AN HEAVENLY CHARIOT, Laid open for transporting the Newborn Babes of GOD, from time infected with Sin, towards that eternity in the which dwelleth Righteousness. Made up of some rare pieces of that purest Gold which is not to be found but in that ritcliest Thesaurie of Sacred Scripture. By M. DAVID LINDESEY, Minister of CHRIST'S EVANGEL at LEITH.  HEB. XIII. VERS. 14. 
Here we have no continuing City; but we seek one to come.  COL. III. VERS. 1.2. 
If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your affections on things which are above, & not on things which are on the Earth.  
Imprinted at Sainct-Andrewes, By Edward Raban, Printer to the University. 1622.   

TO THE TRVELIE RELIGIOUS, AND Right Noble Lady, LADY ANNA KER, Lady Balmerinoch, Grace, Mercie, and Peace, through JESUS CHRIST, our LORD, and only SAVIOUR.  
SEeing in this last and most dead Age of the World (Right Noble Lady) there be not a few living (alace) not only under the blinding Darkness, and corrupting Superstition of abominable Popery; but also under that shining Lantern of that saving Gospel, which leadeth men directly towards that bright morning Star CHRIST JESUS, blessed for evermore: who holding (ah me!) this Earth for their Home, do never dream that they must be remooved from it: and so who cannot be moved so much as to begin to think upon another Habitation; let be to fit themselves for it: notwithstanding that None-sparing Sword of Death, slaying daily, without respect of persons, men of all Ranks, in every place, may sensibly clear unto them the truth of that Golden Sentence, Hear we have no continuing City. I, 
Heb. 13.14  the basest in all respects my LORD and MASTER hath employed about the building of His Tabernacle, longing now to be dissolved, and to be with Him whom my Soul loveth; have out of that affection which I carry to all such as call upon His Name, been bold (overcoming at length many difficulties) to offer these few Lines unto the view of others; that if it were possible some one simple Soul or two, might be moved by them (GOD being happily with them) to lose their affections from things here beneath, and to set them upon those things which are above. I have dedicated them unto your Honour, whom GOD hath so happily weaned from the deceitful Milk of all things earthly, and so graciously married unto His blessed Son: that now your Honour can wisely account of nothing, but in so fare as it leadeth you unto Him who out of love gave Himself for you. Accept these Lines, Madam, as a Testimony of that Love and Reverence which I must carry to that special Grace of GOD bestowed happily upon you: for the continuance and increase whereof, I shall never cease to draw up my simple Prayers, unto that GOD who is ready to hear all such as call upon Him in truth, & is able to keep your Honour unto His everlasting Kingdom.  
Your Ladyships, in our Blessed Saviour, the LORD JESUS, D. L.   

AN HEAVENLY CHARJOT.  
O My Soul! waste thou not sent down here in time, by that blessed wise Creator, to seek after that eternity which is above? O my Soul! Couldst thou learn to know with what love thy GOD loved thee; in what account thy GOD hath thee, busily wouldst thou, while this ever-slyding time remaineth, seek after that ever-abyding eternity. Oh, o my Soul! When shall I begin gravely to consider that admirable order kept by my GOD, in bringing forth that great Work of Creation, presented unto mine eyes by that first Chapter of holy Scripture? wouldst thou, O my Soul, leisurely pain thyself a little, to meditate aright upon that order: O! with what a love wouldst thou love thy GOD! O, in what account wouldst thou have thy GOD! And so, O, with how swift feet wouldst thou endeavour to run, through fleeting sinful time, towards that ever-continuing eternity, in the which dwelleth Righteousness! Yea, O my Soul, I must tell thee, Can that order be well taken to heart by thee, were I warming myself in my Parlour, at the refreshing and dauting fire of greatest Honoures, Pleasures, and daintiest Cheer, even with my dearest Companions, thou wouldst be able easily, by a very little nod, to draw me to the doors, making me, with Peter, to seek after some secret place, that there I might weep bitterly, because I cannot be moved to seek Him, who could not be stayed from seeking of me, because I cannot learn to account of Him, who could willingly account of nothing till He found me. The Work of Creation is begun the first day, The Work of Creation is prosecuted till the sixth day, and a number of good Creatures, of divers kinds, above us, about us, beneath us, in the Heavens, in the Seas, and in the Earth, brought forth: But can our GOD cease to work, till He have made Man? And when He hath made him, will He go any farther? Yea, resteth He not then? O my Soul! I charge thee before GOD, that thou remember this: I command thee, as thou wilt be answerable unto GOD, that thou forget not this.  
But, O my Soul! what would thy GOD tell thee, by this comely admirable order, kept by His Majesty, in bringing forth that Work of Creation? Surely, That He made all the other creatures for thee, which He made before thee, and that He made thee for Himself, whom He made after them. And what would thy GOD, O my Soul, teach thee hereby? Surely, That all His other creatures could not content Him, until He found Man. And darest thou, O my Soul, attempt to think, or allege, That thou art made for any other beside thy GOD? Yea, darest thou rest upon any of those creatures, were the sight of them never so pleasant to thine eyes, the sound of them never so meledious to thine ears, the savour of them never so delicious to thy smelling, the taste of them never so sweet to thy mouth, the touch of them never so alluring to thine other members? O my Soul! many servantes hast thou: for thy Maker hath made all the other creatures for thee: only one Master hast thou; even that GOD who made thee for Himself: and therefore see that thou use all these creatutes which thine eye seethe, thine ear heareth, thy smelling savoureth, thy tasting tasteth, or any member of thy body toucheth, as pleasant sweet Cords, sent down from Heaven, to draw thee upwardes, towards that GOD, who made them for thee, and thee for Himself: otherways, be assured, thou shalt be convicted; not only of gross unthankfulness, but of high treason, forgetting the Giver, and abusing the gift: yea, for thrusting the perishing gift into the Throne of the everliving Giver.  
Harken, harken, O my Soul! and believe me, speaking unto thee from the mouth of thy GOD, who esteemeth of thee highly, out of that love, wherewith He hath loved thee freely. Hadst thou, O my Soul, that hearing ear to hearken unto, and that understanding heart, to perceive, that which thy blessed Maker would lead thee unto, by that more than Majestic, Glorious, Comfortable Oracle, sounded by His Majesty's Glorious Lips, while He is about to make Man for Himself, after that He had made the other creatures for man, Let us make Man in our own Image. Believe me, O my Soul! Can this Oracle (never, alace, sufficiently as yet considered by man) be rightly weighed by thee, thou wouldst learn to think less of the other creatures: (after the which, alace, so many dote so miserable; yea, by the which alace, there is a very world grossly bewitched.) Yea, thou wouldst learn to account of none, but thy GOD: yea, not to attempt to love thyself, but for GOD'S cause, and in so fare as thou findest thyself like unto Him. What? O my Soul! Shalt thou be made to see and hear, if thou shalt compare the twenty six verse of the first of Genesis, pointing at Man's Creation; with the third, sixth, ninth, fourteenth, twenty, and twenty four verses, of that same Chapter; leading us to the Creation of the other creatures? True it is, O my Soul, that all these were created by that same GOD, by whom Man was also created; yet they and Man are not brought forth after one and the same manner: for albeit our GOD being to create the Light, the Firmament, etc. be content to say, Let there be Light, let there be a Firmament, etc. yet it contenteth not His wise, merciful Majesty, when He is to make Man, barely to say, let there be a Man; but he must say, Let us make Man to our own Image. Thus passing from the Creation of the other creatures, to the making of Man, not without special advice and deliberation, as it were: and yet here thou must not think o my Soul! that thy powerful GOD, to whom all things are easy, brought forth Man with any greater difficulty than He brought forth the other creatures; or that He doubted any ways about the making of Man: but this is done by Him, that hereby His wise Majesty, one in substance, three in Person, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, might recommend to our consideration, the excellency, and eminency of Man, beyond and above the other Creatures; daining Himself to take a special consultation only about the making of Man, as about His most excellent and glorious Worke. Shall these three sacred Persons, of that incomprehensible Deity, after mature deliberation, as it were, concur jointly and joyefullie for the making of Man; and should not I, O my Soul! summonding all thy powers, with all the members of my body, after due advice, charge them all to concur, for the loving, for the seeking, and for the serving of that blessed GOD again? crying aloud, O my mind! O my heart! O my will! O my whole affections! and so, o my love! o my hatred! o my fear! o my confidence! o my joy! o my sorrow! o mine anger! o my patience! concur to seek Him, concur to serve Him, who concurred to make you: yea, o mine eyes, mine ears, my lips, mine hands, my feet, and remnant members, see you all concur to withstand sin, the enemy of that GOD who with joy concurred to make you; and to prove yourselves always to be His dutiful servants, who hath proved so gracious a Lord unto you.  
Mourn, Mourn, o my Soul! when thou rememberest what I was from my GOD, being created by Him in Adam, and what I am now from my Father & Mother, having fallen with them in Adam: was I not created to the very Image of His Majesty? being so righteous and perfect, that in my whole mind, heart, and will, yea, that in all the powers of my soul, and members of my body, there was sufficiency of strength, and power, whereby I was able to know my GOD, to love my GOD, and my Neighbour, according to that voice of the Law, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, 
Mat. 22.37 39  and with all thy mind. And, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself. And that without any disorder, rebellion, or corruption; and so, without any darkness in the mind, frowardness in the will, rebellion in the heart, corruption in any of the remnant powers of the soul, or members of the body: and being thus spiritually beautified, was I not beside this, that great emperor (greater than the Turk, who styleth himself, THE GREAT EMPEROR) having all the fowls of the Air, all the fishes of the Sea, with all which is here on Earth to be found, bound by the very appointment of GOD, to serve me, yea, most readily willing, (by the force of His Majesty's blessing accompanying me) for to serve me. But alace, o my soul! as I am now from my parents, having fallen with them in Adam, I am deprived of that Image of my blessed GOD, to the which I was made; and so void of that righteousness, wherewith I was then clothed, being shapen and fostered, as Seth the son of Adam and Evah, was shapen and fostered: and how was that? O my soul! surely in the sinful Image of his sinful parents; so that now, my soul is not simply wounded through sin, but stark dead in sins and trespasses: and therefore no wonder that our GOD (who only knoweth perfectly, what harm sin (alace) hath procured to us) speak thus of man, 
Genes. 6.5.  All the imaginations of man's heart are only evil continually And lest any man should have proved, or should prove so pert, as to apply that saying, to these of that first world, overthrown by the Deludge, it pleased our wise GOD, O my soul! (after that Noah was brought forth of the Ark, to plenish the Earth again) to sound over again his former judgement touching Man, saying, 
Genes. 8.21.  The imagination of man's heart is evil, even from his youth. Oh! o my soul! when shall we learn to consider rightly, that third Chapter to the Romans, by the which that Spirit of truth describing man unto us, as he is out of Christ, and destitute of the grace of GOD, proclaimeth him to be nothing, but a very mass of vild, and loathsome corruption: yea, is not this our original corruption, cleared unto us by the holy Scriptures so sensibly, that as we are acquainted with that good, which we cannot possibly do because of it, so we are informed anent that evil, which we cannot but do, by reason of it: 
1. Cor. 2.14. 2. Corin. 3.5. Roman. 7.18 Roman. 8.7.  The natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of GOD: neither can he know them; because they are Spiritually discerned. We are not sufficient of ourselves, to think any thing, as of ourselves. I find no meaves to perform that which is good. The wisdom of the flesh, is enmity against GOD: for it is not subject to the Law of GOD: neither, indeed, can be. Yea, is not holy Paul couched under the tyranny of this fearful original corruption, (wherewith, alace, we are infected, O my Soul) compelled to make this confession, I find another law in my members, 
Rom. 7.23.24.  rebelling against the law of my mind, and leading me captive, unto the law of sin, which is in my members? And, after this, bursteth he not forth, into that languishing complaint, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death? Besides this, O my Soul, is not miserable man thus depryved of all righteousness? and corrupted throughout, in body and soul, made a miserable Beggar, being before so great a Monarch, that he hath no title to any of the creatures of GOD: so that being out of CHRIST, the very meat which he eateth, the very  which cover his nakedness, the very air which he breatheth into, etc. shall procure his condemnation, suppose he sinned not otherways against his GOD. But which is most lamentably miserable, O my Soul! not only is man thus depryved of good, and corrupted with evil, made a miserable Beggar; but a monstrous Slave: yea, a Slave, unto a fearful Slave: even unto Satan, that evil one; who not only lodgeth, but even worketh in the children of disobedience: 
Ephes. 2.2.  fight against man by those his ugliest champions, Sin, the World, Death, and the Grave. When shall this be seen, and perceived by us, O my Soul? Surely, could this be seen, Sin should be hated by us, with an unfeigned hatred: Satan should be resisted by us, as our only deadliest enemy. We use to say, O my Soul, Burnt Bairne, Fire dreaddeth. Hath not that fiery Dragon, long ago, burned us all, (alace) in our first parents? Feel we not, even to this day, the fearful hurt which we received by that burning? Yea, carry we not, about with us, (go where we will) the scars, and marks, of that burning? Should we not then abhor to look to that Dragon, to obey any of his counsels, were they never so apparently profitable, or pleasant? For albeit his coat appeareth somewhat to be friendly, his heart shall remain always the heart of an irreconcilable Foe.  
SCarre, scar, O my Soul, with sin, as thou lovest thy GOD, and thyself: for hath not thy GOD, who loveth thee with a great love, with a wise love, told thee, That whosoever sinneth against Him, must not only receive wages for his sins; but besides his wages, that boontieth which is due unto Sin also. The wages of Sin, O my Soul, as thou knowest, is Death: 
Rom. 6.23.  even that first death, with all those diseases which lead a man unto it: separating the soul from the body, and the body from the soul: and that second death, banishing soul and body from the comfortable sight of Gods saving Face, and gracious presence for ever; and why wilt thou die thus, O my soul? The boontieth of sin, o my soul! is shame; 
Rom. 6.21.  procuring such confusion to man, that he dare not lift up his head, before GOD, before Angels, before Men, unless in soul he be senseless, both of his GOD, and of his sin. This shame, was that boontieth, wherewith our Just GOD, propined our first parents, the first sinners, O my soul! for howbeit Adam and Evah being free of sin, were naked altogether, in respect of material, natural, seen ; yet they were not ashamed, but could stand before their GOD, and look one upon another, with a good heart, and cheerful countenance; so glorious were they, through the beauty of the Image of GOD, which then covered them. Always, O my Soul! no sooner are they infected with Sin, by disobeying the Voice of their GOD, 
Gen. 3.7.8.  but as soon they were so covered with Shame, that they dare not look upon GOD, and are confounded, while they behold themselves.  
Wouldst thou be freed, O my Soul! from that Death, which is the Wages of Sin? and delivered from that Shame, which is the bontieth of Iniquity? I beseech thee, shake off that Shame, which (alace) too many (misled by Satan) in this our Age, are clogged with; albeit it procure daily matter of new death, and greater shame, unto them: and with a good heart, & smiling countenance, put thou on that Shame, wherewith too few (alace) in this our Age are covered; albeit it be able (GOD being merciful unto us) not only to slay Death, and shake off confounding Shame; but also to procure quickening Grace, and saving Glory. Alace, O my Soul! how many with Vincentius the Heretic, beside Augustine, in his fourtie-eight Epistle, while they think shame to amend their Faults, think no shame to continue in their Faults? Corah, with his companions, lift up themselves against Mo●ses, 
Numb. 16.  and Aaron. A certain space is granted unto them, to advise themselves, about this their sin. But dare they not face the matter partly? being as ready to present themselves upon the morrow before the LORD, as Moses and Aaron were? What wonder then, that our GOD, just in all His Ways, cover them with Death, and with Shame, to their destruction, who would not confess their sin, and willingly acknowledge, That Death and Shame belonged unto them, because of it, to their conversion? Few Sinners (alace) O my Soul, in these our days, with Moses, with David, with Daniel, with that Great Apostle Paul, can acknowledge, and confess their sins, crying: yea, crying aloud, That Shame: yea, open Shame, belongeth unto them: and, That Glory, and Righteousness, belongeth to their GOD: and therefore, what wonder, that amongst our Sinners, there be few who have our Blessed GOD, to look their eyes, with Moses; to put away their sins, with David; 
Deut. 34.6. 2. Sam. 12. Dan. 9 1. ●●m. 1.  to hear them, with Daniel; to receive them to mercy, with Paul? Pronounce thyself, herefore, O my Soul! worthy of death; because of thy sins, that GOD, through His CHRIST, may receive thee to Life. Take the Coat of Shame to thee, for thy sin, O my Soul! to the end, that thy GOD, for thy Saviour's sake, who for a while was covered with Shame for thee, may clothe thee with Grace here, and with Glory hereafter, for ever.  
FOrget not, forget not, O my Soul, to give in a Bill of Complaint, against thyself, unto thy GOD; accusing thyself, condemning thyself, before His Majesty, for the secret sins committed by thee, hid from the World, yet known by Him. And with this, forget not to give in the like Bill, against thyself, before GOD, before Angels, yea, before Men, for thy manifest and known sins, seen by that Sun which shineth by day, and not kept secret from that Moon which governeth the night. For if thou, O my Soul! deceived by that old cunning Deceiver, who as yet taketh pleasure to deceive, shalt attempt to refuse (for any alluring promise can be made unto thee, for any harming threatening can be pronounced against thee) to give in those Bills against thyself; to the end, that thou happily judging thyself, be not justly condemned with the World. I know one, being taught of my GOD, who will both peartlie and fiercely give in his Bill against thee, aiming at no less than thy comfortless confusion, and remediless condemnation. Alace, alace, O my Soul! When shall the dead senseless sinners of this Age read with attention? consider with meditation? that fearful Style, which that good Spirit of GOD, our Teacher, giveth to that Evil spirit, the Devil, our irreconcilable Adversary? Is not that evil spirit styled by that Good Spirit, The Accuser of the Brethren? Where-by thy Teacher, 
Rev. 12.10.  o my Soul! the Spirit of thy Father, and of thy Saviour, would teach thee, That no sooner do any of the Children of our GOD, commit especially, any gross known sin against His Majesty; but as soon that Evil one praesenteth craftily, albeit maliciously, the names, and sur-names, of those, with their sins, before GOD, crying, O LORD, Thy Majesty madest this Man to Thine own Image, Thy Majesty delivered Thy Son to death for him, Thy Majesty waste ready, by Thy Spirit, to renew him; and yet, for all this Thy great love, hath he not defiled himself, with abominable Idolatries? bloody Murders? filthy Adulteries, and Fornications? brutish Drunkenness? merciless Oppressions? etc. Wilt Thou not, o just judge of the World, rub Shame upon the face of such a one, who hath so grossly rubbed Shame upon Thy Name, and upon Thy Blessed Gospel, professed by him? Yea, wilt Thou not, o just judge of the World, adjudge such a one to be mine for ever, who hath (after the offer and proof of such rare love and kindness) refused to be Thine? O my Soul! wouldst thou not be loath that such an Accusation should be made against thee? especially by such an Accuser? Forget not then, forget not then, to accuse thyself, before thy GOD; to the end, that His Majesty may be moved, out of pity, for thy Savioures sake, to excuse thee: yea, to defend thee, even before, and against, the Devil, thine Accuser, and deadliest Enemy.  
Blind Man, slipping the first Path, in the which he should stay his steps, is made to fall from that high way, in the which alone he should walk here; and to deboash himself in that by-way, which leadeth him (alace) towards that Lake, out of the which there is no redemption: because man cannot seek after that true Director and Guide, who neither can deceive, nor be deceived. While he looketh for Life, he findeth in end nothing but Death: yea, while delighting unhappily in his present foolish sports, he promiseth great commodities, and comforts to himself, confusion, yea, condemnation, prove in end to be his portion. What Noble wise man, o my Soul! having his young Child to put to School, doth not, even after deliberation, make choice, both of that Master, by whom he would have him to be taught, and of that Pedagogue, by whom he would have him attended? O Man! I must tell thee, were thy Raiment never so course, were thy Cheer never so sober, yet thou lodgest, within thy Clay Body, an immortal Soul, which would be wisely committed to some good Master, to some faithful, and painful Pedagogue. But where shall such a one be found? Let no man seek after Man, to be his Pedagogue; seek after Man, to be his Master: but after that Blessed GOD, who only made Man, and is able to instruct man truly, to govern man rightly. And so let man, seeking after a Master, after a Pedagogue, run to the Face of GOD, run to the Mouth of GOD; even unto holy Scripture, by the which He showeth Himself to man, by the which He speaketh unto man; enquiring there, To what way he shall take himself; in what way he shall keep himself, while he so journeth here; to the end, when that Night of Death shall fall down upon him, he may set his feet upon the Threshold of the Gate of that City; and be received with joy, to lodge, even for ever, in the inwardest Palaces of that City, 
Rev. 21.27.  within the which no unclean thing can possibly enter. Oh, my Soul! when shall the men of this World prove as holily wise, about the governing of their Souls, (which must necessarily, either live, or die, for evermore) as Monoah, the father of Samson, was circumspect about the dressing of the body of that his son, who was only to live for a while with him? He was not present with his Wife, when the Angel of God appeared unto her: but can he not run to his God, and say, I pray Thee, my Lord, let the man of God, whom Thou sentest, come again now unto us, 
judg. 13.8.  and teach us, what we shall do unto the Child, when he is borne? Alace, alace, o my Soul! who runneth thus to God? Who prayeth thus to God? That He, by His Spirit, would teach them, by that blessed Book of His word, what they shall do to their own Souls, and to the Souls of those who belong unto them, while they live here. Oh, Lord God, when shall that true answer, given by Thy Majesty's gracious Mouth, made unto David, Thy Scholar, enquiring Thy Majesty about this purpose, be harkened unto by the men of this Age? be believed by the men of this Age? By what means shall a young man redress his way? By taking heed there-unto according to Thy word. 
Psal. 119.9.  That which our Master spoke to the vild Sadducees, touching the ground of their fearful error, denying the rising again of the dead, may be most truly applied unto all kind of sinners, debording from the ways of Piety, of Righteousness, or of Sobriety: Thou art an Idolater, a Blasphemer, a profaner of God's Sabbath, a Traitor, an Oppressor, a Murderer, a false man, an Adulterer, a Fornicator, a Drunkard; because thou knowest not, and believest not the Scripture, to be that Book where-by God, thy Master, teacheth thee, what is that thou shouldest eschew, what is that thou shouldest embrace.  
IN many respects, o my Soul! is the estate of man now (alace) couched under Sin, to be pitied; but in this respect especially, That being naturally sensible of the mortal Clay Vessel, he is naturally senseless of the immortalt heavenly Soul. What man, having a maimed, or diseased body, hearing who can cure him, knowing where he may find that Cure, seeketh not incontinent for that man? longeth not, even with weariness, to be with that man? and yet (alace) while man is not only wounded, but dead in soul, through a greater number of sins lying on it, than there be hairs on his head, he cannot only refuse to hear that Physician, to come to that Physician, who is only able to cure him; but he can find an heart to hate such, a tongue to revile such, yea, now and then, a very hand to strike such as advise him to hear that Physician, to believe that Physician, and to be content to receive his Potions, and to use that his Salve, which is only able to cure his soul. Naaman the Syrian, being infected with Leprosy, 
2. Kings, 5.  informed by that base handmaid who served in his house, That there was a man in Israel able to cure him, will not stint till he go thither: so desirous was he of corporal health. That poor woman, who was long subject to a bloody issue, 
Matt. 9.20.  is not afraid to throng through the people, till she come to JESUS, so careful was she to be made whole. Can blind Bartimeus (knowing that JESUS was coming by, 
Mark, 10.  who was able to cure him) be stayed from crying, O Son of David, have mercy on me? yea, which thou wouldst admire, o my soul! no sooner heareth he it said to him, Be of good comfort, arise, He calleth thee; but as soon, albeit he was blind, he threw away his , and hastened unto JESUS. Oh, LORD GOD! when shall the Naamans' of this our Age, leprous in soul, by reason of their monstrous sins, seek after that water of the Spirit, and of the Word, which is only able to cleanse them? when shall the men, the women, of this Age, monsterouslie defiled, from the top of the head, to the sole of the foot, through that continual running issue of iniquity, which maketh them not only uncomely, but loathsomelie stinking, in the nosthirls of GOD, of Angels, and of men; sensible of GOD, run with faith towards the Hemme of CHRIST'S Garment, even His blessed word, that by it this their running stinking issue may be happily dried up? when shall the blind men of this world find feet, to run with courage, and with confidence, towards that bright Sun of Righteousness, and light of the World, JESUS, to the end, they may see, that the things which be seen here, are temporal, and not to be rested upon: and that the things which are not seen otherways, but by Faith, are eternal, and only to beeloved, and longed for? O my Soul! for thine own warning, and wakening, remember CHRIST'S loving Invitation, Come unto Me, 
Matth. 11.  all ye that labour, and are heavy ladened, and I will give you rest to your Souls. But, with this, forget not CHRIST'S just Conviction, if thou attempt to despise His alluring Charge, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest ihe Prophets, and stonest them that come to thee; 
Luke, 13.  how often would I have gathered thy children together, as the Hen gathereth her Brood under her wings, and ye would not. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. If I had not come, 
john, 15.  and spoken unto them, they should not have had sin: but now have they no cloak for their sin.  
OH, LORD GOD! when shall the lose Christians of this last Age, being enlightened, and quickened in Soul, by Thy Majesty, in Mercy, looking on their dead Souls, in the Face of Thy Wellbeloved, begin to account of that Heavenly and wholesome Pool, of Thy Sacred, and saving word, happily now running plenteously (through the force of Thy tender Mercies towards us) through every City, every Village, every Cottage; so that all persons, of all Ranks, (blessed be Thou, for this Thy great kindness) may freely without fear, in season, and out of season, resort unto it, as those old jews accounted of the perishing Pool of Bethesda, 
john, 5.  which was not to be found, but in the Holy Land; neither in it, but in the Tribe of juda; neither there, but at Jerusalem. I must confess, o my Soul! That that jewish dead Pool of Bethesda, in four things resembled our Christian lively Poole, of the blessed word of GOD: And yet I dare affirm before GOD, Angels, and Men, That our blessed Pool, of the word, surmounteth that of Bethesda so fare in one thing, that if men could take it to heart, where one jew esteemed of that their Pool, and resorted unto it, hundreths, thousand, should esteem of this soft running Pool of GOD'S word: not only carefully resorting unto it; but enduring their very life here, joyfully delighting to dwell beside it. First, whatsoever disease bodily a man was subject unto, this disease that jewish Pool was able to cure: even so, this our Pool, of the word of GOD, is able to cure the Sinner, of whatsoever Spiritual Sickness can overtake thy Soul, because of any sin thou canst fall into. secondly, as none could be cured in body, by that jewish Pool, but such as stepped in, into it, and were wet therewith: so, impossible is it, that any sinner can be freed from his sins, by the mean of GOD'S word, till his soul be dewed by it; and so, till he be moved, and persuaded▪ to hear, to believe, and obey it. thirdly, as that jewish Pool could not possibly cure, so much as one man's body, till the Angel came down, and troubled the Water of it: so, this Pool of the word can cure the soul of no sinner, 
1. Cor. 3.6.7.  till that blessed uncreated Angel, even the Spirit of the Father, and of His dearest Son, come down, as it were, to his soul; joining His own inward Virtue, with His own outward word: and that way striking the heart by His own Finger, as He striketh the ear by His Truth. fourthly, as amongst the jews no man known at what time the Angel would come down, and trouble the Water, for curing of their diseased bodies; which moved the sick persons, looking, and longing, for health, resorting to that Pool, constantly to lie still at it; not departing after many days, weeks, months, yea, years, as is manifest by the practice of that man who lay there thirty eight years. So amongst us Christians, there is neither Preacher nor Hearer, King nor Subject, Man nor Woman, old nor young, can possibly know, what day, what hour, what minute, that blessed Spirit of GOD will join His Force and Virtue with that His word, which is heard, making it effectual to quicken the dead, to enlighten the blind, to convert such as have gone astray, to comfort the broken hearted, and to confirm those who stand. I would herefore advise thee, O my soul! if thou be sensible of thine own Spiritual wants, and if thou long to have them supplied, to resort thither, where thou mayst hear this Word, crying unto thy GOD, with David, One thing have I desired of the LORD, that I will require: Even that I may dwell in the House of the LORD, 
Psalm. 27.4.  all the days of mylife, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to visit His Temple. Yea, it were good o my Soul! in this respect that thou resolve with Anna, that religious old widow, Never to go out of GOD'S Temple, 
Luke, 2▪ 36.37.  but to serve Him there, with Fasting, and Prayer, night and day. But, o my soul! lift up thyself on high, and hearken, even with greediness, I pray thee, to the end, thou mayest hear, and consider, that one thing; yea, that incomparably profitable one thing, wherein this Heavenly Pool of GOD'S word, accompanied with His Spirit, excelleth, yea, surmounteth, that visible jewish Pool of Bethesda. Can that jewish Pool, o my soul! even being troubled by the Angel, possibly cure more at once, or one only? only one at one time, being troubled, could it cure, for no more at one time were cured by it, beside that person who first stepped in after the troubling of it, as the Scripture testifieth. But as for our Pool of the word (blessed be that GOD who hath enriched, and honoured thee, O my soul, with it) it can cure, and make whole at one time, scores, hundreths, thousands, diseased in soul, what ever sins they have committed. O Peter! the healing Streams of this curing Pool, flow so abundantly out of the fountain of thy mouth, that Spirit of jesus thy Master, (who came down upon thee, in the day of Pentecost) joining His virtue with them, that not one soul only, not ten only, not 20 only, not an hundreth only, not a thousand only, but even three thousand diseased, yea, dead souls, are that day added unto the Kirke. 
Acts, 2.41  Could this be considered, O my soul! O, how frequently! O, how busily! O, how joyfully would men of all ranks, and conditions, resort to this blessed Pool of the word of GOD! O, how carefully, and attentively, 
Acts, 10.33  would men resorting unto it, with Cornelius, harken to it! Yea, o, how earnestly would they in their Chambers, awaiting for the Spirit of GOD, with the Apostles, pray for the Spirit! to the end, that His Virtue, being joined with that word, they resolve for to hear in the public Congregation, they might have their dead diseased souls cured, and quickened thereby.  
Woo is me, woe is me, O my Soul! that so many baptised in the Name of JESUS, should think, and speak, of that good word of JESUS, which is the only word of Life, as that Reprobate Pharaoh thought, and spoke, of that good Word of GOD, sounded by Moses and Aaron, unto the Israelites, and to himself; 
Exod. 5.9.  directing his Taskmasters thus to speak to the people, Let them not regard vain words. When we Christians consider this, O my Soul! we all condemn Pharaoh: but (alace) how many be there amongst us, who say not only in their heart, but with their lips; yea, by their works, The words of GOD, are vain words? O Idolaters, Blasphemers, Adulterers, and other gross Sinners! If any time ye resort to the House of GOD, what round ye one to another? And when ye go forth from His House, what be your speeches? Let yonder Blast go, yonder wind shaketh no Corne. Harken, for GOD'S cause, O my Soul! Our GOD hath not men's Corns in such account, neither counteth He so basely of His word, that He will deign to shake their Corns with it: For He hath a base wind, of the which He accounteth not so much; whereby He is able to shake all the Corns in the World. Besides this, I must tell thee, O my soul! Albeit that word which the men of GOD preach, shaketh not men's Corns, yet it can shake Kings, it can shake Queens, and Subjects, of all estates. That same Pharaob, who durst open his blasphemous mouth against GOD, and His word, found this to be true, by a doleful experience: For shaken not that word of GOD him, spoken by Moses unto him, out of his Royal Chariot, when he was riding securely there, in the bottom of the Sea, yea, in the Dungeon of Hell? Shaken not that word, spoken by jeremy, unto Zedekiah, King of judah, not only out of his Royal Palace, of jerusalem, of judea; but scattered it him not unto Babel? o poor jews! saw ye ever an Edie wind, as we call it, scatter an heap of light Chaff, towards the four corners of the Earth, so miserable, as that word of GOD, spoken by JESUS, and His Apostles, unto your Fathers, hath scattered you, and your praedecessoures, these sixteen hundreth years ago? I know a Blast, or two, of this wind of the word of GOD, which shaken a King so, that it changed his countenance, it loosed his loins, and made his knees to smite, one against the other, sitting at his own Table, 
Dan. 5.5.6.  at a Banquet Royal, accompanied with his Queen, and Counsellors. I know a Blast of this Wind, blown by a man of GOD, standing at a Bar, to be accused, which made his judge to shake, and tremble: for while Paul is disputing of Righteousness, and of Temperance, and of the judgement to come, Foelix, the judge, trembled, so that he might abide Paul's presence no longer: saying, Go thy ways, for this time; and when I have a convenient time, I shall call for thee. 
Act. 24.26.  Were the empty Houses, and old livings, amongst us, fearfully burdened, miserable wracked, and daily changed, from man to man, from surname to surname, looked unto, it might be seen, that even the deboashedest amongst us, might learn to scar from attempting, to style that good Word of GOD, vanity, or wind. If thou love thyself, herefore, o my Soul! abhor to think, and speak, of the Word of thy GOD, with Pharaoh: and learn to think, and speak, of it, as thy GOD hath directed thee: and so think, and speak thou of it, as of that Milk, whereby the Newborn Babes of GOD are nourished; as of that Bread, 
1. Pet. 2.1. Deut. 8.3. Luke, 24.32 jer. 23.29.  wherewith GOD'S Children are fed; as of that Wine, whereby they are refreshed, and comforted; as of that Fire, whereby that Dross of the remnant of their sins, is purged from them, and they are purified, as good Gold, to be laid up, in that clean Treasury which is above; as of that heavy Hamber, which is able to break, and bruise in pieces, all such as dare attempt to contemn it: yea, in a word, as of that Meat, whereby their hungry Souls are fed: and as of that Medicine, whereby their sick, and bruised Souls, 
Ezek. 47.12  are bound up, and cured.  
O LORD GOD! When shall Men begin, to have the Preaching of the Sacred Word (albeit it be sounded by Herdsmen, by Fishers, and so by the very off-scourings of the Earth) in any kind of reverence? For what heard by man's ear, in this our dead time, is so neglected, is so despised, by man's heart, as Thy Majesties word, preached, is? Alace, alace, o LORD GOD, that blind man should willingly suffer himself to be deceived, by that great Deceiver Satan; that he can even despise specially that, which Thy wise Majesty hath highly advanced. Tell me, Tell me, o my soul! whereby is it, that thy merciful wise GOD, hath appointed that saving Grace to be conveyed to thee on Earth here, which is only able to bring thee to that perfect Glory which is above? It is not, o my soul; by the touching of thine hand, or any other member of thy body; nor by the taste of thy mouth, nor by the smelling of thy nosthirls, nor by the sight of thine eyes, that thy GOD will gift thee with that grace on Earth in time, which must crown thee with glory when time shall cease: but it is, by the hearing of thine ear, that thy GOD will do this. Let others neglect this, let others mock this: always, o my Soul! when thou hearest this, I charge thee, that thou rejoice; Yea, I charge thee, that thou loop for joy within me: For by this, would not thy blessed powerful GOD, whose ways pass finding out, not only overthrow, but also mock, the malice and craft of the devil, to His Majesty's great Glory, to Satan his sensible shame, and to thy everlasting comfort? o malicious subtle Serpent, thou canst cunningly convey by Evah's ears, that fearful poison towards her foul, which was able to slay her, her husband, and their posterity: but is not my good GOD both merciful, and powerful, able to convey to my Soul, even by mine ear, that wholesome Salve, whereby that thy poison is not only made ineffectual, but whereby I am made to live for ever? Thou seest, thou smellest, thou touchest, thou tastest, yea, thou readest (o man) many things: always, understand, it is not by thy sight, by thy smelling, by thy touching, by thy tasting; yea, it is not by thy reading (if thou attempt to despise hearing, and so to contemn the word preached) that thou canst be saved. o! when shall that shining Golden Chain of Salvation, presented to us by Paul, first be reverenced, and then be embraced, and keeped by us? Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the LORD, shall be saved: but how shall they call on Him, in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him, 
Rom. 10.13.14.15.17.  of whom they have not beard? and how shall they hear without a Preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? then faith is by hearing, and hearing by the word of GOD.  
Every man naturally loveth life, and loving life, desireth to live: but alace! scarce one of a thousand, doth know, and consider, wherefore life should be loved; and so, wherefore man should desire for to live. The Ambitious man, with Haman, desireth for to live, to the end, his Honour may be increased. The lecherous man, with Ammon, desireth to live, to the end he may satisfy his beastly Lust. The seditious man, with Ahitophell, desireth to live, to the end, that accomplishing his crooked plots, he may throw down such as he hateth, and advance those which follow him. The avaricious man, with the Fool in the Gospel, would live, to the end he may enlarge his Bounds, and augment his Sums. The Bellie-god would live, that with the rich Glutton he may please his taste, and fat his vild Belly, with the daintiest Fare. But be not those men, O my Soul! with their desires, more than abominable in the Eyes of that holy GOD, who made all men for Himself, and no man for any thing beside Himself? Wherefore, O my Soul! if thou, loving thy life, wouldst love it as it becometh the Child of GOD to love life; and so, if desiring to live, thou wouldst live for the right end, I would advertise thee, to learn of that wise, grave, Heavenlie-learning Father David, That this life is not to be loved, but for GOD'S cause only: and so, man should not desire to live, 
Psal. 119.17. Genes. 3. Luke, 1.74.75. Rom. 8.11.12.13.  but to the end he may keep GOD'S Law. This was the End wherefore man, having lost himself in Adam, was redeemed by JESUS CHRIST: Yea, this is the end, wherefore dead unclean man is quickened, renewed, and sanctified, by the Spirit of the Father, and of His dearest Son.  
A Lace, o my Soul! as men desire to live, and in desiring to live, do sin grossly; because they desire not to live for the right end: so men desire also to die, but, alace, they sin in desiring to die; because the grounds of their desire are vylde before GOD, and noways profitable, but hurtful to themselves. Can we desire to live, submitting humbly, and holily, our crooked wills, to the strait will of GOD; to the end, that with David we might keep His Law; and with Hezekiah, that we might benefit His Children on Earth here. Can we desire to die, submitting also herein our will, to the good will of GOD; to the end, we might cease to break the Law of our GOD; and so to sin against His Majesty: yea, to the end, that we might be with JESUS, who is our only advantage, both in life, and in death, holy should this our desire be, and happy should we prove, having such a desire wrought in our Souls. Understand, understand, O my soul! that this natural life is no benefit unto man, can be no benefit for man at all; but only in so fare, as it goeth before Spiritual, and eternal life; and so, in so fare, as it hath Spiritual, and eternal life following it: for as that old Saying ever remaineth true, Nemo renatus, qui non prius natus: None hath GOD, bearing them over again, by His Spirit, to be a Christian, but such who were borne first of flesh and blood, to be men and women: So that shall ever hold true, which our Master spoke of judas, It had been good for that man, who is not borne over again by the holy Spirit, that he had never been borne of a Woman: For Death seizing on that man, cannot possibly but send him to Hell; unless before death man cease for to sin. And if through GOD'S Grace man die to sin, before he die before the world, he shall cease from his labours, and rest with GOD for ever. Bernhard, meditating long ago upon this, and subscribing to the truth of it, from a renewed, humble, honest heart, drew up this Prayer unto his GOD, I beseech Thee, O LORD, my Father, to bestow upon me, Thine hungry Child, three Bread, Even that I may know, that I may love, and, that I may do Thy will; So shall I live: for in these three standeth the whole life of my Soul. And again. It is commonly said amongst men, He who feedeth well, liveth well. But here Wickedness doth most grossly (o my GOD) bewray itself: for none can possibly live well, but such who live ordinately, sociallie, and humbly: ordinately, studying to procure honest things, both before GOD, and man; that neither he sin against his GOD, nor by his sinful life offend his Brethren. Sociallie, living so, that he study, to be beloved of others, and to love others. Humbly, that while he is made thus, through the Grace of his GOD, to carry himself, he be not puffed up with pride, as (alace) too many be: But contrariwise, that with the holy Saints of GOD, yea, with His most blessed Angels, 
Rev. 4.9.10  he cast himself always down, before that Majesty, who hath been so merciful, and beneficial unto him.  
O My Soul! When shalt thou begin to love that GOD truly, who hath loved thee dear, with that sincere love which His Majesty will accept of, as of that love which cometh from Him, and sendeth thee back unto Him again? Believe me, o my Soul! albeit there be some, yet there be not many, who be beautified, and gifted with this sort of love; for thou must know, o my soul! that the heart of man, hath been, and is, clogged, and clothed, with a fourfold love, which would be considered by our Gospelers, who profess, That they know, and love that CHRIST who hath dear loved them, if they had hearts to perceive His love towards them. The first sort of love is most corrupt, in the corrupt heart, of corrupt man, whereby man loveth himself, and beside himself nothing, hunting after nothing while he liveth, but that which may profit or please himself, yea, not regarding, suppose the whole world were overthrown with Sodom, after that his eyes were closed by death. The sesend love is corrupt also, in the corrupt heart of corrupt man; whereby man seeing, and considering, that he is not of himself sufficiently able, either to procure unto himself such things as he accounteth to be good, or to defend, or deliver himself, from such things as he holdeth to be evil; he is moved, not only to love himself, but to love his GOD also. And yet, while he loveth GOD thus, he loveth not GOD for GOD'S cause, but GOD for his own cause: and so, as Demetrius loved Diana, 
Acts, 19.25.  who lived by making Silver Shrines unto her. The thirde sort of love is holy, and renewed, in the new sanctified, and softened heart, of the regenerate Child of GOD; whereby, he having happily, through the effectual working of CHRIST'S Spirit dwelling in him, tasted the Sweetness of the bounty, and of the goodness, of his GOD, beginneth to love GOD, even for GOD'S cause; & that with a more fervent love, than he loveth Father, Mother, Wife, Child, or any other whosoever. The fourth sort of love is altogether Spiritual, and Heavenly, transporting, even with exceeding joy, and alacrity, the Soul of man from all things here beneath, towards the third Heavens; whereby the Child of GOD is not only moved to love GOD for GOD'S cause, but to love himself for GOD'S cause, and all other things beside himself, no otherways, but in GOD, and for GOD. This was that love, O my Soul! wherewith Moses loved his GOD, when he forsook the Court of Egypt, and choosed to suffer trouble for CHRIST'S cause. This was that love, wherewith Paul loved GOD, when he said, My life is not dear unto me, so that I may fulfil my course with joy: I am ready, not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem, for the NAME of the LORD JESUS. And this sort of love, which is begun only here, shall be fully perfected in the Heavens. Oh, LORD GOD! when shall I begin to love no Honour, but that where-by I may honour Thee? No Pleasures, but those which may please Thee? No Wealth, but wherewith I may have my Soul enriched by Thee, and with Thee, for the better seeking, and finding, of Thee? Yea, when shall I begin only to love to live, to the end, that Thy Majesty mayest live in me? and mayest be glorified by me? Yea, o LORD GOD, let me step one Step higher: When shall I begin to delight to be shamed, to the end, that Thou mayest be glorified? to delight to be grieved, and pained, to the end, that Thou mayest be pleased? to delight to be stripped mother-naked, of all the earthly things which I possess, or can possess; to the end, that I may possess Thee? Yea, when shall I long, and desire to die, to the end, that I may live with Thee? And yet, could I do all this, what should I do? what could I do? I could do nothing, but prove mindful, but prove thankful: and that not through any grace in me, which is from me: (for, alace, o my Soul! forgettest thou not thy GOD fearfully? art thou not unkind to thy GOD grossly?) but through thine undeserved favour only. Would not that blessed Son of GOD, yea, that very GOD of Glory, thy Saviour JESUS, (o my Soul) be shamed, to honour thee? be pained, to please thee? be grieved to grace thee? be made poor, to make thee rich? Yea, would He not die, to quicken thee? And so, o my Soul! when thou hast shamed thyself, to whom Shame is due for Sin: when thou hast grieved thyself, to whom Grief is due for sin: when thou hast depryved thyself of all things, to whom nothing is due, because of sin: yea, when thou hast laid down thy life, whom sin must bereave of life, having death for its Wage, what hast thou done? considering that He who never sinned, being that GOD of Glory, unto whom all Honour, all Pleasures, all Wealth, and only life did belong, depryved Himself of all these things, and clothed Himself willingly with the contrary evils, and that for thee. Be mindful of these things, o my Soul! and forget not to beg Grace from thy GOD, to prove thankful for them.  
FOolish Man, pitying many, cannot (alace) pity himself: yea, he cannot so much as dream, that he is to be pitied: and yet what creature is to be pitied, as man (who should prove GOD'S best creature here beneath) is to be pitied? Oh, LORD GOD! how many men lay down their lyues daily; and so, are remooved from this Earth, by death, before they know by whom, and wherefore they were gifted with life, and placed on this Earth? And if man, in this respect, be not to be pitied, let all such, who be sensible of humane misery, judge. O my soul, if living here I know not of whom I have my life, for whom I have my life; and so, who is He, unto whom I should look, after whom I should seek, studying always to serve, and to please Him, even in the whole course of my life; had it not been better for thee, o my Soul! that I had never tasted of life? That man who never was, who never shall be, shall never (indeed) taste of that sweetest Milk, and most wholesome Honey, which is to be found in that Heavenly Canaan, which is above: But, with that, he shall never be tormented with that everburning Fire, which cannot be but found in that deepest Gulf, out of the which there is no redemption. But as for that man, o my soul! who lives, and knoweth not Him, from whom, and for whom, he hath his life, be sure die he, before his mind be enlightened to see his GOD, before his heart be moved to love Him, to believe in Him, and his life be so sanctified, that in some measure he may serve and please Him; not only shall he be depryved, of that immortal Heavenly Inheritance, but also adjudged to remediless, and comfortless condemnation. Oh, oh, when shall the Inhabitants of this Earth, harken to that wise advice, given by that wise Preacher, Remember now thy Creator, in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, 
Eccle. 12.1.  nor the years approach, in the which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them? When shall they suffer that great Conclusion to be brought to their hearts, which would quicken the deadest, and waken the most secure, which the same Preacher bringeth to our ears in the same place? Let us hear the end of all; Fear GOD, and keep His Commandments: for this is the whole duty of man: for GOD will bring every work uto judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, 
Eccl. 12.13.14.  or evil. Oh, oh, when shall Preachers, when shall Hearers, out of a sense hereof, learn to cry unto GOD, with David? Open mine eyes, that I may see the wonders of Thy Law. Teach me, 
Psaml. 119.18.33.34.  o LORD, the way of thy Statutes, and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep it with my whole heart. Yea, o would to GOD, that thou, o my soul, couldst in this last age, see and feel that which Augustine saw and felt in his time; to the end, that out of that sight and sense, thou mightest make the like confession before GOD, which he made; and send up the like Petition to GOD, which he sent up unto Him: My Body, o LORD, liveth by my Soul, and my Soul liveth by thee, o my GOD: Be near me herefore, o GOD, near in mine heart, near in mine ears, near in mine eyes, yea, near in my whole body, and every member of it, that they may all serve Thee.  
KNewest thou, o my Soul! how blessed JESUS hath loved thee, be sure thou wouldst love Him; and out of that thy love thou wouldst be careful to keep His Commandments. jaakob loved Benjamin dear: but, o! how more dear hath JESUS loved thee! jaakob pintched with Famine, is content, for the safety of his own life, 
Gen. 43.11.12.13.  to twin with Benjamin, and to send him down to Egypt: but blessed JESUS, to the end, that He might feed thee, and keep thee, O my soul! will not only subject Himself to Hunger, 
2. Sam. 1.26.  but unto cruel death. jonathans' love towards David, exceeded the love of Women: but JESUS His love towards thee, O my Soul! exceedeth not only the love of Women, but the love of jonathan. Scripture telleth me, History telleth me, That Mothers have slain their own children, 
2. King. 28.29.  to keep in their own lives: but neither acquainteth Scripture, nor History me, with any Woman, who ever was contented, to cut and dress her own flesh, for the safety of her child. Always, Scripture largely telleth me, That Thy blessed JESUS, O my Soul! is that kindliest Pelicane, who could be content to give His own flesh, not only to be scourged, to be nailed, to be pierced: but to be crucified, and die on the Tree; to the end, that thou, O my soul! mightest feed upon Him, unto life eternal. JESUS His love towards thee, O my Soul! exceedeth also the love of jonathan; jonathan (indeed) loved David so, that he incurred his father's wrath for David; that he was contented heartfully that David should succeed to his father in the Kingdom; yea, jonathan oft times hazarded his very life for David: always thy jonathan, JESUS, O my soul! being a King, yea, that King of kings, by whom, and under whom, all kings do reign, would not only become poor, to make thee rich; undergo that intolerable weight of His Father's wrath, to the end, that thou mightest attain unto, and enjoy His everlasting favour; but also, He would die, to the end, that thou being quickened by Him, mightest be made a king, to live and reign in Heaven, with Him for ever. Yea, telleth not Scripture me, O my Soul! That JESUS hath loved thee so, that He hath married thee, that He hath tochered thee, yea, that He hath provided a Dourie for thee. Abigall is dashed, when David Ambassadors come unto her, showing to her, 
1. Sam. 25.41.  That David would marry her. It was a wonder, that Solomon, King of judah, married the King of Egypt's Daughter: But shouldest thou not be much more astonished, O my Soul! when thou hearest, That even JESUS, the great Son of David, that mighty KING of everlasting Peace, 
Ezek. 16.4.5.  hath married thee, while thou wast dead in sin, lying in thy blood, in the very open Field, having none eye pitying thee? Hosea, speaking of this Marriage, bringeth in thy blessed kind Spouse, speaking thus unto thee, O my Soul! I will marry thee, unto Me, for ever: yea, I will marry thee, unto Me, in Righteousness, 
Hosea, 2.19.20.  in judgement, in Mercy, and in Compassion. Men marry Women for a while; yea, for an uncertain troublesome while. Always, O my Soul! JESUS hath married thee for evermore; in such sort, that neither distance of place, nor death, nor the grave, can possibly sever thee from Him, or Him from thee. Yea, which is more, that the nearer death draweth unto thee, and thou approachest to thy grave, the more strictly art thou united with Him, and He joined with thee. Beside this, JESUS hath so loved thee, O my Soul! that He hath tochered thee: but where-with, I pray thee? I hear Saul, craving from David an hundreth foreskinnes of the Philistims, 
1. Sam. 18.25.26.27. Acts, 20.28. 1. Pet. 1.18.19.  for his Daughter: and I see David laying down two hundreth for her. Always, JESUS hath tochered thee, O my Soul! not with Silver, not with Gold, not with precious Stones: but with Blood. Always, with what Blood, O my Soul! Not with the blood of Rams, of Lambs, of Goats, or any man: But with His own only most precious, most honourable, and most clean Blood. Beside this, yet, O my Soul! JESUS hath so loved thee, that He hath provided a Dowry for thee: But what a Dowry? Bear with me, O my Soul, if here I must confess, that I cannot tell thee, because my GOD hath not told me: For who, living here, can possibly acquaint the Child of GOD, sufficiently, and perfectly, with the Valour, and Excellency, of that Inheritance, which is appointed for thee? Some sparks of the Excellency, and Majesty, of it, are presented, indeed, unto our consideration, 
Luke, 12.32. 1. Corin. 2.9. 1. john, 3.2. Coll. 3.3.4.  by Scripture: but fully it shall not be known, until we be where our dearest Spouse, JESUS, is. Love this JESUS, O my Soul, sincerely: Seek this JESUS, O my soul, busily: Serve this JESUS, O my Soul, cheerfully; and let nothing content thee, until thou be where He is, who hath so loved thee.  
IF thou, O my soul, wouldst prove truly wise, to that last day, after the which there shall be no day, it were good, that thou werest careful in time, to be certified of the love of JESUS, thy Saviour, and Master, as of that first thing, as of that chiefest thing, thou shouldest be careful to be certified of, before all things: so that publicly, before GOD. Angels, and Men; and privately, betwixt thy GOD, and thine own heart, thou mayest say, and sing, Blessed be that JESUS, who hath loved me: Blessed be that JESUS, who loveth me. But here, O my Soul! there would be three things wisely considered by thee: First, wherefore should this be thy first and chiefest care? secondly, Whereby is it, that that love wherewith JESUS hath loved thee, is intimate unto thee? thirdly, how mayest thou be certified, that JESUS loveth thee? Let me possess all the World, o my soul! if JESUS love me not, woe to me. Want what I can, o my Soul! if JESUS love me, well is me. I want that Honour, that Wealth, that Health, those Pleasures, which sometime I enjoyed; yea, I am depryved by death, of a loving Father, of kind Brethren, of true Friends, of dear Companions; always, JESUS loveth me, JESUS is with me: and therefore, well is me. And must I not be well, o my soul! having Him, who was the sole solace, and desire, of that holy man David, who was a man according to the heart of GOD? For can he not, treading all Want under foot, and triumphing, as one possessing all Wealth, cry out thus? Whom have I in the Heavens, but Thee? And I have desired none in the Earth with Thee. But, O my Soul! 
Psal. 73.25.  how happened I to bring in David before thee, when I was speaking unto thee touching the happiness of that man who possessed JESUS? Was not JESUS, was not JESUS not only with GOD His Father, but the very daily delight of His Father, 
Prov. 8.26.27.30. 2. Sam. 19  when He prepared the Heavens, and made the Earth? Mephibosheth hath a worthy Speech unto David, after he returned to Jerusalem, Let Ziba take all, seeing my lord, the King, is come home in peace. And wilt thou not gladly be contented to say, o my Soul! O LORD, my GOD, let all that I have be taken from me; seeing my Love, and LORD JESUS, is come to me; even He in whom Thou, O LORD, my Father, art well pleased with me; even He, 
Matt. 3.17. john, 8.12. And, 14.6.  O LORD, who is my Life, my Light, and my Salvation? This love wherewith JESUS hath loved thee, O my Soul! is intimate to thine ears, is sprinkled, as it were, on thy body, is put into thine hands, is presented to thy mouth; Yea, is as it were, eaten, drunken, and digested by thee. It is intimate to thine ear, by the sweet voice of the Gospel, preached unto thee: It is sprinkled, as it were, upon thy body, by that Sacrament of Baptism, whereby thou wast entered into the House of GOD: It is put into thine hand, presented to thy mouth, eaten, drunken, and digested by thee, as it were, by, and in that Sacrament of the LORDS Supper, administrate in broken Bread, and Wine poured out: Telling thee, o my soul, that blessed JESUS, being that clean, and wholesome Wheat, was heartfully contented to be ground betwixt the Millstones of His Father's wrath; to the end, that He might become sweet, and pleasant Bread to feed thee. Yea, that blessed JESUS being that true vine, full of heavenly sap, and juice, would be pressed in the Winepress of His Father's indignation; to the end, that He might be made a quickening, refreshing, and comforting Drink; to quicken thee, O my Soul! being dead; to refresh thee, o my Soul! being wearied; and, to comfort thee; O my Soul! being cast down. Thou mayest be persuaded, O my soul! that JESUS loveth thee, if thou lovest Him: for he never loved GOD, who was not first loved of GOD. 
2. john, 4.10 john, 8.47. And 14.15. Psalm. 15.4.  Now thou shalt know, that thou lovest JESUS, if thou lovest His word, if thou be careful to keep His Commandments, and if thou delight in in the society, of such who love Him, and walk in His ways.  
ALbeit Sin, which is thine only Enemy, O my Soul! be a most alluring sweet Potion; yet Sin is a deceiving, and destroying Traitor: and no wonder, it being the Arrow of that evil one, who is not only a subtle Fox, but also a bloody Lyon. O! how easily suffer vild men themselves to be persuaded, that Sin may be committed; yea, that Sin is committed behind back; albeit there was never any sin committed but in sight. It may be, that sin be committed behind the back of blind man, who seethe nothing, and of sand-blind man, who seethe little: yet is it ever committed in His sight, 
Psalm. 94.8.9.10.  who made the eye of man to see, and who knoweth his thoughts a fare off. And so in the eyes of that holy One, 
Revel. 1.14.  whose eyes are like a flame of fire; Yea, who is all eye, as Augustine speaketh: Knowest thou not, O my soul! that Abel was slain behind back, and yet in sight: behind the back of Adam, 
Genesis, 4.  the father of his flesh; yet in the sight of GOD, the father of his spirit. Vriah was slain by David, being fare from David, 
2. Sam. 11.  behind the back of all judah; yea, and of Ammon, by whose sword he fell, David and joab only being excepted; yet Vriah was slain by David, in his sight who filleth the Heavens and the Earth; and from whom none can hide himself in secret place: 
jer. 23.24.  and this I think David was compelled afterwards to know, notwithstanding of all his policy. Who in all Israel could possibly think, That Naboth was cruelly put to death; and so, 
1. King. 21.17.18.  that Ahab and jezebel (who should have proved his Protectors) were his fierce Persecuters, even unto death? seeing he was convicted by a formal Assize, having Witnesses, testifying, that he had blasphemed GOD, and the King. And yet that blessed GOD, who searcheth the hearts, and who judgeth, not according to the outward appearance, but righteous judgement, can both accuse Ahab, of Oppression and Murder, and punish him for the same. Oh! o my soul! When shall the blind men of this dead Age, learn to hearken unto, and to believe, that blessed Spirit of Truth, who cannot lie: teaching us clearly, That no sin can be committed in secret. Came never that Sentence (o my Soul) to thine Ears? Understand, ye unwise amongst the People: And, ye Fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the Ear, shall He not hear? Or He that form the Eye, shall He not see? 
Psal. 94.8.9.10.  Or He that chastiseth the Nations, shall He not correct? Or He that teacheth man knowledge, shall He not know? Hath that come to thine Ears, O my soul! Whither shall I flee from Thy Spirit? If I ascend unto Heaven, Thou art there: If I lie down in Hell, Thou art there: Let me take th● Wings of the Morning, 
Psal. 139.7.8.9.10.11.12.  and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea, yet thither shall Thine Hand lead me, and Thy Right Hand hold me. If I say, Yet the Darkness shall hide me, even the Night shall be light about me: yea, the Darkness bideth not from Thee: but Night shineth as the Day: the Darkness and Light, are both alike. Came ever that unto thine Ears, o my Soul▪ Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD: for their works are in darkness: 
Esai. 29.15  and they say, Who seethe us? And, who knoweth us? I have seen thine Adulteries, and thy lyings, the filthiness of thy Whoredoms, 
Ier, 13.27.  upon the Hills, in the Fields, and thine Abominations. O my Soul! knowest thou not Him, who saw Nathanael, before Philip called him, when he was under the Fig Tree? 
john, 1.48.  Yea, knowest thou not Him, who known the very thought of the heart of Simeon, the Pharisee, speaking thus within himself of thy Saviour, If this Man were a Prophet, He would surely have known what manner of Woman this is, which toucheth Him: 
Luke, 7.39.40.  for she is a Sinner. Oh! o my soul! when shall that which was seen, felt, and confessed, by old Bernhard, who lived in that blind Age, which was couched under gross Darkness, be seen, be felt, and be confessed by us? who live now, having that great shining light of the Gospel, continually with her hot piercing Beams, striking, as it were, our very Eyes, so that we cannot hide ourselves from them, either LORDS Day, or Week day: yea, either by day, or by night. Bringeth he not in the wicked man, speaking thus to himself, Parietes inquit sunt undiqueve, quis me videt? I am enclosed on all sides with walls, who seethe me? Always, how is that wicked man answered by him? Esto, nemo te videt non tamen nullus; videt te Angelus bonus, videt te angelus malus; 
Bernhard.  videt te bonis & malis Angelis major, Deus. I give thee (sayeth Bernhard) that no man seethe thee, yet darest thou say, that none seethe thee? the good Angel seethe thee, the evil angel seethe thee also: and, which is more, one who is greater than good and evil angels seethe thee; to wit, GOD. When that evil angel, the devil, O my Soul! seethe thee; thy irreconciliable Adversary, and bitter Accuser, o my Soul! seethe thee. When GOD'S good Angel seethe thee, that witness seethe thee, who will bear testimony against thee; yea, thy loving Brother seethe thee, whom by thy sin thou grievest fearfully. When thy GOD seethe thee, that judge seethe thee, who neither can be possibly frustrate of His purpose, nor anyways corrupted when He goeth to judgement. Attempt not herefore, O my Soul! to commit sin, upon hope of secrecy: for I must assure thee, from the mouth of thy GOD, that if thou shalt sinne against Him, thou shalt be seen by Him.  
Sin and Evil, are so jointly knit together, O my Soul! let Satan allege what he will, let men misled by Satan, allege what they please, that whosoever committeth sin, doth evil, albeit neither in the eyes of other men, neither in his own eyes, yet in the eyes of that good GOD, before whom sin was never good, before whom sin shall never be good: yea, before whom sin hath ever been evil, sin shall ever remain evil, commit it who so will. I pray thee, herefore, O my soul! while thou breathest here, forget not to think gravely upon that warning and wakening Sentence, which is delivered by the Spirit, touching David his adultery and murder: And when the wife of Vriah heard that her husband, Vriah, was dead, 
2. Sam. 11.26.27.  she mourned for her husband. So when the mourning was past, David sent, and took her to his House, and she became his Wife. Always, harken, harken, O my soul, unto that which followed. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD. Always, lest this evil which ever accompanieth sin, be mistaken by thee, O my Soul! thou must know, that howbeit Sin be evil in the sight of the LORD; yet the evil of Sin is not hurtful to the LORD, against whom it is committed: but only unto that Soul, by the which it is committed. For as man's goodness cannot profit his GOD; 
joh, 35.6.7 8.  so his sin cannot harm His Majesty. Oh! o my Soul! When shall the deboashed Gospelers of this our Time, suffer these Oracles of GOD to take root downward in their hearts? to the end, they may bring forth Fruit upwards in their lyues. Do they provoke Me to wrath, (sayeth the Lord) and not themselves to the confusion of their own faces? 
jerem. 7.19. Eccles. 8.13.  It shall not be well with the Wicked, neither shall he prolong his days: but he shall be like a shadow, because he feareth not before GOD. As thou lovest thyself then, o my soul! strengthen thyself against all Sin, if thou wouldst not have me to repent, (albeit, alace, out of time, after death, and judgement) That ever I was borne. For that Evil, which ever accompanieth the Sinner for Sin, must, in despite of Devils, and men, at length cease upon the Sinner: unless, by sincere repentance, (GOD being merciful unto him, for His Son JESUS His sake) he quite himself, timously, of Sinne.  
THE Wyse Gardener judgeth of his Tree, by its Fruit; as the virtuous Husbandman judgeth of his Seed, according to his Harvest: But, oh! O my Soul! When shalt thou, learning to be holily, and truly wise, begin to judge of Sin, thine only Enemy, by that fruit, by that harvest (alace) which it bringeth forth? Oh, LORD GOD! oh, LORD GOD! how fearfully bitter is that fruit, which that rotten poisoning tree of Sin bringeth forth! How fearfully hurtful is that uncouth harvest which followeth it! I must tell thee here, O my Soul! that that Sin, whereinto I was conceived, and borne, and which (alace) I must always keep within my bosom, while I live here, bringeth forth fruit, bringeth forth sheaves; yea, such stoukes, such stacks, which be so fearfully bitter, so horribly hurtful, that if this bitterness, and hurt, could be perceived, even by us, who call ourselves GOD'S Children, we should be easily moved, with that chosen Vessel of GOD, uncessantly to cry out, O miserable man, that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death? Knowest thou not, o my Soul! 
Roman. 7.  that thou, and this my body, came jointly in one minute, joined together in this World? as two kind Twins, loving other most entirely, embracing other most kindly. Yea, knowest thou not, o my Soul! that thou, and this my body, have lived, since that time of my birth, in this World, some years together, as husband and wife, most strictly married one to another, even before GOD, and by GOD? and yet that bitter root of Sin, which (alace) was conceived, was borne, and which hath lived with us, will have (in despite of all we can devise, or do) thee, O my soul! separate from this body of mine; and this my body separate from thee. But will bitter Sin stay here, notwithstanding this be a sharp stroke? Not, o my Soul! For Sin, even after this separation is made, will have that body, within the which it sometime lodged: (for here I am speaking, o my Soul! of the very condition of GOD'S Saints only) albeit it be dislodged, and put out of the body, by death, couched under the vildest stink, and most pestiferous flewar, that ever came to the nostrils of man; (notwithstanding that that body was sometime pleasant to the eyes of the beholders, and savoury to the smell of such as approached near unto it) in such sort, that the loving father may not suffer that his tender child, being dead, to abide in one house with him: that the pitiful hearted mother can be contented, that the dead corpse of her dearest child, even within some few hours, be put forth of her doors. But here, o my foul! Wonderest thou not, that a more vild stink, that a more loathsome flewar, overtaketh, and floweth, from the very dead corpse of GOD'S Children, than from the dead Carrions, of other creatures, as of Fowls, of Fishes, and of Beasts? O my Soul! cease to wonder at this, and learn to think upon that loathsome spring, wherefrom this proceedeth. I must tell thee, O my Soul! that the body of the holiest man that ever lived on earth here, (that Glorious Sacred Body of blessed JESUS being excepted) lodgeth a more vild guest, a more stinking guest, (only loathsome to GOD, and His Angels) than ever the body of any Fowl, Fish, or Beast, did lodge. I must confess, indeed, that the bodies of those creatures do lodge corruption, yea, much corruption, as may easily be perceived while they do live, and especially, when they be dead. Always, that stinking loathsome guest of Sin, they do not lodge, which the very bodies of Abraham, Isaac, jaakob, Peter, james, john, Paul, could not but lodge: And therefore, no wonder, that a more noisome stink, flow from the very dead bodies of GOD'S Saints, than from the Carrions of those reasonless creatures. But will Sin stay here, O my soul! albeit this be a deep stroke? No, no, for Sin will have that dead stinking body, in the which it lodged sometimes, couched under the earth, under the seas, and there return into dust, out of the which is was taken. 
Genes. 3.19. Eccles. 12.7.  But will Sin stay here, albeit this would seem to be that dead stroke, beyond the which none can go, in the chide of GOD? No, no; for telleth not History us, that out of the dead stinking corpse of men, and women, there ariseth most monstrous, and noisome beasts? Yea, ugly Toads, and cruel Serpents. Augustine, in his forty eight Sermon to his Brethren the Heremites, affirmeth, That Toads are bred in the brains of the dead corpse; and, That Serpents are bred in their Neares. Yea, writeth not Augustine, That he, being at Rome, saw a Toad in the Brainpanne of one of their Emperors? Dare I here forget the like uncouth spectacle, (by GOD'S special providence, I doubt not, for my better resolution anent the verity of the things alleged) presented to mine own eyes, being in the Kirke yard of LEITH, in the Month of june, a thousand, six hundreth, and fifteen years? for being there, delightning to attend, for a while, those honest men, building, for the time, our Steeple, I beheld, within a grassy bush, the head of some dead corpse, having, in the outmost part of it, a little void; while I have a purpose, to cause the Kirke Officer put this skull under the earth, looking on it more narrowly, I beheld, through the void part of it, (to my great astonishment) a Toad of an huge bigness: whereupon I called the workmen, to consider the spectacle with me: and having made a little discourse unto them, upon the Miseries, Vanity, Vildness, and Pride, of man, we all began to consider, how we might have the Toad separated from the head; but that we found altogether impossible, till the bone was violently broken, so little was the void part of it, and so big was the Toad. Let the reader judge where this Toad was bred, and fostered: For He who knoweth all things, (blessed be His Name) knoweth, that I saw it lodged, as said is. O my soul! what if those things could be considered by men? and especially by women, in this our licentious foolish Age? would they take such pains, and delight, to fat their clay bodies, with all sort of pleasures, and pleasant things, as they do? Would they, even with the wrack of their estates, feed their bellies? dress their heads? cover their backs, so daintily, so gloriously, which must be brought so low, and be made a mother to conceive, a nurse to foster, yea, a lodging to keep such ugly monsters? Yea, if this could be considered, O my Soul! O! with what an hatred would the Child of GOD hate Sin! O! with what a care would the Child of GOD arm himself, against Sin! seeing nothing besides Sin, hath brought all these evils upon poor miserable Man.  
IN this last, and worst Age of the World, (alace) O my Soul! all men, almost, seek after Sin, defile themselves with Sin; yea, alace, delight themselves in Sin: and all because few men, alace, study to acquaint themselves, truly, with the nature of Sinne. Men, nowadays, O my Soul! miscarried by their own deceiving Lusts, while they fall into Sin, look unto men, yea, unto men only; as if Sin were committed against man, yea, against man only. And out of this false ground, blindlinges, alace, laid by them, as they think of the man, with whom they have to do; so they think of the sin, which they have committed. If that man be such a one, who may grieve and annoy them, than they are grieved for their sin. Always, not because that Great GOD is abused by them: but because a man, who may grieve them, is grieved by them. If that man be such a man, who cannot grieve them, who dare not attempt to annoy them, by reason of their grandour and credit worldly, and his baseness, and lack of moyen with men; O, then, O my Soul! they can both digest their sin sweetly, and go on in their sin partly, and pleasantly: For can those men possibly dream, that any beside man, hath any interest, to quarrel them for their sin? Always, harken, harken, O my Soul! would man suffer that good word of GOD, which is that word of Truth, (which never deceived any man, which never shall deceive any man) to lead him; he should find, that every sin committed on earth, beneath here, (be the committer of it King or coatter) looketh not lower than the Heaven of Heavens; and so he should find, that sin committed beneath here, is committed against none who liveth here beneath; but only against that Supreme Majesty, who ruling over all things, hath His Throne set above all Thrones, even in the highest Heavens. I will confess, o my soul! that a Subject may offend, and grieve, his King; that a King may injure, and grieve, his Subject; that a Father may hurt and grieve his son; that a son may hurt and grieve his Father; but Scripture being well considered, will not suffer me to confess, that a Subject can sinne against his King, or that a King can sinne against his Subject; that a father can sinne against his son, or a son sin against the Father. Tell me, tell me, O my soul! what callest thou sin? Sin, I know, being taught of GOD, is, The Transgression of the Law. But of whose Law, 
1. john. 3.4.  I pray thee? Not of the Law of any petty King; but of the Law of that KING of Kings, who is that only Supreme Lawgiver, who is able to save, and destroy. Knowest thou not, 
james, 4.12.  o my Soul! wherefore Theft is Sin? and when Theft is Sin? wherefore Murder is Sin? and when Murder is Sin? and so forth, of all other Sins. Because GOD hath forbidden them; and when GOD forbiddeth them; are they not sins, and not other ways? Hast thou not heard, O my Soul! that the Israelites spoiled the Egyptians of all their lewels? 
Exo. 11.2.3. And 12.35.36.  Yet, I think, thou wilt neither accuse, nor convict them, for their deed: and all because that was done of them, by the special commandment of His Mouth, who can command no wrong. Yea, hast thou not heard, o my Soul! that Ebud killed Aeglon? Yet thou must think, 
judges, 3.20.21.22.  that he cannot be reputed a Murderer for that; it being done, by the secret commission of that Supreme LORD, who hath couched all, living so under Law, that He himself alone doth remain free from all Law: yea, fare above all Law. David, again, O my Soul! being a great King amongst men here, hath defiled but the wife of his mean honest Subject: yea, David hath, by the hand of the Ammonite, slain the Husband of this wife, defiled by him. Always, sinneth not David, O my soul? Yes, yes, he sinneth grossly; albeit not against Bathseba, whose chastity was defiled; albeit not against Vriah, whose life was taken; yet he sinneth against that Mightiest KING, who had said, Thou shalt not commit Adultery: Thou shalt do no Murder. 
Exodus, 20.  The sight and sense of this Truth, o my soul! moved the enlightened mind, the renewed and sanctified heart, of the same David, to untie his lips, to proclaim aloud, before GOD, Angels, and Men, that notable Confession, Against Thee, against Thee, only, have I sinned, and done evil in Thy sight. 
Psalm, 51.4.  Hast thou sinned then, O my Soul! so secretly, that no man knoweth thy sin? Is that party, whom thou, by thy known and public sin, hast offended, so base, or poor, that either he dare not quarrel thee, for fear, or may not quarrel thee, for want of Moyen? Yet let neither of these, I pray thee, secure thee: For He is above thee, whom thou, by thy sin, hast provoked to wrath against thee: whose Eyes are upon all the ways of Man; and whose Hands be sufficiently able to punish Man. O my Soul! Remember Naboth, for thy comfort, in these evil days. Shall not that GOD, who required his blood at the hand of his King, 
1. Kings, 11.18.19.  make inquisition for every sin committed against Him, by whatsoever sinner? although He suffer, even wicked men, for a long time.  
IF thou love thyself, o my Soul! holily, and wisely, to the benefit of mine estate, to the comfort of mine heart, even while a very world of thorny crosses, and temptations, shall prick me; and to my full, and final joy in Heaven: I would heartfully advise thee, neither to commit sin, neither to communicate with sin: and so, neither directly to do that evil, which cannot be called, but thine evil: neither any ways join thyself, with that evil, which thou wouldst account not to be thine, but the evil of another. Thus I would counsel thee, O my Soul! not only, not to be an Idolater, but not to communicate with Idolaters: not only, not to be an Adulterer, but not to take part with an Adulterer. But here, o my poor, weak soul! for the better guarding, and strengthening of thee, on all sides, against the poisoned killing Arrows of Satan, thy sworn Enemy; I would pray thee, gravely to ponder, and weigh, three things: First, whereby doth a man communicate with the Sins of others? secondly, wherefore should men be afraid, any ways to communicate with the Sins of others? thirdly, what should the honest wise Child of GOD (who should be ashamed to be a slave to Sin, always kithing himself a strong Soldier, subduing it) in this respect resolve to do? Scripture teacheth me, o my Soul! that men communicate with the sins of others, by consultation, by direction, by approbation, by provocation, by toleration, by confirmation. By consultation, when they advise another how he may do that which is evil, albeit themselves do it not: thus vild jonadab communicated with the unnatural incest of Ammon, 
2. Sam. 13.4.5. 2. Sam. 16.20.21.  showing him by what way he might easily lie with his sister Tamar. Thus vild Ahitophell communicated with the monstrous unnatural incest of Absolom, advising him, even before the Sun, to lie with his Father's concubines. By direction, when men, out of respects known to themselves, will keep as it were, their own hands from an evil turn; and yet command another for to do it. Thus bloody Saul communicated with the villain Doeg, 
1. Sam. 22.18. 2. Sam. 11.14.15.  in slaying the priests of GOD. Yea, alace, even David thus communitated with the murder of Vriah: for was he not slain by his direction? By approbation, when a man knowing that an evil turn is done by another, alloweth either of the turn, or of the doer. Thus the rest of jacob's sons communicated with the blood of the Sechemites, 
Gen. 34.28.29.30.  murdered by Simeon & Levi. By provocation, when one abusing the place he is set into, or those gifts of mind, or body, he is beautified with, abuseth others so, that he provoaketh them to do that which is evil. Thus Rehoboam communicated with that defection which Israel made from the House of David, when he, 
1. Kings. 12.12.13.14.  being abused by young Counsellors, and abusing that place which GOD had set him into, by his austere rigerous speeches, provoaked them to just wrath. Thus bloody jezebel communicated with all the evils done by her husband Ahab: For speaketh not the spirit touching him, and her thus, But there was none like Ahab, who did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD; 
1. Kings, 21.25.  whom jezebel, his wife, provoaked. And in this sense, Fathers are counselled, by the Spirit, not to provoke their children to wrath. By toleration, when a man, 
Ephes. 6.4.  having authority to bear down sin, by punishing the committers of it, overseeth them, not drawing that Sword which GOD hath put into His hands against them. And thus (alace) even old Eli communicated, with the abominations of his vild sons; who, by their unclean lives, 
1. Sam. 2, 29.30.  made the people of GOD to abhor the LORDS Sacrifice. By confirmation, when a man haunteth the society of wicked men, so familiarly, so frequently, that thereby he strengtheneth the wicked man, in his wickedness. Thus the Religious man communicateth with the Atheism of the Atheist, by haunting the society of the Atheist. The true worshipper of GOD, communicateth with the superstition of the Papist, by haunting kindly the society of the Papist; even when he seethe he cannot be won. Yea, thus meek men, chaste men, temperate men, true men, peaceable men, communicate with Murderers, Adulterers, Fornicators, Drunkards, false men, seditious men, by haunting of their company. This moved Paul to charge us, who be Christians, Not to eat with such men, not to be companions of such men. But wherefore, 
1. Cor. 5.11. Ephes. 5.7.  O my Soul! shouldest thou be loath any of these ways to communicate with Sin? Remember, O my soul! GOD'S Threaten; and besides that, GOD'S Execution, according to His Threaten: so, sure I am, thou shalt be easily scared from attempting to communicate anywise with Sin: unless unhappily thou resolve, even with vild Lameth, to The Most High GOD. Are not GOD'S Children, o my soul! thus counselled by their Father? Go out of Babel, my People, that ye be not partakers in her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 
Revel. 18.4.  That lying Murderer, o my soul! persuaded my Grandmother Evah, That if she would communicate with him, in transgressing of GOD'S Commandment, she should find a shining precious Pearl. But that Spirit of Truth, who delighteth to have thee living for evermore, assureth thee, That if thou join with a man in his sins, thou shalt not be severed from him, when he is plagued for his sins. But will not our GOD prove as good as His word? and so, execute as He threatened? especially when He findeth, that His Threaten are mocked? That will He do, undoubtedly, O my soul! Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, are sent down, as thou knowest, to the Pit quick, for attempting to rise up against Moses and Aaron. Upon the morrow all the multitude of the people of Israel, (alace) communicating with them, in their sin, will gather themselves together against Moses and Aaron, crying loudly, 
Numb. 16.41.42.43.44.45.46.  and partly, Ye have killed the People of the LORD. Always, always, came there not forth such a fierce wrath from the LORD, that before Aaron can come to them (albeit he ran with all his force) to make an Atonement for them, there died of that Plague, fourteen thousand, and seven hundreth? While the Wife of the Levite was villainously abused, (at Gibea, a City of Benjamin) to the death, the whole Tribe of Benjamin (alace) will communicate with this Villainy: For when the other Tribes, their Brethren, besought them, to deliver unto them the committers of that wickedness, to the end, 
judges, 20. And 21.  that that evil might be put away from Israel; not only would they not obey the voice of their Brethren, but they gathered themselves together, to fight against them. Always, turned not this, O my Soul! at length, to the very overthrow of Benjamin? Now, what must thou do, in this respect, O my Soul! for thine own preservation? Harken, harken, I pray thee, wouldst thou, with that valiant Religious Champion, joshua, stand by thy GOD with any man, and fall from thy GOD with no man; lifting up thine head, above all things earthly, all living on earth, towards the third Heavens, in the fear of thy GOD, and by the especial grace of His Spirit, conclude thus with thyself, I will seek, and I will serve my GOD with anieman; but I will sinne against my GOD with no man. Let the King with his Subject, and Subject with his King, seek and serve GOD, as David's Subjects with him, and he with them, did. But if all the Subjects of the Land forsake GOD, let the King say with joshua, I, and mine house, will serve the Lord. 
Ios. 24.15. 1. Sam. 21.17.  If the King will fall away from GOD, let the Subjects with Saules Courteoures, look to him, and refuse to follow him. And if he attempt to command them, to forsake their GOD, let them answer courageously, with the Apostles, Whether it be better to obey GOD or Man, judge ye. 
Acts, 4.19.  Let the Husband with the Wife, and the Wife with the Husband, seek and serve GOD, as the Shunamitish Lady with her Husband did. 
2. Kings, 4.  But if the Wife, with Lot's Wife, will look over her shoulder to Sodom, let the Husband, with Lot, keep his heart, and his eye, strait upon that Mountain of Glory, 
Genes. 19  towards the which the LORD hath directed him. If the Husband, with Nabal, will prove profane, and ungrate, let the Wife, with Abigall, remain religious, and thankful. 
1. Sam. 25.  Let the Parent with the Child, and the Child with the Parent, seek and serve GOD, as Abraham and Isaac served Him jointly, and sweetly, together. But let the Parent, with jaakob, learn, 
Gen. 22.6.7.8.9.  not to sin with the Child: for when Simeon and Levi fell into vild murder, who were both his sons, can he not cry, Simeon and Levi, Brethren in evil, 
Gen. 49.5.6.  the instruments of cruelty are in their habitation, into their secret let not my Soul come: my Glory, be thou not joined with their assembly. If the Father will fall away from GOD, with Saul, yet let the Son stick constantly unto Him, with jonathan. Yea, if the Mother, which brought thee forth, fall away from GOD, not only suffer her not; but, if GOD have clothed thee with Authority, see that thou take order with her, 
2. Chron. 15.16.  as King Aza took order with his Mother, and her Grove: otherways, be assured, that GOD, (whom thou shouldst not only love better than thy Mother; 
Luke, 14.16.  but for whose cause thou shouldest hate all that belong unto thee) shall take order with thee.  
OH! O my soul! when shalt thou find eye-salue, to enlighten thee; to the end, that thou mayest once see sin, in the own vild colour of it? When shall that Dew come down from Heaven, which may happily soften thine heart, and make it so delicately tender, that thou mayest once feel, sin in the own heavy weight of it? and so be made, now at length, to know it in the own horrible nature, with all it draws after it, with all it hath joined with it; and all to the end, that I, before I be made to lay down this earthly tabernacle, may be moved to scar with it; yea, to hate it; and with the very hazard, and loss of all I have, to arm myself against it. Stop thine ears, o my Soul! against Satan, and close thine eyes upon him also, when he speaketh to thee touching sin, when he bringeth thee before sin, or sin before thee: for believe me, he will tone it so, he will fairde it so, that he will make thee take it for some sweet, pleasant, wholesome, Apple, while it is that only bitter and destroying poison, which slayeth body, and soul. Open thine ears, O my Soul! to hear thy GOD: enlarge thine heart, O my Soul! to believe thy GOD, when He speaketh unto thee touching sin: for He will tell thee, that sin is an ugly defiling thing; that sin is a monstruous ugly defiling thing; yea, that sin is a cruel monstruous defiling thing. Sin is an ugly defiling thing, making the sinner foul; yea, even foul in His eyes, before whom alone he hath special need to be clean; and so, in the eyes of GOD his Maker, and judge. Sin is a monstrous ugly defiling thing; for none can possibly wash away that filth which it draweth upon man, beside that clean One, JESUS CHRIST, by His own Hands. Sin is a cruel monstruous ugly thing; for even this clean One, JESUS, cannot possibly wash away that filth it draweth on by His own hands, but in the Laver of His own precious Blood only. Thou thinkest, o my soul! that thou meetest with a wonder, when thou hearest that Naaman, the Syrian, was cleansed of his Leprosy, 
2. King. 5.14  by washing himself seven times in the River jordane. Thou thinkest much of that Pool, which being troubled by the Angel, was able to cure that man who first steepped in into it, 
john, 5.4.  of whatsoever disease he had. Yea, thou meetest, as thou must confess, with an uncouth wonder, when thou seest thy Master with His own Hands, pouring water in a Basin, and washing His Disciples Feet: but, O! 
john, 13.45  with what a wonder mayest thou meet, o my soul! beside Matthew, in his twenty seven; Mark, in his fourteenth; Luke, in his twenty two; john, in his nynteenth? for there thou mayst see blessed JESUS, not rising from any Table, but fixed to a Tree: not pouring forth water, to wash the feet of any; but yielding forth, out of unspeakable love; and with incomparable contentment, His very heart blood, for the washing of the souls of all such as can, by a true lively faith keep this His Blood, keep this His Blood. The Papist mixeth this blood, as not sufficient for him: the Papist mocketh this blood, as not only requisite for him: yea, which is more, the Papist avowedly controlleth this which we speak (being so taught of GOD) touching this blood, as not always requisite for him: and which I must necessarily deplore, and lament, o my Soul! a very world of Protestants, in this our time, abuse this Blood of blessed JESUS, only able to wash sinners, as if it were not so precious, so honourable, as holy Scripture affirmeth it for to be. The blind Papist mixeth this Blood of JESUS, (as not sufficient to wash away his sin) with the Milk of His Mother Marie: But spoke Isai so, 
Isai. 53.5.  when he deponed that only JESUS was wounded for our transgressions, and that we are no otherways healed, but by His stripes only? Spoke Zacharie so, 
Zach. 13.1.  when he saw a great fountain opened, for the House of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin, and for uncleanness? Can he who was sent before blessed JESUS (to show what a one JESUS was) see this, which the blind Papist seethe? No, no, o my Soul! For is not this his Testimony touching Him? 
john, 1.29.  Behold, the Lamb of GOD, which taketh away the Sins of the World, Yea, can that man, who lay nearer our Blessed Saviour than ever Saint Francis, or any Papist, did, perceive this? Not forsooth: For speaketh he not thus, The Blood of JESUS CHRIST cleanseth us from all Sin? 
1. john, 1.7,  The blind Papist, o my Soul! mocketh this also: as if CHRIST'S Blood were not fit only to wash away Sinne. And therefore, he dare maintain, That those villainous penitentiaries (who are accustomed, with the Priests of Baal, cruelly to lance themselves, to the effusion of their blood) do not lyingly think, That thereby they deserve Remission of Sins, at the hands of that Great Majesty. O, vild Papist! Be ashamed here. Is not thy blood such a blood, as thou thyself art? Vild art thou; for thou art a sinner: and I must think, that thy blood is as vild: for is it not the blood of a sinner? And can the vild blood, of a vild sinner, possibly pacify the wrath of that holy GOD, before whom the Heavens are not clean? and who found no steadfastness in His Saints? 
job, 15.15.  O, vild Papist! Was it ever lawful, to sacrifice a Man to GOD? O wilful, malicious, ignorant Papist! Can the very blood of JESUS have been a sufficient Sacrifice for Sin, had it not been the blood of Him, who was not Man only, but God and Man also? And therefore, hearest thou not the Spirit affirming, 
Acts, 20.29.  That even GOD by His own Blood hath purchased a Church unto Himself? This moved that Peter (shamed be the Pope, Peter his alleged, but judas his true successor) to depone, 
1. Pet. 1.18.19.  that we are not redeemed by any blood, beside the precious blood of. CHRIST, that Lamb of GOD, undefiled, and without spot. O Heavens! will ye not party your holy Maker here, against the hellish Papists? Much blood saw that Sun, which enlighteneth this Earth, shed betwixt that day, in the which Kain slew Abel, and that day, in the which that blood of JESUS was shed on the Cross; not pressing to hide his Face. But can he behold the Blood of his maker, with any kind of countenance, when it was shed? No, no: for he covereth his Face, 
Mat. 27.45  from the third hour, to the ninth. But no wonder: for before that day, he never saw Sanguinem purum, & purificantem, clean, and cleansing Blood, shed. O, hard Earth! wilt thou not here party thy maker also, against the endured Papists? Much blood drankest thou in, betwixt that day that Kain slew Abel, and that day that JESUS His blood was shed, abiding in the mean time firm and stable. But canst thou, O hard Earth! abide stable, when this honourable Blood of JESUS falleth upon thee? No, no: 
Matth. 27.51.52.  for the very Graves open their mouths, when that Blood beginneth to due thee; so that a great number, who were dead, arose, and went into the holy City. Yea, the very hardest Stones can cleave themselves asunder, when this Blood is shed: albeit the Flinty heart of the Papist, harder than the Stone, cannot be moved to think honourably of this Blood. Always, no wonder is it, O my Soul! that the hard Earth, with the hardest Stones, were so moved: for till that day, she never drank in any clean, any cleansing blood. The Papist also, o my soul! controlleth this, as a manifest untruth: For he would hold us in hand, That Sins may be washen away, where no blood is shed: for is he afraid to avow, That his real, external, unbloodie sacrifice of the Mass, (as he, lyingly, and shamelessly, misled by that old shameless Liar, Satan, and that for his foul particular, speaketh) is a sacrifice propitiatory, for the sins of the living on earth here, and of the dead, in his impure foul Purgatory? O Paul! wilt thou (led by the good Spirit of Truth) subsribe with the Papist, in this point? No, no, Paul answereth, I will never, either subscribe near hand, nor hearken afar off, unto that abominable Lie: For as CHRIST JESUS none otherways purchased a Kirke unto Himself, than by Blood; so without Blood there is no Remission, sayeth Paul. Our sensual Protestants, 
Hebr. 9.22.  (alace) O my soul! turning the Saving Grace of GOD, into damnable Wantonness, in this foul Age, abuse fearfully this only honourable, and meritorious Blood of JESUS: For he holds not the shedding of it for sin, to be a sufficient scar, to affray him from the committing of sin; yea, from wallowing in uncouth sins, even with delight; as if he were some filthy Swine, made with his Face downwardly; and not a Man, whom GOD hath honoured with His own Image. Tell me, tell me, O my Soul! if any man would, either of purpose, or with pleasure, defile his outward Garment, with any kind of Filth, if he could be persuaded, that nothing could cleanse that his Garment again, but a Vessel full of his own best blood? Now, telleth not the Scripture thee, O my Soul! That thou, being defiled with Sin, canst not possibly be cleansed from it, but by the Blood of JESUS only? Shalt thou then attempt at any time, to commit sin of purpose? and to continue in sin with pleasure? And if thou darest do so, canst thou think thyself to be one, who either esteemeth honourably of that honourable Blood of JESUS, shed to cleanse thee; or reverently, and honourably, of that blessed GOD, who shed His Blood for thee?  
Sin is a filthy thing, Sin is a most cruel filthy thing, O my Soul! as thou mayest easily perceive: and let this humble thee. Always honourable, and precious, is that Blood of blessed JESUS: Forcible, and strong, beyond measure, is that Blood of blessed JESUS: and let this comfort thee. JESUS His Blood is honourable, and precious; for it can do away the filth of Sin; making a man even clean, in His eyes, before whom the well informed Child of GOD, striveth specially to be clean. Forcible, and strong, is the Blood of JESUS; for it can wash a man, not from one sin, but from every sin; yea, from all sins, were they never so monstrous, so presumptuous. Hast thou not, o my soul! considered, that first Chapter of Matthew, for thine information? Yea, for thy special consolation anent this point? o blessed JESUS, my sole saviour! of whom art Thou come according to the flesh? and so what fathers, what mothers, will Thy Majesty (as man) have? is Thy Majesty, O my Saviour, only come of Abraham, and not of Pharez also, whom judah begot on Tamar his Daughter in Law? Will Thy Majesty, O my Saviour, have Sarah only (the wife of Abraham) for Thy Mother, and not Rahab the Harlot, and Ruth the Moabitish also? But wherefore, O my soul! would blessed JESUS, have such Fathers, have such Mothers, according to the flesh? Surely, surely, to testify before GOD, Angels, and Men, that He came not to call the Righteous, but Sinners, 
Mark, 2.1  to Repentance, were their sins never so many, never so monstrous, providing that they, by a lively faith, could keep that blood which He hath shed to wash them; and by sincere repentance, accompanying this their faith, testify to the world, that they have learned, being taught by the Spirit, to account honourably, of this His blood shed for them.  
O My Soul! I will tell thee, to thy comfort, were thy sins never so many, were thy sins never so monstrous, that precious blood of blessed JESUS, who hath loved thee, is sufficiently able to wash thee from them all. Always, I must tell thee, for thine information, and reformation, That wise JESUS will not wash thee in His blood, from thy many sins by past, from thine ugly sins present, to the end, that thou mayest afterwards defile thyself with sin, or continue in the trade of thy present sins: but to the end, 
Revel. 1.5.6.  that thou being washen by Him, mayest prove a Spiritual King; subduing Sin: and a Spiritual Priest; offering up thyself, in body & soul, in a living, and an holy Sacrifice, unto GOD. Tell me, 
Rom. 12.1.2  tell me, O Zachariah! the Father of john the Baptist, Wherefore came CHRIST into this World, bringing clean, and cleansing blood with Him? Was it not, That we, being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies, 
Luke, 1.74.75.  should serve Him without fear? O Paul! tell me, wherefore died my LORD, and LIFE, JESUS CHRIST, for me? Was it not, That I, henceforth, should not attempt to live to myself, but unto Him, who died for me, and rose again? Yea, 
2. Cor. 5.15.  tell me, O Paul! Wherefore hath our Glorious GOD appointed, that His blessed Gospel to be preached? which I may justly call, That buntch of Hyssop, by the which our souls are sprinkled, with that cleansing blood of that clean Lamb, who maketh that destroying Angel to pass by us, while others die. Was is not, O my soul! that we, denying all ungodliness, and worldly lusts, should live holily, and righteously, 
Tit. 2.11.12  and soberly, in this present World?  
HAth that Great GOD, and blessed Saviour of the World, JESUS, loved thee, O my Soul? And loving thee, washen thee from thy sins, in His blood? Yea, renewed thee so by His Spirit, that thou darest not attempt to live to thyself, seeking such things as may profit thee, may pleasure thee: but unto Him, who died for thee: studying always, to do those things which may please Him, and conquish Glory unto Him. Be sure, be sure, O my Soul! that this blessed One, thy great Saviour, enjoying all Privileges, hath no Privilege, in a manner, whereof He will not gladly make thee Partner. And must not this comfort thee, against all temptations, and crosses, if thou canst love Him, and cleave unto Him? And shall not this confound thee, if knowing this to be true; as thou must know it to be most true: if thou darest attempt to forget Him, and to be unthankful unto Him? JESUS hath one GOD, O my Soul! and He will have His GOD to be thy GOD. 
john, 20.17.  JESUS hath a Father; and He will have His Father, to be thy Father. JESUS is not only clothed with an humane nature, but also with a Divine nature; and He will have thee to be a Partner of the Divine nature also. 
1. Pet. 1.4.  JESUS is the LORD His CHRIST; and so, that holy One, whom His Father hath anointed, 
Psal. 45.7.  with the Oil of gladness, above His fellows, to be the Great King, and Priest of the Kirke: and He will have thee made a King, and a Priest, unto GOD, His Father also. JESUS is the Heir of that Inheritance immortal, 
Revel. 1.6.  & undefiled, & which fadeth not away: and He will have thee to be an Heir of that Kingdom, annexed with Him. Yea, 
Rom. 8.17.  this JESUS is entered already into that Heaven of Heavens, even in my nature; sitting there, at the Right Hand of that Great Majesty: and He will have thee, O my Soul! to be there, 
john. 17.24.  even with this my body also: Yea, till I be there, in body, & in soul, & the whole Elect of GOD'S Members with me, that holy One, that blessed One, JESUS, who is Love itself, (for otherways He had never died for me) will account Himself to be imperfect; yea, to be maimed, as it were: such is the force of that love, 
Ephes. 1.13.  wherewith He loved us; and so rarely inestimable are those Heavenly Privileges: unto the full fruition, and everlasting possession whereof, He must necessarily have us advanced.  
BLessed, blessed, O my soul! beyond measure, be all those, whose Father Almighty GOD, in His dearest Son, JESUS, hath become: And therefore, I cannot wonder, that that Disciple whom JESUS loved, speaking hereof, was moved, with a shrill voice, thus to cry forth; resembling some Messenger, sounding from a Market Cross, some special Proclamation: Behold what love the Father hath showed on us, that we should be called, 
1. john, 3.2.  The Sons of GOD. Many Sons, indeed, hath His Majesty: yea, our GOD (blessed for evermore be that His only beloved Son, JESUS, who at a great rate hath conquished these Sons unto Him) hath a very world of Sons. Always, 
Revel. 7.9.  the Scripture telleth me, O my Soul! That GOD, our Father, will make all these His Sons, Kings; 
Revel. 1.6.  and every one of them a King: not to reign for a while, honoured with a fading Crown: But to reign for evermore, in that Kingdom, 
1. Pet. 1, 3.4.5.  which is immortal, and undefiled, and which fadeth not away. What King earthly, o my Soul! having many Sons, is able to make all his Son's Kings? And yet foolish man dreameth those to be happy, who be the Sons of Kings; yea, of great men: howbeit none can be possibly truly happy, but such, who being borne over again, 
john, 3.3.  by the Spirit, and by the word of GOD, be made the Sons of The Most High: and so Kings, at length, to reign in despite of all Tyrants, and tyranny, for ever. I shall not offend, herefore, o my Soul! albeit my Coat now be course, my Bread be brown, my Drink small, my Crown sharp, and pricking, having terroures within, and troubles without. Knowest thou not, o my soul! how thy LORD, and SAVIOUR, coming to this Earth, by His death, to draw thee to Heaven, was clothed, was entertained, was crowned here: and yet, blessed be His Name, in despite of all hellish, and earthly Powers, is He not crowned now in that highest Heavens, with that Crown of incomparable Majesty, and everlasting Glory, 
Mat. 28.18  having all power in Heaven, and on Earth, given unto Him? Yea, possessing a Name, above all names which are named in this World; 
Philip. 2.9.10.  and unto the which every Knee must bow. O believing Trades man, Craftes man, Coatter, Beggar! Canst thou lift up thine Eyes aforehande, to see? Canst thou bow thine heart aforehande, to taste, the unspeakable joys which thy Soul shall possess, that incorruptible Glory which shall compass thy very clay Vessel, when thou, being glorified throughly, the Lamb, with the Lamb, shall go in, and out, before the Lamb, in that new Jerusalem, which is above; having on thine head that Crown of endless Glory, clothed with a long white Robe, having Palms in thine hand, and crying joyfully, with a loud voice, Salvation cometh of our GOD, that sitteth on the Throne, 
Revelat. 7.9.10.  and of the Lamb. Let it be thy Meat then, thy Drink then, while thou sojournest here, O my soul! absent in body, from that Lamb of GOD, thy Saviour; to think upon this JESUS, to speak of this JESUS, to seek this JESUS, to serve this JESUS, who hath called thee unto this honour, to be the Child of GOD; and so, to be a King for ever, to possess fullness of joy in GOD'S presence, and at His Right Hand Pleasures for evermore. 
Psal. 16.11.   
KNewest thou, O my Soul! how fare that blessed wise GOD, thy Father, hath advanced the flesh of man; believe me, thou couldst not offend, if I should curse thee, if thou attempted but so much, as to lust after those evils, wherewith (alace) a very world of people are now grossly defiled. And I could not but be ashamed to be offended, if thou shouldest curse me, if I should press to give these members of my body, unto the committing of those sins, which thousand (alace) do commit in this our time, even with delectation and greediness. O my soul! hath not GOD honoured the flesh of man very fare, in making it to be a Cabinet, to lodge that immortal Soul, made by His Majesty, even of an Heavenly substance? hath not our GOD more highly advanced the flesh of man, in making it to be the Temple and dwelling place of His Holy Spirit? Yea, to be that Spiritual, Immortal, Incorruptible, and Glorious plenishing, which must fill and keep the Heavens for ever? Yea, hath not His Majesty advanced it more than highly, in His blessed and only begotten Son, JESUS, that holy One; being contented, to assume, and unite in one personal union with His godhead, the very flesh of man: not only for a while, walking on earth, in that our nature, but transporting that our flesh to the highest Heavens; so that He, who is GOD always, equal with the Father, and with the holy Ghost, is clothed with the flesh of man? And He who is clothed with the flesh of man, is GOD, equal with the Father, and with the Spirit. o Celestial Spirits, and heavenly Angles! who serve your blessed GOD always readily, faithfully, busily, fully, and joyeful●ie, can ye compare with that man, who by a lively faith, is ingraffed into that God-Man, and Man-God, JESUS? Would that holy One clothe Himself with your nature, so that you may say, He who is GOD, is also an Angel? and he who is Angel, is GOD? Or rather, 
Heb. 2.16.  took He not the Seed of Abraham? so that the believing man may say, He who is GOD, is man also; He who is man, is GOD also. o Celestial Spirits, said that blessed GOD your and our Glorious Maker, ever of any Angel, or to any Angel, The angel, 
Zach. 13.7.  My fellow? And yet our blessed GOD can (speaking to, and of His Son, in whom we are thus beyond measure honoured) speak thus of Him, The man My fellow. Darest thou then, o my Soul! attempt to dishonour this GOD, who hath so fare honoured thee? Yea, darest thou attempt to advise me, being kitled with any deceivable lust, to abuse this my flesh, or any member of it, since His Majesty hath so wonderfully advanced it? We all think, that David oversawe himself very grossly, to Mephibosheth, the cripple son of dead jonathan, who proved constantly rarely kind to David; when having tried the gross falsehood and seditious treachery of that villain Ziba, he said to the poor cripple abused honest man, 
2. Sam. 19.29.  Have I not said, Thou and Ziba divide the lands? But when shall men, who hold themselves for good Christians, think and confess, that they oversee themselves, abusing most grossly the LORD their GOD? when they cry aloud, albeit not with their shrill voices, yet with their vild works, even to the hearing of that GOD, to whom they be more than obliged in all respects, but chiefly for advancing their flesh so highly, which is the only ground of man's whole felicity. O LORD GOD! have I not said, Thou and the Devil divide betwixt you? Offend not, O my Soul! that I speak thus: for if many, professing CHRIST amongst us, may be believed when they speak, they have appointed their hearts for GOD; and yet if their lives shall be narrowly tried, it shall be clearly found, that they have dedicated their flesh, and so their eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet, and that foul member of their body, for the Devil; for (alace) be those their members employed in the service of any, beside the devil's service? Is this to be thankful to that GOD, who hath been kind unto them? Is this to honour GOD by their flesh, who hath so honoured man's flesh? Knowest thou not, o lose Christian! that the Devil is the Accuser of the Children of GOD, CHRIST'S Brethren? 
Rev. 12.10.  Who first craftily enticeth them to sin against GOD, and then maliciously accuseth them before GOD, for sinning against Him. Now, O! how fearful an Accusation shall this be (harken, harken, o my Soul!) when Satan thine accuser, o lose Christian! presenting himself before that great GOD, upon the sight of thy lose and lewd life; shall partly say, o LORD, it pleased thy Majesty, out of thine unspeakable love towards man, to clothe thine own blessed Son with the flesh of man; even to the end, that in that flesh He might suffer for man, and thereby to advance man to the highest Heavens, who having willingly made himself my Companion, through sin, should have been adjudged to the lowest hells, with me for ever: and yet, LORD, here is a man, yea, a very world of men, who have defiled themselves, with abominable Idolatries, bowing their knees to the work of man's hands, lifting up their hands, and sending up their cries, to base creatures; forgetting the great and blessed Creator; yea, defiled in their flesh, with fearful Blasphemies, cruel Murders, filthy Incests, Adulteries, and Fornications, with brutish Drunkenness, Covetousness, and Oppression. O LORD! will not Thy Majesty, being that just judge of the world, be avenged upon such gross unthankfulness, and adjudge with the souls the bodies of such men, to that Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone, forevermore: seeing they have so grossly shamed that their flesh, which thou hast so greatly honoured? Think upon this, o my Soul! 
Roman. 6.12 1. Thess. 3.3.4.5.  keeping thyself from all inward filthiness. Forget not this, O my Soul! but charge me always, In GOD'S Name, to keep this my body, & all the members of it, from all outward uncleanness.  
EVen the filthiest deboashed liver, O my soul! offendeth, when he is compared to the Devil; and yet every filthy liver, will tread the devil's path. Cannot the devil, O my Soul! partly present himself amongst the Children of GOD, before GOD? And yet no sooner goeth he from His Majesty's presence, but he can run with speed, not only to overthrow all that belonged to that just man job; but also to bereave him of his health: thinking thereby to make him blaspheme GOD. Even the filthiest liver offendeth, if he be called a judas: yet as judas went from his Master's Table, to deliver Him into the hands of His Enemies; so many, called Christians, can take their journey, as it were, from CHRIST'S Chamber, to overthrow CHRIST. Alace, alace, O my soul! how many be there, who present themselves with GOD'S Saints, in GOD'S House, before GOD, to hear His Word: and yet coming from it, deboash themselves, in all uncleanness? O! how many be there, who going to Prayer, and rising from Prayer, think never upon that which they have confessed, or bound themselves unto, while they were praying, till they go back again to their Prayer; deboashing themselves betwixt their one prayer, and their other prayer, even in those same sins, for the which in prayer they accused themselves, they condemned themselves, craving GOD pardon, and solemnly avowing to abstain from them. The judgement of Charity, which suspecteth the best of all, adviseth me to think, that these known Murderers, Adulterers, Fornicators, Drunkards, and so forth, when they go to their prayer, do now and then, confess these their sins, craving pardon for them, and promising to amend their lives: and yet, with the Swine, even now washen, after they have risen from their knees, they can turn to the puddle of their wont wickedness. Let all such then, who do hear GOD speaking unto them by His word, and who do speak to GOD by prayer, join repentance, with their hearing, and with their prayer: remembering, that he only is blessed, who heareth the word of GOD, and doth it. And that the prayer of that man, 
Luke, 11, 28. Prov. 28.9.  who draweth away his care from hearing the Law, is abomination before GOD.  
LET me not be careful, o my Soul! for my life, what I shall eat, or what I shall drink: or for my body, what I shall put on: For thy blessed GOD, that Great Master-House-holde of His Kirke, can wisely provide for His own, even in their greatest extremity: albeit not always that which they would be at; yet ever that which shall serve them, until His good work be accomplished in them. The King of Egypt taketh Straw from the Israelites, which before was furnished unto them: the Taskmasters of Egypt resolve them, notwithstanding hereof, that the number of their Britkes must be fulfilled daily. And when they, with weary hearts, are careful to provide themselves of Straw, they can find none: 
Exodus, 5.  for the people of the Land will neither give them any for request, nor sell them any for Silver. How then shall they come by it? and where shall they find it? Blessed be GOD, o my Soul! when the King, who was a man carrying the same shape which the Israelites carried, with his Taskmasters, and people, can refuse all help, unto distressed Israel, can add affliction, to afflicted Israel; that senseless dead hard Earth, which they trod upon, will offer her help unto them: praying them, as it were, to pull up her hair, before they should perish: and so she propyned them with that Stubble wherewith she was covered, before they should want altogether that wherewith they might make Brick unto cruel, bloody Pharaoh. O David! no favour canst thou find, notwithstanding of thine humble carriage, and many good services, in the eyes of Saul, thy master, and father in Law: and yet, art thou not lovingly embraced, and kindly entertained, by that stranger Achis, 
1. Sam. 27.  that uncircumcised King of Gath? Ahab and jezebel do busily seek thy life, O Eliah! but do not the very devouring Ravens entertain it as carefully? O Nebuchadnezar! thou art so fiercely set against those three Children of GOD, 
1. King. 17.3.4.5.6.  who refused to worship that Image, which thou madest, that thou wilt not only have them casten into an hot fiery Furnace; but thou wilt have this Furnace to be hot at that one time, 
Daniel, 3.  seven times more, than it was wont to be hot. Always, were not these furious, fierce, fiery flames, merciful unto them? Yea, so merciful unto them, that not only they slew them not; but that the hairs of their head were not burnt; neither were their Coats changed, nor any smell of Fire upon them. O abusers of Davius! ye are so maliciously set against the Servant of GOD, Daniel, that ye will have him casten into the Den of Lions, 
Daniel, 6.  because he prayed unto his own GOD, as he was wont, contrary to that wicked decree, which ye, by your malicious subtlety, made your king to subscribe unto. And yet those Lions will have him saved, whom ye resolved to have slain. No refreshment can hungry Lazarus find, at the hands of the rich Glutton; and yet he can find ease from the tongues of bloody Dogs. 
Luke, 16.  How many wicked men, in this our time, O my Soul! have soft Doane Beds, and Pillows, to lie upon; while the Religious Child of GOD, cannot find a Feather Bed, no, not a Fodder Bed? and yet the Earth is contented, to be a Bed unto him. But, o my soul! what if the cruel Princes of the Earth will not suffer, so much as this hard earth, to be a bed unto thee? O, then! what shalt thou do? what canst thou look for? be sure, either this thy provident, pitiful, powerful GOD, who hath absolute commandment over all, shall (O my Soul) either altar their hearts, and make them pity thee, or furnish thee with a strong contented heart, able to bear out all that they can devise, or do, against thee; or make death, which is a cruel Burrio to the Wicked, but a loving friend to His secret ones; to finish thy Labours, and to send thee to His Rest.  
Join, o my soul! the thirtiefive, and thirtiesixe verses, of the twelft of Exodus, with the sixth, seventh, and tenth verses, of the fift Chapter of that Book; that thou mayest learn, even with joy, to put on that Head-piece of Hope; possessing thyself always in patience, confidently, and leisurely, depending upon thy GOD; even when the King, when the Taskmasters, who command under the King; yea, even when with the King, & his Taskmasters, the whole People of the Land are set against thee, and busied about nothing, but thine overthrow, and destruction. But wherefore? but wherefore should I do this, O my soul? because He who hath the hearts of all men in His hands, can alter both Court and Country so, that, that man who this day, who this year, would neither grant thee for begging, nor sell thee for Silver, a poor Sheafe of Straw, to make Brick of, to thy King; will another day, another year, give the willingly, and freely, all his Gold Chains, all his Bracelets, all his Rings; and so spoil himself, to make thee rich. And would ye not think this a wonder of wonders? Live there not many this day, who having experience of this, in their own person, may say, that that King, who sometime was seeking me, to have offered my body to the Gallows, mine head to the Axe, hath, since that, lovingly embraced me, graciously accepted me, to kiss his hand, and set me higher than ever I was before? Hast thou compared, o my Soul! the end of the third of Ester, with the end of the eight of Ester? In the end of the third of Ester, the scribes are writing Letters, the King is signating Letters, and the Posts are riding, and running, through the Country, with Letters. In the end of the eight of Ester, the Scribes are writing Letters also, the King is signating Letters also, and the Posts are running, and riding, upon Horses of Prize, and Dromidaries, with Letters. Always, tell me, what Letters are the Scribes writing, is the King Signating, are the Posts carrying, in the end of the third of Ester? And what Letters be those which the Scribes are writing, the King is signating, the Posts are carrying, in the end of the eight of Ester? In the end of the third of Ester, Letters are writing, signating, and carrying, by the Scribes, King, and Posts, to root out, to kill, and to destroy, all the jews, both young, and old, Children, and Women, in one day. In the end of the eight of Ester, Letters are writing, signating, and carrying, by the same Scribes, by that same King, by those same Posts, who written, signated, and carried the former, granting the jews, in what Cities soever they were, to gather themselves together, and to stand for their lives; and to root out, to kill, and to destroy, all the power of the People, and of the Province, that vexed them; both Children, and Women, and to spoil their goods. Hast thou compared, o my Soul! the 19, 20, and 21, verses, of the third of Daniel, with the 28, 29, and 30, verses, of that same Chapter? In the 19, 20, and 21, verses, fierce Nebuchadnezar, is so furiously set against Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and that GOD whom they worshipped, that he would have them casten into, and devoured, by the hot fiery Furnace. But in the 28, 29, and 30, verses, pacified Nebuchadnezar thinketh so reverently of their GOD, and is so favourably disposed towards them, that blessing their GOD, he maketh a Decree, That every People, Nation, and Language, which spoke any blasphemy against their GOD, should be drawn in pieces, and have their Houses made a jaxe. And besides this, he promoted those three, in the Province of Babel, highly, whom he decreed before to burn cruelly. We use to say, (and would to GOD our tongues were only accustomed with such speeches) Blessed be he who can make friends of fremd folk. And when I consider this, O my Soul! I must say, Blessed be he, who can make dear Friends of deadly Foes. Always, what must thou do, o my soul! to the end, thou mayest find this to thy comfort, and benefit? Let that wise King Solomon inform thee, as he was informed by that true Solomon, the King of wisdom: When the ways of a man please the LORD, 
Prov. 16.7.  he will make his enemies to be at peace with him. If thou have compared, O my Soul! the 41 verse, of the 27 of Genesis, with the 4 verse, of the 33 of Genesis, and with the 29 verse, of the xxxv. of Genesis, thou shalt find this to be most true. In the 41 verse, of the 27 of Genesis, I hear cruel Esau avowing to slay his brother jaakob, when the days of mourning for his Father should come. Always, not only see I this same Esau in the 4 verse, of the 33 of Genesis, embracing this jaakob, falling upon the neck of this jaakob; but in the 29 verse, of the thirtiefive of Genesis, I see Esau and jaakob most kindly, as it became Brethren, burying their dead Father Isaac. So great advantage reaped jaakob, by walking before GOD, and amongst men, so, that his ways pleased GOD. If a Subject then find that he is wronged by his king, let him not do that which may grieve GOD, and please his King; to the end he may obtain his King's favour. If a Child find, that he is wronged by his Father, let him not do that which may grieve GOD, and please his Father; that he may obtain his Father's favour. If an Husband find that he is wronged by his Wife, let him not do that which may grieve GOD, and please his Wife; to the end, he may obtain his Wife's favour. If a Wife find, that she is wronged by her Husband, let her not do that which may grieve GOD, and please her Husband; to the end, she may obtain her Husband's favour: But let them all stick constantly unto GOD, doing that always, which is good in His Eyes: so be sure, that GOD shall either move King, Husband, Child, Wife, and so forth, to do that which they should do; or else strengthen Subject, Child, Husband, Wife, etc. to bear out, with contentment, the greatest wrongs that can be done unto them. Wilt thou not then, o my Soul! love this GOD? seek this GOD? serve this GOD? with all men, and against all men, whether he clap thee, or kuffe thee; heal thee, or wound thee; quicken thee, or slay thee?  
TRue Saving Prayer, O my soul! may justly be styled, That Royal Ambassador, Prudent, and Courageous: Who lodging always in a clean Cabinet, is directed, from that Greatest King, towards that Greatest Monarch: and who can no ways, upon any condition, be moved to stay, from journeying forwardly, till he come before Him, to whom he was sent: discharging that Commission which he carrieth in his Bosom: and, besides Him, neither to Minion, nor Courteour, or any of his Subjects, whatsoever. Tell me, o my Soul! can any in Heaven, any under Heaven, teach thee to pray, to thy Salvation, besides that Great King, even the Spirit of the Father, and of His Dearest Son? And therefore, that Great Teacher of the Gentiles, can resolve thee thus: 
Roman. 8.26  The Spirit helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what to pray, as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh request for us, with sighs, which cannot be expressed. This Ambassador of Prayer, coming from the Spirit, cannot lodge, but in the quickened Soul, and renewed heart, of GOD'S Child. Reprobates, I confess, may possess many Delicates: but this Delicate, of Saving Prayer, they cannot have. And therefore, the same Great Teacher of the Gentiles, can marry, as it were, Prayer and Salvation, after an unseparable manner together, saying: 
Rom. 10.13.  Whosoever calleth upon the Name of the LORD, (to wit, being led by the Spirit of Adoption, the only Anchor of Heavenly Supplication) shall be saved. Saving Prayer, besides this, is so prudent, and courageous, that being sent by this Spirit, from the honest heart of GOD'S renewed Child, towards that only Superexcellent Monarch, GOD, his Father, it will not give so much as a look, let be a God-spcede, as it were, unto any Angel, unto any Saint, in Heaven, unto any Man on earth, (being so directed by that Spirit, by whom it was sent) till it come in, before that Great Majesty of the GOD of Heaven, with whom only it hath to do: and there, in His Bosom, pour forth the self. O my soul! Art thou not thus charged, by GOD, thy Father? 
Psal. 50.15  Call upon Me, in the day of thy trouble. Art thou not thus charged, by GOD, thy Saviour? When ye pray, pray thus, Our Father, which art in Heaven, 
Matth. 6.9.  etc. Art thou not thus charged, by GOD, thy Redeemer, thy Comforter, and Keeper? If any man ask Wisdom, let him ask it of GOD. 
james, 1.5.  Search, search, o my soul! the whole Old Testament, the whole New Testament, and try, if there thou mayest forgather, either with Precept, directing thee to pray unto any in Heaven, or under Heaven, besides thy GOD: or, with any Promise, That if thou prayest unto any besides His Majesty, thou shalt come speed: or lastlie, with any practice, showing thee, that ever any of GOD'S Children, ever sent up their Prayers, to any, besides that Blessed GOD, in whom they believed. Understand, understand, herefore, O my Soul! that the ignorant, profane, vain babblings, of the blind, superstitious Papists, can be no Saving prayers, indicted by the blessed Spirit of GOD: but windy, foolish, effectless words, coming from their own deceived Brains, and fond imaginations: For if they come from GOD His Spirit, they would be directed unto God only: but since they be drawn up unto creatures, they cannot come from the true Spirit of that Creator, blessed for evermore: but from the lying spirits of base cursed creatures.  
THE blind, bloody, restless Seminary, compassing the Earth to and fro, with Satan, sowing always where he cometh (any occasion being offered unto him) his poisoned, and poisoning Popple: either to impede the receiving, or to hinder the growth, of the good Wheat of GOD'S word: to the end, that he may persuade Man and Women, of all Ranks, even with some Greediness, readily to embrace his lying Doctrine, touching the Invocation of Saints, hath very highly heretofore, and doth very fare as yet, advance that effectless Comparison, taken from the Courts of Earthly Kings. And this Comparison he hath hatched, to the end he may the more subtly advance the Grandour, and augment the Wealth, of that Vylde Court of ROME. And with this, not only draw away poor simple people, from being truly courteous with that KING OF GLORY, Blessed for ever; but also to stir them up (albeit he abhorreth to confess this) to kithe themselves gross and avowed Traitors, against His Majesty. O shameless Papist! Is not this thy fond allegiance, as Subject's considering the Grandour of their Princes, and their own baseness, are accustomed to go unto their Kings, by Noblemen, and Courteoures; So the Children of GOD, considering the Excellency of that Majesty, wherewith their GOD is clothed, being sensible in the mean time of their own vildness, by reason of those sins, wherewith they are clogged, should not attempt to go to their GOD, but by those Saints, which be in heaven. Hadst thou, o effronted Papist! harkened unto that answer, now neareby twelve hundreth years ago, given to this purpose, by that famous Bishop of worthy memory, Ambrose, thou wouldst have been afraid from kepping so greedily, without any show or reason, 
Ambrose, on Rom. 8.  this effectless comparison, & from keeping it so pertinaciously, even to this day, without any kind of shame. For this cause men and women, are moved to go unto Kings, by Noblemen, and Courteoures, because Kings be but men, and know not to whom they should commit the governament of their Country: but while a man hath to do with his GOD, from whom nothing can be hid, (for all men are known by Him) we have need of no such mediator, but of a devoate, humble, holy heart; for whensoever such an heart shall speak, GOD shall loving lie answer it. But, O deceived, and deceiving Seminary! to what purpose will this thy comparison serve thee, in that country, where the King, with whom thou hast to do, hath, by a special Edict, under His great seal, and public Proclamation, raised thereupon, authorised His eldest Son, to be the only Mid-man, by whom all His Subjects, great, and small, any ways offending Him, or standing in need of any thing from His hands, should have recourse unto Him; discharging them herewith, under all highest pain, to make any sure by the mediation of any other whomsoever? secondly, if the Prince, the King's eldest Son, being thus authorized by His Father, have by his public Proclamation (having received special warrant from His Father to do so) certified all His Father's Subjects, That none of them can possibly come to His Father, but by him. thirdly, if the Lords of the King's secret Counsel, being certified of the truth hereof, would beside this (being commanded by the King, and His Son) charge all the Subjects, to come to the King's Son, yea, to His Son only, whensoever they have to do with the King His Father? Now, O blind, pert Seminary! I appeal thy conscience, unless thou hast lay de aside all conscience, and made that Whore of Babel thy god; if thou be acquainted with that voice which was sounded from the Heavens, that day, in the which that blessed, and sole Saviour of the world, was baptised, This is My well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 
Math. 3.17.  Yea, hearest thou not this voice sounding over again, with an addition, that day in the which that holy One was transfigured? This is My well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, 
Math. 17.5.  hear Him. o Seminary! wilt thou not hear the Son, saying unto thee; I am the Way, the Verity, and the Life: 
john. 14.6.  no man cometh to the Father, but by Me? Hearest thou Him not thus sweetly inviting thee to come directly unto Himself? Come unto Me, all ye which are weary, and ladened, 
Mat. 11.28  and I will ease you. Yea, O Seminary! possessed with a deaf devil, when GOD speaketh to thee, by His word: wilt thou not hear that great Apostle Paul, who was well acquainted with the whole counsel of GOD, saying unto thee, There is one GOD, and one Mediator betwixt GOD and Man; even the Man CHRIST JESUS? Sure I am, 
1. Tim. 2.5.  were old Chrysostome alive, he would as fare condemn the avowed, profane, mad folly, of the superstitious papist in this point, as he commended the holy wisdom of that sincere Woman, whose Daughter was possessed with a Devil: for speaks he not thus, touching her? Behold the wisdom (sayeth he) of the woman: she prayeth not to james, 
Chrysost. de Cananea.  she maketh not her supplication to john, she goeth not to Peter, neither respecteth she the company of the Apostles, requiring help from any of them▪ but instead of them all, (taking happily unfeigned repentance for her companion) she goeth directly forward to blessed jesus, that only Well which was able to yield out that sweet Water which she thirsted for. But will the restless Seminary rest, o my soul! when these things are brought from the very Mouth of GOD, unto his ears? No, no, for the tricking Seminary, who can cunningly catch simple souls by his intrapping subtleties, will confess, that blessed JESUS, that only Son of the Great King, is the only Mediator of Reconciliatson betwixt GOD and Man: But, with this, he will maintain, That there be other mediators of Intercession, besides Him, who may make, and do make, request unto GOD, for us. Spare not, spare not here, O my Soul! to say unto the shameless pert Seminary, while he speaketh thus, Avoid, Satan, as one sent forth by that crafty Fox, and cruel Dragon, first, by his subtlety, to snare thee; & then, by his cruelty, to slay thee: demanding him, even from a strong heart, and with a good countenance, thus, O Seminary! out of what book, out of whose mouth, learnedest thou to put a difference betwixt the mediator of Reconciliation, and the mediator of Intercession? For out of GOD'S Book, out of GOD'S mouth, speaking to thee by Scripture, thou learnedest it never: albeit no book, besides GOD'S Book; no mouth, besides GOD'S Mouth, must in this point inform thee, direct thee, command thee. For telleth not GOD'S Book me, and so GOD'S Mouth, first, that we have no mediator, who can possibly intercede for us at the hands of our GOD, but that Mediator who hath reconciled us unto GOD? For be not these the words of Paul? There is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and Man, the Man Christ jesus. 
1. Tim. 2.5.  If Paul had spoken thus, There is one Mediator betwixt God and Man, the man Christ jesus; he had spoken enough to convince the lying Seminary: but he will say more; even thus, There is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and Man, the Man Christ jesus; to make the Seminary ashamed (if he could be) of his subtlety. For hereby he would tell thee, o my soul! That as there is only one true God, and no ways, in any respect, another, even the Father, Son, & holy Ghost; so there is only one true Meciator, and no ways, in any respect, another. secondly, telleth not God's Book, and so God's Mouth, me, That this jesus Christ could not possibly have been a Mediator of Intercession for us, praying to God for us; unless He had been a Mediator of Reconciliation for us, by His bloody Sacrifice, satisfying His Father's justice for our Sins? O vild Seminary! darest thou give that great Disciple (whom jesus loved, and who lay in jesus Bosom) the Lie? And yet speaketh he not thus? If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, jesus Christ, the Just: and He is the Reconciliation for our sins. 
1. john. 2.1.2  Thus jointly joining Christ's Intercession and Reconciliation together, and from His Reconciliation of us, proving, That He hath only right to intercede for us: for if He had not reconciled us, He could no ways have had any interest to pray for us; neither durst we have had attempted, to have had recourse to Him, as to our Mediator. Yea, which is more, O my soul! if He had not been our only Reconciler, He could not have been our Mediator at all. Let me not herefore, o my soul! hear any more word touching Mary's intercession, any whisper touching Peter, Paul, and so forth, of Angels, and of Saint's intercessions: for were any of these crucified for me? hath any of these reconciled my God to me? but let me hear always my blessed and only jesus: let me see Him: let me embrace Him: let me kiss Him: yea, let me keep Him, while I breathe, in the inward Coffer of my heart, as mine only Mediator, who hath reconciled me to God, who intercedeth for me with God: for mine eyes have seen, mine ears have heard, mine hands have handled, that sweetest smelling Sacrifice, offered up by Him, upon the Cross, unto God His Father, for all my debt of sin, and of punishment, due unto me for my sins. And this His Sacrifice I have seen, heard, and handled, in that clean and clear Lookingglass of God's word, and in that shining Mirror, of the Sacraments, annexed by His Majesty unto it.  
I Must confess, O my Soul! that thou canst not but be much moved, when considering Gods fatherly direction plainly given to thee, when weighing Gods Gracious Promises clearly made to thee, thou askest, 
Matt. 7.7.8.  but receivest not; seekest, but findest not; knockest, but hast none to open unto thee: for as then Satan cannot but press to take some advantage of thee, so thou canst not but at the first, considering this, be much amazed. Always, o my Soul! I must charge thee, not to murmur (so much as in secret) against thy good God, albeit He appear not to hear thee when thou callest unto Him. Yea, I must command thee, not to attempt, to suffer that love, wherewith thou art obliged, always to love thy good God, aniewayes to wax cold, albeit His Majesty defer to grant thee that which thou hast been craving: yea, albeit He deny altogether to give thee that which thou hast been long seeking: yea, which is more, albeit He put into thine hand, and lay upon thy back, that which is flat contrary, unto that which thou hast been, even for many days, with many sighs, having thy knees bowed before Him, and thine hands lift up unto Him, desiring Him to give thee. For I must tell thee, O my Soul! that the frowning looks of God thy Father, are more pleasant to the sight of his well schooled Child, than the smiling of all living can be unto Him: that the hand of God thy Father, taking from his own, that which the blind worldling accounteth only to be profitable for him; yea, that the hand of thy Father, laying that upon the back of His own, which the dead worldlings account only hurtful to them, is even then more kind, more liberal unto him, and more merciful towards him, than the hands of all living, being opened wide, to give them liberally, to clap them kindliest that possibly can be. Till this world shall stand, those comfortable Oracles shall always bide inviolably true, The Eyes of the Lord are upon the Righteous; and His Ears are open to their cries. The Lioness do lack, 
Psal. 34.15.16. Roman. 8.28  and suffer hunger: but they which seek the Lord, shall want nothing which is good. All things work together for the best, to them that love God. And so, o my Soul! I must assure thee, that thy God, cannot but always hear thee, but always help thee: for He heareth thee, either so, that He granteth thee that which thou cravest, as thou cravest it; or as good as thou cravest; albeit not that same which thou wouldst be at; or a better than that is which thou thinkest only to be best. Anna maketh a suit to her God, and is heard, as she craved; for as she poured forth her soul before God, 
1. Sam. 1.  for a son, so she receiveth a son from God. Paul cryeth over, and over, to God; always that same which he craveth, is not granted him, and yet that which was as good is not refused him: 
2. Cor. 12.7.8.9.  for while he besought his Lord, that the angel of Satan, which buffeted him, might departed from him, he is not fred from that angel, but God's Grace is made sufficient for him, to make him stand under that assault; and in end, to triumph valiantly. David, a man according to the heart of God, dealeth with his God most earnestly by prayer, by tears, and by fasting, for the life of that child which Bathseba bore unto him, always, that is not granted; for that child died: nevertheless, a better is given unto him: for was not that wise Solomon, who built a Temple to God, borne afterwards, of that same Bathseba, unto him? for if that child had lived, according to David's suit, being begotten by him upon her, while Vriah, her Husband, was alive, would he not have lived always as a manifest note of David's Adultery, and Murder, and so been casten up unto him, by profane people, who could easily grippe his sin, but no ways consider his repentance? Forget not, O my soul! that comfortable Oracle, sounded by thy Master, and Saviour, What man is there amongst you, who if his son ask him Bread, would give him a Stone? or if he ask Fish, will he give him a Serpent? 
Luk. 11.11.12.  or if he ask him an Egg, will he give him a Scorpion? And shall thy God, o my Soul! even the God of my spirit, who is more loving and wise than the father of my flesh can be, if I crave that which He accounteth to be a Stone, albeit, I account it to be Bread; which he accounteth to be a Serpent, albeit I esteem it to be a Fish; which He accounteth to be a Scorpion, albeit I account it to be an Egg? Thou seekest the Bread of Honour from God; and He knoweth, that if thou hadst Honour, thine Honour would prove a Stone, to dishonour Him, and slay thee; and therefore, He refuseth to give it. Thou cravest the Fish of Health, and Wealth, from God: but he knoweth, that Health and Wealth, would prove a Serpent, to bite thy soul, unto death. Thou wouldst be at the white Eggs of sweet Pleasure: but He knoweth, that they would prove a biting Scorpion, to hurt thee: and therefore He denyeth them to thee. Thou abhorrest ignominy, and shame before men, as an hurtful Stone: but God knoweth, it will be Food, and Bread to thee: therefore He covereth thee with it. Thou abhorrest Sickness, Poverty, Imprisonment, Banishment, inward Temptations, outward Crosses, yea, Death itself, as biting Serpents, and Scorpions, able to slay thee: always, thy God knoweth, that even those be the only savoury & sweet Fishes, and Eggs, which are able to save thee: and therefore He propyneth thee with them. Forget not, O my soul! that sweet speech of Augustine, subscribing unto the truth of these three comfortable alleged Oracles: Bonus Dominus qui saepe non tribuit quod volumus, ut magis attribuat, quod malimus. 
Augustine,  O! how good a Lord is our Lord! who oftentimes giveth us not that wisely, which we would have; to the end He may graciously give us, that which we rather should have craved. Bernhard, embracing Augustine in this point, can say to thee sweetly, O my Soul! Saepe multos Deus non exaudit ad voluntatem ut exaudiat ad salutem. Our God oftentimes refuseth, 
Bernhard,  to hear many of His own, according to their will; to the end, He may hear them for their weal. But hear, O my Soul! lest thou deceive thyself; thinking that thou hast right to the hearing ear, to the pitiful heart, to the helping hand of thy God: & so, that He heareth thee, that He pitieth thee, and that at length He will help thee: how mayest thou be assured, that thou art even then heard of Him, pitied of him, and that thou shalt receive help from Him; even when in appearance thou must think, that He heareth thee not at all? Harken, harken, O my soul! findest thou Grace, while thus thou art used, by thy wise, pitiful God, to continue in praying unto Him, while He refuseth, as thou thinkest, to hear thee? Hast thou Grace, to desire, to continue in praying unto Him, while He delayeth (as thou thinkest) to hear thee? Yea, which is more, findest thou the smallest measure of grief, because thou canst not desire to continue in praying unto Him, as thou wouldst? that thou canst not pray unto Him, as thou shouldest? Be assured, that God, whom thou thinkest to be fare from thee, is near thee, is with thee, yea, is in thee, by His Spirit, as in His Temple: hearing thee, albeit thou hearest not that He heareth thee: pitying thee, albeit thou feelest not that He pitieth thee: and for to deliver thee, albeit thou think, that thou canst not be delivered. Answer me, answer me, o my soul! if thou canst, If thy God heard thee no ways, pitied thee no ways, and were never to help thee, couldst thou desire to be heard of Him? to be pitied by Him? to be helped by Him? Yea, if thy good God longed not, as it were, to do thee good, couldst thou either long, or lament, that thou longedst not for good at His hands? For, as he who never saw the Sun, cannot miss the sight of the Sun; so, he who never saw God, cannot miss God. Thus it is not nature that misseth Grace, but Grace which misseth Grace only. And therefore, he spoke truly, who said, Num oranti beneficia denegabit, 
Augustine.  qui orantes at ne deficiant sua pietate instigat: Can that good God refuse to grant His Gifts unto that person, who praying unto Him for them, is stirred up, by His Goodness, not to faint, but to continue in praying unto Him.  
THou canst not be ignorant, o my soul! being acquainted with holy Scripture, that as cruel Pharaoh, King of Egypt, had fierce Taskmasters, set by him, over the Lords Israel; So that cruel Dragon, Satan, thy greatest Enemy, hath his own bloody Taskmasters, sent forth against God's secret ones, to shame them, to slay them: and that those his Taskmasters resemble, in one thing especially, the Taskmasters of Pharaoh. Pharaohs Taskmasters, as holy Scripture testifieth, 
Exodus, 5.13  are not contented to intimate Pharaohs will, unto the poor Israelites; but they must, with fierce countenances, sharp tongues, & strong hands, hasten them, without all delay, to do it: Even so, Satan's Taskmasters, do not only command those, over whom they are set, and in whom they do reign, to obey the Devils will: but they hasten them so to obey it, that they can neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep, as it were, till Satan's will be executed by them. But who be the Taskmasters of Satan, o my Soul? Let that Disciple, whom jesus loved, and in whose Bosom he lovingly sometime lay, resolve thee: The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, 
1. john, 2, 16  and the pride of life. Young Ammon is so boasted, and beaten, by that Taske-master, The lust of his flesh, nighing after his sister Tamar, that he pineth away, from day to day: 
2. Sam. 13.  till having obeyed the command of that fierce, filthy Taske-master, he defile his sister unnaturallie. Young Absolom is so beaten, and boasted, by that alluring Taske-master, The pride of life, longing after a Crown, that he can take no rest, by night, nor by day, 
2. Sam. 15.  till he put even the Crown off his own old father, upon his head: contenting, that his father, in the mean time, for safety of his life, flee out of Jerusalem, bareheaded, and . That uncouth Traitor, judas, is so boasted, and beaten, by that deceiving Taske-master, The lust of the eyes; and so, 
Matth. 26.14.15.  of Covetousness, that he cannot be stayed possibly, by all that his Master hath done to him, by all that his Master hath done for him, by all that his Master hath spoken to him, in the audience of his brethren, touching him who should betray Him; from betraying of Him: and all to the end, that he may see thirty pieces of Silver delivered unto him. Lament, lament herefore, O my Soul! the miserable estate of these: pitied by others, albeit not by themselves, who esteem themselves to be the greatest amongst men. Will Noble men, will great men, be commanded, by that Great Good God, speaking unto them, and hasting them to do His Good Will, by those His kindly, smiling, and meek Taskmasters, in whose mouths He hath put His word? And yet they dare be contented to be commanded by, and to be (as most miserable slaves) couched under that Evil one, Satan, and those his furious Taskmasters: hasting them to do the Devils evil will. Will our Gentlemen, O my Soul! be servants to any man? content to be Scholars? to be Tradesmen? to be Craftsmen? And yet they can rejoice to suffer themselves to be abused by Satan, & by Sin; by the which in such sort he fighteth against their Souls, that no slave roweth in a Galley so fare against his will, under the uncouth bondage of that cruel Monster, the Turk; as a very world of these men, in this our Age, row with both their hands, and feet, as it were, under the Devil: hastened in the mean time, by his foresaid Taskmasters: and yet not against their will, but willingly: not with grief, but with joy. Let the Adulterer, the Idolater, the Murderer, the Fornicator, the Drunkard, the Seditious man, the Oppressor, the False man, the Covetous man, lay his hand to his heart; so shall he find this to be true. The consideration hereof, made wise Solomon (acquainting us with the nature of the wicked man, and counselling us, to beware of him) thus to speak, Enter not into the way of the Wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men: avoid it: 
Prov. 4.14.15.16.  go not by it: turn from it: and pass by it: For they cannot sleep, except they have done evil: and their sleep departeth, except they cause some to fall.  
HAth thy God, o my soul! sweetly this day sounded in thine ears, the soft voice of Consolation; promising unto thee comfort, delivery, and His best things: be not offended, if to morrow thine ears be made to hear the sharpest sound of the bitter wind of Confusion, threatening thee with greater troubles, and griefs, than ever thou heardest, or felt before. O jaakob! hath not thy God propined thee liberally, with the Birthright? 
Gen. 17.29.  enriched thee gloriously, with His blessing? but must thou not hear afterwards, that Esau, thy Brother, hath avowed to kill thee? whereupon thou must be contented, not only to turn thy back upon thy tender Parents; but with pain and grief, to serve a churlish Laban, for twenty and one years. O joseph! seest thou not to day thy brethren's Sheaves standing up, and doing reverence to thy sheaf? but must thou not be contented, even after that, to see thy Brethren stripping thee naked, 
Gen. 37. & 39  of thy party coloured Coat? and thereafter, first, putting thee in a Ditch, and then selling thee to the Midianites, to be carried down to Egypt. O distressed Israel! hearest thou not Moses and Aaron, the Commissioners of thy God, 
Exod. 4.29.30.31.  to day sweetly telling thee, that they were sent of God to bring thee out of Egypt, that thou mightest celebrate a Feast to the Lord thy God, in the Wilderness? Always, must thou not be contented, the next day, to hear Pharaoh his Taskmasters, speaking thus to thee bitterly? Thus sayeth Pharaoh, 
Exod. 5.10.11.  I will give you no more Straw: go yourselves, get you Straw where you may find it; notwithstanding the number of Bricks which you made in time past, shall not be diminished. O David! telleth not Samuel thee, 
1. Sam. 16.27.  that thou shalt be a King of judah? yea, anointed he thee not with Oil, in the Name of the Lord, to certify thee hereof? Always, after this, must thou not be contented, not only not to find a night's lodging in thine own house; but not so much as a Cave, or hole, to hide thyself in, in all judea and Israel? Thus he, who to day heareth blessed jesus, who is Love itself, promising unto him a Crown, must be contented to morrow, to have wise jesus ladening him, with a Cross. But, O! wherefore dealeth our wise God with His own thus? For special grave reasons, o my Soul! is this done, I assure thee: for hereby He tryeth the faith, the hope, the patience, of His own: hereby He stirreth them up, earnestly to deal with Him, by continual Prayer: for He will have His own to ask that from Him, which He is to give unto them: yea, this He doth, to move His own, being set at liberty, to be the more thankful; and to use Gods good things bestowed on them the better: to make the Wicked, His, and their, unjust enemies, the more inexcusable; and to conquish the greater Glory to His own Name: when having, in spite of all oppositions, performed that liberally, which He did promise graciously to His own, He advanceth them, and overthroweth His, and their enemies.  
LEt it not grieve thee, o my Soul! that some day, hid up from thee, that in some place, unknown to thee, thou must lay down this dusty tabernacle, wherewith thou hast for some years been clothed, as with a Garment: but see that thou, (being now happily ingraffed in Christ, and through His grace dying to sin daily, for the which He died: 
Philip. 1.23.  and living to Him, who died for thee, and rose again) even with an holy languor, (submitting always thy will to the good will of God) long for that day, with that great Apostle. And when that day shall draw near, I charge thee, o my soul! that in that day, thou lift up thyself, & rejoice. What wise man, being wearied all the day long, with labours abroad, will grieve to draw home at night? First, to refresh himself with some entertainment; and thereafter, laying aside his Garments, to go to his rest: knowing, that so (pleasing God) when the morning shall arise, he will find his Garment again. And darest thou, O my Soul! be grieved, when that night of Death shall approach, all thy weary Labours sustained by thee here being finished, to lay down this thy clay body, and to have thyself conveyed by those Angels of God, unto that refreshing Palace of that Paradise, which is Above, now wide open to keep thee, because of the obedience of that second ADAM, who died for thee? Yea, darest thou, O my Soul! be grieved, in that night of Death, to have this clay body conveyed, to that resting Bed of the Grave, sweetly now perfumed, by the Burial of the Sacred Body of thy gracious Saviour JESUS? For knowest thou not, when that glorious brightly shining Morning of judgement shall approach, in the which that Mighty GOD, thy Saviour, whom the Heavens do now contain, shall manifest Himself in Glory, accompanied with thousands of His Angels, and with the sound of the last Trumpet, that thou shalt not only meet with that wont Garment of thy Body; but take it up again, but put it on again? Always, not as men take up their Garments here in the morning, after their rest in the night: but fare otherways, more comfortably, joyfully, and profitably, by a thousand, thousand degrees. As men here lay aside their Garments at night, going to their rest, so they take them up in the morning: & having taken them up, they go forth again, either to their wont, or some new labour. But I must tell thee, O my Soul! to thy great comfort, That thou shalt take up this tabernacle of my body, in that shining Morning of judgement, in a fare more excellent estate, than it was laid down into by thee, into that dark night of Death, and when it was laid down in the Chamber of the Grave. It was laid down in corruption, it shall be taken up in incorruption: it was laid down in dishonour, 
1. Cor. 15.42 43.44.  it shall be taken up in glory: it was laid down in weakness, it shall be taken up in power: it was laid down natural, it shall be taken up Spiritual. Can this be well considered, O my soul! would I cease, while I live here, to employ all the members of my body holily? And, when Death should approach me, would I not undoubtedly be heartfully contented, even with joy, to lay down this earthly tabernacle? Again, I will assure thee, O my Soul! (because so hath my Lord and Master, JESUS, by the sweetest words, of His own sweetest Lips, assured me) that thou, having, in that day of judgement, taken up, and put on, that Garment of this Body, shalt never go forth, to any old, or new Labours again: But shalt always rest, in endless rest, for evermore; free of all suspicion of future griefs: and filled with a very Sea of unexpressible Glory. For in that day, thou being happily presented a chaste Virgin, well decked, and trimmed, 
2. Cor. 11.2.  with the Ornaments of thy Glorious Husband, JESUS, before thy Glorious Husband, JESUS, shalt have that Marriage now contracted with Him, joyfully solemnised, and perfectly consummated. And then, thy Blessed Husband, having wiped away all Tears from thine eyes, shall take thee in to His most secret Cabinet of Glory: there, not only to see, but to possess for ever, that Glory, which He possessed before the World was made. Can this be well weighed by thee, O my Soul! wouldst thou not cry with David? As the Hart ●●ayeth for the Rivers of Waters, so panteth my Soul after Thee, 
Psal. 42.1.  O GOD: My Soul thirsteth for GOD: even for the living GOD. When shall I come, and appear before the presence of GOD? Yea, wouldst thou not cry with Paul? O wretched Man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this Body of Death? 
Rom. 7.24. Philip. 1.13.  I desire to be loosed, and to be with CHRIST, which is best of all. Yea, thou wouldst uncessantly cry with the Kirke, CHRIST'S Bride, Come, LORD JESUS: 
Rev. 22.20.  Even so: Come quickly. Amen.  
FINIS.