CHURCH-INCENSE: OR DIVINE EJACULATIONS: Composed by that eminent and faithful Servant of God, Mr. Hen. Church, published since his death by his Son, Mr. N.C. Mr. of Arts of EMANUEL college in CAMBRIDGE. My heart is inditing a good matter, &c. Psalm 45.1. For we have our Conversation in the Heavens. Philip. 3.20. 〈◇〉. Democrates. 'Tis the part of a Divine soul ever to mind some good thing. London, Printed for J. Rothwell at the Fountain and Bear in Cheap-side. 1655. Imprimatur, EDM. CALAMY. To the worshipful THO. ARNOLD Esquire, &c. THE reason ( Worthy Sir) why this Piece of Mr. Henry Church comes of no less errand, then to call you Patron, is manifold: but more-especially twofold. 1. The Author thereof was your intimate and familiar Associate. He was great with you: You were good to him. 2. The work itself is choice. He left many very rare and precious thoughts turned into ink. This is the very Quintessence of them all. As for him, Who was ever so sad for his departure, as your self? O surpassing Love! O right David and Jonathan! O my noble Friend, God can, and God alone can retribute your favourable Courtesies to your loving Antecedent now in Heaven, and his living Relatives yet on Earth. Behold, eminent Sir, your near & dear friend once dead, but alive again and again. Behold him yet alive, tum Libris, tum Liberis; in the off-spring of his mind, and of his Body. Behold him alive here, sighing after his Creator, panting after his Redeemer, breathing after his Comforter. Behold him alive, conversing with you a new; helping you to converse with the Lord of Life, & teaching others to live. Accept of this my poor thanks for your Worships rich love unto the deceased Author. Accept it also as a cordial Congratulatory to your Worship of that favour you have obtained of the LORD lately. For so Solomon terms it, Prov. 18.22. The most high God prosper, dignify, bless, and sanctify your most worthy self, your virtuous and much-honoured Consort, the Lady ANNE ELDRED: your pious and learned Kinsman, Mr. GEO. ARNOLD( whose names( after your own in chief) may adorn not only my Epistle, but also Gods Gospel) and all your Wor●… dear Relations with all manner of external, internal, eternal Felicity. This is the unfeigned Apprecation and Heart-wish of YOUR WORSHIPS Unworthy Servant in the Lord, NAT. CHURCH. IMPARTIAL READERS, I Appeal to your own consciences, What felicity can there be on this side Eternity comparable to the Communion of Saints; whether with GOD by Prayer, with each other by Conference, or with our own souls by Divine Meditations? Let Men and Angels judge, if there be any Heaven on Earth parallel to a celestial engagement of terrestrial Emergencies. As for the worth and excellency of an Ejaculatory spirit, it is of weighty concern to all people, at all times, in all places, on all occasions. And( as the Author himself writes, these up-dartings of soul are not only expedient upon extraordinary account: As when a Christian comes before a wicked Magistrate, to pray in heart, LORD, give me courage, a mouth, and wisdom, &c. When none perceive, & we cannot pray solemnly. At the hour of death, when the heart is only alive, then to pray with that heart. But also upon every ordinary occasion; as when we awake with GOD, and go to rest with him; lifting up our hearts and mind to him. When we go forth, return home; at Meat, at work; alone, in company. These holy desires do show that there is spiritual life in us. Mr. Wil. Struther, in his Christian Observations, hath this notable passage, So long( says he) as there is Evil in the world, Malice in Satan, Weakness in ourselves, and Goodness in God, we cannot want matter of continual prayer. Mr. Tho. Cobbet of New-England, in his new-extant Treatise discourses of Ejaculations in special, very rarely; & of Prayer in general, most piously and copiously. Mr. Tho. Fuller in his Good thoughts in bad times, and more good thoughts in worse times, treats of the Use and privilege of EJACULATIONS very acutely. And indeed that whole Enchiridion of his has an up-darting tendency, and points whither he is bound. Dr. Hall of Exon has done much this way in his Vows, Meditations and Soliloquies. The variety of Writers that have steered this course with their Pens, I must wave, lest the Epistle sink the Book. Here it is, Christian Friends: If you reap any Counsel or Consolation therefrom, let the LORD have your praises, and let him have your Prayers, who wishes you All better then himself. Nathanael Church. The Contents. 1. What these holy Ejaculations are? 2. Who have had these Ejaculations? 3. What doth hinder these Ejaculations. 4. How to obtain, these Ejaculations? 5. Scruples removed concerning Ejaculations. 6. Uses Applicatory for Edification. OF Church-Incense, OR Divine Ejaculations. First, what these holy Ejaculations are. THey are a Darting-up of our Thoughts to the LORD: or secret Passages between the Soul and CHRIST. They are short( but sweet) Prayers; rather cordial, then vocal, i.e. more from the Heart, then the Voice. The word is taken from a darting forth: because the Heart hath recourse to GOD. The latin word Ejaculatio is a casting a far off: Ejaculator is one that throweth a Dart, or stingeth a ston, &c. To Ejaculate is to mount up to Heaven; to have secret recourse to the most high; to have sweet communion with Him, who is invisible. Holy Ejaculations are the breath of the Soul. The more a man hath of these, the more heavenly he is, and acquainted with the Almighty. So much for what Ejaculations are. Secondly, Who have had these Ejaculations. 1. DAVID had them. Psalm 25.1. Unto thee O LORD, do I lift my Soul. Soul is the Desire. 2. MOSES had them. Exod. 14.15. Why criest thou to me, saith GOD. Expositors render it, He cried with inward groanings. 3. ABRAHAM'S Servant had them. Gen. 24.45. He prayed in his Heart. 'Tis said it was cum Animo, with his mind: therefore inwardly, as Ancient Commentators note. 4. NEHEMTAH had them. Nehem. 2.4. So I prayed to the GOD of Heaven. &c. The place shows, it was an Ejaculation. 5. THE LORD JESUS had these holy Ejaculations John 11.33. he groaned in the Spirit and was troubled. And v. 38. Groaning in Himself he came to the Grave. Verse 41. He thanked his Father, who had heard Him. Now GOD hears the Desires, Psalm 10.17. He searches the Heart, and knows the mind of the Spirit. Romans 8.27. Our groanings are not hide from Him Psalm 38.9. Thirdly, What doth hinder Ejaculations. In General, All sin. For That separates our Souls from GOD. Isay 59.2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your GOD: and your sins have hide his Face from you, that He will not hear. As mud and Stones in a Spring do hinder the vent of Water from issuing forth: So our sins do hinder our heavenly Desires and quell our Souls. Sin disables a man from looking-upward. Psalm 40.12. But in Particular, there are some sins, which do much hinder our converse with GOD, as, 1. Covetousness. A greedy desire of Earthly things. This is as Bird-lime to clog the Soul and hinder it from mounting upwards. They that mind earthly things are none of those that have their conversation in Heaven. Phil. 3.19, 20. 2. Pride of Heart. GOD resisteth the Proud, 1 Peter 5.5. and is not conversant with them: They have no recourse to GOD, no acquaintance or communion with Him. They seek not GOD. Psalm 10.4. And GOD beholds them a far off. Psalm. 138.6. 3. sins against conscience do much hinder our sweet converse with GOD: They dead and damp our Spirits. A dull Instrument cuts not: How should a dull Spirit, that is not cherished, be active and lively? But a good conscience makes us to joy and rejoice in GOD. 2 Cor. 1.12. 4. Excessive eating and drinking dulls the Spirit exceedingly, and makes it heavy and unwieldy. They, whose GOD is their Belly, do mind earthly things. But We must have our conversation above the Earth. Philip 3.19, 20. 5. Malice and rancour hinder our ejaculatorie devotion. There can bee no sweet Recourse to GOD, where is bitter Malice towards Men, and revengeful Desires. Gen. ch. 4. verse 4, 8, 16. Matth. 5.23.24. 6. Conformity to the World breaks our Acquaintance with GOD and the Godly. 2 Tim. 4.10. Demas hath forsaken Me, having loved this present World. Following the corruptions of the Times loses our Friendship with GOD, and makes us estranged from Him; from Delight in Him, and Communion with him. James 4.4. Know ye not, that the Amity of the World is enmity with GOD? So much sweetness gained in the World: so much sweetness lost in GOD. 7. Neglect of holy Duties, as Reading, Hearing, Conference, Meditation, Prayer, Preparation for the Sabbath, and Keeping it holy, &c. The holy Fire goes out, when this heavenly fuel failes. 1 Thes. 5.16, 17, 18, 19, 20, verses compared together. 8. coldness in prayer at other times. Rom. 12.11. Fervent in Spirit, serving the LORD. For as there is a Sound after Bells have ringed, and Instruments have tuned: so Ejaculations do follow our Devotions; which being but cold, our Ejaculations either do slacken, or cease. Fourthly, How to obtain these Divine Ejaculations. The Helps to them are such as these. 1. We must deny our selves: so shall we be more fit for converse with GOD. Amos 3.3. Can two walk together except they be agreed? 2. We must pray and deavour to be new-born: For the unregenerate have no converse with GOD. 1 John 1.6. If we say that we have Fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. 3. We must nourish Faith. By Faith, wee have sweet Recourse to God, and lift up our souls to Him in whom wee do believe. 2 Tim. 1.12. Psal. 121.1, 2. 4. We must perfect our Love. For our Love carries our Hearts to the Object beloved. judge. 16.15. How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine Heart is not with me? And verse 16, he told her all his Heart. Lovers have secret passages, unknown to others: So it is between the Lord and a Soul inflamed with an holy Love. Psalm 25.14. 5. We must make choice of heavenly society, and take time for heavenly Exercises. The way to have Communion with GOD is to have Communion with the godly. 1 John 1.6, 7. The way to delight ourselves in the LORD, is to delight in his Saints, in his Sabbaths, in his Services. Psalm 16.1.2. Isa. 58. end. 6. We must check our Hearts for their dullness, and bewail our forgetfulness of GOD, and our deadness of Spirit. We must chide our souls, as the mariners did Jonas. Jonas 1.6. What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy GOD. We must make use of outward occasions to force our Minds Christ-ward. We are to mount upward by striving. Nothing is easy and excellent. 7. We must keep a narrow wretch over our Thoughts. Look often to the Temper and Disposition of the INNER-MAN. Examine the Heart often: then elevate the Soul occasionally by secret acknowledgements of sin, and earnest Desires of Grace. Psalm 4.4. Commune with your own Heart upon your Bed, &c. Lam. 3.40. Let us search and try our ways, and turn again unto the LORD. 8. We must enure our Hearts to secret praises for particular Mercies. When we have received a Blessing, we should with speed praise GOD for it secretly, before wee do it solemnly. We must endeavour to be much-affected with Gods Favours: To be quick in return, and often thankful: To be evermore bessing and praising the LORD. This is the way to have our Conversation in the Heavens. Phil. 3.20. And to be still with God, Psalm 139.18. 9. We must Cherish and feed holy Motions. Quench not the Spirit, 1 Thes. 5.19. But Stir-up Grace. 2 Tim. 1.6. Put in Execution holy motions. Defer not, Delay no Time. This is the way to preserve the INWARDMAN: to attain to a right Temper, and to be much in Ejaculations. 10. We must diligently observe GODS daily Providence. If we will give the LORD our Hearts, our Eyes then must observe his ways, Prov. 23.26. We should not inconsiderately let slip any remarkable Occurrences of GODS Power, wisdom and Goodness to our selves or others. If we ponder and meditate how GGD hears our Prayers, answers our Doubts, relieves our wants, prevents our Fears; Wee shall not want Occasions, if we want not Hearts to lift up. Fifthly some Scruples Resolved concerning Ejaculations. Scruple 1. May not a Christian content himself with these Ejaculations, and use no Morning, nor Evening Sacrifice? Answer. No. For GOD must be glorified with our Bodies, as well as with our Spirits: 1 Cor. 6.20. And our Mouths must show forth his Praise: Psal. 51.15. Scruple 2. Where are we in the Scripture commanded to pray in our Families? Answer. 'Tis gathered by sound Consequence and good Example. Joshuah and his House would serve the LORD. Josh. 24.15. To serve, is to worship: Exod. 20.5. To worship, is to pray: John 9.31. So then, Joshuah and his House would pray. So CHRIST and his Family prayed. And a Curse is prayed for upon the Families that call not upon GOD. Jer. 10. last. Scruple 3 Have not the Unregenerate these Ejaculations? We see many good desires come from them: as, Blessed be thou of the LORD, Judges 17.2. Let me dy the death of the Righteous. Numb. 23.10. Answer. They may have Flashes, as sparks falling on the Sea: they are soon out: they differ from the Regenerate. 1. In the rise of them; Worldly Hopes, or Fears cause them: In the Regenerate they are raised by Gods Spirit: Romans 8.26. They arise out of Love and Respect to God: Psal. 18.1. 2. In the Unregenerate they are only good wishes. 1 Sam. 15.13. In the Godly they are real Prayers. 1 Sam. 1.12, 13. 3. In the unregenerate they are temporary; soon gone: In the Godly they are habitual. Psal. 34.1. Isai. 26.9. 4. In the unregenerate they come onely from the Lips, and so may be customary: Jer. 12.2. In the Regenerate they come from the Heart. Psal. 25.1. And so are more constant, Job. 27.10. Psalm 108: 1. Scruple 4. Do not some attain this holy temper, that they walk thus with GOD without interruption? Answer. Those in Heaven do so. But on Earth we have the first-fruits only. As here we see darkly, 1 Cor. 13.12. &c, So we Converse with God but weakly: Mat. 26.41. We have but little Recourse to God, and that with much ado. ibid. vers. 40, and 43. Yet Some have more then Others: though none perfectly, but sincerely. Isa. 26.8. Scruple 5. Have not many so much worldly business, that they cannot attain these holy Ejaculations? Answer. These are for them especially: that by them they may have recourse to God secretly, because they cannot do it solemnly. Scruple 6. Some pray Morning and Evening, and never labour for these. Answer. As a whelp following his Master over a style, frisks about the Field, and meets his Master again at the other style at the End of the Field: So do these Pray in the Morning, but do rove all day in their Hearts, and then do Pray at Night again. But an ingenuous child goes over the style, runs by his Father over the Field to the other style: So these Christians are an ingenuous People, that keep close to God all the Day. see Psalm 25.5. Prov. 23.17. Scruple 7. It is impossible to attain to this in this World. Answer. Examples do show; that as it is no Novelty: so 'tis no Impossibility. Enoch walked with God. Gen. 5.22, 24. So did Zachariah and his wife, Luke 1.6. And the Apostles had their conversation in Heaven. Phil. 3.20. Scruple 8. This is the way to dash all mirth. To be ever praying, ever setting ourselves before God, is to fall to a Melancholy. Answer. 1. GOD is the Fountain of Joy. To have recourse to Him, is the only way to be full of Comfort. Those in Heaven are conversant with God, and full of joy. Psal. 16.11. 2. This is the way to attain to the right use of Mirth and Recreations. To be made more heavenly in them: Phil. 4.4. To be more moderate in their use: verse 5. And better after wee have used them. To be more fit for good Duties. And more prepared for Heaven, by our wise and holy Carriage in Mirth and Refreshments. sixthly, Uses for Edification. And they are these four. 1. Information. 2. Exhortation. 3. Consolation. 4. Direction. Use 1. First, for Information. This shows there is an inward, hidden, spiritual Life, conversant with God; as well as an outward, natural Life, manifested to men. 2 Cor. 5.7. Which inward Life Christians should Aspire after. Col. 3.1, 2, 3. Use 2. Exhortation. We should Use the means to attain this holy Communion with God, by abstaining from sin and all evils, which quell and dull the Spirit: as Earthlymindednesse, Excessive love to the World, sins against Conscience, Pride of Heart, Intemperance, Passion, coldness in holy Duties. And wee should labour to nourish Faith and Love, and check our dulness, and to endeavour to quicken our Spirits: We should watch our Hearts, and cherish good Motions, oftentimes answering good Motions with holy Ejaculations, as when the Lord says, seek my Face: let our Hearts reply. Lord, thy face will I seek, Psalm 27. ver. 8. Use 3. Consolation. To show how necessary and comfortable these Ejaculations are; ordinary, as upon all Occasions whatsoever; and extraordinary, as at death, and in persecution; when Christians are brought before Tyrants, they may in their Hearts have recourse to GOD, and say, LORD deliver me from this wolf. LORD give me a Mouth and wisdom to answer. LORD stand by thy servant. And the like. Yet the Enemy knows nothing, when God knows the groans. So at Death: when Hands do die, and Eyestrings do break, and the Vital Spirits( as the last refuge) flee to the Heart: when the Tongue cleaveth to the Roof of the Mouth, and a Christian cannot swallow his spittle; then these Ejaculations may be useful. And the Lord that searcheth the Heart, knows the Desires and inward Groans. Thus they may be useful Ordinary and Extraordinary, in Life and in Death; and may be the last service we perform on Eath. Use 4. Direction. To show some Forms for daily practise, and renewed occasions, according to the several Passages of Gods Providence. When we awake. Lord I am still with thee. Psal. 139.18. When we arise. Raise me, O Lord, from sin and sorrow. When we apparel ourselves. Cloath me, O Lord, with the righteousness of thy son. When we go forth. Let thy presence O Lord go with me. Exod. 33.15. When we Return. Lord, bless my Habitation. Prov. 3.33. At our work. bless, LORD, the work of my hands. Psalm. 90.15. At our meat. Blessed be thy Providence. Lord, feed my soul. When we are to speak. LORD give me wisdom. Having Sinned. LORD, I have done evil. When we are Dull. LORD, quicken me. LORD, let thy Spirit revive me. When we feel a good Motion. Lord bless this motion, and increase it. In Temptation. Lord, strengthen thy servant. Lord, assist me with thy Grace. Lord, help me by thy Spirit. In heaviness. Comfort the soul of thy Servant. When we see the Godly. Cause me to love all thy Saints. When we look on our Child. Lord, let this Child live a life of grace in thy-sight. When a cross befalls us. Lord, teach me to profit. Lord, fit me with Patience to bear it. When some come to speak with us. Lord, bless the occasion, whatsoever it be. When wee put off our Clothes. Lord, teach me to put off the Old Man. In Bed. Lord, bring me to thine eternal Rest. Let me close mine eyes in thy Favour. When we meet a Preacher. Lord, let thy Ministers be clothed with thy righteousness. In Opposition. Lord, bow their Hearts to Thee. Lord, restrain them from doing me hurt. The Occasions are innumerable. Sometimes in respect of sin: Sometimes Mercies are renewed. Enemies arise: or Friends show kindness. Comforts are wanting: or joy increases. Our Hearts begin to be dead: or Grace makes them to relent. It goes ill with the Church: or good success befalls them. As a Cunning Gamester at Tables; let what Cast come, that can come, He turns it to further the Game: So, whatsoever befalls us, let us turn it to further our Affections to GOD, and carry these, or the like Ejaculations in our Memory. Remember me, O my God, in goodness, Neh. 5.19. Teach me thy Statutes. Ps. 119.12. Shine on me with thy Favour. see Psalm 4.5, 6. Raise my Soul to Heaven: see Cant. 1.4. Fill me with goodness. Increase Grace in me. inflame my Heart to love thee. show me the beauty of Holinesse. sanctify me, O Lord, throughout. 1 Thes. 5.21. power thy holy Spirit upon me. See Joel 2.28. O let me never forget Thee. Fill me with Joy and Peace in believing. Ro. 15.13. Be Thou the surpassing sweetness of my Soul. Remember me with the Favour of thy People, Psalm 106.4. Quicken me according to thy loving-kin dnesse, Ps. 119.88. These, or the like, as Gods Spirit shall dictate, will be as Salt to keep our Souls from putrefying. As God said to Elijah, 1 Kings 19.9.13. What dost thou here, EliJah? So may we say to the Redeemed Soul grovelling about Earth; What dost thou here, thou Redeemed Soul? Awake, Arise, look to thy Maker, Isai. 17.7. to thy Redeemer: let Him be thy Treasure, thy Joy, thy Satisfaction, the Mirth of thy Spirit. Arise, my Love, my Sister, may Christ say. Arise, my fair one: the price of my blood: come, walk in the Galleries of Heaven: seek the things above. Col. 3.1, 2. These Meditations shall make us to begin our Heaven here. Objection. You that have written this, come short of the same yourself. Resolution. True, I have but an Earnest in respect of the fullness; a Drop in respect of the Ocean: the first-fruits in respect of the Harvest. Yet it is not with Me, as it was with Her, who said, Video meliora: deteriora sequor. I see the better: but follow the worse. But Contrary. 1. I bless God for that measure I have received. 2. I think basely of myself, that it is none otherwise with me. 3. I think highly of those that go before me; on whom God hath bestowed a more excellent Spirit. 4. I endeavour myself to obtain a more holy Frame and Temper of Heart. 5. I use the Means to whet the inward Man. So then, I follow the Better, I see; though I am lead Captive to the Worser, which I do hate. FINIS. Seasonable Directions to Christians, how to behave themselves in these times of Fear and Danger. 1. LEt a man now examine himself, whether he be in the state of grace or no. Let us try our Faith and Repentance. If we will not try ourselves, we are like to be tried; it is our wisdom to do it before hand, Gal. 6.4. Let every man prove his own Work. 2 Cor. 13.5. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the Faith: prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates? 1 Cor. 11.31. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 2. We should carefully wean our minds from the love of of the World. A thing hanged on a pin, is easily heaved off, but things glued together, are hardly sundered: David loved Absolom too much, which made him so much lament when he lost him. Excessive Love to the World, will make the cross ten times the heavier. We should enure ourselves to some hardness: abate some things of Food, Ease, apparel. A Delicate person can hardly suffer. See 2 Tim. 4.10. 1 John 2.15, 16, 17. 3. We should be twice as much exercised in Religious duties as before. Mat. 26.14, 15, 16, 17. When Judas was plotting; Christ went to the Passover. When God comes to visit, let him find us neither idle nor ill employed. Let us be moved with reverence, to use means, to save ourselves, and our Families: See Psalm 32.6, 7. and Isai. 26.20. 4. We should labour to get and keep a good Conscience. Then though we have Troubles without; yet we may have Peace within. Compare Acts 24.16. with 2 Cor. 1.12. If a good Conscience be our Exercise now; it shall be our Joy hereafter. 5. Pray, Sue, and entreat evermore for the Favour of God. It will be intolerable to apprehended the wrath of God, and the wrath of Man both at once: See, Ps. 55.16, 17. Psalm 145.18, 19. Psalm 143.9. 6. Let us acquaint ourselves with Gods Truth, and make much of the Promises. They being stored up, will be as strong waters to keep us from fainting: and as a precious Cordial to revive our poor drooping Spirits. See 2 Peter 1.4. Psal. 12.5, 6. and 50.15. Jam. 1.12. 7. Get into the Heart the sound and experimental Knowledge and Love of the Truth. It is the Truth we are like to suffer for: We cannot suffer for that wee do not know, much less for that we do not love. See Psal. 1.1, 2, 3. Psalm 119.92. and v. 165. 8 We should labour to encourage and Comfort one another, in these evil Times. God hath a Book of Remembrance, of them that speak often one to each other to trust in his Name. Mal. 3.13. to the end. When men do ask, What news? we should Qestion with them; What shall we do to escape Gods Judgements? To stay his Wrath? Shall we pray? and humble ourselves? shall we fast? Shall we become new men? And bind ourselves to God, with an everlasting Covenant? 9. Meditate terrors. Conceive the worst before hand. To be fore-warned is to be fore-armed. Get Hope: get Submission: get Patience. Let us prepare, and set ourselves in a readiness; think often, a judgement is coming. All the faithful Ministers give warning: Many of them are taken away, we may fear, from the Evil to come. The sword is one our neighbour Nations. Our Stay and Strength is taken away. We give too much way to the divorcing sin of Idolatry. Our Parliaments have been often dissolved. The Power of Religion is in many places opposed. Meditate, as if the Enemy had landed, or there were civil Combustion and uproar. The thing I feared( saith Job) is come upon me. 10. Spare not one sin unmortified; keep no beloved Dalilab. The love of one sin will work us more Woe then all our Enemies, and will raise inward Fears and Doubtings: when others shall have joy, peace and consolation of Spirit. Jonas 1. Till our Jonas be thrown over-boord, the winds and waves will not make a League with us. 11. We should cast away all confidence in ourselves, and in our own strength. Peter trusted to himself and fell. In his own might shall no man prevail. 1 Sam. 2. Let us be strong in the Lord and in the Power of His might. Eph. 6.10. 12. We should redeem the time because the days are evil. Especially from idle talking, and speaking of those things which do not concern us, and for speaking whereof may endanger us. The Prudent should keep silence in an evil time: Am. 5.13. The Adversary may entrap us in our Words: therefore take heed before whom, and what, and how you speak. 13. Let our Souls mourn in secret for the sins of the Time and Place we live in. Ezek. 9.4, 5, 6. God has a Pen and overturn to mark the Mourners, as well as a Slaughter-weapon to destroy the sinners. 'Tis better mourning here for sin, then hereafter for Misery. We shall do well to redeem our Time from adding to the sins of others, and bestow it in bewailing Theirs and our own Provocations. Then shal we be marked among the Mourners, and hidden in the day of the LORDS wrath. 14. Let us be often conversant with God by Heavenly Ejaculations. Isai. 26.20. We should enter into our chamber, shut the door, hid ourselves, till the indignation pass over. Let the stream of our thoughts be for Heaven. Let us get under our Fathers wings, and say to him, Thou art my hiding place: Thou shalt encompass me about with Songs of deliverance, Ps. 32.7, 8. &c. 15. We should exercise ourselves in works of mercy. Visit the Sick: Give a pertion to Seven and to Eight: for thou knowest not what evil the Lord will bring on the Earth. Eccles. 11.2. The merciful have the promise to find mercy: Mat. 5. Let us set before our eyes the Joys of Heaven and the Examples of the suffering Saints. Examples show us, 'tis no novelty, nor impossibility to suffer for Christ and the Gospel. Paul overlooks the light Afflictions, and sees the weighty Glory. 2 Cor. 4.17. Moses had an eye to the recompense of Reward. Heb. 11.35. red the whole Chapter, see how Faith breaks through all Troubles. Look to Jesus Christ the author and Finisher of Faith, who for the Joy set before Him, endured the cross, despised the shane, &c. Heb. 12.1, 2. Let us Remember and Consider that our momentany troubles shall be recompensed with everlasting Refreshments. These will not stand in Times of Trouble. 1. THose which do slight God and Religion in their Peace and Prospetity, will never for God and Religin suffer adversity. 2. Those which stand not against Error and False Doctrine, pleading with their mouths; will hardly for the truth part with their blood. 3. Those which serve God now, being moved only by the praise of Men, will leave the service of God, when men disgrace them. 4. Those which cannot endure the smaller trials, will much less stand in the greater. Jer. 12.5. If thou hast run with Foot-men and they have wearied thee, how then wilt thou be able to contend with Horse-men? 5. Those which cannot suffer the power of the Word, to come into their Hearts, will not for the Truth of the Word lay down their Lives. FINIS.