I Have presumed upon your Ladyship, humbly to present you with these few Meditations. As it is a rich mercy ⟨image 3⟩to have a spiritual Jointure, so it cannot but be a comfort to know what it is. 'Tis a joy to the young heir to have a view of his estate; that is the work of this Treatise, to set before you the Land of promise. While we are here in the combat, we had need look to the Crown to make us fight the more valiantly. Moses had an eye at the recompense of reward, and that did animate him against sufferings; yea, our blessed Saviour himself looked at the joy set before him. Madam, Could we live in the thoughts of these great things to come, what sublime, what sweet lives should we lead! Surely, if there be any sadness gathers in our spirits, if any ⟨image 3⟩despondency, it comes in at this leak of unbelief. Unbelief is a bad neighbour, it is always raising either Jealousies of God, as if he would not be as good as his Word; Unbelief with Sarah, laughs at the promise: Or scruples in the heart, whether all these promises belong to us. The Devil shot three fiery darts into the virgin-castle of Eves heart, whereof the first was the most deadly, Yea, hath God said? He would induce this belief in her, that God had not spoken Truth: and when he had once wrought her to distrust, then she took of the tree, &c. All •he train of tentation that Satan •ayes, is to blow up the fort of ⟨image 4⟩our Faith. We had need maintain this grace, it is Faith must maintain us. While the Pilot keeps his ship, his ship keeps him. Right Honourable, Blessed be the riches of Gods grace, who hath set this heavenly plant in your heart, and hath kept you in the faith, insomuch that all the shakings of the times have but settled you the more; and I doubt not but he that hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. What an unparalleled mercy is it to be kept free in the time of infection? God hath given your Ladyship a sound judgement, and a tender conscience, both which are jewels of great price. I may ⟨image 4⟩say of you, as it is said of Jehoshaphat, his heart was lift up in the ways of the Lord, 2 Chron. 17.12. Yet I have observed, the more you have been lifted up in God, the more you have been cast down in your self. It is excellent, when the higher we grow in knowledge, the lower we grow in humility.
I Have presumed upon your Ladyship, humbly to present you with these few Meditations. As it is a rich mercy ⟨image 3⟩to have a spiritual Ioynture, so it cannot but be a comfort to know what it is. 'Tis a joy to the young heir to have a view of his estate; that is the work of this Treatise, to set before you the Land of promise. While we are here in the combate, we had need look to the Crown to make us fight the more valiantly. Moses had an eye at the recompence of reward, and that did animate him against sufferings; yea, our blessed Saviour himself looked at the joy set before him. Madam, Could we live in the thoughts of these great things to come, what sublime, what sweet lives should we lead! Surely, if there be any sad•nesse gathers in our spirits, if any ⟨image 3⟩despondency, it comes in at this leak of unbelief. Vnbelif is a bad neighbour, it is alwayes raising either Jealousies of God, as if he would not be as good as his Word; Vnbelief with Sarah, laughs at the promise: Or scruples in the heart, whether all these promises belong to us. The Devil shot three fiery darts into the virgin-castle of Eves heart, whereof the first was the most deadly, Yea, hath God said? He would induce this beliefe in her, that God had not spoken Truth: and when he had once wrought her to distrust, then she took of the tree, &c. All •he train of tentation that Satan •ayes, is to blow up the fort of ⟨image 4⟩our Faith. We had need maintain this grace, it is Faith must maintaine us. While the Pilot keeps his ship, his ship keeps him. Right Honourable, Blessed be the riches of Gods grace, who hath set this heavenly plant in your heart, and hath kept you in the faith, insomuch that all the shakings of the times have but settled you the more; and I doubt not but he that hath begun a good work in you, will performe it untill the day of Jesus Christ. What an unparalell'd mercy is it to be kept free in the time of infection? God hath given your Ladyship a sound judgement, and a tender conscience, both which are jewels of great price. I may ⟨image 4⟩say of you, as it is said of Jehoshaphat, his heart was lift up in the wayes of the Lord, 2 Chron. 17.12. Yet I have observed, the more you have been lifted up in God, the more you have been cast down in your self. It is excellent, when the higher we grow in knowledge, the lower we grow in humility.
