J.Looliing unto jjcfu.s. Book IV. 189 The lives of Saints be our helps; we have nor only Teacher's in word, but the S . 3 • • 11 Ages as fo many Srars have given us lighr how tO walk m the darknefs of a~ms m a ' ' 1 c · • • d 1 · r~ The examples of the godly are very drawing, and muc tOr our tmttauon(an ~~:~r:f~~e rhe pfalmift bids us, Mar/z.. the perfeil man, and behold the upright, for thben~J. 37 • 1;. •f that man;, peace. 0 it's a btelfed het~ ro aGmfba? llfe ro read over, much m?re to .nark, and obferve the hot~ and ~odly !Ives of the Samts of_God ; ~ow doth thetr zeal condemn ourcoldnefs, rhe1r d1ilgence our negligence, thet_rwarchtngand prayer, ou1~ tluggiOmefs and indevotion ? and .how are they as lpurs to qmcken us forwards tn our fptrirual voyage towards heaven ? , 4 Chrifls Ordinances be our helpers; as the Word, and Sacraments, and Prayer, nd Meditation and Conference, &c. whar are they but foumains of grace, conduits 2 nd conveyanc;s of the blood of Chrifl? to what end were they inflitured, but for the ~atering of our fouls to rhe encreafe of grace, and to the fupplaming of fin and vice, and all manner of evil? 5 . The enco~ragements of reward be our helps. Now in the practifeof Chriftian Rdigion rhere IS a double reward, r. The reward of duty, In the k!epmg of thy com- Pial. 1 9, u; mandmenuthere isgreat.reward; he fa1rh nor, forket'pmgthem! but•nk!epm;rthem t?ere ;, great reward there IS a grace, a beauty, an excellency m every graewus actmg. z. The reward ~ccording to rhe duty ; to 1 his exercife of Religion Chrift bath annexed many fweet and gracious Promifcs both for this life, and that to come; and rhefe Promifes Heb."· 2 6'. may be ufed as helps; He had a refpe& •mto the recompence of mvard. To this purpofe are rbe glorious things of Heaven fet open before us, that we may have an eye to them, and be encouraged by them. So run that ye may obtain. , 1 Cor; li'· •4· 6. The openings and difcaveries of the pains of hell are as helps to reftrain us from fin and te keep us in the way to Chrifl. This, fome call legal, but Chri!l: in the Gofp;l tells us of this; in the Gofpel we find a defcription of hell-pains, fer our byweep- Matth s. "· ;ng and wailin~, and gnajhirrg of teeth; by a worm never dying, and a fire neyer .going Mar~ 9· 44• our' Oh when I think of thofe unquenchable flames, thofe remedilefs torments, without hope of recovery, remilllon, or mitigation; when I think. of rhat privation and lofs of rhe fighr of Gods face, prepared only for thofe thar ferve him in holinefs, how fhould I bur look about me, and prepare for my reckoning? nay how eafie flwuld I think any pains in comparifon? fome perfons ina~rightmemhave been feen ro carry bunhens, and to leap ditches, and climb walls, whtch then· n~rural power .could never have done; and if we underflood rhe fadnefs of acurfed eternity, from wh1ch we are commanded to fly, ~nd yet knew how near we are to ir, and how likely to fall into it, if we continue in fin, it would be able to creare fears greater than a fudden fire, or a mid.night alarm. 7· A principle of love ( wherefoever it is planted) is our help; ~e the yoak never fo uneafie, yet love will make it light; Solomon compares thedlare of the Church to acha- - riot, and it is defcribed to have pillars of filver, and abottom of gold, and a covering of purple, the midft thereof being paved with love ; a flrange exprelllon, thar the midfl ofa cha- can.,. 1 a-. riot 010uld be paved wirh love; but 'tis plain, the chariot wherein Chrifl carries big people up a~Cd down in the world, and brings them ro himfelf, is fuch a chariot as the midfl thereof is paved with love; in tl1is cafe if there were neither heaven, nor hell, yet a foul would be in the duties of Chriflianiry. I remember how lvo, Bilhop of Chartres, meeting a grave Matron on the way with fire in one hand, and water in the other, he asked her what thofe fyrnboles meant? and whar ll1e meant to do with her fire and water? lhe anfwered, .'vfy p~trpofo u with the fire to burn Par~dift, tmd with the water to quench the flames of hell, that men may ferve God ({aid flu) witbout the incentives of hope anid fear, a"dpurely fonhe loveof God, and {efm Chrift. Surely it was an highexprelllon; for my part I dare not feparate thofe things which God bath joyned together; only this I fay , that where true love is , there is an excellent help in our way Heavenwards. • .. 8. The Angels be our helps; They are mi 11 ijlring fpirits, font forthtominifter for the;, Hob. •·•+i who fha!l be heirs of.falvation, Heb. i. 14. and rhe kind of their miniftration is excellemly fet forth by the Pfalmift, They ]hall i<fcp thee in all thy wayes, they jhall bear thee up m therrhand1, leaftthoudajh thy footagainft a ftone, Pfal.9r. !1, 12, in thist)lace the Angels are compared to Nurfes that have a charge over weak Children to keep them and g11ardrhem ; fo the Angels do all the offices of a Nurfe, or< Mother; they· keep us, guard us, •rtfhuct us, admonifh us,correct us, comfort us, preferve us frgm evil, and prOvoke us ro good. ·· · 6. The
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