SUch are the minds of most men, whom ei­ther the cares of this world hath distra­cted, or the false pleasures thereof deluded, that the meditations of Heaven are far from them; and they rarely think of those dangers that attend them, or what damage they are like to suffer by despising, or slighting those pretious Oppor­tunities that might lead to their Salvation; to whom our Saviours saying, when speaking to Martha, [Page 2] may be well applied: Ye are trou­bled with many things, but one thing is necessary. Oh that men would consider this Vnum necessarium, that they might shun and forsake the immoderate trifles of a Transi­tory world; and that they would e're the time be far spent, find out those paths that will lead them to their Souls rest: which Lesson is taught them in the Holy Scriptures; and not onely there, but by a Hea­then,Cicero who said, Tempus est de illa perpetua Iam, non de hac exigua vi­ta cogitare. It is now high time, not to think of this Life, but of Life Eternal. In this present world we can study how to provide for our Temporal Estates, contriving a settlement for our maintenance and preservation; and shall we be so stupid as to neglect the Eternal hap­piness of our Souls in that other world, Where there are pleasures for evermore? To do which, we should begin betimes; we should like wise builders lay a good Foundation, and seek the Lord while he may be found. Esa. 55.6. We should day and night meditate [Page 3] upon the Lord. We should love, honour, obey him, and devote our selves wholly to his service.

And this our duty bindes us to, for these respects.

For the excellence of his Divine perfection.

Being defective not in any thing.

He is perfect in Knowledge. Job 37.16.11.17.

He is past finding out.

Be perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Mat. 5.48.

And although no Heart can com­prehend, or Tongue fully can ex­press this perfection, yet we may esteem it by his Attributes, of some whereof take this following ac­count.

It appears how admirable it is, Augustine. since no Tongue can express it, nor any Heart conceive it.

The Transcendencie of the God-head exceeds not onely the usual strength of Eloquence, but of Un­derstanding likewise.

THe wicked and the righteous, those two divide the world. The wicked flou­rish as the grass;Psal. 37.2. they spring, but they shall spring but like grass, which quickly withers.

The Righteous shall flourish, Psal. 92.12. but how? not like the grass, but like the Palm-tree: He shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon.

The Palm-tree is an excellent Tree, and often the praises of God are resembled by it.

[Page 52]This Tree grows in the purest soil: It will not grow in filthy places, in dungy places, but it loves a very pure soil.

Psal. 1.3.The Righteous are planted in Christ: they grow in Christ, and they grow in the Church; they are planted in the House of God, not in the World, the unclean polluted World, which lies in wickedness, and smells like a Dung-hill.

Psal. 34.17.The Palm-Trees Branches grow all upward; there's none grow out of the side, as other Trees.

The Righteous, their affections are set upon things above; they grow up Heaven-ward.

They do not shoot out their Bran­ches this way, or that way, to the World.

The Palm-Tree is always green; green in Winter as well as Summer: It doth not cast its Leaf nor fade.

The Righteous hold-up their Profession in Summers Prosperity, and in the very Winter of Adver­sity.

The Palm-Tree, it is a Tree that is full of Fruit; good Fruit, plea­sant [Page 53] Fruit, sweet Fruit, a kind of cordial Fruit.

The Righteous have the Green of Profession, and the fruitfulness of their conversation; and 'tis plea­sant Fruit, Fruits of Righteousness, Fruits of Faith, Fruits of Love, and the Fruits of the Spirit.Rom. 8.23.

The Palm-Tree grows most when it is most press'd down by weights.

When the World would crush the Righteous,Psal. 37.17. and press them down to the Earth, yea press them down to Hell; yet they grow up more and more.

Pharaoh puts weights of very heavy oppression upon Israel, Psal. 73.1. but they multiplied and grew, not onely in company, but also in their lives.

The good Seed falling upon good Ground, brought forth in some an hundred-fold.

They fall into trouble, God helps them up,Zach 2.5. they are purged and made white; the fire shall not burn, but refine them.

Afflictions strengthen: Tribula­tion works Patience, and then Pa­tience Experience, and Experience Hope.

[Page 54]Affliction will make us the fitter for Heaven.

Grace improved, is very near to Glory.

The weights upon the Righteous do wean them from the World.

Now when the Soul is delivered from this world, this evil world, it must needs flourish up to the other world.

The School of the Cross, is the School of Light;

Which discovers the worlds va­nity, baseness and wickedness,

And lets us see more of Gods mind. Out of the dark of afflicti­on, there comes a spiritual light.

Exod. 3.7We see the worth of Grace, and of an Interest in Christ.

And the excellencie of Jesus Christ himself, as of an interest in, so of the person of Christ; how glorious, how choice!

This knowledge is not notional, a Brain-knowledge, but experi­mental.

These weights draw them to con­verse more at home, to be acquainted more with their own bosomes.

[Page 55]How it is with grace, what Faith, what Love, what Patience!

When the world is kind to us, fair with us, and flatters us, and hugs us, and embraces us, we be­gin to forget and to slight Commu­nion with Jesus Christ.

But when the worlds weights are upon us, we have promises of more of the presence of God, and of the presence of his Spirit.

The purpose of the world when they hang their weights upon the Palm-Trees, is to keep them down, that their graces multiply not.

To discourage, to turn them quite aside, to renounce, to forsake and apostatize.

But they have fail'd in it, and the truth flourished more: this hath been rather a furtherance to it.

The Lord hath a Flail of Tribu­lation, to separate the Chaff from the Wheat.

The wicked mans plentiful Table shall be a Snare to him.Psal. 96.22.

But the righteous mans Table shall be a Table to his inward man, where his Graces shall come and [Page 56] feed, and grow fat, and flourish, and increase.

This we are to bless the Lord for, that our Afflictions do not snare us, but are a Table to our graces.

It is a very great Question whe­ther they that were not bettered by Affliction were ever good.

WHite Garments are matter of Ho­nour; this Ho­nour all the Saints shall have.

They shall walk in white; Christ will honour them, because they have kept their Garments un­defiled.Psal. 119.1.

They that are good indeed, shall have a good name; they shall walk in white.

[Page 58]To keep the Conscience clean, is to keep the Credit clean; and they who are careful not to blot their conversations, Christ will take care of their reputations, that they be not blotted.

The Old Worthies kept their Garments undefiled, and it was by the power of Faith; keeping them­selves from the pollutions of the World, they kept themselves a good report. This honour and good re­port which we get by keeping our Garments undefiled, is sure.

Sometimes God's people are not onely honourable in Gods eyes, but they sometimes walk in white in the eyes of the men of the World:Rev. 3.4 He can give his people room in the opinions of men; he moves their hearts to think well of them, and he opens their mouths to speak well of them.

It is not much to us what the wicked World judge of us, yet God doth sometimes raise a Testimony of Honour for his people amongst Carnal men of the World.

Ioseph would not defile his Gar­ments, [Page 59] he walked in white amongst men. True, he was cast into Pri­son, what of that? he was respe­cted by the Keeper of the Prison, and afterward he walked in white in the whole Egyptian Court.

Daniel was one that walked in white with common men of the World.

With the Prince of Eunuchs he had tender favour: he told him he would not disobey God to please man; yet he did not rail a­gainst him, and call him a stubborn fellow, because he would not bow to Baal.

And afterwards Daniel, as great a man as any in that Province, he walked in white. God hath crea­ted Testimonies of honour for his people from some men of the world, yea they many times put white Gar­ments upon them. God doth some­time keep up their honour in the World,1 Tim 5.17. who will not defile their Garments.

This may teach us the readiest way to the White Robe, to the Robe of Honour: It is to keep our [Page 60] selves from sinful practises. Certain­ly they who please God, he can make the World to honour them. If God approve of us, he can make the World to approve of us too. If God see our Garments in the dirt, and spotted with the filth of the World, it will spoil the Honour we should have in the World.

They who defile their Garments lose their Honour with men, and they lose the Joy they should have hereafter.

Rev. 4.4.Nay, the Saints also shall walk in the white of peace and joy, and inward comfort, that keep their Garments white: what ever be­comes of the other white of Ho­nour in the world, they shall walk in the inward white of joy and peace with Jesus Christ.

They who have a good Testimo­ny from their own Consciences, walk in white; they that have that grea­ter Testimony than our Conscience, the Spirit, they walk in white; this witness doth cause wonderful joy.

This joy doth arise from that well-grounded hope which that [Page 61] Soul hath that keeps himself clean.

Thus David walked, and appeals from man to God to judge him, he had so much of a well-grounded confidence.

So Iob walkt in white: though his friends blacken him exceeding­ly, yet he walkt in white in his Conscience; he walkt in white, notwithstanding all his afflictions from God and his friends.

Hence we may see the happiness of all those who are true to Christ and his ways: Oh, how much better is it than the peace and joy of this World, and the comforts of this life!

A good Conscience, and indeed a merry Heart, do but one explain the other.

Here is no surfeting in this Feast, but a continual Musick.

Oh, the Rivers of Consolation that flow to them that keep them­selves out of the Puddles of this World! though the World give thee nothing but the Water of Afflicti­on, yet let thy Garments be always white.

[Page 62]This gives us an account why the Servants of Christ stand so strictly upon their terms with the world, because they understand in some measure what it is to walk with Christ in white; and it hath left such a tincture and relish upon their souls, that they would not lose it for all the dainty morsels of the world: They had rather indeed walk with Christ in white, than walk with the world in scarlet.

They will run any hazard, and undergo any affliction, rather than do any thing that will not please God, or be hurtful to their own Consciences. The Conscience is a busie faculty, and hath many offices; it records what we do, and comes as a witness.

The Conscience is Judge of what we do, and accordingly approves of what we do, and reproves us when we do amiss: I am more a­fraid of the report of Conscience, than of any man whatsoever; there­fore I will not do any thing that may reproach me as long as I live.

Christ hath threatnings for those [Page 63] that defile their Garments, in the place of rewards for those who keep them clean.

They who defile their Garments shall walk in Garments of black, in the black of dishonour.

Oh, take heed of the after-claps of Conscience! I may say, of the thunder-claps of Conscience; for they will come upon you one time or other, if you defile your Gar­ments.

They who venture to do things displeasing to God, shall not long be pleasing to themselves.

The Hypocrite shall lose his own hope, that is,Job 8.13. he shall lose it despair­ingly; 'tis a dreadful Judgment: This is the Suburbs of Hell.

For this will be the Portion of the Damned for ever; 'tis next to the Regions of Hell, for their worm dieth not;Mark 9.44 and that is the worm of Conscience.

Seeing there is such a reward promised, as this white, wherein we shall walk with Christ; it is an Angelical Happiness, 'tis Heaven before Heaven.

[Page 64]This white is such, as conquers all the black of the world.

'Tis not possible for the world to alter the colour of this white: how much dirt soever they put upon it, this white will be white still.

They cannot take away this peace, this joy from us; they can­not strip off this habit: It is a con­quering joy, turns all sorrow into joy.

They who keep their Garments undefiled here, shall be sure of that, to walk with Christ in glory here­after.

Here are three whites: The white of Honour is Good, the white of Peace and Joy is very good, the white of Glory is best of all.

THe pure Heart, is a gratious Heart.

The end doth denomi­nate the Action.

It must have a good end, else though the matter be never so good, the work is not good.

The principle or spring of the work must be good: 'Tis possible for one to do a work that's good for the matter of it,Mat. 12.33 and to have some good ends in it, and yet not to do it out of a right principle. Unless the principle be good, the work's not good.

As the Fountain is, such are the Streams that come from it.

As the Tree is, such is the Fruit that grows upon it.

The Thorn hath not a principle in Nature to put forth a Grape: The Thistle hath not a principle in [Page 66] Nature to put forth a Figg: An ill­scented Vessel, whatsoever passes from it must be ill scented.

Bad men will often tip their tongues with good words, and ap­pear golden-mouth'd speakers, when their Hearts are nothing but Brass and Dross.

Prov. 29.20.Evil men they spoil good speak­ing with their ill manner of speak­ing, or their ill meaning in speak­ing.

Good words do as it were lisp in the mouth of a bad man, and his Heart never keeps pace with his tongue.

Good things done by those who have not good principles, though their box of Ointment may have a fragrant smell among many men, yet there are many dead flies in it, especially one great one, call'd Unbelief, which makes their whole box of Ointment very unsavory in the Nostrils of God.

Gospel-Charity is of a nobler extract, than to be found in the whole Compass of Nature; and Godliness moves in a higher Sphere, [Page 67] than the best dress that the gayest Moralist ever reacht unto.

This is to be lamented, that Christian Acts should be done, and not from a principle spiritual.

It is very possible, and very or­dinary to follow Christ,Luk. 22.60 yea to call upon Christ with Carnal affecti­ons.

'Tis very sad to see good men do according to the works of the wicked. David did so in the matter of Vriah; and thus did Solomon, when his Heart went after strange Gods, and he built high places to their abominations. Good King Asa imprisoned the Prophet, and in his disease sought to the Physitians, and not to God.

That Holy Apostle Peter he de­nied and forswore his Master.

This is to act the old Creatures part, in the new Creatures state.

There's another sight as bad, to see bad men plod on and do good things, but never mind to become good themselves.

Thus did Saul when he was a­mongst the Prophets; and thus [Page 68] did Ahab when he humbled him­self; and thus did Iehu when he destroyed Idolatry; thus did Iudas when he preacht the Gospel; and thus did Demas when he professed the Gospel; a very good work, but he himself an Hypocrite, and a lover of the world.

And thus indeed do all Hypo­crites, and meer formalists, in their performing of Gospel-worship.

I confess it is a sad sight to see a bad man do that which is bad, or a wicked man do that which is wick­ed; yet I say, it is a sadder sight to see a bad man continuing in his state, having no spiritual principles to go on doing good.

Mat. 12.33God often declares himself very highly against such as do good, themselves continuing evil.

The good that you do will not profit you, 'twill not advantage you, 'twill be no plea at the Great Day.

You may have Iehu's Penny, a deliverance from an outward Judg­ment: but there is no deliverance from Wrath and Eternal Judgment.

[Page 69]Thus those that are not far from Heaven shall never come there: yet I would exhort the worst of men to do good; though they please not God in doing it, yet they displease him in not doing it.

And thus faln man, if he neglect to do good, sins: If he doth good, he spoils it in the doing of it.

Hence we see the necessity of regeneration: we are not born with a pure Heart. A pure Heart, a good Conscience, Faith unfeign­ed, are the Issues of the new birth.

Education cannot make the Heart pure; it must be Revelation which makes the Heart pure.

Education may change a mans Course, but it cannot change his Nature; that's only done by Rege­neration.

He must be good, before he can do good spiritually.

God works us, before we can work for him; he makes us good, before we can do good.

We by Union to Jesus Christ, come to have a spiritual Principle [Page 70] to carry us out in the doing of all good works.

Mat. 7.17.Here's your way, you must be Gods workmanship before you can do Gods works.

As we are grafted into Christ, he changes the Branch.

Then all your Fruits are sweet Fruits and pleasant Fruits, they are well-tasted.

Gen. 6.5Why? It is done, first, from a Principle of life in Christ.

And secondly, It is done from a Principle of love unto Christ.

The Heart of man is the greatest cheat in the world.

The Heart of man received such a crack in the fall, that there is no mending of it: It must be new made.

The Heart is made wholly new by the power of God.

Meritoriously by the Blood of Christ, that cleansing Blood: it is made pure by the Spirit of Christ; the Spirit is a purifier.

The Word of God is a purifier Instrumentally.

Applicatorily the Heart is made pure by Faith.

[Page 71]When the command of every sin,

When the custom and practice of every sin,

And when the love of every sin is gone, such a Heart is free from these powers; that Soul is Evange­lically pure.

He that indeed hath this pure Heart, is really sensible that once his Heart was very impure.

And also is as sensible that to this day there remains much impurity in his Heart.

He also that hath a pure Heart, loves every thing that is pure; and the more pure it is, the more he loves it.

A pure Heart will be full of pure thoughts; a pure Heart converses with God in purity of thoughts.

Whereas the wicked they have not the Pure God, nor the Holy God in all their thoughts.

A pure Heart is full of pure de­sires; he desires to be more good, to be better; he desires to know more of God, and to honour God more; he desires to enjoy God [Page 72] more; he hungers and thirsts after God.

A pure Heart hath pure purposes and pure resolves; and by resolves the Heart is more settled and fixt.

Resolution is the establishment of the Soul.

He resolves, let the Winds blow high or low, to cleave to Christ.

There is a purpose in a pure Heart against all that's evil.

He will neither defile his Heart, nor his Life; and these purposes he carries quite thorough all, unto the end.

A pure Heart hath pure ends in all it doth; a holy aim, a single eye; not self-profit, not self-applause, not pleasure; but he purposes the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Weigh it well whether you have this pure Heart.

The hardest thing that we have to do, and the greatest kindness which God can do to us, is to cleanse our Hearts.

Our hearts are the filthiest part of us: If there be impurity in the [Page 73] hand, there's much more in the Heart.

Till the Heart be made pure, no­thing can be pure.

God is a friend indeed to those who have a pure Heart.

Keep pure Hearts with all dili­gence, for the Devil comes a Heart­stealing continually: unless you wash it, weed it, sweep it, Cob­webs will grow, Spiders will creep in, they will be weaving their Webs.

To the impure Heart, there is nothing pure. Holy Ordinances, honest Callings, great Possessions; all these to an impure Heart are not pure.

The pure in Heart, are onely fit for Communion with God: they onely are fit to call upon God, who have a pure Heart.

Onely the pure in Heart shall see and enjoy God.

Impure eyes cannot behold God, they cannot bear the Glory, the ex­cellence of his Presence.

Psal. 64.6. THe wicked search out Iniquities, they ac­complish a diligent search; the inward thoughts of their Hearts are deep.

Heb. 3.8. The Heart is commonly hard. Harden not your Hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of Tempta­tion in the Wilderness.

Psal. 101.2 The heart of a godly man may be said to be perfect, for David saith of himself, I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way; Oh when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

Prov. 14.30. The heart is said to be sound: A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

[Page 75] The heart is sometimes merry, sometimes melancholy. Prov. 15.13. A merry heart maketh a cheerful counte­nance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

The heart hath many devices, Nevertheless the Counsel of the Lord that shall stand.Prov. 19.21.

The heart of an Holy man may be said to be pure. Prov. 22.11. He that loveth pureness of heart, or hath grace in his lips, the King shall be his friend.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,Jer. 17.9. Who can know it?

The heart is said to be stony. I will give them one heart, saith the Lord, Ezek. 11.19. and I will put a new spirit within you, and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and I will give them an heart of flesh.

The heart is the chiefest Jewel which the Lord requires of a Chri­stian. My Son, give me thine heart,Prov. 23.26. and let thine eyes [...] my Laws.

He that keepeth [...] of the Lord shall be [...] Law of his God is in his [...] none of his steps shall side.Psal. 39.31.

[Page 76]Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord.

Psal. 119.1, 2.Blessed are they that keep his Testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

THat Soul that is settled in the love of God, is blessed in the peace of Christ.

When such a Soul suffereth an outward War, she loos­eth not her inward peace.

No troubles whatsoever which do outwardly make a noise, do violently enter into the silence of her inward repose.

She coveteth nothing abroad, and therefore resteth wholly within by love.

[Page 114]Such a Soul the Angels do visit and honour; she being the Temple of the Lord, and the Habitation of the Holy Ghost.

Happy is that Conscience in which Mercie and Truth are met together, for there Justice and Peace have kissed each other.

[...] God is a God of Mercie, and will take pity on him that is truly sor­rowful for his sins.

Prov. 16.6 By Mercie and Truth Iniquity is purged, and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

The Kiss of Justice, is to love our Enemies, to forsake Parents and Possessions for the love of God; to endure with Patience injuries inflicted, and in all places to flie from honours that are offered.

The Kiss of Peace, is to invite Foes to friendship, peaceably to sustain Adversaries, lovingly to in­struct such as do amiss, meekly to comfort those that mourn, and to be at amity with all men.

It is our Saviour's command: Love your enemies, Mat. 5.44. bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate [Page 115] you, and pray for them which de­spitefully use you and persecute you.

For all that will live godly in Christ Iesus, 2 Tim. 3.12. shall suffer persecuti­on.

The Almighty hath three de­grees of Wrath; his threatning Wrath, his punishing Wrath, and his condemning Wrath.

Adam sinned, and was cast out of Paradice; the Angels sinned, and were cast into Hell.

We have many sins to repent for, viz. our Church-sins, our Sermon­sins, our Sacrament-sins, and the sins of our very Prayers.

Is any man rich? let him not put his trust in them:Prov. 23.5 for riches make themselves wings, and flie away

Lazarus was poor,Luke Chap [...]0. but was recei­ved into Heaven: Dives was rich, but however was carried into Hell.

Moses went up unto the Mount to pray, and took the Rod of God in his hand, because with that Rod God had formerly done wonderful things for his people.

If any mistake through a vain hope of Heaven, let him be earnest [Page 116] in the examination of himself: to be deceived in this, necessitates dam­nation.

To hear Sermons, to commend them, or admire them, and not to practice what we hear and under­stand, is to make Sodom and Gomor­rha's case at the day of Judgment better than our's.

Then will the world discern the Blessed from the Wretched, when the wrath of God is throughly kindled.

Those that are now so idly busie in heaping up their Treasures of an Ant-Hillock, and building up the tottering Fabricks of a child, re­member not that the foot of death is coming to spurn it all abroad, and to trample down both you and it.

Let us study how to answer the great and last Question: Hast thou performed the condition of the Gospel?

Let us search our hearts, that God may finde them in a condition to receive him.

Jer. 17.10.For thus faith the Lord, I the Lord search the heart, I try the [Page 117] reins: even to give every man ac­cording to his ways, and according to the fruits of his doings.

Make not sale of Heaven for the false pleasure of a few sins, for a little delight and ease that vanish­eth in a moment.

Repent before thou becomest Old, left thy Repentance should come too late; for thou leftst not thy sin, but thy sin left thee.

Take heed of dissembling with thy God, lest he so discover thy craft, that thou shalt not be trusted by man.

Accommodate Nature withthings convenient, but beware of nourish­ing a lust; for that is to hug a Devil in thy bosom.

To acknowledge God to be just is good, and it is just we likewise acknowledge him to be good.

When thou Prayest, rather let thy heart be without words, than thy words without an heart.

Prayer will make a man to cease from sin, or sin will intice a man to cease from Prayer.

It is good to have a good Name, [Page 118] but it is better to have a good Con­science.

It is good to be great, but it is better to be good.

Teach thy heart to walk wholly with thy God, as well as holily.

Only a profession of Christianity is not the only profession of a Chri­stian.

Your words and works may satis­fie the judgments of men; but God is the great Judge of our hearts.

Pray for mercie before you re­ceive, and forget not to praise when you have received.

It is common to have the name of Christ in common: The Swearer swears by it, the Begger begs by it, the Jester joyns it to his jest; but wo be to them that shall tremble at it.

Vain sinner, thy Saviour is wil­ling to save thee; but it is thy sin, and Satan, that studieth to destroy thee.

When Satan's malice had produ­ced mischief in our first Parents, mischief brought forth misery, and misery cried to heaven for mercie.

[Page 119]The God of mercie promised mercie unto mankind.Gen. 3.15. The seed of the woman shall break the Ser­pent's head.

When the fulness of Grace was come, he that was covered in the Law, became discovered in the Gospel.

When the fulness of time was come, Gal. 4.4, 5 God sent his Son made of a woman, made under the law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons.

The Son of man had sinned a­gainst God, and the Son of God satisfies for the sin of man.

Let admiration produce amaze­ment, that God should send his Son to suffer death for sinners that rebelled against him.

But man must dye unto Eternity, unless the Son of Eternity would dye for him.

Therefore Christ the Messiah was slain, but not for himself;Rom. 4 25 He was delivered to death for our offences.

He was delivered by his Father in Mercie, by himself in Compassion, by Iudas for Covetousness, and by the Jews in Malice.

[Page 120]And all this to the end that God might effect what the Jews could not conjecture, The Redemption of his people Israel.

He that was typified by the bra­zen Serpent, is exalted on the Cross between two Thieves, with this Title superscribed:Luk 23 38 Iesus of Na­zareth, King of the Iews.

Thus Christ the immaculate Lamb refused no shame, that he might purchase Glory to his faithful ones.

He that was the God of Glory, becomes the Son of shame.

He that is the Righteous Re­deemer, was counted an Unjust U­surper.

He that is the Lord of Life, was condemned to Death.

He that is honoured with the Acclamations of Angels, was disho­noured with the Exclamations of Jews.

Pilate disgracefully shewed him to the people with an Ecce Homo, Joh. 19 5. Behold the man.

Stand, O my Soul, and with ad­miration bless the Author of all [Page 121] Blessedness, Christ, who to prevent thy shame, suffered himself to be numbred among the wicked.

He was accounted sinful, to pur­chase thy Salvation.

Adam by eating of the forbidden Tree, made thee accursed,Rom. 5.11, 12. had not Christ by dying on the cursed Tree restored thee to blessedness.

Christ's Cross is thy Comfort, his dishonour is thy honour.

Christ's Cross is to the Iews a stumbling-block, 1 Cor. 1.23, 24. to the Gentiles foolishness: But to thee, O my Soul, it is the power and the wisdome of God.

Then if Christ hath done this for thee, follow thy Redeemer with a Cross at thy back, and say with Paul, Gal. 6.14. God forbid that I should glory in any thing but in the Cross of Christ.

But wo unto us sinners, we run on in a course of pride,Phil. 2.8. though he humbled himself unto death, even the death of the Cross.

Pilate could not add to our Sa­viour's honour, or dishonour, in calling him Iesus; for it was a [Page 122] name given him from Heaven; for the Angel said unto Ioseph, Mat. 1.29. Thou shalt call his name Iesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.

It was a sweet saying of an An­tient Bernard. Father; The name of Jesus is Mel in Ore, Melos in Aure, Iubilus in Corde: Honey in the Mouth, Melody in the Ear, and a Jubily, or Joy in the Heart.

Act. 4.12. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

This name is light unto the Soul. Ye were darkness (saith the Apostle) but now ye are light in the Lord. Eph. 5.8.

This name is health to the Body. In the name of Iesus of Nazareth, Act. 3.6. rise up and walk.

All spiritual food is dry, (saith the aforesaid Bernard. Father) if this Oyl be not poured into it, if it be not sea­soned with this Salt.

There are several Titles that proclaim Christ's Glory; but the name of Iesus imports our Re­demption.

By others we know him to be [Page 123] God, by this we know him to be our Mediator.

It is great misery to see man so proud, and greater mercie to see God so humble.

God was the Creditor, man was the Debtor; but he that was both God and man, the Pay-Master.

Wherefore,Psal. 130.7 Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with him there is plenteous Redemption.

There is no sinner so great, but after conversion he makes as great a Saint.

Though his sins be red as Scarlet, Grace makes them white as Snow.

Come let us reason together, Isa. 1.18. saith the Lord: though your sins be as Scarlet, they shall be white as Snow; though they be red like Crimson, they shall be as Wooll.

There is more pleasure in suffer­ing, than in sinning; for a Saint of God may suffer and not sin, but he cannot sin and not suffer.

If any man suffer as a Christian, 1 Pet. 4.16 let him not be ashamed, but let him glorifie God on this behalf.

To walk as a Heathen walks, only [Page 124] by the light of the Rush-candle of Nature, is no better than to walk in darkness.

Joh. 11.9, 10. If a man walk in the day, he stumbleth not; but if he walk in the night he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

God never made a good promise, but he made good that promise.

2 Cor. 1.20. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen.

We should prize mercie, if we knew its price.

Psal. 57.13 Thy mercie, O Lord, is great unto the Heavens, and thy truth unto the Clouds.

Psal. 16.11 In his presence is fulness of joy, at his right hand are pleasures for evermore.

A Righteous man hates sin, be­cause it is opposite to God and Goodness.

Prov. 14.9. Fools make a mock at sin, but among the Righteous there is fa­vour.

[Page 125]That Saint that grows in grace, grows more a man, and more than a man.

For with him,Rom. 5.20 Where sin abound­eth, grace doth much more abound.

A rich man is poor without God, but with him a poor man is rich.

Go to now, ye rich men, Jam. 5.1. weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

Ye have condemned and killed the just, 6. and he doth not resist you.

The pride of self-love, is a folly in ones self.

For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased: Luk. 14.11 but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

If a man would be ever good, he should believe he was never good.

There is none good but one, Mat. 19.17 that is God.

God takes care of his Saints, and they take care to be be cared for by him.

Cast your care upon him, 1 Pet. 5.7. for he careth for you.

He that hath God hath all things, for God is all in all. Col. 3.11.

[Page 126]A grain of Grace is of more va­lue, than many pounds of Gold.

God Created us, and left us to our selves; afterwards he Redeem­ed us, and left himself to us.

Take heed of being self-concei­ted,Prov. 12.15. For the way of a fool is right in his own eyes.

True Christians are all for Christ, and Christ is all-sufficient for them and their salvation.

It is the saying of holy Paul, For me to live is Christ, Phil. 1.21. but to dye is gain.

The children of this World may be cast out, but the heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven shall be as Olive-plants about the Table of the Lord. Psal. 128.3

To commit sin, is the part of an humane Nature; to lament for sins committed, is Christian-like; but to continue in sin, bidding de­fiance to the Divine powers, is Di­abolical.

There are three sorts of Faith: the Faith of Sence, which is seeing; the Faith of Reason, which is knowing; and the Faith of Reve­lation, [Page 127] which is believing. And this last, is properly called the Gos­pel-Faith.

Believe in the Lord your God, 2 Chron. 20.20. so shall you be established: believe his Prophets, so shall ye prosper.

We ought seriously to consider two things; the sin of our Nature, and the Nature of our sin.

The Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2.14. for they are foolishness unto him: nei­can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

But he that is spiritual, 15. judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

Let us follow after Christ, he is our guide, and will not shake us off; but if we do not follow him, we despise him and our own salvation.

Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children. Eph. 5.1.

If the heart of man be hard and stony, it makes the softer cushion for the Devil to sit on.

To day if ye will hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts, Heb. 3 15. as in the provocation.

[Page 128]Since the days of mans life are as a shadow, our suffering will be sud­den, and our sinning short.

Job 8.9. We are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow.

If man be for us, God may be against us; but if God be for us, who can be against us?

If we are among our friends without God, we are in continual danger; but with God a man is safe though in the midst of enemies.

Mat. 10.28 Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.

The Saints ought to do more for God than others, because as they are expected to be the best servants, they are like to have the better wages.

Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is Eternal life, through Iesus Christ our Lord.

A modest behaviour, and a por­tion of Morality, without Holiness, is but a golden Incredulity.

2 Pet. 3.15 But sanctifie the Lord God in [Page 129] your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

Let young Women put on Piety instead of Paints, Sanctity instead of Sattin, Modesty for their Morn­ing and dayly dress; so shall God and every good man love them more and more.

Let Women adorn themselves in modest apparel, 1 Tim. 8.9 with shame fac'dness and sobriety; not with broidred hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array,

But which becometh Women pro­fessing godliness, with good works. 10.

As God made man without the help of man; so will he likewise save them that come unto him, by his own Almighty power.

Hear how familiarly he invites them.Mat. 11 2 [...] Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest: 29. And ye shall finde rest unto your Souls.

If we endeavour for Salvation, it is God must give it; but if we do not endeavour, he will shorten his own hand, though we cannot do it.

[Page 130] Psal. 36.9. For (thus saith the Psalmist) with thee is the Fountain of Life: in thy light we shall see light.

How lovely is God in all his Creatures! how much more lovely in his Ordinances! but most lovely in Christ, who is the God of love.

2 Cor. 13.11. Brethren, be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

The Christian hopeth for the world to come, but the sinner fear­eth it.

1 Cor. 3.8. For every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

Not to be chastened is an ill signe, but not to bear a chastening is a worse.

Psal. 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy Law.

He that hath a tender Conscience will not be prodigal of his Credit, for a good Conscience is a continual Feast to a chearful heart.

So likewise he that hath a good name, hath the savour of a pretious [Page 131] Oyntment, which gives a chearful­ness to his countenance.

He that detaineth a penny from the poor, puts a Plague into his own purse.

He that oppresseth the poor, Prov. 14.31. re­proacheth his Maker; but he that honoureth him, hath mercie on the poor.

Let the precepts of God be neer to our hearts, lest he stop his ears to our Prayers.

Who so stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, Prov. 21.13. he also shall cry himself and shall not be heard.

In prosperity we forget the threatnings of God, and in adver­sity we are apt to forget his pro­mises.

The prosperity of fools shall de­stroy them. Prov. 1.32.

If we intend to suffer evil for God's sake in the day of Adversity, let us do good for God's sake in the day of Prosperity.

Here lies the true point of Gen­tility, to fear God, scorn the World, and conquer Sin.

Nay, Rom. 8.37 in all these things we are [Page 132] more than conquerours through him that loved us.

Doth any man fear to dye? it's an easie thing to live: slaves and beasts do so; but it ought to be every mans study to live and dye well.

Man's life is more full of grief than glory; and it is a seasonable time to dye in, when to live is rather a burthen than a blessing.

Be obedient, and do good; they are the works and the wages of a Christian; and he will delight in doing good, though he doth it only for his delight.

Gathering of Riches is a pleasant torment: the trouble of getting, the charging of the conscience, the care of keeping, and the watching over them when gotten, takes away a great part of the expected enjoy­ment.

Psal. 62.10 Wherefore if Riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

A gratious person is usually as apt to desire to understand what he is to do, as what he is to enjoy.

The work of a Christian while [Page 133] he lives in the body, is to crucifie the body of death.

Man is God's creature;Gen. 2 7. God for­med man of the dust of the ground.

Sin is man's creature; Man is like to vanity: Psal. 144.4 his days are as a sha­dow which passeth away.

Misery is sins creature:Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is Eternal life, through Iesus Christ our Lord.

God made man in his own like­ness; man hath made sin in his likeness, and sin hath made misery in his own likeness.

Adam, who was the Father of mankind was of earth, and therefore earthy. 1 Cor. 15.47.

Our Saviour, who was the Re­deemer of mankind, and the second Adam, was from Heaven, and there­fore Heavenly.

As is the earthy, 48. such are they that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they that are heavenly.

What God gives us for our good, we ought to employ for his glory.

He that glorieth, 1 Cor. 1.31. let him glory in the Lord.

[Page 134]When our Saviour was buried, it was the Body of the Lord, not the Lord of the Body, was laid in the Sepulchre.

If we set our affections on what we have, when we have it not, it adds the more to our affliction.

But the peace of Heaven sur­passes the troubles of this world.

A Saint may be sad that he is no better, but will inwardly rejoyce that he is no worse.

That man that deserves nothing, ought to be content with any thing.

God is pleased with the free of­ferings of his Saints, and they are pleased with the free gifts of God.

To be sorrowful for sin is good, but that sorrow must continue, or else the sorrow will be sin it self.

What is all this world, but a world of nothing at all?

Whosoever can withstand the corruptions of gain, gains by the corruptions.

Is it pleasure to the Almighty that thou art Righteous? Job 22.3. or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

[Page 135]The men of this world pray to one another, but the children of God pray to none but to the God of men.

The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light. Luk. 16.8.

But the sorrow of this world worketh death. 2 Cor. 7.10.

Man is no sooner born, but he begins to dye; so uncertain is the life of man, that none knows whe­ther he that is born to day, shall live till to morrow.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, 1 Cor. 15.19. we are of all men most miserable.

Trust not in endeavours, lest you neglect God; but use endeavours, lest you despise God.

But work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Phil. 2.12.

Christ is the Physitian of our Souls, his comforts are cordial; but miserable comforts are the Physiti­ans of the Body.

So said Iob to his friends; Ye are all Physitians of no value. Job 13.4.

Let us beware of the evil of sin, for it leads us to the evil of suffer­ing.

[Page 136] 3 Joh. 11.Wherefore, Follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doth good, is of God: but he that doth evil hath not seen God.

We may do those things which please God, and yet displease him in the doing.

Mat. 5.8.But, Blessed are the poor in heart, for they shall see God.

We perform our duties in a right measure, when in seeking for mercies we study to please God rather than our selves.

God so loves his own, that he will not depart from them; and they that truly fear and love him, have not the power to depart from him.

It was holy Ioshua's resolution: As for me and my house, Jos. 24.15. we will serve the Lord.

It is at present heaven with us to enjoy God and Christ; What will it then be, when we worship him with his innumerable company of Angels?

When we pay our devotions to God, we should lay aside all worldly affairs, lest they distract us in our [Page 137] duty: It is a great offence against the Almighty, to be interrupted when we walk with him.

See then that ye walk circum­spectly, not as fools, but as wise;Ephes. 5.15, 16. redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

A Christian hath but two things to fear, God and Sin.

As it is writ of Ioseph, Gen. 39.9. How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God!

The three Divine Vertues are,1 Cor. 13.13. Faith, Hope, and Charity; but the greatest of these is Charity.

The three humane Vertues are, Friendship, Credit, and Conscience; but the greatest of these is Con­science.

Conscience was Paul's glory, when he said,Act. 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self, to have always a Conscience voyd of offence, toward God, and toward Men.

When thou sinnest, repent be­times, lest thou plunge into a cu­stom of sinning; and always re­member God hath a certain custom to punish sinners.

[Page 138]Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Turn ye unto me;Zech. 1.3. and I will turn unto you.

Luk. 13.3. But except ye repent, ye shall all perish.

God is the way, and the life: if we walk after his way, we shall finde life; if not, we erre from the way of life.

Jesus saith, I am the way, the truth, Joh. 14.6. and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me.

Serve God in secret, as well as in publike worship;Mat. 6.4. and he that seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

What deceitful pleasures are those that require either Repentance or Damnation!

As the Jews did by our Saviour, so should we do by the world, the flesh and sin, that is, crucifie them.

Gal. 5.24. They that are Christs, have cruci­fied the flesh, with the affections and lusts.

The disingenuity of others to­wards us, is a scourge to us for our disingenuity towards God.

If God denies the desires of thy heart, learn to want with pa­tience, [Page 139] it will teach thee when God is pleased to bestow his blessings, to receive them with chearfulness.

We ask the Lord for our dayly bread, but he knoweth our wants before we ask: We desire Health, Wealth, &c. but the measure of those blessings is in God's hand, and he knows how to carve for us, bet­ter than we could for our selves.

Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, Mat. 6.8. before ye ask him.

It is the duty of a Christian to wait God's leasure: there is no mercie worth the praying for, but it is certainly worth the waiting for.

We are all born to dye; let us so dye, that we may be born again.

Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin. 1 Joh. 3.9.

If thou canst hear, and bear the Rod of affliction which God shall lay upon thee, remember this Les­son: Thou art beaten, that thou mayst be better.

There is no better defence against our own Infirmities and the scanda­lous reproaches of others, than the [Page 140] Sincerity of our own hearts.

Eph. 6.24. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Iesus Christ in sincerity.

1 Joh. 4.16. God is love, and we ought to serve him in fear and love. No ser­vice can be better done, than that which is done in love: God dwel­leth in that servant, and that ser­vant in him.

Why doth a wicked man envy the welfare of a man more righte­ous than himself? because it is a terrour to his Conscience to see the Image of Vertue in another man, he having defaced it in himself.

Jam. 3.16. Where envying and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work.

All the Pomps and Gayeties of this world, are not to be compared to a grain of distressed Vertue.

2 Pet. 1.5. Wherefore, adde to your Faith Vertue, and to Vertue Knowledge.

1 Cor. 13.3. Though I give my body to be burnt, and have not charity, it profitteth me nothing; but to mortifie my sins, and to deny my self, submitting to the will of God, is more than Mar­tyrdom.

Let not the world overcome you, [Page 141] but fight under the Banner of that great Captain the Lord Jesus Christ, so shall you with him overcome the world.

Who is he that overcometh the world, 1 Joh. 5.5. but he that believeth that Iesus is the Son of God?

Why is it that sinners so rarely confess their sins? it is because they are in them: we use not to declare our dreams till we wake.

Therefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch, 1 Thes. 5.6. and be sober.

To represent a Christian, is only to act a part on the stage of this world; but to be a real Christian, is to depart this stage, and enter into a world of Bliss.

He that hath children, ought to correct them with discretion;Pro. 13.24 But he that spareth his Rod, hateth his Son; and he that loveth him, cha­steneth him betimes.

To be truly sensible of sin, is to sorrow for displeasing God, more than for the displeasure of God; to be afflicted that he is displeased by us, more than that he is displea­sed with us.

[Page 142]Mirth and Mourning are opposites to each other; Mirth is burthensome in the time of Mourning, and Mourning is likewise burthensome in the time of Mirth.

Love the Saints for Christ's sake, and Christ will love you for his Saints sake.

1 Joh. 4.7, 8. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God: and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God: but he that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love.

The Old Testament veils the New, the New Testament reveals the Old.

Isa. 52.7. Beautiful upon the Mountains are the feet of him which bringeth good tidings; but how much more beau­tiful are the good tidings which are brought by those feet?

The works of our life is the best demonstration that we are acquain­ted with the words of our life.

The Saint hath the motion of grace, whilst the Hypocrite hath but the notion: the Saint sees, tasts, and feels it, whilst the Hypocrite [Page 143] only reads, hears, and speaks of it.

The Saint hath the experience of grace, and the Hypocrite the ex­pression.

Be modest in your desires, so shall your cup over-flow; but the co­vetous man never hath enough.

Take heed, Luk. 12.15. and beware of cove­tousness.

There is a time for all things; but no time when all things may be spoken.

To every thing there is a season, Eccl. 3.1. and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

When you give thanks, let the strings of your Heart, and the strings of your Tongue, be tun'd to Unisons; it is the musick that God himself delighteth in.

What a vain thing is man, when the best of men are but vanity at best!

Verily every man in his best estate is altogether vanity. Psal. 39.5.

The wife of a man's bosom, is better than the portions of the purse.

House and riches are the inheri­tance Pro. 19.14 [Page 144] of fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

Marry not where you love not, lest you are tempted to love where you marry not.

Heb. 13.4. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled; but Whoremon­gers and Adulterers God will judge.

If Nature be defective, it is not the act of the creature, but of God: and since it is his will it should be so, we ought to submit to his pleasure, and not to blame the handy-work of God.

Hath not the Potter power over the clay, Rom. 9.12. of the same lump to make one Vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

To please all, is hard; to displease any, may be inconvenient: the Christians surest way is to please him who is all in all.

Prov. 16.7. When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

The Righteous man will venture his Credit to secure his Conscience, but will not venture his Conscience for the sake of his Credit.

[Page 145]The Saints are visited by Christ here, by way of invitation, that they should visit him hereafter.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, Luk. 1.68. for he hath visited and redeemed his people.

A Christian should like all God's commands, because they are all a­like, Holy, Iust, and Good.

The Statutes of the Lord are right, Psal. 19.8. rejoycing the heart: the Command­ment of the Lord is pure, enlight­ning the eyes.

It is our Master's pleasure to let his joy enter into us here, that it may teach us how to enter into our Master's joy hereafter.

In whose presence is fulness of joy, Psal. 16.11 at his right hand are pleasures for evermore.

No sin against God can be said to be little, because it is against the great God of Heaven and Earth; but if the sinner can finde out a little God, it may be easie then to finde out little sins.

Our Mediator Jesus Christ the Righteous, is the sinners Righte­ousness unto God, and the Righte­ousness [Page 146] of God to sinners.

Isa. 64.6. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our Righteousnesses are as fil­thy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our Iniquities like the wind have taken us away.

If any man findes the want of Comforts, Content will make them comfortable wants.

It was a rare experience which Paul had got,Phil. 4.11. who saith, I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Destruction giveth way to pride, for pride goeth before destruction. Pro. 16.8.

Be sober in advice, and mode­rate in reproofs; some hearts are sooner humbled with stroaks than with stripes.

Prov. 25.12. As an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine-gold: so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.

Pride soars aloft, but patience walketh humbly with his God.

[...]am. 4.6. God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Psal. 103.17. The mercie of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. Let not that incourage sinners to the com­mission [Page 147] of sin, but from thence let them sue for a remission of sin.

It is the will of every Saint, that the will of the Lord should be done; and he is content that all things should be so done, so as to content God.

The Holy Prophet confirms it, saying, I delight to do thy will, Psal. 40.8. O my God, yea, thy law is within my heart.

Though our good works will not carry us to heaven, yet they shall finde a reward in heaven.

Behold, I come quickly, Rev. 22.12 and my reward is with me, to give every man according a [...] his work shall be.

The life of the wicked is abomi­nable; they sin with content, and are content with sin: Miserable Wretches!

Well spake the Holy Ghost by E­saias the Prophet unto our Fathers, Acts 28, 25, 26. saying, Go to this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and Seeing ye shall see, and not perceive.

For the heart of this people is waxed gross, 27. and their ears are dull [Page 148] of hearing, and their eyes have they closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

Till we get Christ within us, we are without Christ.

The Lord's bottle and basket are never empty; he bountifully invites us with this free offer of grace.

Isa. 55.1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money: come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk with­out money, and without price.

Luk. 1.53. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away.

When God sends mercie, we should not onely thank the donor, but welcome the messenger; for they both come from God.

Rom. 10.15. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

The proud man exalts himself against all that is good, therefore [Page 149] the Lord thinks good to take down his pride.

Every one that is proud in heart, Prov. 16.5 is an abomination to the Lord.

The world cannot exalt a proud man so high, but God will bring him low; neither can all the world so debase an humble man, but God will exalt him.

In the seed-time of your life, let your Holiness be sown, that so you may reap Blessedness in the Har­vest of Eternity.

He that will put Piety in practice, must set his heart to practice Piety.

The Lord seeth not as man seeth: 1 Sam. 16.7. for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

My Son, give me thine heart, Prov. 23.26. and let thine eyes observe my ways.

Ungodly men grow rich; yet godliness with contentment is great gain. 2 Tim. 6.6

There is a kind of Divine hus­bandry; [Page 150] saving grace is a heavenly thirft, and doth so improve, that it makes us Burgesses of the Holy City.

2 Pet. 3.18Wherefore, Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ.

A friend may commit an errour in love; but he is an enemy that loves his errour.

The covetous man cannot enjoy what he hath got, through the greediness of his desire to get more.

Pro. 21.26 He coveteth greedily all the day long; but the righteous giveth, and spareth not.

To have faith in Christ, is well­pleasing to the faithful God, for he is the Father of the Faithful.

Deut. 7.9. The Lord is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercie with them that love him and keep his Commandments, to a thou­sand generations.

The Righteous man hath grace beyond expression; the Hypocrite hath expression beyond grace.

Pro. 10.20 The tongue of the just is as choice [Page 151] silver: the heart of the wicked is of little worth.

God doth sometimes deliver men up to Satan, that they may be de­livered from Satan.

Deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, 1 Cor. 5.5. that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus.

Can a man be an empty Vine, and yet bring forth Fruit?

Israel is an empty vine, Hos. 10.1. bringing forth fruit unto himself.

Christ is the Son of God, and yet he is called the Son of man.

The Word was made flesh, Joh. 1.14. and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.

The Almighty's permission of sin, is no warrant for the sinners commission of sin.

Whosoever committeth sin, Joh. 8.34. is the servant of sin.

Our Saviour had a Father and a Mother, and yet he was from the beginning.

In the beginning was the Word, Joh. 1.1. [Page 152] and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Eccl. 7.16.This is Solomon's advice, Be not righteous overmuch: However, it is the duty of a Christian to cloath him with Righteousness as with a Garment.

The Saints have no greater joy than to enjoy God, and to rejoyce in him.

1 Cor. 1.31. He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

As it is hard to bend a well­grown Stick, so is it difficult to work upon the heart of a despe­rate season'd sinner; for he runs on in his wickedness, and is deaf to all good instructions.

Ezek. 12.2. They have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.

A Saint will not sin, though he knows that sin may work for his advantage.

Rom. 8.28 All things work together for the good of them that love God.

[Page 153]We are commanded to love Peace, and follow after Righteous­ness; and yet the Saints themselves are in continual War, fighting the good fight of Faith.

Above all things take the sheild of Faith, Eph. 6.16. wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

The Salvation of a Saint may be sure, yet may not he be sure of his Salvation.

Wherefore the rather, brethren, 2 Pet. 1.10 give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.

Blessings if abused, may be turn­ed into curses, and curses are often­times turned into blessings.

Saith the Lord of hosts, Mal. 2.2. I will even send a curse upon you, I will curse your blessings.

If any man would be rich, he must be diligent; but notwith­standing that, let him remember, Paul may Plant, and Apollo may Water; but it is God that giveth the blessing.

He becometh poor that dealethProv. 10.4.[Page 154] with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

22 The blessing of the Lord, that maketh rich, and he addeth no sor­row with it.

The Righteous man makes god­liness his gain; the Wicked man makes gain his godliness.

Prov. 15.27. He that is greedy of gain, trou­bleth his own house: but he that ha­teth gifts shall live.

The Soul is above the reach of any weapon but sin, and that pierces like a sting.

Sin is a raging torment in the Conscience:Prov. 18.14. A wounded Spirit who can bear?

Let not the best of men think they were ever good, lest their Conscience shall tell them they were never good.

Prov. 3.7. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from e­vil.

Some men will pretend to abhor such a sin, yet hug it in their bosom; such sinners sting their Consciences to magnifie their Credits.

If by suffering for Christ we [Page 155] loose all that we have in this world, we are sufficient gainers when we save our own Souls.

Paul that Pious Apostle saith, Doubtless, I count all things but loss, Phil. 3.8. for the excellencie of the knowledge of Iesus Christ my Lord: for which I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

A repenting Penitent, though formerly as bad as the worst of men, may by grace become as good as the best.

God who is rich in mercie, Eph. 2.4. for his great love wherewith he loved us,

Even when we were dead in sins, 5. hath quickned us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved.)

The Devil is indifferent whe­ther we go to Hell in the frequen­ted road of Profaness, or in the smooth way of Hypocrisie.

It is the power of godliness, not the form, that directs the way to Heaven, as the power of ungodli­ness leads to Hell.

Lovers of Pleasures, 2 Tim. 3.4. more than lovers of God,

[Page 156] 5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Beware of impenitence, and of late repentance: true repentance cannot be too late, but a late re­pentance is rarely true.

Wherefore the real Christian should say betimes with holy Iob, I abhor my self, Job 42.6. and repent in dust and ashes.

It is one thing to hold the truth, and another thing to hold it in sin­cerity: we must be just, as well as orthodox.

Jos. 24.14. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth.

Eph. 4.26. Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath; go not to bed in anger, lest you have a tempter to your bedfellow.

Prov. 27.4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is out­ragious: but who is able to stand before envy?

One of the blessings of the Old Testament was Prosperity, and one of the blessings of the new Testa­ment is Affliction.

Let not sin intice you to forsake [Page 157] God, lest it urge God to forsake you.

It is Solomon's advice; My Son, Prov. 1.10 if sinners intice thee, consent thou not.

Conversion is a fit application for the wounds of a wicked man, and strengthening likewise is very apt for the converted.

Saith David, Psal. 138.3 In the day when I cryed, thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul.

A devout Soul should not think himself secure, when he is safe, nor should he fear when in the grea­test danger; but distrust himself, and always trust in God.

Say with Iob, Though he slay me, Job 13.15 yet will I trust in him.

Act not against the light of Con­science, lest your Light be darkned, and your Conscience shipwrack't.

Men loved darkness rather than light, Joh 3.19. because their deeds were e­vil.

Vertue and Vice, that is, Charity and Lust, divide the whole life of man; they are the two Trees of [Page 158] the Gospel that produceth fruits good and evil.

Study not to live long, but to live well; for an hour mis-spent, is not liv'd, but lost.

No man is perfect, for there is none so good but he may mend.

Mat. 19.21 Iesus said unto the young man, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt receive treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

The sins of a mans life are innu­merable:Psal. 19.12 Who can understand his errours? (saith David) cleanse thou me from secret faults.

The changes of a Saints conditi­on, are but so many exchanges of mercie; if he thrives, God is boun­tiful to him; if he hath troubles in this world, God is careful of him, and provides him a portion in a better world.

When David was in the Cave, all his comfort was in Prayer unto God. I cryed unto thee, Psal. 142.5 O Lord, I said, Thou art my refuge and portion in the land of the living.

[Page 159]Troubles, or Sickness, when san­ctified, is much better than unsancti­fied Prosperity.

It is not talking of God, but walking with God, that makes a Christian compleat.

See that ye walk circumspectly, Eph. 5.15. not as fools, but as wise,

Redeeming the time, 16. because the days are evil.

Beware of superstition, for that will not teach a man to fear God, but to be afraid of him.

Study to have Christ rather in your heart, than your house; for with such Habitations he is best pleased.

Rent your heart, Joel 2.13. and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.

The being of the Soul is rather where it loves, than where it lives.

Let us study to love God, though we do not see him; rather than to see him, and not love him.

All the pleasure of our days is grief, when there is not an inward [Page 160] peace in the Conscience, and with that all the griefs imaginable are turn'd into delight; for a good Conscience is a continual feast.

It is good to be Learned, but it is better to be Religious; for Learn­ing is but an Ornament to Religion, but Religion is a Blessing to Learn­ing.

One may be ever learning, yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Tim. 3.7

A man may have knowledge, and no grace; but he cannot have grace, and no knowledge.

Jesus answered the Sadduces, say­ing,Mat. 22.29 Ye erre, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.

He that is truly Religious, de­lights in the service of God, and had rather be shortned in the com­forts of his life, than neglect the performance of his duty towards him.

Psal 37.4. Delight thy self in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

To profess Religion is good, but to practice Religion is better; to [Page 161] profess, and not to practice, is to dissemble with God and Man; and a cunning course it is for man to destroy his own Soul.

The godly man may apply the promises to himself, but the wicked man may apply himself to the promises.

Having these promises, 2 Cor. 7.1. let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

If we would have God hear our Prayers, we must have the sence of feeling them our selves.

Sin brought death into the world, and death carried sin out of the world.

He that would not have Time pass swiftly away, should not use much Pastime.

The way to understand the sweetness of God's mercie, is to get a sence of the bitterness of our own misery.

In all concerns let God be con­cerned; the work will be the better done, and the blessing will be the larger.

[Page 162]No man can do an evil action well, but a good action may be spoiled in the management.

The tongue is an evil member: for he that hath no reputation him­self, is master of another man's.

Psal. 34.13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

The delight which a gracious Soul hath in mercies, is not in the hearing of them, or talking of them, but in the possessing and en­joying of them.

Mic. 7.18. God is a God that pardoneth Ini­quity, and retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercie.

The delight of a gracious Soul is, to long to be dissolved, and to go to his long'd-for home, that he may be with Christ.

Psal. 84.10 A day in thy Courts, O God, is better than a thousand: I had ra­ther be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tent of wickedness.

It is God's appearing gracious to our Souls, that makes him appea [...] so glorious to our eyes.

Eph. 1.6. To the praise of the glory of hi [...] [Page 163] Grace, wherein he hath made us ac­cepted in the beloved.

It is not in our power to imagine the power of God; it converteth Souls, and raiseth dead Bodies.

The Law of the Lord is perfect, Psal. 19.7. converting the soul: the Testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

Iesus cryed with a loud voice, Joh. 11.43. La­zarus come forth.

And he that was dead, came forth, 44▪ bound hand and foot with grave­cloaths, and his face was bound a­bout with a napkin. Iesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

The Soul cannot be converted by the word that man speaks, nor by the man that speaks the word.

For by grace are ye saved, Eph. 2.8. through faith, and that not of your selves: it is the gift of God.

By the Scriptures we learn what God hath done for us, and what we are to do for God.

All Scripture is given by inspira­tion of God, 2 Tim. 3.16. and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, [Page 164] for instruction in righteousness.

When a gracious Soul desireth a mercie of God, let him consider the value of that mercie before it comes; and when it is present, let him seriously value its worth before it be past.

When David's condition was low and mean in the world, we finde to come from him many sweet breathings of his Soul, and strong actings of his Faith and love.

Psal. 31.7. I will be glad and rejoyce in thy mercie, for thou hast considered my trouble, thou hast known my soul in Adversitie.

17. Let me not be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon thee; let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.

It is the key of Knowledge that openeth the door of Heaven; it is the knowledge of the Truth that leadeth to Salvation.

Psal. 51.6. Behold thou desirest the inward parts; and in the inward part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

The ill which proceeds from [Page 165] man, must not be attributed unto God, neither must the good which proceeds from God be attributed unto man.

There is none good but one, Mat. 19.17 that is God.

The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, that they are vain. 1 Cor. 3.20.

Sin hath dominion over us, be­fore conversion; but being con­verted, we have dominion over sin: and whereas before we were cap­tives unto sin, we now lead sin into captivity.

He that is born of God, 1 Joh. 5.4. overcom­eth the world.

When we have done for God all that we can, our all is so little, and our good deeds so ill, that we are at best but unprofitable servants.

When ye have done all those things which are commanded you, say, Luk. 17.10. We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do.

What greater act of impiety or ignorance can there be, than for a man to do ill, and yet pretend or think he doeth well?

[Page 166] Psal. 19.12. Who can understand his errours? cleanse thou me from secret sins.

He that will not deny himself and his own ends for Christ, will deny Christ for his own ends, and will to his sorrow be denied by Christ in the end.

Mat. 10.33 Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven.

In God there is no darkness at all, for God is light; in man there is no light at all, for he is darkness: our very light is darkness.

1 Joh. 1.5. God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.

Mat. 6.23. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, How great is that darkness?

Col. 1 27.We may profess Christ; but when we possess Christ, then is our hope of Glory.

Gal. 1.15, 16.Christ is made known to us two ways, by Relation, and by Revela­tion; which latter knowledge is the best.

If we can be of the number of Christ's little ones, the mercie will be great.

[Page 167]It was our Saviour's saying,Mat. 18. Veri­ly I say unto you, Except ye be con­verted, and become as little chil­dren, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

A Saint's heart is in the Law of God, and the Law of God is like­wise in his heart.

The Law of God is in the heart of the righteous: Psal. 37.31 none of his steps shall slide.

O how I love thy Law! 119.97. it is my meditation all the day.

If any man would have his child be a man of God, he must teach him betimes, first to become a child of God.

Train up a child in the way he should go, Prov. 22.6 and when he is old he will not depart from it.

He is

Let the wicked laugh at the godly for being godly, rather than God should laugh at them for be­ing wicked.

[Page 168] Prov. 1.25 Ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my re­proof:

26. I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh.

What a choice mercie had Solo­mon, who had the choice of mer­cies!

The reputation of a good man, is to be rich in goodness, not in goods.

Jer. 9.23. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, nor the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in the Lord.

He is the only wise and rich man, that can learn to be content.

1 Tim. 6.6 Godliness with contentment, is great gain.

The expectation of a Saint is Eternity, and the whole world is not able to answer his single expe­ctation.

We may be instructed by a Pro­phet; but it is the Spirit of God by which we profit.

Gal. 5.16. Walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.

[Page 169]The death of Christ giveth life to them that repent, and giveth them a repentance unto life not to be repented of; it giveth salvati­on to them that believe, and enables them to believe unto salvation.

Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. Psal. 3.8.

Whether God give or take, it is our duty to be thankful.

Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Mat. 6.32.

Our God is free to give, and free to forgive; his hand and his heart are both open to them that serve him.

When we draw neer to Christ, he is ready to receive us; nay, when we fly from him, he is ready to invite us.

Come unto me all ye that labour, Mat. 11.28 [Page 170] and are heavy laden, and I will give ye rest.

Many men in their doings, pur­chase their undoings.

Prov. 19.21. There are many devices in a mans heart: nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand.

He that receiveth a mercie, and doth not use it, doth abuse it.

Christ dyed that we might live.

1 Cor. 15.20. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.

If we finde not some time to serve God, he will not finde any time to save us.

Joh. 12.26 If any man serve me, saith Christ, let him follow me, and where I am there shall also my servant be: If any man serve me, him will my Fa­ther honour.

He that hath Christ hath all things, and he that hath not Christ hath nothing at all.

Mat. 6.33.Wherefore, Seek ye first the [Page 171] Kingdom of God and his Righte­ousness, and all other things shall be added unto you.

Study to be altogether a Christi­an: for if a man be but almost a Christian, he is like to be but almost saved; though he may think he is not far from the Kingdom of Hea­ven, yet he will finde the Kingdom of Heaven is far from him.

Agrippa said unto Paul, Act. 26.28 Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christi­an.

There is nothing among us more rife than the name Christian, or the Christian name; and nothing a­mong us more rare, than the Chri­stian man.

They that are Christs have cruci­fied the flesh, Gal. 5.24. with the affections and lusts.

Though Christ was crucified to deliver us from death, yet we must either crucifie our sins, or we shall dye in them. Our hope of glory [Page 172] is not only Christ without, but Christ within us.

Col. 1.27. What is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you the hope of glory.

Many men are at one and the same time both alive and dead; for they that wallow in the deceitful pleasures of sin, are dead though they live.

Eph. 2.1. You hath he quickned, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

When man is most idle, then is the Devil most busie. It was La­timer's saying, that one holy day produced more service to Satan than many working days.

Ezek. 16.49.This was the Iniquity of Sodom: Pride, fulness of Bread, and a­bundance of Idleness was in her, and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

The Righteous man saith, What is lawful that will I; but the un­righteous man saith, What I will is lawful, or to me all things are lawful.

[Page 173] All the wayes of man are clean in his own eyes;Prov. 16.2. but the Lord weigheth the spirit.

It is the pleasure of Almighty God to bless us without any cause given him; How much then are we to bless him who hath given us the cause so to do?

Praise waiteth for thee, O God, Psal. 65.1. in Zion.

Sing forth the honour of his Name: make his praise glorious. 66.2.

The devout Soul should so live, as that the Gospel should not be a­shamed of him, nor he of that.

As he which hath called you is holy, 1 Pet. 1.15 so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.

Where no assurance is, there may be grace; but no assurance can be where there is no grace.

Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith, Heb. 10.2 [...] ha­ving our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience, and our bodies wa­shed with pure Water.

The godly man sets a greater value by far upon the motions, than the notions of grace.

[Page 174]All the blessings that a Saint re­ceives, are the more dear & welcom because they savour of a Saviour.

Christ is our treasure, as David saith, With thee is the Fountain of Life, Psal. 36.9. and in thy light we shall see light.

He that denies himself, shall be saved; but he that denies his Savi­our, shall be damned.

Mat. 10.38It is Christ himself that saith, He that taketh not his Cross and follow­eth after me, is not worthy of me.

He that findeth his life, shall loose it: 39. and he that looseth his life for my sake, shall finde it.

When God sends us an evil visi­tation, even then God is good to us, for he sends that evil for our good.

The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. Psal. 145.9

When a sinner repenteth of his sin, his sorrow speaks it self to be great, when he cannot speak for sorrow.

A Saint will keep to the Do­ctrine of his life, that he may keep life in his Doctrine.

[Page 175]God loves us not for what we have, but for what we are; and we are bound to love God, were it for no other reason but because he loveth us.

The wicked man mindeth not the God that made him, but sets his affections upon the God of his own making.

But your gold and silver is can­kered, Jam. 5.3. and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire: ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

It is more honourable to purchase fame from a low degree, than to become contemptible and infamous though sprang from an honourable Family.

The fear of the Lord is the in­struction of wisdom;Prov. 15.33. and before honour is humility.

Most men are naturally lovers of Gold, yet that came but from the earth; from the Gold comes Dross, yet few men mind that: so is it with good and bad men, the Vertu­ous though they come from a mean [Page 176] stock are honoured, and the Vici­ous though of splendid families are despised.

2 Pet. 1.5.Wherefore, Adde to your Faith, Vertue; and to Vertue, Knowledge.

Why should we rejoyce in the pleasures of this world? for we no sooner set our affections on them, but of a sudden they are blasted, or we are taken from them, or by sick­ness disabled to enjoy them.

Wherefore seek ye the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is hid all the trea­sures of Wisdom and Knowledge; And the Lord give thee understand­ing in all things. 2 Tim. 2.7

SIn is contrary to God.

Sinners are called enemies to God.

And sin is called enmity it self, as being contrary to God.

It makes men walk contrary to God, revelling, rising up against, and contending with God.

Hence men hate God, resist God, sight and blasphame God,

And Atheistically say there is no God. Sin would ungod God.

Sin is by some of the Antients called, God-murther, or God-kil­ling.

All these are in the nature of e­very sin more or less, but are all of [Page 178] them in the heart of all sinners (in their Seed and Root.) &c.

Hence sin is not onely High-Treason against the Majesty of God, but it scorns to confess its Crime.

God is glorious in Holiness [...] Sin on the contrary is all sinful, only sinful, altogether sinful.

As in God there is no evil, so in sin there is no good.

God is the chiefest of goods, and sin is the chiefest of evils.

As no good can be compared with God for goodness, so no evil can be compared with sin for evil.

Sin opposes all Gods Names and Attributes.

It deposeth God's Soveraignty; it will not that the King of Kings should be in the Throne.

Pharaoh spake the Language of sin: I know no Lord above me.

Sin denies God's all-sufficiencie as if there were more in sinful plea­sures than in him.

Sin dares God's justice, and chal­lenges God to do his worst: it pro­vokes the Lord to jealousie, and tempts him to wrath.

[Page 179]Sin disowns God's omniscience: Tush, say sinners, God sees not.

Sin despises the Riches of God's goodness.

Sin turns all God's Grace into wantonness: sin is the dare of God's Justice, the rape of his Mercie, the jear of his Patience, the slight of his Power, and the contempt of his Love.

Sin is the upbraid of his Provi­dence, the scoff of his Promise, and the reproach of his Wisdom.

Sin is contrary to God's works, and is called the Devil's work.

God's works were good, and ex­ceedingly beautiful:

But the works of sin are defor­med and monstrous ugly.

Sin may be impleaded for all the mischiefs and villanies that have been done in the world.

'Tis the Master of Mis-Rule, the Author of Sedition, the Builder of Babel, the Troubler of Israel and all mankind.

Sin is contrary to God's Law and Will, to all the Rules and Orders of his appointment.

[Page 180]Sin is not only a transgression of, but a contradiction also of the Will of God.

Sin is an Anti-Will to God's Will.

David in fulfilling of God's Will, was said to be a man after God's own heart; and they that obey the will of sin, are said to wall [...] after the heart of sin.

Sin is contrary to God's Image wherein man was made; sin is as unlike God's Image, as Darkness is to Light, as Hell to heaven, yea, and more too; sin is the Devil's I­mage.

Such as the Devil and his Angels are, who once knew good, but now know evil, both by doing it, and suffering the sad effects of it.

Thus he that runs may read the Picture, Image and likeness of the Devil in sin: sinners are as like the Devil as any thing.

Sin is contrary to the Children of God: they are near and dear to God; God's heart is set upon them for good, and sin sets its heart against them for evil.

[Page 181]Sin is always warring against the Seed of God in them.

By sins ill will, God's people should neither enjoy nor do any good in the world.

Sin, like the Devil, hath not such an evil eye, or aking tooth at all the sinners of the world, as it hath at the Saints in the world.

The Devil is a Man-hater, but more a Saint-hater.

Sin is contrary to, and set against the Glory of God.

Faith would give Glory to God: now that men may not believe, sin imploys the Devil to blinde their eyes.

Good men would do all they do (sin will let them do nothing at all) to the Glory of God.

Sin is contrary to, and opposite against the being and existence of God. It makes the sinner wish and endeavour that there might be no God: for sinners are haters of God.

And as he that hates his Brother is a murtherer, so (as much as in him lies) he that hates God is a murtherer of God.

[Page 182]What's said of sin, (is to be con­sidered by the sinner, and) is meant of thine and my sin.

Poor Soul! canst thou finde in thine heart to hug and imbrace such a Monster as this is?

Wilt thou love that which hates God, and which God hates?

Wilt thou joyn thy self to that which is nothing but contrariety to God and all that's good?

Oh, say to this Idol, yea to this Devil, Get hence, what have I to do with thee, thou Childe, yea Fa­ther of the Devil?

Thou that art the founder of Hell, an enemy to all Righteous­ness, that ceasest not to pervert the right ways of the Lord.

Sin is contrary to the good of man; it is a separation betwixt God and man.

The Commandment of which sin is a transgression was given not onely for God's sake, that he might have glory from man's Obedience; but for man's sake, that man might enjoy the good and benefit of his Obedience.

[Page 183]These two were twisted together, and no sooner is the Law transgrest, but God and Man are joynt-suffer­ers; God in his Glory, and Man in his Good.

Man's suffering follows at the heels of sin; yea, as he suffers by, so in sinning: suffering and sinning involve each other.

No sooner did sin enter into the world, but Death (which is a pri­vation of good) did enter by it, with it, and in it.

For 'tis the sting of Death: so that sin saith, Here is Death; and death faith, Here is Sin.

No sooner did Angels sin, but they fell from their first State and Habitation which they had with God in Glory; not a moment be­tween their sin and misery.

And as soon as man had sinned, his Conscience told him that he was naked, and destitute of Righteous­ness and Protection.

Sin crosseth Glory, and is cross to man's Happiness.

Sin is against the good of man's body; it hath corrupted his blood, [Page 184] and made his body mortal, and thereby rendered it a vile body.

Our bodies, though made of dust, were yet more pretious than fine Gold; but when we sinned, they became vile bodies.

Before sin, our bodies were im­mortal. (For death and mortality came in by sin.)

But now alas they must return to dust, and it's appointed to all men once to dye; (and 'tis well but once, and the second death have no power over them:) they must see corruption or a change.

Sin is against the good of man's Soul: 'Tis not very ill with a man, if it be well with his Soul; but it can never be well with a man, if it be ill with his Soul.

So that we can more easily and cheaply dye than be damned; and may better venture our bodies to suffering, than our souls to sin­ning.

Nothing but sin doth wrong a man's Soul, and there is no sin but doth it.

Sin is against man's well-being in [Page 185] this life. Well-being is the life of life; and sin bears us so much ill will, that it deprives us of our live­lyhood.

Man came into the world as into an house ready furnished; he had all things ready and prepared to his hands.

All the Creatures came to wait on him, and payd him Homage; but when man sinned, God turn'd him out of house and home, like a Pilgrim, a Begger.

Ever since it hath been every man's lot to come into and go out of this world naked.

When Christ came into the world for the recovery of man, and stood as in the sinner's stead, he had not where to lay his head.

Though Christ were Lord of all, yet if he will come in the likeness of sinful flesh, he must speed not like the Son of God, but Son of man.

Sin is against that good which God left us, and fills it with vanity and vexation, with bitterness and a curse.

[Page 186]God left Adam many Acres of land to till and husband, but he hath it with a curse; sweat and sor­row, many a grieving Bryer and pricking Thorn stick fast to him.

God left him ground enough, but 'tis curst ground: sin is so en­vious, it would leave man nothing.

And if God be so good as to leave man any thing, sins eye is e­vil because God is good, and puts a sting in it.

Sin is against man's rest; 'tis a sore Travel which the Sons of men have under the Sun.

Man's ground is overgrown with Thorns, that he hath many an aking head and heart,

Many a sore hand and foot (be­fore the year come about) to get a little livelyhood out of this sin­cursed ground.

Sin, curse, and toil, keep com­pany.

Sin is against man's comfort and joy: In sorrow shalt thou eat all the days of they life: not one whole merry day.

The woman hath a peculiar sort [Page 187] and share of sorrow: for the time of conception, breeding, bearing and birth, are tedious.

Sin is against man's health: hence come all diseases and sicknesses: till sin there were no such things.

Let a man take the best Air he can, and eat the best food he can; let him eat and drink by rule, let him take never so many Antidotes, Preservatives and Cordials, yet man is but a crazie sickly thing for all this.

Sin is against the quiet of a man's natural Conscience: for it wounds the spirit, and makes it intole­rable.

A merry heart doth good like a Medicine; (no Cordial like it:) but a broken spirit drieth the bones, and sucks away the marrow.

A good Conscience is a continual Feast, but sin mars all the Mirth.

Sin is against the Beauty of man, it takes away the loveliness of mens very Complexions.

Sin is against the loving cohabi­tation of Soul and Body; it hath sowed discord betwixt them.

[Page 188]Many a falling out is there be­tween Soul & body, between Sense & Reason; they draw several ways.

Sin is against man's relative good in this world.

That which was made for a help, proves but too often an hindrance. Sin hath spoil'd Society.

One man is a Wolf, yea a Devil to another.

Sin will not let Husband and Wife, Parents and Children to live quietly.

Sin breeds Divisions, Factions in Church and State; that there is little of Union or Order.

Sin is against the very being of man: How many doth it strangle in the Womb? How many doth it send from the Cradle to the Grave?

And after a few days, which are but as a span, sin lays all in the dust.

Sin hath reduc'd man's Age from almost a thousand to seventy.

He that's born to day, is not sure to live a day.

Sin is against all the good of man in this life.

[Page 189]Sin hath degraded man by defi­ling him, and almost unman'd him.

Man was a very noble thing, made a little lower than the Angels; but alas, by sin he's made almost as low as Devils.

Sin hath rob'd man of his pri­mitive Excellence; of a Lord, he is become a servant, yea a slave to Creatures, to Devils, and Lusts of all sorts.

Sin defiles his Body: The Flesh is filthy, the Body is a Body of sin, the Members are servants to un­cleanness.

Take man from head to foot, from the crown of that to the sole of this, there's no whole (because not holy) part in him.

Their Mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; with their Tongues they use deceit; the Poyson of Asps is under their Lips; their Throat is an open Sepulchre; Eyes full of Adultery; Eye-lids haughty; Ears dull of hearing, yea deaf as the Adder; the Forehead impudent as a Brow of brass; both Hands are employ'd to work Iniquity; Belly [Page 190] an Idol-God, the Feet swift to shed blood.

Look within, their inward part is wickedness; the Gall is a Gall of bitterness; the Spleen is affe­cted, yea infected with Envy and Malice.

Sin defiles the Soul: God's I­mage was more in and o [...] the Soul than Body of man, and Sin's Ambi­tion and Envy is to deprive the Soul of this Image.

Righteousness and Holiness were stamped upon man's Soul, but sin hath blotted this Image and Super­scription, which once told from whence it came.

It must be new created or renew­ed before God own it for his, be­cause till then his Image is not legible.

The Flood which washt away so many sinners, could not wash away sin; the same heart remains after the Flood as before.

Sin hath deceived the Heart: hardned Obstinacie, vain Folly and Madness, vain Thoughts and Villanous, bubble and break forth [Page 191] from this corrupt Fountain that sets the Tongue on fire from Hell.

The Conscience is become evil, and in many feared.

Sin hath almost put out man's eye, and even extinguished the Candle of the Lord.

Sin hath dimmed and benighted man's leading faculty, the Under­standing, which should shew a man the difference between good and evil.

Sin blinds the sinner, and makes him grope as the blinded Sodomites to finde the door of Hope.

Man hath lost his way, since he lost his eyes; poor man catcheth at every straw, grasps every tri­fle.

Sinners are ever and most stum­bling at Christ Jesus; they are of­fended at him, but cannot tell for what.

Would a man be led by a Dog if he were not blinde?

Blinde Guides, dumb Dogs, false Prophets, lead sinners into theDitch of Sin, and the Dungeon of Hell.

Till a man fear God, he doth but [Page 192] play the fool; he is as the Prodigal, beside himself: The representative of sinners and converts.

Man's folly, to think like a fool, unsteadily and rowling, indepen­dantly and broken, at random and rovers.

Sin hath made man like a beast, yea not like to, but a beast; the Man of sin, the great Antichrist, is called a beast; and the great ones that Daniel saw in his Vision, are cal­led beasts.

Sinners in Scripture are call'd ten or eleven times brutish.

Sinful man is like the beast in ignorance, Man, though he sit at the upper end of the world, as the Antichristian beast doth, is but a bruit that hath no understanding.

Sinful man is like the beast in sensuality; as if he were onely Belly-wise, and had no Soul to minde.

Sinful man is like the beast in his unsociableness, and unsuitableness for Society and Communion with God and men.

Good men are as shie of con­versing [Page] with such, as with beasts.

Sinners are likened to the worst of hurtful beasts, such as in Scripture are call'd hurtful beasts; to Lyons, Tygers, Boars, and Bears, the ill-qualited and ill-condition'd Crea­tures.

Wicked men are likened to Goats for lustfulness and wantonness, so are sinners: the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eye, are the things they are taken with.

Wicked men are likened to Goats for stinking: a Goatish smell is a stinking smell.

Wicked men are likened to Goats for their bold and adventurousness; they climb Rocks and Precipices, to brouse and feed on what they can get with hazard: and in this, sinners are like them too in running ha­zards.

Sinners are likened to Dogs, and 'tis a common name to sinners▪ With­out are Dogs.

Sin separates the sinner from God, they are without God; sinners are said to be afar off, for they depart from God, and go into a far Country.

[Page 192]Sin separates the sinner from the sight of God.

Our happiness lies so much in the sight of God, that it hath the name of the beatifical Vision.

Sin hath separated the sinner from the life of God, such a life as God lives.

Sin hath separated the sinner from the love of God, and made him the object of his wrath.

Sin hath separated the sinner from Communion with God: God and man kept company, while man and holiness kept company.

Sin hath separated the sinner from Covenant-relation with God.

They are without God, Promise and Covenant.

Sin in robbing man of God, it hath robbed him of all things.

God hides his face from sinners whose loving kindness is better than life.

The sinner turns the back to God, and God turns the back to him.

God hears not the sinner's Pray­ers. God is a God hearing Prayers [Page 193] but sin shuts out their shouting and howling.

The sinner is without strength; man's great strength is in Union with God, separation weakens him. To be a sinner, is to be without strength.

Man was once a Sampson for strength; but having parted with his Locks, his strength is departed from him.

Man by Reason of sin is in death often in this life: but in the life to come, he's in death for ever.

God damns no man but for sin; death is but sin's wages.

Heaven and Salvation is not more surely promis'd to the one, than Hell and Damnation is threat­ned to, and shall be executed on the other.

Oh, who knows the Power of God's Wrath? None but damned ones.

Damnation is a denial of good to, and inflicting of evil upon sin­ners.

Woe unto you, says God, when I depart from you; but woe, woe, [Page 194] woe will it be when sinners depart from God!

Sinner's company are the Devil and his Angels, tormented in ever­lasting fire with a curse.

Neither shall the sinner nor the fire know an end.

When once a man is damned, he may bid adieu to all good.

Stately Houses, spread Tables, full Cups, soft Beds, pleasant Walks, delightful Gardens fill'd with fra­grant and odoriferous Fruits and Flowers, none of these will descend with them.

When Devils fetch away their Souls, whose shall all these things be?

To have a Portion of this world may be a Mercie, but to have the world for a Portion is a Misery.

To have all good things in this life, and but for this life, is a Misery indeed.

The impenitent sinner goes from all his good to all evil; but the Saint goes from all his evil (and but from a little good) to all good.

[Page 195]Who would not part with Coun­ters for Gold; with a World for Heaven?

This the Saint doth, and 'tis a good exchange I trow.

The wicked spend their days in mirth, and have a brave time on't, as they think; they sing Care away all the day long.

Heaven will not hold any of the wicked, nor shall Hell have any of the righteous to hold.

The wicked must be not onely without their hopes of Heaven, but without Heaven which they hoped for.

They gloried in their shame in this world; and they shall have shame enough, but no glory in the world to come.

They must suffer the loss of God himself, who is the Heaven of Hea­ven.

All good things are but as a drop to the Ocean, in comparison of him.

The sinner's estate is unalterable when once damned; the door is shut, 'tis in vain to knock; the day, [Page 196] offers and means of grace is at an end.

God's long-suffering will suffer no longer; though thou should'st weep out thine eyes in Hell, 'twill, stand thee in no stead.

What think you sinner now, is not sin exceeding sinful, that se­parates from all good, past, present, and to come?

Who that hath not been in Hell, can tell what Hell is? Who would go thither to try what 'tis?

Take the dregs of all the Mise­ries of this life, and it will fall infi­nitely short of this misery, Damna­tion.

A burning Feavour is nothing to burning in Hell.

Hell would be a kinde of Para­dise, if 'twere no worse than the worst of this world.

The life that Saints obtain, sin­ners go without; and the misery that Saints are delivered from, sin­ners are deliver'd to.

As different as grief is from joy, as torment is from rest, as terrour from peace; so different is the [Page 197] state of sinners from that of Saints in the world to come.

'Twill be punishment without pity, misery without mercie, sorrow without succour, crying without comfort, and torment without ease.

Conscience accuses, Devils tor­ment, Hope is departed, and Time is for ever.

Hell is a place and state of Sor­row;

A place and state of Pains and Pangs.

To be in Hell, is to be de­stroy'd.

'Tis a place and state of fire.

Damnation is in it.

'Tis the place of torment.

Hell is all these, and much more.

Hell is call'd a Prison, and the worst.

Hell is call'd the bottomless Pit, into which sinners will be ever falling, for there's no bottom.

Hell is call'd a Furnace of fire; they that are sin-makers by Trade shall be cast into it.

It's call'd a Lake with fire and brimstone.

[Page 298]Hell is a place of darkness; those flames will administer heat of Wrath, but no light of Comfort.

Hell is a state of Damnation.

Hell is a place of Destructi­on.

Hell is an accursed State.

Damnation is call'd the second Death, a living Death, a Death that never dyes.

Hell-Torments will be exceeding great.

None but damned Souls know the power of God's Wrath.

Hell is the Centre of all punish­ments; Sorrow and Pain, Wrath and Vengeance, Fire and Darkness, all are there.

The damned will be universally tormented, not one or two parts, but all, and all over, both Soul and Body; the Eye with sight of De­vils, the Ear with hideous Cries, the Smell with the sent of unsavoury Brimstone, the Tast with the Dregs of the Cup of God's Wrath, the Feeling with burning Flames.

The Soul and all its faculties will speed no better; the Under­standing [Page 199] will be tormented with Truth, the Conscience with a gnawing Worm, the Will that men think here a princely thing, there they'll finde it a devilish thing.

Hell-Torments will be without intermission, there's no sleeping there.

Needs there any more, sinner, to fright thee from sinning, which is the way to damnation?

For thy Soul's sake, hear, and fear, and do no more wickedly.

Oh, if thou should'st go from reading of Hell, into Hell, thou would'st say, there was a Prophet; I would not believe it, but now I feel it.

THe world in its best estate is made up of Vanities & troubles.

The lust of the flesh, 1 Joh. 2.16 the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the World.

Faith, Hope and Patience de­sire help to lead the Soul out of Egypt, and conduct it through the Red-Sea and Wilderness.

The Spies are sent into Canaan, and bring good news out of that Land.

Faith sees Sihon, Og, and Amaleck [Page 218] discomfited, and their powers broken.

Faith goes to the Borders of the promised Land, to the very top of Pisga, and upon Mount Nebo; it sends love into Heaven to dwell there with the Lord for ever.

Heb. 11.32 What shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, of Barak, of Samson, of Iephthah, of David, Samuel, and of the Pro­phets:

33. Who through faith subdued King­doms, wrought righteousness, obtain­ed promises, stopped the mouths of Lyons,

34. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, wax­ed valiant in fight, turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens.

Christians, Let us be zealous in our private and publike Prayers; in our Closet, and Family-devotions; so shall we not only enter into rest our selves, but shall teach the way to our Children, our Servants, and our Friends.

Be strictly careful that the gain [Page 219] of the world prove not the loss of your Souls.

Let your hearts be early and late with God.

Time is pretious, and of greater value than Gold.

Wherefore, let it be thy business and the delight of thy Soul, to seek and to serve God.

To seek and to serve here, is the way to be glorified in rejoycing and enjoying hereafter.

Wherefore begin betimes, and be not weary of well doing; for great is your reward.

Take hold of this present oppor­tunity, lest the sloath of your heart, or the cares of this world, cause you to neglect and forget the prize that is set before you.

Unhappy are those poor Souls whose Portion is only in this world.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, 1 Cor. 15.19. we are of all men most mi­serable.

The Cross of Christ is the Chri­stians Crown; the Reproach of Christ is the Christian's Riches; and the Shame of Christ is his Glory.

[Page 222] Gal. 6.14. God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Iesus Christ, by whom the world is cruci­fied unto me, and I unto the world.

In all your actions, let it be your practice to have a respect to your ends.

1 Sam. 2.3 Talk not proudly, let not arrogan­cie come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of Knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

Strive to live above this lower Region, that no accidents may put you out of frame, nor disquiet your Soul.

Col. 3.2. Set your affections on things a­bove, and not on the earth.

If I had the wings of a Dove, I would flie from the Winds, the Storms, and Tempests of this wicked world, and rest my self in the bosom of my Father.

Job 3.17. There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary be at rest.

To disparage Sin, and to incou­rage Holiness, is none of the least Works of a Minister of Christ.

The wicked may drink, roar, [Page 223] and swagger, and sell their pretious Souls for a moments joy, and make light of Damnation; but let them know, for all these things God will bring them to Iudgment: an eternity of intolerable sorrows must pay for their short pleasures.

Hence it is that the serious Chri­stian makes it his business to avoid this dreadful misery; let the wicked please themselves in their sorrows, he knows 'tis but a little while, and all will be mended, and their minds changed.

He is willing to stay for his hap­piness and joys till he come to ano­ther world; and he doth not envy the wicked what they do enjoy, let them make the best of it.

The unseen world, which most forget, is always in the Christians eye; and if he may but live happily there, he passeth not if he run through reproaches, injuries, and a thousand Deaths, to that glorious and endless Life.

This is the grand Reason of the Christians patience; this makes him judge it no folly, but the great­est [Page 224] wisdom to keep the command­ments of God, and the Faith of Jesus.

Those which live like Devils, are not like to dye like Saints, that count all their time lost, they do him no service in; which make a jest of Damning, and are as merry within a step of Hell, as if it and a Tavern were alike.

And yet how well are wicked men pleased and contented with their own condition, and laugh at the Godly, as if it were a dange­rous and mad thing to go to Hea­ven, and the truest happiness to be miserable for ever?

The Devil himself may as well expect to shake off his chains, and be restored to his lost glory, as they: O be not deceived; as you sow, so you must reap.

God gives this world oftentimes to his greatest Enemies; he gives glory in another world to none but his Friends and Children.

Nay, let me speak it freely; They which gain this world with their negligence of Heaven, shall at their death lose both.

[Page 225]Many that would be counted wise, drive a great Trade for that which is next to nothing; and that lay in no better provisions than Gravel, Clay, or Dung, when they are bound for Eternity.

They think they make a very wise Bargain, when they sell their Conscience, God, and Heaven, for a little of that which some call Rich­es.

O that I could but bring down the price of sublunary things, and raise the things of that other world to their true worth.

Think not meanly of Holiness; it's the most excellent thing, it is the greatest Riches, and man's high­est Dignity.

He that knows the worth of Christ, and the nature of his own Soul, let him not envy those that swell like bladders upon water for a moment, and God puffs them off, and where are they?

How can they look for Heaven when they dye, that thought it not worth their minding whilst they lived?

[Page 226]Whatsoever men pursue below Christ, will yield them but little happiness and comfort in another world.

Not every one that wears Christ's Livery, shall have his Wa­ges.

How many seeming Saints shall gain nothing at Death, but a thorow knowledge of their own folly?

O please not your self with fan­cies! Sickness and Death is coming, and then you will know better, the reason of my earnest pleading with you in this matter.

He that hath not got more than ever any Hypocrite could attain, or shall, will miss of Heaven.

The best of God's Children are most suspicious of themselves, and afraid of their own deceitful hearts; and their great request is, that God would deliver them from mistakes in matters of everlasting conse­quence.

It's a common thing for wicked men to carry their false peace along with them to the Grave.

How many thousands are there [Page 227] that dye like Lambs, that are but Swine, and have the Devils brand upon their foreheads?

Many are carried very quickly to Hell, and fear nothing till they feel; and are not brought to their sences, till unspeakable horrour and an­guish doth it.

It hath not a little puzled some, as well as David, to see the wicked dye quietly, and the godly to have a strange death; but God will shortly resolve this Riddle.

That Soul which hath seen the death of Sin, is a person fit for death.

That man is like to be a gainer by Death, who contemns Earth, and makes Heaven his choice.

He that counts nothing worth the having, except Christ, and for Christ, cannot be miserable, when he is lodged safe in his imbraces.

God is oftentimes better, but never worse than his word; The running Christian shall at last obtain the Prize, and the Crown he fights for he shall wear.

What though the Vessel be tost [Page 228] and broke? it shall come safe with its rich Lading, to the desired Har­bour.

O you foolish world, condemn not these spiritual wise Merchants, till you know what their returns are, when their burden is deliver­ed.

He that is willing to dye for Christ, shall live as long as Christ lives, in happiness and rest.

Those Souls are out of Gun-shot, that are instrumental for the shaking the Kingdom of Satan, and weak­ning the interest of Hell in the world.

Who would not be a Christian in good earnest? sure none but a mad-man or a fool.

The highest Worldlings are be­low the meanest and lowest Child of God.

Christianity is a clear Demon­stration of invisibles, witness the many earnests of their Profession. What warm refreshing Rays of Di­vine love break in upon their Souls what Joy, what Experiments, and blessed Intercourses have past [Page 229] betwixt God and such Souls! the fire hath burnt, and of a sudden the Soul hath, e're it was aware, been carried above the world.

The Spirit of Truth will not wit­ness to a lye, neither will Goodness it self put a cheat upon poor crea­tures.

Balaam's wish may throughly convince sinners, that Holiness is no Madness, Piety no Fancie, and Religion no Delusion.

I am perswaded that all the Re­probates in Hell will one day justi­fie the Children of God for their seriousness, and wish a thousand times, that they had had their Scorns, Losses and Torments.

Well then, our Enemies them­selves being Judges, an Israelite indeed is a person of true worth; and without controversie, his Estate is, and shall be comfortable, blessed, and glorious.

O Christian, as long as God is true, you shall not be deceived; as long as he is happy, you shall not be miserable: you are well enough, go on resolutely; 'tis but a little [Page 230] while, and you shall see all this, and more than this a thousand times.

Death will shortly tear off Io­shua's rags, and present him before the Lord without spot or wrinkle.

Sin indeed accompanies the wicked to another world; he rests from his pleasures, and his wicked works follow him.

But it is far otherwise with the godly; sin was his burden▪ and death shall unload him.

Sin shall be confin'd to Hell; Heaven entertains no such defor­mity.

This Tyrant shall no more inslave any of Christ's Subjects.

The house of Saul and the house of David shall no longer contend; that sad conflict between the Flesh and the Spirit, shall then be deter­mined by a full Victory.

Death sets the Soul out of the Devils reach.

This Angel hath nothing to do in Heaven; this Serpent shall not come into the higher Paradise, nor Satan creep into this Eden.

O happy day, when will it come [Page 231] when the Devil shall be as unlike to tempt, as our hearts to close?

When we are got once safe to rest, the Devil shall as easily shake God's Throne, as our Happiness.

Death turns the key, and bolts and bars this Enemy out; then, O then thou shalt see this Pharaoh cast dead on the shore.

Christian, expect not as long as any of that Cainish Generation breath, that thou shouldest be long secure.

What though the world speak great words? thou shalt e're long ride in state to Glory; and then let them do their worst.

When thou art in Heaven, they may curse, and encrease their own misery, but they shall not in the least diminish thy tranquillity.

The beauty of this inferiour world will be darkned by the brightness of that light, which Death leads thee into.

Death blows the dust out of our eyes; it plucks off the vail, and shews us quickly the glory of both worlds.

[Page 232]What Pen can describe the Ho­nour and Dignities of the Sons of God!

A Lazarus, in stead of Beggers, Cripples, and Dogs, had a guard of Angels waiting upon him.

These Chariots and Horse-men of Israel shall carry up Ioseph to his Fathers house.

The Souls of Believers are made perfect in Holiness at Death.

O then how glorious shall the Kings Daughter be, when her beau­ty is made perfect!

O my Soul! when will the sha­dows flee away? when will days and nights be all at an end?

When will time be spent, and the curtain drawn?

How should we think our selves, if our hearts were always as God would have them!

Well, be of good chear, in Mount Zion there shall be deliverance and holiness.

Who that understands this, would not bid death welcom!

That good Old Saint, Simeon, thought it a heaven upon earth to [Page 233] see Christ when his Majesty was vail'd.

This was but a small thing, com­pared to the sight which they shall see when their graces shall be com­pleat.

How will the Heavens eccho of joy, when the Bride, the Lambs Wife, shall come to dwell with her Husband for ever!

Christ is the desire of Nations, the joy of Angels, the delight of the Father.

What solace then must that Soul be filled with, that hath the Pos­session of him to all Eternity!

Is not his Love better than Wine, and a look of his Countenance to be preferred above Corn and Oyl?

Is not all the Glory of Heaven wrapt up in him?

I see now, it is not for nothing that the Virgins did love him.

What mean the world? sure they are dead, blinde, or mad.

Saints blessedness lies in this, that they shall meet with all the Chil­dren of God, and have communi­on with just men made perfect.

[Page 234]Death will bring you acquainted with all those famous Worthies, of whom the world was not worthy.

This Porter opens the door, and lets the Saints Soul into that Palace, where all the favorites of that great Prince reside.

What would I give to see Enoch, that walked with God?

How glad should I be to be ac­quainted with Elias!

How joyful, if I might have some discourse with Paul!

Would it not make one couragi­ous in the cause of God, if one could hear Daniel, or the three Children, tell the Story of their de­liverance?

How should one be pleased to have it from the mouth of Moses, Ioshuah, and Caleb, what God did for Israel in the fields of Ham, the Red-Sea, and the Wilderness? and how he brought them into the Land of Canaan.

Why? as formidable as death looks, it's he that brings us to the speech of all these.

How loth are we now to part, [Page 225] when a knot of us have got toge­ther, to talk about the things of a­nother world!

Heaven hath in it none but Saints and Angels, and the blessed God.

O what acclamations of joy will there be, when all the children of God shall meet together, without fear of being disturbed by the An­tichristian and Cainish Brood!

Is there not a time coming, when the godly may ask the wicked, What profit they have in their plea­sures? what comfort in their great­ness? and what fruit of all their labour?

They shall shortly know that no­thing was lost, which was spent for their Souls and Heaven.

If you would be better satisfied what the Beatifical Vision means, my request is, That you would live ho­lily, and go and see.

A further Addition is, that there is no fear of loosing of it; his E­nemies can't rob him.

If the Grave were but lookt on as a chamber to rest in;

And if Faith could but take [Page 236] death to be but an undressing, to put on better Raiment; how con­tentedly then should we be un­cloath'd, that we might be cloathed with Immortality!

And if the case be so, what a good condition is the dead Saint in!

Lazarus his Resurrection was no cheat; many of the Saints arose, and Christ is risen.

O what kinde of Greeting will these two old Companions have, when they see one another in ano­ther world!

Never let any grutch to serve God chearfully: They which have received their wages, will say that the service of God is not unprofit­able.

But heaven is not got with a wet finger: few run so as to obtain, few fight so as to conquer.

Lazie wishes and a hazard will not do for Heaven.

They that dye in sin, must be bu­ried in Hell.

Who would be afraid of ever­lasting rest?

[Page 237]It is our trifling with God that makes the thoughts of our appear­ing before him to be so dreadful.

How can you live within a few inches of Death, and look the King of Terrour in the face every day, without some well-grounded evi­dence of your Interest in God's love?

What will become of the careless ones of the world, that think little of Death, and less of Eternity!

THe Doctrine of Repentance supposeth that man hath done amiss.

The Doctrine of Faith is another for Righteousness and Hope, con­cludes man to be without Righte­ousness and Hope in himself.

'Tis not the Law, but Sin, that works man's death and ruine.

Sin is contrary to God: Carnal men are Enemies to God, rebels and despisers of God; resisters, fighters, blasphemers and atheists against God. Sinners are actors of High-Treason against the Majesty of God, and will not that he shall reign over them.

More particularly,

Sin is contrary to God's Nature: he is Holy; he is so, and cannot but [Page 244] be so: he is all Holy, and always Holy, altogether Holy.

And sin is sinful, all sinful, onely sinful, altogether sinful.

Sin is contrary to God's Attri­butes; it will not that the King of Kings should be in the Throne, and govern this World which he hath made: sin attempts to dethrone God.

Sin denies God's all-sufficiencie: Every Prodigal that leaves the Fa­thers house, doth practically say so. Sin dares the Justice of God, and challengeth God to do his worst; it provokes the Lord to jealousie, and tempts his wrath.

Sin disowns God's Omniscience: Tush, cry sinners, God sees not.

Sin despises the riches of God's goodness.

Sin turns God's grace into wan­tonness.

Sin is the dare of God's justice, the rape of his mercie, the jeer of his patience, the slight of his power, and the contempt of his love.

And further, 'tis the upbraid of his providence, the scoff of his promise, the reproach of his wis­dom, [Page 245] and opposeth and exalts it self above all that is called God.

Sin is contrary to the works of God: sin may be impleaded for all the mischiefs and villanies that have been done in the world; 'tis the Master of Mis-rule, the Author of Sedition, the Builder of Babel, the Troubler of Israel and all Man­kinde.

Sin is contrary to God's Law, to all his Orders and Rules, to his Appointment.

'Tis not onely a Transgression of, but a Contradiction also to the Will of God.

'Tis an Anti-Will to God's Will: David in fulfilling the will of God, was said to be a man after God's own heart.

And they that obey the will of sin, are said to walk after the Heart of sin.

Sin is contrary to God's Image wherein man was made; viz. in Righteousness and true Holiness; but sin is as deformity and ugliness; sin is the Devil's Image: never was a Childe more like the Father, [Page 246] than a sinner is like the Devil.

Sin is contrary to the People and Children of God.

Though sin cannot hate them so much as God loves them; yet the more God loves them, the more sin sets its hatred against them.

The Serpentine Race will not suffer the little Flock and Remnant of the holy Seed to have one quiet day.

The Devil is a man-hater, but more a Saint-hater.

Sin is contrary to God's Glory: Good men would do all they do to the Glory of God, but sin will let them do nothing at all to God's Glory.

Might sins desires take place, there should not be a person or thing by whom and whereby God should be pleased or glorified.

Sin is contrary to God's being; sinners are God-haters, and, as much as in them lies, they are God-mur­therers.

And if its power were as great as its will is wicked, it would not suffer God to be.

[Page 247]God is a troublesome thing to sinners, and therefore they say, De­part from us. Sinners they would break Christ's bonds, and make war with the Spirit of Peace. Who­ever thou art, pause a little, and con­sider what is said of sin: it is to be considered by the sinner, and is meant of thine and my sin.

Canst thou finde in thine heart to plead for such a Monster? Wilt thou love that which God hates? God forbid.

Oh, say to this Idol, yea to this Devil, Get thee hence, thou Childe, yea Father of the Devil; thou that art the founder of Hell, an enemy to all Righteousness. Oh think on't: what! hast thou no value, no regard for thy Soul? Wilt thou neglect and despise it, as if't were good for nothing but to be damned, and go to Hell?

Sin is contrary to the good of man, and nothing is properly and absolutely so but sin: and this results evidently from sins contrariety to God, as there is nothing contrary to God but sin. (For Devils are not so, but sin.)

[Page 248]Sin being a separation between God and man, an interruption of his Communion and Conformity, it must needs be prejudicial and hurtful to him.

Man's sufferings follow at the heels of sin; suffering and sin in­volve each other: no sooner did sin enter into the world, but death (which is a privation of good) did enter by it, with it, and in it: for 'tis the sting of death; so that sin saith, Here is death, and death saith, Here is sin.

Sin is against man's good; here in time, and hereafter in Eternity; in this world which now is, and in that to come. Particularly,

Against man's body, it hath cor­rupted man's blood, and made his body mortal, and thereby rendered it a vile body: our bodies, though made of dust, were yet more pre­tious than fine Gold; but when we sinned, they became vile bodies.

Before sin, our bodies were Im­mortal, (for Death and Mortality came in by sin) but now alas they must return to dust! and it's ap­pointed [Page 249] to all men once to dye, and 'tis well if they dye but once.

Sin is against the good of man's Soul too; and this is much more to man's hurt: 'tis well with his Soul; so that we can more easily and cheaply dye than be damn'd.

Nothing but sin doth wrong a man's Soul, and there is no sin but doth that.

Sin is against man's well-being in this life; man was born to a great estate, but by sin (which was and is Treason against God) he forfeited all.

Man came into the world as in­to an house ready furnish'd; but when man sinned, God turn'd him out of all.

Thus by sin man that was the Emperour of Eden, is banisht from his native Country, and must never see it more, but in a new and living way, for the old is stop'd up: all we have (our Food and raiment) is but lent us, we are only Tenants at will.

The sin of man had left the Son of man nothing when he came into [Page 250] the world for the recovery of man.

If he will come in the likeness of sinful flesh, he must speed not like the Son of God, but Son of man.

Nay, the venimous Nature of sin is such, that it fills that good which God left us with vanity and vexation, with bitterness and a curse, sweat and sorrow: many a grieving Bryer and pricking Thorn stick fast to him.

More particularly,

Sin is against man's rest, 'tis a sore Travail which the Sons of men have under the Sun; yea he hath not rest in the night, but is haunted if not frighted with extravagant and frightful dreams: Man's ground is over-grown with thorns; he hath many an aking head and heart, many a sore hand and foot (before the year come about) to get a little livelihood out of this sin-curst ground.

The old world was very sensible of this; Sin, Curse, and Toyl keep company.

Sin is against man's comfort and joy; if man laugh, sin turns it to madness; all our sweet meats have [Page 251] sower sawce. In sorrow shalt thou eat: his bread is the bread of Af­fliction.

The Woman hath her share of sorrow: for the time of conception, breeding, bearing, and birth are tedious.

Sin is against man's health; till sin, there were no Diseases and Sick­nesses: let a man take the best Air he can, and eat the best Food he can, let him eat and drink by rule, let him take never so many Antidotes, Preservatives, and Cor­dials, yet man is but a crazie sickly thing for all this.

Sin is against the quiet of a man's natural Conscience: for it wounds the Spirit, and makes it intolerable; A wounded Spirit who can bear?

This broken Spirit drieth the bones, it sucks away the marrow and radical moisture. A good Con­science is a continual Feast, but sin mars all the mirth. When Cain had killed his Brother, and his Con­science felt the stroak of his Curse, he was like a distracted man, and mad: When Iudas had betrayed [Page 252] his Master, he was weary of his life.

Sin is against the beauty of man, it takes away the loveliness of their Complexions, and alters the very air of their Countenance; it makes man vanity, and his beauty vain.

Sin is against the loving and con­jugal Cohabitation of Soul and Bo­dy: Sin sowed discord between them, and made them jar: many a falling out there is now betwixt Bo­dy and Soul, between Sense and Reason; they draw several ways: there's a self-civil War.

The Soul is become a Prisoner to the Body. (Rather than a free man.)

Too too often the beast is too hard for the man, and the horse rides the Rider. Sense lords it, and domineers over Reason.

Sin is against man's relative good in the world; man's weal or woe lies much in relations: by sin, that which was made for an help, proves an hindrance: Sin hath spoil'd so­ciety: one man is a Woolf, nay a Devil to another. Sin will not [Page 253] suffer Husband and Wife, Parents and Children to live quietly, but sets them at variance: they of a mans own house and bosom, that eat the bread at his Table, are the worst Enemies.

Sin is against the very being of man: Sins aim is, not onely that man should not be well, but that man should not be: How many doth it strangle in the Womb? How many doth it send from the Cradle to the Grave, that they have run their race before they can go?

Others dye in their full strength, besides the havock that is made by War.

Man no sooner lives, but begins to dye; sin lays all in the dust, the Prince and the Begger; sin hath reduc't man's age to a very little pit­tance, not only to seventy, but to seven; for among men no mans life is valued more.

In a moral sense, sin hath degra­ded man by defiling him. Sin hath rob'd man of his primitive Excel­lencie; of a Lord, he is become a servant, yea a slave to Devils, and lusts of all sorts.

[Page 254]His body is defiled: their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, with their tongues they use deceit, the poyson of Asps is under their Lips, their Throat is an open Sepul­chre, Eyes full of Adultery, the Eye-lids Haughty, Ears dull of Hearing, yea deaf as the Adder; the Forehead as impudent as a Brow of brass, both Hands are imployed to work Iniquity, the Belly an I­dol-God, the Feet are swift to shed Blood.

Within the Gall is a Gall of Bit­terness, the Spleen is infected with Envy and Malice.

Sin hath defil'd the Soul, so that man is faln short of the Glory of God, and the Glory of being Gods.

It must be new created or renew­ed till God will own it for his, be­cause till then his Image is not legible.

Yea, the Flood which washt away so many sinners, could not wash a­way sin; the same heart remain'd after the Flood as before.

Sin hath made the heart of man deceitful, obstinate: out of the heart [Page 255] come vain and villanous words. Sin hath defiled and spoiled mans Memory and Conscience, and al­most put out that leading faculty the Understanding.

Sin hath darkened the Under­standing; poor man is wise to do evil, but to do good hath no know­ledge.

Poor man is covered with Egyp­tian thick darkness.

Man, now like the blinde Sodo­mites, gropes to finde the door.

Man hath lost his way since he lost his eyes.

Poor man catches at every straw, and grasps every trifle.

Man cannot comprehend the light, though it shine.

In the innocent golden Age, man could have comprehended the least light that came from God, and have seen day at a little hole; he could have looked on the Sun, and his eye not twinkle.

But now the wisdom of God, the Gospel, continues an hidden thing to this blinded world.

Man's darkness appears by his [Page 256] walking in all manner of wicked­ness; who but blinde men would walk in dirt up to the ears, yea over head and ears?

It appears that sin hath blinded man, for he knows not whither he goes.

Men are busie in this world (like a company of Ants) creeping up and down from one Mole-hill to another, but are not so wise; for the Ants know, but poor blinde men know not whither they go, whether forward or backward, from home or to home.