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<DATE>7-17-07</DATE>
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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P><HI>Thankfulne&s;s in Grain: OR, A GOOD LIFE THE BEST RETURN.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Delivered in another Sermon on the &s;ame occa&s;ion in St.</HI> Dionis, Back-Church, <HI>Aug. 14. 1653.</HI></P>
<P><HI>By NATH. HARDY, Ma&s;ter of Arts, and Preacher to that Pari&s;h.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL>Deut. 10. 12, 13.</BIBL>
<P>And now <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his waies, and to love him, and to &s;erve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy &s;oul? To keep the Commandments of the Lord, and his Statutes which I com|mand thee this day for thy good.</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL>Aug. Meditat.</BIBL>
<P>Oportet me Domine tant&ograve; magis tibi gratio&s;um &amp; devotum ad &s;ervien|dum promptiorem exi&s;tere, quanto me de tantis beneficiis obligatio|rem con&s;picio in reddend&acirc; ratione.</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL>Bern. Serm. cont. ingratitud.</BIBL>
<P>Non verbo tantum, vel lingu&acirc;, &s;ed opere &amp; veritate exhibeamus nos gratos ei qui dator gratiarum Dominus Deus no&s;ter, qui e&s;t benedictus in &s;ecula.</P></Q>
<P>LONDON, <HI>Printed by</HI> T. W. <HI>for</HI> Nath. Webb, <HI>and</HI> Will. Grantham, <HI>at the &s;ign of the</HI> Black Bear <HI>in St.</HI> Paul<HI>'s Church-yard, near the little North-door. 165<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher's advertisement">
<PB REF="2">
<LIST>
<HEAD>Sermons preached by <HI>Nathanael Hardy,</HI> M. A. and Preacher to the Pari&s;h of St. <HI>Dionis Back-Church.</HI></HEAD>
<ITEM>J&V;&s;tice Triumphing, <HI>or,</HI> The Spoylers &s;poyled, <HI>A Ser|mon preached on the 5th of</HI> November <HI>in the Ca|thedral Church of St.</HI> Pauls.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The Arraignment of licencious Liberty, and oppre&s;&s;ing Tyrannie, <HI>In a Sermon at a Fa&s;t before the Lords in Par|liament, in the Abbey-Church at</HI> We&s;tmin&s;ter.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Faiths Victory over Nature, <HI>A Sermon preached at the Funerals of Mr.</HI> John Ru&s;hout <HI>Junior.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>The &s;afe&s;t Convoy, <HI>or,</HI> The &s;tronge&s;t Helper, <HI>A Vale|dictory Sermon before the Right Honourable Sir</HI> Thomas Bendi&s;h <HI>Baronet, his Maje&s;ties Emba&s;&s;adour to the Grand Seigniour at</HI> Con&s;tantinople.</ITEM>
<ITEM>A Divine Pro&s;pective repre&s;enting the Ju&s;t Man's peacefull End, <HI>A Sermon at the Funeral of the Right VVor&s;hipfull Sir</HI> John Gayr <HI>Knight.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Love and Fear the in&s;eparable Twins of a ble&s;t Matri|mony, <HI>A Sermon occa&s;ioned by the Nuptials between Mr.</HI> William Chri&s;tmas, <HI>and Mrs</HI> Elizabeth Adams.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Divinity in Mortality, <HI>or,</HI> The Go&s;pels excellency, and the Preachers frailty, <HI>A Sermon at the Funerals of Mr.</HI> Ri|chard Goddard, <HI>Mini&s;ter of the Pari&s;h of St.</HI> Gregories <HI>by St.</HI> Pauls.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Two Mites, <HI>or,</HI> A gratefull acknowledgement of God's &s;ingular goodne&s;s: <HI>In two Sermons, occa&s;ioned by the Author's late unexpected Recovery from a de&s;perate Sick|ne&s;s.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Printed and are to be &s;old by <HI>Nath. Web,</HI> and <HI>Will. Grantham,</HI> at the black Bear in St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s Church-yard, near the little North-door.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Right Worthy, and his much Honoured Lady, the Lady <HI>Mary Salting&s;tall,</HI> pre&s;ent pro&s;perity, and future felicity.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Good Madam,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_I Have now <HI>fulfilled your de&s;ire</HI> in <HI>pub|li&s;hing</HI> the&s;e weak <HI>notions.</HI> I hope you will <HI>pardon</HI> me that withall I <HI>fulfill my own de&s;ire,</HI> which is by the&s;e <HI>lines</HI> to let the <HI>World</HI> know my &s;ingular <HI>obligations</HI> to your <HI>Lady&s;hip.</HI></P>
<P>Among tho&s;e many <HI>graces</HI> which adorn your truly Chri&s;tian <HI>life,</HI> your cordial <HI>love</HI> to the Or|thodox <HI>Di&s;pen&s;ers</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> is not the <HI>lea&s;t;</HI> and it is &s;o much the more <HI>amiable,</HI> becau&s;e in this <HI>apo&s;tatizing age,</HI> wherein the <HI>love</HI> of <HI>many</HI> waxeth <HI>cold</HI> towards, and the <HI>rage</HI> of &s;ome groweth <HI>hot</HI> a|gain&s;t them.</P>
<P>Indeed as for my <HI>own particular</HI> I have far <HI>le&s;s rea&s;on</HI> to <HI>complain</HI> than <HI>many</HI> others of my <HI>Brethren,</HI> and tho&s;e far <HI>more de&s;erving</HI> than my &s;elf; it ha|ving plea&s;ed Almighty <HI>God</HI> both to <HI>re&s;train</HI> my <HI>Enemies,</HI> and <HI>multiply</HI> my <HI>Friends</HI> beyond <HI>expecta|tion.</HI></P>
<P>And truly, next to the infinite <HI>goodne&s;s</HI> of my <HI>God (which</HI> I de&s;ire for ever to <HI>celebrate)</HI> and the no le&s;s faithfull than skilfull <HI>endeavours</HI> of my wor|thy <HI>Phy&s;icians (which</HI> I &s;hall alwaies <HI>acknowledge)</HI> I mu&s;t <HI>attribute</HI> my late (almo&s;t <HI>miraculous) reco|very,</HI>
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to the fervent <HI>interce&s;&s;ions</HI> of my affectionate <HI>Friends</HI> at the <HI>Throne of Grace</HI> on <HI>my behalf.</HI></P>
<P><HI>To them all</HI> I <HI>return</HI> my <HI>hearty thanks,</HI> and <HI>pro|mi&s;e</HI> my <HI>daily prayers for them,</HI> and more <HI>e&s;pecially for you</HI> (my <HI>honoured Lady)</HI> whom I have rea&s;on to <HI>e&s;teem</HI> as <HI>none</HI> of the <HI>meane&s;t</HI> among them, That your <HI>health</HI> may be <HI>prolonged,</HI> and your <HI>troubles ended,</HI> your <HI>Children ble&s;&s;ed,</HI> and your <HI>comforts en|larged;</HI> finally, that you may <HI>&s;parkle</HI> as a <HI>Diamond</HI> here in <HI>grace,</HI> and hereafter <HI>&s;hine</HI> as a <HI>Star</HI> in <HI>glory,</HI> &s;hall be the unce&s;&s;ant <HI>prayer</HI> of</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Lady&s;hips real Friend, and Servant in the Lord,
<HI>NATH. HARDY.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="3">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>P&s;al. 116. v. 9.</BIBL>
<Q>I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_MAns pre&s;ent <HI>Condition</HI> is &s;ubject to frequent <HI>alterations;</HI> our <HI>life,</HI> like the <HI>&s;ea,</HI> ebbeth &amp; floweth; as the <HI>Moon,</HI> waxeth and waineth, and, with the <HI>air,</HI> is now Cloudie and anon cleer, <HI>Nulla &s;ors longa e&s;t, dolor ac volupt as</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Sen. Thye&s;t. Habet has vices conditio morta|lium ut adver&s;a ex &s;ecundis &amp; &s;ecunda ex ad|ver&s;isna&s;can|tur.</HI> Pli. paneg.</NOTE> <HI>Invicem cedunt,</HI> &s;aith the <HI>Tragedian</HI> truly, we conti|nue not long in one &s;tate: the <HI>day</HI> hath the <HI>vici&s;itude</HI> of an <HI>evening</HI> and <HI>morning,</HI> the year, of <HI>Winter</HI> and <HI>Summer: health</HI> and <HI>&s;ickne&s;s, adver&s;ity</HI> and <HI>pro&s;perity,</HI> interchangea|bly <HI>&s;ucceed</HI> each other in this our earthly <HI>pilgrimage.</HI> And now what more fit? then that as our <HI>condition</HI> is <HI>mutable,</HI> &s;o our <HI>di&s;po&s;ition</HI> &s;hould be <HI>an&s;werable;</HI> and our &s;pirituall <HI>frame</HI> be &s;uitable to our temporal <HI>e&s;tate;</HI> To <HI>hope</HI> in <HI>adver&s;ity,</HI> and to <HI>&s;ear</HI> in <HI>pro&s;perity;</HI> for <HI>health</HI> to be <HI>thankfull,</HI> and under <HI>&s;ick|ne&s;s</HI> to be <HI>patient:</HI> finally in <HI>afflictions</HI> to <HI>&s;eek God</HI> with <HI>tears,</HI> and after <HI>deliverance</HI> to <HI>walk before him</HI> with <HI>joy,</HI> is a tru|ly <HI>Religious</HI> temper. Thus was it with this holy man <HI>Da|vid,</HI> whom we <HI>find</HI> in this <HI>P&s;alm,</HI> expre&s;&s;ing this <HI>behaviour</HI> under <HI>both conditions;</HI> when he <HI>found trouble and &s;orrow,</HI> he called <HI>upon the Name of the Lord;</HI> and when his <HI>Soul is de|livered from death,</HI> he re&s;olveth upon <HI>walking before the Lord</HI> in the words of the <HI>Text</HI> now read, <HI>I will walk, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>At the <HI>mentioning</HI> of this <HI>Scripture,</HI> I doubt not but you <HI>conjecture</HI> the <HI>rea&s;on</HI> of my <HI>choo&s;ing</HI> it: and I <HI>hope (beloved)</HI> you will <HI>pardon</HI> me that as yet <HI>I preach to my &s;elf,</HI> I &s;hall be the <HI>fitter</HI> to <HI>preach to you;</HI> nay, let me tell you, as in <HI>teach|ing you I &s;peak</HI> to my <HI>&s;elf,</HI> &s;o in <HI>admoni&s;hing</HI> my <HI>&s;elf</HI> I <HI>&s;peak</HI> to <HI>you:</HI> what lately <HI>was,</HI> and now <HI>is my</HI> condition, either <HI>for|merly
<PB N="2" REF="4">
hath</HI> been, or <HI>&s;hortly may</HI> be any of <HI>yours:</HI> be&s;ides the <HI>duty</HI> of the <HI>Text</HI> is &s;uch as <HI>concerneth,</HI> not only <HI>me</HI> but <HI>all</HI> here pre&s;ent to put in <HI>practi&s;e,</HI> as being that, <HI>without</HI> the <HI>per|formance</HI> of which no man can <HI>order his conver&s;ation aright.</HI> Finally, if you look back on the <HI>former</HI> &s;ubject, <HI>that calleth</HI> for this, and this an&s;wereth to that, <HI>that</HI> is as the founda|tion, <HI>this,</HI> as the &s;uper&s;tructure, both required to a perfect <HI>fa|brick; that,</HI> as the <HI>doctrine, this,</HI> as the <HI>u&s;e, both</HI> requi&s;ite to <HI>a compleat Sermon;</HI> and therefore having from the <HI>former</HI> Scripture <HI>commemorated</HI> the <HI>mercy;</HI> I <HI>conceived</HI> it very <HI>fit</HI> to <HI>mind</HI> both my <HI>&s;elf</HI> and <HI>you</HI> of the <HI>duty</HI> from the&s;e words, <HI>I will walk, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Indeed with <HI>little adoe</HI> we may find <HI>both</HI> in this <HI>text.</HI> According to a <HI>different</HI> reading of the <HI>fir&s;t words I &s;hall,</HI> and <HI>I will,</HI> the <HI>clau&s;e</HI> puts on a <HI>&s;everall</HI> &s;en&s;e; if we read <HI>I &s;hall walk,</HI> they are words of <HI>confident expectation,</HI> if <HI>I will,</HI> they are words of <HI>obedient re&s;olution.</HI> According to the <HI>former,</HI> the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> promi&s;eth &s;omewhat <HI>to him&s;elf from God,</HI> ac|cording to the latter he promi&s;eth &s;omewhat <HI>of him&s;elf to God. Both</HI> the&s;e con&s;tructions are <HI>probable</HI> and <HI>profitable;</HI> &s;o that I &s;hall omit <HI>neither:</HI> but yet having already <HI>drunk</HI> deep to you in the <HI>cup of Gods &s;alvation,</HI> I &s;hall now onely give you a <HI>ta&s;t</HI> of that, and ha&s;ten to <HI>take</HI> the <HI>other Cup</HI> into my <HI>hand,</HI> to wit of <HI>gratulation:</HI> and as I &s;hall de&s;ire to <HI>begin</HI> my &s;elf, &s;o I hope you will all <HI>pledge</HI> me, that &s;o this <HI>&s;aving health</HI> may <HI>go round,</HI> every one of us <HI>re&s;olving,</HI> &s;ome for <HI>health continued,</HI> others for <HI>health re&s;tored,</HI> in the <HI>P&s;almi&s;ts</HI> words, <HI>I will walk, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Begin</HI> we then with that <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> which repre&s;ents the words as a <HI>confident expectation</HI> of future pre&s;ervation: <HI>I &s;hall walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Amplificat bene|ficium ab effectu liberationis,</HI> &s;aith a judicious expo&s;itor, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Interpr.</HI> 1. Moller. in loc.</NOTE> the <HI>benefit</HI> of deliverance <HI>mentioned</HI> in the <HI>former,</HI> is <HI>ampli|fied</HI> in <HI>this</HI> ver&s;e from the <HI>effect</HI> he hoped would follow upon it: that having <HI>e&s;caped</HI> &s;o great <HI>danger,</HI> his <HI>days</HI> on <HI>earth</HI> &s;hould now be <HI>prolonged.</HI></P>
<P>So that in the <HI>words thus interpreted,</HI> there are the&s;e <HI>two</HI> things ob&s;ervable: the <HI>matter,</HI> and the <HI>ground</HI> of
<PB N="3" REF="4">
his <HI>hope;</HI> in that, he looketh <HI>forward</HI> to what is to come, in this, <HI>backward</HI> to what was pa&s;t; that <HI>which</HI> he hopeth for, is, to <HI>walk before the Lord in the land of the living,</HI> that <HI>whence</HI> this hope did ari&s;e, was a &s;ingular <HI>deliverance</HI> already <HI>vouch|fed</HI> from <HI>death, teares,</HI> and <HI>falling;</HI> and of <HI>each</HI> of the&s;e with all po&s;&s;ible <HI>brevity</HI> and <HI>per&s;picuity.</HI></P>
<P>That which the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> here <HI>promi&s;eth</HI> to <HI>him&s;elf</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Part.</HI> 1.</NOTE> is <HI>double,</HI> to wit <HI>walking in the land of the living,</HI> and that <HI>before the Lord,</HI> and &s;o his hope appeareth to be both of a <HI>longer</HI> and a <HI>comfortable</HI> life.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>I &s;hall walk in land of the living.</HI> It is generally <HI>acknow|ledged</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>In his terris ubi mortalem vitam agimus.</HI> Muis in loc.</NOTE> by <HI>interpreters,</HI> that this <HI>pre&s;ent world</HI> is here cal|led <HI>the land of the living,</HI> and it is &s;o phra&s;ed in <HI>oppo&s;ition</HI> to the <HI>grave,</HI> which is the <HI>land of dead</HI> carka&s;&s;es. <HI>Silence oblivion, darkne&s;s, death</HI> and <HI>corruption,</HI> are the dolefull <HI>at|tendants</HI> on tho&s;e <HI>&s;ubterraneous</HI> parts; but this <HI>earth</HI> is the <HI>land</HI> of <HI>commerce,</HI> and <HI>light,</HI> and <HI>life.</HI> From this <HI>land of the li|ving,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 53. 8.</NOTE> the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah</HI> is &s;aid to be <HI>cut off,</HI> and in this it is that here <HI>David</HI> &s;aith, he &s;hould <HI>walk. Walking</HI> is a <HI>continued progre&s;&s;ive motion,</HI> wherein <HI>&s;tep</HI> is added to <HI>&s;tep,</HI> and &s;o fit|ly re&s;embleth <HI>prolongation</HI> of <HI>life,</HI> wherein <HI>dayes</HI> are added to <HI>dayes.</HI> The confidence <HI>David</HI> had of this, is that which here he <HI>mentioneth</HI> with joy, thereby intimating what <HI>e&s;teem</HI> and account he had of this <HI>life,</HI> to wit as a <HI>ble&s;&s;ing</HI> to be <HI>hoped</HI> for and rejoyced in. <HI>This</HI> will the more <HI>appear,</HI> if we <HI>ob&s;erve</HI> how earne&s;tly, when in <HI>danger,</HI> he <HI>deprecateth death.</HI> So in this <HI>P&s;alme: Oh Lord, I be&s;eech thee deliver my &s;oule,</HI> and in another <HI>P&s;alme, Oh my God, take me not away in the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">ver&s;e 4. P&s;al. 102. 24. 6. 4.</NOTE> <HI>mid&s;t of my dayes,</HI> and againe, <HI>Return, O Lord, deliver my &s;oul, oh &s;ave me for thy mercies &s;ake;</HI> all which plainly in&s;inuate how <HI>pretious life</HI> was in his <HI>&s;ight.</HI> The <HI>like</HI> temper is ob&s;ervable in <HI>Hezechiah,</HI> to whom when the <HI>me&s;&s;age</HI> of <HI>death</HI> came, it fetched <HI>tears</HI> from his <HI>eyes, &s;ighes</HI> from his <HI>heart,</HI> and <HI>prayers</HI> from his <HI>lips;</HI> nor was he le&s;s <HI>joyfull</HI> at the <HI>rever&s;ing;</HI> than <HI>mournful</HI> upon the <HI>denouncing</HI> of the <HI>&s;entence,</HI> witne&s;s the <HI>writing</HI> he pend upon his <HI>recovery.</HI> Nor is this onely an <HI>old Te&s;tament</HI> &s;pirit, <HI>con&s;ult</HI> the practice of <HI>Chri|&s;tians</HI> under the <HI>new Te&s;tament,</HI> and you &s;hall finde them
<PB N="4" REF="5">
<HI>looking</HI> upon <HI>life</HI> and <HI>death</HI> with the &s;ame <HI>a&s;pect:</HI> witne&s;s <HI>S. Paul,</HI> who &s;peaketh of <HI>deliverance</HI> from <HI>death,</HI> as a <HI>thing</HI> which he did <HI>tru&s;t</HI> and hope for, and to that end de&s;ireth <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Quis enim vult mori<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> pror|&s;us nemo, &amp; ita nemo ut Beato Petro diceretur alter te cinget &amp; feret qu&ograve; tu non vis.</HI> Aug. de verb. A|po&s;t. Ser. 33. Joh. 10. 18. Matth. 26. 39. Joh. 12. 27. <HI>Neque enim hanc humanae naturae legem &s;ancit ut turbi|dis animi moti|bus omnino va|cet, &s;ed quod virtute perfici potest ut eos in pote&s;tate teneat.</HI> Dam. paral. l. 3. c. 27.</NOTE> the <HI>concurrence</HI> of the <HI>Corinthians prayers.</HI> Saint <HI>Peter,</HI> con|cerning who&s;e <HI>death Chri&s;t</HI> foretelling &s;aith, <HI>another &s;hould lead him whither he would not,</HI> thereby &s;ignifying how un|welcome death would be to <HI>him.</HI> What &s;peak I of Saints? when our <HI>Lord</HI> him&s;elf <HI>prayeth</HI> in the Garden: <HI>Let this Cup pa&s;s,</HI> and before that, <HI>Father &s;ave me from this houre.</HI> The truth is, <HI>de&s;ire</HI> of <HI>life</HI> is <HI>naturall</HI> to all men, and though <HI>grace</HI> do <HI>moderate,</HI> yet it doth not <HI>extingui&s;h</HI> naturall <HI>de&s;ire</HI> in good men: Be&s;ides <HI>life,</HI> &s;aith the <HI>Philo&s;opher,</HI> is in its own nature <HI>good,</HI> and being good in it &s;elf, mu&s;t needs be <HI>&s;o</HI> to a <HI>good</HI> man, yea to him <HI>mo&s;t good,</HI> and therefore mo&s;t de|&s;irable.</P>
<P>It is a <HI>Meditation</HI> which &s;eemeth to check the <HI>folly</HI> of tho&s;e men who <HI>fancy</HI> a kinde of <HI>perfection</HI> in <HI>wi&s;hing, hoping</HI> and <HI>praying</HI> for an <HI>untimely death,</HI> and a &s;peedy di&s;&s;olution. That this is but a <HI>dream</HI> will the better <HI>appear</HI> if you <HI>con&s;i|der,</HI> that</P>
<P N="1">1. In <HI>&s;ome</HI> per&s;ons this is an argument of <HI>wickednes,</HI> when men either through <HI>di&s;content</HI> at their pre&s;ent condition, or <HI>impatiency</HI> under affliction or <HI>di&s;pair</HI> of Gods mercy, wi&s;h <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Hac autem vi|tae appetitio ut naturalis cum &s;uis &s;e limiti|bus continet hone&s;ta e&s;t &amp; in optimo quoque cernitur.</HI> Chre|&s;ol. My&s;tagog. l. 4. c. 2. <GAP DESC="foreign">. Ari&s;t. Eth. l. 9. c. 9. Philip. 1. 23. <HI>Ridiculum e&s;t ad mortem currere <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">aedio vitae.</HI> Ep<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">cur. apud Sen. Epi&s;to. 24. <GAP DESC="foreign">. Doroth. doctr. 12. in B. P. T. 1. Gr. Lat.</NOTE> them&s;elves cut off from the <HI>land of the living; &s;uch</HI> de&s;ires are &s;o far from manife&s;ting <HI>&s;trength</HI> of <HI>grace,</HI> that they ar|gue <HI>corruption</HI> to be <HI>prevayling.</HI> To &s;uch <HI>per&s;ons</HI> that is very &s;utable which <HI>Chremes</HI> &s;aid to his &s;on <HI>Clitipho,</HI> who, being cro&s;s'd in his de&s;ire, would needs <HI>dye: di&s;ce prius vivere,</HI> let them fir&s;t <HI>learn</HI> to <HI>live,</HI> ere they <HI>de&s;ire</HI> to <HI>dy.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. In the <HI>be&s;t</HI> of Gods Saints it is many times an <HI>argument</HI> of <HI>weakne&s;s,</HI> as being an act of <HI>pa&s;&s;ion</HI> and frowardnes; &s;uch was <HI>Jobs</HI> expo&s;tulation, when he &s;aith, <HI>wherefore is light gi|ven to him that is in mi&s;ery, and life to the bitter in &s;oule?</HI>
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And <HI>Jonahs</HI> prayer, <HI>now O Lord I be&s;eech thee, take my life from me;</HI> nor are tho&s;e <HI>good</HI> men to be commended but <HI>con|demned</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 3. 20. John 4. 3.</NOTE> for tho&s;e <HI>pa&s;&s;ions.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Tho&s;e <HI>de&s;ires</HI> which are the <HI>fruits</HI> of &s;trong <HI>grace</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 5. 4. 2. <HI>In hoc i. e. propter hec &s;cilicet mortem &amp; di&s;&s;olutionem quae inteevenire debet ut vita hac tran&s;eamus ad aeternam ingemi&s;cimus,</HI> Lapid. <HI>ibid. Ad reg|num quippe non pote&s;t ni&s;i inter|po&s;it &acirc; morte tran&s;ire, &amp; id|circo confiden|do qua&s;i ambi|git &amp; qua&s;i ambigendo con|fidit, &amp; gau|dens metuit &amp; metuens gaudet</HI> Greg. l. 31. Mor. cap. 16.</NOTE> and argue full <HI>a&s;&s;urance</HI> of Gods <HI>love</HI> are,</P>
<P N="1">1. Not &s;o much of <HI>death,</HI> as of that <HI>bli&s;s</HI> which at|tendeth upon it: indeed, Saint <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith of him&s;elf, he had a <HI>de&s;ire</HI> to <HI>depart,</HI> but he pre&s;ently addeth, <HI>and to be with Chri&s;t;</HI> the di&s;&s;olution of his per&s;on, depar|ture of his <HI>&s;oul</HI> from his <HI>body</HI> was not, <HI>could</HI> not be <HI>gratefull</HI> to him in it <HI>&s;elf,</HI> but onely in <HI>order</HI> to that intimate <HI>union</HI> of his <HI>&s;oul</HI> with <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> and yet more plain|ly, when he &s;peaketh of <HI>him&s;elf</HI> and his <HI>fellow</HI> Saints, he ex|pre&s;&s;eth it <HI>negatively</HI> as well as <HI>affirmatively, not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be &s;wallowed up of life:</HI> hence it is, that the&s;e <HI>praeceding</HI> words, <HI>in this we groan earne&s;tly,</HI> are by &s;ome expounded, <HI>becau&s;e of this,</HI> to wit the <HI>di&s;&s;olving of our earthly tabernacle, we groane,</HI> as being contrary to nature, though we <HI>de&s;ire to be clothed upon wih our hou&s;e which is from heaven,</HI> this being &s;uitable to grace. The truth is, it is not <HI>this death,</HI> but <HI>the other life</HI> which a godly man <HI>wi&s;heth</HI> for, or if he may be &s;aid to <HI>de&s;ire death,</HI> it is not becau&s;e his <HI>will choo&s;eth,</HI> but <HI>ne|ce&s;&s;it, enforceth</HI> it. Thus the <HI>ca&s;e</HI> &s;tands, that eternall <HI>life</HI> cannot be <HI>enjoyed</HI> till <HI>death</HI> he <HI>pa&s;&s;ed</HI> thorough, nor can the <HI>robes</HI> of <HI>glory</HI> be <HI>put on,</HI> till tho&s;e <HI>rags</HI> of <HI>mortality</HI> be <HI>put</HI> off, and on upon <HI>this account</HI> is <HI>death acceptable</HI> to a <HI>godly</HI> man.</P>
<P N="2">2. Not <HI>Ab&s;olute</HI> and <HI>illimited,</HI> but <HI>conditionall</HI> and <HI>&s;ub|mi&s;&s;ive.</HI> When <HI>good</HI> men in a <HI>right</HI> way <HI>de&s;ire to dy,</HI> it is with this <HI>provi&s;o,</HI> if it may <HI>&s;tand with Gods will,</HI> and <HI>tend to his glory:</HI> a <HI>godly</HI> man, though he be <HI>willing</HI> to <HI>dy,</HI> he is neither <HI>weary</HI> of the <HI>troubles,</HI> nor doth he <HI>undervalue</HI> the <HI>comforts</HI> of <HI>life,</HI> and while&s;t he is <HI>de&s;irous</HI> to <HI>dy</HI> for his <HI>own</HI> &s;ake, he is <HI>ready</HI> to <HI>live</HI> for <HI>Gods</HI> and the <HI>Churches.</HI> Indeed if you would know wherein the <HI>perfection</HI> of <HI>grace</HI> in order <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Confirmandus e&s;t animus vel ad mortis vel ad vitae patien|tiam.</HI> Sen. ep. 24.</NOTE> to <HI>life</HI> and <HI>death</HI> con&s;i&s;ts, it is in an <HI>indifferency</HI> to <HI>either,</HI> as <HI>God</HI> &s;hall <HI>determine;</HI> to <HI>live</HI> and <HI>dy</HI> are <HI>acts</HI> of <HI>Nature,</HI> but to be <HI>willing</HI> to <HI>live</HI> or <HI>dy</HI> as <HI>God will,</HI> is an <HI>act</HI> of <HI>grace,</HI> and
<PB N="6" REF="6">
that in <HI>&s;trength.</HI> So that indeed <HI>both</HI> the&s;e declare a great <HI>mea&s;ure</HI> of <HI>grace,</HI> on the one hand when <HI>Gods determina|tion</HI> appeareth to be <HI>for death,</HI> to <HI>rejoyce in hope of the glory of God,</HI> and to be &s;o far from <HI>fearing,</HI> as in <HI>order</HI> to that <HI>glory</HI> to <HI>de&s;ire</HI> it: on the other hand, when <HI>Gods plea&s;ure</HI> is ma|nife&s;t <HI>for life,</HI> to <HI>rejoyce</HI> in <HI>hope</HI> of bringing <HI>glory to God,</HI> and not onely to be well <HI>contented,</HI> but well <HI>plea&s;ed</HI> with the <HI>continuation</HI> of our <HI>life,</HI> as <HI>David</HI> here expre&s;&s;eth him&s;elf to be in &s;aying, <HI>I &s;hall walk in the land of the living.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. But <HI>what</HI> is it that <HI>rendreth</HI> this <HI>life</HI> the <HI>matter</HI> of <HI>Da|vid's</HI> de&s;ire and <HI>hope?</HI></P>
<P>Is it becau&s;e (as the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> imagine) the &s;ouls of the <HI>old Te|&s;tament</HI> Saints <HI>a&s;cended not</HI> to heaven pre&s;ently <HI>after death,</HI> but <NOTE PLACE="marg">Limbus patrum e&s;t &s;inus inferni intra terrae vi&s;|cera, in quo ani|ma Patriarcha|rum poenam damni &s;u&s;tinue|rint, ac libera|tionem per Chri|&s;ti ad inferos di|&s;cen&s;um cupide expectaverint.</NOTE> were detained in <HI>Limbo,</HI> til <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> by de&s;cending <HI>thither</HI> freed them <HI>thence,</HI> and <HI>carryed</HI> them with him to <HI>Heaven?</HI> no, beloved, this <HI>opinion</HI> is <HI>ray&s;ed</HI> upon a <HI>rotten</HI> foundation, as if the <HI>gate</HI> of <HI>Paradi&s;e</HI> were <HI>not open</HI> to <HI>believers</HI> before the <HI>comming</HI> and <HI>death</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> whereas the <HI>Death of Chri&s;t, Profuit antequam fuit,</HI> was <HI>effectuall</HI> as to its <HI>merit, before</HI> it was in <HI>time:</HI> in which re&s;pect among others he is called, the <HI>Lambe &s;laine from the beginning of the world:</HI> nay, be|&s;ides our <HI>Saviour</HI> expre&s;&s;ely <HI>confuteth it,</HI> when &s;peaking of <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac, Jacob,</HI> he &s;aith, they <HI>live to God,</HI> the <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Bellarm. 2. de Purgat. cap. 7. Rev. 13. 8. Luc. 20. 38. Matth. 8. 11.</NOTE> whereof can be no other, but that in their <HI>&s;oules</HI> they (though dead) <HI>live with God</HI> in bli&s;s; and againe, when he &s;uppo&s;eth <HI>Abraham,</HI> and <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Jacob,</HI> to be <HI>in the Kingdom of Heaven,</HI> where he promi&s;eth that <HI>many from the Ea&s;t and</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Agnus Dei dici|tur occi&s;us ab origine mundi, non tantum ra|tione decreti pro|mi&s;&s;ionis ac ty|porum in &s;acri|fici<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s &s;ed etiam ratione fructus &amp; efficaciae.</NOTE> <HI>We&s;t &s;hall &s;it down with them.</HI></P>
<P>Or is it as <HI>&s;ome</HI> among our &s;elves have <HI>fancyed,</HI> that the <HI>Saints</HI> of tho&s;e <HI>times</HI> had not a cleere <HI>Revelation</HI> of that <HI>other</HI> world, nor attained any full <HI>a&s;&s;urance</HI> of their future <HI>hap|pines?</HI> no, neither, the <HI>Author</HI> to the <HI>Hebrews</HI> plainly <HI>affir|meth</HI> concerning <HI>Abraham, that he looked for a City which hath foundations, who&s;e builder and maker is God:</HI> of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> that he <HI>had re&s;pect to the recompence of reward,</HI> yea, of all <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gerard. de morte par. 172.</NOTE> tho&s;e <HI>Patriarchs,</HI> that they <HI>dyed in faith,</HI> and this of an <HI>heavenly Countrey,</HI> and this &s;o <HI>&s;trong,</HI> that it begat in them <NOTE PLACE="marg">Hebr. 11. 10, 13, 16, 26.</NOTE> an earne&s;t <HI>de&s;ire</HI> after it.</P>
<P><PB N="7" REF="6">
If you would know the <HI>true rea&s;on,</HI> it is intimated in tho&s;e words, <HI>before the Lord,</HI> which are <HI>interpreted</HI> as noting either a <HI>duty</HI> or a <HI>mercy,</HI> and though the <HI>former acception</HI> belong properly to the <HI>other con&s;truction,</HI> yet <HI>both</HI> may be fitly made <HI>u&s;e</HI> of in <HI>this. Before God,</HI> that is, <HI>in his &s;ervice,</HI> or <HI>before God,</HI> that is, <HI>under his care.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>I &s;hall walk before the Lord in the land of the living,</HI> that is, by <HI>continuing</HI> in this <HI>world,</HI> I &s;hall have <HI>opportunity</HI> of doing <HI>God &s;ervice:</HI> It was not becau&s;e tho&s;e <HI>holy</HI> men had le&s;s a&s;&s;urance of <HI>Gods love</HI> than we, but becau&s;e they had <HI>greater</HI> affections to <HI>Gods &s;ervice</HI> then we, that this <HI>life</HI> was &s;o <HI>amiable</HI> in their <HI>eyes.</HI> To this purpo&s;e the <HI>rea&s;onings</HI> of <HI>David</HI> and <HI>Hezechiah</HI> concerning <HI>death,</HI> and the <HI>grave,</HI> are very <HI>ob&s;ervable, Shall the du&s;t pray&s;e thee? &s;hall it declare</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 30. 9.</NOTE> <HI>thy truth,</HI> &s;o <HI>David. The grave cannot pray&s;e, death cannot celebrate thee,</HI> &s;o <HI>Hezechiah;</HI> they &s;aw <HI>death</HI> would ren|der <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;. 38. 18.</NOTE> them <HI>u&s;ele&s;s</HI> &s;or <HI>Gods honour,</HI> and therefore principally they prayed again&s;t it.</P>
<P>It <HI>lets</HI> us &s;ee, what is the <HI>frame</HI> of a <HI>Religious</HI> man, to <HI>rejoyce</HI> in <HI>life,</HI> that he may <HI>walk before the Lord,</HI> and <HI>mini&s;ter</HI> to <HI>him</HI> in the <HI>place</HI> wherein he hath <HI>&s;et</HI> him. Indeed that <HI>joy, hope, de&s;ire</HI> of <HI>life</HI> which is founded upon this <HI>con&s;ideration,</HI> is not onely <HI>lawfull</HI> but <HI>commendable:</HI> and truly <HI>herein</HI> is a va&s;t <HI>difference</HI> manife&s;t between the <HI>wicked</HI> and the <HI>godly. To walk in the land of the living</HI> is the <HI>wicked</HI> mans <HI>de&s;ire,</HI> yea were it po&s;&s;ible he would <HI>walk here for ever,</HI> but for what <HI>end?</HI> only to <HI>enjoy</HI> his <HI>lu&s;ts,</HI> have his <HI>fill</HI> of <HI>plea&s;ure,</HI> and <HI>increa&s;e</HI> his <HI>wealth:</HI> whereas the <HI>godly</HI> mans <HI>aime</HI> in <HI>de&s;iring</HI> to <HI>live</HI> is that he may <HI>walk before God, advance</HI> his <HI>glory,</HI> and <HI>perform</HI> his <HI>&s;ervice.</HI> Upon this account it is that one hath <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ob&s;erva, quod non dicit ver&s;a|bor in deliciis in urbe mea regia, &s;ed ver&s;abor coram domino <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n terris viventium.</HI> Mu&s;c. in loc. <HI>coram facie Jehovae.</HI> Moll. ibidem.</NOTE> fitly taken notice how <HI>David</HI> doth not &s;ay, <HI>I &s;hall now &s;a|tiate my &s;elf with delights in my royall Citty,</HI> but, <HI>I &s;hall walk before the Lord in the land of the living.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. And mo&s;t &s;uitably to this <HI>interpretation</HI> this <HI>before the Lord,</HI> is as much as <HI>under his carefull eye.</HI> The <HI>words</HI> accor|ding to the <HI>Hebrew</HI> may be read <HI>before the face of the Lord,</HI> by which is meant his <HI>pre&s;ence,</HI> and that not <HI>generall be|fore which all men walk,</HI> but <HI>&s;peciall, before which onely
<PB N="8" REF="7">
good men walk.</HI> Indeed in this &s;en&s;e <HI>God face</HI> is as much as <HI>his favour,</HI> and as <HI>to be ca&s;t out of his &s;ight</HI> or <HI>face</HI> is to be <HI>under</HI> his <HI>anger,</HI> &s;o <HI>to walk before his face</HI> is to be in <HI>favour</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Abjici &agrave; facie Dei e&s;t e&s;&s;e in indignatione Dei &s;ic dicebat alibi projectus &s;um &agrave; facie oculorum tuorum, nam it a &s;olent abj<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ci &agrave; facie princi|pum quibus i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">li indignantur.</HI> Mu&s;c. in p&s;al. 56.</NOTE> with <HI>him:</HI> &s;o that the meaning is, as if the P&s;almi&s;t had &s;aid, <HI>I &s;hall live &s;ecure and &s;afe in this world under the carefull protection of the Almighty.</HI> It is not then barely <HI>living</HI> with which <HI>David</HI> was &s;o much in <HI>love,</HI> but <HI>living</HI> under <HI>Gods tuition.</HI> And this is the <HI>Confidence</HI> which he here &s;eemeth to <HI>utter</HI> with &s;o much <HI>joy,</HI> that <HI>Gods</HI> gratious <HI>provi|dence</HI> &s;hould <HI>watch</HI> over him the <HI>remainder</HI> of his <HI>dayes.</HI> It is that which this <HI>holy</HI> man elswhere <HI>expre&s;&s;eth,</HI> when he &s;aith, <HI>In the &s;ecret of his tabernacle he &s;hall hide me, he &s;hall &s;et me upon a rock;</HI> a <HI>rock</HI> is a <HI>place</HI> of <HI>&s;trength</HI> and <HI>de|fence,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tutus degam inter vivos &s;ub favore Domini.</HI> Vatabl. in loc. P&s;al. 27. 5.</NOTE> the <HI>tabernacle</HI> a <HI>place</HI> of <HI>&s;afety</HI> and <HI>refuge;</HI> this was <HI>Gods</HI> mercifull <HI>pre&s;ence</HI> to <HI>David, &s;ecuring</HI> him from all <HI>dangers.</HI></P>
<P>This is that which not he <HI>alone,</HI> but all <HI>godly</HI> men may <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tantundem mi|hi valet atque agere &s;ub ejus cura.</HI> Calv. ibid. P&s;al. 33. 14. 34. 18. Ver&s;e 13.</NOTE> a&s;&s;ure them&s;elves of. It is the po&s;itive <HI>a&s;&s;ertion</HI> of the <HI>P&s;al|mi&s;t, the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,</HI> nay, in the <HI>preceding P&s;alm</HI> he <HI>u&s;hereth</HI> it in with an <HI>Ecce, Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him:</HI> there is an <HI>ob&s;erving eye,</HI> the <HI>eye</HI> of his knowledge which is <HI>upon all men,</HI> &s;o much is affirmed at the 13. <HI>ver&s;e</HI> of that <HI>P&s;alm, the Lord looketh from heaven, and beholdeth all the &s;ons of men:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>A&s;pectus divi|nitatis propriae munus e&s;t con|&s;ervationis hu|manae Salo. de Gub. Dei. l.</HI> 2. P&s;al. 123. 2. <GAP DESC="foreign"> Ba&s;. in P&s;al. 32. re&s;picit enim Propheta ad hominum con&s;uetudinem &amp; prae&s;ertim parentum nam qui liberos &s;uos vehementur amant cos habent perpetuo &amp; ge&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ant in oculis &s;uis liberi igitur dicuntur ambulare coram facie &amp; in oculis pa|rentum quos habent excubitores pro &s;ua incolumitate &amp; &s;alute. <HI>Moller. in loc.</HI></NOTE> but his <HI>pre&s;erving eye</HI> the <HI>eye,</HI> of his <HI>Care,</HI> is <HI>onely</HI> upon his <HI>righteous</HI> ones who <HI>fear</HI> him. <HI>Their eye</HI> is upon <HI>him</HI> in <HI>duty,</HI> as the <HI>eye of the Handmaid is upon her mi&s;tris</HI> to <HI>&s;erve</HI> her, <HI>his eye</HI> is upon <HI>them</HI> in <HI>mercy,</HI> as the <HI>eye</HI> of the <HI>owner</HI> is upon his <HI>cattell</HI> to <HI>feed</HI> them. <HI>One</HI> upon the <HI>Text</HI> concei|veth in this expre&s;&s;ion of <HI>walking before God</HI> an <HI>allu&s;ion</HI> to the practice of tender <HI>parents,</HI> e&s;pecially towards their little <HI>Children:</HI></P>
<P><HI>Omnis enim in nat is chari &s;tat cura parent is</HI> Such is for the mo&s;t part, the <HI>love</HI> of <HI>parents</HI> to their <HI>Children</HI> (e&s;pecially
<PB N="9" REF="7">
when <HI>young)</HI> that they cannot <HI>endure</HI> them <HI>out of their &s;ight,</HI> but would always have their <HI>own eye upon them,</HI> in which re&s;pect the <HI>Children</HI> may be &s;aid to <HI>walk before their parents:</HI> no le&s;s is the <HI>Fatherly,</HI> yea <HI>Motherly</HI> affection of <HI>God</HI> towards his <HI>people,</HI> whom he <HI>adopts</HI> for his <HI>children,</HI> and <HI>keepeth</HI> ever in his <HI>&s;ight.</HI> Hence is that &s;weet expre&s;|&s;ion of <HI>God</HI> to the <HI>Church, Behold, I have graven thee up|on the palmes of my hands, thy walls are continually before</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 49. 16.</NOTE> <HI>me.</HI> It is the <HI>command</HI> given to <HI>I&s;rael</HI> concerning the <HI>Com|mandements; Thou &s;halt bind them for a &s;igne upon thine</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 6. 8.</NOTE> <HI>hand, and they &s;hall be as frontlets between thine eyes,</HI> where|by is intimated a &s;edulous <HI>care</HI> both in <HI>peru&s;ing</HI> and <HI>perfor|ming</HI> them; not much unlike is this of <HI>Gods graving I&s;rael upon his hands,</HI> and <HI>&s;etting his walls before his eyes,</HI> the in|tent thereof being to expre&s;s the &s;ingular <HI>Care</HI> and mindfull <HI>regard</HI> of <HI>God</HI> to his <HI>Church,</HI> and which would not be pa&s;t by, it is not a <HI>writing</HI> (that may be <HI>blotted</HI> out) but an <HI>ingraving,</HI> and this <HI>ingraving</HI> is not upon the <HI>back</HI> (then it might be the &s;ooner <HI>rubd</HI> off or <HI>worn</HI> out) but upon the <HI>palms</HI> of his hands; &s;o <HI>firm</HI> and permanent is the <HI>Almighty</HI>'s <HI>Care</HI> of his <HI>people.</HI></P>
<P>To this <HI>purpo&s;e</HI> are tho&s;e choice <HI>Metaphors</HI> which <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> u&s;eth concerning <HI>Gods Care</HI> of <HI>Jacob</HI> (meaning his po&s;teri|ty) <HI>he led him about,</HI> to wit in the <HI>wilderne&s;s,</HI> or as the <HI>&s;ep|tuagint</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deur. 32. 10. 11.</NOTE> tran&s;late, and the <HI>Hebrew</HI> will <HI>beare</HI> it, <HI>he com|pa&s;&s;ed</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tutum auxili|um po&s;tulans propheta, ait, cu|&s;todi me Domine ut pupillam ocu|li, ut protectionis divinae fieret ei+t&agrave;m &s;ollicita &amp; tuta cu&s;todia qu&agrave;m pupillam oculi tuti&s;&s;imo quondam natu|rae v<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">llo mune|re dignatus e&s;t.</HI> Ambro&s;. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> Hexam. l. 6. P&s;al. 91. 1.</NOTE> <HI>him about,</HI> to wit with his <HI>love, he kept him as the apple of his eye;</HI> no part of mans body &s;o &s;trongly <HI>guarded</HI> by <HI>nature,</HI> nor which men are &s;o <HI>tender</HI> of, as <HI>the apple of the eye,</HI> &s;o <HI>&s;ingular</HI> was Gods <HI>Providence</HI> towards <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> yea that he might mo&s;t fully repre&s;ent it, he compareth <HI>God</HI> to an <HI>Eagle bearing her young ones</HI> (not as her <HI>prey</HI> in her <HI>ta|lents,</HI> but) <HI>on her wings,</HI> wherby they are <HI>&s;afe</HI> from all <HI>danger.</HI> Finally, upon this account it is that the <HI>godly</HI> man is &s;aid not only to <HI>walk before,</HI> but to <HI>dwell in God,</HI> and <HI>abide un|der his &s;hadow;</HI> and &s;urely as there mu&s;t needs be <HI>&s;afety</HI> in tho&s;e <HI>walls</HI> where <HI>&s;alvation</HI> is <HI>appointed</HI> for <HI>walls,</HI> &s;o there cannot but be <HI>&s;ecurity</HI> in his <HI>dwelling,</HI> to whom the <HI>mo&s;t high's &s;ecret</HI> becommeth an <HI>habitation.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="10" REF="8">
How <HI>happy</HI> is the condition of a <HI>Saint?</HI> whereas the <HI>Lord</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 15. 29. P&s;al. 34. 18. Gen, 4. 16.</NOTE> is <HI>far from the wicked,</HI> he is <HI>nigh</HI> to the good; <HI>Cain goeth out from the pre&s;ence of the Lord, David</HI> continually <HI>walketh before the Lord;</HI> the <HI>ungodly</HI> are like <HI>&s;tragling Chickens</HI> of|ten <HI>&s;natch'd</HI> up by the devouring <HI>Kite,</HI> while&s;t the <HI>godly</HI> are clo&s;e under the <HI>hens wings;</HI> tho&s;e like <HI>&s;tray &s;heep wander</HI> up and down, <HI>expo&s;ed</HI> to variety of <HI>dangers,</HI> while&s;t the&s;e being under the <HI>&s;hepheards care</HI> feed <HI>&s;ecurely.</HI> Indeed no <HI>felicity</HI> like to that which is to be found in <HI>Gods affection;</HI> nor <HI>&s;afe|ty</HI> to that of his <HI>Protection, Behold he that keepeth I&s;rael &s;hall</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 121. 1.</NOTE> <HI>neither &s;lumber nor &s;leep,</HI> &s;aith the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t;</HI> that which <HI>Cain refu&s;ed</HI> to be to his <HI>brother, God is</HI> to his <HI>&s;ervants,</HI> their <HI>keeper,</HI> yea &s;o <HI>watchfull</HI> a keeper, that his <HI>eye</HI> is <HI>never off</HI> them <HI>day</HI> nor <HI>night,</HI> it <HI>clo&s;eth not,</HI> no not &s;o much as <HI>winketh,</HI> it <HI>&s;leepeth</HI> not by <HI>night,</HI> nor <HI>&s;lumbreth</HI> by <HI>day,</HI> and therefore well may they <HI>lye</HI> down and <HI>&s;leep</HI> in <HI>peace,</HI> yea <HI>ri&s;e</HI> up and <HI>walk</HI> without <HI>fear;</HI> it is Saint <HI>Paul</HI>'s challenge, <HI>if God be for us, who can be again&s;t us?</HI> let it be the <HI>comfort</HI> of every <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> Rom. 32.</NOTE> <HI>Saint,</HI> none can be &s;o <HI>again&s;t</HI> him as to <HI>prevail,</HI> becau&s;e he <HI>walketh before God;</HI> and &s;o much &s;hall &s;uffice for the <HI>matter</HI> pa&s;s we on to the</P>
<P><HI>Ground of his hope,</HI> which will the better appear by <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Part</HI> 2.</NOTE> the <HI>connexion</HI> of the former ver&s;e with this, <HI>becau&s;e thou ha&s;t delivered I &s;hall walk; his confidence</HI> for the <HI>future</HI> is <HI>&s;trengthened</HI> by his <HI>former experience.</HI> It is that way of <HI>ar|guing;</HI> which <HI>David</HI> often u&s;eth. Thus in the 61. <HI>P&s;alm, I will tru&s;t in the covert of thy wings,</HI> is his <HI>re&s;olution, v.</HI> 3. <HI>For thou ha&s;t been a &s;helter for me,</HI> &s;o he <HI>rea&s;oneth, v.</HI> 2. and again <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 63. 7. <HI>Becau&s;e thou ha&s;t been my help, therefore under the &s;hadow of thy wings will I reioyce,</HI> and once more in the 1 Sam. 17. 37. <HI>The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion, and the paw of the Bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Phili&s;tin;</HI> nor is he <HI>alone</HI> in this kind of <HI>argumentation. Jacob</HI> being <HI>pur&s;ued</HI> by his brother <HI>E&s;au</HI> in his <HI>prayer</HI> for deliverance <HI>pleadeth</HI> with <HI>God</HI> that <HI>pro&s;perity</HI> he vouch&s;afed him under <HI>Laban,</HI> by <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 32. 10.</NOTE> which means <HI>he that pa&s;&s;ed over Jordan with his &s;taff, was now become two bands.</HI> Jo&s;uah having <HI>beheld one miracle</HI>
<PB N="11" REF="8">
in the di&s;comfiture of the <HI>Amorites</HI> from the <HI>ayri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> heaven, to wit <HI>great &s;tones ca&s;t down upon them,</HI> is bold to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jo&s;u. 10. 11, 12.</NOTE> <HI>expect another</HI> from the <HI>&s;tarry</HI> heaven, and therefore cal|leth upon the <HI>Sun to &s;tand &s;till in Gibeon, and the Moon</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Videns primum &s;ignum datum de coelo ae~rio ex hoc confidens pe|tivit &s;ecundum de caelo &s;ydereo.</HI> Lyr. ibid.</NOTE> <HI>in the valley of A&s;calon.</HI> For this rea&s;on it was that <HI>Daniel</HI> wre&s;tling with <HI>God</HI> for the peoples <HI>liberation</HI> out of <HI>Baby|lon,</HI> maketh mention of his <HI>bringing them out of Aegypt,</HI> and thence emphatically inferreth a <HI>therfore, now therefore, Oh Lord, heare the prayer of thy &s;ervant,</HI> and from the &s;ame <HI>praemi&s;es S. Paul</HI> draweth a like <HI>Conclu&s;ion, Who delivered</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 9. 15. 17. 2 Cor. 1. 10. 2 Tim. 4. 17, 18. I&s;a. 26. 11. 63. 15.</NOTE> <HI>as from &s;o great death, and in whom we tru&s;t he will yet de|liver,</HI> and again, <HI>the Lord &s;tood by me, and &s;trengthened me, I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon, and the Lord &s;hall deliver me from every evill work.</HI> And (to name no more) the whole <HI>Church</HI> upon this <HI>con&s;ideration</HI> addre&s;&s;eth <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Qua&s;i diceret Rem novam a|gis &amp; in&s;olen|tem cum enim &s;oleas ex uno beneficio alia at&abque; alia&s;eria|tim ducere, quid modo hanc te|lam interru~p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">? cur non pergis nectere hanc ca|tenam? quer|&s;um ver<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> ce&s;&s;as tu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> me beneficiis cu|mulare?</HI> Mend. T. a.</NOTE> her &s;elf to <HI>God</HI> with <HI>confidence, Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us, for thou ha&s;t wrought all our works for us;</HI> and which is not <HI>unfitly</HI> taken <HI>notice</HI> of, upon Gods <HI>&s;u&s;pending</HI> of his <HI>wonted</HI> favours &s;he expo&s;tulateth with him: <HI>where is thy zeal and thy &s;trength? the &s;ounding of thy bowells, and of thy mercyes towards me? are they re&s;trained?</HI> as if it were a <HI>&s;trange</HI> and unwonted thing for <HI>God</HI> not to renew his mer|cyes where he had <HI>formerly</HI> conferd them.</P>
<P>Indeed with <HI>God</HI> the <HI>Collation</HI> of <HI>one</HI> ble&s;&s;ing is a &s;ufficient <HI>rea&s;on</HI> of be&s;towing <HI>more.</HI> As Saint <HI>Gregory</HI> &s;peaking of the <HI>&s;ignes</HI> of the <HI>la&s;t day,</HI> &s;aith, <HI>&s;equentium rerum certitudo e&s;t prae|t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ritorum exhibitio,</HI> the <HI>accompli&s;hment</HI> of <HI>&s;ome</HI> a&s;&s;ureth the <HI>fulfilling</HI> of <HI>all:</HI> So it is no le&s;s true of divine <HI>benefits,</HI> the <HI>dona|tion</HI> of <HI>former</HI> is a <HI>foundation</HI> for the <HI>&s;uper&s;tructure</HI> of future gifts; true it is, this kind of <HI>ratiocination</HI> prevaileth not with <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Apud Deum collatio unius beneficii e&s;t ra|tio alterius con|ferendi.</HI> Mend. ibid.</NOTE> <HI>men, they have done for us, therefore they mu&s;t &s;till;</HI> nay, it is accounted <HI>impudence</HI> to expect or de&s;ire they <HI>&s;hould; &s;ome</HI> mens <HI>ability</HI> is cut <HI>&s;hort, they cannot do as they have done, other</HI> mens <HI>minds</HI> are <HI>mutable,</HI> their <HI>affection cooleth,</HI> and <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Greg. Mag. hom.</HI> 1. <HI>in Evang.</HI></NOTE> they grow <HI>weary of doing what they have done;</HI> but <HI>neither</HI> of the&s;e are in <HI>God</HI> who <HI>changeth not.</HI> Queen <HI>Elizabeth</HI>'s Motto, <HI>Semper eadem,</HI> though in &s;ome &s;en&s;e <HI>true</HI> of her <HI>Reli|gious con&s;tancy,</HI> yet is mo&s;t properly due to <HI>God</HI> who is,
<PB N="12" REF="9">
<HI>&s;emper idem, with whom is no variablenes nor &s;hadow of Change.</HI> There is no <HI>abbreviation</HI> of his <HI>hand</HI> nor <HI>alteration</HI> of his <HI>heart,</HI> both the <HI>fountaine</HI> of his <HI>power</HI> and <HI>trea&s;ure</HI> of his <HI>love</HI> are <HI>inexhau&s;tible, and the everla&s;ting God, the Lord, the Creatour of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is weary,</HI> to wit of doing good to his people.</P>
<P>Let it therefore be the <HI>wi&s;edom</HI> of Saints to <HI>trea&s;ure</HI> up <HI>experiences</HI> of <HI>Gods goodnes</HI> to <HI>others,</HI> chiefly to <HI>them&s;elves,</HI> that they may be both <HI>incouragements</HI> of <HI>faith,</HI> and <HI>argu|ments</HI> in <HI>prayer;</HI> That which may make us blu&s;h in our reque&s;ts to <HI>men,</HI> let it rather <HI>embolden</HI> us in our adre&s;&s;es to <HI>God,</HI> name|ly the <HI>bounty</HI> we have <HI>already</HI> received from his <HI>hand.</HI> We ma|ny times cannot find in our hearts to <HI>petition</HI> tho&s;e whom we have <HI>often troubled before,</HI> but <HI>David</HI> con&s;idering what <HI>God</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 7. 18. 28.</NOTE> <HI>had</HI> done for <HI>him</HI> &amp; his <HI>hou&s;e,</HI> &amp; withall what he had <HI>promi&s;ed</HI> to do, therfore <HI>findes in his heart to pray a prayer to him.</HI> In|deed <HI>promi&s;es</HI> and <HI>experiences</HI> are &s;trong <HI>&s;upports</HI> of our <HI>con|fidence</HI> when we <HI>go</HI> to <HI>God,</HI> and <HI>plead; Lord, thou &s;ayed&s;t, thou wilt do me good,</HI> nay <HI>Lord, thou ha&s;t been favourable to me,</HI> he knoweth not how to <HI>deny</HI> our &s;upplications. <HI>This is the confidence,</HI> &s;aith <HI>S. John, that if we ask any thing ac|cording to his will, he heareth us,</HI> and we may have <HI>confidence</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Joh. 5. 14.</NOTE> that <HI>what we ask</HI> is <HI>according to his will,</HI> when it is no more but <HI>what he hath &s;poken,</HI> yea <HI>formerly vouch&s;afed.</HI> And therefore as <HI>Saul</HI> when <HI>David</HI> had mercifully <HI>&s;pared</HI> him his <HI>life,</HI> taketh courage to <HI>implore</HI> favour for his <HI>&s;eed: &s;o</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 24. 22. James 1. 17. I&s;a. 40. 28. <HI>Videns <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">um pronum ad mi|&s;ericordiam, ha|bita pro &s;e mi|&s;ericordia una<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, petit aliam pro|&s;emine &s;uo.</HI> Lyr. ib<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d.</NOTE> let <HI>us</HI> upon the grant of one reque&s;t be <HI>emboldned</HI> to <HI>put</HI> up <HI>another,</HI> and upon the <HI>receipt</HI> of <HI>former</HI> mercyes <HI>incourage</HI> our &s;elves to <HI>believe, hope,</HI> and <HI>de&s;ire future;</HI> as here <HI>David</HI> in the text, <HI>becau&s;e thou ha&s;t delivered I &s;hall walk&punc;</HI> And &s;o much be &s;poken of the <HI>fir&s;t interpretation</HI> of the <HI>words, pro|ceed</HI> we now to a larger <HI>in&s;i&s;ting,</HI> on that which (as I con|ceive) is mo&s;t <HI>genuine</HI> to the <HI>Text</HI> and was <HI>chiefe</HI> in my <HI>intention</HI> of <HI>handling.</HI></P>
<P>And that I may in this &s;en&s;e <HI>handle</HI> the <HI>words</HI> according to their ju&s;t and fu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">l <HI>latitude</HI> I &s;hall con&s;ider them both <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Int.</HI> 2.</NOTE>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Ab&s;olutely</HI> in them&s;elves, and</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Relatively</HI> in their connexion.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><PB N="13" REF="9">
In the former, we &s;hall &s;ee what was <HI>David</HI>'s re&s;olution,</P>
<P>In the latter, what was the <HI>rea&s;on</HI> of that re&s;olution:</P>
<P>The better to di&s;patch the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> con&s;ideration of the <HI>words,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Con&s;id.</HI> 1.</NOTE> ob&s;erve in them
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. His <HI>re&s;olving</HI> upon a <HI>duty, I will,</HI> and</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The <HI>duty</HI> he <HI>re&s;olves</HI> upon, namely to <HI>walk before the Lord in the land of the living.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><HI>I will.</HI> Saint <HI>Bernards</HI> comment upon tho&s;e <HI>words</HI> of the <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Part.</HI> 1.</NOTE> <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> el&s;where, <HI>in thee will I tru&s;t,</HI> may very well &s;erve <NOTE PLACE="marg">Attende; quod non dixerit &s;pe|ravi aut &s;pero, &s;ed &s;perabo, hoc inquit e&s;t votum meum hoc pro|po&s;itum meum, haec intentio cordis mei.</NOTE> as a <HI>Paraphra&s;e</HI> on the&s;e <HI>words, I will walk,</HI> that is <HI>this is my de&s;ire, my purpo&s;e, and the intention of my heart to walk before him,</HI> in reference to this it is that <HI>David</HI> &s;aith el&s;where of him&s;elf, <HI>I have &s;aid that I will keep thy word,</HI> nay more then &s;o, <HI>I have &s;worne and I will performe it, that I will keep thy righteous <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">udgment,</HI> intimating that this was not barely his <HI>re&s;olve,</HI> but his <HI>oath,</HI> and that which he had not onely <HI>promi&s;ed</HI> but <HI>&s;worn</HI> to do. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n. in p&s;al. qui habit. &s;erm. 2.</NOTE></P>
<P>The like we &s;hall find to have been the <HI>practice</HI> of other Saints in <HI>Scripture,</HI> namely to <HI>con&s;ecrate</HI> them&s;elves to <HI>God</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 57. 106.</NOTE> by <HI>promi&s;e,</HI> thus <HI>Jacob voweth a vow,</HI> and what is the <HI>mat|ter</HI> of it? but that the <HI>Lord &s;hould be his God,</HI> not onely on <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 28&punc; 20. Jo&s;uah 24. 15.</NOTE> whom to <HI>tru&s;t,</HI> but whom to <HI>obey. Jo&s;huah</HI> taketh up a <HI>re|&s;olution,</HI> both for <HI>him&s;elf</HI> and his <HI>family</HI> to wor&s;hip the true <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Obligat, &s;e ad con&s;tantiam in obedientia &amp; cultu v<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ri Dei</HI> Par. in Gen. De<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">. 29. 10. 2 Chro. 15. 12. 13.</NOTE> God, <HI>I and my hou&s;e will &s;erve the Lord; Mo&s;es</HI> after hee had given the <HI>Law</HI> to the people, cau&s;eth them to enter into <HI>Covenant</HI> for the performance of it. And to name no more <HI>A&s;ah</HI> gathereth all <HI>Judah</HI> together to <HI>&s;wear unto the Lord, that they would &s;eek him,</HI> with an execration of him to <HI>death</HI> who did not <HI>keep it.</HI></P>
<P>Nor is it without &s;ingular <HI>rea&s;on</HI> that <HI>godly</HI> men have ta|ken this <HI>cour&s;e,</HI> that hereby both <HI>they</HI> might be the more, &s;trongly <HI>obliged</HI> to <HI>God,</HI> and <HI>God</HI> to <HI>them.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. The&s;e <HI>promi&s;es bind us</HI> the clo&s;er to <HI>God.</HI> To illu|&s;trate this, you mu&s;t know that religious <HI>promi&s;es</HI> are <HI>di&s;tin|gui&s;hed</HI> according to the <HI>objects</HI> about which they are con|ver&s;ant; &s;ome are of things in their own nature <HI>ind<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ffe|rent,</HI> and are called <HI>ceremoniall,</HI> others are of things in them&s;elves <HI>nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> and termed <HI>morall; tho&s;e,</HI> though <HI>after</HI>
<PB N="14" REF="10">
promi&s;e we are <HI>bound</HI> to ob&s;erve <HI>exactly,</HI> yet <HI>before,</HI> we were <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Sunt etiam quaedam quae non voventes debemus, quae|dam etiam quae ni&s;i voverimus non debemus, &s;ed po&s;tquam ea Do|mino promitti|mus nece&s;&s;ario reddere con&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">in|gimur.</HI> Aug. <HI>Si non vovi&s;&s;es quid aliud tibi &s;uadendum &s;uit aut quid melius ab homine fieri pote&s;t, quam ut ei &s;e re&s;tituat &agrave; quo in&s;titutus e&s;t?</HI> id. ep. 45.</NOTE> <HI>free</HI> to do or not to do; <HI>the&s;e,</HI> we were <HI>before</HI> tyed to ob&s;erve, but by this meanes a <HI>further bond</HI> is layed upon us. There is indeed a <HI>&s;ufficient</HI> obligation in <HI>Gods Precepts</HI> to require our <HI>obedience,</HI> but when to <HI>his precepts</HI> we <HI>add</HI> our <HI>own promi&s;e,</HI> it is &s;o much the <HI>more ingaging.</HI> True it is, the <HI>Creatures</HI> natu|rall <HI>obligation</HI> to its <HI>Creators</HI> command is &s;o <HI>great</HI> that <HI>in it &s;elf</HI> it is not <HI>capable</HI> of <HI>addition,</HI> but yet our <HI>vo|luntary promi&s;es</HI> &s;erve to <HI>inflame</HI> our <HI>lukewarmenes</HI> and <HI>&s;tir up</HI> our <HI>backwardnes</HI> to <HI>obedience.</HI> Indeed a religious <HI>re&s;olu|tion</HI> is as the <HI>putting</HI> of a new <HI>rowell</HI> into the <HI>&s;purr</HI> which maketh it the <HI>&s;harper,</HI> the <HI>twi&s;ting</HI> of another <HI>threed</HI> into the rope whereby it is the <HI>&s;tronger,</HI> or <HI>tying</HI> of a new <HI>knot</HI> where|by it is made the <HI>fa&s;ter.</HI> And hence it is that as <HI>God</HI> in <HI>con|de&s;cen&s;ion</HI> to our <HI>weaknes</HI> hath annexed an <HI>oath</HI> to his <HI>pro|mi&s;es,</HI> not to make them <HI>firmer</HI> in <HI>them&s;elves,</HI> but to <HI>con|firm us</HI> the more: &s;o <HI>godly</HI> men in <HI>con&s;ideration</HI> of their own <HI>dulnes</HI> adjoyne their <HI>promi&s;es</HI> to <HI>Gods Precepts,</HI> not to <HI>&s;trengthen</HI> their <HI>force</HI> in <HI>injoyning,</HI> but to <HI>quicken them&s;elves</HI> the <HI>more</HI> in <HI>ob&s;erving.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The&s;e &s;erious <HI>re&s;olutions</HI> of <HI>&s;erving God, bind him to</HI> us; When <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 King. 9. 3. <HI>Fil major vel arctior obligatio non per &s;e quia creaturae &s;um|ma e&s;t obligatio Deo, &s;ed per acci|dens &s;eu ratione no&s;trae infirmita tis.</HI> Par. in Gen.</NOTE> <HI>Solomon dedicated</HI> a <HI>Temple</HI> to <HI>God, God enga|geth</HI> him&s;elf to be there <HI>pre&s;ent</HI> in a <HI>&s;pecial</HI> manner, and from thence to <HI>heare</HI> the <HI>prayers</HI> of his <HI>people:</HI> when we <HI>promi&s;e</HI> to be <HI>Gods &s;ervants,</HI> what do we but <HI>con&s;ecrate</HI> our <HI>&s;elves</HI> to be his <HI>living Temples,</HI> and may not <HI>we</HI> then <HI>expect</HI> the like <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Quid ergo vo|vemus Deo ni&s;i ut &s;imus Tem|plum Dei? nihil gratius ei po&s;&s;u|mus offerre, quaem ut dica|mus ei quod di|citur in E&s;aia po&s;&s;ide nos.</HI> Aug. in p&s;al. 128. <HI>Si no&s;tra tueri non vultis &amp; ve&s;trae defe~detis quicquid pa&s;suri &s;umus dedititii ve&s;tri patientur,</HI></NOTE> <HI>privilege?</HI> When the <HI>&s;ervant</HI> had by the <HI>boaring of his eare</HI> di&s;claimed the <HI>benefit</HI> of the <HI>Jubilee</HI> and <HI>engaged</HI> him&s;elf to his <HI>ma&s;ter for ever,</HI> the <HI>ma&s;ter</HI> could not but account him|&s;elf <HI>obliged</HI> to take <HI>Care</HI> of, and <HI>provide</HI> for &s;uch a <HI>&s;ervant;</HI> nor hath <HI>Almighty God le&s;s</HI> re&s;pect to tho&s;e who Cordially <HI>devote</HI> them&s;elves to the <HI>ob&s;ervance</HI> of his <HI>Lawes.</HI> When the <HI>Campanians</HI> could not get any ayd from the <HI>Romans</HI> again&s;t a potent enemy, they came and &s;olemnly <HI>&s;urrendred</HI> them|&s;elves to the <HI>Romans,</HI> that by <HI>policy</HI> they might <HI>oblige</HI> them to their <HI>a&s;&s;i&s;tance;</HI> and certainly this re&s;igning our &s;elves in|to <HI>Gods hands,</HI> this &s;erious <HI>re&s;olution</HI> of, <HI>I will walk before the Lord,</HI> is the be&s;t way to <HI>obtain</HI> his vigilant <HI>protection</HI> over <HI>us.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="15" REF="10">
But it may be here <HI>objected,</HI> what meaneth <HI>David</HI> to &s;ay thus peremptorily? <HI>I will?</HI> Saint <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith, <HI>it is God who worketh in us to will and to do,</HI> and doth <HI>David</HI> attribute <NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 2. 13.</NOTE> it to him&s;elf, <HI>I will?</HI> what men re&s;olve and <HI>promi&s;e</HI> mu&s;t be what they are <HI>able</HI> to performe, and is not <HI>walking before God</HI> more than he had <HI>ability</HI> to <HI>do?</HI> &s;o that this <HI>Act</HI> of <HI>devo|tion</HI> &s;eemeth to be an <HI>Act</HI> of <HI>pre&s;umption,</HI> &s;ince while&s;t he <HI>declareth</HI> his <HI>will,</HI> he may be thought to <HI>pre&s;ume</HI> too much upon his <HI>power.</HI></P>
<P>To <HI>an&s;wer</HI> this briefly, you mu&s;t know,</P>
<P N="1">1. That which here <HI>David</HI> did, and the <HI>Saints</HI> in &s;uch <NOTE PLACE="marg">Seber. Itiner. in P&s;alm.</NOTE> re&s;olves do <HI>promis,</HI> is but only to do their <HI>indeavor.</HI> The <HI>con|jugation</HI> of the <HI>verbe</HI> is <HI>Hith pael,</HI> and may well be rendred <HI>conabor incedere, I will &s;trive to walk,</HI> what <HI>lyeth</HI> in <HI>me</HI> &s;hall not be <HI>awanting.</HI> Though he might <HI>faile</HI> in the <HI>full exe|cution,</HI> yet this was his <HI>real intention.</HI> It is the <HI>temper</HI> of a <HI>good</HI> man even when the <HI>fle&s;h is weak,</HI> his <HI>&s;pirit is willing;</HI> &s;o <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 26. 41. Rom. 7. 18. <HI>Volo &s;ed&punc; non valeo.</HI> An&s;. in Rom.</NOTE> <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith of <HI>him&s;elf, to will is pre&s;ent with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not;</HI> &s;ome mens <HI>minds</HI> are <HI>larger</HI> than their <HI>pur&s;es,</HI> a Saints <HI>heart</HI> is greater than his <HI>&s;trength;</HI> he <HI>would do</HI> far <HI>more</HI> than he <HI>Can,</HI> yea, what he <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mens boni &s;tu|dii ac pii vo|ti etiam&s;i effe|ctum non inve|nerit c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">pti ope|ris, habet tamen praemium vo|luntatis.</HI> Salv: do Gub. Dei. l. 4.</NOTE> <HI>wants</HI> in the <HI>Can,</HI> he <HI>maketh</HI> up in the <HI>will; God</HI> gratiou&s;ly <HI>accepting the will for the deed.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Be&s;ides, it is not to be <HI>doubted</HI> but that <HI>David</HI> in ta|king up this <HI>re&s;olution,</HI> had an <HI>eye</HI> to divine <HI>a&s;&s;i&s;tance.</HI> What a <HI>good</HI> man <HI>promi&s;eth</HI> in <HI>Civill</HI> things is with <HI>re&s;pect</HI> to <HI>Gods will,</HI> and what in <HI>divine</HI> matters with regard to <HI>Gods grace. I will</HI> do this or that <HI>(God permitting)</HI> is either <HI>implyed,</HI> or <HI>expre&s;&s;ed</HI> in <HI>&s;ecular; I will</HI> walk <HI>(God a&s;&s;i&s;ting)</HI> is alwayes to be under&s;tood in <HI>&s;acred</HI> purpo&s;es. Hence it is that <HI>prayers</HI> &s;till <HI>attend</HI> &s;uch <HI>promi&s;es,</HI> and &s;incere <HI>re&s;olutions</HI> are alwayes <HI>backed</HI> with earne&s;t <HI>&s;upplication.</HI> Therfore you may ob&s;erve <HI>him</HI> who here <HI>maketh</HI> this <HI>promi&s;e, I will walk,</HI> el&s;where <HI>breathing</HI> forth that <HI>&s;igh, Oh that my wayes were &s;o directed</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 5. 25. 5.</NOTE> <HI>to keep thy &s;tatutes,</HI> and <HI>putting</HI> up that <HI>reque&s;t, Lead me in thy truth;</HI> yea you may ob&s;erve the <HI>Spou&s;e</HI> in the <HI>Canticles</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 1. 4.</NOTE> joyning both a <HI>petition</HI> and a <HI>promi&s;e</HI> together, <HI>we will run after thee,</HI> there is the <HI>promi&s;e,</HI> but fir&s;t &s;he praemi&s;eth a
<PB N="16" REF="11">
<HI>petition draw</HI> me, thus <HI>pious</HI> &s;ouls only <HI>re&s;olve</HI> in the <HI>might</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> who&s;e <HI>exciting grace</HI> puts them upon <HI>purpo&s;ing</HI> &amp; <HI>a&s;&s;i|&s;ting</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nos dulciter &amp; confidenter vo|veamus, ille da|bit po&s;&s;ibilita|tem ut reddere po&s;&s;imus, nos ta|men quicquid illi promittimus de illo &s;peremus.</HI> Aug de Temp. Serm. 5. Ezeck. 36. 27. Philip. 4. 13.</NOTE> <HI>grace,</HI> &s;trengthens them in <HI>performing</HI> what is <HI>good,</HI> and their confident <HI>promi&s;es</HI> ari&s;e not from any <HI>tru&s;t</HI> in their <HI>own</HI> but a <HI>dependance</HI> on his <HI>&s;trength,</HI> &amp; <HI>a&s;&s;urauce</HI> of his <HI>a&s;&s;i&s;tance.</HI></P>
<P>Nor herein do <HI>they promi&s;e</HI> to doe more than what <HI>God</HI> hath <HI>promi&s;ed;</HI> it is the tenure of the <HI>new covenant, I will put my &s;pirit within you, and Cau&s;e you to walk in my Statutes;</HI> well may he &s;tedfa&s;tly <HI>re&s;olve</HI> who hath <HI>Gods Spirit</HI> power|fully to <HI>enable</HI> him; it was no <HI>pride</HI> nor <HI>pre&s;umption</HI> in <HI>Saint Paul</HI> to &s;ay, <HI>I can do all things through Chri&s;t that &s;trength|neth me;</HI> the <HI>Spirit</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in a <HI>Christian</HI> maketh him af|ter a &s;ort <HI>Almighty;</HI> this <HI>Spirit</HI> is <HI>promi&s;ed</HI> and <HI>a&s;&s;ured</HI> to every <HI>Saint,</HI> in the <HI>&s;trength</HI> of <HI>which</HI> he may <HI>boldly</HI> &s;ay, <HI>I can,</HI> and therefore <HI>re&s;olutely, I will.</HI></P>
<P>Let this <HI>practice</HI> be our <HI>pattern &s;eriou&s;ly</HI> and firmly to <HI>re&s;olve</HI> upon <HI>obedience.</HI> This was that to which <HI>Barnabas</HI> per&s;wades the <HI>Antiochians,</HI> that <HI>with purpo&s;e of heart they would cleave to the Lord.</HI> Indeed the <HI>foot</HI> will <HI>move</HI> but <NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 11: 22.</NOTE> <HI>&s;lowly,</HI> or not <HI>at all,</HI> if the <HI>will</HI> be not <HI>re&s;olved</HI> nor can it be <HI>ex|pected,</HI> he &s;hould <HI>Cleave to the Lord,</HI> who&s;e <HI>heart</HI> is not <HI>&s;teeled</HI> with a deliberate <HI>purpo&s;e.</HI> Alas beloved, we no &s;ooner <HI>begin</HI> to <HI>tread</HI> in this <HI>path</HI> but many <HI>impediments</HI> will be <HI>layd</HI> to di&s;courage us <HI>in</HI> our <HI>way,</HI> many <HI>&s;ollicitations</HI> u&s;ed to <HI>draw</HI> us <HI>out</HI> of the <HI>way,</HI> and if we be not <HI>re&s;olved</HI> on the <HI>Jourtey,</HI> we &s;hall &s;oon be <HI>per&s;waded</HI> to <HI>de&s;i&s;t</HI> or <HI>turn</HI> a|&s;ide. As a <HI>man</HI> pulling at a <HI>tree,</HI> if he find it <HI>yeelding,</HI> plucketh with the more <HI>violence,</HI> and a <HI>&s;uter</HI> being but <HI>faintly</HI> denyed <HI>commeth</HI> on with the <HI>&s;tronger</HI> force, &s;o will the <HI>Devill</HI> if he find us <HI>faint</HI> in our purpo&s;es, <HI>wavering</HI> in our <HI>minds,</HI> the <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Contritio &s;emper e&s;t ex voluntate efficaci de&s;truen|di culpam com|mi&s;&s;am attritio <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">on&s;emper cum po&s;&s;it &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">pe e&s;&s;e conjuncta cum peccato mortali.</HI> Filiuc. tract. 6. de contrit. c. 7.</NOTE> more earne&s;tly <HI>tempt,</HI> and not <HI>re&s;t</HI> till he hath <HI>vanqui&s;hed</HI> us. Oh therefore let us not <HI>content</HI> our <HI>&s;elves</HI> with a <HI>&s;igh</HI> that we have been &s;o <HI>bad,</HI> with a <HI>wi&s;h</HI> that we might be <HI>better,</HI> but let it be our <HI>will,</HI> yea let that <HI>will</HI> be <HI>voluntas firma &amp; ra|ta,</HI> &s;olid and <HI>fixed</HI> in <HI>good.</HI> What the <HI>Schooles</HI> &s;ay in the <HI>point</HI> of <HI>repentance, di&s;tingui&s;hing</HI> between <HI>attrition</HI> and <HI>contrition,</HI> that the former <HI>non proponit peccare,</HI> doth <HI>not pur|po&s;e</HI> to <HI>&s;in;</HI> but the latter, <HI>proponit non peccare, pur|po&s;e</HI>
<PB N="17" REF="11">
to <HI>&s;in,</HI> but the latter <HI>proponit non peccare, purpo&s;eth not to &s;in;</HI> the <HI>like</HI> may be made <HI>u&s;e</HI> of in point of obedience, to di&s;tingui&s;h between <HI>velle it as</HI> and <HI>voluntas,</HI> or <HI>wi&s;hing</HI> and a <HI>willing,</HI> the <HI>one</HI> doth not <HI>re&s;olve again&s;t,</HI> but the other is <HI>re&s;olved for walking</HI> in the wayes of God. Let this be our temper, and to that end, let <HI>deliberation</HI> precede our <HI>re&s;olu|tion,</HI> and <HI>con&s;ideration</HI> u&s;her in <HI>determination. David</HI> did &s;o, and therefore he &s;aith, <HI>I have cho&s;en the way of truth, thy Judgments have I layd before me.</HI> Indeed, he cannot but re|&s;olve <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 30.</NOTE> upon, and make choyce of the way of piety, who lay|eth before him the <HI>goodne&s;s,</HI> the <HI>rectitude,</HI> and the <HI>plea&s;ant|ne&s;s</HI> of that <HI>way.</HI> When the <HI>prodigall</HI> con&s;idered with him&s;elf how wel his Fathers &s;ervants fared, he thinketh of, yea deter|mineth to go home; <HI>I will ari&s;e and go to my Father.</HI> Oh <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Qui Deo non vult reddere bo|na quae vovit ei, quomodo vult &agrave; Deo accipere bo|na quae ei Deus promi&s;it? non &s;is in verbis facilis &amp; in operibus difficilis.</HI> Bern. de mod. bene viv. &s;erm. 62.</NOTE> then, let every one of us deliberately &s;et before our eyes the nece&s;&s;ity, the utiliry, the excellency of <HI>walking before God,</HI> that &s;o we may come, to the p&s;almi&s;ts, <HI>I will.</HI></P>
<P>But withall let us <HI>remember</HI> we mu&s;t <HI>not &s;tay</HI> here: The <HI>Son</HI> in the Go&s;pell, when his <HI>Father</HI> bad him <HI>goe work in the vinyard,</HI> &s;aid, <HI>I will go Sir, but he went not;</HI> tho&s;e <HI>d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;|&s;embling I&s;raelites promi&s;e</HI> faire, <HI>all that the Lord hath &s;poken we will do,</HI> but they performed not faithfully what they pre|tended &s;o &s;peciou&s;ly. Oh far be this from <HI>us,</HI> that our good purpo&s;es &s;hould prove abortive, and our promi&s;es dye for <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 15. 17. 18. Matth. 21. 30. Exod. 19. 8. Gen. 31. 13.</NOTE> want of execution. When <HI>God appeared</HI> to <HI>Jacob</HI> upon his <HI>return</HI> from <HI>Laban,</HI> he tels him, <HI>I am the God of Bethel,</HI> by which <HI>expre&s;&s;ion</HI> he no doubt <HI>intends</HI> to <HI>mind Jacob</HI> of the <HI>promi&s;e,</HI> not onely made there by <HI>God</HI> to <HI>him,</HI> but likewi&s;e by <HI>him</HI> to <HI>God;</HI> for &s;o it followeth, <HI>where thou vowed&s;t a vow to me. God</HI> is the <HI>God</HI> of pious <HI>re&s;olutions,</HI> as to <HI>approve</HI> of them, when <HI>made,</HI> &s;o to <HI>look</HI> after them how they are <HI>made good;</HI> and let me tell you, To <HI>prophane</HI> that <HI>heart</HI> which is once <HI>con&s;ecrated</HI> to <HI>God;</HI> to <HI>faulter</HI> in the <HI>execution</HI> of what is &s;olemnly <HI>re&s;olved</HI> in <HI>Gods &s;ervice,</HI> is a <HI>fetching</HI> the <HI>&s;a|crifice</HI> from the <HI>Altar,</HI> and will certainly <HI>bring</HI> the <HI>Coal</HI> of <HI>fire</HI> along with it. Had&s;t thou never <HI>put</HI> in for the <HI>title</HI> of a <HI>friend</HI> and <HI>votary,</HI> with an <HI>Oh God, my heart is ready to do thy will,</HI> thou had&s;t not been <HI>perfidious,</HI> though <HI>prophane;</HI>
<PB N="18" REF="12">
but by <HI>breaking</HI> thy <HI>promi&s;e,</HI> thou adde&s;t the <HI>guilt</HI> of <HI>unfaith|ne&s;s</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Prima voti gra|tia e&s;t celeritas &s;olutionis.</HI> Am|bro&s;. de Abel. &amp; Cain. l. 1. c. 8.</NOTE> to that of <HI>di&s;obedience,</HI> and thy <HI>&s;in</HI> becommeth <HI>beyond mea&s;ure &s;infull;</HI> and therefore look on <HI>David</HI> once again, who as he &s;aith here, <HI>I will walk,</HI> &s;o el&s;ewhere, <HI>I have walked in thy truth,</HI> there <HI>profe&s;&s;ing</HI> he <HI>had</HI> done what here he <HI>re&s;olveth</HI> he <HI>will do.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nemo pre&s;umat viribus &s;uis &s;e reddere quod voverit, qui te hortatur ut vo|veas ip&s;e adju|vat ut reddas.</HI> Aug. in p&s;al. 128. P&s;al. 26. 3. Eccle&s;. 5. 4.</NOTE></P>
<P>To this <HI>end,</HI> let us <HI>&s;peedily</HI> performe what we have once <HI>deliberatly</HI> re&s;olved. As we do by a <HI>fickle</HI> and incon&s;tant <HI>man,</HI> take him at <HI>his word,</HI> whil&s;t we have him in a <HI>good vein,</HI> le&s;t in a <HI>&s;hort</HI> &s;pace he <HI>alter</HI> his <HI>mind:</HI> So let us <HI>deale</HI> by our <HI>deceitfull hearts. When thou vowe&s;t a vow to God defer not to pay;</HI> it is the <HI>wi&s;e mans</HI> coun&s;ell, and indeed it is very <HI>wi&s;e</HI> coun&s;ell, <HI>defer</HI> not to put in <HI>action</HI> what <HI>Gods Spirit</HI> hath <HI>put</HI> into thy <HI>intention.</HI> Nor let any man think to <HI>ex|cu&s;e</HI> him&s;elf by pleading <HI>inability,</HI> and &s;aying, <HI>I would, but I cannot fulfill my religious purpo&s;es:</HI> rather let him joyne earne&s;t <HI>&s;upplications</HI> with his &s;erious <HI>re&s;olutions,</HI> and not doubt but he that hath <HI>begun</HI> to <HI>work</HI> in him the <HI>will,</HI> will al&s;o <HI>&s;trengthen</HI> him to <HI>do. Oh my God, I would do what I ought, Oh that I could do what I would; thou ha&s;t in &s;ome mea&s;ure wrought my will to thy command, Oh work my pow|er to thy will, that I may not onely will to de&s;ire but do thy will; thou ha&s;t been plea&s;ed to put, Oh keep it for ever in the imagination of the thought of the heart of thy &s;ervant, to walk</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Chro. 26. 18.</NOTE> <HI>before thee;</HI> and &s;o I am fallen on the <HI>duty</HI> which here <HI>Da|vid</HI> re&s;olves upon, namely to</P>
<Q>Walk before the Lord in the land of the living.</Q>
<P>For the more <HI>methodicall</HI> di&s;cu&s;&s;ing of which, be plea&s;ed <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Part.</HI> 2.</NOTE> to <HI>ob&s;erve</HI> the&s;e three <HI>particulars.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>matter,</HI> the <HI>manner,</HI> and the <HI>&s;ea&s;on</HI> or <HI>place</HI> of <HI>per|forming</HI> this <HI>duty.</HI></P>
<P>So that here we have an <HI>an&s;wer</HI> to <HI>three</HI> or <HI>foure</HI> que&s;ti|ons; if you would know,
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>What</HI> he re&s;olveth, it is to <HI>Walk.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>How</HI> he would walk, <HI>before the Lord.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>When</HI> and <HI>where, in the Land of the living,</HI> namely in this <HI>world,</HI> which is the <HI>place;</HI> or <HI>while&s;t</HI> he &s;hould be <HI>li|ving</HI> in this <HI>land,</HI> and &s;o it notes the <HI>time</HI> of his <HI>walk|ing before the Lord.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><PB N="19" REF="12">
Of <HI>each</HI> of <HI>the&s;e</HI> in their <HI>order,</HI> beginning with the <HI>matter</HI> of this <HI>re&s;olve,</HI> which is to</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Walk,</HI> In the <HI>handling</HI> of this both the <HI>verbe,</HI> and the <HI>conjugation</HI> are <HI>con&s;iderable.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>verbe</HI> in its <HI>proper</HI> acception &s;ignifieth a <HI>motion</HI> of the <HI>body,</HI> which we call <HI>walking,</HI> but, <HI>per metaphoram de vi|ta,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Buxt. lex. L<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r. in loc.</NOTE> <HI>moribus, actionibus u&s;urpatur, Metaphorically</HI> it is ap|plyed to the <HI>manners</HI> and <HI>conver&s;ations</HI> of men, and that not without ju&s;t <HI>rea&s;on.</HI> Men <HI>&s;it</HI> at <HI>home,</HI> but commonly when they <HI>walk,</HI> it is <HI>abroad;</HI> fitly therefore are our <HI>externall acti|ons</HI> repre&s;ented by <HI>walking.</HI></P>
<P>So that that which here <HI>David</HI> re&s;olveth upon, is the &s;ame with what el&s;where he calleth an <HI>ordering the conver&s;ation aright,</HI> and this <HI>I will walk,</HI> is as much as if he had &s;aid, <HI>I</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 50. 23.</NOTE> <HI>will indeavour to lead a regular and orderly life.</HI></P>
<P>It would not here be pa&s;&s;ed by, the <HI>&s;eeming contradiction</HI> in the <HI>P&s;almi&s;ts expre&s;&s;ions;</HI> At the &s;eventh ver&s;e he &s;aith, <HI>return to thy re&s;t, Oh my Soul;</HI> and here he pre&s;ently &s;aith, <HI>I will walk;</HI> how can the&s;e <HI>two</HI> &s;tand <HI>together? Motus &amp; quies privativ&egrave; opponuntur,</HI> &s;aith the Philo&s;opher, <HI>motion</HI> &amp; <HI>re&s;t</HI> are <HI>oppo&s;ite;</HI> now <HI>walking</HI> is a <HI>motion,</HI> as being an <HI>act</HI> of the <HI>lo|comotive</HI> faculty; How then could <HI>David return to his re&s;t,</HI> and yet <HI>walk?</HI> an <HI>objection</HI> &s;omewhat <HI>&s;pecious,</HI> but the <HI>&s;trength</HI> of it is ea&s;ily <HI>enervated,</HI> and the <HI>difference</HI> quickly <HI>reconciled.</HI></P>
<P>To which <HI>end,</HI> you mu&s;t <HI>know,</HI> that the <HI>walking</HI> and <HI>re&s;t</HI> here mentioned, being of a <HI>divine</HI> nature, do not oppo&s;e each other; <HI>&s;pirituall re&s;t</HI> maketh no man <HI>idle,</HI> and therefore it is no <HI>enemy</HI> to <HI>walking; &s;pirituall walking</HI> maketh no man <HI>weary,</HI> and therefore it is no <HI>enemy</HI> to <HI>re&s;t.</HI> Indeed, <HI>they</HI> are &s;o <HI>far</HI> from being <HI>oppo&s;ite</HI> again&s;t, that <HI>they</HI> are <HI>&s;ub&s;ervient</HI> to each other, and it is <HI>hard</HI> to <HI>&s;ay,</HI> whether that <HI>re&s;t</HI> be the <HI>cau&s;e</HI> of this <HI>walking,</HI> or this <HI>walking</HI> a <HI>cau&s;e</HI> of that <HI>re&s;t.</HI> Indeed <HI>both</HI> are <HI>true,</HI> &s;ince he that <HI>re&s;ts in God</HI> cannot but <HI>walk before him,</HI> and by <HI>walking before,</HI> we come to <HI>re&s;t in God. Return|ing to re&s;t,</HI> is an <HI>act</HI> of <HI>confidence,</HI> &s;ince there is no <HI>re&s;t</HI> to be had but in <HI>God,</HI> nor in <HI>God</HI> but by a believing <HI>a&s;&s;iance</HI> in, &amp; <HI>re|liance</HI> on him. <HI>Walking before God,</HI> is an <HI>act</HI> of <HI>obedience;</HI> when we di&s;obey, we wander and go a&s;tray, onely by obedience
<PB N="20" REF="13">
we walk. Now the&s;e two are &s;o far from being enemies, that they are companions and ever go together, confidence being a means to quicken obedience, and obedience to &s;trengthen confidence; That confidence is not a &s;pirituall re&s;t, but a <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 37. 3. 52. 8.</NOTE> <HI>carnall &s;ecurity,</HI> which hopes in the promi&s;e, and yet obey|eth not the <HI>Precept;</HI> very ob&s;ervable therefore is both <HI>Da|vid</HI>'s <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Qua&s;i diceret, non otio&s;us, ne|que de&s;idio&s;us, neque infructuo|&s;us in Deo &s;pe|rabam, &s;ed oleo charitatis deli|butus, &amp; bono|rum operum fructibus locu|pletatus, in&s;tar oliv<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> fructife|rae meam in Deo fiduciam repo|nebam.</HI> Mend. T. 2.</NOTE> a&s;&s;ertion and exhortation el&s;where; his a&s;&s;ertion con|cernes him&s;elf, <HI>I am like a green Olive-tree, I tru&s;t the more in God,</HI> intimating that the lamp of his confidence was fed with the oyl of good works; his exhortation is to others, <HI>Tru&s;t in the Lord and do good,</HI> implying, that a right tru&s;t in God puts upon <HI>doing good,</HI> and a &s;edulous <HI>doing good emboldneth</HI> to <HI>tru&s;t</HI> in God, &s;o that the&s;e two not only may, but mu&s;t meet together in every Saint, return he ought to his re&s;t, but withall he <HI>mu&s;t walk.</HI></P>
<P><HI>To let this go,</HI> and <HI>return</HI> to what hath been already hinted. That which is here e&s;pecially con&s;iderable is, that <HI>David</HI> re|&s;olveth to <HI>look</HI> to the <HI>regulating</HI> of his <HI>life,</HI> and the well <HI>or|dering</HI> his externall <HI>actions.</HI> If you ca&s;t your <HI>eyes</HI> on the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Qui &s;pem in Deo &s;ixam ha|bet &amp; per illam laborare &amp; la|borio&s;os virtutis fructus produ|cere non recu&s;at</HI> Theod. in p&s;al. 51.</NOTE> <HI>ver&s;e</HI> of his <HI>P&s;alme,</HI> you find a <HI>profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of <HI>love, I love the Lord,</HI> if on the <HI>&s;econd,</HI> a <HI>promi&s;e</HI> of <HI>prayer, I will call on the Lord,</HI> if on this <HI>ver&s;e,</HI> a <HI>re&s;olve</HI> of <HI>walking, I will walk be|fore the Lord.</HI> There are <HI>three</HI> things &s;hould be the <HI>object</HI> of a Saints <HI>care,</HI> the <HI>devotion</HI> of the <HI>&s;oul, profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of the <HI>mouth,</HI> and <HI>conver&s;ation</HI> of the <HI>life;</HI> that is the &s;weete&s;t <HI>melody</HI> in <HI>Gods eares,</HI> when not onely the <HI>voyce &s;ings,</HI> but the <HI>heart|&s;trings</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Magnificatur Deus in nobis a|pud incredulos &amp; infideles, &s;i &s;ecundum prae|cepta Domini vivamus, &s;i bo|nis operibus lu|ceamus.</HI> Chro|mat. in Matth. cap. 5. Matth. 5. 16.</NOTE> keep <HI>tune,</HI> and the <HI>hand</HI> keepeth <HI>time;</HI> all of the&s;e are ob&s;ervable in good <HI>David,</HI> with his <HI>heart</HI> he <HI>loveth God,</HI> with his <HI>lips</HI> he <HI>calleth upon God,</HI> in his <HI>life</HI> he <HI>walketh be|fore God;</HI> and truly, this <HI>la&s;t</HI> ought not to be the <HI>lea&s;t</HI> of our <HI>care,</HI> and that in re&s;pect of <HI>God, others, our &s;elves.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. It is our <HI>walking</HI> that <HI>glorifieth God.</HI> So much our ble&s;|&s;ed <HI>Saviour</HI> expre&s;&s;eth, when he <HI>calleth</HI> upon his <HI>Di&s;ciples,</HI> and in them all <HI>Chri&s;tians, to let their light &s;hine before men, to wit the light</HI> of <HI>grace</HI> within, <HI>&s;hine</HI> in the <HI>actions</HI> of their <HI>lives</HI> without, <HI>that men &s;eeing their good works might glo|rify their Father which is in heaven;</HI> a good <HI>heart deligh|teth God,</HI> but it a good <HI>life honoureth</HI> him. It is the <HI>fruitful|nes</HI>
<PB N="21" REF="13">
of the <HI>vineyard</HI> which <HI>credits</HI> the <HI>husbandman;</HI> when we <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 15. 8.</NOTE> <HI>bring forth much fruit</HI> then is <HI>our Father glorified.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 7. 16. <HI>De dilectione conditoris lin|gua mens &amp; vita requiran|tur Nunquam est Dei amor o|lio&s;us, Operatur etenim magna &s;i e&s;t: &s;i vero operar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> renuit amor non e&s;t.</HI> Greg. in E|vang. hom. 30. <HI>Signum amoris non e&s;t in affe|ctione ani<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">i, &s;ed in &s;ludio bonae operationis. Id. lib.</HI> 1. Reg. c. 4. James 2. 16. Luk. 6. 44.</NOTE></P>
<P N="2">2. It is our <HI>walking</HI> that <HI>edifyeth others.</HI> It is not <HI>fire</HI> in the <HI>embers,</HI> but <HI>fire</HI> that <HI>flameth</HI> forth which <HI>warmeth;</HI> it is not <HI>grace</HI> in the <HI>heart;</HI> but in the <HI>life</HI> that <HI>profiteth;</HI> if the <HI>believing husband</HI> would <HI>gain</HI> the <HI>unbelieving wife,</HI> or <HI>wife</HI> the <HI>husband,</HI> S. <HI>Pauls</HI> advi&s;e is, <HI>&s;o let him walk;</HI> if we would be <HI>exemplary</HI> to <HI>others,</HI> it mu&s;t be in <HI>walking before others;</HI> it is not our <HI>inward</HI> di&s;po&s;ition, but our <HI>outward</HI> conver&s;ation which hath an <HI>influence</HI> on <HI>them</HI> with <HI>whom</HI> we <HI>conver&s;e.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. It is our <HI>walking</HI> that in &s;ome &s;en&s;e <HI>ju&s;tifieth our &s;elves.</HI> Nothing &s;o truly <HI>&s;peaketh</HI> a <HI>man</HI> as his <HI>conver&s;ation;</HI> a <HI>man is not</HI> alwayes <HI>what he &s;eemeth</HI> or <HI>&s;aith,</HI> but he is <HI>what he doth.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. This <HI>ju&s;tifieth</HI> the <HI>reality</HI> of our <HI>inward di&s;po&s;ition</HI> to <HI>man. God</HI> indeed <HI>judgeth</HI> the <HI>actions</HI> by the <HI>affections,</HI> but <HI>men judge</HI> of our <HI>affections</HI> by our <HI>actions. Show me thy faith,</HI> &s;aith Saint <HI>James by thy works;</HI> &s;o &s;ay <HI>men, &s;how</HI> us your <HI>faith,</HI> your <HI>love,</HI> by your <HI>works; Every tree is known by its fruits,</HI> &s;aith our ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Saviour,</HI> by what we <HI>do</HI> men <HI>know</HI> what we <HI>are.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 32. <HI>&V;bi e&s;t ignis di|vinae dilectionis flammas immit|tit per &s;ene&s;tras oculorum, or<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">, manuum &amp; pe|dum.</HI> Guada|lupe in Luc. 1 John 5. 3. John 14. 13. <HI>Nam &s;icut nihil e&s;t tam leve quod ei non gra|ve &s;it qui invi|tus facit: &s;ic ni|hil e&s;t tam grave quod non <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i qui id libenter ex&s;e|quitur leve e&s;&s;e videatur.</HI> Sal. de gub. Dei l. 1. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">vota intentio ac commendanda &s;pes &s;i facta re&s;pondi&s;&s;ent intentioni ac &s;pei.</HI> Cajet. in Reg. l. 1.</NOTE></P>
<P N="2">2. Yea this <HI>ju&s;tifieth</HI> the <HI>truth</HI> of our <HI>good affections</HI> in <HI>them&s;elves.</HI> Indeed an <HI>heart enlarged</HI> will not onely <HI>walk,</HI> but <HI>run the way of Gods Commandements;</HI> and therefore &s;aith S. <HI>Gregory, where love is pre&s;ent there will be a proportionable acting,</HI> and <HI>if there be a refu&s;ing to act, it argueth love to be ab&s;ent.</HI> The truth is, <HI>love</HI> is neither <HI>idle,</HI> nor <HI>weary,</HI> it is <HI>wil|ling</HI> to <HI>walk,</HI> and the <HI>walk</HI> &s;eemeth <HI>ea&s;y;</HI> &s;o much S. <HI>John</HI> ex|pre&s;&s;eth, when he &s;aith, <HI>this is the love of God, that we keep his Commandements, and his Commandements are not grievous.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Nay, yet once more, this <HI>ju&s;tifieth</HI> the <HI>&s;incerity</HI> of our <HI>intentions</HI> in the <HI>&s;ight</HI> of <HI>God.</HI> They are <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> expre&s;s <HI>words: If any man love me, he will keep my commandements;</HI> onely the <HI>obedient,</HI> is an <HI>acceptable</HI> lover in <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> ac|count; yea his <HI>Judiciall</HI> proceeding at the <HI>la&s;t day</HI> will not be according to what is <HI>within,</HI> but what is <HI>without,</HI> nor will God onely, or &s;o much <HI>enquire</HI> at <HI>that day,</HI> what thy
<PB N="22" REF="14">
<HI>thoughts</HI> or thy <HI>de&s;ires</HI> have been, as what thy <HI>actions</HI> have been. <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>O&s;lende mihi, id e&s;t ut placeat mihi, &amp; ellam ut mihi &s;is hono|ri, faciem tuam, id e&s;t operatio|nem tuam.</HI> An&s;. in Cant.</NOTE></P>
<P>Let none therefore <HI>flatter</HI> them&s;elves in their good <HI>mean|ings,</HI> devout <HI>affections,</HI> pious <HI>intentions,</HI> while&s;t yet their <HI>lives</HI> are <HI>barren</HI> and <HI>fruitle&s;s;</HI> as <HI>men do not gather grapes of thornes, nor figs of thi&s;tles,</HI> &s;o neither can <HI>thorns</HI> be ga|thered from <HI>grapes,</HI> nor <HI>thi&s;tles</HI> from <HI>figs;</HI> and as we cannot <HI>expect</HI> a <HI>clean</HI> thing from an <HI>unclean,</HI> &s;o neither an <HI>unclean</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>O&s;lende mihi a&s;|pectum tuum &amp; opera tua bo|na.</HI> Par. Cald. in Ghi&s;t. &s;uper Cant.</NOTE> thing from a <HI>clean.</HI> It is a meere <HI>delu&s;ion</HI> to think that an <HI>holy heart</HI> can con&s;i&s;t with a <HI>prophane life,</HI> nay to allude to Saint <HI>Johns</HI> expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>if any may &s;ay he love God,</HI> and <HI>wal|keth</HI> not <HI>before</HI> him, <HI>he is a lyar:</HI> Since his <HI>practi&s;e</HI> giveth the <HI>lye</HI> to his <HI>pro&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;ion,</HI> and the <HI>di&s;&s;onancie</HI> of his <HI>life pro|claimeth</HI> a <HI>no</HI> to what he <HI>&s;aith</HI> with his <HI>lips.</HI> And therefore let us all think we heare <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;peaking to us as he did to his <HI>Spou&s;e, Let me &s;ee thy countenance,</HI> to wit in <HI>good works,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 17 16. 1 John. 4. 20. C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nt. 2. 14.</NOTE> &s;o the <HI>Chaldoes Paraphra&s;e,</HI> as well as <HI>heare thy voyce;</HI> and again, <HI>Set me as a &s;eal upon thy heart, as a &s;ignet upon thy arm,</HI> not onely <HI>upon thy heart</HI> by a pious <HI>affection,</HI> but <HI>on thy arm</HI> by a religious <HI>conver&s;ation;</HI> this is that which <HI>David</HI> here <HI>purpo&s;ed,</HI> when he &s;aith, <HI>I will walk.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>Conjugation</HI> is no le&s;s <HI>Ob&s;ervable</HI> than the <HI>verb,</HI> as giving to it the <HI>&s;ignification</HI> of a <HI>frequentative;</HI> hence the &s;ame word is rendred el&s;where a <HI>going on,</HI> and here by <HI>Vata|blus,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word"> me ut &s;ig|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">aculum in cor|de tuo quo fides t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a pl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">no fulge|at &s;acrament<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, ut &s;ignaculum &s;uper br<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">chium tuum quo opera <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word"> luce<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nt.</NOTE> <HI>continenter ambulabo, I will continually walk;</HI> &s;o that we have hereby &s;ome thing <HI>further</HI> expre&s;&s;ed concerning the <HI>matter</HI> of <HI>Davids</HI> re&s;olve, namely a <HI>progre&s;&s;ive con&s;tancy in a religious conver&s;ation.</HI> That you may di&s;cern what plain <HI>foo|ting</HI> this <HI>truth</HI> hath in this <HI>Scripture</HI> be plea&s;ed to <HI>trace</HI> it in the&s;e three &s;teps:</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>Metaphor</HI> it &s;elf of <HI>walking,</HI> intimateth &s;o <NOTE PLACE="marg">Amb. de in it. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> lib. <HI>Signaculum Chri&s;tus in f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">on|te e&s;t, &s;ignacu|lum in corde; in fronte, ut &s;emper <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word">; in co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">de, ut &s;emper diligamus; &s;ignaculum in brachi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, ut &s;emper operemur.</HI> Id. de I&s;aac &amp; an. <HI>Verhum</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>in qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rta conjugatione habet &s;ignificationem, verborum frequent ativorum <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ud L<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tinos.</HI> Moll. in Pa&s;l. Vatabl. in lo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> much.</P>
<P>To <HI>walk</HI> is not to take a <HI>&s;tep</HI> or two, in a <HI>path,</HI> but to <HI>continue going,</HI> till we <HI>come</HI> to our <HI>journeys end;</HI> nor is it on|ly
<PB N="23" REF="14">
a <HI>continued,</HI> but a <HI>progre&s;&s;ive</HI> motion, every <HI>&s;tep</HI> a man ta|keth, he gaineth <HI>more ground,</HI> and is &s;o much <HI>neerer</HI> the <HI>term</HI> of his <HI>motion.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>conjugation</HI> carieth in it an <HI>addition</HI> to the <HI>verbe; walking</HI> implieth a <HI>repetition</HI> of <HI>&s;teps,</HI> and <HI>this</HI> a <HI>frequency</HI> of <HI>walking;</HI> indeed the mo&s;t proper <HI>&s;ignification</HI> of it, is <HI>recipro|call,</HI> but &s;ometimes it is <HI>frequentative,</HI> and in this <HI>verbe,</HI> it is mo&s;t <HI>&s;uitably</HI> &s;o to be <HI>con&s;trued, a&s;&s;idu&egrave;, continu&ograve; ambulare,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Buxt. lex.</NOTE> to <HI>walk</HI> on <HI>daily</HI> and <HI>con&s;tantly.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The <HI>meaning</HI> of tho&s;e <HI>words, in the land of the living,</HI> may be <HI>under&s;tood</HI> in the &s;ame &s;en&s;e, with tho&s;e at the <HI>&s;econd</HI> ver&s;e, <HI>as long as I live;</HI> and &s;o they <HI>confirm</HI> this <HI>truth; Davids</HI> purpo&s;e is, to <HI>&s;erve God,</HI> not only for a <HI>day</HI> or a <HI>year,</HI> but <HI>always,</HI> during the <HI>whole time</HI> of his <HI>abode</HI> in this <HI>world.</HI></P>
<P>This then is the <HI>pattern</HI> here &s;et before us, <HI>as</HI> not to be <HI>good</HI> onely <HI>within,</HI> but <HI>without;</HI> &s;o not onely to be <HI>good,</HI> but <HI>better,</HI> yea to <HI>hold fa&s;t</HI> our <HI>goodnes</HI> to the <HI>end.</HI></P>
<P>Indeed as the <HI>morali&s;t</HI> &s;aith, <HI>una actio non denominat,</HI> it is not <HI>one action that denominateth a man, either, vertuous, or vitious;</HI> no man &s;o <HI>evill</HI> but may <HI>do</HI> &s;ome <HI>good,</HI> nor &s;o <HI>good</HI> but may <HI>do</HI> &s;ome <HI>evill;</HI> on the <HI>one hand</HI> we find <HI>Cain</HI> &s;acri|ficing, <HI>Saul Prophecying, Jezabel fa&s;ting, Ahab humbling,</HI> and the <HI>Phari&s;ees praying;</HI> on the <HI>other hand</HI> we may ob|&s;erve, a <HI>Noah overtaken with wine,</HI> a <HI>Lot committing Ince&s;t,</HI> a <HI>David falling into adultery,</HI> and a <HI>Peter guilty of perjury:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Ba&s;. in p&s;al. 14.</NOTE> It is not then <HI>particular</HI> acts, but the <HI>generall</HI> cour&s;e of the life, by which we mu&s;t <HI>judge,</HI> either our <HI>&s;elves</HI> or <HI>others. Ap|po&s;ite</HI> to this <HI>purpo&s;e</HI> is <HI>Saint Ba&s;ils note</HI> on the&s;e <HI>words</HI> of the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t; he that walketh uprightly: It is not he that hath walked, but he that doth walk: for one action doth not &s;peak a man good, but his frequent practice.</HI> Indeed <HI>this</HI> is that which <HI>differenceth</HI> a <HI>godly</HI> from a <HI>wicked</HI> man, the <HI>wicked</HI> man like the <HI>thief</HI> may &s;ometimes <HI>cro&s;s</HI> the <HI>Kings high way,</HI> but &s;till his <HI>walk</HI> is in <HI>by-paths;</HI> the <HI>godly</HI> man may &s;ometimes be <HI>drawn a&s;ide</HI> into a <HI>by-path,</HI> but &s;till <HI>Religion</HI> is his <HI>road;</HI> and therefore if thou would&s;t pa&s;&s;e a <HI>right</HI> cen&s;ure, ob&s;erve the&s;e <HI>two</HI> things, the con&s;tant <HI>bent</HI> of thy <HI>heart,</HI> and <HI>cour&s;e</HI> of thy <HI>life; ask</HI> thy &s;elf, <HI>what is my love, whither tends my
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walk?</HI> and accordingly <HI>judge righteous judgment.</HI></P>
<P>And as this mu&s;t be the <HI>rule</HI> of thy <HI>cen&s;ure,</HI> &s;o let it be the <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ad explican|dum quod ab ineunte aetate profecit in viz Dei &amp; per&s;eve|ravit proficien|do in ea &s;amper.</HI> Cajet. in Gen.</NOTE> <HI>&s;cope</HI> of thy <HI>endeavour</HI> to <HI>walk</HI> con&s;tantly in the <HI>way</HI> of <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI> We read concerning <HI>Henoch,</HI> that it is <HI>twice</HI> &s;aid, <HI>he walked with God; once</HI> about the <HI>beginning</HI> of his <HI>age</HI> after he <HI>begat Methu&s;elah,</HI> and againe <HI>before</HI> his <HI>tran|&s;lation,</HI> to intimate his <HI>continuance</HI> in that <HI>walk,</HI> till the <HI>end</HI> of his <HI>life;</HI> It is that which the <HI>Scripture</HI> calleth for, under <NOTE PLACE="marg">Quae loquendi ratio con&s;tanti|am animi &s;igni|ficat &amp; invi|ctum robur, &s;ive ittam ducat ex|qui&s;ita cognitio|ne praeditus A|po&s;tolus &agrave; gla|diatorio ludo &amp; ca&s;tris, nam gla|diator &amp; miles &s;tare in gradu dicuntur, &s;ive &agrave; columnis quae <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;tare in ha&s;i dicuntur Symbolo filmi|tudinis &amp; &s;oli|dae cou&s;tantiae.</NOTE> the Metaphor of <HI>&s;tanding,</HI> as well as <HI>walking;</HI> &s;o the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> advi&s;eth the <HI>Ephe&s;ians,</HI> having <HI>done all, to &s;tand,</HI> as a <HI>pillar</HI> in the <HI>building: (per&s;everance</HI> being the <HI>pillar</HI> of <HI>obedi|ence)</HI> or rather as a <HI>&s;ouldier</HI> in the <HI>field</HI> who <HI>keepeth</HI> his <HI>ground.</HI> It is the <HI>de&s;ire</HI> of <HI>David</HI> that the <HI>lifting up of his hands might be as an evening &s;acrifice;</HI> Saint <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> asketh the <HI>que&s;tion, why not as a morning &s;acrifice?</HI> and he <HI>an&s;we|reth</HI> it aptly to this pre&s;ent <HI>purpo&s;e, becau&s;e the morning &s;a|crifice expects the evening, but when the evening is done, the &s;ervice of the day is fini&s;hed:</HI> &s;uch would <HI>David</HI> have his <HI>&s;er|vice</HI> to <HI>be,</HI> not onely <HI>begun,</HI> but <HI>compleated.</HI> Very <HI>fitly</HI> is this <HI>expre&s;&s;ed</HI> by that <HI>phra&s;e</HI> of <HI>&s;upping with Chri&s;t;</HI> it is not e|nough to <HI>break our fa&s;t</HI> with <HI>him</HI> by <HI>good beginnings,</HI> nor yet to <HI>dine</HI> with him by &s;ome <HI>forward progre&s;s,</HI> but we mu&s;t <HI>&s;up with him</HI> by <HI>con&s;tant per&s;everance,</HI> till at la&s;t we <HI>lye down</HI> in the <HI>bed of the grave,</HI> and <HI>&s;leep</HI> the <HI>&s;leep of death.</HI> The truth is, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Cre&s;ol. de vir|tur. T. 2. cap. 1. Sect. 4. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Chryfo&s;t. in p&s;al. 140. Hieron in Galat.</NOTE> <HI>non tam initia &s;unt in bonis &s;tudiis &s;pectanda quam finis,</HI> it is not &s;o much to <HI>get</HI> as to <HI>keep the faith,</HI> to <HI>have done well,</HI> as to <HI>continue</HI> doing to the <HI>end;</HI> and he mu&s;t <HI>carry</HI> his <HI>goodne&s;s</HI> to the <HI>grave,</HI> who will have it <HI>carry</HI> him to <HI>heaven.</HI> The <HI>&s;acrifice</HI> which we <HI>offer</HI> to <HI>God</HI> mu&s;t have a <HI>tayl</HI> as well as an <HI>head,</HI> and the <HI>coat</HI> of <HI>piety</HI> mu&s;t be not only <HI>partico|loured,</HI> for <HI>variety</HI> of <HI>graces,</HI> but <HI>down</HI> to the <HI>heels</HI> by <HI>per|&s;everance.</HI></P>
<P>Nor yet is this all, having <HI>begun,</HI> we mu&s;t <HI>continue,</HI> and in <HI>continuing</HI> we mu&s;t <HI>move forward</HI> from <HI>&s;tep</HI> to <HI>&s;tep, grace</HI> to <HI>grace.</HI> It is &s;aid of <HI>Aarons rod,</HI> that it <HI>brought forth buds and bloomed blo&s;&s;oms, and yeelded Almonds:</HI> whereby is <HI>&s;ha|dowed</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 13. 14. Rev. 3. 20. Numb. 17. 8.</NOTE> forth the daily <HI>progre&s;s</HI> of a <HI>Saint,</HI> from the <HI>buds</HI> of <HI>thoughts</HI> to the <HI>blo&s;&s;oms</HI> of <HI>words,</HI> from the <HI>blo&s;&s;oms</HI> of <HI>words</HI>
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to the <HI>Almonds</HI> of <HI>works,</HI> or (as <HI>Origen)</HI> from the <HI>Buds</HI> of <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>E&s;t ergo pri|mum germen prima hominis in Chri&s;to con|fe&s;&s;io, &s;ecund&ograve; fronde&s;cit ubi renatus donum gratiae Dei ex Spiritus Sancti puri&s;icatione &s;u&s;ceperit, inde affert flores ubi proficere coeperit &amp; morum &s;uae|vitate decorari ac fragrantiam mi&s;ericordiae &amp; benignitatis ef|fundere, &amp;c.</HI> Orig. hom. 9. in num.</NOTE> <HI>beginnings,</HI> to the <HI>Blo&s;&s;oms</HI> of <HI>increa&s;e,</HI> yea the <HI>Almonds</HI> of <HI>perfection.</HI> As <HI>God</HI> in the <HI>Creation</HI> proceeded, from <HI>imperfect,</HI> to <HI>more perfect</HI> Creatures, <HI>Plants</HI> to <HI>Bea&s;ts, Bea&s;ts</HI> to <HI>Man:</HI> &s;o mu&s;t <HI>we,</HI> from <HI>one</HI> degree of <HI>goodne&s;s</HI> to <HI>another.</HI> Nor mu&s;t we onely <HI>hold out</HI> till we come to the <HI>end,</HI> but as we draw <HI>nearer</HI> the <HI>end, run</HI> the fa&s;ter: and (to u&s;e St. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI>'s compari&s;on) as <HI>Pilots,</HI> having pa&s;s'd many <HI>&s;torms,</HI> are ex|ceeding <HI>&s;olicitous,</HI> le&s;t they &s;hould mi&s;carry in their approach to the <HI>Haven;</HI> or as <HI>Runners</HI> put them&s;elves forth the <HI>mo&s;t,</HI> when they approach <HI>neare&s;t</HI> the <HI>Goal:</HI> &s;o &s;hould we, as <HI>every day</HI> we are <HI>nearer</HI> the <HI>Grave,</HI> draw <HI>nearer Hea|ven.</HI> Our <HI>goodne&s;s</HI> mu&s;t not be <HI>like the Morning-Cloud,</HI> that quickly vani&s;heth, but like the <HI>ri&s;ing Sun,</HI> that &s;hineth brighter; not like the <HI>early Dew,</HI> that is &s;oon dried up, but like the <HI>green Olive-tree,</HI> which flouri&s;heth more and more: And as the <HI>la&s;t Wine</HI> of the <HI>Fea&s;t</HI> was the <HI>be&s;t,</HI> &s;o our <HI>la&s;t Works</HI> be better than our <HI>fir&s;t.</HI> Though then <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Parum e&s;t adi|pi&s;ci aliquid po|tui&s;&s;e plus e&s;t quod adeptus es po&s;&s;e &s;ervare.</HI> Cypr. Epi&s;t 7. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Chry&s;o&s;t. in Gen. orat. 30.</NOTE> we mu&s;t <HI>&s;tand</HI> as it is oppo&s;ed to <HI>going backward,</HI> or <HI>running</HI> away, yet we mu&s;t <HI>not &s;tand</HI> as it is oppo&s;ed to <HI>going for|ward,</HI> or <HI>walking on:</HI> We are not at the end of our <HI>race,</HI> till the end of our <HI>life;</HI> and therefore mu&s;t not think of <HI>&s;taying in the way,</HI> but of <HI>ha&s;tning to the end.</HI> The Man <HI>cured</HI> of his <HI>Pal&s;ie</HI> mu&s;t not onely <HI>ri&s;e,</HI> but <HI>take up his Bed, and go to his Hou&s;e,</HI> Math. 9. 6. <HI>Christ</HI> calls upon his <HI>Love</HI> not onely <HI>to ri&s;e, but come away;</HI> and that not <HI>once,</HI> but <HI>again,</HI> Cant. 2. 10. 13. <HI>Non operis boni, &s;ed mali feriae &s;unt,</HI> &s;aith St. <HI>Am|bro&s;e;</HI> We mu&s;t cea&s;e from <HI>&s;in,</HI> but not from <HI>good;</HI> a <HI>Saint</HI> keepeth <HI>every day</HI> as an <HI>Holy-day</HI> in re&s;pect of <HI>peace</HI> of <HI>con|&s;cience,</HI> and yet <HI>every day</HI> as a <HI>work-day</HI> in re&s;pect of the <HI>actings</HI> of <HI>grace. Chri&s;t</HI> healed them that were <HI>&s;ick</HI> on the <HI>Sabbath-day,</HI> as well as on any <HI>other;</HI> to intimate, that there is no <HI>day,</HI> no not the <HI>day of re&s;t,</HI> wherein we may <HI>cea&s;e</HI> from <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Semper adde, &s;emper ambula, &s;emper profice, noli in via re|mancre.</HI> Aug. Serm. 15. de verb. Apo&s;t. <GAP DESC="foreign">. Gr. Ny&s;&s;. in Cant. Ambro&s;. in Luc. 13. Bern. epi&s;t.</NOTE> <HI>religious actions; Vera virius finem ne&s;cit, Grace,</HI> like <HI>Fire,</HI> is of a <HI>re&s;tle&s;s</HI> nature, &s;till <HI>a&s;cending.</HI> Thou mu&s;t never &s;ay with the <HI>rich Fool, Soul take thy ea&s;e,</HI> but &s;till re&s;olve with
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<HI>David, I will walk.</HI> And that thou may&s;t not <HI>erre</HI> in thy <HI>walking,</HI> be &s;ure to <HI>perform</HI> it in the <HI>right manner;</HI> and that is,</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Before the Lord;</HI> the <HI>particular</HI> that cometh next to be <HI>handled.</HI> If you plea&s;e to <HI>ob&s;erve</HI> the <HI>Scripture-phra&s;e,</HI> you &s;hall find three &s;everal <HI>expre&s;&s;ions</HI> frequently <HI>u&s;ed;</HI> to wit, <HI>walking with God, after God,</HI> and <HI>before God; po&s;tures</HI> which in a <HI>literal</HI> &s;en&s;e are <HI>incon&s;i&s;tent:</HI> It is impo&s;&s;ible for a <HI>Man</HI> at the <HI>&s;ame time</HI> to <HI>walk before</HI> and <HI>after</HI> another; and if he <HI>walk</HI> with, he is neither <HI>before</HI> nor <HI>after.</HI> But all of the&s;e in a <HI>&s;piritual &s;en&s;e</HI> may well <HI>agree together;</HI> nay the truth is, they are all <HI>one</HI> in <HI>&s;ub&s;tance,</HI> though yet <HI>each</HI> hath its <HI>par|ticular</HI> and <HI>emphatical</HI> &s;ignification.</P>
<P N="1">1. It is &s;aid of <HI>Enoch,</HI> that he <HI>walked with God,</HI> Gen. 5. 22. and that implyeth an heavenly, holy, and <HI>humble,</HI> yet <HI>familiar enjoyment</HI> of <HI>God</HI> in our <HI>way. Can two walk together and not be agreed?</HI> Amos, 3. 3. is the <HI>Prophets que&s;tion,</HI> thereby intending a <HI>negation; God</HI> and a <HI>Saint</HI> are agreed and acquainted, becau&s;e they <HI>walk together.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. It is &s;aid of <HI>Jo&s;iah,</HI> that <HI>he made a Covenant to walk after the Lord,</HI> 2 King. 23. 3. in <HI>oppo&s;ition</HI> to which is the <HI>phra&s;e</HI> of <HI>walking after other Gods, and the imaginations of their own hearts,</HI> Jer. 16. 11. and it <HI>imports</HI> as much as a <HI>following</HI> tho&s;e <HI>directions God</HI> hath <HI>given</HI> us in his <HI>Word,</HI> e&s;pecially in <HI>matters</HI> of his <HI>Wor&s;hip.</HI> He goeth <HI>before us,</HI> as it were with the <HI>light</HI> of his <HI>Word</HI> in his <HI>hand,</HI> and we are to <HI>follow after.</HI></P>
<P>Finally, It is <HI>God</HI>'s pre&s;cript to <HI>Abraham, Walk before me, and be perfect,</HI> Gen. 17. 1. and that is, when (as to <HI>allude</HI> to that <HI>known expre&s;&s;ion) Manus ad clavum, oculus ad coe|lum,</HI> as our <HI>hand</HI> is upon the <HI>work,</HI> &s;o our <HI>eye</HI> upon <HI>God</HI> in every thing we do; which is the <HI>ground</HI> of that <HI>uprightne&s;s</HI> call'd in the <HI>Scripture-dialect, perfection.</HI></P>
<P><HI>In &s;um,</HI> we walk <HI>with God,</HI> as a &s;weet <HI>Companion; after God,</HI> as a commanding <HI>Lord; before. God,</HI> as an ob&s;erving <HI>Judge;</HI> we walk <HI>with him,</HI> as his <HI>Friends; after him,</HI> as his <HI>Servants; before him,</HI> as his <HI>Children;</HI> finally, we walk <HI>with him,</HI> by an humble <HI>familiarity; after him,</HI> by a regular
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<HI>conformity; before him,</HI> by a cordial <HI>integrity;</HI> and this is <HI>David</HI>'s re&s;olve, <HI>I will walk before the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>To <HI>give</HI> you the full <HI>meaning</HI> of this <HI>phra&s;e,</HI> be plea&s;ed to con&s;ider <HI>three</HI> things in reference to a <HI>Saint</HI>'s <HI>walk</HI> which the&s;e words, <HI>before the Lord,</HI> may <HI>in&s;truct</HI> us in; namely, the right <HI>way</HI> wherein he mu&s;t <HI>go;</HI> the &s;pecial <HI>motive</HI> to incite him to his <HI>walk;</HI> and the principal <HI>end</HI> whereat he ought to <HI>aim:</HI> Of <HI>each a word.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Before the Lord,</HI> intimateth the <HI>way;</HI> and that either in <HI>particular,</HI> or in <HI>general.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. In <HI>particular;</HI> the <HI>way of God's wor&s;hip,</HI> and &s;o to <HI>walk before the Lord,</HI> is, <HI>Occupatum e&s;&s;e in cultu Dei,</HI> to be fre|quently <NOTE PLACE="marg">Lorin. in loc.</NOTE> <HI>conver&s;ant in religious performances;</HI> &s;o that this <HI>ambulare</HI> may be <HI>interpreted</HI> by <HI>adorare coram Domino,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>I</HI> Mu&s;c. ibid.</NOTE> <HI>will walk,</HI> as much as, <HI>I will wor&s;hip before the Lord. Co|ram Domino intelligo de Tabernaculo Domini, Before the Lord</HI> is as much as <HI>in the Tabernacle of the Lord;</HI> where was the <HI>Ark,</HI> a <HI>&s;ign</HI> of his <HI>&s;pecial pre&s;ence;</HI> whither <HI>David</HI> re|&s;orted, that he might give <HI>God</HI> the <HI>wor&s;hip</HI> due to him, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 75. 6. So that we may <HI>expound</HI> this <HI>walking before God</HI> by that which he &s;aith el&s;where, <HI>I will dwell in the Hou&s;e of the Lord for ever,</HI> P&s;al. 23. 6. Indeed in re&s;pect of this con|&s;tant <HI>re&s;idence</HI> in <HI>God's Hou&s;e</HI> to offer <HI>&s;acrifice,</HI> the <HI>Prie&s;ts</HI> are &s;aid to <HI>walk before him,</HI> 1 Sam. 2. 30. For though <HI>God</HI> be <HI>everywhere,</HI> yet he is more <HI>peculiarly pre&s;ent</HI> in his <HI>Hou&s;e:</HI> The whole <HI>World</HI> is his <HI>Court,</HI> but the <HI>Church</HI> his <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. Chry&s;. in Cor. Ep. 1. Serm. 36. P&s;al. 95. 2.</NOTE> <HI>Chamber of Pre&s;ence.</HI> Well then may they who <HI>&s;erve at his Altar</HI> be &s;aid to <HI>walk before him.</HI> Nor is it <HI>onely</HI> true of <HI>them,</HI> but of <HI>all</HI> who <HI>frequent God's Hou&s;e,</HI> &s;ince then they <HI>come before his pre&s;ence,</HI> and <HI>draw nigh</HI> to him in a more <HI>&s;pecial manner.</HI></P>
<P>That then which according to this <HI>expo&s;ition</HI> we may <HI>ob&s;erve,</HI> is, the <HI>temper</HI> of a <HI>godly</HI> man, what he taketh mo&s;t <HI>delight</HI> in, <HI>giveth him&s;elf</HI> to, and de&s;ireth to <HI>imploy him&s;elf</HI> about, to wit, <HI>God's immediate wor&s;hip</HI> and &s;ervice, and that <HI>e&s;pecially</HI> in the <HI>Publick A&s;&s;emblyes.</HI> VVhat <HI>Plea&s;ure</HI> is to the <HI>Voluptuous, Honour</HI> to the <HI>Ambitious, Wealth</HI> to the <HI>Covetous, Applau&s;e</HI> to the <HI>Vain-glorious,</HI> that is <HI>God's wor|&s;hip</HI>
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to the <HI>Religious,</HI> the <HI>Chief,</HI> nay the <HI>All</HI> he delights in. And therefore this holy <HI>Prophet</HI> el&s;where maketh <HI>this</HI> his <HI>one,</HI> nay <HI>onely reque&s;t</HI> to <HI>God (which</HI> being <HI>granted,</HI> it <HI>matters</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Non divitias quaero &amp; po|tentiam, nec regnum &amp; glo|riam ver&ugrave;m di|vino Templo continu&ograve; a&s;&s;i|dere, &amp;c.</HI> Theodor. in P&s;alm.</NOTE> <HI>not</HI> what el&s;e is <HI>denied</HI> him, and <HI>which</HI> he would not cea&s;e <HI>&s;eeking after</HI> till it were <HI>granted</HI> him) <HI>that he might dwell in the Hou&s;e of the Lord all the daies of his life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and enquire in his Temple,</HI> P&s;al. 27. 4. Indeed as a <HI>Mole</HI> in the <HI>Earth,</HI> a <HI>Fi&s;h</HI> in the <HI>Sea,</HI> a <HI>Bird</HI> in the <HI>Air,</HI> &s;o is a <HI>Saint</HI> in the <HI>Hou&s;e of God,</HI> to wit, as in his <HI>proper place:</HI> no wonder if <HI>David</HI> de&s;ire to <HI>dwell</HI> in it <HI>all his daies.</HI> In <HI>God's Hou&s;e</HI> it is that <HI>God manife&s;teth</HI> him&s;elf to his <HI>Servants,</HI> and his <HI>Servants behold his Beauty, ask</HI> his <HI>coun&s;el,</HI> and &s;weetly <HI>conver&s;e</HI> with him; well may the <HI>P&s;al|mi&s;t</HI> not onely <HI>de&s;ire,</HI> but <HI>&s;eek</HI> after it. So <HI>amiable</HI> is <HI>com|munion with God</HI> to a <HI>pious</HI> man, that even in <HI>earthly</HI> bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;es he hath <HI>heavenly</HI> thoughts; and whil'&s;t he walketh <HI>before men</HI> in <HI>civil</HI> conver&s;ation, he is <HI>&s;till with God</HI> in <HI>&s;piritual</HI> affections. Surely then, he cannot but be in <HI>love</HI> with <HI>Religious Duties,</HI> wherein he &s;o <HI>immediatly</HI> conver&s;eth with, and <HI>walketh before God.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. In <HI>general;</HI> the <HI>way of God's commandments,</HI> and &s;o to <HI>walk before God,</HI> is, to <HI>walk ad nutum &amp; voluntatem Dei,</HI> in that <HI>way</HI> which <HI>God</HI> is plea&s;ed to <HI>&s;et before us: Ex eju&s;dem</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Lorin. in loc. <HI>Ambulare co|ram Deo e&s;t &s;emper e&s;&s;e pa|ratum, expedi|tumque atque intentum ad id quodcunque velle ac <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ubere Deum noverit prompte &amp; ala|criter exequen|dum ut &s;olent e&s;&s;e Mini&s;tri ac &s;eni in con&s;pectu Dominorum &s;uorum.</HI> Perer. in Gen. 17.</NOTE> <HI>praecepto velle omnia facere &amp; vivere,</HI> to <HI>re&s;ign</HI> up our <HI>&s;elves</HI> to the <HI>guidance</HI> of <HI>God's Word</HI> and <HI>will</HI> in <HI>all</HI> things. It is &s;aid of <HI>Zachary</HI> and <HI>Elizabeth,</HI> that they were <HI>righteous before God,</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Luk. 1. 6.</NOTE> <HI>walking in all the Commandments of the Lord blame|le&s;s:</HI> where <HI>one phra&s;e</HI> explaineth <HI>another.</HI> So that if you would know what it is to be <HI>righteous before God,</HI> it is to <HI>walk in all the Lord's Commandments.</HI> VVhat <HI>other expo&s;i|tion</HI> need we, or <HI>better</HI> can we have of <HI>this phra&s;e,</HI> than <HI>God</HI> him&s;elf giveth in that <HI>&s;peech</HI> of his to <HI>Salomon; If thou walk before me as</HI> David <HI>thy Father walked, to do according to all that I have commanded thee,</HI> 1 Chron. 7. 14. VVherein is plainly intimated, that <HI>to do according to all God's com|mands,</HI> is, <HI>to walk before him.</HI> So that this <HI>phra&s;e</HI> of <HI>walk|ing before</HI> (in this &s;en&s;e) is much like that of <HI>&s;tanding be|fore:</HI> And as <HI>Servants</HI> &s;tand <HI>before</HI> their <HI>Lord</HI> ready to <HI>per|form</HI>
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his <HI>injunctions,</HI> or <HI>Scholars before</HI> their <HI>Ma&s;ter</HI> to <HI>re|ceive</HI> his <HI>in&s;tructions,</HI> &s;o do <HI>holy</HI> men <HI>before God</HI> to <HI>&s;ulfill</HI> his <HI>pre&s;criptions.</HI></P>
<P>It informeth us in the <HI>character</HI> of a <HI>true Saint;</HI> he is one who <HI>walketh before God, avoyding</HI> what he <HI>forbiddeth, performing</HI> what he <HI>commandeth,</HI> and &s;o <HI>making</HI> his <HI>Law</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Hac lucerna accen&s;a e&s;t in omni verbo, &amp; omni opere, ad hanc lucernam gre&s;&s;us no&s;ter fo|ren&s;is internu&s;&abque; moveatur.</HI> Ambro&s;. in P&s;alm. 118. oct. 14.</NOTE> the <HI>rule</HI> and <HI>&s;quare</HI> of all his <HI>actions.</HI> This is that which el&s;where this <HI>holy</HI> man more expre&s;ly <HI>profe&s;&s;eth,</HI> when he &s;aith, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">P&s;. 119. 105.</NOTE> <HI>Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet, and a Light unto my paths,</HI> namely, to <HI>guide</HI> him in all his <HI>actions</HI> both in|ward and outward, of <HI>heart,</HI> and <HI>tongue,</HI> and <HI>hand.</HI> A true <HI>Saint</HI> dareth not <HI>go</HI> a <HI>&s;tep further</HI> than this <HI>light</HI> goeth <HI>be|fore him;</HI> nor will he <HI>refu&s;e</HI> to <HI>go</HI> whither&s;oever this <HI>Lamp leadeth</HI> him; <HI>Speak Lord, for thy &s;ervant heareth,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Sa|muel,</HI> 1 Sam. 3. 9. when <HI>God appeared</HI> to him. <HI>Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?</HI> Act. 9. 6. was <HI>Paul</HI>'s voyce when <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> manife&s;ted him&s;elf unto him. This is a <HI>truly pious</HI> temper, when our <HI>heart ecchoeth</HI> to <HI>God's voyce,</HI> and we are <HI>willing</HI> to <HI>obey</HI> what&s;oever he is <HI>plea&s;ed</HI> to <HI>command.</HI> O, my <HI>Brethren,</HI> often ask your &s;elves the&s;e <HI>Que&s;tions, Before whom do I walk? At who&s;e command am I? What are my waies? Doth the Spirit or the Fle&s;h govern me? Is carnal rea&s;on, or God's Word, my rule?</HI> Believe it, <HI>onely they</HI> who <HI>walk be|fore God now,</HI> &s;hall with joy <HI>appear before him hereafter;</HI> and onely they who <HI>walk in the way of his precepts,</HI> do in a <HI>religious</HI> &s;en&s;e <HI>walk before him.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Before the Lord</HI> may very fitly be <HI>con&s;trued</HI> by <HI>&s;ubejus oculis,</HI> to <HI>walk,</HI> as <HI>remembring</HI> that we are <HI>under his eye,</HI> and all our <HI>actions</HI> obvious to his <HI>in&s;pection:</HI> In which <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ambulare co|ram Deo e&s;t &s;emper intueri Deum qua&s;i prae&s;entem &s;ibi &amp; idcirco cau|ti&s;&s;imum mode|rati&s;&s;imum &amp; devoti&s;&s;imum Deo &s;emper in|cedere.</HI> Perer. in Gen. Prov. 3. 6. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> they carry in them a &s;ingular <HI>motive</HI> to, and <HI>help</HI> in the <HI>right ordering our conver&s;ation,</HI> namely, a &s;erious <HI>con&s;idera|tion of God's pre&s;ence.</HI></P>
<P>It is the coun&s;el of the <HI>Wi&s;e Man</HI> to his <HI>Son, In all thy waies acknowledge him, and he &s;hall direct thy path:</HI> The <HI>Vulgar</HI> Latine readeth it, <HI>Cogita Deum,</HI> in every thing thou take&s;t in hand <HI>think on God:</HI> And truly the very <HI>thought</HI> of <HI>God</HI> (if <HI>&s;erious)</HI> would be an excellent <HI>means</HI> to <HI>direct our paths.</HI> He mu&s;t needs <HI>walk right</HI> who doth <HI>nothing to which</HI>
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he dare not <HI>crave God's a&s;&s;i&s;tance,</HI> or <HI>from which</HI> he would <HI>de&s;ire God's ab&s;ence.</HI> Thus did that pious <HI>Father</HI> acknow|ledge <HI>God,</HI> which made him &s;ay, <HI>Lord, what&s;oever I do, I</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Quicquid facio ante te facio, &amp; illud quicquid e&s;t quod facio melius vides quam ego qui &s;anio.</HI> Aug. Solil. <HI>Cum nos videri non credimus in &s;ole clau&s;os ocu|los tenemus. Illum videlicet nobis ab&s;condi|mus, non nos illi.</HI> Greg. Moral. l. 25. c. 4.</NOTE> <HI>do it before thee; and what&s;oever it is I do, thou knowe&s;t it better than I who do it.</HI> The &s;ame, <HI>David</HI> el&s;where expre&s;&s;eth to have been his <HI>temper,</HI> when he &s;aith, <HI>All my waies are before thee,</HI> P&s;al. 119. 168. and again, <HI>I &s;et the Lord al|waies before me,</HI> P&s;al. 16. 8.</P>
<P>Indeed we are <HI>before God</HI> even when we will <HI>not</HI> &s;et him <HI>before us.</HI> To <HI>per&s;wade</HI> our &s;elves <HI>God</HI> doth <HI>not &s;ee</HI> us, is but to <HI>&s;hut our eyes</HI> while&s;t the <HI>Sun-beams &s;hine</HI> upon <HI>us:</HI> VVe may by this means <HI>hide God</HI> from our <HI>&s;elves,</HI> but we cannot hide our <HI>&s;elves</HI> from <HI>God:</HI> How much better therefore is it for us all to make a <HI>virtue</HI> of <HI>nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> by <HI>keeping</HI> our <HI>eyes</HI> on <HI>him</HI> who&s;e <HI>eye</HI> is <HI>alwaies</HI> upon <HI>us!</HI></P>
<P>VVere this duty of <HI>walking</HI> (in this &s;en&s;e) <HI>before God</HI> well <HI>practi&s;ed,</HI> how would it teach us to <HI>walk before our &s;elves!</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Qui vitam &s;u|am &s;ollicitus a&s;picit quia &s;e ante &s;e ponit, coram &s;e ambu|lat.</HI> Id. in Ezek. l. 1. hom. 5.</NOTE> and the <HI>thought</HI> of divine <HI>in&s;pection</HI> put us upon diligent <HI>circum&s;pection.</HI> The truth is, <HI>look</HI> we never &s;o <HI>narrowly</HI> into, <HI>watch</HI> we never &s;o <HI>carefully</HI> over our <HI>&s;elves, God</HI> will <HI>&s;ee</HI> tho&s;e <HI>faults</HI> in <HI>us</HI> which <HI>we &s;ee not</HI> in our <HI>&s;elves.</HI> No marvel if the <HI>con&s;ideration</HI> of a divine <HI>a&s;pect</HI> make us to &s;ay, <HI>We will take heed to our waies,</HI> P&s;al. 39. 1. Indeed this it is which will be both a <HI>bridle</HI> to our <HI>&s;ins,</HI> and a <HI>&s;pur</HI> to our <HI>graces,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Sancti viri tan|to &s;e &s;ubtilius in cogitatione con&s;tringunt quanto &agrave; &s;uper|no judice di&s;tri|cti&ugrave;s con&s;iderari con&s;piciunt, &amp;c.</HI> Id. Mor. l. 21. c. 4. Plut. de Util. cap. ab ho&s;te. Sen. Epi&s;t. 11.</NOTE> <HI>keep</HI> us from <HI>wandring,</HI> and <HI>inoite</HI> us to <HI>walking.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. He that <HI>walketh before God</HI> cannot but <HI>&s;tand</HI> in <HI>awe</HI> of his <HI>pre&s;ence,</HI> and therefore <HI>dare</HI> not <HI>wander</HI> into <HI>by-paths.</HI> A <HI>Conjurer</HI> being brought before that <HI>holy</HI> man, Mr. <HI>Tindall,</HI> profe&s;&s;ed he could not <HI>do</HI> any of his <HI>feats</HI> in <HI>his pre&s;ence:</HI> Much le&s;s would we <HI>dare</HI> to <HI>act</HI> any <HI>wickedne&s;s,</HI> did we <HI>walk</HI> in <HI>God's &s;ight. Plutarch</HI> advi&s;eth <HI>Men</HI> to <HI>live</HI> as if their <HI>Enemies</HI> were their continual <HI>Over&s;eers. Seneca,</HI> as if <HI>Cato, Laelius,</HI> or &s;ome <HI>grave Man</HI> were their <HI>Supervizor.</HI> If the <HI>imagination</HI> of their <HI>pre&s;ence</HI> would <HI>lay</HI> upon Men a great <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nullum majus fraenum, nulla efficacior ratio componendi mores quam ambulare ante fociem princi|pis.</HI> Cajet. <HI>Magna nobis indicta e&s;t nece&s;&s;ita<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> rect&egrave; vivendi, qui omnia facimus ante oculos judicis cuncta cernentis.</HI> Boe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, de Con&s;ol.</NOTE> <HI>re&s;traint,</HI> how much more would the <HI>meditation</HI> of <HI>Gods,</HI> who is <HI>really</HI> and continually <HI>pre&s;ent.</HI> VVhat <HI>Man</HI> would be &s;o <HI>impudent</HI> as to <HI>&s;teal</HI> before the <HI>Judges face?</HI> or act any thing <HI>un&s;eemly</HI> in his <HI>Princes &s;ight?</HI> VVould it not
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then be a great <HI>curb</HI> to our <HI>licenciou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> did we con&s;ider <NOTE PLACE="marg">Antonin. hi&s;t. part. 2. c. 15. <HI>Agens propheta &s;ub Judice &amp; Scrutatore cor|dium Deo in cu&s;todi&acirc; man|datorum Dei permanet. Non vias &s;eculi, neque vias vi|tiorum inc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">dit, &amp;c.</HI> Hilar. in P&s;al. 118.</NOTE> that the <HI>King</HI> of <HI>Kings,</HI> and <HI>Judge of all the World looketh on?</HI> And in as much as <HI>God's pre&s;ence</HI> is <HI>univer&s;al,</HI> this <HI>re|&s;traint</HI> will be <HI>general,</HI> not onely from <HI>open,</HI> but <HI>&s;ecret</HI> wan|drings, in the <HI>clo&s;et</HI> as well as in the <HI>&s;treet,</HI> of the <HI>heart</HI> as well as of the <HI>life.</HI> Eccle&s;ia&s;tical <HI>Hi&s;torie</HI> tels us of &s;ome no|torious <HI>Strumpets</HI> whom this <HI>argument</HI> hath converted, That <HI>God &s;eeth</HI> in the <HI>dark,</HI> when the <HI>Doors</HI> are <HI>fa&s;t, Windows &s;hut,</HI> and <HI>Curtains clo&s;e:</HI> Surely he <HI>dare</HI> not <HI>&s;in any where,</HI> who <HI>pondereth</HI> this <HI>duly,</HI> that <HI>God is every where.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Nor will this <HI>walking before God</HI> onely <HI>bridle &s;in,</HI> but <HI>quicken grace,</HI> by <HI>the fear of God</HI> not onely <HI>filthine&s;s is clen&s;ed,</HI> but <HI>holine&s;s is per&s;ected.</HI> A <HI>Noble,</HI> and much more a <HI>Royal Spectator,</HI> puts any one upon much <HI>diligence</HI> in the <HI>execution</HI> of any <HI>action:</HI> He that remembreth <HI>God beholds him,</HI> cannot but be very <HI>exact</HI> and &s;edulous in his <HI>perfor|mances,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Deus totus o|culus e&s;t quia omnia videt, totus manus e&s;t quia omnia ope|ratur, totus pes e&s;t quia ubique e&s;t.</HI> Aug. Epi&s;t. 111. <HI>Est pro&s;ecto De|us qui cuncta quae facis vi|det &amp; judicat.</HI> Horat. Capt.</NOTE> that though they cannot be <HI>worthy of,</HI> yet they may be &s;ome way <HI>meet for</HI> &s;o <HI>glorious a Maje&s;tie.</HI> O therefore let that of <HI>Salomon</HI> be often in our <HI>minds, The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good,</HI> Prov. 15. 3. or that of the Apo&s;tle, <HI>All things are naked and open to his eyes with whom we have to do,</HI> Heb. 4. 12. or that of St. <HI>Augu&s;tin, God is all Eye, which therefore cannot be de|ceived, becau&s;e it is never clo&s;ed;</HI> or, if you will, that of the <HI>Poet, Verily there is a God who &s;eeth and judgeth all our acti|ons:</HI> &s;o &s;hall our whole <HI>life</HI> be a continual <HI>walking before God.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. La&s;tly, <HI>Before the Lord,</HI> may very rationally be <HI>referred</HI> to that which ought to be our chief <HI>aim</HI> and <HI>end</HI> in all we <HI>do,</HI> namely, <HI>the approving our &s;elves to God.</HI> Both the <HI>Septuagint</HI> and the <HI>Vulgar</HI> Latine read the&s;e words thus, <HI>I will do that</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. Septuag. <HI>Placebo Domi|no.</HI> Vulg. Gen. 5. 24. Heb. 11. 5.</NOTE> <HI>which is plea&s;ing in the &s;ight of the Lord.</HI> Yea that &s;ynonimous phra&s;e of <HI>walking with God,</HI> is &s;o <HI>rendred</HI> by the <HI>Author</HI> to the <HI>Hebrews</HI> concerning <HI>Enoch, that he plea&s;ed God.</HI> It is a truly <HI>pious di&s;po&s;ition</HI> to <HI>grieve</HI> at nothing more than <HI>offend|ing,</HI> and delight in nothing more than the <HI>plea&s;ing</HI> of <HI>God;</HI> to <HI>fear</HI> le&s;t any thing we <HI>do</HI> &s;hould be <HI>di&s;ta&s;tfull,</HI> and indeavour that all our <HI>actions</HI> may be <HI>acceptable</HI> in <HI>Gods &s;ight;</HI> finally, to
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be <HI>di&s;plea&s;ed</HI> with <HI>nothing</HI> that <HI>God doth,</HI> and (as near as we can) to <HI>do nothing</HI> which may <HI>di&s;plea&s;e God.</HI> For this the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> prayed in behalf of the <HI>Hebrews,</HI> that the <HI>God of Peace would work in them that which is well-plea&s;ing in his &s;ight.</HI> To this St. <HI>Paul</HI> exhorteth the <HI>The&s;&s;alonians by the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 13. 21.</NOTE> <HI>Lord Je&s;us,</HI> That <HI>as they had received of him how they ought to walk, and plea&s;e God, &s;o they would abound more and more.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;&s;. 4. 1.</NOTE> The <HI>defect</HI> of this was <HI>matter</HI> of <HI>&s;orrow</HI> to <HI>Pambo</HI> and <HI>Ca|rino,</HI> who &s;eeing an <HI>Harlot</HI> to <HI>&s;pend</HI> a great deal of <HI>time</HI> and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Socrat. Eccle&s;. hi&s;t. l. 4. c. 23. <GAP DESC="foreign">. Geom. Parad. in B. P. T. 1. Gr. Lat. 1. King. 8. 23. 9. 4. 2 King. 20. 3. I&s;a. 38. 3.</NOTE> <HI>pains</HI> in <HI>decking</HI> her <HI>&s;elf</HI> to <HI>plea&s;e</HI> her <HI>Lovers, wept</HI> that they had been le&s;s <HI>carefull</HI> to <HI>plea&s;e God.</HI> In fine, this is that which here <HI>David</HI> re&s;olveth upon&punc; <HI>I will plea&s;e the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>It is very ob&s;ervable, that this phra&s;e of <HI>walking before God,</HI> in <HI>Scripture</HI> is frequently joyned with <HI>integrity of heart</HI> and <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> with <HI>truth</HI> and a <HI>perfect heart:</HI> So that this <HI>walking before God</HI> is to be taken in <HI>oppo&s;ition</HI> to <HI>Hypocri&s;ie,</HI> which is onely a <HI>walking before Man.</HI> This indeed is a &s;pecial <HI>difference</HI> between a <HI>&s;incere</HI> hearted Man, and an <HI>Hypocrite:</HI> The <HI>Hypocrites prai&s;e</HI> is <HI>not of God, but of Men;</HI> the <HI>upright</HI> Mans <HI>prai&s;e is not of Men, but of God:</HI> The <HI>one</HI> in his <HI>&s;ervices</HI> to <HI>God looketh</HI> at <HI>Man;</HI> the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 2. 29.</NOTE> <HI>other</HI> in all his <HI>actions,</HI> even towards <HI>Man, looketh</HI> at <HI>God:</HI> The <HI>one</HI> onely <HI>de&s;ireth</HI> to <HI>&s;eem good</HI> that he may <HI>plea&s;e Men;</HI> the <HI>other</HI> to <HI>be good</HI> that he may <HI>plea&s;e God.</HI></P>
<P>O let us take heed of <HI>contenting</HI> our <HI>&s;elves</HI> with a <HI>Phari|&s;aical righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> who&s;e de&s;ire was <HI>to be &s;een,</HI> and care onely to be <HI>approved of Men;</HI> of whom therefore <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 6. 1, 2.</NOTE> &s;aith, <HI>they have their reward,</HI> to wit, <HI>humane applau&s;e;</HI> and <HI>they have no reward,</HI> to wit, <HI>from God.</HI> Indeed how can it be <HI>expected</HI> that tho&s;e <HI>&s;ervices</HI> which are onely <HI>rented</HI> forth to <HI>Mens eyes,</HI> &s;hould have any <HI>payment</HI> at <HI>God's hands?</HI> The <HI>truth</HI> is, no <HI>folly</HI> to that of <HI>Hypocri&s;ie.</HI> VVhat <HI>madne&s;s</HI> is it to regard the <HI>fellow-&s;ervants eye,</HI> and not the <HI>Ma&s;ters?</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. Chry&s;o&s;t. hom. 3. de Uzz.</NOTE> VVhat <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s</HI> is it to <HI>de&s;ire</HI> that <HI>one</HI> &s;hould be a <HI>Specta|tor,</HI> and <HI>expect another</HI> to be a <HI>rewarder</HI> of thy <HI>actions?</HI> Yet <HI>thus</HI> doth the <HI>Hypocrite</HI> who coveteth <HI>glory</HI> from <HI>Man,</HI> but <HI>&s;eeketh</HI> not <HI>God's approbation,</HI> who <HI>aimeth</HI> at <HI>plea&s;ing Man,</HI> and hopes a <HI>recompence</HI> from God.</P>
<P><PB N="33" REF="19">
Let it then, O let it be our <HI>wi&s;dome,</HI> to endeavour that with <HI>Noah</HI> we may <HI>find grace in the eyes of the Lord;</HI> of <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 6. 8. <GAP DESC="foreign">. Id. hom. 23. in Gen. 2 Chron. 26. 4 <GAP DESC="foreign">. Id. hom. 3. de Uzz.</NOTE> <HI>whom,</HI> from tho&s;e words St. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom</HI> excellently <HI>ob&s;erveth,</HI> That <HI>divine commendation was his onely &s;cope, not weighing either the applau&s;e or reproach of the Old World.</HI> Let that <HI>character</HI> which was given of <HI>Uzziah,</HI> be ours, of <HI>whom</HI> it is &s;aid, <HI>He did that which was right in the &s;ight of the Lord;</HI> upon which that &s;ame <HI>Father</HI> affirmeth, <HI>It is not onely &s;aid he did what was right, but it is emphatically added, in the &s;ight of the Lord, as oppo&s;ite to o&s;tentation before Men.</HI> Finally, let <HI>Zachary</HI> and <HI>Elizabeth</HI> be our <HI>patterns,</HI> of whom it is &s;aid, <HI>They were both righteous before God;</HI> Truly no <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> will &s;tand us in any <HI>&s;tead</HI> but that which is &s;o <HI>before God; God &s;eeth not as Man &s;eeth;</HI> and hence it is, that <HI>many are ju&s;t in the eyes of Men, who are wicked in God's &s;ight;</HI> and tho&s;e whom Men <HI>prize</HI> as <HI>Silver,</HI> God <HI>re|jecteth</HI> as <HI>Dro&s;s.</HI> Whatever then others do, let our <HI>eyes</HI> be upon <HI>God,</HI> and our <HI>care,</HI> that as we are <HI>beheld by,</HI> &s;o we may be <HI>accepted of him,</HI> that &s;o we <HI>now plea&s;ing him,</HI> he may <HI>one</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Non omnis qui justus e&s;t ante homines, ju&s;tus e&s;t ante Deum, aliter vident homines aliter videt Deus.</HI> Ambro&s;. in Luc.</NOTE> <HI>day plea&s;e us;</HI> and we here <HI>delighting him</HI> with the <HI>&s;ight</HI> of our <HI>integrity</HI> in <HI>heart,</HI> and <HI>uprightne&s;s</HI> in <HI>life,</HI> he may hereafter <HI>delight us</HI> with the <HI>&s;ight</HI> of his <HI>re&s;plendent glory</HI> to all <HI>eternity.</HI></P>
<P>To <HI>&s;um</HI> up this part; if you will have in <HI>few</HI> words the <HI>extent</HI> of this <HI>walking before God comprized,</HI> I cannot do it better than in <HI>words</HI> much like tho&s;e of <HI>Lapide</HI> concerning <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Cogita &s;ub ocu|lis Dei nos &s;tare &s;pectante ac ju|dicante ip&s;o conver&s;ationis ac vitae no&s;trae curricula de|currere, perve|nire nos tunc demum po&s;&s;e ut cum videre con|tingat &s;i ip&s;um nunc videntem delectemus actibus no&s;tris, &s;i nos dignos gratia ejus praebeamus, &s;i placituri &s;en per in regno in hoc mundo ant&egrave; plateamus.</HI> Cypr. de Zelo. <HI>Ambulare cum Deo tuo,</HI> i. e. <HI>per omnia Deo adhaerere, eum ubique prae oculis habere, illius ju&s;&s;a voluntatem &amp; nutum exact&egrave; ob|&s;ervare &amp; explere, illi per omnia placere &amp; &s;atisfacere.</HI> Lapid. in Mic. 6.</NOTE> <HI>walking with God:</HI> To <HI>walk before,</HI> or <HI>with God,</HI> is <HI>to be frequent in drawing nigh unto him; to &s;et him ever in our &s;ight, and our &s;elves in his, according to our abi|lity to fulfill his will, and obey his precepts; in all things to endeavour that we may plea&s;e him, approving our &s;elves in &s;incerity of heart to him.</HI> So that in this <HI>phra&s;e</HI> we have as it were a brief <HI>dclineation</HI> of the <HI>Saint's walk;</HI> the <HI>path</HI> it &s;elf is <HI>divine command;</HI> the <HI>hedge</HI> to keep him in this path,
<PB N="34" REF="20">
is <HI>divine pre&s;ence;</HI> the <HI>end</HI> which he propo&s;eth to him&s;elf, is <HI>divine acceptance;</HI> and the <HI>foot</HI> whereby he <HI>walketh</HI> in this <HI>way,</HI> to this <HI>end,</HI> is an <HI>even</HI> and <HI>upright heart:</HI> all which <HI>David</HI> re&s;olveth upon, when he &s;aith here, <HI>I will walk before the Lord.</HI> I have done with the <HI>&s;econd,</HI> pa&s;s we on to the <HI>la&s;t particular</HI> con&s;iderable in the <HI>duty,</HI> to wit, the <HI>place,</HI> or <HI>time</HI> of <HI>performance.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>In the Land of the Living.</HI> The&s;e <HI>words</HI> admit of a <HI>three-fold</HI> interpretation, being under&s;tood</P>
<P>By &s;ome, <HI>e&s;pecially for the Land of</HI> Judea.</P>
<P>By others, <HI>eminently</HI> for <HI>the</HI> Jeru&s;alem <HI>which is above.</HI></P>
<P>By the mo&s;t, and mo&s;t <HI>probably,</HI> for this <HI>habitable Earth,</HI> the <HI>pre&s;ent World.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. That expo&s;ition which <HI>Cajetan, Lorinus,</HI> with others, give of the <HI>words,</HI> would not be <HI>rejected,</HI> who conceive that by <HI>the Land of the Living, David</HI> here meaneth <HI>Judea, in which,</HI> or rather <HI>over which</HI> being con&s;tituted <HI>King,</HI> he <HI>re|&s;olveth</HI> to <HI>walk before God,</HI> and <HI>do</HI> him <HI>&s;ervice.</HI> This is <HI>not improbably</HI> that <HI>Land of the Living</HI> in <HI>which</HI> the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t,</HI> when an <HI>Exile, believed to &s;ee the goodne&s;s of the Lord,</HI> this is <HI>certainly</HI> that <HI>Land of the Living</HI> wherein <HI>God</HI> pro|mi&s;eth <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 27. 13. Ezek. 26. 20. <HI>Illam &s;e vivo|rum a&s;timare regionem a&s;&s;erit, ubi colitur ve|rus ac vivus Deus, non mor|tua &s;imulacra: ubi etiam &s;up|petunt vitae cor|porali tran|&s;igendae &s;ub&s;idia opportuna, coeli ac &s;oli bonitas, victus abun|dantia, copia rerum ad ho|ne&s;tam volupta|tem con&s;etenti|um.</HI> Lorin. in P&s;alm. P&s;al. 115. 5, 6.</NOTE> to <HI>&s;et his glory:</HI> Nor was this <HI>title</HI> without <HI>ju&s;t rea|&s;on applyed,</HI> yea <HI>appropriated</HI> to <HI>that Countrey.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Partly,</HI> becau&s;e it was a <HI>Land</HI> which afforded the mo&s;t plentifull <HI>&s;upports</HI> and <HI>comforts</HI> of <HI>natural</HI> life, in regard of the <HI>whole&s;omne&s;s</HI> of the <HI>Climate,</HI> the <HI>goodne&s;s</HI> of the <HI>Soyl,</HI> the <HI>overflowing of Milk</HI> and <HI>Honey,</HI> with other <HI>conveniences</HI> both for <HI>food</HI> and <HI>delight.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Chiefly,</HI> becau&s;e it was the <HI>Land</HI> in which the <HI>Living God</HI> was <HI>wor&s;hipped,</HI> and where he vouch&s;afed to <HI>place his Name;</HI> whereas the other parts of the <HI>World</HI> wor&s;hipped <HI>livele&s;s</HI> things, of which the P&s;almi&s;t &s;aith, <HI>They have mouths, and &s;peak not; eyes, and &s;ee not; ears, and hear not.</HI></P>
<P>And though in <HI>this &s;en&s;e</HI> the <HI>words</HI> &s;eem <HI>e&s;pecially</HI> to con|cern <HI>David,</HI> or, at the furthe&s;t, <HI>onely</HI> the <HI>Jews,</HI> yet by way of <HI>Analogie</HI> it concerneth <HI>us;</HI> in as much as this <HI>appellation</HI> upon the &s;ame <HI>rea&s;ons</HI> no le&s;s ju&s;tly <HI>belongeth</HI> to our <HI>Land</HI>
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wherein our <HI>lines are fallen,</HI> a <HI>Land</HI> enriched with all man|ner of <HI>abundance, enamelled</HI> with variety of <HI>delights;</HI> and, which is far beyond all the re&s;t, <HI>ble&s;&s;ed</HI> with the <HI>Dew of Heaven</HI> as well as <HI>fatne&s;s of the Earth, God</HI> having been plea&s;ed for <HI>many years</HI> to vouch&s;afe the <HI>enjoyment</HI> of his <HI>Or|dinances</HI> to this <HI>Land. O my Brethren,</HI> how <HI>great</HI> is our <HI>&s;hame,</HI> how <HI>&s;ad</HI> will be our <HI>doom,</HI> who are as <HI>barren</HI> Trees in &s;o <HI>fruitfull</HI> a Soyl! &s;it in <HI>darkne&s;s,</HI> notwith&s;tanding &s;o <HI>glorious</HI> a <HI>Light!</HI> yea <HI>remain</HI> in the <HI>Congregation of the Dead,</HI> whil&s;t in the <HI>Land of the Living?</HI> No wonder if God have &s;uffered &s;o thick a <HI>Cloud</HI> to ob&s;cure the <HI>lu&s;tre</HI> of his <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> among us, and our <HI>Land</HI> &s;eem at <HI>this day</HI> as it were <HI>dying,</HI> and ready to <HI>give up the gho&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>The Land of the Living</HI> is con&s;trued by the <HI>An|tients</HI> to be that <HI>Heavenly Countrey,</HI> the <HI>place</HI> of the <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed.</HI></P>
<P>Indeed this <HI>appellation</HI> doth mo&s;t fitly agree to <HI>Heaven;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Aug. epi&s;t. 121. <HI>Illa vita e&s;t vi|talis, dulcis, &amp; amabilis, ubi certa &s;ecuritas, &amp; &s;ecura tran|quillitas, &amp; tranquilla ju|cunditas, &amp; jucunda fali|citas, &amp; faelix aeternitas, &amp; aeterna beatitu|do.</HI> Id. de Spec. Tract. 6. <GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> this <HI>World</HI> is <HI>De&s;ertum mortuorum,</HI> a De&s;art of Dead, at lea&s;t <HI>dying Men;</HI> that onely is <HI>Regio vivorum,</HI> a Region of <HI>living</HI> Saints. <HI>He who is our life,</HI> is in <HI>Heaven,</HI> yea, <HI>our life is hid with him in God;</HI> and therefore we cannot be &s;aid to <HI>live</HI> till we come <HI>thither.</HI> In <HI>compari&s;on</HI> of <HI>that,</HI> the <HI>na|tural life</HI> is not <HI>worthy</HI> of the <HI>name</HI> of <HI>life;</HI> yea, as <HI>Saints,</HI> we may be rather &s;aid to <HI>dye to &s;in,</HI> than to <HI>live to God</HI> on <HI>Earth;</HI> in <HI>Heaven</HI> it is we &s;hall po&s;&s;e&s;s that which is the truly <HI>vital</HI> and <HI>perfect life.</HI> That is the <HI>Land of the Living,</HI> as <HI>Gregory Ny&s;&s;en</HI> elegantly, <HI>where is no &s;in,</HI> and therefore <HI>can be no death:</HI> not this <HI>Earth,</HI> which, though it bring forth <HI>living Creatures,</HI> yet &s;uch as mu&s;t <HI>dye,</HI> and return to this <HI>Earth</HI> whence they came.</P>
<P>And as <HI>Heaven</HI> be&s;t de&s;erveth this <HI>appellation,</HI> &s;o in <HI>Hea|ven</HI> it is that we are mo&s;t ju&s;tly &s;aid to <HI>walk before the face of the Lord,</HI> the <HI>Beatifical Vi&s;ion</HI> being re&s;erved for that <HI>Countrey. Now we &s;ee,</HI> &s;aith St. <HI>Paul, in a gla&s;s, but then face to face;</HI> here being <HI>at home in the body, we are</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Greg. Ny&s;&s;. de Beat. Orat. 2. Col. 3. 3, 4. 1 Cor. 13. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 6, 8.</NOTE> <HI>ab&s;ent from the Lord;</HI> but when <HI>ab&s;ent from the body, we &s;hall be pre&s;ent with the Lord:</HI> So the &s;ame Apo&s;tle. Sweetly to this purpo&s;e St. <HI>Augu&s;tin</HI> and St. <HI>Hierom</HI> upon this <HI>text,</HI>
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according to the <HI>vulgar</HI> reading, <HI>ob&s;erve,</HI> that it is not <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>&V;bi placebo? in regione vi|vorum. Haec e|nim regio mor|tuorum e&s;t, alia e&s;t terra vivo|rum.</HI> Hieron, in P&s;al. 114.</NOTE> <HI>placeo,</HI> but <HI>placebo;</HI> we do not in a &s;trict &s;en&s;e <HI>plea&s;e God here,</HI> but <HI>we &s;hall hereafter;</HI> we do not now <HI>walk before his face</HI> of <HI>glory,</HI> but <HI>we &s;hall one day;</HI> &s;o that the very life of this mortal life con&s;i&s;ts in the hope of that immortal; and in a certain <HI>expectation</HI> of that <HI>future Vi&s;ion</HI> is all our <HI>pre&s;ent exultation.</HI></P>
<P>In <HI>this &s;en&s;e</HI> no doubt that devout <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> and <HI>Martyr,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Illam anima|rum requiem di|cit terrom e&s;&s;e viventium qu&ograve; p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ccata non pe|netrant, ubi vir|tutum vivit gloria.</HI> Amb<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. de bono mor|tis, cap. 9.</NOTE> <HI>Babilas,</HI> u&s;ed the <HI>words,</HI> who being condemned by <HI>Nu|merianus</HI> the <HI>Emperour</HI> to an unju&s;t <HI>death,</HI> a little before his <HI>execution, repeated this,</HI> and the <HI>two preceding Ver&s;es,</HI> with a <HI>loud voyce.</HI> Nor is it <HI>unfit</HI> for any <HI>dying</HI> Saint to <HI>comfort</HI> him&s;elf with the like <HI>application</HI> of <HI>the&s;e words,</HI> and <HI>&s;ay</HI> in a confident <HI>hope</HI> of that <HI>ble&s;&s;ed &s;ight, I &s;hall walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. But <HI>doubtle&s;s</HI> the <HI>literal</HI> and proper <HI>meaning</HI> of <HI>the&s;e</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tunc crimus in regione vivorum ex omni parte placentes in con&s;pectu Do mini, ex null&acirc; ab eo parte pe|regrini.</HI> Aug. in P&s;al. 114. <HI>Illud hoc loco praeterire non po&s;&s;um quod de</HI> Babyla Antio|chena <HI>Epi&s;co|po &s;cribit</HI> Sui|das, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Mol|ler. in loc. <GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> <HI>words</HI> (as hath been already declared) is of <HI>David's abode in this World;</HI> during which time, <HI>where&s;oever</HI> he &s;hould be, he would <HI>walk before God;</HI> for that &s;eems to be the <HI>empha&s;is</HI> of the <HI>plural</HI> number, <HI>Lands,</HI> according to the <HI>Original.</HI> The <HI>World</HI> con&s;i&s;ts of many <HI>Countreys,</HI> &s;everal <HI>Lands,</HI> and it is <HI>po&s;&s;ible</HI> for Men either by <HI>force,</HI> or <HI>willingly,</HI> to <HI>remove</HI> from <HI>one Countrey</HI> to <HI>another:</HI> But a <HI>good</HI> Man when he <HI>changeth</HI> his <HI>Countrey,</HI> yet <HI>altereth</HI> not his <HI>Religion,</HI> yea <HI>wherever he is,</HI> he <HI>re&s;olveth</HI> to <HI>&s;erve</HI> his <HI>God.</HI></P>
<P>The better to <HI>illu&s;trate</HI> this <HI>interpretation,</HI> give me leave to <HI>proceed</HI> by the&s;e <HI>three &s;teps.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. This pre&s;ent <HI>World</HI> is ju&s;tly called <HI>the Land of the Li|ving,</HI> or as it is in the <HI>Hebrew,</HI> a <HI>Land of lives.</HI> In <HI>this Land</HI> it is that <HI>every Man</HI> enjoyeth a <HI>natural life,</HI> and <HI>every Saint</HI> leadeth a <HI>&s;piritual life:</HI> In <HI>this Land</HI> it is, that as we <HI>enjoy</HI> a <HI>temporal,</HI> &s;o we <HI>lay hold on eternal life.</HI> Indeed that <HI>life</HI> which the <HI>Saints</HI> lead in <HI>Heaven,</HI> mu&s;t be <HI>begun</HI> on <HI>Earth; there</HI> it &s;hall be <HI>manife&s;ted,</HI> but <HI>here</HI> it's <HI>conferred; then</HI> is the <HI>con&s;ummation,</HI> but <HI>now</HI> mu&s;t be the <HI>inchoation</HI> of that <HI>life</HI> which &s;hall <HI>never end.</HI> And &s;urely &s;ince this is the <HI>Land</HI> wherein not onely the <HI>life</HI> of <HI>nature,</HI> but the <HI>life</HI> of <HI>grace</HI> is <HI>vouch&s;afed,</HI> yea that <HI>life</HI> of <HI>glory</HI> is <HI>obtained, a&s;&s;u|red,</HI>
<PB N="37" REF="21">
and after a &s;ort <HI>begun,</HI> it may very well <HI>de&s;erve</HI> this <HI>ap|pellation</HI> of <HI>the Land of the Living.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>In this World</HI> it is that we are mo&s;t properly &s;aid to <HI>walk;</HI> in <HI>Heaven</HI> we &s;hall be <HI>Comprehen&s;ores, Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ors,</HI> as in our <HI>Countrey;</HI> on <HI>Earth</HI> we are <HI>Viatores, Travellers,</HI> as in the <HI>way; there</HI> we &s;hall be on <HI>Thrones</HI> as <HI>Conquerors,</HI> here it is we <HI>march</HI> as <HI>Souldiers;</HI> finally, <HI>there</HI> we &s;hall <HI>&s;it down,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 3. 21.</NOTE> <HI>re&s;ting</HI> from <HI>all our labours, here</HI> it is we mu&s;t <HI>work</HI> and <HI>walk.</HI> The <HI>Temple,</HI> a <HI>type</HI> of <HI>Heaven,</HI> was <HI>fixed,</HI> and &s;o a <HI>place</HI> of <HI>re&s;t,</HI> where the <HI>People</HI> did <HI>&s;ettle</HI> and <HI>enjoy</HI> God's pre&s;ence: but the <HI>Tabernacle,</HI> a <HI>type</HI> of <HI>this World,</HI> was <HI>ambulatory, removed</HI> from <HI>place</HI> to <HI>place;</HI> after <HI>death</HI> we &s;hall <HI>lye</HI> in <HI>Abraham</HI>'s <HI>bo&s;ome,</HI> but in this <HI>life</HI> it is we <HI>walk in</HI> Abraham<HI>'s &s;teps.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 16 23. Rom. 4. 12.</NOTE></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>La&s;tly</HI> and <HI>chiefly, this</HI> pre&s;ent <HI>World</HI> is the <HI>place,</HI> and this <HI>life</HI> the onely <HI>time</HI> wherein this <HI>duty</HI> of <HI>walking before the Lord</HI> is to be <HI>performed.</HI> The <HI>term</HI> to which a <HI>Saint walketh</HI> is that <HI>other Land of the Living,</HI> the <HI>Heavenly Man&s;ion:</HI> but the <HI>ground</HI> whereon he mu&s;t <HI>walk,</HI> is this <HI>Earthly De&s;art.</HI> That which is here called <HI>the Land,</HI> is in that <HI>parallel Scripture</HI> &s;tiled <HI>the Light of the Living.</HI> In|deed, <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 56. 13. <HI>Quamdiu. vi|vis, quia po&s;t+mortem nullum gratificandi tempus.</HI> Eu|thym. in P&s;. 55. Joh. 9. 4.</NOTE> as our ble&s;&s;ed Saviour &s;aith, <HI>When the night</HI> (to wit, of <HI>death) cometh, no Man can work;</HI> the <HI>light,</HI> the <HI>day</HI> (name|ly of <HI>life)</HI> is the <HI>time</HI> allotted us for <HI>working.</HI> Not much un|like is that of <HI>Salomon, There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, nor wi&s;dome in the grave whither thou goe&s;t:</HI> Onely <HI>this time,</HI> whil&s;t we are <HI>going to the grave,</HI> is the <HI>&s;ea&s;on</HI> as of <HI>conver&s;ing</HI> with Men, &s;o <HI>walking before</HI> God. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 9. 10. I&s;a. 55. 6. <HI>Neque enim tunc erit invo|candi tempus quando nemini prop&egrave; erit Deus, aliis quidem prae&s;ens, aliis vero nimis val<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&egrave; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">emotus.</HI> Bern. de Qua|drage&s;. Ser. 3. Joh. 12. 35.</NOTE> Oh therefore let the <HI>Prophet's coun&s;el</HI> be <HI>acceptable, Seek the Lord whil&s;t he may be found, and call upon him whil&s;t he is near;</HI> that is, according to the <HI>Caldee</HI> ver&s;ion, <HI>whil&s;t we live,</HI> &s;ince as S. <HI>Bernard</HI> both <HI>wittily</HI> and <HI>piou&s;ly, After death there will be no time of calling upon God; when God &s;hall be &s;o pre&s;ent to the godly, that there will be no need; and &s;o re|mote from the wicked, that there will be no po&s;&s;ibility of cal|ling on him.</HI> Remember the <HI>advice</HI> which our ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Sa|viour</HI> gave the <HI>Jewes, Walk whil&s;t you have the light;</HI> which though there it be meant <HI>principally</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI>
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yet it may be <HI>&s;econdarily</HI> referred to this <HI>life;</HI> and whil&s;t we <HI>have</HI> this <HI>light of life,</HI> let it be our <HI>care</HI> to <HI>walk with God.</HI></P>
<P>To this <HI>end</HI> be plea&s;ed to <HI>con&s;ider</HI> &s;eriou&s;ly the&s;e <HI>two</HI> things.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>This pre&s;ent is the onely time.</HI> Whether we read the <HI>words, I will plea&s;e,</HI> or, <HI>I will walk,</HI> both are to be per|formed <HI>here,</HI> or not <HI>at all;</HI> after <HI>death</HI> there is no <HI>place</HI> ei|ther <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 11. 5. <HI>I ergo tu &amp; medio gehenne expectato &s;alu|tem qua jam facta e&s;t in me|dio terrae.</HI> Bern. in Cant. Serm. 75.</NOTE> for <HI>prayers</HI> or <HI>tears,</HI> in the <HI>grave</HI> there is neither <HI>ability</HI> nor <HI>opportunity</HI> of <HI>walking.</HI> It is &s;aid of <HI>Enoch,</HI> that <HI>before his tran&s;lation he had this te&s;timony</HI> (and &s;o <HI>mu&s;t we,</HI> if <HI>at all) that he plea&s;ed God,</HI> to wit&punc; by <HI>walking before him.</HI> It will be too <HI>late</HI> to <HI>begin</HI> this <HI>&s;piritual,</HI> when we are at the <HI>end</HI> of our <HI>natural journey; In vain is that &s;alvation hoped for in the mid&s;t of Hell, which was wrought in the mid&s;t of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nunc rapien|dum e&s;t regnum Dei, nunc &s;piritu vivendum, nunc &s;ini&s;tris abre|nuntiandum ut ibi &agrave; dextris locus reperiatur.</HI> Hug. Eter. de regre&s;&s;. anim. ab inf. 2 Cor. 6. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 17.</NOTE> <HI>the Earth. Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of &s;alvation;</HI> the <HI>prize</HI> of <HI>glory</HI> mu&s;t be <HI>won,</HI> and the <HI>race</HI> of <HI>piety run now,</HI> or <HI>never.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>The pre&s;ent time is but &s;hort, very &s;hort.</HI> Though the <HI>Inhabitants</HI> of this <HI>Land</HI> be onely <HI>living Men,</HI> yet they are not <HI>long lived;</HI> it is called by the Apo&s;tle, and mo&s;t <HI>ap<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ly, a time of &s;ojourning,</HI> and therefore our <HI>&s;tay</HI> cannot be <HI>long;</HI> this whole <HI>World</HI> is but as a common <HI>Inne,</HI> wherein &s;ome &s;tay but a <HI>few hours,</HI> the mo&s;t but a <HI>few daies,</HI> none can <HI>dwell alwaies.</HI></P>
<P>O then, as we mu&s;t go on <HI>con&s;tantly,</HI> &s;o let us begin <HI>pre|&s;ently;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Per</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>&amp;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>voces tum fluxa &amp; in&s;tabilia, tum firma &amp; &s;em|piterna &s;ignifi|cavit. Incola|tus enim e&s;t bre|vis commoratio &amp;c.</HI> Elias Cre|ten&s;. not, in Greg. Naz. Orat. 10. Gal. 6. 10. <GAP DESC="foreign">. Hipp. Aphor.</NOTE> the <HI>way</HI> is <HI>long,</HI> the <HI>day</HI> is <HI>&s;hort,</HI> the <HI>work</HI> great, the <HI>time</HI> little; we need not <HI>grudge</HI> to <HI>hold</HI> out till <HI>evening,</HI> we had need to <HI>&s;et</HI> forth in the <HI>morning;</HI> and whil&s;t we have <HI>opportunity,</HI> let us &s;eriou&s;ly <HI>re&s;olve,</HI> and &s;peedily <HI>practice</HI> this <HI>duty</HI> of <HI>walking before the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>And thus I have con&s;idered the <HI>words</HI> di&s;tinctly and <HI>ab|&s;olutely</HI> in them&s;elves, repre&s;enting to you both <HI>David's re|&s;olving</HI> upon a <HI>duty,</HI> and the <HI>duty</HI> upon which he <HI>re&s;olveth,</HI> in the <HI>matter, manner,</HI> and <HI>&s;ea&s;on</HI> of <HI>performance;</HI> it now remaineth that I proceed more briefly to a conjunctive and <HI>relative</HI> di&s;cu&s;&s;ion of them, as <HI>depending</HI> on the <HI>precedent</HI> ver&s;e, that you may &s;ee what was the impul&s;ive <HI>cau&s;e,</HI> ob|liging
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<HI>rea&s;on,</HI> inducing <HI>motive</HI> to put him upon this <HI>duty</HI> towards <HI>God,</HI> namely, <HI>God's mercy</HI> towards <HI>him.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Becau&s;e thou ha&s;t delivered, &amp;c. I will walk, &amp;c.</HI> The <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> of which <HI>connexion,</HI> if you plea&s;e, take in this larger <HI>paraphra&s;e;</HI> as if <HI>David</HI> had &s;aid, <HI>Oh my God, thou ha&s;t wiped away tears from my eyes, to thee therefore I will lift them up in thankfulne&s;s; thou ha&s;t kept my feet from falling, how can I imploy them better than in walking before thee? thou ha&s;t delivered my &s;oul from death, to whom but thee &s;hould I dedicate my life? it is thy free gift to me, it is my due debt to thee: I can give thee little, if not thy own; I have received as it were a new life from thee, &s;urely I will return it to thee, by walking before thee in the Land of the Living.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">c. 6. 5. J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">h. 5. 19. Gen. 17. 1. Ho&s;. 11. 4.</NOTE></P>
<P N="1">1. It lets us &s;ee in <HI>general,</HI> that <HI>Beneficium po&s;tulat offi|cium, Mercy</HI> calls for <HI>duty,</HI> and <HI>beneficence</HI> obligeth to <HI>obe+dience;</HI> not onely the <HI>rod</HI> of God's correction, but the <HI>&s;taff</HI> of his protection, hath a <HI>voyce,</HI> and that <HI>double;</HI> the one is <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Vincula homi|num opponuntur vincula brute|rum &amp; manci|piorum duris loris &amp; ferre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> catenis.</HI> Zanch. in Ho&s;. <HI>Beneficia vocat funicula &amp; vincula atque pereleg<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ter, nihil enim ma|gis homin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m de|vincit alteri quam collatio officiorum.</HI></NOTE> that of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> to the <HI>Criple, Sin no more;</HI> the other that of <HI>God</HI> to <HI>Abraham, Walk before me and be upright.</HI> For this rea&s;on no doubt it is that <HI>God</HI> compareth the <HI>benefits</HI> which he conferred on <HI>I&s;rael</HI> to the <HI>Cords of a Man,</HI> and the <HI>Bonds of Love; Stripes</HI> are the <HI>Cords</HI> of a <HI>Slave,</HI> a <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and the <HI>Bonds</HI> of <HI>Ju&s;tice; Favours</HI> are the <HI>Cords of a Man,</HI> and the <HI>Bonds of Love:</HI> but <HI>the&s;e</HI> as well as, nay rather than the <HI>other,</HI> are <HI>Cords</HI> and <HI>Bonds, Bonds</HI> to <HI>keep</HI> us <HI>from &s;in, Cords</HI> to <HI>draw</HI> us nearer, and bind us fa&s;ter <HI>to God.</HI> Indeed this is the <HI>end</HI> at which <HI>God</HI> aimeth in be&s;towing the <HI>riches</HI> of his <HI>goodne&s;s,</HI> that it might <HI>lead us,</HI> as <HI>to repentance,</HI> &s;o <HI>obedience.</HI> It was the &s;aying of <HI>Fulvius</HI> to his <HI>Son, Patriae te genui, non</HI> Ca|tilinae; <HI>I begat thee to be a &s;ervant of thy Countrey, not an</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Guadulup. in Ho&s;. I&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 5. 4. <HI>Clamat invicta ratio &amp; qui&s;que &s;e illi &s;ubjiciat &agrave; quo habet ut &s;it, &amp;c.</HI> Laur. Ju&s;tin. l. de obed. c. 5.</NOTE> <HI>a&s;&s;ociate of a Traitor.</HI> In like manner <HI>God</HI> &s;aith to us, <HI>I have brought you up that you might &s;erve me, not your lu&s;ts.</HI> So much he expre&s;&s;eth concerning his <HI>Vineyard,</HI> when having elegantly delineated the <HI>care</HI> he took for its flouri&s;hing, he &s;aith, <HI>Wherefore I looked it &s;hould bring forth Grapes.</HI> Nor Is it any more than <HI>rea&s;on</HI> that he &s;hould <HI>expect,</HI> and we &s;hould <HI>return &s;ervice</HI> to him for his <HI>favours</HI> to us. What
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man <HI>plants</HI> an <HI>Orchard,</HI> and <HI>looketh</HI> not to <HI>eat</HI> of the <HI>Fruit? builds</HI> an <HI>Hou&s;e,</HI> and <HI>hopeth</HI> not to <HI>enjoy</HI> the <HI>comfort</HI> thereof? <HI>feedeth</HI> a <HI>Flock,</HI> and <HI>expecteth</HI> not to <HI>eat</HI> of the <HI>Milk of the Flock?</HI> Well then may <HI>God</HI> call for obedient <HI>fruitful|ne&s;s,</HI> when he hath afforded his mercifull <HI>goodne&s;s.</HI> The <HI>Phi|lo&s;opher</HI> could &s;ay, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Pro&s;perity engageth a</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ari&s;tot. E<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">h.</NOTE> <HI>Man to love God;</HI> &s;uppo&s;ing Men to have &s;o much <HI>humanity</HI> in them as to <HI>love</HI> him from whom they have <HI>received</HI> &s;o many <HI>curte&s;ies;</HI> and the <HI>Poet</HI>'s <HI>rea&s;oning</HI> was very <HI>valid,</HI> had it been pitched upon a <HI>right object,</HI> to wit, <HI>Jehovah,</HI> not <HI>Cae&s;ar.</HI>
<Q><L><HI>&mdash;&mdash;Deus nobis haec otia fecit,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Namque erit ille mihi &s;emper Deus.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Virgil. Eclog.</NOTE></L></Q>
<HI>He &s;hall be my God from whom I receive &s;ecurity, plenty, and tranquillity.</HI> Hence it is that St. <HI>Paul</HI> be&s;eeching the <HI>Ro|mans</HI> to <HI>offer up their bodies a &s;acrifice,</HI> u&s;eth no other <HI>ob|te&s;tation</HI> to back his <HI>ob&s;ecration,</HI> but this, <HI>I be&s;eech you by</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 12. 1. <GAP DESC="foreign">. Theoph. in Luc. Luc. 1. 74, 75. <HI>Hoc Deus cert&egrave; per &s;ua intendit beneficia, ut ei &s;cilicet placeam cum colam, quae &s;unt illi grata &s;aciam, &amp;c.</HI> Lorin. in P&s;. 55. P&s;al. 56. ult.</NOTE> <HI>the mercies of God;</HI> and <HI>Zachary</HI> in his <HI>Song</HI> a&s;&s;erteth this to be the <HI>end</HI> of our <HI>deliverance from the hands of our Ene|mies, that we might &s;erve God without fear in holine&s;s and righteou&s;ne&s;s all the daies of our lives:</HI> And the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> plainly in&s;inuateth as much in that <HI>parallel</HI> text, <HI>Thou ha&s;t delivered my &s;oul from death, that I might walk before thee in the Land of the Living.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. For the clearer <HI>illu&s;trating,</HI> and fuller opening of this <HI>truth,</HI> be plea&s;ed to view in <HI>particular</HI> on the <HI>one hand</HI> to <HI>what David</HI> conceiveth him&s;elf <HI>obliged,</HI> and on the <HI>other hand what it was</HI> obliged him.</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>duty</HI> which the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> here expre&s;&s;eth as the <HI>obligation</HI> of mercy, is ob&s;ervable in <HI>each</HI> parcel.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Becau&s;e, &amp;c. I will. Promi&s;es</HI> of <HI>obedience</HI> are <HI>&s;ea|&s;onably</HI> made, or rather renewed, <HI>after mercy</HI> received. In|deed there are <HI>three</HI> &s;pecial <HI>&s;ea&s;ons</HI> of taking up pious <HI>re|&s;olutions.</HI></P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Before</HI> we are to perform our &s;olemn &s;ervices to God.</ITEM>
<ITEM><PB N="41" REF="23">
2. <HI>&V;nder</HI> any &s;traight, danger, di&s;tre&s;s inflicted on us by God.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>After</HI> any deliverance, ble&s;&s;ing, mercy vouch&s;afed to us from God.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>An <HI>in&s;tance</HI> of <HI>each</HI> of the&s;e we have in this holy man <HI>David. Before he will compa&s;s God's Altar,</HI> he re&s;olveth, <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 26. 6.</NOTE> <HI>I will wa&s;h my hands in innocency;</HI> when he was in <HI>trou|ble,</HI> his mouth uttered <HI>vows</HI> to God; and here being <HI>de|livered</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 66. 14.</NOTE> from <HI>danger,</HI> he <HI>promi&s;eth, I will walk.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>fir&s;t</HI> &s;ort of <HI>promi&s;es</HI> are <HI>preparatory,</HI> none being <HI>fit</HI> to <HI>draw nigh to God</HI> but &s;uch as at lea&s;t &s;eriou&s;ly pur|po&s;e to <HI>clen&s;e their hands,</HI> and <HI>purifie their hearts.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>&s;econd</HI> are <HI>impetratory,</HI> tho&s;e <HI>prayers</HI> being mo&s;t <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jam. 4. 8. Anna Samue|lem <HI>impetravit, &amp; acceptum Deo reddidit, quia cum po&s;ec|ret, vovit.</HI> Aug. epi&s;t. 121.</NOTE> <HI>effectual</HI> which are <HI>accompanied</HI> with religious <HI>promi&s;es; Faith</HI> and <HI>Repentance</HI> are the two <HI>wings</HI> of prayer, &s;ince <HI>Faith</HI> is that which <HI>pleadeth</HI> with <HI>God</HI> his <HI>own promi&s;es,</HI> and <HI>Repentance engageth</HI> the &s;oul to <HI>God</HI> by <HI>promi&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>la&s;t</HI> are <HI>gratulatory,</HI> holy <HI>vows</HI> being choyce <HI>te&s;ti|fications</HI> of our <HI>thankfulne&s;s.</HI> At the <HI>twelfth ver&s;e</HI> of this <HI>P&s;alm</HI> we find <HI>David</HI> putting a que&s;tion, <HI>what &s;hall I render?</HI> in this and other ver&s;es we find him making <HI>re|&s;olutions, I will call, I will pay, I will offer, I will walk.</HI> A gratefull heart &s;tudyeth nothing more than a propor|tionable <NOTE PLACE="marg">V. 13, 14, 17.</NOTE> return; and if it <HI>cannot</HI> do what it <HI>would,</HI> it <HI>will</HI> do what it <HI>can.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Walk.</HI> The <HI>rich Fool</HI> having his <HI>Barns</HI> filled, calleth upon his <HI>&s;oul</HI> to <HI>take its ea&s;e;</HI> but good <HI>David,</HI> being mer|cifully <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 12. 19. 19. 20. Math. 20. 3.</NOTE> <HI>delivered,</HI> calleth upon him&s;elf to <HI>walk.</HI> That <HI>Servant</HI> is branded as <HI>evil</HI> and <HI>wicked,</HI> who having re|ceived a <HI>Talent,</HI> laid it up in a <HI>Napkin. Mercies,</HI> as they <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Non verbis &s;ol<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;ed etiam factis laudare opor|tet, &amp; hanc lau|dem ut &s;ympho|niam gralio&s;am, &amp; coelo dignam requirit maxime Deus.</HI> Cre&s;ol. de virtu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> are <HI>received,</HI> &s;o they mu&s;t be <HI>imployed</HI> for the Donor's glory. <HI>God</HI> &s;ends Men into, and continueth their daies in this World, not that they &s;hould <HI>&s;tand idle in the Market-place,</HI> but <HI>work in the Vineyard,</HI> and do him &s;ervice.</P>
<P>Again, The <HI>thankfulne&s;s</HI> which here <HI>David</HI> re&s;olveth, is not <HI>verbal</HI> but <HI>real, talking</HI> but <HI>walking.</HI> Indeed el&s;e|where
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he &s;aith, <HI>I will talk of thy doings;</HI> that being <HI>one</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 77. 12: Ho&s;. 14. 3. P&s;al. 50. 23.</NOTE> part of our gratitude, to <HI>declare what God doth for us.</HI> But that is not all; as there <HI>I will talk,</HI> &s;o here <HI>I will walk,</HI> is his thankfull <HI>re&s;olve;</HI> we mu&s;t <HI>offer</HI> to <HI>God</HI> the <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ocationem ve|ram dixeris c&s;&s;e actionem, &s;ed religio&s;am, actio bona oratio e&s;t, &s;ed opero&s;a &amp; practica, ben&egrave; orat qui ben&egrave; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">git.</HI> Dre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">el. Rhetor. coel.</NOTE> <HI>Calves of our lips:</HI> but if <HI>nothing</HI> el&s;e, they will prove but the <HI>Lips of Calves. Who&s;o offereth prai&s;e</HI> (&s;aith <HI>God) glo|rifieth me:</HI> but then it mu&s;t be, by <HI>ordering his conver&s;a|tion aright.</HI> Many with <HI>Peter</HI>'s <HI>fi&s;h</HI> have <HI>money</HI> in their <HI>mouths, thanks</HI> in their <HI>lips;</HI> but whil&s;t they <HI>honour God with their lips,</HI> they <HI>bla&s;pheme</HI> him in their <HI>lives.</HI> Oh re|member, he <HI>prai&s;eth</HI> God <HI>mo&s;t</HI> who <HI>&s;erveth</HI> him <HI>be&s;t;</HI> the <HI>life</HI> of <HI>thankfulne&s;s</HI> con&s;i&s;ts in the <HI>thankfulne&s;s</HI> of the <HI>life;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Quid enim re|ctius, aut quid dignius, quam <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t quibus per munera &s;ua Do|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">inus qua&s;i &s;pe|cialiter videba|tur placere vo|lui&s;&s;e iidem quo|que &s;pecialius Domino cultu ac religione placui&s;&s;ent.</HI> Salv. de Gub. Dei, l. 7.</NOTE> yea, a <HI>good conver&s;ation</HI> is both the mo&s;t effectual <HI>prayer,</HI> and real <HI>prai&s;e.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Before the Lord. Thankfulne&s;s</HI> is a <HI>&s;pirit</HI> &s;till upon the <HI>wing</HI> ri&s;ing to Heaven, and conver&s;ing with God; it is an <HI>Eagle-</HI>grace, who&s;e <HI>game</HI> lyeth all in <HI>&s;oaring</HI> and <HI>mounting</HI> towards the <HI>Sun;</HI> the gratefull man is &s;till <HI>a&s;cending;</HI> it is a <HI>low</HI> mercy cannot rai&s;e him up as <HI>high</HI> as <HI>Heaven;</HI> with the <HI>Bird,</HI> he <HI>drinketh</HI> and <HI>looketh</HI> up; with the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> he <HI>lyeth down,</HI> and ri&s;eth <HI>kneeling;</HI> he taketh every ble&s;&s;ing as from <HI>God's hand,</HI> and therefore his <HI>eye</HI> is &s;till upon <HI>God.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. Not to neglect the <HI>Septuagints</HI> ver&s;ion, <HI>I will plea&s;e</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Significat velle &s;e Deo placere uhivis, quoad &s;uerat in vivis, quamdiu vixe|rit, dum &s;piri|tum traxerit.</HI> Genebrard. in P&s;alm.</NOTE> <HI>the Lord,</HI> is a &s;uitable <HI>re&s;olve</HI> to a <HI>thankfull</HI> heart. Whom &s;hould a Man labour to plea&s;e if not his <HI>Benefactor?</HI> it is <HI>Lex talionis,</HI> that which the Law of retaliation calls for, to return <HI>kindne&s;s</HI> for <HI>kindne&s;s, love</HI> for <HI>love, plea&s;ing</HI> for <HI>plea&s;ing;</HI> it is but <HI>fit,</HI> that as <HI>God</HI> fulfilleth our <HI>de&s;ires,</HI> &s;o we &s;hould (at lea&s;t &s;trive to) fulfill his <HI>precepts;</HI> and as by his <HI>mercies</HI> he <HI>plea&s;eth</HI> us, &s;o we &s;hould by our <HI>&s;er|vice</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Quia &s;emper a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">cipis, &s;emper invoca, &amp; quia quod habes, &agrave; Domino est, de|bitorem <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e &s;em|per e&s;&s;e cogno&s;ce.</HI> Amb orat fun. de obita Theo|do&s;. Imp. Luc. 1. 75.</NOTE> endeavour to <HI>plea&s;e</HI> him.</P>
<P N="5">5. La&s;tly, <HI>In the Land of the Living,</HI> to wit, &s;o long as he &s;hould be <HI>among the Living</HI> thankfull <HI>David</HI> re|&s;olveth to <HI>walk before God,</HI> &s;o runs <HI>Zacharies</HI> &s;ong, <HI>all the daies of our life;</HI> &s;o St. <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> readeth the &s;econd ver&s;e of this P&s;alm, <HI>in omnibus diebus meis;</HI> indeed no <HI>day,</HI> no
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<HI>hour,</HI> no <HI>moment,</HI> which carrieth not with it a <HI>new obliga|tion;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Scuet nullum e&s;t momentum quo homo non utatur vel fruatur Dei bonitate, &amp; mi|&s;ericordia, &s;ic nullum debet e&s;&s;e momentum, quo eum prae|&s;entem non ha|beat in memo|ri&acirc;.</HI> Bern. Me|ditat. devot. cap. 6.</NOTE> and be&s;ides, even <HI>particular favours</HI> oblige to con|tinued &s;ervice; it is not to be devout and zealous <HI>for a time,</HI> whil&s;t the deliverance is <HI>fre&s;h</HI> and <HI>new,</HI> but to &s;et upon a <HI>con&s;tant</HI> cour&s;e of obedience, which true <HI>gratitude</HI> calls for; that <HI>thankfulne&s;s</HI> is of the right <HI>dye</HI> and <HI>colour</HI> which is <HI>la&s;ting;</HI> nor mu&s;t our <HI>obedience expire</HI> but with our <HI>life.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. You have &s;een the <HI>extent</HI> of the <HI>duty,</HI> now take a &s;hort view of the <HI>mercy</HI> which doth thus oblige, and that in this <HI>three-fold</HI> con&s;ideration.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Thou ha&s;t delivered.</HI> Of all mercies <HI>deliverances</HI> are the mo&s;t <HI>engaging;</HI> every <HI>deliverance</HI> &s;uppo&s;eth a <HI>danger,</HI> and the <HI>danger</HI> &s;weetneth the <HI>mercy;</HI> the truth is, we never &s;o highly <HI>prize</HI> a ble&s;&s;ing as when we either are <HI>deprived</HI> of; or in <HI>danger</HI> to lo&s;e it. How <HI>welcome</HI> was the <HI>&s;pacious</HI> Land to <HI>Jonah,</HI> when he had been <HI>Pri|&s;oner</HI> in the <HI>Whales belly?</HI> VVhat <HI>kind</HI> greeting think you was there between <HI>Lazarus</HI> and his <HI>Si&s;ters,</HI> when he was <HI>returned</HI> from the <HI>dead?</HI> It is not to be imagined with what <HI>readine&s;s</HI> tho&s;e <HI>hands</HI> of <HI>Abraham embraced</HI> his <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> which were even now unwillingly <HI>&s;tretched</HI> forth <HI>to kill</HI> him. <HI>Health</HI> pre&s;erved and continued, is a <HI>mercy;</HI> but when <HI>re&s;tored</HI> and <HI>renewed,</HI> it is far more <HI>acceptable.</HI> No wonder if <HI>David</HI> being <HI>delivered,</HI> re&s;olveth to <HI>walk</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Non dubium e&s;t omne beneficium obligare recepto|rem erga dato|rem, &amp; quanto majus fuerit, tant&ograve; magis ob|ligare.</HI> Pari&s;. de legib. cap. 21.</NOTE> <HI>before the Lord.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>My Soul from death.</HI> Every <HI>deliverance</HI> is a <HI>Bond;</HI> but when from <HI>death</HI> (the wor&s;t of outward <HI>evils)</HI> it ma|keth our <HI>Debt</HI> the <HI>greater.</HI> Every <HI>mercy</HI> hath a <HI>voyce,</HI> but the <HI>greater</HI> the <HI>mercy,</HI> the <HI>louder</HI> the call to obedience. To this purpo&s;e both St. <HI>Bernard</HI> and <HI>Pari&s;ien&s;is, It is no doubt but that every benefit obligeth the Receiver to the Giver; and by how much the larger the gift, by &s;o much</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tanto quis am|plius timer&egrave; De|um, &amp; magis &s;o|licitus e&s;&s;e debu|erat quanto ma|jora ejus munera percepit.</HI> Bern. in P&s;. qui hab.</NOTE> <HI>the &s;tronger the tye; and therefore in the &s;ervice of God we ought to be &s;o much the more &s;olicitous, by how much his love towards, and care over us, hath been the more gra|cious.</HI> Thus St. <HI>Paul,</HI> having obtained <HI>mercy</HI> more <HI>emi|nently,
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laboured more abundantly than the re&s;t;</HI> Mary <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15. 10. Luc. 7. 47.</NOTE> Magdalen <HI>loved much, becau&s;e much was forgiven her; Jeho&s;aphat</HI> being <HI>lifted</HI> up with <HI>riches and honour</HI> in abun|dance, <HI>his heart was lifted up in the waies of the Lord;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 17. 5, 6.</NOTE> and <HI>David</HI> having received a <HI>deliverance</HI> from &s;o great <HI>danger</HI> as <HI>death,</HI> promi&s;eth to <HI>walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. La&s;tly, <HI>Mine eyes from tears, and my feet from fal|ling. Lo</HI> here a <HI>deliverance,</HI> not from <HI>one,</HI> but <HI>many</HI> dan|gers, to wit, <HI>death, tears,</HI> and <HI>falling: Single</HI> deliverances are as <HI>Threds,</HI> but when <HI>multiplyed,</HI> they become as a <HI>Cord</HI> twi&s;ted of many <HI>Threds,</HI> more potent to draw us to God. Any <HI>one</HI> mercy is as a <HI>Link,</HI> but <HI>many</HI> favours are as a <HI>Chain</HI> con&s;i&s;ting of &s;everal <HI>Links,</HI> to bind us the clo&s;er to our duty; <HI>Vis unita fortior.</HI> Frequent <HI>droppings</HI> of the <HI>Rain</HI> cannot but make an <HI>impre&s;&s;ion</HI> even on the <HI>Stone,</HI> and <HI>renewed</HI> mercies may well prevail with the <HI>&s;tony heart. Pari&s;ien&s;is</HI> relateth a <HI>&s;tory</HI> of a <HI>Man,</HI> whom (notwith&s;tan|ding his luxurious and vicious cour&s;es) <HI>God</HI> was plea&s;ed <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pari&s;ien&s;. de univer&s;. partes primae, pars tertia, cap. 9.</NOTE> to accumulate favours upon, &s;o that at la&s;t he cryed out, <HI>Vici&s;ti, benigni&s;&s;ime Deus, indefatigabili tua bonitate, Mo&s;t gracious God, thy unwearied goodne&s;s hath over|come my ob&s;tinate wickedne&s;s;</HI> and from that time de|voted him&s;elf to God's &s;ervice. No wonder then if <HI>Da|vid</HI> upon <HI>deliverance</HI> from &s;uch <HI>numerous</HI> and grievous afflictions, maketh this his re&s;olve, to <HI>walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living.</HI></P>
<P>To <HI>apply</HI> this. VVhich of us (my <HI>Brethren)</HI> here <HI>be|fore God</HI> this day have not <HI>experienced variety</HI> of <HI>mercies,</HI> po&s;itive and privitive, in our per&s;ons and relations? yea, which of us at &s;ome time, in &s;ome kind or other, hath not been <HI>ble&s;&s;ed</HI> with <HI>deliverances,</HI> and that from <HI>various,</HI> yea de&s;perate <HI>dangers?</HI> And now, <HI>Compen&s;are credo Do|mino Deo no&s;tro cultu, honore, reverentia, beneficia quae ab eo accepimus adnitimur</HI> (as <HI>Salvian</HI> of tho&s;e in his time) <HI>One would think, having received &s;o much love and kind|ne&s;s</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Salvian. de Gubern. Dei, lib. 6.</NOTE> <HI>from God, we &s;hould repay him in love and &s;ervice, wor|&s;hip
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and reverence; being graciou&s;ly delivered, we &s;hould go to his Hou&s;e with prai&s;es, renounce the &s;ins of our for|mer life, vow to God new obedience, and offer up our &s;elves a &s;acrifice to him.</HI> Thus indeed we <HI>ought</HI> to do; but what <HI>do</HI> we? are we not like the <HI>high-way &s;ide,</HI> which returneth <HI>no crop,</HI> though you ca&s;t never &s;o <HI>much &s;eed</HI> up|on <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 13.</NOTE> it? yea, like the <HI>Vineyard,</HI> which though <HI>fenced</HI> and <HI>planted,</HI> in&s;tead of <HI>Grapes brought forth wild Grapes?</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 5. 4.</NOTE> Nay yet wor&s;e, like <HI>the Earth that drinketh in the Rain,</HI> and in&s;tead of <HI>Herbs meet for the Dre&s;&s;er, bringeth forth</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Hebr. 6. 7, 8.</NOTE> <HI>Thorns and Briars?</HI> whil&s;t we either <HI>&s;it</HI> &s;till living in idlene&s;s, or el&s;e in&s;tead of <HI>walking before, wander far from God</HI> by prophanene&s;s, nay <HI>walk contrary to God</HI> by re|bellious wickedne&s;s.</P>
<P>It may be in the <HI>day</HI> of our <HI>di&s;tre&s;s</HI> we <HI>go</HI> to <HI>God,</HI> but in the <HI>day</HI> of our <HI>deliverance</HI> we <HI>run</HI> from <HI>him.</HI> As <HI>An|tigonus</HI> his <HI>Souldier,</HI> when <HI>&s;ickly,</HI> was <HI>valiant;</HI> but when <HI>recovered,</HI> turned <HI>Coward;</HI> and as <HI>Ae&s;op</HI>'s <HI>Snake,</HI> which lay <HI>&s;till</HI> in the <HI>Fro&s;t,</HI> but <HI>&s;tung</HI> him who <HI>warmed</HI> it in his <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Si qua nece&s;&s;a|tas gravis pre&s;|&s;erit, tunc Deum recordantur, &s;i belli terror in|fremuit, &s;i mor|borum pe&s;tifera vis incubuit, ad Deum confugi|tur &agrave; Deo peli|tur auxilium, nunquam Dei meminerunt, ni&s;i dum in malis funt, po&s;tquam met<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">is de&s;eruit &amp; pericula re|ce&s;&s;erunt tum alacres ad Deo|rum Templa concurrunt, his liba it, his &s;a|crificant.</HI> Lact. In&s;tit. divin. lib. 2.</NOTE> <HI>bo&s;ome.</HI> So it is with the mo&s;t of us in <HI>adver&s;ity,</HI> we &s;eem <HI>dovout,</HI> but in <HI>pro&s;perity</HI> we prove <HI>licencious</HI> and rebelli|ous. In the <HI>Tomb</HI> of <HI>Terrentia</HI> were certain <HI>Lamps</HI> which <HI>burned under ground</HI> for many ages, but &s;o &s;oon as they were brought into the <HI>Air,</HI> they <HI>went out,</HI> never to be kindled again. A fit <HI>embleme</HI> of our <HI>practice;</HI> whiles we are kept in a <HI>Cave</HI> of <HI>darkne&s;s,</HI> confined to a <HI>Vault</HI> of <HI>mi&s;ery,</HI> we are <HI>burning</HI> and <HI>&s;hining Lamps:</HI> but when <HI>God</HI> hath <HI>lifted</HI> us up from the <HI>Gates of death,</HI> and carrieth us as it were <HI>abroad</HI> into the open <HI>Air,</HI> that we enjoy this worlds allurements, the <HI>light</HI> of our <HI>piety</HI> goeth <HI>out,</HI> and we practice the <HI>works of darkne&s;s.</HI> So that what <HI>Lactantius complained of concerning many in his daies, who under pre&s;&s;ing exigencies would call upon the true God; but when the danger was over, would return to their former ido|latries:</HI> the like may be charged upon many of us, who in <HI>affliction remember,</HI> but after <HI>re&s;tauration forget,</HI> yea di&s;honour the <HI>God</HI> of our <HI>mercies.</HI></P>
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That <HI>acknowledgement</HI> of the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> we have all rea|&s;on to make concerning <HI>God, He crowneth thee with</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 103. 4. <HI>His mi&s;eratio|nibus nos coro|nat Deus, ut &s;olent duces ur|bem militibus cingere quam rebellem adjun|gere cupiunt ad &s;uum domina|tum, proh du|ras hominum mentes quae be|neficiis divinis ob&s;e&s;&s;ae, non &s;e dedunt.</HI> Cre&s;ol. My&s;tag. l. 3. c. 11. Deut. 32. 15. I&s;a. 1. 2. Ho&s;. 7. 15.</NOTE> <HI>loving-kindne&s;s, and tender mercies,</HI> or he <HI>compa&s;&s;eth,</HI> to wit, round about with variety of compa&s;&s;ions (as a <HI>Gene|ral</HI> doth begirt a <HI>rebellious City</HI> with a numerous <HI>Army</HI> of Souldiers) But tell me, do we yet <HI>yield</HI> to this gracious <HI>Siege?</HI> the&s;e gentle <HI>Batteries?</HI> nay rather, do we not <HI>&s;tand</HI> out the more rebelliou&s;ly again&s;t him? yea, our <HI>unthank|fulne&s;s &s;triveth</HI> with Gods <HI>goodne&s;s</HI> for the <HI>victory,</HI> as <HI>Ab|&s;olom</HI> did with <HI>David,</HI> whether the <HI>Father</HI> &s;hould be more <HI>kind,</HI> or the <HI>Son</HI> more <HI>unkind.</HI> Sad, though ju&s;t, were tho&s;e <HI>accu&s;ations</HI> of <HI>God</HI> again&s;t <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> by <HI>Mo&s;es, Je&s;urun waxed fat and kicked;</HI> by <HI>I&s;aiah, I have nouri&s;hed and brought up Children, and they have rebelled again&s;t me;</HI> by <HI>Ho&s;ea, Though I have bound and &s;trengthened their arms, yet do they imagin mi&s;chief again&s;t me.</HI> And may they not as truly be <HI>charged</HI> upon <HI>us?</HI> we are <HI>fatted</HI> with God's <HI>ble&s;&s;ings,</HI> and <HI>&s;purn</HI> at his <HI>precepts;</HI> the <HI>beams</HI> of his goodne&s;s have <HI>&s;hone</HI> hot upon us, and our vicious lives have &s;ent up the <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ille nobis ad hoc bona prae|&s;tat, ut boni &s;t|mus, nos &egrave; di|ver&s;o quoties hona accepimus mala no&s;tra cu|mulamus, ille beneficiis &s;uis provocat ad compunctionem, nos ruimus in di&s;&s;olutionem, &amp;c.</HI> Salv. de Gub. l. 6.</NOTE> more noy&s;ome <HI>&s;tench</HI> into his <HI>No&s;trils;</HI> he hath <HI>magnified</HI> his mercies, and we <HI>multiply</HI> our iniquity. Very appo&s;ite to this purpo&s;e are tho&s;e complaints of <HI>Salvian</HI> and <HI>La|ctantius, God giveth us good things that we might be good, we on the contrary abu&s;e tho&s;e good things to increa&s;e our evils; he calls us by his benefits to repentance, and we become the more di&s;&s;olute: Then mo&s;t unthankfully for|getting, and injuriou&s;ly di&s;honouring God, when we have the mo&s;t rea&s;on to remember and glorifie him.</HI></P>
<P><HI>But do we thus requite the Lord, oh fooli&s;h People, and unwi&s;e?</HI> Con&s;ider, I <HI>be&s;eech</HI> you,</P>
<P N="1">1. Is not this the mo&s;t odious <HI>ingratitude</HI> to retaliate <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tum maxim&egrave; Deus ex memo|ri&acirc; hominum elabitur quum beneficiis ejus fruentes hono|rem dure divinae indulgentiae de|berent.</HI> Lactan. In&s;tit. divin. lib. 2. cap. 1. Deut. 32. 6. Job 2. 19.</NOTE> <HI>injuries</HI> for <HI>curte&s;ies?</HI> That we &s;hould <HI>receive good at the hands of God, and not evil,</HI> is <HI>unrea&s;onable</HI> to <HI>expect:</HI> but to <HI>receive</HI> good, and <HI>return</HI> evil, is very <HI>injurious</HI> to <HI>act.</HI> There is a retaliation of <HI>good</HI> for <HI>evil,</HI> this is <HI>admirable;</HI> of <HI>good</HI> for <HI>good,</HI> this is <HI>laudable;</HI> of <HI>evil</HI> for <HI>evil,</HI> this is <HI>blameable;</HI> of <HI>evil</HI> for <HI>good,</HI> this is <HI>abominable.</HI></P>
<P N="2"><PB N="47" REF="26">
2. Doth not the <HI>Law</HI> of <HI>Nature</HI> teach us <HI>to do as we would be done to?</HI> and would we have others deal <HI>by us</HI> as we do <HI>by God? I appeal</HI> (in <HI>Salvian</HI>'s words) <HI>to you that are</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Interrogo omnes potentes ac di|vites mundi hujus, cujus pi|aculi reus &s;it Servus ille, qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> bono ac pio Do|mino malum co|gitet, qui bene merenti conviti|um faciat, &amp; pro l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">bertate quam accepit contumeliam reddat, &amp;c.</HI> Salvian. de Gub. l. 6.</NOTE> <HI>the great and rich Men of this World; how great were the guilt of that Servant who &s;hould ca&s;t reproach upon, en|deavour mi&s;chief again&s;t an indulgent and bountifull Ma|&s;ter?</HI> And &s;hall we our &s;elves <HI>practice</HI> that towards <HI>God</HI> which we would abhorr and condemn in a <HI>Servant</HI> to|wards <HI>us?</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. VVhat &s;hall we <HI>an&s;wer</HI> to <HI>God</HI> in that day of ac|count, when he &s;hall <HI>plead</HI> with us for our ungratefull <HI>di&s;obedience.</HI> Oh thou rebellious <HI>Wretch!</HI> had <HI>God</HI> in|&s;tead of re&s;toring <HI>de&s;troyed,</HI> &s;paring thee in, <HI>cut</HI> thee off from the <HI>Land of the Living,</HI> thou mighte&s;t have pleaded, <HI>Lord, if thou hadst lengthened my daies, I would have re|formed my life:</HI> but now that <HI>patience</HI> hath tried thee, and <HI>goodne&s;s</HI> waited on thee, what <HI>excu&s;e</HI> can&s;t thou make for thine <HI>impenitency?</HI> The &s;en&s;e of this made <HI>Ezra</HI> to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezra, 9. 10. <HI>Quanam fronte attollo jam ocu|los ad oultum patris, tam boni, tam malus fili|us. Pudet in|gratitudinis quanquam ad confu&s;ionis cu|mulum arguar etiam reddidi&s;&s;e mala pro bonis, &amp; odium pro di|lectione.</HI> Bern. in Cant. Ser. 16. 2 Sam. 7. 8, 9.</NOTE> blu&s;h in behalf of the People, crying out, <HI>And now, Oh our God, what &s;hall we &s;ay after this? for we have for|&s;aken thy Commandments.</HI> In the apprehen&s;ion of this, devout <HI>Bernard</HI> exclaimeth again&s;t him&s;elf, <HI>With what &s;ace can I, &s;o &s;tubborn a Child, lift up my eyes to &s;o gra|cious a Father? I am a&s;hamed of my ingratitude in re|turning hatred for love. Imagine</HI> thy &s;elf (Oh <HI>ingratefull</HI> Sinner) <HI>&s;tanding</HI> at <HI>God's tribunal,</HI> his <HI>mercies</HI> and thy <HI>iniquities</HI> &s;et in <HI>order</HI> before thy face, and think thou heare&s;t <HI>God</HI> upbraiding thee in words much like tho&s;e by <HI>Nathan</HI> to <HI>David, I have many a time delivered thee from great dangers, I have given thee Wife and Children, with many other ble&s;&s;ings; and if this had been too little, I would have given thee &s;uch and &s;uch things: wherefore ha&s;t thou de&s;pi&s;ed my Commandments, di&s;honoured my Name, abu&s;ed my Mercies?</HI> and &s;urely thou can&s;t not but <HI>cover</HI> thy &s;elf with a <HI>Cloud</HI> of <HI>&s;hame,</HI> yea <HI>pour</HI> out a <HI>&s;hower</HI> of <HI>tears.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. Finally, Do we not think that <HI>God</HI> is highly <HI>pro|voked</HI>
<PB N="48" REF="27">
with, and therefore will &s;urely and &s;orely <HI>avenge</HI> him&s;elf upon &s;uch ingratefull <HI>Rebels?</HI> Was not <HI>David</HI> greatly <HI>inraged</HI> again&s;t <HI>Nabal,</HI> when he &s;aid, <HI>In vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the Wilderne&s;s, he hath requited me evil for good?</HI> VVas not <HI>God incen&s;ed</HI> bitterly <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 25. 21.</NOTE> again&s;t the <HI>old World,</HI> when he &s;aid, <HI>It repented me that I made Man upon Earth?</HI> He &s;aith no le&s;s of all unthank|full <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 6. 7.</NOTE> Sinners, <HI>In vain have I both given and kept all that they enjoy, it repenteth me that I ever made them, or con|ferred</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 2. 8, 9. <HI>Ingratitudo ventus urens, &s;iccans &s;ibifon|tem pietatis, ro|rem mi&s;ericor|diae, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">luenta gra|tiae.</HI> Bern. in Cant. Ser. 51. Jo&s;h. 24. 20.</NOTE> <HI>the lea&s;t mercy on them.</HI> And will you know what <HI>followeth</HI> upon &s;uch <HI>provocations? Hear</HI> what <HI>God</HI> &s;aith concerning his People, <HI>She did not know that I gave her Corn, and Wine, and Oil, and multiplyed her Silver and Gold which they prepared for</HI> Baal: <HI>therefore will I return, and take away my Corn in the time thereof, and my Wine in the &s;ea&s;on thereof, and will recover my Wool and my Flax given to cover her nakedne&s;s. Hear</HI> what <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> &s;aith from <HI>God</HI> to <HI>I&s;rael, If ye for&s;ake the Lord, and &s;erve &s;trange Gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and con|&s;ume you after that he hath done you good.</HI> Believe it, <HI>Brethren,</HI> if <HI>mercy</HI> induce not to <HI>obedience, di&s;obedience</HI> will ruine our <HI>mercy;</HI> nor are either life, or health, or any other <HI>ble&s;&s;ing</HI> &s;o <HI>entail'd</HI> upon any per&s;on, but that <HI>in|gratitude</HI> may, yea will <HI>cut it off:</HI> Nay let me adde, <HI>In|gratia beneficia, ingentia flagitia, ingentia &s;upplicia,</HI> if as <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tant&ograve; gravius de ingratitudi|ne judicabimur quanto magis accumulatis beneficiis in|grati probabi|mur extiti&s;&s;e.</HI> Id. in Serm. cont. ingrat. Ezra, 9. 13, 14.</NOTE> <HI>mercy</HI> hath <HI>abounded, iniquity &s;uperabounds;</HI> as <HI>iniquity abounds,</HI> &s;o <HI>calamity</HI> &s;hall much <HI>more;</HI> and by <HI>how</HI> much the <HI>Oil</HI> of God's compa&s;&s;ion hath been the more plen|tifully poured upon us, by &s;o much &s;hall the <HI>flame</HI> of his judgements burn the hotter again&s;t us: And therefore <HI>Ezra</HI> pronounceth this as a mo&s;t ju&s;t &s;entence again&s;t him&s;elf and the People, in ca&s;e of their di&s;obedience, <HI>Seeing that thou our God ha&s;t puni&s;hed us le&s;s than our iniquities de&s;erve, and ha&s;t given us &s;uch deliverance as this, &s;hould we again break thy Commandments, and joyn in affinity with the People of the&s;e abominations, would&s;t thou not be angry with us till thou had&s;t con&s;umed (us) &s;o that
<PB N="49" REF="27">
there &s;hould be no remnant nor e&s;caping.</HI> Oh therefore yet at la&s;t let the <HI>bounty</HI> of <HI>God</HI> lead us to <HI>repentance</HI> and <HI>obedience;</HI> give unto the Lord the glory due to his name, and &s;erve him according to his great goodne&s;s. To which, that we may be the better enabled, ob&s;erve and practice the&s;e following directions.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Keep God's mercies fre&s;h in thy memory,</HI> and often <HI>ponder,</HI> e&s;pecially upon <HI>eminent</HI> deliverances. This re|membrance of Divine benefits is that which St. <HI>Bernard</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Recordemur mi|&s;ericordiarum Dei ut &s;ic accen|damus in ejus amorem revo|cemus ad me|moriam bona quae tribuit no|bis.</HI> Id. de Int. Dom. c. 9.</NOTE> commendeth as fit to be a <HI>pillar</HI> in the &s;piritual <HI>hou&s;e</HI> of our <HI>&s;ouls;</HI> and this is that which <HI>thankfulne&s;s</HI> taketh care of; it is <HI>God</HI>'s faithfull <HI>Regi&s;ter,</HI> &s;he is never <HI>forgotten,</HI> and &s;he never <HI>forgetteth;</HI> &s;he <HI>writeth God's love,</HI> as he doth his <HI>Beloved,</HI> on the <HI>palms of her hands;</HI> &s;he hath &s;till <HI>new</HI> thoughts of the <HI>daies of old,</HI> and maketh a <HI>de|liverance live,</HI> as <HI>God</HI> doth, <HI>for ever:</HI> And &s;urely this <HI>duty</HI> well performed, would be a &s;ingular <HI>means</HI> of exciting and enabling us to <HI>walk worthy</HI> of <HI>mercy.</HI> When <HI>Aha|&s;uerus</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;th. 6, 1, 2, 3.</NOTE> <HI>on the night he could not &s;leep, commanded the Re|cords to be brought unto him, and read before him,</HI> and therein found how in&s;trumental <HI>Mordecai</HI> had been in <HI>delivering</HI> him from the <HI>trea&s;on</HI> of his <HI>Chamberlains,</HI> he pre&s;ently asketh, <HI>What honour and dignity hath been done to</HI> Mordecai <HI>for this?</HI> So will the <HI>&s;oul</HI> that faithfully and &s;eriou&s;ly <HI>meditateth</HI> on <HI>God's deliverances</HI> and benefits, (whereof he is not onely an in&s;trument, but a <HI>principal efficient)</HI> often ask it &s;elf the <HI>like</HI> que&s;tion, <HI>What honour have I brought, what &s;ervice have I done to my God for this?</HI> and &s;uch <HI>que&s;tions</HI> are the ready <HI>way</HI> to pious <HI>re|&s;olutions.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Quia bona quae a&s;&s;ecutus fuerat, repent&egrave; memo|riae intulit ma|lum, quod &s;e pul&s;abat, evicit, quia perceptae gratiae memine|rit vim culp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">: imminentis fre|git.</HI> Greg. Mo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> l. 30. c. 9. Gen. 39. 8, 9.</NOTE> VVhen <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> being &s;ollicited by his <HI>Mi&s;tris</HI> to <HI>uncleanne&s;s,</HI> remembred the <HI>kindne&s;s</HI> his <HI>Ma&s;ter</HI> had &s;hewed him, yea the gracious <HI>providence</HI> of <HI>God</HI> towards him, he returneth her that excellent <HI>an&s;wer, Behold, my Ma&s;ter woteth not what is with me in the hou&s;e, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; there is none greater in this hou&s;e than I, neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, becau&s;e thou art his Wife: how
<PB N="50" REF="28">
then can I do this great wickedne&s;s, and &s;in again&s;t God?</HI> Ob&s;ervable to this purpo&s;e is that <HI>connexion</HI> which <HI>David</HI> maketh between <HI>the&s;e t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">o, Thy loving kindne&s;s is before mine eyes, and I have walked in thy truth.</HI> The&s;e were <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 26. 3.</NOTE> two things this holy man had ever before him, <HI>his own &s;ins,</HI> &s;o <HI>el&s;where, My &s;in is ever before me; God's good|ne&s;s,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 51. 3.</NOTE> &s;o here, <HI>Thy loving kindne&s;s is before me:</HI> they are both very imitable <HI>patterns.</HI> VVell were it if we would every one keep a <HI>Catalogue</HI> both of the <HI>&s;ins</HI> we commit, and <HI>ble&s;&s;ings</HI> we receive, e&s;pecially <HI>notorious</HI> &s;ins, and <HI>glo|rious</HI> deliverances, that the remembrance of the <HI>one</HI> might <HI>keep</HI> us from <HI>wandring,</HI> and of the <HI>other excite</HI> us to <HI>walk before God in truth.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Often recollect the promi&s;es thou made&s;t to God in thy di&s;tre&s;s,</HI> and that will put thee on renewing and per|forming them after deliverance. VVhen <HI>Sigi&s;mund</HI> asked <HI>Theodoricus, what a Man &s;hould do to walk in the right way that leadeth to bli&s;s?</HI> he an&s;wered, <HI>Si vitam tuam</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Aeneas Sylv. l. 2. com de reb. Alphon&s;.</NOTE> <HI>ita en&s;titueris ut te facturum promi&s;i&s;ti dum calculus aut podagra &s;ive alia valetudo adver&s;a acrius to oppre&s;&s;it, If a Man did &s;o lead his life as he re&s;olveth to do when the Stone, or Gout, or &s;ome other &s;ore di&s;ea&s;e is upon him.</HI> Call then to mind (Oh <HI>Sinner)</HI> tho&s;e dark and cloudy <HI>daies</HI> in which the <HI>guilt</HI> of thy <HI>&s;ins affrighted</HI> thee, the <HI>pain</HI> of thy <HI>di&s;ea&s;e tormented</HI> thee, the <HI>fears of death &s;urprized thee, and the &s;orrows of Hell caught hold of thee; Remember</HI> how then thou did&s;t <HI>pray</HI> and <HI>promi&s;e, beg</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Votum e&s;t po|&s;tulatio bono|rum &agrave; Deo cum &s;olvendi mune|ris promi&s;&s;ione. Et ideo cum im|petraveris quod petisti ingrati e&s;t tardare pro|mi&s;&s;um.</HI> Ambr. l. 1. de Abel &amp; Cain, c. 7.</NOTE> and <HI>vow,</HI> that <HI>if the Lord would remove his rod, thou would&s;t for&s;ake thy &s;ins; if he would &s;pare thee, thou would&s;t &s;erve him; and if he would renew thy daies, thou would&s;t lead a new cour&s;e of life.</HI> Oh be not &s;o <HI>perfidious</HI> as now that God hath upon thy <HI>promi&s;e</HI> granted thy <HI>de|&s;ire,</HI> thou &s;hould&s;t by <HI>non-performance</HI> fru&s;trate his <HI>ex|pectation.</HI> Be the <HI>&s;ame</HI> to God in thy <HI>health,</HI> that thou wert in <HI>&s;ickne&s;s,</HI> el&s;e it will appear thou did&s;t onely <HI>vow</HI> to <HI>amend thy life</HI> that thou mighte&s;t <HI>amend in health;</HI> nor did&s;t thou <HI>de&s;ire</HI> to <HI>recover</HI> that thou mighte&s;t <HI>glorifie
<PB N="51" REF="28">
God,</HI> but onely <HI>promi&s;ed&s;t</HI> to <HI>glorifie God</HI> that thou mighte&s;t <HI>recover.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Frequently ponder thy own unworthine&s;s,</HI> acknow|ledge with <HI>Jacob, I am le&s;s than the lea&s;t of all the mercies,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 32. 10. <HI>Erubi&s;cau<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">us prava c<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">mmit|tere qu&ograve; nos &agrave; Deo meminimus gratuit&ograve; bona percepi&s;&s;e.</HI> Greg. Mor. l. 30. c. 9.</NOTE> <HI>and of all the truth that thou ha&s;t &s;hewed to thy &s;ervant;</HI> &s;ay with <HI>David, What am I, O Lord God, and what is my Hou&s;e that thou ha&s;t brought me hitherto?</HI> and in the &s;en&s;e of thy <HI>vilene&s;s</HI> thus rea&s;on with thy &s;elf, <HI>I am unworthy to receive, &s;hall I be unwilling to requite the goodne&s;s of God? I am not able to requite, &s;hall I not endeavour to return &s;omething to him for all his love? I have de&s;erved nothing but death, and tears, and falling, &s;hall I not be thankfull for</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 7. 18. <HI>Magno debo obligata e<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter"> ani|ma mea, multum accep<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">, &amp; ni|hil &agrave; te habui&s;ti.</HI> Aug. meditat. <GAP DESC="foreign">, &amp;c. Chry&s;o&s;t, in P&s;. 9.</NOTE> <HI>deliverance from all the&s;e? my former wandrings called for judgement in&s;tead of mercy, de&s;truction in&s;tead of pre&s;erva|tion, and &s;hall I not an&s;wer &s;o unde&s;erved a recovery by fu|ture walking before God?</HI> Thus would the con&s;ideration of thy <HI>antecedent demerit</HI> put thee upon an endeavour of <HI>&s;ub|&s;equent obedience.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. La&s;tly, <HI>Be much in prayer after, as well as before thy deliverance;</HI> not onely <HI>prai&s;e</HI> but <HI>prayer</HI> mu&s;t <HI>wait</HI> upon <HI>mercy.</HI> Ha&s;t thou then obtained <HI>health, pray</HI> for that which is <HI>better</HI> than health, <HI>grace</HI> to improve it in <HI>God</HI>'s &s;ervice: why &s;hould&s;t thou be <HI>ble&s;&s;ed</HI> to thy <HI>co&s;t,</HI> nay thy <HI>cur&s;e?</HI> &s;ay in this ca&s;e, as <HI>Abraham</HI> in another, <HI>Lord, what wilt thou give me &s;eeing I go childle&s;s? Lord, what wilt thou give me if I go gracele&s;s?</HI> It were <HI>better</HI> not to <HI>be delivered,</HI> than not to have <HI>&s;piritual</HI> enablement with thy <HI>temporal</HI> deliverance to <HI>walk before God.</HI> Let this ther|fore be thy <HI>own prayer</HI> for thy &s;elf, yea for this de&s;ire the <HI>prayers of others.</HI> To end all; This is that <HI>reque&s;t</HI> (my <HI>dearly beloved</HI> in the Lord) which I mu&s;t now make unto <HI>you:</HI> In the time of my <HI>&s;ickne&s;s</HI> you were plea&s;ed to <HI>wre&s;tle</HI> with God for my <HI>recovery, Oh cea&s;e not to pray for me &s;till,</HI> I <HI>need</HI> your prayers, I <HI>beg</HI> your prayers, it will be <HI>your</HI> good as well as <HI>mine:</HI> Oh therefore <HI>pray for me,</HI> that I may <HI>lay out</HI> this <HI>health</HI> and <HI>&s;trength</HI> which <HI>God</HI> hath re|&s;tored to me, in his <HI>&s;ervice;</HI> and that being <HI>delivered from
<PB N="52" REF="29">
death, and tears, and falling</HI> into the Grave, I may be en|abled both to <HI>re&s;olve</HI> and <HI>perform</HI> that of which <HI>David</HI> here hath &s;et both me and you a <HI>pattern</HI> in the words of the Text, <HI>I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>ERRATA, in the fir&s;t Sermon.</HEAD>
<P>PAg. 1. lin. 25. for <HI>un</HI> r. <HI>in.</HI> 2. 30. after <HI>le&s;s</HI> d. the <HI>comma.</HI> in the marg. for <HI>lu</HI> r. <HI>tu.</HI> 3. 25. for <HI>warmne&s;s</HI> r. <HI>wearine&s;s.</HI> 4. 16. for <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> r. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word">. 5. in marg. for <HI>&s;aer</HI> r. <HI>&s;er.</HI> 6. 36. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. in marg. for <HI>vo</HI> r. <HI>no.</HI> 7. in marg. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">, for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 8. 27. for <HI>and</HI> r. <HI>both.</HI> in marg. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 11. 8. for <HI>and</HI> r. <HI>are.</HI> in the marg. after <HI>de</HI> r. <HI>triplici.</HI> 12. 10. put <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> before <HI>e&s;t timos.</HI> 14. in marg. for <HI>care</HI> r. <HI>cant.</HI> 17. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">, for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 18. 25. d. <HI>but ni&s;i.</HI> l. 26. after <HI>but</HI> put in <HI>ni&s;i.</HI> 20. 3. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. l. 7. <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 21. 34. for <HI>ut</HI> r. <HI>et.</HI> and for <HI>tur</HI> r. <HI>tor.</HI> 24. 33. r. <HI>Chri&s;tian.</HI> 25. 22. d. <HI>to.</HI> in marg. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 26. 8. after <HI>to</HI> in&s;ert <HI>be.</HI> 31. 12. put the <HI>comma</HI> be|fore <HI>&s;o.</HI> in marg. after <HI>Bibl.</HI> r. <HI>e.</HI> for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 32. in marg. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. l. 30. r. <HI>then to.</HI> l. 30. d. <HI>ing.</HI> 35. in marg. &s;et the <HI>comma</HI> before <HI>illa.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>In the &s;econd Sermon.</HEAD>
<P>PAg. 4. in marg. before <GAP DESC="foreign"> is omitted <GAP DESC="foreign">. after <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">, and joyn the <GAP DESC="foreign"> with <GAP DESC="foreign">. 5. in marg. for <HI>intee</HI> r. <HI>intervenire,</HI> after <HI>ut</HI> r. <HI>&agrave; vu&acirc; h&acirc;c.</HI> 8. in marg. joyn <GAP DESC="foreign"> with <GAP DESC="foreign">, r. <GAP DESC="foreign">, d. <GAP DESC="foreign">, r. <GAP DESC="foreign">, r. <HI>ge|&s;tiunt.</HI> 17. 3. for <HI>or</HI> r. <HI>a.</HI> 20. 8. for <HI>the more in</HI> r. <HI>in the mercy of.</HI> l. 19. for <HI>his</HI> r. <HI>this.</HI> 21. 37. r. <HI>devota.</HI> 22. in marg. for <HI>at</HI> r. <HI>as.</HI> 24. in marg. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 25. 37. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. l. 38. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 30. in marg. for <HI>&s;anio</HI> r. <HI>facio.</HI> 32. in marg. for <GAP DESC="foreign"> r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 33. in marg. r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 39. in the end of the marg. for &amp; r. <HI>ut.</HI> 45. 22. r. <HI>Te|rentia.</HI> 46. in marg. for <HI>du</HI> r. <HI>da.</HI></P>
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</DIV2>
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</BACK>
</TEXT>
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