rejoyce in by an eye of faith fore-seeing it a forehand God gives a promise after that the thing so he delt with us by his Sonne first sent him in a promise after that in substance to be our life light and glory rest peace comfort and salvation in all wants and from all wants of all kindes and nature Well this Christ and God that sent him and the Spirit too is the Stream of sweetnesse where all your comfort lyes unlesse it be in the creature which withers like the grasse when it is cut and grows no more if creature comforts be cut off or withering one of these they are or else they are not momentany but induring which I am sure they are not from my own experience no more then a dreame which is but a fancy when the man awakes may fancies riches honours pleasures profits in the dreaming houre thou mayst doe the like and not enjoy at all what thou labourst for whilst thou seekest it in the creature runne thou mayst and win not seek thou mayst and finde not try thou mayst and taste not the sweetnesse thou expectest true some lyes in every flower but the Bee that skips from one to another all the Summer long can scarce fill her Hive but grant that she doe how quickly is she rebl'd and strangled too at last O thou 〈◊〉 Christian after pleasures profits riches lands and livings death will one day strangle thee and râ—b thâ—e to of all those sweet comforts thou ever gâ—therste here the Manna would not keep but in the pot of gold no more will the creature but in God and Christ and therefore what thou hast lay it up 〈◊〉 Christ and lay it out for Christ and the thou shalt be sure to finde it like bread upon the waters after many dayes but thou that seekest none and hast none but God Christ and the Spirit thou hast all already yea more then all the world ten thousand times can give thee for thou hast all All they seek and crave thou hast found in God Christ and the Spirit and hence it is that a poore Christian who hath Gods love Christs pardon and the Spirits seale can beare up his head and smile in his heart though purseless and penyless houseless and homelesse ragged poore and hungry in a chearfull way when many rich and great men complaine of a thousand wants whilst the true Christian in the sence of Gods love wants nothing but if some poore Christian 〈◊〉 as many there are wailing and weeping like to Hagar for want of this or that comfort a Wife a Childe estate pardon this or that comfort light or knowledge loe this seeming want is in thee only thou dost not see it for where Christ is all is and therefore look about thee yea look and if Christ bee in thee I dare say thou shalt finde more sweetnesse and drink too more delight out of this little Booke then in all the creature comforts thou ever yet enjoyest and therefore when the world is still and thy Spirit quiet in a leasure houre tast try read and if yee be deceived pardon me for I am a weake froward doubting Christian and yet I hope a growing though it be but slowly let us pray for one another for I will for you and the Israel of God while my name is William Blake A Word and but a Word to many of my fellow Christians who think they have no ability to raise write or speak to a portion of Scripture in a linct and profitable way for want of learning I dare say to thee whoever thou art if the Spirit of God be in thee lend him thy sleep or meditation when thy businesse of the world is ever and thy Spirit quiet he will feed thy thoughts beyond thy expectation I dare pawn my life for it these few lines was brought to my hand in this way and therefore try and see if William Blakes words be not true A STREAME OF SVVEETNESSE from the Spirits breathing Revelat. chap. 3.21 To him that overcomes will I give to sit with me in my throne as I have overcome and am set with my Father in his throne THis is the revelation of God by Jesus Christ unto John and therefore it is said blessed is he that readeth and he that heareth What this mystery or prophecie I blessed is that soul for ever as in the first chap. and the third verse In the seventh verse Christ saith he comes Amen saith the Bride come Lord Jesus quickly In the last of the Revelation and in the second chapter and the seventh vers To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the Tree of Life This tree is Christ and his leaves are for the healing of the Nations Rev. the 22. and the 2. v. And in the last of the 10 v. A Crown of life And in the latter end of the 11. v. A promise of no hurt by the second death In the 17. v. A promise to eat of the Manna that is hid This Manna was the sweet food that the children of Israel fed on in the Wildernesse Christ is this Manna but his sweetnesse is a hidden thing to the carnall world and in the 25. A promise to rule over Nations and further I will give him the morning Star this Star is Christ as Peter tels us saying Wait untill the day dawn and the Starre arise in your hearts In the 15. ver of the 3. chap. Christ tels his Church That he that overcomes shall be clothed in white array I then shall he stand with boldnesse before Christ when Kings and Princes shall cry to the hills and mountains to fall and cover them Revel the 16. And further I will not put out his name out of the book of life and in the 12. ver I will make him a standing Pillar in the house of my God and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God and my name The name of my God that is he shall be so filled with his divine nature that it shall be as visible as a name in his forehead And now in the 21. ver which I first mentioned a further promise is laid downe as if Christ had not enough yet spoken to engage his Church against hers and his enemies namely the world flesh and devill Well according to my light I shall hint at the meaning of Christ in these words and first Observe The universallity of the promise it is a promise to him any him high low rich poor young old bond or free man or master maid or mistresse O but the world does not alwayes so one gaines the victory and another gets the honour or reward many times But secondly What is meant by overcomming surely to get the masterdome or upper hand with those we encounter with this masterdome is got two wayes by a Captain or a souldier by a Captain or a Champion so David engaged with Goliah and his slaying him
of Christ cannot be shaken Daniel saith His Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and his Throne is an everlasting Throne and is established for ever saith David Well he that overcomes by Christ shall sit by Christ in this Throne How we overcome I tould you at first namely by Christ the Captaine of our salvation an easie way for thee well O sinner resolve resolve thy selfe what thou wilt doe For surely there are two eternities that all must passe into one with Christ in the Throne of Christ and of this eternity and glory all this that hath beene spoken is but as one Grape of that Bunch which the Spies brought from Canaan for Israel to taste in her journey you who are traveling with your faces Zion ward taste if there be not a sweetnesse in this one Grape this one Promise of Christ in sitting down with Christ in the Throne and Glory of Christ but as for thy resolution I know it I know it very well thou art resolved to live more and more to Christ and the honour of Christ who will thus honour thee by seating thee on his own Throne but for thy resolution I faine would have yea thine O carelesse sinner and if it be not for Christ and the honour of Christ mark me well what I say thy eternity shall not be with Christ no nor the Saints of Christ but quite contrary with Devils Zim and Ohim and damned spirits in dreadfull flames and utter darknesse but I hope thou wilt be wise and change thy resolution or else O all that love thee mourne mourne mourne for thee Revel 21. v. 1. And I John saw the holy city the new Jerusalem come downe from God out of heaven prepared as a Bride trimmed for her husband MAny glorious things did this young bosome beloved disciple see in the chap. 20. v. 11. He saw Christ sitting on his throne in Iudicature and in v. 12. The dead both small and great standing before him and the books opened which I conceive to be the consciences of men by which he judges all according to their works and in the 13. v. it is said The Sea Death and Hell give up their dead and in conclusion all was cast into the lake that was not found in the book of life which book of life I conceive to be Christ or the foreknowledge or purpose of God in Christ And now in the 1. verse of this chap. he saw a new representation of all things as a new Heaven and a new earth and of this Isaiah speaks chap. 66. v. 22. and chap. 65. v. 17. and here again Rev. 21. I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth was passed away and there was no more sea which denotes trouble O christian the time is comming when sea and trouble sin and sorrow shall be no more for ever and now in the 2. v. he tels us of the holy city new Ierusalem comming down out of heaven from God prepared as a Bride trimmed for her husband I Iohn saw c. From whence observe briefly that God makes his divine and glorious discoveries to some singular men to Abraham to Moses to Iacob to Daniel to a Paul to a Iohn as in these words Secondly I Iohn saw the holy city too he saw many glorious things and this city amongst the rest From whence observe where God makes one divine discovery he will go on to make more and more still till at last he shewes them his own face and glory and they shall see my face saith God Revel 22. verse 4. Thirdly I Iohn saw how didst thou see by a divine discovery of Christ O all discoveries of this nature are from Christ and the Spirit but when was this discovery to him on the Lords day as chap. 1. v. 10. on the Lords day that is on that day when the Lord Christ took Iohn up in a trance to shew him all those glorious things which he saith Blessed are they that read or hear these things I blessed are they indeed that ever they were born whose eyes and eares Christ hath so opened as to see and understand the misterie herein which the blind bats and carnall world neither doe nor can see till God enlighten them by his Spirit Fourthly I Iohn saw the holy city new Ierusalem the Prophet Isaiah speaks chap. 64.16 of a holy city which lay wast v. 26. of a city which had salvation for wals and bulwarks But briefly the holy city Iohn speaks of here is that new Ierusalem of which old Ierusalem was but a type and yet that Ierusalem which was but a type of this city was the glory of the whole world the only city in the world yea called the city of the great King For first it was the figure of the everlasting city of God and therefore called Salem a place of peace wherein the Priests of God reigned it was setled on four mountaines mount Sion mount Moriah the two chief on mount Sion Dauids house stood and it was called mount Sion because it was a type of the highest heaven or habitation of Almighty God from which throne or habitation he descended in Christ to this lower Ierusalem and became our Redeemer to bring us into the highest Mount his eternall glory in mount Sion the highest heavens And now for mount Moriah it is as much to say the Lords mirrhe as ministers do interpret which signifieth our Lord Christ which is the true mirrhe and a sweet smelling sacrifice unto God yea a stedfast rock and unmoveable foundation whereon Gods Church and Christs members are all built as on a sure foundation as Isaiah 28. and Matth. 16. On this rock I will build my Church saith Christ meaning himself and therefore the gates of hell shall never prevail against it Besides this city had many mountaines round about it mount Olivet was one to which Christ went many times to pray and meditate David saith in one of his Psalmes as the mountaines are round about Ierusalem so the Lord is round about his people and in Ierusalem was Davids house which stood on mount Sion as I said before mount Sion was a great mount in Ierusalem on which David built typing out the Saints safety who are built on Christ Thirdly in Ierusalem was Solomons temple which the Iewes told Christ was fourty yeares a building and this temple was indeed the glorious piece in the whole world for workmanship and riches and in this temple was all the holy things the Ark and the Covenant the Mercy-seat and the Manna the Arke of God was made of Shittim-wood which like the Olivet and the Cipresse are not subject to wormes and putrifaction which did typefie the humane nature of Christ which Dauid saith Psal 16. Thou wilt not suffer to see corruption And in this Ark of Shittim was kept or laid up by Gods appointment the golden pot of Manna Aarons rod and the two tables of commandements as Exod. 25.
and something never should be though hee preached it never so oft and prest it on thee too with arguments from heaven and arguments from hell with all likewise under the sun which thou refusedst and mindedst it not but frownd and quarreld and raild and jeard with wicked men and saidst thou wouldst never heare him more but such a one should be thy Pastor he smoothd thee up and pleased thee well but now thou seest what is come on it But I feare I shall offend in running wide from the words though it be in a way of profit and therefore come to another question Fourthly why doth Christ knock so sweetly to tempt and allure you to open to him for his many sweet knocks and many a soule Christ winnes by this kind of knocking which opens as it were all the vaines and powers in the soule wide unto Christ and as freely entertaine him as ever did Zacheus Fifthly why doth Christ knock at the doore because he will come in there or no where deceivers climbs the walles but Christ will at the doore or no where if he comes he can come in if he please any where at the window or top of the house but you know Christ loves to come in at the doore of consent which is the common way of Christs comming to every soul But the doore what is that the heart the heart of man what would it bee but why doe ye call that a door first because it is the inlet to the house Secondly it is the outlet to the house so is the heart to the soule as Christ comes in at the heart so the world sin and Satan goes out at the heart Solomon saith my son give me thy heart well knowing if he hath this doore he may lay what he will with in But you said I may know it was Christ by his thundring knocks but what do you call Christs thundring knocks I mean his thundring judgements to the world the nations and kingdomes of the world round about in all which Christ is now a thundring rouzing them from their dens of pomp glory and greatnesse to exalt himself and Saints in the roome of sinners which must be done in every kingdome before that all be husht and Christ all in all and the kingdomes his according to Gods promise I will give thee the uttermost part of the earth for thy possession saith God by his prophet David Turke Pope and Antichristian Princes have kept the nations of the world and made poore Saints squelke and hide themselves in new plantations to keep their consciences free from their idolatrous worship But Christ is now a measuring out lands and livings for them yea cities towns and kingdomes by his prospering armies which measure by cutting every one some which makes the mighty grumble as if they were losing all and so they are in danger too if Christ be justled by them in his way of providence by his thundring knocks Secondly I meane by Christs thundring knocks those righteous judgements which thou seest befall private wicked men Christ braines on by his thunder bolts that twenty more might feare sometimes strikes the drunkard with a deadly surfet and sometimes the worldling with a deadly heat and cold and here and there a sinner that thousands more might be warned Thirdly I meane by Christs thundring knocks when Christ knocks like a Bell-man at midnight in thy dead sleep crying fire fire fire and is not this a thundring knock I truely it would make a man start out of his bed naked to save his house to save his goods truely thus Christ knocks at a sinners heart or door First by judgements to the world as I said before Secondly by judgements on ungodly men whom first or last Christ will meet withall when they have fild their measure which thousands doe apace some by ungodly deeds some by ungodly speeches which Christ will reckon with them for as it is said in Jude Thirdly by Christ crying out at mid-night fire fire which frights a poore man that his sin sin death hell hell and how doth this like a fire at midnight fright a man out of his sleep And truely many sinners doth Christ awake at mid-night that is an unexpected time Secondly at midnight in his deep sleep of drunkennesse uncleannesse or such like sinnes so you see what I meane by Christs thundring knocks I saith one I have experience of this he awaked mee from my Dalilah the sinne wherein I lay I too saith another that walked in his sinnes for twenty yeares together Christ falls upon a sinner by this kind of knocking like three or foure enraged enemies upon a man crying downe with him downe with him and so beats him down leaving him even dead and so goes away but the Spirit comes and visites him and raises him up againe by telling him his sinnes are not past the cure of faith and repentance which Christ both gives to the man whom he wounds thus with the sence of his sinnes Secondly what doe you meane by Christs soft knocks by Christs soft knocks I mean his mild and gentle way of comming to a sinner craving of his due from him and not like that cruell servant who finding out his debter caught him by the throat presently saying pay me straight and would have no compassion on him But Christ by his soft knocks comes to a poor indebted sinner sayes unto him Friend friend doest thou remember what thou owest mee yes yes saith the sinner little minding how much it is and so is straight a going nay but stay stay friend saith Christ let mee reckon with thee before thou goest which the sinner lesse loves then the broken Bankerout to look into or cast up his books and therefore prayes Christ to come to morrow he is now busie buying of a Farm or setting up his shop O but Christ tels him he will neither stay nor come againe but arrest him straight by death which startles so the sinner that hee now saith I will stay and heare all I owe thee and then Christ tels him Sinner first thou owest mee thy soule I bought it Secondly thy body I redeemed it by my blood Thirdly thy estate and gifts I gave it thee O Christ thou demands all why do not I deserve all and thou owe me all yea O Christ but I would fain keep my estate to serve my wife and children and my gifts and parts because they are of great esteem with men now a dayes Friend do not talk of wife children I must have thy estate thy gifts and parts too let men esteeme them how they will I must have them all O Christ this is hard pay but I will pay thee some and some as I am able do not tell me of that I must have them all now and it is not so hard as due or as thou thinkst for either for I learn this lesson to all my poor indebted schollers yea every one and I tell thee man for