Directions for a Comfortable Walking with God, Religious treatise (9 of 9)

Directions for a Comfortable Walking with God · Religious treatise (9 of 9)

p. 353I conclude the whole point, and a good part of my meaning in the words of an excellent Writer, not much altered. I not onelyonly hold it lawfull to reioyce in those good things, wherwith God hath blessed vsus in any kind whatsoeuer, especially the sauing gifts of the holy Ghost; but a note of much vnthankefulnesse, to entertaine them with a sullen and vnfeeling disposition. Yet all humane affections and endowments, wherein due reuerence to God is wanting, are no better then obscure clouds, hindring the influence of that blessed Light, which clarifies the soule of man, and predisposeth it vntounto the brightnesse of eternall felicitie. So that insolent ioy and ouerweening which a man in the pride of his vaine imagination, conceiueth of his owne worth, doth aboue all other passions blast our minds, as it were, with lightning, and make vsus reflect our thoughts vponupon our owne seeming inherent goodnesse; forgetting the whilest Him, to whom we are indebted for our very Being: and besides, it blowes vponupon our gifts with such a malignant humour, that they also become vnfruitfull, and vnprofitable to others.

Thus much concerning the first extreme and errour in managing our spirituall estate, to wit, a proud ouerprizing of our owne graces with a conceited ouer-weening selfe-estimation. p. 354I come now to the second, which is, A deiected distrustfull vndervaluing of Gods mercies, the promises of life and graces which we possesse.

And here I cannot hold, but must, euen with some indignation, expostulate and contest with many of Gods hidden Ones, Psal. 83. 3.Ps 83:3about their heauy, pensiue, and vncomfortable walking; for that they are so farre from entertaining and expressing that vnspeakable glorious ioy, which vponupon their new birth, is their natiue portion and patrimonie; their iust and due inheritance; as certainely theirs by an euerlasting proprietie and right (if they would but open their eyes to see it, and enlarge their hearts to graspe it) being a fruit of that holy Spirit whichGalat. 5. 22. Rom. 14. 17.Gal 5:22Rom 14:17 dwels in them; and a price of Christs Kingdome established in their soules, as their cloathes vponupon their backes, their hearts in their bodies, and blood that runnes in their veines: I say, they are so farre from walking in the strength, and light of this ioy, that they wickedly, I dare say, if not wilfully, abandon and expose their spirits, freed for euer by the Lambs blood, from the hellish fangs of any slauish horrour, to the vnnecessarie racke of much fruitlesse, vnworthy, and slauish sadnesse. Whereby, besides their owne needlesse sinfull selfecreated torment:

1. They most vnworthily vndervalue, abridge, and disparage the infinitenesse of Gods dearest and tender mercy; who is a thousand times more ready and forward to binde vp any broken heart, then it to bleed before him.

2. They vnnecessarily disable and indispose themselues for the duties, and comfortable discharge of both their Callings.

3. They gratifie Satan, and satisfie his cruell humor; who if hee cannot hauehave a mans company in Hell hereafter; (for if he were sure of that, he would make him liue as ioyfully and Iouially, as hee could possibly) he labours might and maine, to hold him vponupon the racke of slauish distrustfull terrours, all the dayes of his life.

4. They are thereby many times occasions of discouragement, and disheartning to those which are without, that they p. 355are more loth to enter into the wayes of life; preiudging them to be thorny and rough, darke and deepe, full of dumps and drooping, of heauinesse and horrour; whereas indeed and truth, they are all paued with mercy and louelove, strowed with Violets and Roses, full of fresh springs of spiritual comforts, and sweetly illightned euen in the darkest passages, with heauenly and healing beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse. For whether it bee fit to beleeue the Spirit of all truth and comfort; or the scornefull spirit of impure drunkards, and Satans Reuellers; iudge you. This precise andforeign; Walke circumspectly, or precisely, Eph…. 5. 15. strict walking, say they, which is pressed vponupon vsus with such importunatenesse, and confidence, would not leade vsus to mopishnesse and melancholy; would enchaine vsus to that abridgement of our pleasure, restraint from company; from crowning our selues with Rose-buds, and former courses of good fellowship and mirth, of which our generous and Iouiall spirits are most impatient, and vtterly vncapable. But what saith the blessed Spirit; aaProu. 3. 17.Prov 3:17Her wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse: and all her paths are peace. They giuegive them occasion to mis-conceiue, that the yoke of Christ is burdensome, and will gaule their necks: whereas in truth and tryall, it is bbSuscipite iugum Christis nolite timere quòd iugum est: festinate quòd leue est. Non conterit colla, sed honestat. Quid dubitatis? Quid procrastinatis? Non alligat ceruicem vinculis: sed mentem gratiâ copulat, &c. Ambr. de Heliâ & ieiunio, cap. 22. Nolite onus pertimescere, suauitatis enim eximiae plenum. Chrysost. in cap. 11. Mat. Mutantur gaudia. non tolluntur.easie and light, and would prooue a chaine of heauenly Pearles to adorne their soules; that after they hauehave giuen their names to profession, they shall neuer hauehave merry day, but must necessarily bid adieu to all delight: whereas their ioyes should not be taken away, but onelyonly changed, as one of the Ancients speakes; and that most happily, and with an vnualuable aduantage. For the filth and froth of their sensuall bitter-sweet pleasures, fugitiue follies, & furious delights, which passe away in the act, as the taste of pleasant drinke dyeth in the draught, should bee turned into that true vnconquerable spirituall ioy, which the World cannot giuegive, nor man, nor deuill take away. ccEcquandóne vidisti flammam stipulâ exortam; claro strepitu, largo fulgore, cito incremento; sed enim materiâ leui, caduco incendio, nullis reliquijs? Such is carnall mirth.Their crashes of loud laughter amid their pots and pastimes, which are but as the cracking of thornes vnderunder a pot, the Deuils Wakes and Musicke for Hell, should be conuerted into a sweet, constant, habituall contentment of minde. Nay more; whereas before in the very height and p. 356ruffe of their maddest meetings, most roaring outrages and reuellings, their hearts vponupon remembrance of death, their secret impenitent guiltinesse, that strict account at Gods dreadfull Tribunall, at which they may bee arraigned the next houre, &c. were full often twitcht aaVides conuiuium peccatoris: Interroga eius conscientiam, Nonne grauiùs omnibus foetet sepulchris? Intueris laetitiam eius: & salubritatem mira…is corporis; filiorum atque opum abundantiam: introspice vlcera & vibices animae eius; cordisque moestitudinem. Ambr. offic. lib. 1. cap. 12.and stung with many inward bitter gripings, and slauish foretastes of hellish terrour; yet vponupon their change, and change of ioyes, euen in the highest tide and torrent of their penitent bbDulciores sunt lachrymae▪ orat…tium, quàm gaudia the atorum. August. in▪ Psal. 127.Ps 127teares, and sorrow for sinne, (and they should be sad for nothing else) their spirits shall be refreshed and rauisht with a Paradise of sweetest peace, and heauenly glimpses of eternall light. In a word, if they would in earnest abandon the Deuils seruice, come out of Hell, giuegive their names vntounto Christ in truth, and try; I dare assure them in the Word of life and truth, they would not exchange the saddest houre of all their life afterward, with the prime and flower of all their former sensuall pleasures; might they hauehave ten thousand Worlds to boot. Here then is no losse in the change. But in the meane time, much to blame are they, who being truly Gods, yet out of weakenesse, want of wisdome, wilfull listning vntounto the father of lyes, will not giuegive way to the counsell of the Prophets, that they may prosper in spirituall hearts-ease, and so preuent such occasions.

Let those that hate to bee reformed, hang downe their heads: let swaggering Belshazzars countenance bee changed; let his thoughts trouble him; let the ioynts of his loynes bee loosed, and his knees smite one against another: let the hearts of all ambitious Nimrods, couetous Worldlings, swinish Drunkards, filthy Whoremasters, cruell Vsurers, louers of pleasures; or whosoeuer liue and lye in any beloued sin against an illightned conscience, tremble as the leaues of the Forrest Iob …5. 2….Job 5:2that are shaken with the wind: Let a sound of feare be euer in their eares, and sorrow seize vponupon their hearts, as the pangsIer. 4. 31.Jer 4:31 of a woman in trauaile; euen as the torture of her that bringeth forth her first child: Let trouble and anguish, and the cupIob 15 24. Isa. 51. 17.Job 15:24Isa 51:17 of trembling in the hand of the Lord make them afraid; and let them eueryevery houre looke to meete their angry God, as a p. 357Hosea 13▪ 8.Hos 13:8Beare bereaued of her Whelps, to rent the very cawle of their hearts, and to deuoure them like a Lion: Let sadnesse sit vponupon their foreheads as its proper seate, and furies of conscience affright their spirits still with cryes of blood: Let no voyce of ioy or gladnesse bee heard in their habitations, but the most griezly apparitions of damned horrour, dwell for euer in the eye of their guilty consciences. For without repentance, this is their lot, and this is their euerlasting portion. And most happy were they, if any thing would fright and fire them out of the armes of darkenesse and snares of the deuill; I say, let the aspiring Lucifers looke heauily, vponupon foresight of their dreadfull downfall; for though they exalt themselues as the Eagle, and Obad. 4.Obad 1:4though they set their nests among the starres; yet thence will I bring them downe, saith the Lord. Though their excellencie Iob 20. 6, 7.Job 20:6Job 20:7mount vp to the heauens, and their head reach vntounto the clouds, yet they shall perish for euer like their owne dung. Let all couetous worldlings cry out, for so the holy Ghost commands them; Goe to now, ye rich men, weepe and howle for your miseries Iam. 5. 1, 2.Jas 5:1Jas 5:2that shall come vponupon you; your riches are corrupted, and your garments motheaten, your gold and siluer is cankered, and the rust of them shall bee a witnesse against you, and shall eate your flesh as it were fire: ye hauehave heaped treasure together for the last dayes. Let all impure goodfellow-drunkards hold downe their heads, and howle for the horrible Woe which dogs them at heeles: Woe to the Crowne of Pride, to the Drunkards of Isa. 5. 11, 12. & 28. 1, 2. 1. Cor. 6. 10.Isa 5:11Isa 5:12Isa 28:1Isa 28:21 Cor 6:10Ephraim. Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong One, which as a tempest of haile, and a destroying storme; as a flood of mighty waters ouerflowing, shall cast downe to the earth with the hand, the Crowne of Pride: the Drunkards of Ephraim shall be troden downe vnderunder feete. Let the very heartstrings of all lasciuious wantons tremble at the terrour of that cutting commination, Heb. 13. 4. Whoremongers and Adulterers God will iudge. Let that stinging But, Eccles. 11. 9. strike cold to the hearts of all sensuall Gallants and sonnes of pleasure: Reioyce, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheere thee in the dayes of thy youth, and walke in the wayes of thine heart, p. 358and in the sight of thine eyes: But, know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into iudgement. Nay, let the heart of eueryevery man, whosoeuer he be, of what cloth soeuer his coat be made, that goes on in the willing allowed practise of any one knowne sinne, fall asunder in his brest like drops of water, for the day of horrour that is at hand, and the sword of vengeance which hangs ouer his head. For certainly, at length thePsal. 68. 21.Ps 68:21 Lord will wound the hairy scalpe of eueryevery one that goeth on still in his trespasses. In a word, wayling and wringing of hands, woe and alas, is the merriest song that any wicked man vponupon earth can sing vponupon good ground, while hee yet abides in his vnregenerate state. Who doth not see and acknowledge it; except he wilfully shut his eyes, or be grosly hoodwinktIsa. 51. 17.Isa 51:17 by the Deuill or a ranke Atheist? For there is a cup, which is called, a cup of Gods fury, and a cup of trembling, in the hand of the Lord; whose little finger is able to beate the greatest mountaine to powder, and rent the hardest Rocke in pieces: and the wine is red; which intimates vntounto vsus the sharpenesse and fiercenesse of Gods fiery indignation: it is full of mixture; brimfull of stinging ingredients: and he powreth out of the same; to stirre vp and quicken, as it were, the bitternesse and very bottome: and all the wicked of the earth shall, will they, nill they, wring out the dregs thereof and drinke them, Psal. 75. 8.

But now on the other side, Let all those of the Brotherhood, 1. Pet. 2. 17.1 Pet 2:17I vse the phrase of the holy Ghost; all those who hauehave giuen their names to Christ in truth, and are true of heart in his holy seruice, vponupon whose heads euerlasting light doth rest, lift vp their heads. Let the amiable aspect of sweetnesse and peace euer dwell vponupon their foreheads: Let heauenly beames of spirituall lightsomnesse and mirth shine fresh in their faces: Let neuer vncomfortable dampe of any slauish sadnesse or touch of hellish terrour, vexe their blessed hearts: Let them neuer more be afraid of any euill tydings, or of destruction when it commeth. In a word; Let them be infinitely and for euer merry, and sweetly glad at the very heart roote. And good cause why. It is the charge and command p. 359of the Spirit of all truth and comfort, Bee glad in the Lord, and reioyce ye righteous, and shout for ioy, all yee that are vpright in heart, Psal. 32. 11.

Oh therefore that the Lord would bee pleased so to perfume and sweeten the ensuing passages, with the refreshing glimpses of his glorious face, and deare infusions of Diuine Ioy; that I might bee vouchsafed that honour of being his humble Instrument, to raise vp, and quicken the drooping spirits of all that are true of heart; of all that beare a sincere inuincible affection to the Gospel of Iesus Christ, and power of Godlinesse; that they would be euerlastingly merry; that they would arise and shake themselues from the dust, and put on their beautifull garments; that they would for euer, with a resolution neuer to bee shaken with all the powers of hell, banish and barre out of their happy soules, all their vnnecessary scruples, distrusts, deiections, sad thoughts, and heauinesse of heart; that they would out of sensiblenesse of their present vnutterable felicity, and strength of their truly Heroicall spirits, beare and behaue themselues as heires of heauen indeed; and as the Fauourites of the King of Kings! So should they infinitely more honour the sweetnesse of Gods mercifull disposition; the dearenesse of his louelove; the tendernesse of his compassionate bowels; the bottomlesse mysterie of his free grace; the preciousnesse and truth of his promises; the vnualuablenesse of his Sonnes Blood; the pleasantnesse of the wayes of grace; and the glorious worke of the holy Ghost vponupon their owne blessed soules.

Let them euer keepe fresh and strong in their mindes for this purpose, such causefull considerations as these.

1. True ioy, the most noble, sweet and amiable affection, that euer warmed the heart of man, is by warrantable proprietie and rightfull interest, onelyonly peculiar and proper to honest, humble, and holy hearts. Such gracious and golden Cabinets are onelyonly fit for this heauenly Iewell. The beauty and deliciousnesse of it, are confined onelyonly to the communion of Saints, the sealed Fountaine, the Spouse of Christ. The Brotherhood alone is blessed with its refreshments and1. Pet. 2. 17.1 Pet 2:17 p. 360rauishing influence. It neuer did, or euer will shine or sparkle out the least glimpse vponupon the world, or to any earthly heart. The most ambitious eager hunters after pleasures, the worlds greatest Fauourites and dearest minions, hauehave onelyonly but ingrost and graspt a Bedlam aaSi dicam iucundi…a; incipit homini occurr…re talis iucunditas, qualem solet habere in poculis, in prandijs, in auaritiâ, in honoribus seculi. Extolluntur enim homines, & laetitiâ quadam insaniunt: sed non est gaudere impijs, dicit Dominus. Est enim iucunditas quaedam, quam nec oculus vidit, nec auris audiuit, nec in cor hominis asce…dit August.counterseit of it: I said of laughter, saith, Salemon, It is mad. For the truth is, no wicked or vnregenerate man hath any true cause or good ground at all to reioyce, laugh, or bee merry. I will make it plaine in a word, euen to the scorner. Suppose a great man conuicted and condemned for Treason, going towards the place of execution a mile off: and let there a Table all along be furnished with variety of dainties; let him tread vponupon Violets and Roles, cloth of Arras, cloth of Gold, or what you will, all the way; let him bee attended on both sides with most exquisite musicke and honourable entertainments: Doe you thinke all this would make him laugh heartily, carrying this in his heart, that he must loose his head at the miles end? I …row not. As farre lesse true cause hast thou to laugh, whosoeuer thou art, that walkest on impenitently in any wicked course, or liest delightfully in any beloued sinne; as a temporall death is lesse then endlesse torments. For he is but going to loose his head; but thou▪ as an already condemned man also, art posting towards hell. Hee that beleeueth not, saith Iohn, is condemned already, Ioh. 3. 18. If we peruse punctually the happiest estate of the most glorious worldling, & all his wayes; we shall finde no matter at all for true ioy▪ either to breed in, or feed vponupon. Let v… walke into his fooles Paradise, and suruey all the f…ding …owres of his imaginary felicities. It may be we shall finde wealth, power, pleasures, honours, pompe, and magnificence of state; perhaps an Imperiall Crowne, the top of all earthly happinesse. And what of all these▪ Alas! Gold and Pearle, a… one sayes, are but shining dust, or excrements of the earth: Power, is but a flash of lightning, …hat feares or strikes another, and foorth with it selfe is suddenly extinct: Pleasure, is but a baite, and yet passeth away in the act, as the taste of a pleasant drinke dieth in the draught: Honour, is but a breath, and yet binds a man p. 361in guilded fetters, and blasts his spirit with farre more care and feare, then when hee was most meane: Euen as highest boughs are most shaken by the windes, and the points of steeples beaten most with stormes and lightning. All worldly splendor and pompe, is but a aaNon debet pro magne h…beri honor human… quis nullius est ponderis fumus. Aug de ciu…t. Dei. lib. 5 cap. 17. pag. 313.smoake, which vanisheth as it riseth, and drawes teares from the eyes. Euen a Reg…ll Diademe, in the sence and censure of an Heathenish King, is attended with such a weighty irkesome, and painfull charge▪ that, saith he, He who foreknew the weight of a Scepter, should he finde it lying vponupon the ground, he would not deigne to take i… vp. And what is himselfe, the owner and Lord of all these? A little walking earth, a coloured piece of clay, a warme piece of dirt, a very bag of choler, fleame, and other filth; to day a man, to morrow none: his breath is in his nostrils; stop but his nose, and he is dead. And what is his abode amongst these painted vanities and things of nought? For sudden passage and change, it is like a Shepheards tent, a Weauers shuttle, or a water bubble; like a hying Poast, or a flying cloud; like a ship vnderunder saile, or an Eagle on her wings; like a fading flower, or a falling leafe; like foame that is scattered, or dust that is driuen with the winde; like a vapour, a thought, a smoake, a winde that passeth and commeth not againe; like a flying shadow, yea, the very dreame of a shadow, as one sayes, and that a morning dreame, which is euen as soone ended as begun. But let vsus looke into his inside, and the state of his soule, and see if wee can there finde any more peace, comfort, or constancie. No, there you shall behold a liuely resemblance of the very restlesse tumultuations of the raging sea; the neuer-dying Worme breeding and growing big in the froth of his filthy lusts, and rottennesse of his rebellious heart: In a word, his poore soule bleeding to eternall death. Let vsus come vntounto his death; from the ineuitable stroake whereof, all the Gold and Pearle of East and West can no more redeeme him, then can an handfull of dust; and there he shall find despaire and horrour, like two euening Wolues, enraged with hellish hunger; ready to teare his soule in pieces, when there is none to help. And what followes? He must p. 362lay down his cold carkasse among the stones of the pit, at the rootes of the rocks: his name, by reason of his former pride▪ luxury, oppression, opposition to goodnesse, shall rot as fast, and stinke as bad aboue ground, as his body in the graue. And lastly, the onelyonly forethought whereof should make him tremble all the dayes of his life; his immortall soule sinkes irrecouerably by the weight of sinne, into the bottome of the burning Lake; where there are torments without end, and past imagination; exceeding not onelyonly all patience, but all resistance; where there is no strength to fustaine, nor abilitie to beate; that which there, whilest God is God, for euer must be borne. And when they hauehave beene endured aaSi post tot millia annorum, quot capillos habue. runt omnes, quicunque fuc…unt, & erunt▪ …oenas suas … rent, multò leuiùs eas …: sed quia spem non habent, nec habebunt, desperatione deficient, & ad tormenta non sufficient. Aug. De spiritu & anim… cap. …6.millions of yeeres; yet are no neerer end…, then when they began; nor the soule neerer out, then when it came in. Tell me then, I pray you, in all this, is there any roome for reioycing? Is there any matter for true mirth? No more then taste in the white of an egge, then strength in a broken staffe of reede, then sweetnesse in the apples of Sodom. Why then, it is a shame for the weakest Christian that breathes but the spirituall life, euen of holy desires … not to be infinitely more merry then the most glorious and magnificent worldling vponupon earth. Shall a gracelesse wretch, going towards hell, to whom God himselfe hath proclaimed, There is no peace, no ioy, bbforeign. Esa. 57. 21. Malihomines non gaudere, sed g…stire dicsitur propriè. Non est gaudere impijs, dicit Dominus Aug. de Ser. dom. in Mont. lib. 2. cap. 18.Isa 57:21as the Sep…uagints tender it; who is a meere. Thiefe, Robber and vsurper, in respect of all the ioyes vponupon which he intrudes; and which way soeuer hee casts his eyes, if hee weare not false spectacles, or bee blindfolded by the Diuell, can see nothing but the vgly face of horrour, and true cause of trembling. If hee looke backward vponupon the time past; hee may see all the abominable lusts of his youth, all the sinnes of his former life, registred with an iron pen in the booke of his conscience; and lurking there like so many sleeping lions; who vpō the very first touch of Gods visiting hand, will awake, arise, and rent impieces. If he looke vponupon his present state, thorow the cleare Cristall of Gods righteous Law: He may see Diuine vengeance dogging him hard at the heeles; ready to strike him downe into hell, vponupon p. 363the next riot and rebellion against … patient Lord, That most horrible fiery tempestuous …, Psalm. 11. 6. ready to fall vponupon his head, euen when he is warmest in his wealth, and in the hottest gleame of his worldly prosperity: sudden destruction ready to seaze vponupon him vnauoydably, as trauell1. Thes. 5. 3.1 Thess 5:3 vponupon a woman with childe, when hee is singing the securest Requiem to his soule of safety and peace. If hee looke forward to future time, hee sees death, the graue, Gods strict Tribunall, the last Iudgement, and endlesse miseries of the other world: the sting, poyson, and terrors of which, he shall neuer be able, either to auoide or abide. I say, Shall such a fellow fleere in the face? And shall not a true hearted Nathanael, to whom Iesus Christ hath bequeathed a legacy ofIoh. 14. 27.John 14:27 peace; whom the Spirit of God bids reioyce euermore; and who, which way soeuer he lookes, if he open his eye of faith, shall see nothing but matter of sweetest contemplation; infinite cause of truest ioy, and spirituall rauishment: If he looke backward vponupon the time, whilest he yet lay vnderunder the …yranny of the Diuell, and dominion of the first death; hee shall see the Catalogue of all his former sinnes, should it be as blacke as hell, as soule as Sodom, as red as scarlet, fairely, and for euer washed away in that fountaine opened for sinne Zech. 13. 1.Zech 13:1and for vncleannesse, euen the precious blood of that immaculate Lambe Iesus Christ, the Holy and the righteous: If hee looke vponupon his present state, he shall finde himselfe preserued as a Iewell most safe in the precious Cabinet of Gods dearest prouidence; enuironed with a glorious guard of mighty Angels; kept by the power of God through faith vntounto saluation, ready to be reuealed in the last time: If hee looke forward, hee shall see death indeed; but the st…g taken out of it by the death of ccQui pro nobis mortem semel vicit, semper vincit in nobis Cyp. ad Martyres.Christ; the graue perfumed to his hand, by his Sauiours blessed Buriall; wherein hee may lye downe as in a bed of Downe, fenced with the omnipotent arme of God, for the glory of the Resurrection; the Throne of grace in Heauen, standing vponupon pillars of mercy and louelove; where Iesus Christ sits as Iudge, who shed his hearts bloud for him; and is his ddQui Iudex tuus f…turus est, ipse is hodie Aduocatus …. Aug. in Psal 51.Ps 51Aduocate, while he yet abides in this vale p. 364of teares; the bosome of Abraham, the armes of God Almighty wide open, and stretched out to receiue him at the end of his Pilgrimage into his Masters ioy: I say, shall such a happy soule not hauehave an Heauen in his heart, but be heauyhearted? Shall a vassall of the Diuell laugh, and an h…ire of Heauen looke heauy? Monstrous absurditie▪

2. EueryEvery Christian, after his new creation, hath euer incomparably more matter of mirth thē mourning; infinitely greater cause to bee rauished with spirituall ioy, then to bee deiected by griefe. Though this may seeme a paradox to the clearest eye, and best apprehension of worldly wisedome▪ yet in truth it is a true principle in the mysterie of Christ. I doe thus manifest it, and make it good to the saddest mourner in Sion; if hee doe not giuegive more care to the lying malicious dictates of the Diuell, and distrusts of his owne heart, then to the well-grounded counsell of the Prophets, and impregnable truth of Gods blessed Word. In the right estimate and valuation, all the afflictions and sufferings of this life▪ whether of soule, bodie, outward state, or any way, are but dust in the ballance, in respect of that exceeding excessiue eternall weight of glory, purchased and prepared for him by the bloud of his dearest Lord. In the aaforeign. 2. Cor. 4. 17.2 Cor 4:17originall it is, as a worthy Diuine sayes well, a superlatiue transcendent phrase of speech, which farre passeth the height of all humane Oratory, and all the R…toricke of the most eloquent Heathens; because they neuer treated vponupon such a Theame; they were not inspired with such a spirit. Whereupon saith the Apostle in another place, Ireckon, that the sufferings of this present Rom. 8. 18.Rom 8:18time, are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall bee reuealed in vsus. Whence it followeth, that a very fore-imagination of that most vnconceiueable happinesse to bee had hereafter; to wit, the shining splendour and sun-like glory of our bodies; the vnspeakeable perfections and excellencies of our soules; the admirable beauty of the place; the glorious comfort of our heauenly company; the beatificall fruition of the most blessed Trinity, &c. and that which crownes our blisse with impossibility of further addition, endlesnesse p. 365of all these: I say, a serious preconceit hereof, illightened and strengthened by saith, is able to hold vp the Christians heart with infinite strength, and to refresh it with a secret vnutterable gladnesse, euen amidst varietie and extremi…ie of all worldly troubles; and doth minister as farre more matter of reioycing, then these of mourning, as that forementioned exceeding 2. Cor. 4. 17.2 Cor 4:17excessiue euerlasting weight of glory, is to bee preferred before a little momentany light affliction. Hence it is, that the holy Martyrs of Iesus were so merry, and sweetly contented in the middest of all their outward miseries, pressures, persecutions, and Martyrdome it selfe. I was in prison, saith bbLaurence …one of them, till I goe into prison. I feele no more paine, saith ccBa…nam.another, in the fire, then if I were in a bed of Downe; it is as sweet to me as a bed of Roses. I beleeue, saith a ddAdolphus Clare bacc…s.third, there is not a … heart in the world at this instant then mine it. To eeFaninus.One obiecting to a fourth, Christs ag…ny and sadnesse to his che…refulnesse: Yea, saith he, Christ was sad that I might be merry. He had my sinnes, and I hauehave his merit and righteousnesse. But specially let vsus looke vponupon Paul, a blessed and precious patterne for vsus to imitate in this point. He was troubled on eueryevery side; Without were fightings, within were feares▪ He was in stripes aboue measure: in prisons more frequent: in deaths …t: Of the Iewes fiue times receiued he forty stripes saue one: Thrice was hee beaten with rods: Once was hee stoned: 2. Cor. 11. 23, &c.2 Cor 11:23Thrice hee suffered Shipwracke: A night and a day was hee in the deepe: In iourneying often, in perils of water, in p…ils of robbers, in perill by his owne countrym…n, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the Citie, in perils in the Wilderness…, in perils in the Sea, in perils amongst false brethren: In wearinesse and painefulnesse, in watchings often: in hunger and thirst, in fastings often: in cold and nakednesse. He was called a pestilent fellow. HeActs 24. 5. 1. Cor. 4. 13. 2. Cor. 12. 10.Acts 24:51 Cor 4:132 Cor 12:10 was accounted as th… filth of th… world▪ and off scouring of all things: And yet for all this, he professeth of himselfe, that hee ffO…nia illa, quae commemotauit … & … & abundan… …; sed profect… ade… ei Spiritus Sanctus, qui in exterioris hominis cor…ptione inte…iorem renouare… ▪ de di… in …em; & … requie spirituall, in affluenti… deliciarum Dei, in spe … beatitudi…is, omnia praesent…a de …, aspera & grauia omnia ….tooke pleasure i… infirmities, in reproches, in necessities, in persecutions, p. 366in distresses for Christs sake. Nay which is more, and more punctuall for my purpose, hee saith in another place, That he was filled with comfort, and exceeding ioyfull in 2 Cor 7. 4▪ foreign. Abundo gaudio supra quam dici possit. I doe ouer abound exceedingly in ioy.2 Cor 7:4all his tribulation. Now eueryevery sincere-hearted Professor is bound to ouer-abound exceedingly in this ioy, as well as Paul. Not so, saith the weake Christian; for Paul had a stronger faith then I▪ and more grace. It is true, but yet thy faith is as true as his. And it is not so much the muchnesse, as the truth of faith, which giues right and interest to a Crowne of life, comfort in all afflictions, and euerlasting lightsomenesse. Therefore well said a worthy witnesse to the truth, Paul and Peter were more honorable members of Christ then I, but I am a member: They had more store of grace then I; but I Francisc… Uarlute.hauehave my measure; and therefore sure of glory. It is strange then, that any true-hearted Nathanael hauing such good ground of reioycing; sinning in that he doth not reioyce; and ioy being so sweet and welcome a guest to the heart of man; should weare out a few and wretched dayes in vnnecessarie heauinesse, and sinfull sadnesse; whereby he highly dishonours Gods free louelove; hinders others from the wayes of life; hurts full sore his owne soule, and onelyonly gratifies Satan.

3. It is a constant marke of eueryevery regenerate man, to make conscience of all Gods Commandements, Psal. 119. 6, Now the holy Ghost doth not onelyonly in many seuerall places giuegive vsus charge to reioyce, but is very earnest vponupon vsus in this poynt: Nay, doth so often double and treble with extraordinary emphasis and elegant gradation, his entreatie and importunitie in the same place. Let the Saints, saith he, be ioyfull with glory, Psal. 149. 5. Let all those that seeke thee, reioyce and be glad in thee, Psal. 40. 16. Reioyce in the Lord, O ye righteous, Psalm. 33. 1. Reioyce euermore, 1. Thes. 5. 16▪ Reioyce in the Lord alway: and againe I say, Reioyce, Phil. 4. 4. Let all those that put their trust in thee, reioyce: let them euer shout for ioy, Psalm. 5. 11. Let the righteous be glad: let them reioyce before God▪ yea, let them exceedingly reioyce, Psalm. 68. 3. Bee glad in the Lord, and reioyce, yee righteous, and shout for ioy▪ all p. 367yee that are vpright in heart, Psal. 32. 11. It is not an arbitrarie or indifferent thing, as some may suppose, to reioyce, or to be sad. But a comfortable commandement is sweetly enforced vponupon vsus, by the fountaine of all comfort, to reioyce; and we breake a commandement, if we reioyce not. And therefore we are bound in conscience to shake our selues from the dust, to plucke vp our spirits, to expostulate and bee angry with our hearts, if they grow heauy as Dauid did: Why art thou cast downe, O my soule, and why art thou disquieted within mee? For wee must answer as well for not reioycing, as for not praying: for breaking this commandement, Reioyce euermore; as that other, Thou shalt not kill: (I know full well there are difference and degrees in sinne.)

But here a weake Professor being pressed to the intertainment and excellency of this ioy, may be troubled and tempted vponupon the suruey of the definition and nature of it. For this spirituall Christian ioy, is a delicious motion of the minde, stirred vp by the holy Ghost, from the presence and possession of Christ Iesus our Soueraigne God, dwelling in the soule by faith; whereby the heart is extraordinarily rauished and refreshed with a sweet, holy, vnspeakeable delight. Now, saith he, if it be so; I must tell you, I find and feele no such sensible grasping of Iesus Christ, in the armes of my faith, or assured possession of him, that I dare admit of this ioy, or meddle with it.

But know, that in the time of thy spirituall infancy, temptations, desertions, and other dampes and deiections of soule especially; let thy feeling or acknowledgement be what it will; thou dost most certainely enioy the Lord Iesus, euenMatth. 5. 5▪Matt 5:5 by a sincere hunger and thirst after him and his righteousnesse, and by thine vpright hearts adhering and cleauing vntounto him, as thy onelyonly and chiefest ioy: and by consequent art vponupon good ground, and by true right interessed to all that ioy, which the blessed Spirit doth so importunately presse vponupon thee inso many places. Here refresh thy memory with the reuise of my former distinction of assurance of euidence, and adherence.

p. 3684. What canst thou thinke vponupon, or what can possibly befall thee; out of which thou being turned vntounto God, and true of heart, maiest not collect matter of comfort, and by the mighty helpe of faith extract some ioyfull meditation? 1. If thou suruay thy graces, with which the free mercy of God hath glorified thy soule, thou shalt see in them a sacred heauenly sun-shine, which is able to illighten the darkest midnight of all thine outward miseries; to disperse & dissolue the blackest and most tempestuous clouds of temporall troubles. Thou shalt feele in thē such an inexplicable excessiue sweetnesse, which were the world aboue thee a Sea of bitternesse and gall, might turne it all into sugar. Thou shalt find in them such an impregnable mortall vigour, that will most certainly vphold thy spirit vnconquerably, at thy dying houre, and before that last dreadfull barre; when all impenitent wretches shall roare like wilde Bulls in a net full of the terrours of God, and cry vponupon the Hills and rocks to hide them from his vnquenchable wrath; which they shall neuer bee able either to auoide or abide. Hence springs that abundant and vnexhausted matter of ioy, that the ioy of Haruest Psal. 126. 1, 2.Ps 126:1Ps 126:2of diuiding great spoiles, and that which is of such rauishing temper, that wee thinke wee are but in a dreame, is but a toy and trifle, a type and shadow to it; and which euer predominates and incomparably transcends all matter of mourning. 2. If thou looke out vponupon thine outward state; vponupon thy wife, children, friends, health, goods, good name, Orchards, Gardens, possessions, honours, or whatsoeuer thou hast attained, or dost enioy with good conscience andDeut. 26. 11. & 16. 15. Mat. 6. 33.Deut 26:11Deut 16:15Matt 6:33 sanctifiedly; thou art bound to reioyce in them, as temporall tokens of Gods eternall louelove; notable encouragements to doe more nobly in his glorious seruice and comfortable additions to thine hope of heauen; but so, and in such order, that as thy cloathes first receiue heate from thy body, before they can comfortably warme it: so some inward ioy of reconcilement to the Creator, must first warme thine heart, before thou canst take any kindly comfort from the creatures. 3. Concerning crosses, afflictions, troubles, persecutions; p. 369which are wont to present themselues to the apprehension of carnall men with much horror; euen in the very bitternesse and extremitie of them, if thou cast the illightned eye of thy soule vponupon such places and promises as these: 1. Cor. 10. 13. Heb. 13. 5. Rom. 8. 28. Heb. 12. 6. 2. Cor. 4. 17. Esay 63. 9. and the 43. 2. and then reflect vponupon thy afflicted selfe, thou mayest, by the marueilous worke of faith, draw a great deale of ioy from them. A patient submission vntounto▪ and fruitfull exercise vnderunder Gods visiting hand, is an vnfallible demonstration that thou art a sonne, and not a bastard. Is there then not more sweetnesse in those aaDuos filios habet homo, alterū castigat, alterum dimittit. Facit vnus malè, & non corripitur: alter mox vt se mouerit, colaphis caeditur, flagellatur. Vnde ille dimittitur; & ille caeditur, nisi huic caeso haereditas seruatu…; ille autem dimissus exhaeredatus est? videt cum non habere spem, & dimittit cum vt faciat quod vult. August. in Psal. 91.Ps 91afflictions, which are euident markes thou art in the right way to Heauen; then in worldly pleasures, which clearely remonstrate to thy conscience, that thou art posting towards Hell? Hence it was, that the Apostles reioyced, being bbSi verbera, & vincula▪ quae omnium videntur tristissima, gaudiū pariun…; quid nos aliorum malorum moestos efficere poterit? Chrysost. in epist. ad Philip. Hom. 14. Religionis nostrae Apostoli ibant gaudentes à conspectu Concilij: quoniam digni habiti sunt pro nomine Iesu contumeliam pati. Nullus ergo locus moeroris esse debet, vbi tanta laetitia succedit. August. de conflict. vitior. & virt. c. 12. Tametsi flagella non gaudij sint occasiones, sed tristitiae & moeroris: nihilominùs flagella propter Deum, & causa propter quam flagellebantur, gaudium …is pa…iebant. Chrysost. Hom. 23. in Gen.beaten, that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Iesus: that Paul and Sylas sung in prison at midnight: that Ignatius cryed; Let Fire, Rackes, Pullies, yea, all the torments of Hell come on mee, so I may winne Christ. 4. Nay, euen contumelies and contempt; reproaches and scorne from the World for thy profession, which naturally much nettles a noble spirit, doe crowne thy head, and should fill thy heart with abundance of glory, blessednesse and ioy. If ye be reproched for the Name of Christ, happy are yee, saith Peter: for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth vponupon you, 1. Pet. 4. 14. Blessed are yee, saith Christ himselfe, when men shall reuile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of euill against you falsely for my sake; reioyce, and be exceeding glad, Math. 5. 11. 12. Scurrilities and scoffes, all spitefull speeches, odious nick-names, lying imputations cast vponupon thee in this kind, by tongues which cut like ccPsal. 52. 2.Ps 52:2a sharpe rasor, are in their due estimate, and true account, as so many honorable badges (Let no cowardly Christian then decline them with wounding of his conscience) of thy Christian magnanimitie, and resolute standing on the Lords side; and at the Throne of Christ will be certainely reputed as characters p. 370of speciall honour, and remembrancers of thy worthy seruice, whereby thou shalt appeare more acceptable and amiable in the eyes of Almightie God, and all that glorious triumphant Church aboue. 5. If thou rightly temper, and well weigh euen thy sorest sorrow, and the very bleeding of thy heart for sinne; it should bee so farre from damping the lightsomnesse of thy spirit, that it ought to open vntounto thee a well-spring of purest ioy. For the penitent melting of our affections, and kindly mourning ouer Him, whom we hauehave pierced with our sinnes, argues infallibly, and sweetely assures the presence and sanctifying power of the holy Spirit. And what greater comfort, or sweeter delight, then that which ariseth from a well grounded euidence, that the Fountaine of all comfort dwels in our soules? Such teares as burst out of a heart opprest with griefe for sinne, are like an April showre, which though it wet a little, yet it begets a great deale of sweetnesse in the herbes, flowers, and fruits of the earth. As euen in laughing the heart of the wicked is sorrowfull: so contrarily euen in such mourning, the heart of the true penitent is lightsome and comfortable. For habituall ioy may not onelyonly consist with actuall sorrow, and contrarily: but also euen actuall ioy with actuall sorrow. This is no strange thing in other cases; when wee see a good man persecuted for a good cause, stand to it nobly; wee grieue for his troubles, but reioyce in his resolution and vndauntednes. As wee ought then to grieue bitterly for our sinnes; so let vsus aaNon est hoc gaudium luctul illi contrarium. Etenim ex illo luctu nascitur quoque hoc gaudium. Qui namque sua ipsius mala luget, & confite. tur, gaudebit. foreign. Chrysost. in epist. ad Philip. hom. 14. Semper doleat poenitens, & de dolore gaudeat. August. de verâ & falsâ poeni…. cap. 13. Beati, qui sic lugetis, quia ridebitis in lachrymis. Scal. Parad. cap. 5.reioyce immeasurably for such ingenuous grieuing. Let vsus lament heartily ouer him, whom we hauehave wounded with our abominable lusts; but let vsus also bee infinitely glad at the very heart roote; that they are all pardoned by the powring out of his blood. Not the most exquisite quintessence and extraction of all manner of Musicke; Sets, or Consorts; vocall or instrumentall; can possibly conuey so delicious a touch and rellish to the outward eare of a man; as a certificate brought from the Throne of mercy by the blessed Spirit p. 371sealed with Christs blood, to the bruised heart and grieued soule of an humble sinner, in the very depth of his sorrow. 6. If thou be troubled with temptations, and exercised euen with varietie of them, heare the holy Ghost: aaforeign I am. 1. 2.Count it all ioy when yee fall into diuers temptations. To let other particulars passe. From the very foulest and most griesly suggestions of Satan; bbCùm cogitatio mala, horrenda, grossa, turpis, n… fariai …portunè occurrerit; non terreatu…, aut tristetur persona… deuota propre…eà nimium: neque credat, …se propter talem, à Deo derelictum; etiam quantum cunque talis cogitatio blasphemia videatur esse contra Dei honorem, au… contra fidera. Sed maiorem fiduciam se pertinendi ad Deum inde accipiat▪ Gers… de …, contra mala… …. Quid…m putan… se esse desertos à Deo, quia non dat eis quietem à tentationibus, quin potiùs tentatio signum diuini amoris sit. Multiplicatio tentationum fig…um est, quòd aliquis de manibus daemonum euaserit. Dum aliquis est in c…rcere, vnicum habet custodem, vel duos: si verò euaserit, omnes eum insequuntur. Sic dum aliquis captus est à Diabolo; non tantum eum daemones perse…ntur, quantum quum euaserit. Illos puls…re negligit, quos iure quieto possidere se sentit. Gregor. Cum …ore debes esse, quando tibi benè est, neque te ad hoc parare, quasi nunquam tenteris. Si enim nunquam tentaris, nunquam probaris. Nonne melius est tentari, & probari, quàm non tentatum reprobari? August in Psal. 144.Ps 144thou mayst collect this common glorious comfort: That thou art none of his. For as hee is wont to keepe vnconuerted men in as merry a moode, and faire a calme of outward contentment, and inward securitie, as he can possibly; retiring and reseruing his most fiery darts and hideous temptations, vntill hee hauehave them at some dead lift, and vnauoidable strait: so all that are broke out of his hellish prison, by the help of the holy Ghost, he ordinarily pursues with deadly rage, and all the powers of darknesse. Hee hunts them in his fittest seasons like a Partridge in the Mountaines, with troubles without, and terrours within. The lesse peace thou hast therefore from him, the more pleasure mayst thou take in thine escape out of his clutches. The more restlessely he followes thee with the fury and variety of his temptations; the more sweetly and securely, if thou wilt giuegive way to the counsell of the Prophets, and the worke of …aith; mayst thou repose thy wearied soule vponupon the comfortable assurance of being certainly Gods.

5. EueryEvery one that hath part in Christs death, is bound in conscience, and bidden by the blessed Spirit to leade a most merry life, euen to keepe a Feast; ccforeign: Epulationis ergo praesens tempus est. Nam cùm dixisset, Epulemur; non quòd Pascha esset, non quòd Pentecoste, idcirco ep…landum intellexerit; sed quòd omne tempus exultationis tempus esset Christianis, propter collatorum beneficior…m excellentiam. Chrysost. in cap 5. ad Cor.a spirituall Holyday, as it were, from all seruile terrours, slauish sadnesse, vncomfortable deiections of spirit: For euen Christour Passeouer is sacrificed p. 372for vsus, therefore let vsus keepe the Feast, 1. Cor. 5. 7.

The sweetnesse and excellency of this Feast, is notably set out and amplified by 1. the beautifull garments wee put on and weare, when we are admitted vntounto it: 2. The matter, and magnificent prouision: 3. The musicke: 4. The franke and bountifull entertainment and plenty: 5. The extraordinarie pompe and princelinesse.

1. For the first, meditate ioyfully vponupon that rich attire, and those Royall attributes, glorifying and crowning Christs blessed Spouse, with most admirable and rauishing beauty, Cant. 6. 10. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, faire as the Moone, pure as the Sunne, terrible as an army with Banners? And know, that all the essentiall glory and fairenesse which is to be found in the whole Church, the Woman Reuel. 12. 1.Rev 12:1clothed with the Sunne; as that of iustification and sanctification, &c. belongs to eueryevery member thereof, to eueryevery faithfull Christian.

As the morning.] 1. The morning springs out of the greatest darknesse; the night is most darke, as they say, a little before day: the illuminated soule arises out of the most darksome and damned graue of ignorance and sinne. 2. The beauty of the morning is principally seene in her **Hence it is, that the Poets call it foreign. The Rosie-fingered morning.ruddinesse: The soule that is newly deliuered out of the horror of Egyptian darknesse, and hands of the hellish Pharaoh, is all ruddy with passing thorow the red Sea of Christs blood; that is the ground vponupon which all its beauty and blessednesse is built. 2. The glory of the morning after its first peeping in the East, spreads fairer and fairer in all beauty and brightnesse, vntill the mid-day, and full illustration of the World: Grace in the soule, after the first plantation, growes stronger and stronger, shines fairer and fairer, vntil it set in the bottomlesse Ocean of endlesse Glory. See Prou. 4. 18.

Faire as the Moone] 1. The Moone receiues all her light and lustre from the Sunne: all the graces, holinesse, inherent righteousnesse, shining in a sanctified soule, are the image and impressions of the Sunne of righteousnesse. 2. The p. 373Moone hath some spots in her face; but yet is a very beautifull creature by her borrowed light. The Christian is somewhat blacke with the remnants of originall corruption, and by reason of his vnauoideable frailties and imperfections; but yet comely as the curtaines of Salomon, by the glory of his new creation and gracious beames that shine vponupon his soule from the face of Christ. 3. The further the Moone is remoued from the Sunne; the fairer she is, and fuller of light: The more an humble soule, vponupon sight of that holy Maiestie and purest eye, ten thousand times brighter then the Sun, which cannot look on iniquitie; doth retire with lowliest thoughts into himselfe, to abhorre himselfe in dust and ashes, as most vile, and farre worthier to be throwne into the lowest dungeon of the kingdome of darknesse, then to bee honoured with the louelove and light of his countenance; is more aaTantò vnaquae que a… …it pretiosior ante oculos Dei▪ quantò prae amore veritatis despectior fuerit ante oculos suos. Gregor. in cap. 1…. lib. cap. 20.beautifull and amiable in the eyes of God.

Fure as the Sunne] The Moone shadowes out inherent fairenesse; the Sunne resembles and represents our imputed puritie: So that this Royall Robe, the Sunne of righteousnesse, the vnspotted Iustice of Iesus Christ, doth glorifie the soule: 1. With an entire vnstained beautie: our inherent holinesse hath some spots and staines of imperfection like the Moone; but that imputed for our iustification, is much more spotlesse and orient then the Sunne. 2 Vniuersally: Wee are washed as it were, from top to toe in the blood of Christ, and couered wholly with his perfect righteousnesse. 3. Constantly: The exercise of spirituall graces and sence of inward comfort, may sometimes ebbe and wa…e for a time; but the Robe of Christs Royall Iustice once put on by the hand of Faith, is sure and the same for euer.

Terrible as an armie with banners.] Besides this rich and royall attire; all this abundance of spirituall fairenesse and beauty; wee are to put on also, le…t hellish Harpies, that I may so speake, snatch away our delicious and diuine dainties, that glistering Armour, thicke se… with heauenly Pearles, p. 374described, Ephes. 6. The glorious splendour whereof, is able to dazle the deuils eyes, to daunt his courage, and aaEt quoniam de hoc bello licet etiam foeminis triumphare, …uscipe haec arma Pauli, & tanti hor…atione ducis certam praesume victoriā. Haec enim si tu omnia instrumenta po…sideas, secure procedas ad praelium spirituale, nec pauebis Diabol…m cum toto exercitu suo. Aug▪ Ep. 142. Ad Demetriadem.driue him out of the field. For hee well knowes it to bee tryed, and of proofe, worne by our Captaine Christ Iesus, who foild him by the sword of the Spirit, in that great combate in the Wildernesse, Mat. 4. And it is that, by which the weakest Christians shall shortly, by the blessing of the God of Peace, **Rom. 16. 20.Rom 16:20bruise Satan vnderunder their feet.

The summe is; The heauenly attire of a sanctified soule, is farre fairer and more amiable then the exquisite concurrence of all earthly beauties and visible **Isa. 24. 23.Isa 24:23glory. Were the light of all the starres aboue collected into Sunnes (which bbOut of the vnited light of the starres, exibunt soles 301. s…ith Casman. P. 1. Astroi cap. 4. pag. 153. Vt in nullum numerum pona mus; aut Veneris, aut Mere…ij sydera; nec computemus stellas nouem, quas obscuras, aut quin que , quas rubeas appellant, vel nebulosas, nullo etiam numero habeamus infinitas alias, quae sexto ordine sunt minores.Astronomers say would make many) and added vntounto that great bright Body, the Prince of all the lampes in heauen; nay, if besides, there were an accession of all the orient splendour of all the Pearles and Iewels, of all the Crystall and glistering things in this lower world; and all compacted into one beautifull body, it would be but as a lumpe of darknesse, to the glory and fairenesse of a sanctified soule. For the beauty and amiablenesse of an holy soule, inflames the heart and affections of the Sonne of God, with an extraordinarie pang of spirituall feruent louelove, Cant. 4. 9. whereas not all the glory of the world, though represented to his eye with the fairest lustre, and in the most refined forme, could moue him euer a whit, Matth, 4. 8, 9, 10. Plato was wont to say, if morall vertues could be seene with the outward eye; they would stirre vp in the heart extraordinary flames of admiration and louelove: what vnspeakeable rauishments then would Christian graces enkindle, were they visible to the carnall eyes? They would be able to make Persecutors, Professors; to turne euen Drunkards into Puritans, as they call them; the most sensuall Epicure, into a mortified Saint.

For the second: Let thy spirituall appetite seed merrily vponupon that sweetest place, Isa. 25, 6. And in this mountaine shall the Lord of Hosts, &c. Heere is prouided, as wee may see, a magnificent and glorious feast, composed all of marrow and p. 375fatnesse, of most refined and purified wines; which shadow vntounto vsus, spirituall delicacies, those golden dainties, digd out of the rich myne of the mysterie of Christ, by the hand of Faith, in the Word, Sacraments, Prayer, Communion of Saints, solemne humiliations, sweet Soliloquies, solitary conferences with our God, feeling forethought of infinite ioyes thorow eternity, &c. EueryEvery circumstance breathes out nothing but sweetnesse.

In this mountaine.] It is dressed in Mount Zion, The perfection of beautie, The ioy of the whole earth, The glory of all Lands; which represents vntounto vsus, by way of shadow and type, the ouerflowing glory of the Christian Church; the very Heauen of all humane societies; our onelyonly Sunne in this inferiour world; which though so much maligned, yet were it remooued, there would bee a little hell vponupon earth; and nothing left, but a darke Midnight of villany and horror, for incarnate Deuils to domineere in.

A feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees; of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.] Hereby is intimated the matter of the Feast, and Royall prouision, amplified with extraordinary▪ Emphasis of words, elegancy of phrase, and iteration of the same sence, with variety of expression; which also argues its excellency. It is not enough to hauehave said, of fat things, but there is added, of fat things full of marrow, and so proportionably of the wines; to intimate the most exquisite refined flower of all delicacies and dainties. The marrow of the fatnesse; as if a man should say, the spirit of the quintessence, the Diamond of the Ring, the sparkle of the Diamond, &c. And yet all this comes infinitely short of what the holy Ghost would shadow and shew vntounto vsus by the most sumptuous materials of earthly Feasts. But aboue all, that which makes the Feast most matchlesse,Intereā gustus elementa per omnia quaerunt; Nunquam animo preti…s obstantibus. is the Feast-maker; Iehouah, is the founder and furnisher of it: The maker of heauen and earth, makes it. The Poets describing men of most ambitious appetites after choisest dainties, say, that they rob all the Elements, to please their palates. The p. 376Master of this Feast, the euer-blessed Iehoua, tells vsus of his store and treasuries this way, Psal. 50. 10, 11. EueryEvery beast of the … is mine, and the cattell vponupon a thousand hills; I know all the fowles of the mountaines, and the wild beasts of the field are mine. But all these being but onelyonly matter of corporall food, are yet nothing to the spirituall sweetenesse of this heauenly Banque…. The secret and sacred delight of those diuine dainties intended here by the holy Ghost, being vnspeakable and glorious, doth infinitely transcend the possibility of all creatures to contribute, and the capacity of the largest naturall vnderstanding to conceiue. So must be construed, as a worthy Diuine sayes truly, that Text, 1 Cor. 2. Not of the ioyes of heauen, which heere the spirituall man himselfe cannot tell what they shall bee; but of the Gospels ioy, of the Wine and Fatlings ready prepared, and now reuealed to the Beleeuer by the Spirit.

For the third. Heare the voice of sweetenesse and peace, Esa. 27. 2. Sing vntounto her: A Vineyard of red Wine. Sing] sounds nothing but ioy, lightsomnesse, and mirth: Unto her] the sexe of more amiablenesse, tendernesse, and louelove. A Vineyard] Vineyards, Orchards, Gardens, and such inclosed Plots, are, as it were, the flowers, starres, and Paradises of the earth. Of Wine] as though the Vine-trees of this Inclosure brought not foorth the grosser and vncrushed Grapes; but more immediately, the refined and pure blood of the Grape. Red] The most generous sparkling delicious wine. A Vineyard is, as it were, the Diamond of the Ring; wine, the sparkle; red, the splendour of the sparkle: all excellencies, sweetenesses, transcendencies; where God opens & expresses his heart and louelove to his Church, or any of his Chosen.

For the fourth. Let thy faith peruse with enlarged Meditations, those precious passages of gracious inuitation and bountifull entertainement, Mat. 22. 3, 4. Isa. 55. 1, 2. Pro. 9. 2, 3. Cant. 2. 3, 4. Thou shalt sucke and be satisfied euen with the brests of consolations. Thy dearest and most glorious Mother, which is clothed with the Sunne, treads vponupon theReu. 12. 1.Rev 12:1 p. 377Moone, and weares on her head a Crowne of twelue Starres; shall sweetly and tenderly beare thee vponupon her sides, and handle thee vponupon her knees, Isa. 66. 11, 12.

For the fifth. It is compared to a wedding Feast, and thatMat. 22.Matt 22 of a Kings sonne; which is woont to be honoured and crowned with height and variety of all magnificence and Maiestie; ioy and triumph, mirth and musicke. When an humbled soule is first made sure to the Sonne of God; the ioyfull harmony of all good hearts that heare of it, and the triumphant Halleluiahs of the blessed Angels in heauen, concurre in consort, as it were, of congratulation, for so happy a match; in gladnesse and ioy for so holy a change. This Feast begins at thy first betrothing; when thou receiuing a Ring, as it were, beset with fiue precious stones: 1. Righteousnesse.Hos. 2. 19, 20.Hos 2:19Hos 2:20 2. Iudgement. 3. Louing kindnesse. 4. Mercies. 5. Faithfulnesse. It is afterward continued with many gracious passages of louelove and sweetest entertainements on both sides, euen in this life; as appeares in Solomons Spirituall LoueLove-song. It shall at last be crowned with an euerlasting Iubilee, and pleasures moe then the Starres of the firmament in number; when the Lambe receiues his wife into his neerest and dearest embracements; euen into full possession of the most blessed, neuer-ending Kingdome of heauen; bought for her, full dearely, with his owne hearts blood. Then, our Feast of grace ends in the endlesse fruition of Glory. How merry then ought wee to be in the meane time, who are admitted and enrighted to this gracious and glorious Feast? Of expressing which to the life, the finest fare and most exquisite delicates of all earthly feasts, come as farre short, as the dull earth comes short of the glistering heauen; a grosse mortall body of the preciousnesse of an euerliuing soule: An inch of time, of the length of eternity. For corporall dainties fat a fraile body for a span of time, with earthly food, accompanied with a little poore vanishing delight of sence: But spirituall food fills an immortall soule with heauenly Ma…na, out of the mysterie of Christ, attended with purest p. 378ioy, and sincerest pleasures through all eternity.

6. As thou doest honour Gods Iustice, in trembling at his threats, and throwing thy selfe into the dust, as extremely vile, and fewell for hell vnderunder his mighty hand, and the piercing Maiesty of his pure Word; representing clearely vntounto thy conscience, and pressing terribly vponupon it, the hainousnesse of all thy lusts, iniquities, abominable prouocations of the eyes of his glory and diuine indignation flaming against them: so when thou findest and feelest thy heart truly wounded by the sword of the Spirit, with remorse and sorrow for thy sinnes, weary with the heauy weight and burthen of them, possessed with sincere hatred and lothing of eueryevery euill way; thou oughtest, and are bound in conscience, and by the commandement of the holy Ghost, to glorifie Gods truth in his promises of mercy, by throwing thy selfe into the blessed armes, and bleeding embracements of the Lord Iesus dying vponupon the Crosse; in whom they are all, yea, and Amen, with much assurance and peace; with vnspeakeable and glorious ioy. And the rather, because the speciall season and onelyonly opportunity of thy magnifying and honouring the sweet influence of Gods dearest mercies, tender-heartednesse, and truth vponupon humble soules, through the precious promises of life, is in this life. In the world to come they shall all bee accomplished vponupon thee to the vtmost, and crowned with a cleere vision and full fruition of that euer-blessed and most glorious Maiesty. Then faith for euer expires; and we see face to face.

These things being so, and most sure; let eueryevery truehearted Nathaneel be heartily intreated, nay, iustly charged in the name of Iesus Christ, by the blessed Spirit, the fountaine of all comfort; as hee will answer it at the glorious Throne of Mercy, erected in heauen vponupon purpose to make him euerlastingly merry, that hee henceforth most resolutely and for euer cast out of his conscience, sprinkled with the Blood of the Lambe, and out of the Kingdome of Christ, ouerflowing with Peace and Ioy, now comfortably established p. 379in his soule, those intruding vsurpers Tyrants; onelyonly naturall Lords ouer naturall men: I meane, horrours of guiltinesse, false feares, slauish terrours, damps and droopings; all vncomfortable pensiuenesse, deiections, and feare. And leauing such Harpies as these, and heart-eaters, onelyonly to the grumbling and guilty consciences of all those that hate to be reformed, and Satans slaues, as their proper furies; let him with an holy violence against the deuils cruell assaults and contradictions of his owne distrustfull heart, and with a cheerefull spirit, lay hold vponupon his iust inheritance and euerlasting portion, purchased for him by the bitter and painefull sufferings of the Sonne of God; euen floods and fresh successions of sweetest ioyes, shed and showred downe continually from the Throne of Grace vponupon his vpright heart, in great abundance; if hee will but onelyonly vouchsafe to open the doore by the hand of faith, that the blessed beames of such lightsomnesse and comfort, shining from the face of Christ, may come in. Let his soule, full fairely arayed with its heauenly roabes, to which, the beauty of the morning, brightnesse of the Moone, and glory of the Sunne are but a shadow; and listning sweetly to that melodious Song, composed all of Peace and Ioy, Pleasures and Pardon of finne, which the mercy of God makes in the eare of its faith; fall to, and fill it selfe at the Wedding Feast of the Kings Sonne, with those euer-springing riuers of spirituall refreshing, out of the bottomlesse depth of Gods free louelove reuealed in the mysterie of Christ, by the ministery of the Word and Sacramentall grace; as with marrow and fatnesse: Let it sucke aboundantly, and be satisfied with the brests of euerlasting consolations. And sith hee is incorporated into Iesus Christ, and vponupon all assayes hath the wings of faith in a readinesse, to outsoare the height of all humane miseries: let aaChristianum & in hoc ab infide libus differte oportet, vt omnia generosè ferat: & velut alatus se humanorum malorum impetu superiorem exhibeat. Supra Petram statutus est fidelis: proptereà & vndarum ictibus inexpugnabilis est. Si enim tentationum vndae cleuatae fuerint, ad illius pedes non perueni…nt, hic om…i tali incursu fubl…ior firmatus est, Chrys. Hom. 2. Ad pop. Antioch.him for euer stand like p. 380Mount Zion, inexpugnable, and vnshaken with the most furious incursions of the floods and tempests of all worldly troubles, pressures, and persecutions. Let all those monstrous and most abhorred iniections, filthy temptations, and fiery darts, pointed with the very malice of hell, ordinarily offered to the imagination of the best, bee resolutely repelled by the shield of faith, and retorted as dung vponupon the Tempters face. Let all vngodly oppositions from man or deuill, or fearefull distrust be but as so many proud and swelling waues, dashing against a mighty Rocke; which theMat. 7. 25.Matt 7:25 more boisterously they beate vponupon it, the more are they broken, and turned into a vaine foame and froth.

But to descend with thee more punctually to some particulars: Tell mee truly, thou which hast giuen thy name to Christ in truth; what it is that troubles thee? what is it that still detaines thine heauy heart, in the chaines and fetters of horrour and sadnesse; and lockes it vp so long from the entrance and entertainement of spirituall lightsomenesse and ioy? And if I bee not able to confront and confound it, by some well-grounded counter-comfort and Antidote, out of the Oracle of truth; if I be not able to discouer it to bee a selfe-created crosse; and to dissolue it into an imaginary and groundlesse fancie, by the light of the Word; then walke heauily still. OnelyOnly beleeue the Prophets, and thou shalt prosper. Thou must then bee contented to be counselled by the faithfull Physicions of thy soule; who can shew vntounto man his vprightnesse, and are instructed vntounto the kingdome of heauen; especially fetching all their prescriptions, receits, and counterpoysons, out of the rich Treasurie of the Booke of Life:

Thou must learne;

1. To put a difference betweene nullity of grace, and imperfection of grace. Many good soules desire sincerely that their hearts were broken in pieces, and bled at the root, for their many and hainous sinnes; grieuing much, that they can grieue no more: They hunger and thirst for Christs p. 381righteousnesse, more then for the wealth of the whole world: They groane mightily in spirit for Gods fauour, pardon of sinne, power ouer their corruptions, ability to pray better, &c. But yet because they feele not that measure of sensible smart and anguish of heart in lamenting their former life, as they desire; because they hauehave not their wished ioy and peace in beleeuing; because they cannot now pray as feruently and feelingly as they, perhaps, were formerly woont; not with that freedome and heartinesse as they would: in a word, because they are yet but smoaking flaxe, and bruised reedes, not full shining lampes, and strong Pillars in the House of God; they will needs hauehave all to be nought. Whereby they (I will not say belie the Spirit) but most vnworthily deny, and in their conceites nullifie his already wonderfull glorious worke vponupon their soules; to their, I know not how great spirituall hurt and hinderance. For such intolerable vnthankefulnesse may bee iustly punished, and paide home with longer detainement, vponupon the Racke of distrustfull slauish feare, and vnderunder the bondage of Legall terrours. It is a speciall point then of spirituall wisedome, and of singular consequence for the soules quiet and welfare; to discerne weakenesse of grace from want of grace. Christ Iesus declaring in his heauenly Sermon who are blessed,Mat. 5.Matt 5 doth not instance in the perfections, excellencies, and heights of Christianity; though all that are true of heart, sincerely pray for, and presse after them: but in the least and lowest degrees; lest the smoking flaxe should bee quenched, and bruised reedes bee broken. He doeth not say; Blessed are the stong in Faith; the full assured: Blessed are those that take on for their sinnes, as for their onelyonly sonne, and for their first borne: but, Blessed are they which doe hunger and thirst after righteousnesse: Blessed are the poore in spirit, &c.

2. Not alwayes to make sence and feeling the Touchstone for the truth of thy spirituall state. A man in a swoone or a sleepe feeles not his life, and yet is a liuing man. It is one p. 382thing to hauehave grace, another to feele grace. One thing the life of faith, another the life of sence.

3. Not to disgrace thy owne graces, by casting thine eye too deiectedly vponupon other Christians perfections and precedencies. Let it not fare with thee in this case, as it doth with one gazing too much vponupon the Sunne; who looking downewards againe, can see iust nothing, whereas before he cleerely discerned all colours about him. Looke vponupon them for imitation and quickning, not for slauish deiection and selfe-blinding.

4. To acknowledge and expect, that heauenly graces, as Faith, &c. while they inhabite these earthly houses, ebbe and flow, waxe and wane, faint and flourish; by reason of the combate betweene the flesh and the Spirit. So that if a man should tell mee; that he hath euer prayed alike, without temptation, or dampes, without any sence at any time of deadnesse or spirituall distempers; that he hath euer beleeued alike, without those doubts and scruples, that faintnesse and feare, of which most Christians so much complaine; I durst confidently reply, that then he neuer either prayed acceptably, or beleeued sauingly. The Fathers aaLuna ipsa, quâ propheticis oraculis species ecclesiae figuratur, cùm primùm resurgens in menstruas reparatur aetates: tenebris noctis absconditur: paulat…mque cornua sua comple…s, vel è regione Solis absoluens, clari splendore fulgoris irru…. Amb. Epist. lib. 5. Epist. 31.fitly resemble the state of the Church to the variable condition of the Moone; which sometimes shines more gloriously, sometimes not so: It is so also with eueryevery true member thereof, in respect of the exercise of grace, comfort in holy duties, sence of Gods fauour, spirituall feeling.

5. To beleeue the Spirit of Truth, the Word of God, and voice of Christ, before the father of lies, dictates of naturall distrust, and suggestions of flesh and blood. To which, methinks, thou shouldest be easily perswaded, and then all the mists of thy spirituall miseries would be quickly dispersed. It is a mighty worke, if not a great miracle, to get any softnesse at all, or true remorse for sinne, into the heart of a man; it is naturally so stony and impatient of griefe; and the deuill such a stirrer against it, so that the most are meere strangers vntounto it; yet for all that, when this penitent sorrow is p. 383once sincerely on foote in an afflicted soule; so endlessely and on eueryevery side are wee prest with the policies of Hell; it is too often too forward to feede vponupon teares still, and still too wilfull in refusing to bee comforted. Satan then will bee ready to say; Thou seest now, thy conscience being illightened, thy sinnes are so horrible and hai…ous, that they are too heauy a burden for thee to beare; there is no way with thee, but to sinke into horrour and despaire. But what saith Christ? Nay now is the season: Come vntounto me thus weary Matth. 11. 2….Matt 11:2and heauy laden with thy sinne, and I will refresh thee. Here now if thou wilt beleeue the sweete voice of Christ Iesus, rather then the murthering sophistry of Satan; if in good maners thou wilt come when thou art called; and not retire in a sinfull and cruell modesty; thou shalt be presently lightened. Yea but, saith the Tempter, thy heart hath been so strangely hardened and soakt in sinne heretofore; now such an he…sh cloud of darkenesse hath seized vponupon it; that there is no hopeAmos 5. ….Amos 5 nor possibility. But what saith the Word? Seeke him that maketh the seuen starres and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning. It is hee alone that can most easily change the dismall midnight of thy present spirituall misery, into the glorious midday of sweetest peace, and lightsomnesse of heart. Yea but, saith he further, thou hast lien long vponupon the Rocke of guilty horrour; had much counsell, and been vnderunder the hands of many spirituall physicians; and yet no comfort comes. And what then? Heare what the Spirit of truth tels vsus: Since the beginning of the world, men hauehave not heard nor perceiued by the eare, neither hath the eye seene, O God besides thee, what Hee hath prepared for him that aaforeign Expectare, quod ad Heb. cap. 10. redditur per foreign, quod patientem expectationem sonat, quâ duramus in malis. Pagni….Heb 10waiteth for him. Isa. 64. 4. Waiting patiently for the Lordsforeign comming to comfort vsus, either in temporall or spirituall distresses; is a right pleasing and acceptable dutie, and seruice vntounto God, which hee is woont to crowne with multiplyed and ouerflowing refreshings, when he comes. See Isa. 40. 31. Nay and shouldest thou die in this state of waiting, if thy heart in the meane time sincerely hate all sinne; heartily thirst for the mercy of God in Christ; and resolue p. 384truely vponupon new vniuersall obedience for the time to come; thou shalt bee certainely saued; because the Holy Ghost saith, Isaiah 30. 18. Blessed are all they that waite for him.

6. That defects, distractions, failings in our spirituall exercises, and vndertakings groaned vnderunder, grieued for, and striuen against, by an vpright heart; are so farre from nullifying grace, that they should not bereaue vsus of peace of conscience, or interrupt our sweet communion and comfortable walking with our God.

7. Not to confine, vnderualue, and extenuate the mercies of God, promises of life, the holy Spirits sauing worke vponupon thy soule; and the present graces thou possessest in truth, &c.

These cautions premised, let vsus come to the examining and answering of some complaints and counterpleas against entertainement of comfort, which are wont to arise in troubled consciences, out of ignorance, and misconceite of the mercifull wayes of God, and the mysterie of his free louelove through Christ: and doe thou conceiue, that proportionable soueraigne Antidotes and counter-comforts may bee collected also in abundance out of Gods blessed Booke, against the rest, or any reply whatsoeuer.

And to begin with the first cryes of a Christian in the pangs of his New birth.

I. A poore soule hauing wallowed long in vanity of villanies and vanities; of lust and licentiousnesse; is now by diuine blessing at this or …e other Sermon struck thorow by the Sword of the Spirit with penitent remorse; and his heart broken into pieces, by the hammer of the Law. In this depth of heauiest distresse, and bleeding case; he casts his eyes vponupon Iesus Christ lifted vp in the Ministerie as an Antitype …o the brazen Serpent, for his comfortable binding …p, and euerlasting cure. Those Messengers of God, who are able to declare vntounto Man his vprightnesse, Iob 33. 23.Job 33:23assure him in the Word of life and truth, and charge him in p. 385His name who was anointed by the Lord for that purpose, and appointed by the Father of mercies to comfort all Mourners Isa. 61. 1. 2.Isa 61:1Isa 61:2in Sion; that now being truly cast downe vnderunder Gods mighty hand, thirsting for the blood of Christ, and sincerely resoluing vponupon a new course for the time to come; He would turne his legall terrours, into Euangelicall weeping, ioy; put on beauty for ashes, the garment of praise, for the spirit of heauinesse; That he might be called a Tree of righteousnesse, Verse 3.the planting of the Lord, that hee might bee glorified. Oh no, saies he, out of the deepe sence of his bottomelesse vilenesse, The newes is too good to be true, to wit, that now the blessed Sonne of God, and all the precious, rich purchases of his vnualuable passion should belong vntounto mee, the sinfullest wretch that the earth beares, who hauehave desperately spent my dayes and strength so long in the furious seruice of Satan, and mine own sensuall lusts, &c. whereupon he refuses comfort, and chooses rather to sinke againe and languish vnderunder the horrours of guiltinesse and feare. Whereas he should incomparably more honour and please the God of all comfort, by trusting his mercy, sealing to his truth; then by vnseasonable suspecting his iustice and power.

Here then hee wofully failes and forgets himselfe in a distrustfull vnderunder-prizing Gods incomprehensible greatnesse, Almightie mercy, vnlimited liberalitie and freenesse of his louelove. He is in this case, not so much to consider, what is fit for him to receiue, as conuenient for the ability and bounty of so great and good a God▪ as the mighty Lord of Heauen and earth to giuegive; who, as I told you before vponupon other occasion, doth all things like Himselfe. If hee build, he makes a world. If he be angry with the world, hee sends a floud ouer the face of the whole earth. If hee goes out with the Armies of the Saints, hee makes the Sunne stand still, the Starres to fight, the Seas to swallow vp the most dreadfull Armadoes. If hee louelove; the precious hearts blood of his owne Sonne is not too deare. If he deliuer any man, Hee puls him out of the hand of the Prince of darknesse; p. 386and frees him from euerlasting flames. If any become his Fauourite through Christs mediation, He wil make him a King, giuegive him a Paradise, and set a Crowne of eternitie vponupon his head. Earthly Princes at their pleasures ennoble those they louelove, with Dukedomes, Marquesdomes, Earledomes. What then, doe you thinke, shall be done vntounto the man, whom the King of Heauen desires, and delights to honour? Let vsus then, I say, in such cases, consider not so much what is fit for vsus silly wormes to receiue; as for so great a God to bestow. If wee can once bring hearts bruised and broken with the burden of our sinnes, bleeding and weeping vntounto his Mercy-seate; Hee will thinke all the meritorious sufferings of his Sonne; all the promises in his Booke; all the comforts of his Spirit; all the pleasures in his Kingdome little enough for vsus. If wee looke vponupon our selues, sinful wretches, we might iustly feare the extremest torments, fiercest flames, and lowest dungeon in hell, infinitely rather then expect a Kingdome. But Hee loues vsus freely, Hos. 14. 4. It is his pleasure to giuegive vsus a Kingdome: Feare not, little flocke, saith Christ; for it is your Fathers good pleasure to giuegive you the Kingdom, Luk. 12. 32. If it be the good pleasure of the King of Kings, to bestow a Kingdome vponupon a truely humbled soule, which hee makes in the meane time his Royall Throne here vponupon Earth, Isai. 57. 15. what can Man or Deuill, or any distrustfull heart say against it? And why shouldest thou, being such an one, be so vnmannerly and vnthankfull, nay, so vnnecessarily cruell to thine owne heauy heart, as not to open the euerlasting doore of thy soule by the key of Faith, to let the King of glory knocking with his hand of mercy, come in, and crowne it with grace and glory, with comfort and euerlasting peace?

II. But alas, sayes hee, my sinnes are moe then any mans. Now when I am searching into the sinke of them, I can finde neither banke nor bottome. Vnnumbred swarmes of grosse impieties and iniquities thorow my whole life; of abominable impurities and pollutions, which hauehave continually defiled my mind, heart and affections, armed with seuerall p. 387stings of terrour, doe so restlesly presse vponupon my wounded conscience, and oppresse it; that I cannot, I dare not thinke vponupon, or looke towards any comfort.

Let them bee what they are, and adde thereunto all theOmnia namque peccata illi perfectè remittit▪ nec illi vnquam imputab…t, etiamsi tot essent, quotomnes simul homines commiserunt; si tamen ex animo doleat purè ad gloriam Dei, & ideò potiss…mùm suae illi iniquitates displiceant, quòd eas Deo displicere intelligi…. Lib. de consolat. Pusill. sinnes which hauehave, are, and shall bee committed by all the sonnes and daughters of Adam from the Creation, to the end of the World; excepting sinne against the holy Ghost; and yet in an hart truly humbled vnderunder them, heartily hating them all, cōming with a sincere spirituall hunger at **Mat. 11. 28.Matt 11:28Christs Call to bee disburdened of them; they can make no more resistance against the mercies of God, then a little sparke of fire against the mighty Sea, rhrowne into the midst of it; nay, infinitely lesse. For all these sinnes would still be finite both in nature and number; but Gods mercies are eueryevery way infinite. Now betweene that which is finite, and that which is infinite, there is no proportion, and so no possibilitie of resistance. Whence it is, that the Prophet inuiting his people to repentance, Esa. 55. 7. by assuring them of Gods sweet, mercifull and gracious disposition, lest any too fearefull and deiected spirit vndervaluing Gods mercy, should thinke thus within it selfe: Bee it so: yet alas, my sinnes are so many, and such a sonne of Belial hauehave I been, and so endlesly prouoked the glory of his pure eye, that I can expect no mercy: the pollutions of my youth hauehave been so prodigious and infectious, that I hauehave no face to presse vntounto his Throne of Grace; &c. God himselfe doth there purposely preuent the obiection, and speaking to our capacitie, which cannot comprehend infinity, replyes to this sence: Oh say not so! Stay all such despairefull thoughts; doe not cast the incomprehensiblenes of my mercy, in the narrow mould of thy finite shallow conceite: doe not so vnworthily abridge and confine the vnlimited and boundlesse compassion of the mighty Lord of Heauen and Earth: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Verse 8. 9.neither are your wayes my wayes: For as the Heauens are higher then the earth, so are my wayes higher then your wayes, and my thoughts then your thoughts. Many a bruised reede would not p. 388exchange the comfort, which the weakest faith may extract out of this sweetest place, for all the Kingdomes of the earth. For he saith not, that his wayes and thoughts of knowledge and wisdome; but his wayes and thoughts of mercy, are as farre aboue ours, as the Heauens are aboue the Earth: Indeed, as himselfe is aboue man, which is, infinitely. But take notice by the way, that the mercies of God doe exercise this infinite vnresistable power onelyonly in truly humbled beleeuing soules; heartily hating, and sincerely set against all sinne. I say so, lest any impenitent should peruert this precious point, or trample vponupon this Pearle. For as in such a soule no sinnes either for number or notoriousnesse, can possibly withstand, or stand before Gods infinite mercies: so not one drop of all those infinite merceis belongs vntounto any that goes on willingly and delightfully, hating to bee reformed in any one knowne sinne, or that he might know, and wilfully forbeares to bee informed. As the vnualuable blood of Christ turnes the very scarlet sinnes of the truly broken beleeuing heart into whitest snow; so it will neuer wash away the least sinfull staine, from the proud heart of any vnhumbled Pharise. Let none therefore that goes on still in his trespasses, take vp any vaine confidence, or mis-grounded conclusion of false comfort from hence, by misconceiuing thus: Is it so, that the infinitenesse of Gods mercy cannot bee resisted by the greatnesse, or multitude of sinnes, being euer finite both in their number and nature? how is it possible then that I should misse of those infinites mercies? Why may not I comfortably hope, that my sinnes also shall be swallowed vp in that bottomlesse Sea? I will tell thee why. As the power of God, though it be infinite, yet is limited by his will: so the mercies of God, though they bee infinite, are regulated by his truth. He is able to make millions of Worlds moe, but yet wee see, his Will was but to create one. His mercies transcend with immeasurable distance, the height of Heauen, and depth of Hell, and are indeed, as Himselfe, infinite: but his Truth hath told vsus, that none shall hauehave part in them, but those alone p. 389who repent and beleeue. Gods Truth reuealed in his Word, must euer confine the current of his compassions, and is the touchstone to try and qualifie those, to whom his mercies belong. See then what kind of people are partakers of Gods infinite mercies, by the testimony of that Word of Truth, by which we must be iudged at the last Day, Prou. 28. 13. Luke 4. 18. Isai. 61. 1, 2, 3. Psal. 15. Ezek. 18. 21. Psal. 147. 3. Isai. 55. 7. Psal. 34. 18. Salomon saith in the cited place; Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes, shall hauehave mercy. How then can he expect any mercy, who takes them not to heart, but lyes in them still?

III. Of the pardonablenesse of my other sinnes, saith another, I could bee reasonably well perswaded; but alas, there is one aboue all the rest, which now vponupon discouery and remorse, I finde to be full of ranke and hellish poyson; of such a deepe and damnable die; to hauehave strooke so desperately in the dayes of my lewdnesse, at the very face of God himselfe; and farre deepelier into the heart of Iesus Christ, then the speare that pierced him, bleeding vponupon the Crosse; and thereupon at this present, stares in the eye of my newly awaked and wounded conscience, with such horror and grieslinesse, that I feare mee, diuine iustice will thinke it fitter, to hauehave this most loathsome, inexpiable staine, rather at length fired out of my soule with euerlasting flames; (if it were possible that eternall fire could expiate the sinfull staines of any impenitent damned soule) then to bee fairely washed away in the meane time with His blood, whom I so cruelly and cursedly pierced with it. Oh! this is it that lies now vponupon my heart like a mountaine of Lead, farre heauier then Heauen and Earth, and enchaines it with inexplicable terrour to the dust and place of Dragons. This alone stings desperately; keepes mee from Christ, and cuts mee off from all hope of Heauen. I am afraid, my wilfull wallowing in it heretofore, hath so reprobated my mind, seared my conscience, and hardened my heart, that I shall neuer be able to repent with any hope of pardon.

p. 390And why so? Is this sinne of thine greater, then Manassehs familiaritie with wicked spirits? Then Pauls drinking vp the blood of Saints? Then any of theirs in that blacke Bill, 1. Cor. 6. 10. 11. who notwithstanding were afterward vponupon repentance washed, sanctified and iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus, and by the Spirit of our God? Then E…s transgression, who opened the floodgate to al the sins which shall bee committed from the Creation to the end of the World, and to all those torments which shall flame in Hell thorow all eternitie? Then that horrible sin of killing Christ Iesus? And yet the murderers of that Iust and holy One, vponuponActs 2.Acts 2 their true compunction of heart, were saued by that precious blood, which they had cruelly spilt as water vponupon the ground. But be it what it will, a scarlet sinne, a crimsin sinne, a crying sinne; and adde vntounto it Satans malicious aggrauations, and all that horrour, which the deiectednesse of thy present afflicted spirit, and darkenesse of thy melancholike imagination can put vponupon it; yet Pauls precious Antidote, Rom. 5. 20▪ holds triumphantly Soueraigne aswell against the hainousnesse of any one sinne, as the confluence of many, Where foreign.sinne abounded, grace ouer-abounded. It is indeed a very heauy case, and to bee deplored euen with teares of blood, that thou shouldest euer hauehave so highly dishonoured thy gracious God, with such an horrible sinne in the dayes of thy vanitie, and thou oughtest rather chuse to bee …orne in pieces with wilde Horses, then commit it againe; yet if thy heart now truely wounded with horrour and hate of it, will but cleaue to the truth and tenderheartednesse of Iesus Christ in his promises, and fall into his blessed and bleeding armes stretched out most louingly to …ase and refresh thee; as the hainousnesse of it hath abounded heretofore; His grace will now abound to the aaNon alitèr quàm si quis febricitantem, morbo non solùm liberaret, sed & formolum efficeret, & validū & conspicuum: aut esurientem, non pasceret solùm, sed & multorum constitueret Dominum; atque in maximū eueheret principatum. Chrysost. in cap. 5. ad Ro… ▪same proportion; and much more: Nay, I will shew thee a Pearle. In this case, by accident, Gods mercies shal be extraordinarily honoured, in pardoning such a prodigious prouocation; because they are thereby, as it were, put into it, and their dearenesse, sweetnesse and infinitenesse p. 391improoued to the greater height and excellency; and bbMagnitudo & redundātia gratiae diuinae per peccatum abundans, fit magis conspicua. Quantò enim morbus est deploratior: tantò medicinae vis, & praestantia sit euidentior. Sic quantò reatus peccatorum nostrorū lege factus est grauior; tantó gratiae, quae inde nos eripit, immensitas, est reddita illustrior. Par.the blood of Christ made, as it were, more orient and illustrious; and the honour and preciousnesse of it aduanced, by washing away such an hainous hellish spot. If we bring broken beleeuing hearts towards his Mercy-seate; it is the Lords Name to forgiue all sorts of offences, ccTollens iniquitatem, peccatum & scelus. Sic enim exprimitur magnitudo clementiae: quod non leuibus tantùm delictis det veniam, sed grauissimis quibús que sceleribus. Caluin. Now the Lord speaketh of forgiuing, nameth these three degrees; to sh…w that there is no sin so hainous, whether naturall corruption, or outword transgression, or stiffenecked presumption; but vponupon repentance, the mercy of God is able and ready to remit it. Hieron.iniquitie, transgression and sinne, Exod. 34. 7. It is His Couenant to sprinkle cleane water vponupon vsus, that we may be cleane, and to cleanse vsus from all our filthinesse, and from all our Idols, Exek. 36. 25. euen from Idolatry, the highest villany against the Maiestie of Heauen: So that a Papist, vponupon repentance may be saued. It is His promise not onelyonly to pardon ordinary sinnes, but those also which be as scarlet, and red like crimsin, Isai. 1. 18. It is his free compassion to cast all our sinnes into the depths of the sea, Mich. 7. 19. Now the sea, by reason of his vastnesse, can drowne as well Mountaines as Molehills: the boundlesse Ocean of Gods mercies can swallow vp our mightiest sinnes much more. It is his mercifull power, to blot out our sinnes as a cloud, Isai. 44. 22. Now the strength of the Summers Sunne is able to scatter the thickest Fog, as well as the thinnest Mist; nay, to driue away the darkest midnight: the vnresistable heate of Gods free louelove shining thorow the Sun of Righteousnes vponupon a penitent soule, to dissolue to nothing the desperatest worke of darkenesse, and most horrible sinne farre more easily. But this mysterie of mercy, and miracle of Gods free louelove, is a Iewell onelyonly for truely humbled soules, and the sealed Fountaine. Let no stranger to the life of godlinesse meddle with it. Let no Swine trample it vnderunder his feete.

FINIS.

End of the text · Robert Bolton, Directions for a Comfortable Walking with God (1626)