MEDITATION S
AND
OBSERVATIONS
UPON
The Eleventh and Twelfth Verfes of the
Sixth Chapter of Solomons Song.
writte n,
If the LORD pleafe, for the Encouragement
of the Saints, when under feeming contrary
Providences, to Faithful Promises.
To which are added,
Motives offer'd to the Confideration of a Believer,
' to deter him from Sin.
Causes of finful Anger: To .be watch'd againft
by all that are Christ's, who would crucify the
Flefh, with the Affe£tions thereof.
The Guilt of a Believer's departing from God.
an d
Some T houghts about Sin and Holiness:
Propos'd to-the Confideration of the dear Saints.
By a Sinner fav*d to be an Heir of Heaven, that de-
ferves to be a Firebrand of Hell.
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THE
P R EFAC E
Chriftian Reader,
f7~*H E Truths prefented to thy View in the
following Sheets, thou hajly as they were
firfl open'd and apply'd to my own Soul, by the
Holy Ghoft, the Comforter. My Defgn herein, if
the LORD pleafe, is to comfort the dear Saints,
when in Trouble, with the fame Comforts
wherewith I myfelf have been comforted of GOD.
Whether we be afflicted, fays the Apofile, or
whether we be comforted, it is for your Confo-
lation and Salvation, 2 Cor. i. 6. Which Words>
tho' eminently intended of CHRIST's Apofles and
Miniflers, rais'd up of GOD for publick TJfeful-
nefs in the Church; will yet hold true of every
Member of CHRIST'S Body. The whole is in-
terefled, both in the Afflictions and Conflations
of every Part. Not an AfliBion toucheth the
lead Member, but is for the Advantage of the
\ whole Body. CHRIST, the dear Head of the
Church, was tempted in all Points like as we
are : That he might be able to fuccour them that
are tempted, Heb. ii. i3. and iv. ir, Andy
A 2 fays
iv The PREFACE.
fays the A'poflle, writing to the Church at Coloffe,
I rejoyce in my Sufferings for you, and fill up
that which is behind of the Afflictions of
CHRIST, for his Body's fake, which is the
Church, Col. i. 24. It uttas the Advantage that
CHRIST'S Body fijould have fejg his Sufferings,
that made him joyful in all his Tribulations.
And the AffiBions of every Member, under the
fanBifying Infuences of the Holy Ghofl, work a
kindly Sympathy with each other, and ft them
to fpeak a Word in Seafon to him that is weary.
And if any of GOD's dear Children, may find
Support and Comfort, from the Cordials which
have been given me in my fainting Fits; I
jhall efieem it a precious Fruit of my Exercife. —
So prays the leaf of CHRIST's, who would gladly
be a Servant of all,
( 5 )
■i
MEDITATIONS
AND
OBSERVATIONS
UPON
The Eleventh and Twelfth Verfes of the
blxth Chapter of Solomon s Song.
I went down into the Garden of Nuts, to fee the
Fruits oj the Valley, and to Jee whether the
Vine flourijhed, and the Pomegranates budded.
Or ever 1 was aware, my Soul made me like the
Chariots of Ammi-nadib.
WHAT I (hall offer to Confidera-
tion from thefe Words, will be,
fuch of my Meditations thereon,
which relate,
Fir ft, To the Explanation of them. And
Secondly, To the Obfervations which naturally
arife from them fo explain'd.
Firft then, To explain the Words. I went
down —] Thefe Words I take to be the Speech
of the Lord Jefus Chrift, the Church's Bride¬
groom.
3 Into
6 Meditations, &c.
Into the Garden of Nuts,] By Garden, we
may underrtand, The Church : which is feveral
Times call'd fo in this Song. As Chap. iv. 12.
A Garden enclofed is my Sifter, my Spoufe.
By Nuts, The precious Words of God's Mouth
feem to be intimated, upon which his Children
live : And efteem more than their neceff'ary Food,
jobxxiii. 12. Thefe may becompar'd unto Nuts,
tor their Myftery, and internal Excellency. Nuts
are eaten, when diverted of the Hulk and Shell:
So the Words of God's Mouth are delightfully
fed upon by his People, when he is gracioufly
pleas'd to open the internal Myftery and Glory
of them: Tho' they are hid from the natural
Man, as the Kernel of a Nut beneath the
Hulk and Shell. And as the feveral Parts of
the Word in general, fo the Promifes in parti¬
cular, feem to be intended. For thefe are
hid, not only from the natural Man, but ma¬
ny Times from the Saints themfelves, in a great
meafure, both as to their full Intendment, and
particular Manner of Accomplirtiment.
The Saints, at times, have particular Pro¬
mifes given in ; and they look upon, and re-
joyce in them with a double Sight: Much like
as a Perfon may be fuppofed to look upon Nuts
'in the Shell. A Man with the Eye of his Mind,
looks thro' the Shell, and difcerns the Kernel;
when as yet the Eye of his Body, can fee no¬
thing of it until the Shell be broken. Thus
the Saints by an Eye of Faith, look upon the
Promife,
upon Songvi. ii, 12. 7
Promife, and rejoyce in it, as containing a full
Supply of all their Wants: But many times it
is fo clothed with contrary Providences, that
the Eye of their fpiritual Senfe, can difcern no¬
thing of it, until it -is uncloth'd of the Shell
that covers it : And then they behold the Pro¬
mife in its full Proportion, and feed upon it
in its fulfilled Glory. And as it is with parti¬
cular Saints, fo it fares with the Church in
general.
As to the Church's being flyled, ['The Garden
of Nuts] It feems to intimate that Communion
which the Lord hath with his People by his
Word. And as Nuts grow up in their Seafon;
fo the Promifes, under the Holy Ghoft's parti¬
cular Application, fpring up for the Saints Re-
frefhment in the appointed Seafons of their Need.
Nuts grow in Clujiers: So the Promifes. The
Saints, oft-times, have many Promifes concern¬
ing one Thing. There are given unto us, fays
the Apoflle, exceeding great and precious Pro-
tnifes, 2 Pet. i. 4. They are, not only exceed¬
ing Great and Precious, but alfo many j Pro¬
mifes, in the Plural.
As to the Lord Chrift's going down into
the Garden of Nuts, [I went down—] It feems
to hold forth the great Care which Chrift has,
and that fpecial Infpeftion which He makes in¬
to the feveral Circumflances of his People in re¬
lation to his Word. As is expreft in the next
Claufe,
8 Meditations, &c.
Claufe, which gives us the Defign of this his
going down.
Ho fee the Fruits of the Valley,] God's Chil¬
dren are made low in their own Eyes, like the
Valley which the Lord has promis'd fhall be ex¬
alted, Ifa. xl. 4. They are the Poor in Spirit,
which are pronounced Blefed, Mat. v. 3. They
fee themfelves to be but Babes in the Things of
God, and therefore cry unto their Father, as
Lord of Heaven and Earth, to reveal thofe
Things unto them which are hid from the wife
and prudent World, Matt. xi. 25.
And as thofe mountainous Conceits of Self-
Sufficiency, which naturally fpring up in the
Hearts of God's People before effectual Calling,
are thrown down by the humbling Work of
the Holy Spirit, when he forms the New-Crea¬
ture in their Souls, by which they are made
like the Valley for Lownefs: So this fame Spi¬
rit, draws forth into Exercife thofe feveral
Graces which are of his own Production in
their Hearts; and thefe are the Fruits of the
Valley,
Again, there are humbling Difpenfations of
divine Providence, which the People of God are
brought into while paffing thro' this World ; up¬
on which Account alfo they may be compar'd
unto the Valley. I was brought low, or into the
Valley, fays the Pfalmifly and he helped me, Pfa.
cxvi. 6. And again, Hbo' I walk thro' the Val-
ley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no Evil,
upon Song vi. 11, 12. 9
Pfa. xxiii. 4. By the Valley of the Shadow of
Death, here, we may apprehend not only that
Lownefs the Saints are brought into upon the
Approach of natural Death , but alfo all that
Lownefs they are brought into by the feveral
Kinds of Diftrejfes they pafs under in this Life.
For as Life is fometimes put for the Comforts of
Life : As, 1 Thef. iii. 8. Now we live if ye
Iland fa/l in the Lord: So on the other Hand,
Death is put for the Affliffions of Life. And
when the Apoftle fets forth the Perils and Dan¬
gers he bad been in, he makes Ufe of this Word,
Death, In Deaths oft, 2 Cor. xi. 23.
And if we take the Valley of the Shadow of
Death in this Senfe, how often are the Saints
walking in it j by Reafon of the Hidings of God's
Face, Temptations from Satan, or the Out-
breakings of Corruption ? Yea, the Lord him-
felf often walks contrary to his People in the Dif-
penfations of his Providence. Contrary to their
Defires, aye, and contrary to their Expectations
of his promis'd Goodnefs j tho' all his hVays are
Judgment, and a God of Truth is he, Deut.
xxxii. 4. And fo not a Jot or Tittle of his
Word fhall pafs unfulfilled. Yet the Saints, by
Reafon of Darknefs, are apt to miftake the
Mind of God in a Promife, as to its Manner of
Fulfilment. And then when the Lord crojjeth
their Expectations, they are brought into the
Valley of the Shadow of Death, or into deep Di-
/Irefs. * Thus it was with good old Jacob, when
B the
I0 Meditations, &c.
the Lord was about to fulfil his Promife to him,
in a Way contrary to his Expectations: All thefe
'Things, fays he, are againfi me, Gen. xlii. 36.
When yet all thofe Things which feem'd to
thwart the Promife, was but the Means infinite
Wifdom was pleas'd to make ufe of in order to
fulfil it. But while God, in his wonderful Pro¬
vidence, was working all Things for Jacob,
alas! the Grace of it was quite out of his Sight:
And he verily thought, that all thofe Things were
againjl him ; which fill'd him with deep Diflrefs.
Again, fometimes the Saints are right in their
Apprehenfions as to the Manner of Fulfilment of
a Promife, and yet miflake as to the Time of it.
They are ready to expeCt the Mercy and Deli¬
verance they look for, fhould be immediately
given them. Thus the Children of lfraely when
God fent Mofes with Tidings of Deliverance, re¬
joiced in it, and thought it muft next Way have
appear'd. But the precife Time not being come,
behold, a great Death is brought upon the Pro¬
mife ; inftead of Deliverance, their Bondage en-
creafeth: By which they are brought low, or
into the Valley ; not only in their Circumftances,
but alfo in the Frame of their Spirits under
them. And as thofe that are in the Valley can't
fee afar of, by Reafon of the Mountains which
furround them: So, nor can the Saints when in
the Valley. For let them look which Way they
will, with an Eye of Senfe, they fee themfelves
furrounded with Contrarieties, which like Moun-
2 tains
upon Song vi. i x, 12. 11
tains obRrudt the Sight of their glorious Deliver¬
ance. And then they are brought into deep Li¬
ft refs, like the Children of Ifrael when they
hearkned not unto the Promife of God by Mofes,
for Angnifh of Spirit, Exod. vi. 9.
But tho' the Saints are thus in the Valley, yet
they are not alone. I will not fear, fays the
Pfalmifl, thoy I walk thro' the Valley.—For thou
art with me, Pfa, xxiii. 4. Chrift ftands among
the Myrtle Frees in the Bottom, Zech. i. 8.
And it is fweet to have fuch a Companion in Tri¬
bulation, that will both fuRain us under it, and
deliver us from it. Oh how precious is the Arm
and Bofom of our Beloved, to lean upon, while
we are coming up from the Wildernejs! Song
Viii. 5.
And, fometimes, the Lord is pleas'd to give
his People the Feet of Hinds, even when in Val¬
ley Difpenfations: So that they can leap o'er the
Mountains of Difficulty that are in their Way,
take their Walks upon their high Places, and by
an Eye of Faith behold afar off the Glory of their
Deliverance, Micah vii. 8. The Profpedts of
which are more clear and full, or more confufed
and dark, according to God's, fovereign Plea-
fure.
And when Faith gets a Profpect of Deliver¬
ance, it fets all the other Graces on Work ; as
Love, Hope, Patience, &c. it being the Soul's
Evidence of Things not feen bv an Eye of Senfe :
For Rill the Soul is in the Valley, with Refpedl
B 2 to
3 2 Meditations, &c.
to the Difpenfation. Thus, Rom. viii. 25. If
we hope for that we fee not, do we with Pa¬
tience wait for it. We fee it not, becaufe in
the Valley, encompafs'd with fuch Difficulties
that Senfe can't look thro'. But yet Faith having
got a Sight of its Surenefs, we hope for that
which we fee not; and then in Patience, or
quiet Submiflion, as to the Time, we wait for
it.
And as the Saints, under the humbling Difpen-
fations of divine Providence, may be compar'd
unto the Valley, fo the various Exercife of the
Graces of the Spirit under fuch Circumftances,
may be ftyled the Fruits of the Valley ; which
Chrift goes down to fee, in order to own and
crown them with their promis'd Glory : For no
Grace fhall be exercis'd in vain. As for Exam¬
ple : If it be Faith that is in Exercife, it fhall not
be in vain. For, fays the Pfalmif, Commit thy
Way unto the Lord: Trufl alfo in him, and he
fhall bring it to pafs, Pfa. xxxvii. 5. If it be
Love: It fhall be anfwerd with amazing Re¬
turns of Kindnefs. If a Man love me, fays
Chrift, he fhall be loved of my Father, and I will
love him, and will jnanifefi myfelf unto him, John
xiv. 21, 23. If it be vehement Define, in the
Supplication-Breath of the new-Creature : The
Lord bath not (aid unto the Seed of Jacob, feek
ye me in vain, Ifa. xlv. 19. If it be Humility:
I he Humble fall be exalted, Luke xviii. 14. If
k he /lope : I he Hope of the Righteous, (in the
Enjoyment
upon Song vi. n, 12. 13
Enjoyment of hoped-for-Bleffings) Jhall be Glad-
nej's, Prov. x. 28. If it be Patience, waiting
for the Fulfilment of the Promife: They Jhall
not be ajhamed, faith the Lord, that wait for me,
Ifa. xlix. 23. And it is in order to fulfil his
Promife, that Chrift goes down to fee the Fruits
of the Valley.
Again, in the Words we have further men-
tion'd, another End of his going down into the
Garden of Nuts. And that is,
Ho fee whether the Vine flour ifhed^ or the Pome¬
granates budded. ] I take thefe Words, as an
Allufion to the Spring-time of the Year; in
which the Vines fiourifh, and the Pomegranates
hud forth. And fo the Senfe feems to be this :
I went down to fee whether it was Spring-Time,
or not, and that in relation to my Promife. Or,
I went down to fee whether my Garden, having
pafs'd under nipping Winter Difpenfations, was
now prepard for the Glory of the Spring; or
whether there be not fome flourijhing Hopes,
budding Defires, and Expectations of my Appear¬
ing ; by Virtue of my Sun-like Face that has
fhone upon it. The next Words feem to-inti¬
mate the EjfeEl of his going down.
Or ever I was aware, my Soul made me like
the Chariots of Ammi-nadib.] This Word, Am-,
mi-nadib, fignifies a free People, or my willing
People. Which are made fo in the Day of Chrifl's
Power, Pfa. ex. 3. having a Principle of Faith
wrought
j 4 . Meditations, &c.
wrought in their Hearts, and drawn forth into
Exercife in their Lives.
By the Chariots of Ammi-nadib, we may ap¬
prehend, both the Promifes and Providences of
God; in which he rides forth in his Majefty, to
do his Children good. They arecall'd the Cha¬
riots of his willing People, becaufe they are
drawn by them. By Faith they obtain Promifes,
Heb. xi. 33. And fo they draw that Chariot.
Aye, and Providences too, as it is there alfo re¬
corded. T/jro' Faith they fubdued Kingdofns,
/lopped the Months of Lions, quenched the Violence
of Fire, efcaped the Edge of the Sword, out of
JVeaknefs were made Jtrong, waxed valiant in
Fightj turned to Flight the Annies of the Aliens,
ver. 34. All which fets forth the Power of
Faith, or the great Strength of God's willing
People, to draw the Chariot of his Providences.
And therefore both the Promifes, and Provi¬
dences of God, which the Saints obtain thro'
jFaith, may fitly be flyled, the Chariots of his
willing People.
By Chrift's being here faid, to be made Life,
the Chariots of Ammi-nadib, as I conceive, is
fet forth thus much unto us, That when Chrift
fees the Spring-time of a Promife is come, he is
then made juft like the Promife ; and juft like his
former Providential-Appearances for his People.
And he is made like thefe Chariots of Ammi-na¬
dib, 1. Internally. And, 2. Externally.
1. That He is fo internally, appears plain
from
upon Song vi. 1i, 12. 15
from the Words, in that he fays, his Soul made
him fo. Which feems to exprefs, not only the
Caufe of this Likenefs, but alfo the Nature of it,
as to the inward Motions of his Heart; this in¬
ternal Likenefs, as I take it, confifts in Chrift's
a&ually taking into his Thoughts all the Grace of
his Promifes; and is as if he fhould fay, <c lam
" now juft like what I was v/hen I made the
tf Promife; my Heart is ftill the fame, lam not
cc alter d one Jot.*'
Thus when God fent Mofes to the Children of
Ifrael, with the joyful News of their Deliverance,
which was promis'd four hundred Years before;
he bids him fay, I AM hath fent me unto you,
Exod. iii. 14. Which is as if the Lord fhould
fay, " I made a Promife of your Deliverance fo
" long ftnce, and the Time of its Fulfilment be-
tl ing come; I am now juft like what I was
" then : My Heart is now fill'd with the very
" fame Grace." And as this internal Likenefs
refpe&s his Promifes, fo doth it regard his Pro¬
vidences. He remembers what he has formerly
wrought for his dear Children; and he is made,
in his Refolutions to do them good, juft like
what he was then.
2. He is made like the Chariots of Ammi-na-
dib, externally: Or, juft like his Promife, in his
Providential Appearances for his People. This
is clear from the fore-quoted Inftance of his
fending Mofes to the Children of Ifrael, when in
Egypt. Not only was he internally like the
Promife,
16 Meditations, &c.
Promife, in the inward Workings of his Heart
towards them, which was dill the very fame,
as when he made it; but he was externally like
it alfo. For, as he promts d Abram, That his
Seed [Jjould come out with great Subftance, after
they had been ajfiidled four hundred Tears: And
like wife hinted the Way and Manner of their
Deliverance, by faying, That Nation whom they
Jhati ferve will I judge, Gen. xv. 13, 14. So
when he came to fulfil it, how did he appear
juft like the Promife ? With what an out-ftretch-
ed Arm did he redeem them ? What Signs,
Wonders, and great Judgments did he bring up¬
on that Nation whom they ferved ? And at laft
he gave them Favour in the Sight of the Egyp¬
tians, fo that they lent them Jewels of Silver,
and Jewels of Gold, and Raiment, to the Spoiling
of the Egyptians, Gen. xii. 35, 36. Thus were
they brought out with great Subflance. And
which of the Saints is there, that have not had
fome experimental Acquaintance with the Lord's
appearing for them in his Providences, juft like
unto what he had told them of in his Promifes ?
So that they could look upon this Providence,
and fee it to be the Fulfilment of that Promife :
And upon another Providence, and behold it as
the Fulfilment of another Promife ?
And as when the Lord fulfils his Promife,
he is externally made like the Promife Chariots ;
fo the Providence Chariot too. Upon which
Account it is, that his Appearances for his Peo¬
ple
upon Song vi. u, 12. . 17
pie now, bear fome Refemblance with his Ap-:
pearances for his People of old. So that we can
fay, with the Pfalmift, As we have heard, fo we
have feen, Pfa. xlviii. 8. Thus when the Lord
was about to fulfil his Promife to JoJhua, made
unto Mofes concerning him, he tells Jofiua,
As I was with Mofes, fo I will be with thee,
Jofh. i. 5. 'Tis as if the Lord fhould fay, * I
4 told my Servant Mofes, That I would raife
* thee up in his dead to be a Leader of my
4 People Ifrael: And now I am about to fulfil
c it, I remember how, by the vifible Tokens of
* my Prefence, I was with Mofes, by which I
4 magnify'd him in the Sight of all Ifrael:
i And as I was with Mofes, fo I will be with
* thee. And as I remember how I was with
* Mofes, and will conform my Dealings with
* thee thereunto; fo do thou remember it alfo,
* for the Encouragement of thy Faith in the
' Expedlation of my Prefence with thee.' And
God's pad Appearances for his People of old\
do greatly tend to encourage his Children now;
becaufe he is dill a God keeping Covenant. It
was his Covenant with his People of old, to
do Marvels: And when he works Salvation for
us in thefe lad Times, he appears dill to be a
God working Wonders : jud like what he was
wont to be, for his People, in the former Ages
of the World. Yea, and his former Appear¬
ances'for us, do greatly drengthen our Faith, as
tb future Deliverance. It's HE, faith the Apodle,
C that
j 8 Meditations, See.
that hath delivered us from paft Trials: and
doth deliver us ftill out of prefent Diftrefles : in
whom we truft that he will yet deliver us,
2 Cor. i. io. 'Tis as if he fhould fay, c The
' Lord, is even now, juft like what he was wont
* to be; therefore we'll truft him for future
' Deliverances.
Again, Chrift may be faid, to be made like
the Chariots of Ammi-nadib, with refpetft to
the Swiftnefs of his Motions, both in Grace
and Providence, to do his Children good. As
Chariots that are drawn by free-fpirited Horfes
feem to fly, as it were, in the Swiftnefs of their
Motion: So the Lord Chrift, moves, not only
conformably to his Promifes, and to his former
Providences too, but he alfo moves fwiftly ;
as it were upon the Wings of the Wind, Pfa.
xviii. io.
Thus having took forne notice what it is for
Chrift to be made like the Chariots of Ammi-
nadib : We may a little enquire into the di-
ftindl Times, in which he is made fo. And all
the gracious Vifits the Lord makes unto his
People in New-Teftament Times, in order to
open the Myflery of his Word, and particularly
his Promifes, that fo the Saints might feed up¬
on them in their fulfilled Glo?y ; may be re¬
duced unto four Periods.
\fi, Chrift may be faid, to be made like tha
Chariots of Ammi-nadib, when by his Spirit
he gracioufly Vifits the Souls of his People, and
opens
upon Song vi. ii, 12. 19
opens the Myftery of his Word to their Under-
fundings, by unclothing it of the Vail that be¬
fore obftruCted their Sight: And particularly,
when he opens the Myjiery of his Promifes,
in a confiftent Light with thofe feeming, con¬
trary Providences which before obfcured their
Glory.
And when thus the Lord appears unto any
Child of his, being fill'd with joyful Wonder,
it ftraightway fays, c Oh now I fee my Lord
4 to be juft like his Promife ! He made Promifes
{ to me a while ago, and I drew out Ways in
4 which I thought he would fulfil them: But
~4 He crojjing my Expectations, I loft Sight qf
1 him. Inftead of looking like his Word, I
4 thought he look'd contrary in his Provi-
4 dences fo that I knew not what to make of
4 his Promifes. But now the Vail is took off my
4 Under ft anding, I fee my Lord again; and he is
4 juft like what his Promife fet him forth to be.
4 He is not alter1 d one Jot, in his Love, Grace
4 or Faithfulnefs: I fee he can fulfil his Pro-
4 mifes to me, even when he takes quite dif-
4 ferent Ways to what I expeBed1 And thus
David, * Altho my Houfe, fays he, be not fo with
God, yet he has made with me an everlafting
Covenant, order1 d in all Things and fure; in
this is all my Salvation, and all my Deftrei although
he make it not to grow, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. Altho'
my Houfe be not fo with God : 'Tis as if he
£hould fay, 4 Not fo as I defired, or, not fo
C 2 'as
*
2o Meditations, &c.
4 as I expected ; yet he has made with mc an
•c everlafting Covenant: Yet I fee him to be
4 juft like what he was when he made the Cove-
4 nant. I fee his Covenant-Promifes ft and faft
c for ever : And that this Covenant is ordered
4 in all Things in the higheft Wifdom, and all
4 the Blefhngs of it are Jure. I can't mifs of any
4 of the Mercies comprehended in this Covenant}
* altho' I may have mijsd of my Expectations,
4 as to the particular Ways, in which I thought
1 Covenant-Mercy would have run. And as I
4 fee this Covenant to be everlafting, well-or-
4 dered in all Things, and fure} fo in this is
4 all my Salvation, aye, and all my Deftre too:
4 I can defire no more, than my gracious,
4 faithful God hath fecured to me in this Cove-
c nant} althp\ he_ make it not to grow, either in
4 the Time or Manner that I expeCted.'
f ' fi ) tCTi . T
idly, Chrift is made like the Chariots of
1Ammi-nadib,, when he goes forth to vijit his
People by his Providences, in order to fulfil his
Prcmifes, according to their.Expectation. And
Oh what a.Qlpry do the Saints, then, behold
in Chrifl's appearing in his Providences, juft
like what they apprehended in his Promifes !
Aye, and' juft like what he was woht.tQ be in
his former Appearances for- his Children i And
s when the LOJID their God is thus with them,
kthe Shout oft-a King is among them. For with
a: Triumphaint Voice they ftraightway break
forth, as is: prophefy'd of the Church, Ifa.
*• e 4 -d r '■- • * -
upon Song vi. 11, 12. 23
xxv. 9. Lo, this is our God, we have waited for
him, will be glad and rejoyce in his Salvar
tion.
3dly, Chrift is made like the Chariots of Ammi*
nadib, when he down into his Garden to
gather Lillies, or, to gather home the Saints by
Death, Song vi. 2.. ilfey the Afflictions of
the Righteous, but out of them all J he Lord de¬
liver eth him at Death. Death is made ours ;
for us to die is Gain. And as Death is mad©
a Blefflng to the People of God, fo when the
appointed Time is come, Chrift, ftays not &
Moment longer, but is made juft like the Pro4
mife, when he gathers unto himfelf our Spb
rits : and thereby puts a Period to all our Sord
rows, and confummates our Happinefs and Joyv£
by taking us into the full Vifion and Fruition of
his own Glory. Aye, and he is made juft li&et
his former Providences too ; for as he deliveca
one Saint by Death, fo alfo another. At
And further, Chrift is made like the Cha¬
riots of Ammi-nadib, when he gathers the SainU
home to himfelf, in that he then opens all ths
My (lories y both, of his Grace and Providence t6
their glorify'd XJnderJlandings. Then they Ihall
fee him, indeed, to be juft like what his WofA
fet him forth to be. Now, oft-times, we undetfk
jland not what he is doing, either, upon us or
for us. But then thatPromife (hall be fulfilled
unto us, which was made unto Peter, What I do,
thou knowejl not now 5 but thou Jhalt know here-
22 Meditations, &c.
after, Joh. xiii. 7. Known unto God &A
Works from the Beginning of the World: As
perfedtly conformable to that Platform which he
drew by his infinite Wifdom, in his own eter¬
nal Counfels, for the Accomplifhment of the
Defigns of his Glory, in the Good of his Chofen.
But we, alas, fee but little now, of this his
perfeB Work. But then we fhall know even as alfo
we are known, 1 Cor. xiii. 12. God knows us per-
' fedtly now, according to his infinite Underftand-
ing in relation to his Works, both upon us and
f°r us: And we fhall know Him perfectly then,
in relation to both, according to the utmoft of
our enlarged Creature-Capacity. Oh what a
beautiful Order will every Part of the Spirit's
Work upon us appear in, then, to our View.
And what a glorious Harmony fhall we fee in all
the Providences of God towards us, while we
remember all the Way that the Lord led in thro'
the Wildernefs, - which will then appear to be
right I De'ut. viii. 2. Pfa. cvii. 7. Not a Mo-
tim of Chrift- by his Spirit, upon our Hearts in
all JtHe Variety of- his Operations, but we fhall
then underftand in a perfedl Conformity to his
glorious Promifes. None of the Crofs Lines of
Providence, but Will then appear to meet in the
Center of his- Glory and our Good; and alfo
to bear fome Kej'emb'lance with his Providential-
Dealings with others of his dear Children. Once
more,
- 4thly, Chrift will be made like the Chariots
3
upon Song vi. 11,12. 23
of Amminadib, at his glorious fecond Coming.
The Words will have their compleat Fulfilment
then. And tho' what is here fpoken of, is put
in the paft Tenfe, as a Thing "already done, my
Soul made me — Yet this is but what is com¬
mon in other prophetick Scriptures: Which
tho' put in the pad Tenfe, and in that Refpedt
have a Truth in them, in fome Senfes, are
yet to have a further Accomplifhment. Thus
in Old-Teftament Times, it was faid concerning
Chrift, He was bruifed for our Iniquities, and
he was wounded for our TranfgreJJions. Which
Phrafe denotes the Thing done, fecretly, to and
with God, in the Covenant-Tranfadtions about
it: Tho' it was yet to be done adlually, and
openly before Men, upon Chrift's taking our Na¬
ture in the Womb of the Virgin ; and bearing
our Sins in his own Body on th$ Tree. So here,
My Soul made me — if we refer thefe Words
for their full Accomplilhment, unto the Time
of Chrift's perfonal Appearing ; then they alfo
denote thus much unto us, That the Thing is
done fecretly in the Covenant-Tranfadtions a-
bout it; which fecures its being done openly in
the Difpenfation of the Fulnefs of Times.
The Church in general, is Chrift's Garden of
Nuts; into which he will come down by his
fpecial Care and lnfpecliony to fee the Fruits of
the Valley, (or of that Valley-Difpenfation, the
Saints will be in juft before his Coming) to
fee whether the Vine flourifietht or the Pome¬
granates
34 Meditations, &e.
granates bud: or whether it be the Spring-time o£
all thofe glorious Promifes which refpedt his per-
Jonal Appearing: And having feen it, his Soul
will make him like the Chariots of Ammi-nadib.
Jtfft like his Promifes, aye, and like his Provi¬
dences too, in his former Appearances to fulfil
his Promifes to his People, and his Threatnings
againfl their Enemies, when the fet Time to
favour them was come. He'll be like thefe
Chariots then, but in a more tranfcendent and
glorious Manner than ever he was before. And
when, as the Mighty God, at his next Appear¬
ing, he travelleth in the Greatnefs of his Strength;
to deflroy his and his Peoples Enemies, to fulfil
his Promifes to them in their compleat Salvation,
to open all the Myfteries of his Wordy aye, and all
the Myfteries of his Providence too: Oh what a
Glory will the Saints behold in H i m ! Then with a-
mazing Wonder they'll cry out, Who is this that
cometh from Edom, with of d Garments from Boz-
rah ? Phis that is glorious in his Apparel, travelling
in the Greatnefs of his Strength ? While they hear
his Majeftick Self proclaim the glorious An-
fwer; I that Jpeak in Righteoufnefs, mighty to
fave, Ifa. lxiii. i. The Language feems to be
this: " It's I, my People, behold Me, in my
<c Glory: It's I, my Self, and not another.
e{ It's I, your Bridegroom, that have fpoken all
tx my Promifes to you, and my Threatnings
tf againft your Enemies, in very Truth and Faith-
" fulnefs. Behold Me therefore now, travel-
ling
upon Song vi. 11,12. 25
C£ ling in my omnipotent Strength, 2s one Mighty
" to fave. It's I that fpeak in Righteoufnefs:
u Behold now, if I am not juft like my
ct Word. Remember what wasrecbrded in my
<£ Booky and feal'd by my Spirit to your Hearts;
<£ and fee if there has fail'd ought of the good
t£ Things which I have fpoken." Thus, and
much more, will Chrift be made like the Cha¬
riots of his willing People, when He appears
the Jecond Time without Sin unto Salvation. And
oh, what a Feajl will the Saints have, when all
the nutty Myfieries of God's Word and Works,
fhall at once be open'd in their pure naked Glo-
,riesy uncloth'd of all thofe Shells which before
obfcured their Luflre !
The next Thing obfervable, is the Caufe of
Chrift's being made like the Chariots of Ammi-
nadilr, and that is exprefs'd in thefe Words,
My Soul made me\ Which fets forth thus
much unto us, that the Lord takes all his Mo¬
tives from within Himfelf to do his Children
good. My Soul made me, fays he. It is as if
he fhould fay, ££ I did not look for any Thing in
t£ my People to deferve my Appearances for
<c them: No, it was my Soul made me. 1
" went downy indeed, into the Garden of Nuts,
££ to fee the Fruits of the Valley, to fee the feve-
££ ral Graces my Spirit had produc'd in the
£C Hearts and Lives of my People, that fo I*
t£ might own and crown them, according to
££ their diftind Exercifey by the fume free Fa*
D <£ vour
2.6 Meditations, See.
££ vour from whence they were at firft beftowed.
£t I went alfo to fee whether the Vine flouriftid,
<£ or the Pomegranates budded, whether it was
££ the Spring-time of my Promife or not:" And
having feen it, I did not go out of my Self,
for Motives to fulfil it. No, there was enough
within me, to move me; my Soul made me.
And thus when the Lord promifeth to do his
Children good, I will do it, fays he, for mine
own Sake'with my 'whole Heart and my whole
Soul, Ifa. xlviii. 11. Jer. xxxii. 41. And this
David confefleth, when the Lord had done
great Things for hirp: Thou didft them, fays
he, according to thine own Heart, 2 Sam.
vii. 21.
THe laft Thing to be notic'd in the Words, is
the Suddennefs of Chrift's being made like the
Chariots of Ammi-nadib : Which is fet forth by
this Claufe,
Or ever I was aware] As much as to fay,
fuddenly. The Lord feems here to' fpeak our
Language, that fo we might underftand his
Heart. And as when we have fudden Motions
arife in our Hearts, which feem to carry" away
our Souls, as it were, in a Surprize; we- fay, Or
/ever I was aware, or before I was aware I was
-thus and thus. So was it with me, fays Chrift,
I went down into the Garden of Nuts, to fee whe¬
ther it was the Spring-time of my Promife; and
^having feen it, or ever I was aware, fuddenly, as
-in a Moment, or the Twinkling of an Eye, my
Soul
upon Song vi. u, 12. 27
Soul made me like the Chariots of Amml-nadib.
I refolved that I would not ftay a Moment longer,
the fit Seafon being come. And both the Caufe,
and the Suddennefs of his being made like the
Chariots of Ammi-nadiby are equally referrable
unto each of the diftindt Times wherein he is
made fo. As 1. The Time of his gracious Vifits,
by his Spirit, to the Souls of his Children. 2.
The Time of his P r ovi dent ial~Vifits. 3. The
Time of his Vifits by Death. And 4. The
Time of his Jecond Coming. It is true concern¬
ing them ally that his Soul makes him come
quickly.
Thus much for the Explanation of the Words.
In the next Place,
Secondly, I come to take Notice of fome Ob-
fervations, which will naturally arife from them,
thus explain'd. And,
1. Is the Church Chrift's Garden: From
hence we may note, That the Saints have great
Reafon to admire diftinguilhing Grace; which
hath feperated them from the JVGrld, to be a pe- ?
culiar People for the Lord's Delight, in whom
he dwells and walks. For, as Gardens are fepe¬
rated Places from the common Ground, in which
the Owners take Delight y fo fays Chrift, A
Garden cnclofed is my Sifter, my Spoufe, Song iv.
12. And ihe is called Hephzibah, the Lord's
Delight, Ifa. Ixii. 4. And I will dwell in them t
fays God, and walk in themy 2 Cor. vi. 16.
2. Is the Church a Garden of Nuts: We
D 2 may
2$ Meditations, Sec.
may henc'e obferve, That the Saints are peculi¬
arly privileged in that they have Communion with
the Lord, by his Word. It was the Glory of
God's People of old, that they had his Laws
and Statutes given to them. And when the
Pfalmijl would raife their Hearts to admire
God's diftinguiftiing Favour towards them, He
has not dealt fo with any Nation, fays he, Praife
ye the LORD, Pfa. cxlvii. 20. And when the
Apoftle Paul reckons up the Privileges of the
Ifraelites, he puts this in among the reft: Unto
whomt fays he, pertaineth the Adoption, and the
Glory, and the giving of the Law, and the Pro-
wife s3 Rom. ix. 4. And as God's People of
old, fo his People now, are peculiarly favour'd
with gracious Communion with him in his Word;
and the diftind Revelation of his Mind, refpe£t-
ing the Way of Salvation, while the Nations
round about them are cover'd with grofs Dark-
nefs. Yea, not only are the Saints favour'd with
the Knowledge of the Way of Salvation ; but
alfo, many Times, with the Revelation of God's
Mind and Will, whether in providential Frowns
or Favours. The precious Promifes, as the
Food of Faith, fpring up like Nuts in their Sea-
fon, in every Time of the Saints Need. Here's
one Promife fprings up in one Cafe, and another
Promife in another Circumftance; yea, fome-
fcimes, a whole Clufter of Promifes- concerning
me Difpenfation. And tho' at prefent they are
but like Nuts in the Shell, which can only be
dif-
upon Song vi. n, 12. 29
cern'd by the mental Eye, as thefe only by Faith;
yet they afford prefent Refreflment. For Faith
looks thro' the Shell and difcerns the Subjlance
of the Promife, as containing in it a full Supply
of all the Soul's Wants, when as yet fpiritual
Senfe fees not how it (hall be made good, nor
can feed upon it in its compleat Glory, until it is
uncloth'd of the Shell that covers it. The Pri¬
vileges of the Saints therefore, in that they are
thus a Garden of Nuts, are exceeding great;
and peculiar unto them, in a diftinguifhing Man¬
ner, from all the World befide.
3. Has Chrift his 'limes, wherein he goes
down into the Garden of Nuts, or does he make
a fpecial Infpedlion into the feveral Cafes of his
People in Relation to his Word, in order to ful¬
fil every Jot and Tittle : We may hence obferve,
that the People of God have great Reafon to
wait upon him in Faith, for His opening all
divine Myfieries to their Under [landings, and ful¬
filling all divine Promifes according to their pro¬
per Intent, and full Latitude of Glory; by
which he will give them to feajl upon the very
Heart and Infide of the Promife. For this is his
Defign in going down into the Garden ,of Nuts.
. Not a Promife, Believer, that ever he caus'd to
fipring up in thy Heart, but Chrift will fee to it}
that it fall not to the Ground unfulfilled, Mat.
xxiv. 35. And tlio' at prefent it be cloth'd with
ever fo many Things that look contrary to it,
yet Chrift, who knows the full Intent and Extent
£ of
30 Meditations, &c.
of bis Promfe, will not fufter a Jot or Tittle of
his'Word to fail; but will erelong bring it forth
to thy View, in its fulfilled Glory, unclotlfd of
all tho Vails which now cover it. Therefore
wait for Chrift's coming down into his Garden
of Nuts, for he will not fail them that put their
trnjl in Him.
4. Is it one End of Chrift's going down, that
he might fee the Fruits of the Valley, or the fe-
veral Graces of the Spirit, in the Hearts and Lives
of the Saints, in order to own and crown them :
We may hence note, that great 'Encouragement
we have to go on in the Exercife of every
Grace: As Faith, Love, Hope, joy, Humility,
and Patience : and that in Tribulation, or in
Valley-Difpenfations: Forafmuch as we know
that our Labour is not in vain in the Lordy
1 Cor. xv. 58. Chrift will own and crown the
Exercife of every Grace, in a more fecret or
private Way, when he anfwerably appears unto
our Souls by his Spirit, or by his Providences,
or at the Time of Death: And in a more pub-
lick and glorious Manner, at the Time of his
Appearing and Kingdom. Oh ! then it is, that
the Exercife of every Grace, in every kind of
Service his People have done for him, fhall be
found unto Praife, Honour, and Glory, while,
with a IP ell-done good and faithful Servant, he
bids us enter into the Joy of our Lord.
5. Is this another End of Chrift's going down
into the Garden of Nuts, that he might fee
whether
upon Songvi. n, 12. '31
whether the Vine flourifhed, or the Pome¬
granates budded; or whether the Spring-time
of his Promife was come, or not: From hence
we may note, how flridily our Lord Chrift,
obferves the precife Time of the Fulfilment of
every Promife : He doth, as it were, watch
for the exadl Moment. He" arifeth, and hath
Mercy upon Zion ; when the Time to favour
her, yea, the fet Time is come, Pfa. cii. 13.
6, Is Chrift, upon his having feen the Spring-
dime of his Promife come, made like the Cha-
. riots of Ammi-nadib; or juft like his gracious
Promifes and former Providences: We may
. hence note, That our gracious Godi, hath pro¬
vided Matter of Confolation for his Children,
even while the Promife feems to hang in Suf-
penfe. Have we had Promifes from the Lord,
-and are at a Lofs to fee how, or which Way
■ they fhould bz fulfill'dI, Does Chrift, jn his
rprefent Difpenfations, inftaad of looking' like the
Promife, look quite the contrary to it in our
View ? Yet have we no Reafon to be caft down,
as if the Lord had forgotten to he gracious, .or
"that we had been, mifiaken as to our particu¬
lar Interefl in his Favour. For when the Time
of the Promife is fully come, he will remem¬
ber his Word, and us too, in relation to it:
Yea, he will earneflly remember us,- in all that,
vaft Grace in which he firft made it to us :
And then he will appear juft like the Promife,
in having Mervy upon us, jer. xxxi. 2cr.
32 Meditations, &c.
Again, Have we had Promifes, and do not
fee them fulfilled; and fo are caft down, as
thinking, that the Lord doth not appear for us,
as he doth for others of his People? Yet let's
confider, that when the Time of the. Promife
is come, he will be made, in his Appearances
for us, like what he has been before, in his pro¬
vidential Appearances for others of his Children.
For the Eyes of the LORD run to and fro thro'
the whole Earth, to fhew himfelf Jlrong in- the
Behalf of them whoje Heart is perfefi towards
him: One as well as another, 2 Chron. xvi/9.
And the Wheels of Providence are fwift in their-
Motion : They turn round apace to bring about
promis'd Mercies and Deliverances for God's Peo¬
ple ; and that oft-times unexpectedly.
y. Doth Chrift's Soul make him like the
Chariots of Ammi-nadib: We may hence ob-
ferve, The Surenefs of all Covenant-favours, and
promis'd Mercies, in that the Lord takes all his
Motives from within Himfelf to bellow them.
Perhaps the Lord has made Promifes to us, and
between the making and fulfilling of them, we
have carried it very ungratefully towards him, and
upon this Account are difcourag'd-, becaufe we have
deferv'd to btrebuPd, rather than favour'd 5 our
Carriage having been fo contrary to what was our
Duty, as Expectants of fuch great Things. For
as the DoCtrine of the Gofpel in general, doth lay
us under the higheft Obligation to Obedience ;
(it being one great End of our being delivered
out
upon Song vi. 11,12. 33
out of the Hands of all our 'Enemies, that we
fhould ferve the Lord in Holinefs and Righteouf-
nefs all our Days, Luke i. 74, 75.) So the
fpecial Application of every of its Promifes in
particular doth as it were, anee,w, lay the Saints
under frefh Engagements to walk worthy of GOD
unto all pleafing : Or worthy of his free Favour
in the renewed Manifeftations of it, by parti¬
cular Promifes. And when we fail herein, and
fin againft God afrefh, walk dijingenuoufiy, and
evil requite the Lord, for all the Good he has
promis'd us: Tho' the Promife remains the
lame that it was before, a free abfolute Grant;
yet fiill we ftand in need of a further Extenfion
of the Riches of Grace to make it good to us,
with a neverthelefs, or notwithflanding all our
Vilenefs.
Well then, Believer, haft thou had Promifes
from the Lord, and inftead of walking worthy of
his Favour, haft thou abus'd his Kindnefs ? haft:
thou done evil things as thou cculdeft, and art
hereby difcouraged, fearing the Current of pro-
mis'd Favour, fhould be ftopt by thy Rebellion?
Yet remember for thy Comfort, That Chrift's
Soul will make him like the Chariots of Ammi-
nadib. There was Abundance of Grace in
making the Promife to thee; and free amazing
Kindnefs would have fhone forth glorioufiy in
the Fulfilment of it, if thou hadft walked ever
fo uprightly : But whereas thou haft been a re¬
bellious Creature, thou doft, indeed, ftand in
E need
34 Meditations, &c.
need of more Grace to fulfil it, notlvithjlanding.
But oh, behold what an inexhauftible Fountain
is opened for thy Supply, in thefe Words, My
Soul made me! Bring all the Scruples, and Ob¬
jections thy Heart can make, and fee if there is
not enough in this to anfwer them.
• Think a while upon CHRIST'S Love, that
pafleth Knowledge, in its Greatnefs, Freenefs,
Eternity and Unchangeablenefs j all the Perfec¬
tions of which are engag'd, to beftow all the
Fruits of it in promis'd Bleffings. His Love is
jlrong as Death. Death triumphantly conquers
all that oppofeth it: And fo doth the Love of
Chrift. Has he promifed thee this and the*
other Bleffing? He will love it to thee, over
Thousands of Oppofition ! Do thy Sins, like
Cords, in thy Apprehenfion, bind the Arms of
divine Favour ? So ?nighty is the Love of Chrift,
that he'll flretch out the ftrongArms ofhisever-
lafting Kindnefs, and break thefe Cords like
Flax that is burnt in the Fire; that fo they
may be at Liberty, in their mighty Strength, to
fave thee.
Again, think upon his Grace, in all the im-
menfe Riches of its Sovereignty and Freenefs :
And fee if all the Objections which arife from
thy own UnvoorthinefSy fall not down before the
fvlajefty of reigning Grace, that fuperabounds
over all the Aboundings of Sin, Rotn. v. 20.
Kings and Emperors, the petty Potentates of
this World, when they aCt according to their
upon Song vi. Ti, 12. 35
royal State, do not proportion their Gifts, unto
the exad Merit of the Perfons on whom they
beftow them ; that fo they might fhew their
princely Grace. Much more will the King of
Kings ad: like HIMSELF. Oh what a name-
lefs Nothing, is all the Shadowy Grace of the
greatefl of earthly Princes; if compar'd with
that Jubfiantial, immeafurable Grace, which is
to be found in the Prince of the Kings of the
Earth! Surely the Light of the Glory of his
Grace, will put out all theirs, as the Bright-
nefs of the Sun a twinkling Star. Aye, and
much more : For the Difference between thofe
two Lights, confifts but in Degree j as between
created, and created. But the Difference be¬
tween the Grace of CHRIST, our Prince
EMANUEL, GOD in our Nature, is as
great as between created, and uncreated!
For tho' the Grace of Chriff's Man-nature,
in itfelf, is not properly infinite j yet by rea-
fon of the Union of that Nature unto his divine
Perfon, and the Fulnefs of the Godhead dwelling
fubftantially, and immeafurably in it; we are
to look upon all the Perfedions thereof, as
clothed with divine Glory. Hence when the
Grace of Chriff is mention'd, it is fpoken of, as
of one Grace. Te know the Grace of our Lord
Jefus Chrift, fays the Apoflle, 2 Cor. viii. 9..
'The Grace, or that one Grace. And yet this
one Grace of our Mediator, includes in it the
Grace of both his Natures. There's the Grace
E 2 cf
«
36 Meditations, See.
of his Man-Nature ; for in it is, he is
fefus Chrift : And it's the Grace of Chriji, fays
the Apoftle, /Fix? thtf he was richyet for your
fakes he became poor. Now let us bring his
Poverty, in this Corinthian Text, unto his
humbling Himfelf\ Phil. ii. which fpeaks of the
fame Thing, and we fhall find that this one
Grace of our Lord jefus Chrift, takes in, alfo,
the Grace of his Divine Nature : in that, being
in the Form of God, he thought it not Robbery to
be equal with God-, Ver. 6. And yet he made
himfelf of no Reputation, took on him the Form
cf a Servant, and was made in the Likenefs of
Men: And being found in fafoion as a Man, he
humbled himfelf, and became obedient unto Death,
even the Death of the Crofs, Ver. 7, 8. Here
the Grace of both his Natures fhines forth: The
Grace of his human Nature, in that, being
found in fafhion as' a Man, he humbled him-
felfy and became obedient unto Death, even
the Death' of the Crofs. And the Grace of
hn, Divine Nature, in that, tho' he was equal
with God; he would yet ftoop fo low in his af-
fumed Man-Nature. And yet the Grace of
both his Natures, make up but the one Grace
of our Lord jefus Chrift : Who thd he was
bichf. yft for our fakes became poor, that we
thro! his .'Poverty might be made rich.
Well then, let's bring out the Grace of
Princes, in all the bright Glories of its Sove¬
reignty, and fee if the Grace of CHRIST,
i doth
upon Song vi. 11,12. 37
doth not ti'anfcendently ontjhine it !
Have Kings a fort of Sovereignty to difpenfe
royal Favours unto fuch whofe Merit bears
not an equal Proportion to their Gifts: Much
more has the Lord J ejus Chrijl. For tho*
Kings are under no Obligation from the Laws
of the Kingdom, to beftow particular Favours:
Yet flill they are under the fupreme Law of
Chrift, the King of Kings, by whom they
reign; which obligeth them, as Fathers of their
Country, to be a Praife unto them that do well.
So that theirs is not an abj'olute Sovereignty,
becaufe they themfelves are under a Jupreme
Law; and higher than this their Sovereignty
cannot rife. But Chrijl, as God, has a Sove¬
reignty oj Grace equal with the Father; and
was under no Obligation to {hew Favour to any
of his Creatures : (any otherwife than as by his
own voluntary Engagements, he undertook in
the Office of Mediator, as Sioris King, to dif-
play the Riches of, both his, and his Father's
Grace, unto the happy Subjedts of its Reign)
And yet from the mere good Pleafure of his
Will, he refolved to fhew Loving-Kindnefs. In
thefe Things do I delight, faith the LORD,
Jer. ix. 24. It is true of Jehovah the Son, as
. well as of Jehovah the Father. Well then,
Let's view this original Grace of his Nature, as
cloth'd with the Grace of his Covenant-Engage-
ments; and what great 'Things, may we not ex¬
pert from fo great a Grace ! When God open-
38 Meditations, &c.
ed his Heart, and the immenfe Riches of his
Nature, in that Proclamation of his Name un¬
to Mofes, Exod. xxxiv. 6. The LORD, the
LORD God, merciful and gracious, Long-
Suffering, abundant in Goodnefs and Truth ;
It is thus prefac'd, / will be gracious unto whom
I will be gracious, Chap, xxxiii. 19. And what
is there can Jland before the Sovereignty of
Jehovah's Grace? If He fay, I will be graci¬
ous : Thoufands, yea, innumerable Oppofitions
fhall fall before the Majefty, and Power of
reigning Grace. This Grace of Jehovah's Na¬
ture, cloth'd with the Rejolution of his Will,
confers all Favours upon us in fuch a fovereign
Wayj as none of the Princes of this World may
pretend unto. Do Princes confer their Favours
upon fuch whofe Merit does not equalize the
Greatnefs of their Gifts: Chrift beftows his, up¬
on fuch that have nojie at all. And whoever
quarrels at it, fhall be filenc'd with that Wcxrd
of his Mouth, Is it not lawful for me to do
what I will with mine own f Mat. xx. 15. The
Grace of Chrift, moves in fuch an high Sphere
of Sovereignty, that it is far above being reach'd,
by either our Worthinefs, or Unworthinefs !
And as it's infinitely free, fo it is abfolutely
Uncha?7geablc: And in this, alfo, doth far
out-jhine the Grace of Princes. Perfons, here
among Men, may be Court-favourites, one
Day advanc'd to the higheft Pinnacle of Ho¬
nour; and the next, be eaft out of the Princes
r > Favour,
upon Song vi. 11, 12. *39
Favour, upon the leaft Mifbehaviour: So
precarioufy they hand. But the Favourites
of King Jefus, can never be caft out of the Grace
of his Heart. No, they ftand in Grace, notwith-
ftanding all their XJnworthinefs, Rom. v. 2. The
Gifts and Calling of God are without Repentance,
Rom. xi. 29. He never repents that he has done
fo much for any of his. Favourites. No, tho' too
often, they evil requite him for all his Kind-
nefs : Yet becaufe he is Jehovah, and changeth
not, the Sons of Jacob are not confumed, Mai.
iii. 6. He will 'not return to deftroy Ephraim,
becaufe he l&God, and not Man, Hof. xi. 9.
Again, doth the Grace of Princes fhine forth
in pardoning Rebels, that have not deferv'd fo
great a Favour: The Grace of Chrift, in this
Refpedt, tranfcendently out-fines theirs. Fheir
Grace, oft-times, regards one fingle criminal
Offence only, for which the Perfon has deferv'd
to die, by the Kingdom-Laws: But the Grace
of Chrif extends unto Fhoufands, Millions, yea,
innumerable Evils, every of which deferve eternal
Death: All which He pardons, of his own free
Heart, without the leaft Defert in the Creature!
Again, doth the Grace of Princes, at any
time, fhine forth as diftinguijhing, in pardoning
one Perfon, while another equally under the
Sentence of Death, is given up to the Stroke
of Juftice: Herein the Grace of Chrift doth in¬
finitely furpafs theirs. The Grace of Princes,
in this regard, is ufually extended for fome or
3 other
40 Meditations, &c.
other Worthinefs in thePerfon fo favour'd. But
the pardoning Grace of Chrift, feeks not for any
■Worthinefs in the Creature, either pad, pre-*,
fent, or to come, as a Motive of its Beftow-
ment. Yea, fuch is the Glory of his diflin-
guijhing Grace, that it pardons the very Chief
of Sinners ; while others, who have not .com¬
mitted half fo. many Sins, are righteoufly given
up to the jufl Condemnation of a broken Law:
And this becaufe it is abfolutely Sovereign- and
Free.
But further, if a pardorfd Rebel, by an earthly
Prince, fhould offend again, even to innume¬
rable Fimcs; could the Prince bear with him ?
No, verily: There's no fuch Grace in Princes:
Yet this is the Grace of our Prince, E M A¬
NUEL!
Again, Let's look what earthly Princes do
with pardon'd Rebels: Do they make them
Court-favourites,, and of their Privy Councilt
No, no : as State Policy forbids it, fo neither
have they Grace enough to do it. Who would
take an Enemy into his Bofomi efpecially, if
he had been pardoned again and again, and did
fill prove rebellious ? Can any fuch Inftance
be given among the mod gracious of earthly
Princes ? No: herein the Grace of Chrid
fhines forth in a Glory peculiar to ITSELF !
'Tis only in EMANUEL's Land, that pardon'd
Offenders, in this Refpedt, pofefs the double.
For from the Boundlefs Grace of this Prince,
he
upon Song vi. ir, 12. 41
he not only pardons the Offences of his Sub¬
jects ; but alfo admits their Perfons into the
higheft Favour, Fellowship, and Bofom-com-
munion with HIMSELF !
Yea further, fo great is the Grace ofeGhrifti
that it takes Advantage of his People's Sinful-
nefs, the more to glorify its own Riches ! What
Encouragement then, mufl this Great Grace
afford to the Saints in their Expectation of the
Fulfilment of all the Promifes! And as it affords
matter of Encouragement, fo of Humiliation;
that we fhould walk fo unanfwerahly to all that
amazing Favour which is fhewn us. Oh!
let us not on the one hand, abufe this Grace,
by going on to fen becaufe Grace abounds: (For
God's Defign in being gracious, is to engage
us to Holinefs) And on the other hand, let
us not faint in our Expectation of promis'd
Favours, becaufe we are fuch rebellious Chil¬
dren that deferve nothing but Rebukes. For fo
great is the Grace of Chrife, that his Soul, in
this refpeCt, will make him like the Chariots
of Ammi-nadib, notwithflanding all our Un-
worthinefs.
Again, Let's look upon the Mercy of Chrift,
and fee whether that be not furficient to engage
him to fulfil his Promifes notwithflanding our
Sinfulnefs. I have heard my Ephraim*s Mone,
fays God, I will furely have Mercy upon him.
And what was the Caufe of Ephraim's Mone ?
his own Sinfulnefs. Thou hafl chafeifed me,
F fays
42 Meditations, &c.
fays he, and I was chaflifed. I was, <zs # Bullock
unaccuflomed to the Yoke. Well, fays God, I
will furely have Mercy upon him, for all that,
for in the inward workings of my Bowels, I
ea'rnejlly remember him Jlill, Jer. xxxi. 18, 20.
The companionate Bowels of our great high
Priefl, are indeed truly Human. For in that
he took our Nature, in this very Nature, he
has a Fellow-feeling with us in every Kind and
Degree of our Diftreflfes. So that we may be
familiar with him as our Brother, whofe Ter¬
ror will not make us afraid. And yet in
all our Approaches to him, we are to eye him
as God-Man, in one Perfon and fo the Mer¬
cies of his Human-Nature, infeperably united
unto the Mercies of his Divinej and both
making up but the One Mercy of our Gofpel
High Pricf. For as his Perfon is but one, tho'
confiding of both his Natures; fo his Mercy is
but one, tho' the Perfections of both Natures
are in it. Oh how great is the My fiery o f God-
line fs, God manifefl in the Flejh! or, all the
Perfections of the Divine Nature, dwelling in,
and fhining thro' the Man Chrif Jefus! Hence
the Mercy of our Lord Jefus Chrifl, becomes
an infinite, inexhaufiible Fountain, that can ne¬
ver be drawn dry !
Well then, Believer, bring out thy Sins, and
confefs them before the Lord, in their Great-
fiefs: And fee if the Mercy of Jehovah, the
Mediator, doth not far exceed them, even as
the
upon Songvi. n, 12. 43
the Heavens the Earth for Height I For as
the Heaven is high above the Earth, fo great
is his Mercy towards them that fear him,
Pfa. ciii. 11.
Bring them out in their Multitudes: And fee
if the Multitudes of his tender Mercies, will not
blot them all out! 7, fays he, even I am HE
that blotteth out thy Tranfgreftions, for mine
own fake, and will not remember thy Sins,
Ifa. xliii. 25.
Bring them out in their Aggravations: Haft
thou finn'd moreth&n others of his Children, againft
more Light and Love? Yea, haft thou finn'd
worfe than the World? So did ferufalem of
o/7, Ezek. xvi. Thou haftftnnedy fays the Lord,
worfe than Sodom : more than Samaria, Ver.
47, 51. And yet fee how boundlefs Mercy breaks
forth, Ver. 60. Neverthelefs, 7 will remember
my Covenant with thee in the Days of thy Youth,
and I will eftablifh unto thee an ever lofting Cove¬
nant. And this is one great Blefting of it, 7
will remember thy Sins no more. Haft thou
finn'd objlinately, Believer ? Chrift knew what
thou would ft prove: And yet he refolved to be
merciful. I knew, fays he, that thou wouldjl
deal very treacheroufl\\ and waft calhd a TranJ-
grefor from the Womb : That thou art obftinate,
thy Neck an Iron Sinew, and thy Brow Brafs,
Ifa. xlviii. 4, 8. And yet it is thy Sins which
His Mercy blotteth out! Thy Sins, that
had done as Evil Things as thou could [I !
F 2 Well
44. Meditations, &c.
Well then, bring them 'em out, alio, in the
repeated Inftances of them and hear what He
will tell thee as to this: I will abundantly par-
don : fays he, I will pardon again and again,
as thou had finn'd again and again. I will mul¬
tiply my pardoning Mercy, as thou haft multi¬
ply'd thy Tranfgrefiions, Ifa. liv. i.
And as his Mercy will pardon Thoufands of
Sins, that fo with a Nevertbelefs, he may fulfil
his Promifes to thee; and will make him fym-
pathize with thee in all Kinds of Miferies and
Diftrefles; fo from an inward, inexpreffible
Fellow-feeling, He'll f retch out his Arm and
fave thee: When the Fime of the Promife is
come, his Mercy will make him like the Cha¬
riots of Ammi-nadib.
Once more, Think upon his Faithfulnefs :
Mercy and Fruth are a glorious Pair, coupled
together in the facred Writings. Mercy and
Fruth, fays the Pfalmijl, fhall go before thy
Face, Pfal. lxxxix. 14. And again, I will fing
of the Mercies of the LORD for ever: And
what next. With my Mouth will I make known
thy Faithfulnefs to all Generations, Ver. 1. And
fo great is Divine Faithfulnefs, that even Balaam,
under the Spirit of Prophecy, breaks out with
an, Has He faid, and [hall he not do it ? or hath
He fpoken, and fall he not make it Good?
Num. xxiii. 19. All the Promifes are made by
a God that cannot lie, Tit i. 2. Heaveii and
Earth fall pafs away, fays Chrift, but not a
-upon Song vi. i r, 12. 45
fot or kittle of my Word Jhall pafs, Mat. xxiv.
35. Therefore thou mayft depend upon it,
Believer, that whatever he hath fpoken with his
Mouth, he will fulfil it with his Hand, 2 Chron.
vi. 15. And the mean while, thou mayft
take up thy Reft in the Bofom of Divine Faith-
fulnefs. Chrift is more concerned about the
Fulfilment of the Promife, than thou canft be.
His Honour y as the Faithful God, ftands engag'd
to make it good. And as his Love, Grace,
Mercy and Faithfulnefs, engage his Power and
Wifdom, with all the other Perfections of his
Nature, to fulfil every Promije in its full Intent,
and Extent; from hence arifeth the (Irongejl
Confolation for the Heirs ofi Promife, in their
Expectations of promis'd Bleftings, notwithfiand-
ing their own Unworthineft. For if All that
is in CHRIST, can perform the Promife, it
fhall not go unfulfilled : My Soul made me —
Laftly, Did Chrift's Soul make him like the
Chariots of Ammi-nadih. Suddenly, or ever he
was aware: We may hence note, The Swift-
nejs of our Beloved; that He is even like a
Roe, or a young Hart, when he comes to do
his People good. The LORD whom ye feeky
fays the Prophet, foall fuddenly come, Mai. iii.
1. It is true of all his Comings to blefs his
Children. Well then, Believer, tho' thy Lord,
at prefent, in thy View, looks very unlike the
Promife, yet remember this for thy Comfort,
There may be a fudden Alteration ere long j
yea
^6 Meditations, See.
vea there will be, when the appointed Mo¬
ment's rw/ze. God fhall help thee, that right
early : He will not day a Moment too long,
Pfa. xlvi. 5. And the Mercy thou waitejl for,
may be nearer than thou thinkf of. The
Lord, oft-times, brings the greateft Deaths upon
Mercies, juft before their Birth: The blacked
Night, juft before the Morning-Glory appears:
He creates Darknefs, that fo the Light may
fhine the more glorioujly. If then, Fhe Fig-
tree blojjbm not, nor Fruit be in the Vine : yet
rejoice in the LORD, and joy in the God of thy
Salvation : Who fays, I went down into the
Garden of Nuts, to fee the Fruits of the Valley,
and to fee whether the Vine flourijhed, and the
Pomegranates budded. Or ever I was aware,
my Soul made me like the Chariots of Ammi-na-
dib. Behold, I come quickly, fays Chrijl: Let
all his Expectants, fay, Amen. Even fo come
LORD JESUS, Rev. xxii. 20.
Motives offerd to the Confederation
of a Believer, to deter him from SIN.
FIRST, Condder, oh thou faved Soul, -
That every Time thou yielded to fin, thou
a&ed herein, diredlly contrary to the great
Defign of GOD, in the Whole of thy Sal¬
vation.
I. Con-
againji Sin. 47
I. Contrary to the Defign of God the Fa¬
ther, in his electing Love; which was to make
thee Holy, Eph. i. 4.
II. Contrary to the Defign of God the SON,
in his Redeeming Grace who loved the Church,
and gave him/elf for it that it might be holy,
Eph. v. 25, 26, 27.
III. Contrary to God the Holy Gho/l, in apply¬
ing Love; whofe Defign, as an Indweller, San&i-
fier, and Comforter, is to make thee perfectly
like Chri/l, thy Holy Head: And therefore
when thou a&eft contrary hereto, thou art faid
to grieve him, Eph. iv. 30.
Secondly, By yielding to Jin, thou cafteft
Contempt upon thy dear Lord Jefus, as Sion's
King and Law-giver. Thou acfteft herein like
a Traitor to his Crown ; and takeft Part with
Satan, his grand Enemy : So far as thou yield-
eft to Sin, thou doft pra&ically prefer the
Prince of Darknefs, above the Prince of Life ;
and the Dilates of Hell, above the Laws of
Chrift: Yea, thou doft as it were renounce
thy Allegiance to Chrift, and put thy felf afrefii
(as far as in thee lieth) under the Government
of Satan, Eph. ii. 2.
Thirdly, Confider, That every Sin, is a
Step taken back towards Egypt's Land, to
return again to that Darknef^ and Bondage,
from which GOD, the Father, Son, and Spirit,
hath fet thee free, Cot. i, 13. J oh. viii. 36.
2 Cor. iii. 17. And,
Fourthly,
4 8 Motives, See.
Fourthly, Confider, That every frefh Aft
of Sin, weakens the Soul, and makes it more
incapable of Refiftance. As every Adt of Grace,
immediately tends to the IncreaJ'e of that Grace
which is adted ; fo every Adt of Sin, Jlrengthens
the Habit of Sin. 'Tis hence poor Sinners are
faid to be Enemies in their Minds by wicked
Works, Col. i. 21. Becaufe every wicked Work,
Jlrengthens that natural Enmity that is in the
carnal Mind againft GOD. Thus a poor Sin¬
ner in an Unregenerate State, by every new Adt
of Sin, becomes more alienated from GOD,
and jlrengthens the Cords of Sin and Death by
which he is holden. And even a Believer,
that has experienced the Almighty Energy of
divine Grace, in an efficacious Turning of his
Soul from Sin and Satan unto God, and recon¬
ciling of him by the Blood of Christ, yet by
every freffi Adt of Sin, the old Enmity that dwells
in his corrupt Nature, is Jlrengthcn'd; and he
becomes afreffi eftranged from God, under the
darkening and hardening Power of Sin. Every
yielding to a Temptation, by an Adt of Sin,
whether more inward, or outward, is as it were
an Opening the Floodgates, to let in a mighty
Torrent of Corruption to overflow the Soul. To
inftance in finful Anger : How fad is the Effedt
of yielding to it ? The Tongue, as ufed herein,
defleth the whole Body, and fetteth on Fire the
whole Courje oj Nature, James iii. 6.
CAUSES
Caufes of fmful Anger, See, 49
CAUSES of finful Anger : To be
watch'd againft, by all that are
CHRIST's, who would crucify the
Elejh, with the Affeffiions thereof .
I. H E placing too much Confidence in,
JL and having too great an Expectation
from the Creature. If we truft to Creatures for
Comfort and Happinefs, and expeffi much from
them : When they fail us, and we meet with a
Di[appointment, we are apt to be angry.
If we would not be angry with Creatures,
we fhould look upon them in their true and pro¬
per Emptinefs ; and expedl little from them.
II. Inordinate Self-love. When we have too
high an Efleem of ourfelves; if others do not va¬
lue us, and (hew Kindnefs towards us according
to the Eflimation we have of ourfelves, or what
we think we deferve at their Hands; we are apt
to be angry.
If we had always a deep Senfe of our own
Littlenefs, and Unwortbinefs of any Favour, ei¬
ther from God or Man, by Reafon of Sin-} it
would be a Means to keep our Spirits quiet, and
to curb thofe angry Refentments which are apt
to arife in our Minds, when we think Perfons
do not efleem, or love us as they ought. Ah,
what little Reafon have fuch Hell-deferving
Worms as we, to be angry, when Fellow-crea¬
tures do not efleem and love us as we could wifh t
G Sin
^ o Caufes of jinful Anger :
Sin has cad us beneath the Defert of any Fa¬
vour. What we have, is all of free Gift. And
fhall we, that ha'n't deferv'd a Mite, forget to
be thankful for what we enjoy ; and be angry
that we have no more ?
III. Overvaluing of our own JVifdom. An
high Conceit of our own Wifdom, and a finful
AjjeBation of being Sovereign Dilators, oft go
together. And when thefe bear Rule, we like
not to have our Projedls croft d, and can hardly
bear that others fhould flight ours, and prefer
their own without being angry.
If we would not be angry with Fellow-Crea¬
tures, when they rejedt our Counfels, and follow
their own; we fhould always labour after an
humbling Senfe of our own Folly, and Liable-
nefs to be miftaken : And to keep up a due Efti-
mation of others, as better than ourfelves.
IV. Pride, and Stoutnefs of Heart. 'Tis
hence we would make our Will, a Law to
others, and can't bear they fhould crofs it, with¬
out being angry.
Ah, proud Worms! What are we, that we
muft be obey'd ? If we would not yield to finful
Anger, when others crofs our Will ; let's re-
member the infinite Forbearance of God to¬
wards us -y when we fo often break his Law, and
adt contrary to his Will. Chrifl: endurd the Con-
tradition of Sinners againjl. HimJ'elf: His great
Self, who was God over all, and could have
dafh'd them into Hell in ja Moment. I low fmali
a Thing
To be watch"d again/1, &c. 51
a Thing is it then for us, Sinners, to bear the
Contradictions of Creatures like ourfelves ? And,
V. Unbelief: Or the not eying of God by
Faith, as the fupreme Agent, in all the Afflic¬
tions which befal us thro' the Inftrumentality of
Creatures; is another Caufe of finful Anger.
When we look to no higher Caufe of our Afflic¬
tion, than the Creature that offends us; we are
prefently apt to be angry, and to quarrel with
the Stone' that hits us, while we look not at the
Hand which caffs it.
p ■ V,- -
If we would not be finfully angry with of¬
fending Creatures ; let 11s caff our Eye upwards
to the Hand of God therein : As David did
when Shimei curs'd him. And then we fball
be quiet, and fee little Rea/on to be angry with
the moft provoking Creature. All Creatures are
unto us, either, what God makes "em, or fuffers
them to be. There is not a Drop of Comfort we
enjoy in any Creature, but God's Hand puts it
there for us. Fhe God of all Comfort is the
Fountain that fupplies all the little Streams we
meet with in the Creatures. If Creatures are
Comforts unto us, it is God that makes them fo.
And if they are Crofes, it is the Lord that fuf¬
fers them fo to be; and effectually over-rules
every Kind, and Degree of Trial we meet with
in them, for wife and holy Ends: even his own
Glory, and the Good of his dear Children. If
we would not be angry then with offending
Creatures, let us look away from them) to the
G 2 over-
^2 Caufes offinful Anger, &c.
ever-ruling Hand of our wife and gracious God
and Father therein. A believing Converfe with
the Heart and Hand of God, in every Crofs we
meet with from the Creature; would make us
to endure it patiently, joyfully, and fruitfully,
to the Glory of God, and our own Advantage,
both prefent and eternal. How much doth God
lofe the Glory, and we the Comfort of thefe me¬
diate Afflictions, for want of an immediate look¬
ing to the divine Hand therein ? Let us there¬
fore, whenever we are inclin'd to be angry with
an af&idting Creature, endeavour to look at God
firft, as the great Agent; and to the Creature,
only as .an Inftrument in his Hand. Upon
which, let's afk our own Hearts, whether we
have any Reafon to be angry with Godi! And il
we dare not fly in the Face of God, and be angry
with him, the great Agent of our Afflitftioni
What Reafon have we to be angry with an affiidt-
Mg Creature, that is but an Inftrument of ful¬
filling his Couhfel. When our Lord was taken
by wicked'cHands, to be crucified and (lain : Pe¬
ter, like our hafty Spirits, prefently looks at the
Inftrumehts, is angry, and draws his Sword. But
our Lord iook'd at his Father s Hand, in all
that was done by thofe wicked Inftruments, and
fweetlv fubmits to his Will. Ihe Cup, fays he,
which my Father hath given me ft all I not drink
it? John xviii. ir. Let us learn in this, to
follow our great Pattern j and we (hall experience
a like EjfeCC Let us learn of Jesus, who was
> meek
To be watch*d againji, See. £3
meek and lowly in Heart: And we (hall find
Reft unto our Souls, Mat. xi. 29,
The GUILT of a Believers departing
from GOD.
V ii . : > {
WHEN the dear Saints are left to feek
Comfort arid Happinefs in the Creatures,
inftead of delighting themfelves in the LojRp,
and taking up their fatisfying Reft in God ;
They are guilty, i. Of the greateft Folly. 2»
Of difhonouring infinite Perfections. And, 3;
Of the bafeft Ingratitude.
I. Of the greateft Folly. 'Tis choofing the
muddied Streams, before the pure Fountain ; the
failing Brooks, before the Immenfe Ocean -3 and the
fcattyrd Beams, rather than the 0/ the Sun.
All the Happinefs we can poflibly find in the
Creatures, is at beft but Comfort in the Stream,
not in the Fountain. And not' a Stream
neither, but a muddied Flow. CroJJes mix'd
with Comforts, Bitter with Sweet, runs thro*
all the Creatures. And the Bitter we tafte in
them, is ofvtimes more than the Sweet. The
Mud and Filth makes us lothe to drink of the
Stream.
God in Chr i st, is a Fountain of living Wa¬
ters. A Fountain, not a little Rivulet. Of
living Waters 5 that have no Death, nor any
impure
54 The Guilt of a Believer's
impure Mixture in them. It's a pure River of
Water of Life, that proceedeth out of the Throne
of God and of the Lamb. Christ is fairer
than the Sons of Men. There's Light in Him,
without Darknefs, Joy without Sorrow, Love
without Hatred: All Sweetnefs, Happinefs and
Glory, without the lead Mixture of Contrariety.
He is all Defires! Whatever is defirable in any
of the Creatures, or in all of them put together,
is tranfcendently to be enjoy'd in H i m. There's
eftdugh in Him, to fill the vafteft Defires of the
moft capacious Soul: Yea, infinitely more than
it is capable of receiving. Oh what Folly is it
then, to prefer a little Rivulet before the Fountain
Fulnefs ! A defied Stream before the pure River
of Water of Life ) As we pradlically do, when
We feek a fatisfying Good in the Creatures■«.
Again, The Folly of departing from God, to
feek Comfort in the Creatures, is manifeft, in
that it is choofiiig the failing Brooks, before the
iinmenfe Ocean.- Brooks have not a Fulnels of
Water in themfelves j but muft receive what they
cAtttain, fome Way or other, from the vaft Body
of; Waters in the Sea. So the Creatures : All
the Comfort that ever appears in them, is but a
derived Fulnefs, from the infinite Ocean of Com~
fort in God. Brooks, are failing Things, efpe-
cially fuch that have their Dependance for being
fill'd, upon great Rains, or Falls of Water.
The Streams in them quickly pafs away. One
while they are full, to an overflowing, and anon,
no
departing from GOD. 55
no Water to be feen in them. One while they
delightfully jdtisfy the thirfty Traveller ; anon,
they fail his Expectations, and can yield him
no Supply. Juft thus it is with the Creatures:
One while a refreflfing Tide of Comfort appears
to flow in them ; anon, there's a diflrefling Ebb,
and fcarce a Drop to be feen.
But Comfort in God, is like Water in the
Sea, always full, free, and lading. There's no
lafling Comfort to be found, but in our everlafl-
ing GOD. Oh what Folly is it then, to fet our
Eyes upon that which is not ? To place our Happi-
nefs in Creatures, fuch failing Things ? And as
it were blels ourfelves in them, when each fays,
It is not in me ? Inflead of delighting in the All—
fufficient Jehovah, the immenfe Ocean of Com¬
fort, that never faileth them that put their Trufl
in Him! Comfort in the Creatures, either fails
in them, when prefent, or by them, being ab-
fent. But the God of all Comfort, is an infi¬
nitely full, over-flowing, and ever-flowing Ocean
of Joy ; that is always prefent. God in Christ
is our exceeding Joy. A Joy, infinitely furpaf-
fing all the Creatures ! And that Soul that puts
H 1M for a Well, while pafjing thro' the Valley of
Baca, this Vale of Tears can never meet with a
Dij'appointment. This infinite Ocean will conti¬
nually flow out to his everlafling Supply. The
glorious Lord will be unto us a Place of broad
Rivers and Streams. As Rivers of Water in a
dry Place: A very prefent Help in Trouble.
3 '
5 6 The Guilt of a Believer's
Blefedthen is the Man that trufleth in the Lord,
and whofe Hope Jehovah is. For he fall be as
a Tree planted by the Waters, and that fpreadeth
out her Roots by the River, and fall not fee when
Heat cometh, but her Leaf fall be green, and
fall not be careful in the Tear of Drought, nei¬
ther fall ceaje from yielding Fruit, Jer. xvii. 7,
8. He that has his Dependance upon the Crea¬
tures for Comfort, is like a Tree planted by a
failing Brooki that is ready to wither and die for
want of Water in the Summer-Drought. But
that Soul that trufts in Jehovah, is like unto
a Tree that is planted by a never-failing River,
that is not careful in the Year of Drought. If
Comfort in the Creatures faif is dried up and
gone; that Soul need riot be di/irefs'd: Becaufe
it is fo near unto God, and there's always an
immenfe Fulnefs in Him, to communicate frefh
Influences of Life and Joy, to keep it ftill green
and fruitful. What Folly is it then to forfake
the immenfe Ocean, and choofe our Situation by
the failing Brooks; to let go the Subftance, and
catch at Shadows! As we always do, when we
forfake God, and cleave to the Creatures.
Once more, our Folly herein will appear to be
great, in that it is choofing the fcattered Beams,
rather than the Body of the Sun. There are
forne Beams of Comfort to be feen in the Crea¬
tures. A Beam of Light and Joy, of one Kind,
in me Creature; and of another Kind, in another
Creature. But all Comforts, all Beauties, in
their
departing from GOD. gj
their flaming Glories, meet in God, as their Cen¬
ter > Source, and Origin. As all Light meets in
the Sun, and is thence deriv'd to the lefler Lu¬
minaries. T^Lord God is a Sun : Such a. Sun
that has an Immenflty, Unchangeablenefs, and
Eternity of all Light, and Glory in Himself !
To enlighten, quicken, and comfort all thofe
who dwell under his healing Wings ! He's the
God of all Comfort, eflentially in Himfelf and
efficiently to his Creatures. An immenfe Foun¬
tain of Joy, that is infinitely free, and eternally
conftant in its Emanations, or Out-fowings.
Oh what Folly is it then, to forfake the God of
all Comfort, and feek Comfort in the Creatures ?
All the Comfort that can poflibly be found in
any Creature, is but like Light, in one fingle
Beam. And who, but a Fool, wou'd choofe a
Beam of Light, rather than the bright Body of
the Sun ? Efpecially if it be confider'd, that the
Beam has no Light in itfelf, but what it re¬
ceives from the Sun, and is abfolutely dependant
for that, upon the Sun's fhining ? What's a
Beam ? What's a Creature ? Seperate from the
Sun, feperate from God, it is mere Vanity, and
Nothing!—Whenever therefore, we enjoy
any Light or Comfort in the Creatures; let us
% remember, whence it flows, even from the God
of all Comfort. And that it is wholly depen¬
dant upon him, for every Moment of its Conti¬
nuance. And fo let's enjoy God in the Crea¬
tures, and then we fliall value them aright. Bui
to admire, delight in, and cleave to any Crea-
II ture,
^8 rffte Guilt of a Believer's
ture, as a defirable Good, in a Jeperate Confidera-
tion from God ; (which we are very prone to)
is the mod egregious Folly. For lo, It is Jetting
our Eyes upon that which is not! 'Tis forfaking
the immenfe Fountain of Light, to dwell in
Darknefs!
. II. Whenever a Believer departs from God,
to feek Comfort in the Creatures; he is guilty of
dijhonoiiring infinite Perfections. We hereby fet
God upon a Level with the Creature. Yea, we
practically fay, that the Creature is a greater
Good, and far rather to be chofen than the Crea¬
tor. Oh the horrid Nature of this Sin, of inor¬
dinate Creature-Love ! Oh, that ever our Souls
fbould for fake our Maker, our Hufband, and
love Strangers! Yea, and fay, After them we
will go ! Oh what an Hell doth this Sin deferve.
And how did our Reproach, that we call; upon
God, break Christ's Heart! When, in infi¬
nite Grace to us, he bore our Reproaches, when
our Reproaches fell upon Him ! And Oh, what
infinite Patience doth Jehovah exercife, in fparing
fuch vile Sinners! And what infinite Grace, in
forgiving fuch great hiiquiiy! Oh that the infi¬
nite Glories of our own God might continually
raviflj our Souls, and unheart us from all the
Creatures ! And that his infinite Grace and Pa¬
tience towards us might make us lothe ourfelvcs
for all our Abominations ! and for this, which is
fo very great / But,
III. Whenever a Believer is left to feek Com¬
fort in the Creatures, and to delight himfelf in
them,
s
departing from GOD. 59
them, inftead of taking up his fatisfying Reft in
God j he is like wife guilty of the bafefl Ingrati¬
tude. Love, even the Love of any Creature,
lays an ingenuous Perfon, under Obligation to
Love and Gratitude. And the more excellent
any Creature is that loves us, and the greater
the Difplays of his Kindnefs are towards us, the
higher ftill is our Obligation to Love and Thank-
fulnefs. We look upon that Nature to be the
moft bafe, that can't be won with Kindnefs, that
can't be drawn by Love. Efpecially when the
Perfon Loving is far fuperior to the Perfon Be¬
loved, of the greateft Excellency in Himfelf, and
tinder no Manner of Obligation, but the contrary,
from us. And fuch Kind of bafe Ingratitude is
feldom feen among the Sons of Men. And when
it appears, is moft hateful. But oh, what is all
the Ingratitude that can poflibly be found in any
of the Sons of Men towards their Fellow-Worms ;
when compar'd with that, of which a Believer
is guilty, when he fets his Heart upon the Crea¬
ture inftead of the Creator ! Surely, it is as no¬
thing ! Surely there is no fuch Thing as Ingrati¬
tude, when compar'd with this! What, God,
love Creatures! Jehovah fet his Heart up¬
on Sinners ! Reftingin his Love towards them,
% and rejoicing over them withfinging! And they
flight Him, prefer Trifles, and fet their Hearts
upon Things which are not! As if the immenfe
Glories of his great Being were nothing worth !
And the infinite Love of his Heart, in all its bright
Difplays towards them was not worth a Thought!
H 2 Be
60 *£he Guilt of a Believers
Be afloniftid O Heavens, at this / Come hither,
you Saints, and fee if Sin be like yours!
What, God, love you! What, love you fo
freely, greatly, diftinguifningly, unchangeably,
and eternally ! And from hence make over Him-
felf\ his great Self, to be entirely yours! And
to make you happy in the Enjoyment of him,
call for your Hearts! Andyou, count Him not
worthy of all that little Love your Souls are capa¬
ble of! Nor a fujficient Happinejs to delight you !
But practically fay, there's this and that Excel¬
lency to be enjoy'd in the Creature that is not to
be found in God ! And, I'm under higher Obli¬
gation to the Creature than any that God's free
Grace has laid upon me ! Oh, horrid ! Was ever
Sin like this ! We Ihould indeed tremble to fpeak
fuch Words. But even this, is the Language of
our Hdlions, when we fuffer our Hearts to feek
Happinefs in the Creatures, in dead of taking up
our full and complacent Reft in God.—Let us
therefore look upon this Sin, of departing from
God to feek Comfort in the Creatures. Let
us look upon it in the Light of pardoning Love,
and be a foamed of our Folly, of our Difhonour-
ing infinite Perfections, and of our bafe Ingra¬
titude. Let us look upon it, and confefs it be¬
fore the Lord. Let us look upon it, and mourn.
Let us look upon it, and hate it, and turn un¬
to the Lord with our whole Hearts, as our
Soul-fatisfying ALL ! our delightful CENTER !
and eternal REST! Let us fay, with the PJdl-
mif Whom have I in Heaven but THEE! Hnd
' there
Departing from GOD. 61
there is none upon Earth that I defire bejides
THEE. My Flejh and my Heart faileth : But
GOD is the Strength of my Heart, and my Por¬
tion for ever, Pfa. lxxiii. 25, 26.
Some Thoughts about Sin and Ho¬
liness .• Proposed to the Confederation
of the dear Saints. By a Sinner javd
to be an Heir of Heaven, that dferves
to be a Fire-brand of Hell!
SIN, is the Soul's eileeming and making
Self and Creatures, to be what they are
not j or its fetting up Self and Creatures, in the
Place of God.—Holinefs, is the Soul's efteeming
and making God, to be what He is, or its
fetting of God in his own Place. — The fetting
up of wretched Self and Creatures, in any, and
every Form, contracts and ruins the Soul. The
great God, and all his Glories filling the Heart,
fet up in the Heart, and taking the Place of
Self and Creatures there, enlargeth the Soul,
and is its Happinefs and Life. —So far as we
fet up Self and Creatures in God's fead, we muffc
needs be mijerable : Becaufe we feek Happinefs,
where it is not to be found. So far as God and his
.Glories fill the Heart, are fet up in the- Heart, and
take the Place of Self and Creatures there, we
mud needs be happy : Becaufe we live in infinite
AU-fufficiency ! When we would be fomething
in
7
62 Some Thoughts about
in ourfelves, feperate from God, we become
nothjng: nothing that's Good, nothing but Evil.
When we are willing to be nothing in ourfelves,
and all in God, we polfefs Being, enjoy the
great I AM, and in Him polfefs our own Souls.
And the lower we fink to nothing in ourfelves,
the higher we rife to Being in God, and the
more our Holinefs and Happinefs increafeth.
And when God is all to, and in 'us, and we
all in, and to Him, then, and not till then, we
fhall be fully happy, and eternally glorious. Then
all Mortality and Death, Sin and Mifery, which
conlill in the Soul's Separation from God, fhall
be fwallow'd up of Life and Immortality, of
Holinefs and Glory, in our perfeA Union, and
uninterrupted Communion with God in Christ j
unto a Fulnefs of Joy and Blifs, endlefs and un¬
known !
How much then doth it behove us, to keep
a ftridt and con Hant Watch over our own Hearts,
that they Ileal not out from God in Christ,
the Sum and Source of all our Life and Glory,
to leek Happinefs in Self and Creatures! By
which, if it were but for a Moment, we do an
infinite Difoonour to the Divine Majesty, to
the great Jehovah ! and bring upon ourfelves
Mifery and Death ! And oh, what a Wonder of
infinite Grace is it, that when Man had llain
the Life of God's manifcllative Glory, with a
not thy Will, but mine be done j God, in the
Perfon of the Son, with a not my Will, but
■thine be done, (hould die the Death in the Sin-
i. ner's
Sin and Holinefs, &c. 63
ner's Room : To make Reparation for the Inju¬
ry done to infinite Honour, and to give the Sin¬
ner Life, eternal Life, that had deferred no
lefs than eternal Death !—Oh, did Jesw^/zV,
the J 11ft for the Unjift, to bring us to GOD !
and (hall we that are made nigh by the Blood
of CHRIST, go out from GOD, as if the
LAMB's Blood had not been fhed, fhall we that
are fo dearly bought, be our own any longer!
Shan't we be one with GOD ? One in Love, one
in Will, one in Inter eft: Since an Infinity of Grace,
in the Death of JESUS, and an Infinity of Merit
in his Blood, has been laid out to make us fo !
Oh, fhall we that are reconciled by the Blood of
GOD, adt like Enemies to HIM ! Shall we that
are fanBiffd to GOD in CHRIST, be unholy
in our own Perfons! Shall we fet up to trade
for ourfelves, as if our GOD and His Glory,
were not enough for us! Oh {hall we go out
from his great Authority over us, and infinite
All-fufficiency to us, to fet up for ourfelves, to-
be our own Lords, and our own End: As if
we were pot Creatures, and GOD our Creator t
As if we were not redeemed Sinne/s, and the
LORD our Redeemer, our Life, our Joy, our
Glory, our ALL! And yet thus we, foolifh
and unwife, do often requite the LORD ! — Be
ajloniftdd oh Heavens and Earth at this : That
fuch vile Wretches, fhould not be caft out of
JEHOVAH's infinite Favour ! That infinite
Love and Grace, thro' the Bleeding LAMB,
fhould reign and triumph glorioufly, over all
. the
46
ft/ Some Thoughts, See.
the horrid Ebullitions of that amazing, that
unfearchable Deep of irreconcileable Enmity,
which,abides and works in the Souls of redeemed
Sinwffs, even in fuch that are called to be
Saints ! — And break, oh break all our Hearts,
who are Beloved of GOD, precious and honour¬
able in his Sight, that we love the GOD
of Love, and honour the GOD of Glory no
more ! Melt our Souls, under pardoning LOVE!
Under reigning GRACE ! Rejoice we in un¬
changeable, eternal GRACE ! In fin-Jubduing,
all-conquering GRACE that will reign on, in
the State and Majefly of GOD, until all Oppo-
fition falls before it, and we are made its perfectly
willing, and glorious SubjeSls! And while rich,
free, reigning Grace, calls its immenfe Glories
upon us, let us call the greateft Difpleafure
upon Sin, upon every iinful Thought, Word
and Work. And efpecially let us beware of
an evil Heart of Unbelief, in departing from the
Living GOD— LORD JESUS, fay AMEN.
Baptize us with Fire ! Make us like fiery Flames,
in the Love and Service of THEE, that we
may lick up all Contrarieties, as the Fire of the
LORD, lick'd up the JFatcr round about
Elijah's Sacrifice! AMEN! HALLE¬
LUJAH!
FINIS.
ERRATA.
Page 14, line 23, for Life, read Lite. p. 16 1. 29. for Chariots,
r. Chariot, p. 34, L 16. for Oftojition, r. Opj.options.