and hath dispensed withal but Never did nor Never will dispence with the Spiritual part He gave Abraham a Command to kill his son and had not he Really intended it hâ— had sinned And God commanded the Israelite to rob the Egyptians to borrow their Jewels of silver and gold and raiment and to spoil the Egyptians but never did he dispence with any man Nor never will To rob His God to rob God of his honour and his praise Will Any man Rob His God Mal. 3. 8. And therefore in all the Commandments Content not thy self with the letter of the Command Because for all that thou mayest go to hell But if God shall bring thee to obâ—erve the marrow the inside of the Commandment This is done by the power of God himself in thee And he that can keep that I dare assure him He shall never perish neither in this world nor in the world to come For the Spirit is All in All And I may in brief touch at the spirituality of the ninth Commandment For the time is so far spent and my own ability to speak that I must leave the tenth to some other time And But that I made haste I would have spoken more largely to some of the former but according to that impulse of the spirit within at this present you have had my thoughts Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour The letter of it is against thy neighbour which I say still must not be neglected yet not rested in The spirit of it is That we should not bear false witness of God Thou professest thy self to be a Christian and a servant A child to God and that he is Thy Lord Thy master Thy father Thy God Thou being one of his houshold thou shouldst labour To Credit and Honour Him to whom thou belongest To report to the world in our lives and conversation the Holiness and Purity of our God and our father Because He is Holy and Pure And loveth righteousness and Hateth iniquity And so all his servants ought to do Thereby to bear True witness to the world of our God for else they will say as the proverb is Like servant like Master like Child like Father If you live otherwise you break this Ninth Command And bear false witness to the world of thy Holy and Pure God In all these I have taken the more pains that so you may see that when you have learned a Catechism or the Bible by Heart or that you are able to answer or speak to any point in Divinity acording to the Letter and the Grammatical Sense and have got The letter of it without Book Nay have gotten the external part in your practise and conversation yet you have not gotten The Substance The Life and the Marrow you have but attained onely The Shell and the Husk and not the Meat nor the Kernel So then by this time I hope you are come to see How this letter must be struck How this City Kiriathsepher must be smitten and taken if we mean to marry Achsah and then that is the way to make it unto us Debir that is The Word for it is never The word unto Us before As you may see in the Verse before my Text. This City before it was smitten it was called Kiriathsepher The City of the Letter but when it was smitten and taken then it was no longer Kiriathsepher The City of the Letter but iâ— was called Debir The Word for then it was the word and never before For this Book of the Bible As it consists of Words Syllables and Letters Is not the Word of God It is not nor cannot be the Word of God without the Mind and Meaning till it be smitten till the shell be crackt For the Word is A Spring shut up a Fountain sealed for as it is in my reading it that reading it makes it not the Word of God onely the reading makes them words and they are not words as they are written oâ— pâ—inted till one read them and make them words and syllables for in no Book whatsoever is there One word or syllable till they be read and that makes them words And if a Book be written or printed in English Hebrew or French c. It is the knowledge of him that reads makes them words For if an ignorant man look on them they are nothing So the Scriptures when they are read they are made words yet still the mind and the mysterie lies hid though the external sense be understood And The Acquired Natural parts will Reach This sense but the true and Hidden Sense the Natural man cannot come at As the Apostle saith The natural man perceiveth not the things of God for they are foolishness unto him neither indeed can he because they are spiritually discerned And besides if the natural man should perceive the things of God they are riddles they are foolishness to him they are wisdom onely to those that are perfect to those onely that are immediately taught of God so then it is clear this book of the Letter must not onely be read but Smitten by Othniel before you can find Gods Word For Gods Word as it is his Word is not for every eye to read but onely for those to whom it is Given as our Saviour sayes in another case To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God but to them it is not given because in seeing they see not and in hearing hear not neither do they understand They have not received power from on high to smite it as Moses the rock to get out the pure water of life clear as chrystal proceeding from the Throne of God and of the Lamb Rev. 22. 1. T is not that Water or that sense that proceeds from the Universities or any the acquired parts or powers of Man but it must be freely given out by God himself and seldome to the learned Scribes and Pharisees or to the great Princes of the World but to the despised to the Off-scourings to poor Fishermen and the like that the Creature might be convinced that the power is of God and not in the wisdom of Men as the Apostle expresseth 1 Cor. 2. For this book of the Bible is But the Letter to the eye and to the ear But Gods Word that lies hid There must be a word to the heart And the Heart of stone must be removed and a Heart of flesh given We must buy of him eye-salve that we may see before we can be acquainted with Gods Word Gods Word is not Inke and Paper written or printed but Gods Word is as the Apostle saith Heb. 4. 12. Quick and powerfull sharper then a two-edged sword It is not the dull and dead letter That giveth Life which we see by experience in most even those that think themselves Doctors and Teachers and think they know all things And so indeed to them instead of
root And what ever priviledge or benefit Christ hath they shall all receive of his fulness grace for grace they shall all be made partakers of all the vertues of the head but notwithstanding all these promises we are never the better without we have Christ they are all blanks without him all unsavoury it is he that seasons all Yea trust as long as thou canst and believe as much as thou wilt without Christ thou canst never come unto him God himself is nothing to us without Christ As every Iubar and Beam of light that comes from the Sun they are all included in the body of the Sun but they are not communicated to us but by those Jubars and beams that come from the Sun so God is like the Sun and whatever good benefit or blessing we have it comes from God but all these are included in God himself and there is no creature can partake of any good from him but by his Son Christ in those Iubars of light that communicates them to us This light had never come to us but for those beams so God the Father cannot communicate himself to any creature but by the Son he is the first begotten of every Creature he came being sent from the father yet God the Father is not a day not a minute Ancienter then his Son Christ he is called The word spoken in the Hebrewes As he is unspoken so he is the word with God in the bosome of his Father and this word is God as Iohn 1. 1. but being once spoken and utered he is the first begotten of God in every creature The Alpha and Omega in every creature from whom alone we receive grace for grace all the goodness and fulness of God is poured upon the head of this Aaron which runs down not only to his beard but to all the skirts of his garments to all his members God himself in himself to the creature is nothing without Christ He cannot possibly be communicated but by and through Christ. Secondly All these promises to the seven Churches they imply that which hath its beginning in this life and perfected in the life to come saith our Saviour the Kingdom of Heaven is within you if ye find not the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven within you and in this world be assured ye shall never find it in the world to come He that denyes me before men him will I deny before my father which is in Heaven he that enjoys me not in this world he shall never enjoy me hereafter The poor dejected and oppressed soul it longs to taste Christ here nothing will satisfie him but to taste and eat Christ here for if he eat him not here he knows he shall not hereafter as David saith My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall I come before God What to do Psal. 27. 4. To see his beauty and to taste of his goodness if you see not God here ye shall never see Him hereafter Christ will ask thee as he did the Discsples how many loaves have ye when ye come to dye what Angels food have ye to feed on what Hidden Manna How many loaves of that if ye must say none Lord what a heavy answer will this be to you but if thou hast any if but two loaves if but a little oil in thy Lamp he will then multiply thy loaves and that little oyl the barrel of meal and that cruse of oyl shall never fail And he will say come thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful in a little I will now multiply thy reward Come now I will feed thee to eternity If Christ shall say to thee How much peace have you if thou canst but say here is a little Lord Christ will say come come I will multiply and increase that peace infinitely what love hast thou if thou hast but any though but as much as a grain of mustard seed come saith our Lord I will cause it to grow and increase and become a mighty tree so that the fowls of the air shall build their nests therein That is I will enlarge it as my self infinitely And which way soever else a man seeks for rest and peace he shall never find it for as all the Creatures so all the action and motion of the Creatures come out from him and they can never rest till they return into him again and therefore he is called the God of Sabbath which signifies Rest in him there is Rest and no where else The soul is the breath of God and it is impossible that it should have a rest for the sole of her foot till it return and this blessed Noah put forth his hand and take her in again Lay up treasure for your selves in heaven would you have treasure hereafter ye must treasure it up while ye are on earth that ye may have the reward and the wages hereafter ye must receive here the pledge the Hire The Portion and the reward comes hereafter Your fathers saith our Saviour have eaten Manna and are dead but blessed is he that eats Manna in the Kingdom of Heaven he that feels Gods love shed abroad in his heart here shall find that love increased thirty sixty an hundred-fold in the life to come here ye feed but are not filled but then you shall be satisfied Thirdly All these seven promises that are here made to the seven Churches there is not one word to be taken according to the Letter but think not strange of such sayings be not startled I would onely quicken up your attention I undervalue not the Scriptures but desire to give them all due honour for do you think that you shall be Pillars in Heaven or that you shall eat trees or the fruit of trees there or that ye shall have rods of iron in your hand or that ye shall be burning stars or as it is in Daniel He that converteth a soul shall shine like the Stars I say there is not one word true according to the Letter yet I say in all the words that ever Christ spake or that is written in this blessed blessed Book of God they are all true there is not the least tincture not the least allay of untruth I say every word every syllable every letter is true bear me witness you are my record but they are true as he intended them that spake them they are true as God meant them not as men will have them As when Christ says my Father is an husbandman do you think or are you so childish to think that God is a husbandman and Christ sayes again I am the vine and ye the branches will you have this to be literally spoken Go to I will speak a paradox to you but I willl unfold it It is impossible for any man either to speak a precise truth or to hear a precise truth for a precise
Ghost In them for all Scripture was given by inspiration 2 Tim. 3. 16. after they were once set apart by God to write the holy Scriptures they all spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost as Dan. 12. 4. God commands Daniel Shut up the words and seal the Book even till the time of the end These holy men being once set apart for this use they prophesie Beyond themselves and out of course and latter and after-times shall make known that which they themselves which wrote them knew not for they spake as inspired by God but Christs words are alwayes absolute and perfect truth he knew and saw very well what he said there is nothing useless in his words there is no Tautologies as we call them no vain repetitions when Christ speaks they are words of weight words of power they carry vertue with them as for instance if ever the winds blow and the storms arise in thy soul Then thou shalt find experimentally and feelingly that One word from Christs mouth will do thee more good then all the words and all the power of men To Still those winds and storms those who have experience here of know it full well as we see when the ship was like to be Overcome by the winds and storms and Christ was asleep you may see there how One word from him Ceased them No more but Peace and be still and t is the same in the soul and Psal. 107. 29. He maketh the storm a calm so that the waves thereof are still These words we have now read All power is given to me in heaven and earth They signifie that Christ is God equal with the Father but there seems to be a great difficulty in the words in that Christ never said before he was ready to leave the earth All power is given unto me in heâ—ven and earth The question is What power had Christ now committed to him that he had not before what new power received he that when he was to leave the earth and had given his Disciples a Commission and it was to be sealed at the day of Pentecost that he should say now and never before All power is given me in heaven and earth what addition of power had he now which he had not before if he be God equal with his Father and he saith many times The Father hath committed all judgement to the Son and again Before Abraham was I am and many such like words which shews he is God and of Equal power and Authority with his Father and yet he saith in the 14 of Iohn The Father is greater then I Can God receive any new Access of power No certainly but these words are so hard and difficult to reconcile that in the daies of Arius it filled the Church full of Errors and Heresies the Church fell much at Odds for many from hence denied the Divinity of Christ because they could not reconcile these Scriptures And by the way if he be Lord of all power then he leaves none for man to claim to himself But that I may answer this doubt and make it clear I will lay down two grounds First Although God receive no new power in himself yet he doth receive power by being made further known unto man And Secondly By mans being made further known unto him First By his being made further known unto man the revealing and discovering of God unto man making himself more known the manifestation of this is said To Adde power to him but not That any thing can be added to him who is infinite if there could he were not infinite and He were not God But know this whatever attribute God hath ascribed to him it is in regard of his creatures not in regard of himself for there are no such things in God Neither in regard of his incommunicable or communicable Attributes as Eternity Infiniteness Omnipotency Immensness c. Or in regard of his communicable as Wisdome Iustice and Mercy and Patience c. as if these were several things in God for God is One and cannot be more for when he is said to be any of these Iust or Good or Severe or the like these are all One and the same thing in him they are but Attributed to him that we may conceive of him it is but spoken of him according to the several workings of God on the creatures As for instance the Sun makes the Roâ—e to smel sweet and pleasant and it makes the Nettle to sting it makes the fields to grow and cast a Pleasant savour but it makes the Carrion and the Dunghil to stink and all this variety is by one and the self-same Sun the same light and heat doth divers things causes divers effects in the subjects Says the Rose it makes me fragrant and sweet and says the Dung-hill but it makes me stink and be unsavoury says the Wax it makes me soft and pliable but says the clay it makes me hard and obdurate yet the Sun doth not do one thing to one and another thing to another Even so Beloved it is with our God One man He finds God A comfort and a rejoycing to his heart another he finds God A Terror and an Amazement to him One he finds God A sweet guide and direction to him and thereby and therefore he draws nearer to God loveth and embraceth him Another apprehends God an enemy to him and this makes him run away from God Is God therefore thus various no no He is the self-same God to the One and to the Other and the self-same action in him is to the One and to the other He that is a Hammer to the Hard heart he is also mollifying and softning Oyl to the Penitent soul He that is A comfort to the fatherless and widow he is as an Enemy A Revenger and a consuming fire to the obstinate and rebellious And yet for all this Our God is always the same he is not nor cannot be changed in him is no shadow of change And therefore we cannot imagine that he can grow greater or less in regard of himself but as To us he doth that is if he manifest himself more to us more within us in our souls then he is said to be greater and if he lessen the knowledge of himself As to us then he is said to grow less And in this sense also he is said to come nearer to us and go further from us As also he is said so to do when he expresses as to us more or less some act of justice or mercy or any other artribute then I say he is onely said to be so in regard of us To grow greater or less to come nearer or depart further but He in himself is for ever blessed and perfect Unchangeable Immoveable always the same we can no way Touch him or Alter him but it is onely We the Creature is Altered and he is altered to us as to
obtain this meeting and several times procured two but never could get three of them together to confer with and to give an account of whatever had been delivered by him which That he might vindicate Truth much hungred and thirsted for what the cause may be of such backwardness in them we leave to others to judge of But it may be if they would have met they might have learned that which they never knew For as truth is strongest so God had wonderfully come into him and declared himself by him in his late years and made him as it were a Sampson against the numerous Philistims and a David against the huge and mighty Goliahs of those times for even then in his dayes some of his acquaintance and followers who indeed were very knowing men and pretended High things as indeed they were but abused by them to great lieâ—nciousness making even those precious 〈◊〉 an occasion to the flesh insomuch that he 〈…〉 to threaten prosecution of them to 〈◊〉 for their vile words and actions if they so persisted after so often Admonition and he forbâ—d their following or hearing of him except they came with affection to truth and with desire to be built up in the most holy faith yet as he was a man of presence and Princely behaviour and deportment and fit to accompany such so he was also familiar even with the meanest and if willing to be taught he was as willing to instruct and teach them and they were upon this account more welcome to him then Lords or Princes imitating the humble carriage of his Lord and Master he not thinking it any disparagement to accompany with the worst and lowest of men so he might do them good for he knew he was not sent to call the righteous but the sinners nor to heal the whole but the sick not the Iusticâ—â—ries and those who though they may be large in confession of sin yet really see but little in themselves and less to repent of Insomuch that those who were about him either in sickness or health would often say they gat more good instruction from him in discourse then by many Sermons of other mens he being still forward if they were backward to take occasions to communicate some Divine truths so that he won their attention to hearken to him as Christ did Maries who chose that better part which should never be taken from her And when they were backward to enquire of him he would move them to ask him questions if they had any doubts or questions to propound then for saith he when I am gone many will miss me therefore I desire you would make use of me and get what you can by me while I am here and the more you so do the more welcome but Christ I know will be a Teacher to those that are his He was also a man of a choise couragious and discerning spirit endowed with skill and depth of learniag judgement and experience to mannage what God had though but of late revealed to him as he often would say affirming he was now ashamed of his former knowledge expressions and preachings even since he commenced Dr. in Divinity although he was known to be a very great Scholar and as good a Philosopher few or none exceeding him yet when he came to know himself and his own heart and also to know Jesus Christ the Scriptures more then Grammatically literally or Academically viz. experimentally he then counted all those things even all his acquired parts and humane abilities loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Iesus Christ and him câ—ucified not onely externally but particularly buried and risen again in himself and for that blessed sight to see how the Scriptures were daily fulâ—illing in himself and others they concerning as much all times all men and all ages as those of whom they were the history wherein lies as in these Sermons he sheweth the chief excellency fatness and marrow of the Scriptures and without which the word is of so little use to us that to us it is not the word of God which the Apostle saith Heb. 4. is quick and powerful and mighty in operation sharper then a two edged sword and peircing between even the joynts and marrow as he also largely in several parts of this Book sheweâ—h And this was the alone knowledge whereby he was crucified to the world and to himself And thereby his depth in learning and Philosophy being sanctified they so much the more confirmed and centred his spirit they brought him to his heaven home and rest even into that ever blessed union and communion with God which before was but skin-deep learning and Philosophy as he termed it And the couragiousness of his Spirit was such when he was but a bare literal University Preacher as he afterward still called himself that he was the onely man that opposed preached against and held it out to the utmost against the late Kings matching with the Infanta of Spain when others durst but whisper their consciences and thoughts he chose Texts on purpose to shew the unlawfulness and the great sin of matching with Idolaters being often committed to prison for it when he was Preacher at Martins in the Fields and then by the next Sabbath day one Lord or other would beg his liberty of the King and presently no sooner out but he would go on and mannage the same thing more fully notwithstanding all the power of the Bishops being committed again and again being as I heard him say six or seven times in Prison insomuch they coming so oft tâ— King Iames about him he began to take more notice of him asking What is this Dr. Ever-out his name saith he shall be Dr. Never-out Then began the Bishops for this to be his 〈◊〉 adversaries fetching him up into their High-Commission and never left prosecuâ—ing him until they had took from him his Benefice being four hundred pounds a year And at his second convening thither spoken of before 〈◊〉 threatned him he would bring him to a morsel of â—read and all because he could not have his will of him to make him stoop and bow to him And where is the man that hath adventured for all their forward and great professions so far as he hath done in discharge of duty and consciencâ— because he thought he was bound thereto by command from God! And yet for all this as he said of himself â—his he did by a meer power of self from natural abilities and from the power of the old man suggesting and working in him and carrying it out with much boldness mâ—gnanimity and true zeal as to mans judgement Oh! what great things may men do this way externally and have no principle of grace or true fear of God! yea not onely to the loss of Means and Liberty but to the loss of their heads and lives and meerly out of Vain-glory or some such Self-interest and herein truly is little
knew him in the â—lesh in his latter dayes for those savoury and experimental Truths wrought in you by the power of Christ which he was an instrument to bear so clear witness unto And I for my part if I had the most precious Balme or the most Odoriferous ODOUR in the whole Earth I could freely pour it forth upon the NAME and Memory of that man as upon any English man I ever read or heard or ever were acquainted with But I have it not and he needs it not for he is far above all things of that nature or the most precious things the whole Earth can afford For He Resteth with Christ. But that which makes me now remember Him is That Mystical and Divine Exposition he gives of those 2 or 3 verses in the 15 Iosh. 15 16 17. being very suitable to the MYSTERY we are now unfolding I will read you the words and then I will give you the Interpretation in His own Words for I cannot give you a better And although the Men of the Letter or the Masters of the Letter will not cannot endure an Interpretation but what the bare Letter bears but presently they cry out ERROR and HERESIE according to their wonted manner In vilifying that which they do not apprehend but we leave them to themselves I pray give ear The words are these The Holy Spirit speaking concerning Caleb And he went up to the Inhabitants of DEBIR And the Name of DEBIR before was Kiriathsepher And Caleb said He that smiteth Kiriathsepher and taketh it to him will I give ACHSAH my Daughter to Wife And Othniel the Son of Kenaz the Brother of Caleb took it And he gave him Achsah his Daughter to Wife Saith he Kiriathsepher signifieth The City of the Book or The City of the Letter And Debir signifieth THE WORD And Caleb A good heart OTHNIEL The Lords Opportunity and Achsah The Rending of the Vail So that the Dr. reads the verses in English thus And A good Heart said He that smiteth the City of the Book or the City of the Letter He onely shall marry Achsah and have the Rending of the Vail And Othniel The Lords fit Opportunity he onely smites This City of the Letter and takes it and to him alone are the Scriptures made DEBIR The Word from whence he draws most Heavenly and Divine Conclusions c. But I refer you for your better satisfaction to the Book it self And return to our business in hand To all Those Blessed and Precious Souls Wheresoever Scattered Throughout the World Yet united in One Spirit Which Rejoyce in the Revelation Of the Mystery of Christ Being also reconciled unto God In One Body By the Cross He Having slain the Enmity thereby And do or may Comprehend This LANGUAGE To Them Is the Word of This Salvation Sent In all Humility Greeting A light to lighten the Gentiles And To be the Glory of the People of Israâ—â— To make known among the Gentiles The Manifold Wisdom of God And The Unsearchable Riches of Christ. THE RENDING OF THE VAIL OR Some Rayes of Glory from The HOLY of HOLIES MARK 9. 50. Have Salt in your selves In one Sermon Preached at Islington at the Publique Meeting-Place MY beloved now you are here gathered together in this place I beseech you hearken diligently to what shall be now â—poken I will use no other Preface then a word or two from that saying of our Saviour in the Paâ—allel place to this Luk. 14. 35. from which he makes this conclusion He that hath ears to hear let him hear Let him now hear the word of him by whom he shall be judged at that great day Let him now hearken to that word which shall certainly one day either sooner or later rise up in judgement against him Let him hearken to the word of him who spake as never man spake for his words are like the wine he made at Cana no wine like that wine nor no words like his words fot the best words that ever man spake had somewhat of Self and Carnal ends in them but in his words there is no tincture no concourse or tast at all of the Creature no Allayes of humane weakness but they are all words of grace and peace the words of spirit and life insomuch that all that heard him wondered at the gracious words that proceeded frrom his lips who in all his words never sought himself nor his own glory as men do but the glory of him that sent him Nay hearken I pray you to his word that could have spoken far beyond all that ever he hath spoken had he but had Auditors fit to have heard and understood him I beseech you therefore silence yourselves a while I mean your own Wit and Reaâ—â—â— and your own blind understandings And let there be silence in Heaven for half an hour that you mâ—y learn to know what it is to have salt in your selveâ— that you may have salt in you that you be not spewed out of Gods mouth as unsavoury and loathsome to his stomach It were far better you had never heard then that these words should prove unprofitable to you But as you are here in this your so great zeal to hear and in such thronging and â—locking together this day to whom should we address that our zeal and meeting may not be in vain for as the woman of Samaria said to our Saviour Iohn 4. 11. so may we say The Well is deep and we have nothing to draw with mans reason and understanding cannot reach Truth ad quem ibimus then whether shall we go saith Peter Iohn 6. 60. and he answers it there himself truly O Lord Tu habes verba vitae aeternae Thou hast the words of eternal life Therefore let us pray with the Disciples Mat. 13. 36. O Lord declare thou to us this Parable And I humbly pray and beseech that God who opened the mouth of Balaams dumb Ass that he would be pleased to open my lips and then my mouth shall shew forth his praise for the instruction of those that are his servants here And I pray God you may rouse up your attention maugre fulness drowsiness wandring thoughts custom in sleeping and the like The things that I intend through Gods assistance to open to you and answer are these three Questions O Lord In lumine tuo lumen Psal. 36. 9. In thy light we shall see light And by no other light Then Let us see 1. What salt is 2. What it is to have salt 3. What it is to have it in our selves 1. What salt is Christ saith in the Verse before my Text That every one shall be salted with fire and every sacrifiâ—e shall be salted with salt We must first find what fire is and then we shall know what salt is This fire is Christ and that very properly as you may see he is so called Isa. 10. 17. The light of Israel shall
place saith he Was Paul crucified for you or were you baptized in the name of Paul So say I were the Apostles crucified for you are they those that suffered for you and redeemed you are they those that are the Salt Life Strength and Support to you no no for themselves had need of salting therefore they were not The Salt but they were the Instruments or Ministers which Christ used to convey to us the true Salt and in no other regard were they called The salt of the earth And again Christ saith in the same sense Mat. 5. 14. Ye are the light of the world and again S. Iohn saith and more properly Iohn 1. 9. He is the true light which lightneth every man which cometh into the world and himself saith Iohn 8. 12. I am the light of the world He it was also that was typisied in all the Oblations under the Law and throughout the old Testament He was the True Paschal Lamb He was the true Sacrifice he was that Fire that must alwaies burn upon the Altar Levit. 6. 13. He also was that salt commanded for the salt was never wanting and in the verse before my Text Christ himself cites that place Every sacrifice saith he shall be salted with salt he was that salt which must never be wanting he seasons every Oblation Lev. 2. 13. he is the Salt of the everlasting covenant unto thee and thy seed for ever he was that Salt that Elisha threw into the waters and healed them and those many waters are many people as it is expâ—essed in the Revelation in sum he is the Substance the MIND of the whole Scriptures As he is the fire by reason of burning â—nd because of heat and light so he is the salt that sweetens and savours evâ—â—y thing As he is the light that enlightneth so he is the salt that salâ—eâ—h â—very man He it was thâ—â— was wanting in that people which God upbraideth Ezek. 16. That were cast forth to the world in their blood and filâ—hiness and their navel was not cut and they were not salted at all that is they had not Christ that true salt applyed to them that shoâ—ld have made then savoury to God That which is unsavoury shall it be eaten without salt Iob 16. 4. It is this salt that must season the venison that must be savoury meat for old Isaac it is not your salt no nor your VENISON not the daintiest meat you can provide not the best duties you can perform will please him except they be salted and seasoned by his own Son let them be the best actions that ever man performed never so well purposed never so good and excelling both for the matter and manner of them away with them without This Salt it is onely in his son that he is well pleased Never think that all your prayers your tears your alms c. please him but onely that which is his Sons own action and work in you else they stink and are abominable in his eyes he will not he cannot regard them The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to him The Devil made as true and as large a Confession of Christ as any man can do look upon the words and not upon him that spake them and you would think they were the words of a Saint O thou Iesus of Nazareth Son of the most high God I know thee who thou art even the holy one of God indeed it was extorted and came from them against their wills but Christ accepted it not because this glorious confession was without salt it was not from a sweet feeling experience of him in them but from some self-ends Therefore I have observed that the Devil where he is worshipped to imitate God hath brought in in all his Sacrifices the use of salt nay so eminently true is this that as the Devils cry out and attest unto him though against their wills so by their practice we may note that under salt was hidden that great mystery and secret of all Religion by their great care to use salt thereby to imitate the worship of God as Iosephus noteth against Appion and Ierome against Vigilantius Pliny Plato and others Christ spake altogether in Parables for sayes the Text without a parable spake he nothing unto them yet know he alwayes spake in such parables as were not absurd ones but they had a most fit correspondency and resemblance to the things themselves and those speeches of his which to us seem not congruous had we but eyes to see even every one of them they would be like apples of gold with pictures of silver so aptly and fitly are they spoken as no man can speak like him As there is not a word nor a syllable in all this blessed book of God but is really true so all the words therein they are spoken with infinite wisdome there are Wonders in all Christs words but our eyes are shut that we cannot see the wonders of Gods Law and as Christ spake much in Parables so doth God much in Allegoâ—ies the truth is hid under shadows and Mysteries in the Letter But the reasons as I conâ—eive why Christ is compared to salt are these First There is a healing power in salt Little do you know the vertue that is in salt to cure all manner of diseases for Antidotes against poysons to heal all manner of wounds as some have written thereof at large I do not say salt rudely taken as it is in our common use but salt duly prepared and made â—it to every use nothing more useful nothing more excellent In this regard salt having such an healing vertue for all wounds poisons diseases Christ is more truly salt to the soul then salt is to the body he is precious salt and duly prepared and â—itted for all our diseases no infirmity or malignant disease in us though never so desperate but This Salt will cure it If you have gotten such a wound that you are as a man fallen from an high place upon a heap of stones so that you are bruised all over if you be covered with the leprosie of 〈◊〉 from the crown of the head to the sole of the feet so that no part no member no faculty is free His everlasting mercy and His never failing goodness and his Almighty power is a never failing Medicine that can fit and compound such ingredients that shal answer the disease of every part If there be an utter enmity between God and you in your apprehension so that you have no hope of ever coming into his favour and nothing you can do can prevail with him set but Christ between God and you and he will heal this enmity When he was here upon earth in the flesh no disease could withstand him in the body so I am sure none can in the soul But if you have not Him there is no way but you must dye
beloved our Apostle sleights all away with all these things I count them nothing they are dross and dung I desire to know nothing I seek for no knowledge you can name as if he should say you it may be account me ignorant in regard of some among you well all is one esteem of me as you will seek to undervalue and to crush me what you please I determined I resolved before I came I would know nothing hearken to no knowledge but the knowledge of Iesus Christ and him crucified that is whether you knew this in experience or no whether you had that knowledge that would crucifie and bring to nothing all your great learning and your great parts Now that I may come to unfold and unlock those precious truths that are hid and folded up in these words by the gracious assistance of that Meek Lamb that was slain for us I shall endeavour to open these three principal things that ly plain in the words 1 What manner of knowledge this is that the Apostle so Highly sets it up even above all knowledge so that he himself was contented to be accounted nothing so he could but gain more of that among them or bring them to the knowledge of it 2 What is the subject of this knowledge that is Jesus Christ. 3 What it is to know Jesus Christ crucified as it is here meant He knew it was not enough to know Jesus Christ Externally nor to know him so Crucified No though they had been eye-witnesses of it yet this knowledge was nothing for sayes the Apostle Henceforth know we no man any more after the flesh no though we had known the LORD CHRIST himself Yet I know if I should ask any of you or take you one by one and ask you If you knew Jesus Christ You would presently answer me to this and tell me a large story that this was your faith and that you did confidently believe That in the fulness of time God sent an Angel to the virgin Mary to tell her that of her body Christ should be born and he was conceived in her by the power of the Holy Ghost the most High came upon her and overshadowed her she conceived without the aid or help of man and she brought forth her first-born son which was the Messiah and that he grew up in age and stature and in favour with God and man as the Scriptures express of him And also that wise men came from the East to see and worship him and at twelve years old he came up to Hierusalem with his parents and went into the Temple and disputed among the Doctors and then ye heard no more of him till he was 30 years old and then he was baptized of John at Jordan then he began to preach and then he was questioned for his doctrine despised derided 〈◊〉 that he wrought many miracles and taught such doctrine that many wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth And at last he was apprehended examined scourged buffeted spit upon crowned with thorns and was crucified and dyed upon the cross and the third day rose again and shall come again at the end of the world to judge the quick and the dead This is your faith this is he in whom you believe and this is your Saviour Well but give me leave to tell you you may know all this and a thousand times more and yet not know Iesus Christ nor know him crucified It is another manner of knowledge that our Apostle here determined to know all this faith will do you no good for this is no more then the Devils know Although it be all truth undeniably true this History of him is most certainly true and in defence whereof we ought to spend our lives and bloud And I say also they do well that teach this and who have learned it themselves and teach their children and servants to know it But if you learn this and no more yeâ— know not half so much as the Devils know This you may know also that God is a great and a mighty God the Devils know him to be so that he is a wise and omniscient God the Devils know as much and more The Devils believe all this I and tremble at the knowledge thereof as the Apostle saith They believe and tremble Iam. 2. 19. And because it is said in the Gospel This is eterâ—â—l life to know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Doest thou think this is that knowledge St. Iohn means And because thou knowest that he is a merciful God the Devils externally and in general know as much That he is long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth to those that fear him and what else thou canst say of him they know as much and far more This is not therefore most certainly that knowledge that is there called Eternal liâ—e for such an Eternal life the Devils have and a better But many are so far from Eternal life that they know not so much as the history the bare letter of the Scriptures Although they that do know the history never so exactly in that they have every letter and word thereof without book and have gathered it into never so short an Epitome by their labour and industry yet these may be far from the Mystery the life and marrow of the word But what shall they do then how far are they from the mystery who have not attained the bare shell the bare history and outside Those indeed must be known though in themselves they do us no goodâ— for they are but the way to the Mystery and without the History we cannot have the Mystery for we cannot come to Believing without Hearing for how can they believe him of whom they have not heard We must not therefore cast away the letter because that is the Book which brings us the Word though they those letters be not the living word and in themselves do us no good if we go farther yet we cannot have the kernel without the shell These outward letters to the eye and to the ear are a means to convey the True word to the heart And therefore if you think you have Gods Word when you have gotten the knowledge of the letter or of whatsoever the outside or the letter bears without the mind and meaning you are deceived This knowledge will deceive you it will be but as a broken reed that whosoever he be that relyes thereon it will run into his hand deceive and destroy him This is Truth if ye will believe it from our Saviours own mouth The flesh profiteth nothing it is the Spirit the mystery the marrow that giveth life It is the mystery the Spirit that is eternal life The letter and the shell cannot nourish it must be the mystery and the marrow That which cannot possibly be known in the superficies in the outside in the flesh in
these two sent Ioshuâ— the Author of this Book and Caleb here mentioned in the Text These two and the other Ten went dispersing themselves by two they pass through the Land from Zion to Rehob and took special notice of what they could get knowledge of as conducing to their ends searching and piercing into the very bowels of the Land what they could discover of its Richness and Fertility Of its commodiousness and pleasantness of the strength and weakness of the people and of all things which might conduce to the victory and for the encouragement of those who sent them For they had heard various reports some to incourage some to discourage therefore they resolve to send these 12 pickt men One out of every Tribe as spies to bring them a True report And in their journey Two of them to shew the richness of the land they meeting with grapes very fruitfull large and wonderfull at the Brook Escol There they cut down a cluster to bring their brethren an Example of what they had seen to convince them by sight as well as report and it was so big and weighty that they were fain to carry it between two of them And All these twelve coming back to their brethren They all give reports of the Land All the twelve agree in one for the Excellency and goodness of the land but ten of the Spies All except these two Ioshua and Caleb They bring up in ill report To discourage the people saying it was very true that it was a land â—lowing with milk and honey and abundance of all things and therefore To be desired But There was no way to get to it for their walls were strong and high reaching to heaven and the men were mighty men the sons of Anack The land was full of Giants And say they we were in our own eyes but as Grashoppers to them And therefore whatever others may talk of this and that the plain truth is That it had been far better That we had dyed in Egypt or the wilderness for let the Lord promise what he would and Moses and that Faction believe what they would there was No hope of ever prevailing But this Rumour running and increasing among the people insomuch that the people Cryed out and wept sore Ioshua and Caleb hearing thereof at last they stood forth to stop this slander and to encourage the people and exhorted them not to give any heed to those reports For The people were so discouraged at these reports And the Mutiny grew so high That they resolved to forsake their Governours and make themselves Captains and return into Egypt But Caleb and Ioshua laboured mightily to perswade their brethren for the Lord was wroth and would have destroyed them But These perswade them to forbear their murmuring and not rebell against the Lord for If the Lord delight in them he could and would give them the Land and bring them into it And If they could but Believe They need not fear the people of the Land For Their defence was departed from them and the Lord would be with Israel And he would make their enemies to be bread to them and they should be as Grashoppers before them and the Lord would make them As Giants and Conquerors over them and they should not be able to resist And for all they were so great and mighty The power of God should make them serve for food And all those oppositions and discouragements should so turn to their advantage that they should Serve them and be all as helps to them in the victory and conquest Yet for all this the people were so mad and inraged through unbelief that all the congregation bad Stone them with stones They thus persevering These two To clear the slander And the other to murmur and discourage the people that hereupon began such a mutiny Some few taking Calebs and Ioshuahs side and some yea most of them the murmurers side Insomuch That they fell at variance whether they should attempt the land or dye as they were so that Moses was fain to stand up and intercede for them or else the Lord would have destroyed them utterly as One man at one instant but yet He would for all this in the very heat of all his anger and wrath Preserve those that believed And made of Moses A great people yet Moses Stands up for them and prayes and urges the Lord That he is long-suffering and great in mercy and therefore that he would as he had often done bear with them and pardon their unbelief And the Lord answered his prayer and said I have pardoned according to thy word but as truly as I live all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord Onely This generation who have seen All my Miracles and my wonders from Egypt to this day and have tempted me now Ten times they shall not see this good land I promised them save onely my servants Ioshua and Caleb they shall live and Enter and Possess and also the posterity of those that believe in me But before I go any further I would not let all this go without this One observation from hence by the way That of all the souls that murmured though they were at the edge of the land yet being 600000 in number not One of them All Entred the land of Canaan but onely these two Beloved Friends you have heard here a large description of what was then done Of an Exceeding good land and desirable and how they murmured and how full they were of Unbelief and how few entred Shall we onely look upon All this as an history and never reflect into our own souls What is This good Land to us what are we the better for all these good things A land so fruitful so good so replenished with milk and hony so fruitful every way so delightful so commodious so desirable If there be not the same land for us as well as for them Can all these things do us any good unless we may enjoy them you know the pâ—overb when ye hear of such and such Rare things every one will say what 's all this to me We had rather have it then hear of it for it is a trouble to hear of it and yet want All these things So I say Beloved Because in all you read or hear in the Scriptures I would have you still look into your selves That the Scriptures may Be your Own That you may as David sayes make the Word your Portion and your Inheritance That that which was to others sweet as it was to him so it may to you be as sweet as hony to your taste yea sweeter then the hony comb and more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold I say what is all this long History to us But that in this history and so in all other Promises we may see They are made to us
Nay they cannot relish any thing Higher That which is spiritual heavenly and divine and like God That they turn at and quarrel at because it is out of their Element And all because The word of God the Bread of God they cannot come at The book is still sealed they have not their senses exercised to discern between good and evil between the precious and the vile The word is not in them Aningrafted word turning the stock into its own nature they are not converted moulded into the word that so it may be able to save their souls as the Apostle saith they get no good by the meat they eat they feed upon Husks and not upon the FATTED Calf Luk. 15. 23. Nor on thefeast of fat thingsful of marrow nor of The wine on the lees well refined Esay 25. 6. Therefore it is no strange thing that they profit not to salvation because they champ onely The Letter of the Word and feed upon Husks and can get no nourishment from it and no marvel for it can give none I marvel much how such men can hope for Heaven or hope for the Gift and the Reward here spoken of that never eat any thing but the Letter of the word That only do as the Jews did onely desire but to touch Christs outward Garments and to see His Body or to see his external miracles on others but they touch not HIM not his person His miracles are not wrought in themselves they touch him not as the woman did with the bloody-issue she touched not onely his garments but touched him inwardly she got vertue from him for Christ as soon as she had touched him askt when all the people pressed him Who touched me Peter wonders and asks him Doest thou ask who touched thee when there have so many hundreds toucht thee the whole multitude presseth thee By this you may see what I mean Christ knew he was not onely Outwardly toucht as multitudes do all that make any profession of Christ do that but he was toucht inwardly which fetcht Vertue and nourishment from him For all your great professions and running after Christ in much hearing reading and praying c. Let me tell you He is senâ—ble when ye touch him you may do all these things constantly all your life and yet never touch him He can feel when vertue goes out of him For we all in the flesh and in the letter and accoâ—ding to carnal men may be wise in carnal things According to men and the rudiments of the woâ—ld and for external government and the like And herein we touch Christ but as the Iews did onely see and touch His body but none gets Strength and Marrow Life from him Indeed they handled Christ when they crucified him and they handled him Hard but who once I say handles him as the woman to get vertue from him for a man may read the letter diligently gather his family together duly every day morning noon and night read it and converse of it and teach it to them but may not Christ ask for all this pressing about him who hath touched me To what end is all this ye do what good do ye what meat what marrow get ye unless withal ye touch Christ inwardly what does all Touching do you good this is but to touch Christs body this is but to touch the Letter this is but the Shel As the Disciples going to Emaâ—s They read and conferred but they could not understand till Christ came for all they had been brought up in the Family and in the House of Christ in the School of Christ alwayes hearing and receiving at the feet of Christ yet they were ignorant of the Mystery and the Spirit The Letter of the Scripture is but the Outward Court of the Tabernacle where all the people may be admitted Where Beasts clean and unclean come and are sacrificed And there was also the inward Court whither came the Priests and there were onely Outward Ordinances and Laws for Discipline and Outward worship But there was also the Sanctum Sanctorum where onely entred the High priest and that but once a year The Letter is but this outward Court or the Priests Court at most where were nothing but Outward duties of preaching and sacrificing of reading hearing and praying and the like but within in the Sanctum Sanctorum There is the hidden Manna there is that which all the Other things Without did but represent for they were not the things themselves there onely is to be found Debir the word There is that which is quick and powerful mighty in operation Sharper then any two-edged sword dividing between the bones and the marrow and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart All the former things were but cold low dead things Here is the Life here is the Quickning the Spirit it self There you shall find That word that sword of Ionathan which never Returns in vain In this regard the Letter alwayes returns in vain Thou saist thou Readest it in the Church and in thy family twice a day and thou delightest to be exercised therein and to see that others do so Thou doest well it is good in its place but what good doth it convey to thy soul what refreshment and nourishment dost thou find by this thou so delightest in and so boastest of where is the Power that the word hath abroad among these kind of men that seem so much to throng after Jesus Christ what manner of people are these that so champ the Letter between their teeth and Troul it on their tongues what are they in their lives have they got any vertue from Christ by being so conversant with him are they transformed and made new Ceratures do they live the inward and spiritual life of the Word are they dead to the world and the world to them does Christs life shine in them and by them so that they live not any longer in themselves are they fetcht off their own bottoms and ingrafted into Christ or rather do not They altogether live and Christ is dead in them do they feed upon any thing but Husks upon the Letter of the word and upon the world and upon creatures And there they have their chief Life hope and dependance for had they new diet they would become new men by the men you may guess at their meat As Take a man that hath been hard kept with ill fare ill diet and want of clothes his very countenance will shew it but let him come to better keeping good nourishing diet and warm clothes and you shall see his Complexion and his flesh come again and his whole body and countenance will be more white smooth and sightly So He that feeds upon the Life and Marrow of this Word Oh! He is cleâ—n another man then he was before the time was that he lived like a swine eat and fed and fared like a swine walkt
Spirit So be it THE MYSTERIE OR THE LIFE and MARROVV OF THE SCRIPTURES An Exposition on Exodus 3. the Six first Verses EXOD. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Now Moses kept the flock of Iethro his father in Law the Priest of Midian and he led the flock to the back-side of the desart and came to the mountain of God even to Horeb. And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush and he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed And Moses said I will now turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burnt c. Delivered at a Private Meeting at Kensigton being in Two Sermons THis Chapter contains one of the greatest miracles that the Scripture affords namely That Moses a plain shepherd should attempt to bring six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty fighting men Num. 1. 46. beside women and children and young men besides the TRIBE of LEVI from under the bondage of Pharaoh a great and a mighty King much less think to bring it about or else having done it he might have pursued after them to slay them all which he did but was not able to prevail but was drowned in the sea He and all his Host all which was wonderful and then wonderful in regard of the people themselves that they should follow an odde man who led them no man knew whither nor what way they should go nor where they should rest and sit down but as the Apostle Paul saith concerning his Gospel He received it not from men nor by men but by the revelation of Iesus Christ So Moses here had not his authority from men nor by men but onely from the Lord immediately as in this Chapter you may see his Commission and what Authority he had to bring them out of Egypt And the Almighty hand of the Lord Acting All. But that I may not stand long in the History but come to something profitable to us I may say of this History as one of the Fathers saith concerning Nabals churlish practise It is old in time but rife in practise So may I say most truly of Moses bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt it is old in the History Long once this time was but it is ever in Use Every day is this History fulfilled and the children of Israel are daily brought out of Egypt by a strong and a mighty hand for whatever was then done was done in Types and Figures Beloved this I hope is not strange to you for the Apostle Paul reciting some of these Actions saith plainly 1 Cor. 10. that they were but Figures to teach us and applies many of the passages and what the Apostle saith of some of them I may be bold by the same spirit to say of the whole that they were all done in Figures But little doth any man here think that he is in Egypt and that he Toils under Pharaoh and that Pharaohs Taskmasters use them roughly and abuse them little do they think that they are Brick-makers when we are yet in the Kingdom of darkness and are governed by the Prince of darkness by the Prince that ruleth in the ayre the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience what do you think are we not then worser then slaves under Pharaoh in Egypt I And a more real slavery then the Israelites underwent and are we not then imployed in his work and in making Brick and Morter to raise Temples to set up Antichrist in to worship serve and adore as doth all the world And Truly Every one here present doth the same But he that will marry Achsah Calebs daughter as I had occasion to shew you upon that Text he must smite Kiriathsepher the City of the Letter The Letter of Scripture reveals nothing which will be saving to us it is the Spirit that must do us good to him shall be given Achsah which by interpretation is The Rending of the Vail As it was at our Saviours Passiou so to this man The Vail of the Temple shall be rent from the Top to the Bottom And he shall Have the Secrets and See the Secrets of God Almighty but this He cannot have unless he strike the Letter and smite the waters and divide them else there is no word of God for us for the word lies hid and no man findeth it but he only that smiteth Kiriathsepher The City of the Letter that it may be to him Debir The Word for that City as I then told you out of Ioshua 15. 15 16. before it was smitten by Othinel That is The Lords sit time or opportunity who took the City it was called Kiriathsepher but being once Smitten then it was Debir and not before So if we rest in the Letter of the Word either of the old or new Testaments we shall never come to make it Debir to us it is still the words of a book sealed up to us and resting therein the letter in stead of saving us it will destroy us for so saith the Apostle The Letter kills but the Spirit gives life if we rest in the Letter and think that Or external observations or obedience thereunto will save us we are deceived without caring and endeavouring to get that word which lasts for ever the history lasts not for ever those things then done are done and past but that very word lasts for ever i. e. is still in doing and concerns as much every time every age sex and degree as well as them this is the internal sense we must seek for that by it we may live for ever Your fathers have eaten manna and are dead I am the true bread so we must not rest in Manna but look for true bread true food thousands have perished by resting in the Letter but blessed are they that shall taste of this heavenly manna this is meat indeed and drink indeed Bread from heaven that bread of life c h Christ speaks of Ioh. 6. Beloved all other knowledge let it be never so esteemed in the world by whomsoever Perishes a man if he Rest therein As if I give a Boy Oysters and tell him there is meat that will nourish him but if he know not how to open the shell but onely licks the outside of the shell and he thereby not coming at the meat it starves him did not I say true when I told him There was meat to feed him and do I not say true likewise in saying the Oyster killed him for the shell killed him because he could not come at the nourishment for the shell in the same sense The Word though it be full to the brim of precious liquor and Heavenly dainties yet if a man be taken up in the outside in the shell of the word and never crack the shell very fitly may the Holy Ghost say The Letter kills
nothing but the Vail of Gods word and the truth is concerning some God hath commanded Make their eyes heavy and their ears dull lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them that in seeing they may see and not perceive and hearing they may hear and not understand That is And I will be bold to give the interpretation That seeing the Letter they may not see the Life that hearing the words they may not understand the Living sense Having premised this let us now come and take inpieces some part of these words nowread that we may come to eat of the bread of life and of the hidden Manna that is as yet fast locked up and except God open our hearts as he did the heart of Lydia it is and will still be A Book Sealed up to us And Moses kept the sheep of Iethro his father in Law the Priest of Midian and he led the stock to the back-side of the desart and came to the mountain of God even to Horeb What may be the meaning that the Holy Ghost doth describe Moses to be a Sheep-keeper setting down so expresly that particular and still all the Patriarchs are described to be Sheep-keepers certainly there is something to be observed and learned from Shepherds because Shepherds are oftner mentioned then husbandmen and not onely the men preferred before them but all their actions also are preferred before the others Cain was a Husbandman Abel was a Sheepkeeper they both offered sacrifice one of his cattel the other of his ground but the Shepherds offering was preferred before the Husbandmans and so all the Patriarchs are commended for being Shepherds and following that trade and David he followed the Ewes great with young and from that imployment was taken to feed Gods people and to be King over them 2 Sam. 7. 8. I took thee from the Sheepcoat to be Ruler over my people Israel Well we need not to instance any further What may be the meaning of the Holy Ghost in all this in one word I will tell you what a Shepherd is A Shepherd is one that lives meerly and most properly by the providence and blessing of God upon his Trade for they fructifie and increase onely upon Gods will blessing and providence He acts not much but resigns up his will all he hath to God onely depends altogether upon that but a husbandman is he who with his expectation of Gods blessing joyns his own endeavours plowing sowing reaping changing his ground rising early and going to bed late Well I pray is there any hurt in all this No I forbid them not to do so but this I say a Shepherds life is preferred with God far before a Husbandmans because he that hath given up all to God all that ever he can do or say or think his whole man is Resigned to God confessing that they are nothing that they can do nothing and from their very souls acknowledge and not in words onely they have no wit no reason no will no understanding their whole man all that they are or can do is wholly resigned up to God and his will Nor will they joyn any of their works with Gods but let God act all do all think all speak all in them This is the life of a true Shepherd who hath his eye single on God and looks to him in every thing let him increase his stock or decrease it he is all one he is nothing grieved at the one nor lifted up with the other because he accounts nothing he hath his own Nor doth he think That he lives by his own taking care or by his own industry but depends meerly on the blessings of God and the works of nature but the other They moil and Toil themselves They must do something and this ye cannot beat out of them they must joyn their wits and their doings with Gods and do not ascribe all to God while they do it As do the other And therefore Shepherds are accepted with God far before Husbandmen the one doth think verily his own care and industry is the staff of his life They cannot deny all give up all that they are and can do They cannot but think say what ye will but they have some power some wisdom some understanding some ability to bring about their actions but the other The truly Resigned man he sees and acknowledges as the truth is That God alone doth All And that His is all the power all the might all the wisdom and he hath nothing at all he will not by any means obscure or darken Gods power nor his wisdom nor his praise as the Husbandman doth Though perhaps they may say in words it is their endeavours and the blessing of God thereupon and then they think they have made up all when indeed in their hearts in their thoughts and in their practises they do not give God his praise and glory but sacrifice to their own nets to their own wisdom power and parts And in effectwith them T is MAN alâ—nâ— doth All. You may see then how this mighty truth is hid under a mystery and is couched in two or three words how Moses doth but as it were by the way glance at it by the by and if God open your eyes you may see how this secret warp and woof runs through this Web So this Mystery runs secretly along through the whole Scriptures unseen And take notice of this that above all men the Egyptians cannot endure this kind of men and such as live this kind of life for saith the Holy Ghost Shepherds were an abomination to the Egyptians It is a life so contrary to them that they hate them deadly and esteem them The silliest and ridiculousest and most improvident people in the word But it matters not God prefers them sbove All kind of men insomuch that he is pleased to stile himself The God of shepherds the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob very often because they were these kind of Shepherds most certainly to these men God ever did and ever will speak most familiarly and to these onely he will to Shepherds reveal himself and His Secrets above all the men in the world the other are too much buried in themselves and their own wayes to have God shew them any of his secrets Let us then learn to be Shepherds rather then Husbandmen if we desire to be acquainted with God for it was Mary whom Christ commends who had chosen the better part which could never be taken from her And not Martha who is troubled about many things Although he doth not discommend or altogether condemn Martha for such things must be done yet know this Mary hath chosen the better part which shall never be taken from her Mary is far to be preferred before Martha because she yields and resigns up
an Angel to worship him I sin or if I fall down to Jesus Christ as included in that man or in any Creature I sin likewise But if in men and beasts and trees and in all I behold God 〈◊〉 Immutable Incomprehensible Incircumscriptible Essence so I may praise God and take any occasion to fall down before him and say O thou God That Fillest Heaven and Earth O thou God that Fillest and movest every thing and thou thy self art not moved nor changed in all things I see thee who art One and for ever the same If you shall now ask me how you may behold God thus I will tell you In every Creature is a beam of the Divinity which is an Angel and that Angel be it never so small beholds The face of God Almighty that beam that lives in me or thee that beam I say sees the very face of God And therefore saith our Saviour Christ Take heed ye despise not one of these little ones for their Angel always beholds the face of your Father which is in Heaven Although you see not the Sun when you behold a beam that comes in at the window yet if you do but lay your eye in that beam you shall see the Sun it self So though you cannot see God Almighty in any Creature yet if you do not despise any of these little ones They behold God and if you lay your eye in that beam you shall come to behold God himself and then in the name of God praise God even with all your might and with all your strength then you can never praise him enough in all his Creatures Only take this along with you Thar so long as you are capable to see touch or understand what you see so long you see not God it is but a Creature but if you let that little spark guide you That Angel within you it will bring you to the very face of God For God is in the Midst of the bush in the midst of the Creature yet he is not The burning bush though he be in the Creature yet he is not the Creature So long as he appeared to Moses under any form he was but an Angel The Angel of the Lord appeared unto Moses in the midst of a burning bush And if Moses had worshipt that burning bush he had been blamed as well as S. Iohn But God is Hid he is Vailed from our sight by Accidents He is not in the Out-parts but he is Within Beloved if God would be pleased to unfold these things to you and me and make us understand them aright I know that Then neither heights nor depths nor Angels nor Principalities nor any thing should ever be able to separate between us and these blessed truhs nay nothing could hinder us from union with this Our ever Blessed God for these are such infallible Truths such glorious Truths Against which the gates of hell shall never prevail When Iacob was to go three or four hundred miles from his Fathers house He saw a vision in his first nights sleep and it was a Ladder that reached from heaven to earth and the Angels of God went up and down ascending and descending on it and at the top of the Ladder stood God himself What do you think was the meaning of that Ladder We deny not the truth of the Story for let that heart that hath such a thought consume for ever in endless flames but let us labour to find out the mind and meaning of God in all his words God stood at the top of Ladder what God is in himself we meddle not with we have nothing to do with that O blessed God! be thou what thou art thou hast said I AM that I AM and we say so too THOU ART that THOU ART Holy and Blessed be Thou in what thou Art for ever and ever And as Thou art in Thy Self we neither know thy Name nor thy Sons Name But the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us Christ Jesus is the Substance and Being of all things Hee is Hee in whom all Types and visions ended This Book of God is a great Book and many words are in it and many large Volumes have been drawn out of it but Christ Jesus Hee is the Body of it Hee is the mark all these words shoot at Hee is the Truth and Substance of all those Types Shadows Metaphors Allegories Parables and Paradoxes Hee is The MARROW in that Bone and the Kernel in that SHEL There cannot one Creature come into the world nor go out of the world not one Angel ascends or descends upon that Ladder but it comes from God and by Jesus Christ He is the Substance and Being thereof and there is not One Creature but doth the Errand God sends him on And therefore David ascribes the very worst of actions to him when Doeg curst him he said Let him alone for God hath bid him He knew no Creature could move towards him to do him either good or hurt but what God bid it do And therefore saith he in whatever befel him I held my tongue and spake nothing because thou didst it Beloved know this the interpretation of visions is from the Lord as Ioseph said to Pharaoh It is not in me to interpret dreams or visions but God shall give Pharaoh an Answer of peace And so say I of this A vision it is and we shall find it no where expounded but God hath set it down It is thrown amongst us and writ for every one to read some take it one way and some another As Pilate said What I have written I have written he that can find the interpretation let him Beloved we spent much time the last Sabbath but we could not get from under the cloud nor espy the bright pillar of light and comfort to discover the meaning of the VISION but you know I was forced to leave my discourse as to the Vision it self Muâ—â—led up in those Sacred and Holy discontents which yet are like physick though a little distastful yet exceeding whollom My beloved is a garden walled about and as a fountain sealed up And saith Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation of dreams and visions is from the Lord. There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets And he that Ploughs not with his heifer shall not find out his riddle He which sent that vision to Iacob taught him also how to interpret it For in the bare relation of the vision what is in it to comfort Iacob in the condition he was in And so here to what purpose was this vision shewed to Moses what concerned this the business in hand as you may conceive Beloved He that can find out Gods meaning in these visions shall find Hidden Manna to nourish him But he that thinks by his wit and by his policy and by his own strength to find it out be sure shall find nothing but a bone to choke him
the same is the Snare Poyson and Death of all Natural men Therefore As All Works before Faith and Regeneration are Sin and Unclean so also To Read the Scriptures to praise God to fast pray and the like and not onely to torture and kill men or to steal and the like for seeing that whatsoever is not of faith is sin and to the Unclean nothing is Clean but they are Reprobate to every good work It must needs follow that all their Seemingly good life exercises and vertues are sin and nothing but dissimulation So God doth often in Scripture reject the Fasts Holidays Sacrifices Prayers Praises Preachings Gifts and Charitable Deeds of the Pharisees as well as the known and gross impieties of the Publicans the wicked words of men and their Violences Usuries Murthers Adulteries Thefts c. Therefore is Regeneration Principally necessary before which All things are alike sin whatsoever thou canst Think Speak Do leave Undone Read Hear Write Give Love Worship Will Know Have or Be for as to them that Love God all things are to their Good so to them that love the world all things are to their Evil yea God himself is to them Perverse contrary and a Devil and his True word is to them hateful and deadly for it is meet that to the froward all things should fall out Untowardly and to them that are Contrary to God all things should be Cross wherefore as they are not Enough so they are not alwayes good those Sayings Fast Pray Give to the Poor Read the Scriptures c. But these before all things Be Regenerated and Born Again of God and his word and then Thou wilt be Fit to do All things which that New-birth will teach thee which Cannot Sin and whatever thy hand shall find to do thou shalt do it Well for God will be present with thee for then thou being Iust shalt do Iust things It is not enough to do a thing but to do it Well else better be idle and leave doing By this means the good deeds which good men do are not rejected but onely the shew and feigning of good deeds which that Herd of Apes do imitate It were expedient indeed to read and hear all things if a man knew how to read or hear but few there are that have the Art of God to hear and read his word and far fewer that can so pierce into this Thorny-thicket that they be not rent and torn Therefore I will not by these my writings scare any man from any right Art of writing learning or reading but do admonish all men to see they use and do all things rightly and first of all in the word of God to grow Fools and Infants and then at the length we shall know how to read do and Use all things profitably and then we may safely Philosophize even in the writings of the Gentiles or any others and like Natural Birds fly among all the boughs and branches not taken whereas before we could not safely be conversant no not in the Sacred Scriptures themselves without eating Death from God and his word Briefly by this you may See the conclusion of the whole business And be it thus determined Onely the Pious and Regenerate man can and doth use All things Well and with pleasure and profit read all Arts and all Heathen Books to him there can be nothing Prohibited or Corrupt He is a certain clean Bee upon what thing soever He Sits He sucks from it meer Honey and Life yea even from Death and Sin Again the old and Natural man which in Scripture is called flesh and blood can use nothing at all well and to him all Arts and all the Nature of things nay the very Scriptures and God Himself and His Word do bring Death and Evil He can neither Do nor Read nor Know any thing Profitably or Pleasing to God He is Abuse and Poyson it self and an Unclean Spider which Siâ— where it will sucks nothing thence but Poyson Sin Death even out of the Scriptures themselves Out of things Well done out of God and His word So it comes to pass that to the wicked all things are deadly and forbidden such as are good deeds to make or hear Sermons to read the Scriptures to do good to the poor to pray to fast and such like as is before said for to the unclean all things are unclean and hurtful so that it cannot be but the things that to the Good are profitable shall be to them Unclean and deadly Briefly the good man in point of God is never at rest till being Entred into God He have lost his own Pleasure Will Act yea Himself and all His things in God so that wanting Sense Will Desire He doth now as the word requires at his hands Covet nothing so that now God in him freely Wills Knows Desires Doth leaves Undone How What Why and to whom he pleaseth Summarily In such a man God hath freely his Will Kingdom Pleasure Place so that he is not now The man he was but is as A dead man who attributes nothing to himself yea so far that God is in him All things God in him Loves Reads Writes Preacheth Gives Prays Hears Knows and is All things and therefore it is that the great God hath determined to Crown own or Reward Nothing in us but His own work the rest which himself in us doth not Know Read Write Do leave Undone Speak Preach Hear Think are Sin and therefore saith St. Paul Now live not I but Christ liveth in me And I dare not Do nor Say anything which Christ doth not Say or Do in me To this Iudge let every man refer all his life he shall then soon find in what estate all his Affairs are and to whose Service he hath addicted himself and offered his members as a living sacrifice Let him observe himself and understand who it is that worketh in him And That he to whom he liveth and beareth fruit His Servant he is Now the fruits of the two Masters are reckoned up in the Epistle to Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance c. against such there is no Law and they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts if we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit c. I would be glad with all my heart if by the help of God I might have so much power as to drive all natural men from their good Deeds Actions Omissions Life Arts Reading Writings and the rest unto God the True Sabbath that lacking both hands and feet and utterly void of will Art Desire they might keep Holy-day from their own works Truly then God which otherwise goeth not forth in our strength would go forth in them with great strength for indeed God must and will go forth and the time is at hand that the heavens must keep Holy day as it is in that