but vnperfectly buâ— as for Gods Lawe it teacheth perfectlie by converting the soule and opening the eies of the spirituall blinde As the first light is a check to the soul so the second being cherished kepâ— burning by the oyle of God his spirit is able to saue the soul but if this lighâ— be once quenched and put out howâ— great and fearful shal be that darknes Well shee heares Christ calling he from sleepe her own heart witnessetâ— that it was Christs voice and yet aâ— afterwards she giueth scope of sleeping to the flesh A right fearfull estate and an estate wherein I feare too many at this day do stand namely doâ— heare and knowe Christs holy voice calling them from sleeping longer iâ— theft adulterie prophaning the Lords day drunkennes c. and yet ly still in their sin as not minding to part with it Of such a one what saith Moses after this manner Deut. 29.19.20.21 He that heareth the vvordes of the Curse namely against sinne and blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace although I walk according to the stubbornes of mine owne hart thus adding drunkennes vnto thirst the Lord vvill not bee mercifull to him but then the vvrath and iealousie of the Lord shall smoake against that man and every curse that is vvritten in this booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen c. A terrible judgement but from a just God who will race persons and their houses and families be they never so potent from the face of the Earth if so they be founde nourishers of their sinne when they heare Gods worde cursing their sin If therefore the light and vnderslanding thou art endued withall do not leade thee vnto repentance feare lest it proue a check-soare to thy conscience and seale thee vp excuseles against the day of vengence Davids knowledge led him to repentance when he cried Psal 51.4 Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned for with this Confession he made Conversion he turned from his sin But IVDAS Iscariot his knowledge caused him after this Confession I haue betrayed innocent blood to runne vnto the rope anâ— therewithall to take vengence on that throate that had breathed out wicked covetous counsel against the Lord oâ— Life so adding one murther to another If while we speake vnto thee and thy sinne thy conscience secretly telleth thee this is Christes voice it is God his holy worde that thus smites on my sinne awake and sleepe no longer therein let not sinne dominere and rule in thy mortall members quench not the spirit but obey his motion to repentance giving therwithall thanks to our God who should so mercifully fore-warne thee lest otherwise thou should bee damned So much brieflie for the time of Christes Call togither with the estate she then stood in Now followeth the speaker Christ and his speach It vvas the voice of my vvelbeloued The poore sinfull soule awaked and making rehearsal of things passed she nowe entitleth CHRIST vvelbeloued whome before in her sleepie estate she no doubt tooke but for a troubler of Israel SALOMON saith Prov. 28.23 Hee that rebuketh a man shall finde more fauour at the length than he that flattereth with his tongue As this is verified here where he is nowe called Welbeloued as being worthie loue whome before she neither loued nor kindlie intreated so shall it ever appeare in the end that who vnwoorthilie haue refused our wholesome counsell and correction shall once even in that appointed time be of another minde The wicked shal in Hell when it is al too late affirme and cry out Such and such were vvorthie to haue beene beloued for their calling of vs to Repentance howsoever we then hated them As for the Elect they shall once in this life leaue sleeping in sinne neither then shall they deferre to justifie such as before they condemned for Repentance is an altering of the iudgment and a renuing of thâ— affection Let this therefore stirre vp every man to Heb. 13.13 exhort one another especially the ministers of the word 〈◊〉 giue no rest vnto sleepers in transgresion howsoever the wicked raile vpoâ— them and intreate them right rudelâ— for the day shall come hereafter wiâ— they nil they wherein they shal turn their tongues and accompt vs worth of loue and good liking Lev. 19.17 Hate not tâ—â— brother in thine heart but plainlie rebuâ— him and suffer not sinne vppon him â— though he should say Let him not Mâ— begrowe in his sinne But how came Christ vnto her 〈◊〉 a voice by what kinde of voice by knocking voice vnto this knocking the holy Ghost alludeth when hee telleth the Revel 3. Luke-warme people of Laodicea that he stood knocking at their doore the worde in the originall signifying To * dosse vvith the horne as doeth the strong necked beast with the maine force of his head As Christ ordinarilie for the awaking people from sinne doth send a liuelie voice not a confused Noise so that voice is a powerfull knocking voice not a bare reading nor a smooth calme preaching but a powerfull thundring out and incessant beating vpon the door of the sleeper the portal of the conscience vnrepentant Isai 58.1 Cry aloude saith IEHOVAH to Isaiah spare not sounde out thy voice like a Trumpet If the sleepie sicknes haue ceazed on a man he must not be whispered in the eare but scourged on the sides In a wrong boxe are these men that exclaime on the preachers because they thunder out Curses against sinne whereas alas God hath ordained nothing but Curse for sinne If they like not the curses let them casâ— away the Cause of a Curse namely their sinnes Rom. 6.23 for the wages of sinne is death If men be so foolish as to suffeâ— sinne to mos-begrowe them and as canker to eat their hearts through yeâ— wee the Lords watch-men must noâ— cease to sound the trumpet but knocâ— till their heartes awake either it shal become the savour of life vnto life by repenting or the savour of death to death by still sleeping Iude 22.23 Some wee must saue by fearing them saith Iude and others by pulling them out of the fire If we sawe a brother plodding the waters towards a whirle-poole or Syrtes wee woulde feare him back by alâ— meanes and if we sawe another in the fire we would not stand speaking with Eli the Priest Thou doest ill my sonne c. but we wold snatch hold of some limbe and violentlie pull him out because of the present danger Easier dealing is for bruized reedes broken hearts but knocking and rougher bits for an vnbroken Mule and vntamed Heifer To what end knocketh Christ at the portall of her conscience Open vnto me saith he so that the end of his voice and knocking is to gaine Entrance Why did IEHOVAH call forth Adam to the end hee should come forth and appeare To what end did Noah prophesie of
at our do crying awake and rise thou man aâ— come and wedde my daughter awaâ— and rise thou woman come to wâ— with my sonne and that in paine loosing thy life I trow wee would nâ— loose our life and so good a marriagâ— for lying in bed a while If the Kinâ— should cry come out of these defilâ— and fowle waies and walk in the sweâ— hevenly allies we wold not like swinâ— still lye groveling in the myre and râ—fuse so sweet an offer And will weâ— found more sluggish careles and swâ—nish towardes our heavenly King of Kings who offereth vnto vs regall affinitie right happy vndefiled waies Awake therefore sluggish flesh sleepe no longer in swinish pleasures but arise vnto thy God and say Welcome be the voice of the holy one cast out of my heart the power of darknes and sinne let thy spirit sit hereafter in my conscience as in a chaire of estate and there occupie dominion and jurisdiction over sinne that so as a fruitefull braunch I may not onely bee graffed into the vine Christ but also liue by the sap of his spirit Sweete Christ having vsed all the former sweet titles for the moving of her heart to giue place doth in the second place lay downe a waightie and most reasonable argument drawne from the misery he vnderwent for her sake that thereby at least and at last shee might buckle her selfe to arise Mine head is full of dewe quoth he and my locks with the drops of the night By the Head the chiefest member heâ— meaneth the whole and by the Loch a beautifull accident vnto the bodie hee meaneth outwarde comelines Aâ— the body oppressed in the night wiâ— dewe abideth much grievance thâ— beauteous locks weather-beaten aâ— quicklie vnfeaturated and deformeâ— as befell vnto Nebuchadnetzers hairâ— Dan. 4.30 so would Christ giue pooâ— soules to vnderstand that for their saâ— his body vnderwent much grievancâ— as also he lost his beautie Of the firâ— namely the grievance of his body thâ— whole story of our redemption is fâ— persecuted in the cradle in being dâ—uen Matth. 2. to Aegypt hunted after by tâ— wicked and finallie smitten buffereâ— crucified pierced and that which more so smitten by his Father oâ— sinnes being imputed vnto him through the anguish of spirit his bâ— die in the Garden was bedewed wiâ— blood and on the crosse he roared oâ— vehemently My God my God why hâ— thou forsaken mee This Dewe of the Night not of the Light ISAIAH foreâ—awe in the spirite as alreadie rained downe vpon him and therefore saide Hee vvas wounded for our transgressiâ—ns hee was broken for our iniquities Isai 53. â— the hastisement of our peace vvas vpon him As for the second namely his Beautie what outward thing was there in him â—miable or louesome As Isaiah long â—efore could say Isa 53.2 He hath neither form â—or beautie for the which we should desire him so in his whole life there was but Penurie infamie reproch vnderbearing all hard vsage having vndergone the forme of a servant c. And wherefore vnderwent he this grievance and deformitie His body and soule was tormented that ours might be eased and he became vnbeauteous that hee might so beautifie vs neither is that his embasement ended nor shall be so long as hee hath a Ministerie in the Earth For throgh them he desireth vs to be reconciled a deep embasement that he should petitionate vnto vs hee bâ—ing the Lord of glory and we a degâ—nerat people Hard hearts wee hauâ— that haue put him to such torture anâ— grievance and yet continue so thanâ— les ey continue stil sinning as thougâ— still wee would cloth him with new sinnes and so put him every day to â— newlie crucified and tormented Secondly in that Christ giues tâ— vnderstand that during our spirituaâ— sleep he presents himselfe before thâ— doore of our conscience with his heaâ— and locks bare as with his cap in hâ— hand whereas hee â—ight haue coâ— with an helmet on his head and a twâ— edged sword in his hand we shuld thâ— rather be ashamed of our spirituall iâ— civilitie that so proudely stand in oâ— owne light when hee in all patiencâ— and long suffering desiring not thâ— death of a sinner doeth by his 2. Cor. 5.20 Ambassadours beseech vs to bee reconcâ—led to God Thirdly whereas hee calles the drops Drops of the night hee woulde haue vs to know 1. that while we liue in sinne we liue in darknes like battes and owles that flie the light 2. as also that these fruites of darknesse blacke workes of ours did fal vpon him Man having bathed himselfe in the workes of Darknes Christ commeth and putteth man his ougly black garment vpon himselfe which the Father seeing hee raineth downe on his Sonne the dewe haile and storme that otherwise was due vnto Man Sinne vvas imputed to him as verily as we had Righteousnesse imputed vnto vs ey He was made sinne for vs saith the Apostle that vve should bee made the righteousnesse of God not in our selues but in him 2. Cor. 5.21 The reason then our Saviour here vseth is this Seing I stand bareheaded entreating suffering for thy sake the heauie hand of my heauenly Father vpon me debasing my self in the forme of a seruant that so thou maiest bee freed from the punishment due to the vvorkes of darknes as also be advaunced into the state of Glâ—rie seeing all this I do for thy loue I prâ— thee let me stand no more without but râ—ceiue me into the closet of thy Conscienâ— Oh wonderfull alluring argumenâ— and vngainsayable request if the devâ— were not in man and man vnreasonâ—blie bewitched But let vs hearken â— her answer I haue put off my coate howe shall I pâ— it on I haue vvashed my feet howe shaâ— I defile them This answere consistiâ— on two branches let vs first examiâ— what this Coate is which shee hath pâ— off God putting his Image on maâ— especially seated in the most speciâ— part of man namely his soule he pâ—sessed the higher facultie or power of â— soule namely the Minde with the fiâ—nes of all necessarie Holie knowledge 〈◊〉 also the Inferiour facultie the Wil wiâ— full holines in every affection with thâ— Minde and vnderstanding part for so call it for learning sake though a siâ—ple essence admitteth no parts Saâ— begunne who having perverted the minde and abused the Vnderstanding and Conceipt loe after that through Gods just judgment the Minde and so consequently the Vnderstanding Conceipt c. went a wrong waye by the conduct of sinne which now had ceased on the powers of the soule Vnderstanding perverted blinded loosing Light and admitting Darknes and Errour caused Adams soule to seeme stripped and naked which before was cloathed with glorious Light The Minde so perverted and turned out of the right way the Will as an handmaid was redie to followe in her affections for the eye being darkned no marvell if the foote turne aside from the right way
the deluge to the end that they should prevent the judgment by repentance To what end did Christ so preach to Ierusalem but that thereby hee might gather them vnder his wing as a hen gathereth her chickens To what end doeth the Lord stirre vp many in these daies to knocke at the doores of festered Consciences but that they would open vnto him and let his spirit enter not the spirit of adulterie enter for that is there alreadie not the spirit of pride to enter for that is there alreadie not the spirite of the world or hypocrisie to enter for they are there alreadie but to the eâ— that Christ by his holy spirit rightâ—ous spirit chaste spirit loving spiriâ— might enter They that will not opâ— their hart to make this change namâ—ly to send out Satan and to receiueâ— Christ to send out the vncleane spiriâ— and to take in the holy it is pittieâ— their life But why doeth Christ craâ— this soule to open to him can he no without voice and knocking enter yeâ— he can but his ordinarie revealed wiâ— is otherwise namely by the 1. Cor. 1.18.21 liuely voice of preaching to beget faith anâ— that preaching with authoritie as diâ— Christ not coldlie or weaklie as diâ— the Scribes and Pharisies A man caâ— burst open a doore without a key buâ— ordinarilie hee vseth a key so can thâ— spirite of Christ burst open an harde heart without the spirituall key of Dauid displaied by preaching but ordinarilie hee vseth the key of preaching As a man is said to open the door but not without a key even so the spirite of God is saide to open the heart but not without preaching And as the â—ey is saide to open the doore but not without the help of mans hand even so the word preached is saide to open the hard heart but not without the hand of Christ which is his Spirite What great cause haue wee then not onely to praye that God would send Preachers into his Harvest but also that hee would graunt his spirit to accompanie their preching that so God his holy workman his spirite and his holy toole and instrument the worde preached concurring togither many hearts may bee opened to due attending the worde as was the Act. 16.14 heart of Lidia the Thyatirian to PAVLS Sermon Nowe as he calleth knocketh at the portall of her conscience so he vseth therewithall many sweete alluring titles saying Open vnto me my Sister my Loue my Doue mine vndefiled If the King of the Land should come vnto the doore of some base woman inhabiting his Land who stoode in traiterlie estate at her doore shoulâ— knock intreating entrance vnder thâ— tearmes of Sister Loue Doue peâ—fect one and that with a pardone iâ— his hand could her heart be so hard aâ— to lie still in her bed and not rather to arise hastilie come and open fall at hiâ— feet and beg pardon Our annointeâ— IESVS who hath received all poweâ— in Heauen and in Earth hee ever bâ— the voice of his written word calleth and knocketh at our doore with I beseech you brethren I beseech you sisters desire you in the bowels of IESVS and many other sweet speaches he oftentimes vseth if happily any thing might moue vs but oh alas how many arise from the dead how many leaue sleeping in sinne howe many open a free heart vnto IESVS that so entring Rev. 3.20 he might suppe vvith vs and we with him When Iesus came into Luke 19.8.9 Zacheus his house and hee entertained him with holy restitution Iesus tolde him that Salvation was come vnto his house Happie man he that as verily had obtained salvation as received the Saviour But in these daies men feare least the receiving of IESVS bring trouble povertie and death vnto their house whereof anone in his place and therfore Christ may knock and call at his pleasure for they will obey at their leasure but the daye will come that shall pay for all Open vnto me my Sister Christ in a certaine Sermon saith that These are my brethren sisters that hear the word of God and keepe it but here hee calleth her Sister as also vndefiled or perfect one that is so far from doing his will as shee refuseth it and doth her owne will keeping her heart barred against Christ when hee would haue had her open This terme therefore and the other doe not properlie appertaine to her present sleepy estate as yet she lay in an vnrepentant estate for so shee was no visible Church or member of a Church neither in that presumptâ—ous sinne could she warrant the applying of mercie in Christ the word being against her For to whome one gâ—ueth himselfe as servant to obeye his seâ—uant is he whome he doth obey Rom. 6 1â— but she heere gaue her selfe as servanâ— to obey vnrighteousnes therefore seâ—uant to vnrighteousnes But shee is termed of Christ in regard of her firâ— election which hereafter shuld be seâ—led vnto her heart by an effectuall câ—ling what time the power of his caâ— should appeare by mooving her to rise and seeke after Christ with thâ— crosse on her necke denying her selâ— for following after Christ So that may wel say he calleth her Sister Loâ— Doue vndefiled because she was calleâ— to be a Sister a Loue a Doue as also to liue in an vndefiled estate Brethreâ— and Sisters we are to Christ being 〈◊〉 him our Mediatour reconciled to thâ— Father Christ the Sonne of God be nature wee sonnes and daughters 〈◊〉 God by adoption and brethren and sisters to Christ by the handfast and betrothment of faith which makes vs Ephes 5.30 members of his body of his flesh of his bones So that thereby wee are not onely his Brethren and Sisters but also his Loue Spousesse Doues we are called to be for Mat. 10.16 Innocencie and harmlesnes The Naturians affirme the Doue to be without gall and sure I am wee are commanded to be without Bitternesse Vndefiled wee are called to be as also to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect Of every which title much might be saide which heere I passe by but from the whole this wee are to learne that as in regard of our Election knowne to God wee are to him from the beginning knowne for Sonnes Daughters as also Brethren and Sisters to Christ even before wee can with Iacob and Esau do good or evill So the calling of a Christian is for to stand in vnion with Christ in obedience and holy service to him as to our head and spirituall husband to harâ— not so much as our enemie and finâ—lie to bee holy in all our wordes aâ— workes as beseeming the children God brethren and sisters of Chrâ— these that professe themselues suâ—jects of the Kingdome of Heauen not the World If a Monarch and gret Kiâ— should call vs to bee his brethren aâ— sisters oh we would stirre our stump and endevour our selues therevnto trow if we heard the King