2. Mine owne _desire_ of sowing a little handfull of _spirituall seed_
while the short _Minute_ of my _seed-time_ (the _opportunity_ of life)
lasteth.
[Sidenote: The least of the little ones of Christ Jesus ought to
rejoyce.]
My scope is to fill each truly _Christian soule_ with _triumphing_
and _rejoycing_: I speak _peace_ and _joy_ to the Weakest _Lamb_ and
_Child_ (in _Christianity_) that is so _low_, so _weake_, so _litle_,
so _poor_ in its owne eyes, that it sometimes saith, it hath no
_Christ_, no _Spirit_, no _Faith_, no _Love_, no nor true _Desire_
in it selfe. To this poore weake one I speak _peace_ and _joy_, and
say, this _spirituall poverty_ is blessed, and is the first _step_ or
_round_ of that spirituall _Ladder_, _Mat. 5_. Blessed are the poor in
_spirit_, for theirs is the _Kingdome_ of _Heaven_.
Secondly, I found joyfull _Alarums_ of _Encouragement_ to the _strong_
to grow (as _Peter_ exhorteth) in the _Grace_ and _Knowledge_ of the
_Lord Jesus_.
[Sidenote: Communion of Saints most sweet, and to be lamented after.]
Tis true, the _communion_ of _Saints_ is _sweet_ and joyfull,
_strong_ and powerfull, eternally _gainfull_ and profitable; and holy
and blessed is that _Spirit_ that makes the _Saints_ (who are the
_Excellent_ of the Earth) its _Delight_, and after that blessed hour of
the _Saints uniting_ in _one Heart_, _one Spirit_, _one Worship_, let
all that love _Christ Jesus_ mourne and lament, and breath and pant:
And yet the weakest and the faintest _Lamb_ that comes but stealing
in the Crowd to touch the hemb of the _Lord Jesus_ his garment, that
is content to be esteemed a _Dog_, and to wait for _crums_ of _mercy_
under the _Table_ of the Son of _God_: let them I say rejoyce also,
for he that hath begun that blessed work by his owne free and eternall
_Spirit_, will by the same his owne holy _Arme_, gloriously finish it.
I end (_Deare Christian_) with the _proposall_ of two _Christian
knots_, or _Riddles_, not unsuitable to these present _Times_ and
_Spirits_?
[Sidenote: Two Christian Riddles, suiting these times and spirits.]
_First_, Why is the _Heart_ of a _David_ himself (_Psa. 30._) more apt
to decline from _God_, upon the Mountaine of _Joy_, _Deliverance_,
_Victory_, _Prosperity_, then in the dark _Vale_ of the shadow of
_Death_, _Persecution_, _Sicknesse_, _Adversity_, &c.
_Secondly_, Why is it, since _God_ worketh freely in us to _doe_ and to
_will_ of his owne good pleasure, that yet he is pleased to command us
to _work_ out our owne _Salvation_ with _Feare_ and _Trembling_? Let
us all humbly beg the _Finger_ (the Spirit) of the Lord to untie these
_Knots_ for us.
_I desire to be thine unfeighned in_
Christ Jesus,
_R. W._
[Illustration]
The _Contents_ of this _Discourse_.
_The_ Heads _are three_.
_Under the_ first _are contained the_ Arguments _of_ Spirituall Life,
_wherein the_ Weakest _and the_ Sickest _Child of_ God _may finde
its_ Spirituall Life _apparent, though over-cast and_ eclipsed _with
spirituall_ Weaknesse _and_ Distempers.
_Under the second_ Head, Arguments _of the strength and_ vigour _of
the Spirit of_ Life _and_ Holinesse: _In which the_ strongest _and
the_ eldest _in_ Christ, _may find_ Experiments _of Spirituall_
Health, _and Christian_ Activity _and chearfullnesse_.
_These_ Experiments _respect_,