Works, Chapter 5 · Section

Works · Chapter 5 · Section

p. 437A Good Wish about the exercising our selves to Godliness in Solitude, wherein the former particulars are applied.

THe blessed and infinite wise God,The Introduction: who made my soul for himself, and knoweth it will never be satisfied without himself, commanding me in all company to converse with his sacred Majesty, and calling me sometimes to solitude, that being freed from worldly distractions, I might have more of his society; I Wish that my nature may be so sutable to his holy being, and my love so great to his gracious presence, that though his providence should cast me alone into a Prison, yet enjoying his favour there, I may esteem it sweeter and pleasanter then the stateliest Palace. It is both his precept and my priviledge, that in the greatest company I should be alone to him; and in my greatest solitude, in company with him. There is not the most solitary place I can come into, nor the least moment of my life, but I have still business with my God, and such as is neither easie, nor of mean concernment. All my transactions with men about House, or Land, or Food, or Cloaths, or the most neces…ary things of this present life, are nothing to my businesse with God about my unchangeable being in the other world. If they were all laid in the ballance with this, they would be found infinitely lighter then vanity and nothing. My understanding p. 438is ready to be overwhelmed with the apprehension of an endless eternal state. All my business with meat, or drink, or sleep, or family, or friends, or mercies, or afflictions, nay, or the means of grace, or ordinances themselves, is no more worth or desireable, then they tend to the furthering my everlasting good. All other things are but as passengers, to which I may afford a short salute, but it is my home, where I must abide for ever, that my heart must be always set upon; and it is my God, upon whom this blissful endless life depends, that I have most cause to be ever with; O my soul, by this thou mayst gather with whom to deal, and about what to trade when thou art alone; tell me not henceforward, in the words of the lazy worldling, I am idle, for I have nothing to do; Hast thou pardon of sin, the Image of thy God, an interest in thy Redeemer, freedom from sin, the Law, the wrath to come, a title to life and salvation, to get and secure, without which thou shalt be a firebrand of hell for ever, and hast thou any while, any time to be idle? Hast thou that high, that holy, that weighty work of worshipping and glorifying the great God of Heaven and Earth, and of working out thy own salvation, and yet hast thou nothing to do! O that I might never hear such language in thy thoughts, much less read it in thy life, when thou hast so much business of absolute necessity to be done, lying upon thy hands, that if all the Angels in Heaven should offer thee their help, unless the Son of God himself do assist, thou canst not dispatch it in many millions of ages! Lord, I am thine, absolutely thine, universally thine; all I am is thine, all I have is thine; O when shall I live as thine! I have no business but with p. 439thee, and for thee; O that I could live wholly to thee; I confess it is thine infinite gra…e to suffer such a worm as I am, to converse with thy glorious Majesty; that Heaven should thus stoop to earth, and the most holy condescend to so great, so greivous a sinner; O affect my heart with thy kindness herein, and so fill me with thy blessed spirit, that as thou art ever with me, whether I am alone, or in company, so when I awake, I may be still with thee.

I Wish that I may esteem solitude,Motives to exercise our selves to godliness in solitude. 1. The advantage which a Christian may reap by solitude. when my God calls me to it, a gracious opportunity, for more united and intimate converses with his Majesty. How often hath the company of men distracted my spirit, and hindered me from having my conversation in Heaven! Their mi…apprehensins, and carnal interests, and predominant passions do frequently bring such prejudice to their associates, that none would be over fond of their honey, who hath once felt their stings. If I converse with wicked men, I hear their Oaths, and Blasphemies, and Ribbaldry, their Mocks, and Taunts, and Ieers, against God and his people; I see their intemperance and prophaneness, and injustice, and oppression, and persecution of them that fear the Lord; I can read in their wicked language, and cursed carriage, their bitterness, and rage, and emnity against their Maker and Redeemer; I may behold the body of Christ wounded, and his pretious blood trampled on, the law, and love, and worship, and honour, of the blessed God, scorned and despised, and such vileness and wickedness committed in an hour, as shall be bewailed and lamented for ever. Such sights as these call for my p. 440deepest sorrow, and the best that I can get by such company, is inward trouble, and abundant grief; but its many to one if they do not make me either directly or indirectly to contract real guilt. O what pleasure can I take to be in a room filled with smoke, which will certainly wring tears from mine eyes, and probably smut and defile me; If I converse with good men, though their company in many respects be desireable, and I have found it to be profitable, and I would prize them whom God esteemeth, and love them that have his beautiful Image, and with whom I must live for ever; yet how many things are in them to allay the vertue and benefit of their society! Their peevishness, and pa…sion, and pride, and selfishness which are still too much in them; the difference of their judgements, and dispositions, causeth their company to be far the l…ss eligible and lovely; Besides, their readiness and activeness to propagate their errors, and their power and prevalency to draw others to joyn with them in their wandrings from the truth, doth not a little abate of that comfort and delight, which I might have in them; Again, their miseries, and wants, and necessities, which are many, and great, and urgent, which I am wholly unable to relieve or remedy, call me to tears and weeping; Once more, their slips, and falls, and weaknesses and back-slidings which I must observe, and reprove, and bewail, are far from being occasions of joy or pleasure to me. They are at best, as we say of Children, certain cares, and uncertain comforts; Though they are roses, they have prickles, which offend, as well as their pleasant smell to refresh us; the truest friend I have, may occasion me p. 441as much trouble as comfort. When I travail with a chearful good Companion, I promise my self much delight in my journey, but anon he falls and wounds himself, or tires, or proves sick and unable to go further, and instead of going forward, I must stay to attend on him, and thus instead of being my help, he becomes my hinderance. Indeed I have the more cause to bear with it in another, not knowing how soon it may be my own case; but however these accidents which too often fall out, as they speak the benefit of it to one, so also the perplexity and trouble of it to another. If I converse with great or rich men, what disdainful looks do they give me? at what a distance do they behold me? Its hard to obtain the liberty of speaking to them; but if I would obtain their favour twill cost me more then it did the cheif Captain for his Roman freedom; Vnless I can gratifie their lusts, I must not expect their love. If I can drink, and swear, and curse, and roar at their hellish rate (it may be) they will afford me a good word; but alas what man in his wits, would pay for their best words so dear a price? Their friendship can hardly be got without a breach with my God; and what wise man would lose the good will of the Lord for the gain of the whole world? When I have by many friends, and with much …fficulty, and even danger to my soul procured their favour, how little am I the better for it! The most rotten tree is not so hollow; for as cunning wrestlers, they will get within me to give me a fall; the wind it self is not more wavering then they are; except I can be contented to be their foot-stool, that by their treading on me, they may be lifted higher in the world, I must expect to be quite cast by. Its possible wbilst they may make some use of me to decoy and trepan others, or to raise p. 442and advance themselves, they may carry me upon their shoulders as men do their Ladders, when there is hopes thereby of climbing to their desired height, but when that is done, or if the Ladder prove too short, they will throw it upon the ground, If I will not always be some way or other m…king provision for their flesh, I shall be dismist with the brand of an unworthy fellow. If I converse with mean and poor men, I find but little comfort in their company, I see their poverty, and indigency, and hunger, and nakedness, which I cannot help or prevent, I heard their cries, and groans, and complaints, by reason of oppressing Landlords, or tyrannical revengeful Neighbours, or unfaithful Friends, or distempered Bodies, all which affect my soul, and grieve me to the heart, that I am ready to sit in the dust, and cry, and groan, and mourn with them; Let me go where I will to converse with any, in this wilderness of the world, I find little but briars, and brakes, and thorns, and thistles, and matter of sorrow and lamentation; but when I retire alone to converse with my God, I am freed from those distracting clamours and vexations, cries and disturbing noise, and might, could I but leave an ungrateful unbelieving heart behind me, find in him an Heaven …pon Earth; I may with Moses go up to Mount Pisgah, and take a view with the prospective glass of faith, of Palestine, and that goodly land flowing with milk and honey. I may enter into the suburbs of the new Jerusalem, taste some clusters of the Grapes of Canaan, and view as in a glass those celestial beauties and glories which I hope one day to see face to face, and to be partaker of… O my soul, what needst thou care how p. 443much the world scorns thy company, or to what place thy God see fit to banish thee! if thou canst but as Zacheus, when gotten out of the crowd, climb up into the Sycamore of meditation, and obtain a sight of thy Saviour; If he want no company who is with the King, surely thou mayst deny all the company on earth for the King of Kings! Look how lovingly he invites thee to take a turn or two with him alone in the fields; Come my beloved, let us go forth into the fields, there I will give thee my loves; Hast thou not many a time sighed out to him, O kiss me with the kisses of thy lips, for thy love is better then wine; Lo, he tells thee the place where he will answer thy petition; There will I give thee my loves. Thy bridegroom is bashful, and desirous to satisfie thy longings in secret; Isaac met his bride in the fields, and thou mayst meet thy beloved when thou turnest aside from the world, to entertain thy self in solitude. O how pleasant should solitude be to thee for his sake? What matters it, whether thou art driven, or who be the whips that drive thee, when thou art driven farther from men, to be nearer the Lord Iesus Christ! A loving Husband is instead of all company to a faithful Spouse. Is not Christ dearer to thee then all the world? be not thou dejected, though thou shouldst be turned as he was, into a Wilderness, but expect an Angel, even the Angel of the Covenant, to be sent from Heaven for thy comfort. Lord, it is my support, that wherever I am, thou art continually with me; O that I were able to say, I am continually with thee; I would willingly with Jacob, leave all my company to meet thee alone…, so I might p. 444but as he did weep in secret, and make supplication, so as to prevail with thee for thy blessing. Though I should sind cause to say with David, Lovers and friends stand aloof from me; and with Job, My friends scorn me; yet if thou pleasest, by parting me from them, to draw me nearer to thy self, and to afford me more of thy quickening, cheering presence, I shall account their absence a desireable advantage; The best society without thee, is as a barren desart, and an howling wilderness; the greatest solitariness with thee, is as a fruitful Country and delectable Canaan; How precious are thy thoughts (my thoughts of thee) to me O God; Let me rather dwel alone in a Prison with thy company, then in a Pallace without thee.

22Motive, The danger of carelesness in solitude.I Wish that I may be the more careful of my carriage in secret, lest what I intend as an opportunity for my Gods service, should prove a season and advantage for Satan; The body must be lookt to narrowly, when it comes out of an hot Bath, lest the Poors being open, it should take cold. The soul must be carefully tended, when it comes from Christian communion, lest in solitude it lose what it hath gained in good company. When the Countryman hath been at Market and filled his Purse, he is in most danger of robbing as he goeth home alone. The Tempter will be sure to be present with me, whoever be absent; He walks to and fro in the earth, and whilst I am in his Circuit, I must expect his company; Though he be more bold then welcome, and though I deny his desires, defie his works, and resist him, and sometimes foil him, yet he will p. 445still attend to sollicite me to folly; wherever I go, he will find me out; and whatever I do, I must expect him at my elbow; he hath a double advantage of me in solitude, partly in that I have no visible second to assist me; he hopes when I am alone, tis a good time to set upon me, and that he is strong enough by force to ravish and defile me; Partly, in that shame which restrains from sin in publique, hath no place, no prevalency in private. He will tell me that secresie may be a curtain to hide my sins from the worlds eye, of which I am so much afraid. As Josephs Mistress, he will cry, Come lie with me, be bold to sin, to take thy pleasure, for here is no man present to know it, or to reveal it to thy disgrace. And for God, he hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he will never see it; How shall God know? can he judge through the dark Cloud? Thick Clouds are a covering to him, that he doth not see, and he walketh in the circuit os Heaven. But O my soul, thy double danger calleth upon thee to be the more vigilant and diligent in minding thy duty. When thou hast no humane friend to watch over thee, thou art the more concerned to watch over thy self. They that live far from Neighbours, are the more liable to Thieves, and therefore if wise, will make up that want by extraordinary watchfulness, and a greater provision of armour and weapons; If one Devil be too hard a match for many secure Christians, how unable will one single Christian be, to encounter with many, with a Legion of Devils! Shouldst thou be idle in solitude, or suffer thy thoughts to wander, expect more then good Company, and such as p. 446will employ thee about works of darkness. Besides, Consider, Though thy thoughts are mantled from the view of men, yet thy God knoweth thy thoughts a far off, long before thou thinkest them, and will judge the secrets of mens hearts, according to his Gospel; He that numbereth the stars of Heaven, numbereth all the thoughts of thy heart; I know the things that come into your mind, O house of Israel, every one of them, Ezek. 11. 5. And he that punisheth men for wicked deeds, doth not let them escape for their evil thoughts; Hear O earth, behold I will bring upon this people, the fruit of their thoughts, Ier. 6. 19. Nay, thy God will scourge men both for and by their thoughts; accusing thoughts are stinging vipers; That worm of conscience which will ever ever gnaw the sinners heart, to his unconceiveable misery, is bred in his thoughts; O therefore wash thy heart from wickedness, let not vain thoughts lodge within thee. Remember also O my soul, if thy most retired thoughts are legible to thy God, then thy secret actions are all open and visible to his eye. Never presume upon sin, in hope of secrecy; for though thou mayst cover the candle of creatures with a bushel; yet thou canst not the glorious sun of righteousness; nothing is hid from his sight; There is no darkness nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity can hide themselves. Lord, thou hast told me, There is nothing hid which shall not be revealed, nor secret which shall not be made known; I confess my wicked heart is apt to argue impunity from secrecy, and to think I am invisible to thee, because thou art invisible to the eye of my sense; O affect my heart so p. 447throughly with thine Omniscience and Omnipresence, that … may keep thy precepts, because all my ways (whether inward or outward) are before thee.

I Wish that I may have this comfortable evidence of my sincerity, by the conscienciousness of my behaviour in secret.33Motive. Tis a good sign of sincerity. The lineaments and features of the body, are be…t discovered in the night, when its stripped naked of those garments which in the day time covered it, and were not wholly answerable to the proportion of its several parts; The shape and countenance of the soul, is much better revealed when it retires from the world, and is freed from these objects and businesses which hurried it hither and thither (possibly) much differing from its own inclination. There is no right judging of the Patient by his water, till it is setled; nor true discovery of the state of a Christian by his heart, till it be quiet and composed. When men are busie upon the stage of the world, surrounded with spectators, they put on strange habits … and act not their own, but the parts of others, and so are not easily known, who or what they are; but he that followeth them into the retiring room, where they undress themselves, may soon discover them. The frame and bent of my heart in private, to sin or holiness, will speak its temper, whether good or bad. The soul is not at such liberty to vent it self, and to manifest its genius and disposition in its outward actions, as in its inward motions and meditations; External acts, may flow from external principles, which as a Team of Horse, draw the Cart after it by force, but internal thoughts ever flow from an internal p. 448principle, which as the natural and proper offspring of the mind, discover what its parent is; The Laws of men, the fear of punishment, the hope of reward may tye my hands in company; but its nothing but the fear of my God can bind my heart to its good behaviour in secret. My thoughts are not liable to an arraignment at any earthy Bar, nor my person to any arrest from men, …or any tumult or disorder in them, because the Law of the Magistrate can take no cognizance of them, they being locked up from all humane eyes in the privy cabinet of my heart. Though I am limited in my words, not to speak what I will, and also in my works, not to do what I will, by reason of that shame, or penalty, or ill-will from friends or superiours, which dishonest actions, and unseemly expressions may bring upon me; yet my thoughts in this sense are free, I may think what I will, notwithstanding any of these considerations. Again, outward actions, both good and bad, materially considered, are common both to Sinners and Saints. What good duties are there, but as to the matter of them, wicked men may perform them as well as the godly! Abstinence from gross sins, praying, fasting, hearing, reading, almes-giving, have been practised by some Hypocrites, in a larger measure then by some sincere Christians; On the other side. There are …ew sins so great, but some of the Children of God, have at some time or other been guilty of them. Gluttony, Drunkenness, Fornication, Incest, Murder, &c. have been committed by them that were truly sanctified; where then lieth the difference between them, so much as in their usual and predominant thoughts? Once p. 449more, my God judgeth of my actions by my thoughts, and therefore by them I may well judge of my spiritual condition, Isa. 10. 7. Gen. 22. 16, 17. Lord, I have often heard out of thy word, Where the treasure is, there will the heart be also; I know every man will be frequent in thinking of that which he esteems his happiness and treasure. The Covetous wretch hugs and embraceth his wealth in his heart and thoughts, when it is out of his sight, and in other mens hands; the Adulterer pleaseth himself in the meditation of his wanton dalliances with his foolish Minion, when he hath no opportunity for the execution of his lust; the Proud man fancieth himself in a fools Paradise, whilst he imagineth multitudes waiting upon him, in the Presence Chamber of his crazie brain with their bare heads, their bended knees, admiring and applauding the worth of his person, the vastness of his parts, and himself as the only epitome of all perfections. O give me that character of thy children, to meditate in thy Law day and night. Let my thoughts be conversant about those riches that are not liable to rust, those pleasures which satisfie a rational soul, and that honour which is from God; give me to know that my treasure is in Heaven, with thy self, in thy Son, by having my heart, and my conversation there also.

I Wish that when ever I sequester my self from worldly business,Wherein godliness consisteth in solitude. I might leave all my finful and worldly thoughts behind me. 11By watching against sinful and vain thoughts.There can no work of concernment be done in secret, unless these disturbers be absent. Should I entertain such guests, I forbid Christ p. 450my Company. Vicious thoughts are his sworn enemies, and he will not dwel in the same heart, in the same house with them; If I desire him to sit upon the throne of my heart, I must give him leave to cast down every imagination, and to bring every thought to the obedience of himself; Places that are full of vermine, are not fit for a Princes presence; Vain and unnecessary thoughts about lawful objects, are strangers, though not sworn enemies, and will give my best friend distast. Though a noble person should come to give me a visit, if he should hear me debasing my self to converse needlesly with inconsiderable impertinent fellows, I may look that he should passe by without calling in; Christ loves not to be entertained in a room full of dust-heaps and cobwebs. If vain thoughts lodge within, the blessed Jesus will stand without; Gold and Clay will not mingle; If these mists arise, and these clouds interpose, they will hinder my sight of the true Sun. Besides, My works will be answerable to my thoughts; if my thoughts be wicked or fruitless, so will my actions be. My hands are but the Midwife, to bring my thoughts, the conception of my heart, into the world. My thoughts are the seed that lyeth in the ground out of sight; my works are the crop which is visible to others; according to the seed, whether good or bad, such will the crop be. If men be so careful to get the purest, the cleanest, and the best seed for their fields, that their harvest may be the more to their advantage; how much doth it concern me that my heart be sown with pure and holy thoughts, that my crop may tend both to my credit and comfort! Lord, there is no good seed p. 451but what comes out of thy garner. I confess, the piercing thorns of vicious thoughts, and the fruitless weeds of vain thoughts, are all the natural product of my heart. O let thy good spirit plow up the fallow ground of my soul, and scatter in it such seeds of grace and holiness, that my life may be answerable to thy Gospel, and at my death I may be translated to thy glory.

I Wish that I may in solitude,22Spiritualize natural things when I have no men to discourse with, converse with other creatures, and spell the name of my creatour out of them. It is my priviledge, that I may with Sampson, get honey and sweetness by occasional meditation, out of the carcass of every creature; The whole world is a great vast library, and every creature in it a several Book, wherein he that runs may read, the power, and goodness, and infinite perfections of its Maker; Every object is as a Bell, which if but turned, makes a report of the great Gods honour and renown. Some have compared the Creation to a musical instrument; sure I am, every individual in it, is a string, which if toucht by serious consideration, will loudly and sweetly proclaim its Authors praise; He that hath much stock, may well trade high; They who by every sight, by every sound, by every thing felt or tasted, are minded of their Father and Fountain, may well be taken up with frequent apprehensions and admirations of him; For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and God head, Rom. 1. 20. The Highest and Lowest, the Kings and Worms, the Sun and Stone, the Cedar and Hysop, the smallest p. 452inanimate & irrational creatures read to me dumb lectures of my Gods might and love; they are so many Masters to instruct me, though silently, in his greatness and wisdom. The world below is a glass, in which I may see the world above. The works of God are the Shepherds Calender, the Plow-mans Alphabet, the King of Heavens Divinity Professors, and why not my Catholique Preachers? Certainly those several varieties, choice rarities, and excellent contrivances which appear in them, were made as well for my inward soul, as outward senses, and chiefly for my soul through my senses. The word of God is food for faith, and so may the works of God nourish faith by sense. Faith seeth God in himself, sense seeth God in his creatures, and thereby may be helpful to faith. Take a view O my soul of thy beloved in those pictures, which are always before thee, representing his glorious and eminent perfections; Ah, how strange is it, that he who is so near to thy senses, should be so far from thy thoughts! Try a little what wholsom cordial water thou canst distil out of these hearbs and flowers that grow in this earthly Eden, by the fire of meditation; Ask now the Beasts, and they shall teach thee: and the Fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee; or, speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; or the Fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee; Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this! Iob 12.7,8,9. Thou needst not judge the attributes and excellencis of God, or the work he requireth of thee, so mysterious… that none but men of extraordinary parts can reach or teach them. Though the longest line of created understanding cannot fathom his bottomless perfections, & though his commandments p. 453be exceeding broad, yet the meanest creatures do after a sort teach thee his wisdom and power, and thy duty and carriage; Ask now the Beasts, and they shall teach thee; As brutish as they are, they may instruct thee in many rare lessons. They will teach thee,

1. Gratitude and thankfulness to thy Maker and preserver; The Ox knoweth his owner, and the Ass his masters crib, but Israel doth not know, Isa. 1.2. If the dullest of Beasts, the Ox and Ass acknowledge their Master, how shouldst thou thy benefactour?

2. Dependance on the Fountain of thy being; If they depend on him for provision, wilt not thou? Jezreel cryeth to the Corn, Wine and Oyl to nourish her; these cry to the earth, the earth cryeth to the heavens, the heavens cry to God, upon whom they depend, Hos. 2. 19. The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing; He giveth to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry, Psalm 145. 15. and 147. 9. If the great House keeper of the world be so careful to fodder his Cattle, surely, thou mayst believe that he will not starve his children.

3. The dread and awe of thy God; When the Lyon roareth, all the Beasts of the Forrest tremble. What fear should possess thee, when thy God is incensed, and uttereth his terrible voice in his threatnings! Thy flesh may well tremble for fear of him, and thou hast good cause to be afraid of his righteous judgements.

4. Providence and Diligence in thy place and calling; Go to the Pismire thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise; she provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest, Pro. 6.6,8. If she be so wise as to know her season, and to improve it, how inexcusable wilt thou be, if thou shouldst neglect it?

p. 4545. Innocency; The Sheep will suffer many injuries and offer none. He went as a sheep to the slaughter, dumb before the shearer, and opened not his mouth.

6. Wisdom and Prudence; The Serpent will if possible, secure her head, what ever part of her be wounded; Now the Serpent was more subtil then any Beast of the field; The Christian must be careful to secure his faith; be wise as Serpents; Ask the Fowles of the air, and they will tell thee; how many truths, O my soul, will the very Birds chatter out to thee? They will tell thee,

1. Concerning thy God, his goodness and mercy; Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing, and yet not one of them falleth to the ground, without thy Fathers providence, Mat. 6. His providence reacheth the meanest creatures.

2. Concerning the wicked one, his cunning and policy; As the Eagle, when she seiseth on the carcass, will first peck out the eyes, and then feed on its flesh; So Satan first blindeth the mind, and then leads them hood-winkt to hell; As the Eagle carrieth the shelfish into the Air, onelyonly that he might break them by their fall, and devour them; so the Devil by his costly courtesie, advanceth many to their destruction, Pro. 1. 32. As Birds are caught with several baits by the Fowler, some with chaff, some with corn, some with day-nets, some with a lowbel, so the Arch-Fowler hath various ways to seduce and catch poor souls, ye are not ignorant of his devices.

3. Concerning thy self, they will tell thee,

1. That heavenly-mindedness, is the onelyonly p. 455way to chearfulness. Birds sing most, when they are got above the earth; The pretty Bed-brest doth chant it as merrily in September, the beginning of Winter, as in March, the approach of Summer. Thou mayst give as chearful entertainment to hoary frosts, as to warming beams, to the declining Sun of adversity, as to the rising Sun of Prosperity, if thy conversation be in heaven.

2. That simple souls are soon seduced and slain; when the Larkers day-net is spread in a fair morning, and himself is whirling his artificial motion, by the reflecting lustre of the Sun on the wheeling instrument, not onelyonly the merry Lark, and fearful Pigeon, are dazeled and drawn with admiration; but stouter Birds of prey, the Merlin and Hobby are invited to stoop, and gazing on the outward form, lose themselves. So when Satan spreadeth his day-net of pleasure and honour, he allures not onelyonly Heathens and Indians, but even unsound and secure Christians; As the Birds that are caught in the snare, so are the Sons of men snared in an evil time, Eccles. 9. 12.

3. That those that would conquer their spiritual enemies, must be full of courage and valour. The Kite is, Andax in minimis, timidus in magnis; bold in dealing with t…me fowl, as Chickens and Ducks, but cowardly in medling with wild ones, that will not yield. Give not place to the Devil; Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.

4. The misery and mischief of contention. The Hawk thinks constantly to make a prey of the Heron, but sometimes the Heron, when she cannot by any winding shifts get above the Hawk, nor by bemuting p. 456his feathers make him flag-winged, resumeth courage out of necessity, and strikes the Hawk through the gorge with his Bill, and so have both been seen to fall down dead together. So rich men many times presume that they may oppress their inferiours at their pleasure; but the event of their strifes and law-suits (after all their turnings and winding Meanders in the Law, sought out to get above each other) hath proved the undoing of both.

5. The unreasonableness of diffidence and distrust. They will teach thee a lesson of faith, and help to banish our fears; Behold the Fowles of the Air, for they Sow not, neither do they Reap nor gather into Barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them; are ye not much better then they? Mat. 6. 28.

6. The observation of times and seasons. Its thy prudence to take notice of the stormes of judgements, and sunshine of mercy. The Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointed times, and the Turtle and the Crane, and the Swallow, observe the time of their coming, but my people know not the judgement of the Lord, Ier. 8. 7.

7. The pains thou shouldst take for spiritual food; the fowles of the Air will flye far for meat; Where the carcass is, there will the Eagles be gathered together. No labour should be thought too great for the meat that endureth to eternal life.

8. The regard thou shouldst have to the preservation and safety of thy self and Family; They build on high, and make their nests on the tops and small twigs of trees, and will spare it out of their own mouths, to feed their young. He who provides not p. 457for his Family, is not onelyonly worse then an Infidel, but also worse then the very Birds of the Air.

O my soul, proceed farther, Speak to the earth and it shall teach thee,

1. A lesson of Humility. Thou art but breathing earth, enlivened dust, as vile as the dirt that every Beast of the field trampleth on. Behold, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes! Gen. 18. 27.

2. A lecture of thy frailty, that thine earthly tabernacle will ere long fall to the ground; Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return.

3. A lesson of fruitfulness; It bringeth forth thirty, forty, sixty, an hundred for one; And Isaac sowed in the Land, and had an hundred fold increase.

4. A lesson of faith and trust in God. The earth hangs on nothing, it hangs in the thin air, where an Hair-ball, nay a straw, will not stay without a support, Job 26. 7. He hangeth the Earth upon nothing.

Once more, And the fishes of the Sea shall declare unto thee. Though they are mute Masters, yet they are great Teachers; They declare unto thee,

1. The Affection and communion that ought to be amongst Saints; Fish of the same kind flock together in Sholes; The Greek word for Fish is, foreign, which is derived as some think, from foreign, to come, and foreign to be carried with force and violence, so the Fish swim in troops with great force. The safety of Saints consisteth much in their society.

2. The misery of want of government. The greater Fish devour the lesser; The Pike feed upon p. 458Roach; Thou makest men like Fishes of the Sea that have no government, Hab. 1. 14. So Men without Magistrates, like Canibals, feed on each other.

3. The folly of men that take not warning by others. Silly fish are caught by the Angle or Net, and carried to the fire, yet they that remain are still greedy of the bait; Satan takes some sinners with the snares and baits of his temptations, jerks them out of the water of life, and casteth them into the unquenchable fire, yet those that survive are as ready to hearken to his suggestions, as if there were no such thing, Eccles. 9. 12. 2 Tim. 2. 26. For man knoweth not his time, as the fishes that are taken in an evil Net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. That they may recover themselves out of the snares of the Devil, who are taken captive at his will.

4. The subtile malice of Satan; When thou seest the Fisher baiting his hook, thou mayst think of the policy of the Devil, who sugars over his poisoned hooks with seeming profit and pleasures. Eves Apple was candied over with Divine knowledge; Ye shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil.

5. The multitude of Believers that are begotten by the Gospel; When the Psalmist speaks of the Sea, he saith, Wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great Beasts, Psa. 104. 25. The Latine, Piscis, cometh of the Calde word, Push, which signifieth, to multiply and increa…e, for nothing multiplieth more then Fish; So p. 459the great increase of Christians under the Gospel, is compared to the number of the fish of the great Sea, Ezek. 47. 9. And there shall be a very grea… multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither, for they shall be healed, &c.

6. The duty of men to abide in their places. Fishes do not change their element; Birds are somtimes aloft in the air, sometimes below on the earth, but Fish keep always i… the water; Let every man abide in the same vocation wherein he is called, 1 Cor. 7. 20.

7. The benefit of abounding in holiness; Fishes are then sweetest and acceptable to the pallat, when they begin to be with spawn; The fruitful Christian is most pleasing to God; Herein is my Father glorified, if ye bring forth much fruit, Ioh. 15. 8.

8. The noisomness of sin; Fish cannot abide any ill savour; When the Pump of the ship is emptied, they flie from the stench and smell of that nasty water; hating the garment spotted with the flesh, Iude 23.

9. The necessity of faith and holiness; No Fish were counted clean, but such as had Fins and Scales; The Fins guide the fish, the Scales are a defence and ornament to them; Faith is a Christians guide, and good Works his garment. As the Fish by the Fins are raised from the mud to the top of the water, so faith lifteth the soul from earth to heaven; It is the evidence of things not seen; Good works are as Scales, a shield to a Christian, and are not unfitly called the Breast plate of righteousness. Thus, O my soul, though thou couldst not read a line in any Printed book, thou mightest read p. 460many good lessons in this natural book. Even things without mouths can Preach and speak thy Makers praise and pleasure; Their voices are heard in every language, and their words go to the end of the world, Psa. 19. 4.

Wheresoever O my soul, thou goest, thou mayst by meditation get some steps nearer thine eternal weal; Art thou walking? Consider, thou art but a sojourner and traveller in this world; thy life is a continued mo…ion, thy way is the Son of God, thy home is the Fathers House, thy motion is painful, thy way is perfect, and thy home will be full of pleasure. Why shouldst thou wander and come wide, or loyter and come short of Heaven! O be sure to walk in the right way, and be content to travail hard, that thy sa…e way may find its end in solace, and thy painful walk make thy home more welcome. Art thou walking in thine Orchyard, thou mayst from every tree, as a Text, gather many profitable doctrines and inferences; Take a turn or two among the Trees, and thou mayst find much wholsom fruit on them.

1. Some Trees are profitable for one purpose, some for another, some to quench thirst, some to comfort and refresh the inward parts, &c. so the Children of God are diversly serviceable, according to the different gifts bestowed on them by the Holy Ghost.

2. Every living fruit tree, is in some measure fruit…ul; though some bring forth more fruit, some less, yet all bring forth some; All living Christians are thriving and bearing fruit, though some are more eminent for growth and proficiency in grace, yet all bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. p. 461The Hypocrite like a dead stake in an Hedge, continueth at a stay, is without good fruit, nay groweth more rotten every monethmonth then other; but the true Saint, like the living Tree, the longer he continueth rooted in Christ, the more abundant he is in the work of the Lord.

3. The best Trees have a winter, wherein they seem to be dead and barren, yet they have their life and sap at that time remaining in the root; Christians under desertions and temptations may be judged by themselves and others to be dead and undone, but even at such seasons their life is hid with Christ in God; Though they may fall fouly, they cannot fall finally.

4. Fruit-trees are tossed and shaken by the wind, but there is no danger of their overturning or death, whilst their root remains firm in the earth. Saints may be stirred and tossed by the high winds of Satans and the worlds temptations, but can never be overthrown, because they are rooted in Christ. Grace may be shaken in, but never out of their souls.

5. The winter which the Trees suffer in frosts and snow, and the continuance of their sapunder ground, is profitable for them, and helpful to their greater growth in Spring; So the various and severest providences of God towards his people, are serviceable to their good; and their seeming declensions, in order to their greater growth; As Children under a fit of an Ague, they may at present be weakened and stand at a stay, but afterward they shoot up the more.

p. 4626. The fruits of trees are harsh and little worth till they are grafted; so the fruits of all by nature are wild and unpleasant to God, till they are grafted into Christ.

7. Those trees that stand most in the Sun, bring forth the sweetest and the largest fruit; So those believers that live nearest God by an holy communion, do the more abound in the fruits of righteousness, and their fruits are the more acceptable, springing from a principle of love to God.

8. The more the boughs are laden, the more they bow down to the earth; so the more abundant any are in holiness, the more humble and lowly they will be.

9. The Husbandman chuseth what plants he pleaseth to bring into his Orchyard, and his grafting of them, and care about them, makes the difference between them and others; So God chuseth whom he pleaseth, out of the wilderness and waste of the world, and his grafting them by regeneration, and conduct of them by his Spirit, distinguisheth them from all the rest of the earth.

10. The Leaves drop from the Trees in the beginning of Autumn; Such is the friendship of this world, whilst the sap of wealth and honour lasteth with me, and whilst I enjoy a summer of prosperity, my friends swarm in abundance, but in the winter of adversity they will leave me naked; O how miserable is that person, who hath no friends but of this world! How happy is he that hath the sap of grace, which will remain with him in the coldest winter! Thus, O my soul, whilst thou art walking with regenerate creatures, thou mayst better thy spiritual p. 463senses, and walk with thy Creator. O how may thy thoughts be raised to the trees that are planted in the house of the Lord, and flourish in the Courts of thy God, that are planted by the Rivers of waters, and bring forth their fruit in due season! Lord, I confess thy goodness in giving me so many ushers, yet alas my dull and blockish heart, to this day hath not learnt those lessons which thou hast set me by them; Vnless thou, who art the chief Master of the Assemblies, undertake the work, all will be in vain; Thy creatures are as burning glasses, they cannot make the Sun to shine, but when it doth vouchsafe its heavenly beams, they help to increase both light and heat. Its thine own promise that all Sions Children shall be taught of God; Let it please thee to undertake the tuition and instruction of thine untoward Scholar; O do thou spiritualize my heart, and then I shall spiritualize all the works of thine hand, do thou enlighten me so powerfully by thy blessed Spirit, that I may turn every spark into a candle and every candle into a star, and every star into a Sun; and by the light of all be enabled to see more of thy beautiful face, and blessed perfections.

I Wish that I may not onelyonly taste by occasional, 33Be frequent in deliberate meditations.but make a full meal, by set and serious meditation of that food which may God provideth for my soul; If a drop, a little be reviving and strengthening, surely a good draught will yeild me more comfort and profit. If ever it be true its here, the best is at the bottom. That rare object which upon a transient view gives me some delight upon a permanent vision, will afford more pleasure. If my meat p. 464abide in my body, it will afford me the better nourishment. Fluxes in the mind, as in the outward man, are arguments and authors of weakness; The milk must be set some time before it will turn into Cream; The longer Physick remains within me, t…e more operative it will be. The flame of Davids extraordinary affection to Gods Law, was kindled at the hot fire of his constant meditation. O how love I thy Law! it is my meditation all the day. His love was hot burning coals; He speaks not barely by way of affirmation, I love thy law; and by way interrogation, How love I thy Law? but also by way of Admiration; O how love I thy Law! But his abiding thoughts on it were the warm beams, which beating constantly upon him, put him into such a violent heat; It is my meditation all the day. As the Hen by sitting on her eggs some weeks, warmeth them and hatcheth young ones, so may I by applying savoury subjects home to my soul, and brooding some considerable time on them, bring forth new affections and new actions. Though my affections seem as dead as the Shunamites son, by stretching my thoughts thus on them, I shall warm and enliven them. Many blows drive a nail to the head, many thoughts settle a truth on the heart. O that I might not onelyonly at some times exchange a few words with the subject of my meditation occasionally, as I do with a friend passing by my door, but also at set times invite it, as Lot did the Angels, to stay with me all night, being confident it will pay me bountifully (as they him) for my charges in its entertainment. Yet I would not onelyonly have my affections renewed, but also my actions reformed p. 465by my meditations. If I meditate what is good to be done, and do not the good meditated on, I lose my labour, and take much pains to no purpose; Cogitation is the sowing of the seed; Action is the springing of it up; the former is hidden and under ground, the latter is visible, and many are the better for it; If the seed should still lye buried in the earth, it is but lost and thrown away, tis the springing of it up that causeth the Harvest; Meditation is the womb of my actions; action is the Midwife of my meditations; An evil and imperfect conception, if it hath the favour of a birth, yet the mind is but delivered of a monster, and of that which had better been stifled in the womb, then ever seen the light. A good and perfect conception, if it want strength for its birth, perisheth and comes to nothing; like Ephraim, It playeth the part of an unwise Son, and stayeth in the place of the breaking forth of Children; Its pity that such conceptions should prove abortive, or such beautiful children be still-born. Lord, thou hast appointed me to meditate seriously on thy statutes, and those excellent subjects contained in them. I confess my heart is unwilling to this needful and gainful work, and apt to be unfaithful in the management of this sacred duty; If thou pleasest not to lay thy charge upon it, and to use thy power over it, it will either wholly omit it, or perform it to no purpose; Why should it not dwell now upon thee by meditation, with whom I hope to dwell for ever! What unspeakable joy might I receive in and from thy self, could I but get above this earth and flesh! O who will bring me into that strong City not made with hands! Who p. 466will lead me into thy holy hill of Sion by meditation! Wilt not thou O God? Grant me thy Spirit I beseech thee, that my spirit which lives upon thee may be united in thinking of thee, and may live wholly to thee.

An example o… set meditation.O my soul, now thou art spending thy self in Wishes, set upon the work, and turn thy prayers into practice for an example and pattern to others,The subject of meditat…on, The Patience of God: and for thy profit. There is one Attribute of thy God to which thou art infinitely indebted and beholden for every moments abode on this side the unquenchable sire, even his Patience and long-suffering. Ah where hadst thou been at this hour, had not that Attribute stood thy friend! Let the kindness thou hast received from it encourage thee to a serious consideration of it. Old acquaintance and former courtesies may well plead and prevail also with thee to afford it entertainment for some time in thy thoughts.

11The nature of it.What is this Patience of thy God to whi…h thou art so much engaged? It is his gracious will, wher…by he beareth long, and forbeareth his sinful creatures. It is that Attribute whereby he beareth their reproach, and forbeareth revenge. It is sometimes called slowness to anger, Psal. 103. …. He is not easily overcome by the provocations of men, but striveth to overcome them by his patience: A small matter doth not incense him to anger; he is not presently put into a fury, and his wrath is not easily heightned into revenge. Thou wast a trangressor from the womb; for mine name sake I will defer mine anger, and refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off, Isa. 48. 8,9. It is sometimes called long-suffering, Exod. 34. 6. He expecteth and waiteth a long time p. 467for the repentance of sinners. He doth not onelyonly pity our misery, which is his mercy, and notwithstanding all our wickedness and unworthiness load us with benefits, which is his grace, but also bear many days, many years with our infirmities, which is his long-suffering. Men are transgressors in the womb, before they are able to go they go astray; yet after a thousand and thousand affronts from the womb to the tomb he bears with them; Forty years long was I grieved with this generation. Infants, or green wood, are fit fuel for the eternal fire, yet he forbears rotten Okes, and old sinners. They owe an infinite debt to Iustice, and are liable every moment to the prison of Hell; but Patience stoppeth the arrest of vengeance; He endureth with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction … Rom. 9.12.

This Patience of thy God is amplified by considering,Patience amplified towards sinners, 1 In that God hates sin.

1. How odious sin is to him; the evil of sin never obtained a good look from God; Thou art of purer eyes then to behold iniquity. He seeth all sins with an eye of observation, but he seeth no sin with an eye of approbation. Tis not out of any love to sin that he is so long-suffering towards sinners, for sin is the object of his anger and dislike; He is angry with sinners every day. Sin is the object of his wrath, which is anger boyled up to its greatest heat; The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighttousness and ungodliness of men. Nay its the object of his hatred, which is the highest degree of detestation; Hatred is abhorrency heightned to an implacability. Bare anger might be appeased, wrath might be pacified, but hatred is irreconcileable; The foolish shall not stand in thy sight, thou hatest all workers of iniquity. p. 468Six things doth the Lord hate, yea seven are an abomination to him. There is an antipathy in his nature against the smallest sin, as sin is contrary to his being, law, and honour; though he be so perfect a God, that no sin can be hurtful to him, yet he is so pure a God, that every sin is hateful to him. Therefore the Scripture speaking of God, after the manner of men, represents it as offensive to every of his senses. It grates his ears, and thence he complains of the cry of Sodom; It provoketh his eyes, and hence it is said, Evil cannot stand in thy sight, neither canst thou behold the workers of iniquity; It oppresseth his feeling, wherefore he …s said to be pressed with …in, as a Cart is pressed with sheaves; It displeaseth his smell, and so he calleth sinners rotten car…sses, open sepulchres, that send forth noisom savours. He proclaimes to the world the offensiveness of sin to his sacred Majesty by the names he gives it in his royal Law, wherein …e forbids it; He calls it dung, mire, vomit, filth, superfluity of naughtiness, filthiness, a menstruous cloth, a plague, an issue, an ulcer; And yet though sin be thus infinitely loathsom and odious to him, he bears with men that are all over infected with it in the highest degree.

22The co… dition of sinners.2. The condition of sinners. His patience is much heightned by considering who they are that distaste and provoke him with their sins; they are his creatures, the work of his hands. They rebel against him who were made, and are every day maintained by him. They forget him that formed them, and fight against the fountain of their beings. They are his obliged creatures; such on whom he hath laid millions of engagements: p. 469They cannot speak a word, or think a thought, or fetch their breath without him; they live every moment wholly upon his mercy. Hear O Heaven, give ear O earth! he hath nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against him. He is daily multiplying mercies on them, and yet they are daily multiplying iniquities against him; they are creatures full of enmity against him; they sin against him out of hatred of him: The carnal mind is enmity against God; If it could lay a plot to take away the life of God, it hath malice enough to put it in execution. Hence there appears little reason why he should pity or spare them. If a man find his enemy, will he let him go? yet God is patient towards them.

3. The multitude and greatness of sins and sinners. He cannot look down from heaven but every moment he beholds millions of transgressors proclaiming war against him, walking contrary to him, and provoking him before his face. The whole world is a field wherein the inhabitants are continually with drums beating, and colours flying with brazen foreheads and stubborn hearts, letting flie whole volleys of sins and impieties against heaven. Their whole work is to stretch out their hands against God, and strengthen themselves against the Almighty. From the highest to the lowest they disown his authority, deny his dominion, deface his image, dishonour his name, despise his laws, scorn his love, and mo…k at his threatnings. All sin, and come short of the glory of God. The whole earth is a kind of hell in regard of blasphemy and pollutions, and all manner of provo…ations. His pure eyes behold the p. 470Devil-worship amongst Heathen, the Imposter-worship amongst Turks, the Idol-worship amongst Papists, and the belly and flesh-worship amongst Protestants. He seeth in the Rich, oppression, atheism, swearing, cursing, pride, persecution of others; in the Poor, envying, murmuring, carnal-mindedness, drunkenness and ignorance; in the Young, head strong passions, uncleaness, youthful lusts; in the Ancient, impatience, covetousness, prophaness. He understandeth the several hearts of men, so many sinks of sin; and the several lives of men, so many treasons and conspiracies against his Being and Law; and so many men in the world, so many monsters of wickedness: Though he enjoyn them his Precepts, they cast them behind their backs; though he would allure them by his Promises, they scorn them as Babies to fool children withal; though he would affright them with his comminations and threatnings, they laugh at the shaking of those spears, and look on all his words no better then wind. Though he endeavours by his works to reclaim them from their wickedness, sometimes loading them with his benefits, that his goodness might lead them to repentance; sometimes scourging them in measure, that they might not be condemned with the world, yet they slight his favour, are not afraid of his fury, and by their impenitency, and continuance in sin dare him to his very face. He sendeth his Ministers to tell them of their danger, he sets up Conscience within them to mind them of their duty, he hangs up others before them as spectacles of his wrath, that they might take warning, and escape destruction; and yet they laugh at Ministers p. 471for their weeping over them, check Conscience for its boldness to check them, and think themselves wiser then to be frighted with the scarecrows of Gods judgements on others. They sin against …is Wisdom, his Power, his Goodness, his Faithfulness, his Patience, his Providence, his Ordinances, his Son, his Spirit, his Law, his Gospel, their own Promises and engagements, the voyce and cry of his Vicegerent within them, and that day after day, and this throughout the whole earth, and yet notwithstanding all these high affronts and notorious indignities repeated and continued every moment, he beareth with them. The meekest man in the world, no not all the men in the world have patience enough for one sinner; what patience then hath God that beareth so much with a world of sinners! It is the saying of one,Mr Bolto… If but any tender-hearted man should sit one hour in the Throne of God Almighty, and look down upon the earth, as God doth continually, and see what abominations are done in that hour, he would undoubtedly the next set all the world on fire. O how patient is that God that beareth with it so many years! The meekest man upon earth could not endure the …rowardness of one people, and they the best people in the world; the peevishness of the Jews drove him into that passion, for which he was excluded the earthly Canaan. How meek and patient then is God who beareth the evil manners of all the nations of the world, the greatest part of which make it their work to spit their venome, and malice, and blasphemy in his face every day! The whole world is a volume in every leaf, and in every line of which, p. 472Patience, Meekness, Gentleness, Long-suffering, Forbearance are written in broad letters.

4. How he knoweth all their sins. He doth not forbear sinners from ignorance of their sins; he seeth and knoweth all things. All the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondreth all his goings. His eyes behold, and his eye-lids try the children of men. Men bear with others, because they know not their secret treasons, and heart-rebellions; but God knoweth all the wickedness that is committed in the world, He telleth man his thoughts. All secret sins are publick to him: All men are naked and open to him. He knoweth every thought, word and action of every man as exactly as if he had none but him to mind. His knowledge is infinite; he knoweth all the sins of all men clearly; they are as visible to his eye as if they were written with the brightest sunbeam on the clearest chrystal. He knoweth all the sins of men distinctly, not in a confused heap or lump, but one by one; knoweth all the sins of all men every moment. All the sins that are, that ever were, or that ever shall be, are continually in his eye and view.

5. How he is able to revenge himself every moment. David did bear with Joab because the sons of Zerviah were too hard for him: He was a tender plant that was scarce rooted, and feared to be overturned by their fury; but God beareth with sinners though he be Almighty, and can do all things. He can as easily turn the sinner into hell, as tell him of hell; he can blow the sinner with his breath into the bottomless pit: By the blast of God they perish, by the breath of his nostrils they are consumed. The most secret sin is within the sight of his countenance, p. 473and the strongest sinner within the reach of his vengeance. This is wonderful indeed; he is infinite in patience, who is infinite in power: The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, saith the Prophet, Nahum. 1. He that can in a moment speak the whole Creation into nothing, beareth many years with his rebellious provoking Creatures. The Lord looked upon the Egyptians and troubled them. Its an easie matter to look; especially for him that made the eye. A glance of his eye will overthrow the proudest, stoutest sinner. Men are great in anger, who are little in power; their hearts are good, I should say bad enough, speedily to ruine such as offend them; but their hands are weak and straitned, that we may thank their want of power, not their patience for our preservation; But God who is all power, is all patience; he that can spurn the whole world into endless wo, more easily then all the men of the world can spurn a foot-ball into the water, forbeareth them year after year.

6. He doth not onelyonly forbear, but also do men good. His goodness towards them is positive as well as privative; he upholds them in their beings, protects them in their goings, supports them by his power, supplieth them by his providence, as well as forbear them by his patience. His enemies are hungry, he feeds them; they are thirsty, he gives them drink. He gives them that corn, and wine, and oyl which they bestow on Baal; he bestows on them those mercies with which they fight against him; he blesseth them with life, health, strength, food, raiment, sleep, reason, friends, peace, liberty, riches, honours, the Gospel, Sermons, Sabbaths, offers of pardon and p. 474life, whilst they persist in their provocations against him. He is at infinite cost and charge night and day, in sending provision into the camp of his enemies.

7. He woeth us to be reconciled. He doth not onelyonly command and enjoyn rebellious man to throw down his weapons of unrighteousness, but even prayeth and entreateth him with much importunity, to accept of peace and pardon; As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christs stead, be ye reconciled to God. He is earnest and instant by his Ministers, by the motions of his spirit, by the calls and convictions of conscience, that he might perswade miserable men to be happy, 2 Cor. 5. 15, 20. 2 Chron. 36. 15, Isaiah 65. 2. and 42. 14. I have stretched out my hand all the day long to a rebellious house, that have walked in a way that is not good.

8. He doth all this, without any expectation of advantage to himself; He gains not by our holiness, neither is he a loser by our wickedness; The arrows of sin are always too short to reach him, and he is so high that he is far above our highest service, our blessings and praises; infinite perfection admits of no addition; Can a man be profitable to God, as he that is wise may be profitable to himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous, or is it gain to him that thou makest thy ways perfect? He begs as hard as if it were for his own life, but it is wholly for ours; He loseth not the least, if we be lost; he saves nothing by our salvation; Its all one to the Sun whether men open their eyes and are refreshed with its light, or shut their eyes and behold nothing of its glorious splendour.

p. 4759. He forbeareth us, who is infinitely our Superior; It were much for a King to bear with a affronts from a vile Beggar; but its infinitely more for the King of Kings to bear with indignities and treasons, and malice, and hatred, from his vile creatures. O the patience of a God! man cannot suffer a disrespect from his fellow; but God doth from them that are infinitely his inferiours. The Apostles were good men, yet upon a little disrespect from some of the same make and mold with themselves, they presently call for fire from heaven; what patience and goodness is then in God, who beareth with such innumerable and notorious affronts, from his Slaves and Vassals, from them that in comparison of him are much lesse then nothing!

10. He warneth before he striketh; He threatens that he might not punish, and thundereth with his voice, that he might not overthrow us with his hand; He shoots off his warning peices, that he might spare his murthering peices. Men that are set upon revenge, are silent. When Absolon resolved on the destruction of Ammon, he spake not a word to him, either good or bad; but God tells men fully what is intended against them by his justice, that it might be prevented by their fitness for mercy. That bitterest cup of threatnings, hath the sweet of love at the bottom.

11. He punisheth temporally, that he might spare eternally; When he is forced to strike, he …seth the rod, that he might not use the ax;1 Cor: 11. 31. We are chastened of the Lord, that we might not be condemned with the world; He forceth tears in this world, to prevent p. 476eternal weeping; how many a mans way doth he hedge up with thorns, that he might not find the path to eternal death.

12. He is thus patient towards men, who did not wait at all on Angels; The Angels were more noble creatures, and able to have done him more and better service then man; yet when they sinned, he did not wait a moment for their repentance; but he stretcheth out his hand all the day long to man; He that would not wait upon disloyal Courtiers, waits upon rebellious Beggers.

Consider the causes of it.

The moving cause, is his own gracious nature; Men forbear punishing Malefectours, sometimes because they are related to them, sometimes from hope of advantage by them, sometimes because they are afraid of them; but God forbears none upon any such grounds. His goodness is the onelyonly string that tieth his hand from striking; Yea, many years didst thou forbear them, for thou art a gracious and a merciful God, Neh. 9. 30, 31.

The Final Cause is manifold.

1. That he might exalt his great name; Its light straw, that upon the least spark takes fire; The discretion of a man deferreth his anger, and its his glory to pass by infirmities; Mean and low spirits are most peevish and passionate; Sickly and weak persons, are observed to be the most impatient;Rom. 9. 22.Rom 9:22 God makes his power known, when he endureth with much long suffering, the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction; He intendeth the advancement of his praise, in the lengthening of his patience; For my names sake will I defer mine anger; for my p. 477praise will I refrain for thee, that I out thee not off, Isa. 48.

2. That sinners might amend; He is patient, that men might not perish; The Lord is not slack, as some men count slackness, but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, 2 Pet. 3. 9.2 Pet 3:9but that all should come to repentance; He defers their execution, that they might sue out their pardons. The Lord waiteth (not that he might be blessed in himself, but) that he may be gracious to sinners.Isa. 30. 18.Isa 30:18

3. That impenitent sinners might be left without excuse. If sinners that are turned out of the womb into hell, will justifie God; surely those up…on whom he waited twenty, or thirty, or forty, or fifty years for their conversion, will condemn themselves; if all mouths shall be stopped, then they that tasted so largely of forbearing mercy, may well be silent. O how little will they have to say for themselves upon whom grace waited so many years, knocking hard at the door of their hearts for acceptance, and they refused to open to it, or bid it come in.Gen. 6. 3. 1 Pet. 3.20.Gen 6:31 Pet 3:20 How justly will they suffer long in the other world, to whom God was so long-suffering to no purpose in this world, Rom. 4. 2.

How fully,Testimonies. Exod. 32.Exod 32 O my soul, doth the Scripture mention this patience of thy God! The Lord passed by, and proclaimed his name, the Lord, the Lord God, gracious, long suffering. Though sinners trie his patience by their heaven-daring provocations, yet the Lord is gratious, slow to anger, and of great kindness;P…alm. 103. 8. Oftentimes they do their utmost to kindle the fire of his anger, but many a time turned he p. 478away his anger, and did not stir up all his wrath. What monuments of his patience, hath he reared up in his word! It is also written in broad letters in his works; He bore with the Iews, after their unparalleld murder of his own Son, above forty years. The old world had larger experiences of his …orbearance; My Spirit shall not always strive with man, yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. The Egyptians, though cruel persecutors of his own people, that were as dear to him as the apple of his eye, yet were suffered four hundered years; He beareth with men, till he can no longer forbear; The woman with child is forced, though she hold out long, to fall in labour at last; I have long time holden my peace, I have been still, and refrained my self; now will I cry like a travailing woman, Isa. 42. 14.

Applicat.O thou dear friend of mankind, that thou wert imprinted in my thoughts, engraven in my heart, and always before mine eyes! O my soul, Consider this long suffering of thy God, till thou tastest some rellish of its sweetness; This name of thy God, is as oyntment poured out, which yeildeth a refreshing fragrancy; Hath it been all thy days so near thee, and done so much for thee, and wilt thou not give it some warm entertainment within thee? Hast thou not infinite cause to cry out, O the depth of the patience and forbearance of God! As soon as thou wast conceived, thou wast corrupted; before thou wast born, sin w… brought forth in thee; thy God might have turned thee out of thy mothers belly, into the belly of hell; divels might have been the Midwife to deliver thy mother p. 479of such a monster, and their dungeon of darkness the first place in which thou didst breath; yet he who might have caused eternal death to have trodden upon the heels of thy natural birth, spared thee. Had he then suffered the roaring lions, his executioners, to have dragged thee to their own den, he had got himself glory, and prevented much dishonour, which thou hast since brought to his name. As thou didst grow up, sin grew up in thee, and patience grew up with thee. Numberless ha… thine iniquities been, and his advantages for thy destruction, yet he hath forborn thee. What hath he got by all his long-suffering towards thee? He might have ruined thee, to his eternal honour; but his forbearance hath seemed to impair the revenues of heaven. Wicked men question his power, and good men quarrel with his providence, and all because of his patience; When some sinners are hanged on Gibbets, as spectacles of his justice, others are kept in the more awe; but if judgement be not speedily executed, the hearts of the Sons of men are set in them to do mischief. The thanks that are usually paid him for his patience, are indignities and affronts; The sleeping of vengeance, occasioneth the awakening of sin. Besides, their thoughts of him are the more prophane as well as their actions; If he be patient towards the sinner, he is judged a party in the sin; These things thou didst, and I kept silence, thou thoughtst that I was altogether such a one as thy self; Because he is silent, they judge him consenting; O my soul, may not thy God be well called, the God of all patience, when he aboundeth so much in it, though he be so great a loser by it! Was not p. 480the patience of thy Redeemer on earth wonderful, in bearing such mockings, smitings on the cheek, spittings in his face, scourgings on his back; But thy Redeemer in Heaven endureth more affronts every moment against his divine nature, then he did all his time of abode in this world, against his humane nature; O why art thou no more warmed with it, and wondering at it; Even a Saul was so affected with the forbearance of David, that he should spare his enemy when he had him in his hands, and might as easily have cut his throat as the skirt of his garment, that he lift up his voice and wept. And art not thou affected with the patience of thy God, in whose hand is thy life, and breath, and all thy comforts, who can with a glance of his eye, turn thee into the fiery furnace, against whom thou art an open traytour, and profest rebel, that he should spare thee so many years, and instead of heaping up judgements on thee, lade thee with his benefits! Consider,

1. He is not patient towards all men, as he hath been towards thee. Some have found justice arresting them immediatly upon their contracting of new debts, and haling them presently to hell, upon the commission of their sin. There are those of the Serpents brood, that have been crushed in the egge, and others that have stayed longer, have been ripe for ruine, before they had attained their full age. Though the Creditour hath forborn thee five hundred talents, yet he hath not forborn some others five hundred pence; wrath hath sometimes followed sin so close…, that it hath lodged where sin supped: Gehezis leprosie and lie were contemporary; Absolons p. 481life and treason against his Father expired to…gether; A sudden Thunder-bolt from Heaven, hath struck some into Hell without any fore-runner to give warning of it, yet thy God hath spared thee.

2. He that forbore thee who hast so often offended him, did not forbear Angels a moment, after they had once offended; Behold the severity and goodness of God! towards Angels, the highest and noblest house of the creatures severity; towards thee goodness; He that stated those excellent natures in an irrecoverable condition of wo and misery upon their first fault, hath born with, and forborn thee after millions of affronts.

3. He that spares thee, did not spare his own Son; The Son of God did no sooner stand in the place of sinners, but it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and to put him to grief, and to make his soul an offering for sin. Though he were free from sin, he was a man of sorrows, and thou who art little else then sin, hast not so much as tasted what such sorrows are; Thy God hath forborn thee, a monster of rebellion and wickedness, when he would not in the least forbear him who was a miracle of obedience and dutifulness; Nay, he did not spare him, that he might spare thee, and would not forbear him, because he intended to forbear thee. Wonder, O my soul, at this transcendent grace and goodness; Is it possible for thee to consider how a sudden Arrow hath shot others dead on thy right and left hand! how Angels themselves, upon their first breach of the divine law, were without any pity or forbearance reserved in chains of darkness, to the judgement of the great day! Nay, how the Son of Gods boundless love, who never offended p. 482him, for becoming onelyonly a surety for others sins, was without the least forb…arance arrested and forced to pay the utmost farthing! and that thou who art a lump of lust, a sink of sin, an old enemy and traytour against the crown and dignity of the King of Heaven, after thousands and millions of provocations against Law and Gospel, Light and Love, Precepts and Promises, art to this day spared! Canst thou I say, consider all this, and not be transported into an high and holy passion of love and admiration, at such unparalled patience! Thou mayst well say with the holy Apostle, In me Jesus Christ hath shewed forth all long-suffering and patience, for an example to them that should hereafter believe on him unto life eternal.

O my soul, what dost thou think of these things! was ever patience represented in such lively, lovely colours? Thou mayst now fully satisfie thy self in the reason of thine abode so many years on this side the unquenchable lake. Dost thou ask, Why was I not cut off from the womb, and hurried through the light of this world, to blackness of darkness for ever? I answer, because thy God is patient. Dost thou ask, Though I was not as a poisonous viper, crusht to death (as soon as brought forth) with the foot of divine wrath, for the venome which was in me; yet when I put it forth to the injury of others, and did spit it in the face of God himself, why was I spared? I answer, because God is patient. Thou sinnest often, every day, every hour, in every thought, in every word, in every deed, and he spares as often, because He is patient. Thou reade…t of a season when the patience of the Saints doth especially p. 483triumph, Here is the faith and patience of the Saints;Rev. 13.Rev 13 This world is the stage, and this life is the time wherein the patience of thy God doth act its part, to the amazement of all judicious spectatours; Here is the faithfulness and patience of thy God. O that I could affect and admire it, embrace and entertain it according to its worth! O that my heart were filled with its warmth, my tongue with its praise, and my life with its end! O thou that art so much in favour with God, and so great a friend to men, that thou wert engraven upon the palms of my hands, and thy walls were ever before me! O that thy noble deeds, and what wonders thou hast wrought for the children of men, were written for the generations to come, that the people yet unborn might praise the Lord! When, O when shall this patience of my God make a suitable impression upon my spirit! I live upon it, I live by it, I had been a fire-brand of Hell at this moment, had it not been for it, yet how great a stranger am I to it! It goeth with me when I walk abroad, it abides with me when I stay at home, it followeth me up and down day and night; I am beholden to it for my life and all my mercies, for my present enjoyments, and future expectations; yet… alas how little am I affected with it! I wonder at the patience of some choice Christians, that hold their tongues when others revile them, and their hands when others assault them, and do not wonder at the patience of my God, when their injuries are nothing to his, either for nature or number; and their patience to his far less then the smallest Drop to the Ocean. O my soul, how wilt thou be able to answer for this sensless stupidity! Must the Candles of creatures p. 484be gazed at with amazement, and thy God alone be neglected! Is a beam of the Sun worthy of such admiration, and not its glorious body worthy of much more? Wilt thou not value a pearl of such infinite price, and disesteem all the meekness and forbearance of men, in comparison of the patience of thy God? O where is thy judgement, that thou val…est so little such unsearchable riches, that thou dost not cry out, O the height, and depth, and length, and bredth of the forbearance of God? Where are thy affections, that they do not cling about it, cleave to it, close with it, delight in its presence, and desire its continuance? Where is thy heart, that it doth not taste its sweetness, smell its savour, love its gracious Author, and meditate on its precious nature, and pleasant effects night and day? Where are my spiritual senses, that they are not conversant about so worthy an object? I cannot open mine eyes, but I may behold it in every thing that is visible: The food, and raiment, and life, and health, and strength, and liberty, that I and others enjoy, present the patience of God unto me. Every friend I converse with, every drunkard and unclean person and atheist, yea, every man I meet, tells me, God is patient. The Oaths, and Curses, and Murthers; and Adulteries, and Blasphemies, and Prophaness of wicked men cry aloud in mine ears, that God is patient. The persecutions, and oppressions, and prayers, and cries, and tears of good men, proclaim to my conscience, that God is patient. The Sabbaths and Ordinances, and seasons of grace, and offers of pardon and life, which both good and bad enjoy, speak plainly and distinctly, The Lord is patient. p. 485O that mine eyes could see it, mine ears hear it, my mouth taste it, my mind discern it, and my soul rell…sh it in all these! O thou beautiful beam, darted from the Sun of Righteousness, that callest poor mortals to life, when they are at the brink of death, thou that art the wonder of glorious Angels, and glorified Saints, be thou unto me as a bundle of myrrhe, and a cluster of camphire always unto me; let me love thee much for my own sake, because thou hast done so much for me, but most for the Lords sake, because he is all in all unto me.

Well O my soul, how wilt thou requite the kindness thou hast received from this Patience of thy God! When Ahashuerus an Heathen had read and considered how Mordecai had saved his life, by discovering the two trayrours that sought to lay hands on the King, he cried out, What honour hath been done to Mordecai for this? and could take no rest till he had given him some signal honour. Thou hast read (for thy whole life is a Book written within, and without with it) how the Patience of thy God hath saved thy life, the life of thy soul, when sin and Satan conspired together to take it away; now wilt thou not say within thy self, What honour hath been done to the patience of God for this? and be unsatisfied till thou hast done it some honour, for this good office it hath done thee. What love doth that friend deserve who saves thy life! What esteem doth that hand of pity merit, that keeps thee out of the bottomless pit! What thanks is that Messenger worthy of, that brings thee (a condemned sinner) certain news of a reprieve, and great hopes of a pardon! Surely the respect thou p. 486owest to the patience of God (which doth as much for thee as all this) should be very great, especially considering thy disrespects formerly to the God of Patience have been very grievous. Lord, I acknowledge I have formerly much abused thy patience, u…ing it as an encouragement to prophaness, and turning thy grace into wantoness; but now through thy strength, I will no longer despise the riches of thy forbearance, but be led through thy goodness to repentance. I know thou intendest it as a City of refuge to the penitent, not as a sanctuary to the presumptuous. O let me never make it a pillow for an hard heart, but a plaister for a wounded spirit. Let this servant of thine, and friend of mine obtain his errand, and accomplish the end for which thou hast sent him. Thou sparest me here that thou might spare me hereafter; thou waitest upon me that thou mightst be gracious unto me; and art long-suffering, because not willing that any should perish, but that all might come to repentance. O that therefore I might wait upon thee in all thy providences and ordinances for grace, that so thy long-suffering may be unto me salvation! Thou hast told me, Though the sinner live an hundred years, and God prolong his days, yet it shall not go well with the wicked. His preservation is but a reservation to the sorer and greater destruction. Though thou sufferest long, thou wilt not suffer always; and when thou strikest impenitent ones, the slowness of thy pace will be recompenced in the heaviness of thy hand. The longer the child of vengeance is in the womb of the threatning, the bigger it groweth, and the more pain it will put the sinner to, when it cometh to the birth of its execution. p. 487O how dreadful will my doom be, when thou comest to reckon with me for all thy patience, if I do not at this day prevent it by repentance! If thy patience do not now make me bend, hereafter it will make me bleed; Its a sweet friend, but a bitter enemy; No fury like that which is extracted out of abused patience. Twere far better to be sent from the Mothers breasts to everlasting burnings, then to live many years at the charge of patience, and then to die impenitent; If I cause thee to suffer long now in vain, thou wilt cause me to suffer long in the other world, and the more dreadfully for thy long-suffering in this. Since thou art gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, O take me not away in thy long-suffering; but give me to mind in this day of thy patience, the things that concern mine everlasting peace, that I may to eternity give thee honour and praise for thy wondrous and boundless patience,

Amen.