of union communion the end of communion hope and righteousnesse and the end of hope and righteousnesse is everlasting blisse and blessednesse Therefore I may say Christus meus omnia Millies hoc dicam millies hoc cogitabo millies hoc usque usque usque millies repetam Neque enim vel dicere vel cogitare majus possum aut melius quam hoc ipsum Christus meus omnia Alii alia quaerant alia desiderent unum ego Christum meum quaero Christum desidero O Christus meus omnia Opes aliis honores voluptates aliis universas relinquo Christum ego habeaÌ„ omnia habeo Totos aliis ego mundos concedo Aureos gemmeos montes non invideo summas delitias permitto mihi Christus meus est omnia Nihil ita bonum nihil ita pulchrum aut jucundum quin summum illud primumâ—â—num melius sit pulchrius sit ac jucundius Christus meus omnia quam me varia saepe accedunt desideria quam diversis subinde aestuo cupiditatibus ita ut cum lunatico illo adolescente modò in ignem modò in aquam rapiar Sed quaenam illa tanta bona sunt quae ego tam anxiè appeto Num hoc vel illud genus edulii aut potionis Christus meus cibus meus potus meus omnia Num hoc vel illud genus relaxationis aut voluptatis Christus meus gaudium meum voluptas mea omnia Num hoc vel illud genus honoris aut dignitatis Christus meus honor meus dignitas mea mea omnia Quid est tandem quod appetere possim cujus loco mihi non Christus sit sit omnia Mihi epulatio mihi oblectatio mihi quies mihi thesaurus Christus est mihi Christus omnia plus quam omnia Nam etsi cibis quibus inhio vesci potu quem sitio refici voluptate quam ardeo frui honores quos ambio assequi liceat quid istudvesci quid istud refici frui affequi Christus meus omnia te frui à te refici est perfectissimè refici est frui omnibus bonis Christus meus omnia At vero labor premit dolor affligit curae distrahunt homo turbat exagitat Nihil horum metueodum neque enim haec omnia etiamsi simul ingruaÌ„t mala sunt si summum illud bonum opituletur Christus Christus meus omnia Tu mihi O bone Christe O bonitas tu in labore quies in dolore voluptas in curis securitas tu mihi ab omni hominum insultu propugnaculum tutissimum tu mihi ab omni malo refugium tu mihi es omnia quaecunque tandem desiderare pâ—ssum Ergo quandecunque in posterum quodcunque bonum appetiero hoc ipse mihi semper occinam Christus meus omnia Desine O homo impuros rivulos sectari cum fonteÌ„ purissimum habeas Christum habes omnia habes quaecunque habere concupiscis O ye sons daughters of meÌ„ O ye Watchmen of Israel marvell not though I exalt the glory of the Lord of glory For I have none to mediate my cause in heaven but him nor none to comfort my distressed soul on earth besides him Do the thirstie long for water the hungrie desire bread and the Hart bray after the rivers and springs of water and do not I long desire and bray after my Lord that bought me I cry how long Lord how long shall it be ere I see thy glorious face and lovely countenance O my soule what though thy teares trickle downe thy cheeks what though thy face is bedewed with teares what though thy heart is full of heavinesse Because the battell is strong betwixt thee and the black prince of death and darknesse the world hates and contemnes thee and Angels of light have made thee worse then the filth of the earth yet shalt thou not be dismayed for there is a Citie provided for thee whose maker and builder is God in which there is the crowne of righteousnesse the crowne of life and the crown of glory in which there is fellowship with the Angels with the Saints with the Father and with Christ the beloved Mediatour and Reconciler in which is everlasting praise eternall comforts and infinite fruition Therefore I will walke with the travellers runne with the runners and fight with the fighters laying hold of eternall praise and glory saying with the lovers of free grace the waiters for mercie and the poore captives of hope praise be given to God our celestiall gracious and bountifull Father honour be ascribed to Jesus Christ our propitious and benignous Mediatour now and for evermore Amen FINIS HEAVENLY Contemplations REvel 22.4 And they shall see his face and his Name shall be in their foreheads And they shall see his face THey which go down to the Sea and occupie in the great waters they see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep So they that go into the Church of Christ and view what Christ hath done for his Church and chosen they see the works of Christ and the wonders he hath wrought hath he shewed his admirable work in the act of Redemption his famous work in the act of Justification and hath he not shewed his famous and admirable work in the act of donation What hath Christ given yea what hath he not given He hath given his redeemed Saints to see his loving face and lovely countenance And they shall see his face and his Name shall be in their foreheads They. VVHat they yea they shall see his face they whose names are written in the book of the living whose lives are hid with God in Christ who are presented spotlesse blamelesse reprovelesse in the sight of God their loving and beneficiall Father What they yea they who are cleansed from sin by the blood of the Lambe incontaminate and immaculate who are blessed with spirituall and celestiall blessings who are collocated in the heavenly places in Christ and have undervalued their lives to the death for Jesus cause What they Yea they who are brethren to Jesus Christ sonnes of God the Father redeemed from all evils and beloved before the world was according to the Text. And they shall see his face and his Name shall be in their foreheads They shall NOt now yet now in part not in full perfection or fruition now they stand and rejoyce under the hope of glory now Christ is in them the hope of glory now by the Spirit of life and adoption they passe from glory to glory now environed with great tribulations now they are under great temptations now they mourn with the sadest lamentations are not their mournings as the mournings of Rachel their teares are superfluent as the teares of Jeremiah and their sadnesse as the sadnesse of Hagar they see in grace not in glory yet not without glory they see in glory without the
perfection of grace yet not without grace though grace and glory is no cause of heavines yet sometimes the Saints are in heavinesse But their Lord will see them againe their hearts shall rejoyce and their joy shall no man take from them They shall see CAn mortall man behold the face of God in glory No. Can mortalitie behold him who is invisible No or can the frail creature eye him who is immortall No No man hath seen God at any time but the Son out of his bosome he hath declared him but when corruption shall put on incorruption when weaknesse and frailty shall be clothed with strength and glory and mortalitie shall put on immortalitie then shall they see his face His. VVHat the face of an earthly Potentate No what the sight of an earthly Prince No. What the countenance of a mightie Monarch No. What then the face of him who is the God of sweetest consolation the Father of divine and shining glory the Creator of the heavenly wights and the orbe terrestriall the Lord of hosts our Israels King and the God onely wise blessed for evermore Amen His face VVHere are the fountains of pleasures where are the springs of delectation where are the rivers of supercelestiall joyes and consolation save in his sweet and gracious presence Is not that the river that makes glad the Citie of our God Is not that the stream which maketh glad the Tabernacles of the most high Is not that the sweetest spring that refresheth all the Saints beloved Are Abanah and Pharper rivers of Damascus comparable the waters of Jordan answerable or the waters of Bethlehem in parralell to this No the captives say by this they are delivered the wounded affirme by this that they are healed the dead relate by this they are revived this makes the thirsty land a poole of pleasant waters the driest land a spring of sweetest solace and the desart place a place of hopefull scituation If we might enjoy heaven and not this what sweetnesse If we might enjoy the company of celestiall weights what delightfulnesse If we might enjoy all things and not this all what cheerfulnesse The thought thereof makes the travellers to heavenly glory comfortable and triumphous in their walking the fighters for the heavenly crown of righteousnesse valiant and victorious in battell and the prisoners in bonds and chains for Christ's sake pleasant and joyous in praises O what thought like this thought O what cogitation like this cogitation or what consideration like this ponderous and serious consideration To consider that through the light of this countenance and the cheerfulnesse of this blessed face and favour the Saints shall be delivered from all evill to enjoy the highest and supremest good For they shall see his face and his Name shall be in their foreheads What delivered from all evils Yea by this the Law hath no power to accuse before the barre of Justice arraigne before the tribunall throne of God condemne through the infinite and eternall justice of God or to command us to stand righteous or holy in the sight and presence of God By this the feares of death are removed the terrors of death abolished the sting of death extinguished and the delivery of death unto the second death prevented by this the roarings of that roaring Lion the devill are stopped The cunning of that old craftie Serpent subverted the fire-balls of the black prince of darknesse repulsed and the power of the prince of the aire utterly annihilated By this the spot of sin the impuritie of iniquitie the wrath and indignation for transgression cannot take hold upon the Saints redeemed By this they are delivered from the outcries and blasphemies of the damned the chains of miserable and woful darknesse the judgement of the great and notable day of the Lord from the woes and miseries of hell for evermore for they are a people blessed beloved of the Father For they shall see his face and his Name shall be in their foreheads To enjoy the chiefest good what said I the chiefest good Yea for in the enjoyment of this hopefull and blessed countenance they shall enjoy the promises Shall not the dead enjoy the promises of life Shall not the wearie and heavie laden enjoy the promise of rest shall not the fighters for glory enjoy the crown of righteousnesse shall not the Saints and Martyrs enjoy the crown of glory Yea for his word is as fast as heaven and earth his Decree as absolute as the Decree of the Medes and Persians and the foundation of his truth more stable then the center of the earth Hath he not engaged himself by oath affirmed by his Word and established by his promise His promises are in Christ yea and Amen unto his glory Shall they not understand the infinite and eternall price of Redemption the sweet and the delightsome peace of Reconciliation the glorious beautie of the righteousnesse of Christ in Justification the blessed communion and union with Christ annext to vocation and that eternall and blessed weight of glory in glorification What benefit hath been procured by the crosse of Christ what conquest by the death of Christ what life and righteousnesse through the resurrection of Christ or what priviledge through the mediation or intercession of Christ that is not communicated to the Saints through this blessed face and favour For they shall see his face and his Name shall be in their foreheads As they may glory so will I glory and triumph though the Sea roare though the mountains be cast into the midst of the waters though the earth should quake and the heavens should be shaken yet would I not feare O my soule what if thou wast cast into a den of Lions with beloved Daniel what though thou wast cast into the fierie fornace with Shadrach Meshech and Abednego what though thou wast in prison with Peter bound in chains amongst the foure quaternions yet this would refresh thee What though thou wast with David shut out from the Lords inheritance suffered the want of light in a dungeon of darknesse and sustained the losse of goods friends and acquaintance yet this would replenish thee this will make thee more joyfull then others with all their corn and wine in abundance This will make thee more cheerfull then others having treasures with superfluance this shall make thee more delightfull then others that possesse all things with excrescence When thou awakest with this Image thou maiest be satisfied with the sweetnesse of his face and blessed vision thou maiest be ravished for in his face is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Shall others see and not I shall others behold and not I I shall behold him and now neer I shall see him and not farre off Therefore will I glory with them that glory sith my lot with theirs is fallen in goodly places For we shall see his face and his Name shall be in our foreheads And his Name shall be in their foreheads O Admirable
gracious countenance of God shall shine upon the Saints for ever and ever What season like that season wherein the Saints shall enjoy the fruit of inestimable redemption the benefit of undeclarable reconciliation the effect of that inutterable union and the blessing of that gracious presentations in the act of justification O my soul that shall be to thee a lot of lots a portion of portions and a blessing of blessings that shall be to thee a mercie of mercies a dignitie of dignities and a fruition of all fruitions Was Jacob satisfied when he saw the face of Joseph and shall not I be satisfied when I shall behold that day of light and beautie Was Elkanah better to Hannah then ten sons and is not this better to thee then ten thousands Therefore rest in this rest hope in this beatitude wait for this communion and glory Sith teares shall be no more death shall be no more sorrows shall be no more For thou with them shalt reign for evermore and there shall be no night there neither need of the candle neither of the Sun For the Lord God doth give them light and they shall reigne for evermore FINIS HEAVENLY Contemplations PHIL. 9. And now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ WHy did not Paul glory that he was an inheritor of an inheritance immortall and immarcessible why did he not glory that he was admitted to sweetnesse of communion and neernesse of union with his Lord and Mediatour why did he not glorie that he had the gift of healing the excellencie of Ministerie and the power in casting out of evill spirits but in bonds and chains for Jesus sake there hath been great cause wherefore for this is a great and exceeding dignitie greater then either Kingdome or Consulship For nothing is so glorious as chaines about those hands as fetters about those feet as iron bonds about those necks which are born for Jesus cause To be a prisoner for Jesus is better then to be an Apostle then to be a Teacher then to be an Evangelist If any man love Christ he knoweth what I say if any man be ravished and inflamed with the love of his Master he knoweth the force of those bonds he would rather be a prisoner for Christ then to dwell in heaven he sheweth to them those hands more bright then any gold then any Kings Crowne for a Crowne set with precious stones doth not so gorgeously set out the head whereon it standeth as an iron chaine wherewith one is bound for Christs sake Perhaps this is more honourable then to set him upon the twelve thrones perhaps this is more glorious then to set him at his right hand perhaps this is more glorious then to enjoy all terrene and earthly blessings But what speak I of humaine things I am ashamed to compare riches and ornaments of gold to those bonds I am ashamed to compare mountains of pearls to those chains I am ashamed to equall Seas of riches to those fetters If any man would give me heaven or such sufferings I would chuse those sufferings If one would place me with the Angels above or with Paul in prison I would rather chuse to be with Paul in prison if any one would make me one of those powers that be about heaven I would rather chuse to be such a prisoner I would gladly see those chaines which the devils feare and tremble and the Angels reverence I would gladly rest in those places where those bonds remain Do I count Paul so blessed for that he was taken into Paradise as I do for that he was cast into prison No Or do I count him so blessed for that he was ravished with the joyes of heaven as I count him blessed in imprisonments No. O my soule if thou art brought to the Crosse with theeves if thou art carried to answer in chaines before Princes and Monarchs if thou art adjudged worthy of death with the condemned spet upon buffeted and reviled yea although by trans-formed Angels of light Notwithstanding those shall be thy glory the gift of suffering is greater then the staying of the Sunne and Moone greater then the moving of the world then to conquer Satan or drive away devils The devils are not so grieved when they are driven away by faith as when they see thee valiant and stout in bonds and fetters How great rejoycing how great honour how great glory how great pleasure is it to be in bonds for such a Saviour O blessed hands which are so adorned with those unvaluable chaines Doth our Lord say that they are blessed who raise the dead or they are blessed who open the eyes of the blind No But they are blessed who suffer for righteousnesse sake They are now in heavinesse but their Lord will see them again their hearts shall rejoyce and their joy shall no man take from them They are now despised yet beloved now abhorred yet imbraced now undervalued yet esteemed What shall I say O that I might have seen the cave where David was O that I had seene the prison where Peter was or that I had seene the fierie fornace of those worthie sufferers or the den of Lyons where Daniel was then should I have admired at the gracious hand and admirable providence of Christ to his poore sufferers The Lions did honour Daniels suffering the fierie flame did abate at the three Childrens enduring the vipers did reverence Pauls chaine it was so glorious Have the sufferers for Christ lost their names they have a name written in the book of life Have they lost their libertie they have the libertie of grace and glory Have they lost their lives they have a life laid up with God in Christ Have they lost their treasures they have hidden and glorious treasures And have they lost all they shall possesse and enjoy Christ Lord of all O my soule whilest others glories in riches in honours in pleasures in vanities of the world thou shalt glory in bonds in fetters in chains in scourges in reproaches in stonings in shipwracks and in all imposements for thy Lord hath said in the world thou shalt have trouble but with him thou shalt have peace he will see thee again thy heart shall rejoyce and thy joy shall no man take from thee Thou shalt therefore glory as much in those chaines as in the robe of righteousnesse as in his precious blood as in his rich inheritance and in his faithfull promises for though thou hast been a prisoner in Christ yet not bound in Christ though a prisoner to Christ yet not bound by chaines of iron but by bonds of love a prisoner of Christ Sith thou hast suffered reproaches imprisonment stoning and flight for his Names sake No marvell though the Apostles were more then conquerers no marvell though they went rejoycing from the Councell no marvell though Paul and Silas sung in bonds and fetters Sith the presence of Christ is as delectable in prison as in heaven the love of God as
we are said to be chosen out of the world through his divine love and free benevolence Joh. 15.16 Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remaine that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my Name he may give it you Joh. 17.14 I have given them thy word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world 19. The royall robe of Christs righteousnesse is their covering in the day of judgement the blood of Christ is their peace in the day of evill and the name of God is their glory in the midst of afflictions Isa 26.8 Yea in the way of thy judgements O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee 20. The adopted are made kings and priests to God the Father through the blood of the Sonne of God Christ Jesus Revel 1.5 6. the 5. And from Jesus Christ who is the faithfull witnesse and the first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the kings of the earth unto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood Verse the 6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father To him be glory and deminion for ever and ever Amen 21. The sonnes of God by adoption may feele the sence of Gods anger yet God is not angry with them but exceeding loving bountifull and full of clemencie towards them Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage He retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Malachi 3.17 And they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own sonne that serveth him 22. Though the Father of deare love do crown his deare people with deare love grace and mercie yet he doth not alwayes endow them with outward blessings and prosperitie 2. Cor. 6.4 5 6. the 4. But in all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses The 5. In stripes in imprisonments in tumults in labours in watching in fastings the 6. By purenesse by knowledge by long-suffering by kindnesse by the holy Ghost by love unfained 23. The cries groanes and sighs of the sonnes of God whether in the day they want the sence of Gods dear love and rarest bountie towards them or in the time of great and strong temptation over tops the roarings of Satan the cries of vengeance and the arraigning sentence of the Law so terrible Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought But the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered 24. Though the sonnes of God may loose the sence of their first communion yet they shall for ever injoy everlasting and perpetuall union so that God for evermore stands in relation unto them as a Father and they to him as loving and dear children Isa 63.16 Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not O Lord thou art our Father our redeemer thy name is from everlasting Isa 64.9 Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquitie for ever behold see us we beseech thee we beseech thee we are all thy people 25. Though we were the sonnes of God by creation yet we became through sin the sonnes of the devill of wrath of incredulitie of diffidence of this world and of darknesse notwithstanding by adoption we are made sons partakers of the divine nature brethren of Christ and children of light that we might not sin but that we might be one with Christ through union and that we might love the brethren with entire love and affection 2. Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust Hebr. 2.11 For both he who sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all one For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren Joh. 15.12 This is my commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you 26. The kingdom of our God the glory of which is unutterable unspeakable and unmentionable hath been prepared of old for those who have a being in Christ interest in the free promises and have been beloved of the Father before the world was Matth. 25.34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Contemplation OH the deepnesse of immense and admirable love that of the children of diffidence and distruction through Christ are made Saints and sonnes of salvation that of vessels of wrath hell the devill and damnation we are made the vessels of rich mercie peace love and happic consolation When I was a poore distressed captive taken by the devill did I think to be made an heire with Christ and freed from the accusing law and wofull evill not thy wisdom but the wisdom of thy deare benignous Father hath found a way in the time of misery to bring thee to glorious and blessed felicitie That was not found in the land of the living Ask the depths and they will say that wisdom was not found there Ask the Sea and it will say it had no habitation there in thy deare Father hath been the place of singular wisdom and rarest intelligence Pharaoh knew his dreame but was ignorant of the interpretation thou knowest thou wast a slave but wast ignorant of thy redemption and adoption O admirable priviledge and excellent prerogative O wonderfull dignitie given to the Saints by filiation What is it to be the son of a King or an Emperour of a Monarch of a Potentate What is it to be an heire to Kingdoms to Provinces or to Empires What is it to enjoy pleasures joy or delectations in this orbe terrestriall if we enjoy not the priviledge of the daughters and the sons of the living God It cannot avail thee to be an heir and not an heire of Christs kingdome It cannot advantage thee to be a son of an Emperour and not to be the son of God by adoption it cannot help thee to be nephew to a Potentate and not to be an inheritour with the Lords inheritance Thou art Gods by creation but art thou Gods by a speciall relation Thou hast treasures abundant but art thou his chief treasure thou hast inheritance amongst the sons of men but hast thou an inheritance amongst the sons of royall possession O my soule what will thy sweet Father do for thee great things he