your affections burn and your hearts beat to be redeemed That 's well then there is but one step more believe and you are redeemed out of bondage and this will be wrought it will spring and grow insensibly out of those pantings and breathings which are upon you I have seen the bondage of my people and I have heard their cry saith God When bondage makes crying out O what shall I do and who shall deliver me Enemies are got into a body and are deadly strong a body of death besets my soul and in the midst of this body shall not I loose my soul Now the sinner is turned from iniquity and now the redeemer comes to Sion Let the redeemed admire and adore the redeemer this one thing I will touch and give up the point and I am the rather induced unto it because 't is the use made in my text In whom we have redemption through his bloud Which words are spoken in way of admiration and thanksgiving and are but the continuation of that thanksgiving which is begun in the verse fore-going The redemption of the soul is precious silver would not reach it gold would not reach it onely the precious bloud of Christ would do it precious bloud must stirre and precious spirits leap from this consideration as high as heaven and spurtle up in Gods face Freedome binds man all must be sent to heaven that is saved from hell Let the redeemed say this and say that saith the Psalmist Redemption is obligation who ever hangs by his harp a redeemed person must not because he hath his advantage with him above all others his lesson set and laid before him yea his instrument tuned and put into his hand his lips are opened as the Psalmist speaks 't is but stirre thy tongue and matter cannot be wanting nor affections be able to lie still He that died for us must be perfumed and carried home honourably and buried in his own countrey as Jacob was he that died for you on earth must be perfumed by praises and carried to his own countrey and buried in heaven You must not bury Christ in his works but take him up out of his works and words and carry him to heaven and bury him there Nature abhorres burying things in their own bloud you must not bury Christ in his own bloud but take him up out of his bloud and bath him and perfume him and lay him to sleep in the arms of his father The redemption we speak of here and would have you thankfull for respects your souls and your bodies what mercy comes to either is a blessing from Christ as a Redeemer Not a deliverance in these bloudy times but from the bloud of Christ from that great redeemer that sits in heaven Bodily redemption is but the outside of soul-redemption I hope the blindest sight will be able to see the out-sides of mercy Blind wretches look upon temporall redemptions which now Christ makes and see if you can blesse him for these you had not had the lives of your bodies nor the livelihood of your estates at this houre had not your redeemer pleaded for you had not he pleaded for you w th his bloud you had been all ere this tumbling in your own bloud you had had your bloud trod under foot by those which have long trod under foot the bloud of Christ One redeemer works all redemptions for soul and body one redeemer pleads in soul-cases and in bodily cases See a full plain place Prov. 23.18 Enter not into the fields of the fatherlesse for their redeemer is mightie he shall plead their cause with thee It is but one redeemer that pleads for us in spirituall things and in corporall and therefore in all mercies both spirituall and corporall let Christ be honoured and praised Coloss 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his bloud THe way of grace is here considerable life comes through death God comes in Christ and Christ comes in bloud to save The choisest mercies come through the greatest miseries prime favours come swimming in bloud to us Through a red sea Israel came to Canaan Many a man lost his life and much bloud shed the very land flowing with milk and honey made to flow with bloud ere Israel could inherit the promise seven nations were destroyed ere the land of Canaan was divided to the Israelites Acts 13 19. Israel came to Canaan through bloud and kept in Canaan through bloud Samson was strangled in his own bloud like Christ to keep bloud and life in that blessed people The harlot had her life by a scarlet thread and so had the rest of her faith As the promised land so the promised crown came swimming to David in bloud how many men died and how near was David death many times ere that promise of his honour did live Josephs garment was dipt in bloud and he dead alive for so many years and this was the way to his greatnesse and to the saving of the life of all the holy seed Sinne makes mercie so deadly hard in bringing forth to cristen every precious child every Benjamin Benoni every sonne of Gods right hand a sonne of sorrow and death to her that brings him forth Adam's sweets had no bitter till he transgressed Gods will one mercie did not die to bring forth another till he died One creature was a felicitie for another and none a death to or for another mercy generated mercy and man fed upon the cream and top of all and yet the bottom as sweet as the top mans felicitie was no creatures misery under him they were happy in him and he in them and all in the presence of God to each I will rain bread from heaven saith God to Moses and this was an extraordinary thing then and yet ordinary to Adam before his fall spiritually understood he had all his provision without cost or toil his felicity descended from heaven upon him as dew heaven and earth opened and not any ones sides or veins and so mercy streamed upon him he had his felicity with no more hardship then Angels Man would have his pleasure and God would have his too divine pleasure hath turned the course of love The sea hath runne so many thousand years in such a channell yet God can when he will turn it into another though so broad and big an element The sea is bottomlesse but not boundlesse 't is ordered by the pleasure of God and so is mercy the will of God bounds it orders it keeps it in and lets it forth through what channells it will life through death heaven through hell The first covenant was sealed with life the tree of life was the seal of Adams first grace and favour the second covenant is ratified with death the tree of life must die or else none could live by eating of it 't is not life out of life now as out of the first covenant but life out of death and this necessarily because
of love be to thee what I shall further do beside setting mine own weak house and heart in order to go home I know not more then breath out my dying breath in the bosome of Christ for thee that thou and all thy Worthies in thee may do well and worthily from generation to generation till Christ come Nicho. Lockyer To the READER T Was a very Christian expression that once a very Learned and worthy friend of another Nation and of another judgement to mine own wrote unto me Sir though there be two opinions between us yet I desire there may be but one heart to which my desire doth so concur that my requests to Christ are that this Spirit may be powred out amongst all his people in all the world There are many and I think too many opinions amongst the godly already but if there were as many more I hope I should be one in heart with them all which are in Christ and walk in him Variety of faces is not an affliction but matter of much admiration to behold to such as are but humanely ingenious So truly variety of judgements simply considered is not a grief but a glory to me to behold when one Spirit of grace and heavenlinesse is in them all for I account it a glasse of Gods own making wherein to behold his manifold Wisdome and I further think that he is setting many nobler spirits then mine own at work to dig up some pearle and precious truth for me which yet I have not I differ Reader with none but them that differ with Christ As for them that vary in judgement from me whose lives are holy I am jealous that they are better acquainted with Christ then I and so I lay my hand on my mouth and leave them alone to their Master and mine believing that we are as Laban said to Jacob * Chinissather ish meregnehu Because we are hid a man from his friend Gen. 31.49 but hid from one another neither hid from Christ Our light is so dark that a man a Christian man is hid from his Christian friend in matter of judgement but there is a Mitspah one God watching between us both which will bring us to see one another and himself plainly in heaven Let this be my Apologie for my spirit and opinion to thee Christian Reader and to all the people of God that so Satan by no spirit of prejudice hinder the profitable participation of this work which speaks of no controversie between Christian and Christian betweeen King and Parliament or between man and man but of that controversie which is between God and I fear all men in these Dominions under which we are and how this controversie will end give him that loves Christ and thee leave longer yet to study and pray ere he give thee in an answer under his hand As for errata's the Author Scribe and Presse are too full there need the lesse in the Reader or else things will be too bad A childe wrote from Christs mouth and another from mine which truly I had hardly ease or life to overlook and then when to be printed as hasty in this by other hands I cannot say by other ends then mine own for the undertaker I take to be truly godly as slow in the finishing of it three Presses were employed at once two in the City one in the Countrey and he hardly one that should review them so that doubtlesse many things will displease others more then my selfe who expect to suffer much in preaching and printing by them that have little in them and as for others they will be candid noble and do like themselves take in good part parts and fragments of him whom they honour more then I NICHO LOCKYER COLOS. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the kingdome of his dear Sonne FItnesse for heaven is generally acknowledged in the foregoing verse and particularly and fully explain'd in this and that which follows and put into two branches Deliverance from the power of darknesse and translation into the kingdome of Christ Who hath made us meet for the inheritance of saints in light c. What is that meetnesse He hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the kingdome of his dear Sonne Deliverance undergoes a double acceptation it means temporall deliverance sometimes Attend unto my cry for I am brought very low deliver me from my persecutours for they are stronger then I Psal 142.6 Sometimes it means eternall deliverance soul-salvation deliverance from sinne it self and the dominion of it and not barely from such domineering evils as sinne sets up to make this life miserable Deliver me from all my transgressions Psal 39.8 Deliver me from bloud-guiltinesse Psal 51.14 These expressions speak soul-deliverance eternall deliverance and of this nature is that deliverance here mentioned in my Text as the words themselves explain Doctr. Man now is in soul-misery our eternall estate is undone our eternall life slain the bloud of our souls is spilt upon the earth There is death and death with Emphasis Who shall deliver me from the body of this death Soul-death is here meant man is spiritually slain stabbed at heart undone inwardly he needs a deliverance from this death So there is wrath and wrath to come wrath that works hereafter upon spirits when then they have laid aside the bodies of flesh in which they dwelt here Even Jesus who hath delivered us from the wrath to come 1. Thess 1.10 That deliverance and this in my Text mean one thing soul-deliverance which every soul stands in need of but some onely enjoy Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse Naturally Man is in soul-misery naturally we are children of wrath by nature wrath works against us in the very wombe Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated and this ere they had seen the world Corruption is got into the bloud generation is marred man the noblest creature cannot beget a happy creature when he goes about this work he layes the first foundation in sinne In sinne was I conceived c. David was marred from the beginning and made miserable as soon as crudled in the wombe as soon as any matter was laid together for such a form Treason stains the bloud the first man proves a traytour and never since any otherwise but one The first man poisoned his nature and then begat as he made himself and not as God made him and so doth all the posterity to this houre and this makes so many men so many worms and no men so many base miserable things and not one worthy of the name of a blessed creature but the name of an uncreated thing a piece of mere putrifaction a worm so in body and so in soul mere putrifaction in all Judiciarily Man is in soul-misery judiciarily Justice hath traced sinne to its rise and plagued it at the fountain head Man
according to the will of God Verily unlesse a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abides alive but if it die it bringeth forth fruit John 12.24 God hath taken counsell of his will and turned the sea of love into a new channell the first covenant gave out all favours without bloud but the second through bloud through Christs bloud and our own Christs cup is called Gods will and our cup is called Christs will the will of God orders both these and therefore is Christs cup when full of bloud said to be Gods will not my will but thine c. And our bloudy cup also called Gods will if any suffer according to his will c. Great favours to come through great hardships is the will of God Means carry proportion to their end death to make death the death of Christ to make the death of the serpent bruising to bruise it was so proportioned by God It shall bruise thine head and thou shalt bruise his heel Nature hides her choise things closest and bids art use pains sutable to prise to obtain them and so doth grace she hides life in death our life is hid saith the Apostle where In bleeding dying Christ Wisdome orders great things to be obtained with great pains grace and glory in bloud in Christs bloud and our own Christ gets heaven by suffering and all that will live godly with him shall suffer too Means are generally proportioned to their end so by God to Christ and so by Christ to us This world is thrown upon men which is providence disposing sutable to things disposed this world is worth nothing and comes for nothing but the world to come is invaluable and the way to it proportionable the bloud of Jesus Christ and the bloud of his people the one per modum meriti the other per modum congrui Things are prised rather as they come then as they are farre fetched and dear bought makes all the prise and gives all the worth with us weak creatures upon this ground the Scripture when it speaks of our great fortune tells the great prise it cost as eying our weaknesse who look more at what things cost then at what things are and as knowing if any thing will work and take with us this will To him that loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his own bloud Rev. 1.5 Man is a legall creature and looks much at what is given for a thing and prises this more then that which comes for little he values things more under a notion of prise then under a notion of freenesse What did this cost why it cost Christs own bloud Fancie works foolishly in weak brains colour is more then the cloth and scarlet colour a generall taking colour and therefore is Christs garment dipt in bloud and he admired in this habit Who is this that comes from Edom with garments died red from Bozra Use Let no man be offended if mercy come any way to sinners though through never so much bloud and misery Sinne had totally and finally closed up every wombe of grace and it could not enter into the imagination of any creature that ever any dramme of mercy should find any way to them that the earth opens after much sweating and labouring and that heaven opens after much sweating and bleeding to send forth favours to sinners is beyond the expectation of men and Angels Mercy lay buried under impossibility of resurrection impossibilities reduced to difficulties and grace become fesable though with much cost is admirable Deadly sentence was with redoubled strength passed and not with a syllable of revocation for any lost creature to make the least guesse at any restauration By dying thou shalt die c. Here is the grave of a whole world of felicity and a stone rolled upon it daring all powers in heaven and in earth to open it if they can and that grace notwithstanding so buried should rise and become atainable is admirable I wonder that all the world is not bleeding and howling in hell and every one catching his bloud as it falls and writing out his fall in capitall letters to the glory of justice to all eternitie 't is wonderfull to me that it is not the whole imployment of all the creatures in this world to drown one another in bloud to stab tear and rend one another in pieces without any ceasing as that world below doth that there are not two hells a higher and a lower an upmost and a nethermost and that this is not as bad as that that all of this side heaven is not hell out-right Murmuring spirits be patient you think much to see so much spoil and bloudshed in the land 't is the way of God to bring great things to man through the bloud of prime brave persons are brave things brought forth Is there a braver person then Christ in the land or in any land and yet through his sides and through his bloud must great and gallant favours come You eye your pain and not Gods pleasure his way is in the deep the Leviathan tumbles there in the sea in the red sea in bloud and death to life and glory do ye think to justle God out of his wayes as ye justle a man Murmuring is spirit justling against spirit a bad against a good and the worst will have the worst for God treads such to death as will not give him his way You know that God fell out with his own people deadly when they disliked the way of hardship which he had cast them into to humble them and to do them good under heathen princes Let a wise man propose such an end and such a way to it let it be what it will red or white fair or foul you honour him in all and with joy look for good in this way give God this honour Wisdomes way to great things is in bloud in the bloud of some prime persons to the life and welfare of many One or two things may make us give God the honour of his way to such an end let his way be never so sad in our eye God alwayes makes his way most just to what end soever he bends mercy comes clothed but like your sinne when it comes clothed in scarlet your sinnes are crimson scarlet sinnes you die mercies red and bloudy 't is not God Justice treads upon sinne properly upon man accidentally as he lies under it if no body did ly under sinne justice would tread no body to death to bring life into the world nor shed a drop of any ones bloud to bring the greatest blessings to us God goes after man because man will not go after God justice follows sinners because sinners will not follow righteousnesse God doth not step a step in a way of punishment but as you lead him and to trace you in your wayes of sinne all wayes of bloud and death you chalk out to him you lead love out of his way and
make him become bloudy God is love fury is not in him naturally but love he delights not in the death of any God is nothing but life and so is his motion naturally and therefore called a fountain of life nothing runnes from him naturally but life if death runne out of the fountain of life 't is because of poyson cast in by you Generation in bloud one mercy to die to bring forth another is such a generation as was not known in the beginning God never appointed things thus to generate but life to bring forth life and such a happy creature to bring forth such a happy creature all happinesse to live each speak out fully the vastnesse of the fountain and the similitude of the stream to it The sinne of the first Adam cost the bloud of the second and all the bloud that ever since hath been shed to keep any good alive in the world Murmuring souls you are blind justice steres the ship when it sails in bloud with jewels to you you would never open your mouths at all the bloud that is shed in the land no nor at all the bloud that ever hath been shed in the world if your eyes were but open to see this first thing God makes his way most sure to such an end let the means proposed to it be what they will through bloud and death or hell I will surely do thee good saith God to Abraham and yet they must into hardship so much and so long and yet still the end sure and this hart-bleeding condition the onely sure way to it and no other way would have been sure to such an end Certainty of an end with us depends upon the standing or falling of such a thing but the certainty of Gods end which he proposeth doth not stand upon the standing or falling of this or that but upon the resolution of his will I will certainly do thee good One may die another may die and yet whilest the will of God remains resolute to such an end the end will live and the dying of such prime persons is onward to it and without which it could not be Heaven and earth shall passe away but not one tittle of Gods will shall fall to the ground The certainty of Gods intention you see depends upon his will heaven and earth may die which are greater bodies then man and yet Gods intention live because his will lives I must say again that murmuring spirits are blind they can see nothing certain in these uncertain times they think that all that God intends must bleed and die because all that men intend bleed and die and the very men too Blind creatures the certainty of what God intends doth not depend upon any of these when all is in bloud and dead God is alive and on in his way to his end the unspeakable good of many God alwayes makes his way most honourable to such an end let difficulties in the way be what they will though God may cast much hardship upon us yet he casteth no disgrace upon himself nor upon his way His way is honourable and glorious saith the Psalmist all his wayes are so when he goes in bloud for he speaks of the execution of justice there when he goes in the death of one thing to the life of another he goes in in state and glory God is alwayes tender of his name when he seems not tender of any person his sonne his onely sonne scoffed crowned hanged used in all the cruellest and basest manner that men and devils could devise and yet this sonne so used by men was so managed by God and all his hardship that the name of God was made wonderfull honourable in all Noble persons stand not upon losse but upon their honour they value not life they will step every step in bloud rather then prosecute their designes basely An honourable spirit is naturall to God he bringeth nothing about basely he eyes not the bloud of men nor the bloud of his sonne nor the bravest bloud that ever ran in bloud vessels but what he eyes is the accomplishment of his will honourably Murmuring spirits you are blind and you are base so you may but have your own ends the fafety of your lives and states you care not how God brings this about whether honourably or dishonourably Unruly hearts are unfit to order weightie matters such spirits must be guided by better then their own what is done with dishonour to God saves a little bloud and forfeits a great deal God will manage his way with honour though he drown and burn worlds and turn all the creation into bloud Our spirits should move like Gods that his will may be done by me to his honour What is my bloud What is God break my back with standing upon it and squeez out my bloud so that it may but colour his garments scarlet and honourable Finally God makes his way most beneficiall when most bloudy and difficult Who can expresse the benefit that redounds to the Church by the bloud of Christ the like I may say of the bloud of Christians the benefit which redounds to God and to man is not to be expressed The like I may say of the bloud that is now shed in England Truth by fiery trialls is made famous Christ is clothed with scarlet and crowned with glory here a mans life is his glory and this given to Christ in flames is double glory put upon Christ a mans bloud veins are the lowdest trumpets on earth to sound out any thing What a noise hath Christs bloud made all the world over And so the bloud of Martyrs is it dried up yet What virtues and graces smell so sweet and look so glorious as those that are died rose-colour with bloud with the bloud of that earthen breast in which they grow Bloud hath a very crying voice it cries up guilt to heaven and so it cries up grace in heaven and earth it makes Christ terrible holinesse immortall truth eternall what is written in bloud never goes out and all that reade wonder I have but one thing more to say and that is for as much as great things come in a way of hardship to fallen man that you would all prepare for hardship London dost thou not see England dost thou not feel that thy mercies come in bloud that thy redemption is likely if ever to be through much bloud but through much more then yet is shed who can say Men die dayly bloudy clouds go up and down and fall upon this citie and that and shalt thou London escape the storm Londoners Londoners are you prepared to welcome in your mercies in bloud You have had a Thames of water bringing in wealth to you for a great while are you prepared to have a Thames made of your bloud to bring in brave wealth to you for another while God hath stirred up some brave spirits amongst you I would all were such and yet I see many
Christ is spirituall he is head in the heart The kingdome of God is within you there are his Laws written and there is his throne Aarons rod and the tables of the covenant were in the inner Court and the Manna in the golden pot The command of the purse may serve a man but it doth not Christ he commands the heart My sonne give me thy heart You suit your seats so doth Christ he makes his throne in that which is nearest him to wit the spirit Christs rule is one soul bound up in another Paul bound in the Spirit and that bond bound all to good behaviour Christs rule is perpetuall Some heads may be cut off this head my text speaks of cannot Death hath slain many commanders but Christ hath slain death and him that had the power of death Satan is the executioner of Justice and therefore said to have the power of death as well as in other respects Christ hath destroyed all and hath his life in jeopardy by none he liveth and reigneth for ever he ruleth by his power for ever Psalm 66.7 He shall rule till he hath put down all rule and all power and all authority 1. Cor. 15.24 Untill he and his be one as he and his father are one till the kingdome be resigned up There be now many powers against Christ but he must reign till they be all down yet not any to help him The rule of Christ is Monarchicall there may be many lords over the body but there is but one Lord over the soul The government is upon his shoulders that is upon his alone Christ had none suffered with him and he hath none to reign with him here Christ hath trod the wine-presse alone he slew Goliah alone and is that stone alone that sunk into his brain he maketh his kingdome alone and ruleth it alone He shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his throne Zacharie 6.13 Vse This point is irksome most hearts can bear no rule contradiction is death though it be the word of life that maketh it Office destroyed the soul destroyeth it self where Christ can be no King he will be no Jesus such as stumble at this chief corner stone are crushed by it that soul that killed Christ is killed by him his bloud is upon every heart that nullifieth him The Lord be mercifull to the souls of men do ye know what ye do when you secretly say this lust shal reign and Christ shal not reign over me You commit Adoniahs treason treason against the crown that you may put by Solomon from the throne your bloud and your life will go for this When Adam committed treason against the crown would become a God God cutteth him off presently though there were no more men in the world Justice hath its heights and depths as mercy hath treason against the King hath exquisite torture such a death as hath many deaths in it so 't is in this case spirituall treason hath double death By dying thou shalt die thou traitour against the crown of Heaven said Christ to Adam and in him to all that do as he did There is death unto death and this the punishment of every traitour against Christ This is too generall a more particular application shall be made Your souls are under command you have a spirituall head You have fathers of your flesh and you obey them you have a father of spirits and why do ye not obey him Most men look least at their hearts all the care is to order the tongue and the outward man Hypocriticall creatures you overlook the kingdome of Christ you look at the outside Christ looketh at the heart who ruleth within all is under command body and soul the soul principally and yet this principally neglected must needs be the death of all thoughts must be brought into subjection to Christ as well as words Loose hearts have their plague upon them their holinesse is painted but their judgement will be reall they have sould their souls to do wickedly and will be paid in hell The behaviour of the heart is all dethrone Christ and he will fight it out with you to the death a disloyall soul shall never have the sword depart from him not a quiet day as long as he liveth Our temporall king which ruleth in this land doth but imagine that you go about to dethrone him or take off some flowers from his crowns and you see and feel that he fights it out with you to the death and seemeth resolved not to give England a quiet day as long as he lives Make spirituall application of this ye Hypocrites ye painted toombs that come here and professe Christ and go out like Judas and betray him you dethrone Christ in your hearts you destroy the flowers of his crown the rule of the soul is the onely flower of his crown and taking away this from him he will fight it out with you to the death the sword shall never depart from your souls you shall not have a quiet day for the hypocrisie which you know Tremble Hypocrites fearfulnesse will surprise you your secret basenesse will generate a secret hell justice shall rule where truth and love cannot the rottennesse of your hearts shall have a corasite to feed upon it for ever let every one lay these things to heart and consider whether Christ be head there yea or no. Two things demonstrate the heart indeed ruled by Christ sin universally hated and truth universally loved Passions are false strength speaketh out their truth and who ruleth in the heart Some spirits are indifferent for truth or errour and hold a virtue to be hot for neither but to stand in all times of contradiction so as to keep the skinne whole Hypocrisie ruleth in this heart and not truth and this temper is the plague of this generation neither hot nor cold Cold sweats are death pangs the soul is near his end that thus liveth If God be God worship him halting between many things is nothing this speaketh the prince of darknesse yet ruling affections which break through obstacles to discharge duty speak Christ head in the heart I will not stand on qualities themselves but at what every quality maketh and this will be more plain to you to demonstrate who ruleth in your hearts Fire encounters all opposites so doth every element from a naturall instinct and so doth grace where it reigneth Sinne is the proper object of hatred and every sinne is made so where Christ indeed is head Dominion speaketh all subdued if any sinne reign Christ doth not Weak hearts must not here wrong themselves the being of sinne and the stirring of sinne which the Apostle calleth the motion of sinne do not necessarily speak the reign of sinne Many precious hearts when they feel sinne strong in them conclude it reigneth in them and censure their souls exceedingly and so make their life a hell they
But I am afraid he will be gone If Christ do go will he leave his dear ones behind him Doth not the eagle carrie her young so doth Christ I carried you upon eagles wings Coloss 1.18 The first born from the dead THere are two first-born mentioned in this chapter the first-born of every creature verse 15. and the first-born from the dead the one respects being the other respects well-being and Christ is first in both these first in being in reference to all the creation and first in well-being in reference to the new creation the first that came forth from under the power of sinne alive which is the first-born from the dead here meant which the Apostle calls the first-born amongst many brethren elsewhere that is the first in our nature in the state of divine favour Christ broke the ice as we speak in reference to that body of death under which the state of mankind lay and so the first that came forth alive from under the guilt of sinne and the killing justice of God This time is sad so is our text it leads us to behold a world of dead men From the dead c. The term is indefinite and speaks our condition universally We are all by sinne dead without power to please God and liable to wrath for ever and Christ the first that made way out of this condition the first that broke through that displeasure which spoild us all Bodily death is sad soul-death a thousand times more sad we must walk amongst the tombes for an houre we are to rip up the dead to set out the nature of soul-death Demonst 1. Breath is gone the spirit of God is not in a dead soul Union speaks life Sathan not Christ lies in a sinners heart he is alive to sinne affection strong action that is evil action free among the dead Such light hath such motion ghosts walk in the dark wayes of death dead souls walk in Spirituall death is a soul cast out from God a soul cast out from God casts out God the word of God the operations of God a dead soul fights against life quicknings are as stabbings sermons which stirre are conjurings his eyes stare his heart quakes let Paul be gone Felix will be in hell else before the time the words of life are death to a dead soul Felix soul is in departing whilest a world of life was imparted to him nothing will keep life in a dead soul but the departing of Christ and his quickning spirit The dead deny the resurrection they would not be raised out of their grave means that are used this way are to them as conjuring from the dead gastly Christs yoke is easie wisdomes wayes are pleasant so the devils yoke is easie and his wayes are pleasant the dead are at rest in sinne they feel no pain though in the way to hell till they come there Eyes closed this also belongs to the dead in sinne The dead see nothing godlinesse is a mystery and the word of life a parable to a dead soul Confusion covers the dead reason is rebellion doing is undoing and yet the soul thinks all is well Light is darknesse sweet is bitter life is death to a dead soul Jacob is Esau the blind miscall every person and every thing O that thou hadst known in this thy day The sunne brought out of heaven and set at the doore and yet not discerned the dead see nothing in the day time day is night to the dead sunshine darknesse Christ close by yet not apprehended by the dead Christ knocks at the doore the voice though just behind or just before yet not heard our Gospel is hid though this be light more sparkling more shining then all other light Pride buds as the Prophet speaks sinne spreads God frowns hell gapes yet the dead see nothing Spirituall death 't is spirituall understanding quite lost one not able to discern divine things however externally advantaged hold a torch to the eye of the dead yet he sees nothing and if ye could hold the sunne close to the eyes of a dead man yet could he apprehend nothing the wisdome of the world is foolishnesse in it self the wisdome of the Scriptures is even also the same to a dead soul he knows nothing as he ought not the things he gathers and looks upon in wisdomes house Carcase stinking The dead smell lothsome the dead in sins do so Malignity hath got victory the whole state is corrupted all the bloud black and filthy in the dead Temptations overcome what Sathan saith is law and Gospel imaginations evil and all so and onely so evil the whole bulk and carcase of Christianitie stinking to Christ Christians The dead are all dead all filthy from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot full of sores plague-sores and all run and bloud filth is wallowed in Spirituall death is the soul under the rule of sinne sinne ruling the heart sleights truth the heart sleighting truth life is evil and yet pleaded for as good this stinks abominably in the nostrils of God Havvoth pravitates wickednesses Spirituall death is the inward parts very wickednesse the heart given to a harlot a strumpet is base and stinking Affection false and your lungs are rotten the opening of your mouth to God is as the opening of a sepulchre Spirituall death 't is a man abominable to God person action in life in death the dead stink alwayes God hates a wicked soul forever Sinne is everlasting so is justice the soul that lies in it is an abomination from generation to generation The grave and hell do not purifie the dead Spirituall death is a soul eternally lothing and lothed Stretched out coffin'd and buried this is the last property of the dead Dead in sinne are stretched out with a witnesse conscience is racked Conviction is the proper divine operation in a dead soul men under the power of sinne are under the power of wrath here spirituall death is a heart under the mere sence and guilt of wrath Worms eat the dead conscience gnaweth souls that lie in their sinnes The dead are stretched out and buried the dead bury the dead There be black bearers below and they are fetched up when wicked souls depart and thousands of them stand ready to carry the dead to their place This night they shall take away thy soul A dead soul is stretched out carried forth and buried in the night saith the Text This night they shall take away thy soul Dead souls are all buried in the night in utter darknesse The summe of all is this Spirituall death is a soul seperated from God under pollution and conviction untill condemnation Vse 'T is a time of slaughter fields cities towns dipped and dyed in bloud Dead bodies are many but dead souls are more the dead are in every house yea almost in every bed and yet no Lord have mercy at the doore Husband dead wife dead child dead and
that might speake matter of hope to thee Despaire in strength is very peremptory in conclusions but never deliberate in examinations of grounds 'T is a soule so tossed and tumbled between Satan and conscience day and night that it hath no power to ponder any thing Pressus ab exemplo discat sperare secunda Thou shalt goe to hell O my soule when thou diest Why I have sinned So did all the Saints that are in Heaven when they were in earth as now thou art did not David sin much in life and yet what a brave hope had he in death Sin enough in life to make him a type of Satan for bloud and unmercifulnesse and yet hope enough in death to make him a type of Christ Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave Yea but some persons sins have a very sad consideration over others have This is a truth but no sin or misery must have any such consideration as to sinke the soule Hold this position all that God doth is to bring us nearer to him If he whip us and strike never so hard or never so strangely 't is to bring us nearer him not to drive us further from him If he strike the body or the soule if he let loose Satan to tempt and let loose the heart to fall 't is to bring the soule nearer to God God doth nothing to drive away thy soule from him nor would he have any thing else doe it and wilt thou doe it thy selfe by every thing thou seest hearest feelest c Despaire makes use of externall senses all together more then of the Bible and construes all things amisse it harpes much upon the intention of God God intends my death he holds me for his enemie fury guides him in all that he doth about me one may run and read his frownes in all his actions Thou frownest alwayes O tempted soule and thou thinkest God doth so Thy soule is precious to Christ he doth not desire its death 't is more precious to Christ then to thy selfe Christ would save it and thou wouldest destroy it he meanes nothing else in the blackest saddest things that are upon thee but love and mercy therefore be not prejudized concerning his intention the saddest things that are upon thee if thou couldest but turne them upside downe thou shouldest see in them the smiling face of God Hold one position more that Gods intentions toward us are accompanied with the readiest means to accomplish them in us Good is long a coming this principle swallowed is destructive to Hope the next step will be this 't will never come Christ long a coming the next crosse makes the soule conclude he will never come Wee may not construe Christ tedious in his motion and yet 't is hard to doe otherwise when much put to it when tryals are sharpest mercy and deliverance is nearest The Heathen rage The Lord of hosts is with us saith the next verse Hold fast I come quickly When 't is as much as ever one can hold tryall being so strong then Christ makes hast and salvation is neare This principle well laid into the soule would make one hope to the end hope to the last man in a battell to the last breath in a sicknesse Jacob comes hindermost of the company Christ comes after all means are done Isaac which signifies laughter is a childe of old age Christ comes out of a withered womb the man-childe that makes us laughter comes out of means given up as barren When Christ throwes a man downe and throwes him very low then is he about to raise him When Christ kills then is he readie to make alive If this were received who could despaire Who would not hope of life when every one gives him over Yea of eternall life Finally hold one position more that Satan and thine own unbelieving heart conspire against thy tranquilitie hope is the joy of a mans life Satan hath none and it addes to his sorrow when he seeth any else have joy it greatens his hell when he sees any else have but a little of Heaven Finall despaire shuts up that cursed spirit and all those that are with him the worme that gnawes me will never die the fire that burnes me is unquenchable the chaines that hold me are everlasting chaines the pit I am in is bottomelesse no possible passage from hence not a drop of mercy falls in here to cole any scorched creature in the space of eternitie this is the tone of Tophet these are the dismall complaints which those restlesse soules below throw out as they role to and fro in that fiery furnace Despairing sinner Satan is fallen in with thy conscience to conjure thy soule into this condition Thou art in hell upon earth as that other phrase is of her that is dead while shee lives Tell me How dost thou sleepe How dost thou eate How dost thou walke How dost thou talke How dost thou looke Is not thy moisture turned into the drought of summer Thy body turned into skin and bones Alas for thee poore soule God never made such a way as this to Heaven 't is Satan and thy owne despairing heart one evill spirit tormenting another just as they doe below and the designe is to seale the soule up for wrath despaire is the black seale of the bottomlesse pit Lay all this together now and doe but thinke how unkindly you deale with Christ for all his love and paines which hath done so much for the tranquilitie of your life to make you hope here and possesse hereafter Christ hath taken upon him your debts there is not a sin that ever you committed not a trespasse against any rule but he will be accountable for it and in your stead and all to make you hope Some friends will undertake for part of ones debt to make one chearfull and this is much love too much to be slighted but then there remaines something behind and that sads and sinkes the heart How shall I pay that Bleeding soule Christ leaves thee no debt to pay no sin to answer for 'T is lively set out in that Parable Luk. 18.32 O wicked servant I forgave thee all that debt because thou desirest it shouldest not thou also have compassion on thy fellow-servant What should make feare when all is discharged If I did know it were so Dost thou not desire it should be so Wouldest thou not have all right and sweet between God and thy soule rather then any thing Yes Why this may be a demonstration to thee that all is right and even between God and thee Did I not forgive thee all thy debt because thou desirest me God forgives debts to Christ upon exact satisfaction but Christ forgives debts to us upon complaining of them and groaning under them and desiring their discharge upon a heart panting to be clean the voice goes forth from Christ I will be thou cleane Panting languishing soule for mercy thou hast obtained mercy thou desirest to
of blood of skuls and broken bones among many groning and tumbling to and againe with their bowels out holding up their hands Sir be mercifull I beseech you be mercifull and doe what you can to relieve me No I will not Now says Christ write downe the man for mercilesse What shall I say of this generation they are mourned to and yet lament not I have spoken to them saies Christ I have mourned to them but words teares stirre not when the most speaking things to move compassion move not then are a people written downe for mercilesse They have not remembred the afflictions of Joseph or condoled gnal Sheber over the breaking or the tearing to pieces of Joseph so t is very lively alluding to the state of Joseph whom his father thought to have beene torne with wild beasts When the extremity of misery moves not the least compassion the tearings and rendings of Kingdomes Townes Estates Persons then God writes downe men mercilesse Ye remembred not the tearings of Joseph When persons see the anguish of the soule of Joseph as one with death-pangs upon him and yet compassionate not this is written down We saw the anguish of his soule when he besought us and we would not heare we saw his heart-blood as it were ready to come out and yet we had no heart to pity surely we are judged as mercilesse wretches Genes 42.31 The order of trialls hintes the order of judgements sinners looke to your selves If Saints have their sad boutes their bloudy dayes surely you will have your turne too Men that love their sinnes love not to heare that ever they shall be whipt for them Evill is acted with confidence that it shall never be judged hee that sits in Heaven doth not regard since the beginning all things are as they were I have bin a sinner this twenty yeares and yet all is well This is grosse folly Christ laughes at it but we should mourne that men have no more grace hee sees that your day is comming yea hee sees that you cannot avoid it whilest in this state and therefore makes no more haste to take hold of you A creature that is fast in any Engine we lay we make not hast to come and breake the neck on 't and kill it outright because we know 't is fast and therefore wee come slowly Security is Satans deadly Engine you are fast in the bonds of iniquity justice is sure of you therefore it doth not make haste to come and break your neck and to dispatch you utterly When your day comes it will be a bloudy day indeed a day as long as a yeere as long as eternity a day that will never have night When your prisoning and chaining time comes your chaines will be everlasting your bout will be long mercy makes Justice therefore the longer a comming but if you presumptuously abuse this mercy even this mercy shall be shortned common mercy is shortened to desperate soules as it is lengthned to common penitents when they do but commonly humble themselves that is as poore brutes as in the case of Nineve And therefore you have a day of the Lord mentioned by the Prophet Zephany as hastened the great day of the Lord and hastening greatly to such a Generation of sinners as now I am speaking to Zephany 1.14 The great day of the Lord is neere it is neere it hasteth greatly the mighty man shall cry there bitterly t is a day of wastnesse mens bloud shall be poured out as dust and their flesh as dung the whole Land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousie and hee shall make a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the Land Your day when it comes will be like this day a day of dispatch that will make riddance of you wholly body and soule and if you slight this that I tell you now and goe on in your sinne know that this great day of the Lord hasteth greatly sinners t is neer t is neer But sinners merry sinners can you tell how neere t is How neere your sad day is No you can looke up into the Heavens and when the Skie lookes so and so you can tell what the next day will be and t is so saith Christ There will be stormes to morrow and they are so 't will be a wet afternoone and t is so And observe how our Saviour makes use of all this to a proud secure Generation Yea and why even of your selves judge you not what is right Luke 12.57 you can judge thus and thus and judge right respecting the Heavens why can you not judge thus of your selves Intimating 't were possible if men did but observe themselves their hearts and their lives as they do other things men if they would do this they might be able to give a neere guesse when a storme or a black gloomy day is neere them Looke sinners round about you do you see nothing in your lives that lookes like bloud and death Do you feele nothing in your consciences that speaks a storme a breeding The worme that never dies begins to live crawle and stirre here dost thou feele it knaw terribly now and then what and continue in thy sinne why hell certainly is not far off One may smell some fire sulphurous matter burning one may smell it and if in the next roome one smells it so hot that one can hardly indure the roome The fire below is brimstone dost thou not smell it in thy conscience How hot is the smell so hot as thou canst not indure that roome why then the fire is fast by thou art in the next roome to Hell Consolation issues from this point to all godly people under the Lords hand your turne is come now to pledge Christ hee dranke to you in a bitter Cup a great while agoe and a great many farre better then you have pledged him and you are honoured to do the like 'T is a great honour to drinke of the same Cup that Christ did Can yee be Baptized with the Baptisme that I am Baptised with and this asked when they talked of great honour to fill up that which is behind of his draught let what will be in it things never so bitter t is wholesome t is healthfull life is in our deadly Cup the bravest life springs out of our cruellest death If this be not enough think on this t is but thy turne 't will be over quickly the Cup will be taken out of thy hand and given to another Thou art sad but for a season And now for a season if neede be you are in heavinesse saith Peter there was necessity thou shouldest be in heavinesse for a little time and how long this time and season is the Scripture tells us 't is but a momens and then it resolves it selfe into everlasting consolation COLOS. 1.24 The Afflictions of Christ c. AFflictions are from God immediately or from man God strikes sometimes and uses no hand but his
children cry friends frowne lively-hood did I say nay Life it selfe because of all these is almost gone t is as much as my heart-strings will hold I sigh so oft and so deep and can the heart of God be towards me can all be for me and all against me The Heart of God how it inclines cannot be gathered from the hand no not from the Tongue of God When a man would make demonstration of his state by the hand of God towards him hee had neede weigh things well the wheeles that go over have so many eyes and looke so many wayes one shall be deceived also God can speake against a man and do against him as you call against and yet all that while yearne in heart over him and working about great things for him he can speake against Ephraim a deare child and yet at the same time remember him yea remember him earnestly Since I spake against him I remember him still Affection is subordinate to fancy memory and more noble powers persons and things kept in memory and fancy these powers will work and keepe bowels beating still but when persons and things are throwne out here out of the memory of God then a mans condition is forlorne indeed and never till then thus Saints are never Christ speaking of sharpe troubles killing and bloudy trials saith Feare not him that can kill the body and then comes on thus to shew the tender providence and bowels still work in such times when we thinke not Are not five Sparrowes sould for two farthings and yet not one of them is forgotten before God but even the haires of your head are all numbred feare not therefore you are of more value c. Pretious persons sometimes according to externall condition are of no worth spoild bought sold for naught five of them for two farthings and yet not these not one person no not one haire of these persons forgotten i not without the compasse of tender bowells their haires numbered when upon their head and when they fall off their head T is not safe to calculate kindnesse by the meere motion of outward things or of ones own heart Straites and trialls put weake creatures to it Christ is not extreme to observe in this case Divine compassion dies not so soone as we thinke t is an everlasting thing t is a child of mercy which indures for ever God in all cases of transgression lookes upon Christ strictly then his fury is ceased this ceased whatsoever God does is consistent with bowels tender bowels The bitterest things that befall us should be so construed by looking still to Christ as God doth The Lord speakes of the piercing Serpent and Leviathan the crooked Serpent and the Sea Dragon Esaia 27.1 2 3. and all these in his Vineyard and suffered them all to make terrible worke and yet when hee comes to redresse this saith that fury was not in him all this while they did quite mistake him that did judge these sad afflictions the fruites of a heart turned against them Make use of these things to keepe your hearts setled in the truth of this point that the heart of God specially bends toward you and then milke out the sweet of it to all occasions so all conditions will bee sweete to you death it selfe Life COLOS. 1.25 To fulfill the Word of God THe finall cause of Divine distribution is here doubly set down substantially and circumstantially What is given is to be imparted to whom To Saints to you how much is to be given to them All that is given unto us this last circumstance is prest in this last clause as the other is in the former we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulfill the Word of God i preach fully the word of God The same word is used Romans 15.19 and so translated From Ierusalem round about to Illyricum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have fully preached the Gospell of Christ The matter and the manner of divine ministration fall both here under consideration Sacred constitutions are not stuffed with hay straw stubble things that hold forth onely to sense some humane fading thing they are all of supreame authority and hold forth something of God and nothing else some pure beame of the Sun shines in every sacred Ordinance There were many sorts of instruments about the Tabernacle and yet not a pin but pointed at some great thing some pointed at the wisdome of Christ some at the power some at the mercy of Christ some noted the back-parts some the face some the body some the bloud some the Life some the death some the dying-breath of Christ to wit the word Know the nature and the authority of this Ordinance now managed we breath the dying breath of Christ to fulfill the Word of God 1 Cor. 23.27 i to accomplish his mind who thus made his will By the last words of David were the Levites appointed at such certaine yeares to their worke so by the last words of Christ was this worke put upon our shoulders Whereof J am made a Minister to fulfill the word of God i his last word of institution The dying breath of Section Christ we breath in your faces the nature of this I will open to you what it is naturally what accidentally Naturally t is pure perfectly pure There are three regions of Aire and although one purer then another yet none perfectly pure 'T is a division that pleaseth Schollers Pure but the substance is one So we may distinguish in this matter in hand There be three Regions in that Aire that blowes and breathes upon our soules the brest of the Father the brest of the Sun the brest of the holy Ghost all pure perfectly pure these are personally distinguished but one in essence As things are so they breath Lungs and inwards rotten and breath is answerably corrupt cleane things come not out of the mouth of uncleane wickednesse proceeds out of the mouth of the wicked persons when they are dying their breath is most of all impure all parts within are so over-run and ruined with filth Christ was dying all that time hee lived among us and yet sound in all parts holy and so breathed to the last he gave up his last breath in Hell and yet holy and heavenly and therefore very apt and punctuall is that expression of Solomon Every word of God is pure Prov. 30.5 Christ never had any filth in his mouth the fountaine that gave spring to that out-let was so pure hee never spake a sinfull word if every word of Christ was pure then his dying words were pure his words in Hell Eloi Eloi c. And yet this is not all the emphasis of that Text every word of God is Tserupha purgatus purified Surmo purgatus 'T was a Hell that Christ did speake in all his time here below if this Hell did do any thing it did purge and not pollute his words hee learn'd obedience not disobedience by all he
first abus'd his soul and then his body he swel'd within pride puffed up his spirit the man would be God pride is spirituall wickednesse which had suitable justice man is made naked within as well as without body and soul stript of God and he that would be a God is no man but a beast Man that was in honour became as the beast that perisheth that is perishing all over for you know so is the state of a beast soul and body perishing Justice works like justice she makes suitable revenge to cut off a finger when the man deserves to have his neck cut off humane justice doth not go forth so unsuitably neither doth divine Man abus'd his glory his soul and therefore God turned this glory into shame man defiled this with sinne and therefore this is subjected to wrath and made to need deliverance most and therefore is this deliverance here from sinne noted as the grand deliverance Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse c. Man is in soul-misery universally Wrath death soul-death Universally is passed over all men The whole world is a great field of slain souls not a man in the world but lies under a deadly soul-wound Unbelief hath shut up all and that 's a soul-plague and yet the plague of all saith the Apostle Jews and Gentiles The whole world is shut up in sinne and misery and needs a deliverance what a great goal is one sinne become a gangrene keeps not at one part it runs over all There were many lepers in Israel saith the prophet and he also saith there were many widows but I cannot say of this world that there are many lepers and many widows but all are lepers and widows unmarried creatures to Christ not one good Who can say his heart is clean Prov. 20.9 There is a plague of the body but that is not every ones plague but there is a plague of the heart and that is every ones plague there are mortall diseases upon the immortall souls of all and the expression in the Text here speaks it plain Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse who hath taken us out of the common deluge Use The truth is plain before you man is in soul-misery he needs a soul-deliverance Apply this point to your selves are you sensible of the truth of it do you set your selves to work answerably Bodily misery begins to creep towards you and you are very sensible of this bloud and wounds are like to be common to catch hold of every one and every ones flesh shakes O what misery are we in saith one and what misery are we in saith another yea but what misery is thy soul in art thou sensible of that dost thou feel that plague of plagues that misery within which hath made all so miserable without Bodily misery is but to make sensible of soul-misery 't is Gods pulling the rope without to make the bell speak within and 't is many thousand mens unhappinesse that they consider not this and it comes as the last means to do this The sunne shines a great while as the onely kind means to open mens eyes and to bring them to see their state but when this will not do the sunne sets and darknesse comes in the place thereof that is misery and calamity to beat open these doors which love could not unlock Look about thee England thy last remedie is upon thee to make thee good to make thee know thy lukewarmnesse thy settlednesse upon thy lees thy soul-misery Thou beginnest to grow very poore in temporalls dost thou yet begin to see that thou art poore in spiritualls Thou beginnest to be made naked in body dost thou yet begin to see thy soul-nakednesse what a poore blind wretched and naked Church thou art what a pitifull soul thou hast Bishops may be and Common Prayer book may be and this and that unwarranted thing may be in Gods worship such language as this speaks how soul-miserable thou art still But I will not be so generall in the application of this point I will speak particularly to you In the night owls eyes are open and they see 'T is night now in England and very dark ye blind creatures are your eyes open do you yet see any thing that belongs to your souls doth sinne revive now things without are kill'd your iniquity hath found ye out have you found out it Can you lay your hand on your heart and say Here 's that iniquity that hath made a kingdome bleed my family desolate undone me and mine Paul when the Law was preached to him sinne revived and he died in the consideration of his wretched condition God preaches Law now all the kingdome over because Gospel will do no good doth sinne revive now and can you see the wretched state of your souls When the sonnes of Jacob were cast into bodily misery then their soul-misery came to sight what they had done to their brother Joseph and they could lay their hand distinctly upon that within which brought so much misery without upon them When ponds are stirred and water let out then frogs and toads appear and we see what uggly things they are Thus hath God dealt with many of you Londoners you had great estates like great deep ponds and now God hath let out all almost that you may see what mud toads and frogs are at the bottome of it in your souls with what hearts ye got and kept your wealth do you see any uggly creatures yet stirre in your souls ye are almost I think some of you in Josephs brethrens case ready to starve for want of bread Can you now like them tell that within which hath made such clean work without which hath clean'd your teeth and your states Sensibility of soul-misery is the thing that is driven at in all this The man that complains not of soul-misery amongst all other miseries he undergoes I am afraid is not sensible of the main evil upon him Where there is a new man and an old in one heart there is a perpetuall warre and this very sensible I find a law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind That which will be death to the soul is death to it and the soul groans under it as in the pangs of death Who shall deliver me from the body of this death Corruption according to its qualitie and according to its quantity a soul sensible of its state is sensible of both what corrupt bloud is in him and how much and how it runs up and down in every vein and pricks as it goes and no Physician like him that can do good to this diseased body Who shall deliver me from this body of death What a burthen corruption is to you in the body of it and in the branches of it and what a death it makes to your life what a blessing desired is Christ and what pantings daily about these things you know there is no way like
of bloud upon thee is not thy nakednesse covered with scarlet of such price as puts a God in debt The redeemed adore the redeemer this is in the text Giving thanks to the Father who hath delivered us from the power of death c. a redeemed soul feeds two with every mercy himself and God he admires love this is feeding himself and then he praiseth God and this is feeding of God too Paul could not speak about soul-deliverance but he must make a breaking off and a breaking out Who shall deliver me I thank God Christ The soul is naturally active but as 't is freed by Christ 't is much more active and ascending it sends to God all that is done upon it The soul blesses necessarily as 't is blessed Soul-blessings make their qualitie in us suitable to themselves and to their own nature so much of God as they bring with them so much of God they leave in the soul and the soul necessarily carries as much of God to Heaven as it hath of God from Heaven in any mercy In the Devils arms there is singing drunkkards sing and worldlings sing In Christs armes there is singing too there is singing of halelujahs here the redeemed lift up the Redeemer every soul in Christs arms sings to him all Christs children can sing sweetly there are songs of Sion songs of deliverance Divine love makes gladnesse of heart a heart gladded gets into that bosome that made it so to dilate it self and that makes more gladnesse A redeemed soul is every day more admiring more praising him that redeemed him then other So many souls snatched out of hell so many sweet instruments of melody hath Christ in this world Christ glorifies to be glorified not a soul that Christ pulls out of the devils mouth but he is like Jonah when he came out of the belly of hell a humble relater of wonderfull things to God and man All that Christ takes out of the devils bosome and sets in his own stroke him and kisse him 3. The redeemed obey their redeemer Not a lambe taken out of the power of the wolf but follows the shepheard Your obedience is come abroad unto all saith the Apostle Whom Christ takes they become followers of him in the sight of all Redemption from the power of Sathan and the power of sinne are the same redeemed souls are out of both and obey neither they onely observe him that hath taken them I will run the waies of thy commandments when thou hast set my heart at liberty saith the Psalmist He speaks as a captive set at libertie that was glad of his legs and observe what wayes he takes to runne in I will runne the wayes of thy commandments The soul still is in behaviour as the power under which it is if under the power of sinne it walks sinnefully if under the power of Christ it walks holily in his commandments The soul is still according to the hand in which it is would you know in whose hand and power you are observe well then of what behaviour your souls are Sinners you wallow in your lusts and live according to the power of your corruption and yet many of you plead and glory in your redemption by Christ Your heart gives your tongue the lie and your life speaks you slaves to the devil and your lusts Is it a small thing to you to belie Christ and belie your souls to distract and make void divine redemption Are your souls redeemed and yet are they in slavery to sinne Acknowledge truth that discovers you and confesse your sad state this would better become you A bad state is remedilesse whilest 't is plead for as good the wicked may justifie themselves but God justifies none it will be double death to justifie that which God and conscience condemn Sinners you cut off your souls from grace by wicked confidence God does nothing for the man that thinks all is well but prepare double miserie for calling evill good As corruption is in strength let every soul complain O wretched man that I am c. Corruption makes wretchednesse according to its strength in every soul for as lust lives it misleads sinne will beare sway where 't is not thrust out the old man is not as some old men that sit still and do nothing but is very stirring corruption as it lives is imperious all must be her servants gifts parts yea the very heart Lust as it lives will bewitch your affection adulterate your judgement creep into your bosome and become your full delight then are you wretched souls indeed then are you galley-slaves Sinners consider this point corruption as it is in strength keeps its propertie in all the best of you all will find the devils heaven a hell Ah Lord what will his hell be then You will be weary of your lives as lust lives in you 't is such a bondage make what sweet out of it you can the more artificiall you become in acting and managing corruption the more power it hath in you and the sooner will it kill all your felicitie dead you will suddenly in the flame of lust cry out as that Martyr in a flame of fire in an other case Hell is come is come Sathan is come is come as he cried out Christ is come is come We may releive our selves from this point too respecting this land If power work irrisistablie to save the soul the salvation of the body is much more easie to it One devil is more strong then all the wicked men in England and yet the power which opposeth him about the soul which he most looks at and contends for is too hard for him Fearfull souls be strong you will see irresistable power snatch poore England as a brand out of the fire Power it self as irresistable should releive and as it hath such a propertie and so works snatching creatures when almost ready to be destroyed this should much more releive and raise the heart Were we much lower then we are yet irresistable power can put forth of a sudden and snatch us out of the mouth of lions and 't is its propertie so to do You are left now to fetch in your relief from God onely strike in to do it as you behold any propertie of any divine attribute to put forth it self Now you heare that this is the propertie of divine power to work irresistably Redemptio à nihilo que dam creatio est Means are still enough to that power which is absolute and to work so of a sudden to snatch out of miserie when all is ready to be swallowed up feed your weak souls with this and move at the throne of grace upon it and surely you will heare of God and England will be raised from the dust and have beauty for ashes Before your pots can feel the thorns he shall take them away as with a whirlwind both living and in his wrath And the righteous shall see this and joy
and the fruits of it Redemption notes satisfaction power holding and loosing it self as having found a ransome Redemption is no free thing simply though so in order to us what is free to us is not to Christ satisfaction is made to justice and so the prisoner set free We are bought with a prise Power commanding proposeth its will will proposeth its justice justice proposeth its violation to the delinquent and demands it recompence according to this violation of truth of the least truth is the death of Gods will and so the death of himself the death of one thing in justice calls for the death of another and without delay will have it In the day thou eatest thou shalt die The death of God is more then the death of all the men in the world and therefore justice demands more for satisfaction then mere man-dying for if man-dying would make God satisfaction then when all men are dead justice would be satisfied and so the drowning of the whole world would have been its ransome and the burning of this world its redemption whereas it is but the breaking forth of justice unsatisfied and laying up the debters which are many in a sure prison the death of God is unvaluable with us and calls in justice for more then the death of mere man and therefore God-man dies to redeem And for this cause he is the mediatour of the new testament that by means of death for the redemptions of the transgressions that were under the first testament c. Hebr. 6.15 Legall redemptions had this law to propose worth to worth and so to make satisfaction as exact as might be E. G. an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and bloud for bloud and the most precious bloud for the most precious bloud the bloud of a man for the bloud of a man and without bloud yea without sanguine tali such bloud their was no redemption no redemption in a humane sence because no satisfaction and that pointed to this in my text which is exactly noted redemption through his bloud Redemption notes discharge actuall and full discharge Death paid bonds are cancelled nothing in will and if their were yet nothing in power to prosecute further justice satisfied nothing is charged nothing in the will nor power of any no not in the will nor power of God to charge man Who shall lay any thing to their charge If ye say God he justifies because satisfied and can do no otherwise 't is the Apostles strength of reasoning Redemption takes off obligation to justice though not obligation to mercy We are not under the law but under grace The law can charge no guilt upon a believer because grace hath satisfied the law can charge no guilt but grace can charge duty that is what soever the royall law and what soever the whole will of God requires that grace which hath died obliges to We are under grace that is under all the commands of it to fulfill all that righteousnesse as farre forth as we can which grace hath fulfilled exactly we are under grace immediately and under the law mediately as love to Christ sets the soul to the fulfilling of the whole will of God quantum in se est Redemption notes release from guilt and from rigour sinne doth not dame nor duty doth not discourage precepts bind graciously to the utmost of what imperfect man is able and not to the utmost of what a perfect rule may require Redemption is from a yoke of bondage and not from all yokes from a yoke of bondage to an easie yoke and a light burthen from legall bondage to Gospel bondage which is perfect libertie which is a law as James calls it but yet a perfect law of liberty Redemption is from all sinne but from no service which the Gospel calls for Gospel release is likewise double in heaven or in earth their is a loosing in heaven and a loosing in earth a discharge in the person of Christ and a discharge in our own person a generall discharge in a generall person and a particular discharge made out by that generall person to every particular There is peace in Jesus Christ and preaching of peace by Jesus Christ deliverance made for captives and deliverance preached to captives a ministeriall discharge Divine discharge hath a double administration one above and another below heaven is made to speak and explain her self out of earth and to tell to whom it belongs and then the redeemed can say that his redeemer lives and this is Gods bearing record in earth Much love breaking forth in earthen ordinances and running out of earthen vessells to the sensible apprehension of the beloved a voice from heaven in earth in a frail corrupt state a distinct artificiall voice Thou art all fair and yet understood by none but the party to whom 't is spoken a white stone with a name fairly ingraven in it and yet none can see it or reade it but he that receives it Our discharge in heaven in what state and glory 't is is peculiar to those agents 'tween whom things first passe and without hint I think to us here Our discharge here in what state and glory 't is carried within in the soul ask not me but ask your own souls for 't is honour peculiar and private to every redeemed soul and carried with more state or lesse according to the pleasure of God The summe of all is this Redemption is a sinner discharged by the death of Christ from the power of sinne and wrath Use Is this condition yours My question is generall are you bond or free Bodily bondage is very discernable but soul-bondage is very indiscernable We are Abrahams children and never were in bondage to any said the Jews and yet were never out of bondage to the devil Senses pleased conscience asleep the man blesses himself in his condition as the freest man in the world he hath what he will he can do what he will and none within cry out of him he can eat what he will and drink what he will and nothing tumbles nor wambles in his stomach in the afternoon troubled with no bitter regurgitations from conscience and what freer condition then this in supposition and yet what condition more desperate slavery then this If these men be free they are free among the dead and therefore if you have any life look about you Soul-powers are dead and therefore is the soul so free to do what it lists without controll Loose souls you are no free-men but dead men and all friends are dead that should look to you understanding is dead affection dead conscience dead and therefore are you so lively in sinne so free to do what you list The soul dead in sinne wrath tolls and rings out but the dead heare nothing The dead are buried out of Gods sight ere they are aware hell is the grave of a dead soul which is farthest out of Gods sight of any
all transgressions utterly out of remembrance and esteeming our persons in crucified Christ as Christ the dearest to himself and so held communion with and dispensed to both here and hereafter I say 't is an act of God this act is evangelicall pardon springs from compassion kindnesse makes God ready to forgive and not any motive from without him Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive plenteous in mercy Psal 86.5 The latter expression explains the former good that is plenteous in mercy and this makes readinesse to pardon were not God plenteous in kindnesse a God rich in love he would never be ready to pardon sinne because it destroyes his visible being all this world and all things in it yea it destroyes his invisible being God is no God without nor no God within The fool hath said in his heart There is no God He affirms it to Gods face within the fool doth this that is the man that lives in his sinne Can you forget such as would crush you to nothing 'T is a conditionall act Men must repent and then God forgives Repent that your sinnes may be blotted out thus runs the Gospel throughout Repentance hath two things sence of sinne and faith in Christ which grace is said to justifie because a necessary condition of justification and without which though not for which doth God forgive Abraham believed and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse which is as much as if the holy Ghost had said Abraham went in the right way of justification and so found it he sought it not by works but by faith for you know that 's the dispute there This was imputed to him for righteousnesse this that is not nudus actus credâ—ndi the naked act of believing the act abstractively considered but conâ—unctively considered as such a hand laying hold of such a person this is the condition which the Gospel calls for that Christ be trusted in which also God works which work beeing wrought justification follows actually 'T is actus numeratas a numerall act an act repeated in order to sense though not in order to the thing it self to wit sinne a repeated act in order to chastisements though not in order to condigne punishment We are forgiven this day and we are forgiven to morrow and when to morrow comes a man must be in this to â—e again we must pray daily for the forgivenesse of debts or else they are as not forgiven in order to internall sense and externall suffering Forgivenesse is a daily thing with him are forgivenesses saith Daniel and God doth multiply to pardon saith the Prophet Esay 55.7 Forgivenesse is actus multiplicatus and this with the property thereof and this property essentiall and which destroyed as many misled persons now do destroy forgivenesse and destroy their souls As such a multiplied act doth David apprehend mercy and maketh towards it According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Mercy thou hast ordained to go forth in a multipli'd way in a repeated and a renewed way and in this way I come unto thee saith the Prophet Forgivenesse in the court of conscience est actus repetitus I have now opened to you the weightiest point in Divinity that vpon which your temporall and eternall good depends a very considerable point and circumstanced with a very considerable time 't is a bloudy time a very bloudy deadly time Sinners are your sinnes forgiven A dreadfull throne is palpably errected the judge of all the world is now riding his circuit in England and his trumpets sound sadly in every Countie Drunkards swearers bad good come away to judgement Sinners are your sinnes forgiven Execution is generall great and small are truss'd up every where bodies leave bloud bloud leaves spirits spirits leave this world apace but ah Lord to what world do they go England wicked England where dost thou bury thy dead thy dead souls which depart by troups in heaven or in hell One sad thing let me tell you all Death is at your doore therefore let every man smite his breast and say Shall I die in my sinne or shall I die in thy favour Coloss 1.15 Who is the image of the invisible God the first born of every creature YOu have heard of Christ according to the dignity of office a Redeemer a redeemer with his bloud you are now to heare of him according to dignity of person he is as in action so in person the noblest He is the image of the invisible God the first born of every creature Christ is admirable in action and person altogether lovely so in the judgement of God and so in the judgement of those who can discern what God and what the highest beauty is Christ hath his encomium here by men truly discerning and heare what they say and be taken For his office 't is the noblest 't is to make peace between man and God for his person 't is the noblest 't is the highest representation of God that is in this world no creature in this world yields the like he makes similitude to him who otherwise is without similitude if you look at calling if you look at countenance if you look at birth in all these he is beyond all if you look at calling none is imployed like him for he brings souls out of the devils power with his bloud if you look at countenance he is the image of that God which is so glorious that no mortall eye can behold and therefore called here an invisible God if you look at birth he is Reuben a first born not in reference to this little family or that but in reference to Gods great family which consists of two worlds three worlds all that compasse and every one of those rooms which contain every creature Who is the image of the invisible God the first born of every creature Some have beauty onely by their place and office and so had Saul and in this sense merely I think called the beauty of Israel the beauty of Israel is slain Saul was the shame of Israel and the plague of his family if personally and practically considered all his beauty then lay in his chair So others onely have their beauty in their face and skinne as Absolon and others in their birth and pedigree as Esau all over rude and hairy a rough man but of a beautifull stock the first-born of a brave family some have all these beauties without but none within of a good family of a good countenance of a good rank but not of one good quality but none of these are wanting in Christ he hath a generall beauty in place a King in countenance the image of God in birth primogenitus cunctae creaturae inside and outside both are as beautifull as the other his goodnesse as beautifull as his greatnesse therefore both are joyned together by the Prophet Zachary and admired How great is his goodnesse and how great is his beauty Zach. 9.17 Christs
notion Idlenesse maketh profanenesse profanenesse putteth all powers under the black rod to wit the devill A soul under the power of Satan and the world cannot imploy it self well Poore bond-slaves seek your freedome by Christ or you will be condemned You whose soul-powers are under no power but Christs from you is this expected that you make full imployment to your selves about the various works of God that you travell this world over and the next above it as farre as you can into visible and invisible things and if you loose your souls this way you will find them in Heaven the soul getteth his perfection by much travell Bees fill not their hives from one flower nor in one journey they are fain to go farre and near from garden to garden from field to field from flower to flower so must we from visible to invisible things to fill our souls with the sweetnesse of Christ 1. Coloss 16. For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers c. INvisible things are here named by visible for our sakes thrones dominions principalities and powers are all terms used amongst us and we know what they mean some chief in place and office superiority and rule over others and so have Angels over this lower world at the appointment and pleasure of Christ therefore called chief Princes in Daniel The Prince of the kingdome of Persia withstood me one and twenty dayes but loe Michael one of the chief Princes came to help me Daniel 10.13 Greek tearms here sound the same with the Hebrew word Shinan a Shanach to second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 next to the first as these which have the prime office and command under a King are said to be next to him Hester 10.3 Mordecay was next to king Ahasuerus so Angels they are next to Christ in ruling the visible world and therefore called Shinan in the Hebrew and principalities and powers in the Greek that is chief governours next to Christ in reference to all the creation beside Tearms are here multiplied synonymically which when they are so 't is for our weaknesse there being no tearm comprehensive enough below to expresse things above Angels being so transcendent in all eminences both of nature and office Multiplication like to this you shall find in the first to the Ephesians 21. Farre above all principalities powers might dominion c. There is variety of offices amongst the Angels as appeareth by that place forecited in Daniel but this is not pointed at here in my text as I think by the variety of tearms which are used because they are all of the same signification according to the letters and point joyntly at one main thing which Christ would have all his know That the worlds are subordinate that the visible world is under the dominion of the invisible world that Christ hath an unexpressable power and strength by him at command to over-rule this world and all things in it thrones dominions c. that is transcendent powers which all the powers in this world call them what you will will not fully expresse I will demonstrate this truth unto you by some angelicall properties Angels are unexpresseable for number the visible world is populous but the invisible world much more populous they live not one upon another as we do which makes great consumption here and yet live near together much nearer then we can do who are corporeall beings The chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands or many thousands of Angels His meaning is that God hath more for number then any generall can muster up here if he should muster up all the creatures in the world You begin to number here from tennes and twenties they do not begin to number above so low thousands and twentie thousands are Gods units there he doth but begin to number If men will go to numbring God will out-number them for his number is innumerable Ye are come to an innumerable company of Angels Hebr. 12.22 Our Saviours expression doth plainly demonstrate it that the invisible world is very populous and that God hath a mighty vast command thereof souldiery to still tumults here with ease or to do what else service he will When one of Christs company pull'd out his sword to fight for him Put it up said Christ think'st not that I can now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more then twelve Legions of Angels and every Legion according to the Romanes was six thousand twelve six thousands and more His meaning is innumerable numbers and all these raised presently at a word sighed out Certainly they are very populous above You are here along while of raising an army of tenne thousand and when you have done it 't is longer ere you can raise such another and when you have done it you cannot spare so many to wait up one person about this poore creature and that poore creature and yet this is an ordinary thing with God When Jacob went from Laban Angels met him innumerable and he admires it This is Gods host saith he and calls it Mahanaim that is two hosts or two camps Gods host one is as bigge as two of ours ten of ours and yet these imployed every where about this and that Saint of God Certainly the invisible world is unspeakable populous Angels are unexpresseable for number Angels are unexpresseable for majesty the sight of their face is death to us A man of God came to me and his countenance was like the countenance of an Angel of God very terrible said Manoahs wife to him Judg. 13.6 it was so terrible that it would have killed her and her husband too if God had not mightily upheld they are so fearfully made to flesh and bloud He hath made his Angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire What is more terrible then a flame of fire it conjures naturall spirits and makes them all croud in upon the heart ready to croud the heart to death 'T was the presence of an Angel that rendred the bush as a flame of fire to Moses it was a multitude of Angels which rendred mount Sinai a burning mount which was a terrible sight so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Hebr. 12. Fire is a supreme element for dread it s an element that sits nearer God then all others do and goes forth with more of his majesty when it descends Angels have the advantage of a perfect image this advantage when it was upon man rendred him very terrible to all the creation They have not defiled their scarlet robes as God did put them on at first so they wear them still which render them full of majesty Man hath but a little of God in him and with him now and yet this holds him up and holds him out as a creature of much state but Angels
he will be at peace with you and you should plead it and build upon it COLOSSIANS 1.20 And having made peace by the bloud of his Crosse c. CHrist had dispensation made to him in order to use God meant to doe much by him and therefore gave much to him Christ had full reception and full imployment of the one you have heard and of the other you are now to heare Christ had all fulnesse all in Heaven and all in earth to reconcile all that are in heaven and that are in earth as full as Christ was God emptied out all he drew out grace he drew out nature to the last drop of bloud that was in him And having made peace by the bloud of his Crosse c. Doct. Observe the condition of this world here God gives and God takes Every condition in this world hath mutation A man weares a Jewel in his breast twentie thirtie yeares fortie fiftie yeares and then 't is snatched away againe The spirit returnes to God that gave it Yea Christ and all that Christ hath return to God that gave him Christ lives and then dies dies and then rises Where is Christ now and all the fulnesse that he hath but in that bosome from whence he came forth Hath not Christ bled out all into the hand of the first Doner 't is a brave condition which they have above there is all giving and no taking away every ones life is everlasting and as the silver coard is so are the Jewels that are hung upon it Above all things are everlasting but here nothing is so no not Christ whilst in this world Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more This world hath and then loseth the biggest blessings seeth me no more This world is a little while rich and hath all and then a great while poore and stript of all Seeth me no more Thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation said God to Eli 1 Sam. 2.32 Christ is Gods habitation his speciall habitation yet is an enemy there Sin of man whilst Christ is here The noblest life dies Sin hath brought death over all over Christ Felicitie at first was fixed no mercy Adam had died transgression hath made mutation this is the worme that lies at the roote and gnawes and killes the greenest and pleasantest Goard that growes over us here The sin of the first Adam hath sucked the bloud of the second and not onely his bloud but the bloud of all things else That which followes in the place forecited is here applicable Thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation and in all the wealth which God shall give Israel c. Much was made in a little time and marred in lesse Sin hath subjected the whole creation to vanitie the fall of the body of Christ which was so firmly knit is the liveliest demonstration of it in the world Saul slew his thousands and David his ten thousands but sin hath slaine its millions hath wounded every thing to the heart Christ not excepted he together with all the creation groanes bleeds dies Some things are venemous and deadly within such a limited compasse the destructive propertie of sin is universall it poysons and killes all the world over it changes times seasons Kingdomes worlds hath swept one world away and 't will sweepe another world away Sin makes the Heavens waxe old and passe away yea that which is more firme then the Heavens Christs glorious and heavenly bodie which was not as the Apostle saith of this creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin hath its influence into the mutation of things so hath the will of God Mutation speakes affliction Will of God affliction springs not out of the dust but from the will of God God sets one thing against another and makes fighting between creature and creature between man and man unto death I set all men every one against his neighbour Zach. 8.9 10. I set all men c. That there were men against Christ and took away his life that there were such men against Christ neighbours one in his owne familie c. God set them against him Christ was delivered by the determinate counsell of God Things are set their course divine determination byasseth every state to such an end conditions can be no otherwise then they are Knowne to the Lord are all his workes from the beginning The age of a man is set the age of the world is set it shall be an hundred and twentie yeares saith God Sin provokes justice decrees this makes condition vary necessarily every thing shall die rather then divine justice this overturnes all to keepe up it selfe Angels men the world he which is greater and better then the world Christ The will of God the wisdome of God Wisdome of God hath its influence into the mutation of things here below The being of all things is such that no man may be secure Mutation moulds up time into opportunitie and duty presses hard upon a mans spirit under such a notion it did upon Christ I have but a day to worke in saith Christ things will change quickly night will come and then there will be no opportunitie to worke If Christ made use of motive from the changeablenesse of his condition fallen man may much more God is wise condition is squared to quicken dutie God would have any thing die rather then your grace Were nothing dying holy action would not be lively Man is confident if not powred out from vessel to vessel he settles upon his lees Because they have no changes therefore they feare not God saith the Psalmist Fallen man is pursued in his own way to wit with the falling of things now one thing crackes and anon another thing crackes and these all eccho to one another and speake joyntly and lowdly to the soule that all will crack anon and fall Wherefore looke about thee sinner not a thing not a person comes into thy bosome but breakes there to breake the heart You mourne at the funerall of things groanes beget groanes The bloud and death of things when that cryes and preaches to us if there be any grace if there be any nature the heart cannot but stirre Wisdome hath ordered every thing to preach it selfe to death to you plants brutes men the choicest man that ever was that ever came into the world went out of it againe in his bloud to move and so to save the world Having made peace by the bloud of his Crosse All runs into this All conditions here below have mutation Vse This point preaches submission It hath been a long time of giving and receiving now 't is a time of taking away and peoples hearts rise at it God is dishonoured much by discontentednesse Had we said nothing to prove the point that all things here below are mutable the times in which wee live are a sad demonstration of it View how like himselfe God still moves this shall be our use
of the point What condition but is full of mutation Brave estates brave Kingdomes bleeding to death and brought almost to nothing our sin is ripe wrath is gone forth England that was as the Queen of Nations for all fulnesse is wasting to nothing Natives that for a while have left us and now return'd to visite us scarce know their mother-Land her face which looked so pleasantly is now so besmeared with bloud Here was the seat of my ancestors but 't is burned there had I brave and sweet kindred but now they are slaine and those that live wish for death because nothing left to live upon Wee had treasure as the flints of the brooke estate to accomplish any thing but now we faint in every undertaking for want of silver-sinewes Wee had many callings as so many severall ornaments and pillars of state now all is turned into one all grave-makers one for another every one with his spade by his side to dig into the heart of his brother to dig out a subsistence Light was little but love was much truth could not be found but if it could O how sweet said wee should it be to us dearer then all Truth now shines in our consciences and we care not for it Ah Lord this is the saddest change of all The living are dead the soul-living are slaine with an evill time Gods vowes were upon us but now throwne off and because the times will not beare them Outward changes are bad but inward changes are farre worse England where are those flames of love which blazed so gloriously a few yeares agoe Brethren in New-England were precious O that we had Ilium in Italium New-England in old Brethren in Holland were precious O that wee had them againe and the mercies which there they injoy and now they are with us they are trampled upon as the dirt and all their paines to hold forth Christ and truth to us Are not these sad changes Englands outside inside all changed from vertue to sin from love to malice from wrath to bloud and thus lies weltring and no eye pities her neither Gods eye nor her own Is this Naomi 'T was Naomies friends speech to her her condition was so altered that they knew her not Is this pleasant O no saith shee call mee not pleasant call me Mara bitternesse for the Lord hath dealt very bitterly with me So may I say now Is this England Pleasant England O no call it Mara bitternesse for affection is turned into gall and wormewood shee deales very bitterly with God and his people and the Lord deales very bitterly with her Contemplate truth sadly fulfill'd and then set your selves to draw instruction from it Mutation preaches submission Doth God give and take blesse him 't is wis way he doth so with Christ God filled Christs veins with brave blood and then drew it out all he prepared him a body and then destroy'd it he gave him a being on earth and then turn'd him into hell Christs tranquillity was turned into the strongest extremity outside and inside changed he that heard that sweet voyce This is my beloved Son c. cryes My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Condition varies rich are made poor whole are wounded men cannot beare this therefore the land is full of discontent Sin multiplies and hightens it self as misery doth if God be not very mercifull 't will make misery last till there be not a man of us left We feel the rod but do not beare it sense stirs up passion we rage and this foments divine displeasure the heart listens not after Gods meaning in his dealing to accomplish that and when is it likely that our calamities will cease God makes changes without to make changes within he makes broken estates to make broken hearts he brings much to nothing that he may make you contented with any thing with mean things There are many turnings in your heart do you consider them No God writes them out in your life that you may God takes a copy from within for all that he does to us without Mariners are cheerfull when tossed if their Ship be good because they know the nature of the seas The Ark is very good which a Christian sails in 't is Christ the things we meet with here are common to men much more common to holy men tossings tempests All men are partakers of these saith the Apostle Christians therefore should be cheerfull Finally the point in hand should commend the life to come to us and make us long much for it Job from a tossed state here falls a commending the state of the dead They that are in the grave are at rest c. The earth is the grave of the body heaven or hell will be the grave of the soul they that are in heaven are at rest I pity the state of men that live in their sins they are tost and tumbled here and will be worse tost and tumbled hereafter Wicked men you will never have rest there is no peace to you none here nor none hereafter Godly hearts be cheerfull you shall have a condition without all distraction you shall be tossed and tumbled no more Labour and sorrow the Scripture makes the proprium of this life incident to it as the sparks flie upward but there is no labour above much lesse sorrow least of all greatest sorrow which falls out by great changes Every ones labour follows him and they sit still above and eat the fruit thereof they solace themselves in the travell of their souls as Christ doth as for changes they above know none there are no misty foggy dayes above no clouds no clapping in and out of the Sun they are above those regions which make such mutations of weather Were one above those impure regions of aire we breath in and close by the Sun one should have the strong influence and glory of it alway every day alike Here we sojourn and God sojourns God is as a wayfaring man that stays here but a night but above we shall all dwell together and no sojourning to make alteration of condition If there be any felicity here 't is to know that our misery shall end Lord let me know my end and the number of my dayes how long I have to live c. COLOS. 1.20 Made peace through the blood of his crosse DIvine favour according to its formality we have handled to wit Reconciliation according to its causality we are now to pursue it which is here mentioned Synecdochically the blood of the crosse as including all other passions and actions prevening and conducing to make this last act effectuall to so great an end as mans deliverance from the wrath of God Some persons in a businesse bear the name of the whole so some actions in work carry the denomination of the whole The blood of the crosse was the finishing act of our redemption and therefore here and elsewhere mentioned in stead of all other acts Having
made peace by the blood of his crosse The blood of the crosse notes the very strength of cruelty malice heightened by art contriving many deaths into one a death for the head a death for the foot a death for the arms a death for the sides an army of tortures divided into parties to go their severall wayes in the body and to meet all at the heart to make as many torments as members and as many hels as drops of blood A forlorn state is here sadly hinted men of parts first rejected Christ and then imploy'd all to cut his throat Apostasie generates tyrannie Doctr. The greatest cruelty is among persons hypocritically professing Christianity The death of the crosse was inflicted upon Christ by them that sate in Moses chaire Christ among his own loseth all friends honours blood betray'd and butcher'd in his own family amongst his own He came to his own but could not get off without the losse of his life Profession is a thing of course light drawes out this where it makes no inward change the heart abiding naught action will be answerable first or last what ever the tongue say Some do worse then they meant a Chieverall heart stretches when reacht further then thought of Morality is too weak to resist sin Divinity is too weak to resist sin if it reach not the soul A man is as the temptation that assaults him that hath not the sword of the Spirit in his spirit if it be to kill to kill cruelly to crucifie Christ if a mans heart be not crucified by his light he will crucifie his Father his Saviour when temptation lies this way Sin is so far from lessening that it heightens it self by notionall light accidentally though not naturally What light takes not hold of the heart the heart can take hold of it to make its own way the stronger by Light is a crutch to help Satans criples to go well Low persons get a stoole and become high light makes men otherwise weaponlesse armed strong and wise to do evill The justice of God also is in this point Conviction makes conversion or hardeneth If Christ come neer a city and cannot get open the gates and get in he throwes in granadoes and sets consciences afire when affection opens not Instructed persons have raging consciences mad men are bloody they will kill any rather then they will be whipt themselves this was the case in reference to the Jews Christ was as John a burning and shining light the light he held forth to hypocrites did burn their consciences and to quench this they cared not what they did to Christ open his own veins and take his own blood to quench his own Spirit Hypocrites will take the blood of Christ out of every member of Christ to quench the Spirit of Christ that burns within them Vse This point is very usefull and very seasonable Count not your externall felicity very secure nor your persons free from barbarism because you live amongst professors of Christianity The Word of God is a draught-net it brings up of all sorts whole Christians half Christians a man almost a Christian will quite condemn you and all out torture you and yet wash his hands as innocent of your blood Truth may do much upon the tongue yea much upon the heart of your neighbour and yet not enough to secure your skin the lives next to him Felix trembled Pilate suffered much in his spirit yet did they make Christ suffer much in his flesh and Spirit The Word is of much power upon conscience when of none at all upon affection affrights sometimes but not reforms an affrighted heart recovers it self and becomes by so much the more resolute and hardened to desperate work You that tremble under our ministry now you will recover many such pangs and be hard-hearted to our death to our crucifixion when times turn another way Let no man promise himself immunity from any misery because he lives where profession is rife The best hearts are oftentimes soonest deceived much goodnesse is ready to trust it self where there is but little and receives a wound A Lark hath but a bad eye to discern a true Sun from a false she sees a Sun in a glasse and comes down to delight in it and is ensnared Sweet spirits know this time you have a double disadvantage now You think all are good because they speak well you will be taken with a Sun in a glasse ensnared with something like a Sun Integrity goes with an open breast Hypocrisie makes advantage of this and stabs to the heart There was never more need of this caution Some out of sweetnesse others out of courage are over credulous Gedeliah lost his life this way England hath almost lost its life through over-much credulousnesse but from whence our credulity hath sprung I know not We have had fair words shews of goodnesse and would not heed reall badnesse and look to our selves 'T was told Gedeliah again and again that such sought his life so ' thath been told us again and again that such and such have been false and base and yet because they have been specious for this and that we have been incredulous and ruiningly venturous Courage degenerates into stupidity when faith builds altogether upon fancy Stupidity speaks destruction decreed all is destroy'd that should prevent destruction Understanding swallows fancies judgement builds its welfare upon these now the heart is asleep amongst Serpents Write Lord have mercy upon this soule he will certainly be stung to death ere he awake I have spoken Englands case ere I was aware Stupidity is a common glague our head is broke our wounds are many and we lay our bleeding state in the bosome of such as have served the times to fetch life in us again Ah Lord may it not make a tender heart shake to see how much we lean upon many that a little while since bended any way Where wealth and advantage abound trust may be venturous with lesse perill because much will bear out a little losse and do well but when all is almost gone then one must be double wary how one trusts in weighty matter This is our case we are at last cast upon the brink of death and ruine making our will in order to all priviledge civill and divine and yet have not that mercy from the Lord to take double heed and care whom we make executors to whom we leave the hope of posterity We look at parts honours more then at truth of grace in those that manage our affaires so there be but profession and specious pretences some court divinity to paint persons over to look fair in the eye of men and something like the Cause we manage we venture all upon them Naked profession is not to be trusted the characters of this I will give you that no man may deceive himself nor others Meer profession is vain-glorious light souls paint words actions their faculty lies this way They do
all things to be seen of men A meer professor fails and flats in his noblest action if men observe him not his zeal dies if the breath of men blow it not Come see my zeal c. A meer professor is a Chameleon he lives by the aire of mens mouths he christens his children himself and calls all vertue that he doth Come see my zeal c. And it was but vain-glory a vice and no vertue a stinking weed and no flower They are ugly brats that Hypocrites bring forth no body else can endure to lick them to any beauty and therefore they lick them themselves Come see my zeal Rotten lungs use art to breath sweet they are not troubled when they smell it themselves they only blush when others smell it stinck and therefore use skill to make their breath smell sweet Come see my zeal Integrity hatches good and runs away can scarce own her own children though they run after her a good man cannot tell how to lay hands upon any good action as his but Hypocrisie calls evill good and yet openly appropriates it Come see my zeal If an upright man be any thing or do any thing 't is not he but Christ in him he doth not say come see my zeal or my wisdome but come and see the Wisdome and Life of Christ in me Naked profession is time-serving 't is a Christian squaring his religion to please all sides A meere professor would have all men speake well of him though Christ nor his own conscience doe not which is a wofull thing Woe to your when all men speake well of you i when you so order your religion and course of life as to please all sides though God be displeased Religion is lovely sometimes but not for it selfe some take it up to drive designes and can taste sweetnesse in it no longer then it will conduce to some secular advantage Christ is an abiding sweet where the heart is upright Christ is deare upon the Crosse when torne to pieces deare every limbe every drop of his bloud deare so for ever The way of Christ is more then the strewings of it to a reall Christian all the wealth and all the honour in the world are not so pleasant as one despised and persecuted truth of Christ They are joy'd in the way they remember thee in thy wayes Esa 64.5 They respect the way not the strewings of the way no other strewings but what Christ maketh by his going before them They remember thee in thy wayes i. Christ For he maketh his own wayes sweet to them that simply walke in them Times vary oft and all present new temptations yet one thing is constantly made at in all where profession is reall i to injoy Christ let my soule lie still in the bosome of Christ and move steadily in his wayes and then let times and fortunes change as they will Reall profession pursues realitie in every condition it hunts one hare how many soever crosse the way in which it goes Distraction of times naughtinesse of men make not Christ unpleasant but more precious If the world will frowne O that I could see Christ smile more If truth be slighted O that I could so walke as to live some beautie into it Integritie holds on her way as Solomon saith I tremble to thinke of this generation wee are clouds without water carried as the winde sits that 's Judes description of naked profession When the Parliament prevailes then their wayes are honoured when the King prevailes then his wayes are honour'd when mens persons are honour'd and prosper'd then their religion is honour'd meere profession is a bable a humour any thing nothing a double minde unstable a double mouth sweet and bitter from the same fountaine as the cisterne will best receive that is powred into and this may be the motto of the profession of this time All that hath been formerly said to distinguish in this matter is but one thing and may be plainly rendered thus Naked profession is without internall reformation Spirits can transforme themselves they can speake like Angels and yet abide Devils men can doe much this way Put yee on the Lord Jesus Christ c. The tongue can doe this when the heart hath never a rag upon its backe Their inward parts are very wickednesse There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a turning and a turning inwardly The Author to the Hebrewes useth the latter word Wee have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence Heb. 12.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and wee were inwardly turned the spirit recoiling as asham'd An internall turning i when the heart is turned as well as the outward man according to that in Malachi The heart of the children shall be turned to the fathers which is reall profession The Temple was the same in the outside in Christs time that it was in the Prophets time before yet he could not own it because the inside was not the same it had a den of theeves in it My Temple hath a better inside saith he and whips out these theeves and overturnes their Tables it shadowes out this that where there is a reall Temple a true Christian the power of all lusts though never so many is overturned in the soule by the power of Christ which worketh in us I will speake no more by way of discovery but let the discovered lay to heart their condition You which are but seeming professors you will be reall persecutors The punishment of one sin hardens to another The proper plague of hypocrisie is searing burned spirits are fit to burne others so they doe in hell 'T was a generation of seared hypocrites which contrived the bloud of Christ are they not such many of them which contrive Christs bloud and torment at this day in the Christian world The crosse wee beare is the wound of friends the enemies which cut our throats are of our owne house of our owne Land and pretend to be of our owne Religion Would not that bloudy Army abroad be accounted Protestants and for Protestant Religion I send you forth as lambes amongst wolves and yet those wolves wore sheep-skins they would be accounted of the seed of Abraham 't is our case and it makes our triall the greater our burthen is heavie but God is lightning it glory be to his name The axe is to the roote of the tree which bare but leaves and they are cut downe apace If this side would but mend as fast as tother side end wee should be a very blessed people quickly The ripest fall first we shall not hang long after if our profession also be found hypocriticall COLOSSIANS 1.20 Through the bloud of his Crosse AS this expression speakes crueltie we pursued it in the last Exercise as it speakes the causalitie of divine friendship I purpose now to handle it Christ hath by his death accomplished the favour of God Having made peace through
the bloud of his Crosse Hanging was used under the old Covenant onel◠for some notorious crimes as blasphemie sacrificing to Devils c. and was used as a second death first life was taken away by some other punishment as stoning or the like and then the body hanged up to render the person as well as the fact abominable to all to God and man which is the meaning of that expression He that is hanged is accursed of God Deut. 21.23 his person as well as his fact is execrable greatly abhorred Thus David commanded Rechab and Barzillah to be punished with a double death for that foule fact of murthering Ishbosheth he slew them and then he hanged them up 2 Sam. 4.12 Such a one was Christ judged to be a notorious malefactor a blasphemer one that had a devill c. and therefore hanged on a tree not slaine first but tortured to death upon the Crosse which was a Romish variation from the rule as in matter so in forme and served in this case onely to vend the height of malice against innocency making not two deaths but a thousand deaths in one The bloud of the crosse speakes three things Divine wrath fully suffered Infinite Justice was offended answerable displeasure brake forth a sea of wrath in the world and Christ in the bottome of it alive and all the waves passing over him I went downe to the bottome of the mountaines saith Jonah All the waves passed over me yet hast thou brought my life the pit These expressions speake Christ he lay under mountaines seas of displeasure he bore the full weight of divine wrath he paid the utmost farthing God is not extreame to marke what 's done amisse in reference to us but he was so in reference to Christ not a sin not a circumstance of sin overlooked of all those millions of sinners and sins undertaken for but wrath weigh'd out exact in proportion to all and laid on Christ and he bore all He bore the iniquitie of us all Justice mingles her selfe with mercy when shee breakes forth upon us in the middest of Justice God remembers mercie but it did not so in reference to Christ Justice went forth in its full strength against him without a dram of mercy mixed with it He was made a curse for us Which words speake no mercy The strength of sin is the Law and the strength of the Law is the curse all the curses written in Gods book without any mercy mixed and all this did Christ beare upon the crosse The crosse was a grand curse a superlative punishment which wrapt up all the misery in it that ever justice made or any creature felt Christs cup had mixture in it but not one sweet ingredient all corroding and speaking full and pure wrath gall and vineger was given him in the pangs of death The bloud of the crosse speakes justice fully satisfied 't is called for this cause a Lutron a ransome Wee were sold under sin and the bloud of the crosse bought us paid the full demands of that power under which we were The Son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and give his life a ransome for many The bloud of the crosse is a ransome that which gives full satisfaction to an offended God under whose wrath wee lay Wee are bought with a price this price is not gold nor silver but the precious bloud of Christ The bloud of Christ is bloud of price that this is shed is as much as if the bloud of all the creatures in the world had been shed yea more life is our choicest jewel yet all creatures lives put together and put into one bundle of life and presented to God he would not have taken it to ransome one soule no he would not have taken it as satisfactory for one sin Justice offended is infinite the price given for satisfaction must be proportionable or else no satisfaction the bloud of all the world is finite and not proportionable to infinite and therefore God shed his bloud the bloud of the crosse is the bloud of him that was God-man this made the bloud of the humane nature precious bloud as Peter speakes that is infinitely precious of worth to satisfie for all the sins that are or shall be committed in the world because all will rise but to a finite bulke let it swell as big as 't will 't is of price to satisfie for all the sinnes in the world and if there were so many more then there are therefore is that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more repeated twice in the fifth of the Romans Not as the offence so is the free gift the price is another gets thing then that in proportion to which it is given for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many The bloud of the crosse speakes guilt fully expiated actually in reference to Christ as an undertaker and so also in reference to us who are actually in him by faith He bore our sinnes in his bodie upon the crosse saith the Apostle Peter The Leviticall bloud was purging it purified the flesh as the Scripture speakes and pointed at Christs bloud which purifies flesh and spirit i takes away the wrath of God liable to both Without bloud there is no remission but with bloud there is remission full remission the bloud of the crosse takes out all spots The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 There is not a spot in Christ consider him as our undertaker as married to our nature he is all faire Thou art all faire my love c. Joshua had filthy garments but he hath washed them white in his owne bloud so have they which are in him by faith their garments are white with the bloud of the Lambe by garments is not meant the outside onely but outside and inside the whole person They that are washed are cleane every whit Christ speakes of the Spouse as the Spouse speakes of him Thou art all faire c. Vse Sinners doe you consider how usefull Christ is and make use of him The chastisement of our peace is upon him that which belongs to any mans eternall welfare is contrived upon the crosse by Christ he hath bought all into his hand with his bloud which tends to any ones good he has the eare of God the hand of God the heart of God he has Earth Heaven he hath eternall life and can give it to whom he will he hath the keyes of David the keyes of those everlasting dores he is the dore to the bosome of the Father he hath by his bloud entered within the vaile bought all under his custodie Christ is furnished to doe us good and we make no use of him Sinners tumble in their sinnes and fall asleepe and wrath cuts them off ere they dreame of a Saviour There is a
death in sin to which the death of Christ is without profit this is when the soule will goe his own way Many walke by no rule all is fish that comes to net all is contentfull that sutes to a carnall affection conscience jogges these soules sometimes and then they talke of Christ that he hath dyed for their sinnes but poore soules they doe but talke If the faith of such persons forementioned were faith indeed and no fancie the soule would be crucified with crucified Christ I am crucified with Christ They which indeed appropriate the death of Christ die with him in affection first and then in action by little and little according as the death of Christ is more and more beheld The death of Christ is of double vertue it makes a death of guilt and a death of the very being of sin The bodie of sin as well as the soule of sin is dead The bodie is dead saith the Apostle speaking of corruption Corruption keepes in a bodie all that while 't is alive all powers combine to beate out their owne way as will best carry the world afore it and winke at if not scoffe at the way of Christ this soule crucifies Christ but is not crucified with him The sin of this age is bloudy wickednesse therefore doe we bleed Surely we bleed not so much for small sin our sin is crimson and scarlet coloured wee crucifie Christ his truth his people therefore doth he crucifie us Light rises so doth malice 't is nothing to the men of this generation to speak bitterly to murther bloudily their own convictions Christ shall die at the dore rather then they will open love to him to destroy the advantage of this time A man crucified to Christ is crucified to the world you that kill not the lusts of the world you kill Christ but not believe on him and his bloud shall be upon you not to take off guilt but to bind on guilt till you die till bloud goe for bloud 'T is a very bloudy time in which we live trials murther love to Christ to one another heartie affection to Christ can hardly be found men are so taken up with their own ends Povertie is marching towards us like an armed man all is falling flesh shakes at this and treads upon Christ and treads out his bowels to keepe up such wretches as these know not their wretched condition they have not tasted of the bloud of Christ nor know what Christ is now doing Christ is now avenging the bloud of his Covenant upon all that tread upon it men that doe not so take hold of his bloud and death as to bleed and die with him in name in state in person shall bleed and die by him this time is a discovery of unbeliefe and a recompence Unsensible persons are below discipline these therefore I must let goe Where conscience bleedes the bloud of the crosse may be of use and to these in the last place I will addresse my selfe Soules are loaded and troubled about many things but where the distresse is about eternall life whether shall I live or die Whether shall I live where Christ is or not 'T will be reliefe to such a burthened heart to thinke what Christ can doe for him in this case Thou hast a tender friend in Heaven and thy soule is precious to Christ he hath shed his bloud that thou mightest not die nor more despaire Things are very well between God and Christ he hath stood in the person of many and discharged well his undertaking the favour of God is at his dispose whom he intercedes for with his bloud escape the wrath of God 'T is sad to me to see how some soules sinke they thinke peace an impossible thing for them ever to attaine What is not peace Christs Is not Heaven Christs Is not kingdome power and glory Christs That all is Christs methinkes should quiet the cryings of conscience That God is at peace with Christ should generate faith in the most complaingest soule 'T is a facile thing for Christ to procure the favour of God but how should one get Christs favour And Christ is solicitous how to get thy favour Christs favour comes farre easier to us then Gods favour did to him he doth not expect your bloud to get his favour to accept him is to gaine him his favour is free all that he expects is that poore soules would but trust him and imploy him with their estates that they would imploy him and none else to procure the love of God and eternall blessednesse Could I trust Christ with my estate I know all would be well but I cannot believe Why know this that Christs bloud hath ingaged God to give faith and every grace else unto thee what thou wouldest doe and canst not let not that deject put out that grace you have When a man cannot goe into the poole 't is hopefull to lie neere it for one or other may take him up and carry him in thither whither he cannot goe himselfe Pained soules speake of nothing but the bloud of Christ prize nothing in comparison of this hence must come thy ease if ever out of these pantings spring faith unto joy Christ takes up these creeples of a sudden and carries them into the poole of his bloud You that have the Kings evill stand in the way of the King and though you cannot cure your selves yet you will lie as faire for cure as you can In a spirituall sense be thus prudent in the middest of all your soule-paines say If ever any thing give me ease it must be the bloud of Christ if ever any thing quiet my conscience it must be Christs bloud sprinkled upon it out of these honourable thoughts of proper remedie proceedes remedie to the soule Matter of faith and matter of love should spring from this point if one had time to goe this way The bloud of the crosse speakes love in strength love as strong as death what speakes it in Christ should make it in us No such Sermon of love in the Bible nor in the Creation as the bloud of the Crosse Enlarge this your selves in deeds COLOSSIANS 1.20 Whether they be things in earth or things in Heaven DIvine friendship according to its formalitie and causalitie I have handled according to its extent I am now to pursue it to wit how farre it reaches which is noted in these last words To things in earth and to things in Heaven This Scripture is difficult yet other Scriptures compared with it will helpe us to see something into it By things in earth is meant the Elect called and uncalled By things in Heaven is meant Saints and Angels By reconciling of all these to himselfe is meant the gathering of them all into one spirituall bodie under one head the Lord Jesus Christ by vertue of which the state of fallen man is restored the state of blessed Angels confirmed all to concenter in one common blessednesse for
to bring God and the soule together yet Christ undertakes it for them that groane after it I create the fruit of the lips peace to them that are far off Sin wounds and then Satan makes it mortall this must be looked to 't is the worke of Christ to seeke out poore soules which are stray'd away from God and to carry them home to him in his arme We that enjoy the presence of God should joy and blesse him so I conclude this point Alienation is a sad condition it hints lively what the contrary is to wit a fruition of all priviledge a soule in the bosome of God one ever with the Lord which is Heaven In thy presence is the fulnesse of joy 't is so here God present in an Ordinance God present in a Saint God present in a dungeon and there is fulnesse of joy to the soul what ever be to the body Much company spoiles some so doth much solitude others a man is too much alone when without God Society is never too few nor too many when God is one Delight not too little nor too much when God is present If I had never so many enemies I would care but for the company of one to encounter them 'T is enemies we fear now it should not be Fear not I am with thee So 't was spoken to Gideon The Lord is with thee God takes it for granted that he hath spoken enough to setle any heart against any feare when he hath said we shall have his presence Read Isaiah 64.1 2. O that thou wouldest rend the heavens that thou wouldest come down that the mountains might flow down at thy presence as when the melting fire burneth The fire causeth the waters to boil to make thy name known to thine adversaries that the nations may tremble at thy presence Let 's prise much that condition which cannot be undone having Christ with us we have him whose presence can make mountains melt turn any thing to nothing that nihilates our felicity COLOS. 1.21 Being enemies in your mind c. SUch a tree such fruit what a sad state alienation from God is appears by the effects which are here to the life expressed it makes a man all over naught inside outside heart hand it casts all into a resolute posture of defiance against God Enemies in your mind by wicked works or enemies with your mind in wicked works not nillingly but willingly wicked not so in affection only but in action not in one action only but in many actions enemies in their mind in wicked works The words of God are of weight every one hath much in it 't will appear so being distinctly considered which hath been and shall be our method and manner of following of him who is so far above us and will not let one tittle of his will fall to the ground Alienation is here anatomised we must reade lectures distinctly upon distinct parts They are enemies c. We must open this They are enemies with their mindes or in their mindes c. We must reade upon this also They are thus not only in affection but in action in their works We must consider this too and by that time you will see much of a bad condition and it may be something of your own The Land is overrun with enemies against Christ therefore it bleeds and dies 't will be very seasonable therefore to lay open to you what an enemy to Christ is which is our first work here in the Text to follow the words as they lie And ye which were sometimes alienated enemies c. Sin was Gods first enemy a steady pursuit of this renders men and Angels the next The worst man alive as a creature simply as a creature is not accounted Gods enemy but as these noble creatures above all others prostituted themselves to something besides Gods will God had no enemies till sin came into the world as long as all obeyed Gods will there was love and friendship all the world over Sin hath a legall and a Gospel consideration considered according to the former the least transgression of rule the eating of any fruit forbidden enough to render man an enemy and to be pursued so with all the plagues written in Gods Book Sin hath a Gospel consideration and so the naked acting of sin doth not presently denote an enemy but the going on in it as a constant intended and approved course God shall smite the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such as go on still in their trespasses saith the Psalmist Sin is an unwearied course to some what ever rubs they meet with from the hand of God by blows or otherwise yet they step over them all and go on still That 's an enemy the spirit of an enemy is in him Enemies fear no colours blows blood death will not divert their design against one another The expression in the originall speaks not only resolution but delight in sin and there are not two fuller properties more infallibly to expresse an enemy ambulandis dilictis such as walk in sins a mans walk is his pleasure 't is made and contrived of purpose with much art to suit fancy and to give a complacency As the outward man so the inward man has his walks something that with much industry he makes shapes to suit and delight it self and this is preferr'd before all other wayes now if this be any thing dissonant to Gods will this speaks the man an enemy Some words of Christ set out an enemy more generally others more particularly I shall touch both Christ is set as King over the sons of men his Lawes are written and divulged and such as obey him not according to these he calls his enemies Bring those mine enemies which would not that I should raign over them i. such as will not obey my will Some disobey one part of Gods will and some another Christ hath many sorts of enemies but all so called from one ground to wit disobeying of his Lawes The Lawes of Christ are said to be disobeyed when carelesly neglected ignorantly opposed or maliciously rejected Truth is truth with some men and that 's all as one would say it bears little or no price in affection how plain and convincing soever to judgement they see and do not see i. see and do not regard O that thou hadst known in this thy day c. Did not Israel know the will of God yes there was light but no love to it which was as no light in the account of Christ and this went to his heart Such as stab Christ to the heart are surely his enemies 'T is as if Christ had said O that thou hadst regarded and so it notes an ignorance of opportunity a defect in affection and not simply an ignorance of the thing it self Love naught and the heart is so too hatred in the seeds of it lie in such a soul which will spring up with a little more rain A
counsell of Gods will is his guide Mercy goes forth and embraces this or that person and not from any respect else but Gods will he does all things according to the counsell of his will Prerogative carries all with him God is free and will be free to give what he will to whom he will he hath no respect nor obligement upon him nor will have I will have mercy upon whom I will men proffer to some persons this or that to induce them to do this or that for them and they say no what we do we will do freely God is such a noble Spirit The whole creation is spiritually turned into a Chaos darknesse is upon the face of the deep upon the deepest understanding every soule under heaven without form and void of God As all things were then materially as clay in the hands of the Potter free for God to shape how he would one to this another to that so are we now spiritually and as then he was led in the old creation by his will so is he now in the new creation and by nothing else the will of none interrupts or swayes a jot with God Of his own will be begat us by the Word of truth Jam. 1.18 Not any thing without God swayes him in what he does in the old creation or in the new and therefore all that comes forth from him is free and can be no otherwise I will give you an argument more of this nature and then the use of all not a creature upon the face of the earth that can present any thing of his own to God to draw love and to make friendship in the least kinde Distance and disparitie is so great between some persons that there is an utter incapacitie in one side to make and ingage the other What can a begger a vagabond present a Prince with to make his favour if he would be made with a gift The case is ours out of naught comes naught we are naught and nothing else and can present nothing else to him who is nothing but good There is no soundnesse in us Esa 1. 'T is a remarkable expression if we had any soundnesse and 't were but very light we might present that to attract and make friendship and love and so with something of our own help by art a bad condition but there is no soundnesse in us from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot What grace doth by degrees in a very long space of time that sin did presently Grace doth purge wholly but 't is long first The God of peace sanctifie you wholly c. Sin corrupts wholly presently as soone as ever Adam transgressed it did as some strong poyson run quite over him presently so that we are become as the Psalmist saith Altogether filthy Psal 14.3 Such as are altogether filthy cannot offer any thing of their own altogether cleane and yet so it must be to him who is altogether so or else it obtaines nothing with him and therefore 't is that the Scripture speakes of our righteousnesse as menstruous ragges Vse I have now shewed you that mercy cannot be merited but justice may The favour of God goes for nothing in man but the wrath of God goes forth alwayes for something in man a course of sin should be trembled at ah Lord what will this bring about My goodnesse extends not to God but my wickednesse doth My grace merits nothing but my sin merits much A man may doe enough to deserve hell quickly The troubles of the whole Land are many every Country dyed with bloud I know how folkes speake of all this yet not a drop of bloud more shed then merited If thy many wounds and much bleeding prove mortall O England thy death will be but just desert 'T were well if what now is upon us were all we have deserved we should then give a guesse when our troubles would end whereas now we can give none A person or Nation pursued according to merit perisheth unavoydably The wages of sin is death Our remedie is free mercy that God breake off from what he is yet but entred upon to wit judgement for if he goe on to doe but justice woe unto us all he will finde matter enough to keep justice alive till every person in the Land be dead See Esa 9. He shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry and he shall eate on the left hand and not be satisfied they shall eate every man the flesh of his own arme Manasseh Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh c. And for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still vers 20 21. Justice will finde worke a great while if this be onely imployed about a people 't will eate out all and looke over the hatch for more For all this his anger is not put away c. When justice hath destroyed a whole Land yet not a jot satisfied nor pacified but stands ready to burne it againe and againe Mercy finisheth her worke that consummates the creature justice finisheth her worke too and this consumes the creature When justice doth finish her worke yet then 't is righteous 't is in righteousnesse He will finish his worke in righteousnesse If this be the determination of God upon us that justice shall finish her work in the middest of us we are in a consumption and can never recover He will finish his worke in righteousnesse c. That 's a fatall sentence If free grace intercept not till justice hath finished her worke 't will eate us out all Wee have deserved to die all beate at heaven to know whether the heart of God be hardened as yours is and whether he be onely judiciarily bent against us And whom he will he hardens c. Flint to flint strikes nothing but fire God hardened and we hardened nothing but blowes and fire will or can issue out of this Plead with God for grace and compassion for the Land or we cannot live More particularly I would make application of this point Grace is free in soule distresses let us all feed upon this doctrine God doth not choose us and imbrace us for our beautie as Ahasuerus did Esther and yet this is it that makes many poore soules to shake off what they should take hold on I am very filthy preyed upon with this lust or that should such a one as I kisse the King of glory Is there any reason to thinke that he will take me into his armes and make me his delight Wee may not measure the wayes of God by the wayes of man Grace workes above reason that which we can give no ground for God doth his love passeth knowledge in the breadth length height and depth of it in the spring of it Why is this man or that beloved can any man give a ground more then that which Paul doth It pleased God to reveale his Son in me Nothing can be rendered as
tittle of his will shall live though bad and good shoot at it Satan hath as large an army in the field now as ever was known bad men good men Satan is got into Judas yea and he is got into Peter Master drive gently drive warily save your skin and avoid the bloody cup and yet Christ will be too hard for both Christ wants wit and wants learning and many things else in the eyes of standers by and yet though so weak conquers God hath chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise God should be honoured in his way the Psalmist breaks forth sweetly into blessing God from this ground that God out of the mouth of babes should ordain strength And so Deborah notes it in her song specially and sweetly how Jael a woman did a mans work and used a mans instrument She put her hand to the nail and her righ hand to the work-mans hammer Women are usuall very aucherd at mans work left-handed but Jael is right-handed at it she put her right hand c. and that which was a work-mans hammer is now a work-womans hammer and she blesses God and extols him that â—â—us trode down strength by weaknesse and turn'd a woman into a man and a man into a beast and butchered him on the ground So should we now that children are turned into men little prentise boyes made valiant to cut off the mighty and do the great works of the kingdome and little towns and villages to waste great forces Certainly we of this Land are very much behinde hand with God in honouring and praising of him according to this admirable way of working Things that are precious you will lose none of them you save the very dust of gold The manifestations of God are the most precious things in all the world the very dust of Gods feet in every path of his we should carefully keep we should talk of all his doings how much more therefore of his wonderfull doings when he doth much with nothing and much for nothing for worse then nothing to wit sinfull man How God goes in the Sanctuary and how he goes out of the Sanctuary in the family in the city in the countrey in the army upon what weak legs and with what little toes should be all written down in the heart first and then carried up to heaven for God to reade Our father loves to have his children brought home to him often to see them and their Nurse how well they prosper together You cannot present God with a more taking sight in all the world then with one of his own actions with its speciall circumstances They were under the Law to lay their hand of the head of some offerings that was to point out Christ on whom they trusted Bring an offering to God any action of God with its speciall circumstances and you lay your hand on the head of the offering you point out Christ to all the world as he whom you trusted on in your way and as he whom you would have all else to do the like and on none else and this is very sweet to God he loves to lie high in the breast of all God hath done things in England so me thinks as to be crowned for ever in every English heart by a very noise amongst the Mulberry trees he makes the mighty run and fall Not by might nor by power but my Spirit saith God 'T is by how much God gains in your hearts that you are to measure his love to you in his works With little God doth much for you if with much you do little for him in speaking of him and living to him all will end sadly at last If nothing will set an instrument in tune you break it and burn it this makes me feare our state in the midst of hope God is very good to thee England but thou continuest very bad dead inwardly dead spiritually which according to reason one would think should make death corporally Finally this way of God should be trusted in or this God which can thus work should be firmly rested on When extremities are great and little means appearing then our hearts sink now misery is mortall but of our own making for 't is all one with God to save with few as with many Nothing kills the man so long as faith keeps alive and faith can never die if the soul well consider the point in hand that any thing is enough for God to work salvation by I am much in debt but a little oile in the cruce left God can blesse a little to rise to a subsistance and to discharge off all ingagements A little of God is enough to make one very rich very strong very wise very blessed in all conditions let misery be as much as ' twill Some are disheartened from duty because opposites before them are many visible advantages very few these soules lie insnared in their own devices and dye at a distance from God which they have set themselves to keepe their body safe with a little light and an honest heart God can enable to doe much to fight with the Prince of darknesse very learned heads and very malicious hearts Did not God inable many poore women and illiterate men to befoole the bloudy Clergie of the former ages of the world and to hold faith and a good conscience in despight of all Were not them we read of in the Hebrewes out of weaknesse made strong and the point in hand tells us that this is the way of God Resolution should carry on to dutie and then let God alone to carry on in it how weake soever you are or how strong soever your enemies are A great dore was opened to Paul and there were many enemies at it he but one and weake and yet along he would and venter upon Christ to make way through them which makes one weake one stronger then a thousand COLOSSIANS 1.22 In the body of his flesh through death IN severall verses foregoing the extremitie of Christs sufferings is mentioned and yet here againe In whom we have redemption through his bloud vers 14. This is repeated and amplified ver 20. where 't is call'd the bloud of his crosse Here is the same thing repeated but with variation of termes what before was called bloud and bloud of the crosse is here called death Christ did bleed to death for sinners Christ underwent much but it workes but little upon us Often repetition of the same thing is for energies sake that what is not laid to heart at once speaking may be at second often repetition of Christs sufferings speaks lowdly this That 't is a hard thing to be kindly and throughly affected with what others undergoe for us Doctr. Jacob underwent much for Laban so did David for Nabal heat and cold but both coldly remembred such cold carnall wretches they were both Earth hath no sense this is the state of our soules naturally Can a stone
sinful mirth into mourning God will turne it into howling God loves not revenge yet what he is exemplarily eminent in he cannot endure that men should altogether slight God layes to heart all that we undergo for him in all our afflictions he is afflicted so should we lay to heart all that he and his undergoe for us 'T is the grand medium of conversion this that I touch What will melt the heart if that love which bleeds to death for us be forgotten Sinners Christ hath suffered the wrath of God for you he left more wealth then this world is worth and became poore he left a mansion in glory and took a body of flesh a house of clay and in this house dyed and left you all that you might live for ever in the fruition of all Is all this nothing Will you regard your sinnes more then this Christ Shall your lust live though Christ have dyed The death and bloud of the Lord Jesus will be upon you Can you looke upon pierced Christ and not mourne He will shew you your owne hardnesse of heart in a like carriage he will looke upon the wounds and torments of your consciences in the houre when you make your will and not be affected When mercy cannot bring forth justice becomes the mid-wife and this cryes save the womb save the womb let what will become of the childe if this childe die and bee puld to pieces between the legges yet another may live if the womb be preserved God much eyes the meanes he uses to doe us good he will preserve the honour of these though thousands die which trample upon them What Christ hath suffered for us shall gain and save thousands though it destroy you though you lay not Christs love to heart yet Christ will have a great many to do it When I am lifted up I will draw all men unto me Christ makes means and then blesseth them to their end men eye not this and so die without the benefit of them What Christ hath suffered for us he hath promised so to order as to make it drawing and winning of us that his lifting up upon the crosse and from thence to heaven shall lift up our souls from sins and from thence to him and to the place where he is These words should be believingly urged and then the work of our welfare would go on an end As mercy stoops lowest it takes up us for God to make means and blesse them is mercy stooping very low to take up them that are quite down Doct. There is one point more I would willingly touch ere I part from these words and that is The mortality of all earthly and fleshly things Death passeth over all now The body of beasts flesh the body of our flesh the body of Christs flesh dies In the body of his flesh through death Some worms are small to look upon and yet will penitrate and consume an Oak Sin is such a thing small in the account of men and yet gnawes asunder the strongest sinews the body of Christ transcendently compacted not of this creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9.11 as the Author to the Hebrews speaks and yet sin dissolves moulders this stately fabrick From the greater to the lesse we may argue safely If the body of Christ cannot live in respect of sin surely no body else can The body of Christ would have born more then all the world and not have cracked Vanity of vanity all is vanity the body of Christ dies the body of all other things die which stand further off from sin then the body of Christ and the body of man do The body of Christ and the body of man stand in a more immediate relation to sin and the fruit thereof then other things of the creation do and yet sin eats out every body of the creation those that stand furthest off from it the whole world waxeth old waxeth languishing ' thath made its will 't will die in a moment the glory of this world passeth away the forehead of this world to wit the heavens will become wrinckled and wax old Wisdome will have no heaven here Death shall gnaw the greenest goard the strongest mans body and every body that bears respect to it We and our best friends die your fathers where are they My father my father the chariots and horsemen of Israel c. and yet this would not hold him his dearest friend in the world must be gone It shadowed out Christ he is our Father our Father twice as good and as dear as all other friends that is he is the dearest friend man hath in all the earth and yet a fiery chariot fetches up this Father from his children here Christ goes away I go away and yee shall see me no more So said Paul to his spirituall children and it did cut to the quick Justice doth retaliate We killed God in all and so doth he us we did run away from God and left him solitary and he makes every thing run from us husband wife children one dearer then all Christ and leaves us alone The spirit of the Angels which fell was in us when we fell pride and malice would have puld down God we shew'd our will but could not accomplish it upon God but he hath upon us not we nor any thing in our similitude can live if God see but our shadow and Image he strikes at it as we did at his Christ fared the worse for us he dyes for having to do with us Vse What God means in all this should be inquired into What every carnall thing dying and yet carnall affection alive There is demonstration enough without of the mortality of all things but no demonstration of this within us our inward thoughts are that our habitation shall indure for ever England all over is a demonstration of this point that all things are bleeding and dying Christ had rather that a thousand thousands of bodies should die then one soul one thing is aimed at that all things die to wit the death of your lust the life of faith and this is your lesson from this Doctrine Can you receive it Every thing shall live for ever when you can love all in Christ and admire all in Christ and make an advantage of love by all to Christ All the ruines you behold in this kingdom or in the whole creation all the seas of blood wherin the world is at this day are but to wash our hearts that 's very foul which must have all without even Christ himself turn'd into blood to cleanse it 'T is long ere carnall affections be slain every thing must die and its blood be thrown in the face of conscience ere the man will spit out what offends God The stability of all about you bears much upon the rectitude of your affection Take heed how you love husband wife children you may hug them to death with a sinfull love You complain of Cavalleers for
simply considered never ceases they in heaven do Gods will and are proposed as our pattern on earth they are so exact in the observation of it but the painfull observation of Gods will which is by reason of corruption within us and wicked spirits without us this ceases as soon as we step out of this vile body but not before They move to Christ above as Christ doth to them with the same spirit of freedome joy triumph and glory That they may be one as we are There is no sighing and groaning mourning dying to accomplish Gods will above all move there as the Angels with delight every one milks out love from the breasts of Christ and sings over the Pail to behold how full 't is and how free it comes and yet though it cost all these to obey any truth of God here we are not to cease our course Every childe is brought forth with pain but some with more then others it costs life to bring forth some yet it 's horrible wickednesse for any to strangle the birth to prevent the pain Benjamin must be born though it cost Rachel her life She was a shadow of the Church which must bring forth Christ in all his will though we die in travell if you abide throughly of the faith Vse You see how heaven bears break truth and break your back and what groaning will that make no groaning so sad to do as that which is by not doing Gods will Heaven and Gods will are linked together break the link if it be but one link and the jewel falls and is lost Heaven is a Jewel hanged in a golden chain break one link of the golden chain and you lose the Jewel 'T is nothing to desperate souls to make void Gods Law I wonder at them Is it nothing to lose heaven to untwist the golden chain upon which your eternall treasure hangs Transgression stupifies this is the killing quality of sin Sinners mind not what they do when they throw off the will of Christ any part of the will of Christ you throw away your life Heaven lies wrapt up in truth in that truth which you will not submit to Would something would work upon wicked hearts upon the desperate wicked hearts of this age that sin might abate amongst us or else the sword of Gods wrath is like to eat us out Alas for us all I know not what hand of God is upon us wrath findes a great deale of matter among us to work upon and we can finde none When we presse love to Christ and observation of his will every man washeth his hands I do it saith one and I do it saith another Will you lie before the face of the Judge of all the world now he sitteth upon the bench upon the life and death of the kingdome Men are worst which think themselves best if there be any plague that kill thee England 't will be thy Laodicean temper that thou thinkest thou art clean and art not washed from thy filthinesse that thou needest nothing and yet observest nothing Euangelically that looks like a lovely State Our point sets us too high a great deal to speak to this generation it calls for exact observation and we are by the hand of God upon us cast into the quite contrary a generation that had a little conscience but now have none Loosnesse and lewdnesse overspread the multitude brawniness and benummedness the more ingenious good men become bad bad stark naught and stink above ground 'T is worse then blood and death to heare and see in every place where one comes what mire and dirt our troubled waters cast up as if war were a ticket under Gods own hand to dispence with all wickednesse O the oaths the execrations whoredoms oppressions outrages of all sorts that the very highwayes and villages are filled with where ever one comes The stink of your camps enough to kill a good heart at a great distance 'T is sad that the blood and bodies of the dead should taint and poison the living that we should die swearing and blaspheming If there be any tender hearts among you carry these things home and mourn for I am fearfull what they presage The work of this point is not only to winde you off from prophanenesse but wind you up to exactnesse to through walking with Christ We halt the fruit of it is upon us the hand of God will not yet cure it what it may Christ only knowes The heart must have its latitude 't is every ones saying this To hit the white is not needfull one may shoot well that doth not this But can one shoot well that aimes not at this I presse towards the mark I forget what is behinde if by any means I may obtain the resurrection Here is the property of grace in life it owns nothing but perfection makes at nothing else 't is in aim and industry all Christs Men are charmed with their own unsoundnesse the heart secretly sinfully ingaged aim and industry are really correspondent hereunto what ever verball flourish be made to better spirits and persons that stand by here is a man strangling himself in his bed which is a condition that makes little noise every thing is so artificially managed to destruction yet alas it is the common profession of this time How far will these times beare with a profession of Gods will How far will Christs honour and mine consist Here the soul wasts its strength If there be any intense through action now on foot it lies here so to shape the course and posture to the right and left that the man may take in all worldly advantages of both sides along as he â—â—es There is much art in this but 't is all cursed 't were well if the man had lesse policy and more integrity There is much advange in this but it comes to nothing the plague of an hypocrite is upon this condition which will eat a man out if he had all the world There is more of heaven in a plain heart in a moment then this man sees in all his dayes The advantage of through action is this A man gets much of Christ much grace much glory Some mens religion is a principle of jugling with conscience and the world 't is a temptation upon thousands at this day these lose what they seem to have Christ and all grace quite Christ kicks off every Judas quite that kisseth him and kisseth enemies to him too for his own advantage but a soul that cleaves throughly to Christ hath much of him the dispensations of Angels Stephen shined like an Angel owning Christ in the face of deadly and bloody opposers Externall dispensations cannot be stood upon how Christ appears to honour the persons of men that will go to the grave with him is more uncertain they have the face the tongue and the food of Angels when it may do them good and torture devils that vex them Externall concurrence is sure
all God will thus speake within to thy conscience sooner or later If this be the potent remedie of ingratitude you speake of I have had this alreadie I cannot sleepe sometimes these things are so whispered in mine eares Why better want sleepe then want instruction from Christ Doth it not yet doe the thing Why beg him then to seale thy instruction God speakes once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not then he openeth the eares of man and sealeth his instruction Sealing instruction is so much of Christ given forth to the soule in his word or workes as leaves the image of Christ plainly upon the soule A thing is sealed when there is such an impresse made as leaves the image of the seale upon the paper Then can we see the image of God plaine without when 't is plaine upon the soule within when one sees two Sunnes then one wonders 't is so spiritually when one can see Christ within and Christ without such are the soules that admire all the kindnesse of God The Apostle saw two Sunnes he looked upon himselfe as a converted man and then as such an intrusted man with office a man cannot see God without well unlesse he can see him within Christians and here be a sweet company of you this worke I see by the course of things fals to your share look that you discharge it well this is my charge upon you Christ hath no active creatures to gather him honey and to bring it home to his dore but you there be some wild Bees that gather a little honey and of a scurvey wild undigested nature but they goe and hide it in holes of the earth and in hollow trees I know not where How doe you bestir your selves Christians in gathering of honey for Christ The garden in which you are was never fragranter with flowers then now Not a man you meet with but you may wonder he is alive not a stone in the streete you tread upon but you may wonder 't is not coloured with bloud not a limbe you have but you may wonder 't is not cut off not a good Minister not a good Magistrate but you may wonder he is not cut in a thousand pieces how ponderously and warily should we goe up and downe every where in England now after all the great things that have been done in it that wee doe not tread wonders in the dirt What a time what a place doe we live in and what advantages have we to bring in rich treasure to the crowne of Christ and so consequently to our own crowne And thinke then what hearts you have which are frothy and wanton now Fatherly providence hath made every mercy a thousand times bigger then 't was that you may see it as you should doe you doe so Christians Our house is sweeter then 't was husband sweeter then he was every thing is renewed a new glosse from an immediate hand put upon every thing 't is strange that things that are so varnisht and inlaid from Heaven should not divinely take us I am jealous of you Christians I am jealous of you that yet Christ is a great loser by you in the glory of his Name Divine heat is wanting in you though God hath rubbed you so much and so long till he hath rubbed off the skin A man may discerne where ever he comes that the goodnesse of the Lord is not in your mouthes is it in your mindes You froth at mouth and bespatter every one that comes neare you with it that one had need downe upon his knees to God to wash his soule from the filth that comes from you these things are against you Christians but I spare you Thinke but what God hath done and what he is now adoing and then thinke what hearts you have that can be frothie now COLOS. 1.24 Now I rejoyce in my sufferings for you DUtie with its issue lieth here together it brings forth twinnes but not like each other misery in the discharge of it joy in the end The better the instrument workes the worse lik't of the world and the worse used this is sorrowfull but the more blessed of God to a gracious successe this is joyfull The childe that comes last out of the wombe of dutie is a pleasant childe Now I rejoyce in my sufferings for you The instrument that faithfully wrought beaten with these stripes many were healed Paul lived to see this this made him forget misery whilst in it for he was in bonds when he spake these words Dutie at last is sweet it comes off with Heaven though Hell dog it for a time Now I rejoyce Esther sighes mournes groanes and then feasteth and rejoyceth at last 't is a true emblem of Christianitie 't is clothed with sackcloth a great time but changes garments at last Blessed are all that die in the Lord Persons when they end actions when they end though they end in bloud and death yet if in the Lord in the discharge of dutie they are blessed with sweet successe they eate the fruit of their travaile 't was so to Christ 't is so to us Successe is the crown of action a crown from God here Can a soule weare a crown from God here or any where and not joy though a great while a putting on This point must be understood When I say dutie ends well it must be understood dutie faithfully discharged Hypocrites are very doing but action never comes off well what ever joy they have in the beginning they have none in the end how much soever they sit up and worke yet they lie down in sorrow what fires and sparkles soever they kindle goe all out ere they goe out and blast and not blesse the soule at last this is a universall truth made so by the hand of justice Behold all yee that kindle a fire and compasse your selves about with the sparkes this yee shall have of my hand yee shall lie downe in sorrow Esa 50. ult Christ crownes no hypocrite neither here nor hereafter neither action nor person all that is unsound rots They shall not eate of the travaile of their soule how painfull soever their travaile be but die in travaile their hope is cut off an hypocrites livery yea his legacy is nothing but a deaths-head obedience faithfully discharged ends well where ever this ends if it be in a prison or any where else it is with joy Obedience is rejected because of its issue 't is a damnable fault they die in travaile that are married to Christ therefore I will never be married to him he clothes his Spouse with mourning garments and her coate is edged at end still with deaths-heads I will never be married to him then thou canst never come to Heaven he brings none but his Spouse thither Though Christ doe not use his Spouse ill himselfe yet he suffereth others to doe it there is nothing but bloud and death in the way of God I dare not set step in it Many speake
this in their heart their not obeying is a demonstration of it A sad temptation is strongly seized upon you if it hold you you are lost the fearfull of this sort are shut out There be troubles in every course under the Sunne dost thou find none in disobedience Then the more is to come Bloud and death and hell are at the end of thy way Sinner and yet darest thou to keepe on in it Surely thou art not so much fearfull as wilfull Instruction cures distemper when 't is but of meere weaknesse when the soule waits to turne in with Christ and yet cannot but where it is otherwise lay open as much danger in one way pleaded for as in another way pleaded against yet the man will hold on his course which speakes the soule ingaged by will and not so much overborne by weaknesse and then there is no entrance for right principles I would let these alone which have shut themselves up till Christ breake open doores upon them and speake to a generation more ingenuous Men that are candid love to doe things that will end well then set upon the workes of Christ If thou be a Minister preach Christ faithfully who ever oppose if thou be otherwise of any other ranke practise the will of Christ sincerely what ever thou suffer Things may goe harsh a time but Christ will bring about a season 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now I rejoyce that ever I did this and that ever I did that for Christ If Christ doe not bring about such a time here he will above O how joyfull are they above that ever they had hearts to suffer for Christ here below Now I blesse God that I lay in such a prison what a mansion have I to make me amends Now I blesse God that ever I was hungry that ever I was naked for Christ what precious meate and what glorious apparell have I to make me amends 'T were enough if the now of a Christians joy did not come till after this life but shall a Christian have one here Let truth and conscience keepe company in stormes and I think I may assure any man a sweet calme here let men and devils doe all what they can but let these two be parted there will never be a season of joy reall joy the soule is betrayed that hath any other opinion or practice The righteousnesse of action should onely be eyed by us as for other things skin and bones and goods and such like lumber should be all ventured in this bottome I am for Christ if I mourne all the dayes of my life and have not one teare wiped off till I come to Heaven all is one so one should set out setting Heaven at the furthest distance that can be thought of and then a man meets with it often long before he accounted in this prison or in that dungeon where one would look for hell rather then heaven so did Paul Now I rejoyce c. COLOSS. 1.24 Now I rejoyce c. PAul was in prison when he spake these words so considered bravenesse of spirit sparkles in every syllable of the expression Now I am in the mouth of the Lion now I am in the belly of Hell now I am in the face of Devils now I own Christ and triumph in all that I undergoe for his Name Divine magnanimitie wee are to stand upon 't is a soule in all conditions openly very stout and very amiable in the pursuit of Gods will Disadvantages are many in a Christian course in none more magnanimitie knowes none 't is one that can make a Trumpet sound admirably where there is no eccho in a pit in a dungeon in his coffin in his grave he will sing and make his chaines Late-strings among the dead he is alive now I rejoyce You have a Latine Proverb of warre Mars communis warre is of various event sometimes against one sometimes with one so I may say of the warre of a Christian 't is Mars communis sometimes we come off well sometimes we are taken and chained sometimes the battaile is so hot that all run away Magnanimitie stands to it then fights alone shee is oft a prisoner but never a run-away one is enough to wit Christ though all else run away or how ever disadvantaged otherwise yet upon this advantage shee stands to it alone and fights with many yea fights and sings thunders and harpes you have the voice of great thunders and of harpes joyned together Revel 14.2 The servants of the Lord fighting and thundring against Antichrist and yet harping and singing Est virtus omnia ad gloriam ferens A vertue that mouldes and shapes all things good things bad things prisons chaines bloud all to divine triumph Magnanimitie is alwayes very stout but alwayes very amiable when shee breaths and collects spirits she doth not curve her brow frowne and fret and the like but smiles in the face of crueltie it selfe Michal scoffed David and stoned him with her mouth but David smiles and dances Paul in chaines at Rome rejoyceth now I joy In the belly of Hell Jonah prayes yea gives thankes I will sacrifice to the Lord with a voice of thankesgiving salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spake unto the fish and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land Jonah 2.9 10. As the verses goe and are conjoyned one would thinke they did carry this brave sense that as soone as God did behold Jonah in this brave posture of spirit not onely big with prayer but with praises even in the belly of the Whale that then he spake to the Whale to give him up that then he spake to Hell to give up that person to Heaven whose spirit and action was there before There is an amiablenesse of person and an amiablenesse of action and Magnanimitie hath both shee sets the countenance right the eye right and the hand right when shee is stout 't is in the truth and for the truth shee pursues a noble game and abhorres all evill means to catch it to get Earth to get Heaven shee will not be bribed when there is any base carriage in a businesse none more ignorant of any such thing then a Christian truly magnanimous Christian magnanimitie is borne of humilitie and simplicitie and hunts after nothing more then the incouraging of the parents of which shee came but this shee pursues to the utmost Things that are of the truest and highest glory these doth a magnanimous Christian Nervis cunctis incumbere intend with every sinew all things that are simply sinfull or but of meane account come not into his thought 'T is virtus tendens ad maxima a Christian that struggles to be of all Christians the chiefe for humilitie for integritie for faith for love for fruition for emission for taking in of Christ for laying out for Christ A Christian indeed magnanimous is the greatest Merchant-venturer to the tother world that is he is mightie in stocke he hath many millions of
't was to be in strait for his life so unfatherly was his father and therefore he proves a brave spirit for this noble service to save the life of David to raise him and Christ in him to his throne he was all heart and soule in it and God was with him God is doubly present with a man which he hath much exercised which is an incomparable advantage to all divine usefulnesse No man can speake so feelingly so healingly as he that hath much of God speaking in and with him this is the man of a thousand that can speake words in season like apples of gold in pictures of silver that can lend legges to the lame eyes to the blind that can comfort those which are cast downe with the same comforts wherewith he hath been comforted from the Lord. COLOS. 1.24 And fill up that which is behind c. THe afflictions of Christ are twofold in his person in those which hee personates the former are accomplished the latter are yet accomplishing Christs will and himselfe are one such as strike his will any part of this or any lover of this would strike Christ himselfe if hee were now present Christ is plaine hee cals actions as intended not as pretended The second Adam names things as the first when he stood according to their nature what is against truth is in the nature of it against Christ who ever be the professor of it and therefore so accounted yea and so openly called And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ And fill up the word in the originall is compounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and full of emphasis it signifies re-action or re-passion the doing or suffering of a thing againe to doe over that which some others have done already readimplere as one translates The measure of suffering that tendeth to satisfie for offence and ransome man from the wrath of God Christ hath fild up to the brim the cup was big but Christ poured out blood enough to fill it one would have hoped that all suffering worke belonging to a Christian had been done then No 't is not saith the Apostle I doe iterum implere rursus implere fill up againe the sufferings of Christ Malice lives still Christ is crucified afresh in his members Christ doth bleed in my veines afresh saith the Apostle if there were any drop of blood left behind when he bled upon the crosse now t is fetcht out through my sides How implacable is the fury of man the fury of God was stopped when Christ had bled to death and 't was not his will that ever Christ should die any more or that any one should die more for Christs sake but yet the fury of man lives and that would have Christ die over and over iterum iterumque againe and againe 't would have every house pulled downe and burned that Christ gets into 't would crucifie his image his picture 't would make him bleed as long as this world lasts yea to all eternity therefore doe wicked spirits in hell blaspheme and teare his name a worke which they will never leave though it continually adde to their plague and yet these doe but shew the nature of all malicious men on earth which are everlasting blood-hounds which spend perpetually upon the sent of Christians upon the sent of Christ in any earth Malice should be looked upon as t is an implacable thing and men in whose breast it is should be looked upon as they are fire-shovels fetched from hell to carry everlasting fire from house to house from place to place where ever Christ is to burne him out of this world quite to burne him againe and againe till there be none of him left not a finger not a toe not a haire We are much given to wondring we know the reason of things so little to see a man drinke blood and never be weary of drinking such a fulsome drinke t is strange to us yet t is the property of that fire that burnes in the breast of the man to make an unquenchable thirst after this red Wine t is a damnable disease that the man cannot helpe nor no man upon earth for him every good body must keepe out of his way as well as they can I know no other remedy the man will set abroach any ones blood Pauls Christs any one that lookes like either Christians have a blessed keeper or else how rare would they be in the world Blesse God that there is a good man left in the land at this day in the middest of so many blood-thirsty O how much are good hearts put to it every where by this generation Mourne over both persecutors and persecuted they are both in hell fire Ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word may signifie to suffer for another pro-implere to fill up in anothers stead according to his appointment Christ is gone out of this world and he hath left Christians in his stead and all his prime trust and businesse with them to doe it for him to accomplish his will to walke in his steps and to take in good part what befals them in this way Christs businesse left to Christians is comprised in that expression of bearing his crosse he did beare his crosse himselfe when he was on earth now he hath left it to his people to beare it for him to tread in his paths and take such lodging and fare at night as fals out When Christ died he left but one child to keepe for him but that one a precious child to wit Truth and this so to keepe as never to let it die what ever die I can doe nothing against the truth but for it I can doe any thing suffer any thing that truth may live I can die I can drinke off a cup deadly full deadly big which will hold all my blood to fill it This is our president in the Text. I fill into the same cup that Christ did saith Paul and the same liquor red Wine the blood of a brave Grape the blood of an upright heart and this for his sake At what heighth we are to be for Christ is considerable at the same heighth that Christ was at for us we are to rise to the losse of estate honour life Neither count I my life deare Life is the prime Jewell of nature t is the union of two great estates body and soule t is of more worth than rayment i. then all outward things and yet this of no worth and of no price in order to truth I account not my life deare I am about the worke which Christ was filling a cup that is deadly big that will hold my life-blood to fill it and yet it is nothing to me no griefe if it be any matter to me it is matter of joy Now I joy to fill up that which is behind c. Thinke how brave you should be and how neere you are
to it or how much you are below it Pauls triall is at the doore God hath armed your enemies they have instruments of death in their hands t is your goods your houses your Cities yea this is not all t is your blood too that they thirst after Can you proffer your breast to the Speare to save truth alive therein sad things at a distance are made nothing of this is the strength of our misery death may goe up and down in the West but it cannot come this way Why should any one dreame so Sinne and justice will meet any where in a City walled with Brasse up among the Starres if sinners can seat themselves there Hath all the provocation been among poore blinde soules which never had the knowledge of God nor scarce any meanes to attaine it And is there no provocation to be found among you children of light There be strange lightnings before death people will sit up in their beds and call heartily and talke cheerfully as if there were no death neere and it may be at the same time death in their extreame parts in their feet and in their nose Thou art in thy sicke bed London and art thou sure it shall not be a death-bed to thee death is upon thy extreame parts upon this County upon that County upon this towne and that City is there no danger of the heart The evill day is not farre from men because they doe put it farre from them Death is in all our soules can it be farre from our bodies so farre as never to come at them What man among us hath life for Christ as he should is not death seized upon our extreame parts those persons that should be as our nose to smell for us in things of weight dead those persons that should be as hands and feet for us in matters of weight dead spirited examine your selves all in this point and from hence prophecie if you will needs peace or warre to your selves and from nothing else though this way of prophesie be not infallible yet it is as likely to foretell what is to come as to prophecie from such and such events past 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vicissim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies vicissim implere to doe a thing in ones turne Christ hath taken his turne and suffered his part in the will of God and now my turne as if the Apostle had said is come to doe that which belongs to me The cup is very big it will hold Christs blood and the blood of many more to fill it up Christ hath poured in his share and now I am to come next and powre in mine and who is to come next after me Christ knowes The word so read the order of divine triall is hinted unto us Gods people are not all in prison at once some are in at one time some at another some are in for so many daies and then let out againe and then comes in others The devill shall cast some of you into prison and ye shall be there for ten daies The cup of affliction goes round the Table every one drinkes of the water of affliction in his course Christ is not every day about sad worke Job 7.1 but takes set daies Is there not an appointed time unto man saith Job Tsaba Militia a warfare to every man a bloody season for every man so it is read by some Misery hereafter comes like a deluge drownes a world together at once in a moment in the twinkling of an eye but evils here goe forth in forme of a visit visits are at set times and to set persons now to some now to others we doe not use to visite all our acquaintance at one time Neverthelesse in the day when I visite I will visit their sinne upon them Exod. 32.34 Here is time and person singled out every day is not a blacke bloody day to every one we doe not all roare together here as they doe below but severall daies are divided among severall persons and severall yeares among severall Kingdomes now t is a day of evill to one man to morrow to another so many yeares bloody to one Kingdome so many to another Bitters are as sweets dished out by course Mercy is in this Christ will have some to pity when others need it some out of bonds to remember them that are in if all the Saints had beene in prison when Peter was who should have set daies apart to wrestle for him If all were an eye then where would be hearing so may I say in this case if all Christians were wounded at once and killed at once where would be Linen to binde up their wounds where would be shrouds and coffins and who would make graves and carry them thither The wicked will not they know not to compassionate the righteous they can wound the righteous but they have no heart to binde them up they have hearts to make them mourne but none to wipe teares from their eyes their very kindnesse is cruelty Tender goodnesse orders the great hardships of Saints when their cup is mingled by hard hearts Christ hath one tender heart or other standing under the devils elbow which he sees not to drop in some sweet to make the bitter goe downe one Ebedmelech stands under the tyrants elbow to moderate the miserie of Jeremy The over-ruling hand of God is in this of which there can be no reason given but his tender goodnesse for every righteous man is abominable to the wicked and when they fall upon one they would fall upon all and there is enough of them to dispatch all but that the Lord of his mercy hinders Justice is in this point that hard hearts may be without excuse Every degree of unkindnesse notes not a man without bowels neither doth Christ write downe men as mercilesse after this rate A neighbour in good condition asketh such a kindnesse of such a man which might be done and no prejudice to himselfe and yet t is denied I cannot write downe this man as mercilesse yet saith Christ Another day a poore man comes to desire such a favour of this man as tends much to his maine support and t is denied yet I cannot write this man mercilesse saith Christ But lay a Lazarus at his doore a creature that hath his skinne full of holes and an hundred hundred monthes crying all at once for mercy in one man lay a Souldier at his doore which hath so many wounds in his head so many in his backe all gaping crying and mourning with teares of blood for compassion bring a prisoner to his doore let him cry and gingle his chaines Sir I lie upon stones and I must live upon stones too if you give me no bread my food is sighing my drinke my teares my bed iron chaines shew mercy Sir shew mercy or I perish let this man be in a Kingdome where there are many of these Golgothaes and Aceldamaes a field
the Lord Jesus as you would blesse God highly for your sinne makes many miserable but your selves most though yet you feele it not surely Justice hath espyed us all carnall for Paul Apollo for Cephas for this thing for that for nothing cordially but our lust Sinners can you consider your selves can you consider this time you of this place your advantages are great do you know them it will not be long ere our glasse be out ere we meete before Christ the Sword of Justice is at all our breasts all that you have heard will be repeated all that you have rejected will be chronicled with the bloud of your soules to beare witnesse against you as long as Christ and your soules are Opportunity is more then eternity 'tas not so much time in it but 'tas more advantage you shall answer for all advantages which are the waightiest things in the world facility to Christ is now doubly needfull soule hardning blowes are strucke apace the Ax is to the root hypocrites are not so borne with now as formerly but ript up and carried forth from the sincere like Judas and Ananias and Saphira our misery is mercy in this sinkes are loathsome yet t is well that Christ so workes that basenesse cannot hide it selfe Drunken soules and drunken bodies pride covetousnesse malice blasphemy all sorts of sinnes that lay hid a great while now shew themselves in their colours speedy action and through action is now expected upon paine of speedy and through detection and rejection COLOS. 1.28 That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus THis terme perfection is not found in some Greeke copies but read onely thus That we may present every man in Christ T is a reading very honourable compared with other copies for it intimates that to be presented at the great day in Christ is all You may call such a soule what you will that is Noble holy unblameable unreproveable in Gods sight as this terme perfect is interpreted at the 22 verse of this Chapter or if there be any tearme amongst us more significative you may use it and apply it to him that is set downe before God in Christ you may call him eximium adultum a man come to full age a man singular chosen out from among thousands by royall favour such a one in whom the eye of God can see nothing amisse no defect no excesse no presence of sinne no absence of grace a man come to his journeys end all this the originall word will beare As soone as one comes into Christ then a mans journey as a Christian begins the soule that is thus come into the Arke when the Arke leaves floating and tossing the soule and lands it selfe and its fraught upon the mountaine in that place above where God Angels and just men made perfect are then t is come to its journeys end then is man a perfect man All our perfection is in Christ Perfection is of things above or below both are in Christ There is a creation here which gives all parts of a perfect creature and therefore cald perfect new all new Old things are past away and all things are become new but this is not till the soule be in Christ He that is in Christ is a new creature A man whilst in himselfe whatever parts he hath or advantage of externall tuition he is an old creature that is adhering to and led by that which God of old condemned in the Angels and in Adam private will selfe will and worth which is the originall of all evill within and without A man in Christ that is a man in the grace and strength of Christ renounceth this to wit himselfe his owne will which is the seat and spring of all carnall lusts and in no other strength whatsoever can he doe it My grace is sufficient The old man is bed-ridden never goes out of his chamber never out of himselfe what ever brave things you discerne him doe or say nor can Perfection here is the through death of selfe I am crucified Crucifixion speakes many deaths head hands feet sides brest all wounded nailed it notes much paine but through worke all powers and parts of selfe tortured crying out eloy much anguish and great earth-quakes but selfe at last quite giving up the ghost I am crucified the heart blood of all that may speake me in any thing that is good is out and this through death of selfe is wrought with no other engine but Christ that with which selfe is crucified is with Christ I am crucified with Christ This is the stone that slaies Goliah that sinkes into the braine of the Gyant Our being in Christ is the death of sinne and the life of grace as Jonas being in the Whale was the death of his pride this makes personall action truly pure that is of such rise and of such reach as fully suits the Gospell and without which none can be or act The Apostle gives this bound to sanctity if any be sanctified here t is in Christ to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1.2 Sanctification and glorification is in Christ There is a fulnesse here and a fulnesse hereafter a perfection of quantity and a perfection of quality a perfection of quantity is that which Divines call a perfection of parts as a child hath every finger and every toe every limbe of a man though these not growne to a mans maturity Then there is also perfection of quality which Divines call a perfection of degrees when all parts and gifts are throughly come to maturity the eye so strong and so cleare as able to behold all things that are in God to blesse the soule and so the eare hearing all things the tongue tasting all things the hand feeling all things that are in and from that blessed being to make the being of the soule like it all this perfection is in Christ and this by the pleasure of God It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell grace glory Whatsoever God gives forth here whatsoever he gives forth above Christ is the continent in which t is laid With thee is the fountaine of life and in thy light shall we see light Psal 36.9 There are streames and broad rivers which runne to soules here the fountaine of these is with him that is the whole that God is to man in this world or will be to man in the world to come which is explained in that which followes with thee is the fountaine of life meaning Christ in thy light we shall see light In Christ wee have all the blessednesse that God gives in this world and in him we shall see that is actually possesse all that God gives above Therefore t is that David saith All my springs are in thee those that runne above and therefore also are the rivers of pleasure there said to be at Gods right hand the place where Christ sits In Christ wee stand and see God here in
is this when Christ would perfect a soule in himselfe he turnes a man off and out of himselfe out of creatures of Gods making and out of creatures of the mans owne making out of his prayers and all his duties and this he doth sometime by letting the man fall into sin when proud of any parts or workes and sometimes in a more mild sweet way where nature is more meek and sweet and then when the soule is turn'd off and turnd out of all he that is indeed all presents himselfe to him and woes and wins the soule I will be a husband to thee saith Christ friends riches honours whatsoever can be desired to make one blessed the great world is han'gd upon nothing so is the little world to wit a Christian brought first to be nothing in understanding but a brute nothing in action but worse then a brute a devill very poore very poore in spirit and then blest with a Kingdom and now the soule that was nothing nor could do nothing for Christ or against sin can do all having regnum he hath proprium regni having a Kingdome he hath the proprium of that Kingdome which is dominion over all hee that is made a King and hath a Kingdom doth not rule in this Town only or that Town but over all parts in the Kingdom and this order Christ will move in towards you that desire it for this Kingdom and all belonging to it is a perfect gift COLOS. 1.29 Whereunto I also labour TO take soules from off themselves and to set them downe in Christ beares much by divine Ordinance upon our calling and makes our worke very hard which is noted in this terme labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies such actions and industrie as faints wastes and weares out all such a labour as Solomon speaks of Eccles 10.15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them because he knoweth not how to goe to the City This Emphasis of the word is held forth to the Thessalonians to worke them to a reverend esteem of their teachers We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which spend and waste themselves amongst you to take you off from sinne and selfe and to set you downe in Christ in whom onely soules are fully and perfectly blessed We are as Jonathans armour-bearer whither so ever our Master goes we are to goe after him though we creep upon all foure Your life is our death your fatning is our leaning your Raven-black haires are our milke white We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 3.2 Such as wax white with painfulnesse and watchfulnesse reading praing sighing mourning and groaning for your good Coaction with Christ is no idle imployment he doth not attempt small things neither is he of small strength to keep pace with such weak agents as we are 't is hard work to draw in yoke with one that is double and treble in strength above me We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 workers together with Christ he attempts the greatest things that are and the most desperate the taking of holds strong holds Canaanites Hittites c. which dwell in Towns which are walled up to heaven and founded downe to hell he attempts the bloud and death of all the conquest of this whole world the generall making such desperate attempts and taking onely Rams-hornes a sling and a stone such a fraile party as we are you may easily think our work to be desperate full of paine and perill Had man been set to fight with man one man with one man that had been painfull worke but man is drawn out to fight with beasts the fiercest beasts with Lions Beares Wolves Serpents Scorpions yea with devills there was never such a fight in the grand Circue at Rome We wrestle with such creatures as have no hold-fast to be taken of them which have no armes no legs no flesh nor bones we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in high places Ephes 6.12 We are drawne out to fight upon all the disadvantage in the world against creatures that are upon higher ground that have pitched field in high places that have no flesh to be wounded nor bloud to lose that can make ambushments at pleasure being the rulers of the darknesse of this world this is the Rhetorick of the Apostle We are Stewards of mysteries sentence is past upon us to dye according to the Law which we have broken onely we have the benefit of our book but this book is written as books of such nature usually are very mysteriously with an old strange Character our worke is to stand by and prompt soules concerning their neck verse which is very painfull and trembling worke the book in which sinners are to read for their life is written with bloud which is very inward and ominous inke The Characters and Syllables sutable when put together into words these words are spirit The words I speake saith Christ are spirit What is a more inward and hidden thing then this and yet this are we to interpret our worke is to be an interpreter betweene two of very remote parts that live as farre asunder as heaven and earth as heaven and hell I might say between Spirits the spirit of God and the spirit of man one whereof 't is more proper to say is in hell whilst out of heaven then in any middle place between Transactions between God and the soule are the deepest the weightiest the intricat'st things in the world A sinner is convicted sentenced carried to the place of execution his winding sheet wrapt about his shoulders his handkerchiffe tyed before his eyes his halter about his neck his sentence written upon his forehead in this shalt thou hang till thou bee dead and yet possibly no internall intention concurring or meaning the bloud of the soule Divining in this case at the foot of the Ladder what will become of him that is on the top on 't sitting trembling whether he will be turned off or fetcht downe with a pardon is extraordinary hard work to determine and yet beares not upon any extraordinary office no Angel is dispatcht from heaven to be an oracle in this difficult case but it lyes upon our shoulders by ordinance The Priests lips are to preserve knowledge If there be any divining in this extraordinary worke t is not by extraordinary but ordinary office there is not one from the dead to tell who shall dye next no one sent from hell to tell who is to come next thither Things belonging both to the death and life of the soule are made manifest by our ministration by our labour wee are the Heralds of Heaven the Trumpet of God in which he sounds Retreat and March fight and victory funerall and triumph we are to sound sad and dolefull sweet
a noble life as we pretend to when we professe a religious life this life is according to every dram drawne from Christ 't is not from the speciousnesse of our owne action nor from other folkes incouragement This time is full of straits externall ingagements byasse men much about internall and externall things if this temptation were over saith one I would take a better course No thou wouldst not courage to the things that are noble springs not from any earthly advantage if all secular authority in the Land should say they would secure thee for any dammage that thou shouldest suffer in pursuite of such a Religious cause yet would thine owne heart fall off like the Jsraelites from entring the holy Land and thou wouldest as they step back when at the doore ready to enter who though Moses and Aaron bid them to enter yet they fell off so though Parliament and Synod were at thy back and did incourage thee to enter yet if thou have no other incouragement thou wilt not step a step in the wayes of God by the grace of God J am that J am saith Paul let all the men in the World be never so gratious to thee yet wilt thou be as ungratious as thou art to the day of thy death if the grace of Christ do not put Spirit and Life into thee Externall inducement is nothing that mans Religion is nothing that thinks otherwise and 't will prove so to his shame and losse if his eyes be not opened to see it If a man speake meerly of a naturall life that is a life as a man as such a creature then a man may say of externall good things as Hezekiah of health and strength and other outward advantages in these is the life of my spirit but if you speake of Divine Life life to that which is Heavenly in riches honours friends parts in no exernall thing in no internall thing but in Christ is the life of my spirit according to his working not according to my own working shall I worke for God and for his glory Stratagents and wiles is much made use of in these times of woe Satan uses it too stay saith hee till Parliament and Synod put life into thee till they doe this and they do that 't is good to honour authority in that which is proper to such authority but so you may stay till the sword of Gods wrath that is in the Land kill you all Worke according to his working within you and take heed of checking this to waite for others working without you to set you forward strangle the quicknings of the spirit and expect quicknings from men and thou wilt be executed by conscience for the greatest murtherer in the World Our life beares upon the operation of Christ Le ts make Christ the fountaine and then le ts draw as much water of life from him as may bee You see how exact and expresse the proportion is made betweene Christs operation and our life such operation such life we strive according to his working therefore le ts set Christ at worke hard and get as much divine operation and life from him as may be Divine operation is the choysest mercy in the World how full of life is my spirit when in the Hands of God! when hee hath it working and moulding of it commend thy spirit therefore often into his hands send him much worke Spirits are so much imployed and over-wrought in the World that Christ hath little or no work sent him no house nor shop to work in A man no an image stands before God in duty a thing without a soule no spirit sent to God to talk with no soule no child of the soul at home to tell where the Parent is children of the soule I meane thoughts desires all sacrificed to devills at the end of the earth and thus farre from home must abide and never be sent for home who ere come to visit them though it be Christ himself what Divine operation can be in the soule when the soule is so given up to gadd after worldy things Divine operation is a very retired act two great Pears in conference may not be interrupted things in discusse being of such great concernment the Spirit of God and the spirit of man Divine operation it is a vision from Heaven of property like that of Pauls that bindes the soule in order to all carnall objects that may make the minde gad and in this vision as in that is a voyce a still voyce Saul Saul sinner sinner why dost thou do this and that against me but this still voyce is full of life to the soule that stilly listens this operation of Christ silenceth that noyse which is in the soule by the operation of other things and then is there a voyce from Heaven to the soule come up hither O soule thou must be above this and that for the tranquillity and felicity of thy life These are the operations of God in which is the life and Heaven of man All divine operation hath voyce the word and the spirit goe together still Christ workes and talkes makes peace and speakes peace makes war and speakes it to conscience You might know what God is a working in your soules hee speakes it now and then very plaine to conscience you that have eares to heare what the spirit saith the spirit workes and then it speakes what it workes the spirit saith now and then in still weather if you listen now and then you may heare what it saith The spirit and the word go together one moves and quickens the soule by the other Hell-ward or Heaven-ward the one should be much dreaded and the other much desired Divine operation is a thing of the greatest concernment in the World 't is as the spirits in the blood if the Pulse beate and worke not spirits are all wasted death is seized upon the state Sinners I know not how God workes in your soules how hee hath stirred or how he doth onely know this when he leaves pulsation that is ceaseth knocking know that your life is departed the operation and the pulsation of God is the life of the soule the life of the soules is the blessednesse of the soule as I am lively and agile in divine things carried upon Eagles wings to God in all duties so am I in Heaven Get as much therefore of this operation and life as you can I speake this because there is a great difference in Divine operation There is an operation that makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to will and there is an operation that makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all readinesse of minde to will 2 Cor. 8.11 Act. 17.11 they received the word with all readinesse of minde speaking of the noble Bereans There is a great difference betweene Divine operations and this makes a great difference betweene Christian and Christian one farre more noble then an other These were more noble then those of