in the Salutation is Prayer This hath a Three-fold Description of our Saviours Divine Person 1. A Distinction of Times in the Person of Christ 2. A Distinction of Things 3. An Union of Times and Things in Him A distinction of Times in Christ This you may reade in the 4. verse From Him Which Is Which Was and Which is to Come The whole Frame of Things is built with a Three-fold Partition like the Temple which makes a Three-fold Kingdome 1. That of Nature 2. That of the Mediatour 3. That of the Father These Three Kingdomes have their Full Revolutions and Severall Periods in that One Majestick Person of our Saviour 1. The Kingdome of Nature lyes in the Glory of Christs Person as Past The first Creation was a kind of Incarnation for in that the Image of God was made Flesh Jesus Christ was the Seed of the world God calls him The Seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 He is the Seed in the Woman which Sends Her forth and Growes up out of Her The Woman and the World are to Jesus Christ as the Corne to the Blade Eare and Huske You reade Rev. 1.15 The Feet of Christ were like unto Fine Brasse as if they were Burning in a Fornace The Formes of Nature are the Feet of the Lord Jesus These are in the Divine Brightnesse of his Immortall Person as in a Flame Consumed in the Heat of a Greater Glory yet stil Conspicuous and Transparent through the Light of it Therefore in this Kingdome our Lord raignes with this Title He That Was. 2. The Kingdome of the Mediatour This is the Vnion or Marriage of the Two other Kingdoms of Nature and the Father Time and Eternity This is as a Flourishing Picture which consists of Light and Shadow making of Both One Beauty God is the Light the Creature the Shadow which here are interwoven and shine mutually The Creature By God God In the Creature so Both make but One Appearance One Kingdome This is the Middle-state of things Thorow this God first Descends into Nature Thorow this All Things Ascend and return again out of Nature unto God Therefore this is cal'd Regnum Mediatorium This is properly the Kingdome of Christ as he is the Mediator In this our Lord Jesus is according to his Proper State and Person known by This name He That Is. 3. The Kingdome of the Father Here the God-head reignes in the Fulnesse of an Unmixt the Freedome of an Unlimited Glory The Kingdome of Christ is ever in Motion till at last it roul it selfe into this sea where it Perfectly loseth and yet more Perfectly then ever keeps its own Distinct State This is the First Description A Distinction of Things in the Person of Christ And from the seven Spirits which are before His Throne ver. 4. If these Spirits were Angels they would in this place justifie and reward the Papists in their prayers to those Flaming Ministers God is a Spirit but He is One These then are some Middle-thing not by Negation that cannot be but by Participation Seven is the Perfect number of the Creature comprehending its Labour and its Rest its Six Dayes and its Sabbath Seven times Seven is the Great Jubile the Joy of All Things in which they are Free and Return to their First State God then As He varies himselfe into all the Distinct Formes of the Creature as he carries them on thorow their Severall Changes till he carry them up to His own Vnchangeable Rest So He is a Seven-fold Spirit And this is the Spirituall Person of our Lord Jesus Pan's Pipe composed of seven reeds Seven being known by learned men for the Marriage-number Revel. 5.6 A Lamb stands with seven hornes and seven eyes which are The Seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth This is that Great Spirit our Lord Jesus who in the form of a Seven-fold Spirit like a River with seven heads le ts forth the God-head and the Creation one into another The Union of all Times and Things in One Person This is the first part of the fifth verse This Vnion is set forth by a Three-fold Expression 1. The Appearance of all things in Christ 2. The Presence of Christ in all 3. The Power of Christ over all 1. The Appearance of all things in Christ Iesus Christ the faithfull witnesse Our Lord Jesus in glory is become the Image and the Light The Image in which Each Thing is seen The Light by which that Image appears So He is both the Testimony and the Witnesse He is the Faithfull witnesse For He is the Truth of all things Every thing is seen in Him according to its most Right most Proper and Solidest Appearance 2. The Presence of Christ in all The first-born from the dead v. 5. c. 1. Our Lord Jesus was in Nature so He became capable of dying He sinks himselfe out of Nature into The Darknesse which is a Shadow flying round about this Creation so He dyes Thorow this Darknesse he shoots forth himselfe into the Light of God which encompasseth all So He is risen from the dead By His Presence in Nature all things put forth themselves there For all subsist in him Colos. 1.17 By His Death all things die His Death being the Vniversal one including and bringing forth all Particular deaths For the world is crucified by the Crosse of Christ By His Resurrection all things are raised into the Life of God as the Soul raiseth all the parts of the Body making to it selfe so many severall Resurrections in them Thus is Christ the First-born from the Dead This is He Present in All Things Passing thorow All States 3. Power over all The Prince of the Kings of the earth c. 1. v. 5. All Principalities and Powers visible or invisible are streames in which Jesus Christ flowes forth from God pouring forth himselfe at last into God againe So have we gone thorow the Prayer in the Salutation as it containes a Three-fold Description of our Saviours High and Heavenly Person 2. Praise This second part of the Salutation which raiseth it selfe by a quick sweetnesse of change unto Praise is comprehended in the latter part of the fifth verse and the sixth The Praises sing forth the Person of Christ in a Two-fold Description First Love Secondly Lustre 1. Love This Love of our Sweet Saviour hath a double Preciousnesse in it 1. The Affection To him that hath loved v. 5. 2. The Effect This is Three-fold 1. Our Justification And hath wash't us in his blood 2. Sanctification Hath made us Priests to God his Father 3. Glorification Hath made us Kings 2. Lustre To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Glory is the Reflexion of Beauty from every Appearance Dominion is the Power or Fulnesse that comprehends and sends forth each Appearance This is the Lustre of our Saviours Divine Person 'T is set with the Roots and Rags of all Being It hath in it selfe the Power that puts forth
Sense of the utmost good or ill of this Kingdome first your Parent now your Foster-child If you have any Sense of your own Safeties your Soules your immortalitie any thing Send up a strong and secret groane which God may heare and say within you O! that the Lord Jesus that All-quickning Spirit would descend into our Spirits and become a Spring of Divine sorrowes there Then should our Teares be as His Blood O! that the Lord Jesus the Highest Image of Love and Beauty the most profaned and persecuted would set Himselfe before our eyes Then should we know Why and How to weep then should we weep indeed If our Dear Saviour would make his Arms our Crosse that we might from thence offer our Broken Hearts in Sacrifice to the Father then would our God smell a sweet Savour of Rest in us and at length give us Rest in Himselfe This is the second Consideration in the Preparative 2. The Vse This is A Humiliation from a Three-fold Ground 1. Insensiblenesse in our Spirits of our Saviour's Approach 2. Unsuitablenesse in our Counsailes to the Course of His Comming 3. Enmity in our Affections to the Intent of His Comming 1st Ground Insensiblenesse Is not the Comming of Christ that by which God designes to make Himselfe Admired among His Saints as Saint Paul testifies 2 Thes. 1.10 When He shall come to be Glorified in His Saints and Admired c. Is not this that at which All the Angels of God bow themselves and worship Heb. 1.6 When He bringeth His First-begotten Againe into the world He saith Let All the Angels of God worship Him Is not this the Grand Wheel which moves All the Centrall Motion which carries about Persons Kingdomes the whole Creation Heb. 1.7 When Christ comes the second Time God saith of the Angels He hath made His Angels Spirits His Ministers a Flame of Fire All Angelicall or Elementary Instruments of Motion are but His Ministers propagating His Motions thorow the world Can This be thus and we Ignorant or Insensible of This Comming of Christ without the Highest sinne against God the Kingdome our own safeties Let us then endeavour to apply this use to our selves more properly and powerfully by a Three-fold Enquiry concerning this first Ground of Humiliation Have we seen Iesus Christ as he Comes among the Angels 1 Tim. 3.16 Saint Paul tels us now This is the Greatest Mystery of Godlinesse God manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels Behold Jesus Christ as God puts forth Himselfe in the Forme of Flesh of the Creature and over-spreads that Form or Flesh with the Glory and Spirit of the God-head Thus He shines forth already upon the One Half of Things the Invisible Part He already is risen upon the Angels as Starres at once gathering them up into His Divine Light and riding forth upon their Beames So each Starre now carryes forth a Sun along with it Each Angel the Son of man and God Saint Paul tels us Colos. 2.10 that Christ is the Head of All Principality and Power Our Lord Jesus cloth'd with the Glory of His Father hath united Himselfe to the Acting Principles and Ruling Powers of this Creation Now He Flames forth thorow these invisible Fires into all Courts Campes or Counsailes into every Frame of things Now He flyes abroad upon the Backs of these Cherubims and the Wings of these Winds into the Breast of each Man into the Bosome of each Creature We reade Colos. 2.15 Having spoyled Principalities and Powers He made a Shew of them Openly Triumphing over Them See the Lord Jesus binding Evill Spirits the Powers of This world in straiter Chaines of Darknesse leading them Captives at the Taile of His Chariot making them His Slaves to Serve Him for Executioners as the Mutes doe the Great Turke to raine downe Snares Tempests Fire and Brimstone on His Enemies Have you seene the Lord thus mounted on His Horses of Fire Like the Sun like a Champion comming forth to run His Race from one end of Things to the Other Are you come to this Mount Sion where the Mediatour appears with God in the midst of His innumerable Angels If you be Strangers to such Sights then Mourn For you are yet at Mount Sinai in the midst of Clouds and Stormes You are still in a Wildernesse full of Fiery Serpents where every Step you take may be to a Death As you Mourn Pray Sweet Iesus Shine Sweet Iesus Come thou as the Day-spring from on High upon us Change the Appearance Open to us this New Frame of Angels Glories covering the World like Clouds and thy Glories raised on These Have you Seen the Lord Iesus Comming in the Spirits of Men on Earth This is the 2. Step of our Saviour's Descent from the Bosome of the Father We are taught Luke 17.20 21. that The Kingdome of God commeth not with Observation For the Kingdome of God is within You. The Glory of the Father in which Christ Comes is the Kingdome of God This is not obvious to Sence or Reason grounded upon Sence For it comes not their way from without It bubbles up from an inward Spring like Life From within it Enlarges it Selfe as Circles from the Center the Out-most being Last This is the Method by which our Saviour comes Spiritually into the world First the Godhead opens it Selfe upon the Humane Nature of Christ making that the First-fruits of the whole Creation Colos. 1.18 Secondly the Lord Jesus with this over-spreading Glory comes downe upon the Angels making them the First-fruits of Spirits The Third Step which He takes is through the Angels into the Souls of Mortall Men In these He plants Himselfe as a Throne Circled in with the various Beauties of Angels like the diverse-Coloured Raine-bow Revel. 4.3 Thus these become the First-fruits of Men Rom. 8.23 The Fourth Remove is upon the Bodies of the Saints that they may be the First-fruits of Bodies The Last is the Passing of the Lord Jesus from the Bodies of the Saints into the whole Frame of Visible Things as a Flame still taking hold of Neighbouring Fuell Still Catching and Infolding it selfe thorow All Things By these Degrees the Lord Descends in Glorious State and as He Descends Transfigures all Things into the Same Glory The Comming of Christ is Compared to the Day 1 Thes. 5.5 Ye are Children of the Day And so 2 Pet. 1.1 Till the Day dawne The Lord Jesus as He riseth like a Sun upon the World first diffuseth Himselfe through the Skie of the Angelicall Nature Then falls as a Glory upon the Tops of the Mountaines the Higher Parts of the Earth the Soules of Men From thence He slides downe into Plaines and Lower Valleies The Bodily Part of Things Unhappy He That Sees not the Comming of Christ into His own Soul What is it which He Sees not He Sees not the Sweetnesse in His Saviour's Eyes A Forgiving A Melting A Molding A Ravishing Sweetnesse A Sweetnesse that freely Forgives
the blackest and most Trecherous Hearts A Sweetnesse that kindly Melts the hardest and most untam'd Hearts A Sweetnesse that gently Molds into a Spouse-like frame the roughest Hearts A Sweetnesse that ravisheth the most despairing Hearts into an Extasie of Supreame immortall joyes Vnhappy he that sees not the comming of Christ into the soules of men What is it which He sees not He sees not the Tabernacle of God among men the Distance lessening betweene Heaven and Earth the Glory of the Godhead growing to a Fuller Tide and winning upon the World as the Sea eating in upon the Land He cannot discerne the Times and their Changes How or Why they are the Fatality of Persons and Kingdomes their Periods For these Flourish and Fall as they Fall in with Fall off from or Fall foule upon the Comming of Christ He is the Corner-stone 1 Pet. 2.6 Mat. 21.24 Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken on whomsoever it shall fall it shall grind him to powder Is it Day-break yet in our soules Doe we see how it growes Lighter and Lighter in the Souls of Men If we doe not perceive those Streakes and Flakes of Light which multiply upon the spirits of men pointing out the neere Approach of our long-lookt-for Sunne Let us clothe our selves with shame and confesse We are Physitians of no value We have not seen that Beame which is in our owne Eye not suffering us to discerne Day-light But as we are Blind so let us be Beggers too And as that Blind Begger in the Gospel let us sit by the way in which Christ comes and as we heare the noyse of his passing by let us cry aloud Thou Son of David King of Spirits have mercy on us Lord Iesus that we also may receive our sight that our Fleece may not be dry while it raines on the rest of the earth that our Soules may not be in the Dark while Glory flowes in upon other Spirits Doe you see your Saviour as He comes in the Visible Part of Things Mat. 24.8 The Lord Jesus discoursing of His Comming having before spoken of Warres Famines Pestilences Earth-quakes tels us in this Verse All these are the Beginning of Sorrowes 'T is in Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The Beginning of Pangs The Commotions and Strife in This visible Frame are the Pangs and Throes by which It labours to bring forth Christ in the Spirit Psal. 97.4 5. You may reade the Manner and Discovery of this Approaching Glory His Lightnings enlightned the World The Earth Saw and Trembled The Hils melted like Wax at the Presence of the Lord at the Presence of the Lord of the Whole Earth Nations Kingdomes Nature the Elements feele the Approach of Jesus Christ and receive the Impression of His Presence increasing upon them How unnaturall then are we if we be insensible of it how Worthy to be cast forth from the Nature of Things into the Outermost Darknesse Seas of Common-wealths and Counsailes rowle and roare Mountaines of Worldly Greatnesse melt away Rocks of Humane Strength after the firmest Combinations and Consolidations cleave asunder Doe we not yet perceive the Lord Jesus The Earth Hearts quake Pestilences are kindled A Smoke of Obscurity Vncertainty and Confusion flyes over the Face of Things A Fire Burnes Doe we not yet feele our Saviour His Enlightnings Enlighten the whole Earth Extraordinary Passages of Providence little lesse than Miracles to confirme the Presence of Christ in the midst of us High and Heavenly Truths publishing themselves even as the Brightnesse of His Comming These frequent Flashings forth of His Glory are the Enlightnings with which He Enlightens the Earth Doe we not yet See Jesus Christ Heb. 1.2 The Holy Ghost begins to speak of the 2d Comming of Christ v. 6. He goes on discoursing of the Same Thing to the 12. Verse There He saith to Him As a Vesture thou shalt folde them up meaning Heaven and Earth and They shall be Changed Suppose a Man by Miracle Borne and Grown up in One Midnight Day now begins to come on This Man to whom All Things were almost alike before now perceives Barren Shores Hanging Cliffes Devouring Seas on one Hand on another Pleasant Fields Faire Buildings a Peacefull Country As the Light increaseth the Face of these Things still Changeth Presenting Fresh Horrours and fuller Beauties Would not this Man Amazedly Wonder whence these Formes of Things should grow round about Him with such Sodainnesse and Change till He look't upward and Saw the Light of Heaven as It goes on in it's Course visiting the Earth and thus Changing it as a Garment Who is not Amazed to See the Changes that are made in the Garment of This Earth One Day we see it as a Field Flourishing with faire Hopes another Day that Field vanish't and in its Place as a City on Fire or a Sea of Blood He that now discerns not the Light of Heaven the Brightnesse of the Godhead which is Christ Comming upon us and thus Changing us what manner of Night is He in Sure a Night as Black as the Shadow of Death The Night is a Season for Heavinesse You that See not the Lord Jesus how He comes up upon the Earth and Invades it with His Troops as the Prophet speaks Habak. 3. Sit downe in Heavinesse Sensible of that Night which Surrounds You. But as you Sit Watch as the Watch-men for the Morning This second Comming of Christ is as the dayes of Noah The Lord Jesus in the Spirit shall be both Ark and Flood An Ark to those which are taken into Christ 〈◊〉 them high above all miseries towards Heaven 〈…〉 carrying away insensible Persons and Scorners 〈…〉 Woe This is the First Ground of Humiliation Insensiblenesse Unsuitablenesse in our Counsailes to the Course of Christ's Comming The Comming of Christ calls for Two Things 1st A Respect to Christ in all our Counsailes 2. A Resignation to Christ for the Conduct of Those Counsailes 1. A Respect to Christ in Counsaile Ezekiel saw The Glory of God Ezek. 1. This Glory was the Spirituall Frame of our Saviours Divine Comming upon His Chariot composed of Living Creatures and Wheels Angels Spiritualized Bodies Angelized In this vision He saw the State of Jerusalem and accordingly forewarn'd the Jewes As the shadow went back upon the Dyal of Ahaz so Hezekiah's life was set back from Death The Person of our Lord Jesus is the Diall of Time as the Godhead is in the Course of it's Glory advances or withdraws upon this Diall So it points out the Rise or Ruine of Persons and Things We read Revel. 1. That God gave to Christ the Revelation of Things by a Light of Glory in His own Person to this end that He might shew to His Servants what will quickly Be Our Lord Jesus is that Word of God which is to be the Man of our Counsailes On Him we are to look in Him to see what should be by seeing God in His
us ready now to discover Himself when we are weeping for His Absence and complaining that some-body hath carryed Him away as Mary complain'd to Himself in the likenesse of a Gardener The Sun in a Mist or Fog steals on upon the World unperceiv'd at last he breaks forth and we wonder to see him so farre advanc'd towards High-noon So doth our Spirituall Sun still keep his pace behind the Clouds still mounting higher and higher When He shall discover we shal be amaz'd to see that he hath made so great a March in so short a Time We shall wonder how he hath stoln Himself and so much of Heaven unawares into the mid'st of us Then shal a man say How is a Goodly plant of Glory grown up to Heaven out of the Earth in one short Night of Trouble Jesus Christ is not Slack in His Comming 2 Pet. 3.9 Christ saith I go to prepare a place for you As a Rich Pillar or Stately work is often vail'd till it be quite finish't and then presented at once in its full beauty So the Lord stayes from Appearing that he may make ready a Glory Prepar'd for us when his worke is Perfect then will he disclose it and we with Admiration shal acknowledge that the Lord hath not bin slack in His Comming but hath made a great Approach to Men in a Little space of Time When God brought back our Captivity as Rivers in the South then were we as Men that Dream'd saith the Psalmist When our God shal take off the vail from that Glory which He is fashioning in the mid'st of us then shall we be as in a Dream It wil be hard to believe that such a Changed so new an Appearance of Things in so short a time can be Real and not Imaginary or Phantastick Ezek. 1.4 Out of the North came a Whirl-wind out of the Whirl-wind a Cloud and Fire out of the Cloud and Fire the Colour of Amber out of that Four living Creatures and Four Wheels the Chariot in which the Son of Man was seated on a Throne v. 26. Who can tell what Glory shall from Heaven visite the Earth when those Clouds which now are upon us shall open themselves In this Whirl-wind Clouds Fire Jesus Christ with a Traine of Gloryes hath bin all along descending and at last He shal alight amidst us Then shall the Whirl-wind Clouds and Fire be in a Moment dismist for ever at His Appearance 2. Comfort The way of Christ is among the Angels He comes with His Hâ—ly Angels Open then your eyes and see each good Man Counsail Interest with its Angel each Angel with His Jesus a Million of Angels in every One surrounding his Person Iob 38.22 We read of Treasures of Snow and Hail As Angels are the Chariots of Christ so they are His Chambers and Treasuries In the Sweetest season God can on a sodain bring forth from the Bosome of an Angel roaring Tempests which lay there ready prepar'd When Storms are most violent God sends forth an Angel at whose Appearance a Pleasant serenity shall immediately smile upon the face of Things when we are sad and see nothing abroad but Dark Clouds comming after the Raine and Showers of Blood Yet then our Angels in the midst of us those Invisible Chambers may be heap't full of rich Blessings which they can pour forth upon us more suddenly then we can think it Angels are the wombs of the God-Head in this Creation Iob 38.21 When all outward things seem barren of Hope those wombs may be Teeming and Big with joyes for us These are the Chariots of Israel and Horses thereof In the Head of these is Jesus Christ the Captaine of the Lords Host. Each of These is an Host nay a Legion of Armies nay a Fountain For in Scripture they are called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The Principles or Springs of the world Let no face of Things dismay us Is one Army broken the Angel of the Lord Jesus is a Fountain of forces which can pour forth a continued store of fresh Armies if you need them Do we lose our friends Men of best Wisdome Courage and Integrity taken off the Stage or off their Excellencies The Angel that hath the Charge of this can unexpectedly disclose a new stock of worth and Race of Men Are our Enemies Politick or Potent yet we may sleep secure For the Holy Angels full of Eyes and Wings are planted round about them as a Guard upon them One Angel lies at the bottome of their Hearts as a Mine ready to spring it self upon their Counsailes when they are now ripe Another Angel wraps himselfe about the Foundation of their force as a Fire ready at His appointed Time to devoure it and them Angels are the unities of Things in the Creature Though the water of a River be continually passing away yet the River is still the same because 't is fed from One Spring There is One Angel of our Armies One of our Counsailes One for Strength One for Wisdowe One for Prosperity in which Jesus Christ comes forth among us Our Counsailes may be scatter'd our Armies broken yet we shall have the same Strength the same Army For both are fed from the same Unity their proper Angel Revel. 1.1 Christ tels Saint Iohn The Golden Candlesticks are the Churches c. 2. v. 5. He threatens the Angell of the Church to remove the Candlestick The Candlestick of Gold is the Church in the Spirit which is ever Entire ever Pure As this Candlestick is drawn into Heaven so a Company of Men on Earth lose the Beauty Unity and name of a Church When this Candlestick is againe let down into the Flesh and set upon the Earth The Church is the same againe in Integrity and Glory Thus the Vnity Strength Interests of Good Men are comprized in their Angel This is the Candlestick in which they alwaies shine When their Light seems lost in the greatest stormes 't is but the Candlestick Removed Jesus Christ can return that into its place in a Moment and so restore your Day Jesus Christ sends forth His Angels to gather His Saints from the four Winds at the resurrection When the Body of a Saint crumbles and scatters into Dust Every Dust lies gather'd up into the Bosome of some Holy Angel There all the Single Dusts are comprehended in one Form of a Glorious Body In This Form the Angel brings them forth at the Call of Christ This is the Resurrection of the Body This is as true of each Piece of Life and Death in our Persons or Affaires while yet we are on Earth When our Happinesse Hopes and Hearts are ground into the smallest Dust They then lie Compact and compleat in their Angelicall Chamber on a sudden as at the Blast of an Angels Trumpet or Glance of an Angels Eye can Jesus Christ give our Dead Hopes a Glorious Resurrection out of their Dust Let us then in the midst of our Sorrows sing The Lord Raignes Let the Earth be glad The Lord Comes Clouds are upon us but Angels ride upon those Clouds and the Lord Iesus upon those Angels Open your Eyes see the King as He comes in Glorious State If Elisha saw Eliah as he ascended he was to have the spirit of his Master doubled upon him If we see our Saviour as He descends in a Divine Glory we shall be cloth'd with His Spirit and His Mantle Inward Beauties Outward Prosperities falling fresh from the Person of Christ on us as He comes down upon us Let us then spread our own Garments our Earthly Powers Policies or Prosperities in His way under His feet And as He passeth along let us cry aloud in our songs Hosanna Hosanna Save now Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord Hosanna Now Save us FINIS Epist. 1. Part. Salut 1. Descrip. 2. Descrip. 3. Descrip. 2. Part. Pref. 1. Head 2. Distinct 2. Distinct 2. Head 3. Head 4. Head 1. Consid. 2. Consid. 1. Enquiry 3. Enquiry 2. Ground 3. Ground 2. Vse 2 Chron. 6.18 2. Caut. Use 3.