Diary of a Thankful Christian, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Severall arguments propounded, by which Chriſtians may be provoked to keep ſuch a Journall or Diary as hath been commended.
THat ſuch Chriſtians as have any abilities for the keeping of ſuch a Journal or Diary as hath been commended to them, may be encouraged thereunto, I ſhal in the ſecond place propound theſe foure arguments.
…. Ab excellenti.Firſt, it is a moſt excellent duty, and practiſed by many, whoſe example we may follow: As,
1. It hath been the practice even of the very Heathens, even from a principle of common reaſon, who made uſe of white and black ſtones for theſe two ends: One was, They gave them to perſons at their arraignment before the Judges: If any were condemned to death, they gave him a black ſtone; but if abſolved and ſet free, a white ſtone. To which cuſtome the holy Ghoſt ſeems to allude, in that Epiſtle to the Angel of the Church of Pergamus, in theſe words,Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh, wil I give a white ſtone, &c. A ſecond uſe of thoſe was, That by them they might keep an account of all the good dayes or evill they had met withall in their lives. Hence Perſius adviſed his friend Macrinus to remember a good day ſo.
Hunc Macrine diem numer a meliore lapillo.
Count this day Macrine with a better ſtone.
2. Perſons of good quality have a long time practiſed this duty. How many noble Theophilus's and Elect Ladies have ſuch Diaries by them? But if any men of worth be imployed in the ſervice of the State, either by Sea or Land, it is their common practiſe. They that go to Sea, will tell you of their Journall book, that on ſuch a day they went aboard the Bonaventure, and on ſuch a day they weighed anchor, and fell downe to Graveſend; on ſuch a day they met with the whole Fleet, on another day they had ſtormy weather, or fought with the enemy, &c. How exactly doth S. Luke ſet down S. Paul'sAct. 27. per tot. ſhipping towards Rome, how a perfect a Journall of that dangerous voyage, even day by day. If they be employed by Land, and do either beſiege a Town, or are beſieged; not a a ſally undertaken, not a mine ſprung, not a breach made, not a man of note ſlain, not a tyre of Ordnance diſcharged, but is is every day recorded; as you may ſee in that famous ſiege of Oſtende.
But in the 3. place, God himſelf ſeems to keep a Journall by him of all the care he hath of us, the coſt he beſtows upon us, and the good things he gives to us. He hath a book of remembrance of every paſſage of providence that concerns us. And indeed, the Scripture for a great part is little elſe but a hiſtory of his goodneſſe to his people. And that you may ſee that God is very punctuall in keeping accompt of his mercies beſtowed on us, you ſhall find that in the GoſpelJoh. 2. 11. of St. John, when Chriſt turned the water into wine; it is ſaid, This is the beginning of miracles that Jeſus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory. And when he healed& 4 54. the noble mans Son; This is again the ſecond miracle that Jeſus did, when he came out of Judea into Galilee. Thus God doth keep an account of his mercies beſtowed on us. This is the firſt Magiſtrate, and this is the ſecond Miniſter, and this is the third affliction, and that is the fourth deliverance you have had. And if we remember them not to Gods glory, he will remember them to our ſhame; as he did1 Sam 2. 27, 28. to Eli, I did plainly appear unto the houſe of thy Father, when they were in Aegypt, in Pharaohs houſe; and I did chooſe him out of all the Tribes of Iſrael, to be my Prieſt, to offer upon mine Altar, and 1 Sam. 15. 17.to burn incenſe, &c. The like he ſaid to Saul by Samuel, When theu waſt little in thine owne fight, waſt thou not made head of the Tribes of Iſrael, and the Lord anointed thee King over Iſrael? And how doth God reckon up the many … f…vors vouchſafed to David, eſpecially in that great advancement of him to the throne,2 Sam. 12. 7, 8. and delivering him from the hand of Saul? All theſe things are repeated to Eli, Saul, David, for the greater aggravation of their ſins; nay, Gods very judgements executed are particularly recorded by him, as you may ſee in divers places, eſpecially that of Amos, ch. 4.Amos 4. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. …. 6. to the end of that ch▪ his ſeveral judgements▪ and their incorrigibleneſſe. Doth God keep a book of Remembrance, and ſhall we …e without our Journall? God forbid.
2. Ab …que.Secondly, it is very juſt and equall, that we ſhould thus remember God, who remembers us daily; and that not only for the ſupplying our wants, or delivering us in our extremity, but alſo in the accepting of our perſons, and our ſincere performances.
Gen. 8. 1.1. For the firſt: God remembred Noah when he was in the Ark, and ſent him forth. God remembred Abraham in that great overthrow& 19. 29. of the Cities in the Plain, and ſent Lot to him, to warn him, to comfort him. God remembred Rachel, and gave her a Joſeph. God& 30. 31. remembred Hannah, and made her fruitfull.1 Sam. 1. 9. God remembers our wants, and ſupplyes them; our friends, and requites them; our enemies, and plagues them; nay, our very cattle, and preſerves them. God did not only remember Noah in the Ark, but he remembredGen. 8. 1. every living thing, and all the cattle. God chides Jonah for being angry for the loſſe of his gourd, upon this account; Thou hadſt pity Jonah 4. 10, 11.on the gourd, &c. and ſhould not I ſpare Nineve… that great City, wherein there are ſo many children, and alſo much cattle? Doth God remember and take care for oxen, and will he not much more remember his people? No, (ſaith the Lord) I cannot. Can a woman forget her ſucking …ſa. 49. 15, 16.childe, that ſhe ſhould not have compaſſion on the Son of her wombe? Yea, they may forget; Yet will not I forget thee, ſaith the Lord of his people. A Mother may break the bonds of Nature, but I cannot break the bonds of my Covenant. Why ſo? Becauſe I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands. I may as ſoon forget my ſelf, as forget thee; thy walls are ever before me. Now that which is continually before us, we well remember. Will not God forget us? And ſhall not we uſe all means that we may remember him? Rather then fail, chalk up his loving kindneſſes.
2. We never ſhewed any love to God inJor. 2. 2. our lives, but he remembers it. I remember (ſaith God to Iſrael) the kindneſſe of thy youth, the love of thine eſpouſals. Sarah ſpake but one good word in that fooliſh fit of her unbelief, when ſhe laught, and ſlighted the promiſe ofGen. 18. 12. a Son; ſhe call'd her Husband Lord; After I am waxen old, ſhall I have pleaſure, my Lord being old alſo? This one good word is not forgotten, but ſet down in a book by the hand of1 Pet. 3. 6. Peter, Sarah obeyed Abraham, and called him Lord. Not a prayer made, nor a tear ſhed, but he hath a book for the one, and a bottle for the other, rather then they ſhould be loſt. Put thou my tears into thy bottle, O Lord, (ſaithPſal. 56. 8. the Pſalmiſt) are they not in thy book? If Gods people meet together, and pray and ſpeak often one to another, he hearkens and hears; that is, he doth moſt diligently attend to all they ſay; and a book of remembrance ſhal be written Mal. 3. 16, 17.of it before the Lord. Cornelius was a moſt devout benefactor, and the Angel tell him, that his prayers and alms were come up in remembranceAct. 10. 4. before God. It is a mercy that God will remember us, though it be with a rod to correct us; but it is a rich favour indeed, if he remember us with a ſtaffe to ſupport and comfort us. As our remembrance of God or men is the ſumme of all we do for them. Remember me (ſaith Joſeph to Phaaroh'sGen. 40. 14, 23. Butler) that is, ſpeak a good word for me, do me the favour as work out my deliverance. But the chief Butler did not remember Joſeph, but forgat him; that is, he did nothing for him: Even ſo Gods remembrance is the ſumma totalis of his goodneſſe to us: He remembers us indeed, for he pities us, and ſpares us, and pardons us, ſupplyes us in all our neceſſities, and ſupports us in all our extremities; he will not leave us in our ſtraights, nor leave us in our ſins; and if we do or ſuffer any thing for him, he hath a book of remembrance, and it ſhall be written down. At the laſt day it is ſaid, the books ſhall be opened, and is not this one of thoſe books? and the dead ſhall be judged out of thoſe things which were written in thoſe Rev… 20. …books, according to their works, Jeſus Chriſt will read to all the world the good works of his people out of that book. I was Matt. 25. 35.anhungry, and ye gave me meat; I was thirſty, and ye gave me drink; I was a ſtranger, and ye took me in; …ked, and ye clothed me. You never did anything for God, but he hath put it down in his book; it is very juſt and equall then, that what he hath done for you ſhould be written down in your book.
3. A neceſſario.Thirdly, it is very neceſſary you ſhould keep ſuch a Journall, and that in three regards:
1. In regard of the badneſſe of your memory. Memoriaprimùm ſeneſcit, (ſay Phyſicians) The memory decayes firſt; old men and dying men will tell you ſo; but the memory of a benefit ſooner, the memory of divine favours ſooneſt of all. Some things we can hardly forget, as our ſorrows and our pleaſures. It was about 20 yeers ereGen. 33. 1. Eſau could forget the ſorrow he conceived for the loſſe of the bleſſing, and the injury Jacob did him, in getting it away from him.& 25. 29. And he was ſo mindfull of his pleaſures that he forgat his bread. And there be ſome things we can hardly remember, …as our faults and our friends. It was two full years (ſaith the ſtory) ere Pharaoh's Butler could remember& 41. 9. Joſeph, or call his faults to minde, for which he ſuffered impriſonment. Many O Lord my Pſal. 40. 5.God (ſaith David) are thy wonderfull works which thou haſt done, and thy thoughts which are to … ward, they cannot be reckoned up in order to thee; if I ſhould declare and ſpeak of them, they are more then can be numbred. Then certainly, many of theſe mercies that God hath vouchſafed to us, would quite be forgotten, did we not keep ſuch a Diary by us.
2. It is neceſſary, that thereby we prevent the great fin of forgetfulneſſe. To forget God is a mother fin, a root-fin. What will not that man be, what will not he doe that forgets God? He is a very wicked man. The wicked ſhall be turned into hell (ſaith thePſal. 9. 17. Pſalmiſt) and all the nations that forget God. He is a proud man, and I am ſure a proud man is a wicked man. Through the pride of his countenance he will not ſeek after God; God is not in all his thoughts, his thoughts are not of him; or his thoughts are not of him; or his thoughts are, that& 10. 4. there is no God. He that forgets God, forgets that God is. He that forgets God is an hypocrite, and an hypocrite is a very wicked man. Conſider this ye that forget God. But who were& 50. 16, 17, 22. they? Such as took Gods name into their mouths, and yet hated inſtruction, and caſt Gods words behinde them. He that forgets God is a moſt unthankfull perſon, and an unthankfull man is a moſt wicked man. Dixeris ingratum, dixe…is omnia. Call a man an unthankfull man, and call him any thing.
Eccleſ. 9. 14, 15.There was a little City (ſaith Solomon) beſieged by a great King, and a poor wiſe man delivered that City by his wiſdome, yet no man remembred that poor wiſe man. It was a wicked part to forget that man, but moſt wicked it is to forget God. When Tamerlane (that victorious Emperor) had beaten Bajazet in battle, and taken him priſoner, he ſent for him, and amongſt other queſtions, asked him, Whether ever he were thankfull to God for making him ſo great a King? he anſwered, that he never ſo much as thought of him; which was a moſt wicked ſpeech of a wicked man.
3. It is neceſſary to prevent the great danger of forgetting God. To forget God is a provoking ſin. He that forgets God, ſins not at an ordinary rate, and therefore ſhal be puniſhed not after an ordinary manner. Conſider Pſal. 50. 22.this ye that forget God (ſaith the Lord) leſt I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you. Eli forgat God, and ſo did Saul and Jeroboam, they forgat the great things God had done for them, and did not God plague them and their poſterity? Forgetfulneſſe of God makes him rage, not onelyonly againſt the work of his hands, but the ſheep of his paſture. David forgat God, and ſo did Solomon; and how ſeverely were they puniſhed? The one by his Son, who rebelled againſt him; the other by his Servant, that pluckt the greateſt part of the Kingdome from his poſterity.
A Souldier of Philip King of Macedonia, having begg'd the lands of one that had entertained him kindly, was branded with Ingratus hoſpes on the forehead, to his perpetual ſhame. It is reported of Caeſar and Alexander, two of the moſt valiant Souldiers that ever the world had, that the one would never give to, and the other forgive an unthankful man. Becauſe (ſaith the Lord) Pharaoh King of Aegypt ſaith the river (that is Nilus) is mine owne, I have made it for my ſelf, therefore will I dry up the river, and cauſe the fiſh to ſtink. What became of Herod the proud? who, after his oration,Act. 1…. …3. and the peoples acclamation, The voyce of a god, and not of a man, gave not the glory to God; the Angel of the Lord …mote him, and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the Ghoſt. He that forgets God, is unthankful to God; and he that is unthankful, forfeits all mercies; as the not paying of Cuſtome forfeits all a Merchants goods.
It is written of one Timotheus the Son of Conon a noble Citizen of Athens, that after he had proudly ſaid in a great aſſembly, Haec ego feci, non fortuna: Theſe things I have done, and not Fortune, (which that people adored as God) he never proſpered, but loſt all the glory he had gotten.
A poor honeſt man meeting with a very rich neighbour in his Corn-fields, upon harveſt, very plentifully ſtored, conſiſting of many acres, ſaid to him, You have Sir a very rich crop; anſwered, Yea, I wil have a good crop; and gave not God the praiſe: Within a few dayes after, by a mighty ſtorm of wind the greateſt part of his corn was blown out of the ear, and with other wet weather it was ſo waſted that it came to little. If we forget God, he will forget us: He will remember our ſins, and puniſh us for them; but he wil forget our perſons in time of trouble. To w…ch purpoſe I ſhall relate a ſad ſtory, which I had from a good hand, in the hearing of very many; and I believe it to be very true. A man that on his ſick bed, that proved his deathbed, had one time an extraordinary appetite, and deſired ſomething that he might eat; which being brought to him, he did as much loath as before he longed for; and therefore without touching any part of it, was carried away; ſuddenly, he called for it again, his ſtomach to ſuch proviſion being as ſtrong and quick as ever; which was done accordingly, and ſet before him; but his ſtomach roſe againſt it, with as great abhorrency as before. This was done a third time, upon the former ground, & carried away again for the ſame reaſon. At laſt he confeſſed that it was juſt with God ſo to deal with him, that never craved a bleſſing from God upon his meat when he ſat down at his table, nor gave God thanks when he roſe up, but forgat God the giver of all. And indeed it is juſt with God to forget us in our ſtraights, that never remember him in our enlargements. The keeping of ſuch a Journall would conduce much to the preventing of ſuch an evil.
4. Abutili.Fourthly, it is a very profitable courſe to have ſuch a Journal or Diary by us; and you know, Who wil ſhew us any good? Who wil bring us any profit? is the great queſtion of the world, and prevails very far. Now it is profitable theſe 7 ways.
1. As it would be an excellent way to advance the name and honorable memoriall of ſome, ſo it would thereby much promote the good of others: For would ſuch as are of ſingular worth, and ſpeciall note for their learning, piety, and uſefulneſſe in Church or Common-wealth, be perſwaded to this duty of keeping a Journall, how eaſie were it for their poſterity, or ſpeciall friends, to write a hiſtory of their Lives, eſpecially ſo far as concerned their parents, their birth and breeding, either in … Univerſity or Innes …of Court; their great preſervations from dangers, their great preferments to places of truſt, with their employments and ſucceſſe in thoſe places, and ſuch like? Other things might be added, as occaſion is offered, from the relation of others; which as it would much conduce to the honor of the dead, ſo it would very far advance the good of thoſe that ſurvive them. Moſt people believe their eyes rather then their ears, and walk more by patterns then they do by any rules. Mahomet the Great, the firſt Emperor of Conſtantinople, did ever ſet before him the examples of Alexander and Caeſar in all his Wars, whom he laboured to imitate. And it is reported of Themiſtocles, that he had always in his thoughts the victories of Miltiades, which made him unſatisfied, till he had imitated him. Chriſtians that have ſuch a cloud of witneſſes (not unlike the pillar of a cloud to Iſrael in the wilderneſs) may the better be guided through the dark labyrinths of this evil world, till they come to that Canaan of unutterable joy and happineſſe, of which thoſe worthies are now made partakers. And indeed, who can behold their love to Gods truth, their zeal for his glory, their patience in tribulation, their courage in a good cauſe, their perſeverance in well-doing, their holineſſe of life, their prayers, faſting, tears, alms, temperance, modeſty, heavenly▪mindedneſſe, with their triumph at their death; but muſt needs foreign, ſtir up the grace that … them; ſtir the coals of their ſervent deſires, till they break out into a flame, in being followers of thoſe worthies as they followed Chriſt. The Lacedemonians for the better ſtirring up of young men to noble enterpriſes, uſed to have the ſtatues of their moſt famous Worthies, either Gown-men or Sword-men, ſet up in their Senate-houſe, with this ſentence in golden letters, Si fueritis ſicut hi, eritis ſicut …i: If you will be like theſe for their ſervice, you ſhall be like theſe for their honour. Some have taken good pains in writing the Lives and Deaths of ſuch as have deſerved well in their generations, a Work in this regard very commendable. How many ſuch examples would be preſerved, and left to poſterity, (which otherwiſe were like to be loſt) were this courſe of keeping Diaries obſerved?
2. This practice would bring Chriſtians into great acquaintance with God, and his moſt gracious nature. So the Pſalmiſt, who having fully diſcourſed of his providence over divers ſorts of perſons, in anſwering their prayers, and relieving them in their neceſſities; concludes, Whoſo is wiſe, Pſ. 107. 43.and will obſerve theſe things, even ſuch ſhall underſtand the loving kindneſſe of the Lord. Now what better way to obſerve ſuch things, then by a conſtant keeping of ſuch a Journal? Thence we may diſcern his loving kindneſſe.
1 Tim 6. 17.1. How full it is; who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
2. How free it is; who doth all for us for his name ſake.
Jam. 1. 17.3. How firm it is; with whom there is no variableneſſe, nor ſhadow of turning; whoſe gifts and calling are without repentance.Rom. 11. 29.
And who would not endevour by all means to be wel acquainted with God, whom to know, is wiſdome indeed; to fear, is godlineſſe indeed; to enjoy, is happineſſe indeed?
3. It will from hence much inlarge our love to God; for we muſt needs love him1 Joh. 4. 19 that hath loved us firſt, eſpecially that hath loved us thus. Certainly the more we know God, the better we ſhall love him. I will Pſal. 91. 14.deliver him (ſaith the Lord by the Pſalmiſt) becauſe he hath ſet his love upon me; and he hath ſet his love upon me, becauſe he hath known my name. Even Publicans (ſaith our Saviour) will love thoſe of whom they are beloved, by whom they are rewarded: And ſhall not Chriſtians be in love with ſuch a God, whoſe merciesProv. 8. 17. are more then we can number, greater then we can value? And will not this our love to God be beneficial to us? If we love him, he will love us again, and in his love there can be no lack, for they that ſeek him earlyJoh. 14. 21, 23. ſhall finde him. He that loveth me (ſaith Chriſt) ſhall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifeſt my ſelf unto him. And again, If any man love me, he will keep my commandements, and my Father will love him; and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. Now this God hath not onelyonly enough in himſelf to enable him unto all this, (for he is the only wiſe and almighty God) but he hath alſo enough to encline him thereunto, for he is2 Cor. 1. 3. the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. Yea, he hath enough to engage him; for he is in covenant with us, and that covenant is under ſeal, that by two immutable things, in which it was impoſſible forHeb. 6. 17, 18. God to lye, we might have ſtrong conſolation.
4. It will much enlarge our hearts in kindneſſe and compaſſion to our brethren;Pſal. 16. 2, 3. for becauſe (as the Pſalmiſt ſaith) our goodneſſe cannot extend to God, it ſhall to the Saints that are 1 Joh. 3. 14.in the earth. And ſurely he that loveth God, loveth him alſo that is begotten of God. And ſuc… love to the Saints is very profitable,
1. For the preſent▪ for it is a good evidence that we are paſt from death to life, becauſe we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
2. For the future; it ſhall be remembred and rewarded at the laſt day: For Chriſt will ſay to ſuch, In as much as ye did all this toM…tt. 25. 34, 40. one of theſe my Brethren, ye did it unto me. Come ye therefore ye bleſſed of my Father, inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
5. The keeping of ſuch a Journall, eſpecially if we look often into it, and read it, over will be a notable means to encreaſe in us that ſelf-abaſement & abhorrency of ſpirit that is moſt acceptable in the ſight of God. The more we look upon the loving kindneſs of the Lord, the more vile ſhall we be in our owne eyes. When I conſider (ſaith David) the Pſ. 8. 3, 4.heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the ſtars which thou haſt ordained; What is man that thou art mindſull of him, or the Son of man that thou viſiteſt him? Alas, man is not onelyonly ſrail, as a creature, but filthy alſo as a ſinner, yet the riches of Gods grace overlooks …all; ſo that God will beſtow his thoughts upon him, and viſit him. We may be very mindful of ſuch as we do not, we cannot viſit; but God will do both. David in another place& 144 3, 4. goes a ſtep higher, What is man that thou takeſt knowledge of him, or the Son of man that thou makeſt account of him? Man is like to vanity, his days are like a ſhadow that paſſeth away. Man is not worthy that God ſhould caſt an eye upon him, and make any account of him▪ and yet the higheſt Lord will take knowledge of the loweſt worm; Majeſty will make ſome reckoning of meanneſs. Oh! how will the ſerious ſurvey of ſuch a Journal abaſe the ſoul2 Sam. 9. 7, 8. before the Lord! When David did but tell Mephiboſheth, what he would do for him, and he cryes out from the ſenſe of his owne vileneſſe, What is thy ſervant, that thou ſhould look upon ſuch a dead dog as I am? A dog; yea, a dead dog; What more vile in the world? But when God told David how he would build him an houſe, and ſet up his ſeed after& 7. 18, 19. him; he replyes, Who am I, and What am I, that thou haſt brought me hitherto? And this was yet but a ſmall thing in thy ſight, O Lord; but thou haſt ſpok…n of thy ſervants houſe for a great while to come. If God be great and good in our eyes, we ſhall be little and vile in our owne ſight. If God be high in our hearts, we ſhall be as low in our thoughts, as we are in our deſerts. And this will be for our profit; for if we be mean in our owne account, God will ſet his1 Pet. 5. 5. heart upon us, and magnifie us; for as he reſiſteth the proud, ſo he giveth grace to the humble.
6. This Journal, with a ſurvey of all the good things God hath beſtowed on us, and continued to us, will much provoke us to thankfulneſſe. They that have but heard much of Gods goodneſſe, cannot be unthankfull. Indeed, they that were born deaf remain dumb; they that could never hear, can never ſpeak. They that could never hear the voyce of the Son of God, and live, are tongue tyed in his praiſes: But they that have heard of him by the ear, ſeen him by the eye, and every day taſte of his bounty, their mouths will ever run over with thankſgiving. Now certainly the more thankfull any man is, the more ſucceſſefull. As faith is the way to thankfulneſſe, ſo thankfulneſſe is the way to thrive. It is ſaid that Aaron had on his robe round about aExo. 18. 34. bell and a pomegranate; the Bell ſignified thankfulneſſe; and the Pomegranate fruitfulneſſe. He that offereth me prayſe (ſaith God) glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his converſation Pſa. 50. …3.aright, I will ſhew the ſalvation of God. I will not be in his debt, but work ſome great extraordinary deliverance for him Let the people & 67. 5, 6.praiſe thee, O God; yea, let all the people praiſe thee; (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) Then ſhall the earth bring forth her increaſe, and God even our own God ſhall bleſſe us. Prayers get mercies, but praiſes keep them and enlarge them, with a bleſſing; and a little bleſſed is better then the whole world enjoyed.
7. Such a courſe would very much help our faith. Every experiment of Gods former goodneſſe is a ſtrong prop for our faith for the future. When Moſes went up to theExod. 17 9. Mount to pray for Iſrael, and againſt Amalek, he took the rod of God in his hand. And the reaſon certainly was, becauſe by that rod God had done wonderful things for his people and againſt their enemies; as by that he turned the waters into blood, by that he& 7. 20. & 5. 17. & 14. 1…. brought frogs and lice upon the land of Aegypt, by that he divided the waters of the Red Sea. And the very fight of that rod did encourage Moſes to truſt in God for the deliverance of his people, and the overthrow of their enemies; and that from the experience of his former goodneſſe. Now queſtionleſſe the beſt way to be ſtored with ſuch experiments, is to keep ſuch a Journal or Diary by us: And who can read ſuch an hiſtory, but muſt needs ſay, Why ſhould not I truſt to, and depend upon ſuch a God at all times, and for all things?
Firſt, I ſay, at all times; for there is not prius & poſterius in Deo; firſt and laſt in God, as in man: He can do what he hath done,Pſal. 37. 25. I am is his name. I have been young, and now am old, was the language of David, but not of David's God.
Secondly, as at all times, ſo for all things; for there is not majus & minus in Deo, not more and leſſe in God, he can do what he will do; he can pardon all ſins as well as one, ſupply all wants as well as one, ſubdue all our enemies as eaſily as one. I cannot do as I have done, is the voyce of the creature, not of the Creator. See how Jacob reaſons from experience,Gen. 4…. 1…, 16. when he bleſſed Joſeph's Son. The God which fed me all my life long unto this day; The Angell which redeemed me from all evill, bleſſe the lads.
Now is not faith a profitable grace? Faith is the greateſt gather-good in the world: What need he care, why ſhould he fear, what can he want, that is rich in faith? For rich in faith, and rich in God, and he that enjoyes God, ſhall inherit all things. By thisRev. 21. 7. faith ſtrengthened, and by ſo many experiments thus enlarged, he may erect a monument, and ſay, Hitherto the Lord hath holpen me. Sam. 7. 12.And thereupon look up into heaven, and thus admire at the large allowance that is provided for him there, with the Pſalmiſt;Pſal. 31. 20. How great is thy goodneſſe, O Lord, which thou haſt laid up for thoſe that fear thee! If my friend will give me ſuch entertainmentat an Inne by the way, how welcome will he make me when I come to his houſe? If earth be ſuch, what is heaven? If my comfort in a cottage be ſo great, what are the joys of thoſe everlaſting habitations, not made with hands, but eternall in the heavens, where I ſhall have glory with a double hyberbole, foreign 1 Cor. 4. 17.foreign, an exceeding weight of glory. Oh! that our treaſure were laid up in heaven, that our converſation were in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; who ſhall change our vile bodies, that they may be faſhioned Phil 3. 10, 21.like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to ſubdue all things unto himſelf. Heaven wil make us amends for all, but Jeſus Chriſt is better then heaven. Jacob's Sons met with hard meaſure whileſt they travelled into Aegypt for food; but I am Joſeph your Gen. 45. 3.Brother, and Governour of all Aegypt, did abundantly recompenſe them for all their trouble. After all our ſorrows and ſufferings in this vale of tears; Fear not, it is I. All power is given unto me; your Captain, your Brother, your Head will ſatisfie abundantly.Phil. 1. 23. Paul had a deſire to depart, and to be with Chriſt; which is far better. Riches are good, but Learning is better; Learning is good, but Grace is better; Grace is good, but Glory in heaven is better; Heaven is good, but Chriſt is far better. A picture of the globe of the whole earth, ſet out with all the brave things that Sea and Land can afford, with this ſentence encircling it round, To be with Chriſt is far better, is a Chriſtians embleme. Indeed Jeſus Chriſt is a ChriſtiansPſal. 16. …ls. heaven; in whoſe preſence there is fulneſs of joy, and at whoſe right hand there are pleaſures for evermore. Whither he bring us, who hath ſo dearly bought us; to whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghoſt, be given by us and all his Saints, all honor and glory, now and for evermo…e, Amen.
foreign Chriſtianus gratulabundus.
Thankfulnes A way to thriue
Exod: 28. 34.
FINIS.