The practice of Christian perfection wherein several considerations, cautions, and advices are set down, for the perfecting of the saints, and completing them in the knowledge of Christ Jesus / by Thomas White ...
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Title
The practice of Christian perfection wherein several considerations, cautions, and advices are set down, for the perfecting of the saints, and completing them in the knowledge of Christ Jesus / by Thomas White ...
Author
White, Thomas, d. 1682.
Publication
London :: Printed by T.M. for Tho. Vere ...,
1651.
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Subject terms
Perfection -- Religious aspects.
Salvation.
Theology, Doctrinal.
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"The practice of Christian perfection wherein several considerations, cautions, and advices are set down, for the perfecting of the saints, and completing them in the knowledge of Christ Jesus / by Thomas White ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/a65809.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 29, 2024.
Pages
descriptionPage 1
A
DIRECTORY
TO
Christian Perfection.
MATT. 5. VER. 48.
Be ye therfore perfect, even
as your Father which is in
Heaven is perfect.
A Malicious Chri∣stian
and a cour∣teous
Cynick, are
expressions equal∣ly
including con∣tradiction;
yet
notwithstanding, it is too mani∣fest,
descriptionPage 2
that thousands that honour
themselves with the name of
Christians, dishonour God, and
by their works deny their very
name; for if the least injury be
offered them either in word or
in deed, though in passion, how
do they foame and rage, like the
troubled Sea, while they are re∣venged
of the injury? But our
Saviour here doth abundantly
condemn, and give rules to the
contrary, from ver. 43. to the end
of the Chapter. A brief expositi∣on
whereof shall serve both for
the prosecution of the point, and
introduction to the text. In the 43.
ver. our Saviour sayes, That you
have heard that it hath been said,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and
hate thine enemy: our Saviour does
not say that ever it was said so; for
there is not any place in Scrip∣ture
descriptionPage 3
where we are commanded
to hate our enemy; and there are
three things wherein their glosse
is faulty.
First is, that they restrain the
word Neighbour, to one of their
own kindred or nation, which our
Saviour fully confutes in the
tenth of Luke, in the parable of
the good Samaritan.
Secondly, they leave out, as thy
felfe.
Thirdly, they put in, thou shalt
hate thine enemy; whereas there is
nothing in the scripture for it, but
many places against it: Exod. 23.
ver. 4, 5. If thou meetest thine ene∣mies
Ox or his Ass going astray,
thou shalt surely bring it backe to
him again. If thou seest the Asse of
him that hateth thee lying under
his burden, and wouldest forbear to
help him, thou shalt surely help
descriptionPage 4
with him. And whereas some
say it was to be meant of an Isra∣elite,
if he be an enemy, but not
of those of other Nations, but
that they might hate them; the
contrary is evident, Deut. 10. v. 19.
Love ye therfore the strangers, for
yee were strangers in the land of
Egypt.
Vse. The use of this is, That e∣very
one should read the Word
of God, for if he only hears the
Word, and searhes not the Scrip∣ture,
he shal hear that many things
are said in the Word of God,
which are no where there to be
found; but divers times the cleane
contrary.
Argu. So the first argument a∣gainst
revenge is, that from the
Alpha, & beginning of Genesis, to
the Omega and Amen of the Reve∣lations,
there is not one syllable to
descriptionPage 5
warrant us in such practises, but
they are diametrically opposite
to the doctrine of the Gospel, as
you have it in the next verse; But
I say unto you: as if Christ should
say, Whatsoever thoughts your
own corruption suggests unto
you, or whatsoever men shal say
unto you, it matters not, they are
likely enough to blow the least
sparke of contention into a flame;
they haply wil tel you, that if you
bear one injury you invite ano∣ther.
But I say unto you, Love your
enemies, besides, there is an Em∣phasis
in the words, I and you; for
it hath the same force to move us
to love our enemies, Mat. 11. 33.
He that hath loved us, and gave
himself for us when we were his
enemies, may he not justly ex∣spect
and command from us
that we should love our enemies?
descriptionPage 6
that we should forgive an hun∣dred
pence when he commands
us so to do, that hath forgiven us
ten thousand talents. But to the
further exposition of the follow∣ing
words, we are to love our e∣nemies,
be they never so many we
must love them all, and be they
never so much ones enemies, for
here is no limitation put either in
respect of their number or enmi∣ty,
or in respect of our love; it is
not said how much we should
love them, to shew that wee
should love them without mea∣sure.
Reas. Now the reason why love
your enemies is put first, is because
that this must have an influence
upon all the rest; we must bless
them that curse us, do good to
them that hate us, upon this very
ground, and from this princi∣ple,
descriptionPage 7
because wee love them.
But if our enemies curse us,
then we are not to content our
selves wirh a bare inward love to
them, but we must shew our love
by our outward expressions; and
as our enemies encrease in the
manifestations of their enmity, so
we must encrease in the manife∣stations
of our love, and we must
not only not curse again, or be si∣lent,
and neither blesse nor curse,
but we must bless them that curse
us: nor is it set down how much,
how often, nor when we must
bless, that we might put no li∣mits
to our blessing in any of
these respects: and as before it is
observed concerning our enemies,
be they never so many, and ne∣ver
so much our enemies, we
ought to love them; for the
same observations may runne
descriptionPage 8
thorow all the rest of the bran∣ches
of this precept, nor doth our
Saviour wish us to reprove those
that curse us, but to blesse
them.
First, Because reproofs at such
a time are very unseasonable; for
doubtlesse there is a time to re∣prove.
Secondly, Generally because
reproofs at such times when peo∣ple
are cursing of us, are a kind
of revenge taken of them, espe∣cially,
if it be before others; for
wee lay open their shame.
Thirdly, Because this is the
mildest, the secretest, and loving∣est
way of reproofe; for I re∣member,
the rule is given, that one
should not, if one hears one speak
a word of Latine wrong, tell him
that he pronounces it not as it
should be pronounced, much lesse
descriptionPage 9
to tell him that he is an Ignorant
man, but speedily to take some
occasion to speake that word
right; so here, if thine enemy
speak false Christian language thy
mildest way to shew him his er∣rour,
is by speaking those words
right which he hath spoke wrong;
for by thy blessing him, thou do∣est
in a milde manner shew that
he should have blessed thee.
The next branch is, that wee
should do good to them that hate
us: many are willing to give good
words, but they will not do any
good deeds to their enemies, they
will serve God of that which
cost them nought; but in the O∣riginall
it is not, Do good to them
that hate you, but do well; to
shew us that if we do our enemy
good, yet if we do it in a churlish
and scornfull manner, we do not
descriptionPage 10
observe his commandment: But
if thine enemy shall have blocked
up this way, because he scornes
to receive, or by reason of his
persecution hath disabled thee to
bestow any temporall courtesie
upon him, then take another
way, and doe him that courtesie
which he cannot reject; for
though one cannot give a man
money who will not receive it,
yet one may pray, and ones pray∣ers
may be powerfull to do our
enemies good whether they will
or no; so that thou canst never be
so impoverish'd by persecution,
but thou art worth a prayer; nor
thine enemy can hardly be so ob∣stinate,
but thy prayers may fa∣sten
blessings on him: doe thine
enemy as much good as thou
canst, & what thou canst not do,
desire God to do for him. It fol∣lowes,
descriptionPage 11
That ye may be the children
of your Father.
First, it is not meant as if we
could love our enemies before we
were Gods children, or that this
is the way to get adoption or re∣generation;
for he calls God
their Father when he wishes them
to do thus, that they may be his
children; therefore the meaning
may be thus: First, that you may
be, id est, that you may be known
to be both to your selves and o∣thers;
as it is said, We are justi∣fied
by works, id est, our justifi∣cation
is knowne to our selves
and others by works; or so that
you may be children, is meant,
that since two wayes we are the
children of God, by adoption, and
sanctification; in respect of san∣ctification
we may have the i∣mage
of God renewed more and
descriptionPage 12
more in us, and so in a qualified
sense may be said more to be
Gods children; & in that sense we
may attain to be more the chil∣dren
of God, id est, more like him.
Secondly, None can be the chil∣dren
of God unless they love their
enemies.
Thirdly, That every one
should strive both to be, and to
know himselfe to be the child of
God.
Fourthly, That no man by na∣ture
is the child of God, since no
man by nature can or does love
his enemy, as it follows, which is in
heaven.
First, We can never love our e∣nemies,
so long as we are no more
then the children of our earthly
father.
Secondly, That it is an heavenly
thing to love ones enemies, and
descriptionPage 13
therfore ex diametro, an hellish
thing to hate ones friends, and
therfore to hate Gods people.
1. Because they are our friends.
2. They are heavenly.
3. This is the first motive to
perswade to love, &c. And as it
follows; for he makes his Sun to a∣rise.
First, This is that second motive
to the duty, id est, Gods Example;
and it stands thus; If God who is
greater then you, does bestow
greater blessings upon those that
are greater enemies, and between
whom and him there is a greater
distance, how much more should
you love, &c?
Secondly, The Sun doth not arise
of it selfe, that knows not what
it does, nor is it of necessity that
the Sun should arise; of necessi∣ty,
it is in respect of the Sun, not
descriptionPage 14
in respect of God, for he makes
it to arise; so that the Sun cannot
choose but arise, but God might
choose whether he would make it
arise.
Thirdly, These common bles∣sings
come not by chance, as well
as not by necessity; it is by
Gods providence that we enjoy
them.
Fourthly, It shews the conti∣nuall
concurrence and power of
God with naturall causes, it is not
like a clock, which when it is once
wound up, will go of it selfe by
the weight; but as a pen, that
writes not without the continu∣all
guidance of the writer; so
God did not at the first create the
World, Sun, &c. and so with∣out
his actuall concurrence to e∣very
particular act enable them
to do it, so that the Sun did not
descriptionPage 15
arise at the first moment of its cre∣ation
more immediately by the
power and providence of God,
then it does now, this advances
Gods goodnesse; for as one that
hath setled maintenance upon▪ an
Hospitall for the poore, it argues
not so much patience in him, to
suffer the men there if they abuse
him to receive their setled sti∣pend,
as it does for him daily
to feed them with his own hand,
and to put mony into one of
their hands, while the other is lif∣against
him.
Fifthly, Or may not he make
it be taken in this sense? that all
the creatures of God are enemies
to the wicked; the earth will
not bear them, but open her
mouth and swallow them; the
fire will not warme them, but
consume them; the Sunne
descriptionPage 16
will not give light unto them, as
it did once in Egypt, while they
had light in Goshen; but God, as
it were, renuente sole, doth make
it arise upon the good and the
bad; it shews the great power of
God, that not only the things on
earth, but all the creatures in hea∣ven
and earth obey him: he that
can make the Sunne arise,
what can he not do? Nehemiah
9. 6. As it followes; His Sun to
arise.
First, à fortiori, it is a Motive
to us to do good to our enemies.
Reas. First, Because that which
we give or bestow on them in re∣spect
of God, we have no right to,
we are but his Stewards, and what
have we that we have not received?
we have the possession of al those
things we have, but not the dispo∣sing
of them: in respect of the poor,
descriptionPage 17
to give them alms is charity, in
respect of God it is justice. But
you see here the Sun is called his
Sun, he hath a ful title to it: if
he therefore gives that which is
his own, and is Lord of, much
more should we deliver that, of
which we are only Stewards, when
he that is the Lord commands
us.
Secondly, Consider what he
gives; it is his Sun, the greatest of
al temporal blessings in the world;
for we might longer live without
food or raiment, then without
the benefit of the Sun; for with∣out
his heat all things would im∣mediatly
freeze to death: nay,
not only by giving the wicked the
benefit of the Sunne, they en∣joy
that heat which is necessary,
for life, but they enjoy the light
of the Sunne, which is a thing of
descriptionPage 18
ornament and pleasure, to make
their life comfortable, Eccle. 11.
7. Therefore if God gives the
wicked things of ornament, much
more give your enemy bread,
Romans 12. 20. No man not on∣ly
cannot, but doth not offer to
lay claime to the Sun: and as it
follows, On the good and the
bad: some will say, how can it
be otherwise? for if the Sunne
shines upon the good, how can
it but shine upon the bad also,
since they are in one Kingdome,
in one Towne, in one house?
but God is not necessitated to
bestow this mercy upon the bad,
though he bestowes it upon the
good; For de facto, God did
make it darke in Egypt when it
was light for three dayes in Go∣shen,
though they were of the
same Kingdome; the cloud gave
descriptionPage 19
light to the Israelites in their
March, and at the same time was
darkness to the Egyptians, Exod.
14. 19, 20. Besides, God can
strike all wicked men with blind∣nesse,
so that the Sunne shall
be in respect of his light, as if it
was not to them: and he might
strike them with such a burning
feaver as he threatens, Deuter.
28. 22. that for its heat the
Sunne should be worse to them,
then if it was not, and thou∣sand
other wayes known to the
Lord.
Secondly, We see that by com∣mon
and temporal blessings, the
good are not distinguished from
the bad.
Thirdly, It followes that wic∣ked
and unjust men are Gods e∣nemies,
and curse God, hate
God, persecute God, and de∣despitefully
descriptionPage 20
use him; or else it
would not follow from this ex∣ample
of Gods dealing with wic∣ked
men, that we should love our
enemies, &c. For one might say, it
is true, God makes his Sun to
shine upon the bad and unjust,
but though indeed they be Gods
enemies, yet they do not hate
him, curse, &c. as mine do
me.
Thirdly, That God may be
said to blesse, and do good to
those that are bad and unjust,
Deut. 10. 17. Acts. 14. 17. And
as it followes; He sendeth
rain.
First, God bestows not one, but
many blessings upon the wicked,
he doth not only make the Sun
to arise, but sends also the rain
upon them; nay, by bestowing
this second blessing, he takes off
descriptionPage 21
that inconvenience which other∣wise
would follow upon the en∣joyment
of the first; nay they do
help mutually one another; for
the rain cooles the heat of the
Sun, and the Sun warms the cool∣nesse
of the raine, and both
together make the earth fruit∣full:
from hence we may
learn,
First, To doe great and
many benefits to our ene∣mies.
Secondly, Not to do them such
courtesies that we know wil bring
mischiefes upon them; and to do
them good in one thing, on pur∣pose
to do them hurt in ano∣ther.
Thirdly, We should do good to
those that do not only not thank
us for courtesies, but attribute it
to others; for God does so, he
descriptionPage 22
makes his Sunne to shine, and
his raine to fall, not only upon
those that are so bad as not to be
thankful for them, but are so
exceeding unjust as not to ac∣count
God the Author of them.
The observations concerning
Gods making the Sunne to arise,
&c. Mutatis mutandis, may a∣gree
to this later part of the
verse; this may also be observed,
that God doth not only give
temporall blessings to those that
ask and come for them, but he
sends his mercies home to their
very doors; for the cloudes that
arise from the Sea, or other pla∣ces,
he causes his winds to carry
them to their habitations. Be∣sides,
this may be observed, that
one reason why our Saviour in∣stances
in these blessings rather
then in others, may be, not on∣ly
descriptionPage 23
the reasons before, but this
also, that we might never want
a Motive to our doing good
to our enemies; for whether
it raines, or shines, we have
either the instance of Gods ma∣king
the Sunne to shine, or his
rain to fall upon wicked men;
as it follows, Vpon the just and
unjust.
First, It is not set down here
as contradistinguished, as if there
were some bad that were not un∣just,
and some unjust that were
not bad; nor is it meant, God
makes his Sunne to arise on the
bad, and sends his raine upon
the unjust, bestowes some kind
of these blessings upon some wic∣ked,
and the other kind upon
other wicked men, but he be∣stowes
both upon all; as before
it is not meant, we should love
descriptionPage 24
our enemies, but not love those
that curse us; or blesse those that
cursed us, but not blesse those
that hate us; but as when God
commands us to blesse them that
curse us, and does not say, doe
good to them that curse you, it
is because blessing is directly op∣posed
to cursing; and so it is
more likely to make him that
curses see his error, because con∣traries
being placed one by ano∣ther,
make each other more ap∣parent,
as it is before shewn, and
as it followes; for if ye love them
that love you: The former argu∣ment
was from the example of
Almighty God, whom all con∣fesse
in all things to do well;
there he brings an argument from
them whom all condemn, and
the argument stands thus; You
all desire and expect to be rewar∣ded
descriptionPage 25
for your workes, but none
of you think that the Publicans
shall have any reward, therefore
neither you, if you love them
that onely love you, for so do
they.
Secondly, It is good to
make use of that evill opi∣nion
wee have of others, as
a Motive to our-selves to be bet∣ter.
Thirdly, That the wickedest
man may have something good
in him, but nothing perfect;
and as it followes; What re∣ward
have ye? Christ doth not set
it down positively, that they have
no reward, but by way of Que∣stion
to shew them that it is not
onely his judgment, but their
owne, for he appeales to their
owne consciences; and it
shewes the manifestnesse of the
descriptionPage 26
truth, since self-love doth cast
such a mist before our eyes when
we are to judge of things con∣cerning
our selves, that except
the truth doth shine very bright,
we cannot behold it; it is not
said, what great reward, but what
reward: to shew them that they
should be so farre from expecting
everlasting life, that they can∣not
expect any reward at
all.
Thirdly, It is not said, what
reward shall yee have, but what
have yee; to shew that they are
not to expect so much as a tem∣porall
reward for loving their
friends.
Fourthly, They have tem∣porall
blessings as Motives to o∣bedience,
but none by way of
reward for obedience; for it is
not said, What blessings, but
descriptionPage 27
what reward have you; for if
one say of your righteousnes you
do, Do not the Publicaus the
same? one may say of your bles∣sings,
Have not the Publicans the
same? Do not even the Publi∣cans
the same? The Publicans
were such as used to receive cu∣stome,
tribute-money, and o∣ther
taxes, and were men very
odious to the Jewes, both for
their injustice and oppression of
them, and they were generally
Heathens, because the Jewes did
abhorre to have any hand in the
oppressing of their own Nati∣on;
nay, our Saviour joynes
them with Harlots, Sinners, Hea∣thens;
and if you salute your
brethren onely, the word
translated salute, signifies to
kisse and embrace; and our
Saviour doth signifie by it all
descriptionPage 28
outward expressions of love.
Secondly, By Brethren is meant
our near kindred and acquain∣tance.
Thirdly, this word only is to
be referred as well to the former
verse as to this; and the observa∣tions
(mutatis mutandis) upon that
may he applyed to this. And so
I come to the words of the text,
Be ye perfect, &c.
In the handling of these words,
I shall shew these things.
First, How we must be perfect
as our Father which is in heaven is
perfect.
Secondly, in the pressing of
Christian perfection, three things
I shall set downe. First, Seve∣rall
Considerations. Second∣ly,
Severall Cautions. Third∣ly,
Severall Rules or Advi∣ses
descriptionPage 29
Before I come to the Exposi∣tion
of the words, to shew how
we must be perfect as our Father
which is in Heaven is perfect, I
must remove an Objection that
quarrels against the perfection of
this rule of perfection; viz First,
That this rule is too high: Se∣condly,
It is dangerous: Third∣ly,
That it is imperfect and too
short.
First, It is too high: for what
man or Angel is able to be as per∣fect
as God? It is not compatible
to any created nature, for that be∣ing
finite, cannot possibly be ca∣pable
of infinite perfection; for his
glorious name is exalted above all
blessing and praise, Neh. 9. 5.
And the Lord is fain to dwell
in thick darknesse, and ther∣by
doth connivere radios suae glo∣riae;
and the Angels also do cover
descriptionPage 30
their faces with their wings, or
else they were not able to behold
his glory, their understanding
would be dazled: if therfore they
are not able to behold his glory
in its ful strength and vigour, how
much lesse are they able to attain
it? how much lesse able are we
that are sinfull dust and ashes,
who are not able to behold (that
which is darkenesse in compa∣rison
of God) the Sunne, to
be perfect as God is per∣fect?
First, I answer, That we are
here commanded to attaine the
same kind, not the same degrees
of perfection: it is not, Be as per∣fect
as your Father; but, be perfect
as your Father; we are to go
in the same steps, though not
aequis passibus, his example is
the copy we should write by;
descriptionPage 31
though it be impossible to write
so curious an hand, yet we
may write the same words
&c.
Secondly, It is an advantage
to have so perfect a copy set us,
though we cannot attain it, for
who is there that learns to write,
that blames the exactnesse of the
copy he writes by? And he
that taketh aime and shooteth
at the highest point or Zenith
of the Heaven, will shoote
higher with the same strength
then he that shootes at a le∣vell,
or any other point be∣sides.
Thirdly, It addes to the holi∣ness
of any action, that we desire
in that action to be like to God,
and upon that ground to desire
to be holy because God is ho∣ly.
descriptionPage 32
Secondly, You may say, it is
a dangerous rule, for we may not
strive to be like unto God in ma∣ny
things; we may not desire our
own glory as he doth; Adam
desiring to be like him, it was his
sin and his fall. I answer to that,
that there are two kinds of perfe∣ctions
in God, communicable and
incommunicable: incommunica∣ble
are called those, not which the
creature cannot have, but which
the creature ought not to have, as
to do all things for its own glory;
for a creature may do all things
for its own glory, but ought it
not so to do; not onely because
it is folly in the creature to do so;
for glory is a thing of ornament, &
man is a poor creature that wants
things necessary; and it is folly
for man to buy Jewels to adorn
him, while he is ready to starve
descriptionPage 33
for want of garments to cloath
him; but it is because it is incom∣municable
to the creature; that
is, God and the creature can∣not
do things for their own glo∣ry
without thwarting one ano∣ther;
for if man do things for his
own glory, then it must needs
follow that he doth it not for
the glory of God, and so thwarts
the end that God proposeth to
himselfe, and to all creatures,
viz. his own glory: so that here
when our Saviour commands us
to be perfect as he is perfect, it
is meant, that we should endea∣vour
to attain those perfections
which our having doth not hin∣der
his having of them, as ho∣linesse,
patience, wisdom, &c.
for our holinesse, be it never so
great, makes not God lesse holy;
but the more we seek our owne
descriptionPage 34
glory, the more wee rob God of
his.
Secondly, I answer, that all
these kinds of perfections which
are incommunicable, are rather
resultancies and consequences of
perfection, then perfections; for
it is more proper to say, that be∣cause
God is infinitely perfect,
therefore all the heaven and
earth should praise him; then
to say, because heaven and earth
doth praise him, therfore he is in∣finitely
perfect; for the prai∣ses
which are given unto him,
are not the causes of his per∣fection,
but his infinite perfe∣ctions
are the causes of his prai∣ses.
Thirdly, It may be obje∣cted,
That it is an imperfect
rule, for it seems to come
short.
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First, In respect of our rela∣tions;
as of husband, wife,
child, subject, how can we
have an example of God in
these particulars, since he is
not capable of these relati∣ons?
Secondly, in respect of duties;
we are to pray, to worship, to hear
the Word.
Thirdly, In respect of graces; re∣pentance,
faith, hope, patience
in afflictions; all these are below
him.
I answer, First, that though we
have not an example of any of
these from God, considered in
himself, yet we have of most of
these from Christ, who was God
as well as Man; for we have an
example, how to carry our selves
in afflictions, of obedience both
to God and man, and those re∣lations
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which our Saviour left us
no example of in a temporall
way, yet in a mysticall way he
hath: though he was not a Magi∣strate,
nor an husband in a tem∣porall
way, yet in a mystical way
he is both Lord and husband to
the Church.
And as for those graces which
suppose sin, as repentance doth,
our Saviour hath left us an exam∣ple
of those graces, which if we
obtain, they wil certainly produce
repentance in us, and enable to
carry our selves in all duties and
in all our relations as becometh
Christians; so that as one that
should teach us to write, and set
us exact Copies, we should not
quarrell with him and say, that he
hath been a defective Schoole-Master,
because that some of those
words that afterward we have oc∣casion
descriptionPage 37
to write, were never in
those Copies that he set us; suf∣ficient
it is for him to vindicate
himselfe and say, that I have
taught you all those Letters, and
all those severall joynings, which
will spel and make up that word
that you are to write, whatsoever
it be; so Christ hath left us an ex∣ample
of al those graces, which are
able to spel and make up any du∣ty
or grace we stand in need of.
there are the ingredients, of
which all compositions may be
made up, if we follow Christ in
our love to God▪ and our hatred
to sin, our godly sorrow for sin
wil necessarily follow, & be made
up of these two ingredients, thogh
Christ for his part had never any
occasion to use such a compositi∣on
for himself, having never need
of that physick: and so I come, the
descriptionPage 38
jection being removed, to the pro∣secuting
of the point, to shew how
we should be perfect as our Fa∣ther
which is in heaven is perfect.
First, in respect of the kinds of
perfections, they must be spiri∣tuall
and divine: carnall, cor∣porall,
or civill, or morall perfe∣ctions
are two low for a Christi∣an
to look at, especially to make
it his business, or the marke he
shootes at: morall vertues were
the highest perfections of the
Heathens; but alas morall ver∣tues
transforme us not, they
change not our natures, but on∣ly
gild our rottennesse; though
one be never so good a natured
man, as they call it, if one has
not the divine nature, one is but
a tame Divell; for one is his
child, if ones nature be not
sanctified, and our person justi∣fied,
descriptionPage 39
and so become the childe
of God by regeneration and a∣doption;
and the most excellen∣test
act that is meerly, morally
vertuous, is sinne, and cannot
please God: Let me give a Si∣mile
to make this evident; A
great Emperour commands his
Empresse to come to him, as A∣hasuerus
did Queen Vasthi; his
commands not prevailing, he en∣treats
her, after that sends his Let∣ters
full of love and importunity,
sends Embassadors after Embas∣sadors,
and lest those should fail,
sends her many gifts very rich
and magnificent, and thus he
continues week, month, year af∣ter
year, yet she utterly refu∣ses;
but after her rejecting and
slighting all these wayes of love
from the Emperour her husband,
there comes a base slave, from
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whose company her husband had
especially forewarn'd her, be∣cause
she had formerly commit∣ted
folly with him, and disho∣noured
both her self and the Em∣perour,
this adulterer and traytor
speaks but half a word to her to
go, and she presently without de∣lay
and with joy goes, when she
perceives it would please the slave.
What do you think now? do you
think the Emperor wil be pleased
with her, coming upon those
terms? this is the case of all men
that are no more then morally
vertuous. God perswades us to be
just, and to defraud no man, he
entreats us, sends the Embassa∣dors
the Ministers unto us, giveth
us mercy upon mercy, sends us
his Word, his Epistles from Hea∣ven,
line upon line to perswade us
to do justice, or to be temperate:
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not we, for his sake we will do no∣thing:
The world comes, the
world, which is a slave to Satan,
for he is a Prince and Ruler of
the darkness of this world; the
world, with which we have com∣mitted
so often spirituall whore∣dom,
and against which God hath
so often and seriously forewarned
us; now only upon a supposition
that we should please the world
if we are just or temperate, we
wil be intemperately temperate, if
I may so say, even to macerate our
bodies with fasting, for a good
look of the world; we do indeed
in being temperate or just, do
that which God commands, but
far are we from pleasing him, con∣sidering
the grounds from which
we do it; for can he be pleas'd that
we should do more for a good
look of the world, then we would
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for all the wayes of love that he
took with us; nay indeed, never
to do any one action for his sake;
nay but before his face at the
same time when we refuse all his
entreaties, &c. to do it at the
first word of the world; there∣fore
morall vertues, conside∣ring
the ground upon which
they were done, are sinnes before
God; therefore let us learn not
to be vertuous as Philosophers
were vertuous, but holy as God
is holy.
Secondly, The perfections of
God are infinite, so must ours as
farre as it is possible for crea∣tures
to attain; our desires of
holinesse must be without li∣mits,
we must not set bounds
to our holinesse, saying, Hi∣therto
shalt thou go, and no fur∣ther:
but we must alwayes
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hunger and thirst after righte∣ousnesse.
Thirdly, God hath all perfe∣ctions,
or rather is all perfecti∣ons:
so we must adde to our
faith vertue, to vertue know∣ledg,
to knowledge temperance,
&c. We must receive from
Christ grace for grace, as a child
receives from his father limb for
limb, part for part; the same
parts that the fathers body hath,
the childs hath also, the same for
number, figure, and position,
though neither for strength, nor
bignesse: and as God is the act
of all possible absolute perfecti∣ons,
either in degree or in kinde,
so we should endeavour to have
those perfections that a creature
of that kind is capable of.
Fourthly, As the perfections
of God are both inseparable from
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God, and from themselves, so
should ours be also; our wisdom
must be holy, our holinesse inno∣cent,
our wisdom zealous and
our zeal wise; for we must not
conceive that some of Gods acti∣ons
are holy, others, wise, but all
are all; his wisdom is holy, just, &
good; his justice, holy, good and
wise, and every attribute is as in∣separably
united to all the rest of
his attributes, as any of them are
to his Essence: as if there were
an hundred Suns shining at once
in the firmament, one could not
say that one of these Sunnes
shined in this part of the ayre,
and another in that, but the light
of every one of them would be
in every point of the ayre; nor
could you possible take away the
light of one of the Suns, and leave
the rest, unless you could take a∣way
descriptionPage 45
the Sun it self: so it is in Gods
perfection: but thy glorious Name
is exalted above all knowledge,
above all blessing, and above all
praise.
Many men will be zealous, but
without knowledg; others will be
wise, but without zeal; and so their
wisedomes come to be no better
then carnal, sensuall, and divelish:
the former zeal was that zeal of
the Jews, Rom. 10. 2. The other
wisedome was the wisedome of
Pilate; both of them crucified
Christ.
Lastly, For I do not intend to
be large in these parallels, but
make haste to presse the great
point of Christian perfection; we
must be perfect as our Father
which is in heaven is perfect, not∣withstanding
all hinderances or
provocations to the contrary;
descriptionPage 46
though God by his wisdome go∣verns
and orders all things, not
a spire of grasse, or blade of
wheat grows but by him, 1. Cor.
15. 38. Not a sparrow falls on the
ground, nor an hair from our
head, but by his providence;
not a lilly is cloathed in the field,
nor a fowle of the ayre is fed but
by him; yet notwithstanding
such an innumerable number of
creatures, are both in respect of
their essence and operations, nay
even in respect of the smallest cir∣cumstances
of either, are acted,
governed, and ordered continual∣ly
by his providence; yet he doth
no lesse know, love, and enjoy
himselfe, then he did from all e∣ternity,
before there was any crea∣ture
for his providence to watch
over: so should we do, we should
not have our thoughts lesse fix∣ed
descriptionPage 47
on God, or our love lesse fer∣vent;
our communion with God
should be neither remitted nor
intermitted by the imployments
in the world; Mothers that have
their little children to look to,
should be like the Angels, which
alwayes behold the face of our
Father which is in heaven, Mat.
18. 11. But I come (as I promi∣sed)
to the great businesse of this
Treatise. viz. The pressing of
Christian perfection, which is
almost forgotten, and no∣thing
left of it but the forme of
godlinesse; and I shall referre
the whole discourfe to these three
heads.
First, Severall Considerations.
Secondly, Severall Cautions.
Thirdly, Severall Advises.
Considerations.
1. Consid. Let us consider what
descriptionPage 48
the word of God speaks in this
matter, 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether
ye eat or drinke, or whatsoever ye
do, doe all to the glory of God:
do we live up to the meaning of
these words? let us consider a little
of it, and see the meaning of the
words.
First, We are to glorifie God
in all our actions; that is, wee
ought in the secret of our hearts
to admire and adore him, to
have high thoughts of him, and
sweet thoughts of him; and
to expresse it fully, we ought to
honour him as God, Romans 1.
Which he blames the Gentiles
for not doing, That knowing
him as God, did not honour him
as God: to honour him but as
we would honor the holiest man
in the world, nay the highest
Angel in Heaven, is nothing, and
descriptionPage 49
as great derogation to his glory,
as to give his glory to them; for
to give the honour due unto God
to a creature, and to give that
that is due unto a creature unto
God, are equally vitious: butlet us
deal freely and openly with our
own souls, Do we do so much, as
that which if we did no more we
were guilty of that great sin of
the Heathens, which the Apo∣stle
in the forenamed place doth
condemne? do we honour God as
much as we do honour an An∣gel,
or an holy man? let us but ask
our own consciences, and they wil
tell us. Would we do that in
the presence of either of them as
we do in the presence of God;
nay, of a child that is come
to that understanding to di∣stinguish
between good and e∣vill?
descriptionPage 05
Secondly, By these words we
are enjoyned that our words, a∣ctions,
gestures, and all our car∣riages
should be such, as may be
sutable and fit to raise up those
high thoughts of God in others,
as we our selves have; for in∣stance;
in prayer we ought not
only our selves to admire and a∣dore
our good and glorious God,
but so to lift him up and hold
forth his excellencies by our very
expressions, pronounciations and
gestures, that they may be such as
not only may be sutable to our in∣ward
admirings of him, but fit to
beget the same thoughts in all that
hearus; our loves should be like a
flame, that takes hold of all that
comes near it.
Thirdly, We should, as much as
in us lies, do all our actions, and
speak all our words with an actu∣all
descriptionPage 51
intention by them to edifie o∣thers,
& to cause them to glorifie
the Lord. Now, how far we come
short of this, we may even be con∣founded
with shame to speak of it.
The second place that sets
down Christian perfection, is
Phil. 3. 20. We should have our con∣versation
in Heaven; we should
think with our selves how we
should live when we come thither,
or how those live that are there, or
one would live that should come
from thence to live on earth a∣gain;
how feelingly would they
speak of God? how fervently
would they praise him? how
would their songs of praise be all
flames of love? how are they con∣tinually
taken up with thoughts
of admiration of the excellencies
of God, of the love of God? let us
not dally with our selves or God,
descriptionPage 52
but consider with our selves whe∣ther
we live in any measure suta∣ble
to such a life. But to proceed,
let us consider another place, Eph.
3. 19. To say of such an one, that
he is a godly man, the holy Spirit
of God is in him, that he is ful of
the Holy Ghost, that he is filled
with all the fulness of God: if one
went upon such relations and ex∣pressions
to see him of whom they
were spoken, doubtlesse one
should come with great expecta∣tions
to meet with one that was
wholly taken up with thoughts of
God, and if one spake any thing
to him of God, doubtless one
would expect that he should speak
wonderful things of God, with so
much admiration, such zeal, such
love, with such feelings, that his
very word would be able to en∣flame
our hearts with love of God;
descriptionPage 53
but if when one came to see such
an one, he should entertain one
with vain and idle jests, with
discourses of the world, and spend
the whole day generally in recre∣ations,
and somtime when he hath
nothing else to do, go and spend
half an hour in reading, or in
praying; and when he comes from
those duties (Iron wil be red hot
if it be put into the fire for any
time) speak as savourly and with
as much delight of the vanities of
the world, as if he had spent his
time not in prayer, but in admi∣ring
and gazing upon the beauty
of the creature; and if one should
speak to him somthing of God, he
should answer one overly, would
ye not think in your own souls, is
this that holy man you spoke of?
is he that man that was full of
God? But to proceed a little fur∣ther,
descriptionPage 54
2 Cor. 3. 18▪ the Apostle says
of himself, and of Christians in
his days, that they were transfor∣med
into the Image of God; that is,
lived the life of God, such a life
as Christ lived when he was here
on earth; nay, the grace of God in
them was in such an high degree,
that it might be rather called glo∣ry
then grace; they lived as if they
were of the Church triumphant,
in respect of holinesse, though
of the Church militant, in respect
of afflictions; their grace was of
such an high degree, that it was
more like glory, as was said be∣fore,
then grace; yet they did not
content themselves with that nei∣ther,
but made a progresse from
glory to glory: Dear Brethren, are
our Saviours words but winde?
and can we imagine that the lives
of those that take upon them the
descriptionPage 55
names of Christians, are any whit
sutable to these expressions? ma∣ny
times have I thought of that
saying of Erasmus, That since
men could not bring the world
to Christianity, they have brought
Christianity to the world; and
those expressions and precepts
that have been too strict to give
us liberty to follow the vanities
of the world, we have found
out vain distinctions and exposi∣tions
of the places, to make them
signifie no more then we do, and
to quiet our consciences, that they
being deceived and laid a sleep, we
might not be troubled with their
clamours. Our Saviour says, That
for every idle word we must give an
account at the last day, Mat. 12. 36.
The words are so plain, that it wil
ask one a great deal of labour to
find out such an exposition as
descriptionPage 56
might not be a continuall accuser
of us in all companies, in all dis∣courses:
our Saviours example is
the best exposition of this precept;
we do not read in all the Scrip∣ture,
one word that he spake,
but was some way or other to e∣dification;
and yet how loose are
wee in our discourses; as if
there were no such place of Scrip∣ture
in the whole Bible as these
words? surely, our time would
be better spent in praying to God
for strength against our corrup∣tions,
then in studying to finde
out excuses and intricate exposi∣tions
of plaine places to justi∣fie
them. But you will say, that it
is true, these are excellent things,
if one could live so, it were a
blessed life; but alas who can doe
it?
I answer; First, If thou sayst
descriptionPage 57
thou canst not live thus, I ask
thee how dost thou know? didst
thou ever try what might be
done in this case? didst thou e∣ver
make it thy businesse? It
may be thou hast had some per∣functory
and carelesse desires,
some cold prayers and faint en∣deavours;
but didst thou ever
set thy self to it? didst thou e∣ver
spend as much time, so many
thoughts, with as much earnest∣nesse,
to get acquaintance with
God, as men in the world doe
in their trades▪ to get a little thick
clay? didst thou ever pray with
half that earnestnesse for grace,
as ambitious men do sue for pla∣ces
and preferments, or a con∣demned
man for a pardon?
Didst thou ever seriously, and
from the very bottom of thy
heart and soul say, Well, by the
descriptionPage 58
blessing of God I wil not speak an
idle word, nor imploy my self in
things that profit not: hast thou
said with David? I have sworne
and I will perform thy righteous
Judgments, Psal. 119. 106. or as in
the 20. or with the Apostle; I
fight not as one beating the ayr, but
I press thorow towards the mark,
and forget the things that are be∣hind,
&c. So that if thou shalt say
that one cannot live thus, I say
again, there is no question, thou
canst not live holily, doing no
more then thou doest; neither the
word of God, nor any one that
knows the ways of God, ever said
or thought that thou couldst up∣on
these terms do any thing to
purpose in the attainment of holi∣ness:
for our Saviour plainly says,
We must strive to enter in at the
strait gate; and, that many shal seek
descriptionPage 59
to enter in (with such seeking that
comes not to the height of stri∣ving)
and shal not be able: if thou
shouldest bid thy servant lift such
a piece of timber, and he should
go with his little finger to lift it,
and not being able, should tell
thee, that he could not lift it:
wouldest thou not think that he
mocked thee, in stead of obeying
thee? so when we shall complain
of Religion, that it is too difficult
a thing, we cannot attain it, and
yet we will not so much as touch
it scarce with one of our fingers;
may not God justly say, that
we do but mock him, and un∣justly
murmur against his com∣mands,
complaining of their
difficulty, when we never tri∣ed,
in using the meanes he
hath appointed us, what might be
done?
descriptionPage 60
Furthermore, Let us consider
how far many of Gods servants,
whose stories are recorded in the
sacred Scriptures, have gon in this
way of perfection; it is said, that
Enoch walked with God, and that
Noah was perfect in his generations,
and walked with God. Can we pos∣sibly
think that these Expressions
import no more then that some∣times
when they had little or no∣thing
else to do, they spent their
time in prayer and meditation of
divine matters? or that they did
no more then usually men do, in
the morning spend some small
time in prayer, and then take their
leave of God all the day, as it
were compounding with God
for two or three prayers a day?
but doth it not much rather
import a sweet, constant, and
strict communion with God? for
descriptionPage 61
doubtlesse Enoch found so much
sweetnesse in his walk with God,
that he could not be content
with that communion that earth
could afford him. And of all
the Patriarks before the Flood,
we read of none that lived so
few years upon earth as E∣noch
did; and doubtlesse those
years which he did live were
more tedious to him, to be so
long absent from the full fruiti∣tion
of God, then if he had li∣ved
ten times as long and had
not tasted of those joyes, in
comparison of which the plea∣sures
of this world are but as the
gall of Aspes. What thinke we
of Abraham, Moses, David.
and Daniel? with how much
faith, zeal, meeknesse, holi∣nesse,
breathings after God did
they live? What high expres∣sions
descriptionPage 62
of joy, love, and heaven∣ly
desires are there in the Psalms?
What, doe we think all these ho∣ly
Examples are set down in the
Scripture to find us matter of
discourse? or that the wisedome
of God set down an idaea of ho∣linesse,
as Plato hath done of a
Common-wealth? or were they
not set down for our imitation?
thousands of expressions almost
in the Psalmes we must make
strange Hyperboles, and say, they
were but Davids Rhetorick; or
else we must needs acknowledge
that he was a Gyant in compari∣of
us in spirituall matters. O
what heavenly spirituall frame
of heart had he! surely his
righteousnesse in comparison of
Christs was but as filthy rags,
but in respect of ours a glorious
robe: and now I pray, what
descriptionPage 63
reason is there in the world, why
we might not live as holily as
they, but that we take it for
granted, we cannot, and so ne∣ver
strive; 'tis true, to think
our selves holier then the mean∣est
Saint, is pride, but not to
strive to be as holy as the high∣est
Saint is sin: what means had
they to attaine holinesse that we
have not? They had prayer, me∣ditation,
reading, hearing; so
have we: if their prayers and
meditations were more servent,
and more heavenly, who must
we blame, God is not a barren
wildernesse unto us, and his grace
is as sufficient for us, as for
them; they had Circumcision,
and the Passeover; the brests of
the new Testament are as full
of graces as those of the old; nay
doubtlesse, in respect of meanes
descriptionPage 64
they are farre more abundantly
glorious in our dayes then in
theirs, in respect of the know∣ledge
of Jesus Christ, and the
mysteries of salvation: may we
not say as our Saviour does, that
of all that was born of Women,
there was none like John the Bap∣tist,
and yet the least in the times
of the Gospel, is, or may be great∣er
then he? and what enemies or
hinderances have we that they
had not? Was Satan, the flesh,
the world, all or either of these
not their enemies as much as
ours? or had they better wea∣pons
and armour to fight against
them then we have? we have the
armour of God, they could
have no better; if you shall say,
you had a great family to pro∣vide
for, weighty affaires and
imployments lay upon you,
descriptionPage 65
and these are great hinderances:
in all these they exceed thee,
and yet they were no hinde∣rances
to them in comparison
of that, generally they are to
us; Abraham drew three hun∣dred
out of his family to deli∣ver
Lot, besides what men,
women, and children were left
behinde. Job had also a great
family, he was a Judge, and a
Prince, and yet notwithstand∣ing
in all the whole world there
was none like unto him. So
David had a whole Kingdome
to look to, besides continuall
wars, and yet how often did
he pray, every day; how fre∣quent
was he in meditation? with∣out
all question, did we make it
our business to intreat the Lord for
strength & grace to serve him, were
we frequent & servent enough in
descriptionPage 66
such desires, did we seek for wis∣dome
as for silver, and search
for understanding as for hid
treasures, we might do wonders
in religion, in comparison of
what we do. And if you shall
say, that all these you speake of
are Prophets. I answer, what
then? for the gifts of prophecy
are not gifts of sanctification, but
of edification; they might have
been as holy, and not have been
Prophets, and they might have
prophesied, and yet been workers
of iniquity. But to returne to
what we spake, surely if men
had faith, and that wrought by
love as it should do; if we were
as watchfull over our wayes as
wee might be, if we were not
wanting to our selves, and to
God, (for he is not wan∣ting
unto us) we might live
descriptionPage 67
many days, without doing or
speaking any thing that material∣ly
is a sin: I do assuredly know,
that no one thought, word, or
action, but in some respect or
other is sinful, either the ground
is not spirituall; or not so spiri∣tuall;
the end is not heavenly,
or not so heavenly; we do not
purely aim at the glory of God,
nor purely do it out of obedi∣ence
to God, and in the name
of Christ, &c. as wee should;
therfore I do not say, we can live
one minute without sinning a∣gainst
God; but one may live
many hours and dayes without
doing such actions which materi∣ally
and in their own nature are
sins: as now for those which are
accounted grosse sinnes in the
world, and are so, as adulte∣ry,
murder, theft, blasphemy,
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swearing; it may be some of
Gods people live their whole life
without actually committing a∣ny
one of them. What is meant
by that that is said of Zachary
and Elizabeth, that they lived
blamelesse, Luke 1. 6. And what
is meant by that of StPaul,
1 Cor. 4. 4. That he knew nothing
by himself? well, certainly those
that love not to keep a strict com∣munion
with God, and love not
the truth, may finde excuses e∣nough
to bolster themselves up
in their carelesse walke; nay,
let them take heed, least they so
provoke the Lord, that he sends
them strong delusions to be∣leeve
lies. It may be, they
will plead the infirmities and
falls of the Saints, Noahs drun∣kennesse,
Davids adultery,
Peters deniall, and so encou∣rage
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themselves in their owne
wickednesse; surely these fai∣lings
of the Saints are set downe
as sands and rocks to avoyd, not
as our Compasse whereby we
should steer our course: 'tis
true, if after prayers and stri∣vings
against those sins, through
the strength of our corruptions
we fall into some sin, we may
take comfort from the infirmi∣ty
and failings of the Saints:
but before our fall, what use have
we of such failings, but onely
rocks, as I have said: comforts
they may be after, but not en∣couragements
before; otherwise
our spots are not the spots of
Gods people.
2. Consid. The second conside∣ration
is, that no art, science, or
trade whatsoever, is attained with∣out
some yeares being Appren∣tice,
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or studying of it; and can
we imagine that we can attain
to any measure of perfection in
Religion, without spending ei∣ther
time or thoughts about it,
but making it a thing meerly by
the bie? The unreasonablenesse
of this conceit appears the more,
if we consider, that wee have no
such impediments to hinder us
from the attainment of exce∣lencies
in Trades, Arts, and Sci∣ences;
nay, those things that are
hinderances in the attainment of
holinesse, do further us in the
attainment of such kind of ex∣cellencies:
to be an excellent
workman in any trade, or to be
an excellent Physician, neither
the world, nor our corruptions,
nor Satan are against it; the
World generally doth promote
and imploy such persons; when
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they have an occasion to use a∣ny
one of any trade or calling,
they use the skilfullest, and so
they are an encouragement to
them: and for our corruptions,
they do not hinder, but rather
further, for wee pride our selves
generally in such kind of excel∣lencies:
and if the World nor
the Flesh be not, certainly Satan
is not against them neither; but
against holinesse they are all e∣nemies.
Now if we should see
a man rowing, having both
wind and tide with him, and
should row with all his might,
and yet with much adoe come
to such a place by night, and
the next day being to row back
again against winde and tide,
should take no pains at all, but
lie sleeping in the boat, as if the
streame that was against him,
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should carry him back of it self,
wee should much wonder at
such a mans folly. Much more
then may we wonder, when men
shall spend so much pains, so
many thoughts to get an estate;
and in things concerning God
and eternity, should carry them∣selves
as if they were either not
worth having, or as if holinesse
(like weeds) should grow of it
self.
3. Consid. The third Consi∣deration
is, That there is no
pain nor trouble in it's self in
Religion, nor no true pleasure
nor profit in sin; or what plea∣sure
or pain soever there is in
them, it is so short and so small,
that it deserves not the name of
either: Do but truly and seri∣ously
consider, what pain or
trouble is there in spending an
descriptionPage 73
hour, in reading, meditating,
or praying, I speak to the most
disadvantage; for indeed, one
should rather say, what wonder∣full
delight there is in a strict
and constant communion with
God in such duties: but let it be
supposed it be troublesome, the
trouble is nothing, but the com∣fort
and the benefit is exceeding
great; when thou hast spent a
day in humbling thy soul before
God, I pray, next day, is it any
pain or trouble to you? in re∣spect
of them, it is as the way of a
Serpent upon a stone, there is no∣thing
of the trouble that did ac∣company
those holy duties doth
remain when they are ended, but
the comfort and profit of them
thou maist meet withall twenty
years hence: and so for sin, the
pleasure of it is momentany,
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but the guilt and sting of it is
eternall; the poor empty plea∣sures
of sinne, what are they
while they do continue? but
sure I am, they are bitternesse at
the last. To have a guilty consci∣ence,
and a wounded spirit, but
one hour in any extremity, as
poor souls in desertion or despair
have, hath so much horrour in
it, that doubtlesse whosoever
hath had any experience in such
things, would not edure them
for all the pleasures in the world
for Methusalems age: But alas,
we look not afar off, consider
neither the end of holinesse, nor
of sin; nay to speak the truth, we
consider not the essentiall excel∣lency
of the one, nor filthinesse
of the other.
4. Consid. Fourthly, Consider
that there is not the least sin, nor
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the least holy thought that shall
vanish into aire, or into nothing;
for if God shal call us to account
for every idle thought or word,
shall not every holy thought or
word, through his mercy, tend
to our good also? The wick∣ed
do treasure up wrath against
the day of wrath; as a man that
should cast in every day many
pieces of silver and gold into a
room for twenty years together,
or more, when he should come
to look in that room at the twen∣ty
years end, he would finde
many a piece which he had for∣gotten;
so it is with one that
treasures up sin, when the book
of conscience shall be opened at
the last, day, and the baggs
wherein God sealed up his
sins, as Job speaks, how many sins
will he meet withall that he
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never thought of, untill that
day? not one of them shall be
lost that ever he cast in: so
surely it will be with thee that
treasurest up prayers and holy
thoughts; God doth as safely
seale up them, as he doth the
sins of the wicked: there is a
book of remembrance writ of
all thy good words, and there is
a bottle to bottle up all thy
teares: now how easie is it for
thee to cast into this treasury a
thousand holy thoughts a day?
to what a numberlesse number
would they arise to in few
years? and by these not any
businesse is hindred; thou may∣est
ride, thou mayest eat and
drink, thou mayest sell and buy,
thou mayest walk for all them:
now if every holy thought do
adde something to thy grace
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here, and to thy glory hereafter,
and since they do not hinder, but
sweeten and sanctifie all imploy∣ments,
why doest thou not trea∣sure
up these against the day of
the Lord?
5. Consid. Fifthly, Consider se∣riously
the excellencies of the
Scriptures; for we are not sensi∣ble
enough of their worth, nor
do we firmly nor feelingly e∣nough
believe that they are the
Word of God: Suppose that by
some infallible arguments it
might be demonstrated that there
were a Prophet now in England,
with what extraordinary care
and observation would you ob∣serve
his words that he spake in
the Name of the Lord: if when
thou wer•• pouring out thy soul be∣fore
God, humbly begging of him
that he would discover to thee
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more the things that belong to
thy peace, and thou shouldest
have an Angel from Heaven
coming unto thee, as one did
to Cornelius; or that our Savi∣our
should himselfe speak to
thee from Heaven, as he did to
Paul, when thou shalt say as
he did, Lord, what would'st thou
have me to do? With what re∣verence
and attention would'st
thou observe, and what obedi∣ence
to a tittle would'st thou
give to such Messages? Woul∣dest
thou not mark every word,
and every syllable? and wouldest
not vary from them one jot.
Well, thou shouldest give no
lesse reverence nor obedience un∣to
the Word of God, then un∣to
them. If thy friend speaks
to thee, or writes to thee, so
thou art sure that it is his
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hand, they are both of equal
authority with thee; and why
should not the word of God
immediately spoken from Hea∣ven,
or written, be so too, of e∣quall
authority with thee? to
have an Angel from heaven to tel
thee what thou should'st do, is
a stronger temptation to pride;
but there is no more of reality in
it to move thee to obedience,
then there is in the written word:
nay, may I not say lesse? for the
word of God is the rule by which
we must judg their Messages; and
not their Messages the rule by
which we must judg the Word of
God; for if an Angel from
Heaven should preach another
doctrine, let him be accur∣sed.
Now there is no reason,
thou believing the Bible to
be the Word of God, which
descriptionPage 80
we all professe, but thou shoul∣dest
with as much care endea∣vour
to understand and practise
what therein is written. If wee
will do but as Luther did, that
hee might understand Rom. 3.
25, 26. fast and pray when wee
finde any place of Scripture too
difficult to be understood; or
when we found our corruptions
so strong, that wee obeyed not
when it is understood: If wee
sought the Lord by prayer and
fasting (a duty generally neg∣lected,
and by some condemn∣ed,
though by the Apostles com∣mended
and practised) surely,
wee should both understand
more of the minde of God, and
live more sutable to what what wee
know.
6. Considerat. Sixthly, Con∣sider,
that howsoever we esteem
descriptionPage 81
it, it matters not, without que∣stion
the enjoyment of God is
infinite happinesse: for, doe
but truly and really consider
wherein doth the happinesse of
Angels consist; Doth it not
consist in the vision, fruition,
and union with God? Is not
God their all? and shall he not
be ours when we come thither?
How comes it to passe, that it
is not so now? Nay, it is so;
but how comes it to passe, that
it is not so to us? Either the
Angels are deceived in making of
it their happinesse; or wee must
be deceived in not making of it
ours: we cannot have the face
to say, That if the Angels knew
what pleasure there were in eat∣ing
and drinking, and other
vain and wicked pleasures of the
word, they would never spend
descriptionPage 82
their eternity in singing the prai∣ses,
in beholding the face, and
admiring the excellency of God;
yet though we are ashamed to
say thus, yet by our lives we ge∣nerally
hold forth this blasphe∣my,
and proclaime it to the
whole world; nay, let me raise
this one step higher, the blessed∣nesse,
of God wherein doth it
consist? the creature is not his
happinesse, but himselfe; and
if God be enough for himselfe,
shall be not be enough for thee?
of dust and ashes, his enjoyment
of himself, is his happinesse; how
comes it to passe that it is not
thine? God doth command, in∣vite
thee, entreat thee to enjoy
him; nay, indeed what is it
that God requires of thee, but
this, even to admire, love and en∣joy
him in the secret of thy soul?
descriptionPage 83
thou wilt not, thou preferrest e∣very
trifle before him; thou wilt
go and see a carnall friend for
carnall ends, rather then spend
thy time in the enjoyment of
him, who is the praise, and a∣bove
the praise of men and An∣gels
to all eternity; pray to him,
who onely can discover his love
and excellencies to thee, that
he would make thee taste of
this hidden Manna; that he
would draw away the vail before
thine eyes, that thou mayst be
no longer ignorant of this truth;
that he would purge out those
corruptions out of thy heart,
that thou mayst relish and
experiment the sweetnesse of
it.
7. Consid. Seventhly, Consi∣der
that we have three enemies,
the world, the flesh, and the
descriptionPage 84
Divel; Consider this, I say, ful∣ly
and feelingly; for few there
are that live so much as a tittle
of this truth: or who lives as if
the World was his implacable
enemie? for, do we not gene∣rally
into all our actions put
something of that poysonous in∣gredient,
viz. a desire to please
men, and to get their good word
and will? Wee ought not to
scandalize any one, as much as
in us lies; we ought to be all
things to all men; but it is that
we may gain them to God, not
to our selves: If this truth was
ingraven on our hearts, That it
is as possible to go to heaven and
please the Divel, as go to heaven
and please the world: I say, if
we were fully perswaded in our
hearts of that Truth, we would
neither wonder the World hates
descriptionPage 85
us, nor endeavour that it should
love us: we should not endea∣vour
nor cast away our pains to
do that which is absolutely im∣possible:
So then, if we resolve
to be Christians, wee must nei∣ther
fear nor care what the
World can say of, or do unto
us. And we should in all our a∣ctions
of Religion, not so much
as once bring it into our conside∣ration,
to think what men will
say or do unto us, if we do so or
so, except it be by their dislike to
help our selves to know what is
right; for though it is not an
absolute rule, yet it is a generall
rule, that such a thing is right,
because men generally speak a∣gainst
it: certainly, our desires
and endeavours to please men,
is one of the greatest snares in
the world; for generally we
descriptionPage 86
live so that we enslave our selves,
and lose not only our Christian,
but our naturall liberty for men;
but indeed if it was no more but
our outward liberty, it was no∣thing,
but we wound our consci∣ences
and offend our God, which
is worth more then a thousand
Heavens.
Cautions.
1. Caut. First, Take heed of the
perfunctory performance of holy
duties; for many mischiefs come
by them.
First, They puffe up, not e∣difie;
if thou powrest out thy
soule before God in prayer, fee∣lingly,
spiritually, and faithful∣ly,
thou never departest without
some spirituall profit; but if
thou dost it carnally and formal∣ly,
thy prayers are but wind,
descriptionPage 87
and they puffe thee up; for thy
carnall heart would plead these
carnall performances to thy con∣science,
and make thee beleeve,
because thou hast many pieces of
this counterfeit coyne, that thou
art rich and wantest nothing,
though thou art poor, and blind,
and naked, and miserable; for
thy duties have not the right
stamp, having neither the image
nor superscription of God upon
them, being neither performed
for the glory of God, nor by the
Spirit of God, nor in the name
of Christ: and between car∣nall
and spirituall duties, this is
the difference, that we u∣sually
pride our selves in the one,
and are humble by the o∣ther.
Secondly, Which followes
upon the former, we shall
descriptionPage 88
grow weary in time of perform∣ing
carnal duties; for needs must
we be weary of these things from
which we get no profit nor
strength: when duties are dry brests
unto us, it is no marvel if we are
weary of drawing them; by spiri∣tuall
duties we get strength; and
such prayers do enable us to pray
more; but carnall prayers tire
us.
Thirdly, Consider the same
time is spent in the one as in the
other, whether thou hearest or
prayest with zeal and attention,
or without, it takes up the same
time in the Publick Congregati∣tion,
though not the same pro∣fit.
Fourthly, Consider that you
spoyle both, by mixing the
thoughts of worldly businesse
with spirituall duties; for thy out∣ward
descriptionPage 89
performance of the duty
keeps thy thoughts of businesse
from coming to maturity, and
the thoughts of worldly things
keep thy prayers from doing thee
any good, so that they spoil one
another; I mean, of those wan∣dering
thoughts that we let lie in
our duties, for those that are resi∣sted,
and removed, and mourned
for, do somwhat hinder, but not
putrifie the duty; for as the
Wise man saith, That dead flyes
cause the oyntment of the Apothe∣cary
to send forth a stinking sa∣vour;
if one takes out a fly as
soon as it is come into it, so much
of the oyntment that sticks about
the fly is lost, but the rest remains
sweet and pure, as it was before:
so wandering thoughts spoyle
something of our prayers,
though they be resisted and
descriptionPage 90
removed, they make a little hole
in our prayer, by taking up that
time which should have beene
fill'd up with better thoughts; but
if they continue, they eat up the
fat of those sacrifices, and make
the sweet odours of our prayers
noisome. But to conclude this
Caution, if we were but in any
measure sensible of the Majesty
of him to whom, and the ne∣cessity
of those things for which
we pray, (to instance in that du∣ty)
for they are our life, and of
the necessity of having them
from God; we need no other
motives to deterre us from per∣functory
performances.
2. Caut. Secondly, Take heed
of worldly company, for who∣soever
delights in that, will find
that he never comes out of it
but worse then he comes into it;
descriptionPage 91
for when one goes into such a
company among whom there is
nothing spoken of God, of Christ,
or of the Spirit of the Word of
God, and of spirituall experien∣ces,
where there is no spirituall
duty performed; except one be
exceeding carefull to sequester
ones mind from their discourses,
and keepe a stricct communion
with God in the secrets of our
hearts, our graces, if they were
strong, would grow weak; and
our corruptions, though they
were weak, would grow strong;
and that spirituall advantage
which you have got by many
prayers, you will find will be
lost in a little time spent in such
company, except their discour∣ses
be as dry brests unto you,
and as Meshech and Kedar were
unto David; they must either
descriptionPage 92
be a grief or sin unto them, ex∣cept
in some cases, as in case of
businesse, thy particular calling,
or charity, if thou comest as a
Physician, either of their bodies
or of their souls, then thou not on∣ly
mayst, but oughtest to come
unto them; in such cases, our Savi∣our
did frequently eat with Pub∣licans
and sinners, not out of any
love he had to their worldly con∣versation,
but to their conversion;
and this must be taken as a rule,
He that knows not how to be a∣lone,
knows not how to be in
company with profit.
3 Caut. Thirdly, Take heed of
idleness; for as the Wise man says,
Seest thou one wise in his own eyes,
there is more hope of a foole then of
him. For to make such a man
wise, there are two things to be
done.
descriptionPage 93
First, You must bring him to
that, that he may know himself
to be ignorant, and then you must
teach him wisdom; wheras he that
is ignorant and knows himself to
be so, needs only the last; so he
that is in any honest employment,
Satan hath two works to do to
make him sin.
First, He must get him to
leave off what he is doing, and
then perswade him to the evill
that he tempts him to: as a
bowle that is running must be
first stopped, before it can be
made to run the contrary way;
whereas the bowle that ••ies still
may without stopping be cast
what way one pleases: a bird
that is flying one can hardly take
any aime at, as one may at that
which sits stil; so Satan cannot le∣vell
his temptations so at a busie,
descriptionPage 94
as at an idle man: but I shall
not prosecute this common place
of idlenesse, but my main de∣signe
is to give you caution a∣gainst
spirituall idlenesse; for
that which is not taken notice e∣nough
of, that is not avoidied
nor mourned for enough, is that
we think that we are not idle,
if we are busied in worldly im∣ployments,
if we are selling of
wares in our shops, or riding
of a journey, or busied in some
such imployment of our parti∣cular
calling. The man thresheth
and plowes all day, and thinks
that he is free from idlenesse; but
we should know, that if our
thoughts are not imployed upon
spirituall things when they may,
it is the worst idleness of all: and
very few worldly businesses there
are that stand in need of the con∣tinuall
descriptionPage 95
intentions of our thoughts
upon them; for it is rather our
love of the world that fixeth our
thoughts upon worldly matters
while we are imployed about
them, then because they might
not be done without halfe that
intention of mind: doubtlesse,
there are many disseminata vacua,
in all imployments of the world,
which might and ought to be fil∣led
up with spirituall thoughts;
and as it is with Bees, though
they gather honey from a
flower, they leave it as fragrant
and as fresh as they found it;
so we gathering and mixing spi∣rituall
thoughts with and from
our worldly businesse, we hin∣der
it not at all; for as a vessel
that is full of sand will hold al∣most
as much water as if there
were no sand in it; so when we
descriptionPage 96
are full of imployments, we may
hold a thousand holy thoughts;
and as a ship can hardly be
so fild with chests or other la∣ding,
but there will be so ma∣ny
corners unfild up, where∣in
Diamonds of such great va∣lue
might be put in, that
they would be more worth then
all the lading of the Ship; so
those thoughts of God and spi∣rituall
things which we might
have in the midst of our o∣ther
employments, may be
of farre greater value then
they.
Fourthly, Take heed of per∣functory
and careless resisting of
temptations; but what thou dost
in that particular, as in spirituall
things, do it with all thy might;
for to think and weakly to resolve
against sin, will not hinder, but
descriptionPage 97
aggravate thine offence; and
it is one of the Divels policies,
to let a man alone to thinke of
severall Motives, and make some
faint resolutions against any sin,
when hee sees that hee hath him
fast enough; for he knows, that
the more Motives and Resoluti∣ons
wee sin against, the more
wee are hardened, and GOD
is provoked: And as it is with
a Town that is besieged, they
will willingly let so many of
their enemies in, as they know
they are able to master: so Sa∣tan,
when hee sees that the Mo∣tives
and Resolutions that en∣ter
into the soul are too weak,
hee willingly suffers them to
enter; for, perfunctory perfor∣mance
of duties, and feeble re∣sisting
of temptations are equally
dangerous, if the later be not
descriptionPage 98
the worst; by the former we get
no spirituall good, and by the
later we overcome no spirituall
evill.
5. Caut. Take heed of making
others sin, either by scandall,
or being a temptation to them
by example or provocation; it
is a good way, when one hath
to deal with a passionate man,
not onely to prepare our
selves for the Combate by
prayer and resolutions and kee∣ping
a strong guard upon our
hearts, that we may not be o∣vercome
with passion, how∣soever
he shall use us, either in
word or in deed; but to take
special care and to use all means
to keep him from passion; for
there is a wretched joy that our
hearts are subject to take in the
sins of others, thinking them to be
descriptionPage 99
a foil to our innocency, to have
others very passionate when we
are very meek; there is a secret de∣light
that the heart is prone to
take, but it proceeds from a de∣sperate
pride in us, who desire to
have our excellencies made mani∣fest,
though with the dishonour
of God and damnation of our
brother; but there is a great deal
of hel in it, and charity rejoyceth
not in ill. 1 Cor. 13.
6. Caut. Take heed of study∣ing
high speculative points what∣soever;
for when our thoughts
are exceedingly intent in find∣ing
out truths, all the fire is in
the top of the chimney, and
none is left upon the hearth:
generally high speculations
leave the heart cold without
devotion; for generally there is
a great deal of curiosity and
descriptionPage 100
pride in such studies, for com∣monly
we desire to be accoun∣ted
knowing men, in searching
into whys and hows of Gods
works and truths; as why God
made the tree of knowledg of
good and evill, and how there
can be three persons, and but
one God: therefore in all rea∣ding,
joyn prayer, whether it
be in the reading of humane or
divine things, and take speciall
care that the love of God go not
out, nor grow cold in you. That
which I have heard of one, is a
good practice, that whatsoever
book he was reading, every leafe
that he turned over he would
look what was become of his
heart, and of God, and would
not begin till he had sent up some
prayers to the Lord for dire∣ction.
descriptionPage 101
Advises.
1. Adv. First, Concerning
writing, many wayes thou
art to employ that for thy ad∣vantage.
First, Write down all those
spiritual passages out of Sermons,
books, discourses, wherin thou
hast found most relish aud spiri∣tuall
profit.
Secondly, Keep a Register of
all the mercies that God hath be∣stowed
upon thee, whether it be
temporall or spiritual, but espe∣cially
thy spirituall experiences,
and his manifestations of his love,
if ever the terrors of the Almigh∣ty
was upon thee; the wayes of
Gods providence in supporting
thee, and how, and when, and in
what manner he delivered thee.
descriptionPage 102
And so for the discoveries of his
love, and concerning the mercies
God hath bestowed upon thee,
how, and whether, and when he
answers your prayers; as also all
the speciall ways of Gods provi∣dence
to other spirituall persons,
in temporalls or spirituals; and
when thou findest thy heart dull
and cold in love, or weak in
faith, these experiences of Gods
goodnesse to thy selfe and o∣thers,
will be an excellent
means to enflame and strengthen
thee.
Lastly, Keepe a Diurnall
of thy life in respect of the spi∣rituall
passages of every day;
set downe whether thou didst
awake with God, or whether
the world had the first fruits
of thy thoughts, and how thou
didst performe spirituall duties,
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whether with relish, fervency,
or delights, or otherwise; mark
and set down when thy heart
made any default, intermitting
its communion with God, and
all the severall sins that thou
canst take notice of, that thou
hast committed that day, and
what mercies thou hast recei∣ved;
and when there is any mercy
that thou prayest for, some marke
should be set untill thou hast an
answer of that prayer from
God, and that day the Lord
gives thee that answer, make a
reference from that day to the
day of praying for that mer∣cy.
2. Adv. Secondly, Choose some
spirituall friend one or more, to
whom thou mayst wholly unbo∣some
thy self in all spiritual mat∣ters;
but a great deal of caution
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need to be had in this particular,
he need to be one of a 1000 that
thou choosest; thus thou need∣est
have a gr••at deal of Experince
of his spirituall wisedome, hu∣mility,
and experience of the ways
of God; for be he never so lear∣ned,
though he understand all
mysteries and all knowledge,
though he hath never such excel∣lent
gifts of edification, yet if he
be not an experienced Christian,
thou wilt little benefit either by
his society, or counsell; for when
he speaks of spirituall and expe∣rimentall
truths, and the dis∣courses
of such truths are the
very life of the communion of
Saints; I say, that his discour∣ses
concerning such matters, be he
never so learned, if he be not ex∣perienced
in them, will be with∣out
life or relish; he will seldom
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speak of such things, but when
he does it, it will be with so
much heaviness, that thou mayst
cleerly perceive he doth speak but
by rote, and of things he delights
not in; and for his advise in spi∣rituall
matters, it must needs be
very imperfect, for thousand ca∣ses
may happen of which books
speak nothing; and having no
other way to understand them,
and direct thee, he will be at a
losse; as one that travels by a
Map, and hath no other way to
guide himselfe, he will meet
with many turnings, that put
him to a non-plus which way to
take; whereas he that hath often
travelled that way is a farr safer
guide: the truth is, we have no
knowledge of God, or no sa∣ving
knowledge of him, but
what is by experience: To con∣clude
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therefore, if thou wilt
choose a spiritual friend, choose
such an one as magnifies Christ,
and the spirit of God, and his
teachings, and the word of God,
and inward mortifications above
outward, and that is an experien∣ced
wise and humble Christian,
and thou shalt get a world of
good by the converse of such an
one; for in doubts his wisdom
and experience wil direct thee, in
thy distresses hee will comfort
thee, when thou art spiritually
cold, his example and carriage in
the performance of holy duties,
his discourses of heavenly things,
and the flames of his love wil set
thee on fire.
3. Adv▪ The third is diurnal
examination, every night strictly
to examine what thou hast done
that day; we read of God
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himselfe that every day he loo∣ked
over his works: surely God
hath no need to examine his
works, but it is writ for our in∣struction,
and doubtlesse the be∣nefit
and necessity of this exami∣nation
are very great.
First, We should find out our
sins before they come to be cu∣stomary,
when they are but a day
old, and before they have ta∣ken
root in us, and so they will
easily be pull'd up, and by faith,
repentance, prayer, and resoluti∣ons
against them, we shall easi∣ly
get the victory over them, and
through the help of God, who
makes us more then conquerours:
it is very likely, by the blessing of
God, if David had not negle∣cted
the examining of his soul
that day when he defiled Bath∣sheba,
he would have discovered
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that abomination, and he would
never have gone fo farre as to
have added bloud and the rest
of his abominations to his un∣cleannesse,
and he would have
watered h••s couch with his
teares, which he had defiled with
his adultery.
The second advantage is, that
we shall never lie in any sin un∣repented
of; and there be many
other inconveniences (besides
bringing it to a custome) that
come by sin lying on our souls
unrepented of; for it deads our
prayers, cools our love, hardens
our heart, makes us that we can∣not
come to God with that
joy, with that freedome of
spirit; as when one hath done
ones friend an injury, one is
loth to see him.
The third advantage is by divi∣ding
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this great work of giving up
our account, and making all even
betwixt God and our selves, the
work will be very easie; which if
we shall not doe it but at our
death, or only yearly, it would
be exceeding difficult, and al∣most
impossible: as if some Mer∣chant
who had very great tra∣ding,
should ballast his accounts
of debts, receipts, of disburse∣ments,
&c. but once in seven years,
it would be an intollerable bur∣den;
besides, many things
would be forgotten; whereas it
being done daily, his accounts
are perfected with more ease, and
fewer defaults.
The fourth advantage is, that
at thy death thou wilt have a
world of comfort by taking this
course; for besides, thou art ea∣sed
of that burthen of having
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all the accounts of thy life to make
up then, thou hast a clear way
to answer Satan, when he shall
lay to thy charge any sins of thy
former life; for if he shall ac∣cuse
thee, and say, do'st not thou
remember, that such a year, and
such a day, thou didst commit
such a sin? thou mayest answer
him, and say, it is true, that such
a day I did commit such a sin,
but then that very night I mour∣ned
for it, and went not to bed
before I had my pardon sealed
with the bloud of Christ to my
soul; and when Satan shall not
be able to lay to thy charge any
debt of which thou hast not had
an accquittance, nor any sin for
which thou hast not had a par∣don
from the Lord, such fiery
darts will have no power to
wound thee: and this examina∣tion
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thou mayest make thus:
Consider all the severall hours
of the day, and how thou hast
spent them; when thou didst
first awake, what didst thou
think of? when thou wert asleep,
and thoughtest not of thy selfe,
God thought on thee, and thou
wert safe under the shadow of
his wings; When I awake, thou
art with me, sayes David; was
not God with David when he
was asleep? yes surely; for his
being with him when he was a∣wake,
shewed that he was there
before; for it is not said, When
I awake thou comest to me, but
art with me. Well, but what
are thy thoughts when thou first
wakest? are they of God, or of
the World? Thou shalt much
discover the temper of thy heart
by this; those that are our very
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familiar acquaintance, we suf∣fer
them to come into our cham∣ber
before we are up: surely,
God is a stranger to thee, if thou
thinkest not of him, nor seek∣est
him on thy bed; then
as the Apostle sayes, If the first
fruits are holy, the whole lump is
holy: so generally, as thy first
thoughts are, such art thou all
the day after: in the morning
thou sayest, it will be foule wea∣ther,
sayes our Saviour, for the
skie is red and lowring; so we
may say of the day in respect of
spirituall matters; if thy mor∣ning
thoughts be red and low∣ring,
it will be foule weather in
thy soule that day: and when
thou readest over thy diary,
thou shalt finde that those
dayes when that thy waking
and morning thoughts were full
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of God, that all the duties of
that day, whether of thy generall
or particulat calling, were full of
God also. Well, what didst thou
think of afterwards, didst thou
keep thy thoughts close to God,
untill thy morning exercise?
didst thou dresse thy soul, as thou
didst dresse thy body? Well, af∣ter
that, what didst thou doe
such an hour and such and hour,
&c? Or to help thee in this duty
something more, examine at night
thy works, words, thoughts, what
they were every houre of the
day. For thy works, consider
what thy religious works, the
works of thy particular calling,
and thy recreations were. For
thy prayers, hast thou not o∣omitted
thy seven times a
day, if thou hast attained
with David to that number?
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or how often soever thy set times
are, hast thou not omitted them?
for I dare not discourage any one
in observing set times, as if that
could not be don lawfully. Wel,
how hast thou prayed? hast thou
performed that duty as a task, or
as a means? hast thou bound up
thy devotion to such a number
of times of going to God? or
hast thou given God those pray∣ers
as a composition, or as the rent
of the day, that thou mayest do
with the rest, and spend the rest
in vanity, as thou pleasest? Or
didst thou not much rather per∣form
that duty of prayer as an
act of communion with God for
the present, and as an help for
communion with God for the
future? Didst thou not by thy
prayers intend and desire of the
Lord power and strength not to
descriptionPage 115
depart from him? What were
thy prayers? were they faith∣full,
fervent, reverent, humble?
What returns of thy prayers hast
thou had this day? Hast thou
endeavoured to obtain those
mercies and graces that thou
prayedst for? Thou mockest
God, to pray for those things
thou endeavourest not for; and
thou mockest thy self, to endea∣vour
for those things thou pray∣est
not for. For thy Medita∣tion
and reading the Word of
God, how hast thou performed
them? What power have they
had upon thy heart this day?
Hast thou been more faithfull,
humble, charitable, &c? What
resolutions didst thou make?
and how hast thou kept them?
&c. Concerning thy reading
the Scriptures and meditation,
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most of the things which are spo∣ken
concerning Prayer, may be
applyed to these also: as, Didst
thou meditate and read as a task,
or as a means? and so of the rest.
Concerning the works of thy
particular calling, have they not
justled out the works of thy
generall calling? hast thou not
unnecessarily omitted thy set
times for spirituall duties? or
have not thy thoughts been ta∣ken
up too much with them?
hast thou not left off thy com∣munion
with God? God may
be with thee in thy shop as well
as in thy Closet. Againe, if
thou art a tradesman, hast thou
not took advantage of the neces∣sity
of the seller, and bought too
cheape, and of the ignorance of
the buyer, and sold two dear?
hast thou not sold thy con∣science
descriptionPage 117
with thy wares? Con∣cerning
thy recreations, have
they not been unlawfull recreati∣ons
in respect of the kinde? hast
thou not made a sport of sin, ma∣king
that a recreation which
should be thy grief? making
that thy delight, which should
make a Christian weep? have
not thy recreations been unlaw∣full
in respect of time? have
they not been unseasonable?
hast thou not used recreati∣ons,
when thou shouldest have
put on sackcloth, not being
sensible of the afflictions of Jo∣seph?
or have not thy recrea∣tions
taken up too much time?
hast thou not made a voca∣tion
of recreation? the best
way is by prayer and by fre∣quent
communion with God,
to attain to that spirituall frame
descriptionPage 118
of soul, that thou mayest go to
God as David speaks, Psalm 43.
ver. 4. to make God thy excee∣ding
joy: so shall thy great bu∣sinesse
and designe that thou hast
in the whole world be turned
into a recreation; and thou
shalt need no other, but thou
shalt be as those that are in
heaven; it shall be thy eternall
businesse and delight to admire
and praise God. What have
thy words been? thou must
give an account at the last day
for every idle word: how many
hast thou spoken this day?
Where, when, and with whom
hast thou discoursed, and what
hath thy discourse been of? Have
thy words been to edification?
Remember what the Apostle
says, That we must avoyd foolish
talking and jesting, which is not
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convenient; Hast thou not this
day slandered, or spoken ill of
thy neighbour? if thou hast, be∣sides
thy humbling thy selfe be∣fore
God, and asking pardon
of him, make some recompence
to thy neighbour, and put up as
many prayers to God for him,
as thou hast spoken evill words
of him. For thy thoughts, what
have they been? Have not vain
thoughts lodged in thee? The
fountain of all sinne are our
thoughts; if thou keepest them
close to God, all the rest will
follow, thy words and thy con∣versation
will be spirituall also:
Hast thou not had a thousand
thoughts of God this day? if
thou hast not, thou hast lost
that which is irrevocable: for
though thou hast a thousand
thoughts of God the next day,
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thy losse this day is not thereby
recovered; for thy having a
thousand thoughts of God this
day, doth not hinder thee from
having a thousand thoughts next
day, but rather further thee;
the more thoughts thou hast of
God, the more thou mayst
have; and for thy thoughts of
God, what have they been?
have they been fervent as
well as frequent? have thy
thoughts of God been worthy
of God? or have not thy thoughts
of God been such that thou
shouldest have had of the
world, and thoughts of the
world such as thou shouldest
have had of God?
4. Adv. The fourth is
Meditation, a duty of so great
concernment, so much profit,
that nothing but experience
descriptionPage 121
can make one know the benefit
of it; and the man of the great∣test
devotion, and of the heaven∣lyest
affections, that we read of
in all the Bible, though indeed,
for matter of revelations, it may
be, something more is spoken of
others then of him, I mean Da∣vid,
was exceedingly versed in
Meditation, and doth speak very
much of it concerning his own
practise, and commending it to
others: you know very well, that
he sets it down as the only, or at
least the chief exercise of the bles∣sed
man, to meditate in the word
of God day and night: he delights
in the word of God, and there∣fore
meditates in it; and meditates
in it, and therfore delights in it:
One that walks in a garden, sees
the beauty, and may smell sweet∣nesse
of the flowers growing
descriptionPage 122
there; but it is the Bee that ga∣thers
honey out of them: to read
and study the Scriptures, hath a
great deal of sweetnesse in it, but
it is meditating on the Scriptures
that brings the sweetest and la∣stingest
benefit: the end of stu∣dy
is knowledge; but the end of
meditation is also holy affecti∣on
and practice. Now that
which I advise and direct in this
particular, is, to know how to
read and meditate on the holy
Scriptures to our greatest spiri∣tuall
comfort and advantage:
and there are many Advises to
this purpose.
First, Take the Bible, open it,
and read it with the same atten∣tion,
reverence, and resolution to
follow it, as if Christ living on
the earth either by reason of sick∣nesse,
or some other occasion, not
descriptionPage 123
being able to go to him thy self,
thou shouldst send some speci∣all
friend with thy humble de∣sires
to Christ, to advise thee what
to beleeve and do, and Christ
should send a Letter to thee by
that friend. How exceedingly
wouldst thou prize that Letter?
how wouldest thou rejoyce and
long to read it? how strictly
wouldest thou observe every syl∣lable?
Goe, take the Bible, o∣pen
it, and do likewise. Wee
do not read that ever Christ
writ any thing with his own
hand, save that which he wrote
upon the ground, John 8. and
what that was wee know not.
And what might be the rea∣son?
might not one, if not the
chiefest reason be, lest we should
dolize that place of Scripture,
and despise the rest in compari∣son
descriptionPage 124
of that: it is not the hand,
but the spirit of Christ that gives
authority to Scripture: we have
strange opinions of the bodily
presence of Christ; we think, had
we lived in his dayes, we would
have gone to him, and acknow∣ledged
our sins, and craved par∣don
and direction, and scarce
doubt but we should have obtai∣ned
both: but we consider no••
we have as neer and as certain a way
to obtain them now as then;
nay, we have the same way as they
had; for it was their faith that
made them whole, and by faith
we may be made so too in respect
of spiritual diseases. So, if an An∣gel
should bring a message from
heaven to us, how would we ob∣serve
and follow it? The Scrip∣ture
should be of as great power
and authority with us, as that
descriptionPage 125
Message, and indeed more; for if
it were possible that such a Mes∣sage
should contradict any thing
in the Scripture, the Scripture
must be beleeved before it. But
of this more largely in the fifth
Consideration.
Secondly, Read every verse in
the Bible with this considerati∣on,
that the holy Spirit of God,
when hee inspired the Apostle,
Prophet, or other Pen-men of
the holy Scriptures to write that
place, did particularly intend
thy good in it; for wee must
not conceive that the Scripture
was written for their good on∣ly
who lived in those times
when those severall Books were
published; but to all ages, for
every particular man that should
live in those severall generati∣ons.
The Scripture it self is
descriptionPage 126
plain in this particular; Rom. 15.
4. For whatsoever things were
written afore time, were written
for our learning, that we through
patience and comfort of the Scrip∣tures
might have hope, Deut. 29.
29. The secret things belong unto
the Lord our God, but these things
which are revealed belong unto us,
and to our children for ever, that
we may do all the words of the Law.
Nay, we read of a particular
promise made to a particular per∣son
upon a speciall occasion; if
any part of Scripture were
not to extend to every particular
person that should live while the
world lasts, one would think it
should be that; yet even that ve∣ry
promise the Apostle brings, e∣ven
that, as a promise particularly
to be applied to every Christian:
compare but these places, Heb.
descriptionPage 127
13. 5. Josh. 1. 5. The Scripture
like a well made Picture looks
upon every one in particular, so
directly, as if it looked upon none
else: we generally read the Scrip∣tures
as we hear Sermons, with∣out
a particular and personall ap∣plication
of them; if a godly
Minister should come home to
any one of our houses, and take
one aside, and tell one privately
and feelingly, you professe your
selves Christians, but there is lit∣tle
or nothing of Christianity ap∣pears
in your lives, you live not
as becomes the Gospel of Jesus
Christ; it would startle us; we
hear the same in the Pulpit, and
we let it passe as a thing not con∣cerning
us: if one should come
from an house of uncleanenesse,
and hear a voice from Heaven,
saying, Whoremongers and adul∣terers
descriptionPage 128
God will judge, it would
strike terrour into that mans
heart; he reads the same words
in the Scripture, and they are a
dead letter to him.
Thirdly, Read the Scrip∣ture
to a right end for which it
was written, not for custome,
or that you might be able to dis∣course,
and because you are a∣shamed
to be ignorant of those
things which you conceive every
Christian should know, and ha∣ving
an occasion divers times in
company to talk of such matters,
then you would be loth to be able
to say nothing; but consider what
end the Scripture was writ for,
Rō. 15. 4 Rev. 3. 10. 1 Pet. 2. 2. 2 Tim.
3. 16. and many other places, set
them down; our knowledge,
our affectionss, and our lives
are quite out of frame, and
descriptionPage 129
thou must go to the holy Scrip∣tures
there to finde out directi∣ons
to cure these distempers:
and in a word, that thou may'st
be able to know, admire, love,
fear, trust, and serve God more
then thou doest; thou should'st
never read any part of the word
of God, without a particular in∣tention
to advantage thy selfe in
these particulars by thy reading.
Fourthly, Thou must humbly
and earnestly pray to the Lord
to give thee his Spirit to under∣stand
what thou readest in his
Word; take heed of going with
thine own humane spirit, and in
the strength of thy learning, to
search out the deep things of
God; go to the shallowes of the
workes, which wee call the
works of Nature, and thou
shalt finde that thou art not a∣ble
descriptionPage 130
to fathome them; the winde
thou hearest the sound thereof,
but knowest not whence it comes,
nor whither it goes; and how
canst thou presume to understand
the great mysteries of God,
which the Angels themselves de∣sire
to look into, without the
help of the Spirit of God which
teacheth wisdome secretly? let
thy desires be fervent, for the
things written in the Word of
God are thy life; desire the
Lord to give thee a powerfull,
spirituall, and experimentall
knowledge of the truths that
thou shalt read.
Fifthly, Promise to the Lord
that if he will but reveal to thee
his will, thou wilt do it, and o∣bey
him in it, whether it be good
or evill; Jer. 42. 6. whether it be
pleasing or displeasing to thine
descriptionPage 131
own will: we do not use to tell
any one a receipt to cure a dis∣ease
he is sick of, if we know he
is resolved not to take it; nor do
thou satisfie thy selfe with a neu∣trality,
to finde thy selfe neither
resolved to follow, nor not to
follow what thou shalt under∣stand:
it is an hard thing when
one whom God hath loved so
much, shall give no other return
of all his goodnesse but this,
that he doth not finde his heart
to hate and rebell against him:
many people do little better then
use the Scripture as a charme,
they think by reading so many
Chapters a day, they shall be cu∣red
of all spirituall diseases: had
they not as good think, that by
hanging some Chapters or two
about their neck, they shall be
cured of some corporall disease?
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if one should have a receipt to
cure the gout, and he should
read it over every day twice or
thrice, and think thereby to be
cured, though he never took
what was prescribed; so it is with
him that thinks the bare reading
of the Word of God will do him
any good without being, belee∣ving,
and doing accordingly.
Sixthly, When thou art thus
prepared, read that place which
thou intendest to meditate of,
and consider what the true mean∣ing
of the place is, to thy under∣standing
thereof before thou
didst crave the assistance of the
Spirit of God; but if the place
be knotty and hard to be un∣derstood,
passe it by, for such
places are not proper places of
meditation, but of study; thou
must choose those places of
descriptionPage 133
Scripture as are fit for the affecti∣onate,
not the speculative part of
Divinity, such as may more affect
the heart, then busie the braine to
understand it; and thou must not
be curious to raise nice observati∣ons
from the words, but take those
truths that lie open in the Text.
First, Because those truths that
lie hidden in one place of Scrip∣ture,
are obvious in another.
Secondly, Because when the
braine is much imployed, the
heart lyes dead without affe∣ctions.
Thirdly, Because that time
thou spendest in finding out curi∣ous
observations, may be farre
more profitably spent in working
thy heart to holy affections and
resolutions, from some other truth
that will presently occur from the
words.
descriptionPage 134
Lastly, It shewes that there is
not so great spirituall hunger af∣ter
righteousness as there should
be; for hungry men do not use
to stand and pick bones, when
they have meat enough to eat.
Seventhly, When thou hast
raised any observation from the
words, then thou art to put one
of these three questions to thy
selfe; Do I thus? Is it thus with
me? and, believe I thus? One or
two, or all of these will belong
to every Text; some to all, and
all to some, as Luke 12. 32. Fear
not little flock, it is your Fathers
good will to give you the King∣dom:
Do I thus? that is, for the
first branch, Fear not; do I fear?
Then, Is it thus with me? am I
little in mine own eyes? am I one
of Christ's flock? am I one of
that small number that shall be
descriptionPage 135
saved? Lastly, Do I believe this,
that God will give the Kingdom
of Heaven to such?
Eighthly, If thou doest find,
that thou art, doest, or believest
as the Word requires, give God
the praise, humbly acknowledg∣ing
that it is not thy doing at all,
either that thou art, or doest, or
believest what thou shouldest:
and if thou findest that thou
pridest thy selfe in stead of being
thankfull, as if they were from
thy selfe, or that by any of them
as thine act thou mayest be justi∣fied,
then doe but think in how
many other things thou failest,
and how even in these very parti∣culars,
if thou considerest either
the measure, manner, ground, and
end, thou shalt find them all to
be defective, and thy best righte∣ousnesse
not onely to be ragged,
but filthy too.
descriptionPage 136
Ninthly, If thou findest that
either it is not with thee, or that
thou dost not, or beleevest not
as the Word requires, then,
First, Humble thy self before
the Lord, and desire pardon and
help for the future.
Secondly, Seriously consider
what is the reason (if it be that
thou beleevest not) why thou art
not established in that truth: say
to thy self, O my soul, God can
neither be deceived, nor deceive,
and that this is his word that we
now read and meditate on, is
more certain then any reason that
can possibly be brought against
it; consider that generally the
howes and whyes of Gods
truths and works are the things
that stumble us; as, how can there
be three persons and yet but one
God? and, why should God
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hate Esau, and love Jacob? in
those cases say to thy selfe, that
for the whys and howes of Gods
word and truths, it is curiosity
and pride to enquire of them,
except God does reveal them,
and we ought to mortifie our
desire of knowing them: as that
of our Saviour takes place in this
case; Blessed are they that beleeve
and see not.
Thirdly, Think with thy self,
if thou canst remember any o∣ther
place or places that con∣firms
the truth that thou doubts
of.
Fourthly, Know that that
which thou art mainly to enquire
of, is of the meaning of the
Word of God, not of the truth
of it; for we are seriously to
consider, whether such a place
holds forth such a point, not (it
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appearing to be the plaine mea∣ning
of the Text) whether it be
true or no, if it be a thing that
thou doest not which thou
shouldst do, or doest which thou
shouldst not do; then seriously
consider what are the reasons and
grounds of thy disobedience, and
thou shalt find them to be either
the pleasure, profit, or honour
of the world; and say, alas, O
my soul, can we be so deceived
as to be put off with vanities,
such as by experience we have
known to be vanities, and by
faith much more? Shall we
leave an Heaven of joys, the God
of mercies? shall we leave Christ,
who hath so loved us, that he
left all, even the bosome of his
Father, and emptied himself of
all his glory, and filled himselfe
with our misery? shall we leave
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all these for these, vanities which
we must leave, and will leave us?
Consider the impediments that
hinder thee from doing thy du∣ty;
consider the temptations and
occasions of thy sin; consider
the means and motives to avoyd
it: remove the impediments; a∣voyd
the occasions; use the
means; and think of the mo∣tives
to do that which the Lord
commandeth: but thou must
neither think to find out these,
nor to use the means, or avoyd
the occasions, &c. without im∣ploring
humbly and earnestly the
direction and assistance of the
Spirit of God, to assist and di∣rect
thee in the premisses; for
you must know, that you must
find out and use spirituall Mo∣tives,
or else thy very avoyd∣ing
of sin is sin, when it is done
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upon carnall grounds or sinfull
motives.
Tenthly, When thou hast fi∣nished
all thy Meditations,
First, Thou art to entreat
the Lord, that hee would work
all these truths upon thy heart,
and fasten them as a nail in a
sure place, that his Word may
not be a dry brest unto thee,
nor thou a barren wildernesse
unto it.
Secondly, Thou art to blesse
God for any spirituall frame of
heart that is either wrought or
discovered in thee by this Exer∣cise.
Lastly, Chuse some speciall
truth or point (in which thou are
either most defective, or where∣in
thou hast found most relish,
which thou hast most occasion
to make use of that day) and
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keep it by thee to think of; and
do as those that walk in a gar∣den
of fragrant flowers, if one
may have leave, generally hee
takes some along with him, to
smell to the rest of the day: do
thou binde up some spirituall
truths out of thy Meditation, and
do likewise.
Last Adv. The last great Ad∣vice,
and that which must serve
for an Antidote, lest all the other
Cautions and Advices being ob∣served,
they should be turned in∣to
poyson to us, is, that we should
often meditate, and never be satis∣fied
in our souls, until we come to
a cleer Gospel experimental know∣ledg
of Christ, without which in∣deed,
we are not worthy of the
name of Christians; for are wee
not call'd Christians from the ve∣ry
name? And doubtles, if we have
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not a right knowledg of Christ,
we shall make up a Christ to our
selves of our prayers, and fa∣stings,
and almes, and repen∣tance;
and woe be to that
soul that at the last day shall
have nothing to trust to but his
graces and duties, which will ac∣cuse
him in stead of pleading his
cause: and two things especially
we should endeavour to know
of Christ; first, the excellency of
the person and mysteries of
Christ. Secondly, the love of
Christ.
First, For the excellency of his
person, though to say he was both
God and man, is indeed to in∣clude
all; yet some few things I
shall speak to manifest this point.
First, That all his people do re∣ceive
from him grace for grace;
John 1. 16. Now if we consider
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the vast emptinesse and spiritu∣all
wants of the people of God,
we must needs conclude that
he must be an Ocean of excellen∣cy
that must continually supply
them.
Secondly, (For I shall be very
brief, setting down rather heads
of Meditation, then Sermon-wise,
to dilate upon them) Consider
the dignity of his sufferings; for
they did satisfie the Justice of
God, and that could not be satis∣fied
without somthing of infinite
value; nor could it have been
done by him save only by reason
of the dignity of his person.
Thirdly, Consider how he suffe∣red;
though the pains he suffe∣red
were exceeding great, yet
was it without any abatement at
all of his love of, and confidence
in God; for while he satisfied the
descriptionPage 144
Justice of God by his passive o∣bedience,
in suffering the penal∣ty
of the Law; he also satisfied
and fulfilled the righteousness of
the Law, by his active obedience,
which was a wonder full thing,
that in the midst of all his agony
and all his Fathers anger, while
he was laying upon him the pu∣nishment
of the iniquity of us
all, and spared him not, that e∣ven
then there should be no a∣batement
at all of his confidence
in, and love of his Father, but
that he should love him and trust
in him as much as at any other
time; for had there been any a∣batement,
and had he not loved
God then with all his soul, with
all his might, and with all his
strength (and the same may be
said of his trusting in God) his
sufferings could never have sa∣tisfied
descriptionPage 145
for sinne, but themselves
had stood in need of forgive∣nesse.
Fourthly, Consider that say∣ing
of our Saviour, John 14. 9.
He that hath seen me, hath seen
the Father: the speech of Philip
is as if he should say; Wee in∣deed
see a great deal of holinesse
and wisdom in thy words and
actions, but would we could see
the Father; surely there would
be a world of holinesse and wis∣dom
in his words and actions;
if he would have lived amongst
men as thou Lord hast done,
surely then it had sufficed. Now
our Saviours answer is as if he
should say to Philip, If the
Father himselfe had taken
humane nature, and lived a∣mongst
men, he would not have
spoke one word more, or other∣wise,
descriptionPage 146
nor done one action more
or otherwise then I have done,
he would not, nay could not
have spoke, or done more
wisely then I have done; So
he that hath seen me, hath seen my
Father.
Fifthly, Consider that those
who have had the greatest and
highest revelations of divine
things, have alwayes had the
highest esteem of, and have most
magnified Christ. Saint Paul,
rapt into the third heaven, and
saw and heard things there, which
was neither possible, nor lawfull
to be uttered; yet no man speaks
higher things of Christ then he,
he desires to know nothing but Je∣sus
Christ, and him crucified;
accounts all other knowledg but
drosse and dogs meat; such
knowledge as dogs and swine,
descriptionPage 147
reprobates may have; nay, one
step further, the very Angels in
heaven, though they have the be∣atificall
vision, yet notwithstan∣ding
they desire to look into the
great mysteries of the Gospel, 1
Pet. 1. 12. Therefore never think
that thou hast attained to any
measure of Christian knowledge
before thou seest an excellency in
Christ, and an heighth and depth
in the mysteries of the Gospel;
which if thou shalt not do, say
within thy self, it is so evident
that nothing is more in the word
of God, that Christ is the end
of all the ceremoniall Laws, and
all the Prophesies of the old Te∣stament;
that all the Prophets,
nay all the Angels give witness;
and the Apostle cleerly says, that
there is no controversie of this mat∣ter
of the greatnesse of Gospel
descriptionPage 148
mysteries, and therefore that I
do not admire them, it certainly
proceeds from my ignorance of
them; for if it proceeded from
knowledge, without doubt the
Apostles that had more knowledg
then I, and the Angels which had
more knowledg then the Apo∣stles,
would never have desired
to have known more of them:
And after thou hast wrought this
upon thy heart, and art fully
convinced of the truth of it, that
there is no knowledg, not onely
not so profitable, but not so
sweet, nor so excellent as this,
then humbly beseech the Lord
that he would shew unto thee,
teaching thee by his Spirit the
deep things of God, and that he
would not only do it to informe
and enlighten thy understanding
in, but to inamour thy will of
descriptionPage 149
the beauties of the mysteries of
Christ: we stand doating and
gazing upon hamane knowledge,
which is but like a poor glow∣worme
compared to the Sun of
righteousnesse; but alas poor
thing, it hath neither light nor
heat, compared to the truths of
the Gospel: and we must look
upon Christ as the only author
and finisher of our faith, and
justifier of our persons; though
we do all that hath been mentio∣ned,
yet we must not so much
as make our doings, or not do∣ings
the least ingredient in our
justification: and as Solomon
speaks concerning our wisdom, so
we must do in the matter of ho∣linesse;
Leane not to thine own wis∣dome,
saith Solomon; not onely
not rely upon it, but lean on it:
we must not partly trust in
descriptionPage 150
our own wisdom, and partly in
the wisdom of God, but we must
wholly rely upon his wisdom:
so, we must not partly rely upon
Christs merits, and partly upon
our own; but wholly on Christ:
those sins which we do not com∣mit,
we are not innocent of; and
those holy duties that we do per∣form,
we are not innocent in;
therefore neither can we escape
hell, nor attain heaven by any
thing that wee do, or not do:
and the reason why wee either
avoyd sin, or perform holy du∣ties,
or frequent ordinances, is
not because thereby we shall be
justified, but that thereby wee
may glorifie God and Christ,
and because therein wee have
communion with Christ, and
are made more conformable un∣to
him, and made more capable
descriptionPage 151
of more of Christ. When we go
to some stately Palace, where we
have appointed to meet some
deer friend whom wee love with
our whole soul, though we have
never so much entertainment
there when we come, yet if wee
neither see, nor enjoy the com∣pany
of our so exceedingly lo∣ved
and desired friend, wee ra∣ther
weep then rejoyce, notwith∣standing
the feasts and build∣ings
which wee taste and see:
Prayer, hearing the Word, the
Lords Supper, are stately Ordi∣nances
and rich Feasts; yet if
we meet not Christ there, they
are but dry brests and barren wil∣dernesses
to a soul that loves
Christ.
Secondly, Now the main thing
that hinders a poor soul from
coming unto Christ, is, that it
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is not cleerly satisfied of Christs
love and willingnesse to receive
her: to this point therefore by
the blessing of God I shall speak
more largely, and as cleerly as
the Lord shall inable me; this
therefore may be said to that
point: Art thou not satisfied of the
love and willingnesse of Christ
to receive thee? What can Christ
say or do more then he hath
done? suppose Christ from Hea∣ven
should bid thee write downe
what expressions soever thou
wouldest or couldest invent, and
bid thee call all the Saints in the
whole world, and all the An∣gels
in heaven, and bid you con∣sult
together, and write down the
highest, fullest, cleerest, and lar∣gest
expressions of love, and he
wil set his hand and seal to them,
would that satisfie? surely God
descriptionPage 153
and Christ have done more; for
the Holy Ghost comes not short
of the expressions of love of
whatsoever the Angels in heaven
could invent, thou hast his hand
and seale to them in his Word;
thou wouldest be a▪ looser if thou
shouldest make another draught
of love for Christ to set his
hand to, and take that in stead of
the expressions of love which he
hath already ratified and confir∣med
by his Word, his Oath,
his Seal, that thou mighest have
strong consolation: Suppose that
thou shouldest search the whole
world to find out the fondest, lo∣vingest
and tenderest parent in
the world, and when thou hast
found her, thou shouldest observe
with what love, care, and bowels
of affection she carried her selfe
towards her little Infant, how
descriptionPage 154
shee breaks her sleep, and even
her very heart when her child is
sick, and never complains of her
pains and costs, and never thinks
she can do or suffer enough for
the little Infant: now if thou
shalt say within thy self; O
that I was sure that God loved
me as much as this woman loves
her child: well, would that sa∣tisfie?
then be satisfied, God
loves thee more: Isa. 49. 15.
Can a woman forget her sucking
child, that shee would not have
compassion on the son of her womb?
yea they may forget, yet will not
I forget thee: the Lord doth not
say, can women? but a woman,
any woman: find out that wo∣man
which thou supposest is the
most unlikely to forget her child,
yet God is more unlikely to for∣get
thee; nay it is more possible
descriptionPage 155
that all the women of the world
should forget their children, then
God; for though the question
be put in the singular number,
Can a woman? yet the answer
is in the plurall, not she may, but
they may, they all may. Further
again; Suppose thou wert at
the solemnizing of a marriage of
the lovingest couple in the whole
world, and shouldest observe
with how much joy and love the
Bridegroom carried himselfe to∣ward
the Bride, even in the midst
and height of all his nuptiall so∣lemnities;
wouldst thou not be
satisfied if thou didst know that
God did not only love thee with
that tender love of compassion
with which the lovingest mother
in the world loves her Infant, but
with that love of complacencie
which the Bridegroom beareth
descriptionPage 156
to, and with which he rejoyceth
over his Bride: whose love was
equall to their espousals? then be
satisfied, for God doth so; Isa.
62. 5. And as a Bridegroome rejoy∣ceth
over his Bride, so shall thy
God rejoyce over thee: Nay surely,
I may say, that the holiest Saint
in the whole world, when by
the clearest discoveries of Gods
love unto him, his heart is most
enflamed; nay further, that the
highest Angell in Heaven doth
not love God so much, as God
loves the poorest and meanest
Saint in the whole world; for
God so loved the world, it is such
a sic, that there is no sicut for it,
not that of the Angels unto him;
nothing can expresse it to the ful,
save onely the greatness of the
gift which hee out of his love
gave to, and for his pleople,
descriptionPage 157
even the Lord Jesus Christ.
To conclude, Do but consider
what Christ hath done, and if
thou art fully satisfied of that,
thou canst have no cause to have
the least doubt of his willingnesse
to do whatsoever more is to be
done for thee; for that which is
to be done is nothing in com∣parison
of that which he hath
already done for those that are
his.
First, Nothing in respect of
excellency, for the Apostle brings
that in, He will much more give
us all things: also for God to
give thee Christ, is much more
then to give thee Heaven: as to
give thee Heaven is much more
then to give thee all temporall
blessings, Mat. 6. 33. If one that
ought thee 10000 pounds, should
have payed thee nine thousand
descriptionPage 158
nine hundered ninety nine, thou
wouldest no whit doubt, but he
will pay thee the residue, especi∣ally
if it stood upon the forfeiture
of his credit; how much more
shalt thou assure thy self of Gods
doing for thee whatsoever is be∣hind,
since he hath already done
so much!
Secondly, The great matter
of difficulty is over; indeed it
cost Christ dear, and God the
Father dear to redeem thee; God
spared not his own Son; Christ
spared not his bloud, nor his life;
he suffered hunger, cold, and na∣kednesse,
and reproach, the pain∣full
and shamefull death of the
Cross to redeem thee; but he lives
for ever to make intercession for
thee; he needs not rise off from
his throne, nor put off his robes
of glory to carry on the remain∣der
descriptionPage 159
of thy work of salvation; he
sits at the right hand of God to
make intercession for thee; The
Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou
on my right hand until I make thy
enemies thy footstool.
Thirdly, The great matter of
wonder is over also: That a great
and mighty Monarch should
marry a poor wretched and dis∣eased
woman, is a thing of great
wonder; but its not so great a
wonder that having married her,
should make her partakers of all
the glory and riches of his King∣dome;
nay indeed, it was a won∣der
if he should not. That Christ
who is the Lord of glory should
marry a poor sinful soul is a won∣der;
but having married thee,
that he should sanctifie thee, that
he should present thee glorious,
without spot or blemish, or any
descriptionPage 160
such thing, is no wonder; nay
it was a wonder if he should still
suffer thee to go in rags, and ne∣ver
adorn thee with the Jewels of
his grace, and set upon thy head
the Crown of glory. Therefore
comfort thy self with these truths:
Now to him that hath done so
much, and much more, be glory
and honour for ever, Amen.
FINIS.
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