O the vanity and inutility of these projects and designs ! Men strive to cast themselves into such modes, and stint themselves to such mea- sures of religion, as they think will best promote, or secure their earthly interests: but it often falls out, contrary to their expectation, that their deep policies are ridiculous follies ; they become the grief and shame of their friends, and the scorn and song of their enemies. And often it fares with them, as with him that placed himself in the middle of the table, where he could neither reach the dish above him, nor that below him, Esuriicnt medii, <^c. and, which is the very best of it, if earthly interest be accommodated by sinful neutrality, and a Laodicean indifferency in religion, yet no good man should once feel a temptation to embrace it, except he think what is wanting in the sweetness of his sleep, may be fully recompensed to him bv the stateliness of his bed, and richer furniture of his chamber ; I rnean that a fuller and higher condition in the world, can make him amends for the loss of his inward peace, and the quiet repose of a good con- science : These by-ends and self-interests are the little passages through which hypocrisy creeps in upon the professors of religion.
O let this be your rejoicing, which was Paul's, " The testimony " of your conscience, that in all sincerity and godly simplicity, not " in fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, you have had your " conversation in this world,'' 2 Cor. i. 12.
Let that be your daily prayer and cry to heaven, which was David's, Psal. xxv. 2L " Let integrity and uprightness preserve " me, for I wait on thee."
Counsel 7. Keep your hearts day and Jiight under the awe of Gocts all-seeing eye : Remember he beholds all your ways, and ponders all your thoughts ; how covertly soever hypocrisy may be carried for a time, all must and will out at last, Luke xii. 3.' Secrcsy is the main inducement to hypocrisy, but it will fall out with the hypocrite, as it did with Ottocar the king of Bohemia, who refused to do homage to llodolphus the emperor, till at last chastised with war, he w^as content to do him homage privately in a tent: But the tent was so contrived by the emperors servants, that by drawing one cord, it was taken all away ; and so Ottocar was jiresented on his knees doing homage in view of three armies.
Reader^ Awe thy heart with God's eye, know that he will bring
604 A TOKEN FOR MOCllKEHg.
every secret thing into judgment Thus did Job, and it preserved him, Job xxxi. 1, 4. Thus did David, and it preserved him, Psal. xviii. 21, 22, 23. Thus do thou also, and it will preserve thee blame- less and without guile to the day of Christ.
ADVICE OF CHRIST TO A DISTRESSED MOTHER,
BEWAILISG THE DEATH OF HER DEAR AND ONLY SOX :
Wherein the Boundaries of Sorrow are duly fixed. Excesses re- strained, the common Pleas answered, and divers Rules for the support of God's afflicted Ones prescribed.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
To his dearly hcJoved brother and sister, Mr. J. C. and Mrs. E, C. the Author K'isheth grace, mercy, and peace
X HE double tye of nature and grace, beside the many endearing passages that for so many years have linked and glewed our affec- tions so intimately, cannot but beget a tender sympathy in me with you under all your troubles, and make me say of every affliction which befals you, Half's mine. I find it is with our affections as with the strings of musical instruments exactly set at the same height, if one be touched, the other trembles, though it be at some distance.
Our affections are one, and so in a great measure have been our afflictions also. You cannot forget that in the years lately past, the Almiohtv visited mv tabernacle with the rod, and in one year cut off
from it the root, and the branch, the tender motner, and the only son. What the effects of those strokes, or rather of ray own un- mortified passions were, I have felt, and you and others have heard. Surely I was as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Yea, I may say with them. Lam. iii. 19, 20. " Remembering mine affliction and " my misery, the wormwood and the gall, my soul hath them still " in remembrance, and is humbled in me.''
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 605
I dare not say that ever I felt my heart discontentedly rising and swelling against God; no, I could still justify him, when I most sensibly smarted by his hand : If he had plunged me into a sea of sorrow, yet I could say in all that sea of sorrow, there is not a drop of injustice : But it was the over-heating and over-acting of my fond and unmortified affections and passions that made so sad impressions upon my body, and cast me under those distempers which soon em^ bittered all my remaining comforts to me.
It was my earnest desire, so soon as I had strength and opportu- nity for so great a journey to visit you, that so, if the Lord had pleased, I might both refresh and be refreshed by you, after all my sad and disconsolate days. And you cannot imagine what content and pleasure I projected in that visit ; but it proved to us, as all other comforts of the same kind ordinarily do, more in expectation than in fruition : For how soon after our joyful meeting and embraces did the Lord overcast and darken our day, by sending death into your tabernacle, to take away the desire of your eyes with a stroke ! to crop off that sweet and only bud from which we promised ourselves so much comfort. But no more of that, I fear I am gone too far already. It is not my design to exasperate your troubles, but to heal them ; and for that purpose have I sent you these papers, which I hope may be of use both to you and many others in your condition, since they are the after-fruits of my own troubles ; things that I have not commended to you from another hand, but which I have, in some measure, proved and tasted in my own trials.
But I will not hold you longer here ; I have only a few things to desire for, and from you, and I have done.
The things I desire are,
Firsts That you will not be too hasty to get off the j'^oke which God hath put upon your neck. Remember when your child was in the womb, neither of you desired it should be delivered thence till God's appointed time was fully come ; and now that you travail again with sorrow for its death : O desire not to be delivered from your sorrows one moment before God's time for your deliverance be fully come also. Let patience have its perfect work ; that comfort which comes in God's way and season, will stick by you, and do you good indeed.
Secondly^ I desire, that though you and your afflictions had a sad meeting, yet you and they may have a comfortable parting. If they effect that upon your hearts which God sent them for, I doubt not but you will give them a fair testimony when they go off.