Thirdly, as ever we would preserve our spirituall health, let us carefully take heed of spirituall colds and obstructions: For as it is in the naturall man, a cold it self is a great distemper, and the ground and beginning of others, when the warm streams of blood, and spirits are stopt up, and obstructed: So is it, (and much more in the spirituall) when our heavenly spirits are stopt by damp colds, and obstructions of unnecessary frequenting of cold societies, and places destitute of the life of the Sun of Righteousnes Christ Jesus.
The Lord Jesus is a Christians Garment: O let us keep that blessed garment always close about us, and in all places, and in all companies, and upon all occasions expresse the life, and power of Christ Jesus, longing to know, and to follow his blessed words, and examples in life, and death.
4thly.
Gods people must watch against the surfeiting upon worldly comforts.
Fourthly, take heed of spirituall surfets, that the feeding too much upon the comforts of yoak fellows, children, credit, profit, (though sweet, and wholsome as hony) turn not to bitternes, and loathing.
Gods children as travailers on the Land, as Passengers in a ship, must use this world, and all comforts of it, with dead, and weaned, and mortified affections, as if they used them not: If Riches, if Children, if Cattel, if Friends, if whatsoever increase, let us watch that the Heart fly not loose upon them: But as we use salt with raw and fresh meats, let us use no worldly comfort without a savoury Remembrance, that these worldly Goods and comforts are the common portion of the men of this perishing world, who must perish together with them. Let us muse upon their insufficiency to content, and fill our Hearts, upon their uncertain coming, and going with Eagles wings: upon their anxiety, and perplexednes full of Thorns, & vexations: upon their certainty of departing, how soon we know not. O let us therefor beg grace from Heaven, that we may use earthly comforts as a stool or ladder to help us upward to heavenly comforts, profits, pleasures, which are only true, and lasting, even eternall in God himself, when these Heavens, and earth are gone.
5.
The power of meditating the joyes that are to come.
Fifthly, to maintain a spirituall health and chearfulness is of no small use (as Paul writes to Timothie) sometimes to help our cold stomacks with a little wine or strong drink of the hope of the joyes to come: Lay hold (saith Paul to Timothie) of eternall life: and as the Souldier meditates upon the glory of his victories: The sick passenger at Sea upon his sweet refreshings on shore: the Traveller upon his journeys end and comforts at his home: the Labourer and the Hireling on his wages, the Husbandman on his harvest: the Merchant on his gain: the woman in travail, on her fruit: so let us sometimes warm and revive our cold hearts and fainting spirits, with the assured hope of those victories, those crowns, those harvests, those refreshings and fruits, which never eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor never entred into mans heart the things which God hath prepared for them that love him: Of which however it pleaseth God to give his servants a taste in this life, yet the harvest, and the vintage are to come, when they that suffer with Christ Jesus shall reign with him, and they that have sown in tears shall reap the never ending harvest of inconceivable joyes.
6thly.