 Part 1 of Miscellaneous Pieces How a young and shaken Christian should demean himself under the weighty thoughts of the doctrine of the Trinity or plurality of persons in the eternal Godhead. The reason why I say a young or shaken Christian is because some that are not young but of an ancient standing may not only be assaulted with violent temptations concerning gospel principles, but a second time may become a child, a babe, a shallow man in the things of God, especially either when by backsliding he hath provoked God to leave him, or when some new unexpected and as to present strength over weighty objection doth fall upon the spirit, by means of which great shakings of mind do commonly attend such a soul in the most weighty matters of the concerns of faith, of which this is one that I have supposed in the above-mentioned question, wherefore, passing other things, I will come directly to that and briefly propose some helps to a soul in such a case. The First Preparative First, then, be sure thou keep close to the word of God, for that is the revelation of the mind and will of God, both as to the truth of what is either in himself or ways, and also as to what he requireeth and expecteth of thee, either concerning faith in or obedience to, what he hath so revealed. Now, for thy better performing of this, I shall give thee in brief these following directions. One, suffer thyself by the authority of the word, to be persuaded that the scripture indeed is the word of God, the scriptures of truth, the words of the Holy One, and that they therefore must be every one, true, pure, and forever settled in heaven. Two, conclude therefore from the former doctrine that that God whose words they are is able to make a reconciliation and most sweet and harmonious agreement with all the sayings therein, how obscure, cross, dark, and contradictory so ever they seem to thee. To understand all mysteries, to have all knowledge, to be able to comprehend with all sayings is a great work, enough to crush the spirit, and to stretch the strings of the most capacious, widened soul that breatheth on this side of glory, be they not withstanding exceedingly enlarged by revelation. Paul, when he was caught up to heaven, saw that which was unlawful because impossible for man to utter, and saith Christ to the reasoning Pharisee, if I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? It is great lewdness and also insufferable arrogancy to come to the word of God as conceding already that whatever thou redest must either by thee be understood, or of itself fall to the ground as a senseless error. But God is wiser than man, wherefore fear thou him, and tremble at his word, saying still, with godly suspicion of thine own infirmity, what I see not teach thou me, and thou art God only wise, but as for me I am as a beast before thee. 3. Take heed of taking a part of the word only, lest thou thereby go away with the truth as mangled in pieces. For instance, where thou redest, the Lord our God is one Lord. There take heed that thou dost not thence conclude, then there are not three persons in the Godhead. Where thou redest of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, then take heed of concluding there must therefore either be three Gods, or else that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are not true God but the Father only. Wherefore, to help thee here, observe the second preparative. 1. That the Christian religion requires credit concerning every doctrine contained in the word. Credit, I say, according to the true relation of every sentence that the Holy Ghost hath revealed for the asserting, maintaining, or vindicating that same truth. 2. And therefore hence it is that a Christian is not called a doer, a reasoner, an objecter, and perverse disputer, but a believer. Be thou an example to the believers, and believers were added to the church, etc. 3. Therefore know again that the word, if it seeth and expresseth that this or that, is so and so, as to the matter in hand, thou art bound and obliged, both by the name, profession, and the truth, unto which thou hast joined thyself, to assent to, confess, and acknowledge the same. Even then, when thy carnal reason will not stoop thereto. Righteous art thou, O God, saith Jeremiah, yet let me plead with thee, wherefore do the wicked live? Mark, first he acknowledged that God's way with the wicked is just and right. Even then, when yet, he could not see the reason of his actions and dispensations towards them. The same reason is good as to our present case, and hence it is that the apostle saith the spiritual armour of Christians should be much exercised against those high towering and self-exalting imaginations, that within our own bosoms do exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, that every thought or carnal reasoning may be not only taken but brought a captive into obedience to Christ, that is, be made to stoop to the word of God, and to give way and place to the doctrine therein contained, how cross soever our thoughts and the word lie to each other. And it is observable that he here saith they exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, which cannot be understood that our carnal natural reason doth exalt itself against an eternal deity, simply considered, for that nature itself doth gather from the very things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead. It must be then that they exalt themselves against that God as thus and thus revealed in the word, to wit against the knowledge of one God consisting of three persons, Father, Son and Spirit. For this is the doctrine of the scriptures of truth, and therefore it is observable these thoughts must be brought captive and be made subject in particular to the Lord Jesus Christ as to the second person in the Godhead. For the Father is ever acknowledged by all that profess the least of religion, but the Son is that stumbling block and rock of offence against which thousands dash themselves in pieces, though in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and in him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily, end of the Trinity and the Christian. This recording is in the public domain. Part 2 of Miscellaneous Pieces. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Miscellaneous Pieces by John Bunyan. Read by David Barnes. Part 2 of The Law and a Christian. The law was given twice upon Mount Sinai, but the appearance of the Lord when he gave it the second time was wonderfully different from that of his when at the first he delivered it to Israel. 1. When he gave it the first time he caused his terror and severity to appear before Moses to the shaking of his soul and the dismaying of Israel, but when he gave it the second time he caused all his goodness to pass before Moses to the comfort of his conscience and the bowing of his heart. 2. When he gave it the first time it was with thunderings and lightnings, with blackness and darkness, with flame and smoke, and a tearing sound of the trumpet, but when he gave it the second time it was with a proclamation of his name to be merciful, gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgressions and sins. 3. When he gave it the first time Moses was called to go up to receive it through the fire, which made him exceedingly fear and quake, but when he went to receive it the second time he was laid in a cliff of the rock. 4. From all which I gather that though as to the matter of the law, both as to its being given the first time and the second, it binds the unbeliever under the pains of eternal damnation, if he clothes not by Christ with faith. Yet as to the manner of its giving at these two times, I think the first doth more principally intend its force as a covenant of works, not at all respecting the Lord Jesus. But this second time, not at least in the manner of its being given, respecting such a covenant, but rather as a rule or directory to those who already are found in the cliff of the rock Christ. 4. For the Saint himself, though he be without law to God, as it is considered the first or old covenant, yet even he is not without law to him as considered under grace, not without law to God, but under the law to Christ. 5. Though therefore it be sad with the unbeliever, because he only and wholly standeth under the law as it is given in fire, in smoke, in blackness and darkness, and thunder, all which threaten him with eternal ruin, if he fulfil not the utmost titl thereof. Yet the believer stands to the law under no such consideration, neither is he so at all to hear or regard of it, for he is now removed from thence to the blessed mount of Zion, to grace and forgiveness of sins. He is now, I say, by faith in the Lord Jesus, shrouded under so perfect and blessed a righteousness that this thundering law of Mount Sinai cannot find the least fault or diminution therein, but rather a provith and a laweth thereof, either when or wherever it find it. This is called the righteousness of God without the law, and also said to be witnessed by both the law and the prophets. Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference. 6. Wherefore, whenever thou who believest in Jesus dost hear the law in its thundering and lightning fits, as if it would burn up heaven and earth, then say thou, I am freed from this law, these thunderings have nothing to do with my soul, nay, even this law, while it thus thunders and roars, it doth both allow and approve of my righteousness. I know that Hagar would sometimes be domineering and high, even in Sarah's house and against her, but this she is not to be suffered to do, nay, though Sarah herself be barren. Wherefore serve it also as Sarah served her and expel her out from thy house. My meaning is, when this law with its thundering threatenings doth attempt to lay hold on thy conscience, shot it out with a promise of grace. Cry, the inn is taken up already, the Lord Jesus is here entertained, and here is no room for the law. Indeed, if it will be content with being my informer and so lovingly leave off to judge me, I will be content, it shall be in my sight, I will also delight therein, but otherwise I being now made upright without it, and that too with that righteousness which this law speaks well of and approveth, I may not, will not, cannot, dare not make it my saviour and judge, nor suffer it to set up its government in my conscience, for by so doing I fall from grace, and Christ Jesus doth profit me nothing. 7. Thus, therefore, the soul that is married to him that is raised up from the dead both may and ought to deal with this law of God. Yea, its doth greatly dishonour its Lord and refuse its gospel privileges if it at any time otherwise doth whatever its seeth or feels. The law hath power over the wife so long as her husband liveth, but if her husband be dead she is freed from that law so that she is no adulteress though she be married to another man. Indeed, so long as thou art alive to sin and to thy righteousness which is of the law, so long thou hast them for thy husband and they must reign over thee, but when once they are become dead unto thee as they then most certainly will when thou closest with the Lord Jesus Christ, then, I say, thy former husbands have no more to meddle with thee. Thou art freed from their law. 7. A woman be cast into prison for a debt of thousands of pounds if after this she marry, yea though while she is in the jailer's hand, in the same day that she is joined to her husband her debt is all become his. Yea, and the law also that arrested and imprisoned this woman as freely tells her go. She is freed, sayeth Paul, from that, and so sayeth the law of this land. The sum, then, of what hath been said is this. The Christian hath now nothing to do with the law as it thundereth and burneth on Sinai or as it bindeth the conscience to Roth and the displeasure of God for sin. For from its thus appearing it is freed by faith in Christ, yet it is to have regard there too and is to count it holy, just and good, which that it may do it is always whenever it seeth or regards it to remember that he who giveth it to us is merciful, gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, etc. End of OF THE LAW AND THE CHRISTIAN This recording is in the public domain. Part 3 of Miscellaneous Pieces This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Miscellaneous Pieces by John Bunyan Read by David Barnes Part 3 Bunyan's Last Sermon Preached July 1688 Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God John 1 verse 13 The words have a dependence on what goes before and therefore I must direct you to them to write understanding of it. You have it thus. He came to his own, but his own received him not. But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them which believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God. In the words before you have two things. First, some of his own rejecting him when he offered himself to them. Secondly, others of his own receiving him and making him welcome. Those that reject him, he also passes by. But those that receive him, he gives them power to become the sons of God. Now lest any one should look upon it as good luck or fortune, says he, they were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. They that did not receive him, they were only born of flesh and blood. But those that receive him, they have God to their father. They receive the doctrine of Christ with a vehement desire. First, I will show you what he means by blood. They that believe are born to it as an heir is to an inheritance. They are born of God, not of flesh nor of the will of man, not of God, not of blood, that is not by generation, not born to the kingdom of heaven by the flesh, not because I am the son of a godly man or woman. That is meant by blood. Acts 17, verse 26. He has made of one blood all nations. But when he says here, not of blood, he rejects all carnal privileges they did boast of. They boasted they were Abraham's seed, no-no says he. It is not of blood. Think not to say you have Abraham to your father. You must be born of God if you go to the kingdom of heaven. Secondly, nor of the will of the flesh, what must we understand by that? It is taken for those vehement inclinations that are in man to all manner of looseness, fulfilling the desires of the flesh. That must not be understood here. Men are made to the children of God by fulfilling their lustful desires. It must be understood here in the best sense. There is not only in carnal men a will to be vile, but there is in them a will to be saved also. A will to go to heaven also. But this it will not do. It will not privilege a man in the things of the kingdom of God. Natural desires after the things of another world they are not an argument to prove a man shall go to heaven whenever he dies. I am not a free willer, I do abhor it, yet there is not the wickedest man, but he desires some time or other to be saved. He will read some time or other, or it may be pray. But this will not do. It is not in him that wills, nor in him that runs, but in God that shows mercy. There is willing and running, and yet to no purpose. Romans chapter 9 verse 16 Israel which followed after the law of righteousness have not obtained it. Here I do not understand as if the apostle had denied a virtuous course of life to be the way to heaven, but that a man without grace though he have natural gifts yet he shall not obtain privilege to go to heaven and be the son of God. Though a man without grace may have a will to be saved yet he cannot have that will God's way. Nature it cannot know anything but the things of nature. The things of God knows no man but by the spirit of God. Unless the spirit of God be in you it will leave you on this side of the gates of heaven. Not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. It may be some may have a will a desire that Ishmael may be saved. No this it will not save thy child. If it were our will I would have you all go to heaven. How many are there in the world that pray for their children and cry for them and ready to die and this will not do. God's will is the rule it is only through Jesus Christ which were born not of flesh, nor of the will of man but of God. Now I come to the doctrine. Men that believe in Jesus Christ to the effectual receiving of Jesus Christ they are born to it. He does not say they shall be born to it but they are born to it. Born of God unto God and the things of God before they receive God to eternal salvation. Accept a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now unless he be born of God he cannot see it. Suppose the kingdom of God be what it will he cannot see it before he be begotten of God. Suppose it be the gospel he cannot see it before he be brought into a state of regeneration. Believing is the consequence of the new birth not of blood nor of the will of man but of God. First I will give you a clear description of it under one similitude or two. A child before it be born into the world is in the dark dungeon of its mother's womb. So a child of God before he be born again is in the dark dungeon of sin of the kingdom of God therefore it is called a new birth. The same soul has love one way in its carnal condition another way when it is born again. Secondly as it is compared to a birth resembling a child in his mother's womb so it is compared to a man being raised out of the grave and to be born again is to be raised out of the grave of sin. Awake, thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee life. To be raised from the grave of sin is to be begotten and born Revelation chapter 1 verse 5 there is a famous instance of Christ he is the first begotten from the dead he is the first born from the dead unto which our regeneration eludeth that is if you be born again by seeking those things that are above then there is a similitude betwixt Christ's resurrection and the new birth which were born which were restored out of this dark world and translated out of the kingdom of this dark world into the kingdom of his dear son and made us live a new life this is to be born again and he that is delivered from the mother's womb it is the help of the mother for he that is born of God it is by the spirit of God I must give you a few consequences of new birth first of all a child you know is incident to cry as soon as it comes into the world for if there be no noise they say it is dead you that are born of God and Christians if you be not criers there is no spiritual life in you if you be born of God you are crying ones as soon as he has raised you out of the dark dungeon of sin you cannot but cry to God what must I do to be saved as soon as ever God had touched the jailer he cries out men and brethren what must I do to be saved oh how many prayerless professors are there in London that never pray coffee houses will not let you pray trades will not let you pray looking glasses will not let you pray but if you were born of God you would secondly it is not only natural for a child to cry but it must crave the breast it cannot live without the breast therefore Peter makes it the true trial of a newborn babe the newborn babe desires the sincere milk of the word that he may grow thereby if you be born of God make it manifest by desiring the breast of God do you long for the milk of promises a man lives one way when he is in the world another way when he is brought unto Jesus Christ Isaiah 66 they shall suck and be satisfied if you be born again there is no satisfaction till you get the milk of God's word into your souls Isaiah 66 verse 11 to suck and be satisfied with the breasts of consolation oh what is a promise to a carnal man a whorehouse it may be is more sweet to him but if you be born again you cannot live without the milk of God's word what is a woman's breast to a horse but what is it to a child there is its comfort night and day there is its sucker night and day oh how loathe is he it should be taken from him minding heavenly things says a carnal man is but vanity but to a child of God there is his comfort thirdly a child that is newly born if it have no other comforts to keep it warm than it had in its mother's womb it dies it must have something got for its sucker some clothes prepared for him so those that are born again they must have some promise of Christ to keep them alive those that are on those that are in a carnal state they warm themselves with other things but those that are born again they cannot live without some promise of Christ to keep them alive as he did to the poor infant in Ezekiel 17 I covered thee with embroidered gold and when women are with child what fine things will they prepare for their child oh but what fine things has Christ prepared to wrap all in that are born again oh what wrappings of gold has Christ prepared for all that are born again women will dress their children that everyone may see them how fine they are so he in Ezekiel 16 verse 11 I decked thee also with ornaments and I also put bracelets upon thine hands and a chain on thine neck and I put a jewel on thine forehead and earrings in thine ears and a beautiful crown upon thine head and says he in the 13th verse thou didst prosper to a kingdom this is to set out nothing in the world but the righteousness of Christ and the graces of the spirit without which a newborn babe cannot live unless he have the golden righteousness of Christ fourthly a child when it is in its mother's lap the mother takes great delight to have that which will he for its comfort so it is with God's children they shall be kept on his knee Isaiah 66 verse 11 they shall sock and be satisfied the breasts of her consolation verse 13 as one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you there is a similitude in these things that nobody knows of but those that are born again fifthly there is usually some similitude betwixt the father and the child it may be the child looks like its father so those that are born again they have a new similitude they have the image of Jesus Christ Galatians 4 every one that is born of God has something of the features of heaven upon him men love those children that are likeest the most usually so does God love his children therefore they are called the children of God but others do not look like him therefore they are called sodomites Christ describes children of the devil by their features the children of the devil his works they will do all works of unrighteousness they are the devil's works if you are earthly you have born the image of the earthly if heavenly you have born the image of the heavenly sixthly when a man has a child he trains him up to his own liking he learns the costume of his father's house so are those that are born of God they have learned the costume of the true church of God there they learn to cry my father and my God they are brought up in God's house they learn the method and form of God's house for regulating their lives in this world seventhly children it is natural for them to depend upon their father for what they want if they want a pair of shoes if they want bread they go and tell him so should the children of God do do you want spiritual bread go tell God of it do you want strength of grace ask it of God do you want strength against Satan's temptations go and tell God of it when the devil tempts you run home and tell your heavenly father go pour out your complaints to God this is natural to children if any wrong them they go and tell their father so do those that are born of God when they meet with temptations go and tell God of them the first use is this to make a strict inquiry whether you be born of God or not examine by those things I laid down before of a child of nature and a child of grace are you brought out of the dark dungeon of this world into Christ have you learned to cry my father Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 16 and I said thou shalt call me thy father all God's children are criers can you be quiet without you have a belly full of the milk of God's word can you be satisfied without you have peace with God pray you consider it and be serious with yourselves if you have not these marks you will fall short of the kingdom of God you shall never have an interest there there is no intruding they will say Lord Lord open to us and he will say I know you not no child of God no heavenly inheritance we sometimes give something to those that are not our children but not our lands oh do not flatter yourselves with a portion among the sons unless you live like sons when we see a king's son play with a beggar this is unbecoming so if you be the king's children live like the king's children if you be risen with Christ set your affections on things above and not on things below when you come together talk of what your father promised you you should all love your father's will and be content and pleased with the exercises you meet within the world if you are the children of God live together lovingly if the world quarrel with you it is no matter but it is sad if you quarrel together if this be amongst you it is a sign of ill-breeding it is not according to rules you have in the word of God thus thou see a soul that has the image of God in him love him love him this man and I must go to heaven one day serve one another do good for one another and if any wrong you pray to God to write you and love the brotherhood lastly if you be the children of God learn that lesson gird up the loins of your mind as obedient children not fashioning yourselves according to your former conversation but be holy in your manner of conversation consider that the Holy God is your father and let this oblige you to live like the children of God that you may look your father in the face with comfort another day end of Bunyan's last sermon preached July 1688 this recording is in the public domain part four of miscellaneous pieces this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org miscellaneous pieces by John Bunyan read by David Barnes part four Bunyan's dying sayings of sin sin is the great block and bar to our happiness the procurer of all miseries to man both here and here after take away sin and nothing can hurt us for death temporal spiritual and eternal is the wages of it sin and man for sin is the object of the wrath of God how dreadful therefore must his case be who continues in sin for who can bear and grapple with the wrath of God no sin against God can be little because it is against the great God of heaven and earth but if the sinner can find out a little God it may be easy to find out little sins sin turns all God's grace into wantonness it is the dare of his justice the rape of his mercy the jeer of his patience of his power and the contempt of his love take heed of giving thyself liberty of committing one sin for that will lead thee to another till by an ill custom it become natural to begin sin is to lay a foundation for a continuance this continuance is the mother of custom and impudence at last the issue the death of Christ giveth us the best discovery of ourselves in what condition we were so that nothing could help us but that and the most clear discovery of the dreadful nature of our sins for if sin be such a dreadful thing as to ring the heart of the son of God how shall a poor wretched sinner be able to bear it of affliction nothing can render affliction so heavy as the load of sin would you therefore be fitted for afflictions be sure to get the burden of your sins laid aside and then what affliction so ever you meet with will be very easy to you if thou canst hear and bear the rod of affliction which God shall lay upon thee remember this lesson thou art beaten the Lord useth his flail of tribulation to separate the chaff from the wheat the school of the cross is the school of light it discovers the world's vanity baseness and wickedness and lets us see more of God's mind out of dark affliction comes a spiritual light in times of affliction we commonly meet with the sweetest experiences of the love of God did we heartily renounce the pleasures of this world we should be very little troubled for our afflictions that which renders an afflicted state so insupportable to many is because they are too much addicted to the pleasures of this life and so cannot endure that which makes a separation between them of repentance and coming to Christ the end of affliction is the discovery of sin and of that to bring us to the Saviour let us therefore with the prodigal return unto him and we shall find ease and rest a returning penitent though formerly bad as the worst of men may by grace become as good as the best to be truly sensible of sin is to sorrow for displeasing of God to be afflicted that he is displeased by us more than that he is displeased with us your intentions to repentance and the neglect of that soul-saving duty will rise up in judgment against you repentance carries with it a divine rhetoric and persuades Christ to forgive multitudes of sins committed against him say not to thyself I will repent for it is thy duty to do it daily the gospel of grace and salvation is above all doctrine the most dangerous if it be received in word only by graceless men if it be not attended with a sensible need of a Saviour and bring them to him for such men only as have the notion of it are of all men most miserable for by reason of their knowing more than heathens this shall only be their final portion that they shall have greater stripes of prayer before you enter into prayer ask thy soul these questions to what end oh my soul art thou retired into this place art thou come to converse with the Lord in prayer is he present will he hear thee merciful will he help thee is thy business slight is it not concerning the welfare of thy soul what words will thou use to move him to compassion to make thy preparation complete consider that thou art but dust and ashes and he the great God father of our Lord Jesus Christ that clothes himself with light as with a garment that thou art a vile sinner and he a holy God that thou art but a poor crawling worm and he the omnipotent creator in all your prayers forget not to thank the Lord for his mercies when thou prayest rather let thy heart be without words than thy words without heart prayer will make a man cease from sin or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer the spirit of prayer is more precious than thousands of gold and silver pray often for prayer is a shield to the soul a sacrifice to God and a scourge for Satan of the Lord's days have a special care to sanctify the Lord's day for as thou keepest it so will it be with thee all the week long make the Lord's day the market for thy soul let the whole day be spent in prayer repetitions or meditations lay aside the affairs of the other parts of the week let the sermon thou hast heard be converted into prayer shall God allow thee six days and wilt thou not afford him one in the church be careful to serve God for thou art in his eyes and not in man's thou mayest hear sermons often and do well in practicing what thou hearest but thou must not expect to be told in a pulpit all that thou oughtest to do but be studious in reading the scriptures and other good books what thou hearest may be forgotten but what thou readest may better be retained forsake not the public worship of God lest God forsake thee not only in public but in private on the weekday when thou risest in the morning consider one thou must die two, thou mayest die that minute three what will become of thy soul pray often at night consider one what sins has thou committed two, how often thou has prayed three what hath thy mind been bent upon four what hath been thy dealing five what thy conversation six if thou callest to mind the errors of the day sleep not without a confession to God and a hope of pardon thus every morning and evening make up thy account with almighty God and thy reckoning will be the less at last of the love of the world nothing more hinders a soul from coming to Christ than a vain love of the world until a soul is freed from it it can never have a true love for God what are the honours and riches of this world when compared to the glories of a crown of life love not the world for it is a moth in a Christian's life to despise the world is the way to enjoy heaven and blessed are they who delight to converse with God by prayer what folly can be greater than to labour for the meats that perisheth neglect the food of eternal life God or the world must be neglected at parting time for then is the time of trial to seek yourself in this life is to be lost and to be humble is to be exalted the epicure that delighteth in the dainties of this world little thinketh that those very creatures will one day witness against him on suffering it is not every suffering that makes a man a martyr but suffering for the word of God after a right manner that is not only for righteousness but for righteousness's sake not only for truth but out of love to truth not only for God's word but according to it to wit in that holy humble meek manner as the word of God requireeth it is a rare thing to suffer a right and to have my spirit in suffering bent against God's enemy sin sin in doctrine, sin in worship sin in life and sin in conversation neither the devil nor men of the world can kill thy righteousness or love to it but by thy own hand or separate that and the asunder without thy own act nor will he that doth indeed suffer for the sake of it or out of love he bears there too be tempted to exchange it for the goodwill of the whole world I have often thought that the best of Christians are found in the worst times and I have thought again that one reason why we are not better is because God purges us no more Noah and Lot who so holy as they in the time of their afflictions and yet who so idle as they in the time of their prosperity of death and judgment as the devil labours by all means to keep out other things that are good so to keep out of the heart as much as in him lies the thoughts of passing out of this life into another world for he knows if he can but keep them from the serious thoughts of death he shall the more easily keep them in their sins nothing will make us more earnest in working out the work of our salvation than a frequent meditation of mortality nothing hath a greater influence for the taking off our hearts from vanities or for the begetting in us desires for holiness for sinner what a condition wilt thou fall into when thou departest the world if thou depart unconverted thou hadst better have been smothered the first hour thou was born thou hadst better have been plucked one limb from the other thou hadst better have been made a dog a toad, a serpent than to die unconverted and this thou wilt find true if thou repent not a man would be counted a fool to slight a judge before whom he is to have a trial of his whole estate the trial we are to have before God is of otherwise importance it concerns our eternal happiness or misery and yet we dare affront him the only way for us to escape that terrible judgment is to be often passing a sentence of condemnation upon ourselves here when the sound of the trumpet shall be heard which shall summon the dead to appear before the tribunal of God the righteous shall hasten out of their graves with joy to meet their redeemer in the clouds others shall call to the mountains and hills to fall upon them to cover them from the sight of their judge let us therefore in time be posing ourselves which of the two we shall be of the joys of heaven there is no good in this life but what is mingled with some evil honors perplex riches disquiet and pleasures ruin health but in heaven we shall find blessings in their purity without any ingredient to embitter with everything to sweeten it oh who is able to conceive the inexpressible conceivable joys that are there none but they who have tasted them Lord help us to put such a value upon them here that in order to prepare ourselves for them we may be willing to forgo the loss of all those deluding pleasures here how will the heavens echo for joy when the bride the lamb's wife shall come to dwell with her husband forever the nations the joy of angels the delight of the father what solace then must the soul be filled with that hath the possession of him to all eternity oh what acclamations of joy will there be when all the children of God shall meet together without fear of being disturbed by the anti-christian and canish brood is there not a time coming Godly may ask the wicked what profit they have in their pleasure what comfort in their greatness and what fruit in all their labour if you would be better satisfied what the beatifical vision means my request is that you would live holily and go and see of the torments of hell heaven and salvation is not surely more promised to the godly than hell and damnation is threatened to and shall be executed on the wicked oh who knows the power of God's wrath none but damned ones sinners company are the devil and his angels tormented in everlasting fire with a curse hell would be a kind of paradise if it were no worse than the worst of this world as different as grief is from joy as torment from rest as terror from peace so different is the state of sinners from that of saints in the world to come end of part four end of miscellaneous pieces