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The Qbriftims
CONVERSE with GOD,
OR, THE
Infufficiency and ^Uncertainty \
o F
Human Friendfhip
And the Improvement of
SOLITUDE
I N
CONVERSE with GOD;
With fomc of the AUTHOfts
Breathings a\ter him.
1 w-~ vL _
By Richard Baxter.
Recommended to the Reader's feri-
ous thoughts when at the Houfe
of Mourning, and in Retire-
ment. By Mr. Matth. Siivefter.
l o x d o N,
Primed for 3J0^n &alusbutg, at the Rif*g
over againft the Royil Excbant* in
Comkill. 1^93-
I
If*
TO T HE
READER
THis Excellent Difconrfe,
breathing the Excellence
of it's (now DeceafeH) Authors
Spirit, craves thy ntoft ferious
perufal ; and it will plentifully
reward the hoars which ft hall be
fpent thereon. It greatly favours
of deep thoughts, JlriSi objerva-
tionSy and long and great experi-
ence of God, of Things, and Per-
fons. Creatures looh^ beji when
A 2 at
*v To the Reader.
at a diftance^ and in profpeSi ; but
when nearer to us y they are then
eafily looked through^ and feldom
found to correfpond with their Ap-
pearances to 7/if, and with our ex-
pectations from them. But God
it fitch a deep and boundlefsAbyfs
ofPerfection^ as mo ft delightfully
will endure and recompence all
the fever ity and clofenefs of our
eternal Thoughts about him.
Perfected Spirits are all thought
concerning God y and find their
Hearts enflamed, and all their
Towers invigorated thereby e-
temally, to inexpreffible Satis-
faction : And what varieties
ofpleafant Thoughts the Innume-
rable hi fiances and Mirroars of
Divine Excellencies in the Hea-
vens
To the Reader. v
vens will endlefly Minijier unto y
I do not hjiow^ nor dare I guefs
too boldly at them. Bat how thofe
Souls can looh^f or Heaven^ or tru-
ly be accounted gracious / who ne~
<ver retire folemnly to converge
withGodJ kjiow not.Surely^where
God is not more than all to us^ he
can be comfortably nothing : And
our religious Exercifes and F de-
fences muji needs be mean and
dull, whilft God is triflingly and
feldom thought on, and confer fed
with by us. Can holy Walking be
preferred and promoted without
love ? Can love to GodandChrifi,
and to the invifible St ate, be kind-
led, cherijhed, and continually ad-
vanced without Faith ? ] Can Faith
be any thing but Fancy and Fre-
A 3 fuwption^
vi To the Reader.
fumption, without thought and
Knowledge ? And can the Life
of Faith, Hope, Love, and holy
Walking-, he fxt and vigorous,
and proficient, without ourferious
and frequent reprefentations of
Cod unto our f elves by folemn
Contemplations of his excellent
TerfeStionSyfree Communications,
plentiful Provifons, and glorious
Defigns, whereto he hath entitled
f^ y feeing our Religion andDevo-
tions in all the parts thereof can
have no Life and Soul hut this ?
What is it to converfe with Cod
in Solitude, but to- aSiuate our
thoughts of what we tyiow con-
cerning God in Chrifl, and to
accomodate them to all the need'
fnl
To the Reader. th
ful and nfefal Purpofes cfKeh-
gion and Devotion', and to make
Thoughts folemnly Serviceable to
tl>e great Ends thereof ,viz. our
due and feafonable Reprefenta-
tions of our God to ws, and of
our {elves to him in Cbriji, pur-
fnant to the flated and occa-
fional Ends and Interefls of
Chrijiian Godlinefs, as the mat-
ter may require* Converfwg
thus with God j wants not its
great Advantages in life and
death. And if thefe Thoughts
contained in this Boo^ (which
did fo greatly reconcile the Au-
thor to the Thoughts of his then
approachvig,but now experienced
Death,) were more in Exercife at
funeral
viii To the Reader.
Funeral Solemnities, and thisBooh^
then put into the bands of Mour-
ners, it would be no matter of
Repentance that I know of.
tbefe are the ha fly 1 bought s
and Sentiments of thine in and
for t the Lord, whiljl
Matthew Sylvefter.
London, Sept. 12.
1692.
T HE
THE
CONTENTS-
THE Context opened. p. i
Why Chrijl rras f or f Men by his Dif-
ciples, p. 6.
Ufe jj Expetl by the fcrfahing of ycnr
Friends to be conformed mto Chrift :
Reafons for your Expectation, p. 12
The Aggravations of their fir faking yen.
P- 34
Some quieting Confederations. p. 38
The Order of Forms in the School of Chrifi.
.p. 51
77?* DifcifUs jc attend every Alan to his
own. p. 5 -.
Set flwefs contrary to friendly fidetit) . p. 58.
Conjidiratictis to fum u in the death of
faithful Friends. p. 6j>
Whether toe jhaB tyorv them in He a- tn.\ .7 r
Whether Creatures be any matter Q)
Comfort in ffeavi p. ' 3.
Qu
The Contents.
Queft. Shall I have any more Comfort irX
prefent friends than in others ? p. 76!
Doft. 3. When all for Jake us, and leave hs
(as to them) alone, we are far from be-
ing /imply alone, becaufe Cod is with us.
p. 80.
The advantages of having God with us. p. 81
Queft. How he is with us. p. ,82
Ule. I, Imitate Chrift : Live upon God a-
lone j though men for fake yon \ yet tkruft
not your felves into Solitude uncalled.
P- 9i
In what cafes Solitude is lawful and good.
P 9*
Reafons againfl unnecejfary Solitude, p. 94*
Tht Comfort of Converfe with God in
mceffary Solitude. The Benefits of Soli-
tude. The Reafons from God. Impro-
ved largely in fame Meditations.
p. IC2. H 1
Directions for Converfmg with God in So-
litude. p. 149
Concluded in further Meditation, p. 16O
A Caution. p. 166
O F
O F
CONVERSING
WITH
God, &c.
Joh. XVL 32.
Behold, the hour cometh^yea is ccme y
that ye {ball be fcattered every Man to
his own, and {hall leave me alone :
And yet I am not alone, becaufe the
Father is with me.
IAra this day to handle the inftance
of [Chrifrs b{irg forfaken by his
Friends and Follomrsf]
He thought meet to foretell them, hovr
they (hould raanifeft their infirmity and
B untrufli-
2 Vf Lonverjwg
untruftinefs in this temporary forfaking
of him, that *£ he might fullyer con-
vince them, that he knew what was in
Man, and that he knlew future contingen *
cics (or things to come, which icem
inda dependent. On the Will of Man)
and that he voluntarily fubmitted to his
deferted State, and expected no fupport
from Creatures, but that Man fhould
ihen do leaft for Chrifo when Chrift w T as
doing, mo ft for Man; that Man by an
unthankful for faking Chrift ^ fhould then
jp.af iTcrt his forfaken dcplorate flatc,whcn
Chrift was to make Atonement for his
Reconciliation toGod,and was preparing
the moft coftly Remedy for his Recovery.
He foretold them of the Fruit which
their Infirmity would produce, to hum-
ble them that were apt to think too
highly oJF themfelves for the late free
ConfefTion they had made of Chrift",
when . they had newly 6M £AW vet
an fare that thou knoftcft ill }***%* : h
this tye are fare, that thou comeft forth
from Goi, ver. 30.
<He antwereth them [Do ye vow be-
lieve? Behold, the hour Cometh, &i '
that Chrift would not have his S^
know hfegraces in them, but he would
alfo
with God in Jolitude. $
alfo have tnem know the Corruption that
is latent^nd the infirmity confident with
their grace. We arc very apt to judge
of all that is in hf, and of all that we
Jh*!l do hereafter, by what we feel At
the yrefent upon our hearts. As when
f/cfeel the ftirring offome Corruptions
we are apt to think that there is no-
thing elfe, and hardly perceive the con-
trary grace, and are apt to think it will
never be better with us: So when we
feel the'Exercife of Faith, Defirc or Iw,
we are apt to overlook the contrary
Corruptions, and to think that we (hall
never feel them more. But Chrift would
keep us both humble and vigilant, by
acquainting us with the mutability and
unconftancy of our minds. When it
goes well \\i: : forget that the
time is cominj it may go worfe.
As Chrift laid to his D^fiijlcs, here in
the cafe of Htlitving^ we may fay to
fclves in that ard ether cafes : Do
w Believe? It is well: But the
time may be coming in which we may be
brought to lhake with the ftirrif:
our remaining Unbelief, and fbrewdly
tempted toqueftion the truth of Chri-
stianity it felf r and of the Ko'y Sfrip-
B z tures,
4* Of Converfwg
tures, and of th? Life to come. T>o rve
nowrejoyce in the ^crfuafions of the Love
of God? The time may be coming
when we may think our felvcs forfaken
and undone, and think he will cfteera
and ufe us as his Enemies. 'Dowenow
fray with fervour^ and pour out our
Souls enlargedly to God? It is well:
But the time may be coming when wc
fliall feem to be as dumb and praycr-
lefs, and fay, we cannot pray, or clfe
we find no audience and acceptance of
our Prayers. Chrift knowcth that in
us which we little know by our felves ;
and therefore may foreknow, that wc will
commit fuch Sins, or fall into fuch Dan-
gers, as we little fear.
What Chrift here prophefieth to them
did afterwards all come to pafs. As
foon as ever Danger and Trouble did
appear, they began to flag, and to (hew
how ill they could adhere unto him or
iuffcr with him, without his fpecial cor-
roborating Grace. In the Garden when
iie was fweating Blood in Prayer, they
were flecping; Though the Spirit wa$
willing, the Flefli was weak: They
could not mtch with kirn one hour, Mat,
26. 40| 41. When he was apprehend- \
ed, '
with God in folitude. 5
ed, they (hifted each Man for himfelf,
Mat. 26. 56. [Then all the Difciples
ferfioJ^ him and fled. And as this is faid
to be that the Scriptures might be ful-
filled, Mat. 26. 54, 56. fo it might be
iaiJ to te, That this prediction of
Cbrifi himfelf might be fulfilled. Not
that Scripture Prophefies did cauf$ the
Sin by which rhcy were fulfilled, nor
that God caufed the fin to fulfill his
own Prediftions, but that God cannot
be deceived who foretold in Scriptures
long before, that thus it would come
to pafs: When it is faid, That [thus
it mufi be, that the Scripture may be fuU
filledT\ the meaning is not, that [thus
God mil make it be\ or {thus he caufeth
Men todo~\ that he may fulfill the Scrip-
tures: It is not Neceffitax confequentu
vel caiif at a that is inferred from Pre-
dictions; but only Necejfuas confequen*
tia\ a Logical Neceffuy in or dine cog.
nofcendi & dicendi\ not a Natural Ale*
ce fltiy in or dine effendi: not a Neceffuy
of the Thing it felf as caufed by the
Prediction or Decree ; but a Neceffuy
of the Truth of this Conclufion in argu*
ing \ [fitch a thing will be, becaufe God
bath decreedy foreknown or foretold it : ~\
B 3 or
6 Of Conver ft ng
or [whatever God for. mt(l ?icf-
ceffarily come to pafs, that if, will cer-
tainly come to pafs;. £/tf rWj 6W fy**A
foretold ; therefore this will come to Jbf/f.!]'
H^re arc three obfervable points in
the Text, that at* worthy our di
Confederation, though for brevity
I fluil handle them together.
1 . That Chrift was forfaken by his
own Difciples, and left alone.
2. When the Difciples left Chrift, they
were fcattered cve^y one to his own. They
returned to their old Habitations, and
old Acquaintance, and old Employment^
as if their hopes and hearts had
almoftM^, and they had loft all th-ir
labour in following Chrift fo long; Yet
the root of Faith and Love that ft ill
remained- caufed them to enquire fur-
ther of the end, and to cone together
in fecret to confer about thefe Mutters.
y, Whin Chift was ' for f ike n .'■/■ lis
Pifrivles, and left alone, yet was he not
' for ft' en of b>s Father, nor left fo
as to he [evirated from htm cr his lovt.
We are no v to conf
cr!y as a part of C itiotq
but alfo as a Point in Vvhich we r,utjl
ixpeft to be conformed to him. It may
poffibly
with God in folitude. ■ 7
fy ieem ftrangc to u^, that Chrift
would fuffer all his DifoifUs to ft
him in his Extremity ; and I coubt it
wi'I ieem ftrange to i.<s, when in our
extremity, and our differing for thrift
(,.nJ perhaps for the:?)) we (hall find our
foriaken by thofe that we molt
I, and had the greatcfl:
familiarity with. But there are many
Reafons of this permiflive Providence
open to our obfervation.
1. No wonder, if when Chrift was
fuffering /<?r Sin, he would even then
permit the Power and odioufnefsof fm
to break forth, that it might be known
he fuffered not in v*in. No wonder, if
he permitted his Followers to defert
him, and to (hew the latent Unbelief,
and Selfifhnels, and unthankfulnefs that
remained in them, that io the 7 might
know, that the death of Chriti was as
neceflarv for them as for others 5
the univcrfality of the Difeafe might
(hew the need that the Remedy fhould
be VniwrfaL And it i> none of Chrifts
intent to maftd his S teem
better than they are, to t s or
others, orto honour hi:\
of their Faults, but to ie his par-
B ^ doning
3 Of Comer fing
doning and healing grace,by the means or
occafion of the fins which he pardoneth
and healeth.
2. Hereby he will bring his Followers
to the fuller knowledge of therafclvcs,
and (hew them that which all their
days (hould keep them humble, and
watchful, and favc them from prelum p.
tion and trufting in thcmfelves: When
we have made any full Confeffion of
Chrift, or done him any confiderable
lervice, we are apt to lay with the
Difciples, Mat. 19. 27. [Behold, we have
forfaken ally and followed thee ; What
{hall we have? ] As if they had rather
been Givers to Chrift, than Receivers
from him -, and had highly merited at
his hands : But when Peter forfwear-
cth him, and the reft fhift for them-
felves, and when they come to them-
fclves after fuch cowardly and ungrate-
ful Dealings, then they will better
underftand their Wcaknefs, and know
on whom they muft depend.
3. Hereby alfo they thai! better un-
derftand what they would have been, if
God hu3 left them to themfdves, that
fo th;v may be thankful for grace recei-
ved, and may not boaft themfelves a-
gainft
with God in folitude\ <$
gainft the mifcrable world, as if they had
made thcrafclvcs to differ, and had not
received all that grace by which they ex-
cel the common fort : when our falls have
hurt us and fharaed us, we (hall know to
whom we mull be beholden to fupport us«
4. Chrift would permit his Difciples
thus far to forfake him, becaufe he would
have no jtippcrt from man, in his fiffirings
for man : This was part of his voluntary
humiliation, to be deprived of all earthly
comforts, and to bear affli&ion even from
thofc few, that but lately were his faith-
ful fervants : that men dealing like men,
and fwncrS) while he was doing like God 7
and as a Saviour, no-man might challenge
to himfelf the honour of contributing to
the Redemption of the world, fo much
as by encouraging the Redeemer.
5. Chrift did permit^the Faith and
courage of his D;fciples thus far to fail,
thit their witnef, to him might be-of the
greater credit and authority, when his
aftual RefurreQion and the Communica-
tion of the Spirit fhould compel them to
•believe ; when all their doubts were dif-
fipatcd, they that had doubted thcmieF-
ves, and yet were conftrained to believe,
would be received as the mod impartial
B 5 vsicnefils
10 Of Converfitg
witneffcs by the doubting w>r!d.
6. Laftly, by the delertion and diffin
pation of his Difciples, Chrift would
teach us whenever we are called to fol-
low him in fuftering, what to expert from
the beft of men; Even to know that of
themfclves they are untrufty, and may
fail us ; and therefore not to look for too
much affiftance or encouragement frcm
them. "J°mI lived in a time when Chri-
ftians were more felf.denying and
faft than they are now t And ftml was
one that might better expc&to be faith-
fully accompanied in his iufferings for
Chrift, than any of us : And yet he
2. Tim. 4. 1 6. \_At myfirfi anfiv
flood with me j but all mm forfcoi^ me : ]
and prayeth, that it be not laid to their
charge .- Thus you have fcen ibme Rea-
fonswhy Chri£ confented to "be left of
all, and permitted his Difciples to deiert
him in his fufferings.
Yet note here, that it is but a partial
temporary forfakjng that Chrift permit-
•teth ,• and not a total or final forfaking or
Apoftafie. Though he will let them .fee
that they ^xt yet men y yet will he not
leave them to be but m other men : Nor
will he quite caft them off, or fuffer them
topcrifli. Nor
with (2od in fvlitude. n
Nor is it all alike thnt thus forfake hinr,
Teter doth rtot do as Judas : 'The fincere
may manifeft their infirmity •, but the Hy*
pocrites wit! manifeft their Hypocrifie.
And accordingly \nout • fnfferings < our
familiars that were falf-Weartei.fiK being
worldlings and carnal at the heart may
perhaps b stray us, and fit agtinft us, or
forfake the can ft ofChrift, and follow the
way of gain and honour : when our temp-
ted fhrinking friends that yet may
fome fincerity, tp.:w perhaps W; ftrange
at us, and frem not to know ns y and may
hide their heads, and fhew their fears;
and perhaps alio begin to ftudy fome felf-
deccivinga^urrent-s^ddiftintlions^and
toftretch their conferences, rfnd venture
on forae fm^ becauib thev a<$ afraid^to
venture on affliction \ t;llCht-ift l fliall c^C;
a gracious rebuking quickninginfpeft' <S'n
them, and fhame them fof the ir fihful
fl}ame, &fear them from their finfuf fears,
sflame their Love to him by the fro-
of his Love to them, and- dc
)ve that turned thent';V
the fime me
'failed Chrift and us, and began to fhrink,
turnback and rc-rffiamc their:
and
12 OfCottverfwg
and by patient fuffering overcome, snd
win the Crown as we have done before
them.
Vft. /^Hriftians, expert to be confor-
V^J med to your Lord in this part
of his Humiliation alfo : Are your friends
yet faft and friendly to you ? For all that
expert: that many of them at leaft fhould
prove Iefs friendly: and promife not
your felvcs an unchanged conftancy in
them : Are they yet ufeful to you ? ex-
pert the time when they cannot help
you : Are they your comforters and de-
light, and is their company much of your
folace upon earth ? Be ready for the
time when they may become your fharp-
cft fcourges, and moft heart-peircing
griefs, or at lead when you flull fay, We
have no pleafure in them. Have any of
them, or all, already failed you ? what
wonder ? Are they not men, and finners ?
To whom were they ever fo conftant as
not to fail them ? Rebuke your felves for
your unwarrantable expectations from
them : And learn hereafter to know what
man is, and expert that friends fhould ufe
you as followeth.
i. Some
with God in folituie. 13
r Some of them that you thx>rght
[wan, (hall prove perhaps unfaithful «nd
dif/cmblcrs, and upon faking* car, or roat-
tets of felf-wtereft may feck your mine.
Are you better than David that had an
Achitrphel ? or than Taal that had a De-
ma ? or than Chrift that had a Judas}
Some will forfak;. Gcd: what wonder
then if they forfake you ? Becaufe iniqui-
ty jhall abound, the love of many fiall wax
cold, Mat. 24. 12 Where pride and
vain glory, and fenfuality and worldlinefs
are tnnortified at the heart, there is
no truttinefs in iuch pcifcns : For their
wealth, or honour, or flefhly intercft,
they will part with God and their Sal-
vation ; much more with their bed de-
serving friends. \A hy may not you as
well as Job have occa'on to complain,
[He hath put my Brethren far from me y
and my Acquaint >r,ce are very eftranged m
from me: My kirufoi\ have failed, ^nd
my familiar Friends have forgotten me:
7 hey that dwell in my Honfe, and my Matd-
ens co h fit me fr a Sir anger : I am *n A-
lien in their fi-ht : I called my Servant,
and he pave me no A»fvrer : J intreated
him with my mouth : My breath is grange
to my Wife •, the ugh J intreated for the
CLtldrens.
J4 Of Converging
Children* fake of »> °*dy: Tea,
yoitrg Children dfptfed me : I arofe^ And
they fpt-ike pgainft me : All my inward
friends abhorred me : and they whom /
loved are turned againft me, Job 19. 13,
14, 15, 16, 17, 1 •', 19. Why may not
you as well as Dxvid be put to fay, Ye*
mine own familiar Friend in %'hom I trufl--
ed, which did eat of my Bread, hath lift
up his Heel again ft me\~] PfJ; 4 1. 9.
Thoie that have been moft acquainted
with the leerets of your Soul, and pri-
to your very thoughts, may be the
perfons that (hail betray you, or grow
ftrange to you. Thofe that you have
moft obliged by benefits, may prove
your greater Enemies. You may find
fome of your Friends like Birds of prey,
that h) er about you for what they can
get, ~;en they have catcht it, fly at-
way. If you have given them all that
you have, they will foriake yon, and
perhaps reproach you, becaufe you have
no more to give them. They are your
Frier.-, s tool : hat^hey-vff expelit
n you, than for v?h*t thry have
re;r:v received. If you he
to them, or fetd their covetous
defirc5, or iupply their wants, you are
to
with God in fclitude. i 5
zo them but as cne that they had ne-
known. Many a faithful Minift^f
of Chrift hath ftudied, and preacht,and
, and wept for their Peoples Sou!?,
and after all have been taken fcr their
Enemies, and utcd as luch; yea eyei\
btctufc they have done [0 much for the
Like the Patient, that bein^ cured of
a mortal ficknefr, feed hw Phyfician ac
Law for making him fick wfih the Fhy-
fick (But it is indeed t>. :d Pati-
ents only that are offended with us-.)
Paul was accounted c.n Enem} to :
Ga/atbianS) becsuie he t.l the
truth. Ungrateful truth rrrkerh
faithfulleft Preachers meft onj . It
rnuft ieem no wonder to a Pie.cher o{
(1 c G fpel, when he hath cnueaked,
pra 1 ncjrt for
Qiifcrabie Souls, and h.ici his her
were under their feet in b(
ConvcrHon and S- \ , • , | 1 !>:' them
alter i;D, h s hit! r £i mcs. 1 *d i
mg his Dtftru&i : a;d
m his Li c f ,my
fecrned too impatient under this afflict
on, when he faid mc, O
yd, and he ay ken 10 i an
that contend with vm \ 5
wmftnfcd
i& . Of Converftng
comtenfed for good} Remember thai I
flood before thee to fpeah^good fir them y
and to xum away thy Wrath from them:-
Tazrefore deliver up their Children to the
famine^ and pour out their blood by the
force of the S ord, &c. Jcr # 1 8, 19 20.
Thus may Ingratitude affli& you, and
kindnefs be requited with unkindnels,
and the greateft benefits be forgotten,
and requited with the greateft wrongs:
Your aid Familiars may be your Foes :
ar(3 you may be put to lay as Jeremy [_For
I heard the defaming of many : Fear en
every fide : Report ^ fay they, and we will
report it : All my Fr.miliars watched for
my halting, faying, Per adventure he will
be enticed, and we (hall prevail againft
him, and we jhall take oar revenge on him^\
jer. 20. 10. Thus muft the Servants of
Chrift be ufed, in conformity to their
fuflfering Head.
Z. And fome that are fincere, and
whofe hearts are with you, may yet be
drawn by temptation to dtfown you:
When ma!icc is flan ic in;* you, time-
rous friend Tiip may perhaps be filent,
and afrai i to juft fie you or t ike your
part : When a Peter in fuch imbecility
and fear can difown and deny his fajfer-
ing
with God in folitude. lj
ing Lord, what wonder if faint hearted
friends difown you, or me, that may
give them too much occaficn or pretence?
Why may net you ?.nd I be put to fay
as David did, Pfal. 5 8. i i, 12. {My le-
vers and my Fr tends ft and aloof from my
fore, and thy Kinfmen ft And afar iff : They
that feek^after my Life lay Snares for me:
And they that feek^ my hurt fpetk. mifchie-
vohs things, and imagine deceits all the
day long. ] They that in fearfulnefs wiil
fail their Maker and Redeemer^ and ha-
zard their Salvation^ may by a fmaller
temptation be drawn to fail fuch friend*
as rve.
3. Moreover, a hundred things may
occafion fallings out) even amongft unfeign-
ed Friends : Paffonr may caufe inconve-
nient a&'ons or expreflions, and thefe
may ciufepafllonsin their Friends •, and
thcle may grow fo high till Friends do
feem to one ?ncther to be I>ke Enemies :
Paul and 'Barnabas may grow fo hot, as
to fallout to- a parture. How cafily can
Satan let fire on the Tinder which he
h »n the beft and gentlcft natures,
permit him? No Friends fo near
ard *ar, that padionafe weakneflcs may
not Cither alienate or make a grief to
one
1 8 Of Convcrfwg
one another 5 how apt arc we to t.han
kmdwfjes at ore another, and to bzfuf-
fkious of our Friends, or offended wilh
thern? And how apt" to give occafwn o\
fuch offence ? How apt are we to cen-
fure one another, and to mifintcr >ret '
the words and aftions of our F, \
And how apt to give occafion pf iuch
miftakesand cutting cenfures ? Andthe-
more kindnefs we have found in, or ex-
petted from our Friends the more their
real or fuppofed injuries will affeft us.
We are aptto fay, \JJadit been a jhan-
gef, I could have born it: But to be nfed
thus by my bofom or familiar Friend, goes
near my heart."} And indeed t^e unkind-
nefs of Friends is no fmill atfliaion-, the
fuffering going ufually as near the Heart,
as the peribn that caufed it was near iu
Especially when our own weaknefs cau-
feth us to forget the frailty and infii mi-
ties of Min, and with what allowances
and expectations we muft choofe and ufe
our F riei d ; and when we forget the
Love that rcmaineth in the midft of
pflfltans. ,
4. Alfo crofs Ir.terefts and unfuitablenefs
may exceedingly interrupt the faftcft
friendship, Fricndjhip is very much found-
ed
with God infolitudc. 10
pd infoitabicnefs, and maintained b
And among mortals, there i$ no perfect
i be founds but much un-
fsftill remaincth. That which
pleafeth one, is difpleafing to another:
One InetH this pkee, and the other that:
One hketh this hubir, and the other that :
One is for mirth, aid the other for £*d-
nefs : One for talk, and the other for fi-
lence : 0;ie for a publick, and the other
for a private life. And their perfonaflity
or individuation having feif-Iove as infe-
parable, will unavoidably caufe a contra*
riety of interefts. The Cre. tare is in-
fufficicnt for us : If one have it, perhaps
the other mud want it : Like a covering
too narrow for the bed. Sometimes our
Reputations feem to (land crofs, fo that
one mars U diminifhed by anothcrs : and
then how apt is envy to create a grudge,
and raiic unfriendly jcaloufics and dif-
taftes. Sometimes the Commodity of ct.c
is the dilcommodity of the other : And
then [Mine and Thine} (which are con-
trary to the community of friend ft ip J
divide and alienate, and make two
ofe that iecmed one. The ir.ftances
'>rab>im and Lt (upon the d
ence among their Servants) and of /
and
20 Of Converfing
and Ijhmaely and of Jacob and £faM y and
of LabanznA ^4M&, and of Leah ani &*-
cfe*/, and of Jofeph and his brethren, and
of Saul and T>avid y and of Ziba Mtphi-
bofietb and Davi<H y with many oth rs tell
us this. It is rare to meet with a Jona*
than, that will endearedly love that man
to the death, who is appointed to de-
prive him of a Kingdom. If one can but
lay Q/ fuffcr by him y or I am a loifer by
hhm~\ it feemeth enough to excufe un-
friendly thoughts and aftions. When
you can gratifie the defircs of all the co-
vetous, ambitious, felf-feeking perfonsin
the World, or elfe cure their difeafes,
and poflefs their minds with perfeft Cha-
rity, then aU the World will be your
Friends.
5. Crofs opinions alfo arc like to alie-
nate many of your Friends. This age
hath over and over again given the world
as full and fad demonftrations of the pow-
er of Crofs opinions, to alienate Friend?,
and make divifions, as mod ages of the
World have ever had. If your Friend be
prond, it's wonderful how he will flight
you, and withdraw his Love, if you be
not of his mind, if he be zealous, he is ea-
fily tempted, to think it a part of hh
duty
wit? viva in jvwiuac* 21
duty to God, toc;ifown you if you dif-
fer from him, as taking you for one that
difowncth the truth of God, and there-
fore one that God himfelf difowneth •, or
at leaft to grow cold in his affeftion to-
ward you, and tocecline from you, as
he that thinks you do from God. As
agreement in opinions doth ftrangely re-
concile Affe&ions •, lb disagreement doth
fecretly and ftrangely alienate them,; e-
ven before you arc well aware, .your
Friend hath loft poflcffion of your hearts,
becaufc of an unavoidable diverfity of
apprehenfions : When all your Friends
have the fame intellectual complexion and
temperature, and meafureof underftand-
ingwith your felves, then you nay have
hope toclcape ih? ruptures, which un-
likelincfs and ciffercnccs of apprehenfi."
ons might elfc caule
6* Moreover, fomc of your friends
may fo far overgrow you in wifdom, or
X9talth y ox honour, otworth, in their w«
conceits, thac they may begin to take you
to be unfuitable for them, and unmeet
for their further fpecial friendfhip. Alas
poor man, they will pity thec that thou
art no wifer, and that thou haft no grea-
ter light to change thy mind as faft as
t^y,
2 2 Of Converging
thou arc fo weak and igno
rant as nor to fee what (terns to them fo
ciera truth; or th it thou arr lb
to c felf by croiTmg them
that might prefer thee, or to fall under
the di-pleafure of ritoi vc powe't
to raife or mine thee : But if thou be io
fiynple, t\ : th- cbj :ft of their
lamentation, bu t art no familiar friend fGk
them. They think it fitted to do
convene with thofe of their o^n rkA
ftatnre, and not with fuch *-fhrnbs an*
dren\ that may prove their trouble and
difiiorour.
7. And fome of your friends will
think that by a h "ore through acquaint
•tance with yoj, they have round
out more of your infirmities cr /
*and therefore have found that you are
lefs aimable and valuable than at firft they
judged you : They will think that by
diftance, nnacquaintfedncf^ andanover-
hafty love and judgment, they were
ken in you ; and that now they fee
e love which they
think V/2LS guilty of fomc errors and ex-
cefi: when rhey come nearer you, and
have hud more tryal of you, they wiH
think they are fitter to judge of you than
before :
wttn voa tnjoutucte. 23
before : And indeed our detects are fo
many, and all our infirmities fo great,
he 'more men know us, the more
they may fee in us that ccferveth pity or
regj-oof; and as P.. ur:s, we appear lefs
beautiful at the neareft view; Thought
this will not warrant the withdrawing of
that Love which is cue to friends, and to
vertue even in the imperfeft .• nor will
e*cufe that alienation and decay of
friendship that is caufed by the pride of
iuch as overlook, perhaps much greater
failings and weakmiTe* in themieive?,
which need forgivenefs.
8. And perhaps frme of your Friends
will grew weary of their Friendfhip, ha-
ving that infirmity of humane nature,
not to be much pleafed with one thing
long. Their love is a flower that quick-
ly withereth: It is a fhort liv'd I
tfut foon groweth old. It muft be n
ty that muft feed their love and their de-
light.
9. And perhaps they may hive got
forae better Friends in their apprehen-
fions, that may have fo much intereft as
to take them up, and leave no room for
antient Friends. It may be they have
met with thofc that are more j'mtabU^ or
van
2 4 Uf Lonverjmg
can be more ufeful to them .• that havt
more learnings or wit, or wealthy or power ,
than yon have, and therefore feem more
worthy of their Frimdftiip.
10. And fome of tJiera may think when
you are in a low and [offering ftute, and,
in danger of \v or ft, that it is part of their
duty of [elf -yr enervation to be ftrange to
youfthough in heart they wi fh you well.)
They will think thry are not bound to
hazard themfelves u^on the difplealure
©f fuperiours, to own or befriend you or
any other : Though they muft not defert
Chrift, they think they may defert aw
for their own prcfervation.
To avoid both extreams in fuch a cafe,
men rxuft both ftudy to underftand which
way is moft ferviccable to Chrift, and to
his Church, and withal to be able to de-
ny themfelves, and alio muft ftudy to un-
derftand what Chrift meaneth in his fi-
nal fentence \jn as much as yon did it (or
did it not) to one of the leafi of thefe my
Brethren^ you did it (or did it not (to me.}
As if it were to vifit the Contagions, we
muft neither caft away our lives to do no
goody or for that which in value holdeth
no proportion with them ; nor yet muft
wc deny to run any hazard when it is in-
deed
mth <Jod in JoUtude. 2 5
deed o*r duty : So ft it in our vifiting thofc
that fuffer for the caufe of Chrift ; (but
that here the owning thtrn being the cot-
fejfing of him, we need raorc ieldora to
fear being too forward.)
1 1 . And fome of your friends may co-
ver their faithfulnefs with the pretence of
fome fault that you have been guilty of*
fome erronr that you hold, or fome m-
hanfom or culpable act that you have done,
or fome duty that you have left undone or
failed in. For they think there is not a
better fhelter for their unfaithfulnefs y
then to pretend for it the Name and Caufe
of God, and fo to make a duty of their fin.
Who would not juftifie them, if they
can but prove, that God requireth tkem %
and Religion obligeth them to for fake you
for your faults ? There are few crimes in
the world that by fome are not fathered,
on God C that moft hateth them) as think-j
ing no name can fo much honour them*
Falfe friends therefore ufe this means as
well as other Hypocrites: And though
God is Love, and condemneth nothing
more than tmharitajplenefs &: malise,yct
theje are commonly by falfharted Hypo-
crites, called by pious vertuous names,
and God himfdf is entitled to them : fa
C that
26 Of Converging
that few worldlings, ambitious pcrfons
or timefervers, but will confidently pre-
tend Religion for all their falftiood to
their friends, or bloody cruelty to the
fervants of Chrift, that comply not with
their carnal in tereft.
12. Perhaps ibme of your friends may
really miftakeyour cafe, and think that you
fuffer as evil doers, and inftead of cow
forting you, may be your Jharpefi cenfur-
ers : This is one of the moft notable
things fct out to our obfervation in the
book of Job: It was not the fmalleft part
of his affli&ion, that when the hand of
God was 'heavy upon him, and then if
ever Was the time for his friends to have
been his comforters, and friends indeed,
on the contrary they became his fcoarge >
and by un]ufi accufaiimsj and mifinterfre-
tations of the providence of God, did
greatly add to his affliaion ! when God
had taken away his children, wealth and
health, his friends would take away the
reputation and comfort of his integrity ;
and under pretence of bringing him to re-
pentance, did charge him with that which
he was never guilty of; They wounded
hitgood'tJamt, and would have wounded
his confeime % and deprived him of his in-
ward
with God in folitude. 2 7
ward peace: Cenforious falfe accufing
friends do cut deeper then malicious flan*
dring enemies. It is no wonder if ftrang*
trs or enemies do misjudge and raifreport
our a<3ions : But when your bojom friends^
that fnould raoft intimately know you,
and be the chcif witnefs of your innoceacy
againft all others, (hall in their jealoufie*
or envy, or peeviflincfs, or falling out,
be your chief rcproachers and unjuft accu-
fcrs, as it makes it fervc more credible to
others, fo it will come neareft to your
fel ves. And yet this is a thing that muft
be expefted : yea even your moft fel f de-
nying atts of obedience to God, maybe
fo miiundcrftood by godly men, and real
friends, as by them to be taken for your
great mifcarraige, and turned to your re-
buke: As Davids dancing before the
Ark was by his wife } which yet did but
make him refolve to be yet more vile.- If
you be caft into poverty, ordifgrace. or
prifon, orbanifhment, far your ncceflary
obedience to Chrift, perhaps your friend
or wife may become your accufer for
this greateft fervice, and fay, This it
your own doing: your rafhnefs, or in-
difcrction, orfelf-conceitednefc, orwilf-
fulncfs hath brought it upon you; what
C 2 need
28 Of Converfmg
need had you to fay fuch words, or to
do this or that ? why could not you have
yeildcd in fo fmall a matter ?] Perhaps
your coftlieft and mofl excellent obedience
(hall by your nearefi friends be called the
fruits of f ride 9 or humour ; or pajfiw, or,
fomc corrupt affeftion, or at leaft of folly
and incotifideratenefs. When flefli and
blood hath long been ftriving in yon a-
gainft your duty, and faying, []Do not
caft away thy felf: O ferve not God at
fo dear a rate : God doth not require thee
to undo thy felf: why fhouldcft thou not
avoid fo great inconveniences ? 2 When
with much ado you have conquered all
your carnal rcafonings, anddenyed your
ielves and your carnal intereft-, you muft
expeft even from forae religious friends,;
to be accufcd for thefe very a&ions, and
perhaps their accufations may fatten fuch
a blot upon your names, as (hall never be
wafhed out till the day of judgment. By
difference of interefts, or apprehenfions,
and by unacquaintednefs with your,
hearts, and anions, the righteoufnefsof
of the righteous may be thus taking from
him, and friends may do the work of e-
nemies, yea of Satan himfelf the accufer
of the brethren ; and may prove as thorns
in
with God in folitude. 29
in your bed, and gravel in your fhoes,
yea in your eyes, and wrong you much
more than open adverfaries could have
done. How is it like to go with that mans
Yepu+ation, y?u may eaftly judge, whofe
friends are Jike Jobs^ and his enemies like
Davids, that lay fnares before him,
and diligently watch" for matter of re-
proach : yet this may befall the beji
of men.
ib. You may be permitted by God to
fall into fomc real crime, and then your
friends may poflibly think it is their duty
to difown you, fo far as you have wrong-
ed God: When you provoke God to
frown upon you,he may caufe your friends
to froWn upon you : If you fall out with
hiro, and grow ftrange to him, no marvel
if your trueft friends fall out with you,
*nd grow ftrange to you. They love
you for your godlineft, and for the fake
of Chrift , and therefore muft abate their
love if you abate your godlinefc \ and muft
for the fake of Chrift be difpleafcd with
you for your fins. And if in fuch a cafe
of real guilr, you ftiouldbe difpleafcd at
their difpleafurc, and fhould expert that
your friend fhould befriend your fin, or
c*3rry himfelf towards you in your guilt
C 3 as
jo Of Converfmg
as if you were innocent, you wifl but
fhew that you underftand not the nature
ef true friendfliip, nor the ufe of a true
friend', and are yet your fclves too friend -
ly to your fins.
14. Moreover, thofe few friends that
ire trueft to you, may be utterly unable
to relieve you in your diftrefs, or to give
you cafe, or do you any good. The
cafe may be fuch that they can but pity
you and lament your forrows, and weep
over you : you may fee in them that man
is not as God, whofc friendship can ac-
coraplifh all the good that hedefireth to
hie friends. The wifeft and greatcft and
beft of men are filly comforters, and un-
eflfeftual helps : you may be fick, and
pained, and grieved, and diftrcfled, not-
withfttndiQg anything that |h?y can dq
for you: Nay, perhaps in their ingno-
rance, they may increafc your raifcry,
while they defire your relief, and by dri-
ving indirectly to help and eafe you, may
tye the knot fafter and make you worfe.
They may provoke thofe more againft
you that opprefs you, while they think
they fpeak that which would ttnd to let
you free ; They may think to eaje your
troubled minds by fuch words as fhall**-
creafe
with God in folitude. $i
creafe the trouble : or to deliver you as
Peter would have delivered Chrift, and
I laved his Saviour, firft by carnal counfel t
JMath. 1 6. 22, [Be it far from' thee Lord,
this foall not be unto thef\ And then by
carnal unjuflforce, (by drawing hisfword
againft the Officers.) Love and good mean*
%ng will not prevent the mifchiefs of igno-
rance and miftakc. If your friend cut
your throat while he thought to cut but
a vein ro cure your difcafe, it is not his
friendly meaning that will fave your lives.
Many a thoufand fick people are killed by
their friends^ that attend them with an
carneft defire of their life \ while they
ignorantly give them that which is con-
trary to their difeafe, and will not be the
lefs pernicious for the good meaning of
the giver. Who have more tender af-
feftions than Mothers to their children?
And yet a great part of the calamity of
the World of ficknefc, and the mifery of
mans life, procccdeth from the ignorant
and erroneous indulgence of Mothers to
their Children, who to pleafc them, let
them eat and di ink what they will, and
ufc them to excefs and gluttony in their
ch 1 hood, till nature be abufed and ma-
ttered and cloggei with thofc fuperflui-
G 4 ties
p Of Convey fwg
ties and crudities, which are the dung-
hill matter of moft of the following dif-
eafes of their lives.
I might here alfo remember you how
your friends may themfelves be overcome'
with a temptation, and then become the
more dangerous tempters of you, by how
much the greater their intereft is in your
affe&ions. If they beinfe&ed vith er-
ror y they are the likeft perfons to enfnare
you .-If they be tainted with Qovetouf-
xefs or Fridey there is none fo likely to
draw you to the fame fin : And fo your
friends may be in effect your moft deadly
inemies, deceivers and deflroyers.
.15. And if you have friends that are
never fo f t rm and conftant, they may prove
(not only unable to relieve you) but ve-
ry fcicreafing to your. grief.. If they arc
^afflifted in the participation of your fuf-
ferifigs^ as your troubles arc become theirs
(without your eafe^ fo their trouble for
yon will become years, and fo your (lock
of forrow will be encreafed. And they
are mortals, and liable to diftrefs as well
as you, And therefore they are like to
bear their (hare in feveral forts of fuf-
ferings : Andfo friendfhip will make their
fufferings to be yours : Their ficknefles
and
with God in folitude* 3J
and pains, their fears and griefs, their
wants and dangers will all be yours.
And the more they are your hearty
Friends, the more they will be yours.
And fo you will have as many additions
to the proper burden of your griefs, as
you have fuffcring Friends: When you
do but hear that they are dead, you fay
as Thomas , Joh. U. 16. {Let hs alfo go
that tve may die with himQ And having
many fuch friends you will almoft al-
ways have one or other of them in di-
ftrefs; and fo be feldom free from for-
row; befides all that which is properly
your own.
16, Laftly, if you have a Friobd that
is both true and ufeful, yet you may be
fure he muft ftay with you but a little
while. The godly men wilt ceafe^ and the
faithful fail from among the Children of
men , while men cf lying fluttering lips,
and double hearts furvivc^ and the wicked
walk-on every fide while the vileji men are
exalted, Pfal. 12. 1, 2, 8- while iwarms
offalfe malicious men, are left round a-
bout you, perhaps God will take aw T ay
your deareft Friends: If among a multi-
tude of unfaithful ones, you have but
one that is your friend-indeed, perhaps
C 5 God
34 Vj toflverpng
God wifl take away that one. He may be
fcparated from you into another Country -,
or taken away to God by Death. Not
that God doth grudge you the mercy of
a faithful Friend •, but that he would be
your Ally and would not have you hurt
your fclves with too much affe&ion to
any Creature, and for other reafons to
be named anon.
And to be forfaken of your friends,
is not all your afRiaion •, but to be fo for-
faken is a great aggravation of it, i. For
they ufe to forfake tu in our grcateft fuf-
Ferings and ftreights, when we have the
greatcft need of them.
2. They fail us moft at a dying hour^
jwhen all other worldly comfort faileth :
1 As we muft leave our houfes, lands and
wealth, To muft we for the prefent leave
our Friends : And as ail the reft arc fil-
ly comforters, when we have once recei-
ved our citation to appear before the
Lord r fa alfo are our Friends but filly
Comforters : They can weep over us, but
they cannot with all their care, delay the
Separating ftroak of death, one day or
hour.
Only by their prayers, and holy advice,
romembringus of everlafting things, and
provoking
with God in folitude. £5
provoking us in the work of preparation,
they may prove to us friends indeed.
And therefore we muft value a holy, hea-
venly, faithful friend, as one of thegreat-
cft Treafures upon Earth. And while
we take notice how as men they may
forfakc us, we muft not deny but that**
Sums they are precious, and of Angular
ufe to us ; and Chrift ufeth by them to
communicate his mercies \ and if any
Creatures in the World may beblcffings
to us, it is holy pzrfens, that have mod
of God in their hearts and lives.
3. And it is an aggravation of the
Crofs, that they often fail us, when we
are mofi faithful in our Duty, and ftumble
mod upon the mod excellent a&s of our
obedience.
4. And thofe are the perfons that oft-
times fail us, of whom we have deferv-
ed beft, and from whom we might have
cxpettcd moft.
Review the experiences of the choi-
ceft Servants that Chrift hath had in the
World, and you (hall find enough to
confirm you of the vanity of man, and
the inftability of the dearcft Friends. How
highly was Athanafms efteemed ? and yet
at laft defcrted and haniflicd even by
the
3 6 Of Convey fing
the famous Conftaxtine himfclfl How ex-
cellent a Man was Gregory Nazianzene, *
and highly valued in the Church ? and I
yet by reproach and difcouragerr.cnts 3
driven away from his Church at Con- -
flantimple whither he was chofen : and
envyed by the Bifhops round about him.
How worthy a man was the eloquent
Cbryfiflom, and highly valued in the
Church! And yet how bitterly was he
profecuted by filer owe and Epfhanius^
and banifhed, and dyed in a fecond ba-
nifhment, by the provocation of Facti-
ous contentious Bifhops, and an Emprefs
impatient of his plain reproofs ? What
perfon more generally efteemed and ho-
noured for learning, piety and peaceable-^
,nefs then Mclanchtkon} and yet by the
Contentions of lUyriais and his party,
he was made aweary of his life. As
highly as Calvin was fdefervedly) valued
at Geneva, yet once in a popular lunacy
and difpleafure, they drove him out of
their City, and in contempt ofhimfome
failed their Dogs by the name of Calvin \
f though after they were glad to intrest
him to return.) How much our Grinial
and Abbot were efteemed, it appeareth
by their advancement to the Archbifhop-
rick
with God infolitu 57
rick of C 'anterbury : And yet wl
cth not that their eminent piety u
not to keep them from dejecting frown* 1
And if you fey, t h at 11 is no wonder if
with Princes through n with
Tecplj through levity, u be thus \ I
might keep up infUrtces of the like un-
truftinefs qS particular friends: But all
Hiilory and the cxperic cs 0: the moft,
do fo much aboua*! w.th them, that I
think it needlefs. Which of us mud not
fay with David that [all men are lyaz's~\
Pfal. 116. that is, deceitful and Hntrufij^
either through unfaithfulncfc, weaknefs
or inefficiency, that either will forfa'^e
us, or cannot help us in the time of need ?
Was Cbrift firfaken in his extremity
by his own Difciples y to teach us what
to e xpeel, or bear ? Think it not ftrangc
then to be conformed to your Lord in
this, as well as in other parts of his hu-
miliation. Expect that yWftf fhould prove
deceitful: Not that you ihould entertain
cenforioas fufpicions of your particular
friends: But remember in general thut
Man is frail, and the beft toofelfiH
uncertain; and that it is no wonder if
thofe fhould prove your greateft grief,
from whom you had the higheft expeda-
tions.
$8
tier: en J§b y or ZX*.
tfid. Fricndi
more firm and unchangeable rhen theirs?
Confidefj i. Tlial Creatures mult be
fet at a fuffiriem diftance from the
Creator. A v, Immutability
Jehovah* A>: :c;r;
: orbcE as glorious a body
as it is : ;<nder for a Friend,
K Friend, :o fail as, for a ::.re 5 ii
the hour of our dtftrefs. There :.:c fV:,e
that*/// net z But there is aw* fat ^4),
if God (hould leave the n :o ibcirweaftj
I vour -foc^.: Ke harh
m fidhility but what is de epea-
c ^ " . :, i - : nncemi a,and defective. L c : j
therefore to reft on God a'
no: ::
: :.
2. And Go:
fennity of man to be raof*, that fo
^weJk^ may not be utterly tlifcturagec,
they : : I he ftrongeft alto have their
info* ~ rest as::
bolmefsand idcliry 9 widtoal *s) fludtitg*
-:nblii»gin the : would tempt
i
with God in folitude. 39
fome felf-accufmg troubled Souls, to think
that they were altogether gracelefs, be-
caufe they are io fat ihort of others. But
when we resd of a Peters denying his
Matter in ib horrid a manner, with fwear-
d curfing that he knew not rhe man,
Mat. 2.6. 74. And of hisdiflimulationand
not walking uprightly, GaL 2, and of a
Vavids'untricridly and unrighteous deal-
ing with ASephibofieth, the feed of Jo-
nathan \ and of his raoft vile and trea-
cherous dealing with Vriah y a faithful
and defcrving Subjeft*, it may both a--
bate our wonder and offence at the un-
fathfulncfs of our Friends, and teach us
to corapaflionate their frailty, when
they defert us ; and alfo fomewhat -a-
bate our immoderate dejettednels and
trouble, when we have failed God or
man our fclves.
3. Moreover, confider, howtheoai-
cufnefs of that //#, which is the root and
caufe of fuch unfaithfulnefs, is greatly
manifefted by the failing of our Friends.
God will have the odiotfnefs of the Rem-
nants of our Self love and Carnal mind-
ednefs^nd Cowardize appear. We fhould
not difcern it in the Seed and Root,
if we didnotfcc,and tafte it in the Fruits.
Seeing
40 Convey fwg
Seeing without Taftivg will not fufficr-v
ently convince us. A Q«b looks as-
beautiful as an Apple - 9 but when youl
tafie it, you better know the differences!
When you rauft your felves be unkindly fl
ufeti by your Friends, and foriaken by I
them in your diftrefs v and you have '
ta(led the Fruits of the Remnants of
their Worldlinds,Seifi{hnefs and Carnal
Fears, you will better know the odiouf-
nefs of thefe Vices, which thus break
forth againft all Obligations to God and
you, and notwithstanding the- Light, the
Gonfcience, and perhaps the Grace, that
doth refift them.
4- Are you not prone to overvalue
aad overlove your Friends? If fo, is
not this the raeereft Remedy for your
Difeafe ? In the loving of Godj we are '
in no danger of Excefs j and therefore
have no need of any thing to quench it.
And in the loving of the Godly partly up-
on the account of Chrift, and in loving
Saints as Saints, we are not apt to go
too far. But yet our Underftandings may
miftake, and we may think th^t Saints
have more of fanttity than indeed they
have; and we are exceeding apt to mix
a Seljifl) Common Love with that which
is
wtth yjod in joUttide. 4 1
ritual and holy • and at the C
im& when we love a Ckriftian as a
Mobrijlian, we are apt not only to love
e Iriira (as we oughtj but t6 ever love him,
fr,lbecaufe he is cur Frie>;d y and lovethw.
^hofe Chrift tans that have no fpec:.:i
eve to its y we arc apt to undervalue
[and negleti, and love them below their
holinefs and worth : But thofcthatwc
think entirely lcv$ ;//, we love^^e their
proper Worth, as they ftand in the eftecm
of God : Not but that we may 'ove
thofe that love us, and add this love
to that which is purely'for the fake of
Chrift; but we fhou!d not let our ovn
Inter eft prevail and overtop the Intereft
of Chrift , norioveany/i muckioz lovinog
HSy as for loving Chrift : And if we dof ,
no wonder if God (hall ufe fuch Reme*
I dies as he fecth meet, to abate our ex-
cufe of Selfifb Love.
O how highly are we apt to think
of all that Good which is found in thofe
who are the higheft efteemcrs of its, and
moft dearly lovt its ; ivhefi perhaps in it
felf it is but fptac ordinary Good, or
ordinary Degree of Goo:'nds which is
in them! Their Love to usunrefiftibly
procurcth our Love to them: Ad
when
42 Of Converging
when we love them, it is wonderful to| v
obferve, how eafily we arc brought tor
think well of almoft all they do, and]
highly to value their Judgments, Graces*]
Parts and Works : When greater Ex*
cellemies in another ptrhaps are fcarce
obferved,or regarded but as a common
thing : And therefore the deftruftioa or
want of Love, is apparent in the vilifying
Thoughts and Speeches, that moft Men
have one of another •, and in the low
efteem of the Judgments, and Performan-
ces, and Lives of other Men*, (mucK
mote in their Contempt,Rcproaches, and
cruel Perfections.) Now though God
will have us encrcafe in our love of Ghrift
in his Members, and in our pure love
of Chriftians as fuch,and in our common
Charity to all, yea, and in our juft
Fidelity to our Friend •, yet would he
have us fufpeft and moderate our felfifh
and exceflTwe Love, and inordinate par-
tial efteem of one above another, when
it is but for our fclves, and on our own
account. And therefore as he will rpake
us know, that we our fclves are no fuch
excellent Perfons, as that itfhould make
another fo laudabV or advance his worth,
becaufe he lovcth us-, fo he will make
us
xvttb Kiod tn JoUtude. 45
is know, that our Friend?, whom we
>vcrvalue, are but like other Men :
[If we exalt them too highly in oor
jft^cm, it is a fign that God muft caft
[them down. And as their Love to us
Jwas it that made us fo exalt them; fo
their unkindnefs or unfaithfulncfs to us,
lis the fitteft means to bring them lower
in our eftimation and affection. God is
[very jealous of our hearts, as to onr
overvaluing and overloving any of his-
Creatures. What we give inordinately
and exceffively to them, is fome way
or other taken from him, and given
them to his Injury, and therefore to his
offence. Though I know, that to be
void of natural, friendly or focial af-
fe&ions, is an odious- extreme on the
other fide-, yet God will rebuke us,
if we are guilty of Excefs. And it's
the greater and more inexcufable fault
to ovcr.Iove the Creature, because cur
Love to God is fo cold, and haruly
kindled and kept alive. He cannot take
it well to fee us dcte upon dufl and
frailty like our felvcs, at the fame time
when all his wondrous kindnefs, and
attractive goodnefs, do caufe but fuch
a faint and languid Love to him, which
we
44 Of Converfitfg
we oiirfelvescan karce!y feci. Jf there,
fore he cures us by permitting ourFricnds
to (hew us what thry arc, and how little
they deferve fuch e-cdHv? Love (whent
God hath fo little) it is no more wonder,
than it is, that he is tender of his Glory,,
and merciful to his Servants Souls.
5. By the failing and unfaithfulnefs of 1
our Friend*, the wonderful Patience of
God will be observed and honoured, as
♦it isfbewedboth to tkem'and.us.>< When
they for fake hs inourdiftrefs, (efpecially
when we fu fife r for theCaufc ofChrift)
it is GW that they injure more than
us : Ann therefore if he bear 'with them,
and forgive their Wcaknefs upon Re-
pentance, wby fhould not we do fo, 1
tha t are much !efs in j ured ? The worlds
pcrfidcoufnefs fhould make us think,
How great and wonderful is the pati-
ence of God, that beareth with, and
beareth up fo vile, ungrateful, trcachcr-
ous Men that abufehim, to whom they
are infinitely obliged? And it ftnuld
make u< ronfidcr,' when Men deal trea-
cherouflv with us, How great is that
mercy that hath born with, and par.
doned greater* wrongs, which. I my felf
have done to God, than thefe can be
which
with C 'ilitttde. 45
1 which men have done to me! It was
- the remembrance (A D vi4$ Sin, that
< had provoked God ro raiie up his own
- Son sgainfthim (of whom he had been
Itoo fandj which mat'e i c :o eafily bear
the Curies and Reproach of ShimeL
us bear abufe from othcrf,
to remember how ill we have dealt
with Go:!, and hovytllwe havedefer-
ved at his bancs our ielvcs.
6. And I have o icrv< d another of
the R s permitting the
failing of our Friends, in rh: feajon and
fuccefs. It is, fhat the Lev* of pur
Friends may wt hinder hs 'when we are
called to fiiffer or die. When we over-
love them, it rcarctn our very hearts
to leave rh<n»: *\nd thereiorc it is a
ftrong temptation to draw us from our
Duty, and to be unfaithful to the caufe
of Chrift, left we fliould be taken from
our too-dear Friends, or left our dif-
fering caufe their too-much Grief. It
is fo hard a thing to die with willing-
nefs and peace, that it muft needs be
a mercy to be faved from the Impedi-
ments which make us backward ** And
the exceffive love of Friends and Rela-
tions, is not the lcaft of thelc Impedi-
ments.
46 Of Qomterfwg
tncnts. Ohow loth is many a one t(
die, when they think of parting with
Wife, or Husband or Children, ordeai
and faithful Friends! Now I have often
obferved, that a litrle before their deathf
or ficknels, it is ordinary with God to;
ptrroit fome unkindnefs between fuch
too dear friends toarife, by which hjc
moderated and abated their affe&ions,
and made them a great deal the willinger
to dye. Then we are ready to fay, it is
time for me to leave the World, when
not only the reft of the World, but my
deareft Friends have firft forfaken me!
This helpeth us to remember our deareft
everlafting Friend, and to be grieved
at the heart that we have been no truer
our felves to him, who would not have
forfaken us in our extremity. And fome-
times it makes us ev'n weary of the world,
and to fay as Elias, Lord take away my
Life, &c. 1 King 19. 4, 10, 14. When
we rauft fay, I thought I had one friend
left, and behold even he forfaketh me in
my diftrefs. ] As rhelove of Friends in-
tangleth our afFe&ions to thisWorld,fo to
be weaned by their unkindnefles from our
Friends, is a great help to loofen us from
the World, and provcth oft a very great
mercy
with God mjohtude. 47
aercy to a Soul that is ready to depart.
And as the friends that Love us moft,
nd have moft intcreft in your efteem and
^ove, may do more than others, in temp-
ing us to be unfaithful to our Lord, to
:o entertain any crrour, to commit any
in, or to flinch in differing ; fo when
jod had permitted them to forfakc us,
md tolofe their too great intereft in u%
,ve are fortified againft all temptations
rom them. I have known where a for-
mer intimate friend hath grown ftrange,
nd broken former friendfhip,and quick-
ly after turned to fuch dangerous ways
and errours, as convinced the other of
the mercifulnefs of God, in weakning bi$
temptation by his friends defertion •, who
might clfe have drawn him along with
him into fin. And I have often obferved,
that when the husbands have turneel from
Religion to Infidelity, Familifm, or
forae dangerous herefie, that God hath
permitted them to hate and abufe their
wives fo inhumanly, as that it prcfer-
vcth the poor women frorr. the tempta-
tion of following them in their Apoftafie
or fin ; When as fome other women with
whom their husbands have dealt more
kindly, have been drawn away with them
into pernicious paths. Therefore
4& Of Convey fing
Therefore ftill I nmft fay, we were
undone if we had the difpofmg of oui
own conditions. It would belong before
tve fhould have been willing our fclves
to be thus unkindly dcdlt with by oufr
friends: And yet God batti made it rq
many a foul, a notable means o f 'prefer-
▼ifrg them from being undone fer ever.
Yea the unfatthfulnejs of all our friends^
and the malice and cruelty of al! our ene-
mcSy doth us not ufually fo much harm,
as the love andfrw^ ►ffpme o r e de-
luded erring friend, whom we are ready
to follow into the gulf.
7, Laftly, confidcr that it is n$t defe-
rable or fuitable to oar ftate, to have toe
much of our comfort by any creature : Not
only becaufe it is moft pure and fweet
which. is moft immediately from God;
but silo becaufe we are very prone to
over-love the Creature \ and if it fhould
but feem to be very commodious to us,by
ferving our necefnties or defires, it would
feem the more amiable, and therefore be
the ftronger fnare : The work of morti-
fication doth much confift in the annihi-
lation or deadnefs of ajl the Creatures as
to any power to draw away our hearts
from God, or to entangle us and detain
us
with God in [olittide. 49
Jus from our duty. And the more excef-
lent and lovely the Creature appeareth
to us, the leis it is dead to us, or we to
lit •, and the more will it be able to hinder
lor enfnare us*
When you have well confidered all
theic things, I tuppofc you will admire
the wiido fa of God in leaving you un-
der this M"nd of tryal, and weaning you
from every creature, and teaching you
by his Providence as well as by his word,
to Ccafc from'w*v 7 vphofe breath is in his
rfoflrils ; for rvksrein is he to be Accounted
of? ] And you will fee that it's no great
wonder th. t cc | - fd Is, that live in
other fins fhould y of this un-
f it fifulnfcfs to their friends : And that he
that dare unthank'fully trample upon the
unfpeakabie kindnefs of the Lord fhoulci
deal unkindly with the beft of men, You
make no great wonder at other kin
fin?, when you fee the world continually
commit them ; v* hy then fhould you make
a greater or a (hanger matter of this than
of the reft? Arc yen better than G
Mud unfaithfu!nc' 1 e made more
hainous, than that u feithfulnefs to him,
which yet you daily fee and i],ght ? The
U*iji wrong toGod is > .houfandfold more
D than
50 Of Converfing
than the grcatcft that can be done
to you, as fuch. Have you done that
for your neareft friend, which God hath
done for hirn and you, and all men ?
Their obligations to you are nothing in
comparifon of their great and manifold
obligations to God.
And you know that you have more
wronged God, yourfdves y than any man
ever wronged you: And if yet for all
that he bear with ycu, have you not
great reafons to bear with others ?
Yea, you have not been innocent te-
wardt men your felves : Did you never
wrong or fail another? Or rather, are
you not apter to fee and aggravate the
wrong that others do to you, than that
"which you have done to ethers ? May
you not call to mind your own negletts,
and fay, as Jdoniz.ebeck-y Judg. i. 7.
£ Three/core and ten Kings having their
thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered
their me#t under my table : As I have done^
fo God hath requited me7\ Many a one
have I failed or wronged : ^nd no won-
der if others fail and wrong me.]
Nay you have been much more unfaith-
ful and injurious to your [elves, than ever
any other hath been to you. No friend
was
with God in folitude. 5 e
was fo near you, as your /elves ; None
had fach a charge of you : None had
fuch helps and advantages to do you good
or hurt : And yet all the Enemies you
have in the world, even in Earth or Helf,
have not wronged and hurt you half fo
much as you have done yourfelves. O,
rncthinks the man or woman that know-
eth themfelves, and knoweth what it is
to Repent \ that ever faw the greatnels
of their fin and folly, (hould have no great
mind or leifure, or aggravate the failings
of their friends^ to the injuries of their
enemies, confidering what they have pro-
ved to themfelves !Have I forfeited my own
falvation, and deferved everlafting Wrath,
and fold my Saviour and my Soul for fa
bafe a thing as finful pleafure, and fhall
I ever make a wonder of it, that another
man doth raj fomc temporal hnrt ? Was
any friend fo near to me as my felf ? Or
more obliged to me? O finful foul, let
thy own, rather then thy friends deceic and
treachery, and negleib, be the matter
of thy difplcafure, .wonder and cora^
plaints!
And let thy Cor.firmity herein to Jefus
Chrift, be thy holy ambition and delight :
Not as it is thy fnffering, nor as it is cau-
D2 fed
52 Of Comer Jing
fed by mens fin ; but as it is thy Confirnnty\
and fcllowfhip in the bufferings of thy
Lord, andcaufed by his Love.
I havenlrcady fhevved you thaty^r-
ers for Chrift, are in the higheft form a-
raong his Difciples. The Order of his
followers ufuallyis this:, i. At our en-
trance, and in the lowed form, we are
exerciicd with the fears- of He!), and
Gods difpleafure, and in the Works of
Repentance for the fin that we have
done. 2. In the fecend form, we come
to think more ferioufly of the Remedy,
and to enquire what we fliafl do to be
laved, arid to underftand better what
Chrift hath d; nc and fuffered, and what
he is and will be to us •, and to value him
and his love and grace. An;i here we
are much enquiring .how we may know
cur own fincerity. and our intereft in
Chrift, and are labouring for fotne af.
furance, and looking after figns of
Grace. 3. In the next form or order
we are ferirching after further Know-
ledge, and labouring better to uncter-
ftand the myft^ries of Religion, and to
get above the Rudiments and firft Prin-
ciples : And here if we efcape turning
bare Opinionifts or Hcreticks by the
fnare
with God in fo&tnde. 5 j
of Controverfie or Curiofity, it's
4. In the next form we fet cur'
1 r ) the fuller, improvement of all
jrther decrees of Knowledge •, and
to digejl id tarn it into fircnge r
Fdithy and Zsir, and £%?, ;md greater
Humility^ Paticr-ccy ^df-denial^ Morti-
\ of Earthly Vani-
:d of Sin ; and to \
more watchfully and holily, and to be
more in holy Duty. 5. In the next
form we grow to be more pub]
fpirited : To let our Hearts on the
Churches welfare, and long more for
the progrefs of the Gofpel, and fo: the
good of others ; and to do all the good
in the World that we are able, for
mens Souls or Bodies, but efpecially to
long and layout ourfelves for theCon-
verfion and Salvation of ignorant, ie-
cure, unconverted Souls. The coun-
terfeit of this, is, An eager defire
to Piofefyte others to ov.r Opinions or
that Religion which we ha^rt choien, by
the direction of FIcfh and Blood, or
which is not of God, nor according un-
to Godlinefs, bur doth iublerve our car-
nal Ends. 6. In the next form we grow
to ftudy more the pure and wonderful
D 3 Love
54 Of Converging
Love of God in Chrift, and to relifli
and admire that Love, and to be taken
up with the goodnefs and tender mer-
cies of the Lord, and to be kindling
the Flames of holy Love, to him that hath
thus loved us; and to keep our Souls
in the Exercifeof that Love : And with-
a! to live in Joy, and Thanks, and Praife;
to him that hath redeemed us and loved
*i& And alio, by Faith to converfe in
Heaven, and to live in holy contempla-
tion, beholding the Glory of the Father
and the Redeemer in the Glafs, which is
fitted to our prefent ufe, till we come.
to fee him face to face, Tho f e ths
are the higheft in this form, doibw Ik;
*mh God, and burn in Love, and are:
lb much above inferiors Vani:ies, and!
are fo convcrlant by Faith in Heaven/
ihat their hearts even dwell there, and
jtherc they long to be forever. 7. Ani*
3n the highdft form in the School of
Chrift, we , re exercifing this confirmed
Faith and Love, in bufferings, efpeciaily
for Chrift. In following him with our
Crofs, and being conformed to him, and
glorifying God in the fulicft exercife
and difcovery of his Graces in us »M
in an aftual trampling upon all that
ftandcth
with God in fotitude. 5 5
ftandeth up againfthim, for our hearts ;
\r\ bearing the fulled witnefs to his
Truth andCauie, by conftant enduring,
tfjough to the Death. Not but that the
weakefl that are fincere, muft faffer for
Chrift, if he call them to it. Martyr-
Idom it felf is not proper to the ftrong
Believers-. Whoever forfaketh not all
that he hath for Chrift, cannot be his
Difciple, Luke 14. 33^. But to fuffer
with that Faith and Love forcmention-
ed, and in that manner, is proper to the
ftrong: And ufually God doth not try
and exercife his young and weak ones
with the tryals of the ftrong ; noc fet
.his Infants on fo hard a fervice, nor
put them in the front or hotteft of the
Battel, as he doth the ripe confirmed
Chriftians. The fufferings of their in-
ward Doubts and Fears doth take up
fuch. It is the ftrong that ordinarily
are called to Sufferings for Chrift, at
Iraft in my high Degree , I havedigreft
far to make it plain to you, that
our Conformity to Chrift, and fcttowftrip
with him in his Sufferings, in any nota-
ble degree^ is the lot of his befl confirmed
Servants, and the hjgheft form in his
School, among his Difciples: And
D 4 therefore
56- Of Cohverfwg
therefore not to be inordinately fcaicdl
or abhorred, nor to be the matter oil
impatiency, but of holy joy ; a
fuch infirmities we may glory. And if!
it be fo of Sufferings in the^i
Chiift) then is it fo of this particular^
fort of Suffering, even to be forilken
of all our beft and ncareft, deareft
Frien'ds, when we come to be n.ofl
abufed by the Enemies.
For my own part, I muft confefs tha;
as I am much wanting in other parts
of my conformity to Chrift, fo I take
my felf to be yet much fhort of what
I expeft he fhould advance me to, as
long as my Friends no more forfake me.
It is not long fince I found my felf in
a low (if not a doubting) cafe, becaufe
I had fo few Enemies and fo little Suf-
ferings for the Caufe of Chrift (though
1 had much of other forts:) And now
that doubt is removed by the multitude
of Furies which God hath let loofe a-
gainft me. But yet, methinks, while
rny Friends themfelves are fo friendly to
me, I am much" fhort of what I think
I muft at laft attain to.
But
with God in folitndc. 57
BUT Ice us look further in the
Text, and fee what is the Caufc
of the failing and forfaking Chrift in the
Difciples , and what it is that they be-
take thercfelvcs to, when they leave
him.
I [Ye [hall bs fcattered every Mim to
his Oven.~\
Self-Denyal was not perfeft in them,
felfifhnefs therefore in this hour of
temptation did prevail. They had be-
fore forfaken all to follow Chrift; they
had left their Parents, their Families,
their Eftaret, their Trade?, to be his
Difciples: * Bat though they believed
him to be the Chrift, yet they dreamt
of a vifible Kingdpoi, and did all this
with too carna! Expeditions of being
great men on Earth, when Chrift (hoLld-
begin his Reign. And therefore when.
they faw his apprehenfion and igno-
minious luflfering, and thought now th;y
were fruftrate of their hop:s, theyfeem
to repent that they had followed him
f though not by Apoftacy and an habi-
or plenary change of mind, yet)
fudden paffionatc, frightful ap
henfion, which vanifhed when grace per-
D 5 formed
58 Of Converfwg
formed its part. They now began to I
think, that they had lives of their Om\
to fave, and families of their Own t*
orind, and bufmefs of their Oven to do;
They had before forfaken their private:
Jmerefts and Jjfaiys, and gathered thenu-j
felvcs to Jefus Chrift, and lived in Com-
munion with him, and one another. But
now they return to their Trades andv
Callings, and are fc altered every Mtin
to his own.
Selfiflweff is the great Enemy of all
Societies, of all Fidelity and Friendship.
There is no trufting that perfon in whom
it is predominant. And the Remnants'
of it where it doth not Reign, do make
men walk unevenly and unftedfaftly
towards God and men. They will cer-
tainly deny both God and their Friends,
in a time of tryal who are not able to
deny themfelves: Or rather,- he never
was a real Friend to any, that is pre*
dominantly felfifli. They have alway
fome intereft of their Own*, whijh their
Friend muft needs contradift, or is in-
efficient to (atisfie. Th;ir Houfes,
their Lands, their Moneys, their Chil-
dren, their Honour, or fomething which
they call their Onw, will be frequently
the
with God infolitude. 5 9
(the matter of contention- and are fe
\near thenr, that they can for the fake
! of thefe caft off the neareft Friend.
Contract no fpecial friendfhip with a
felfifh man: Nor put no confidence
in him, whatever Friendfhip he may
profefs. He is fo confined to himfclf,
that he hath no true love to fpare for
others : If he feem to love a Friend, it
is not a6 a Friend, but as a Servant,
or at beft ss a Benefaftor: He lovcth
yon for himfelf, as he Ioveth his Mony,
or Horfc, or Houfe, becaufe you may
be fcrviceable to him: Or as a Horfe
or Dog doth love his Keeper, for
feeding him. And therefore when your
Provender is gone, his Love is gone}
when you have done feeding him, he
hath done loving you. When you have
no more for him, he hath no more foe
you.
Objett. But (fome will fay) it is not
the falfcnefs of my Friend that I lament,
but the feparation, or the lofs of one that
was mo ft faithful: / have found the de-
ceit fttlntfs of ordinary Friends, and there*
fcr$ the more highly prize thofe few that
are fincere. . / had but one tn
Umdanse of felffcektrSy Ufa
6o Of Lonverjwg
one is dead, or taken from mc 7 and 1 ami
left as in a Wildernefs, having no mortal
man that I can truft or take much com-
fort in*
j4nfw. Is this your cafe ? I pray you \\
anfwcr thefe few Queftions, and fuller*
the truth to have its proper work up-
on your mind.
Queft. I . Who was it that deprived you
cf your Friend ? Was it not God? Did
not he that gave him you take him from
you ? Was it not his Lord and Owner
that call'd him home? And can God
do any thing injurioufly oramifs? will
you not give him leave to do as he lift
with his own,? Dare you think that
there was wanting either Wifdom or
Goodnefsy Jaftice or Mercy in God's dif-
pofal of your Friend ?* Or will you
ever have Reft, if you cannot have Reft
in the Will of God ?
2. How know you what fin your Friend
might have fallen into 9 if he had lived
as long as you would have him? You'll
fay, that God could havepreferved him
from Gn. It's trjie : But God prefer-
vcthfapient tally, by means, as well as.
omnipotentially : And fometime he feeth
that the temptations to that perfon are
ILe
mtb God in folitude. 6 1
Uketobe fo ftrong, and his Corruption
like to get fuch advantage, and that no
means is fo fit as Death it felf, for his
prefervation. And if God had permit-
ted your Friend by temptation to have
; into iorae icandj«ous fin, or courfe
of evil, or into error*, or falie ways,
it not ha/c txen much worfe
Death to him and you ?
might ed your F
Was fo /. ttkful, to have bee
(haken a, Facr w
his Lord \ and to have fcemed i
cvfttEyci) as he before ice
. ble.
3. How kntw jat wh,:t 1 ] to
your fclf^ your dear eft friend %
been guilty of? Alas ! there is greater
frailty and inconftarxy in man, than you
aware of. And there are
roots of Corruption unmortifi
may fpring up into bitter Fruits,
mod of us ever difcover. in our felvcs.
Many a Mother hath her heart hrrken
by the unnatu:a!ncfs of fuch
or the unkinJncfs of fuch a Husbaftd,
as if they had died before, would have
been lamented by her, with great im-
patience and excels. How confident
ioever
62 Of Qonverftng
foevcr you may be of the future Fide-'
lity of your Friend, you little know
what tryal might have difcovercd. Many*
a one hath Puled God and Man that:
once were as confident of 7 ifytoftlves, km
ever you were of your Friend. Ahd^
which of us fee not reafon to be dif-
truftful of our feives ? And can we know
another better than ourfdv.s? or pro-
mife more concerning him ?
4. How know yon what great calamity
might have befallen your Friend, if he had .
lived as long as you defired? When the
Righteous feemto men to perijh 7 and mer m
ciful Men are taken away, it is from the
evil to come that they are taken, If 4. 57.
1. How tinny of my Friends have I la-
mented as if they had dyed unfeafonably,
concerning whom fome following Provi-
dence quickly (hewed me, that it would
have been a grievous mifery to them to
have li/ed longer ! Little know you what
Calamities were imminent on his Perfon,
his Family, Kindred, Neighbours, Coun-
try, that would have broke his Heart :
What if a Friend of yours had died in>
medi tely before fome calamitous fubver-
fion of a Kingdom, fome ruines of the
Church, &c. And if ignorantly he had
done
with God in folitude. 63
done that which brought thdc things to
an you imagin how lamentably fad
his life would have been to him, to have
feen the Church, the Gofpel, and his
Country info fad a cafe ? efpecially if it
had been long of him ? Many that have
unawares done thai which hath ruined
but a particular Friend, have lived in fo
much grief an i trouble, as mace them,
confent that death fhould both revenge
the injured on them, snd conclude their
mifery. What then would it have teen
to have fcen the publick good fubvc
and the faithfu! overwhelmed in mifery,
and the Gofpel hindred, and ho!y wor-
fhip changed for deceit and vanity ; and
for Confcicnce to have been daily fay-
[ I had a hand in all this mifery : i
kindled the fire that hath burned up all. 3
What comfort can you think fuch
Friends if they had fuivived, would have
found en Earth ? Unlefsit were a com-
fort to hear the Complaints of the affiift-
ed, to fee and hear fuch odious fins as
fomctimes vexed righteous Lot to fee and
hear} or to hear of the fcandals of one
Friend, and the Apoftafie of another, fend
the finful compliances and dcclinings of a
third •, and to be under temptations, re-
proaches
6\ Of LonvfYfing
proache* and afflictions themfelves? Is
it a matter to be fo much lamented that
God hath prevented their greater mile-
ries and wo ?
5. What was the World to your Friends
while they diden]oy it ? Or what is it now,
or like to be hereafter to vourfelves?
Was it fo good and kind to them, as that
you fhould laticnt their feparation from
it i Was it not to them a place of toil
and trouble, of envy and vexation, of
enmity and poifon? of fucceflive cares
and fears an J.giiefs ? And word of all,
a place of fin ? Did they groan under the
burden of a finful nature, a diftempered,
temptei, troubled heart of languifhings
and weakiefs of every grace ; of the re-
bukes of God, the wounds of Conference,
and the malice of a wicked World ? And
would you have them under thefe again ?
Or is their deliverance become your grief?
Did you not often joyn in prayer with
them, for deliverance from Malice, Ca-
lamities, troubles, imperfe&ions, temp-
tations and Sin? And now thofe Prayers
are anfwered in their deliverance : And
do you now grieve at that which then
you frayed for?
Doth the World uk yonrfeh.es fo well
and
(with God in folitttde. 6$
indiy, as chat \cu (hould be iorry
taken< tol theFcaft?
Arc you not groaning from c ] ay to day
your I And are you grieved that
yo jr friends are. taken trim your g>
i with your own
Lion: When you look into ^our
a arc difplea ^.mplain }
j are
and complain : When you look
into \ our Families, intoyour A.
hoods , unto your friendsjMO t';e pi
unto the Kingdom, unto the World,
.fpieaied and complain : And are
you alio difplcafed that yqu Frier Is are
not under th: fame difpleafcdnefs and
complaints as you ? Is the World a place
of Reft or trouble to you ? An J would you
havj your friends to be,as far from Heft
An i if you have fome Eafe and Tes.ce
at prefent, you little know what ftorras
are ncai ! You may fee the days, you
tydiags, you may feel the gri-
ping griefs and pains, which may r
yourfclves,
at a life on Earth is no fcli-
ipakcyouconi
BLflcd that Are de.id in the Lord, as reft-
66 Of Converging
ing from their Labours^ and being paftl
thefe troubles, griefs and fears. Many a|
poor troubled Sou! is in fo great diftrcfs,|
ss that they tike their own lives to have!
fometafteoi Hell: And yet at the fame
time, are grieving becaufe their friends \
are taken from them, who would have
been grieved for their griefs, and for
ought they know might have fallen in-
to as fad a ft ue as they themfelves are
now lamenting. *
6 V you think, it is for the Hurt or
the good of your Friend, that he is remo-
ved hence ? It cannot be for his Hurt
unlefs he be ia Hell. (At Icaft, it is un-
certain whether to live would have been
for his Good, by an increafe of Grace,
and fo for greater Glory. ) And if he be.
in Hdl) he s f as no fit perfon for you to
take much fie afar e in upon Eanh : He
might be indeed a fit Objeft for your
CorKpaffio/t) but not for your Complacency.
Sure you are not undone for want of fuch
company as God will not endure in his
fight, and you muft be feparated from for
ever. But if they be in Heaven, you arc
fcarce their Friends if you Would wifh
them thence. Friendship hath as great re-
fpe& to the good of our Friends as of our
ftlvcs.
with God infolitude. 6j
wfefoes. And do you pretend to Friendfhip,
and yet lament the removal of your friend
to his grcatefl: happinefs .' Do you fet
more by your own enjoying his compa-
then by enjoying God in perfeft
blefledncfs? This (heweth a very cul-
pable defeft either in Faith ox FriexdJJrip$
and therefore beieemerh not Christians
and Friends. If Love teacheth us to
mourn with them that mourn, and to re-
joyce with them that rejoyce; can it be
an aft of rational Love to mourn for them
(that are poffeffed of the higheft ever-
lafting joyes ?
7. God wit nit honour himfelf by one on-
ly, but by many: He knoweth heft when
his work is done: When our Friends have
ed all that God intended them for*
v. hen he put them into the World, is it
not time for them to be gone, and for
rs to tdke their places, and finifh
their Work^ alio in their time? Gcd will
have a fucceflkn of his Servants in the
Wor! a you not coxc down, and
give place to him that is to fol ! ow yc-u,
when your part is splayed , and his is to
begin ? If Davidhzd n r t dyed, there bad
been no Solomon, no Jebbjkaphat, no He-
nikjah) no Jofith, to fucceed him and ho-
nour
6q Of Converging
nour God in the fame Throne. You
as wifely grudge that one day o Ay takes!
not up all the Week, and that the cl ckl
ftr.kech not the fame hour (till, bat pro-l
ceedeth from one to two. from jtwo to 1*
three, &c. as to muraiur that one man lft
only continueth not to do the work of |
his place excluding hisSucccfTors.
§< Xou muft not have all your Mercies ■
hy one Meffen(er or Hand: God will
have you confine your Love to one only I
of his Servants : And therefore he wilfl
not make one only ufefuLto you: But
when one hath delivered his MefTagesnd
done his part, perhaps God will iien J you
other Mercies by another hand: And it
belongeth to him to choofe the Meffen-
ger who gives the gift, ^nd if you will
Childifrly dote upon thefirft Mcffenger,
and fay you will have no more, your fro-;
wardnefs moredeferveth Correction than
Compaffion: And if you be kept fafting
tili you can thankfully take your Food,
from any hand that your Father fends it
by, it is a Correction very fuitable to
your fin.
9. Bo you Jo highly value your Friends
for God, er for them, orforyourfclves^in
the find confederation I If it was/*r God,
what
with God infolitude. 6g
what reafon of trouble have yo j,that God
hzth difpofed of them, according to his
wildom and unerring Will ? fhcu'd you
not then be more pleafcd that God hath
them, and employeth them in his high-
£ft fervke, than diffleafed that yon want
thcrj ?
But if you value them and love them
for themjdves, they are now more lovely
when they are more perfeft ; and they
are now fitter for your content and joy,
when they have themfeivesvinchangeable
content and j i they could be in
their fin and forro
But if vou valued and loved them but
for your fdvescnly^ it is juft with God
to take :hem from you, to teach you to
value Men to righter ends, and upon bet-
tei confiderations : And both to prefer
God before your fdves, and better to
ur.dcrftand the nature of true Friendfhip,
and better to know that your cwn felici-
ty is not in the hands of any Creature,
but of Godalond
JO. Did yon improve your Friends n
d them ? or did you only love
them, while you made but little nfe
if tbeniUn your Souls? If ycuufed them
nor, it was juft with Gcd for all your
Love
; J? 6 Of Cornier fmg
Love to take them from you. They wert
given you as your Candle^ not only to
Love it y biito work by the Light of it
And as your Garments •, not onfy to Love
ibetn, but to weart':em •, and as your tneatj
not only to Love it, but to feed upon it)
Did you receive their Counfel, and hear-
ken to their Reproofs, and pray with
them, and confer with them upon thole
holy Truths that tended to elevate your!;
minds to God, and to inflame your Bre;iftii
with facred Love? If nor, be it now
known to you, th^t God gave you not
fuch helps and mercies only to talk of^
or look upon, and Love, but alfo to im-
prove for the benefit of your Souls.
II. Do yon not feem to forget both,
where y on are your f elves, und whert yon
mnfi fhortly and for ever live} Where
would you have your Friends, but wher^
you muft bzyonr felies I- Do you mourn
that they are taken hence ? Why, if they^
hadftaid here a thoufand years, how little
of that time fhould you hive had their
Company? When you are almoft leaving
the World your felves, would you not
fend your treafurc before you to the
place where you muft abide ? How quick-
ly will you pafs from hence to God,
where
with God infolitude. 71
fhjere you (hall find your Friends that
r ou lamented as if they had been lo(%
nd there fhall dwell with them for ever 1
3 foolifh Mourners/ would you not
lave your Friends at home\ itthtirbfmp
ind your home, with their Father, and
gh> Father 1 their God^ and ycur Godl
Slull you not there enjoy them long e-
nough ! Can you fo much mifs them for
one day, that muft live with them to ail
Eternity ? And is not Eternity long e-
nough for you to enjoy your Friends in ?
Obj. Bnt 1 do not knew whether ever 1
fijall there have any difiinQ knowledge of
them, or leve to them, and whether God
fhall not there be fo far All in- All ^ as
thzt we fhall need or fetch no comfort from
the Creature
j4nfa. There is no reafon for either of
thefc doubts. For, 1 . You cannot juftly
think that the knowk. ge of the Glori-
fied fha'i I e more confutca or imperfedl
of natural Mdn on
Earth. Wefhal Know muchmore^ but
not fo much lef{. H*aycn execedeth Earth
in knQwlcdge, ih in joy.
2. The Angel, in Heaven have now a
diftinft particular knowledge of the kail
Believers ^ rcjoycing particularly in their
converlion,
72 Of Qonverfmg
e^nvcirfion, and being called by ChriR
hifrifelf [Their Angels7\ Therefore wn^H
We fhall be equal to the /.
certainly know our neareft Friends thai)
there dwell with u?, and arc empIoyejH
in the fatne attendance.
3. Abraham knew the Rich
Hell, and the Man knew Abraham and \ t
Lazarus : Therefore we (hall have as di-
ftinct a Knowledge.
4. The two Dilciples knew Mjcs and-
Elias in the Mount, whom they had neJH
ieei before: Though it is poffibl§ffl
Chrift told them who they were, vera!
there is no fuch thing 'cxpreffed : Anfl
therefore it is as probable that they knevM
them by the Communication of their ir-^l
radiating glory. Much more fliail we bt : \
then illuminated to a clearer knowledge.
5,it ; isiaid exprefly, 1 Cor. 13. 10,1 1,
1 2. That our prefent kpoxvledge Jl).:ll be 1 \
done away only in regard of its imper- \
feciion ; and not of it felf, which frail be
perfected : [jrhen that which is perfeii is
come, then that which is in part foall
done away:^] As we put away childijh
thoughts and Jpeeches, when we become
men : The change will be froai [feei
in aglafs~] to \^mng face to f;>cf\ and
from
mtb vod tn JQlitude. 73
Jlrora [knowing in parti to^knowing even at
\vpe are kpown.~}
2. And that we (hall both Know, and
\Love and re \oyce in creatures even in Hea-
Iven, notvvithftandiBg that God is all in
[all, apeareth farther thus.
1. Chriji in his glorified humanity is a
Creature: and yet there is no doubt but
all his members will there Know and
Love him in his glorified humanity, with-
out any derogation from the glory of the
Deity.
2. The Body of Cbrifi will continue
its unity, and every member will be fo
nearly related, even in Heaven, tharthey
cannot choofe but Know and Love each
other. Shall we be ignorant of the mem-
bers of our Body ? and not be concerned
in their' felicity, wkh whom wcare fo
nearly one ?
3. The ftate and felicity of the Church
hereafter, is frequently defcribed in
Set iptute as confident in Society. It is a
Kingdom, the City of God, the Heavenly
jcriifulem : and it is mentioned a ; part of
ourhappinefs to be of that /?c#*fy, Hcb.
1 2,22,23,24, S'c.
4. The Saints arc called Kings them-
felvei : and it isfaiJ th t they (hall jnlge
E the
74 Of Qonverfing
the world, and the jingth (And Judging
in Scripture is frequently put for Gcztr*
***£ ^Therefore, (whether fhercwill he
another world of mortals which they (half
Govern as Angles now Govern tnen\ or
whether the Mifery of damned men and
Angels will partly confifl: in as bafea full
je&ion to the glorified Saint?, as Dogs
now have to mentor wicked reprobates on
Earth to Angles ; or whether in refteft of
both thefe together, the Saints fhall then
be Kings, and Rule and Judge ; or whe-
ther it be only the participation of the
Glory of Chrift, that iscalled a Kingdom,
I will not here determine, but) it is moft
clear that they will have a diftindt pmi*
cular Knowledge of the world, which they
themfelres muft judge; and fome concern,
mentinthat work.
5. It is put into the defcription of
the Happneisofthe Saints, that they
(hall come from the Eaft, and from the
Weft, and (hal! fit down with Ahr
jfaac^ and Jacobs in the Kingdom of
God. Therefore they (hill know them,
and take fome comfort in their prefep.ee.
6. Love (even to the Saints as weil ?.s
unto God) is one of the graces that (hall
endure for ever, 1 Cor. 13. It-is ex-
ercifed
with God in folitude. 7 5
Icrcifed upon an Imm/n d obj : a#(the Image,
and Children of the Mod High) and .
therefore muft be one of the Immortal
Graces. For Grace in the Nature of it
;h not: and therefore if the Object
ce^fc not,, how (houki the Grace ceafe,
U'nlefs vou will call k's perfecting a cea*
It ts a fkate too high for fuch as we,
; for any racer Creature to
five fp Immediately and only HponGedy as
have no ufe tor any !d cv Creature^
\ can make
ufe ol'GIor. r«, in fuch fub-
y and fubor< to hiiiifclf,
hall be n ation to his All-iuffi-
icysf Honour, nor to our glairy and
.n eying
even fuch a Heaven it £qlf, as is above
of a Creature 5 as fom? very
\ cone, that
lb we tliall Immediately feeGodsEffct.ee
s G'/ery being iich is provided
'is di-
; not every
ere a. his E fence M) And asthefe
that tell usbccaufc that God will be j
in All, therefore we fh*!) the; b x
cfourcomfoitby a
7 6 Of Converfing
flefli and blood Jhall not enter into that Ring*
dom y but our Bodies will then be Spiri-
tual Bodies \ yet will they be really the
Tame as now, and diftinft from our Souls \
and therefore muft have a felicity tunable-
to a Body glorified: And if the foul did*
immediately fee GodHt Effcnce, yet as no
reaion can conclude that it c?n fee noshing
tlfe, or that it can fee even Created Good,
and not Love it, fo the "Body however
muft have objefts and felicity fit for a
Body.
Obj. But it is [aid, If we knew Chrifi
after the fiejJj, henceforth know we him no
more.
Anfw. No doubt but all the carnality
in Principles, matter, manner and ends of
our knowledge will then ceafe a* it's im-
perfeftion: But that a carnal knowledge
be turned into a fpiritnal y 4s no more a
diminution to it, than it is to rhe glory
of our Bodies, to be iriade like the ftars in
the Firmament of our Father.
Obj. But then Jjhafl have no more com-
fort in my prejart friends than in atty c*>
thcr.
jinfw. x. If you had nfenc in them, it
is no diminution to our happinefs, if in-
deed wc fliould have all in God immedi-
ately
wttf) uoci w join it ae .
ately and alone. 2. But if you have as
much in others that you never knew be-
fore, that will not diminifh any of your
co fort in your antient Friends. 3. But
it is moft prob?ble to us, that as there is
old ObjecJ for our love in the
ned Saints^ one is their Holinefs y
and the other is the Relation which
they flood in between God and u?, be-
ing made his inftruments for our con-
ycriion and ialvation, fo that we (hall
love Saints in Heaven in both refpects :
And in the fi-ft refpeft ( which is the
chiefeft) we thall love thofe moft: that
have moft of God, and the greateft
Glory (though fuch as we never knew
on Earth.) And in chefecond refpedr, we
(ha 1 } love thofe raoft that were employ-
ed by God for our greateft good.
And tha: we (hall not there lay by fo
much refpeft to our Jclves, ss to forget
or difregardour Benefactors, is manifeft,
1. In that we fhall forever remember
Chrifiy and love him, and praife him, as
one that formerly Redeemed its, and irajlj-
l is Blocd, and h.v.h made Hi
(Is to God: And there-
alio in JhJI fubordination+0
Chrijfy remember them mth Love and
E 3 Jhahk:
J 8 Of Converging
Thankjttlnefs, that were hi* Iiifi'r
fat the Collation of thefe benefits.
2. And this kind of Self-love (to be
fcnfible of Good and Evil to ourielves)
ne of the finful or imperfect felfiflrt
nefsto be renounced or laid by, but part
of our very Nature', and as infepara-
blefrornu^ as we arc from our felves.
:K more, were it not digreil'v.%
might be laid on this . fubjeft ; but I
fhall only add, that as" Cod doth diaw\*
us to every hoi/ Duty, by (hewing us
tr,c excellency of that duty " 7 snd as perpe-
m'ty is not the fmalleft excellency ; to he
hath purpofely mentioned that Love en - \
dwtth for ever (when he had defcribed
the Love of one another} as a principle
motive to kindle and e^cre^fe this Love.
And therefore thofe thac think they fhall
have no ptrfonal Knowledge of one ano-
ther, nor perfoaal Love to one another
(for we cannot L«ve perfon 1 ! 7, if wc
fyow not perfpnallV) do take a mod effec-
tual courfe todeftrpyin their fouh'ail ho-
ecial Love to Saiat's,by ca!
that prii c'p l <v very great motive
them by the Holy Ghoft, la rot b!e
to Lqve mii'h wh-rc I fjekriov t
(hall not Love long. I cannot Love a
comely
with God in folitude. 79
:!v Inn, fo well as a nearer dwelling
; of y own,becaufe I muft be gone to mor-
Therefore muft I love my Bible
better than my Lawbooks or Phyfickbooks,
I &c. Becaufe it !ea: } cth to Eternity.
And therefore I muft Love Holinefsin
myfelfand others, better than meat and
drirk, and wealth, and honour,and beau-
ty and plealure ; bec tiit'e it muft be
Loved forever, when the Love of thefc
muft needs be tranfitory, as they are tran -
fitory. I muft profefs from the very ex-
perience cf my foul, that it is the belief
that I (lull Love my friends in Heaven,
that principally kindleth my Love to*
them on Earth : And if I thought I (hould
n vcr know them after death, andconfe-
qucntly never love them more, when this
life is ended, I fhould inreaibn number
them with temporal things and Love
lh*m comparatively but a little-, even as
I Love oher tranfitory things fallowing
for the excellency in the nati re of Grace)
But now I converfe with ibme delight
:h my G^dly friends, as believing I
B)l rcrfe wich them for ever, and
± comfort in the very Dead and Ah-
fent, as believing we (hall fhortly meet in
Heaven : And I Love them, I hope, with
a
So Of Converging
a Love that is of a Heavenly Natnre$\
while I Love them as the Heirs of Heaven ^.
with a Love which I expeft fliall there be*;
perfected, and more fully and for ever cx-^
ercifed,
12; The Iaft Reafon that I give youJ
to move you to bear the Lop or jib fence
of your friends, is, that it gives you the
loudeft call to retire from the world, and
to converfe with God himfelf, and to long
for Heaven, where you fliall be fcpera-
ted from your friends no more. And
your forfaken ftate will fomewhat aflTift
you to that folitary .converfe with God,
which it calls you to : But this brings us
up to the third part of the Text.
AJV Dyet I am not alone , becanfe the
Father iswithme.~]
Doft. When all for fake us and leave US
(astothe*n) alone, we are far from being
Jintply alone y becaufe God is with us.
He is not without company, that is
with the King, though twenty others
have turned him off. H: is not without
Light that h rth the fhiningSun, though
all his Candles be put out. If God be
cur God, he isour-All, and is enough for
us:
nith God in foiitude. 8f
us: And if he be oar All, we fhall not
mucii find the want of creatures while he
is with us.
For I. He is with us, who is Every-
where, and therefore is never from us;
and knoweth all the ways and projc&s
of our enemies ; being with them in wrath y
as he is with us in mercy*
2. He is with us who is Almighty, Ef-
ficient to preferve us, conquerable by
none ? and therefore while he is with us,
we need not/W what man can do unto us:
For they can do nothingbut what he will :
Nj danger, no licknefs, no trouble or
want can be fo great as to make it any
difficulty to God to deliver us when and
how he pleafe.
3. He is with us who is Infinitely wife,
and therefore we need not fear the ibbtil-
ty of enemies *, nor fhall any of his un-
dertaken works for his Church or us, mif-
carry for want of foFefight, or through
any ovcrfighc. We (hall be prtferved
even from our own Folly, as wefl as from
our Enemies lubtilty : For it is not our
own wifdome that our greatcft concern-
ptin ipally reft upon, nor that
our fafety and peace \xc chiefly f^cured
by ; but it is the Wifdomc of our great
Prefcrver.
82 Of Converging
Preierver. He knowcth what to do with \
us, artd what Paths to lead us in, and
what is beft for us in all conditions : And
he hath proimfed to Teach us, and will
be our fure infallible Guide.
4. He is with us who is Infinitely Good,
and thercfoieisonly fit to be a continual
delight and latisfaftian to our fouls : That
hath nothing in him to dilaffeft us, or
difcourage us : whom we may love with-
out fear of over-loving-, and need notfet
any bounds to our Love, the Object of
it bring infinite.
5. He is with us, who is mod nearly
related to us, and raoft dearly loveth us-,
and therefore will never be wan ting to us
in any thing that is fit for us to have. This
is he that is with us 7 when all have left u<,
and as to Man we are alone; and therefore
we may well fay that we are not alone.
Of this I {hall fay more anon in the appli-
cation.
Qacfo. But how is he with its ? Anfw.
1. He is with us not only in his Effential
frefence> as he is every where, bu: as by
his Gracious Fatherly prefer.ee : We are
in his Family , attending on him : .Even
as the Eye of a Servant is to the hand of
his Matter : We are always with him 7 .and
(as
!
with God ixfolitme. 8 J
(as he phraieih i: himictf in the Parable)
Lake 15. all that he bath tnour$, that is,
bat is fie to be communicated to us,
and all the Provifions of his bounty for
his Children. When we avtake^ we (hould
be ftiil with him : When we go abroad we
fhould be always a i\im : Our life
and works (hould be a Walkjng with Cod.
2. He is always with us efficiently to do
Utg/md\ Though we have none die that
caretb for us, yet will he never cad us out
of his care, bur biddeth us caft our care
on him, a -ng that he will care for
hs. Though we have none elfe to provide
for us, he is always with us, and our Fa-
ther knoweth what we want, and will
the beft provifion for us, Mat. 6.32,
3 3 . Though we h elfe to defend
us agwiofi the : Enemies, he
our lure defence 1
II j is the R-> e fly, and up-
on which we a bnilt. He gather-
ed Ubto himlclhs the Men gathereth her
Chickens umler her Wir.gs,Afor. 2.37,3.
And lure while Love is thus protecting us,
IV rtiaiy well lay that the Father himfelfis
mk Though in 'all our \
no other to Lu , yet hqis ftill
with us to perform his prpmiic, that no
e% r\nr\
84 Of Converging
good thing (hall be wanting to them that
fear him. Though we may have none elfc
to ftrengthen and help us, and fupport us
in out weaknefs, yet he is alway§ with \
us, whofe Grace is fufficient for u-, to
manifeft his ftrength in weaknefs. Though
we have no other to teach us, and to re-
folve our doubts, yet he is with us that is
our chicfeft Matter, and hath taken us to
be his Difciples, and will be our Light and
Guide, and will lead us into the Truth.
Though we have none elfc to be our
Comforters, in our agony, darknefs ordi-
ftreis-, but all forfake u?, or are taken
from us, and we are expofed as Hagar
with ljhmael in a Wildernefs ; yet ftill
the Father of all confolations is with bi \
his Spirit who is the Comforter is in us :
And he that fo often fpea^eth the words
of Comfort to us in his Gofpel, aid faith,
XJBe of good chear \ let r>bt your he Arts be
troubled, neither be afraid, &cr\ will fprak
them fin the feafon and meafure which is
fitteft for them J unto our hearts. Though
all Friends turn Enemic?, and would de-
ftroyus, or turn falie Accufers,^s Job's
Friends, in their ignorance or pifron •,
though all of them fhould add affliction
to our aflBi&ion, yet is our Redeemer and
Juftifier
with God in fditude. 8f
Juftifier ftill with ns and will lay his re-
training hand upon our Enc^ie?, and iay
to their prou- eft fury ^Hitherto and no
further lhall thou go] He issngry with
Job's accufing Friends, notwithstanding
their friendfhip and gcod meaning, and
though they feerrecl to plead for God
and Godlincls againft JoV s fin ; Ar.d who
flifill be again ft us while God isfcr ns ?
who flsall condemn hs when it is he thatjujli-
fieth ns} Though we be put to fay as
David, P(&\* 142.4. [I looked on my rig
hand and beheld, but there was no mkin that
would know me ; reft: mam
cared for my Soul:'] Ye: we may iky
Ith him, re f 5. and-, [Icryed unto
thee, O Lord' y I fatd, Thon art.my re
and my Portion in the laird of the Living:
Br- oul out of Vrifon that 1 way
praifc thy Name : 'The Ri all com-
pafs me <\b' nt : tor then ]halt deal bci
jttlly with me : 2,3. Iv my com-
plaint before him ; J (IjeWed before him my
troit le : When my Spirit was ( >icd
within me, ti ineweft my Path: la
way wherein I walked hkve ti.
ly laid a Sxart for me. ~| Thus \jOc
refuse nd firength \ a very pr ip in
trouble^ Pial.no. 1. Therefore jhould we
r ■'
Of Coavcrfwg
Fear though i ., remove,
a'ld ; Adomtains were carried in to]
the mi iji of the Sea } th Watertm
thereof roar and be troubled ^ ore. verf.il
2. 3. Though as David faith, Pfal. 41. |
Sj 6, 7. £/*<////£ Enemies fpea\ Evil of ^
xne : When fl)all he aye, and his name perifo'i
And if he come to fee me, he fpeaketh va-
nity : His Heart gather eth Iniquity to it
ftlf\ when he goeth abroad be teileth it : All
that hate me whifper Together againfi me :
nfl me do they dcvife my hurt : An
evil Difzafe, fay they y cleaveth faft unto
him; and now that he lyeth y he fy.ill rife
Hp no more : Tta y my own familiar friend
in whom I trusted, that did eat of my Bread,
hath lift up his heel againfi me ] Yet
we may add a; he, v* 12. \_Av.d as for me,
thou Hpholdefi me in mine integrity, and
fettcfi me before thy face forever.'] Though
.fas Pf*h 35. 7 j C^c Without canfe they
have hid for me their Net in a Pit, which
Without canfe they have digged for my Soul :
1 1/ AnX falfc Witneffes did rife iip } they
laii to my charge things that I knew not j
they rewarded me evil for gocd : 1 5, i6»
In mj adver/ity they rejoyced, and gather*
ed themfelves together ; the objects gathered
themfelves together againfi me } and I knew
it
with God in fclitude. 87
I it not • they did tear and ceafed not ', with
I hypocritical mockers in Feafis, they gn u flitd
I upon we with their teeth : 20. For .hty fpcalr^
I not peace, bnt they dtiife deceitful matters
I againji them that Are quiet in the L#ndr\
Yet verfe 9. \_My Soul flmll be ]oful
I the Lord', it fliallriy,yce in his S.iliaiion :
1 0. All my Bones flsull fay, I , .0 is
I like unto thee, who deliverefl the poor from
him that is too Jh ong for him y yea 'he poor
and the needy from him that fyoilmb him.~\
Though Friends be far oCr, the Lord is
nigh to them that are of a. broken heart, and
faveth fnch MS be of a contr 11 e Sp i
are the Afflictions of the Ri^isteov.s • huh
the Lord deliver eth him cm of t :em a!! t ~]
Pfel. 3+. 18, 19. The Lsrd red,
Sonl of his Servants; and none of than
thst rrufl in him fi*lt be defoiate.~] v. 22.
Therefore [/ will be gfkHymd rejyce in
his Mercy, for he hathconfideredmy trtu
ble, and hath known (ar.d owned ^ my Sid
in adverfuy : and hath not flint me in the
htndof the Enemy. — When n>y life was
[pent with grief, and my years with frgh-
ing\ my ftrtvgth f tiled becaufc of mint
iniquity, and my Tlvics were cor. fumed ; /
was a reproach among all mine Enemies,
bnt efpecially among my Neighbours, and
8 3 Of Qonverfmg
a fear to mine Acquaintance \ they that
did fee me without fled fom me : I was ;
forgot i ck. } and as a dtadmanout of mind:
I was like a irol^n Vefjel ; / heard the
/lander of many : fear was on every fide ;
while the) too^counfel together again ft me^
they devifed to take aw.^y my life : But I
tr lifted in the-:, O Lord: I [aid, Thou
art my God: my times are in thy hand:
deliver me from the hand of mine enemies ,
and from them that perfecute me: Make
thy face to flnne upon thy Servant : Save
me for thy mercies fake. -— O how great is
thy gcotinefs which thou haft laid up for
them that fear thee, which than haft wrought
for them thxt truft in thee before the Sons
of Men ! Thou fa alt hide them in the fe-
cret of thy pre fence from the Pride of Man :
Thou (halt keep them fecretly in a pavilion
from theftrife of Tongues, Pi'al. 3 i.J Thus
God is with us when raen are fat from
!jS : or p.gainft us : His people find by
haj/py experience, that they are not alone.
Bccaufc he 1$ nigh them, evil frail not come
nigh them, unlefs as it worketh for their
good. He is their hiding place to pre-
ferve them from trouble : the great water-
floods faatl not come nigh them: he will
compafs them about with Songs of delive-
rance.'] Hal. 32. 6 j 7. 3. And
with God in folitude. S9
And as Cod i
, and Ejjit<er;t
for our holy convene. VVheuver our
Friends are, God is ftili at hand to be
the mod profitable, honourable Lnd de-
lightful O' ;-je£fc of our tl \q\ ghts. here
is enough in him to tak<? up.all the f-u ul-
ties of my fool. He that U but in a well
fbrnifhed Library, may find great and
excellent employment for his Thoughts
many years together : And fo may he
that liveth in the open World, and hath
all the vifible Works of G< d r o meditate
upon : But all this were nothing, if God
were not \\izfenfe of Booh ar.d Ctta
and the matter of all thefc noble Stu-
dies : He that is alone, a only
God himfclf to ftudy, hath the matter
and fenfe of all the Books a ;ures
in the World, to einpl " his thoi
upon. He neve nc< d to want matter for
his meditation, that hath Gc i.'tate
on. He need not want matter of Dif-
■ (whether mental or vocal) that
of, though he have
n m the name ol any other Friend to men-
tion. All our 5 fife Sic c in
nt work.
The Soul of Man cannot have a 1
fweet
90 Of Converging
fvvect and excellent v?ork than to lov^
him: He wanteth neither work nor
pleafu v e, that in his folitude is ta- en up
in the believing contemplations of Eter-
nal Love, and of all his blefled Attributes'.
and Works, O then what happy anqj
delightful converfe may a Bciitver have
w T ith Gol\ alone! He is always prefenr,
and J ways at leifure to he fpoken with ;
and always willing of our accefs and
audience: He hath no ifitereftCrofi to
oir felicity, which (Kould move himto
reject us fas worldly great ones often
have ) He never mifur«derftand?th u? 5
nor chargeth that upon us whkh we were
never gu ly of": If we converfe with
Men, iheir Mj}*<k:s, and Inttrtfts^ and
PaffumS) and I fujficiencies, do make the
trouble lb gre t, and the benefit fofmall,
that many have become thereby aweary
of the Wcrl \ or of human Society, and
have fpent the icft of their days alone
in d fert p!ac:s. Indeed, fo much of
God as appears in Men, fo much is their
ctiftyerfc excellent and delightful*, and
theirs is the heft that have molt of God.
But there i< fo nuuh of vanitv, and felf,
anH flefh, and fin in the raoft or alj^f
of us, as very much dari-tneth our Light,
and
ft*
with God in folk tide. 91
and dampcth the pleafure, >eih
the fruit of our Societies and Con
O how oft have 1 been folaceci in God,
when I found nothing but decei:
nek in the \Ycr!d ! How oir
he comforted me, when it was paft the
power of Man! How oft hah he relieved
:nd delivered rat, v.hen ail the help of
IVlan was vain! It h-th been my Stay
and Reft, to look to him, when the Crea-
ture hath been a broken Staff, and de-
ceitful Friends have been but as a bioken
Tcoth, or a Foot that is ou: of Joint
(as Solomon fpeaketh o> onfi ence in an
unfaithful man in time of trouble, Prov.
25 20.) Verily, as the \Vor?d were but
an horrid Dungeon wi.hout the- Sun,
lb it were a howling wildermC, a place
of no confiderabl Employment or De-
light, were it riot fhat in it we may
to God and do him Service, and
fomctiire be refrefhed vn i:h the light
cf h?s countenance, an J thecon mi nil ati-
ons of his 1 oe. Bl t of this more anon.
Vfe i\TI7 f'eour Example^&r.d our
VV £ ments. Let usnoW
W&Uowcr* *fC four to imitate
n this, and to Live 1 \ when
met
92 OfConverfa*
neuhrfakc «,, and f0 koow that wf]ife ;
i-odumthns, we are n,t alone, nor in.
iM< en wh ' ,e h e forfakes us not.
wfc 1 ' H^Y " here Negatively.
what you muft not do. 2. /#£*«*$
what you muft do; for the performance
or your duty in this imitation of Chrift.
■ • You mud not make this anv pj ctence
tor the undervaluing of your ufeful
friends ; nor for your unthankfulnefs for
1 8 l Cat 3 B , enefit as a Godf V friend : nor
forthencglea of y our Duty in impro-
ving the Company and helpof Friends-
Two is better then one, The cammuni.
3£ ??Vr n ? heI P of tho * th ^ are'
wife and faithful, is a mercy highly to be
cfteemed And the undervaluing of it, is
at lead a fign of a declining Soul.
2. You muft ndt hence fetch any pre-
tence to flight your Friends, and difoh-
J'ge them, or neglect any duty that- you
owe them, or any means therein neceffary
to the continuation of their Fnendfl.ip.
3. You muft not caufelefly withdraw
trom humane fociety into Solitude. A
weanneU ofconverfe with- Men, is oft
conjundt with a wearincfs of our Duty:
And a retiring voluntarily into Sofitudfc
when God doth not call or drive us If
thcr 3
with Gcd in folitnde. 9 J
|ther, is oft but a retiring from the p! ce
and work which God hath appointed us:
And confequcntly a retiring rather from
j God, than to God. Like fome idle Ser-
vants, that think they fhould not work fo
hard^ becaufe it is but Worldly hnfimfs^
and think their M ! not Religi-
oufly by them, unlcfi they let them neg-
lctt their labour, jhat they m:,y fpend
more time in ferving God : as if it were
no ferving Cod to be faithful in their
Matters Service.
1 deny not but very holy perfons have
lived in a ftate of rer , hu-
mane convcrfr : In fuchcafei astheie it
may become a Duty, J. In cafe of Inch
perfecution as at prefent leaveth us no op-
portunity of ferving or honouring God
fo much in any other place or ftate.
2 In cafe that natural infirmity , or dif-
abiliry, or any other accident (hall nakc
one !efs Serviceable to God and his
Church i than he is in fol^
In cafe he hath committed a fin fo
heinous and of indelible fcandal and re-
proach, as that it i not fit f< r the Ser-
vants of Chrift any more to receive him
into their local Communion, though he
Communion^ I
thir,k> fuch a cafe may be.) 4. In
4. In cafe a man through cuftom and ill
company he fo to f >me fleffily
Luft, as that he is not able to bear thl
temptations th pit arc fi * wd 1 con*
ftrfe'y hue fa'deth by theminro .".c :
hehojb finning : l.i this caie the right
tpnd or eye is rruherto b? with,
than their Salvai ion. An J though ameer
reftraint by diftanci of temptations and
'opportunicic.- of finning, will not prove a
man I, nor five the foul
loveth rhe fin and fain would live ii \t\
Y.t, j. Grace mav iomctime appear in
the ftrciigth. and iclf denyal w- ich i, e^
crcifed in the very avoiding
ons, when yet pc epe . f ;i
not ftrength enough to h:ve ftood againft
thetc
And 2 Thediflance of temptations, &o,v
portuniry of feriousano frequent pdtaftJe-
ration, may be a m'caa t) he*p to (ince-
ri;y th t want "tz>
5. b\ cafe a man by a*c or ficknefs find
himfelf io near tc s that he hath
now a w.orej aftor his
frefent tftn i totndca-
any more the good of other s\ and find
vvithall, that [oiitnde will help him
preparations^ his Society being fuch as
would
with um injoutude. 95
n cr him. In thefe /?:,v ca-
tbpfoie it lawful to retire from i
folitudt.
But when there is no fuch neceGity or
call, it bfually prcceedcih from one of
thefe vicious difternpers : I. From Co-
dizc and fea r c f fu fife I h e
s of Chrifc do hi he&ds,
f confeffing him en.
2. From a- laziflefs 1 nd v ea-
fsofdut; 'c
Servants hide their taktits, re. nding
ear of the L.-rd.
from our work, then
: : and to go out of the re ch of ig-
, contradittion and un«
C4H-
9«c* r Truth and Holy lives. So
s we co?.vr.ifj with, to
h-m w« owe forte '
this is n to
• k, and :o hide our ielvcs
in f or Cell// c?s
:ing the ■ \ e L rd. 3.
O: it may prtc?c 1 r m ncc* impatience :
D3t hcai n, and
odly, they
e i gs, which by patience
they Ihould overcome. 4. Or it may
come .
go uf convey \wg
come frc and mutability of mind,
and ribs condition
Ma v i nc converfe to
pleaie a< xtd paffionate mird j on
expeair. ; privacy, which in;
public k rhey cr>ul ! not find, npr is any
where to be found on Eirch. 5. And
ibme do it in Melancholy, mcerly to pleafe
a fick imagination^ wh exed \\
company, and a lii [< afeth it felf in li-
ving as the pofftffed ong the
Tombs. 6. And iomtimes it proceed)
eth from felf ignorance^ and an unhnwbled
(late of a Soul : When men think much
better of th.mfelves thin others, they
think they can more comfortably converfe
with themfelvts than with others : Where-
, as if they well underftuod that they are
the vporji oxgreattjl enemies, or troubles to
themfelves, they would more fear their
own Company than ether mens : The-/
would then c mfider what prou ', and
flefhly, IhcI worU'lv, ani fclfiib, and
d.forccrcd heart they are like to tarry
with them into their faljtude, and there
to be annoyed with from day to day :
And that the nearefl enemy is the worft,
and the nemtft, trouble is the great-
eft.
Thcfe
with God in folitude. 97
Thefc vices or infirmities carry many
into folitudc •, and if they live where Po-
pi >Ti vanity may feduce them, they will
perhaps imagine, that they are ferving
God 9 and entring in perfection, when
they are but fitfully obeying their corrup-
tio s : and that they are advanced above
others in degrees of grace, while they
are pleating a difcafed fancy, and cutting
into a dangerous courfe of fin. No doubt
but the duties of a publick life are more
in number, and greater in weight, and
of more excellent confequence and ten-
dency (even to the mod publick good,
and greateft honour of God J than the du-
ties cf privacy or retirement. Vir bonus
eft commune bor.um : A good rrun is a com-
mon good And ^fr.ith Ser;eca)NuBa ejjent
tomrminia ntfi pars illorum ptrtineret ad
fajr] It every one have not fome (hare
cr i .'creft ia them, hr>w are the com-
mon ? Let me add thefe few Con' d^
ons, to (hew yon the evil of voluntary un-
necessary Solitude.
1. You klb contribute to the honour of
you> Redeemer, and left promote h»^ King-
dom in the world> and lefs libfnve his
death and office, while*you do good but
to lew, and live but almofl toyourfei
F 2. You
9 3 Of Convtrfing
2. You live in the poorcft exercife of the
grace of Chanty ; and therefore in a low
undcfirable condition.
3. You ,wi!l want the communion of
Siints, and benefit of publick ordinances
(for I account not zColledge life a Solita-
ry life.) And you will want the help of
the Charity, Graces and Gifts of others,
by which you might be benefited.
4. It will be a life offmaller comfort,
as it is a life of fmalier benefit to others.
They that do but little good (according
to their ability) rouft expeft but little
comfort. They haveufualiy moft peace
and comfort to thcmfelves, that are the
moft profitable to others. {Non potefl quif-
quam bene degere qui fe ttntum intuetnr :
Alteri vivas oportet,fi tihi vis vlvere .'Sen .3
jVo man can live well, that Uoketh but to
himjelf: Thou mnft live to another^ if thou
wilt live to thy [elf7\
O the delight that there is in doing good
to many ! None knoweth it that hath not
tryed it: Not upon any account of Merit ;
but as it tleaftth God, and as Goodnefsit
p/f is amiable and fvveet ; and aswtri-
ceive by commnnicating ; and as we are un~
der prornift } and as Charity makes all the
good that*s done to another to be to us as
w ownl 5, We
with God in folitude. 99
5. We arcdark and partial, an v !hced-
lefs of our fclves, rnd hardly brought oc
kept in acquaintance with our hearts;
and therefore have the more need of the
eye of others : A nd even an enemies eye
raiy be ufeful, though maicious; and
may do us good while he intends us evil,
faith Bernard [Allium quod nemo vide?
nemo argmt : Vbi ant em non timetur repre-
henfor, feenms accedit tenater? licentiu*
perpetratur iniqaitas} \The evil that none,
fee /;, none reproveth : and where the re-
prover is net feared, the temper ccmeth
moit boldly, and the fin is committed the more
licemioHfly.2 It's hard to know thefpota
in our own face!-, when we haveno^/.i/i
or beholder to accqo.int us with them*
Salth Chryfujlm [Solitude is velameit
cm^imi z^torHniyhQ cover of all vices 3 In
company this cover is laid afide, and vice
being more naked, is more ajhamed- It
is beholders that cauiejtaw • which Soli*
tude is not acquainted with : And it's a
piece oiimpenitency rot to be framed o} r
6. And we are for the moll pan id
and fickiy. that we are unable /o
lubfift without the help of others. Sen.
Nemo eft ex imprudembns qui relinqni fibi
debet] wmijemen (or infants, or fick-Iikc
f 2 men
ico Of Lonverfing
men) muft not be left to themftlves.~] And
Cod hath let fonic impoiency,iniiiffiden< y
andnectffi v upon all that (howd keep
men iociaLle, & make them acknowledge
their need of others, and be thankful for
afliftance from them, and be ready to do
good to others, as we would have others
do to us. He th&tfeeleth not the needof
others, is fo unhumbled as to have the
greater need oitheni.
7. Pride will have great advantage in
private, and Repentance great dif advan-
tage, while our fins fecm to be alldead,be-
caufc there is not a temptation to draw
them out, or an obferver to reprove
t h e m. {Tfi m din pattern quifqttefibi videt ur
& burnt is, donfc nullius hominum conjortio
fommifcetH/ ; ad naturam priftinam rever-
fur us qwsm inter pellaver it cujuftbet occafio-
wis commotio, inquit Caftiamii] Many a
man feems to himjelf patient and humble^
yphile he keeps out of company} who would
return to his own nature if the commotion of
any occafion did but provoke him'] It's hard
to know what/w ox grace is in us, if we
liavc notfuch tryals as are not to be found
in Solitude.
8. Flying from the obfewtion and
judgment
with God in folitude. ioi
Judgment of others, is a kind of felf-ac-
cafation ; as if we confeft our felves fo
bad as that we cannot ftand the tryal of
the Light.] Bonaconfcientiaturbam advo*
cat : Mdain folitndine anxiaeft & folli-
cita : (i honeftajunt que fact* omnesfciant ;
fiturpia^ quid refennemintm fcire : cum
tn fcias ! O te mifemm ft contemnis hue
tejltm: inqtiit Seneca^] That is [ A good
confeience will call in the croud (or witnef-
fes, not caring who fecth ;) A bad confer-
ence is anxious and follicitous even in foil*
tftde : If they be thing* honeft which thott
doe ft > let all men know : If the be dijhoneft,
what good doth it thee that no man elft
tyoweth it, whenthotikrioweftitthyfelf\ O
miferable man if thou difpife this vpitnefs /]
Something is fufpe&ed to be amif* with
thofe that are always*in their Chambers,
and are never fcen. Tell not men that
you cannot bear the light : It is he that
doethevil that hateth the light, left his
deeds fhould be reproved.
. S-'litudc is too like to T)eath y to be dt-
firable: He liveth that doth good •, and he is
deadthlX Kufelefs, \_Vtvit is qui multisufni
eft: Vivit is qn\ fentitur : qui veto lati-
tant dh torpent, mortem [nam antece(ferint y
inqmt S en t "\[^He liveth that is profitable to
F 3 many
102 Of Convey fwg
many : He livsth that is olferz'ed or per-
ceived : but they that lye hid And drew fie do
t anticipate their death f] And it is the m#ft
culpable death, and therefore thr
\ to have Life, and not to nfe it.
I o. A life of holy Communion is likeft unto
'Heavex, where none (hall befolitary,
bat ail as members of the Heavenh
falem, fhall in harmony Love anci
their Maker.
ThefeReafons fcem tome fufficient to
Tatifie you that no man (hould choofe a Soli*
tude without. a Jpecial mceffity or call: nor
yet fhould it be taken for a life of greater
perfection, then a faithful ferving of God
in publicly, and doing gcodto more.
I Shall now come to the Affirmative^
and tell yo a for all this, that \If God
call us into Solitude^ or men for fake ns, we
may rejoice in this, that we are not alone y
bat the Father is with hs7\ Fear not fuch
Sohtah y but be ready to improve it, if
you b: Ciftupon t. If God be your God,
re n lied to you in Chrift, and his Spi-
rit be in you, you are provided for Soli-
tude, and need not fear if all the World
(hould caft you off. If you be ban idled,
imprifoncd
with God in folitttde. I o 3
^rifoned, or left alone, it is but a Re-
laxation from your greateft labour? •
which though you may notcaft off your
fclvcs, you may lawfully be fenfible of
yo.jr eafc, if God take off your Burden.
It is but a c§0ation from your fharpeft
flicis, and removal from a multitude of
g\ at Temptations. And though you may
not covatdly retreat or (hift your felvcs
from the Fight and danger, yet if God
will diipenfe with you, and let you live
in greater pe^ce andfafety, you have no
caufe to murmur at his dealing. A Fruit
Tree thatgroweth by the high-way fide,
doth fcldota keep its fruit to ripenefs,
while fa many Paflengers have each his
ftone or Cudgel to caft at it: Seneca
could fay ^Nanquam 4 turba mores quo*
extkli refer : Aliqmdex to qv.od compofui
jatnr ; aliquid ex his qua finavi redit :
lnimica eft mnltornm atid] I mver
faring home well from a Crowd the manners
which I took^ out with me : Something it
difoidered ofth.it which I had Jet in order:
r.ethinn of that which I had banified doth
return : T,jc co^ie fttion of many 1 find an
enemy to mef\ O how many vain and foo*
lifh words corrupt the mirids of thofe
that converie with an ungodly World,
F 4 when
104 yf tonverjmg
when your Ears and Minds who live ir
Solitude, arc free from fuch Temptations ;
You live not in fo corrupt an Air as they j
You hear not the filthy nbbald Speeches,
which fight againft modefty and chaftity,
and are the bellows of Luft: You hear
notthedifcontented complaining words
of the impatient ; nor the paflionate pro
Poking words of the offended ; nor the
wrangling quarrelfom words of the con
tentious; nor the cenforious, or fl.^nde-
rous, or reproachful words of the mali-
cious, who think it their intereftto have
their Brethren taken to be bad, and to
have others hate them, becaufe they them
felves hate them-, and who are as zealous
to quench the Charity of others, when
it is deftroyed in themfelves, as holy
perfons are zealous to provoke others to
Love, which dweVcrh and ru'ech in them-
felves. In your Solitude with God, you
(hail not hear the Ives and malicious re-
viling* of the ungodly againft the genera-
tion of the j.ill: Nor the fuNtile cheating
Words of Hercticks, who being themfelves
-deceived, would deceive others of their
Fo ith, and corrupr their lives. You (hall
not there be diftraflcd with the noife and
clamours of contending uncharitable pro-
feflbrs
with God in folitude. IOJ
feflbrs cf Religion, endeavouring to make
odious firft the Opinions, and then the
perfons of one another : one laying, here
is the Church, and another, there is the
Church : One laying, This is the true
Church Government, and another faying
Nay, but that is it ; One faying, God will
be worfhipped thus, and another, not fo,
but thus or thus : You (hall not there be
drawn tofie'e with one againft another,
nor fo joyn with any fattion, or be guil-
fcy of divifions: You (hall not be troub-
led with theCath* and Blafphemies of the
wicked, nor with the imprudent miscar-
riages of the Weak} with thePerfecu-
tions of Enemies, or the falling out of
Friends. You fhall not fee the cruelty
of proud OpprefTors, that fet up lyes by
armed violence, and care not what they
fay or do, nor how much other men are
injured or fuffer, fo that themfelves may
tyrannize, and their wills and words may
rule the World, when they do fo un-
happily rulethemfelvc?. In your folitude
with God, you fhall not fee the profperi-
ty of the wicked to move you to envy f
nor thcadverlity ofthj jufl: to be your
grief: You fhall fee no Worldly pomp
and fplcndor to befool you ^ nor adorn-
F 5 cd
106 Of Converfing
cd beauty to entice you, nor wafting ca
lamitics to afflidt you : You (hall not hear
the laughter of Fools, nor the Tick mans
groans, nor the wronged mans Com-
plaints, nor the poor mans murmurings,
nor the proud mans boaftings, nor the
angry mans abufive ragings. As you lofe
the help of your gracious friends, fo you
are freed from the fruits of their pecvifh-
Tiefs and paffions ", of their differing opin-
ion and ways and tempers ; of their in-
equality, unfuitablenvfs, and contrarie-
ty of minds orinterefts-, of their levity
and unconftancy, and the powerful temp-
tations of their friendfhip, to draw you
to the errors or other fins which they are
tainted with themfelves. In a word,
you are there half delivered from the
VANITY and VEXATION of
the world; and were it not that you are
yet undelivered from your fclves, and
that you take diftempered corrupted
hearts with you, O what a felicity would
your folitude be ! But, alas, we cannot
overrun our own difeafes, we rauft carry
with us the remnants of our corrupted na-
ture i our deadnefs, and dulnefs, our
felfi-hnefs and earthly minds, our impati-
| ence and difcontents^ and worft of all,
our
with God mfolitude. 1 07
our lamentable wcaknefs of faith and
love and heavenly mindednefs, and out
ftrangenefs to God, and backwardnefs
to the matters of eternal life. O that I
could efcape thefe, though I were in the
~ds of the cruelleft enemies! O that
fucha heart could be left behind ! How
gladly would I overran both houfe, and
Jand, and honour, and all fenfual delights,
that 1 might but overrun it ! O where
is the place where there is none of this
darknefs, nor difaffeftion, nor diftance,
nor cftrangednefs from God ! Oth^tl
:;v it ! O that I could find it ! O that I
might there dwell! though I fliould ne-
ver more fee the fcce of mortals ; nor e-
ver hear a human Voice, nor ever tafte
of the delights offlefh ! Alas, foolilh Soul :
fuch a place therein, chat hath 'all this,
and more than this : But it isntot in a
'Wilderncfs,but in Paradife, not here on
Earth, but above with Chrift ! And yet
am I fo bath to d:c ? vet am I no more
defirousof the bl fifed day, when I (hall
'be unclonhed of flc.Ti a ) dc;ath,
what an Enemy art thou even to my Soul/
affrighting me from the pt my
Lord, and hindring my dcfires and wif-
liagncls to be gone, thou wronged me
much
io8 Of Converftng
much more, than by laying tny flefh to
rot in darknefs. Fain I would know God,
and fain I would more love him and enjoy
him : But O this hurtful love of life ! O
this unreafonable fear of dying, detaineth
my defires from prefling on to the happy
place where all this may be had / O
wretched man that I am, who fhall deli-
ver me from this body of death ! this car-
nal unbelieving heart, that fometime can
think more delightfully of a Wildtrnefs
then of Heaven \ that can go feek after
God indefert folitude, among the Birds
and Beafts and Trees, and yet is fo back-
ward to be loofed from flefh that I may
find him and enjoy him in the World of
glory : Can I expeft that Heaven come
down to Earth ! and that the Lord of
glory fhould remove his Court, and ei-
ther leave the retinue of his Cekftial
Courtiers, or bring them all down into
this droffy World offleth and fin, and
this to fatisfie my fleflily foolifh mind !
Or can I cxpedi the tranflation of Henoch
or the Chariot of Elias f Is it not enough
that my Lord hath conquered Death,
and fan&ifyed the paflage, and prepa-
red the place^ of my perpetual abode.
[Well ! for all this, though a Wildermfs
is
with God in folitude. 109
is vet Heaven, it fhall be fweet and
welcom for lYtfak* of Heaven, if ther.ee
1 may but have a clearer profpeft of it :
and if by retiring from the crowd and
noifc of Folly, I may but be more com-
pofed and better difpofed to converiea-
bove, and toufe my Faith (alas, my too
weak languid Faith) until the beatifical
Vifion and Fruition cone. If there may-
be but more of God, or readier accets
to him, or more heart quickning fkmes
of Love, or more hem-comforting in-
timations of his Favour, in a wildernefs
than in a City, in a Prilbn than in a Pa-
lace •, let that Wildernefs be my City,
and let that Priibn be my Palace, white
1 muft abide on Earth. If in folitudc
I may have Henochs walk with God, I
fhall in due feafon have fuch a tranflati-
on as (hall bring me to the fame felicity
which he enjoyeth : And in the mean time
as well as after, it U no incomrr.odity, if
by mortal eyes 1 be feen no more. If the
Chariot of contemplation will in folitude
raife me to more believing affeftionate
converfe with Heaven, than I could ex-
ped in Tumult* and Ten ptatiors, it
fhall reconcile me unto folitude, and make
it my Paradifc on Earth, till Angels
inftead
no Of Converfing
inftead of the Chariot of BtidSj fliali
convey me to the pretence of my glori-
fied Head, i;i the Celeftial Paradifc.
Object. Bm it is grievous to one that
hath been itfed to much company , to be alone.
Anj'w. Company may ib life you, that
it may be more g ievous to you not to
be a! one. The Society of Wafps and
Serpents may be fpared j and Bees them-
felvcs have iuch Stings as make fomethat;
have felt them think' they bought the;
hony dear.
But can you fay, you are alone ^ while
.you are with God f Is his prefence % no-
thing to you? Doth ic not fignifie more
than the company of all Men in the
world ? Saith Hierom^ [Sapiens nmquam
foists effe potej} : habet enim fecum oranes
quifunty & cjiiif Her ant boni & fihomi-
num fit inofia y loquitur cum Deo] viz.
A wife man cmnot be alone : for he hath
with him the good men that are or have been
And if there be a want of men^ he
fyeakf with God.] 'He fhould rather have
faid, There can be no want of man, when
we may, fpea ! ^ with God: And were it
not that God is here revealed to us as
inagiafs, and that we do covcrfe with
God in Man, we fhould think human
converfe little worth, Objcft.
with God in folitttde. 1 1 1
ech O but Solitude is difconfulau
to a fociablc Mind*
Jnfa. But the mod deferable Society
is no Solitude: Saith Hiercrx, [Infiiita
eremivaftitas te ferret ? fed tit ^Paradifnm
ftente dcambnU : Quotiefcunqne cooit^tiane
yc mente illuc conjcende-i ( y totics in eremo
non eris~] that is [_ Poth the infinite zafinefs
of the vcildernefsterrif>e thee? But do thou
(afcend) in mind and Vtalk^ in Paradife :
jis oft as thou acendeft thither in thought
ank mind y fo oft thou fliait not be t .
wilder nefs.~^ If God be nothing to thee,
thou art not a ChrifiUn but an Atheijt.
If God he God to thee, he is A ] \ in all to.
thee \ and then fhould not his prdence
flcad of all? O that I might get
one ftep nearer unto God, though I re-
ceded many from all the world! Othat
I could find that p!acc o
.where a Soul may ha oft accefs
unto him, and fulled knowledgc-and en-
joyment of him. j more
law the face of Friends! i (Viouid cheer-
fully iay i j
not alone \ for the l .;ithme.] And
I fhould fay fo for thefr U< >iiow-
ing.
I . If God be vpith mc 7 the Maker, and
Ruler,
U2 Of Converfmg
Ruler , and Difaofer of all is with me : So
that all things are virtually with me in
him. I have that in Gold and Jewels
which I fceffl to want in Silver, Lead,
and Drofs, I can wsnt no Friend it God
vouchfafe to be my Friend ^ and I can
enjoy no benefit by all my Friends, if
God be my Enemy. I need not fear the
greated Enemies, if God be reconciled
to me. I (hall not mifs the light of the.
Candle, if I have this blcfled Sun. The
Creature is nothing but what it is from
God, and in God : And it is worth no-
thing, or good for nothing, bit what it's
worth in order unto God, as it declarcth
him, and helps the Soul to know him,
fervehim, or draw nearer to him: As it
is Idolatry in the unhappy worldling, to
third aterthe Creature with the neglett
of God, and fo to make the world his
God ; fo doth it favour of the fame
hainous fin to lament our lofs of Crea-
tures more than thedifpleafure of God.
If God be my Enemy, or I am fallen un-
der his indignation, I have then fo much
greater matters to lament than the lofs,
or abfence, or frowns of Man, as fhould
almoft make mc forget that there is fuch
a thing as man to be regarded : But if
God be my Father, and my Friend in
Chrifh
with Godinfolitude. iij
Cbrift, J have then lb much to think of
with delight, and to recreate and con-
tent my Soul, is will proclaim it mod
incongruous and abfurd to lament inor-
dinately the abitnee of a worm, while
I have hi- Love and Prefencewho is All
in All. If God cannot content me, and
be not enough for me, how is he then
my God ? or how fball he be my Hea-
ven an:! everl.ifting Happinefs?
2. If God be with me, he is with
Hie to whom I am abiblutc'y devoted.
f I am wholly hi<?, and have acknowledg-
ed his intereft in me, and longsgo dif-
clairred all Ufurpers, and repented of
Alienations, and unn fcrvedly rcfi,,neJ
my fclfto him : And where (Ti< ul I dwell
but with him that is my owner, and with
whom I have made the fokmneft Cove-
nant th?.t ever I made ? I never gave
my ft If to any other, but in (uborUjna-
tion tohim,and whhafa/vo foi his higheft
invio a: le right. Where fhogld my go's
be bit in my ownhoufc? With whooo
lhou\a a fervam dwell but with hisMafter?
rnd Wife, bur with her Husband ? ind
Ch Idrcn but with their Father? I am
ntarlicr related to my God and to my Sa-
viour,than I am to any of my Relations in
this
IF4 Of Convey fwg
this World. I owe more to him than
toafkheW rid: I have renounced all the
World, as hey (land in any competition
or conparifon vvithhim*, aid cm I want
their company then while I am with
him? How fh:ll I hate Father and Mo-
ther, and Wife and Children, and Bro-
ther and Suler for his fdke, if I cannot
fvare them, or be without them to en-
joy him? To hate them is but to ufe
them as Men do hated things, that is, to
caft them away with contempt as they
would alienate mc from Ghvift, and t£
cleave to him, and be fatisfied in him a-
lone. I an now married to Chnft, and
therefore mud chear fully leave Father and
Mother, and ay native place, and all to
cleave to him : And with who ri fhould
I now delight to d well,but with him who
hath fateen me into foncar relation, to be,
as it were, one Flefli with him 1 O my
dear Lord, hide not thouthy face from
an unkiod an unworthy firmer ! Let me
but ( well with thee and fee thy face,
an 4 feel the s e bracements of thv
Love v an J then let roe be cart off by ail
the woi Id, i fee it meeteft for me -,
or let a:! other friends be where they
Will, fo that my Soul may be with thee:
I have
with God infolitude. 115
J have agreed for thy fake to forfake all,
even the deaieft that fhall (land againft
thee \ and I rclolve by thy grace to^ftand
to this Agreement.
3. If God be vptth me, I am not alone %
for he is with me that leveth me beft.~] The
Love of all the Friends on Earth is no-
thing to his Lo<e. O how plainly hath
he declared that he loveth me, in the
ftrange condefcention, the Sufferngs,
Death, ana Interceflion of his Son ? What
Love hath he declared in the communi-
cation? of his Spirit, and the operations
of his Grace, and the near Relations into
which he brought me ? What Love h:th
he declared in the com fe of his Pn vi cn-
ces? In many and wonderful prefcrvcUi-
ons anc deliverances ? In thecorduft of
his Wiidom, and in a Li e of Mercies?
What Love appcamh in his precious "
PronJfes, and the g'o ious rrovifiors he
hath mrde forme with himfclfto ali eter-
nity ? O my L<».d, 1 am ail arrcd t u .at
thy Love is lb mui I fofl \ :h. t it hath no
better return from an unkind unthankful
hem ; that I ara not more -delighted in
thee, and fwaikwed up in the contemp-
lation of thy Love \ I can contentedly
let go the Society and converfe of all
others,
Ii6 Of Converging
others, for the convene of fome 01
bofom Friend, that is dearer to metta
they all, as Jonathan to David : An
can I not much more be fatiaficd in the
alone, and let go all if i m >y c>ntmu
with thee? My very Dog will gUdl
forfnke all the Town, and all Perforv i
the world, to follow me alone! An
have I not yet fomd fo much Lo/e am
Goo. nefs in thee my dear and blefTec!
God, as to be willing to converlc a!on<]
with thee ? All men delight mod in thii
company of thole that love them beft
They choofe not to converfe with th
Multitude when they look for folace an*
content, but with chcir deareft Friends;'
And fliould aftv be fo dj?r to me as God ?
O were not thy Love unworthily neg*
leftedb/ an un tankful heart, I Oiould
never be fo unfatisfie-.i »n 'h?e, butfl\)u!d
take up, or feek mv comforts in thee : I
ftiould then fav, Whonhavc 1 in Hea-
ven but thee, and there is no-ic on Earth
that Ide^re >c fides rh^e! Though noti
orly mv Fi iends, but my Fle»Ti an ; Heart |
themfelve, fh u'i fail me, it is thou that
will ftiil be the ftrength of my heart,
and my potion forev>r: it is good
therefore for me to draw near to thee,
how
A
'with God in folitude. 117
ow far focver I nm from Man: O let
ic there dwell where thou wilt not be
:range, for thy loving kindneis is better
ban life, Inftead of the multitude of
if turmoi'ing th ughts, let me be taken
p in the bdicving views of thy recon-
iled Face, and in the glad Attendance
pon thy Grace •, or at leaft in the raul-
ituce of my thoughts within me, let
hy celeftial comforts delight my iouf.
-et me dwell as in thy Family, and
i,hen I awake, let me be (till with thee !
,et me go no whither but where I am
ill following thee: Let me do nothing
Hit thy v*ork, nor ferve any other but
/hen I may truly call it alerving thee:
ct me hear nothing but thy voice, and
t me know thv voice by wharcver im-
minent thou fh k 'peak; Let me never
:e a: y thing 1 uc rhv iclf and the glafs
hat repreientcth thee., and the Bo<-k* in
1 which I may re*d thy Name: And
:t me never play with rheoutvfidc, and
<z on Wort's and Let ers as infignifi-
ant, and not oHf rve 'h\ Name which
. thefenfe. Whether it be in cor. pany
r in folitude, ht mc b c mtinually with
bee, androthou\o thiafc to hoi: me
y my right hand ; And guide me with
thy
Ii8 Of Converging
thy counfcl, and after waids receive rr
unto thy Glorv, Pfol. 73- 2,3, 24,25,2<
28, Pfd. 63.3.
4. If God be with me I am not alone
for / jhall be with him xvhofe Love is
greater ufe and bentft to me, than the loi
of all my Friends in the world. Their Lo\
may perhaps be forae little comfor
as it floweth from His: But it '
His Love by which and upon whic 1
I Live. It U His Love that gives or
Life and Time^ and e i/)$ and Fcol
and Prefervation , that gives ire Bock?
gi esme books and giveth me underftanc
ing: that gi -eth me provifion, andfovcf
me from turnip it to oernicious flefhl
nefs and excels : that giveth me even m
friends then f !v s, and iaveth me froi
thatabulc v them torn
worietl un 3 the
the Air is not Jb uleful or needful to rac.1
his Love. The ! ove of all my frieni!
cannor make me well when lam fick : ]
cannot forgive the f nkWeft of my fins*, nc
yet a-fTure me of Gods forgivenefs : ]
cannot heal: ies of my foul, no
' give a folic! laftiAg peace to the confeiene
which is troubled: If all my friends ftan<
about me when lam dying, they canno
m
with God infolitude. 119
ake away the fears of death, nor feci, re
(Tage to everlsftmg life: Death
vill be Death (till, and danger will be < an-
;er, when all'my friends have done their
feft. But my Almighty friend is Alliuf-
penr: He can prevent myficknefs, or
icbuke and cure it,or make it fo good to
ic, that I (hall thank him for it : He can
ilot out my v , andforgve
11 my fin ; and juftifie me when the world
fnd my conidence do condemn me: He
an teach me to believe, to repent, to
ray, to hope, to iuffer, arid to ever-
ome : He can quiet my foul in the mid ft
►f trouble, and give me a well groune'ed
verlafting peace, and a joy which no man
an tak? from me. He can deliver me
rom all the corruptions and diftempers
►f my froward heart •, and eaie me and
rcurc me in the troublcfcm *war which
> daily managed in my bread. He can
lake it as cafie a thing t > dye, as to lye
own and take my reil when I am weary,
>r to uncrefs me at night and goto bed.
rle can teach Death to layby its rerrible
1 andtoipeakwith a mild and com-
ic voicc,& to bring me the joyfuileft
:ydings that ever came unto my ears *, and
:o preach to me the laft and Iwcctcft Ser-
mon,
120 Of Converfmg
mon, even the fame that o ur Saviour prea-
ched on the Crofs \_Ln'<e 2^. 43. Verily
I fay unto thee. To day $1) alt thou be with
Chriftin Pa *difc.~]
And is th s the difference between the
Love of man and of God} And yet do I
lament the lof.* of man ! And yet am I fc
backward to lonverfe wivh God, and to
be facisfied in his Love alone! Ah my
God, how juftly mayeil thou withhold
that Love whfch I thus undervalue:, and
refufc that converfe which I have fir ft re-
futed ? and turn me over to man, to Glly
man, to finful man, whole converfe I lb
muchrdefire, till 1 have learnt by dear ex-
perience the difference between man and
God, and between an Earthly and an
Heavenly frien< ! ! Alas, have 1 not tvy-
cd it oft enough, to have known it k- t-
ter before this ay ! Have I not ofte-
nough found \vh t man is in a time of
tryal ! Have I not been told it over and
over, and told it to the quick, by deceit-
ful friends, by felf-feeking friend*, by
mutable, erroneous, deceived, fcanda-
ious, ba'kflding friends, by proud and
felfconceitcd friends) by paffionate>
q'jarrelfom> vexatious friends, b< felf-
grieved, troubled friends, that have but
brought
with God in folitude. 121
broughtme all their calamities and griefs
to be additions to my own-, by tempting
friends, that have drawn me to fin more
effectually than enemies ; by tender,
faithful, but unable friends, that have
but fetcht fire from my calamities and
forrows to kindle their own, not equally
fliaring, bat each one taking all my trou-
ble entirely to himfelf: that have been
wiling* but injnjficient to relieve me; and
therefore the greater was their Love, the
greater was rheir own, a .id confequent-
ly mine affliction , that would have been
with me, but could nor, thar would fan
ha\e cafed my pain, and (lengthened
mv languifhing body, but could not;
would fain have removed all my.
troubles, and comforted my caft down
mind, bit could not. O how often have
I found that humane friendfhip is a fweet
j£$pccl > our woe; a beloved
calamity, and an auction which nature
tyil] not be without, not becaufe it Lovetlj
evily nor becaufe it is wholly deceived in
its choice ( for there is Good in friendjljip^
Iclhht in holy Love) but becaufe
the Goid which is here accompanied with
fo much evilj is the beginn ng of a more
high and durable frcndiiiip, and pointetfi
G us
122 Of Converging
us up to the blefled delightful fociety
and convcrfe which in the heavenly Jem-
fakm we fliall have with Chrift.
But O how much better have I found
the friendfhip of the AU-tuflkient God/
His Love hath not only pstited me, but
relieved me : He hath not only been as
it were ajfliUed with me in my affii&ions,
but he hath delivered me leafonably, and
powerfully, and fweetly hath he delivered
me : And when he had once told me that
my affli&ions were his own, 1 had no rea-
fon to doubt of a deliverance. Mv bur-
dened mind hath been eafed by his Love,
whiih was but more burdened by the
fruitlcfs Love of all my friends. Oft
have I come to man for help, and cafe,
and comfort, and gone away as from an
empty Ctftern, that had no water to
cool my third \ bur God ha r h been a
prefent help : Could I but get near him %
I was lure of Light, how great loever
ivas my former darknefs : Could 1 but
'igetnear him y I wasfure of warming quick-
ning Life, how dead foever I had been
before: But all my mifery was that I
could not get near him! My darkened e-j
ftranged guilty foul, could not get quiet*
'ingandfatisfying acquaintance : My lum.
pifll
with God in fotitude. 12}
pifh heart lay dead on eanh, and would
notftir, or quickly fall down again, if by
any Celeftial force it began to be crawn
up, and move a little towards him: My
carnal mind was entangled in diverting
vanities : And thus I have been kept frr-m
communion with my God. Kept ! not
by force or humane tyranny ; n t by bars
or bolts, or diftancc of a phce, or by
the lownefs of my condition*, nor by
any mifreprefentations or reproach of
man-, but, alas, bymyfdf, bythedark-
nefs and deadnets, andfluggifhnefs and
earthlinef9, and flefhlineU, an d paffions
of a naughty heart. Thcle have been
my bars, and bolts, andjaylois; Thefc
ar: they that have k> pt me from my God :
Had it not been for theie I might have got
nearer to him • I might have walkt with
him, and dwelt with him-, yea dwelt in
him, and he in me : and then Ifhouldnot
have mift any friends, nor felt mine ene-
mies: And is it my finful diftance from
my God that hath been my lofs, my wil-
dernefs, my woe ! And is it a nearer ad-
mittance to the prefence of his Love that
rouftbe my recovery and my joy, if ever I
attain to joy! O then my foul, lay hold
on Chrift the Reconciler, and in him and
Q2 by
124 Of Converfing
by him draw ner.to God: And ceafe
from man whofc breath is in his noftrils :
Love God in his Saint?, and delightfully
convcrfe with Chrift in them, while thou
haft opportunity. But Remember thou
Livcft not upon them, or on their Love,
but upon God, and therefore defire their
Company but for His : And if thou have
His^ be content if thou have not theirs.
He wants not man that enjoyeth God.
Gather up all the Love, and Thoughts,
and Defircs which have been fcattered
and loft upon the Creatures, and fet
them all on God himfelf, and prefs
into his prefence, and converfe with him,
and thou (halt find the miftake of thy
prefent difcontents, and fweet experience
(hall tell thee thou haft made a happy
change.
5* If God be with me y I am not alone\
bee a fife he is with me with whom my great-
eft bnfmefs lyeth: And what company I
fhould I defiie, but theirs with whom I
have my daily neceffary work to do ? I
have more to do with God, than with all
the World : Yea more and greater bufi-
nefs with him in one day, than with all
the World in all my life. I have bufinefs
with man about houfc,or lands, or food,
or
with God in folitude. 125
or raiment, or labour, or journying, or
Recreations, about fociety arid publick
peace : But what are thefe to my buQ-
ncli with God ! Indeed with holy men I
have holy Bufinef*; but that is but as
they are Meflengrs from God, and come
to me on his bufinefs, and fo they muft
be deadly welcome: But even then my
s is much more wirh God then
with them • with him that lent them, then
with the Meflenger. Indeed my bufinefs
with God is fo great, that If I had not a
Mediator to encourage and afiift mc, to
do mv wirk *nd procure me acceptance,
the thoughts of it would overwhelm my
Sou*.
O therefore rov Soul, let man (land by ;
It is the Eternal God that I have to do
with : And with whom am I to tr an fa ft in
this little time the bufinefs of my cndlefs
li c I have to deal wirh Go 1 through
Ch: ft, for the pudon of my fins, of
great and grievous fins ; and wo to
me if 1 fpced not, that ever I was born 1
I have feme hopes of pardon, but inter-
t wkh many perplexing fears; 1 have
evidences much blotted, and r.ct cafily
eiftood ;I want aflurance that he i^ in-
deed my Father, and reconciled to mc,
G 3 and
126 Of Converging
and will receive me to himfclf when the
World forlaketh me : I have many hq-
guifhmg gnces to he ftrengthened; and
alas, what radicated, obftinate, vexatious
corruptions to he cured ! Can I look in-
to my hem, into iuch an unbelieving,
dead, and earthly heart, into fuch a proud
and peevish and difordered heart, into
fuch a trembling, rerplexrd, felf*ac^ufing
heart, and yet -not u: derftandhow gieat
my hufinefs is with Col ! Can I perufc
my fins, or fed ny wants, and (ink un-
der my wtakncfT^ and vet not » if ern
how g eat mv bjfnefs is with God!
Can I 1 >o< b^ck upon all the time that I
h2ve loft, and all the gr.ee that 1 un-
thin fully refitted*, and all -he mercies
that { trod under foot, or foo'd away,
and c^n I lonk before me and fee how
ne.^r my time is to an end, an ! yet not un-
derfta.id hiw great my bufwef, is with
God •, Can I think of the malice and di-
ligence of Satan, the number, power and
fcbtiltv of mine Enemies the many flares
and dangers that are ftill before me, the
ftreng h and number of temptations, and
m r giorance, un • archfu'nefsand weik*
n f to refill, and ycc not know that my
grcateft bufinels is with God : Can I feel
my
with God wfolitude. 127
mv afflictions and lament them, and think
my burden greater than I can bear, and
fin char man cannot relieve me^ can I
go mourning in the heavinefsof my fouf,
and water my Bed with Tears, and fill the
air with mv groans and lamentations, or
feci my foul overwhelmed within me, fo
that my words are intercepted, and I am
re ier to bre*k than fpeak, and yet not
pe:c:ive :hat my greateftbufinefs fs with
Go : ? Can I think of dying ? Can I draw
near to judgment? Can I think of ever-
la^i g joys in H *aven ? and of everlaft-
ing pan in Hell, and vet not feel that my
greateft bufinefb is with God ? O then,
my foul, the cafe is eafily refolved, with
whom it u that thoa muft moft deftroufly
and ferioufly converfe. Where (bouldfl
th )u be but where thy bufinefs is, and
fo great bufinefs f Alas, what have I to
do with man ! what can it do but make
my head ake, to hear a deal of fcnfelefs
chat, about preferments, lands and dig-
nities, about the words and thoughts of
Men, and a thoufand toys that are ut-
terly i p:rtinent to my great imploy-
ments, and fignifie nothing but that the
dreaming world is not awake! What
pleufure is it to fee the buflesof a Bedlam
G 4 World?
1 2 8 Of Convey fwg
world? what a ftir they make to prove or
wake themfelves unhappy ? How low
and of how little weight, are the learned
difco'jrfes about fyllables and words, and!
names and notions, and mood and fig-ire*
yea, or about the higheft Planets, when ail
are not referred unto God ? Were it not
that fome convcrfc with men, doth fur-
ther my converfe with God; and that
God did tranfatt much of his bufineftby
his mcflengers and fervants, it were no
matter whether ever I more faw the faee
of man : were it not that my Matter hath
placed me in ibciety, and appointed me
and much of my wer\.fer others, and with
pthr rs, and much of his merty is convey-
ed by other?, man mi^ht ftand by, and
folitude were better then the beft fociety,
and God alone floul ) ta l O
nothing h fo much my mitcrv ?nd (I ame,
as that I an» no more willing, nor better
skilleo in the management of my rreat
important bufintfs .' That mv workii
withGod, and my heart h no more wirh
him / O what mi^ht I do in holy medi-
tation or Prayer one hour ; iflwereas
ready for pray r and as goo ! at prayer
as one that hath fo long opportunity and
fo great nccefl&ty toconverie with God,
ftiould
with God in fo/itude. Tiy
fhould be / A prayerlefs heart, a hear c
that flycth away fromjGod, is raoft excu-
fable in fach a one as I , that hath fo
much important bufinefs with bim : It ig
work that muft be done - y and if well done ,
will never be repented of: I life not to'
rcjuru from the prefence of God (when
indeed I have draw 7 n near him) as I do
from the company ot empty men, repent-
ing that I have loft my time, and trem-
bled that my mind is ditcompoied orde-
preyed by the vanity and earthly favour
of their difcourle: I oft repent that I
have prayed to him fo -coldly,' and conver-
i:h him la r.tvlgemly, and ferved
him lb remifly' y bud never repent of the
time, the cares, th^ afflictions, or the dili-
gtnee imployed in his holy work. Many
a time I h we repented that ever I fpent
fomuch time with man, and wiflit I had
never fc n the faces of ionic that are emi-
nent in the world, whofe favour and con-
verter others are ambitious of: But it is
my grcif ard fhame that fo fmall a part
of all my life, hath been fyent wuhG< d; (
and th«it fervent prayer ?nd heaven y con-;
templarions, have been f fe'dom an l.io-
fhort. Othctlha li Gx!,.
though 1 had been lebvvitluii^ d^reft.of
G 5 my
i jo Of Converfing
my friends! How much more blamelefs,
regular and pure 1 How much more fruit-
ful, and anfwerable to my obligations and
profeffions/ How much more comfort-
able to my review / How many falls, and
liurts, and wounds, and greifs, and groans
might I have efcaped .' O how much more
jpleafing is it now to my Remembrance, to
think of the hours in which I have lain at
the feet of God, though it were in tears
and groans, than to think of the time
which I have fpent in any common con-
verfe with the greateft, or the learnedeft ,
jorthedeareft of my acquaintance !
And as my Greateft bhfmefs is with
God, fo my daily bufwefs is alfo with
fcim : He purpofely leaveth me under
wants, and fuffers necefTitics daily to re-
turn, and enemies to aflault me, and
affliftion to furprize me, that I may be
daily driven to him: He loveth to hear
from me : He would have me be no ft ran-
ger with him : I havebufinefs with him
every hour: I need not want employ-
ment for all the faculties of my Soul,
if I know what it is to converfe in Hea-
ven, Even Prayer, and every holy
thought of God, hath an Object fo
«frcat and excellent, as fhould wholly
take
with God infolittde. i j i
take me up. Nothing muft be thought
orfpoken lightly abut the Lord, His
Name muft not be taken in vain : No-
thing that is common bcfeemeth his
Worshipers. He will be fanctificd of all
that (hall draw near him : He muft be
loved with all the Heart and Might.
His Servants need not be wearied for
want of employment, nor through the
lightnefs or unprofitablenefs of their em-
ployment ; If I had Cities to build,
or Kingdoms to govern, I might better
complain for want of Employment for
the Faculties of my Soul, than I can
when I am to converfc in Heaven. In
other Studies the delight abateth, when
I have reached my defire, and know all
that I can know : But in God there is
infinitely more to be known, when I
know the raoft. I am never J at iated with
the eafmefs of knowing, nor are my de-
fires abated by any knufefnlnefs or mrvor*
thinefs in the Objctt •, but I am drawn
to ic by it's higheit Excellencies, and
drawn on to defire more and more by
the infinirenefs of the Light which I
fiavc not yet beheld, and the infinite-
nets of the Good which yet 1 have not
enjoyed. If I be idle, or fecro to
want
1 3 2 Of Converftng
want employment, when I am to con-
template all the Attributes, Relation^
Mercies, Works, and revealed perfecti-
ons of the Lord, it's fure for want of
Eyes to fee, or a Heart enclined to my
bufinefs : If God be not enough to c:
ploy my Soul, then all the Perfons and
Things on Earth are not enough.
And when I have Infinite Goodnefs to
delight in, where my Soul may freely let
out it felf,and never need to fear excefs <1£
Love •, how fwect fhould this employment
be ? As Knowledge, fo love is never ftintcd
here, by the narrownefs of the Gbjeft :.
can never love him in any proportion
cither to his Goodnefs and amiablencfs
in himfelf, or to his Love to us. What
need have I then of any other company
or bufinefs,when I have infinite Goodnefs
to delight in, and to Love (further than
they fubferve this greateft Work ?) !
Come home then, O my Soul, to God :
Converie in Heaven : Turn away thine
eyes from beholding Vanity : Let not
thy affections kindle upon ftraw ex bry-
ars, that go out when they have made a
flafti or noife, and leave thee to thy cold
and darknefs : But come and dwell upon
cekftial beauties, and make it thy daily
and
with God in folitnde. I } $
andmoft diligent WorK, ro kin;!e thy
affe&ions on the infinite eve:'. ;
Good m r and then thev vrill arver be «U
tinguifhed or decay for want of Fcu.eU
but the further they go, and the longer
they burn, t the greater will be the Flame.
Though thou find ir hard while Love is
bat a Spark to va e it burn, and com-
plain that thv i backward hcaitr
is hardly warmed with the love of God,
yet vvhcii the whole pile hath taken fire,
and i!he fUme ateendeth, fire will breed
Lovciwill came Love ^ and.alithe
malice of Hcii it lelf {hall never be able
tofupprefs or quench it unto all Eternity.
6. And it is a great Encouragement
to mv converi'e with God 7 thatnomif-
underftanJing, no malice cf Enemies, no
former fin ^or prder.c fradtv, no, nor
the infinite diftancc of the moil: holv glo-
rious Gad? tart hinder my accefs to him,
or turn av. ay his Ear or Love, or inter-
rupt my leave and liberty .of converfe.
If I convirtc with the pro*', their wants
afflttt ne, being greatei than I can Tup*
ply : Their c s an d expectations
h I cannot latUfie, are my trouble.
C$, it
knot caficto get atiefa : and lei/cafie
! to
1 34 Of Converfmg
to have their favour, uniefs I would]
purchafe it at too dear a rate: Howl
ftrangely and contemptuo; fly do they]
look^t their inferiours! Great Friends)
muft be made for a word or Smile : And I
if you be not quickly gone, they arc
aweary of you: And if you feek any
thing of them, or would put them to any
coft or trouble, you are as wclcom to
them as fo many Vermin or noifom
Creatures. They pleafe them beft that
drive you away. With how much la-
bour and difficulty muft you clime, if
you will fee the top of one of thefe
Mountains? And when you are there,
you are but in a place of barrennefs - ,
and have nothing tofatisfie you for your
pains, but a larger profpeft and vertigi-
nous defpeft of the lower grounds which
are not your own: Ic is feldom that
thefe Great Ones are to t>efpokcn with :
And perhaps their Speech is but a dcnyal
of your Rcqucfts,if notfomefnappifh and
contemptuous Rejection, that makes you
glad when you are got far enough from
them, and makes you the better like and
love the acceffible calm & fruitful Plains.
Bqti O how much greater encourage-
ments hath my boul to converfe with
God!
with God in folitude. 135
God! Company never hindereth him
from harkning to my Suit: He is Infi-
nite and Omnipotent, and as fufficient
for every individual Soul, as if he had no
other to look after in the World : When
he is taken up with the attendance and
praifes of his heavenly Hoft, he is as free
and ready to attend and anfwer the
groans and prayers of a contrite Soul,
as if he had no nobler Creatures, nor
no higher Service to regard. I am oft
unready, but God is never unready: I
am unready to pra.V, but he is not unrea-
dy to hear : I am unready to come to
God, to walk with him, and to fohce
my Soul with him •, but he is never un-
ready to entertain me. M^ny a time
my Confcience would have driven me
away, when he hath calied me to him,
and rebuked my accufing fearful Con-
fcience. Many a time I have called nrry
felf a Prodigal, a companion of Swine,
a miterable hard-hearted Sinner, unwor*
thy to be called his Son, when he hath
called me Child, and chid me for my
queftioning his Love. He hath readily
forgiven the Sins which I thought would
havcm:de my Soul fuel of Hell: He
hath entertained me with Joy, wtth
Mufick
I $ 6 Of Conner fing
Miifitk and a Fc I better de-
ferred :o hav peen j o g the Dogs"
Without his Doofs. He ha.h cm • a.ed
me in his iuflamrg conlolatwiy Aims,
when he might have ipurned my gudty ,
Soul to Hell, and laid, Depart from me, I
thou wo ker of Iniquity, I know thee
not. O little did I.think, that he could
ever have forg nten the Vanity and Vil-
iany of my Youth ; yea, fo eafily have ,
forgotten my moll aggravated fins.When-
I had finned sgainft Light; when I had
refilled Conscience •, when I had fre-
quently and wilfully injured Love, I
thoughk he would: never have .forgot-
ten it: i ; ur the g.eatnefs o; hi, Love
and Mercy, and the blood and innrcef- .
(ion of his Sai, hath cancelled all. O
how many Mercies hive. I tafted fince
1- thought: I had i finned away ad Mer-
cies! How patiently hath he born with.
me, fince I thought he w'ould never^
have put up more? And yet befidesmy
fins anJ the withdrawings of n y own
heart, there hath been nothing to in-
terrupt our converfe. Though he be,
Go U and I a worm, yet that would
not ! ave kept me out: Though he be
in Heaven, yet he is near to fuccour
mc
with God in foliiude. 1 3 7
me on Earth, in ail that iUat! upon him
for: Though he have the p*aif= of
progefs, he difdaineth ret my Teafs and
Groans: Though he have the peiieft
Love of perfc he knowcih t\\£
little Spatk inrr.y Bread-, and defoifeth
not my weak and languid Love: The
I iniure and difhonour him b\ loving
him no m^re; 1 ait forget fcimj
bid have teen out of the way when he
hath ccme or cafied me; thoi
flifobedicntly turned away n \
and unkindly refufed the entertainmc. ts
;, and unfaiihfuUv plaid with
i! whole corrpany he nie t
divorced rue, ror toi
;s. O wonderful ! that
e familiar with iEa
h Man ! the HigHeft with
fcWo the moft Hdy with an
Man rcfuferh
G< d will cntertair mf : f I ; that
ft -If. 1 hofe
that I-rever wronged or defcrved iH off,
rejetf me wit': Reproach: And God
i have u oth
nvite me, a d intrcat conde&
as if ht w ere bcl o' e:i
ved: Men th.t I have
defer-
1^8 OfConverfing
deleaved well of, do abhor me : And
God that I have delerveu Hell of, c orii
accept nv: c The heft of rhem ire Briars,
and as a thorny Hedge, and he is Love,
an.i Rel, and Joy: And yet I can be
more welcom to him, tho gh Ih^e of-
fended h : m, ihan I can to them whom I
have ohltgei : I have fteer leave to caft
my f If into rav Fathers Arms, than to
tumhl? in thole Briars, or wallow in
the D rr I upbraid my felf with my
fins, but he doth not upbraid me wit!:
them- I condemn my felf foe them, but
he condemns me iot : He forgiveth roe
fo ncr thai I can forgive my felf : I
have prace with him, before I can have
peace o? Confcience.
O 'her fore mv S uf, d^aw near to.
hi n thar is fo willing of thy company !
T^at fro v:>eth thee not awav, unlets it be
when tho i h iil fallen into the cirt, that
thou iitayft wall thee from thy fil-
thinefs, an] the fitce for his conv rfe.
D raw near to him that will not wrong
thee, by belicvmg mifreports of Ene-
mies, or laving to thy charge the things
thou kne eft not: but will forgive the
Wrongs thou haft C'one to him, and jufti-
fie thee from the fin, that Confdence
layeth
with God infolitude. ijy
layeth to thy charge. Come to him
that by his Word and Spirit, his Mini-
sters and Mercies calleth thee to come 9
and hath promiied, that thole that come
to him, he will m no wife fhut out. O
walk w 7 ith him that will bear thee up,
and lead thee as by the right hand (P/i/.
73. 2 3. ) and carry his Infarts when they
cannot go ! O fpeak to him that re ch-
eth thee to fpeak, and underftondcth
and accepts thy Stammering- a chelp-
cth thine Infirmities when thou knoweft
not what to pray for as thou oughteft ,
and giveth thee Groats when thou haft
not w.rdSy and knoxpeh the meaning of
his ! pi: it in thy Groans ; that cannot
be contained ir. the Heazen of Heavens^
an.' yet bath rclpett to the contrite Soul y
thar trembleth at his word> an J fe eth
his d'.fpleaiVre : T a^ pityeth the I ears,
anc dcipiieth not t e 'ghing of a broken
heatt, nor the ('cms o the forrow'ul.
Ov\«lk with h m that is never weary
of the conve fe of ,n upright S< ul !
THat is never angry with thee, but for
flying from him, or for draw ng back or
being too Orange, and refusing theki d-
nefe and feMcity of his prefencc. The
day is coming when the pro.deft of
the
140 Of Convey ftng
the Sons of Men would be g T ad of j 1
good look from him, that thou hafl
leave to walk wirh: Even they that!
would not look on thee, and thev that]
injured and abuled thee, and they that'
inieriours could have no accefs to \ O
jiow g!,d would they be then of a Smilel
or a word of hope and mercy from th
Father! !> 11 then to him, on
whom th Creation dothd'pendv
^vhofe favour at laft the proudeft and!
the worft would porchafe with the loui-
eft cries, when all their pomp and p( € a-
fu e is gone, and c*n purchafe nothing.
O walk with him that is L >vc it felf,
Bill! think hire not H'millmg or unlovely*
and let not the Deceiver by hideous
fions drive thee from him r
wh.n thou haft felt a while the ftorms*
:iunks thou, fhouldft fay,
How g<^od, how fafe, how fweet is it
to draw near to God!
7 . With whom fhoidd I fo defroufly con-
<verfe y as with him whom I mnft live with
for eve* ? If I take p'e^fure in my Houfe,
or Land,or Country, my walks, mv boo!«
or friends themfelves as c!oath v d wrtjji
fldh, I mu> poffefs this pleafure -but
a little while i Henceforth know we no
man
with Gcd in folitude. 14.T
man after the flefh: Had we known
pirift himielf after the flefh, we muft
know him fo no more for ever. ( Though
his Glorified fpiritual Body we fhall
know.) Do you converie with Father
pr Mo:her ? with Wives or Children ?
with Pafters and Teacher? ? Though
rou may convjerfe with thefe as Glorifi-
ed Saints, when you come to Chrift, yet
in thefe Relations that they ftand in to
rou row, you fhall converie with them
jut c. little while.* For the time isfijort:
It remaineth that both they that have wives
H as though they had none \ and they that
weep as though they wept net \and they that
rejoyce as though they rejoyced not', and
they that bay as though they fojjtjjed not 5
mid they that ufe the World^ as not abn-
fing it (or as though they fifed it not:)
for the fafinon of this World doth pafs a-
way.2 1 Cor. 7. 29, ;o> 31.
Why then fhould J fo much regard, a
converie of fo fhort continuance? Why
fhould i be fo familiar in my Inn, and
fo in love with tha: familiarity, as to
grieve when I muft but think of leaving
it, or talk of g c, and look for-
ward to the p'acewhc l I mud
ever ? (hall 1 be fond of the company of
142 Of Qonverfing
a pafTenger that I travel with (yea per-
haps one char doth nut meet me in the
way, and goah to a contrary place) and
(hall I not take morcpleafurc to remain
ber home? I wiH not be to uncivil as to
deny thole 1 meet a fhbrt falure, or to
be friendly wirh my fellow- Travellers^
But remember,0 my Soul, that thou doft v
not dwelt but travel here, and that it is rc
thy Fathers Ho-ife where thou mull a-.
bide forever: Yea and lie isneaierthee
than Man (though invifiblcj even in thy
way. O ice him then that is invifib'e:
HearKen to him when hefpea'eth: O-
bey his voice: Obfcrve hii way : Speaki
to him boldy, though humbly and re-
verently* a^ his Child, about the g eat
concernments of thy State : Tell hiniic
what it is that aile-hthec: And feeing i
ail thy fmart is the fruit of thy own finJ tl
confefs thy folly and onkindnefs, crave f
his forgivenefs, and remember him what
his Son hath fuffered, and for whatd
Treat with him about thy future courfei
Defue his Grace, and give up thy felfta
his Con '.'uft and his Cure: Weep ovc;
in his Ears the H ftory of thy mifd^ing!
and unthankf il courfe : Tell it him witf
penitential tears and groans ; But tell
him
with God in foli t tide. 143
him aHo the advant ge tM h c hath for
the honouring o\ his grace, if ir may now
abound where fin aboundeth : Tell hicn
thac thou art raoft offended \*ith rhy
felf, for that which he is mod offended
Wuh; That thou *rt angry with thy .if-
obedient unthankful hearr: That thou
prt even aweary o f that lvart that lo-
^eth him no more • At' that it (hall ne-
ver pleafe thee, till it Jove him better
and be more defirous to pleafe him : Tell
him of thy E: emits, and crave the
protcftion of his Love : Tell him of
ray frailties, infirmities and paffijfii,
and crave not cn!y his tender forbear-
ance, but his help: Tell him that
without him thou carift do nothing; and
owe the Grxethat is RiflScient for thee,
that through him that ft engtheneth thee
thou mayeft do all things/. When th u
failed, defpair nor, but crave h ; s help-
ing hind to raife thee. Speak tohimefc.
peciafly of the everldftin? things, and
thank him for his Promifes, ard for thy
Hopes: For what thoufh alt ^c y an have,
and do among his Holy ones for ever. ! x-
prefs thy jo s in the prom fe of thofe
joys*, that thou mijft fee hisGIofy, and
love lira, and praifchim better than
thou
344- yj tonver\\ng
ihcucanft now defirc. Beg nthofc prai-!
fes, and a* thou walkcft with him, take 1
plcafure inthe mention of h jions 5
be thankful to him and fpeak good of
his Name ;< Sol ice thy fclf inremembring]
what a God, what a defence an^ portion
a.'l belLvr- have: And in conuicring
whither he is now conducing thee, and
what he will do with thee, and what ufe
he will make of thee forever: Speaj$
with Rejoycing of the glory of his works,
and the righteoulhefs of his judg.r.en s,
and tho holineis and evenaeis of his
ways .• Sing forth his praiies vvith a joy-
ful] heart, and pleafanp, and triumphing,
voice-, and. frown .away all flavifh fears^
all importune malicious fugg;ftions oij.
doubts, all peevithhuftful nipping griefs,,
that would mar or interrupt the melody \ j
and would untune or unftring a raifedf]
Well compofed Soul. Thy Father loveth
thy very moans and Tears ; But how
much more doth he love thy Thanks and
Praife ? Or if indeed it be a Winrefi
time, a ftormy day with thee, and hd
leern to chide or hide his face becaufe
thou haft offended him, let the cloud
that is gathered by thy Folly come
down in tears, and tell him, Thou haft
finned
OfConverfmg 145
finned againft Heaven and before him,
and art no more worthy to be called
his Son ; but yet fly not from him, but
beg his pardon and the priviledges of a
Servant: And thou wilt find embrace-
ments, when thou feareft condemnation :
and find that he is merciful and ready
to fa-give : Only return, and keepclo-
fer to him for the time to come. If the
breach through thy neglcft be gone fo
far, as that thou feemeft to have loft thy
God, and to be caft off, and left forfa-
fcen •, defpair not yet} for he doth but
hide his face till thou repent : He doth
not forftke'thee, but only tell thee what
it is to walk fo carelefly as if thou
wouldft forfake him; Thou art fafterand
furer in his Love and rov^nant then thou
canft believe or rppr hend. Thy Lord
twas as dear as ever to his Father, when
he ciycd oir, My God, why bijl thou
Krfdkgn tne. But yet neglect him not, and
be not - fsol'hs withdrawings and
of th\ Lift up thy voice and cry
jnu [Ptthffil in defpight of unbelief,
:ry out \My Father, my Saviour^
y God^\ and thou (bait hear him
Anfwcr thee at laft [_My Child ;■]
Cry out [O rrhydoft thou bide thy face}
H and
71
14^ Of Lonverfmg
and why haft thou forfaken me ! what
fhall I do here vpitboHt thee ! leave me
net) lofe me not in this howling wiidernefs !
Let me not be a prey to any ravening beafi !
to my Jin> to Satan, to my foes and thine !]]
Lift up thy voice and weep, and tell him,
they are the tears and lamentation of his
Child : O beg of him, that thy wander-
ings and childifh folly, may not be taken
as a&s of enmity, or at lead that they
may be pardoned *, and though he correal
thee, that he will return and not forfakc
thee, butftill take thee and ufe thee as
his child. Or if thou haft not words to
pour out before him, at leaft finite upon
thy breaft, and though thou be afhamed
or afraid to look up toward Heaven, look
down and fay,[0 Lord Joe merciful to me a
fnner^\ and he will take it for an accep-
table fuit, that tendeth to thy pardon and
juftification, and will number fuchafen-
tance with the prayers which he cannot
deny. Or if thou cry, and canft not hear
of him, and haft long called put upon thy
fathers Name, and heareft not his voice
and haft no return •, enquire after him of
thofe thou mceteft : Ask for him of them. I
that know htm and arc acquainted With
his way ! Make thy moan unto the watch- j
men
with God in folitu&e. 147
men \ and ask them, where thou mayft
find thy Lord. And at laft he will ap-
pear to thee, and find thee firft, that thou
roayft find him, and (hew thee where it
was that thou didft lofe him, bylofing
thy fclf and turning from him! feekhim
and ihou fhalc find him : wait and he will
appear in kindnefs : For he never failcth
or forfakcth thofe that wait upon him.
This kind of Convcrfc, O my louf,
thou haft to profecute with thy God.
Thou haft alfo the concernments of all
his fervants; his AJfiitted ones , his broken
hearted ones> his difeafed ones, his perfe-
cted ones, to tell him of: Tell him alfo
of thexoncernments of his Kingdom, the
fury of. his Enemies, the difhonour they
caft upon his Name, the matters of his
Gofpel, caufe and intereft in the world :
But dill let his Righteous Judgment be
reracmbred, and all be terminated in the
glorious everkfting Kingdom.
Js it not much better thus to converfe
with him that I muft be with for ever, a-
bout the place, and the company, and
work, and concernments of my perpetu-
al abode, then to be taken up with ftran*
r|ers in my way, and detained by their
mpertinencics ?
H2 I
14S Of Converfng
I have forra'd my felffolongin thcfc
meditations, that 1 will but name the reft,
and tell you what I had further to have
treated on, arid leave the enlargement to
your own meditations.
8, I have no rcafon to be weary of
converfe with God, feeing it is that for
which all human converfe is regardable.
Converfe with man is only fo far defirable
as it tendeth to our Converfe with God:
And therefore the end muft be preferred
before the means.
9. It is the Office of Chrift, and the
work^ of the Holy Ghoft, and the life of all
the means of Grace , and of alt creatures,
mercies and afflictions, to red uce our ftray-
ing fouls to God, that we may converfe
with him and enjoy him.
I o. Converfe with God is mofi f nit able
to thofe that are fo near to death; Itbeft
preparcth for it : It is likeft to the work
that we are next to do. \fifc had rather
when death comes, be found converfing
withtWthcn with Man: It is God that
a dying man hath principally to do with :
It is his 'judgment that he is going to j
and his mercy that he hath to truft upon :
And therefore it concerneth us to draw !
near him now, and be no Grangers to him,
left
with God in folitude. 149
left ftrangcncfs then fhould be our ter*
rour.
1 1. How wonderful a condefcenfion
is it that God Jlionld be willing toconverfe
with me ! with fuch a worm and finftji
wretch: And therefore how unexcufa-
ble is my crime, if I refute his company,
and fo great a mercy !
12. Lift!/, Heaven it felf is but our
Converfe with God and his Glorified
ones, (though in a more perfeft manner
then we can here conceive.) And there-
fore our holy converfe with him here is
the ftate that is likeft Heaven, and that
pre, areth for it, and all the Heaven that
is on earth.
IT renruineth now that I briefly tell (
you, what you fliould do to attain'
and manage this Converfe with God, in ,
the improvement of your folitu Je. (Foe '
Directions in general for Walking with
God j I refcrve for another place.) At pre-
fent let thefe few fuffice.
Direft. 1 . If you would comfortably
Converfe with God, mak$ jure that you
are Reconciled to him in Chrift, and that
h% u indeed y^wr friend and Father. Can
H 3 two
1 50 Of CoHverfmg
two walk together except they be agreed?
Can you take pleafurc in dwelling with
the confucning fire ? or converting with
the mod dreadful enemy? Yet this I
muftadd, that every doubting or felf-ac-
chfing foul may not find a pretence to fly
from God. i. That God ceafeth not to
be a Father when ever a fearful foul
is drawn to queftion it or deny it. 2.
That in the Univerfa! Love and Grace of
God tomiferable Pinners, arfki in the uni-
verfal aft of conditional pardon and obli-
vion, and in the offers of Grace, and the
r eadirefs of God to receive the penitent,
there i& Glad Tidings that ftiould exceed-
ingly rcjoyce a a finncr 5 and there is
fufficicnt encouragement to draw the
moft guilty n iferable finner to fcek to
God, and fue for mercy. But yet the
fweetejl com/erfe is for children, & for thofe
that have fome affurance that they ar$
children.
But perhaps you will fay, that this is
not eafily attained : How fhall we know that
he is our friend ?
In brief, I anfwer, \iyon are unfeigned-
ly friends to God, it is becaufe he firft
loved y oh. Prefer him before all other
friends, and all the wealth and vanity of |
the
with God in [olitudt. 151
the world j Provoke him not by wilful*
nefs or negledt : ufc him as your beft
friend, and sbufe him not by difobedi-
ence or ingratitude 5 own him before all,
at the deareft rates, whenever you arc
called to it : Defire his prefence : Lament
his abfence : Love him from the bottom
of your hearts : Think not hardly of
him: Sufpett him not; Mifunderftand
him not : Hearken not to his enemies.:
Receive not any falfc reports againft him:
Take him to be really better for you than
all the world : Do thefe, and doubt not
but you are friends withGod f & God with
you; In a word, Be but heartily willing t*
befriends to God y and that Cod flionld be
yonr chcifeftfrievd) and you may be furc
that it is jo indeed, and that you are and
have what you defire. And then how
delightfully may you converfe with
God!
Dircft. 2. Wholly depend on the Medu
at ion of Chrift, the great Reconciler :
Without him there is no coming near to
God: But in his Beloved you fhall be ac-
cepted. Whatever fear of his dif plcafure
(hall furprize you, fly prefentfy for fafc-
ty unto Chnft : whatever guilt fhall look
you in the face, commit your felf and
H 4 caufc
J 52 Of Converging
caufc to Chrift, and dcfirc him to anfvvcr
for you : When the doors of mercy feem
tobcfliutupagainftyou, fly to him that
bears the kcyes, andean at any time open
to you, and let you in .? Defire him to an-
swer for you to God, to your conldences,
and againft all accufers : By him alone
you may boldly andcomfortably converfe
with God ; But God will not know you
out of him.
Direft. 3. Take heed of bringing far.
ticuhr Guilt into the pre 'fence of God y if
yen would havefaeet communion with him:
CLrift himielf never reconciled God to
fin : And the fmner m&fin are fo nearly
(related, that for all the death of Chrift,
you fti^li feeithn iniquity dweQtfh not
with God ; but he hateth the worKS o r ir,
and the fooli^li (hall not (land in his fight ;
and that if you will prefurre *-o fin becaufc
you r:re his Childreh, he fun your fa \>JB
§nd yon out. O whsc fe rs, ■ lut, [hamc,
whit »cli-abhoriC.tce a r -d -ftlf-rcvrnge
will guile raiic in a penitent foul, when
it comes into the light of the pre»t:ice of |
the Lord * it will unavoi Jahle abate your
boldnefs and your comforts: When you
fhou!d be fwcetly dtlighting in his pfea-
fed face, and promiled Glory, you will
be
with God in folitnde. 15 J
be befooling your felves for your former
fin, and ready even to tear your flefh, to
think that ever you (hould do as you have
done, and ufe him as you would not have
ufed a common friend, and caft your felves
upon his wrath. But an innocent fouf,
or pacified confeience, doth walk with
God in quietnefs and delight, without
thofe frowns and fears which are a tafte
of Hell toothers.
Direft. 4. If you would comforta-
bly converfe with God, be Jure that yon
bring not Idols in your hearts : Take heed
of inordinate affettion to an) Creature. Let
all things clfe be nothing to you, that you
may have none to take up your thoughts
but God. Let your Minis be further
feperate from them than your Bodies :
Bring not into folitude or to contempla-
tion, a proud, or luftful, or covetous
mind : It much more concerneth thee,
what Heart thou bringeft, that what
Place thou art in, or what rw^thou art
upon, A mind that is drowned in ambi-
tion, fenfmlity or paffion, will fcarcc
find God any fooner in any wildcrnefs
than in a croud( unlefs he be there return-
ing from thofe fins to God J where-ever
he feeth him, God will not own and be
H 5 familU
154 Of Converfwg
familiar with fo foul a foul. Seneca could
fay[£*idprodeft lotions regionis filentium^
fi affeiius fremunt ?] What good dozh the
fdencc of all the Country do thee 9 tf tho H
have the noife of raging affections within ?]
And Gregory faith [Quicorpore rtmotiis
wivit, &c. He that in body is far enough
from the tumult of human converfation, is
not infolitude y if he bufie him felf with earth-
ty cogitations and de fires : and he is not in
the City that is net troubled with the tumult
tf worldly cares or fear J, though bebepreffed
with the popular crouds.*} Bring not thy
houfe, or land, or credit, or carnal friend
along with thee in thy heart, if thou de-
fire and expect to walk in Heaven, and to
converfe with God.
Direa. 5. Live ftill by Faith •, Let
Faith lay Heaven and Earth as it were to-
gether : Look not at God as if he were far
off: fet himaways as before you, even
as at your right hand ; Pfal. 16. 8. Be
ftill with him when you awake, Pfal. 1 39.
18. In the morning thank him for your
t eft *, and deliver up your felt t o his jcon-
dudl and fervice for that day. Go forth as
with him, and to do his work : Do every
naion, with the Command of God, and
the promifc of Heaven before your eyes, _
and
With God in folitude. 1 $ $
snd upon your hearts : Live as thofc tha c
have incomparably more to co with G<4
and Heaven, than all this world} That
you may fay with David, Pfal. 37. 25,26.
(as aforecited) Whom have 1 in Heaven
but thee I and there is none on Earth that I
dejire befides thee Q And with Panl, Phil.
1. 21. [To me to Live is Chriflj and to
Bye is gain.'] You muft /hut up the eye of
fenfe (lave as fubordinate to Faith) and
live by Faith upon a God, a Chrift, and
a World that is unfecn, if you would
know by experience what it is to be above
the brutifh life of lenfualifts, and to
Converfe with God. O Chriftian, if thou
hadft rightly learned this blcfled life,
what a high and noble foul-converfation
wouldft thou have ! How eafily wouldft
thou fpare, and how little wouldft thoa
mifs the favour of the greateft, thepre-
fence of any worldly comfort! City or
Solitude would be much alike to thee,
laving that the place and ftate would be
bed to thee, where thou-haft the greateft
help and freedom to converfe with God,
Thou wouldft fay of human lociety as
SenecalJUnns propopulomthiefti & p puks
fro uno : Mihifatis eft muscat is eft nullus7\
[One is inftead of all the people to me 7 and
the
156 Of Converpag
the people as on-e > One is enough for we, and
none is enonghr\ Thus being taken up with
God, thou mighteft live in prifon as at
liberty, and in a wildernefs as in a City,
and in a place of baniftiment as in thy na-
tive Land : For the Earth is the Lords,
and the fulnefs thereof: and everywhere
thou ruayeft find him, and converfe
with fiim,, and lift up pure hands unto
him : In every place thou art within the
fight of home •, and Heaven is in thine
eye, and thou art converting with that
God, in whofe converfe the higheft An-
ge's do place their higheft felicity and de-
light.
How little caufe then have all the
Churches enemies to triumph, that can
never (hut up a true believer from the pre-
fence of his God? nor banifli hirfiinto
iiich a place where he cannot have his con.
verfation in Heaven? The ftones that
were caft at holy 'Stephen* could not hin-
der him from feeing the Heavens opened,
and Chrift fitting at the right hand of
God. A Patmos allowed holy John Com-
munion with Chrift, being there in the
Spirit on the Lords day, Rev. 1.9, io«
Chrift never fo fpcedily and comfortably
owocth his femnts, as when the world
difown
with God in fclitude. 157
difownetb them, and abufeth them for
his fake, and hurls them up and down as
the fcorn and off-fcouring of all. He
quickly found the blind man that he bad
cured, when once the Jews had taft him
out, Joh. 9. 3^. Peifecutors do but pro-
mote the blefiednefs and exceeding joy
of fuffercrs for Chrift, Mat. 5. n.
12.
And how little Reafon then have
Chriftians to fhun fuch fufferings by
unlawful means, which turn to their fo
great advantage ? and to give fo dear as
the hazard of their fouls by wilful fin, to
efcape the honour, and fafcty, and com-
modity of Martyrdom?
And indeed we judge not, we Love
not, we Live not as fan&ified ones muft
do, \(wc judge not that the trueft Liber-
ty, and Love it not as the Beft Condition,
in which we may Be ft converfc with God.
And O how much harder is it to walk with
God, in a Court, in the midft of fenfual
delights, than in a prifon or wildernefs,
where we have none to interrupt us, and
nothing elfe to take us up ? It is our pre-
poflefled minds, our car h'y hearts,* our
carnal affeftions and copcupifencc/ and
the pleafures of a profperous ftate, that
arc
I $8 Of Converfmg
are theprifon and thcjaylors of our foute.
Were ic not for thefe, how free (hould
wc be, though our bodies were con-
fined to the ftraighteft room! He is
at Liberty that an walk in Heaven,
and have accefs to God, and make ufe of
all the Creatures in the world, to the
promoting of this his Heavenly con-
verfation. And he is the prifoner whofe
foul is chained to flefh and earth, and
confined to his lands and houfes, and
feedeth on the duft of worldly riches,
or walloweth in the dung and filth of
gluttony, drunkennefs and luft : that
arc far from God, and defire not to be
near himj but fay to him, Depart
from us, we would not have the know-
ledge of thy ways : that Love their
prifons and chains fo well, that they
would not be fct free, but hate
thofc with the cruelleft hatred that
endeavour their deliverance. Thofe are
the poor prilbners of Satan, that have
not liberty to believe, nor to Love
iod, nor converfe in Heaven, nor feri-
ufly to mind or feek the things that
are high and honourable: that have
not liberty to meditate or pray, or .
ferieufly to ipeak of holy things, nor
to
with God in folitude. 159
to love and convcrfc with thofe that-c'o
fo : that are tycd fo hard to the drud-
gery of fin, that they have not liberty
one month, or week, or day, to leave
it, and walk with God fo much as for
recreation! But he that liveth in the
family of God, and is employed in at-
tending him, and doth converie with
Chrift, and the Hoft of Holy ones a-
bove, in reafon fhould not much com-
plain of his want of friends, or compa-
ny or accommodations, nor yet be too
impatient of any corporal confinement.
Laftly, be fure then mod narrowly
to watch your hearts, that nothing have
entertainment there, which is againft
your Liberty cf converfe with God.
Fill not thofe Hearts with worldly
trafh, which are made and new-made
to be the dwelling place of God. De-
fire not the company which would di-
^minifh your heavenly acquaintance and
correfpondency. Be not unfriendly,
nor conceited of a felf-fufficiency, but
yet beware left under the honcft inge-
nuous title of a friend, a fpecial, faith-
ful, prudent, faithful friend, you fhould
cnterta-in an Idol, or an enemy to your
Love of God, or a cor rival and com-
petitor
1
I 60 Of CoMverfwg
pctitor with your higheft friend: For
if you do, it is not the fpecious title
of a friend that will favc you from the
thorns and bryars of difquietment, and
from greater troubles than ever you
found from open enemies.
O bleffed be that High and everlaft-
ing friend, who is every way fuitcd
to the upright fouls! To their Minds,
their Memories, their Delight, their
Love, &c. By fureft Truth, by fulleft
Goodncfs, by cleared Light, by dear-
eft Love, by firmeft Conftancy, &c.
— O why hath my drowfie and dark-
fighted foul been fo feldom with him!
why hath it fo often, fo ftrangely, and
fo unthankfully pafled by; and not olv
fcrvedhim, nor hearkened to his kind-
eft calls ! O what is all this trafh and
trouble that hath filled my memory,
and employed my mind, and cheated
and corrupted my aflfe&ions, while my
dcareft Lord hath been days and nights
fo unworthily forgotten, fo contempcu-
oufly negle&ed,. and difregarded, and
loved as if I loved him not / O that
thefe drovpfie and thofe waking nights,
thofe loitered, loft, and empty hours,
had been fpent in the humbleft converfe
with
with God in folk tide. 161
with him, which have b<ren dreamed and
doted away upon now I know not
what ! O my God, how much wifer
and happier had I been, had I rather
chofen to mourn with thee, than to
rejoyce and fport with aiv other / O
that I had rather wept with thee, ttan
laughed with the creature! For the
time to come, let that be my friend, that
mod befriendeth my dark, ard dull,
and backwaid foul, in its undertaken
progrefs, and heavenly converfation I
Or if there be none iuch upon e^rth,
let me here take one for my friend !
O blot cut every Name from my cor-
rupted heart, which hindereth the deep-
er engraving of thy Name! Ah L rd,
what a Hcnr, what a blind ungrateful
thing, U a He^rt not touched with
ccleffial Ldve! yet flu" \ not run to
thee > whv-n have non< e!fs th . t will
know roe.' (hall I - t draw ce P
when all fly from me! W . iy
cipt .:. cut fo I uc [NONE
P 11 T GHRIST: COO OR
NOTHING.] Ahfo Lfl JI< i t, that
haft thought of it [ A her. is :' t \ lace,
that Cave or Defcrt, uhc.e I ruighc
fconeft find ihec, and fulled enjoy thee?
Is
162 Of Cowverfwg
Is it in the wildcrnefs that thou walkeft,
or in the c/oud : in the Clofet, or in
the Church ; where is it that I might
fooneft meet wirh Gxl?] But alas, I
now percci-e, that I navfc a Heart to
fin i, before I am like to find my Lord\
OLovclefs> Lifelcft, ftrony heart! that's
dead to him tha give it Life! ar.d to
none but him! CouiJ I rot Love 9 oc
r all, mahinks I were
lefs dead than now ? L.fs Jeai, if dead,
tha n .1 vc? 1 hat! a f a;oft laid
i, let me never Love more till I
can Love thee ? Nor think more on
any thi^g till I can more willingly
thirk of thcc?l But I muft fupprefs
that wi h ; for Life will aft: And the
merries n id motions of Nature are
necejfary to thofc of Grace. And there-
fore in the life of Nature, and in the
glimmerings of thy Light, I will wait
for moreoftheCelcftial life ! My God,
thou haft my confent/ It is hcic artift-
cd un ier my hand : Separate me from
wh*t and whom thou wilt, fo I may bat
be newer thee ! Let me Love thee more,
and feel more of thy Love, and then
let me Love or be beloved of the world,
as little as thou wilt.
1
with God in folitude. 163
I thought [elf -love had been a more
predominant thing : But now I find
that Repentance hath its anger, its Hat-
red and its Revenge / I am truly An-
gry with that Heart that hath fo oft
and foolifhly offended thee ! Methinks
I hate that Heart that is fo cold and
backward in thy love, and afmoft
grudge it a dwelling in my breaft!
Alas when Love fn ou!d be the' life of
Pnyer, the life of holy Meditation,
the life of Sermons ?nd of holy Con-
ference, and my ; : n thefe fhould
1 ng to meet thee, ght to mcn«|
• tion thee, I ftragg'c ! ord, I know
not whether! or 1 fit frill and wifli,
but do not rifc^nd run .;nd follow thee,
ye>, I do not what I fer:m to do. All's
dead, all's dead, for Wane of Love .' I
often cry, O where is th;t place,
where the quickening beams of Heaven
arc warmed, that my fout 1 i^ht fcefi
it Out JJ But whether ever 1 go, to
City or toSJdde, alas, I find it is
not PUce that makes the difference. I
know that Chrift is perfeftly rcplcnifti-
cd with Life and Light, and Love Di-
vine : And I hear him as our Head
and Treafurc proclaimed and offered
to
I&4 OfConverfing
to us in the Gofpel! This is thy
Record, that he that hath the Son hath
Life / O why then is my barren foul
fo empty / I thought I had long ago
confented to thy offer \ and then ac-
cording to thy Covenant, both He and
Life in him are mine/ And yet mud
I ftill be dark and dead !
Ah deareft Lord, I fay not that I
have too long waited ! but if I conti*
me thus to wait, wilt thou never find
the time of Love ? and come and own
thy gafping worm? wilt thou never
diflipate thefe clouds, and fliine upon
this dead and darkened foul? Hath my
Night no Day? Thrufl; floe not from
thee,, O my God / Foi tl ttfsa Hell, to
be thruft from God. But iure the
caufc is all at home, could I find it
out, or rather could I cure it/ It is
furc my face that's turned from God,
when I fay, His fece is turned from
me. But if my Life mud here be out
of fight, and hidden in the Root (with
Ghrift in God,) and if all the reft be
referved for that better w T orld, and I
muft here have but thefe frail begin-
nings/) make me more to Love, and long
for the bleflcd day of thine appearing,
and
with God infolitude. 165
and not to fear the time of ray deliverance,
y nor unbelievingly to linger in this So-
dom, as one that had rather ftay with fin,
then come to thee! Though fin hath
made me backward to the fight, let it
not make me backward to receive the
Crown 5 Though it hath made me [a
loiterer In thy work, let it not make
me backward to receive that wages,
which thv Love will give to our par-
doned, poor, a:ceptcd fervices. Though
I huve too oft dnwn back, when I
(houki have cone unro thee, and wal-
ked with thee in thy ways of G^ace,
yet heal that unbelief, ar.d d'v
which would iihkc me to draw back,
when thou catfeft me to poflefs thy
Glory? Though thefickneis and lame*
nefs of my foul hkvt hindere< me in
my journy, yet let their paipfi f nefs
help me to defire to be delivered from
them, and to be 1 e (Airj^
out the interpofing lighti 0; thy 'n-
pleafure^ I mall fuily feel thy full (i
Love, and walk with thy C!
ones in the Light of thy Glor^ tri-
umphing in thy Praiie for even
Amen.
BUT
Job Uf x^onverjwg
Bli T now I have given you thefc
few Directions for the improved
wtnt cf your folitude for converge with
Cod y left I fhould occafion the hurt of
thofe that arc unfit for the LefTon I
have given, I muft conclude with this
Caution (which 1 have formerly alfo
publifhed,) That it is not malcnchotfy
or weak-headed pcribns, who arc not
able to bear fuch exerciie c , for whom .
I have written thefe Directions. Thole
that are not able to be much in fe-
rious folitary thoughtfulnefs, without
confufions and diftra&ing fuggeftions,
and hurrying vexatious thoughts, muft
fet themfelvcs for the raoft part to
thofe duties which are to be done in
company by the help of others ; and
muft be very little in fo'itary duties:
For to them whofe natural faculties are
fo diieafed or weak, it is no duty^ as
being no means to do them the defired
jjlod ; but while they ftrive to do that
which they are naturally unable to en-
dure, they will but confound and dif-
traft themfelves, and make themfelves
unable for rhofc other duties which
yet they arc not utterly unfit for. To
fuch perfons therefore inftead of order-
ed
with God in folitude. l6y
cd, well-digefted Meditations, and
much time fpent in fecret thoughtful-
nefs, it muft fufficc that they be brief
in fecret Prayer, and rake up with fuch
occafional abrupter Meditations as they
are capable of, and that they be the
more in reading, hearing, conference,
and praying and praifing God with o-
thers: untill their melancholly diftem-
.pers arc fo far overcome, as that (by
the dire&ion of their Spiritual Guides)
they may judge thcrofelves fit for this
improvement of their Solitude.
F INI s.
Books Printed for John Sains-
bury in CornhilL
TH E Gofpel Feaft opened,
or the Great Supper of the
Parable difcovered, in ieveral Ser-
mons. By Jo/epb Hujfey, Pallor
in Cambridge.
An Inquiry after Religion, or
a Veiw of all Religions and Seels
in the World. By a Member of
the Royal Society.
A Word to poor, ignorant, and
carelefs people, that mind not the
Salvation of their precious fouls ;
containing Directions for a Holy
Life ; with a Catechifin and Pray-
ers for Families, and Graces be-
fore and after Meat.
Books
Books V tinted, for John Salusbuiy
in CornhilL
TH E certainty ofTheWorldsofSpi- 1
rits, fully evinced by unqueftion* |
able Hiftories of Apparitions and Witch-
crafts, Operations, Voices, &c* Proving I
the Immortality of Souls> the Malice 1
and Miferies of the Devils and the Dam- I
ned, and the Bleflednefs of the Juftifi- I
ed. By Richard Baxter.
An End of Dottrinal Controverfies which $|
have lately troubled the Churches, by ^
reconciling explication without much 1
Dilputing. By Richard Baxter.
The Proteftant Religion truly ftated I
and juftified, by the late Reverend Di-
> vine Mr. Richard Baxter : Whereunto
is added by way of an EpiiUe, forne
Account ol ?;irned Author, ne-
ver be' (bed. By Mr. Alatth.
Sylveficr and Mr. Daniel Williams.
The Harmony of the Divine Attri-
butes,!^ the contrivance and accoirplifh- (
ment of Mans Redemption by the
Lord Jefiis Chrift. By Willi** ButesA
D- D.
The Changablenefs of this WorKM
with refpc Jation , Families anfl
particular Performs i with a pra
Applica- i
Application thereof tfr fw^vanous con-
ditions of this Mo r t I Eife. By Timo-
¥ thy Rogers y M. A.
The Chriftian Lover, or a difcourfc
opening the Nature of Participation
; with, and Demonftrating the neceffi-
v r of Purification by Chrifh By T.
Orufe.
The Duty andblefling of a Tender
l/Conicience, plainly dated and earneftly
ifecornmended to all that regard accep-
tance with God, and the profperity of
■their Souls. By the fame Author-
Hvc Sermons on various Occafions.
I By the fame Author.
The Mirrour of Divine Love unvail'd,
in a Paraphrafe on the High and mifte-
rious Song of Solomon. By Robert Item-
ing. V. D, M.
The Mourners Memorial, in two
Sermons on the death of the truly
Pious Mr*. Sufannah Some. With fome
Account of her Life and death. By T.
Wright^ and Robert Fkming. V. D. M.
A newExamination if the Accidence and
jB , r/iw;^r,inF.ng!ifh andLatin,wherein all
BicRulcs Q^Proferi qu<t Maribus^ Que 6>*
lpv/4; in pnfwtLSwtaXyand PrtfodiM^rc
.firadc plain and eafic, that the meaneft Ca-
nity may fpcedily learn the Latin
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