Particular An Expresâ—ion of the Reason My Strength I love thee O Lord my Strength 1 Particular The Profession of Affection I loâ—e thee The Word translated Love is taken from the Belly the Bowels the Inward Parts Rechem It implyes a Three-fold Property in Love 1 Property Inwardnes Divine Love is from a Divine Principle not from Sense or Fancy but the Heart not a Guilding upon the Ouâ—-side of Flesh but Pure Gold growing in the Inward Hidden Mine of the Spirit He is a Jew that is One Inwardly saith St. Paul Rom. 2. 29. He is a Lover of God who is One Inwardly The true Love of God is a Spiriâ—uall Fire in the Bowels It consumes the Inward Parts like the Fat about the Heart which was to be consumed by Fire in all the Sacrifices Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine Heart saith Iesus Christ in the Gospel 2 Property Tenderness Love to God must be a Sensible Sympathizing Lâ—ve The Bowels the Inward Parts are Seats of Tenderness Passion Sympathy When Two Lutes are rightly tuned one to another touch a String upon One Lute and the same String upon the other Lute will answer it with a like Sound Iesus Christ and a Saint are thus tuned by mutuall Love each to other Their Bowels are Musicall Strings Let One be touched in any Kinde and the Bowels of the Other will sound 3 Property Strength Spirituall Love hath one Seat and Root with Life our Inward Parts Love is strong as Life nay it is stronger than Life For Love is strong as Death which masters Life Cant. 8. 6. The Loving Kindnes of God is Better Sweeter than Life saith the Psalmist Psalm 63. 3. For when Life can afford no Comfoâ—t but is full of Bitternes the Love of God will then Sweeten Life When Life failes us the Love of God will then receive us into its Mansions So the Love of a Saint to God is Stronger then Life For he may lose his Life but not his Love to his Saviour Yea he will lay down his Life for the love of the Lord Jesus The Love of a Saint to God is stronger then Death It will carry him thorow Death make him more then a Conquerour over it Thus much for the First Particular the Profession of Affection 2. Particular the Expression of the Reason My Strength O Lord my Strength The Word is Ghazak It hath Foure Senses 1 Sense Durablenesse The Lord is a Strength upon which nothing can make Impression to shake or weaken it 2 Sense Puissance God is the Lord of Hosts He beares down all things before him 3 Sense Praevalency God can doe any thing He can bring forth all things out of the Treasury of His Fulnesse He is Full and Fruitfull He is not onely an Active Potentiality like a Living Spring but a Potent Vâ—iâ—ersall Act like the Over-whelming Sea before the Dry Land appeared God can out-doe and out-goe all things in all Kindes of Excellency Activity and Fruitfulnesse Thus God is round about His own A Wall encompassing enclosing them round a Fire devouring Outwardly every Evill that would break in upon them a Light shining inwardly multiplying upon them all Formes of Life all Beautifull Glorious Manifestations shooting ten Thousand Beames of Joy into their Hearts Thus the Lord hath been a Wall to us a Sea-wall a Wall between us and a Sea of Blood The Lord hath been a Fire for us Consuming our Enemies He hath been a Light standing still over our Heads like the Sun over the Head of Ioshua while he pursued the Canaanites and made an End of them He hath been a Calme Sweet Light to us in the midst of a Thick Darknesse and a Tempest I have now gone â—ver my Text in Generall Now Honoured Patriots I hope you will give me leave and cause to repeat my Text in your Names with a little Change after this manner To Him who Excelleth To the Conquerour To the Chiefe Saviour and Singer of Israel To Iesus Christ A Psalme of Praise of the Commons of England the Servants of the Lord who spake to the Lord the Words of this Song in that Day when the Lord had delivered them from the Hand of all their Enemies and from the Hand of Saul and from the Hand of Ishbosheth that feeble Man that Man of Shame those Men of Same in Ireland by the taking of Droghedah in that Day when they saw the Lord Iesus comming out of His Place to raigâ—e over the whole Earth in the Power of his Death Then they said We love Thee We love Thee Inwarly Tenderly Strongly We love Thee O Lord Our Strength I come now to that which I promised as the Second Part of my Sermon and that is a Particular Doctrine taken up out of the General Sense of the Words and That is This Doctrine The Lord is the Strength of his People I will give you Three Demonstrations of this Doctrine and so descend to the Application 1 demonstr. There is a Neere and Mutual Vnion between God and a Good Man This Vnion is tied by Two Strong and Fast Knots at Both Ends Love is the Knot by which it is fastned on Gods part Faith is the Knot on a Saints part The Spirit is the String or Chain of Gold on which these Knots are Knit St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 6. 16. He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit No Things are so capable of Vnion as Spirits They can peneâ—rate descend into dwell in fill possesse one another Those things clasp one another closely indeed which are Spiritually united The Vnion between God and His People is Strict and Strong for it is Spirituall The Nature and Exercise of Faith and Repentance is best exprest by the Fulnesse of this Vnion This Vnion empties a Man of his Lusts the World the Flesh For it makes a man Spiritual a Spirit For it is the Baptisme of a Spirituall Firâ— unto Repentance This Vnion empties a Man of Himself and fills him full of Iesus Christ For it makes a Man to be no more upon his owne Bottome but One Spirit with his Saviour Thus this Vnion is the Helme of Repentance and the Hand of Faith upon that Helme which turnes us quite about and makes the Great Change in us from West to East from Death to Life This Vnion empties a Man quite out of Himselfe into Iesus Christ A Man is no more One Flesh with himself but the Lord and He are One Spirit Here is excercised that Act of Repentance and Faith by which a Man thrusts away from him the Shore of Selfe or Flesh and lancheth forthâ— into Iesus Christ as a Spirituall Sea This Vnion is the very Eye of Repentance by which a Man weepeth out Selfe in Tears and taketh in Christ in sweet Beames It is that Mouth of Faith by which a Man breathes forth himselfe into his Saviour and sucks in Iesus Christ as a Quickning Spirit It is the Putting off Selfe and the Putting on Christ It
is a Reciprocall Union God maketh himselfe One Spirit with thee in thy lowest state He puts on thy Weaknesses and Infirmities Matth. 8. 17. He took our Diseases and bare our Infirmities The Loâ—d takes off our Diseases by taking them on Himselfe He beares our Infirmities whiâ—e He is made One with us in them So He beares up us and our Infirmities both at once in one The Lord maketh us One Spirit with Himselfe in His high Estate We put on His Strength Ephes. 6. 10. The surest way of Mastering Things is by being One with their Principle The Principle of all things is the Lord A Saint is One Spirit with the Lord and so One with the Supreame Principle of things thorow which he hath a Soveraigne Power over them I am able to doe all things thorow Christ that strengtheneth me saith St. Paul Philip 4. 13. The whole Creation is a Ship God is the Pilot. Jesus Christ is the Helme by which God governes and turnes about the World A Saint is One Piece with Christ in the Helm He hath his Hand with the Father upon this Helme Thus he rules in the World sitting at the Helm of things in the Lap of his Father and growing into One Helme or Rudder with Christ by His Embraces All things are Yours and You are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3. This is the First Demonstraâ—ion that God is the Strength of a Good Man the Vnion between him and his God 2. Demonstra God and His People have Both One Interest One End The Interest of God in the World is the exaltation of Iesus Christ Psal. 8. 6. I will proclaim the Decree I have set my King upon mine Holy Hill of Sion The Interest of a Christian is Iesus Christ in the World Philip 1. 21. To me to live is Christ 22. If I live in the Flesh this is the fruite of my Labour The End which God hath is His Glory in the Saints Eph. 1. 18. what is His Inheritance in the Saints That which God desires to Inherit of all that he hath planâ—ed and set in the Creature The Harvest which He waits for from all that he hath sown in the World is the Maturity of His Glory in His Children The End which a Christian hath in the World is the Glory of the Lord in himselfe Phil. 1. 20. Christ also shall be magnified in my Body whether by Life or by Death As Christ appeares so a Saint appeares in the World Coloss. 3 4. When Christ who is our Life shall appeare then shall we also appeare together with him in Glory As Christ is seen and set up God shines out among men 2 Cor. 4. 6. The Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Thus God and a Good Man have their Merchandise bound up together They have all their Riches ladâ—n in One Bottom Their Interests Ends being the same must of necessity be carried on by the same Tide and Winde the same Streame of Providence and Breathing of the Spirit 3 Demonstra The Secret of God is with a Good Man Psâ—lm 25. 14. The Secret of the Lord is with them that feare him The Jewes call this Secret the Shekinah which being interpreted is the Dwelling-place or Tabernacle of God with Man the Divine Presence So it is expounded Psal. 31. 20. Thou shalt hide them in the Secret of thy Presence from the Pride of man thou shalt keep them secretly in a Pavilion from the strife of Tongues The Secret of the Lord is His Presence an Invisible Glory circling in a Saint and hiding him within a Ring of Divine Beames This is the Pavilion of the Godhead set up in every Member of Christ pitcht over his Head and planting it selfe round about him This Secret or Invisible Pavilion of the Divine Presence is described Rev 4. 2. Immediatly I was in the Spirit and a Throne was set in Heaven and one saâ—e on the Throne Here you have a Secret For all is a Discovery in the Spirit manifest onely to a Spirituall Eye a Mystery hidden from the World of Flesh and Blood You have for the Pavilion a Heaven with a Throne in iâ— The Divine Presence is expâ—est by One sitting on the Throne Vers 5. And out of the Throne proceeded Lightnings and Thundrings and Voyces By these are represented the Severall Orders or Rankes of things in the Creation together with all their Various Workings from the Highest Glory of Invisible Angels to the Lowest and most Divided Dust of Visible and Bodily Things united by Intermediate Spirits standing between Both And there were Seven Lamps burning before the Throne which are the Seven Spirits of God It was the custome of old to divide the Time by Lâ—â—ps as by Houre-Glasses So it is reported of a King of England that he Divided his Naturall Day into Three Parts allowing for each Eight Houres one Part for Nature a Second for Devotion a Third for Civill Affaires And he divided hiâ— Time by a Light burning in his Chappell as I remember After the like manner these Lamps are Seven Spirits which rule and measure out the Ages of the World See more of this Divine Presence cap. 5. Vers 11. And I beheld and heard the Voyce of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders and the Number of them was ten Thousand times ten Thousand and Thousands of Thousands All the Infinitenesse of Invisible Beings both Angels and Spirits under their severall Heads the Beasts or Living creatures or Springs of Created Life being Heads to the One the Elders being Heads to the Other These Two Troops with their severall Characters or Numbers of Ten Thousands and Thousands wait as a Guard about this Divine Pavilion This Secret is made up of a Fourfould Glory 1. The Spirituall Appearance of God in Christ The Glorified Humanity of Christ is the Throne The Godhead is the Person on the Throne The Spirituall Man of a Saint is the Heaven in which this Throne is set up This is the Secret of God the Divine Presence with the Person of a Good man 2. The Spring of the Creation issuing forâ—h from this Secret It is said Genes 2. 10. A River went out from Eden to water the Garden and from thence divided it selfe into Foure Heads The Divine Presence is the true Eden the Secret of Spirituall Pleasures From this the Spirit as a River goes forth to water the Spirituall Man of a Christian and from thence it divides it selfe into those Foure Heads the Foure Life-Springs to the whole Creation All the Beings and Changes of the Creature have their Fountain and Faâ—e in the Secret of the Divine Presence 3. The whole Host of Innumerable Angels and Spirits goe along with this Presence of the Lord They are the Royall Guard pitcht round about the Pavilion of the Almighty 4. All the Creatures all these Angels and Spirits in this Secret make up One Diuine Presence one Divine
no where hath any thing like it to my Knowledg neither doth it seem Savoury to the Tast of my Spirit I would willingly go over such Depths of Divinity upon those Bridges of Notion and Expression which the Scripture layes out for me Object It is true that God beholdeth All things that are as they are that He contemplateth All things in the Glass of the Trinity seeing in Himself what ever He seeth that Every Thing in God is God For God is Light and in Him is no Darkness that is nothing besides the Pure Light of Divinity 1 John 1. 4. Answ But my Answer to them who so reason is this God seeth not as Man seeth The Seeing is like to the Being of Things in God Both are by Way of Eminency This abates not the Certainty or Cleerness of Vision but increaseth Both Because it is by Way of Eminency Shall He that made the Eye not see More Exactly more Excellently than the Eye The Eminent Way of the Creatures Being and being Seen in God is Excellently set forth by Jesus Christ Luke 20. 38. He discourseth of the Dead Bodies of the Saints He proveth the Resurrection of Those Bodies after this maner God is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob He is not the God of the Dead but of the Living For all live to God The Dead Body of a Saint Keeps its Relation to God It is ever in the Eye of God yet not as Dead but as having a Life in the Eternity Glory Bosom of the Divine Nature It lives to God This Life is a Glass in which is seen the course of the Body thorow Mortality and Death according to its severall stations its proper Relations in those Stations its true Denominations by thâ—se Relations all as at a Distance in Themselves but all as Present in the Glass of This Life This Body living alwayes to God like the Lamps burning before the Altar is that own Body which Saint Paul saith God will give to each dead Body 1 Cor. 15. 38. The Understanding separates the Dregs of gross Matter from the Images of Sense and Fancy refines them makes them intellectual Images of one nature with her self So She beholdeth all things of Sense and Fancy in those Refined Images without any Communion with the fleshly Substance or sensual Nature of those things Thus all things are Intellectual to the Intellectual Part of Man This is a shadowy Similitude of that transcendent Way of Seeing and Being in God There is a three-fold All {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1. All of divided Parts which is this Visible world 2. All of Diverse Powers as the Angelicall World 3. All of Supream Eminency and Unity To name the first All the only God is Sadducism Joyntly with another All Blasphemy Idolatry the second All Heathenism the third All sober Philosophy and One Article of saving Divinity I hope it now appears that a Right knowledge of the True sense the Spiritual sense in which God is doth All will be so far from confounding that it will mightily confir the Morality of the Law The Law moves upon the two fore-wheels of Precepts Prohibitions the two hinder-wheels of Promises Punishments He that takes off these Wheels must cut off the Two Almighty Hands of Jesus Christ the two-fold Mysterie from the Divine Nature Love and Wrath. If all things do flow forth from the Divine Fulness if they do re-flow into the Sea of Divine Glory yet is it in two Divided channels the Spirit of Christ the Devil by two different Moâ—ths Love and Wrath. Doth God see thy Sin in a Glass of Glory yet He sees it in that Glass of Glory represented thorow another Glass of Wrath. He sees it as sin in its own Place though like â— dead Viper it be mortified to make up a Glory here in the Light of God But whether have I launched I have endeavoured to be the cleerer in this Case which is the leading Case to all the rest that I may give a quick Dispatch to each of them 2. Case If thou be Al-Spiritualized Al-Divine no more wearing a garment of Flesh I will say to this Three short things 1. Doest thou believe thy self while thou affirmest this 2. As Christ with Thomas Convince us by a Divine Light Make us to see that thou hast not Flesh and Bone as Mortal Men have but as they lie in the Eternal Spirit in their original Copy and are brought forth from thence at pleasure by an inferiour Apparition to inferiour Senses 3. The Moral Law is the natural Image of God in the natural Man Art thou Spirit then thou hast in thy self the spiritual Image of this Law Doest thou come forth into a natural Appearance Come forth then in the natural Image of this Law Otherwise we may fear if you be a Spirit you are a Devil not Divine 3. Case If thy natural Man is acted immediately constantly by the Spirit in an ordinary Way If it be so Thy natural Man is the Spirits shadow in its Being Beauty Motions The Law of the Letter is in like manner a shadow to the Law of the Spirit Then make these two shadows answer one another 4. Case If thy natural Man be acted by the Spirit in an extraordinary way as a sign to the World I have a few things to speak to this briefly 1. Pharaoh was acted by an evil Spirit for a Sign 2. Depend then on God in an extraordinary way for thy Justification Protection 3. The Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets If thou be acted by the Spirit approve thy self to those that are Spiritual A spiritual Ear tasteth Words and Actions as a musical Ear doth Sounds 5. Case If the distinction between good and evil be none or be taken away The distinction between Good and Evil was real in their several Essences Representative in the Understanding of the first Man When yet it was not miserably active in him by woful experience The Tree of Knowledge of good and evil grew in Paradise before Eve fed upon that Tree Jesus Christ came the first time not to Destroy but Uphold and Heighthen the Law of this Distinction between good and evil Mat. 5. When He comes the Second Time it is to make Good and Execute this Distinction to the Heighth between the Blessed and Cursed by Separating the Tares for unquenchable Fire the Wheat for the Garner of Glory 6. Case If there be a Dispensation in which the Fairest Vertues of the Flesh are to be stained by the Foulest Vices I beseech you to weigh with me a Few Considerations 1. The Righteousness of the Law is not an Enemy but a Friend to the Bride-groom while it Represents Christ as Star-beams point to the Bride-groom of the Skie while it Resignes to Christ as Stars do their Glory to the Rising Sun yet Retaining their proper Brightness though Clothed-upon with His Beauties 2. The Natural Man is a Shadow Thy Moral Beauties are the Image
Righteousnesse When a Poore Soul hath the Guilt of his Sins like the Serpents of that Magician the Devill crawling in his Bosome twisting about his Heart stinging him to Despair and Death then appeares the Righteousnesse of the Lord Iesus like Moses Serpent and devoures all the other Serpentâ— that not so much as any Reliques Print Stain or Mark of them is left When Poore England was like Israel Ezekiel 16. as a Babe newly sprung out of the Wombe lying upon the Earth in its Blood then had its Nakednesse been seen an shame discovered to all the Nations round about then haâ— it perished in its Blood in the Infancy of its Designes if the Lord Iesus had not spread the lap of his Garment over it Rom. 8. 34. Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of Gods Elect It is God that Iustifieth Vers 35. VVho shall condemn It is Christ that died or rather that is risen again If it be God who will freely Iustifie a Land or Heart who shall Charge it If it be Jesus Christ who interposeth His Death to Justice for the Sins of any People if it be Jesus Christ who is Rising in any People what shall Condemn that People No Guilt shall prevaile against them This is our Second Strength in God our Justification 3. Strength Sanctification This is the Reformation which we concurre in Pretendedly as our Common End for which we have Covenanted by Profession For want of which we all Complain in Appearance I wish that I had more to say Experimentally of this Strength manifested in the midst of us There is a Twofold Sanctification or Reformation 1. Private of a Person 2. Publike of a People Each of these is also Twofold 1. Inward in Spirit and Power 2. Outward in Practise or Appearance Alas I fear that whatever there is of a True Reformation and Powerfull Sanctification among us lyes in a narrow Compasse in some little Corner of a very few Hearts I have read of an Idol-Image in the East which when it was broken sent forth from a Hollow Part of it a Vapour which spread a killing Plague all over Asia and Europe How is there a Catching and Killing Plague of Prophannesse and Atheisme Kindled and Burning fiercely from Soul to Soul upon Multitudes in this Island at this day as if the Images of Tyranny and Superstition being broken down had sent forth an evill Spirit of Abomination and Desolation to revenge its Ruine But the Devil when he is cast out will alwaies goe out with a Stinke and carry away Part of the house with him in a Violent Manner When Iesus Christ was coming to heal the Child in the Gospell tormented by the Devill then did the Devill rage in the childe after a more extraordinary manner he threw him down and tore him Yet was this Tearing Extremity but the Unclean Spirits way of Taking his lâ—ave But perhaps we have made no better Progresse in the Work of Sanctification because we have not enough considered where the strength of our Sanctification lyes which is Jesus Christ If the Waters of Corruption see the Lord Jesus in thy Spirit they will flee backward and bee dried up Otherwise they will return upon thee like the waters of the Red Sea upon Pharaoh and utterly overwhelm thee If the Building of your Sanctification and Reformation be raised upon this Rock it will stand If it have any other Foundation the Fall of it will be great The Scriptures Ordinances Performances are as the Pool of Bethesda the Healing Pool At the Brim of these we are to lay our Sick our Selves and wait But the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus must come down into them to give them their Healing Vertue Without Him they are as Abana and Parphar rivers of Damascus 2 Kings 5. 11. Whoever attempteth like the seven Sons of Sceva to Exorcise and cast out the evill Spirit of Prophannesse Uncleannesse Atheisme by the Name of Christ without his Presence by the Letter of Ordinances without the Spirit he will mâ—et with that which befell them Acts 19. 16. The Evill Spirit will flee in his Face beat him send him away Naked and Wounded Naked of that clothing in which he Gloried Wounded in that Strength those Comforts on which he trusted Elisha struck the Waters of Iordan with the mantle of Eliah and cried out Where is the Lord God of Elijah 2 Kings 2. 14. So do yee Strike the Waters of Wickednesse with the Mantle of Christ the Ordinances of Magistracy and Ministery But as yee strike cry Where is the Spirit of Iesus Christ This is the Third Strength which we have in Christ the Strength of justification That which comes next is 4. Strength Redemption The Lord Jesus hath abounded towards us in this kinde Hee hath redeemed the Persons of some of us from four great Evils from which we could never have escaped 1. From the wrath of his Father which was as a Heaven of molten and burning Brasse over our Heads 2. From the Curse which made the Earth as Iron to us Barren beat out into Chaines binding us down perpetually eating into our Flesh and it self 3. The Devill who had caught us in his Snares who rode upon our Immortall and Naturall Spirits as God rideth upon the Cherubins and the Winds 4. Hell which opened it self in an endlesse Labyrinth of Horrors a Bottomlesse Gulf of Torments to devour us 5. Potent lusts each of which was as the fire that never goes out and Pressing cares which were as the Worm that never dyes Let the Redeemed of the Lord Iesus sing Hee hath delivered them from all these with a Highhand and an Out-stretched-Arm The Lord Iesus hath redeemed the People of England in Six Troubles and he is saving them out of the Seventh But the Holy Ghost hath saved me a Labour and suited our Experience in Publike Deliverances with most Proper Expressions by the Pen of David in this Psalme The Publike Redemption of this Land is represented in 3. Heads 1. Head The Distresse 2. Head The Deliverer 3. Head The Deliverance 1. Head The Distresse You have this in the Prophets words vers. 4. The sorrows of death compassed me the Floods of ungodly men made mee afraid Vers 5. The Sorrows of Hell or the Bands of the Grave compassed me about the Snares of death prevented me Can any Extremitie goe beyond that to which Ours have arrived How often have the Spirits of this Nation wrought and laboured under the very Pangs of Death and Ruine Were we not numbred among the Dead bound about with Grave-clothes like a Corse laid out for Buriall a little before the Thundering of the Almighty from His Place in these late Times What Floods or Inundations rather of ungodly men very lately covered the Face of the whole Land and of our neighbour Nations Came they not up upon the Country the City even within those Walls where you sit Honoured Senatours like Elijahs Cloud that grew from the Bignesse of
a Hand till it overspread the whole Heaven How high did they raise their Proud Waves with what noise They went over our Heads Their Waters came in even to our Souls Did not the cause of Fear seem just and great to the Wisest and Stoutest Spirits As that Poet at Sea cryed out Nihil est nisi Pontus Aether which way soever I looke Nothing appeares but Sea or Skie Such was our condition Nothing appeared on every side but Danger on Earth Deliverance onely from Heaven The Snares of death prevented us were before us as well as behind us What Counsell or Course soâ—ver we could take seemed alike to hasten Ruine like every touch of a Dead Body that hath stood many yeers in a dry Vault and falls into dust upon the Gentlest Motion This was our Distresse nay this was the Outside onely and Grosse Body It had a Spirit and Invisible Part the Life of the Danger and Distresse The Sorrowes or the Cords the Bands the Companies and Troops of Death ver. 4. The Devill hath the Power of Death Hebr. 2. 14. This is the Sting the Spirit of Death The Devill is the Cord or Chaine of Sicknesses and Death Luke 13. 16. This woman whom Satan hath bound The Devill is like Gad a Troope a Band a Multitude My name is Legion for we are many saith the Devill in the Gospell The floods of the ungodly Beli jagnall vers. 4. The Floods without a Yoake or Bridle The Floods that rebelled Floods Rivers and Waters do signifie in the Language of the Scriptures Invisible Spirits because the Visible Part of things standeth out of these and in these as the Earth standeth out of the Waters and in the Waters 2 Pet. 3. 5. This Word signifieth Floods that run low and deep in Valleyes The Grave or Hell is a Degree of Darknesse a Depth below Death It hath other Troops of Evill Spirits belonging to it One sort of Devils are the Ministers of Death Another Sort the Ministers of the Grave or Hell though Both be subject to One Chiefe the Prince of Devils Revel. 20. 13. Death and Hell or the Grave gave up the Dead which were in them The Invisible Legions from below invaded our Land The Evill Angels that had the Power of Death have been in the midst of us with their Bands hoping to swallow up our Naturall Lives and Outward Comforts to have made us a Place of Skuls instead of Men The Evill Angels that inhabit and command in the Deeps of Hell below Death these rose up out of their Bottomlesse Pit like a Smoak These designed and indeavoured to infect our Soules to darken the Sun of Righteousnesse over our Heads to carry away our immortall Spirits in a Hellish Mist of Confusion into their Accursed Mansions Our Land and Hearts should have been made the Seat of â—im Esa. 13. 22. This Word signifieth Dry Spirits Dry Devils which have nothing of the Water of Life nor are ever refresht with any Sweetnesse or Fruit fulness but labour in the Barrenness Drought Heat Darkness of the Infernall Fires according to that Mat. 12. 49. The Evil Spirit walked thorow Dry Places Thus the Fountaines of the Great Deeps of Death and Hell from below were opened upon us Such was our Distresse This is the First Head 2 Head The Deliverer He is set forth by a Twofold Description 1 Description The Place from when hee comes forth 2 Description The Pompe in which he comes forth 1 Description The Place from which Hee coms forth ver. 6. He heard my voyce out of his Temple The Lord had a Materiall Temple among the Iews But now he hath a Spirituall Temple Iesus Christ is His Temple The Lambe is the Temple Revel. 21. 22. His Saints are His Temple 1 Cor. 3. 17. Which Temple Ye are When God comes forth to make any Eminent Change in the World His First Movings are in the Spirits of His Holy Ones The Decrees are passed and fixed in Iesus Christ in Heaven The Discoveries of the Designes and First Preparation to act them upon the Stage of this visible World is from Iesus Christ in the Hearts of His Members A Philosopher is said to have foreseene and foretold an Earthquake from the motion of the Waters trembling at the Bottome of a Deep Well So do Spirituall men perceive beforehand when God is about to shake the World or a Land by the Stirrings and Prophetick Preparatory Motions in the Bottome of their Spirits which lye neer to and touch upon the Invisible World the Angelicall and Divine Nature Rome had its Shield dropt from Heaven Troy its Divine Image of Fallas While these were preserved it was impossible to destroy these Cities The Saints are the Temple of the Lord in the midst of us Preserve these with all Tendernesse For they are our Sanctuary The Presence of the Lord is with us by Jesus Christ in them God heareth our Cry and ariseth to deliver us from Jesus Christ in their Spirits This is the First Description 2 Description The Pompe in which the Deliverer comes forth ver. 9. He bowed the Heavens also and came downe God is represented as Descending in State comming down to be upon the Earth after the same manner in the same Majesty as He sits upon His Throne above Bowing the Heavens as He descends descending upon them as a Pavement to his Feet The sense is that God appeares like a God as a God Present in the midst of us Putting forth Himselfe in a Heavenly Divine Extraordinary way above the Reach beyond the Compasse of Humane Wit and Capacity as the Heavens are above the Earth The Heaven of God is the Heaven of Heavens a Spirituall Heaven God comes downe among us upon thiâ—Heaven upon this Mount Sion where He dwels in the midst of His Ten Thousands of Angels and Glorified Saints Thus Heaven and Hell meet upon this our Earth in the Mid-way Every Good and Evill is Spirituallized in the midst of us The Devill comes up from Hell with his Invisible Legions God comes downe from Heaven with His Invisible Chariots While Men fight Angels fight Michael and his Angels with the Dragon and his Angels He wants his Spirituall eye who hath not seene God Descending the Devill Ascending Both meeting on this Portion of the Earth in these Times and Both Contending â—onflicting sharply for the Body of Christ and Christianity among us as once they did for the Body of Moses He wants the Eye of Reason that hath not seene God and the Devill resisting one another after a Supernaturall manner by Supernaturall Powers and Policies in our Naturall and Civill affaires as Jannes and Iambres resisted Moses Who is not forced to confesse of One Party that the Hand of Satan hath bin with them as the Hand of Ioab was with the Wise woman Who likewise can deny of those Things that have been brought to passe on the Other Party That It is the finger of God Verse 10. Hee rode upon a