iMEDITATIONSi 
 
 | Jain o k4}0?^ 
 
 Several Subier 
 
 IDIVINI 
 
 g J Particularly, /& ^ £/. 
 
 gp Trufting upon G o d.} fThePower,Evil,and • 
 |p ( J Vilenefs of Sin, J 
 
 (fc Hungring and Thirft- Cj TheCombat betwixt < 
 $j5 ing after Chrift. J C the Fleih and Spirit. ! 
 
 ^ With feveral other Sub>je&s, 
 
 ig And fome choice practical Obfervations ! 
 p throughout the whole. \ 
 
 ^ By the late Reverend and Learned 
 
 §PM*. James F r a s e r of Brea, ] 
 
 ffii Minifler of the Gofpel at Culrofs. 
 
 ^ Faithfully printed from the original Manufcript. J 
 $g Heb. xi. 4. — He being dead, yet fpeaketh. \ 
 
 8R EDINBURGH: 
 
 Ag Printed for Mr. John Macky, and fo}d at his j 
 ^ Shop in the Parliament Clofs. M. DCC. XXI. \ 
 fig [ Price One Shilling. ] 
 

 To the READER. 
 
 TH E following Sheets need no Recom- 
 mendation, after Jo great a Name pre- 
 fixed to the Title Page. It may very 
 well be /aid of the worthy Author Mr. Frafer, 
 as it was f aid of Auguftine, He was a Won- 
 der of Nature, and a Miracle of Grace ; he 
 had a prompt and capacious Spirit, a fertile 
 and rich Fancy, and an incomparable Dexteri- 
 ty in unfolding tho Secrets of corrupt Nature, and 
 the Myfteries of Divine Grace. He had a 
 more than ordinary Infight into God's Covenant 
 of Grace, and it would feem, that the Lord 
 had fingVd him out amongft many, that he 
 might reveal his Son in him. That Scrip- 
 ture was indeed verified in him, Pfal. xxv* 
 14. The Secret of the Lord is with them 
 that fear him, and he will fhew them his 
 Covenant. 
 
 In brief, He was an able Minifter of the 
 New Teftament, rightly dividing the Word 
 of Truth, 2 Tim. ii. 15. A burning and a 
 Alining Light, John v. 35. While he was 
 hereon Earth ketone by his Life andDotlrine, 
 .* and 
 
To the RE A D^ER. 
 
 and now he is Jhining in the higher Houfe> a 
 
 Saint of the fir ft Magnitude. 
 
 The following Meditations are faith- a 
 fully printed from the original Manufcript ; 
 we would not prefume to alter his Way of 
 Speaking, which is peculiar to himfelf and 
 which any who were acquainted with him will 
 eafily bear with. "They were written in his 
 younger Years, and they breathe forth an ardent 
 Love to Chrifiy being the Love of his Efpou- 
 fals ; They contain much of practical Religion, 
 prefsd in a very Evangelical Manner m 
 
 With what Warmth of Affection does he 
 fpeak of Chrift, and with what Detejlation of 
 Sin / With what moving Confiderations does he 
 incite to the Love of the One, and the Hatred 
 vf thiOther! How feelingly does he fpeak of 
 The \ombat betwixt the Flefh and Spirit / 
 And how skilfully does he lead to the blejfed 
 Fountain, for Strength to overcome ! Injhort y 
 thro every Page there is a great Strain of God- 
 linefs cb fey v able ; and the great Number of 
 praElical Books amongft us, needs make none 
 think the publiflnng of this unneceffary, feeing 
 Religion is a Sub j eel that can never be ex- 
 haufted, and the Lord is pleajed y in a way of 
 Sovereignty, to reveal more oj his Mind to 
 fame than others. 
 
 MEDI^ 
 
QQOQQGQQQ QQQQQQQQQ QQg 
 
 MEDITATIONS 
 
 ON SEVERAL 
 
 Subje&s in Divinity. 
 
 MEDITATION L 
 Of Trufiing upon G O IX 
 
 I T hath been a Plague on 
 the Generality of the Spi- 
 rits of Men, to be much 
 taken up with Duties, in 
 themfelves good, and in 
 their own Order good, 
 and convenient ; and yet 
 to neglefl: the more ufe- 
 ful Duties, as Believing, Heart-fearching, 
 and Watchfulnefs,,and Self-denial : The Tithes 
 of the Annife and Cummin are taken up pre- 
 A ciflly 5 
 
» On Trufting ufon GOV. 
 
 cifely, when the weighty Things, or more 
 weighty Tubings of the Law are omitted : And 
 truly this Duty of trufting on G od is very 
 much flighted by thefe who have beft 
 Right and Ground to pra&ife it, whilft 
 others, to whom this Children* Bread doth 
 not belong, do greedily fnatch at it, Mich. 
 in, ii. So that I think it will be gym hard 
 Queftion to determine, whether it is eafier 
 to perfwade true Believers to rejoice in their 
 Portion, and to lay hold on the purchafed 
 Benefit, than to beat prefumptuous wicked 
 Men from their falfe Hopes. 
 
 I fhall, in the firft Place, lay down fome 
 Aflercions, then determine fome QueftiQns, 
 needful to be known, for the opening up of 
 this Duty of trufting and depending upon 
 the Lord. 
 
 Affer'u I. This Duty of trufting on 
 the L o r d is a moral Duty, tying all Perfons 
 at all Times, being from the Beginning of 
 the World : This I fay, becaufe many que- 
 ftion it, I (hall give thefe Reafons for it. 
 (i.) Becaufe it is univerfally commanded. 
 Indeed there are fome Duties univerfally en- 
 joined to the People of God; Truft all ye 
 People upon the Lord; Look unto me> all ye 
 Ends of the Earthy and be ye faved ; for I am 
 GOD, Ifai. xlv. 22. The Reafon here is 
 
 moral, 
 
On Truft mg upn GOD. ' j 
 
 moral, For lam GOD alone : All Ranks and 
 Sorts of People are enjoined this, Pfal.cxv. 
 % 10, ii. Houfe oj Aaron, Ifrael, and all 
 the Fearers of God, Jer. xlix. The Widows 
 of Edom are commanded to truft in the 
 Lord. (2.) The Children of Ifrael, who 
 were a rebellious gracelefs People, are de- 
 ftroycd for not trufting on the Lord, and 
 their Days are confumed in Vanity : Therefore 
 it is the Duty of unregenerate Men to truft 
 on the Lord, Pfal. lxxviii. 32, 3J. and 22, 
 The Anger of the Lord was kindled againft 
 tftem, becaufe they believed not on his Sal- 
 vation, and their Days are /pent in Sorrow, 
 becaufe they believe not for his wondrous 
 Works, Ifai.vii. 9. A wicked Achaz, is com- 
 manded to believe. (3,) Becaufe trufting 
 on the Lord is an honouring of the Lord, and 
 a Thing which the Creature, as a Creature, 
 is bound to do to the Creator. The Lord 
 will not only give a Proof of his Goodnefs 
 and Severity, Rom. ix. 22. for which all the 
 World fhall admire him ; but he will give a 
 Proof of his Faithfulnefs : And therefore his 
 People mufr believe Ks Word, that the Lord 
 may vent his Faithfulnefs. And hence we 
 obferve that the People of God, whofe Life 
 was by Faith, have many excellent Pfalms 
 and Songs of his Faithfulnefs, Thy Faitbful- 
 A 2 nefs 
 
4 On Tr ujling upon GOD, 
 
 nefs is above the Clouds, and above all thy 
 Name, faith David: And truly, they who 
 truft the Lord, have this to fay at the Even- 
 ing, Surely tnere hath not one Word failed 
 of his Promife, Jojh. xxiv. 14, 1 Kings ix. 56. 
 And is it not all your Duty to glorifie the 
 Lord's Faithfulnefs ? Is not this the End for 
 which ye came into the World ? Is not Belie- 
 ving a glorifyingofGod,Ro.iv. 20 Abraham 
 was ftrong in the Faith, giving Glory to God. 
 O all ye who think ye fhould but prefume 
 in believing, and ftand aloof from the Lord ; 
 O remember thou hereby glorify 'ft the Lord 
 as much and more, as when thou art whole 
 Days praying, reading, fading and hearing. 
 AJfert. II. Altho' trufting in the L o r d 
 be a commanded Duty, yet Preemption is 
 nowife, or at no Time commanded in Scri- 
 pture, but exprefly forbidden, Mic. lii. 1 1. 
 Ifai. xlviii. 2. There the prefumptuous flay- 
 ing on God is difcommended : The carnal 
 Jews had a Kind of Faith, IVe have Abra- 
 ham to our Father ; and this their Faith 
 made them make a Fafhion of flying from the • 
 Wrath to come; there fhall no Evil come to 
 us : And fo there are feveral Duties in them- 
 feives good, and commanded, yet the carnal 
 Way of going about thefe Duties is dif- 
 commended, as a Thing that the Lord will 
 
 not 
 
On Trufting upon GOD, 5 
 
 not away with : .The Lord requires ftretching 
 the Hand to God, making of Prayers, keep- 
 ing of the New-Moons, foiemn Feafts ,• yet 
 as' they pra&ifed them, the Lord faith, Who 
 hath required thefe Things at your Hands, Ifai. 
 i. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Pial. 1. i(5. Tode- 
 clare the Lord's Statutes is a moral Duty in 
 it felf, but it is not a Duty to a wicked 
 Man, hating Inftru&ion, and as he perfor- 
 meth it. 
 
 Queft. W h e n is Trufting on the Lord 
 Preemption ? And when or how do Men 
 fin in trufting to the Lord ? Anfw. In thofe 
 five Cafes, (1.) When it is done without 
 any Ground or Warrant, by a Gommand ; 
 or when the Duty is done by a carnal Heart, 
 for iome feeming Good accruing thereby, 
 when the Man's Obedience is not drawn 
 forth by Virtue and Authority of God's 
 Command : I grant there is a Command 
 for believing on the Lord, flaying on him ; 
 but their Obedience doth not refped or flow 
 from that Command ; and the general Ob- 
 jection will bz,Who hath required thefeThings 
 at your Hand? By what Authority doft thou 
 thefe? What haft thou to do, to take my Cove- 
 nant in thy Mouth ? For look as when the 
 King) Matth. xxii. made a Feafi y unto 
 which the Blind and Lame were invited, and 
 A ,3 calle4 
 
6 On Truftmg ufon GOD. 
 
 called to come, and at laft compelled ; as it 
 was their Duty to come, when called and 
 invited, fo it had been Prefumpiion in 
 them to come till the Lord had commanded 
 and invited : And as any Thing done by 
 Virtue of a Command or Call is Duty, fo 
 fome Things in themfelves Duties,and com- 
 manded, yet not done by them, as com- 
 manded, nor with an Eye to that Command, 
 are Preemption : Fear taught by the Pre- 
 cepts of Men is unwarrantable, not that I 
 mean an aftual Refle&ion upon a Command 
 is at all Times needful , an habitual Autho- 
 rity is fufficient. Confider no Man hath 
 hired us. (2.) When Men truft on the 
 Lord, that they may the more boldly fin, 
 and ftand out againft all Threatnings of 
 God, and continue in their Sins, then it is 
 Preemption, Mic. iii. 11. Hof. viii. 2. Deut. 
 xxix. 19. For the Lord hath no where war- 
 ranted, or given a Promife to truft on him, 
 and given a Promife of Freedom from Pu- 
 nifliment,notwithftanding they continue ftill 
 willingly and wilfully in Guilt and VVickcd- 
 kednefs ; for this were but to make his 
 Goodnefs, and Love, and Condefcendency, 
 as a Wall, whereon they might build againft 
 the Lord, and to make Chrift a Pander to 
 their Lufts, and a Sconce to protect their 
 
 Lufts > 
 
On Trufting upon GOD. 7 
 
 Lufts, and Sins from the Lord ,• will ye fin, 
 Whore, commit Adultery, and fwear falfly, 
 and ccy,The "Temple of the Lord; Jer. vii. 9, To* 
 And therefore, (3.) When the Lordpromi- 
 fes any Mercy upon a Condition to be per- 
 formed, when that Condition is not fulfil- 
 led, yet to believe the Accomplishment of 
 the Promife (efpecially when fuch a Pro- 
 mife was as a Bait for, and an Allurement 
 to the Condition) is Preemption. If the 
 Lord fhould have promifed Jehu, That his 
 Seed fhould fit upon the Throne to the 
 fourth Generation, if he fhould kill the 
 Prophets of Baal ; and if Jehu fhould not 
 have done it, but wickedly contemned the 
 Command, in that Cafe it had been Pre- 
 emption in Jehu ro have challeng'd the 
 Lord on his Promife, and confidently be- 
 lieved the Performance of the Promife ex 
 eo capite, or by virtue of his Tranfa&ion. It 
 had been Preemption in Adam, to have 
 challenged and expected an immortal Life 
 from God, after he had eaten of the for- 
 bidden Fruit, ex hoc capites and v by virtue 
 of this Covenant with God ; fo I deny not y 
 but Adam might have Grounds of Hope, 
 from the Goodnefs and Power of God, for a 
 Remedy, but not by virtue of this Covenant. 
 (4.) When People are confident and per- 
 A 4 fwaded 
 
8 On Trujlwgupon GOD. 
 fwaded of any Mercy, whether fpiritual or 
 temporal, which they have no Promife for, 
 but only Grounds of Hopes, from the 
 s Lord's loving gracious Nature, which is to 
 ftay their Hearts, and keep them only from 
 defpairing ; when they make this their 
 Ground of Pcrfwafion and Confidence, 
 Mic. iii. ii. No Evil fa all come to us; Is net 
 the Lord among us} For nothing but the 
 Lord's Promife can raife our Faith to a 
 Confidence, and full Affiirance, Heb. vi. 18. 
 *Tis this only that can give ftroog Confola- 
 tion to the Heirs of Salvation ; for tho* the 
 Lord be gracious and good, abundant in 
 Goodnefs and Truth, yet is he not tied to 
 be fo neceflfarily unto thee; but hath Mercy 
 en whom he will, and whom he will he harden- 
 et h, and perhaps thee. Strip thy f elf of thy 
 Garments ; that I may know what to do unto 
 thee, Exod. xxxiii. 6. The Lord is free to 
 do any Thing with a finful People that he 
 pleafes, or to all the World ; For who hath 
 given him, and it (hall be repaid him ? But 
 the Lord faith, That his Name is a ftrong 
 Tower, and the Righteous arc fafe, when they 
 flee to it, and they that truft in his Name' 
 (hall not be confounded. I grant all, but then 
 it is not his Name (imply that can raife this 
 Confidence and Perfwafion, bat his Name 
 
 mad? 
 
On Tru fling upon GOD. 9 
 
 jnade over by Promife and Covenant unto 
 his People 5 and then it is a ftrong Tower, 
 and Confidence, and Affurance may be built 
 on it : The Lord's Omnipotency, limply 
 in it felf, will not be comfortable unto 
 Abraham^ fo as to take away all Doubts 
 and Fears, unlefs thefe Words be added, 
 Gen. xix. 2. I will make my Covenant with 
 thee. He therefore that would come with 
 full Affurance, let him have the Name of 
 the Lord made over to him by Covenant 
 and Promife, Heb. x. 21, 22. (5.) Then is 
 trufting on the Lord Prefumption, altho* it 
 be warrantable to truft in God, yet when 
 any Thing in themfelves is the Ground of 
 that, when we value any Thing in our 
 felves, as Privileges, Duties, Gifts, or other 
 Qualifications ,• when they are valued, I 
 fay, at fo high a Rate, as to build our Con- 
 fidence on them, or to think them the for- 
 mal Reafon why God beftows any Thing 
 upon us, when we claim it by way of De- 
 fert : Now, here many miftake ; for 
 ask them, why they believe the Lord will 
 perform fuch and fuch Things ; they anfwer, 
 Oh! I have prayed for it; lam humbled, 
 I have fuch and fuch Qualifications ; Oh ! 
 know the Lord will owe thee nothing for 
 that. Thou art but an unprofitable Servant 
 
 ftiiU 
 
jo On Truftitig upon GOD. 
 ftill, Lukenvii 10. If the Lord will do any 
 Thing for thee, it fhall not be by thy Co- 
 venant, even when thou art aftamed and 
 loatheft thy klf, but for his Names fake, and 
 fliall make thee know it too, Ezek. xvi. 60, 
 61. The Jews cry'dftiil, the Temple of the 
 Lord> and would take Counfel agamfl Jeremy. 
 Why, were they not afraid the Lord fhould 
 avenge his Death ? No, they were the 
 People of God ; for the Law foaU not perijh 
 from the Prophet, Ver. 18. Oh! learn, not 
 to let thy right Hand know what thy left Hand 
 is doing in all thefe, otherwife ye fhall find 
 nothing: Not for your fakes do I this, but for 
 my Nairn's fake. I grant indeed, gracious 
 Qualifications to which Promifes are an- 
 nexed, jf feen or felt by the Spirit, may be 
 Ground of Confidence, but not for any 
 real Worth in themfelves, but as they are 
 advanced by the Lord's Goodnefs, to be 
 that which gives the Soul Right, for the 
 Lord Jefusfake ; and this doth only ferve, 
 to evidence unto us our Right acquired by 
 Jefus Ghrift, unto all good and fpiritual 
 Mercies, and to fit us paffively for thefe 
 good Things which the Lord promifes •> they 
 have no Value in themfelves, but all that 
 they fignify is from the Covenant : Not unto 
 us, Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give 
 
 Glory. 
 
 / 
 
On Truftwg ufon GOD. 11 
 
 Glory. All our RighteoujneJJes are as filthy Rags. 
 Calling out of Devils in Chrift's Name, is 
 that which a carnal proud Heart cafts up 
 unto Chrift, and is the Ground of his Con- 
 fidence. 
 
 AJfert. III. All Faith in unregene- 
 rate Men, and Hypocrites, and all De- 
 pendanq|they have in God,altho'it be not 
 faving, but ordinarily fails, yet is not Pre- 
 sumption,, but a kind of Faith, cqmirg fhort 
 of true Faith. Thefe mentioned, Heb.'vu 
 had no Queftion fome Faith, and he who 
 came upon the King's Invitat en, which is 
 an Aft of Faith, to the Supper, it was not 
 Prefumption in him (imply to come ; nay, 
 his Guilt had been very great if he had not 
 come, although he had not the wedding 
 Garment : nay, he is not reproved for co- 
 ming, but for not having the wedding Gar- 
 ment, Matth. xxii. 12. Nor could he have 
 ftiifted the Call ; Oh ! I want a wedding 
 Garment ; for all were invited, whether 
 they have it or not : When Faith or Truft- 
 ingis put in Praftice from a Command, it 
 is no Prefumption, altho' other Faults 
 make it a lame Faith, and an unprofitable 
 Faith, as to fave them, Exod. xiv. 33. The 
 Children of Ifraefs Faith is commended an4 
 mentioned, tho* it was not faying, Exod.-< 
 
 xiv. 
 
12 On Trujiwg upon GOD- 
 
 xiv. 3 1* They believed the Lord and Mofes : 
 And truly, the/ they came fliorr of afaving 
 Faith, yet it wants not its Reward, and is 
 a lefs Sin, than wilful Unbelief, John ii. 
 23, 24, 25. The People cf Ifrael remem- 
 bred that God *was their Redeemer, and their 
 Reck. And truly this might produce fome 
 Ltependance on God for outward Mercies, 
 Pfal. xxviii. 35. And look, as Jehus Re- 
 formation, Ahab's Humiliation is recorded, 
 and rewarded by God, altho* none of them 
 were found and real, either in the one or 
 in the other, 1 Kings xxi. 29. 2 Kings x. 
 30 : So may the Lord reward a temporary 
 Faith, and believing upon him. There is 
 no Queftion, but when the Israelites, in the 
 Time of the Judges, cry'd unto the Lord 
 for a Saviour, they had fome Dependance 
 on him ; otherwife what would have made 
 them come to him ? And this I fay, be- 
 caufe many are prefs'd in their Conscience 
 to believe,are invited, requefted to come in, 
 nay commanded, threatned unlefs they do 
 believe, and yet are frill kept off with this, 
 Oh ! I fear I fhall pre fume, I cannot be- 
 lieve ; no more can you pray, fanftify a 
 Sabbath, or meditate, yet ye do as you 
 can, becaufe you are commanded ; do fo 
 here, do what thou canft, and verily, tho' 
 
 thou 
 
On Trufting upon GOD. t$ 
 thou come fhort of faving Faith, thy Guile 
 fiull be lefs. But fhall I believe without 2 
 Promife ; I grant conditional Promifes, you 
 cannot promife your felves the Performance 
 of them ; becaufe, the Condition is not 
 performed. Oh! But look up unto the 
 Lord for thefe which he hath.promifed.ab- 
 folutely ; Look up to his Power, Love, and 
 Goodnefs to work it in thee : And truly 
 here is Ground for all, to fay, It may be 
 the Lord will be gracious, and to conclude 
 that there is Hope concerning this "Thing ; and 
 there to ftay and fay, Let the Lord do what 
 he zvill with me. 
 
 Affert. IV. There is a Twofold Faith 
 and Truft, one is a Faith of AJfurance, ano 
 ther is a Faith of Dependence, and it is not 
 the Duty of any unregenerate Man to de- 
 pend on God, by the Faith of AJfurance; 
 for this Faith of AJfurance is built upon the 
 Promifes of God, which are only yea and 
 amen in Chrifi ; In whom, no unregenerate 
 Man hath any Intereft. The Faith of De- 
 fendance is built (in an unregenerate Man, 
 I mean) upon the Goodnefs, Tendernefs, 
 Love, and Power of God, which he is free 
 to communicate, when and where, and to 
 whom he pleafes, which, in themfelves, can- 
 not be Ground of Confidence, or Perfwa- 
 
 fion 
 
14 On Tru fling upon GOD. 
 lion, unlefs, as promifed to the Soul : $bw 
 all Promifes flow unto Believers by Chrift, 
 Eph. ii. 12. I grant like wife, that a Man 
 cannot have good Ground of Duty, to lip- 
 pen unto the Lord's Goodnefs, without 
 Chrift; or that the Lord fhall do any Thing 
 to him without the Lord Jefus, and for his 
 formal leaning to God fo qualified ; nor can 
 he expect any Thing from the Lord upon 
 that Account: If fo be time may be Hope, 
 yet is he to look up to him. 
 
 Affert. V. I t is a moft difficult Thing 
 to believe, and depend upon the Lord : 
 We may fee this in the Ifraelites, when 
 they were in the Wildernefs, all the Mer- 
 cies, Wonders, Teftimonies of the Lord's 
 Good-will fhown to them, could not break 
 them off their Unbelief ; For they finned 
 more and more, and. did not believe, for all his 
 wondrous Works ; fometimes through Senfe, 
 which is ftill contrary to Faith. Oh ! Can 
 thefe Things be? Can he prepare a 'Table in 
 the Wildemefs ? Shall Sarah have Pleafure 
 that is old ? Tho* the Lord Jhould open the 
 Windows of Heaven, this cannot be % , fome- 
 times Anguifli of Spirit, and outward Af- 
 flictions. Exod. vi. 9. The Children 'of If 
 rael could not believe for Anguifh of Spirit, 
 and cruel Bondage j fometimes, and mainly 
 
 by 
 
On Trufting upon GOD. i $ 
 by Reafon of Guilt. Oh 1 I muft not 
 touch this Ark, left I be (mitten through ; 
 my -Sins are many, I cannot look up ; and 
 therefore, depart from me, for I am a finful 
 Man ; jhall the Childrens Bread be given to 
 fuch a Dog as 1 am, who hath finned fo 
 hainouily and grievoufly ? fo as never one 
 was fo vile ; never one had fuch a ftub- 
 born Heart, a dead flothful Heart. And, 
 Laflly, Becaufe many miftake the Nature 
 of the Covenant of Grace, thinking to fetch 
 Money to buy Wine, Milk, and other fa- 
 ving Graces ; becaufe thou art poor, mife- 
 rable, blind, and naked ; nay, becaufe thou 
 knows it not, I counfel thee to buy of mc 
 fine Gold, and Raiment, and Eye-falve, Rev. 
 Hi 18. ^.nd true Believers find much Dif- 
 ficulty here fometimes, and Unbelief hath 
 Word about with Faith. 
 
 For the opening of this Duty more 
 fully : I fliall unfold thefe Things. 
 
 Fir ft, Wherein doth this Duty confift, 
 and what it doth import. 
 
 Secondly, Give fome ufeful Dire&ions, 
 Jhowing how the Soul may be enabled to 
 depend on God. 
 
 Thirdly, W h e r e 1 n the Leaning or Faith 
 of Believers doth mainly differ from that 
 which is counterfeit, and in Hypocrites. 
 
 Fourthly? 
 
\6 On Tf lifting upon GOD. 
 
 Fourthly, Give fome ufeful Cautions for 
 preventing of Miftakes, that ordinarily a- 
 rife anent this. 
 
 Fifthly, Give fome Motives to prefs for- 
 ward this Duty. 
 
 For the//?, Then know that this Du- 
 ty doth coniiit in thefe Things. 
 
 (i.) Denied ness to our felves, and our 
 Abilities, and to any other Thing befide God: 
 The Soul muitfee no Help in it feif* or in any 
 other Creature, otherwife it will be leaning to 
 fuch broken Planks. 2 Cbron.xx. 12. pj/i have 
 no Help again ft this Multitude, and our Eyes 
 are towards thee. 
 
 They are ciirfed, who make the Arm of 
 Flefh their Confidence, or any Means : 
 This is a Covering, but not of God's Spi- 
 rit; and truly, here is the firft Ground 
 Work of folid, and found believing, and Dc- 
 pendance on God. Jer.xvi. 19. Lord, our 
 Fathers have inherited Lies, Vanity, and Things 
 wherein there is no Profit ; and therefore, 
 when thefe empty Citterns are feen, which 
 the Lord doth commonly, by breaking thefe 
 Pitchers, and making them fail in their 
 greateft Extremity, there is no more de- 
 pending upon them : Afhur Jhall not fave 
 us ; we will Jfide no more upon Horfes ; in 
 'vain have we looked for Salvation from the 
 
 Mountains : 
 
On Trufting upon GOD- ty 
 
 Mountains : And hence not leaning to 
 the Underftanding of Men, and trufting to 
 the Lord, are coupled together. Prov. iiu ' 
 5. (2.) A feeing of all Fulnefs in the Lord, 
 a Plaifter for all their Maladies and Sores; 
 fo that what the Soul lacks, it kcs 
 it in the Lord, it {qqs the Lord powerful, 
 and willing to beftow ; In the Lord Jehovah 
 is everlafting Strength : It fees all Fulnefs m 
 him, the Ocean and Sea of all Com- 
 fort ,• and hence, called the Fountain of 
 living Waters ; and hence, the firft QuefH- 
 on- asked at thofe which came to Chrift, 
 was this ; Dofl thou believe I am able ? He 
 that cometh to God, mull believe that he /V, 
 and a Reivarder of them that diligently feek 
 him> Heb. xl 6. O Ifrael, thou haft dejiroyed 
 thy felf ; but in me is thy Help found, Hof. 
 xiii. 9. And this fills the Soul with a great 
 Delight, when it kts all the Defires of his 
 Heart in Gcd,which Men cannot takeaway, 
 whence ari fes a Hope in the Soul : O, it may 
 be the Lord will be gracious ; and thus, when 
 the Saints fee all the Strings on their Bows 
 broken, all Pitchers broken, all Cifterns 
 empty, yet here they can retire, and here 
 foiace, and delight themfelves ; and by thus 
 believing in God, all the vaft/and capaci- 
 ous Defires of their Soul, .which all the 
 B World 
 
4 
 
 I S On TrujHng upn GOD. 
 World could not fatisfy, are here anfwered, 
 and fulfilled ; as is moll clear, Pfal. xxx vii. 4. 
 (3.) There muft be a prizing of all thefc 
 Things, in hungring and thirfting after them; 
 and this is principally occafioned by the Suit- 
 ablenefs^Qf all thefe Things to the Crea- 
 ture's Wants ; O ! I am blind ; the Lord is 
 Light ; Chrift is a Light ; and I am foolifh, 
 imprudent ; The Lordgiveth JVifdom, he is 
 the only wife God, and the wonderful Coun- 
 cilor ; I am weak ,• O, I am weak ; the 
 Lord is ftrong : In the Lord Jehovah is ever- 
 lofting Strength. O ! I am under the Power 
 of Sin and Satan, and am guilty : But 
 with him is Mercy and plenteous Redemption^ 
 and. he will redeem Ifrael from all his Iniquities. 
 But I have many Enemies ; He will be a 
 Refuge, a Sun, and a Shield : O ! but my 
 Contentments are broken : Delight thy felf 
 in the Lord, and he will fulfil the Defires of 
 thine Heart ; fo that a Chriftian finds all in 
 God, and this makes him hunger long, 
 and thirft for the living God ,• for with thee 
 is the Fountain of Life : An ignorant, hard, 
 proud, covetous Perfon, who hath more 
 than Heart could wifh, prizes not this ; 
 why ? he hath the Defire of his Soul ,• we are 
 Lords, we will not come to thee, we will ride 
 m Horfes, and go to Egypt, there their own 
 
 Sparks 
 
On Trufimg upon GOD. 1 9 
 Sparks warm them ,• but know it, yejballly 
 down in Sorrow, and your Purfuers fhall be 
 fwift. To conclude, none will depend on 
 God, for that, which he thinks, he hath 
 himfelf ; and tho' he wants both, yet he 
 prizes it not, hungers not, nor thirfls not 
 after the Lord ; and therefore, looks not 
 unto the Lord for it. (4.) There muft be 
 a Ground laid, upon which the Soul builds, 
 and this muft be nothing in the Creature 
 it felf, but all in God, and it is either his 
 Goodnefs, thou art Good, and dofl Good: 
 With the Lord is plenteous Redemption, and he 
 wili redeem Ifrael from all his Iniquities ; or 
 his Power, and his Faithfulnefs ; and where 
 there is a ftrong Faith, it- is built on this, 
 Pfal. cxlvi. 5, 6, 7. Happy is the Man, who 
 hath the God of Jacob for his Help ; He made 
 Heaven and Earth, there is his Power ; who 
 keepeth Truth for ever ; there is his Faithfulnefs; 
 who executeth Judgment for the oppreJfed y and 
 giveth Food to the hungry ; here is his Good- 
 nefs, Sometimes former Experiences; He 
 that delivered me from the Jaws of the Bear, 
 and the Paw of the Lion ; the Lord will deliver 
 me fro?n this uncircumcifed Philiftine : Some- 
 times from a Command ; and then he faith, 
 He hath not commanded the Houfe of Jacob in 
 vain to feek his Face ; and therefore, there is 
 B a Hope 
 
20 On Trufiing uj>on GOD. 
 
 Hope ,• fometimes the Blood ofjefus Chrifl, 
 which fpeaketh better "Things than that of Abel, 
 is holden up, for this Peace on Earth, and 
 Good-will towards Men } and having fuch an 
 High-prieft, may come with full AJfurance to 
 the Throne of Grace, Heb. x. 23. Sometimes 
 the Promifes of God, and thefe yield ftrong 
 Confolation to the Heirs of Glory, when 
 their Security is God's Oath, by two im- 
 mutable Things ; O Believers ! depending 
 on the Lord is no vain Thing ; for they 
 fliall renew their Strength like Eagle s, that fo 
 do ,• Nor is it a groundlefs Thing; no- 
 thing can make your Confidence and Hope 
 groundlefs, but when it is builded on your 
 felves. (5.) Expectation of Good from 
 thefe Grounds, / wiS look unto the Lord, from 
 whom my Help cometh : Our Eyes are towards 
 thee, O Lord ; Hence David faith, My Ex- 
 pectation is only from the Lord, who madeHea-* 
 <ven and Earth ; for if the Soul come to fay, 
 There is no Hope in Ifrael concerning this 
 Thing, then farewell Faith, and depending 
 upon the Lord ; and therefore, it is fit that 
 a Man Jhould both hope, and quietly wait 
 for the Salvation of his God, Lam.iii. 26. 
 None can truft on the Lord for any Thing, 
 but fuch as expeft from him ; he could not 
 truft on God, who faid, Surely, tho' the 
 
 Lord 
 
On Tr lifting upon GOD. 21 
 Lord fhould open Windows in Heaven, yet 
 could not fuch a Thing be> 2 Kings vii. 3/ 
 (6.) There is refting, and quieting, and 
 Satisfa&ion to the Soul; and therefore, it 
 is cafling your Burdens upon the Lord ; trufl 
 in Gody and be of good Chear : For when the 
 Soul hath, by Faith, feen all Fulnefs in God, 
 and depended upon him, and by the fame 
 Faith hath {een the fulfilling of the Pro- 
 jnife ; For Faith is the Evidence of Things 
 not feen, the Subflance oj Things hoped for ; 
 Faith embraces all as its own, e'er it be 
 put in aftual PofTeffion of a Jot, having the 
 Lord's Security, this cannot but flay the 
 Heart, and all the Time that it wants the 
 Mercy, it accounts the fame to run 
 on Intereft ; If a. l f 11. Let him trufl in 
 the Lord) and flay upon his God; The 
 Heart will reft on the Lord in Hope, 
 the Soul disburdening it felfof all its Cares, 
 and lays them on the Lord himfelf; hence 
 trufting on the Lord is called, a cafling the 
 Burden on the Lord. Now here Hypocrites 
 Faith comes fhort ; for tho' they make a 
 Fafhion of leaning upon the Lord, yet their 
 Hearts are commonly never more lighted, 
 but their Fears remain in as great Vigour 
 as ever, becaufe they can never fully believe 
 the Lord's Faithfulnefs, nor his Good-will^ 
 B 3 no* 
 
22 On Tru fling upon GOD. 
 nor his Power ; hence their Hearts are ever 
 troubled, especially in temporal Mercies, in 
 the Want of which they cannot live purely 
 on God, becaufe he was never their Reft ; 
 whereas the Believer,give him God,give him 
 Chrift, and he feeks no more, as is clear, Hah. 
 iii. 17, 18. Oh ! A living God is the moft 
 defirable Thing in the World ; a naked Chrift 
 is fweet, is comfortable : God is our Refuge ; 
 and therefore no Troubles, tho" the Foun- 
 dations of the Earth be fliaken, Pfal. xlix. 
 1. Now, every wicked Hypocrite, let him 
 leave never fo many Things, yet a carnal 
 Heart, which ftill cleaves to him, never 
 leaves him ; and hence can never be fatif- 
 fied with a Spiritual Good alone, and cries 
 ftill, Give, give 1 who will Jhew us any Good? 
 Hence will truft the Lord for this for a 
 while, but the Vifion tarries ; nay, no hopes 
 of it ; and therefore, why jhould I wait any 
 longer upon the Lord? The Lord himfelf doth 
 not, nay cannot comfort him ; Can he give 
 us his Flejh to eat ? And therefore, wanting 
 their Jewel, the Life of their right Hand, 
 hence fink, and their Hearts die like a Stom 
 within them. 
 
 The next Thing I promifed was fome 
 Direftions enabling us to truft, or how we 
 may depend upon God ; and the Means are 
 
 thefe 
 
On Trufling upon GOD. 2 $ 
 thefe, 1 . Labour not only to know thy Wants, 
 but to feel thy Wants,foas thy Soul may hunger 
 andthirft for theThing hoped for,and never 
 be fatisfied, until the Lord fill it with good 
 Things, Ifai. xxv. 4. Feel thy own Wants, 
 and thy Mifery, by reafon of them. Oh ! 
 the Plague, the Evil, the only Evil of the 
 whole World : Their Wants are many and 
 great, they know they want fuch Things, 
 they want God, they want Chrift, they 
 want Strength, Life, they want Grace, they 
 are dying, and pining away in their Sins ; 
 yet cannot they mourn, nor feel their terrible 
 Evil, by reafon they eat, live, fleep, drink, 
 and in a Moment go down to the Grave, and 
 none of thefe Evils laid to Heart; hence can 
 live eternally without the Lord, never mourn 
 for him, never long for him, never break their 
 Nights Sleep for him. Oh ! here is their 
 Wound ; they know their Want of God and 
 Chrift ; and if a few formal lazy Prayers will 
 fetch him, this they will beftow ; if not, even 
 fare him well, they can fliift well enough 
 without him; their Hopes, Graces and good 
 Duties, and Defires, comfort and give 
 Peace, and the World gives Satisfaction and 
 Contentment ; and thus their Minds are 
 fatisfied : Oh ! labour therefore to know, 
 and feel your Need of the Lord Jefu$ and 
 B 4 'of 
 
24 On Tru fling upon GOD.* 
 of all fpirituai Mercies, that thou mayfi: 
 with the Prodigal find it ftarving to ftay from 
 thy Father, Luke xv. and Death, and going 
 down to the Pit, and then verily the Lord 
 will help ; for he invites fuch. This gives 
 thee a Right firfl, and will help thy Confi- 
 dence, when thou feeft a Promife, Ifai. Iv. i, 
 2,3. This will help thee to go about all the 
 Means which the Lord will have to convey 
 any fpirituai Merey. A Man that prizes not 
 a Mercy, k^s not his Mifery in the Want 
 of it ; and therefore will not care much 
 whether he have it or not : But, Oh ! when 
 the Soul comes to this, I muft have Chrift, I 
 mufthaveHeavenJ mufl ha veGrace,I cannot 
 longer want it, I die, and pine away, I will 
 do any Thing for my Life, I will give any 
 Thing for -the Sin of my Soul. The Jews were 
 pricked at the Heart : Then, what fhatt we do ? 
 We will do any Thing. Hence Men on 
 Death-bed will promife any Thing for a lit- 
 tle more Time, becaufe now they fee and 
 feel the Need of it ; and in Hell Reprobates 
 would do anyThing • Now they fee the Ne- 
 ceffity of it, as feen and felt, Ifai. xli. 17, 
 18, 19. When David was overwhelmed, 
 and had none to fave him on the right Hand, 
 or on the left ; then thou, Lord, art my Refuge y 
 and wy Portion in the Land of the Living, as is 
 
 clear 
 
On Tr ujling upon GOD. 2$ 
 clear from Pfalm cxlii. 4, 5. (2.) Labour 
 to be well acquainted with the Lord's Name, 
 which is the righteous Man's ftrongeft Tower, 
 to which he always retires, Prov. xviii. 10. 
 ? Tis faid in Pfalm ix. 9, 10. The Lord is a 
 Refuge for the oppreffed ; and, They that know 
 thy Name, will put their Trufl in thee. Verily 
 there needeth not much more to a folid Be- 
 lieving, and a living the Life of Faith, than a 
 knowing the Name of the Lord : And truly 
 the Saints did draw all their Arguments from 
 this Armory; and this is taking hold on the 
 Lord's Strength ; and this makes Men prevail 
 with the Almighty. What ! art thou finful, 
 and cannot get them removed at all? 
 Thou knoweft not if the Lord will : He is 
 a God that fubdues Iniquity, and therefore will 
 caft them in the ?nidft of the Sea, Mic. vii. 19. 
 Art thou weak, and haft none to do for thee > 
 Remember the Lordhelpeth the oppreffed againfl 
 thofe that are too firong for him, Pfalm xii. fj 
 Would his People have any great Aft done, 
 in which the Name of the Lord might be 
 feen ?. O then the great, the mighty* and 
 the terrible God, the God of all Flejh, that 
 made Heaven and Earth, Jer. xxxii. 17, 1 8, 
 19, 20. Trufl in the Lord, (faith David) in 
 him is ever la fling Strength : He can help thee, 
 he made Heaven and Earth ; he is Faithful 
 
 that 
 
&6 On Tr lifting upon GOD. 
 
 that promifed \ he is true and righteous in 
 all his Ways. But, will he do Good? Yes, 
 he executeth Judgment for the oppreffed, Pfalm 
 cxlvii. <5, 7, 8. Job v. 8, 9, io. I would 
 commit my Caufe unto him ; Why ? He 
 doth marvellous Things without Number 7 he 
 pdleth down, and raifeth up. "Thou art good, 
 and doft good ; teach me thy Statutes. The 
 Lord cannot deny his Name ; and this fills 
 the Soul with Comfort, and gives it Confi- 
 dence, in that in a manner it is God's Na- 
 ture to help, kind, compaffionate, having 
 Mercy on whom he will y delivering the op- 
 preffed, abundant in Goodnefs and Truth ; and 
 therefore will deliver Ifraelfrom all his Tranf- 
 grejfions. Pf. cxxx. 7, 8. With the Lord is Mercy. 
 (3.) Get an Intereft in God, make him 
 your all, and this will wonderfully ftrength- 
 cn Confidence and Faith ; they that fee no 
 Light,and would truft on the Lord's Name, 
 muft flay upon his God, If a. 50. 10. Make 
 the Lord thine, embrace Chrift, and all his 
 Fulnefs, when offered at any Time, and then 
 make bold with him and his ; a Woman 
 that would command any Thing belong- 
 ing to any Man, muflfird marry the Man, 
 and then what is his is her's. Pfal. xxiii. 1. 
 'The Lord is ?ny Shepherd^ I jhaii not want ; and 
 the Ground is, He that giveth us his Son, how 
 
 fball 
 
On Trufting upon GOD. 27 
 
 JhaU he not with him freely give us all Things ? 
 Pfal. lxiii. 1. O Lord, thou art my God> early 
 will Ifeek thee. This makes the Soul prize 
 the Thing longed for, when ic confiders 
 that as belonging and appertaining to it 
 felt"; this fets a Value upon Things; and 
 hence David, in the Place forecittd, faith, 
 My Soulthirfteth^andlongeth for the Lord:This 
 doth engage the Lord, as it were, to look 
 to thee ; thou art then his own, his Child, 
 his Spoufe, his Friend, If a. lxiii. 14, 16. 
 Jer. xxxi. 20. Is Ephraim, my dear Son ? is 
 he a pleafant Child ? For Jince IJpake againfl 
 him> I remember fiim : I will furely have Mercy 
 on him ; and this from his Love, and his 
 Credit. What, fhall he fuffer his own to 
 want? The Lord will, for his Honours fake, 
 fee to his own, that have committed them- 
 felves unto him. This will encreafe the 
 Soul's Confidence ; Is he a Father, Huf- 
 band, Guider, and Counfellor to me, and 
 fhallldoubt of this? If a. lxiii. 18. I am 
 thine, preferve me. The Soul, may, in a 
 holy Boldnefs, fay, I make ufe of my own. 
 Nehemiah builds his Confidence on this, 
 Neh. i. 10. and yet more clear in Jer. iti. 
 23. Truly in the Lord our God is Salvatim : 
 The Lord will not cafl off his People, Hab. Hi 
 1$. Confider to whom thou hail done 
 
 this ; 
 
2^ On Truftwg upon G 0{D. 
 this ; his People may fay, O Lord God of 
 cur Salvation, Ffal. cii. 24. This is our God, 
 we have waited for him y If a. xxv. 9. This 
 will help the Soul to honour the Lord ; If 
 I be your Father, where is mine Honour ? and 
 to fee the Lord's Glory in its Good, Not 
 unto us, but unto thy Name. The Lord is a 
 Stranger to every unregenerate Man, and 
 to every Hypocrite ; and therefore he cares 
 not what becomes of him or of his Glory. 
 Now, a Soul united unto Chrift by Faith, 
 and married unto the Lord, they have one 
 common Incereft, and the Lord's Honour 
 is his Honour, and therefore he feeksit as his 
 own. (4.) Direction, Labour to fee the 
 Lord's Glory in performing of all thefe 
 Things for thee,for which thou depends up- 
 on him, and this will breed Confidence ; for 
 a Man may, and eafily will peffwade him- 
 felfof this, that the Lord will glorify him- 
 felf ; and becaufe their particular Interefts 
 ate woven in with this, hence believing the 
 one, he believes the other, which is insepar- 
 ably annexed to it, and this is it that moves 
 Mofes, and ftrengrhens and fteels his 
 Prayers with Faith, even tho' he had 
 to do with a ftiff-necked and rebel- 
 lious People. Why fhould the Egypti- 
 ans fay, &c. Excd. xxxii. 12. The Church 
 
 in 
 
On Trujling upon GOD. 29 
 
 in the Lamentations, Oh Lord confider me, for 
 the Enemy hath magnify d himfelf; deliver me 
 out of Prifon, that I may praife thee, and then 
 thou wilt deal bountifully with me. Not unto 
 us, not unto us Lord, but unto thy Name 
 give Glory ; for why fhould the Heathen fay 9 
 Where is their God ? Henee David prays to 
 deliver him from his Enemies, that they may 
 know thou hafl done it^ that they may fear 
 and tremble : Hence, when none is fhut 
 up, or left, the Lord will appear for his 
 Name's fake. Oh ! a dead Heart, quicken 
 me, that I may praife thy Faithfulnefs, thy 
 Power -, enable me to do fuch and fuch Du- 
 ties, that I may fee thy Power, and Con- 
 defcendency, and Love, that I may ble/s 
 thee for it, that thou may get thee a great 
 Name. This evidences likewife the Soul's 
 Sincerity, and fo its Acceptance with God; 
 and this makes the Soul long more for the 
 Accomplifhment of the Promife ; for it fhall 
 fee not only its own Good, but the Lord's 
 Glory: But beware of Sin, for otherwife 
 he will take Vengeance and punilh, tho* he 
 let his Name be blafphemed, and this is 
 mod fad. (5.) Pore not much upon Im- 
 probabilities, or Grounds of Diftruft : Oh! 
 am exceeding finful, and therefore I can- 
 not look up; can the Lord find in his 
 
 Heart 
 
jo On Trusting upon GOD. 
 
 Heart to pardon fuch Iniquities ? Oh ! fuel? 
 ftarv'd y Can fuch dry Bones live ? Can fuch 
 a barren Sarah that is old, and my Husband 
 alfo, have Pleafure ? I am the lea ft of all the 
 Tribes of my Family , and Jhall I deliver Ifrael ? 
 By whom Jhall Jacob ar'ife, for he isfmall? 
 There is no Hope, we have loved Idok ; we 
 pine away in our Iniquities , and how Jhall we 
 befaved? Tho God Jhould open Windows in 
 Heaven this cannot be. I fay, away with 
 thefe Things; mind the Command, the 
 Promife, the Power, Fakhfulnefs, Good- 
 nefs, Freenefs, and Unchangablenefs of 
 God : This was Abrahams Way, He confi- 
 dered not his Age, nor the Deadnefs of Sa- 
 rah^ Womb, but believed he was faithful that 
 promifed. Overlook Sin, Deadnefs, Diffi- 
 culty, Unlikelinefs, and fet thy Heart on 
 the other; for Senfe gives a bad Report, 
 and fays, it cannot be y Why ? I am exceed- 
 ing finful : Oh ! but my Ways are not as your 
 Ways, nor my Thoughts as your Thoughts. (6 J) 
 Help Unbelief with Prayer, / believe. Lord 
 help my Unbelief Prayer is an excellent Help 
 to Faith : Lord increafe our Faith. Not- 
 withftanding I will be enquired of the Hvufe of 
 Ifrael to do it for them. Thou wilt prepare 
 their Hearts, and caufe thine Ear to hear. Do 
 not think your Duty is done when you have 
 
 a 
 
On Tr ufting ufon GOD. ? i 
 a dry, barren dead Heart, famifti'd and 
 believed; no, but pray earneftly for it. 
 (7.) See to former Experiences, either of o- 
 thers, or of your felves : Of others, O Lord 9 
 our Fathers trufted in thee and were helped : 
 "The Lord hath delivered us, and will yet deli- 
 ver us. He hath freed my Soul from Death 
 I will yet praife him, he hath done fo great 
 Ihings already for me, when there was as 
 little Caufe, and therefore why not now. 
 He delivered me from the Lions Paw, and 
 therefore, from the uncircumcifedPhili&ine. He 
 hath brought me out of Egypt, and there- 
 fore, from the Wildernefs. (8.) If you fee 
 any Qualification to which a Promife is 
 annexed, find it out ; My Soul is humbled 
 within me, therefore have I Hope. He that 
 would preferve Faith, mull have a pure 
 Gonfcience ; it will not take kindly with 
 any other Soil : Here is the Ruin of all 
 our Confidence, of all our Faith; Sin comes, 
 hides the Lord, and feparates him from us. 
 New Ads of Treafon retires a Pardon al- 
 moft fealed unto our Confcience. When I 
 would- have healed the Sin of Judah, the Ini-* 
 quity of Ephraim brake out : "This feparates 
 betwixt the Lord and us, Hof. vii. 1 . Oh ! 
 ye that would maintain a Eaith^nd keep a 
 
 Glo- 
 
2 £ On Tr lifting upn GOD. 
 
 Glorying, and a Boafting in the Lord all the 
 Day long, Beware of Sin, and follow Ho- 
 linefs, and then ye may aflbre your felves 
 of what ye pleafe ; he that comes with 
 full Affurance, muft come with a Conference 
 fprinkled, and wajhen in the Blood of jfefus 
 thrift, Heb. x. 22. 1 John iii. 22. Hereby 
 do we know that we know him, if we keep his 
 Commandments. Oh ! innumerable Evils, 
 innumerable Iniquities keep many from 
 looking : Depart from me, for I am a finjul 
 Man. And God faith, Depart from me, 
 for I am an holy God ; I cannot look upon 
 your Mifapprehenfion, your Slight, your 
 formal Dead, hypocritical felfifh Prayers ; 
 Sin comes and wrings the Promife from a 
 Soul ; lock therefore to thy Way. 
 
 The Third Thing I promifed to infer, 
 was, to (how wherein the Faith of Believers 
 did mainly differ from Hypocrites Faith ; 
 but becaufe I have hinted at fome Things 
 already, I /hall only at this Time, omitting . 
 many other Marks, give thefe following, 
 ' (1.) Difference, The Believer's Faith is 
 mixed with much Love to the Perfon of Je- 
 fus Chrifi, and 'tis their Love that will not 
 luffer them to have hard Thoughts of 
 Chrift; Oh ! it cannot enter into my Mind; 
 
 'tis 
 
On Trtifting ufon G D. 3 j 
 ?cis their Love, and Chrift's Excellency ken 
 by a marvellous Light and "Glory, that 
 makes them cling fo to Chrift, as they can- 
 not part with him, and reads fuch Le- 
 ctures of Love and Lovelinefs in the Face of 
 God through Chrift, as it thinks ; Oh ! one 
 Ad: of Cruelty or Anger cannot ftay there; 
 Fury is not in him ; and, tho he flay me, yet 
 will Itruft in him, Job xiii. iy. and hence 
 it is called, a Faith that worketh by Love, 
 i Theflf. i. 3» four Work of Faith, and La- 
 bour of Love. Oh! it cannot part with 
 God, it cannot bide away from him. Now, 
 a Hypocrites Faith proceeds not from this 
 Root, nor afts fo : It is either Fear or 
 Want, and hence his Enemies fubmit, 
 Pfal. lxvi. 3. Nor are their Hearts a Whit 
 warm'd by all their Faith and Dependance 
 upon God, but is the fame ftill as former- 
 ly. Oh ! that bleffed Frame ,• To whom 
 foall we go , for thou baft the Words of eternal 
 Life. (2.) It never mortifies or fubdues 
 Sin in Hypocrites,- it indeed calms the 
 Conscience, gives Peace, {kifies ConvidHon, 
 puffs up, hardens in Sin ; but it never fub- 
 dues Sin, it never difcovers the Excellency 
 of Chrift, and his Holinefs, by which the 
 Vilencfs of Sin is beft ken, Mic. iu n„- 
 I John iii. ?•■ Every one that hath this Hope 
 F* C furifieth 
 
 s 
 
34 On Trujling upon GOD. 
 furifieth himfelf even as he is pure. Hence, 
 ask our moft prefumptuous Hypocrites, 
 Have they Faith ? Yes, tho* it be but fmall. 
 But now, pofe them again, What Sins 
 have ye mortified, what Advancement in 
 Holinefo, what more prizing of God than 
 formerly ? What more admiring of God ? 
 Here they are at a L'ofs ; fome more Know- 
 ledge is all, and this is all their Experi- 
 ence,and their Affe&ions are a little tickled : 
 Oh ! know- it, your Faith muft purify your 
 Hea r t, if of the right Make. Hence Mrs. 
 Hutchinfon afterward turn'd Antinomian y yet, 
 while foe feem'd to be of the Saints, ac- 
 knowledged to Mr. Cotton, That fhe found 
 an Increafe in her Faith, tho* not in her 
 San&ification. (3.) It refts in Chrift, as 
 well as on. Chrift ; now, a Hypocrite refts 
 on God, but refts not in him,$*.xlviii. 3. 1 
 mean, a Believer doth not only reft on the 
 Lord, but finds real Reft and Satisfaction 
 in the Lord alone, Pfal. cxlii. 5. Thou art 
 my Refuge, and my Portion, in the Land of the 
 Living ; and in this he can rejoice, T'ho 9 the 
 Fig-tree flourijh not, Hab. iii. 17, 18, 19. A 
 Hypocrite hath a carnal Heart, which 
 ei r ermore cries, Give, give, and can never 
 be fat isfied with a fpiritual Objeft, can ne- 
 ver win to reft and center in Chrift alone, 
 
 nor 
 
On Trufling upon GOD* J 5 
 
 nor make him their All in all; but the Lord 
 
 gives them Eafe and Peace, and may be 
 
 keeps them frcm fome Sin, that now and 
 
 then wrings their Confcience,and the World 
 
 gives Reft and Satisfaction to their Soul, 
 
 and hence there is Double-mindednefs and 
 
 Unftablenefs in all their Ways. (4,) A Hy-? 
 
 pocrite never trufts on God for all Things* 
 
 but for fome Things, for Deliverance from 
 
 fome outward Evil ; No Evil jhall come 
 
 near us, we are Abraham'; Children : For 
 
 Pardon and Peace, but not for San&ifica- 
 
 tion ; or if it be, 'tis for the Removal of 
 
 fome Sin, not all Sins; fome Sins which 
 
 difcredit him, breaks* his Peace moft ; for 
 
 look as a Hypocrite is wounded, fo he ad- 
 
 drefles himfelf for Cure : Now his Wound 
 
 is, Oh! God is angry, flee to the City of 
 
 Refuge, faith Conference,- but there are 
 
 thefe Sins which I cannot get fubdued, and 
 
 that I fall into,that breaks my Peace,and by 
 
 which I fliall one Day perifb ;, Chrift came 
 
 to fubdue Sins, comfort thy felf for this* 
 
 truft to him, and he will remit this : Now 
 
 obferve it, it is not all Sins that he comes 
 
 to Chrift for, elfe Herodias muft be put a- 
 
 way j and therefore not Sin as Sin which he 
 
 hates, elie every Sin fhould be hateful, but 
 
 Sin as breaking hisPeace ; and .therefore call 
 
 C % out 
 
j6 On Irufiing upon GOD, 
 out Jonas. Nor is it Holinefs, as it is the 
 Image of God, the Beauty of Chrift that 
 is defired ; but I would have this Grace, 
 and the other Grace ; Why ? To comfort 
 Chrift's Heart with? No; What then * 
 To give me Peace, to adorn my Profeffion, 
 to keep off fpiritual and temporal Judg- 
 ments, to be Evidences of God's Love. 
 Oh ! this is dreadful Hypocrify. The Jews 
 trufted on Chrift, but he could not com- 
 mit himfelf to them. The Ifraelites they 
 trufted on the Lord, but it was to keep 
 them from Evil, Mic. Hi u. Saints truft 
 on him for fubduing of Sin, and all Sin, 
 hence that Call is ftrongeft ; Return back- 
 fliding Children, and I zoi& heal your Back" 
 fiidingSy jer.iii. 23. Thou zvilt fubdue Iniqui- 
 ties. (5.) It is mixM with Repentance. 
 Afts ii. 39. Repent and believe the Gofpeh 
 Niniveh repeated and believed: There is 
 nothing that opens the Fountain of Grief 
 more than this ,• Oh ! Will the Lord par- 
 don, will he yet accept fuch a whorifh A- 
 dulterous Heart, that hath playd the Harlot 
 with many Lovers} Will he give himfelf and 
 Chrift, to be a Husband, Brother, Friend, 
 Father, Counfellor to me in all my Ways ? 
 Will he beautify me with his own Image, 
 will he dwell with me here, and bring me 
 
 to 
 
On Trafling upon GOD. $j 
 to Glory ? Oh that ever I fhould have bcea 
 fo vile and Gracelefs; and this fills the 
 Soul with -Grief, Shame, and Confufion of. 
 Face, Ezra x. i, 2. Jer. in. 22. 25. 'Tis 
 him who faved me, died for me, looked on 
 me, when he pafled by others; what fhall 
 I do for him, who hath done fo much 
 for me, and never refied. Now, here 
 many a Hypocrite difcovers himfelf, he 
 believes, trufts, but his hard Heart is 
 not broken, his Brow of Brafs remains, 
 that it cannot blufh or be afhamed; nay, 
 Oh terrible ! his Faith hardens him : No 
 Evil jh all come near us, we have Abraham to 
 our Father, and therefore no Need of Re- 
 pentance ; We were never in Bondage. Hence 
 ye fhall find fome fay, Oh ! whatjhall I do 
 to be faved? Sins are many, grievous, Con- 
 fcience wounds andfmites, and a Spirit of 
 Heavinefs ; and none can give Peace, Eafe 
 or Comfort when the Lord troubles. Now 
 truft on the Lord, no Salvation in Duties, 
 or felf, but in the Name of Jefus ; there? 
 upon they fcratch like Thorns the Lord, 
 and fnatch like Dogs at the Childrens 
 Bread, not out of Love to Chrift, or with 
 Intention to give the Heart, Soul, and all 
 the Man to him, but to comfort them, as 
 loft faid, and hence are no more troubled* 
 for want of Peace was their Wound ; they 
 C 3 have 
 
^ 8 On Trufting upon GOD. 
 have this, and hence, finding the Life of 
 their Right Hand,arenot grieved: Whereas, 
 a Saint's main Trouble flows from the Bafe- 
 nefs and Vilcnefs of Sin, which by the 
 Lord's Kindnefs appears more than ever, 
 and hence he has greater Mourning,Zrt\ xii. 
 lo. (6.) It is only on Chrift and his Merits, 
 In temporal Things the Lord is only look'd 
 unto ; In vain is Salvation looked for from the 
 Hills ; the Lord only, and none elfe, and 
 therefore his Power and Wifdom, Faithful- 
 ness and Goodnefs is looked unto. Put not 
 your Trufi in Prince s\ Happy is the Man 
 who hath the God of Jacob for his Refuge. 
 Whereas a carnal Man hath fome broken 
 Reed to lean on, fome Ciftern or other 
 which he puts in Ballance with God, lip- 
 pens to both alike. In Spirituals, a Saint 
 can drip himfeif of all Gifts, Parts, Duties 
 and Graces, and fay, lam hut an unprofit- 
 able Servant, thefe are but Lofs and Dung, 
 I value them not, I am not hereby juftifi- 
 ed, tho' I judge not my felf, God may 
 damn me for all this, all our Righteoufnefs is 
 like rotten Rags ; and therefore, in thefe, ab- 
 ftra&ly confidered, he puts rro Confidence, 
 looks only to the Lord, and puts his Mouth 
 in the Dufl, and faith, Now, if the good 
 Lord look not upon me in the Multitude 
 
On Tru fling upon GOD. 3 <j 
 
 of his tender Mercies, and for the Lord 
 Jefus Sake his Son, I am undone tor ever : 
 This a Hypocrite cannot do, he never be- 
 lieves it y believes it, 'tis hard to do any 
 Thing, and not let the right Hand know 
 what the Left is doing : The Hypocrite 
 will never give over fpying fome Worth in 
 his Performances, for which he cannot but 
 imagine to himfelf a Recompence from the 
 Lord : Hence, why have wefafted, and thou 
 regardefi not ? Hence, when quickened in 
 Duty, glad ; why the Lord fees this ; 'tis a 
 Thing can never enter in his Head, damnM 
 after all this Pains, after all their Frames, 
 after all thefe Steps of Providence : I tell 
 you, if the Lord ever fave thee, he will ftain 
 the Glory of all Things, and make you 
 fling away thefe Things of Gold and of 
 Silver ; it muft be done, or elfe Chrift can- 
 not mount in the Throne. 
 
 The 4th Thing I promifed was fome 
 Cautions, or Rules in cur trufling or de- 
 pending, and I fliall give thefe fix fliortly. 
 (1.) Do not think that an adulterous Heart 
 fliall get any Thing from the Lord ; if thy 
 Heart be not honeft for the Lord ; if thou 
 haft not opened the everlafting Doors to him, 
 and to him only ; if the Dejire of thy Soul be 
 not towards him i if he be not thy Portion, thy 
 C 4 4? 
 
4o On Trufting upon GOD. 
 
 all in all ; if thy whole Soul be not beftowed 
 upon him ; if he be not the rejoicing of thy 
 Heart, thy only Comfort, thy Love, thy 
 Delight, thine Inheritance, thine exceeding Joy> 
 thy Fear, and thy Dread; if thou haft not wil- 
 lingly, and chearfully faid with David \Whom 
 have I in Heaven but thee ? and who is it onEarth, 
 J defire be fides thee ? Then I tell thee, thou 
 canft not expefl: any Thing comfortably from 
 the Lord. Jam. l. 8, Pfal lxvi. 18. (2.) 
 Look that ye deceive not your felves, in 
 trufting to the Lord for any unlawful Thing, 
 for any Thing not warranted to you to 
 truft for in his Word, for any Thing, tho* 
 good in it felf, that if obtained, will be 
 but Fewel unto your Lufts; for any Thing 
 that would obfcure his Glory. 1 Joh. v. 
 14. Jam. iv. 3. Te ask amifs to confume it up- 
 en your Lufts ; and therefore, it muft be ac- 
 cording to his Will ; when thou haft finned 
 a great Sin, haft not, cannot repent, a 
 Judgment is threatned, ye cannot with 
 Confidence deprecate that Judgment ; be- 
 caufe, the Lord hath the Glory of his 
 Holinefs to ftow, and Juftice, and a Mer- 
 cy to an unhumbled Heart would be a 
 Curfe ; But, Firfi, Look up to Heaven for 
 a Spirit of Brokennefs and Mourning, 
 (3.) Do not limit God, as to the Time, 
 
 Manner. 
 
On Trutting upon GOD. 41 
 Manner, and Meafure of the Mercy de- 
 pended on : For as the Lord is faithful, 
 fois he fovereign, and this he fhows, iii re- 
 serving the Time of performing it ; and 
 therefore, ye have need of Patience, after 
 embracing of the Promife, neither mud ye 
 expedt it m the fame Meafure and Manner, 
 as ye would have it, but as the Wifdom of 
 God fhall think fit. 2 Cor. xii. 9. (4.) Do 
 not think to obtain any Thing without 
 Pains, altho > God give his Promife and 
 Gifts freely, yet he will have us ufe Means 
 for obtaining of them : If thou haft any 
 'Thing without Pains in Duties prefer ibed by God y 
 you may fear that they are the lafi Vifits of a Ne~ 
 ver to return Lord again ; Do not think thou 
 haft done thy Work, when thou haft be- 
 lieved the Promife, or depended; no, the 
 Lord muji be enquired for this Thing of the 
 Houfe of Ifrael ; when Daniel knew that 
 the feventy Weeks were determined, he 
 then addreffes himfelf to Prayer. Dan. ix. 
 Eztk. xxxvi 37. flence chofen through SanBi- 
 fication and Belief of the Truth. (5.) Do 
 not think the Lord will evermore give thee 
 the very Thing thou trufts him for, he may 
 give it thee in Penny worth, and fo thou 
 fhalt not lofe ; thou prays, trufts for the 
 removing of fuch a Sin, fuch an AfRiftion : 
 
 No, 
 
42 On Trufiing upon G D/ _^ 
 No, faith the Lord, Till thou be more 
 humbled under it, kythe more Patience and 
 Faith in it ,• here is thy Requeft granted 
 in Penny-worth, when there is Strength 
 given to be humbled under Sin, and to bear 
 the Crofs ; thou prays for fuch a temporal 
 Mercy, thou finds it not in the Creature, 
 was there Faith here ? yes, Is God faith- 
 ful ? Yes, for he hath given thee the Mer- 
 cy in himfelf pure, and from the very Foun- 
 tain, as we fpeak, tho* not in the Pitcher 
 or Ciftern, thou waft feeking fuch a Mer- 
 cy to comfort thee, was it ? Lo, Comfort 
 in the Lord, flowing, and fpringing up 
 abundantly, as thy Affli&ions do abound ; 
 Was it to honour the Lord, that thou 
 fought ? Behold, thou honours the Lord as 
 much in a patient, chearful bearing of the 
 Crofs, my Grace is Sufficient for thee ; and 
 thus thy Good, and his Faithfulnefs is pre- 
 ferred, and what wouldft thou more ? if 
 his Glory require the Performance of a 
 temporal Promife, thou may allure thy felf 
 of it, if the Vifion fail. Oh mourn ! thou 
 haft provoked the Lord in punifhingof thee, 
 to caufe his own Name to be blafphemed, 
 and to be evil fpoken of; the Lord in a 
 Manner is neceffitated to it, (with Reve- 
 rence be it fpoken) for to fhow his Holinefs, 
 
 and 
 
On Trujimg upon GOD. 4$ 
 ^nd this makes him give the dearly beloved 
 of his Soul unto the Enemy ; Thy Wants 
 are many, Oh ! I fay mourn for this, and 
 never give the Lord reft, till he pour out a 
 Spirit of Repentance upon thee, and then 
 the Lord will ariie. (6.) Do noc think ye 
 want Faith, beca;fe it is mixed with 
 Doubting and Fear, and becaufe Unbelief 
 gets Word about with it ; I am cut off; I 
 will look upy faith Jonah, J na. ii. Jer. xxxix. 
 17, 18. The Eunuch Ebedmelech is afraid, 
 and yet he puts his Truft in the Lord, for 
 Delivery from them of whom he is afraid ; 
 this argues little Faith, but it doth not ar- 
 gue no Faith at all : And the Lord will 
 own it as trufting on him, which fhall not 
 want its Reward ; becaufe, thou had trufled 
 on me. 
 
 The fifth and laft Thing wa$ fome Mo- 
 tives and Confiderations to prefs this Duty 
 upon Chriftians efpecially : I fhall name 
 thefe few, (1.) This is a Duty commanded 
 by God to all, and at all Times, as I have 
 proved formerly ,• Truft in the Lord at all" 
 Times: And therefore, becaufe commanded, 
 do it. This is a Warrant to thee, and 
 therefore fear not to prefume. (2.) The 
 Lord is much difpleafed at Hypocrites for 
 not trufting v on him : This was it that made 
 
 Six 
 
44 n Tru fling upon GOD. 
 Six hundred thoufand Mens Carcafes lie in 
 the Wildemefs, and makes thee confume thy 
 Days in Vanity ', Pfal. Ixxviii. 22, 23. If ye do 
 not believe, yejhall not be eftablijhed. This is 
 a Breach of a Command ; this denies the 
 Honour of his Power, Love, Faithfulnefs 
 and Goodnefs, when thou dared not adven- 
 ture on his Word, on his Goodnefs ; nay I 
 am perfwaded this keeps many from entring 
 in into their Reft, when there is a Promife 
 given of entring in. Oh ! therefore, grieve 
 not the Lord with thy Unbelief; add not 
 this to all your Sins. (3.) The Lord is much 
 pleafed with this, fo as he commands it, 
 commands it frequently, threatens the Ner 
 gle&ers of: it with fore Punifhments, prefles 
 it earneftly, gives large Promifes to it ; the 
 very Defires of thy Heart (hould be hereby 
 fulfilled. Oh then believe, to pleafe the 
 Lord, to glorifie him ; confider thefe Two 
 Paflages, Numb. xx. 12. Ye believe not tofan* 
 ftifie me. Rom. iv. 20. Strong in Faith, giving 
 Glory to God : And no Wonder ,• There is no 
 Confidence in the Arm of Flejh. (^.) This 
 will help you to exceeding much Joy and 
 Comfort, even in the Ufe of all Things, e- 
 ven when ye want all Things; tho the Fig- 
 Tree Jhould not bhffom, and there be no Fruit 
 in the Vine, Hab. in. 17, 18, 19. Nay, when 
 
 the 
 
On Trufting upn G D. 45 
 the Promife is not actually performed, they 
 can rejoice in theExpedation thereof,i&£.xi, 
 13,39. For Faith fees the Vifion coming>rejoi- 
 ces in theLord,and delights it felf in him with 
 Joy unfpeakable, and full of Glory ,i Peter i. 8. 
 even tho' ye have not feen. This will give 
 great Quietnefs and Security, My Flejb and 
 my Heart rejoices, and Jhall reft in Hope, PfaL 
 xvi. 7. (5.) This will help thee to rejoice 
 much in the Performance of the Promife ; a 
 Draught of cold Water will be exceeding 
 welcome, when coming through Faith, when 
 ftamped with the Love,Power,Faithfulnefs, 
 andGood-will of God. Oh ! how many Mer- 
 cies do we receive, which are as the White 
 of an Egg, that poffibly thou haft pray'd 
 for ; and yet no Comfort, no Sweetnefs : 
 Oh ! they come not through a Promife ; 
 they are ordinary Mercies common to Good 
 and Bad: I trufted in him, and was helped ; 
 therefore my Soul rejoices, Pfal. xxviii 7. This 
 Jhall fill thy Mouth with Praife, and with my 
 Song will I praife him : It helps Prayer ; 
 therefore hath thy Servant found in his Heart 
 to make this Prayer unto thee. This will help 
 thee to truft more in the Lord, trufting fur- 
 thers trufting, this will keep the Soul from 
 needlefs Queftions, carking Cares, and un- 
 
 pro- 
 
tfi Hungrwg and Thirfiing 
 
 profitable Difquietment, which pines the 
 r lefh of fome : / will lay me down, and qujet* 
 ly fleep ;for the Lord fuftaineth me. He is now 
 built on a Rock ; this will give much efta-* 
 blifliing in Grace, Unlefs ye believe^ ye Jhatt 
 not be eflablijhed. It furthers Sandification, 
 whereby ye are made Partakers of the Divine 
 Nature. (6.) This is the Life of the Saints 
 that were before us, are. or fhall be ; this 
 was their conftant Trade ; The Juftjhall live 
 by his Faith: Look to them, Heb. xi. and 
 ye fhall find that Faith was their Attorney- 
 General, that which performed all Things 
 for them ; they fubdued Sin by this, they 
 rejoiced in this, pleafed God by this, dis- 
 dained the Pleafures of Sin for a Seafon>-con- 
 demned the World, lived, in Heaven, yea 
 Faith did all Things for them. 
 
 MEDITATION II. 
 
 Hungrwg and Thir fling after Chrijl* 
 
 FO R the better uptakingof this, ye {hall 
 confider thefeThings in it,(i.) A Know- 
 ledge of Want 3 and a Knowledge of Mifery : 
 
 They 
 
after CHRIST. 47 
 
 They are not like luke-warm Laodkea y which 
 thought fhe was rich, and increafed in aft 
 Things; and yet was poor, mijerable, blind, 
 and naked: And it is not only a Knowledge 
 of this, but a Senfe and extreme Need. 
 Oh 1 many know their Wants, and complain 
 of them, but they are not duly fenfible of 
 them : He that is in a Fever, wants Meat; 
 but he is not fenfible, hath not an Appetite 
 for Meat, and therefore never earneftly cries 
 for it ; loathes it when it is brought him : 
 "lis like a Man fighting, who receives 
 Wounds, and while he is hot, they never 
 trouble him, and therefore fights on ; but 
 when he is in cold Blood, his Wounds pain 
 him, and therefore fends for a Chyrurgeon : 
 Why ? He cannot live without him. So many 
 a Soul wants Pardon of Sin, mortifying 
 Grace, Peace, Joy and Comfort in God, and 
 they know it likewife : But here is their 
 Mifery, they are not fenfible of this infinite 
 Evil, but go unfenfibly under their Loads 
 and Burdens, walk up anddown,when Death 
 is upon them, but they feel nothing, and 
 hence fear nothing. Oh ! this is the Plague 
 of the World. (2.) Unfatisfadion under 
 Senfe of the abfent Good. Bring Gold, 
 Silver, and Honour to an hungry Man, he 
 could not be content ; he would efteem a 
 
 Crufl 
 
; 48 HungYing and Tbirfiwg 
 Cruft of brown Bread more than all thi s ° 
 What doth all this to me, feeing in a few 
 Hours I muft ftarve ? What doth my Birth- 
 right to me ? faith Efau, when he was ready 
 to perifh for Hunger. A poor Soul which 
 is loadned with Sin, Wrath and Hell, cries, 
 Alas! what do Friends, Comforts, Eftate, 
 Honour, and all to me, when I want a holy, 
 merciful Chrift, a Chrift, to wafli my pollu- 
 ted Soul, a Chrift, to make Peace with the 
 Father, a Chrift, to go betwixt me and Hell ; 
 fee it in David, As the Hart panteth after the 
 Water- Brooks, fo doth my Soul after thee* 
 What ? Cannot a Kingdom, Honour, Plea- 
 sures of Court, and other Comforts fatisfie? 
 No ; for I thirft after a Living God : And 
 therefore Tears, with which his Soul is pou- 
 red forth, muft go Day and Night, and 
 Down-cafting, PfaL xlii. i, 2, 3, 4. If thou 
 knows thou wants Chrift, and his Prefence, 
 but doft not mourn and lament after him, 
 nor never breaks thy Night-Sleep for the 
 Matter, never feeks him in painful Duties, 
 and that for a long Time, but canft live 
 Without him Days, Months and Years, 
 canft take Comfort in eating, drinking, and 
 train Company; thou doft not, nor never 
 didft thirft after the Lord, and fhalt never 
 fiod him with a few Crocodile Tears, ex- 
 torted 
 
after CHRIST. 49 
 
 tOrted Cries, fhortned Wifties, feeing thy 
 Eafe is more efteemed by thee than he is, 
 thy Honour, thy Credit, thy. Reputation, 
 Juh. v. 40. (3.) Hence the longer the 
 Soul wants, the more it is unfatisiied: This 
 Hunger is a growing Hunger, 'tis fainting; 
 and if God look not on the Soul, it is be- 
 coming like unto thofe thztgo downto the Pit : 
 Some have Defiresfor awhile,fomeFlafhes, 
 and therefore they cry, Lord, evermore give 
 m this Bread ; but at laft give over, and take 
 Comfort elfewhere, feeing God will give 
 none ^ and they wear out of this Fit, where- 
 as the People of God are more and more 
 tormented, more hungry, more thirfty ; as 
 an hungry Man, the longer he fafts, the 
 more hungry he is. (4.) There is great 
 prizing and Efteem of the Thing longed for; 
 Nothing to David but a Living God, and 
 none in Heaven or in Earth befides him ; he 
 was hit Portion, all he defired^ and all he 
 fought for. To every Believer Chrift is pre- 
 cious, precious becaufe felt, and known for- 
 merly ,• fo that there remains a Smack of it 
 in the Mouth, that makes it cry for the 
 Living Water : A little Myrrhe dropped 
 from the Beloved, carried the Spoufe 
 through all the City after him. Some cun- 
 ning Men tell, that there is <ft Herb, which, 
 * D -if 
 
fe Hungring and Thir fling 
 
 if a Man carry in his Hand, any Woman lie 
 pleafes will follow him : Chrift hath all that 
 may gain a Heart, and he can make Devils 
 love and follow him, if once they fmelt the 
 Savour of his good Ointments : Chrift is 
 precious, becaufe fo in himfelf, becaufe there 
 is my Chrift ; my Lord is fweet, becaufe 
 fuitable and convenient to the Soul-mala- 
 dies. A Man that is painfully fick, defires 
 to hear, to fee and fpeak with none {o much 
 as with thePhyfician. 
 
 Jfeigiig of l?tmgrinff anO<<I$icttin&* (i.) 
 
 He cares little for any Thing elfe ; all is but 
 Lofs and Dung : What is my Birthright, fee- 
 ing I perifh for Hunger? What is my Wife, 
 Children, Friends, feeing I want Chrift ? I 
 waniHolinefs & Peace with God,& am vile in 
 God's Sight; I mean,he can receive no Com- 
 fort in them : Rachel weepedfor her Children, 
 and would not be comforted, becaufe they were 
 not. All are lite the White of an Egg, be- 
 caufe it hach no Tafte ,• and therefore it ftill 
 cries out, 'They have taken away my Lord, they 
 have taken away my God ; and what fliall I 
 do or fay ? Nothing can fatisfie a hungry 
 Man, but Meat, a thirfty Man* but Drink, 
 an ambitious Man, bur Honour, a covetous 
 Man, but Wealth, an Epicure, but Meat, 
 Drink, and Pteafure : Haman faid, What u 
 
 all 
 
after CHRIST. 51 
 
 all this Honour to me, feeing I fee Mordecai 
 living? Becaufe of a Spirit in them that cries 
 evermore, Give^give ; (o nothing will fatisfie 
 a Chriftlefs Man, ftruck with the Senfe of 
 Sin, Wrath and Mifery, but a Chrift ; and 
 therefore till they get him, they cry, Give, 
 give. Hence Duties,tho' performed with fome 
 Life, fatisfy not,- why? This is not Chrift, 
 this will not pleafe God, this will not make 
 up the Peace, this is but Lofs and Dung. 
 (2d Sign.) When any courfe Meat is fweet, 
 it is a Token of Hunger ; we have a com- 
 mon Proverb, Hunger is good Kitchen, or 
 Sauce; a Piece of brown coarfe Bread is 
 fweet to a hungry Man : Horfe, Dogs, Mice, 
 young Children are thought good Meat in z 
 ftrait Siege : Any Sermon,if it fpeaks of Chrift, 
 is prized : AnyCrumbs pickt from Scripture, 
 are welcome : The Soul cares not much how 
 Chrift is dreft, with what Table-clothes this 
 Childrens Bread is fervedin, or how much, or 
 how neatly delivered. Oh ! I fear there is 
 but little prizing of Chrift ; now nothing 
 but able Men, or elfe no hearing; high- 
 flown Notions of Chrift, and fome fine 
 Notions - of Scriptures-, elfe he is but 
 a cold Preacher, and they are wearied 
 ere the tedious Sermon be half done. David 
 fought no more, but to be a Door-keeper : 
 D 2 The 
 
52 Hungring and Hhirfiing 
 
 The poor ftarved Prodigal feeks no more, if 
 better cannot be got, but to be as an hired 
 Servant. I am the leafl of all thy Mercies. 
 The Woman of Canaan was content with 
 Crumbs. (3.) No Pains will be fpared ; 
 ye will be ufing of all Means, from Sermon 
 to Sermon, from Prayer to Prayer. Any 
 Occafion of meeting with Chrift is comfor- 
 table. Oh / it may be he will once come : 
 Tell me, O thou whom my Soul loveth, where 
 thoufeedefiy tho* I fhould fpend my Travel. 
 Jacob endured much for Rachel : A Thief 
 that is hungry will venture his Neck tor 
 Meat, and will give any Thing for it ; fo a 
 Soul hungring and thirfting for Chrift will 
 fpare nothing for him. The Fleft objects, 
 Oh/ 'tis hard travelling to him ,• but I muft 
 have him, or elfe I am undone ; ye will lofe 
 your Honour and Credit with the World, 
 that is nothing, or if it be, I muft have 
 Chrift : If there be no other Terms, there 
 arefuch Bofom-Devils thou muft quit; what 
 avails all to me, when I want the Lord 
 Chrift ? But there are many Difficulties in 
 the Way, much Wearinefs to the Flefh, 
 praying,meditating, driving, watching, wait- 
 ing, and may be for a long Time denying 
 of all Things -> that is nothing : Let me 
 have this Pearl, I will fell all that I have : 
 
 But 
 
after CHRIST. <H 
 
 But Oh ! fee the great Contempt under 
 which Chrift lies. Oh 1 who thinks him 
 worth their Lufts ? who thinks him worth 
 their Pains, or worth the feeking? For tell 
 them, they want Chrift, they will not 
 believe it : Convince them, they will 
 beftow fome little Pains to find him ; fome 
 few wifhes, when they are in a good Frame, 
 fome good Works on the Sabbath-day, Ab- 
 ftinence from fome outward Vices,for Shame 
 of the World, or becaufe they are not much 
 inclined to them, but no more. Oh ! re- 
 member ye ftiall never have Chrift on thefe 
 Terms ; remember the Man that waited 
 Thirty eight Years: "The violent take the 
 Kingdom of Heaven.He who fays that he loves, 
 defires, longs after Chrift, yet loves his 
 Queans, his Cups, his Righteoufnefs and 
 Duties, his Pride, his Credit or his Eafe, 
 his Pleafures, as he will not quit them for 
 Chrift , is a Liar, and the 'Truth is not in him : 
 Nay I will fay that hungring after Chrift 
 will make all Pains,Coft, and Travel eafie and 
 fweet,as Jacob thought all but a fmall thing 
 for Rachel (4.) It is Chrift principal!y,or God 
 in Chrift, as theirs, as the Father, Husband, 
 Friend. Take a profane Man, that which 
 he longs moft for,is how to fin againft God, 
 and to get into bad Company, a covetous 
 D 5 Man 
 
54 Hungrlng and Thirfiing 
 Man for Money, a proud Man for Honour 
 and Refpeft, an adulterous leacherous Per- 
 fon to fatisfie his Luft. The more Civil 
 feek the lawful Comforts of this Life, and 
 without this there is no Living: The con- 
 vinced Sinner, and Peacock Hypocrite and 
 Pharifee, a well fet up Duty ; for this is his 
 God and Chnft, which will win him Hea- 
 ven, and thefe he lives upon. Take a guilty 
 Sinner purfued with Wrath and Death, he 
 mult have Peace of Confcience by any Means. 
 £rt/?/y,ifaSoul be wounded under Senfe of the 
 WantofChrift, nothing but Chnft will fa- 
 tisfie ; nay, Duties are but Phyficians of no 
 Value ; it is for God that David longs. 
 
 Hindrances are, (i.) Wa n t of the Know- 
 ledge of our Neceffities ; many are like 
 poor Laodicea, who faid, / am rich, and 
 lack nothing : The blind World know not 
 their Neceflity, know not that they are 
 blind, are vile, and ugly in the Lord's fight ; 
 know not that they are bound Hand and 
 Foot under the Power of Sin and Satan, 
 under the Curfe of the Law, and Wrath of 
 God, and of this ye fiiall never convince 
 them ; Chrift found it a hard Matter to 
 convince the Jews of this: Many have Du- 
 ties and falfe Hopes, that is not only a Co- 
 ver from Men, but from themfelves, and 
 
 there- 
 
after CHRIST. 55 
 
 therefore never believe that they are full 
 of Rottennefs and Uncleannefs within. (2.) 
 If they know their own Mifery, yet they 
 never know the Excellency of the Thing 
 they wanted ; there is a Veil over the Eyes, 
 and tho' Chrift be excellent, and worth all 
 the World, and the Delight of the Father, 
 and the Glory of the Heavens, yet they 
 fee no Beauty in him for which he ftiould 
 be defired : God hath not given them Eyes 
 to fee, and therefore Chrift s Communion 
 and Fellowfhip with him, Peace of Con- 
 fcience and San&ification are flighted. 
 Jgnoti nulla cupido ; If thou knewefi the Gift 
 of God, and who it is that faith unto thee y 
 Give me to drink, thou wouldefi have asked j 
 and he woidd have given thee living Water. 
 Chrift therefore cries up his Wares, Waters 
 of Life, fine Gold tried in the Furnace, Honey, 
 Wine, Milk, Raiment. (3.) The World, 
 like fo many Thorns, choak their Defires 
 juft in the Bud, when their Stomachs are 
 empty, thefe fill them and intoxicate them ; 
 fo that if they have any Defires, they do not 
 laftlong; Why? their Natures never being 
 changed, nor mortified to thefe Things, 
 hence their Life is fatisfied with thefe 
 Things ; and tho ? this cannot fatisfy their 
 Confcience, yet it contents their Heart, 
 D 4 &n& 
 
5 6 Hungring an&Thirftwg 
 
 and hence there is no Peace within tiii 
 fome Duty be caft in this crying Dog's 
 Mouth, or eife in Procefs of Time it be- 
 comes dead. Who are thefe that will not 
 have the Fear of the Lord, thefe to whom 
 God hath dealt abundantly ; Oxen, Farms, 
 and Wife keep Folk from coming when 
 they are invited; we are Lords, and 
 therefore we will not come unto thee. 
 While Ifrael was in the Wiidernefs, and 
 when Gcd flew them, they fought unto 
 him ; but when they grew fat, then they 
 forgot God : I tell you, if God'will fave 
 you, he will either break thefe Idols in 
 Pieces, or elfe fend fuch a Storm upon Con- 
 ference, that all the World fhall not quiet 
 and calm, nay nor Duties either, that fhall 
 make thee caft away thy Jewels of Gold 
 and of Silver; hence, I will leave in the 
 Midflof thee a poor andanafflifted People. 
 (4.) Becaufe of Unbelief and Difcourage- 
 ments they think in their Hearts, That 
 tho* they fliould take never fo much Pains, 
 frequent never fo many Sermons, yet that 
 God will not regard them ; nay, tho* they 
 fhould thirft after it, yet that it fnould not 
 be ; and therefore never trouble their Heads 
 with it. Many would de/ire a Crown, the 
 Gold of India, Honour and Riches ; yet 
 
 they 
 
after CHRIST. 57 
 
 they think, the/ they do they will be no 
 better, and therefore trouble not themfelves 
 with it : Hence, if their Wants be great, 
 like Achab, they will ly upon their Beds, 
 and be forrowful unto Death ; and the Rea- 
 fon is, There is no Hope, we have loved Idols j 
 and after them will we go : Hence a continual 
 Sighing and going backward. And truly 
 Hope adds Strength and Wings to the 
 Soul. I grant, Hope defer rd makes the Heart 
 fick ; but where there is no Hope at all, the 
 Heart is ftruck dead. I faint for thy Salva*- 
 tion, faith David, and I hop? in thy Word. 
 And hence it comes to pafs, that there are 
 no powerful Endeavours ufed ; Why ? Be- 
 caufe it is in vain to ferve God. I know 
 many a Heart prizes (Thrift, Life, Glory, 
 Grace, Why do they not thirft after it? truly 
 here is it, they think they fhall never ob- 
 tain it, partly through the Greatnefs of 
 the Mercy, their own Unworthinefs, Un- 
 fitnefs, long Delays, prefent Troubles, and 
 multiplied Objections of Reafon and Senfe, 
 jnany vain Attempts in former Times: 
 Oh ! beware of Unbelief. (5.) Becaufe 
 of falfe Hopes, and fometimes it comes tQ 
 pafs, that Men after long Fading gather 
 Wind in their Stomach, and this doth fill 
 their Stomach, fo as they have no great 
 
 Appetite 
 
5 8 Htwgring and, Thir fling 
 
 Appetite for Meat ,• now, fo it is with 
 many a Man that is like to ftarve for want 
 of Chrift, and Heaven, and Glory, and 
 hath fome hungring and thirfting after him 
 for a while ; and therefore put forth fome 
 powerful Endeavours after him, till their 
 Stomach gather Wind, on which, as £- 
 phraim, they feed: And thefe are nothing 
 elfe but fome falfe Hopes which Souls en- 
 joy, which doth quiet their Confcience, and 
 the World fatisfies, and rejoices their Hearts; 
 which Hopes come from fome misapplied 
 Promifes, partly from the unfeafonable 
 Thoughts of God's Gcodnefs and Mercy, 
 partly from the Difpofition of their own 
 Hearts, which they think are growing bet- 
 ter: Now, nothing in the World argues a 
 gracelefs formal Heart more than this ; for 
 I grant, Hopes can quiet and calm under 
 the Want of an abfent Good, but they 
 cannot fatisfy; tell a hungry Man, that 
 within a few Hours he fhall have Meat, 
 ye comfort him indeed, but ye do not fa- 
 tisfy his Hunger nor his Appetite, which 
 is ftili crying : If a Man be truly hungry 
 after Chrift and his Rightcoufnefs, give 
 him Honour, Pleafures and Riches, what is 
 that to him, that doth not fatisfy at all ; 
 give him fome Enlargements and Heart- 
 
 difpo- 
 
after CHRIST. 59 
 
 difpofitions, which are a formal Pharifee's 
 God, you fatisfy but the leaft Part of his 
 Deilre ; indeed this gives fome Hope that 
 the Rooms are made ready for Chrift, and 
 therefore he may come ; and thefe are fome 
 of Chrift 's Forerunners, and it looks as he 
 were on his Way and March, but the Soul 
 is ftill fainting and hungring for Chrift, 
 altho' thefe Table-cloaths be laid down : 
 But it was never Chrift himfelf that a Hy- 
 pocrite thirfts after; for otherwife how are 
 they fatisfy 'd with any Thing elfe befides, 
 whether with Performances, Enlargements, 
 and Difpofitions, and when they have thefe, 
 they fix down their Stake, and will go no 
 further at all, till they want them again ; 
 but it was the Fear of Hell, of theefchew- 
 ing of which, a little painted Grace, which 
 now and then they receive, are an Evi- 
 dence, and for their Comfort the World 
 fupplies that. (<5.) Want of the New 
 Nature; fome fuch Folk, tho' they be told 
 they wantrMeat, and that they are undone 
 without it, yet cannot defire it ; for they 
 have no Appetite, they are under a Di- 
 ftemper, and they have no Tafte : Hence 
 Chrift; s Promifes are like the White of an 
 Egg, unfavoury and vile; Why? becaufe 
 there is no new Nature in the Soul, or 
 
 Tafte 
 
6o Hungting and Thirjling 
 Tafte to relifli Spiritual Things ; for the 
 natural Man cannot relifh or receive him. 
 Many want Chrift who is precious, and 
 more excellent than the Mountains of Prey, 
 yet they are not troubled ; Oh ! here is 
 their Mifery, there is not a fpiritual Man 
 formed within them which defires, or can- 
 not live without this ; but a Carnal, 
 which fometimes is difquieted with 
 Thoughts of Hell, and God's Wrath 
 and Judgment, which doth not ar- 
 gue a new Nature,* for a Devil may have 
 this, and every fenfitive Creature hath it 
 which defires its own Prefervation, and 
 fhuns and fears its Deftru&ion : and I think, 
 none of thefe would be troubled for the 
 Want of God, if there were not an Hell, 
 or Devil to torment them. Oh ! try your 
 felves by this, Ye are troubled now and 
 then under ChriiVs Abfence; here is it, 
 How (hall I know whether it be Chrift I 
 thirft after, or Quietnefs of Confcience, or 
 Security from Hell ? Know it by this, 
 When thou finds any Thing that appears 
 as an Evidence to thee of Grace, or that 
 gives Hope of fome more ; if then thou 
 run away fatisfied , and incontinently 
 thy Defires and Endeavours are flack- 
 ened, the Reafcn is moft manifeft, 
 
 theTe 
 
after CHRIST. 61 
 
 thefe are thy Gods, becaufe thou refls 
 here; for every Thing refts in its Center, 
 that is a Man's End in the Attainment of 
 which he doth reft : A Man loves Money 
 becaufe of its Value and Significancy ; fo 
 many Love Chrift, becaufe he fignifies Hea- 
 ven : A Man cannot defire Straw, nor 
 Grafs; nor an Horfe Gold, or Silver, or 
 Honour ; becaufe his Nature is not fuited 
 to this. So here. 
 
 MEDITATION III. 
 
 Some ufeful Considerations for raifwg our 
 Efteem^ Love and Defire after Chrift^ 
 under Deadnefs and Defertions j or to 
 quicken the Soul in its Motions after 
 the Lord of Glory, efpecially to the 
 Saints. 
 
 COnfider 1. Who it is that thy Soul 
 wants, and whom it doth purfue ; it 
 is not a Shadow, a Vanity, or a Trifle, or 
 Thing of nought, a perifhing fading Flow- 
 er that cannot fatisfy, which takes Wings 
 
 and 
 
62 Ufefu I Confederations for raiftng 
 and flks away, which is the Idol the World 
 doth fondly purfue : No, no; it is a more 
 excellent Object,- it is the Son of God, in 
 whom are hid ail the Treafures of Wifdomand 
 Knowledge, to whom is given all Power 
 in Heaven and in Earth, and who doth com- 
 mand, rule, govern, punifh, and reward all 
 Nations, doing whatfoever pleafeth him, and 
 who fhall one Day judge the World, and 
 come in fuch an amazing Glory, that the 
 Saints fhall be drown'd in an eternal Ad- 
 miration of him, out of which they fhall 
 never recover themfelves, but fhall be fwal- 
 low'd up of this incomprehenfible Glory ; 
 whofe Majefty fhall make all the Earth mourn 
 and wail becaufe of bim> who is Almigh- 
 ty, that with his Rebuke drieth up the Seas, 
 and with his Look drives afunderthe Moun- 
 tains ; who is the Joy, Wonder, and Glory 
 of Heaven ; the Light, that ferves inflead 
 of Sun, and Moon, in whom is no Dark- 
 nefs at all j nay, who is the eternal and 
 everlafting Delight of the Father, the 
 Brightnefs of his Glory > and the exprefs Image 
 cf his Perfon ; the Fountain, Spring, and 
 Root of all Beauty and Excellency •, the 
 Sea of whom, and through whom, and to 
 whom are all Things, from whence all 
 Springs of Happinefs doth come, and to 
 
 which 
 
ourEfieemto C HRIST. 6j 
 which they run: Chrift is the Fountain 
 and Pipe, thro* which all the Father's 
 Goodnefs is convey 'd to us ; here is he 
 whom I would prefs you to love, to admire, 
 to long for and efteem ; who alone can en- 
 rich you, and without whom nothing can; 
 who is a perfect, fure, pure, fatisfying, and 
 everiafting Good, 
 
 Con fid. 2. Chrift is a moft fuitable fitted 
 Objeft for thee, it is not always that which 
 is beft in it felf, that is belt for thee ; but 
 that which is moft fuitable to thee : Tho* 
 Chrift were never fo excellent in himfeif ; 
 yet if he were not fitted, and apt to thee, 
 he could not be beft for thee : Gold and 
 precious Stones, are indeed in themfelves 
 excellent, but a Draught of cold Water 
 may be better for a thirfty Man, and is 
 weicomer : But Chrift is not only excellent 
 in himfeif, but moft proportioned, and 
 fuitable unto thee ,• try all the Comforts 
 in the World, and none will fuit thee fo 
 well as Chrift; and therefore, above all 
 the World thou fhould defire him. Now 
 Chrift is fuitable, Firfi, In Refpeft of Si- 
 militude, and Congruity of Natures, 
 thy Soul is fpiritual ; and therefore, no 
 temporal Good can fatisfy, all i$ Vanity 
 and . Vexation ; hence it is y thofe who en- 
 joyed 
 
6\ Useful Considerations for raifing 
 joyed moft of the World, complain a moil 
 of it ; I grant, it did fatisfy their hnfual 
 Appetites, but there was Something that it 
 could not fatisfy : Solomon can give a large 
 Proof: of this ; and the Conclusion will be, 
 The Eye is not fatisfied with feeing, nor the 
 Ear with hearing : But Chrift is a moft Sa- 
 tisfying Objed, I have enough, fince mine 
 Eyes have feen thy Salvation : Thou art my 
 Portion, I Jhatt not want : He is all unto 
 them, there is not an empty Vacuity, or 
 Voidnefs in all the Soul, but Chrift can 
 fill , wouldeft thou have thy Understand- 
 ing enlighten'd, he is a Light unco his Peo- 
 ple, and Eyes to the Blind ; wouldeft thou 
 have thy Admiration fatisfied, thy Joy, 
 thy Delight, fo drinking, as it fhould ne- 
 ver thirft again : Oh ! come to Jefus Chrift, 
 who is the Father's Delight, in whom he 
 is well pleafed. Wouldeft thou have thy 
 Ambition fatisfied, which thy Condition 
 now cannot poflibly do, nor all the World. 
 Oh ! come and be honoured of God ; 
 come, and give thy felf unto Chrift, Heart 
 and Hand ; and doth it feem afmaH Thing 
 unto you to be the Kings Son-in-law ? Is it a 
 fsiall Thing to triumph witK him in high 
 Places, over Sin, Death, Satan, and aU 
 the World ? Is it a fmall Thing to judge 
 
 the 
 
tor Efieem to CHRIST. 6$ 
 
 Che World, to be cloathed with Gfory> 
 to be an everlafung Courtier with God f 
 and te have his Ear, his Love, his Care, 
 his Pity, his Companion ? Doft thou want 
 Holinefs ? and is not thy Complaint main- 
 ly of a polluted, whorifh, deceitful, un- 
 kind, ungrate Heart ? Oh! here is a Foun- 
 tain opened to the Houfe of David, for Sift) 
 and for Uncleannefsy whofe Blood cleanfeth 
 from dead Works, and who is ourSanftifi- 
 cation ; wants thou Knowledge, and Un- 
 demanding ? he hath Eye-falve ,• Art thou 
 poor ? he hath Gold tried in the Furnace ; 
 Art thou naked ? he hath Cloathing^ 
 Art thou purfued with Wrath ? Art thou 
 grieved, vexed, and caft down at the 
 Unfaithfulnefs, Hardnefs,and Deceitfulnefs 
 of Friends ; fo that thou cries ; "The Goodman 
 is perilled from the Earth ; and there is no 
 Confidence in a Brother ? Oh ! come here, 
 and have a loving^ companionate, faithful* 
 powerful, and honourable , Friend. Arc 
 thou wearied with the World, and canft 
 find no Clufter to eat, haft gone through dry ~; 
 Places feeking Reft, but finding none ? Oh f 
 Come here poor wearied Soul, and thou 
 fhalt find Reft to thy Soul. 
 
 Con fid. 3 . What is it to have all thefe as 
 
 thine ? to fay, My Beloved is mine, and I 
 
 E ani 
 
66 Xffeful Considerations for raifwg 7 
 am his ; many can receive Comfort front 
 Things that are not their own, as from 
 Perfons ; they may be refreflit with their 
 Difcourfe, tho' they never have an In te reft 
 of Marriage, or any other Way. If I 
 might fee a pleafant Houfc, and Lands 
 furnifhed with all other Accomodations, 
 as Rivers, Groves, Walks ; yet if I can- 
 not have it to be mine, it is not very com- 
 fortable unto me ; I cannot have the Ufe, 
 Profit, nor continual Recourfe to, and uling 
 of it : Oh 1 but (my) is a fweetning 
 Word, a loving, ravifhing, Heart raifiog, 
 and gaining Word : My Beloved is mine r 
 and I am his : Lord, thou art my God, 
 early will J feek thee ; what tho' thou 
 fiiouldft fill thy Head with all the My- 
 fteries and Notions of Chrift imaginable ; 
 what tho' thou fhouldft fmell all his Oint- 
 ment, and fee this Beauty of tlje »>tar o£ 
 3fat0b, and tafle the Fruit of the &tettt o£ 
 3|ette; yet, ifthisbenot thine, what avails 
 it unto thee ; woe, woe, unto thee for 
 evermore, that haft nothing but Difcove- 
 ries of Chrift, fome Reafonings anent him, 
 with which the Head is only fill'd, and the 
 Affeftions a little tickled, and never canft 
 fay, That the Beloved is thine ; Who canft 
 fooliflilv, bafely, and flatteringly com- 
 mend 
 
mr EJieem to CHR IS T. 6 7 
 
 mend this $tarf ot $nce, and weigh the 
 Worth and Weight of it with thy Rea- 
 fon -, but t never fell all to make it thine 
 own. If Chrift be not thine ; if he be not 
 thy Husband, thy ^Otie, tf# jfrientJ, tfjg 
 Slii in Silly tf)2 fortiori, tljg 2>elt£f)t ; all 
 thy Knowledge will avail nothing, make 
 him thine, and then all his is thine : As he 
 that marries a rich Heretrfx, allfalLs in unto 
 him; fo here; Becaufe 1 live, ye JJ:aS true 
 aljo; all the Grace, Glory, Righteoufnefs* 
 Power, Honour, Life, Victory, Love, and 
 Favour of God that Chrift hath, all is 
 thine; nay, tho' thou feeleft nothing by Senfe, 
 yet ye have all in him, in whom we are corn* 
 fletey "Triumph with him in high Places, be 
 blefled with him in high Places, be dead 
 with him, and his Grace is Sufficient jor us, 
 tho' a Mejfenger of Satan buffet, and we 
 pay that it depart, and yet no Anfwer ; 
 and therefore, let every Man glory in' 
 the Lord : If thou make the Lord thine, 
 thou may command him for thy Good 
 when thou pleafeft ; concerning the Works 
 ot my Hand, command thou me, thou 
 may'ft do this as often, as much, and as 
 long as you pleafe ; thou may 'ft make bold 
 with all that Chrift hath, even fo far, as 
 his Life* Blood, Power, Grace, Lovf , and 
 E % Good- 
 
6$ Ufeful Covfideratiom for raifmg 
 Good-will can extend to. There is a blank 
 Bill of Exchange drawn upon Chrift, a 
 blank Obligation, and Chrift is to anfwer 
 all ; ask what ye will, not only to the Half 
 of his Kingdom, but the Whole of his 
 Kingdom, and ye fhall have it; and not 
 only that, but his Heart-blood. O ! ye 
 Fools, feize quickly upon all this Treafure, 
 your Will and Confent makes them yours, 
 ye have them for the asking, and for lefs jf 
 the Market may arife quickly, and that 
 which very little would do, Ten thoufand 
 Worlds fhall be offered for it, and it fhall 
 not do: If ye negled this Time of rich 
 reaping, when he calls; Groans, feeking 
 him early, Tears, and all will Hot fetch 
 him : Oh ! therefore make him yours, fo 
 as ye may be eternally, and at your Will 
 enriched herewith: Indeed, if Chrift ferv- 
 cd you for no other Ufe, than to be gazed 
 upon like fome beautiful Pi&ure, or to give 
 thee fometimes Satisfa&ion and Content, 
 and then away again, to be as a Stranger 
 tarrying but for a Night ; I confefs there 
 would be much lefs Occafion for thee 
 to prize, feek, thirft, and long after 
 him for, or grieve in his Abfence : 
 Oh ! but not only is Chrift departed, but 
 your Chrift is gone ; not only has the Be- 
 loved 
 
our Efteem toCHRIST. 69 
 
 loved withdrawn him/elf, but my Beloved 
 hath withdrawn himfelf : v If a rich Ship 
 with all its Commodities, Ihould fplit, of 
 be caft away, if thou haft rio Share in it ; 
 tho' thou mighteft poffibly expert to have 
 fome of the Commodities for thine own 
 Ufe, thou could. ft not be fo much troub- 
 led as the Mariner and Perfons to whom 
 the Ship and Goods did belong ; fo it is 
 here, tho' thou mighteft poffibly exped 
 fome Advantage in retaining Chrift ; yet 
 if he were but as a Stranger to thee, and 
 thou hadft no other Intereft in him, thou 
 mightft be fomewhat fatisfied. But oh! 
 thy Chrift, thy Beloved ; my Lord is taken 
 away^mmt own, I am robbed of him; and 
 canft thou live without him: Let Devils and ' 
 damned Reprobates never figh for Want of 
 Chrift, who was never theirs; But oh! 
 ye Saints, how can ye live Days, Months, 
 and Years, without Chrift, your Lord, your 
 God, your Life : Ye unconverted Perfons, 
 how can ye want him, who may be yours? 
 To lofe a Thing not mine, troubles me 
 not, but to lofe mine own, grips to me. 
 
 Confid. 4. Thou haft not only a Relation 
 in him, and Intereft in him, but thou haft, 
 or mayeft have the neareft Relation to 
 him, and Union that is imaginable : Oh ! 
 E3 ye 
 
70 Ufeful Confederations for raffing 
 ye People and Saints of God, Let us con- 
 sider who it is we want : £Dur iStOtljcr, 
 
 ouutfat&et, our (35o3, our Horn, ourltfng, 
 
 OUJ H?eat>, our dear, loving, honourable, 
 faithful, and worthy Friend : It would be 
 a fad Parting that would be betwixt a Wo- 
 man, her Husband, her Children, all her 
 good Friends ; now Chrift is all comfort- 
 able Relations to his People ; boundlefs 
 Love, and rich Grace was not content to 
 befriend poor Sinners, and to bring them 
 to Heaven, and there to have fome Fellow- 
 fhip with God,^ (tho* that was much) but 
 to make himfelf theirs, and to give them a 
 Right of Donation to Jefus Chrift, with- 
 out Reverfton ; and not only to make him 
 theirs, but warm, and violent Lovedid creep 
 nearer Sinners, and bring them, and knit 
 them in the neareft Tie, and Union, fo as 
 Chrift gets the Sinner in his Heart ere all 
 be done , and he incircles himfeff in rhe Sin- 
 ners Arms. Job. xvii. Oh ! fhame and fy 
 upon unkind Sinners ; Chrift is not only 
 content to keep Fellowfhip and Commu- 
 nion with his Brethren and Creatures, that 
 qufare 1 am> there ttey may be alfo ; but muft 
 marry them, and betroth them unto himfelf 
 in Mercv, Judgment, and loving Kindnefs % 
 and rauft make them Members of his Body , 
 
 which 
 
our Efteem to CHRIST. |V 
 
 which Chrift the Head will draw up unto 
 himfelf after him in Heaven ^ Co chat this 
 Union is our greateft Honour, Happinefs 
 and Pride, in which only we can boaft ,• 
 Chrifl is yours, and Chrift is God's, and all 
 "things are yours ; he is all in us ; all his is 
 ours, all the Glory, Honour, Excellency of 
 Chrifl, is the poor Sinners united to him 
 by Faith ; he is the ^tOCfe, and thou art 
 the Bcancl), and what canft thou do, but 
 wither, when cut off from him : He is thy 
 %i0fom&, fl>mtyz y iFcient), anO %ao j and 
 therefore, come up unto him, or elfe thou 
 canft not do any Thing, but droop like 3 
 forrowful Widow in his Abfence : Oh! 
 come to him ; he calls thee, he longs for 
 thee : Oh ! ungrate and unthankful Gene- 
 ration, do ye thus requite the Lord} When 
 Jacob heard thefe Words, Thy Son Jofeph 
 caEeth for thee ; It is faid, He made himfelf 
 quickly ready to go down : Oh ! but thy Lord, 
 and thy Love, and one joined to thee in 
 the ftraiteft Union calls for thee ; and there- 
 fore, make hafte to come : When Chrift 
 would be in, he faith, Open my Love; my Dove, 
 my undefiled One, my Sponfe : If thou wert 
 to efteem and love a Stranger, you would 
 feek him, long for him,and defire his FellOw- 
 ihipi but oh ! thy ^U0ban&, thy f^atJ* and all 
 E 4 thy 
 
72 Ufeful Conftderations for raifing 
 thy comfortable Relations in one: Oh! 
 hard, ungrate, foolifh, and unwife Heart, 
 and far from Underftanding ; Is he not the 
 Halfof thy felf, and the bell Half ? If thou 
 haft not this Intereft in Chrift as yet, 
 as many have not ; then make up for 
 thy Lite quickly, otherwife thou wilt live 
 a Fool, and die a Begger, and be eternally 
 undone for want of him. The Spoufe in 
 Hofea ii. faith, It is my Husband, and there- 
 fore I will return ; fo do thpu ; Remember 
 the Love' of thine Efpoufals ) know from 
 whence thou haft fallen, whom ye ferve, and 
 ivhofe ye are; and therefore away with Ce- 
 remonies. 
 
 Confid. 5. He hath not only been a Huf- 
 band, Friend, Brother and Father unto 
 thee, but a kind, more than dutiful Huf- 
 band, and an exceeding loving Friend,- his 
 Love is more than the Love of Women ; he 
 did that which nonedurft do; he hath the 
 Vreheminence in every Thing-, he is a Non- 
 fuch ; no fuch Brother, Friend, Father, or 
 Husband • none fo kind, fo great, fo 
 good as he; God i< L>ve ; there 
 forne that can (peak fail* to you, do you 
 fome Piece of Service, and that uporr 
 ibme felfifh End, but their Hearts are 
 rot upright: Chrift not only doth thee 
 
 good, 
 
ourEjleemto CHRIST. 7? 
 good, but all flows from Love ; Chrift had 
 no By-end, he loved, and thought upon 
 thee frcffti Everlafting, his Love is as old 
 ashimfelf; he loved th^e freely of his own 
 accord ; nothing did put a Neceifity on 
 Chrift, he faw no great Advantage he had 
 by ic, thou didft never put him to it; who 
 hath given and he fhail be rewarded. Nay, 
 he loved all his Saints, when they were 
 Enemies, worthlefs, moft vile in his Sighr> 
 which no Love can counter-ballance ; when 
 unable to help th^mfeives, yea in the very 
 A£t of Refiftirg, when thow walked fvoward- 
 ly on in thy Way: Chrift's Love is un- 
 changable and conftant, which neither Sin, 
 Ingratitude, Worthlefnefs, Weaknefs, or 
 Jealoufy can change; it is without Re- 
 pentance : Wheni^r in his own Prefence 
 denied him, he looked upon him, and that 
 Look did fhoot Darts of Love, it did 
 make Peter weep bitterly: And fome there 
 are which love in Word, but noc in Acti- 
 on, or in Deed,- Chrift loved in Heart and 
 Adion : Chrift came down from Heaven, 
 and he met with a Number of broken Men 
 unable to recover themfelves; Clftift took 
 on the Debt, and wared all he had, his 
 Honour, his Pleafure, his Glory, his Fa- 
 ther's Fellowlhip, PhiL ii. 3, 4. And 
 
 when 
 
74 Ufefal Considerations for raffing 
 when all would not do, he pawn'd and paid 
 his Life, not by Conftraint, but moil wil- 
 lingly. Who will dare to die for a Righte- 
 ous Perfon ? but Chrift dared to die for his 
 Enemies. Chrift faw all the Eledk fwim- 
 ing in a Flood of Vengeance, and they were 
 ready, like Peter, to link ; Chrift waded 
 through himfelf, and got many a fad Dowk 
 ere he pull'd out his Lambs.If thou haft any 
 Thing that is good, pleafant, or comfort- 
 able, Chrift bought it, and fentit unto thee ; 
 He endured Scorn, Hunger, Thirft, cruel 
 Mockings, Contradiftion of Sinners for thy 
 fake. There was a black and fearful Cup 
 of pure and unmixed Vengeance prepared 
 for thee, that would have made all the 
 Angels reel and run mad, and this we be- 
 hoved to drink; and the Dregs were Curfes 
 of the Almighty : Chrift pitied, weeped, 
 took up the Cup, and without more ado 
 fipped it off. When all our Necks were 
 upon the Block, and the Sword juft ready 
 to come down; Chrift ftept in and received , 
 the Blow. When Storms were blowing 
 within and without, Chrift rode Chin 
 deep into the Sea, he remembred his Bride, 
 and when he had done all, he thought all 
 well wared ; he faw the Travfel of his Soul, 
 and was fatisfied ; Chrift never either be- 
 fore 
 
our EJteem to CHRIST. 75 
 
 fore or after repented his Bargain. Oh ! in 
 him is your Help, and can yon refufe any 
 Thing to him ? Will ye be like the Lepers, 
 that after they were cured, never did fo 
 much as come and give him Thanks ? Oh ! 
 Foolifh and Unwiie. What fhould I tell 
 other his Kindnefles, it is he that preferves 
 thee, invited, exhorted, threatned, never 
 left off after Denials, Sins, Unkindnefl'es, 
 till he conquered thy Heart, and he gave 
 himfelf, his Heaven, his Love, his All for 
 it. / am thy exceeding rich Reward. He 
 pities, delivers, loves, cares for thee, pro- 
 vides for thee, heals all thy Difeajes \ O cry 
 out, how precious are thy Thoughts to 
 us-ward, in Number they cannot be told ,• 
 look to the Greatnefs, Multitude, Seafon, 
 Continuance of Mercies, and admire, won- 
 der and love ; Canft thou then refufe him 
 this Heart of thine ? Canft thou then kick 
 and fpurn at this Love, and leave him to 
 lament and grieve over your hard Hearts ? 
 Canft thou,or wilt thou fin any more againft 
 him ? Wilt thou wound and pierce him any 
 more with thy Iniquities and Unkindnefs ? 
 Wilt thou not render him but Love 
 for Love? Art thou weary of him? 
 Hath he been a barren Wildernefs to thee ? 
 Oh ! what Iniquity have ye found in the 
 
 Lord? 
 
q6 Ufeful Conftderationsfor raifwg 
 Lord ? teflit'y againft him, and plead thy 
 Caufe before the Mountains ; Remember 
 what he did unto thee, what others did un- 
 to thee, and wilt thou not come and live 
 with this kind Friend, this kind Samaritan? 
 Shall the World, which never did thee one 
 good Turn, have thy Thoughts, Endea- 
 vours and Affections, and (hall Chnft ftand 
 without weary and wet, and wilt thou noc 
 give him Entertainment ? Oh long rorium, 
 O cry, Whete is he that I may thank him ; 
 O give thy whole felf to him, who hath 
 bought, and over-bought, and over-defer- 
 red thee ; unlefs thou turn the moft un- 
 grate, foolifh, unreafonable, unjuft Man in 
 the World; what remains then, that ye be- 
 in" delivered from all your Enemies, ferve 
 him in Holinefs and Righteoujnefs all the Days 
 of your Life. Oh prize, efieem, and de- 
 light in him. 
 
 Confid. 6. He is thy acquaintance, one 
 with whom fometimes you took fweet Coun- 
 sel one whom fometimes thou haft feen and 
 ha'dft Fellowfhip with .• They that lament 
 •over thofethat are dead, remember all their 
 Adions, their Familiarity, Love and Say- 
 ings betwixt them : Chrift did not marry 
 by attOUW 01 $ TO> he came himfelr, 
 courted and married, kept Houfe till he 
 
 was 
 
oarZjleemto CHRIST. 77 
 tvas made welcome, and till thou fhut the 
 Door upon him ,• if thou hadft not weari- 
 ed of him, he would have flaid ftill : Re- 
 member then, it is thy Acquaintance, tlje 
 (BttfoZ Of tty tfOUtf) ' 7 remember his former 
 Carriage, remember his Miflive Letter, re- 
 member the Days of old, and thy Song in 
 the Night, when his Candle fiiined upon 
 thy Tabernacle, when thou wafhed thy 
 Steps in Butter, and never leave thy Heart? 
 until it fay, I will up after my Husband,* 
 for then it was better with me than it is 
 how ; if it had been a Stranger that neve£ 
 would look upon thee, whom thou never 
 faw, but only heard tell of, it would be 
 fome Excufe, ; Oh ! but to lofe an ac- 
 quainted God, to lofe a kind Lord, a lo- 
 -vin£ Lord, is fad. 
 
 Confid. 7. The Lord is all unto thee,* 
 he is thy Portion, thou haft no other Thing 
 allow'd thee to content and fatisfy thy Soul, 
 but himfelf alone ; he is thy Phyfician, he 
 is the Health of thy Countenance, he is 
 your Gain, your Riches, your Heritage* 
 and thy Portion ; he is your Meat and 
 Drink, and Cloathing,- nay he is thy Soul 
 and Life : fo that thou art but a dead rot- 
 ten Carcafe without him, a fick weak 
 Thing ,• he is thy Rock, thy Strength, thy 
 
 " Light, 
 
7 & Ufefttl Considerations for raifing 
 Light, thy Wifdom, and thy Salvation ; 
 he is thy all in all, thy Sanctification, thy 
 Glory and thy Honour : fo that thou fig- 
 nifieit nothing without him but a meer 
 Cypher : And therefore, as the Preacher 
 defires young Men to rejoice, eat and drink, 
 for this is their Portion under the Sun; fo 
 I fay, love the Lord, delight in him, feek 
 him, entertain him, for he is thy Portion, 
 thou could'it not live one Hour without 
 him. The Creatures could not yield thee 
 one Drop of Comfort were it not he : All 
 the Creatures are but fubfervient to him, 
 when rightly improven, they are but Let- 
 ters and Syllables to fpell him ; Mercies arc 
 but Tables on which the Wifdom, Power, 
 Goodnefs and Love of God are written ; 
 Enlargements and Duties are but the Sail 
 and the Ships, and Horfe to carry us to 
 Heaven : Outward Mercies are but as 
 Trifles and Baubks to rub away our 
 Wildnefs, and acquaint us more with him, 
 to allure us to come to him : Promifes are 
 but fair Words to take off our Mifconftrnc- 
 tionsof Chrift, and to .acquaint us with 
 him, and to make us lay afide our Fear and 
 take Courage. Outward Comforts, necef- 
 iary Food and Raiment are but the Inns, 
 and the Provision which God hath fet in 
 
 out 
 
our Efieem to C HR 1ST. 79 
 
 our Way for our better Accommodations ,• 
 we muft not reft, but to our Journey ; a ftiort 
 Slumber, and away again. Ordinances are 
 but Glafles and Opticks through which 
 we may fee the Lord of Glory, and to let 
 in his Lignt, Citterns, Pipes and Paps 
 through which he Difuls and we do fuck 
 himfelf; and tf ye reft in, or upon thefc, ye 
 are Chriftlefs, and pervert their Ufe. Nay, 
 Grace it felf is but the Raiment with 
 which we muft come in the King's Prefence, 
 and a Token of Chrift's Love. Fall not 
 in Love with any inferior Delight or Good* 
 which the Lord of all Comfort and Good 
 fends to court for himfelf ; fay not thou 
 haft enough, when thou wants himfelf, for 
 thefe are not thy Portion ; fell not thy He- 
 ritage then, for the Devil's or the World's 
 fhort worthlefs Trifles : Remember Efau. 
 When thou wants the Lord himfelf, look 
 upon thy felf as wanting thy Heritage, thy 
 Life, thy Light, thy Strength, thy Refuge, 
 and thy all. Reprobates need not mourn 
 much; or at leaft not fo much as thou ; for 
 they have their Portion and their Reward : 
 Oh ! but thou haft not, till thou haft the 
 Lord : And therefore, feeing the Lord is all 
 unto thee, look for him, and feek him by 
 all Means, and then your Souls (hall live, 
 
 MED I- 
 
2i> In what Cafes the preceedipg 
 
 MEDITATION IV. 
 
 Shewing in what Cafes the precedent Con- 
 fideratwns ?na) be ufeful. 
 
 TN the Time of Converfion, wfien the 
 __ Lord is beginning to court the Soul for 
 himfelf, and making Acquaintance; when 
 he faith, Open thy Heart poor Sinner, and 
 I ivill ccme in and Sup with thee; when Je- 
 fus Chrift is bidding himfelf, Heaven and 
 •Glory, and when Chrift and the Sdul are 
 communing for the Pearl of Price : when 
 thou findeft thy Heart draw back, and 
 efteem Chrift as an empty Sound : when he 
 appears little to thine Eyes, and thine Heart 
 begins fecretly to draw oft: Oh! then ply 
 it hard with thefe Confiderations, take up 
 this Looking-glafs,and take one View more 
 of 3jeft!& and this may draw your Hearts 
 and conquer you. When Chrift would be in 
 at the Spoufe's Chamber, he faith, Open my 
 Lcve, my Dove, my undefiled; Chrift ad- 
 jures by all the fweet Relations that is* be- 
 twixt the Soul and. him ) Chrift knew if 
 
 any 
 
Confiderations are ufeful. %i 
 
 any Thing would do, this would. It was 
 Job's fad Complaint, 1 am a Stranger unto 
 my IVife ; I be/ought her for the Fruit of my 
 Body's fake. Ah / many a Pledge of Love 
 hath Chrift befought, and adjured us by 
 to let him in ; when Wifdom is calling in, 
 fhe faith, All Things are ready, I will pour 
 out my Spirit, and ye that want Under ft anding 
 come : Here are all the fweet Compilations 
 that may endear. Oh ! then fay, Shall I con- 
 temn the glorious Son of God, Him in whom 
 the Father delighteth, and fhall not I give 
 him my Heart ? fhall I refufe him that is 
 fo fuitablc unto all my Conditions ? in 
 whom I fee all my Wants made up, both 
 Meat and Drink ; fhall I refufe fuch a 
 Bargain ? fhall I refufe fym for my 
 Husband ? refufe to live with him that 
 hath done fo much for me? who will be 
 all unto me : Oh ! I cannot, I will not. 
 (2.) In Times of Defertion, when the Soul 
 hath run away from God, and gone after o- 
 ther Lovers than God, and begun to fag, 
 when the Lord fends for the adulterous 
 Soul, and faith, Jer. iii. 2. The? thou haft 
 played the Harlot with many Lovers, yet return 
 again to me, faith the Lord. Oh fay, Where 
 am I ? What is this that I have done ? Fool- 
 ifh, ungrate and unreafonable : This is not 
 F*C my 
 
%2 In what Cafes the preceedwg 
 my Reft, this is not my Husband : Then 
 remember the Love of thine Efpoufah : Oh then 
 think upon his Kindnefs and Lovq, Ez,ra 
 ix. 8, 9, io 3 ii. And let the Thoughts 
 of a firft Husband draw thy Soul after 
 him, Hof. ii. 5. and truly ye fhall find this 
 ufeful. (3.) When ye would affed the Soul 
 with Sin, and thou canft not, by reafon of 
 a hard, impenitent, cruel, blind and ungrate 
 Heart: Oh then look upon him whom ye 
 have pierced, and fay, Oh i / have offended 
 thee, and in thy Sight done this Evil. Nay, 
 but Oh ! it is againft Kindnefs, Mercies, 
 Covenant- Relations 5 have I combined a- 
 gainft my Lord, and my King, and my belt 
 Friend, who is All in Ail unto me : gl$P 
 fHlgbanlB, anO nig %tihz ; and cannot I 
 mourn ? I have heard tell of one that figh- 
 ting againft a Friend in a difguifed Armour, 
 "when by a Wound given him, he difcovered 
 who it was, was almoft at the Point of kil- 
 ling himfelf, becaufe he had harmed his 
 Friend : On 1 but we let our Blows flie at 
 Random, and know not that wc wrong pre- 
 cious and meek jefusrlt was a fad Challenge, 
 I'bou haft Hid unto God : But Oh this; thou 
 haft finned againft thy God, and thy good 
 God, and thy God who never refted till 
 jic drew thte to himfelf, and made thee one 
 
 with 
 
Considerations aye ufefull 83 
 
 with himfelf, thy beft and only Friend ; it 
 is him thou haft pierced with thine Iniquities^ 
 Ezek. xvi. 63. Zach. xii. Oh therefore 
 mourn ; it was a fad Thing to David to 
 confider the Party againft whom he finned. 
 Pfal. 1.2. Againft thee, thee only have I fin- 
 ned, and done this Evil in thy Sight : Oh con- 
 iider againft whom hath thy Tumult come: 
 David had a fad Word, If it were mine Enemy, 
 or a Stranger that had done it, then could I have 
 born if, but it was thou my Friend, that eated 
 my Bread, mine Acquaintance : Oh methinks 
 Chrift is faying to the Sinners of his People, 
 If it were the bafe carnal World, or Devils 
 whom I never loved, nor ever intended good 
 to, I could have born ,• but theu, for whom 
 I thought nothing too good, my felf, Life, 
 Glory and Heaven ; thou whom I have been 
 acquainted with, nay, whom yet J cannot 
 but love, and will love, thou that art mar- 
 ried to me, thou to fin againft me ? Tho' 
 Ifrael tranfgrefs, yet let not Judah for fake the 
 Lord her God. Whoever do it, do ye not it. 
 (4.) When the Lord is calling us to fome 
 fpecial Duties, and when we find our Hearts 
 draw back, and unwilling to engage, then 
 allure them with thefeConfiderations,What! 
 refufe to do this for me, that have done fo 
 much for thee, who havedeferved it fo, and 
 F 2 over- 
 
84 fo what Cafes the preceeding 
 over-deferved it ? To me, who am thy 
 ifjienO, t1# %$&, anQ tty ^usbanti i Bone 
 
 of thy Bone, and Flejb ojthy Flejh? "For me, 
 that refufed not Contempt, Reproach,Shame, 
 Buffeting, the Anger and Curfe of God, who 
 drank up Hell for thy Caufe, and for thee? 
 Oh ! do it for me. When the Lord gives 
 out the 2Dctftlogue as a Rule of Lite, and to 
 engage them the more, he preambles thus, / 
 am the Lord ; but that is not all, thy God, 
 no Stranger ; and this is not enough, but 
 who hath brought thee out of the Houfe of Egypt 
 and Bondage ; who hath done fo much for 
 thee, that thou mightft do it out of Love : 
 Hence the Love of Chrift conftrains us, this 
 wiil kindle Love, and Love thinketh nothing 
 hard : Jacob will not think feven Years Ser- 
 vice done to Rachel a great Time ,* theyfeem- 
 ed but a f mall Matter : Why ? Becaufe he lov- 
 ed her. (5.) In fad outward Preifures and 
 Afflictions, when robbed and ftript of all 
 outward Enjoyments, of Means, of Credit, 
 of Friends, or Children, or Wife. Oh ! be 
 not difcouraged ; methinks Chrift faith in 
 this Cafe, as Elkanah to Hannah, Am not 1 
 better to thee than many Hmbands? Am not I 
 your Treafure . ? Am not I better than all 
 your worldly Comforts ? Why are ye caft 
 down ? Is not Chrift yours? Is not God 
 
 yours i 
 
Convey at tons are ufeful. 85 
 
 yours ? And is not Chrift God's ? And is 
 nor. all yours ? What tho'.the Streams be 
 dried up, is not the Fountain of all Good 
 and Life opened ? Is he not your Portion ? 
 When all Refuge faileth thee, and no Man car* 
 eth for thy Soul; Oh ! return in hither. What 
 tho* the Fig-tree blojfom not, nor any Fruit be in 
 the Vine, and the Labour of the Olive fail, and 
 the Fields yield no Meat, and the Flocks are cut 
 off from the Fold>and no Herd in the Stall ;Jhali 
 ye then mourn m thefe that have no Hope, Hab. 
 iii. 17, 18. Be it far from you: No, Re* 
 joice in the Lord, and joy in the God of thy Sal* 
 vation. (6.) When tempted to Sin, Oh! 
 fay then, Shall I do this againft my Lord, 
 my Mafter, my Head, who hath done fo 
 much for me ? Shall I thus requite the Lord? 
 And fhall I give him Reafon to complain ? 
 / haw brought up Children, and they have 
 rebelled againft me, Ifa. i. 2, 3, 4. Will I 
 not pleafure him this once, feeing we are 
 delivered for this End from all our Enemies* 
 that v:e might ferve him in Holinefs and Righ- 
 teoufnefs all the Days of our Life, Luke i. I 
 remember when Jofeph was tempted by his 
 wanton and unclean Miftrefs, he faid, And 
 feeing my Mafter hath wit hholden nothing from 
 me, but you ; Jhall I then do this great Wicked- 
 nefsy and Jin againft God ? So fay thou, when 
 F 3 he 
 
$6 In what Cafes the preceding 
 he hath given thee all Things, and every 
 Tree in the Garden of Life and Heaven to 
 eat at thy Will, and hath only forbidden 
 this one Tree of Sin : Oh / do not this abo- 
 minable Thing. (7.) In Time of Death, 
 when thou art taking an evedafting and 
 long Farewel of all the World, never to fee 
 them again, and when thy Heart begins to 
 fail, and break at this fad Parting, as loath 
 to leave your old Acquaintance; Oh! re- 
 member then ye are but Pilgrims, while 
 here; ye are going to your Father, to your 
 Friend, to your Acquaintance, to your lov- 
 ing and dutiful Spoufe ; ye are going to pof- 
 feis and inherit your Portion : lam going to 
 my Father, and your Father, my God, and your 
 God : You are going to fee your Father, 
 and to have your Nuptials fclemnized ! 
 Your dear Lord and Husband hath fent for 
 you. What fliould the Members do but draw 
 themfelves to the Head ? This is the prefixed 
 Time, the Day of Redemption : The "Times of 
 Refreshing are before you; all Sorrows jhall fly 
 away : The Lord will never hide himfelf a- 
 gain. Oh 1 long for him, and fay, Welcome 
 Death, welcome Skknefs, welcome Ferry-man, 
 that will have me ever to my Father s Kingdom. 
 Come Lor djefw, come quickly. Amen. 
 
 MEDI- 
 
$7 
 
 MEDITATION V. 
 
 Confiderations to crncijie the World. 
 
 IT will be in vain to feek to remedy vain 
 Thoughts, if the Heart be in League 
 with Idols and the World ; fox wherever a 
 Mans \treafure is, there will his Heart be : 
 Remove the Caufe, and the EfFed will eafi- 
 ly be removed, otherwife ye do but lave out 
 Water out of your Veuels, and fuffer the 
 Hole through which the Water comes in, to 
 remain open : I have therefore thought fit, 
 for this CauTe and many others,to infert fome 
 Confiderations, by which our Hearts may 
 be weaned from the World : And therefore f 
 Firft, To prevent Miftakes, know, that by 
 the World, 
 
 I underftand, firft^ the Pleafure, the Profit 
 and Honour of the World, i John ii. 1 5 
 called the Things of the World,or in the World. 
 (2.) By the World, I underftand unregene- 
 rate, worldly, reprobate Men, Jchnxvii.9. 
 I pray not for the World. (3.) That flefhly 
 unregenerate Part, either in our felves or o- 
 F 4 thers, 
 
88 Considerations to cYucifie 
 thers, which favours the "Things of the World, 
 and which is earthly, called the Old Man, 
 Ephef. iv. 22. and which oppofes the rege- 
 nerate Part> the Spirit, continually. 
 
 (2.) Know that I underftand not thcfe 
 Things, as in themfelves abfolutely confi- 
 dered, for fo they are good and ufeful ; for 
 every Thing that God made is very good and 
 ufeful, Gen. i. 31. But I underftand them, 
 (1.) as they would be our Happinefs, or 
 any Part thereof, as they would be our End, 
 our Reft, Lukexii.19. and hence fome make 
 a God of their Belly, when thofe are coun- 
 ted neceffary, fo as the Heart cannot want 
 them. (2.) As feparated from God, con- 
 iidered in themfelves independently from 
 God, and without, neither as from him, 
 nor as Means leading to him, Zech. vii. 7. 
 
 1 Cor. x. 3 1. Neh. ix. 35. (3.) Asoppofing 
 and hindering of God and his Service, when 
 like Abjalom our Hearts are ftoilen away, 
 Hof. iv. it: (4.) As they further Sin, and 
 are Fewel thereunto, Pfal. lxxiii. 4, >, 6. 
 (5.) As they would be efteemed above God, 
 
 2 "lim. iii. 4. (6.) When efteemed neceffary 
 in thefe Refpefts, it is that we muft de- 
 fpife, oppofe and perfecute the World. 
 
 (3.) Nor muft we think that therefore we 
 are bound to caft the World away from us,or 
 
 not 
 
the World* 89 
 
 not to life it at all ; but we mufl life it, yet 
 not fo as to abufe it, and that we may be 
 delivered from the Power of this great Sin, 
 and that this Idol may be thruft from our 
 Hearts, and we made to rife up againft it 
 with Hatred and Malice. 
 
 Confider, I. There are two great Com- 
 petitors and Rivals, they are God and the 
 World ; and thefe Two draw all Men after 
 them, and there is an everlafting Quarrel 
 betwixt them : Thefe that are with Chrift 
 are againft the World, and whofo is with 
 the World is againft Chrift ,• therefore it is 
 the Duty of all Chriftians to rife up wit-h 
 Chrift againft the World ; 'tis abominable 
 either to love or fear it. 
 
 Confider^ II. What a defpifed ugly 
 Thing the World is; is it not difdained by 
 Chrift? When he came into the World, he 
 preferred Poverty, and the Evil thereof unto 
 the Good thereof, who being rich, yet was 
 ?nade poor ; it was nothing in his Thought: 
 And he was not miftaken, he knew the Va- 
 lue ef Things well enough; for in him dwells 
 all the Trea fares of Wifdom and Knowledge; 
 when he might have been aking,he refufed ir t 
 his Kingdom is notofihislVorld : And hath not 
 t-hisLightlyhood of Chrift ftained,asitwere, 
 the Pride of all the World ? He refufed, fcor- 
 
 ned 
 
90 Confidercttions to crucifc 
 
 ned and difdained the World's beft Proffers ; 
 and what is this World, but a defpifed, af- 
 fronted, contemned and difdained Thing ? 
 Chrift, by refufing the World, hath affronted 
 it ,• and Chrift's Refufal is as it were a Pa- 
 per Hat fet upon it, to make it contempti- 
 ble and difgraced, to hifs it out of the Efti- 
 mation of his People ; and when Chrift hath 
 done this to it, who will take it up? Who 
 will honour it ? 'Tis nothing to be difgra- 
 ced with Men, nay, that's a Glory fome- 
 times ; but Chrift 's Reproaching and Scorn 
 is a fad Weight, and rubs a real Infamy and 
 Blot upon whom it lights. 
 
 III. Chrift and the World are Enemies, 
 proclaimed Enemies to one another, or the 
 World is an Enemy, was an Enemy toChrift: 
 The Friendfliip of the World is Enmity to 
 God. All the Time Chrift was in the 
 World, it mocked, defpifed, reviled, oppo- 
 fed, perfecuted him, and at laft killed him, 
 and that by the moft ignominious and pain- 
 ful Death that could be : Becaufe Chrift 
 would not be a Slave, and bow down to it, 
 therefore it perfecuted him, and turned his 
 defperate Enemy. The World and Self is 
 now like the Devil, and the firft Angels not 
 content with their firft Habitations, and like 
 the Man of Sin exalted as God in the Heart, 
 
 the 
 
the World. g% 
 
 the Temple of God, and there fits; and be- 
 caufe Chrift and his Followers will not 
 bow down, and worfhip this golden Image, 
 the World turns mad at him, ufes all their 
 Means* Power, and painted Religion and 
 Authority againft him: The World was 
 wprfe than Pilate, who would have been 
 content only to have chaftifed him, and fo 
 let him go: No, no; nothing would con- 
 tent them, but they muft crucifa him. And 
 as the World oppofed Chrift, with the lame 
 Malice they oppofe his Members, his Do- 
 ctrine, and all chat pertains to him ; and 
 would ye know, the Reafon of it? They 
 did lo to the Matter, and therefore the 
 Servant muft be the fame Way dealt 
 with, John xv. 18, 19, 20. True in- 
 deed, the World fometimes agree with the 
 Godly ; but it is, when Religion flou- 
 rifties, and is too hard for them, then they 
 flatter ; or elfeit is, when the Lords Peo- 
 ple bafely bow down to them ; and as it 
 perfecuted his Prophets, fo it doth every 
 one that will be religious, he muft be fure 
 of Perfecution, they mock, they oppofe, 
 they vex, they perfecute, they defpife and 
 contemn them, Ifaiah viii. 16. Gal. iv. 29. 
 1 Pet. ii. 8. Matth. v, 11,12. Rev. xi. 7, 8, 
 9, 10. Rev. xii. 7. And when foul Means 
 
 will 
 
92 Confiderations to crucify. 
 
 will not do, it allures and flatters Folk 
 from their Obedience unto Chrift, and by 
 Terror keeps the Inhabitants of the World 
 in woful Bondage and Rebellion againft 
 the Lord of Glory : When Chrift came to 
 the World, he found very bad Quarters in 
 it, and never refted, till they put him out 
 cf it again ; and therefore, we think this 
 fhould make us have War with the World 
 for ever : Shall a Woman marry him that 
 hath killed her Husband and deareft Re- 
 lations ? Look therefore upon the World as 
 a Murderer ; How canft thou look to be 
 received in Mercy of Chrift, who hath been 
 all thy Lifetime honouring, prizing and 
 efteeming his Enemies,and haft been joining 
 with them ? Oh therefore! let the World 
 in thy Thoughts be cried down, as guilty 
 of an unpardonable Crime, cry out, O ! 
 bafe World, O ! traiterous World, hate k 9 
 defpife it, flight it, contemn it, mock it, 
 perfecute, reprove it, deny it thy fcleart or 
 thy Prefence, fay not a Confederacy to all, 
 with whom this People faith a Confede- 
 racy, break down this Graven Image, take 
 Heart and Courage, and go out of this 
 woful Bondage, in which thou art intang- 
 led, and fight for your Liberties and Souls, 
 and never reft, till thou bring in Subjeftion, 
 
 and 
 
the iVqrld. y$ 
 
 and overcome it by the Word of thy Tefti- 
 mony, fit and plot againft it. 
 
 IV. There is War denounced by Chrift 
 againft the World, and it is now his decla- 
 red Enemy, 'tis a Rebel at the King's 
 Horn declared, and condemned guilty of 
 Treafon^ the Lord's Commiffion is againft 
 it, and it is of fuch a Nature, as his Com- 
 miffion againft the Canaanites> fpare neither 
 Small nor Great, make no Covenants with 
 them, break down their Images, the Lord 
 hath raifed Fire and Sword againft it, he 
 hath fent his Son, and while he was in the 
 World, his Life was but a fighting againft 
 the World, and he overcame it : Methinks 
 the Lord, as Mofes laid unto the Children 
 of lfraelj when he removed the Tabernacle, 
 Whoever is for the Lord, let him join hither ; 
 and when he removed the Tabernacle of 
 the Congregation, all that feared the Lord 
 reforted to him ; God hat!) under Chrift 
 Jefus the Captain of our Salvation, fet 
 up a Royal Standard againft the Devil, the 
 World, and the Flefli ; ye are enlifted in 
 Baptifm, as the Lord's Soldiers, and with 
 him ye have engaged ; I tell you, this is 
 your Work to overcome the World, and in 
 Heaven ye fhall divide the Spoil ; aflbon 
 
 as 
 
94 Confederations to crucify 
 
 asChrift waspromifed, War was denounced, 
 I will put Enmity betwixt thy Seed, and 
 her Seed ; all the Prophets and Apoftles, 
 and Saints in ail Ages, have been in 
 hot War with the World. Prov. xxviii. 
 4. This is indeed to fight the Lord's 
 Battle, and curfed be the Hands that 
 fpares, 'tis God's Enemies, neither give 
 nor take Quarters, this Quarrel is very 
 juft, why fo ? the World is in Rebellion, 
 and in Arms againft the Lord, fome openly, 
 fome wirh a Kifs betraying the Son of 
 Man ; and the World hath evermore in- 
 vaded God, and ufurped the Crown ; and 
 thereto! e, hath the Lord fworn he will have 
 War with it, as with Amalek unto all Ge- 
 nerations, and with all who fhall join, 
 nay, or ftand neuter, they are curfed, be- 
 cause, they rife not up to help the Lord 
 againft the mighty : Oh ! know it at laft, 
 the Lord will put the World and all her 
 Lovers in a Bed of Sorrow : Oh therefore ! 
 join not with the World, ye know what the 
 Lord faid iinto JehojJmpbat^ Should thou 
 help them that hare the Lord? befriend 
 this Outlaw as ye will, God will count it 
 Rebellion : Stand aback therefore, up and 
 follow the Lord, and join with him, refift, 
 crucify, watch againft all that thou finds 
 
 in 
 
the World. 9<j' 
 
 in thine own Heart to take this Rebel's 
 Part. 
 
 V. 'Tis not only an Enemy, but an 
 overcome Enemy, Chrift and the World 
 wreftled, and he gave it a dead Stroke ; 
 / have overcome the World, Joh. xvi. ver. laft, 
 and he hath bought Arms and Ammuni- 
 tion againft it, he fought, as it were, the 
 fingle Combate, not only in his own Name, 
 but in the Name of all iiis Followers : Re- 
 joice therefore, I have overcome the World ; 
 aid hence it is, that all drift's Soldiers, 
 by Faith in him, overcome the World ; Sa- 
 tan, Sin, and the World had a Plea, and 
 pretended Law, Chrift fatjsfkd the Law, 
 and compeared, and get Sin and the World 
 condemned in the Flejh> Rom. viii. 3. and 
 crucified it with himfelf on his Crofs • and 
 now there is a Sentence pronounced in Fa- 
 vours of Chrift, and againft the World. 
 True indeed, the Archers grieved him fore, 
 but his Bow abides ftrong, the Jews and 
 his Enemies feconded with the Law, whom 
 he behoved to fatisfy, got him to a Grave, 
 and bound him with the Bands of Death; 
 yet Chrift fofe again,and did break" out,and 
 burft the Bands of Death, fatisfied' Juftice, 
 and is afcended triumphing in high Places ; 
 and as he did this himfelf, fo he doth it in 
 
 the 
 
€)6 Confederations to crucify 
 
 the Hearts of all his People ; Why are ye 
 then afraid of the World ? Do ye fear a 
 vanquiihed Enemy ? Is not the Power of 
 the World and Sin broken ? there is a 
 Nullity now in their Rights and Charters 
 of Superiority, which by Sin and Man's 
 Fall, the Devil got over the World, any 
 Right they had was by the Law, but the 
 Soul may offer to prove that the Law is 
 fatisfied ; and therefore, the World is but 
 an Ufnrper, and a conquered Enemy in 
 Point of Law, and condemned, there is a 
 Sentence pronounced inChrift's favours, that 
 ail his Enemies (hall be troden under Foot. 
 
 VI. The World is but a decaying va- 
 nifhing Thing, its beft Days are done, its 
 more than Afternoon, and the World's Sun 
 is like to fet fhortly, and the Lord is whip- 
 ping it to Deftrudtion, it will be in a Fire 
 and Flame Shortly, and all the Glory 
 thereof (hall be burnt up, the Faftiion of 
 it is pafling away, and being condemned, 
 its going en the Wheels of Time to Exe- \ 
 cution : The World is now an old Hag, ' 
 and itsforjner Beauty is withered and gore, 
 all its Pillars that filled it with Wonder, are 
 all gone, and a few Years more will bring 
 it to Deitruction, Time will be no 
 more, and it will be buried in the Pit of 
 Oblivion, all the Troubles, Evils, Glory 
 
 thereof 
 
the World. $f 
 
 there6f,ftaltiiever be remembered any more, 
 this Clock is goingj30w,but it will run out, 
 and be windedntjfiti Eternity, Duft thou 
 art, and to Duft thou flialt return, 'tis ori 
 its Journey, its burning a while, it will 
 come* to .nothing, and end in a fair Low • 
 Cry out then r O vain,perifhing, dying World ! 
 O withering World ! O Man born only 
 tody I and how can ye fall in Love, and 
 admire, and ferve this Traitor that is 
 overcome, condemned, and is now car- 
 ried out to the Execution. 
 
 VII. The World is but a Lie, Men of 
 high Degree, and Men of low Degree are 
 a Lie ; How long will ye feek Vanity , and 
 follow after ties ? The World is but a De- 
 ceiver, a meer Cheat, and a painted Sha- , 
 dow, Dreams and Appearances, the World^ 
 and the Glory thereof faith, they are Some- 
 thing, that's a Lie, for they are not., The 
 World faith, as BalakoiZippor, to Balaam, 
 Come with me> and I will honour thee y and will 
 f refer thee to great Riches and Honours ; for 
 all this is given me : But this is a Lye,it can- 
 hot do it, Promotion cometh neither from 
 the JEaft nor from the Weft ; believe not 
 the World, when it fpeaks faireft, there are 
 feven Abominations in the Heart thereof; 
 all the Damned in Hell, who now are uri- 
 G der 
 
98 Confiderations to crucify 
 
 dertheLafh of God's Juftice, fee they are 
 nothing but a Pack of cheated Fools, Why 
 . fpend ye your Money therefore for that which 
 frofiteth not, nor fatisfies ? The Devil makes 
 the Witches believe he gives them Money, 
 and this Dream, Fancy and Dfeceit fatif- 
 fies them for a while, but when they come 
 to ufe it they find nothing but a Bubble; 
 and lo do Men find the World at laft : 
 Riches take unto themfelves Wings, the 
 World is a Juggler, and deludes our Senfes, 
 and hath an Appearance of Wifdom, Con- 
 tentment, Riches and Happinefs, when inr 
 deed it is Foolifhnefs, and yet their Pofteriiy 
 approve their Sayings ; it is but Sophiftry, no 
 found Wifdom: Chrift is the Truth, and 
 his Flejh is Meat indeed. There is only the 
 Appearance of Meat and Satisfaction in the 
 World, a meer Dream) Ifa. xxix. 8. The 
 Man dreameth he eateth and drinketh, but 
 when he awake th indeed,he is hungry.How 
 Ihould we difefteem it ? How fhould we 
 laugh at this painted Fool that can do no- 
 thing ? It cannot take away Life, for it is I 
 that kil\ and it is I that make alive ; it is 
 but a Bcgbear; it cannot kill the Soul, and 
 what^s Life ? no great Matter, a perifhing 
 fhacfow, a Tale that's told, and all that the 
 World can do is but to interrupt a Tale, 
 
 all 
 
the World. gg 
 
 all the World's Beauty is but Paintry and 
 Varniftiing, all its Glory but fading, all 
 itsPromifes and Threats but Lies and Sto- 
 ries and Ambiguities, all its Strength but 
 weaknefs, loud founding Shot but noBalls, 
 only Powder that doth no Harm. Life is 
 the.greateft Thing in this World, all that 
 a Man hath will he give for his Life y and yet 
 when a Chriftian's Life is taken away, he 
 hath a Life hid with Chrift, which is above 
 the World's Reach, and all they can do 
 is to flit a Sinner from Grace to Glory; 
 When the World therefore allures and 
 courts thee to join with its Threats and 
 Promifes, .fay, O cheating World ! Flee 
 from it as a Diflembler, believe not a word 
 that it faith. 
 
 VIIL The World is a prejudicial Thing, 
 it is the high Way to be ruined, to make up 
 our felves in the World ; to find our Life 
 in the World, is indeed to lofe it j it is a 
 Way to get God our Enemy, it hath done 
 us much III, brought much Evil upon us, 
 hindered many Things from us, which elfe 
 we fhould have, Pfal. lxxxi. / would have 
 fed thee with Honey from the Rocky Deut. v, 
 29. ? Tis paft fpeaking what the World 
 hath done to us ; it doch us much Evil, 'tis 
 the Covering and Veil on the Eyes of all 
 G 2 Nations, 
 
xo6 Con]ii£efa$iom to crucify 
 Nations, and the Pearl; that hinders us frorrf 
 feeing the Glory of the Lord ) it is the Par- 
 tition Wall that feparateth betwixt the Lord 
 and us ; it is the Log tied to our Feet, 
 that we cannot come unto the Lord ; 'tis 
 the Devil's Bait, his Pander courting Souls 
 to Hell, the old Bawd ,• we would not fin 
 were it not the World. The World is Sin's 
 Solicitor and great Agent,- it is the Bait 
 that draws fo many Fifli to the Devil's 
 islet, and to the Pit ; and it is a Bone that 
 pierces and firikes thorow with many Sorrows, 
 i "Tim. vi. 9. procures many a Blow, many 
 a Gloom from the Lord. Ifa. lvii. For the 
 Iniquity of his Covetoufnefs I was wroth y I 
 fmote him. Many Evils and AfHi&ions doth 
 it bring on,, but it intends much more Evil, 
 It intends to cheat you of your Souls, to 
 allure you unto the Pit, and to bring you 
 unto eternal Bondage and Prifon ; and this 
 Is all that the World feeks and intends. Up 
 therefore, fight, kill or be killed, 'break open 
 this mighty ftrong Prifon, fay to yout 
 Hearts as the Ph Hi (lines faid, 1 Sam. iv. 
 Tight for your Lives and Countries left ye be 
 Slaves, up and be valiant, quit your felves 
 like Men : fhake off the World's Yoke, and 
 golden foft, though ftrong Bonds, kill this 
 Enemy within thee, that is feeking to cut 
 
 thy 
 
the World. , ioj 
 
 thy Throat, and by* killing it free thy 
 felf. 
 
 IX. The World is bnt the Portion of the 
 Wicked, Pfal. xvii. 14. A Bone that iscafl 
 unto the Dogs, the Puddle in which the 
 Swine of this World wallowing to meddle 
 with this is Bafenefs,It is Injuftice to meddle 
 with what is not your own, it is* the. Wic- 
 ked's, it is the Portion given by the Lord 
 to Bitterns, to Owls, to Cormorants ,• it is 
 Idolatry to meddle with this, God hath 
 provided better Things for you; meddle 
 with your own, delight thy felf in the 
 j-ord, let the Lord be your Delight, Fear, 
 Love and Glory. 
 
 MEDITATION VI. 
 
 Of Sw> and the Power thereof. 
 
 IF we be fo charitable, as to think God 
 no Liar, Sin is the greateft Evil in the 
 World, though many other Evils be more 
 lamented ; it is a vile Evil, it is 3, preju- 
 dicial Evil, it is a dangerous Evil, it is a 
 deceitful Evil, and it is a moft ftrong, 
 G 5 Powerful, 
 
102 Of Sin i and the 
 
 powerful Evil : So that any unregenerate 
 Man is not only miferable, and finful, and 
 vile, and in hazard of Hell, but lies tied 
 faftHand'and Foot in this wofilj Bondage, 
 unable to help himfelf, and it is therefore 
 call'd, The Power of Darknefs, Atls xxvi. 
 1 8. Luke xi. 2i. it is called the ftrong Man, 
 and therefore Saints zvreftle not againft Flejh 
 and Blood, but againft Principalities and Pow- 
 er* in high Places, Eph. vi. 12. fo as all 
 ftrength to fubdue Sin is now gone, Rom. 
 V. 6. When without Strength, Chrift died jor 
 the Ungodly. Now that it is fo, take thefe 
 few Confederations that will fhew it. 
 
 I. Sin is ftronger than Man, Rom. vii. 
 1 8. How to perform that which is good I find 
 not ; we think our felves ftrong, but let us 
 fet all our Wirs, Refolutions and Power in 
 one, we cannot Hand againft Sin ; Sin hath 
 conquered and fubdued Thousands and 
 Millions, but never one, fave the Man 
 Chrift, fubdued it : Man is but a weak 
 Thing in refped: of Sin ; he is led at Sa- 
 tan's Will in his Chain, 2 Tim. ii. 26. There 
 is no Comparifon here. 
 
 II. The Devil is called ftrong, ftronger 
 than all the World ; but Sin is ftronger than 
 the Devil, for it overcame him, and now 
 he is ruled by Sin, and afted by it. Holi- 
 
 nefs, 
 
Power thereof. ioj 
 
 nefs, and the formal Vifioft of God and 
 Bleflednefs, were ftrong Guards for Free- 
 will ; yet Sin brake in upon them, and 
 ftrake down Devils and Men from their 
 Excellency, when they were in their beft 
 Eftate, Ecclef. vii. 29. 
 
 III. No Means can prevail again ft Sin, 
 it is a ftrong City, that all the Batteries, 
 Cannons, and other Engines of War can- 
 not fhake, or make a Breach in it; Sin 
 hath now been long aflaulted by God, and 
 manyj Means ufed, and Archers grieved it 
 fore , but yet Sin's Bow abideth ftrong. Ma- 
 ny an Aflfault hath God made, but the 
 City is unconquered to this Day ; God hath 
 ufed Sermons, Exhortations, Mercies, Crof- 
 fes, Miracles, and hath been hacking and 
 hewing at fin, and all in vain, the Power 
 of fin is unbroken ftill ; nay, he hath come 
 to the very Heart, and there ftriven and 
 contended, and that Day by Day, and a 
 very great Power hath been let out on Spirits, 
 and yet to this Day no Reformation. Ten 
 great and fearful Plagues could not bow 
 Pharaoh's Heart, the Grajfoppers, Rain> 
 thunder, Hail, Frogs, Lice, Flies and £0- 
 cufts could confume and deftroy the Trees, 
 Fruits and Corn of the Land of Egypt; 
 but all thefe Things could not deftroy 
 G 4 Pha* 
 
104 Of Sin y an& the 
 
 Pharaoh's Pride and Obftinacy ; That was 
 a greater Matter indeed. And do not our 
 woful Eyes fee, through lad Experience, 
 that a wicked, ignorant, formal, pro- 
 fane, flight, unconftant, hypocritical Ge- 
 neration, can break through Vows, Promi- 
 fes, Mercies, Sicknefles, Convictions, Ter- 
 rors, Sermons, Exhortations, Challenges, 
 and that renewed Day by Day ,• Ifay, can r 
 pafs through all thefe unto Hell. It is faid 
 of the Book with feven Seals, None was 
 found in Heaven and Earth that could loofe it ; 
 jfo it may be faid, None was ever found, 
 no Mean yet found that could conquer fin, 
 there is no Remedy for fin, Man's Heart 
 is fuch a Soil, that all the Pains that the 
 Wifdom of God can invent, cannot make 
 it bring forth Fruit. Ifa. v. 4. What more 
 could have been done than I have done, and 
 jet no other Grapes but wild Grapes brought 
 forth. True, the Lord can convert, let alt 
 the World, and Sin and Satan join in one; 
 but this is by Miracle. 
 
 IV. Sin is the ftrongeft Power on 
 Earth, ftronger than Men, than Devils, than 
 Means, than common Works ot the Spirit, 
 nay than real Grace ; for Paul, a regene- 
 rate Man, faw himfelf led Captive unto the 
 Law of Sin and Death 7 for all his Grace, 
 
 till 
 
Power thereof. 105 
 
 till a new Recruit of Influences from the 
 Head, Chrift, was fent forth, Romans 
 yii. 24. 
 
 V. Sin is as ftrong as Death ,• no Bands 
 are ftronger than the Bands of Deach, all 
 the Wifdom and Power of the World can- 
 not unloofe thefe Chains; a dead Man 
 cannot rife, cannot walk, cannot aft, can- 
 ■ not fee, cannot plot. If a Man once go to 
 this Prifon of the Grave, there needs no 
 Fear of breaking it, there needs no Jaylor; 
 Death's Arreft was never broken by any 
 mortal Man meerly, yet Sin is as ftrong as 
 Death, Eph. ii. 1. Dead in Sins and Tref- 
 faffes, 1 Tim. v. 6. She that liveth is dead 
 in Si n, and hence to be delivered from Sin, is 
 to be tranflated from Death to Life, 1 John 
 iii. 14. Ezek. xxxvii! 2. Sinners are but a 
 Bundle of dead Bones, and very dry. Death 
 cannot be refilled when it comes, and 
 therefore all muft die and unclothe them- 
 felves : fo it cannot be broken or freed 
 , from, when once Death feizes on a Soul. 
 It was God's Curfe, In the Day thou eatefl 
 thereof thou Jhalt purely die : Andy "The Wa- 
 ges of Sin is Death, Rom. vi. 26. Now, 
 every Man and Woman is dead in fin, can 
 do nothing, every Worm Temptation 
 tramples and feeds upon them -, and here 
 
 in 
 
io6 Of Sin i and the 
 
 in this Bondage muft they ly, unable to 
 help themfelves by the leaf! Sigh or Groan, 
 till Chrift out of meet Pity pafs by, and 
 fay, Come forth, and live. As a dead Man 
 cannot rife up and live, no more canft chou 
 that art a dead Sinner live a new Life: Nay, 
 as a dead Man cannot do the leaft Aftion, 
 fo no more canft thou do the !eaft Duty. 
 External Principles may fet thee on, true ; 
 but then it is not from a Principle of Life. 
 Many Men live and go like the Clock, that 
 is, Artificially ; thou canft not fo much as 
 breathe one living Defire after God. 
 
 VI. All the World will join with Sin 
 againft thee; ye have not only fin to fight 
 againft, but ye have fin's conquered Sub- 
 jects. All the World is now lying in Wic- 
 kednefs, fubdued by fin, which hath paft 
 on all, the Devil and thine own Heart, 
 and all the Evils they can imagine will be 
 upon thee ere thou art aware. And hence, 
 let a Man but look out for Heaven, all the 
 World is on his Top ; fin then preffes a Le- 
 vy of all its Powers to refill him; fo that 
 if Devils, if the Power, Wit, Policy of 
 Hell ; if the Malice, Flattery, Power, 
 Snares and Fear of Men can do it ; if the 
 World's Deceit, Power, Craft and Glory; 
 i( the Deceitfulnefs of thine own Heart ; if 
 
 all 
 
Power thereof, 107 
 
 I all the Temptations and Suggeftions that 
 all thefe can ufe ; I fay, If all thcfe can do 
 it, back thou fhalt be brought again: If 
 thefe can keep thee in thy natural Condi- 
 tion, there thou fhalt remain. Lukexiv.26. 
 2 Cor. iv. 8,9. 2 Cor. vi. 4, 5, <5, 7, 8. PfaL 
 xviii. 4, 5. Eph. vi. iz.Mat. xi. 12. So that to 
 go to Heaven is one of the mightieft Works 
 that ever was attempted ; Harder to go 
 through the Eye of a Needk, than to go to 
 Heaven. The Ifraelites fuflfered no more in 
 the Wildernefs by fiery Serpents, by Wants, 
 by Hunger and Thirft, by Enemies to pafs 
 through the Red Sea y than thou inuft do 
 ere thou canft come to Heaven. 
 
 VII. 'Tis a hard Bufinefs to change 
 Nature ,• a Horfe cannot make himself a 
 Man, a Dog cannot make fiimfelf a Horfe 
 or an Ox : Though ye were to be damned 
 upon it, what would ye think, unlefs you 
 could turn your felves into Angels, were 
 not ye in a fad Cafe ? and yet fo it is y un- 
 lefs you turn your felves unto other Natures 
 damned you muft be. Ye are now Swine, 
 Dogs, Serpents, Vipers, Cockatrices ; and 
 turned ye muft be into Lambs, into Sheep; 
 
 1 fay, your very Natures muft be changed? 
 
 2 Cor. v. 17. Nay ye muft be Partakers ot 
 the Divine Nature, which is a hard Bufinefs, 
 
 ere 
 
io8 Of Sir?) and the 
 
 ere ye can enter into Heaven, your blind 
 Eyes mull fee, and deaf Ears muft hear and 
 underftand, and ye muft love that which 
 ye hated, and hate that which ye loved, and 
 do all this as God doth. % Pet. i. 4. 
 
 VIII. Sin is as flrongas a Man's Na- 
 ture is ; a Man cannot deny Nature, to be 
 a Man in Scripture Language, is to be a 
 • linner, and to walk as Men, is to walk fin- 
 fully; and fo 'tis a Mans Nature, 1 Cor. iiu 
 1. it is the Mind, Rom. viii. 7. fo as fin is 
 the Mind, it is his Flejh, Gal. v. 17. it is 
 his Member s y Col. iii. 3. it is his right Eje> 
 his right Hand, his right Foot, Matth. fXX$Lf 
 30. it is his Soul that he muft exercife judg- 
 ment againft, Deut, xiii. 6. it is himfelf, in 
 me, that is, in my Flejh ; a Man muft de- 
 ny himfelf, it is his Life, Ifa. lvii. 10. it is 
 the Heart, ]er. xvii. 9. Now then to quite 
 finis to quite a Man's felf, to crucify fin is 
 to crucifie his own Soul, to pluck out his 
 own Eyes and Hands, and to crucifie and 
 kill them j fo that ere ye get fin out of you, 
 ye muft fork out Nature out of you. It 
 was impoffible for the Ethiopian to change 
 his Blacknefs, which was but accidental to 
 him : O how much more then for a Man to 
 deny himfelf, and to drive out Nature! 
 Oh 1 here is a mighty hard Bufinefs.Ye know 
 
 when 
 
Vwer thereof. 109 
 
 when a Difeafe feifes on the vital Parts, it 
 is irrecoverable ; O but Sin hath now fei- 
 fed on the Heart, on the Soul, on the Af- 
 feftions, oil the Life, and what Remedy 
 then can be ufed ? When the Leprofie did 
 fpread in the Garment*- and fret within, 
 nothing was for it but to be burnt with 
 Fire ; Oh 1 now fin is become as thy felf, 
 now is become your Nature, fo as it is as 
 impoffible to quit fin, as it is for a Toad 
 to quit his poifonable Nature. It is thy 
 Nature to fin, thy Nature to grieve God; 
 and to help this is to take Nature out of* 
 thee, it is fretted within : No Man hateth 
 his ozvn Flejh, faith Paul, and yet fo it 
 muft be, ere a Man can go to Heaven. To 
 crucifie fin, is to put violent Hand in a 
 Man's own Life, Deut. xiii. 6. 
 
 IX. The Lord's Power is known in 
 nothing more than in fubduing of Sin ; it 
 is fo mighty, fo glorious a. Work, that 
 Chrift thought it not unbefeeming Omni- 
 potency to . meddle with : Grace, Mercy, 
 'Power and Goodnefs never appears fo much 
 as in fubduing of fin, 1 John iii, 5. He was 
 manifefled to deflroy the Works of the Devil,he 
 is mighty to fave all that come to him, mighty 
 to pardon, Numb. xiv. 3. Mighty to fob- 
 dut, fo as the Church cries, Who is fo great 
 
 a 
 
i 10 Of Sit?, and the 
 
 a God as thoUy who fubdues Iniquity ? Mic. 
 vii. 19. A Chriftian muft be ftrengthned 
 with all Might, Col. i. 11. Eph. vi. 11. 
 Be ftrong in the Lord, and in the Power of his 
 Might; Why fo? becaufe we wreftle againfi 
 Principalities and Powers, and fpiritual Wic- 
 kednefs. Now, he faith not, in his Power ^ 
 or in his Might; but, in the Power of his 
 Might, or in the Power of his Power, the very 
 Quintefcence of his Power* Oh! there 
 will needs be a ftronger Ad of Power put 
 forth than was at the making of the World 
 out of nothing ; God muft call louder, and 
 ; draw ftronger than ever he did. The migh- 
 Itieft Pull that Chrift drew, was in drawing 
 a finner to himfelf. Some fay Miracles are 
 ceafed ; no indeed, fo long as there are any 
 Saints in the World ; for they are Wonders 
 and Miracles, I fa. viii. 1 6. Never a Saint 
 but removes Mountains; and in this the 
 Power of God is made manifeft. It was 
 faid of Leviathan, and I £hall conclude 
 with it, Can ft thou put a Hook in Sins Nofe> 
 or bore his Jaws with a 'Thorn ? Wilt thou 
 bind him for thy Maidens ? His Teeth are ter- 
 rible, his Heart is as firm as a Stone^ he can- 
 not be -moved ; he efteemeth Iron as Straw, and 
 Brafs as rotten Wood ; upon the Earth there 
 is none like him, he is King ove}' all the. Chil- 
 dren 
 
Power thereof. 1 1 i 
 
 dren of Pride. Yet apply this, ThoVhe be 
 Chief, yet he that made him can make his 
 Sword approach unto him. Job xl. 29. 
 
 I will, now fhew you fome Seafons when 
 Sin difcovers its Power. 
 
 I. When a Man or Woman hath 
 been long accuftomed to fin, then fin in 
 them is like an unmoveabie Rock ,• If 
 the Ethiopian chcmge his Blacknefs, or the 
 Leopard his Spots, then he that is accuftomed to 
 do Wickednefs may leave off, Jer. xiii. 23. 
 Look to old Sinners, to old Drunkards, they 
 cannot leave it ; old Hypocrites cannot be 
 fincere, old flothful Perfons cannot now go 
 nor walk, they are fo fipfulj an accuftomed 
 •Swearer cannot leave off, an old ignorant 
 Perfon we cannot get convinced, but they 
 will hold Deceit flft. When Folk are 
 young and t r.der, we may the more eafily 
 turn them ; bu: when this Twig turns an 
 old Tree, there is no pulling of it out of 
 the Root : An accuftomed finner cannot 
 but fin ; Habit is a fecond Nature, Ye 
 excufe fin, and fay it is a Cuftom; I fay, 
 fo much the worfe, now ye cannot leave it : 
 It is hard convincing of an old finner, and 
 difficult parting with an old Acquaintance ; 
 fin's Power is beft feen in them of any. 
 
 II. Sin's 
 
112 Of Sin j and the 
 
 II. Si n's Power is much feen, in refill- 
 ing an inward Change ; while a Man or 
 Woman feek to change no more but the 
 Form, this they find eafy; but when they 
 come to change the Heart, this is difficult. 
 It is eafie to put on a new Suit of Clothes; 
 and to change our Garments, but to take 
 the old Heart away and the old Nature, 
 is a very difficult Work; many a Man 
 comes eafily to change his Coat, but not 
 his Heart : It is eafy to paint a Man, but 
 it is difficult to make a Man ; a little For- 
 mality and a Profeffion will paint a Man, 
 but no Art will make a Chriftian, Matth. 
 iii. 27. An Enemy may eafily take in the 
 outward Suburbs of the City, but the City 
 it felf cannot be fo eafily taken in at all : It 
 is eafie to part with a few Words for Chrift, 
 to wear his Cloaths for a while; Oh ! but 
 when he feeks the Heart, there is no Hear- 
 ing in that fide of the Head. Chrift may 
 'make Inroads, Excurfions and Affaults up- 
 on many a damned Hypocrite, but he ne^ 
 ver entred into the Heart of the Kingdom 
 of Satan. 
 
 III. Stn appears in a violent and pow- 
 erful maintaining of the Idol fin : Ask an 
 Hypocrite that is under fome Fear, what 
 will he give for Chrifi ? will he quit this 
 
 Sin* 
 
Power thereof* ii£ 
 
 Sin ? Yes, he will, and every fin ; only in 
 this forgive, one fin he muft have ,• every 
 fwine muft have its Husk : A Man is very 
 patient till ye fmfte on the fore, on his Idol, 
 and then he gets up ,• a Man is very obe- 
 dient, till it come to putting away the Idol, 
 and then they tell they will not, or elfe go 
 away forrowful, or elfe truft in God's Mer- 
 cy ; not that he will fubdue their fins, but 
 that he will fave them in their fins. Now 
 when this is ftricken at, there the Rebelli- 
 on appears, here the Power appears, here 
 fin holds, and wilj. not let it go. The young 
 Man held up with Chrift, till Chrift pitchc 
 upon his Idol, and then he forfook him, 
 Matth. xix. 21, 224 This fin Men will de~ 
 fend if they can ; this Sin they will not 
 quit, and cannot quit ; this is the Viceroy, 
 and therefore, cannot quit it ; and therefore, 
 there is no Refitting : This is their Life, 
 their Treafure, and this Delilah cannot be 
 given up. 
 
 (4.) Sin's Power appears under Indiff 0- 
 fitions; take a Man under Indifpofitions, 
 and bid him go about any Duty :No,Sin hath 
 bound him now Hand and Foot ; and there-* 
 fore he cannot do ought. Now he cannot 
 pray, confer, cannot meditate, cannot ex- 
 hort ; while a great Stone is rolling, a little 
 H Strength 
 
114 Of Sin, and the 
 
 Strength will put it forward ; let it onci 
 fettle, and then ye cannot ftirit; take your 
 Hearts while they are afloat, and ye eafily 
 go forward; then ye run the Ways of Gods 
 Commandments ; but let the Waters fall, 
 then ye cannot move, more than ye can do 
 a Ship on dry Land, Pfal. cxix. 5. The 
 Difciples could not watch one Hour for all 
 Chrift's Entreaty, for their Eyes were heavy. 
 Sometimes ye can pray, fpeak, exhort, wait, 
 and read ,• this is the Hour of God's Power, 
 but at another time ye can do nought ,• ye 
 cannot fo much as fpeak one Word ; ye are 
 bound, that ye cannot ftir Hand nor Foot, 
 cannot watch, nor walk ; how ? what is the 
 Matter > Here it is ,• Now is the Hour of 
 Darknefsy as Chrift faid ; this is fome fo- 
 lemn Day, and therefore fee now the Power 
 of Sin appearing in its Strength. 
 
 (5.) The Power of Sin appears and fhows 
 it felf in time of Temptation ,• a Man is 
 very moderate, very religious, very chafte, 
 while there is no Opportunity ; and Sin is 
 very quiet, and flceps ; but when the Tem- 
 ptation is fet, and the poor Soul and it yok- 
 ed, then Sin ftirs : The Spider never ap- 
 pears out of her Hole, until the Fly be en- 
 tangled in her Net, and then fhe appears 
 and deltroys the poor Creature,, taking it 
 
 with 
 
Power thereof. 115 
 
 toith her. Sin never ftirs till once the Soul 
 and a Temptation be met, and then it af- 
 faults : Peter would not out of a Temptati- 
 on deny his Matter ; but when it came, he 
 couid not refill it : An Enemy will never 
 appear, unlefs they fee an Advantage : A 
 Man confeflfes nothing, till on the Rack. 
 It is a very difficult Work to fay Nay to a 
 Temptation ; a Man will then fee, feel, lay 
 violent Hands on him : A Man in private 
 out of a Temptation hopes he will do well 
 enough, and hence promifes, vows and re- 
 folds againft it ; and Sin never fays Nay ; 
 the Tentation comes, and then the Heart 
 cannot be hoi den in, when once it hears the 
 Devil's Knock : The Bafilisk kills with its 
 Look, fo doth a Temptation. 
 
 (6.) Sin appears in crofling a thorough 
 and perfect Subje&ion of the Heart; Siti 
 will, like the Canaanites y give a Tribute to 
 God, but they will not give all away : A 
 Kingdom's Strength and Glory is not feen 
 in the Commons of it, nor in the Cottages 
 therein : Chrift lhall get the Commons, a 
 Stable, a Manger to lie in ; but the beft 
 Rooms will not be given. While Paul lived 
 in an outward Conformity to the Law, and 
 Sin pofleft the Heart, Paul was never trou- 
 bled, and found Duties eafie ; but when the 
 H 2 Law 
 
tiG. Of Sin j and the 
 
 Law difcovered Heart Sin and Lufls, theii 
 Sin got up. When the Spirit is upon a Work 
 of Converfion, and conquering and aflfaul- 
 ting the Heart, the Powers of Sin appear 
 on the Walls with all manner of Inftruments 
 of War, ready to refift ; then 'tis hard to 
 pray, then 'tis hard to believe, then 'tis hard 
 to obey Chrift. Beware of prophefying in 
 the King's Chappel, or elfe ye will fee what 
 a Power will refill you. It is a Saying a 
 carnal Heart will never digeft, to give all a- 
 way, and to take the Lord only ,• no, but 
 they will, like the AJfyridns> ferve the Lord 
 and their Idols; they will fpeak with Chrift, 
 borrow and lend, and give fome petty Gifts : 
 But to marry, and give Heart and Hand, 
 and all their Fortune, and all ; here is a hard 
 Sayingy To go about all Duties, and leave 
 all Sins, who can bear it? When Mofes faid, 
 Not a Hoof Jhall remain, ive mufl have all ; 
 then fee my Face no more, Ex. x. 26, 28. Here 
 Sin oppofes God ; this is an impoflible I 
 Work. 
 
 (7.) Sin appears, when preft with Self- 
 denying Duties, fuch as cofts a Man Shame, 
 Hatred and Reproach ; this Pill cannot 
 down, there Sin will not bow: Hence, I 
 have found thefe three moft difficult Duties, 
 and much oppofed by Sin ,• Reproof, efpeei- 
 
 ally 
 
Power thereof. nj 
 
 ally of great Ones; why this expofes me 
 to their Wrath or Hatred; profeffing of God 
 before wicked Company, this begets Shame; 
 exhorting, inftru&ing all Sorts of People, 
 acknowledging of Faults to one another, 
 and fo giving Glory unto God; and laftly, 
 the patient bearing of Injuries and Affronts, 
 why the Credit is on it. Men fay, That 
 to take fuch a Courfe as this, will expofe 
 me to the Hatred of all Men ; this is to 
 be a meer Mocking-ftock to the whole 
 eWorld; this is never to fee a good Day; fo 
 it is indeed, and fo it muft be, or elfe we 
 cannot be Chrift's Difciples, prefs the Soul 
 with any of thefe,and ye fhall find it as un- 
 moved as a Rock. The Heart faith as 
 Pharaoh j So do God to me, as I -would do ; 
 ThefeMen fall cleanly out with God then ; 
 but let God feek any other Thing than this, 
 he fhall be welcome. 
 
 (8.) In oppofing of Diligence, a carnal 
 Heart would be content to do Duties, but 
 to be taken up with them, it cannot : 'Tis 
 hard to make this theirWork and their Meat, 
 to pleafe God ; no, they tafte it poffibly, bur 
 it were Death to have no other Meat : A 
 Gentleman for his Recreation will put his 
 Hand to any mercenary Employment. Oh ! 
 but to take you to this Trade is intolerable ; 
 H 3 Me$ 
 
n8 Of Six, and the 
 
 Men will try Duties once a Day, or two 
 times, and put to their Hands : Oh but to 
 take them to this Calling, fo as to make it 
 their one Work, their Trade and their Cal- 
 ling, their Meat and Drink, to fet their 
 Hearts to it, here the Strength of Sin ap- 
 pears; and lience fpiritual Prayer, Examina- 
 tion and Meditation are negle&ed, and all 
 extraordinary Duties, and extraordinary 
 Times, not always abounding in the Work 
 of the Lord, flight Work pleafes. 
 
 (9.) The Power of Sin appears in feeking 
 to be free of the Yoke : Sometimes a Man 
 engages, and for a Day hangs down the 
 Head, but to keep the Wound always open 
 is very hard. A Man will pray, and pray 
 fervently ; but afterward to look up, and 
 to watch, and depend clofly on God, 'tis 
 impoffible; fo to watch or wait for a while, 
 as that wicked King did, 2 Kings vi. 32. is 
 eafie, but to take Job's Refolution to do it 
 all the Days of their Life, is impoffible. It 
 is one Thing to fee God, and to come to 
 him where he is ; but to take up their 
 Dwelling-place in God for ever, is very hard. 
 Gentlemen and Courtiers may for an Hour 
 or a Night get into fome poor Country Cot- 
 tage, but it would be Death to them to flay 
 there ; 'tis Death to a carnal Heart to flay 
 
 with 
 
Power thereof, 119 
 
 with God ; and therefore, though he keep in 
 himfelf, as a damm'd up Stream, from his 
 Idols, yet he muft at laft break out with 
 the greater Violence. 'Tis a hard Duty to 
 wait God's Leifure ,• in a Word, 'tis hard 
 to go about any expenfive Duties,that will 
 coft either Time, Life, Means, or Credit, or 
 Eafe. 
 
 MEDITATION VIL 
 
 The Voice of Backjlidwgs. 
 
 NO Evil more common than the fecret 
 and fubtile departing of the Heart 
 from the Lord, fo that this Sin is a Weight 
 that doth eafdy bejet thefe whofe Hearts are 
 fingle in the Lord's Sight : All Sins are a 
 departing from the Lord, and there is no 
 temptation that the Lord's People meet with, 
 that prejudices them more, than their Fal- 
 lings and Slips, through Security and De- 
 ceitfulnefs of Sin ; for when the poor Soul 
 is thus taken, and called again to Account, 
 'tis full of Confufion, and knows not what 
 to do j its Hands are \yeakned, Faith is 
 H 4 gone, 
 
120 The Voice 
 
 gone, the Heart through Fear and Shame, 
 and Heartlefnefs, is afraid to come unto 
 God ; and hence its Language is as in Ben- 
 jamins Cafe, Shall I go out any more againft 
 my Sins and tufts ? And oftentimes the 
 Heart is filled with a fecret Difcon- 
 tent, whereby Murmuring and Fretting 
 dothenfue. And that which is worfe, Men 
 take this to be their Duty, and the Lord 
 feems to fay to them, as he o ;ce feem'd to 
 fay, or rather feem'd to will the Children 
 of IfrQeh no'more to cry unto him, but to go 
 tmto the Gods whom they have ferved ; and 
 therefore know, that whatever is Duty, that 
 ought to tie us, and look whatever is God's 
 Jvlind in letting ins People fin, that is the 
 {Voice of Backfliding. 
 
 And therefore it is not, (i.) That 
 therefore we fhould fin more againft the 
 Lord ; Sin is never Duty : When we fin, 
 and depart after our Idols, yet do not think 
 that the Lord iffues a Proclamation to ferve 
 Sin ; the Reins now are not off our Necks ; 
 Kvc have neither a Command nor Liberty to 
 iln ; it was a bad Argument, We have kved 
 Stranger s; and therefore after them will we 
 go. God is ever worfe pleafed with our fin- 
 jiing, than with abftaining from Sin j and 
 
 this 
 
of Backjliding. I2t 
 
 this is God's great Goodnefs : If thou haft 
 made a Breach, make it no greater ,• if thou 
 haft offended, it grieves him ; if thou haft 
 tranfgreffed, rebel not ; if thou haft done 
 Evil, yet know thou mayeft be worfe, and 
 do more Evil, and draw down more Evil 
 upon thy felf ,• thou mayeft procure thee a 
 hotter Furnace. True,Menfay not this ; but 
 yet let Men look unto the Inclination of 
 their Hearts, and they fhall fee them after 
 treacherous Dealing, even turn defperate, 
 Jer. ii. 28. Like Gamefters, the more they 
 lofe, the more they play. 
 
 (2 J Nor are we by Backflidings to lofe 
 our Hopes and Confidence in God, Jer. ii. 
 28. We are never to fay, There is no Hope 
 in Ifrael concerning this Thing.: The faddeft 
 and moft defperate Cafe a Sinner can be in y 
 cannot be Ground of cafting away his Hope, 
 iand of Defpair : Defpair and Unbelief is 
 never Duty, but a Sin : Look to me, is a 
 continued Voice that never ends to a living 
 Man ; the Door is never fhut till Death, 
 Matth. xxv. 10. EccL ix. 4. To a living 
 Man there is Hipe : Truft in him at all Times, 
 allyePeople, there is never Ground to defpair, 
 while his Hands are fpread all the Daylong: 
 A Man cannot know the Lord, and defpair 
 •f him : There-is as great Ground of Con- 
 fidence 
 
122 The Voice 
 
 fidenceand Hope in God, as of Love to himi 
 Sf. ix. 10. When the Lord fays,6e*u)ill no more 
 help y yet he likes well to be in treated, Judg. 
 x. 1 6. Chrift commends the Faith that will | 
 not take Chrift at his firft Word, when he 
 faithylam not fent ,&c. Laying of the Mouth 
 in the Duft, and quiet and filent Hoping 
 doth well confift together: Let thy Sin$ 
 pluck down thy Pride and Glory, but not thy 
 Hope in his Mercy : Fear not to prefume, 
 when ye truft in God's Mercy only, not on- 
 ly for Pardon of Sin, but for removing of 
 Sin, not of fome Sins, but of all Sins; when 
 tempted therefore to doubt of God, after 
 Sin, rejed it as a Temptation of Satan. 
 
 (3.) Backflidings, though frequent, never 
 loofe us from our Duty ; and this is the 
 greateft Obligation we can be under, that 
 we never get our Leave as bad Servants to 
 God, but are under an eternal Engagement 
 to Duty : This Command of ferving God 
 (landing everlaftingly in Force, while we 
 live, as long as thine Eyes can fee it in thy 
 Bible ; and whenever thy Ears hear it, or 
 thy Heart conceives, God cries to thy Heart 
 and Ears ; the Relation of Mafter and Ser- 
 vants ftands forever; Sin cannot divorce 
 lis from God ,• it may overcloud, but it 
 cannot break this comfortable Bond. *Tis a 
 
 Qucftion, 
 
of Backjliding* 12 J 
 
 Queftion, whether the Damned in Hell be 
 under an Obligation of loving, praifing, and 
 praying to God 1 if not, then their Hatred 
 and Blafphemy againft God were no Sin : 
 But however, we that are in the Land of the 
 Living, are under a perpetual Obligation : 
 His Word endureth for ever, and has an effe- 
 ctual Ty upon us. Sin is a Ground of tur- 
 ning to God j Hof. xiv. 1. It cannot therefore 
 be a Ground of continuing in Sin, not tur- 
 ning to God is in fair Language continuing 
 in Sin : This Voice founds, ^UCtt, even af- 
 ter we have played the Harlot with manyLov* 
 ers, Jer. ii. 3 . Yet turn, and immediately 
 after Guilt, 1 Sam. xii. 20. 'Tis true, the 
 Voice may found, when Hands are full of 
 Blood ; Bring no more vain Oblations, Ifai. i. 
 16. 1 hate your folemn AJfemblies ; turn to 
 your Idols, but pollute not my holy Name, 
 Amos v. 21, 22, 23. but this not in refpeft 
 of what is bygone ; but when they continue 
 in Sin, he upbraideth none with either what 
 they have been, or done, or what they are 
 againft their Will ; he remembers not what 
 is paft, but what is, and not for every Sia 
 that is, but what wilfully is ; he hates not 
 their holy Performances for what they have 
 done, but becaufe the Hands are, not were, 
 full of Blood i and therefore he that faith, 
 
 Bring 
 
124 The Voice 
 
 Bring no more vain Oblations, faith likewife, 
 Wajh yoUy make you clean ; and, let Judgment 
 run down as Waters. There was never a 
 Sinner refufed for what was paft ,• 'tis not 
 Sin, but Continuance in Sin that damns. 
 
 (4.) Nor is the Voice of Backfliding, ei- 
 ther in Heart or in Practice, go and help 
 your felves, wafli your felves, wafli away 
 with your Meditations, Prayer, Watchings, 
 and other Duties and Sorrows, both the 
 Guilt and Filth of Sin ; and then wil) I have 
 you come to me, but not till then, as % many 
 do, feeking Righteoufnefs by the Law, and 
 Help from themfelves, going to King Ja- 
 reby when they fee their Wound ,• and to 
 what will we do, when pricked in the 
 Heart, and fitting themfelves for Chrift 
 and Mercy, and not humbly feeking to 
 Chrift, for preparing of the Heart? No, 
 come unto him with thy vile unprepared 
 Heart. Let not the Filthinefs of thy Heart, 
 nor the Indifpofcdnefs of thy Heart keep 
 thee from Chrift, Rev. iii. 18. Becaufe blind, 
 and naked, and miferable, come therefore, and 
 buy ; bring the Thief out, that ye may be 
 afhamed : God doth not fuffer Sin to wound, 
 that we might heal our felves; for he fmites 
 and heals : We are to come to him in our 
 Shame and Sores, with the Fang in our 
 
 Handj 
 
of Backjlidmgsl 1 25 
 
 Hand, and the Tokens of our Shame to 
 Chriflf, that he may heal. 
 
 (5.) Nor are ye by your Sins and Evils, 
 though frequent, to conclude it will never 
 be better: Man knoweth not what is before 
 him. 'Tis not Prefumption to fay, It may 
 be better for ought I know : His Mercies 
 are ne^y every Morning: A Fountain opened 
 unto the Houfe of David, that runs always as 
 the Iifue of thy Sins runs always: The 
 Plaifter muft be as big as the Sore, elfe it 
 refie&s on Chrift. A prefent Cafe is but 3 
 fallible Prognoflick of future Events. 
 
 (<5.) Nor is it the Voice of Backfliding,or 
 Plagues of Heart, yet a little while, and I will 
 turn ; but not prefently, not fo fudden- 
 ly, after Sin to come in before God ; the 
 Caufe of which is not Sloth (imply, and de- 
 fire to be with Idols, and after a little Sleep 
 and Slumber;, but 'tis a Kind of Principle 
 in Divinity, that a tender Heart is ordina- 
 rily fubjeft unto, when taken in a Fault, 
 they think it much Prefumption then to 
 come in to God ; but let a little Time wear 
 away, and be gone, and then they come in 
 before God. They think, as Man forgets 
 Faults, and as themfelves forget Faults by 
 Time, fo the Lord doth fo. I fay then, 
 that immediately after the Commiffion of 
 
 Sin, 
 
1 26 The Voice 
 
 Sin, it is Time to turn unto God, while thy 
 Heart is moft burdened with it, and under 
 its frefheft Impreffions, than to let it wear 
 out of thy Mind by Time: The Truth is, 
 here's the deceitful Myftery ; Men cannot 
 take Shame to themfelves, and have no Will 
 to be feen with the Fang in their Hand : 
 And 'tis bafe, and contrary to the proud 
 Nature of Man to come, and the Marks of 
 his Whoredoms before God ; and therefore, 
 (lays till he wipe his Mouth, and Time wear 
 away the Xmprerfions of Guilt from his 
 Conscience ; and thus being disburdened by 
 Time, not by Chrift, comes with lefs Sor- 
 row and Pain at laft to Chrift : And thus, 
 though they come not with lefs Sin than 
 before, yet with lefs Senfc of Sin ; and be- 
 caufe they have forgotten it, God likewife 
 forgets it : But though Time doth make 
 Man forget Faults and Injuries, yet he is 
 not like unto our felves, and will not forget 
 Sins, as we do, but will remember them. 
 
 (7.) Nor is the Voice of Backfliding this, 
 to rejoice, as having a greater Right to 
 Chrift, and being more loved by him than 
 formerly : Who would have thought that 
 ever any fhould imagine this ? And yet this 
 Wantonefs and Madnefs hath the abound- 
 ing of Grace, where Sin hath abounded, occa- 
 
 fioncd 
 
of Backjlidmgsl 127 
 
 fioned : For though it were granted,that the 
 Promifes are to Sinners as Sinners, or while 
 Sinners, or under the Notion of Sinners* 
 yet will not this follow ; for it is not Sinners 
 (imply to whom the Promifes are given, but 
 feen, known and felt Sinners: And therefore* 
 though w r e may rejoice that we fee and feel 
 Sin, which is an Aft of Grace, yet are we to 
 mourn for the Objeft, viz,. Sin it felf ; for 
 it is not the Promife (imply that doth effe- 
 ctually difcharge, or give Right or Title, 
 but the Promife manifefted : The Promife 
 therefore being to Sinners, hence ere the Pro- 
 mife can be manifefted, Sin muft be mani- 
 fefted. Whenever Sin is manifefted aright, 
 then is Mifery and Undonenefs manifefted* 
 and fo Sorrow will follow : 'Tis true David 
 faith, Forgive, becaufe my Sin is great ; but 
 the Greatnefs of his Sin is not the Ground 
 of his Hope : But penitent Believers ufe this 
 Expreffion, not as a Motive of Mercy, but 
 as an Evidence that Mercy will hereby be 
 heightned; and hence though Sin, as great, 
 procures not Mercy, yet, as great,it heightens 
 Mercy, when obtained. 
 
 (8.) Nor fhould we therefore come in fud^ 
 denly, without any Shame or Sorrow for Sin, 
 afFrontedly and impenitently, 'tis Duty then 
 to ftand aback at a Distance j beware of that 
 
 Freedom 
 
128 The Voice 
 
 Freedom and FamiJiarity with God, that ha 
 will tolerate at another Time in thee, and 
 with others, when after Duty,- take not 
 now the higheft Place, but the Ioweft Place ; 
 let not the Relation thou ftands in with 
 God, or believed Promifes, make thee for- 
 get the Rock from whence thou waft hewn : 
 'Tis true, ye are to believe in Chrift ; but 
 then let not the outward Sound of the Word 
 be your Warrant; for this being dead will 
 produce but a dead Faith ; but labour to 
 hear God fpeaking a Word to. thee in thy 
 Heart : 'Tis true, the outward Word binds 
 to Duties of believing, loving, praying, ay, 
 and binds to thefe, as outwardly revealed ; 
 but it is not as outward that it works Grace 
 in the Heart, but as fpoken to the Heart : 
 Labour therefore to wait till God fpeak ; be 
 reftlefs till the Lord apply this Word unto 
 thy Soul; hammer not a Faith of thy own 
 friaking unto thy felf ; Faith can aft one 
 Way,when not in another : By what is not 
 the Voice of Backfliding and Sins, ye may 
 perceive, what is the Voice of Backfliding. 
 (i.) To fearch and try our Ways, and to 
 confider them ; this is the firft Step to fee 
 what we are doing, Lam. iii. 40. Hag. i. 2. 
 And' the Evil of what we are doing, and 
 Khat we /hail do, Luke xv. 17. The Prodi- 
 
 % 
 
of ftackJlMwgsl 12$ 
 
 gal cofifidered when he came to himfelf. 
 (2.) ThefeDepartingsof Heart cry out, O 
 the Deceitfulnefs, Power and Evil of a finful 
 Heart ; and therefore He&ekiah is left to 
 himfelf, that he may know all that is with-* 
 in him; it fays, Take a View of Sin, and 
 learn to know your felf better, fpell youc 
 Pronenefs to Backfliding by this, 2 Chrom 
 xxxii. 31. (3.) It fays, Tr&ft not in thy 
 Heart-, for ye fee what a Devil you have by 
 the Hand, and fpeaks out this* that they 
 are many that make the Arm of Fkjh their 
 Strength > and our Falling fays we are not 
 God, Ez>ek. xxviii. p* (4.) It cries, Mourn, 
 grieve and lament, and fhow thy Hatred to 
 Sin by this, Hof 9, 1 . Rejoice not, as others 
 do y for Joy, fince thou haft jorfaken the Lord 
 thy God; mourn not,as Pennance or Satisfa- 
 ction, but, as an Evidence of thy Repen- 
 tance, and of thy Hatred for Sin ; be in 
 Bitternefs, make the Flefh pay for all, cha-* 
 flife thy Soul, a Rod for the Fool's Back; De- 
 light is not feemly for a Fool. (5.) Hate, 
 loathe, and diflike Sin more, be ftirred up 
 againft it with more Hatred, Indignation, 
 and Revenge, as now having done thee 
 more 111 than ever ; let thy Falls by Sin 
 rowfe up thy Malice, and Hatred and Cou- 
 
 I rage againft Sin, to do it an ill Turn; and 
 I to 
 
130 The Voice 
 
 to ferve it as it hath fervcd thee } and de- 
 fire not to die, till thou, like Samfon, be a- 
 venged on the Philiftines for thy two Eyes, 
 2 Cor. vii. 11. Let Injuries provoke thee to 
 a juft Wrath ; here only hate thy Enemy, 
 judge, left God judge you. (6.) It faith, 
 Be humble and low, nay vile in thine own 
 Eyes, open not thy Mouth, lay it in the 
 Duft, ftand afar off when thou comeft to 
 God, like the poor Publican, beating thy 
 Hands upon thy Breaft, and looking down, 
 as not worthy to look up to Heaven ; tho* 
 thou be a Son, yet acknowledge and carry 
 as one unworthy to be a Servant ; ftay 
 weeping at his Feet, until he be gracious, 
 like the Sinner in Luke vii. Take now the 
 loweft Place ; let thy Thoughts, Words, 
 Behaviour, A&ions and Carriage teftifie that 
 thou art as low as thy Sins have m^de thee : 
 There is a glorious Conceit o£ our felves, of 
 our Graces, of our Strength; this muft be 
 pulled down, znd God will ftain the Pride 
 of all Fiefh. (7.) Let this increafe your 
 Gppofition to fin more, watch it more 
 narrowly, vow more violently againft the 
 Stream of Sin, pray more fervently, hate it 
 more, Ihun it more, redeem the Time that 
 ye have loft, lock for fome happy Occafion 
 whereby ye may recover your Advantage ye 
 
 loft 
 
of Backflidings'. xgi 
 
 loft, .and your Difgrace - y run your Race 
 more violently, if caft behind through Sloth. 
 This it fpeaks,T&/j- Evil is of the Lord. God 
 faw poiCbly too great a Peace betwixt Sin 
 and you, and ye too gentle in purfuing of 
 Sin ; and therefore hath God made Satan 
 and Sin betwixt tfeemfelves opprefs thee : 
 This is one Way how God puts Enmity 
 betwixt his People and Sin ; it bruifes their 
 Heel, and therefore they ftrive to break 
 Sin's Head. (8.) It fays, Be more wary and 
 vigilant ; there is no fleeping Time. (9.) Go 
 on in the Lord's Strength, take Help of him, 
 employ him, go forth in his Name, when 
 thy other Confederates are beat, Hof. xiii. 5?, 
 10. (10.) It faith, Turn unto the Lord ; if" 
 the Thread be broken, bind a Knot again 
 where it is broken, Hof. xiv. 1. If ye have 
 finned, yet continue not in it ,• come to him 
 therefore with Shame, Sorrow and Grief, 
 fince thou haft fallen by thine Iniquities, and 
 wait till he be gracious. In a Word, con- 
 fider thy Ways, and confider them until thy 
 Heart be fuitably afteded with Sorrow, 
 Grief, Warinefs, Fear, Humility ; and m 
 this Pofture leave off thy Sins; if thou haft 
 finned, xlo fo no more ; let it fuffice thee, 
 and do not only leave the Evil, but come 
 unto the Lord, lamenting before him thy 
 I 2 Con- 
 
\\% The Voice 
 
 Condition, acknowledging thy Sin and thy 
 Vilenefs, and beg his Pardon for it, as Da- 
 vid did, when his Heart fmote him; and 
 watch more narrowly againft thy Sin in 
 Times coming, keeping more clofe with him, 
 fearing always, waiting on him till he pro- 
 nounce himfelf, that thou art forgiven, or 
 haft gotten fome Affurance from his Word or 
 Works, that his Mind is towards thee ; and 
 whenever thou canft, or when it is in the 
 Power of thine Hand, avenge thy felf of 
 thine Adverfary, and this do as oft as thou 
 departeft from hhn, though thou fhouldft 
 fin a hundred Times a Day, as oft repent 
 and turn ; and God who commandeth us to 
 forgive our Brother in fuch a Cafe, will cer- 
 tainly forgive us : Here is the Work that ye 
 fiiall immediately go about, and do all this. 
 Lafily ,With a holy Patience, not hafty in re- 
 moving out of thy Place, when the Spirit 
 of the Ruler is ftirred againft thee, and fo 
 quitting Duty, but going on in Duty, and 
 that not for a while, but conftantly, and 
 that not with Difcouragements, but in Faith, 
 and not with crying murmuring Fears againft 
 the Lord, but quietly with a meek and 
 quiet Spirit, poffeffing your own Spirits this 
 Way, and fubmitting to the Lord's Will, 
 both in fuffering thee to fin, and while thou 
 
 art 
 
of Backjlidings. i } 3 
 
 art going about Duty, and pofFibly not get- 
 ting what thou expe&s, make no Din, or 
 Stir, or Tumult, there is a holy Patience 
 required ; Folk muft not be too perem- 
 ptory to have the Meflenger of Satan 
 away, and God muft not be difputed with, 
 Why haft thou made me thus? Our murmur- 
 ing, and not fubmitting to God, to be guid- 
 ed in any Way, though foul ; but being pe- 
 remptory, may caufe God lay this Yoke on 
 us, till we fit filently under it : Mourn, I 
 fay, yet murmure not, grieve at it, but not 
 that it is : Learn to fee fome Good in and 
 by Sin. God be thanked that ye were the 
 Servants of Sin ; comply with the being of 
 Sin, or that Sin fhould be, becaufe it is 
 GocJV Will, and good is the Will of the 
 Lord, that hereby thy Heart is humbled, 
 and made bafe, and Occafion of Glory ta- 
 ken from thee, and that hereby thou be- 
 comes more in God's Reverence for Mercy, 
 and art put to the Neceffity of employing a 
 Saviour for a Pardon, but hate (till the Na- 
 ture of Sin, and grieve for it in other Re- 
 fpects: Now do all this quickly ; what is 
 next to thy Hand, that do well. Haft thou 
 finned and departed from God ? Stand not 
 then tarrying all Day, and making a Noife, 
 grieving rather at thy own Abafement, and 
 I 3 fruftra^ 
 
i$4 The Voice 
 
 fruftrating of thy own Refolutions, than at 
 the real Nature of Sin ; But trouble not 
 thy Head with this at all, fay, Good is the 
 WtU of the Lord. Here we muft not fiay,what 
 is to be done ? feeing what is done cannot 
 be undone. See if thou now canft turn 
 unto the Lord, and here's an End. And if 
 thy unbelieving fophiftical Heart fay 5 Thou 
 art very unfit to turn to God, thou haft not 
 a mourning Frame, ask thy Heart, What 
 then ? I'll do what I can : If the Lord give 
 Mourning, good it is, I defire it ; if not, 
 yet let me give good Words, let me acknow- 
 ledge my Sin, and do fo no more ; and if I 
 cannot mourn for my Sin, yet let me mourn, 
 that I cannot mourn and figh under my hard 
 Heart, and complain at leaft as they, IJai. 
 Ixiii. 17. Oh ! but thou art not yet in Co- 
 venant with God, nor cannot be, nor enter. 
 Weil, yet let me come to him, let me put 
 my felf before him, let me not add more Sin 
 by doing what I have done, or omitting any 
 Duty, let me give him the Calves of my 
 Lips; mourn I will under the Power of Sin, 
 looking up to him, and do in the mean time 
 what I can. And this is the Voice of Back- 
 fliding. 
 
 MEDI^ 
 
■*s 
 
 MEDITATION VIII 
 
 Concerning the Evil of Affual Sins. 
 
 IT is a common received Axiom, That 
 nothing can be added to that which is 
 infinite ; and yet behold an infinite Evil of 
 fin in the Heart, receiving Addition by 
 aftual Outbreakings : fin is intenfively in- 
 finite in the Heart, and therefore can re- 
 ceive no Addition by the outward Ads, all 
 coming from this evil Treafure and Foun- 
 tain ; yet Sin may receive an extenfive rela- 
 tive Addition. No Man is fo evil but he 
 may be worfe ; it were good, that if fin 
 could not be gotten rooted out of the Heart, 
 that it were keeped in there, and not fuf- 
 fer'd to appear in the Conyerfation. And 
 for this, confider, 
 
 i. Actual Sins give Sataft a perfed 
 Conqueft ; the Heart is firft poifoned, I 
 mean the Nature of Man, then fin begins 
 to luft in the Affeftions : This is a further 
 Degree, Satan wants now but the Tongue 
 and Carriage, give him that, and ye com- 
 I 4 pleat 
 
136 Concerning the Evil of 
 pleat him, and Crown his Victory; the 
 Combat is never perfectly won till it over? 
 come the outward Man ,• while fin is keep- 
 ed within in Temptation, 'tis a Token 
 there is a refitting Party within, the Battle 
 is not done, no compleat Vi&ory, no Tri- 
 umph while Satan fets out an open Stan- 
 dard, and Tiiumphs openly. Rom. vi. 12. 
 James i. 14, ij. 
 
 2. Actual Sins ftrengthen the Body 
 and Root of (in, I mean the Habits of (in ; 
 all Habits are increased by their Afts, he 
 that fins aftually puts another Link to his 
 Chain : fo that be that is accuflomed to do 
 Evil, cannot do Good, Jer. xiii. 23. Sin 
 doth as it were preferve it felf, multiply 
 and increafe it felf, as the Herbs by (hoot- 
 ing out of their feed in Summer, do preferve 
 themfelves and increafe more. Sin learns 
 Cunning and Readinefs by Exercife, out- 
 ward fins give Life to the inward Habit, 
 it is not altogether to be difallow'd, to mor- 
 tify fin by Abfiinence from the outward 
 Acts, and to keep it from putting forth its 
 feed, Job xxxi. 1. And fometimes by the 
 fadnefs of the Countenance the Heart is made 
 better. 
 
 3 . Actual Sins harden the Heart more 
 m fin, fo that the Man's Inclination is not 
 
 only 
 
Aciual Sin. 137 
 
 only ftronger, but his Remorfe for fin is lefs, 
 and becomes not only expert, but more bold 
 in finning. Cuftom in fin taketh away fenfe 
 of fin, he comes now to be impudent ; a 
 common Whore is an impudent Creature, 
 hence Hard-heartednefs is expreft under the 
 Notion of a Whores Forehead. Hence, 
 when one was troubled for fome fin which 
 he had committed, a carnal Man well ac- 
 quainted with the Trade it feems, when 
 he could not get Peace any other way, ad- 
 vifes him to commit the fame fin over again, 
 which he found eflfe&ual. And hence,why 
 i$ it that the Hearts of mod Profeffors are 
 not troubled for vain Thoughts, idle Words, 
 Umiffion or flighting of fome Duties, un- 
 chriftian Carriage ? this is one Reafon a- 
 mong many, They have fo accuftomed 
 themfelves with it, that it is a Nature to 
 them, and Men think not fhame of their 
 Nature, Folk betimes learn to carry the 
 Devil's Yoke, Heb.iv. 13. Jer.vi. 15. 
 
 4. Actual Sins ftrengthen all other 
 fins j for as the Root is fupplied, it diftu- 
 fes proportionably its fap unto ail the Bran- 
 ches, fo when their curfed Root of Bitter- 
 nefs is fupply'd, not only is that particular 
 fin, but all other fins are increased ,->, there 
 i? a Sympathy betwixt th? Members of the 
 
 Body 
 
I }8 Concerning the Evil of 
 Body of Death, and there is fome univerfal 
 Soul in every Sin, in which, as in a general 
 Notion and Spirit, they agree, make one 
 of the Members rejoice, then all rejoice, re- 
 joice one,rejoice all, ftrengthen one,ftrengrh- 
 en all ; and hence, in one fin, ye {hall fee 
 many fins cluftered together. 
 
 5. GOD is provoked hereby to give up 
 to judicial Plagues of Heart, which is the 
 faddeft Judgment. Heart-fins, or fins of 
 Infirmity, bring not on fpiritual Judgments, 
 Deut. xxviii, 28, Judicial Ads muft pro- 
 ceed on proven Dittys,- ye never difcover 
 nor prove your fin till it come out. Oh ! 
 beware of a vain, unprofitable, carnal, un- 
 fober Converfation,orelfe this will be proven. 
 I know the Lord fearches the Heart and judges 
 it; but remarkable Judgments that the 
 World muft notice muft be on fome out- 
 ward Guilt, that the Juftice of God may 
 be feen. Whatever the Lord doth extraor- 
 dinarily I now fay nothing, but this is his 
 ordinary way. I never knew a Profeflbrfall 
 to open Apoftacy that ever made me 
 ftumble, becaufe I ever faw fomething break 
 out in his Converfation like a Comet, por- 
 tending his Deftruftion. 
 
 6. T h e whole Man was never corrupted 
 5j11 now ; while thy Heart %nd Affections 
 
 were 
 
Actual Sin. 139 
 
 were only polluted, thy Body was clean : 
 but when thou fins outwardly, thy Body is 
 likewife polluted : Now fin's Borders are 
 enlarged. 2 Cor. vii. t: Cleanfe your/elves 
 from the Filthinefs both of Flejh and Spirit. 
 
 7. Thou hereby difcourages thy own 
 Soul very much ; thy Hope in the Lord 
 through this new Aft of Treafon, is weak- 
 ned and fhaken, when poffibly thy Mercy 
 was pafling the Seals. Aftual Sin is the 
 Caufe of Difcouragement, Hof. vii. 1. 
 Heart-plagues that cannot be * remedied, 
 though they be Caufes of Mourning and 
 of Loathing our felves, and groaning under 
 theit Power, yet do not ufually difcourage, 
 but when fin breaks out we are ftricken out 
 of Countenance - y hence Unwillingnefs to 
 approach unto God, 1 Chron. xxi. 30. This 
 made the poor Publican ftand afar offj De- 
 part from me, I am ajinful Man. The Man 
 knows not what to fay.Ezrahix. 10. Faint 
 in purfuing of fin : Shall I go forth any 
 more againft my Corruptions, faith the Soul ? 
 and is afraid to take up Head again : To 
 be beat and overthrown doth not only wea- 
 ken the Kingdom whofe Forces are over- 
 thrown, but likewife mightily difcourages 
 it, Jojh.'vii. 5. When the Men of At fmote 
 
 the 
 
1 40 Concerning the Evil of 
 
 the Ifraelites, it is faid, their Hearts fainted, 
 
 melted, and became as Water. 
 
 8. Hence murmuring and fretting a- 
 gainft God, why hath he fuffered me to fin? 
 tor the more a Man fins, the more he ha- 
 teth God. Prov. xix. 3. 7%e Foolijhnefs of a 
 Man perverteth his lVay> and his Heart fret- 
 teth againft the Lord. 
 
 9. To add no more, a&ual fins do Evil 
 to others; Heart fins do Evil to your felves, 
 Oh but actual fins in the Converfation 
 grieve the Godly, deadens them, hardens 
 and ftrengthens the Wicked, rejoices them, 
 confirms them in their way, ftains your 
 Profeffion, rubbing a fhame upon it: Hence 
 our Light is to fhine, that good Men feeing 
 your good Works may glorifie God, Ex r 
 ample hath ftrong Influence, whether to 
 Good or Evil, Matth.v. 10. 1 Pet. ii. 12. 
 1 Cor. iv. 17. Evil Communication corrupteth 
 good Manners. Which Things may be a 
 great DiflwafivefromFilthinefs of the Fle/h, 
 and if ye can give no more, yet give him 
 the outward Man ,• 'tis fad when Carnality 
 and fin is written on the outward Man, as 
 well as on the Heart, 'tis a Token it is 
 very ftrong. 
 
 MEDI- 
 
i4i 
 
 MEDITATION IX. 
 
 Of the Vilenefs of Sin. 
 
 NOthing fo vile as fin, therefore we 
 fhould abhor it more than any Thing 
 in the World, and our felves as finful upon 
 this Account. The Vilenefs of fin will 
 appear, if ye confider the Names given to 
 fin and finners in Scripture ; it is called Fil- 
 thinefs, Leprofie, Uncleannefs, Abomina- 
 tion, Corruption. Sinners are called Dogs, 
 Swine, polluted Perfons,menftruous Clothes; 
 and this {hows the exceeding Vilenefs and 
 Filthinefs of fin in the . Lord's fight, as 
 though there were a Concatenation of all 
 Evils in fin ; whatever is vile that is fin, 
 the raoft ugly loathfome Difeafe in the 
 World is not fo loathfome as fin is. 
 
 2. It is fo vile, as when the Lord (hall 
 difcover it unto thee, thou (halt loathe and 
 abhor it, nay abhor thy felf for it, fo as 
 thou fhalt not be angry at any Thing that 
 is done unto thee by any Perfon,- thou wilt 
 have as low, as bafe Thoughts of thy felf 
 
 as 
 
142 Of the Vilenefs 
 
 as any can have ; thou fhalt mourn and 
 grieve, and long to be diflblved out of this 
 earthly Tabernacle, that. thou mayeft put 
 off this Corruption, and mayeft be delivered 
 from the Body of Death ,• thou flialt long 
 and figh for his Image more than for any 
 Thing elfe in the World; thy vile wretch- 
 ed Heart fhall be a continual Burden unto 
 thee. Hence, when the Heart is truly 
 drawn unto the Lord it abhors it felf. If 
 thou hadeft a loachfome Difeafe running 
 upon thee, fo as thou couldeft not abide 
 the Sight of any Friend nor Relation, 
 for thy loathfome Savour to fee or come 
 near thee, how miferable wouldeft thou 
 judge thy felf to be then ? Oh ! but the 
 Vilenefs of fin is another kind of Vilenefs 
 which the Lord fcQS y and when thou art in 
 his Light thou flialt fee it likewife. 
 
 3. Sin is vile, ifyeconfider the fearful 
 Torments of the Damned, and yet they de- 
 serve it all ; they are more vile than they are 
 miferable, and their Mifery in their Vile- 
 refs is greater than their Mifery of Pain is. 
 Tne fearfulleft, loathfomeft, monftruoufeft 
 light, ugly, loathfome, abominable Spec-' 
 tacle that ever will be feen, or can be feen, 
 is a Soul polluted with fin, and not walhen 
 by the Blood of Chrifh 
 
 4- A 
 
of Six; 143 
 
 4. A Sinner is fo vile God cannot look 
 upon him, God cannot, will not keep Com- 
 munion with his own People, unlefs they be 
 holy, and therefore fandifies them ere he 
 will keep Company with them, which 
 ftiows the Filthinefs of fin. 
 
 5. Sin is a Privation of God's Image, 
 which is Holinefs ; the foul is made capable 
 of the Image of God; God being above 
 all in Might, Wifdom and Holinefs, rauft 
 be fo in Beauty and Glory : Now what is 
 that ? even his Righteoufnefs and Hcliqefs. 
 This is the Beauty of the Lord, and that 
 wherein and whereby God is moft refem- 
 bled. Hence Man's greateft Perfection and 
 Happinefs did confiii in his fimilitude to 
 God ,• this was the greateft Beauty imagi- 
 nable, and the Lofs of this was Man's nn- 
 fpeakable Mifery. Now, the fimple Nega- 
 tion of a Thing makes not the Thing ugly, 
 but the Privation of it : A ftone wants Ho- 
 linefs as well as a damned Reprobate, yet 
 is not the ftone vile, becaufe the ftone is 
 not capable of this. Man's Holinefs was 
 his greateft Glory, Beauty and Excellency; 
 hence wanting this, he is moft vile, moft: 
 monftruous and deformed. That Woman 
 that is Fabled to have a Sow's Head, or to 
 want a Nofe, was an horrible fpeftacle; a 
 
 Soul 
 
144 Of the Vilenefs 
 
 Soul that required as its Perfe&ion the! 
 Image of God, and to want this muft needs 
 render that Soul very deformed, and muft 
 needs want a great Lake. If the foul were 
 not capable of the Image of God, the want 
 of the Image of God were no Monftruofity 
 or Deformity to it. Sin is a disfiguring of 
 the moft excellent Creature, and ye know 
 corruptio optimi pejfima, the more excellent 
 the Form be which the fubjeft wants, the 
 more deformed the fubjeft without that 
 Form. 
 
 6. In Sin there is a Concatenation of all 
 Evils ; fin is Folly, and nothing more defpi- 
 fed, loathed or contemned than a Fool ; 
 there is in fin Unkindncfs, and God hath 
 ftamped in the very Nature of Man a great- 
 er Diftafte of this Sin than of any others 
 ft ingYatum dixeYis omnia dixeYis. Do )e 
 thus requite the LoYd ? I have brought up Chifc 
 dren, and they have rebelled againft me. In 
 fin there is Deceitfulnefs and Treachery, 
 and therefore the Lord's Faithfulnefs ab- 
 hors it. In every fin there is Weaknefs, and 
 therefore the Lords Power is againft it ,• in 
 every fin there is Bafenefs, and therefore 
 the high and lofty One cannot abide it ,• in 
 every fin there isJEnmity againft God, and 
 
 there- 
 
of Sin. 145 
 
 therefore the Lord cannot away with it. 
 Many other Confiderations might be 
 added. 
 
 MEDITATION X. 
 
 Concerning the Evil of Sin. 
 
 THERE are two great Duties incum- 
 bent upon all Chriftians, that is> 
 to hate Evil, and to do Good : Ere we can 
 hate the Evil, We muft have the Evil right- 
 ly reprefented unto us ; if Sin were rightly 
 reprefented unto us,and we had Eyes to fee k f 
 we needed not many Motives to this ; but 
 let us confider, 
 
 1 . Separation from God is a very na- 
 tural Efteft of Sin, thou lives Days, 
 Months, Years without God, which is the 
 greateft Curfe of the Damned, thou haft 
 prayed without him, heard without him, 
 meditated without him, thy Soul is in Dark- 
 nefs, becaufe the Sun of Righteoufnefs is 
 fet ; Now why is all this Evil come? Oh ! 
 look upon thy Way, the Lord's Spirit is 
 not ftraitned, his Hand is not fhortned 
 that it cannot fave, his Ear is not heavy 
 K than 
 
146 Concerning the Evil 
 
 that he cannot hear, his Bowels of Com- 
 panion are not waxed old ; no, he is the 
 fame Yefterday, to Day, and for ever; 
 what then? thy Sins have feparated be- 
 twixt him and thee, the Hand of Joab is in 
 all this, this is the Fruit of thy evil Ways ,• 
 Is this a Bitternefs unto thee ? Is this an 
 Evil ? Then it is the Reward of thine Ini- 
 quities ; fee the Greatnefs of the Evil of 
 thy Sin ftamped in the Greatnefs of thy 
 Judgments. 
 
 2. They occafion not only fpiritual 
 Evils, but they occafion and caufe tempo- 
 ral Evils, thy Eflate is wafted, thy Credit 
 gone, thy Comforts are taken away, thy 
 Enemies are ftrong, and thy Perfecutors 
 fwift; and the Lord's Hand is in all Things 
 againft thee, fo as thou art brought down 
 wonderfully ; gad not Abroad in vain 
 to feek inferior Caufes of it, there is one 
 Wheel that hath fet all thefe Wheels on 
 Work, the Cry of thy Iniquity is come up 
 before the Lord : Wickednefs burnetii as 
 an Oven, and as a Fire, 'tis a con- 
 fuming Thing. Sin and Judgment are 
 nearly related, they are infeparable, it 
 is big with Child of Vengeance, it 
 brings forth Death, when it is brought 
 forth, Men know not that they take a 
 
 Coal 
 
of Sin. 147 
 
 Coal in their Bofom, when they bear their 
 Sins, think not thoq haft done with the 
 Buiinefs, when thou haft done with thy 
 Sin, it hath a fad go down ; ftay, take in 
 likewife its Ufher, that is Judgment; thou 
 haft wrought thy Work, thou muft get thy 
 Wages ; what doft thou mad Man, when 
 thou fins, when thy Heart departs from God, 
 when thou omits Duty, when thou talks 
 idly, when thou goes lightly, or fwears, &c ? 
 but draws down Wrath on thy Soul, waftes 
 thy Eftate, brings Difhonour on thy 
 Name, brings thee under the Drop of Judg- 
 ment ,- they who feparate and prefcind Sin 
 and Judgment, are bad Theologues, and 
 bad Chriftians, when thou bears thy Judg- 
 ments, groans under them, thou bears 
 thy Sins according to God. To fall in 
 Sin, is all one in Effeft, as to fall in Judg- 
 ment ; to fin, is a quick Way, and a fure 
 Way to Ruin ; Sin is a Path Road to 
 Peftruftion ; Sin is a ftrong pleading Ad- 
 vocate for Vengeance, and prevails much 
 with Juftice. 
 
 3. Cast thine Eyes to Hell for a while, 
 and behold damned Creatures boiling in 
 a Cauldron of Fire and Brimftone : Lay 
 thine Ear and hear their blafphemous 
 Scriechings and Howlings, conceive in thy 
 K z Heart 
 
148 Concerning the Evil 
 
 Heart what it is, if there be a De-j 
 monftration a Pofteriori ; fee what Sin is. 
 Is Hell an Evil? Is Hell a Jeft? What 
 thinks Judas of his thirty Pieces of Silver ? 
 what thinks the Worldling now of his Con- 
 tempt of God and Chrift ? Doth the Fool 
 in Hell make a Jeft of Sin, as he did in 
 Earth ? Are Oaths then a fmall Matter ? 
 Are Lies, Drunkennefs, nothing but a 
 Sicknefs after, or a Qualm of Confcience ? 
 Damnation is not an Aft of Sovereignty, 
 though Reprobation be ,• 'tis an Aft of 
 Juftice, 'tis Meafure for Meafure, Hell is 
 no Overplus of Reward. To be eternally 
 feparate from the molt blefled Face of God 
 in Chrift : Under God's eternal Curfe, and 
 Fearful Hatred, fo as never to hear a good 
 Word from him, to be weltering irremedi- 
 lefly under infinite Vengeance, this is un- 
 fpeakable ; but indeed, it is nothing but 
 holy, holy Juftice, not one Grain Weight 
 of Cruelty ; there is as much an Evil in 
 Sin, as in all this ; what is Hell then ? the 
 Fruit of Sin ; beware of Sin, 'tis to go 
 to Hell, Sin is the Door and Way to Hell. 
 Is Hell a great Evil ? why ? 'tis proportio- 
 ned to Sin; a great Punifliment argues a 
 great Fault ; Hell's too good for a Sinner 
 againft God, he is unworthy of any Thing , 
 
 elfc, 
 
of Sin. 14$ 
 
 lelfe, he is only fitted to hold Wrath • 
 Read in the Damned's Torments the Evil 
 of Sin ; what iVt that torments in Hell ? 
 the fweet Draughts of Sin that they fwal- 
 lowed without Fear, are now work- 
 ing like a living Serpent gnawing their 
 Heart. 
 
 4. God exa&ly notices Sin, and that which 
 God firft minds in every Man is, whether 
 they did Right or 111 \ and doft thou think 
 he minds Trifles ? he kes Sin, obferves it, 
 remembers, condemns it, threatens it, is 
 angry at it, punifhes it ; nay, is very feri- 
 ous in it, 'tis not a defpicable Thing in 
 the Lord's Sight : Sin has a loud Cry, 
 when it reaches God, is big, when the 
 lofty one fees it ; nay, no Evil to it : 
 Why ? then to fin, is to make God your 
 Party •> thou mayft fin quietly, true, but 
 this will come to a publick Debate before 
 the World ; a ferious Matter it is there- 
 tore, 'tis no Jeft then to fin, Men run a 
 deeper Hazard than they are aware ; nay, 
 or can be well conceived, when they fin ; 
 Evils againft God are great Evils, to fin in 
 his Sight againft him and his Honour, is 
 no Jeft, nor alight Matter, it draws very 
 deep : God as an Enemy is a fad Rela- 
 tive. 
 
 K 3 $. Christ 
 
1 50 Concerning the Evil 
 
 i 5. Christ coming into the World to 
 dy for Sinners, to fave them from Sin is a 
 ftrong Demonstration, and fpeaks out very 
 much the Evil of Sin ; what a great Mat- 
 ter was this ? How much of divine Wif- 
 dom was fpent, that I may fo fpeak, in 
 contriving that unfpeakable Myftery, God 
 made Man ? what a Nine Days ? what an 
 eternal Wonder is this? to the Son of God 
 to make a Journey from Heaven, to take 
 oh him the Form of a Servant, to be 
 abafed, nay to give his Life; what great 
 Matter is this ? Here was the Refult of 
 the eternal and infinitely wife Counfel in 
 Heaven? what was all this to? How! to 
 fave the loft World, to condemn Sin in the 
 Flefh; what brought thee Lord Jefus to 
 bow fo low, to come from fuch a Height 
 to fuch a Deep ? Oh Sin ! what made 
 thy Back, as it were, to bow and ftand in 
 Need of the Comfort of an Angel ? ay ! 
 imputed Sin : What great Errand had this 
 wonderful and great One from Heaven to 
 Earth ? what Bufinefs was he tranfa&ing 
 here; fure, he would not give the Travel 
 of his Soul for nought, he would ware no 
 more than Reafon required, it was not a 
 groundlefs Conceit or a Fancy. Oh no ! 
 it was to deliver from Sin, Chrift thought 
 
 not 
 
rif Sin, iff 
 
 not his Pains ill wared to condemn Sin, no 
 left would do it than Chrift, Trifles did 
 not take him up; nay, what is the End of 
 all Providences, Con vittions, Croffes, Word, 
 Miniflers ? either topunifti Sin, or to take 
 away from Sin. Oh ! Sin is another Bufi- 
 nefs than moft take it to be ; God and the 
 World have different Thoughts of Sin; 1 
 tell you, the greateft Mercy can be fliewed 
 to thee, is to deliver thee from thy Sins* 
 Sin is the onty Evil ; and therefore, it is 
 all evil; Sin is Hell, is Death, is Judgment, 
 is Separation from God; take away fin, 
 and there is no Evil : As there is nothing 
 Good fcparate from God ; fo there is no- 
 thing Evil but fin; fin hath a ftrange and 
 near Relation to all Evils, 'tis the univer- 
 fal Spirit of all Evils, 'tis their Soul, the 
 Quinteflence of a little God, of whom, 
 and through whom, and to whom are all 
 thefe Evils ; there was no Evil before fin, 
 but all Goodnefs ; fin came, and brought 
 all Evil imaginable with it ; and where 
 fin is, there cannot be but Evil : Look to 
 all Evils outward, inward, and fin is the 
 Sting of them, fin is the Seed of all Evils. 
 6. A neceflary Concatenation there is 
 betwixt fin and Mifery ; Scripture is clear 
 in this, fin is fure Earneft and Aries of Pu- 
 K 4 nilhment: 
 
I "$ 2 Concerning the Evil 
 
 nifliment: God hath ordained them, and 
 coupled them together by an invincible 
 Chain of an immutable, fure, and eternal 
 Decree ; 'tis impoflible to feparate them, he 
 hath coupled them in his Word, though 
 Hand go in Hand, it fhall not be unpunifh- 
 ed ; God's Nature and Glory is, by 
 no Means to clear the guilty : Nay, 
 Though it were his Son Jefus Chrift 
 that was a Sinner only imputatively, his 
 Soul muft be heavy unto Death, Death is 
 the Wages of (in ; if ye fow the Wind and 
 Iniquity, ye fhall reap Vanity, and the 
 Whirl-wind : The Wrath of God is reveal- 
 ed from Heaven againft all Ungodlinefs, 
 and Unrighteoufnefs of Men, who hold the 
 Truth in Unrighteoufnefs. God's wrong- 
 ed Glory and Law, to which he hath 
 greateft Refpeft, hath a mighty loud ef- 
 fectual Cry for Juftice ; it is not a Trifle 
 that the Lord will pafs away with, the fin- 
 ner hath Wrath in Hand, thou art a dead 
 Man, affoon as Adam finned, in that Day 
 he died ; expeft Punifhment as the Wages 
 of fin, as certainly, as ye cxped the fame 
 Grain from what ye fow ; as ye fow, fo 
 fhall ye reap ; then 'tis juft all one to draw 
 on Guilt, as to draw on Wrath,- never 
 one yet, but found fin a fad Bufinefs, he 
 
 repented 
 
of Sin* 15$ 
 
 repented of it, never a Sin but hath Re- 
 pentance after it ; 'tis impoffible, but thefc 
 Pills will work, though the Lord {pare 
 long, yet he willatlaftrecompenfeit : And 
 this he doth in the Lord's own People, 
 whofe Sins are pardoned in the Blood of 
 Chrift^ yet doth he take Vengeance ot their 
 Inventions, to beat a Slave, a Servant is 
 no Wonder: Oh! but to beat his dear 
 Child, and that fo fadly and heavily ; 'tis 
 much that draws this out of him, for he 
 grieves not willingly ; hope not then to get 
 Pardon without Grief for Sin, 'tis in vain, 
 ye will ever find the Evil of it, ere the Lord 
 pardon it. 
 
 7. Sin is the greateft of all Evils, Af- 
 flidions are nothing to fin ; I tell you, fin 
 is a greater Evil than Hell it fel£ Chrift 
 endured the penf 1 Part of Hell, but would 
 not fin ; no Angel in Heaven but would 
 raflier leap to a River of God's Wrath,than 
 to fin- This is the great Curfe of the Dam- 
 ned, that they are never freed from their 
 fins; this is Hell in Hell, the Load that 
 weighs heavieft, and their greateft Mifery* 
 It is the Elefts greateft Mercy that they 
 fliall be prefented without Spot or Wrinkle ; 
 this is the great Bleffing to be delivered 
 from fin, 'tis a Gift worth the Bounty and 
 
 Blood 
 
1 54 Concerning the Evil 
 
 Blood of Chrift. This is the faddeft Word 
 tver was fpoken, Ye Jhall die in your Sim. 
 The fweeteft Name Chrift hath, is to fave 
 from fin : Oh ! fin hath a deep Dye, that 
 nothing can take away but the Blood of 
 the Son of God. 
 
 8. Sin is againft God, fin takes its Evil 
 from the Objed it is againft, that is God : 
 How againft God ? 'Tis adulterous depart- 
 ing from God ; Adultery is vile among 
 Men, Shall not the Land be greatly polluted? 
 But fiiall not Heaven and Earth be aftonifh- 
 sd and tremble at Adultery againft God ? 
 "lis Treafon and Rebellion againft God, 
 Treafon is Death againft the King by the 
 Law> what is Rebellion againft God ? fin 
 is Grieving, Killing, and Burdening to him ; 
 'tis Deicidjum j if God could be hurt fin 
 would do it; 'tis a crufning and trampling 
 under Foot his Glory and Authority, and 
 will he not glorify his Law, think you, and 
 have Refped to it ? Is it nothing to deface 
 the Image of That ? To be guilty of Adul- 
 tery againft him, to rebel againft him, to 
 break his Law, and trample his Authori- 
 ty ? Or doeft thou think, becaufe through 
 Cuftomthou haft hardened thy Confcience, 
 that therefore thy fin is become lefs though 
 it feems lefs to thee ? Or becaufe Judg- 
 ment 
 
of Sin. 1 5 $ 
 
 ment is not execute, therefore it will never 
 be; no, no, he referveth Wrath. Thefe are 
 great Evils; Time, Sin and Eternity, and 
 other Miferies, will never eat them out of 
 God's Heart ; I will nevtr forget any of your 
 Works : Nothing but the Blood of Ch rift; 
 get this applied to your Souls and ye are 
 fafe; or if not, know to Hell ye muft go 
 without Remedy : God muft act like him- 
 felt, finsagainft him are great fins. 
 
 9- Sin is an everlafting Evil, it ftieks 
 for ever : Eternity, if ye die in fin, will 
 not waft it away. 
 
 MEDITATION XI. 
 
 Inferences and Ufes from the Confedera- 
 tion of the Evil of Sin. 
 
 i. TTENCE fee what an Evil fin h* 
 JCx (i.) It is a moft vile Evil, it is 
 abominable, 'tis Filthinefs, 'tis a Difeafe, 
 'tis Uncleannefs, God cannot look upon it; 
 finners in the Lord's fight are but Vipers, 
 Toads, vile Perfons, Serpents, Leprous, 
 
 .fck, 
 
1 56 Inferences from the Confideration 
 fick, unprofitable, corrupt ones ; loathed, 
 hated, defpifed, reje&ed of him ; and this 
 is fo really and certainly, for he minds not 
 Flouriflies of Rhetorick. Oh finners I your 
 Glory is your fhame ; loathe then thy felf, 
 and walk humbly with God. Nothing fo 
 vile as fin, no Mifery like unto it. (2.) It 
 is a ftrong Evil, a remedilefs Evil, it is like 
 the Ethiopians Blacknefs that cannot be 
 wafhen away ,• no Power in Heaven or in 
 Earth can take away or fubdue fin, but only 
 Jefus Chrift ; fin's Bands are ftrong. Groan 
 under this Evil, not only that thou art fin- 
 ful, but that thou canft not but fin, canft 
 not know God, canft not fee, canft not feel 
 thy fins, monrn under them, fee the Evil of 
 them, and forfake them. (3.) It is a moft 
 deceitful Evil, not only ftrong, but crafty 
 and cunning, nay, deceitful above all Things ; 
 nay, fo deceitful, as none can know it : fee 
 a Need therefore of the Wifdom of Jefus to 
 lead thee againft thy Enemies, 'tis a Point in 
 which God's Almighty Wifdom is feen 
 very much; I know the Hearty 1 the Lord 
 know it. Be jealous then, and fufpicious 
 over your Hearts, fear them, look well to 
 them, be not confident. (4.) Sin is a moft 
 Tyrannical Evil, not only vile, bafe, ftrong 
 deceitful, but defperately Wicked ; fin hath 
 
 no 
 
of the Evil of Sin. i 5 j 
 
 no Reafon with it, it will hear none at all, 
 but drives on violently, as the Horfe doth 
 unto the Battle, hath no Moderation nor 
 Sobriety, but is violent, goes without 
 Bounds, keeps the Soul in Fear and Bon- 
 dage, rides Poft, opprefles fore ; fin is moft 
 cruel, it deftroys the Soul defpitefully. (5.) 
 A dangerous Evil in refpeft of what it 
 threatens, a mortal, eternal £nd unexpref- 
 fible' Mifery; dangerous in refped of the 
 Multitude that perifh by fin, that are led to 
 Hell,Hood-wink'd as it were. (<5.) Sin is a real 
 Evil, all that's fpoken of Sin are not Flow- 
 ers of Rhetorick, no, 'tis really fo ,• Sin is 
 an Evil indeed, and Folk fhall find it fo. (7.) 
 It is a prejudicial Evil, it hath doleful Con- 
 fequences, it hath a doleful Way-going; 
 Death, Judgment, and eternal Wrath wait 
 at fin's Door behind it; fin is but a Door 
 to all Miferies, fin hath Punifiiment wait- 
 ing on it, and fooner or latter it will be 
 bitter : There is not fuch a Thing as fin 
 alone. (8.) It is a certain Evil, 'tis Bit- 
 ternefs, 'tis Death, 'tis fure Aries of Mife- 
 ry, an infallible Forerunner that never mift 
 a neceflary Caufe of it : It is in vain then 
 to think of fliunning a Stroke for fin ; Be who 
 thou wilt, God's Word is fure that hath 
 knit both infeparably together, (9. 'Tis a 
 
 weighty 
 
1 5 & Inferences from the Conftderation 
 weighty ferious Evil, considered by God, 
 -remembred by him; it hath done great 
 Things, it is not a Matter of Jeft, as Fools 
 count it to be ; Folk fhall find fin Matter 
 of good fad Earned one Day : How fo ? It 
 is Adultery againft God, 'tis Rebellion a- 
 gainft him, 'tis grieving of his Spirit, 'tis 
 departing from him, 'us deftroying of your 
 own Souls, 'tis falling under the Compafs 
 of eternal and infinite Mifery, it reaches as 
 deep as Hell, as deep as the Death of Chrift,- 
 as high as the Power, Care, Wifdom, 
 Wrath, and fpecial Providence of God: 
 Therefore to be thought on with great At- 
 tention, and to be ferioufly afte&ed with •, 
 for it is no fport, no Bairn's Play. (10.) 
 'Tisnot only prejudicial, but moft prejudi- 
 cial ; fin's Evils are unfufterable, unfpeak- 
 able, and feldom believed till they come to 
 pafs ; fin will always be very bitter, (u.) 
 The very Nature of fin is Evil : What is 
 that? 'Tis todepaitfrom God, 'tis to de- 
 fpife and contemn God's Authority ; 'tis 
 to make the linner moft vile, and to caft 
 him down from his Excellency, to rob him 
 of his Beauty. (12.) Sin doth ill to others, 
 *th> an infectious extending Evil, it grieves 
 and hardens others. (13 J Sin is the great- 
 eft Evil ; not only an Evil, nor a great Evil, 
 
 but 
 
 
of the Evil of Sin. 159 
 
 but the greateft Evil. (14.) It is the only 
 Evil, and therefore all Evils, that ever come 
 upon us, it is either for fin, to prevent fin, 
 or to take away fin. Sin is a main and ne- 
 ceflary Ingredient in all Punifhment. Mic. u 
 5. For the Imquit) > of 'Jacob is all this. (15.) It is 
 an everlafting Evil, that continues for ever. 
 (16.) It is the Evil of the Soul, a fpiritual 
 Evil, and therefore moft abominable ; the 
 Redemption of the Soul of Man is precious, 
 and it ceafeth for ever (17.) It is againft 
 God,againft his Image, his Authority,Love, 
 Kindnefs, Providence, People, Will, Laws, 
 Honour and Majefty. (18.) It hath done 
 much Evil, caft down Angels to Hell, de- 
 faced the whole Creation, making it to 
 groan under its Load, humbled Ghrift even 
 unto Death. In a Word, all the Woe that 
 ever was done, was done by Sin. 
 
 life 2. Hence fee the Madnefs, Blind- 
 nefs and Stupidity of the World ; blind they 
 are when they cannot fee fuch a big Moun- 
 tain as this that fills the whole Earth, 
 dead and fenfelefs that cannot feel this 
 heavy Weight, that caft the Son of God 
 down to Hell,- mad and Fools that are 
 not taken up with this, but w r ill venture 
 boldly on God's fore Difpleafure. Is it Wif- 
 4om to meddle with this Serpent ? Is • it 
 
 Wifdon| 
 
160 Inferences from the Conftderation 
 
 Wifdom to open the Door to Hell? Is it 
 Wifdom to bring all Evil upon thee ? Art 
 thou not ferving for Death, deftroying thy 
 own Soul, and that eternally ; and yet 
 wilt'ft not confider. To drink a Cup of Poi- 
 fon, and laugh when thou haft done, is no 
 Sign of a wife Man. 
 
 3. Hence fee what an evil Thing the 
 World is; it is curfed by the Lord, 'tis 
 God's Enemy, 'tis polluted with fin, Tranf- 
 greflions are heavy upon ir, they ly in fin, 
 the World now is fin's Bait, fin's Pander to 
 court to it ; it is the Devil's old Bawd, tta 
 Portion of wicked Men, God's Enemy, his 
 People's Enemy, that is to be burnt with 
 Fire, the Stage of fin, and fo confequently 
 of Mifery ; the Devil's Walk and Kingdom, 
 the God of this World, whofe Wifdom, 
 Riches, and greateft Glory are abominable 
 in the Lord's fight, Luke xvi. 15. 
 
 4. L e t us be fuitably affefted with fin 
 as the greateft Evil, fear it terribly, hate it 
 very vehemently, be at great Diftance with 
 it, put away Iniquity far from us> let the 
 Thoughts of it be moft terrible unto us, 
 mourn bitterly and fcrioufly for it, watch 
 ftriftly againft it, pray fervently and migh- 
 tily to the Lord, to deliver thee from the 
 Pjowcr and Evil of it ,• come not near it, 
 
 bide 
 
of the Jyyil of Sin. 1 61 
 
 bide from it as from Death and Hell, think 
 no fin a fport, Sirs ; refift it, not in Jeft, elfe 
 it will damn you in Earneft, think no Pains 
 much, nor no Coft great, to get thy fin 
 down. 
 
 5. Hike is Matter of Lamentation, Sor- 
 row, Bitternefs and Humiliation, and walk- 
 ing foftly : Oh ! confider what an Evil ye 
 are encompaft with when thou looks on this, 
 and what thou haft done; Oh! mourn, " 
 grieve, groan, and be in great Bitternefs* 
 cry out of this Body of Death. 
 
 6. Hence fee the doleful, lamentable, 
 vile, terrible and fearful Eftate that every 
 Man is in by Nature; a Natural Condi- 
 tion is a fad Eftate, it is an Eftate of Sin, 
 and Vilenefs, and Uncleannefs, a monftru- 
 oiis Condition, polluted with the unfpeak- 
 able Venom of fin; it is Death it felf ; to 
 ly in Nature, is to ly in the Bands of 
 Death ; 'tis a ftate of Bondage to fin, to 
 Satan, and our own Lufts, a fearful ftrong 
 Prifon ; it is a ftate of Blindnefs and Dark- 
 nefs; it is a ftate of Separation from God, 
 it is a ftate of Enmity to God, 'tis a ftate 
 of Condemnation, Sentence hath paft a- 
 
 • gainft thee of eternal Vengeance : It is a 
 cui fed Eftate. f 
 
 L 7, Hencs 
 
162 Inferences from the Confederation 
 
 7. Hence fee the Caufe and Fountain 
 of alt Evils that come upon you; fin is 
 the firft Evil, fhun fin, and ye fhun all 
 Evil. 
 
 8. See how juft the Lord is and righte- 
 ous in punifliing of fin, whether here or 
 eternally ; I tell you, it is not only lawful 
 for him, but it is Righteoufnefs in him 
 fo to do; the Glory of his Juftice and 
 Holinefs Ihines in it, as well as of his 
 Sovereignty ; Damnation is a moft holy, 
 pure, and righteous Action;, the Punifc- 
 ment is not above the Fault ; it is fit, that 
 thou who didft trample on God, he fhould 
 trample upon thee : Sin is an infinite Evil, 
 and therefore notice, infinite Punifhment 
 muft follow it. Let no living Man com- 
 plain. 
 
 9. C o m p l a 1 n not then againft the Lord, 
 for any Thing that comes upon thee,it is the 
 Punifhment of thy fin; but fubmit unto it, 
 accept of it as a moft righteous Thing, thy 
 felf hath procured it. 
 
 10. See hence the Impoflibility of fatif- 
 fying God by thy Duties, Repentance, or 
 Reformation. Where haft thou to fatisfy? 
 What wilt thou bring of thine own to re- 
 pair this infinite Breach? Canft thou make 
 
 God 
 
of tfa Evil <f Sitt. itfj 
 
 God Amends ? Canft thou repair a Wrong 
 done againft God ? Haft thou an -infinite 
 Satisfaction to give ? Thy Goodnefs doth 
 not extend to him, as thy fin hath done. 
 What is thy Life to him ? Is it worth the 
 Wrong done? What are thy Works that 
 thou fhouldeft notice it? Will they weigh as 
 far down, as thy Sin? Thou haft trampled 
 God under Foot by thy Cm, and this is 
 worfe than that all the World fhould burn 
 in Hell. 
 
 ii. See hence the Neceffity of fleeing 
 unto the Blood of Chnft, this City of Re- 
 fuge, only in him is help, only in him thou 
 canft find a Remedy ; hafie therefore, and 
 flee for thy Life, lefl the Avenger of Blo$d Qver~ 
 take thee-, Wo unto thee for ever, if not in 
 him, he only can open this fealed Book. 
 
 12. H e n c e feejthe infijyte Love of God^' 
 and the Power of his Mercy, in fending a 
 Saviour to die for Sinners, in pardoning, 
 Yubduing, and forgetting fuch an Evil as 
 this ; Mercy is high that comes over fuch 
 Mountains. 
 
 13. Hence fee the great Excellency of 
 Holinefs and Obedience ; if fin be the 
 greateft Evil, then Holinefs muft be the 
 greateft Good ; if fin be Death, Holinefs 
 
 Life ; if Cm be a Bondage, Holinefs is 
 L 2 Liberty. 
 
\S\ Inferences from the Confder atton 
 Liberty. Oh! the World fees not the Glo- 
 ry of Holinefs. 
 
 14. How precious ought this to make 
 Chrift unto us, who came to take away this 
 infinite Evil ; no Saviour can fave from fin 
 but only he; he is the moft ufeful, the 
 moft fuitable Object that our Souls in this 
 Cafe can pitch upon ; cry after him there- 
 fore as the one Thing, welcome him as the 
 greateft Good, mourn and forrow for thy 
 want of him, efteem him above all Things, 
 fee the infinite Worth and Excellency of 
 his Blood, Oh ! remember it cleanfeth f:om 
 all fins, cry to none but him. 
 
 15. Long for Heaven then, where only 
 thou fhalt be free altogether of this fin ,• it 
 is a Reft from fin, and all Temptations to 
 fin, and Punifliment for fin. 
 
 16. See the Security and Atheifm even 
 of thebeft; Oh! none confiders fin as it is 
 indeed, none are fo fenfibly affe&ed with it 
 as it defervesj mourn ye Saints, that ye 
 mourn no more for fin. 
 
 17. See hence and wonder at the Long- 
 fuflfering Patience of God, which hath fuf- 
 fered and endured thee and others, and hath 
 not cut thee off, notwithftanding thou haft 
 been fo vile, cry out that it is of hisMercy 
 thou art not confumed. 
 
 Laftly, 
 
of the Evil of Sin. 165 
 
 Laftly, Be exceeding thankful, ye that are 
 in part freed from, ye whofe Eyes have k^n 
 this Evil, groaned under, mourned for, loath- 
 ed, and been delivered from the Power of 
 it : Oh I I tell you this is no fmall Mercy, 
 thou art delivered in part from the greateft 
 Evil ; thy greateft Enemy hath gotten its 
 dead Stroke, and thou (halt one Day be al- 
 together free from it 8 
 
 MEDITATION XL 
 
 Of the Combat betwixt the Flefh and 
 Spirit. 
 
 rr** HE Apoftle Paul having* by feveral 
 X Arguments, vindicated the Holinefs 
 andjuftice of the Law, from the Afperfi- 
 ons that the Believers Deadnefs thereunto, 
 and the irritating Power thereof through 
 fin might occafion to be laid upon it ; he 
 brings one Argument from himfelf, to 
 prove that the Law was good, which was, 
 That his beft Part, his renewed Part, di4 
 approve of the Law, and that his unrege- 
 nerate Part did rebel againft it j which was 
 L3 a 
 
1 66 Of the Combat betwixt % 
 a manifeft Token, that the Law fa it (elf 
 was good. From thence he takes Occallon 
 to fpeak of the Combat betwixt the Flefh 
 and Spirit, his renewed Part, and unre- 
 newed Part, largely from *Rcm. vii. 15. to 
 the End of the Chapter, and briefly Epi- 
 tomized in Gal. v. 17. in which you have 
 thefe Truths confiderable. 
 • 1. In every Believer there is Flefh and 
 Spirit, there is two diftindt and contrary 
 Interefts, the Intereft of Sin, of Flefh, and 
 of the World, and the Intereft of Ghrift; 
 there is Life and Death, Sin and Grace, 
 Flefh and Spirit, Gal. v. 17. A Law in the 
 Members fighting againfi the Law in the 
 Mind ; unregenerate Perfons have no Inte- 
 reft but the Intereft of Satan and of the 
 Flefh* the Saints in Heaven have no Inte- 
 reft, in them, bin the Lord's only \ the 
 Saints militant have two Interefts, look as... 
 it was faid CO Rebekdby There are two Na$ 
 tions Hi thy Belly ; even fo may it be fa id to 
 every Chriftian, there are two Nations m 
 his Heart, and the Younger flia'll prevail; 
 God thinks it fit not to deftroy all at once, 
 but by little and little, that Grace may ap- 
 pear and be exerc/fed, and Heaven may be 
 Heaven, and Saints become per feet through 
 fiffitingi 1 John i. 10. Rom, vii. 23. Phi/. 
 
the Fle(h and Sprit. 16% 
 
 iii. 12. i Pet. ii. 21. The Lord hath pre^ 
 pared a Crown for them, win it therefore 
 .they muft by Fighting. 1 Pet. i. 6, 7. How 
 {hall they fight without an Enemy ? Perfec- 
 tion here therefore is a Dream ; Paul had 
 not attained to Perfection, Phil. iii. 12. 
 James had not attained this State, James 
 iii. 2. Prov. xx.-g. EccL vii. 20. 
 
 2. These two Interefts do not fit ftill, 
 but refill, fight, oppofe, and clafh one a- 
 gainft another ; the Devil, the World and 
 the Flelh are on one fide, and Chrift, with 
 the Spirit and Grace on the other. Two 
 different Nations in Rehekah's Womb made 
 ftruggling, Enemies cannot agree, diiferent 
 Natures cannot agree, Michael and the 
 Dragon muft fight when they meet, pub- 
 lickly and privately, inwardly and out- 
 wardly,greatFeud muft break out,and cannot 
 keep, every Thing feeks the Deftru&ion of 
 its Contrary, if no War, then it is a 'jfo- 
 ken the ftrongMan keeps all in Peace, there 
 is but one Intereft ; wonder not ye that find 
 it fo, two Nations are in your Hearts, it 
 muft be fo, join with Chrift then, 1 Pet. ii. 
 xi. there is nothing for it but Fighting, 
 kill or be killU 
 
 3. This Fighting continues until Death, 
 
 or our Time here is a Warfare j it is in 
 
 L 4 Heaven 
 
i6S Of the Combat betwixt 
 Heaven the Sprits oj juft Men are made per- 
 fecl> Heb. xii. 23. while we are here, we are 
 Strangers and Pilgrims, and therefore will 
 have Lufts that war againft the Soul, 1 Pet. 
 ii. 11. Paul never concludes he had done 
 with his Fighting, until he knew the Time 
 of his Departure was at Hand, 1 Tim. iii. 6, 
 7, 8. The laft Enemy is Death, Death doth 
 deliver us from this Body oj Death, Rem. viL 
 24. EccL vii. 20. There is hot a juft Man li- 
 ving on Earth that finneth not; be faithful 
 therefore unto the Death, fleep no:, having 
 done all, (land. 
 
 4. The principal Seat of War in the 
 unregencrate Part is the Fief}, called there- 
 fore a Law in the Members, the fenfitive 
 brutal Part in Man, therefore called a Law 
 In our Members ; pluck out the right Eye and 
 right Hands, mortifie your Members on Earth, 
 C J., iii. 5. Then, (1.) Our Enemies are 
 very near interefted in us, our Flefh, our 
 Members, our Eyes, our Hinds, deny our 
 felves we muft, Mark viii. 34. (2.) The 
 Combat then is very painful and difficult; 
 crucifie the Flefh and Affections thereof; 
 ^tis like the pulling out of a Man's right 
 Eye, Mark ix. 43. it is like the deftroying 
 and paining our own Soul. (3.) It will 
 'need great Courage and Fortitude, and the 
 
 Hatre4 
 
the Fleflj and Spirit. 1 69 
 
 Hatred muft be deep that will venture a- 
 gainft a Man's own felf 5 have Salt there- 
 tore in your felves, Markix. 49, 50. There 
 muft be a fiery Indignation in you ; this is 
 the Fire the Holy Ghoft doth baptize with. 
 (4.) Oppofe therefore the Flefh, watch, 
 pray, reiift it, Col. iii. 5, (5.) It is the ba- 
 left Part, the weakeft Part that ye have to 
 do with, called therefore Members on Earthy 
 1 Pet. ii. 2. calied Flejhly Ltifls^ difdain that 
 your earthly Part fhould abufe you. (6.) 
 A bafe Thing it is therefore to be fubjeft to 
 fuch a Slave, a Servant of Servants. 
 
 5. The principal Seat of the renewed 
 Man is in the Will and Eftimation; Icon- 
 fent, that the Law is good and holy, To will 
 is prefent with me^ but how to do I know not, 
 and what I do I allow not. Ye cannot do the 
 Things ye would, flefhly Lufts war againft 
 the Soul : I know the Will is in Part parted, 
 but this is through the Fiefli, and there ap- 
 pears more of Grace in the Will than in 
 the fenfitive Part, and therefore the Deno- 
 mination is taken from the better Part. 
 Hence, firft try your Eftates, what faith 
 your Wills and Eftimations to Sin and 
 Chrift ? 
 
 (6.) It is a Chriftian's Wifdom to diftin- 
 guifli thefe Two, and to lay the Blame 
 
 where 
 
170 Of the Combat betwixt '* 
 
 where the Blame is, and to free h/mfelf of 
 this; it is not I> but Sin in me, faith Paul ; 
 hence do not look on the unregtnerate Pare 
 as your felves, but as your Enemy, not I; 
 thefe Two mud be esa&iy chftmguifhed. 
 (1.) Diitinftion breeds Cleanxfs, while 
 Confufion breeds Dimnefs ; Gcd at firft Se- 
 parated Light from Darknefs ; if our Ene- 
 mies be among our Friends we cannot fight 
 fo well, we know not whom to fight with, 
 or what to do. (2.) This will breed Com- 
 fort and Peace, when ye can fay, Ic is not 
 I, but Jin in me ; as Abigail faid to David, 
 Regard mt the Foolijhnejs of Nabal, fo fay 
 unto the Lord, I the renewed Part am not 
 guilty of this, regard not the Foolillinefs 
 of the Flefh, flay not the Righceous with 
 the Wicked. (3.) When you go to fight ye 
 jnuft not look on your fieflily Part as 
 jourfeif, but as a Stranger in Rebel- 
 lion; and this will give Comfort; and 
 therefore, deal with it as a Stranger, fay 
 we have no Part in ix, if ye look on it a$ 
 Bone of your Bone, and Fieih of your 
 Fkfh, it will breed top much watmnefs. 
 Hence, when outward Afflictions comes, 
 iubmic, why fo ? 'tis the Fkfh that fuflers, 
 not the fpirit. (5.) When Threatnings arc 
 ^flitted y fuch as 3 Except ye repent, ye fiall 
 
 fvrjjb ] 
 
the Flefh and Spirit. 171 
 perrjh ; 'tis not to the renewed Part that this 
 is faid, 'tis to the unregenerare Part, fot 
 that is carried by Love, the other muft be 
 boafted. (6.) When you would know what 
 it is to be under the Law, 'tis the Flefti that's 
 under the Covenant of works, the unrege- 
 nerate Part, not the fpirit, which is above 
 the Law in that Consideration ; 'tis a fee- 
 vant, a Glafs, and a Delight unto the re- 
 newed Part ; but 'tis a Bondage, a Mini* 
 ftration of Death to the unrenewed Part : 
 Terrifie, threaten, judge, punifh the Flefh, 
 caufe it ferve ; but comfort and rejoice the 
 'fpirit ; the regenerate Part is a L aw unto 
 it {elf, and ufes the Law, but is not under 
 it formally, viz,, as a Covenant of IVorks, but 
 yet is under a Law of Grace. (7.) 'Tis 
 becaufe of the Flefli we mourn, grieve, 
 fear, and feek Forgivenefs, which being 
 under the Covenant of works, is liable to 
 the Curfe, and- to Condemnation ; and as 
 thus confidered, we are to mourn, grieve, 
 fear, and feek Forgivenefs; but as under 
 Grace, we are to rejoice, love, and apply, 
 and believe Forgivenefs. 
 
 7. The Fieih and Law of fin and Death, 
 may fo far prevail againft the Law of the 
 Mind, as to lead it captive, and for a while 
 overcome : Paul faw and found this \ it 
 
 was 
 
172 Of the Combat betwixt 
 
 was faid of GW, A Troop (hall prevail 
 and fight, but he fbali prevail at laft j the 
 Houfe of David fought againfi t'm Houfe 
 of Sauly and became ftronger at laft, yet 
 Saul chafed him at firft : The Experience 
 o the faints may witnefs this-, this is the 
 C lance of war, fometimes the one Party 
 hath the better, and fometimes the other, 
 'tis fit that fin's Power, and oar own 
 weaknefs be felt, that we may depend on 
 the Lord, and on his Power; the Lord 
 ufes fin, to break the Power of felfifh Con- 
 fidence ; defpair not then, though fin fome- 
 times overcome, but get up wich double 
 Courage and Refoiuton, never give over ; 
 fin is not a peaceable Conqueror, fin takes 
 all in by ftorm, feldom by Composition. 
 
 8. That however fin oppofes God very 
 much, yet in nothing fo much, as when it 
 comes to Aftion ; therefore, the faints 
 find it eafie to groan under fin, to hate fin, 
 to refolve againft fin ; bat how to do they 
 know not, and then Evil is prefentj ye cannot 
 do the Things ye would, Gal. v. 17. Doing 
 brings moft Glory to God, and moft Good 
 to others ; therefore, fin will oppofe this; 
 Doing doth really moil Evil to fin, this 
 wounds fin, crucifies fin, now the Flefe is 
 touched as it were to the Qyicfc. Doing is 
 
 in 
 
the Flefb and Spirit. 175 
 
 in a Manner the Viftory, the End of alt 
 Preparation ; therefore, fin will fight againft 
 this, as Men ftrive for the Victory, there 
 is never grappling indeed, until it come to 
 this, nor fighting : A Man hath raoft 
 Comfort in this, and this fticks to him. 
 Then, (1.) Think not much, nor be very 
 confident, though ye find your Hearts rifen 
 againft fir, to refolve againft it ; for fin 
 doth not ftrive againft this, Soldiers brag 
 and boaft, when they are in their Quarters ; 
 but when it comes to Hand-ftrckes, there 
 is Oppofiticn. (2.) Labour therefore to 
 do; content not your felves till it come 
 to this. (3.) 'Tis more excellent to da, 
 aud better than to refolve. (4.) Hence 
 fee, why Men are frank in their Refolti- 
 tions, and flack in doing, the Reafcn is # 
 here Sin oppcles moft. 
 
 9. This Combat is very ferious and 
 eanieft, 'tis no jetting with them at all, a 
 deadly Enmity 7 there is ; and therefore, 
 a mortal Quarrel ; Wit, Parts, Moyen, 
 Power, Means, and all Shifts are tifed ; 
 hence waiting, praying, mourning, watch* 
 ing, groaning, waiting againft it ; Paid 
 was in good Earneft, when he faid, 
 wretched Man that I am> who Jh all deliver * 
 from this Bcdj of Sin and Death} *Tis not 
 
 foe 
 
<*74 BywhatAth 
 
 for the firft Blood, 'cis the Death of one 
 another they are feeking : It is not a Stage- 
 play, I fo fight, not as one that beateth 
 the Air, but I keep under my Body, and 
 bring it unto Subjection, faith Paul: Try 
 it therefore by this ; be refolute, and in 
 good Earned: againft Sin, for no lefs will 
 do it. 
 
 MEDITATION XII. 
 
 By what Acts is the Flefh rejijled and 
 mortified. 
 
 THERE is not a Chriftian living, but 
 can fhow by woful Experience, that 
 there is a Combat betwixt the Flefh and 
 Spirit, the Parties againft whom the Spi- 
 rit fights, are the Devil, the World and 
 the Flefh, the carnal Trinity, felf being 
 the great God of the World, the Bait 
 through whom all Things are, and the 
 Devil (like the Holy Ghoft) applying all; 
 Self is the difeafed Man that cries for his 
 own Definition, the World is thepoifoned 
 
 Plaifter, 
 
the Flefh is refifted and mortified. 17 ^ 
 Plaifter, and the Devil and his Inftruments 
 are die Phyliciati ; the Dragon and his An- 
 gels againft Michael and his Angels, op- 
 pofing others continually and defperately, 
 publickly and privately, outwardly and in- 
 wardly. The Afts then by which the Spi- 
 rit of Chrift doth oppofe Satan and the 
 Flefh, are 
 
 1. The Soul fees a Law in its Mem- 
 bers, warring againft the Law of its Mind ; 
 look as the Underftanding was the Door 
 through- which all Evil comes in ; fo muft 
 it be the Door through which all Good 
 comes ; therefore, this being the firft Porch 
 through which Entrance muft be made un- 
 to the Heart, Will and AfFe&ion, here 
 therefore Light muft come in : Light was 
 the firft Thing that was created in the 
 World ; and fo is it in the fpiritual Crea- 
 tion ; Therefore the Lord lights a Candle 
 to let the Soul fee to work ; and hence 
 the Evil, the Power, the Tyranny, the Pre- 
 judice of the Flefh is fcen ; and if all the 
 Powers of Hell could hinder it, this would 
 not be, hereupon the Vanity of the World 
 is difcovered. Pfal xxxix. 6. And hence it 
 is contemned, a Neceffity there is of refill- 
 ing this. 
 
 z< Divine 
 
176. By what Atfs the Flefh 
 
 2. Divine Light being full operative 
 and lively, it defcends next unto the Affe&i- 
 cns, and there Springs, there it kindles 
 them, they reveal the Vanity of the World, 
 makes the Heart contemn and defpife ir 5 
 the revealed Prejudice and Hazard makes 
 the Heart fear, grieve and mourn, and 
 the revealed Power and Tyranny, and De- 
 fpite of Sin makes the Soul groan and figb, 
 and complain, and look up to Heaven : When 
 the Believer and fin firft yokes, fin prevails, 
 and is too ftrong, and the poor Believer 
 groans, mourns and fighs under this hard 
 Bondage : And all the Refiftarxe that's now 
 made is Senfe, the Burden is felt, and laid 
 to Heart, the Evil is not only feen, but 
 felt. Run. vii. 24. 
 
 3. Hereupon the Soul is filled with 
 Indignation and Hatred againft fin. 2 Ccr. 
 Vii. 11. Many a Man would live peaceably 
 with his fin, and never be troubled ; but 
 the Lord fiirs up fin by the Law, fin is fuch 
 an evil, dangerous, and prejudicial Neigh- 
 bour, vexing the poor Soul continually 
 with its Wiles and Tyranny, that the Soul 
 is made to hate it \^ith an implacable 
 Hatred ; Is this it that feeks my Ruin ? Is 
 this the Enemy that continually oppofes 
 Hie ? Is this the Strumpet, the Coufener 
 
 than 
 
is refifted and mortified, tjj 
 that rexes me continually with its Wiles, 
 and deceives me, telling me Lies, pretend- 
 ing Friendship, and promising Happinefs, 
 and yet no fuch Thing; but all to enflave 
 me to my Lulls, and to damn me at laft : 
 Is this it that is the Lord's Enemy in me, 
 and in all the World, and that crucified the 
 Lord of Glory ? Is this the Rebel thac 
 rebels againft the Lord, againft whom War 
 is denounced, that no lefs will content 
 than the King's own beft Room, and that 
 feeks by all Means to conquer it ? Oh 
 hateful World! Oh hateful Flefii! Oil 
 poifonous Deceiver! O cruel, dangerous, 
 prejudicial Poifon! Is it fo indeed? Yes 
 indeed, I fee, I feel it, I was miftaken, and 
 blindfolded, the World and fin is now a far 
 other Thing than I took it to be, I fee it 
 nothing, but a deceiving, bafe, evil Bubble* 
 a Rebel unto the Lord of Glory, and my 
 greateft, though flieft Enemy. 
 
 4. Hereupon the Soul refolves againft 
 Sin and the World,and ftudies Revenge : The 
 World is now arraigned, and proven guilty 
 of a capital Crime ; and it appears in its 
 own Colours, a naughty, ftrong, tyranni- 
 cal, dangerous, defpiteful, and bloody Ene- 
 my, againft whom it fees it felf called to 
 make War by the Lord himfelfj fo that 
 M now 
 
i7 8 By what Ms the- Tlejb 
 
 now nothing appears more evil ; and there- 
 fore,oppofe it, it muft fight,or dy : No Peace, 
 or elfe Enmity with God, no Peace, elfe a 
 Slave to fin and Satan for ever; no Peace 
 or Truce, but what is bought with the 
 Lofs of God's Favour, and with the Lofs 
 of its own Soul, and this the Soul feels, 
 knows, and certainly perceives ; thereupon 
 it proceeds to a Resolution, come on, let 
 us join againft the World, againft the 
 Flefti: Quit your felves like Men, fight and 
 overcome I muft, or dy ; there is no Mids : I 
 am refolved to join henceforth with the 
 Lord jefus, againft the corrupt Intereft in 
 my fdf, and againft the Lord's Enemies, 
 and curfed be the Hands that fpares ; fo 
 then, open War is denounced, 'tis refolved, 
 concluded upon, and determined, that 
 there fliall be no Peace with Amakk for 
 ever, I muft, and will overcome faith the 
 Soul. Hof. xiv. 3. 
 
 5. All Means are tried, Meditation 
 concerning the Evil of Sin , how to get it de- 
 ftroyed ; and hence Piottings, and Devifings, 
 what ftiall be done, Meditation roufes up 
 the Soul, and ferious Confideration like a 
 Spur, encourages and pricks forward the 
 Heart, as a Lion roufes up his Courage, 
 by fmiting hitnfdf with his Tail, reading 
 
 in 
 
is refijled and mortified. 179 
 in the Scriptures, waiting there for Light, 
 for Power, for Life ; Faith likewife is fet on 
 V/ork from the Lord's Promife, the Death 
 of Chrift, and Goodnefs of God, whence 
 Provifion is daily fetched unto the Camp, 
 and the Soul encouraged, and the Lord 
 engaged to help, Prayer, like a Meffenger, 
 goes to Heaven, and brings down Strength 
 and Furniture, raifes Complaints, and 
 brings the Lord's Supply down, groans, 
 mourns, intreats, requefts, pleads, and 
 overcomes. Ephef. vi. 16, 17, 18. Thefe 
 are the Weapons with which the foul fights 
 and overcomes. 2 Cor. x. 4. Mighty through 
 God to the pulling down ftrong Holds, 
 watching and waiting on the Lord; the 
 Soul not only looks to its felf, but obferves 
 the Enemies, thefe are the Means. 
 
 6. There is a cutting off the Provifion' 
 of the Flefti, or a denying of fin and the 
 World ; there was nothing before, buc 
 • peaceable fubjeftion, and fin reigned like z 
 Tyrant, and commanded all ; now its: Au-' 
 thority is defpifed and caft off, and fins Pre- 
 cepts,andCommands are defpifed,and denied, 
 the Power of floath faid before, fave thy 
 felt, take thy Reft ; this is denied, the 
 Appetite at Meat, feeks and craves at the 
 Hands to fulfil it ,• this is denied, there is 
 M a Sij 
 
r l8o By what Ms the Bejb 
 
 an Occafion of venting thy felf, and thy 
 Parts, this is denied, and this is called 
 a not jul filling of the Lufi of the Flefi ; nay, 
 Temptations to fin are denied ,• fo that fin 
 is blockt up like Jericho, and none is fuffe^ 
 red to come in or out, and fin is ftarved 
 and famifhed, when all the Fewel thereof is 
 taken away, when all Occafions and Temp- 
 tations are removed ; fo that the Heart of Sin 
 breaks and dies, not having wherewith to 
 maintain it by ; and though it feek,and im- 
 portunately feek too,yetit is denied, nothing 
 can prevail ,• and if there be any Thing the 
 "Watch difcovers, guards and informs. 
 
 7 A Watch is fet which fees, obferves, 
 notices, fufpe&s, gives Information, guards 
 againft, and provides, examines every 
 Thing ; and hence, Heart, Tongue, Eyes, 
 Hands, Company, Sins, Actions, Graces 
 are fet in them all ; fo that every Thing is 
 discovered, examined : This is the Soul's 
 Intelligencer, which fliows in what Cafe 
 Things are ; this gives Information ; this 
 forefees what will come, and forefees what is 
 to be done ; this like a Guard and Bank, 
 keeps every Thing in due Order and 
 Place. 
 
 8. There is a perfecuting, fighting, 
 and actual killing of Sin, with Heart, 
 
 Tongue, 
 
isrefijled and mortified. 181 
 Tongue, and with Hands ; here a fweet Sin 
 that yields me much fweet Profit : Oh! 
 away with it like a menftruous Cloath,this 
 is bitter, this is a plucking away of the 
 right Hand ; here is a Vanity that takes 
 away the Heart from the Lord •, forfake it, 
 ufe it not more ; the Flefh grudges, let it 
 do fo ; here is carnal Company, the 
 Heart delights in it, finds it fweet to 
 ftay, and lothe to part ; the Spirit faith, 
 leave them, left Evil befal thee ; Sin ftrives, 
 pleads again on the other Hand ; now it 
 comes to fighting, there is a violent refift- 
 ing, and rifing, and retiring, and fo Sin is 
 crucified. A Chriftian is among bad Com- 
 pany, they fpend their Time in Vanity, 
 they fwear and fpeak idly ; ftrike in faith 
 the Spirit, plead for God, teftify againft 
 the World for Chrift, bring in a good Dif- 
 courfe, that the Lord may be honoured : 
 Oh! no, faith the Flefh, it is in vain, un- 
 feafonable, unprofitable, brings much Evil ,• 
 here the Battle begins, at laft a Word is 
 fpoken,and this is like a Dagger in the Heart 
 of the carnal Part, a Man is under great In- 
 difpofitions, he is called to pray, he rifes ; 
 here a Man's Flefh is crucified, he fuftains 
 , £n Affront, Revenge it, faith fin, no, faith 
 the Spirit, Vengeance is mine^ he fufters, 
 M 3 the 
 
- 
 
 i 8 2 By what Jets the Fleffj 
 
 the Heart, the carnal Part groans, frets, 
 and fo in many Cafes. 
 
 9. There is judging of our felves, 
 which is a fpiritual Revenge that is taken, 
 look as in Nations and Kingdoms, Traitors 
 are put to Death, and Offenders punifhed, 
 according as their Crime is; fo it is here 
 for fome Time, and very oft the Fled pre- 
 vails, \ and its Defires are obeyed, and 
 through Security and Sloth, a great Over- 
 throw is given ; hereupon there is a Punifh- 
 ment inflicted, a godly Revenge taken, an 
 affii&ingofit felf, by loading and terrify- 
 ing the Fiefh with Threats of the Law, 
 until it tremble again, by afHiftin? the 
 Soul with failing, by denying the Ufe of 
 fome lawful Comfort, by fubmitting to 
 humbling Duties, and this until their 
 Heart be tamed, and made fenfible of its 
 Evil, fo as like a corrected Child it ftands i 
 in Aw of (inning ; and this in Scripture, 
 is called an afRi&ing of our felves, a judg- 
 ing of our felves, a godly Revenge, a 
 humbling of our felves, a taking with . the 
 Punifh'ment of our Sins, a corre&ing of 
 themfelves, a beating down of their Body, 
 that, look as the Lord punifhes Sin with 
 Stripes ; even fo did they voluntarily judge 
 themfelves, that they may not be plagued 
 
 of 
 
is refifted and mortified, i8j 
 
 of the Lord, not to fatisfie God, but to fa- 
 tisfie their own Revenge, and to take Ven- 
 geance of the Lord's Adverfaries, and to 
 put Evil away, and to daunten the Flefii, 
 and to help forward Heart-rending for Sin, 
 and to make Sin bitter to us, not an af- 
 fli&ing of the Body by Pennance, Pilgri- 
 mage, Falling, for bodily Exercife profiteth 
 little, but an afflifting of the Soul, and 
 though it do not fatisfie God as a Judge, 
 for Chrift hath done this ; yet it fatisfies 
 him as a Father, who is well pteafed, 
 when Juftice is executed, and Evil taken 
 away. 
 
 MEDITATION XIII. 
 
 The Nature of thisfpritual Combat tried \ 
 by which it is differenced from the firm- 
 ing betwixt a natural Conference and Sin. 
 
 IT is without Doubt, that there may be 
 a Wreftling in a natural Man's Breaft be- 
 twixt his Sin and his Conference, and the 
 Truth, though kept in Unrighteoufnefs, will 
 make a Stir, witnefs and proteft, excufe or 
 accufe; fin, though it cannot win to com- 
 mand abfolutely, yet it may trouble, yea, 
 M 4 and 
 
184 The Nature of this fpritual 
 and find fome Reverence likewife, and 
 make a Herod do many Things ; yet it 
 may eafily be diftinguifted betwixt the fpi- 
 ritual Combat, that Saints find in them- 
 felves. 
 
 1. The Spirit or the new Man fights 
 againft all fins, the natural Confcience a- 
 gainft fome fins, the Spirit hates every falfe 
 Way, fins of Omiffion, as well as fins of 
 Commiffion, fecret fins, as well as publick 
 fins, fmall fins, as well as great fins, fpiri- 
 tual fins, and Gofpel fins, as well as fins 
 againft Nature, Tins of others, as well as 
 our own fins. 1 Sam. xxiv. 5. Job. xvi. 9. 
 Zecb. xii. 10. Ez,ek. xx. 43. Pfal. xix. 12, 
 I Pet. ii. 8. 1 Pet. i. 15. 1 Tbef. v. 22, 
 The other only for grofs fins, and their 
 own fins ; as Jehoabaz, Judas> and Herod, 
 who did many Things for John the 
 fiaptift. Markvi. 20, 26, 
 
 2. The Spirit drives againft fin in the 
 Root, Rom. vii. 24. and hates his evil 
 Nature, the other againft aftual fins ; I 
 hear not that Hypocnees mourn for an evil 
 Nature. 
 
 £, The Spirit oppofes fxn 9 from a dead- 
 ly Enmity to fin, and the Nature of it, 
 he hates fin ; and therefore oppofes it, and 
 es his Duty, \\;hich is revealed : The 
 
Combat tried j &c. 1 1$ 
 
 other hates the Light that reveals him, his 
 (in, as fore Eyes do the Sun, and ftrives &* 
 gainft the Sun, as prejudicial to him ; and 
 like the Smith, touches not the Charcoal 
 becaufe it files him, but becaufe it burns 
 him f A Man hates the Toad, though it 
 never poifon him; hence, the Phrafes of 
 hating, of loathing of fin ; the one fhuns 
 his fin, as an expenfive Friend to his Cre- 
 dit and Peace ; and therefore banifheshim, 
 as Abfolom was by David. 
 
 4. The one feeks the Death of fin; 
 hence oppofes it moll violently, and is not 
 content while any Spot remains ; hence is 
 faid to crucifie the Flefh, to beat down 
 their Body ; the other is content only with 
 as much as gives him Peace, and hence, 
 feeks no more Holinefs than brings him to 
 Heaven, or that quiets Confcience. CoL 
 iii. J* Jobxii. 23. Hence, he oppofes it 
 but flenderly, as in Je-ft. 
 
 ■5. The fpiritual Man fights and over- 
 comes by Love and Faith, and fiich fpiritual 
 Motives and Means. 2 Cor. v. 14. ilam.vi.14. 
 The other by Terrors, and by legal Motives. 
 Rom.v'\\.6.Gal. iv. 24, 25. The one overcomes 
 by Gofpel Motives and Means. 2 Cor. iv. 
 and v. Chapters throughout ; and hence, 
 the one oppofes fin, and doth Duties that 
 
 he 
 
1 86 The Nature of this fpirjtual 
 
 he may live, the other becaufe alive, Rom. 
 
 vi. 1 1, 13. AEis xv. 9. 1 Job. iii. 3. 
 
 <5, The fpiritual Man not only oppefes 
 fin, and denies Obedience to it, but yields 
 them unto God. The natural Man is feldom 
 in Pofitives, - except in Duties ; fuch as 
 prayings reading, and fuch fair Offices, 
 Luke xviii. 12. 
 
 7. The Gonteft in the fpiritual Man, 
 is throughout the whole Man, in every Fa- 
 culty ; inthe natural Man it is only in di- 
 vers Faculties, as in his Light and Affecti- 
 ons; and hence he loves, what his Light 
 declares to be wrong. The other loves his 
 Sin in fome Part, and hates it too; 2nd 
 hence there ate two compleat Nations, 
 the old Man and the young. 
 
 8. T h e fpiritual Man fights, and con- 
 quers and triumphs at laft, and cleanfes 
 himfelf and overcomes, 1 Job. ii. 12. Light 
 in the other teftifies, pleads, wreftles, but 
 is overcome, and holdcn in Unrighceouf- 
 ncfs.Rom. viii. 2. Mark v. 25, 27. The old 
 Man grows ftrongei and flronger in the one, 
 znd weaker and weaker in the other. 
 
 MEDI- 
 
187 
 
 MEDITATION XIV. 
 
 Cautions in our ffiritual Warfare. 
 
 1. T^IGHTnotagafnft the World and 
 X 1 the Flefh, till ye get a Commiffi- 
 on fo to do; we fight for Life, ere we get 
 Life to fight; we do the Lord Service, ere 
 wctake on to be his Servants ; we run, ere 
 we be fent ; and we drink of God's YVine, 
 ere we buy : I mean, we fliould firft believe 
 and engage with God, ere we ferve the 
 Lord. Rom. xii. 1, 2. Firft yield your Bo- 
 dies, then be not conform to the World; 
 I know we are all engaged in Baptifm, but 
 we muft renew out Engagements, and any 
 Right or Privilege the Lord hath in us, or 
 we in him, muft be renewed and confirmed, 
 elfe it will not avail : *Tis true indeed, the 
 Word gives a Commiffion, and engages trs 
 outwardly ; but this Law muft arife in our 
 Hearts and Minds, elfe we will never ferve 
 the Lord ; but in the Oldnefs of the Let- 
 ter, and never in the Newnefs of the Spi- 
 rit. Rom. it, 29. Nor do I mean that the 
 Word as inwardly revealed, is the Rule of 
 our Obedience, as many do think, for this 
 is Enthufiafm : No, the outward Word, 
 
 or 
 
£ 8 8 Cautions in our 
 
 or God fpeaking in his Word, is do Doubt 
 out Rule; but this I mean, though the 
 Scriptures be our Rule, by which we are 
 to fquare our Life, yet will we nor any 
 other conform our Lives unto the Scrip- 
 tures, until the Lord write this Jame, Rule 
 in our Hearts ; therefore, we muft get* an 
 inward Commiffion and Call, ere we ferve 
 the Lord fpiritually, Pfal. xl. 8. which is 
 requifite not to bind us, for this the out? 
 ward Law doth, but to help us, to walk^c- 
 cording to our Rule. Jer. xxxi. 32. Oh! 
 therefore look up to him, till he call thee 
 inwardly by that fame outward Word,elfe ye 
 will never obey from your Heart, outward, 
 forced and flefhly Obedience ye may give, 
 but not fpiritual. 
 
 2. Beware of feparating the Comforts 
 and Encouragements to Duty, from the 
 Duty it felf ; the Encouragements to Duty 
 are God's Commiffion, Jojh. i. 9. His Pre- 
 fence with us, and promifed Affiftance to 
 help usin it, and after it, Deut.xx. 1, 3, 4. 
 Numb. xiv. 9. The Lord's accepting of it, 
 and accounting it as done to him, Mark ix. 
 37. The Proht and great Reward in it, 
 and after it, Alattk. xix. ult. Pfal.xix. 11. 
 And the Ground and Reafon of it. Never 
 a Luft we mortify and kill, but in the Belly 
 
 and 
 
ffptitual Warfare. , 189 
 and Heart of it is Life, Mark viii. 35. E- 
 very Command is full of Treafure and Ri- 
 ches. I fay, the feparating of this from 
 Duty, makes Duties burdenfome .and in- 
 tolerable ; we look to the Evil, the Preju- 
 dice and Hazard in Duties, but lodks not to 
 the Good in it ; we fliould do in this Cafe, 
 as in a River that runs with a great Spait, 
 we Ihould not look to the River it felf, elfe 
 our Heads will be dizzie j but we muft 
 Ioot: to dry Land. When we fee the Evil 
 of a Duty, our Heads by poring on it be- 
 comes dizzy, and we faint; but look to 
 the Encouragement, hold off your Eyes off 
 the Evil, know them not, look not to 
 them, confider them not, but lean on your 
 Staff, and hold your Eye on Chrift, on the 
 Reward, and know nothing of carnal In- 
 tereft, wink there, Deut. xxxiii. 9. Take in 
 all Confiderations. 
 
 3. Beware of acting legally, and feek- 
 ing Righteoufnefs by the Law; do no Du- 
 ties to God as a Judge that requires this 
 much, that gives no Strength, and will caft 
 off if ye do not it ; but aft as under Grace* 
 Rom. vi. 14. Do them as the Commands of 
 a loving Father, in which he delights, and 
 which he accepts, nay, which he propofes 
 you that ye may learn to do it, and for your 
 
 . Good* 
 
iQo Cautions in our 
 
 Good, and which himfelf is at Hand^ a3 
 a Craftfman is to his Prentice, to help you 
 what ye cannpt do, and which ye are to 
 do, not to fp: his Favour and Love, but 
 becaufe ye have it, and that ye may get it 
 more, Johnx. 10. and which if ye will not 
 do, yet will not caft thee off, but pity 
 thee, if through Weaknefs, and punifh with 
 Fatherly Stripes, if with Wilfulness; but 
 will not caft shee off, nor take his loving Kind- 
 nefsfrom thee, Pfal. lxxxix. 30, 31,-32/33, 
 34. And which if thou (halt do, he fliail 
 abundantly reward, and that if any Thing 
 be done right according to his Will; for 
 there is nothing that occafions fin more than 
 legal Working : And hence the Jews mifl 
 of Righteoufnefs, though they fought to 
 obtain Righteoufnefs, becaufe they fought 
 it as it were, by the Works of the Law, and 
 not by Faith, Rom. ix. 31, 32. and hence, 
 Rom. vii. 6. they are faid to be held in it. 
 Gal. iii. 23. and in the Law they are fhut 
 up as in a *Prifcn ; for confider God as z 
 Judge, a rigid fevere Mailer, that meerly 
 of"" Sovereignty commands fuch Things, and 
 gives no ftrength to do it, and yet threat- 
 ens Death and Damnation i^.they do it 
 not, and when.it, is dcne^ff'nds Fault, and 
 cafe off for all finfulnefs in it; this, I fay, 
 
 breaks 
 
fftrltual Warfare* 191 
 
 breaks the Heart, and difcourages the Soul, 
 fo as it becomes exceeding heartlefs, and 
 therefore flothful, as ye may evidently per- 
 ceive in that flothful Servant ; What was 
 the great Caufe of his (loth ? Oh ! / knew 
 thou waft a hard Mafter , and hence 
 was afraid and hid it in the Earth, Matth* 
 xxv- 24, 25. When therefore any hard Du- 
 ty is put unto thee to do, fay not thou art 
 a Child, be not difmayed, afright not thy 
 Heart, neither fcourge it violently by Ter- 
 rors unto the Duty ; but be moderate, look- 
 ing up unto the Lord for Strength and Lifej, 
 as unto a Father, and putting up his gra- 
 cious Promife for Help ; and though Help 
 comes not, yet be not difcouraged, but be 
 humbled. 
 
 .4, Beware of going to any Duty m 
 thy own ftrength ] no Man is to go a War- 
 fare on his own Charges ; Adam had his 
 Life in himfelf, and was to aft from re- 
 ceived ftrength, and it was as natural to 
 him as for us to eat, drink, and walk, and 
 he needed no more fupernatural fpecial Af- 
 fiftance to any Duty, than we- need to our 
 natural Adions ; but it is not fo with us, our 
 ftrength is not in our felves ; for our fpiri- 
 tual Life is hid in Chrift, and it is of him. 
 to do and will of God's own good Pkafurc y and 
 
i$2 Cautions in our 
 
 we without him can do nothing • he is our 
 Life, and the Health of our Countenance, Pfal. 
 xlii. ii. Deut. xxx. 20. Ifa. xxvii. 3. he 
 is our Soul's Food, and it is by him we live, 
 the Lije of Light, John i. 4. Pfal. xxvii. 1. of 
 Comfort, Pfal. xlii, 11. and xliii. 5. of Holi- 
 riefs, 1 Cor. i. 30. and Strength, 2 Tim. ii. 
 1. Eph. vr. 10. And this is not natural ta 
 us, but is due only by Promife, though it 
 be fuitable unto their holy Nature, yet the 
 aftual Exercife of Grace, is a Thing where- 
 in the Lord exercifes much Sovereignty, and 
 therefore is he to be depended upon ; when 
 therefore ye go on againft your Lufts, look 
 off thy felf, ftand not on thy own Bottom, 
 but come out in the Name of the Lord a- 
 gainftthem, 1 Sam. xvii. 45. as Soldiers do 
 that are to perform a defperate Piece of 
 Service, they take a good Scoure of Wine, 
 to chear and hearten them ; fo do thou, en- 
 courage thy felf in the Lord, eat theFlefh, 
 and drink the Blood of the Son of God, and 
 this will ftrengthen thy Heart, and en- 
 lighten thine Eyes as the Honey did Jona- 
 thans, and as Meat doth the Body ; feed 
 by Faith on his Love, Power and Great- 
 riefs ; for in his Favour is Life, and his Love 
 is better than IVtne. I fay, feed on thefe, 
 and thou lhalt find flrength from the Lord 
 
 arifing 
 
fpiritual Warfare. igj 
 
 arifing from this ; take a Draught of the 
 Water of Life, and thy Heart fhall be en- 
 couraged and ftrengthned thereby ; go on 
 in the Confidence of his Help and Aflift- 
 ance. A Man that's fure of Help from 
 another in Time of Need, will venture to 
 fight againft any Man, though he be ftrong-^ 
 er than he, Ifa. 1. 7. Numb. xiv. 9. Deut.xx. 
 3, 4. Jojh. i. 6, 7. Lay hold on his Strength, 
 and thou fhalt have Peace, Ifa. xxvii. $ 9 
 When a Man ventures and refolves to do 
 any Duty in the Faith of God's Promife, 
 this Man goes on in the Strength oj the Lord, 
 and in the Power of his Might. 
 
 5. Beware of Saul's Fault, his foolifh 
 
 Pity; beware of Ahatis Pity, that faves 
 
 thofe whom God hath appointed to De- 
 
 ftru&ion, left thy Life go for theirs; deal 
 
 not tenderly with thy Sins and Lufts,fpare 
 
 them not, but labour to crucify them,fpare 
 
 neither fmall nor great ; fee how much they 
 
 are thy Enemies, how evil, how vile they 
 
 are, and how prejudicial, until thy Heart 
 
 .have conceived an irreconcileable Hatred 
 
 unto thy Sins and Lufts, fo as nought but 
 
 their Lives will fatisfy thee; crucify the 
 
 Flefi, with the Lufls and AffeElions thereof ; 
 
 look upon them as thy greateft Enemy ; we 
 
 have need of this, our carnal felf holds 
 
 N our 
 
194 Cautions in our 
 
 our Arm oft-times, while we are feeking to 
 
 cut the Throat of our Idols, and makes the 
 
 Stroke fall with lefs Might : Whatsoever thy 
 
 Hand doth find to do> do it with all thy 
 
 Might. 
 
 6. It is our Fault that we endeavour 
 againft Sin, and fhun not the Temptations 
 to fin ; beware of marching unto the utmoft 
 Border of what is unlawful ; keep thee far 
 from the Way of the Whore : The Naz,arites 
 that were forbidden Wine, were forbidden 
 to handle the Grapes of it, Put Iniquity jar 
 away from thee^ Job. xxii. 23. if thou wilt 
 return, if ye would not eat forbidden 
 Fruit, touch it not, fland at very great 
 Diftance, beware of Places, Company, 
 Occafions, Thoughts that eftrange thy 
 Heart from God, or may be a Snare unto 
 thee ; take not the Names of their gods in 
 thy Mouth, enquire not how other Nati- 
 ons worshipped their gods, fhun all Ap- 
 pearances of Evil, go not to the High- 
 prieft's Hall, left thou deny Chrift. Next, 
 hearken not to any Thing that may draw 
 on a Trifle betwixt Sin and thee; nay, 
 thy neceflary Occafions watch over them ; 
 never think to fhun Sin, while ye fwallow 
 Sins Baits. Gen* xxxix. 10. 1 7*hef v. 25, 
 Numb. xxv. 26. Job xxxi. 1 . Ifa.xxxiii. 1 $.Ex. . 
 xxiii. 8. 7. Be wars 
 
[fir it ual Warfare. 195 
 
 7. Beware of encountering Sin, only 
 by Refolution and Words, we fpeak, pray, 
 and refolve, and think againit Sin, but we 
 put little in A&ion ; many are like Cowards, 
 itout behind Backs, but when it comes in- 
 deed to A&ion, they turn their Backs; 
 many while in Private, and in their Quar- 
 ters, do eat and drink in the Houfe of their 
 God, and curfe (in, and fay, Who is Satan 
 that we fhould ferve him ? and yet within 
 a little while, when it comes to the Pufh, 
 they are afraid, and fink and turn back, 
 and where is the Mouth, &c. Judg. ix. 27, 
 28. Let thy Works commend thee, fhow 
 thy Stoutnefs and Courage more by thy 
 Actions, than by thy Words. Deut. v. 28,29. 
 £x.ix. i9.Jer. ii. 2c. Lukevi. 46. and xxii. 33. 
 Love not in Word, but likewife in Deed, 
 and fo in Truth ; ye deceive others, and if; 
 ye think ye are real, your own Heart hath 
 deceived thee. The greateft Pleafure thou 
 can do unto God, is to do, hide not his 
 Righteoufnefs in thy Heart, but declare it 
 by doing for him. Pfal. xl. 9, *o. 
 
 8. Do not imagine, though the Lord 
 help, but ye {hall find Difficulty; dream 
 not to be carried to Heaven in a Down- 
 bed fleeping, God deftroys not Nature, 
 nor annihilates it, nor Sin, nor the World, 
 
 though, 
 
196 
 
 Cautions in our 
 
 though he conquers it, every Town falls hot 
 down as Jericho before us : And fhe Lord doth 
 not always from Heaven throw down great Stones 
 on our fpiritual Enemies ; we muft fight and 
 fweat, and faint and travel, and be in Pain, the 
 ftrong Man will fight ere he lofes his Intereft in 
 our Hearts, and all the Saints have a bloody 
 Viftory of it ; Thefe are they, who have 
 come out of great Tribulations, when there is a 
 very great Gale of the Spirit, and ftrongeft Af • 
 fiftance, fome Trouble we fhall find : Nature is 
 Nature ftill, though Chrift's Yoke be light and 
 eafie, yet 'tis a Yoke ftill, and a hard Yoke at 
 firft ; and fo will it ftill be proportionable unto 
 the refilling Part it meets with, crucifying is not 
 -without Pain, and cutting off the right Hand, 
 and the right Foot is not done or wrought, as 
 'Eve was created, while Adam was fleeping. ' 
 
 9. Be not dilcouraged, though ye prevail not 
 fo fenfibly, do not think or dream to overcome 
 all at once ; no, but by little and little. Exod. 
 xxiii. 3c. And therefore, when one Enemy is 
 overcome, thou muft overcome another ; and 
 therefore, never think thou haft done, till Death 
 come and bid thee lay down thy Commiffion, 
 having done all, ftand. Finally , Fight refolutely 
 in good Earneft, as doing the Lord's Service, 
 and by his Strength enduring thereinto unto 
 Death patiently, and the Lord ihall be with thee 
 unto the End. 
 
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