch. j^.
(2.) Parts or kinds of it, i. Moral, in 2 tables,
ch. 20. 2. Judicial, ch. 21, 22, 23. 3. Ce-
remonial, fearts, ch., 24. Tabernacles and inflru-
iDcnts, ch. 25,26,27. Priefts and their garments,
ch. 2P, to 5 r. JI. How it was taken and obey-
ed by the people, i. Moral law, (i.) Their tranf-
greflion in the golden calf, ch. 32. (2.) Reconci-
liation to God by Mofes 'sprayer, c. 33. (3.) Re-
iHtution of the law by the finger of God, ch. 54.
2. Ceremonial ; wherein is fet down the building
ot the tabernacle, fiSWi 3 j, to the end.
^.5. LEVITICUS treats of holy ohfcrvations
and perf'j}u.
1. Sacrifices, or offerings ; i. their Sorts or
kinds, diftinguifhed by their matter, of which
Amvialia, or living creatures, ch. I. iKaniniaHa^
pr inanim-.Uc creatures, ch. 2. Occafion for which
:hcy were 1. CJood things from God, ch. 3. 2.
£vil things from men, ch. 4, 5. 2. Rites, ch. 6,7.
]I. Perfons, and thcfe i. Publick, viz. the
pricils their Confccrating to their office, ch. 8.
Execution of liieir office, ch. 9. tranfgreffion in
tlicir olhce, ch. 10.
2. Private, in refpcd of their fandificatlon.
( 1 .) Particular, of one man; where obferve the
ways whereby he is polluted viz. (a) eating,
ch. II. (b) child-bearing, ch. 12. (c) leprolle,
chapters 13, 14, (d) Jlux, ch. 15.
(2.) Common, of the whole church.
)/?, In things necelFary, about which confider
(l.;The laws which concern either Purification for
fins ordinary, ch. 16. extraordinary, ch. 17, or
information of their lives; (a) Oeconomical, about
marriage, ch. i8< (b) Political, about their car-
ri.jges, chapters 19, 20. (c) Ecclcfiaflical ; which
laws confider either perfons, ch. 21. or things,
ch. 22. or times, as days, chap. 23, 24. years,
ch. 2J. (2.) Obligation of thefe laws, by pro-
mifes and ihreatcnings, ch. 25.
2dly, In things voluntary, ch. 27.
\, 4, NU MBERS. Of the lanvj,for niofi
i'art, political, occafioned by the Tjinjtering of
G the WO R D.
the people for then journey toCanaan.
Numbers. This flory contains,
I. Their preparation to the journey, whcrctn
note I. their mullcring, or numbering,- which was
either civil, of the people that were i' umbered,
ch. I. ordered, ch. 2. or facred, of the prieffs
that were numbered, ch, 3. ordered, ch. 4. 2.
Laws given them, which are either common to
all, about fandity in things necc/Tary, chapter 5.
things voluntary, chap. 6. or particular, for the
laity ; viz. The tribes, chap. 7. ind the clergy ;
viz. the prielfs and Levitcs, chap, 8. 3. Manner
of their fandification and order, ch. 9. their pro-
grefs or journey.
II. Their journeys, which are di^mguifhed by
a flory of eight murmurings of the people, i. for
the tedioufnefs of their journey, ch. 11. 2. for
loathforanefs of the manna, ch 11, 3. for the
emulation of Miriam, and Aaron againli Mofes,
ch. 12. 4. for the fedition of the Ipies, who
murmured, ch. 13. were plagued, ch 14. re-
conciled, chap, 15. 5. fcr the conipiracy of the
three Levites, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, ch.
16. 6. for the indignation of the people ai the
former judgments ; wherein their murmuring, ch.
17. their reconciling perfons, cha. 18. manners,
ch. 19. 7. for want of water, chap. 20. 8. for
wearifbmnefs of the way, ch. 21.
J II. Their {Ration or abode when they came
to Canaan, which hath two ftories that concern,
1. The people who were to inlK:rit, conii-
dercd in a fixfold manner, (i.) as conquerors of
their enemies, ch. 22. (2.) as encouraged by ma-
gic arts, Balaam, chapters, 22, 23, 24. (3,) as
difordefed with idolatry and fornication, ch. 2J.
(4.) as reconciled, and again mu!tered,c. 26. (5.)
furnifhcd with a new prince, c. 27. (6.) inilrut'ted
about facred things, either neceffary, chapters-
28, 29. or voluntary, ch. 30.
2. The inheritance itlelf confidercd, i. In a
part of it, as conquered, chap. 31 as dilpofcd,
ch. 32. wliere, by digreflion, theirjourneys are
reckoned all together, chapter 33. 2. In the
whole, wherein are letdown, \Ji, The bounds or
divilion of the land, chap. 34. idly, the Law,
concerning the inheritance of the pricfts, ch, 35.
of thep;;ople, ch. 36.
S. DEU^
T.EAD ING the IFO R D.
Z(>5
of the parliament, cha. 23. (,^.) Death of Jo/liua,
§. Z> EUTE R NO M T is a repetithfiofthe chap. 24.
(^. 2. JUDGES: Story of the Jews under the
Government sf Judges.
Judges contains
I. The occafion of that government, ch. r, j.
ir. Narration of the peoples Hate, ( i .) Under
Governors, Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, cha. 3. De-
borah, cha. 4, 5. Gideon, ch. 6, 7, 8. Abimelech,
ch. 9. Jephtha, ch. 10, 11, 12. Sampfon, ch. 13. to
i6. (2.) Without Governors ; wherein of their
nwni^rou^ fins and civil wars, ch. 17.
Lan.0.
I. Preparation of the people to receive the law
by Mofes, (i.) by a rehearfal of God's blciiings
to them in peace, ch. i . (2.) Good fuccefs which
they had in war, chap. 2,3. (3.) Council, chap.
4' 5-
II. Promulgation of the Law given to the peo-
ple, chap. 6, 7. 8, 9, 10, n. (i.) By the pro-
pounding of it; (2.) By the expounding of it :
oamely,
\Ji, The Moral Law Generally, and Specially,
chap. 12, 13.
2fl'/v, The Ceremonial Law, cha. 14, 15, 16.
3r//)', The Judicial Law, as it was either Com-
mon to all, cha. 16. or Singular, for priefts, ch.
28. for people, cha. 19. for war, cha. 20. for civil
juftice, ch. 21. to ch. 27.
in. Confirmation of the Law after it was given
(l.) By figns, chap. 26. (2.) By promifes, and
threateaings, cha. 28. (3.) By renovation of the
covenant, chap. 29, 30. (4.) By the elcdion of a
new captain, cha. 31. (5.) By prophecies, chap.
32, 33-
IV. Conclufion of all, by the death ofMofcs,
chap. 34.
Hitherto of the Law : Now of the prophets,
which p.re either Hidorical, callc"d the Anterior
proplicts : or Doctrinal, called Hagiogfaphae ; or
Prophetical, called Pollerior propliets.
SECT. XIL
§. I. Of prophets Hijhrkal. JOS HUA.
Jofliua contains
I. His calling to the Government, ch r.
II. His a^5ts in his Government :
1. Intimeofwar; where note (i.) The fend-
ing of the (pics, ch. 2. (2.) Their miraculous
paffi.^e over Jordan, with the confequents, ch. 3,
4. 5« (3 ) The bclieging and winning of Jericho,
ciiap. 6, 7. (4.) Winning of Ai, cha. 8. (5.)
Covenanting with the Gil-)eonites ignorantly, ch.
9. (6) Vi^^fory over five kings, ch. 10. (7.)
Battle with the remnant of the Canaanites, ch. 1 1 .
(8.) all repeated, ch. 13.
2. In time of peace ; where note (r.)Divifion
of the Land, cha. 13. to 21. (2.) Difmiflion of
the Tranf-jordiani, cha. 22. (3.) Gelebratioa
\. 3. RUTH a Moab'ttijh 'wanan ; Of her
Piety.
Ruth contains
I. Her converfion, ch. i .
II. Her converfation, ch. 2.
III. Her marriage, ( I.) procured, ch. 3. (2.)
Celebrated, ch. 4.
§. 4. Hitherto of the State of the Je^jJs under
JUDGES.
Now under kings till the captivity.
I. As the kingdom was united, in books of Sa-
muel, where kings are (1.) by Eledion, i Sam.
(2.) Succelfion, 2 Sam.
II. As it was divided, in the books of Kings,
under Solomon, i Kings. Other kings ; 2 Kings.
III. As it was in both ftates, more fully con-
fidered in the books of Chronicles.
§.5. FirJ} Book of SAMUEL.
Jews ftate under kings Eleft.
1 Samuel contains
I. The time of change of Government in Sa-
muel's days ; w.hofe birth isdefcEibcd^ ch. 1. and"
part of ch. 2.
II. Occafion of the change ; viz. wickcdnefs,
(l.) Of tisc fons of Eli, which is threatened, ch.
2, 3. punillicd, ch. 4, 5,6, 7. and (2.) of Sa-
muel's, fon,. ch. 8.
III. Story of the kings; (i.) Saul; i/?. Of
whole eledion, as he was called, ch. 9. confir-
medby inauguration, ch.io. Byconfcntofihepeo-
ple.ch.ii. By refignationofSanuK-l,ch7 12. 2d/yy
Of Saul's rejedion ; with the true caufe of" ir^
ch. 13,14,15. (2.) David; i. his pollerity,
viz. his vocation w I1I5 kingdom, ch. 16. his
viilory.
366
READING the WO R D.
vi<5bory,ovcr Goliah, ch. 17. (2.) David' adver-
fity ; viz. \Ji, His exile and banifhment, (a) the
caufe ofit,ch. 18. (b) the kinds of it, viz. in his
own country, ch. 19, 20. out of his own country,
amon^lY Philiftines, ch. 2 1 . amongft Moabites, ch .
22. 2^/v, David's perfecutions ; wherein (i.) the
grievoufnefs appears both by the diverfity of places
whither he fled,ch. 23, to 27. and by the flight
to his enemies with whom he lived, ch. 27, to 30.
(2.) The end of them, ch, 31.
§. 6. Second Book of SAMUEL; under the
Succefjive kings.
2 Samuel contains
I. The tidings oi'' Saul's death, ch. i.
II. The unlawful Succefibrof Saul, Iflibofheth,
whofe promotion, ch. 2. Dejection, ch. 3, 4.
III. The true fucceflbr (David) whofe inaugu-
ration.ch. 5. his good government,(i .)In religious
things.ch. 6, 7.(2.) In war, ch. 8.(3.) in political
things, ch. 9, 10. his bad government, where
J. His fins committed, ch. 11. 2. Confefled, ch.
12. 3. Punifhed with judgments internal and ex-
ternal, ly?, Internal, or domelHck punifliments,
as Amnon's inceft, ch. 13. and Abfalom's Sedition;
"whereof the occafion, ch. 14. Beginning, ch . 15.
progrefs, ch. 16. Iflue, ch. 17, 18, 19. '2.dly,
External and publick, i. The kinds of it, as, Se-
dition of Zeba,ch. 20. and famine, ch. 21. 2.
The events of it, Good, as, Thankfgiving, ch.
22. Prophecy, ch. 23. Evil, ch. 24.
§.7. KINGS.Tivo Books treat of the kiugdotn
as divided.
I Kings contains
I. The Incrcafe of the kingdorH under Solo-
mon, wherein (i.) His inltitution to be king,
ch. I. (2) Confervation in the kingdom, ch. 2,
3. (3.) Adminiflration of it : wherein his glorying
in his family, chap. 4. Buildings, chap. 5, to 9.
Riches, ch. 10.
II. Decreafe : i. OccaI>on or caufe, r/::. Sins
of Solomon, and juftice of God, ch. 11. 2. Be-
ginners of it, as authors of the divihon, Reho-
boam and Jeroboam, ch. 12, 13, 14. Their
fucceffors, whofe reigns are handled briefly, ch.
15. more largely, from ch. J 5. to the end of
the book.
§. 8. Secojid Book of KING S ,- of the Decreafe
of the Kingdoms of Ifrael and Judah.
2 Kings contains
I. Their continuance or defe(flion together,
(i.)Ofthe Kings of ifrael apart, as Ahaziah.ch. i.
Joram, chap. 2, 109. Jehu.ch. 9, 10. JoaOi, ch,
11,12. Jchoaz Joas, cha. 13. (2.) Ofboili
kingdoms together, ch. 14. to 18.
II. A fpccial ftory of the defeflion of the
kingdom of Judah, (i.) Their decay, ch. 18. to
22. (2.) Their repair, chap. 22, 23. (3.) Their
final dcftru«5lion,ch. 24, to the end.
§. 9. Firf CHRONICLES.
I Chronicles contains
I. The beginning of the kingdom of Ifrael, i.
Genealogie ol the world from Adam to Jacob,
ch. I. 2. Particularly of the nation of ifraeHtes
in twelve tribes, ch. 2, to 9, II. The adminiftra-
tionofthe kingdom, i. Under Saul, ch. 9, 10.
2. Under David, whofe entrance and a(!ts arc
defcvibed.
I. David's entrance into his kingdom, his inau-
guration, ch. II. His followers, chap. 11, 12.
Care of religion, chap. 13. Confirmation in his
kingdom, chap. 14. 2. David's ads, (i.) In the
progrefs of his reign, his good ads, for religion
and God's fervice, ch. 15, 16, 17. War, ch. 18,
19, 20, 21. his evil ads, chap. 21, (2,) To-
wards the end of his reign, in his old age, fuch as
if. His courfes again for religion, ch, 22, to 26.
2dly, His order for the common-weal, cha. 27.
3d'/)', The parliament a little before his death,
and events of it, ch. 28, 29.
§. \o. Second CHRONICLES.
2 Chronicles contains
I. The Increafe of the kingdom under Solo-
mon,(i .)His virtues,ch. l.(2.)His buildings both
facred, ch. 2, to 7. and civil, ch. 8. (3.) His con-
dition and death, chap. 9. II. The decreafe in
the reign of Rchoboam, ch. 10, il, i'2. Abia,
ch. 13. Afa.ch. 14, 15, 16. Jofaphat,ch. 17, 18,
19, 20.Joram,ch. 2 i. /Ihaziah, ch. 22. Joafli, ch.
23, 24. Amaziah,ch. 25. Uzziah,ch. 26.Jotham,
ch. 27. Ahaz, ch. 28. Hezekiah.ch. 29, to ^3.
Manafleh, Amnon, cha. 33. Jofiah, ch. 34, 35.
Jelioahaz,Jehoiakijii,Jehoniah, Zedechiali,ch. 36.
§. II.
READ INC the IFO R D.
367
§. II. EZRA, of the Ret urn of the pcfh
from Babylon.
I. Ofthe m.innerof it, chap. 1,2. II. Of the
end of it ; viz. Reftoring of religion and govern-
menc, ch. 5. III. Of the hindrance, i.Raifedby
the Samaritans, ch. 4. By the governors of the
land of Canaan, ch. 5. 2. Removed by Cyrus,
ch. 6. and by Ezra, of whofe journey, cha, 7, 8.
Reformation which he wrought, ch. 9, 10.
§. 12. NE HE MI AH treats of
I. The repair of the buildings, i. Thecaufes
of it, ch. 1,2. 2. The work itfelf which was
begun, ch. 3. hindred, cha. 4, j, 6. iinilhed, cha.
7. II. Reformation political and ecclefiailical,
chap, 7. to 14.
§. 13. ESTHER contains a /lory of a tiiira-
culous deliverance of the Je~vs.
T. The means of it, wz. Efther cha. i, 2. II.
The manner of it. i . The greatnefs of the dan-
ger, ch. 3,4. 2. The Degrees of the deliverance,
ij}, The interceiTion of the queen, ch. 5. 2dly,
Fruftrating the advice of Haman, cha. 6, 7. 3^77;',
Confirmation of the deliverance, i . Revoking the
decree, cha, 8. 2. Punifliing adverfaries, chap. 9.
3. Peace of the Jews, ch. 10.
Hitherto of the Books Legal and Hiflorical :
Kow of the books Dogmatical, or Sapiential,which
concern either a fingular fubjed:, as Job; or a
common fubjedl, as David's pfilms ; Soioraon's
proverbs, Ecclefiaftes, Canticles.
SECT. XTII.
Of Prophets Dogmatical^
Job contains
I. A dialogue ; i . The occafion. Job's prof-
perity, chap. i. Job's adverfity, ch. 2. Job's (in,
ch. i{. 2. The forts, and foobferve the fpeech-
cs of ly?, The d fputants, Eliphaz, cha. 4, 5. Job,
ch. 6, 7. Bildad, ch. 8. Job, ch. 9, 10. Zophar,
ch. II. Job, chap. 12, 13, 14, Fliphaz, chap. 15.
Job,ch, 16, i7.Bildad,ch.r8.Job,.ch. 19. Zophar,
ch. 20. Job, ch. 21 Eliphaz, ch. 22. Job, chap.
23, 24. i^ildad, ch. 25. Job, ch, 26,10 32. 'idly.
The moiicrators, i. Ellhu, ch. 32, 33. 2, God,
ch. 34. 1041.
II. An Epilogue, ch. 4 2t
§. 2. The P SAL M S are, by the Hebrews di-
vided into jive books.
I. From Pfalm i. to the end of Pfalm 41. con-
cluded with Amen and Amen.
II. From Pfalm 42. to the end of Pfalm 72.
fliut up with Amen and Amen.
III. From Pfalm 73. to the end of Pfalm 87.
clbfed with Amen and Amen.
IV. From Pfalm 90. to the fnd of Pfalm
106. ending with Amen, Hallelujah,
V. From Pfalm 107. to the end of Pfalm 150.
concluding with Hallelujah.
This divifion feems to arlfe from the peculiar
clofe of thefe five Pfalms. Others divide them
into two parts, viz. fome direfled from man to
God, as the praying and thankfgiving pfalms ;
fome direfted from God to man, as the exhorta-
tory, confolatory, didadlical, prophetical Pfalms.
^ 3. PROVERBS contains rules of life.
I. General, about piety, wherein i. What we
muft do, chapters i, 2, 3, 4. 2. What we muft
avoid, ch. 5, to 10. II. Special, and fo the life
of man is informed by all fort of rules, pohtical,
oeconomical, moral, ch. 10. to the end.
§. 4. ECCLESIASTES treats
I. Of the vanity of all earthly things, proved by
Solomon's obfervations in his own el late, ch. i, 2..
and conditions ofall forts of men, ch. 3, to 10. W.
Rules to be obferved ia this vain life of ours, ch,
10, II, I2»
§. J. CANTICLES. Defcriptionofihelovt
'tivi.^t Chrif and his Church..
In fpeeches ( i . ) 'Twixt Chrift and church, ch. i .
(2.) Church and Chridjch. 2. (3.) Church, ch 3,.
(',.) Chrift, ch. 4, (5.) Church, cli. 5. (6.) Church,
and Chrift, ch. 6. (7. Church, chapters 7,8.
Thefe are the books dogmatical : Now follow,
prophets, four greater, and twelve Itfler,
SECT. XIV.
§. I. Of prophets prophetical.
I S A I A H conti liiis prophecies
1.. Legal, I.. Reproving and corrc(5liiig fins^ of
the Jews, chapters i. to 11. With comfort to
36S REy^DING the TFORD.
the eleit, cli. II- to 12. 2. Threatening, ijl, by Ghridin vifions,fromch. 40, to the end,
Enemi-s of God's people, the particular nations
threatened, ch, 23,1028. The general ufes of §. 5. DAN/EL conlaim
thcfe threatenings, ch. 24, to 27. 2dly, ifraehtes, I. Anhlftory of the thin;;s done in the kingdoms
ch. 28. 3.//)', Jews themfelves, whofe captivity both of the Babylonians and Perfians, ch. i. toy.
IS denounced with mixed comforts in Chrift, ch, |I, A prophecy of things to be done ; i.
29, to 36. 11. Hidotical, chapters 36, to 49. Many calamities to be executed, ch. 7, to 12. 2.
III. Evangelical, (i.) concerning their Deliverance Final deliverance and glory of the clcfl, ch. 12.
from, and prefervation in captivity, chapter 49,
to 50. (2.) Kingdom of Chrift, about which he
makes eight fermons orfpeeches. i. Of Chrilt,
chapters 40, 50, Jl. 2. Of God, ch, p. 3.
Of the prophets expounding i. the ftory of Chrill,
53. and 2. the fruit of his kingdom, ch. 54. 4.
Of God, promifingi ch. 4J. Exhorting, chapters
56, 57. 5. Of the prophets reproving hypocrify, Confbhuion, ch, 11, to 14
chapters 58, 59. Exciting the church, ch. 60.
6. Of Chrift, chapters 61, 62. 7. Of the church,
cIiaptcKs 63, 64, 65. 8. Laftlyof God, ch. 66.
§. 6. HOSE A is
I. Parabolical ; and fo the prophecy is pro-
pounded, cha. I. Applyed, ch, 2. Repeated, ciia.
3. II. Plain; and fo is cither, i. A com-
mination or inve<5live, in three fermons i. in cha{).
4. 2 in chap, j, 6, 7. 3. in chap. 8, 9, 10. 2.
^. 2. JEREMIAH contains
I. A prologue concerning the prophet's calling,
ch. 1. II. Sermons i concerning the Jews cither
in Judea, in the reign of Jofiah, ch. 2, to 21.
Zedechiah, ch. 21, to 25. Jechoiachim, chap-
iters 25, 26, 27. Zedechiah again, ch. 28, to
25. Jechoiachim again, ch. 3J, 36. Zedechi-
ah again, ch. 37, to 43. Or in Egypt, ch. 43,
to 46. 2. Concerning the enemies of the Jews,
ch. 46, to 52. 111. An epilogue hiftorical, ch, 52.
§.3. LAMENTATIONS eontahis
The mournings of the church, ch, i . Prophet,
ch. 2. Church, ch. 3. Prophet, ch. 4. Church,
ch. J.
^.4. EZE KIEL contains
I. The preface^ which concerns i. God, and
his majefty, ch. i. 2. The prophet and his fear-
fulnefs, ch. 2. bis conlirmution, ch. 3. II.
Prophefies thetiifclves, which contain i. Objur-
gation, or reproof of the impiety of the Jews,
with their judgments, in 17 fermons from ch, 4,
to 25. 2. Comminations againft the enemies of
the Jews, in 8 fermons from ch. 25, to 34. 3.
I'xhortations and encouragements to the Jews,
to repentance and hope of delivery in fix fermons
from ch. 34, to 40. 4. Cohfolations in one
-conunued prophecy of their fpiritaal deliverance
§. 7. JOEL contains
I. A commination of famine, ch. i.
exhoitation to repentance, ch. 2. III.
folation to penitents, ch 3 .
ir. An
A con-
§. 8. AMOS contains '
1. A commination againft i. Enemies of God's
people, ch. I.' 2. Againft Jews and Ifraelites,
and that i. in plain words, againlt their idolatry,
chap. 2. their \-ioIence, chap. 3. their indignity,
pride, inhumanity, luxury, cha. 4, 5, 6. 2. In a
threefold type, chap. 7, 8, 9. II. A confolation,
from the 1 1 verfe of the 9 ch. to the end.
§. 9. OB AD I AH
I. Doth teflify to ver. 12. 2. Dehorts to ver. 17.
3 . Comforts, to the end of the chapter.
§. 10. JONAH
Firft, Dcfcribes the two callings of Jonas, i/?,
in the manner of it, ch. i, 2. /A, the effect of it,
prayer, ch. 2. Second, His fermons to the Ninc-
vites and their repentance, ch. 3. The efFeift of
their repentance in Jonah, chap. 4.
§. II. IM I C A H contains Five Sermons.
(i.) Threatening againft the whole kingdom,ch.
I, 2, (2,) Threatening againft the magiftratcs, ch.
3. (3.) Confolations in God and the MeHias, cha.
4, 5, (4.) Comnaination, ch, 6. (5.) Confolation
again, ch. 7.
§. .2.
R EJD JNG the WO R D.
%^'9
^. 12. NAHUM
He threatens dellrudion to the Aflyrlans, which
13 I. Propounded, ch. i. 2. The means (hew-
ed, ch. 2. 3. The caufe of tlicir fins, cb. 3.
§. 13. HABAKKUK
Contains, (i.) A dialogue betwixt God and the
prophets, chapters i, 2. 2. A prayer, ch. 2.
S.M^.ZEPHANIAH
Contains three fermons, viz, ( i .) A comminati-
dn.ch, I. (2.) An exhortation, ch. 2. (3.) A "liX"
ture of both, ch. 3.
§. 15. HAGGAI
Firfl, Exhorts to build the ten^ple, ch. I.
Secondly, Comforts with prophecy of Ghrift's
kingdom, ch. 2.
§. 1 6. Z £ CHAR I AH contaita
I. Types and vifions, ( 1 .) Hortatory, generally
to all the people, chapters 1,2. Specially un-
to the priefts, chapters 3, 4. (2.) Monitory, ch,
J', 6. (3.) Confolatory, chap. 6. U. Speeches
and fermons (T.)Do<flrinal, of things prefent, about
God's fervice, chapters 7, 8. (2.) Prophetical,
of things that concern Chrift's incarnation, chap-
ters 9, 10. Chrift's paffion, chapters 11, 12, J 3.
§. 17. MALACHT
(i.) Chides for perfidioufncfs in God's fervice,
ch. I. for pollution of marriage and blafphemy,
ch, 2. (2.) Comforts in the promife of Chrift,
ch. 3. and of Chrift his forerunner, ch. 4.
SECT. XV.
§. I. The New Teftament contains books i.
Hiftorical ; viz. Four Kvangciifts, and A(fls. 2.
Do<Slrinal; in epiftle? of Paul, James, Peter, John,
Jude. 3. Prophetical, in the Revelation.
The books, for memory's fake, are comprifed
in thefc four verfes.
Matthew, Mark, l-uke, John, and Adts ; tbefe
are books hilforical :
EpilHes, Rom, Cof. Gal. Ephef. Philip. Colof.
teach dochincs all :
Joyn Thv'fT. Tmiotl\, Tit, Phil, and Heb.
Hcb. )'-'^ =' • •■/"•'•' Cr:->r^ deny.
Bb
To doflrines (HII, Jamcj, Pot. John, Jude ;
Except Revel, 'tis prophecy.
Of books hUlorical. MATTHEIV fpeah
ofChrift.
I, In his perfon, as of his birth, ch. i. his e-
ducation, ch. 2.
II. His office, I, In his preparation unto his
office in his forerunner John Baptift, ch. 3. and
in himfelf, who was baptized, ch. 3, Tempted,
ch. 4. 2. Execution of his office, (i.) Prophe-
tical in teaching, whofe doftrine is briefly ex-
pounded, chapters 5, 6, 7, and largely expound-
ed and confirmed ; and fo he i/?, Teacbeth, and
confirmeth by miracles of all forts, ch. 8, to 19.
•idly. Reproves, and confuteth the doftrloe of the
fcribes and pharifees, ch. 19, to 24. 3<//v, Fore-
tells and prophefies the detlruftion of Jerufalem
and of the world, chapters 24, 2 J. (2.) Sacerdo-
tal, in his paflion, and facrifice for the fins of the
world, chapters 26, 27. (3.) Regal, in refpeft
of the beginning and manifelhition of it, ch. 28.
§.2. MARK treats
I. Of Chrift's life, and herein i. of his fore-
runner, ch. I. 2, Of his fayings and doings,
( I .) Before his transfiguration, and fo reports both
his oracles, ch. 2. and miracles, ch. 2, to 9. (2.)
In his transfiguration, ch. 9. (3.) After it, and
that before lie entred the city, ch. 10, In his
entrance, his difputation, ch, 12. His prediction,
ch. 13. H. Of Ghrift's death, where (i.) An-
tecedents before it, ch. 14, (2,) Manner of it,
ch. 15. (3.) Confequents after it, ch. 16.
§. 3. LUKE treats
I. Of Chrift's life i . Private, wherein ( i .) Con-
ception, ch. I. (2.) His birth and educ ition, ch.
5. 2. Publick, in preaching the gofpel, whcie(i,)
His preparation to it, ch. 3. (2) Performance
of it ; and that either alone, by teaching, ch, 4. by
doing, ch. 5. Or with others; viz. hisapoftles,
wloom he calls and inftrucfls, chapters 6- 7, 8,
fendeth, ch. 9. Seventy difciples, ch. 10.
II. Of Ghrift's death:
I. Antecedents of it ; where confider the things
he did, and fpake, (i.) In his journey to Jerufa-
lem, where he taught o{ inward worfliip of Cod,
viz. prayer, ch. 11. Faith, ch. 12. Repen-
tance, in caufes moving to it, ch. 13. Hinder-
b ing
370
READING the WORD.
ingofit, ch. 1.4. Effeifls of it, ch. 15. And
of outward worfhip, where i. What we muft a-
void, 172. Abufc of riches, ch. 16. Scandal, ch.
17. 2. What we muft do, ch. 18. (2.) When
he came to Jcrufalem, how he was received, ch.
19. Difpiited, ch. 20. Propheficd, ch. 21.
2. Tenor of his death, chapters 22, 23.
3. Confequents after it, ch. 24.
^. if. JOHN treats
I. Of Chrift's Perfon, ch. i. II. Of his office ;
which lie performed in his journey to three feafts :
I . Of the pafTover 1 . In Cana from whence he
Jent out, ch. 2. (2.) While he abode at the
fcaft, ch. ^. (3.)^ his return by Samaria, ch»
4. 2. Of pentecoft, where he cured the palfie,
ch. 5. and fed the people, ch. 6. 3. Of taber-
nacles, where note (i.) His coming to Jerufalem,
ch. 7. (2.) His abode there, his difputation,
ch. 8. Works, ch. 9. Sermon, ch. 10. (3.)
His departure thence, ch. ij. 4. To the cele-
bration of the true paffover, about his death,
where note,
i/?. What went before it, viz. ( i .) His deeds,
-as his entrance to the city, ch. 12- And wafh-
ing his difciples feet, ch. 13. (2.) His fpeeches.
At fupper-time, ch. 14. As they went to the
garden, fome monitory, ch. 15. Some confolato-
ly, ch. t6. Some fupplicatory, ch. 17.
idly, The manner of it, ch. 18, 19
20. (3.) Whither he came, viz. (i.) To Jc-
rufalem, and what befel him there, chapters 21,
22, 23. 2. To Ccfarea, and what was done un-
der Felix, ch. 24. Feftos, ch. 25. Agrippa,
ch. 26. (3.) At Rome, chapters 27, 28.
SECT. XVI.
§. I. Of the books docirinal. Epljile to the RO-
M A NS treats of
(r.) Juftification, chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. (2.)
Sanflification, ch. 6, 7, 8. (3.) Predcftination, ch.
9, 10. II. (4.) Good works, ch. J2, to 16.
§. 2. l.CORINT H lANS.
I. He reproves (i.) For fchifms and faiflions,
and hearkening to ambitious teachers, ch.i, 2, 3,
4. (2.) inceft and fornication, ch. 5. (3.) Going
to law,ch. 6.
II. He difputeth about (i.) Marriage, ch. 7.
(2.) Things indifferent, ch. 8, 9, 10. (3.) Sacra-
ment of the fupper, ch, 11. (4) Right ufe of
fpiritual gifts, ch. 12, 13, 14. (5.> Refurreflion,
ch. 15.
III. Heconcludeth about collefl'ons, and mat-
ters of falvation, ch. 16.
§. 3. II. CORINTH I A NS.
I. He apologizeth for himfelf againfl divers a-
fperfions, chapters 1,2, 3,4, 5.
II. He exhorteth them, (i ) to a holy life, and
3r//v, Confequents of it; viz. his appearance patience, fliunning needlefs fociety with the wick
to his difciples, converfing in Judea, ch. 20.
Fifhing in Galilee, ch. 2J.
§. 5. ACTS, Ahiforyoftheapofjlcs.
I. A general one of all, viz. (i.) Of their af-
fembling, ch. i. (2.) Of their gifts, chap. 2.
(3.) Of their fayings, ch. 3. II. A fpecial (i.)
Peter with John and others, chapters 4, j- (2.)
Stephen, chapters 6, 7- I3- Philip, ch. 6. (4.)
Peter alone, if. His miracles, ch. 9. Cidly,
Dodrine propounded, ch. 10. Defended', ch.
11. ^dly, Imprifonmcnt and deliverance, chap.
12. (5.) Paul, and his travels, i/?, W ith Barnabas,
chapters 13, 14. idly. With Silas, i. ofwhofc
Departure, whereof the firft council at Jcrufalem,
ch. 15. 2. His abode i. In Afia, ch. 16. 2.
In Crecia, ch. 17. 3. Return, ch. 18. o^dly.
For the Ephefians, where (i.) From whence he
Vitux, 18, to 23. (2.) By what place, ch. 19,
ed, ch. 6. (2.) to avoid judging ill of him, ch. 7.
(3.) to mercy and liberality, ch. 8, 9. (4.) to
fincere refpe<5t of him and his apoftlefhip, cha. 10.
II, 12.
III. Concludeth,ch. 13.
§. 4. G ALATIA NS.
(i.)He reproves their backfliding, ch. i. (2.)
Treats of juftification, ch. 2, 3, 4. (3.) Exhorts
to good works, ch. 5, 6.
§. 9. E P H E S I A N S treats
(i.) Of matters of faith, ch. i, 2, 3. (2.) of
works, ch. 4, 5, 6.
§. 6. PH ILIPP lA NS.
I. Narration, (i.) of his love to them, 2. His
Afflictions, 3. His Dcfire of death, ch. i.
II. He
READ ING the 1F0 R D.
r II. He exhorts i. to love and humility, ciia.
2. (2.) To warinefs and progrefs, a/Turancc and
fantflity, ch. 3.
III. He concludes with particular exhortations
and with general commendations, ch. 4.
§.7. COLOSS lANS treati
Of matters of faith, ch. i, 2. and life, ch. 3, 4.
§. 8. I. THESS ALONIANS treats
(i.) Of their converfion, ch. i, (2.) Of the
means of it, ch. 2. (3.) Of the fruits of this love
to them, and care for them, ch. 3. (4.) Diredi-
ons for dieir lives, ch. 4.
§.9.11. THESSALONIANS.
( I.) He comforts, ch. i. (2.) Heprophefieth,
ch. 2. (3.) He exhorteth, ch. 3.
§. 10. I. TIMOTHY.
(l.) He confutcth the erroneous do(5tors,ch. r.
(2.) He exhorteth about prayer and apparel, c. 2.
(3,) Informeth concerning the duty of biHiops
and deacons, ch. 3. (4.) Prophelieth of the laft
and evil times, ch. 4. (5.) Ordereth church-go-
vernors, ch. 5. (6.) Taxeth fevcral abufes,ch. 6.
§. II. n. TIMOTHY.
(i.) He exhorteth him to perfeverance, i/?.
In the duties of his calling, ch. i. 2dly, In Chri-
ftian warfare, ch. 2. (2.)Prophefieth, ch. 3. (3.)
Chargeth about preaching, and fo concludeth,
chap. 4.
§. 12. TITUS.
He treats of miniflers, ch. i. and hearers, ch.
§. 13. HEBREWS treats
I. OfChrift, and.fo (i.) of his perfon, in his
divine nature, ch. i . in his human nature, ch. 2.
(2.) his office, I. of a prophet, ch. 3,,^. 2. of a
pried, ch. 5. to 10. II. Of the duties of chrifli-
ans, and fo of faith, ch. ii. and of a holy life,
chap. 12, 13.
§.14. J A M E S treat!
(l.) Of patience, right hearing the word, and
true religion, ch. i. (2.) of love, and juflificati-
on by works, ch. 2. (3.) of the tongue, and wif-
dom, ch. 3. (4.) of contentions, and prefumpti-
on, ch. 4. (5,) of opprcflion, and fwearing, and
prayer, .and admonition, ch. j.
§. 15. \. P E T E R hath in it a matter
(r.) Ofconfolation, chap, i, to 13. verfe. (2.)
Exhortation, from verfe 13. of the i chap, to
8 verfe of 3. chap, (3.) Dehortations, from 8
yerfe of 3 ciiap. to the end of 3 chap.
And in thefe are again handled, (i.) Exhor-
tation, 4 ch. to 12 verfe. (2.) Confolation from
12 yerfe to the end of 4 ch. (3.) Dehortation im-
plicitely, with the conclufion, ch. 5*.
§. 16. n. PETER
(i.) Exhorts to holinefs, ch. i. (2.) Threa-
tens wicked teachers and apoftates, ch. 2. (3.)
Prophefieth of the day ofjridgment, ch. 3.
§.17. FirJ} epiJileofSt. J H N treats
(i.) Of the benefits of Chrirt, ch. i. (2.) of
the office of Chridians in love, ch. 2, 3, 4. and
faith, ch. 5.
§ . 1 8 . Of the Book prophetical. REV E LA TION
contains, (i.) Hiftory of the ftate of the church
then, chap, i, 2, 3. (2.) Myftery of prophecy
I. of the world, ch. 4. to 10. 2. Of the church
I. in her battles, ch. 10. to 17. (2.) in her vi(5to-
ries, cha. 17. to 21. (3.) Triumphs and eternal
glory, ch. 21. to 22.
CHAP. XVI. SECT. I.
Of the Suffering of Saints,
Hitherto of Doing,one chapter I would caufe of the times into wh'ch we are cz(t ;
add of Suffering ; and the rather be- or, howfoever, be the times what they will,
B b b 2 we
SAINTS SUFFERINGS.
37a
vre cannot expea but that God will fome-
times be honoured by the fufferings and
affliaions of faints. There is a ftria and
near dependence and, conneaion betwixt
Cbnlli'anity and the crofs, and that from
the pleafureand providence of God, and
difpcnfoiion of things under the gofpel :
Ch'-i*^ iiath fo ordered it, that we fhould
no^ ferve the Lord our God of that which
coHs us nothing, but that true Chriaian
piety fhould bring fufferings upon us.
Thiscourfe of divine oeconomy is fo ge-
reral and without exception, that the apo-
ftle is clear, Heb>;cii. 6, 7, 8. IV^om God
loveth, he chajicmth, andfcourgeth every
fon -whom he recdveth ; if you endure
'.hcijhmng, God dtakth ivith you as with
liiould feek God's honour, but that we
fliould feek it in his own way ; whiJe God
is plcafed to offer us opportunities of
doing, while we fee his mind in improving
us thus, kt us follow it on wirh all our
might, let no opportunity lllp, do to the
utmoft that we can for God ; but wljen
we fee his mind to Jay us aHde, and to
ufc us in another way, a]dK>iigh it be jn
a way of affliaion and grievous luiTerings,
let us now be as willing to yield to God
in this, as in the former way. And for
our help therein I fliall direa, i. How 10
prepare for fufferings before they come. 2.
How to carry in fulferings when they arc
come. 3. What to do, and how to carry
when fufferings and affliaians are gone.
I071S, for ivhatfon is he ivhotn the father ^
chahe»eth not ? hat ij ye he -without chaf- §.2. Of the manner of preparation for fuf
tifement, iv hereof all are partakers, then Jerings before they come,
are ve bj'lhrds, and not fins. Words of a \7t7Hat ? are we now at eafe ? are thefc
hrce uniimited latitude, which I cannot \V fun-lhme days of peace ? finely we
difcern anyway in the world to foften, fo fhould confider of the days of darknefs
as thcv may be fupportable to him that which may be many. Oftiimes we are
hath no changes, that hath enjoyed an age thinking of, and feeking after great thir.gs
of an uninterrupted continued profperity, when we ftiould be preparing to fuffer
without ever having the crofs on his OaouI- hard things. Be not deceived, the clouds
ders When this text is fet down as an a- feem to gather, and 'lis time for us to pre
phorifm of divine obfervation under the
kincdom of Chrift, as an a.xiom of gofpel-
providcnce, there will be no fafety in di(-
putinfT or labouring to avoid the literal
iiTiportance of it. ' Fis true indeed under the
old te!\ament, we find not any fuch otco-
nomy, but promifes of a long and happy
jife, in a temporal Canaan, to God's fei-
vams ; but under the gofpel it is quite
pare. Now this preparation coniills m tbcfe
particulars.
I. Make we account of affliaions: do
not fay, I ftiall never be removed ; altho'
we know not what particular affliaions
ftiall befal us, yet make an account that
an afdiaing condition will be our portion..
Thus did the apoAle, Aas xx. 22, i^.
Andnoiu I go bound in the fpirit unto Jeru-
cdrVtra'ry • through wuch tribulation lue falem, not knowing the things that "fhatl
viufi enter into the kingdom of God. Our befal n^e there, favethat^ the holyGhoft
way to Zion is through the valley of Baca,
v.'e cannot follow Chrilt, and be hisdifciples
but upon thefe terms, y^ll that ivill live
vodlyin Chrift Jcfus mujl jufferperfecuti-
t;, Aas xiv. 22. Pfalm l.xxxiv. 6. Matth.
xvi. 24. 2 Tim. iii. la. And therefore,
as we have learned what to do, let us learn
how to fufTtr i it is not duty only that we
ivitnejjeth in every city, faying that bonds
and affliaions abide me. If is otir wifdom
thus to make account of affliaions, that
when they corae they may be no other than
were expeaed before. As it is reported
of Anaxagoras, that when news csme to
him of the death of his fbn, and it was
thought he would have been much trou-
bled
SAINTS SU
tied at It, he anfwered only thus, I knew
that I begat one mortal: fo when any
troubles befal us, we fnould entertain
them with thefe thoughts, I knew my con-
dition to be an af/iifted condition: I en-
tred upon the ways of godlincfs upon
thefe terms, to be willing to be in an af-
fli:fted condition, this is God's ordinary
way towards his people, it is God's mercy
th:u it is no worfe, I expecft yet greater
trials than thefe.
2. Let xis deny ourfelves, and fo take
up the crofs : where felf is renounced,
the crofs is eafily born ; it is felf that
makes the crofs pinch. ISow there is a (ix-
fold felf that in this cafe muft be denied.
I. Self-opinion, we muft be willing lo ly
quietly under the truth, to be convinced
and to be guided by it. 2. Selfcounftls,
and Self-reafonings, we mufi: take heed of
conferring with liedTi and blood, as it was
the care of Paul, immcdintely I conferred
not with fit'fh and blood. Gal. i. 1 6. fure-
ly if he ha.d, he would have been in dan-
ger. 3. Self-excellencies, our parts, our
privileges, our credits, and allthofe things
that are great in our own eyes, and that
make us great in the eves of the world.
4. Self-will, we muft not think it fo grie-
vous a thing to have our wills croJfcd,
we mivft not expeft to i.'ave our conditi-
ons brought to our wills, and therefore
it is our wifdom, whatlbevcr our conditi-
ons be, that we bring our wills unto them.
5. Self-comforts, thofe that give liberty to
themfelves to fatisfy them (elves to the ut-
moft, altho' in lawful comforts, they will
t>e unfit to futFer hardftiip, when Cod
ftiall call them thereunto, i fear that neck
(faid Tertiillian,)rhiit is i led tc pearl-chains,
that it Will not give irfelf to the fword. 6.
Self-ends, we niuft aim at God, and not
St ourfelves in all our ways ; and then
how tafie will it be for us to bear crolfes,
conlldering that God's ends do go on, tho'
our ends be crofted ?
3. Be we fuie to lay a good foundation
FFE RINGS 373
in a thorough-work* orhumiliation. The
feed that fell upon the ftony ground wi-
thered, and although for a while it was re-
ceived with joy, yet, when tribulation and
perfecution a role, hy and by he was of-
ftrtded, Matth. xiii. 2r. Mark the expref-
fion, by and by, he was prefently offend-
ed, and all becaufe there was no depth of
earth, there was not a thorough-work of
humiliation. Sooie think the burthens of
afflictions great, becaufe they never fek
what the weight and burthen of fin meant;
but that foul which conftantly exercifeth
itfelf in the work of humiliation for fin,
which burthens itfelf with the weight of
its fins, and is willing to ly under fin for
further breaking of fpirit ; that foul (I fay)
w ill be able to endure crofles, and to ftand
under fore afflictions.
4. Be we careful to preferve our inward
peace with God and our own confclences.
If vapours be not got into the earth, and
ftir there, all the Itorms and tempefts a-
broad can never make an earth- quake ; fo
where there is peace within, all troubles
and oppofitions without cannot ftjske the
heart. Having peace with God, we glory
in tribulations, Rom. v. 1,3. ^Ve are
not only patient under them, but we glory
in them, O then let that time that God
gives us yet any refpite from afflictions be
fpent in making up our peace with God,
let us now labour to get clearer evidences,
and deeper fenfe of his love ; then Ihall
we fufter any thing for God, O then we
fliall go through fire and water, then fliall
we triumph with the apoftle, Rom. viii.
38, 39. I am perfuaded that neither life,
nor death, nor principalities, nor povjers,
nor things prefent, nor things to come [halt
ever he able tofeparate me from the love of
God in Chrijt Jefus ,
5. Labour we to fee more into the ful '
nels of all good in God. The Lord told
Abvaham, that he was God all-Jufficienty
Gen. xvii. i . as the only means to lirength-
en him againil whatlbevcr evils he was
like
?74
SAINTS SUFFERINGS.
•like to meet withal. In God is all the ex-
cellency, beauty, comfort, anu good of
the creature in a moft eminent and glori-
ous manner, and God take infinites delight
in communicating himfelf, in letting out
his goodnefs to his creature; and if fo,
what is the lofs of any thing to me, when
I fee where I can have it made up ? What
is any bitternefs, when I fee fuch infinite
fweetnefs to fweeten all ? When tempefls
come upon mariners, and they be in nar-
rowfeas where they wantfea-room, there is
danger, but if they have fea room enough,
there is no fear > thus, if we are acquainted
with the infinite fulnefs of good in God,
we ftiould fee ourfelves fafe in the rnidft
of all tempefts, we fhould feel our fpirits
quiet under the foreft: affli6lions.
6. Do we humbly and chearfully fub-
mit to our prefent condition tvhatfoever
it is. Many cart about in their thoughts
what they (hall do hereafter, if troubles
fliould befal them, and yet, in the mean
time, they negle£l the duties of their pre-
' fent condition : furely, if we would go on
humbly and patiently in the performance
of the duties that God now calls for, they
would prepare us for whatfoevcr duties
(hould be required hereafter. Mr. Bilney
the martyr ufed to put his finger in the
candle to prepare him for the burning of
his whole body ; a patient bearing of lefs
troubles, for the prefent, will prepare the
heart for the bearing of greater afterwards.
7. Be we often renewing our refignations
of all unto the Lord. Let us renew our
covenant with him to be at his difpofe, that
fo when any trouble comes at any time,
this refignation of heart and renewal of
covenant may be frefli upon our fpirits.
Experience tells us that fometimes imme-
diately after a day of folcmn humiliation,
the fo\il thinks it could then do or fufFer
any thing; but in a little time after (except
this to be renewed again) the heart grows
drolfy and cleaves to prefent things, and
iViingles itftlf with them again; the often
renewing of this keeps the heart very loofe
from the creature.
8. Lay we up provifion againft an evil day.
There is a three- fold provifion we fhould
treafure up to prepare us for afflictions.
I. We (liould treafure up the confolations
of God that he affords upon occalion, that
at any time we feel in the performance of
duties, in the exercife of graces, in the ufe
of ordinances. 2. We Ihould treafure up
the experiences of God's ways towards us,
and his gracious dealings with us in for-
mer fi:raights. 3. We Hiould treafure up
foul-fupporting, foul-quickening, foul re-
viving, foul-comforting promifes, and that
of feveral kinds, fuitable to feveral afflic-
tions, for we know not what kind of af-
fliftions we may meet withal.
9. Labour we much to flrengthen every
grace ; it is firong grace that is fufFering
grace ; a firong wing will fly againfl the
wind, but fo will not every wing. It is
true a candle will hold light in the houfe,
but if we go abroad in the air, there is
need of a torch, there mufl be a flronger
light there ; weak grace may ferve our
turn to uphold us now, but in time of af-
flidlions it had need to be flrong ; a little
grace will be foon fpent then, as a candle
is foon fpent when it fiands in the wind.
10. Set much before us the example of
Jefus Chrifi, and God's people, who have
endured very hard things. In the exam-
ple of Chrirt, confidcr i. Who it was that
fuffered, he was the fon of God, the glory
of the father, God blefled for pver ; when
we fufFer, nothing but bafe worms trodden
uiider foot do fufFer. 2. What he fufFer-
ed ; even the wrath of God, and curfe of
the law, he was made a curie in the ab'
ftraft, as the fcripture fpeaks, which was
another manner of thing than any of our
afflictions. 3. Foj- whom he fuflered ; it
was for us vile worms, wretched, finful
creatures, who are encpiies to him ; we
fufFer for God who is infinitely bleilcd, to
whom we owe all we are or have. 4. How
freely
SAINTS SUFFERINGS.
freely he fuffered ; it was of his own ac-
cord, hi > own free grace moved him to ir,
he laid down his life, none could take it
from him ; but for us, it is not in our li-
berty whether we will fuffer or no, we are
under the power of another. 5. How
meekly he fuffered ; he was as a fheep be-
fore the fhearer, his fuiferings no way dif-
quieted his fpirit, but ftiil it kept in a fweet
quiet frame in the midft of all. Thus fet
we Chrifl; before us, let thefe meditations
be meat and drink unto us. In the ex-
ample of God's fuffering faints, confider
what precious choice- fpiri ted men they
were, how holy, how fpiritual, how hea-
venly ; what are we in comparifon of them?
conHder what they did, what they endured
for the Lord Jefus Chrift. To this pur-
pofe there's a notable chapter, Hch. xi.
Read and conlider ; is it not enough for
us that we have fuch a cloud of ivituejfes^
fuch a noble army of martyrs before us
and with us ?
Thus of preparations for affliction be-
fore they come.
§• 3- Of the manner of hearing fufferings
when they come.
IF any will come after me, faith Chrifl,
let him deny himfelf and take up his
crofs, and follovj me, Mat. xvi. 24. This
crol's is fufferings ; in which condition one
way or other We may be (if God fo pleale)
continually ; the foul might fay, If I muft
bear this crofs, I hope it is but now and
then ; nay faith Chrift, Let him take up
his crofs daily, Luke ix. 23. But if every
day, may the foul fay, I hope it is an eafy
crofs. Nay faith Paul, it is a killing crofs,
1 die daily, i Cor. xv. 31. Yet may the
foul fay, if it be a killing crofs, I hope
there are rcfrelhings fome part of the day.
Not fo neither ; For thy fake, faith David,
are we ki'lcd all the day hug, Pfalm xliv.
22. /. e. In regard of the danger of death.
2. In regaid of fome beginnings that we
fufftr. 3. In regard of our willingncfs to
uuUcrgo it. But though we tie not thefe
375
aftual fufferings according to the letter, to
every time and moment ; yet certainly
there is a time for that : and the duties
that concern us when God now calls us to
fuffer afrtiftions are thefe. (i.) That we
be willing to come under them. (2.) That
we contentedly fubmit our felves and
quietly behave ourfelves in them. (3.)
That we labour to improve them.
§. I. We muji be willing to cgme under
fufferings.
IT was the honour of the three children
in Daniel, ch. iii. 28. that they yielded
their bodies to thofc fiery flames they were
cafl: into. Let us not feek to put off fuf-
ferings by diftinftions ; certainly the befl:
policy in dangerous times is the greatefl
purity. The Lacedemonians were wont
to fay, It was a fhame for any man to fly
in rime of danger, but fora Lacedemonian
it was a fliamc to deliberate. How much
more truly may this be faid of a Ghriftian,
when God calls him to fuffer ? he fhould
before-hand be fo refolved, that it fliould
be a fhame for him ever to deliberate. And
yet by way of caution, before we come
under afflictions, let us look i. That our
caufe be good. 2. That our call be clear.
3. That our end be right.
1. Look that our caufe be good. It is
not for every caufe that a chriftian Oiould
engage into luiferings. Let none of you
fuffer as a murderer, or as a thief or as an
evil doer, or a bufy-body in other mens
matters, i Pet. ix. 15. to fuffer in thefe
or the like cafes is not chriilian, neithei-
will it be comfortable.
2. See that our call be clear. Chrifl calls
not all to martyrdom ; To you it is given
to fuffer, faith the apoftle, Phil. i. 29. not
only that youlhouid believe in Chrift, but
aifo fuffer for his fake. Afflidtionisa gut of
love, even as faith is; 'tis grace as well to
bleed for Chrilt, as to believe ii) Ciuift.
Let us be wife therefore to clear our call :
for example, if truth f ulfei s by our fiiencc,
then are we called to ipeak; if the faving
of
of our life (Tiould be ChrilVs denial, then he had recanted for fear of fiifFerlngs, that
are we called to die; if we are before a yet he was forced to fiiffer ? What a daik-
naagiftrate for the name of Chrift, Chrift ning was it to his fpirit, to his caufe, and
then calls us not to be aftiamcd of him ; to his good name?
if fin and fufFering furround us, as that wc
are neceffitated to take the one, and to
leave the other, then we may conclude
that Chrift calls us to fufFering.
4, WhaifocvcT profperity we enjoy,
when God calls us to fuffer for him, it ig
curfed unto u»: If we blefs ourfelves in
our name, in our eftate, our liberty, our
3. Let us eye our end in all our fuffer- life, and avoid the way of fufFering that
ings ; if our end be Self, how fliould we Cod calls us unto, we deceive ourfelves,
expe^l comfort? fome have died that for there is no bleffing in them, they are all
their names might live ; a Roman fpirit accurfed unto us.
can hold to fufFering and death it felf; an , 5. All the duties of religion that now
oppofing fpirit will put on fome to die ra- we perform out of a fufFering condition
iher than yield :%he apoftle hath left it a are not accepted of God. We mufl not
clear thing, that 'tis pofFible to give one's think now, having avoided fuffering for
body to be burnt, i Cor. xlii. 3. and yet God's truth that becaufe we are willing to
to want true divine love. One may (I perform duties, therefore God now accepts
wi(h none did) fulFer as much for felfifli of us ; no it was another work that God
as fublirne refpe6Vs, /. <r. for his own glo- called us unto, a work of fufFering, and
ry. O let us mind Chrift's glory, truth's feeing we have refufed this, do what we
propagation, the maintenance of equity can, God calls it as dung in our facfs, and
and righteoufnefs in all our fufFerings ; he regards it not ; this is a fad condition ;
and if fo, go on, fear not, flinch not, if what joy can fuch a man have of his life,
rwe dra-jj back, his foul ivi/l have no plea- if he had but an enlightened confcience ?
fure in us ; what? are we fliy of the ways 6. What intolerable pride and delicacy
of religion becaufe of affli<Slion ? if fuch is this in us that we will not venture the
thoughts work in us at any time, takethefe lofs of any thing, the enduring of any
confiderations. thing for God and his truth? the leaft truth
(f.) At what low rate do we prize the of God is more worth than heaven and
ways of God, that fuch and fuch more earth, and what is our eafe, our name,
low comforts mul^ not be laid down for our liberty, our life to it ?
them, that fuch light afflictions muft not 7- How vile is the unbelief of our hearts
be endured for themaintainance of them ? who dare not truft God with our name.
2. Confider if Chrift had flood on
fuch terras as to have faid, 1 could be con-
tent indeed that thefc poor creatures
might be delivered from miferyt but feeing
fuch grievous jufferings mufi be endured
for their deliverance, let them perifh for
me I am not vjilling to fave them on
fuch hard terms as theje : O then what had
become of us ?
7. They who are fo Hi y of fufFering, may
be forced to futFcr in fpight of their henrts.
our eftate, or liberty, how cnn we truft
God with our fouls, our eternal eflaie ?
How lightly do we regard the faithfulnefs,
mercy, goodnefs, wifdom, power of God,
working for his people in their fufFering
conditions ? Of what little account are all
thofe gracious blclFed promifes of God to
us in this condition ? Our bafe (hyncfs,
and cowardice of fpirit is fuch, as if there
were no God, no faithfulnefs, no mercy,
no wildom, no power to help its, as if
and what a fad thing will that be to them ? there were no promife to lupport and re-
AVhat a fad thing was it to Granmer after llcve us.
8. How
SAINTS
S. How little love is there in our hearts
to God, when we are fo (hy of any thing
be fuffered for God ? Love rejoices
to -
in fuffering for the beloved : * The avoid
ing hell, and the getting heaven are no
great things (faith Chryfoftom) where the
love of God is.'
9, What is the ilTue of foul apoftacy ?
If we draw back from pcrfecution, we
draw on perdition. Chrift is not fo fweet
in his dealings with martyrs, but he is as
dreadful in his difcovery to apoflates. Aflc
Spiia how doleful a condition denying is ?
He'll tell you that he could feel no com-
fort in his heart, that there was no place
there but full of bitter torments and hide-
ous vexings of fpirit ; he'll tell you of
God's wrath burning in him like the tor-
ments of hell, and that his confcience was
affli(fled with pangs unutterable.
10. What honour fhould God have in
the world ? Where would there be any
witnefs to truth againft the rage and ma-
lice of the devil and wicked men, if all
fliould do as we do? If there be any chrifti-
an blood left in us, if any fpirit worthy of
our profeluon, O be we alhamed of our
bafenefs this way, and be not fo fliy of
fufferings.
§. 2. We mufi contentedly fubmit our fe Ives,
and quietly behave our felves in Suf-
ferings.
SEcing we are now under an ordinance
of God, take heed of the leaft mur-
muring or repining againft God as if he
were an hard mafter. If our fpirits at any
time begin to rife in fuch workings, let us
charge our fouls to be fllent to God , it is
a fliame for a Chriftian not to be well {kil-
led in that art, inftrufted in that myfiery
of Chriftian contentation ; let us fay with
our Saviour ; Shall not I drink of that
cup which my Father hath given me to
drink? It is the cup of my Father, and
/hall not I quietly and contentedly drink
of that cup ? Mow we have an opportuni-
C (
STJ FFE RING S. 377
ty fo manifeft the power and excellency
of our grace, to fliew what our grace can
enable us to do : Strength of rtafon will
go far in quieting and calming of the heart
under afflidlions, but grace furel}^ where
it is true, will go farther ; it will teach us
to fubmit ourfelves, and to refign our fpi-
rits unto God, to be willing that God
ftiould deliver us when he will, and as he
will, and how he will, fo that our wills are
melted into the very ^vill ofGod. It is
true we may be fenfible of it, and make
our moan to God concerning it, and defire
to be delivered of it, and feek it by all
good and honefl and lawful means; yet
we muft not murm«rnor repine, we mufl
not fret or vex, there muft not be any
tumiiltuoufnefs or unfettlednefs of fpirit
in us, there muft not be any diflraain^
f^ars in ourhearts, nor any finking difcour-
agements, bafe fliiftings, rebelliQus rifings
againft our God. Now that we may attain
this frame, this grace of contentment and
quietnefs of fpirit, obferve thefe directions.
I. Be we humbled in our hearts for the
want thereof, or that we have had fo lit-
tle of this grace in us ; there is no way to
fet upon any duty with profit, till the
heart be humbled for the want of the per-
formance of the duty before. Many men
when ihey hear of a duty that they Ihould
perform, they will labour to perform it,
but firft they fiiould be humbled for the
want of it. * Oh that I had this grace of
contentment (ihould every one fay) What
an happy life might I live ? M iiat abun-
dance of honour might I bring to the
name of God ? But O Lord, thou knowcit
it is far otherwife with me, I feel a kind of
murmuring, and vexing, and frttting with-
in me, every little crofs puts me out of
temper and frame of fpirit : Oh the boif-
teroufnefs of my fpirit ! What a deal of
evil doth God fee in my heart ? Oh the
vexing, and fretting, and^murmuring, and
repining that is in me !'
2. Pore not too much upon our fufTer-
c ings.
^78 SAINTS SU FFERINGS.
was. Many men have all their thoughts of God's ways towards us, ifpolTibly we
taken up about their crolTes and affliflions, can. Should our friends always make
they areever thinking or fpeaking of them; bad interpretations of our ways towards
whenthey awake in the night, theii; thoughts them, we would take it ill It is ill taken
are orf them, and when they converfe wirh of the Spirit of God when we make ill in-
others, nay it may be when they are pray- terpretation of his ways towards us, and
ing to God, they are thinking on them, therefore if we can make any good inter-
Oh, no marvel though we live difcontent- pretation of God's ways towards us, let us
ed lives, if our thoughts be always poring make it. For example, If any atHi(.Tion
on fuch things, we fiiould rather have orr bcfal us, let us think thus, * It maybe God
thoughts on thofe things that may comfort only intends to try me by this ; it m.ay be
us. It is very obfcrvable of Jacob, that God faw my heart too much fet upon the
when his wife died in child-birth, his wife creature, and fo intends^© fliew me what
called the child^enoni, that is, a Jon of there is in my heart ; it may be God faw
('arrows, Gen. xxxv. 18. Now Jacob he that ifmy eftate did continue I (houldfall
thought with himfelf, if I (hould call this into fin, and fo the better my eftate were,
child Benoni, every time that I name him, the worfe would my foul be ; it may be
it will put me in mind of the death of my God intended only to exercife fome grace
dear wife, which will be a continual af- in me ; it may be God intends to prepare
Hiction unto me, and therefore I will not me for fome great work which he hath
havetT)y child have that name; and fothe for me to do ;' thus we fliould reafon.
text faith, that Jacob called his name Ben- It is ufual witli many otherwife to inter-
jamin, and that was the fon of my right pret Gou's dealings, jiill as they did in
hand. Now this is to (hew us thus much, the wildernefs, God hath brought us hither
that when afflictions befal us, we fhould tojlay us, or to fall by the /wordy Numb.
not give way to have our thoughts con- xiv. 3. This is the worft interpretation
tinually upon them, but rather upon thefe that polTibly we can make of God's ways :
things that may ftir up our thankfulnefs Oh why will we make theie worft inter-
to God for his mercies. It is the flmilitude pretations when there may be better?
ofBafil :* It is in this cafe as it is with men Love thinketh no evil. Love is of that
and women that have fore eyes; now it is nature that if there may be ten inierpre-
not fit for thof<Mo be always looking on the tations made of a thing, if nine of ihem be
/ire,oron the beams of the fun,butonfome naught, and one good, love will take that
things that are fuitable, upon fuch objecfts which is good, and jeave the other nine ;
as are fit for one that haih fore eyes, as and fo though there might be ten inter-
upon green colours, or the like : So men pretations prefented to us concerning
or women that have weak fpirits muft not God's ways towards us, and if but one be
ever be looking upon the fire of their af- good and nine naught,we ihouid tal-;e that
fiiOipns, upon thole things that dtjecft one that is good, and leave the other nine,
them or call them down, but they are to Oh retain good thoughts of God. 'fake
look upon thole things rather that may heed of judging God to be an hardmaffer,
be fuitable for the hcaUng and helping of make good interpretation of his ways, and
them.' It will be of great ufe and benefit that will further our contentment in all
to us if we lay it to heart, not to be por- our afflictions.
ing always upon aliiidions, but upon 4. Let us look upon all our affliiflions
Hiercies. as fanftificd in Chrift, as fanCfified in a
3. Let us make a good interpretation mediator. This is to fee all the Iting, and
venom.
SAINTS SU
venom, and poifon of them to be taken
out by the virtue of Jefus Chrift the me-
diator between CJodand man. For example.
Would a Chriftian have contentment ?
fay then, AVhat ismyaifliclion ? Is it po-
verty that God Arikes me withal ? Chrift
had not an houfe to lay his head in, the
foxes had ho^es, and the fowls of the air
hadnef}s,hut the Son of man had not an hole
to lay his head in, Matth. viii. 20. O then
how is my poverty fancftified ? I fee by
faith the curfe, and fting, and venom of
my poverty taken out by the poverty of
Jefus Chrift. Chrift was poor in this
world to deliver me from the curfe of my
poverty. Again, arh I difgraced, diihon-
oured ? is my good name taken away ?
Why Chrift had diihonour put upon him,
he was called Belzehub, a Samaritan, and
they faid he had a devil in him, Mark iii.
22. John viii. 48. All the foul afperfions
that could be, were caft upon Chrift, and
this was for me, that I might have the dif-
• grace that is caft upon me to be faniftified
unto me. Again, am I jeered and fcofFed at?
Why fo was Jelus Chrift whenhewas in his
greateft extremity; ihey could ^utthorns
on his head, and a reed in his hand, and
bovj the knee before him, and mock him,
and fay. Hail king of the Jews, Matth.
xxvii. 27. How then may I attain content-
ment in the midft of fcorns and jeers, by
confidering that Chrift was fcorned, and
by acfting faith upon that which Chrift fuf-
fered for me ? We fee many C hriftians lie
under grievous pains and extremities very
chearfully, and fome wonder at it; why
this is the way that they get it, viz. by a6l-
ing their faith upon what pains Jefus
Chrift fuffered ; Are we afraid of death ?
Let us exercife our faith upon ♦^he death
of Chrift : Are we troubled in foul .' Doth
God withdraw himfclf ffom its ? Let us
exercife our fjith upon the fufterings that
Chriit endured in his foul when he was in
his agony, and when he fwate drops of
Cc
F FERING S, iy^
blood. And this will bring contentment to
our fouls.
5. Let us fetch ftrength from Chrift to
bear all our burdens. Now this is done
by going out of ourfelves to Jefus Chrift,
and by a(fting our faith upon Chrift, and by
bringing the ftrength of Chrift into our
fouls. A man may go very far with the
ufe of reafon alone to help him to content-
menr,but when rea(on is at 2k non-plus, then
fet faith on work : This is above reafon*
It would be a ridiculous thing in thefchools
of philofophy to fay, If there he a burden
upon you, fetch ftrength from another .• for
another to come, and to ftand under the
burden they would eafily grant, but that
any one ftiould be ftrengthened by another's
ftrength, that is not'near him in outward
view, this they would think moft ridicu-
\oi\s% O but true believers find content-
ment in every condition by getting ftrength
from another ; there is ftrength in Chrift,
not only to fanftifie us and fave us, but
to fupport us under all our burdens and
aftliftions. And Chrift expedls that when
we are under any burden, that we
fliould z€t ovir faith upon him, to draw
virtue and ftrength from him. O fweet
confolation ! If a man have a burden upon
him, yet if behave ftrength added to him,
if the burden be doubled, yet if his ftrength
be trebled, the burden will not be heavier.
but lighter, than it was before to his na-
tural ftrength ; fo if our affiidions be
heavy and we cry out, * Oh we cannot bear
them!' Yet if we cannot bear them with
our own ftrength, why may we not bear
them with the ftrength of Jefus Chiift >
Do we think that Chrift could not bear
them ? or if we dare not think but that
Chrift could bear them, Why may not
we come to bear them ? Some may quefti-
on, Can we have the ftrength of Chrift i
Yes ; that very ftrength is made over to us
by faith, for fo the (criprure faith frequent-
ly. The Lord is our Jlrcngth, God is our
c 2 Jiftngtby
38o SAINTS S
J^rength, and Cbrifl is our Jirength, Pfal.
xxviii. 7. and xlii. 2. and cxviii. 14, Ifa.
xii. 2. Heb. iii. J 9. And therefore is
ChrHl'^ ftrength ours, made over unto us,
that we may be able to bear whatfoevcr
Jics Tipon us. This was Paul's prayer for
the ColofTians.M^/ they might he ftrengthe-
ned "with all mighty according to his glori-
ous power unto all patience and long-fuf-
fering with joy fulnefs. Col. i. r i . i . Here's
ilrengthening. 2. Here's flrengthening-iy/M
all might. 3. Here's ftrcngthening with all
might according to the glorious power of
God in Chrifl. ^. Here's the end, unto
what ? It is unto all patience and long fuf-
fcring with joy fulnefs. Oh you that are
now under fad and heavy afHidlions more
than ordinary, look upon this fcripture,and
confiderhow it is made good in you, that
lb you may with comfort fay, Through
God's mercy I find that ftrength coming
into me, that is here fpoken of in this
icripture.
6. Let us fetch contentment from the
covenant, and from the particular promifes
in the covenant for the fupplying of every
particular want. There is no condition
ihat a godly man can be in, but there is
Ibme promife or other in the fcripture to
help him in that condition : and this is
the way of his contentment to go out to
the promife, to plead the promife, to fetch
from the promife that which may fupply.
Btithath faith warrant to believe whatfoever
we find in the promife literally ? I dare
not fay fo, but howfoevcr it may a<5l upon
it, and believe that God will make it good
in his own way. But I am in affliOion, and
here is a promife that God will deliver me
out of it, 1 aft faith upon it, but I am not
delivered, what good now is there in this
promife to me ? I anlwer, i. Notwith-
llanding our non-deliverance, yet now are
we under the protection of Godmore than
others are. 2. Notwithftanding the affiic-
tion continues, yet the evil of the afflifti-
oji is now taken away. 3. I^oiwithjftanding
UFFERINGS.
God makes ufe of this aflfK^ion for other
ends, yet he will m.ke it np to us fomc o-
ther way, which fhall be as eood. q. d.
Let me have your healrh your liberty, your
life, you Ihall not lofe by it, I will make
it up to you fomc other way.
7. Let us by faith realize the glorious
things of heaven to us: Faith we know, is
the fubfJance of things hoped for, and the
evidence of things not feen, Heb. xi. r .
Faith makes the kingdom of heaven, and
the glory that is to come as now prelent :
Hence the martyrs had luch contentment
in their fufferings : * Tho' we have but an
hard break-faft, fay fome, yet we fhall have
a good dinner, we (hall prefently be in hea-
ven.' * Let us but (hut our eyes, faid o-
thcs, and we (hall be in heaven prefently.'
*lt isbuta little cloud.'faid Athanafius, and
it will be prefently over,' We faint not,
faid the apoltle, why ? Becaufe theje ligl>t
affli^ion} that are but for a moment ^
luork foi us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. iv. 16, \y.
The faints in their afHicrions fee heaven by
them, and that contents them. As the
mariners though they were troubled before
they could lee land, yet when they come nigh
the fliore, and fee fuch a land-mark, that
contents them exceedingly : So the godly
though they may be tolled in the midfl of
waves and ilorms, yet feeing the glory of
heaven before them, they content them-
felves. , One drop of the Iweetneis of
heaven is enough to take away all the
(bwre and bitter of all the aftiiftions in the
world.
8. Pray for this grace of contentment.
It is God's gift and it is a foul-bufinefs ;
it is an inward, quiet, gracious frame of
fpirit ; which comes not fo much from
any outward arguments, or any outward
thing, as from the difpofition of our own
hearts ; that contentment that comes
meerly from external arguments, will not
hold long; if it be habitual and conftant,
it ever comes from the eracious temper
of
SAINTS SU FFERINGS.
3«t
of a man's own fpirit, and therefore we
had need to pray that God would create
in us dean hearts, and that he would re-
new right fpirit s (or conftant fpirits, a5 it
is in the original) within us, Pfalm li. lo.
All the rules and helps in the world will
do us little good, except we get a good
temper within our hearts : you can never
make a Oiip go fleady with propping of it
without ; you know there muft be ballaft
within the fliip, that muft: make it go
fteady ; and fo there is nothing without
us that can keep our hearts in a fteady con-
ftant way but that that is within us ; grace
is within the foul, and that will do it. O
pray we to God to create this chriftian con-
tentation within us, open weour hearts un-
to God, and then with Hanna we fliall come
from prayer, and look no more fad, i Sam.
i. i8.
§.3. How we muft improve fufferings .
AVE mufl not only be contented un-
der God's affliifting hand, but we muft la-
bour to thrive under it : certainly there is
a blelTmg in every ordinance of God, if
"we have wifdom and care to draw it forth,
and to make it our own. Auftin (in his
book De civitate Dei, I. 1. c. 3^.) cries
out agairft fuch who did not profit by af-
fliflions. * You,' faith he, * have loft the
profit of this calamity.' As it is a fign of
great wickednefs to turn bleflings into cnrf-
es, fo it is a fign of great grace lo turn
curfes into bleifings ; by this improvement
weiball not only get water, but honey out
of the rock. But how ftiould we improve
our afBictions ?
T. Be jealous of ourfelves, left that our
futferings ft\ould pafs away iinfan£tified.
Be we more afraid of the affli£tion leaving
of us, than of its continuing upon us ;
lay out our ftrength more for a fan(flified
life of it, than for deliverance from it, that
we may fay with David, // is good for me
that I have been ajfliSied, that I might
learn thy flatuteSf Pialm cxix. 71.
2. ' Labour to know God's mind in our
afBi(fl!ons.' The man of wifdom fees God's
name upon this rod, and he underftands
what God intends, viz. whether he fends-
them for fin, or for fome other ends. On-
ly obferve, though God fends afflifHons
fometimes for trial, and other ends, rather
than for fin, yet it is fin that makes us ca-
pable of fuch a way of trial ; were we not
finful, God would not deal with us that
way, therefore it is good in all to be hum-
bled for fin. But here two queftions are
to be difcufled.
1. How we may difcern God's ends in
our affliciions ?
2. If it be rather for fin, how we may
find out the particular fin ?
For the firft, ' God's ends in affli^ling
us, may be difcerned thus.
\ . If the affiidion be extraordinary, and
come in an extraordinary way : and upon
examination we find ourfelves not guilty
of any fpecial evil befides daily incurfions,
then we may comfortably hope Cod's in-
tentions are not fpecially for fin, but for
fome other end j fo it was in Job and Jo-
feph.
2. We may know from the work of the
affli^ion, which way it tends, and how
God follows it ; whether in it God fettles
not fin upon our heart for humiliation more
than ordinary; or, whether the work of
God's Spirit, be not rather for the ftirring
up of the exercife of fome other grace :
for God in his dealings with hii people will
work for the attaining the ends he aims at.
3. Much may be learned from the ifi'ue
of an affli<nicn ; when God comes chiefly
for trial, in the iftue his grace does much
abound towards his fervant?, as it did in
Jofeph and Job : what honour was Jofeph
advanced vtnto ? and bow bad Job (chap.
xlii. 10.) given him thrice as much as he
had before ? But when the afflicHon Ts for
fin, it do'th not ufe to.have Inch at: ifTue ;.
it is well if the finner be reftorcd into (\;cb
a comfortable condition as he was in be-
fore i
382 SAINTS SUFFERINGS.
fore : when David was arfii(^"lcd for his Hn,
fome fears ftuck by him after his delive-
rance, be fcarce ever was brought into that
comfortable condition he was in before.
For the fecond, If the affliction be for
Jin, how may we find cut the particular
Jin ? I anfwer,
1. Look what fins and affli(ftions the
word hath coupled together; although e-
rery fin defervcs all kinds of affli(flions, yet
the word joins fome fpecial corre(flion to
fpecial tranfgrelTions ; as God forts feveral
promifes to fevejjjal graces, fo he forts feve-
ral affiiftions to feveral fins.
2 . Confider what fins and afflictions pro-
vidence couples in refpedl of fimilitude:
God often ftamps the likenefsof thefin up-
on the judgment, Judges i. 7, 8.
3. Enquire at the mouth of God by
prayer and humiliation, as David did, 2
Sam. xxi. i. and as Job did. Job x. 2. and
as thofe in Jeremiah did, Jer. xvi. 10, 11.
4. Hearken to the voice of confcience,
•that is God's officer in our fouls ; efpeci-
ally after humiliation and feeking of God,
then liften to the voice of confcience : for,
as it is with an officer whom you would
have fearch the records, if you would have
him diligent indeed in the fiearch, ji'ou muft
give him his fee, elfe he will do the work
but flightly ; fo we mufi: give confcience,
God's regifier his fee, /. e. we mufi let con-
fcience have much prayer and humiliation,
which it calls for, and then it will tell us
God's mind more fully.
5. When we have found out our fins,
let us, I. take notice of God's difpleafure
againfl: us. 2. Let us be humbled for it.
3. Let us fiir up our hearts againrt it with
indignation. ' This is that which hath
caufed me all this wo, that hath brought
upon nic all this trouble and fmart.' As
the Jews took hold on Paul crying, A(fts
xxi. 28. Alen of Ifrael help, this is the
jnan that teacheth every where again]} the
people : fo fiiould we take hold on our fin
that we have found out, and cry to the
Lord ; * Help, O Lord, this is that fin,
that hath made the breach, this is that fin
that hath been the caufe of fo much evil
unto me. As we read of Antony after Ju-
lius Cefar was murdered, he brought forth
his coat all bloody and cut, and laid it be-
fore the people : ' Look here,' fays he,
* you have your emperor's coat thus bloo-
dy and torn.' Whereupon the people were
prefently in an uprore, and cried out to
flay thofe murderers: thus the looking up-
on our afflidlions, and confidering what
mifchief fin hath done us, our hearts rtiould
be raifed to Hy upon our fin with indigna-
tion, and not be fatisfied without the deflruc-
tion of that which would have deflroyed us.
6. Let us promife and covenant reform-
ation, and begin the work while the afflic-
tion is on us. Do fomething now prefent-
ly, do not put off all till the fuifering be
over, till we be recovered or delivered,
and think, then I will do ity Pfalm Ixvi.
1 4. There is much deceit of the heart this
way; many mifcarry in their vows to God
upon this ground, becaufe they put offiall
till they be out of their affliflion ; for by
that time, the imprellion that was upon
their fpirits is abated, their hearts are cool-
ed, and fo the duty is neglected, where-
fore do fomething prelently, and be always
in doing, till that which was vowed be ful-
ly performed.
7. Let every affliction drive us much to
God in prayer. James v. 13. Is any man
affliiied, let him pray. It is a fimilitude
of Chryfoftom's, ' As clouds darken the
heavens, and caufe lowering weather, but
being diflilled into drops, then fweet fun-
fhine, and fair weather follows : fo for-
rows and cares in the foul cloud .the foul,
till they be diflilled in prayer into tears,
and poured forth before the Lord, but
then the fwcet beaVns of God's grace come
in, and much bleffing follows.
8. Let us not ccafe to feek and (vxc
till we have foine aflurance that we have
made our peace with God : this is that the
Lord
Sy^lNTS SUFFERI NGS.
Lord looks for at our hands in all our crof-
fes, and the chief end he aims at in afrtic-
ting his children, to caufe them to feek
him more diligently, and to get better affu-
rance of his favour; Ifaiah xxvii. 5. Let
him take hold of my firength (faith God)
that he may make peace with me, and he
Jlyall make peace -with me. This is done
thefe three ways. i. By acknowledging
unto God freely our manifold (ins, and fo
luftifying him in his judgments, as David
did, Pfalm xxxii. 5. I faid, I will confefs
my tranfgrefflons unto the Lord, and thou
fcrgavef} the iniquity of my Jin. Setah.
2. By praying for, and feeldng afTurance
of his favour in the pardon of our fins,
Ifaiah xxvi. 16. Lord, in trouble have thty
vijited thee, they poured cut a prayer when
' thy chafiening was upon them. 3. By for-
faking our fin whereby we had provoked
" him, Ifaiah xxvii. 9. By this Jhall the i-
niquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all
the Jruit to take away his Jin. It is good
that we pra^life all thefe three ways, and
never ceafe praftifing, till God hath allur-
ed us that he is at peace with us.
9. Let us now (if ever) try, exercife,
and improve our faith, wildom, zeal, pa-
tience, and all other graces of the Spirit.
I. Let us try our graces : what graces ?
(i.) Our faith: it is an eafy matter to
truft God when our barns and coifers are
full, and to fay, Give us our daily bread,
when we have it in our cupboards : but
when we have nothing, when we know
not how nor whence to get any thing in
the world, then to depend upon an invili-
ble bounty, this is a tr-ue and noble a(ft of
faith. (2.) Our wifdom : Plato, being de-
manded how he knew a wife man, an-
fwered : ' When being rebuked he would
not be angry, and being praifed he would
not be proud.' Our difpolition is never well
known to ourfelves, until we be crofTed.
(3,) Our zeal : a little water call upon the
fire makes it burn hotter and brighter ; fo
(hould our alHiiftions make us more zea-
383
ous and fiery for God, and for goodcaufes
and for good men : the wicked, in afflidi-
ons, are many times furious, but never
zealous, they are often like wild hearts that
grow mad with beatings, if crofies or loffes
ruih in upon them, they fall to the lan-
guage of Job's wife, Curje Cod and die :
or, to that of the king of Ifrael's melTen-
ger, 2 Kings vi. 33. Why Jhould I Jtrve
God any longer ? (4.) Our fincerity : thus
was Job's fincerity difcovered by Satan's
malice ; after all his lofles he fays no more
but, The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh
In all this Job did not Jin with his
lips. (5.) Our patience: when it is calm
weather, the fea is quiet, and flill as any
river, but let the winds arife once, and we
{hall fee a difference : for then the fea
foams arid rages, and cajleth out mire and
dirl. We are that indeed which we are
in temptation; if we cannot.abide a draw-
ing plaiAer to drain away corrupt blood
and humours, how fiiould we abide cut-
ting of joints and members ? how pulling
out eyes, which repentance muft do?
2. Let us exercife our graces : affl'(5H-
ons give opportunity for this, it calls forth
whatfoever grace there is in the heart to
the exercife of it. The apoftle fpeaking
of faints-fufferings, faith thus, Rev. xiii.
10. Here is the patience and faith of faints,
i. e. Here is matter for their patience and
faith to be exerciled about; this calls for the
working of their patience and faith ; and
fo for other graces, as, Humility, Self-
denial, Love to God, Meeknefs, waiting
on Chrifl, loving our enemies, not refill-
ing of evil, fervent prayer. O what migh-
ty prayers, and lively ilirrings of fpirit are
there many times in ailliiflions ? Ifa. xxvi.
i 6. They poured out a prayer when thy
chafiening was upon than , our prayers
do but drop out before, now they are
poured out. And this is it that many times
makes God to alHift us, becaufe God de-
lights much to fee the exercife of our grac-
es : when Ipices are beaten, then they
fend
3^4
SAINTS SU FFERI NG S
fend forth their fragrant fmell ; fo when
God's fervants are in afHicflions, then their
graces fend forth their fweetnefs in the
oftivenefs of them : grace is ever better
for wearing.
3. Let us improve our grace?. John xv.
2. Every branch in me (faith Chrift) i/jat
beareth fruit, he purf^eth it that it may
bring forth more fruit. This is the end of
Chrift's purging us, that we may be more
fruitful ; as vines are made more fruitful
by pruning, fo are God's people by the
prnning-knifc of affliftions : now they find
more peace, mone alfurance, more ftrength
than ever they did before : never fuch
fweet joy, never fuch full aflurance, never
frrh ufe of faith, and patience, and love,
as in the foreft and longeft afHidlions : is
it thus with us now .' O this may be a
fweet feal to our fouls of their finccrity
erer after afflictions. God's people never
thrive fo much in grace, as when they are
watered in their own tears ; ManafTes his
chain was more profitable to him than his
crown. ' There is a great deal of differ-
ence (could Luther fay) between a divine
jn outward pomp, and a divine under the
crofs : they that areaflii£ted do better un-
derftand fcripture ; but thofe that are fe-
cure in their profperity, read them as ver-
fes in Ovid.' But what graces muft we im-
prove ? I anfwer, every grace, only I fhall
inftance in thefe. (i.) Our Ipiritual wif-
dom. To this purpofe God is laid to open
the ears of men even by their affliSiions,
Job xxxiii. 16. We are beft inftrudled
when we are affli(fted : // is good for me
that I have been affli^ed, faith David, that
J might learn thy Jtaiutes, Pfal. cxix. 72.
Algerius, a martyr, could fay, 'that he re-
ceived more light in the dark dungeon,
than ever he received before in all the
world.' And Luther proftlfed, * that he
never underflood fome of David's Pfalms
till he was in afriidtion : when all is done,
faid he, tribulation is the plaineft and mofl
flncere divinity.' Prayer, reading, medi-
tation, and temptations make a divine. (2,)
Our patience. To this purpofe, We rejoice
in tribulation, faid the apoftle, Rom. v. 3.
knoiving that irihulati'-^n bringeth forth pa-
tience. My brethren, faith James, ch. i. 23.
count it exceeding joy tvhen ye fall into di-
vers temptations, knowing that the trial of
your faith bringetb forth patience. The
malice of our enemies both proves and im-
proves our patience. See it exemplified in
David, when Shimei curfed, and cad flones
at David, and called him murtherer, and
wicked man; poor afflifted David was fo far
from revenging it, or fuffering others to re-
venge it, that he makes that very thing an
argument of his patience which was the ex-
ercife of it. Behold my fon, fahh he, -who
came forth of my bowels, feeketh my life,
hoiu much more may this Benjamite do it ?
1 Sam, xvi. 12. (3.) Our faith. To this
end God afHifts us that oUr faith may in-
creafe : as it is faid of the palm-tree, that
it groweth higher and ftronger, and more
and more fruitful, by how much the more
weight it hath hanging upon it; or, as it
is faid of the lion, that flie feems to leave
her young-ones till they have almoft kil-
led themfelves with roaring and howling,
but at lafl: galp ihe relieves them, where-
by they become the more couragious; fo
it pleafeth the Lord fometimes to leave his
children. Out of the depths have I cried unto
//"ff, faith David, Pf. cxxx. i. and then, and
not till then, it follows, the Lord heard me.
The Lord faw him finking all the while,
yet lets him alone till he was at the bottom,
and then hearing him, David is ftronger in
faith. This is the height of faith, and the
worth of faith ; to have a llrong confi-
dence in God, even in the worft of affiic-
tion, this is thank-worthy : hopeinaflate
hopelefs, a love to God when there is no-
thing but fignsof his heavy difpleafure.hea-
venly-mindednefs when all worldly affairs
draw contrary-way, is the chief praife of
faith. What made our Saviour fay to that
woman of Canaan, woman, great is thy
faiths
SAINTS SUFFERINGS.
385
faith, Matth. xv. 28. but this, in that nei-
ther his filence, nor his flat denial could
filence her ? fuch a faith had Job, ch. xiii.
15. Though he kill me, yet ivill I truj} in
him. Here is faith to the purpofe ; to love
that God who croireth us, to kifs that hand
which ftrikeih us, to truft in that power
which kills us, this is the honourable proof
of a Chriftian, this argues faith indeed.
8. Be we thankful to God for our af-
flictions : thus Job was, notwithftanding
he was bereaved of his eftate, of his chil-
dren, and in a great meafure given up in-
to the hands of Satan, yet he bleifeth the
Lord, The L'jrd giveth, and the Lord tak-
€th away, blejjed he the name of the Lord,
Job i. 2 1. And this is the meaning of the
pro-phet, Ifaiah xxiv. 15,. Wherefore glo-
rify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name
of the Lord God of Ifrael in the ijles of the
fea. And thus advifeth the apoflle, i Pet.
i V . 16. If any manfuffer as a Chriftian, let
him not be afhamed, but let him glorify God
on this behalf. And a little time before, T^jj"^
be reproached for the name oj Chrift, happy
are ye, for the Spirit of glory, and of God
rtflethonyou. As Noah's dove hovered over
the water,and found no place to refl her foot
on, until flie returned to the ark; fo doth
the Spirit of God,as it were, hover over the
fouls of men, it wanteth reft, and when
it fees a foul that fufFers for the truth,
there it lights, there it refts, The Spirit of
God and of glory there refteth upon you. A
Chriftian is more bound to be thankful for
the opportunity of exercifing one grace,
than for all the profperity in the world :
now there are fome graces that cannot be
exerciled but only in afflidtion ; the faints
in heaven never exercife patience, and with-
out affliction the faints on earth have no
opportunity to exercife patience : but
what ? have we the opportunity of exer-
cifing that grace that we had not before ?
be we thankful to God.
9. Let usvjith joy draw out of the wells
cj falvation, Ifa. xii. 3. Let us comfort
P
ourfelves in our fuffering condition : we
fliould not only be thankful, but joyful.
Methinks I hear fome futfering faint figli
and fay, What ? Is it nothing to you, all
ye that pafs by ? I weep fore in the night,
and my tears are on my cheeks ; among all
my lovers there is none to comfort, all my
friends have dealt treacheroufly with me,
they have heard that I figh, and there is
none to refrcfj me. I Ji and for Chrifl,
but there is none fJands by me, I own him,
but none owns me, Lara. i. 2, 12. Bleed-
ing Chriftian, bear up, though men for-
ftke thee, yet Chrift will own thee ; tho'
men, as fwallow-fliallow friends, do leave
thee in the winter of afflictions, yet Chrift:
as a conftant friend, abides : it is thy glo-
ry that thou fuflereft for Chrift, rejoice as
Paul did, in thy fuflTerings, fith in them
ihonfillefi up that which is behind of the
affii£iions of Chrift, Col. i. 24. Know this
for thy comfort, that if thou fufferejl with
him, thouflmlt alfo reign with him, 2 Tim.
ii. 12. In the mean while, what fweetnefs
doft thou feel from Chrift ? It is thy pri-
vilege, and furely thou mayeft, I hope thou
doft expeCl more than ordinary fweetnefs
from thy Saviour, feeft thou not heaven
clear over thee ? doth not Chrift lead thee
gently, the cup in thy hand, tho' it tafte
bitter to the flefli, doth not thefpirit make
it fweet ? What's that in the bottom of
thy bloody cup ? Is it not love "i are not
thy draughts of fufferings fweeter and
fweeter ? What glory Is that which refts
upon thee ? Is not Chrift with thee in the
fire, and doth not he pafs with thee thro'
water ? In this thy ftorm of wind and rain,
■doth not the fun fliine ? ' Ah no, I luffer
for Chrift, and yet I am without Chrift ;
could I but have his prefcnce, I fliould
flight pcrfecutions ; did he fmile, I fliould
laugh at my foes frowns; were I but In the
light of him, I could fing in this darknefs;
xlld I but enjoy the Icaft of his love, I could
triumph in the flame of their wrath ; but,
alas, alas, wo, etc' Stay, O foul, Ipeak
d d not
386
SAINTS SUFFERINGS.
not out thy forrows too fpeedily, Chrift
cannot be long away, hark! he comes
leaping over the mountains, fee how the
clouds fly away ; furely the fun will fliine
prefently, he cannot be long away ; thy
very fins ftiall not, therefore thy fuf-
ferings cannot feparate between him and
thee • Why fay eft thou, Jacob, and fpeak-
' eft, Ifraei, my ivay is hid from the Lord:
hafl thou not heardy haft thou not knoivn
the everlafting God, the Lord, the Creator
of the ends of the earth ? He faint eth noty
he giveth power to the faint, Ifa. xli. 27,
28. Sing, ye fufFerers, rejoice, ye prifoners
of hope ; the Lor^ whom ye look for, and
long after, he is with you, he cannot be
aSfent from you ; Chrill is in your prifon
(though it may be you are not aware of
it) however, caft not away your co^jfidence,
for he that flmll come wilt come, and will
not tarry. Now the juftfmli live by faith,
('tis fpoken to fufferers) But if any man
draw back, my foul Jlo all have no pleafure
in him, Heb. x. 35» 37. S^-
. But that I may draw out many argu-
ments for your comfort, confider oF thefe
particulars.
I. Chrifl: is efpecially prefent with his
fuffering faints. Thus run the promifes, /
•will be luith him in trouble, and will deliver
him. Fear not, Ifraei, when thcupaffeft
through the water, I will be with thee ;
when thou waikeft through the fire, thou
(halt not be burned, ncitherjhall the flame
kindle upon thee, Ifa. xliii. i, 2. Oh what
fweet promifes, what flaggons of wine are
thefe to comfort the diflreffed foul. As
Cicfar faid to the trembling mariners, * Be
not afraid, for you carry Cefar:' fo may
1 fay to poor, perfecuted, afflicted Ghrifti-
ans, • Be not afraid, for he that is your
king is in you, for you, with you.' Upon
this ground David comforted his foul, Tho'
I walk through the valley of the fl^adow of
Heath, I will fear no evil, for thou art
with me, thy rod and thy fiaff comfort me,
Pfalra xxiii. 4. When Paul was bereaved
of his fight, then, as forae conceive, he
was rapt into the third heaven, and heard
thofewords/rorw Chrifl not ft to be uttered,
2 Cor. xli. 4. When Stephen was at the
bar, and the ftiower of fiones was ready to
fall upon his head, then hefaw heaven it-
felfopen, and the Son of man flanding at
the right hand of Cod, Ads vii. ^j. When
the three children were in the furnace,
Chrift was there to make the fourth, /
faw four men loofe walking in the midft of
the fire, and the form of the fourth is like
the Son of Cod, Dan. iii. 25.
2. Chrift is not only prefent, but fup-
portingly prefent with his in their fuffer-
ings. Thou art with me, faith David, thy
rod and thy flaff comfort me, Pfalm xxiii.
4. Though all men forfook Paul when he
was to anfwer before Nero, Notwithfland^
ing, faith Paul, Chrift: the Lord ftood bymcy
and ftrengthened ?ne, 2 Tim. iv. 16, 17.
3. Chrift gives his faints cordials fuitable
to their fufferings. They fh all put you out
of the fynagogue , faith Chrift, and kill you,
John xvi. 2. I. They f Jail excommunicate
you; now as fuitable to this Chrift told
them that he went to prepare manf ions for
them in his Father's houfe, Joh. xiv. 2. 2.
They fjall kill you, now as fuitable to this
Chrift tells them that their lives fiiould be
as fure as his ; becaufe 1 live, ye fJ^all live
^Ift John xiv. 19. Thus Chrift hath fuit-
able cordials ; if men frown, he iiaih fmiles ;
if men difgrace, he hath honours ; if you
lofe perifhing riches, he hath durable un-
fcarchable riches. Whatlbever you fufter
lols in, he will make it up.
4. Chrift fympathizeth with his fuffer-
ing faints. In all their affliction he was of-
flUled, and the angel of his prefence faved
th.ni, Ifa. Ixili. 9. Chriftians, fuffer when
and where you will, Chrift fuffers then, and
there with you. Had perfecutors eyes, they
would fee this, and 'they would be afraid
of this. ' If we peri(h, Chrift perilheth
with us,' could Luther fay, Sulfering-faints !
Chrift fo loves you, as thathefufters with
you;
SAINTS SUFFER INGS.
you ; are you in dungeons ? ChriA is there
too : are you with Job on the dung-hill ?
Chrift there fits by you ; every drop of
blood that you bleed, goes to the heart
of Jefus Chrift : the baptifm of affliction
wherewith ye are baptized is Ghrift's. Count
not, call not that yours, which is his;
furely he rather fufFers in you, than you
for him ; or if you will fay, you fufFer for
him, yet know he fympathizeth with you
in thofe fufferings.
5. Chrift ordereth all the fufferings of
his faints for quality, quantity, and dura-
tion, (r.) For quality, Chrift orders to
fome mockings, bonds, imprifonments ; to
others floning, fawing, killing with the
fword ; Chrift tells Peter Ify 'what death he
fhould glorifie him, John xxi. 19. (2,)
For quantity, Thou telle/} my tvanderin^s,
Pf Ivi. 8. he means the wanderings whilft
he was perfecuted, fuch wanderings as the
apollle means, They ivandred about in Jlieep
Jkins, and goats JkinSy being deft itute, of-
fiidedy tormented, Heb. xi. 37. David
mufl not wander a ftep more than Chrift
would : nor Ihall faints weep a tear, nor
bleed a drop, nor bear a ftripe more than
Chrill will number out. (3.) For durati-
on, he orders that too ; Te Jloall have tri-
bulation ten days. The Gentiles (hall tread
the holy city under foot forty two months.
The ivitnejfes floall ly in the ftreets three
days, and an half Revel, ii. 10. xi. 2, 9.
So many days, months, years, Ghrift orders
all.
6. Chrifl: often gives to his faints moil:
glorious vifions in their grievous fuffer-
ings : was it not thus with John, and Ste-
phen I and how many martyrs have fpoke
of fpiritual vifions, vifits, incomes which
they have had in prifons, the like unto
which they never found nor felt at other
times? We give our rings, jewels, chains,
net- works to our children if they be in pains,
which we lock up in clofcts and cabinets at
other times ; Chrift gives cabinet-comforts,
lockt up, and unufual difcoveries to his
387
members in prifons and dungeons, of which
many have had fweet and gracious expe-
riences. Rev. i. 12. A(fls vli. ^4, 5-5:.
7. Chrifl rewards all the fufferings of his
faints. To you that have continued -with
me in my temptation^ I appoint unto you
a kingdom, as my Father hath appoint-
ed me, Luke xxii. 29, 30. For our light
afftidion which is but for a moment work-
eth for us a far more exceeding, and eter-
nal weight of glory, 2 Cor. iv. 16, 17. /
reckon that the fufferings of this prefent
time are not worthy to be compared with
the glory that Jhall be revealed in us, Rom.
viii. 18. And bleffed is the man that en-
dureth temptations , for when he is tried, he
ffmll receive the crown of life. Jam. i. 12.
* Tortures are but tradings with God for
glory,' faid Grotius. And * perfecutors
arg but my father's goldfmiths who are
working to add pearls to ^ the crowns of
faints,* faid Bernard. Chriftians, comfort
yourfelves with thefe words.
D
§. 4. Of the manner how to carry our f elves
when fufferings and affliSlions are gone.
THE duties that concern us when af-
fi[i(flions are gone, are thefe,
(1.) That we treafure up all the experi-
ences we have had of God, and of our own
hearts in the time of our affliflion : keep
we them fre/li in our hearts, and work
them upon our own fpirits, and make ufe
of them as God offers occafion. (2.) What-
foever we wifhed that we had done then,
be fure now to fet about, and never refl
till it be done, that when afilidion comes
again, it may not find it undone, if it doth,
it will make the affiidion very bitter unto
us; if this rule were well obfcrved, we
fhould have glorious reformations. (3.)
Be we careful to perform the vows we have
made in our afliidlions. Mofl hypocrites
have many good motions and purpofes, and
feem to be new men in their afffi^ions, but
when God's hand is removed, ihcy return to
their old bias again, yea become worfe than
d d 2 be-
388
RELIGIOUS FASTING.
before; only the eleft are betcer for their
affiiftions afterwards ; Before I was afflic-
ted, J went a/tray, but now I have kept thy
wordy Pfalm cxix, 6j. (4.) Take heed of
truftirtg to our own promifes that we have
made to God for obedience, rather than
his promifes he hath made to us for aflirt-
ance. (5.) Often call ourfelves to account
after the afliiftion is over, what is become
of it ? how was it with me then ? and how
is it now ? have I more peace now than I
had then ? and how comes it about ? hath
my peace grown upon good grounds, fo
as that it may hold ? I had workings of
fpirit then, what are become of them i
Have I been faithful to God and my own
foul ?
Thus much of the fufferings of faints.
CHAP. XVII. SECT.
Of T reparatives to Fa fling.
HI T H E R T O x>f duties ordinary ;
now follow the extraordinary, Fart-
ing and fealVmg : but becaufe the book has
fwollen bigger than I had purpofed it, and
that much of the extraordinary is contain-
to God according to his will, adding feri-
ous petitions to God in our prayers, in
that behalf.
3. When we awake that night, let not
our thoughts be upon worldly bufinefs,
cd in the ordinary duties, I fliall therefore much lefs upon any wicked thing, but let
deliver in a few words what I have to fay them be holy, fuch as may tend to the
of thcle duties. . furtherance of the holy adions to be done
The firlt of thefe Is farting, in which the next day,
•there is required fomething Antecedent, 4. Arife early the day of our fart; this
Concomitant, Subfcquent. agrees well with a fafting-day ; it is pro-
I . The antecedent or preparation there- bable, that for this caufe fome lay on the
to, conlifls in thefe particulars. ground, 2 Sam. xii. 16. others in fack-
1. Take but a moderate fupper the night cloth, Joel i. 13. in the nights of their farts,
before ; for if a man glut himfelf over not only to exprefs, but to further their
night, he will be more unfit for the duty humiliation, by keeping them from fleep-
of humiliation the next day. ing over much or over fweetly.
2. Immediately after fupper, all fervile 5. In the morning, after fome renewing
works of our calling laid alide, begin the of our preparation, and prayer for God's
preparation, and continue fo long as we fpiritual grace to enable us to fanclifie a
can conveniently fit up, even longer and fart that day, apply we our felves to the
latter than upon other days : From even to main work of the day, of which in the next
even (hall ye celebrate your Sabbath, * faith feftion.
God,' Lev. xxiii. 23. and therefore f then
fet the time allotted apart for that holy
work, propounding to ourfelves the end
of our intended fart, refolving to keep it
'). 2. Of the duties required in fa fling.
N the action of Farting there are duties
. inward, and outward.
• I fpeak nrt tl is in reference to oi-.r Lord's day; indeed the Icvcnth Cay labivil. among riic Jens bigan at
evening, and fj ended the next day evening, according to tiie bej;inning and ending of natural diivs from the
creation (as it is fii.l, Ti:c evening and morning made the firll day) but mu- Lord's day beginneth in the morning
frurn the rcfurrc(ftion of ChriU on tiie morning on that day; and that's not without a mylkry, that the legal lab-
bath began with daiknefs, and the evangelical began with light.
+ ThiW/'u; haih only reference to this occafional fabbath of fdfting, or humiliation for fin.
' I. The
RELIGldU S
I. The inward duties are general, and
more fpecial.
I. The duties that more generally con-
cern the nature of the day, are fuch as
thefe :
(i.) In the true fpiritual fa ft, there muft
be fafting from fin, or the forfaking of all
our lins ; for while we abftain from law-
ful things, we are acimoniflied much more
to abftain from all things that are utterly
unlawful at all times. It is the Lord's com-
plaint, Behold, ye faft for firife and de-
bate, and/mite ivith thefiJJofivickednefs,
yejlxdl not faj} as ye do this day, Ifa. Iviii.
4. It is plain the Lord will endure no faft
of thofe that goon ftill in their wickednefs.
(2.) The word and prayer muft be ad-
ded : I jajled and prayed before the God of
keaveny faid Nehemiah .• And they flood up
in their place, and read in the book of the
law of the Lord their God,one fourth part of
the day ^and another fourth part they confef-
fedandwor [hipped the Lord their God,^t\\.
i. 4. ix. 3. But whereas prayer is a daily
and ordinary exercife of the faints, it is
manifeft, that by prayer coupled with faft-
ing, is underftood a fpecial and peerlefs
kind of prayer, wherein two things are re-
quired. I. Fervency of defire ; now we
mult not only pray, but cry unto the Lord,
Joel i. 14. yea as the Ninevites fpeak, JVe
are to cry anight ily unto him, Jonah iii. 8.
For the ufe of our outward abltinence, is
but the wing of prayer, wherewith it might
more caiily fty up to heaven. 2. In fuch
a prayer there ihould be an alFurance of
faith : the Lord hath made a gracious pro-
mife in many places to this ordinance, 2
Chron. vii. 14. lla. Iviii. 8, 13. Joel ii. 18,
19. and let all tne fafts of the church of
Chrift, both in the Old and New Tefta-
meni, be lv)oked at, as Judg. xx. 23, Ezra
ix. 6. Lfth, iv 16. Afts xiii. 2, 3. and it
will appear, that the end of their fafts (kept
in any meafure of truth and linceriiy)
was a feaft, and iheifTueof their mourn-
ing, great rejoicing ; all which may ferve
Fyf STING, 389
wonderfully to ftrengthen our faith in this
holy performance.
(3.) Works of mercy muft be added ; Is
not this the fa/i that I have chofen, to loofe
the bands of wickednefs, to deal thy bread
unto the hungry, to bring the poor that are
caft out, into thine houj'e, and when thou
feeft the naked, to cover them ? Ifa. Iviii.
6,7. In all our fafts this muft be obferv-
ed, that the poor may have the^ain of our
fafting ; If their loins and bowels blefs us,
the Lord alfo will blefs us abundantly,
(4.) We muft ever in thefe days of hu-
miliation, renew our covenant with the
Lord : and not only unfeignedly purpofe,
but faithfully promife amendment of life ;
this making, renewing and keeping our co-
venant, is the life and fum, and the one
moft neceftary thing in this excellent and
extraordinary exercife of fafting and pray-
ei^
2. The particular duties, wherein we
muft ferioufly exercife our fouls on fuch a
day, are thefe: (i.) In a right furvey and
full comprehenlion of all our vilenefs, ini-
quities, tranfgreftions, and ftns. (2.) In a
right apprehenlion of God's dreadful wrath
and flaming vengeance againft iin. (3). In
a feeling fenfe of our own unlpeakable,
and inconceivable milery by reafon there-
of. (4,) In a vile and bafe conceit and ef-
teem of our felves, abhorring ourfelves in
diift and aOies. (5,) In an inward for-
row, renting of the heart, bleeoing of the
foul, accompanied with an outward be-
wailing, with a plentiful and heart pierc-
ing confefTion of all our fins before CJod's
gracious throne. (6.) In a refblute hatred,
diftike and averfion in the will ; in an im-
pregnable refolution and ftrong reafoning
of mind ; in a conftant endeavour and
watchful oppofition againft iin. (7.) In a
heart-grieving, that we cannot perform all
thefe more heartily, fincertly and loundly.
II. The outward duties conlift efpeciaiiy
in outward abftineuce : as,
I. From fleep, whence that exhortation
ia
590 RELIGIOUS
In fomefenfe, IVatch unto prayer j Col. iv.
2. I Peter iv. 7*
2. From coftly apparel, from ornaments
and better attire, Exodus xxxiii. 4, 5, 6.
Jonah iii. 6.
3. From matrimonial benevolence, from
that fociety which God hath faniftified by
his word to married perfons, i Cor, vii.
5. Joel ii. 16.
4. From bodily labours and worldly
hufinefs. Lev. xvi. 29, 31. xxiii. 32. Joel
i. 14. ii. 15.
5. From food wholly; and yet this
total abflinence Q[om meat and drink is not
fo ftriftly required, but that they whofe
health cannot bear it, may, in cafe of true
neceflity, take fome little refrefliing, left
otherwifethcy hazard and hurt their health,
and unfit themfelves for the fpiritual ex-
crcife and duty ; indeed we have no exam-
ple in this cafe propounded in fcripture,
yet we have fufficient ground for it, Hof.
vi. 6. Matth. xii. 7.
6. From all carnal delights and pleafures
of this life, Joel ii. 16. David and Daniel
would not anoint themfelves at fuch a
time, I Sam. xii. 20. Dan. x. 3. And all
thefe outward duties are to be obferved,
I. Partly as helps to our humiliation, in
renouncing the hindrances thereof, 2.
Partly as figns of our humiliation, where-
by we acknowledge ourfelves unworthy of
thefe delights. 3. Partly as evidences of
our repentance, in that by way of godly
revenge we deprive our fenfes, which have
all finned, of their feveral delights.
§.3. Of the duties after fajivig.
WHEN all is done and performed,
obferve thefe particulars ;
I. Take heed of inward pride, and reft-
ing in the performance: fpiiitual pride
is that worm that will breed in the bed:
fruits of the fpirit, that poifon which the
devil (the hellitli fpider) will luck out of
the beft Howers in God's garden ; and if
he can but prevail over us to be felf-con-
F^ STING,
ceited with our enlargements, or to truft
to that fervice we have done, he hath what
he looks for, and deprives us of all the
comfort of our humiliation : labour there-
fore, as much as we can, to humble our-
felves with a thorough view of our failings
in the beft of our performances; and for
our enlargements, confider we the foun-
tain of them,which is not any ability of our
own, but the good Spirit of God, breath-
ing when and where it lifteth, and fetting
out our flrait hearts, which otherwife
would be utterly clofed and fliut up ; let
Chrirt: have the glory of all our abilities,
who hath given us his grace, but will not
give his glory to another.
2. Hold the flrength which we have got
that day as much as we can ; keep we flill
our interelt and holy acquaintance, which
we have gotten with God, and with the
holy exercifes of religion ; unloofe not the
bent of our care and affeflions againfl fin,
and for God ; it is a corruption of our na-
ture, and it is a policy of Satan to help it
forward, that like fome unwife warriors,
when they have gotten the day of their e-
nemies, we grow full of prefumption and
fecurity, by which the enemy taketh ad-
vantage to recollecl: his forces, and com-
ing upon us unlocked for,gives us the foil,
if not the overthrow ; we are too apt, af-
ter a day of humiliation, to fall into a kind
of rcmilfnefs, as if then we had gotten the
maftery ; whereas if Satan f^y from us, if
fin be weakened in us, it is but for a feafon,
and but in part, and efpecially if we fiand
not upon our watch, Satan will take oc-
cafion to returh, and fin will revive in us,
Lukeiv. 13. Matth. xii. 44.
3. Wait upon God for return ; we muft
not prefume that prefently upon the work
done, God mufl grant our alking ; as hy-
pocrites that could fay, Ife have fufledand
thou ha fl not regarded it y Ifa. Iviii. 3. we
may and mufi expc<5l a gracious hcaring,up-
on our unfeigned humiliation, All things
•whdtfoever ye (hallajk in prayer ^ believing^
ye
HOLT FE
ye fhall receive y Mat. xxi. 22. but as for
when and how, wemuft wait patiently ; it
is true, faith fecureth us of good fuccefs,
This is the confidence that we have in him,
that if we afk any thing according to his
will, he heareth us, 1 John v. 14. but faith
neither prefcribeth unto God liow ; For
who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord? or
who being his counfellor hath taught him ?
AS7ING, 391
Ifaiah xl. 13. nor yet doth it make hafte.
Behold, I laid in Zion a foundation fionCy
a tried ftone, a precious corner-floney a
fure foundation ; he that helieveth fijall not
make haft e, Ifaiah xxviii. 16. Faith waits
God's Jeifure, when he in his wifdom fhall
judge it mod feafonable, that is the time.
And thus much of our duty before, in,
and after religious fafting.
CHAP. XVIII. SECT. I.
Of the Duties before Thankfgiving, or Feajiing.
THE fecond duty extraordinary, is,
Holy Feafting or Thankfgiving ; and
the preparation thereto confifts in thefe
particulars :
1 . In ftirring up ourfelves to the per-
formance of this duty : Blefs the Lord,
my fouh <^^d ^^^ ibat is within me, blefs his
holy name : blefs the Lord, my foul, and
forget not all his benefits y Pfalm ciii. 1,2.
2. In meditating on God's undeferved
bounty towards us.and of our own unwor-
thinefs to God: Cod of my fathers, which
faidfl to me, I will deal well with thee : /
am not worthy of the le aft of all thy mer-
cies, and of all the truth which thou hufl
fl^ewed unto thy fervant, Gen.xxxii. 9, 10.
3. In craving theafliftance of God's Spi-
rit (becaufe of ourfelves we are unable)
to open our lips, that we may fhew forth
his praife, Pfalm li. 17.
§.2. Of the duties required in thankfgiv-
ing.
IN the a£lion of Thankfgiving there are
duties inward, and outward.
I. The inward duties are c^-^r/i. Thank -
fulnefs, chara, Chearfulnefs.
1 . Thankftilnefs of the foul, which im-
plies Mindfulnefs, Acknowledgment, Af-
fedlion.
(i.) VVe mufl: mind, and therefore we
are often ftirred up to remember God's be-
nefits, Deut. vi. 12. viii. i8. xxxii. i8.
Pfalm ciii. 2.
(2.) We mufl: acknowledge God's good-
nefs, James i. 17. Deut. viii. 18. and our
beholdednefs, in refpeft of own nullity
and unworthinefs, 1 Cor. iv. 7. i Chron.
xviif 16.
3. We muft prize and efteem God's be-
nefits, endeavouring to amplify them, in
refpecft of their greatnefs, excellency, pro-
fit, necefiity, fufficicncy, acknowledging
therein God's wifdom, power, goodnefs,
fatherly providence and bounty towards
us, Pf. xvi. 5, 6. Mark vii. 37. Rom. viii.
28. and this acknowledgment, if it be ef-
fc(flual, will work afieftion in the heart,
a fenfe of God's goodnefs and bounty to-
wards us, cauflng us to love God, and to
be obfequious towards God in all the duties
of thankiuinefs.
2. Chearfulnefs and alacrity of fpirit ; as
the Lord loves a chtarful giver, fo a chear-
ful thankfgiveri charis ihanks, comes from
chairo, to rejoice; charis mufl; be meta
charas, with joy. Phil. i. 5. James v. 13^
The holyGboll in many places hath joined
them together, J will be glad and rejoice
in thee, J will fing praife unto thy name,
thou mofi high : rejoice in the Lord i ye
righteous, for praife is comely for the up-
right : it is a good thing to give thanks
unto the Lord, and to fing prai/ts ur:to thy
name, rnoft High ; for thou haft made
me glad through thy work, i will triumph
in
!?92
HOLT FEA SriNG.
in the ivorks of thy hands, Pf. ix. 2. xxxiii.
1. xcii, I. 4,
II. The outward duty, is to exprefsour
inward thankfulnefs and chearfulnefs : our
thankfulnefs, by celebrating and prailing
the name of God, by extolling his good-
refs, by recounting his mercies, and by ex-
citing others to praife the Lord : our chear-
fulnefs, by making a joyful noife and Ting-
ing unto God : Sino aloud unto God our
§. 3. Of the duties after thank fgivhj'y,
THE duty after, confifts in thefe par-
ticulars :
1. In referring the benefits and gifts re-
ceived, to the glory of God the giver, in
the good of his church.
2. In feeking to glorify God who hath
been fo gracious unto us, in bringing forth
the fruits of a godly life : Herein is my
Jlrength, make a joyful noife unto the God father glorified, that ye bear much fruit ,
cf Jacob : make a joyful noife unto the Lord, John xv. 8.
" 3. In honouring the Lord with our fub-
ftance, and acknowledging him to be the
chief Lord of all we poliefs, Honour the
Lord %uith thy fubjiance, and with the firfi-
fruit of all thy increafe, Prov. iv. 9.
to this duty, tranflatedby Mr. "VV. B.
rll praife thee with my fong,
the nations all among :
4. To heavens high, to clouds of fky,
his truth and mercies throng.
5 . Exalted be thy name,
above the heavens frame.
Let earth below the trumpet blow
of thy renowned fame.
PSALM cl.
PRaife, praife the Lord moft high,
within his fanduary,
In topmoft tower of his great power,
with praife him magniiie,
2. Praife him for ads renown'd,
with excellency crown'd ;
According to his greatnefs, do
praife him with trumpet found.
3. O praife him chcarfuliy
with harp and pfaltery :
4. And let the dance his praife advance,
and timbrels melody.
Praife him with joint confents
of ftringed inltrumcnts.
5. The organs bring, loud cymbals ring,
each one his piaiie prefcnts.
6. High founding cymbals ring,
let every breathing thing
The praife record of this great Lord,
and Hallelujah fing.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah ; Amen, Hallelujah,
all ye lands, ferve the Lord -with gladnefs,
come before his^refenceivith finging, Pfa.
Ixxxii. I. c. I, 2. To this purpofe we may
fing the pfalms in the end of this book, or
Ibme fuch other.
SECT. IV. Of Pfahnsfuitable
P S A L M c. To the tune. Have 7?iercy, dr.
AL L men of mortal birth.
That dwell in all the earth,
2. Omake a noife to God with joys,
and ferve the Lord with mirth.
•O come before his throne
with finging every one :
3 . For certainly tlie Lord mofl High
even he is God alone.
He made us, and not \\t,
not we ourfelves, but he.
His folk and flock, and paflure ftock,
he made us for to be :
4. ^Vith praife come to iiis gate,
and to his courts relate
His laud and fame, and blefs his name,
his honour celebrate.
r . For God is good for ever,
his mercy faileih never,
His truth doth laft all ages pad,
and conftant doth perfever,
PSALMcviii. Firft part.
OGod, 1 fix my heart,
my glory bears a part,
And as my tongue fo Ihall my fong
praife thee with mufick's art.
2. Walk harp and pfaltery,
right early walk will I ;
". Thypraifes, Lord, willl record,
the people (landing by.
ULTIMA;
THE . -
LAST THINGS,
In Reference to
The Fir ft and Middle Things ;
OR, CERTAIN
MEDITATIONS
O N
Life, Death, Judgment, HeD, Chrift's Sufferings, and Heaven.
Deut. xxxii. 29.^ that they vjere ■wtfey that they underjlood thisy that they -would
conjider their latter end.
Eccl. vii. 38. Whatfoever thou iakejl in hand, remember the end, and thou {halt never
do amifs.
( m )
L I F Es LEAS E
Gen. xlvii. 9. Few and evil have the days of my life be- en.
WHEN Pharaoh was Egypt's king,
Jofeph, Pharaoh's lleward, and
Jacob, Jofeph's father^ there was a great
famine which Pharaoh had dreamed, Jo-
feph foretold, and Jacob fuifered : God,
that fent Jofeph to Pharaoh, brings Jacob
to Jofeph, the fame providence fo difpo-
fing of all, that yet fome food muft be in
Egypt, when nothing was found in all the
land of Canaan: thither come and welcome,
as you may fee the flory : Pharaoh falutes
Jacob with this queftion, What is thy
age ? How many are thy days ? how many ?
alas, but few : what are they ? alas, but
evil : thus we find Jacob at his arithmetic,
the bill is lliort, and the number is but a
cypher : will you hear him cad his ac-
counts ? I. They are days, and without
all riile of fallhood, by fubftraftion few, by
addition full of evil : contrafl all, and
this is the fum of all, Fexv and evil have
the d-ays cf?ny life been.
This text, briefly, is the leafe of Jacob's
life ; God the chief Lord enriched his fub-
ftance.yet limits the grant of his time : will
you queflion the leafe ? for what time ? no
more, but my life, faith Jacob ; but a life?
what years ? no years, but days, faith Ja-
cob : but days? how many? not many,
but few, faith Jacob ; but few ? how good ?
not good, but evil, faith Jacob : who can
blaze the arms of life, that finds not in it
crofs and croflet ? the leafe, but a lifcj the
term, but days,- the number, few, the na-
ture, evil, nay when all is done, we fee all
is out of date ; the days are not, but are
pafl, they have been, Fexv and evil have
the days of my life been.
Wc mufl:, you fee, invert the text, and
begin with that on which all hangs ; it is
but my life, faith Jacob.
Life.'] T T TOuId you know what is that f
W take but a view of nature,
and fcripture, and thefe will fufiiciently
defcribe our life.
I. T^ature, whofe dim eyes fee thus far :
what is it ? but a rofe, faith Tiferna?,
wfcich if you view in its growth, the cold
nips it, heat withers it, the wind (hakes it ;
be it never fo fair, it withers ; be we never
fo lively, immediately we die and peiiih.
A rofe ? that is too beautiful ? ' life is but
grafs,' faithPlautus*, green now, withered
anon ; thus like the llower that is cut in
fummer, affoon as we are born, death is
ready with his fcyth ; afioon as we are dead,
angels gather in the harveft, on whofe
wings we are carried to that barn of hea-
ven: Grafs ? no, faith Philemon, Life is
no better than a counterfeit pi61ure ? what
if the colours be fair, and the refemblance
near ? the fhadow of death, and the cur-
tains of our grave will darken all, A pic-
ture ? that is too honourable ; * life is' (a
worfe refemblance) ' but a play,*faith f Luf-
cinius, we enter at our birth, and a(ft all
our life ; prelently there is an exit, or a
back-return, and away we go, ftnitting all
up with a iuddcn tragedy. A play ? that
is too large. Anonymus being asked what
was life ? ' he iliews himfelf a little, and
Ut hciba llluit -lis.
I iccna «ft ludiis quoque vita. Ltijcin,
E e e 2
hides
39^ L I F Ef
hides himfelf amain * ;' his meaning was
this, our life is but a little (hew ; and no
A)oner are we feen, but immediately are
we hid and gone. A fhevv ? that is too
plcafaht ; life is nothing but a fleep, faith
f Philonius, ^\ve live fecure, and dermice-
like we flumheraway our time;' when all
is done, as if all this were too little ; we
fleep again, and go from our (grave) the
bed, to (that bed) our grave. A fleep? that is
too quiet, it is nothing but a dream, faith
Ariftophanes ; all our worldly pleafures
are but waking dreams, at laft death rouz-
eth our fouls th<kt have flept in fin, then
lifting up our heads and feeing all is gone
we awake forrowing. A dream, or the
dream of a ihadow, faith Pindar ; and the
worft, the weakeft dream that can be ima-
gined ; fure one flep further, were to arrive
at death's door; and yet thus far are we
led by the hand of nature : nay, if you
will lower, death fucceeds life, and * life is
but the image of death,'faith :{:Cato. Here is
a true pifture of our frailty, life is like
death, indeed fo like, fo near together, that
we cannot differ each from other.
See here the condition of our life, what
is it buta rofe, a grafs, a piflure, a play,
a fiiew, a deep, a dream, an image of
death ? fuch a thing is life, we fo much
talk of.
Lye. And if nature give this light, how
blind are they that cannot fee life's frailty ?
you need no more but mark the deftinies
(as poets feign) to fpin their threeds ; one
holds, another draws, a third cuts it off:
what is our life but a threed ? fome have
a rtronger twift, others a more flender :
fome live till near rot, others die when
fcarce born ; there's none endures long,
this threed of life is cut fooner or later,
and then our work is done, our courfe is
L Ey^ S E.
finiHied. Are thefe the emblems of our
life ? and dare we truH: to this broken
ftaff? how do the heathen precede us
chriftians in thefe ftudies ? Their books
were skulls, their desks were graves, their
remembrancer an hour-glafs. Awake your
fouls, and bethink you of mortality ; have
you any privilege for your lives .' are not
heathensand chriftians ofone father Adam?
of one mother earth? The gofpel may
free you from the fecond, not the firlt
death ; only provide j'ou for the firft, to
efcape the fecond death. O men, what be
your thoughts ? nothing but of goods and
barns, and many years ? you may boafl
of life, as Oromazes the conjurer of his
egg, which, he faid, included the felicity
of the world, yet, being opened, there
was nothing but wind : think what you
pleafe, your life is but a wind, which may
be ftopt foon, but cannot laft long by the
law of nature.
But, 2. as nature, fo fcripture will in-
form you in this point. The life of man
is but of little efteem ; what is it but a
Shrub or a briar in the fire ? ^i/s the crack-
ling of thorns under a pot, fo is the life
or laughter of the jool ; mcmentany and va-
nity, Eccl. vii. 6. Nay, a flirub were fome-
thing, but oiu" life is lefs, no better than
a leaf, not a tree, nor (hrub, nor fruit,
nor blofTom : iVe all fade as a haf
and our iniquities, like the wind, have
fiuept us avjay, Ifaiah Ixiv. 6. Yet a
leaf may glory of his birth, it is delcend-
ed of a tree : life is a reed, fometimcs bro-
ken, at lead fhaken, fo vain, fo infirm, fo
unconftant is the life of man : ll^hat went
ye out to fee P a reedfjakcn with the wind?
Matth. xi. 7. Nay, a reed were fomething,
our life is bafer, indeed no betterthan a
rufK or flag. Can a rufh grow without
• Cum parutnpcr fe oftcndinet, mox fc abfcondit. Rod. u^gric.
jpiihus jacesr /'/ ■ » \ Vita ijuid niG rcortis imago, Cato,
f Tu qiiicftis 1 cuius; ct in modum g'iris Cc-
nure
L I F Es
mire ? tho'' it were gretn and not cut down,
yet Jhall it -wither before any other herb,
Job viii. II, 12. What fhall I fay more ?
what (hall I cry ? a rufla ? Jll flefh is
grafs, and the grace thereof as the flower
ofthefitld; the grafs withereth, the flower
fadeth : furely the people is grafs, Ifai. xl.
7. I am defcended beneath jnfl patience,
but not fo low as the life of man ; as all
thefe relemblelife, fo in fome meafure they
have life : but life is like a fmoke without
any fpark of life in it, thus cried David,
My days are confumed like fmoke, and my
bones are burnt like an hearth, PlaJm cii.
3. Yet is here no ftay, the fmoke engen-
ders clouds, and a cloud is the fitteil: re-
femblance of our life : My welfare paffeth
away as a cloud, faith Job, and our life
(hall pafs away as the trace of a cloud, and
come to nought as the mifi that is driven
away with the beams of the fun. Job xxx.
i^. Neither is this all, clouds may hang
calm , but life is like a tempeft, it is a cloud
and a wind too ; Remember that my life
is but a wind, and that mine eye flmll not
return to fee pleafure, Job vii. 7. Nay,
we muft lower, and find a weaker element,
it is not wind, but water, faid that woman
of Tekoah, We are as water fpilt upon the
ground, which cannot be gathered up again,
2 Sam. xiv. 14. Yet water is both a need-
ful and neceffary element; life is the leafl:
part of water, nothing but a foam, a bub-
ble: The king of Samaria, that great king,
is deflroyed as a foam upon the water, Hof.
X. 7. I can no more, and yet here is fome-
thing lefs, * a foam or bubble may burft in-
to a vapour,' and what is your life, it is
even a vapour that appear eth for a little
time, and afterwards vanifheth arvay, Ja.
iv. 14. Lefs than this is nothing ; yet life
is fomcthing lefs, nothing in fubfla nee, all
it is, it is but a fliadow, IVe are fir angers
and fojourners as all our fathers were; our
LEASE. 397
days are like a fhadow upon the earth, and
there is none abiding, i Chron. xxix. 15.
See whither we have brought our life, and
yet ere we part, we will down one ftep
lower ; upon a ftrict view we find neither
fubftance nor fliadow, only a mere nothing*
a very vanity, behold, thou haft ynade my
days as an hand-breadth, and my age is as
nothing in refpe£i of thee ; furely every man
living is altogether vanity, Pfalm xxxix. 5.
Lo here the nature of our life ; it is a
Ihrub, a leaf, a reed, a rufh, a grafs, a
fmoke, a cloud, a wind, a water, a bubble,
a vapour, a fhadow, a nothing.
What mean we to make fuch ado sbout
a matter of nothing ? I cannot choofe but
wonder at the vanity of men, that run,
ride, toil, travel, undergo any labour to
maintain this life, and what is it when they
have their defire which they fo much toil
fo>? we Jive, and yet whilft we fpeak this
word, perhaps we die. Is this a land of the
living, or a region of the dead ? We that
fuck the air to kindle this little fpark, where
is our ftanding but at the gates of death ?
Pfalm ix. 13. Where is our walk, but in
the fhadow of death ? Luke i. fi). \Vhat is
our manfion-houfe, h\x\.the body of death?
Rom. vii. 24. What think ye \ * Is not
this the region of death, where is nothing
but the gate of death, and the (hadow of
death, and the body of death ?' f Sure we
dream that we live, but fure it is that we
die ; or if we live, the befl hold we have
is but a leafe : God our chief Lord may
beflow what he pleafeth, to the rich man
wealth, to the wife man knowledge, to the
good man peace, to all men fomewhat :
yet if you afic who is the kifor? God.
Who is the lefTee .' Man. What is leaf-
ed ? This world. For what term ? My
life. Thus Jacob tells Pharaoh, as the text
tells you ; Few and evil have the days of
my life been.
\ An noit & kjcc rcgb mortis, uH ^arla mortis, umka n.ortis, ir corpus viortii.!
Tb£j
398
L 1 F Es
This is the leafe, and now you have it,
let us fee vvha*- ufe you will make of it.
Ufe I. It is a bad life fome live; Come,
fay they, nnd let us enjoy the pleafurcs that
are prefent, and let us chearfully ufe the
creatures as in youth, let us fill ourfelvts
ivith coftly vjtne and ointments, and let not
the flower of life pajs by us, "WiCd. ii. 6,
7. What a life is here ? Can it be that plea-
fures, wine and ointments (hould have any
durance in this vale of mifery ? fuppofe thy
life a continued fcene of pleafures : hadlt
thou Dives' fare, Solomon's robes, David's
throne, Crefus' wealth ; livedft thou many
years without any cares, yet at laft corries
death, and takes awaj^thy foul in the midft
of her pleafures : alas, what is all thy glo-
ry, but a fnufF that goes out in flench >
Couldfl: thou not have made death more
welcome ; if he had found thee lying on a
pad of draw, feeding on crufls and crumbs ?
Is not thy pain more grievous, becaufe thou
waft more happy ? Do not thy joys more
afflia thee, than if they had never been ?
O deceitful world, that grieveft if thou
croffeft, aod yet to whom thou art beft,
they are moft unhappy !
U/ez. But to fpeak to you who have paf-
fed the pikes and pangs of the new birth,
would you have life indeed, and enjoy that
joy of life which is immortal ? then hear,
revive, watch and awake from fin : were
'you fometimes dead in lin ? O but now
live in Chrift; Chrifl is the life, John xiv.
6. M^ere you fometimes dumb in your
dying pangs ? O but now abide in Chrift ;
Chriji is the -word of life, John i. 1. are
you as yet babes in Chrift, feeble and but
wenk through life's infirmities ? why, then
ufe all good means, eat and be ftrong,
Chrift is the bread of life, John vi. 48.
Here is a life indeed, would you not thus
live for ever ? Then Believe in Cod, and
in Jefus Chrift -whom he hathfint, and this
is life eternal, John xvii. 3. O happy life,
which many a man never dreams of ? So
muft they llrive to piotraft this brittle life
LEASE,
which but adds more grief, that they for-
get Chrift ; nay they forget their creed,
which begins with true life, God, and ends
with life never ending, Life cverlafiing.
Others that hope for heaven, fix not their
thoughts on earth ; if you be God's fer-
vants, lift up your hearts above, for there
is Life, and the Gqd of Life, the tree of
Life, and the well of Life, the Life of an*
gels, and the life everlafting.
One fand is run, and the text is leflen-
ed ; but as you h£.ve the leafe, foyou may
now expect to know the date ; the lea(e
is but a life, the date lafts but days.
Days^ 'VTOt weeks, nor months, nor
1\| years ; or if a year, the beft
arithmetick is to reduce or break it into
days; fo we have it in the laft tranflations,
The days of the year.
Here then is the fum, a year, the frac-
tion, days.
1. A year; in the fpring is the youth-
ful fpring of our age; in the fummer" is
the fitted time of our youth, in the autumn
is the high noon or middle of our age,
when the fun (which is our foul) rules in
the equinoctial line of our life ; in the win-
ter we grow old and cold, the nips of froft
ftrip the tree of our life, we fall into the
grave, and the earth that nourilheth us,
will then confume us. See, what is man !
* a fpring of tears, a fummer's duft, an
autumn's care, a winter's wo :' read but
this map, and you need travel no further
to enquire of life.
The firft quarter is our Spring, and that
is full of fin and mifery ; the infant no
fooner breathes, but he fucks the poifon
of his parents : in Adam all finned, and
fince his time all were defiled by his fin.
Is it not nature's rule, that ' every man
begets one like himfelf?' And is it not
God's rule, that * every finner begets ano-
ther no better than him(clf ?' How may a
foul veft'tl keep fwccr water i' or how may
an earthly finner beget an heavenly faint ?
L I F Es
We are all in the fame ftate of fin, and
fo we fall into the fame plunge of forrow :
the child in his cradle fleeps not fo fecnre,
but now he wakes, and then he weeps, cold
ftarves him, hunger pines him, fores trou-
ble him, ficknefs gripes him; there is fome
punifhment, which without fin had never
been infiifted. It is wonderful to confider,
how nature hath provided for all creatures ;
birds with feathers, beads with hides, fiflies
with fcales, all with fome defence ; only
man is born ftark naked, without either
weapon in his hand, or the leaft thought
of defence in his heart; birds can flie, bealls
can go, fifhes can fwim ; but infant-man
as he knows nothing, fo neither is he able
to tlo any thing : indeed he can weep as
foon as born, but not laugh (as fome ob-
fcrve) till forty days old ; fo ready are we
born to wo, but fo far from the leaft fpark
of joy. O meer madnefs of^men, that
from fo poor, naked and bafe beginnings,
can perfuade ourfelves we are born to be
proud !
AnA if this be our fpring, what think
ye is our fummer ? Remember not the Jin s
of this time, prays David, Pfal.xxv. 7. and
why ? Their remembrance is bitter, faith
Job, ch. xiii. 26. If mirth and melody
Ihould never meet with end, this were an
happy life ; Rejoice, young man, in thy
youth, let thine heart chear thee in the days
cf thy youth, ivalk in the ways of thine
heart, and in the fight of thine eyes ; but
remember, for all t-hefi things God will
bring thee to judgment, Eccl. xi. 9. This
judgment is the damp that puts out all the
lights of comfort : could not Solomon have
given the reins, but he muft pull again at
curb ? Muft youth rejoice ; But for all this
remember, what a bar ftands here in the
very door of joy ? alas, that we flionld
trifle thus with toys, which no fooner we
enjoy, but in grievous fadnefs we repent
our follies. The wife man that gave li-
berty to his ways, what cries he but vani-
ty, and after vanity of vanities j and at lall
L E A S E, 399
all is vanity ? What was the wifdom of Achi-
tophel ? a vain thing; what the fwiftnefsof
Hazael ? a vain thing: what the ftrength of
Goiiah ? a vain thing : what the pleafures of
Nebuchadnezzar ? a vain thing : what the
honour of Haman ? a vain thing ; what the
beauty of Abfalom ? a vain thing : thus if
we fee but the fruit that grows of fin, we
may boldly fay of laughter. Thou art mad:
and of joy, what is this thou dofi F Eccl. ii. 2,
And if this be our fummer, what may
be our autumn ? an hour of joy ? a
world of forrow : if you look about you,
how many miferies ly in wait to enfnarc
you ? there is no place fecure, no ftate
fufficient, no pleafure permanent ; whither
will you go ? The chamber hath its care,
the houfe hath its fear, the field hath its
toil, the country hath its frauds, the city
hath its factions, the church hath its feCts,
the court hath its envy, here is every place a
field where is offered a battel : or, if this were
better, confider but your flates; the beggar
hath his fores, the foldier hath his fears, the
magiflratehathhistroubleSjthemerchanthis.
travels, the nobles their crofres,the great ones
their vexations ; here is every ftate a fea tof-
fed with a world of tempefts. Or yet if this
were happier, bethink a little longer of
your fleeting joys, the fweet hath its fowre,
the crown hath its care, the world hath
its want, pleafure hath its pain, profit hath
its grief, all thefe rauft have their end t
here is a dram of fugar mixt with an ephah
of bitter. Is this manhood that is fubjeft
to all thefe miferies ? Nay, what are thefe
in comparifon of all it fuffers ? It is de-
formed with fin, defiled with luft, outrag-
ed with paffions, overcarried with affecti-
ons, pining with envy, burthened with glut-
tony, boiling with revenge, tranfporied
with rage, all man's body, is full of iniqui-
ty, and bis foul (the bright image of God)
through fin, is transformed to the ugly
fhape of the devil.
* And if this be our autumn, what I pray
is the winter i then our fun grows low,
and
i|.oo L 1 F FJi
and we begin to die by degrees ; (hew roe
the light that will not darken, Ihew mc
the lower which will not fade, fnew me
the fruit which will not corrupt, fliew me
the {Tarment which will not wear, fliew
me the beauty which will not wither, fliew
ine the ilrength which will not weaken :
Behold, now is the hour that thy lights
fliall darken, thy cheeks wrinkle, thy il<in
be furrowed, thy beauty fade, and thy
flrcngth decay. Here is the ambition of
a long life ; thy leafe lies a bleeding, and
death raps at the door of thy heart to take
pofTefTion : O forcible entry ! will not plca-
fures delay? cannot riches ranfom ? dares
notflrength defie ! ^neither wit nor wealth
able to deceive nor bribe ? What may rent
this houfe that the foul may not lodge but
"one night longer ? Poor foul ! that dies
or departs in unremedied pangs : our fins
may run on fcore, and repentance forget
her days of payment; yet our leafe fliall
end, the date expire, this body fuffer, and
the foul be driven from her houfe and har-
bour. See the fwift courfe of our mortal
fun, at north and fouth, in our mother's
woinb and tomb both in one year.'
JJfe. ' Confider this you that forget God ;
you have but a year to live, and every fea-
fon yields Ibme occafion to tell you, you
mufi: die. In childhood, what is your cheA
of clouts, but aremembrance of your wind-
hig flieets ? In youth, what is your mirth
and mufick, but a fummons to the knell ?
In manhood, what is your houfe and en-
clofure, but a token of the coffin .' In age,
what is your chair or litter, but a fliew of
the beer, which at laft fliall convey you to
your graves ? Man, ere he is aware, hath
dreft his herfe ; every feafon adding fome-
thing to his folemnity. Where is the a-
dulierer, murderer, drunkard, blafphemer ?
Are you about your fins i look on thefe
objei^s ; * There is a fun now fetting, or
a candle burning, or an hour-glafs run-
ning, or a flower decaying, or a traveller
palling, or a vapour vanilhing, or a lick
LEAS E:
man groaning, or a ftrong man dying; be
fure there is fomething pulls you by the
fiteve, and bids you beware to commit
fuch enormities : who dares live in fin,
that confidcrs with himfelf he muft die
foon ? And who will not confider, that fees
before his eyes fo many a remembrancer ?
Alas, we muft die, and howfoever we pafs
from childhood to youth, from youth to
manhood, from manhood to age; yet there
is ' none can be more than old ;' SeneSlu-
tern tjemo excedit. Here is the utmoft of
our life, * a fpring, a fummer, an autumn,
a winter ;' and when that is done, you
know the whole year is finiflied.
The fum is a year, the items are days.
And what days can ye expe6\ of fuch a
a year ' My text, in relation to thefe days,
gives us tvv'o attributes, the firfi, is, few ;
the fecond, is, evil : if you confider our
days, in regard of the fewnefs (which this
word feems rather to intimate) you may
fee them in fcripture brought to fewer^nd
fewer, till they are well near brought to
nothing.
If we begin with the beginning, we find
firft:, that the firfl: man Adam had a leafe
of his life in fee, and as lawyers fay, ' To
have and to hold,' from the beginning to
everlalVmg : but for eating the forbidden
fruit, he made a forfeiture of that eflate;
of this he was forewarned, In the day that
thou eatcj} thereof, thou [halt die the death,
Gen. ii. 17. And this he found too true,
Becaufe thou haft tat en of the tree, whereof
1 commanded thee, thou fh alt not eat^vAizX.
then ? amongft other curfes this was one,
T>uft thou art J and to dujl thou fhalt re-
turn. Gen. iii. 10. After him the Icngeft
life came fliort of the number of a thou-
fand years ; The days of Methufalem, faith
Mofes, luere nine hundred, fixty, and nine
years, Gen. v. 27. And had he come to
a thoufand which never was attained by
man ; yet a thoufand years are but one day
with God, 2 Pet. iii. 8. Yea, but as ye-
fleiday, i'aith Mofes ; J thoufand years in
Cod's
L I F Es LEASE,
God's fight are but as yefterday, Pfalm xc.
4. But what fpeak I of a thoufand years ?
no fooncr came the flood, but the age of
man (of every man born after it) was Short-
ened half in half. Thefe are the generati-
ons of S hem (faith Mofes) Gen. xl. 10. to
wit, Arphaxad, and Sclah, and Eber; none
of which three could reach to the number
of five hundred years ; the longed liver was
Eber, and yet all his days, before and af-
ter his firft-born Peleg, were but four him-
dred, fixty and four years. Gen. xi. 16,
17. Nay, asif half a thoufand were more
than too much, you may fee God halfs their
ages once again : Peleg lives as long as a-
ny man after him, and yet his days were
neither a thoufand, nor half a thoufand,
nor half of half a thoufand ; no, no
more than two hundred, thirty and nine
years, Gen. xi. 18, 19. But this was a
long life too : if we come to arrive at
the time of Jacob, we (hall find this little
time well near halfed again ; when he fpttke
this text, he tells you he was one hundred
and thirty years old ; and after this he liv-
ed no longer than. feven teen years more;
fo that the whole age of Jacob. was but (fe-
venfcore and (even) an hundred, forty and
feven years , Qcci.yXvXx. 28. Nay, to leave
Jacob a while, and to come a little nearer
ourfelves, in Mofcs' time we find this little
time halfed again ; he brings fevenfcore to
fcventy ; The days, faith he, of our age
are threejcore years and ten, and though
men be fo firong that they come to four [core
years, yet is their ffrength then but labour
and forroxv, fo foon paffeth it away, and we
are gone, Pfal. xc. 10. Here is halfs of
halfs, and if we half it a while, fure we Ihall
half away all our time : nay, we have a
cuflom goes a little further, and tells us
of a number a great deal Ihortcr, we are
fallen from feventy to feven, in life's leafes
made by us. Nay, what Ipeak I of years,
when ray text breaks them all into days ?
Tew and evil have the days been ; fo our
former tranflation, without any addition
401
Fff
of years at all ; and if you mark it, our
life in fcripture is more often termed days
than years: the book ofChronicles, which
writes of mens lives, are cnlled, according
to^ the interpretation; IVords of days .- to
this purpofe we read, David was old, and
full of days, i Ghron xxiii. i. And, in
the days ofJchora?n, Edom rebelled, 2 Chr.
xxi. 8. So in the New Tellament, In the
days of Herod the king. Mat. ii. i. and,
In the days of Herod the king of Judah,
Luke i. 5. In a word,, thus Job fpeaks of
us, our life is but days, our days but a fha-
dow: IVe know nothing, (faith Job) and
why fo ? our days upon earth are but a
fhadoiv. Job viii. 9.
Lo here is the length of our little life,
it is not for ever ; no, Adam loft that eftate,
and he that lived longeft after Adam, came
f]K>rt of the number of a thoufand years ;
nay, that was hailed to fomewhatlefs than
hve hundred, and that again halfed to lit-
tle more than two hundred ; Jacob j^et
halves it again to a matter of fevenfcore,
and Mofes halves that again to feventy, or
a little more ; nay, our time brings it from
feventy to feven ; nay, Jacob yet brings it
from years to days, Fexv and evil have the
days of the year of my life been.
Ufe I. Teach us, Lord, to number our
days, that we Diay apply our hearts unto
wifdcm, Pfalm xc. 12. IMofes' arithme-
tick is worthy your meditation ; learn of
him to number, pray to God your teach-
er, think every evening there is one day
of your number gone, and every morning
there is another day of mifery coming on ;
evening and morning meditate on God's
mercy, and your own mifery. Thus if
you number your days, you fliall have the
lefs to account for at that day, when God
fliall call you to a final reckoning,
U/e 2. But miferabie men, who are not
yet born again, their days run out without
any meditation of this kind : what think
they of but of long days and many years ?
And were all their days as long as the days
of
402 L I F E*s
of Joftiua, when the fun flood ftlU in the
m\Al\ of heaven, yet it will be n-ght at laft,
and their fun ftiall fet like others. True,
God may give fomc a liberal time, but what
enemies are they to themfelves, that of all
their days allow themfelves not one? /fa-
tty wan long after life, and to fee good days,
let hhn refrain his tongue from evil, and
his lips that they fpeak no guile, 2 Pet. iii.
ID. How live they that would needs live
fo long, and follow no rules of piety ?
Many can port off their converfion from
day to day, fending religion before them
to thirty, and then putting it off to for-
* ty, and not pleafed yet to overtake it, pro-
mife it entertainment at thrcefcore; at lafl,
.death comes, and allows not an hour * :
in youth, thefe men refolve to referve
.the time of age to fer\ e God in ; in age,
they Oniffle it'oft' to ficknefs ; when iick-
nefs comes, care to difpofe their goods,
ioathnefs to die, hope to efcape martyrs
that good thought. O miferable men ! if
you have but the leafe of a farm for twen-
ty years, you make ufe of the time, and
gather profit ; but in this precious farm of
time, you are fo ill hufbands, that your
leafe comes out before you are one penny-
worth of grace the richer by it. Why fland
ye here all the day idle? Mat. xx. 6. there
are but a few hours or days that ye have
to live; at laO; comes the night of death,
'' that will fhut up your eyes in fleep till the
Jay of doom.
You fee now the term of our leafe, our
life lafts but days. And although we live
many days, yet in this thy day, faith Chriil,
Luke xix. 42. and give us this day our daily
bread, Matth. vi. I2. fay we, as if no day
could be called thy day, but this day : If
there be any more, we (hall foon number
them ; my text tells you, they are not many,
LEASE.
but few ; Few and evil have the days of
my life been.
Few.] /^Ur leafe is a life, our life is
V^ but days, our days are but
few, the Phoenix, the elephant, and the
lion fulfill their hundreds ; but a man
dieth when he thinks his fun yet lifeth, be-
fore his eye be fatisfied with feeing, or his
car with hearing, or his heart with lufting ;
Death knocks at the door, and often \vill
not give him leave to meditate an cxcufe
before he comes to judgment : is not this
a wonder, to fee dumb beafls outfirip
. man's life ? the phoenix lives thoufands,
fay fome ; but a thoufand years are a
long life with man. Methufalem, (youfaw)
the longefl liver, came fliort of this num-
ber ; and yet, could we attain to fo ripe
an age, what are a thoitfand years to tie
days everlafting ? If you took a little mote
to compare with the whole earth, what
great difference were in thefe two ? and
if you compare this life, which is fo fhorr,
with the life to come, which fhall never
have end, how much lefs will it yet appear ?
As drops of rain are unto the fea, and as a
gravel flone is in comparifon to the fandy
fo are a thoufand years to the days ever-
lafling, Eccl. xviii. 9. But will you have
an exa<5l account, and learn the jufl num-
ber ? It was the arithmetick of holy men
to reckon their days but few ; as if the
fliortefl cut were the bed account. The
Hebrews could fubdufl the time of fleep ;
which is half our life; fo that if the days
of men were threefcore years and ten, PC
xc, 10. Here's five and thirty years llruck
off at one blow. The philofophers could
fubdu^ the time of weaknefs,which is moft
of life, fo that \i vivere be valerc, that is,
if that be only a true life which enjoys good
health; here's the beginning and ending of
• At thim man fiifpf£\s himfflf a fool ;
Kiir'"5 it ^\ forty, and ref'rms his plan;
t^t fifty chides l)is infamous delay,
ruQicj his prudent purpofc to rtfolvc ;
In all the magnanimity of thotio|-,t
Rdolvcs ; and re-re(Mves : then dies tlie finif .
Dr. 1 'c::!:^ 'i N I o H r -T H o I' G H T s .
our
LIFE'S L
our daysftruck ofFat a fecondblow. The
Fathers could fubduft all times not pre-
fent, and what fay you to this account ?
were the days of life at noon, man grown
to manhood ? Look ye back, and the time
part is nothing ; look ye forward, and the
time to come is but uncertain ; and if time
pafl and time to come Hand both for cyphers,
what is our life but the prefent ? and what
is that but a moment? Nay, as if a mo-
ment were too much, look at rcrrpture,and
you will fee it brought to a lefler pafs : Job,
for his part, goes about tofubdufl the time
of his birth, which is the bud of life ; Let
the (layperijh,{zn\\ he, wherein I 'Mas bont;
nay, let H not be joined unto the days of the
year, nor let it come into the count of
months, Job iii. 6. Solomon could fubduft
not only childhood, but the time of youth
too, which is the flrength of life : Take a-
•way grief out of thine hearty and caufe e-
vil^ to depart from thy fleflj ; for child-
hood and youth both are but vanity, Etfcl.
xi. 10. Paul could fubduft the time of
fin, which is the joy of life, She that lives
in pleafure (lives not, nay flie) is dead
ivhile floe is alive, \ Tim. v. 6. Sum all,
and fuppofe that the time of birth, and ,
childhood, and youth f and Jin were gone,
to what an epitome were man's life come?
Think of this all ye that travel towards
heaven ; had we not need to make hafte,
that mu(t go fo long a journey in fo (Won
a time ? How can he chufe but run, that
remembers his days are few ? naj', that e-
very day runs away with his life ? The '
workman that fets a time for his tafk, he
lifiens to the clock, and counts the hours,
not a minute muft pafs, but his work goes
onwards : How then do we negledt our
time while we fhould ferve God ? Work
'while it is to day, faith Chrift, Johh ix. 4.
and, this. is the day of falvation, faith the
apoftle, 2 Gor. vi. 2. Would you know
your talk ? you muft work : would you
know your time ? it is this day : a great
talk, a Ihort time ; had we not need with
Fff
EASE, 465
Mofes to number our days, left we lofe a
minute ? it is true, of all numbers we can-
not Ikill to number our days : We can
number our flieep, our oxen, our fields,
our coin ; but we think our days are
infinite, and never go about to number
them. The faints that went before U4
cafl another account ; Mofes had his ta-
bles, Job had his meafures ; all agree both
for meafure and number, magnitude and
multitude, our life is but ftiori, o»r days
are but few. Few and evil they have been.
Give me leave a little to amplify this
point : Would we throughly know the
rhortnefs of our time, the fewnefs of our
days ? I (hall then fet before you the mag-
nitude of the one, and the multitude of the
other.
And, I. For the magnitude of the time
of our relief: A man, fay the philofophers,
is Alicrocofmus , a little world ; little for
goodnefs, but a world of wickednefs. Of
thi3 world, if you'll have the dimenfions
according to the rules of Geometricians,
the length, breadth, and depth, of our fl^.ort
life : Then firfV, for our length from eafl:
to weil, from our birth to our burial. I
need not to take fo many paces, as will
make millepajpis, a mile ; our little life
bears no proportion to fuch a length : I
dare not fay, as Stobeus relates, ' that our
life hath the lafl of a cubit's length ;' for
that's more than the fcripture will af-
ford it; It is but a fpan, or hand-breadth,
faith David, Pfalm xxxix. 5. that's little ;
nay, Alcaeus in Carmine Lyrico, faith, it is
but an inch long, that's lefs ; nay, faith Plu-
tarch, * all our life is but a prick, a point ;'
yet lefs, faith Seneca, It is a point that we
live, and lefs than a point ; that's lefs than
either I can fay, or you conceive. What
is it ? not a mile, but a cubit, but a fpan,
but an inch, but a point, nay. Ids than that:
Here's little longitude of life. Well, but
our latitude is perhaps greater : No, take
a meafure, if you pltafc, from one pole to
another, as we Hand betwixt the terms of
2 life
404 1j I F E.' s'
life and death, and whcrefoever we are,
death is within an hand-breaili of our
life; if we be on the fca, there's but a thick
board between us and drowning ; if on
the land, there's but a fhoe-fole between
us and our grave ; if we Ileep, our bed is
our bodies grave, and there's but a Iheer,
perhaps a winding-lheet, betwixt us and
it : when we are awake, our body is our
grave, and there's but a few fkins (as (ay
phylicians) betwixt death and us. What
is it ? but the breadth ot hand, of a board,
of a flioe-fole, of a thin ftieet, of a fmall
ikin ; there's Httle latitude, you fee. Well,
but our profoundity may help all this : Go
to further, and fee^hat it is. I (hall not
Jcad you down many fteps, for, indeed
tliere aienotmany ftcps to lead you down.
Aw one word, conie to the centre of the
he^it of man : The Grecians, to exprefs
the fliallowntrs of this life, give the fame
name to the heart, that they do to death ;
Kcar\% the.heart, the author of life ; and
Kear is delliny, the worker of death ; to
{hew, that as every man hath an heart, To
death hath a dart for every man. ChrilH-
ans ! Mortals! conlider your magnitude
. in all thefe dimenlions ; alas, how is it
that many of you make yourfelves fo
great ? W hat mean thofe titles which you
take upon you ? Your Greatnels, Your
llighnefs, Your — I know not what. O
conlider the mortality of your bodies, and
that will tell you thejuft fcantling of your-
lelves.
2. For the multitude of our days ; He
was branded with the name of a fool, that
thought he had many years to live. Mofes
tells us. The days of our years are threefiore
years and tc/i, Pfa. xc, i o. But now, as you
heard, we value our life, but at feven years,
as if fix years we had to labour, and to
do all we had to; but thefevenih were a
fabbath to re/} -with God, Rev. xiv. 13.
>Jay, yet the fcripture comes fomewhat
lower, and bccaufe a plurality might caule
a fecuriiy, it hcIlov;s but an unity upon
/. EA S E,
our years: thus Jacob,in this text, reckons
of a great number of one year. The days
of the year of my life are an hundred
and thirty year, Gen. xlvii. 9. nay, Auftin
comes (horter, and compares our life to
a quarter of a year, like Jehoahafti reign
which laded about three months time, 2
Kings xxiii. 31. nay, the fcripture dcfctnds
from months to days, Few and evil are
jny days, (aith Jucob, implying that this
life is but a few days, or but one day, as
fbme would have it, which is the meaning
of Chrift's prayer, Give us this day our
daily bread, Matth. vi. 11. And yet that
we may not think our death a great way
oif ; the fcripture tells us, it is not a day
to come ; no, Boafl not of to-niorroxu, for
thou kno-weft not -what a day may hrin-y
forth, 'Prov. xxvii. i. Thy day is this pre-
fent day, and therefore faith the apollle,
To day if ye will hear his voice, Heb, iii.
7. nay, to (peak farther, this day, (aith
Job, is palt already, IVe are but of yejler-
day, Job viii. 9. nay, as if a day were" too
long for the life ofman,Mofesre'embfesitto
the ^r^i that grows up in the morning,and
is cut down in the evening, Pla xc. 6. and
Gregory compares it to Jonah's gourd,
that came up in a night, and perilhed ere
the day was come, Jonah iv. 10. The even-
ing and the morning make but one day,
Gen. i. 5. but our day is ofttimes an even-
ing without a morning, and ofttimes a
morning without an evening. 2say, yet
togo lower, as if half a day were more than
our life could parallel, Mofes compares it
to a watch, which is but the fourth part of
a night, Pfalm xc. 4. Yea, and as if this
were longer than our life doth lafl, the
fcripture calls it but an hour, John v. 25.
The hour is coming,and now is, (aith Chrift ;
nay, our life is but a minute, or, if we can
fay lefs, a moment, 7/; ^ ntoirtent they go
down to the grave, faid Job ; and, i« ^
moment f])all they die, /aith Elihu, Job xxi.
13. and xxxiv. 20. And,<z lying tongue is but
for a wiwc-w/; faith Solomon, Fro. xii. 19.
9nd,
L 1 F E's
and,o«r light affiiSllonis but for a moment y
faith Paul. 2 Cor. iv. 17. Lo, here the
length of our little life, this is the gradati-
~ on that God makes of it : At firfl, a matter
offoventvyearSjbut thefe were tythed from
feventy to feven, this number again was
made no number, one Jingle year; a year ?
nay^a months nay, a day^ nay, an hour, nay, a
minute, nay, a moment ; ajpoon as we were
horn, we began to draw to our end, Wifd.
V. r3. There's but one- poor moment
which we have to live, and when that is
fpent, our life is gone : How ? but one,
and a moment ? One is the leaft number
that is, and a moment the fliorteit time
that ever was : O what mean men to plot
,and projedl for the time to come, as if this
life would never be done ? O confider of
thelittlenefs of the time that thou h;iU to
live ! O confider of the greatnefs of the
matter that depends upon it ! thy body,
Jbul, heaven, and hell, all hangs on this
threed ; a fliort life, a few days. Few and
evil have the days of my life been.
You have learned Mofes' Arithraetick
to number our days, practife a while, and
you will find this ufe.
Ufe (. God Ihortens your time, you
that arc unregenerate, left you defer your
repentance. It is faid of the devil, tliat he
is bujle, becaufe his ii?ne isjhort, Rev.xii.
11. and are you worfe than devils ? Is not
your time (horter ? and yet are you more
negligent? How do you give way to that
old lerpent ? He delays no time to bring
yovi to hell, and you negledr all times to
get you heaven : What is your lire but a
Jonah's gourd, fuddenly I'prung up, and
by and by withered again, and gone ? what-
foever ye do, your wheel whirls about a-
pace : In a word, ye die daily, and you
all know thus much, that you have every
one of .you a poor foul to fave. I have
wonderedacmen.thatdelire tune after time,
one time after another ; why, if your fouls
periiii, the day will come foon enough. It
makes, me weep, faid one of a better Itamp,
J^ F. y4 S E,' 40 J
when my hour glafs is bcfide me, and I
fee every drop of fand follow other fo
fpeedily. Your days are but few, and yet
who knows whether this day his fun may
fet ? Take heed, you unregenerate, if death
comes unawares, it is the price of your
fouls, how you are provided I W ho, alas !
would defer to be good, that knows not
how foon he may go to judgment ? The
enemy keeps a daily watch, a friend pre-
pares for your welcome, and are you fuch
enemies to yourfelves, that never are pre-
pared to welcome death\'
Ufe 2, But to fpeak to thee, whofoever
thou art tliat readeft, regenerate, or un-
regenerate, the bell counfel thou canft
learn, is to be liill in a readinefs; think
every day thou rifeft to be the day of thy
death, and every night thou goefl to bed,
that thou art laid down in the grave: If
thou fhouldeft forget, will not each objedf
be a remembrancer ? Thy (heets, of thy
winding-flieet ; thy coverings of thy claf-
ping dull ; thy fleep of thy death, with
whom, I may fay truly,thou (hakeA hands
every night: who can forget his grave, that
lies him down in his bed ? And who then
would not fo provide himJHf, as if every
night he went to his grave ? Our days are
but few, and the night will be ere: long that
we die indeed. What are we but tenents
at will in this clay-farm ? The foundation
of all the building is but a fmall fubflance,.
always kept cold by an interccurfe of
air; the pillar is but a little breath, the
ftrength, fome few bones tied togethec
with dry firings, howfoever we piece and
patch this poor cottage, it will at lalt fall
into the Lord's hands, and we give furren-
der only in this tenor, few and evil have
the days of my life bi en.
You now iee the time of out leafe to the
full, our life lafts but days, our days are
but .few ; who. is fo fond to fettle his
care on this leafe, that fo foon is expired ;.
nay, with a blafi is gone out \ The man
that is wedded to. this world, enjoys nei-
ther
4c6
L I F E's
ther length of days, nor a day of joy ; as
^ he. is mortal, fo is he mifemblc : You Hiall
fee my text join both the hands, nothing
indeed but death can loofe the bonds, the
days of my life are few, the few days of my
life are evil ; few in number, evil in nature ;
neither many nor good, but few and evil.
Evil] /^Ur life is but days, our days
y^ are but few, our few days
but evil : Into what a fea of mifery have I
now run-icd fail ? Evil life, evil days ; but
few, yet evil.
There waits on our f Sin,
Life \ Puniflimcnt.
Both thefe are evil : Sin as the father
plays the bankrupt*^ and punifliment, the
' fon, muft pay the debt : Firft, Luft con-
ceives and bti?tgs forth Jin y then Jin being
'Jinijhed, brings forth death, James i. i ^.
f:lere is both the work and wages ; firft,
we commit, and then we fufter evil.
The evils we commit are (ins, and fee
what a troop of enemies march about us ;
if you expe£l the battle in array, what fay
you to thofe evils original ? thefe are the
inheritance which we have from our firft:
parents: It is the fame infedtion thatdiftil-
led from them, abides in us, and therefore
the fame punifliment is due to us, that
fell on them. O the flood-gate of evils that
now are opened ! Adam's fin is ours by
' imputation, we are twigs of one root,
lireamsof one fountain, and, by the fame
rcafon, partakers of one fin. And, as no
evil is alone, fo befides that imputed, we
have another inherent, this is the proclive
difpolition that we have to evil, becaufe
of the lofs of thofe powers that we had to
good. * Firft, (as Polanus exprcfl^es it) the
iin of the perfon infecfted the nature, and
now the fin of the nature infe<fls the per-
fon :' is not the mind doubtful of the ways
of God ? Is not the will prone to all man-
ner of evil ? Are not the afl't(flions difor-
dered in their adtions ? But as for Good-
nefs, and Holinefspand Virtue, and Grace,
LEASE.
and Temperance, andlnnocency, all thefe
ornaments are lofl ; Adam received them
for himfelf and us, and therefore loft them
from us, as from himfelf: What wonder,
if we being fpoilcd, nature be left naked, a
rotten root muft needs bear rotten branch-
es ; and if the firfl man be infed^cd with
fin, what follows, but a corruption of
the whole nature of man ?
But thefe are but the feeds, what fay
you to the ofF-fpring > Evils original be-
get evils a(5\ual, and fuch are they, as Auf-
tin defines them, * Whatfoever ye fay or
do, or think againfi the law eternal.' How
many of thefe furies haunt us ! our faying,
doing, thinking, all is evil that is againfl:
God's command : His will is the rule that
fliould meafure all our anions, our ac>ions
are the frame that fhould be meafurcd by
his will ; here then are fins material and
formal, the actions of a man diverted from
the will of God ; and if all thefe be evils,
how many evils are they all ?
Look at our omillion of good duties,
and come they not in like mores in the fun.^
How many alms have we denied ? How
many blefiings have we refufed .-' How
many fermons have we neglected I How
many fabbath-days have we mifpent ? This
was the fin of that rich man, of whom
though Lazarus had no hurt, yer, becaufe
he could receive no good, therefore he
luas tormented in that fame, Luke xvi.
You know a day will come, when a bill of
negatives (hall be framed againfi the wic-
ked, not what ye have done, but what ye
have not done : / ivas hungry, and ye gave
me no meat ; I was thirjiy.and ye gave me
no drink ,• / ivas a J}r anger, and ye lod-
ged me not ', J ivas naked, and ye clothed
me not ; Jick, and in pri/on, and ye vijited
me not. Mat. xxv. 42. It is the not doing
your duties mu(\ incur that heavy len-
ience. Depart from me ye curjed. Mere
hormlefs men are no (it members for God's
kingdom ; if you mean to avoid evil, you
mull neglect no good : alas, who would
Hip
L I F E's
flip any occafion, that confiders the juft
reward of this evil of omiffion.
But thefe are not half the count, there
be evils of commifTion whereby we fight
againft God, and provoke his juftice againft
us : Of all the commandments which we
fliould perform, there is not one precept
which we have not broken ; Cod himfelf!
is dilLonoured, his worfl^ip is neg!e(fled, his
name is blafphemed, his days are profaned :
If we go any farther, parents are difobey-
ed, injury is maintained, adultery is com-
mitted, robbery is praflifed, falfe uitnefs is
produced, covetoufnefs is followed : Thus
is the manner ofour keeping the command-
ments from the firft to the Iafl:,having tranf-
greffed againft all. Hide thy face from
my /ins, arid put aivay all my iniquities,
Pf. li. 9. We had need to pray, Hide them,
for if they be not hid, how many of thefe
evils will rife up in judgment againft us ?
But here is no end ; there be evils exter-
nal that accompany the body, and whdt
part of the body is not pofTefTed with (bme
evil ? look at the fenfes, and wherein haft
thou employed thine eyes,but in beholding
vanity ? Wherein thine ears, but in he^rk-
ning to lies ? Wherein thy tafting, touch-
ing, fmelling but ia fenfual pleafures ?
And as the fenfes, fo are the members full
of evil, The head is fick, the heart deceit-
fuly the tongue unruly, the teeth as fiuords,
the jaws as knives, the hands are full of
blood, and the feet fwift to fhed hlood, I fa.
i. 5. Jer. xvii. 9, James iii. 8. Prov. xxx.
14. Ifaiah i. 15. and lix. 7. Thus from
the foal of the feet to the crown of the
head, there is nothing vjhole, but wounds,
and fwcllingSy and /ores full of corruption,
Ifaiah i. 6.
And if thefe be our outward, what be
thofc inward evils ? ftiiould I thruft my
hand into your bofoms, O how leproiis
fhould 1 pluck it out again ! that under-
ftanding creaced fuil of light, is now fo
blind that it perceives not the thinos of the
Spirit of Godf neither can it knovj ihem.
L E A S E. 407
for they are fpiritually difcerned, i Cor.
ii. 14. No doubt there is in us a remain-
ing fpark of nature, and that is the light
of reafon which makes us men; but if you
look at this reafon, it perceives only natu-
ral and external things; it can perceive thy
houfe adorned, thy land tilled, thy grounds
ftocked ; but thofe fpiritual bleflings, cele-
ftial promifes, eternal privileges, it cannot
fee, nor fo much as think of: what are ail
our thoughts but vanity, and imagination
of man's heart, but only, evil P Gen. viii.
21. Neither is this all, God framing man'«
foul, planted in it two faculties, the un-
derftanding that informeth, and the will
thai folioweth ; and as the underftanding,
fo is the will ; it receives from reafon (her
counfellor) fenfual advice, and fends forth
to the afFeftions (her courtiers) injundllons
of vanity; here is a counfellor indeed, what
is it but reafon without reafon ? and here
is a will indeed ; what is it but a flave to
fin, without any will to good ? Man is fo
holden captive by theyoke of fin, that (as
Calvin obferves, Inftit. book ii. chap. 4,)
of his own 'nature he can neither ' afpire
by defire, nor travel by endeavour to any
goodncfs.' I fay not, but (as Bernard) ' to
will is in us all ;' but to will evil is of na-
ture, to will good is of grace : away then
with our abilities, and confefs we with the
apoftle, that To -will is prefent -with me,
but I find no means to perform that -which
is good, Rom. vii. 18.
And yet this is' not all ; take a view of
thole affea.ons which attend the will, and
how are all evil \ It is God Dionld be the
objea both ofour will and affedions; and
what fay you \ do you love him, and fear
him, and truft in him, and ferve \\m ? your
fins fay, no: we can do nothing that good
IS, but we run upon evil ; fee thine anger
like a ferpent, thy defire like a wolf, thy
fear like an hart, thine envy like a viper,
all thy paffions are become fenfual, and f-
very man is a beaj} by his oivn /c^owledrc.
Jer. X. 14. ^ '
• ' BleiTed:
4o8 L 1 F Es
BlcfTcd God ! what a world of evils are
-within us ? * We have fmned, O Lord,
above the number of ihe fands of the feas,
our tranfgreflions, O Lord, are multiplied,
our offences are exceeding mnny :' many
fure, that contain thefe dreams, and yet
how many are the rivulets that ilTue from
them ? There be evils of weaknefs agsinft
God the Father, whofe attribute is power;
there be evils of ignorance againfl God the
Son, whofe attribute is wifdom ; there be
evils of malice againft the holy Ghoft, whofe
attribute is love. Can we add any more I
Mark but our thoughts, our delights, our
confents to evil : or, if thefe be not enough,
lee a fwarm indeedthat continually alfault
. us, Anger, Hatred, Envy, Diftruft, Impsii-
ence. Avarice, Sacrilege, Pride, Defpair,Pre-
- fumption, Indevotion, Sufpicion, Conten-
tion, Derifion, Exaftion, (give me leave to
breathe in the numbring of thisbed-roll)Pcr-
jury, Blafphemy, Luxury,Simony, Perplex-
ity, Incon(tancy,Hypocrify,Apoilacy; here
is a number numberlefs, ' grofs fms, little
ilns, known fins, hid fins:' Plldm xix. 12.
ll'ho can undtrjland his error's ? Lord,
cle<infe me from my Jecret faults. The
days of life are few, but the evils God
knows how many ; he that would number
them, may tell a ihoufand, and yet not
tell one of a thoufand : can the proudeft
Pharifee juftifie himfelf? Remember the
fwarms that lurk in thy venomcd confci-
ence, number thy wanton words, thy car-
nal thoughts, thy unchriftian geHures, thy
outragious fins, and come they not in by
troops and herds, thicker than the frogs
in Egypt ? \\ ell may we Hand amazed at
their number, and, as convifled priloners,
cry for that pfalm of mercy, Lord, have
mercy on us molt evil wretched linners.
Thus you lee, beloved, how evil be our
days, fith every day we do evil : then to
-wander no further, now we have found
fuch a world of them, will you fee them in
n map ? Here are evils original, evils adual,
LEASE.
evils of omidion, evils of commiffion, evils
of the body, evils of the foul ; well may
we pray, Deliver us from evil : what, fo ma-
ny evils of fin ? now the Lord deliver us.
life I. Rem.emher yourlelves, and who
will notfing David's burden, Mine iniqui-
ties have gone over tnine head, and as a
weighty burden, they are too heavy for we
to bear P Pfal. xxxiv. 4. There is in fin,
faith Aufiin, both weight and number, and
is any one fo dull or dead, that he is ien-
fibie of neither ? Go ye to the balance, and
what a mafslies upon you ? enough, zx)d
enough again to fink you down to hell :
go ye to the count, and what a fwann
comes upon you ? a million, and a million
of millions to keep you out of heaven ;
when all your fins mufl: be called to ac-
count before that Judge of the world, what
account ihall be given of this account that
is endlels ? See them like the fiars, only
thefe fet and rife, but your fins rife, and
never fet; fee them like your hairs, only
thefe ilied and loofe, but your fins grow e-
ver more and more ; fee them like the
lands, only thefe are covered with the floods
and waters, but your fins lie fiill open, and
are ever before you : think on thefe ftars,
thefe hairs, thefe infinite innumerable fands
of fins, and when all is done, let your tears
be the flood to hide them over. Ir wjs
David's faying, Every night wafh I my bed,
and -water my couch with my tents, Pf. vi.
6. If your days be evil, let not your ni^ht
fiip without repentance ; go not to bed, but
beat your breaif , w ith the publican ; ly you
not down, but withal lift np your voice,
Lord, be merciful to me a [inner : how
(weet a reft doth that night bring, whofe
fleep is prevented with the confideration
of our fins? Though we are begirt with
a thoufand devils, thiswouldbe as the watch
of our fouls, and the lafe-guard of our
perfons.
But I mufi fpeak w'th a difference : I
ftand over fbine of you, v,ho are fo far
from
LIFEs LEASE,
from * iDaJhing mo ay your Jin s -with tears,
that I fear you never took much notice of
the multitude of your fins : fhould I tell
you that you brought fin enough with
you to damn you, when you firfl: came
into this world ; fliould I tell you, that
you have every one committed thoufands,
and thoufands of thoufands of actual fins,
and yet any one of thofe thoufands is e-
nough to fend you packing to hell : you
would think thefe ftrange points; but if
.God be true, there is no fin of man, either
original or a£lual, either of omiffion or
commifTion, either of the body, or of the
foul, which without repentance will not
produce eternal death ; and therefore in
God's fear take notice of your fins, fet be-
fore you the commandments of God, and
thereto comparing your life, you may find
out fuch a catalogue of your fins that will
throughly convince you of your damna-
ble eftate.
You may alk. To what end ftiould we
be fo careful to find out our fins ?
I anfwer to a very good end, both in
refpedl of the Unregencrate, and Regene-
rate.
I. In refpeft of the unregenerate: this
is the firft ftep of repentance, this is one
of thofe places that will lead you towards
heaven. You may be fure without repen-
tance, no heaven, without confefllon no
repentance, and without finding out fin,
there can be no confefTion. It were good
therefore, and a fingular means to bring
you outof corruption into Chriftianity,and
out of the ftate of nature into the king-
dom of grace, that you would every one
of you have a catalogue of your fins. If
you will not, I can tell you who will ;
there is an adverfary called Satan (the ad-
vcrfary of mankind) that ftands at your
409
back, and, I may fay figuratively, with a
fcroU in his hands, wherein he writes down
your fins; not a day paffeih on, but he can
eafily tell how many fins you have commit-
ted all day. * Lord, that men would think
on it ! are you about any fin ? at that
very time Satan is regifirating the a^, ani
time, and place, and every circumfiance;
now wo, wo to man, that lets Satan do
his work for him i would you do this
yourfelf, would you but ftudy for a cata-
logue of your own fins, that fo you might
confefs them to God, and repent you there-
of,this would be a dafti in the devil's book,
fo that he could not have whereof to ao
cufe you ; but if flill you go on fecurely
in fin, and never go about to call your fins
to remembrance, a day will come, wo worth
the day, when that roaring lion (ball fet all
your fins and tranfgreffionsin order before
you ; then fliall you read, perforce your fins
original and aftual, of omiffion and com-
miffion, of your bodies and fouls. And I
muft tell you, herein is a great policy of
Satan, he lets you alone in your fecurity a
while, if you will not trouble him, he will
not trouble you ; if you will not tell your
own fir^s, neither will he tell you of them ;
but he will change his note, at furthefl:,when
your few evil days finifh ; it is the very
cafe, as many creditors deal with their deb-
tors, while they have any doings, as they
fay, and are in trading, they will let them
alone, in policy they will fay nothing; but
if once down the wind, in ficknefs, po-
verty, difgrace, or the like, then comes
ferjeant after ferjeant, arreft upon arreft,
acHon upon aftion : jufl: thus is Satan's
dealing with the unregenerate man ; if yt)u
will but fin, and never call yourfelves to
a reckoning, in policy he will fay nothing,
but when the fcore is full, and death comes
* When I fpeak thus of tears or repentance, I argue not a caufality or merit ; only I infer a ncc.fljry pref nee
of repentance in thofe that obtain pardon of fin. All that 1 pofitively affirm, is this, that repentance is the means
or way which God hath appointed antecedently to pardon, A£ls iii. 19. Jer. iv. 14.
G g g to
4IO L I F E's
to arrefl: you, then will he bring out his
black book of all your fins comnniited all
your days. * O I tremble to fpeak of it !
then fhall your fins fall as foul on your
fouls, as ravens on the fallen fheep, and
keep you down for ever in the dungeon of
defpair.*'
2. In refpe^l of the regenerate; that
you have ready by you, or by heart, a ca-
talogue of your fins, is necelfary in many
refpe(fls.
1. To humble you : for no fooner fliall
the poor foul look on all the fins he hath
committed, both before and after his re-
generation, but confefling them in prayer,
it will pull down jjys heart, and make the
' wound of his remorfe to bleed afreili, as
before; and therefore this catalogue is
- mofi nccefi'ary in days of humiliation.
2. It is necelfary to prepare you for the
receiving of the facrament ; for indeed I
would have none to prefume to tafle on that
Juppcr, but firft to view over all his fins,
and to confcfs them in prayer to his hea-
venly father: there be many that in con-
j'effion look on their fins, as they do on
the fiars in a dark cloudy night, they can
lee none but tl>e great ones, of the firfi or
fccond magnitude, it may be here one and
there one ; but if they were truly enlight-
ened, and informed aright, they might ra-
ther behold their fins, as thofe innumera-
ble fiars that appear in a fair frofiy win-
ter's night; they are many and many; and
therefore take a little pains in compoJing
your catalogue, that fo you may confels
all (at leafl: for the kinds) before you pre-
fumc to come near the table of the Lord.
^. It is necelfary in times of defcrtion,
or vifitation : yea, if the Lord fliall pkafe
to cxercife you with any crofs, or dilgrace,
or difcountenance, lofs of goods, dileafe
of body, terror of foul, or the like ; you
may be fure, as no mifery comes but for
fin, fo then the enumeration of your fms
from a ble«ding broken heart, is the prime
and firfi means to caufe that fun of mercy
LEAS E.
to break through the clouds, and to beget
a clear day; alas! our days are evily
and fure we have as good reafon as ever
Jacob had to confefs it : for my part, tho'
I keep my catalogue to myfelf, yet in the
general I cnnnot but confefs to you all,
Kly days have been evil, evil, evil : few
and evil.
And now we have done with the work.
It refis that you fliould know your ages;
there be days of fin, and then days of for-
row ; as you have fpent your days, fo mufi
you have your rewards ; firfi we trcipafs,
and then we pay for it ; firfi we fin, and
then we futfer evil.
2. The evils that we fuffcr may be ranged
in this order ; firfi evils original fill up the
fcene, and what a multitude of evils do en-
ter with them? No Iboner had Adam (in-
ned, but a world of mileries fell on man,
fo that as the infection, in like manner the
punilhment difiils from him. By one man
(faith the apofile) entered Jin into the
world, Rom. v. i2. \\ hat ? fin alone .'- no
but death by fin, and fo death ivent over all
men. Infants themfelves bring their dam-
nation with them from their wombs ; or if
that be omitted, how many are the mileries
of this life, as the forerunners of that judg-
ment ? Look at the raind, and what think
ye of our ignorance, not only that of wil-
ful difpofition, but as the Ichools difiin-
guiih, of pure negation ; if it be not a im,
what is it but a puniihment tor fin ? that
our underfianding ihould be obfcured and
darkened, our knowledge in things natu-
ral wounded, in fupernatural utterly cx-
tinguiflied. * O the miferable ill'ue of that
monfler fin ! but as evils come by heaps,
fo of the fame parent here is another brood,
ignorance and forgetful nefs; and Is not
this a mifery, after all our lime and fiudy
to get a little knowledge, quickly to -for-
get that we are lo long a learning i Man in
his whole fiate, before the fall, could not
forget things taught him ; but now, as the
hour-glafs, we receive iu at the one ear
and
L I F E's L EASE,
and it goes out at the other ; or rather, forms of his own deflriKflion
411
like the fieve, we always keep the bran,
but let the ilower go, fo apt are we to re-
tain the bad, but we very eafily forget the
good. And is this all ? nay yet more evils;
fee but our ajftc6\ions, and to what a num-
ber of infinite forrov/s, griefs, anguilhes,
fufpicions, fears, malices, jealoulies, is the
foul of man fubjeift ? So prone are we to
thefe miferable paflions, that upon any oc-
calion we fall into them ; or for want of
caufe from any other, we begin to be paf-
fionate with ourfelves ; why liall: thou, O
Lord, fet me again ft thee I I am become
irkfome and burdenfome even unto mine
own feif. Job vii. 20.
* Alas, poor man, how art thou befet
with a world of raiferies ? and yet, as if
all thefe fummed vip together, could not
make enough ; look at the body, and how
The books of the phyficians tell us of
many difeafes, and yet many are the dif-
eafes which their books cannot tell of;
we fee in our own days, molt labour of
new ficknelTes, luiknown to our fathers ;
or if any of us be free from any of thefe,
yet every ones body nourhheth the caufes,
and may be a receptacle of a thoufand dif-
eafes. How evil is fin, that incms fo ma-
ny evils of punhhment.
But as if all were too little (becaufe our
fins are fo many) if you will number any
more, here is yet another reckoning, * E-
vils original, and evils adventitious, evil*
of neceffity, and evils of chance.' ' "What
fhall we fay of thofe innumerable accidents
that befal a man :' (fo innumerable, as
Auftin obferves, that the books of phyfici-
ans cannot contain them all:) as heat, and
many are its fufferings ?' hi the fweat of cold, and thunder, and rain, and florms,
thy face Jhalt thou eat thy bread, faid God,
Gen. iii. 19. The fpider fpins and weaves,
and waftes her very bowels to make her
net ; and when all is done, to what pur-
pofe ferves it, but to catch a file .^ If this
be vain work, how vain is man in his fond
imitation ? The birds and beafts can feed
themfelves, without any pains, only man
toils night and day, on fea and land, with
bod}'' and mind ; yet all is to no purpofe,
but to catch a flie, to protra6l a life, or
to procure fome vanity. And yet, as if
mifery had no mean,befides onr induftry,
how is this body fluffed with many an in-
firmity ? All the ftrength of man is but a
reed, at beft (liaken, perhaps broken, how-
foever weakened by every wind that blows
upon it. The phyficians diflincftion of
temper amentum ad pondus, et jujiitiam,
gives us thus much to learn. That no con-
iVitution is ever fo happy, to have a juil:
temper according to its weight : fome are
too hot, others too cold, all have fome
and earthquakes, and poifons, and trea-
fons and robberies, and wars, and tumults,
and what not ? Go v\ hither you will,
and every' place is full of fome of thefe
evils ; if you go on fea, every wave threa-
tens you, every wind fears you, every
rock and fand is enough to drown you :
if you go on land, every fiep dangers you,
every wild beaflfcares you, every ftone or
tree is enough to kill you : if you go no
whither, you cannot be without danger;
Eli was fitting, and what m.ore fecure ?
Yet at the news of God's ark that // was
taken by the Philiftines, he falls down back
•wards J and his neck was broken^ i Sam.
iv. 17. Korah was flanding, what more
fure ? yet aflbon as Mofes had made an
end of fpeaking, The earth opened her
mouth and fw a I lowed him and his family,
and all the wen that were with him, TS'um.
xvi. 32. Indeed Abfalom was riding, and
what way more ready to efcape the enemy?
yet, As the mttle carried hityj under a great
defeifts, and fo are difpofed to all kind of cak, his head caught hold of the oak, and
infirmities : man cannot carry himltlf, but he was taken up between the heaven and
he muft needs carry about with him many the earth, and the mule that was under hivi
'^ - ^ £ g 2 went
412
L 1 F Es
mient axuay, 2 Sam. xvlii. 9. Whatfoever
we do, or whitherfoever we go, fo long as
we do evil, thofe evlh will meet us. Go
into the fhip, there is but a board betwixt
thee and the waters ; walk on the ground,
there is but a flioe-fole betwixt thee and
thy grave; take a turn in the ftrccts, and
fo many perils hang over thee, as there are
tiles on the houfes ; travel in the country,
and fo many enemies are about thee, as
thou meeteft beads in the fields ; if all
thefe places be fo dangerous, then retire
to thy houfe, and yet that is fubje(ft to
fire, or water, or if it efcape both, it may
fall on thy head : whitherfoever we turn
ns, all things about us feem to threaten
our death. Our ^ys are evil indeed, and
who is it that is cMcnipted from every of
. thefe evils ? Sinners are correded, good
men are chaflened, there is none efcapes
free.
To fee a little the ftate of God's own
friends and children : was not Abel mur-
dered by his brother ? Noah mocked by
his fon ? Job fcofted by his wife ? Eli flain
for his fons ? will you all at once ? take
one for all, and fee Jacob our patriarch, a
notable example of extreme infelicity :
he is threatened by his brother, baniHied
from his father, abufed by his uncle, de-
frauded of bis wife; was not here mifery
enough to break one's heart ? But after
this, for another wife's fake, fee him enter
into a new fervice : In the day he is con-
Jwned -with heat, in the night with frojl,
Genefis xxxi. 40. an hard fervice fure !
nay after this that he got his Rachel, fee
then a divifion betwixt her and Leah, two
fifters brawling for one huiband, yet nei-
ther content, after both enjoyed him.
BlefTed faint ! how wafl: thou haunted with
afflictions ? yet after this, he agrees his
wives, and they all run from their fa-
ther : and now fee a frefh purfuit : behind
him Laban follows with an hue and cry ;
before him Efau meets him with 400
me^ji : to go forward id tolerable; to go
LEASE.
backwards unavailable ; which way then ?
It was an angel of God, nay the God of
angels that now mufl comfort him.
And yet again after liis firft entry into
his own country, his wife Rachel dies, his
dauglitcr Dinah is raviflied, his fon Reuben
lies with his concubine ; and if the defiling
of a wife be fo great a grief to the huiband,
what forrow and fliame, when the wicked-
nefs is committed by a man's own fon ?
what can we more ? If yet his heart be un-
broken, here's another grief great enough
to match all the reft ; his fon, his Jofeph,
they report, is loft ; and what news hears
he of him, but that he is torn with wild
beafts ? And now fee a man of miferies in-
deed ! He rents his deaths, he puts fack-
cloth about his loins, hevjillnot be tomfort-
ed; hut fure Iy,(^a\i\n he, I ivill godoiun into
the grave unto my fon mourning, Genefis
xxxvii. 34, 35. Alas poor Jacob ! what
can they fay to comfort him \ To com-
fort, faid I ? Nay, yet hear the tidings of
a new mifery ; a famine is begun, and a-
nother of his fons is kept in prifon : what
a grief is here? Another in prifon, and
nothing to redeem him but only Benjamin;
here is the lofs of fon after fon, Jofeph is
not, and Simeon is not, and now ye will
take Benjamin, all thefe things are againjl
me, Gen. xlii. 36. \A''e need no more, if
Jacob thus number, how many are the mi-
feries he did daily fulfer ? Would you
have thefum ? Hehimfclf, the beft witnefs
of himfelf, affirms it to Pharaoh, evil, evil.
Ttiv and evil have the days of the years
of my life been.
So miferable is our life, that no man can
take his breath before Ibme evil or other
do feize on his perfon : if you would that
we knit up all in one bundle; there be
evils original, evils adventitious, evils of
the mind, evils of the body, evils thai arc
common, evils of the chofen ; we had need
pray again, deliver us from evil. What
fo many evils of fulicritig^ I Now the Lord
deliver us.
Vfi
L I F Es LEASE.
Ufe I . What Is fweet in this life, which fo
many miferies will not imbitter? if this be a
vale of rears, where is the place to pleafure ?
If tliis life be aneftofcares,how canft thou
fettle fo great a vanity as fin in a field of
fuchmifery as the world ? ye pons of merit
how long •will ye blafpheme mine honour y
and have fitch pleajtire in vanity, and feek
after leafing ? Pfalm iv. 2. Were men not
mad in their ways, or utterly befotted in
their imaginations, well might thefe mi-
feries of our life breed their neglefl of the
world. Can we chufe but wonder to fee
how bufily thou heaped up riches, yet
knowefl: not who ftiall eat the grapes of
thy planted vineyard ? God gave thee a
countenance erefted towards heaven, and
mult it ever be grovelling and poring on
the earth ? God gave thee a foul to live
with his blefiled angels, and wilt thou make
it a companion fitter for no other than
brute beads? There is an evil Jicknefs,
faith Solomon, that I have feen undertime
fun; and what is that ? but riches refvrv-
ed to the owners for their evil, Eccl. v. i 2.
See here the jufl judgment of a righteous
God, to this end is thy riches, thou wouldft
live at eafe, and outlalt many years, there-
fore thy life is butmilerable, and thy death
mufl: be fudden : thy days are hut feiu,
and thy few days evil.
U/e 2. But to comfort all you that live
in the fear of God, it may be )''our days
are evil, and what then ? this is to make
trial of your love to God, and a trial it is
of God's love to you.
I . It makes a trial of your love to God :
certamly if you have but a fpark of this
love, yovu- days cannot be fo evil, bur in
the midft of thofe evils you fhall find fome
inward confolations that will fweeten ail.
It is memorable, how Jacob for Rachel
ferves Laban feven years, but yet, faich
the text, they feemed to him hut a feiu
days, for the love he had to her. Nay after
Laban had deceived him in giving him blear-
eyed Leah inftead of beautiful Rachel, Ja-
4M
cob then ferves him another feven years
prentifhip : love makes the heart chcarful
in the word of fuiferings : though Jacob
was con fumed with drought in the day, and
frofi in the night, Gen. xxxi- 40. which
many and many a time made his reft and
fleep to depart from his eyes ; yet his love
of fair Rachel fweetens all his labours.
Why thus, thus will it be with you that
wait on the Lord your God. What tho*
miferies come upon you as thick as hail-
ftorms in a fharp winter-day ? you may
remember you have a better mafier thaa
Laban, a better fervice than Jacob's, a fair-
er prize than Rachel : who is your mafter,
but fuch an one as will furely keep his co-
venant, even the Lord your God ? What
is your fervice, but fuch an one as is mod
glorious and honourable, even a light bur-
den, a perfefV freedom ? What is your
prize, but fuch a one as furpsfTeth all priz-
es whatfoever, even the beauty of heaven,
the beautiful vifion of our bleifed God ?
If then you but love God as Jacob did Ra-
chel, what matters it how evil your few
days be ? nay, be they never fo evil, and
were your days never fo many, yet an
hundred, a thoufand years fpent in God's
fervice, they would feem but a few days
for the love ye bear to him. * O Lord,
work in us this love, and then command
what thou wilt, perfecution, affliftion, the
crofs, or death ; no fervice fohard but we
fliall readily obey thee.'
2. As your evils of fufferings try your
love to God, fo they are a trial, or token
of God's love to you. Our light afflicli'
on which is but for a moment, cauf.th un-
to us a far more excellent and an eternal
weight of glory, 2 Cor. iv. 17. And if this
be the end, who would not endure the
means ? O divine mercy ! therefore the
dugs of this life tade bitter, that thereby
God may wean us from the love of this
world to attain a better : certainly God is
good unto us in tempering thefe 'io fitly ;.
bitternefs attends thb life, that thou
mayed
414 ^- ^ ^^'^
maycfl: figh continually for the true ll-fe.
Wouldft thou not run thro' dangers for a
kingdom ? wouldfl: thou not fetch a crown
for fear of a thorn ? Nay, who would not
go to heaven, although it were with Elijah
in a whirlwind ? / count, faith Paul, that
the ciffliLlious of this life are not ivorthy of
the glory luhich Jhall be pjewed unto us,
Rom. viii. i8. Come then ye that thirfl
for long life, believe in God, and you niall
have life eternal. All is well that ends
well : though a while we fink in miferies,
yet at laft the joys of heaven will refrefli
us; then fliall we live in love, rejoice in
hymns, fmg forth in praifcs the wonder-
ful works of our Creator and Redeemer :
this is that life of^hcaven, and when our
' lifecndshere. Lord grant us life everlaHing.
Thus far have you fccn the ftate of our
- life: this leafe breeds forrow, but the rc-
verfion is our joy; no fooner fliall this life
expire, but God will give us the purchafe
of his Son, that inheritance of heaven ;
comfort then thy foul that wades through
this fea of rniferics, and the Lord fo aflift
lis in all our troubles, that he lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Have been.
OUR life is but days, our days are
but few, our few days but evil, and
now when all is done, we lind all is out
of date. Few and evil have the days of my
life been.
This laft word Is the leafe's expiration ;
and why have been P'\ If you will needs
know the rcafon.
The time that is part is belt known to
Jr^cob.
And the life of Jacob is but as the time
that is part.
I. The time that is pafl is befl known
to Jacob : old men can tell old llories, and
fomething it delights them to remember
the ftorms gone over them. W^e all know
how many years we have lived. How great
raiferies we have fuffered.
LEASE.
Jncob tells you, as yon may tell each
other, our years have been few, our few
yeras have been evil. To make this good,
Have they not been few ? Let me alk fome
old man, whofe hairs are dipt in fnow,
whofe golden eiver is broken, whoje Jilver
cord is lengthened, Y.cc\. xii. 6. How many
be thy years ? It may be thou wilt anfwer,
as Mofts gives the number, a matter of
threefcore years and ten P or fourfcore
years, Pfalm xc lo. I cannot fay but it is
a long time to come ; but alas, what are
thcfe fourfcore years now they are gone .'
Tell me you that have feen the many
changes both of moon and fun, are they
not fwifdy run a\\'ay ? You may remem-
ber your manhood, childhood ; and I pray
what think ye ? was it not yefterday ? is it
not a while fince ? who will not wonder
to fee how quickly it is gone, and yet how
long it was a coming ? The time to come
fcems tedious, efpecially to a man in hope
of blifs, the time now pafl: is a very nothing,
efpecially to a man in fear of danger: go
down tothofe cafl-away fouls that now fuf-
fer in hell flames; and what fay they of
their life, but Ajfoon as ive were born, ive
began to dravj to our end, Wif. v. 13. Go
down to thofe putrified bodies, and find a-
mongfl: them the dufts of Adam, Scth, E-
nofli, Kenan, Mahalalecl,Jered, Enoch, Me-
tlmfalem, every one of whom lived near to
the uTimber of a thoufand years, are they
not dead ? and what is their epitaph, but.
They lived and died P Gen. v. Tofum up all
in one, and to make this one ferve for all,
Jacob is an hundred and thirty years oldy
for fo you fee it regiftred in God's book,
Gen. xlvii. 9. Yet now being demanded
to tell his age, he anfwers but days, and
his days are but few ; how fliould they be
many that now arc gone already ? thefe
few days, they have been.
2. And as time part tells our days, fo it
counts all ourmilcries; who cannot re-
member the miferies h& doth fuffer ? The
poor, the Tick, the baniflied, the imprifon-
L I F Es
cd, the traveller, the foldler, every one can
write a chronicle of his life, and make up
large volumes of their feveral changes.
AVhat is the hiftory of- the Bible but an
holy brief chronicle of the faints grievous
fulTerings ? fee the miferies of the patri-
archs defcrlbed in the books of Mofes : fee
the wars of the Ifraelltes fet down in the
books of Joiliua : fee the affliflions of Da-
vid in the books of Samuel: Ezra, Nehe-
miah, Efther, Job, every one hath a book
of their feveral calamities: and if all our
miferies were but thus abbreviated, I fup'
pope that the ivorld would not contain the
books that fhould be written. There is
no man fo cunning to know his future
condition ; but for thofe things which hcue
been, every one can read them. Look
then, beloved, at the time now pafl:, and
will you not fay with Jacob, Tour days
have been evil F Evil for your fins, ande-
vii for your fuiferings : if you live more
days, what do you but increafe more evils ?*
The juft man fins feven times a day, and
every one of us perhaps feventy times fe-
ven times : do we thus multiply fins ? and
think we to fubtra6t our forrows ? Think
but of thofe ftorms that already have gone
over our heads, famines, fores, fickneircs,
plagues; have we not feen many feafons
unfeafonable, becaufe we could find no fca-
fon to repentance ? Our fprings have been
graves rather than cradles^ our fummeis
have not Ihot up, but withered our gr.ds;
our autumns have took away the flocks of
our fheep, and for our latcft harvefl, the
heavens themlelves have not ceafed weep-
ing for us, that never yet found time to
weep for ourlelves. And as this procured
the famine, fo famine ufliered the pcfti-
lence. O the miferies miferable that at this
time fell upon us! Were not our ho'ifis
infetted ? our towns depopulated ? our
gardens made. our graves? and many a
grave a bed to lodge in it a whole family ?
Alas, what an hideous noife was heard a-
bout us? in every church bells toiling, in
L EA S E, 415
every hamlet fome dying, in every flreet
men watching, in every place, every where,
wailing and weeping, or groaning and dy-
ing. Thefe are the evils that have been,
and how fhould we forget them that have
once feen them with our eyes ! Call to
mind time pafl-, was the rule of Bernard ;
and what better rule have we to fquare our
lives, than the remembrance of thofe evils
which our lives have fuffered ? Look back
then with Jacob, and we have good reafon
to redeem the time pafl, becaufe our days
have been evil,
2. But there is yet another reafon why
thefe few evil days have been. As the time
pafl: is beft known to Jacob, fo the life of
Jacob is but as the time pafl. Co to novj^
faith James, ch. iv. 13. ye that fay to day
or to morrow we will go into fuch a city,
and continue there a year, and buy and fell,
and get gain, and yet ye cannot tell what
Jhall be to morrow. It is a meer prefump-
tion to boafl of the time to come : can any
man fay he will live till to morrow ? Look
back ye that trull to this flaff of Egypt,
there is no man can allure you of this day ;,
Man knoweth not his time, faith the preach-
er, Ec. ix. 12. As near as it is to night, it
may be before evening fome one of us may
be dead, and cold, and titter to lodge in
our graves under earth, than in our beds
above it ; nay afFure yourfelves, our life
is of no long continuance : what fpcak we
of to morrow, or this day ? we are not
fure of (that leafl of time's divifion) a ve-
ry hour: Watch therefore, faith our Savi-
our ; and w ill you knov/ the reafon : for
ye know neither the day, nor the hour when
the Son of man will come, Mat. xxv. i 3.
The man with ten or twenty difhesiet be-
fore him on his fable, when he hath ull
intelligence that in one cf thenj is poivon,
will he not refufe all, left in eating of any
he run upon the hazard of his lite ?' What
is our life but a few hours ? and in one of
them deiih mufl needs come ; watch then,
for the hour is at hand, and wc know not
how^
4i6 L I F E's
how foon it will feize upon us. This hour
the breath thou drawelt may be thy infc(fti-
on, this hour' the bread thou eatefl: may be
thy poifon, this hour the cup thou taftcft
may be that cup that muji not pafs from
thee. But what fpeak we of this hour,
feeing it is come, and gone? The ("weetcft
ditty that Mofes fung, were his briefs and
femibriefs of life, and what is it but a
watch ? Pf. xc. 4. What is it but a fleep ?
Pfalrn xc. 5. We watch when it is dark,
we fleep when it is night : if then our life
be no more but a night-work, what is
truer than this wonder, our life is done,
our days they have been ?
You may think we go far to prove fo
ftrange a parado-*^ yet Job goes further ;
what are we but ofye/ierday, for our days
upon earth are but a Jhadoiv ? Job viii. 9.
See here the chronology of man's frailty,
we have a time to live, and when is it think
you ? Not to morrow, nor to day, nor
this hour, nor laft night, it is as long fince
as yefterday itfelf. Are not we flrangely
deceived ? What mean our plots and pro-
jects for the time to come ? why, our life
* is done, and we are now but dead men.
To fpeak properly, in the midfl of life we
• be in death, our whole life being truly (if
not paft, yet) as the time paft that is gone
and vani (lied. The fimilitude or refem-
blance will run in thefe refpe(fts.
The time pa ft, cannot be recalled, but
fuddenly is vaniflied. And fo is our life :
can we recall that which is fled away ? the
life that we led yefterday, you fee it is gone ;
the life that we led laft night, it is paft and
done ; the life that we led this morning, it is
row a going, nay, it is gone alfoon as we have
fpoken. iNicodemus' faying, according to
the flcfti, was true, Hovj can a wan be born
ivho is old ? can he enter into his mother's
ruomb again,and be born? John iii. 4. How
Ihould a man recall what is paft ? can he
receive again the foul once given, and be-
gin to live ? Man never fo great in power,
and fpreading hiipfelf like a green bay-tree ;
LEASE.
a tree moft durable, a bay-tree moft flou-
rilhing ; a green bay-tree that is moft in
prime, if any thing will ftand at a ftay,
what is more likely ? yet he pajjed a-^ay,
(faith the Pfalmift) and lo he was gone s I
fought him, but he could not be found, Pf.
xxxvii. 35, 36. We cannot ftay time pre-
fent ; how ftiould we recall time paft ? See
here the man on whom the eyes of the
world are fixt with admiratipn, yet for all
this he pafleth without flay, he is gone
without recall, / fought him ; but to find
him is without all recovery. Time was
that Adam lived in paradife, Noah built
an ark, David flew Goliah, Alexander o-
vercame the world ; where be thefe men
that are the wonder of us living ? we all
know they are long fince dead, and the
times they faw ftiall never come again.
How fond was that fi(ftion of Plato, that
after the revolution ofhis tedious year, then
he muft live again, and teach his fcholars
in the fame chair he fate in ? Our faith is
above reafon, for, The heavens Jh all pafs
away, the elements fhall melt vjith keat,
and the earth with the works therein fmll
be burnt up,' 1 Pet. iii. 10. AA'here then
is the life of Plato, when all thefe things
fliall turn to nothing ? We may now for
his learning praifc him where he is not, and
he may then for his error be convinced and
judged where he is. Is there any man
with Ikill or power can call back but ye-
fterday ? once, onl}', we read of fuch a
miracle, but it was only by the hand of
God Almighty. Hezekiah was fick, 2
Kings XX. and to confirm the news that he
muft recover, he requires a fign, l^'hatfmll
be the /ign that the Lord will heal mey
and that I f)all go up into the houfe of
the Lord the third day ? This was no
temptation, for you fee how the prophet
gives him fatisfa(^\ion. This Jign Jhalt. thou
have cf the Lord ; wilt thou that the Jha-
dow go forward ten degrees, or go back
ten degrees F llez.ekialvthinks of death, and
the prophet reftores his life ; not only a
time
L I F Es L EA S E.
time of fifteen yecrs to come, but of ten
degrees now gone, and thus it was obferv-
ed in tiie dial of Ahaz. Tiiis was a mira-
cle that but once happened fince the be-
ginning of the world. He then that fleeps
away his time in expcOation of Heze-
kiah's fun, may fleep till his death, and
then not recall one minute of his life ; as
the time, fo oar life ; if once part:, it is ir-
revocable, irrecoverable,
2. And as it cannot be recalled again, fo
fuddenly it is vanilhed. * Nothing makes
life long, but our hope to live long : take
away thofe thoughts of the time to come,
and there is nothing fwifter than the life
that is gone.' Suppofe then thou hadfl:
lived fo long, as from Adam to this time ;
as Auftin faith, ' Certainly thou wouldft
think thy life but iliopt :' and if that were
ftiort, which we think fo long; how long
is our life, which, in comparifon of that, is fo
extremely fhort ? The time once pafi, we
think it fuddenly pad, and To is life gon«
in a moment, in the tv^inkling of an eye,
fo foon indeed, before it can be faid, T/jts
it is. In every one of us death hath ten
thoufand times as much as life, the life
that is gone is death's, and the life yet
to come is death's, our ftow is but an in-,
ftant; yet this is all that belongs to life,
and all the life which any of us all is at
once poITefTed of: here is a life indeed, that
fo foon is vanifhed, before it can be num-
bred or mcafured ; it is no time but f7ovj,
yet ftays not till the fyllable »oiu may be
4^7
written or fpoken : what can I fay ? the life
that I had when I began to fpeak this word,
it is now gone (ince I began to fpeak this
word. May we call this life that is ever
pofling towards death > Do we what wc
can, and could we do yet more, all we do,
and all we could do, were to no purpofe
to prolong our life : fee how we ftore this
ruinous houfc of our body with food, with
raiment, with exercife, with lleep, yet no-
thing can preferve it from returning to ifs
earth : we go, and we go fuddenly, witnefs
thefe two Cefars, who put off themfclves
whilft they put on their ihoes; Fabius (Hi-
ed Maximus for his exploits, and Cluidta-
tor for his delaying, yet could not delay
death, till notice might be taken he was
fick ; but how many examples in this kind
have we daily amongft us? You know how
fome lately have gone fafe to bed, and yet
in the morning were found dead and cold :
others, in health and mirth laid down by
their wives, and yet, ere midnight found
breathlefs by their fides. What need we
further inftances ? You fee how we go, be-
fore we know where we are ; the life that we
had, what is it but a nothing? the life that we
have, what is it but a moment ? and all we
can have, what is it but a fleeting wind,begun
and done in a trice of time, before we can i-
magine it. In a word, our fun now lets
our day is done; afk Jacob, the clock- keep-
er of our time, the text tells the hour, and
now flruck, you hear the found ? our days
are gone, Fein and evil they have been.
CONCLUSION.
Ouafioned by the Death of Charles Bridgeman, luho decea/ed about the
age of Twelve, in the Tear of onr Lord, 1632.
He -was a mo/i pious fin of a mojl pious mother, both now -with God.
HERE I thought to have finimcd my I fpeak of him, what can I fay of his flate
text and fermon ; but here is a fad his perfon, his birth, his life, of all he had!
acciuen t to confirm my faying, and whilll and of all he was, but that they have been i
II h h Sweet
4i8 L I F F/s
Sweet rofe, cropt in its blofTom ; no
fooner budded, but blaftcd ; how fliall we
remember his days, to forget our forrows ?
Ko (boner hath he learnt to fpeak, but
(contrary to our cullom) he betook hun
to his prayers ; fo foon had grace quelled
the corruption of his nature, that being
yet an infant, you might fee hispionenefs
to learn ; nay, fometimcs to teach them
this duty, who waited on to teach him
his devotion : not long after, he was fet
to fchool, where he learned by book what
before he had learned by heart : the fweet
care, good difpofition, lincere religion,
which were in this child, all may remem-
ber which caft but their eyes upon him.
,* O God, how haft mou bereaved us of this
gem ? Sure it is (as it was faid of another)
.for this caufe only, that it might fliine in
heaven. But this was but the beginning of
bis days, now they are pafl, they have been.'
Go a little further, we left him at fchool,
but how learned he Chrifiy and him cruet-
fitdP I (-or. ii. 2. this was the knowledge
taught him by the Spirit of God in a won-
derful manner; Out of the months of babes
and fuckii}j<^s hnfi thou, Cod, ordained
ffrengthy Pfalm viii. 2. I'o conlider again
his religious words, his upright actions, his
hearty devotions, his fear of God, all then
concluded, as they did of John, JV^hat inan-
ner of child _P:)uU this be? Luke i. 66. No
queftion the grace of God was with him.
If I fliould inftance in any of thcfe, his
frequency in prayer, his reading of fcrip-
tures, his.rcafoning with others to get know-
ledge to himfelf, we may wonder at God's
power in this child's poor weaknefs : excufe
me whiles I tell nothing but truths, and
1 hope they will tend to our own inllruc-
lion. * In the morning he would not (lir
out of doors, before he had poured out his
prayers; at noon he would not eat any
meat, before he had given the Lord thanks ;
at night he would not ly down on his bed,
befpre he had kneeled down on his knees ;
we n-,ay remember thofe times, when forae-
LEASE,
times that he had forgotten this duty, no
fooner had he been in bed, but up he would
get again, and fo kneeling down on his
bare knees, covered with no garment but
his linens, he would aik God forgivenefs
for that fin of forgttfulnefs ; neither have
his brothers efcaped without his rcprchen-
fion ; for had they eaten any meal or meat
without a grace, his check.was ufual: * Dare
you do thus ? unlefs God be merciful un-
to us, this bit of bread might choak us.'
The wife fentcnces, the religious words,
which often dropt from his mouth like ho-
ney, can we remember them, and not grieve
at the death of him that fpake them ? What
comfort had we in thole days I AVhat for-
row have we to think thofe days are done ?
they are gorte, they have been.
Thus he lived : will you know how he
died? I. A lingring ficknefs (tizcd upon
him ; againft which to comfort him, one
tells him of poflellions that mufl fall to his
portion : * and what are they ? (faid he) I
had rather have the kingdom of heaven,
than a thoufand fuch inheritances.' Thus
he minds heaven ; and God, lo minding
him, prefently lent him his licknel's that
fliould fummon him thither. And now
how ihould I repeat his words, with the
life that he fpake them dying \ iNo foon-
er had God flruck his body with that fatal
ficknefs, but heaiksand needs would know
his foul's eflate. * 1 have heard of the foul
(faid he) but what is the ioul ? the mind :'
He queflions, and queflioninganiwers, bet-
ter, I fear, than many, too many gray-
headed amongft us ; but the anfwer given,
how the foul confiflcd of the will and
undcrftanding, he- fays, * he is fatisfied,
and now underflands better than he did
before.' Another comes to him, and then
he begins another queflion ; now he knows
the foul, he delires yet to know furrlicr,
* How his foul may be faved ?' O blelfed
foul, how wifely couldll thou queflion for
tliine own foul's good ! the anfwer given,
* By faith applying Chriit's merits :' he heard
it.
L I F E's LEASE.
it, and had it, anon telling them, "who be-
fore had taught it him. Refolved in thefe
quertions, he queftions no further, but
will now anfwer them that go aboitt to
queftion him : one aflcs him, whether he
had rather live or die ? He gives the an-
fwer, and not without Paul's reafon, I de-
fire to die, faid he, that I might go to my
Saviour. O blelFed Spirit, how didft thou
infpire into this child ihy wifdom and good-
neis ! this done» his pains begin again to
artiift him, and this occafions another thus
to queftion him, whether he would rather
Aill endure thofe pains, or forfake his Ghrifl: ?
' Alas ! (faid he) I know not what to fay
as a child, for thefe pains might Ibgger a
ftrong man ; but I will flrive to endure the
beft I can.' Upon this he prefently calls to
mind that martyr, Thomas Bilney, who
being in prifon, the night before his burn-
ing, put his finger in the candle, to know
how he would endure the fire; * O, (faid
he) had I lived then, I would have run
through the fire to have gone to Chrift.*
Sweet refolution of a filly child ! who can
hear, and not wonder ? wonder, and not
delire to hear that he may wonder ftill ?
Blcffed child, hadft thou lived, that we
might have wondered at thy wifdom ! but
his days were determined, and now is the
number turned to this poor cypher, they
are not, they have been.
'' I cannot leave him yet, his ficknefs lafls
lont^, and at leafl three days before his
death, he prophelies his departure, and
hov7 Itrange a prophecy ? not only that he
muft die, but foretelling the very'day ; * On
the Lord's day (faid he) look to me.' Nei-
ther was this a word of courfe, which you
may guefs by his often repetition ; every
d<iy alking, till the day came indeed, ' What,
is Sunday come?' At laft, the look'd for
^ay came on, and no fooner had the fun
beautified that morning with his light, but
he falls into a trance: * What, think ye,
meant this blefled foul, whileft the body
itfelf ufed fuch an a6\ion ? His eyes were
4(9
Hhh 2
fixed, his face chearful, his lips fmlling, his
hands and arms clafping in a bow, as if he
would have received fome blefled angel that
there was at hand to receive his foul ; but
he comes to himff If, and tells them how
he faw the fwectef^ boy that ever eyes be-
held, and bids them, be of good cheat,
for he muft prefently go with him.' One
fianding near, as now fufpe(^>ing his time
of diffolution, bids him fay, * Lord, into
thy hands I commend my fpirit: yes, (faid
he) into thy hands, Loijd, I commit my
fpirit, which is thy due; for why? thou
hafl redeemed it, O Lord my God mofl
true, Pfalm xxxi, 5.' Who will not be-
lieve this child now fings in heaven, that
fo foon had learned this David's pfalm on
earth I I cannot hold mjTelf, nor will I
hold you long; but how may I omit his
heavenly ejaculations ? Beloved, I befeech
you pardon me whilell I fpeak bis words,
and I will promife you to fpe?.k no word,
but the very fame formally which were his
own : ' Pray, pray, pray, nay, yet pray,
and the more prayers the better all prof-
pers : God is the bell phyfician ; into his
hands I commend my fpirit : O Lord Je-
fus, receive my foul. Now clofe mine
eyes, forgive me, father, mother, brothers,
fifler, all the world. Now I am well, my
pain is almofl gone, my joy is at hand ; O
Lord, have mercy upon me, receive my
foul unto thee.' Where ami whilefl f
fpeak thefe words ? Bleffed faint, now thou
fingeft in heaven, God hath bid thee wel-
come, theangels arehugging thee, the faints
rejoice with thee, this day is thecrown fct on
thyhead.thisdayis thepalmof vicloryin thy
hand, now art thou arrajed in the lliining
robes of heaven, and all the hoft do triumoli
at thy coronation. Sweet foul, how an) [
ravifhed to think upon thee ! what joy ii
this ? the patriarchs falute thee, the pro-
phets welcome thee, the apolHes^hug thee,
all hands clap for joy, all harps warbie, all
hearts are rnerry and glad. O thou Crea-
tor of men and angels, help us all to heaven.
that
420 DEATITs y^RRESr.
that when our days have been, we may all our life to be quite extinguirtied ; nay, be
meet together in thy blclTcd kingdom. not deceived, this life is but death, the
' I have done: turn back by the fame days that we fpend, they are part and done,
threcd that led you through this labyrinth, few and evil they have been.' Thus ends
and you ihall have in two words the fum the text with the expir: lion of our leafe ;
of this whole text. yft >s not all done : when we loie this life,
The time of our leafe, what isitbut our we have another freehold prepared in hea-
life ? "What is this life, but a number of vcn, and this is not leafed, but purchafed ;
few days ? What are fhefe days,but a woild not for life, but inheritance ; not for days,
full of evil ? But a life, but days, but few, but for ever : crofs but the words of my
but evil ; can we add any more ? Yes, text, and ' many and happy (liall rheages
life is life how foever we live, and better of thy life be in heaven, for everand ever."
you think to have a bad leafe in being, than Jmen.
D E A^ T Hs ARREST.
Luke xii. 20. T/?is night thy foul Jlmll he required of thee.
MAK's body, we fay, is clofed up with-
_ in the eleiTiCnts, his blood in his bo-
dy, his fpirlrs in his blood, his foul in his
fpirits, and God or Satan in his foul. AVho
holds the ponfeiTion we may guefs in life,
but then it is moHapparentwhen we come
TO death : the tree may bend caft, or wefl,
•or north, or fouth ; but as it falleth fo it
ileth : our aircdlions may look up or down,
towards heaven or hell ; but as we die we
receive our doom, ond then whofe we are
(ball be fully made manifefl: to all the
world. There is a parable of poor Laza-
rus, Luke xvi. whofe life was nothing but
a catalogue of mifcries, his body full of
jores, his mind full of forrows ; what fpec-
racle could we think more pitiful, whofe
bqil dainties were but broken crumbs, and
his warmeil lodging but the rich man's
gates ? here is a parable of a certain rich
man, who enjoys, or at leaft purpofeth,
a delicious fare, he hath lands, v. 16.
iVuits, V. 17 ■ buildings, v. iS. and if this
be the inventory, what is the fum ? Sec it
colle£\ed in the verfe fuccccding^ Soul, thou
bafi much g-todi laid up for many years ;
noiv live at eafe, eat, drink, and take thy
pafiime. Thefe two eftatcs, thus different,
how ftiould they be bui of divers tenures ?
No man can jlrve God and xMarmnon, Mat.
vi. 24. See Lazarus dying, and tht angch
carry him into Abraham's bofom. See this
rich man dying, and they (that is, devils)
reqviire his foul. God receives one, and
his foul is in heaven ; fatan takes the other,
and drags dow n his foul to hell ; he is com-
forted that received pains, and thou art
tormented that was full of eafe: this is
the doom, and that he may undergo this
death now gives the fummons. This night
thy Joul flnill be required of thee.
The text we may chriften Death's Arreft;
it is we that otlend his majefty of heaven,
and his precepts are given unto death, to at-
tach our fouls. See here a precedent, a rich
man taken on a fudden, who muff inOant-
ly appear before the judge of heaven :
when? Tl-ds night. ^\ hat ? Thy feul.
Why ? It is required. Of whom ? Of thee.
Or if this will not find the offender, fee
yet a more narrow learch ; every word is
like fome dark clofet, therefore we will o-
pen
D E^TH's
pen the windows that you may have full
light. This text is death's arrcrt, which
as it muft be executed, fo it admits of no
other time but this. This, what, this day,
whilft the fun gives light to the world, and
the light gives pleafure to the eye ?
this -were fome comfort : no, but then
fuddenly whilft all alleep fecurely, not this
Day, but This Night. And what, this
night ? Is it to attach the body of fome
great perfonage, whofe looks might affVigh-
ten officers had they come by day ? no, let
his body rot in dufl:, whiKt the foul muft
anfwer his defaults ; it is not thy body,
't4s thy Soul. And what of his (bul ? Is
this a fubjecl liable to arrefts ? neither can
they beg it at his hands, or will he yield it
at their fair intreaties ? No, it is neither
begged nor inireated ; but by virtue of
God's writ it is required. And how re-
quired ? Of his fureties bound for his ap-
pearing ? He bath many friends, and all
have, or would have entred bonds ; no^
he muft go without bail or main-prize, it
is not required of his fureties, "but him-
feif ; not of others, but 0/ thee is thy Jbul
this night required.
You hear the text's harmonj', of each
faring we will give a touch, and firft note
the time. This night.
This.']"\^ O other but This ? Were it a
J. ^ fourthnight, a fcven-night,any
but this night, and his griefs wereleffencd ;
the news is more heartlefs in that it comes
more fudden. You may obferve, ' Then
are the greatefl lofles when they come on
us by heaps, and without fear or fufpicion
of any fuch matter.' Here was a man
fwiming in his fulnefs, and a fudden death
robs him of all his t' cafures. To give j'ou
a full view, fee his poffcifions, and how
great was the lofs, becaufe of the fudden-
nefs, This. night.
I. Thofe goods whereof he boailed, are
now confifcate ; not a penny, not a dram,
not a mite fhall be left him, fave only a to-
ken of remembrance, (I mean his wiading-
ARRESr. 421
/heet) which he carries along with him to
his grave.
2. * His goods and groiinds both were
took from him at his death :' he that com-
manded fo much of earth, muft now have
no more earth to pleafure him but a grave :
what a change was this? his grounds were
fertile, and they brought forth plenteoufly,
but a blaft of death hath ftruck both ih#
fruit and the ground ; and nothing is now
left him but a barren tomb.
3. His lands and houfesboth went toge-
ther. You may guefs that great demeaf-
nes muft have ftately halls : we read of his
building, and efpeciallyof his barns ; when
thefe wtre too little for his ftore, he tells
us, ' He will pull them down, and he will
build greater.' He never thinks of any little
room in the bowels of the poor. Was his
harveft fo great that his barns would not
hold it? Whence came the bleffing but
from God? How is it then he forgets
God that beftowed this bleffing ? It is
written, Lev. xix. 9, 10. When ye reap
the harvcji of the laud, ye Jhall not reap
every corn of your field, neither Pmlt thou
gather the gleanings of the harvejl. How ?
not reap it ? not gather it ? what then ?
why, Thou Pmlt leave them for the poor ^
and for the fir anger : I am the Lord your
God, When Ruth came to glean in the
fields of Boaz, that good mailer commands
his fervants. Let her gather among the
fheaves,and do not rebuke her, Ruth ii. 15.
Had this worldling been fo pitiful to the
poor, his barns might have ftood, himfelf
might have hved, his foul have been faved>
But now what a ftrange lot happens on
him ? his halls, Louies, barns, buildings,
all run round in a dance of death before
his eyes.
4. ' His houfe and friends both left him
when death came.' The parable is com-
mon : A man hath three friends, two
whereof he loved moll entirely, the third
he made no account of: this man being
fcnt for to come before the king, he de-
ikes
422 DEATH'S
fires his firft friend to go with him ; but
he could not, only he would give him
fomething for his journey : he defired his
fecond fritnd to go with him, but he would
not, only he would bring him a little piece
of his way : when both thcfe forfook him,
he goes to the lafl:, which before he ef-
teemed leaft, and this friend was the party
that went with him to the king, and an-
fvvered for him in all his caul'es. This is
the cafe of every dying man; the king
our judge fends death his ferjeant to fum-
mon you to your judgment. Come to
your firft friends, I mean your riches, alas
they cannot go with you, but give you
a flieetas necellnry for your journey: come
, to your fecond friehds, I mean your ac-
quaintance, alas ! they will not go with
you, but bring you to your graves, and
there leave you to yourfelves : Come to
your laft friends, which you now leafl:
think of, I mean your confciences, and
ypu (hall find that is the trueft friend that
will go with you to the judge, and anfwer
for you to the king, and either acquit you,
or condemn you ; bring you to the gates
of heaven, or deliver you to the goal of
hell. Have a care of your confciences, if
you mean to fpeed well at this day : how
ARREST,
piece of time, which tefore by months
and years he laviQily mifpent : they that
pafs away time with mirth and paliime,
Ihall one day fee to their grief what a lofs
they have ; now we revell it out, dally it
away, ule all means and occafions to make
it fliort enough ; but when this golden
fliower is gone, and thofe opportunities
of falvation loft by negligence, then we
may wi(h, and wilh again, ' Oh had we a lit-
tle time, a little fpace to repent!' imagine
that this worldling (whom now you muft
fuppofe to ly frying in hell-flames) were
difpenfed with for a little time, to live here
again on earth arnongft us ; would but
the Lord vouchfafe him one hour of new
trial, a minute-feafon of a gracious vifita-
tion, Oh how highly would he prize, how
eagerly would he apprehend, with what
infinite watching, praying, fafling, would
he improve that Ihort time, that he might
repent him ! I know not how effed^ually
this may work on your hearts, but I am
fully perfuaded, if any damned creature
had but the happinefs to hear thisfermon,
you lliouid fee his very htart would bleed
within him : bleed, faid 1 ? nay, break and
fall afunder in his breafi like drops of wa-
ter. Oh with what inflamed attention
blelfed a man had this worldling been, if would he hear and lifien r with what in
only a good confcience had accompanied
him to the judge of heaven ? but now
when death fummons him, there is no
friend to folicite, no advocate to plead, no
man to fpeak one word in his foul's behalf;
it is his bad confcience keeps him company,
and though all others leave him, he can
dcvife no means to fliake this from him.
i;. There is a jewel irrecoverable, of
which this fudden death robs him, 1 mean
his time, and what a lofs was this? All
his goods, grounds, barns, buildings, were
they more worth than the world itfelf, yet
were they not able to reffore one minute
of his time : if this could be purchafed,
what a rate would he give for a little re-
fpite i nothing is now fo precious as a
fatir:ble giafping would he Jay hold on
Chrifi ? with what fireaming tears would
he water his cheeks, as If he would melt
himfelf, like Niobe, into a fountain ? * Blef-
fed God, how fond are foolilii men that
never think of this till their time be iofl !'
\Ve that are alive have only this benefit and
opportunity, and if we negledl it, a day
will come (we know not how foon) that
we ihall be pa It it, and cannot recover it,
no not one hour, if we would give a thou-
fand, ten thoufand worlds for it. ^\ hat
can I fay ? reficft on yourfelves, you "that
have fouls to fave ; you have yet a little
time, and the time prefent is that time :
what then, but fo ufc it now, as when you
are
B EArHs
are gone, you need not with grief to wilh
you iiere again. ,
6. Yet more lofs, and that is the lofs of
lofTes, the lofs of his foul ; his riches,
lands, houfes, friends, time, and all were
nothing to his foul. This is that paragon,
peer, rofe and fpoufe of our well-beloved
Chrill. ' How many a tear fhed he to fave
it \ what groans, cries, prayers, tears and
blood poured he before God, that he might
redeem it from the jaws of Satan ! and is
this loft notwithftanding all this labour !
O fsveet Jefus, what a lofs is this ! thou
waft born, lived, died, and that a ftname-
ful death, the death of the crofs, and all
this fuffering was to fave poor fouls : yet
fee a foul here loft, and the blood of God,
though able, not effectual to redeem it."
Whofe heart would not melt into blood,
that but knew this mifery ? Suppofe you
could fee but the foul of this wretched
worldling, no fooner had it left the body,
but immediately it was feized on by infer*
nal fiends, now lies it on a bed of fire,
tortured, tormented, fcourged,and fcorch-
ed in thofe furious flames ; there his con-
fcience ftings him, his forrow grips him,
his pain fo handles him, that he cries and
rores, * Wo, wo, and alas for evermore.'
Who now for Oiadows of fliort plcafures,
w ould incur thefe forrows of eternal pains?
In this world we can weep and wail for a lofs
of trifles; an houle, a field, an ox took from
us, enough to cruciate us : but how Iliall
we bewail the lofs of a foul, which no foon-
er plunged into that pit of horror, but it
fliall feel a punifhment without pity, mi-
fery without mercy, forrow without fuc-
cour, crying without comfort, torment
without eafe, a world of mifchief without
all meafure of redrefs ? Such is the Jofs of
this man's filly foul ; whilft he was cheer-
ing it with a home-bred folace, Soul, thou
haf} much g(^ds laid up for many years ;
God whifpers in his ears, and tells him o-
ther news : what ? of his foul : how ? it is
required ; when \ this night : a fearful
ARREST. 423
found, unlookt for me(rage,rpeedy difpatch,
no more delays nor days, only this night,
for then his foul muft be taken from him.
You fee all his lolTes ; and now to con-
traft them, there is one grief more than
all, that all is loft on a fudden. Loires
that come by fucceffion are better born with,
but all on a fudden is the worft of all ; yet
fuch is the mifery of man when he goes,
all goes with him, and he and all pafs a-
way on a fudden : ^s in the days of Noah,
they ate, and drank, married, and gave in
marriage, and hievj nothing till the flood
came, and took them all aiuay : fo is the
coming of the Son of man, Matth. xxiv„
38. iiow many have been thus took trip-
ping in their wickednefs ! Belfliazzar in
his mirth, Herod in his pride, the Philif-
tines in their banqueting, the men of Zik-
lag in their feafting, Job's children in their
druukennefs, the Sodomites in their filthi-
nefs, the fteward in his fecurity, this churl
in his plenty: miferable end, when men
end in their fm. * Call to mind this, O
my foul, and tremble ; fleep not in jfin,
left the fleep of death furprize thee : the
hour is certain, in nothing but uncertain-
ties ; Certa mors, inctrta hora ; for
fure thou muft die, yet thou knoweft not
on what day, nor in what place, nor
how thou ftialtbedifpofed when death mufl
be entertained. Do you not feemoft die,
while they are moft bufie how to live ? he
that once thouphtbut to begin to take his
eafe, was fain that very night, whether he
would or no, to make his end : would you
have thought this ? he but now flourifh-
ed like a green bay-tree, his thoughts full
of mirth, his foul of eafe,' but I paflTedby,
and lo he was gone. Pfalm xxxvii. 35, 39.
Gone, whitiier ? his body to the grave,
his foul to hell ; in the midft of his jollity,
God threatens deltru^^ion ; devils, execu-
tion i death, expedition, and thus like a
fwan he fings his funerals. There is that
faith, / have found re/?, and nozc tviit 1
eat continually of my goads, and yet he
knoiu-
4H DEATHS
knovjeth not what time (hall come upon him,
and that he mufl leave thofe things to o-
thcrs, and die, Eccl. xi. 19. The higher
our Babel-tower of joy is raifed, the near-
er it is to ruin and confufion ; Sodom, in
the heat of their fins, had that Hiowcr of
fire poured on their heads : Nebuchadnez-
zar, in the height of his pride, became
luddenly a beaft, that ruled before as a
king : Once for all, here was a man folac-
ing, finging, warbling out pleafant fongs
of eafe and paftime : but, O the mifery,
in the midA of his note here is a fudden
ftop ; he dreams"bf longs and larges, he
hears of briefs, and femi-briefs, no longer
a day, but this very night, and then fhall
thy foul be taken fhom thee.
See here the many loifes of one man,
* his goods, his ground, his houfes, his
friends, his time, his foul, and all on a fud-
den, whilft the word isfpoken, this night.'
Ufe I. Oin* neighbours fire cannot but
give warning of approaching fiamcs. Re-
member his judgment, thine alfo may be
like-wife : unto me yefttrday, and unto thcc
today, Eccl. xxxvii'i. 22. Whofe turn is
next, God only knows who knows all. Is
not madnefs in the hearts of men ivhilcs
they live? Eccl. ix. 3. In the leaft fuf-
picion of lofing worldly riches, all watch
and break their ileep ; you fhall fee men
work, and toil, and fear and care, and all
100 little to prevent a lofs ; but for all thefe
loffcs which arc linked together, our riches,
lands, houfes, friends, time and foul, and
all we have, there is few or none regards
them : O that men are fo careful in trifles,
and fo negligent in matters of a great im-
portance ! It is ftoried of Archimedes,
that when Syrncufe was taken, he only
vas fitting fecure at home, and drawing
circles with his compafs in the dufl. Thus
fome we have, that when the eternal falva-
lion of their louls is in qutfiion, they are
handling their duft, nothing but fuits or
money-matters are their daily objefts : but,
iilas L what will your goods, or grounds
AR REST.
or houfes, or friends avail you, when
death comes ? Where did ever that man
dwell, that was comforted by any of thefe
in that lafl and foreft conflift? give me a
man amongft you, that fpends the fpan of
his tranfitory life in grafping gold, gather-
ing wealth, growing great, inriching his
po([eriiy, without any endeavour or care
to treafure up grace againft that fatal hour;
and 1 dare certainly tell him, whenfoever
he comes to his death's-bed, he fhall find
nothing but an horrible confufion, cxtrem-
eft horror and heavinefs of heart; nay,
his foul fiiall prefently down into the
kingdom of darknefs, and there ly and fry
in evcrlafting fires. Xor Ipeak I only to
the covetous, though my text feems more
dire(fHy to point at them, but whofoever
thou art that goefl on in a daily courfe
of iin, in the fear of God bethink you of
mortality : fome of you may think I fpeak
not to you, and "others I fpeak not to you ;
the truth is, I fpeak to you all, but to you
more efpecially that to this day have finned
with dehght, but never as yet felt the fmart
for fin upon your fouls or confciences; O
beloved I this is it 1 call for, and muft call
for till you feel a change, a thorough change
in you : would but fome of you at this
prefent examine your confciences, and
fay, * Whether have I not been inordinate
in drunkennefs, or Wantonnefs, or cove-
toulnefs ? whether have I not fworn an oath,
or told a lie, or dilfembled in my heart,
when I have fpoken ? O who can fay a-
mongft you, I am clean, I am clean ? and
alfure yourfelves, if you are guilty, you
mufl: either feel heart's grief, or you can
never be provided for death's difmal arreff.
If you were but fcnfible of fin, if you felt
but the weight and horror of God's wrath
for fin, I am verily peifuaded you would
nottakea quiet fleepin your beds for fear,
and horror, and heavinefs of heart : what
is it but madnefs of a man to ly down in
eafe upon a feather-bvd, pnd to lodge in
his boibm that deadly enemy, fin •"
But.
T> EATH's
But, horror oF horrors, what if this
night, vvhilfl: you fleep in your fin, death
fhould arreft you on your beds ? This I
tell you is no wonder, are not fudden
deaths common and ordinary among the
fons of men ? how many have we heard
that went to bed well over night, for
ought any man could tell, and yet were
found dead in the morning, I will not fay
carried away out of their beds, and caft
into hell-fire? Whether it be foor no, the
Lord our God knows: but howfoever it
is with them, if we, for our parts, com-
mit iin, and repent not thereof by crying
and fobbing, and forrowing for fin, it may
be this night, and that is not long to, you
may fleep your laft in this world, and then
{hall your fouls be hurried by devils to
that infernal lake, whence there is no re-
demption. ' O beloved! O wretch, who-
foever thou art ! Cand thou pofllbly fleep
in fuch a cafe as this? Canfl; thou go to
bed with a confcience laden with fin *?
Canfl: thou take any fleep which is the
brother of death, when thou lieft now in
danger of eternal death ? Confider, I pray
what fpace, what diflance, how far off is
thy foul from death, fron hell, from e-
ternity ? No morebut a breath, one breath
and no more; no more but a ftep, one
ftep, and no more; O beloved! were not
this lamentable, that fome one of us that
row are flanding or fitting, fliould this
night fleep his laft, and to morrow have
his body brought to be buried ; yea, and
before to morrow morning have his foul
(which the JLord forbid) caft frorri his bed
of feathers, to a bed of fire ? And yet,
alas! alas! if. any of us this night die in
his fins, or in a ftate unregcnerate, thus
will it be with him whofoever he be; to
morrow may his body ly cold under earth,
and his foul lodge in hell with this mifer-
able rich man,'
Ufe 2. But let me fpeak to you, of whom
J hops better things ; it is good counfel for
you all to expert death every day, and by
I
A R R E S T., 425
this means, death forefeen cannot poffibly
be fudden ; no, it is he only dies fuddenly,
that dies unpreparedly; watch therefore,
faith our Saviour, be ever in a readiqefs:
and finally, that this rich man may be your
warning, you that tender your fouls, learn
that leflbn of our Saviour; Lay not up for
yourftflves treafiires upon earth, -where
moth and ruji doth corrupt, and where
thieves break through and fieal : but lay
up for yourfelves treafures in heaven,
where neither moth nor r-ufi doth corrupt ^
and where thieves do not break ihrouc^h
nor flealy Matth. vi. rp, 20. You will fSy,
What treafures are thofe ? I anfwer ; thofe
treafures are thofe flocks of grace that will
laft for ever ; it is that circumjpe£l walk-
ing, Eph. V. 15. that fervency of fpirif^
Rom. xii. 1 1 . that zeal of good works. Tit.
ii. 14. that purity which John makes a
property of every true-hearted profefl~or,
I John iii. 3. In a word, it is the work,
the life, the power of that prayer, that the
reft of our life hereafter may be pure and
holy: thefe are heavenly hoords indeed.
* O that we would treafure up fuch provi-
fion againft the day of calamity ! if while
it is called to-day, we would make our
peace wifli this heavenly Highnefs, by an
humble continued exercife of repeniance;
if in this time of grace we would purchafe
God's favour, and thofe rareft jewels of
faith and a good confcience ; if now be-
fore we appear at the dreadful tribunal,
we would make God and his angels our
friends in the court of heaven ; O then
how blelfed would our death be to us ?
Came it never fo fuddenly, ftill fliould
death find us ready, and if ready, no mat-
ter how fuddenly, yea though it were this,
this night.*
I have ope the writ, and you fee when
it muft be ferved, this night ; but in this
quando, there is both fuddennefs and fad-
nefs : it is not this day, but this night. Let
this end this day's difcourfe, and the next
day we will lay open the night's dark fad-
i i ncfs :
426 DEATHS
nefs: it is a difmaltinie,Godgive us grace fo
to provide, that we may be ready with oil
in our lamps, and enter with our Saviour
'into his blefled kingdom.
Night.
HE fins all day, and dies at night, and
wfiy at tiight ? This you know is
frequent, and there is reafon, * Moil are
begot and born, and therefore die at
night:' but we muft further than the lifts
of nature ; this night was more than ordi-
nary, as being the fitted time to aggravate
his grief: weigh but the circumftances.
I. It was a night of darknefs, and this
may incrcafe thehorrour of his judgment:
think but what a f?^ feized on the Egyp-
tians, when fjo power of the fire muj} give
them light, nor might the clear flames of the
ftars lighten the horrible night that fell up-
on them, Wif. xvii.5. The hufband-men,
the fhepherd, the workmen, all were bound
with one chain of darknefs, No manfaiv a-
nother^ tieitherrofe up from the place luhere
he -was for three days, Exod. x. 23. Was
not this fearful darknefs? You may guels
it by the ciiefts, they were troubled, and
tcnificd, and fwooned, as tho' their own
fouls ftiould betray them. Whether it were
an hiffmg wind, or a fioeet noife of birds
among the fpreading branches, or a p leaf-
ing fall of waters running violently, or a
terrible found of /tones, or the running of
fkipping bea(isy or the noife of cruel beafls,
or the eccho that anfwereth again in the
hollow mountains, thefe fearful things
made them tofuooon for fear, Wifd. xvii.
18. And if thus the Egyptians, how was
it v»ith this v/orldling ? a darknefs feized
on him that engendred a thoufand times
more intolerable torments. This was the
image of that darknefs which fhould after-
ward receive />/m, " and yet was he unto
himfelf more grievous than the darknefs,
"VVifd.xvii. 2 r . It was not an outward, but
an utter darknefs, not only to be not feen,
but to be felt and feared. Imagine then
what vifions, what foimds, what lights,
ARREST.
what fudden fires appeared unto him ?
Unhappy worldling, look round about
thee; although it be dark, heie is fame-
thing to be feen : above is the angry judge,
beneath is the burning lake, before is
gloomy darknefs, behind is infallible death,
on thy right and left hand a legion of evil
angels expelling every moment to receive
the prey. Here is a fight indeed, able to
break the very heart-firings of each feer.
If fome have loft their wits, by means of
fome dreadful fight ; yea if the very fufpi-
cion of devils have caufed many men to
tremble,and the hairs of their heads to ftand
ftaring upright; what then was the fear and
terror of this man, when fo many dread-
ful, horrible, hellilh monfters fiood round
about him, now ready to receive him ?
ye fons ofmen,flandin awe and fin not,
commune with your own hearts, and in
your chamber, and be ft ill, Pfalm iv. 4.
Will not this fear you from your fins ?
Suppofe then you lay on your beds of
death, were the judge in his throne, your
fouls at the bar, the accufer at your el-
bows, and hell ready open to fhut her
mouth upon you : O then, how would
you curfe yoiufeives, and bewail your
fins ? "What horrible vifions would appear
to you in the dark ? horrible indeed ? * In-
fomuch (faith Cyril) that were there no
other punilhment than the appearing of
devils, you would rather burn to afhes,
than endure their fight.' Good God ! that
any Chrifiian ihould live in this danger,
and yet never heed it till he fees its terror.
How many have gone thus fearfully out
of this miserable world ? I know not what
you have feen, but there are very few who.
have not heard of many, too many, in this
cafe. What were Judas's thoughts, when
he ftrangled himfeif that his bowels gullied
out again ? what were Cain's vifions, when
he ran like a vagabond roaring and crying,
Whofoever findeth me flfall flay me? Gen.
iv. 14. VV^hat are all their aifrights that
cry when they are dying, They Ice (piriis
and
DEATH'S
and devils flying about them, coming for
them, roaring againft them, as if an hell
entred into them, before themfelves could
enter it ? I dare inrtance in no other but
this wretched mifer : "what a night was
that to him, when on a fudden a darknefs
feized on him, that never after left him ?
Thus many go to bed, that never rife a-
gain, till they be wakened by the fearful
found of the laft trumpet : and was not
this a terror ? "Whofe heart doth not
quake ? Whofe flefh doth not tremble ?
Whofe fenfes are not aftonifhed whilft we
do but think on it ? And then what were
the fufferings of himfelf in his perfon r He
might cry, and roar, and wail, and weep,
yet there is none to help him ; his heart-
ftrings break, the blefled angels leave him,
devils ftill expe^l him, and now the judge
hath pronounced his fenfenct, This night,
in the dark, they muft feize upon him.
2. Yet this was not all the horrour,it was
a night both of darknefs and drowfinefs,
or fecurity in fin. He that reads the life
of this man, may well wonder at the fear-
ful end of fo fair beginnings: walk into
his fields, and there his cattel profper;
come nearer to his houre,and there his barns
fvvell with corn ; enter into his gates, and
there every table flands richly furniflied ;
ftep yet into his chambers, and you may
imagine down-beds curtained with gold
hangings ; nay, yet come nearer, we will
draw the curtains, and you fliall view the
perfon ; he had toiled all day, and now
fee how fecurely he takes jiis reft : This
nighty he dreams golden dreams of eafe, of
mirth, of paftime, (as all our worldly plea-
(lires are but waking dreams) but ftay a
Avhile and fee the iflue : juA like a man,
who ft^arting out of fleep, fees his houfe
on fire, his goods' ranfacked, his family
murdered, himfelf near loff, and not one
to pity him,when the very thruffingin of an
arm might deliver him : this, and no other,
was the cafe of this dying mifer; as that
night, while his fenfes were moft drowlie,
lii
ARREST, 427
mofl fecure, death comes in the dark and
arrefts him on his bed ; ' Awake, rich cor-
morant ! what charms have lulled thee
thus afleep ? Canfl thou dumber whilil
death breaks down this houfe, thy body,
to rob thee of that jewel thy foul ? What
a deep, dull, drowfie, dead fleep is this ?
O fool ! this night is thy foul affaulted, fee
death approaching, devils hovering, God's
juflice threatening ; canfl thou yet fleep ?
and are thine eyes yet heavy ? behold, the
hour is at hand, and thy foul raufl be de-
livered into the hands of thine enemies ;*
Heavy eyes ! he Qeeps ftill, his care all day
had caff him into fo dead a fleep this nighty
that nothing can warn him until death a-
wake him. That thief is mofl dangerotjs
that comes at night, fuch a thief is death,
a thief that Heals man; which then is mofl
bufie, whilil we are mofl drowfie^ mofl
fecure in fin : hark the fluggard that lulls
himfelf in his fins, Tet a little more Jleep,
a little more /lumber, is not his deJ}ru6lioH
fiiddeit, and poverty coming on him like an
armed man? Prov. vi. 11. Watch^ faith
our Saviour, for ye knoiv not nvhen the
7nafter of the houfe cometh, at even, or
at midnight, at the cock-cro-w, or in the
morning, left coming fuddenly he Jhould
find you Jleeping, Mark xiii. 35. Was not
this the wretchednefs of the fooliih vir-
gins ? How fwcetly could they flumber ?
how foundly could they fleep until mid-
night ? They never awake, nor fo much
as dream to buy oil for their lamps ; ima-
gine then how fearful are thofe fummons
to thefe fouls : behold the bridegroom^ g9
ye out to meet him. Mat. xxv. 16. Sud-
den fears of all others are mofl dangerous :
was it not a fearful waking to this rich
man, when no fooner he opened his eyes,
but he faw death's uglinefs afore his face i
What a fight was this ? at his door enters
the king of fear, accompanied with all his
* bhorred horrors, and flinging dread : on
his curtains he may read his fins, arrayed
and armed in their griflieft forms, and with
2 their
428 DEATH'S
their fierieft flings ; about his bed are the
powers of darkncTs, irnv prefenting to his
view his damnable ftate, his deplorable mi-
fery : what can he do that is thus befet
withfuch a world ofwofulwork, and hcl-
lilh rage ? His tongue faulters, his breath
fhortens. his throat rattles, he would not
watch, and now cannot refilt ; the cry is
made, the mid-night come, God founds
deftru6\ion', and thus runs the proclama-
tion, This night fodrowfie, thy foul muft
be taken from thee.
■ 3. And yet more horrour ; it was a night
of drowfinefs and fadnefs. How is he but
fad, when he fees the night coming, and
bis laft day decayil^ ? Read but the copy
'.of this rich man's will, and fee how he
deals all he hath about him; he bequeaths
" bis garments to the moth, his gold toruft,
his body to the grave, his foul to hell, his
goods and lands he knows not to whom ;
Ji'hofe jhall theje things be ? Here is the
'fnan that made fuch mirth all day, and
row is be forced to leave all he hath this
■night. It is the fruit of merry lives to give
fsd farewells. You that fport yourfelves,
and fpoil others, that rob God in his mem-
bers/and treafure up your own damnati-
ons; "will not death make forry hearts
for your merry nights ? A night will come
as fad as fadnefs in her fterneft looks, and
then what a lot will befal you ? O that
men are fuch crnel caitiffs to their own
fouls ? Is this a life, think ye, fit for the
fcrvants of our God, revelling: fwcaring,
drinking, railing ? what other did thismi-
fcr ? He would eat, and drink, and revel,
and fmg, and then came fear as defolati-
on; and his deftru£lion on a fudden as a
"whiilwind. If this be our life, how fliould
we efcape his death ? Alas for the filly
tnirth that now we pleafure in ! you may
be fure a night will come that muft pay
for all, and then (hall your plcafures va-
nilh, your griefs begin, and your numb« »-
lefs fins (hke fo many envenomed flings)
xun into your damned fouls, aad pieice
ARREST.
them through with everla fling forrow ; a-
way with this fond, fooliili, fottiQi vani-
ty ; The end of mirth is heavinefs ; feith
Solomon, Prov. xiv. 13. What will the
fons and daughters of pleafure do then ?
all thofe fwcet delights fliall be as fcourges
and fcorpions for your naked fouls. Then,
though too late, will you lamentably cry
out, IV hat hath pride profited us P or what
profit hath the pomp of riches brought us P
all thofe things are paffed away as a fm-
dow, or as a poft that paffeth hy^ Wifd, v.
8. 9. Look on this man as he lies on his
bed of death, here is neither fmile nor dim-
ple ; All the daughters of Jiiufick are
brought loiv, Ecclef. xii. 4. His voice is
hoarfe, his lips pale, his cheeks wan, his
noftrils run out, hisej'es (ink into his head,
and all the parts and members of his body
now lofe their office to adifl him ; is this
the merry man that made fuch paflime ?
Sweet God! what a change is this; Infitad
of fweet fnell, tli^re is a ftench ; infiead
of a girdle^ a rent ; inftead of well-fct hair^
baldnefs ; injiead of beauty ^ burnings Ifa.
iii. 24. Inflead of mirth, mourning and
lamentation, -weeping and ivailing, and
gnafping of teeth. Muft not fadnelsfeize
on that foul which incurs this doom? Here
is a malefa<flor ftands at bar, indicted by
the name of fool, charged with the guilt
of treafon, condemned by the judge of
heaven, and this night, the faddeft that e-
ver he faw, is that fearful execution, that
his foul is taken.
4. And yet more horrour : it was a night
of lin, and this doth incrcafe the forrow.
Bow dear in the fight of the Lord is the
^ death of his faints, Pfa. cxvi. 13. and we
may fay on the contrary, how abominable
in the light of the Lord, is the death of
the wicked ? Was not this a grief to betook
thus tripping in his wickedncls? even now
whilft he was bulily plotting his enfe and
paftime, death fland^ at his door, and
over-hears all his plots and proje(fls. It was
a death to his foul to be took in his fin :
hear
D EATRs
Jiear how he roars and cries, ' O that I had
lived fo virtuoudy as I fhould ; had I cm-
graced the often infpirations of God's blef-
itA Spirit ; had I followed his laws, obey-
ed his commands, attended to his will,
how fweet and plea fan t would they now
be unto me? "VVo and alas that I had not
forefeen this day, what have I done, but
for a little pleafure, a fleeting vanity, loft
a kingdom, purchafed damnation .■" O
beloved ! what think ye of yourfelves whilft
you hear this voice? You fit here as fenfe
lek of this judgment, as the feats, the pil
lars, the walls, the duft; nay, as the dead
bodies themfelves on which you tread :
but fuppofe, and it were a blelfed medi-
tation, you that are fo frefh and frolick
at this day, that fpend it merrily, ufe it
profanely, fwearing, revelling, iinging,
dancing; what if this night, while yoi'i are
in your fin, the hand of death Ihould ar-
reft you ? Could I fpeak with you on your
death-beds, I am fure I Ihould find you in
another cafe : how ? but forrowing, griev-
ing, roaring, that your time were loii; and
thefe words not heedcd/vvhile the time well
ferved ? how would you te^r your hair,
gnaih your teeth, bite your nails, feek all
means poffibly to annihilate yourfelves ?
and can nothing warn you before death
feizeonyou? take heed, if you go on in iin,
the next ftep is damnation. It was the apo-
ftle's advice: Noxv it is high time to awake
out of jleepyfor now is our falvation nearer
than when ive believed, Ro. xiii. 1 1 . If this
wretched man had obferved the prefent time,
how happy had he been this hour of his
departure ? But as officers takemalefaclors,
drinking or drabbing, fo is he neareft dan-
ger, when deepelt in the mire of pleafure.
Look at thofe that are gone before us, and
which of them thought their end fo near,
while they lived fo merry ? I rauft needs
tell you, ihei e is a fire, a worm, a fling, a
dark nefs, an hell provided for all wicked
wretvhes, and there moft certainly muft
you be tliis night, if you die this day in
ARKESr. 42^
your natural ftate of fin. 'Lord! that
men (hould be fo ftraugely bewitched by
the prince of the air, as for the momen-
tary enjoyment of fome glorious miferies,
bitier-fweet pleafures, heart-vexing riches,
defperately and wilfully to abandon God,
and to caft themfelves head-long into the
jaws of Satan.' Such a prodigious madnefs-
feized on this worldling, he fings, he re-
veils, he dallies, then dies. Thusgreatefl
evils arile out of greateft joys, as the ears
with vehement founds, and the eyes with
brighter objects; fo many by felicity have
loft both their fenfe and being. Gallus (as
Pliny, book vii. ch. 23. relates) dies ia
the act of pleafure ; Ilhbofheth dies in the
midft of fleep, 2 Sam. iv. 7. the Ifraelites
die in their day of luft, Numbers xi. 33,.
This worldling dies in that night of fin, e-
ven then on a fudden his foul is taken.
5. And yet more horrour, it was anight
of death, and this was the worft of all ;
the darknefs, drowfinefs^ fadnefs, fin, all
were nothing to this, all nothing in them-
felves, if death had not followed : this is
that moft terrible of all terriblcs, as Ari-
Itotle calls it ; all fears, griefs, fufpicions,
pains, as fo many fmall brooks, are fwal.- ■
lowed up, and drowned in this ocean of
mifery. Now rich man ! what fayeft thou
to thy barns, buildings, riches, lands ? Do
thefe pleafure thee in this thy exfream and
dying agony ? Thoulieft this night on thy
departing bed, burdened with the heavy
load of thy former trelpaffes ; pangs com.e
fore and rtiarp upon thee, thy brealt pants,
thy pulfe beats ihort,ihy breath itfeiffmells
of earth and rotten nefs ; whither wilt thou
go for a little eafe or fuccour ? What help
canft thou have m thy heaps of gold, or
hoord of wealth? ihould we bring them
to thy bed, as we read of one dying,
* Commanded that his golden veflels and
filver plate fhould be fet before him, whjcfi
looking on, he prom.ifeJ to his foul, it
fliould have them all, on condidon or his
itay with him i but the remedy being filly,.
430 D E AT H's
atlafl: moft defperatdy he commends it to
the devil, feeing it would not ftay in his
body, and Co gave up the ghoft.' Alas,
thefc trifling treafures can no more deliver
thee from the arreft of that inexorable fcr-
jeant,than can an handful of dud. Wretch-
ed men f what fliail be your thoughts when
you come to this miferable cafe ? Full fad
end heavy thoughts, Lord, thou knoweft ;
you may lie upon your beds, like wild
bulls in a net, full of the fury of the Lord ;
In the morning thou Jloalt Jay, Would God
it were evening ; and at even thou fl^alt
fay, IVould God it were morning : for the
fear of thine heart wherewith thou fhalt
fear, and for the J^ht of thine eyes which
ihmi (halt fee, Deut. xxviii. df. Here is
the terrour of that night of death, when
you may wifla with all your hearts, that
you had never been born, if the Lord
once let loofe the cords of your confcience,
what account will you make of crowns,
of poileffions ? all thefe will be fo far from
healing the wound, that they will turn ra-
ther into fiery fcorpions, for your further
torments. Now, now, now is the difmal
lime of death, what will you do ? whither
will you go ? to whom will you pray ?
The angels are offended, and they will
not guard you ; God is diflionoured, and
he will not hear you ; only the devil had
your fervice, and only hell mufl be your
wages. Confider this ye that forget God,
left ye be torn in pieces, and there be none
to deliver yen, Pfalm 1. 22. It is cruel for
■ your fouls thus to fuffer, to be torn, and
torn in pieces, and fo torn in pieces that
none 7nay deliver you. Better this world-
ling had been a worm, a toad, an adder,any
venomous creature, than fo to live, and
thus to have died ; yet hither it is come,
his ficknefs is remedilefs^ his riches com-
fortlefs, his torments eafclefs, iViUhcmuft
fuffer, and there is none to deliver, he is
torn, torn in pieces, and none may deliver
him. What need you more, now we are
come to this period ? His glafs is run, his
AR REST,
fun is fet, his day is finiflied, and now this
night, the very night of death, his foul is
required, and is received of him.
Lo here, the difnal, dreadful, terrible
time of this man's departure, it was in the
night, a night ofdarknefs, drowfinefs, lad-
nefs, fin, death, and dcftruftion.
Ufe I. Who will not provide each day
againfl this fearful night ? Howfoever we
pafs away our time in fin, we mufi of ne-
ceffity, ere it be long, ly gafping for
breath upon our dying-beds, there fhall
we grapple hand to hand with the utmoft
powers of death and darknefs : what (hould
we do then, but fow our feed while the
feed-time lafleih? we have yet a day, and
how fliort this day is, God only knows :
be fure the night cometh wherein none can
work, John ix. 4. and then what a fearful
time will come upon us ? I know there be
feme that dream of doing good in another
world, or at Icaft will defer it longer, till
fome time hereafter; fuch vain hopes of
future performances have undone many a
foul : / mu/} work the work of him thai
fent me, while it is day, faith our Saviour ;
John ix. 4. The way-faring m.an travels
not in darknefs, but while the day fhines
on him,lhen he knows he is under the pro-
tection of the laws, the light of the fun,
the bleffmg of heaven ; y^re there not
twelve hours in the day P if any man walk
in the day, he ftumblcth not, becaufe he
feeth the light of the world ; but if a man
walk in the night he Jiumbleth, becaiife
there is no light in him, John xi. 9. Do
good then, and lay hold of every fcafon
which may get you to heaven. Let the
whole courfe of your life be a confciona-
ble preparative ngainlt death. Suppofe
every day your laft, as if at night you
(hould be called to account before that
high and great tribunal : in a word what-
foever you think, fpeak or do, fay thus with
yourfclf, ' Would 1 .do thus, and thus,
if I knew this night to be my lafi V Who
is
DEATHS ARREST.
43 1
is it would fin, if he thought at that in-
ftant to go to judgment ?
Ufe 2. But if we negleft the day, be fure
the night will conne to our condemnati-
on : where be thofe wonders that fo dazled
our eyes, while the day fhone on them ?
Where is Abfalom's beauty, Jezabel's paint,
Saul's perfonage; nay, where is this wretch-
ed worldling? he had a day to work out his
own falvation, and that being loft, at laft
came night, before he had gone two fteps
towards heaven. beloved! walk while
ye have light , that ye may be the children
of the lights John xii, 35. You may be
fure the raeaneft foul that hath the work
of grace upon it, death is to him no night,
but the day-break of eternal brightnefs.
This may make us in love with the since-
rity of religion, this may make us to la-
bour, and never ceafe labouring till we
have gotten out of the ftate of nature in-
to the ftate of grace. O that I could fay
of every one of you, as Paul of the E-"
phefians, Te were once darhnefs, but now
are ye light in the Lord, Eph. v. 8. r<? were
once carnal, but now are ye fpiritual ; ye
luere once unregenerate, but now are ye
firji-fruits dedicated to God. * If it were
thus with you, then, to your comfort,
upon your dying beds you fhould meet
with a glorious troup of blelfed angels,
you flaould feel the glorious prefence of
the fweeteft comforter, you ihould fee the
glorious light of God's fhining counte-
nance, you Ihould have a night, if it were
night, turned all into a mid-day.' Now
the Lord give you fuch a day, whenfoever
you die ; through Chrift our Lord.
You have heard the time of death's ar-
reft, this night. Now for the party we'll
make a privy fearch, and if we ftir one
Word, we (hall find him at next door, it
is thy foul. J
Thy Soul.
THE party under nrreft, is the rich
man's foul. No warranty could pre-
vail, no riches fatisfie, no ihength refcue,
death now demands it, and there is none
can redeem it, therefore this night they
will have his foul.
Obferv. Every man hath a jewel better
worth than a world, and the lofs of this
is fo much more dear, by how much it is
more precious. What profits it a man to
gain a world, and to lofe his foul? (faid our
Lord and Saviour) Matth. xvi. 26. Nay,
what are a thou fa nd worlds when the foul
is valued? Give me leave to open the cabi-
net, and you fhall fee the jewel that is ar-
refted ; it is the foul.
The foul ; what's that ? It is, faith Au-
ftin, * a fubftance that is created, invifible,
incorporeal, immortal, moft like to Cod,
as bearing the image of its Creator.' Pleafe
you that we illuftrate this defcription, and
you fhall fee how every word fliews forth
fome excellencies, as the glorious luftres of
this glorious pearl the foul.
I. If you afk, what is the foul? '77j a
fubftance. How fond were the opinion
of fome philofophers ? Dicearchus would
have it to be nothing \yox et prceterea ni-
hil^ and how many of us are of this opini-
on ? Do not we live as if we had no fouls
at all ? The Epicure is for his belly, the
ambitious for his body, but who is he that
provides for his foul ? Sure we imagine it
to be nothing valuable, or, how fhould
our eftimation of it be fo grofs and vile,
to prefer the body, to negleft the foul ?
There were other philofophers went a
pace yet further, and they gave it a being,
but what ? No better than an accident,
that might live or die without death of the
fobjeft ; thus Galen calls it, krafis hunio-
rum, * a certain temper compoled of the
elements, or nothing but the harmony of
thofe humours in the body.* Is this the
foul ? then of all creatures are men (fay
we) Of all men are we (faith the apoftle)
?nDfi mi/erable, i Cor. xv. 19. moft un?
happy. Look at beafts, and in this iefre(fV
we and they are even ss one condition,
Eccl. Ui. 19. xi. 3. Look at uees, and in
iheir
4^2
tVieir corruption you may fee the like con-
flituiion both of us and them. Look at
ftones, and by their didblution we niay
argue the temper of comprfition in them
alfo; Matth. xxvii. 51. If then our foul
D EATHs y^RREST.
thing whence it fprung) but that God fo
fudains them by his glorious goodnefs,that
as he gave the firfl being, fo he would con-
tinue that he gave, What have we, that we
have not received? I Cor. iv. 7. Or to
were nothing but this krafis ; not only fpeak of the foul, what are we that God,
men, biit beafts, and plants, and fioncs,
and metals have a foul ; far be it from
your thoughts, whofe fouls are prized to
be of more worth than a world, there be-
ing nothing in the world that may give
a recompenfe for our fouls, Mat. xvi. 26.
Others have gone a little further, and they
fuppofe it to be a Subftance; but how ?
and God only hath not beflowed upon us ?
our parents begot our bodies, God only
gave our fouls; our bodies are buried a-
gain in (jhe womb of our common mother,
but our fouls return to God, as to their
chiefert: good. So immaterial is the foul,
that tieither will nor underftanding de-
pends on the dying organ. What then is
only bodily and not fpiritual ; fuch grofs the foul ? ' a nothing, an accident, a bo
■'.'. _..t <-i T^- i_/r _.-i.. ?_iM I . .1
conceits have man^idolaters of the Deity,
as if this our image were of God's own
fubftance, and this fubflance nothing elfe
but a bodily being, y^ JpJfif (faith our
Saviour) hath not flefh and bones, as you
fee me have, Luke xxiv. 39. It is the
body is the flefh, but the foul is the fpirit ;
dy. a form only material ?' no, but on the
contrary, * an ens, a fubflance, a fpirit, a
form, a fubftantial being of itfelffubiifting.'
But we!ll afcend a little higher, it is a
Subftance created, not traduced, as fome
would have it ; I muft confefs the opinion
was not a little flrong, that as our bodies,
the body you may fee and handle, but the fo our fouls were both propagated from
foul is not feen, not handled : as the dif- our parents. Tertullian, and the fathers
ciples then did err in fuppofing a fpirit of the weft, as Jerom witnefl:eth,were mofl:
when they faw his body, no lefs is their on that lide: thereafon of this opinion was
crior, in fuppofing a body where is on-
ly a fpirit. ' The worft foul (fays Au-
ftin) is better than the beft of bodies.' * O
precious foul, (faith Bernard) efpoufcd
to thy God,, endued with his Spirit, re
bccaufe of original fin, which defiling the
foul, as well as the body of each man
fprung from Adam, they could fee no
means how both were corrupted, except
withal the foul were propagated. But are
deemed by his Son, what art thou, whofe not our fouls as the angels? and therefore
being is froiu heaven, to the flefti?' Others if our fouls, then may the angels beget
a-rain have palled this opinion, and they one another; nay, if this were true, what
call it a form ; but what > only material, foul were generated, but another were
not fubftantial, and fuch as are the fouls corrupted: for the rule is infallible, 'There
of beads that die with their bodies, as be- can be no generation without a tranfmu-
ing deduced from the matter of fome bo- tation,' and fo would every foul be fubjea
dies pre-exiftent. It is not fo with the to corruption. Concerning that objcai-
fouls of men, which though for a while on of original fin (:f the foul were not
they are knit and united to^this houfe of traduced from the loins of Adam, how
clay, yet may they be feparated from it, then Ihould that fin be imputed to- our
and fubfift without it ; this is that goodncfs fouls ?) * I muft confefs the queftion is in-
of God, that as our fouls are intellcaual, tricate, (to ufc the words of the learned
fo their being is perpetual, not but that AN'hittaker, in his borfk concerning origi-
our fouls might die (feeing every thing that nal fin) we fiiould rather believe it, than
is of nothing may return into the fame no- enquire of it, and we may better enquire
DEATH'S ARREST,
of it than underftand it, and yet more
eafily underftand it than exprefs it. But
fo well as we can, we (hall untie the knot.
Firll, then, * We fay it is a fallacy to di-
■ vide foul and body, for not the foul with-
out the body, nor the body without the
foul, but the whole man finned in Adam, as
the whole man is begot of Adam ; fo foon
therefore as the foul is conjoined to the
body, and of the foul and body is confti-
tuted whole man, that man being made
now a member of Adam, is faid to fin
with him, and to derive that fin from him.
But for a further fatisfaftion, although the
foul depend on God according to its fub-
flance, yet it is created in that body
which is produced of the parents : thus,
in fome fort we may fay that the foul
is begotten, non quoad ejft?itiam, /ed quoad
einai, as Ariftotle fays, God only gives
the eflence, but to exift comes from the
parents. What is the foul, but a form of
the body ? and of what body but that''
which is organical, as being apt for the
foul ? This aptnefs then whereby it is pre-
pared for the form, being received from
the parents, we may fay of the foul, that
thus it is generated, as not beginning to
fubfift before the body is prepared.' This
is true in fome fort, though not properly.
Confider then the excellency of man's foul,
which is not born, but created, and how-
foever now it is befotted with lin, yet was
it then pure and undefiled, as the untouch-
ed virgin : how is it but pure, which the
hands of God have made ? it was the devil
that caufed fin, but all that.God made was
good, and very good, Gen. i. 31. and
fuch a foul hath every man. • It is created
by God, infufed by his fpirit, of nothing
fnade fomcthing, and what fomething,but
an excellent work, befitting fuch an ex-
cellent workman V
3, And yet there be more flairs to a-
fcend, it is. Thirdly, Invifible. ' Hath a-
ny man feen God ? or, hath any man feen
God's image, which is the foul, and lived V
Kk
433
Subftances ihat are more pure, aie lefs vi-
fible. We fee but darkly through a glafs,
nay, the befl eye upon earth looks but
through a httice, a window, an obfcuring
impediment, mortal eyes cannot behold
immortal things; how then fhould this
corruptible fight, fee a fpiritual fou! ? The
objefl is too clear for our weak eyes, our
eyes are but earthly, the foul of an heaven-
ly nature. O divine Being ! not only hea-
venly, but heaven itfelf : as God and maa
met both in Ghrifl, fo. heaven and earth
met both in man : would 3-ou fee this
earth .' that is the body, Out of it xvafi thou
taken, anditjto it muj} thou return, G en. iv.
19. Would you fee this heaven? that is
the foul. The Cod of heaven gave it, and
to the God of heaven returns it, Eccl. xii.
7. The body is but a lump, but the foul
is that breath of life : of earth came the
body, of God was the foul; thus earth
and heaven met in the creation, and the
man was made a living foul. Gen. ii. 7.
* the fan<flified foul is (as Bernard exprefies
it) an heaven upon earth, where the fun is
underflanding, the moon is faith, and the
fiars gracious affedlions :' What heaven is
in that body, which lives and moves by
fuch a foul? Yetfo wonderful is God's mer-
cy to mankind, that as reafon doth pofiTefs
the foul, fo the foul muft polTefs this
body. Here is that union of things vjfible,
and invifible; as the light is fpiritual, in-
corruptible, indivifible, and fo united to
the air, that df thefe two is made one,
without confufion of either ; in like man-
ner is the foul united to this body, one to-
gether, diltinguifhedafunder; jnly here's
the difference, the light is mofi vifiblc, the
foul is invifible, ftie is the breath of God,
the beauty of man, the wonder of angels,
the envy of devils, that immortal fplendor
which never eye hath feen, never eye mull
fee.
4. And yet we muft up another flep, it
is, Fourthly, Incorporeal ; as not feen with
a mortal eye, fo neither clogced with a
k " b6-
434 D E AT H's
bodily (hape : I fay not but the foul hath
a body for its organ, to which it is fo knit
and tied, that they cannot be fevered with-
out much foirow or ftrnggling ; yet is it
not a body, but a fpirit dwelling in it; the
body is an houfe, and the foul is an inha-
bitant ; every one knows the houfe is not
the inhaSitant, and yet (O wonder !) there
is no room in the houfe where the inhabi-
tant lives not : would you pleafe to fee
the rooms? ' The eye is her window, the
head is her tower, the heart is her clofet,
the mouth is her hall, the lungs her pre-
fence-chamber, the fenfes her cinqueports,
the common-fenfe the cuftom-houfe, the
phantafie her mint, the memory her trea-
iury, the lips are hft- two-leaved doors that
' ihut and open, and all thefe, and all the
rcit, as the motions in a watch, are aCicd
' and moved by this fpring, the foul.' See
here a compolition without confufion, the
foul is in the body, yet it Is not bodily ;
as in the greatcll world the earth is more
jblid, the water lefs, the air yet leffer, the
fire.leaft of all; fo in this little world of
man, the meaner parts are of grolfer fub-
ibnce, and the foul by how much more
excellent, by fo much the more fplritual,
and wholly withdrawn from all bodily
being.
5, And yet a little higher, it is, Fifthly,
Immortal. It was the error of many fa-
thers,(flccording to Scaliger) ' That bodies
and Ibulsmufi: both die till doomfday, and
then the bodies being raifed, the fouls mufl:
be revived.' Were this true, why then
crys Stephen, Lord Jefus, receive my fpi-
rit, A6ls vii. 19. Or why fhould Paul /'r-
dijfohed, that he might be -^ith Chriji ?
Phil. i. 23. Bleffed men are but men, and
therefore no wonder if fubjeft to fome er-
ror. Others more abfolutcly deny the
foul's immortality ; We are born, fay they,
at all adventures f and vje Jlnill be hereaf-
ter ^ as though we had never been ; why fo?
for the breath is a fmoke in our noflrils^
and the -words as a fparh raifed Qui of our
AR REST,
hearts, -which being extinguifhedy the body
is turned into afh.'s, aud the fpirit vanipj-
eth a<ifoft air, Wifd. i. 2, 3.' What, is the
foul a fmoke ? and the fpirit no better than
the foft vaniihing air? Wretched men! have
you not read what is fpoken of God, faying,
lam the Cod of Abraham, and the Cod of /- ^
faac, and the God of Jacob ? Now God, faith
Chrift, is not the Cod of the dead, but of the
living. Mat. xxii. 32. Abraham, Ifaac, Ja-
cob, they are not dead then in the better
part, their fouls, but pafTcd indeed from the
valley of death, unto the land of the liv-
ing. JVhofoever liveth and belicveth in me^
faith our Saviour, fhali never die, John
xi. 26. Not die, againfl fome ; never die,
againft others: what can. we more ? only
live and believe in hira that redeemed us,
ar>d be fure his promifes ihall never fail us ;
our fouls muft live, live for ever. Sweet
foul, blelTed with the felicity of eternal
life! here's a joy unfpeakable, that this
foul now clogged with cares, vexations,
griefs, paffions, Ihall one day enjoy thofe
joys immortal, not for a day or two (tho'
this were more than we can imagine) but
through all eternity ; * There fhall be no
defefl, nor end :' after millions of ages the
foul mufl flill live in her happinefs ; it is
not of a perifliing, but an everlafting fub-
ftance.
6. And yet the perfeflion of the foul
goes higher ; it is moft like to God. So
fjrit tranfcends all earthly happinefs : * I
cannot fay, but in fome fort all crea-
tures have this likcnefs ; every effefl hath
at Icaft fome fimilitude with its caufe, but
with a difference ; fome only have a being,
as flones; others being and life, as plants;
but man above all hath a being, life, and
reafon, and therefore of all other moftlik^
unto his Creator.'
7. Can we any more? Yes, onc-flcp
higher, and we are at the top of Jacob's
ladder : The foul is not only like Cod, but
the image of Cod. I' cannot deny, but
there is fonae appearance of it in the out-
ward
BEAT H's
ward man, and therefore the body, in fome
meafure, partakes of this image of the
Deity : it was man, and whole man that
was corrupted by fin, and, by the law of
contraries, it was man, and whole man that
was beautified with this image. Pleafe you
to look at the body, ' Is it not a little
world, wherein every thing that God made
was good ? as therefore all goodncfs comes
from him, fo was he the pattern of all
goodnefs, that being in him perfeftly, which
only is in us partly.' This is that idea,
whereby God is faid to be the exemplar of
the world : man then in his body being as
the world's map, what is he but that i-
mage, in which the builder of the world
is manifeft ? But if you look at the parts
of his body, how often are they attributed,
(tho' in a metaphor, yet in rcfemblance)
to his Maker ? ' Our eyes are the image of
his wifdom, our hands are the image of
his power, our heart is the image of his
knowledge, and our tongue the lively f-
mage of his revealed will :' God therefore,
before he made the body, faid. Let us
make man in our image, Gen. i. 26. and
what was the meaning, but that foul and
body ftiould both bear the image of his
majefty ? ' Be aftonilhed then, ye men of
the earth, ifthisduft, this clay, this body
of ours be fo glorious, what think ye of
the foul, whole fubftance, faculties, quali-
ties, dignities, every way reprefent God's
omnipotent eflence ? Look on this glafs,
and firft, for Subftance, Is the foul in vilible?
why, fo is God ; A'b ?nan hathfeen God at
any time, John i. 18. Is the foul incorpo-
real ? why fo is God ; ive ought not to think
him like unto Jilver, gold, 07^ J} one graven
ivith art, Afts xvii. 29. Is the foul immor-
tal? why,fo is God; He is King of kings, and
Lord of lords, luho only hath immortality,
I Tim. vi, 16. Is the foul fpiritual? why,
fo is God ; God is a Spirit, and they that
Ivor flip hini, m^'ft iiorPoip him in fpirit,
Joh. iv. 24. Is the ioul one eflence ^. why, fo
is God; There is one God and Father of all,
Kk
ARREST. 43^
v)ho is above all,and thrd' aU,nnd in yok alU
Eph. iv. 6. See here the lively imsge of
God in every foul of mnn. But there is
another chara(ner imprinted in every facul-
ty, fo that not only the fubftance, but the
powers of the foul bear this image in them:
as there is one God, and three nerfons, fo
there is one foul and three frcufties: the
Father, Son, and holy Ghoft are but one
God; the Underftanding, Will, and Me-
mory are but one foul; the Father is not the
Son, nor the Son the Ijoly Ghoft ; fo the
vmderftanding is not the will, nor the will
the memory : and yet the Father is God,
the Son is God, and the holy Ghoft is God ;
fo the underftanding is the foul, the will
is the foul, and the memory is the foul.
I dare not fay but there is fome difference,
* This trinity in ns, we rather fee it than
believe it, but that trinity of perfons we
more believe it than fee it :' (Auftin of the
trinity :) howfoever then our foul is no
proof of the Godhead, yet is it a true figii
of that image of God in the foul. Nay,
yet, (as if this ftamp were of a deeper im-
prcffion) fee the dowry of God's fpoufe,^
and who wonders not at the qualities, and
conditions with which the foul is arrayed ?
The king's daughter is all glorious within^
her clothing is ofbroideredgold, Pfal. xlv.
13. What fay you to that heavenly know-
ledge infpired into us ? God, that created
mzn, filled him -with knoiv ledge of under-
ftanding, and fhexved them good and evU,
Ec. xvii. 6. What fay you to thofe heavenly
impreflions that are llampt upon us? fuch
are the nevj man's marks, which after God
is created in righteoufnefs and true holi-
nefs, Eph. iv. 24, Thefe make the foul
like God, and God loving to the foul; is
it not clothed with righteoufnefs as with a
garment? witnefs the integrity of Adam,
in that fweet fubjeflion, his foul to the
Lord, his afteftions to the foul, his body
to the affeftions, the whole man to God
as to the chiefeft good ; and as truth and
mercy meet together, fo righteoufnefs and
k 2 ho-
436 DEATH'S
holincfs kifs each other : O blefled image !
hovv nearly doft thou refemble thy Crea-
tor ? He is tlie pattern of perfcflion, and
we bear the image of that pattern, Be ye
holy, for I am holy, i Pet. i. 15. And yet
again, as if this pidure were of deeper
dye, how like is the foul to its Creator in
her full dominion over all the creatures ?
Thou art beautiful, my foul, as Tirzah,
comely as Jernfakm, terrible as an army
•with banners. Cant. vi. 3. What is it will
not ftoop to this God's vice-gerent ? Beafts,
and birds, and ferpents, and things of the
tea are tamed^ and have been tamed of the
nature of man, James iii, 7. What a thing
is this foul ? (he cajp tame the wild, com-
-mand the proud, pull down the lofty, do
what flie will by compounding, comparing,
.contemplating, commanding. O excellent
nature! that litteft on earth, canft reach
to heaven, mayft dive to hell, nothing be-
ing able to refill thy power, fo long as
thou art fubjeft to that power of God. Is
ihis the foul? Lo, what is man that thou
art 7ni)idful of him F thou haj} jnade him
to have dorninicn in the works of thy hands,
ihcu haft put all things in Jubje£lion under
.his feet, Ffalm viii, 6.
O my foul, my foul ! what can we fay
of fuch a creature? To fum up all; fiie
fs in nature a fubftance, created by God,
i'.ivifible of men, incorporeal with angels,
immortal through grace, mofl like to God
in a way of ncarnefs, and bearing his i-
magc in the glorious ftamp of her created
likenefs.
Is this the darling of our Lord ? where
then is the rich man that hath loft this
pearl ? He that could tell his foul, Soiily
thou hajl much goods laid -v^ for viany
years, live at eafe, eat, drink and take thy
■paflime. Now on a fudden his foul is
taken, and whofe fl.^all thofe things be which
he hath provided ? The lofs of all lolles is
the lofs of a foul^ without which, had we
never fo much, we could truly enjoy no-
thing: what, truft then in your earthly
ARREST.
treafures? What ftay in fuch broken Aaves
of reed ? One day yon fliall find them moft
deceitful, leaving your naked fouls to the
open rpge of wind and weather, to the
fcourges and fcorpions of guiltinefs and
fear : could you purchafe a monopoly of
all ''le world, had you the gold of the
weft, the treafures of the eaft, the fpices of
the fonth, the pearls of the north, all is
nothing to this incarnate angel, this inva-
luable Joul. O wretched worldling ! what
haft thou done to undo thy foul? Was it
a wedge of gold, an heap of filver, an
hoard of pearl to which thou truftcft ? fee
they are gone, and thy foul is required.
Alas, poor foul ! whither muft it go ? To
heaven ? to its Creator ? to God that gave
it? No; there is another way for wander-
ing finners ; Go ye into everlafling fire
prepared for the devil and his angels, Mat,
XXV. 41. Thither muft it go with heavinefs
of heart into a kingdom of darknefs, a
lake of burning, a prifon of horrible con-
fufion of terrible tortures t O poor foul?
what a mifery is this ? Darknefs, burning,
confufion, torments, are thefe the wel-
comes of his foul to hell? A\'hat meant
the rich man in his unhappy fore-caft ? He
propounded to his foul a world of eafe,
of pleafure, of paflime; it proves far o-
iherwife. This other world is a world of
torments, which, like infinite rivers of
brimftone, feed upon his foul without eafe
or end. What avails now his pompous
pride at his doleful funerals? The news is
founded, he is dead; friends muft lament
him, palling peals ringfor him, an hear(e-
cloth wraps him, a tomb- 1 tone lyes over
him, all muft have mourning fuiis, and,
may be, rejoicing hearts ; but all this while
his foul is going to judgment, without one
friend, or the leail acquaintance to !p.eak
in his caufe : O that his foul were mortal^
and body and foul to be buried both to-
gether in one grave ! muit his body die,and
his foul live? in what world or nation ? in
what place or region ? it is another world,
anO'
DEATHS
another nation, where devils are compani-
ons, brimfione the fire, horror the lan-
guage, and eternal death the foul's eternal
life, never to be cured, and never mult be
ended. * O my foul, faith Bernard, what
a terrible day (hall that be, when thou ftialt
leave this manfion, and enter into an un-
known region ? who will deliver thee from
thefe rampant lions ? who can defend thee
from thofe helliCh raonfters?' God is in-
cenfed, hell prepared, juftice threatened,
only mercy mufl prevent, or the foul is
damned. V4ew this rich man on his death-
bed, the pain flioots through his head, and
at lafl comes to his heart, anon death ap-
pears in his face, and fuddenly falls on to
arreft his foul : is it death i what is it he
demands? can his goods fatisfy? no, the
world claims them : mufl his body go ? no,
the worms claim that : what debt is this,
which neither goods, nor body can dif-
charge ? . Habeas am7nam ejus coram wa-
bis : God's, warrant bids letch the foul *
O miferable news ! the foul committed
fin, fin morgaged it to death, death now
demands it ; and what if he gain the
world, he mufl: lofe his foul : This flight
thy foul Jha It be required of thee.
Ufe I. Anlmula vagula, blandula, faid
dying Adrian ; * Pretty, little, wandering
foul,whither goefl thou from me? wilt thou
leave me alone, that cannot live without
thee ?' O what conflicts fuffers the poor
foul ? when this time is come, mufl the
foul be gone ? help friends, pliyfick, plea-
fure, riches ; nay, take a world to reprive
a foul ; fo different are the thoughts of
men dying from them living ; now are
they for their pleafure, or profit, the bo-
dy or the world, but then nothing is e-
ftermed but the foul: whai can we fay ?
but if you mean your fouls nuiit be fa.ed,
O then let thefe precious, dear, evcrlart-
ing things breathed into your bodies for a
fnort abode, fcorn to in^d on earth, or a-
ny earthly things : it is mailer of a more
heavenly metal, treafures of aa hightf tera-
ARREST. 437
per, riches of a nobler nature, that mufl
help your fouls. Do you think that ever
any glorified foul, that now looks God
almighcy in the face, and tramples under
foot the fun and moon, is fo bewitched
as was Achan with a wedge of gold ? No,
it is only the communion of faints, the fo-
ciety of angels, the fruition of the Deity,
the depth of eternity which can only feed
and fill the foul. So live then, as that
when you die, your fouls may receive this
blifs, and the Lord Jefus our Saviour re-
ceive all our fouls.
Ife 2. I mufl end, but gladly would I
win afoul : ' If-the reward be fo great, as
you know it, to recover a fick body, which
for all that mufl die, of what reward is
that cure to fave a foul, which mufl ever,
ever live ?'0 fweet Jefus ! why fheddefc
thou the mofl precious and warmefl blood
of thine heart, but only to fave fouls .*
Thou wafi: fcourged, buffeted, judged, con-
demned, hanged ; was all this for us ? and
fnail we do nothing for ourfelves ? * What
is it thou wouldfl have had, if thou couldfl
wiih it good ? Not thy houfe, nor thy
wife, nor thy children, nor thy goods,
nor thy clothes, but no matter for thy
foul: I befeech you, value not your fouls
at a lefs price than your Jlioes : you can
pleafe the fleih with delicates, which is
naught but worms meat; but the foul pinea
for want, which is a creature invifible,
incorporeal, immortal, mofl like to God :'
(Auil.) Are we thus careful of pelf, and fo
carelefs of this pearl ? Certainly, * I can-
not chufe but wonder, feeing the flreets
peopled with men that follow fuits, run
to courts, attend and wait on their coun-
fellors for this cafe, and that cafe, this houfe,
or that land; that not one of thefe, nor one
of us all will ride,or run, or creep, or go to.
have counfel for his foul !' I muflconfefs,
I have fometimes dwelt on this meditation ;
and, beloved, let me fpeak homely to you;
beourcounfellors in this town every week
foUicitedby their clients ? and have we no.
clients.
438
DEATH'S ARREST.
clients In foul-cafes ? not one that will
come to us with their cafes of confci-
ence ? Sure you are either carelefs of your
fouls, or belike you have no need of par-
ticular inflru<ftions : O let us not be fo
forward for the world, and.fo backward
for the foul ! yet, I pray miflake not ; I
invite y6u not for fees, as noble Terence,
when he had petitioned for the Ghriftians,
and faw it torn in pieces before his face,
gathered up the pieces, and faid, * I have
my reward ; I have not fued for gold, fil-
ver, honour or pleafure, but a church:'
So fay I, ' In the midfi: of your negleft, I
have not fued for your gold, or filver, for
your houfes or lands, but for your preci-
ous fouls; and if^J cannot, or fhall not
Avooe them to come to Chrifl, God raife
up fome child of the bride-chamber which
'may do it better; if neither I, nor any o-
ther can prevail, O then fear that fpcechof
Eli's fons, ■ They hearkened not unto the
voice 6f their father^ becaufe the Lord
"Mould Jlay thenit i Sam. ii. 25. In fuch
a cafe, Oh that my head ivere full of wa-
ter, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that
J might weep day and night for your fins !
O that I could waftn your fouls with my
tears from that filth of fm, wherewith they
are befmeared and defiled ! O that for the
falvation of your fouls, I might be made
a facrifice unto death! but the Lord be
praifcd, for your fouls and my foul Chrift
Jefus hath died ; and if now we but repent
Tis of our fins, and believe in our Saviour,
if now we will but deny ourfelves and take
up his crofs and follow him ; if now w'e
will but turn xmto him, that he may turn
bis loving-countenance unto us, if now we
will but become new creatures, and ever
hereafter walk in the holy path, the nar-
row way which leads unto heaven ; why,
then may our fouls be faved.' This is'what
we had need to care for, not fo much for
the body as for the foul's good. To this
purpofe, faith Hugo, * Why clothe we the
body in filks, which muft rot in the grave,
and adorn not the foul wi;h faith and good
works, which one day mufl appear before
Cod and his angels.' O think of this day,
this night, this hour of death, for then
muft your fouls be taken from you.
Thus far you fee the rich man's arrefl :
Cod enjoins it, death ferves it, the time
was this night, and the party is, his foul :
God give us grace to provide our fouls,
that when death arrefls, we maybe ready,
and then, O God, have thou mercy on our
fouls.
Shall be required.^
THE original is apaitufi, They fhall
require it : wherein you have, the
feijeants, and the arrefl.
The ferj cants, They ,- and the arrefl it-
felf, They require his fcul.
We'll firft take a view of the Serjeants.
They : who r not God, he knows not
flnners, whatlliould he do with a drunken,
profane, covetous, fenfual foul ? He that
never fo much as thought on God in this
life, will God accept of the commending
of his foul to him at his death ? no, the
Lord of heaven will none of it : he that
forfook God, is juflly forfaken of God :
fee thetrue weight of this balance, he would
not receive God's grace into his foul, and
God will not receive his gracelefs foul into
heaven. But who then ^ will the angels
take it ? No, they have nothing to do with
the foul of a dying fmner ; the angels are
only porters for the fouls of the jufl : poor
Lazarus that could neither go, nor fit, nor
fland for fores; it is he muft be carried on
the wings of angels ; but for this rich man,
not the lowefl angel will do him poorefl
fervice. Who then ? will the faints receive
it ? no, they have no fuch commilTion to
receive a foul : that blind opinion, which
every one may blufh at, that* Saint Peter
fl\ould be heaven's porter, and that none
may go in, but to whom he will open :' if
it be true, why may not a faint help a de-
parting foul ? Away with this dreaming
folly ! not Peter, nor Paul, nor all the
faints
DEATH'S ARREST,
faints of heaven have any fuch privilege ;
if God will not hear us, what will our
prayers do to faints ? Heaven is too far off,
they cannot hear, or were it nearer they
will not, cannot help. It is God miift fave
us, or weperifli ever. Who then are the
ferjeants ? not God, nor faints, nor an-
gels : no, there is another crew, death and
devils ftand in a readinefs, and they are
the parties that arreft this prifoner.
Stay, what would death have ? the foul
cannot die, and for the body, no matter
who receives it. O yes ! there is a death
of the foul, as well as of the body : I mean
not fuch a death whereby it may be anni- *
hilated, but a fecond death that (hall ever
accompany it : this is a death of the foul,
that will always keep it in death's pangs.
But not to fpeak of this death, there is a-
noiher death temporal, that fliall fever the
foul and body each from other : thefe two
twins that have lived together fince their
firft efpoufal, thefe two lovely ones that^
were made, and met, and married by the
hands of God, thefe two made one, till
death them depart, and make them two
again, now is their rueful rime of divorce :
when death comes, he gives over the bo-
dy to the grave, and arrefts the foul, to ap-
pear in prefence before God's high tribu-
nal. Such a bailiff hath now laid hands on
this rich man's foul, when he leafl: thought
on't, death comes on a fudden, and arrefts
his perfon. ' O wretched worldling ! who
is this behind thee ? call wc t! lis God's fer-
jeants? What grim, ugly, monftrous vif-
age is this v« fee ? have ever any of you
fcen the griily pi«5lure of death before you >
How was it but with hollow eyes, open
fkull, grinning teeth, naked ribs, a few
bones knit together with dry ftrings, as pre-
fentrng to your eyes the moft deformed i-
mage of a man in molds ? But what's that
in his hands? an hour-glafs and a dart:
the one exprcfT.ng the decreadngs of our
life, and the other death's ftroke, that he
gives us in our death. Such enriblems are
439
inoft fit to exprefs mortality : and imagine
fuch a thing to arrcft this rich man, would
it not terrific him; whilfl: looking back,
death fuddenly claps him on his (houl-
der, away he muft with this mefienger, all
the gold and pearl of eafl: and weft cannot
flay him one hour : now rich man, what
avails all thy worldly pleafure ? HadJ} thou
in thy hands the reins of all earthly king-
doms ; luert thou exalted as the eagle, and
thy nefl fet among the fiars, Obad. i. 4.
yet all this, and whatfoever elfe thou canft
imagine, is not worth a button : where did
that man dwell, or of what cloth was his
garment, that was ever comforted by his
goods, or greatnefs, in this lafl and forefl
conflift ? See, worldling, death requires
thy foul, no bribe will be taken, no intrea-
ty will prevail, no riches refcue, nothing
at all redeem death; death is impartial.'
But, O horror ! death is not all, fee yet
more ferjeants ; devils and dragons are a-
bout thy bed, and thefe are they that will
hurry away thy foul to hell. How ? De-
vils ; O worldling, flay thy foul, and ne-
ver yield it ! better to die a thoufand deaths^
than to leave itin their hands ; but alas, thou
can ft not choofe, thy laft hour is come,
and here is neither hope nor help, nor place
of any longer tarrying. See but the mi-
fery of a miferable foul ! what f]\all it doT
whither (liall it flie from thefe damned fu-
ries ? would they take it and tear it into
nothing, it were fomewhat tolerable : but
to tear it in pieces, and never to make end
of tearing, to give it torments without all
patience or refiftancc ; this is that load which
it cannot bear, and yet, O extremity ! it
ever, ever muft be born : think on this, O
my foul ! and whilH thou haft a minute's
ftay in this body, call upon GoJ to prevent
this arreft of devils ; was it not think ye a
terror to this rich man, when fo many hell-
hounds waited for his foul ? We read in
the lives of the popes, of ' one man, who
being took away with a devil through the
air, was laid fo to roar and yell, that ma-
ny
440
D EA TH's
ny miles diAant hU noife was heard, to ma-
rya man's trembling.' And if the loul had
but the organs of a found, what a fhrcek
Would it make, being feized on by a de-
vil r witnefs the cries of many defperate
fouls, when as yet they are fafe in their
beds, h9w do they roar and rage ? how
do they' call and cry, * Help, help us, fave
us, deliver us from thefe fiends about us?'
Thcfe are thofe evening wolves enraged
with hellifti hunger, thefe are thofe ramp-
ing lions ever ready to devour our fouls ;
thefe are thofe walkers up and down the
earth, which are now come and entred in-
to this rich man's lodging. JVherefocver the
deadcarcafe is, thither, faith our Saviour,
luill the eagles re/^, Mat. xxiv. 28. and
whercfoever a damned foul is, thither with
alacrity will thefe fpirirs come. O how they
' flie and flutter round about him ? what
lires do they breathe, to enkindle them on
his foul ? what claws do they open, to re-
ceive her at the parting ? and what afto-
nilhment is that poor foul in, that per-
ceives thefe ferjeants even ready to clafp
her in their burning arms ? See, O cofmo-
polite, what thy fin hath caufed ! luft hath
iranfported thine eyes, blafphemy thy
tongue,pride thy foot, opprefiion thy hand,
covetoufnefs thy heart, and now de.'ith
and devils, they are the ferjeants that re-
quire thy foul.
Ufe. Refleft thefe thoughts on your own
fouls, and confider with yourfelves what
may be your cafes ; it may be as yet thou
ilandeft upright without any changes, hi-
therto thou haft feen no days of forrow,
but even 'wajhedthy fteps luith butter, and
the rock hath poured thee out rivers of oil,
Deut. xxxii. 13, 1 4- Alas ! was not this
the cafe of this poor wretched worldling ?
yet for all this, you fee a night came that
paid for all ; and fo it may be with thee ;
*~a day, an hour, a moment, fays Cafaubon,
is enough to overturn the things that feem
to have been founded, and rooted in ada-
mant-,' who can tell whether this night, this
ARREST.
ftorm may fall upon thee ? Art thou not
firangely nailed and glued unto fenfe? Art
thou not Ihipidlyfenfclefsin fplritual things,
that for pelf, vanity, dung, nothing, wiJt run
headlong and wilfully intoeafelefs, endlefs
and remedilefs torments ? Yet fuch is thy
doing, if thou beeft a worldling, to get
riches to thy body, and let death and de-
vils have thy foul. O beloved, confider
in time, and feeing you have fnch a terri-
ble example fet before you, let this world-
ling be your warning.
We have done with the ferjeants, but
what's their office ? to beg P to fue ? no,
but to force, to require, thy foul is required.
How ? required ? is any fo bold to ap-
proach his gates, and make a forcible en-
try ? Yes, God hfith his fpecial bailiffs that
will fear no colours, riches car.i.ot ranfom,
cadles cannot keep, hollows cannot hide,
hills nor their forts prote<ft: fits Herod on
his throne ? there's a writ of remove, and
the worms are his bailifTs ; is Dives at his
table ? Death brings the Mittimus, and de-
vils are his jailors; fits Lazarus at his gates?
the king greets him well, we may fay, and
angels are his keepers : poor, rich, good,
bad, all mult be ferved at the king's fuit ;
no place can privilege, no power fecure,
no valour rcfcue, no liberty exempt; with
a }ion crnittas propter aliquam libertatem,
runs this warrant : O rich man ! what wilt
thou now do? * The forrows of death com-
pafs thee, and the floods of Belial make
thee afraid.' A\ hat ? no friends to help ?
no power to refcue, is there no other way
but yield and die for it ? O mifery I enough
to break an heart of brafs again : imagine
that a prince a while polfelled fome royal
city, where, if you walk the ftreets, you
may fee peace flourifliing, wealth abound-
ing, plcafure waiting, all his neighbours
offering their fcrvice, and promiling to af-
fift him in all his nteds and aflairs : if on
a fuddcn this city were befieged by fbme
deadly enemy, who coming, like a violent
ftream, takes one hold after another, one
wall
BEA7R's
wall after another, one caRlc after another,
and at laft drives this prince only to a lit-
tle tower, and there lets on him ; what
fear, anguilh and mifery would this prince
be in ? If he looks about, his holds are ta-
ken, his men are (lain, his friends and neigh-
bours now Hand aloof oit, and they begin
to abandon him, were not this a woful
plight trow you ? even fo it fares with a
poor foul at the hour of her departure :
the body, wherein Hie reigned hke a jolly
princefs, then droops and languifhes : The
keepers tremble, the Jirong men bow, the
grinders ceaje, and they wax dark that look
out at the windows, Eccl. xii. 3. no won-
der, if fear be in the way, when the arms,
the legs, the teeth, the eyes, as fo many
walls wherein the foul was invironed, are
now furprized and beaten to the ground :
her lafl: refuge is the heart, and this is the
little tower whither at laft fhe is driven :
but what is (lie there fecure ? No, but moft
fiercely aflailed with a thoufand enemies^
her dearelt friends, youth, and phylick,
and other helps, which foothed her in prof-
perity, do now abandon her: what will
Ihe do ? the enemy will grant no truce,
will make no league, but night and day
affails the heart, which now like a turret
flruck with thunder begins all to fliiver ?
Here is the woful ftate of a wicked foul,
God is her enemy, the devil her foe, an-
gels hate her, the earth groans under her,
hell gapes for her ; the reafon of all, fin
flruck the alarm, and death gives the bat-
tel ; it is but this night, a minute longer,
and then will the raging enemy enter on
her: Death is no beggar to intreat, no fuitor
to wooe, no petitioner to afk, no follicitor
to crouch and crave a favour : * She runs
raging, ruling, charging, requiring.' Hark
this man's arreft. Thy foul Jhall be requir-
ed: it fliall ? Yes, the word is peremptory :
what? be required? Yes, it comes with
authority. Here's a fatal requiring, when
the foul (hall be forced by unwilling ne-
celfity, and devils by force hurry her to her
LI
ARREST, 441
endlefs fury. Adieu, poor foul! the writ
is ferved, the goal prepared, the judgment
paft, and death, the executioner, wUl de-
lay no longer ; This night thy foul f mil kd
required of thee.
U/e I. But to whom fpeak I ? Think of
it, you miferable covetous, * that join houfe
tohoufc, and call the lands after your own
names:' You may trufl in your wealth, and
boafi yourfelves in the multitude of your
riches, but Jione of you can by any means
redeein his brother, no, nor himfelf, Plal.
xlix. 6, 7. When depth comes, I pray,
what compofition with the Lord of hea-
ven > could ever any buy out his damna-
tion with his own coin : howfoever you
live merrily, delicioufly, go richly; yet
death will at lafl knock at your doors, and,
notwithflanding all your wealth, honours,
tearsand groans of your dearefl friends, win
take you away ashisprifoners, to hisdark-
efl dungeon. Your cafe is, as with a man,
who lying fall afleep upon the edge of fome
flcep, high rock, dreams merrily of crowns,
kingdoms, poffeffions; but upon the fud-
den, flarting for joy, he breaks his neck,.
and tumbles into the bottom of fome vio-
lent fea : thus is your danger every hour,
Satan makes you a bed, lulls you afleep,
charms you into golden dreams, and you
conceive you are wallowing in the fea of
all worldly happinefs; at lall death comes,
againfl which there is no reliftance, and
then you are fuddenly fwallowed up of de-
fpair, and drowned in that pit of eternal
death and perdition.
I have read of fome, whom in fome fort
we might parallel with this rich man con-
cerning their fearful horrid departure out
of this miferable world : yea I fuppofe the
books are fo working, that any man who-
foever he is, that would but read them, and
ponder them in a ferious way, they would
certainly work in him much matter of hu-
miliation, and make him toflie iln, as the
very fling of a fcorpion.
One of them I mean to fpeak of, was
J an
442 DEATH'S
an Englilhnian. Abbot that relates the
ftory, tells indeed of two in one year that
died thus uncomfortably ; the one fo ma-
ny ways looking homewards, that he died
miferably rich ; the other fo lafliing out-
ward, that he died miferably poor, both
of different ways of life, yet both of un-
comfortable paflages out of the world.
The one coming to his death's-bed, the
Author reports of him, that ' fiifl the de-
vil prefcnted himfclf unto him to be his
phyfician, and after Chrifl: appeared to
him fitting on the throne, condemning
his unprofitable life, and bidding him fliift
tor himfelf, for he would have nothing
to do with him.' The other, of whom I
',;ncan to fpeak, a^if he would prevent
Chrill, condemned himfelf to hell for ever
,'ind ever : * Ofaid he, th»t I might burn a
long time in that fire, fo I might not burn
ill hell, I have had, faid he, a little plea-
inre, and now 1 muft go to the torments
of hell for ever. Then praying to God
<as he was prcfTed by others) to forgive
liim his fins, and to have mercy upon him,
he would add, but I know God will not
do.it, I mud; go to hell for evermore.'
"Wiiatfoever came between whiles, this was
iheclofe, * I mull be burned in hell, I mufl
to the furnace of hell, millions, and millions
of ages.' The author of this ftory who
was minifler of the place where he lived,
' went to him, offered him the comforts of
thegofpcl, opened to him the promifes of
the largeft fize, fhewed him that God was
delighted to fave fouls, and not to deftroy
ihem, and that his fwcet promifes were
without exception of time, place, perfon,
or fin, except that againft the holy Ghort,
which he allured him too, was not com-
mitted by him : and what was tlie iffue ?
All this could not fallen on him, but ftill
he would anfwer, * Alas, it is too late,
I muft be burned in hell.' That man of
ARREST,
God, the fliepherd of his foul, feeing hi-^
fonl in this danger, came to him again and
again, and at laft fecluding the company,
lie preffes him with tears in his eyes, not
tocaft away that foul for which Chrifl died ;
he told him, that Chrifl rejected none that
did not rejeft him : but for all this he
could have no other anfwer, but * that he
had call off Chrifl, and therefore muft go to
hell.' The minifler replies, yet pray with
me, faith he, that Chrili woiild come again ;
there is yet an hour in the day, and if
Chrifl; come, he can and will allift you to
do a great deal of work on a fudden : no,
he would not hear of that ; * Former coun-
fels and prayers might have done me good,
faid he, but now it is too late.'
O horrour, that ever any foul fliould
fuffer thefe conflicflsfor fin ! but what fins
were they ? * He was, faith the author,
no fwearer, no whoremonger, no thief,
no fcofferat religion, no perjured wretch,
no willful liar ar all, only drunkennefs,
and negledl of mens bodies, (for he was an
apothecary) neglefl of prayer, God's word,
and his facraments, fo awaked his trem-
bling confcience, that he was forced to
pafs this fearful doom upon his foul, ' I
muft be burned in the furnace of hell, mil-
lions of millions of ages :' and at laft, the
Lord knows, in idleneis of thought, and
talk, he ended his miferable, miferable life.
The other I mean to fpeak of was an
Italian, under the jurifdicftion of Venice,
called Francis Spira, who being cxcclfively
covetous of money, and for fear of the
world, having renoxmccd the truth, which
before he profelTed, he thout^ht at laft he
heard a direful voice fpeaking to him,
* Thou wicked wretch, thou haft denied
me, thou haft broken thy vow : hence, a-
poftate, and bear with thee the fentcnceof
thy eternal damnation :' * At this voice,
he trembling and quaking, fell down in a
A relation of the fearful cllatc of Francis Spin.
f\^ con ;
DEATH'S ARREST.
fwoon ; and after recovering himfelf, he
profcffed that he was captivated under the
revenging hand of the great God of hea-
ven, and that he heard continually that
fearful fentence of Chrift now pafl on his
foul. His friends, to comfort him, pro-
pounded many of God's promifes recorded
in fciipture : ' Oh but my iin, faid he, is
greater than the mercy of God :' Nay, an-
Ivvered they. The mercy of God is above
all (in ; God would have all men to be fa-
ved : ' It is true, faid he, he would have
all men that he hath ele<fled, to be faved :
but he would not have reprobates to be fa-
ved, and I am one of that number :' After
this, roaring out in bitternefs of fpirit, he
faid, // is a fearful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God. Thefe troubles
of mind brought him to a diftemper of bo-
dy, which the phylicians perceiving, they
wilhed him to feek fome fpirituai comfort :
thofe comforters come, and obferving the
diftemper to arife from the fenfe and hor-"
rour of hell-pains J they aflc him, whether
he thought there were any worfe pains
than what he endured ? he faid, ' He knew
there were far worfe pains; yet do I de-
fire nothing more, faid he, than that I
may come to that place, where I may be
fure to feel the word, and to be freed from
fear of worfe to come.'
As on this manner he was fpeaking, he
obferved (faith ray author) divers flies that
came about him, and fome lighted on him ;
whereat prefently remembring how Beelze-
bub iignifies the God of flies ; * Behold,
faid he, now alfo Beelzebub comes to his
banquet, you fhall Ihortly fee my end,
and in me an example to many of the juf-
tice and judgment of God.' Then he be-
gan to reckon up what fearful dreams and
vifions he was continually troubled withal,
that he faw the devils come flocking into
his chamber, and about his bed terrifying
him with ftrange noifes ; and that thefe
were not fancies, but that he faw them as
really as the flanders-by ; and that befides
LI
44:^
thefe outward terrors, he felt continually
a racking torture of his mind, and a con-
tinual butchery of his confcience, being
the very proper pangs of the damned
wights in hell.
But of all the refl, mofl; defperate was
that laA fpeech of his, when fnatching a
knife (as intending to mifchief himfelf, but
flopped by his friend) he roared with indig-
nation, * I would I were above God, for I
know he will have no mercy on me ;' and
thus living a long while, he appeared at
length a very perfe<5V anatomy, exprefTuig
to the view nothing but linews, and bones>.
vehemently raging for drink ; ever pining,
yet fearful to live long ; dreadful of hell,
yet coveting death ; in a continual torment,
yet his own tormentor ; confiuning him-
felf with grief and horror, impatience and
defpair, till at lafl he ended his miferable
miferable life.
And now, beloved, if fuch be the de-
parture of a finful foul, O who would live
in fin, to come to fuch a departure ! for
my part, I dare not fay thefe parties, thus
miferable in their own apprehenfions, are
now among devils in hell : I find the au-
thors themfelves incline to the right hand;
befides, what am I, that I fliould fit in God's
chair ? only this I fay, that their miferable
deaths may very well give warning to us
all ; nor need you think much at mc for
uttering thefe {terribilia) terrible frorics:
for if fonietimes you did not hear of God's
judgments againfl fin ; a day might come,
that you would mofl of all cry out on the
preacher : to this purpofe, we have a flory
of a certain rich man, who lying on his
death-bed, * My foul (faid he) I bequeath
to the devil who owns it, my wife to the
devil, who drew me to my ungodly life, and
my chaplain to the devil, who flattered me
in it.' I pray God I never hear of fuch a
legacy from any of you : fure I had better
to tell you aforchand to prevent it, than
not telling you to feel it. And let this be
for my apology in relating thefe flories.
1 2 - U/e
444 DEATH'S
Ufe %. But for a fecond ufe, give me
leave, I pray you, to feparate the precious
from the vile : now then to fweeten the
thoughts of all true penitents, the fouls of
faints are not required, but received. Re-
joice then, ye righteous, that mourn in
Sion ; what though a while ye fuffcr ? death
is a goal-delivery to your fouls, not bring-
ing in, but freeing out of thraldom. Here
the good man finds Iharpell mifery, the e-
vil man fweetcft felicity ; therefore it is
juft, that there Ihould be a time of chang-
ing turns : the rich man's table Aood fuJi
of dclitates, Lazarus lacks crumbs, but
novj he is comforted and thou art torment-
ed. Wo unto you that laugh, for you foall
moun:, Luke vi. f*^. Blejfed are you that
iftourn, for you fhall rejoice, Matth. v. 4.
Idappy Lazarus ! who from thy beggary
and loathfomc fores wert carried by angels
into Abraham's hofom : happy thief, who
upon thy true repentance, and unfeigned
prayer, wert received from the crofs into
. rhe paradife of thy Saviour : happy are
all they that fufter tribulation, death fhall
ioofe their foul from bonds and fetters, and
inftead of a bailiff to arrcif them, (hall be
a porter to conducl them to the gates of
heaven : there Ibalt thou tread on ferpents,
trample on thine enemies, fing fweet tro-
phies : were not this enough ? thy con-
queft fliall be crowned by the hands of the
Seraphims, triumphed with the found of
angels, warbled by the qiiire of fpivits, con-
firmed by the King of kings, and Lord of
holls. Happy foul ! thou art not required
by devils, but received by angels; and when
we die, Lord Jefus, fend thine angels to
receive our fouls.
You fee now death's arreff, and what
remains further, fave to accept of fome
bail ? but what bail, where you have the
J<ing'scommandment from his own month ?
This requiring is not of any other, but
himfclf; of no furety, but of thee (faith
God) muft thy foul be required.
ARREST,
Oftheel
ONce more, you fee, I have brought
this rich man on the ffage, his doom
is now at hand, and death, God's mefllen-
gcr, fummons him to appear by requiring
of his foul ; but of whom is it required ?
had he <';ny furcties to put in ? or was any
bail fufficient to be taken for him ? no, he
mull go himfelf, without all help or re-
medy, it was he that fmned, and it is he
mufl pay for it ; Of thee it is required.
How ? Of thee ? Sure death miflakes ;
we can find thoufands more fit, none more
fearful ; there (lands a Saul, near him his
armour-bearer, behold a Judas ; fuch will
outface death's fury ; nay, rather than it
fail in its office, they will nnt much que-
flion to be their own death's-men : but
this Of thee., who art at league with hell,
in love with earth, at peace with all, is
mofl terribly fearful.
Stay death ! there Hands a poor Lazarus
at the gates, like Job on his dung-hill, his
eyes blind, his ears deaf, his feet lame, his
body flruck with boils, and \\\sfoul cheep-
ing rather to be fir angled and die, than to
be in his bones. Job vii. 15. Were not this
a fit objedl for death's cruelty ? would he
fpare the rich, he fliould be welcome to
the poor : but death is inexorable, he
muft not live, nor jhall the beggar beg his
own death for another : Of thee it is re-
quired.
But death, yet flay thy hand, here's a
better furety ; what needs death a prefs,
when he may have volunteers? 'I'here
flands an old man as ready for the grave,
as the grave for him ; his face is furrow-
ed, his hairs hoary, his back bowing, his
hammes bending, and therefore no fong is
fitter than old Simeon's, Lord, now letttfl
thou thy fervant depart in peace, Lv;ke ii.
29. Youth is loath, but age is merry to
depart from mifery : let death then take
him that (lands neareft death's door: no,
the old muft die, but the young may; he
muft die foon, yet be fure thou ftialt not
live
D EylTHs
live long, Of thee it is required.
Cannot this ferve ? let death yet ftay his
hand, there ftandsa fervant waiting at this
rich man's beck, as if he would fpend his
own life to favc his maker's, he can make
a pageant of cringes, a£l a whole fpeech of
flatteries, every part owes him fervice,
feet to run, hands to work, head to crouch,
and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand
of her miflrefs, fo the eyes of his fervants
look unto the hands of their mafter: but
where be thefe attendants when death
comes ? was ever any mafter better than
Chrill? Were ever any fervants truer than
his apoftles ? yet fee their fidelity : muft
their Saviour diei? One betrays him, ano-
ther forfwears him, ail run from him, and
leave him alone in the midfi: of all his ene-
mies. What then is the truli of fervants ?
the rich man may command, and go with-
out, if death fhould require them, they
would not; or if they fhould defire death,
he v/ill not ; his arreft; concerns not th^
fervants, it is for the mafter himfelF, he
that commands others, now death com-
mands him : Of thee it is required.
Will not all do ? Let death but ftay this
once : there ftands a friend, that will lofe
his own, to fave his life : Greater love than
this hath no man, (faith our Saviourj John
XV. 13.) when any man hejioixieth his life
for his friends. Riches may perhaps pro-
cure fuch love, and getfome friend to an-
fwer death's quarrel which he owes this
man : Jonathan loves David, David Abfa-
lom ; and fure it was a love indeed, when
Jonathan preferves the life of David, and
David widied a death to himfelf in the ftead
of Abfalom, 2 Sam. xviii. 33. my fon
ylbfalom, would Cod I had died for thee ;
Abfalom, my fon, my fon : But M'here be
any friends fo refpeflive of this worldling ?
He wants a Jonathan, a David ; upon a
ftrift enquiry we find no friend, no father,
no fon, neither heirs noraffigns to whom
he may beftow his lands. But what if he
had friends as near to himfelf as himfelf;
.4 R REST. 445
no man can die for another ; or as the
Pfalmift, A'b man may deliver his brother,
nor make agreement unto God for him : for
it cofl more to redeem their fouls, fo that he
muf} let that alone for ever, Pfalm xlix,
7, 8. Should tlie poor man beg, the old
man pray, his fervants kneel, his friends
ly at death's feet, and all thefe offer up alt
their lives for this rich man's recovery, all
were but vain ; it is thy foul is arrefted,
and it is thy felf that muft yield it : Of theo
it is required.
You fee there is no way but one with
him : to conclude then, we'll bid him his
farewel, this is the laft office we can do this
rich man, and fo we'll leave him.
The hour is come, and the dawning of
that dreadful day appeareth ; now he be-
gins to wilTi that he had fome fpace, fome
piece of time to repent him ; and if he might
obtain it, O what would he do ? or, what
would he not do ? ' Relieve the weak, vl-
fit the iick, feed the hungry, lodge the
ftranger, clothe the naked, give half his
goods to the poor, and if he had done any
wrong, reftore it him again feven-fold :'
But alas ! all is too late, the candle that
but follows him, cannot light him to
heaven ; a fudJen death denies his fuic,
and the increafing of his licknefs will give
him no leifure to fulfill thofe duties : what
cold fweats are thofe that feize upon him }^
his fenfes fail, his fpeech falters, his eyes
fink, his breaft fwells, his feet die, his heart
faints, fuch are the outvv^ard pangs: what
then are the inward griefs ? if the body thus
fuffers ; what cares and conflidls alflid the
foul ? Had he the riches of Croefus, the
empires of Alexander, the robes of Solo-
mon, the fare of that rich man that lived
deliciouQy every day : what could they do
in the extremity of thefe pangs, * O rich
man, thou couldft tell us of pulling down
barns, and building greater ; but now i-
magine the vait cope of heaven thy barn^
and that were large enough, and all the
riches of the world thy grain, and that were
crop
44^ D E AT Hs
crop enough • yet all thefe cannot buy a
inimire of eafe, now tliat death will have
thy body, hell thy foul. O dark dungeon
of imprifoned men ! whofe help wilt thou
crave ? whofe aid wilt thou afk ? what relcafe
cinft thou expeft from fuch a prifon ? The
difeafe i^ paft cure, the fickncfs wants re-
medy ; alas ! what may recover ; now the
heart-ftrings break afunder? Thy date ex-
pires, thy lafl breath goes, and now is thy
foul and body required of thee.
I have hitherto with Nathan, beat Hnful
DAvid on a Granger's coat. You muft give
me leave to take off the mafk, and fliiew
you your own faces in this glafs.
Ufe I. Believe tlipu, O man, who read-
eft this, that fliortly there will be two holes
where thine eyes now ftand, and then o-
thers may take up thy fkuU, and fpeak of
thee dead, as I have done to thee living :
how foon I know not, this I am fure of, Thy
time is appointed^ thy months are determin-
ed, thy days are numbred, thy very la ft hour
is limited, Jobxiv. 5. 14. Pf. xc. 12. John
xi. 9. And what follows, but that thy body
ly cold at the root of the rocks, at the foot
of the mountains ? Go then to the graves of
thofe that are gone before us, and there fee ;
[See what ? See the lowly end of beauty,
flrength, greatnefs, power ! Where now are
the haughty fons and daughters of pride ?
are not their eyes wafted, their mouths
corrupted, their bones fcattered ? where
be thofe ruddy lips, lovely cheeks, fpark-
ling eyes, comely nofe, hairy locks i are
not all gone as a dream in the night, or as
a fliadow in the morning ? Where are the
once valiant atchievers of feats of ftrength ?
Their power is gone; their nerves unbrac-
ARREST.
ed ; their bones difmembered, and fcattered
in the grave ? Are thefe the viri itmnortales,
the immortal men, that braved it to the fkics,
that thought thcmfelves invulnerable f, that
carried dtfolation, terror, death, where'er
they came; are thefe the mighty fons of
fame, now reduced to bones and afhes ?
Where now lies greatnefs i There in that
lowly grave : all are now blended in one
common mafs: there's no diftinflion now:
the fair, and ugly; the weak, and ftrong;
the poor, and rich; the mean, and great;
kings, and their fubjecls ; conquerors, and
the conquered ; all lie together, all are
mingled into commoa duft. *J Alas !
that we neglect thefe thoughts, and fet our
minds wholly upon the world and its va-
nities ! we are careful, fearful and immo-
derately painful to gee tranfitory riches,
like children following butter-Hies ; we run
and toil, and perhaps mifs our purpofe :
but if we catch them, what is it but a flic
to befmear our hands .' Riches are but
emptj', and yet be they what they will be,
all at laft will be nothing. Saladine, that
great Turk, after all his conquefts, gets his
ihirt faftened to his fpear in manner of an
enfign i this done, a prieft makes a procla-
mation ; ' This is all that Saladine carries
away with him, of all the riches he hath
gotten.' Shall a Turk lay thus, and do
C;hriiHans forget their duties ? * Remember,
yourfelves, ye fons of earth, of Adam, what
is this earth you dote on .' Be fure you fliail
have enough of it, when your mouths mult
be filled and crammed with it, and (as your
fouls defire, lo) at that day ftiall your bo-
dies turn to It.' O that men are thus giv-
en to grafping greedinefs ! there is a gene-
• Wlicn I look upon the tombs of tlie great, (lays one) every moti-jn of envy dies in me ; when I read tlic
epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate dcfirc goes out ; when I nuct with tlic grief of parents upon a tonib-
flonc, my heart melts witli comp.iffion ; when I fee the tomb of the parents tlicmltlvcs, 1 corfider the vinity ot
grieving for ihofc v\hom we mult quickly follow: when I (ce kings lyin^ by thofi who dcpofed them, when [
confid.r rival wits placed fide by fide, or the holy men that divided the world with their eoniclh and difpuies, I
rcflcO with furrow and allonilhuicnt on the little competitions, fa<^i ns and debates of mankind. When I nad
the fcvcral dates of the tombs, of fomc that died ycrtcrday, and fims fix himdred years ago, I confidcr that great
day when wc fliall all of us be contemporaries, and make our appearance together.
•f That is, i/icapJilc of being ■wounded.
ration,
D E AT Hs All R E S T,
ration, and they are too common amongft
us, that we may preach and preach (as
they fay) our hearts out, yet will not they
flir a foot further from the world, or an
inch nearer unto God, but could we fpeak
with them on their death-bed, when their
confciences are awaked, then fhould we
hear them yell out thofe complaints, What
hath pride profited us ? or ivhat good hath
riches -with our vaunting brought us ? ^V'i^d .
V. 8. Aflure yourfelves, this day or this
night will come, and imagine (I pray) that
the ten, twenty, thirty, forty years or
months, or days, or hours which you have
yet to live, were at an end ; were you at
this prefent ftretched on your beds ; wea-
ried with flruggling againll your wearied
pangs ; were your friends weeping, your
phyficians parting, your children crying,
your wives howling, and yourfelves lying
mute and dumb in a mofl pitiful agony.
Beloved Chriftian ! whofoever thou art,
flay a while, I pray thee, and pra^life this.
meditation ! * Suppofe thou now feltcll the
cramp of death wrefting thy heartilrings,
and ready to make that ruful divorce betwixt
thy body and thy foul ; fuppofe thou liell
now panting for breath, fwiming in a cold
fatal fweat ; fuppofe thy words were fled,
thy tongue flruck dumb, thy foul amazed,
thy fenfes frighted ; fuppofe thy feet be-
ginning even to die, thy knees to wax cold
and fliflF. thy noftrils to run out, thine eyes
to fink into thy head, and ail the parts of
the body to lofe their office to aflill: thee ;
upon this fuppofal, lift up thy foul, and
look about thee, (O, 1 can tell thee, if thou
livell and die in fin) there would be no
where any comfort, but a world of ter-
ror and perplexity : look upwards, there
fliouldeft thou fee the terrible fword of
God's jufticc threatning, look downwards,
there (houldefl thou fee the grave in ex-
pedtation ready gaping ; look within thee,
there fnouldeft thou feel the worm of con-
fcience bitter gnawing : look without thee,
there fliouldeft tliou fee good and evil an-
447
gels on both fides, waiting whether of them
fhould have the prey : now alas ! then would-
eft thou fay, the foul to depart from the
body were a thing intolerable, to continue
ftill therein were a thing impoffible, and
to defer this departure any longer, fuppo-
fing this hour were thy laft hour, no phy-
fick could prevail, it were a thing unavoid-
able : what then would thy poor foul do,
thus invironed with fo many flraits V O
fond fools of Adam's feed, that neglefl the
time till this terrible paffage ! how much
wouldft thou give, if thiis it were, for an
hour's repentance? At what rate wouldefl
thou value a day's contrition I M^orldsare
worthlefs in refpeft of a little refpite, a
fhort truce will feem more precious than
the treafures of empires, nothing would
then be fo much efieemed as a trice of time
which before by months and years thou la-
vifhly mifpent. Think on thy fins, nay,
thou couldfl not chufe but think, Satan
■"would write them on the curtains of thy
bed, and thy agalhed eyes would be forced
to look upon them, there wouldeft thou
fee thoufands committed, not one confef-
fed, or thoroughly repented, then too late
thou wouldefl begin to willi, * O had I led
a better life, and were it to begin again
O then would I fafl and, pray, how repent
how live ! certainly, certainly, if thou go-
efi on in fin, thus would be thy departure,
thy carcafe lying cold among the flones of
the pit, and thy foul, by the weight of fin
irrecoverably finking into the bottom of
that bottomlefs, burning lake.'
UJe 2. But to prevent this evil, take this
ufe of advice for thy farewel : vvbilfl yet
thy life lan:eth, whilfl; yet the Lord gives
thee a gracious day of vifitation, ply, ply
all thofe blclfed means of falvation, as
prayer, and conference, and meditation,
and fermons, and facraments, and faflings,
and watching?, and patience-, and faith, and
a good confcience; in a word, fo live, that
when this day or night of death comes, ihou
mayeft then Hand firm and fure : as yet
thou
448
DOOMS-DAY.
thou art in the way of a tranfitory life, as
yet thou art not entred into the confines
of eternity : if now therefore thou wilt
walk in the holy path, if now thou wilt
Hand out againd any fin whatfoever, if
now thou wilt take on thee the yoke of
our Saviour Ghrifl, if now thou wilt aflToci-
atcthyftlf to that fe£l and brotherhood that
is every where fpoken againft ; if now thou
wilt direft thy words to the glorifying of
God, and to give grace unto the hearers ;
if now thou w ilt delight in the word, the
v/ays, the faints, the fervices of God ; if
now thou wilt never turn again unto fol-
ly, or to thy trade of fin, though Satan
fet upon thee with his baits and allurements
to detain thee in i^s bondage, but by one
' darling delight, one minion- fin : then I
dare allure thee, dear, right dear -ivill he
- thy death in the fight of the Lord, Pfalm
cxxvi. 15. With joy and triumph wouldeft
thou pais through all the terrors of death,
with finging and rejoicing would thy foul
be received into thofe facred maniions a-
bove. O happy foul, if this be thy cafe I
O happy night or day, whenfocver the
news comes, that then mufi: thy foul be
taken from thee !
You may think it now high time, that
v^'e bid this farewel-fvmeral text adieu.
Then' for conclufion, let every word be
thy warning. Left this be thy time, pro-
vide for this and every time; left the flight
be dreadful, Do notfleep, as do others, but
watch and be fober, i Thefl". v. 6. left thy
foul fliould fufter, defire the fufterings of
thy God to fatisiie ; left death require it
of thee by force, ofter it up to God with
a chearful devotion ; and \<:ii this of thee
be fearful, who haft lived in fin, correct
thefe courfes, amend thy ways, and the
blefling of God be with thee all thy life,
at the hour of death, now, henceforth,
and for ever, y^ineu.
DO O M S - D A Y.
Matth. xvi. 27. Then Jlmll he reward every man according to his ivcrks.
TH E dependence of this text is limit-
ed in few lines, and that your eyes
wander no further than this verfe,
therein is kept a general affize ; the Judge,
officers, prifoners ftand in array ; the Judge
is God, and the Son of man ; the officers,
angels, and they are his angels ; the pri-
foners, men, and becaufe of the goal-de-
livery, every man. If you will have all
together, you have a Judge, his circuit, his
habit, his attendants, his judgments : A
Judge, the Son ofman\ his circuit, he f mil
come i his habit, in the glory of his Father -^
his attendants, with his angels : what now
remains, but the execution of juftice ? Then
without more ado, fee the text, and you
fee all ; the fcales in his hand, our works
in the fcales, the reward for our w orks, *
of juft weight each to other ; Then fmll he
reivard every man according to his wcrks.
The text gives us the proceeding of
dooms-day, which is the lafl day, the laft
feffions, the laft affize, that muft be kept
on earth, or is decreed in heaven ; if you
expe£l flieriffs or judges, plaintiffs or pri-
foners, all are in this verfe, fome in each
• Imean not an arithmct'cal, but a gtomttricnl weight; rewards, tfpccially of luavcn, arc notcqral according
«» juftice, but prcporliunablc accord ng to pronDiic.
word.
DOOM
word. T^en is time's trumpet that pro-
claims their coming. He is the judge that
examines all our lives. Reward is the
doom, that proceeds from him in his throne.
Man is the malefactor, every man ftands
before him as a prifoner. Works are the
indictments, and according to cur works
mufl go the trial howfoever we have done,
good or evil.
Give me yet leave, this judge fits oh
trials as well as prifoners ; it is an high
court of appeal, where plaintiffs, counfel-
lors, judges, all mufl: appear and ^nfwer.
Would you learn the proceedings ? There
is the term, then; the judge, />e : the fen -
tence, Jhall reward; the parties, ei>ery
wan; the trial itfelf, which you may find
in all to be jufl: and legal, every man his
reward according to his works.
We have opened the text, end now
you fliall have the hearing.
Then.']
THEN? AVhen ? the ahfwer is Ne»^
gative, and Politive.
Firft, Negative, Then; not on a fudden,
or, at leaft, not at this prefent. This life
is no time to receive rewards, the rain and
fun pleafure both the good and bad ; nay,
oftentimes the bad fares beft, and God's
own children are moft fiercely fined in the
furnace of affliftion ; The earth is given
into the hands of the wicked, faith Job,
chap. ix. 24. but, If any man xv ill follow
me, he mufi take up his crofs, faith our Sa-
viour, Mat. xvi. 24. Joy and pleafure,
and happinefs attend the ungodly, while
God's poor fervants run thro' the thicket
S-DAT,
449
forae ifTue of time, and then rtiall wehave
our rewards, when the Son of inan flm'l
come in the glory of his Father, Let this
admonifh us to have patience in all our
expeftations : what is it to fufFcr a while,
an inch of time, confidering the reward is
great indeed, everlafting in durance ? Refl
in the Lord, faith David, and wait pati-
ently for him : fret not thy/elf for him.
who profpereth in his way, Pfalm xxxvii.
10, II. And will you know the reafon ?
For yet a little while, and the wicked f mil
not be ; but the meek fh all inherit the earth,
and fhall delight themfelves in the abun-
dance of peace, Pfalm xxxvii. 10, 11. So
they fhall indeed, if only they will expeft
a little time ; not now, but then ; ftay yet
a little while, and be fure anon the reward
fliall be given.
2. But to anfwer pofitively, x\-\\%then\%
no other than dooms-day, and when that
fliall be, will be known bert by. Conjec-
tures, and Signs. We will begin with the
former.
I. Some would have It in the year
6000, from the beginning of the world ;
this was the fen tence olf Elias, fay the
Jews, whofe prophecy thus runs, ' Two
thoufand years before the law, two thou-
fand years under the law, and two thou-
fand years under the gofpel ;' how untrue
this founds, any one may guefs that con-
fiders ; in the firfl: number he fails, becaufe
it was too little ; in the fecond number he
errs, becaufe it was too much ; and if E-
lias fay amifs for the time now pafi, how
fliould we believe him for that yet to come?
of briars and brambles to the kingdom of Others, befides teftimony, produce reafon
That as God was creating the world fix
days, fo he mufl be a governing it fix thou-
fand years ; here's a feeming proportion,
but upon vihat reafon ? Every day, fay
they, mufl be a thoufand years with man,
becaufe a thoujand years are but as one day
with God, Pfalm xc. 4. It were too fri-
volous a pains to repeat any more, or to
anfwer thefe : ' Is not this faciilege, to
heaven : but, Shall not the Judge of all
the earth do right? Gen. xviii. 25^. A
time fliall come when both thefe mufl have
their change : Mark the upright, and be-
hold the jufl', for the end of that man is
peace ; but the tranfgrcffors fhall be de-
Jiroyed together, and the end of the wicked
fhall be cut off, Pfal. xxxvii. 37, 38. The
e5c.-6l of things is befl known to us in
M m m
brealc
450 DOOMS
break into God's place, and pry into his
fanftuary ?* (fays Salvian.) Why fliould
we prefume to know more than God would
have us? Look at the apoftles, were tiiey
not God's fecretaries ? Look at the angels,
are they not God's heralds ? Look at
Chrift himftlf, is he not the Son of God ?
and yet, as he is the Son of man.he fpenks
of all, Of that day and hour knoweth no
vian, no angel, neither the Son, hut the Fa-
ther only, Mark xiii. 32. 'It is not for
ns to feek, where the Lord hath not a
tongue to (peak.' A\'hyniould we know
more than other men, than all men, than
angels, than Chrift himfclf, who (as man)
was either ignorant of it, or, at leaA, had
no commiflion to ^-eal it. It is not for
you to know the times and fcafons, which
the Father hath put in his own power, A£ts
i. 7. It is a better ufe which our Saviour
makes, Take heed, watch, and pray -, for
ye know not when the time is, Mark xiii.
33. v^s a thief in the night, i ThelT". v. 2.
ib isdoomS'day, it comes fuddenlj', it will
come Ihortly : would you needs know
when ? Why then when you leail imagine
fuch a matter, then when worldly honours
profit nothing, then when kindred and
acquaintance fail, then when the world
fliall be fet on fire, then, then he fl)all re-
•ward every man according to his works.
But, 2. If conjectures fail, the ligns are
certain ; Thomas Aquinas tells us that Je-
rom reports of fifteen miracles for fifteen
days, which he writes to have found in the
Hebrews annals, and immediately mull pre-
cede the Judge's coming. ' The firft day,
(faith he) the fea fliall fwcU, and lift up her
wavesjatleafl:, fifteen cubits above the height
of the highcft hills. The fecond day, unlike
to the former, the fea Chall ebb again, and
the waves be fallen till they fcnrce be fcen.
The third day, the fea raufl return to its
ancient courfe, and fo abide that day as it
was before. The fourth day (ca-monffers
(hall appear above the fea, whole bellow-
ing roars fhall fill the air with cries, which
-Dyl r,
God alone underflands, and men fhall
tremble at. The fifth day, all the fowls
of the air (hall f^ock together, and meeting
in the fields, fliall there chatter, and ftarve
for fear of the approaching times. The
fixth day, floods of fire flTall rife up againfl
the firmament, which kindling at the fall-
ing fun, fhall run like a lightning to the
rifing morn. The feventhday all fkrs and
planets fliall fhoot out fiery comets. 1 he
eighth day, there fliall be a general earth-
quake, and the motion fo violent, that the
ground fhall hop, and the living-creatures
not fland on their feet that walk on the
tottering floors. The ninth day, trees fhnll
fvveat blood. The tenth day, all the Hones
of the earth fliall war together, and with
a thundering noife break one upon ano-
ther. The eleventh day, all buildings fhall
be ruined, and all the hills and mountains
melt into dufl and powder. The twelfth
day, all beafls of the field ihall come fVoin
their woods and dens, and fo abfiaining
from their food, fliall roar and bellow up
and down the plains. The thirteenth day,
all graves fhall be open, from the riling up
of the fun, unto the going down of the
fame. The fourteenth day, all men jhall
come abroad, and fuch a diftraction feizc
on their heavy hearts, that they fiiall lofe
the fptech and volubility of their tongues.
And the fifteenth (which is the h'A day)
the living men Ihall die, and the dead Ihall
live again, all above earth be chonged,and
thofe in their graves be raifed and recover-
ed.'
I will not fay thcfe things are certain (I
leave you to the Author that recites them)
but, if any whit true, why, blcllcd Lord !
what a day of appearance fhall this be ?
I know nor, faith one, what others may
think of it, but ' for myftlf it makes nic
tremble to confider it :' it is a day of an-
ger and wrath, a day of trouble and hca-
vinefs, a day of ohfcurity and darknejs, a
dny of clouds and blacknejs, a day of the
trumpet and alarm againjl the Jlrong ci-
tieSf
DOOM
ties, and agabij} the high towers, Zeph. i.
15. (Ghryfoftom, Homil. 77. on Matt.) I
will but run through the figns, as we find
them in God's writ, and then fee if your
hearts will fail for fear.
Then (hall the fun be darkenerl,Mat.XKiv.
29. Can nature fland and fufPer a gene-
ral ecllpfe? WhenChrift died the fun could
difcolour its beauty, and fuit itfelfin black
toits Maker's condition; and now man dies,
the fun is clad again in mourning-robes.
Alas ! what can it do but mourn i God
lives, but mankind dies : tho' he was the
Greator,yet we are the creatures for whom
it was created : * When the housholder
dies, (fays Ghryfofl:. on Matt, xxiv.) the
family grieves:' were all eyes dry, here is
the eye of the world weeps itfelf blind to
fee this diiTolution : is man bereft of com-
palfion, for whom the fun itfelf under-
goes this paffion ? Think on thofe times,
when darknefs that maybe felt fhall fpread
over all the earth ; how fliould plants bu£^
wither ? or, hearts of the field but wafte ?
how fliould men but die, when they flum-
bleat noon-day? Their eyes fliall fail them,
the light forfake them ; miferable men !
the fun Ihall not fliine on ihem, becaufe
God will judge them. But this is not all.
Then /hall the moon not give her light,
Matth. xxiv. 29. As the day and night are
both alike with God, fo the day and night
{hall be alike with man ; the fun will not
lend it luftre, nor can the moon borrow
any more light : but what ftrange war
makes this confufion of nature ? The fun
Ihall look black ; and the moon be turned
into blood, Joel ii, 3 1 . Here is a new moon,
and fuch a change as before was never feent
there is no increafe, no full, no wane, but
all the light is at once extinguifhed : un-
happy creatures that depend upon her in-
fluence ! how fliould they live, when Ihe
herfclf wades in blood ? God made thele
' lights for figns, and for feafons, for days,
and for years:' but now figns arc out, fea-
fons part, days are done, years aboliflied ;
M
The angel hath f-cocrn by him that liveth
for ever and ever, that time fhall be n^
longer. Rev. x. 6. Who will not believe
that hears this facred oath ? was it a man ?
No, an angel : did he fay it ? No, he fwore
it: How ? by himfelf ? No, it was by him
that lives for ever and ever : jnd what ?
that time mufl be little ? Nay, it mufl be
no longer, Time Jlrall be no more. How
(hzW it be no more ? The fun is disfigur-
ed, the moon difrobed, both eclipfed. But
this is not all.
Then (hall thejlars be (haken : the pow-
ers of heaven shall move, and the lamps
of heaven ftiall tremble; thefe were God's
threats againfl the Babylonians, Ifaiah
xiii. 10. For the Jlars of heaven, and the
planets thereof Jimll not give their light.
Againfl the Egyptians, Ezek. xxxii. 7. /
will cover the heaven, and make the flan
dark over thee : Againfl all his enemies,
Joeliii. 15. The (iin and moon f jail be dark'
ened, (but not they alone, for) and the
Jlars themfelves f>all withdraw their fjin'
ing : but what fpeak we of darknefs, or
the flats not ftaining .^ they fliall not only
dim, but down. In thofe days, faith our
Saviour, Mark xiii. 15. after that tribii^
lation the fun and moon fhall darken, and
the far s of heaven fall fall : How fall?
' So thick (fay expofitors) that the firma-
ment fliall feem to be without ail manner
of light. I cannot fay thefe figns fliall be
real ; whether it is by fubtratflion of tl^eir
light, or the conceit of brain-troubled iln-
ners,or the fall of fome inflamed vapours,
or the apoftafie of fome enlightened per-
fons : for certain, to fpeak literally, there
fhall be fome change in the whole order
of nature : Sun and moon, Jlars and pla-
nets, all mufl: lofe their lights, and by all
likelihood, it is the glory of the judge that
will dazle thofe candles : neither is this all.
Then (hall the elements melt : The fire
fhall fall down from heaven, the air turn
itfelf into vapours, the fea fwcll above all
clouds, the earth be full of yawning clefts,
m m 2 and
452 DOOM
3nd violent tremblings, 2 Peter ili. i8. A
fire, fliall firft ufher the judge, and fuch a
fire as Hiall have the property of all fires :
that lire in its fphere, this fire on earlh, the
fearful fire which torments in hell, all Ihall
meet in one, and according to their feve-
ral qualities, produce their feveral effefts :
* The jiifl: fhall be refined by one ; the
wicked Ihall be tormented by another ;
the earth be confumed by a third :' There
is no creature but it mufl be fuel for this
fire; as the firfl world was deflroyed with
•water, to quench the heat of their luft ;
fo mufl this be deftroyed with fire, to warm
the cold of our charity. But not the fire
alone.
Then JJo all the am breed 'wonders : what
'-(hall be feen but lightnings, whirl-winds,
corufcations, blazing-fi:ars, liafhing thun-
-ders ? Here a comet runs rovmd in a cir-
cuit, there a crown compalTeth that comet ;
near them a fiery dragon fumes in flames,
every where appears a (hooting fire, as if
all above us were nothing but inflamed air.
Yet not the air alone.
Thtn Jhall the waters roar^ Luke xxl.
25. Rivers fliall wax dry ; the fea froth
and foam, and fume : thofe that dwell
near fhall wonder at the fwelling tides ;
others afar off fliall tremble at the roaring
noife: what threats are thofe which the
furges murmur ? >Var is proclaimed by
, noife,fet on by blafls, continued by ftorms,
the floods and tides fhall run over all the
plains, the fea and waves fliall mount up
to the very fkics ; now would they war
with heaven, then overwhelm the earth,
anon will they fink to hell ; and thus
Ihall they rove and rage, as if they would
threaten all the world with a fecond inun-
dation. Nay yet again.
Then fhall the earth be Jhaken in divers
places (faith Matthew, ch. xxiv. 7.) in all
places (faitli Joel, chap. i. Jo.) for all the
earth Jlmll trtmblebtjore him. Here is an
earih-quake indeed ; not fbme part of the
land, by reafon of fome cloiilered wind,
S^D A r.
but the rocks, mountains, caflles, cities ;
fome countries fhall remove, others be
ruined : thus all the earth fhall be as a
fwallowing gulf, that all things here fitu-
atcd, may be then devoured. VV^hatcan I
more ?
Then fhall plants ceafe their growth,
beafls want their fenfe, men lo!e thtir rea-
fon : were this but little, you may wonder
more.
The Sybils could affirm, That nature
Jhould both ceafe and change her being ; the
trees inflead of growth fhall fwcat out
blood, the beafls fliall bellow up and down
the fields, then want their fenfe. Men
fhould have disfigured faces, aflonilhed
hearts, affrighted looks ; then lofe their
reafon: nay, what marvel then, if at the
world's end, they be at their wits end ? O
fearful figns, enough to move flinty flones!
if this be the term, what is the fuit, the
bill, the doom, the execution .' A trump
fliall fummon, death will arrefl, God mufl
have appearance, and then is the day : then
Jl:all he reward every tnan according to his
works.
What a chaos is here, when the world
mull be thus turned topfie turvie .'* The
fun, the moon, the liars ; come yet a little
lower, the fire, the air, the fea, the earth ;
nay, trees, and bealls, and men, all mufl
be out of order in the whole courfc of na-
ture.
U/e I. "Who can read or hear this
prognoftication of dooms-day, and not
wonder at the figns which (hall hang over
our heads ? We fee by experiences when
any outragious florm happens on fea, or
land, how wonderfully men are difmaid,
how flrangely afloniflied : now then, when
the heavens, the earth, the fea, the air
fliall be wholly diflcmpered and dilbrder-
ed; when the fun ll)all threaten with
mourning, the moon wiih blood, the ftars
with their falling; yea, when all the hea-
vens (h.Tll (brink and pafs away as a paper
IcioU, who then dares eat, or drink, or
fleep,
D O O
fleep, or take a minute's reft ? Be fure thefe
days {hall come, and the figns fliall pafs :
j^wake ye drunkards, and weep, alt ye
drinkers of nvine, becaufe of the new tvine ;
for it Jhall be pulled from your mouths. Gird
yourfelves, and lament ye priefis, howl ye
minifters of the altar : alas ! for the day,
for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as
defiru6iion from the Almighty, fhall it
comey Joel i. 5. xiii. 15. What are ye
infenfible of thefe figns ? The impi ifoned
thief fears at the news of the aflize : and
is the finner fo impudent that he fears no-
thing ? The day fhall come when the men
of earth fhall fear, and be fnll of fear ; e-
very fign fhall breed a wonder, and every
fight fliall breed a wondrous tenour;
men fhall hide themfelves in the caves of
heafls, and the hearts feek to fave them-
felves in the houfes of men : where then
fhall the wicked ftand when all the world
fliall be thus in uprore ?
Uje 2. Yet a word for us all, we have
all warning, and we had beft to provide ;*"
yet the weather is fair; we may frame an
ark to fave us from the fiood ; yet are the
angels at the gates of Sodom; yet is Jonas
in the ftrcets of Nineveh, yet the prophet
wooes, Judah, how fhall lintreat thee ?
Hofea vi. 4. yet the apoftle prays, nay,
We pray you in Chriffsjiead, that ye will
be reconciled unto God, 2 Cor. v. 20, 1o
conclude, yet the bridegroom flays the
virgin's leifure ; Lord that they would
make fpeed, feeing the joys of heaven tar-
ry for them. This term is at hand, and
is it not time to petition the judge of hea-
ven ? What a dangerous courfe is it never
to call to mind that time of times, until
we fee the earth flaming, the heavens
melting, the judgment haltening, the judge
with all his angels coming in the clouds,
to denounce the laft doom upon all fiefh,
which fhall be unto fome wo, wo, when
they fhall call to the mountains to cover
them, and for fliame of their fins hide
themfelves (if it were polfible) in hell-fire :
M S-D ^ r. 453
if we have any fear, this fhould move fear ;
if we have any care, this fhould move us
all to be careful indeed. We have not
two fouls that we may hazard one, neither
have we two lives that we may truft to a-
nother, but as thy laft day leaves thee, fo
will this dooms-day find thee. Who would
not but accept of the fatherly fore-warn-
ing of Chrift our Saviour ? See you not
now many figns, as the heralds and fore-
runners of his glorious coming ? The a-
bounding of iniquity, the waxing cold of
charity, the rifing of nation again/} nati-
on, Mat. xxiv. 7. 12. Was there everlefs
love ? was there ever more hatred ? where
is that Jonathan that loves David as his
own foul f nay, where is not that Joab,
that can embrace freely, but carries a ma-
licious heart toward Abner ? fure we are
near the end indeed, when charity is grown
thus cold. You then that would have the
comfort of the day, take thefe figns for
warnings, provide for him who hath thus
long waited for you ; and /eeing you look
for fuch things, be diligent that ye may be
found of him in peace, without fpot, and
blame lefs, 2 Pet. iii. 24. Who would en-
danger their fouls for a little fin ? Bufie
clients heed nothing but their caufe, and .
if you would recover heaven, be fure that
ye mark this term. The time draws on,
now the writes are out, anon comes the
judge, and then is the day. Then he fhall
reward every man according to his works.
You fee the term, and now you may
expert to view the Judge: the term is
then, the Judge is he. Stay a while, and
the next time you fliall fee him in his
judgment-feat. He.']
E ? Who ? If you look at the fore-
going words, you may fee who lie
is. The Son of man flmll come in the glo- '
ry of his Father, and i' is he ihatfhiiH re-
ward us according to our works This ti
tie of the Sou of man, denotes unto us the
humiUtyofthe Son of God; whet is the
fon of man, but «ian I and this tells us
how
H
454 DOOMS
how humble he was for us, that being God
■was made man, or the Son of man, which
isallone, according to that, Pfalm viii. 4.
IVhat is man that thou art mindful of him y
or thefon of man that thou vifitejl him ?
It is X.\Vitfiod is the judge of all, Heb.xii.
23, and yet it is as true, this God is man,
A6ls xvi. 31. Cod (faith Paul) will Judge
the "World, but it is by that man ivhom he
hath ordained. God hath the power, but
Cod as man hath only the commiflion. He
(who is God) hath given him authority to
execute judgment, and would you know
the reafon ? it is only bccaufe /»<? is the Son
of man, John v. 27. In a word, God fhall
judge, the whole trinity by prefcription,
Chrift only in execution : the Father
' judgeth, but by the Son ; or, as the cvan-
gclifl: John, The Father judgeth no w.an,
• hut hath committed all judgment to the
Son, John v. 22.
But becaufe, as man, there appears in
him a double form, as humbled, as glori-
fied; we'll difcufs thefe queflions which
refolve all doubts.
I. AVhether Chrifl:, as man, or, 2.
AVhether man as glorified, fliall appear un-
to" us, when he will reward us?
To the firft, we fay, That only as 7nan
he will appear our judge, who as rnan ap-
peared when himfilf was judged ; what
better reafon to exprefs the benefit of our
r redemption, than fo to judge us as he did
redeem us ? Was he not man that fuffei^ed,
died, and M'as buried ? and is he not man
that one day fliall come to judge both the
quick and the dead? 'He that came obfcurc-
ly to be judged by the unjufl, fliall then
anpear openly to judge all thejuft:' fays
/i'irtin,in his book of the city of God. The
^ fame man, who is God and man, (hall be
our judge in his human nature, by his di-
vine povicr. Thus we fay, God, who is the
Ancient of days, hath the power original ;
bur man, who is the Son of God, hath the
power traduced; and therefore, faith Da-
niel, One like the Son of man ca^uc with
-DAT.
the clouds of heaven, and cami to the An-
cient of days, and they brought him near
before him, and there was given him do-
minion, and glory, and a kingdom, Dan.
vii. 13, 14.
Ufe. Confider this ye that are going to
the bar : what a fight will this be to the
faithlefs Jews, ftubborn Gentiles, wicked
Chriftians, when every eye fhall fee him,
and they alfo who pierced him. Rev. i. 7.
' This is the man ((hall they fay) that was
crucified for us, and again crucified by us :'
Why, alas ! every fin is a crofs, every oath
is a fpear, and when that day is come, you
muft behold the man whom thus you do
crucify by your daily fins. Sure this will
be a fearful fight ! where is the bloody
fwearer that can tear his wounds, and
heart, and blood, and all I at this day of
doom * thofe wounds (hall appear, that
heart be vifible, that body and blood be
feen both of good and bad,' and then fiiall
thai fearful voice proceed from his throne,
' Ihis was the heart thou piercedft, -thefe
are the wounds thou razedlf, and this is
the blood thou fpilledff:'- here is the fear-
ful judgment, when thou that art the mur-
therer fhall fee the flain man fit thy judge :
what favour canft thou expeclat his hands
whom thou hafi fo vilely abufed by thy
daily fins ? Be fure, the Son of man will
cctne, as it is written of him, but wo unto
that man by whom the Son of man is betray-
ed ; it had been good for that man if he had
not been born, Matth, xxvi. 24.
To the fecond queflion we anfwer.
That as Ghvifi fliall appear in *lie form of
man, fo this man (hall appear in a glori-
ous form : he that is a Mediator between
God and man, mull both interceed for
man to God, and communicate thofe things
which are of God to man : to this pur-
pole, both thefe cflices are agrceabl-e to
him, in that he participates of both ex-
tremes ; he is man to abide the judgments
\\\\c from God , he is 'God to convey all
his benefits unto man : as then, in his firfi
coinin".
D O O M
COmlng, he pleafed God by taking the infii-
mities of man upon him; fo in his lecord
coming will he judge us men, by appear-
ing in that glory which he derives from
God. But look about you, who is this
judge arrayed in fuch a majefty ? J fire
devours before hirn, and behind him a
fiame burns «/>, en every fide the people
tremble, and all faces fhall gather black-
jiefs, Eccl. ii. 3, 6. Here is a change in-
deed, he that was in a cratch, now iits on
a throne ; then Chrift flood like a Lamb
before Pilate, now Pilate flands like a ma-
lefaftor before Chrift ; he that was once
made the footflool of his enemies, mufl
now judge till he hath made all his enemies
his footjiool, Pfalm ex. i. Where fliall
they run ? and how fhall they feek the
clefts of the rocks, and hollow places ?
The glory of his majefty kindles a flame,
while the heaven and earth fioall fiy from
the pre fence of this judge. ye heavens,
ivhy do ye flee away ? what have ye done ?
why are ye afraid? Rev. xxi, 17, It is
the majefty of the judge that will amaze
the innocent, the greatnefs of whofe in-
dignation, will be able to ftrike all the hea-
vens with terror and admiration : when
the fea is outragious and tempeftuous, he
that ftands on the fliore will be (truck into
a kind of fear ; or, when the father goes
like a lion about his houfe, in punilliing
his bond'flave, the innocent fon ftands in
great fear and trouble; and how then (hall
the wicked- tremble, when the very hea-
vens (hall be afraid ? * If the goodly cedars
of Lebanon be (haken, what (liall become
of the tender twigs of the defert ? if the
fturdy rams ftoop and tremble, how will
the bleating lambs cry,and run away V and,
if the juft and righteous fcarcely be faved,
ivhere fliall the ungodly and finner appear?
I Pet. iv. 18. rhe mountains and heavens
fhall melt before the Loid; and what Ao-
ny hearts have we, that for all this are no-
thing at all yet moved ?
But, may be, I prevent your expe(ftati-
s-D^r. _ 455
on, if here be a judge, where is the guard?
Behold him coming from above with great
power and glory : would you know his
habit ? He is clothed with majefty : feek
you the colour ? 'Tis the brightnefs of his
Father : would you view his attendants ?
They are an hoft of angels : look you for
the guard '• They are a troop of (hining
cherubims ; nay, yet fee a longer train, a
further company, the fouls of faints de-
fcend from their imperial feats, and attend
the Lamb with great gbry, and glorious
majefty : never was any judge lord of fuch
a circuit ; his footftool are the clouds, his
leat the rain-bow, his juftices faints, his
officers angels, and the archangel's trump
proclaims a filence, whilft a juft fentence
comes from his mouth on all the world.
Thus are the alTizes begun to be folemniz-
ed ; The thrones ^ as Daniel faw in his vi-
llon, were fet up, and the Ancicfji of days
fate down, his garments white asfnoxv^ and
the hair of his head like pure wool, his
throne like the fiery flame y and his wheels
as burning fire ^ Dan. vii. 9. This is the
judge, whofe coming is fo fearful, u(l:iered
by a fiery flood, apparelled in fnowy
white, carried in his circuit oiT burning
wheels, and attended with the number of
thoufand thoufands. O ye Jews, behold
the man whom before ye crucified hke a
raalefaflor, behold him in his throne, whom
you iaid, his difciples had ftollen by night
out of his grave : behold him in his majef-
ty, whom you would not deign to look
upon in his humility ; the bafer you ef-
teemed his weaknels, the heavier muft you
find and feel his mightinefs. The Son of
man appears, and the kindreds of tl".e earth
muft mourn ; fuch aflioutof fury follows ^i
the fight of his majeffy, that the vaults
fliall echo, the hills refound, the earth
ftiake, the heavens change thfir fltuation,
and all be turned to a confufion; then_
fhall the wicked weep and wail, and yet
their tears not ferve their turn, their lins
paft betray them, their iliameprefent con-
demns
456
D O M S^D ^ r.
demns them, and their torment to come
confounds them ; thus fball they bewail
their miferable hap, their unfortunatebirth,
and their curled end: fearful Judge, ter-
rible as an army with banners, Cant. vi.
4, ^. turn away thine eyes from us, which
overcorhe the proudeft potentates : the
kings of the earth fliall be aflonifhed, and
the nations of the ifles fliall fear from far :
every eye fliall fee Him whom they have
pierced, and tremble at the prefence of his
light. Conceive the guilty prifoner com-
ing to his trial, will not the red robes of
his Judge make his heart bleed for his blood-
(hed? doth not thatfcarlet cloth prefent a
monftrous hue b^re his eyes ? O then !
what fight is this, when the man flain, fits
in the judgment-feat, the rofi^ wounds of
our Saviour ftill bleeding, as it were, in
the prifoners prefence ? Thefe are the
wounds, * not as tokens of infirmity, but
victory, and thefe now (hall appear (as A-
quinas thinks) not as if he mufi fuffer, but
to fliew us he hath fuifered.' See here an ob-
ject fullofglory,fplendor, majefl:y,excellen-
cy,and this is He, the Man, the Judge, the Re-
warder of every man according to his works.
The Judge we have fet in his throne,
and before we appear, let us praftife our
repentance, that we anfwer the better.
i/fe I. Think but, O Tinner, what (ball
be thy reward, when thou fliialt meet this
judge ; the adulterer for a while may flat-
ter beauty, the fwearer grace his words
with oaths, the drunkard kifs his cups, and
drink his bodies health, till he bring his
foul to ruin : but remember for all thefe
things Cod will bring thee to judgment,
Eccl. xi. p. Cold comfort in the end :
the adulterer fliall fatisfie his luff, when he
lies on a bed of fire, all hugged and em-
braced with thofe flames; the fwearer
Ihall have enough of wounds and blood,
when devils torture his body, and rack his
foul in hell ; the drunkard Ihall have plenty
of his cups when fcalding lead Ihall be pour-
ed down his throat, and his breath draw
flames of fires inflead of air ; as is thy fin,
fois thenatureof ihy punifliment; thejuft
judge (hall give juff meafure, and the ba-
lance of his wrath poize in a jufl proportion.
Ufe 2. Yet I will not difcomfort you
who are the judge's deareft favourites:
now is the day if you are God's fervants,
that Satan fhall be trod under your feet,
and you with your Lord and mafler Chriff,
fhall be carried into the holiefl: of holies.
You may remember how all the men of
God in their greatefl anguifhes here below,
have fetcht comfort by the eye of faith at
this mountain : Job rejoiced being caft on
the dung-hill, that his Redeemer lived, and
that he Jhould fee him at the laft day fland
on the earth : John longed and cried, ComCt
Lord Jefus, come quickly -, and had we the
fame precious faith, we have the fame pre-
cious promifes : why then are we not ra-
viibed at the remembrance of thefe things?
certainly there is an happy faith, wherefo-
ever it fliall be found, that fhall not be a-
fliamed at that day : Now therefore, little
children, abide in him, that when he Jlmll
appear, we may have confidence, i John
ii. i8. Confidence? what elfe ? I will fee
you again (faith our Saviour judge) and
your heart fhall rejoice, and your joy no
man taketh from you, John xvi. 22. O
blefl^ed mercy, that lb triumphs againft
judgment ; our hearts muft joy, our joys
endure, and all this occafioned by the fight
of our Saviour ; for He fhall reward eve-
ry man according to his works.
W e have prepared the judge for fen tence:
he hath rid his circuit in the clouds, and
made the rainbow his chair of flate, for
his judgment-feat ; his flierifls are the
faints, that now rife from the dufl to meet
their judge, whom long they have expec-
ted : the lummons is fent out by a fliout
from heaven ; the cry no fooner made,
but the graves flie open, and the dead a-
rife : flay a while till ready them ; you have
feen the judge, and now we prepare the
judged. He, is the judge) every man, the
judged :
DOOM S-D-yi r.
judged : and he fliall reward every man ac-
cording to his works.
Every man."]
THE perfons to be judged, are a world
of men, all men of the world, good
and bad, eleft and reprobates, but in a dif-
ferent manner : To give you a full view
of them, I muft lead your attentions or-
derly thro' thefe paflages; there mud be a
citation, refurreflion, collc^ion, feparati-
foUow me in thefe paths, and you
457
the King of heaven ; it /ha]J t'emove the
center, and tear the bowels of the earth,
open the graves of all the dead, and fetch
their fouls from heaven or hell, to rc-unitc
them to their bodies. A dreadful furn^
mons to the wicked, whom this fuddeii
noife will no lefs aftoniih than confound;
the dark pitchy walls of that infernal pit
of hell, fhall be fliaken with the fhout,
when the dreadful foul fliall leave its place
— • r - ' - y •- of terror, and once more re-enter into her
may fee both the men and their difference, (linking carrion, to receive a greater con-
before they come to their judgments. demnation : what^terror will this be to the
I . There is a fumroons, and every man wicked wretch : what woful falutations will
muft hear it : it is performed by a iliouc there be between that body and foul, which
from heaven,and the voice ofthelafl trump: living together in the height of iniquity
the clangor of this trump could ever found mufl now be re-united to enjoy the fulnefs
in Jerom's t^x%y_Arife, ye dead, and come of their mifcry ? The voice of Chrift is
on
to judgment. The clangor of this trump
will found in all mens ears, it will wake
the dead out of their droufie fleep, and
change the living from their mortal ftate
powerful, The dead fiall hear his voice,
and they fiall come forth, they that have
done goody unto the refurreSiion of life,
and they that have done evil, unto the re-
viiang.- M'^ *..... 5 ..v.... ..V,. ....X ■"■""-i ""« '•'^'-y '/>'"< nave aone evi
make devils tremble, and the whole world furre£iion of condemnation.
fliake with terror : * A terrible voice, ' a You hear the fummons, and the next Is
trumpet fliall found that fliall fliake the your appearance ; death the goaler brines
world, rend the rocks, break the moun- all his prifoners from the grave, and they
tains, diflblve the bonds of death, burft muft ftand and appear before the Judo^e of
down the gates of hell, and unite all fpirits heaven. '^
to their own bodies.' Chryfoft. on Cor.
What fay you to this trump, that can make
the whole univerfe to tremble ? no fooner
fliall it found, but ' the earth fliall fliake,
the mountains flap like rams, and the little
hills like young flieep :' It fliall pierce the
waters, and fetch from the bottom of the
fea the dufl: of Adam's feed ; it fliall tear
the rocky tombs of earthly princes, and .^^^.„^. .„ ^.,^. v.v.,„ucicic
make their haughty minds to floop before kiel's dry bones ihall live
N n n
The fummons is given, and every man
mufl: appear : death muft now give back
all their fpoils, and reflore again all that
flic hath took from the world f. What
a ghaflly fight will this be, to fee all the
fepulchres open, to fee dead men rife out
of their graves, and the fcattered duf^ to
flie on the wings of the wind, till it meet
together in one compad^ed body % > £ze-
'' ' ' ' ' thus faith the
Lord.
Lo ! a mighty trump, one half conceai'd
In clouds, one half to mortal eye reveal'J,
Shall pour a dreadful note : the piercing call,
Shjll rattle in the center (.f the ball ;
Tn' extended circuit of creation thake,
The living die with fear, the d:ad awake.
T^.is eciioing voice now rends the yielding air,
' For judgment, judgment, (6ns of men, prepare!'
Earth (hakes anew, f hear her groans profound, ■
And hell through all her trembling realms refounJ.
f Now man awakes, and from his filcntbed.
Where he has (lept for agts, lifts his head";
Shakes o(f the (lumber of ten tlioufand vrars,
And on the borders of new worlds appears.
I Now monuments prove faithful to their truff
And render back their long committed dufl. '
Now
43
D O M S-D A r.
Lord, Ixvilllayjine'ws upon you, and make
flefh proio upon you ; and cover you -with
fkirjy and put breath in you, and you (hall
'knovj that 1 am the Lord, Ezek. xxxvii. 7.
there be any reliques of our afhes, the wind
may fcattcr them, the blafts divide them,
our feet trample them, the beafls digcft
them, the vermin devour them ; if nothing,
This duft of ours (hall be devoured of yet time will eonfume them. But for all
worms, confumed by ferpents, which crawl this, Cod is as able to raife us from the
and fprin-g from the marrow of our bones: duO, as to create us of the duft ; not one
look in adead man's grave, and fee what you duft of this clny fliall pcrilh, though feat-
fmd; but duft, and worms, and bones, and tered, divided, trampled, devoured, con-
fkuUs, putrified flefh. an houfe full of ftench fumed, it fhall be gathered, recovered, re-
and vermin : behold then the power of God vived, refined, and raifed ; and as one duft
Almighty, out of this grave and duft of ftiallnotbeloft of one man, fo neither ftiall
the earth ; from thefc chambers of death one man be loft of all the world : this is
and darknefs, fliall arife the bodies of the that general day that fliall congregate all,
burled, the graves will flie open, and the they shall come from the four winds and
corners of the world, to make an univer-
fal appearance ; all the children of Adam
shall then meet together, yea all the kin-
dreds of the earth Jljall meet together, and
dead go out ; not ^ hair, not a duft, not
'a bone fhallbe denied, but whatfoever holds
their duft (hall yield their bodies: I Jaw
■the dead, faith ]o\\n,fmnll and great Ji and
before God ; and the fea gave up the dead mourn ; Jffemble yourfelves, and come,
which were in if, and death and hell deli- all ye heathen, to the valley of Jehofhcphat,
vcred up the dead which were in them, and for there will I fit to judge all the heathen,
they were judged every man according to Joel iii. 11, 12.
iheir works, Rev. xx. 12, 13. What a won- The fummonsare founded, thedead"rai-
derful fight will this be, to fee the fea and fed, and yet to give you a fuller view of
bo-
carth bring forth in all parts fuch variety of the parties, fee how God the Judge n
o fee fo many forts of people and fends his mefPengers, to fetch the living i
bodies; to
jutions to come together ? Huge armies,
innumerable, as the caterpillars of Egypt,
all fliall arife, and every one appear before
the Lord's tribunal : worms and corrup-
tion cannot hinder the refurreftion : he
that faid to Corruption, thou art my father,
and to the worm, thou art my fifhr and
mother, faid alfo, / know that my Redeem-
er liveth, and mine eyes fhall behold him.
O good God, how wonderful is thy pow-
er ! this flefli of ours fliall turn to duft, be
eaten of worms, eonfume to nothing ; if flie to the Judge, as a bird to her neft and
young
dies to his court.
3. He fhall fend his angels, faith our Sa-
viour, and they fhall gather together his
elect from the four winds, from one end cf
heaven to another. Mat. xxiv. 31. True
it is, all shall be gathered, yet with a dif-
ference ; fome with a fwift pace flie to the
throne, where is the hope of their deliver-
ance ; others draw and pull back, while the
angels hale them to the judgment feat ; *
the righteous have nimble Iwift bodies, that
Now charncis rattle; fcattcr'd limbs, and all
The various bones obfcquious to the call,
.Seifniov'd advance; the neck perhaps to meet
Tlie diftant iicad, the diflant Ic^s tlic feet.
Dreadful to view ; fee through the du(ky Iky
Iragrwcnls of bodici in coiifuCqn fly,
To di(ta!it rcj;ions j urneyin;' there to claim
Dtfrted members, and complcat the frame.
Kot all at once, nor in like manner rife :
Some lift witli pain their fli>»' unwilling eyes,
Shrink backward from the terror of the ligl t»
And blcfs the grave, a:id call for laliiiig night.
Other?
DOOM
yonng ones ; but the wicked have their
bodies bkck and heavy, they cannot flie,
but flag in the air, and the angels do not
bear, but drag them to the judgment-feat;
how can this chufe but fear the wicked,
when like malefaflors they are brought
before the wrathful Judge ? as they were
born or buried, fo muft they rife again na-
ked and miferable ; what a shame is this ?
and yet the more horrible, in that their na-
kednefs shall be covered with a filthy black-
nefs ; needs muft defperate fears feize on
the foul, when it is again united to her
body, transformed to fuch an ugly form :
is this the body fed with delights and de-
licates ? Is this the flesh pampered with
eafe and luft ? is this the face mafl<ed from
the wind and fun ? are thefe the hands
decked with rings and diamonds ? how be-
come thefe fo fwarthy horrible, which be-
fore were fo fair and amiable ? this is the
change of the wicked, when through for-
row and confufion they shall cry to the-
rocks, Cover our nakedne/s, and to the
hills, hide our uglinefs ; nay rather than
appear. Let the infernal furies tear and
tatter us into a thoufand pieces. Look your
beauties, beloved, in this glafs : fuch is the
end of this world's glory, fo vain the plea-
fure of this body. Now is the end of all
things come, and what remains, but a fea
of fears and miferies rushing on them ?
before shall the angels drag them, behind
shall the black crew follow them, within
shall their confciences torture them, and
without shall hot flames of fire fume, and
fry, and furioufly torment them ; fear
within, and fire without : but worfe than
all, a Judge above all, thither mufl:theygo,
angels usher them, devils attend them, the
crier hath called them, the angel's trump
hath fummoned them, and now they muft
appear.
We have brought all together, now we
rauft part them afunder, the sheep fliall be
put on the right hand, and the goats on
the left, as every man hath been qualified.
Two travellers go together, feed toge-
ther, lie together, fleep together, but in
the morning their ways part afunder : thus
the flieep and goats eat together, drink to-
gether, fleep together, rot together, but at
this day there Ihall be a feparation ; Let
them grow together, corn and tares, until
the harveft, Matth. xiii. 30. This world is
the floor; fan while you will, there will
be fome chaif; love peace like lambs, there
will be fome goats to trouble; the fiieep
and goats live both together in one fold, the
world; lie both together in one cote, the
grave : the world is a common inn, which
entertains all manner of pafl~engers : the
<- rod-way to death, is the king's high- way
free for all travellers : after the pafl^age of
this weary day, death hath provided a large
bed to lay all in, the grave : all live toge-
ther, and all lie together ; all reft together,
and all rot together : but when this night
is paft, and the lafl: day is fprung, then is
the woful feparation ; fome turn on the
right, and thofe are the bleffed ; others on
the left hand, and thofe are the curfed.
Here is the beginning of woes, when the
wicked fhall curfe, and howl like the fiends
of hell ; * O Lord, punifh me here, (faith
Auflin devoutly) rack me in pieces, cut
me in fhreds, burn me in fire, fo that I
may be there placed at thy right hand :'
Bleffed are they that have a place amongfl
thofe ele6l flieep ; what now remains but
Others, whofc long attempted virtue flood
FixM as a rock, -apd broke the rulhing flood,
Whofe firm rtfolvc, nor beauty could melt down,
■Nor raging tyrants from their pofture frown ;
Such ill this day of horrors Ihall be feen
To face the tliuiidcrs with a j;od-likc mien ;
The planets drop, their thoughts are fix'd above
The centre fhakes, their htrarts difdain to move :
An earth difTolving, and a heav'n thrown v.idc,
A yawning gulph, and fiends on evory fide,
Serene they view, ioipatient of delay.
And bids the dawn of everlalliiig day.
N n n 2
their
460 DOOM
their doom, which is a lot that mufl: be-
fal' every man ? For he fhall reward (not
one, or fome, but every one) every man
according to his works.
The Tummons are given, the dead are
raifed, the pri Toners conducted to the bar,
and thd (hcep and goats fevered afunder
each from other.
U/e 1. And now fee the parties thus
fummoned, raifed, gathered, fevered : is not
here a world of men to be judged all in
one day ? Multitudes, multitudes in the
valley ofdecijion.for the day of the Lord is
iienr in the valley of decifion, Joel iii. 14.
Blelfed God ! what a multitude fliall ftand
before thee ? all^tongucs, all nations, all
people of the earth rtiall appear at once ;
•all we (hall then behold each fon of Adam,
. nnd Adam pur grand-father fliall then fee
all his poflerity. Confider this, high and
low, rich and poor, one with another,
(jod is no accepter of perfons. Hark, O
beggar, petitions are out of date, and yet
thou needed not fear, thou rtialt have juf-
lice ; this day all caufes fliall be heard, and
thou, though a poor one, mufl: appear with
cJthers to receive thy fentence. Hark, O
farmer, now are thy lives and Icafes to-
gether finiflied ; this day is the new harvcft
of thy judge, who gathers his wheat into
his gcirner, and burns up the chaff in fire
unquenchable, Matth. iii. 12. ]No boon,
no bribe, no prayers, no tears can avail
ihy foul; but as thou hafl: done, fo art
ihou fentenced at the firft appearing. Hark,
O land-lord, where is thy purchafe to thee
and thy heirs for ever ? This day makes an
end of all, and happy were thy foul, if
thou hadft no better land than a barren
rock, to cover and flicker thee from the
judge's prefcnce. Hark, O captain, vain
now is the hope of man to be faved by the
multitude of an hoft ; hadft thou com-
mand of all the armies on earth and hell,
■yet couldfl; thou not refift the armies of
heaven : fee the trump founds, and the
alarm fummons thee, tbou mull appear.
S-D A r.
Hark, O prince, what is the crown and
fcepter againft thunder ? the greainefs of
man, when it comes to encounter with
God, is weaknefs and vaniry. Hark, all
the world, From him that fitteth upon the
glorious throne, unto him that is beneath in
earth and afhes : from him that is clothed
in blue /ilk, and iveareth a crown, even to
him that is clothed infhnple linen, Eccluf.
xl. 3, 4. all mufl appear before him, the
beggar, farmer, landlord, captain, king,
and prince, and every man (when that day
is come) fliall receive his reward accord-
ing to his works.
Ufe 2. But, O here is the mifery, every
man mufl appear, but every man will not
think on it? would you know the flgn of
that man which this day fliall be blelftd ?
It is he, and only he that again and again
thinks on this day, that Jerom-Iike, medi-
tates on this fummons, and refurrefVion,
and colledlion, and feparation. Examine
then yourfelves by this rule : ' Is your
mind often carried to thefe obje<fls ? foar
you on high with the wings of faith, and
a found eye to this hill ? W^hy then, you
are right birds, truly bred, and not of the
baflard brood V I pray you mark it, every
crofs, and difgrace, and flander, and dif-
countenance, lofs of goods, difeafe of bo-
dy, or whatfoever calamity, if you are the
children of God, and deflined to ilt at the
right hand of our Saviour, they will ever
and anon be carrying your minds to thofe
objcfts of dooms-day. And if you can
but fay, that experimentally you find this
true in yourfelves ; if ordinarily in your
miferies, or other times, you think on
this time of refrefliing, then be of good
comfort, for you are of the bride's com-
pany, and fliall enter into the marriage
chamber to abide there for ever. But if you
are deflituie of thefe kind of motions^
O then flrive for thefe properties that are
the inlcparable breathings and movings of
an holy heart, lound mind and bleflcd per-
foQ J every day meditate that every man
fliali
DOOM
fhall appear one day, and receive his re-
ward according to iiis works.
You fee how we have followed the caufe,
and well near brought it to a final ftn-
tence; the term is difcovcred, the judge
revealed, the prifoners prepared, and the
next time we (hall bring them to tbr bar,
to receive their rewards. This time depart
in peace, and the God of peace keep your
fouls fpotlefs without fin, that you may
be well prepared for the day of judgment.
Accorditig to his works.']
WE have brought the prifoners to their
trial, and now to go on, how Ihould
this trial be ? I anfwer : not by faith, but
works ; by faith we are juftified, by works
we are judged : faith only caufeth, but
works only manifefl that we are juft in-
deed. Here then is the trial, that every
foul of man muft undergo that day.
"Works are the matter that mufl: be iiril
enquired of; and is there any wicked man
to receive his fentence ? let him never hopd^
to be faved by another's fupererogating ;
the matter of enquiring is not aliena, but
fua\ * net another'Sjbut his own works.' Or
is there any good man on whom the fmil-
ing judge is ready to pronounce a bleifed
doom ? Let him never boaft of meriting
heaven by his juft defervings; fee the re-
ward given, not propter, but facundmn,
(as Gregory tells us) * not for his works,
as if they were the caufe, but according to
his works, as being the beft wunefs of his
inward righteoufnels.'
But the better to acquaint you with this
trial, there be two points, of which efpe-
cially we are to make enquiry, (i.) HovV
all men's works (hall be manifeil to us?
(2,) How all men's works ihall be examin-
ed by God ?
I. Of the manifeftation of every man's
work. John fpeaketh, And I faw the dead
fmall and great f}and before God, and the
books were openrdy and another book was o-
pi'ned\ which is the hook of life, and the
dead were judged out of thofe things, which
S'DAY, 461
were written in the books, accordinsy to
their works, Rev. xx. 12. God is faid to
have books, not properly, but figurative-
ly ; all things are as certain and manifeft
to him, as if he had regiflers in heaven to-
keep records of them. Remember this, O
forgetful ; you may commit, add, multiply
your fins, and yet run on fcore till they
are grown fo many, that they are out of
memory ; but God keeps them in a regi-
fler, and not one fhall be forgotten ; there
is a book and books, and when all the dead
fliall fiand before God to receive their fen-
tence, then muif thefe books be opened,
viz. (i.) the book of God's memory, (2.)
the book of man's confcience, (3.) the
book of eternal life.
There is a book of God's memory, and'
herein are all the a<fl:s and monuments of all
men whatfoever enrolled and regldred ; A
book of remembrance luas written before
God, for them, that feared the Lord and.
thought upon his name, Mai. iii. 16. This
is th.)t which manifefls all fecreis, whether
mental or a£lual ; this is that which, re-
veals all doings, whether good or evil. In
thefe records are found at large Abel's fa-
crifice, Gain's murther, Abfalom's rebel-
lion, David's devotion, the Jews' cruelty,
the prophets innocency, good men's inten-
tions, and the finner's a£lions ; nothing
fliall be hid when this book is opened, foi*
all may run and read it, fland and hear it.
How fond are we that imagine heaven's
eye (fuch is this book) to be ihut upon us ?
Do we not fee many run to corners to
commit their fins I there can they fay, Let
us take our fill of love until the morning, for
darknejs hath covered us, and who feeth
us P who knoweth «j, Prov. vii. 18. llaiah
xxix. 15. But are not the angels of God
about you ? We are a fpeSiacle to the an-
gels, faith the apollle, i Cor. iv. 9. I ara.
fure we muft be fo to both, to angels, and to
men, and to all the world: O do not that be-
fore the angels of God, yea before the God
of angels, which you %\'0uld iliame to do
ia.
4^^2 D O O
in the fight and pre fence of an ei
man ! alas! mufl; our thoughts be known,
and fliall not dark corner fins be revealed ?
rnuft every word and fyllable we fpeak be
writ and recorded in God's memorable
book, and muft not ill deeds, ill demean-
ours, ill works of darknefs be difclofed at
that day ? Yes, C<fd Jh all bring every work
into judgment, luith every fecret thing, be
it good or evil, Eccl. xli. 14. A Vail, ye
wicked, and tremble in afionilhment. Now
your clofet fins muft be difclofed, your
private faults laid open, God keeps the ac-
count-book of every fin, every tranfgrelTi-
on : Imprimis, for adultery ; Ite7n, for
envy, blafphemy, oaths, drunkennefs, vio-
lence, murther, ^d every fin, from the
beginning to this time, from our birth to
our burial, the total fum, eternal death and
damnation : this is the note of accounts,
wherein are all thy oifcnccs written, the
debt is death, the pay perdition, which fu-
ry pays over to deftrudtion.
But there is another book, that ftiailgive
a more full, I cannot fay, but a more
fearful evidence thaq the former, which is,
tJje^ book of every man's tonfcience : fome
call it the book of tefiimony, which every
man ftill bears about him. There is with-
in us a book and fecretary, the book is
confcience, and the fecretary is our foul ;
whatfoever we do is known to the foul,
and writ in our book of confcience : there
is no man can fo much as commit one fin,
but his foul, that is privy to the fa<ft, will
write it in this book. In what a woful cafe
will thy heart then be ? in what ftrange
terror and trembling muft it ftand poffeft,
when this muft be opened, and thy fins
revealed ? ' It is now perhaps a book ftiut
\ip and fcaled, but in the day of judgment
It fliall be opened ;' and if once opened,
what Ihall be the evidence that it will bring
forth ? There is a private fefllons to be
held in the breaft of every condemned fin-
ner ; the memory is recorder, grief an ac-
cufer, truth is the law, damnation the
MS^DA r.
rthly judgment, hell the prifon, devils the jay-
lors, and confcience both witnefs and judge
to pafs fentenceon thee. What hopes he
at the general alTize, whofe confcience hath
condemned him before he" appear? Look
well to thy life, thou beareft about thee a
bock of teftimony, which though for a
time it be fliut till it be full fraught with
accufations, yet then, at the day of doom,
it muft be opened, when thou fhalt read,
and weep and read every period, ftop with
£ figh, every word be enough to break
thy heart, and every fyllable reveal fome
fecret, thy own confcience upon the mat-
ter, being both witnefs, judge, accufer,
and condemner.
But yet there is another book we read
of, and that is the hook of life. Herein are
written all the names of God's eleft, from
the beginning of the world till the end
thereof: thefe are the golden leaves ; this
is that precious book of heaven, wherein
if we are regiftred, rot> all the powers of
hell, or death, or devils fiiall blot us out
again'. Here is the glory of each devout
foldier of our Saviour ; how many have
fpent their lives, fpilt their blood, run
upon fudden deaths to gain a perpetual
name ? and yet for all their doings, many
of thefe are dead and gone, and their me-
mories peiilhed with them ; only Chrift's
foldier hath immortal fame ; he, and only
he is writ in that book that muft never
perifh. Come hither ye ambitious ! your
names may be writ in chronicles, yet loft;
writ in durable marble, yet perilh ; w rit
in a monument equal to a ColoITus, yet be
ignominious. O were you but writ in this
book of life, your names fliould never die,
never fuffer any ignominy ! it is an axiom
moft true, * They that are written in the
eternal leaves of heaven, fliall never be
wrapped in the cloudy flieets of darknefs.'
Here then is the joy of faints, at that day
of doom this book iliall be opened, and
all the cle6l whom God hath ordained to
lalvation, ftiali fee it, read it, hear it, and
greatly
DOOM
greaily rejoice at it. The difciples cafting
out devils, return with miracles in their
mouths ; Lord, fay they, even devils are
fuhje£ito us through thy name. True, faith
Chrift, 1 faw Satan as lightning fall from
heaven', notwit branding in this rejoice
not, that the fpirits are fithjeSl unto you,
but rather rejoice becaufe your names are
luritten if* heaven, Luke x. 20. And well
may the faints rejoice,that have their names
written in God's book, they (hall fee them,
to their comfort, writ in letters of gold,
penned with the Almighty's finger, in-
graven with a pen of a diamond : thus
will this book give in the evidence, and
accordingly will the judge proceed to fen-
tence.
Ufe I. Confider (thou that readeft) what
books one day muft be let before thee ; a
time will come when every thought of thy
heart, every word of thy moi h, every
glance of thy eye, every moment of thy
time, every office thou haft born, every
company thou haft ufed, every fermon
fhou haft heard, every action thou haft
done, and every omilhon of any duty or
good deed thou haft left undoae, fliail be
feen in thcfe books at the fii ft opening of
them ; thy conlcience fna'l then be fud-
denly, clearly, and univerfally enlarged
with extraordinary light to look upon all
thy life at once ; God's memory fnall then
fhine forth, and Hew itfelf, when all men
looking on it as a reflefting-glafs, they
shall behold all the paftages of their mif-
fpent lives from their births to their
burials. Where is the wicked and deceit-
ful man ? wilt thou yet commit thy vil-
lanies, treacheries, robberies, murders, de-
bates, and impieties ? Let me tell thee (if
fo) to thy heart's grief, all thy fecret fins,
and clofet-villanies, that no eye ever lookt
upon, but that which is a thoufand times
brighter than the fun, shall be difclofed and
laid open before angels, men, and devils,
and thou shalt then and there be horribly,
univerfally, and everlaftingly ashamed :
never therefore go about to commit any
fin, becaufe it is midnight, or that the
doors are lockt upon thee ; fuppofe it be
concealed, and ly hid in as great darknefs
as it was committed, till dooms-day again,
yet then shall it out with a witnefs, and
be as legible in thy fore-head as if it were
writ with the brighteft ftars, or the moft
gliftering fun-beam upon a wall of chry-
Ibl.
Ufe 2. As you mean the good of your
fouls, amend your lives, call yourfelves to
account while it is called to day, fearch
and examine all your thoughts, words and
'' deeds, and proftrating yourfelves before
God, with broken and bleeding affections,
pray, and fue that your names may be
written in heaven, in that book of life.
This will be the joy of your hearts, the
peace of your fouls, the reft of your minds ;
yea, how glad will you then be to have %
all thefe books laid open ? By this means, I
fpeak it to the comfort of all true-hearted
Chriftians, shall your obedience and repen-
tance, and faith, and love, and zeal, and
patience, ebc. come to light, and be known.
God is not unrighteous to forget your
works of labour and love. No, all muft
out, efpecially at that day when the books
shall be open, our works manifefted, and
as we have done, fo muft we be rewarded,
\ It is aqiicflion, whether the fins of God's people (hall be manifcfled at that day? Some fay the^ fhall be mani-
fcllcd, not foi their ignominy or '.oniulion, tut only that the goodnefs and grace of God may be niade the
niort illuflrious ; and for this the) urge, M^tth. xi'. 36. x Cor. v. 10. Rtv. xx. li. Others lay, thc\ Ihall not
be maniftllcJ ; (i.) Bccaulc Chvift in his fentcnce only enumcraics the g^od works t'.^ey had done, but t'kcs no
notice of their fins. (1.) Becaufe this agrees beft with tholc exprtffions, That God biotteth out our fins, aid that
l(>,y arc thrown into the b'>t'oii) of the fa. (3.) Ikcaufe Chriil is (heir bridegroom, friend, advoc.itc, and. how
ill would it become onj of fuch relations to acciile or lay open ihtir fais J W hicli of tb-.fc opinions is trutlt is hard
to fi.', Hcb. vi. i(S. r
fov
464
DOOM
for then he shall reward every man accord-
ing to his works.
The books are opened, and now arc tlie
matters to be examined : there is firft, a
view; and then a trial.
2. The law book whereby we are tried,
contains three leaves. Nature, the law, and
the gofpel'. the Gentiles muft be tried by
the hrft, the unbelieving Jews and Gen-
tiles by the fecond, and the faithful Jews
and Gentiles by the lafl:. Thofe that con-
fefs no God by nature, mull be judged by
the law of nature: thofe that confefs a
God, no Chrift, muft be judged by the law
of God without the merits of Chrifl: ; thofe
that confefs God^the Father, and believe
in God the Son, shall be judged by the gof-
pel, which reconcileth us to God the Father
by the merits of Chrift. Atheifts, by the
law of nature; infidels, by the law of God,
Chriftians by the gofpel of our Saviour
Chrift. To the ftatutes of the former,
who can anfwer ? Our hope is in the lat-
ter, we appeal to the gofpel, and by the
gofpel we shall have our trial ; They that
have finned ivithout the laiv, Jloall perifb
lOithout the law ; and they that have Jin-
ned under the law, fhall be judged by the
law. But God /hall judge the fecrets of
all hearts {o^zW our hearts) by Jefus Chrift,
according to yny gofpel, Rom. ii. 12, 1 6.
Ufe. Let this then forewarn us what we
S-D A r.
are diiliurthened of them ; whereas there
would go with us to judgment an huge
kenntl of lufts, an army of vain words, a
legion of evil deeds; faith inflantly dif-
chargeth them all, and kneeling down to
Jefus Chrift, befeecheth him to anfv/er for
them all, howfoever committed. O then
makewemuch of faith ! but not of fuch a
faith neither as goes alone without works ;
it is nothing at this judgment to fay, I have
believed, and not well lived; the gofpel
requires both faith to believej and obedi-
ence to work ; not only to repent and be-
lieve the gofpel, Mark i. 15. but to obey
from the heart that form ofdo6irine, Rom.
vi. 17. True indeed, thou mayeft be faved
for thy faith, not for thy works; but for
fuch a faith as is without works thou (hale
never be faved ; we fay therefore works
are disjoined from the aft of juftifying, not
from the ;-erfon juftified ; heaven is given
to us for Chrift's merits, but we muft ihew
him the fair copy of our lives. O then, let
this move us to abound in knowledge, and
faith, and repentance, and love, and zeal,
and clothing, and feeding, and lodging the
poor members of Chrift Jefus, and howfo-
ever all thefe can merit nothing at God's
hands, yet will he crown his own gifts, and
reward them in his mercy. Say then, Doji
thou relieve a poor member ofChriJi Jefus?
Dof} thou give a cup of cold water to a
have' to do : * It is the gofpel will either prophet in the name of a prophet ? ]\Iattb
throughly juftifie thee, or extreamly con
<lemn thee.' The Spirit Po all convince the
ivorld of f.n, faith Chrift ; and why fo ?
but becaufe they believe not on me, John
xvi. 9. There is no fin, but infidelity;
no righteoufnefs, but faith : not that a-
dultciy, intemperance, malice are no fins;
but if unfaithfulnefs remain not, all thefe
fiiis are pardoned, and fo they are as if
they were no fins indeed. How quick a
riddance true repenting faith makes with
cur fins ? They are too heavy for our
fhoulders, and wc cannot bear them ; faith
only turns them over unto Chrift, and we
X. 42. Chrift doth promiie thee of his
truth, he will not let thee lofe thy reward :
certainly he \\\\\ not, fo thy woiks be
done in faiih : why, this is the covenant,
the glad tidings, the gofpel, to live, and
believe well. O let not that which is a
word of comfort to us be a bill of indift-
mcnt againft us \ albtit in our juflification
we may fay. Be it unto us according to our
faith ; yet, in our retribution, it rs faid,
as you have it before you in this text read
unto you. Then he (Imllrevjard tvery man
(for manifeftation of his faith) according
to his works.
A lit-
D M
A little to recall otirfelves; the prifoners
are tried, the verdift is brought in, the in-
didmentis found, and tlie judge now fits
on life and death, even ready with fpark-
ling eyes to pronounce his fentence.
This we muft defer a while, and the next
time you fliall hear what you have long
expefted. The Lord grant us an happy
iflue, that when this day is come, the Sen-
tence may be for us, and we may be faved
to our endlefs comfort.
Shall reward.']
WHat affize is this that affords each
circumftance of each prifoner's trial?
The time is thetty the Judge is he, the pri-
foners men, the evidence works, which no
foouer given in, but the fentence follows,
which is, To reward every man according
to his works.
This reward is nothing in efFeft but a
retaliation ; if we live well here, God will
then crown his own gifts \ (Auflin in his
book, of grace) but if we fin, without re-
pentance we may not efcape without pu-
nishment. There is a God that fits' and
fees, and anon will reward us.
But to unfold this reward, there lies in
it, a doom, and execution. God fpeaks
it in the firfl, effects it in the fecond : he
gives it in our doom, and we receive it in
the execution.
The doom is of two forts, according to
, the parties tha^t receive it. One is an ab-
folution, which is the doom of faints ; the
other is a condemnation, which is the doom
of reprobates : there is a reward on the
right hand beftowed on thebleffed, and an
heavy judgment which falls on the left
hand upon the heads of the wicked.
To begin with that in our meditation,
which our Saviour begins with in a61ion :
Imagine what a blelfed day this will be to
the godly, when ftandmg on the right hand
of the judge, they shall hear the heavenly
mufick of their happy fentence. Come ye
hlejjcd of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared j or you from the beginning of the
Oo
S-DAT, 465
world, Matth. xxv. 34.
In which gracious Ipeech, we may 00-
fcrve four gradations, i. A gentle invi-
tation, ^(??wd'. 2. A fweet benediiSiion, je
bleffed of my Father. 3. Heaven's poflef-
fion, inherit the kingdom, 4. A glorious
ordination to felicity, prepared for you
from the beginning of the world.
I. You have, Comd. It is the fweet voice
of Chrift inviting the faints before, and
now giving their welcome to his heavenly
Canaan : he hath called often. Come, all
that labour i come, all that travel, Matth,
xi, 28. The Spirit and the bride fay, come;
and let him that heareth fay. Come ; and
let him that is athirfl come, Rev. xxii.
17. Thus he calls all men to his grace,
but only the eleft to his glory. Now he
delires every man to come, but the righ-
teous alone shall have this welcome. O
how leaps that foul with joy, that hears
this voice of her fweet Saviour ! All the
mufick of angels cannot fo ravish the mind,
as this voice of our Saviour glads the foul :
now are the gates of heaven open, and the
Judge, who is mafler of the feall, bids the
guefls come and welcome.
But who are they ? Te bleffed of my Fa- .
ther. A word able to make them blelFed,
when pronounced. Down on your knees
rebellious fons ; and fo long as you live on
earth, beg, pray, fue for the blefTmg of
your Father in heaven. They that are
God's fervants, are no lefs his fons ; there-
fore every morn, night and noon, afk
blefTmg boldly, and God will beRow it li-
berally. The firft fermon that ever Chrift
preached was full of bleffing, Matthew v.
Bleffed are the poor in fpirit. Bleffed are
they that mourn. Bleffed are the meek.
Blefjed are the merciful. And as he began,
fo he concludes. Come, ye bleffed, ye bleffed
of my Father.
Mufl they come ? For what ? To inherit
the kingdom. Of all tenures inheritance is
beft, of all inheritances a kingdom is mofl
excellent : but that all shall inherit, and
o that
466 DOOM
that there is no fcantling, this is heaven's
wonder, and the angels blifs. An heaven-
ly inheritance fure, that is ' continued
without fucceffion, divided without dimi-
nution, common without envj', for ever
happy, and without all mifery.' This is the
inheritance of the jufl-, the poflefiion where-
of makes every faint no lefs glorious than
a king. Kings are they indeed, whofe do-
minions are not limited nor their borders
bounded, nor their people numbred, nor
the time of their reign prefcribed. iS«c/6
ghrious things are Jpoken of theCy thou
city of Cod.
Is this your inheritance ? But upon^vhat
light? It \s prepared for you from the be-
ginning of the ivorld. Had the Lord fuch
care to providrfor his children before they
were ? IIow may his fons triumph born to
fuch dignity ? God will fo afcertain their
falvation, that he hath prepared it for them
from before the foundation of the world.
•O blelled fouls, if you be God's fervants !
though a while you fuifcr forrow and tri-
bulation, yet here is the hope of faints, //
is your father's good pie a fure to give yo{i
the kingdom, Luke xii. 32. Heaven is pre-
pared of old, there is the place of God's
maiefty, and there the faints of God shall
receive the crown, the reward of victory.
Ufe. I cannot exprefs what this joy af-
fords to the one half of it. Come ble/fed
fouls bathed in repenting tears : here is a
fentcnce able to revive the dead, much
more the afflicted. Are you now forrow-
ing for your fins? Leave it a while, and
meditate with me on this enfuing melody.
* Hear, yonder a quire of angels, a fong of
2ion, an heavenly confort founding to the
Judge whileft he is pronotmcing of thy
fentence.' Blelfed fouls! how pant you
dances at the uttering of each fyllable ?
Come^ faith our Saviour, and if he but fay
come^ joy, happinefs, glory, felicity, all
come on heaps into the indeared foul. Ye
blejfed, faith our Saviour, and if he but
fay bUffedy the angels, archangels, che-
s Dy^r,
rubims, feraphims, all joy at the enjoy-
ing of this blefTed company. Inherit the
kingdom, faith our Saviour, and if he but
fay inherit, crowns, fcepters, garlands,
diadems, all thefe are the inheritance of
God's adopted children. Prepared for
you, faith our Saviour, and if he but fay,
prepared, the love, mercy, eleftion, com-
paflion of our Lord will shine forth to
the foul to her everlafting comfort. O
ravishing voice ! / charge you, daugh-
ters of Jerufalem, if you find my "well-
beloved, that you tell him I am Jick of
love. Cant. v. 8. What elfe? You that
are ood's fervants are no lefs his fpoufe,
your foul is the bride, and when the day is
come (this day of doom) God give you
joy, the joy of heaven for ever and ever.
But I muft turn to the left hand, and
shew you another crew prepared for ano-
ther fentence.
And what terrible fentence will that be,
which at firft hearing will make all ears
glow and tingle ? His lips, faith the pro-
phet, are full of indignation, and his
tongue like a coi/uming fire, Ifa. xxx. 27.
What a fire fo hot as that fiery fentence,
Depart, ye curfed, into everlafiing fire, pre-
pared for the devil and his angels ? Mat.
XXV, 41. Here is every particular full of
horror, gradually inhancing their judg-
ment. I. A grievous refulal, depart. 2.
The lofs of falvation, yrcw we. 3. That
deferved maledi(5\ion, ye curfed. 4. The
horrour of pains, into everLaJiing fre.
5. The preordinance of their torments,
prepared for the devil and his angels.
Firft, They vr\\\i^ depart -, thisTcems no-
thing to the wicked now ; depart ? Why,
they are contented to be gone, much more
delight have they in fin, than in God's ler-
vice. But as when a gracious prince o-
pening his long locked up treafury, bids
in fome to receive, but others to depart,
this mufl: needs be a ditgraceful vexation :
fo when the glory of heaven, and ihofe
invaluable treafures fliall be opened, and
dealt:
DOOM
dealt about to the faithful, what horror
will it be to the reprobates to be caft off
with a depart P No (hare accrues to them,
no not fo much as one glimpfe of glory
mufl chear their dejeclcd countenances,
but as ill-meriting followers they are thruft
from the gates with this watch-word to be
gone, depart.
But whence ? There is the lofs, from
me, and if from me, then from all that is
mine, my mercy, my glory, my falvation.
Here is an univerfal fpoil of all things, of
God in whom is all goodnefs, of the faints
in whom is all folace, of the angels in whom
is all happinefs, of heaven, wherein all
pleafures live ever and ever. ' "Whither,
O Lord, fliall the curfed go that depart
from thee ? Into what heaven fiiall they
arrive ? What mafter fliall they ferve?' Is
it thought fo great a punifliment to be ba-
niftied from our native foil ? What then
is this to be bani(hed from Almighty God?
And whither but into a place of horrour t
to whom ? but to a curfed crew of howl-
ing reprobates. Depart from me.
Who are they ? Te curfed. Ghrifl: hath
before invited you with bleffings, but thefe
refufed, now take you the curfe to your
defpite : The wicked man, faith the pro-
phet, as he hath loved curjing, fo let it
come unto him, Pfalm cix. i 7. Hath he
loved it ? let him take his love : As he
hath clothed himfelfivith curJing, as -with
a garment J fo let it come into his bowels^
like -water, and like oil into his bones, Pfal.
cix, 18. No fooner our Saviour curfed the
fig-tree, but leaves and boughs, body and
root, all wither away, and never any more
fruit grows thereon: and thus ftiall the
wicked have a curfe, like the ax -which put
to the root of the tree^ fjall heiv it doivny
and be caji into the fire. Go, ye curfed,
Matth, iii. 10.
But whither mufl they go ? into ever-
lafling fire : O wiiat a bed is this for de-
licate and dainty perfons ? no feathers, but
fire, no friends, but furies, no eafe, but fet-
O o
ters, no light, but fmoak, no chimes nor
clock to pafs away the night, biit timelefs
eternity. A fire ? intolerable : a fire burn-
ing, never dying ? O immortal pains ! IVJjich
of you, faith the prophet, is able to dicell
in the burning fire ? "who can endure the
everlafiing fames P Ifaiah xxxiii. 14. Ic
fhall not be quenched night nor day, the
fmoak thereof fliall go up evermore : The
pile is fire, and much wood, and the breath
of the Lord like a river of brimftone kindles
itf Ifa. XXX. 33. What torment, what ca-
lamity can be compared with the fhadow
of this ? the wicked mull be crowded to-
gether like brick in a fiery furnace : there
is no fervant to fan cold air on their tor-
mented parts, not fo much as a cjem,
where the leafl puff of wind might enter in
to cool them ; it is a fire, an everlafiing
fire.
For whom ? prepared for the devil and
his angels ; heavy company for diflreffed
fouls : the ferpent's policy could not efcape
hell, nor can the craft of our age fo deal
with this ferpent, as thereby to prevent this
fire: it was fure prepared for feme, as
fome have prepared themfelves for it ;
burning in luft, in malice, in revenge, un-
til themfelves, their luft, malice, revenge,
and all burn together in hell. Tophet is
prepared of old, Ifa.xxx. 33. whither that
day-ftar is fallen from heaven, and a black
crew of angels guard him round in that
lake of hell : there mufl: thefe howling re-
probates keep their refidence ; the lafl: kn-
tence that never is recalled, is now pro-
nounced : what ? Go ; who ? Te curfed;
whither? into everlafiing fire; To what
company ? to a crew of devils and their
angels. O take heed that ye live in God's
fear ! left that leaving his fervice he give
you this reward, depart ye curfed.
Ufe. And is not this worthy your medi-
tation ? Confider, I pray you, what fear«
ful tremblings feize on their fouls that have
their fentence for eternal flames? ' Ifa
Lord have mercy on thee, Take him away
02. jay.
DOOMS'D^r.
jaylor,' will caufe fuch fliedding of tears,
foWiog of arms, and wringing of hands,
what will this fentence do, Go ye curfedy
&c. O which way will they turn ? or how
will they efcape the Almighty's wrath ? to
go backward is impoflible, to go forwards
intolerable ; whofe help will they crave ?
God is their judge, heaven their foe, the
faints deride them, angels hate them, all
creatures cry for vengeance on them.
Good Lord ! what a world of mifery hath
feized on thefe miferable fouls ? their ex-
ecutioners are devils, the dungeon hell, the
earth fland open, and the cruel furnace
ready boiling to receive them : into what a
Ihaking fit of dilijaftions will thefe ter-
• rors drive them \ every part (hall bear a
part in this doleful ditty, * eyes weep,
■ hands wring, breafls beat, hearts ake, voi-
ces cry, horror, dread, terror, confufion
are lively equipages of this tragic fcene.'
Mow, O man of earth ! what will all thy
wealth avail thee ? what can all thy plea-
lures profit thee ? one drop of water to
cool thy fiery tongue in hell, is more
worth than a world of treafures ; all the
gold and precious flones the world afl^brds,
will not buy one bottle of water ; all thy
golden gods, and filver plates cannot pre-
vail one dram of comfort ; but rather as
they were thy banc on earth, fo they will
aggravate thy pain in hell. Who pities not
the vilefl creature, to fee it fufFer torments,
and no way to releafe it \ Who then will
rot pity this end of the wicked, when they
muft fuffer, and fuffer, yet never feel eafe
of pain, nor end of torments ? A fentence
not to be revoked, yet unfufFerably to be
endured ; torment on torment, anguifli
on anguifli, fire upon fire, and though a
river, nay a fea of tears drop from their
eyes, yet cannot one fpark be quenched :
The ivorm never dies, the fire never goes
Duty Mark ix. 44. Co ye into everlaJHng
fire, not piled of confuming wood, or the
black moulds turning to white ashes, but
kindled by the judge's breath, of pitch
and fulphur : rivers of boiling brimflone
run from everlaOing fprings : in thefe hot
baths was that Dives dived, when thofe
fiery words came flaming from his mouth as
fpitting fire: Let Lazarus dip the tip of his
finger in "water to cool my tongue, Luke
xvi. 24. Alas! what should a drop of
water do on a finger, when rivers cannot
quench the tip of his tongue ? He lies on
a bed of never-dying flames, where brim-
flone is the fuel, devils the kindlers, the
breath of an offended God the bellows, and
hell the furnace, where body and foul muft
ever lie and fry in fcorching torments. O
let the heat of thefe flames quench the heat
of our fin : if once the fentence pafs, there
is no reprive to be hoped for ; this is the
lall day of doom, when our fins muft be
revealed, our reward proportioned, and as
we have done, fo we muft be fentenced :
for then he fimll reward every man ac-
cording to his works.
Thus you have heard the fentence of
the juft and wicked : and now is the Judge
riling from his glorious feat : the faints
that were invited guard him along, and
the fentenced priloners are delivered to the
jaylors to be bound in burning fteel and
iron, the reward of execution.
The fentence being paft in all prefcribed
order, the execution muft needs follow :
but as there is a double fentence, fo a
double retribution: i. For the wicked,
who immediately after the fentence shall
be chafed into hell, the execution being
fpeedily and fearfully done upon them,
with all horror and hafte by the angels. O
what a shriek of horror will be heard ?
what woes and lamentations will be utter-
ed, when devils and reprobates, and all the
damned crew of hell shall be driven into
hell, whereinto they shall be thruft with
violence, never to return again .' How def-
perate is their cafe, when none will com-
fort them ? The faints deride them, angels
mock them, their own friends fcolf them,
devils hate ihem, the earth groans under
them.
DOOMS-DAT.
them, and hell will fwallow them. Down without any farewel at all
they go howling, and shrieking, and gnash-
ing their teeth, the elTeft of a moft impa-
tient fury. The world leaves them, the
earth forfakes them, hell entertains them,
there muft they live and die, and yet not
live nor die, but dying live, and living
die ; death in life, life in death, miferable
ever. If the drowning of the old world,
fwallowing up of Korah and his accomplices,
burning up of Sodom with brimftone,wcre
attended with fuch terrors and hideous
out-cries, how infinitely tranfcendent to
all poffibility of conceit, expreflion or be-
lief, will the confufions and tremblings of
that red-dread-fiery day be? It is not a
few, but many ; not many only, but all
the wicked of the earth, being many mil-
lions of men, shall be dragged down, with
all the devils of hell to torments without
end, or eaie, and part imagination ; then
to fpeak it again, that I may the deeper
imprint it on your minds and memories.*^
fure there was horrible shrieking, when
thofe five filthy cities firfl felt fire and
brimfione drop drown upon their heads :
when thofe rebels faw the ground cleave
afunder, and themfelves and all theirs go
doivn quick into the pity Numb. xvi. 33.
when all the fons and daughters of Adam
found the Hood riling, and ready to o-
verfiow them all at once. But the moft
horrid cry that ever was heard, or ever
shall be heard in heaven or in earth, in
this world, or in the world to come, will
be then when all the forlorn, condemned
reprobates, upon fentence given, shall be
violently, and unrefiftably haled down to
hell ; neither shall any tears, or prayers,
or promifes, or fuits, or cries, or yellings,
or caUing upon rocks and mountains; or
wishes never to have been, or now to be
made nothing, be then heard, or prevail in
their behalf; nay, yet more to increale
their torments, there is not one in earth
or heaven that will ipeak one word in their
behalf: but, without mercy, without;( Hay,
469
they shall be
immediately and irrecoverably cafl: down
into the bottomlefs pit ofeafelefs, endlefs,
and remedilefs torments. * Oh ! what then
will be the gnawings of the never-dying
worm \ what rage of guilty confciences ?
what furious defpair I what horror of
mind ? what difira<flions and fears .^ what
tearing their hair, and gnashing of teeth ?
In a word, what wailing, weeping, rear-
ing, yelling, filling heaven, and earth, and
hell? O mil'erable caitiffs, catcht and wrapt
in the fnares of Satan I' What need we
more ? This is the Judge's charge, the
sheriff's commiifion, the finners executi-
on. Take them away, caj} them into utter
darknefs, there (hall be weeping andgnafh-
ing of teeth. A darknefs indeed, that muft
ever be debarred from the fight of hea-
ven : no fun-shine ever peeps within thofe
walls, no light, no fire, no candle; alas !
nothing is there but clouds and darknefs,
thick fmoak and fiery fulphur; and fuch
is the portion of finners, the reward of the
wicked.
Ufe. "What faith or fear have the wick-
ed, that go dancing and leaping to this
fire, as it were to a banquet ? or, like So-
lomon's fool, that runneth, and Jwijtly
runneth to the Jiocks ? Prov. vii. 22. Is
this our pleafure, to fin a while, and burn
for ever ? for one fmall fpark of filly joy,
to fuffer univerfal and perpetual pains :
Who buys at fo dear a rate ? Feary and
the pity and the fnare are upon iheey
inhabitant of the earth ; and he that
fleet hjrom the noife of the fear /hall fall
into the pit ; and he that comet h up out of
the pit Jhall be taken in the fnare ; for ths
luindoivs jrom on high are open, and the
foundations of the earth dofhake-y the earth
is utterly broken down, the earth is clean
diffolvedy the earth is moved exceedingly^
the earth fhall reel to and fro like a drunken
man, and fhall be removed like a tent, and
the iniquity thereof fJjall be htavy upon it,
fo that it Jhall jail J and rife no more, Ifa.
xxiv.
D O O M S^DA r.
i3C. O miferable fear to the wic- they march along,
470
xxiv. 17
ked ! if the earth fall, how shall the fin-
ner ftand ? Nay, * They -hall be gathered
together as prifoners in the pit, and shall
be shut up in the prifon, never more to
be vifitcd, relealed, or comforted.' Be
forewarned then, O beloved, left you alfo
come into this place of torment, Luke xvi.
28. It is a fearful prifon, and God give
VIS grace, fo to arraign, judge, cafV, and
condemn ourfelveshere, that wemayefcape
this execution of the damned hereafter.
I have no will to end with terror : then
to fweeten your thoughts with the joy of
faints, look upwards, and you may fee a
bleffed- company.
After the wick^ are caft down into hell,
Chrift, and the blefled faints afcend into
heaven. From the tribunal-feat of judg-
ment Chrift shall arife, and with all the glo-
rious company of heaven, march towards
the heaven of heavens. O what comely
march is this ? what fongs of triumph are
■ here fung and warbled ? The voice of thy
watch-rnen Jhall be heard, they flmll lift
up their voice, and fh out together, for they
Jhall fee' eye to eye, vjhen the Lord foall
bring again Sion, Ifaiah lii. 8. Here is a vic-
tory indeed, the foldiers in arrayed order
both marching and triumphing : Chrift
leads the way, the cherubims attend, the
feraphims burn in love, angels, arch-an-
gels, principalities, powers, patriarchs, pro-
phets, priefts, evangelifls, martyrs, profef-
fors, and confelforsof God's law and gof-
pel, following attend the Judge and King
of glory, finging with melody, as never
ear hath heard, shining with majefty, as
never eye hath feen, rejoicing without mea-
fure, as never heart conceived. O blefled
train of foldiers, goodly troop of captains !
each one doth bear a palm of viiflory in his
hand, each one muft wear a crown of glo-
ry on his head ; the church militant is now
triumphant, with a final overthrow have
they conquered devils, and now mufl they
enjoy God, life, and heaven ; and thus as
hcsven opens unto
them : O infinite joy i Tell me, O my
foul, what an happy hour will that be,
when thou shalr enter into the gates of
heaven, when the bleded Trinity shall glad-
ly entertain thee, nnd with a loell done
good and faithful fcrv ant, bid thee. Come
and enter into thy Mafter's joy ; Matth.
XXV. 21. When all the angels and arch-
angels shall falute thee, when cherubims
and feraphims shall come to meet thee,
when all the powers of heaven shall con-
gratulate thy coming, and joy for thy ar-
rival at the port of peace ? Here is the end
of the godly, the fruits of his end, the re-
ward itfelf. What can I fay r But live in
God's fear, and the Lord reward you ;
nay, he will fo, if you live fo ; for Then he
Jlmll reward every ynan according to his
•works .
And now this fermon done, you fee the
court is diffolved : flay but to receive a
writ of review, and you shall hear in a
word all the news of this affize, from the
beginning to the ending.
What a itrange affize was this, where
evei*y circumflance was to the wicked fo
terribly fearful ? The term full of horror,
the Judge full of majefly, the prifoners
full of anguish, the trial full of fear, the
doom full of grief to the wicked, as of com-
fort to the eleft. Seeing therefore that
all thefe things are thus, ivhat manner of
perfons ought ye to be in holy converfation
and godlinefs F 2 Pet, iii. i r. A word of
judgment could make Jeremiah weep, jufl
Job be afraid, Felix to tremble ; and can-
not this ufual found of the hammers a lit-
tle moUifie our flony hearts ? Hoiv is the
gold beco7ne drofs, and the filver iron F .If.
i. 2 2. We have run over reafon, and tread
upon confcicnce, and fling by counfcl, and
go by the word, and polt to death j but
will you remember, that/or all thcfe things
you mufl come to judgment, Ecd. xi. 19.
Be fure there is a term for your appear-
ance, Then ,- there is a Judge that will fit
up-
D O O M S-D ^r.
upon us, He ; there is a band of prifoners.
Every man-y there is a bill of indiftment
framed, according to our works. And laft
of all, there is a fentence, after which fol-
lows the execution, the reward due to usy
• O thou ! vvhofc balance docs the mountains weigh,
• Whofe will tlie wild tumultuous ftas obey,
• Wliofe breuth can turn thofe watry worlds to flame,
• That flame to tempeft, and that tcmpe ft tame ;
• Earth's meaneft fon, with tren.bling proftratc falls,
• And on the plenty of thy goodneis calls.
• Ah ! give the winds all part offence to fwecp,
• To fcatter wide, or bury in the deep:
• Thy pow'r, my weaknefs may I ever fee,
« And wholly dedicate my (bul to thee.
' Reign o'er my will ; my pafllons ebb and fiow
• At thy command, nor human motive know !
• If anger boil, let anger be my praifc,
• And fin the graceful indignation raife.
' My love be warm to fiiccour the diftrcfs'd,
• And lift the burden from the foul opprcfs'd.
• Oh may my underftanding ever read
• This glorious volume, which thy wii^om made !
• Who decks the maiden ijjring with fiowry pride ?
• Who calls forth fummer, like a fparkling bride? ^
• Who joys the mother autumn's bed to crown.'
• And bids old winter lay her honours down ?
' Not the great Ottoman, or greater Czar,
' Not Europe's arbiter of peace and war.
• May fca and land, and earth and heav'n be join'd,
• To bring tli' eternal Author to my mind !
• When oceans roar, or awful thunders rolJ,
• May thoughts of thy dread vengeance fiiake my foul;
' W"hen earth's in bloom, or planets proudly (hine,
' Adore, my heart, the ^'ajefty D.viriC.
' Thro' every fcene of life, or peace, or war,
' Plenty, or want, thy glory be my care !
• Shine we in arms ? or fing beneath our vine ?
' Thine is the vintage, and ihe conquefl thine:
• Tliy pleafure points the fliaft, and bends the bow;
• The clufter blalts, or bids it richly flow :
• 'Tis thou that lead'ft our pij*'rJul armies forth,
• And giv'ft Great George thy l(:eptre o'tr the north.
47i
which then he will gjve us : only, now be-
ftow on us thefe graces of thy Spirit, and
then, O Lord, reward us according to our
works. Amen.
' Grant I may ever at the morning-ray
• Open with pray'r the confecrated day ;
• Tune thy great praife, and bid my {bulari/e»
• And with the mounting fun afccnd the fliics :
' As that advances, let my zeal improve,
• And glow with ardour of conlhmmate love;
• Nor ceale at eve, but with the fetting fun
' My endlefs worfhip fliall be ftill begun.
• And oh ! permit the gloom of folemn night
' To facred thought may forcibly invite.
• Whe.n this world's fnut, and awful planets rife,
• Call on our minds, and rai/e them to the fkies j
• Compofe our fouls with a le(s dazzling fight,
• And ihew all nature in a milder light ;
• How every boiftrous thought in calms fuhfidej!
• How the fmooth'dfpirit into goodncfs glides L
• O how divine ! to tread the milky way,
' To the bright palace of the Lord of day ;
• His court admire, or for his favour fiae,
• Or leagues of friendfliip with his faints renew;
• Picas'd to look down, and fee the world aflcep,
' While I long vigils to its Founder keep !
• Canft thou not fhake the centre ? oh controul,
• Subdue by force the rebel in my foul:
• Thou, who canft ftitl jhe raging of the flood,
' Reftrain the various tumults of my blood ;
' Teach me with equal firmnefs to fuftain
' Alluring pleafure, and aflaulting pain.
• O may 1 pant for tiee in each defire !
• And witkrtrong faith foment the holy fire!
• Stretch out my Ibulin hope, and grafp the priz^
« Which in eierniiy's deep bofom lies !
• At the great day of recompence behold,
• Devoid of fear, the fatal biX)k unfold !
' Then wafted upward to the blifsful feat,
• From age to age my grateful fong repeat;
• My light, my life, my God, my Saviour, fec^
• And rival angels in ths praifc of thcc.'
HELLS HORROR,
Matth. xiii. 30. Bind them in bundles to burn their^
THIS text is the harvel of tares, and here is i. The fowing, ver. 25. 2. *The
that you may know the hulbandry, coming u^^ v. 2.6. 3. The overfeers of it,
V. vj\
472
H E L Us HORROR,
4. Their Intent to wf^^//, v. 28. is firft tiie efficient, BirJ ;
V. 27.
5. The fufFerance of its growth till the bar-
vefi, V. 29. 6. The barvefi itftlf^ v. 30.
Or, yet to give you the parable in a more
ample wife, here is a man foivs good jted
in his field, and the enemy wbilji his fer-
vants ftetp,fows tares among/} the luheat :
the feeding done, and the fertile foil made
fruitful by lieaven's fliowers, the blade of
the corn fprings up, and the tares appear
in their kind amongft: them. Thofe hea-
venly angels, who are God's Rewards of
this field, pitching their watchful eyes about,
tirfi: fee, then run to their mafter with this
meflage, Majler, foivedfi thou not good feed
in thy field P f>'4^ -whence then hath it
tares ? God, whofe all-knowing wifdom
can refolvc all doubts, tells them exprefly,
An enemy hath done this : an enemy Aire ;
yea, as Peter calls him, a devouring ene-
my, I Pet. V. 8. Such is the fruit ilfuing
from fo bad an author. Yet fee the fedu-
lous care of God's holy fervants, they will
not fpare to root up what envy fows, and
with a willing obedience expeft only his
commands, IVilt thou that we go and ga-
ther them up ? Nay, fee the Almighty dif-
parkling a while his beams of mercy ; all
muft ftay till the harvefl, and then goes
forth his royal command to the reapers :
Gather ye together firft the tares, and bind
them in bundles to hum them.
But methinks, 1 hear you fay to me as
the difciples to our Saviour, Declare unto
us this parable, v. 36. for the doing of
which I fhall place before you a field, the
ivorld; the reapers, angels ; the houQiold-
cr, Cod: good men, as corn; the wicked,
as tares ; the harvell that muft gather all,
is the end of the world, and then are the
reapers enjoyncd this heavy taflc. Separate
the bad from the good, and cafl them into
hell-fire to burn them.
See here the miferable condition of im-
penitent fouls, each circumllance aggra-
vates their torment ; and that ye may in
this text view a ferics of the caufes, here
w
the material,
them ; the formal, in bundles ; the final, to
burn them. Every word like fo many links,
makes up this fiery chain of torment. Bind;
heavy doom to be fettered in hell-fire ! them ;
miferable fouls to be captivated in thofe
bands ! in bundles ; cruel anguidi to be
crowded in throng heaps ! to burn them :
intolerable heats to be fcorched, bliftered,
burned ! and yet fee here at once, this hea-
vy, miferable, cruel, intolerable doom fall
on the wicked : the command is out, what ?
Bind ; whom ? them ; how ? in bundles ;
for what ? to burn them. Not a word, but
it fpeaks horror to the damned, either bind-
ing or bundling, or burning ; Bind them
in bundles to burn them.
The work you fee, is ordered ; now
we put in our fickle : only God profper
our labour, till we have done the harvell.
Them.l
E will begin firft with the fubje^l,
that you may know of whom it is
fpoken, Bind them : Them ? "Whom ? If
you will view the precedent words, the
text tells you they are tares ; gather ye
firft the tares, and bind them. In God's
field there is corn and cockle, and as for
the one there is provided a barn, fo for
the other there is nothing better than bind-
ing and burning.
The Greek word calls them Xixania,
tares ; the Hebrews call' them Hadul, thif-
ids or thorns ; and both are apt exprcf-
fions of the matter in hand : what are
tares for? but to be gathered, bound, and
burned, faith our Saviour : and what are
thorns for? but lohc rejected, curfed, and
burned, faith the apofilc, Heb. vi. 8. Such
is the penalty of this weed of the earth (for
they are neither better) that as men deal
with tliorns, who firft cut them up with
bills, then lay them up to wither; and,
lalUy, burn them in the furnace ; fo God
deals with tares, he weeds them, binds them,
burns them ; not a tare efcapes the fire,
but all come to combuftion.
But,
H E L Us
But, only to follow the original, they
are called, Ta xizania, tares ; and that of
a double derivation ; the firfl: is, Xizani-
on quaji Jitanion^ para to ton fiton Jinein,
becaufe they hurt the corn wherewith they
are joined ; the fecond is, Xizanon quaJi
to fito izainon, becaufe they initiate, alfo-
ciate, and fo unite themfelves with the
corn, as if they were the very fame. To
begin with the lad.
AVe all come together to the church,
and amongft us are tares and wheat, good
and bad ; in all companies there will be
evil intruders, Satan among the angels,
Saul among the prophets, Judas among
the apoftles, Demas among the profeffors,
yet who can difcern the tares, but God
alone who knows our hearts I Hypocrites
can work dillimulation in a web, and this
fo cunningly is platted, that no difference
is difcerned : fuch are hot meteors in the
air, which (lioot and fliew like Itars, b\i,t
are indeed nothing lefs : your eyes may be
fixed on heaven, your ears all liftening to
this fermon, yet, as I condemn none, fo
I never knew but darnel hath been in God's
field. The church Ghrifl; calls a net, an
houfCf a floor, a field : a net that takes fish
good and bad ; an houfe that harbours vef-
fels of wrath and honour ; z floor there-
on is poured wheat and chaff; a field,
wherein is fowed corn and cockle: thus
good and bad feed are a while as that trea-
fitre hid in the field, Matth. xiii. 44. Which
cannot be difcovered : But is there not a
God that fearchsth both the heart and the
HORROR. 473
but then, Gather the tares and hiud them
reins? Be not deceived, Gal. vi. 7. Ye
deceivers of the world. Cod is not mock-
ed-, it is not a falfe heart with « fair look,
it is not a mere shew of religion God will
accept: filly tares, hide clofe your fins in
the darkeft furrows, or mount up your
heads araon^grt the mod flourishing wheat,
yet know there is a fan that -will purge the
floor, Matth, xiii. 12. You would grow,
and you shall grow till the harvefl', God
fullers that feed till the fruit grows ripe,
I
(wicked diffemblers) bind i hem in bundles
to burn them.
2dly, M the tares are hypocritical, fo
are they hurtful; they feem at unity, but
are at enmity with the wheat about them :
and thefe tares are either hereticks, as mod
Fathersunderftoodthem,orany//w;frwho-
foever, that is a child of the wicked one, as
our Saviour did expound them.
I. They are hereticks \ wicked tares in-
deed: and that you 'may know who are
thefe : airefis is a choice or election, at firft
a good word in philofophy, taken for a
right form of learning ; but now in divi-
nity it is a word of difgiace, and intends
a flubborn deviadon from the received
truth. This infection (like the tares) firfl
begins xvhilcs men ficep, the pafiors negli-
gence gives way unto it. and becaufe°of
its little feed, or fmall beginning, it is ne-
ver heeded, or regarded, till die whole
houfe be infected ; thus popery crept up
in the dark, like a thief putting out the
lights, that he might rob the houfe more
fecurely ; and as it began with a little, fo
it went on by degrees, till an univerfa! a-
poftacy was (as it were) over the face of
the world. Auflin faith of Arius his herc-
fie, ' It was at firfl but a little fpark,' but
it fpread fo at laft, that ' the flame of it
finged the whole world :' fo the pope rofe
by degrees, firfl above bishops, then above
patriarchs, then above councils, then above
kings, then above fcriptures, even fo the
apoftle fpeaks of antichrifl. He hath exalt-
ed hinifelf above all that is called God, 2
Thef ii. 4, Herefie creeps in at a little
hole, like a plague that comes in at the win-
dows ; and then propagates itfclf beyond
all meafure -: O that thefe tares were
weeded, that Ifhmael were cart out of
doors, fo that Sarah and her fon If^ac might
live in quiet and peace; or if they mull
grow until the harvef}, what reinains ;
bur, / hejeech you, brethren, mark them
who caufe divifions and ofl^encts contra-
PP rv
474
H E L Us HORROR.
ry\ to t}js^doS}ri?ie that ye have learned; and I will jay to the reapers , gather ye fir ft
avoid them, Rom. xvi. 17.
But as hereticks, fo all reprobates what-
foever are the tares here fpoken of, they
are offenders on all hands, both in docflrine
and converfation : and thus our Saviour
irterpr&ts, The good feed are the children
cf the kingdotn, but the tares are the chil-
dren of the luicked ont\, Ver '38
the tares : here is that woful reparation
between true Chriftians, and the profane
wretches of this world. It is begun at
death, and then muft they part till the day
of doom ; but when that comes, there
mufl be a final reparation ; He fhalljit up-
on the throne of his g^ory, and before him
fhall be gathered all nations, and he Jhall
And moH; fitly are the reprobates called feparate them one from another, as a fhep-
tares y in rerpe6l of their intrufion here ;
And feparation hereafter.
I. As the tares grow amongfl corn, fo
the wicked all their life a (Ibciate themfelves
with the godly ; the church (faith Auflin)
is full both of wlT%at and chaiF: ' I avoid
the chalFleft I become chaff, but I keep the
floor, lell 1 become nothing.' What elfe?
in this life the belt company is not free
from the intrufion of tares, therefore cries
David, Wo is me that I am conftrained to
dxuell with Mefech, and to have my habi-
.tation among the tents of Kedar, Pf. cxx.
4. No greater difcomfort, than to coha-
bit with the wicked : are they not pricks
in our eyes, and thorns in our fides ? Num.
xxxiii. 55. Yea, they are thorns indeed,
liiiih the Lord to Ezekiel, Lo, the thorns
and briars are with thee, and thou doeji
dwell among fcorpions, Ezek. ii. 6. Sure
■we had no need of fecurity, that are thus
compart with enemies, the briars may
Icratcii us, the thorns prick us, the fcor-
pions fling us, we can hardly fo elcape,
but fbme of thefe will hurt us, a good man
\\ ith ill company, is like a living man bound
to a dead corpfe, and (may I appeal to
yourfelves) is the living likely to revive
the dead ? or the dead more likely to fuf-
focatc the living ? O ye children of the
kingdom, blcfs you while you live ; lo,
the tares are among you like wolves a-
mongft lambs; be wife then in your carri-
age, and fave yourfelves, your own fouls.
2. As the tares, fo reprobates fhall one
day be fcparated from the wheat, the good :
In tj:e time oj harvcj} (faith our Saviour)
herd divideth his floetp from the goats. Mat.
XXV. 32. Here is a feparation indeed, not
for a day, or a year, but for timelefs e-
ternity. Lo a vaft and immeafurable gulf
betwixt heaven and hell, fo as that Abra-
ham tells the rich man, 7hey that would
pafs from hence to you cannot, neither can
they pa fs to us, that would come from thence^
Luke xvi. 26. 1 his is that endlefs divorce
of the wheat and tares, this is that unpaf-
fable difiance 'tuixt heaven and hell, thro'
all eternity. O miferabie tares ! what a
lofshath befallen you? Now you live with
the wheat, and you overtop them, trouble
them, vex them with your fociety ; but
hereafter you muff Ihake hands for ever ;
for the wheat muj} be gathered into God's,
barn, his kingdom, whilft the mi.rtrable
tares are gathered by angels, and bound
up in bundles for the burning.
Lo here a world of tares, and that I may
give you them in a map, what are they
but hypocrites, hereticks, reprj, bates; all
children whofoever,that have Satan to their
father, for of them is this fpoken.
1 he proverb is, ill we(ds grow apace,
nay they are fo common, that it is hard
to let the foot befides them. Look into
your hea V, you fons and daughters of
Adam, are not your furrows full of coc-
kle and darnel ? The earth (faith the phi-
lofopher) is now an own mother to weeds,
but a flepmother to good herbs; man of
his own inclination is apt to produce weeds
and tares, but ere he can bring forth herbs
and graces, God tr.ulf take pains with him
indeed. No hulbandman fo labours his
grounds.
H E L Us HORROR.
475
grounds, as God doth our hearts ; happy
earth that yields him an expefted harveft ;
and that ovir parts may be herein, what
fhall we fay unto thee, O thou Preferver
of men ? j^ivake, north ivitrd ,- and come^
thou /out h, bloiv upon my garden, that the
fpices thereof may flow cut, yea let nry he-
loved come into his garden, and eat his
plea fant fruits. Cant. iv. i6.
And yet again, that I may weed the tares
amongfi us, confider with yourfelves. you
that go on in your fins, will you run up-
on ruin, and can we fay nothing to keep.
you out of the fire ? O fweet Saviour !
what didlt thou endure for us, that we
might efcape this durance ? and yet we are
fecure, and care not, vilifying that blood
that was of more value than a world. Think
of it, you that are in the blade, ere the
harveft come : no man defires to purchafe
land, that will bring forth nothing but
weeds ; and Ihall God buy fo bafe a ground,^
that will be no better, at fo ineftimable a
price, as the incorruptible blood of his on-
ly Son .' O ye weeds of the earth, turn
yourfelves, or be ye turned into wheat ;
call, and fue, and cry for the mercy of God in
Chrift: our Saviour; yea again and again,beg
of your Jefus, that he may root up your
weeds, and plant in you his graces, that
like good corn you may fruftify here, and
when the harveft comes, you may be gather-
ed into his barn, and remain in his kingdom.
Thus far you fee the prifoners, the next
point is the chains wherewith thefe prifon-
ers are bound; but of that hereafter. Re-
member in the mean time the tares, and
as good feed bring ye forth good fruit, fome
thirty, fome fixty, fome an hundred fold,
that when the reaping comes, we may be
ready for the barn, and then. Lord Jefus,
come when thou wilt, even, Lord Jefus,
come quickly. Amtn.
Bind.'\
THE malefactor, whofe hands are pi-
nioned, legs chained, feet corded,
may lie relUefs in his thoughts, eafelefs in
all parts; the wicked arf caft into a prifolt
under lock and bolts, where the devil isjay •
lor, hell the prifon, and the bolts fuch o-
ther as burning fteel and iron. See here
a jaylor, goal, and manacles, all which are
provided for the damned : and hecaufe of
their relation each to other, give me leave
to produce them in their order.
The tares muft be bound, and for the
executing of this doom, the Judge here
delivers them over to the jayloi : jaylor ?
whom? Good and bad angels; for both
thefe are the executioners of God's dire-
ful fentence.
I. The good angels, fo faith our Savi-
our, The reapers are the angels, v. 39.
And he "will fay unto the reapers, ver. 30.
Gather ye flrji the tares, and bitid thtnt
up in bundles. They which are all mercy
to the good, are here the executioners of
God's judgments on the wicked. Thus
was Sodom deftroyed by an angel, Gen.
xix. The army of Sennacherib was o-
verthrown by an angel, 2 Kings xix. Se-
venty thoufand men of Ifrael were ftruck
with p^ftilence by an angel, 2 Sam, xxiv.
Blafphemous Herod was fmitten by an an-
gel, Aiftsxii. 23. Yea the tares themfelves
muft be gathered by angels, who will bind
them in heaps like faggots, and caft them
into hell-fire to burn them.
How fearful is it to fill into the hands
of God's hoft ? No power can refift, no
policy prevail, all the ftratagems of war
are but folly to God's wifdom ; then into
what motes and atoms fliall the proudeft
duft of finfulman be torn ? Wiiat, dares
he ftruggle againft heaven ? See God and
angels are become his enemies, and whofe
help fliould he have, when heaven itfelf
makes war ? Mountains and rocks are no
defence againft God : fl:iiclds and fpears
cannot keep the tares : no, God hath his
warriours that will pluck, and tear, and
torture reprobates : the angels are his reap-
ers, that muft gather the tares, and bind
them in bundles to burn thtm.
p 2 But.
^yi^) H E L L's
But 2^/y, good nnd bad angels both join
in this office to bind the tares : if there be
any difference, it is in this, the good an-
gels begin, and the bad continue to make
the binding everlafting. Here is a jaylor
indeed, and if you would fee him in his
form, you may take the defcription from
that great Leviathan,/?)/ his tteefings a light
doth JJjine, and his eyes are like the eye-
iids of the 7nor)iing, out of his mouth go
burning lamps, and /parks of fire leap out ;
out of his nojlrils goeth fmoak as out of a
fccthing pot or cauldron ; his breath kind-
leth coals, and a fiame goeth out of his
mouth, Jobxli. i8, 19,20, 21. What an
u<ily devil is this, whom God only myfli-
, caily defcribes witti fuch terrible Ihapes ?
Bis neefing (iames, his eyes fl:are,his mouth
. llioots fire, his noftrils fmoak, his very
breath fets all a burning round about him.
Such a J;iyIor hath God prepared forhell-
prifoners. As God hath fettered him, fo
he lays fetters on them, revenging his own
malice on his fcUow-fufFerers. The devil
fir-fl: tempts and then he fetters tares :
while men live on earth, he lays fnarcs for
fouls : thus he prepared flatterers for PvC-
hoboam, liars for Ahab,concubines for So-
lomon, forcerers for Pharaoh, witches for
Saul, wine for Benhadad, gold for Achan,
a fliip for Jonas, and a rope for Haman :
but he that makes gins, and nets, and
fnares on earth, makes bolts, and ham-
mers, and whips in hell : thus he hath pre-
pared darkncfs for Herod, a fire for Dives,
plagues for Pilate, brimflone for Judas,
fnares for Demas, and fiery fetters for all
reprobate tares : what need poor fouls any
farther fetters, whom the devil once (liuts
within his den, dare you live in fuch a neft
among fpeckled poifons. There ? ferpents
girdle the loins, and cockatrices kill wich
their eyes, and drngons fpit fire from their
mouths, and wolves all devour mens fouls,
and lions roar for the prey, and vipers
(ling and Arike with their tails : O fearful
HORROR.
jaylors ! what ftrange kind of furies live
in hell !
You fee the jaylor, now turn your eves
from fo bad a fpeffacle, and let us view
the den where this monflcr lies.
The Hebrews call it Sheol, a great ditch
or dungeon : the Greeks Zophos, even
darknels itfelf; the Latins In fern us, a
place under ground : all agree it is a dun-
geon under earth, containing thefe two
properties ; Deepnefs, and Darknefs.
1 . It is deep : as heaven is high, lo (moft
probaT^le it is) that hell is deep. John calls
it, a botto7nlels pit, Rev. ix, i. .As if re-
probates were always falling, yet never
could find bottom where to refl ; or how-
foever this be a metaphor, yet without
queflion, heaven and hell are as oppolite
as maybe : and whether the center be the
' place of torment, or (as Keeker thinks)
all the gulfs of the lea, and hollows of the
earth, as being more capable to contain
the damned,' I leave it to the fchools ; as
for the pulpit, I think this prayer more fit,
' Lord,lhew tis what it is, but never where.'
2. The deepnefs is yoaked with dark-
nefs ; fuch a dungeon fits the tares, they
committed works of darknefs, and are caji
into utter darknefs ; a darknefs that may
be felt, thick clouds that may be handled,
damps and miffs that Urike at their hearts
with fenfible griefs. This is that bottomlefs
pit in the heart of the earth ; there Ihines
no fun, nomoon,no liars; there is no light
of candle, torch or taper; (bine the Inn
never fo fair, it is Hill night there ; the
dungeon is dark, and this makes the place
more fad, more uncomfortable. Let Poets
feign of Tantalus' tortures, Prometheus'
vultures, Ixion's wheel, and Charon's row-
ing, thefe come far Hiort to exprefs the
pains of thofe that rage in hell ; there
plagues have no eafe, cries have no help,
time has no end, place no redemption;
i( is the dark prifon where the tares are
chained, and the wicked bound in fetters
of fire and darknefs. Gould men have a
fight
. H EL Vs
fight of hell while they live on earth, I
doubt not their hearts would tremble in
their bofoms ; yet view it in a way of me-
ditation, and fee what you find ? * Are
there not wonderful engines, fharp and
fore inftruments of revenge; fiery brim-
ftone, pitchy fulphur, red hot chains,
flaming whips, fcorching darknefs ?' Will
you any more ? * The worm is immortal,
cold intolerable, ftench endurable, fire un-
quenchable, darknefs palpable : this is that
prifon of the damned, then whofe eyes
dare behold fuch amazing objedts ? But if
not fee, yet lillen with your ears ; is there
any charm in hell to conjure away devils,
or to ravish fouls ? What mufic alibrds the
place, but roaring, and crying, and howl-
ing? Curfing, their hymns ; wailing, their
tunes; blafphemies, their ditties; lachry-
mae, their notes; lamentations, their fongs;
ftireeching, their ftrains ; thefe are their
evening and morning fongs; Moab shall cry
againft Moab, one againfl another, all a-'
gainft God. O fearful prifon ! what tor-
ments have the tares that ly here fettered ?
Their feet are chained in the liocks, and
the iron pierceth their fouls; it is a dun-
geon where the light never shined, but
the walls are as black as pitch, the vaults
are fmoked as chimneys, the roof as dark
as hell, nay, the dungeon is hell, where
the tares ly bound and fettered.' Think
of this goal, ye offenders of God's law and
majefty; the angels fee our doings, the
Judge now expetSls our returning, the
tares grow till the harvefl, and, if they
flill offend, death apprehends them, God
will judge them, thejaylor take them, hell
imprilon them, there are they bound. You
hear the evidence brought in, and the fen-
tence gone out, Take them, bind them,
bind them in bundles, and burn them.
And if this be the jaylor's goal, what
then be the bonds or chains ?
The angels who kept not their fir ft e-
ftate (faith Jude) Gcd hath referved in e-
verlajiing chains, Jude 6. And, Cod/par'
HORROR, ^^yy
ed not the ang Is that finned, faith Peter,
but cajl them dovjn to hell, and delivered
them into chains of darknefs, 2 Pet. ii. 4.
Thus Chrift doomed hirn that had not on
his wedding-garment, Bind him hand and
foot, Matth. xiii. 22. and what may thefe
chains and bonds infinuate, but that the
tares are tied to their torments ? Might
they but remove from place to place, this
would afford fomeeafe; might they but
flir a foot, or turn about, or have any lit-
tle motion to refresh their tormented parts,
this would yield fome comfort : but here
is an univerfal binding, hand and foot, bo-
dy and foul, all muflbe bound with ever-
lafting chains. The reprobates are packt and
crowded together, like bricks in a fiery fur-
nace, having not fo much as a chink where
any wind may enter in to cool them. * O
ye that live in the finful wealth of this
world, conflder but this one punishment
of hell, and be afraid ! if a man, enjoying
" quiet of mind, and health of body, shall
ly chained on a foft down-bed for a month,
or a year, how would he abide it? But
this is nothing : if a man should ly fick of
a fever, fwoln in a dropfie, pained with
the gout, and though it were for the re-
covery of his health, without any turning,
toffmg, ftirring, this were a great torture
fure, and a queflion it were, whether the
difeafe or the phyfick were more intolera-
ble ? Witnefs> poor patients, who change
their licies, wish other beds, feek other
rooms, and all thefe shifts but to mitigate
their pains : how wretched then are the
tares bound in chains ? They are not irj
health, nor bound for a month, nor fIck
of a fever, nor ly for a year, their pain is
grievous, their bonds heavy, their tor-
ments durable, their reftlefs refl eternal.
The worm shall gnaw their (pirit, the fire
tortiu-e their fiesh ; were thci'e nothing,
yet fmall lorrows grow great with conti-
nuance ; the fire shall torture, yet never
ceafe ; worms gnaw theheartj. yet never
gnaw in funder the firings : wretched fouls
are
478
H E L L's
are bound indeed, whofe bonds are never
out of date : a feven years prenticeship
would ere long. expire, but what are feven
years to a world of ages ? The reprobates
muft ferve years, ages, even to a million
of millions, and yet are never free: O
bondage not to be uttered, yet muft be
endured! is it not a bedlam-fury, that
muft have fuch bonds? a little to exprefs
their torments by our fuffcrings, which
yet are nothing, nothing in comparifon :
what means thefe chains, and whips, and
links, and fcourges ? Iron chains, whips
of fteel, fiery links, knotty fcourges ? Fu-
ries (hake their bolts to affrighten fouls,
the irons ftrike thfotigh their ears, and the
hooked engines tear their bowels, as if
the torment of tares were the delight of
devils.' Here is a prifon indeed, where is
nothing heard but yells, and groans, and
fudden cries ; the fire flakes not, the worm
dies not, the chains loofe not, the links
wear not, revenge tires not, but for ever
are the torments frefl:i, and the fetters on
fire, as they came firfl from the forge.
Whata flrange kind of torture falls up-
on the wicked? they are bound to fiery
pillars, and devils lafh at them with their
fiery whips : is there any part of man e-
fcapes free in fuch a fray ? * The flefh
fhall fry, the blood boil, the veins be
fcorched, the finews racked, ferpents (liall
eat the body, furies tear the foul ;' this is
that woful plight of tares, which lie bound
in hell. Ihe lick man at fea may go from
his fliip to his boat, and from his boat to
his riiip again ; the fick man in his bed may
tumble from his right fide to his left, and
from his left to his right again ; only the
tares are tied hand and foot, bound limb
and joint ; their feet walk not, their fin-
gers move not, their eyes mufi: no more
wander as before ; lo, all is bound. thefe
manacles that rot thefiefh, and pierce the
Inward pArts ! O unwatchable torments,
yet moft fit for tares ! fin made them fu-
rious, hell muft tame their phrenlie; the
HORROR,
Judge thus commands, and the execution-
ers niufl difpatch ; fetter them, fire them.
Bind them in bundles to burn them.
1 have led you through the dungeon,
let this fight ferve for a terror that you
never come nearer : to that purpofe, for
exhortation, confider.
Alas! all hangs on life, there's but a
twine-thread betwixt the foul of a firmer,
and the fcorching flames; who then would
fo live, as to run his foul into hazard ?
The Judge threatens us, devils hate us,
the bonds expeft us, it is only our con-
fcienccs mufi clear us, or condemn us.
Search then thy ways, and fiir up thy re-
membrance to her items : haft thou disho-
noured God, blafphcmed his name, decay-
ed his image, fubduing thy foul to fin,
that was created for heaven ? Repent thefe
courfes, afk God forgivenefs, and he will
turn away thy punishments. I know your
fins are grievous, and my foul grieves at
the knowledge; many evils have poffeffed
too many, drunkennefs, and oaths, and
malice, and revenge, are not thefe guefts
entertained into all houfes ? Banish them
your hearts, that the king of glory may
come in : As I live, faith the Lord, I defire
not the death of the wicked, but that ihe
ivicked turn from his ivay and live, Ezek.
xxxiii. II. Would God beftow mer-
cy ? and should we rcfufe his bounty ? as
you love heaven, your fouls, yourfelves,
leave your fins.
Ufe 2. And then, here is a word of con-
folation, the penitent needs not fear hell,
God's fervantis freed from bonds : yea, if
lue love him who hiith frf} loved us, Eph. '
V. 2. all the chains and pains of hell can
neither hold, nor hurt us.
Ufe 3. O then yc fons of Adam (fufier
a reproof) what do ye, that ye do not re-
pent you of your fins ? is it not a madnefs
above admiration, that men, who are rea-
fonable creatures, having eyes in their
Heads, hearts in their bodies, undcrftanding
like the angels, and confciences capable of
un-
H E L L's HORROR,
unfpea^'ble liorrour, never will be war-
. ned, until the fire of that infernal lake
fla'h and flame about their ears ? Let the
angel'-- blufn, heaven and earth be amazed,
and all thecrearures (land aftonifhed at it.
I r in fure a time will come, when the tares
(li ili feel, what now they mayjuftly fear;
you hear enough, fuch weeds muft be
bound, thus flrait isthe Lord's command ;
Bind them ht bundles to burn them.
But all is not done, chains have their
links, and we muft bring all together.
Sinners are coupled in hell as tares in
bundles ; but of thefe when we next meet ;
in the mean while let this we have heard,
bind us all to our duties, thai we hear at-
tentively, remember carefully, pra^ife
confcionably, that fo God may reward ac-
cordingly, and at laft: crown us with his
glory. The tares muft be bound up in bun-
dles ; but. Lord, make us free in heaven,
to fit with Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob in ihy Xazarus might only warn his brethren of
A79
horror muft accompany for ever ? The
tares muft be gathered, and bundled, and
the more bundles, the more and more nii-
feries : company yields no comfort in hell-
fire ; nay, what greater difcomfort than to
fee thy friends in flames, thy fellows in
torments, the fiends with flam'ng whips,
revenging each others malice on thyfelf
and enemy ? It was the rich man's laft pe-
tition, when he had fo many repulfes for
his own eafe, to make one fuit for his li-
ving brethren ; he knew their company
would increafe his torment; to prevent
which he cries out, I pray thee, father A'
brahafn, that thou vjouldfi fend Lazarus to
my father's hou/e, for I have five bre-
thren, that he may teftifie unto them, left
they alfo come into this place of torment,
Luke xvi- 27, 28. Why, it may be God
will hear him for them, efpecially making
fuch a reafonable requeft as this was, that
T
blefTed kingdom.
In bundle s.'\
HE command is out: what.'' hind;
whom? them; how? in bundles.
The tares muft on heaps, which gives us a
double obfervation ; General, and Special.
In the general it intimates thefe two
points ; the gathering of the weed, and
its fevering from the wheat ; both are
bound in bundles, but the wheat by itfelf,
and the tares by themf^lves; as at that
doom, when all the world muft be gather-
ed, and levered, fome ftand at the right
hand, others at the left : fo at this execu-
tion, fome are for the fire, and others for
the b.un ; they are bandied together, yet
according to the diJerence of the feveral
pat'.ies, each from tht= other.
I. Oblerv The tares muft together:
Wo is me, ('.aiih David) that I am con-
ftrained to dwell with Mefech, Pfalm cxx.
4. And if David think it woful to converfe
with his living enemies, then what punifli-
ment have the wicked, whom the devil and
damned, the black angeb and everiafting
future judgment ; no, but to teach you,
if you fell your fouls to fin, to leave a rich
pofterity on earth, you (ball not only your-
felves, without all remorfe and pity, be
damned in hell ; but your pofterity fball
be a torment to vou whilft they live, and
a greater torment, if they come to you
when they are dead. To converfe wiih
devils is fearful, but altogether to accom-
pany each other, is a plague fit for tares :
in this life they flourifticd amongft the
wheat. Let them grow both, together, corn
and tares until the harvejt. But the har-
vcft come, God will now feparaie them
both afunder, and as in heaven there are
none but faints, 10 in htll there are none
but reprobates : to encteafe this torment,
as they grow together, fo all their confer-
ence is to curie each other : Moab iliali cry
againft Moab, father againff (on, fon a-
gainll father; what conuoirin ihis com-
pany? The devil that was autror of fuch
mifchiefs. appears in moft giifly forms,
his angels, tHe black guard of heil, torture
poor fouls iu fiamcs : there live fwearers
V'itii
480
H E L Vs H O R R O R.
•with their flaming tongues, ufurers with
takm hands, drunkards with fcorched
throats, all thefe tares like fiery faggots
burning together in hell-flames ; this is the
firft punilhment, all the tares muft meet,
they are bundled together.
Obfcrv. 2. As the tares mufl: together,
fo they mull: together by themfelves; thus
are they bundled, and fevered ; bundled
all together, but from the wheat all afun-
dtr.
Hell is called damnation,becaufe it brings
heaven's lofs ; and this by confent of moll:
divines, is the moft horrible part of hell:
bitter, faying to his father, Haft thou not
rtjerved one blejfing for me al/o ? Gene/is
xxvii. 31. Imagine then, when the wheat
mufl: have the bleffing, how will the tares
(figured in Efau) roar and cry, and yell
and howl again ? ?.nd yet notwithfl:anding
this unfpeakable rage, all the tears of hell
shall never be fufficient to bewail the lofs
of heaven. Hence breeds that worm that
is always gnawing at the confcience ; A
worm, faith our Saviour, that dies Jiotj
IMark ix. 44. It shdll lie day and night,
biting and gnawing, and feeding upon the
bowels of the damned perfons. O the flings
fo Bafil, ' To be alienated or feparated of this worm ! no fooner shall the damned
from the prefenc^of God, his faints and an- confider the caufe of their mifery, to wit,
gels, is far more grievous than the pain of the mifpending of their time, the greatnefs
hell.' So Chryfoflom, ' The pain of hell of their fin, the many opporiunies lofl^,
is intolerable indeed; yet a ihoufand hells when they might have gotten heaven for a
are nothing to the lofs of that mofl glori- tear, or a figh, or groan from a penitent
ous kingdom.' So Bernard, ' It is a pain heart ; but this worm, or remorfc, shall
far furpafung all the tortures in hell, not at every confideration give them a deadly
to fee God, and thofejoys immortal, which bite, and then shall they roar it out,- * Mi-
are prepared for his children." O then what ferable wretch, what have I done? I had
hells are in hell, when befides the pains of a time to have wrought out the falvation
fenfe, there is a pain of lofs, the lofs of of my foul, many a powerful fearching
God, lofs of faints, lofs of angels, lofs of fermon have I heard, any one pnfi^age
heaven, lofs of that beatifical vifion of the whereof (had I not wickedly and uilfully
moft fovereign good, our ever-blefled Ma- forfook mine own mercy) might have been
ker ? Confider with yourfelves, if at the vinto me the beginning of the new birth ;
parting of the foul and body there be fuch but thofe golden days are gone, and for
pangs and gripes, and ftings, and forrows: want of a little forrow, a little repentance.
what grief then will it be, to be fevered
for ever from the higheft and fupremeft
good ? Suppofe your bodies, as fome mar-
tyrs have been uled, fliould be torn in fun •
der, and that wild horfes, driven contrary
ways, fliould rack and pull your arms and me into as many pieces as there are motes
iegs,'and heart and bowels, one piece from in the fun, rip up my breaft, dig into my
a little faith, now am I burning in hell-
fire: O precious time! O days, months,
years, how are ye vanished, that you will
never come again ? And have I thus mi-
fcrably undone myfelf ? Come furies, tear
another, what an horrible kind of death
would this be, think you ? and yet a thou-
fand rcntingsof this member from that, or
of the foul from the body, are infinirtly
Icfs than this one feparation of the foul
from God. When Jacob got the blefling
from his brother Klhu, it is laid in the
bowels, pull out my heart, leave me not
an hair on my head, but let all burn in
thefe flames, till I moulder into nothing.'
O madnefs of men, that never tliink on
this all the days of jour vilitation ! and
then when the bottomlefs pit hath shut
herfelf upon you, thus will this worm
text, that he roared with a great cry and gnaw your heart with unconceivable grief.
Be
H EL Us
Be amazed, O ye heavens! tremble thou
earth 1 let all creatures fland aftonhhed,
whilft the tares are thus fentenced, Bundle
them, and burn them.
Thus far of the word in general : but
if we look on it with a more narrow eye,
it gives to our hands this fpecial obferva-
tion.
Obferv. The tares mufl: have chains pro-
portionable to their fins : Bind them in
bundles^ faith my text, not in one, but in
many faggots, an adulterer with an adul-
trefs, a drunkard with a drunkard, a trai-
tor with a traitor. As there be feveral fins,
fo feveral bundles, all are punifhed in the
fame fire, but all are not puniflied in the
fame degree ; fomc have heavier chains,
and fome have lighter,but all in jufl: weight
and meafure. The proud fhall be trod
under foot, the glutton fuiTer inefiimable
hunger, the drunkard feel a burning thirfi,
the covetous pine in wants, the adulterer
ly with ferpents, dragons, fcorpions. Give
me leave to bind thefe in bundles, and fo
leave them for the fire ; they are ^rfi bun-
dled, then burned.
I. Where is lady Pride and her follow-
ers ? fee. them piled for the furnace : you
that jet with your cauls and bracelets, tyres
and tablets, rings and jewels, and change-
able fuits, Ifa. iii. Think but what a change
will come, when all you (like birds of a fea-
ther) muft together, to be bound in bundles.
"What then will your pride avail, or your
riches profit, or your gold do good, or your
treafureshelp,whenyoumuflbeconfirained
to vomit tip again your riches , the increafe
of your houfe departing a-way, and a fire
not blown utterly confiiining you and them.
Job xxvi. 26. The rich man in the gof-
pel could for a time go richly, fare fump-
tuoufly, and that not only on fabbaths or
holy-days, but, as the text, every day ;
yet, no fooner had death feized on his bo-
dy, but he was fain to alter both his fuit
and diet ; hear him how he begs for wa-
ter, that had plenty of wines j and fee him.
HORROR. 43 1
that was clothed in purple, now apparel
led in another fuit, yet of the fame colour
too, even in purple flames : O that his de"
licate morfels muft want a drop of water*
and that his fine apparel mufi: cofl him fo
dear, as the high price of his foul ! why,
rich man, is it come to this ? The time
was,, that purple and fine linen was thy
ufual apparel, that banquets of fumptu-
ous diflies were thy ordinary fare ; but
now, not the pooreft beggar, even Lazarus
himfelf, that would change eftate with thee:
change, faid 1 ? No ; Remember, faith old
Abraham, that thou in thy life-time re^
ceivedft thy good things y and like-wife La-
zarus evil things ; but novj he is comfort-
edy and thou art tormentedy Luke xvi. 25.
2. But there are other bundles ; where
is gluttony and her furfeiters ? Do we not
fee how the earth is plowed, the fea fur-
rowed, and all to furniOi one epicure's
table ? Sevile fends fruit, Canary fugars,
Moluques fpices, Egypt balfamum. Candy
oils, Spain fweet meats, France wine ; our
own land cannot fatisfie, but foreign king-
doms and countries mufi: needs be facrifi-
ced to our belly-gods : but what dainties
have fuch Nabals when they come to hell ?
There is a black banquet prepared for de-
vils and reprobates : the firfi di(]\ is weep-
ing, the fecond, gnafhing of teeth, and
what mirth is there where thefe two cour-
fes muft laft all the feaft ? The lazy friar
fweating at his long meats and meals, Heu
quantum patimur, cries he, * Alas, hov\r
much do we fufFer which are friars !' but
alas, how much muft you fufier at this fup-
per, where the meat is poifon, the atten-
dants, furies; the mufick, groans; and
time without end, the fauce of every difh ?
See here the provifion for the damned,
their chains loofe not, their fire cools not,
their worm dies not, their woe ends nor,
fuch gall and vinegar imbitters every mor-
fel. God hath proportioned thispunifliment
for thefe (heaves, they are fent from lur-
feits to an empty dungeon, that fent away
q • beg-
482 H E L L's
beggars empfy from their doors.
H O R R O R,
lets of boiling lead run down his throat ;
3. But more bundles yet, where is as the pleafure, fo the pain ; he was com-
Drunkennefs with her rioters ? Lo.they are forted, and is tormented.
trodden underfoot, faith the prophet, they
ivhofe tables are full of vomit and filthi-
nefs, Ifa. xxviii. 3. are now driven to that
fcarcir/and want, that not a cup of wine,
nor a drop of water can be got in all hell
for them. Sin muft have its punifhment in a
jufl: proportion ; the tongue of that rich
man that had turned down fc many tuns
of wine, cannot procure one drop of wa-
ter in hel] to cool it : in his tongue he fin-
ned, in his tongue he is tormented ; fiery
heats breed a fcorching thirfl, yet, becaufe
he denied Lazaru%a crumb of bread, La-
zarus muft not bring him a drop of water:
How? a drop of water? alas! what are
ten thoufarid rivers, or the whole fea of
water unto that infinite world of fire?
Here is a poor fuit indeed, what begs he
but a cup of water, an handful of water,
• a drop of water ; nay, were it but a wet
finger to cool the tip of bis fcorched tongue?
Hearken, ye drunkards, and fear thefe
flames that one day mufl parch your
tongues. Here you may recreate your-
felves, by fleep, when you have too much,
or by idle company when you would have
more, but hereafter you ^yA\ find no
means to qualify thefe pains; fleep there
is none, though it be nothing but an ever-
lafting night ; friends there be none, tho'
all could profefs their everlafling loves ;
you may indeed commerce with fome com-
pany, but who arc they, fave devils and
reprobates, (miferable comforters !) in the
fame condemnation ? Who is not (ober,
that knows what portion niufl befal thefe
reprobates? Their mouths &x'^ as duft,
their tongues red as fire, their throats
parcht as cotIj, all their bowels clung to-
gether ^s the burning parchment. He that
fovjs iniquity jhail reap vanity ; the dru n-
kard, that abufeth lo much wine, miift
there want a little water, his tongue fliall
cleave to the r©c<f of his mouth, and gob-
4. And yet more bundles, where is Co-
vetoufnefs and her gripers ! O the iron
age we live in ! was there ever lefs love ?
ever more difiembling ? The covetous
hoardeth, holdeth, opprefleth, or, it may
be, puts out to ufury, but never without
fureties, pledges, m.orgages, bills or bonds;
think of tliofe bonds, ye covetous, that
muft bind you in bundles; had you then
ten thoufand worlds, and were they all
compofed of pureft gold, and brim-ful
of richeft; jewels, yet would you cad
them all at the foot of fome Lazarus,
for one drop of water, or one puif
of wind to cool any part or piece of your
tormented members. See the cruel tfFeft
of fin; he that hath no pity fball not be
pitied; no. He floall have judgment -with-
out mercy, that hath Jhtxved no mercy, ]zm.
ii. 13. Thus to pay the covetous in his
own coin, coffers and chells fhall be
brought before him, there fiiail devils ring
him a peal of his damned coin, of pounds,
of fliillings, of pence, thefe accounts fball
found through his ears: and to fatisfy his
heart, melted gold fliall be poured down
his throat; yea, he (ball be fcrved 100 with
his meat in plate, and plate and meat
all boil together to his loathed (upper ;
thus hath Cod fatisficd him that could ne-
ver Jatisfy himfclf, his gold now wants no
weight, his filver is not (carce, mountains
and loads are prepared for him to his great-
er torments.
5. Yet again more bundles, where is
adultery with her minions? Lo, ugly
fiends do embrace them, and the furies of
hell be as their bolbm concubines. I have
read fomewhere (but I will not deliver it
as a truth) that a voluptuous man dying
and going to this place of torment, he was.
there faluted in thisfeaj-ful manner: ' Firfl,
Lucifer commands to fetcii him a chair,
and forthwith an iron chair and red hot
with
H E L L's H
with fparkling fire was brought, and he
fet thereon ; this done, Lucifer com-
mands again to fetch him drink, and a
drink of melted lead was brought in a
cup, which they ftraightway pouring into
his open mouth, anon it came running out
of all his members : this done, Lucifer
commands again, that according to his ufe
they fhould fetch him mulicians to make
him merry, and a fort of muficians came
with hot glowing trumpets, and founding
them at his ears (whereto they laid them)
anon there came fparksoffire leaping out
of his mouth, his eyes, and noftrils, all
about him ; this done, Lucifer commands
again, that according to his wonted man-
ner he rtiould have his concubines, and
upon this they bring him to a bed of fire,
where furies give him kiffeS^ fiery fer pen ts
hug about his neck, and the gnawing worm
fucks blood from his heart ^nd breafts, for
ever and ever.'
O R R O R. 483
covetous, adulterers; thefe and fuch o-
ihers are bundled by the reapers at the ge-
neral harveft.
U/e. O then, having yet a little time,
how fhould we labour to efcape hell's hor-
ror? Let the Proud be humbled, the Epi-
cure faft, the Drunkard pray, the Adul-
terer chaftife himfelf to pull down his bo-
dy; and for the covetous wretch, let him
with all holy greedinefs lay out his bags
for the eternal good of his foul : alas, one
foot in heaven is better than all your lands
on earth. / had rather be a door-keeper
in the houfe of my God, than to dvjell in
the tents (in the houfes, in the palaces) cf
the luicked. Pfal. Ixxxiv. 10. Now then
in the fear of God reform your lives, and
your harvefl, without queflion, (hall be the
joy of heaven ; or if tares will be tares,
what remains but binding, and bundling i
Bind them, bundle them, burn them.
The harveft is done, and the angels fing
Howfoever in this ilory, it may be al^-and fliout for their ended tafk : the tares
together truth was not brought a bed, yet
imagine what a welcome fliall be to the
damned fouls ? Their eyes fhall ftartle,
their ears glow,their noftrils fuck up flames,
their mouths tafte bitternefs, and for the
fenfe of feeling, (according to the mea-
fure of their fin) they are wrapped in the
grifly embracements of Hinging and {link-
ing flames ; where now are thole dainty
delights, fwcct mufick, merry company?
are all left behind ? And is there no recrea-
tion in thofe fmoaky vaults? Unhappy
dungeon, where there is no order but hor-
ror, no finging but howling, no ditties
but their woes, no conforts but. flirieks,
no beauty but blacknefs, and no perfumes
or odour, but pitch and fulphur. Let
the heat of this fire cool the her.t of your
luft, pleafure ends with pain. In as much
(faith God) as the harlot glorified herjelf,
and lived in pleafure, (0 much give ye to
her torment andjorrovjy Rev. xviii. 7.
You fee now (beloved) what tares are
in bundles, the proud, gluttons, drunkards,
aq
W^
are reaped, the furrows cleanfed, the fic-
kles laid afidc, the ilieaves bundled : and
to fliut up all, they mufi: be burned : but
flay we them a while, and at our next
meeting we will fet them on fire. God
make us better feed, that we may receive
abetter crop, even that crown of glory in
the higheft heavens.
To burn them,'}
E have followed the prifoners from
the bar, and brought them to the
flake, what remains further b\it to kindle
the faggots, and fo to Ihut up all with the
burning ?
Hell-fire (at the firfl naming) makes my
foul to tremble ; and would the boldeft
courage but enter into a ferious meditati-
on, what it were to lye everlsflingly in a
red-hot fcorchingfire, how could he chufe
but Hand aflonilhed at the cpnfideration ?
It is a furious fire:' rouze up (beloved) for
either this, or nothing will awake you
from the lleep of fin wherein you ileep
too fecurely. .
q 2 Some
484
H E L Us HORROR.
Some differences there are about this
Fire : many think it a metaphorical, others
a material fire ; be it whether it will, it is
every way fearful, and far above the reach
either of human, or angelical thoughts to
conceive.
If it be metaphorical (as Gregory and
Calvin are of mind) then is it either more,
or nothing lefs terrible : when the holy
Chofl: fhadows unto us the joys of heaven
by gold, and pearls, and precior<s Jioyics,
Rev. xxi. there is no one thinks but
thofe joys do far furpafs thefe Ihadows :
and if the pains of hell are fet out by fire,
and flames, and brimflone, and burning,
what pains are thofe, to which thefe are
nothing but duml:fftiows or types ?
Or if hell-fire be material (as Auflin and
Bullenger do conjecfture) yet is it far be-
■ yond any fire on earth : mark but the dif-
ferences, our fire is made for comfort ;
hell-fire is created for nothing elfe but
torment : our fire is blown with fome airy
-breath of man, but hell-fire is blown with
the angry breath of God : our fire is fed
with the fuel of wood or coal, but hell-fire
is tempered with all the terrible torturing
ingredients of fulphur, and brimftone ; or
• (to cut the way nearer) I will reduce all
the differences to fome of thefe four, and
fo proceed in their order: they diifer ; firll
in Heat; fccondly, in Light; thirdly, in
their obje(^ ; fourthly, in Durance.
Firft, in heat : The file thereof is fire
and much wood, and the breath of the
Lord, like a Jlream of brimflone, doth kin-
dle it, Ifa. XXX. 33. This fire is not made
by the hand of man, nor blown from the
bellows of fome forge, nor fed with any
fuel of combuAible matter : no, it is the
arm of God, and the breath of God, and
the anger of God that kindles it (harply,
and continues it everlaflingly; and, I pray,
if the breath that kindles it be like a ftream
ofbrimjlone, what is the fire itfelf ? You
know there is a great difference betwixt
the heat of our breath, and the fire luour
chimneys: now then, if the breath of God
that kindles hell-fire, be diffolved into
brimflone, what a fearful fire is that, which
a great torrent of burning brimflone doth
ever mightily blow ? A torrent of brim-
flone faid I ? No, it is not brimflone, but
like brimflone, like to our capacity, altho',
for the nature, this like is not like; nay,
could we know exaffly what this breath
were, you would fay (I warrant you) it
were far more hotter than ten thoufand
rivers of brimflone, were they all put to-
gether : Our God (faith the apoflle) is a
confuming fire, Heb. xii. 29. And if God
be a fire, what then is hell fire, kindled by
the breath of God ? * O my foul, how canll
thou but tremble at the thought of this
fire, at which the very devils themfelves do
quake and fliiver :' Paufe a while and con*
fider; wert thou arraigned at fome earth-
ly bar, thy doom pall, the execution at
hand, and thy body now ready to be cafl,
(as many a martyr's was) into fome
burning fire, or boiling cauldron ; Ohow
wouldll thou fliout and roar, and cry
through the extremity of torment? But
what is a boiling cauldron to that boil-
ing fea of fire and brimflone? Pitch and
fulphur, boil altogether, were not this e-
nough ? See there the perplexing proper-
ties of fuch heats; they burn as brimflone
darkly to grieve the fight, Iharply to affli(ft
the fenfe, loath fomely to perplex the
fmell : it is a fire that needs no bellows to
kindle it, nor admits of the leaft air to
cool it ; the fuel walles not, the fmoke
vents not ; the chimnies are but repro-
bates cradles, where they lie fcorching,
burning, howling their luUibies, and their
nurfes furies. The flames of Nebuchad-
nezzar's fire, could afcend forty nine cu-
bits, but if hell be a bottomlefs pit, fure
thefe flames have an endlefs height : how
hot then is that glowing oven, where * the
fire burns lively, the blalts go flrongly,
the wheels turn roundly, and the darken-
ed fuel aie thole damned fouls that burn
in
R
H E L Vs no
in an heat furpaifing ours, unfpeakable of all in vain
us ;' here is one difference.
2dlyf As hell-fire differs from ours in
heat, fo in light ; Ca/i that unprofitable
fervant (faith our Saviour) into utter
darknefs. Matth. xxv. 30. Utter ^ to per-
plex the mind ; Darknejs, to confound the
eye. Conlider but the terror of this cir-
cumftance; if a man alone in darknefs
fhould fuddenly hear a noife of ghofts and
fpirits coming towards him, how would
his hair briflle, his tongue faulter, his
blood run to the heart? Yea, (I dare fay)
although he felt never a lafli from them
on his body, yet the only howling of de-
vils would make his very inmoft heart to
fhake and fhudder ? O then, what horror
is that, when darknefs mud furround thee,
and devils hollow to thee, and reprobates
fhriek at the lafhing of their bodies, and
all hell be filled with the cries ar,d ecchos
of wo, wo, wo for their torments, and the
darknefs ? May be you will object, if there '
be fire, there is affuredly light ; nay,
(without queflion) this fire hath heat, no
light : it is a dark fmoaky Hame, that burns
<3im to the eye, yet fliarp to the fenfe ; or
it may be, (as fome do imagine) this fire
affords a little fuiphurous or obfcure light,
but how? Not for comfort, but confufi-
on. Conceive it thus, he that in the twi-
light fees deformed images, or in the night
beholds (hapes of ghofts, and fpirits, by a
dim dark light, why better he faw nothing,
than fuch ttrrible viiions ; ilich fears, nay
a thoufand times worfe, are prefented to
the eyes ot reprobates j they may dilcern
through darknels, the ugly faces of fiends,
the foiii vifages of reprobates, the furious
torments of their friends, or parents, while
all lie together in ti e lame condemnation.
"What comfort affords this light, where no-
thing is tten but the Judge's wrath, and
the prifoners puniihment? O (will they
cr)) that our eyes were out, or the fiames
\ve:e quenched, or that feme period were
put 10 this endieis night of daiknels ! but
R O R. 4H5
; lo, pillars of fmoke arife out
of the infernal pit, which darken the light,
as the fire lightens the darknefs: and this
is the fecond difference.
3<//y, There is yet another difference in
the fuel or objeft of this fire ; ours burns
not without materials, this works alfo on
fpirituals. Itis Iconfefs, a queflion whether
devils fuffer by fire ? and how may that be?
Some are of opnnion, that they are not
only fpirits, but have bodies; not organi-
calas ours, but aerial, or fomewhat more
fubtile than the air itfelf: this opinion
howfoever mofl: deny, yet Auftin argues
for it ; * For if men and devils, faith he,
are punifiied in the fame fire, and that fire
be corporeal, how are devils capable of
the fufiering, unlefs they have bodies, like
men, fit for the impreffion ? and yet if we
deny them to have bodies, I fee no impof-
fibility, but that fpirits themfelves may fuf-
fer in hell' fire : is it not as eafie with God
""to join fpirits and fire, as fouls and bodies ?
as therefore the foul may fuffer through
the body, fo likewife may thofe fpirits be
tormented by fire.* I will not argue the
cafe either with, or againft Aufiin ; yet
fafely may we put this conclufion, ' Not
only men in their bodies, but devils and
fouls mufl together be tormented in hell-
fire.' Thus our Saviour couples them in
that laff heavy doom, Go, ye curfed into
evcrlajiing fire prepared for the devil and
his angels, Matth. xxv. 4t. What a fire
5s this ? it tries the reins, it fearcheth the
bowels, it pierceth the very foul and in-
moft thoughts. O fire above mealure!
where fpirits are the tormentors, damna-
tion the punilhment, men and devils the
fuel, and the breath of an offended God
the bellows. Think not on your fires, that
give you heat for warmfh, or lioht for
comfort J neither fear yu him that kills
your b'.die<>, but hath no further commiifi-
on to hurt your fouls : here is another
fire, another judge; a fire that kindle*
fouls, a Judge that fendi bodies and foui."?
ta
486 H E L Us H
to everla fling fire : fuch heats, fuch dark-
nefs, fuch obje^ls accompany this fire; the
heat is intolerable, darknefs palpable, bo-
dy and foul both corabuftible, all burn to-
gether that have finned together. This
is the third difference.
Lafily, There is a difTcrence in durance ;
our fife dies quickly, but hell-fire lafis for
ever. This is done (faith Auflin) * admi-
rably, yet a<rtually,' the burning bodies ne-
ver confumc, the kindled fire never waftes
with any length of time. We read of a
certain fait in Sicilia, that if put into the
fire, it fwims as in water, and being put
into water crackles as in fire: we read of a
fountain in Libya, that in a cold night is
fo hot, that non% can touch it, and in a
' hot day fo cold that none could drink it :
if God thus work miracles on earth, do'ft
' thou feek a rcafon of God's high and hea-
vy judgment in hell ? I fee the pit, I
cannot find the depth ; there is a fire that
now (lands as it were created ; it muft be
endured, yet never, never muftbe ended.
The cuftom of fome countries, that burn
malefa(5lors, ufe the leaft fires for great-
eft offenders, that fo the heat being leffen-
ed, the pains might be prolonged ; but if
■ this be fo terrible to them, whofe fire is
but little, and whofe time cannot be long;
what an exceeding horrible torment is this
in hell, where the fire is extream great, and
the time for ever and everlafting ? Sup-
pofe you, or any one of you fliould lie one
night grievoufly affli(5led with a raging fit
of the ftone, cholick, ftrangury, tooth-ach,
pangs of travel, and a thoufand fuch mi-
feries incident to man, how would you
tofs and tumble ? How would you turn
your fides, tell the clock, count the hours,
expeft every moment for the gay-bright
morn, and till then eflecm every hour a
year, and every pang a mifery matchlefs,
and intolerable ? O then what will it be
(think you) to lie in fire and brimftoue,
kept in highcft Hame by the unquenchable
wrath of God, world without end? How
O R R O R.
tedious will be that endlefs night, where
the clock never Hrikes, the time never paf-
fes, the morn never dawns, the fun never
rifes ; where thou canft not turn, nor
tofs nor tumble, nor yet take any reft,
where thou fhalt have nothing about thee
but darknefs, and horror, and wailing, and
yelling, wringing of hands, and gnafhing
of teeth for evermore ? Good Lord, that
for a fmilc of prefcnt pleafure, men Hiiould
run upon the rock of eternal vengeance !
come, ye that purfue vanity, and fee here
the fruit of fin at this harveft of tares, * Plea-
fures are but momentary, but the pangs
are eternal:' eternal? How long is that i
Nay, here we are filenced, no limner can
fet it forth, no orator can exprefs it ; if
all times that ever were, and ever fhall be,
fliould be put together, they would infi-
nitely CQJTie fhort of this fiery eternity ;
the latitude thereof is not to be mcafured,
neither* by hours, nor days, nor weeks, nor
months, noryears, nor luftra's, nor olympi-
ads, nor indii^lions ; nor jubiles, nor- ages,
nor Plato's years, nor by the moft flow mo-
tions of the eighth fphere, though all thefe
were multiplied by thoufands, or millions,
or the greateft multiplier, or number num-
bering that can be imagined.' Plainly in
a word, count if you pleafe, ten hundred
thoufand millions of years, and add a thou-
fand myriads of ages to them, and when
all is done, multiply all again by a thou-
fand, thoufand, thoufand of thoufands, and
being yet too fliort, count all the thoughts,
motions, mutations of men and angels j
add to them all the fands of the fea, piles
on the earth, ftars in the heavens ; and
when all this is done, multiply all again by
all the numbers, fquares, cubicks ot arith-
metick ; and yet all thefe are fo far (hort of
eternity, that they neither touch end, nor
middle, nor the leaft part or parcel of
it: what then'is this which the damned fuf-
fer ? eternal fire ? we had need to cry our,
Fire, fire, fire ; aias, to what end ? There
is no help to extinguilh fire that muft burn
for
H E L Us HORROR.
for ever : your buckets may quench other
fires, not this ; no milk nor vinegar can
extinguidi that wild fire : it is a fire which
no means can moderate, no patience can
endure, no time can for ever change, but
in it whofoever wofully lies, their flefh
fhall fry, their blood fhall boil, their hearts
confume ; yet th^y (hall never die, but
dying live, and living die ; death in life,
life in death, miferable ever. This is that
confideration, which fhall bring all the
damned reprobates to fhriek and howl e-
verlaftingly : were they perfuaded that af-
ter millions of years they lliould have one
year of pleafure, or after thoufands of mil-
lions they fhould have fome end cf torment,
here would be a little hope; but this word
ever, breaks their hearts alunder : this e-
very ever, gives new life again to thofe in-
fuiferable forrows; and hence it is, that
when all thofe millions of years are done
and gone, then (Gou knows) muH the
wheels of their torment whirl about and a-
bout : alas, the fire is durable, the heat con-
tinual, the fuel immortal, and fuch is the
end of tares, they will burn without end :
Bvid them in bundles to burn them.
Lo here the fire of hell, which compar-
ed to ours on earth, it differs in heat, in
light, in fuel, in durance : let your fouls
work on thefe objeds, that they never come
nearer to thofe liames.
Ule I . Who among/} us would divell with
devouring fire, who amongft us would dwell
with ci'crliifling burnings ? Ifaiah xxxiii.
14. Beloved, as you tender your fouls,
and would efcape the liames, reform your
lives-while you have yet a little time. You
hear it founded in fynagogues, and preach-
ed in pulpits; what found but heaven or
hell, joys or torments ; the one befalling
the good, and the other the jull end of the
wicked. Do we believe this truth ? And
dare we commit fin, whofe reward is this
fiery death ? Upon due confiderarion, how
is it that ve fleep or reft, or take a minute's
eal'e ? LeiTer dangers have bellraught fome
R R O R. 487
out of their wits ; nay bereaved many of
their lives ; how Is it then that we run
headlong into this fire, yet never weigh
whither we are going, till we are dropping
into the pit, whence there is do redempti-
on. Look about you while it is called to
day, or otherwife wo and alas that ever
you were born ; be fure a time will come,
when miferies fhall march, angels bear a-
larms, God found deftrufHon, and the
tents of his enemies be all fet on fire : Bind
them in bundles to burn them,
Ufe 2. Or yet, if comparifons can pre-
vail ; fuppofe one of you fhould be taken,
and brought along to the mouth of an hot
fiery furnace, then (comparing fin with its
puni(hment) might I queftion you, how
much pleafure would you afk, to continue
there burning but one year .' ' How much
(would you fay ?) furely not for all the
plea fu res and treafures that all this world
can afibrd you. How is it then, that for
"a little fin, that endures but a moment,
fo many of you fo little regard eternal pu-
nifliment in hell-fire ? If we fliould but fee
a little child fall into the fire, and his ve-
ry bow els burnt out, how would it grieve
us, and make our very hearts bleed within
us ? how much more then lliould it grieve
you to fee, not a child, bu: your own bo-
dies and fouls caft away for a momentary
fin into the lake of fire, that never Ihall
be quenched ? If a man fl.ould come a-
mongil \^s, and cry, fire, fire, thy houfe
is all on fire, thy corn, thy cattel, thy wife,
thy children, and all thou halt art burning
altoget^ier, how would this aftonilh us,
making both the hair to ftand upright on
our heads, and the tears to guih out of
our eyes ? Behold then, and fee the Spi-
rit of God cries out. fire, fire; even the
dreadful ^!re of hell gapeth ready to devour,
not thy houfe, thy corn, or thy cartel, but
thy poor (oul,and that for evermore : O then
how ihould this break your Hinty hearts
afunder, and make your fouls blei d again
and again ; if you have any fpark of grace,
thiS'
4^8 H E L Us H O R R O R,
this meth'inks ftiould move you to a ftri<fl fand thoufand years continuance
courfe of life ; if you have any care of
your fouls, this methinks (liould make you
to wiilk humbly, and purely, carefully and
confcionably towards God, and towards
man; if not, what remains but fire, fire;
Bind them in bundles to burn them.
3. Or yet if example can perfuade us
more, meditate on the miferablc condition
of that namelefs rich man : fuppofe you
faw him in hell-torments, compart about
with furies, fires, and all that black guard
below, his tongue flaming, his eyes far-
ing, his confcience biting, his foul fuf-
fering, his body all over burning in that
fire of hell. O lamentable fight ! but to
make it more lamentable, hearken how he
rores and cries through the extremity of
pains, ' O torment, torment! how am I
tormented in this fire ? my head, my heart,
my eyes, my ears, my tongue ; my tongue is
all on fire, what (liall I do ? whither fliall I fly
for fuccour ? Within me is the worm, with-
. out me is fire, about me are devils, above
me is Abraham, and what glorious ftar is
yonder I fee, but Lazarus, poor Lazarus
in his bofom ? what, is a beggar exalted ?
arid am I in torments? "Why, Abraham,
father Abraham, have mercy on me : fee
here a man burning, fcorching, ft-ying in
hell-flames, one dram of mercy, one drop
of water to a tormented foul ; oh I burn,
1 burn, I burn without eafe or end, and is
there none to pity me ? Come, Lazarus,
if Abraham will not hear, let me beg of
thee, a beggar, and howfoevcr I denied
thee a crumb of bread, yet be fo good, fo
charitable, as to dip the tip of thy finger
in water, and cool my tongue. It is a poor
fuit I afk ; not to dive, but dip ; not thy
hand, but finger ; not all, but the tip of it ;
not in fnow, but water ; not to quench, but
to cool ; not my body, but my Icafl mem-
ber, be it my tongue only : no eafe fo little,
no grant fo poor, no remedy fo (hnall, but
happy "were I if I could obtain it, though I
begged it with tears and prayers of a thou-
but fee
Abraham andLazarusdeny my fuits ; I burn,
and neither God, nor faint, nor angel takes
pity on me; and fhall I cry for help on
devils ? alas ! they are my tormentors that
lalh me, and cut me with their whips of
horning fleel and iron.' O beloved ! what
fliall we fay to the roring rage of this tor-
mented wretch ? Alas, alas ! how little do
men think on this ? they can pafs away
time fporting and playing, as if they went
to prifon but for a few weeks or days ;
jul^ like men, who having the fentence of
death pafl upon them, run fooling and
laiighing to the execution ; but when once
hell mouth hath Ihut herfelf, then fliall
they find nothing but eternity of torments ;
in the fear of God take heed of this eter-
nity, eternity, left you alfo come into
this place of eternity, eternity of torment:
it is the doom of tares, wo to them who-
foever that are of the number, for they,
they muff be gathered, and bound, and
bundled, and burned.
We have now done our tafli, and end-
ed the harvefl : if you pleafe to cafl back
your eye upon the particulars delivered,
they amount to this fum.
IVhatfoever a manfows , that p?ali he reapy
Gal. vi. 7. If the enemy fow tares, and
we nourilh the feed, what think you is the
harveft? Gather yc together firj} the tares,
faith our Saviour to the angels ; they are
branded in their name, tares ; fped in the
X\me,fir/i ; curft in their doom, gathered j
bu t worfl in the hands of their executioners,
it is by angels ; and yet what is all this to
the latter work in hand ? If the tares w:eed-
ed up might rot in the furrows, the punifli-
ment were kfs, but as they are gathered,
fo they mufi be bound. Is that all ? nay,
as they are bound, fo they mufl be bun-
dled. Is that all ? nay, as they are bound
and bundled, fo they mufi be burned.
Bind than in bundles to burn them. I muft
end this text, yet I am loath to leave yoii
where it ends : as there is an harvefl of
tares,
CHRIST'S SU FFE RINGS, &c.
tares, fo there is a better harveft of wheat,
Tf;ey that foxv in tears fhall reap in joy,
Pfalm cxxvi. 5. If we repent us of our
fins, we fhall have a blefled harveft indeed ;
how ? forty grains for one ? Nay, by the
promife of our Saviour, an hundred fold,
4S9
ry, fountains of pleafure, and rivers of de-
light, where they may fwim, and bathe
their fouls for ever and ever: what though
tares muft to the fire \ the wheat is gather-
ed into heaven. Pray you then with me,
' That we may be wheat, not tares; and
A meafure heaped, andjljaken, and thrujl God fo blefs the feed, that every foul of
together, and yet running over, Luke vi. us may have a joyful harveft in the king-
3.8. Every faint fliali have joy and glo- dom of heaven.' Amen.
ChrtJYs Sufferings, the Purging of Sin,
Heb. i. 3. When he had by himfelf purged our fins.
THE point is not full, but to make
it up, the text ftands compaft with
words of wonder, concerning the
Word, our Saviour, he that is the Son of
God, Heir of all things. Creator of the
•world, the brightnefs of his glory, the i-
mage of his per fan, and Upholder of all
things by the word of his power, ftands
here as the fubjedl of humility and glory.
Ht purged our fins, and fits at the right
hand of the Majefty on high. He purged
our fins, by his fuffering on the crofs ; He
fits at God's right hand, by obtaining the
crown ; He purged our fins, by dying for
them; He fits on God's right hand, by rul-
ing with him : what need we more ? here
is his paflion and felfion in the fame order
he performed them ; for then He fat down
on the right hand of his Father, when he
had by himfelf purged our fins.
But to come nearer the words, they are
as the drugs of an apothecary, and we will
examine the ingredients. I am fie k of
love, faith the church, Cant. v. 8, Sick
indeed, not of love only, but of fin alfo ;
a difeafe that infatuates the mind, gripes
the confcience, diftempers the humours,
difturbs the paffions, corrupts the body,
indangers the foul : is not he blefted that
CMi help this malady ? Come then, ye that
Rr
labour of fin, and to your endlefs comfort
fee here the manner of the cure; there is
a phyfician, He; the patient, himfelf; the
phyfick adminiftred, when he had purged;
the ill humours evacuated, when he had
"purged our fins.
Or to gather up the crumbs, left in this
coftly receipt or phyfick any thing be loft ;
fee here the remedy girt and compaft with
each necefi^ary circumftance ; the time
When; the perfon, he; the matter, />z/r^!
ed; the manner, by himfelf; the difeafe,
fin ; the extent of it, our. Obferve all, and
you find no time more difmal than this
When ; no perfon more humbled than this
he ; no phyfick more operative than this
purge ; no difeafe more dangerous, no
plague more fpreading than fin, our fin,
for which he fuffered. When he by himfelf
had purged our fins.
We have opened the body of the text,
now look on the parts, and you may fee
the anatomy of our Saviour in every mem-
ber of it.
Whenr\
THE text begins with the time, When,
he had purged; and this time, faith
Erafmus, according to the original denord's
the time paft, left that we had thought He
had purged our fins by his fetting him down
490 C HRlSTs SU
at the right hand of God. Firfl therefore,
fafith theapoftle, he purged, and then fate :
he firft purged by his death, and when that
was done, He fat at the right hand of the
Majeftyy in the higheji places. Whence
obferve ;
DoQ. The tivie that Chrifl purged, was
In the days of his humiliation. Then he
was born, Mat. i. i8. then was he tempt-
ed, Mat. iv. I. then was he circumcifed,
Luke ii. 2i. then was he tradured, Mat.
xi. 19. then was he perfecuted, John vlii.
59. then was he betrayed, Mat. xxvi. 16.
then was he apprehended, Mat. xxvi. 50.
then was he mocked, Mat. xxvii. 29. then
was he crucified, IVIat. xxvii. 35. But as
all his life was fullof infirmity, fo accord-
ing to the nature of all infirmities, he had
thofe four times mentioned by phyficians
in his life; * The beginning, the increafe,
the ahntn or ftate, and declination.' Give
me leave but to profecute thefe times, and
by that time we have done, the hour I
know, will fummon us to a conclufion.
I. Then he had his archen, his begin-
ning, and that was the firfl: time of his
purging, even at his birih ; then took he
our infirmities upon him, and in fome mea-
fure evacuated the brightnefs of his glory,
to become for us a poor, a weak, a filly
babe on earth : mark, I pray, how this purge
works with him at his firft entrance into the
world, it brings him into fo poor and low
tftate, that heaven and earth ftand amazed
at fo great a change : where was he born but
at Bethlehem, a little city ? where did the
/hepherds find him, but in a poor forry cot-
tage ? and there if we look after majeAy,
we find no guard but Jofeph, no attend-
ants but Mary, no hcraulds but fhep-
herds, none of the bed-chamber butbeafts
and oxen ; and howfoever he is filled King
of the Je-ws, yet the Jews cry out, They
have no king but Ccefar. His mother in-
deed defcended of kings, and he himfclf
gives crowns to others, of victory, of life,
^f glory J but for his own head no crown
FFERING S,
is prepared but a crown of thorns ; anon
you may fee him cloathed in purple, a-
nointed with fpittle ; but for the crown
we fpeak of, they can afford him no rich-
er than of hedge, no eafier than of thorns.
Thus for the beginning : what then is
the increafe of this .''
This increafe (fay phyficians) is, * when
the fymptoms more manifeftly appear ei-
ther of life or death :' and no fooner was
our Saviour born, but he had manifeft to-
kens evidently fhewing that for us he muft
die. If you run through his life, what was it
but ^ficknefs and a purge ? confider his par-
city and abftinence, his conflancy in watch-
ing, his frequency in prayer, his alTlduity In
labour. But how foon, and Herod makeshim
flee into Egypt, and live an exile in a ftrange
land .' At his return he dwells at Nazareth,
and there is accounted Jefus the cavpentery
Mark vi. 5. When he enters into his mi-
niftry, he hath no houfe to re'pofe him, no
money to relieve him, no friends to com-
fort him. See him firfl fet on by Satan,
then by men ; he is led into the wildernefs
by the Spirit, and there he fafls /or/y days
and forty nights, without bit of bread, or
drop of water. The devil (feeing this op-
portunity) begins his temptation, who pre-
fently overcome, the Jews follow after him
with hue and cry : mark but their words
and works : in word they call him a glut-
ton, a drunkard, a deceiver, a Jinner, a
madman, a Samaritan, and one poffeffed
with a devil. Mat. xi. 19. and xxvii. 63.
John ix. 24. and x. 20. and viii. 48 Good
words I pray ! is not he the anointed of
God ? The Saviour of men ? yes ; but They
rendered me evil for good, and hatred for
?ny good will, faid the Pfalmift in his pcr-
fon, Pfalm xxxv. 12. When therefore he
did miracles, he was a forcerer ; when he
reproved finners, he was a feducer ; when
he received finners, he was their favourer;
when he healed the fick, he was a breaker
of the Sabbath ; when he cafl out devils,
it was by the power of devils j what and
how
the T URGING of S I N.
hew msny rmjuu coniurnelies endured he
of the Pharifees, who fometimes caft him
out of the city, accuied him of blafphemy,
cried out upon him, he was a man not vjot'
thy to live. And as they fay, they do j ob-
ferve but their works : iirft. They fend
officers to apprehend him, but they being
overcome with the grace of his fpeechcs,
return only with this anfwer, A' ever man
/pake like this fnan,]oh . vii. 46. Then took
they up ftones to ftonehim,but by his mira-
culous pafTage (while they are a confpiring
his death) he efcaped out of their hands,
John X. 36. Then led they him to an hill,
thinking to throw him down headlong,
and yet all would not do, for ere they
were aware of it, he fairly pajfeth through
themidjiofthemall. Luke iv. 10. Atlafl:
his lart paflion draws near, and then men
and devils combine in one to make him at
once wretched and miferable : He is de-
fpifed, and reje^led of men; yea, he is a
man full offorrows, (faith the prophet) and
hath experience oj infirmities, Ifa. liii. 3.
Or for a further inquiry, let us do what
our Saviour bids, Search the fcriptures,
for they are they -which tejlifie of him.
John V. 39. We have but two teflaments
in the whole Bible, and both thefe give
full evidence of Chrift's miferable life. In
the old teflament it was prefigured by A-
dam's penalties, Abel's death, Abraham's
exile, Ifaac's offering, Jacob's wreffling,
Joieph's bonds. Job's fuffering, David's
mourning ; yea, the prophets themfelves
were both figures ; and delivered prophe-
cies of our Saviour's affliftions. Thus
Ifaiah of him: Surely he hath born our
griefs, and carried our forrovjSj yet we
did efteem him firicken, fmitten of God,
and afflicted, Ifa. liii. 4. Thus Jeremiah
of him : He gives his cheeks to him that
(mites him, he is filled fidl with reproach.
Lam. iii. 30. Thus Daniel of him, /Iftcr
threefcore and two weeks fhall Meffiah be
flain : and fl.iall have nothing. Dan. ix.
0.6. Thus Zechpry of him, What are
R
491
thefe wounds in the midfl of thy hands ?
And he (hall fay, With thefe wounds was I
wounded in the houfe of my friends, Zech.
xiii. 6. But come we to the New tefla-
ment ; and in every gofpel, we may not
only read, but fee him fufFer : Matthew,
who relates the hiflory of his life ; what
writes he but a tragedy, wherein every
chapter is a fcene ? Look thro' the whole
book, and you read in the firfl chapter,
Jofeph will not father him : in the fe-
cond, Herod feeks to kill^him ; in the third,
John the Baptifi: would needs out of his
humility deny him baptifm ; in the fourth,
he fafls forty days, and forty nights, and
is tempted in the wildernefs; in the fifth,
he foretells perfecutions, and all manner of
evil againfl his apoflles ; in the fixth, he
teacheth his church that flrifl courfe of
life, in fafting, praying, giving of alms, and
forgiving of enemies; in the feventh, he
concludes his fermon made on the top of
a mountain ; in the eighth, he comes
down, and towards night hath no houfe
to haibour in, nor pillow to refl his head
on ; in the ninth, he is rebuked of the pha-
rifees for not fafling : in the tenth, all men
hate his difciples for his fake ; in the e-
leventh, they call him that knew no excefs,
a glutton and a drunkard ; in the twelfth,
they tell him how he cafls out devils thro'
Beelzebub prince of devils; in the thir-
teenth, they are offended at him, and de-
rive his pedigree from a carpenter ; in the
fourteenth, Herod thinks him to be John
Baptifl's ghofl ; in the fifteenth, the fcribes
reprehend him for the breach of their tra- '
ditions; in the fixteenth, the Sadducees
tempt him for a token ; in the feventeentb,
he pays tribute to Cefar ; in all the red
he foretels and executes his paflion : now
count not chapters, but hour's, from that
hour wherein he was fought for, until the
fixth hour of his crucifying; one betrays
him, another apprehends him, one binds
him, another leads him bound from Pilate
to Herod, from Herod back again to Pilate;
r r 2 - thus
492 C HR I ST's SU
thus they never leave him, till his foul leave
the world, and he be a dead man amongft
them.
You have feen the beginning and in-
creafe, and we'll now draw the curtains,
that you may behold the bridegroom where
he lieth at noon-day, to wit. in the ftate
or vigour of his grievous fufFerings.
This ftate, or Jkmen (fay phyficians) is
' when nature and the difeafe are in great-
cft contention, when all the fymptoms
are become moft vehement : fo that either
nature or the infirmity muft needs have
the viftory ;' and ' although (fay divines)
all Chrift's life was full of miferies, yet
principally and 4jiefly is that called his
paffion, in fcripture, which he endured
two days before death :' and ' to this ex-
tream paflion (faith Kerker) is the purg-
ing of fins chiefly atrributcd.' Come then,
ye that pajs by, behold, and fee, if there
\uas ever any forro-w like unto this for roiv,
which is done unto him in the day of God's
anger. Lam. i. 12. His infirmities arc now
at full, and the fymptoms which made it
evident unto us, are fome inward, fome
outward ; inward in his foul, outward in
his body : we will take a view of them
both.
I. His foul, // began to be forrowful,
faith Matthew, Matth. xxvi. 37. To he a-
7nazed, and very heavy, faith Mark, Mark
xiv. 33. To be in an agony, faith Luke,
Luke xxii. 44. To he troubled, faith John,
John xii. 27. Here is forrow, and heavi-
jicfs, and agony, and trouble, the efii-
mate whereof we may take from his own
\vords in the garden ; My foul is exceed-
ino forrowful, even unto death : Matth.
xxvi. 38. Now was the time he purged,
not only in his body, but his foul too ;
JVo^v is my foul troubled, and what fhall I
fay ? Father, Jave me from this hour, but
for this caufe ca7ne I unto this hour, John
xii. 27. A fatal hour fure, of which it
was (aid before often. His hour was not yet
€Qmei but being come, he could then tell
F F E RI NGS,
his difciples, The hour is at hand; Matthew
xxvi. 45. and after tell the Jews, This is
your hour, and the power of darknefs ;
Luk.xxii.53. Now was it that Chrilt yield-
ed his Ibul for our fouls, to the fufception
of forrow, enduring of pain, and diffo-
lution of natute: and therefore even fick
with forrow, he never left Sweating, weep-
ing and crying, till he was heard in that
which he feared, Heb. v. 7.
idly, As his foul, fo his body had her
fymptoms of approaching death : our very
eye will foon tell us, no place was left in
his body where he might be fmitten, and
was not : his fkin was torn, his flerti was
rent; his bones unjointed, his finews
firained ; (hould we fum up all ? See that
face of his. Fairer than the fons of men,
Pfalm xlv. I. How it is defiled with fpit-
tle, fwoln with buffets, malked with a co-
ver of gore-blood : fee that head, white as
white wool, andfnow; Rev. i. 14. how it
is crowned with thorns, beaten with a
reed, and both head and hair dyed inafan-
guine red that iffued from it : fee thofe
eyes, that were as a flame of fire, Revel,
i. 14. How they fwim with tears, are dim
with blood, and darken at the fad ap-
proach of dreadful death : fee that mouth,
which fpake as never man f pake ; John vii.
46. how it is wan with firokes, grim with
death, and embittered with that tarteft
potion of gall and vinegar : fliould we
any lower f See thofe arms that could em-
brace all the power of the world, how they
are drained and ftretched on the crofs;
thofe fhoulders that could bear the frame
of heaven, how they are lafiit with knotty
cords, and whips ; thofe hands that made
the world, and all therein ; how they are
nailed and clenched to a piece of wood ;
that heart where never dwelt deceit nor
fin, how it is pierced and wounded with a
foldier's fpear : thofe bowels that yearned
with compaffion of others infirmities, how
they are dry and pent with draining pulls:
thofe feet that walktd in the ways of God,
bow
the T URGING of S I N. 493
fummatum e/i was efre<ri:ed,all was finillied >
as for his burial, refurreflion, and afcenfi-
on, which follow after this time, they ferve
not to make any fatisfa^tion for fm, but
only to confirm it, or apply it, after it was
made and accomplifhed.
life I . But what ufe of all this ? Give
me leave (I pray) to fliake the tree, and
then do you gather the fruit. From the
firlt part, his birth, we may learn Humi-
lity, a grace mofl: prevailing with God
for the obtaining of all graces; this was it
that made David a king, Mofes a governor ;
nay, what fay we to Ghrift himfelf, who
from his firft entrance, until his departure
to his father, was the very mirror of true
humility itfelf ? Learn of me (faith he)
to be humble and lowly in fpirit, and you
Jhallfind refi unto your fouls. Matth. xi.
29. Hereunto accorded his doftrine, when
he pronounced them bieffedvi\io vftvepoor
in fpirit, Mat. iii. 3. Hereunto accorded
his reprehenfion, when he difliked their
manner who were wont to choofe out the
chief rooms at feafis : Luke xiv. 7. Here-
unto accorded his practice, when he vouch-
fafed to -waf} his difciplesfeet; and to ixiipe-
them iviih the towel wherewith he was
how they are boared, and faftened to a
crofs with nails : from hand to foot, there
is no part free, but all over he is covered
in a mantle of cold blood, whofe garments
were doft before, and took of them that
were his hangmen : poor Saviour, what a
woeful fight is this ? * A bloody face,
thorny head, watry eyes, wan mouth,
flralned arms, lafliedihoulders,nailed hands,
wounded heart, griping bowels, boared
feet :' Here is forry pains, when no part
is free; and thefe are the outward fymp-
toms of his (late that appear in his body.
We have thus far feen our fun {the Sun
of right eoufnefsy Mai. iv. 2.) in the day-
break, and rifing, and height of his fuf-
fering : what remains further, but that we
come to the declination, and fo end our
journey for this time ?
This declination (fay phyficians) is,
* * When nature overcomes iicknefs, fo
that all difeafes attain not this time ; but
thofe, and thofe only that admit of a re-
covery; yet howfoever (faith my f Au-
thor) there is no true declination before
death. There is at lead a feeming declin-
ation, when fometimes the fymptoms may
become more remifs, becaufe of weak na
ture yielding to the fury and tyranny of girded, John xiii. 5. O humility,how great
death overcoming it.' I will not fay di-
reflily, that our Saviour declined thus, ei-
ther in deed or in ihew : for neither was
the cup removed from him, nor died he by
degrees; but in perfeft fenfe, and perfect
patience both of body and foul, he did
voluntarily, and miraculoufly refign his
Spirit (as he was praying) into the hands
of his Father. Here then was the true de-
clination of this patient ; not before death,
but in death, and rightly too : for then was
it that this fun went down in a ruddy
cloud : then was it that this patient re-
ceived the laft dregs of his purge; then was
it that God's juftice was fatisfied, the con-
are thy riches, that are thus commended to
us ? thou pleafeft men, delighteft angels,
confoundeft devils, and bringefl thy Crea-
tor to a manger, where he is laped in
rags, and cloathed in fleih ! had we Chri-
ftian hearts to conlider the humility of
our Redeemer, and how far he was from
our haughty difpofition, it would puU
down our pharifaical humours, and make
us far better to remember ouifelves.
Ufe 2. As we learn humility frcMn his
birth, fo we may learn patience from his
life. Jf any man will come after me (faith
our Saviour) let him deny himfelj, and
take up his crofs and follow me. Mat. xvi.
• Galen, iv. lib. de Crif. cap. i. f Scncrt, iufti.tution. medicinas 1, a. par. i. c. la. ds moib. temp.
»4^
494
C HRISTs
14. Dear CViriftian, if thou wilt be faved,
niind thy Chrift : art thou abufed by lies,
reproaches, evil fayings, or doings ? We
cannot more (hew how we have profited
in Chrift's fchool, than by enduring them
all : if patience be in our calamities, they
are no .calamities, but comforts: this
is that comfort that keeps the heart from
envy, the hand from revenge, the tongue
from contumely, and often overcomes our
very enemies themfelves, without any
weapons at all. Come then, and do you
learn this lefTon of our blefTed Redeemer !
are you ftricken ? So was Chrift of the
Jews : are you mocked ? So was Chrift of
the foldiers: are ^ou betrayed of your
' friends ? So was Chrift of his apoftles : are
you accufed of your enemies ? So was
-Chrift of the Pharifees : why complain you
of being injured, and maligned, when you
fee the the mafter of the houfe himfelf cal-
led Beelzebub ? Hereunto are ye called,
(faith Peter) /or Cbrljl alfo fuffered for us,
leaving us an example, that ye Jloould fol-
lo-w his J}eps, i Pet. ii. 21.
Ufe 3. As patience from his life, fo we
iray learn remorfe from his paftion ; Is it
nothing to you, all ye that pafs by? Lara.
i. 12. O look on him, and let this look
breed in you a remorfe and forrow for
your fins: our Saviour labours in the ex-
tremities of pangs, his foul is fick, his bo-
dy faints, and would you know the rea-
fon ? Why, thus is the head wounded,
that he might renew health to all the bo-
dy ; we fin, and Chrift Jefus is heavy, and
fore and fick, and dies for it ; his foul was
in our fouls ftead, his body endured a pur-
gatory for us, that we both in body and
foul might efcape hell-fire, which our fins
had deferved; whobutconfiders what evils
our fins have done, that will not grieve
and mourn at the fin he hath committed?
Oh that my head ivere a fountain of tears,
that I might weep day and night for the
fins of the daughters of my people ! we
have finned, we have finned, and what
SU FF E RING S,
ftiall we fay to thee, O Saviour of men !
alas! our fins have whipped thee, fcourg-
ed thee, crowned thee, crucified thee, and
if I have no compafiion to weep for thee,
yet, O Lord, give me grace to weep for my
felf, who have done thus to thee : O my
Saviour ! O my fins ! It is I that offend, it
is thou muft fmart for it.
Ufe 4. We may yet learn another leftbn,
Chrif, h'lth Paul, hutnbled himfe'f, and be-
came obedient to the death, even the death
9f the crofs, Phil. ii. 8. and is it not our
parts to be obedient to him who became
thus obedient for us ? We may gather
humility from his birth, and patience
from his life, and remorfe from his paJli-
on ; and to make up the pofie, here is one
flower more. Obedience, which that tree
alfo yielded whereon he fuffered. If you
love me, faith our Saviour, keep my com^
mandments. How, biefl'ed Saviour ? If you
love me? Who will not love thee, who
haft fo dearly loved us, as to give up thy
deareft life for the ranfom of our fouls ?
But to tell us that there is no better tefti-
mony of our love, than to obey his com-
mands, he v.'ooes us with thefe fugared
words, iivhofe lips like lilies, are dropping
down pure my rr he. Cant. v. 13.) If you
love me : if you love me, learn obedience
of me, keep my commandments : and to
move us the more, if all this cannot, what
love and obedience was therein him, think
you ? Confiderand wonder ! that the Son
of God would banhli himfelf thirty three
years from his glorious majefty ; and what
more ? would be born man ; and what
more ? would be the meaneft among men ;
and what more ? would endure the mife-
ries of life; and what more? would come
to the bitter pangs of death ; and what
more ? would be made obedient to the
death, even the death of the crofs : a de-
gree beyond death. * O Son of God, whi-
ther doth thy humility defcend?' But thus
it muft be, the prophets had foretold ir,
and according to their prophecies the days
were
the TV RG
vere accomplirtied, -when he hhnCelf mufi
be purged : he was born, he^Iived, he {\\\'-
fered, he died, and thus ran round the
wheels of thofe miferable times; vjhen he
had by himfelf purged our Jins.
You fee the time's part, and a new time
muft give you the remainder of the text ;
the .time is ivhen ; the perfon he) and he
it is that in order will next come after ;
only have you the patience, till we have
the leifure to draw out his piflure, and
then you lliall fee him in fome mean pro-
portion, who had by himfelf purged our
ilns.
. He.']
WE have obferved the time ivhen he
had purged yZnd now time it is that
you know the phyfician who adminifters
it : the apoftle tells you it is he, that is,
Chrift our Saviour, who feeing us labour in
the pains and pangs of fin, he boivs ike hea-
vens and comes doivn ', he takes upon him
our frailty, that we thro' him might have
the remedy to efcape hell-fire. Come then,
and behold the man, who undertakes this
cure of fouls ; He cometh leaping upon the
mountainSy /kipping upon the hills^ f?ith
Solomon in his fong, Cant. ii. 8. And,
* Would you know his leaps, (faith Gre-
gory ? Homil. xxxix.) See then how he
leaps from his throne to his cratch, from
his cratch to his crofs, from his crofs to
his crown ; downwards and upwards, like
a roe or a young hart upon the mountains
of fpices.'
I. His firft leap downwards was from
heaven, and this tells us how he was God
from everlafling ! fo faid the centurion,
Surely this man luas the Son of God, Mark
XV. 39. How elfe ? the fin of man could
no otherwife be expiated, but by the Son
of God; man had finned, and God was
offended, therefore God became man, to
reconcile man to God : had he been man
alone, not God, he might have fuffcred,
but he could not have fatisfied ; therefore
this man was God, that in bis manhood
INGo/SIN. 495
he might fufFer, and by his Godhead he
might fatisfie : O wonderful redemption I
that God mufl take upon him our frailty:
had we thus far run upon the fcore of ven-
geance, that none could (atisfie but God
himfelf? could he not have made his an-
gels ambafi^adors, but he himfelf mufl come
in perfon? No; angels, or faints could
neither fupererogate ; but if God will
fave us, God himfelf mufl come and die
for us :" it were fure no little benefit, if
the king would pardon a thief; but that
the king himfelf fhould die for this male-
faflor, this were moft wonderful, and in-
deed beyond all expe<Station ; and yet thus
will the king of heaven deal with us ; he
will not only pardon our faults, but fatis-
fie the law: we fin againfl God, and God
againflwhom we fin, muft die for it: this
is a depth beyond founding, an height a-
bove all human reach: what is he? God.
^ 2. But we mufl: fall a note, the Crea-
tor is become a creature; if you afk what
creature? I mufl tell you though it were
an angel, yet this were a great leap, which
no created underflanding could meafure j
what are the angels in rcfpedl of God ? He
is their Lord, they but his fervants, mini-
flers, raefi~engers, and howfoever it would
dazle us to behold their faces; yet cannot
t!ie brightefl angels ftand before God, but
they are fain to cover their orun faces -with
a pair o/ivings, Ifa. vi. 2. The difTerence
may appear in Rev. v. 13, 14. where the
Lamb is faid to /it upon the throne, but the
four hea/}s and four and t-wenty elders /all
down and wor/kip him. Is not here a great
diftance betwixt the Lamb in his throne,,
and the beafls at his feet ? and yet thus far
will the Lamb defcend, that for our fakes
he will dethrone himfelf, reje(fl his flate,
take the office of an angel, to bring us the
glad tidings of falvation \n purging our /ins.
3. And was he an angel ? nay, that \\^s
too much ; He was made, faith the apoflle,
a little lower than the angels /or the fuf-
fering 0/ deathj Heb. ii. 9. 'What ? the
Son
49^ C HR ISTs SU
Son of God to be made lower than the an-
gels ? Here was a leap beyond the reach or
compafs of all human thoughts; he that
made the angels, is made lower by a little
than the angels ; the Creator is not only
become a creature, but inferior to fome
creatures that he did create : O ye angels,
how [[and ye amazed at this humility ?
that God your mafter fliould become
meaner than his fervants ; that the Lord
■of heaven fl\ould deny the dignity of pow-
ers, principalities, cherubims, feraphims,
archangel, or angel : OJefus,how contrary
art thou to thy afpiring creatures ? Some
angels thro' pride would needs be as God,
but God throughi^humility is made /oiuer
than the angels, not equal with them, but
a degree below them, as David that fweet
linger of Ifrael fung, Thou madefi him
a little lower than the angels^ Pfalm viii.
9. which is cited alfo in the perfon of
Chrift.
4. But how much lower ? By a little,
faith Paul; and if you would know what
that little was, he tells you again, that He
took not on him the nature of angels, hut he
took on him the feed of Abraham, Heb. ii.
7, 16. Here is that great abyfs, which all
the powers of heaven could no lefs but
wonder at : Abraham's Lord is become A-
braham's fon ; the God of Abraham, the
God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob, hath
took upon him the feed of Abraham, the
feed of Ifaac, and the feed of Jacob ; won-
der above wonders ! that God (hould take
the fl ape of angels is more than we can
think ; but to take on him the nature of
man, is more than the tongue of angels
can expi efs; that the King of heaven fhould
leave his glorious manlion, and from the
bofom of his Father come into the womb
of his mother, from that company of an-
gels, and archangels, to a rude rout of fin-
ful men : Tell ye the daughters of Sion,
Behold, thy king cometh unto thee, faith the
prophet Ifaiah in the Ixii. chap, verfe 11.
■\Vhat could he kfs ? and what canft thou
FFERINGS,
more? wonderful love, that he would
come, but more wonderful in the manner
of his coming ; he that before made man
a foul after the image of God, now makes
himfelf a body after the image of men ;
and he that was more excellent than all an-
gels, becomes lelTer, lower than the an-
gels, even a mortal, miferable, wretched
man.
5. But what man ? as he is king of hea-
ven, let him be king of all ihe world ; if he
be man, let him be the ruler of mankind:
no, thou art deceived, O Jew, that ex-
pe<fteft in thy Saviour the glory of the
world ; fear not, Herod, the lofs of thy
diadem ; for this child is born, not to be.
thy fucceffor, but, if thou wilt believe, to
be thy Saviour : Was he a king on earth?
alas ! look through the chronicles of his
life, and you find him fo far from a king,
that he is the meaneft fubjeft of all men :
where was he bom, but at Bethlehem a
little city ? where did the fhepherds find
him, but in a forry cottage ? who were his
difciples, but poor fiHiermen ? who his
companions, but publicans and finners ?
Is he hungry ? where ftands his table, but
on plain ground ? what are his dainties,
but bread and a few fifhes ? who are his
guelb, but a rout of hungry flarvcd crea-
tures ? and where is his lodging, but at
the flern of a fhip ? here is a poor king,
without either prefence or bed-chamber ;
The foxes have holes, and the birds of the
air have nejls, but the Son of man hath not
ivhereon to lay his head, Mat. viii. 20.
6. Defcend we a little lower, and place
him in our own rank ; what was he but
a carpenter ? Say the Jews in fcorn, Is not
this the carpenter, Nary' s Jon ? Mark iii.
6. A poor trade fure ; but to fliew us
that he was man, and how much he hated
idlenefs, fome time he will beflow in the
labours of man's life ; but O wonder ! if
he will rejeft majc(iy,Jet him ufe at leaft
fome of thofe liberal arts ; or if he will be
mechanical, let him choofe to fon>e noble
trade ;
the "PURGING of S I N.
497
twide ; Thy merchants were the great men
of the earth, faid the angel to Babylon,
Rev. xviii. 23. Ay, but our Saviour is no
adventurer, neither is he fo flockt to fol-
low any fuch profeffion ; once indeed he
travelled into Egypt with Jofeph and Ma-
ry ; but to (hew us that it was no prize,
you may fee Mary his mother fteal him a-
way by night, without further preparati-
on : what, gone on a fudden ? it feems
there was no treafure to hide, no hangings
to take down, no lands to fecure ; his mo-
ther needs do no more but lock the doors
and away; what portion then is for the
Lord of heaven ? O fweet Jefus ! thou
muft be content for us to hew flicks and
flocks; befides which (after his coming
out of Egypt, about the feventh year of
his age, until his baptifm by John, which
■was the thirtieth) we find little elfe record-
ed in any writers, profane orecclefiaftical.
7. And are we now at our juft quan-
tum? Alas, what quantity, what bounds,
hath the humility of our Saviour ? is he
a Carpenter ? That were to be mafter of a
trade ; but he took on him (faith the apo-
ftle) the form of a fervant, not a mafter,
Phil. ii. 7. It is true, he could fay to his
apofliles, Ye call me ma/ier, and Lord, and
ye fay xvell,forfo I am, Joh. xiii. 13. And
yet at that very inftant mark but his gef-
tures, and you may fee their Lord and
mafter become a fervant to his fervants :
his many offices exprefs his fervices ; when
He rofe from /upper, and laid afide his up-
per garments, and took a tow'el and girded
himfelf, and after that he had poured -water
into a bajin, began to luafh his difciples feet,
and to ivipe them luith the towel ivhere^vith
he was girded, ]ohn xiii. 4, 5. O ye blelled
fpirits, look down from heaven, and you
may fee even the Almighty kneeling at
the feet of men! O ye bleffedapolUes,
why tremble ye not at this fo wonderful
fight of your lovely, lowly Creator? Pe-
ter, what doeft thou ? is not he the beau-
ty of the heavens, the paradife of angelb,
S
the brightnefs of God, the Redeemer of
men ? And wilt thou (notwithiUnding all
this) let him wafh thy feet ! No, leave, O
Lord, leave this bafe office for thy fervants,
lay down the towel, put on thy apparel :
fee Peter is refolute. Lord doejl thou wajh
my feet ? No Lord, thou (halt never do it.
Yes Peter, thus it muft be, to leave t^ee
and tis a memorial of his humility ; / have
given you an example, (faith Chrifi) that
ye ffjould do as I have done unto you, verlc
25. And what hath he done? But for
our fakes is become a fervant, yea his fer-
vants fervant, wadiing and wiping, not
their hands or heads, but the very meanell,
loweft parts, their feet.
8. And yet there is a lower fall, How
many hired fervants (faid the prodigal) at
my father's houfe have bread enough, and I
die for hunger? Lukexv. 17. And as if our
Saviour's cafe were like the prodigal's,
you may fee him a little lower than a fer-
vant, yea a little better than a beggar : Te
know (faith the apoftle) the grace of our
Lord Jcfus Chrif}, that though he was rich,
yet for your fakes he became poor, 2 Cor.
viii. 9. Poor indeed, and fo poor, that he
was not worth a penny to pay tribute, till
he had borrowed it 0/ a fifh, Matth. xvii.
27. See him in his birth, in his life, in
his death, and what was he but a pilgrim,
that never had houfe to harbour in ? A
while he lodges in an oxen-fiali, thence he
flies into Egypt, back he comes into Gali-
lee, anon he travels to Jerufalem, within
a while (-as if all his life were but a wand-
ring) you may fee him on mount Calvary
hanging on the crofs; was ever any beg-
gar's life more raiferable ? he hath no
houfe, no money, no friends, no lands,
and howfoever he was God the difpofer of
all ; yet for us he became man, a poor
man, a mean man, yea the meaneil: of all
men : and this another flep downwards.
9. But this not low enough, men are
the image of God : ay but the Son of God
is not uled as a man, but rather as a poor
f f dumb
49S
CHRIST'S SU FF ERING S,
dumb bead appointed to the flaughter: what
was he but a flieep, faid Ifaiah of him ? ch.
liii. 7. A ftieep indeed, and that more e-
fpecially in thefe two qualities, i. As a
Jheep before the /hearer is dumlf, fo he 0-
peued not his mouth : and to this purpole
was that filence of our Saviour ; when all
thofe evidences came againft him, he would
not fo much as drop one fyllable to defend
liis caufe ; if the high priefls queflion him,
What is the matter that thefe men -witnefs
againj} thee ? Matthew tells us, that Jefus
held his peace, Matth, xxvi. 63. If Pilate
fay unto him, Behold, how many things
they witnefs again/} thee ; Mark tells us,
that Jefus anfwered him nothing, Mark xv.
6. If Kerod qu?fiion with him in many
' ivords, be caufe he had heard many things
of him, Luke tells us, that he anfwered
' him nothing Luke xxiii. 9. As a poor fheep
in the hands of the fliearer, he is dumb
before his judges and accufers; whence
briefly we may obferve, Chrifl came not
to defend, but to fulfer condemnati-
on. 2. As a fhcep he is dumb, and as
a flieep he is flain : He was led, faith the
Lamb, faith John theBaptift, even the Lamb
of Cod, which takes away the fins of the
world, John. i. 29. This was that Lamb
which the Pafchal lamb prefigured, Tour
lamb, faith God to the Ifraelites, fjall be a
lamb without blemiflo, and the blood fhall
be a token for you, Exod. xii. 5, 13. But
was ever Lamb like the Lamb of God ?
He is without blemifli ; faith Pilate, I find
no fault in him, Luke xxiii. 4. and the
fprinkUng of his. blood, faith Peter, is the
right token ofele6iion, i Peter i. 2. Such
a lamb was this Lamb, without blemifli in
his life, and vvhofe blood was fprinkled at
his death, in life and death ever fufFering
for us, who, had he not done fo, fhouid
for ever and ever have fuffered ourfelves.
Tell me, thou -ivhom my foulloveth, where
thoufeedefl ? faith the church in Canticks:
Tell me ? Yes : If thou knowefi not, faith
our Saviour, go thy way /or th by the foot'
fieps of the flock, Q^nt. i. 8. Our Saviour
is become a man, a fheep, a Lamb, or if
this be not humility enough, he will yet
take a leap lower.
What is he but a worm, and no man.
prophet, as a fljeep to the flaughter, Ifa. liii. yea the very fcorn of men, and the outcafi
7.' ' O Jefus ! art thou come to this ? to " ' ' " "'■ •• " — •
be a man, who art God; a flieep, who art
man, and fo for our fakes far inferior to
ourfelves ;- nay worfe, a flieep ; how? not
free, as one that is leaping on the moun-
tains, or fkipping on the hills : no, but a
fl\eep that is led : led whither ? not thi-
ther as David was, who could fay of his
fhcpherd, that He fed him in green paf-
iures, and led him forth hefldes the waters
of comfort, Plal. xxiii. 2. No, but led to
the flaughter. He is a flieep, a flieep led,
a flieep led to the flaughter ; and fuch a
flaughter, that were he a dumb creature,
yet great ruth it were to fee him fo hand-
led as he was by the Jews.'
10. And yet will his humility defcend a
little lower ; as he was the poorefl of men,
fo the leaft of ibeep ; Like a lamb, faith
the apoftle, Afts viJi. 32. and, Behold the
of the people ? Pf. xxii. 6. Did you ever
think we could have brought our Saviour
to thus low a degree ? What, beneath a
lamb, and no better than a worm ? Hea-
ven and earth may well ring of this, as be-
ing the greateft wonder that ever was:
there is not any bitter potion due to man,
which the Son of God will not partake of
to the utmoft dregs ; and therefore if Job
fliy to the worm, Thou art my flfler and mo-
ther. Job xvii. 14. nay, if Bildad fay, man
is a worm, and the fen of man is but a
worm. Job xxv. 6. which is more than
kindred : behold our Saviour (looping thus
low himfelf, what is he but a man ? nay,
as if that were too much, a worm, and net
a man, as fung thePfilmifl of him.
I am fo low, that unlefs we think him
no-body, we can down no lower ; and yet
here is one leap more, that if we take a
view
the TU RG
view of It, we may fuppofe him to be no-
thing in efteem, a no-body indeed. Look
we at every man in refpeft of God, and
the prophet tells us, All nations before him
are as nothing, Ifa. xl. 17. And if man be
thus, why fure the fon of man will be no
lefs ; fee then, to the wondrous aftoni/h-
ment of men and angels, how greatnefs
itfelf, to bring man from nothing, exina-
rtivit fe, hath made himfe If nothing, or, of
no reputation, Philipp. ii. 7. How ? No-
thing ? Yes, faith Beza ; He that was all
in all, hath reduced himfelf to that "which
is nothing at all: And Tertullian little lefs,
exhaujit fe, He hath emptied' himfelf, or,
as our tranflation gives it, He hath made
himfelf, not of little, but of no reputation.
Lo here thofe fteps, the fcripture light-
ning us all the way, by which our Saviour
defcended ; he that is God, for us became
an angel, a man, a ferving-man, a poor
man, a fheep, a lamb, a nothing in efleem,
a worm, a man of no reputation.
Ufe I . Let every foul learn his duty from
hence ; what fliould we do for him who
hath done all this for us ? There is a crew
of unbelievers that hear and heed not; all
the futferings of our Saviour cannot move
them a jot, either towards God, or from
lin ; and is not this a woful lamentable
cafe ? I remember a palTage in Cyprian,
how he brings in the devil triumphing o-
ver Chrift, in this manner ; ' As for my
followers, I never died for them, as Chrift
did for his ; I never promifed them fo great
a reward as Chrift hath done to his ; and
yet I have mere followers than he, and
they do more for me than his do for him :
hear, O heaven, and hearken, O earth !'
was ever the like phrenlie ? The devil, like
a roaring lion feeks ever and anon to de-
vour our fouls ; and how many thoufands
and millions of fouls yield themfelves to his
fervice, tho' he never died for them, nor
will ever do for them the pooreft favour
whatfoever,buipay them everlaftinglywith
painsand pangs, death and damnation ? On
Sf
I NG of SI N, 499
the other fide, fee our Saviour, God almigh -
ty,take on him the nature of a man, a poor
man, a (heep, a lamb, a worm, a nothing ia
efteem; and why all this ? but only to fave
our fouls, and to give them heaven and
falvation ; yet fuch is the condition of a
ftubborn heart, that to cl'oofe, it w ill fpum
at heaven's crown, and run upon hell, and
be a flave to Satan, and feoff at Ghrift's
fufferings, yea, and let cut his blood, and
pull out his heart, and bring him a degree
lower than very Beelzebub himfelf, rather
than it will fubmit to his will, and march
under his banner to the kingdom of hea-
ven. Hence it is, that the devil fo tri-
umphs over Chrift. As for my followers,
(faith he) I never died for them, as Chrift
did for his: No, devil, thou never dledft
for them, but thou wilt put them to a
death without all eafe or end. Think of
this, ye unbelievers : methinks, like a thun»
derbolt, it might ftiake all your hearts,
'^and dafti them into pieces.
Ufe 2. But a word more to you, of
whom I hope better things; let me exhort
the faints, that you for your parts will e-
ver love, and ferve, and honour, and o-
bey, and praife the Lord of glory for this
fo wonderful a mercy ; I pray, have you
not caufe ? Had your Saviour only lent
his creatures to ferve you, or fome pro-
phets to advife you in the way of falvati-
on ; had he only fent his angels to attend
you, and to minifter unto you ; or had he
come down in his glory, like a king that
would not only fend to the prifon, but
come himfelf to the dungeon, and afk,
faying. Is fuch a man here ? Or, had he
only come and wept over you, faying. Oh
that you had never finned ! all thefe had
been great mercies : but, that Chrift him-
felf ftiould come, and flrive with you in
mercy and patience ; that he ftiould be fo
fond of a company of rebels and hell-
hounds, and yet we are not at the loweft,
that he would for us become a man, a
mean man, a lamb, a worm, a nothing in
f 3 efteem.
500 C HR ISTs SU
ellecm. O all ye ftubborn hearts, too
much flubbornare we all, if judgment and
the hammer cannot break your hearts, yet
let this mercy break you, and let every one
fay, * O Jefus haft thou done all this for
IDC ? certainly I will love thee, and praife
thee, apd ferve thee, and obey thee as long
as I live.' Say fo, and the Lord fay amen
to the good defres of your hearts. To
^vhet this on the more; remnnber fliil, it
is you that fliould have fuffered, but to
prevent this, it was he that was humbled,
it is he that was crucified, it is he that was
purged: what needs more? I am he, (John
xviii. 5.) faid Ghrifi: to the Jews when they
apprehended him : !ie ? what he ? I know
not what ; but b?he what he will, he it is
our Saviour, Redeemer, Phylician, Patient,
JVho had hy himjelf purged our Jtn.
Thus far we have meafured his fteps
downwards, and fliould we go up again
the fame flairs, we might bring him as high
as we have placed him low ; but hisalcent
rather belongs to the words following my
text ; for, afler he had purged, then he
(at down on Cod's right hand on high. Come
\ve then to the next words, and as you
have feen the pcrfon, fo let us look for
a companion r This may in mifery yield
ibme comfoit, if but any fociety bears a
Hiare in his mifery : but methinks I hear
you fay to me, as the Athenians faid to
Paul, We -will hear thee again of this 7nat-
fer another time, hC\.s xvii. 32.
By him/elf.'}
THE tirrte and phyjician have pre-
pared a purge ; but who is the pa-
tient to receive it ? It is man is fick, and
it is man muft purge, or otherwife he dies
\vithout all remedy or recovery : but a-
las! what kind of purge, 1 pray you, mufl
that be which can evacuate fjn ? Should
man take all the virtue of herbs and mine-
rals, and dillil them inio one fublime and
pureft quintcdence, yet impofliblcwere it
to wafli away fin, or the leaf! dreg? of its
corruption; not Galen nor Hippocrates,
FFE RI NG S,
nor all the artifls, or naturalifts that ever
lived on earth could find out, or invent
any remedy for fin ; this muft be a work
of grace, and not of nature; yea, and fuch
a grace as neither man nor angel could af-
ford : behold then, who is it that both ad-
minifters and takes the receipt prepared ?
It is man that finned, and God is become
man, that fo being both, he might admini-
fler it as God, and receive it as man, the
fame perfon being phyfician and patient,
compounder and purger.
But, what a wonder is this ? Are we a dy-
ing, and mufl he purge for it ? can phyfick,
given to the found heal the party that is
fick ? It was the faying of our Saviour, The
whole need not a phyfician^ but they that
are ficky Matih. ix. 12. And Chrift Jefus,
for his part, is whole indeed, No fault in
this man, faith Pilate, Luke xxiii. 14. and
he is a juj} man, faid Pilate's wife of^ him,
IVIat. xxvii. 19. To what end then fhould
he piuge that is whole, and we efcape it
that are fick ? O this is to maniftft the
dearefl love of our foul-phyfician our en-
deared Saviour: The whole indeed need
not a phyjician, hut they that are fick ; he
reeds no phyfick, no purge, ho phylician
at all, but for us he is become a phyfician
himfelf, for us he became phylician and
patient ; for us he was lick, for us he purg-
ed, that we through him might elcape that
danger of eternal \\xc.
But how purged he? By himfelf? W'as
there none to allbciate him in this mifery ?
Mo, he purged by himfelf only, and that
without a partner, or comforter.
I. Without a partner-, there was none
that laid a finger in the burthen of his crofs
to eafe him : why blelTed Saviour ! thou
haft myriads of angels waiting on thee,
and can they not a little lighten rhy
heavy yoke ? Mo, the angels are bit ift-d,
but ihey are finite and limited, and theie-
fore unable to this expiation of lin.
But what fay we of the faints ? If you
v'ill believe the Rhcmiits, they can tell you
that
the TU RGING of S I N. 501
that ' the fufferings of faints (fanflified in
Chrift's blood) have not only a forcible fa-
tisfaftion for the church, and its mem-
bers ; but withal they are the accompHQi-
ments of the wants of Chrift's paffion :'
(Rhem. Coll. i. Seft. 4-) An horrible blaf-
phemy ; as if Chrift's death were not fuf-
licientin itfelf, but his wants muft be fup-
f)lied by the fatisfaftion of others ; my
text tells me, Chrifi purged by himfdlf:
therefore not by another, but fuificiently
in his own perfon ; and as for that text
they urge againft us, Colofl". i. 24. Now
rejoice I in my Jufferings for youy and ful-
fill the refi of the afflictions of ChriJ} in my
flcfh for his body'' s fake -which is the church :
whence they argue thefe two points; i.
The want of Chrift's fufferings; and, 2.
The abounding of faints fufferings for the
fatisfaftion of others. To the firft, we
anfwer, thztthe afflictions ofChrij}, which
the apoftle faith, I fulfill, are not meant
of the affliiflions which Chrift fuffered in
his perfon, but in his members; thus Au-
giiftlne, * The apoltle fnth not, my afflic-
tions, but Chrift's, bccaufe he was a mem-
ber of Chrift,' who is ufually faid to luffer
both with, and in bis members. To the
lecond, we anfwer, that Paul's fuffeiings
for his body which is the church, ferved
not tor latisfaiftion, but for confirmati-
on of their faith ; thus Ambrofe, Serm.
66. ' ChriiVs paihon fufficeth toJalvation,
Peier and Paul's paffion fcrve only for ex-
ample ;' fo then if you will have the true
fenie of the words, they run thus ; A'ow
rejAce I in my fufferings Jor you, "where-
by I fufilt the mtajure of thofe tribulations
which remain yet to be endured oj Chrifi
in his my(iicai body, which I do for the
body's fake, not to fatisfie jor it, b-ut to con-
firm it^orjircngthcnit in the go/pel of Chrifi :
and good reafon have we to admit of this
conmu-nr, ot-herwile, how is Chrift a per-
fect Saviour, if any adf of our redemption
be left to the performance of any faint or
angei .' Mo, it is Chrift, and only Cliriit
Jefus, and only Jefus, Nor is there falva-
tion in any other, for there is none other
name under heaven given among men where-
by we mufi be faved, Affs iv. 12.
3. But if not angels, or faints, what fay
we of good works ? Cannot they expiate
fin ? Yea, fay our adverfaries, they are me-
ritorious, and applicatory, and expiatory ;
fo here is a threefold ufe of them : what ?
hath Chrift purged by himfelf ? and is there
any other means whatfoever to expiate fin ?
No, faith the apoftle; fo incompatible are.
thefe two, his grace, and our works, that
if it be of grace y it is no more of works ^
or elje grace were no more grace ; and if
it be of works, it is no more grace, or elfe
works were no more works, Rom xi. 6.
By grace then ye are faved, not of works y
lefi any man fhould boafl himfelf y Eph. ii.
8,9-
But if no purging by angels, faints, nor
good works, what fay we to purgatory it-
^felf ? We fay it is a fable ; or were it an
article of faith (as the pontificians affirm)
let us have fcripture for it ; yes, faith Rof-
fenfis in his book againft Luther, art. 37,
We went through fire and water, Pf. Ixvi.
12. And Sir I'homas Moor will have more
fcripture yet, / have fent forth thy pri-
finer s out of the pit, wherein is no water,
Zech. ix. II. Here are two places for pur-
gaiory, and one faith, there is •u/a/fr, the
other faith, there is no water ; but to fay
truth of boih, * The catholick faith, reft-
ing upon divine authority believes heaven
and hell, but a third place (faith Auftin)
we know none, neither find we in holy
fcripture. that there is any fuch place :'
neither Ipeaks he only of places eternal
that arc to continue for evei , for he pur-
polcly diiputes againft Limbu: Pueiorum ;
and reje<5ts all places temporary ; yea, he
acknowledgeth, ' i liere is no middle place
at all ; but he muft needs be wiih the de-
vil, that is not with C^rilt.' Away then
with thofe pjipir v» alls, and painted hres,*a
bug (could iiaiding ouce lay) Haett only to
iray
C HRlSTs SU FFERING S,
502
fray chiMren :' God will have no rival in
fin'spurge, no angelin heaven, no faints, no
works on earth, no purgatory under earth,
it is he himfelf wmU purge it by himfelf ;
my text affirms it (and who dares gainfay
it ?) that he hy himfelf (}iy no other) hath
pur (fed. our fins.
Thiis far you have feen Chrift purging
without a partner; He trod the -wine-prefs
alone f and there was none to help him. If,
Ixiii. 3. But O the bitternefs of this purge
that admits of no help, no eafe ! as he had
no partner to help him, fo no comforter
to cheer him in his fo lamentable fuffer-
ings.
* Some eafe it is to have one or other
touched with th^fenfe of our miferies,'
and if they cannot help us, yet to do what
they can (be it only to condole us) it were
a comfortable refreftiing ; ay, but our Sa-
viour finds no refrefhing at all, he purged
by himfelf without a partner, without a
comforter, not any one on earth or in hea-
ven, that afforded his poor heart any cure
or cordial. Firfi, Look on earth, for to
them doth he addrefs that fpeech, in Lam.
i. 12. Is it nothing to you all ye that pafs
by? The moft grievous torments find fome
mitigation in the fupply of friends, and
what friends hath our Saviour to comfort
him in his torments ?
I. If you fay the Gentiles ; I muft con-
fefs he found faith in fome, and a feeming
favour from others ; the centurion is wit-
nefs of the one, of whom our Saviour him-
felf con felled, / have not found fo great
faith, no not in Ifrael, Mat. viii. 10. And
Pilate gives a token of the other, when he
took water, and wafhed his hands before
the multitude, faying, 1 am innocent of the
blood of this juj} man, Mat. xxvii. 24. But
alas ! did Pilate fo favour him, as to free
him ? No, he fears to condemn him being
innocent, and yet dares not abfolve him,
being fo envied as he was by the Jews; what
then can a little water ? what can Jordan's
floods ? what can riveis of wine and oil
do, towards the wafhing of thofe hands,
that had power to releafe him, and would
not ? He knew they had delivered him of
envy. Mat. xxvli. 18. He confeffes, I find
no fault in this man, Luke xxiii. 14. He
tells him that he had power to crucifie him^
and he had power to loofe him, John xix.
10. and yet fondly would he wafii away
the guilt of his unjuft fentence, with a lit-
tle water on his hands; no, Pilate, that
ceremony cannot wafli away thy fin, that
fin I -mean, which thou and the Gentiles
in thee committed, in delivering of Jefus
to the will of the Jews.
2. But if delivered to the Jews, fure it
is well enough ; he Is their countryman,
kinfman, of the flock of Abraham, of the
tribe of Juda, of the family of Jofeph ;
but this rather aggravates than allays his
miliery, that his own people fliould dege-
nerate into traitors : not a Gentile, but a
,Jew to be his executioner: what torment
had not been a lenitive, and a recreation
in comparifon of this ? Daniel's den, the
three children's furnace, Ifaiah's wooden
faw, Ifrael's fiery ferpents, the Spaniih in-
quifition, the Romilh purgatory, are all
as far fliort in torture, as the laf\ of them
in truth, to the malice of a Jew ; witnefs
our Saviour's death, when they all confpi-
red not only to fcourge him, mock him,
buffet him, flay him ; but to flay him in
fuch a manner, as to hang him on nails,
and to make the crofs his gibbet.
But what .' no comfortei' amongft them
all ; do the Gentiles condemn him ? will
the Jews crucifie him ? and is there none
to pity him ? Yes ; what fay we of his dif-
ciples, that heard him, followed him, and
wtvefent of him, by two and two into every
city and place, whither he himfelf fhould
come, Luke x. i. Would you think that
thefe Seventy (for they were fo many in
number) which for a time did his embalfage
with joy, Luke x. i 7. would now have for-
faken him •' Yes, if yoD mark it, DIany of
them -went backhand would walk no more with
hirrij
the TU RGING of S I N,
htjriy John vi. 66. Some ftiimble at his doc-
trine, others at his paffion, but all were
offended, as it is written, / -willfmite the
Shepherd, and the fheep of the flock Jhall be
Jcatteredj Mat. xxvi. 31.
Yet if the Gentiles reje£l: him, they do
care of the women that follow him weep-
ing, than on his own mangled felf, that
reels along fainting and bleeding even unto
death : the tears that drop from their eyes
is more to him, than all the blood in his
veins ; and therefore cardefs as it were of
but like Gentiles -who were ignorant of his. own facred perfon, he turns about his
God; if the Jews hate and malign him, it blefTed bleeding face to the weeping wo-
is but their old wont of killing the prophets, men, affording them looks and words too
Mat. xxiii. 31. If the difciples that are of compaffion, of confolation. Weep not
weaker, faint and waver in faith, it was forme, but vjeep for your [elves, and your
no more than was faid of them, ye of children, Luke xxiii. 28. But O ble/Ted
little faith I but what fay we lo the twelve Saviour ! didft thou flow unto us fliowers
apoflles, thofe ffecretaries of his myfteries, of blood, and may not we drop a tear for
ftewards of his mercies, almners>of his all thofe purple dreams of thine? Yes Lord,
bounties, ivill they alfo go away, and leave thou doft not here forbid us weeping, on-
him comfortlefs alone ? 50, can Peter fay, ly thou turneft the flream of our tears the
Mafler, to whom fh all lue go, thou hafl the right way ; that is to fay, homewards in-
words of eternal life, John vi. 68. Or if to our own bofoms, pointing us to our
he will have deeper proteftations, I am fins, the trueft caufe of thy fufferings.
ready to go with thee, faith Peter, info pri- 6. But as for comfort to our Saviour,
Jon and to death, I<ukexxii. 23. To death ? whence, trow ye, may it come? If we
Yes, Though I die with thee, I will not de-
ny thee, and thus faid all his difciples, xMat.
xxvi. 35. and yet like Jonas' gourd when
the fun beats hotteft, how foon are they
compafs the earth, the Gentiles, Jews, his
difciples, apoilles, Mary his own mother,
and all other his friends, they are but as
Job's miferable comfcrters all: but let us
all gone, and vaniflied away ? lo, one be- go up into heaven, John xvi. 2. and there,
trays him, another forfwears him, all run if any where, be his comforters indeed ;
from him, and leave him alone in the midfl alas ! what comforters ? If you imagine
of all his enemies. the angels, it is true they could attend him
5. And yet ifhisapoftles leave him, what in the defart, and comfort him in the gar-
fay we to Mary his mother, and other his den ; but when he came to the main aft
friends ? Thefe indeed wait on him, fee-
ing, fjghing, wailing, weeping ; but alas !
what do thofe tears but increafe his for-
rows ? might he not juflly fay with Paul,
What mean ye to weep and to break my
heart? Afts xxi. 13. Pity, and of all o-
ther feminine pity, it is the pooreft, hclp-
lefs falve of milery ; but howfoever it was
to others, this was fo far from any falve
to him, as 'tis one of his greatefl, tender-
eft fores about him : Daughters of Jeru-
falem, weep not for me, but weep for your-
felves, and your children^ Luke xxiii. 28.
O fee the wonder of compaffion which he
bears to others in his paffion j he hath more
of our redemption, not an angel mufl be
feen ; how, not feen ? No, they muft not
fo much as look through the windows of
heaven to give him any eafe at all ; nor
indeed were it to any purpofe if they
fhould : for who can lift up, where the
Lord will cafl down ? O ye blefTed angels f
how is it that your hallelujahs ceafe ? that
your fongs which you warbled at his birth,
are finifhed at his death ? that your glori-
ous company, which are the delight of hap-
py fouls, is denied to him who is the Lord
and Maker both of you and them ? Why,
thus it muft be for our fakes : I am full of
heavinefSf faid our Saviour in his type,
and
504 CHRISTs
avd I looked for J'ome to take pityy but there
IV as none, and for comforters j but I foand
none^ Pfalm Ixix. 20,
7. And yet if the angels be no comfort-
ers, he hath a Father in heaven that is near-
er to him: I and my father are one, faith
our S&viour, John x. 30. and, // is my
father that honoureth 7ne, John viii. 34.
// is my father that loveth me, John x.
17. // is my father that dwelleth in me,
Johnxiv. 10. and howfoever others forfake
me, and leave me alone, as himfelf pro-
claims it, yet I am not alone, becaufe the
father is with me, John xvi. 32. Is it fo,
fweet Saviour, whence then was that for-
rowful complaint of thine, My God, my
Cod, why haft thju forfaken me ? Leo it
is that firft that reconciled it, and all anti-
quity allow of it : * The union was not dif-
folved, but the beams, the influence was re-
trained \\iffe^ionejufiititv,{d\ih Scotus,he
vas ever united to his Father, becaufe he
ever loved, trufled, and glorified him ; but
Gjftf^ione commodi, that delight ever e-
mergcnt from that divine vifion, was for
a time fufpended, and therefore was it that
his body drooped, his foul fainted, he be-
ing even as a fcorched heath-ground, with-
out any drop of dew of the divine com-
fort on it.
8. Yet be it that his Father noAV forfakes
him, will he fo forfake himfelf ? O yes ! he
burns in the fiery furnace of affli(fiion with-
out all manner of refreshing; and this was it
that wasfigured in the law by thofe two goats
offered for the fins of the people, whereof
the one was the Scape-goat, and the other
was the ojfering : The fcape-goat departed
away, and was fent into the wildernefs, but
her companion was left alone in the tor-
rients, and made a fin-olfcring for the peo-
ple; even fo was this facrifice of CJod-man,
Man-God, blefled for ever, the humanity
was offered, but the Divinity efcaped; the
humaniiy fuffcred for the fins of tlie world,
but the Divinity departed away in the midll
of lufierings, and left her filler and com-
SUFFERINGS,
panion all alone in the torments : thus he
purged, himfelf only in his humanity, no
other with him, all other left him ; the
* Gentiles, Jews, difciples, apoftles, Mary
his mother, and God his Father, nay he
himfelf is bereaved of himfelf, the humani-
ty of his Divinity,' if not in refpe<^ of the
union, yet in refpeft of the confolation,
ivhen he had by himfelf (\n his human na-
ture without any comforter) purged cur
fins. Lev. xxvi. 10.
Thus far you have feen Chrifl drink the
cup of his bitter pains, pure, and without
mixture of any manner of eafe; what now
remains, but that we make fome ufe of
it?
Ufe. I will take the cup offalvation, faith
David, and call upon the name of th. Lord,
Pfalm cxvi. 13. And what can we lefs? If
our Saviour hath begun to us in pains,
fliall not we afford him our thanks ? The
cup of death could not pafs from him, and
muff the cup of falvation be removed from
lis ? praifc him, praife him, all his hofis,
Pfalm cxlviii. 2. Howfoever he was alone
in his fuffeiings, let us all bear the burden
in a fong of thankfgiving, and in this fong,
let us finging weep, and weeping fing ;
our fins may draw the tears which were
the caufe of his fufferings, and our falva-
tion may make us fing, which thofe his
fufferings did efle£l: what needs more? he
futfered by himfelf; the caufe, our fins;
the cffeft, our falvation ; let us mourn for
the one, and praife him for the other ;
praife him, and him alone, for he had
no partner in his fufferings, nor will he
have any in our thanks ; he had no com-
forter in his miferies, nor mull any fliare
with him in the duty we owe him of prai-
fing his name : alas, have we not rea-
fon (think you) to give all the glory un-
to him ? it was he that fuffercd that which
we deferved, he purged by himfelf when
we ourfclvcs lay fick of fin, in peril of death
and damnation ; thus gracious is he to us,
that when there was no other remedy for.
our
the
our recovery, then he by hlmfdf in our
(lead came and purged our fins.
Thus far you have feen the patient, and
order now requires that we prepare the re-
ceipt; the patient was himfelf, the receipt
is a purge, but, to confecl this purge, we
mu ft crave a further time; and in the mean
while, and ever remember him In your
thoughts, who hath done all this for you,
and the Lord make you thankful.
Hud purged.']
YO U fee who it is that hath freed us
from fin, to wit, Ghrift our Savi-
our without any affiftant ; he purged by
himfelf; but what did he by himfelf ? do
we fay he purged ? what need he to purge,
who never committed any fin in thought,
word, or deed ? it is without doubt he
needs not, and yet do it he will, not to
clear himfelf, but us.
But this purge doth imply a medicine,
and lb we mulf apply it ; a medicine it was.
TURGINGofSIN. - r<^.
phyfick, but by receiving it for us ; we
miferable wretches, lay fick of fin, and he
our Phyfician hath by himfelf purged and
delivered us of it.
Obferv. But that we may the better fee
how this purge wrought with him, we mufl
know, * That purging in genera! is taken
for any evacuation whacfocver:* and to fay
truth in a word,* Theevacua-tion of Chrl't's
blood was the right purging of our fins.'
Hence is it, that, as laiprure^ affirm, the
blood of ChriO: doth redeem us, cicanfe us,
wafii us, juftifie us, fim<5tifie'us : Ye luere
reddetned by his bloody i J'et. i. 19. and,
His blood cleanfeth us from all fin, I John
i. 7. and, He wafhed us from our J Ins in
his bloodi Rev. i. 5. and, Being now ju-
fiified by his blood, Rom. v. 9. and. There-
fore Jefus fufil-red, that he might fajieii fie
the people ivith his own blood, Hebr. xiii.
12. This blood was it that was believed
by the patriarchs, vvitnelfed by thefacrifices.
and many medicines he ufed for the curing "fliadowed in the figures of the law, expec-
of man's foul ; the firft by diet, when he
jafted forty days and forty nights, Matth.
iv. 2. The fecond by electuary, when he
gave his mofl: precious body and blood in
his laft flipper, Mat. xxvi. 26. The third
by fweat, when great drops of blood iffued
from him falling down to the ground, Luke
xxii. 44. The fourth by plaifier, when
he was fpit upon by the Jews, Mark xv.
19. The fifth by potion, when he tafied
vinegar mingled with gall, Matth. xxvii.
34. The fixth by letting of blood, when
his hands and feet were pierced, yea, when
his heart-vein was firicken, and his fide
geared xuith a fpcar, John xix. 34. The
Tail, which contains all the reft, was by
purge, when by all his fufFerings, and e-
Ipecially by his blood-fiied, he wafhed us
'from our fins, Rev. i. 5. Here was the cure
of all cures,, which all the Galenifts in the
world may admire with reverence, that
our Lord and Saviour fliould become our
furety, that our foul-phyfician fliould be-
come our purger : how i not by giving us
T
ted of all the faithful from the begin nmg
of the worW ; and therefore the apoftle
concludeth, /Ihnofi all things are by the
law purged with blood, and without fi^ed-
ding of blood is no remifiion, Heb. ix. 22.
It is true, Chrift purged by his death and
other his fufferings, and yet are all thefe
contained in the fhedding of his blood :
this blood is the foundation of true refici-
on, for other foundation can no man lay.
Wherefore neither was the firjl tcflament
ordained without blood, Heb. ix. 18. Nor
is the New Teftament otherwife fealed,
than with blood. Mat. xxvi, 28. What
needs more ? If the blood of bulls and of
goats (in the Old Teftament)y?/;/J?/;?f//; to
the purifying oftheflefh, how much more
fijallthe blood of Chriji (in the New Tefta-
ment) purge your confciences from dead
works, to ferve the living Cod, Heb. ix.
13, 14. O fweet blood of our Saviour
that purgeth our confciences, evacuates
our dead works, reftores us to our God,
will bring us unto heaven !
t t Bur,
50^'
CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS,
But, O my Saviour, Wherefore art thou
red in thy apparel, and thy garments like
him that treadeth in the 'wine fat ? Ifalah
Ixiii. 2. Ts it thy precious blood that iiatii
given this hue ? Yes, an hue often dipped
in the wine- fat ; and that we may the bet-
ter fee the colour, let us diftinguifti the
times when his blood was flied for us.
Six tirnes, faith a modern : (Adam's
Crucifix.) feven times, faith Bernard, did
Chrift fhcd his blood for us; and to reduce
them into order, the firft was at his cir-
cumciilon, when his name Jefus was giv-
en him, Which was fo named offhe angel,
before he was conceited in the womb, Luke
ii, 2 1, And was^his without myflery ?
' Ko, faith Bernard, for * by the cftufion of
his blood he was to be om Jefus, our Sa-
- viour.' BlciTed Jefus! how ready art thou
for the facrifice ? What ? but eight days
oid, and then to flied thy blood for the
falvation of our fouls ? Maturmn hoc fnar-
tyrium, here is * a mature martyrdom in-
deed.' It is a fuperftition took up with
the Egyptians and Arabians, that ' circum-
cilion ihould fright away devils.' And the
Jews have a conceit not much unlike; for
. when the child is circumcifcd, one ftands
by with a vellel full of duO, into which
they cart the pra?puee : the meaning of it
is, that whereas it was the curfe of the kr-
pent, Duf} ^Pjait thou eat all the days of
thy life : They fuppofe therefore the piae-
puce or fore-flcin, being caA into the dud,
the devil by that covenant eats his own
meat, and fo departs from the child. But
howfoever they err, of this we are fure,
that * <'.hrift delivered his flefli as a bait to
Satan, held him fait with the hook of his
divinity through the fhedding of his blood.'
This blood was at firft flicd at his circum-
cifion ; and we cannot imagine it a little
pain, feeing the fiefli was cut with a (harp
ftone, which made Zipporah to cry out a-
gainft Mofcs, Surely a bloody hujhand art
thou to me, Exod. iv. 25. What a love is
this, that Chrift newly born ftiould ib ear-
ly (hed his blood ? but all was for our fakes,
for the falvation of our fouls.
2. You fee one vein opened ; but in his
fecond effufion not one, but all the veins
in his body fell a bleeding at once, and this
was at his padion in the garden, when, as
the Evangelill teftifics, ffe fell into an a-
gony, and his fweat was like drops of bloody
trickling down to the ground, Luke xxii.
44. Here is a phyfick purgative indeed,
when all his body evacuates /-u'f'^/ like drops
of blood: But what ? be the pleurifie never
fo great, how ftrange is the phlebotomy ?
it feems not to confult where thefjgn lies;
you fee all his body falls at once to fweat-
ing and bleeding ; nor is the curelefs ftrange
than the phyfick; for we had furfeited, and
it is he that purgeth ; we had the (ever,
and it is he that fweais and bleeds for
the recovery of our health. Did you ever
hear of fuch a remedy as this? Oft-times
a bleeding in the head, fay phyficians, is
beft flopt by flriking a vein in the foot ;
but here the malady is in the foot, and the
remedy in the head; we filly wretches, lay
fick of fin, and Chrifi; our Saviour purg-
eth it out by a fweat like drops of blocd
trickling doibn to the grottnd : here is a
wonder, no violence is offered, no labour
is fuflained, he is abroad too in the raw
air, and laid down grovelling on the cool-
er earth ; or if all this be not enough to
keep him from fweating, the night is cold
(fo cold that hardier ioldicrs were fain to
have a fire within doors) and yet notwith-
ftanding all this, He fweats, faith the text.
How fweats ? It is not fudor diaphoreticus^
a thin faint fweat, but grumofusy of great
drops, and thofe fo many, fo violent, as
they pierce not only his Ikin, but clothes
too, trickling down to the ground in great
abundance ; and yet may all this fall with-
in the compafs of a natural poflibility. But
a fweat of blood puts all reafon to lllence ;
yea, faith Hilary, * It is againft nature to
fweat blood ; and yet, howfoever nature
ftands agail, the God of nature goes thus
£ar.
the TURGINGofSI N.
far, that in a cold night, which naturally
draws blood inwards, he fweats without
heat, and bleeds without a wound. See
all his body is befprinklfd with a crimfon
dew, the very veins and pores, not wait-
ing the tormentors fury, pour out a fliow-
er of blood upon the fudden : foul fin that
could not be cleanfed fave only by fuch a
bath ! what, mud our furfeits be thus
fweat out by our Saviour ? Yes, faith Ber-
nard, we fin, and our Saviour weeps for
it, not only with his eyes, but u'ith all
the parts of his body; and why fo ? but
to this end, ' That the whole body of his
church might be purged with the tears of
his whole body.' Come then, ye fons of
Adam, and fee your Redeemer in this
heavy cafe ; if fuch as be kind and loving
are wont, when they come to vifit their
friends in death or danger, to obfcrve their
countenance, to confider their colour, and
507
foever we believe, mofl: probable it is that
neither of them couJd be eff'eifitd without
efiufion of blood. And now methinks I
fee that face fairer than ilie fons of men
fpiton by thejews ; nor is their fcorn with-
out (ome cruelty ; for in the next fccne
they exercife their fills, which that \\,ty
may do with more fport to them, and Ipite
to him, they firll blindfold him, and then
fmiting kirn on the face, they bid him read
itiho it is that Jlrikes hivi, Luke xxil. 64.
And yet, as if whitenefs of their fpittle, and
bkwnefs of their firokes Iiad not caufed
enough colours, they once more dye bis
rofie countenance in a bloody red ; to this
end do they nip his cheeks with their nails,
and (as others) pluck off his hair with
their fingers, whereby fi:reams and fl'roaks
of blood run down his cheeks, and drop
down at his chin to his lower garments:
O fweet face of our Saviour ! what meaa
other accidents of their bodies: tell me, ye -thefe fufferings, but to tell us, if ever con-
that in your contemplations behold the
face of our Saviour, * What think you
when you fee in him fuch wonderful,
flrange and deadly figns ? our fweat, how-
foever caufed, is mofl ufual in the face or
forehead ; but our Saviour fweats in all
his body; and how then was that face of
his disfigured when it flood all on drops,
and the drops not of a watery fw-.at, but
of a fcarlet blood ? O my heart ! how canft
thou but rend into a thoufand pieces ? O
my beloved ! well may our eyes Ihed tears
at this, when his veins thus ftied their
blood for us.'
3. But here is yet a third effufion of
blood, and that, as Bernard tells us, was
* in the nippings and tearings of his (acred
cheeks :' to thl? bears the prophet witnefs,
Ifa. 1. 6. / gave my back to the ftniters,
and my cheeks to the nippers', or as our later
tranOation, I gave my back to the (miters,
and my cheeks fo them, that plucked off the
hair : Whether his cheeks were torn, or
his beard pluckt off, fome vary in opinion :
Bernard thinks both might be true; or how-
T t
fufion cover our face for him, that we
confider then how blood and fweae thus
covered his face for us i
4. But yet here's a fourth effufion at
his coronation ; the blows drew not blood
enough from his face, and therefore the
thorns muft fetch more from his head;
If mine advetfary, fays J6b, Jhould -write
a book again(i tne, furely I would take it
upon my flioulder, and bind it as a crown
unto me. Job xxxi. 36. The Jews infiead
of writing a book, they wreath a crown,
and fee how our Saviour binds it to him;
not only on his /houlder as a crofs to bear
it, but on his head too, as a crown to tri-
umph in it : but neither is it for triumph
only, but for torture; it is a crown wo-
ven of boj-ighs, decked with thorns, and
drops of blood in lieu of precious fiones.
• O Jefus! was that fpittle thy ointment,
that reed thy Iceptcr, thofe thorns thy
crown, that purple dyed with blood, thy
royal robes?' Unthankful people, thus wa-
tered with his blood, that bring forth no-
thing but briars and thorns to crown him !
t 2 but
5c3
CHRIS Ts SUFFERINGS,
but wherefore thorns, fave only to crufli
into his tender head ? and to this purpofe
they do not only (lick his head full oi
them, but after the putting it on, to faf-
ten the crown tlie better, xhcy Jlrik'e him
on the Jjead with iheir reeds,, or canes.
JNIatihew xxvii. 30. See here //;!>r;/j, not
like ours, but (as the country afforded)
flronger and greater, to pierce his flvull with
more eafe; and fee here canes, not as ours,
but heavier and folider (as Jewry had
plenty of them) to beat and hammer that
crown of thorns deeper and deeper into his
head. O then imagine, what ftreams of
blood gulhcd out, when all thofe fliarp
prickles were ihuWn ? nolefsthan n_f})oxver
cf hlocd now rained on his neck, his face,
bis rtioulders; and all this for us, ' to
make us members of that head, his head
thus bleeds down upon all his members.'
(Bernard on the pallion of Chrift.)
And his head-vein being opened, there
is a fifth effudon of blood illuing out of
his body; this was caufed by the whips
wherewith the mercilefs tormentors fetch-
ed blood from his facrcd fides : is not here
matter for our meditation to work on ?
<Jonfider (I pray you) how rude are the
hangmen that Ikip our Saviour of his gar-
ments, and then go about to bind his holy
body to a pillar? he (poor man!) (lands
at the pofl alone, without any friends to
comfort, or eye to companionate him,
whilft they ftrikeon their lalhcs, redouble
their llrokes, again and again fall upon
him afrclh, as if they would not leave a
drop of blood in all his body : but flay,
what juftice in all thi^ ? the law of Mofes
commanded, that malcfaftors (houlJ be
beaten with whips, Ueut. xxv. 2, 3. and //
finill be if the ivicked he -worthy to be bea-
ten, that the judge /halt catife hiiJi to *ly
down, and to be beaten bejore his face, ac-
cording to his fault by a certain number :
what number ? ^orty Jiripcs he may qive
him, and not exceed, lift ij he fl^ould ex-
^eed, and hat him above thefe with many
ftripes, then thy brother Jhould feem vil^
unto thee. Thus indeed were Jews tied,
but the Gentiles neither bound bylaw, nor
moved witb cotrpafuon, far exceed this
number ; I have read, that he received no
Icfs than 5400 ftripes ; which if we con-
sider thefe things, is not altogether impro-
bable. Firfi:, the law of btating, that e-
very guilty (liould be Ilricken by every
one of the foldiers, a free-man with ftaves,
and a bond-man with whips. Second-
ly, the caufe of this law, that the body
of him that was to be cruciHed, fliould
be disfigured, that the nakednefs ihould
not move the beholders to any diflioneft
thoughts, when they fliould fee nothing
pleafing or beautiful, but all things torn,
and full of commileration. Thirdly, the
purpofe of Pilate, who hoped to fpare his
life by this fo great cruelty ufed againll
him. Fourthly, The great care and halle
the priefls ufed in carrying off the crofs,
lelt Chrifl: (hould have died before he was
crucified : every one of thefe reafons argue
an unreafonable whipping, which our poor
Saviour endured. ' But (O joy of the an-
gels, and glory of faints!) who hath thus
disfigured thee ? who hath thus defiled
thee with fo many bloody blows.' certain-
ly they were not thy iins, but mine, that
have tl.'Lis evil intreated thee: it was love
2nd mercy that com part thee about, for I
fliould have fuffered, but to prevent this,
thy mercy moves thee, and fo thou takeft
upon thee all miferies/
But all this would not fatisfy the Jews^,
Behold the man, John xix. 5, 6. faid Pi-
late to them ; when he thought to have
pacified their wrath by that doleful fight,
but this nothing moved them, though
(prefenily after) it moved rocks and ftoncs
to Ihiver in pieces : behold then a fixth ef-
fufion of blood, when his' hands and Jeet
ivere pierced through with nails : he bears
indeed upon his ihoulders an heavy and
weighty crofs of fifteen foot long ; which
muit needs (fay fome) caufe a great and
Rrie-
the T U R G I N G of. S 1 N.
509
grievous wound : but (to omit that which
is queftionable here) here be thofe woful
fufferings ; now come the barbarous in-
human hang-men, and begin to loofe his
hands that were tied to the port, to tie
them to a (worfe pillory) the crofs ; then
ftrip they ofl his gore-glued cloths, which
didTo cleave to his mangled battered back,
that they pull, off cloths r.nd fkln toge-
ther; nay, yet more (and how can I fay it
without tears for fin ?) the crofs is ready,
and nothing wanting but a meafure for the
thofe hands and feet thus digged, and dig-
ged through ? Oy I am the rofe of Sharon,
Canticles ii. i. It is truly faid of Chrift ;
'Look on one hand, and on the other,
and you may find rofes on both ; look on
one foot, and on the other, and you may
find rofes in either (Bern, on Chr. pad", c.
41.) :' in a word, look all over his body,
and it is all over rofy, and ruddy in blood.
Can we any more I yes, after all thefe
fhowers of blood, here is one effufion ;
for after his death, One ofthefoldiers -with
holes; down therefore they lay him on it, a fpear pierced his Jide^and forth-uiith came
and though the print of his blood gives
them a true length, yet fpitefully they
take it longer, that fo they may ibetch
and rack him on the crofs, till you may
iell his bones, Pfal. xxii. 17. And now all
fitted, his hands and feet are bored, the
greatnefs of whofe wounds David fore-
Ihewed by thofe words. They digged my
hands and my feet, Plalm xxii. 16. And
well may we think fo, for (as ecclefiafti-'
cal hiflory reports) fo big were the very
nails, that Conftantine made of them an
helmet and a bridle. O then what pain is
this, when all the weight of his body mull
hang on four nails : and they to be driven
(noi into the lead fenlible parts, but) thro'
his hands and his feet, the moft finewy, and
therefore more fenfible parts of all others
whatfoever; yet to hang thus for a time
were (it may be) fomewhat tolerable, but
thus he hangs till he dies, and Jo the long-
er he continues, the wider go his wounds,
and the frelher is his torture. And now
(my brethren) behold and Jee, if there were
ever any forrow like unto this for ro-cj : La.
i. 12. Alas ! what elfe appears in h!in, but
* bleeding veins, bruifed Ihouldcrs, fcourg-
there cut blood and water, John xix. 34,
The fbldier that gave this wound (fay they)
was a blind man; but our Saviour's blood
fpringing out on his eyes, reftored him to
his fight ; and fo he became a convert, a
biihop, and a martyr * : a ftrange cure,
where the phy/Ician mud bleed ; but fo
full of vertue was this blood, that by it we
are all faved. And yet (O Saviour !) why
didft thou flow to us in fo many fireams of
blood i one drop had been enough for
the world, but thy love is without mea-
fure. Phyficians are ufually liberal of other
mens blood, but fparing of their own ;
here it is not lb; for inftead of the patient's
arm, it is the phyfician's own lide thas
bleeds ; inflead of a lancet here is a fpear,
and that in the hand of a blind chirurge-
on ; yet as blind as he was, how right
doth he hit the very vein of his heart ?
that heart where never dwelt deceit; fee
how it runs blood and water for our fins;
here is the fountain of his facrnments, the
beginning of our happinefs : O gate of hea-
ven ! O window of paradife! O place of re-
fuge ! O tower of ftrength ! O lanifluary
of the juft ! O llourilhing bed of the (poulc*
ed fides, furrowed back, harrowed temples, of Solomon ! who is not raviihed at the
digged hands and feet i" digged, I fay not running of this flream ! methinksl rtill lee
with imall pins, but with rough boiflrous the blood gufhing out of his lidts, more
-naijs, and how then ihot the blood from freihly and fully than thele fwect golden.
• Lonjinus bilhop of Ca{>padoci3, according to ii^rle. Se£ Contcmplatlor.s on ChriA's paflion.
llreaiis
5TO
C H R ISTs SU
Hreams which run out of Eden to water
the whole world. But is it his heart's blood?
what ? keeps he nothing whole without
him, nor within him? his apoftles arefcat-
tered in the garden, his garments at the
crofs, his blood how many wheres ? his
ikin they rent with their whips, his cars
■with their blafphemies, his back with their
furrows, his hands and feet, with their
nails, and will they yet have his heart too
cloven with afpcar-? what a wonderful
thing is this, that after all thefe fufferings
he mufl: have one wound more? * Why
(Lord) what means this open cleft and
wound within thee ? what means this
Hream and river of thy heart's blood ? O it
is I that finned, alld to wafh it away, his
heart runs blood and water in abundance.
Lo here thofe feven effufions of our Sa-
viour's blood, the firft at his circumcifion,
the fecond in the garden, the refl: when
his cheeks were nipped, his head crowned,
his back fcourged, his hands and feet nail-
ed, his fide opened with a fpear, whence
came out an ilfue of blood and water.
Uje, And be our fins thus purged ? Lord,
in what miferable cafe lay we, that Chrift our
Saviour rauft endure all this for us ! were
olir fins infinite, for which none could fa-
tisfie but our infinite God ? were not our
iniquities as the fands, for which no lefs
than an ocean of blood could ferve to co-
ver them ? fure here is a motive (if nothing
elfe) to draw from us the confeifion of our
manifold fins. * Lord, we have finned, we
liavc finned grievoufly, heavily, and with a
mighty hand ; and what now remains, but
that we never ceafe weeping, crying, pray-
ing, befceching, till we get our pardon
fealed in the blood of Ghrift.'O beloved !
let me intreat you for ChrilT's fake, for
his blood's fake, for his death's fake, that
you will repent you of your fins which
have put him to thefe torments : and to
this end I Ihall intreat you thus to order
your repentance : Firlt, (after confcffion
of your manifold fins) look upon him
FFE'RINGS,
whom you have pierced ; and by your
meditation fuppofing him to ly afore you,
weep and weep over him, whom you fee by
your fins thus clothed in his blood. "Why
thus fliall h be with the houfe of David,
Zech. xii, lo, ii . lui/i pour upon the houje
of Z^^Li/V (faith God) and upon the inhabi-
tants of Jerufalem the fpirit of grace, and
of fupplicati(,n, and they JJjall look upon
him whom they have pierced, and they
f}} all mourn for him, as one that viourneth
for his only /on ; and Ix lorry for him, as
one that is fir, y for his firfi-bcrn : in that
day there fhall be a ^reat mourning in Je-
rufalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon
in the valley of Megiddon, "What is the
houfe of David ? and what are the inhabi-
tants of Jerufalem, but the eleft people of
God ? And if you be of that number, then
do you look on him whom you have pierced,
and mourn for him, or mourn over him, as
one that mourneth for his only fon, yea, be
forry for him, or be in bittei nefs for him,
as one that is in bitterncfs for his firfi-born.
Is it not time, think you ? Do you not fee
how every part of our Saviour bleeds afore
you, his head bleeds, his face bleeds, his
arms bleed, his hands bleed, his heart bleeds,
his back bleeds, his belly bleeds, his thighs
bleed, his legs bleed, his feet bleed ; and
what makes all this blood-fhed but our
fins, our fins ? O that this day, for this
caufe we would make a oreat mournino as
the fnourning of Hadadrimmon in the val-
ley of Megiddon.' O weep, or if you will
not weep for him, yci weep for yourfelves,
and your own fins : alas, have you not
caufe ? your fins were his murderers, your
hands by your fins were imbrued in his
blood.
2. Stay not here, but when you have
mourned and wept over your Saviour,
then hate thofe fins that wrought this' evil
on your Saviour : which that you may do
eifedtually, fend your ^thoughts afar off,
and fee your Saviour in his circumcifion,
in the garden j and when you have done
fo,
the TU RGI
fo, then follow him a little further ; behold
the tf^rs in his eyes, and the clodded
blooJ that came from him, when his cheeks
were "nipped, his head crowned, his back
fcourged, his hands and feet nailed, his
lide opened ; and then, O then fee if you
can love thofe fins that have done all this
villainy ! Love them, faid I ? no if you
hive any fliare in Chrift, I hope you will
rather be revenged on your fins ; rather
you will every one fay, ' O my pride, and
tny ftubbomnefs, and my loofenefs, and
my uncleannefs, and my drunkennefs ;
thefe were the nails, and the whips, and
the fpear that drew blood from my Savi-
our ; therefore let me be for ever reveng-
ed of this proud, ftubborn, rebellious heart
of mine own ; let me for ever loath my
fin, becaufe it brought all this forrow
on my Saviour.' Is not this ordinary with
men ? Should any one murder your fa-
ther or friend, whom you highly regarded
and honoured, would you brook his fight,
or endure his company ? Nay, wouIJ not
your hearts rife againfl him ? would not
you profecute -the law to the uttermoit ?
and if you might be the executioner, would
you not wound him and mangle him, and
at every ftroke cry out, Thou waft the
death of my father, ihou wafl: the deaih
of my father. And is the heart of a m.an
thus enraged againfi him, that hath but
murdered his friend, or his father ? O then
how flionld our hearts be tranfported with
infinite indignation (not againfl the man,
bvu) againfi fin that hath flied the preci-
ous blood of your father, your mailer,
your God, your king, your Saviour ? O
follow, follow after thefe fins with an hue
and cry. bring them to the bar, fet them be-
fore the tribunal of that great judge of
heaven, and cry ' Juftice, Lord j juflice a-
NGofSIN. 5fr
gain ft thefe fins of mine: thefe flew my
Saviour, Lord, flay them ; thefe crucified
my Saviour, Lord crucifie them :' Why
thus purfue and never leave them, un-
til if it poffibly may be, you fee thefe fins
bleed their laft; never think you have done
enough, but ftill give your corruptions
one home-thruft more, and confefs your
fins once more and fay, ' Lord, this pride,
and this ftubhornnefs,and this loofenefs of
heart, thefe are they that killed my Savi-
our, and I will be revenged of them.*
3. Stay not here neither, but when you
have mourned for your fins, and fought re-
venge on them, then by faith caft them all
on the Lord Jefus Ghrift ; eafe your own
fouls of them, andcaft your care on him
that careth for you all. Certainly, there
is no way to wa(h you clean from your
fin, but only by Ghrift's blood, and how
muft you apply this but by faith I Now
then, in the laft place have faith, renfe *
j'our foul, as it were, in the blood of this
immaculate Lamb, and though you are
polluted and defiled, yet queftionlefs the
blood of Jefus Ghrift will purge you from
all fin. If the blood of bulls and goats,
faith the apoftle, af^d the afies of an hei-
fer fpr inkling the unclean, fanSlifieth to the
purifying of the flefh, how much mere foall
the blood of Chrif}, who through the eier-
nal Spirit offered himfelf -without fpot to
God, purge your confliences from dead
works, to ferve the living God, Heb. ix.13,
14. Papifts may talk of a purgatory ; but
here is the only purging of lin, in that
fountain that is laid open for the houfe
of Judah to wafh in ; and I pray you
mark it, it is not only for juftification,
but being applied by faith, as e£e<flual for
(an<ftification ; not only for the expiation
of fin, that it be not laid to your charge^
• This is a very bold figure ; and is pcrlinps tfie boldefl that is to be met with any where in tliis Book : I do Jiot
obferve this to cenfure tlie worthy Amiior, whufe works arc equally ab ve my p ails or cc-nfure, but only to cuiti-
on the reader ( if indeed he needs to be cautioned) agaiuft the nnifapplicatijn of this, o/ any the like, figur- o.'"
fpf-ch. Wljcn go.'ily wvirori ufe-^uch unc'omrr.cn exprtffions, it is only wheo tliey arc tranfjorted wiih their
fobjeft; but the plain meaning nnui}. never beforgottsn.
312
C H R I STs SU F F E RI NG S,
hut whhal to purge your confciences from
dead works to ferve the livittg God. O
then (as you tender your fouls) believe,
and caft yourfelves upon Chrift, for falva-
tlon and for pardon of fins : do you not
fee him bleeding on the crofs ? Do you
not hen'r him gracioiifly offering to receive
your fin-wearied fouls into his bleeding
wounds ? What iliould you do then but
cafi yourfelves with all thefpiritual firength
that you can (at leafi: with infinite long-
ings, and mod hearty defires) into the bo-
fo.» of our Saviour ? fay with yourfelves,
* The fountain is opened, and here will
we bath for ever : Come life or come death,
come heaven or^come hell, come what
come can, here will we flick for ever;'
Nay, if you mull perifh, tell God and
man, angels and devils, they fliall pluck
you out of the hands, and rent you from
between the arms of your blefled bleed-
ing Redeemer, your foul-purging Savi-
. our. Thus if you believe, you need not
to droop for your fins, but to go on
with comfort to everlafiing happinefs : the
blood of Chrifi: (no quellion) will make
way for you into heaven : yea, (faith the
apofile) By the blood of Jefus -we may bold-
ly enter into the holy places y by the new
and living ivay which he hath prepared
for us, through the vail which is his fief).
Heb. X. 19, 20. Such is the blefied fruit
of this blood, and the Lord make it effec-
tual unto us, to bring us unto heaven,
even for his fake, who by himfelf thus
purged our fins.
You fee the purge given and taken, on-
ly a time it mufi have, and then follows the
evacuation : he purged : what ? the ill hu-
pel lenitives, but efpecially Chrift yields
that phyfick purgative, which evacuates
fin. To confider Ghi ift as a man of for-
row, and not a Saviour of finners, were
but a melancholick contemplation ;" to be-
hold his wounds, and not fo to think on
thern as they were our falvcs, adds but
more forrows to our other miferies ; but
when we call to mind that his blood was
our ranfom, that his firipes were our cures,
then with all our hearts we pray, His
blood be upon us, and our children. And
why not? His blood, faith t\\t^\)oi\.\e,fpcaks
better things than the blood of Abel, Heb.
xii. 24. For Abel's blood cried revenge,
but Chrift's blood fpeaks mercy ; and lo
to our comfort be it fpoken, if God heard
the fervant, he will much rather hear the
fon : yea, if he heard his fervant for fpil-
ling, how much more will he hear his Son
for faving and regaining our fouls ? In the
words are two parts.
1. The ill humour evacuated, Sin,
2. The extent of this fin, it is mine,
yours, ours, every ones.
A\'hat is it but fin which our Saviour
purged ? this is that ill humour derived
from our parents, inherent in ourfelves,
imputed to our Saviour, and therefore,
faith the prophet, he hare the Jin s of many y
Ifaiahliii. 12. to whom agrees the apofile,
that his own felf bare our fins in his own
body, I Pet. ii. 24. What a load then lay
on his flioulders, when all our fins, the fins
of all the world were faftened upon him.
One man's fin is enough to fink him into
hell; and had not oin- Saviour intervened,
everj'^ one of us had known by a woful
experience, how heavy fin would have been
rnour is fin ; the extent of it, our fin, of upon the loul of each man : but, O hap-
both thefe together at our next meeting.
Now the Lord fo prepare us, that this
purge may v ork in us the everlailing wel-
fare, and health of our fouls.
Our fms^
SIN is our fickncfs, and to cure us of
it, the law yields corrofives, the gof-
py we ! the fnare is broken, and we are
delivered. To prevent fin's effeifl, Chriil:
Jefus hath purged and wafhed it away.
And is this all the matter wherefore our
Saviour fuffercd ? was fin all the difeafe
of which he laboured, vhcn he had by
himfelf purged \ Yes, it was all, and if we
con-
the T U R G I N G of S 1 N.
513
confider it rightly, we may think it enough loved, fin is the dea-th of Chrift, and would
to caufe fufferings in him, when merely you not hate him that kills your brother,
for its fake God was fo wroth againft us. your father, your mafter, your king, your
O loathfome fin, more ugly in the fight of God? Beware then of fin, that does it all
God, than is the fouleft creature in the at a blow ! nnd if you arc tempted to it,
fight of man ! he cannot away with it, nor fuppofe with yourfelves that you fawChrift
(fo righteous are his ways) could he fave Jefus coming towards you, wrapt in li-
his own ele£t becaufe of it, but by killing nens, bound with a kercher, and crying
his own Son: imagine then what a ficknefs after you in this ghaftly manner : ' Beware,
is fin, when nothing but the blood of the take heed what you do; once have your
Son of God could xure it ; imagine what fins mofl: vilely murdered me, but row
a poifon is fin, when nothing but a fpirit- feeing my wounds are whole again, do
ual mithridate compounded and confe(5led not, I befeech you, rub and revive them
of the beft blood that ever the world had, with your multiplied fins ; pity, pity me
could heal it : we need not any further to your Jefus, fave me your Saviour, once
confider its nature, but only to think of it have I died, and had not that one death
how hateful it was to God, how hurtful been fufficient, I would have died a thou-
to his Son, how damnable to men
Ufe I. And was it fin he purged? i.
This may teach us how hateful fin is, that
put him thus to his purge : every fin is a
fand deaths more to havefaved your fouls,
why then do you fin again to renew my
fufferings ?' O my Saviour, who will not
ceafe to fin that but hears thy voice in the
nail, a thorn, a fpear, and every finner a gardens F Lo, the companions hearken un-
Jew, a Judas, a Pilate: howfoever then "^o thy voice, caufe 77te to hear it, Q^nt.vm.
we may feek to fhift it in others, yet are 13. Itisl that have finned, and if this be
we found the principal in this adl our- the fruit of it, let me rather be torn of
felves ; you know it is not the execution- beafi:s, be devoured of worms, be violent-
er that properly kills the man, fin only is ly pulled or haled with racks, than wit'
the murderer, yea, our fins only are the tingly, or wilfully commit a fin.
crucifiers of the Lord of glory ; yea, if Ufe 2. This may teach us what was the
you will pleafe to hear me, I will yet fay end, and meaning, and intent of Chrifl: in
more, our fins did not only crucify him, his fufferings. It was to purge away fin,
but do crucify him afrefj, Heb. vi. 6. and and therefore our faith muft chiefly eye
herein how far do we exceed the cruelty that; without this, the contemplation of
of the Jews ? then his body was paffible Chrift's death, or the meditation of the
and mortal, but now it is glorified and im- flory of his fufferings, and of the grcatnefs
mortal ; they knew not what they did, of them, will be altogether unprofitable.
For had they known, they "would not have Chrift:ians, learn this for ever; that faith
crucified the Lord of glory, \ Cor. ii. '8. which is true, faving, jufiifying faith, it
but we know well enough what we do and chiefly minds, and is molt taken up with
fay too ; they buried Chrifl: in the earth, the main fcope and drift of all Chrift's fuf-
and the third day he roCe again from the ferings, which is to obtain forglvenefs of
dead; but we, through fin, fo bury him fins in Chrift crucified. This was the true
in oblivion, that not once in three days, end of Chrift's death, To be a propitiation
three weeks he arifeth r)r fliineth in our for fin, to tear cur fins on the tree ; he
hearts; O Ihame of Chriftians to forget fo ivas made fin for us, that we might be
great a mercy ! O fin paft fliame to cr'ucifie made the righteoifnefs of God in him. This
afrefli the Son of God ! t4iink of it, be- was the plot which God by an ancient de-
U u u fign-
514 C H RlSTs SU
iignment aimed at in the fufferings of
Chrift ; and thus our faith mult take it up :
O let our faith look mainly to this defign,
and plot of God and Chrift in his fufferings,
to fatisfie for our fins, and to juitifie us
linners. Surely this intent of Chrift in all
that he did or fufFered, is that welcome
news, and the very fpirit of the gofpelj
which true faith preys and feizcth on.
Secondly. He purged fin; whofe .^ but
our fin: and this tells us of the univerfality
of this gracious benefit, together with its
limitation.
I. Of the univerfality: He tafled of
lU at h for every mnn, Hcb. ii. 9. and, He
gave himfdf a ranfom for all men y i Tim.
ii. 6. and. He pftrged our Jins, faith my
text ; what, ours only ? No, faith the a-
poftle. He is the propitiation not for our
fi'is only, but for the fins of the whole
vjorldy I John ii. 2. You will fay, all do
not adually receive the fruit of his death:
you fay indeed truly ; but I wonder thro'
whofe default : our bleffed Saviour, what
is he but like a royal prince, who having
many of his fubjects in captivity of thral-
dom under a foreign enemy, pays a full ran-
fom for every one of them, and then fend-
ing forth his ambnfladors, he wooes them
to return to their home, and to enjoy their
liberty; fome there are that rejed the of-
fer, they will rather ferve the enemy than
return to the freedom of their Lord ; and
are thcfe all the thanks they give their Re-
deemer ? O fweet Saviour ! he made up-
on the crofs a full, perfect, and fufficient
facrifiee, oblation, and fatisfaflion for the
fins of the world ; but not all receive the
benefit, becaufe many by their own de-
merit have made themfelves unworthy ;
and yet howfoever fome defpKc liberty;
Js the arm of the Lord (hortened ? Numb.
xi. 23. No, fee his arms fpread on the
crofs to embrace all ; and here is the uni-
Tcrfality of this gracious benefit.
Uje. The ufe hereof is full of comfort :
• If any man, any finner, will now come
F FERING S,
in with a truly penitent foul thirftlng hear-
tily for Chrill Jefus, and refolve unfeign-
edly to take his yoke upon him, there 'u no
number or notorioufncfs of fin that caa
pofiibly hinder his gracious entertainment
at God's mercy-feat. O then how hein-
oufly do they offend, who refufe to take
Chrifl Jefus offered thus univerfally ?' If
you afii, who are they ? I anfwer, They
are offenders on both hands; i. Thofe
that too much defpair. 2. Thofe that too
much prefume: To begin with the latter.
I. Some there are, that howfoever
Chrifl:, and heaven, and falvation be offer-
ed unto them, yet fo clofe do they (lick
and adhere to their fins, that they are loath
to leave them, and they hope God is fo
merciful, that they can have Ghrift and
their fins too. Alas ! deceive not your-
felves, though the dearnefs, and fweetnefs,
and freenefs, and generality of Ghrifi's of-
fers be a do(^lrine moft true, and we pro-
pound it unto you as a motive and en-
couragement to bring you in ; yet not fo
much as one drop of all that bottomlefs
depth of Chrifi's mercy and bounty doth
as yet belong unto any that ly in the fiate
of unregeneratencfs, or in any kind of
hypocrifie whatfoevcr. Away then with
this prefumption, and bethink you what a
grievous and fearful fin you commit time
after time, and day after day in negle<fling
fo great a falvation, by chufing, upon a
free offer of his foul-faving blood, to cleave
rather to a luft (O horrible indignity !)
than to Chrift Jefus bleflcd for ever : what
height and perfection of madnefs is this,
that whereas a man, but renouncing his
bafe, rotten, tranfitory pleafures might
have Chrift Jefus, and with him a full and
free difcharge of hell-pains, a fure and
known right to heaven's joys; yet fhould
in cold blood mofi wickedly and wilHngly,
after fo many intreaties, invitations and
offers, refufe this mighty change ? Heaven
and earth may be affoniflied, angels and
all creatures may jufily be amazed at this
pro-
the T URGING of S I N.
prodigious fottidincfsand monftroiismad-
nefs of fuch miferable men ! they are the
words of a late divine ; * The world, (faith
he) is wont to call God's people prrcife
fools, becaufe they are willing to fell all
they have for that one pearl of great price ;
to part with profits, pleafures, preferments,
their righthand,:heir right eye, every thing,
any thing, rither than to leave Jefus Chrifi: :
but who, do you think, now are the true
and great fools of the world? and who
are likelicft one day to groan for anguijh
of fpirit, and fay xvithin themftlves, This
is he whoyn %ue had fometimes in derifion,
and a proverb of reproach ; we fools ac-
counted his life madnefs, and his end to
he -without honour, noiu is he nurnhred a-
mongfl the children of God, and his lot is
among ft the faints y "VVifd. v. 3, 4. Nay,
if once come to this, with what infinite
horror, and reftlefs anguilh will this con-
ceit rent a man in pieces, and gnaw upon
his confcience, when he confiders in hell
that he hath loft heaven for a luft; and
whereas he might at every fermon had the
Son of God his hufband for the very tak-
ing, and have lived with him for ever in
unfpeakable blifs ; yet, neglecting fo great
falvation, muft now lie in unquenchable
flames without all eafe or end. Sure it is
the higheft honour that can be imagined,
that the Son of God ftiould make fuit un-
to finful fouls to be their hufband, and yet
fo it is; He flands at the door and knocks,
Rev. iii. 26. if you will give him entrance,
he will bring himfelf and heaven into your
hearts : JVe are Chrifi's ambajfadors, faith
the apoftle, as tho' God did befeech you by
z(S, we pray you in Chrift's /lead, to be re-
conciled to God, 2 Cor. V. 20. We are
Chrift's fpokes-men, that I may fo fpeak,
to woo you and win you unto him ; now
what can you fay for yourfelves, that you
ftand out ? Why come you not in ? If the
devil would give you leave to fpeak out,
and in plain terms, one would fay, 1 had
rather be damned than leave my drur.kcn-
U
5rjr
nefs ; another, I love the world better than
Jefus Chrift ; a third, I will not part with
my eafie and gainful trade of ufury for the
treafure hid in the field ; and fo on ; fo
that upon the matter, you muft needs all
confers that you hereby judge yourfelves
unworthy of everlafting life, that you are
wilful bloody murderers of your own
fouls : nay, and if you go on without re-
pentance, you may expetfl that the heilifti
gnawing of confcience for this one fin of
refufing Chrift, may perhaps hold fcale with
the united horrours of all the reft wharfo-
ever. O then make hafte out of fin, and
come, come to Chrift, fo freely offered
unto you ! hark how he calls, * Come un-
to me, all finners ; fee my arms fpread,
my heart open. O how gladly would I
entertain you, if you would come unto
me:' here is a general invitation indeed, all
men, all finners, of all eftates, of all kinds,
of all conditions, whofoever you are.
He keeps open houfe for you, Come and
welcome.
Secondly, They offend on the other fide,
who after invitation come not through a
kind of unmannerly modefty, or ba(hful
defpair: fome there are, that may perhaps
go fo far as to acknowledge their fins, and
to confefs that without Chrift they are ut-
terly undone, and everlaftingly damned;
that may be ravifhed with the thoughts and
apprehenfions of this invitation of Chrift,
and would ever think themfelves happy
if they had their hungry fouls filled with
Chrift Jefus ; but yet fo it is, that (confi-
dering their manifold grievous fins, fins of
a fcarlet die, of an horrid ftain, againft
knowledge, againft confcience, and that
which troubles them moft, for all thefe fins,
their forrow being fo little, and poor, and
fcant, and in no proportion anfwerable to
them) they cannot, dare not, will not med-
dle with any mercy, or believe that Chrift
Jefus in any ways belongs unto them. To
thefe I fpeak, or rather let them hear our
Saviourhimfelf fpeak to them; IFhcjicver
u u a '^'illf
5i6 CHRISTs SV
ivill, (faith he) let him comCy and drink of
this -water of life freely i Rev. xxi. Yea,
thofe that think themfelves fartheft off, he
bids them come. Matth. xi. 28. Come, all
that are xveary and heavy-laden : If they
find fin, a burthen, then Chrift invites them,
they (whofoever they are) that fland at
the ftafF's end, he defires them to lay afide
their weapons and come in ; or if they
will not doit, he lays his charge on them,
for this is his commandment, that weflfould
believe on the nayne of his Son Jefus Chrift:
1 John iii. 23. Nay, he counts it a fin
worfe than the fin of Sodom, a crying fin,
not to come in when the gofpel is pro-
claimed ; and ttierefore let them never
pretend their fins are great and many, but
rather (becauie of his offer, invitation, and
command, it being without any reftraint
of perfon, or fin, except that againil the
holy Ghoft) if they will not come in, and
caft themfelves upon Chrift, let them fay,
it is not the greatnefs of their fins, but a
-willingnefs to be ftill in their fins, which
hinders them ; or otherwife let them know,
that fins, when men are only fenfible of
them, fiiould be the greateft encourage-
ment, ( rather than difcouragement) to
bring them in to our Saviour : Thefe that
be whole need not a phy/ician, but they that
are Jick : Matth. ix. 12. Is it not for the
honour of a phyfician to cure great difeaf-
■es ? A mighty God and Saviour loves to
do mighty things ; therefore in any cafe
let them come in, and the greater finners
they are, no quefiion the greater glory
Ihall Chrift have by their coming .^ and in-
deed to take away all fcruple, it is a ma-
xim moft true. That he which is truly
weary of his fins, hath a found, feafonable,
and comfortable calling to lay hold upon
Chrift. Matth. xi. 28. Do they feel the
heavy load of their fins ? Juft then is Chrift
ready to take off the burthen ; do they
thirft after righteoufnefs ? Juft then is the
fountain of the water of life fet wide open
■uiuo them : Rev. xxi. 6. are they contrite
F F E R I N G S,
and humble in fpirit ? Juft then are they
become thrones J or the high and lofty One
that inhabiteth eternity to dwell in for e-
ver: Ifa. Ivii. 15. O then come and wel-
come ! Chrift excepts none that will not
except themfelves. He died for ally and he
would have all men to be faved.
But yet let us be courteous : fecondly,
he purged our JinSy and ours"^ with a li-
mitation ; the ufe of phyfick (we fay) con-
fiftsin application ; and howfoever our Sa-
viour hath purged our fins ; yet this purge
of his is nothing beneficial to us, unlefs
there be fome means to apply it. As then
it is in all other phyfick, fo in this; we
muft firft take it ; fecondly, keep it.
1 . Take it ; for as the beft plaifter if
not laid to, can cure no wound : fo Chrift
himfelf, and all his precious merits are of
no vertue to him that will not apply them
by faith : when you hear the gofpel preach-
ed, believe it on your parts; believe Chrift
is yours; believe that he lived and died,
and forrowed, and fuffered, and all this
foryou,to purge your fouls from your fins.
2. But having taken it, you muft fe-
condly keep it ; as men take phyfick, not
only in belief that it will do them good,
but in hope to keep it by the vertue and
ftrength of the retentive parts : fo we take
Chrift by faith, but we retain him by holi-
nefs : thefe two, Faith and Holinefs, are
tho(is two bonds wherewith Chrift is unit-
ed unto us, and we unto Chrift: fo that
if we be of this number, then truly may
we fay that he purged our fins : for he
both died for us, and by vertue of our
faith and holinefs through him, his death is
applied to us, to us I fay not in any gene-
ral acceptation, but as we are of the num-
ber of his laints ; for we had finned, and
they were our fins] only that he effefl-
ually purged, and waftied away.
Ufe. And this leffon may afford us this
ufe, that howfbeve/ the free-grace,and mer-
cy and goodntfs of Chrift Jefns is revealed
and offered to all men, univerfally,yet our
Sa-
the TVR GING of S I N.
Saviour takes none but fuch as are willing
to take upon them his yoke ; he gives him-
felf to none but fuch aS are ready to fell all
and follow him : lie faves none but fuch ^^
deny wijiodlinefi and xvorldly lujls , and live
Jbberly, righteoujly and godly in this prcfcnt
•world', in a word, he purgeth none, or
cleanfeth none by his blood from all fin,
but fuch as walk in the light, as God is in
the light; who make confcience of deteft-
ing and declining all fins, andfincerely fet
their hearts and hands with love and care-
ful endeavour to every duty enjoined
them; why, thefe are the men only to
whom his death is eifeftual ; and there-
fore, as we mean to partake of his merits,
or to have good by his death, let us become
new creatures. It is true indeed and we
cannot but maintain it, that tojuftification
nothing but faith is required ; but this cau-
tion muft be added, it muft be a faith that
purifies the heart, that works an univerfal
change, that (hews itfelf in the fruits: if-
therefore any of us would come in, let us
have ready our anfwer, as a late divine
fpeaks, the dialogue betwixt Chrift and a
true Chriftian on this manner : Firlt, (faith
he) when God hath enlightened the eyes
of a man, that he can fee where this trea-
fure is, what then ? Why, (faith the Chri-
flian) I am lb inflamed with the love of it,
that I will have it whatfoever it cofl me:
Yea, (faith Chrift) but there is a price up-
on if, it mufl: coil thee dear, a great deal
of forrow, and trouble, and crofi^es, and
afflictions : Tuih, tell me not of price,
(faith the Chriftian) whatiosver I have fhall
go for ir, I will do any thingfor it, that God
will enable me : why, (laith Chrift) wilt
thou cur^ thine affeiflions i wilt thou give
up thy life ? wilt thou be content to fell all
thou haft ? I will do ic (faith the Chriftian)
with all my, heart, 1 am content to k\\ all
that I have, rothing is [o dear unto me
but Iwill part wi-thit, my right-hand, my
right-eye: nay, if htll itfelf Ihould ftand
between me and Chrift, yet would I pafs
5^7
through it unto him. This (beloved) this
is that violent affecftion which God puts
into the hearts of his children, that they
will have Chrift whatfoever it coft them :
yet underftand me, I pray you : it is not
fo fell our houfes, or lands, or children,
but our fins that I mean : the Lord Jefus
and one luft cannot lodge together in one
foul : no, if we are but once truly incor-
porated into Chrift, we miift take him as
our hulhand and Lord ; we muft love, ho-
nour, and ferve him, we muft endeavour
after fanflificatipn, purify, new obedience,
ability to do, or fufferany thing for Chrift ;
we muft confecrate all the powers and
poiTibilities of our bodies and fouls to do
him the beft fervice we can ; we muft
grieve and walk more humbly, becaufe we
can do no better ; and thus if we do, tho'
I cannot fay but ftill we ftiall fin fo long
as we live on this earth, yet here is our
comfort, I John ii. 1,2. {JVe have an ad-
vocate ivith the Father, Jejus Chrift the
righteous, and he is the propitiation for
our /ins. I fay, for our fns'] effeiflually, if
we believe in his name, for it was for us
he died, and they were our fins he purged,
and this is that great benefit we receive
from our Saviour, in that he by hitnfelf
hath purged our Jins.'\
And now our fins being purged, our
fouls recovered, I may well end this text,
only I ftiall give it one vifit more and fo
farewel.
You fee the malady, fin^ the remedy,
a purge,'] the phyfician, he, the patient,
hitnfelf,'] ourfelves,] for our infirmities
were laid on him, and his fores became
our falves, by whofe vertue we are healed.
Blefs we then God for the recovery of our
fouls ; and be we careful for the furure of
any relapfe whatfoever: thefe relapfes are
they we had need to fear indeed, for in
them the difeafes are more d^ngeroi.s, litis
are more pernicious, and men become fe-
ven times more the children of Satan than
ever they were before, Mat. xii. 44. Now
then
5i8 HEAVEN'S H A "P T I N E S S,
then we are healed, be we ftudious to pre- bodies, then are the angels ready to con-
ferve it all the days of our life, and we duft them to his kinedom : and thither
(hall find at our death, that he that /"wr^f^ may we come for his Take, and his only,
our fins will fave our fouls ; we need not a- who by himfelf (in his own perfon) hatk
ny other purgatory after death ; no, when -purged our fun. Amen.
our fouls (hall take their flights from our
HEAVENS HAPPINESS.
Luke xxiii. 43. To day fhalt thou be with me in paradife.
HE that purged our fins is here difpo-
fing of par^ife, at the fame time
when he hung on the crofs, even giving
up the ghoft, he is dealing crowns and king-
. doms to a poor penitent foul : thus like a
glorious fun that breaks through the wa-
try clouds ere it appear unto us, our Sa-
viour, the Sun of righteoufnefs, flnoots
forth his rays of majeliy through all his
fufferings on a dejefted linner. Two ma-
lefaflors fuffer wiih him ; the one rails
on hirn^ fay^f^gi If thou be Chrifi fave thy-
felf and us : but the other prays to him.
Lord, rejnember me when thou comeft to
thy kingdom. In the midft of his thraldom
he proclaims his kingdom, and whom he
fees a captive, he believes a Lord : Lord,
remember me ; Is it not flrange, that thro'
fo many, fuch thick clouds of mifery, this
dying thief fliould behold his glory? but
where grace aboundeth, what marvel is it?
The natural man hnoweth not the things of
God, but he that is fpiritual difcerneth all
things, I Cor. ii. 15. No fooner was this
penitent thief converted a Chriftian, but on
a fuddcn, even on the very rack of torture
he confelfeth himfelf a finner, and Chrift
his Saviour, and therefore defires to be re-
membered of him when he comes co hea-
ven. Thus pouring out his foul in prayer
the * Bridegroom that became an harp, faith
Bcniard, (his crols being the wood ; him-
lelf Ihctcht on it, the Itrings ; and his
words, the found) hark how he warbles
the mofl; heavenly mulick that was ever
chanted to a departing foul, To day flialt
thou be with me in paradife.
The words are a gofpel, fuch as the an-
gels brought to the lliepherds, Luke ii. 10.
Behold, I bring you good tidings of -great
joy. Here is tidings, good tidings; joy,
and great joy, the greateft happinefs that
could ever befal a mortal, now waits on a
mrilefaflor, at that time when the execu-
tion was a doing, death approaching, and
the horrors of hell laying hold upon him ;
when a word of comfort wotild have been
moll feafonable, like apples of gold in pic-
tures of f liver, Prov. xxvi. 1 1. then comes
our Saviour (as a meffenger with a par-
don) and he bids him be of good cheer,
there was happinefs towards him ; when ?
to day ; what ? thou floalt be with me ;
where ? in paradife. Not a word but fpeaks
comfort to the afflicfted foul ; be ye how-
foever afflifled for the prefcnt, yet there
fliiill be a change, and the more to fweet-
en it, Here is the celerity, to day. Cer-
tainty, thou foalt be. Society, with me.
Ubi, or place, where all joy is enjoyed, in
paradife. Thefe are thofe four heads. that
iflTue out of Eden ; may God give a blef-
fing to the watering, that you may bear
good fruit till you are planted in that gar-
den whereof it is fpoken, To day Pjalt thou
be with me in paradife, W'e begin with the
ccr-
HEAVEN'S HATT INESS,
certainty of this promife, Thoujhait be^ Sec.
Thoujhatt be. 2
TO thispurpofe was that afleveration,
Verily y verily I fay unto thee. Nor
is it enough that he affirms it, but he af-
f\ires it, efe, thou /halt be. JVillznd/hall
is for the king, and what is he lefs that be-
ftows kingdoms on his fervants? Here was
a poor man defires only to be remembered
of him, and inftead of remembering him,
be tells him he fliiall be with him ; how ?
but as a co-heir of his kingdom. Bleffed
thief, that had fuch a gift, and that made
unto him with fuch aflurance as this was !
it is the promife of our Saviour, who to
put him out of all doubt, he tells him it
ill all be fo, Thou /halt be, luith me in pa-
radife. Whence obferve,
Obferv. * That falvation may be made
- fure to a man.' If you would needs know
the means, howfoever it was true in this
thief, it is not by^any immediate fuggeftion
or revelation ; Chrifi: is now in heaven,
and the holy Ghoft works not by enthufi-
afms or dreams: * The aifurance of our
falvation depends not upon revelation, but
on the promiles rf the gofpel ;' there then
muft we fearch and fee, and if our hearts
be rightly qualified, thence may we draw
that fulnefs of perfi-'afion with Abraham,
who ftaggered not at God's promifes, being
fully perjuaded, that what he had promifed
he ivas able to per for jn, Rom, iv. 21. This
do(flrine we have confirmed by David, '9L
XXXV. 3. Say unto my foul, I am thy fal-
vation. ^ By Peter in the 2 Pet. i. 10. Make
your eleSiionfure. By Paul in the 1 Cor.
ix. 26. I therefore fo run, not as uncer-
tainly. From all which we may argue,'
David would never pray for that which
could not be ; nor would Peter charge
us with a duty which Hood not in pof-
fibility to be. performed ; nor wotild
Paul ferve God at random, uncertp.in whe-
ther he fhould obtain any good, or pre-
vent any mifchief; no, but as one that
"%'as furc, that by fo doing he fliould attain
519
everlafting life, and without fo doing he
could not avoid eternal death. We may
then be fure, if conditions rightly concur;
and feeing this is a point we would all be
glad to know, that we are fure to be fail-
ed, I {hall beg others help, God's affidance,
and your patience, till we have opened the
windows, and given you a light of the
lodging, where fecurely our fouls may rcfi
at noon, Cant. i. 7.
Some lay the order thus, ' That to af-
fure us of heaven, we niuft be aflured of
Chrift ; and, to affure us of Chrift, we mull
be alfured of faith ; and, to affure us of
faith, we muft be affured of repentance,
and to aHure us of repentance, we mufl
be affured of amendment of life.'
Others tell us of more evidences, and
we fnaH reduce them to thefe heads; * The
teftimony of our fpirits, and the teflimo-
ny of God's Spirit :' it is not our fpirit a-
Ipne, nor God's Spirit alone makes this
certificate, but both concurring; and thus
Paul tells us, Rom. viii. \6. The Spirit it-
felf beareth luiinefs iviih our fpirit, that
ive are the children of God.
I. Our firft: affurance then, is, the tefli-
mony of our fpirit ; and this witnefTecb
two ways: by inward tokens, and outward
fruits.
Inward tokens are certain fpecial graces
of God imprinted in the fpirit of a man^
zs, godly for row, defire of pardon, love of
righteoufnefs, faith in Chrift, for he that
believeth on the Son of God, hath the wit-
ne/s in himfelf, faith the apoftle, Jo. v. 10.
Outward fruits y are, all good deeds, ho-
ly duties, new obedience, and hereby we
are fure that we know hi?n, if we keep his.
coynmandmtnts, i John ii. 3. To fay then
we are fure of heaven, and to live a life
fitter for devils, what a fond faying is ihis I
No, if we have a true tefiimony wc mufl
he of good lives ; it is our holinefs, and
juflice, and mercy, and truth that will be
our beft affurance ; and fo the apolile af-
f urcs us J If you do thefe things ye [hall
never
5-0
HEAVEN'S H^TTINESS.
never fall, 2 Pet. i. lo. See more of this
in Media, Self-trial, Se6t. 8. page 138.
2. Our fecond and beft afl'urance, is, the
teftimony of God's Spirit, which fome-
timcs may fuggeft and teftiiie to the fanc-
tified confcience, thus, or, in the like man-
ner, Thou /halt be javed, thoujhaltbe with
me in paradife.
But here I muft fatisfie two doubts : i.
* By what means the Spirit of God gives
this particular alFurance ? 2. How a man
dinary humiliation, or in beginning of our
fpiritual, or end of our natural life, as moft
needful times : then doth God's Spirit fpeak
comfortably to us, whifpering to our fouls
the affurance of our happinefs, that we
fliould be inheritors of his kingdom. The
affurance o^ adherence is that which I doubt
not the faints have in their greateft extre-
mity ; for inftance, many a faithful foul
that makes confcience of fin, lies and lan-
g-illies upon the rock of fears and terrors.
may difcern betwixt the affurance of this he feels nothing but a dead heart, and a
Spirit, and the illufion of Satan who b the fpiiitual defertion, yet in the mean time
fpirit of lies.' his foul cleaves unto Chrift, as the fureft
To the firft, we fay, the means is either rock, he cries and longs after him, and for
by an immediate^revelation, or by a par- all his forrows he will ftill reft upon him,
ticular application of the promifes in the Job-like, Though he (lay me, yet -will I trufl
gofpel in form of an experimental fyllo- in him. Job xiii. 15. Now this adherence
^ifm ; as, Whofoever believes on the Son unto Chrifl: may affure him of falvation,
^{hall be fhved, John iii. 36. But I believe for (if we fpeak punctually and properly)
on the Son; therefore I fliall be faved. The faith juHifyingisnottobeafTuredofpardon,
major is fcripture, the minor is confirmed but to trufl: wholly upon Chrift for par-
by our faith, which if I have, I may fay don ; and thus if he do, then may he with
I believe: true, Flefh and blood cannot fay freeAomo^ \Ymt, hy, I believe on the Son ;
//;ij, it is the operation of the holy Ghofl; whence arifeth this conclufion, which is
but if the work be wrought, and I feel this the teflimony of God's Spirit, therefore I
faith within my foul, what need I doubt Jl:all be faved.
but this affumption is true, / believe on the To our fecond doubt, How we may dif-
Son ? Yet I hear fome complain, they have cern betwixt the teflimony of God's Spi-
neither fight nor fenfe of faith ; and thus rit, and the illufion of Satan ? I anfwer.
it is often with God's dearefl; children : the Firfl, the teflimony of God's Spirit is e-
fun that in a clear fky difcovers and ma- ver agreeable to the word, and thus to try
nifefts itfelf, may fometimes with clouds
be overcafl and darkened ; and faith, that
in the calmnefs of a Ghriftian courfe iLines,
and fli^ews itfelf clearly to the fanftitied
heart, may fometimes in the damp of fpi-
riiual defertion or darknefs of temptation,
lie hid and obfcured : there is therefore in
the faints, * the affurance of evidence, and
the affurance of adherence :' the affurance
of evidence, is that which is without fcru-
ple, and brings an admirable joy with it,
and this more efpecially appears, cither in
our fervent prayers, or in our heavenly
meditations, or, in time of martyrdom, or
in lorae quickening cxercifes of extraor-
us, the fcripture tells us, that -whofoever
is born of God, doth not commit fin, I Jo.
iii. 9. which is not to be underflood fim-
ply of the a(ft of finning, for ivho can fay,
?ny heart is clean ? but in this fenfe, he
hath not committed Jin, that is, he makes
not, a trade of fin, it doth not reign in
him ; if then thou alloweff any luft in thine
heart, or goefl on in the willing practice
of any one known fin, and yet hafi a con-
ceit that thou art fure of falvation, alns,
thou art deceived ; Thou haj} made a lie
thy refuge and hid tl^yfelf under falfl)ood.
Secondly, God's Spirit breeds in the foul
a reverend love, and infatiable longing af-
ter
HEAVEN'S RATT I NE SS.
rer all good means appointed and fancftifi-
ed for our fpirituai good : and therefore
that heart which fweetly is affe(^ed and in-
flamed with the word and prayer, and me-
ditation and conference, and vows and
fmging of pfalms, and ufeof good books,
we doubt not but it is breathed on by the
Spirit of God ; which others thst ufe all
thefe ordinances out of cuftom or forma-
lity, or fome other finifter end, alas, their
conceit of being right, is built on the fands,
and therefore down it falls at death's flood,
and is overwhelmed in deftruftion.
Thirdly, God's Spirit is ever attended
with the fpirit of prayer ; and therefore
faith the apoftle, Ji^e know not how to pray,
hut the Spirit itfslfmaketh inter cefflon for
as with groanings which cannot be utter-
ed, Rom. viii. 26. O the bleflcd operation
of this Spirit ! it even warms the fpirit of a
man with quickening life, to pour out itfelf
in the prefence of the Lord his God, fome-
rimes in more hearty prayers, and fome-
times in more faint and cold, yet always
edged with infinite defires that they might
be far more fervent than they are : but
on the other fide, every deluded pharifee
is a meer ftranger to the power of prayer,
if he prays often (as I make it a queflion)
yet never prays he from a broken heart,
and this argues that all his confidence is no
better than a weed which grows of its own
accord, and therefore, like Jonah's gourd,
when affliftion comes, it withers in a fudden .
Fourthly, The teftimony of God's Spi-
rit is often exercifed and accompanied with
fears, and jealoufies, and doubts, and dif-
trufts, and varieties of temptations, which
many times will drive the foul thus diftrefl
to cry mightily to God, to re-examine her
grounds, to confirm her watch, to refort
for counfel where it may be had ; whilfl:
on the contrary, the pharifee's groundlefs
conceit lies in his bofom without fears, or
jealoufies, or doubts, or diftrufts, or any
f uch ado ; why fo ? alas, Satan is too fub-
nle to trouble him in that cafe; he knows
5^-1
his foundation is fallhood, his hope of hea-
ven no better than a golden dream, and
therefore in policy he holds his peace, that
he may hold him the farter.
Fifthly, The teftimony of God's Spirit
is ever moft refrefliing at thofe times, when
we retire ourfelves to converfe with God,
in a more folemn manner ; when we fe?l
that we have conquered, or well curbed
fome corruption of nature ; when we are
well exercifed in the ordinances of God,
or in our fufferings by man for a good caufe
and confcience fake; then^or at fuch time)
fball we feel that fweetnefs of the Spirit
cheriihing our hearts with alightfome com-
fort that cannot be uttered ; which on ihe
contrary the deluded man is always alike
peremptory in his confidence ; you fliall
not take him at any time without a bold
perfuafion, that he hopes to be faved as
well as the beft, thus like a man who lying
faft afleep on the edge of a rock, he dreams
Bierrily of crowns and kingdoms, and will
not off it, but on a fudden ftarting for joy,
he tumbles into the bottom of the fea, and
there lies drowned in the deep ; that afTu'
ranee which is ever fecure is but a dream,
whereas the teftimony of God's Spirit is
fometimes mixed with doubts, and fome-
times (to our unfpeakable comfort) with a
fecret, ftill, heart-raviftiing voice th us fpeaks
to our confciences, Thou Jlo alt be'] with me
in paradife.
You fee the teftimony of God's Spirit
how it works in us, and how it is difcern-
ed by us ; it works in us by a particular
application of the promifes in the gofpei,
and is difcerned by us by the word, by our
love, our prayers, our fears, our joys ac
fometimes while we are doing our duties.
But for this fee our beft evidences in Me-
dia. Self-trial, ch. 4. Se6t. 8. third edition.
Ufe. O blefled man that feels in his foul
this bleffed teftimony ! what is here com-
parable to it ? Riches are deceitful, ples-
fure is a toy, the world is but a bubble,
only our affurance of heaven is the only
X X X real
j;22 HEAVEN'S H
real comfort that we have on earth ; who
then would not ftudy to make this certain ?
If we purchafe an inheritance on earth, we
make it as fure and our tenure as ftrong
as the brawn of the law, or the brain of
lawyers can devife, we have conveyance,
and bonds, and fines, no ftrength too
much ; and (hail we not be more curi-
ous in the fettling our eternal inheritance
in paradtfe ? A man can never be ioo fure
of going to heaven, and therefore in God's
fear let us examine the teflimony of our
fpirits by the inward tokens, and by the
outward fruits : let us examine the tefli-
mony of God's Spirit by the means and the
difference j and if we find both thefe tefti-
monies to accord^fithin us ; how blefTcd
are we in this vale of tears ! it is an heaven
upon earth, a paradife in a wildernefs; in
a word, a comfort in all miftries, be they
never fo embittered. See a thief hanging
on the crofs, an engine of moft grievous
torture ; but who can tell the joy that en-
tered into him before he entered into hea-
ven ? You may guefs it by his defire to be
rtmembred of Chriji when he came into
hii kingdom ; he begs not for life, nor plea-
fure, nor riches, nor honour, no. There is
ttne thing necejfary ; give him heaven and
he cares for nothing ; to this purpofe doth
he addrefs himfelf to our blelled Saviour,
and he afks, What ? If thou be Chrifty
fave thyfelf, Luke xxiii. 37, 39- ^^^^ the
jewsin derifion ; and If thou be Chrifi.fave
thyfelfandusj faid the other thief to him ;
but this was only for the body's fafety :
and here is a man quite of another mind,
let the Jews rack him, tear him, break all
his bones, and pull him into atoms, if our
Saviour will but do fo much as remember
him in his kingdom, he dellres nothing
itiore: O bleiTed Chrift, fpeak comforta-
bly to his foul that begs it thus vehemently
at ihy hands : but why do I prevent ? the
bowels of our Saviour yearn to hear him ;
remember him ? Yes, he will remember
hxTTiy and he ppall be with him ; comforta-
ATT INESS
ble news ! how leaps his heart at thefe To
bleff?d words ? his defire is granted, and
heaver, is affured, and the. Spirit of God,
yea, the God of fpirits thus teflifies it un-
to him, To day l/halt thou be'] ivith me in
paradife.
Thus far of the certainty of falvation,
thou fhalt be~\ but as the grant is fweet that
IS certain, fo is it yet more acceptable if done
with expedition : and here is both the cer-
faintv^nd expedition, thou/halt be, AVhen ?
to day] ivith me, in paradife.
To day.]
OUR Saviour defers not that he pro-
mifes, but as he quickly hears, and
quickly grants: fo he quickly gives him pa-
radife, and a kingdom. This fudden unex-
pe6led joy makes all more grateful ; to tcli
us of crowns and kingdoms that we muft
inherit, and then to put us oft' with delays,
abates the fweetnefs of the promife: men
that go to fuits for lands and livings, tho'
lawyers feed them with hopes, yet one or-
der after another, fpinning our time to a
multitude of terms, makes them weary of
the bufinefs : it is the happinefs of this fut-
tor that he comes to an hearing, but the
highefl degree of his happinefs was the ex-
pedition of his fuit; no fooner he moti-
ons. Lord, remember me when thou comefi
into thy kingdom, but the Lord gives him
what he afks upon his Hrfi motion, To day,
ere the fun be down, the kingdom fhall be
thine, thou jhalt be with me in paradife.
But you may obje6V, * Was there no
limbus patrum, no purgatory to run thro' >
but the very fame day he died, he muft
then go to paradife ?' No ; uolefs limbus
or purgatory be paradife itfelf, there is no
fuch thing at all. Some there are, that rather
than fay nothing, Ipeak thus ; * Clirift giv-
ing up the ghoft, his foul defccnded into
hell, and the very fame day was this ma-
lefatStor partaker of Chrifi's beatifical vifi-
on, with the other patiiarchs in Limbus.'^
But of how great difference is paradife and
limbus, we Hiali hear another time : fure
it
HEAVEN'S H
It is, Chrift promlfed not a dungeon in-
ftead of a kingdom, nor is paradife a place
of pleafure, of any fuch imaginary melan-
choly nature r we conclude then. To day
thou (halt be -with me in paradife, it is all
one to fay, To day, thy day of death, Jhalt
thou be with me in heaven, and there enjoy
me in my kingdom.
But again, you may obje^, ' That Ghrifl
rather that day defcended into hell, than
afcended into heaven:' The Creed teacheth,
* that after he was crucified, dead, and bu-
ried, he defcended into hell.'
To anfwer the objecflion, fomego about
thus: By hell, fay they, is meant paradife,
where the foul of Chrift was all the time
that his body lay in the grave : if this be not
a mifconftru£\ion, I am fure it is no lite-
ral expofition, and raethinksa very ftrange
kind of figure it is, to exprefs Chrift's af-
cent into paradife by his defcent into hell.
Others, more probably, underftand Chrlft's
abode in the grave for the fpace of three
days: Auftin, after fome turns and wrench-
es, concludeth thus: * E/i autem fenjus
tnulto expeditior, isc. * It is a far eafier
fenfe, and freer from all ambiguity, if we
take Ghrift to fpeak thefe words. This day
Pjalt thou be with me in paradife, not of
his manhood, but of his Godhead; for the
man Chrill was that day in the grave ac-
cording to the flelli, and in hell as touching
the foul, but the fame Ghrift, as God, is al-
ways every where.' Thus he : but this will
not fatisfy all, and therefore they argue
thus againft it; f * Thefe words, (fay they)
muft be underftood of his manhood, not of
his Godhead : And why fo ? For they are
an anfwer unto a demand, and untoit they
muft be fuitable : Now the thief ((ieeing
that Chrift was firft of all crucified, and
therefore, in all likelihood fhould firft of
all die) makes his requeft to this eife<Sl;
ATTIKI E SS. 523
Lord, thou flialt fliortly enter Tnto thy
kingdom, remember me then: To which,
Chrift's anfwer, as the very words import,
is thus much; '* I fhall enter into paradife
this Jay, and there flialt thou be with me:"
But the Godhead, which is at all times in
all places, cannot be faid properly to enter
into a place, and therefore not into para-
dife. Again, when Chrift faith. Thou
ftialt be with me in paradife; he doth inti-
mate a refemblance between the firft and
fecond Adam; the firft Adam finned againft
God, and was prefently caft out of para-
dife ; the fecond Adam having made fatis-
faflion for fin, muft prefently enter into
paradife. Now there is no entrance but
in regard of the foul, or manhood, and
therefore to apply it to the Godhead, were
to abolifli this analogy betwixt the firft and
fecond Adam.'
Thefe reafons are weighty, but (hould
^e fay with Auftin, That Chrift in his foul
went down into hell, one of our J Wor-
thies can tell us, that ' Chrift's foul, unit-
ed to his Godhead, might do all that, and
yet be that day in paradife : God works not
lazily like man : Satan could fhew Chrift
all the kingdoms of the world in the twink-
ling of an eye, and God's expedition ex-
ceeds his.' To this agrees fj another; that
* we have no warrant in God's word, fo
to faften Chrift's foul unto hell for all the
time of his death, but that it might be in
paradifebefore it defcended into hell.' That
he was in paradife muft be received, be-
caufe himfelf doth affirm it: and that he
defcended into the deep muft be received
alfo, for the Apoftle doth avouch it ; Ro.
X. 7. but how he defcended, or what time
he defcended, as alfo what manner of tri-
umph he brought thence, cannot be limit-
ed by any mortal man. To conclude, I
will not deny, but that according to the
*Aug. Kpirt J7. t fe't^'"* on ti'.c reed.
|{ B. BUfon Ot the power of hcUucftioyed, fol. 7.19
X X x'2
\ Clark.
creed,
JJH
HEAVEN'S HAT'TINESS.
creed, he defcended into hell, yet howfoe-
ver we expound it, metaphorically, or li-
terally, it hinders not this truth, but that
immediately after death his foul went into
paradlfe.
The obje^llons thus folved, now come
we to the thief thus comforted by Chrift,
To day /halt thou be luith me in paradife.
"What ? To day ? without all doubts or de-
lays ? Here is a blefled difpatch, if we either
confider the niifery endured, or, the joy to
be received.
I. In regard of his miTerics, he was a
thief condemned and crucified : We read
of four kinds of death in ufe among the
Jews ; ftrangling^ftoning, fire and fword ;
the crofs was a death, whether for the pain,
the (hame, the curfe, far above all other :
We may fee it in that gradation of the a-
poftlc, He became obedient to death, even
to the death of the cro/s, Phil. ii. 8. What
engine of torture was that? it fpins out
pain, it flows his death, yet a little and a
little, till it be more than any man can
think : See his hands bored, his feet nailed,
his legs broken, every part full of pain
from top to toe; and thus hangs this thief,
the poife of his body every moment in-
creafing his pain, and his own, weight be-
coming his own affli(ftion ; in this cafe were
not a quick riddance his beft remedy? were
not the news of death better than a ling-
ring life ? Lo then, to his eternal comfort,
Chrill our S;iviour (in the Jame condemna-
tion) grants him his dcfirc. What would
he have ? a difpatch of pain ? he (hall have
it this day] as Samuel's appearance faid to
Saul, To morrow, (yea, To day) thoujhalt
be with me, i Sam. xxviii. 19.
But fecondly, here is a greater comfort,
his miferies have an end, and his joys are
at hand ; while he is even gafping in death's
pangs, he is carried on a fudden from earth
to heaven, from his crofs to paradife, from
a world of wo to a kingdom of happinefs
and eternal biifs. O how blelfed is the
change, when in the very moment of pii-
fery joy enters ! fuppofe you a poor maa
in the night-time out of his way, wander-
ing alone upon the mountains, far from
company, deftitute of money, beaten with
rain, terrified with thunder, fliff with cold^
wearied with labour, famiflied with hun-
ger, and near brought to defpair with the
multitude of miferies ; if this man upon a
fudden, in the twinkling of an eye, Ihould
be placed in a goodly, large, and rich place
furni(hed with all kind of clear lights, warm
fire, fweet fmells, dainty meats, fofi beds,
pleafant mufick, fine apparel, honourable
company, and all thefe prepared for hira
to ferve him, honour him, and to anoint
and crown him a king for ever; what
would this poor man do? what could he
fay ? furely nothing, but rather in filence
weep for joy: fuch, nay, far happier was
the cafe of this poor malefa(rtor ; he was
like the man wandering on the mountains,
full of as much pain as the crofs could
make him; but on a fudden he and our
Saviour crucified with him, both meet in
his kingdom ; and now, Lord, what a joy
enters into him, when he entered into
heaven ! on Calvary he had nothing about
him, but the Jews aT his feet, and the
nails in his hands, and the crofs at his back;
inftead whereof, no fooner comes he to
paradife, but the angels, archangels, che-
rubims, feraphims, all hug him and em-
brace him ; imagine with yourfdves, how
was he aftonhhed, and, as it were, belides
himfelf at this fudden mutation, and ex-
ceffive honour done unto him ! imagine
with yourfelves, what joy was that, when
he met our Saviour in his glory, whom
that very day be had feen buffeted, fcourg-
ed, crowned, crucified; 'blefled day that:
ever could bring forth fuch a change !'
Beloved, I know not how to exprefs.it, but
let your fouls in fome meditation flee up^
from Calvary to heaven ; in the morning
you might have feen Chrift and this thief
hanging on two crolles, their bodies
ftretched, their veins opened, their hands
and
HEAVEN'S H
and feet bleeding in abundance ; the one
defiring to be remembred of the other,
and the other complaining that he was for-
gotten of his Father, Matth. xxvii. 46. In
this doleful cafe both leaving the world,
ere night they meet again, and now what
hugs, what kiffes are betwixt them? when
Jofeph met with Jacob, befell on his neck,
faith Mofes, and wept on his neck a good
ivhile, Gen. xlvi. 26. but never was any
meeting on earth like this in heaven : here
we have a Jofeph lift out of the dungeon
to the throne, where no fooner ict^ but
our Saviour performs his promife of meet-
ing him in paradife, at which raeecing the
angels fing, the faints rejoice, all harps
warble, allhandsclapfor joy, and the poor
foul of this penitent thief, raviQied with
delight, what does it, or what can it do,
but even weep for joy (if any weeping were
in heaven) to fee on a fudden fo great a
change as this ?
Ufe. And if this be his cafe, who will '
not fay with Balaam, Let me die the death
of the righteous f and let my lajl end be
like his ? Numb, xxiii. 10. O let us (I
befeech you) prefent unto our fouls the
blelfed condition to come, and this will be
effectual to liir us up to every good duty,
and to comfort us in all conditions what-
foever : * What will a man care for croiT-
es, and iofles, and difgraces in the world,
that thinks of an heavenly kingdom ? What
will a man care for ill ufage in his pilgrim-
age, when he knows he is a king at home ?
We are all ( in this time of our abfence
from God) but even flrangers upon earth,
here then muft we fuffer indignities, yet
here is the comfort, we have a better eAate
^T T INESS. s-s
to come,and all this in the mean time is no-
thing but a fitting us to that heavenly king-
dom : as David's time between his anointing
and inverting was a very preparing of him,
that he might know himfelf, and that he
might learn fitnefs for to govern aright ;
fo we are anointed kings; afToon as we be-
lieve, we have the fame blefled anointing
that is poured on our head, and runs down
about us ; but we muft be humbled and fit-
tedjbefore we are inverted : a little time, and
but a little,we have here to fpend; and let this
be our comfort, howfoever we fare here, it is
not long ere we inherit. The affU^ions of
this life are not "worthy of the glory that
fhall be fhevjed us, Ro. viii. i8. and there-
fore Ignatius, in a burning zeal, durft fay
it ; ' Fire, gallows, hearts, breaking of my
bones, quartering of my members, crurtiing
of my body, all the torments of the devils,
let them come upon me, fo I may enjoy this
treafure of heaven ;' and well might he
fay it that knew what a change would be
one day ; for never was cold ftiadow fo
pleafant in hot fummer, never was eafie
bed fo delightful after labour, as rtiall be
this reft of heaven to an afBi^led foul,
coming thither out of this valley of tears.
O then, what fervice rtiouldwe do ? what
pain ftiould we fuffer to attain this reft ?
were it to run thro' fire and water, were
it (as St. Auguftine faid) * to fuffer every
day torments, yea, the very torments of
hell, yef ftiould we be content to abide it;*
and how much more when we may buy it
without money, or money-worth; we
need not to part with any thing for it, but
fin : this thief (now a bleiled faint in glo-
ry) t for a day's fufFering, an half-day's re-
• when we eonfKler that we liave but a little whik to be here, that we are upon journey travelling towards our
heavenly country, where we ftiall meet with all the delights we can defire, it ought not to trouble us much to en-
dure ftorros and foul ways, and to want many of thofe accommodations «c might expert at home. This is the
common fate of travellers, and we muft take things as we find them, and not 1 ok to have every thing juft to our
mind. Thefe difficulties and inconv.i.ii;iices will (hortly be over, and after a few days will be quite forgotten, and
be to us as if they had never been And when we are faftly iand.d in our own country, with what pleadirc lliall
*e look back upon thofe roufil. and boiftcrons fea? which we have efcaped ?
\ I fpcak of fufierings and repenting »s means, not as the canlcs
jeut-
52'<^
HEAVEN'S HATT INESS,
penting, "^vas thus welcomed to heaven ; i-
mitate we him in his repentance, not in
bis delay ; he indeed had mercy at the laft
caft, but this privilege of one infers not a
common law for all : one finds mercy at
• the laft, that none fhould defpair ; and but
one, thit none fliould prefume. Be then
your /ins as red as fear let, you need not
defpair, if you will but repent; and left
your repentance be too late, let this be
the day of your converfion, now abhor
(ins paft, fue out a pardon, call upon Chrift
with this thief on the crofs, Lord remem-
ber me, remember me, now thou art in thy
kingdom ; thus would we do, how bleftedly
fhould we die, ounconfciences comforting
■us in death's-pangs, and Chrift Jefus fay-
ing to us at our laft day here, our day of
"Jeath, our day of difTolution, To day Jloalt
thou be with me in paradije.
Ufe 2. Let us admire at this free gift of
Chrift; it is true, I may prefs upon you
doing, fufferiBg, faith, repentance, yet un-
derftand aright, gofpel-conditions make not
the gift lefs free ; iflife be offered to a con-
(Jemned man, upon condition that he
Ihduld beg, and wait, before he have his
pardon, and take him for his Lord whohath
thus redeemed him ; all this is no fatisfying
of thejuftice of the law, efpecially when the
condition is alfo given, as it is by Chrift to
' all his chofen ; Chriftians! admire at this,
furely we ftiall admire at this when we come
to enjoyment ; methinks I hear this blefTed
thief thus fpeak in heaven ; ' O Jefus what
didft thou fee in me, that thou ftiouldeft
judge me meet for fuch a ftate as this ?
that I who was a robber, a thief, fhould
he clad in the brightnefs of this glory ? that
I who was but lately groaning, weeping,
dying, fhould now be as full of joy as
heart can hold ? Alas ! what was my pray-
er, my tears, my repentance, to fuch a re-
ward as this ?' O when a felf-denying, felf-
accufing, humble foul, who thought him-
felf unworthy the ground he trod on,
, ;<nd the air he breathed in, unworthy to
cat, drink, or live, fliall be taken up into
this glory ; he who durft fcarce come a-
mongft, or fpeak to the imperfeft faints
on earth, becaufe he was unworthy; for
this foul to find itfelf rapt up into heaven^
andclofed in the arms of Chrift, even in a
moment, do but think with yourfelves,
what the tranfporting, aftonifhing admir-
ation of fuch a foul will be ? Now if fuch
admirings be in heaven, admire now, be-
gin we now to admire at this free grace,
free gift of Chrift, who will one day freely
fay to us. To day /hall you be with me in
paradife.
We have difpatched with expedition
this difpatch, this expedition, to day'] the
next day you fhall hear the happinefs of
this grant, which is the fociety of our Sa-
viour, thou Poalt be : with whom ? ^uith
mel in paradi/e.
With me."]
AND is he of the fociety of Jefus ? yes,
(though no Jefuite neither, for they
were not then hatcht) but what noble order
is this, where the faints fing, angels mini-
fter, archangels rule, principalities triumph,
powers rejoice, dominations govern, vir-
tues fliine, thrones glitter, cherubims give
light, feraphims burn in love, and all that
heavenly company afcribe and ever give all
laud and praifes unto God their Maker ?
Here is a fociety indeed, (I mean not of
Babylon, but Jerufalem) whither Jefus our
Saviour admits all his fervants, and where-
to this thief on the crofs was invited, and
welcomed, Thou /halt be with me in para-
dife.
For if with me] then with all that it
with mej and thus comes in that blefTed
company of heaven ; we will only take a
view of them, and in fome fcantling or o-
ther you may guefs at heaven's happinefs.
With 7ne] and therefore with my faints;
bleft'ed man! that, from a crew of thieves
(by one hour's repentance) became a com-
panion of faints : and now he is a faint a-
mongft them. What joy is that he enjoys
with
HEAVEN'S HATTINESS, 527
O my foul, couldeft thou fo not here a goodly troop,a fweet company,
with them ?
gain heaven by remorfe for fin, and fincere
repentance, [iho* indeed it were raadnefs
to expert it if thou doft not this moment
forfake thy fins] then mighteft thou fee
"What ? all thofe millions of faints that e-
ver lived on earth, and are In heaven : there
are thofe holy patriarchs, Adam, Noah, A-
braham, gnd the reft, not now in their pil-
grimage tofled to and fro on earth, but a-
biding for ever on mount Zion the city of
the living God: Heb. xii. 22. There are
thofe goodly prophets, Ifaiah, Jeremiah,
Ezekiel,*and the reft, not now fubjert to
the torments of their cruel adverfaries, but
wearing palms, and crowns, and all other
glorious enfigns of their victorious tri-
umphs; there live thofe glorious apoftles,
Peter, Andrew, James, John, and the reft,
not now in danger of perfecution or death,
but arrayed in long roheSfiuaJhed and made
-white in the blood of the Lamb, Rev. viL
14. There live thofe women- faints, Ma-
ry, Martha, and that virgin-mother, not
now weeping at our Saviour's death, but
finging unto him thofe heavenly fongs of
praife and glory, world without end i there
are thofe tender infants {an hundred forty
four thoufandy Rev. xiv i, 3, 4.) not now
under Herod's knife bleeding unto death,
but harping on their harps and follcwing
the Lamb -whiiherfoever he goeth'- There
fives that noble array of martyrs, ijhey
that txsere Jlain upon the earth, Rev xviii.
24.) not now under the mercilefs hands
of cruel tyrants, but finging and faying
their Halklujahs^ falvationy glory and ho-
nour ^ and power be unto the Lord our God,
Rev. xix. I. There dwell a!I the faints
and fervants of God {bcthfmall and great y
Revel, xix. 5.) not now fighing in this
vale of tears, but finging fweet fongs
that eccho through the heavens;. Js the
voice of many 'joaters, as the voice of
mighty thunderings. Revel, xix. 6. fo is
their voice, faying. Hallelujah, for the
Lord Cod Omnipotent reigneth. And is
a blefled fociety and fellowftiip of faints ?
O my foul, how happy wert thou to be
with them ! yea, how happy will that day
be to thee, when thou fhalt meet all the
Patriarchs, prophets, apoftles, difciples, in-
nocents, martyrs, the faints, and fervants
of the king of heaven ? why thus happy
and ble/Ted is this penitent thief: no foon-
er entered he into the gates of heaven, but
there meets him -with mufick and dancing,
(Luke XV. 23.) ^11 tbe quire of heaven, and
Lord, what a joy entered into his foul
when his foul entered into hismafter's joy?
Tell me (could I fpeak with thee that dwel-
left in the heavens) what a day was that,
when ftepping from the crofs, and con-
duced to paradife, thou waft there receiv-
ed with all honourable companies and
troops above ? there did the patriarchs
meet thee, and the prophets hug thee, and
the martyrs ftruck up their harps to bid
6hee welcome to the tabernacle of heaven.
Such honour have all his faints that attain
the fellowftiip of the faints in glory.
But more than fo, thou fhalt be with me,
and therefore with my angels : lo, here a
blefied company indeed, thefe are the hea-
venly chojriXlers eternally finging Jehovah's
praife : the feraphims cry cloud. Holy, ho^
ly, holy, is the Lord of hofls, Ifa. vi. 3. an
army anfwers to the anthem, Glory to God
on high : the whole quire of heaven add
the burthen, Thou art -worthy, Lord, to-
receive honour y and g'ory, and power i for
thou haft created all things , and for thy
fake they are and were created. Rev. iv.
1 1. O heavenly harmony confifting of tent
thoufand times ten thoufand various forts
of mufick ! / heard (faith John the divine)
the voice of many angtls round about the
throne .and the number oj them was ten thow
[and times ten thoufand, thoufand of thou^
fands. Re. v. i t. Th5.1eare the fiiining and
finging ftars of which God told his feivant
Job, xxxviii. 7. the morning flarsfing toge-
ther f andthefom of God Jhout for joy, The^G
aze
528 HEAVEN'S
are the winged chorifters of heaven, whom
Johh the divine heard Tinging their fongs
of hallelujah and hofanna; / ht^ard {{a\th
he) the voice of a great multitude, as the
voice of many waters, the voice of many
angels finging, and faying, Hallelujah, and
again hallelujah : thefe are the nimble an-
gels of heaven, whom Jacob faw flying up
and down the ladder, Gen. xxviii. 12.
Thefe are the proteftors of the godly,
whofe aid God promifed the Ifraelites;
Behold, 1 fend an angel before thee to
keep thee in the -way and to bring thee
I0 the place vjhich I have prepared,
Exod. xxiii. 20. Thefe are the guardians
of God's children, of whom our Saviour
. told his difciples, that in heaven their an-
gels always behold the face of his Father^
Matth. xviii. 10. Thefe are the armies of
God, who meeting Jacob in his journey,
he faid. This is God's hofl. Gen. xxxii. 2.
Thefe are the fpirits and minifters of God,
whom David defcribing by the purity of
their fubftance, and readinefs of their o-
'bedience, he calls the angels fpirits, and
his mini/iers a flame of fire, Pfal. civ. 4.
They are (hining and finging ftars, wing-
ed choriflers, nimble ports of heaven, pro-
testors of the godly, guardians of God's
children, the armies of the Almighty, the
fpirits and minifters of the great Jehovah.
What blelfed company is this we (hall
enjoy in heaven ? there is nothing in thcra
but is amiable, nothing in them but is ad-
mirable : O that this clay of ours ftiould
come to dwell with thofe incorporeal fpi-
rits! and yet fee here a man, a thief, the
worft of men ; by his confefTion and con-
trition, and faith in Chrifi;, is now become
a companion with angels.
Kor is that all. Thou fhalt be with me,
not only with my faints and angels, but
with me (with my foul) in paradife. His
foul indeed was there, tho' his body at that
time was in the grave ; and if the foul be
It that makes us men, what a pafling great
joy is that, when men Handing among the
HATT 1 NESS.
angels, fhall fee their Lord, the Lord of
heaven, not to be an angel, but a man ?
Here is the folace of faints, when they (hall
fee and fay, * Who is yonder that rules on
the throne of heaven ? who is yonder
that fits on the right hand of God the Fa-
ther ?' And they (hall anfwer themfelves
again. It is he that for us became man ;
it is he that for the falvation of our fouls
hath took upon him a body and foul ;
and think now with thyfelf, whofoever
thou art that readefl (if thou wilt but
fpend thy few evil days in his fear, and fo
die in his favour) what a comfort it will
be unto thee to fee the Lamb fitting on
his feat of date.' If the wife men of the
eaft came fo far, and fo rejoiced to fee
him in the manger, what will it be to thee
to fee him fitting and glittering in his glo-
ry ? If John Baptiftdid leap at his prefence
in his mother's belly, what fhall his pre-
fence do in his royal and eternal kingdom ?
' It pafiTeth all other glories (faith Auftin)
to be admitted into the ineftimable fight
of Chrifi his face, and to receive the beams
of glory from the brightnefs of his majeffy:'
Nay, (hould we fuffer torments every day,
nay, further, fiiould we endure the iharp-
efl pains imaginable for the longeft time
that can be conceived, thereby to gain the
fight of Chrilt, and of his faints, it were
nothing in comparifon. No wonder then,
if Paul dejire to be dijfohed and to be with
Chrifi, Phil. i. 23. Alas, who would not
be fo? * O mort fweet Saviour (faith one
devoutly) when ihall this joyful day come?
when fhall I appear before thy face ? when
fhall I be filled with thy excellent beauty ?
when fliall I fee that countenance of thine,
which the very angels themfelves are fo
dcfirous to behold ?' An happy time fure
it will be to each faithful foul ; and thus
happy was this man, he parted forrowfully
with our Saviour on the crofs, but he met
him joyfully in his kingdom ; thofe fweet
fouls that both left the world atone time,
no fconcr had heaven-gates opened unio
them.
HEAVEN'S H
th^m, but with mutual kifTes they embra-
ced each other in an unfpeakable manner.
Nor was this all ; fhou /Jja/t be -with me^
not only with my foul, but with my God-
head: this indeed was the height of blifs,
the very foul of heaven's joy itfelf ; feta-
fide this, and crown a man with the em-
pire of all the earth, the fplendor of hea-
ven, the royal endowments of a glorified
foul, the fweeteft company of faints and
angels, yet ftill would his foul be full of
emptinefs, and utterly to feek for the furefl:
fanfluary whereon to reft: : only once ad-
mit him to the face of God, and then pre-
fently, and never before his infinite defire
expires in the bofom of his Maker : I deny
not, but the other joys in heaven are
tranfcendent and ravifhing, but they are
all no better than acceflbries to this prin-
cipal, drops to this ocean, glimpfes to this
fun. If you alk, How can our fouls en «
joy this Godhead ? I anfwer, Two ways ;
firft, by the underftanding, fecondly, by«
the will. The underftanding is filled by a
clear, glorious fight of God, called, Bea-
tifical vifion ; Wejhall fee him face to face y
faith Paul, i Cor. xiii. 12. Wefhallfee
him as he is, faith John, i John iii. 2.
For, as the fun by his beams and bright-
nefs enlightens the eye and the air, that we
may fee not only all other things, but al-
fo his own glorious face ; fo God, blefted
for ever (in whofe prefence ten thoufand
of our funs would vanifli away as a dark-
fome mote) doth by the light of his ma-
jefty, fo irradiate the minds of all the blef-
fed, that they behold in him, not only the
beauty of all his creatures, but of himfelf ;
and thus ftiaJl we fee and know that glori-
ous myftery of the trinity, the goodn^fs of
the Father, the wifdom of the Son, the
love and comfortable fellowdiip of the ho-
ly Spirit; nothing that can be known, but
in him we fliall know it, in moft ample
manner.
But feeing vifion is taken from fenfe, it
may be demanded, what our bodily eyes
Yy
ATT INE SS, 529
fhall fee in heaven ? I anfwer, i. The glo-
rious manifeftations of the prefence of God
in fome fuch fort as was on ti.e mount,
where we find mentioned a bright cloud,
and his clothes were ivhite as the light, and
his face didjhine, Matth. xvii. 2, ^. Or,
as when God appeared in Solomon's tem-
ple, where the glory of the Lord filled the
hou fe, that the prie [is could not enter, i Kin.
viii. 1 1. Now this was a vifible glory, and
furely fome fuch, but a far more excellent
manifeftation is in heaven obvious to the
very eyes of faints. 2: The glorified bo-
dies ofthebleflfed faints full of beauty and
brightnefs ; it is faid at the day of judg-
ment at the right hand of Ghrift, ihall
fland a company of glorious creatures, but
on the left hand fliall be an ugly company,
and many of them deformed ; for if we
credit Durandus, their fins not being taken
» away, the fruit of fin will ftill remain up-
on them, as lamenefs, blindnefs, maimed-
^ nefs, be. but in heaven all comlinefs, and
excellency will appear in the faints, for
they fliall be as jewels made up ; now a
jewel muft be cut and poliflted, it mufl
have a luftre fet upon it, and be fet in gold
before it be made up, and thus muft the
faints be, and fo they fliall appear one tc
another. 3. The glorified body of our
blefi^d Saviour ; we fliall fee him that is
dearer than all our friends, that died for
our fins, not iu his humility, but in the
brightnefs of his glory.
2. The will is for ever fatisfied with a
perfeft, inward and eternal communion
with God himfelf; Ghrift that is God and
man, by his manhood alTumed, uniteth us
unto God, and by his Godhead afi~uming,
uniteth God unto us ; fo that by this fe-
cret and facred communion, we are made
partakers (and as it were pofleft"ors) of God
himfelf: O bottomlefs depth, and dearefl
confluence of joys and pleafures everlaft-
ing ! here is the perfeiSlion of all good
things, the crown of glory, the very life of
life everlafting ! and well may it be fo, for
y what
HEAVE -N's HATTINESS.
will not be were happy, how happy then are the faints
what can the foul defire God
tinto her ? It is he that is eminently in
bimfelf beauty to our eyes, mufick to our
ears, honey to our mouths, perfume to
our noflrils, light to our underflanding,
delight to our will, continuation of eter-
nity to our memory; in him fhall we en-
joy all the varieties of times, all the beauty
of creatures, all the pleafures of paradife.
-BlefTed thief, what a glory was this to be
admitted to the fociety of Chrlft in his
Deity ! Thou (halt be ivith me ? how then
ihould he be but happy ? * Where could
he be ill with him ? where could he be
well without him ?' faid Auftin. In thy
pre fence there is fiilnefs of joy, and at thy
.right hand are pleafures for evermore, Pf.
xvi. u. Joy, and fulnefs of joy; plea-
fures, and everlafting pleafures : Bleffed
are all they that live in thy houfe, Lord,
-for they fhall praife thee eternally, world
•without end, Pfalm Ixxxiv.
But a little to enlarge on this. To be
with the Godhead, implies thefe feven
things ; i. The prefence of God. 2. The
bleiTed vifiwn of God. 3. The happy u-
niqn with God. 4. The glorious commu-
nion with God. 5. The fruition of God.
6. The reft that the faints fhall have in
God. 7. The enjoyment of themfelves in
God.
I. To be with God, implies the pre-
fence of God; heaven itfelf were not hea-
ven without the prefence of God : it is the
prefence of God that makes heaven what-
foever it is ; David zvould not be afraid
though he walked in the valley of the fba-
dow of death, fo that God were with him,
Pfalm xxiii. 4» * Luther would rather be
in hell with (jod's prefence, than in hea-
ven God being abfent.' Luther on Genef.
And if the prefence of God takes away
dread of the Hiadow of the valley of death,
and makes hell to be more defired than
heaven, what will the prefence of God
make heaven to be ? If the three children
in the fiery furnace with God's prefence
with God's prefence in heaven ? God made
rich promifes to Mofes, yet he could not
be fatisfied without the prefence of God ;
// thy prejence he not with us, bring us not
hence, Exod. xxxiii. 15. And the apoftie
when he would fet out the miferies of
thofe that are damned, he faith, Theyfjall
be punifljed with everlafiing deftruciion
from the prefence of the Lord, 2 Theff. i.
9. Now the prefence of God muft needs
be the happinefs of the faints.
1. Becaufe this muft needs draw out all
their graces in all the fweet favour of them,
While the king jhteth at his table, my fpike-
nard fendeth forth the frnell thereof , Cant.
i. 12.
2. The prefence of God quickens all the
comforts of the faint?, and keeps them al-
ways in vigour and a£livit)' ; as the fun
quickens things that lay dead, fo God's
prefence hath a quickening power, it keeps
the comforts of God's people green and
lively : when they ftiall he prefented fault-
lefs before the prejence of his glory, it fhall
caufe exceeding joy, Jude 24.
3. The prefence of God fills the fouls
and bodies of the faints with glory, for
it fills the heavens with glory, how much
more muft it fill an immortal foul wiih
glory, becaufe that is more capable of
glory than heaven : if the fun can put a
glory upon thefe dark creatures here be-
low, much more can the prefence of God
put glory upon the glorified bodies and
fouls of the faints.
2. To be with God, implies the beatifical
vifion of God: the faints lliall be where he
is, and they fhall fee his face, llev. xxii. 4.
Behold, now are we the fjns of God, and it
doth not yet appear what we fhall be ; but
we know that when we fhall appear, ws
fjyall be like him, for \ue fhall fee him as he
is, I John iii. 2. The glory of this may
appear in thefe particulars.
I. To fee God as the firft Being of all,
or, the principle of all good ; this is a
mofl
H EAV E N's HATTINESS.
mofl: bleffed thing : to fee Adam the firft
father, or. Eve the firfl mother of man-
kind, or for a child to fee his father and
mother, out of whofe loins and bowels he
came, whom he hath not feen in many
years, this is a joy and comfort; but to
fee the Creator, the firft principle of all
things, that muft be a great, an infinite
contentment, and to fee bim that hath
done all the good in the world, hath much
fatisfa(5lion in it. Sheiu us the Fat her j and
it fiifficeth, John xiv. 8.
2. To fee God in his unity; whereas
now we underfland God only according
to his feveral attributes, as the manifefta-
tion of tlie infinite fimple ; his being in
one way. we, call power, in another way
we call mercy and bounty, in another way
jurtice, and fo we apprehend God accord-
ing unto the feveral attributes that God
hath manifefted himfelf in : whereas there
are not many things in God, but all thefe
feveral attributes that we apprehend diver- '
fly, are but one excellency in God ; as one
beam of the fun fliining thro' a re^ glafs
caufes a red refle£lion, and the fame fun
fliining through a blue glafs caufes a blue
relieftion ; and fo the fame excellency of
God fliining one way, we call by one
name, and the fame excellency of God
\vorking another way we call by another
name, and yet it is all one in God ; and
though we cannot apprehend it now, yet
we ftiall fee God in his unity afterward.
3. To fee God in the trinity; though
there be but one God, yet there are di-
vers perfons ; to fee how the Father be-
got God the Son, and how the Spirit did
proceed from the Father and the Son, and
the difference between the procefTion of the
Spirit, and the generation of the Son ; the
fjght of God in the myftery of the trinity
is a moft glorious thing.
4. To (ee God in his glory; there is a
promife that they Omil fee the king in his
beauty, or, in hii glory. Ifa. xxxiii. 17.
There is a great deal of difference between
y
feeing the king at an ordinary time, and
feeing him when he is in his robes, with his
crown upon his head, and his fcepter in his
hand, and fet upon his throne, with all his
nobles about him in all his glory. So God
dothmanifeft himfelf a little now, but this
is not all that he doth intend, he will ma-
nifefl himfelf in his glory; and oh, what
a happinefs is that !
5. To fee God in bis eminency; the
faints ftiall fee how all excellencies that
are in the creatures, are eminently contai-
ned in theabfoluteperfedion of the divine
nature: all the good that is in the efre<5l,
is in the caufes; and the good of thofe
caufes in their caufes, and fo at length they
come to the firft principle : fo all the good
that we can fee in all objects that give con-
tent, we may fee all eminently in God, and
fee God in all.
6. To fee God as he is : Now there Is
a great deal in that to/ee God as he is, i
""John iii. 2. and for explication of that,
there are thefe three branches.
1. Not to ice him only negatively, for
that is not to fee him as he is : The moll
that we fee of God now, is, by way of ne-
gation, rather than any pofitive fight:
When we fay of God, He is incompre-
henfible, that is, he is fuch a God as can-
not be comprehended, that is but a negati-
on : when we fay of God, He is infinite,
that is, he is fuch a God as hath no bounds
of his being ; this is flill a negation, to fay
what God is not : but now in heaven, we
fhall not feeGod onlyby way of negation,
but we fhall fee that pofitive excellency of
God, We fhall fee him as he is.
2. Not to fee him only in his ef^ecfls in
the creature : The greateft part that we fee
of God now, is in his efre<^ls, and not as
he is in himfelf; we do not fee the hce of
God, \_that is, we do not fee the lenfible
brightnefs of God's glorious prefence,] but
[as it was {ziA figuratively to Moles, Ex.
xxxiii. 23] \ve fee only his back ports;
yhat is, we only fee iome faint glirnpfes
y y i of
532 HEAVEN'S H
of his glory;] we look upon the fun, and
there we fee fomewhat of the power of
Cod, but it is but theefteft of God's pow-
er, and not God's power itfelf : but then
iVe Jhall Jee him as he is,
3. Not to fee him undiftinguiflied from
the creatures. Here now we fee almoft
nothing of God diftinguiflied from creat-
ed things ; Say what you will of God, that
he is a fpirit, that he is wife, or holy, or
jufiy or merciful, there is fomewhat of all
thefe in the creature, [for we know that
Man alfo, with refpefl to his foul, is a^/-
rit, and is, in fomemeafure, merciful, and
juj}, holy and wife,'] only God he is infi-
nitely above all, and^hisby way of negati-
on : but we do not fee him in that pofi-
tive excellency which does difference him
from all created things ; only in heaven
we fliall thus fee \\\m,wefJ)allfee him as he is.
7 . To fee God by a transforming fight.
The light that fhall come from God upon
the mind, it fhall perfect the mind, and
transform the mind into the fame likenefs
with God. It fhall not be a meer notional
fight, as men may fpeak much of God, and
have a notional vifion of God ; but there
is a great deal of difference between the
notional \ ifion of God, and Deifical vifion
of God: It is not only beatifical, [that is,
'^jjhich makes petfe^ly happy,] but Deifi-
cal, [that is, transforms a man into the
iikenefs of Cod.] A deformed man may fee
a beautiful object, and that fight fhall not
make him like that beautiful objed; but
the fight of God fiiall make the foul glori-
ous as God is glorious; We fhall be like
him, 1 John ill. 2.
8. To fee God fo as never to lofehim :
iliis adds much to the happinefs of the
faintE. To have but one glimpfe of the
face of God, though it were goneprefent-
ly, it were a great happinefs beyond all
that the world affords; but God fhall not
only pafs by, but flapd ffill, fo as the foul
fliall never lofe the fight of God, but it
ihall have it to all eternity, and the eyes of
ATT INESS.
the foul fhall be eternally opened to (cQ
God. If a man looks upon a delightful ob-
je^l, he is loath to have the eye drawn
from it : you fhall never have your eye
drawn from God.
9. To fee God in ourfelves. It is an
happinefs to fee God in the creature, but
much more to fee God in ourfelves. The
chiefeft of the glory of God, next to that
which appears in Jefus Chrift as God-man,
fliall appear in the faints; and the chief
excellency of God that the faints fliall fee,
fliall be within themfelves ; they fliall .Qie
more of the glory of God within them-
felves than in all the heavens befides.
3. To be with God, implies the happy
union with God. Sight is higher than pre-
fence, and union is higher than fight. And
thus Chrift prays to his Father, That they
may be one in us, as thou art in 7ne, and
I in thee, John xvii. 21. Now that there
fhall be fuch a wonderful glorious union
between God and the foul in heaven,. ap-
pears upon thefe grounds.
1. There is not fuch diftance between
God and the foul, but that it is capable of
union with God : one would think, how
is it poffible that God ffiould be fo united
to the foul, being there is fuch an infinite
difiance betwixt God and the foul? But
there is no fuch difiance, as that there
fhould not be a glorious union betwixt
them. There is a great deal of likenefs
betwixt God and the loul. i. In the fpi-
rituality ; God is a Spirit, and the foul is
a fpirit. 2. In the immortality ; God is
immortal, and the loul is immortal. 3. In
the high excellency of God, the under-
flanding and will ; the foul is endued with
underflanding and will.
2. God fhall fee nothing but himfelf in
the fouls of his faints. Now things that
are of a like nature, do unite : bring an
hot fire-brand to the fire, and it doth unite
prefently, becaufe the fire doth find fome-
thing of itfelf there ; if there were fome
moiiture in the btand. it would not io ful-
HEAVEN'S HATT INESS.
ly unite. So here we cannot have full u-
nion with God, becaufe though God fee
fomewhat of his own in us, yet there is a
great deal in us that is not God's. But
when we fliall be wholly free from fin, and
God ftiall fee nothing but his own in us,
that mufl needs be a ground of a mod glo-
rious union.
3. There fliall be an infinite inflamed
love betwixt God and his faints : indeed
here is an union of love ; but in heaven
there will be a further degree of love ; and
love being inflamed, there mufl needs be
a glorious union.
4. The bond of connexion of God and
the foul together, requires it ; namtly,
the mediation of Chrift. O this union
with God is enough to caufe the fouls of
God's people fo to be faiisfied, as to fay,
' Though all things be taken from me, it
is enough, I have fomewhat of God's pre-
fence here, but I fiiall have the glorious
prefence, and vifion of God, and union
with God hereafter ; and though mine eyes
fhould never fee good day after, or never
fee comfortable objefl in this world, this
is enough, I fnall fee God, and have full
union with God: though God fliould rend
this creature, or that creature, the dearefl
hufband, or the deareft wife, or the dear-
efl comfort in the world from me ; yet it
is enough that God and my foul are fome-
what united, and that God and my foul
fhall have a glorious union hereafter .'
4. To be "with Cod, implies the glorious
communion with God. Union is the
ground of communion : in this life there
is a communion that the fcriprure fperks
of; Our felioivfJnpis luith the Fat her , and
his Son Jefus ChriJ}^ I John i. 3. And,
The communion of the holy Ghojt be with
you, faith the apoftle, 2 Cor. xiii. 14. But
certainly it ihall be another manner of com-
munion that the faints fliall have with God
in the world to come. >*ow this com-
munion, it Hands either in regard of the
work of God upon and towards hisfaiius,
533
or the work of the faints upon and towards
God : for communion is on both fides ;
and that in thefe four things :
1 . Communion confifls in the delight
they have in one another: there is full,
aflual, mutual, everlafling delight between
God and the faints in heaven.
2 . In communion there is a mutual wifh-
ing and willing of good to one another.
Now God fhall wifh all good to the faints,
and they wifh all good to God : but what
good can they wifli or will to God i It is
true there can be no addition to the effen-
tial goodnefs of God, but they can will
that this his goodnefs may be honoured and
praifed.
3. In communion there is the commu-
nicatirn of what one hath unto another.
And thus God communicates himfelf to
his faints immediately, fully, freely, ever-
laflingly. And fo the faints communicate
to God in the fame way that Godcommu-
mcates to them : they are always worfliip-
ping God immediately, not through ordi-
nances ; they are always communicating
themfelves, and all that they are or have,
to God fully and freely.
4. In communion with God there is a
familiar converfe between God and the
faints. And herein are thefe particulars :
1 . God manifefts himfelf in a fuitable
way to the conditions of his people, fo con-
defcending to their condition, that though
his majefly be infinite, yet it (hall no way
be a terror unto them. The fcripture
fpeaks of the familiar converfe that God
hath with his people here, that they are
called friends: Abraham was called the
friend of God, and the difciples were cal-
led friends ; but hereafter the triendfhip
fliall be much more full and Iweet.
2. God opens himfelf to his faints. Much
is faid of God's openmg of himltlf to his
people here, Plalm xxv. 14. Prov. iii. 32.
1 Cor. ii. 16. Cant. i. 4. They are brought
into his chamber^ that is, he dikovers his
ftcicts to them. The myfleries of the
king.
534 HEAVEN'S H
kingdom are revealed to the faints here,
much more in heaven : God will there re-
veal all his fecrets ; they fliall not only fee
his face, but they fhall fee God's heart.
5. To be with God, implies the fruition
of God. Now this fruition of God con-
fifts in thefe things.
(i.) There is in fruition a reflex afl of
the foul, whereby it comes to know what
it hath. It hath a God, and it knows it by
a reflex a(fl; and upon this it is, that there
is no creature can be faid to enjoy a thing
properly, but the rational creature. And
this will add much to the happinefs of
God's people, in that as th&y fliall be filled
with happinefs anj glory, filled with God,
fo they (liall know all their happinefs.
(2.) There is in fruition the having ufe
of all. If a man be never fo rich, and have
never fo great pofleffions, if he have not
the a(ftual ufe of what he hath, he cannot
be faid to enjoy them. A man may have
right to a thing, and yet for the prefent
rot enjoy the ufe of it : but now the peo-
ple of God, as they fliall have God to be
their portion, fo they fliall enjoy God fully,
to have what ufe they will of all the attri-
butes of God, and all that is in God : and
this is an infinite good and happinefs to the
people of God, that they rtiall have as much
ufe of God's infinite wifdom, infinite pow-
er, infinite mercy, as they will ; and they
cannot will it fo foon, but they rtiall have
it, nor fo eafily, as they may enjoy it.
Then wc enjoy the benefit of friendrtiip,
when one friend fays to another, * Make
ufe of all I have, as your own, as you will:'
fo (hall God come to his people, and bid
them make ufe of all his riches, and glo-
ry, and excellency as they will.
(3.) There is in fruition the fweet and
comfort of all that we do ufe, or elfe we
do not enjoy that we have. If a man
{hould have the ufe of his eflate, and meat
and drink, if he have not the fweet and
comfort of it, he cannot be faid to enjoy
it ; but when comfort is let out, that the
y^TT TNESS.
foul is fenfible of it, then he may ,b€ faid
to enjoy it ; and hence it is that God is
faid to give all things to us richly to enjoy ,
I Tim. vi. 17. He gives the thing, and he
gives the comfort with it, and foa man is
faid to enjoy it.
6. To be ivith Cody implies the refl: that
the foul hath in God. The term of all
motion is refl ; every thing that moves,
moves that it may have reft ; Return^ O
my foul, unto thy reft, Pfalm cxvi. 7. God
is the reft of the fouls of the faints : there-
fore It is an expreflion of an ancient (Au-
ftin), O Lord, thou haft made us for thee,
and our hearts are unquiet till they come
to enjoy thee.
■J .To be with God, implies the enjoyment
of the faints in God. As they fliall enjoy
God, and God in themfelves, fo they (hall
enjoy themfelves in God, living in God
continually. Tour life is hid with Chrif}
in God, Col. iii. 3. The life of faints here
is an hidden life, and it is hidden in God,
but then it (liall be a revealed life, and re-
vealed in God, and enjoyed in God. Hence
is thnt phrafe, Enter into your 7naJ}er's joy ;
that enters not into you, but you muft
enter into'it : it is your matter's joy, not
only that joy that your Mafter gives, but
the fame joy your Mafter hath, that you
ftall enter into and live in. And it was
faid of John, that he was on the Lord's day
in the fpirit. Rev. i. 10. It is not faid,
that the fpirit was in him, but it is faid,
he was in the fpirit ; that was as a begin-
ning of the glorious condition of the faints
of God, that they fliall be in the Spirit of
God ; not only God in them, but they in
God ; as a drop of water in the fea fwal-
lowed up in it. There are three degrees
of love to God ; loving of God for our-
felves, and loving God for himfclf, and
loving ourfelves for God ; the one is but
a natural love, the fecond is a gracious
love, the third is a love of the glorified
faints; and in this kind of love of God,
and enjoyment of ourfelves in him, the
foul
BEAVEN's HATT INESS.
foil! '^all be raviOied with God, and be in
a Iviivi of extafy eternally.
Here you may fee that mofl people in
the world miftake heaven ; they look at
heaven and God in a fenfual manner ; where
are they that look at heaven in thefe fpi-
ritual excellencies, about enjoying God,
or being with God in this manner ? As the
Jews looked for a carnal MelTiah, whofe
kingdom ftiould be in earth, and whofe
glory ftiould be external, not confidering
the fpiritual kingdom of Chrift ; fo mofl
in the world look but for a carnal heaven.
It is a good evidence of the truth of grace,
if you can look to heaven with a right eye,
in a right manner, to look at the fpiritual
part, and fpiritual excellency in heaven. I
conclude,
You fee now heaven's fociety, they are
faints, and angels, and Chrifl, and God
bleffed for ever and ever.
Ufe I. Who then would notforfake fa-
ther and mother, the deareA feliowil ip of
this world to be with Chrifl: in his king-
dom ? You that love one another in the
deepefl bonds, who cannot part out of this
life but with the furvivers grief, and hearts-
break : tell me what a merry day will ihat
be, when you Ihall not only meet again,
never more to part aiunder, but when
Chrift our Saviour fliall gla.ily welcome
you, €very one of you, into liis fociety,
Thou JJjalt be -with me ; and let mc fpeak
to the joy of us all, I mean all broken-
hearted Chriflians, (as for you that are Dto-
fane ones," you have your portion here,
therefore ftand you by, and let che chil-
dren come to their ftiarc) a day will come,
1 truft in the Lord, when I ihall meet you,
and you me, in the kingdom of heaven ;
a day will come, I trnfl in the Lord, when
you and I ihall be all admirted into the fo-
ciety of God, and of Ghriii, and of his
faints, and of the angels; a day will come,
I trufl in the Lord, when with the/e eyes-
•wejhali behold our Redeemer, together with
that thief that was crucLned with him ; a
SZ^
day will come, I trufl in the Lord, when
we fhall meet again with all the faints that
are gone afore us ; and is not this a com-
fort ? What fhall we fay, when we fee
onr Saviour in his throne, waited on with
Mary his mother, and Magdalen, and Mar-
tha, and Lazarus, and Paul and Peter, and
all the apoftles and difciples of our Lord
and Saviour ? Yea, when this thief fliall
be prefented to our view, the wounds in
his hands, and his feet fhining like flars,
and pearls and rubies, all his body glitter-
ing in glory, and his fouf magnifying the
Lord for his converfion and falvation world
without end.
Ufe 2. But flay, lefl we be led too for-
ward, there is no fuch thing for us, if
now we are not in the covenant of grace.
Heaven is both happy and holy, and if we
would enjoy heaven, then we mufl fit our-
feves to that eflate to which God haih pre-
ferved us : to this purpofe faith the apoflle^
QfUr converfationii in heaven, from whence
•we look for the Saviour, Phil iii. 20. He
was affured of heaven, and therefore he
converfed as a citizen of heaven before he
came there, every way he carried himfelf».
as much as earth would fuffcr him, like
them that live in heaven ; and thus muft
we, if ever we go to heaven, become like
to thofe that are in that place. Deceive
not your/elves y neither whoremongers, nor
adulterers, nor extortioners, nor the likcy
fimll enter into the kingdom of God. i Cor.
vi. 9. Do men who live in thefe fins with-
out ail remorfe or repentance ever think
to go to hejven ? k it poffible that ever a-
ny fielh fhould go out of the puddle intc
the paradife ? Mo, no, A-way ye workers
of iniquity y. I know you not, fairh our Sa-
viour, Alat. XXV. 41. Let no man chcrifh
prefumptions of an heavenly kingdom, ex-
cept heabflain from all fins a^aiufl conlci-
ence. What then ? but foHive wc here
as becomes his fervants, and thus when we
part, it is but for better company: we lofe
a few friends, but we fhali find him that
wel-
53*^
HEAVEN'S H ATT IN ESS.
welcomes all his with this heavenly harmo-
ny, Thou fh alt be i with whom ? "with me,
in paradife.
Hitherto of the foclety. The lafl: thing
conliderable is the place, or ubi, where his
foul arrived ; but of that hereafter, as the
Lord fhall enable me. God give us all
-grace fo to live here, that howfoever we go
hence one after another, yet at laft we may
all meet together with our Lord and Sa-
viaur in his heavenly paradife.
In paradife,']
AN D where was that ? our adverfarles
fay in lirnhus, and yet to give them
their due, Bellarmine fo means not as that
limbus was paradife, but that in limbus this
' thief had his paradife, to wit, the vifion
of God : ' The vifion of God (faith Bel-
- larmine) is a true paradife indeed, not lo-
cal but fpiritual.' But, with Bellarmine's
leave, we have no fuch fenfe of paradife in
any part of holy writ. In the old Te-
ftament we read of an earthly paradife,
wherein Adam lived ; in the new Tefla-
ment we read of an heavenly paradife,
whither Paul was caught ; yet both thefe
were local ; for the one, faith Mofes, vjas
a garden eafiward in Eden, Gen. ii. viii.
and the other, faith Paul, was in heaven,
which he calls /At? third heaven, 2 Cor. xii.
2. And that paradife in my text muft be
vmderftood of heaven, this refemblance con-
firms ; the firft Adam finned againft God,
andwasprefently caft out of that paradife
on earth ; the lecond Adam made fatisfac-
tion for lin, and fo muft prefently enter
into this paradife of heaven : becaufe of
the fin of the firft Adam, both he and all
his pofterity were thruft out of Eden ; be-
caufe of the fuflferings of the'fecond Adam,
both he and we, this thief, and all belie-
vers are to go into heaven : fo then this
paradife whither Chrift is gone, and this
thief went with him, what is it ? but as Paul
calls it, the third heaven ? or as the thief
himfelf ftilcd it in his prayer to our Sz\\-
Qwv, Remember me; where ? in thy kingdom.
And if this be it we call paradife, what
can we fay of it ? ' It is not for us (faith
Bernard) in thefe earthly bodies to mount
into the clouds, to pierce this fulnefs of
light, to break into this bottomlefs depth
of glory ; this is referved to the laft day,
when Chrift Jefus fliall prefent us "glorious
and pure to his Father, without fpot or
wrinkle.' And yet becaufe God in his word
doth here give us a tafte of heaven, by
comparing it with the moft precious things
that are on earth, let us follow him fo far
as he hath revealed it, and no further.
In the mid/i of paradife is a tree of life,
Rev. ii. 7. and this tree bears txvelve man-
ncr of fruits, yielding her fruit every month.
Revel, xxii. 2, what more pleafant than
life ? and what life better than where is
variety of pleafure ? Here is a tree of life,
and the life of the tree; a tree of life that
renews life to the eaters, and the life of
the tree bearing fruit every month : and
as many months, fo many fruits; fuch are
the varieties of heaven's joys, where youth
flouriCheth that never waxeth old, change
of delights, and choice too entreth that ne-
ver knoweth end. But look we a little fur-
ther ; John, that calls this place paradife.
Rev. ii. calls this paradife a city. Rev. xxi.
and hereof he gives us the quantity" and
quality, the bignefs and beauty: [but un-
derftand all this metaphorically.] i. For
the greatnefs of it ; An angel -with a golden
reed meafures it, and he finds the length
and the breadth, and the height are equal.
2. For the beauty of it. The walls (faith
he) are ofja/per, and the foundation of the
•walls garnifhed ivith all manner of preci-
ous flones, the twelve gates are of pearls,
and the flreets paved -with pure gold: there
is no need of Jim or moon, for the glory of
the Lord lightens it, and the Lamb (not the
Church, [asfome infer from ver. 24;] but,
ChriJ} Jefus) is the light thereof. Rev.
ch. xxi. from v. lo. to v. 25. See here
the excellency of this city : — On which
words to give you a fliort comment.
"We'll
HEAVEN'S HATT INESS. 537
We'll begin firft with the Greatnefs of a more immediate and fenfible manner to
it: The angel fets it down, twelve thouf- its blefTed inhabitants: Muft not that place
and furlongs, verfe 16. Yet, that we may be glorious, where almighty power mana-
rot know this certain number, it is but ged by infinite wifdom, have been employ-
figuratively taken, you may guefs at the ed to make it a fit habitation for faints to
immeafurable magnitude of this city by dwell in for ever?] O how unfpeakable is
thofe many manlions fpoken of by Ghrifi, the glory of this city ! Kings fliall throw
John xiv. 2. In my Father's houje are ma- down their crowns before it, and count all'
ny manJio?is\ How many ? fo many (faith their pomp and glory but as duft in com-
Rolloch) as would fuffice infinitis mundisy parifon ; and well they may: For what is
a thoufand worlds of men ; and tho' all an earthly kingdom to this heavenly para-
the men of the world attain not to it, it is dife ? where is mirth without fadnefs.health
not for want of room, but of will, they be- without forrow, life without labour, light
iieve not him who hath prepared thefe feats without darknefs, where every faint is a
for them. And guefs it you may by that
incredible diftance between heaven and
earth. Some Afironomers compute, (and
in particular, Cafman.) that betwixt us
king, adorned with light as with a gar-
ment, and clad in the richeft robes that
God beftows upon a creature.*
But that which more efpecially com-
only and the ftarry firmament, there is no mends the beauty of this city, is, the luf-
lefs than feventy four millions, feven hun- tre of it. There is (faith John);;o need of
dred three thoufand, one hundred, eighty fun or moon, it is verus Olympos, ' wholly
miles; and if the empyreal heaven (as ma- light itfelf,' not like the Itarry firmament
ny fay) be two or three orbs above the ftar- --befpangled here and there with glittering
ry firmament, how many more miles is it fpots, It is alias it were one great, one olf.
then beyond ? and the further it is diftant rious Sun ; from every point it pours out
(we all know well enough) the heavens abundantly whole rivers of purefl light,
being orb-wife, and one comprehending a- and then what a light is this ?
nother, that which is furtheft or highefi. Nor is this all: For the Glory of God
muft needs be the greateft; hence it is that lightens it, and theLamb is the light there-
the fcriptures compare the height ofheav- of; befides the native luftre, there is the
en, and confequently the magnitude, to the glory of God, the glory of all glories ; this
perfection of God part finding out, Canji is it for which I\Iofes prayed, Lord^Ibe-
thou by fearching find out God F It is high feechtheefiew 7ne thy glory ; to whom
as heaven, what canft thou do? Job xi. 8. God anfwered, Thou canf} not fee my faci
If fuch be the immenfity, what think and live, but I will put thee in a cleft of
you is the beauty? ' It is a moft glorious the rock, and will cover thee with my hand
City, whofe walls are of jafper, whofe "^hile my glory paffeth by -. then will It aks
building is of gold, whofe gates are of away my hand, and thou fJmlt fee my back-
pearls.whofe foundation of preciousflones: parts : but my face fJyafl not be feen fbv
—[This indeed is but a metaphorical de- hack-parts. x\v\i\c\i is a figurative expreffion
fcription of it, and we know not certain- and cannot be applied in a literal fenfe to
ly the glory of that place, nor can weknow God Almighty,no more than logs or arms
it fully, unlefs God were pleafed to reveal which are alfo figurative exprellions in fcri-
it to us, until \vt come to heaven : only pture, can be properly afcribed to Him
we may reafonably fuppofe, that the place who is a pure Spirit^ is to be imdcrftood
muft be very magnificent, where the King a fainter difcove'rv of God's glorious pre-
of heaven is pleafed to manifeft himfelf in fence, than that wi'iich is iignificd by, face\
^2Z ;£jjot}.
HEAVEN'S HASTINESS.
Exod, xxxiii. 18,20, 21,22, 23. Now,
if Mofes' face ihone fo bright with feeing
thofe fainter difcoveries of God's glory,
ihat the Ijraetites -were afraid to come nigh
him^ and that he was fain to cover his face
"with a vail while he fpake unto them. Ex.
xxxiv. 30, 33. how bright then isParadife,
rot only enlightened with fuch glimpfes of
Cod's luftre, but with the fulnefs of his
own glory ? * From the majelly of God,
(faith Zanchy) there goes out a created
light, that makes the whole city glitter.and
this being communicated to the faints,God
thereby caufeth that they fee him face to
face. '
Again, * The glo<;y of God, and the Lamb
' of God both give their lights; that Lamb
that was llain from the beginning of the
- world, that body of his once crucified, now
brighter than ten thoufand funs. O how in-
finitely glorious doth it make this paradife,
this city of God ?' His countenance is as the
fun thatjhintth in hisjhength, faith Johii,
Rev. i. 16. But what ftars are thofe in his
hands and feet ? Where the nails pierced,
4)Ow it fparkleth ; where the fpear entered,
now it glittereth glorioufly: If we look all
o'.'er him, his head and his hairs are as
white as fnoWf his eyes are as a fla??ie of
fire, his feet like unto fine brafs,as ifthty
burned in a furnace. Rev. i. 14, 15. No
^vonder then if fuch beams come from this
fun, the Sun of Righteoufnefs, that all hea-
ven fhine with it from the one end to the
other.
And yet again, The Lamb and the faints
all give their lights; for, IVe hioiu that
iihtn he fhall appear, -we fhall be like him,
1 ]ohn iii. 2. How like ? why ? He fhall
chani^e our vile bodies, that they may be
fafhioned like unto his glorious body, Phili.
iii. 21. In what like? even in this very
quality, for. They that be wife fiiall fhine,
Dan. xii. 3. How fhine ? As the bright-
rtefs of the firmament : nay, more, as the
ftars, faith Daniel : nay more, as the fun,
faith our Saviour : iiay, yet more, faith
Chryfoftom ; howfoever the righteous in
heaven are compared to the fun. Mat. xiii.
43. It is not * becaufe they (hall not fur-
pafsthe brightnefs of it, but the fun being
the mofl glittering thing in this world, he
takes a refemblance thence only towards
the exprefling of their glory.' Now then
what a mafs of light will arife in paradife,
where fo many millions of funs appear all
at once ? IF one fun make the morning-ficy
fo glorious, what a bright fhining and glo-
rious day is there, where's not a body but
'tis a fun ? Sure it is, There fhall be no
night there, no need of candle, no need of
fun, or moon, or Jiar, Rtvel. xxi. 23. O
that this clay of ours fliould be partakers
of fuch glory ! what am I, O Lord, that
being a worm on earth, thou wilt make
me a faint in heaven? This body of earth
and duft fliall fhine in heaven like thofe
glorious fpangles in the firmament; this bo-
dy that (hall rot in the dtift, and fall more
vile than a carrion, fhall arife in glory, and
fhine like' the glorious body of our Savioyr
in the mount of Tabor.
To come near my text : ' See here a
faint-thief ihining glorioufly ; he that was
crucified with our Saviour, at whole death
the fun hid his face with a vail, now he
reigns in glory without need of fun; for
he is a fun himfclf, (hining more cltarly
than the fun at noon : he that one day
was faftencd to a crofs, now walks at li-
berty through the ftreets of paradife, and
all the joys, all the riches, all the glory
that can be is poured upon him. W hi;t
clfe? He is in paradife, and what is para-
dife but a place of pleafure ? where forrow
is never felt, complaint is never beard,
matter of fadnels is never feen, fuccefs is
never feared, but inflead thereof, there is
all good without any evil, life that r^ever
endeth, beauty that never fadcth, love that
never cooleth, health that never imporeth,
joy that never ccalcth; "what more could
this penitent with, than to hear him fpcak
that promifwd paradife, and perforined hjs
pro-
HEAVEN'S HATTIN ESS,
promlfe, To day thou (halt be ? Thou art
luith me in paradife.
And thus in a map have I given you pa-
radife; for quantity great, for quality glo-
rious; hereafter you may know it better,
whea you shall walk through the ftreets,
obferve the towers, fully contemplate the
5 '^9
a little tranfitory pelf? What fotj, and
fenfelefs wretches are they, who witting-
ly and wilfully put themftlves out of this
palace, for the Ihort fruition of world-
ly trafh and trifles ? ['I liings of no value
in comparifon, not worthy the toiling
for, not fure to be attained by all our en-
glory ; which that you may, one word of deavours, things which perifh in the uf-
application before I end. ing, and which when we have them, we
Ufe I. Meditate then with what fweet are liable to be deprived of by a thoufand
delight every true fervant of God may fo- accidents? "What madnefs hath feized men,
Jace himfelf before hand, even in this val- that they will be at no pains to fecure the
ley of tears ! did we but think on this glo- happinefs of their immortal fouls ? What ?
rious place, wherein are thofe heavenly Is heaven not worth the feeking? Is it a
minfions prepared, for us, did we fpend matter of indifference, whether yout- fouls
many thoughts upon it, and ever and anon be happy or miferable for ever? Will you
llgh and feek after it, until we came to the be fo mad, as prefer trafli to jewels, earth
poflelfion of it; O how would thefe hea- to heaven, time to eternity ?] As for you
venly meditations ravilh our fouls, as if of whom I hope better things, let me advife
heaven entered into us before we entered you for the love of God, for the love of
into heaven ! confider of this, in what cafe Cbrift, for the love that you bear to your
foever we are, whether we are vexed or own fouls, xhntyou -will fettle your ajfec-
injured, or opprefled, or perfecuted for tions on things above, and not en things be-
the name of Chrifl i there is nothing foim- neath : and then you (hall find one day
bittered, that a thought of heaven will not the comfort of it, when leaving the world,
fweeten ; yet I fay not that we are only the Spirit of Chrifi (Iiall whifper to your
to think pf it, withal, let us flrive and ftrain foul this happy tidings, Today Qjalt thou
togetintothisgoldencity,wh€retheftreets, be viith me in paradife.
walls, gates, and all is gold and pearl ; [nay,
where the happinefs is fuch, as doth infi-
nitely furpafsall thofe metaphorical defcrip-
tions of it. For, eye hath not fecn, ear
Here is an end ; fhall I now cart up the
account of what I have delivered you ? The
total is this :
Every f inner that repents and believes.
hath not heard, nor haih it entered into Jhall be faved : yon utcd no o\hQr\v\i\zv\ct
the heart of man to conceive, what the
happinefs of heaven is. Undoubtedly it
will be a happinefs pure and rational ; al-
together worthy of God to beftow, and
fuitcd to the capacities of thofe, who fliall
be admitted into it.]
Ufe 2. On the other fide, confider with
than this thief on the crofs, at one hearty
tear, one penitent prayer, Lord, remem-
ber me in thy kingdom, the Lord gives him
his defire; fee here the fiat, Thou fhalt be:
the expedition, to day ; hisadmiflion, with
me ; the place where he is led into, it is in-
to paradife; and there now he officiates.
yourfelves what fools are they who deprive doing lervice to God without ceafing, world
themfclves willingly of this endlefs glory, without end.
who bereave, themfelves or a place in this O Lord, give me grace fo to repent and
city of pearl for a few carnal pleafures ? believe, that whenfoever I go hence, that
What bedlams and human bealls are they, day I may be with thee in paradife. Amen.
who fhut themfelves out of paradife for
FINIS.
THE
THE
CONTENTS
O F
MEDIA.
Chap. I. The believer's privileges Page 95
\\. Of duties iiJ general ^02
III. Of duties in particu lar 1^9
IV. Of the nature of felf trial. 13°
V. Of the nature of felf- denial. MO
VI. Of the nature of experiences. 187
VII. Of the nature of evidences. . '9^
VI H. Of the nature and kinds of meditations 2*5
IX. Of the nature of the life of faith "238
X. Of the nature of family duties ^59
XI. Of preparatives to Chrijlian fociety 274
YAl. Of the hearing of the ivord 295
XIII. Of the two facraments of the New Tejlament 302
YAV . Of Prayer V9
'AV. Of reading the fcriptures 34 ^
XVI. Of the fufferings of faints 3/1
XVII. Ofholyfafling 38^
XVIII. Of thank/giving, or, feafling 39 1
The Contents oHJ L T I MA.
LIFE'S leafe 395
Death's arrefi 420
Dooms-day 44*
HeWs horror A7^
Chrifi's fufferings, the purging of Jin 489
Heaven's happinefs. 5*^
i-fl
COLLECTION
O F T H E
Beft thoughts on feveral Important Subjects.
TheknoviledgeofGod andChrifl, ourall inafl.
WHatfoever other knowledge a man is en-
dowed withal, he is but an ignorant per-
fon, who doth not know God, the author of his
being, the preferver and protedtor of his life, his
fovereign, and his judge, the giver of every good
and perfed gift, his furefl refuge in trouble, his
beft friend, or worft enemy, the prefent fupport of
his life, his hopes in death, his future happinefs,
and his portion for ever; who does not know his
relation to God, the duty that he owes him, and
the way to pleafe Hmi who can make him happy
or miferable for ever; who doth not know the
Lord Jefus Chrift, "who is the nvay, the truth, arid
the life : — Nay, if a man by a vaft and imperious
mind, and a heart large as the /and upon thefea-
J})ore, (as it is faid of Solo77ion) could command
all the knowledge oi7iature and art, of iwrds and
things ; could attain to a maftery in all languages,
and found the depth of all arts and fciences, raea-
fure the earth and the heaven, and tell the ftars,
and declare their orders and motions ; could dif-
courfe of the interefts of all ftates, the intrigues of
all courts, the reafon of all civil laws and conftitu-
tions, and give an account of the hiftory of all ages;
could fpeak of trees, from the cedar tree that is in
Lebanon, even unto the hyfop that fprings out of the
rival I ; and of beafls alfo and offo^ls, and of cree-
ping things, and offifhes : and yet fhould, in the
mean time, be dcftitute of the knowledge of God
and Chriji, and his duty ; all this would be but an
impertinent vanity, and a more glittering kind of
ignorance ; and fuch a man (like the pKiiofopher,
who, whilft he was gazing upon the ftars, fell into
the ditch, would but fapienter defcendere in in-
ftrninn, be undone with all this knowledge, and
with a great deal of wifdom go down to hell.
On the Being of a God.
TO attain this knowledge and belief of a
Deity nothing more is requifite than an un-
prejudiced mind, a good heart, a well ordered life,
q^d a careful furvey of the works of God. When
we have caft our eyes abroad on this earth, and
turned them up to the heavens, and confidered
the beauty and order of the one, the magnificence,
extent, and kind influences of the other, we will
naturally put fuch questions as thefe to ourfelves:
— WHOSE power was it, that framed this beauti-
ful and ftately fabrick, this immenfe and fpacious
world? ('Pf civ, 2. J that fretched out the North
over the empty place ^ and hayiged the earth upon
7i«thing? Jobii.6, 7. that formed thofe vaftand
numberlefs orbs of heaven, and difpded them
into fuch regular and uniform motions \ (Tfa. xix.
i.cxlvii. 4. civ. 19, J that appointed the fun to
rule the day, and the moon and the ftars to govern
the night ? that fo adjufted their feveral diiknces,
as that they fliould neither be fcorched by heat,
nor deftroyed by cold ? that encompafled the eartli
with air fo wonderfully contrived, as at one and
the fame time to fupport clouds for r.iin, to afford
winds for health, and traffick, to be proper for
the breath of animals by its fpring ; for cauf-
kig founds by its motion, for tranfmitting light by
its tranfparency ? that fitted the water to afford
vapours for rain, fpeed for traffick, and fifh for
nouriftuncDt and delicacy? that weighed the
54^
THOUGHT S on SEVERAL
mountains in fcaies, and the hills in a baUance, and
adjufted them in their mofl proper places for fruit-
fulnefs and health ? that diverfified the climates of
the earth inio fuch an agreeable variety, that in all
that great difference, yet each one has its pro-
per feafons, day and night, winter and fummer ?
that clothed the face of the earth with plants and
flowers, To exquifitely adorned with various and i-
nimitable beauties, that even Solomon'm all his glo-
ry was not arayed like one of them ? that replcni-
flied the world with animals, fo different from each
other m particular, yet All in xhcwhole fo much a-
like ? that framed with exquifite workmanfliip the
eye for feeing, and other parts of the body, necef-
farily in proportion ; without which, no creature
could have long fubfifted ? that beyond all thefe
things, indued thefotA of Man with far fuperior
faculties ; with Underlcanding, Judgment, Reafon
and Will ; with Faculties whereby in a mod ex-
alted manner God teaches us more than the hearts
of the field, and make thus wifer than the fowls of
heaven. None fure but GOD.
The niadnefs arid danger of ^^theifm.
TH E Athcitt contends againft the religious
rnan that there is no God ; but upon
flrange inequality and odds, for he ventures his
eternal intereft ; whereas the religious man ven-
tures only the lofs of his lufts (which it is much
better for him to be without) or, at the utmolt,
the lofs of fome temporal convenience; and all this
while is inwardly more contented and happy, and
ufually more healthful, and perhaps meets with
more refpedl and faithfullcr friends, and lives in
a more fecure and flourilhing ftation,and more free
from the evils and punifliments of this world, than
the athciftical perfondoes; howeverit is not much
that he ventures : and after this life, if there be
ro God, is as well as he ; but if there be a God,
is intmitely better, even as much as unfpeakable
and eternal happinefs is better than extreme and
cndlels mifery.
If we conlult our reafon we cannot but believe
lliat there is^ if our intcrclt, we cannot but hear-
tily wilh tiers nirre, fuch a Being as God in the
v,orld. Every thing within us and without us
gives us notice of him. His name is written upon
our hearts ; and in every creature there are fome
print? and footftcps of him. hvcry moment wc
feel our dependance upon him, and do by daily
experience find that we can neither be happy
without Him, nor think ourfelves fo.
There are certain feafons wherein nature fhewt
itff If fuperior to all the cheats, which bad men put
upon themfelves, and wherein they are forced to
acknowledge that there is a God. There arc
none of us but may happen to fall into thofe
ciicumftances of danger, or want, or pain, or
fome other fort of calamity, that we can have no
hopes of relief or comfort but from God alone :
none in all the world to flee to, but Him. And
what would men do in fuch a cafe if it were not
for 6W ?
Greatnefs of God.
'T'' HIS globe of earth is many million of times
-■- greater than the largeft hill ; tlie fun is ma-
ny times greater than this earth ; the fixed ilars
are ftill greater tRan the fun, the heaven of hea-
vens is as much greater than the fixed ftars as the
fixed ftars are greater than the earth : How great
then is God, who is greater than all thefe> and
who filleth all in all !
077imprefence of God.
SHould the foul with one glance of thought
(fart beyond the bounds of the creation,
fliould it continue its progrefs through infinite
fpace for millions of ages with the fame rapidity,
it would ftill find itfelf within the embraces of its
Creator, and compafled about with theimmenfity
of the Godhead.
Encoiiiiuui on the Goodnefs of God.
TH O' every one of the divine perfcdlions in
particular, affords moft juft ground of a-
doration and honour ; yet That which to Us com-
pleats the idea of God, and reprefents him under
the notion of the Father as well as Lor^y of the Uni-
verfe, and makes the fupreme Being and Gover-
nour of all things, to be no lefs the objed of our
Hope and Love than of our Admiration and J ear;
is this glorious attribute, of goodnefs. Eternity
and Immenfity, amaze our thoughts : infinite
knowledge and wifdom, fill us with .Vi/w/rfl/.w/;
Onmipottnce or irrcfiflible power '\% great and a-
dtrahte ; but at the lame time, if confidered fingly
by itit If, 'tis aifo dreadful and terrible : dominion
»nd
IMT RT.4 N
and majefty clothed with perfeft and impartial
juJiicCy is worthy of the higheft praifes ; but ftill
to Jinnen it appears rather awful ami venerable,
than the obje(5l of dcfire and love : holincfs a^d
purity, are inexpreflibly beautiful and amiable
perfeftions ; but of too bright a glory, ioxjinners
to contemplate with delight, 'Tis goodnefs, that
fnijjyes the idea of God ; and reprefents him to
us under that lovely charafler, of being the bej},
as well as xhegreateji. Being in the univerfe. Tlrrj
is that attribute, which both in itjel/is infinitely
amiable, and, as a ground-work interwoven with
all the other perfedlions of the Divine Nature,
makes every one of tl>em alfo to become obje>5ts
of our love, as well as of our Adoration. Immenfe
and eternal goodnefs, goodnefs all-povverfui and
all-wife, goodnefs inverted with fupreme domi-
nion, and tempering the rigour of unrelenting
juftjce ; This is indeed a defcription, of a perfect
being ; a charafler, truly 'worthy of God. This
is that inexhauftible fountain of beneficence, from
which the luholefratne of nature derives its being ;
by which all creatures in the univerfe, are conti-
nually fupported and preferved ; from which J\Ian
derives his prefent enjoyments, and his future
hopes ; which angels and archangels and the fpirits
of juft men made perfe(5^, adore with never-
ceaiing praifes in the regions of eternal happi-
nefs.
Jnjiances of the divine goodnefs .'
TH E exuberant and overflowing goodnefs
of the fupreme Being, whofe mercy ex-
tends to all his works, is plainly fcen, from his
having made fo very little matter, at lead what
falls within our knowledge, that does not fwarm
with life : every part of matter is peopled : eve-
ry green leaf fwarms with inhabitants. There
is fcarce a fingle humour in the body of a man, or
of any other animal, in which our glifTes do not
difcover myriads of living creatures. The furface
of animals is alfo covered with other animals, which
are in the fame manner the bafis of other animals
that live upon it ; nay, we find in the mof^ folid
bodies, as in marble itfclf, innumerable cells and
cavities that are crowded with fuch imperceptible
inhabitants, as are too little for the naked eye to
difcover. On the other hand, if we look into the
more bulky parts of nature, we fee the fcas, lakes
r SU BJ ECTS, 543
and rivers teeming with numberlefs kinds of living
creatures: we find every mountain and marfh,
wildernefs and wood, plentifully flocked with
birds and beafts, and every part of matter afford-
ing proper neceffaries and conveniencies for the
livelihood of multitudes which inhabit it. Nor
is his goodnefs lefs feen in the diverfity, than in
the multitude of living creatures. Had he only
made one fpecies of animals, none of the refl
would have enjoyed the happinefs of exiftence ;
he has, therefore, fpecified in his creation every
degree of life, every capacity of being. The
whole chafm in nature, from a plant to a man;
is filled up with divers kinds of creatures, rifing
one over another, by fuch a gentle and eafy a-
fctnt, that the little tranfitions and deviations
from one fpecies to another, are almoft infenfible.
This intermediate fpace is fo well hufbanded and
managed, that there is fcarce a degree of percepti-
on which does not appear in fome one part of the
world of life. Is the goodnefs or wifdom of the
divine Being more manifefted in this his proceed-
ings?
Providence of God, our only comfort andfupport.
IN order to reprefent our deplorable ftate
without a firm reliance on the all-fu/laining
and all-condu(51ing providence of our great Crea-
tor, let us fuppofe, that, in a morning when we
awake, we fhoold find ourfelves failing along, with
all our neareft relations and dearefl friends, in a
wide, unconftant, and feemingly boundlefs ocean ;
where we fee ftorms and tempefis gathering around
us, hovering over, and very foon to break upon
us ; being utterly uncapable ourfelves to fteer our
vefl'el to any fafe harbour, and without any hope
of afliflance, either from men or invifible powers ;
fo that we could expert no relief, but mud be in
a perpetual dread of being toffed up and down at
the pleafure of the winds and waves, till we (hould
be f^arved to death, or, until our vefTcl fplit up-
on fome unfcen rock, and we fliould fink to the
bottom. Would not our cafe be extremely la-
mentable ? Yet this is but a faint image of our
flate here in this world, without an afTured trufl
in the wifdom and goodnefs of an invifibie and
Almighty friend, who will lead us fafely through
this dangerous voyage of human life, and land us
at laft on fome peaceful fhore.
Chrijr*
J44 THOUGHTS
Chrljl's excellency, and 'worth.
C"^ HRIST is the fcope of all the fcripture ;
J all things and perfons in the old world were
types of him ; all the prophets foretold him ;
all God's love runs through him ; all the gifts
and graces of the Spirit flow from him, the whole
eye of God is upon him, and all his dcfigns both
in heaven and earth meet in him. — Oh the worth
of Chrifl \ call into die balance with him, the
excellency of all men and angels, cafl into the fcale
kings, and all kings, and all their glory, and add
to the weight millions of heavens of heavens, and
the balance cannot down, the fcales are unequal,
Chrirt outweighs all. Admire then his worth,
O ye fons of men ; be fmitten with his love ; let
your hearts cleave to him, and be fixed on him.
Why are you takci^ith the toys of this world,
when fuch a Chrift is offered to you in the gofpel ?
Can the world die for you ? Can the world recon-
cile you to the Father ? Can the world advance
you to the kingdom of heaven ?
Chr'ijl a believer's all In all.
EVery true believer fees fo much excellency
in Chriftjconfidered as the brightnefs of the
Father's glory and exprefs image ofhis perfon.and
confidered as God-man, Mediator, that all things
e'lfc arc in his efteem nothing worth ; yea, with
Paul he counts all things but dung and lofs, when
compared with the faving knowledge he has got
of Chrifl: and him crucified. Lay down crowns
and fccpters at his icti ; offer him power, riches,
honours, pleafures, yea, every thing that this
world can afford, li€ would with a noble difd;un
rejeft them nil as trafh, and, having made a bet-
ter choice, would cry out ; — None but Ckrijly
none but Chrijl !
Q^lVhat are the reafons ixjhy the faints prefer
the Lord Jefus Chrifi before all things elfe?
A. The reafons ivhy the faints love the Lord Je'
fus Chrijl infinitely above all other things, are,
Firji, Becaufe of the excellencies of his divine
nature : for whatever God is by nature, the fame
is Chrifl. Is God eternal ? So is Chrifl: is God
alt-po'vocrful, all-ivife, all-gracious ? So is Chrif} :
is God the fl.mdard of all moral perfedion, and
the objcd of all religious worfliip ? So is Chrifl:
Is God the life, the light, the fun, the only
portion and eternal li.ippincfs of every true be-
on S EV ERAL
liever .•* So is the Lord Chrift.
Secondly, Becaufe of the amiable virtues he
exemplified in his life, fuch as, Jincere and unaf-
fe^ed piety towards God; boundlefs love and
charity to all mankind: unparalleled humility,
temperance, and purity, with reference to him-
felf.
Thirdly, Becaufe of his mediatory excellen-
cies : as their prophet, their prieft, their king :
They love him, becaufe he firfi loved the7n, and
gave himfelf unto the death for them.
Afhort defcription of the bitter fufferings of Chrifl
for mafikind.
WHen a man, with a fleddy faith, looks
back on tlie fufferings of Chrifl, witk
what bleeding emotions of heart njuft he con-
template the life and fufferings of his Deliverer i
"When his agonies occur to him, how will he
weep to refled that he has often forgot them for
the glance of a wanton, for the applaufe of a vain
world, for an heap of fleeting part pleafures,
which are at prefent aking forrows ?
After a life fpent in doing good to the fouls
and bodies of men, in fufFering many hardfliips
and difficulties, from his friends and countrymen,
whom his miracles, his dodrine, and his life ought
to have obliged to the utmoft gratitude and vene-
ration, Jefus at lafl comes to the dreadful hour
of his fufferings, — " But what heart can con-
ceive, what tongue can utter them ? Who is that
yonder buffeted, mocked and fpurned? Whom do
they drag like a felon? Whither do they axxy
my Lord, my King, my Saviour, and my God?
And will he die to expiate thofe very injuries ? Sec
where they have nailed the Lord and Giver of
life ! how his wounds blacken, his body writhes,
and heart heaves with pity and with agony ! Oil
Almighty fufferer ! look down, dook down from
thy triumphant infamy: lo, he inclines his
head to his facred bofom ! haik, he grones ! fee
he expires ! The earth trembles, the temple
rends, the rocks burfl, the dead arife : which arc
the quick ? which are the dead ? Sure nature, all
nature is departing with her Creator.
H
Chrifl's Lov^ to Mankind.
0\V much doth it concern us to have a juft
fenfe of the unmerited, unfolicitcd, and
I MT OR TA NT SUBJECTS.
wonderful frlendftiip of the eternal Son of God ;
Avho, tho' he was rich, yet, for the fake of apo-
{bte fons of men, became poor, and was made
flefh, and fuffered, and died, that he might en-
lighten their darkened underftandings, purify their
corrupted hearts, exalt their debafed natures, de-
liver them from the punifliments due unto their
lins, itt open the gates of immortality before
them, and condud tliem into the prcfence of their
God.
The Excellency cfthe Chrijiian Religion.
I Think, [^fays a moft famous divine] I may
with fome confidence challenge any religion in
the world tolhew fuch a complete body and col-
lecEKonof holy and reafonable laws eftablifhed u-
pon fuch promifes and threatnings as the gofpel
contains. And if any man cm produce a religi-
on that can reafonably pretend to an equal or a
greater confirmation than the gofpel hath, a reli-
gion the precepts and promifes and threatnings
whereof are calculated to make men wifer and
better, more temperate and more chafte, more
meek and more patient, more kind and more juft,
than the laws and motives of Chriflianity are apt
to make men ; if any man can produce fuch a reli-
gion, I am ready to be of it. Let but any man
{hew me any book In the world, the doiftrines
whereof have the feal of fuch miracles as the
dodrine of the fcriptures hath ; a book which
contains the heads of our duty fo perfedly, and
without the mixture of any thing that is unreafo-
nable, or vicious, or any ways unworthy of God ;
that commands us every thing in reafon neceflary
to be done, and abridgeth us of no lawful pleaf-
ure without offering us abundant recompenfe for
our prefent felf-denial ; a book the rules where-
of, if they were pradlifed, would make men more
pious and devout, more holy and fober, more juft
and fair in their dealings, better friends and better
neighbours, better magiftrates and better fubjcfts,
and better in all relations, and which does offer
to the underftanding of men more powerful ar-
guments to perfuade them to be all this ; let a-
ny nun, I fay, fhew me fuch a book, and I will
lay afide the fcripture, and preach out oithat.
I
Importance of Chrijiianity.
S it not of importance, of great importance,
to creaturgsinaftateofigQoraDce, corruption
A a a a
545
and guilt; to have it made known to them, by an
undoubted revelation, that, in the original plan
ofthe divine government, there is a remedy pro-
vided for their misfortunes ? how comfortable and
rejoicing is the difcovery, that there is a particu-
lar difpenfation of providence carrying on by the
Son and Spirit of God, for the recovery and fal-
vation of mankind, who are in a ftate of apoflacy
and ruin ? does it not mightily concern us to
know thefe dudes, and inward ads of religion
which are due to Jefus Chrift the Mediator, and
the holy Ghoft the guide and fanftifier of man-
kind ? is it not beyond all con!tradiaion, a matter
of unfpeakaBle importance, to have it confirmed
to us by an infallible revelation, that this whole
univerfe is one vaft and immortal empire.of which
God is the king and head; and that virtue and de-
votion are the great, the ftanding, and evcrlafting
laws of this great kingdom, to which all rational
beings ought to pay a voluntary fubjeflion I can
it be denied to be of the higheft confequence to
us, to have the particular branches of thefe im-
mutable laws, delivered to us by a meflenger
(fom heaven, vefted with the higheft authority ;
and not to be left to gather them from ancient
traditions of an uncertain fource, from long deduc-
tions of human realbnings, from the admonitions
of philofophers, or even from the dilates of our
own hearts, where there are fuch great mixture
of impurity ? is it not a mighty advantage to have
all thefe rules of life exemplified in a perfeft
pattern, by one clothed with mortality, and, ivho
ivas in all point i tempted like as ive are, mid yet
'without /in F is it not a thing of univerfaily ac-
knowledged importance to have it afcertained to
us by one who came from the fpiritual and un-
feen world, that the righteous ftiall live there,
in immortal happinefs and glory, and that the
wicked and difobedient fhall be thruft down to a
place of everlafting punifliment ?
The damnable condition of thofe that Jin under
the Go/pel.
MA N Y are apt to pity the poor heathens
who never heard the name of Chuft, and
fadly to condole their cafe ; but as our Saviour
faid upon another occafion, IVeep not for their:,
'wecp for yourfelves. There is no fuch miferablc
perfon in the world as a degenerate, Ciiriftian, be-
caufc
SEVERAL
546 THOUGHTS on
caufe he falls into the greatefi: mifery from the reafonable inftances
greateft advantages, and opportunities of being
happy. Doft thou lament the condition of So-
crates, and Cato, and Ariflidcs, and doubt what
fliall become of them at the dr.y of judgment ?
and canft thou who art an impious and pi^fane
Chriftian, ,think that thou fhaic elcape the dam-
nation of hell ?
The faith and practice of ungodly ChriJ}ians, the
ivorjl contradicllon, andviofl aggravated crime.
DOft thou believe that the nurath of God is
revealed from heaven againfl all tingodli-
nefs and unrightcoufncfs of men., and doft thou
ftill allow thyfelfin wigodlinefs and luor Idly litfs?
Art thou convinced that ivithout holinefs no ?Kan
fhall fee the Lord, ami doft thou ftill perfift in a
' wicked courle ? Art thou fully perfuaded that jjo
'wkorevionger, 7ior adulterer, nor covetous, nor
' unrighteous pcrfon foall have any i?iheritance in
the kingdom of God and Chrif, and doft thou
for all that continue to pradlife thefe vicesi* What
canft thou fay {man) why itftiould not be to thee
according to thy faith ? If it fo fall out that thou
art mircrable and undone for ever, thou hnft no
leafon to be furprifcd asif fome unespeded thing
had happened to thee. It is but with thee juft
as .thou beiieved'ft it would be when thou didft
thefe things ; for how couldft thou cxpeft that
GoA fhouid accept of thy good belief when thou
didll fo notorioufiy contradict it by a bad life ?
}Iow couldft thou look for other but that God
lliould condemn tlice for the doing of thofe things
for which thine own confcicnce did condemn thee
all the while thou waft doing of them, — When
•we come into the other world, tliere is no confide-
lation that will fting our confciences more cruelly
than this, that wc did wickedly, when we knew
to have done better, and chofe to make ourfelves
miferable, when we underftood the way to have
been happy. To conclude ; we Chriflians have
the beft and the holieft, the wifeft and moft rea-
fonable religion in the world ; but then we are
in the woift condition of all mankind, if the bcft
jcligion in the world does not make us good.
CharaSier of a good man.
Good man is modeft and humble, peace-
able and fubmiilivc to his fuperiors, io all
A
To his etjuals, he is juft and
faithful, ufing all plainncfs and fincerity in his dea-
lings : In his converfation injuring and abufing na
man ; but with gentlenefs and forgivenefs, melt-
ing the hearts even of his enemies, and making
them to be at peace with him. To his inferiors^
he is gentle and condefcending ; not opprefling
the weak, nor dealing hardly with thofe that are
under his power, but encouraging them by his
example in the ways of virtue, and in all kind of
exigencies afliftingand relieving them to the ut-
raotl of his ability.
Vncharitablenefs .
WE are generally apt to bufy ourfelves in ob-
fervingthe errors and mifcarriagesof our
neighbours, and are forward to mark' and cenfure
the faults and follies of other men ; but how few
defcend into themfeives, and turn their eyes in-
ward, and fay. What have I done ? It is an ex-
cellent faying of one ; No 7nan nvas ever unhap-
py for not prying into the anions and conditions of
other men, but that man is necejfarily unhappy,
n^ho doth not obferve himfelf a?id confider th&
fate of his o^nfoul.
Doing Good.
TO do good is to be like God, irho is good
and doth good, and to be like him in that
which he efteems his greateft glory, and that is^
his goodnefs. It is to be like the Son of God,
who when he took our nature upon him, and Hv-
cdin the world, iiw// about doing good. It is to
be like the blefled angels, whole great employ-
ment is to be miniftring fpirits for the good of 0-
thcrs. To be charitable and helpful and beneficial
to others, is to be a good angel, and a Saviour,
and a God to men.
DireSiiofi liowto ertiploy life.
LE T all thy joy and peace confift in this a-
lonc, in palling from one good ad>ion to
another, in remembring and riiinking of God pre-
fent every where. Call upon God in all thy
aiftions, and do not be unealy for the time tliou
employeft in his fervice. Three hours of life
fpeni thus, are fweeter than an eternity in fin.
The-
IMT ORT^NT SUBJECTS.
547
T/:e advantages of Piety.
WHat a feafonable refidhment is it to the
mind of man, when the pangs of death
are ready to take hold of him, and he is juft (lep-
ping into the other world, to te able to look
back with fatisfa(51ion upon a religious and well
fpent life ? Then, if ever, the comforts of a good
man do overflow, and a kind of heaven fprings
up in his mind, and iie rcjoiceth in the hope of
the glory of God.
But nvith the ungodly it is not fo : at the hour
of death, the guilt of his wicked life doth then
ftare him in the face : when eternity, that fearful
and amazing fight, prefents itfelf to his mind, and
he feels himfelf (inking into the regions of dark-
nefs, and is every moment in a fearful expedati-
on of meeting with the juft reward of his deeds,
with what regret does he then remember the (ins
of his life ? and how full of rage and indignation
is he agalnft himfcii for having negleded to know,
"when he had fo many opportunities of knowing
them, the things that belonged to his peace ; and
which, becaufe he hath ncglc(5l:ed them, are now
and likely to be for ever hid from his eyes ?
Precioufnefs cfTivie,
Time is the feafon and opportunity of carry-
ing on of any work, and for that reafon is
one of the moft valuable things; and yet nothing
is more wafiefully fpent, and more prodigally
fquandered away by a great part of mankind than
this, which next to our immortal fouls is of all
other things mod: precious; becaufe upon the
right ufe or abufe of our time, our eternal happi-
nefs or mifery does depend. Men have gene-
rally fome guard upon themfelves, as to their mo-
ney and eftates, and will not with eyes open,
fuffer others to rob and deprive them of it : but
v/e will let any body almoft rob us of our time,
and are contented to expofe this precious treafure
to every body's rapine and extortion ; and can
quietly look on, whilll men thruft in their hands,
and take it out by whole handfuls, as if it were
of no greater value than filver was in Solomon's
days, nomoxtxhiecijiones in thejinet. And yet
when it is gone, all the filver and gold in the world
cannot purchafe and fetch back the Iciiil moment
of it, when perhaps we would give all the world
for a very finall part of that time, which we parted
with upon fuch cheap and eafy terms.
A a a
Theprejhit life a fate of trial and pr'jhation, in
order to eternity,
T Here is (my brethren) moft certainly there
is another life after this; we are not heafs^
if we do not make ourfclves fo; and if we die wc
Oiall not die like them, neither fluill our laft end be
like theirs. For, whatever we may think or v/ifli,
it fhall not be in our power to extinguifh our owa
beings, when we have a mind to be rid of them,
and to chufe whether or no we fiiall live for ever.
No ; We are plainly defigned for another ftate ;
and will be immortal, in fpite of ourfclves. And our
condition hereafter, will be decided according to
our behaviour here. Now this being the cafe, it
is evident that the beft thing we can do for our-
fclves is to provide for our future ftate, and to fe-
cure the everlarting happinefs of another life.
And the bed way to do that, is to live in obedi-
ence to thofe laws, which our Maker, and our
Sovereign hath prefcribed to us ; and according
to which, he will one day fentence us to eternal
rewards or punifliments.
The benefit cfConJidcratiov.
IT is the great fault and infelicity of a great
many, that they generally live without
thinking, and are ac^ed by their prefent inclinati-
ons and appetites, without any confideration of
the future confequences of things, and without
fear of any thing but of a prefent and fenfible
danger ; what do we think God has given us our
reafon and underftanding for, but to forefee evils
at a diftance, and to prevent them ; to provide
for our future fecurity and happinefs ; to conficitir
what we do, and what we ou.-^ht to do, and what
makes moft for our future and lading interclt, and
what againft it \
The tafatisfafiorinefsxf all earthly enjoy77:ents.
I Know not how it is, but either v/e, or the
things of this world, of both, are io phan-
taftical that we can neither be well with thtle
things; nor well witliout them. Ifwc be hun-
gry, we are in pain ; and if we eat to the full,
we areuneafy. If we be poor, we think ourfclves
miferabic, and when we come to be rich, we
commonly really arc fo. If we are in alow con-
dition, we fret and murmur, and if we cliance
to get up and to be railed to greatnefs, we arc
a 2 many
548
THOUGHTS on SEVERAL
many times farther from contentment, than wc
were before. So that we purfue the happinefs
of this world, juft as little children chafe birds,
when we think, we are come very near it, and
have it almoft in our hands, it Hies further from
us than it was at firft.
T^e ^leafantnefs of a religious cotirfe.
IT is pleafant to be virtuous and good, becaufe
that is to excell many others ; and it is plea-
fant to grow better, becaufe that is to excel our-
fclves. Nay it is pleafant even to mortify and
fubdue our lulls ; becaufe that is viiflory : it is
pleafant to command our appetites and palfions,
and to keep them in due order, within the bounds
of reafon and religion ; becaufe this is a kind of
empire.
' The mifer able fiat c qfthofe that are /laves to Jin.
SI N is the faddeft flavery in the world ; it
breaks and finks mens fpirits and makes them
fo biife and fervile, that they have not the courage
to refcue themfelves. No fort of flaves are fo
poor fpirited, as they that are in bondage to their
Julis. Their power is gone, or if they have any
left, they have not the heart to make ufe of it.
And though they fee and feel their mifery, yet
they chufe rather to fit down in it, and tamely to
fubmit to it, than to make any refolute attempt
for their liberty.
Blind a.nd mifcrable men ! that in dcfpite of all
the merciful warnings of God's word and provi-
dence, will run themfelves into this defperate (late,
and never think of returning to a better mind, till
their retreat is difficult almoft to an impoflibility.
T he deceit f nine fs of Jin.
DI D fin appear to men in its proper colours ;
and in the days of temptation reprefcnt it-
ftlf truly and In the fame drcfs, wherein all men
behold it in the days of affliifhon, in the time of
iicknefs, and at the approach of death ; did fin
always appear to men, what it does fometimcs ;
(what it does, whenever they confider it with
fobcr thoughts and with impartial reafon ;) to be
a thing abfolutcly hateful to God ; bafe and vile,
in the nature of the thing itfelf ; contrary to all
the reafon, and all the wifdoni in the world;
contrary to t'lx judgment of our own confeienccs,
and the agreeing opinion of all thi wife and all the
good men, nay and almoft of all the wi«kcd men
alfo, that ever lived : 'twould be in a manner as im-
poffible for men deliberately to chufe it, as to
chufe deflruiftion and death itfelf. But fin, by
that deceitfulnefs which the apoftle fpeaks of,
hides its deformed appearances from the eyes of
foolilh men ; and fcts before them nothing but
pleafures and profits, joy and vanity, prefent fc-
curity, and very difianr, very uncertain, very re-
mote fears. The only way to prevent this deceit
effetftually, is to confider frequently, and examine
ourfelves diligently, and to exhort one another
daily ivhile it is called to day. Let the finner
confider ferioufly with himfclf; if he were furc
God would immediately punifli him in this world,
for his profanenefs and irreligion and difregard to
the Almighty; would not this put him upon more
fober thoughts ? Undoubtedly it would. Yet if he
pretends to be a Chr-iftian, and to believe thegof-
pel ; (and with fuch perfons only I am now argu-
ing ;) he cannot but be fenfible, that a fevere pu-
mlhment will certainly overtake him. If his Ihame
were immediately to be publilhed in the f ice of
the world, would he be guilty of the vilenefs he
now fecretly commits ? Without queflion he would
not. And yet he cannot but know, that the- time
will come, when it ihall be openly publifiied be-
fore men and angels, before all the inhabitants cf
heaven and earth. If his fraud and injullice were
by human authority to be punillicd immediately,
without any polEblc hope of eicape, or of evading
the power of the laws ; would not this prevail
wuh him to forbear the comiiiiilion of it ,•' Unque-
fHonably it would : yet, at the lame time he can-
not but acknowledge, that the confequence of
the folly he now greedily commits, will be mife-
ry and death eternal.
The day of Judgment.
WE 7miJ} all appear before the judgment -feiH
of ChriJ}, that every one ?nay receive the
things done in tl)e body, according to njjhat he hath
done ivhether it be good or evil. The judgment to
eome is a very amazing confidcraiion, it is a fearful
thing to hear of it, but it will be much more ter-
rible to fee it, efpcciaHy to thofe whole guik muft
needs make them fo heartily concerned inthedifi^
mal confequences of it ; and yet as fure as I ftand,
and you fit here, this great atnl terrible day of the
Lord 'will come I and 'who rtiay abide his coming!
Whut
IMTORT^NTSU EJECTS.
What will we do, when that day fhall furprife
us carelefs and unprepared ! what unfpeakablc
horror and amazement will then take hold of us !
when lifting up our eyes to heaven, ive Jhall fee
the Son of man comin;^ in the clouds of it, 'with
po^uer, and great glory ; when that powerful
voice which fhall pierce the ears of the dead fhall
ring through the world, Arife ye dead, and co77ie
to judgment ; when the mighty truvip fliall found,
and awake the fleepers of a thoufand years, and
fummori the difperfed parts of the bodies of all
men that ever lived, to rally together and take
their place ; and the fouls and bodies of men which
have been fo long ftrangers to one another, , fhall
meet and be united again, to receive the doom
due to their deeds ; what fear fliall then furprize
finners, and how will they tremble at the prefence
of the great- Judge, and /or the glory of his Ma-
jefiy ! how will their confcience fly in their faces,
and their own hearts condemn them, for their
wicked and ungodly lives, and even prevent that
fe^ence which yet ihall certainly be pad and exe-
cuted upon them.
God a emfamingfire '.o the '■workers ofitiiquity.
WHAT can be more dreadful than the dif-
pleafure of an Almighty and Eternal
Being, who can punifli to the utmoft, and '■coho
lives for ever, to execute his wrath and vengeance
upon finners? So that well might the apoffle fay,
// is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the li-
vingGod. Confider this , all ye that forget God,ivill
ye provoke the Lord to jealoujie? are ye flrongcr
than he? think of it ferioufly, and forget him if
you can, defpife him if you dare ; conftder this,
left he take you into confideration, and rouze like
a lion out of deep, and tear you. in pieces, and
there be none to deliver.
Defcription of our Duty.
WHere are the efFcds of true religion,
in the full compafs and extent of it, to be
found? Such real cfFc^s as do in any meafure bear
a proportion to the power and perfcdtion of their
cau^e ? For nothing certainly is more excellent
and amiable in its definition than true reLgion
is; but alas ! ho'.v imperfcftis it in the AibJLx^ ?
I mean in us, who ought toflitw forth the power
and pci fcdion of it, in the pra*!;tice and aiftions of
our lives, the beft demonftration of the excellent
frame and temper of our minds.
549
What a confliifl: and ftruggling do the beft men
find between their inclination and their duty ? How
hard to reconcile our pradlice and our knowledge,
and to make our lives to agree with the reafon
of our minds, and the clear convidion of our con-
fciences ? How difl^cult for a man in this danger-
ous and imperfect flate, to be in any meafure ei-
ther fo wife or fo good as he ought ? How rare
is it for a man to be good-rMitured, gentle, and
eafy to be intreated, without being often betray-
ed into fome weaknefs and finful compliances, e-
fpecially in the bad company of our betters ? How
next to impoflible is it to be ftriift and fevere in out*
lives, without being foure ? to govern our lives
with that perpetual caution, and to maintain that
evennefs of temper, as not to be fometimes pee-
vilh and pafBonate ? and when we are fo, not to
be apt to fay with Jonah, nve do nvell to he angry.
How hard is it to hit upon the juft temper of
wifdom and innocency ? to be wife and hurt no-
body ; to be innocent, without being filly ?
How hard a matter is it, to be much in com-
pany, and free in converfation, and not to be
4nfe<5ted by it ? To live in the midft of a wicked
world, and yet to keep ourfelves free from the
vices of it ? To be-temperateinthe ufe of things
pleafing, foas neither to injure our health, nor ta
lofe the ufe of our reafon, nor to offend againft
confcience ?
How hard is it to be cliearful without be-
ing vain ? and grave and ferious without being
morofe ? to be ufeful and inftrudive to others \x\
our converfation and difcourfe, without afTuming
too much authority to ourfelves ?
How difficult is it to have a mind equal to c-
very condition, and to be content with mean and
moderate things ; to be patient in advcrfity, and
humble in prolperity, and meek upon fudden and"
violent provocations ? to keep our pa/lions free
from getting he.id of our reafon, and our zeal
from out-running our knowledge ? to have a will
perfc>5tly fubmittcd and rcfigned to the will of God,
even when it lies crols and thwart to ours, fo that
whatever pieafes God, fhould plcafe us ?
To hcivife and innocent, men in undcrfland-
ing, and yet /';/ malice children ? To have many-
great virtues, and not to want that which gives;
the great luftre to them all, I mean real and un-
affeded modefly, and humility •'How difficult is it.
55^
to have a regard to all God""! C07nmandnje7Hs, m:d
to kale evers evil and falfe nvay P To have our cfu-
ty continuHliy in our eye, and ready to be put into
pracflice upon every proper occafion ? To have
God, and the confideration of another world, al-
ways before lis, prcfent to our minds, and operative
upon our -pracftice ? To live as thofe tliat know
they mud die, and to have our thoughts perpe-
tually awake, and intent upon the great and ever-
Jading concernments of our immortal fouls ?
Thefe arc great things indeed, eafie to be talk-
ed of, but hard to be done ; nay not to be done
nt all, without frequent and fervent prayer to
God, and the continual aids and fupplies of his
grace ; not without an earneft endeavour on our
parts, a vigorous refinance of temptations, and
many a fore conflid \1Hth our own perverfe wills
and fenfual inclinations ; not without a perpetual
guard and watchfulnefs over our lives, and our
unruly appetites and paflions ?
The danger of delaying repentance.
OThat I knew what to fay that might pre-
vail with men, and effedtually perfuade them
to break off their fins by repentance. — Confider,
my dear reader, the Neccfllty of Repentance:
*' Repent thou mud or perilh." Confider alfo that
the longer thou delayed to reform thy life, thy
repentance will become the more difficuk : And
how wretched is thy cafe (O finner,) to be un-
der a neceflity of repenting of thy fins, or being
damned for ever, and yet to put it out of thy power
to repent at all ? For how art thou certain whe-
ther hereafter thou flialt have time to repent ;
and if thou fhalt have time, whether thou (halt
have a heart to it, and the aflidance of God's grace
to go thorough with it. Therefore do not, I bc-
leech you do not, put off this neceffary work any
longer. Do not even fay, " To-morrow I will
" repent;" for to-morrow thou mayed never fee;
or, if thou dod, wilt be dill more unfit, more indif-
pofed for the \voik than thou art Now. Therefore
repent, firmer, repent To-Day. Nay, To-day is
with the latcd to begin this work ; had you been
wife, you would have begun it fooner.
THOUGHTS, 6'c,
CONCLUSION.
And now Reader, that thou art come to an end
of this Book, give me leave to aflithce what im-
preffion hath it made on thy mind ? Art thou in any
degree become, by thy perufjl of it, a wifer and
a better man than thou wad before ? If fo, then
mayed thou blefs God that thou had fpent thy
time fo well. But I widi thou mayed not deal
with this Book, as I am afraid, thou had dealt
with many others;— pafs thy judgment on the
Author, criticife his dile, approve or condemn it,
and the matter contained in it, jud as it hath fuit-
ed thy particular tade : ah ! my dear Reader,
what a poor ufe wiJt thou thereby make of
fuch a Book ? Believe it was meant to do
thee greater fervice: It was no doubt defigned,
fincercly defigned to teach thee a variety of in-
dru(5tive leffons, and to damp the mod worthy
impreffions on thy heart. And wilt thou fruftrate
fo good a defign, in turning off the eye of thy
underdanding from thcie good indruifiions that
have been offered thee, and hardening thy heart
againd the worthy impreflions they would make u-
pon it ? No, my dear Reader, I hope better things
of yop, I trud you v.'ill Jiot.
O I that I could now rivet one devout impref-
fion in thy mind, before I bid thee farewel ! Think
deeply with thyfelf what thou art, and what thou
oughted to be : Afic thy fclf Whether thou art
born again ? Whether thou had done the duty
of a regenerate man ? Whether thou had perfor-
med the part of a Chvidian parent, a child, a maf-
ter, a fervant, a husband, a wife, a rainider, or
people, a magidrate, or fubjedt ? Whether thou
lived by faith on the Son of God ? \Miether thou
art prepared for Death, for Judgment, for Eterni-
ty ? And now Reader, I bid thee farewel I
Only methinks I cannot yet leave thee without a
parting advice : Let me then befeech thee not
10 diut this Book, till thou had taken a folemn
review of v/hat thou had been reading, till thou
had fixed it in thy memory, till thou had refolv-
ed, by the grace of God, to be, and to do what
thou had been fo earnedly exhorted to. Then,
and not till then, mayed xho\ifaJeh Aiut this- Book.
The END.
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