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<DATE>2008-07-31</DATE>
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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
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<P>CHRIST THE CHRISTIANS CHOICE. OR A Sermon preached at the Funerall of M^r JOHN CAVVS one of the MAGISTRATES of the FAMOVS CORPORATION of PLYMOVTH. <HI>March</HI> The 29. Anno Dom. 1645.</P>
<P>By ALEXANDER GROSSE. B.D. and Pa&s;tor of Bridfoad.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Phil. 1.21.</HI></BIBL>
<P>To mee to live is Chri&s;t, and to dye is gaine:</P>
<BIBL><HI>P&s;al. 73.24.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Thou &s;halt guide me with thy Coun&s;ell, and afterward re|ceive me to glory.</P>
<BIBL><HI>P&s;al. 73.25.</HI></BIBL>
<P>VVhome have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth, that I de&s;ire be&s;ides thee.</P>
<BIBL><HI>P&s;al. 73.26.</HI></BIBL>
<P>My heart and my fle&s;h faileth, but God is the &s;trength of my heart, and my portion for ever.</P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON</HI> Printed by <HI>R. B.</HI> for <HI>Iohn Bartlet</HI> at the Gilt Cup under St. <HI>Augu&s;tines</HI> Gate. 1645.</P>
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<BIBL>Philippians <HI>Chapter.</HI> 1. <HI>Ver&s;.</HI> 23.</BIBL>
<Q>Having a de&s;ire to depart, and be with <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> which is farre better.</Q>
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<P><HI>_NOah</HI> left the earth to enter into the <HI>Arke,</HI> The chil|dren of I&s;rael left the land of <HI>Egipt</HI> for the fruition of the land of <HI>Canaan:</HI> Every &s;antified and beleeving &s;oule is willing to leave all that it may fully enter into Chri&s;t, that it may have a compleat fruition of Chri&s;t, who is <HI>all in all.</HI> Better then all, infinitely more then all to every regenerate, and gracious &s;oule. No pri&s;oner but is willing to leave the pri&s;on-hou&s;e, for the enjoyment of his owne hou&s;e; No excile but is willing to leave the land of bani&s;hment for the repo&s;&s;e&s;&s;i|on of his owne Country: No &s;oule that knowes its owne bondage un|der corruption, its owne alienation, and exilement from Chri&s;t, (in part at lea&s;t,) during the dayes of its abode in this earthly tabernacle. but with Paul, hath <HI>a de&s;ire to depart and be with Chri&s;t which is farre better.</HI></P>
<P>This our decea&s;ed Brother making u&s;e a little before his death of the&s;e words to his wife, almo&s;t to the &s;ame purpo&s;e Saint Paul made u&s;e of them to his Philippians. <HI>Haveing a de&s;ire to depart and to be with Chri&s;t which is farre better; Neverthele&s;&s;e to abide in the fle&s;h is more needfull for you.</HI> Is that which invited and moved me, to treat of the&s;e words, in this houre of his funerall, and from them to deduce &s;ome in&s;tructions for the proffet and con&s;olation of the living.</P>
<P>The words propound unto us, and pre&s;ent before us, the choy&s;e of a gracious &s;oule the <HI>Paradi&s;e</HI> wherein it de&s;ires to <HI>dwell,</HI> the <HI>Sun</HI> which it de&s;ires to <HI>behold,</HI> the <HI>Pearle</HI> which it de&s;ires to <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e,</HI> the <HI>Haven</HI> wherein it de&s;ires to <HI>harbour,</HI> the <HI>Tree</HI> whereon it longs to <HI>feed,</HI> and the <HI>Fountains</HI> whereof it doth de&s;ire to draw and drinke a full and e|verla&s;ting <HI>draught,</HI> even Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and nothing el&s;e, <HI>Haveing a de|&s;ire to depart and to be with Chri&s;t which is farre better.</HI></P>
<P>In the words there is. 1. <HI>Motus,</HI> a motion, the internall moving, &s;tirring, longing, and working of the &s;oule, excited, a&s;&s;i&s;ted, inabled, acted, moved, framed, and di&s;po&s;ed, bent, and inclined, thereunto by the gracious pre&s;identiall, active, and mighty power of the holy &s;pi|rit; Like the motion and &s;tirring of the heart of a pri&s;oner, longing after, and looking out at the pri&s;on windowes for &s;ome tidings of liberty and freedom-: like the motion of a man in darknes, waiting for the appearance of the light; like the motion of a wife, in the time of 
<PB N="4" REF="3">her husbands ab&s;ence, looking for, and expecting her husbands returne: a motion rai&s;ed, excited, quickned, and &s;trengthned, by a collation and compari&s;on of the &s;oules future felicity, with its pre&s;ent mi&s;ery. as the hu&s;bandman compares, the joy of his future <HI>harve&s;t,</HI> with the <HI>la|bour</HI> of his pre&s;ent winter. The &s;ouldier the glory of his future <HI>Crowne</HI> with the difficulty of his pre&s;ent <HI>battle;</HI> The traviller the comfort of his future <HI>Paradice;</HI> with the &s;adnes of his pre&s;ent <HI>Wildernes:</HI> lively &s;ence of pre&s;ent mi&s;ery, &s;weet and powerfull apprehen&s;ion of fu|ture, and en&s;ueing glory, fill the &s;oule truly gracious with longings of unwearied, and &s;acred vehemency. A&s;&s;urance of future happines makes a good man re&s;tles under the pre&s;ant burthen of his corruption.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Here is <HI>Movens.</HI> The party longing de&s;iring to depart; and that is Paul a cho&s;en ve&s;&s;ell, afaithfull &s;ervant of God a liveing member of Chri&s;t. <HI>None can truly de&s;ire to be di&s;&s;olved but he that is &s;ure to be &s;aved.</HI> No man willingly leaveth his pre&s;ent habitation, but he that is a&s;&s;ured of a better dwelling. No wi&s;e man willingly to ca&s;t of his pre&s;ent gar|ment, but he that hath another, a better to put on: No man can be upon right grounds willing to be di&s;&s;olved, but only that man who is truely fanctified: he who is not throughly intere&s;ted in Chri&s;t, cannot wil|lingly leave all for Chri&s;t: Eleazar Abrahams &s;ervant, <HI>put a jewell upon Rebeccaas face,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 24.53.</NOTE> <HI>and bracelets upon her hands, and gave her jewels of &s;ilver and jewels of gould and rayment,</HI> and then &s;hee was willing to goe with him, willing to leave all, and enjoy J&s;aac for her husband. That &s;oule alone which Chri&s;t beautifieth with the &s;aveing gifts of his &s;pirit, the love tokens of Chri&s;t, better gifts then jewels of &s;ilver, and gold. Js the &s;oul, the only &s;oule, that can for&s;ake the deare&s;t things of this life, that can readily leave its habitation in this mortall fle&s;h, and take up its everla&s;ting abode with Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Here is <HI>Termin<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s,</HI> the terme whereunto this gracious foule moves, and that is <HI>double</HI> the one <HI>Privative,</HI> the other <HI>Po&s;itive</HI> the fir&s;t <HI>Priva|tive</HI> a de&s;ire to depart or be di&s;&s;olved, expro&s;&s;ing the nature of death not an <HI>Annihilation.</HI> but a <HI>di&s;&s;olution,</HI> a &s;eperation of the foule and bo|dy, the foule is now in the body as a bird in the cage, a pri&s;oner in the pri&s;on hou&s;e; a traviller walking under a cloud, and therfore much de&s;ires a di&s;charge, and exemption from his fad and burthen&s;ome con|dition; No child of God de&s;ires death under the naked and &s;imple no|tion of death, it is in it &s;elfe, the <HI>King of terrours,</HI> repugnant, and dis|&s;tructive to nature, a thing never de&s;ired for it &s;elfe, but for &s;ome o|ther thing, therfore here is Secondly a <HI>Po&s;itive</HI> terme wherein this motion, and de&s;ire of the foule ends; that is in the <HI>fruition of Chri&s;t,</HI> that he may be fully and everla&s;tingly with Chri&s;t; that he may come out 
<PB N="5" REF="3">of the pri&s;on of the fle&s;h, to be clad with glory to &s;it downe, and raign with Chri&s;t as <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> came out of pri&s;on haveing his pri&s;on garments taken from him, a Gould ring put upon his finger, royall apparell put upon his backe, and made the &s;econd per&s;on next to the King in the Kingdome of Egypt: that he may come out of all the &s;ervitude and &s;la|very bondage and troubles of this life to triumph with Chri&s;t leaving &s;inne, Satan, and the world behind him, conquered, &s;ubdued, di&s;troyed, as <HI>I&s;rael</HI> came out of the waters of the red Sea, triumphing, leaving <HI>Pharaoh</HI> and the Egiptians,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exo 15, 1.</NOTE> there drowned behind them. The fruiti|on of the Lord Ie&s;us makes death de&s;irable, and lovely in the eies of al truebeleevers.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Here is, <HI>Motivum.</HI> The <HI>motice,</HI> which &s;ets the &s;oule on worke, thus to de&s;ire to be with Chri&s;t; and this is drawne <HI>Ab V<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">.</HI> From the fruit, and benefit thero: <HI>It is fore better.</HI> To be with Chri&s;t then live here, to enjoy Chri&s;t then all things el&s;e, it is not only better, but <HI>farre letter,</HI> a thou&s;and degrees better, for the <HI>&s;a<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ctity,</HI> for the <HI>liberty,</HI> for the <HI>Safety,</HI> for the <HI>Satie<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">y,</HI> for the &s;weete <HI>Society</HI> and for the <HI>Fulnes</HI> of all <HI>Glory</HI> there to be enjoyed. The pre&s;ent felicitie of Gods children is very little, even nothing, incompari&s;on of the future glory which &s;halbe put upon them.</P>
<P>J cannot, time will not give me leave, to in&s;i&s;t upon all the perticu|ler branches of the&s;e words, though every one of them pre&s;ent, before us and offer to us re&s;pectively, variety of u&s;efull, &s;weet, and comfor|table fruit; had we time and lea&s;ure but to gather them; I &s;hall therfore for the pre&s;ent, give you one generall ob&s;ervation from them. St. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;o <HI>Loved</HI> Chri&s;t, &s;o <HI>Prized</HI> Chri&s;t, &s;o <HI>Delighted</HI> in Chri&s;t, &s;o <HI>Longed</HI> af|ter Chri&s;t, and <HI>Apprehended</HI> the fruition of &s;uch a plenitude and &s;weet|ne&s;&s;e, &s;uch duration, and continuance of all foule ravi&s;hing, and heart|contenting excellencies in the fell enjoyment of Chri&s;t; that he was willing to leave all, to depart with all, even with his very life, for the full enjoyment of Chri&s;t. whence ob&s;erve.</P>
<P><HI>That there is nothing &s;o deare and precious to Gods faith full &s;ervants,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Doctrine.</NOTE> <HI>noe not their very lifes, but they are willing to leave and lay them all downe for Chri&s;ts lake; for the pre&s;ent, and future enjoyment of Chri&s;t:</HI> thus it was with St. <HI>Paul,</HI> and thus it is in proportion, in degree, according to the mea&s;ure of grace received, with every child of God: the wife leaves all to enjoy matrimoniall communion with the husband; <HI>Sarah</HI> left all,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 45.10.</NOTE> and went with her husband <HI>Abraham.</HI> True beleevers are the Bride and &s;pou&s;e of Chri&s;t: <HI>they forget their owne people and their fathers hou&s;e</HI> to enjoy their husband Chri&s;t: they &s;o love, they &s;o re|member, they &s;o delight in, and &s;o long after Chri&s;t, that they love no|thing 
<PB N="6" REF="4">remember nothing, delight in nothing, prize nothing, de&s;ire no|thing in compari&s;on of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 13 44.</NOTE> be it otherwi&s;e never &s;o deare &amp; precious: the merchant in the parable <HI>&s;old all</HI> that he had for the preci|ous <HI>pearle,</HI> true beleevers are &s;pirituall marchants, they trade, and traf|fick for Chri&s;t; Chri&s;t is to them a pearle of that price, that they joy|fully &s;ell all, leave all for the pre&s;ent, and future enjoyment of him: this truth is carried by way of command in the Iniunction laid by our ble&s;|&s;ed Saviour upon the Angel of the Church of Smyrna.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 2.1.</NOTE> <HI>Be thou faithfull unto the death, and I will give thee the crowne of life.</HI> What&s;oever <HI>trouble</HI> doe ari&s;e, what&s;oever <HI>&s;torme</HI> doe to&s;&s;e and &s;hake thee, what&s;oever <HI>cloud</HI> of contumely doe &s;eize upon thee, what&s;oever <HI>band of violence</HI> be &s;tretched out to rob and &s;poile thee, yet be thou &s;aithfull in thy <HI>cove|nant</HI> with Chri&s;t, in thy <HI>profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of chri&s;t in thy <HI>undertaking</HI> for Chri&s;t in thy <HI>dependance</HI> upon Chri&s;t, in thy <HI>love</HI> unto Chri&s;t, in thy <HI>defence</HI> of the cau&s;e of Chri&s;t <HI>be thou faithfull to the death</HI> let life, and all goe, rather then let goe Chri&s;t; lay downe all for the <HI>Crowne of life,</HI> for the &s;weet, the full, and everla&s;ting enjoyment of Chri&s;t. Thus the Apo&s;tle peter haveing declared the vanity and mutability of the whole frame of the creature, argueth and urgeth from thence the nece&s;&s;ity of looking out for Chri&s;t, of ha&s;tning unto Chri&s;t, of making Chri&s;t &s;ure unto our &s;oules.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 3.13.</NOTE> <HI>Seeing then (&s;aith he) that all the&s;e things &s;halb<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> di&s;&s;olved, what manner of per&s;ons ought ye to be in all holy conver&s;ation and Godlynes. Looking for and ha&s;tning unto the comming of the day of God.</HI> Looking for the coming of and full enjoyment of Chri&s;t as a husbandman looketh for the coming,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 12.36.</NOTE> and gathering in, of the harve&s;t; Looking and prepar|ing for Chri&s;t as a good &s;ervant <HI>waiteth,</HI> and prepareth for the coming of his Lord and Ma&s;ter: thus have the &s;ervants of God ever lively ex|pre&s;&s;ed the &s;adnes of their condition without Chri&s;t, their high priz|ing of Chri&s;ts gratious pre&s;ence in his ordinances for the pre&s;ent, though they enjoy him herein but in part, a farreof, and ob&s;curely, as we enjoy a friend in his letters, the Son in the &s;tarres. A birde the brid|groome in his love tokens. Yet when Chri&s;t hath at any time in his be|hal&s;e e&s;tranged him&s;elfe from them,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 63.1.</NOTE> they have beene as <HI>drie ground</HI> without water, in an <HI>Ince&s;&s;ant thir&s;t,</HI> as a cha&s;ed <HI>Hart</HI> without the <HI>wa|ter brookes,</HI> full of re&s;tles motions, and ardent cries after Chri&s;t: <HI>As the hart panteth after the water brookes &s;o panteth my &s;oule after thee O God. my &s;oule thir&s;teth for God, for the liveing God.</HI> When &s;hall I come and appeare before God. They follow him as &s;ttai David <HI>whether in life or in death,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 14.4.</NOTE> the <HI>Virgins follow the Lam where&s;oever hoe goeth</HI> whether in a codition of honour, or ignominy, of perce or trouble of lo&s;&s;e or gaine they follow him:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 84 10.</NOTE> David accounts <HI>One day in the Courts of God better</HI> 
<PB N="7" REF="4"><HI>a thou&s;and,</HI> and prizes the place of a doore keeper in the hou&s;e of God above the choyfe&s;t habitation among the tents of wickedne&s;&s;e Pre|ferring the poore&s;t condition with Chri&s;t, above the highe&s;t condition without Chri&s;t: what was <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his choi&s;e? did he not chu&s;e <HI>to en|dure affliction with the people of God rather then to enjoy the plea&s;ures of &s;in for a &s;ea&s;on.</HI> Did not he refu&s;e to be called the &s;onne of <HI>Pharaohs</HI> daughter? did not he e&s;teeme the enjoyment of communi|on with Chri&s;t, and his members, though in the wilderne&s;&s;e, above the fruition of fellow&s;hip with the greate&s;t profane worldly Nobles. though in a Paradi&s;e of all earthly plea&s;ures? did not the primitive Chri&s;tians take the <HI>&s;poyling of their goods joyfully knowing they had an abiding &s;ub&s;tance in heaven:</HI> were not they contented to be &s;poiled of all, rather then to be &s;poiled of Chri&s;t, and what is the glory of Gods deare &s;ervants, but this <HI>They loved not their lives unto the death;</HI> If they doe all this for the pre&s;ent enjoyment of Chri&s;t, where they en|joy him a farre off, and but in part, how much more will they do it, for an immediate and compleat enjoyment of him in the next life: <HI>having their conver&s;ation now in heaven, from whence al&s;o they look for the Saviour the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, being turned unto God from Idols, to &s;erve the living and true God: and to waite for his Sonne from hea|ven.</HI> By all which it plainly appeares that <HI>there is nothing &s;o deare and precious to Gods faithfull &s;ervants no, not their very lives, but they are willing to leave and lay them all downe for Chri&s;ts &s;ake, for the pre&s;ent and future enjoyment of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>For the fuller under&s;tanding, and clearer di&s;cerning of the extent and latitude of this truth there be foure things con&s;iderable, fir&s;t the <HI>matter</HI> left, &s;econdly the per&s;ons leaving it. Thirdly the <HI>manner</HI> how they leave it. Fourthly the <HI>end</HI> or finall cau&s;e for which they leave it.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t the <HI>matter</HI> left things mo&s;t deare and precious to them, things of greate&s;t price among the men of the world, things in their kinde for their <HI>quality</HI> mo&s;t eminent as <HI>riches,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 9.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> honours, plea&s;ures favour credit countenance and applau&s;e among&s;t men:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 19.8.9.</NOTE> they are contented for the enjoyment of Chri&s;t to be men of no name, of no repute, of no wi&s;edeme,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 4.22.</NOTE> of no authority, of no wealth among men: things for their <HI>u&s;e</HI> mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary as calling &s;tation and in&s;truments of Lively|hood,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat: 10.37.</NOTE> things for their <HI>relation</HI> very &s;weete and plea&s;ant as friends father, mother, and things for their <HI>number,</HI> the very <HI>all</HI> which they po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 19.27.</NOTE> things for their <HI>Intimacy</HI> and nearene&s;&s;e the mo&s;t deare and precious, as life it &s;elfe, &s;o <HI>Paul</HI> here the traveller willingly leave all lamps,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke: 4.26.</NOTE> candles, torcher, the greater and the le&s;&s;er &s;tarres to enjoy the Sunne: the true travellers in the way to God in Chri&s;t, willingly leave
 <PB N="8" REF="5"> 
all other comforts to enjoy Chri&s;t Je&s;us, the Sunne of all true con|&s;olations:</P>
<P>Secondly the <HI>per&s;ons</HI> leaving all, laying downe all for Chri&s;t, <HI>Paul,</HI> and &s;uch as have the &s;pirit of <HI>Paul:</HI> none have the&s;e de&s;ires be&s;ides the truely gracious: none but the bride leaves all for the bridegroome, It is not <HI>Orpah,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ruth 1.15.16. 2 Tim. 4.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. phil 3.7.8..</NOTE> but <HI>Ruth</HI> that cleaves to <HI>Naomi</HI> in the day of her di&s;tre&s;&s;e, it is not <HI>Demas</HI> but <HI>Paul</HI> that e&s;teemes all but <HI>dung and dro&s;&s;e in com|pari&s;on of the excellency of the knowledge of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> it is not the Coward but the valiant &s;ouldier, that willingly layes downe his life for his Captaine in the battell;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 19.20.</NOTE> <HI>Hyminoeus</HI> and <HI>Philetus</HI> are no &s;ooner &s;haken with a tempe&s;t, but they forthwith make &s;hipwracke of <HI>faith and a good con&s;cience,</HI> onely <HI>Paul</HI> is the man that fights the <HI>good fight, that fini&s;heth his cour&s;e and keepes the faith:</HI> he alone that is a true par|taker of Chri&s;t is the man that will leave all for Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Thirdly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Tim. 4.7.</NOTE> the <HI>manner</HI> how they leave all <HI>willingly,</HI> it is their de&s;ire it is their choi&s;e, the bird willingly leaves his cage, to &s;oare and fing aloft in the aire. <HI>I&s;rael</HI> willingly left <HI>Egypt</HI> to free their &s;houlders from <HI>Pharroahs</HI> heavy burthens: the Lords faithful &s;ervants, the <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of God indeed: willingly hazard, leave and lay downe all for God and Chri&s;t, to ca&s;e them&s;elves of the hurthen of corruption, and to enjoy communion with God and Chri&s;t, this they doe with <HI>de&s;ire</HI> as <HI>Paul d &s;ired to d part,</HI> and this de&s;ire carries in it.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, a &s;en&s;ible apprehen&s;ion of the miferie and trouble&s;omne&s;&s;e of their pre&s;ent condition, the &s;ence and feeling which I&s;rael had of the &s;adne&s;&s;e of their e&s;tate under the heavy burthens which <HI>Pharaoh</HI> impo|&s;ed on them,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 3.</NOTE> and cruell Task-Ma&s;ters which he &s;et over them made them willing to leave the land of <HI>Egypt,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom 7, 24</NOTE> and de&s;irous to goe to <HI>Cana|an:</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Col. 12.7.8.</NOTE> &s;ence of the burthen&s;omne&s;&s;e of mans owne <HI>corruption,</HI> and of the violence and bitterne&s;&s;e of the <HI>buffettings</HI> of Satan, fills the &s;oule with &s;ad complaints of its pre&s;ent mi&s;erie and ardent prayers, for the enjoy|ment of full freedome from them and intire re&s;t, and acquie&s;cence in Chri&s;ts bo&s;ome.</P>
<P>Secondly, an <HI>high prizing</HI> of Chri&s;t, as the onely glorious and &s;hining <HI>Sunne,</HI> whence di&s;cend all the beames of &s;pirituall con&s;olation, as the <HI>Apple-tree,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 4.2. Cant. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.3. Col. 2.3. Cant. 3.10.</NOTE> whereon growes all &s;weet and de&s;irable fruit for the nou|fi&s;hment of the &s;oule, and under who&s;e &s;hadow it can repo&s;e, and re&s;t it &s;ell with much delight: as the <HI>store-hou&s;e</HI> whence is derived all ce|le&s;tiall trea&s;ure for the fouls inrichment: as the <HI>faire&s;t of ten thou&s;and</HI> in whom all &s;oul ravi&s;hing, and heart admiring excellencies are di&s;cer|ned: he alone that takes the true mea&s;ure of the worth of Chri&s;t, is the man that can leave, and lay downe all for Chri&s;t.</P>
<PB N="9" REF="5">
<P>Thirdly, &s;ervent and unfained <HI>love</HI> to Chri&s;t, <HI>She<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">h<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ms</HI> love to <HI>Dinah</HI> made him willing to undergoe the paine or Circumci&s;ion for her,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 34.</NOTE> <HI>Jacobs</HI> love to <HI>Rachel</HI> put him upon a hard &s;ervice, in the heate, and in the cold, in the day, and in the night for her; &s;ervent love to Chri&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 5.14.</NOTE> puts the gracious &s;oule upon a ready <HI>undertaking</HI> of the harde&s;t &s;ervie or Chri&s;t, a <HI>patient toleration</HI> of the greate&s;t difficulties in the way of Chri&s;t, and a <HI>che refull effu&s;ion</HI> of its deare&s;t blood for the exal|tation of Chri&s;t, for the fruition of full communion with Chri&s;t: true love to Chri&s;t re&s;teth in nothing,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 2 5.</NOTE> but in the fruition of Chri&s;t; all de|&s;ires after Chri&s;t which &s;pring not from unfained love to him, are fruitle&s;&s;e have no acceptance with him never reach him,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 13.3.4.</NOTE> never worke the &s;oule into the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of him.</P>
<P>Fourthly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 42.1, 2.</NOTE> vehement <HI>longings</HI> after Chri&s;t, a holy re&s;tline&s;&s;e of the &s;oule, and &s;pirit untill it doth come to Chri&s;t, as the <HI>Bee</HI> untill it comes unto the <HI>Hive:</HI> the <HI>River</HI> untill it emptieth it &s;elf into the <HI>Ocean:</HI> and as the <HI>Dove</HI> did fly up and down, and found no re&s;t for the &s;ole of her foot untill &s;he entred into the <HI>Arke.</HI> The &s;oule which truely de|fires Chri&s;t meetes with contentation no where but in Chri&s;t; the thir&s;t thereof is never &s;atisfied untill it drinks a full draught of Chri&s;t, the heavenly <HI>Oecan,</HI> in whom are all &s;oule-refre&s;hing waters; the motion thereof is never terminated untill it comes fully home to Chri&s;t, the paradi&s;e in whom dwell all &s;pirituall comforts.</P>
<P>Fifthly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 3.1.</NOTE> diligent <HI>Inqui&s;ition</HI> after Chri&s;t, carefull u&s;e of all meanes to enjoy Chri&s;t; the&s;e de&s;ires are no lazy, &s;luggi&s;h, weake feeble, and fleeting de&s;ires;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 5.3 4.</NOTE> but &s;trong, active, and &s;tirring de&s;ires, de&s;ires <HI>knocking</HI> at the doore of the heart, and awakening it as a loud &s;ounding trumpet rou&s;eth a man out of his &s;leepe; de&s;ires <HI>quickning</HI> man, like &s;purres in his motion unto Chri&s;t; de&s;ires <HI>drawing</HI> a man like a load&s;tone unto Chri&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 23.15.</NOTE> <HI>David</HI> de&s;ired to drink of the water in the wells of <HI>Bethel,</HI> and his <HI>Worthies</HI> brake through the army of the <HI>Phili&s;tines,</HI> and brought waters thence: true de&s;ires after Chri&s;t neglect no meanes leading un|to Chri&s;t, breake thorow all oppo&s;itions betweene them and Chri&s;t: their &s;oules are &s;et upon an unwearied inquiry after him, a con&s;tant u&s;e of all meanes to enjoy him, when <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> and <HI>Mary</HI> had lo&s;t Chri&s;t they went up and downe, and <HI>&s;ought him &s;orrowing,</HI> never cea&s;ing from their inquiry untill they found him;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk 2 46.</NOTE> the &s;oule which knowes what it is to loo&s;e Chri&s;t, what the &s;adne&s;&s;e of the &s;oule is without Chri&s;t: never cea&s;eth &s;eeking untill he hath found him, never cea&s;eth from his mourning, till Chri&s;t returnes with &s;weete con&s;olations againe unto him.</P>
<P>Sixtly, <HI>delight,</HI> he that ardently de&s;ires Chri&s;t, joyfully leaves all
 <PB N="10" REF="6">
 For Chri&s;t, accounts it <HI>all joy</HI> to fall into m nifold temptations for the cau&s;e of Chri&s;t:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ia. 1.2. Heb. 10 34 Acts 16.23. Dan. 3.</NOTE> takes the &s;poyling of all <HI>joyfully,</HI> &s;ings in pri&s;on, is cheerefull in the wilderne&s;&s;e as in a paradi&s;e: walkes like the three children in the fiery furnace of great adver&s;ities as in a Palace: and comes when God calls him to the &s;take and fiery tryall as the hungry to a fea&s;t, the &s;ouldier to the crowne: or Bride to the marriage of the Bridegroome, and unto death it &s;elfe through many temptations, weakne&s;&s;es and di&s;a&s;ters as Mariners to the haven thorow a violent and &s;tormy tempe&s;t The way of the &s;oule to Chri&s;t Je&s;us is not &s;uch a way of &s;orrows, but that it is mixt with man, &s;weet and &s;ecret plea&s;ures.</P>
<P>Seventhly, a confident <HI>Re&s;ignation</HI> into the hands of Chri&s;t, he that truely and unfainedly de&s;ires Chri&s;t, doth not dye as a man uncer|taine where he &s;hall goe, <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">t commeth as a Bride to the Bridegroom, as an obedient childe to his loving fathers hou&s;e, with much a&s;&s;urance of gracious acceptation, of a &s;weet and everla&s;ting entertainment and welcome, though he &s;ometimes feel the winde of temptation blowing with much violence upon him: and di&s;mall feare now and then fur|prizing him, yet with <HI>Teter</HI> in another ca&s;e he cries <HI>Ma&s;t r &s;ave me,</HI> and immediately &s;ee Ie&s;us &s;tretching out his hand,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 14.30.31.</NOTE> and &s;aving him from &s;inking in the waters ready to &s;wallow him: he beholds the winde cea&s;ing, and an everla&s;ting calme en&s;ueing, upon the fall of this hou&s;e of his fle&s;h he &s;ees a glorious habitation provided for him; <HI>he knowes that if his earthly hou&s;e of this Tabernacle be destroyed,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor 5, 1</NOTE> <HI>he hath a building made of God, an hou&s;e not made with hands, but eter|nall in the heavens.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, here is the <HI>end</HI> or finall cau&s;e, why the gracious &s;oule doth leave all, and de&s;ires to goe hence: it is for <HI>Chri&s;ts &s;ake,</HI> that it may have the full fruition of Chri&s;t, that it may mount aloft and come to Chri&s;t: as the bird when the cage is broken or the pri&s;oner when the pri&s;on hou&s;e is beaten downe, and throwne into the du&s;t have liberty, the one to fly, and the other to walke abroad and meete their compa|nions.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> 4 17.</NOTE> Thus the Lords &s;ervants de&s;ire to depart; to leave this man&s;ion of the fle&s;h, that they may <HI>meet the Lord and &s;o be ever with him,</HI> the ultimate end of every good mans de&s;ires and endeavours is the full fru|ition of Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</P>
<P>Having &s;eene what it is that this ob&s;ervation carries in it, let us now de&s;cend to the rea&s;ons conducing both to the further illu&s;tration, and confirmation thereof;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rea&s;ons.</NOTE> now the rea&s;on why Gods &s;ervants doe &s;o wil|lingly leave and lay downe all for the enjoyment of Chri&s;t is.</P>
<P>In regard of the <HI>Evill</HI> adherent to the pre&s;ent condition of Gods
 <PB N="11" REF="6"> 
children though they be a <HI>red<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">ed people</HI> a people tran&s;lated out of darkne&s;&s;e into the kingdome of Gods deare Sonne,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 1.13.</NOTE> yet they have &s;ome fetters &s;till upon them,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 54.13.</NOTE> though they be an <HI>in&s;tructed</HI> people, a people <HI>taught of God</HI> yet they have &s;ome ignorance remaining in them though they be a <HI>ga der inclo&s;ed, an <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">rchard of pomegranates with &s;weet fruites</HI> yet they have &s;ome weeds,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 4.10.11.12.</NOTE> &s;ome thornes and briars, there &s;prou|ting and &s;preading: there is a manifold evill yet adherent to Gods children.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t an evill of <HI>darkne&s;&s;e</HI> the <HI>day-&s;tar<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e</HI> indeed hath appeared,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Pet. 1.19.</NOTE> but the <HI>Sunne</HI> is not yet fully ri&s;en in their &s;oules is butday dawning they know but in part,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 13.1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> there is &s;ome ignorance mingled with their knowledge.</P>
<P>Secondly an evill of <HI>bondage,</HI> though they be not led away <HI>captive at the will</HI> of Satan as voluntary &s;laves without reluctance and re&s;i&s;t|ance:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Tim. 2.26 Rom. 7.14.</NOTE> yet they are <HI>&s;old under &s;in,</HI> as a man led captive again&s;t his will. Like <HI>Lazarus</HI> they are ri&s;en but yet they carry &s;ome of their grave|cloathes about them which doe in part &s;till fetter and tye them.</P>
<P>Thirdly an evill of <HI>oppo&s;ition,</HI> &s;ickene&s;&s;e oppo&s;eth health in men di&s;|ea&s;ed <HI>E&s;au</HI> oppo&s;ed <HI>Jacob</HI> in the wombe of <HI>Rebecca, Saul</HI> oppo&s;ed <HI>David</HI> and made continuall warre again&s;t him,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">10.11.43.44.2. Sam. 3.1.</NOTE> the fle&s;h oppo&s;eth the &s;pirit, corruption oppo&s;eth grace in Gods children: fle&s;hly lu&s;ts warre again&s;t the &s;oule in the be&s;t of Gods people.</P>
<P>Fourthly an evill of <HI>uncleanne&s;&s;e,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5 17.1 Pet. 2.11.</NOTE> though they be <HI>wa&s;hed,</HI> and <HI>&s;ancti|fied</HI> and <HI>in&s;tified</HI> in the <HI>name</HI> of the Lord Je&s;us and by the <HI>Spirit</HI> of our God,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob, 13.10.</NOTE> yet this is but in part, they are indeed perfectly in&s;tified but imperfectly &s;anctified: he &s;aith our Saviour <HI>that is wa&s;hed,</HI> needeth not fave to wa&s;h his &s;eet but is cleane every whit, and ye are cleane, but not all.</P>
<P>Fiftly an evill of <HI>Temptation</HI> Egyptian <HI>Pharaoh</HI> pur&s;ued <HI>I&s;rael</HI> after they were gone out of <HI>Egypt,</HI> the <HI>infernall Pharaoh</HI> pur&s;ues God, <HI>I&s;ra|d</HI> after they are e&s;caped the plenary &s;ervitude and &s;lavery of this world,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Zech 3.1.2.</NOTE> and their owne corruption, <HI>Satan &s;tands at the right hand of Io&s;ua the high prie&s;t to</HI> hinder his &s;upplication:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 12.7 8.</NOTE> and he <HI>buffets Paul</HI> to di&s;turb and vexe him, Satan now and then obtaines commi&s;&s;ion to tempt and try the be&s;t of Gods children.</P>
<P>Sixthly an evill of <HI>Burthens,</HI> there lyes on the &s;houlders of Gods &s;ervants a burthen of <HI>corruption</HI> a burthen of <HI>contumelies;</HI> a burthen of manifold <HI>afflictions, I&s;rael</HI> in <HI>Egypt</HI> had cruell task-ma&s;ters over, and heavy burthens impo&s;ed on them: Gods <HI>I&s;rael</HI> in this world &s;till tra|vels under heavy burthens, travelling like <HI>I&s;rael</HI> thorow the wilder|ne&s;&s;e of many troubles, and red &s;ea of many &s;orrows and &s;ufferings, af|more
 <PB N="12" REF="7"> 
or le&s;&s;e, will re&s;t as a burthen on Gods people, as long as they carry corruption about them.</P>
<P>Seventhly an evill of clo&s;e and <HI>con&s;cience-accu&s;ations,</HI> of heart &s;mi|ting and &s;elfe-judgings, <HI>Davids</HI> heart &s;mites him for touching <HI>Sauls</HI> garment,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh 2 6.</NOTE> <HI>Job</HI> &s;ees enough ami&s;&s;e within him to make him abhorre him&s;elfe below <HI>the du&s;t and a&s;hes: E&s;aiah</HI> is &s;en&s;ible of &s;o much un|cleanne&s;&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a 6.5.6.</NOTE> that he is forced to cry out, <HI>wo is me for I am undone, be|cau&s;e I am a man of polluted lips:</HI> no man walkes with &s;uch exactne&s;&s;e and circum&s;pection, but that his con&s;cience now and then, brings matter of accu&s;ation again&s;t him:</P>
<P>Eightly an evill of <HI>&s;orrows,</HI> for temporall or &s;pirituall lo&s;&s;es for their owne or others failings, for their owne or others mi&s;eries: the Lords people are &s;eeds men <HI>&s;owing</HI> in <HI>teares</HI> now <HI>reaping in ioy:</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a 126.5.</NOTE> hereafter Gods children like I&s;rael of old have &s;uch <HI>Canaanites</HI> like thornes in
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Judges 2.2.</NOTE> their &s;ides and pricks in their eyes that they are full of lamentation, and mourning</P>
<P>Ninthly an evill of <HI>Commerce and communion</HI> with profane people who pricke like <HI>thornes,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 2.3.</NOTE> and &s;ting like <HI>&s;corpions,</HI> and pierce and wound like <HI>arrows,</HI> vexing the righteous &s;oules of Gods people, and making their very lives a burthen to them.</P>
<P>Tenthly an evill of <HI>Ab&s;ence,</HI> they are not yet come fully home to Chri&s;t, they are at much di&s;tance from him; have not the full enjoy|ment of him while they are <HI>at home in the body they are ab&s;ent from the</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 5.6.</NOTE> <HI>Lord:</HI> and therefore are willing to leave and lay downe all that they may be di&s;charged from this manifold evill.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> In regard of the <HI>Termination</HI> of a gracious &s;oules motion in Chri&s;t, every thing terminates its motion, in its proper, Chri&s;t is the &s;oules Center, the rivers move and &s;top not, till they terminate their motion in the &s;ea: the gracious &s;oule is re&s;tle&s;&s;e till it commeth unto Chri&s;t, <HI>Naomi</HI> &s;aid of <HI>Boaz</HI> unto <HI>Ruth the man will not be in re&s;t untill he hath</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ruth. 3. ult.</NOTE> <HI>fini&s;hed the ma<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ter this day:</HI> the &s;oule intending wedlocke with Chri&s;t, will not, cannot be in full and thorow re&s;t, untill it hath fini&s;hed, and fully perfected its wedlock with Chri&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">p&s;al 104.34. 1 Cor 2.2. Col 2.7.</NOTE> the whole or a gracious man moves to Chri&s;t: the motion of his imagination is to the thought, and meditation of Chri&s;t: the meditation of Chri&s;t is <HI>&s;weete unto him;</HI> the motion of his <HI>und<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">r&s;tanding</HI> is to the knowledge of Chri&s;t, <HI>hee de&s;ires to know nothing but Chri&s;t, and him cruci&s;ied,</HI> the motion of his <HI>faith</HI> is to the al&s;ufficiencie,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 5 10. Cant. 2.5.</NOTE> worth and efficacy of Chri&s;t: <HI>be i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> rooted, and built up in Chri&s;t,</HI> the motion of his <HI>love</HI> is to the beauty and ex|cellency of Chri&s;t: <HI>he is the faire&s;t of ten thou&s;and in his eye,</HI> and his &s;oule is &s;icke o<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> love to Chri&s;t: every way the motion of a &s;anctified
 <PB N="13" REF="7"> 
is to Chri&s;t, the travellers motion is to his home, the the thir&s;ty mans motion is to the fountaine, the good mans motion is to Chri&s;t, he ne|ver attaines his de&s;ired perfection untill he hath gotten the full po&s;|&s;e&s;sion of him: and therefore leaves all to enjoy him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> In regard of that <HI>union</HI> which a gracious &s;oule hath with Chri&s;t, by <HI>&s;aith</HI> and <HI>love,</HI> he is not &s;o united unto any thing, as to Chri&s;t, he is &s;o united to him that he is be come <HI>one</HI> with him <HI>boxe of his bone,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 17.21, Ephe&s;. 5.29. Ioh. 15.19.</NOTE> <HI>ana fle&s;h of his fle&s;h</HI> he is united to Chri&s;t with a <HI>&s;eparating and &s;ingling union,</HI> with an union &s;eparating him from the world as a woman joyned in with an union &s;eparating him from the world as a woman joyned in wedlocke is &s;eparated from her owne people, and her fathers hou&s;e, with an <HI>union crucifying</HI> the world unto him and him againe unto the world:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 6, <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> he is united unto Chri&s;t with a <HI>deriving and enriching union,</HI> drawing from Chri&s;t <HI>grace for gra<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 1 15.</NOTE> filled with Chri&s;ts fulne&s;&s;e and made compleate n him: he is united unto Chri&s;t with a <HI>tran&s;lating and transforming union,</HI> an union transforming him into the very im|age of Chri&s;t, making him <HI>pure as Chri&s;t is pure;</HI> he is united to Chri&s;t with an <HI>inflaming and &s;oule ravi&s;hing union:</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Ioh. 3.3. Cant. 8.6.</NOTE> kindling a fire in his heart which no waters can quench &amp; many floods cannot drown: he is united to Chri&s;t with an <HI>indi&s;&s;oluble union,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 15.18. Ioh. 10.28.</NOTE> &s;o united, that nei|ther the powers of hell, nor earth can di&s;&s;olve it; he is united unto Chri&s;t with a <HI>victorious union,</HI> an union overcomming all the prof|fers,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Ioh. 5.4. Ioh. 3.30.</NOTE> and oppo&s;itions of the world: <HI>a pro&s;trating union,</HI> ca&s;ting a man and all his gifts and abilities downe at the feet of Chri&s;t, making a man willing to be nothing in the eyes of men that Chri&s;t may be ex|alted:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 4.12.13</NOTE> <HI>an a&s;piring union</HI> a&s;cending unto more and more perfection never cea&s;ing untill the &s;oule is wrought into a full communion with Je&s;us Chri&s;t, making a man willing and indu&s;trious to ca&s;t away what&s;oever may hinder his enjoyment of Chri&s;t, to breake pri&s;on to come to Chri&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kings 19.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> to leave all to be with Chri&s;t, as <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> left his yokes of oxen to follow <HI>Eliah</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> In regard of that <HI>preheminence</HI> which Chri&s;t hath in the heart of a gracious man, above all other things he giveth Chri&s;t preheminence:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t in his <HI>choice,</HI> he choo&s;eth Chri&s;t rather then all or any other thing what&s;oever, the traveller choo&s;eth the Sun rather then any other light to guide him; the builder choo&s;eth the rock, rather then the &s;and to build upon: and the wi&s;e merchant the pearle, rather then the pebble to enrich him: the gracious man preferreth Chri&s;t as the onely wi&s;e <HI>Coun&s;eller</HI> able to advi&s;e him, the ovely <HI>racke</HI> able to &s;upport him, and the onely <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ear<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e</HI> wherein is all worth to inrich bun: he choo&s;eth the <HI>gifts and graces</HI> of Chri&s;t before all other trea&s;ures: bee pre&s;erreth the <HI>love</HI> of Chri&s;t, the light of his countenance, above all
 <PB N="14" REF="8"> 
other plea&s;ures, and earthly abundance: there is nothing without this can give him contentation.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> 31, 32.</NOTE> <HI>Ab&s;olon</HI> thought it a &s;mall thing that he lived at <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> nay he e&s;teemed his <HI>life</HI> as nothing, unle&s;&s;e hee might &s;ee the Kings face: a good man e&s;teemes it a little thing to live at Jeru&s;alem, I meane to have all Gods ordinances, unle&s;&s;e he en|joy the face of Chri&s;t with them:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">3.3. P&s;al. 4.6.</NOTE> his very life without this &s;eemes but a burthen: when the face of Chri&s;t &s;hines there is exceeding great joy and rejoycing, when this is hidden there is a <HI>cry,</HI> much mourning and lamentation.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 30.7.</NOTE></P>
<P>Secondly in his feare, men give preheminence in their feare to their Soveraigne, above the &s;ubject, children to their fathers above the hou&s;hold &s;ervants: wives to their husbands above &s;trangers: good men feare Chri&s;t as their <HI>Soveraigne</HI> as their <HI>fathers,</HI> as their <HI>husband</HI> with an awfull, a &s;pirituall, a filiall, an affectionate and &s;ubmi&s;sive feare, choo&s;ing rather to offend all the world then to offend Chri&s;t: they feare the <HI>command</HI> of Chri&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 4 19. Mat. 10.28. Dan. 3.17.</NOTE> more then the command of man: the <HI>wrath</HI> of Chri&s;t more then the wrath of men: the lo&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t favour, more then the lo&s;&s;e of any, or all men what&s;oever: they chu&s;e rather to expo&s;e them&s;elves to mans greate&s;t rage and indignation, then to provoke Chri&s;t in the lea&s;t &s;illable of voluntary and witting deviation from the rule which Chri&s;t hath pre&s;cribed to them.</P>
<P>Thirdly in his <HI>love,</HI> the wife preferres the husband in her love above all other per&s;ons; he that is married unto Chri&s;t loves Chri&s;t more then all creatures, he loves him not carnally but <HI>&s;piritually,</HI> his love ari&s;eth from a &s;eed of grace &s;owne in the heart, it is a fruit of Gods Spirit, he loves him not con&s;trainedly but <HI>freely,</HI> his love moves to Chri&s;t like water flowing from a living &s;pring: he loves him not with a niggardly but a <HI>bountifull</HI> love, with a love moving him to give all that he hath to Chri&s;t: he loves him not with a &s;ini&s;ter but a <HI>&s;incere</HI> love; not in a &s;hew but in <HI>truth</HI> not in word but in deed; he loves Chri&s;t not with a faint and langui&s;hing love, but with a <HI>strong and victorious</HI> love; a love overcomming all oppo&s;ition a love <HI>carrying</HI> him home to Chri&s;t, a love cau&s;ing him to <HI>abide</HI> with Chri&s;t in all changes,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 18.1.2.</NOTE> to re&s;t upon him in all conditions, a love like the love of <HI>Jo|nathan</HI> to <HI>David, Jonathan</HI> &s;o loved <HI>David</HI> that he was contented to run the hazard of his fathers di&s;plea&s;ure, to be aba&s;ed that <HI>David</HI> might be exalted, and di&s;robe him&s;elfe for <HI>Davids</HI> &s;ake: the gracious &s;oule &s;o loveth Chri&s;t, that he is ready for Chri&s;ts &s;ake to incurre the hatred of his deare&s;t friends according to the fle&s;h, to humble him|&s;elfe belowe the du&s;t for the exaltation of Chri&s;t, and to put oft this garment o<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> the fle&s;h, that he may honour and enjoy Chri&s;t.</P>
<PB N="15" REF="8">
<P>Fourthly in his po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, he had rather po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e Chri&s;t then all things el&s;e; all other po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions are but an empty ve&s;&s;ell to the po&s;e&s;|&s;ing of Chri&s;t:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 14.21.</NOTE> the King of <HI>Sodome</HI> &s;ometime &s;aid to <HI>Abraham give me the per&s;ons take thou the &s;ub&s;tance:</HI> the gracious man is ready to &s;ay to his neighbour, give me Chri&s;t, and take the goods, hou&s;e ho|nours, body, and what&s;oever el&s;e he that will: all other po&s;&s;e&s;sions are but a wilderne&s;&s;e to this paradi&s;e: a <HI>b<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">amble</HI> to the <HI>vine,</HI> the fig|tree and the olive-tree as <HI>Iotham</HI> in another ca&s;e expre&s;&s;ed him&s;elfe
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Judges 9 9.</NOTE> in this parable.</P>
<P>Fifthly in <HI>Communion</HI> men of generous di&s;po&s;ition prize communi|on with princes above communion with beggars: wives pre&s;erre fellow&s;hip with their husbands above fellow&s;hip with &s;ervants: fel|low&s;hip with Chri&s;t is the longing de&s;ire of every gracious &s;oule they &s;ay of this as <HI>Peter</HI> did of the mount <HI>it is good being here,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 17.4.</NOTE> the de&s;ire of their &s;oules is to dwell with Chri&s;t: to live continually in the ble&s;&s;ed pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t, and as they give him preheminence in their choi&s;e, feare love po&s;&s;e&s;sion and communion, &s;o they are willing to leave and lay downe all for him.</P>
<P>Fifthly in regard of that <HI>gaine</HI> which commeth to a gracious man by leaving and laying downe his goods, liberty, or life for Chri&s;ts &s;ake: the more he leaves for Chri&s;t the more he &s;hall receive, the greate&s;t loo&s;ers for Chri&s;t are the greate&s;t gainers by Chri&s;t:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 19.29.</NOTE> it is our Saviours promi&s;e <HI>who&s;oever &s;hall loo&s;e father or mother or hou&s;e or lands &amp;c. for my Names &s;ake &s;hall bare an hundred fold more in this life, and life everla&s;ting hereafter:</HI> the &s;eed thus &s;owne returnes with a plentifull harve&s;t: this is the be&s;t adventure to make a rich merchant the lea&s;t gaine of Chri&s;t is recompence enough for a whole worlds lo&s;&s;e:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 1, 23.</NOTE> the having of Chri&s;t make every condition gainfull, Chri&s;t &s;aith St. <HI>Paul</HI> is <HI>both is life and death advantage.</HI> I&s;rael by leaving <HI>Egypt,</HI> got a land flowing with milke and honey. <HI>Mo&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> by leaving the honour of <HI>Pharaohs</HI> Court, got greater honour in becomming both a leader and a wonder-worker before the children of I&s;rael in the wilderne&s;&s;e:<HI>Peter</HI> by leaving his nets became a fi&s;her of men, the Lord hath many wayes to make the gre&s;te&s;t lo&s;&s;es of his &s;ervants mo&s;t advantagious: by death it &s;elfe a gracious man hath a gaine o<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>much light</HI> he beholds the Sun in the fulne&s;&s;e of his ri&s;ing:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 13.12. 1 Ioh. 3.1.2 3.</NOTE> he &s;ees face to face, and knowes even as he is knowne: he hath a gaine or <HI>compleate purity,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe. 5.26. Act 12.7.</NOTE> like <HI>Ab&s;olon</HI> in another re&s;pect, <HI>having no blemi&s;h from the crowne of the head, unto the &s;ole of the font,</HI> a man <HI>without &s;pot or wrinkle:</HI> he hath a gaine of <HI>liberty,</HI> he commeth as <HI>Peter</HI> out of <HI>Herods</HI> pri&s;on, all his &s;etters &s;mitten off, as I&s;rael out of the red &s;ea
 <PB N="16" REF="9"> 
leaving Satan, the world, and his owne corruption there drowned behinde him. La&s;tly he baths gaine of the greate&s;t <HI>honour</HI> communi|cable to the &s;oule of man,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 2.10. 2 Tim. 4 8.</NOTE> <HI>a crowne of life and glory given him:</HI> and hence it is hat &s;uch are willing to leave and lay downe all for Chri&s;t, that they may leave the full fruition of him.</P>
<P>This by way of <HI>reprehen&s;ion</HI> reproves two &s;orts of men:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">V&s;e.</NOTE> Fir&s;t &s;uch as are &s;o farre from leaving and laying downe all for Chri&s;t, for the pre&s;ent and future enjoyment of Chri&s;t; that they will neither lay out, nor lay downe <HI>any thing</HI> for Chri&s;t: &s;o farre from being willing and de&s;irous with <HI>Paul</HI> to be di&s;&s;olved from their bodies, that they will not be di&s;&s;olved from the lea&s;t part, or parcell of their po&s;&s;e&s;sions, honour, riches, plea&s;ures, liberties or priviledges among&s;t men for Chri&s;ts &s;ake: but when Chri&s;t, the cau&s;e of Chri&s;t, the church of Chri&s;t in the cour&s;e of Gods providence, call for helpe, reliefe, &s;up|portment, comfort, and encouragement, at the&s;e mens hands as &s;ome|times <HI>David</HI> did at the hands of <HI>Nabal</HI> the&s;e men like the &s;onnes of
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 25.11.</NOTE> <HI>Nabal,</HI> an&s;wer Chri&s;t as <HI>Nabal</HI> their father an&s;wered <HI>David, who is David and who is the &s;onne of Ie&s;&s;e; there be many &s;ervants now a dayes that breake away every man from his ma&s;ter, &s;hall I then take my bread and my water and my fle&s;h which I have killed for my &s;hearers, and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be:</HI> thus they are ready to an&s;wer who is Chri&s;t, and who is the church of Chri&s;t, there be ma|ny that rebell and without cau&s;e draw troubles and calamities on their owne heads: &s;hall I then take my bread and water, my po&s;&s;e&s;&s;i|ons and riches which I have provided for me and mine, and give it to I know not who: and of the&s;e may Chri&s;t truely &s;ay as <HI>David</HI> did of <HI>Nabal &s;urely in vaine have I kept all that the&s;e fellows have, for they have requited me evill for good:</HI> and as <HI>David</HI> was full of wrath again&s;t <HI>Nabal,</HI> and re&s;olved the utter extirpation of him and his hou&s;e, &s;o no doubt the indignation of Chri&s;t is kinled, and burnes like fire again&s;t &s;uch mercile&s;&s;e and cruell caitiffes: neither can they ex|pect a ble&s;&s;ing but a cur&s;e on them&s;elves and their po&s;terity after them the &s;entence of our Saviour again&s;t &s;uch is very dreadfull, and &s;uch as may make them act <HI>Bel&s;hazar</HI> living, in the mid&s;t of their great po&s;|&s;e&s;sions.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 25</NOTE> <HI>Depart from me ye cur&s;ed into everla&s;ting fire which is pre|pared for the d<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">vill and his Angels, for I was an hungred and ye gave me no meate thir&s;ty and ye gave me no drinke: I was a &s;tranger and yee tooke me not in unto you. I was naked and ye clothed me not: &s;icke and in pri&s;on,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iudg. 8 5.6,</NOTE> <HI>and ye vi&s;ited me not: verily (&s;aith Chri&s;t) in as much as ye did it not to one of the lea&s;t of the&s;e ye did it not to me, and the&s;e &s;hall go into everla&s;ting paine:</HI> you may plea&s;e to call to minde the &s;tory betweene 
<PB N="17" REF="9">
<HI>Gideon</HI> and the princes of <HI>Succoth: Gideon</HI> and his men were weary and aint in the pur&s;uit of their enemies, and <HI>Gideon</HI> &s;aid unto the men of <HI>Succoth, give I pray you mor&s;els of brean unto the people that follow me for they be weary that I may follow after Zeba and Zalmunna Kings of Midian:</HI> to whom the princes of <HI>Succoth</HI> an&s;wered, <HI>are the hands of Zeba and Zalmunna now in thy hands that we &s;hould give bread unto thine <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word">:</HI> to whom <HI>Gideon</HI> replyed, <HI>therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zeba an Zalmunna into mine hands I will tear your fle&s;h with thornes of the wilderne&s;&s;e and with bryers:</HI> which upon his victory he did accordingly: <HI>Gideon</HI> was a type of Chri&s;t, and Chri&s;t is the <HI>Captaine of the Lords ho&s;t:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Io&s;. 5.14.</NOTE> when his &s;ouldiers his people at this day are weary and faint in fighting his battells, in defending his cau&s;e, in pur&s;uing his and their enemies, Chri&s;t &s;peakes to many among&s;t us, as <HI>Gideon</HI> to the men of <HI>Succoth:</HI> give I pray bread, fle&s;h, lodging, cloathing, to the&s;e men that follow me, that &s;tand for me, that fight for me and my truth; that lay downe all for me and my cau&s;e: to whom many men an&s;wer as the men of <HI>Succoth</HI> an&s;wered <HI>Gilead,</HI> are the <HI>Cavalleirs</HI> now in thine hands? ha&s;t thou vanqui&s;ht and overcome them: it is yet doubtfull which &s;ide will prevaile; why then &s;hall we give our bread unto, or make provi&s;ion for thine army: but let the&s;e men looke to it, when <HI>Zeba</HI> and <HI>Zalmunna</HI> when the publike and open enemie &s;hall be &s;uodued, Chri&s;t hath thornes and briars, fearefull judgements for them that withdraw their a&s;&s;i&s;tance in the day of the Churches di&s;tre&s;&s;e, judgement mercile&s;&s;e is the por|tion of them that &s;hew no mercy.</P>
<P>Secondly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 1.20.</NOTE> it repr<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">veth &s;uch as will &s;pare <HI>&s;omething,</HI> but not the <HI>be&s;t things</HI> like them of old in the prophet, that would &s;pa<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e the blinde the lame and the &s;ick for &s;acrifice, but not that which was &s;ound and with|out blemi&s;h:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iam. 2.16. Ezek. 33.31.</NOTE> they will &s;pare the <HI>tongue,</HI> but not the <HI>hand</HI> their <HI>bodly pre&s;ence</HI> but not their hearted <HI>&s;oule pre&s;ence:</HI> they will &s;pare &s;ome but not all for Chri&s;t, when they are put upon this, to leave all, and take Chri&s;t alone,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 19.21.</NOTE> they <HI>goe away &s;orrowfull:</HI> &s;ome will &s;pare their <HI>goods</HI> but not their <HI>lives,</HI> they will not with <HI>Paul</HI> be di&s;&s;olved, <HI>Peter</HI> once <HI>left all,</HI> but he would not at that time leave his life for Chri&s;t, but denyed his Ma&s;ter to &s;ave his life: now the&s;e men doe herein, and hereby plainely di&s;cover.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t an overprizing of the creature, &s;o e&s;teeme it,<NOTE PLACE="marg">M<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">t. 8.</NOTE> that they <HI>value</HI> the unworthle&s;t of their po&s;&s;e&s;sions as the <HI>Gaderines</HI> did their &s;wine above Je&s;us Chri&s;t: <HI>&s;o love it,</HI> that upon the lo&s;&s;e, or likely hood of taking it away, they goe weeping after it as &s;ometimes <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">haltiel</HI> went weeping after <HI>Mical</HI> to <HI>Bahurim:</HI> &s;o <HI>adore</HI> and &s;erve it, &s;o re&s;t
 <PB N="18" REF="10"> 
and relie upon it, that when it is gone they runne up and downe like <HI>Mica</HI> after his idole,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iudg. 18.24.</NOTE> and cry out as men undone.</P>
<P>Secondly a &s;hamefull <HI>underprizing</HI> of Chri&s;t: he that will not leave a pebble for a pearle, a broken bottell for a river, a barren branch for a fruitfull tree, under values the pearle, river, tree, all creatures excellency is nothing in compari&s;on of Chri&s;ts glory: they very wickedly, and &s;hamefully di&s;parage Chri&s;t, that preferre or equalize any thing to Chri&s;t;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 14.8.</NOTE> let &s;uch men with the invited gue&s;ts in the parable, never look to partake of Chri&s;t with comfort, who&s;e love unto, or delight in the creature withholds them from giving their hearts unto Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Thirdly, hereby they <HI>hazard the very lo&s;&s;e of what they retains,</HI> and get by leaving Chri&s;t, their lo&s;&s;e is ever greater then their gaine, u&s;u|ally they loo&s;e the very thing which they withhold;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 12.</NOTE> <HI>he that will &s;ave his life &s;hall loo&s;e it,</HI> he that will &s;ave his honours, his riches, his liberty his favour with men &s;hall loo&s;e the &s;ame: how ignominious to all &s;uc|ceeding generations hath beene the name of the <HI>Scribes</HI> and <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> who for the maintenance of their owne name and honour, &s;tudied and con&s;ulted the eclip&s;ing and ob&s;curing of the name and honour of Chri&s;t: how odious is the name of <HI>Judas</HI> who laboured his own gain, more then gaining of honour and &s;oules to his Ma&s;ter Chri&s;t: take this for thy portion who&s;oever thou art that &s;eeke&s;t to make thy &s;elfe rich and honourable, with the lo&s;&s;e and di&s;honour of Chri&s;t, thy name and riches both &s;hall be everla&s;tingly buried in the du&s;t of di&s;honour and reproach.</P>
<P>Fourthly, hereby they <HI>draw a cur&s;e on them&s;elves and on their po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ions,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 6.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> they having of Chri&s;t like the <HI>Arke</HI> to the hou&s;e of <HI>Obed Edon</HI> makes all to pro&s;per, like the <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">rce</HI> to the waters of <HI>Marah,</HI> it makes the bittere&s;t condition plea&s;ant and comfortable:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exo. 15, 25.</NOTE> the deniall of Chri&s;t the lo&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t turnes all into a cur&s;e, like the evill herb that turned the prophets pot into a pot of death:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kings 4.40.</NOTE> all that men get again&s;t Chri&s;t, all that men keepe with the di&s;honour of Chri&s;t, proves like <HI>Achans golden wedge</HI> and Babyloni&s;h garment,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Io&s;. 7.</NOTE> a cur&s;e and ruine to their whole po&s;&s;e&s;sion, therefore thus &s;aith the Angel of the Lord, <HI>cur&s;e ye Me|roz,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iudg. 5.13.</NOTE> <HI>cur&s;e ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, becau&s;e they came not to the help of the Lord again&s;t the mighty</HI></P>
<P>Fifthly hereby they <HI>contract &s;hame,</HI> rai&s;e a cloud of di&s;honour upon their owne heads, that never &s;hall be blotted out: is it not the &s;hame of all &s;hames, to a wi&s;e to for&s;ake her husband for the love of an un|worthy &s;ervant; for a &s;onne to leave his parent, and with the Prodi|gall to run a rioting with loo&s;e and di&s;&s;olute companions, to a &s;ouldier to leave his captaine, and betake him&s;elfe unto the enemies quarters:
 <PB N="19" REF="10"> 
is Chri&s;t your husband, your father your Captaine; will you leave him for the gaine the honour, the plea&s;ure of the world? will you leave him and enter con&s;ort with profane people; will you fly from him, and joyne with his enemies, be a&s;&s;ured then your memory &s;hall rot, your name &s;hall goe out like a candle: leaving nothing but an un&s;avory &s;mell behinde it Your honour &s;hall lie in the du&s;t, your name &s;hall everla&s;tingly peri&s;h.</P>
<P>This by way of coun&s;ell &s;hould advi&s;e all men to work their hearts <HI>to alow prizing</HI> of their pre&s;ent e&s;tate, and every thing they have here, incompart on of the enjoyment of Chri&s;ts Gods children de&s;ire to be di&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ed, they know it to be better to be with Chri&s;t, then to conti|nue here therefore looke on all your outward priviledges, and prero|gatives as on <HI>d<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">gand dro&s;&s;e</HI> in compari&s;on of the excellency of Chri&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 3 8.</NOTE> nay look on the gift, and on all the be&s;t things of God which you have here in this <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">e, in compari&s;on of the full enjoyment of Chri&s;t, even a few <HI>gleani<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">s</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">n compari&s;on of the full <HI>vintage</HI> as on the <HI>daw<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ing,</HI> in compari&s;on of the <HI>Noon-day,</HI> as on &s;ome &s;mall <HI>love-tokens</HI> in compari|&s;on of the <HI>compleate enjoyment</HI> of the bridegroome:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 1.22.</NOTE> we have the good things of God now as waters in a bottle, then we &s;hall have them as waters in the fountaine, <MILESTONE N="3"> now we have them as an <HI>earne&s;t peny,</HI> then we &s;hall have them in the full &s;umme.</P>
<P>This mini&s;ters matter of <HI>&s;weet and &s;ingular con&s;olation</HI> to the &s;urvi|ving friend of all the godly deccated: it was their de&s;ire to be di&s;&s;ol|ved,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iudg. 8.2.</NOTE> it is better, yea farre better for them, they have a po&s;&s;e&s;sion now, the lea&s;t mite whereof is better then all the po&s;&s;e&s;sions of the earth we may &s;ay of this as <HI>Gideon</HI> did of the gleanings of <HI>Ephraim: the glean|ings of Ephraim are better then the vintage of Abiezer</HI> here they were as <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">itors</HI> now their <HI>mairrage is con&s;umm<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">e,</HI> here they were as men <HI>walking in &s;etters,</HI> now they are as men <HI>walking in chains of gold:</HI> here their <HI>bread</HI> was mingled with <HI>grav<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ll,</HI> and their drink with gall, now they have a &s;umptuous and <HI>a co&s;tly fea&s;t,</HI> here they were as <HI>&s;oul|diers</HI> in the <HI>Battel,</HI> now they have a <HI>glorious crowne</HI> put upon them, here they were <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> <HI>&s;eed-men</HI> &s;owing in teares, now they are as <HI>harvest men</HI> reaping in great job: here they were as <HI>runners</HI> in a race, now they have obtained the <HI>prize:</HI> here they were as <HI>wor<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s</HI> and no men, ob&s;cured with many clouds, now they have a name as glorious as the <HI>Sun,</HI> here their <HI>dw<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">lling</HI> was as in a dungeon, as in a hou&s;e continually dropping thorow and ready to fall, now they have a <HI>glorious <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">al<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ce</HI> wherein to dwell here they had <HI>con&s;ort&s;hip with men</HI> who were as thornes in their &s;ides,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 14.13.</NOTE> now they have <HI>communion with God,</HI> with Chri&s;t, with the glorious Angels and glorified Saints: in a word now they are <HI>cea&s;ed from their labours, and heir works follow them:</HI> there|fore
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as we &s;orrow at our owne lo&s;&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">13 14.</NOTE> &s;o let us rejoyce in their gaine remembring that of the Apo&s;tle. <HI>I would not brethren have you igno|rant concerning them which are a &s;leep, that ye &s;orrow even not as others which have no hope, for if we beleeve that Ie&s;us is dead, and is ri&s;en, even &s;o them that &s;leep in Ie&s;us, will God bring with him.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. This by way of <HI>Excitation</HI> &s;hould per&s;wade and move men to a &s;ingular willingnes to leave all for Chri&s;t to lay down life, and all, and be de&s;irous to be di&s;&s;olved, for the enjoyment of Chri&s;t, to &s;uffer wrong for Chri&s;t, to abide in any low and &s;ad condition with Chri&s;t as <HI>Ruth</HI> with <HI>Naomi:</HI> to long for Chri&s;ts coming; to &s;ay with the Spou&s;e, <HI>come Lord Ie&s;u:</HI> But how &s;hall we work our hearts to this, to be willing to &s;uffer for Chri&s;t to work for Chri&s;t to lay down,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">An&s;wer 1. P&s;al 51.8. Iob. 33.19.20.</NOTE> &amp; leave all for Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Be <HI>experienced in the bitternes of &s;in,</HI> how it <HI>breakes the bones</HI> How it cau&s;eth man to <HI>abborre his bread,</HI> and his &s;oul, dainty meat, how it makes his <HI>fle&s;h to fail:</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 7.14.</NOTE> that it cannot be &s;een, and his bones to &s;hiver, How it <HI>&s;trikes with &s;orrow,</HI> and makes man to cry, <HI>O mi&s;erable man that I am who &s;hall deliver me from this body of death,</HI> be experienced in the mi&s;ery of this bondage, and thou &s;halt not much fear any pri|&s;on whereinto man can ca&s;t thee; be &s;en&s;ible of the weight of this burthen, and the impo&s;ition of <HI>Pharaohs</HI> burthens &s;hall not much mole&s;t thee: know thou the hidiou&s;ne&s;&s;e of a tempe&s;tuous and ac|cu&s;ing con&s;ciences, and all the accu&s;ations of men &s;hall not much perplex thee, be &s;en&s;ible of the bitterne&s;&s;e of Gods wrath again&s;t &s;in, and the declination of the wrath of men &s;hall never prevail with thee to draw thee to do evill, be acquainted with the lo&s;&s;e which commeth by &s;in, and thou &s;hall be willing to loo&s;e all rather then fall into any &s;in, be &s;en&s;ible of the trouble&s;omne&s;&s;e of this Inmate &s;inne, and thou &s;halt be willing to go out of this hou&s;e of thy fle&s;h that thou maye&s;t cea&s;e from &s;inne, the more the &s;oul is afflicted with the burthen of its own corruption, the more it is experienced in the bit|terne&s;&s;e of the fruits of &s;inne the more it longs to depart from this ta|bernacle of the fle&s;h and to be with Chri&s;t.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col 3.11.</NOTE></P>
<P>Secondly get a <HI>through ta&s;te of the goodnes and &s;weetnes of Chri&s;t,</HI> ta&s;te what Chri&s;t is to the &s;oule when all is gone, even <HI>all in all,</HI> a <HI>Sun</HI> in darknes, <HI>a<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"></HI> in drought, and a <HI>&s;toore hou&s;e</HI> in every want: and without Chri&s;t all worldly fullne&s;&s;e is very vanity and emptines, a body without a &s;oule a &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">mpe without oyle, a bone without marrow. Every high thing without Chri&s;t is ba&s;e, every &s;trong thing without Chri&s;t is weake, and every full thing without Chri&s;t is empty: it is Chri&s;t that <HI>filleth all in all</HI> he is the fullne&s;&s;e of our <HI>knowledge,</HI> he that knowes not Chri&s;t is very blind and ignorant, he is the fullne&s;&s;e of our <HI>faith,</HI> if wee apprehend not Chri&s;t our faith is all empty hand; he is the fullnes of our
 <PB N="21" REF="11"> 
<HI>Love,</HI> love is never perfect, never re&s;teth untill Chri&s;t is imbraced, he is the fullne&s;&s;e of our <HI>joy,</HI> if we joy not in Chri&s;t, we rejoyce in a thing of nought, he is the fullnes of all our <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;ions,</HI> if we po&s;&s;es not Chri&s;t with them we have but a barren po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, like the dry ground which Caleb gave unto his daughter Ach&s;a <HI>without the wither &s;prings,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Io&s;. 15.19.</NOTE> there+fore get a full and thorough ta&s;te of Chri&s;t, of the &s;weetne&s;&s;e and plea|&s;antnes of Chri&s;t, as the eye the &s;weetnes of the Sun, the palate the &s;weetnes of the wine, &s;atiate thy &s;oule in Chri&s;t, in the goodnes, full|nes fatnes, and &s;weetnes which cometh from him, marry thy &s;oule to him, take up thine abode and dwelling with him; fill thine eies with the beholding of Chri&s;ts beauties, and &s;ay as Peter when he &s;aw the gloryous transfiguration of Chri&s;t on the mount, <HI>It is good being here.</HI> Feed thy &s;oule on Chri&s;t and &s;ay with them Iohn 6.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn. 6.</NOTE> <HI>Lord give us ever|more of this bread.</HI> Let thy heart &s;o love him, &s;o admire him, &s;o choo&s;e, &s;o cleave unto him, that thou maye&s;t be able to &s;ay of Chri&s;t as David of Goliahs &s;word, <HI>there is none to that,</HI> there is none to Chri&s;t; and this will make thee willing to leave, and lay downe life and all for Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Thirdly <HI>got a&s;&s;urance of glory with Chri&s;t,</HI> be &s;ure of raigning with him, and thou &s;halt be joyful in &s;uffering and laying all downe for him were the &s;ouldier &s;ure of the conque&s;t and the crowne, he would never feare to enter the battel, a&s;&s;urance of the crowne of life exceedingly &s;weetens mans pa&s;&s;age through the vally of death. Get cleare and in|vincible evidence of Gods love, and of intre&s;t in the fir&s;t re&s;urrection, and then as <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> willingly put of his pri&s;on garment, &s;o &s;hall you this garment of your fle&s;h, and as I&s;rael went joyfully through the &s;ea to Canaan, &s;o &s;hall you through the deepe waters of all &s;orrowes, trou|bles, changes yea death it &s;elfe, unto heaven. <HI>You &s;hall have a de&s;ire to depart and be with Christ which is farre better.</HI></P>
<P>Now concerning this our decea&s;ed brother; There are in the cour&s;e of divine providence, &s;ome acts of God towards him worthy of ob&s;er|vation; and &s;ome acts again of his, in them&s;elves worthy of imitation, If you ca&s;t your eye on God and behold him in the way of his provi|dence and di&s;pen&s;ation you may ob&s;erve.</P>
<P N="1">1. An act of Gods <HI>liberall and bou-tifull communication;</HI> from &s;mall beginnings the Lord increa&s;ed and multiplyed his outward and earthly &s;tock to a great abundance: he might have &s;aid as old <HI>Jacob</HI> did. <HI>I am le&s;&s;e then the least of all the mercies,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 32 101</NOTE> <HI>and all the truth which thou ha&s;t &s;hewed unto thy &s;ervant: for with my &s;taffe came I over this Jordan, I now have gotten two Bands:</HI> you mu&s;t know that riches are the Lords, and he doth with his <HI>own what be plea&s;e:</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 20.5.</NOTE> it is not the naked having, but the well u&s;ing of riches that makes them truely comfortable to them that
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have them.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> 2.5.</NOTE> It is not the rich in worldly goods, but the rich <HI>in faith are heirs of the Kingdoms which God hath provided for them that love him,</HI> riches without grace and Holine&s;&s;e are but as a lamp in a fooli&s;h virgins hand without oil, therefore as Chri&s;t charged his di&s;ciplet not <HI>to labour for the bread which peri&s;heth but for the bread which endureth to everla&s;ting life:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 6.</NOTE> &s;o labour you not for fading and peri&s;hing riches, but for that riches,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 10 34.</NOTE> which is an <HI>abiding &s;ub&s;tance:</HI> when God makes men not onely rich in goods, but in true and &s;aving goodne&s;&s;e, there goes the character of Gods undoubted loving kindne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Secondly, You may here of &s;erve Gods act of <HI>Exaltation;</HI> the Lord rai&s;ed him from a low condition, to the highe&s;t pitch and &s;tep of out|ward dignity this place could afford him; wherein you may &s;ee that of <HI>Hanna</HI> verified,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Sam. 2.7.8.</NOTE> <HI>The Lordmak th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> poore, and maketh rich bringeth low and exalteth, be rai&s;eth up the poore out of the du&s;t, and lifteth up the begger from the dunghill, to &s;et them among princes, and <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">o make them inherit the throne of glory:</HI> you may here &s;ee that of the Palmi&s;t made good.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 7 5.6.7.</NOTE> <HI>Promotion commeth neither from the Ea&s;t, nor fram the We&s;t, nor from the South, but God is the Iudge, he maketh low, and he maketh high:</HI> Yet this ob&s;erve, that when God doth not onely exalt a man in civill juri&s;diction over his brethren but in &s;pirituall juri&s;diction over his corruption, Satan and the world, that is the man whom God makes truely honourable: that man alone who honours the place of eminency wherein God &s;its him, by his wi&s;e and gracious deportment in it, and faithfull di&s;carge of it, is the man that &s;hall be everla&s;tingly honoured.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> The Lord gave him not only wealth and dignity among the people, but al&s;o <HI>knowledge and under&s;tanding</HI> in the things of this life and part|ly in the things of a better life: now there is a knowledge Hy&s;toricall, and a knowledge my<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">icall a knowledge &s;peculative and a knowledge experiamentall, a knowledge di&s;cu&s;&s;ive and a knowledge practicall: that man that doth not onely know the way of God but all walk in it, is the man that &s;hall be &s;urely ble&s;&s;ed, that knowledge alone which is affective, &s;ubmi&s;&s;ive, and communicative argues a &s;aving illumination i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> them that have it, much knowledge in the under&s;tanding without &s;utable obedience in the conver&s;ation, doth exceedingly aggravate mans condemnation</P>
<P>There are al&s;o &s;ome acts of his, which in them&s;elves are worthy of Imnitation.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, An act of Mini&s;tration he was not a &s;ealed fountain, he kept not all unto him&s;el<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">, but for divers yeers together laid a&s;ide a certain &s;ome every day for the poore: &s;imply to give of what a man hath, is not enough: he alone that gives in love to God, in pity to them that
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need,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb 23.13.</NOTE> and for the glory of God, is the man that &s;hall not loo&s;e his re|ward: thus to communicate and to do good, <HI>is a &s;acrifice wel-plea&s;ing in the &s;ight of God.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, His di&s;cour&s;e and communication was often of the be&s;t things, he knew how to &s;peak to edification; and u&s;ually according to that of our Saviour, <HI>out of the abundance of the heart the mouth &s;peaketh,</HI> and &s;o I &s;uppo&s;e we are to conceive it, unle&s;&s;e we know the contrary to it.</P>
<P>Thirdly, It was ob&s;erved by &s;uch as were very neere him, that hee &s;eldome did &s;et him&s;elfe about any weighty undertaking, but he fir&s;t addre&s;&s;ed him&s;elf to God by prayer for councell &amp; a ble&s;&s;ing: barely to pray is in&s;ufficient to argue any man to be a childe of God; that prayer alone is acceptable, and returnes with a ble&s;&s;ing which proceeds from faith and unfained affection.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, you all know that he was a zealous maintainer and &s;tout de|fender of the Juri&s;diction authority dignity and priviledges of this Incorporation; and as touching the common controver&s;ie of the Kingdome I am very confident by what I have heard him &s;peake, and &s;eene him doe that he was very really and cordiall to the Parliament, however &s;ome jealou&s;ies to the contrary were rai&s;ed.</P>
<P>But why or for who&s;e &s;akes is all this &s;poken, but for yours that are living: &s;hortly to let you &s;ee the vanity of all outward things, how then like <HI>Jonahs</HI> goard that came up in an evening <HI>and wither</HI> in the morning, to let you &s;ee that <HI>richer profit not in the day of wrath, onely righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e delivereth from death.</HI> 2. To move you to a <HI>faithfull im|ployment</HI> of that talent wherewith the Lord hath intru&s;ted you, not|with&s;tanding all your wealth and authority your body like this your brother will lie &s;hortly in the du&s;t, &amp; you &s;hall appear before the Lords tribunall there to <HI>receive according to that which you have done in the body whither it be good or evil:</HI> therefore like good nur&s;es draw forth now your full brea&s;ts to nouri&s;h the Lords hungry &s;ervants ca&s;t out the beams of con&s;olation upon them that &s;et in &s;orrow and &s;adne&s;&s;e, as the Sun ca&s;teth out his light for the direction and comfort of poore tra|vellers, and the clouds their rain for there fre&s;hing and making fruitfull of the dry and barren ground. 3. To &s;tir you <HI>to be men of prayer</HI> indeed, to pray not like Mariners in a &s;torme, not formally, cu&s;tomarily, coldly, and for fa&s;hion onely as many doe, like a company of canting beggers that pray for cu&s;tome and not for con&s;cience, but under&s;tandingly, &s;en|&s;ibly affectionately that Chri&s;t may heare and help you, and that Chri&s;t may abundantly ble&s;&s;e and pro&s;per you, acquaint your &s;elves with God by prayer daily, &s;weetly, throughly that peace, and mercy may be
 <PB N="24" REF="13"> 
upon you. 4. To per&s;wade you to <HI>con&s;ecrate your &s;elves and all your abilities unto God</HI> to be active and lively indeed for God, to bee faithfull in keeping Covenant with God, to bee full and fruithfull in every good way and worke of God; to worke and keep your &s;oul in &s;uch an under&s;tanding, holy, humble, penitent, beleeving, hea|venly, &s;incere, circum&s;pect, and univer&s;ally gracious frame and temper, condition and po&s;ture, that you be able at all times and &s;ea|&s;ons, in all e&s;tates and conditions every one for him&s;elf to &s;ay with the Apo&s;tle. <HI>I have a de&s;ire to be di&s;&s;olved and be with Chri&s;t which is &s;erve better.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
