was this poor woman cut and at last cut of life too O all cut but her soule saved and that I verely beleeve on good grounds and now though here lyes before us her body coffind yet my soule cannot but rejoyce in her soules salvation one thing a little troubles me and another thing would have split my very heart if I did not beleeve it confidently that that a little troubles me is that I should be no more kind to so good a body yet I hope and doe beleeve none no not one of all you can condemne me but my heart doth a little I thought to enjoy her when wee were old and to be so kind to her as we might be all along my advice O husbands and wives is yea I wish you pray you intreat you to look on one another as as parting dying yoake-fellows and if you doe how sweet how kinde how loving will you be when brethren are called to part farre asunder the one to crosse the seas and the other to go a prentise how svveetly will they embrace one the other do ye so I pray ye do so it is a duty well pleasing to God no love but Gods Christs love should be above this mutuall love of wife and husbands love O saith Paul love your wives as Christ loved his Church that is for sincerity constancy I quantity too but that is impossible hovv ever it holds forth that greatnesse of affection that should be betvveen the Wife husband But the main thing as I said before vvhich grievs me to think is how unfaithfull a husband I have beene to her soul and that in these particulars First that I should put up so few prayers them so cold I have been as apt to say I hope God will blesse us in our estates I friends I was as apt to say so and come love let us look to the World as oft as to say look to thy soule and Christ either more worth then ten thousand Worlds O my friends I hope you be not guilty like me in this particular if you be it may trouble you more then you are aware of one day O if I had doubted that her soul had miscaried how heavy heavy would this have been yea how sadly should I have followed her corps to the garve a body miscarrying is not easily born but a soul miscarrying who can bear it O friends love your wives and husbands soules as much above their bodies as ye doe their bodies above their clothes it will do the wife good to think that the husbands soule is in heaven smiling whilst shee and her friends are mourning for the corps in the coffin when my wife was sick and I thought it might be unto death then then I thought how many nights my poor wife would call on mee in the night watch sweetheart husband let us talk of Christ a little le ts have some spirituall discourse pray be not so sleepy but talk to me to which I like a dead man a stock or stone would say nothing many times or else I am weary or sleepy or some such kind of sluggish answere and so neglect a spirituall and sweet opportunity in which I might have done her soul and mine own good David speaks of communing with his own heart in the night season The wives the husbands heart should be as one speaking to one another being alwayes mindful of each one anothers welfare especially in a spirituall sense and indeed this was the main end and reason why I desired leave from you to speak a few words to you my friends and truely if I were now to be coffind for the grave to morrow this should be my advice to you my last and solemne advice to you yea to all of you my friends to take all advantages by night and day to doe one anothers soules good O if that be saved how wil it comfort rejoyce your hearts when you in a melancholly way walke to view againe the grave of your wife your husband how will the heart be lifted up with such kind of sweet thoughts as these though here lies rotting the flesh and bones of my wife my husband yet their fouls are with God and Christ with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of God singing farewell all sin and sorrow which now shall be no more Oh hovv do the soules there sing its triumphs over sinne and sorrow death hell and misery devils men and dangers The absence of a friend is not so much a grief as the condition of him in his absence if a friend be in prosperity ye onely mourn for his absence but if yee doubt he is in misery ye mourn double Truly an absent soule doubted to be lost is the greatest trouble yea the greatest that can be in this World I think it I in my conscience really think it and on this consideration my soul did even weep weep till God did further fully confirme my faith in her souls salvation if she should die But I had reason to beleeve this of her before for many a time had I seen her weep for want of Christ for sin and corruption for sinne Blessed are they that mourn for sin for they shall be comforted which I now beleeve she is and beleeving this truely my soule cannot but now rejoyce in her soules salvation whose body lies here coffind I say her souls salvation I doe rejoyce in who never did much work for Christ but brought glory to Christ by beleeving strongly in Christ to the very last moment And that ye may know I do not flatter which I would not for any good in the World in such a case as this I will read you a little of what she beleeved concerning her self and what she spake concerning others the night before she died and of this I will read something to you which I writ down thinking it would be sweet and comfortable to read another day when I should think upon her O God not my will but thy will be done Lord what is this that lies so bitter here pointing to her stomack Lord if it be thy will remove it O Lord thou hast removed many bitter paines from mee in my dayes blessed be thy holy Name I rejoyce to hear thy sweet expressions O sweet heart I am full I am full within but so weak not able to speake what I enjoy O that all my friendes in the world were here I would bid them live to Christ and live in Christ but alas they cannot by their owne strength Well I am willing to leave all to goe to Christ indeed I am indeed I am What will all things avail me but Christ the Lord hath not threatned mee with death nor sinne furely the Lord hath been good to me above all women I asked her once againe of her assurance shee seemed a little troubled saying O Lord sweet heart why do you not beleeve me when I have told you so often I have
you know who I mean in a mysticall way from one to another till all be halfe drunk and then they depart with an equall proportion toward the shot but I will bid these good night and come closse to the matter in a spirituall way for I think it as vain to speak to them now as it is to expect a swallow in winter Well the next thing is the place where Christ knocks which is the door O that is without you know who is without why who is within that the King of glory is without why who is within that Christ stands without sinne Satan the world pleasure profits and they alwayes keep Christ without till he breakes in and whips these buyers and sellers out of his Temple which Christ sometimes doth as well as once those out of Solomons Temple but for present Christ is without Christ the Lord of life and glory who stands with pardons peace and mercy for their soules if he might once be admitted but what if he be not then they are undone for they must die without them and be damned too for the abuse of his patience therefore minde it carelesse sinner before Christ goes and takes his leave for knocking any more which Christ will one day doe when he cannot have admittance for the worlds pleasures profits But sure it is impossible Christ should be without whilst they are within nay it is true enough doe you not heare him knock I heare some body but I doe not think it is Christ you doe not thinke it is Christ sometimes you doe not heare at all for businesse and sometimes you doe not heare for carelesnesse when shall Christ have admittance when when I am for my selfe saith the servant and can tend to open and when I have this or that estate saith the worldling and for every childe a portion so saith the vaine christian or much to this purpose when I have my swing of pleasure I will tend Christ and till then he must wait and thus the servant puts off Christ for freedome and the worldling for estate and the luxurious for his pleasure all abusing Christ and his patience too But if these delayes Christ should take for full and flat denyals what will then become of their immortall soules worth more then crowns and kingdomes or ten thousand worlds because they are immortall and breathed once from God But now must die in their sinnes as Christ told the Jewes and perish too for him and now they had been happy if they had never heard of him nor his knocks neither which seeing they have slighted shall damne them with a vengeance But how doe you know it is Christ that knocks Poore simple soule doe you not know it that seemes thou art not much acquainted with Christ nor his knocks when thou dost not know that when the Servant knowes his Master and the Childe his Parent every thing knowes more then thee the Sheep the Shepherds whistle the Bee his own Hive and the Asse his Masters Crib but my People knowes not me saith the Lord by his Prophet Isaiah But I will helpe thee what I can to learne Christs knocks expecting thou wilt open when he comes againe 't is Christ knocks mark me First I know it is Christ that knocks he knocks thunderingly or loudly 2. I know it is Christ that knocks by his still and soft knocks 3. I know it is Christ by his slow and leisurely knocks 4. I know it is Christ by his sweet and pleasant knocks 5. I know it is Christ by the place he knocks at the doore where he usally comes in and not at a window or a by way But why doth Christ knock so loud and thunderingly He thinkes you are asleepe or dead sure as every man and woman too is by nature and therefore saith Christ The dead shall he are my voyce and live as in John 5.25 This Christ doth not meane of the day of Judgement though that be true that by Christs voyce and power the dead shall one day heare and every man be started from his grave some for glory most for wrath and vengeance or execution like malefactors with chaines of guilt about their necks and consciences binding up their feares about them which heavier laies then milstones O how dreadfull will this resurrection be when millions of ungodly soules shall come to joyne with cursed bodies It is said Iephthah wept and tore his haire when he saw his daughter and the Virgins of Israel come to meet him but surely this meeting of damned soules and cursed bodies will bee much more bitter to thy body who laid in dust silent free from paine happy were it for thy body if it might still live with wormes and mouldring rottennesse and silent darknesse but it cannot be Christ must have thee out and judge thee too for thy ungodly deeds and acts as well as reward his Saints for all their works wrought by his Spirit in their soules But I shall forget my selfe The thing was that I was speaking too Sure Christ knew the sinner was asleep or dead that he did not open and truly a sinner may be well said to be dead till Christ comes to live in him because Christ is the Fountaine of life and therefore if Christ be not in the soule it must needs then be dead at least in a spirituall sence for want of Christ for as the soule is the life of the body so Christ is the life of the soule and therefore when thou keepst Christ out thou keepst thy soule from thy soule O death and sleepy sinner But why doth he knock so softly because he would not fright you Christ would come in a milde and gentle way and not in a furions way which he often doth to many soules who hath long kept him out by delayes and sinnes but Chrisst doth not alwayes doe so You know he discoursed and reasoned himselfe at the Well of Iacob unto the Woman of Samaria and invited himselfe to Zacheus house bringing salvation with him and so did not at all fright the little man though a great sinner the Ethiopian found Christ in his chariot by reading of Isaiah and many a soule doth the like by a good booke reading in a private way where Christ comes breathing life and peace to their soules as once to the Disciples when the doores was all shut and they met in a roome where Christ comes and breathes the holy Ghost on them But Thirdly Why doth Christ knock so slowly that you might consider who it is that knocks and opens to him the Turtle hath a sweet and penetrating voyce but the most slow of any creature you seldome heare her often at one time but she cals her mate once and then is silent for a while and then she sweetly cals againe in a mournfull way even to the peircing of a mans heart as it were with her sweet and serious yet dolourous call but with a pretty distance of time between every call
Well so doth Christ by the soule Christ comes by a Sermon jogs and cals sweetly to thy heart sometimes by death in a dolourous way percing thy heart for a wife a child a husband sometimes at night in a silent way by thy bed side saying sinner sinner art thou awaked it is time to rise what dost thou mean arise arise looke about thee get thy cloaths prepare for death by minding it heaven hell and eternity and thy soules condition and its eternity which if it should miscarry thou art undone it is time high time and yet not to late if thou wilt resolve thy selfe in earnest to minde me and thy soules welfare which is the only thing necessary and therefore know thy soules life and pardon is the maine thing when will that be minded if thou shouldst delay this time now away time may be no more no more for ever and then thou wilt weep like Esau yea bitterly weep crying hast thou not one blessing more when Iacob hath the maine and thou canst not have it for he hath gotten it already Christ tels the Iewes Many shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaack and Iacob but they shall be cast into utter darknesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth And so saith Christ softly to thy soul this or that sinner may be saved and thou damned and how wilt thou weep when thy neighbours childe wife parent be received and thou cast off yea into hell for neglecting slighting me my slow and mournfull knocks minding thee of the grave death and eternity which will straight be here what dost thou mean to build castles in the aire doest thou know how long thou shalt live Death hath been at thy neighbouts and fetcht away his children yea in thine own house for a friend a wife a child a servant and he will come again to morrow or ere it be long didst thou not meet with a coffin nor hear a passing bell hark it is going now whilst the death watch clickers set thy house in order quickly quickly it is very dangerous all delayes breed danger but this O sinner simple sinner more then any yea any in the world thou talkest of wife and children and providing for them I pray thee sinner minde thy soule let that be served first it is time enough for them what is wife and children to thy soule thy deare and precious everliving soule if that be lost all is lost for ever then what good will their wellfare doe thee O sinner this will no more advantage thee then a little thetch when the house and substance is all burnd Osinner it is thy soul that is the substance and the treasure too for thy souls sake have a care it is immortall everliving and shall never die why shouldst thou be cruell to thine own soul or unkind and carelesse of its welfare hast thou any more soules if thou lose one soule doest thou not lose all all thou hast and all thou canst other losses may be gaind name may be gaind and friends may be gaind and estate too before that thou diest but if it be not thou mayst be happy yea as an Angel of God But can thy soul be gained being once lost No no it cannot be once lost and lost for ever yea unrecoverable O when men lose their friends wife children husbands lands living it cuts deep O but this soule of thine will cut ten thousand times deeper that is very neere but this ten thousand times neerer one creature may make up another in respect of losse but who can make up thy soul if it be once lost sorrow cannot do it sighs cannot do it teares cannot doe it though they like brine be steeped with sence of misery O sinner thy losse is irrecoverable men cannot help thee Angels cannot help thee God cannot help thee nay Christ himselfe cannot doe thee any good what wilt thou now doe weep thou mayest in vaine cry thou mayest in vaine howle thou mayest in vain none now will pitty thee though thou weep seas and seas again to Christ it will be all in vaine for bowels are all shut up all that are in men all that are in Angels all that are in God all that are in Christ men would once pitty thee for a wife a childe a friend Angels would once shelter thee from dangers and mischiefs Christ would once weepe for thee O Ierusalem Ierusalem Christ would once fast for thee Christ would once bleed for thee Christ would once live for thee Christ would once die for thee and goe into the grave that thou mightest goe to heaven but all bowels now are quite shut up all in God all in Christ all in Angels all in men all in friends for they are buying selling and never minde thy howling nay thy wife and children doe not think upon thee though thou didst them once more then thy soule labouring still for riches for to leave behind thee and never thought on Christ to take along with thee in thy long journey between the mighty seas of time and eternity which is the dying minute where devils lyes like robbers catching every poor soule that hath not Christ to guide them and so will he do thine the first step thou settst in it hurling thee a long in a furious way of darknesse fear and horror trembling like the partridge in the Falkons talent and Satan swiftlier carrying thy soule a long to hell then lightning flies in ayre or thunder bolts falles downward where Dives minds his brethren but seldome they do him thou mayest doe the like by thy wife and children but they will not think on thee for thou art quite forgotten for no remembrance is in grave or at least of thy soule and its sad condition men will laugh and talke whilst thou weepst and howlst friends will doe the like while thou shreekst and cryst Saints are singing holy holy whilst thou art wailing weeping and wringing of thy hands with bitter teares and soul-full sighs while Angels sing with lightsome hearts like to the Saints thou lyest a cursing just like the devils sometime God that made thee and sometimes shee that bare thee as well as thy father sometimes the dayes sometimes the nights in which thou riotedst heretofore sometimes thy self thy soule thy body sometimes thy friends and old companions of thy sinnes whom once thou lovedst and preferredst more then many good Christian who then told thee of this day which thou then alwayes thoughtest was but untrue or else a great way off but now thou art a cursing every one that cometh within thy heavy sad and dolefull thoughts sometimes thy nurse sometimes thy midwife because she did not strangle thee sometimes the minister for no oftener feeding thee when thou wast squay squemish and wouldst not disgest any thing from him something was too hard and something was too plaine something was too high and something was too low something was too soon
dwell for ever as David speaks in another case Secondly a thing may be said to be new in respect of reparation God dwels with his people O when God shall new pollish his temple and repaire all the wants of his people may he not then be said to new make his temple yea his presence with them is the glory of them Thirdly Jerusalem may be said to be new comparatively comparing it with old Jerusalem that was defiled this washed that decay'd and withered this fresh and lovely even as Bride Fourthly Jerusalem may be said to be new in respect of the manifestation God gave to John he never saw this new Jerusalem till now old Jerusalem hee had seene againe and againe but this new and lovely City he never saw before and therefore it was new to him for he had never till now the full discovery of it I shall wind up these former lines by a word or two to what I apprehend and have said of this City this holy City new Ierusalem which Iohn saw comming down from God But some may say your lines would have been more advantages to the Saints and Servants of God if they had beene on some practicall point O christian precious Christian let me tell thee nothing in the world doth more divinely fire the spirits of holy Soules then a spirituall discourse of the holy God and the holy City O did the Earthly christian but minde this heavenly Ierusalem how would his low and base affections loosen from the creatures pleasures and profits hear below or did the ignorant christian but know this holy City new Ierasalem how sweetly would this knowledge feed his soule if he did indeed divinely know this Ierusalem his soule would feed on this knowledge yea it would feed his soul as with marrow and fatnesse And if the fainting christian did but minde this holy City and his eternall rest in it how would hee pluck up his spirits this would be like the hony that Ionathan licked on which did so much revive his spirits O the knowledge of this holy City new Ierusalem it would make the blind christian see yea see and say O Ierusalem Ierusalem the holy City the City of the great King who may be compared with thee for the glory of the Lord is in thee the glory of the Lord is on thee thy Sun shall never set thy day shall never end thy sorrows shall be no more thy joy shall be for ever And now come yee lame christian and leap for joy for the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe will be their God and dwell with them and by dwelling with them wipe away all teares from their eyes so as they shall never sorrow more and death shall be no more for the fountaine of life shall live with them nay with them doe I say it shall live in them and they shall live in it and by it and to it for ever and ever wherefore leap and dance O thou lame soul Truly friends I know no portion in Gods Word like this and that which followes which I shall point at by Gods assistance to raise and cheare christians all sorts of christians blind christians deafe and dumb christians O but how do you call christians deaf blind and dumbe how well enough if they doe not heare with joy these things I think they are deafe and if they doe not see with an eye of pleasure with an eye of joy these things are they not blind I am sure they are little better and if they doe not sing for joy are they not dumb O christian I say thou art dumb if thou do not come away and sing O but what shall I sing and how shall I sing O Ierusalem Ierusalem thy warfare is accomplished thy sorrowes are over thy enemies dead thy God and thy Father thy Husband thy Christ is alive and he lives for ever for ever for thee for ever with thee for ever to thee let this be thy Song and the burden of it free grace free grace be sure of that but now not knowing but some uncleane wretch may read these sweet lines who lives loves and wallowes in his sinnes I shall not speake many words but one word I would speak to such a one O poore soule goe and weep weep weep seas if it be possible that thou shouldst be still in thy filth thy blood and thy sinnes O poore and unhappy man as sure as the Lord lives if thou be not washed by Christs blood faith and repentance thou wilt be shut out of this city amongst Dogs Sorserers and Whoremongers and Lyers which thou mayest thinke mee harsh for telling of thee but read I pray and consider Revel 22.15 and there it is written with a Pen of Iron what I say which thou wilt one day finde the truth of it and then what wilt thou then doe but mourne mourne bitterly mourne because thou didst not when time was mourne for thy sinnes but please thy selfe with a bare name of a christian when indeed thou wert in thy heart an enemy to Christ and his people But fiftly It is called new Ierusalem because it so farre transcends old Ierusalem I shall hint something breifly 1. In respect of her Foundation 2 In respect of her Builders 3. Her Materials 4. In respect of her Wals and Gates 5. In respect of her Watchmen 6. Her Glory 7. Her Light 8. Her Safety 9. Her Inhabitants But first For her Foundation which was but a common Foundation but thine O new Ierusalem is a choyce and pretious Foundation Christ in thee is the Fonndation of thee Secondly Old Ierusalems Foundation was a decaying mouldering Foundation but thy Foundation O new Ierusalem is the Foundation indeed the sure Foundation the lasting Foundation yea the outlasting Foundation out lasting time and ages therefore he is called the rock of ages the rock out lasting ages all ages and generations past and to come Thirdly Ierusalems foundation was but a single foundation but thine O new Ierusalem is the foundation of all foundations twelve foundations are laid upon thee on which twelve thousand soules have built yea twelve thousand times twelve thousand which if they had not they had been ruind yea soul and body for ever O yee unbelieving and fearfull Saints did you know your rocke and safety if you did though the winds blow and stormes beat yet you will not feare Fourthly Thy foundation O Ierusalem was but of yesterday and to day it is raised but the ancient of dayes is thy foundation O new Ierusalem so that thy foundation was for time before all time past and is and shal be to all time to come yea and longer too the Angel swore time should be no more God hath sworne by himself that thou shouldst be for ever the foundation of Ierusalem above the mother of us all and what shall I say of it O foundation foundation of Gods own
ye shall time out of minde suck for thirst and thirst by sucking because of sweetnesse divine time and age outlasting sweetnesse Tenthly it may be called new Ierusalem in respect of her safety thy safety O Ierusalem was but men and walles and creatures strength but thine O new Ierusalem is God in thee and his salvation round about thee is the safety of thee Salvation will God appoint for walles and bulwarks Isaiah 46.5 In the midst of her the Lord doth dwell she shall no whit be moved Psal 48.8 As we haue heard so have we seen in the city of our God our God will establish it for ever and ever Isaiah 65 21. They shall build houses and inhabit them plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them Paul speaks of a city sure and stable which cannot be shaken or moved but for old Ierusalem it was shaken and ransact too and so shall all the cities in the world first or last but thou O new Ierusalem city of safety city of rest blessed city everlasting joy and safety is in thee Againe in respect of her inhabitants in thee O Ierusalem was clean and unclean circumcised and uncircumcised many were called Iewes which were not Iewes but were the very Synagogue of Satan Revel 3.9 But for thee O new Ierusalem no unclean thing shall come into thee God and Christ will keep out of thee every uncircumcised sinner I say Christ will see who comes into thee O new Jerusalem Friend where is thy wedding garment bind him hand and foot cast him out I will not have any unclean thing here saith Christ in any wise Revel 21.27 He is unclean that was never washed in the fountaine of Iudah and Jerusalem which stands open for sinners therefore saith Isaiah henceforth shall come no more into thee the uncircumcised and unclean Again in respect of her temple in thee O Ierusalem was Solomons temple but it was but a typicall temple but in thee O new Jerusalem is the true temple indeed Rev. 21.2 I saw no temple there saith John for the Lord God and the Lambe was the temple of it Ah! blessed temple God and Christ who would not worship here One thing saith David have I desired of the Lord that I might dwell in his house all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord. O David here is thy wish and more for thou shalt not onely dwell in his house but dwell in himsef for God will now dwell with his Ierusalem and be her temple O thou needest no other temple now to offer thy sacrifices for here shall all thy sacrifices of thanksgiving be continually offered unto the Lord and unto the Lambe for he is thy temple now where thou and all thy fellow Saints must offer their sacrifices and sing their thankfulnesse for evermore But I shall now hint at the last of these words I saw her comming down from God out of heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband First I conceive she may be said to come from God as being borne of God Christ speaks of some in the first of Iohn which were not borne of man nor the will of man but of God a thing is said to be borne of that of which it had its first being O Ierusalem in this sence thou mayst be said truly to be borne of God and to come downe from God for where hadst thou thy first being surely in God yea there thou hadst a being long before all beings there wast thou begotten indeed begotten in his purpose and in his love yea borne from everlasting and therefore art thou Melchisedek-like without Father or Mother and hadst thy being only in the purpose of God O how admirable it is to thinke how long as I may so say God did travaile with his Ierusalem a woman travailing but a few months is in paine and longs for deliverance But O God thou didst with thy Ierusalem not for a few months or yeares but a time longer yea farre more longer then a thousand yeares to a single moment from everlasting was thy travaile But O God was there not a longing in thee or was it else a pleasure to thee it was both it was both O my deare Ierusalem For first It was a pleasure to mee in all the time I bare thee my pleasure was I had thee my pleasure was I bare thee yea a satisfying pleasure or if thou wilt delight for I tooke solace in compassing the earth and my delight was in the sonnes of men O God seeing thou hadest many Angels why couldst thou not be satisfied I wanted sonnes and daughters that they might be my heires we are now the sons of God and if sons then heires yea joynt heirs as the Apostle speaks But ah Lord thou hadest a sonne and heire before but I had not sonnes and daughters to make me a Ierusalem where I might shew my glory O Lord hadst thou not ten thousand times ten thousand Angels Cherubims and Seraphims Yea but all they were not halfe enough for me to shew my glory too therefore I appointed as many more Ephes the 1.14 That they should be to the praise and glory of my grace And so likewise in the 5. vers He hath predestinated us saith Paul through Iesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will that we might be to the praise and glory of his grace as well as Angels But were not all man kinde appointed to set forth his glory Yea they were so But shall they see his glory No no But why not Because God will have mercy on whom he will Rom. the 8. But doe not question no further about this but returne backe to the question which was Whether there was not a longing in him to see his sonnes and daughters with whom he travailed though that too were a pleasure Alas he could not but long to see them whom he had so long borne in his purpose and nature it selfe will answer this Doth not the Mother long to see the Childe shee bare Surely yes the Parent longs to see his Childe so doth God his People too Yea how can he but long to see them seeing they are his own from everlasting begotten in his purpose and brought forth by his providence into this world where he a while nurseth them amongst the vulgar people of this world though they be Princes in respect of his eternall thoughts towards them yet I say they are nurst as it were and hardly kept for a few yeares til he send for them home by death and angels who indeed did alwayes tend those Princes from the womb for they have a charge with his sonnes and daughters to keep them in all their wayes whilst they live tend their soules whilst they die and surely no Ladies are readier to receive a Princesse into this world to present it to the King its Father then Angels are the soules of his Children when they dye the Angels mind the very bodies of these Children
and something never should be though hee preached it never so oft and prest it on thee too with arguments from heaven and arguments from hell with all likewise under the sun which thou refusedst and mindedst it not but frownd and quarreld and raild and jeard with wicked men and saidst thou wouldst never heare him more but such a one should be thy Pastor he smoothd thee up and pleased thee well but now thou seest what is come on it But I feare I shall offend in running wide from the words though it be in a way of profit and therefore come to another question Fourthly why doth Christ knock so sweetly to tempt and allure you to open to him for his many sweet knocks and many a soule Christ winnes by this kind of knocking which opens as it were all the vaines and powers in the soule wide unto Christ and as freely entertaine him as ever did Zacheus Fifthly why doth Christ knock at the doore because he will come in there or no where deceivers climbs the walles but Christ will at the doore or no where if he comes he can come in if he please any where at the window or top of the house but you know Christ loves to come in at the doore of consent which is the common way of Christs comming to every soul But the doore what is that the heart the heart of man what would it bee but why doe ye call that a door first because it is the inlet to the house Secondly it is the outlet to the house so is the heart to the soule as Christ comes in at the heart so the world sin and Satan goes out at the heart Solomon saith my son give me thy heart well knowing if he hath this doore he may lay what he will with in But you said I may know it was Christ by his thundring knocks but what do you call Christs thundring knocks I mean his thundring judgements to the world the nations and kingdomes of the world round about in all which Christ is now a thundring rouzing them from their dens of pomp glory and greatnesse to exalt himself and Saints in the roome of sinners which must be done in every kingdome before that all be husht and Christ all in all and the kingdomes his according to Gods promise I will give thee the uttermost part of the earth for thy possession saith God by his prophet David Turke Pope and Antichristian Princes have kept the nations of the world and made poore Saints squelke and hide themselves in new plantations to keep their consciences free from their idolatrous worship But Christ is now a measuring out lands and livings for them yea cities towns and kingdomes by his prospering armies which measure by cutting every one some which makes the mighty grumble as if they were losing all and so they are in danger too if Christ be justled by them in his way of providence by his thundring knocks Secondly I meane by Christs thundring knocks those righteous judgements which thou seest befall private wicked men Christ braines on by his thunder bolts that twenty more might feare sometimes strikes the drunkard with a deadly surfet and sometimes the worldling with a deadly heat and cold and here and there a sinner that thousands more might be warned Thirdly I meane by Christs thundring knocks when Christ knocks like a Bell-man at midnight in thy dead sleep crying fire fire fire and is not this a thundring knock I truely it would make a man start out of his bed naked to save his house to save his goods truely thus Christ knocks at a sinners heart or door First by judgements to the world as I said before Secondly by judgements on ungodly men whom first or last Christ will meet withall when they have fild their measure which thousands doe apace some by ungodly deeds some by ungodly speeches which Christ will reckon with them for as it is said in Jude Thirdly by Christ crying out at mid-night fire fire which frights a poore man that his sin sin death hell hell and how doth this like a fire at midnight fright a man out of his sleep And truely many sinners doth Christ awake at mid-night that is an unexpected time Secondly at midnight in his deep sleep of drunkennesse uncleannesse or such like sinnes so you see what I meane by Christs thundring knocks I saith one I have experience of this he awaked mee from my Dalilah the sinne wherein I lay I too saith another that walked in his sinnes for twenty yeares together Christ falls upon a sinner by this kind of knocking like three or foure enraged enemies upon a man crying downe with him downe with him and so beats him down leaving him even dead and so goes away but the Spirit comes and visites him and raises him up againe by telling him his sinnes are not past the cure of faith and repentance which Christ both gives to the man whom he wounds thus with the sence of his sinnes Secondly what doe you meane by Christs soft knocks by Christs soft knocks I mean his mild and gentle way of comming to a sinner craving of his due from him and not like that cruell servant who finding out his debter caught him by the throat presently saying pay me straight and would have no compassion on him But Christ by his soft knocks comes to a poor indebted sinner sayes unto him Friend friend doest thou remember what thou owest mee yes yes saith the sinner little minding how much it is and so is straight a going nay but stay stay friend saith Christ let mee reckon with thee before thou goest which the sinner lesse loves then the broken Bankerout to look into or cast up his books and therefore prayes Christ to come to morrow he is now busie buying of a Farm or setting up his shop O but Christ tels him he will neither stay nor come againe but arrest him straight by death which startles so the sinner that hee now saith I will stay and heare all I owe thee and then Christ tels him Sinner first thou owest mee thy soule I bought it Secondly thy body I redeemed it by my blood Thirdly thy estate and gifts I gave it thee O Christ thou demands all why do not I deserve all and thou owe me all yea O Christ but I would fain keep my estate to serve my wife and children and my gifts and parts because they are of great esteem with men now a dayes Friend do not talk of wife children I must have thy estate thy gifts and parts too let men esteeme them how they will I must have them all O Christ this is hard pay but I will pay thee some and some as I am able do not tell me of that I must have them all now and it is not so hard as due or as thou thinkst for either for I learn this lesson to all my poor indebted schollers yea every one and I tell thee man for
thy comfort when I have learnd them this lesson I do give them back their estates again with interest twenty in the hundred and so I do their parts with the same advantage but O Christ wilt thou do so by mee if I give thee my whole estate gifts and parts Friend I alwayes do so trust me try mee prove mee O Christ I will I will well friend let me tell thee as I am Christ thou shalt never lose by it but shalt have the light of life and glory to the bargain O but what doe ye meane by Christs slow knocks I mean all the good purposes he puts in your soules as to read a chapter go to prayers in the sence of his goodnesse to hear a sermon to lead a new life to serve God better and therefore friends as you vallue Christs company or your own souls looke to these knocks of good purposes by Christs knocking in your hearts Many soules are damnd in the yeare for neglecting these purposes O saith one I was going for to open but I think I was bewitched by my old companions and I too saith another but there came some to buy commodities and kept mee in my shop and I too saith another but my friends began to jear and said I would not now turn fool would I to open unto Christ all the world would but laugh at me to minde him so soon before the worlds profits pleasures which every one almost feekes first of all and then Christ when they die which was one Mr. Carefulls speech to his son Worldling many yeare agoe which I thinke all his sons did very much mind and ever since have practised but Zacheus a convert by Christs knocking at his heart and inviting of himself to dinner But thirdly what do you mean by Christs slow knocks evening meditations telling thee of death and eternity the vanity of the world the emptinesse of the creature the necessity of himself O saith Christ the world is vain by knocking at the soule Solomon hath found it so and all the sons of wisedome too One said it would not satisfie the soule of any man no more then mitigate the paines of the body another said it was changeable like the Moon and weather sometimes in Eclins sometimes clear again not a moneth constant all the yeare about but altering mens conditions who live below the Sun sometimes into sear sometimes into care seldome out of trouble all the yeare about which are so strong in many that they can scarcely sleep either day or night and still after the world which changes like the Moone O happy were it for these soules if Christ would knock or tell them they are dead and buried in cares of the world and so raise them up to live in himself and minde the other death and eternity beyond O death and eternity who mindes yee and yet thou kilst and hourds up all yea all high low rich poore young and old in thy two garners of hell and heaven but the Saints onely there which Christ fetcheth in by his serious knocks Fourthly I mean by Christs slow knocks his night knocks of affliction such as straits wants sicknesse reproach and disgrace O friends Christ knocks at the door of your hearts by all these blessed and for ever blessed is such a soule that heares Christ by these kinde of knocks But what doe you meane by Christs sweet knocks I meane by Christs sweet knocks his telling thee of thy Fathers love the strength and length of this love with thy interest in it O saith Christ my Father so loves thee that he thinks nothing too dear for thee God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son yea and more he could not give for in him he gives himself and all we have and all we need and therefore saith the Apostle Seeing he hath given us his Sonne how shall be not with him give us all things life pardon heaven happinesse and salvation and therefore Christ is called The Guift of God John 7. Hadst thou known the Guift of God saith Christ to the woman of Samaria and indeed to this Guift all is nothing If a Prince should give his favour what was that to Christ If he should give thee houses mannours lordships what was that to Christ If he should give thee crownes and kingdomes what was that to Christ honours mannours lordships crownes and kingdomes are but nothing unto Christ the Gift of God to a poore sinner well might Paul say O the height depth and breadth of this love which he acquaints the soule with by his sweet knocks and of his interest in it too O saith Christ to the sinner It is firmely set upon thee and cannot be removed mountaines may be moved but my Fathers love cannot though the mountaines should be removed yet my loving kindnesse will I not remove Men cannot Devils cannot move it sinne cannot move it If my Children forsake my Law yet my loving kindnesse will I not take away saith God by David Mark my loving kindnesse will I not take away I will onely visit them with a rod O saith Christ once beloved and ever men may love and hate but God cannot he is unchangeable Mal. 3. and so is his love too his love is grounded in his Son and spread in all relations to shew the greatnesse of it the Friend loves as a freind the Bridegroome as the Husband the Father as the Parent but Gods love is all at once yea all and more then all ten thousand times over and over againe to that And therefore saith the Apostle Behold what manner of love is this how great how sweet how deare how neare is this Father Friend and Husbands love As a Bridegroom rejoyces over his Bride so will I rejoyce over my People to doe them good saith the Lord by his Prophet Isaiah Well Friend Christ acquaints the soul of this love by his sweet knocks which even melts it like the Suggar in the Wine But secondly I meane by Christs sweet knocks his acquainting thee of the Fathers glory thy interest in this glory Gods glory make the heavens heaven and fils the heavens too and makes them heavens indeed to Saints and Angels and all that doe dwell there Paul had once a glimps of this glory and it was unutterable Moses with the very conceit of it forsook Pharohs court and chose rather to be afflicted with the People of God then to live in his court and glory and be the Sonne in law to that great King of Egypt Paul having once a glimple of it desires to dye and be dissolved that he might enjoy it David cries out saying It is wonderfull yea it fils Heaven and Earth saith he in his Psalms And so it shall thy soul too saith Christ by his sweet knocks at the heart O saith Christ I will fill thee with this glory and wrap thee in this glory and cloth thee head and foot and thou shalt be like Solomon yea like
Angels clothed with splendor from the God of glory And now what thinkst thou of it sinner if thou shouldst see a lovely Princes arayed and clothed in golden Tissue lac'd and trimm'd with Jewels it were a gallant sight but O alasse ten thousand of these were all but nothing to set off thy glory O arayed Saint by God and Christ in righteousnesse But when shall I have this glory saith the sinner quickly quickly Behold I come quickly Rev. 22.20 and will then give it thee and all that long for my appearance as Paul saith of his Crowne which he tels you is laid up for him and all that loves Christs appearance But thirdly I meane by Christs sweet knocks Christ telling thee of his Fathers counsell and purpose and of thy being wrapt up in this counsell and purpose of God like time between eternities O friend saith Christ my Father loved thee from all eternity and chose thee to him from all eternity a vessell for his own Glory Name and Fame that thou mights shew in ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace Ephes 4.5.6 O this must needs be sweet indeed for Christ to tell thee of a love before time and a love out lasting time yea all time and ages O when a sinner fits poring of this love in respect of person God the lover in respect of time before all worlds then saith he O Lord God what is man that thou art so mindfull of him and what am I but lesse then the least of all thy mercies as Iacob once said which was of old towards me And why me O Lord God a poore gentile sinner a runnagado sinner who had neither house nor home nor grace nor vertue but hell and sinne and cursed nature and yet thou lovest me more then all and chose me out of all my neighbours kindred house and family wherein were many sweet and many courteous many wise and many knowing but none but I chosen the youngest of them all the poorest of them all the sinfullest of them all yet I obtained mercy for his purpose sake O saith the sinner me thinks I even see how God rould me in his thoughts and all the sonnes of men too saying this shall be a vessell and this shall be a vessell and this shall be another but these I will not use throwing millions by which were as like as any if he had pleased to use them to set his mercy off but he refused both mighty ones and many and chose a little remnant of which my soule was one to set his love upon which hath no height nor depth but over-spreadeth all and leaves no roome to think the ground or reasons of it but onely free-grace which makes the soule still wonder and leaves him at a lost why he should be the man to be exalted so above his fellow creatures which are alike unto himselfe but for free graces sake which onely lookt on him and made him what he is which makes him stud and still to say it is God alone doth all according to his purpose But secondly I meane by Christs sweet knocks his acquainting thee with himselfe First In respect of his love which thou art by nature more ignorant of then ever Iosephs Brethren were of him who eate and drunke with him but knew him not to be their Brother till teares and bowels said it was he whom they unkindly sold The sinner doth the like full many a time by Christ when he comes to the heart and tels them of his dreames as Ioseph did his Brethren how they must bow to him and eke submit their soules unto his yoaks of love his sweet and just commands which thing they cannot away with but huncht him for his newes by greiving of his Spirit but Christ now makes a famine by wants and straights and knocks and brings them down by need to save their hungry soules which now doe see the need of Christ his love and righteousnesse which he cannot hide from them but by his sweet knocks acquaints them with his love himselfe like Ioseph with his bowels And in respect of his love which was and is beyond all loves Greater love saith Christ to the sinner hath no man then this to lay downe his life for his friend but mine is greater O unkind sinner an enemy to me who loved thee in thy blood and loved thee in thy sinne and hid thee from displeasure which thou once laidst liable too till I in love did free thee but this thou little mindest nor all my loves for many yeares together in hunger cold and wants in life in death still for thy sake And thus Christ acquaints the soule with his love by his sweet knocks and wider opens the sinners bowels then ever Joseph did his Brethren But secondly I meane by Christs sweet knocks his acquainting the soule with his lovelinesse as well as of his love which washed us from our sinnes in his blood Revel 1. v. 5. O saith Christ sweetly knocking at the sinners doore in a woing way Sinner sinner behold me behold me my locks are wet with the dew of the night Cant. 5.1 How long shall I knock and stand for pitty let me in I am the rose of Sharon the sweetest of ten thousand the Lilly of the vallies the fairest of ten thousand How canst thou chose but love me sinner Behold me behold me with the Crowne that my Father crowned me Proverbs And now for my own sake sinner with my crowne and glory let me in I am the fairest I am the sweetest that ever will come woing to thee how canst thou thus deny me O thou hard hearted sinner that ever I met with to stand me out so long who am the rose the lilly and starre of heaven too which twinkles day and night and darkens Sun and Moone which cannot come neere unto me I am so farre excelling for beauty light and luster and yet still undervalued by thee O proud and scorning sinner But yet behold me once againe and if thou canst deny me I will never try thee more nor shall my spirits strive with thee when as it is in vain and thus Christ acquaints the sinner of his lovelines by his sweet knocks But thirdly Christ acquaintes the sinner with his union O saith Christ I am Adam too yea flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone thy brother sister husband friend and father Matth. 12.48 49. Wilt thou deny all these relations and fall below nature then farewell sinner but I am still the same and cannot yet deny my self in no respect to thee O strange unkind and forgetfull sinner of me thy husband head and vine in whom thou livest as in thy root when once thou knowest these sweet relations which are more strong then death and sweeter too then sugred wines the honey or the honey-comb yea and the rose of Sharon the sweetest in the world But what my union is for sweetnesse it is for time and length and this I
Spirit inviting thirsty sinners crying come come to me ye weary sinners ye thirsty sinners and so forth and then he was speaking of that of Mat. 5. v. 3 4. Blessed are they that thirst for Christ and mourne for sinne which my soul then did and truely this proved a great deal of comfort to mee But I remember many a time besides this I have had much comfort by the word when ministers have clearly opened the Gospel-promises but sometimes yea many times I hear such sweet Gospel-texts and precious things held from them which hath filled me even as with marrow and fatnesse and I haue even thought with my selfe all these comforts held forth by them belong to mee But as soone as hee had held forth his comforts now saith he I will give you some markes and signes how a poore soule may know this belongs to him I remember I gave great attention to him but before he had done with his marks and signes I had lost my comfort againe by thinking none of it belongs to me for I had not so repented me of my sins as he shewed me True repentance there to be which he said was a turning from all sinne to Christ and a forsaking of all my sinne for Christ and a sorrow for all my sinnes by which I had dishonoured Christ This one mark he did so abundantly branch out that before hee had done with this one mark and signe of that sinner to whom this comfort belongs I had lost my comfort I am sure but he went to twenty more marks and signes I think and at last said if these marks and fignes be in you then these comforts belong unto you but if they be not then you deceive your selves but in the conclusion he said indeed if wee would repent and wash away our sinnes by that like David forsake all our sinnes and bring our whole hearts to Christ and denie the world the pleasures and profits of the world and abundance more which I cannot now stand to name but all this I am sure he bad me and others to do before we did presume to lay hold of any comfort so that whereas I was in hopes of being comforted I was not but rather cast down but at some other time Christ served me freely with comfort from his word for which I blesse his name and thus I have told you what comfort Christ hath given me ere now But yet I will tell you of one or two wayes more by which Christ uses to come and serve mee with comfort giving the water of life to mee One way in Christian meetings commonly called conventicles heretofore but I have in these meetings found much of Christ and comfort to my poore soule at our last meeting I think there was some twenty of us all met in a friends house purposely to discourse of Christ and wait on Christ expecting all comfort from Christ and whilst we were speaking and discoursing of Christ in that place I think verily we were every one refreshed onely by telling how Christ useth to serve us sometimes presently and sometimes not at all but seemed to be angry with us for asking some carnall things so at last wee found many things Christ would never grant to any of us but rather seemed to frown upon us for asking some things which we had all been a craving of him so at that time we considered what might be got by begging and parted but this I do remember a scoffing Ishmael called it a tub preaching And one time which I shall never forget I was walking all alone by Christs doore in a way of meditation of his bounty love and franknesse to such poore fellowes as I and while I was walking thinking nothing God knows Christ stept out and puld me in set me down and himself by me and supt with me we had whole flagons of wine then of which I drank very freely and I dare say I shall never forget this bout So the next day I told half a dozen Christians waiting at Christs door in a sermon how I had sped the day before they bade me thank God saying they had never such good fortune nor such discoveries of Christs love Friend friend I rejoyce to heare these sweet relations of your experience but let me tell you I am ashamed and so may you well be but however I am to think how you complaind nay murmured but now and said Christ had never served you of the water of life but you had waited so long and so long and I cannot tell how long you made me beleeve how Christ had served thousands and not you Friend I am ashamed to thinke how you have abused Christ by your false complaints of Christ surely it is a great sinne in you I pray doe so no more But now mee thinks I heare one say but I am a poore thirsty soule I doe not know when in prayer sermon christian conference either I was so refreshed and therefore what would you have me doe who am even scorcht with heat and thirst I thirst for Christ and would rather have him then the world a thousand times if I know my own heart What would you have me doe dost thou say Let me tell thee first how well I like this complaint of thine Surely by this complaint of thine and the high prising of this river it doth argue his streames strongly running in thy soule Yea let me tell thee my thoughts This I doe beleeve t is from the presence of Christ and the Spirit in the soule that any soule living is drawne forth to desire Christ or the Spirit you know the naturall man desires not the things of God but is dead to every good worke or desire and sure cannot indeed desire any thing in a spirituall way before God workes it in his soule Now friend if God or Christ hath wrought a strong desire after the well of life the river of life the spirit let me tell thee I verily beleeve he hath given it thee already for this desire in thy soule is to me a strong evidence of it I for my part doe firmly conclude when I heare any soule complaine for want of Christ and the Spirit saying of Christ and the Spirit his soule had rather have Christ and the Spirit then all the pleasures profits of the world I say I doe conclude this to be the work of God in the soule This is true a naturall man may have a heart quame and a heart wish to die the death of the righteous as wicked Balaam once said O that I might die the death of the righteous and that my last end may be like theirs I say A wicked man may desire to bee ownd of Christ nay more to give all the world for Christ at the last hower when they come to see a necessity and their souls damn'd for want of Christ O how will a carnall man dying mourn and beg and cry for Christ and howl for Christ too
for relations sake O friends there is such a neere relation between Christ and a Christian he is the head and you the members he is the Bridegroome and you the Bride he is the vine and you the branches Christ cannot but bid you wellcome nor the father neither for you are all his children how wellcome is a friend a childe a husband after seven yeares voyage when returned what love what embraces doth then passe between them powring heart into heart as it were How sweetly did Josephs and his brethrens bowels yerne one towards another O friends Christ will one day embrace you in his armes with his rowling bowels like a husband his beloved wife after seven yeares absence and you him with teares and kisses of joy and love How glad was Dide queene of Carthage when she had Aeneas prince of Troy to look on and embrace Well friends time will come when thou shalt have thy Christ to embrace and look on who hath endured more broiles ten thousand times then all Aeneas feigned ones Here Christ to look on is admirable and lovely too in broiles O saith the Spouse Who is this that coms from Bozrah with his garments dipped in blood Isaiah 63.1.2 travelling in the greatnes of his strength Christ the prince and Captain of our salvation comes from the fields of slaughter like some noble champion and hath his bloody armes which doth declare him conquerour so Christ here travels from Bozra a field of slaughter this I take to be the crosse of Christ on which he might be well said and did conquer all the Churches enemies yea naild them to the crosse as Paul speaketh by triumphing over them openly upon the crosse Well in this field Christ slayes the law sinne and death making this saying good O death I will be thy death 1 Cor. 15.55 And now comes in warlick vestures which are dipped in this blood declaring him to be the mighty conquerour Well the Spouse sits and sees him at her window comming from the field which is the Spirit in the soule through which she lookes upon these mighty champions Christ Sinne Death and Devils Well Christ foyls and spoyles all by trampling on all which being done he leaves them dead and comes away to refresh himselfe in glory the Spouse spies him in the way and cries out who is this not that shee did not know Christ well enough but she is taken with Christ in the beholding of Christ thus bravely wins the field which Christ never quited til all foild spoild the day his own Well Is the Soule now so taken with the gallentry of Christ that she cryes out for joy and wonder O then how wilt thou be taken when thou shalt see this Christ againe which heare is promised yea stroak the face of this Champion Christ the Prince of our salvation how will she be taken with him then saying O my deare Christ it was my enemies thou ingaged in Bozra and if thou hadst not conquered my soule and thousands more had been undone for ever but seeing thou didst win the day we will name and stile thee most high and excellent and mighty Conquerour King of Saints Prince and Captaine of our salvation which thou for ever shalt be called by Saints and Angels men and Devils poore drooping sinner what dost thou think of this day and this Christ who is thy Champion thy Captaine and Salvation I say what dost thou thinke O malencholy Christian of this day when thou shalt see the face of this Prince and Saviour wilt thou not make one to sing his prayses to sing his victories over sinne death hell men and devils which Angels now are doing and so shalt thou and this shall be thy reward too a full reward indeed for all thou ever didst or suffredst In the mean time bear up bear up thy head O drooping Christian Christ hath conquered sinne death men and devils and yet it may be thou fearest all O foolish sinner weake in faith men are bound sinne and satan wounded yea death and sinne slaine too and all by Christ in Bozra what meanst thou to be troubled O but Sir Sir me thinks I see sinne alive and Satan loose yea both in me I will not deny but thou mayst think so but all is not true that men doe thinke but grant both these be in thee yet if sinne be wounded and Satan bound one cannot long live nor the other doe much mischeife if sinne be wounded it is to the heart be sure of that And when Christ was wounded there by sinne he straight died well I am sure Christ hath wounded sinne there too and it cannot live long O Sir Sir it is livelier then ever it struggles more then ever O friend that is to me as cleare as the day that sinne is just a dying every thing in nature will doe the like what dost thou see dying willing but a Saint and he I must confesse on this consideration that he shall live with God and Christ and behold the face of God and Christ as in the first words I say on this consideration happily he may with a great deale of willingnesse die But who besides the Saint will will man or beast or fish or foule or any other creature No no the fish yawns and gapes the fowle flutters the beast beats it selfe and yels though bound and musled man mournes and cries alas alas why must I die and leave my hopes my wife my childe my lands and livings nay friends and all fetch the Doctor quickly fetch the Doctor save me if it be possible I faine would live a little longer and thus he mournes to think on death and when it comes and drawes neere to him then he growns and gasps and grinnes and stares still striving with it while breath doth last Well friend the fish yawns and gapes the fowle flutters the beast yels man mournes and cries alas what shall sinne doe nothing it were contrary unto nature if it should die without its throwes in thy soule But stay you said Satan was bound I I did so and so he is in two respects Christ hath bound him up from hurting thee Christ hath bound him up from forcing thee First From hurting thee you know if the most notorious theeving rogue in the world lyes bound in a lone womans house hand and foot there was no ground nor cause of feare he is bound hand and foot what can he now doe but curse and swear well she being a weak woman is troubled and frighted notwithstanding but when her husband comes home her feares ceaseth and are gone Well friends know this Christ hath bound Satan for a thousand yeares yea for ever from mischeiving his Saints and Servants and if he be in thee he is bound O no me thinks he is loose he doth so tempt me and accuse me I doe not know what to doe it may be so he doth tempt and accuse thee I did not say Christ had bound Satans tongue no
friends death hath no Commission but from him the Lord that gives and takes and blessed be his name yea blessed I say be his holy name for what he hath now taken from me he first did give unto me Why should I not then praise his name Oh that I could and you my friends for all he gives and all he takes And that we may know first it is your duty yea I say is your duty and all theirs that truly feare God to submit with patience to his will and blesse his name for all his dispensations the which I will prove by some examples I could give you many instances as first that of old Eli concerning his Sonnes which you may read in Samuel the first Book Chap. 3. vers 18. O with what a sweet spirit doth he receive that sad message concerning his sons It is the Lord let him doe with me what he please O sweet and soure A sad message is told good old Eli concerning his sons yea a very sad one at which the eares of men should tingle But yet saith Eli unto Samuel It is the Lord and let him doe what seemes him good A second instance is that of David 2 Sam. Chap. 15. vers 26. Who was faine to fly with the Ark of God and his servants for his life from his habitation by reason of Absolom's unnaturall and deceitfull Rebellion Well many weep for this good mans danger and affliction and so doth he for he goes from Ierusalem with his head covered and his eyes weeping but yet sweetly thus saying If he have any pleasure in me he will bring me back againe otherwise loe here I am let him doe with me what he please O what a sweet and Saint-like Spirit was here in David Let him doe what he please loe here am I to submit A third instance is that of Paul who makes this his desire To glorifie Christ in his body But whether it be by life or death Paul cares not so Christ be glorified I could instance above all in Christ the patterne of all who sweetly sayes thus in the Garden Not my will but thine be done But I shall only mention in Iob whose sweet submission to God in his great afflictions I little minded till within these few dayes I don't remember scarse when I read one of Iobs Chapters O how many sad messages was brought to him not in one week after another like mine but in one day did his sad messengers come tumbling in with heavy messages concerning his sheep oxen servants sons and daughters well saith Iob The Lord gives and takes and blessed be his name What fuller submission could there be in a gracious heart then here is in these words But let me give you three or foure reasons why a gracious heart should sweetly submit to Gods will and the first reason shall be this the Holinesse of his will a Saint sees in the will of God a holinesse and therefore let things goe how they will yet thou remainest holy O thou that inhabitest Eternity Paul sayes he workes all things according to the counsell of his owne will surely that must needs be holy that is wrought according to the will and counsell of a holy God A second reason why a gracious heart should sweetly submit to the will of God is the Soveraignity of Gods will above the creature he doth what ever he will and all what ever he will and therefore saith Paul who hath resisted his will Shall the potsheard strive with the Potter or the creature with the Creator No nor the servant with his Master neither much lesse a gratious heart with his God and Maker Teach me to doe thy will O God saith David and every gracious heart too It is our prayer to say Thy will be done and it would be our perfection to submit A third reason why a gracious heart should submit to Gods will is the goodnesse of Gods will the will of God is good in all his working to his people So saith Paul all things worke together for the best to them that feare God Yea those vvorkings of Gods vvill vvhich most crosse nature doth he see a goodnes in O that I had more ability to see this to but however a gracious heart sees a goodnes in conclusion vvhich he doth acknovvledge in the will of God It was good for me saith David that I was afflicted for before I went astray And truly affliction doth often cause a Saint to looke to his wayes which he is too apt in prosperity to be mindlesse of Let us search and try our wayes saith the Church in afflictions and so saith a gracious heart in every smart affliction O how good is that will of God that wils thy affliction for so good an end And thus you see three reasons why a gracious heart should sweetly submit to Gods Will because of its Holinesse its Soveraignity and Goodnesse One word or two more and then I hvae done First then labour with your owne hearts to submit to Gods Will for in every submission yee serve some glorious designe of God and for this reasons sake labour quietly to submit O that my soule did know well his designe and reason why hee hath dealt so with me as hee hath in a way of affliction my afflictions are yet like the black side of a cloud O that I could see the bright side the glory of God which every strong Christian sees and by seeing quietly submit 2ly Let us labour to submit our wils to Gods for conformities sake and here let vveake Christians take the example of strong and they the example of Christ Who for the Glory that was set before him endured the Crosse and despised the shame Thirdly let us submit our vvills to God for it is the surest vvay and the safest First it is the surest if you vvould not offend God for if ye storme yee sinne and offend God vvhich a gracious heart should be carefull of Secondly it is the safest vvay the sturdy oakes resist the vvinde and are split but the gentle reed by yeelding stands Doth God take a child yeeld Doth he take another yeeld Doth he take all yeeld Doth he take a Wife a Husband yeeld If thou dost not he can take thy soule and throvv it into apprehensions of his vvrath vvhich vvill make thee roare as if thy bones vvere broken yea all thy bones but especially yeeld to God for he cannot onely take all thy comforts from thee but thy very soul and throw it into hell too O my friends let us yeeld to God for there is safety in it I have heard some ministers say of Augustine Lord saith he cut me hack me kill me so thou save my soul he hath delt so by my wife she hath had cutting afflictions two or three days travelling by a child as with Samuel which some of you my friends well know and as many by his losse his losse and the rest must needs be cutting well thus