the naturall man by natures light Convinced be but never see aright Till by the Holy Ghost he be renewed And in the heart by speciall grace indued And led unto the new and living way Where closing with his Saviour he may Discern from whence these waters spring that flow And make the barren fruitfull ground to grow Come then incline divine assistance can From nature thee renew a spâ—ritual man Aright to see His condescensions Applying by firm apprehensions Him shining clear in His Anointed Who is for thy approach appointed For He unmov'd all motions moves Which minutly His praises proves Extracting from most clear distractions A cluster sweet of solide actions For all that is was or shall be Is His eternall wise decree Whose high designs ador'd as His duration Admits no parallel or alteration Whom we in Christ our Saviour sweet must see Imbrace enjoy or die eternally But come and do not in your dreg remain Take up the Book and read and read again A serious Survey of this journey take This Child of Grace through all his tryals tract Here shalt thou see an unseen strength sustain The weakest that hath at the battel been And wisdome shining in the most unwise Might make affections in a rapt to rise Which in the Babe new born again doth grow Whereby he doth in Songs of Praises flow A Garden here with arbors for reposing A Jewel clear the ground of all rejoycing A Fountain whence waters of life do spring A Mountain thence thou may'st with safety sing A Spirit here perceive our sp'rits inspires With sighs and groans and answers such desires Come then in faith and as thou seeks receive Light life relief from darknesse grief and grave In brief behold these whole assertions here By proof from truth believed made appear And He above believing shall convoy Thee with Himself Himself for to enjoy Himself who is thy Potent Prince Victorious Light Life Delight and Lover only Glorious Come then attend His call and humbly say Come Lord thy servant hears and shall obey A SURVEY Of the FIRST and SECOND DEATH Closing with a SEPARATION-KISSE Betwixt two intimate FRIENDS The SOVL and BODY By way of DIALOGUE betwixt NATURE and GRACE Under the Names of FLESH and SPIRIT Heb. 9.27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgement Ephes 2.1 And you hath he quickned who were dead in sins and trespasses 1. THE body of man is of the earth naturall earthy 2. The soul of man is of a spirituall nature spirituall 3. The two joyned together in the time of life make up a person 4. The separation of the soul from the body is the naturall death of the person 5. The separation of Gods favourable Presence by His Spirit from the soul is the spirituall death of the person 6. All the Off-spring of the first man by his apostasie and disobedience are deservedly deprived of Gods favourable Presence by his spirit so come to the world dead in sins and trespasses 7. All these the naturall Off-spring of the first man that be left in this forlorn condition living and dying in this darknesse and ignorance of God and do never attain unto the first resurrection do ly under the first and be lyable unto the second death at the last day 8. The Elect and Chosen of God be by His free grace in a time of love called and by the effectuall working of His Spirit moved to believe His word and to joine with Jesus Christ for Salvation By whom neverthelesse that they be spiritually dead in sins and trespasses they are by His Spirit quickned to see and serve the living God dying unto sin and living unto righteousness and thereby made partakers of the first resurrection Against whom the second death at the generall resurrection shall have no place 9. To be spiritually-dead the mere naturall man knows not nor by reason of his atheism can know till the second death sieze upon him first at the seperation of the soul and body and secondly again at the resurrection and judgment 10. The Believer knows by woefull proof what it is to be spiritually dead by the dead works wherein they have walked before they knew themselves under darknesse 11. The Believer knows likewise what the second death means by being sometimes from provocation and sometimes from tryall deserted and often kept at distance and of such continuance as hath been both a hell of torments and hes bred fearfull anxiety and knows also and believes the Scripture-descriptions of the eternall torments never dying death and dolour that the wicked atheist must endure and perish under everlastingly As also by being condemned in themselves and saved by the Lord they know what it is to be absolved from that dreadfull condemnation 12. As to the dissolution of the body albeit it be a beginning of the second death to the wicked as it is a preparation to the second resurrection of the Godly whose souls are then feasting upon their Saviour His Face in Paradice It may be more properly named a Sleep as it is often in Scripture especially seeing the soul hes had her night of partiall separation in the body suppose but short in comparison of time yet under many sufferings whereas the bodies night in its element is free of trouble and for the length of time it is to rest there under darknesse It is not considerable in respect of the splendor of that day of eternal glory which is at the out-breaking And seeing it is with this temporall death of the bodie that the Believer hes only adoe let us look a little more particularly upon it and specially as it concerns the Believer It is appointed for all men to die naturall death being the separation of the soul from the body is rightly named unto mere naturall man the King of terrours A metaphor from a King or Tyrant who is unresistable for power unsatiable and unexorable for cruelty undefatigable for persistence furnisht with all manner of forces for execution in all places at all times through all the Continent where any of the sons of men takes life attending them constantly till every one of them fall under the fatall and finall stroak And there is nothing created in this Universe whether from within us or from without us from the furthest remote of the Stars to the least pile of grasse or pickle of dust which were all created for our good but hath been or may be the occasion of this dissolution As also by what means amongst so many and at what time so uncertain unto any that it is a wonder that the rationall creatures who knows themselves subject to it can think of it without terrour and most terrible that the most of men are over-turned before they think seriously of it But here appears the greatest wonder that ever any of the blind-born deservedly forsaken and self-lost generation of apostate man should come to know any more hereof then
any other but this being the prerogative of the regenerate by grace to see themselves by nature lost and saved by the Lord This death is nothing terrible nor troublesome to them but pleasant and comfortable in what colours by what knife at what time or in what place they commit their souls to the Father of spirits and surrender their bodies to the Elements whereof they were and are to be preserved unto the day that all things be restored for they see and know that this dissolution of the body is but the laying off or suffering the old spotted and defiled garments to be rent from us till they be refined and not that we may be uncloathed but cloathed upon with glory and immortality untill we receive again these naturall mortall corruptible bodies immortall incorruptible receptacles habilitate and fitted to imbrace and enjoy without interruption the glory that a glorified soul is admitted unto So that unto the Believer this naturall death is swallowed up of life being no more death unto them then the pinching of the body of the Infant in coming through these straits of ordinary Child-birth should be to the Child if it were capacitate to know the present case and place of its imprisonment and the light and liberty it were to come to But here nature even pure nature doth propose some most sensible and searching tryals for impugning my arguments and resolutions viz. Seeing this World was created for me and I created immortall without separation by death if I had stood in my integrity then should I never have had any further desire but of things present Now presuppone that the offer were made me of the allowance of all created contentments perpetually to my desire with the blessing upon them and the blessed use of them with that peace which should make up a continued feast should not we then rather be content to remain in the body then desirous to seperate from it 1. For answer The case is so far altered that the difference is very vast we not being by creation nor should have been by generation in the estate of innocency capable of any greater blesse then that wherein the first man was created which was to enjoy the allowed use of the creature and to converse with the Creator at such times by such means and in what measure as the divine Majesty should think meet 2. Whereas by regeneration the Believer attains unto and is made capable of a more sublime and supernaturall blesse by being made a member of Christ mysticall to see and enjoy God in Him by grace and to be translated unto glory after death which makes it desirable It is Objected Suppose the offer were made of a healthfull and lively body with the liberty and allowance of all outward contents with the speciall blessing of inward peace in the use of them and freedom from all disturbance which might allay that relish in the fruition of them untill the end of time and the coming of the Lord to the general Judgement Should I not then rather make choise to remain in the body unto that day then to separate from it that it may be consumed in the dust for that time For answer Let the supposition be strengthened with all the Arguments that may warrantably be alledged they cannot weaken the resolution of a Believer nor ballance his disposition of an instant and sincere desire to be dissolved with submission to the good pleasure of Gods will both for the time place and maner of his removall that mortality being swallowed up of life we may put on and be cloathed with immortality life and glory freed of all ground of provoking God or grieving Gods Spirit and admitted unto His Presence in whose Face is the fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are all true compleat and incomprehensible pleasures for evermore the body never being sensible of any losse and the soul being over-joyed in the continued sense of unconceivable advantage Hereby the Believer according to the growth of his faith and affection is looking and longing for that day when he may take possession in that house which is from heaven and is eternall in heaven And these Truths are so convincingly verified unto us by God himself by Jesus Christ our Lord and by the holy Spirit of God and of Christ speaking in his Prophets and Apostles and justified by instances of raising up the dead to life again as being past controversie all objection is removed except it be by the obstinate atheist giving thereby undeniable signs of utter and irrecoverable rejection And how is it then that the Believer can be any thing moved at the approach of that happiest of his dayes unlesse it were unto an excesse of joy from the sense of so joyfull a separation from a dying body lying under darknesse unto a living Head stated in all light and delight Shall the pangs of death restrain our desires or abate our resolutions in making through that strait entry unto such certain and eternall felicities Would the Child in the mothers womb if it were capable of sense and reason make choise to remain everlastingly in that dark Cell rather then to hazard upon what pains there may be in pressing out unto the light Would not the Prisoner fettered in the Gallies and there held under most cruell slavery if he should be called out of that bondage not only unto liberty but also in stead of his rags Princely Robes presented to him and of bands the enjoyments of all desirable delights that the most flourishing Nation under the Sun could render crowned with many dayes and years in the society of Princes and all Princely pleasures would not the change be most joyfully imbraced by any that were not more then brutish Now then how far above comparison is this change that the believing Christian is called unto from so many sorrows and sufferings as our sin hath brought and keeps us under while we are in the body unto a Crown of glory and immortality to be cloathed upon with the Robes of our Redeemer his Righteousnesse and feasted with the joyes that flourish in the Face of our Mediator being the fruits of that Land where there is no lesse then everlasting life light love delight resulting in superexcellent hymns and songs of eternall praise in exalting the King and Saviour of Saints Is it not from the weaknesse of our faith and not keeping our spirituall senses in action but sluggishly suffering our affections to frieze that we are not still attending when we shall be called to come out of the body to enjoy this beatitude And why should we be so anxious of the maner time or place of laying down our old cloaths It becomes us well to intrust all to Him of whom we are and for whom we are without whom nothing can befall us who is goodnesse it self and of whom we had such reall proof that He makes all things work together for our good And shall we
quench the wrath of God the more I must to mourn again for sin begin So friend-like teaching me how to remeed My own undoing by thy treacherous deed And wouldst have me believe that by repenting I must redeem my self or lost remain And so ensnare me by thy wise inventing And wast my substance in this subtile train For better wouldst thou never seek of me Then in these fetters perishing to see As if my Lord who hath me freely loved Did not revive me when my life were spent As if again this Love I had not proved Which mov'd my heart sincerely to repent So as alone He hath done all for me That by His death I may victorious be Hereby again thou dost advantage take Carelesse to make and carnally secure Both sluggishly and senslesly to slack In duties whereto Love doth me allure As if His Love were not of force to guide Me through the straits wherein I may be tri'd And when my Lord better to let me see My self whereof I daily stand in need The influence of his grace restrains from me Then butcher-like thou follows me with speed And dost surmise that I do beat the air And notions print to presse me to despair And when thou canst not by thy wit prevail Because I do by faith thy darts resist Then lion-like thou dost in arms assail And by thy wicked instruments insist To persecute in body state and name Thereby to bring me unto publike shame Thus didst thou first begin with lying lewd And therein counterfeited as thou can And then thy flatt'ry did convert to feud Burning in malice to betray the man The Syrene first and then the serpent grim Now from thy lurking hole the Lions limb But now thy fury to thy face shall turn And vex thee in quotidian extasie Of endlesse woe for evermore to burn In pain when I am from thy spight set free For all thy trains shal both increase thy charge And for triumphs victorious us enlarge For certainly what thou hast done or can Yet ever do in time to come I know Shall do but heap hape on the hopefull man And in the end turn to thy overthrow For as he is in battell try'd the more Into his rest shall he enjoy of glore And this I do not glosse upon in pride For weaknesse with the weakest I confesse And when my Lord doth leave me to be try'd Then dwining do I ly in deep distresse But then ev'n then whole hell cannot bereave Me of this faith I know whom I believe Thus Satan old thou seest not how I soar Above thy sight upon the Eagles wing EMANUELS might protects me evermore And in thy spight shall me to safety bring So go for lo I leave thee here to ly And with thy mates eternally to die And now again as the naturall man being brought to the light and through the trials and travels incident to him in his infancy and under age unto the years of discretion and experience is to be exercised in serious and important affairs concerning himself his Country and concernment and thereby is to give proof of his gifts and endowments grounded upon justice temperance prudence and fortitude with all other subordinate requisites and yet meeting with so many difficulties in the progresse of his best intended and most approvable actions is subject to much haulting and deviation in many things turning to his reproach The New Man in like manner being come through these and many such assaults and come up to some growth in light and experience is to be exercised as a Professor of Christianity and to exercise himself therein both in his generall and particular calling being strengthened by the gifts and grace received both to do and endure as it shall please the Giver to give the calling And for this end that he be indued with these requests 1. So much knowledge of himself as may produce sincere self-denial 2. So much of GOD as may make up a sole dependency upon a Providence 3. Faith whereby to sacrifice his Isaac his dearest darling to the service of God upon a known call 4. A fixed confidence that if he should slay thee thou wilt trust in him 5. Love above comparison so far as God is above the creature 6. Zeal like Phineas impartiall in the execution of justice in the Cause of God and our Country 7. Submission in what he takes as in what he gives 8. Patience in resting quiet and confident in all he doth 9. Humility tending to the increase of grace thankfulnesse under the crosse as under comfort 10. Chearfulnesse so shall the joy of the LORD be thy strength These be the approven grounds whereby to walk with approbation but how short every man comes in the practice it is too well seen whether from the world when it flattereth or frowns affecting or repining And in the unregenerate part what a filthy fume flows daily out of that stinking pudle where the dregs and spawn of all the devilry of hell is engrossed and but in part purged or rather born down and kept under from out-breaking in palpable enormities And yet the Devil knows well what coal to blow at and how to quicken more damnable and deadly Vipers to suck out our spirituall life unseen or adverted unto as spirituall pride carnall security under the exercise of our best actions taking growth with our gifts whereby Gods Spirit is grieved desertion procured crosses afflictions and corrections inflicted for humbling reclaiming keeping under and in order the light and facile heart which would miscarry unto ruine if not prevented But for this misery of self-deceiving deceit and desperate wickednesse of the heart the many inventions it finds out being prompted thereunto by the old Serpent to undo it self and how far the remnants of this corruption may prevail even in the Regenerate it is better seen then guarded against by too many as much fearfull and bitter experience can witnesse But thus it becometh every one that knows so much as that God knows the heart to make search till they attain to know the plague of their own heart that they may be confounded in themselves not lifting up their face for shame seing God is pacified towards them for all that they have done because of the stability of His Covenant Ezek. 16.62 63. But naturally every man being so conceited of himself scarce any man will believe that such things as both Scripture and experience make clear to be in the heart of man can be in his heart but will be ready to say Am I a dog that I should be tempted to do such things Till under the triall we become taught by wofull proof the folly of our faithlesnesse in our defections And having been much toyled in pruning and suppressing these sproutings and superfluities of naughtinesse that are alwayes taking life in the body of death So Hydra-like that as one head is stricken off another more monstrous and menstruous springs up to be conflicted with
Stars constellations signs celestiall hes Much operation in our bodies all Their generation standing and their fall Bodies of Elements compounded been Of humors some more grosse and some more clean In some more equall some lesse equalling Whence strength and weakness health and sickness spring Hence dispositions and affections move Which in some lesse in some more vicious prove Our distance also from the temp'rat Zone The frigid and the hot the Horizon Climat our customs and our education Our frequent fellowship and conversation All these and many more have force upon Our facile minds and fond affection By this connexion of so many things Distinguishable by so many signs So many various thoughts impression have That poyson'd inclinations do receive Hence is it that some sole-commanding thing Bears rule in every one as Soveraign King Which in the fervor of a strong respect Follow the Aples that they most affect And in the frenzie of these carnall fires Dote on the idol of their chief desires And from that folly never can refrain Untill the sting of death revive their pain So when the soul physician comes to cure Our sicknesse sees and what we can endure And unto our infection he applyes For all contagions severall remedies Corrections crosses that we may relent Comforting cordials lest our heart should faint And when we have been gained and allured And of his favour faithfully assured By real feeling of our lost condition And â—delivâ—ry by our Lords tutition Yet not the lesse we must be humble held So as the devils darts may be repell'd He did in Paradice with our Parents plead And prosecutes his splen against their Seed Nor is the old man yet so fully slain But that he can recover life again If we be left a little to be try'd By light temptations we shall step aside Unlesse we be prevented or restrain'd And so by free immediate grace maintain'd Now these strong reasons and right grounds may be Of Christian cases the varietie Nor do I doubt but that the Christ'an-call Maner and time be not alike in all Some saved are with fear some love constrains Some hurled from the fire with harder pains Much difference of exercise can make Which also may the name of tryall take And. Enough dear friend now have you made us see Our own experience more perspicuouslie For we be of our birth and breeding wilde As likewise of all people most defil'd But as by times some of us hes been tam'd Then of our selves we have been much asham'd Made it our study vice for to detect Destroy and to draw vertue to respect We censur'd be by many that are good To be too rigide being people rude Who to be too far curbed do disdain And plead for recreations too profane But since it pleas'd our King us to recall To this His Paradice spirituall And since we did with you assemble here We have been set to get the heart sincere And what by speculation we take Make it impressions unto practice make And with much order do our selves addresse To shew to men their nat'rall naughtinesse And that ev'n in the best there doth remain Some of the life of death as yet unslain But as for us we have been so ingrain'd In that corruption which all flesh hath stain'd It so habituall unto us became That we converted were unto the same And when our eyes at first to see were clear'd Our miserie and mercy most admir'd The causes and the wrath so vively seen His everlasting armes to interveen There did concur force fear love infinite Our full reclaiming thereby to compleat And now our crosses and corrections we Find for the death of sin in us to be Even such by which heav'ns wisdome does reform us And to our King and Comforter conform us An. This grave and graced person in his speech If ponder'd well it were might many teach For this we know that of one propagation Countrie and clime and of one education Are all that tribe and surely such as here Arrived be most zealous do appear And as for us who came from every airt Of severall qualities partake apart As also some more early some more late Have called been unto this happy state Some by our Soveraign King his ointments sweet By love came running when he did invite Some from the sense of wrath when they did cry Such mercy felt that they did melt thereby Thus we by conf'rence find that there must be Strong reasons ' for this strange diversity Of exercise and that it is to train Us to the truth from triffles false and vain And this we know though we be civill bred And in the plat-form fair of vertue led And have not been brought under publike blame That could have brought us unto open shame That yet the seed of ev'ry vice remains In us as others only grace restrains And as we more or lesse infected are Our antidotes stronger or weaker were And more particular or plain to be You pardon will to save our modesty For our dear Lover who by grace hath lov'd us Above the grace bestow'd hath never prov'd us And when our Sex to suffer for their love Is call'd they constant do and loyall prove Tho. We as these Ladies congregated are From every airt where shines the morning star Diff'rent by birth humors and education By sight society and conversation Some in their youth have hither been translated Some in their age here happily been stated Some sav'd by fear and some by force constrain'd To come but all by Love and mercy gain'd So that with us strange diff'rences must be But far more strange is this strange harmonie Where contrare inclinations do incline All to one end O endlesse depth divine And that the rod upon our folly lies More happinesse it is then we can prize Chastis'd we be as children for our good When through the fire or the most furious flood Of sore afflictions we be safely led Who in the barren wilderness are bred The purest white drinks in the blewest dye And if you do take pains for to apply Some red some green according to the grain But unto white shall never turn again Right so though we be stain'd we can receive By industry and education grave Civility and righteous colours sweet But the first tincture never shall delete Untill by blood and water both our blots Be purged out for cleanging all our spots This is the myst'ry deep that we should mind How we may be unto our King combin'd By bands of love in sucking in His blood Which doth our consolations all include While we perceive the spawn of our proud foes Remain unpurg'd wherein can we rejoice We suffer not it is but this old man And we should beat him down in what we can Delight to see him totally destroyed And all devices for that end imployed That we unto the image of our King May once appear and so his praises sing Mariona Grissella Ma. WE do not deem that
ever blest Trin One compleat For evermore our songs shall be Ever renew'd uncessantly And His praises to expresse Ever shall our selves addresse AMEN O Lord so let it be So be it in Eternity THE NATURAL MAN Debated with HOw come say some such sacred flames can boil So sweet perfumes out of this sullen soyl This curious question'st with carnall eyes Bemisted sees not in these mysteries How singing doth from sighing flow And gladnesse how from sadnesse grow How mourning melting motions move In frozen hearts hot flames of love From bitterness how sweetness springs Refreshment what felt-ruine brings How from the groans of inward grief Clear freedom rises and relief In deepest darknesse sure direction In dreadfull danger safe protection Result and what can be the root That renders this admired fruit For Answer this BY Grace we see our selves with shame Under abominable blame And not the lesse so freely loved Affections feelingly are moved And overflow like Nilus River In the heart of the believer Whence grief and gladnesse love and he at Reside as in the proper seat Whence bitter mourning grief and wo For grieving such a Lover so Who surfetted hes been with grief From grief to purchase our relief Whom seeing vively through the vail Love and delight thereby prevail So that as by approaching near Unto that splendor in its sphere Be in Combustion dazled so Within these gleams we undergo And in this current strong contesting Securely in his shadow resting Zeal the birth of love and hate Daily abates this love-debate Wherewith no concord can compare One end discussing all their care Being to be made pure and clean This fervent love to entertain Grace ' gainst corruption doth begin A furious fight the soul within So that in one poor person here Betwixt two parties doth appear A hot contest with fatall blows Tending to others overthrows Whence grows this bitter-sweet debate In this grace-griev'd divided state Hence flow these tides contrary turning Mourning to mirth mirth unto mourning The old man being pincht repines The new man sweetly sings and shines The old man dwyning in his living The new man rising and reviving What dolour the old man endures Delight to the new man procures When grace is most o'resway'd it swiâ—gs Corruption under foot and sings For on a mountain of increasement And at a fountain of refreshment Bullering up eternall love With sp'ritual breathings from above Reviv'd by all these blessefull beams Shining through our cristal streams We in these glist'rings flight'ring be Untill we take our flight on hie These be the Northern gales that blow And breathings from the South that flow Upon the Spices sweet and Flowres Seasoned with Celestiall showres And in this Garden do agree Spouses to feast deliciously Upon these fruits and spices sweet Where all their comforts are compleat Who do discern aright to rise These mercies rich rightly to prize But the Believer only sees That Majesty in these mysteries And substance through the shadows more Of glory then he can adore But that the rationall man yet we may lead Some length let us by nat'rall reason plead Seeing this naturall Sun we daily see On nat'rall bodies worke effectually Vapours exhaling out of earthy things Which rarifi'd and clarified brings Repell'd by colder air our early showres Enamelling the earth with fruits and flowres Shall not the Sun of Righteousnesse far more Natures Creator whom we do adore By his almighty Influence divine Which on the long-benighted soul does shine Affect attract and elevating move Affections for the element of love Which purify'd prepared and matur'd Are for the service of their Lord allur'd And further yet by naturall things to learn Spirituall mysteries best to discern This supposition make Conceive the bounds Of this vast Ocean that the earth surrounds If all the Floods therein were the extracts And quintessence that best ingredients makes And daily that some of these cristall drops Melt from such sweet and sun-refined sops And in this Ocean be ingulfed shall They not be then transchanged in the fall Our reason shews us that this strong perfume Should soon the drosse of this sweet drop consume Consider then when this immortall sp'rit By these divine irradiations sweet Here in the Region of grace matur'd For glory and the love thereof allur'd Doth from this cloud come out imbrac'd to be In that incomprehensible excellency At the first blink transchanged be so far As heat from cold and light from darkness are And though the rising of our bodies be From death to life again a mysterie Yet when we do behold how nature brings About life to restore to lifelesse things The earth renewing daily flowers and fruits From dozen'd dead corrupt and rotten roots The vapour that 's exhaled from the brim Where sholes of herring leave their spawn to swim Congealed in a cloud again shall powre Of herrings on the ground a swiming shower Oh wofull wretched wreaked naturallist That naturally doth see and not insist To see aright believe love and know more Who natures Author is and him adore For in His time thou with thy very eyes Disclos'd shall see these divine mysteries Our body from the Elements arise And sp'rited be to meet Him in the skies And at the peep of first appearance passe To pain or pleasure as the Inditement was Recorded clearly on the conscience gravâ—d Rend'ring response respective damned sav'd And all these revolutions orderly Accomplisht in the twinkling of an eye For this the period peremptor is Eternally determinat for this That Glorious Right'ous Justice shining clear And glorious righteous mercy may appear Where all the damn'd convinc'd in anguish ly The saved on their Saviour do rely And yet poor naturall atheist that inquires Where is this blesse and where these burning fâ—es Conceive of God aright who comprehends All things incomprehended and extends His glory in His dispensations free Of mercy and of justice righteously Wherein such Majesty ador'd does shine As moves to admiration divine Through all these vast dimensions created Where all the rationall creatures are stated Sin-poyson'd persons wheresoever they be Unpurg'd are under wrath perpetuallie Likeas the Saints are wheresoever plac'd Within the glorious love of God imbrac'd This is the hell beneath and heaven above Here flames of wrath abide there beams of love Justice effects producing so contrarious Upon the Objects so directly various This naturall Sun by nature putrifies Some matter and some matter purifies Some matter harden and some soften more Some strike to death and some to life restore In Summer shining with so fervent heat And on the vild defyled puddle beat The filth therein doth such a fume disclose As doth in darknesse all the dung inclose Ingend'ring serpents vile and cruell frogs Crawling and sprewling in their poysoned drogs Right so the Sun of Righteousnesse shines pure While such the poyson of their pest indure â—or all the perturbation torment anguish Is of themselves wherein they liveing languish Thus may
strange combustion does it make As if in shivers it should shake And when that revolution's spent The second to essay is bent But when the time prefixt is run Must be renew'd before begun Right so our hourly changes are Which seem to us irregular They be by divine art compos'd And wisely done as well propos'd So that this last of time shall crown All that is past with high renown Believe believe this shalt thou see With these thine eyes most certainly Were there not thousands in thy case When I was sent thee to imbrace Into the womb and can God misse Now in accomplishing thy blesse Me to direct again aright To fetch thee up unto his sight And I so long who was conversant With thee and with thy case acquaint Shall I not know thee love thee move thee And thou delighted be to prove me So now confirmed in the faith to meet This be a kisse of separation sweet FLESH Dear soul I dow not let thee go Nor dare I sweet soul say thee no Shall I refuse thee thee my life Shall I consent O fearfull strife I must agree my life to give Or grieve him dying by whom I live I am convinc'd I ought to yield Creation only wields the shield But death by sin doth beat it down Now new Creation is my crown It moves me likewise dearest Lover Who art alone my nearest Mover To see thee thus so long detain'd With me where we be daily stain'd The Galley-slave in fetters ty'd With sad affliction daily try'd Can have no more desire to be Deliver'd hence then thou of me And reason more for he 's but fred Of grief but thou with glorie clad I from this life have thee deferr'd Too long now let me be interr'd Suppose with losse of life I be Divorc'd from thy society So as thou may more blesse enjoy Then can compare with my annoy Sprent out spring up at thy desirings Possesse the prise of thy aspyrings For here I do consent and say Angels conduct thee in the way And I am moved to believe That thou wilt come me to relieve In that day of refreshing clear Which we confide shall soon appear Spirit Enough enough it 's all I crave Sincere submission to have For that I entered this debate Lest out account should come too late Now shall I further let thee see Thou shalt me fail or I fail thee And would thou have me with thee hence When thou denuded art of sense Thee to enjoy was my delight Albeit it was my drowsie night As thou a time must be absented Yet are we so by faith indented And sure ingrafted in our Head Living we be when seeming dead Let us while we do live believe And so we shall by dying live Hence carnall thoughts hence natures night Welcome now sweet celestiall light Light light light light light light so bright What we have seen sets out of sight And makes us to conceive of seeing Above the bounds of this our being Hence incredulity vile ghuest That faithlesse fears does still suggest O happy choise by closely cleaving Unto our Life by firm believing Thy glory by degrees begun Now fred of suff'ring and of sin And I shall still attending be Again to be possest of thee The fathers of the former ages The greatest and the gravest sages The clearest Saints that e're were seen Our meeting there shall not preveen Where We our Husband Head and King Enjoying shall his praises sing In glory unconceivable where we Shall God for evermore adoring be The FIRST and SECOND RESURRECTION AND THE GENERAL JUDGMENT Closing with a SONG of DEGREES Ascending from what we were to what we are and from thence to what we shall be after time AS AN INTRODUCTION TO That New SONG of endless PRAISE ot be taught in and entered unto when there shall be no more time Matth. 25.31 to the end When the Son of Man shall come in His glory c. 1 Cor. 15.12 to the end Now if Christ be preached c. THe Resurrection of the body and the Generall Judgement is universally acknowledged where Christianity is known except amongst the brutishly ignorant or the profest Atheist But if it were so known and believed as it is condescended unto it would put Believers to a more serious study to try their condition then they be at as yet for who could indure to know believingly that living and dying in their naturall estate without the interposition of a Mediator and Saviour for their restauration they being raised up to join with their soul again should then be cast down in utter darknesse finally and rejected of God totally deprived of all further expectation of grace the gnawing worm of conscience wakened the wrath of a sin-revenging God upon the guilty person where in these everlasting burnings amongst innumerable legions of devils and numberless multitudes of condemned men they be to indure eternal torment Can it be imagined say I that any person so believing and that there were a possibility of recovery could be in rest untill they had unto their utmost endeavour used all imaginable means not thinking any pains too great if it were in compassing the Continent and the coasts of the sea for timous relief If we seeing one of our neighbours in the extremity of a Gout a Gravel-stone or Gangren And that we were certainly perswaded that within such a short space we should be in the very like condition unlesse we did apply our selves to such a Person who could assuredly prevent this so fearfull terrible and horrible torment would there be any delay made or difficulty impede us in our journey for finding out the Physitian Much more if he were at hand making offer of our relief and the removall of all our fears could we make the refusall Again Is it not evident that the most part of men do intangle themselves in most dangerous travels and troubles for gaining of a little uncertain treasure pleasure or preferment whereunto few attain And where attained is past before it be well possest Is it possible then that if the Resurrection of the body and the General Judgment were believed and the blessed condition of those that have accepted of the offer of grace in time and the utter ruine and eternall perdition of all such as have contemned this Great-salvation to sieze upon them in that day when they shall call to the mountains to fall upon them and cover them from that fierce wrath which undoubtedly they must underly for evermore No certainly it is neither probable nor possible but if these Truths were believed there would be little rest amongst the Believers untill they attained to that assurance of relief that might give them solide rest And yet every man is so convinced that none that is worthy to have the name of a man dar be so shamlesse as to deny such unquestionable truths seeing that thereby they should be found to deny the Scriptures of God dyted by His own
Spirit and the power of God seen in the creation and conservation of all things the Son of God and the Saviour of the World who in our own flesh hath died and risen again who hath testified all these truths and recorded them in His Testament to us according as He had Himself experimentally tryed the unutterable joyes of the one and the unsuperable dolors of the other to have been wrestled with sustained and fred of but by Himself alone who was God to sustain as He was man to suffer And yet for all this conviction and formall profession what is the greatest part of all ranks doing but deceiving themselves satisfied with a brain-light without any heart-change a lip-religion without any life-reformation So reasonlesse is the rationall creature become as to deny Him reasonable service who is the Author of their reason in believing Him and acquainting themselves with Him for their good But to proceed According to the difference betwixt the Believer and the unbeliever in life and death so is it after death when the Righteous Judge of all men shall give the finall sentence Then shall the carnall man who refused that great Salvation which is now obtained by believing in the only Son of God for the remission of sin being laid down in the grave bathed in the abominations of His apostasie and impenitencie be raised up again at the Latter-day soul and body joyning to receive the irrecoverable sentence of eternall condemnation and rejection from the gracious presence of God unto the place appointed for them And for the further manifestation hereof the Lord hath been pleased to suffer some being spiritually dead and refusing to come to the Physitian of souls for life and being thereby self-condemned to ly under desperation and torment of conscience even in this life So that both word and example may joyn to the conviction of such as will not be converted Whereas the true Believer who in their life had been dying unto sin and attained unto the first Resurrection in living unto righteousnesse laid down the body under hope shal at the second Resurrection both soul and body being joyned again in that spiritual and incorruptible constitution agreeable unto immortality lift up the head with joy in coming before the Judge knowing that all judgment is committed to the Son of God who is their Kins-man Mediator and Redeemer who knows well for whose transgressions He hes made Himself an offering for satisfying the justice of God that He may see His seed the travell of His Soul and be satisfied That the pleasure of the Lord in justifying many does prosper in His Hand and in congregating and uniting to Himself who is the glorious Head and making up all the Members in one Body to become the fulnesse of Him who fills all in all that the Marriage-day may be solemnized and the marriage fully accomplished before God and all the Hierarchy of Angels Arch-Angels Throns Dominions Powers Seraphims and Cherubins with Hosannas and Hallelujahs shouting for joy and sympathising in all cordiall harmony the praises of their King the Author and Finisher of their Salvation with songs sutable and acceptable to that all-glorious Auditory and the glorified associats and assistants in that unlimited circumference whereof the All-blessed and infinite Essence of God is the incomprehensible Center and that from minutly renewed and revealed matter without intermission for evermore And for the further establishment of which truth some of Gods Children even in this life have attained the fore-tastes of the first Fruits of these eternall Consolations that they are to feast upon after this life everlastingly And seeing it is so and known to be so by the Believer where should the furthest extent of his deepest apprehensions and greatest fervencie of his affections be fixed but upon Him alone by whom he shall injoy all this blesse salvation and consolation And to this end that as they know they may commend and as they prove they may love and praise Him according as they can attain to see and conceive Him by the mirror wherein He shines making Himself and His excellencies the matter of our songs in the house of our pilgrimage untill we come up to see Him as He is and enjoy Him in the fulnesse of that blesse by the earnest whereof we are sustained under Hope And for this end let our study be to take Him up more particularly 1. First what He is in Himself 2. And secondly what He is to us 1. He is in Himself 1. The mighty God the everlasting Father wonderfull Counseller the Prince of Peace Isaiah 9.6 2. He is the second Person of the all-adored Trinity 3. His delight hes been from all eternity to be conversant with the sons of men And for that end and that the fulnesse of the God-head might dwell in him bodily hes by the operation of the Holy Ghost assumed unto Himself the nature of man from the seed of the woman in the womb of the Virgin whereby He becometh the kins-man flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone subject to all our infirmities sin except that He might be a mercifull and a compassionate high Priest and a propitiatory sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto God in giving full satisfaction unto justice for the sins of the Elect in cancelling the hand-writing that spoke against them and nailing it unto the tree of the crosse when after the agony of His Soul He gave His Body to be crucified and His Blood to be shed for the Redemption of His beloved inheritance whom He hes thereby justified and will sanctifie and espouse to Himself delighted to see the increase of His grace in the Believer as the fruit and off-spring of the travel of His Soul and to whom He hes made Himself known to be the only Messias 1. First As Christ anointed Priest Altar and Sacrifice to satisfie and intercede for and reconceal us to God Prophet to instruct us in aâ—l truth and reveal the Fathers will to us and King to renew and defend His ransomed flock 2. Jesus a Saviour able to save to the utmost and cleanse them from all their sins 3. The Word incarnat from whom all our spirituall life comes 4. The Fountain opened from whence flowes all our consolation 5. The true Vine and prime branch whence influence ascends to all the members 6. The morning Star and Sun of righteousnesse by whom we are illuminate and revived 7. The Rock invincible and Corner-stone whereon our Salvation is built 8. The Mediator to procure acceptance to our persons and grants to our petitions 9. The Captain who is only able to conduct us through the wildernesse with safety 10. The bountifull Provisor for us in the midst of all our malicious enemies 11. The faithfull Witnesse who for all our failings and faithlesnesse will not deny Himself who changes not 12. This is our Emanuel our strong and mighty God who being with us what is it to us who be against us