A Word of Advice to my own heart and thine. thou art a Professor, and partakest of all Ordinan­ces; Thou dost well, they are Glo­rious Ordinances: but if thou hast not the blood of Christ at the root of thy Profession, 'twill wither, and prove but painted Pageantry to go to Hell in. If thou retain Guilt or Self-righteousness under i [...] those [Page] Vipers will eat out all the vitals of it at length. Try and Examine with greatest strictness every day, what Bottom thy Profession and Hope of Glory is built upon, whether it was laid by the hand of Christ? If not, it will never be able to endure the storm that must come again it, Sa­tan will throw it all down, & great shall be the fall thereof. Mat. 7. 2 [...].

Glorious Professor! Thou shalt be winnowed, every vein of thy Pro­fession will be tryed to purpose: tis terrible to have it all come tumb­ling down, and find nothing but it to bottom upon.

Soaring Professor! See to thy wax­ed Wings betimes, which will melt with the heat of Temptations. What a misery is it to trade much, and break at length, having no stock, no foundation laid for Eternity in thy Soul.

[Page 7] Gifted Professor! Look there be not a worm at the root that will spoil all thy fine gourd, & make it dy about thee in a day of scorching.

Look over thy Soul [...], & ask, Where is the blood of Christ to be seen upon my Soul? What righteousness is it that I stand upon to be saved by? Have I cast off all my Self-ighteousness? Many Eminent Professors have come at length to Cry out in the sight of the ruine of their Duties, Undone, undone to all Eternity! The greatest Sins may be hid under the greatest Duties, and the greatest Terrors. See the wound that sin has made in thy Soul be perfectly cured by the Blood of Christ, not skinned over with Duties, Humblings, Enlargements, &c. Apply what thou wilt besides the blood of Christ, it will poyson [Page 8] the sore: thou wilt find that sin was never mortified truly, that thou hast not seen Christ bearing for thee up­on the Cross. Nothing can kill it but the beholding of Christs Righte­ousness. Nature can afford no Bal­som fit for Soul-cure: Healing from Duty and not from Christ, is the most desperate Disease: Poor rag­ged Nature, with its highest im­provements, can never spin a gar­ment fine enough ( without sp [...]t) large enough ( without patches) to cover the Souls nakedness: nothing can sit the soul for that use but Christs perfect Righteousness. What­soever is of Natures spinning must be all unravelled before the Righ­teousness of Christ can be put on: whatsoever is of Natures putting on Satan will come & plunder it every rag away, & leave the soul naked [Page 9] & open to the wrath of God. All that Nature can do will never make up the least dram of Grace that can mortify sin or look Christ in the face one day.

Thou art a Professor, goest to Hear­ing, Praying, Receiving, yet miserable mayest thou be; look about thee, didst thou ever yet see Christ to this day, in distinction from all o­ther Excellencies & Righteousness in the world, and all them falling before the Majesty of his Love and Grace. Isa. 2.17. If thou hast seen Christ truly, thou hast seen pure grace, pure righteousness in Him, every way infinite, far exceeding all Sin and Misery. If thou hast seen Christ, thou canst trample upon all the righteousness of Men & Angels, so as to bring thee into acceptation with God. If thou hast seen Christ, [Page 10] thou wouldst not do a Duty with­out Him for ten thousand worlds, 1 Cor. 2.2. If ever thou didst see Christ, thou sawedst Him a Rock, higher than Self-righteousness, Satan, Sin, Psal. 61.2. and the Rock doth follow thee, 1 Cor. 10.4 and there will be continual droppings of ho­ney and grace out of that Rock to satisfie thee, Psal. 81.16. Examine if ever thou didst behold Christ as the only begotten of the Father; full of Grace & Truth, Joh. 1.14, — Be­sure that thou art come to Christ, that thou stand upon the Rock of Ages ▪ hast answered his Call to thy Soul hast closed with him for Justi­fication?

Men talk bravely of Believing, whilst whole and sound; few know it: Chri [...]t is the Mystery of the Scripture, Grace is the Mystery of [Page 11] Christ. Believing is the most won­derful thing in the world; put any thing of thy own to it, and thou spoilest it; Christ will not so much as look at it for believing. When thou believest and comest Christ, thou must leave behind thee thy own Righteousness, and bring no­thing but thy Sin: O that's hard! Leave behind all thy Holiness, Sanct­ification, Duties, Humblings, &c. and bring nothing but thy Wants and Miseries, else Christ is not fit for thee, nor thou for Christ. Christ will be a pure Redeemer & Media­tor, or thou and Christ will never agree. Its the hardest thing in the world to take Christ alone for Righ­teousness; that's to acknowledge Him CHRIST; joyn any thing to Him of thy own, & thou Un-christ him, Whatever comes in when thou go­est [Page 12] to God for acceptance, besides Christ, call it Antichrist; bid it be­gone, make only Christs Righteous­ness triumphant! all besides that must fall, if Christ stand, and thou shalt rejoyce in the day of the fall thereof, Isa. 1.10. Christ alone did tread the Wine-press, and there was none with him, Chap. 63.3. If thou joyn to any thing but Christ, He will trample upon it in fury and anger, & stain his raiment with the blood there­of. Thou thinkest it is easie to be­lieve, was ever thy Faith tryed with an hour of Temptation, & a true sigh [...] of Sin? Was it ever put to grapple with Satan, and the wrath of God lying upon thy Conscience? Whe [...] thou wert in the mouth of Hell, an [...] the Grave, then did God shew the [...] Christ, a Ransom, a Righteousness &c.? Then couldst thou say, Oh▪ [Page 13] I see Grace enough in Christ, thou mayest say that which is the big­gest word in the world, thou Be­lievest. Untried Faith is uncertain Faith. To Believing there must go a clear Conviction of sin, and of the Merits of the Blood of Christ, and of Christs willingness to save upon this consideration meerly, That thou a [...]t a Sinner; things all harder than to make a world. All the power in Nature, can't get up so high in a storm of Sin and Guilt, as really to believe there is any Grace, any willingness in Christ to save.

When Satan chargeth sin upon the Conscience, then for the Soul to charge it upon Christ, that is Gos­pel-like, that is to make Him Christ; He serves for that use: To accept Christs Righteousness alone, His Blood alone for Salvation, that's [Page 14] the sum of the Gospel. When the Soul in all duties and distresses can say, Nothing but Christ: Christ a­lone, for Righteousness, Justification, Sanctification, & Redemption▪ 1 Cor. 1.3 [...] not Humblings, not Duties, not Graces, &c. that Soul has got above the reach of the bil­lows.

For all Temptations, Satans ad­vantages, and our complainings, are [...]aid in Self-righteousness, and Self-Excellence: God pursueth these by setting Satan upon thee (as La­ban did Jacob for his Images which Rachel hid, Gen. 31.) These must b [...] torn from thee (be as unwilling a [...] thou wilt) these hinder Christ from coming in; and till Christ come in Guilt will not out: & where Gui [...] is, there is hardness of heart; an [...] therefore much Guilt argues litt [...] [Page 15] (if any thing) of Christ: When Guilt is raised up take heed of get­ting it allay'd any way but by Christs Blood. Make Christ thy Peace, Eph. 2.14. not thy Duties, thy Tears, &c. Christ thy Righteousness, not thy Graces &c. thou mayest destroy Christ by resting in Duties, as well as by Sins. Look at Christ, and do as much as thou wilt. Stand with all thy weight upon Christ Righte­ousness; take heed of having one foot on thy own Righteousness, the other on Christs. Till Christ come and sit on high upon a Throne of Grace in the Conscience, there is nothing but Guilt, Terrors, Secret suspicions, the Soul hanging between hope and fear, which is an Ungos­pel-like state. He that fears to see [...] utmost violence, the utmost Hell [...] his own heart, he suspects the [Page 16] Merits of Christ. Be thou never so great a sinner, 1 Joh. 2.1. try Christ, to make Him thy Advocate, and thou shalt find Him Jesus Christ the Righteous. In all doubtings, fears, and storms of Conscience, look at Christ continually: don't argue with Satan, he desires no better▪ bid him go to Christ, and He will answer him; its His Office, as He is our Advocate, 1 Joh. 2.1. His Of­fice to answer the Law as our Sure­ty, Heb. 7.22. His Office to answer Justice as our Mediator, Gal. 3.20. 1 Tim. 2.5. And He is Sworn to that Office, Heb. 7.20. Put Christ upon it: If thou wilt do any thing thy self for satisfaction for sin, thou renouncest Christ the Righteous, who was made sin for thee, 2 Cor. 5▪ Satan may alledge & corrupt Scrip­ture, but he can't answer Scripture [Page 17] 'tis Christs word of mighty Autho­rity. Christ foyl'd Satan with it, Mat. 4. In all the Scripture there is not an ill word against a poor sin­ner stript of Self-Righteousness; nay it plainly points out this man to be the subject of the Grace of the Gospel, & none else. Believe but Christs-willingness, and that will make thee willing. If thou findest thou canst not believe, re­member its Christs work to make thee believe; Put Him upon it, He works to will and to do of his own good pleasure, Phil. 2.1 [...]. Mourn for thy Unbelief, which is setting up of Guilt in the Conscience above Christ, an undervaluing the Merits of Christ, accounting His Blood an Unholy thing, a Common, an Un­satisfying thing.

Thou complainest of thy self [Page 18] much, does thy sin make thee look more at Christ, less at Self? That's right, else complaining is but Hy­pocrisie. To be looking at Duties, Graces, Enlargements, when thou should be looking at Christ, that's pitiful: Looking at them will but make thee Proud; looking at Christs Grace will make thee Hum­ble. By Grace ye are saved, Eph. 2.5. In all thy temptations be not dis­couraged, Jam. 1.2. Those Surges may be, not to break thee, but to heave thee off thy self, on to the rock Christ. Thou mayest be brought low, even to the brink of Hell, ready to tumble in, thou canst not be brought lower then the belly of Hell, (many Saints have been there) yet there mayest thou Cry, there mayest thou look toward the Ho­ly Temple, Jon. 2.2. Into that Tem­ple [Page 19] none might enter but purifyed ones, and with an offering too, Act. 21.26. But now CHRIST is our Temple, Sacrifice, Altar, High-Priest, to whom none may come but Sinners, and that without any offering but that of his own Blood, once offered, Heb. 7. Remember the patterns of Grace that are in Heaven. Thou thinkest, O what a Monument of Grace should I be! There are ma­ny thousands as rich Monuments as thou canst be. The greatest sinner did never pose the Grace of Christ; do not despair; hope still: when the Cloud is at the blackest, even then look towards Christ, the stand­ing Pillar of the Fathers Love and Grace, set up in Heaven, for all Sinners to gaze upon continually. Whatsoever Satan or Conscience say, do not conclude against thy [Page 20] self; Christ shall have the last word, He is Judge of Quick and Dead, & must pronounce the final sentence, His Blood speaks Reconciliation, Col. 1.20 Cleansing, 1 Joh. 1.7. Pur­chase, Act. 20.28. Redemption, 1 Pet. 1.19. Purging, Heb. 9 13. Remissi­on, Ver 22. Liberty, Chap. 10.19 Justification, Rom. 5.9. Nighness to God, Eph. 2 13. Not a drop of His Blood shall be lost. Stand & heark­en what God will say, for He will speak peace to His people, that they re­turn no more to folly, Psal. 85.8. He speaks Grace, Mercy and Peace, 2 Tim. 1.2. That's the language of the Father and of Christ. Wait for Christ's appearing, as the morn­ing Star, Rev. 22.16. He shall come as certainly as the morning, as re­freshingly as the rain, Hos. 6.3.

The Sun may as well be hindred [Page 21] from rising, as Christ the Sun of Righteousness, Mal. 4 2. Look not a moment off Christ; look not up­on sin but look upon Christ first: When thou mournest for sin, if thou do not see Christ, then away with it, Zech. 12 10. In every Duty look at Christ, before Duty to pardon, in Duty to assist, after Duty to ac­cept: without this, tis but carnal, careless Duty. Do not legalize the Gospel, as if part did remain for thee to do and suffer, and Christ where but a half Mediator, and thou must bear part of thy own sin, and make part satisfaction. Let sin break thy heart, but not thy hope in the Gospel: Look more at Justi­fication, than Sanctification. In the highest commands, consider Christ not as an exactor to require, but a debtor, an undertaker to work. [Page 22] If thou hast looked at workings, duties, qualifications, &c. more than at the Merits of Christ, it will cost thee dear, no wonder thou goest complaining. Graces may be evi­dences, the Merits of Christ only (without them) must be the Foun­dation of thy hope to bottom on. Ch [...]ist only can be the ho [...]e of Glory, Col. 1.27. When we come to God, we must bring nothing but Christ with us, any ingredients of ou [...] own qualifications will poyson and cor­rupt Faith. He that builds upon Duties, Graces, &c. knows not the merits of Chr [...]st. This makes Be­lieving so hard, so far above Na­ture If thou Believest, thou must every day renounce ( as dung & dross, Phil. 3.7.) thy Priviledges, thy Obedi­ence, thy Sanctification, thy Duties, thy Tears, thy Meltings, thy Graces, [Page 23] Humblings, and nothing but Christ must be held up: every day thy workings, thy Self-sufficiency must be destroyed: thou must take all out of Gods hand; Christ is the gift of God, Joh. 4.10 Pardon a free gift, Rom. 5.16 Ah how Nature storms, fretts, rageth at this, that all is of Gift, and it can purchase nothing with its actings, tears and duties: that all its Tears are excluded, and of no value in Heaven! If Nature had been to contrive the way of Salvation, it would rather have put it into the hands of Saints or An­gels to sell it, than of Christ who gives freely; whom therefore it suspects, it would have set up a way to purchase by doing; therefore it abominates the Merits of Christ, as a destructive thing to it, would do any thing to be saved, rather than [Page 24] go to Christ, or close with Him. Christ will have nothing, the Soul will force somewhat of its own up­on Christ; here is the great contro­versie.

Consider, didst thou ever yet see the Merits of Christ, and the infi­nite satisfaction made by his Death. Didst thou see this in a time when the burden of sin and the wrath of God lay heavy upon thy Consci­ence? That's Grace: The great­ness of Christs Merits is not known but to a poor Soul at the greatest loss. Slight Convictions will have but Slight, Low-prizings of Christs Blood and Merits.

Despairing Sinner, thou art look­ing on thy right hand and on thy left, saying, Who will shew us any good▪ Thou art tumbling over all thy Du­ties and Professions, to patch up [Page 25] Righteousness to save thee, Misera­ble comforter are all hose to thee. Look at Christ now, look at Christ now: Look to Him and be saved, all the ends o [...] the Earth, Isa. 45.2 [...]. There is none else. He is a Saviour, & there is none besides Him, ver. 21. Look a­ny where else and thou art undone: God will look at nothing but Christ, and thou must look at nothing else. Christ is lifted up on high (as the Brazon Serpent in the wilderness) that the ends of the Earth, sinners at the greatest distance may see him, and look towards him. The least si [...]ht of H [...]m will be Saving, the least touch Healing to thee: And God in­tends thou should look on him, for He has set Him upon a high Throne of Glory in the open view of all poor sinners Thou hast infinite reason [...]o look on him; no reason at all to [Page 26] look off him, for He is meek and low­ly in Heart, Mat. 11.29. He will do that Himself, which He requires of His Creatures, bear with Infirmi­ties, Rom. 15.1. not pleasing himself, not standing upon points of Law, ver. 2. He will restore with the spirit of meek­ness, Gal. 6.1. and bear thy burdens, ver. 2. He will forgive, not only Seven time [...] but Seventy times seven, Mat. 18.21, 22. It put the Faith of the A­postles to it to believe this, Luk. 17 4 B [...]cause we are hard to forgive, we think Christ is hard. We see sin great, we think Christ does so, and measure infinite love with our line, infinite merits with our sins, which is the greatest pride and blasphemy, Psal. 103.11, Isa. 40.15. Hear what God saith, I have found a ransome, Job 33.24. [...]n Him I am well pleased, Mat. 3.17. God will have nothing else; [Page 27] nothing else will do thee good, or satisfie Conscience, but Christ, who satisfied the Father. God doth all upon the account of Christ. Thy deserts are Hell, Wrath, Rejection; Christs deserts are Life, Pardon, and Acceptation: He will only shew thee the one, and give thee the other. It's Christs own glory & happiness to pardon. Consider, whilest Christ was upon the Earth, He was more among Publicans & Sinners, than Scribes & Pharisees His professed adversaries, for they were righteous ones. It is not so as thou imaginest, that his State in Glory makes him neglect­ful, scornful to poor sinners; No, He has the same heart now in Hea­ven; He is God and changeth not. He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, Joh. 1.29. He has gone through all thy Temptati­ons, [Page 28] Dejections, Sorrows, Deserti­ons, Rejections, Mat. 4.3. to 12 & 26, 38. Mar. 15.34. Luk. 22.22.44. and has drank the bitterness of the Cup, and left thee the sweet; the Condemnation is out; Christ drank up the Fathers Wrath at one draught, and nothing but Salvation is left for thee. Thou sayest thou canst not believe, thou canst not repent, fitter for Christ if thou hast nothing but Sin & Misery. Go to Christ with all thy Impenitency, and Unbelief, to get Faith & Repentance from Him that is Glorious. Tell Him, Lord, I have brought no Righteousness, no Grace to be accepted in, or justified by, I am come for Thine and must have it We would be bringing to Christ & that must not be; not a penny of Natures highest improvement will pass in Heaven. Grace will not stand [Page 29] with Works, Tit. 3.5. Rom. 11.6. That's a terrible point to Nature, which cannot think of being stript of All, not having a rag of Duty or Righteousness to look at Self-righ­teousness, Self-sufficiency are the darlings of Nature, which she pre­serves as her life; that makes Christ's Righteousness such a strange thing to Nature, she cannot desire Him. He is directly opposite to all Natures glorious interest: Let Nature but make Gospel, and it would be quite contrary to Christs: It would be to the Just, the Innocent, the Holy, the Righteous, &c. Christ has made the Gospel for thee, that is to, Needy Sinners, the Ʋngodly, the Ʋnrighteous, the Ʋndone, the Ʋnjust, the Accursed. Nature cannot endure to think the Gospel is only for Sinners, it will ra­ther chuse to despair than to go to [Page 30] Christ upon such terrible terms.

When Nature is put to it by Guilt or Wrath, it will to its old haunts of Self-righteousness, Self-goodness, &c. An infinite power must cast down those Strong-holds, none but the Self-Justiciary stands excluded out of the Gospel; Christ will look at the most abominable sinner before him; be­cause to such an one Christ cannot be made Justification, he is no sinner. To say in a Complement, I am a sin­ner, is easy, but to pray with the Publican indeed, Lord be merciful, to me a sinner, is the hardest prayer in the world. Its easy to say, I believe in Christ, but to see Christ full of Grace and Truth, of whose fulness thou mayest receive grace for grace; Its easy to profess Christ with the mouth, but to confess Him with the heart, as Peter to be the Christ, the Son of the [Page 31] Living God: the Mediator, that i [...] a­bove flesh and blood. Many call Christ Saviour, few know him so. To see Grace and Salvation in Christ, is the greatest sight in the world: none can do that, but at the same time, they shall see that Grace & Salvation to be theirs. Sights will cause Appli­cations. I may be ashamed to think that in the midst of so much Profes­sion, yet I have known little of the Blood of Christ, which is the main thing of the Gospel. A Christless, Formal profession will be the black­est sight next to Hell, that can be. Thou mayest have many Good Things, and yet let One thing be wanting; that may make thee go away sorrowful from Christ; thou hast never sold all thou hast, never parted with all thy own righteousness, &c. Thou mayest be high in duty, and yet [...] [Page 32] perfect Enemy & Adversary to Christ. In every Prayer, in every Ordinance, labour after Sanctification to the ut­most, but make not a Christ of it to save thee; if so, it must come down one way of other. Christ's infinite Satisfaction, not thy own Sanctifica­tion, must be thy Justification before God. When the Lord shall appear terrible out of holy places, fire shall consume all that, as hay & stubble.

This will be found Religion only, to bot [...]om all upon the Everlasting Mountains of Gods Love & Grace in Christ; to live continually in the sight of Christs infinite Righteous­ness and Merits (they are sanctify­ing, without them the heart is car­nal) and in those sights to see the full vileness of sin, & to see all par­doned In those sights to Pray, [...]ear, [...] see thy polluted self, all thy [Page 33] weak performances accepted con­tinually; in those sights to trample upon all thy Self glories, Righte­ousnesses and Priviledges, as abomi­nable, & be found continually in the Righteousness of Christ only, re­joycing in the ruines of all thy own Righteousness, the spoiling of all thy own Excellencies, that Christ alone as Mediator, may be exalted in his Throne, mourning over all thy Du­ties, (how glorious soever) that thou hast not perform'd them in that sight & sence of Christ love With­out the blood of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience, all is dead service. Heb. 9.14

That Opinion of Free-will, (so Cryed up) will be easily confuted (as it is by Scripture) in thy heart, who hast had any spiritual dealings with Jesus Christ, as to the applica­tion [Page 34] of his Merits and subjection to his Righteousness. Christ is every way too Magnificent a person for poor Nature to close withal, or ap­prehend. Christ is so infinitely holy, Nature durst never look at Him, so infinitely good, Nature can never believe him to be such, when it lies under full sights of sin. Christ is too high & glorious for Nature so much as to touch. There must be a Di­vine Nature first put into the Soul to make it lay hold on him, he lies so infinitely beyond the sight or reach of Nature. That Christ that natural Free-will can apprehend, is but a na­tural Christ of a mans own making, not the Fathers Christ, not Jesus the Son of the living God, to whom none can come without the Fathers drawing, Joh. 6.44.

Finally, Search the Scriptures dayly, [Page 35] as Mines of Gold, wherein the heart of Christ is laid. Watch against Con­stitution-sins, see them in their vile­ness, & they shall never break out in­to act. Keep alwayes an humble, empty, broken frame of heart, sensi­ble of any spiritual miscarriage, ob­servant of all inward workings, fit for the highest communications Keep not guilt in the Conscience, but apply the Blood of Christ immediately. God chargeth sin and guilt upon thee, to make thee look to Christ, the brazen Serpent. Judge not Christs love by Providence, but by Promises. Bless God for shaking thee off thy False Foundations, for any way whereby He keeps the Soul awakened and looking after Christ; better Sicknesses, Temptations, than Security & Slight­ness, A Slight spirit, will turn a Pro­ [...]e spirit, & will Sin and Pray too. [Page 36] S [...]ghtress is the bane of Profession, i [...] it be not rooted out of the heart by con [...]ant and serious dealings with, and beholdings of Christ in Duties, 'twill grow more strong, and more deadly by being under Church-ordi­nances. Measure not thy Graces by others Attainments, but by Scrip­ture-tryals Be serious, exact in duty, having the weight of it upon the heart; but be as much afraid of taking comfort from Duties as from S [...]s. Comfort from any hand but Christs is Deadly Be much in [...]ra [...]er, or you will never keep up much [...]m­munion with God. As you are in Close [...]-prayer, so you will be in all o­ther Ordinance. Reckon not dutie [...] by high expressions, but by low frames, and the beholdings of Christ Tremble at Duties and Gifts. It was the saying of a Saint, I am mor [...] [Page 37] afraid of my Duties than my Sins, the [...] often makes me Proud, the other al­ways makes me Humble. Treasure up manifestations, they make the heart low for Christ, too high for sin. Slight not the lowest, meanest evi­dence of Grace; God may put thee to make use of the lowest, as thou thinkest, even that, 1 Joh. 3.14 that may be worth a thousand worlds to thee. Be true to Truth, but not tir­bulent and scornful. Restore such as are fallen, help them up again with all the bowels of Christ. Set the broken disjoynted bones with the Grace of the Gospel.

High Professor! Despise not weak Saints; thou mayest come to wish to be in the condition of the mean­ [...]st of them. Be helpful to others [...]nfirmities, but sensible of thy own. Visit sick beds and deserted Souls [Page 38] much; they are excellent schools of experience. Abide in your Calling. Do duty to all that are Religious as to the Lord. Be content with lit­tle of the World; little will serve. Think every little of Earth much, because unworthy of the least: think much of Heaven too little, because Christ is so rich and free. Think every one better than thy self, and carry always a Self-loathing about thee, as one fit to be trampled upon by all the Saints. See the vanity of the world, & the consumption that is upon all things, & love nothing but Christ. Mourn to see so little of Christ in the world, so few needing Him; trifles please them better. To a secure Soul, Christ is but a Fable, the Scriptures but a Story. Mourn to think how many under high profes­sions, that are not under Grace, look­ing [Page 39] much after Duty, Obedience, lit­tle after Christ, little vers'd in Grace. Prepare for the Cross, welcome it, bear it triumphantly like Christ's Cross, whether Scoffs, Mockings, Jeers, Contempts, Imprisonments, &c. but see it be Christ's Cross, not thy own.

Sins will hinder from glorying in the Cross of Christ. Omitting lit­tle truths against light, may breed Hell in the Consciences, as well as committing greater sins against light. If thou hast been taken out of the belly of Hell into Christ's bosome, and made to sit among Princes in the houshold of God, O how should thou live as a pattern of Mercy! Redeemed, re­stored Soul, what infinite sums dost thou owe Christ! With what singu­lar frames must thou walk and do every Duty? Sabbaths, what praising-days, singing of Hallelujahs, should [Page 40] they be to thee! Ordinances, what a Heaven, a being with Christ, and Angels and Saints! Baptism, what a drowning the Soul in Eternal Love, as a burial with Christ, dying to all things beside Him? Every time thou thinkest of Christ, be astonisht, and wonder; and when thou seest Sin, look at Christs Grace that did par­don it; & when thou art Proud look at Christs Grace, that shall humble & strike thee down in the dust. Re­member Christ's time of love, when thou was naked, Ezek. 16.8. then He chose thee. Canst thou ever have a proud thought? Remember whose arms supported thee from sinking, & delivered thee from the lowest Hell, Psal. 86.15. And sing for ever Praise, [...]ace, Grace. Repent daily and be­ [...]ve, & pray, & walk in the sights of Grace, as one that hath the A­nointings [Page 41] of Grace upon thee: Re­member thy Sins, Christs Pardonings, thy Deserts, Christs Merits, thy Weak­ness, Christs Strength, thy Pride, Christs Humility, thy Infirmities, Christs Re­storings, thy Guilt, Christs new Ap­plication of His Blood, thy Fallings, Christs Rising up, thy Slightingness, Christs Sufferings, thy Want, Christs Fulness, thy Temptations, Christs Ten­derness, thy Vileness, Christs Righteous­ness.

Blessed Soul! whom Christ shall find not having on his own Righteousness, Phil. 3.9. but having his robes washed & made white in the blood of the Lamb, Rev. 7.14. Woful, miserable professor, that hath not the Gospel within, rest not in Church-tryal, thou mayest pass that, and be Cast away in Christs day of tryal. Thou mayest come to Bap­tism, & never come to Jesus, and the [Page 42] blood of Sprinkling, Heb. 12.24. What­ever workings or attainments come not up to clear, distinct apprehensi­ons of Christs Blood, Merits, Righteous­ness, (the main Object of the Gos­pel) falls short of the Gospel, and leaves the Soul in a condition of Doubtings & Questionings; & Doubt­ings (if not lookt to betimes) will turn to a Slightiness of Spirit, one of the most dangerous frames. Trifle not with Ordinances; [...]e much in Meditation and Prayer. Wait di­ligently upon all Hearing opportu­nities. We have need of Doctrine, Reproof, Exhortation, Consolation, as the tender herbs and grass have of the Rain, the Dew, the Small rain, and the Showers, Deut· 32.2 Do all thou dost as Soul-work, as unto Christ, Zec. 7.5, as immediately dealing with Christ Jesus, as if He were looking on thee, [Page 43] and thou on Him, and fetch all thy Strength from Him.

Observe what holy motions you find in your Soul to Duties; the least motion that is from a sight of Christ, the least good thought thou hast of Christ, the least good word thou speakest of Him from the heart, is rich mercy, O bless God for it. Ob­serve of every day you have the day-spring from an high (with his morn­ing dews of mourning for sin) con­stantly visiting, Luk. 1.17. The bright morning Star (with fresh influences of Grace & Peace) constantly arising, Rev. 22.16. And Christ sweetly greet­ing the Soul in all duties. What Du­ties makes not more Spiritual will make more Carnal; what doth not Quicken and Humble, will Deaden & Harden. Judas may have the Sop, the outward priviledge of Baptism, Sup­per, [Page 44] Church-fellowship, &c. but John leaned on Christs bosome, Joh. 13.23▪ That's the Gospel-ordinance posture in which we should Pray, and Hear, and perform all Duties. Nothing but lying in that bosome, will dissolve hardness of heart, & make thee to mourn kindly for sin, & cure slight­ness & ordinariness of spirit (that Gangreen in profession) that will humble indeed, & make the Soul cor­dial to Christ, & sin vile to the Soul yea, transform the ugliest piece of Hell, into the glory of Christ.

Never think thou art right as thou shouldst be, a Christian of any glo­rious attainment, till thou come to this, Always see and feel thy self lying in the bosome of Christ, who is in the bosome of the Father, Joh. 1.18. Come and move the Father for sights o [...] Christ, & you shall besure to speed [Page 45] you can come with no request that pleaseth Him better: He gave him out of His own bosome for that very end, to be held up before the eyes of all sinners, as the Everlasting Mo­nument of his Fathers love. Looking at the Natural Sun, weakens the eye: the more you look at Christ the [...]un of Righteousness, the stronger & cleare [...] will the eye of Faith be: look but at Christ, & you will love Him, & live on Him, & think on Him continually. Keep the eye constantly upon Christs blood, or every blast of Temptation will shake you. If you will see sin's Sinfulness, to hate it, & mourn, don't stand looking upon sin, but look up­on Christ first, as suffering & satisfy­ing. If you would see your Graces, your Sanctification, don't stand ga­zing upon them, but look at Christs Righteousness in the first place: see [Page 46] the Sun, you see all, then look at you [...] Graces in the second place.

When you act Faith, what you first look at, that you expect settle­ment from, and make it the bottom of your hope. Go to Christ in sight of your sin and misery, not to your Grace & Holiness. Have nothing to do with thy graces & sanctification (they wil [...] but veil Christ) till thou hast seen Chris [...] first. He that looks upon Christ through his graces, is like one that sees the Sun [...] water, which wavereth & moves as th [...] water doth. Look upon Christ only as shi­ning in the firmament of the Fathers love & grace, you will not see him but in h [...] own glory, which is unspeakable.

Pride & Unbelief will put you upon seeing somewhat in your self first but Faith will have to do with no [...] but Christ, who is unexpressibly glo­rious, & must swallow up thy sancti­fication [Page 47] as well as thy sins: for God made Him both for us, and we must make Him both, 1 Cor. 1.30. 2 Cor. 5.21. He that sets up his sanctification to look at to comfort him, sets up the greatest Idol to strengthen his doubts & fears. Do but look off Christ, & presently (like Peter) you sink in doubts. A Christian never wants comfort, but by the breaking the or­der & method of the Gospel, looking on his own, and looking off Christs perfect Righteousness, which is to choose rather to live by Candle-light, than by the light of the Sun. The [...]oney that you suck from your own Righteousness, will turn into perfect gall, & the light you take from that to walk in, will turn into black night upon the Soul. Satan is Tempting thee, by putting thee to plod about thy own Graces, to get comfort from [Page 48] them: Then the Father comes, & points thee to Christs (as rich and glorious, infinitely pleasing him) & bids thee study Christs Righteous­ness, (& his Biddings are Enablings) that's a blessed motion, a sweet whis­pering, checksng thy unbelief; follow the least hint, close with much Pray­er, prize it as an unvaluable Jewel, its an earnest of more to come a­gain. If you would pray & cannot & so you are discouraged, see Christ praying for you, using His interest with the Father for you. What can you want? Joh. 14.16. & cap. 17. If you be troubled, see Christ your peace, Eph 2.14. leaving you peace, when He went up to Heaven, again & again charging you not to be troubled (no not in the least sinfully troubled) so as to ob­struct thy comfort, or thy believing, Jo [...] 14.1, 27. He is now upon the Throne [Page 49] having spoiled upon his Cross (in the lowest state of his Humiliation) all whatever can hurt or annoy thee. He has born all thy Sins, Sorrows, Fears, Disgraces, Sicknesse, Troubles, Temptations, and is gone to prepare Mansions for thee

Thou who hast seen Christ All, & thy self absolutely Nothing, who ma­kest Christ all thy life, & art dead to all Righteousness besides, thou art the Christian, one highly beloved, and who has found favour with God.

Favourite of Heaven, do Christ this one favour for all his Love to thee, Love all His poor Saints & Children (the newest, the least, notwithstanding any difference in judgment) they are engra­ven on his heart, as the names of the Children of Israel on Aaron's breast-plate: Let them be so on t [...]i [...]e. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love her. Psal. 122.6.

I. Questions relating to Religious Exercises.

1. HAve I had any sensible Com­munion with God in the Exercise? 2. Have I not neglected my Private, nor my Family-Duties▪ 3. Have I not omitted Reading the Word of God? 4. Have I not hol [...] Meditations, 1st. concerning the Word Preached; 2ndly· concerning God; 3dly. concerning Christ; [Page 51] concerning Sin; 5thly. Scriptures, the Word of God; 6thly. Providen­ces, the Works of God; 7thly. about my Duties; 8thly. about Death; 9thly. about the last Judgment; 10. about Hell; 11thly, about Heaven &c 5. Have I not been careless and for­mal in Prayer, either Private in [...] Closet, or in Family-prayers; and performed the same out of custom, and not out of love & affection to the duty? 6. Have I not been care­less & superficial in reading the word, but serious & zealous to pray for a blessing, for encrease of life & light by that duty? 7. Have I not for hast in worldly business, cut my Prayers short off, or lain upon my bed for idleness, when I should have been upon my knees? 8. Have I after du­ty, gone upon my Watch-tower, to look out, and watch for a blessing and the fruits of my duty?

[Page 52] II. Questions relating to Sins and Temptations.

1. Have I guarded against & feare [...] Temptations, or have I heedlesly rushed among them? 2. What Temptations have I this day striven against and conquered? 3 Have [...] this day done nothing against or contrary to my knowledge &c or have I not sinn'd with full pur­pose & resolution? 4. Do I not know­ingly live in a course of sin, either of omission or commission? 5. Have I carefully kept my self from my ini­quity, or have I again relapsed into it? 6. Have I given any man occasi­on o [...] offence, or been offended un­justly by any this day? 7. Doth no sinly light upon my heart, so that the Gospel and Grace, Christ & the Promises are less sweet & precious to me? 8. When I fell into any sin [Page 53] did I seriously without delay rise a­gain by repentance, & neither palli­ated or extenuated my sin?

III. Of Thoughts of the heart.

1. Have I kept my heart in a seri­ous, spiritual, and holy frame, so to be ready at all times for the exer­cise of holy duties, and so have gone from one duty to another? 2. Have I had the Lord always before my eyes, & especially, are my thoughts on him when I awake? 3. Hath E­ternity made any impressions on my heart, & have I set Death & Judg­ment, with the consequences thereof before my eyes? 4. Have I made conscience of vain, idle & wandring thoughts, and guarded against them? 5. Have I been serious & frequent in holy Ejaculations all the day and so walked with God in all my affairs? 6. Have I endeavoured when private [Page 54] & solitary, to order and govern my thoughts holily?

IV. Questions about Eating & Drinking.

1. Have I seriously and zealously before meat craved a blessing, and after meat with the same devotion returned thanks; or have I done it out of custom and fashion only? 2. Have I eat and drank with fear, and to the glory of God; or did I sit down to table with no better design than the beasts of the field have, to satisfie hunger and thirst? 3. Have I not been immoderate in my eating & drinking, even to surfeiting, over-charging my stomack? 4. Have I not risen from Table without speaking of the Name of God, or of his Word yea, without once thinking thereo [...] with delight?

V Questions about our Callings.

1. Have I this day, in the dutie [Page 55] of my Calling, had respect to the Lord & served him? 2. Have I been diligent in it, or idle & lazy 3. Have I dealt justly and honestly in my Calling, have I cheated no man no manner of way, but done to every one as I would they should do unto me? 4. Have I not broken my pro­mise in my calling but been as good as my word? 5. Have I not over­laden and over charged my self with worldly affairs, & been immoderate­ly anxious, solicitous, and careful a­bout them, to the disadvantage and neglect of my Soul?

VI. Questions relating to our Carri­age among others.

1. Have I carried and behaved my self as a Christian ought to do in reference to Superiors and Inferi­ors, Juniors and Seniors, and my E­quals? 2. Have I not neglected some [Page 56] Duties to them to whom I have a particular Relation, or have I done nothing contrary to my duty to such but duly and truly discharged it▪ 3. Have I (being a Father or Mother) taken care, first for the Souls and then for the Bodies of my Chil­dren, and wrought for them? 4. Have I (being a Child) honoured my Fa­ther and Mother, have I loved, been obedient & thankful to them? 5. Have I (being a Husband) been careful for the Soul and Body of my Wife, and loved her? 6. Have I (being a Wife) loved, honoured and obeyed my Husband, and heartily cared for his and the Families good? 7. Have I (being a Master) been careful for the Souls & Bodies of my Servants, and given them good exhortations, reproofs and examples? 8. Have I (being a Servant) honoured and o­beyed [Page 57] my Master, and been true and diligent in his concerns, as a Christi­an ought to do? 9. Have I (being a Ruler, either in Church or State) been conscientious to do the duties of my place? 10. Have I (being a Subject in the State, and a Member [...]n the Church) carried my self as becomes a Christian towards the Magistrate, Minister highly respect­ing them, being subject and obedient to them, and praying for them?

VII. Questions relating to our Time and Opportunities.

1. Have I this day redeemed time for the good of my Soul, as esteem­ing it precious? 2 Have I not slept too long, and more than was neces­sary, so that my Exercises in Pri­vate or in the Family must be short­ned, or some necessary or profitable work omitted? 3. Have I not mis­pent [Page 58] my time in idle, unnecessary or fruitless discourse, or with unnecessary and unreasonable reflecti­ons? 4. Have I not fed many idle and vain imaginations and thoughts which time might have been improved to the advantage of my Soul▪ 5. Have I not lost time with to much & long discourse about worldly things, or by doing more about them than was necessary? 7. Have I diligently improved my time thi [...] day for God, and for Eternal Sal­vation, striving to take Heaven b [...] violence? 8. Have I not this day omitted some incumbent opportunity, whereby I might have improved my talent, & done good to the Soul and Bodies of others, either by word or works, of civility or mercy? 9punc; Have I constantly observed ever [...] opportunity to the good of my Soul [Page 59] either to my instruction or reproof, or to excite to more diligence?

VIII. Questions relating to good Company.

1. Have I chosen good and holy people for my Companions, and that because they are such, & for a good end? 2. Have I endeavoured to ex­cite such by my example, and in spiritual conferences to Love and Good-works? 3. Have I carried my self towards them, as loving them with a hearty and brotherly affecti­on, and peaceably? 4. Have I de­lighted in their Company, and re­joyced in their Prosperity? 5. Have I born their infirmities and covered them, or done the contrary? 6. Have I been advantagious to them with admonitions, consolations, reproofs, counsels and other service, and have I sought the like advantage from them, & found it.

[Page 60] IX. Questions about bad Company.

1. Have I carried my self prudent­ly and wisely among the Ungodly, so that they have not been a snare to me, nor have they done me any damage? 2. Have I carried my self so holily, that I have not been a Stone of stumbling to any of them; but a good Example and Convicti­on (reversed ?) 3. Have [...] been serious, courte­ous, & compassionate towards them, endeavouring to do them good by reproofs, instructions and admoni­tions (reversed ?) 4. Have I not been ashamed of the Word, Wayes and Children of Christ when among those tha [...] hate and persecute them (reversed ?)

X. Questions relating to our carriag [...] under v [...]its Providences.

1. Have I observed the particular Providences of God concerning my self and others (reversed ?) 2. Have I endea­voured [Page 61] to discern the dealings of God with my Soul and Body from my Prayers (reversed ?) 3. Have I been thank­ful for the daily blessings & benefits received from God? 4. Have I born my cross this day willingly & chear­fully, & in adversity submitted to the hand and will of God?

XI. Questions relating to the Exer­cise of the principal Gifts and Graces.

1. Have I liv'd by Faith, depending constantly upon the Promises, & on Christ for help, strength, success, and acceptance with God? 2. Have I with diligence endeavoured to express my love to God, to men, & to my enemies themselves this day? 3. Have I denied my self this day, & curbed my passions & affections in all oc­currences, so behaving my self as [...]ne that denies himself? 4. Have I walked the whole day in the fear of the [Page 62] Lord, whether in company or alone in divine worship and service, or in worldly affairs; always guarded a­gainst sin? 5. Have I been humble and in all things eschewed & striven against Pride & High-mindedness? 6. Have I eschewed or shunned sinful anger, & carried my self meekly be­fore God and Men? 7. Have I been content with my state & condition in which the Lord by his Prvidence hath set me? 8. Have I been patient, not murmuring or repining when [...] meet with difficulties from God & oppressions from men? 9. Have I in all things expressed & declared m [...] uprightness and honesty, & shunne [...] and striven against all deceit & hypocrisie? 10. Have I been heavenl [...] minded, & delighted my self in God and striven against earthly mindedness, and satisfaction in the vaniti [...] thereof?

[Page 63] XII. Questions relating to Silence, and the use of the Tongue.

1. Have I bridled my Tongue from vain, unnecessary, angry & perverse words? 2. Have I not spoken evil of any man behind his back; or did the Lord call me by discovering the wickedness of another, to advance & further my neighbours interest? 3. Have I with Reverence used the Name & Word of God, and spoken thereof to the edification of others & my self, at home & abroad, at my rising up & lying down? 4. Have I always spoken the truth, & not some­times made lies or half-lies? 5. Have I been silent when the Lord called me to speak for his Glory & the Edifica­tion of others? 6. Have I spoken when I should have been silent?

XIII. An Epitome of the former Questions, when in the Evenings we [Page 64] have little time or leasure to the Duty of Self-Examination.

1. Have I been serious & jealous in Secret & Family-religious exer­cises this day, & have had any sensi­ble Communion with God? 2. Have I striven against my temptations & guarded against my own inclinati­ons? 3. Have I been careful to keep my heart from duty to duty in a spiritual frame? 4. Have I not con­ceived vain thoughts, nor promove [...] vain & idle discourse? 5. Have I had through the day many Ejaculatory Prayers & Sighs; 6. Have I thought & spoke much of the Word of God 7. Have I carried my self moderate­ly, Self-denyingly, & Spiritually in the use of the Creatures (reversed ?) 8. Have [...] injur'd no man this day, neither i [...] words nor works (reversed ?) 9. Have I been all th [...] day diligent & careful on my wat [...] [Page 65] and guard; 10. Have I not neglect­ed my duty to those that I have par­ticular relation to, or have I per­formed it (reversed ?) 11. Have I not mispent my time, nor omitted any good op­portunity to do, or to receive Good; 12. Have I this day been seriously working for the Glory of GOD, and my Souls Salvation; 13. Have I not been immoderately pore-ing, and meditating on Earthly things; 14. Have I not given way to P [...] sinful Anger, Discontento [...]ness, [...] Impatience? 15. Have I lived by Faith, and fetched all my strength from Christ? 16. Have I let my light shine among men, and been profi­table both to good & bad? 17. Have I had a right aim and end in all my doings? 18. Have I walked in Love both towards GOD and my Neigh­bour?

1. WHat unthankfulness is this, to think so much upon two or three Crosses, and to forget an hundred Blessings? What folly is it to darken & straiten our spirits, & indispose our selves to the taking or doing of good? (2) A limb out of joynt can do nothing without deformity and pain. Dejection takes off the wheels of the Soul joy is as Oyl to the Soul, it makes duties come off chearfully from o [...] selves, pleasingly to others, and acceptably to GOD. 3.) Let us go on to add Grace to Grace. A growing Christi­an is always a comfortable Christi­an. [Page 76] The Oyl of Grace will bring forth the Oyl of Gladness. (4.) Me­lancholly persons are in a perpetual darkness; all things seem black and dark unto them; their Souls are as it were died black; whatsoever comes to a melancholick person, comes in a dark way to the Soul. (5.) In all grievances, let us look to something that may comfort us as well as discourage us▪ let us look as well to what we enjoy as to wh [...] we want. As in Prosperity God mingles some Cross to diet us, so in all Crosses there is something to C [...]mfort us. As there is a Vanity lies hid in the greatest worldly good, so there is a Blessing lies hid in the greatest worldly Evil Is not our Health more than Sickness? Do not we enjoy more than we want (reversed ?) (I mean of necessary things) Are not [Page 77] our good dayes more than our evil But we would go to Heaven upon Roses. (6.) We must neither bring sin to, nor mingle sin with our suf­ferings, for that will trouble the spi­rit more than the trouble it self. We are not hurt till our Souls be hurt. (7.) In sudden encounters, some sin doth many times discover it self, the seed whereof lyeth hid in our hearts, which we think our selves free from. What cause have we then to fear continually that we are worse than we take our selves to be? The force of Gun-powder is not known till some sparks light on it. (8.) What a sight were it to see the feet where the head is, or the earth where the heaven is? And to a spiritual eye, it seems as great a deformity, to see the Soul to be un­der the rule of sinful passions. (9.) [Page 78] A good heart, when any Corruption is discovered by a searching Minist­ry, is affected as if it found out some deadly Enemy▪ Touchiness & Pas­sion argues guilt (10.) The imagi­nary grievances of this life are more than the real. (11.) The way to expel wind out of your Body, is to take wholesome nourishment; so to expel windy fancies from the Soul▪ is to feed upon serious truths; our best way therefore, is to propound true objects to the mind, to work upon, As 1st. To consider the great­ness and goodness of God. 2ndly. The joyes of Heaven & the torments of Hell. 3rdly. The last and strict Day of Ac­count. 4thly. The vanity of Earthly Things. 5thly. The uncertainty of our Lives. (12.) A man naturally is either weaving Spiders webbs, or hatching Cockatrices eggs; exercised either [Page 79] in vanity or mischief. (13.) It would much avail to the well ordering of our thoughts, to set our Souls in or­der every morning, & to strengthen and perfume our spirits with some gracious Meditations, especially of the chi [...]nd & scope wherefore we live; and how every thing we do, or befal us, may be reduced and or­dered to further the main, viz. Gods Glory, and our own Salvation. (14) Some will be contented to embrace Truth without hatred of the world; & Christ without a Cross; a Godly life without Persecution: they will pull a Rose without Pricks: such empty conceits will be too weak to encou [...]ter real griefs. (15.) It is a course that will have a blessing at­tending it, to joyn in a league one to watch over another, & to observe each others wayes; it is usual to [Page 80] joyn in Prayer, why not in this? (16.) Happy is he that in his way to heaven meets with a chearful & skilful Guide and Fellow-traveller, that carrieth Cordials with him a­gainst all faintings of spirit. (17.) There is an heavy imputation on them that comforted not the weak: when men will not own others in trouble, but as the herd of Deer for­sake and push away the wounded from them. (18.) God often sus­pends comfort from us, to make use of our Christian Friends, by whom he purposeth to do us good: often­times the very opening of mens griefs, bringeth ease, without any further working upon them: The very opening of a vein cooleth the blood. (19.) A Christian when he is heaten out of all other comforts, yet hath a God to run unto, & he [Page 81] can wrestle with him in his own strength, and plead with him with his own arguments. (20.) Tis a ne­ver failing rule of discerning a man to be in the state of Grace, when he finds every condition draws him nearer to God. (21.) Labour to answer every Relation wherein thou, standest to God. 1st▪ As a Father [...] trusting on His care. 2ndly. A Teach [...] [...] by s [...]ng His direction. 3rdly▪ As a Creator, by depending on Him▪ 4thly. As a Hu [...]band, by insepara [...] affectionate love to Him. And lastly, As a Lord by obedience to Him. (22.) Despair is often the ground of Hope: when the darkness of the night is, thickest, then the morning begins to d [...]wn▪ (23.) We may safely expect God in his ways of Mercy, when we [...] in his wayes of Obedience ( [...].) By trusting any thing more [Page 82] than God, we make it an idol and a curse: it will prove a lying vanity and vexation, bringing that upon us which we looked not for. (25.) Its a vain pretence to think, that God will give us Heaven, and yet leave us to shift for our selves by the way. (26) The way to have any thing taken away and not bles [...], is to set our hearts too much upon it. (27.) The greatest honour we can do God, is when we see nothing for us, but rather all things contra­ry to what we look for, then to shut our eyes to all inferiour things, and to look altogether to his All-suffici­ency. (28) Its an evidence of true trust, when we can wait Gods leisure. and not make hast. (29.) Faith doth no [...], especially at first, so stay the Soul, as to take away all suspi­cion and fear to the contrary: yet [Page 83] the prevailing of unbelief is taken away. The Needle in the Compass will stand North, though with some trembling; and the Ship that rides at anchor may sometimes be tossed, yet it commonly remains so fast, that it cannot be carried away by a­ny weather. (30.) Look not on so much on those miseries which our weak Natures are subject unto, at upon God for strength and comfort in them, mitigation of them, and Grace to profit by them (31.) The time of sickness, is the time of pur­ging from the defilements of sin, which we have gathered in our health, till we come purer our; which should make us the rather willingly to abide Gods time. Bles­sed is that sickness that proves the health of the Soul; we are best for [...]he most part when we are weakest▪ [Page 84] (32.) In all kind of troubles, [...] the ingredient that God puts [...] the Cup that so much afflicts, as that of our distempered Passion mingled with them (33.) We are not much disquieted when we put off ou [...] Cloathes and go to bed, because [...] trust Gods Providence to raise us up again; and why should we be afraid to put off our bodies and sleep ou [...] [...] sleep, considering we are more sure to rise out of our Graves, than out of our Beds; yea, we are alrea [...]dy risen up in our head CHRIST▪ (34.) Let us do our our own work and leave God to do His; Diligen [...] and Trust in Him is only ours, the rest of the burden is his. Let [...]s study what is our Duty, & God will thin [...] of what is for our Comfort. (35.) In the worst times there is a pre­sence of God with His Children. [Page 85] 1st. By moderating the Measure. 2ndly. the Time. 3rdly. In joyning some Com­fort with it. And 4thly. By Supporta­tion. (36.) A good Christian hath 1 st. a GOD to go to. 2 ndly. A Promise to go to. 3 rdly. Former Experiences to go to, besides some present Experiences. (31.) What is our Life but a Web, woven with interminglings of wants and favours, crosses, and blessings, risings & fallings, combats & victo­ries? (38.) God defers, but in his deferring there is no empty space, wherein no good is done: but there is in that space a fitting for mercy. (39.) It is folly to think that we should have Physick & Health both at once; Gods time is the best time, resolve therefore upon waiting His leisure. After a weary week, comes a Sabbath, and after a fight comes Victory. (40.) Unkindness of others [Page 86] to us, is but a correction of our un­kindness to God. (41.) He that can­not abound without Pride & High-mindedness, will never want with­out too much dejectedness. (42.) Let us not seek our selves abroad out of our selves, in the conceits of other men. A man shall never live quietly, that hath not learned to set light by others cau [...]lless ill conceit of him. (43.) Men that set too high a price upon themselves, when men will not come up to their price, they are discontented. (44.) Those whose condition is above their worth, and their pride above their condition, shall never want sorrow; yet we must maintain our Authority in our places, for that is Gods, & not ours and we ought to carry our selves so as we may approve our selves to their Consciences, though we can­not [Page 87] have their good word. (45.) One end why God suffers the Soul to tire and beat it self, is, that finding no rest in it self, it might seek to God. (46) A man can be in no conditi­on wherein God is at a loss; if com­forts be wanting, He can Create comforts, not only out of nothing, but even out of discomfort. He made the Whale which swallowed Jonas, a means to bring him to land. (47.) The only way to have our will, is to bring it to Gods Will. (48.) The way patiently to suffer Gods will, is to inure our selves to do it; they that have not inur'd themselves to the yoak of Obedience, will never [...]ndurs the yoak of Suffering. (49.) When we can say to God, if thou wilt have me poor and disgraced, I am well content; thus a Godly man sayes, Amen to Gods Amen, & puts [Page 88] his Fiat to Gods Fiat. (50.) None feel more experience of Gods Provi­dence, than those that are most re­solute in their Obedience. (51.) After we have given Glory to God, by relying upon his Wisdom, Power, and Truth, we shall find Him im­ploying these for our direction, as­sistance, and bringing things about to our desired issue; yea, above what we desired or thought of. (52.) The more passion, the less discretion, be­cause passion hinders the sight of what is to be done, it clouds the Soul, and puts it on without advise­ment. (53.) It is good to observe the particular becks of Providence▪ how things joyn & meet together fit occasions, and suiting of things are intimations of Gods will. Provi­dence hath a language which is we understood by those that have a fa­miliar [Page 89] acquaintance with God: They see a train of Providence leading one way more than another. (54.) Labour to fit a promise to every con­dition thou art in: there is no con­dition but hath a Promise suitable to it. (55.) He that loveth too much will grieve too much: It is the great­ness of our affection that causeth the greatness of our affliction. (56.) All our [...] within proceeds from a discontented swelling vapour of Pride: Its air inclosed in the bowels of the earth that shakes it, which all the four winds cannot do. (57.) There is an art of bearing troubles (if we could learn it) without o­ver troubling our selves: as in bear­ing a burden there is a way to poize it, that it weigheth not over heavy, if it hangeth all on one side, it poi­zes the body down: the greatest [Page 90] part of our troubles we pull on our selves, by not parting our care, so as to take upon us onely the care of Duty, and leave the rest to God. (58.) We must not mingle our pas­sions with our crosses, like foolish Pa­tients, chewing the Pills we should swallow down. (59.) He that sees not God every where, sees him no where. (60.) He that loseth him­self in self-denial, finds himself in the bosome of God. (61.) In Prosperi­ty fear God, in Adversity love God. [62.] Praying will make thee leave Sinning, or sinning will make thee leave Praying. [63.] Our weakness and inabilities, break not the bond of our duties. [64.] No sin but is easier kept out, than cast out. [65.] What we are afraid to do before men, we should be afraid to think before God. [66.] Nature vexed & [Page 91] Nature armed, soon discovers it self. [67.] They that retain the memo­ry of Mercies, seldom lose the sight of Mercies. [68.] Love prepares the way to Unity, and Lowliness prepares the way to Love.