likenesse but you have lost it and therefore also the sight on 't such as it then was but you may beholding Christ againe find it in him as a second Adam hee ha's done do's and ever will keepe his integritie station and perfection without any the least alteration you may see in him what glorious ones you were before yee were cast out of an earthly Paradise This is the mysterie yee shall know by him what you were before you were what a blessed estate standing man was in what an excellent nature he had before it was lost how well hee might have lived and all his posteritie had hee not sinn'd with outward senses and stain'd his inward soule hee sinn'd with his senses by hearing with his eares the praises of the fruit beholding it with his eyes touching with his hand and tasting with his palate Thus sinne entring by his senses got into the world and death by sinne himselfe being made sensuall with all his posteritie by that act Secondly what you are First by degeneration how much unlike what you once were When you see his holinesse doe not you see your owne unholinesse when you see his puritie and passing Sanctitie doe not you by meanes of that see your owne impuritie and surpassing depravitie Will you heare what a God-beholding man said once 't was this Woe is mee for I am undone because I am a man of uncle an lips and I dwell in the mids of a people of uncleane lips for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts 'T was his trouble and hee gives the reason that his lips were not cleaner like the Lords and that his societie was so uncleane that it did unfit him for communion with the highest God and King it pierced his honest heart that he had no greater a part of the Lords holy nature in him Christians When you see the Lords lowlinesse doe not you see your owne loftinesse When you see Christs humility doe not you see your owne pride When you see his clemencie cannot you then see your owne naturall crueltie to your selves and others so also by the light of his patience you may see your owne passion by his kindnesse to you your own unkindnesse to him by all his faithfullnes your own unfaithfulnes by his fruitfulnes in good your own barreÌ„uâ—s Secondly by restauration what a vast difference is betwixt grace and the best refined nature Moreover there 's now a more firme union betwixt thy soule and God then was betwixt God and man at that time for had the union then been as strong as now Adam had ne'r lost himselfe and his by sinne the onenesse that 's betwixt God and his people is such that they can never any more be parted and taken asunder besides all this Adam was left to himselfe and to his own will to choose whether he would stand or fall But now Christians are not left to themselves and cannot have their will God will never leave them nor forsake them and they shall ne'r fall more so to indanger themselves and soules as he then did for God is both able and willing to make them stand Is not this to see your selves truely and fully and whatsoe're you are uprightly and what you are not in such a manner surely no vision is like this no sight like this Thirdly what you shall bee It do's not here appeare what you shall be but in Christ and where Christ is you may plainelie clearly and throughly be resolved of that for when you see him even as he is so shall you your selves be Christ breathes out sweetlie this selfe same thing Father I will that those whom thou hast given Iohn 17. 24. me be with me where I am that they may behold my glorie Christ's glorie is transforming he 'l have you with him that you may behold him and what 's the issue 't is this you 'l be changed into the same glorie you cannot escape it there you with open face as in a glasse beholding the glorie of 2 Cor. 3. 18. the Lord are changed into the same Image from glorie to glorie and that of the Lord the Spirit * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can a representation of his glorie by a medium transforme so sweetlie Ha's glorie such a power Oh then what will it doe when wee shall behold it without meanes more clearelie then a glasse can represent it Fourthlie all right sight of Christ ha's in it a sustaining nature a heart-releeving vertue a soule-reviving abilitie things of Heaven are all supporting much more Christ himselfe whose presence is the Heaven above as he 's God equall to the Father doe you want an experiment of this also the Apostle gives you one 2 Cor. 4. 17 18. when he tells you that Christ and all his obedience is was for your sakes adding that for this cause wee faint not in the perishing estate of the outward man whil'st the inward is renewed day by day whilest light affections worke us unto fit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 massie glorie and all this when wee looke not at things which are seen but at things which are not seen When the invisible soule 's lost in her unseen Saviour shee 's safe and takes her rest for the Lord makes her dwell in safety Christ's souldiers pray tell me what seen power and might sustained you in all your spirituall warefare that you have had I can tell you none at all for when you were in the field against sinne Satan the world and selfe had you not all the Lords owne armour on The helmet of Salvation brest plate of righteousnesse Eph. 6. 13. to 18. the girdle of truth with the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and above all the sheild of Faith whereby you were able to quench all fierie darts shot and darted at you your soules and peace and when you were smitten did not Christ stand by you with you and in you Did not he teach your hands to warre and singers to sight as David speakes had not he your hand in his and caused you to give some mortall wounds kill that which would have kill'd you your selves soules and all which being gone all was gone with you Who stood by Joshua when he called on God and Satan stood at his right hand to resist him was 't not the Angel of the Covenant Jesus Christ Zech. 3. who when the Tempter accused him for standing before the Lord in filthy garments did excuse him remove his rags and give him robes and does not Christ stand everie Christian in the like stead Sure I am if ever you did overcome and were not foiled in the Lords fights and fields 't was thus with you O how precious and how cordiall are the thoughts of these things the number whereof no end yee know Who then that 's wise desires not to see Christ and himselfe in Christ before hee
behold his last greatest and approaching change and dissolution 'T is a blessed thing to be able to graspe Christ and death in the armes at once at one and the same time and is' t not an everlasting curse to die Christlesse Search the Scriptures and you 'l find it so Finally let the Lord perswade Vse you to bee endeared to Jesus Christ ever set him in your sight looke up to him who looks downe towards you for he 's the Author and finisher of your graces would you know the usefulnesse of such right apprensions of Christ then consider these things sincerelie First 't will increase inward Joy Have you a mind to be merrie be much in this and 't will make you right glad other mirth may end in mourning but this cannot this makes the spirit rejoyce in God its Saviour as she said there are many Joy-makers as friends estates the treasures and pleasures of this life the Scriptures tell you of a joy of harvest and a Joy of heart a Joy of harvest is verie great but this brings joy Isa 9. 3. 65. 14. of heart both great and good a cordiall Joy Precious soules sow precious seed weeping but a precious Christ being the fruit they reap their crop singing some sow in teares weeping mourning sighing roaring wailing after this dearest Lord and Jesus but when they find him themselves are found to reape in joy Righteous ones what though as the Spouse you have gone about Cant. 3. seeking him whom your soules love even earlie and late by night as well as day and have long desir'd societie with him yet have not found him and your selves in him Consider he seekes as well as you ha's lost as well as you besides when hee finds you and you him you 'l hold him fast and so good is he you 'l not let him goe Christ told the Jewes that Abraham rejoyced to see his day did see it and was glad And sensuall worldlings Ioh. 8. 56. what e're you deeme of such a favour it skills not sure I am that a right sight of Christ will make a right-sighted Christian glad at heart nothing do's him so much good as this small things cause laughter in the face when the heart 's a stranger to the Joy but this as 't is the nature of great things will make the heart glad even then when the face of a man and face of times is verie sad the comforts arising hence are meat for Saints to eat which the world knowes not of and now a word to you that would glorie in something what can be your glorie which shall not bee your shame besides the knowledge of Jesus Christ God ha's said The wise man may not glorie in his wisdome neither Isa 9. 23 24. Jer. 9.23 24. the mighty man in his might nor yet the rich man in his riches Why who shall glorie then and in what shall men glorie if not in such desireable things well Jehovah hath said Let him that glorieth glorie in this that he understandeth and knoweth mee that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindnesse Judgement and Righteousnesse on the Earth for in these things I delight God ha's shew'd you what to glorie in gracious spirits 't is in your acquaintance with him when you know and understand him aright see him as he is viz. full of loving-kindnesse Judgement and Righteousnesse one that acts as he is 't is his delight to doe such things Beleevers are you like him by looking upon him are you changed in this respect Marke well what it is you glorie delight and take pleasure in Secondly 't will strengthen patience under the crosse and chastizement for Christ doe you suffer from the hands of unreasonable men and would you be avenged of them as of your enemies looking up to Christ you 'l find he 's not yet aveng'd of his enemies do's God suffer shall not man does the head endure the contradiction of sinners against himselfe and can the members think to be free Is' t not all reason in the world that head and members should bee fellow-sharers in the sufferings of the whole bodie mysticall who dare denie it 't was a sweet saying of a faithfull witnesse to the truth of Jesus who seem'd to faint under his great triall and being offer'd a cup of spirits to sustaine him replied thus My Lord and Master had gall and vinegar given him as if he had been astonied to see himselfe fare better then Christ and indeed experienc'd Christians when you thinke in sufferings you are served ill you should consider sweet Christ was not served so well that will still your murmurings for can you suffer as much as hee ha's done I tell you nay yet farther do's the event or end of things bring cares upon you why James commands you by the Spirit to behold and see the end Iames 5. 11. of the Lord. You may thinke your troubles will end ill have an evill end but God can put a good end to ill beginnings as some things may be sweet to the taste yet bitter in the bellie so other things may be unsavorie in the first concoction which may be better in and by the second though in things naturall or corporall it is not so as Physitians have said CHAP. II. Of right Regeneration FAlne man's rising is graduall first by Grace and next by Glorie by man came the maladie and by man also comes the remedie a fruit lesse first birth may be repair'd by a second by Adam sinne entered and reigned unto death and by Adam grace entered reigning unto life 't is the second Adam that now I meane Grace can make up what nature ha's lost amend what nature hath done amisse First birth's priviledge is nothing Second birth's priviledge is all things all in all referring to felicitie Regeneration antecedes Glorification He that 's borne but once dies twice but he that 's borne twise shall not taste of the second death First-births are an Embleme of the second ther 's a certaine likenesse betwixt them both we 'l give you a hint of the whole thus FIrst naturall births bring sufferings both on the bearer and on that which is born the mother ha's her pangs and thro's and the child 's in straites too till it 's brought from the womb into the world spirituall births bring sufferings also the Spirit that brings forth is a sufferer too as well as doer it being quenched Spirituall Christians you can tell that you have often quenched the holy Spirit even in all its motions strivings and contestations within you Have not you when the Spirit ha's diswaded from evili and perswaded to good neglected its sweetest motions how seldome have you moved with the Spirit against the flesh and for the Lord aske your hearts this question obedient sonnes of God where almost is that man or woman that 's kind to the Spirit gives it good entertainment Ah Lord thy Spirit meets with hardest measure
Christ will carrie thee through Christ did not give himself for thee in vain that he should give thee up in thy last greatest triall give thee into the hands of Satan Why then leane on him who 's a stay of strength and you 'l not miscarrie He that hath and is had of a good Christ shall bee sure of a good death with strength and peace Thirdly by giving his a through taste of that heavenly joy heartie holinesse and reall happinesse that themselves shall possesse in the fruition of Christ when once they are changed This the Scripture calls first fruits of the Spirit and of glory And is' t not this that makes the Saints themselves groane within themselves waiting for the Redemption of their bodies Rom. 8. 23. The Lord ha's said it Oh how do's the taste of Heavens joy and of the powers of the world to come strengthen a renewed Christian leaning on Christ to lie under the stroake of death yea even to long that so great a worke were over and thus God sweetens death to the good gives it a good savour when they come to taste it it being the same cup which Christ himselfe did first drinke of Now you have heard how it fares with the good at their last change and how good such a change is to them But alas for the bad the Christ-lesse man 't is bitter unto him These things imbitter death to the gracelesse 1. The biting and tumifying sting of death that indisposeth to dying well 'T is biting oh how will the wofull thoughts of a mispent life of by past sinnes of slighting Jesus and his holy waies like fiery darts and scorching Scorpions peirce through the soule and Spirit Then uncleane sinners as James speakes of James 5. 3. the rust of ill gotten and ill kept gold the guilt of your sins shall eat your flesh as it were fire Then even then all scruing deceivers shall be forced to say of their own unlawfully acquir'd goods as Israel of Idolls get you hence But alas these are thy workes and they will follow thee flow faster into thy mind then thou canst get them out and make thy soule wearie even to the death Secondly Death's sting tumifies also Judas sinn'd betraid his Master improved the reward But what was his end hee fell head-long burst asunder in the midst and all his bowells gushed out Death had stung him and the sting made him swell so that his tumour being great the world could not hold him and for hast that hee might the sooner bee at his owne place he betrayed himselfe into the hands of Satan was his owne executioner There 's a time when stoutest sinners shall burst asunder under the hand of austeerest Justice If the Lord's love makes not breaches on mans Spirit drawes him not up towards Heaven his wrath will breake it beat it even to powder and cast it downe into the lowest Hell O sinners Learne then while a Saviour teaches what an evill sinne is Secondly the sudainnesse of an Heb. 4. 27. approaching Judgement After death comes Judgement and what 's the Judgement Christ-lesse man or woman I have sad newes for thee thou thy selfe and all thou art must bee presented before a Holy most Just and mighty God And with thee shalt thou bring all thy vaine thoughts will thou nill thou idle words uncleane and sinfull workes mispent time and Talents In a word all the secrets of thy heart shall then bee torne in pieces reveal'd and unfolded yea those secrets which no eye hath seen but his which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne yea even those secret sinnes which have been cover'd here by restraint from God or men shall be uncover'd there so that thou wilt bee fill'd with astonishment to see that which thine eies never did nor ever would behold There the hearts closest corners darkest depths shall then bee laid open made visible before the face of God Christ Angels and men A meere discourse of Righteousnesse and Judgement to come God being in it and Foelix hearning of it what effects did it worke in him thinke you why the Text tells you it made him to tremble and to bid Paul be gone hee could not endure to heare on 't So Belshazzar Dan. 5. 5 6. saw but the writing of Judgement upon the wall which did but import a temporall scourge And his countenance was changed his thoughts troubl'd him so that the joynts of his Ioines were loosed and his knees smote one against another And what 's any carnall man more then sensuall Belshazzar or carnall Foelix that he should thinke himselfe secure from Judgement You then that put this evill day farre from you beare in mind this thing A sonne of Love could not indure that hee prayed Enter not into Judgement with thy servant ô Lord How then can a child of wrath abide it who is by nature nothing else It 's called in Scripture the day of the Lord his great day his terrible day 'T is the day of Christs's comming Ioel. 2. 11. saith the Prophet Malachie And who shall stand when Mal. 3. 2. he appeareth for he is like a Refiners fire and fullers sope Thus you have seen things that imbitter the change to some even all that know not Christ and obey not his Gospel Thirdly the certaine standing before an impartiall Judge of quick and dead who cannot will not connive at sinne and sinners When all flesh shall appeare before the Judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things 2 Cor. 5. 10 11. done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it bee good or evill knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord We perswade men saith the Apostle Oh! how terribly intollerable are the thoughts of this surely words cannot utter it then he who said Lord depart from me I le have none of thy wayes shall find that God ha's said Amen to his prayers Adde to this that though he stand to be judged yet hee shall fall in the Judgement For the ungodly shall not stand in the Judgement as the Psal 1. 5. Psalmist notes You then whose destruction is of your selves if your precious soules miscarrie Consider sensibly in whom your helpe lies make out towards a Jesus betime for there 's no mercie shewed on the other side the grave one drop of water which is but a verie small thing if mis'd and desir'd cannot be obtain'd Then if ever you 'le owne free grace and fellowship with Christ Doe it now even while 't is called Heb. 4. 11. to day heare his voice and harden not your hearts for this day let slip you may ne'r have another Resisting sinners I wish you well my bowells are troubled for you oh pitie your selves and let not sinlive to kill your soules as it hath serv'd others who are gone to their owne place Remember and forget not Jerusalems fall and follie least sweet Christ hide the day of