,,experiments ,,of ,spiritual ,life ,health1 ,and their ,,preservatives ,in which the weakest ,child of ,god may get ,assurance of his ,spirituall ,life and ,blessednesse ,and the ,strongest may finde proportionable ,discoveries of his ,christian ,growth1 and the means of it4 ,by ,roger ,williams of ,providence in ,new-,england4 ,illustration ,london1 ,printed1 in the ,second ,month1 #afeb4 ,,re-,,printed ,,by ,,sidney ,s4 ,,rider1 ,,providence4 #ahfc4 ,,introduction4 ,as the existence of the following tract was1 until quite recently1 unknown1,a a few words of introduction1 exhibiting its character and the circumstances under which it was written1 may not be inappropriate4 ,a ,professor ,knowles1 in his ,memoir of ,roger ,williams1 makes the following statement3 ,mr4 ,williams is said to have published1 in ,london1 in #afeb1 a work entitled ,experiments in ,spiritual ,life and ,health1 and their ,preservatives4 ,of this book1 no copy has come to our knowledge4 ,the object of the work is1 briefly to present to the christian the evidences of personal piety and guard these evidences from abuse and misapprehension4 ,it is divided into three parts4 ,the author first treats of the evidences of a piety1 which1 though real1 is weak and imperfect2 secondly1 the evidences of a vigorous and maturer piety2 and the third part contains directions for maintaining and increasing piety in the soul of the believer4 ,it is written with clearness and discrimination1 and much resembles the treatises of ,baxter on the same subject4 ,it is as well adapted to the condition of christians of the present day as to the condition of those for whom it was written1 two hundred and ten years since4 ,there cannot be found in it a word of sectarian bitterness2 on the contrary1 it everywhere breathes the spirit of catholic1 christian charity4 ,the circumstances under which it was written are certainly peculiar4 ,it seems that his wife1 to whom he appears to have been tenderly attached1 had been dangerously ill1 but was now recovering4 ,during her sickness he had been from home1 laboring among the ,indians2 and while absent1 he wrote this little treatise in the form of a letter to her1 his object being simply to promote her spiritual improvement4 ,at the request of his friends1 it was published in ,london2 and a dedication was prefixed to it1 addressed to ,lady ,vane the ,younger4 ,in this dedication1 occurs the following remarkable passage3 ,the form and stile ,i know will seem to this refined age too rude and barbarous1 and the truth is1 the most of it was penned and writ1 7so as seldom or never such discourses were17 in the thickest of the naked ,indians of ,america1 in their very wild houses1 and by their barbarous fires1 when the ,lord was pleased this last year 7more than ordinarily7 to dispose my abode and travel among them4 ,as a writer1 ,roger ,williams has generally borne the reputation of a violent and bitter controversialist4 ,i believe that in this respect he has suffered great injustice4 ,it would seem from this tract1 that1 on the contrary1 his spirit was eminently candid and catholic1 and that controversy was to him a painful duty4 ,in the same dedication he says3 ,it is true1 ,i have been sometimes prest to engage in controversies1 but ,i can really and uprightly say1 my witness is on high1 how harsh and dolefull the touch of these strings are1 is1 and especially against such worthies both in old and ,new ,england1 in whom ,i joyfully1 before the world1 acknowledge 7in many heavenly respects7 a lively character and image of the love of ,god4 ,every thing in this tract is in harmony with such a declaration4 ,,stephen ,,randall1 ,esq41 a descendant of ,roger ,williams1 a gentleman who cherishes a proper respect for the memory of his great ancestor1 has been at much pains to procure the use of one of the only two known copies of this work1 and at his instance it is now re-published4 ,it is nearly a fac simile of the original copy1 retaining1 unchanged1 all the obsolete words and phrases1 with all the peculiarities of orthography4 ,in this form it will be more interesting to the public1 and especially to antiquarians1 than it could be made by any change whatever4 ,in the hope1 that1 after the lapse of more than two centuries1 it will again be acceptable to christians of all denominations1 and exhibit in a new light the character of a great and good man1 it is now presented to the descendants of the ,puritans4 ,f4 ,w4 ,providence1 ,december #ast1 #ahfb4 ,illustration ,to the truly ,honorable the ,lady ,vane1 the ,younger4 ,madam1 ,your favourable1 and ,christian respects to me 7both of former and latter date7 your ,godly and ,christian ,letters to me1 so many thousand miles distant in ,america3 ,and your many gracious ,demonstrations of an humble and ,christian ,spirit breathing in you2 are a three fold ,cord which have drawn these lines into your presence4 ,while ,i have sometimes mused how to express a ,christian gratitude1 ,i am at last perswaded to crave your ,ladyships acceptance of these poore ,experiments of each true ,christians personall union1 and communion with the ,father of ,spirits4 ,it is true1 ,i have been sometimes prest to engage in controversies1 but ,i can really and uprightly say1 my ,witnes is on high1 how harsh and doleful the touch of those strings are1 especially1 against such ,worthies both in old and new-,england1 in whom ,i joyfully before the world acknowledge 7in many heavenly respects7 a lively character and ,image of the ,son of ,god4 ,this broken piece1 is a breath of a still and gentle voice1 none but the ,god of this world1 and the men of this world1 can ,i lightly 7at this turne7 expect my opposites4 ,at other times ,i have been drawne to consider of the little flock of ,jesus1 his ,army1 his body1 his building1 that for these many hundred years have been scattered1 routed and laid wast and desolate3 ,at present1 ,i onely examine who are the personall and particular ,sheep of ,jesus ,christ1 his ,souldiers1 his living materials1 though scattered1 divided1 and not compos'd and ordred at their souls desire4 ,i confess 7,madam7 it was but a private and sudden discourse1 sent in private to my poor ,companion and ,yoak-fellow1 occasioned by a sudden sickness threatening death1 into which1 and from which it pleased the ,lord most graciously to cast and raise her4 ,the forme and stile ,i know will seem to this refined age1 too rude and barbarous3 ,and the truth is1 the most of it was penn'd and writ 7so as seldom or never such discourses were7 in the thickest of the naked ,indians of ,america1 in their very wild houses1 and by their barbarous fires2 when the ,lord was pleased this last year 7more then ordinarily7 to dispose of my abode and travell amongst them4 ,and yet1 is the ,language plaine8 it is the liker ,christs3 ,is the composure rude8 such was his outward ,beauty3 ,are the tryals 7seemingly7 too close8 such is the two edged ,sword of his most holy ,spirit1 which pierceth between the very ,soul and ,spirit1 and bringeth every thought into the obedience of ,christ ,jesus4 ,amongst the many ,crowns of mercy 7,madam7 which it hath pleased the ,father of mercies to crowne your soul with1 as ,david speaks of his1 ,psal4 #ajc4 there are two which justly challenge 7and your ,ladyship ,i know doth humbly acknowledge them7 to be the fairest4 ,sidenote3 #a ,cor4 #c4 ,the first1 ,that he himselfe most high1 most holy1 7who makes his common choice1 the poor1 ,jam4 #b4 and chooseth few ,lords1 few ,knights1 few ,ladies1 7few wise1 few noble1 few mighty7 hath freely chosen you ,madam1 in so gracious and blessed a measure1 to desire to feare his ,name4 ,a second1 ,that for your dearest ,companion and ,guide in this vale of tears 7amongst the famous ,worthies of this age7 he hath graciously guided you to such a blessed choice1 of such an ,husband on earth1 who beares so bright an ,image of your ,husband in the ,heavens1 and in whose most holy and gracious hand1 he hath been such a mercifull and faithfull ,instrument1 for both the freedoms both of the outward and inner man4 ,i doe humbly acknowledge 7that upon an absolute account7 all is mercy1 and yet ,i am also humbly confident1 that in a respect 7as he graciously remembered his old friend ,abraham1 and tels us of a speciall love he yet bears the ,jewes for ,abrahams sake1 even so1 he hath graciously vouchsafed at this present an honorable remembrance to the ,,names of some of his more eminent former friends and witnesses4 ,how hath he crowned the memory of those his #b zealous ,servants in ,k4 ,henry the #hth4 his days,b with a most eminent and blessed succession of such names and spirits at this day8 and in a gracious remembrance of his love to that blessed daughter and witnesse of his the ,lady ,vane in ,q4 ,maries dayes2 how hath it pleased his wisedom and goodnesse1 to remember and to honour that ,name1 both in your ,ladiship and so many otherways1 with so many loving kindnesses at this day8 ,b ,cromwel and ,lambert4 ,my humble cry 7,madam7 to the ,lord shall never cease1 those all those your many obligations of both temporall and eternall mercies1 may 7like chaines of ,adamant7 draw and bind your precious ,soul more and more to resolve 7by his grace assisting7 to make his name great1 who hath made your so and so to love his ,name1 his ,son1 his ,spirit1 his ,truth1 his ,children1 that others at the ,torch of your exemplary meeknesse and fear of ,god1 may light and kindle theirs2 ,that your ,souls-eye more and more brightly may see him who is invisible1 and may so experimentally resent those invisible and internal ,honors1 pleasures and profits that are in him that in comparison thereof the visible and worldly1 may be accounted by you but dreams of shadows1 c4 ,that your great desire may be a likenesse of so high and holy1 and so dear a ,saviour1 and 7as in other excellencies so7 in that especially of a desire of saving others1 your ,children1 ,kindred1 ,servants1 ,friends1 yea1 ,enemies3 that neither the pleasing calme of prosperity1 nor the dreadfull storms of changes1 may quench or dampe that holy fire of your souls love 7in ,life and ,death7 to ,him whom your ,ladyship hath so much infinite cause to love1 but never yet saw1 in whom1 and for ever ,i desire to be ,your ,,honours unfeignedly faithfull4 ,r4 ,w4 ,illustration ,to every truly ,christian ,reader4 ,sidenote3 ,thy ,maker is thy ,husband4 ,isa4 #eb4 ,as it is in the ,earthly1 so it is in the ,heavenly ,marriage of a poor ,sinner to his ,maker4 ,there useth first to passe a private kindling of ,love1 and a private consent and promise 7which sometimes are long7 before the open solemnity1 and the publike profession of a ,married ,life together4 ,this is my present designe1 7not to controvert the matters of publike ,order and ,worship1 but7 to present some poor ,experiments of those ,personall excellencies of each true beleeving soule and spirit4 ,sidenote3 ,isa4 #dj4 ,sidenote3 ,prov4 #ba4 ,the ,holy ,spirit 7in ,isaiah7 tels us of ,ballances wherein the most ,high weighs the ,hills and ,mountains3 ,as also in ,solomon1 of ,ballances wherein hee weighs the very ,spirits1 even of men whose way is right in their owne eyes4 ,and in ,john 7#ad47 he commands us to try the ,spirits1 pretending to come from ,christ ,jesus1 whether they be of ,god1 or no4 ,sidenote3 ,great pretences to the holy ,spirit of ,god4 ,there is not the grossest ,protestant or ,papist1 but pretends to the ,spirit of ,god2 yea that horrid ,monster ,mahomet1 blusht not to avouch that in the ,forme of a ,dove1 the holy ,spirit of ,god did whisper in his eare from ,heaven4 ,now blessed is that ,spirit1 publike or private1 who is truly willing and joyfull to lye downe in the ,ballances of the ,lords weighings4 ,hitherto tend these ,experiments of personal ,communion with ,god in the ,spirit of ,holinesse1 ,rom4 #a4 #c4 ,sidenote3 ,to counterfeit the holy ,spirit dreadfull4 ',tis true1 all publike and private ,christian ,spirits1 pretend the ,spirit of ,holinesse3 yea1 how great a part of the ,world pretend to be ,christendome1 the ,christian world1 that is1 anointed with the ,spirit of ,christ ,jesus8 ,but was it ,death in ,moses ,rites to counterfeit that ceremoniall and figurative ,ointment1 ,exod4 #cj4 what shall it be to counterfeit the ,spirit of ,life and ,holiness it self8 ,what ,i beleeve therefore 7as ,david and ,paul once spake7 ,i freely speak3 ,yea1 who can but speak 7saith ,peter and ,john7 the ,things they have seene and heard8 ,i confesse ,i spake these first but in a private ,letter in ,america1 and thought not that the light in ,europe should have seen them3 ,but a two-fold desire hath prevailed with me to expose these ,tryalls to the ,trying of all men4 #a4 ,the earnest desire of some ,godly ,friends4 #b4 ,mine owne desire of sowing a little handfull of spirituall seed while the short ,minute of my seed-time 7the opportunity of life7 lasteth4 ,sidenote3 ,the least of the little ones of ,christ ,jesus ought to rejoyce4 ,my scope is to fill each truly ,christian soule with triumphing and rejoycing3 ,i speak peace and joy to the ,weakest ,lamb and ,child 7in ,christianity7 that is so low1 so weake1 so litle1 so poor in its owne eyes1 that it sometimes saith1 it hath no ,christ1 no ,spirit1 no ,faith1 no ,love1 no nor true ,desire in it selfe4 ,to this poore weake one ,i speak peace and joy1 and say1 this spirituall poverty is blessed1 and is the first step or round of that spirituall ,ladder1 ,mat4 #e4 ,blessed are the poor in spirit1 for theirs is the ,kingdome of ,heaven4 ,secondly1 ,i found joyfull ,alarums of ,encouragement to the strong to grow 7as ,peter exhorteth7 in the ,grace and ,knowledge of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,sidenote3 ,communion of ,saints most sweet1 and to be lamented after4 ,tis true1 the communion of ,saints is sweet and joyfull1 strong and powerfull1 eternally gainfull and profitable2 and holy and blessed is that ,spirit that makes the ,saints 7who are the ,excellent of the ,earth7 its ,delight1 and after that blessed hour of the ,saints uniting in one ,heart1 one ,spirit1 one ,worship1 let all that love ,christ ,jesus mourne and lament1 and breath and pant3 ,and yet the weakest and the faintest ,lamb that comes but stealing in the ,crowd to touch the hemb of the ,lord ,jesus his garment1 that is content to be esteemed a ,dog1 and to wait for crums of mercy under the ,table of the ,son of ,god3 let them ,i say rejoyce also1 for he that hath begun that blessed work by his owne free and eternall ,spirit1 will by the same his owne holy ,arme1 gloriously finish it4 ,i end 7,deare ,christian7 with the proposall of two ,christian knots1 or ,riddles1 not unsuitable to these present ,times and ,spirits8 ,sidenote3 ,two ,christian ,riddles1 suiting these times and spirits4 ,first1 ,why is the ,heart of a ,david himself 7,psa4 #cj47 more apt to decline from ,god1 upon the ,mountaine of ,joy1 ,deliverance1 ,victory1 ,prosperity1 then in the dark ,vale of the shadow of ,death1 ,persecution1 ,sicknesse1 ,adversity1 c4 ,secondly1 ,why is it1 since ,god worketh freely in us to doe and to will of his owne good pleasure1 that yet he is pleased to command us to work out our owne ,salvation with ,feare and ,trembling8 ,let us all humbly beg the ,finger 7the ,spirit7 of the ,lord to untie these ,knots for us4 ,i desire to be thine unfeighned in ,christ ,jesus1 ,r4 ,w4 ,illustration ,the ,contents of this ,discourse4 ,the ,heads are three4 ,under the first are contained the ,arguments of ,spirituall ,life1 wherein the ,weakest and the ,sickest ,child of ,god may finde its ,spirituall ,life apparent1 though over-cast and eclipsed with spirituall ,weaknesse and ,distempers4 ,under the second ,head1 ,arguments of the strength and vigour of the ,spirit of ,life and ,holinesse3 ,in which the strongest and the eldest in ,christ1 may find ,experiments of ,spirituall ,health1 and ,christian ,activity and chearfullnesse4 ,these ,experiments respect1 #a4 ,the ,souls private correspondency with the ,lord himselfe4 #b4 ,converse and correspondency with ,men4 #c4 ,private ,retirednesses with it selfe4 ,under the third ,head are proposed some ,means wherein the ,spirit of ,god usually breatheth for the preserving and maintaining of a truly ,spirituall and ,christian ,health and ,chearfullnesse4 ,illustration ,the ,letter which the ,author sent with this ,discourse to his ,wife ,m4 ,w4 upon her recovery from a dangerous sicknesse4 ,my ,dearest ,love and ,companion in this ,vale of ,tears4 ,sidenote3 ,the true use of sicknesse4 ,thy late sudden and dangerous ,sicknesse1 and the ,lords most gracious and speedy raising thee up from the gates and jawes of ,death3 as they were wonderfull in thine own1 and others eyes1 so ,i hope1 and earnestly desire1 they may be ever in our thoughts1 as a warning from ,heaven to make ready for a sudden call to be gone from hence3 to live the rest of our short uncertaine span1 more as strangers1 longing and breathing after another ,home and ,country2 ,to cast off our great cares and fears and desires and joyes about this ,candle of this vaine life1 that is so soon blowne out1 and to trust in the living ,god1 of whose wonderfull power and mercy thou hast had so much and so late experience1 which must make thee sing with ,david 7,psal4 #ajc47 ,blesse the ,lord ,o my ,soul1 and all that is within me blesse his holy ,name3 ,blesse the ,lord1 ,o my ,soul1 and forget not all his benefits1 who forgiveth all thy sins1 and healeth thine infirmities3 who redeemeth thy life from destruction1 and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindnesse4 ,my dear ,love1 since it pleaseth the ,lord so to dispose of me1 and of my affairs at present1 that ,i cannot often see thee1 ,i desire often to send to thee4 ,i now send thee that which ,i know will be sweeter to thee then the ,honey and the ,honey-combe1 and stronger refreshment then the strongest wines or waters1 and of more value then if every line and letter were thousands of gold and silver4 ,hezekiah upon his recovery from his sicknesse1 made a writing 7,isai4 #ch47 as an everlasting monument of his praise unto ,god1 and as a ,goad or spur to himselfe and others in the wayes of godlinesse for the future4 ,thy holy and humble desires are strong1 but ,i know thy writing is slow1 and that thou wilt gladly accept of this my poore helpe1 which with humble thankefulnesse and praise to the ,lord1 ,i humbly tender to his holy service1 and thine in him4 ,sidenote3 ,the outward and inner man4 ,i send thee 7though in ,winter7 an handfull of flowers made up in a little ,posey1 for thy dear selfe1 and our dear children1 to look and smell on1 when ,i as the grasse of the field shall be gone1 and withered4 ,wee know how it pleaseth the spirit of ,god to distinguish between the outward and the inner man1 #b ,cor4 #d4 ,though our outward man perish2 yet our inner is renewed day by day3 ,it hath pleased the most high to cast downe thy outward man1 and againe graciously to lift him up1 and thereby to teach us both1 to examine and try the health1 and strength1 and welfare of the inner4 ,i will not now enter upon the ,disputes about that question1 what is the ,inner-man1 whether ,christ himselfe1 as some say1 or an ,image or likenesse of ,christ ,jesus1 as others say4 ,that is a ,candle or ,torch to me1 which is written ,ephes4 #c4 ,that ,christ may dwell in your ,hearts by faith3 unto which agrees that of the first of ,john3 ,as many as received him1 that is received ,christ ,jesus into the house of their hearts to dwell there by believing and obeying of him1 they are borne of the ,spirit1 and are the ,sons of ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,what the inner-man is4 ,sidenote3 ,subject to many distempers4 ,this ,inner man1 this new-man 7which after ,god is created in holinesse and righteousnesse7 ,i say1 this ,inner-man hath his tempers and distempers1 his health and sicknesse1 as well as this outward-man this body of ,clay4 ,hence we hear so often mentioned1 the renewing of the inward-man1 the growing and increasing of ,faith and ,love1 and other breathings of ,gods ,spirit3 the losse 7that is in a measure17 of the ,ephesians first love4 ,hence the many falls of the ,lords best ,servants1 recorded in ,scripture1 and the sleep of the ,spouse of ,christ ,jesus1 although her heart wake in the truth of marriage-love1 which can never wholly dye in her and be extinguished4 ,sidenote3 ,a threefold person in ,gods children ,the holy ,scripture mentioneth a three-fold person in all that are borne againe1 ,first1 the body of ,flesh and clay1 this outward naturall being1 which must be dissolved and dye1 then rise againe to ,glory4 ,the second is the body of corruption1 or old man1 which being deadly wounded by the ,son of ,god alreadie in all that are his1 shall shortly give up the ghost1 and rot1 and never rise again4 ,the third is this holy1 heavenly inner man1 of whose health and daily renewing ,i now discourse1 who is born of an immortall seed1 and therefore can no more die then ,christ himself3 ,rom4 #f4 ,sidenote3 ,a spirituall cheerfull temper4 ,now as this outward man desires not onely life1 and being1 but also health and cheerfulness in all the living motions and actions thereof3 ,so1 7and much more ten thousand fold7 requires the inward and spirituall man1 an healthfull and cheerfull temper4 ,for as the ,lord loveth a cheerfull giver3 ,so loves he also a cheerfull ,preacher1 a chearfull hearer1 a chearfull prayer1 and a chearfull sufferer for his ,name sake3 ,he loves that the shoes of preparation be on our feet ready to run 7all wayes and weathers7 the paths of his ,commandments3 ,that like a vessel our leaks be stopt1 and our whole soul be ready in an holy trim1 and tightness1 for all his holy employments of us in the greatest tempests3 that like heavenly souldiers1 our ,arms be fixt1 or like an ,instrument1 the strings of our affections and parts be all in tune1 to make heavenly musick in the holy ears of our heavenly ,lord and ,king4 ,tis true1 as it is between a loving couple1 7and as it was in the ,church at ,ephesus7 it is not easie to keep in the first flame of ,love1 fresh and equall1 although the fire of the truth and sinceritie of marriage love never die1 or be extinguished4 ,sidenote3 ,spirituall distempers4 ,it is true that ,paul cries out 7how much more may we7 ,o wretched man that ,i am1 who shall deliver me from this body of death8 ,tis true1 that sometimes corruption and ,satan surprize and carry away the strongest champions of ,christ ,jesus1 as slaves and captives for a time1 untill ,christ ,jesus rescue1 redeem and ransome1 by giving repentance unto his ,israel1 as he did to ,david1 ,peter1 c4 as ,abraham rescued ,lot1 and as ,david recovered all his precious captives1 led slaves away from ,ziklag4 ,i am far therefore from passing the sentence of death upon the least of the little ones of ,jesus1 7notwithstanding their spirituall weaknes1 and sicknesses7 in whom the least spark or breathing of the spirit of ,life can be discerned4 ,and ,i desire to see and lament the spirituall sicknesses1 and diseases of mine own and others ,spirits1 which yet are not unto death 7as ,christ ,jesus spake of ,lazarus7 but for the glory of ,god1 in the fall and rising of his servants4 ,sidenote3 ,distinction between spirituall death1 spirituall sickness and spirituall weakness ,yea as ,paul distinguisheth of ,gods afflicting hand on his ,saints at ,corinth1 so must ,i distinguish1 between these three1 death1 sicknes and weakness3 ,every sicknes of ,gods ,children is not a death1 for the inner man cannot die1 no more then ,christ himself4 ,rom3 #f4 ,again1 every weaknes is not a sicknes1 for some are weak1 little ones in the knowledge and love of ,christ1 while others are grown to be strong and aged in ,christ ,jesus2 ,yea1 the strongest and oldest ,souldiers of ,christ ,jesus1 who have not thought their dearest ,heartblood to dear for such a ,lord and ,master1 have yet been troubled with some weaknes1 and fits of spirituall distempers3 ,weaknes in their ,eyes is not discerning aright the mind of ,christ ,jesus1 weaknes in their hands1 and ,feet1 hindring their spirituall chearfulnes1 and activity in ,christs wayes1 which weaknesses yet have not brought them to a down right halting in ,christianity4 ,i propose therefore 7with the assistance of ,gods holy spirit7 to examine these three particulars4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,heads of this ,discourse ,first1 what are the ,arguments of that measure of spirituall life in ,christ1 which yet may stand with great spirituall weaknesses and diseases4 #bly4 ,what is the measure of the grace of ,christ ,jesus1 which may be called the health1 and chearfull temper1 and disposition of the inner man4 #c;dly4 ,what are those spiritual preservatives1 which may keep the ,soul in an healthful temper1 free from spirituall sicknesses and distempers4 ,in these ,examinations ,i professe two things3 ,first not to oppresse thy thoughts and memory1 with any long discourse1 intending only to send thee after thy sicknes1 a little posey fit and easie for thy meditation1 and refreshing4 #bly4 ,all my ,flowers shall be some choice example1 or speech of some son or daughter of ,god1 pickt out from the ,garden of the holy ,scriptures for our spiritually refreshing and consolation4 ,i begin therefore with such trialls and arguments as declare1 the true life of the inner man1 notwithstanding spirituall weaknes1 sicknes1 and distempers4 ,sidenote3 ,the weakest of ,gods children cry unto ,god as to a ,father4 ,first then when the ,spirit of the ,lord in #a ,job4 #b4 describeth the severall ,ages and grouths of this inward man 7to wit a child1 a strong man1 and an old man7 it pleasath him to describe the young or little one by this difference1 that ,he knows the ,father to wit1 that he knows the ,lord so1 as to look upon him 7in his measure7 as to a ,father1 that he fears him1 loves him1 obeys him1 and calls upon him as on a ,father3 according to that of ,gal3 #d4 ,because you are sons1 he hath sent forth the spirit of his ,son crying in your ,hearts ,abba ,father3 ,father pardon me1 ,father help me1 ,father give me1 c4 ,sidenote3 ,obj4 ,but may not the ,hypocrites call upon ,god1 7and sometime more boldly then ,gods little ones17 ,lord ,lord1 ,almighty and most mercifull ,father1 c4 ,sidenote3 ,an4 ,i answer1 an ,hypocrite hath many ,lords1 and many ,fathers1 besides1 and joyned with their 7pretended7 heavenly ,father4 ,whereas ,gods little ones cry out1 7,isa4 #fc47 ,doubtles thou art our ,father1 though ,abraham be ignorant of us1 as if they had said3 ,thou art our only ,father1 above all ,fathers1 c4 ,sidenote3 ,false calling upon ,god as upon a ,father #bly4 ,the ,hypocrite saies ,lord1 ,lord1 but cares for no more of the will of the ,lord then may serve his own turne3 ,but a child of ,god declares his child like submission1 to an heavenly ,fathers will in all things1 according to the difference proposed by the ,lord ,jesus1 7,mat3 #g47 ,not every one that saith unto me ,lord1 ,lord1 but he that doth the wil of my ,father which is in ,heaven3 ,the difference lies not in the words1 but in the ,heart1 in the upright submission of a child of ,god1 to all that he believes to be the will and pleasure of his heavenly ,father4 ,sidenote3 #b ,argum3 ,gods children long for more and more knowledge of ,god4 ,for a second triall therefore3 ,where spirituall life is 7notwithstanding weaknes or distempers7 there is always a professed willingnesse to get more and more knowledg of this heavenly ,father1 of his name1 of his works1 of his word1 of his ,christ1 of his ,spirit1 his ,saints1 and ,ordinances4 ,hence ,beleevers in ,jesus1 both ,men and ,women1 are called ,disciples1 or ,scholars of ,christ ,jesus1 professing continually to learn more and more of this heavenly teacher4 ,hence his ,disciples or ,scholars petition to ,christ ,jesus1 ,lord teach us to pray3 ,lord increase our ,faith1 c4 ,hence they ask him many ,questions1 and are by little and little instructed1 though for a while they were ignorant of the mystery of his ,death1 and ,resurrection4 ,sidenote3 ,obj4 ,but may not an ,hypocrite desire to know more and more of ,god1 of ,christ1 c4 ,sidenote3 ,ans4 ,i answer1 although an ,hypocrite out of an itching desire1 of knowledg1 of novelty1 and out of self love1 to make use of so much of ,god1 and of ,christ1 as may serve his own ends1 may desire1 and attain1 and professe1 and preach much of ,god and ,christ1 yet will he pick and choose as ,saul did1 while ,david and all ,gods children uprightly desire to have respect to all the ,commandements of ,god in ,christ ,jesus4 ,sidenote3 #b ,again1 the obedience of ,hypocrites is but the task of a slave1 or ,hireling1 when the obedience of a child of ,god1 is that of a dutifull child to his ,father1 or an endeared ,wife to her ,husband1 not caused by terrour or wages1 but hearty ,reverence and ,affection4 ,sidenote3 ,arg4 #c4 ,gods children hunger and thirst after ,gods ,word4 ,hence follows a third triall of spirituall life1 7though accompanied with much weaknes17 to wit a vehement hunger and longing after the ,ordinance of the word preached3 ,hence that similitude by ,peter4 ,as ,new born ,babes desire the sincere milk of the word1 that you may grow thereby1 #a4 ,pet3 #b4 ,sidenote3 ,obj4 ,but may not ,hypocrits and counterfeits1 both affectionately hear and preach1 c8 ,sidenote3 ,ans4 ,sidenote3 ,gods word in ,gods way4 ,sidenote3 ,cant #a4 ,i answer1 no question1 but false worshippers1 and false ,christians may easily satisfie themselves1 and stop the mouths of their consciences1 with any formal performance of a ,sermon by an houre-glasse1 or other traditions1 or customes of ,fathers1 or the times4 ,but a child of ,god desires to be as well carefull 7according to his sight1 for the true ,mothers-,breast1 7a true ,ministrie7 as for a ,womans ,milk1 the opening of the word by any in any way1 c4 ,and therefore cries the ,spouse to ,christ ,jesus3 ,oh thou whom my soul loveth1 shew me where thou feedest1 for why should ,i be as one that turns aside to the flocks of thy companions4 #bly4 ,a true child of ,god 7though weak7 looks chiefly at ,god1 and ,christ1 himself in the ,ministry1 and dispensation of the word1 and therefore saith 7,cant3 #a47 ,let ,him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth1 for his love is better then wine4 ,sidenote3 ,true hunger after ,gods word4 #c4 ,while the ,hypocrites find their natural delight in the word1 as in musick1 while yet they obey not3 ,the child of ,god comes to the breasts of the ,church1 as a child hangs upon the ,mothers ,breast1 not only for the delight of sucking1 but out of a vehement painfull longing1 to have its soul satisfied1 and its strength of spirituall life and grace increased in the ways of ,god3 according to that in #a4 ,pet4 #b4 ,that you may grow thereby4 ,sidenote3 ,true desire in all ,gods people4 ,a #dth4 ,argument of the life of the inner man1 7though in much weaknes1 or sicknes1 is a true and unfained desire1 to do that which it finds it cannot do1 but falls short in doing or suffering the will of ,god3 ,so ,nehemiah pleads with ,god1 from the uprightnes of their hearts1 that they desired to fear his ,name1 when a soul can say uprightly in ,gods presence1 ,i desire1 that is1 unfainedly longing to know his will1 although ,i am much ignorant1 ,i desire to believe1 though ,i find an unbelieving heart1 ,i desire to be willing and able to suffer1 though ,i find much fearfulnesse1 c4 ,ob4 ,may not an ,hypocrite desire to know and love ,god1 c4 ,sidenote3 ,difference between the true and false desire4 ,sidenote3 ,god must be chosen for himself4 ,i answer1 an ,hypocrite may desire to know so much of ,god1 and to have so much of his grace1 and so much of his power against some sins1 as may serve to save his soul1 when he sees he cannot be saved without it3 ,but a child of ,god1 only can desire ,god for himself1 and desire to be like unto ,god in his holy ,nature1 and to have every thought brought under the obedience of ,christ ,jesus4 ,hence though an ,hypocrite may weep as ,esau and ,saul1 and others have done1 yet a true child of ,god can only in truth cry out1 with the ,father1 of the possessed child in an humble sence of his own weaknes1 and spirituall poverty1 ,lord ,i believe1 help thou my unbelief1 that is1 help me against my unbelief1 against my passions1 against my uncleanesse1 against my pride1 against my covetousnes1 c4 ,sidenote3 ,gods children cannot live in known sin without strugling mourning4 ,a #eth3 triall of a true life 7though in weaknes1 or sicknes7 is a constant resisting and fighting against all known sin1 as sin4 ,he that is born of ,god1 7#a4 ,john #e47 keepeth himself that the evill one toucheth him not1 unles he be suddenly surprised1 or violently forced1 by mighty temptations1 or cousoned and deceived by the deceitfulnesse of sin1 he can no more willingly touch it1 then fire or poison1 or the ,devill himself4 ,hence is there a continuall war between the flesh and the ,spirit1 ,gal3 #e4 ,the law of the mind1 wars against the law of the members2 ,the ,new-man against the old1 c4 ,for instance1 although good ,jacob was overcome by his ,mothers powerful perswasion1 yet suspecting a sin he first strugled against it1 my ,father saith he1 will feel me1 and ,i shall bring a curse instead of a ,blessing4 ,sidenote3 ,obj4 ,sidenote3 ,no hypocrite can fight against sin as sin4 ,but may not an ,hypocrite resist temptation1 and fight against sin8 ,i answer1 ,no1 not against sin as sin1 but as it is dangerous and hurtful to soul1 to body1 to purse1 to credit4 ,so ,balaam 7,i conceive in earnest7 refused ,balacks mony1 and would not sin for an house full of gold and silver1 when as yet he loved that sin of cursing ,gods people1 and the wages of it4 #bly4 ,an ,hypocrite cannot resist the sin of ,hypocrisie1 and other darling sins3 but a child of ,god with ,david 7,psal3 #aci47 begs of ,god to search him1 that is to help him against ,hypocrisie it self1 and every false way1 and to lead him in the way everlasting4 ,sidenote3 ,a true childe of ,god tender of ,gods name4 ,sixtly1 a child of ,god though overwhelmed with many weaknesses or temptations1 yet he cannot possibly be brought to an ill opinion or thought of ,god1 but is always ready to take his part1 to speak well of him1 and endures not1 with a quiet mind1 to hear his name dishonored3 ,hence ,job in his great passions and cursings1 could not be brought 7no not by his wife7 to speak ill of ,god3 but although he complained much of his own affliction1 and stood to his uprightness1 against the charge of ,hypocrisie1 yet still he magnifies the name of his ,god in all his discourses1 and professeth to trust in him1 although his ,god should kill him4 ,sidenote3 ,instances of ,samson and ,jehosaphat4 ,hence ,samson1 though carried away first by a ,philistian wife1 and then by a ,philistian whore1 yet can he not be carried away so from the ,god of ,israel1 but that still he acknowledgeth his high and holy hand in his victories and deliverances1 and accordingly poures forth his soul to him for grace and assistance4 ,and hence good ,jehosaphat though very strongly carried away with the flatterie of the idolatrous ,king of ,israel1 yet he endures not to hear the name of his ,god smitten through the sides of his servant the ,prophet ,micaiah1 but plainly 7though weakly7 takes part with his ,god and his ,prophet1 against the ,king of ,israel1 and all his ,priests and ,courtiers1 saying1 ,let not the ,king say so4 ,obj4 ,may not ,balaam and other hypocrites pretend the name of ,god and ,christ1 be preachers of him1 call out devils1 and in ,christs name do many wonderfull things8 ,i answer3 ,hypocrites use the name of ,god onely as ,jehu did1 for a stirrup to get up into the sadle of their own ,names and ,honours1 or as a commodity to get something by it1 as an hireling 7of whom the ,lord ,jesus speaks ,john #aj47 that serves ,god for wages1 and while he cries1 let the ,lord be glorified1 7,isa4 #ff47 he persecutes his servants1 but a child of ,god cannot be brought except by surprisall for a time1 to prefer his name before ,gods1 but upon cool thoughts1 is seriously willing to be trodden in the dust1 and to be cast out1 that the name of ,god alone may be exalted1 and glorified1 as ,david after the causing of the name of ,god to be blasphemed4 ,sidenote3 ,a true childe of ,god is patient under the rod of his ,heavenly ,father4 ,a #gth4 ,argument of the true life of grace 7though in much weaknes or sicknes17 ,i observe to be an humble acknowledgment of1 and a submitting unto the correcting and afflicting hand of ,god1 in sicknesses1 crosses1 losses1 c4 ,this admirably appears in old ,ely1 who though he were a bad ,father to his own sons1 in suffering them unpunished 7though not unreproved7 in their outragious transgressions3 ,yet was he at the same time a good son to ,god1 his heavenly ,father1 in giving that heavenly and submissive answer to that fearfull threatening sent from the ,lord by ,samuel against him1 saying1 ,it is the ,lord1 let him do what seemeth him good4 ,ob3 ,but did not ,pharaoh acknowledg1 and the ,philistines acknowledg ,gods hand in smiting them1 did not ,ahab humble himself1 ,pharaoh sues unto ,god by ,moses1 the ,philistins send a trespasse offering1 and ,ahab humbles himself by fasting1 c4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,the enemies of ,god1 and flatterers cannot submit to ,god as to a ,father4 ,i answer1 a ,saul1 a ,pharaoh1 c4 if it were in their choice1 would not submit to the ,lord at all1 and when they do acknowledge and submit1 they are forced to it1 by ,gods powerfull hand1 whom yet they look at as a conqueror of ,julian said of ,christ ,jesus1 and ,jaolor or executioner1 not as a ,father1 with a child like submission1 as appears by ,pharaoh1 the ,philistines1 ,ahab1 and many more wofull instances1 when the hand of ,god is removed1 c4 ,whereas a true child of ,god desires1 as to acknowledge his ,fathers hand correcting his righteously1 because he hath deserved it1 so also graciously and faithfully1 because he hopes ,god aims at his good1 as a ,father doth at a childs1 in giving him fatherly correction1 bitter ,pills and ,phisick4 ,sidenote3 ,gods children less grieve for their own affliction1 then for ,gods displeasure4 ,and therefore 7#bly37 as when the ,lord strikes an ,hypocrite1 he either runs from him as a strange child stricken by another man1 or flies against him in murmuring1 or howls out for anguish as a ,dog1 7,hos3 #g47 ,they howl upon their ,beds3 ,so contrarily the true child of ,god truly desires to run to his heavenly ,father1 and it as well1 yea infinitely more grieved1 for the anger1 and displeasure of the ,lord1 as for his own smart and affliction4 #cly4 ,the ,hypocrite if he might have his own choice1 had rather be rid of his pain than his sin1 and therefore when his pain is over1 he returns with the ,dog to his ,vomit3 ,but a true child of ,god1 truly 7though weakly7 desires to see1 and abhor1 and slay his dearest sins1 because he knows they are but flattering traytors and guilded poysons3 ,hence ,job cries out in the midst of all his weaknesses and passions1 ,oh teach me wherein ,i have offended4 ,sidenote3 ,gods children joyn with ,gods rod against themselves4 ,in a word1 the ,lord is fain to force affliction upon an ,hypocrite1 as men force down a drench into the throat of an ,horse1 but a true child of ,god1 7if under ,gods rod17 desires to joyn with the ,lords hand1 and the ,lords ends1 as a child of some understanding is willing to have its wormes killed1 and therefore strives 7willingly1 unwillingly7 to swallow down the bitter aloes1 or other bitter medicine4 ,an #hth3 ,triall of true life1 7though in weaknes7 is a true 7though faint7 willingnes and inclination to enjoy more and more of ,christ ,jesus1 in the society of his ,saints1 after his own appointment1 although with hardship and difficulty attained unto4 ,sidenote3 ,gods people long after ,gods true worship in ,christ ,jesus4 ,hence the ,spouse was both asleep1 and awake1 toward ,christ ,jesus3 ,cant3 #e4 ,she was willing1 and unwilling to rise to open to ,christ ,jesus3 ,hence she thinks she hears her ,husbands voice3 ,it is the voice of my ,beloved3 ,she thinks ,christ is knocking at the door of her heart1 and will1 in such and such arguments1 in such and such ,scriptures1 in such and such professions1 and professours1 in such and such their suffrings1 c4 ,obj4 ,may it not possibly be that the true children of ,god1 not only may neglect1 but even deny the ,ordinances of ,christ ,jesus1 appointed and practised in his first ,churches4 ,sidenote3 ,gods people both awake asleep as to ,christ ,jesus4 ,i answer1 ,gods ,israel and people under the ,gospel1 may as possibly be spirituall slaves and captives to ,egypt and ,babylon spirituall1 as ,israel of old was to ,babell1 literall and materiall1 in respect of the worshipping of ,god1 according to the appointment of ,christ ,jesus4 ,in respect of false worship1 ,gods ,israel may be a slave1 and asleep1 and yet awake1 and free1 in true inclinations and desires1 willing 7though mixt with sleepy unwillingnes7 to be at any pains and cost1 to enjoy her souls beloved ,christ ,jesus1 in his own appointments4 ,hence such expressions with sighs and tears1 if ,i were perswaded of ,gods will1 if ,i were perswaded of the necessity of such public ordinances and formes4 ,sidenote3 ,gods people cannot but be full of strugling of spirit as to the visible worship of ,god in ,christ ,jesus4 ,hence others expressions1 if ,i were perswaded of such and such ordinances1 that such a people1 or such a people were in the true way of enjoying ,christ ,jesus1 how joyfully should ,i joyn with them8 ,hence holy ,david1 though not so thoroughly awaked1 to enjoy the ,ark and presence of ,god1 he and all ,israel brings up the ,ark of ,god with rejoycing1 though not after the ,lords due order1 which caused his holy jealousie to send that perez ,uzza that breach of ,uzzah amongst them4 ,sidenote3 ,true marriage affection in all ,gods people to ,christ ,jesus1 yet with much difference4 ,it is in the heavenly as in the earthly marriage1 there are degrees of marriage affection1 and yet all true3 ,the affections of some are more lively and strong1 of some more dull and weak3 ,when yet the truth and life appears in a true and longing desire to enjoy the ,lord ,jesus1 in what way soever1 himself is pleased to appoint1 and to turn from the bed and bozome1 7that is the worships7 of all false ,christs1 and strangers4 ,sidenote3 ,gods children have no peace in sin unrepented of4 ,a #ith4 discovery of true spirituall life1 in weaknes1 ,i find to be a painfull and a restles mind1 in temptations to sin1 in yeelding to sin1 and lying in sin1 the breach not being made up with the ,lord in humble confession and suit for mercy1 in the blood of a ,saviour4 ,this was ,davids painfull case in his silence1 ,psal4 #cb4 ,when ,i kept silence my bones waxed old1 through my roaring all the ,day4 ,so that as a ,fish out of the water 7its element7 as a bone broak or disjoynted1 is the troubled mind of a child of ,god1 upon his discovered or but 7strongly7 suspected1 sinfull way or practice4 ,obj4 ,may not ,hypocrites be troubled in the sence of ,gods displeasure for sin1 as ,saul1 ,ahab1 and ,judas1 c4 ,sidenote3 ,only ,gods people can truly desire peace with ,god4 ,i answer1 an ,hypocrite like some ,traytor or murtherer1 may desire a pardon from the ,king of ,kings1 whose person he hates1 so did ,saul and ,ahab1 and so may any dissembler for his own ends of peace and safety1 c4 ,but ,gods children1 and they only grieve at ,gods displeasure and grievance4 ,only a true ,wife and ,spouse of ,christ ,jesus can grieve and mourn for the displeased absence of ,christ ,jesus1 and cries out in humble bitterness of soul1 saw ye him whom my soul loveth8 ,sidenote3 ,two sorts of ,gods people enquiring longing after ,christ ,jesus4 ,sidenote3 ,the liking of ,gods gracious ,spirit in others1 a true ,argument of the same ,spirit in ourselves4 ,a #ajth4 triall of the true life of the inner man1 7though weak and sickly17 is a discerning1 and liking1 and secret wishing that beauty and shining of the grace of ,christ ,jesus1 which appears in others of ,gods ,children1 and which we see wanting in our selves4 ,thus were there a sort of ,gods children1 which could see beauty and excellency in those which so affectionately inquired after ,christ ,jesus1 in his visible worship1 and the severall parts thereof1 although themselves were not so zealously affected4 ,thus therefore say they3 ,o thou the fairest of ,women1 7an acknowledgment of heavenly grace and beauty1 and they also enquire1 and desire to see that beauty of ,christ ,jesus1 which the other ,saints so praised4 ,and in ,cant3 #f4 they say1 whither is thy ,beloved gone1 oh thou fairest among ,women1 that we may seek him with thee3 ,hence many of ,gods dear ,saints in ,qu3 ,maries time1 and other bloody days1 in our own and other countries1 have praised ,god for1 and have been ravished with the beauties of the heavenly love and zeal1 and patience in others of ,gods servants1 which they have seen wanting in themselves3 ,and thus1 7whatever be our weaknesses7 it must needs argue a life of grace1 when we can view the lives and deaths of the blessed martyrs1 or witnesses of ,christ ,jesus1 7either in the holy scriptures1 or other ,records1 ,i say can view them with a liking and true affecting of their graces1 with an humble acknowledgment of our own wants and poverties1 and a mourning desire of attaining to such a beauteous profession of ,christ ,jesus4 ,such a beauty 7doubtles7 did many of ,gods children apprehend in the ,lords ,ordinances1 and in such as suffred for them in ,england1 who yet found not strength themselves1 to stand and suffer for1 and with them1 yet left much and fled to ,new ,england1 hoping to enjoy there 7though with too much weak desire of peace and liberty7 the ,ordinances of ,christ ,jesus1 their souls ,beloved4 ,obj4 ,but did not ,balaam see the beauty and excellency of ,gods ,saints1 when he cried out1 let me dye the death of the righteous1 and let my last end be like his1 c4 ,i answer1 it is usually well said1 ,balaam desired the death1 and blessednes of the righteous1 but not the life and righteousnesse of the righteous4 ,obj4 ,balaam seems to have seen the beauty of righteousnesse it self4 ,sidenote3 ,dissemblers1 in a respect may desire righteousness1 but only ,gods children can long for it in truth1 and for it self4 ,i answer1 he might see and like righteousnes in the end1 and fruit of it1 and yet not in the true nature and beauty of it1 for then he would have as well desired the life1 as the death of the righteous1 just as these ,indians 7amongst whom ,i write these lines7 they see the excellency of the ,english industry1 joyned with plenty1 and a better condition then their own1 but endure not that life of labour and indeavour1 wherein that plenty and better state is found4 ,but ,gods children beholding the beauty and excellency of the heavenly lives and deaths of others1 7like souldiers in a ,field7 are provoked by those examples1 to desire to follow ,christ ,jesus in those holy paths1 and secretly to bemoan their own infirmities and deformities4 ,these and many more discoveries of the life of ,christ ,jesus in the soul1 7though in the midst of many weaknesses1 and spirituall sicknesses7 ,i hope 7my dear love and faithfull companion7 thou in truth discernest in thy self1 and ,i1 and others have discerned in thee3 ,but oh search diligently in the ,lords holy presence1 and humbly beg his help1 that as the ,spirit of ,god admonisheth1 7,gal4 #f47 thou maiest have rejoycing in thy self1 and not in anothers good opinion of thee4 ,sidenote3 ,gods children cannot but desire spirituall health1 as wel as life and ,christian being4 ,but grant all these1 and the assurance of a true and blessed life of grace within us8 ,grant this life is as the life of ,christ1 never again to be extinguished4 ,yet who rejoyceth not in health1 who mourns not under the pains and weaknesses of a sick bed8 ,next therefore to the discovery of spirituall life1 all that are born of ,god must try their spirituall strength1 and health1 and chearfull temper3 ,the particular instances whereof1 being propounded as examples1 copies1 and samplars for us to follow in the holy ,scripture1 ,i shall pick1 and gather1 and bind up1 for both our incouragement1 and comfort4 ,i confesse the beholding of such heavenly patterns may astonish and amaze us1 and make us dispair to attain to the like heavenly temper3 ,i pray thee therefore 7dear love7 observe1 7what before ,i said7 that these particulars next following are not discouragements from ,christ1 as if we had no life at all3 but incouragements to draw neerer to ,christ ,jesus1 when we see such virtue proceed out from him1 to such poor sinners like our selves4 ,these particulars then following are as an holy looking-glasse1 to discover to us our souls spots1 blemishes1 as also sweet cordial flowers1 to refresh and incourage our drooping spirits4 ,the severall particular trialls of this spirituall health1 and chearfulnesse1 ,i shall bind up 7as ,i may so speak7 into three severall parcells1 as sometimes we see sweet flowers bound up into smaller bundles1 to make up at last one larger bundle or posie in one4 ,the three severall sorts shall be according to that division of the holy ,spirit by ,paul to ,titus4 ,first such as concern holines1 respecting our communion with ,god in ,christ ,jesus4 #b4 ,such as concern righteousnesse1 respecting others4 #c4 ,such as concern sobriety1 respecting our private selves and persons4 ,sidenote3 ,incomprehensible nature of ,god4 ,first1 then it is an argument of the strength1 and healthful temper of the inner man1 when our apprehensions of ,god are always such1 as bring us to holy wonderment and amazement1 at the nature of incomprehensible ,god1 at his properties1 and works1 from the ,sun in the ,firmament1 to the poorest ,worme1 at his wonderfull dispensing of his justice1 and mercy1 and disposing1 and ruling all things in ,heaven1 ,earth1 and ,seas1 from the highest ,angels in heaven1 to the lowest ,devils in ,hell4 ,sidenote3 ,gods children ought to walk in constant amazedness of spirit as to ,god his nature1 works1 c4 ,this was ,davids temper when he cried out1 7,psal3 #ajd47 ,oh ,lord how wonderfull are thy works1 in wisedome hast thou made them all6 ,also 7,psal4 #h47 ,o ,jehovah our ,lord1 how wonderfull is thy ,name in all the earth6 ,and ,psal3 #aci4 he brings this wonder nearer to himself1 saying1 ,i will praise thee1 for ,i am fearfully and wonderfully made4 ,as if he would say1 fearfully and wonderfully bred in the womb1 fearfully and wonderfully brought forth2 and we may further say1 ever since we came thus fearfully and wonderfully into the world1 fearfully and wonderfully brought up1 fearfully and wonderfully preserved1 delivered1 c4 ,obj4 ,but may not naturall men1 and ,hypocrites admire the ,nature1 and works of ,god4 ,i answer1 yes1 but the wonder which doth possesse a child of ,god1 causeth him to cry out with ,david1 ,psal4 #aai4 ,thy hands have made me1 and fashioned me1 give me understanding that ,i may learn thy statutes4 ,tis such a wonder as draweth up the heart unto ,god1 with longings to be united unto him1 to fear his ,name1 to partake of his divine ,nature1 and to be like unto ,him in holines1 and true ,righteousnes4 ,obj4 ,the ,devills believe1 and tremble at ,god4 ,i answer1 to tremble at the word of ,god1 is alone the property of ,gods ,servants1 ,isa4 #ff ,the ,devills may wonder and tremble at the just sentence1 and threatening part of ,gods word3 ,but ,gods children tremble at the commanding part1 yea at the comforting and promising part of it also1 least they should depart or fall off from it1 or loose1 though but for a time as ,david1 the joy and sweetnes of it4 ,sidenote3 ,the glorifying of ,god the great work of ,gods children ,secondly1 it is an ,argument of health and spirituall strength1 when the hallowing1 the magnifying1 and glorifying of the name of ,god is our great work and business in this world1 unto which all the businesses and works we have in hand in the world beside give way1 c4 ,thus ,christ ,jesus teacheth all his to make it their first request to ,god1 that they may hallow1 or glorifie his name3 ,thus he professeth 7as it were upon his death bed7 ,john #ag4 that he had done his work1 that he had glorified his ,father upon the earth3 ,hence he professeth at his most solemn ,arraignment1 ,job #ah4 for this end was ,i born1 and for this end came ,i into the world1 that ,i might bear witness to the truth2 that is1 to give his ,father the glory of his truth1 and to destroy the lyes of the devill the father of them1 who belyeth ,god in all his holy attributes1 and works1 and servants1 and ordinances1 and profaneth and dishonoreth his holy name in them all4 ,obj4 ,hypocrites professe to glorifie ,god1 and to say1 ,isa4 #ff4 ,let the ,lord be glorified4 ,i answer3 ,no hypocrite can make it his work to glorifie ,god1 when it crosseth his own glory3 ,no hypocrite can purely and simply1 out of love to ,gods name and glory1 be content to loose the offer of a kingdom as ,moses did1 when the ,lord himself offered it him1 and as ,christ ,jesus did1 when the people offered and would have made him a ,king by force1 and the devil proffered him all the kingdoms of the world1 and the glory of them4 ,sidenote3 ,delightfull privacie with ,god argues strong affection4 ,thirdly1 it is an ,argument of strength of ,gods grace and ,spirit in us1 when we perform actions of godliness1 with a single and upright eye unto ,god himself in secret4 ,frequent and constant delight in private converses argues strong affection to ,god or men3 ,hypocrites 7saith ,christ ,jesus7 will pray and fast1 and give alms1 but with a squint eye of private and sinister self respect to be seen of men1 c4 ,but ,gods children pray1 and do good1 and fast in secret1 regarding no eye but the eye of an heavenly ,father1 who seeing in secret will not fail to reward openly4 ,ob4 ,but may not hypocrites speak and preach against hipocrisie1 against self-love1 self-respect1 and fleshly and worldly ends in the performance of spirituall duties8 ,and is it not possible for ,gods children to perform spirituall duties with carnall ends and respects8 ,sidenote3 ,hypocrites pretend far in glorifying of ,god4 ,i answer3 ,hypocrites may do this1 and pretend pure and upright ends for ,god1 as ,jehu did3 yet discover they hypocrisie1 in the very pretence of sinceritie1 for not content with the ,lords eye and approbation1 ,come see my zeal 7saith he7 ,jonadab1 which ,i have for the ,lord4 #bly1 ,gods children 7doubtless7 may look aside1 and mark who sees and hears1 and rewards their performances of service unto ,god3 ,but this is either in sins of ignorance2 as for instance1 many of ,gods dear children perform service to ,god in preaching as hirelings1 and conceive themselves not bound although to glorifie ,christ ,jesus in saving souls7 to preach without an hire1 and so in other cases4 ,or #cly1 this may be knowingly and discerningly1 as ,paul saith1 ,rom4 #g4 ,when ,i would do good1 evil is present with me3 such temptations come in as water into a ship1 or as dust and diseases into a sound eye1 and then ,gods children be never quiet untill such distempers be cleansed1 and got out again4 ,sidenote3 ,a frequent constant spirit of prayer an argument of much of ,gods ,spirit4 ,fourthly1 it is an ,argument of spirituall strength when the ,spirit of prayer breatheth forth frequently1 and constantly1 and fervently to ,god in us3 ,hence ,david prays and cries in the morning1 at noon1 and in the evening1 he riseth at midnight to pray1 and prevents the dawning of the day to pray3 ,thus ,daniel is thrice each day on his knees to ,god1 and would not be beaten off1 with the powers and terrors of cruel enemies and lyons4 ,thus the ,lord ,jesus frequently retired alone to private prayer1 and sometimes spent the whole night in prayer to ,god with strong cries1 tears and supplications3 ,and therefore is it that all true ,christians are the spirituall ,israelites1 that is1 wrastlers and strivers with ,god in prayer2 like unto their ,father ,jacob1 who wrastled all night in prayer with ,god1 with weeping and supplications1 and would not let the ,angel go until he blessed him2 and therefore his name was called ,israel1 a wrastler or prevailer with ,god1 as well as ,jacob a supplanter and prevailer with men4 ,ob4 ,but may not ,hypocrites be frequent and fervent in prayer to ,god8 ,did not the ,pharisees and ,jews pray and fast often8 ,do not the very ,turks solemnly pray five times each #bd4 houres8 ,and the ,papists not onely keep their solemn morning and evening times of prayer1 but many other solemn prayers unto which the severall orders of ,friars1 ,monks and ,nuns bind themselves8 ,and how easie is it by worldly engines to wheel about the ,indians of ,america to become frequent prayers unto ,god1 c4 ,i answer3 ,many are the differences between the true prayers of ,gods children1 and the false of dissemblers and hypocrites3 ,i will name a few for instance4 ,sidenote3 ,true prayer is the souls breathing unto ,god4 ,first then hypocrites pray but in a form and lip-labour1 as a task and work to be done for carnall respects1 to merit at ,gods hand1 or to stop the mouth of conscience1 which tels them they cannot be ,gods children except they pray3 ,but true prayer is the pouring out of the heart to ,god1 the true breathing of the soul to ,god1 arising as ,incense and perfume unto ,god3 ,hence 7no doubt7 although ,paul before his conversion prayed much unto ,god1 7for he was a ,pharasie7 yet he never praid indeed1 untill his great change1 and the descending of the holy ,spirit of prayer upon him2 ,and therefore the ,lord sends ,ananias with this incouragement unto ,paul3 ,behold he prayeth1 ,act4 #i4 ,sidenote3 and hath more or lesse some soul-pleasure in it4 ,hence ,gods children find a kind of holy pleasure and delight in prayer1 whatever be the event or issue1 it pleaseth ,god to give1 like as a man finds delight in casting off an heavy burthen from his shoulder1 or in the unbossoming of a grief1 into the bosome of a friend4 ,thus ,hanna opprest with grief weeps no more1 when she had powred forth her supplication before the ,lord3 ,and the ,lord ,jesus powred forth his prayers1 and tears1 in the bosome of his ,father1 and then rests quiet in his ,fathers pleasure1 as touching the passing by1 or drinking of the bitter cup4 ,obj4 ,but may not the children of ,god want holy pleasure and delight in prayer1 and depart from ,gods presence as heavy as they came8 ,sidenote3 ,gods children are most in private with ,god4 ,i answer1 some spirituall distempers may hinder1 and obstruct the operations of the ,spirit of prayer3 nevertheles the soul and spirit praies and mourns for the absence of holy pleasure1 and delight in this holy exercise4 ,hence ,davids mourning 7as a ,turtledove7 in his prayers1 and ,jeremies lamentings for the obstructions1 between the ,lord and their souls1 in this holy ,communion4 ,the second difference is1 the ,hypocrites prayers more respect the ears of men then ,god1 as the ,lord ,jesus tells us2 ,they pray that men may know so much1 and esteem them ,religious3 ,gods children1 like true lovers1 delight to be private1 and fervent with their heavenly ,father and ,husband4 ,sidenote3 ,the prayers of ,gods people most respect spiritual and soul mercies4 ,thirdly1 ,hypocrites in their prayers most commonly respect earthly things1 7and therefore ,hos4 #g47 they cry and howl upon their ,beds1 for corn and wine3 or at the best they respect but themselves1 c4 although it be in the pardon of their sins1 and saving of their ,souls3 ,but the prayers of ,gods children1 chiefly eye heavenly things4 ,hence the wonderfull spirituallity of ,christs prayer to his ,father1 7,john #g47 for the glorifying of his name1 and spirituall ,grace1 and mercy in the souls of ,beleevers3 ,hence the admirable spirituality of ,davids prayers1 for spirituall and soul mercies1 ,psal3 #aai4 ,and the fervent prayers of ,paul in all his ,epistles for heavenly and spirituall mercies to the ,saints of ,god4 ,hypocrites like ,dogs howl and fawn for bones and crusts1 c4 ,but ,gods children beg the proper tokens1 and characters of a spirituall ,father1 to his spirituall children1 and ,beloved4 ,sidenote3 ,gods people wait for1 and rest in ,gods answer4 #dthly1 ,hypocrites will not always cry unto ,god 7,job4 #bg47 but at last with ,saul1 if ,god answer not1 they run to the ,devill in evil means1 murmur and despair3 ,but ,gods children can no more cease to cry unto ,god1 then to live a spiritual life1 and therefore resolve to give ,god no ,rest untill they receive an answer1 and therefore also wait for his holy pleasure1 and leasure1 and at last are satisfied with the ,lords holy pleasure1 and sentence1 although it seem crosse1 add bitter to flesh1 and blood3 ,so ,moses in respect of his suit to ,god1 for his going into the land of ,canaan3 ,so ,david praying for his child3 ,so ,christ ,jesus in respect of his bitter cup4 ,so ,paul praying against his great temptation4 ,obj4 ,but may not ,hypocrites pray long1 and also wait upon ,god8 ,i answer1 they may1 yet at last1 out of unbelief1 and anger1 like an angry ,dog1 or sturdy ,beggar1 they cry out in murmur1 and wrath1 as the unbelieving ,king of ,israel1 what should ,i wait upon ,god any longer8 ,but ,gods children never give over3 for when they grow weary1 they 7like ,moses7 beg help to their fainting hands in prayer1 and desire their eyes may never cease trickling tears unto ,god1 untill he look down from ,heaven1 ,lament3 #b4 ,a #eth3 ,argument of spirituall health1 and strength1 is a constant holy sence of our own unworthines1 vilenes1 and basenes in ,gods presence3 ,hence ,jacob professeth himself less then the least of ,gods mercies1 that is1 then the least crum1 or drop1 or rag1 or look of mercy3 ,hence the ,centurion professeth himself not worthy that ,christ should come under his ,roof3 ,hence ,elizabeth her holy wonder1 whence is it 7saith she7 that the ,mother of my ,lord should come unto me8 ,hence ,mephiboseth wonders that ,david should look upon such a dead ,dog4 ,ob4 ,but may not ,hypocrites professe they are not ,papists1 that they can deserve nothing at ,gods hands1 that if they had their deserts it were woe with them8 ,sidenote3 ,gods people are only truly sensible of unworthines4 ,i answer1 ,hypocrites may say so1 but yet are angry when ,god seems to deal with them1 as he deals with others4 ,hence they quarrell with ,god1 as if that ,god seemed not to respect their offerings of prayer1 and fasting1 ,isa3 #eh ,but ,gods children confessing themselves ,beggars at ,gods door1 and ,dogs under his ,table1 they wait for1 and are humbly thankfull for every crum of grace and mercy3 ,so ,christ ,jesus teacheth us to give thanks for the mercy of a little bread1 and then for a little ,fish1 7,mark #f47 ,so after most heavy and wonderfull afflictions1 ,jeremie cries out ,jehova is righteous1 and professeth it is mercy that it is not worse1 and that they were not burnt up and consumed4 ,sidenote3 #fthly4 ,a #fth4 ,argument of the spiritual health and temper1 is when the affections work strong and lively after ,god1 after ,god for himself1 after ,god as a portion and inheritance1 after ,god as an ,husband3 when as the ,heart panteth after the water-brooks1 so pant our ,hearts after ,god1 when as the thirsty ground longeth for the showers of ,rain1 so long our souls after ,god3 ,when his words are sweeter then the honey1 and honey comb1 and of more esteem then thousands of gold and silver4 ,ob4 ,but may not ,hypocrites 7as ,balaam7 professe so much and that in earnest8 ,sidenote3 ,hypocrite affection to ,god4 ,i answer1 the deceitfull heart of a man will go wonderfull far this way3 ,yet certain it is an ,hypocrite respects ,god1 but as a ,dog respects his ,master1 yea sometimes a stranger1 and an ,enemy for a crust1 or as an ,hireling for his wages3 ,but ,gods children1 in the want of all things1 are content with ,god alone1 his ,christ1 his ,spirit1 his ,favour1 his ,word1 his ,ordinances3 ,hence ,david professeth ,psal4 #d4 ,thou puttest more joy into my heart1 then in the time when their corn and wine increaseth3 ,and ,habacuck1 when ,vine1 and ,fig-tree1 and ,flock and ,heard fail1 he professeth to rejoyce in ,god1 and to glory in the ,god of his salvation4 ,sidenote3 ,god himself the portion of his4 #bly4 ,in the losse of all things1 in the greatest straights and extremities1 ,gods children yet find comfort in ,god1 that ,god their portion is not lost4 ,thus as ,david when his wives1 and children1 and friends1 and servants1 and cattell were all devoured by an enslaving and captivating sword1 and he finds no ,remainder1 but burnt walls and ashes1 and his own company ready to stone him1 yet as ,david they take comfort1 and incourage themselves injoying their ,god4 ,sidenote3 #gthly4 ,sidenote3 ,ready obedience to ,god4 #gtly4 ,it is an argument of spirituall health1 and strength1 when the holy ,commandments of ,god are not grievous1 but pleasant and delightfull to us3 when we can say as the ,lord ,jesus said1 it is our meat and drink1 to do our heavenly ,fathers will3 when we are active and ready at the commands of ,god1 and can say 7when the ,lord asketh whom shall we send7 send me1 as the ,prophet ,esay said3 ,and as the ,lord ,jesus ,psal3 #dj4 ,here ,i am1 ,i delight to do thy will ,o my ,god3 when we can without repining1 grudging1 or delaying1 obey commands most grievous to flesh and blood1 against not only flesh and blood1 but against carnall reason1 yea against ,hope and ,faith it self1 as ,abraham did1 in offering up his most dear and only son ,isaac4 ,obj4 ,but may not ,hypocrites obey the commands of ,god1 as ,saul did1 c8 ,i answer1 they may indeed obey ,gods commands by halves as he did1 and as a servant1 and hireling1 serve ,god for wages1 and with eye service1 with opinion of merit1 and boast of their halt and lame service1 as ,saul did4 ,but ,gods children imbrace all the commands of ,god with delight1 even the least1 and most despised1 with the greatest and most difficult1 and when all is done1 they confesse they have need of mercy1 and are unprofitable ,servants4 ,obj4 ,but may not ,gods children live in the disobedience of some commands of ,god1 and yet be healthfull1 and strong in grace8 ,sidenote3 ,the sins of ,gods people4 ,i answer1 it is impossible that a child of ,god should 7either in spirituall health or sicknes7 live in the breach of any known command of ,god his ,father4 ,tis true1 ,abraham1 and ,jacob1 and ,david1 and others1 lived long in the sin of many wives1 out of ignorance of ,gods will1 and ,gods children to this day1 even the holy ,martyrs or ,witnesses of ,jesus1 7who accounted their heart bloods not too dear for ,christ7 have and do live in the breach of many ,commandments1 that concern the worship of ,god3 ,but they are herein like a traveller deceived1 by a false path1 which when he once really suspects1 he cannot walk a step with ease1 now do they cry out with ,david1 ,psal3 #aai4 ,i will walk at liberty1 for ,i seek thy precepts3 ,and when ,god saith seek my ,face1 their ,hearts answer1 ,lord thy face will ,i seek4 ,psalm #bg4 ,sidenote3 #hthly ,sidenote3 ,the patience of ,gods children1 under ,gods hand4 ,an #hth4 discovery of spirituall health and strength1 is an humble1 a patient and thankfull submission to the aflicting1 and chastising hand of ,god4 ,thus it is said of ,aaron1 in that dreadfull stroak of ,gods hand1 depriving him of his two sons in the floure of their ,youth1 in the midst of their sin1 in the performance of their ,priests ,office3 it is said1 ,aaron held his peace3 ,i was dumb and held my peace1 7saith ,david7 ,psal4 #ci4 for thou didst it3 ,thus ,jeremiah 7,lam3 #a47 ,jehovah is righteous1 for ,i have grievously transgrest against him4 ,yea ,job not only exprest an humble and patient mind1 but also 7which is wonderfull1 but proper to ,gods children1 when in right temper7 he blessed ,god in the midst of so many fearfull and astonishing losses1 of so many ,cattel1 ,servants1 and ,children1 saying1 ,blessed be the name of the ,lord4 ,obj4 ,may not wicked men and ,hypocrites acknowledg ,gods afflicting hand1 and humble themselves8 ,sidenote3 ,the counterfeit patience of ,hypocrites ,i answer1 ,hypocrites may see ,gods hand1 and humble themselves as the ,egyptians1 and the ,philistins did1 but cannot possibly be thankfull for it3 ,they acknowledg ,gods hand as a ,dog his ,masters when he is beaten1 but not as a child his ,fathers4 ,as a loving and dutifull ,wife1 receiving ,pills or ,phisick from the hand of her loving ,husband1 a skilfull ,physitian1 who knows her sicknes1 and out of love and care1 prepares them for her1 she cannot but be thankfull for those bitter medicins1 and earnestly desire a kindly working3 ,thus ,david1 ,psal3 #aai4 ,i know ,o ,lord that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me1 for all thy commands are righteous4 ,sidenote3 #ithly4 ,sidenote3 ,the mournful confession of ,gods people4 ,a #ith4 ,argument of spiritual health1 and strength1 is an humble free confession1 and giving glory unto ,god1 in the rising up1 or recovering out of any scandalous transgression1 against ,god ,hence the ,israelites confession of their sin in desiring a ,king1 7so impatiently1 and imperiously as they did1 with large confessions1 #a4 ,sam4 #f47 ,hence the many bitter and lamentable confessions of holy ,david and other holy ,servants of ,god1 after their committing of known evils3 ,hence the ,corinthians repenting of their fellowship with the incestuous person in his sin1 they give such an exemplary evidence of their true ,repentance1 that their holy practice is set as an holy ,samplar1 and ,copy for all ,saints afterward to follow1 and write after4 ,obj4 ,but did not ,pharaoh1 ,saul and ,judas confesse their sins1 c8 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,i answer1 not with intent to glorifie ,god as ,gods ,saints do1 taking shame before the world unto themselves1 lying down in the ,dust that ,god may tread upon them1 and be exalted4 ,sidenote3 #b4 ,sidenote3 ,false confessions4 ,not with hatred of their sins1 but in horrour and trouble at the danger of them1 or in the evidence of them flying in their faces4 ,thus a ,merchant casteth those goods over boord into the sea in a storme1 which afterward he wisheth in again3 ,like a ,dog1 they vomit up the filth which 7after their stomach is eased7 they return unto1 and lick up by new ,commissions3 ,but ,gods children confesse in hatred of their sins1 and loathing of themselves1 and 7like men in some sicknesses7 are willing to take those medicines which may provoke and cause vomit1 which afterward they are so far from returning to1 that they abhor to touch1 or look on it4 ,obj4 ,but may not ,gods children return again to their vomit1 and commit the same sins1 which they have cast1 up by humble confession8 ,sidenote3 ,the sins of ,gods people distinguished4 ,i answer1 the sins of ,gods children are either1 #a4 grosse or scandalous1 which when they recover out of1 and give glory unto ,god1 by publike confession1 we seldome or never find them returning to such their vomit again4 ,hence we hear no more of ,noahs ,drunkennesse1 of ,david's ,adultry1 of ,peters deniall of ,christ ,jesus1 c4 ,or #bly4 ,their sins are sins of a more private and ordinary distemper1 wherein their passions of anger1 or neglect1 or forgetfullnes prevail against them1 never without some bitternes1 and grief1 and humiliation1 and endeavour1 with resolution of a more watchfull1 and heavenly1 and spirituall conversation8 ,sidenote3 #ajthly4 ,sidenote3 ,gods people long alter visible enjoyments of ,god4 #ajthly4 ,it is an argument of spiritual health1 and strength1 to maintain or recover an holy vehement longing1 after the enjoyment of ,god1 and of ,christ1 in a visible1 and open profession of his own holy worship and ,ordinances1 separate from all false worships1 ,gods1 and ,christs1 c4 ,hence that of ,david1 ,lord ,i have loved the ,habitation of thy house1 and the place where thine honour dwelleth3 ,hence he professeth he had rather be a ,door keeper in the house of the ,lord1 7that is in a low condition1 in ,gods house17 then to dwell in the tents of wickednes1 though in never so safe and pleasant a condition4 ,hence he sums up all his desires in one1 ,psal3 #bg4 ,one thing have ,i desired of the ,lord1 that ,i may dwell in the house of the ,lord1 c4 ,hence 7though ,david mist of the ,lords ,order in carrying of the ,lords ,ark1 and afterwards he mist in his thoughts about the building of ,god an house and ,temple3 ,yet in both he discovered his holy strong affection1 to ,gods publike honour1 and worship4 ,the very same which afterward the ,prophet ,jeremy1 and ,daniel declared in their bitter ,lamentations1 for the ,ruine of ,gods house4 ,and both ,daniel and ,zacharie1 and ,haggie1 mightily declare this affection for the rebuilding1 and setting up again this ,temple and worship of ,god1 and what they prophesied1 that both ,ezra and ,nehemiah1 and afterward ,jehoshua and ,zerubabel zealously performed and executed4 ,sidenote3 ,true ,christians affection to ,christ ,jesus in his visible worship4 ,hence it is that in the heavenly ,love ,song1 the love of ,christians to ,christ ,jesus in his ordinances is most elegantly set forth by a similitude taken from the strong affection of married persons3 ,i am1 saith the ,spouse1 sick of love1 and ,o ye daughters of ,jerusalem tell ,christ ,jesus so3 ,if ,i finde him without ,i will kisse him openly in the streets1 and will not be ashamed3 ,true heavenly affection 7like marriage love7 at first kindles from some private sparks1 to an open flame of publick profession1 without shame before all men4 ,obj4 ,may not ,hypocrites 7as ,saul in slaying the ,gibeonites1 and ,jehu in slaying the ,baalites7 discover strong affection and zeal to the ,lord and his worship1 and consequently in these times to ,christ ,jesus and his holy kingdom8 ,i answer3 ,hypocrites and counterfeits in their profession of love to ,gods publick worship ever run upon one of these two ,rocks4 ,for1 ,first1 either they set up1 and maintain1 and fight for a fancie1 a counterfeit1 a false ,christ1 according to the prophesie of the ,lord ,jesus1 that many 7that is1 thousands and multitudes of people7 should so use his name1 that is1 with a willing ignorance and delusion4 ,or #bly1 if it be the true worship of the true ,god according to the appointment of ,christ ,jesus1 yet ever in two things the sincere wife 7the true love of ,christ ,jesus7 out-goes the whore and counterfeit4 ,first1 the true wife contents not herself with the bare exercise1 ordinance or administration 7as the hypocrites do7 but in all is restless to enjoy the ,lord himself3 ,for as the ordinance is spirituall1 and heavenly2 so longs the true beleever for a spirituall and heavenly communion with the ,lord himself in it1 that he may become one spirit with him more and more in all these outward and subordinate means and administrations4 ,hence it pleaseth the ,spirit of ,god to resemble his worship to the marriage bed1 which satisfies not the heavenly ,spouse1 when the ,husband ,christ ,jesus1 is not spiritually embraced therein1 but absent4 #bly1 ,the desire of the true beleever in the enjoyment of ,christ ,jesus in any of his appointments is to be made fruitfull by him3 but the desire of a whore extends no further then ,lust or a ,reward4 ,hence ,rom4 #g4 ,we are married unto ,christ ,jesus1 that we should bring forth fruit unto ,god3 ,a whoorish heart willingly endures not fruitfulnes1 but kills her own conceptions which the true ,wife cherisheth1 and tendreth as her life4 ,obj4 ,what should be the reason why so many of ,gods children who in all ages have discovered their strong affection to ,gods visible worship1 and communion in ,christ1 have yet so varied1 and wandred from the right1 and first institution of the ,church1 and ministry1 and ,ordinances of worship8 ,i answer1 ,gods councell touching the spirituall captivity1 and desolation1 must be fulfilled1 when yet notwithstanding1 the strength of the affection of ,gods people hath appear'd in their mourning and weeping1 and lamenting after1 and contending for the truth of the spiritual injoyment of their souls ,beloved1 in all the means of his own holy appointments4 ,sidenote3 #aathly4 #aathly4 ,again it is an ,argument of spirituall health1 strength1 in respect of ,god1 when the ,heart is fixed1 and readily prepared for all the holy pleasure of ,god4 ,hence ,hezekiah praies for such whose hearts were prepared to seek ,jehovah1 ,god of their ,fathers3 ,hence this readines1 and preparation of mind1 is compared to the shoes on our ,feet1 without which we are unfit for travelling1 walking1 c4 and with which we are ready for any spirituall imployment4 ,hence ,david professeth that his heart was fixed1 and ready1 and when the ,lord said seek my ,face1 ,davids heart answered1 ,lord1 thy ,face will ,i seek1 c4 ,obj4 ,what is the reason that ,gods children are sometimes hardly brought on to difficult services1 and duties8 ,i answer1 unreadines1 and unfitnes is a spirituall sicknes or distemper1 which when ,gods children recover out of1 then they say as the ,lord ,jesus in ,david ,psal3 #da4 ,lord my heart is willing1 my heart is ready to do thy will ,o my ,god3 ,and they say to ,christ ,jesus1 as his holy servant ,john ,bradford said to ,queen ,mary2 ,if she keep me in prison1 ,i will thank her2 ,if she release me ,i will thank her2 ,if she burn me1 ,i will still thank her4 ,sidenote3 #abthly ,lastly1 it is an ,argument of spirituall health1 and strength when ,gods children walk in a continuall sence of their own insufficiencies1 and distempers1 when they discern the evill inclination of their own spirits1 and the excellency1 and sufficiency of ,gods most holy ,spirit3 ,and therefore continually say with ,david1 ,psalme #adc4 ,thy ,spirit is good1 lead me1 c4 and ,psal4 #aci4 ,search me ,o ,god1 and try my heart1 and see if thou findest any way of wickednes in me1 and lead me in the way everlasting4 ,these and many more1 are the trials of spirituall strength1 health1 and cheerfulnes1 in matters concerning ,god3 ,we now come to the second ,head of trialls of spirituall health1 and strength1 in matters concerning our selves4 ,sidenote3 ,brokennes of spirit4 ,first1 then it is an ,argument of spiritual health1 and strength1 when 7especially7 after known sins committed1 our hearts are in a broken frame and temper1 when our spirits are as it were contrite1 and pounded like spice in a ,morter1 then yeelding the most delightfull smell and savour unto ,god4 ,hence 7,isa4 #ff7 a contrite1 and broken heart is an ,house wherein ,god dwels1 an ,house well ordered1 swept1 and garnished4 ,hence a ,spirit of trembling1 7,isa4 #ff47 is an ,argument and character of the most dutifull children of ,god3 but of this formerly4 ,sidenote3 #b;dly4 ,spirituall battels4 #bndly4 ,it is an ,argument of spirituall strength1 when we make it our work to observe1 watch1 and kill our corruptions1 and rebellions1 and labour to keep under1 and beat down our body to an holy fitnes1 and readines for ,gods service1 in fasting1 and prayer against temptations4 ,obj4 ,but may not ,hypocrites humble themselves1 and labour to mortifie their lusts and corruptions8 ,i answer1 no question1 but in horrour of conscience1 and fear of ,gods judgments1 an ,hypocrite may humble himself in fasting1 as ,ahab1 c4 but to kill sin1 as sin1 and to desire to be ready for ,gods will1 in denying1 and subduing his own1 is only the character and property of a child of ,god4 ,sidenote3 #c;dly4 ,godly loathing for sin4 #c;dly4 ,it is an ,argument of spirituall health1 and strength1 when we so look upon our sins1 and our sinfull dispositions1 that we not only loath our sins1 but also loath our selves for them3 ,so saith the ,lord1 7,ezek #f47 ,my people shall loath themselves for their abominations1 and for their whoorish heart against me3 ,thus ,job when he recovers himself from his murmurings against ,god1 he cries out1 ,behold ,i abhor my self1 and repent in dust1 and ashes4 ,and ,david 7,psal3 #gc47 looks upon himself for his murmuring against ,gods providence1 as an ignorant person1 as a fool and a beast in ,gods presence4 ,object4 ,but may not an ,hypocrite loath and abhor himself for sin8 ,sidenote3 ,hypocrites may in a respect loath themselves for sin4 ,i answer1 ,it is possible for an ,hypocrite to be sorry for some sins1 and to be angry with himselfe1 and to loath himselfe1 but not properly for his sins1 which he loveth1 but 7as theeves1 whores1 drunkards1 c47 for the danger1 damage and disgrace which his sin may bring upon him4 ,it is onely the property of ,gods children to look at sin as sin1 with a loathing eye1 and to behold themselves vile and loathsome1 even for the most pleasing and profitable1 and delightfull1 and most secret sins4 ,sidenote3 ,fourthly4 ,sidenote3 ,true selfe denyall4 ,fourthly1 ,it is an ,argument of the strength of ,spirituall life1 when we lay downe our selves at the feet of ,god1 when as a ,servants will1 our wils are subdued to the ,lords will1 when the ,lord is become our selfe1 when his ends are our ends1 which give us content and pleasure1 although our selves1 our ends are lost and destroyed1 that wee may finde new ends and delights in ,god4 ,hence ,epaphroditus to further the worke of the ,lord 7,phil4 #b7 he regarded not his health1 and consequently not his life2 as a true ,souldier in the ,service of his heavenly ,king and ,captaine4 ,object4 ,but may not an ,hypocrite deny himselfs2 his owne ends1 his pleasures1 his profits1 his credit1 his liberty1 his life4 ,sidenote3 ,no ,hypocrite can truly deny himselfe4 ,i answer1 ,it is impossible2 for all that he doth is still for himselfe3 like ,israel1 ,hosea #g4 ,he is an empty vine1 he bringeth forth fruit to himself3 ,all that he aims at in using the name of ,god1 his glory1 his ,christ1 is still to exalt himselfe1 to save himselfe3 ,but ,gods children eye ever a greater end then selfe1 to wit1 the glorifying of their ,god1 although it be in their own destructions4 ,sidenote3 ,fifthly4 ,fifthly1 ,our hearts are then in an healthfull frame and disposition1 when we are cordially willing to goe from hence1 that we may be with ,christ1 ,phil4 #c4 yet for the service of ,christ and his ,saints1 we are cordially willing to stay in hard and difficult ,service4 ,object4 ,but may not an ,hypocrite desire to dye1 and to be with ,christ8 ,i answer1 ,an ,hypocrite may desire to dye1 and to be with ,christ in a glorious condition1 but no ,hypocrite can endure to dye1 to be with ,christ in an holy and spirituall condition1 free from sin3 and therefore can he not endure uprightly1 c4 to worke for ,christ on ,earth4 ,sidenote3 ,sixtly4 ,sidenote3 ,spirituall contentation in ,gods will4 ,sixthly1 ,then are we in an healthfull frame of ,grace1 when ,god hath brought down our hearts to be content with the changes of his right-hand upon us3 when we have learnt the lesson of ,paul1 to be content with food and raiment1 with a travellers and strangers portion1 of so much as may serve us in our ,journey3 ,when we can tell how to abound without ,pride1 or security1 or trust in earthly things1 and when we can tell how to want all outward mercies with quietnesse and contentation4 ,obj4 ,but may not ,hypocrites be contented with smal matters1 and suppresse their desires of great things1 and say with ,esau unto ,jacob3 ,keep that thou hast my brother1 ,i have enough8 ,sidenote3 ,all changes and losses are made up to ,gods people only by himselfe4 ,i answer1 the desires of all men are not alike greedy2 but yet the desires of men are truely satisfied without ,god3 ,now when changes and the losse of all things fall upon the ,hypocrite1 he cannot finde those changes and those losses made up in ,god3 ,no ,habakkuk tels us1 ,that it is the ,character of ,gods children1 when the corne is gone1 and the flocks and the heards1 and the vine1 and the figtree faile1 to rejoyce in ,god alone for a portion1 and to glory in the ,god of their ,salvation4 ,sidenote3 ,seventhly4 ,sidenote3 ,joy in ,sorrow4 ,seventhly1 ,then are our hearts in an healthfull frame1 when we are not onely willing to suffer for the name of ,christ ,jesus1 but when we also conceive a kinde of pleasure in it2 so saith ,paul1 ,i take pleasure in necessities1 in distresses1 and for ,christs sake2 ,hence the ,saints 7,heb4 #ac4 #aj47 not onely suffered the spoyling of their goods1 but they took the spoyling of their goods with joy4 ,object4 ,may not ,hipocrites suffer joyfully for ,christ8 ,sidenote3 ,hypocrites pretend to suffer for ,christ4 ,i answer1 ,an ,hypocrite may doe and suffer with a seeming joy for ,christ3 ,but he can never doe this out of love to ,christ1 #a ,cor4 #ac4 but always out of self-love for his owne glory and honour1 out of strong conviction of conscience1 least he be damned in denying his light1 c4 ,onely ,gods children can out of love to ,christ ,jesus rejoyce 7as some true friend or wife7 to be afflicted and to sorrow and loose for their ,souls beloved4 ,object4 ,why then are many of ,gods children so heavy in their sufferings and losses for ,christ ,jesus8 ,i answer1 ,this hapneth sometimes out of distemper of body2 sometimes out of distemper and weaknesse of minde1 which they labour against1 and chide themselves for as did ,david1 ,psal4 #db4 #dc4 why art thou disquieted ,o my ,soul1 and why art thou so heavy within me8 still trust in ,,god1 for ,i will praise him1 who is the health of my countenance and my ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,eightly4 ,sidenote3 ,christian weanedness from this worlds comforts4 ,eighthly1 ,it argues strength of ,grace when we use this world1 and all the comforts of it with a weaned eye and mind1 as if we used it not3 as ,english ,travellers that lodge in an ,indian house1 use all the wild ,indians comforts with a strange affection1 willing and ready to be gone3 or as ,passengers in a ,ship1 willing and ready 7when ,god will7 to land1 and goe ashoar in our own countrey1 to our owne ,house1 and comforts in the ,heavens4 ,thus ,gideons ,souldiers 7in a figure of such as are fit for ,christs ,battels7 are not only couragious and depart not with the cowards1 but also lap at the comforts of this life1 with a speedy necessity1 but lye not downe to them in excesse of affection and delight4 ,object4 ,may not ,hypocrites use this world with a strange affection1 weaned from the vanities of it1 c4 ,sidenote3 ,the heavenly use of earthly comforts4 ,i answer1 ,doubtlesse not onely a false ,christian or ,hypocrite1 but other naturall men 7out of the sence and experience of the vanitie and uncertainty of this life1 and the comforts of it7 may attaine to a great seeming dispising of these earthly things1 though never without sorrow that they are not more full and certain1 as being their portion3 ,onely ,gods children who have made the ,lord himselfe their portion1 and his word and ,ordinances their inheritance1 they only ,i say use them as from ,god1 tokens of his ,love and goodnesse1 and as golden chaines to draw them unto him1 and humbly submit to ,gods holy pleasure1 in his gracious bestowing or withdrawing of them4 ,sidenote3 ,ninthly4 ,ninthly1 ,it is an argument of a strong fear of and affection to ,god1 when in all our earthly businesses1 we see ,god1 and minde his name and praise4 ,hence saith ,james3 ,yee ought in all ,journeys and purposes to say1 ,if ,god will3 ,hence ,boaz that holy man1 when he comes into his ,field hath ,god in his mouth3 ,the ,lord blesse you sayed he to his ,reapers3 ,hence the poorest ,christian able to contribute 7#a ,cor4 #af47 observes weekly1 and therefore daily the dispensations of ,god towards him2 ,he observes the givings and takings of ,gods hand1 and walks with him though in the poorest and meanest calling and condition4 ,object4 ,but may not ,hypocrites observe ,gods blessing in worldly things1 in faire winds1 good voyages1 in the encrease of children1 corne1 wine1 cattel1 c8 ,sidenote3 ,the glorifying of ,god proper to ,gods children only4 ,i answer1 ,naturall conviction enforceth even ,pagans to confesse 7a ,manittoo7 an ,invisible ,deity and ,god-head in these visible things2 ,but to make it a worke and ,businesse in all these earthly things to see and glorifie ,god1 to walke with him1 and to be full of his praise all the day long2 this is onely the ,character of ,gods children1 who only truly see his hand1 and love his name and glory4 ,sidenote3 ,tenthly4 ,sidenote3 ,the true watch of ,gods people over their ,tongue4 ,tenthly1 ,it is an ,argument of strength and vigour of grace1 to keep a constant watch and bridle on our lips and tongue1 that no words passe but such as are seasoned with ,salt1 to the glorifying of our ,maker with our glory1 and the edifying or benefiting of others4 ,this ,tongue of ours the ,lord compares to the bridle of a ,horse1 to the ,helm of a ,ship1 which if well managed rules the horse and ship1 with safety and comfort3 and the ,spirit of ,god concludes2 that he is a perfect and strong man in ,christ1 that is thus able to command his ,speech and ,tongue in this world4 ,hence ,christ ,jesus preacheth ,judgement to the world1 for the abuse of the ,tongue1 and the idle words of it1 when our words are not working words1 and tend not to heavenly profiting of others4 ,hence the ,spirit by ,paul commands 7,ephes4 #e47 that neither uncleannesse1 nor covetousnesse1 nor foolish talking1 nor jeasting1 be once heard from the mouths of the ,saints1 but rather giving of thanks1 and praising of ,god4 ,object4 ,but may not worldly persons set a watch before the door of their lips8 ,i answer1 ,morall wisdome may teach persons the vanity and grosse wickednesse of the ,tongue1 but onely ,gods spirit 7and strength of it7 doth teach ,gods children1 in true feare and love of ,god1 not onely to restraine from vaine and foolish1 but also to attaine to a spirituall and heavenly ,language4 ,lastly1 ,it argues strength and life and ,grace in ,christ1 when our hearts by ,gods spirit are wrought to such a degree of hatred of sin1 that we not onely abhor the acts thereof1 but also fly and shun the looks and appearance of it2 so that we not only fly pride and passion1 and covetousnesse and uncleannesse1 but also the appearance of them4 ,hence ,boaz1 when ,ruth lay downe at his feet in the night1 as claiming marriage by right1 he not only refrained from uncleannesse1 or uncleane touches1 but also he gravely advised her to be gone so early in the morning1 that no man should say there came a woman into the floar4 ,object4 ,but may not worldly persons not only avoid sin1 but also the appearance of it8 ,sidenote3 ,only ,gods children can truly hate sin4 ,i answer1 ,no worldly or unregenerate person can truly hate sin1 or the appearance of it1 for it is his nature and ,element1 they can onely hate the dammages and disgrace1 and discredit of it1 and so a ,whore may hate whoredome4 ',tis only the property of ,gods children1 and the new-borne to hate sin as sin1 with the sinfull appearances of it as opposite to their new and heavenly nature in ,jesus ,christ4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i now come to the third head of the tryals of spirituall health and strength1 and that respects our conversation with men1 in which ,sidenote3 ,christ and ,christians worke to glorify ,god in doing good4 ,first ,i argue1 that it is a strong argument of a strong constitution and spirituall health1 when we can make it our worke and trade1 to aime at glorifying our ,maker in doing good to men4 ,thus our great example ,christ ,jesus made it his worke and trade1 to goe about to doe good1 which he did abundantly and constantly to the souls and bodies of men4 ,obj4 ,christ ,jesus and his ,apostles and messengers were endued with power from on high1 not only to preach the ,word for conversion but also with power of calling out ,devils1 and healing bodily diseases4 ,sidenote3 ,holy women great helps in the ,gospel of ,christ ,jesus ,i answer1 as an holy witnesse of ,christ ,jesus 7a ,woman7 once answered a ,bishop1 ,i am a member of ,christ ,jesus as wel as ,peter himselfe4 ,the least ,believer and ,follower of ,jesus pertakes of the nature and spirit of him their holy head and husband1 as well as the strongest and holiest that ever did or suffered for his holy name4 ,therefore it is that we read not only of the service of those great master-builders and work-men of ,christ ,jesus1 the ,apostles1 but also the service and helpe of ,christian women1 for instance 7,rom4 #af47 ,phebe1 ,priscilla1 ,mary1 ,persis were eminently noted for helping forward the work of ,christ ,jesus1 to wit1 the glorifying of ,god in the saving of the poor sons of men4 ,object4 ,but is it not possible for ,gods children to be slack in this work and trade of doing good to the souls and bodies of others1 and yet be strong in grace and healthfull8 ,i answer1 ,doubtlesse ,gods ,children may be strong one way1 and weak in another1 strong in one grace and weak in another1 strong in one tryal and weak in another3 ,but it is their weaknesse and sicknesse1 when they are slow and negligent of so glorious and heavenly a worke4 ,thus ,paul complains of the ,saints of ,asia1 that he found none that stuck close to him but ,timothie4 ,thus was it in ,barucks weaknesse and sicknesse to seek great and earthly things1 and ,jeremie 7strong in spirituall health and life7 chides and reproves him for it1 ,jer4 #de4 ,sidenote3 ,secondly4 ,secondly1 ,it argues strength of spirituall life1 when we bear a strong affection to the seed of the woman1 ,christs seed1 ,gods children4 ,to doe good to all men is a ,christians trade1 but especially to the houshold of faith4 ,sidenote3 ,gods children cannot but naturally love one another4 ,this was ,davids affection 7,psalme #af47 when he look't upon ,gods children as the excellent of the ,earth1 and placed all his delight in them3 ,thus ,jonathan though he lost his ,fathers love for ,davids1 though he was to loose a ,kingdom by ,david1 yet he loves him as his own ,soul4 ,thus ,ruth so loved that holy woman ,naomi1 that although she were growne poor1 a widow1 and now in a tedious travel from ,moab to ,israel1 and ,naomi did also intreat her and her sister to goe back1 and ,orpah her sister was already returned to her kindred and her ,gods1 yet such was the flame of her holy affection1 that she intreats ,naomi not to intreat her3 ,intreat me not to leave thee1 for whether thou goest ,i will goe1 where thou dyest ,i will dye1 and there will ,i be buried3 thy ,god shall be my ,god1 c4 ,sidenote3 ,worldly men may in a kind love ,gods people4 ,object4 ,may not wicked persons favour1 love1 and respect ,gods children8 ,did not ,saul greatly respect ,samuel2 and for a while ,herod1 ,john the ,baptist8 ,did not ,michol love ,king ,david1 as well as did her brother ,jonathan8 yea did not ,david finde wonderfull favour in the eyes of a ,philistian ,achaz8 ,i answer1 ,the nature and the grounds of the love of naturall persons to ,gods children must be rightly distinguished3 ,gods children themselves may and ought to love each other1 and others also1 according to any naturall and civill ,relation2 yet onely ,gods children can love ,gods children for the grace and spirit of ,god1 which they see and finde in each other4 ,sidenote3 ,but ,gods children can only love each other with a spirituall love4 ,thus as two ,candles or ,torches they spiritually close and embrace each other with heavenly affection1 being of one common heavenly nature together4 ,thus ,countrey-men meeting in strange and forraign nations presently know each other by their language1 c4 ,thus ,brethren rejoyce to finde each other in strange places1 and to know themselves the sons of one ,father and ,mother4 ,thus ,fellow-souldiers which stick close each to other in life and death1 yea1 although routed1 disordered and flying1 if possible they can discerne and know each other4 ,sidenote3 ,gods children may possibly be unkind and cruel each to other4 ,object4 ,but did not holy ,david 7who was a man strong in grace7 did not he lay plots for the life of an holy man1 noble and faithfull ,uriah8 ,did not ,asah that holy ,king of ,judah1 practice false ,imprisoning1 in committing the man of ,god to prison1 and that onely for his faithfulnesse in reproving him from ,god8 ,i answer1 ,this shews that both ,david and ,asah at this time were very sick1 and ,david upon his recovery laments his weaknesse and wickednesse and ,blood-guiltinesse1 ,psal4 #ea1 ,sidenote3 ,gods people in case may be sharp each to other1 so was ,david sharply reprov'd by ,nathan4 ,quest4 ,but may not ,gods children have just cause of exercising sharpnesse each to others8 ,yea doubtlesse1 for ,paul withstood even ,peter himselfe to his face1 and the ,church of ,corinth must put away and deliver the incestuous person to the ,devill2 though probably yet deare1 and a brother1 according to that of ,paul to the ,thessalonians1 yet count him not as an ,enemie1 but admonish him as a ,brother4 ,in a way of ,justice1 in a way of ,physick1 the dearest friend or ,brother may exercise much bitternesse1 though with much sweetnesse of temper1 and with much tender melting and bemoaning of affection4 ,sidenote3 ,one of the blackest transgressions in the world for ,thus in cases have we seen mounfull violence used1 to a wife or brother in some kind of distempers and distractions4 ,but when ,gods children shall so far degenerate1 as to pursue the life of each other1 though it be with desire to cover a sin1 and to keep ,gods name from being dishonored 7as in ,davids case7 it is a weaknesse1 it is a sicknesse1 which although it be not unto death1 yet bringeth it neer unto ,deaths door1and made ,david cry out with bitternesse of his soul1 ,deliver me from blood-guiltinesse ,o my ,god1 and my tongue shall sing loud of thy righteousnesse4 ,sidenote3 ,thirdly4 ,sidenote3 ,a compassionate heart even towards enemies is a ,christian heart4 ,a third tryal of spirituall health and strength is a compassionate and pitifull1 melting-heart over the afflicted or miserable1 yea1 although our enemies1 or enemies of their owne ,salvation4 ,thus the ,lord ,jesus sighs for the hardnesse of the heart of his ,enemies3 thus he weeps over ,jerusalem that was to kill him1 and prayed for his persecutors and enemies4 ,thus ,jeremy powres forth his ,book and ,rivers of ,lamentations for ,jerusalem of old1 as ,christ for the latter4 ,sidenote3 #b ,tim4 #b4 #bf4 ,thus ,gods people are commanded to weep with them that weep3 ,and when any oppose themselves1 wee ought in meeknesse and patience to bear it1 as knowing their wofull and miserable bondage and slavery to ,sathan3 ,and who knows whether it will please ,god in infinite mercy and compassion to deliver them by vouchsafing repentance in ,christ ,jesus1 as he hath done to us8 ,object4 ,but may not ,gods children exceed and over-grieve for others8 ,sidenote3 ,gods people mourn for others4 ,yea doubtlesse1 and therefore ,god chideth ,samuel for over-grieving for ,saul1 because ,god hath rejected him3 ,gods children may as well exceed the bounds of griefs as of joy and anger1 and any kind of ,passion or affection3 but it is ever safer to fall on the right hand of too much mercy and compassion1 then on the left of ,anger1 ,wrath and ,cruelty4 ,hence ,david weeps over sinners with ,rivers of ,tears1 because they kept not ,gods ,law4 ,hence we are commanded to bear the burthens of others1 and so fulfill ,christs ,law4 ,all sin is a burthen1 but especially to ,gods children1 whether they commit it out of a deceived judgment1 and conscience1 or out of passion1 and sudden slight of temptation3 ,their sins therefore 7especially if superiours17 we must cover1 and with shame1 and sorrow go backward like ,shem1 and ,japheth1 as grieving1 and unwilling to behold their nakednes4 ,obj4 ,but we are commanded not to suffer sin upon our ,brethren1 but reprove them8 ,i answer1 then is the tongue a fit instrument to reprove others1 when it is tuned by a grieved heart1 that considers1 and ponders it self1 as subject to temptation1 and sin1 as others1 except mercy make the difference1 and deliver from temptation4 ,sidenote3 #dthly4 ,sidenote3 ,impartiall reproving a character of ,gods people4 ,fourthly1 it is a good evidence of spirituall health1 respecting others1 when we endure not sin to lie upon them1 or rather them to lie in the pit of sin1 but endeavour to help them out by wise1 and loving1 and seasonable reproof1 and exhortation4 ,hence ,job endures not sin in the wife of his ,bozome1 but chargeth her with folly for her impatient1 impious counsell3 ,hence ,david smites deeply his dearest ,michol1 when she mocks at his holy zeal for the ,lord1 and his worship4 ,hence ,christ ,jesus sharply reproves his faithfull servant and ,apostle ,peter1 and that only for 7seeming7 loving1 and affectionate councell3 ,get thee behind me ,satan4 ,sidenote3 ,bold reprovers for sin4 ,again1 as true love1 and zeal for ,god1 7when strong7 spares not the dearest3 so neither doth it balk1 or shun the highest4 ,thus deal ,gods ,prophets1 even with ,kings1 and ,princes3 ,thus ,samuel spares not ,saul1 nor ,nathan ,david1 ,eliab ,ahab1 nor ,john ,baptist ,herod and his ,queen1 even for those most neer1 and darling sins1 which were most dangerous to touch1 and meddle with4 ,qu3 ,how stands such bold1 and sharp language1 7as some of the ,prophets used7 with humble ,duty1 ,fear1 and ,reverence1 due unto superiours8 ,i answer1 as true affection stands with plain1 and sharp reproof of dearest1 so true humility in bold dealing on ,gods behalf1 with the most supream1 and highest4 ,hence are ,gods people also commanded not only to reprove1 but to separate in case of finall obstinacy in sin4 ,obj4 ,this course may seem to destroy humane society1 yea nature1 and civillity out of the world4 ,sidenote3 ,godliness makes civilitie more beautifull4 ,i answer1 it is true that ,godlines1 and ,christian affection1 and zeal for ,god destroys corrupt nature1 and humanity1 but otherwise ,godlines sanctifieth1 and directeth nature1 and civility1 in the fear of ,god4 ,sidenote3 #ethly4 ,fifthly1 it argues strength of spirituall life1 and grace1 when a ,soul is able to withstand1 resist1 and repell such sins1 unto which the opportunity of temptation sollicites1 and invites us4 ,sidenote3 ,joseph and ,david admirable for resisting of temptations4 ,hence holy ,joseph1 and ,david1 are propounded to us for heavenly examples of power1 and strength of grace1 in resisting those most1 two plausible temptations 7to which the wicked nature of man is so prone1 and subject37 the one of lust to ,women1 when strongly and often solicited by his wanton ,mistris3 the other of revenge toward man1 when his bloody persecutor ,saul1 seemed by ,god himself to be delivered1 and brought into his hand4 ,obj4 ,but ,david himself was conquer'd by uncleannes1 and ,asa wreaks his wrath1 upon the very servant1 and ,prophet of the most ,high1 and yet both ,david1 and ,asa were thought to be strong in grace1 and power of ,godlines8 ,sidenote3 ,the fals of ,gods children and to what end4 ,i answer1 ,gods champions are sometimes strong1 and sometimes weak1 strong in some things1 weak in others1 and 7as the strongest bodies7 subject to spirituall colds and falls1 and hurts1 which are most graciously recorded for our comfort in our falls1 as well as the holy victories of the ,saints1 to make us watchfull1 and couragious4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,christian bearing of reproof a good argument of much of ,christ ,jesus4 ,sixtly1 in matters concerning others1 it is a good argument of strength1 of grace1 when we can patiently1 and thankfully bear a ,reproof1 and ,admonition1 when we can esteem a ,reproof for our evill words1 or ways1 not as a blow or stroak on the ,head1 but as a sweet1 and precious ,ointment powred on us4 ,hence the admirable patience1 and meeknes of ,hanna1 when ,eli zealously1 but uncharitably reproved her for ,drunkennes4 ,hence when ,christ ,jesus most sharply reproved ,peter1 and afterward ,paul dealt severely with him about dissembling in the matter of ,communion2 ,we hear not of the least impatient1 or bitter word to either1 yea when he was unjustly charg'd1 and that by ,saints 7,act4 #aa7 he patiently bears it1 and returns a soft1 and gentle answer1 which turned their murmuring accusations into joyfull satisfaction1 and thanksgiving4 ,sidenote3 ,gods people may possibly be angry at reproofs4 ,but now the scorner1 yea the godly being 7weak7 reproved burst out in wrath4 ,thus not only ,ahab imprisons ,micaiah1 and ,herod1 ,john the ,baptist1 but ,asa also claps up fast the reproving ,prophet1 and the best of ,gods children are subject to such sad distempers1 when either a mistake of judgment1 or a pang of passion sinfully hinders the receit and working of the ,reproofs of the ,almighty1 which are wholsome heavenly potions intended by him the ,father of mercies1 for our good1 who ever be the cup1 the vial1 or instrument4 ,sidenote3 ,naturall wisdome goes far1 but not so far as spirituall4 ,obj4 ,many ,philosophers by naturall wisdome1 and many civill and morall men1 out of the principles of civillity and morality1 and sometimes for some private ends1 will bear a ,reproof with patience3 ,and hence that of ,solomon1 rebuke a wise man1 and he will love thee3 whence it may seem that men by strength of wisdome may receive in love1 and profit by a ,reprehension4 ,i answer1 ,gods children 7as well as naturall men7 may also act from ,rules of ,reason1 and naturall wisedom1 but withall they act from an higher ground1 and principle1 that is they hear they see ,gods wise1 and holy permitting hand in the foulest mouth2 ,so ,david acknowledgeth ,god in ,shimeis railing1 and ,hezekiah in ,rabsheka his provocations1 and blasphemies4 ,sidenote3 ,reproaches send ,gods people unto ,god4 #b;dly4 ,gods children by reproofs1 by slanders1 and reproaches1 are sent to ,god3 ,so ,david as a figure of ,christ ,jesus1 and so ,moses also1 when the people in their murmurings1 reproached him1 as the cause or occasion of their miseries1 he runs to ,god1 and praies even for those unworthy1 and unthankfull men4 ,lastly1 with reference to our walking with others1 it is an argument of great strength of grace1 when glory of the ,lord and the salvation of ,gods people is so great1 and so dear in our eyes1 that we can with 7upon supposition of them two7 that we not onely loose our temporall1 but our eternall state and welfare3 ,hence those two famous and wonderfull speeches of those two glorious stars ,moses and ,paul3 ,blot me out of thy book saith ,moses3 ,and ,i could wish to be accursed from ,christ1 saith ,paul1 for ,israels sake4 ,ob4 ,but can such a wish be lawfull though for the gain and glory of ,christ1 since to be accursed from ,christ cannot be without sin against ,christ8 ,i answer3 ,i will not dispute what accursedness or separation from ,christ1 that is1 some saying that ,paul wished onely a temporall1 and some an eternall separation from ,christ3 some a separation from joy and delight in the presence of ,christ1 but not from the puritie and holiness of ,christ3 ,but ,i say1 doubtless so neer as any soul approacheth to these heavenly copies of ,moses and ,paul1 so neer comes he to the greatest strength1 and health1 and beautie of a ,christian life4 ,ob4 ,but can any man now attain to such a strength of grace as this1 so to wish8 ,sidenote3 ,different manifestations of ,christ ,jesus in his people4 ,i answer3 as it is in nature so in grace1 there are children and young men 7or strong men17 and there are old and aged men in ,christ3 ,again1 as it is nature1 so in grace2 there are differences of children1 and differences of young and aged men in ,christ3 every ,israelite had not the strength of ,samson3 nor every of ,davids ,souldiers the strength and valour of ,davids worthies3 yet so neer to these heavenly copies as we approach1 the stronger we are in the grace of ,god in ,christ3 ,and doubtless it cannot be but it is in the desire of every true childe of ,god1 not onely to enjoy a prettie moderate health of spirituall life1 but to be as strong in faith as ,abraham1 in meekness as ,moses1 in patience as ,job1 in affection to ,god as ,david1 and as zealous for the ,lord and his glory1 as were this blessed pair of zealous servants of the most high1 ,paul and ,moses4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sidenote3 ,some means which ,gods ,spirit useth as preservatives4 ,i am now come 7dear ,love7 to the third and last ,head proposed1 which is some few means of recovering and preserving of ,christian health and cheerfulness1 and the preventing of spirituall sicknesses and diseases3 ,in this ,i shall desire to be brief1 lest by too long a discourse ,i discourage thy reading1 and hinder thy use and improvement of it4 ,sidenote3 ,soul-examination a soul means of spirituall preservation4 ,first then1 holy consideration of our estate1 a deep and frequent examination of our spirituall condition is an excellent means of ,christian health and temper3 ,thus teacheth us the holy ,spirit of ,god by ,jeremie1 ,lam3 #b4 ,let us search and try our ways1 and turn unto the ,lord4 ,this searching and examining of our ways in ,gods presence is 7as it were7 a casting up of our accounts between ,god and our souls1 wherein we truly verifie that true saying1 ,that often reckoning makes ,god and our souls true friends4 ,this dutie is hard1 and therefore we must often crie to ,god with ,david1 ,psal4 #aci4 ,search me ,o ,god1 and try my heart1 and see if there be any wicked way in me1 and lead me in the way everlasting4 ,sidenote3 ,affliction the season of ,examination4 ,this holy practice ought to be frequent1 but then especially when the hand1 and ,rods of the ,lord are upon us3 ,for then 7as ,job saith7 ,god softeneth our ,hearts1 and we are most like then to be as the ground1 mollified upon a ,thaw1 fit to be broken up1 or like the ground moistened with storms1 and showers from ,heaven1 then in some hopefull turn for the ,lords most gracious seed1 and heavenly planting4 ,sidenote3 #b;dly4 ,sidenote3 ,christ ,jesus his appointments undoubted means of ,christian health and chearfulness4 ,secondly1 maintain an earnest longing1 and endeavour to enjoy ,christ ,jesus1 who is our souls life in every holy ,ordinance1 which he hath appointed4 ,if it be possible 7with true satisfaction to our consciences1 and doubts in ,gods presence7 let us never rest from being planted into the holy society of ,gods children1 gathered into the order of ,christ ,jesus1 according to his most holy will and ,testament3 ,remembering that ,christian health1 grouth1 and flourishing1 are promised to the ,trees planted in ,jehovahs house3 ,and that the holy ,ordinances are the ,lords provisions1 and soul meals1 and ,breasts which he hath graciously appointed for his children1 of all sorts1 and ages4 ,sidenote3 ,prayer with fasting a most ,christian and mighty ordinance4 ,especially be much in holy prayer1 and fasting before the ,lord3 this is an ,ordinance of which neither ,pope nor ,devill could ever deprive a child of ,god3 ,if it be possible practice this duty with others1 however before the ,lord in secret3 remembring how frequent the children of ,god in holy scripture were in this duty4 ,daniel is an heavenly pattern3 and so is ,david1 who wept and chastised his soul with fasting although he was reproached for it1 ,psal4 #fi4 ,our holy ,bridegroom the ,lord ,jesus1 tels us that the ,bridegroom shall be taken away1 and then his servants fast3 as if he had expressly named the times of the ,antichristian bondage1 wherein the followers of ,jesus1 like the blessed ,women1 7,john the #bj47 weeping1 cry out1 they have taken away my ,lord1 and ,i know not where they have laid him4 ,this holy ,ordinance is of such admirable use among the ,saints1 that even in the first1 and purest times of ,christianity1 we read of ,christian yoak fellows1 consenting to a separation from each other1 for a time that they may give themselves to prayer1 and fasting1 #a4 ,cor3 #g4 ,obj4 ,but some say fasting as it seems to be more proper to the ,old ,testament1 so seems it not so usefull in the ,new ,covenant1 when more spirituall worship1 and spirituall joys seem more suitable1 and seasonable4 ,sidenote3 ,the excellent use of prayer and fasting4 ,i answer1 all the former ,scriptures declare it to be an ,ordinance of the ,new ,testament1 as well as a prayer itself3 ,and for the use of it1 it is most admirable for the separating1 and abstracting of the mind1 and spirit1 from earthly occasions1 and comforts1 for the devoting of the soul to heavenly consideration1 and examination of our wayes1 for the pouring forth of prayers1 and cries to ,god in the many great1 and mighty straights which ,gods people passe through in this vale of tears1 and ,lamentation4 ,and indeed it is 7as ,i may say7 the taking of a soul sweat1 or soul purge for the avoiding and cleansing out our spirituall ,humours1 and corruptions4 ,sidenote3 #c;dly4 ,sidenote3 ,spirituall taking of cold4 ,thirdly1 as ever we would preserve our spirituall health1 let us carefully take heed of spirituall colds and obstructions3 ,for as it is in the naturall man1 a cold it self is a great distemper1 and the ground and beginning of others1 when the warm streams of blood1 and spirits are stopt up1 and obstructed3 ,so is it1 7and much more in the spirituall7 when our heavenly spirits are stopt by damp colds1 and obstructions of unnecessary frequenting of cold societies1 and places destitute of the life of the ,sun of ,righteousnes ,christ ,jesus4 ,the ,lord ,jesus is a ,christians ,garment3 ,o let us keep that blessed garment always close about us1 and in all places1 and in all companies1 and upon all occasions expresse the life1 and power of ,christ ,jesus1 longing to know1 and to follow his blessed words1 and examples in life1 and death4 ,sidenote3 #dthly4 ,sidenote3 ,gods people must watch against the surfeiting upon worldly comforts4 ,fourthly1 take heed of spirituall surfets1 that the feeding too much upon the comforts of yoak fellows1 children1 credit1 profit1 7though sweet1 and wholsome as hony7 turn not to bitternes1 and loathing4 ,gods children as travailers on the ,land1 as ,passengers in a ship1 must use this world1 and all comforts of it1 with dead1 and weaned1 and mortified affections1 as if they used them not3 ,if ,riches1 if ,children1 if ,cattel1 if ,friends1 if whatsoever increase1 let us watch that the ,heart fly not loose upon them3 ,but as we use salt with raw and fresh meats1 let us use no worldly comfort without a savoury ,remembrance1 that these worldly ,goods and comforts are the common portion of the men of this perishing world1 who must perish together with them4 ,let us muse upon their insufficiency to content1 and fill our ,hearts1 upon their uncertain coming1 and going with ,eagles wings3 upon their anxiety1 and perplexednes full of ,thorns1 vexations3 upon their certainty of departing1 how soon we know not4 ,o let us therefor beg grace from ,heaven1 that we may use earthly comforts as a stool or ladder to help us upward to heavenly comforts1 profits1 pleasures1 which are only true1 and lasting1 even eternall in ,god himself1 when these ,heavens1 and earth are gone4 ,sidenote3 #e4 ,sidenote3 ,the power of meditating the joyes that are to come4 ,fifthly1 to maintain a spirituall health and chearfulness is of no small use 7as ,paul writes to ,timothie7 sometimes to help our cold stomacks with a little wine or strong drink of the hope of the joyes to come3 ,lay hold 7saith ,paul to ,timothie7 of eternall life3 and as the ,souldier meditates upon the glory of his victories3 ,the sick passenger at ,sea upon his sweet refreshings on shore3 the ,traveller upon his journeys end and comforts at his home3 the ,labourer and the ,hireling on his wages1 the ,husbandman on his harvest3 the ,merchant on his gain3 the woman in travail1 on her fruit3 so let us sometimes warm and revive our cold hearts and fainting spirits1 with the assured hope of those victories1 those crowns1 those harvests1 those refreshings and fruits1 which never eye hath seen1 nor ear hath heard1 nor never entred into mans heart the things which ,god hath prepared for them that love him3 ,of which however it pleaseth ,god to give his servants a taste in this life1 yet the harvest1 and the vintage are to come1 when they that suffer with ,christ ,jesus shall reign with him1 and they that have sown in tears shall reap the never ending harvest of inconceivable joyes4 ,sidenote3 #fthly4 ,sidenote3 ,bitter and untoothsome things may yet be of a blessed and wholsome use to ,gods people4 ,sixthly1 as it is in the restoring of the body to health1 or in the preserving of it in an healthfull condition3 it is often necessarie to use the help of sharp and bitter things1 bitter pils1 bitter potions1 bitter medicines1 sweatings1 purgings1 vomitings1 blood-lettings1 c4 ,so is it with our souls1 and spirits1 and preservation of the health and chearfulness of the spirituall and the inner man4 ,sidenote3 ,two sorts of bitter afflictions4 ,the sharp and bitter things which it pleaseth ,god to make use of in these cases are of two sorts4 ,first1 such as himself is pleased to use towards us in the way of his fatherly afflictions of all sorts3 on our spirits1 our bodies1 our yoak-fellows1 children1 servants1 cattel1 goods1 c4 out of which1 yea also out of the injurious1 and slanderous1 and persecuting dealing of others1 yea and out of our own sins and failings his most holy and infinite wisdom1 fetcheth all sorts of cleansing and purging1 yea and sometimes a cordiall and healing physick4 ,the second sort of sharp and bitter means are such1 as we voluntarily use and apply our selves unto our selves1 for the slaying and the purging out of the filthy humours and corruptions of pride1 securitie1 uncleanness1 self-love1 covetousness1 and what ever else remains behinde of the body of death in us4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,scripture the true storehouse of soul physick4 ,it is true that the word of ,god1 and all his holy ,ordinances1 they are not only of a feeding1 and nourishing1 but also of a purging1 and cleansing ,nature1 of a preserving1 and a restoring ,quality3 and therefore out of these1 we must take direction for all our spirituall ,remedies1 against those foul distempers1 unto which our spirituall1 and inner men are subject4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,sidenote3 ,the remembrance of our sins bitter1 yet an wholsome pill4 ,first1 then it is an wholsome though bitter pill1 often to call to mind our many1 our great1 our known1 our unknown transgressions against2 the ,lord as a ,creatour1 against the ,lord as a ,father1 against the ,lord as a ,redeemer1 against ,christ ,jesus1 against his holy ,spirit1 against his ,ordinances1 against his ,saints1 against our selves1 c4 ,yea the sins and severall corruptions of our ,natures1 callings1 and conditions1 to which we yet are subject1 and lye open1 and without supply of ,grace1 and strength from ,heaven1 we shall fall1 and tumble into1 as well as the strongest of ,gods servants1 of whose wofull falls we read of in holy ,scripture4 ,obj4 ,it is a part of the ,lords ,new ,covenant1 that he will forgive our sins1 and remember our iniquities no more4 ,sidenote3 ,gods children bound to beg for pardon of sin4 ,i answer1 unto all the promises of all sorts1 7,ezek4 #cf47 it pleaseth the ,lord to adde this ,gospel ,proviso2 ,for all this ,i will be sought unto saith the ,lord1 according to that most holy direction1 of the ,lord ,jesus1 to pray daily1 not only for daily ,bread1 but also for daily forgivenes4 ,obj4 ,the ,lord hath forgiven them already in ,christ1 what need to pray for forgivenesse of them again4 ,i answer1 ,we must marke the ,lords ,ordinance1 for all this ,i will be sought unto3 ,prayer and other spirituall ,ordinances hath the ,lord appointed for our souls good1 as well as corporall meanes for our bodily comfort4 ,sidenote3 ,godly sorrow not inconsistent but subservient to spirituall joy4 ,hence the many examples of the servants of ,god throughout the whole ,scripture1 both before ,jesus ,christ and since1 ,david1 ,peter1 ,mary ,magdalen1 breaking forth into heavenly showres of godly teares4 ,hence the ,paschall ,lambe1 7the figure of ,christ ,jesus7 was appointed by the ,lord to be eaten with bitter herbs1 implying and teaching that ,jesus ,christ himselfe1 his blood1 pardon of sin1 ,life and ,salvation1 and all the spirituall and eternall sweets that here below we finde in ,christ ,jesus1 they have not their native and proper rellish without the helpe of such sharp and bitter hearbs4 ,sidenote3 ,gods councels absolve not us from menes endeavours4 ,what though therefore in ,gods councel before the world was1 all his works of creation and redemption1 vocation1 justification1 glorification are knowne to him and acted by him8 ,i say1 in the most inconceivable deep councels of his will1 according to which he worketh all things1 ,ephes4 #a4 #aa8 yet were it presumptuous madnesse in us1 and a tempting of the jealous eyes of the most ,high1 to neglect the wayes1 and meanes1 and paths of mercy for ,soul or ,body1 which his most holy ,wisedome out of infinite ,grace and goodnesse hath appointed to us8 ,sidenote3 ,the due consideration of ,gods justice is an heavenly though bitter pill4 ,a second sharp and bitter pill to purge out spirituall corruption1 is a due and serious pondering of the nature1 of the justice of the most ,high2 notwithstanding all the infinite sweetnesse of the ,ocean of his mercy1 and notwithstanding all the colours and pretences which we poor sinners invent to our selves1 to hide from our eyes1 the greatnesse and dreadfulnesse and terrours of it4 ,well therefore might ,job say3 therefore am ,i troubled at his presence1 and when ,i consider ,i am afraid of him2 and ,david1 ,psal4 #aai4 ,my ,flesh trembleth for fear of thee1 and ,i am afraid of thy judgements4 ,object4 ,but ,john saith1 perfect love casteth out fear4 ,i answer1 ,the true love of ,god1 never casteth out the true feare of ,god1 but only that which is false and counterfeit1 that which is the fear of a ,beast of slaves and ,devils4 ,hence it is that the ,spirit of the fear of the ,lord was poured upon the ,lord ,jesus himself4 ,this feare is an holy awe or reverence proper to a true and heavenly ingenuous child of ,god1 even 7first and chiefly7 to ,christ ,jesus1 the elder ,brother 7in a sence7 of all the children of ,god4 ,to cherish which holy fear of ,god1 let us cast our eyes upon the fiery flashes of his severe justice revealed unto us in a three-fold time1 the time past1 present1 and to come4 ,sidenote3 ,the dreadfull rejection of the ,angels ,for the time past1 how dreadfull is that we finde of the rejection and ejection of so many glorious heavenly ,spirits the ,angels1 tumbled down for their sin of ,pride1 from the heighth of ,heaven1 and their glorious attendance upon ,god1 to the depth of ,hell in horrible slavery to everlasting sinnes and torments4 ,sidenote3 ,the dreadfull sentence upon all mankind4 ,how dreadfull was that dolefull ,sentence upon the whole race of mankinde1 for the ,sin of the first root1 our first ,parents in ,paradice8 ,how wonderfull those ,plagues and ,destructions upon ,pharaoh and the land of gypt1 for their oppressing ,gods people4 ,sidenote3 ,the destruction of ,egypt and ,sodom1 the whole world4 ,and 7before that7 how fearfull and horrible was that destruction and burning up of ,sodom1 and ,gomorrah and other ,cities with fire and brimstone from ,heaven8 ,and 7before both these7 how wonderfully fearefull and universall was1 the destruction of the whole world1 in that choaking1 and ,all-o'erwhelming flood or deluge4 ,sidenote3 ,fearfull stroaks of ,gods justice upon ,israel4 ,how fearfull were the stroaks of ,gods displeasure upon his owne people of ,israel1 in their many ,destructions and ,captivities8 ,how fearfull the rejection of the ten ,tribes wholly swallowed up and lost for so many ages and generations8 ,sidenote3 ,upon the ,jews and ,jerusalem4 ,how lamentable were the destructions 7and especiall that by ,titus and ,vespasion7 of the holy ,city1 that glorious ,jerusalem1 in the slaughter and captivity of #aajjjjj thousand ,jewes1 men1 women and children8 ,how fearfull was the rejection of that whole ,nation of the ,jewes1 ever since but a curse and a scorne to all the rest of the ,nations of the world to this day8 ,sidenote3 ,upon the ,son of his love the ,lord ,jesus4 ,and 7above all7 who can but tremble at the impartiall flames of ,gods justice on that green and innocent tree1 his owne1 and only begotten son ,christ ,jesus1 when he stood surety in the room of sinners to make satisfaction for their transgressions8 ,object4 ,grant ,gods justice and fierce wrath to be so hot1 so fiery and fearfull towards his enemies1 yet1 what need his children fear his justice1 since that it is satisfied and his wrath appeased towards his people1 by the sufferings and blood-shed of ,christ ,jesus4 ,sidenote3 ,the heavy dolefull stroaks of ,gods righteous hand upon his own people in this world4 ,i answer1 ,it is so evident1 that although ,christ ,jesus his blood1 hath quenched the fire of ,gods eternal wrath toward his people1 and sweetened the bitter ,cup of all present ,judgements and afflictions3 yet for his ,name and ,justice sake in this world1 ,gods children have temporally felt the fearfull stroks of his displeasure1 and judgment must begin at the house of ,god4 ,hence that dreadfull blow of ,gods righteous hand upon our first ,parents ,adam and ,eve1 cast out of ,paradice with their posterity 7even the whole race of mankind7 notwithstanding their belief in the promised seed of ,christ ,jesus4 ,hence the heavy stroakes upon ,lot1 upon ,lots wife1 upon ,moses1 upon ,aaron1 upon ,sampson1 upon ,eli1 upon ,david1 upon ,hezekiah1 upon ,josiah1 c4 ,object4 ,but some may say1 ,god sees no sin in ,jacob1 c4 ,sidenote3 ,gods holy end in his sore afflictions upon his people4 ,i answer1 ,their calamities are ,judgements1 that is righteous sentences of the most high1 ,judgements1 though not eternall ,judgements3 these vindicate ,gods name and ,justice before an unrighteous world1 and beare him witnesse of his impartiality1 even towards his owne children2 these humble and bring his people to repentance and confession1 and quicken their pace1 and their hearts1 to watch against future sins and provocations4 ,hence saith the ,spirit of ,god expresly1 #a4 ,cor4 #aa4 ,for this cause 7that is for his childrens abuse of the ,lords ,supper7 many are weak and sick1 and some are falne asleep2 ,god chastiseth his own people1 true christian ,churches1 for the abuse of his holy ,ordinances and appointments4 ,sidenote3 ,gods justice visibly seen in the present sorrows of all sorts4 ,in the second place1 let us cast our eyes abroad and behold the direfull signs and tokens1 of ,gods severe ,justice executed at this present in the world4 ,how lamentably doe we see before our eyes the daily and continued effects of that first wrath upon mankind1 in so many sorrows of all sorts for the first transgression4 ,let us consider of the great constant reproach and misery over all the ,nations of the ,world1 by reason of ,gods righteous ,sentence in the division of so many ,tongues and ,languages4 ,sidenote3 ,the horrible desolations of late years4 ,o come and see 7saith ,david7 what ,desolations 7,psal4 #df47 the ,lord hath wrought in the ,earth8 ,how many hundred thousands of men1 women and children have of late years been swept away in the world1 by wars1 famines and pestilences8 ,and since we are commanded to weep with them that weep2 ,o that our heads were fountains1 and our eyes rivers of waters1 that wee might weep with ,germany1 weep with ,ireland1 yea1 weep day and night with ,england and ,scotland 7to speake nothing of other remote ,nations7 in laying againe and again to heart the stroakes of ,gods most righteous judgements1 in their most fearfull slaughters and desolations4 ,sidenote3 ,the wonderfull spirituall judgements upon the ,nations4 ,sidenote3 ,the direfull judgement upon the ,jewes4 ,the effects and marks of these most dreadfull blowes1 every eye is forced to see but yet there are some stroakes1 more fearfull and yet not easily perceived2 such are the righteous judgements of ,god1 giving up the ,nations of the world to so many horrible and blasphemous worships1 idolatries and superstitions4 ,to speak nothing of whole ,nations and ,kingdomes1 that know not at all the true and living ,god1 how cold and hard is that stone that lyes upon the mouth of that wonderfull grave of unbeliefe1 wherein the ,nation of 7,gods choice and love7 the ,jewes lye buried and o'rewhelmed to this day8 ,sidenote3 ,the direfull judgement of ,mahumatanism1 and ,antichristianisme4 ,who can but wonder and tremble at so many hundreth thousand and millions of men given up for so long a time 7in so many and so mighty flourishing ,nations of the world7 ,i say1 given up to those two monstrously bewitching ,worships of ,mahumatisme and ,antichristianisme1 the dire effects of ,gods most righteous judgements upon the ,easterne and ,westterne professors of the knowledge of ,god in ,christ ,jesus8 ,sidenote3 ,the lamentable captivity of ,gods own people to ,antichristian worships4 ,adde to these that most fearfull and deplorable captivity of the very soules and consciences of ,gods owne people 7for so many hundred years7 under false and superstitious ,worships4 ,a righteous judgement1 though not so easily discerned1 yet in it selfe most dreadfull1 and exceeding all the temporall calamities in the world4 ,sidenote3 ,the dreadfull and eternall judgement yet to come4 ,but 7thirdly7 from these two times of past and present1 let us cast our eyes on the third which is yet to come1 as sure and wonderfull1 will shortly be these two most wonderfull and dreadfull downfals of those two so mighty ,monarchies 7so great enemies to ,christ ,jesus7 the ,turkish and the ,popish3 according to the ,prediction of the holy ,prophets4 ,how fearfull the effusion of the ,viols1 in part fulfilled1 and yet to be powred forth in their season8 ,and not a little wonderfull is that mighty destruction of the ,nations ,gog and ,magog gathered as the sand of the ,sea against the camp of the saints of the holy ,city4 ,and 7to come to the full period and finall sentence of the most righteous ,judge of the whole world7 with what horrours and terrours shall these ,heavens and ,earth passe away2 this ,earth with the works thereof being consumed and burnt up8 ,how inconceivably direfull will the last eternall judgement be1 when two worlds of men 7the former destroyed by water1 and this by fire7 shall appeare1 before the most glorious ,tribunall of the ,son of ,god8 ,when all the most secret sins shall be brought to tryal1 and an account shall be given for every idle word8 ,o who who can conceive the terrours of that thundering sentence ,goe yee cursed into everlasting fire1 prepared for the ,devill and his ,angels1 where the worm never dyes1 and the fire never goes out4 ,object4 ,but some may say1 ,can these sayings be any other then a ,parable or similitude8 for is the ,devill capable of any materiall fire8 such as now is grievous and painfull to flesh and blood8 ,sidenote3 ,the ,parables of holy ,scripture are ful of heavenly kernels of ,truth4 ,i answer1 ,grant these sayings ,parabolicall or similitudes1 as also that of ,dives and ,lazarus3 yet what are ,parables and similitudes but ,glasses to represent unto us in more plain and easie wayes the holy truth and mind of ,god8 ,sidenote3 ,the worme that never dyes1 and the fire that never goes out4 ,the ,kernell of truth is not the lesse sweet though wrapt up in the shels and husks2 ,beyond all question therefore ,christ ,jesus foretels most sure and inconceiveable plagues to all that know not ,god1 and obey not his glorious ,gospel3 ,and by this ,worme that never dyes1 and this fire that never goes out1 declares a torment to be inflicted upon both men and devils which shall be extream like fire which shall be universall upon the whole sinfull creature1 no part exempted1 which shall be also eternall1 never dying1 never ending1 yet we may adore ,gods righteous judgements and 7working out ,salvation with fear and trembling7 make sure of a ,jesus a ,saviour to deliver us from the wrath that is to come4 ,sidenote3 ,the meditation of death4 ,in the next place 7my deare ,love7 let us downe together by the steps of holy meditation into the valley of the shadow of ,death4 ,it is of excellent use to walke often into ,golgotha1 and to view the rotten skuls of so many innumerable thousands of millions of millions of men and women1 like our selves1 gone1 gone forever from this life and being 7as if they never had life nor being7 as the swift ,ships1 as the ,weavers shuttle1 as an arrow1 as the lightning through the aire1 c4 ,it is not unprofitable to remember the faces of such whom we knew1 with whom we had sweet acquaintance1 sweet society1 with whom we have familiarly eaten and lodged1 but now growne loathsome1 ugly1 terrible1 even to their dearest1 since they fell into the jawes of death1 the ,king of terrors4 ,and yet they are but gone before us1 in the path all flesh must tread3 ,how then should we make sure1 and infinitely much of a ,saviour1 who delivers us from the power1 and bitternesse of ,death1 and ,grave1 and ,hell1 who is a resurrection and life unto us1 and will raise up and make our bodies glorious1 like his glorious ,body1 when he shall shortly appear in glory4 ,it is further of great and sweet use against the bitternesse of ,death1 and against the bitter-sweet delusions of this world daily to thinke each day our last1 the day of our last farewell1 the day of the splitting of this vessell1 the breaking of this buble1 the quenching of this ,candle1 and of our passage into the land of ,darknesse1 never more to behold a sparke of light untill the ,heavens be no more4 ,sidenote3 #c ,terrible uncertainties4 ,sidenote3 ,meditations of death powerfull as to many heavenly purposes4 ,those three uncertainties of that most certain blow1 to wit1 of the ,time when1 the ,place where1 the ,manner how it shall come upon us1 and dash our ,earthern ,pitcher all to pieces1 ,i say the consideration of these three1 should be a threefold cord to bind us fast to an holy watchfulness for our departures1 and a spur to quicken us to aboundant faithfulnesse in doing and suffering for the ,lord and his ,christ1 it should draw up our minds unto heavenly objects1 and loosen us from the vexing vanities of this vaine puffe of this present sinfull life4 ,oh how weaned1 how sober1 how temperate1 how mortified should our spirits1 our affections1 our desires be1 when we remember that we are but strangers1 converse with strange companies1 dwel in strange houses1 lodge in strange beds and know not whether this day1 this night shall be our finall change of this strange place for one far stranger1 darke and dolefull1 except enlightened by the ,death and ,life of the ,son of ,god4 ,how contented should we be with any ,pittance1 any ,allowance of ,bread1 of ,cloaths1 of ,friendship1 of ,respect1 c48 ,how thankfull unto ,god1 unto man should we poor strangers be for the least crum1 or drop1 or rag1 vouchsaf'd unto us1 when we remember we are but strangers in an ,in1 but passengers in a ,ship1 and though we dreame of long ,summer dayes1 yet our very life and being is but a swift short passage from the bank of time to the other side or ,banck of a dolefull eternity8 ,how patient should our minds and bodies be under the crossing1 disappointing hand of our all-powerfull ,maker1 of our most gracious ,father1 when we remember that this is the short span of our purging and fitting for an eternall ,glory1 and that when we are judged we are chastened of the ,lord1 that we should not be condemned with the world8 ,how quietly 7without the swellings of revenge and wrath7 should we bear the daily injuries1 reproaches1 persecutings1 c4 from the hands of men1 who passe away and wither 7it may be before night7 like grasse1 or as the smoake on the chimnies top1 and their love and hatred shall quickly perish8 ,yea1 how busie1 how diligent1 how solicitous should we be 7like strangers upon a strange ,coast7 waiting for a winde or passage7 to get dispatched what we have to doe before wee hear that finall call1 ,away1 ,away1 let us be gone from hence1 c4 ,how should we ply to get aboard that which will passe1 and turne to blessed account in our own countrey8 ,how should we over-look and despise this worlds trash which 7as the holy woman going to be burnt for ,christ said of money7 will not passe in ,heaven8 ,how zealous for the true ,god1 the true ,christ1 his praise1 his truth1 his worship1 how faithfull in an humble witnesse against the lyes and cozening delusions of the ,father of lyes1 though guilded o're with truth1 and that by the hands of the highest or holyest upon the ,earth8 ,how frequent1 how constant 7like ,christ ,jesus our ,founder and ,example7 in doing good 7especially to the ,souls7 of all men1 especially to the ,household of ,faith1 yea even to our enemies1 when we remember that this is our seed time1 of which every minute is precious1 and that as our sowing is1 must be our eternall ,harvest3 for so sayeth the ,spirit by ,paul to the ,galathians3 ,he that soweth to the flesh1 shall of the flesh reap corruption or rottennesse1 and he that soweth to the ,spirit1 shall of the ,spirit reap life everlasting4 ,,finis4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,italic text is denoted by underscores4 ,obvious printer's errors were corrected4 ,every effort has been made to replicate this text faithfully1 including obsolete and variant spellings1 inconsistent and non-standard punctuation1 inconsistently hyphenated words1 and other inconsistencies4 ,there are several places where opening or closing parentheses marks appear1 and it is not clear from the text where the paired parenthesis would appear4 ,in each case1 the single parenthesis was left in place and no opening or closing parenthesis added4 ,however1 where printing issues interfere with readability1 and the intent is absolutely clear from the text1 changes were made to the transcribed text4 ,for example3 multiple spellings of ,iesus have been changed to ,jesus4