rose so soon and wrestled so stoutly at the break of the day and made him even get the day His rising first gained Christ sweetest presence his violence kept it and a gracious blessing sweetly crowned it For violence will surely cause an alteration because it will cause a breaking through as the * Hebrew hath it a breaking through a rapture a remove whereby changing place and being wrapt up as it were into heaven wee fetch down Christ from heaven and force him as it were to bless us before hee leavs us For this is the language of a Saint I will not leav thee till thou bless mee which when Christ seeth that wee will not let him go hee goeth with us and is intreated by us before wee go from him I can to God's glorie bee it spoken fay it by experience that I seldom tried it but so found it and the reason is because hee hath bound himself by his own saying Pro. 8.17 from which hee cannot go and therefore never let ns go from him without him but strive but struggle but offer him violence to gain and to keep his sweet and blessed presence 3. It will place us even in heaven with Christ For by it the soul of a Saint is loosened from the ligaments of the bodie his reasoning is so raised on high hee is so translated into heaven hee doth so over-look earthly things is so collocated near the regal throne of God though hee bee an illiterate man though a poor man as that when hee is so hee mindeth nothing but heaven seeeth nothing but heaven feeleth nothing but heaven heaven is in his desires heaven is in his eie heaven is in his heart and heaven is his reward For by it hee feedeth on the bread of Angels which cometh down from heaven his solace is the solace of heaven and his joy the joy of heaven so Jacob was in heaven as hee was wrestling with the God of heaven and so may you bee if you will do as hee did And therefore it is good for a man to bee a mighty man in praier a wrestler an early riser a most zealous sutor and orator to the throne of grace because that bringeth the greatest solace and carrieth a man's soul to heaven Strive therefore Oh strive dear brethren and fellow-Christians and bee men of praier bee fervent bee importunate bee wrestling with Christ in praying when early you are up in the morning that having left your beds on earth you may make your bed in heaven where now I leav you Soli Deo gloria To God onely bee all glorie THere is lately extant a Treatise of the Four last things Death Judgment Hell and Heaven by Simon Birckbeck Minister at Gilling in Richmondshire also Family-Religion revived or a Treatise as to discover the good old way of serving God in private houses so to recover the pious practice of those precious duties to their primitive platform by Philip Goodwin Minister of the Gospel at Watford in Hartfordshire A Treatise of Faith wherein is methodically handled the Nature of Saving Justifying Faith in opposition unto Counterfeit Helps thereunto prescribed Hinderances thereunto removed and several other Gospel-truths clearly discussed by N.W. late of Lee in Essex Also the Complete Politician or policie put in practice wherein the principles of policie are laid open to the view of all and the practice of it by the Ancients discovered to these latter times illustrated with many excellent rules both Divine and Moral a Work useful for these times All these are printed for and sold by Edward Brewster at the Crane in Pauls Churchyard
that he and she might both confer about it and therefore my advise and counsel is that when you talke with or of Christ you make that wedding especially the subject of your talking as thus tel Christ how much you long to see that day wherein those your eies shall see him as he is Job 19.26 Your tongues fully praise him and your soules being re-organized with you◠bodies highly and eternally magnifie him when the corruptibility of that sperme Adams I meane which hath dilated it selfe into so many millions shal put on immortality for this corruptible must put on in corruption 1. Cor. 15. and when our retired-selves shall be no more as now we are as for our selves but rather altogether for himselfe being our selves swallowed up in life after death shal be swallowed up in victories 1 Cor. 15. Such let be our discourses with him againe let us tell him how much we desire then to be alwaies with him and not onely to see him as it is written that we shall be ever with the Lord 1. Thess 4. the last verse Here make a discourse upon this Scripture as thus Lord Jesus sweet Saviour how do I long to enjoy that felicity When I shall be with thee to all eternity The Bride that hath the Bridegroome cannot possibly so much desire the company and presence of her beloved as I do the society of my best beloved For the society and presence of an earthly Husband is but for the present but thine for ever and therefore how do I wish for that day when I shal come to enjoy thee so when an earthly Bride Bridgroomes come together all that time seemeth to be but short because it is so sweet and so wil that time doubtlesse to me when I shall be with thee whereas all my time now seemeth to be too long because I am absent from thee and therefore I do so long to enjoy thee Oh when will it be that I shal be with thee and give my love unto thee Oh let it no the too long too long but assoon as may be I humbly pray thee A Doctr. 3 A. 3d. Doctrine followeth which I will but name The gathering calling and bringing home of the blinded Gentiles to jesus christ should be much longed after by such as themselves are in a Church-society with Christ A. The 4 Doct. Fourth Conclusion is That Christs Saints have a great desire to lie and to lodge with Christ by night For the jllustration hereof I shall put forth and resolve these two problemes Probl. 2 The 1. What it is to lie and to lodge with Christ by night The 2. Why his Saints have such a desire to lie and to lodge with him so To the 1. I answer The ◠Probl. 1. It is to have him in the region of our mindes 2. Sol. as Cant. 1.13 betwixt our brests that is in our thoughts as thus who died for me Christ who rose for me Christ who ascended for me Christ who is my Love Christ This is the Saints sweet and gracious Symploce according to Rom. 8 34.35 2. It is to have him in the armes of our love love is unitiueit unites the lover and the beloved Christians and transspeciates beasts into men men into spouses the spouses I mean of Jesus Christ Christ being collocated and centred by it in the bosomes of his Saints when by night he is made the object of it in his Saints hence Cant. 7.11 There or as the Hebrw hath it Then will I give thee my love 3. It is to be taken into the armes of his love by night Cant. 2.6 His left hand is under my head and how is that I answer here I must breake out into this epaheticall exolamation ah thea ocean of divine consolation Oh sweetnesse not to be uttred Oh delights not to be expressed Oh pleasures not to be paralled For here the devout soule which lodges Christ by night melteth in the armes of Christ by night feedeth on celestiall daintie is ravished with unexpressible solaces dissolved into unconceivable joyes caried above humane contentments elevated beyond the zenith of all momentanie blandishments satiated with the food of Angels extatiz'd with the injoyments of the bread of Angels To the 2. A The 〈◊〉 Answered Probleme I answer thus 1. The night is no mans friend and therefore it is good say his Saints to have such a friend with us as he is so called in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by night for our Soules delight 2. The night is very uncomfortable else when nothing but darkenesse is over all the Earth when neighbours are kept asunder when Divels and spirits walke when horrors and terrors possesse our spirit when dreamer fright us thoughts trouble us when Sathans envenomed arrows which flie by night come thick about us which also causes Christs Saints so to desire Christs company by night because even then he gives them light Ephes 5.14 3. Nights are long especially in the winter season and to one that hath not his health and cannot sleep and therefore Christs Saints not being able to sleep whole nights and feeling themselves sick with his love do so defire his company by night that they may talke with him when they cannot sleep and so they may passe away their time by night 4. The night commonly is the Saints weeping time Psal 30. Weeping as for a night in Hebrew The night is called therefore Laiil which word hath a great affinity with another which signifieth he hath howled and lamented which also causeth the Saints so to desire Christ by night that he may cheer them up in the night 5. Nights are a part of life which better expresseth death then life For every man truely liveth so long as he acts his nature or some way maketh good the faculties of himselfe and therefore it is good say Christs Saints not onley to sleep For that is to be dead but to lie and to lodge with christ by night because that is to be a live with Christ 6. Nights take up a great part of our time and therefore Christs Saints who at not willing to miss Christ at any time and to loose so much time do so desire to lodge with Christ by night 7. Nights are fit for the sweetest enjoyments of Jesus Christ For there is as it were a divine aptness in our minds that time which disposeth it for contemplation in a wonderfull manner because there is such a silence then and a resting time for the senses of our bodies as that we cannot be the more fit for things of highest concernment to thinke upon Hence Sophcoles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a night ceartenly thou art for the most part a partaker of the wisdom of God which therefore causeth the Saints so to desire to lodge with Christ by night I do now wheele my thoughts towards you by way of application And. 1. This point may serve for Communication 1 Use
Arrows flee of that wicked one whome none can se Watch thou therefore when I do Sleepe and at my temples sentrie keepe 3. Christ must be aptly lodged as thus 1. As every Night when wee go to lie with an other we put off our cloaths so being to lie and to lodge with Iesus Christ let us put off our sins our old customes which are not good our evill thoughts devices deceits deeds that Christ may repose himselfe with that indeed see Ephes 4.22 2. As he that goeth to lie and to lodg with an other puts on his Night-cloathes so let us put on ours that is Holy and Heavenly thoughts of Iesus Christ as these let a mans meditations be thus I am now going to lie and to lodg with the Holiest and Faitest of all men as he is called Ps 45. And therefore Oh what manner of person ought I to be in all manner of Godlinesse and holy Conversation 1. Pet. 3. 3. As those that lie together talke together so let us with Iesus Christ and that about 1. Our Graves and Death 2. Our End His Love 3. Our future Rest 4. His Absence 5. Embraces 6. Darknesse 1. About our Graves and Death As thus let a man talke My bed me think is an Emblem of my Grave For as here I Lie Downe in my bed So I must lie downe in my Grave But here lies my comfort that my Saviour hath by his lying in his Grave Perfumed mine Which makes me to Tryumph upon Death saying O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory 1. Cor. 15.5 2. About our end his love as thus Here now I will * Cane 7.11 give thee my love O God my King my life my love my joy Which I doe so long so desire so thirst to Enjoy Oh Sweet Saviour where is thy love Oh Now now Give me thy love as I am ready to give thee mine Mine is but weake and therefore I beg thine which is stronger then mine and and can make it as strong as Death that I may love thee unto Death Oh give it me and doe not keep it from me I humbly pray thee 3. About our future Rest as Oh how sweet was but now my sleepe my rest my repose with thee this Night and if so how sweet wil be that which is to come when I shall come to be refreshed with him and by him whom my soule loveth for ever and when I shall clearely see him though now I cannot I grant that if two Bodies were placed be yond the tenth sphere they would not be able see to one another because they want a mediaum to convey light one to the other but as for Christ him we shall see as he is when we shall be above the tenth sphere because in his own light we shall see him who is our light and therefore let us talke with him about it that our soules may take delight and pleasure in it or thus if this naturall sleep be so comfortable Oh how comfortable will be that rest which is to come when I shall onely walke and no more sleepe feele and no more faint and no more seeke About Darkenesse as thus Oh what a Dismal thing is this Darknesse if al the men on earth should combine against it they are not able to dispell it but the light can so lord Iesus Christ chase away al the Darknesse of life which is in me and free me from the very Blacknesse of Darknesse which is meaned against me and therefore doe so lord Iesus I Humbly pray thee or thus Oh how terrible is this darknesse and so is my pride my Passion my Lust my Malice but if these will both appeare against it it must needs vanish arise therefore sweet Saviour and shine in the midst of this Darknesse and dispell it Oh Sun of Righteousnesse shew thy selfe and deliver me from this Darkness who have lowed Darknesse more then light that I may see thy marvelous light 5. About his absence if namely we cannot find him like the spouse Cant. 3.1 As thus hath not the Lord Promised me that he will be allwaies with me Saying loe I am with you Alwaies Math. 28. And therefore how cometh this to passe that the Lord is such a stranger to me this time of Night that I cannot neither see him nor feel him nor heare him is this to be alwaies with me Ah Lord how can it be alwaies if not now and therefore now Lord now and for all this Night I humbly Pray thee 6. About Embraces as thus Cant. 2.6 It is Written His left Hand is under my Head and his Right Hand doth Embrace me The sense of which Words is this his left Hand that is his punishments are under me by reason of him who is my Head and his right Hand that is Pleasures for Evermore doe Encompasse me and therefore Lord Iesus let thy Punishments which I have deserved not be inflicted But rather let the Pleasures which are at thy Right-Hand for Evermore now over flow me I humbly Pray thee 4. As Christs left hand is under our heads so let our left hands that is let our temporals be under his head my meaning is this let us mind him who is our head more then our temporals I pray you think upon it for commonly we spend much of our time by Night in caring and carking about the things of this life but let it be so no more though we have done so in times past let that time past suffice and let the thing here be no longer so neere for if they be neere Christ cannot be neere and therefore let them be under and him over I beseech you 5. As he with his right hand embrace us let everyone of us with his right hand of faith embrace him that is let us lay hold on him as the spouse Cant. 3.3 beleeving verily that he will lie and lodge with us graciously this night and so every night yea eternally which God in mercy grant 2. Now incentives consider that this lying and lodging with Christ by night is a thing 1. Most comely 2. Most sweet 3. Most thrifty 4. Most Heavenly 1. Most lovely for so himselfe is characterized he is altogether Solomons Cant. 3.7 Meaning heaven last and his heart first so expositors explicate that high and lofty passage and so the Saints find it that thus they are in heaven when thus they be with Christ by Night being separated from the world separated from Sinners weaned from sinfull and sensual delights ensouled in God heavened in Christ and sublimated to the highest zenith of Christ dearest and nearest society which hereafter shall be contained to all eternity and should not all this make and move us all to lodge with Christ every Night for our soules delight The 5th Doctrin 5thly I observe heare that saints have mighty longings together with Christ together with Christ to visit those heavenly mansions which are like unto Vineyards and this point