aspiring sinne hath assayed and vndertaken the conquest and death of the Spirit And on the other side we finde the Spirit grieued yea fainting and gasping for life Let the soule and all the powers thereof rise vp in armes for the suppressing of the body of death and for the rescuing of life Eternall Not a common fire but the fire of Hell hath feized not vpon our common houses but vpon the Temples of the holy Ghost what haste or care can be great inough to rescue such vnualuable habitations from so abominable a desolation Let vs run therefore and that speedily into the water of Baptisme to quench the firie darts of Satan let vs steepe our soules therein vntil the flame of sinne bee extinguished our soules washed cleane restored to their former beautie yea made fairer then before For euen by sins may the Spirit take occasion to increase grace though not by the nature of sinnes but by the soueraignty of that Spirit which powerful aboue all things turneth all things to his owne aduantage of sinnes maketh a plaister against sinne and by falls makes vs more safe from falling The mightie Spirit of God is as powerfull as ouer when with AARONS rod wee bee changed into serpents God can turne vs againe into rods bearing blossoms and fruit But that we faile not in this precious Art which turnes Scorpions into medicines and iudgement in to mercy Let vs obserue the true rules of iust proceeding And first sitting downe in the Court of Meditation let the sin which hath laid violent hands on the Spirit bee brought before our consideration euen in the vglinesse thereof Let it appeare iust as it is ragged putrifide and lothsome without the couering of Fig-leaues euen of partiall and deceitfull pretences Now that we may the more carefully view and iudge our sinne let vs remember that this Iudgement is the Iudgement of God and not of Man wee sit as in Gods place to iudge our selues that God may not haue neede to sit himselfe in iudgement vpon vs. For if we doe not iudge our selues well God will come himselfe to iudge vs better he will by his punishments set our sinnes in order before vs and his punishments will be double One for the sinnes which wee haue committed another for the partiall and corrupt iudgement of the same sins Wherefore without shewing mercy on these Cananites which shew crueltie to vs by being thornes in our sides pricking vs vnto death let vs take our sinnes and strip them starke naked that euery part and circumstance of them may appear Hauing done this let vs in one sight euen in a view of comparison at once behold the purenesse and holinesse of our Maker expressed in his Law ioyning therewith the infinite loue which hath powred it selfe out vpon vs in his inestimable benefits And euen then let vs also look on our deformed sins so contrarie to his puritie and on our selues offending by those sinnes against so great a Goodnesse And when we thus haue seene so pure and so gracious a Creator and withall behold so impure vngratefull and rebellious creatures how can the soule chuse but flie into her owne face to teare herselfe in pieces for disobeying the voice and crossing the goodnes of a most pure and bountifull God The sinne being compared to the Law will appeare crooked and full of deformitie it will be called foolishnes and filthinesse because it transgresseth the Lawe of the highest wisdome and puritie In summe the Soule in zeale indignation and reuenge will pronounce iudgment against her selfe and her accomplice the body she will pronounce the body worthy of smart and punishment eternall and in testimony that she beleeues what she saies she will perchance chastise him with mourning fasting and aspetity which also may bee profitable to this end that the sinfull body tasting some degree of his owne deseruings may loath that sin which deserued to feele without end and measure the punishment which she for a season only and in measure inflicteth on it And on her selfe will shee likewise powre forth iudgement That she who was made to the Image of God and should haue guided her selfe and the body according to that Image for forsaking her function hath deserued to lose both the Image of God and the sight of God for euermore She iudgeth her selfe worthy to passe from the darknes of sinne vnto the darknes of punishment and eternall horrour And in testimony hereof she sets the Vnderstanding Will and Affections against themselues to accuse vpbrayd and lothe their owne filthines so that the soule which hath doomed her selfe to deserue eternall trouble ratifies her sentence on her selfe by a selfe-vexation But is this the end of Iudgement that soules may therby despaire and dye No surely But this humiliation and Prostration is the foote of the valley which they must descend into that will ascend to the height of the Mountaine of God We are the sonnes of death and to vs is appointed a space to abide in the valley of death That is our naturall and first walke and in it must we doe the homage of our naturall condition before we may comfortably looke vp to the bills from whence commeth our saluation In summe God wil haue our miserie consequently our neede of a Sauiour acknowledged before a Sauiour shall be imparted But hauing condemned our selues and our sinnes euen to the pit of hell and being as sicke of sorrow as we are of sinne then may we hopefully go to the Phisicion of our soules who came into the world only to cure the sicke and to giue them only Light who sit in darknes and the shadow of death Behold thou selfe-iudgeing and selfe-condemning Soule thou hast preuented the Iudge of the world thou hast done vpon thy selfe his worke of Iustice and hast left him nothing to doe but this worke of Mercie Accordingly hee offers thee the waters of Baptisme which are the waters of Life Wash and bee cleane And that thou mayest know how to wash vnto cleannesse know and consider the diuers conditions of thy filthines and the diuers operations of this Water proportionable to that diuers condition that so to thy seuerall kinde of defiling thou mayest fit a seuerall kinde of washing In thy sin thou hast contracted thy olde contrariety vnto God thou hast brought backe the flesh vpon the soule thou hast for the time healed vp the cut of Circumcision and art become one with thy flesh from which by Regeneration thou wert diuorced So by touching this Pitch is there come vpon thy soule a spot of thy old corruption and to this is added the guilt of a sinne which hath proceeded from this corruption So art thou in a double disease thou art defiled by the touch of thy flesh and thou are arrested seized by guilt the fruite of Sinne the fruit of the flesh Thou art filthy and thou art guiltie Now in the water of Baptisme there is also a double vertue fitted for
being taken out of Mans heart a false god with a new law placed in their stead what shall become of such a wicked and corrupted thing Can a Creator quietly see himselfe robbed of his creature Can hee without indignation and iealousie behold an Idoll set vp in his roome or can hee contentedly looke on Pollution sitting on the face of that soule wherein before with pleasure he beheld his own resemblance No but much rather it is fit that a Creature thus running away from his Maker should be branded with a curse for a Vagabond that the new pride and godhead of the flesh should bee battered abased that this wry and false estate of Man should haue no long continuance but that this stolne and corrupt happines should soone be dissolued by reall miserie Accordingly God calls his sinfull Creatures to an account and hauing conuicted them by a confession of their own extorted from them by necessarie and infallible consequences of transgression on the Woman he imposeth a yoke of subiection euen to be subiect to the Husband whom shee tempted to sinne Hee also fastneth vnto her such an heauie paine of child-birth that to this day it witnesseth of it selfe that it is the stroke of an offended Deitie Surely as the bitter fruit of Lust it punisheth the fault of his owne roote and it is most iustly tyed to the Generation to which Mans fall had before tyed Pollution But neither may the Man passe away safe with his new purchase of false happinesse but the swelling of his pride must bee pricked and vented Though the Woman gaue him the fruit it was not the giuing but the eating that defiled him Therefore to Man is the earth cursed that it shall not traffike her fruit but for the sweat of his browes The new godhead is taken downe for it must either starue or labour and hee who might haue beene serued by a voluntary contribution of the Creatures and might haue beene next vnto God ouer them now by stepping vp into Gods place is cast into a slauerie vnto the Creatures and his life is a continuall seeking of them This great Earth hath a great curse of barrennesse or a barren fruitfulnes of thorns and bryers yea from the little Earth which is man shall spring the thornes of cares the bryers of feares and sorrowes which pricke and teare and torment the heart that beareth them The brute Creatures being freed from their naturall allegeance shall henceforth yeeld vnto Man an obedience forced or artificiall The enmitie of the wicked angels shall cōtinually persecute the mankind which they haue deceiued And finally Man being driuen from the diuine Sacrament of the Tree of Life his body shall be subiect to infirmitie and diseases and at last by death shall melt into dust from whence it was taken and his soule now darkened with Concupiscence shall be driuen into the darknes of the absence and wrath of God which is the second and most fearfull death Thus is vengeance taken on disobedience thus is the new pride crushed and taken downe the false gods being turned into most miserable men true miserie being applyed as a corrosiue to false felicitie Man shall not much inioy his iniquitie for it is either turned into bitternesse or vanitie it shall not please or it shall not last but the miserie following it shall last for euer Man is wholly deceiued by the Tempter God who is lost is Mans true happinesse and the outward and worldly obiects which Lust turnes into Idols and false gods in the heart of Man are by God turned into cursednes And this curse is so fastned that if Man goe about to repaire it himselfe shall be swallowed of it and become a prey to that which he would haue destroyed For Man is taken and inclosed with the wrath of the Almightie as a wilde Bull in a net or toyle and wrestling cannot free him it may more intangle him And now assemble your selues together all yee Philosophers and Wizzards behold Man thus dressed vp in corruption and miserie and heale him if you haue any Medicine equiualent to his Disease The truth is you haue taken great paines to make something of this wretched Nothing called Man you would faine haue restored him to the vse of reason the ancient Image of his Maker You would haue fitted an happinesse for him as Vertue Pleasure or some such fantasie and imagination And that Man might the more heartily apply himselfe to your deuised happinesse and soueraigne good by obscure gropings you haue discouered in Man a deceitfull knowledge of good and euill and from this you would haue freed him by shewing him what was truly good and truly euill But the whiles yee are all miserable comforters and all Phisicians of no value Man is really cursed and he cannot be verbally healed Be your words neuer so sweet and sententious yet Man is still corrupt and cursed in his very ground worke and foundation you haue no fit expiation for a guilt of so high a nature neither haue yee an expurgation of so foule a corruption Indeede your charmes may with their plesantnes bring mans corruption into short slumbers but it awaketh est-soones and rageth as before yea it neuer ceaseth a continuall opposition or auersion from and against the Creator Surely the roote of this corruption lies fastned in the grounds of Nature and Philosophie cannot pull it vp but it must only bee cured by the hand of the first Creator Therefore behold your folly you put restoratiues and those not true but fained into the mouth of a dead man and then yee set him on his feete to see whether he will stand or walke But loe hee is not raised aboue his wretched being in spight of your Spels he falleth downe into his true Station of vanitie miserie and death The hand of a Gyant hath bound him the voice of a child can neuer loose him CHAP. III. How Man is restored to happinesse WHat shall then bee done for this vnhappy and wretched thing we find no Balme on earth nor phisike among the sonnes of men Miserie hath seized on this world and miserie is far from being able to cure miserie neither may it be both a disease and a medicine What remaines then but that our eyes are inforced to lift vp themselues aboue the world to seeke a Sauiour where they found a Creator The goodnesse and power of him which created are onely able to restore but how canst thou expect goodnesse O rebellious Man of a God for saken disobeyed and prouoked to wrath yea if thou couldest hope against hope yet how mayest thou conceiue that the decree of GODS Iustice concerning thy death shall be fulfilled yet death by thee should be auoyded Shall God be true then how canst thou not die Shalt thou not die then how is Gods sentence to be fulfilled which hath pronounced that thou shalt die Surely thou couldest not thinke a remedie to be likely or possible and
Fountayne of goodnesse the Way to felicitie yea Felicitie it self The Manhood vnited to the Godhead is the Dore of happinesse and the Godhead vnited to the Manhood is Happinesse it selfe The life which in Paradise might haue beene receiued from the Tree of Life is now to bee receiued from that Manhood which is the Bread of Life And hee in whom is the Sabbath will now leade vs vnto the Sabbath which is in himselfe CHAP. IIII. The particular fitnesse of Mans restoring How it freeth him from miserie and in all points possesseth him of happinesse IT hath appeared how Man exchanged that which was his true felicitie but seemed not to be so for that which seemed to bee true felicitie but was indeed true misery Now let vs see againe how he can exchange his miserie for felicitie or rather how God doth it for him For God-in-Man our blessed Restorer hath done all things that may bee required for exchanging wretchednesse into blessednes and whatsoeuer God hath done is most fit yea necessarie for such an exchange To find the perfectnesse of our restauration in some measure let vs consider the miserie which we haue gotten and the excellence and happinesse which wee haue lost In our miserie we may with chiefest sorrow behold a roote of sinne an issue of corruption which being vgly it selfe begets also many sins vgly like it selfe and so altogether they prouoke the wrath and detestation of a pure GOD whereon attend all plagues temporall and eternal Man is the slaue of Wickednesse and Wickednes is the slaue of Iustice Wickednesse commands Man to offend Iustice commands Wickednesse to bee punished Here is the foundation of diseases famines pestilence heart-breaking cares and sorrowes the temporall death of the body and the thousand times more fearefull eternall death both of body and soule For Man being become a Nurserie of wickednesse wickednesse becomes the fuell of wretchednesse And as all these reall and positiue distresses afflict most miserable Man so hath he certayne priuations and absences of that excellence and happinesse wherein and whereunto he was created Hee hath lost the abilitie of doing the dutie of his Creation he hath lost the end and glorie of that duetie For hee hath lost obedience to God and he hath lost the Crowne of that obedience eternal fruition of God his soueraigne felicitie And now when the sore of mankinde was growne to this vastnesse that the whole world could not fit it with an equall plaister GOD who onely made Nature and can onely restore parts of Nature which are cut off and destroyed by his owne right hand and holy arme got himselfe the victorie ouer our miserie God doth put himselfe into the recouerie of mankind and if God be on our side Who can bee against vs for hee that will be against vs must needs be a Creature and therefore inferiour to him who made all things God being vnited to Man hath in himself an infinite store-house of blessednesse infinitely exceeding our miserie and whatsoeuer hee will blesse shall be blessed This blessednesse God imparts vnto Man either by turning bitternesse into sweetnesse euill into good or by taking away the bitter euill and putting the good sweetnes in the stead thereof And first toward the perfecting of this cure God in our Sauiour strikes at the roote of our miserie Sinne is the foundation of miserie our being against God who is holinesse sets God who is also happinesse against vs and after this we neede not to looke for any farther cause of wretchednes Neither is it a sufficient cure to heale vs of our old guilt of sinnes past because we still incurre a new by running into new sinnes because sin by lust hath dominion ouer vs. Therefore the chaines of this slauery vnto sinne must bee broken a sunder as well as the guilt of former sinnes purged Man being cleared from obligation vnto punishment must also be freed from obedience and obligation vnto that which obligeth vnto punishment This therefore our Sauiour vndertaketh and by a most precious Death and Passion satisfies the Iustice of GOD offended with our sinnes and after in a glorious Resurrection ray seth himselfe to a new life free from sinne which tooke away his former life and this free life by the spirit of libertie hee bestoweth on his members thereby discharging them from the slauerie of sinne and consequently of death the effect of sinne And that the Iustice of God might not yet complaine that though the breaches of the Law were satisfied yet the obedience vnto the Law was not fulfilled which was a yoke imposed on mankind by the Iustice of God in the Creation Therefore hee who freeth vs from the guilt of sinne and from the slauerie of sinne performeth also for vs a righteousnesse perfect without sinne that so the Law might clayme nothing of Man which by Man was not acquitted And this Righteousnesse as hee performed through his whole life so in that one action of his Passion he fulfilled a whole and intire Righteousnesse euen the length and breadth of the Law while for the loue of God and Man which is the substance of the Law he laid downe his life euen for the glory of God and the felicitie of Man Neither let the large communicablenes of this his absolute satisfying and bounding of the Law and Iustice of God be questioned much lesse censured by Mans foolish knowledge of good and euill for he who made this satisfaction is equiualent yea infinitely preualent to all mankinde his person is of more dignitie then all our persons and as an ordinarie King is more worth then a thousand of his subiects so this King of Kings is more worth then all the thousands of vs his Creatures And as his Person by reason of the Deitie is of such excellence so are also his actions euen of greater worth then if mankind had ioyned in the performance of them For according to the worth of the person is the worth of the action Now the person of Christ must surmount all creatures in dignitie for the worth of all Creatures floweth from the worth of Christ and the worth that giues worth must needes bee more then the worth giuen But if it be confessed that there is in Christ a sufficient worthinesse but there remaines a doubt how this may bee giuen to another It is answered that vnion makes a communitie the things of persons vnited are common to both by being one If a King marry the daughter of a meane person yet by the vnion of marriage his royaltie is cōmunicated to her by which though before a begger shee must of force become a Queene And now Man being freed from the burden of the Law and from the sinne and sinfulnesse which did sting vs by the Law the punishments which did before attend vpon sinne eyther altogether fall away or cease to be punishments Eternall death is a thing that cannot be made good no more then Darknesse can bee made Light
miserie but not to this end onely to terrifie thee but that by terrifying it may make thee runne a-pace from miserie to felicitie Wherefore take courage and come with mee profitably to behold the countenance of miserie which as heretofore hath beene mentioned presents it selfe in a double aspect the miserie of corruption and the miserie of punishment inflicted on this corruption To discouer thy corruption thou shalt finde a strict and seuere Law the Counter-pane whereof is placed in thine owne heart and when thou comparest thy actions with this Law thou canst not choose but say thou art a Creature falne from the dutie of thy Creation for ill doe thy actions become him whom the Creator hath appointed to bee his seruant and the Lord of the World Now if thy deedes bee so vnrighteous in the sight of thy Maker how must not that highest Lord be displeased exceedingly with these lower Lords when hee seeth his perfection and Iustice crossed and contraryed with their imperfection iniustice when hee seeth his Creatures hyred by so many inestimable benefits only to doe him the seruice of Righteousnesse which is a thing of it selfe to bee loued to renounce their allegeance yea to rebell against their Creator with a course of opposition and to loue wickednesse more then a bountifull God commanding Righteousnesse Surely the wrath of the Almightie must needes smoke against such Traytors and rebellious Runnagates And if the Lyon rore how shall not the Beasts of the Forrests bee afraid Hence therefore the miserie of our corruption leades vs to the consideration of the miserie of punishment And that there is such a connexion betweene sinne punishment reason experience Gods owne Word do teach vs. Reason tells vs that hee who hath brought this great frame to an vnitie consisting of disagreeing parts by proportiō weight and measure is himselfe a God of Wisedome Order and Proportion And if he bee such hee must needes expect that Creatures of Reason Vnderstanding should also obserue Order Iustice and Righteousnesse For to say the truth as by this harmonie the Word was founded so by the same is it still preserued But if these Creatures which haue in them a power of resembling pleasing their Maker crosse him with a crosse of contrarie actions it must needes be expected that the Lord being crossed by his seruants in disobedience must also crosse them in punishment and being mightily inraged hee will returne the malice of their owne works on their owne heads Now wee know as the person is so is his wrath and as the wrath is so is the punishment An infinite person an infinite Wrath and an infinite punishment The very instincts of decayed Nature haue inspired the acknowledgement hereof into the terrifyed hearts of guiltie selfe-accusing Heathens who not knowing God but by the knowledge of nature yet because of their wicked liues vpon the hearing of thunder and tempests haue feared and shunned the furie of an Omnipotent Iustice. But now I shall little need to tell thee what experience hath already taught thee For I doubt not but to most that consider the life of Man it hath appeared that the mayne course of humane life is a connexion or succession of vnrighteousnesse and wretchednesse Man liueth as out of the sight of his Maker and Man liueth as out of the cherishing and fostering of his Maker being generally thrust out vnto a warre against brambles and bryers against the barrennesse and staruednesse of a cursed earth which he must resist and ouer-come with the sweat of his browes Yea each man eateth other men though not with the teeth of the body yet with the iawes of a fraudulent ouer-reaching and violent soule And yet there are further miseries wayting vpon Mischiefe for besides visible and palpable examples of sudden iustice executed and sent from heauen vpon diuers eminent and outragious crimes wee see in generall that this sinfull life at the best is but wise vanitie pleasant vanitie or glorious vanitie and at the worst vexation of spirit vexation of body losse of goods and losse of friends Yea Man is but a piece of reasonable miserie He hath reason to fore-see miserie and so to take it to his hart when reason cannot preuent it reason to fore-see death but not to auoid it For as sure as wickednesse is present so sure shal death be present for death and sinne wee see daily are in euery Man vnseparable Now the combining of sin and miserie in this bodily life for this life concernes the body most the soule least and so doth the misery of this life points our expectation to another life euen that there shall bee a pursuit of punishment after sinne in that life which is most proper to the soule that then the bodily miseries of this life shall bee seconded with spirituall torments But if we leaue these darker characters of reason and experience and come to diuine Reuelations there wee may reade running the fall and miserie of Man And these before are described out of the same holy Writings but here again they must be considered by the Learner of the doctrine of happinesse that by the full search and tenting of his miserie his miserie may be cured Briefly therefore to speake what hath beene spoken hee shall finde in Gods Word that wickednesse and sinne is the transgression of the Law that the Law being transgressed and offended is the ministerie of death That this death is both of soule and body in an eternall darkenesse absence from God who is Light yea in an eternall suffering of the fire of the wrath of God For Gods wrath is a Worme a Fire euer feeding on the tormented soules and bodies of disobedient wicked and sinfull men And now when thou hast found thy selfe a sinner and findest also the terror wrath of God against sinners I know thou canst not chuse but thinke thy selfe awhile the child of death and thy estate fearefull Thou wilt cry Wo is mee a man of sorrow and Wretched man that I am and call thy body a body of death But as I told thee before this terror is but thy way and not thy wayes end It is but thy entrance into happinesse yea it is thy aduancement vnto happinesse For the burthen of thy miserie will moue thee to seeke for one to ease and refresh thee The bitternes of thy wretchednesse will make thee more comfortably to rellish the sweetnesse of a Sauiour and the fearefulnesse of the Valley of death will make thee more stedfastly to list vp thy eies to the Hil of God from whence commeth thy saluation And surely this fruit of Humilitie doth God expect before he will exalt Hee will haue vs confesse our miserie to be fearefull and desperate in it selfe he will haue vs to feele it to bee a burthen intolerable we must tell him in wordes and deedes that we are weary and ouer-heauy laden and then is it for his glorie to helpe
man God lets it alone and suffers it to runne on in the course of miserie purposing to blot it out wholly by a last fire and reseruing perfection for the life to come Another that the wretchednesse of Man falne being continually felt may bee a continuall document and reacher of the weaknes of Man without God of the odiousnesse of sinne in the sight of God and the pointing of a finger to turn our eies from this wretched world to the happinesse which is aboue For present griefe is a sharpe spurre to the heart of Man prouokes him to runne hastily from these remnants of miserie vnto perfect felicitie Againe miserie sweetneth ioy and the sorrowes of this life shall like a darke vaile giue a lustre to the glorie of the next As for the strong remnant of corruption and the small portion of grace which is the second question wee must know that both by it and by the remnants of miserie God is mightily glorified and Mans glorie in the presence of GOD greatly increased For Gods glorie must needes be great when by a little seed of the Spirit he manageth steereth and guideth Man through a masse of corruption and a throng of outward euils into a Port of blessednesse The lesser the meanes and the greater the opposition the more is the glory of him who by little meanes doth ouercome a great opposition yea it is greater glorie to God to turne euils into good by ouer-mastering them then wholly to take them away And for our part our glorie shall be increased because wee haue serued Gods glorie in a bitter conflict and a difficult combat The more is the present labour the more shall be the future ioy the hardnesse of the Victorie shall increase the glorie of the triumph and opposition it selfe shall become our aduancement Accordingly the greatest seekers which commonly are the greatest finders of happinesse are vsually placed in the forefront of the battaile against the thickest presse of remayning euils and the push of most fierce and fierie temptations And surely while they suffer present euils for future glorie while they fight fearfull conflicts against remayning corruption and the king thereof that they may not impaire their future ioyes as thereby they preserue and increase these ioyes so bee they Heralds and Proclaymers of the exceeding happinesse of the presence of God they are the witnesses of God to the world that this world is nothing comparable to the next and that neither the miseries nor felicities of it are any way equal to that transcendent ioy which is to come Finally when corruption ouer-masters vs the sufficience of Gods grace doth releeue vs forgiuenesse supplying or couering the defects of infirmitie But yet Man is not quiet hee is not in good liking with this kind of happines for hee complayneth it is thin and ayrie and his fleshly palate hath more sauour in the taste of flesh then in the taste of a spirituall happinesse Againe he saith it is long in comming and a Man may bee wearie with looking for it before it comes To the first I grant indeede that the fleshly taste rellisheth not spiritual ioyes but yet are they not therefore the worse but the better For the grosnesse of the one and the puritie of the other are the causes of this dislike So doth the stomake of the country Swain despise the delicate and nice dyet of the finer Dames not that hee can finde any ill in it but because it is too slight to satisfie his grosse and mightie appetite This was truly patterned in the Israelites whose strong stomakes desired the Onions and Melons of Egypt but lothed the pure and excellent Bread of heauen Therefore this must be the rule in this matter euery appetite pleaseth it selfe most in an obiect fitting proportionable to it selfe and it is not the excellency of the obiect but the agreeablenesse that makes it delightfull According to this is that of the Poet the Lyonesse hunteth the Wolfe the Wolfe seeketh the Kid and the Kid delighteth in the greene grasse Wherefore I expect not that grosse flesh should find extraordinarie comfort in a most pure and spirituall glorie But a spirituall Man onely rellisheth spirituall things because they are onely agreeable to such a man Accordingly as farre as a man is spirituall so farre takes hee comfort in a spirituall happinesse which indeede is here but in part so that we do but looke as through some crany into the glorie of Heauen and we do loue this glorie but with a part of our affection yet in some Saints hath it beene so feruent that they haue sent challenges to Death in strong desires to bee dissolued and would haue built Tabernacles in this spirituall blessednes But when the Spirit of God in the great Day shall haue fully purged our soules and bodies with that diuine fire and refined our grosnesse corruption and drosse then to vs made fully spirituall shal the most high soueraigne Spirit bee the chiefe and soueraigne good for Man being made spirituall shall delight in Spirits chiefly in the chiefest And then these grosse pleasures desired now by grosse lusts shall be lothsome and contemptible as too base for so pure diuine Essences Wherefore if wee would take pleasure in things of excellence we must striue to raise our selues to their excellent degree we must lift our selues vp to a nature proportionable vnto them And by such an indenour wee shall purchase a higher station and a higher happinesse whereas otherwise we lye downe basely in our owne dregs complaine like Owles of the glorie of the Sunne when the fault is in our owne eyes wherefore let this bee the most commendable ambition of a truly-noble and generous Spirit to aduance his mind to a puritie and excellence proportionable to a supereminent obiect and happinesse And bee it reputed the quality of a base worthlesse and muddie thing to bring downe happinesse to his low groueling and grosse desires and when he cannot doe so to accuse it To the second Who is troubled so much with the delay of payment and the deferring of Happinesse for an answere I would aske him how long hee would willingly stay to bee Heire of a Crowne Here if I may speake for him I thinke hee would confesse that hee would bee contented if hee might haue it but seuen yeeres before his death Now I will desire him to stay but seuen yeeres more and then hee shall haue this Crowne that farre excels the other And to comfort him in this ods of expectation I can tell him that those who haue knowne and now worne both these Crownes haue made a far greater ods betweene them then a few yeeres patience preferring a day in the Courts of heauen before a thousand in the Courts of Princes But that wee may come lower doe not wee see it an ordinarie thing that a man continues thirtie yeeres in a course of learning that he may be a learned man but thirtie
confessed-incurable and desperate miserie And to this end may we reasonably beleeue that the fulnesse of time appointed for the cōming of our Sauiour in the flesh was so long in fulfilling and that during the space between the Promise and exhibiting of a Sauior there was so spare and rare and secret notices giuen of him euen that there might be a manifest and confessed neede of him before hee should be generally manifestly offered and shewed The whole World left to the state of nature must bee odiously and vnsufferably corrupted the Nation of the lewes taken out as the top of mankind and a chief part to conuince the whole lifted vp propped and supported by a cleere reueiled Law by Statutes Ordinances and Ceremonies and these againe inforced by Prophets Miracles and Signes I say this Nation must bee laden with iniquitie and wholly defiled from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot and so both among Iewes and Gentiles there must be none that worketh righteousnesse no not one and then is the fulnesse and fitnesse of time for the comming and publishing of a Sauiour Being thus humbled in our selues and made both needy and thirstie of saluation then will God open our eyes as he did the eyes of despairing AGAR that wee shall see a spring of waters of eternall Life Christ Iesus with the beames of his sauing health will shine in vpon our vnderstādings and shew them his beautie and vpon our wils through our vnderstandings to comfort rauish and draw them and this will bee doe iust at that time when we feelingly complaine and find that we are in the state of darkenesse and in the shaddow of death And now Christ Iesus entring into our souls with free mercy and grace to heale and refresh them our soules in faith and feruency claspe the will and affections about him and lay fast hold on the Lord of glorie and blessednes And then the soule kisseth him with the kisses of her mouth and as she needeth him most before she found him so she loueth him best after shee hath found him This is the path of Faith walke therein and liue for euer CHAP. III. That wee should striue to increase our happinesse and by what meanes BEing knit vnto hap pinesse by the knot of a most high and blessed Vnion wrought by that Faith in Christ which surrenders vs vp to the sanctification of the Spirit what remaynes but that we striue to preserue and increase our selues therein It is no lesse wisdome to keep then to get yea it is more folly negligently to lose a thing gotten the labour by which it was gotten then hauing taken no paines for it nor hauing tasted the sweetnesse of it to haue beene altogether without it And though the renewing Spirit bee strong in apprehension and where it once takes roote it will not wholly quit the ground yea we must know that the retchlesnesse hard heartednesse of Man by shutting vp the heart against the dew of heauen and by cherishing the weedes of naturall corruption may so much grieue afflict him that the seede of grace and glorie sowne in vs may be much withered and pined For the Spirit which is within vs as it holdeth vs so it lookes to bee held by vs as it quickens vs so it lookes to be quickned and inflamed by vs And on the other side it grieues it pines it drieth it dyeth to our feeling though not in it selfe when it wanteth comforting incouraging cherishing And the Spirit being thus quenched within vs the spirituall trading for happinesse decayeth so our losse of heauenly ioyes doth daily increase yea the comforts of God in our way to happinesse doe still abate and we are often left in a temporal hell euen in horror of mind vexation of conscience which is the night of the soule Wisd. 17.14 Farre be it therefore from vs to kill that which giueth vs life to quench that which is the Light of our darknesse to pull backe our hand from this hand of God which offers to leade vs to eternall Life But let it be the most earnest indeuor of our hearts and soules to comfort and cherish this heauenly Seede wherein lyes wrapt our euerlasting glorie and happinesse Let vs be merciful to our selues by being kinde to it for thou canst not sow to this Spirit but thou must sow also to thy owne glorie for the Spirit is a most sure Rewarder of all the seruice done vnto it And to whom it hath beene an Author of sowing in labour to them it will also bee a Giuer of a most blessed haruest in glorie yea according to the measure of sowing shall be the measure of reaping Wherefore let vs not bee content onely to get this glorifying Spirit nor hauing gotten it only to keep it but let vs in an vnsatiable couetousnesse euer bee increasing it euer be getting vpon it How can a Man be full inough of happines How canst thou stint thy seeking since there is no stine of an infinite felicitie and such is that which thou seekest Surely if thou euer didst taste thy Soueraigne Good thou canst not but ouer hunger and thirst after him thou canst not but cry out Euermore giue me this water of life Let thy worldly couetousnesse reach thee the manner of a spirituall couetousnesse That tells thee that goods are good and thou canst not haue too much of that which is good Now the Spirit tells thee that God is goodnesse it selfe and the summe of all things that are good Wherefore thou shouldest be still hungrie still thirstie after the liuing God neuer hauing inough of that happinesse whereof there is still some degree beyond that which thou hast Wherefore fastning one foote that thou slide not backe in the path of happinesse aduance the other so march on stedfastly to the Congregation of the first-borne to the spirits of iust and perfect Men to the Mediator of the new Alliance and Couenant and to the happy presence of the liuing God Thy path is in the Spirit walke in the Spirit and thou walkest toward God walke feruently in the Spirit let it in flame thee and bee inflamed by thee thou walkest swistly towards God and the more this fire of Grace is kindled in thee the more shall thy shining be when thou art a Starre in glorie For the same Spirit which is the seede of Sanctification is also the seede of Glorification the first it brings forth in this life the other in the next As certainly as it shewes the first so certainly will it bestow the latter and the latter in the degree of the former For according to the power of the quickning Spirit within vs shall be the power excellence of the Spirit raising vs and according to the power of the Spirits sanctifying is the power of the Spirits quickning Sanctifying and quickning being knit together and so prospering together in the prosperitie of one and the same Spirit Therefore to
doore of Death to admit the Prince of Death but by Patience admit the King of Glorie and giue him the possession of thy soule for his stripes are healers his chastizements are restoratiues and his strokes are the strokes of a Father So shalt thou prosper in grace by afflictiōs through the good husbandry of Patience and on the other side thou shalt preuent all Satans mischieuous purposes euen all the euils that vsually doe issue from a tottered disioynted and abandoned spirit Now that thou mayst prouide for thy selfe such a strong Patience which may bee a Coate of proofe to the soule thy Patience must be tempred and steeled with Resolution This Resolution is the Armour of thy Armour euen the keeper of thy Patience which is the keeper of thy soule and the Graces bestowed vpon it For hereby wee are constantly prepared to indure all the crosses and troubles of this transitorie race of miserie And this Resolution to be good must also issue from faith that sees GOD our felicitie who otherwise is inuisible and from hope by which future blessednesse though absent yet assured yeelds vs comfort aboue all vanishing miseries Thus the Souldier of God warfaring against the Enemies of his heauenly Countrie stands inuincible against the gates of Hell and himselfe being wounded or slaine yet his Patience and consequently his soule is safe and aliue But if thou hast not this Resolution stil ready at hand thou art impatient as soone as thou feelest a blow thou must needs run away for thou didst neuer resolue to fight Thou hast not made thy cōputation what the Kingdome of Heauen will cost thee or at least when thou sawest the reckoning thou diddest not resolue to bee at the charge Therefore thou art not for the Army of Christ for all his Souldiers haue resolued to sell all to take vp his Crosse and to follow him in the way of suffering vnto the Crowne of Glorie To conclude that wee may yet bee more secured that neither our Patience nor Resolution faile vs in the day of tryall Let vs know by whose strength wee may stand and in that strength let vs especially seeke strength We may doe well to open the Eye of Faith to behold the ioyes of Heauen which are eternall for Christ on the crosse beheld this Glory therefore endured the Crosse no doubt the same ioyes seene with the same sight may worke the same Resolution We may doe well to apply the Oyle of hope to the sores and wounds made by troubles temptations we may doe well to behold the loue of GOD which wee cannot thinke intends to punish or torment but to amend and exalt and we may doe well to looke vpon the print of Gods seale in our hearts by which that loue is assured to vs. Yet when wee haue done all this it is the power of God that makes all this profitable to vs. If GOD draw in his breath we shall be troubled in the midst of our Contemplations and Resolutions we shall after many protestations deny him with PETER all these helps will helpe vs no more then the Law did the Iewes without the strong Helper For euen Christ himselfe by the power of God endured the wrath of God and by being GOD despised the shame imposed for the sins of men The Glory proposed comforted him but by the Comforter the Spirit which hee had not by measure did aboue measure quicken him with the sight of those ioyes Wherefore let vs especially by earnest Prayer resort to our chiefe and only strength without whom no man shal bee strong in his owne strength Let vs seeke of God that power by which PAVL being strengthened was able to doe all things Let vs put our trust in God alone and with DAVID call him our Rocke our Fortresse our Shield and our strength We are but Dwarfes to Satan and hee that is in the World is farre greater then we But if God be in vs hee is farre greater then he that is in the World and he can make our weaknesse to exceed Satans strength Therfore disclayming the keeping of our selues let vs commit our selues to GOD trusting that he will keep to the end what wee haue committed vnto him Let vs draw neere vnto GOD and to the power of his right hand let vs take vp our rest vnder the shaddow of his wings In his Name and not in our owne may wee boast all the day long for it is his right hand that will get himselfe the victory in vs. If thus wee seeke the Lord hee will be found of vs if we ascribe power to the Lord the power of God will descend to those that glorifie his power if we trust in the God of Battailes of weake we shall be made strong as the faithfull haue beene in the dayes of old And if we can once say The Lord girdeth mee with strength to the battell wee may also say Those that rise against vs shalt thou subdue vnder vs. Let Principalities Powers muster vp things present and things to come height and depth life and death yet in all these shall wee be more then Conquerours through him that loueth and sustaineth vs. Our Patience and our Resolution are grounded vpon the Rocke of Omnipotence though the windes blow the flouds beat they shall stand for they are grounded on a Rocke and while Patience standeth the Soule flourisheth where God seeth Patience he seeth also that the workes are more at last then at the first for that and that alone is a good and fruitfull ground which bringeth forth fruit with Patience CHAP. XI Of the finall possession and fruition of Happinesse THis World though of it selfe it be vnto Man but Misery or Vanity yet by the Mercy of the Creator it is made vnto Man a Nursery vnto Happinesse For the Creatour hauing lost his Creation recouered it by Redemption And by this Redemption the World which otherwise is but troublesome transitorie yet it serues to fit vs for Ioy and Eternity yea the troubles and transitories thēselues are imployed to doe much of it For the troubles of this life beate vs on to ward future blisse and the transitorinesse deliuers vs vp to euerlastingnesse In this life is the Bride trimmed and dressed here is she decked for the Day of her Gladnesse and here being made glorious within shee goes hence to be made perfectly glorious both within and without hauing glorified God by an inward Puritie shee goes to bee glorified by God in a shining Eternitie But what tongue of Man can expresse the Glory of this felicity which the Heart of Man cannot conceiue The Tongue must receiue it from the Heart and the Heart it selfe doth not receiue it The Tongue is more narrow then the Heart and the Heart is infinitely too narrow for the receit of these Ioyes so how narrow must bee Mans relation of this Happinesse which must issue from that which is narrower then that which is infinitely narrower then
haue set their rest on their Creatour and haue made him the end of their being and the meanes to the end euen a God to rule a Sauiour to redeeme and a happinesse to blesse these arise with the Image of God in their fore-heads God seeth his face in the face of their soules their workes also testifie the same for them These are clothed with pure White the Righteousnesse of Christ and the Righteousnesse of the Spirit with the first the Iustice of GOD is satisfied with the last the Mercie of God is pleased and by the last the first is adiudged to them They haue fed clothed and visited Christ in his hungry naked and imprisoned members these workes are the fruits of Loue and Loue is the fruit of Sanctification and Sanctification is an inseparable companion condition and witnesse of Iustification So by the works of Loue they are proued and approued to bee the sonnes of God who is Loue and if sonnes then also heires if heires they shall for euer dwell in the house of Glorie euen in the presence of God Their right to eternall Glory is by inheritance euen by being heires annexed with Christ but their admittance into their right is by the Euidences and Testimonies of the workes of Holinesse For it is a true Rule That none but the pure in heart can see God and againe None can be pure in heart but he must first be new begotten by God euen a sonne and heire of GOD. And now to these is sounded forth that most blessed voice which openeth the doore of eternall Felicitie a voice that consummateth that Supremest Marriage wherein Man is matched to the highest Essence the chiefest Blisse Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you In this Kingdome the ragged and filthy garment of the body of sinne the diseased infirmities of this sinful bodie the tears of oppression yea all griefe is wiped away And in stead of these Man is infinitely purified sublimated and so fitted for the presence of the highest Being In the Puritie of Holinesse hee is pure without blemish washed from guilt by the bloud of the Lambe and from corruption by the holy Ghost yea there is a new Light as a new Eye plāted in the vnderstanding exceedingly quickened and enlarged to a spacious view of Truth and Glorie Likewise new Vertue anoynteth and bedeweth the Will steeping and seasoning it in a Diuine Nature by which it excellently agreeth in harmonie with the will of God and is holy as hee is holy In the puritie of Substance the Soule shall be highly clarified vntill it be capeable of the vppermost and chiefest Light And the body shall bee lifted vp into a proportion with the Soule for the body shall then bee a spirituall Body euen a Body like a Soule euen so pure shall they both bee that they shall admit into themselues the beames of the Fountaine of Light vntill they bee filled with Light and Glorie God will bee their Sunne and hee will shine into them as into Christall and in his Light they shall haue the fulnesse of Light Then shall the Knowledge of Man ascend into Perfection farre aboue these poore pieced and patched knowledges which we call Arts and Sciences Euen the highest Degree of knowledge which in this mistie time of Ignorance Imperfection iustly holdeth the highest degree of Eminence shall then be the bottome and lownes of this new knowledge and then shall it be knowne that this kind of Learning is of vse much like to that of a Lanthorne It may doe vs seruice in this Night of Mans fall and corruption but in the Orient brightnesse of the Kingdome of Glorie the new light by surmounting it shall make it vselesse yea darken and discountenance it For whereas now wee doe but flutter about the branches and extremities of Wisdome then shall we behold Wisdome in the roote The Glorie and Fabrike of the Creature shall be seene in the Originall euen in the Creatour in whom it was first made within before it was made without In him shall wee reade the Resolution of all profitable vnknowntruths and his Wisdome shall bee a most perfect Oracle instructing all glorified and blessed Soules And with this Wisdome shall we also behold an infinite Treasure of Power and Almightinesse The right Hand and holy Arme of the Omnipotent God shall bee reuealed vnto vs and then shall wee wonder at this Power alone and not at the mightie Wonders which this Power hath done for then shal we plainly see that such Power might well worke such Wonders And while wee view and consider this Power the Power of GOD will point vs to the loue of God For so meane a thing as Man may well bee amazed at so infinite Power and Maiestie but that at once with the power there appeares an infinite Loue which tells the Soule that though Power not matched with Loue be a Terror yet tempred with loue it is the very Safetie Rest and Blisse of Soules beloued For as much power as there is in God so much is God able to blesse those whom hee loues and as much loue as there is in GOD so much willing is hee to blesse those whom by his Power hee is so much able to blesse Thus from Gods Wisdome his Power his Loue and his Light issue continuall obiects and spectacles of Ioy. Yet is not this all of that which cannot all be expressed For this whiles there flowes from the Deitie into the Heart of Man a most pleasant streame of the gladding Spirit wherein is the extremest power vertue of reioycing This is the new Wine of the Kingdome of Heauen which makes the Soule drunken with high comforts raptures and extasies which inward comforts meeting and clasping with outward ioyes fill vp a Man with an excesse of Ioy and Happinesse that he shall be euen swallowed vp and ouer-rauished with Ioy. And yet their Happinesse stinteth not for there is an addition of a most delectable and soule-pleasing Harmonie Harmonie is a chiefe pleasure and the most excellent Harmonie is the chiefest of this chiefe pleasure and the most excellent Harmonie is the chiefest of this chiefe Pleasure and the Harmonie of the most excellent Essences is the most excellent Harmonie and the most excellent Essences are Spirits and the Harmonie of Spirits is in the Kingdom of glory This Musike of Spirits exceedingly exceedeth the Musike of mortall voices yea that chiefe Musike of hearts which between men is called Friendship and betweene Man Wife is called Marriage-Loue is but a counterfeit resemblance and carries but some small rellishes of that Diuine and Celestiall Harmony For in the Quire of Heauen the Saints and Angels euen the blessed Spirits agree in a perfect Vnison of Truth and Loue. Their vnderstandings think one thing their hearts euen their wils loue themselues and their companions with one loue They delight themselues each in other especially all in God For as there is between themselues a perfect consent so there is also a true agreement between these Spirits and the chiefest Spirit which is the very top of pleasure and delight What perfection can be higher then that of the highest Creatour And how can a Creature bee more perfect then when he is consorted tuned to this highest perfection God speaketh to the hearts of these blessed Soules and the hearts of these blessed Soules thinke and vtter thoughts agreeable to the heart of GOD. God that saw his Workes of Creation that they were good and pleased himselfe in their goodnesse Now beholdeth his worke of Blessing and Glorification and reioyceth in the rest ioy which he hath giuen to his Beloued The glorified Soules behold and admire the Goodnesse and Mercie of God that gaue not only the workes of the six daies but the rest of the Seuenth to rebellious dust and sinful ashes In the infinite Loue of God their loue still steepeth and drowneth it selfe and the more it seeth the Loue of God the more it loues God and the more it loues God the more it is beloued And out of the feeling of this surpassing Loue of God breake out those Songs of Ioy and Voyces of Exultation Glory and Honour and Prayse bee to him that sitteth on the throne to the Lamb for euermore And Halleluiah For the Kingdome of the Lord God Almightie is come And Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue Glorie to God for the Marriage of the Lambe is come his Wife is readie and shee is arayed in pure and shining Silke And yet this felicitie is not all but that it may bee as long as it is large and as infinite in continuance as it is in extent there issues from the Deitie into the glorified Soules the sap and nourishment of an eternall Life The Tree of Life nourisheth eternally the branches of the same Tree Death is swallowed vp into victory and it selfe dyeth by the Word which is Life But the Soules partakers of God from him who is Eternall doe sucke Eternitie and so become that Kingdome whereof there is no end And yet this is not all of that inexpressible Felicitie but the greatest and chiefest is yet left in silence for that must needs be greatest which cannot enter into the heart of Man But let the transcendence of that which is vnknowne be a double spurre vnto vs in this Race of Happinesse one because it is transcendent another because vnknowne Let the Eminence prouoke our Ambitions the Secrecie our Curiosities Let vs desire and striue earnestly to enter into that which now by reason of wonderfull excellence cannot enter into vs. Let vs indeuour carefully to walke in the light of Grace which will bring vs to the full Reuelation of the yet inaccessible light of Glorie where Happinesse shall at once bee fully knowne and fully enioyed In the meane time it may be sufficient for me to discouer That the Soules seated in Beatitude passe their time which shall neuer bee past in the very top of Blisse and Delectation They laugh at sorrowes past and are secure for infinite ioyes to come God is theirs and they are Gods and in this Vnitie is the fulnesse of Felicitie FINIS