What experiences are to be treasured up.

The third sort of precious useful goods, that the Christian is to lay up, is those various experiences, he hath in all passages of his life; certainly a Christian may be a great gainer this way, this is a grand dutie, a Character of solid wisdome, and a meanes of more: So saith the Psalmist, concerning the various acts of divine providence, in Ps 107:43. Who so is wise, and will observe those things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord: q. d. Such as set their hearts to consider of the Lords blessed and embroidered workmanship in the World, have wise and observant spirits, and shal grow stil wiser, and see more of God in his dispensations than other men: [Note 1] God opens his secret Cabinet to observant Christians, but he is much offended with those that regard not his works, and threatens to destroy them, and not to build them up: [Note 2] Ps 28:5. But this is too high a work for brutish sottish souls, it is the good soul that layes up experiences, the righteous man, saith Salamon, wiselie considereth the house of the wicked. Prov 21:12. i. e. He takes notice what becomes of it, how the Lord deales with wicked men, and their houses: and so in all other affaires, both publick and private, [Note 3] God's carriage to both good and bad, in mercy and judgment, as Scripture testifies.

But I shal rather keep close to the Christians personal experiments that relate to himself, and desire every childe of God to treasure up experiences of these four sorts.—

VIZ.

1.Of the vanity of the World.#

2.Of the treachery of his heart.#

3.Of the bitterness of sin.#

4.Of Heavenlie discoveries.#

1.Lay up experiments of the Worlds vanity, Solomon made such a Collection all his life long, and recollects it in his Ecclesiastes, in his declining old age: he had great opportunities, and large faculties that did capacitate him for such an experiment, he knew better than any man breathing, what the flattering World could do for her beloved minions, yet cries out at last, all is vanity, yea vexing vanity: [Note 4] and the whole book is an Induction of particulars, to prove this assertion: And what can the man do that cometh after the King? alas, sirs, if you make the like disquisition, you must needs make the same conclusion; you cannot search more into, nor make more, of the creature, than Solomon, yet he found vanity ingraven upon the choicest enjoyment: and have not you also found the like in your time and observation? Wel then Christian, rub off the rust and dust of old experiences, read the wise-mans last and soundest lectures on the whole Creation, and let your dear-bought experiments comment thereupon, and lay up both text and comment in your hearts for after-times; poor soul, consider, didst thou ever trust the World, but it deceived thee? Hath it not failed thee at such a time? and disappointed thee in such a case? O how didst thou blesse thy self in such an expectation? but alas, thou didst but grasp the sand or smoak: hast thou not found riches uncertain? [Note 5] friends inconstant, relations vanishing? have you not seen the World passing away, and the treble en'oyments of it, pleasure, profit, and preferment, [Note 6] (just like the sliding stream of a swift River) hastening towards their primitive Chaos of vanity and confusion? However men may be bewitched with the Worlds bravery, yet the spirit of God judgeth of it, [Note 7] but as a meer phantasie, or Pageant-shew, or as a Mathematical figure, which is but a notion, an Idea in the fancy or imagination: at the best 'tis but an accidental figure without substance: what solid content have you ever found in it? when you have sought to the Creature, hath it not answered, 'tis not in me to fil the soul, or do you good? or at best but like a dream of the night-vision, when the hungry and thirsty think they eat and drink, [Note 8] but are faint when they awake: have not your souls found this too true by sad experience? why now, lay up these things, produce them out of your store, and learn thereby to trust the World no more: Oh what good may these do you upon a temptation to carnal confidence! tremble to pierce and prejudice thy soul again, never lean upon this broken reed, that wil run into thy hand and heart, and pierce thee with many sorrows here, and be in danger to drown thee in eternal perdition, 1 Tim 6:9,#

10.[Note 9] The truth is, there's nothing answers our desires and hopes in this World, nothing pleaseth us so wel in the fruition, as in the expectation, we finde the World but a lie, and the sweetest comforts, lying vanities, and (as one saith) our leaning-staff becomes a knocking Cudgel: wel then, since you have found it so, look upon it as so, and lay up that experiment.#

2.Lay up experiences of the treachery of the heart, read over Mr. Dykes Treatise of the deceitfulness of the heart, and compare your own experiences with that book: But especially read and study wel this multifarious book of a base heart, consider and remember those wayes of guile and guilt, that have cost thy soul so dear: as thus, in such a duty my heart gave me the slip, in such a temptation my heart led away my hand or foot, and caused my flesh to sin, in such an enjoyment my perfidious heart was stollen away, in such an affliction I had discontented risings of heart, and my tumultuous quarrelsome spirit made me to speak unadvisedly with my lips, I'le never trust this deceitful heart again; who but a fool wil venture his whole estate with a known Thief? what wise man wil trust a known Jugler? [Note 10] Solomon saith, He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: and I shal be the most errant fool that breatheth, if after so many cheating tricks, I should confide in this perfidious Traitor. Ah Christian, I appeal to thine own experience, how many a woful instance hast thou had of the hearts deceitfulness? It is apt to deceive, and as easie to be deceived, and self-deceit, is the most dangerous: the heart, since the fal, is naturally of a vafrous, subtile, and fickle temper, and is stil made worse and worse, by the deceitfulness of sin, Heb 3:13. which is as it were woven and twisted in the frame and constitution thereof, and so those two cheats conspire to undo the poor soul: and were not God a more fast friend to the Saint, than he is to himself, there were no salvation for a sorry sinner: [Note 11] for every Man is a Sathan to himself, and the sincere Saint wil pray most (with Divine Austin) to be delivered from that evil man himself; [Note 12] and is more afraid of the folly that is bound up in his own heart, than of assaults from without: and indeed the reason of a souls self-confidence, is self-ignorance, or not laying up experiences of the hearts deceitfulness; [Note 13] the truth is, a poor self-deceiving sinner dares not look into his heart, lest he finde not things there as he fancieth, or would perswade himself, but puts all to the venture, like a desperate bankrupt; but a childe of God cannot but see this treachery that others hide or counterfeit, and willingly sees it, and as sadly laments it, and as watchfully avoids those deceits: observe it, though deceivings by the heart be bad, yet observing and laying up such sad experiments is certainly good, and of singular use to the sincere and serious soul: the Lord help us all so to note, and be afraid of our naughty spirits, that we may trust them less, and God more, while we live.#

3.Lay up experiences of sin's bitterness: consider what were the insinuating waies of sin and Satan to intangle you, and the sad effects of sin, what tears, and groans, and bitter bickerings it cost your captivated souls, to extricate your selves, and regulate your state: Oh the intricate windings of that crooked Serpent? what strange and subtile methods and devices did Satan use, to trap and overtake you with his fresh and furious assaults! how often hath he presented the bait and hid the hook, hath he not set before your credulous souls, the pleasure or profit of a base lust? hath he not extenuated sin at first to bring you to commit it, and afterwards aggravated it to drive you to despaire? sin doth cheat us with golden Mountains, as one saith, but leaves us in the suds at last: [Note 14] the first act of delightful conception ends in painful or mortal travel under divine indignation: though sin was delightful at the first, yet it alwaies proved bitterness in the end: ask your own hearts, what fruit had you of those things whereof you are now ashamed? the awakened conscience wil answer the end of those things is death, deadly pain, or eternal death, [Note 15] repentance, or vengeance: your wilde Oates sown in youth with delight, rose up in bitter Hemlock and Wormwood; though wickedness was sweet in the mouth, yet it is turned to be as the gall of Aspes within: yea the cruel venome of Aspes, as Moses testifies, i.e. capital, deadly, biting poyson, so it proves: Oh the dreadful stings and pangs that sin left behind it! with what feares and teares, terrours and horrours did it fil the poor penitent soul! what broken bones and affrighting cares had the offending prodigal before he was admitted into his fathers sweet embraces! how long did the humble suitor lie at the gates of mercy before he could get admission! or see the Kings face, or obtain the joy of Gods salvation? not that God is so hard to be entreated, or delights in a poor Creatures malady or misery, but that he may affect the heart with the evil of sin, stir up more longings after grace, prize Christ and pardon, and learn to sin no more; therefore he keeps the soul long in suspence, even when his bowels yearn upon it, as Joseph's did upon his brethren, upon the like ground, as he dealt with Miriam in healing her body of the Leprosie, if her father, saith he, had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven daies, Num 12:14. Thus God would have us to know, the worth of his favour, by the want of it for a season: surely, sirs, if you would lay these sad experiments in store, it would prove a notable Antidote against the next assault: the burnt child wil dread the fire: Oh what sin-abhoring resolutions had the penitent soul in its deep humiliations? if you had come to David whilst he was bathing himself in briny teares, and said, what saist thou now to murder? how dost thou like thy fleshly lusts? wilt thou buy repentance at so dear a rate? and fall again into uncleanness? would he not have answered, O no, God forbid that I should sin again? I wil be rackt or torne in pieces, rather than dishonour my God, grieve his Spirit, and fill my poor soul with such tormenting troubles: Certainly, when poor David was roaring, [Note 16] by reason of the disquietness of his Spirit, when there was no rest in his bones because of his sin, he had other thoughts of his sin now, then when he was entring and adventuring upon the act, or engaged in it: there's no man so bruitish scarce, but will abstain from that which experience tels him hath done him hurt: a wise man will forbear stale-drink when he knows infallibly it will cast him into a fit of the stone: So the Christian that hath laid up experiences how dear sin hath cost him, will thus argue, I remember what an ill condition sin brought me into, I had need sin no more lest a worse thing come unto me: Sin broke my bones, but now if I sin again I fear it wil break my neck, sin filled my soul with heart-shaking fears; but I may expect it wil now fill me with heart-desolating despair: it brought a hell into my Conscience before, but now I fear it wil cast my soul into hell: Lay up and make use of these sad experiments, and I may then almost say, Sin if you dare:#

4.Lay up divine Discoveries, which your soules have had sweet and satisfying experiences of: if you be Christians, such you have had, I dare say, and you dare not deny: I find very many precious Saints that have kept a Diary of Gods dealings with their souls, [Note 17] as Reverend Mr. Carter, and many others: there are two sorts of Experiences that I shal commend to you to treasure up:#

1.Special Providences;#

2.Spiritual Influences:#

1.You are to lay up Experiments of Gods gracious Providence about you; the Wise God hath so disposed of affairs concerning his People, that one part of our lives may help us in another, the Van and former part of our daies may contribute to bring up the Rear and remainder of them: as thus, the soul argues, The Lord hath helped in such a strait, directed in such a doubt prevented such a fear, broken such a snare, and he is the same God still; and will help for the future: Let the Saints set up some [Eben-ezer] stone of help, as a memorial of former goodness: Let souls make use of the excellent Scripture-Logick, Hath, Doth and Will Deliver; Write down Signal Providences, or lock them up in the safe Chest of a sanctified Memorie, and produce them when you are non-plust, and have your back to the wall: Sweet experiences of by-past deliverances are not the least part of a Christians treasure: though I would not have you dote upon them, or imagine that God can go no further than he hath gone, which may more daunt you in new and greater troubles, yet withal, [Note 18] do not despise them, and slight them, but lay them up and plead them with the Lord as the Church often doth: One part of Ps 74. is a sad complaint of Gods anger, and the Churches affliction; the other part is an encouraging rehearsal of former Providences: Thus the assistance formerly vouchsafed proves an argument for the Saints future encouragement:#

2.You must also lay up Experiences of soul-inlargement and refreshing Comforts: as thus, In such an Ordinance I met with God, and beheld his Reconciled Face: In such a Duty my graces were quickened, exercised, encreased: In such a Chamber or Closet my heart was warmed, melted, satisfied: In such a Company, with such a Society was my soul enlarged, resolved, and sweetly transported beyond my self: Oh what a blessed day or night was that unto me, when I had the kisses of Gods mouth, the smiles of his Face, and had a clear acquittance sealed to my conscience of the remission of my sins! I well remember it, and my heart danceth within me to think of the sweet daies of mutual intercourse that God and I have had together! These are not alwaies to be expected, such Sweet-meats of divine Joy are not a Christians constant common fare, a pining time may come, I'le make much of, and long store up such sweet & secret hints of Love against a time of need. God forbid that I should lose this Token for good, this broken Ring, this Pledge from Heaven: this may stand me in stead in a dark & gloomy day, when the Lord shal frown upon me as an Enemy, and put me from him as though he would forsake me, then will I say unto God, as Job, Thou knowest that I am not wicked, Lord, [Note 19] dost thou use to deal so with wicked men, or reveal thy self thus to them that know thee not? Art thou wont to stir up in the carelesse world, such penitent bemoanings, such ardent breathings, and such vehement pantings after thy self? And hast thou ever given in such familiar discoveries to unregenerate soules, as my heart hath had experience of many a time? and is this the manner of man, O Lord? Are these thy waies with unsanctified soules? Wilt thou hold communion with those that never were united to thee? Doth not such communion pre-suppose an union? either these Experiences are false and counterfeit, or I am thine, for whom thou lovest once, thou lovest to the end: though I be fickle and inconstant yet thou art the same, and unchangeable in thy love; now I dare not say that all these sweet Experiences are meer fictions, dreams and shadows, no, God forbid; I humbly hope they were genuine evidences of thy special Love, arising from and built upon the Word and Spirit, yea they carried their evidence along with them, and left such stamps upon my soul as can never be forgotten or worn off: I can appeal to thy self, O Lord, if such passages were not betwixt thy self and my heart, which no creature upon earth hath known off; and since thou canst not deny thine own Name in-graven on my heart, and sealed sweetly to me, I commit the matter wholly to thee, though now thou seem to carry strangely towards me, as though thou hadst quite cast me off, yet thou art my God still, my loving Father, and only Friend, I cannot part from thee, I will not let thee go; there was once love betwixt us, and though now in wisdome and faithfulnesse thou seem to smother thy bowels of Mercy, and restrain the effects of thy Love, yet thou hast the same heart now as thou wast wont to have, I know it by the workings I feel in mine own breast towards thee; And therefore Lord I hang upon thee, and plead (with David) Where are thy former loving-kindnesses which thou shewedst to me? [Note 20]#

Thus, Christians, thus lay up, and thus draw forth your sweet Experiences in such a time of need, in this Night of desertion, as Thamar once did produce Judahs Staffe, [Note 21] Signet, and Bracelets, as her Pledge when she was brought out to be burnt. O Sirs, when God deals graciously with you, cast not these precious Love-tokens at your heels, as whorish spirits do, but lay up these testimonies of of Love, sent from your Husband Christ, among your choicest treasures, that you may produce them as occasion serves.